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I've been around the entertainment industry for over 20 years. And throughout years I've met a lot of artists. Out of all the artists that I have met over the years, there's a few that grown to respect, that I've built a friendship with. Those few inspired me to actually start doing what I do with the magazine. Westside Jimi is one of those artists. Westside Jimi continues to put out timeless music with the release of his new EP Johnnie Blue. Now this is something that you can really vibe to as you really listen to Westside Jimi tell his story over the smooth laid-back production. And listening to this EP that's what I get from it. With tracks like Big Business, Johnnie Blue, Home, Do'ers, Island or Pavillion, and more as Westside Jimi continue to be stay ahead of his time. Putting out yet another classic EP for listeners to enjoy. Johnnie Blue is available now for download on all major streaming platforms. https://open.spotify.com/album/2X4RjrEkEEDPVMXie4WrQ2?si=aIzjwx18RKGgxk2YJ5E2uQ
Diddy was denied bail today, and must stay in jail as he awaits sentencing after being convicted of prostitution-related charges earlier in the day.Immediately after he was acquitted of the major charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy and found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution on Wednesday (July 2), Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, pressed for bond. According to Associated Press, Diddy was convicted of flying men and women around the country, including his ex-girlfriends Cassie and the anonymous witness known as Jane, and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. The government opposed the bond motion. After hearing both sides out, Judge Arun Subramanian decided to deny bail late this afternoon. I've read the parties submissions and others, Judge Subramanian said during today's bond hearing, according to Inner City Press. The jury convicted the defendant of Counts 3 and 5. For the following reasons, bail is denied. The judge cited Puff's history of violence and disregard for the law as reasons to keep him locked up. Even if the defendant was solely required to show that he is not a danger to the community, he could not meet that burden, the judge continued. There was violence after the searches in this case, he added. As to Jane, there was June 2024 - after the searches of Combs' residences. This evidences a disregard for the law and a propensity for violence. The defense proposed the following bail package, according to a court document obtained and shared by legal reporter Meghann Cuniff: a. A $1,000,000 bond b. Co-signed by Sean Combs, his mother, his sister, and the mother of his oldest daughter c. Mr. Combs’s travel will be restricted to the Southern District of Florida, Central District of California and the Southern District of New York (to attend Court and meet with his counsel) as well as the Eastern District of New York or the District of New Jersey (only to the extent that his travel to and from New York involves an airport in those Districts) d. Mr. Combs’s passport surrendered to Pretrial Services e. Drug testing as ordered by Pretrial Services f. All other standard conditions of pretrial supervision Two counts of transportation for purposes of prostitution carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. However, according to sentencing guidelines set forth by the prosecution, the range is at least 51 to 63 months (four to five years) in prison. Diddy's legal team is arguing 21 months (more than a year, but less than two) should be the minimum.He has spent the last nine months locked up at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center after being arrested last September. A pardon from President Trump also might not be out of the realm of possibility.Diddy's sentencing date has been scheduled for Oct. 3.
Kendrick Lamar now has the longest running number one album of all time on the Billboard’s rap charts. GNX, which was originally released last November, has been number one on the chart for a record breaking 22 weeks, highlighting the longevity of the project. The previous record holder was Pop Smoke for his posthumous album Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon which held on to the number one spot for 21 weeks. Lamar also looks set to continue lengthening his run as he continues to break records left and right.
A turntable veteran with 39 years in the music industry 22 of which he has spent on various radio stations all across the country. Rated R has mixed for WPHI 103.9-Philadelphia, PA, WUSL Power 99-Philadelphia, PA WWPR-Power 105-New York, WHTA-Hot 107.9-Atlanta, WESE-Power 92-Tupelo, MS, WSBY Magic 98.9-Sailisbury, MD, 103.9 OC104-Ocean City, MD WJKS-Kiss101.7-Wimington, DE, WZEB Power 1017 Ocean View, DE, XM/Sirius Satellite Radio, and over 300 stations covered by Super Radio Syndication. Rated R has also held numerous guest spots for the Nationally Syndicated Doug Banks Show as well as the Russ Parr Morning Show. Rated R also spent 17 years on the now defunct Kiss 101.7-WJKS starting with the station in 1997 and staying until the doors closed in 2014. Currently, Rated R can now be heard on WKTT Live 97.5 Salisbury, MD Monday-Thursday 5p-6p, Friday 5p-7p, and Saturday 11p-1a. In addition to Mixing, Rated R also produces commercial spots for various clients as well as writes and produces imaging for the entire station. Follow Rated R on twitter and Instagram @djratedrondeck. Facebook- .https://www.facebook.com/deejayratedrpromo
Hey Everybody it’s ya Girl Lena Marie and Happy Birthday to all My Cancers out there. Starting a New Chapter in my life is always the fun part. I am a Published Runway Model, Ex Radio Co-Host, Massage Therapist, Mom, Content Creator, Artist Manager, Promotions Manager Video Vixen and those are just some of the Many Hats I wear. Originally from San Diego, Ca, but currently living in Glendale, AZ I can say I am overly excited for what 2025 has in-store for me business and Personally. New Projects coming soon as I will be collaborating with Ms. Veen and her Pretty Kitty Promo Team. Plus look for Me to be a Published Author by the end of 2025.. Follow me/ Book/Contact Me on: FB: Lena Buckner Lmt IG: lena_marie_lmt Tic Tock: @lenamarielmt
Amadeus360 is a Hip-Hop producer from Brooklyn, New York. His given name comes from the famous Classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. As a part of the Five Percent Nation, “360” is inspired by Amadeus’ belief in the Gods and Earths, and full knowledge of self. Known for his unique vocal and scratch arrangements, and his use and manipulation of obscure samples, Amadeus pushes the boundaries of the traditional Boom Bap subgenre of Hip-Hop made famous in the ‘90s by legends DJ Premier and Pete Rock. Coming up under the tutelage of the legendary Kid Capri, Amadeus was able to better hone his craft through the ‘90s and finally pivot to producing beats for other artists. His first big break came in 2008 when one of Amadeus’ beats was used by a pioneering British Hip-Hop group called The Brotherhood for their record “U.K Connect NYC”. From there, Amadeus went on to produce songs for the likes of Kool G Rap, Busta Rhymes, Paul Wall, Sheek Louch of The LOX, C.L Smooth, Buckshot, Shyhiem Tha Rugged, M.O.P, Sticky Fingaz of Onyx, Nems, Masta Ace, Skyzoo, Chris Rivers, Ras Kass, and many more. In 2020, Amadeus produced “VSOP”, a tribute song to the late great Sean Price by Ruste Juxx and Rockness Monsta. The song sampled Pete Rock’s “TROY”. Pete Rock eventually cosigned the remake of his classic record and made a guest appearance in the song’s music video. With two collaborative albums– one with Termanology (360) and another with Rustee Juxx (James Brown of The Underground) –and various mixtapes under his belt, Amadeus360 set out to further cement his legacy among the pantheon of Boom Bap Hip-Hop producers with his 2023 magnum opus The MPC Jedi.
