Author: hhns

It’s not hyperbole to say that Damon Dash’s finances are a wreck. The Roc-A-Fella Records founder allegedly abandoned an upstate New York mansion; leaving behind clothes, artwork and drug paraphernalia after his failure to keep up with the rent payments.  The hip-hop mogul — who once said he was worth $50 million — owes $162,000 in back rent on the upstate Carmel pad, which boasts a music studio and pool. The landlord’s lawyer, Thomas Mullaney, told The Post that Dash “held the house hostage” for a year in a half while he dodged rental payments of $15,000 a month before he left it all behind. The carpets were ruined, and his “clothing strewn on the floor as if it were trash,” according to the landlord’s Putnam County lawsuit. “Mr. Dash simply abandoned the property,” owner Elad Yoran huffs in his lawsuit filed in Putnam County.

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Dash claims that he’s fallen on hard times, but Yoran’s lawyer said, “When I look online, he’s rolling around in a chauffeured Roll Royce, and he’s riding in a private plane. Umm, those might have been older pictures, just saying. Yoran has placed Dash’s items into storage. However, reportedly Dash doesn’t have enough money to go and retrieve said items that include clothes, artwork and jewelry, as a well as a bong. For now, Dash is letting his lawyer handle things. Dash’s lawyer, Gregg Pinto, responded to the accusations in an e-mail, saying, “Elad Yoran reneged on a deal that he made and now wants to use bad press to gain leverage. Mr. Dash is not scared and wants to let a judge decide.” Check out photos of the Carmel, NY crib Dash left disheveled in the gallery. Sitting on over two acres, the plash mansion is on sale for almost $3 million.

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Gambino took his rapper appreciation to new heights when describing Kanye West. After referring to the man as a “genius”, Gambino intriguingly likens the Yeezus artist to an entity more important than simply an artist:

I always thought he was a genius. I love Kanye. I think he’s the best. Not even just on  music level, because I try to not be like ‘he’s just a musician, he’s a rapper,’ cause I think that holds people back. I think he’s like a prophet. He makes people want to better.

Check out Gambino talk Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Because The Internet and more below:

Tashera Simmons was married with DMX for 14 years until their 2012 divorce and has seen her fair share of incredible DMX events. While talking with DTFRadio, the estranged ex-wife of Dark Man X vividly detailed an incident which involved an inebriated DMX firing a gun at his manager in a hotel.

According to Ms. Simmons, in 1999, while pregnant, her and DMX’s manager went searching for DMX at a New Jersey hotel after the MC had gone missing for three days. When the pair got to X’s room he greeted them with a gun and after some opposition, X finally agrees to pack up his belongings and leave the room. The paranoia returns when the three of them arrive downstairs and X sees a large gathering of people for a convention. Tashera attempted to calm him down, but before she knew it X let one off:

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He was like ‘Yo Tashera, somebody’s following me. I’m telling you.’ The manager is about to lose it, like scared to death. Next thing you know we hear a pop and the manager fell to the floor. I’m like ‘what happened?’ and I see blood on the floor. Then X was like, ‘Somebody shot him. I told you somebody was following me’. Mind you, I go down to the floor to see where the manager was hit at which was the foot and you see the bottom of X’s bookbag with smoke and a hole at the bottom.

Tashera explains how the pair fled the hotel, got caught by police and more:

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At this point, especially when considering his thoughts on making the Confederate flag “my flag,” Kanye West is probably just trolling all of us. During an interview today (Oct. 29) with Ryan Seacrest, Yeezy asserted that his brand new fiancee, Kim Kardashian is more influential than the First Lady, Michelle Obama.  Reports E! News: It’s not exactly a surprise that Kanye West is Kim Kardashian’s biggest fan. The 36-year-old musician sang his fiancée’s praises during an On Air With Ryan Seacrest radio interview on Tuesday, Oct. 29. In fact, he’s lobbying to get the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star her first Vogue cover.

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“There’s no way Kim Kardashian shouldn’t be on the cover of Vogue. She’s like the most intriguing woman right now. She’s got Barbara Walters calling her like everyday,” he said, noting that reality stars have often been overlooked by mainstream fashion magazines. “And collectively, we’re the most influential with clothing. No one is looking at what [Barack Obama] is wearing. Michelle Obama cannot Instagram a [bikini] pic like what my girl Instagrammed the other day.” Now we’re not going to argue about who really is more influential between Kardashian and the First Lady when considering fans, followers, reality shows and such barometers. However, whose come up would you want your daughter to pattern hers after? No shots. Let us know what you think of Yeezy’s put Kim on the cover of Vogue, and get a star on Hollywood Boulevard, campaign in the comments.

