Hip-Hop
Flavor Flav Lawyers Say Public Enemy Rapper Will Fight Domestic Battery Charge
Their son told police he stepped in to stop the scuffle when his parents separated and his mother lunged toward Drayton, according to a police report. Officers reported a small cut on the side of the woman’s face “consistent with an altercation taking place.” Officer Katrina Farrell, a Henderson police spokeswoman, said she had no information about whether the alleged victim required medical treatment.“ In alleged domestic violence cases, there are often two sides to the story and we will explain our side in the courtroom,” Drayton’s attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said in a statement. The arrest was first reported by celebrity website TMZ. Flavor Flav’s public persona includes wearing a big clock on a chain around his neck. He was inducted with the group Public Enemy into...
10 Artists Who Changed Their Names Mid-Career
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare wrote. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet was imagining a simpler life after rechristening her Romeo, but the principle would also apply if that rose were already trademarked, or the flower had a racist past, or that particular perfume reminded you of a life you’re ready to leave behind. Artists change their names for lots of reasons, but it is almost always a result of pressure — whether that be internal or external. If there’s one thing these moments of transformation have in common, it’s that they represent a pivot point for the musician — a dividing line, after which they will never be exactly the same. In that spirit of renewal, we’ve assembled a list of 10 artists who decided that another name would smell much sw...
50 Cent’s Cognac Brand Fires Back at Remy Martin Lawsuit
“This action is a naked effort to use meritless litigation to financially destroy a competitor,” Sire’s attorneys wrote Monday. “Remy Martin must be stopped, and the claims against Sire Spirits should not be allowed to survive.” Though it contained more legalese, Monday’s filing conveyed a similar sentiment to a message posted to Instagram by 50 Cent himself just days after the lawsuit was filed. In the since-deleted post, the rapper mocked Remy Martin — the second best-selling cognac in the world after Hennessy — for being “afraid” of the upstart Branson. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, launched Branson in 2018, selling the cognac in a circular bottle with gem-like facets that was designed by the rapper himself. But on Aug. 13, Remy Martin sued on the grounds that ...
Maxo Kream Talks Carrying the Load Through the Highs and Lows With New Album ‘Weight of the World’
The title of Maxo’s latest effort, Weight of the World — released this past Monday (Oct. 18) — is appropriate as it arrives not only at a unique time in his life but for the world at large. Obviously much changed for him personally, but we are all still reeling from the stoppages caused by COVID-19, despite the fact a new normal has been created. In the time before vaccinations and loosened protocols, the Roc Nation signee took the time to be more thoughtful and strategic on his third studio album (and second under RCA), after a two-year hiatus following 2019 breakout album Brandon Banks. “The whole COVID [thing] gave me more time to really go deep and seep into my music,” he says. “Everything planned out perfectly, I feel like it’s the perfect time — and after this...
Young Thug Sues Apartment Building for Giving 200 Unreleased Songs to Stranger
Not so much fun: Young Thug has filed a lawsuit against a luxury apartment building in Atlanta, claiming the concierge service handed out a bag of his personal belongings — including a hard drive containing over 200 unreleased songs — to a stranger. According to legal documents viewed by AllHipHop, the mixup happened at a complex called The Trace in midtown Atlanta. Thugger reportedly left a leather Louis Vuitton bag in the parking garage next to his black Lamborghini on November 1st, 2020. Another resident spotted the orphaned luggage and turned it into the concierge desk. The employee who received the bag then contacted Young Thug and left instructions that no one should give away the bag without approval. Soon afterwards, a different employee handed the bag to an unknown person, an...
Judge Approves Kanye West’s Petition to Change Name to “Ye”
A California judge has approved Kanye West’s request to legally change his name to “Ye.” According to documents viewed by Consequence, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court approved the name change request on Monday. Ye first filed a petition requesting the rebrand in August, with no middle or last name. Ye has yet to publicly comment on the name change, but in a 2018 interview with radio host Big Boy, he expressed his affinity for the word by pointing out that it is “the most commonly used word in the Bible,” and that it’s a plural form of “you.” That same year he also tweeted about his desire to be called “Ye,” writing, “the being formally known as Kanye West … I am YE.” Advertisement Related Video Over the weekend, Ye gave his first live performance in over three year...
