Month: April 2013

Well this doesn’t sound like too much fun at all. Soulja Boy and Chief Keef, who have previously collaborated a few times on tracks like “Foreign Cars” and “Say She Luv Me” are now tangled in some social networking war. It’s getting pretty ugly, and death threats are being thrown around.

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Back in January, Chief Keef’s Twitter was “hacked” and during that “hacking” some insults flew about Soulja Boy. “He’s a d-ck stealin’ every1 flow,” Fake Keef tweeted. That battle was diffused quickly, but earlier this month one of Keef’s homies GBE’s Ballout got pretty braggy over Twitter about how he stole Soulja Boy’s chain. “N L.A. Pushin On N—as Jus Too This N—a @souljaboy Chain Des N—as Fak As S–t I B Takin S–t,” he tweeted.

Now Soulja Boy has run through Facebook several weeks later making death threats to Keef and his boy. He even posted both of Keef’s phone numbers urging people to “Call Sosa” and tell him that Soulja Boy is on the way. He even claims to have an AK-47 in his hand. With Keef’s previous criminal record, is this the wisest thing for Soulja Boy to be doing? Just because you know how to “Superman dat h0e” doesn’t make you Superman, son.

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Screwed Up Click alum Lil’ Flip is a wanted man in Louisiana after he no-showed in court yesterday.

Onetime Houston, Texas Hip Hop star Lil’ Flip is currently a wanted man. The Screwed-Up Click and Clover Gang member, a former Columbia Records platinum act, is currently the target of an arrest warrant, according to TMZ. Flip reportedly missed a court date yesterday (April 18) in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, for his nearby December 25 arrest.

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On Christmas of last year, Flip’s vehicle was stopped and subsequently searched. Police allege they found a Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle and marijuana. It was said to be Flip’s third drug offense at the time.

By December 30, Lil’ Flip, released on bond, took to Twitter to stress his innocence and call out his arresting officer by name. He stressed that he had a permit for the firearm, and that the drugs in question were really just Black & Mild cigars.

TMZ reports that a source close to Flip believes the rapper was unaware of the court hearing. Flip last released Ahead Of My Time in 2010.

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ESPN basketball analyst Chris Broussard spoke with The Daily Caller about Hip-Hop’s relationship with social issues like poverty, crime, and injustice.

“Hip-Hop is a symptom of the problem,” said Broussard . “It’s not the root cause of the problem.”

As the president of the Christian Men’s Movement K.I.N.G., Broussard has taken on the duty of fulfilling the organization”s mission of healing and empowering men of African descent through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

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Part of that objective includes bringing light to systematic racism that still affects the black family and the Hip-Hop community.

“You’ll literally have black people going to prison for crimes that white people are not going to prison for,” said Broussard. “This impacts the family.”

Broussard points to two recent respective studies done by the Sentencing Commission and Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Social Policy that revealed that there are significant racial gaps in both prison sentencing and household wealth in the United States.

The Sentencing Commission analysis found that black men were sentenced to nearly 20% longer sentences than white men for similar crimes. The gap increased after 2005 when the Supreme Court ruled that federal district judges can use “judicial discretion” in sentencing.

The Brandeis study found a 30% difference in the relative wealth growth between black and white families between 1984 and 2009. With home ownership being the biggest contributor to net worth, the collapse of the housing bubble and the Great Recession of 2008 caused a black-white divide of $85,070 in median net worth in 1984 to skyrocket to a difference of $236,500 in 2009.

White Americans also tend to start off in society at a better financial status than African-Americans. Whites are 5 times more likely to receive a family inheritance than blacks, and 80% of black students graduate from college with debt as opposed to only 64% of white students.

Broussard offers a defense of rap artists as being the voice of those individuals being affected by these government policies and economic inequalities.

“[Young rappers] are writing about the things that they see and may, in some cases, experience in their neighborhoods,” said Broussard. “Poverty, injustice, crime, fatherlessness, family breakdown — because all this exists in their community.”