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The Hells Angels don’t need baseball bats and chains to protect their image — all they need is a good lawyer, which is exactly what they got to sue rapper Young Jeezy‘s clothing line … claiming Jeezy’s company jacked their iconic Death Head logo.

The fabled motorcycle club filed the lawsuit against 8732 Apparel for essentially reprinting the Hells Angels logo on jackets and hats … and selling them for a massive profit.

The 8732 design isn’t an exact rip-off … but Hells Angels claims it’s close enough to confuse people.

HA claims 8732 has already earned substantial profits from the bootleg merch, and the motorcycle club wants every last cent of that money.

The club is now suing for unspecified damages. It also wants a judge to force 8732 to stop selling anything with an HA-looking logo on it. Calls to 8732 were not returned.

FYI, this isn’t the first time the Hells Angels went ballistic over someone stealing their logo — you’ll recall, they sued Rob Dyrdek’s clothing company and MTV last year for the same thing.

”Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” reality star Stevie J. allegedly owes $1.2 million in unpaid child support to two of his children with his former girlfriend.

Reps for former music industry executive Carol Bennett confirmed to AllHipHop.com that Stevie J.’s assets are being targeted.

Bennett, who helped Stevie J. with his music career while he was a producer at Bad Boy Records, will host a press conference later this week to address the matter.

There, she is expected to reveal more details into what is being labeled as a “historical child support case.”

In fact, Ms. Bennett contacted Bounty Alert and the Custodial Support Foundation, organizations that specialize in recovering hidden assets from people who deliberately neglect their child support duties.

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Bounty Alert and the Custodial Support Foundation will attempt to recover the back child support, and will investigate any companies that may be shielding Stevie J.’s wealth.

“Our preliminary investigative efforts in Ms. Bennett’s case and have uncovered information which raises huge concerns,” Tiffany Stewart Esq., President of the Custodial Support Foundation, told AllHipHop.com in a statement.

Reps for Ms. Bennett stated that under the 1992 Child Support Recovery Act, it is a crime to leave a state owing more than $10,000 in unpaid child support, for more than two years.

According to Ms. Bennett, Stevie J. could be sent to prison, since he owed more than 20 times that amount when he left New York, for Georgia, where he currently is the star of “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.”

The press conference relating to Stevie J.’s back child support will be held October 31 at 11:30AM, at 1 Little West 12th Street (Corner of 9th & Hudson) in the 2nd Floor conference room.

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The CEO of luxury department store Barneys New York apologized and said the store has hired civil rights experts after two black customers said they were stopped by police after making expensive purchases.

Mark Lee said in a statement Thursday that that “no customer should have the unacceptable experience” of being accosted by police after making a purchase at the store, NBC News 4 New York reported.

Lee said the store has hired Michael Yaki, who serves on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, to lead a review of fairness and equality practices, News 4 reported.

Lee’s comments came as a civil rights organization demanded a meeting with him and threatened to picket the store over the customers’ allegations.

Trayon Christian, 19, of Queens said after he bought a $349 Ferragamo belt on April 29 he was handcuffed and detained for two hours before being released with no charges. He filed a discrimination lawsuit against Barneys and the New York City Police Department on Monday.

A number of different factors could have possibly played a role in the fall of the Suge Knight-founded Death Row Records, but for Compton rapper DJ Quik, the label’s downfall can be attributed to one man in particular. Speaking exclusively with AllHipHop.com at Gentleman Jack’s Art Beats & Lyrics tour stop in Atlanta, DJ Quik blamed the fall of the label on Travon Lane, a Death Row affiliate and alleged gang member.

According to DJ Quik, on top of ultimately bringing down the label, Lane was responsible for a fight which took place between Tupac Shakur, his entourage and Orlando Anderson the night the rapper was gunned down in Las Vegas.

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“It wasn’t Suge that brought down Death Row either. It was Travon Lane, bitch ass,” said DJ Quik. “Scary ass nigga got that chain took and then got Tupac in there fighting. And then that’s how Tupac got shot. Because Travon Lane—he was like the little bully. He was like an instigator. It’s always the one that don’t mean nothing that bring the whole house of cards down. Travon Lane, you ought to be real proud of yourself. You’s a bitch ass nigga. Nigga, you fucked it up for everybody.”

Anderson was reportedly a person of interest in the murder of Tupac. He was killed in a shootout, which took place well over a year after Tupac was gunned down in Vegas.