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Rapper Kendrick Lamar speaks onstage during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California. MTV Movie Awards airs April 10, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MTV) Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping collaboration with SZA “Luther” has raced paced the one billion streams landmark on Spotify. Only released in November, it is Lamar’s fastest song to reach the milestone, surpassing his previous record with “Not Like Us”. While “Not Like Us” took eight months to notch up one billion streams, “Luther” has achieved it in just seven. “Luther” is now Lamar’s eleventh song to hit one billion streams on the platform, joining hits such as “All the Stars”, “Humble” and “Money Trees”. “Luther” in particular has been a record breaking hit, spending 13 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year while it dominated the Hip Hop chart for 25 weeks. https://youtu.be/sNY_2TEmzho?si=2MRtH3Qf4sUiNF4u
Cam’ron has announced that he is writing a memoir for publishing giant Simon & Schuster after inking a $750,000 deal. The book will chronicle the Dipset legend’s rise in Hip Hop and late career pivot to being a successful media personality with his own talk shows. Killa Cam’s memoir will also take fans behind the scenes on some of the most iconic moments throughout his eclectic life and career. In a statement, Cam said: “I’m happy to have this deal done. Hopefully the book will be released February of 2026 and that everyone can take something from my memoir when they read it.” On the subject of Cam’s writing skills, he recently claimed that he originally penned “I Really Mean It” for Lil Kim. Speaking on a recent episode of his sports talk show It Is What It Is, Cam revealed: “I did write a song for Lil’ Kim and she didn’t want it, and the lyrics changed and I ended up keeping it for myself.” He continued: “It was one of my biggest records, but I wrote ‘I Really Mean It’ for Lil’ Kim. Same format, and she didn’t like it. That’s one of the best things, ’cause that’s one of my close-out songs, to be totally honest with you, and she didn’t want the song. I’m happy she didn’t.”
Drake has hit out at T-Pain for saying that he needed to back away from the music industry. Speaking on the Crash Dummies podcast, T-Pain said: “One thing I learned from Drake, but one thing he hasn’t followed his own words. Drake said, ‘I wanna be one of them people that gracefully bow out and not get kicked out.'” He continued: “I have ever since said, ‘Thank y’all, I appreciate y’all. I’ll see y’all when I drop — don’t worry about it, I’ll just drop something. Let me know if you heard it,’ Drake is like, ‘No, listen. OK, I got another one. Hold on, check this out. Y’all ain’t like that one? OK, real quick, just one more. Let me try one more.'” The 6 God caught wind of the comments and had a few choice words for the “Buy U a Drank” rapper. He commented on Instagram: “This guy always had resentment for me [laughing emoji]. You can hear it every time he speaks on my name.” https://youtu.be/YR4Oy12qNgw?si=RTF-SFZWG2O6FqBd
One of the biggest groups to ever come out of South Georgia, are finally giving their fans something that they've been waiting for. The SEGA Boys are the first group from South Georgia to catch the major labels attention with their breakthrough hit, and video Georgia. The group consist of StarEasy, ParLay, Killa, and Big Smooth. This group was well ahead of their time with the music that they were making. The SEGA Boys had their music all throughout the Southern Region. With their Greatest Hits Compilation you can check out their hits like Georgia, No Place 2 Hide, Slip N Slide, I Like That There, Chevy, Off Da Heezy, Hilltop Blues, and much more. The SEGA Boys Greatest Hits'' Compilation is available now on all major digital platforms. https://open.spotify.com/album/7l7aXisfR0mDchKAmyQB42?si=kr8KKcM-Q0e4Mlxtdi69xg
Kanye West has surprise released an album with Diddy‘s son, King Combs. The project, titled Never Stop, is executive produced by West and also features his daughter North on the opening song. One track is also titled “Diddy Free” which features the lyrics “N-ggas ain’t goin’ to sleep ’til we see Diddy free,” a line that refrains throughout the song. Never Stop is currently available on all streaming platforms. https://open.spotify.com/album/1iQFI8rAzbBaXGLGLEytwX?si=oE_DqN-gQg-Fo484qKSv_w
Kanye West has officially dropped three songs from his new album Bully, all of which are currently exclusively available on Tidal. The albums released onto the streaming platform he previously had equity in are “Preacher Man”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Damn”. All of the songs were previously featured on the visual album of the same name. West had originally said that he was going to drop 10 songs this week as part of the unique rollout for the project which has employed the use of A.I. vocals. Communicating with fan account YeFanatics, West said: “Releasing 5 of the songs 2nt. Will release another 5 2mrw. And then more the next day. Still working on the album. Share this message.” West originally released Bully as a visual album earlier this year but has gone back to work on the project in recent weeks. https://youtu.be/9mULJq7TCH4?si=IkW1N0uIjHpKmD8F
Cardi B has taken aim at estranged husband Offset in her new single titled “Outside”, her first release of the year. Cardi has long been teasing the track with snippets highlighting lines seemingly aimed at the father of her three children. On the song, she spits: “Good-for-nothing, low-down dirty dogs, I’m convinced / Next time you see your mama, tell her how she raised a bitch.” Cardi also raps: “I been cuffed up too long, let me remind n-ggas.” The “Bodak Yellow” MC also makes reference to new boyfriend, Stefon Diggs: “Favorite player from your favorite team, he in my DM, uh / I’m so small and tiny, he so big and tall / Might let him dunk this pussy like he dunk the ball.” https://open.spotify.com/album/0om7se1oWmRzFKYbdh2quR?si=pXlO5US3RXO1Ic-N29RyCA
Young Thug is set for his first concert since he was released from jail last year after agreeing a plea deal with prosecutors in his RICO trial. It was confirmed in March that the Atlanta born star will be one of the headliners at this year’s Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash this weekend. Now, Young Thug is hyping the event just days before it is supposed to take place with a video package released on social media that teases “THUGGER RETURNS”. Thugger will close the event, performing in the headline slot on Sunday (June 22). Elliot Montanez, director of operations for Lyrical Lemonade, said in a statement: “In a weird way, all of that happened with Summer Smash being one of the shows he was about to do before he went away for a little bit, and now Summer Smash being the first show [he’s doing] fresh out, it is full circle. “I just think it’s interesting. I’m definitely glad that moment will be at Summer Smash, where fans will interact with him in person for the first time in a minute. But it’s a beautiful, full-circle moment.” https://youtu.be/uL3wMWqdGfY?si=NWmQoIooFHQ2r9if