On the other hand, Broussard also believes that rappers are responsible for the themes and images they display to young listeners who may not have experienced that lifestyle.

“Music that [some rappers] are putting out is reaching people who don’t live in that neighborhood and reality,” said Broussard. “You have young kids who are from nice, two-parent households… and they may be dumbing themselves down to act like the rapper that they idolize.”

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Flavor Flav has a scheduling conflict between a court date in Las Vegas and his induction with the rap group Public Enemy into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 54-year-old former rap and reality TV star is due for arraignment Thursday on felony charges that he chased and threatened his longtime girlfriend’s 17-year-old son with a butcher knife during an argument.

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The Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony is also taking place Thursday, in Los Angeles.

Defense attorney Tony Abbatangelo has already asked a judge for a different arraignment date for his client, whose legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr.

Drayton faces felony assault with a weapon and child endangerment charges and a misdemeanor domestic violence battery charge.

Abbatangelo has said Drayton will plead not guilty.

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In these past two weeks, Jay-Z has started a sports agency, signed Robinson Cano, began his application to become a sports agent and now has relinquished his minority stake in the Brooklyn Nets.

In a statement posted on his Life+Times website, Jay-Z gave his thanks and states he’s now focusing on “building the brands of professional athletes”. The diverse entrepreneur says an NBA mandate requires him to relinquish his stake in the Brooklyn Nets in order for Roc Nation Sports to fully flourish:

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Being a member of the Nets organization surpassed some of my greatest ambitions. It was never about an investment; it was about the NETS and Brooklyn. My job as an owner is over but as a fan it has just begun. I’m a Brooklyn Net forever. It’s been an honor to work with Mikhail Prokhorov, Dmitry Razumov, Christophe Charlier, ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment, Brett Yormark and all the wonderful people involved in making the Nets first class. My sincerest thanks goes to Bruce Ratner, who first introduced the idea of moving the Nets to Brooklyn. A thank you and deepest appreciation goes to the fans. You are the lifeblood of any team.

The Nets have made their mark on the NBA and as they enter a new era, Roc Nation does as well; as we embark on Roc Nation Sports. Our newest endeavor is committed to building the brands of professional athletes as we have done for some of today’s top music artists. For Roc Nation Sports to function at its full potential, NBA rules stipulate that I relinquish my ownership in the Brooklyn Nets. It was a tough decision but as I stated earlier, it’s not about ownership. Congratulations to The Nets on a great season and making the playoffs! I will always be a Brooklyn Net.

Rumors suggest that Mr. Carter is trying to get the sports agent application process over with in order to be able to participate in this year’s NBA draft which begins on June 27th.

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The New Post is claiming they have word that Kanye West is coming back to “SNL” to play some songs this Spring.

Kanye West has been one of the more famous “SNL” guests of the last five years. Dating back to an October, 2005 appearance, ‘Ye has has been the musical guest four times, in promotion of each of his last four solo albums. After West was parodied by cast-member and impressionist Jay Pharaoh, the rapper famously criticized the show in 2010 single, “Power,” saying, “Fuck ‘SNL’ and they whole cast / Tell ’em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass.”

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Appearing on the show months after, West altered the lyrics during his rendition of the song.

The New York Post’s “Page Six” reported today that Kanye West will return to the show formerly known as “Saturday Night Live” for a sixth appearance on May 18. West or his Def Jam Records label have yet to confirm these reports. An NBC rep also told The Post that the show has yet to announce its lineup.

Kanye West is currently in Paris, France recording what is believed to be his sixth solo album.

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It seems that Miley Cyrus’ New Years resolution was to enter Hip Hop. In his interview with MTV Hive, the Moroccan rapper confirms that the two have been in the studio together.

According to the rapper, the pair linked up at Clive Davis’ Grammy party back in February and united over shared inebriation:

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That’s my dog. That’s my peoples. We became friends at the Clive Davis Grammy party. I was sitting there with Puff. She was sitting there with Wiz [Khalifa]. She just kept looking at me laughing, I kept on looking at her laughing. I said, “What you laughing at?” She said, “I know you high like me.” After that, we became mad cool. I went over to the studio, just kicking it.

