Hip Hop News
California Officially Bans Rap Lyrics From Use In Criminal Cases
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty In a positive move for Hip-Hop, the state of California became the first state to ban the usage of rap lyrics in its criminal cases. Meek Mill, E-40, and others joined the state’s governor to celebrate the signing of the new law. Last Friday (Sept. 30), California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act into law. The landmark legislation, also known as AB 2799, puts a presumption against using rap lyrics against a defendant in a criminal court case. The exceptions would be if the state could prove that the lyrics were created in close proximity to the time of the crime, contains details of the crime that aren’t publicly available, or bears a high amount of similarity to the crime. The new law al...
You Care: Kanye West Changes Instagram Profile Pic To Kris Jenner
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: David M. Benett / Getty Ye aka Kanye West is apparently seeking to mend his relationship with Kris Jenner, changing his Instagram profile image to a picture of her in a gesture of peace. According to reports, fans noticed the change in the choice of picture to feature the matriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner clan on the artist’s Instagram profile earlier this week. It prompted a flurry of speculation, as he’s recently been on a rampage of publicly criticizing Jenner. The storm of comments even compelled Ray J to make his own tirade against Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian. But there’s no malice in the move, according to West. Related Stories “I POSTED KRIS WITH THOUGHTS OF PEACE AND RESPECT,” the “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” artist, 45, wrote in a post made via hi...
DaBaby Claims He’s Being Blackballed Over Bummy Album Sales
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Jason Koerner / Getty The recent album from DaBaby hasn’t performed as well as his previous releases, prompting the rapper to believe that he’s being blackballed by the industry. The “Bop” rapper’s latest album, Baby on Baby 2 was released last week. Initial sales projections estimate that the LP will move 16,000 album-equivalent units for that first week. In comparison to the numbers that his 2020 album Blame It on Baby made in the first week, which was 124,000 units along with debuting number one on the Billboard Hot 200, the amount for his new release does seem a bit paltry. Related Stories For DaBaby, the news was an occasion for him to give himself some props and add his own conclusions via his Instagram stories. On Wednesday, he wrote: “Not bad for ...
Digging Into UK Hip-Hop Inspired ‘Jungle’ Series With Creators Junior Okoli & Chas Appeti
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Prime Video / Primeprime Jungle, the new drama series premiering this week on Prime Video, vividly showcases U.K. Hip-Hop and London street life in a new and unique aura. Hip-Hop Wired got the chance to interview the duo behind the project. Source: Prime Video / Prime As Hip-Hop further becomes a more embedded part of global culture, storytellers are utilizing it to create new projects that will redefine and shape complex narratives reflecting urban life. The United Kingdom is no different, with Netflix’s Top Boy as a recent example. A new series from Amazon Studios, Jungle is making its debut this week depicting the taut intricacies of inner city life in London, but in a visually arresting way with a plot and cast to match. The six-episode scri...
50 Cent Series ‘Hip Hop Homicides’ To Debut In November
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz A new series that will explore the epidemic of violence that has attached itself to Hip-Hop is set to hit the airwaves in November, with 50 Cent and Mona Scott-Young as executive producers. The new series, Hip-Hop Homicides, announced its premiere date on Wednesday (Sept. 28), in a press release. The series will air on WeTV, with Van Lathan as the host. 50 Cent will be an executive producer through his G-Unit Film and Television company, and Scott-Young will do the same through her Monami Productions along with Stephanie R. Gayle and Michael Lang. Both companies will be working in tandem with Lionsgate Television, who will physically distribute the series. The first episode will focus on the life and tragic death of Pop Smo...
Kid Cudi Declares He’s Writing A Memoir
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Jason Koerner / Getty It seems that Kid Cudi isn’t pleased with being the center of speculation and beef, so he’s taking control and declaring that he will write a memoir. The Man In The Moon rapper has been active on social media in the past few days, even referring to himself as “the most hated man in Hip-Hop right now.” But in a later post, the artist claimed that he’s going to write his own story. “I’m writing a memoir. I’m finally gonna tell my story. The full story. All real. All honest,” he wrote in a Twitter post last Friday (Sept. 16). Related Stories He continued in another tweet saying that he had actually written a chapter: “Started writing the first chapter of my book. It’s comin together really well. Tellin my s...