Nicki Minaj has reacted to breaking one of Drake‘s longstanding Billboard records. With the release of Lil Wayne reunion track “Banned From NO”, Minaj once again debuted at number one on the Billboard Rap Digital Sales chart. Minaj and Drake were previously locked with 24 number ones each on the chart but the Trinidadian born rapper has now edged ahead with 25. Despite now taking the record, Minaj still had nothing but love for her former Young Money labelmate. “Banned from NO” was notable for the shots Minaj took at the NFL for not picking Wayne to headline the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year when it was in New Orleans. https://youtu.be/1Zrwdrucpaw?si=P9012sVcktXa5sGS
Jim Jones and the Clipse have never gotten along but the New Yorker has now blasted the rap duo’s new single “Ace Trumpets”. Speaking to Bootleg Kev at the BET Awards, Jones showed there was no love loss between himself and the Virginia duo. Jones dismissed the track, saying: “What’s so great about it? It’s good in what? The nostalgic value of it? I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it, I don’t believe them.” He added: “But that’s a whole other story and I don’t wanna downplay nobody’s craft… but I don’t listen to their music and never have. I don’t recall too many records that I can remember.” Pusha T is yet to respond the former Dipset rapper however it is not the first time Jones has taken aim at him. Jones was not a fan that Pusha was ranked in a top rappers of all time list and made his feelings known: “What has he done that puts him in the greatest rappers of all time? Besides talk about cocaine that he probably didn’t get himself. He could rap his ass off but what has he done? Nobody has dressed like him. Nobody want to be like Pusha T. I don’t remember nothing.” https://youtu.be/QVIZugWJVwY?si=DEilIQX_PgOElStu
50 Cent has announced that the early success of his eponymous TV channel has led to an expansion in the UK. Titled 50 Cent Action, the channel, which is available freely in the US, will be a subscription service across the pond. Speaking to Deadline, 50 said: “You know, everybody loves London. If you’re from New York, or you’re a recording artist from America in general, the first stop and your first dose of international love is London.” He added: “My audience, my core audience – the people that were enjoying my music in the very beginning – is at home. They’re older. They’ll understand the entertainment choices that I make creatively. I’ve used music to merge with entertainment. “Being able to launch out here [in the UK] is big because I have a huge audience here that hasn’t been able to participate with us. Now they get a chance to see it.” The channel is now available for UK customers for the price of £3.99 a month. 50 Cent Action features a number of films featuring the rapper including Righteous Kill, The Expendables 4 and 13. It also includes curated programming from the rapper and actor, making use of Lionsgate’s library of over 1,000 movies and TV shows such as 50’s own Power franchise.
Pusha T has unloaded on Travis Scott, labelling his former GOOD Music cohort a “whore”. On new Clipse song “So Be It”, many thought that Pusha was aiming a few lines at Kanye West but sitting down with GQ, the Virginia rapper confirmed he was declaring war on Travis Scott. Pusha explained why he has venom for Scott with the impetus being Drake dissing Pharrell Williams on “Meltdown”: “The true context of that is we were in Paris, literally working, and he was calling to play P his new album. He came to [Pharrell’s] studio. He interrupted a session,” “He sees me and Malice there. He’s like, ‘Oh, man, everybody’s here,’ he’s smiling, laughing, jumping around, doing his fucking monkey dance. We weren’t into the music, but he wanted to play it, wanted to film [us and Pharrell listening to it]. And then a week later you hear Meltdown, which he didn’t play. He played the song, but not [Drake’s verse].” He added: “He’s done this a lot. He has no picks. He’ll do this with anybody. He did it with Sicko Mode,” referencing Drake dissing Kanye West on the mammoth Travis hit. Push continued: “I personally have been removed from that crew and those people for a minute. So, that’s where my issue comes in—like, dawg, don’t even come over here with that, because at the end of the day, I don’t play how y’all play. To me, that really was just like…he’s a whore. He’s a whore.” https://youtu.be/URlPXepBZdo?si=YLAKP8ngRXbNQgZT
Kendrick Lamar and his SZA collaboration “Luther” has now been top of the Billboard Hip Hop chart for 25 weeks. Originally released last November, the song has been a record breaking hit, ruling the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 consecutive weeks. While it has since been knocked off that particular throne, “Luther” is still at number five and still sits atop the Hip Hop chart for a record shattering 25th week. Kendrick broke his own record to achieve the feat after Drake diss track “Not Like Us” spent 22 weeks atop the chart across the summer of 2024. Kendrick recently got to celebrate the continued success of his astonishing year which has seen him dominate pop culture. The Compton rapper swept the BET Awards, picking up five trophies on the night. Held in his native Los Angeles, Lamar was on hand to collect awards for Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Artist, Best Collaboration Video of the Year and Video Director of the Year, the latter two of which he shared with longtime creative partner Dave Free. https://youtu.be/sNY_2TEmzho?si=cX_IcfHa8Vh9Pqge
Cardi B has confirmed that she will finally be dropping her first song of the year. The “Bodak Yellow” superstar confirmed on social media that she will be dropping “Outside” this week (June 20). She wrote on Instagram: “We OUTSIDE this Friday,” along with the cover art which features a sidewalk in the summer with an overflowing fire hydrant. The song is expected to see Cardi address her split from Offset as previously a previously surfaced snippet of the song saw her rapping: “I’ve been cuffed up too long, let me remind n-ggas.” https://youtu.be/7PL0T5aYzYI?si=J4VPZ4UN0UZeEakZ
Lil Wayne‘s Tha Carter VI failed to debut at the top of the Billboard 200, landing at number two on the chart. The long awaited album premiered to largely negative reviews and has failed to have the commercial impact of prior entries in Weezy’s fabled Tha Carter series. In its first week on sale, Tha Carter VI sold 108,000 equivalent units, meaning it premiered behind Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem, which has now spent four weeks in the top spot. Even a month after release, the country star sold almost double the number of units as Wayne to stay at number one. https://open.spotify.com/album/3f35htoN6xM1w2fKE8YZIJ?si=Zc8ByElaSmWfeQ_rGxb5yw