Montana also reveals that the video for his upcoming collaboration with The Weeknd, entitled “Lifted” will begin shooting next week. His collaboration with Wale, “Back to Ballin” off Wale’s Folarin mixtape will be released soon and is reportedly shot by comedy collective Funny or Die.

The MMG-affiliated MC also spoke on Reebok’s recent decision to remove Ross as their spokesman:

I feel like a lot of people did worse than that and people didn’t judge them. They could’ve taken it light on him, understanding that it was a mistake. People make mistakes; we all human. That’s about it. As far as Ross, I know him personally. I know he’s a great guy. He’s like a big brother to me and I’m a big fan of Reebok. I can’t wait for them to cut me one of them big checks.

French Montana’s Bad Boy debut album, Excuse My French is set to be released on May 21st.

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General rule of thumb: once a couple starts buying private islands for one another it should be assumed they are obscenely wealthy. The winning streak Hip Hop’s power couple seem to be on continues as International Business Times reports that Jay-Z and Beyonce are “pop music’s first billionaire couple.”

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The couple have been constant fixtures on Forbes’ annual The World’s Highest Paid Celebrity Couples List for years, ranking at #2 and #1 in 2011 and 2012 respectively raking in $150 million in the two years combined.

Recently, Beyonce became the face of H&M’s summer bikini collection and reportedly made $116 million on that deal alone. Jay-Z, still reaping the returns of his historic 2008 $150 million deal recently signed a multi-year, worldwide partnership with Universal Music Group.

The Carters’ money is not the only asset on people’s minds these days. The co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian told Bloomberg News today (April 17th) that he is very interested in buying Jay-Z’s minority stake in the Brooklyn Nets. Jay-Z is expected to sell his share in the Brooklyn Nets in order to become a certified player agent, especially after his newly formed Roc Nation Sports signed New York Yankee superstar Robinson Cano.

The 30 year old internet entrepreneur further elaborated on why he would want to own part of a basketball team on in a post on Reddit’s NBA subreddit:

”I’m a diehard Skins (/r/nfl knows) fan, but I’ve come to terms with never getting a share out of Dan Snyder. I realize it’s a token amount. But I actually live in Brooklyn and I’m pretty good with the internet — I reckon that could be helpful.

Both Jay-Z and Beyonce are reportedly releasing albums this year and have tours scheduled with Beyonce beginning her Mrs. Carter World Tour this past Monday (April 15th) at the Kombank Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.

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In order to become a certified agent, Jay-Z must first pass the NFLPA admission test and have his postgrad degree requirement waived.

According to a recent report from NBC Sports, Jay-Z’s latest business venture may be slightly more difficult than many may have initially perceived. Thanks to the rapper’s newly-launched sports management company, Roc Nation Sports, he’s expressed interest in receiving NFLPA (National Football League Players Association) certification.

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Receiving certification from the NFLPA will allow Jay-Z to actively recruit NFL players, but in order to become a certified agent he must first successfully pass the NFLPA’s admission test.

On top of passing the admission test, the Hip Hop mogul would also have to work directly with the NFLPA to somehow have the postgraduate degree requirement waived. And with the possibility of that particular requirement being waived there then arises issues of favoritism and special treatment for the rapper.

As of now, it is unclear if any of these requirements will affect Jay-Z’s decision to become a certified agent.

Among those Jay-Z is currently working with at Roc Nation Sports is New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz.

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Reebok’s decision to break ties with Rick Ross is allegedly about to set the Maybach Music Group boss back between $3.5 – $5 million according to a report by TMZ.

Apparently, Ross was getting paid every time he wore apparel by Reebok, but after he and the brand started to receive significant criticism for the rapper’s controversial lyrics in Rocko’s song, “U.O.E.N.O.,” the shoe company decided to end its partnership with Ross.

