Category: News

The news that Lil Wayne is actually suing Birdman came as a surprise for many of us and everyone knows the most successful people behind Cash Money and Young Money are Wayne, Drake, and Nicki. This is why it is such a big deal that Lil Wayne actually wants to take Drake and Nicki with him when he finally leaves Cash Money. Sources close to Weezy say that he also plans to sue to make sure all Young Money Artist stay with him. On Lil Wayne last mixtapes opening track called “CoCo” he says “I ain’t trippin’, I got Barbie, I got Drake too,” obviously referencing Drake and Minaj siding with him when everything splits if it ever does actually happen. Keep it locked for more information on this dispute between Wayne and Birdman.

HOT 97 has been one of the biggest radio stations for Hip-Hop for decades with many of their personalities being there since the 90s. Last year they lost Angie Martinez and Mister Cee and now today they have lost another popular personality, Cipha Sounds. Sounds voiced his frustrations with the station on a recent podcast of his saying he never felt comfort or support from the station so he has decided to leave.

Dr. Dre has just signed a young kid from Dallas, Texas named Justin Mohrle. The artist is still in his early stages of career development and is not allowed to speak about what he is working on yet. Though Justin made the move to L.A. back in the summer of 2014 so it seems as though he is going to being doing a lot of work with Dre. Mohrle has been doing very long 13-hour writing and recording sessions and is working with big names already. Hopefully Dre lets us hear from this new artist soon so we can see what he is truly made of.

Kevin Gates is now wanted by police so he can be questioned about a recent shooting that had taken place at a recent show of his. Kevin Gates “I Don’t Get Tired” tour stopped in Kentucky recently for a show that ended in a shooting. Police were called on Sunday because shots broke out with one person with non-life threatening injuries. Gates continued to perform the show even after all this had gone down and police want to question him because they think he had the best vantage point of the shooting because he was up on the stage. The cops have yet to be able to get a hold of Gates for questioning and probably won’t get any information out of him anyways when they do finally catch up with him.

Dear, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

I am writing because I trust these words will not fall on deaf ears.  However, this letter merits no written response or acknowledgement.  My hope is that you gentlemen will become an example of the grass roots movement respect for political compromise.

The events that caused certain African Americans to create the Hip Hop art form in the 1970’s are still hyper sensitive subjects, today.  This fact is evidenced by the latest surge of nationwide protest coined Black Lives Matter.  Like most things that were created out of survival needs by desperate people, this art form is considered by the world as creative genius.

Many years ago, Hip-Hop turned the corner from a culture survival behavior to a world renowned commodity.  Like a diamond in many ways.  Like a blood diamond in ways that causes for pause in a moment of consideration for the painful plight of others.

This cultural commodity is now used by those with a cultural linage to it for trade.  Like many cities of which people travel to as tourist for the purpose of experiencing the culture.  Chinatown lays claim to their culture commodities and they sell that culture to tourist everyday in cities across the nation.  It would be ridiculous for a Black person to sell Chinese food or other Chinese cultural treasures on a worlds stage.

The plight of Black people is the poor mans copyright (no pun intended) to the genius art form known as Hip-Hop.  When someone infringes on copyrights of another in this litigious land either a demand to cease and desist or a negotiated settlement is in order.

In this case, allow me to offer a solution to the issue of infringement at-hand.  The only amicable and morally responsible action is for the responsible parties to publicly donate a percentage of the (ill-gotten) gains to those having the claim of birthright on the commodity known as Hip-Hop.

Anything else would literally be consider a Heist.

• Related Link: Hot 97 Interview December 2015 for context.
• Related Link: The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 (1/22/2015) 

Respectfully,
Bello Bey
Author of Driving While Black – The Manifesto
Founder of www.operatingwhileblack.com
Connect: www.bellobey.com

Mike Tyson discusses his inspiration for his newest collaboration Iconic featuring Madonna and Chance The Rapper: “Madonna calls you and tells you to come somewhere, you go. I didn’t know what the hell I was going there for. I’m just there having a good time and hanging out with Madonna. She has her producer there and I go into the studio and I didn’t know if she wanted me to talk or rap. I just go in there and start talking. I’m talking about my life and things that I have endured. I’m saying some really crazy stuff. It was really intense.”

