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J. Cole Reveals Why He No Longer Views Drake And Kendrick Lamar As Competition

Chad Mauli May 17, 2021

J. Cole is no longer trying to compete. Fresh off the release of The Off-Season, the Dreamville champ paid a visit to “The ETCs” podcast with Kevin Durant and Eddie Gonzalez, where he reflected on his career and relationship with fellow rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which has evolved over time. While they came up together, he has learned to value friendship over competitiveness. “These are the guys that push you, and you gotta push them,” said Cole. “I was so competitive early on that, like, even though we were…

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Nicki Minaj Opens Up About Her Father’s Death

Chad Mauli May 15, 2021

Nicki Minaj is breaking her silence about her father’s death. After returning with new music, the rap queen penned a letter to her fans on her official website in which she addressed the “devastating loss” of her dad, who was killed in a hit-and-run in February. Minaj admits it has been difficult to grapple with the loss. “Tho I can’t really bring myself to discuss the passing of my father as yet; I can say it has been the most devastating loss of my life,” she said. “I find myself…

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J. Cole Addresses Fight With Diddy on ‘The Off-Season’

Chad Mauli May 15, 2021

J. Cole’s new album arrived Friday to much anticipation, but one song in particular has everyone talking. The Fayetteville rapper opens up about his infamous fight with Sean “Diddy” Combs on “Let Go My Hand” off The-Off Season. Midway through the track, he brings up his rumored altercation with the Bad Boy mogul that happened back in 2013. “But sometimes a ni**a pulled my card, tryna expose me for a fraud / And with my reputation at stake, I was scufflin’ just to save face / Couple wins, couple losses…

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Mekk Mill Allegedly Denied Rick Ross at Birthday Party, Wants Off MMG

Chad Mauli May 13, 2021

There may be a rift in the Maybach Music camp. A new report claims that Meek Mill and Rick Ross are at odds. Over the weekend, Meek celebrated his 34th birthday at LIV nightclub in Miami. While 6ix9ine was banned from entering the club, Meek’s own MMG boss was also reportedly not welcome at the birthday bash and was denied entry to Meek’s section. DJ Akademiks was first to report the rumor during a Twitch livestream, where he revealed that two unnamed artists recently had it out at a party.…

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Jay-Z Inducted into 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Chad Mauli May 13, 2021

The Roc is in the building. JAY-Z will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it was officially announced. He joins an illustrious list of inductees for the Class of 2021 including Tina Turner, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Carole King, and Todd Rundgren. Additionally, LL Cool J, Billy Preston, and Randy Rhoads will receive the Musical Excellence Award. Kraftwerk, Gil Scott Heron, and Charley Patton will get the Early Influence Award, and Sussex Records founder Clarence Avant will be honored with the Ahmet Ertegun Award. https://twitter.com/rockhall/status/1392451992887259138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1392451992887259138%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rap-up.com%2F2021%2F05%2F12%2Fjay-z-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-inductee%2F JAY-Z…

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DJ Khaled Drops ‘Let It Go’ Video With Justin Bieber, 21 Savage

Chad Mauli May 11, 2021

Fresh off his No. 1 album Khaled Khaled, DJ Khaled goes golfing with Justin Bieber and 21 Savage in the cinematic video for “Let It Go.” In the Colin Tilley-directed clip, inspired by Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, Khaled and his billionaire friends hit the We the Best Golf and Club with his caddy, played by Bieber (who rocks a Doug Gilmour jersey). Khaled soon discovers that his caddy is a golf prodigy after he hits a hole in one on a $100 bet. So he puts him up against 21…

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DJ Khaled Scores Third No.1 Album With ‘Khaled Khaled’

Chad Mauli May 11, 2021

Another No. 1. DJ Khaled lands his third leader on the Billboard 200 as his 12th studio album Khaled Khaled debuts in the top spot. The star-studded set, which features appearances from Drake, Cardi B, and Justin Bieber, opens with 93,000 equivalent album units earned, of which 14,000 were in album sales. Khaled previously topped the chart with 2017’s Grateful and 2016’s Major Key. His previous album, 2019’s Father of Asahd, debuted at No. 2 behind Tyler, the Creator’s Igor. “Billboard Billi” was overcome with emotion upon learning that he…