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Prior to the dissolution of their business relationship, Ross did offer an apology via twitter saying, “I dont [sic] condone rape. Apologies for the lyric interpreted as rape. #BOSS.”

That statement was not enough to end the torrent of calls for Reebok to drop Ross, and on April 11 the company official announced that the deal with the Miami rapper was ending.

Several rappers including Meek Mill, Slim Thug, and Rocko came out publicly and defended Ross’ right to express himself as an artist. Rocko also suggested that Reebok owed Ross a lot of credit for making the brand relevant in Hip-Hop again.

“As far as the Reebok thing, I don’t think that was fair because what he brought to Reebok. People in my neighborhood, in my city, they’re back wearing Reeboks. It was a cardinal sin to wear Reebok before Ross started promoting ‘em. Ross stepped in and he branded ‘em and he got the urban market back in to ‘em,” Rocko told MTV recently.

Ross later offered another more detailed apology saying in part:

“I recognize that as an artist I have a voice and with that, the power of influence. To the young men who listen to my music, please know that using a substance to rob a woman of her right to make a choice is not only a crime, it’s wrong and I do not encourage it. To my fans, I also apologize if I have disappointed you. I can only hope that this sparks a healthy dialogue and that I can contribute to it.”

The second mea culpa came after Reebok chose to move on without Ross. The company issued its own statement saying in part:

“Reebok holds our partners to a high standard, and we expect them to live up to the values of our brand. Unfortunately, Rick Ross has failed to do so.”

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Pittsburgh native Wiz Khalifa recently spoke with Esquire magazine about the biggest moment of his career, what Hip-Hop tracks he’s listening to right now, and the business advice he gain from associates of Donald Trump.

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“Right now, I’m learning to sue people and get my money,” said Wiz. “After talking to people who work for Donald Trump — smart, successful people — I’ve realized I gotta go after all that. That’s what I’m going to do that I didn’t last year.”

Wiz has been involved in a couple of lawsuits in recent months. The “Work Hard, Play Hard” rapper was the one being sued in one case, and the plaintiff in another.

AllHipHop.com broke the story that songwriter Max Gregory Warren filed a lawsuit against Wiz claiming the rapper stole the his song “Pink N Yellow” and rehashed it as the #1 hit “Black & Yellow.” Warren asked for $2,375,000 in punitive and actual damages.

At the beginning of this month reports circulated that Wiz was suing a concert promotion company for $1 million. That case stemmed from a last-minute concert cancellation last December.

In the Esquire Music/Fashion spread, Wiz also reveals that his Taylor Gang comrade Juicy J’s strip club anthem “Bandz A Make Her Dance” is one of his favorite songs of the moment. He names Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like” as another track getting regular play.

With the recent release of his second major label LP, O.N.I.F.C., Wiz returned to the more marijuana-inspired sound of his earlier mixtapes like Kush & Orange Juice and Burn After Rolling.

“I’m about partying, so my songs are usually just about smoking weed and having fun. When somebody isn’t having a great day, I like to be the guy that takes that load off your back,” said Wiz.

Wiz also showed love to fellow weed aficionado Snoop Dogg stating that being on stage with the west coast legend at Coachella 2012 was a highlight of his career.

“Not only did he bring me out that night, he brought out Dr. Dre and freakin’ hologram Tupac. To be in that sentence is pretty amazing,” says Wiz.

The Wiz Khalifa feature will appear in the May 2013 issue of Esquire available on newsstands on April 23.

Watch Wiz Khalifa’s recent video “Let It Go” featuring Akon below.

Trick Daddy and Lil Wayne are far from friends. Reportedly, Da Mayor of Dade County rolled up to the King Of Diamonds strip club while Weezy was hosting a party to check the rapper  over the comments he said about the city of Miami during his infamous anti-Miami Heat rant.

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Vlad TV reports that on Monday night (April 8), Trick Daddy walked 4o t0 50 deep into the newly renovated gentleman’s club looking for Young Money’s Mack Maine and Weezy. The “Take It To The House” rapper eventually confronted Tunechi and a witness said the Miami rapper tossed a cigarette at the YMCMB rapper’s face. With the ish about to hit the fan, Wayne was allegedly escorted out of the club.

