video
Source: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty
Spike Lee is preparing to deliver his latest body of work to the big screen and was present at the Cannes Film Festival this week, discussing his upcoming film, Highest 2 Lowest. During a press conference in support of the film, Spike Lee was asked a question, and he answered with an assumed swipe at President Donald Trump.
Spike Lee was flanked on the podium by Highest 2 Lowest co-stars, Jeffrey Wright and Ilfenesh Hadera. Lee, Wright, and Hadera largely spoke about their roles in the film, with Hadera reminding the media that, for as much as Highest 2 Lowest is another collaboration with Lee and leading man Denzel Washington, she has worked with Lee several times as well. Wright, a fan of Lee’s work, remarked that this is the first time he’s worked with the famed director.
Around the 22:37 mark, a reporter stood and asked if social media has compromised American values after noting that his film speaks a lot about integrity. Lee, freewheeling as ever, answered as only the Brooklyn native could.
“Well, I mean, I don’t know how much we can talk about American values considering who’s the president of the,” before trailing over to cover his mouth, but it was clear he was saying “the United States” to conclude his covered-mouth statement.
He added with exuberance, “My wife said: ‘Spike, be very careful what you say!’”
Lee, turning serious, continued by saying, “But here’s the thing, I don’t think that we can condemn social media. You can say the same thing about film, movies or whatever. So I’m not going to demonize the form.”
Wright answered as well, and shared his thoughts, adding that some developers of these massive social media platforms won’t allow their children to use those spaces.
A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice, along with Wright’s son, Elijah Wright, making his big screen debut, are part of the cast.
Spike Lee’s full conference for Highest 2 Lowest from Cannes can be viewed below.
—
Photo:
HipHopWired Featured Video
Annie Knight, an OnlyFans star who is known for sleeping with several partners at a time via her content, recently slept with 583 men. Annie Knight later shared that she had to be hospitalized after the marathon sex session, but it doesn’t appear she has any regrets.
Annie Knight, 28, is billed as “Australia’s most sexually active woman” and has promoted her career with a sense of boldness and pride. Speaking exclusively with Us Weekly, Knight did say that despite the pain she’s feeling, she’s hoping to get back to herself very soon.
“I’m not doing very well, I’ve been bleeding a lot since the challenge,” Knight said to Us Weekly, adding that she has the condition endometriosis. “It was definitely a bit raw down there and I did get a small cut.”
Knight told the outlet that despite the high number of participants, the challenge itself wasn’t difficult at all for her.
“Doing 583 in a day is quite a lot so I was a little bit worried that I was gonna really struggle with it, because the most I’ve done before that was 24 in a day,” Knight added. Over 2,000 men signed up for the May 18 event and only expected around 200 men to appear. When the number was more than double that, Knight said she was excited to take on the challenge even more.
Knight’s chosen profession certainly has its fair share of critics, and some had choice words for the men who signed up for the act. Knight took up the mantle to defend her male participants.
“People seem to, like, get so uptight about it. At the end of the day, these men just want to have sex. God forbid, a man has sex. And I’m providing a service for free,” Knight said. “It really upsets me when I see people coming after the guys and being so mean about the guys that showed up, because I feel quite protective of them, and so when I see all these negative comments toward them, it really, like, upsets me.”
Knight posted another video saying that she could’ve done 100 more men and that the post-recovery discomfort was the only thing she was dealing with.
—
Photo: Instagram / @AnnieKnight
HipHopWired Featured Video
Styles P has been one of the sharpest rappers in the game for the past three decades as a member of The Lox, along with his prolific solo career. In a recent interview, Styles P essentially ranked himself higher than Jim Jones and cited his body of work as proof.
Styles P was a recent guest on The No Funny Sh*t podcast hosted by Kenny “KP” Supreme & DP. The G-Host discussed a bevy of topics, including his alignment with his brothers from The Lox, his various health business ventures, becoming an elder in Hip-Hop, and life as it happens.