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6ix9ine Banned From Meek Mill’s Birthday

Chad Mauli May 9, 2021

Meek Mill celebrated his 34th birthday on Friday, but there was one person not on the guest list. The Philly rapper was in Miami during his “Meekend” takeover, which kicked off with a huge party at LIV Nightclub. While the guest list was long, the club hosting the bash made sure that 6ix9ine wasn’t invited. A source at LIV tells TMZ that the venue was prepared to turn away the rainbow-haired rapper, who was also in town for the weekend. It appeared that the party went off without incident and…

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Pop Smoke Allegedly Murdered by 15-Year-Old Over Rolex

Chad Mauli May 9, 2021

Pop Smoke was allegedly murdered by a 15-year-old shooter during a home invasion robbery last year. According to the New York Daily News, LAPD Det. Carlos Camacho testified Friday (May 7) that the teenager was part of a group of intruders that wanted to steal the Brooklyn rapper’s Rolex. They stormed Pop Smoke’s rented mansion in the Hollywood Hills on Feb. 19, 2020 and tried to take his Cuban link chain, but only got away with the diamond-studded watch, which they later resold for $2,000. The alleged shooter, the youngest…

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Keyshia Ka’oir Allegedly ‘Slept With Yo Gotti’ While Gucci Mane Was in Prison

Chad Mauli May 7, 2021

Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka’oir’s marriage is going strong, but a new report claims there was once infidelity in the relationship. During a Twitch livestream, DJ Akademiks alleged that Gucci’s wife “slept with Yo Gotti” while the “Lemonade” rapper was locked up. He made the allegation when someone cited the couple as an example of a solid relationship in the industry. “Hold on now–and I’ma be really respectful as I talk about this–because if we really talking about Gucci and his wife, a lot of y’all ni**as be like, ‘Gucci’s…

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Quavo & Saweetie Won’t Face Criminal Charges For Elevator Fight

Chad Mauli May 7, 2021

Quavo and Saweetie are both off the hook in their infamous elevator fight. Neither rapper will face criminal charges for the physical altercation that was caught on camera. According to TMZ, the L.A. City Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges. Due to insufficient evidence, there was no likelihood of a conviction for either party. Surveillance video, captured prior to the couple’s breakup, shows them struggling over an orange Call of Duty case. Saweetie seems to take the first swing at Quavo before he grabs her by the arm and…

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Don Toliver Drops New Single ‘What You Need’

Chad Mauli May 5, 2021

Don Toliver has got “What You Need.” The Cactus Jack signee returns with his first solo release of 2021. On the atmospheric track, produced by Hit-Boy and Corbett, he brings the summer-ready vibes. “Tell me what you really, really need, lil’ baby / Take you out and put you in Double C, lil’ babe,” he sings. More music may be on the way. He recently hinted that an album and tour were in the works. “Trust…I’m Loading Up,” he captioned one photo. Additionally, Don can be heard on “No Surprise”…

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Watch Drake’s Son Adonis React to Lebron James’ Highlights

Chad Mauli May 5, 2021

Adonis is locked in. Drake’s son may only be three years old, but he’s already learning from the best. Drake shared a video of his baby boy marveling at LeBron James. In the clip, Adonis is glued to the laptop screen as he watches a YouTube highlights reel of LeBron’s top 35 plays. At one point, His jaw drops while witnessing King James in action. “Oh my God! You see?” he tells his father in amazement. LeBron himself reposted the video on his Instagram Story. “Nephew in!” he wrote along…

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Watch Nas React to Jay-Z’s Verse on ‘Sorry Not Sorry’