DJ Quik previously spoke on his relationship with the late Tupac during a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times. The rapper recalled the influence Tupac’s tenacious nature had on his work ethic.

“Before I met Pac, I saw his tenacity, which was insanely fierce toward the end of his life,” said Quik. “I always saw my songs one at a time, until I recorded with him and I started making 14 a day just [messing] with him. I’d been doing my thing for a long time at that point and I was like, ‘Who is this fire starter to get me to change the way I did my business?’ He really made me figure out the best usage of my available time, and got me on a wholly new personal clock directed toward constantly making music.”

DJ Quik served as an in-house producer at Death Row Records during the ‘90s and has also produced records for Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and more.

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Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has has dodged jail time once again but could not avoid all punishment. Today (October 28th) 50 Cent pled no contest to a single count of misdemeanor vandalism in relation to a June 23rd altercation 50 Cent had with the mother of his second child, Daphne Joy.

While 50 pled no contest to one misdemeanor vandalism charge, the other three vandalism charges were dropped along with the one domestic violence charge, according to a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Superior Court. In addition to probation, 50 Cent was also ordered to stay 100 yards away from Ms. Joy as well as pay $7,100 in restitution and $2,390 in fines. 

50 was accused kicking open a door at Daphne Joy’s condo in the Toluca Lake community of Los Angeles, kicking her as well as destroying furniture and electronics.

50 Cent is due back in court next month.

Mental Slavery

During his interview with Big Boy’s Neighborhood, Kanye offered an explanation of his Yeezus track, “Blood On The Leaves.” On the song, which samples Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit,” Kanye addresses society’s fascination with riches and other material items as he raps, “She Instagram herself like #BadBitchAlert / He Instagram his watch like #MadRichAlert / He only wanna see that ass in reverse / Two-thousand-dollar bag with no cash in your purse.”

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In Kanye’s explanation of “Blood On The Leaves,” he revealed that the song tackles mental slavery and was partially inspired by his professional basketball player friends who are at times pulled in a number of directions due to friends, family, etc.

“’Cause slavery is now more mental than anything,” said ‘Ye. “But mostly I’m talking about, I’m thinking—cause I had hoop dreams back in the days. I’m picturing myself being like a ball player, right? And having like my high school girlfriend, but then making it to the league or like going down to Miami to Club Liv. And then kinda falling short and end up getting like another couple, two, three girlfriends and having to hook them up with some Celine bags and stuff like that. And just writing that kinda story that…I don’t know if that type of stuff might happen or not. But it was my account of like if I went through that type of story as a hooper. And saying that you can be enslaved to that first relationship, but then the second girl got you enslaved cause she could like blackmail you. And then you owe the city, to play good…So, I always looked at like my homies in the league and having 10, 15 points of people pulling at ‘em from all directions.”

Death & The Afterlife

Aside from music and touring, Kanye’s interview today (October 28) also addressed a handful of other topics including death, which the Chicago rapper said he’s not afraid of.

“I’m not afraid of death either,” Kanye said. “I believe that I’ma see my mother again. I believe that heaven’s gonna be a beautiful place, but God has provided me with a beautiful child, a beautiful wife, some amazing friends, and some amazing challenges too. It’s kinda fun to have that challenge. It’s fun that I don’t have the infrastructure for what I want to do for certain things.”

In addition to his “Yeezus Tour” kicking off several days ago, Kanye also proposed to his girlfriend Kim Kardashian this month. And in June of this year, the two welcomed their daughter, North West. The rapper recently defended his relationship with Kardashian during an appearance on Kris Jenner’s talk show, “Kris,” on August 23.

“I could have people saying, ‘This is going to damage your credibility as an artist or a designer,'” Kanye said. “And I say, ‘I don’t care. I love this woman.’ Or someone could say, ‘When the paparazzi surround you, everyone knows you don’t like the paparazzi. Why would you be with this person?’ And I’m saying, ‘I’m being with this person because I love this person and she’s worth it to me.”

Kanye West’s “Yeezus Tour” is currently on a break, but is scheduled to stop in Salt Lake City November 1.

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The game has always been said to be sold and never to be told and Freeway Rick Ross is disgusted by Jay Z’s recent interview with Vanity Fair.

During an interview on The Murder Master Music Show Ross, who has had an ongoing legal dispute with Jay Z collaborator Rick Ross over copyright infringement, accused Jay Z of similarly fabricating his drug dealing past:

I was just reading on the airplane the other day in Vanity Fair with Jay-Z in it talking about that he sold crack. I was just reading it and it was so corny. These dudes just don’t keep it 100. They was good boys and went to school and got college degrees and somebody gave them a good job and they doin’ alright. Everybody wanna be D-Boyz but they don’t have real D-Boy stories. When you read what they said it looks like a news reporter wrote it for them.