When thinking of the genres that vary within the music industry, I think it’s undeniable to say that Hip-hop is the inspiration for a number of these genres. Ranging from pop to R&B, even electronic and alternative sounds, elements of Hip-Hop, whether it’s rhythm, lyricism, production style, or cultural influence, have deeply impacted the way other genres are created and received. While the spotlight often falls on the performers we know and love, the pioneers behind the beats often go unrecognized. To highlight the unsung heroes of the music industry, particularly the producers working behind the scenes, I had the honor of speaking with Coppe Cantrell, an artist, mother, businesswoman, and the widow of multi-platinum producer Johnny J. Known for his work with Tupac, Bizzy Bone, and many others, Johnny J helped create the sound of an era. Coppe Cantrell worked alongside him for 17 years, witnessing the world of Death Row Records through the eyes of a partner and professional. Today, Coppe Cantrell focuses her music career within the Christian genre, she has also decided to develop a documentary titled LEGEND. The film will highlight unreleased collaborations between Johnny J and Tupac alongside other iconic artists. Perspective is key to understanding the world around us. In this interview, I was able to receive not only the perspective from someone who has witnessed the world of hip-hop and production, but who has now come into the music industry to act as a vessel for God’s word. Join us in this journey of perspective, reflection, and understanding the path God had for Coppe Cantrell. Anaya: What was it like being the wife and business partner of a multi-platinum producer? Coppe Cantrell: I mean, we were looking at TVs on a crate together. So, it was a grind together, to say what it was like to be married to a multi-patent producer, I just looked at him like he was my best friend. I didn’t look at it like that. So it was a wonderful thing because, you know, you got to experience things in life, you know, material things, and stuff like that, but beyond that, the relationship we already had was solid on the ground of nothing. I was his biggest fan, though, I would always be cheering for him, and I always wanted so much more for him. I didn't look at it like, oh, he's this multi-platinum producer, even though I was his fan of his work, because I could hear every kick, every drum, every snare, everything he created, I was right there in the creative process. Anaya: I love that! I think that speaking to someone for such a long time, it's different from how the outside receives and perceives them, because we know who they really are. That sounds like such an amazing experience, and I know it had a lot that came with it. Which brings us to my next question. What was experiencing Death Row Records firsthand like? You weren't experiencing it from the tabloids or from what you saw on TV, you were living it. Coppe Cantrell: In the beginning, it was like, you thought it was a great thing, you know? It's just one family. Everybody is sitting there doing their music. They had a room called the Wack Room. You had them doing their music, you had studio A, B, and there's, you know, other people doing stuff in that other little room, and then the kitchen area and two kitchen areas, actually. It was like a family, but in a family, you can kind of experience a little bit of like, hmm, what are they doing in there? Then you'd hear people, you know, speak of little jealousies and stuff like that; but for the most part, at the beginning, everything was good. Now I'm like, oh, my God, I think about all the things that I did see. I'm like, oh, my God.. Now that I think about that stuff, oh, we're talking about some other stuff now, you know, people getting beat down and stuff like that. Seeing the aftereffects of a beat down. That's a whole other thing, like, oh, my God, I thought they were so nice, and which, you know, I'll say that this, you know, dealing with Suge and everything was good, you know what I'm saying? It was nice, he was cool. Even Johnny was like, hey, if it doesn't go like this, because Johnny was boisterous about his own, you know what I'm saying? If it doesn't go like this, I'm not coming back. So he was straight up, and he didn't have a problem with telling anybody how he felt either. It felt like a family, but you know how families are. You have your little cliques, and every clique is like, look at them over there. Like, what are they doing? You can say it's a little jealousy in the room, but I think it was a cool jealousy. At the time, everybody said, Oh, what are they doing? Okay, we have to come correct, we have to come better. We have to come stronger; we have to come faster. So, I think that it was cool to analyze that. Everybody was cool by joining on, like, on All Eyez On Me, on the project. Everybody did their part, they played their role, they came in and did what they were supposed to do, so that was a wonderful experience. I don't even know if you know that I’m on that. Anaya: Really? I never knew this! Coppe Cantrell: The world didn’t know until I started telling it because they thought Faith Evans did Hit Em Up. That's me doing “Take Money.” That is actually me on that part. I said, now, how did that sound, how would Faith Evans sound doing her own diss record? That's the silliest thing I’ve heard. That's actually me, it was a little hidden thing. I didn't even tell anybody, and I was the one who did the credits on the album. Like, I told someone in an interview, if I wanted a credit, I would have put the credit on. You know, but I’m telling people now because they’re like, who did this? Who did this? And I’m about to tell this story. So, I have to let it be known. That is me on Take Money, on Hit ‘Em Up doing the take money, because it was supposed to be, from their Get Money, right? So, Tupac was like, Hey, go in there and do this part, have her do this part, Take Money. So, I heard the little Get Money, so I said let me try to be as close as I can to that little melody. I went in there and they sampled my voice, my husband did, and flew my vocals in. Because I was tone deaf, I couldn’t sing on beat! Anaya: Oh, I am, I am the exact way I'm tone deaf. I have no rhythm, so you are preaching to the choir, but this is mind-blowing. I never knew this! Coppe Cantrell: I did the intro to Death Around the Corner. That’s me doing that part. That's me on, How Do You Want It, the radio version doing the ouu's and the ah’s. There are some songs that never got released. At least our version of it, Me, Johnny, and Tupac were like, that is so wack. There's a song with K-Ci and JoJo, I did that part. There are a bunch of other records that I did with small parts. I called myself the ou ah, girl, because I'm doing these ouus, and ahhs, I wasn't a singer, but God changed that later, right? God changed that later. Anaya: This connects to some questions I had later on. Before I got to those, we were just talking about how you were there to witness it all. I would like to know, How Do You Feel Witnessing the Seeds Death Row Planted, Sprouting Today? Coppe Cantrell: Ooh, they're everywhere. I mean, we have all of these independent record companies that have sprouted up. So, I think they planted