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20 Mar 2023

Ja Rule Thinks Hip-Hop Has A Bad Influence On Ja Morant

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Ja Rule doesn’t dominate the charts in Hip-Hop’s current climate but he’s very much a certified hitmaker and has earned his status as a top touring act. In a recent chat, the Queens, N.Y. star believes that Hip-Hop music is having a negative impact on the decision made by one of the NBA’s brightest stars in Ja Morant.

TMZ Sports chatted up Ja Rule as he was leaving an airport and got his take on Ja Morant and his recent issues, especially the flashing of the gun on Instagram Live in Colorado after a Memphis Grizzlies game. According to the “Holla Holla” artist, Morant is applying Hip-Hop’s current sound to his real life.

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NBA player Patrick Beverley said on his podcast, The Pat Bev Show with Rone, that the music of choice for Morant is where all the decisions stem from. Ja Rule also agreed with that assessment, urging the young superstar to focus on his burgeoning NBA career and leave the tough street image in the rearview.

“Hip-Hop is very influential,” the rapper born Jeffrey Atkins began. “I’ve done things in my youth because of Hip-Hop. Redman made ‘How To Roll A Blunt,’ we started smoking blunts.”

Morant has gotten grilled plenty in the press and by former NBA stars, including a candid sit-down with ESPN’s Jalen Rose. Rose issued his own stern warning to Morant, stating that he understood what he was going through and hoped that Morant would correct course.

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Photo: Getty

17 Mar 2023

Twitter Confused At Anthony Hamilton Collaborating With DaBaby

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2023 Rolling Loud Los Angeles

DaBaby is persona non grata for a lot of folks these days by way of some of his public comments and previous actions, but he’s still going forward as an artist. The North Carolina rapper’s name trended on Twitter Friday (March 17) after dropping a new song and video for the track “BLANK” featuring Anthony Hamilton, which left many feeling confused at the pairing.

DaBaby kept busy in 2022 despite some believing that he fell from his higher heights after making controversial statements about the LGBTQ community and reports of violent activity that dogged him for the better part of the past two years. With “BLANK,” DaBaby returns with another of his over-the-top video treatments with Anthony Hamilton in tow for the ride.

The track is from DaBaby’s 2022 studio album, Baby On Baby 2, and produced by Charlie Heat and Rochon.

As it stands, the Twitter reactions to the new video and single from DaBaby featuring Anthony Hamilton are all over the place. We’ve got the best of them listed down below.

Check out “BLANK” for yourself below.



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Photo: Timothy Norris / Getty

16 Mar 2023

Ja Morant Sits Down With Jalen Rose For First Interview Since Suspension

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Ja Morant gave his first interview after a video of him surfaced brandishing a gun inside a Colorado nightclub, which led to him being suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies. Sitting down with ESPN’s Jalen Rose, the basketball superstar expressed regret over his decisions and promises to deliver a better image going forward.

Ja Morant, 23, is one of the young faces of the league and clearly is a draw no matter what arena he’s playing in. His electrifying style of play and passion on the court became coupled with troubling allegations of violence and negative actions over the past year. Ahead of the interview, Rose, himself a product of humble beginnings during his rise in the NBA, issued a stern but brotherly warning to Morant.

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“Honestly, I feel like we put ourselves in that situation with our past mistakes, and now it’s only right that we focus in and lock in on being smarter and more responsible, holding each other accountable for everything,” Morant said Wednesday during an interview with ESPN’s Jalen Rose, referring to his inner circle. “I feel like in the past we didn’t know what was at stake. And now finally me having that time to realize everything, have that time alone, I realize that now.

“I realize what I have to lose, and for us as a group, what we have to lose. It’s pretty much just that being more responsible, more smarter and staying away from all the bad decisions.”

Good on Ja Morant for realizing his mistakes and being willing to grow from them.

Morant will return to the Grizzlies at the conclusion of his eight-game suspension handed down from the NBA.

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Photo: Justin Ford / Getty

15 Mar 2023

Bobby Caldwell, Heavily Sampled & Covered Soul Singer, Dead At 71

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Bobby Caldwell, a soul singer sampled by a bevy of Hip-Hop artists, died this week and rocked the core of his devoted, if not confounded at times, fans. Often mistaken for a Black man, Caldwell became something of a social media legend once fans of his talented vocals discovered he was a white man.

Bobby Caldwell was born August 15, 1951, in New York, N.Y., but was raised primarily in Miami, Fla. Caldwell found himself surrounded by a variety of musical influences and even became close with Bob Marley, who was sold a home by Caldwell’s mother. Caldwell demonstrated the ability to play instruments as a middle-schooler ahead of joining a band later in his teens and picking up singing duties.