In a clip that began to buzz online, Kenny Supreme, who we should note is a Harlem native, floated the idea that the Capo Jim Jones would get Styles P out of here in a song-for-song VERZUZ-like battle. Holidays Styles, a battle-tested MC, met Supreme’s assertion head-on as any rapper would when it comes to their skill set.
“Me and Jim [Jones] ain’t in the same league,” Styles says, after telling Supreme that his opinion is incorrect in his eyes. “Me and Jim don’t do the same things. I’m a bar master. I’m a lyrical technician. I’ve been on joints with some of the best emcees in the world. [The Notorious] B.I.G., Hov, Black Thought, Talib [Kweli]. I bar sh*t down.”
Styles added, “If there is a lyricist or MC, I’m one of their favorites. I’m not here to make catchy hooks and do dope shit, I don’t know that. I’m into making your f*cking soul move.”
Styles P, along with Jadakiss and Sheek Louch, easily dispatched of Jim Jones and the Dipset collective in their explosive VERZUZ battle in New York that the culture still talks about with high reverence. Will this renew interest in a further battle? Will the Vamp Life honcho respond to Styles? Stay tuned.
Hop to the 23:00-minute mark to hear the discussion above.
—
Photo: Johnny Nunez / Getty
“
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: John Nacion / Getty
Adin Ross caught the ire of Doechii fans after he used a moment during one of his livestream events to insult the buzzing artist for reasons that are still largely unclear. As a result, Adin Ross claims he lost two major brand deals after the Doechii jabs, and this comes while also making light of Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting injury recently.
Adin Ross was a guest on DJ Akademiks’ livestream and detailed the loss of the deal. While he doesn’t explain why those deals were removed from his slate, it was clear that the move bothered him.
“I had two deals lined up, same with DDG, lost both of them,” Ross shared. “I’m mad as f*ck, Ak. It’s not even about the money. It’s just [because]I wanted to do it. It was a big ad, it was a big deal. That’s the reality of how the world works.”
On Monday (May 12), Ross went on a rant against Doechiil, referring to the TDE superstar as the “b-word,” calling her unintelligent, and suggesting she is an industry plant. Some fans online associated his disdain for the Florida rapper due to Kendrick Lamar’s past TDE alignment, and an incident with her staff at the Met Gala event that she has since apologized for.
Ross also took a cheap jab at Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting incident involving Tory Lanez, seemingly in defense of the recently injured and incarcerated Canadian artist.
—
Photo
HipHopWired Featured Video
Snoop Dogg has enjoyed well over three decades of notoriety and the requisite ups and downs that come along with fame. In a recent sitdown with The Breakfast Club, Snoop Dogg addressed fans who refer to him as a sellout over his assumed alignment with President Donald Trump, and he appeared to clear the record.
The larger part of the conversation centered on Snoop Dogg’s legacy as an artist, learning how to adjust to being a grandfather, praising his wife’s guidance for his family, and promising some new music down the pipeline, including his upcoming 21st studio album, Iz It A Crime? He also spoke on Warren G, a past collaborator of both Snoop and Dr. Dre, who felt like he was left out of the Missionary album sessions with his past partners.
From there, the conversation shifted to Snoop’s appearance at the Crypto Ball around the time of President Trump’s inauguration. The Doggfather was blitzed by fans who felt that he betrayed them for doing the event, considering some of the president’s current political positions. Snoop was clear to draw a line right there.
“Can’t none of you motherf*ckers tell me what I can and can’t do,” Snoop said after explaining he DJ-ed a set at the event for 30 minutes. “But I’m not a politician. I don’t represent the Republican Party. I don’t represent the Democratic Party. I represent the motherf*cking Gangster Party period point blank, and G sh*t we don’t explain sh*t so that’s why I didn’t explain. That’s why I didn’t go into detail when motherf*ckers was trying to counsel me and say he a sellout.”
Snoop went on to say that he would frequently post certain things on his popular Instagram page to see what fans had to say, with some using keyboard courage to call the veteran rapper out his name. Snoop said he hopped into some DMs and addressed the critics head-on, confirming that everyone changed their tune after that.