a huge seed, all over the nation, with these independent record labels. It's a blessing that it could be spread, but, you know, we just pray that it's spread not in a negative way, but so many young artists have died. So, there has been a great, great seed that you hear that black people and, you know, even if they're not black, Latinos or whoever they are, they're eating, you know, off of the music. But the saddest thing is, there are so many more who have died since. (see full response in online version) Anaya: I agree, the seeds of Death Row are truly everywhere. Speaking of seeds planted, I was just thinking about what you mentioned earlier, about how God is working through you. Especially with your song “My Daddy.” I loved it because it had such an impactful message, and I wanted to know what the creative process looked like for creating the song. Coppe Cantrell: What inspired it? I was missing my father. He passed away 20 years ago and some change. Then I had the real thought about it, like, hey, my daughter and my son, they're missing their daddy. Then I said, hey, wait a minute. Johnny didn't have a father at some point in his life. I thought about everybody else who didn't have a father, and our Heavenly Father spoke to me and said No, they all have a father, it’s me. So, I just started saying for my daddy in the sky wave em high, for my daddy in the air, wave em like your care. It wasn't like I just started saying that. I was just so joyous to know that I still had a daddy that was here. Heavenly Father, and then as a parable, like comparing, like what he gave us our hips, our lips. Everybody part, I was like, you know what? I don't even care if people are hating me for saying my hip to my lips, and I would dip. I said, 'I don't care 'cause my daddy gave it to me now. I started being like a little whiny little brat. He's like, Yeah, you see, I hear it. And that's what you’re gonna sing on it. My daddy gave it to me now. It was so fun and funny, just like a little kid, like a little girl, and knowing that my daddy gave me all these things and knowing that you have a father too. He's right up there. My heavenly father, he gave me the lyrics to this. The anointing of the holy spirit along with my experience of missing my daddy and other people not having a daddy. Our heavenly father is our daddy. So it was a joyous moment for me, and I thought for a lot of people who don't have a father, I thought maybe this would bring them joy, too. Anaya: How do you feel knowing that God is using you as a vessel for His Word? Coppe Cantrell: It is an amazing thing. I think about it, like, you chose me. I mean, literally, it happened six months after Johnny died. I was prophesied that I was going to be singing. In April of 2009, and I laughed at the prophet. I said, Me?” I said. He said, No, you're going to be singing your own music.I'm like no, I'm not. A few months later, July 1st, 2009, at 3:00 a.m., God woke me up out of a sound sleep, like I felt like, I dunked in some water, just started singing. I started singing and singing and crying, singing and crying. I started writing lyrics, and it's crazy because I told the prophet later. The prophet was my school teacher. I went back to school when Johnny was incarcerated. After he passed when I was getting all these revelations and I went to read the Bible. I read the Bible for those six months, and then, you know, the Holy Spirit came upon me by reading the Bible. After that, he's like, well, you know what? You’ve got to put those lyrics to your husband's music. I'm crying more now. I'm sitting there bawling like, how am I going to do that? I came up with all these songs. I had like 10 songs without any music. I wrote the melodies and wrote, like, about 10 songs at this point. I'm like, how am I gonna do that? I had to match Johnny's tracks. The prophet told me God wants you to utilize Johnny's music, and your lyrics to glorify God. They belong to God now. So, it's amazing to know that God gave me the gift to write and to sing. Johnny always wanted me to sing, and I always wanted to sing. I never knew that it was going to be to glorify God. He didn't want me to have the voice for the secular world, and he said he wanted him for the saved world. It's such a blessing to be able to glorify him. I work directly for him. I’m having my breakthrough moments like the prophet told me my third album would be the breakthrough album, and it’s breaking through. I'm just grateful to be able to do what I can do for our king, the Holy Trinity, just every aspect of our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I have a few songs where I'm acting as if I'm a child. I did it like a spoiled little brat. I did all that I could on every aspect of the song. Like, I didn't hire a background singer, that's me doing all those parts. It’s not children playing those parts, that’s me. Anaya: That is pure talent. Having the ability to say every piece of this song is my voice. For my last question, I would just like to know, what is something you want people to take away from the LEGEND documentary? Coppe Cantrell: Well, I want them to realize this, because even though Johnny and Tupac knew this at the time in the '90s, you know, people look at the album credits. Now, everything is digital, and people aren't looking at album credits. They need to know that when you look at Tupac and Johnny's music, it's hand in hand. There was a partnership. There was a marriage that was meant to be. It's not to take away anything from my little brother, Tupac, because Tupac is who he is, but in a day, of people honoring other people with their tracks and beats, and they're praising them for that, Johnny deserves his just, because I get this in the community—of the Latin community. Like, well, because they're trying to wipe him out. Johnny, you know, he felt like he was being blackballed. I think part of that was that he was being blackballed. So, they erased his name, sort of from the scene. Once he passed away, his name was erased, but even prior to passing away. So, I think the world needs to understand who Johnny was and his music lives on. One thing you have to understand is there is no radio station that plays a capellas. It's the whole track. It's the whole song, and the two become one. Like a marriage. It becomes one thing. It's joint authorship, joint, teamwork together. It’s the artist performing and the track. So people need to understand who Johnny J was and what he contributed to hip hop, not just for Tupac, of course, hundreds of songs with Tupac, Bizzy Bone, just so many other things, and so many other aspects of how he started it, and different parts of hip-hop. People need to understand who he was, and what he did for hip-hop himself and not take away from him. He deserves his flowers like anybody else. Don't take it away because of jealousy, and these two loved each other so much, so Pac wouldn't be happy to know that they're not giving him his credit. They were friends, they were brothers, they were musical, genius partners together, all of those things. Tupac loved giving back to