Caldwell was signed to Miami label TK Records, which primarily served up R&B and soul records for African American listeners. Caldwell’s eponymous debut album was released in 1978 and features “What You Won’t Do For Love,” easily Caldwell’s signature song. The story goes that TK Records wasn’t pleased with the album Caldwell turned in, so Caldwell took two days to record “What You Won’t Do For Love,” satisfying the desire of the label to gain a hit.

The collective of Hip-Hop artists who sampled or borrowed elements of Caldwell’s songs include 2Pac, Common, Aaliyah, Snoh Aalegra, The Notorious B.I.G., and more.

The Twitter account of Bobby Caldwell, with a statement from Caldwell’s wife, Mary, shared the tweet below:

Mrs. Caldwell writes of her husband being FLOXED, a condition that can occur after a type of antibiotic treatment and exposure to fluoroquinolones.

Bobby Caldwell was 71.

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Photo: Ethan Miller/BET / Getty

15 Mar 2023

Twitter Expresses Concern Over Young M.A. After New Video Surfaces

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Friday All White Affair

Young M.A is still active in the music business after dropping joints and doing features in the past year, but fans are currently discussing another matter online and expressing concern. A video of the New York rapper getting her hair styled surfaced and fans are pondering if Young M.A is battling health issues.

Young M.A, 30, was seen in a recent video from barber and Wild ‘N Out star, Fats Da Barber. The “Ooouuu” star is a frequent client of Fats, having starred in a video earlier this month on March 4 and having a little fun in the process.

In the latest video, shared by Twitter user @BenjiiOtr, Young M.A is getting a retwist and lineup similar to the one seen in the video above but folks zeroed in on her appearance. From our vantage point, the Brooklyn native looks tired, not ailing from a health condition. Further, speculation of this sort typically happens when enough information isn’t presently available so we can’t offer anything beyond that regarding the rapper’s health.

The reactions from the video range from full-on worry to others warning about prematurely reporting on the matter without all of the facts. As it stands, we’ve got reactions from all sides from Twitter listed below.

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Photo: Getty

07 Mar 2023

Jharrel Jerome To Play Gentle Giant In Boots Riley’s ‘I’m A Virgo’

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I'm A Virgo Jharrel Jerome

Jharrel Jerome returns to the streaming screen this fall in a new series, I’m A Virgo, from director and creator, Boots Riley. Jerome is set to play a 13-foot man in Oakland, Calif. and a new trailer reveals what viewers can expect this summer.

Jharrel Jerome, 25, will play Cootie, who was large from the time he was a baby en route to shooting up to 13 feet. According to a report from TV Line, I’m A Virgo will be coming to Amazon Prime this summer and is billed as a “darkly comedic and fantastical coming-of-age joyride.”

From TV Line:

“Having grown up hidden away, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows, Cootie escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world,” reads the synopsis. “He forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol, the real life superhero named The Hero (played by Justified‘s Walton Goggins).

Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Brett Gray, and Kara Young are also part of the cast.  Riley, who also directed the acclaimed film, Sorry To Bother You, directed all seven episodes of I’m A Virgo. Some might remember James in his role as Kory Wise in the stirring drama When They See Us.

Jharrel Jerome is also one of the executive producers for the upcoming series.

Check out the trailer for I’m A Virgo below.



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Photo: Amazon Prime / Youtube

06 Mar 2023

Melle Mel Faces Wrath Of Hip-Hop Twitter Over Recent Comments

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Melle Mel is a living legend of Hip-Hop and should be regarded as one of the culture’s foundational stars for his massive contributions. However, the Furious Five frontman is coming under fire on Twitter after recent comments he made about the genre recently surfaced.

Melle Mel, 61, was a recent guest on The Art of Dialogue and several clips from the chat have since gone viral.

One comment, in particular, was Mel stating that other rappers don’t want to rap like Kendrick Lamar despite several instances of some rappers taking some of K-Dot’s vocal formula over the past decade. Mel was speaking about the recent list of the best rappers in the game published by Billboard.


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Mel then launched into an assault on Eminem, stating that the Detroit lyricist is only lauded as much as he is due to him being a white rapper. Mel also concluded that Busta Rhymes is a better rapper overall than Jay-Z along with other quips.


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As a result of Mel’s comments, fans on Twitter are taking note of the fact that the founding member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five has been critical of Hip-Hop acts with one clip in particular where Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan expressed that Melle Mel seemingly mistreated him despite Meth showing respect.

Mel also took another shot at Jay-Z, saying that the late Tupac “2Pac” Shakur had a larger impact on Hip-Hop than the Brooklyn rapper. Each of these clips has garnered a flurry of responses as expected. And this isn’t the first time Melle Mel has taken aim at his predecessors.