Pusha T Reveals He’s At Work On “Extremely Special” Album
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Theo Wargo / Getty For those who have been craving more from Pusha T, they won’t have long to wait as he’s revealed that a new album is currently being worked on. The rapper shared the news during an interview with Spotify on Tuesday (Sept. 20). He was asked what was next on the horizon for him. “I’m working on my new solo album, I’m working on an extremely special project to me right now which I am not going to get into,” Pusha said. “It’s just all about music and staying competitive and just showing that there is a space for what it is that I do in Hip-Hop and that what I do in Hip-Hop is the most credible space and takes the most talent, and is just, the realest.” It’s been five months since he released It’s Almost Dry, his fourth solo album. Produced ...
Common To Make Broadway Debut & Aim For EGOT Status
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Michael Loccisano / Getty Common is gearing up for another acting role, this time making his debut on the Broadway stage in a revival of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play – potentially putting him in line to make the EGOT list. According to reports, the veteran rapper and actor has signed on to be in the revival of Between Riverside and Crazy, completing the cast. The play, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015. It will be directed by Austin Pendleton and return most of the cast from the original production. Common shared the news with his fans on social media last Friday (Sept. 16th), expressing his gratitude for being a part of the production. Related Stories Common’s addition to the cast has him playing the role of recentl...
Bearded Kanye West Talks Terminated Gap Deal on CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Brandon Magnus / Getty The lucrative partnership between Ye aka Kanye West and The Gap is now over after his declaration of intent to terminate the deal. He explained why in a recent interview. According to reports, West’s lawyer, Nicholas Gravante Jr. sent a letter to the retailer on Thursday. (September 14) informing them of the decision. The letter expresses the claim that the retailer has not lived up to the contractual obligations of the deal. Related Stories “Ye had diligently tried to work through these issues with Gap both directly and through counsel (but) he has gotten nowhere,” Gravante Jr. said in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch. “Gap left him no choice but to terminate their agreement.” He added that the artist would “promptly move forward t...
Cardi B Pleads Guilty To Assault In NYC Strip Club Brawl
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: YUKI IWAMURA / Getty Cardi B appeared in a New York City courtroom to plead guilty to assault and reckless endangerment at a strip club in 2018 on Thursday. The Grammy Award-winning rapper appeared before Justice Michelle Johnson at the Queens Supreme Court on Thursday morning (Sept. 14) and pleaded guilty to assault in the third degree and reckless endangerment in the third degree. It was part of a deal Cardi B struck with the Queens District Attorney’s office after a year of back-and-forth negotiations. “No one is above the law,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz to the press. “In pleading guilty today, Ms. Belcalis Almanzar and two co-defendants have accepted responsibility for their actions. This office is satisfied with the resolution, which...
Drake And Kanye West Lead 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards Nominations
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty The official list of nominees for the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards is out, with Drake and Kanye West leading the way ahead of some fierce rappers. This year’s 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards sees two well-known rappers leading the list of nominees. Drake tops the list overall with 14 nominations in the categories of Hip Hop Artist of the Year, Hustler of the Year, Lyricist of the Year, Best Live Performer, and Hip Hop Album of the Year. The Honestly, Nevermind artist also has gotten multiple nominations in the Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse category due to his appearances on Jack Harlow’s “Churchill Downs” and Future & Tems’ “Wait On You,” along with three nods in the Best Collaboration category. Related Stories Kanye West is in secon...
Westside Gunn Shows Up To Show Out At ‘AEW Dynamite’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Edward Berthelot / Getty The latest edition of All Elite Wrestling’s Dynamite program had a little bit extra heat, as Westside Gunn showed up to wow the crowd. The Griselda Records artist & co-founder made a surprise appearance on Wednesday night (September 7th) as AEW held their Dynamite event in Gunn’s hometown of Buffalo, New York. The sold-out crowd at the KeyBank Center witnessed the wrestling organization’s first-ever event in the city, and Gunn walked out onto the runway performing his verse from “Dr. Birds” off of Griselda’s 2019 debut album, WWCD. As he finished, he introduced Daniel Garcia (also a Buffalo native) and walked him to the ring. Related Stories Garcia was competing against Wheeler Yuta for the Ring of Honor Championship...