people and helping other people and he gave them their credit. He gave people their chance. I think everybody needs to show some love and respect for Johnny J. This documentary that I'm gonna bring out is gonna show you all the areas that he said started in and how he ended his life, you know, because of the nuances of things and life that happens and just taking people's credit and taking away their identity. I want his identity back. I'll say that I want his identity back. He deserves that, and that's what I'm about to give him his identity back. I was told there are a lot of hip-hop Latinos who are coming up in the world right now. They deserve their shine too, because people are saying they didn't do anything in hip hop, but here it is. They're happy to know that Johnny J is their hero. He is their hero, and so that's driving them to say, “Hey, we want to be a part of this documentary. We want to be a part of this biopic film that you got.” So they want to be a part of it with me. Johnny, you know, he thought he was black, right? I mean, he was adopted by a black father and a Latin mother, so he didn't know anything but that was me, until he found out later on it wasn't, but that was part of his soul. And he deserves to have his identity. To silence a story is to narrow our vision of the world around us. Every unheard perspective, or untold truth, is a piece of the human experience left hidden. The life and legacy of Johnny J isn’t just a chapter in Hip Hop. It’s a bridge to understanding its soul. To truly grasp the depth and diversity of Hip Hop culture, we must listen. We must remember. We must tell his story. https://youtu.be/hlb4HVGyIUs?si=6lmCDkWUDCOpYoW_
Nicki Minaj has received a lengthy apology from Shannon Sharpe after she dissed him on new Lil Wayne collaboration “Banned from NO”. On the track, the Trinidad born rapper spat: “‘Bout to cop you slides, all you do is flip-flop / If I send a pic of Shannon, you ain’t that Sharpe.” The line appeared to be a barb about the NFL legend turned media star commenting “Nicki who?” when a fan told him she wanted to appear on his Club Shay Shay podcast. In a new episode of his Nightcap show, Sharpe apologized to Minaj and attended to explain the comment as a misunderstanding. He said: “I used to go back and forth with people. I was talking about Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley said it’s really great for everybody of Black America, and I was like … ‘When has it ever been great?’” harpe continued: “Nicki, I was not trying to be disrespectful. Of course I know who you are. I would be remiss to say that I thought you knew who I was, or that you knew anything about Club Shay Shay. I’m not that arrogant. “Nicki, I apologize. I meant no disrespect. You’ll always have an open invitation if you ever want to come sit down and have a conversation. Even if you just want to have a private conversation on the phone or something. It won’t go any further between you and I.” https://youtu.be/tQtNjljym_4?si=aQShNLMXXxPvNZhL
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Rapper Kendrick Lamar speaks onstage during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California. MTV Movie Awards airs April 10, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MTV) Kendrick Lamar has broken the all-time record for amount of weeks a song has spent a the top of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Chart. “Luther”, his smash collaboration with SZA, has now spent 23 weeks at the summit of the chart meaning Kendrick has broken his own record which he previously held with “Not Like Us”. Between K. Dot and SZA, they occupy all top three spots on the all-time list as the singer’s “Kill Bill” was number one for 21 weeks across 2022 and 2023. Despite already breaking the record, it is expected that “Luther” remains in the number one spot for weeks to come. “Luther” finally fell off the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 last week after a remarkable thirteen weeks at number one. Lamar has been breaking records left and right over the last year. https://youtu.be/sNY_2TEmzho?si=e6sm7_x0yfHU2Avi
ButtaGoHarder have been on a mission in 2025. She have dropped multiple visuals, singles, venues, and most recently dropped her latest EP Tatted Skriptures. The Texas emcee is back with her brand new single and video entitled Make It Klear. ButtaGoHarder continue to showcase her lyrical skills, along with getting some things off of her chest. Check out the visual in the link below. And stream her latest EP Tatted Skriptures available now on all major digital platforms. https://youtu.be/569IpqkbigI?si=OY-_SLvdfNj8SyhZ
Lil Wayne has finally dropped Tha Carter VI and its tracklist features an unexpected guest in the form of U2 lead singer, Bono. The two link up on the anthemic “The Days” which was previously debuted during a promo for the NBA Finals. On the track, Wayne references his status as an elder statesman in Hip Hop, rapping: “I ain’t getting younger, but I’m getting better / No time to waste that’s another man’s treasure / They say every dog has hit day.” While Bono, who has previously worked with Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, sings: “The time of our lives / The time of our youth / We bow down to beauty and truth / These are the days.” The 19 track project features an array of guest artists including 2 Chainz, Kodak Black, Machine Gun Kelly and Big Sean. Tha Carter VI also features more eclectic artists such as opera singer Andrea Bocelli, country star Jelly Roll and Fugees legend Wyclef Jean. Fans were hoping that Wayne was going to reunite with Drake and Nicki Minaj on the project but no song featuring the Young Money trio made the album. https://open.spotify.com/album/3f35htoN6xM1w2fKE8YZIJ?si=FfLOcdE7Rm2wM2W3pHpOIg
Clipse have finally announced the release date for their highly anticipated reunion album Let God Sort Em Out. The album will be the first full length project from Pusha T and No Malice in 15 years and is set to be released through Roc Nation. In a social media post and cinematic trailer, the brothers announced that fans can expect the album relatively soon with it arriving on July 11. Let God Sort Em Out will also be executive produced by longtime collaborator, Pharrell Williams. https://youtu.be/aMTM4nhQwws?si=zHkRfdkZqNKSaTj8
The Game has offered up some bold opinions regarding the best rappers to have come from the West Coast. Unveiling his list of the 100 greatest Wesr Coast rappers, the Compton native made some controversial choices. The most notable of which was putting Kendrick Lamar at number four, below 2Pac, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. Game then placed himself at number five. Rounding out his top 10 were Kurupt, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Xzibit. Some of the more interesting calls on the list were placing Tyler, The Creator at 14, will.i.am above the likes of Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and W.C. and rating Kid Ink as a better MC than the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and Glasses Malone.