Chad Mauli May 3, 2021

Only DJ Khaled could bring together JAY-Z and Nas. The hip-hop legends reunited for their first collaboration in over a decade on Khaled’s new album Khaled Khaled. Following the album’s release on Friday, Khaled posted rare footage from a video call between JAY and Nas. In the clip, Nas is with Khaled in the studio while speaking with JAY-Z on FaceTime. Nas shared his reaction upon hearing JAY’s verse, on which he raps, “Circular ice on Japanese whiskey, on my mezzanine …. Everybody’s gettin’ bands, we just dance to different…

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Tory Lanez And Chris Brown Ready Joint Project

Chad Mauli May 3, 2021

Tory Lanez and Chris Brown have more music on the way. The duo’s long-awaited joint effort may finally come to fruition, according to Tory. Speaking with DJ Carsima in an interview following his Playboy virtual performance on Saturday, the One Umbrella singer announced plans to release an entire capsule collection with Breezy. “Me and Chris, we gon’ come out with another project too,” he said. “We gon’ drop a little capsule together. Me and Chris gon’ do a capsule too.” In February, the two dropped a song and video for…

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Swizz Beatz, 50 Cent Blast IRV Gotti For DMX Drug Overdose Comments

Chad Mauli May 1, 2021

DMX’s friends won’t tolerate disrespect towards the dog. While the hip-hop community continues to mourn the rap legend, 50 Cent and Swizz Beatz are calling out Irv Gotti for his insensitive remarks. In the days after DMX’s death on April 9, the Murder Inc. founder did an interview where he claimed that X died from an overdose of crack mixed with Fentanyl. “They said it was a bad dose of crack and they said some drug Fentanyl was mixed in with the crack and that’s what made him overdose,” Gotti…

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Biggie Babylon Shares ‘All In’ Single And Video

Chad Mauli May 1, 2021

Business mogul and artist, Biggie Babylon flexes his rap skills in his new music video for “All In.” Biggie’s new visuals showcase what it’s like to have made it to the top. Bright lights and dark rooms, full of everything he desires—all due to his devotion, hard work, and blood, sweat, and tears. Babylon plays around in an underground VIP casino and wins his way into success through a risky game. “All In” hits hard over its low key beats and serves as a not so subtle reminder of where…

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Young Thug Bails Out Inmates in ‘Paid The Fine’ Video With Gunna, Lil Baby

Chad Mauli Apr 29, 2021

On the heels of his chart-topping album Slime Language 2, Young Thug releases the video for Young Stoner Life’s “Paid the Fine” featuring Gunna, Lil Baby, and YTB Trench. In the heartwarming clip, the YSL crew bails out around 30 inmates from Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail. Working with the district attorney’s office, lawyers, prosecutors, and bond companies, Thug paid the bonds for the individuals, who were being held on minor/petty offenses but were unable to afford the bail money. Cameras were rolling as the inmates reunited with their loved ones…

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Kodak Black Pleads Guilty to Assault of Teen Girl

Chad Mauli Apr 29, 2021

Kodak Black has pleaded guilty in connection to a criminal sexual conduct charge. The rapper, born Bill Kapri, was sentenced to 18 months probation for first-degree assault and battery, a non-sex offense, during a hearing in Florence, South Carolina on Wednesday (April 28), according to The Post and Courier. He was facing up to 30 years in state prison. As part of the conditions of his sentence, he must apologize to the victim, take full accountability for what happened, and enroll in counseling. Kodak issued an apology to the victim…

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Young Thug And Gunna Post Bail For 30 Inmates

Chad Mauli Apr 27, 2021

Young Thug and Gunna are reuniting families. The “Ski” rappers shared an act of kindness by posting bonds for 30 inmates at Fulton County Jail in their hometown of Atlanta over the weekend. Most of the men and women were being held on low-level offenses but couldn’t get out because they couldn’t afford the bail money. “This is where we are from,” Thug told WSB-TV. “We just woke up and went to the jail with the lawyer and you know DAs and all the prosecutors, you know, the bonding companies…