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In the Vanity Fair article, Jay admits to have been a drug dealer in the past and described how it helped his present business acumen:

To be in a drug deal, you need to know what you can spend, what you need to re-up. Or if you want to start some sort of barbershop or car wash—those were the businesses back then. Things you can get in easily to get out of [that] life. At some point, you have to have an exit strategy, because your window is very small; you’re going to get locked up or you’re going to die.

“Freeway” Rick Ross did not leave the incendiary accusations simply for Jay, as he accused Maybach Music Group founder Rick Ross of receiving police funding to disseminate music to incite violence in urban communities:

I believe [rapper Rick Ross] is being financed by the police union and keeps spreading bullsh*t to the youngsters so they can keep filling up the penitentiaries because he ain’t selling no music but they keep putting him on the radio and putting out all these big expensive videos but he ain’t selling no music so somebody is shootin’ off money. I believe its the police union behind it.

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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are reportedly planning to sue the person who released their proposal video, according to tmz.com.

The video that was published of the couple’s engagement party was reportedly filmed and released without their consent. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West reportedly plan to sue the person responsible for the video’s release because they say everyone present at their engagement party signed a confidentiality agreement. The site reports that a lawsuit is imminent.

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West proposed to Kardashian during a private ceremony for close friends and family. The event was held at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California.

It has been reported that West hired a 50-piece orchestra for the evening. He also reportedly proposed to Kardashian with a 15-carat diamond ring.

The couple is reportedly planning to have a short engagement, as per tmz.com.

In August, Kanye West discussed his love for Kardashian on her mother Kris Jenner’s talk show, “Kris.”

“I’m trying to remember if the first time we met was her being in the studio when she was Brandy’s assistant,” Kanye West said. “I think she brought us in something to drink that you can’t drink on daytime TV, but we were in the studio so it was okay. Or it might have been when I was doing Brandy’s video. I remember asking my manager, ‘Who is that girl?'”

During that interview, Kanye West also defended his relationship with Kardashian.

“I could have people saying, ‘This is going to damage your credibility as an artist or a designer,'” West said. “And I say, ‘I don’t care. I love this woman.’ Or someone could say, ‘When the paparazzi surround you, everyone knows you don’t like the paparazzi. Why would you be with this person?’ And I’m saying, ‘I’m being with this person because I love this person and she’s worth it to me.”

West and Kardashian have a daughter together, North West, who was born June 15.

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Before North Carolina emcee J. Cole signed with the Jay Z-led Roc Nation in 2009, the rapper says he spent the time prior to his signing in a home in Jamaica, Queens with a handful of friends from school. During that time, the rapper says he struggled to pay rent, but was fortunate enough to have a landlord who was supportive of his dreams to become a rap star.

“The landlord himself, Muhammad, he’s just a great guy. So, I always try to shout him out,” said Cole. “My landlord from the first apartment I ever got, kicked us out. I was looking and looking and looking and this was the only place I found with enough bedrooms for me and my homeboys from school.

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It wasn’t the nicest, but it was affordable. I took the worse room in the house because I knew everybody didn’t want to come over there. I was just like ‘Yo, what we gon’ do? We gotta go somewhere. I’m from North Carolina. I ain’t got nowhere to go. I need a spot. I’m getting this spot.’ So, that’s how we ended up here… My landlord Muhammad he like really believed in me. So, when my rent kept piling, he never tripped. He just let me kinda just stick around. So, when I finally got the deal, after all them years, of course I paid him back in full.”

Cole continued to speak on his experience living in Queens during his Life & Rhymes segment withMTV, as he reminisced on waking up in Muhammad’s home each day, visualizing his future success in rap.

“Waking up in this every day is like so far from where I wanted to be,” said the Southern lyricist. “But this is the room where it started feeling real. You know what I mean? Where I started really believing and visualizing it. I used to literally wake up and tell myself like ‘Yo, today I want to write a song that millions of people are gonna sing. And millions of people gonna love.’ I set that intention.”

Prior to detailing his time spent in New York City’s biggest borough, Cole commented on overcoming the odds and what his idea of happiness is.

“I definitely consider myself an underdog,” said Cole “I always was in an underdog position. Just being from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Coming to New York City, the odds was against me. I got a long way to go and I know that, but I’m not gonna stop until they give me my props. Ultimately, happiness is the most important thing. And the pure happiness I think is finding happiness with yourself, how you are.”