Joey Franchize started out as a hip-hop DJ and producer out of Hartford. Joey developed a cult following as a regularly featured DJ in Connecticut, New York & Massachusetts’ premiere nightclubs and also as the official DJ for UConn Huskies Football & Basketball teams. He has worked with and DJ’d for artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Wale, Kendrick Lamar, MGK, J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, & Big Sean. Joey joins the WiLD 94.1 team after an 8 year stint on-air in Hartford. Joey Franchize is a great draft choice for WiLD 94.1 because of his energy, vibe, and talent. Nights at WiLD have always had character that matches the party atmosphere of Tampa and Joey embodies that.
Auntie Angel, or more affectionately known as “The Grapefruit Lady,” is a seasoned sex educator, offering in-person seminars and virtual tutorials featuring techniques and advice on how to make sex life more pleasurable. Angel has been featured on Comedy Central, The Howard Stern Show, The Playboy Radio Show, VICE Video, Windy City Live (ABC7 in Chicago), The Mo’Nique Show, and in Ebony, Essence, and Cosmopolitan magazines. She’s also been featured on Kandi Koated Nights, a streaming talk show hosted by Kandi Burress of Atlanta Housewives and was the opening act for Kandi’s Dungeon Tour. Angel was also a host at the Days of Summer Cruise Fest with DJ Khaled. Angel has shared her sexpertise in seminars across the U.S. including New York, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Chicago. She’s even been invited to schools to teach fellatio classes, including Syracuse and Northwestern universities. What Angel enjoys the most about what she does is the connection she has with the ladies. She relates to the sexual insecurities women have and she’s learned to heal and empower herself by teaching others how to take control of their sex lives, pleasing themselves and their men. Many women have shared that Angel has helped them to overcome self-doubts, increase their confidence and even saved their marriages. • Instagram: @grapefruitlady1 • Twitter: @grapefruitlady
Born and raised in the Tri-state area, Dre, Ron and Zay (Kingsmen) could always be found somewhere singing a note, banging a drum or making music. At an early age they all quickly realized their love for music was anything but child’s play. They all write, sing and produced. Over the last year, they developed their sound by learning how to lean on each other’s gifts. The music they create blends the drums of today with melodies that touch several decades, to create a modern yet throwback vibe. If asked who influenced their sound and style of production, names such as Marvin Gaye, Genesis (Phil Collins), Sade, Prince, Timbaland and The Neptunes will most likely be mentioned. They’re working on several projects set to launch this year. Their first official single as a collective “Riot”, released under the Kingsmen Music Group banner dropped in June 2020 but Fans can look forward to many more from them and the artist they work with featuring sounds that capture and evoke “that feeling”. Listeners will agree these musicians are here to stay.
Just about every child dreams of being famous. The fancy cars, big houses, and clout but not me! My dream was just to be FREE with my writings. MUSIC & POETRY basically brought me to that FREEDOM!Never in a million years would I have imagined that any of my songs would one day become a hit single (Dancin') followed by MORE hit singles, performance opportunities, and mini films that have been birthed. All while creating, I have been given the gift to travel & perform my works all over the country! I am truly thankful~ Wellllll....the dream came true and this has been so surreal.I love the Journey this has placed me on and I owe it all to the MOST HIGH & my fans. Thank you~ My Flow... I write about all things life.If you have been around me andhave gone through something good or bad,you will hear about it via my MUSIC.Life brings music. Pain brings out thereality of the melodies. Happiness ties it all together. Without life, there would be no song My Peace.. Have you ever sat next to a stream? IT'S MUSICAL ! Have you ever listened to the rain falling? Every drop has its own Tone! The grass when the wind blows creates its own Orchestra. My Point? MUSIC is everywhere and is everything. My musical Mission is to extract meaning & use it from every element and moment in life... And touch a life. Creating is what I live for~ https://youtu.be/2xqSdtrKZKo?si=9u5H911UoBcjBFrB
Author Donna Taylor has been been tackling 2025 non stop. From her weekly podcast on her DTaylor Network, to the launch of her new book entitled An Imperfect Marriage Saved By Grace. Ms. Donna Taylor have been promoting her book now for a while. She recently had a book launch party to celebrate the official release of An Imperfect Marriage Saved By Grace last weekend. A host of friends, and supports came out to help her celebrate yet another accomplishment that Ms. Donna Taylor has under her belt. Putting together a book isn't a job at all. It takes a lot of hard work, and can be time consuming. Congratulations to Ms. Donna Taylor on this your achievement. And you can purchase her new book An Imperfect Marriage Save By Grace available now at Amazon, and all major outlets. When women are able to conceive and birth a child that is supposed to be the most joyous happiest time in their life . It was when my parents were and God decided to allow them to conceive me that now my story began . But to my mother's surprise she didn't realize that this birth wasn't going to be a great one to start off with for her mother. It wasn't enough that Satan wanted to take me out before I was to enter the world ,he tried to take both my mother and I out during childbirth the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck and my mother's blood pressure was going up and was in danger of losing her life as well as mines. - Author Donna Taylor
Skilla Baby has been shot several times as the victim of a drive-by shooting in his home city of Detroit. According to local news outlet Fox 2, the rapper was shot in the 8 Mile area while in a black SUV that ultimately crashed into a building just off the road. They report that Skilla suffered grazes to the head and back and was also shot in the hand. After emergency services attended the scene, Skilla Baby was taken to hospital where he is described as alert and expected to make a full recovery. The police have not yet identified any suspects or what the motive could be for the shooting. Skilla Baby is also yet to comment on the incident. https://youtu.be/6yTQu9SjhB0?si=fCFaAyuezSTxcU6V
Kid Cudi has opened up after going through what he calls a “stressful” time testifying in Diddy’s sex trafficking trial. In a video he put out on social media shortly after he finished giving evidence, Cudi spoke briefly about the emotions of the situation. He said: “Hey guys, so I, I just wanna say, man, I’ve been seeing all the love and support, and I just wanna say thank you so much, man. People have been hitting me up the past week just checking in and, and even today, and I just, it really means a lot to me, man.” Cudi continued: “You guys are the best. I love y’all. This is a stressful situation. I’m glad it’s behind me and yeah, I love y’all, man.”