Big Sean says that he wants to eventually start his own record label being that he enjoys scouting for new artists: “Seeing how you can help people by being around and inspiring, I wanna do that,” He says. ‘I’m actively looking for artists and people I believe in and giving them opportunity.’”

Nessa will be replacing Hot 97’s Angie Martinez’s PM time slot as of January 26: “You’re gonna get out the new lingerie, you’re gonna spice it up a little and you’re going to thank your old boyfriend for teaching you those tricks but now it’s time to learn some new tricks,” she says. “I feel like coming to Hot 97 is a dream come true and I can’t wait to learn new things here.”

During a recent interview, 2 Chainz discussed becoming the mayor of College Park, Georgia: “I’m a musician, not a politician. I’m supposed to be running for mayor in College Park. I got everybody wishing. I’m really gonna do this little mayor thing in College Park. I’m just trying to make sure I have the right qualifications.”

It’s been a week since A$AP founder A$AP Yams has passed away and we’ve haven’t really heard much from A$AP Rocky until now. Billboard got to talk to Rocky after the premiere of his movie “Dope” and small performance which many could tell how deeply affected Rocky was by Yams passing. “That performance –that was just going to stop me from crying, “I had to address it, because the whole time I was rapping and I wasn’t into it, which is sad, but I just gotta keep it real. I can’t front. It even harder knows that I gotta fly out in less than an hour just to go bury him. That’s the part that eats at me.” Rocky said when asked why he cut his set short.

Brooklyn’s District Attorney’s office has just announced that the gun case that was at one point thought to be involving Bobby Shmurda is soon to be dismissed in the coming weeks. The young rapper is still locked up in Rikers after being arrested last month with most of his crew. Charges Bobby still faces are gun possession, murder, and conspiracy.

 

After venturing into the worlds of rap and fashion A$AP Rocky is now taking his talents to film. The young rap artist will play a supporting role in a film called “Dope” that is produced by Pharrell and Diddy and was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this past weekend. The film is directed by Rick Famuyiwa and is about a music geek living in Inglewood in the 90s. Plus Sony has bought the film for $7 million after a successful run in the festival so expect a full release coming up very soon.

A jail ID of Chris Browns ended up online last week and the seller was looking for a $10,000 payout for it. But Browns lawyer caught wind of this and tracked it back to San Bernardino County Jail where Chris had stayed for a few days back when he was waiting on court dates. The San Bernardino police investigated this and found the man with the ID though the man says the ID went through a few friends before getting to him so as of right now there has not been any arrested.

Birdman expressed how unhappy he is with Lil Waynes remix to O.T. Genasis’ “CoCo” song. This is the opening track on Wayne “Sorry for the Wait 2” and according to TMZ Birdman is upset with what Lil Wayne says about his label and him. One reason Birdman is mad is because Lil Wayne is trying to break out of a binding contract. Another is what Lil Wayne said in the song which is this “Who kept this shit together? Nigga, me, that’s who,” Lil Wayne raps on the record’s opening bars. “Who was there when niggas left? Nigga, me, that’s who / Cash Money is an army, I’m a one man army / And if them niggas comin’ for me, I’m goin’ out like Tony.” Birdman says he will fight Wayne in court if he tries to sue and will only release Waynes album on his terms.

What Lupe says is one of his last interviews and his last interview with Sway he decided to open up about some things. Fiasco says in the interview that he was cool with Kid Cudi up until about a year ago    “Fuck him, I wanna get to the bottom of what the fuck you talkin’ about. Because it’s me. The same nigga you went in Complex and was like, ‘One of the only niggas who reached out to me genuinely and had love for me was Lupe.’ You the worst type of nigga,” Lupe said. Lupe also states that going back and forth with Cudi was a major reason he left twitter.