Check out Snoop Dogg’s full chat with The Breakfast Club in the video below. Hop to the 21:00-minute mark to see the topic mentioned above.
—
Photo: Screenshot / YouTube/The Breakfast Club
HipHopWired Featured Video
Slick Rick has not released a full-length project in over 26 years, and that will soon change this summer. Partnering with Idris Elba, Slick Rick is slated to release his visual album Victory this summer via Elba’s 7Wallace label and Nas‘ Mass Appeal Records.
Slick Rick, long considered Hip-Hop’s most masterful storyteller, will deliver Victory this June. As we see in the trailer for the project, the artist, real name Ricky Walters, constructed the album over four years and recorded in Europe, Africa, and North America. Rick’s suave voice can be heard explaining the value of songwriting and poetry, reminding viewers that before films, words were how pictures were painted.
Victory serves as Slick Rick’s fifth studio album, last releasing his gold-selling album, The Art of Storytelling, in 1999. Rick and Elba are the executive producers for the album, with special appearances from Nas, Giggs, and Estelle.
“Victory is all about perseverance, storytelling, imagination and evolution. A visual blend of art and heart — a sonic journey that reflects where I’ve been and where I’m going. Victory isn’t just music — it’s a bold in your face statement, showcasing British artistry at its finest!” Rick shared in a statment.
Elba adds, “Working with Slick Rick… back home in the UK, and then offering the world of hip hop something amazing has been a blessing. It’s literally a gift!”
Mass Appeal co-founder Nas also shared a statement.
“Slick Rick and I have a long history of working together so it was great to get back in the studio with him to create this new record. He has been such an influential figure in Hip Hop culture and I look forward to him sharing this project with the next generation of fans,” shared the Queensbridge MC.
Victory clocks in at 30 minutes and is directed by Meji Alabi, who worked with Beyoncé on her Black Is King project. The project carries the bold, creative visions of both Rick and Elba, who, beyond acting, released music previously and is an active DJ, among Elba’s other talents.
The powerhouse affair features longtime studio engineer Young Guru, who mixed the project, and photography was provided by Jonathan Mannion. Victory will see a world premiere at SXS7 London at Shoreditch Town Hall on June 7, followed by a special session with Slick Rick, Idris Elba, and Meji Alabi.
Victory will make its debut in the States on June 13 at the SVA 1 Theater during the Tribeca Festival, which will have a Q&A session with Slick Rick. That same day, Victory will be available on DSPs and for purchase.
To purchase tickets for the SXSW London showing, click here. For the Tribeca Festival showing, click here.
—
Photo: Jonathan Mannion
HipHopWired Featured Video
Ironheart, the highly anticipated miniseries starring Dominique Thorne as genius MIT student Riri Williams, is slated to launch this summer. Marvel dropped the official trailer for Ironheart on Wednesday (May 14), which details Riri Williams’ journey into superheroism after studying abroad in a famed African nation.
Dominique Thorn stars as Riri Williams, an MIT student from Chicago who is encountered by a mysterious figure known as The Hood, played by Anthony Ramos, who helps fund her mission to build an all-powerful armored suit similar to the suits created by the late Tony Stark, better known to the world as Iron Man.
The trailer shows The Hood testing Williams’ brilliance inside her makeshift laboratory, and later promising riches to make her dreams of building a super-suit come true. As it would happen, The Hood doesn’t seem to have the purest intentions for Williams, setting up a clash with Ironheart in the future.
The six-part series follows the action shortly after Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where we first encounter Williams after being recruited by the Dora Milaje’s top general, Okoye. Coogler also serves as an executive producer for the series, which also stars Lyric Ross as Williams’ friend Natalie Washington, and Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy, among others.
Get the full cast and other details for Ironheart here. Check out the trailer below. The show’s first three episodes will be released on June 24.
—
Photo: Marvel/Getty/Disney+
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Red Bull Spiral, the innovative Hip-Hop series from Red Bull 1520, is back for a third season and is kicking things off with three lyrical heavyweights. Big Sean, Joey BadA$$, and Ab-Soul all hopped into the Red Bull Spiral cypher with their unique, face-melting bars.