Joey Bada$$ has announced plans to release his highly anticipated next album before the end of the summer. Speaking on Uproxx‘s Sound Check, the New Yorker set out the plans to capitalize on his recent attention. Joey said: “The goal is to get the album out before August 30.” In recent times, Joey has been causing waves by going at Kendrick Lamar as he declares war on the West Coast, releasing several tracks aimed at Dot, Rey Vaughn and Daylyt. On “Crash Dummy”, Joey taunted that Kendrick was afraid of battling him, rapping: “Thank you for making it clear that Dot scared, but yeah / I was at the party, but I also saw Top there.” Joey took his most blatant shots at Kendrick on previous diss track “My Town” where he spat: “I’m the real boogeyman, y’all n-ggas should be afraid / Get the general, I’m killing his troops.” He later added: “Don’t make me Pulitzer, better be wise because / I’m dottin T’s and cross your eyes like Whitaker.” On “The Finals”, Joey also rapped: “I salute you Kenny but I know you well aware / You lookin’ for some competition? Then just know that I’ll be right here.” https://youtu.be/lY6TVvrEGZo?si=SfZUsqq2-wS2sUq_
Snoop Dogg has taken aim at former label boss, Suge Knight, in new song “Shut Yo Bitch Ass Up”. The two have been exchanging public shots for a while now but Snoop has made the move to address his one time friend on wax. “Shut Yo Bitch Ass Up” which features on Snoop’s surprise new album Iz It A Crime? sees Tha Doggfather throw some serious accusations at Suge. Snoop raps: “I can see why you mad / I bought everything you own / Now you in PC snitching on the phone.” The West Coast legend continues: “But I can slap the taste out your muthafuckin’ mouth / Pull up on your n-gga, make you wanna reroute / And if he hit the main line, he gon’ see what we bout/Oh bitch ass n-gga, I’m a rich ass n-gga.” https://youtu.be/FMKCKgLKKK0?si=AL4lIOuh3tFFn40s
Drake‘s latest album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, has passed a major sales milestone. Just three months after it was released, the PartyNextDoor collaborative project has now gone platinum in the US as it has sold one million equivalent units. The album originally debuted atop the Billboard 200 after being released on Valentine’s Day. Even though opening week figures of just shy of 250,000 were some of the lowest of Drake’s career, the album has had staying power and is still in the top five of the chart twelve weeks after release. https://open.spotify.com/album/6Rl6YoCarF2GHPSQmmFjuR?si=rhycsWiWSNixdBSBLvJ3dQ
Chris Brown has been arrested in the UK in relation to a 2023 alleged attack with a bottle. Brown has recently landed in the country for a tour and was taken into custody at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester where he was due to perform later this month. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “A 36-year-old man was arrested at a hotel in Manchester shortly after 02:00hrs on Thursday, 15 May on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. He has been taken into custody where he remains. The arrest relates to an incident at a venue in Hanover Square on 19 February 2023. The investigation is being led by detectives from the Central West Area Basic Command Unit.” The arrest relates to an incident which allegedly took place at at Tape nightclub where it was claimed Brown assaulted music producer Abe Diaw. It is not yet known how the police investigation will affect the scheduled tour. In 2023, Diaw filed a lawsuit against the controversial R&B singer, alleging Brown had inflicted severe and lasting injuries” on him after “beating him over the head” with a bottle of tequila. Brown was also accused of “ruthlessly” stomping on Diaw’s head while he was on the ground which resulted in him being knocked unconscious. https://youtu.be/fnHf9-Rj-2U?si=bEI7-zfLET4ik9oG
Kendrick Lamar has created yet more chart history as “Luther” remains at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a twelfth consecutive week. The SZA collaboration now holds the record for most weeks at number one for a song with co-billed solo men and women, surpassing Diddy and Faith Evans’ 1994 Biggie tribute “I’ll Be Missing You”. Only one collaborative song – Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” – has spent longer at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. “Luther” is also the biggest Hip Hop single of the decade, surpassing the 11 weeks Roddy Ricch spent at number one with “The Box” in 2020. Lamar and SZA each extend their longest stay at the summit of the chart as the success of “Luther” shows no signs of slowing down despite being released last November. For its twelfth week at the top of the chart, “Luther” tallied 65.4 million radio airplay audience impressions plus 19.1 million streams and 2,000 actual sales. It is still the most played song on radio in the US. https://youtu.be/sNY_2TEmzho?si=MCKqw1MLGSeZbhOc