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Keep scrolling to see some of the reactions to Melle Mel blasting Hip-Hop’s modern era below.

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Photo: Johnny Nunez / Getty

06 Mar 2023

Ja Morant Out Indefinitely For Memphis Grizzlies

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Los Angeles Lakers v Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant was thought to be returning to the Memphis Grizzlies after serving a widely reported two-game suspension after he was seen brandishing a gun on Instagram Live. Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said that a timetable for Morant’s return has yet to be established as the team continues to address the needs of its superstar player.

As reported by ESPN, Coach Jenkins spoke to the media before the Grizzlies took on the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday (March 6). In the pre-game press conference, Jenkins said that the team is focused on getting Morant the help he needs to address his off-court issues while also pledging to keep him accountable for his actions.

“There’s not a definitive timeline, we have said that it would be at least two games,” Jenkins said to one reporter. “We’re taking it one day at a time, this is a healing process.”

He added, “He’s [Morant] understands that he’s made some difficult decisions and poor choices in the past that he has to account for, that’s what you saw in the statement, it speaks for itself.”

Morant issued a public statement apologizing for his actions and adding that he’s seeking help with stress and other concerns.

“I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire organization for letting you down,” the statement said. “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”

Ja Morant remains the face of the Grizzles franchise and one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. At just 23 years of age, Jenkins and the Grizzlies’ front office appear committed to helping their player through his recent woes.

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Photo: Justin Ford / Getty

04 Mar 2023

Ja Morant Appears To Flash Gun On Instagram Live, Twitter Dunks On The All-Star

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Ja Morant is easily one of the most electrifying players the NBA has ever seen and he has been rewarded handsomely for his on-court talents. However, the Memphis Grizzlies superstar is under fire for his off-court antics after he was seen on Instagram Live appearing to flash a gun.

Ja Morant and the Grizzlies last played Friday night (March 3) against the Denver Nuggets in a contest, losing 113-97. After the game in the wee hours of Saturday morning (March 4), a video of the 23-year-old star flashing a gun on IG Live made its rounds on social media and sports media outlets as expected.

This comes as Morant is already in legal crosshairs after allegedly punching a 17-year-old boy after a pickup game at his house in 2022 and also allegedly flashing a gun at the teen. As it stands, fans of Morant and observers alike are wondering why someone with this much skill on the hardwood would risk a thriving career and his $193 million rookie max extension deal for actions not befitting of an NBA star.

DJ Akademiks captured the video along with other outlets, who spread the image far and wide via their networks. According to Twitter reactions, Morant is gesturing with the firearm with the music of NBA YoungBoy blaring in the back. It isn’t known if he was at home, or at a club, but it does add to a string of poor decision-making on Morant’s part.

Along with the aforementioned punching case from 2022, Morant is also accused of being inside a vehicle where individuals inside allegedly flashed a red gun laser at some Indiana Pacers players after a game that was reportedly chippy.

Ja Morant is clearly gifted beyond measure and hopefully, someone in his camp is reminding him of how much he could stand to lose. Further, young players around the world idolize Morant and his actions carry great weight.

Check out the reactions to Ja Morant and the IG Live gun video below.

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Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty

03 Mar 2023

De La Day: De La Soul Shares Full Catalog On Streaming Services, Hip-Hop Celebrates The Plugs

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2017 SXSW Conference And Festivals - Day 9

De La Soul fans in the digital age were left out of experiencing the Long Island, N.Y. trio’s music on streaming services due to a series of legal blockades over the years. Today (March 3), those patient listeners are now rewarded with access to the Plugs’ full audio catalog and on Twitter, the celebration is joyously unified.

De La Soul and the group’s long fight for the rights back to their music released under the Tommy Boy Records imprint was heavily documented by those in the Hip-Hop media space and the beloved group’s dedication to the mission was not unheard.

This all culminated in a star-packed celebration in New York City Thursday night (March 2) featuring the surviving members of De La Soul and many of their Native Tongues cohorts including Monie Lovie, Dres of Black Sheep, and more. The moment was bittersweet as the celebration also included honoring the life and legacy of David “Dave” Jolicoeur, who passed of congestive heart failure on Feb. 12.

From clips shared on social media and streaming images via Amazon Music of The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience from Webster Hall, emotions were high. DJ Maseo aka Plug Three honored his fallen comrade, as did Posdonous aka Plug One. Comedian Dave Chappelle was also in the building to honor De La, helping to count down the minutes when the catalog was available on streaming services on the east coast and the states at large.

As it stands, the massive recording history of De La Soul and its lasting influence on the culture will continue to live beyond their years. On Twitter, fans are chiming in with their listening orders, favorite tracks, favorite lines, and all things in between. Check out those reactions below.

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Photo: Gary Miller / Getty