With the release of his sophomore album, Born Sinner, now months behind him, Cole is currently focused on his What Dreams May Come tour. The tour also features D.C. rapper Wale and is scheduled to make stops in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle this month.

In addition to touring, Cole will also reportedly play a hand in the creation of TLC’s upcoming album.

“I got some production on the album that they doing,” said Cole during an interview with Billboard.com last month. “What we really planning on doing is to really go in and lock in. Cause as a producer I know what I can give them. I know what I can bring them. And I know what they need. They don’t need me, but I’ll give them my best material.”

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are reportedly engaged.

Kanye West proposed to Kim Kardashian in a private event at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, according to eonline.com.

The rapper reportedly proposed with a 15-carat diamond ring by jeweler Lorraine Schwartz.

Kanye West reportedly rented out the stadium for the evening. He invited friends and family to attend the event, as per eonline.com. West also hired a 50-piece orchestra to perform several selections, including Lana Del Rey’s “Young & Beautiful” and Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down,” a track that also features Ne-Yo and Kanye West.

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In February, Kim Kardashian spoke about potentially being married to Kanye West.

“[Marriage] is something I know that we both want in our future, but I don’t have this sense of urgency about it,” Kardashian said to Cosmopolitan. “I have this best friend who understands me and helps me through all my tough experiences, and vice versa. It just feels like this is it for me.”

In August, Kanye West addressed his affection for Kardashian on her mother Kris Jenner’s talk show, “Kris.”

“I’m trying to remember if the first time we met was her being in the studio when she was Brandy’s assistant,” Kanye West said. “I think she brought us in something to drink that you can’t drink on daytime TV, but we were in the studio so it was okay. Or it might have been when I was doing Brandy’s video. I remember asking my manager, ‘Who is that girl?'”

During that interview, Kanye West also defended his relationship with Kardashian.

“I could have people saying, ‘This is going to damage your credibility as an artist or a designer,'” West said. “And I say, ‘I don’t care. I love this woman.’ Or someone could say, ‘When the paparazzi surround you, everyone knows you don’t like the paparazzi. Why would you be with this person?’ And I’m saying, ‘I’m being with this person because I love this person and she’s worth it to me.”

West and Kardashian have a daughter together, North West, who was born June 15.

 

A video of Kanye West proposing to Kim Kardashian can be found below, via Huffington Post.

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A newly-engaged Kanye West recently offered his thoughts on religion and the Illuminati, among other topics, during an interview with Wild 94.9′s The JV Show. In addition to the topics mentioned, West also shared his thoughts on classism, a subject he’s touched on before.

While appearing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” earlier this month, the G.O.O.D. Music emcee declared that classism has now replaced racism, as he referenced former Food Network television host Paula Deen.

And during this week’s interview, the rapper further addressed classism as he commented on being put in Dinner For Schmucks-like situations while in various social settings. In the 2010 film, a group of higher-ups hold dinner parties where those invited are scrutinized and also ridiculed.

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“But really what I didn’t know and I didn’t really understand this term until a couple of years ago, is it wasn’t about race, ,” West said. “It’s about class. And it was a classist move that even when you get invited to certain dinner parties, or even when you’re in certain magazines, it’s still like a Dinner With Schmucks situation. Are they inviting you to be a part of what you’re doing or are they inviting you to laugh at your teeth? And ask you a million questions like, ‘Oh, those are cool teeth. What’s that?’ And then also—and then we have our thing that every time we do it. We give ‘em the ‘White Voice.’ So, it goes both ways.”

While breaking down his thoughts on classism, West referred to the self-made billionaires of San Francisco’s Silicon Valley and warned of a shift in classism, a shift he says he’s at the forefront of.

“We’re right now in a crash of the classists,” the Chicago rapper said. “Because America being the newest country and especially out here in San Francisco where people can ‘bam,’ just become a billionaire off an idea…The shift is gonna change and I think I’m one of the people at the forefront because I had to fight to get into fashion shows eight years ago.”

During his past interview with Kimmel, which stemmed from the late night talk show host’s spoof of West’s interview with BBC Radio 1 and the rapper’s resulting Twitter tirade, West referred to those with “old money” as being unaccepting of a rap star regardless of their income.

“It’s not about racism anymore,” he said. “It’s classism. Like Paula Deen, she was old school with it. They like, ‘We don’t do it like that anymore, that’s racist. We classist now.’ Classism is when they try to say, ‘You’re a rapper…your girl is on a reality show so you’re not up here with us. We’re old money.’”

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