Young Thug Performs “Tick Tock” and “Love You More” on SNL: Watch
Young Thug took the stage at Studio 8H last night as the musical guest for Saturday Night Live this weekend. Watch his pair of musical numbers below. Thugger first performed “Tick Tock,” the lead single for his newly-released sophomore album PUNK after an introduction from episode host Rami Malek. “Tick tock, tick tock/ Ten shots to your side like tick tock/ When I bow down to my b—h, it come with a big rock/ Do you wan’ know how it is, when you a big dawg?/ You might gotta take the assist, let your dawg get the big shot,” he sang on the chorus while backed by a band that included Travis Barker on drums. Advertisement Related Video For his second number, Young Thug was joined by collaborators Nate Ruess and Gunna for the live debut of PUNK highlight “Love You More.” With his band, guest ar...
Here’s How Drake Reacted to His Early Listen of Adele’s New Album
“I don’t send it around to like, various people, being like, ‘Can I get your thoughts on this?'” Adele clarified during her chat with the U.K. radio station. “It’s always just been about how it makes me feel,” she said. “Quality control is my forte. I can write a song about my own experiences my own life, and stuff like that. People certainly aren’t waiting for a club banger from me. I feel like I’m gonna give people what it is that they’ve been missing while I’ve been away.” Just the other day, Drake — whose own Certified Lover Boy just returned to No. 1 for its fourth nonconsecutive week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart — showed his support for his pal on Instagram, where he posted...
Kanye West Gives Rare Live Performance at Italian Wedding: Watch
Kanye West performed live for the first time in three years during a wedding reception for D’Estree founder Geraldine Guiotte and Tiffany & Co executive vice president Alexander Arnault. Per TMZ, Kanye was among the luminaries in attendance for the soiree, which went down in Venice, Italy over the weekend. Other guests included Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Questlove, Pharrell Williams, and Chic’s Nile Rodgers, among others. Kanye, donning a custom Balenciaga mask, took the stage and performed “Runaway” and “Flashing Lights.” Notably, it marked Kanye’s first time performing secular music solo since late 2018. (In recent years, his live appearances have been almost exclusively alongside his Sunday Service gospel choir.) Unfortunately, the mask obstructed Kanye’s vocals, making it difficult to hear...
Young Thug Joined by Travis Barker & Nate Ruess During ‘Saturday Night Live’ Debut: Watch
Actor Rami Malek hosted the Oct. 16 episode of SNL, where Thug made his proper debut as a musical guest debut after joining Megan Thee Stallion onstage to perform their “Don’t Stop” collab last year. For his second song, Young Thug slowed things down with a moving performance of “Love You More,” from his just-released second album, Punk. In addition to Barker, the rapper was also joined by Fun. singer Nate Ruess and fellow hip-hop artist Gunna. Keeping the pink color theme intact, Thugger donned a puffy pink fur coat with a lighter shade of pants to match. Young Thug and his label YSL Records’ Billboard 200-topping collaborative album Slime Language 2 came out in April. But his latest studio release, Punk, dropped on Friday through YSL Rec...
Travis Barker Teases ‘SNL’ Appearance With Young Thug
Barker’s participation on this week’s SNL follows his name being the subject of a sketch last weekend, one in which host Kim Kardashian West playfully trolled her sister Kourtney’s highly publicized relationship with him. Over the summer, Barker backed Young Thug during another performance, for his NPR Tiny Desk concert. Barker closed out the show with an impressive drum solo on “Ski.” Young Thug’s new album Punk arrived on Oct. 15. The Oct. 16 episode of SNL will be hosted by Rami Malek. You can watch full episodes of SNL on Hulu here. The streaming service is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can sign up for here. See Barker’s SNL teaser picture on Twitter. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online....
Lil’ Kim Says Nick Cannon Is Now Her Manager
When asked about what’s next for her, Cannon’s name entered the conversation — since he’s apparently helping her make those decisions. “I just shot a movie with Nick Cannon,” she said. “Nick Cannon, people don’t even know, like he’s one of my best friends. We’ve been best friends for years … And we just shot a movie called Miracle Across 125th Street. I really did that movie for Nick, but I love doing movies.” “It’s part of my next level,” she added. “Nick is convincing me. You know he’s my manager?” “I did not know that,” the host replied. “Your manager has like 20 kids.” “Leave my manager alone,” Lil’ Kim joked. (For the record, Cannon, who...