Opening up the Red Bull Spiral is Big Sean, with the Detroit wordsmith sounding comfortable over the head-nodding production behind him with some assistance from Joey BadA$$ and Ab-Soul. After Sean Don playfully says that Ab-Soul’s lady told him that he was going to “wash” him in the cypher, the Black Lip Pastor returns the jab but delivers another one of his amazing displays of lyricism as only the Martin Luther King of Carson can. In his verse, Soul-O also shouts out BadA$$’s Pro Era set but still flies the TDE flag high.
On the anchor, the Brooklyn Bad Mon Joey BadA$$ ripped a hole in the multiverse with his bars and backed up all the tough talk he delivered over his blistering “The Ruler’s Back” track, expertly saluting Ab-Soul’s hometown and shouting out Sean. The synergy between the trio makes it appear as if they were an actual group, but this is the first time the three stars have appeared on a track of this sort. And if there was any doubt about Joey’s love for the West Coast, it was squashed amicably at the end of his set.
Check out Big Sean, Ab-Soul, and Joey BadA$$ in the Red Bull Spiral cypher below. Peep the lyrics here.
—
Photo: Koury Angelo / Red Bull Content Pool
HipHopWired Featured Video
Ice-T has lived a colorful life as a founding voice in the so-called “Gangsta Rap” space as an artist ahead of a long and still-ongoing career as an actor. In a recent interview, Ice-T shared a tale of how a person he considered a good friend set him up and robbed him.
As spotted on Complex, Ice-T sat down with the Get Up & Tighten Up podcast hosted by Norman Seabrook, and he shared his early beginnings in Los Angeles, his foray into Hip-Hop music, and his journey as an actor.
Harkening back to his rapping roots, Ice shared how his alignment with individuals involved in street activity who were both protective of him and standoffish against other rappers, but also turned their backs on him while using his fame as an inside track to his riches.
“So when you’re from this environment…you just never know,” Ice-T said of running the streets. “I got set up by one of my best friends. It was funny, after it happened, I talked to somebody. They said, ‘That was somebody you fed, that was somebody who’s actually sat down to dinner with you that set you up.’”
To check out that portion of the interview, check out the 50-minute mark of the Get Up & Tighten Up podcast, posted below.
—
Photo: John Atashian / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
HipHopWired Featured Video
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill was a guest on Piers Morgan Uncensored this week to discuss Shiloh Hendrix, the woman who called a Black boy the n-word and launched a fundraiser and gaining over $700,00. Piers Morgan urged a white guest panelist to use the N-word in front of Marc Lamont Hill, who stopped the act and framed it as an attack.
Marc Lamont Hill shared the clip in question on his Instagram account at the exact moment where Morgan tried to get cultural commentator Lilly Gaddis to say the N-word. Gaddis has been supportive of Hendrix and says she uses the N-word slur frequently herself.
Morgan, with a grin, asked Gaddis repeatedly to say the slur before Hill jumped ahead of her and said that he would not be subjected to the verbal assault on the program. Ahead of that moment, Gaddis attempts to illustrate that her use of the N-word slur is part of her right to free speech, which made Hill grimace in the video.
As Hill blasted Morgan for the stunt, he also threw fellow panelist and Fresh and Fit Podcast co-host Myron Gaines under the bus and referred to Gaines as an “Uncle Tom.”
Here is what Hill had to say about the moment on Instagram:
The other day, I was asked to appear on Piers Morgan to discuss the recent fundraising campaign for the white woman who used the N-word against a five-year-old autistic Black child. It wasn’t until the show started that I realized I’d be sharing space with Myron Gaines (racist, misogynist, antisemite who pretends to be a Black American) and Lilly Gaddis, a proudly self-proclaimed racist who admits to frequently using the N-word. At the end of our debate, Piers dared her to use the N-word on the show. While I understand that his intention was to expose her as a racist —and get ratings for shock value— I felt compelled to shut it down.
Check out Marc Lamont Hill blasting Piers Morgan for the ratings grab stunt below.
—
Photo: Prince Williams / Getty