Back in late February, Trick Daddy called out Wayne for his remarks about Miami during an interview on 99 Jamz. “If nobody likes it, they can die tonight. I don’t care who gets offended by what I say, I rep my city and I don’t care who disrespects it. When they lease is up, they can leave,” said Trick. “We have to stick together as radio, as artists, as DJs and as fans of the music as a whole.”

Has Lil Wayne’s Miami pass been revoked? Let us know what you think in the comments. Check out flicks of Weezy in KOD in the gallery.

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After three albums with Cash Money Records, Tyga told Power 105’s The Breakfast Club that all he received was a signing bonus.

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Last week, Tyga released his third album through Cash Money/Young Money Records in Hotel California. Following 2012’s Careless World: Rise Of The Last Kingalbum and 2008’s independent No Introduction, the Los Angeles, California native has sold over 350,000 albums to date in the United States alone. However, the veteran artist recently stated to Power 105’s The Breakfast Club, that he’s never received a royalty from the label Birdman co-founded.

“I never got a check from Young Money/Cash Money,” Tyga said in the interview, as reported by HipHopBlog.com. “But by me saying that, I’ve always treated my career like independent and everything that I got is because of myself, my own endorsements, me touring, myself. I think I got a signing bonus when I first signed but that was it.”

Artists including Juvenile and Mannie Fresh have previously left Cash Money, citing financial disputes for their departure.

Tyga however, did not appear to be completely complaining, “At a certain time, you get your money but at the same time, they pay for your videos and all that other stuff. But I never really was dependent on the label like that.”

Tyga’s third solo album, Hotel California is projected to receive a Top 10 debut tomorrow.

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New information reveals that earlier this month Coolio was busted. His latest legal troubles include reported allegations that he punched his girlfriend in the face and ran over her with his car.

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Los Angeles, California rapper Coolio is the latest artist to find himself on the wrong side of the law. The former WC & The M.A.A.D. Circle member and longtime Tommy Boy Records solo artist was arrested earlier this month, as now reported by TMZ.

Coolio is reportedly accused of assaulting his girlfriend, Anabella Chatman, after he pushed her to the ground and struck her in the face. Further information led police to believe that the rapper further assaulted Chatman with a car, after tire marks were discovered on her legs. Per the story, Coolio has alleged that he acted in defense, though no official statements have been made.

The gossip and celebrity site also acquired the mugshot of the “Gangsta’s Paradise” hit-maker. Previously, Coolio has been arrested multiple times for driving offenses, as well as possession of crack cocaine in LAX Airport.

Since the reported April 1 arrest, Coolio, now free, tweeted that he had finished a Mike’s Hard Lemonade endorsement:

I’m in Hollyhood, just finished Mikes Hard Lemonade commercial, meet me at Taco Tuesday Cabo Cantina in Hollywood! SHAKA ZULU!

There is word on when Coolio will be in court for the offenses.

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50 Cent remembers not understanding that his mother passed away, and says he doesn’t yearn for a connection with his father.50 Cent doesn’t often speak on the topic of his parents. In an interview on “Larry King Now,” the Queens emcee opened up, first talking about his deceased mother.

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“I don’t think I really dealt with it in the early stages,” said Fif of the loss of his mother. “I lost my mom when I was eight, so I didn’t really understand at that point.”

50 explained that as a child, he didn’t understand that he had lost his mother at first. “Later, they would consistently say, ‘She’s not coming back,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah she is.’ My grandfather would look at me like, ‘He doesn’t understand.’ Later, you grow and start to understand.”

Fif also spoke about his father, though the attitude towards him was decidedly less warm. “I never knew my father. I never actually met him. Some people have that thing where they want that parent that they haven’t had in their lives. I have no interest in it.”

“The mistakes I made early on… he could’ve been here to help me not make those mistakes,” he added.

Watch the interview below:

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