Plastic Jesus Is Selling His Kanye West Golden Jesus Statue For $50K

Los Angeles, CA – When he first moved to L.A. (about 10 years ago now), London-native Plastic Jesus saw people driving around in their cars with those plastic Jesus figures. On February 25, HipHopDX caught up with the artist at his Anesthesia: The Art of Oblivion art show on Gibson Brands Sunset (former Tower Records).

The gallery featured the infamous Kanye West statue sporting a gold Jesus piece and black Yeezys.

By the way, this piece is for sale and he’s looking for $50,000 for it. According to the street artist, he wanted to make an ironic statement before last weekend’s Academy Awards.

He states, “I thought it was ironic, the fact that if you’re really religious, do you really need a cheap, Chinese-made figure to remind you who your God is?” It fits well because he tries to get people to question their morals and beliefs, which is exactly what these figures do.

This seems to be the theme when it comes to the infamous Kanye Jesus statue, spotted in the heart of Hollywood. After creating statues for about four years now, the concept of this piece came to him about a year ago.

“I wanted to focus on the cult of idols and how we build them up into gods, and also how we break them down. In this case, how we crucify them,” he shares.

"False Idol". #art #streetart #oscars with generous help from @pverik and sculpture @morgothlot #kanyewest #hollywood the statue will be on Hollywood Blvd for some time today. And then at our show Saturday. At Gibson bands 8801 sunset Blvd . The former tower records store.

A post shared by Plastic Jesus® – Official (@plasticjesus) on Feb 22, 2017 at 10:54am PST

“We can all remember when Kanye West was hospitalized at the end of last year, right?” Plastic Jesus explains, “The time before Christmas when ‘Ye was hospitalized really underlined that fact that we build these idols up into gods, and when they show human failings, we then turn them down or crucify them.”

The entire process of creating the sculpture, from concept to execution, took about three months. The head was molded by an artist named Ginger from Las Vegas, who is responsible for the naked Donald Trump statue. The actual construction took about six weeks.

“The title ‘False Idol’ is a criticism of us, the consumer, and us, the media — building people into gods,” Plastic Jesus continues to explain. “Sure, Kanye is hugely talented. He’s a genius when it comes to writing and production, but we’ve built him into something which is far greater than that. And when we build people up like that comes expectations. And when people don’t meet those expectations, that’s when we start to crucify them.”

Plastic Jesus emphasizes the attention to detail in street art. By the way, the Yeezys on the statue’s feet are fake.

“They came from China,” he reveals, “and cost about 15 dollars including shipping.”

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Actor (& Hip Hop Fan) Bill Paxton Dead At 61

Bill Paxton, the actor who was seemingly in every movie throughout much of the ’80s and ’90s, has died. He was 61.

The Fort Worth, Texas native passed away on Saturday (February 25) after complications from heart surgery, reports TMZ.

Over his nearly four-decade acting career, he appeared in all sorts of blockbusters, including Twister, Apollo 13, Titanic, Weird Science and True Lies. He also starred in HBO’s Big Love from 2006-2011, a role that earned him three Golden Globe nominations.

He had the distinct honor of being the first actor to get killed by The Terminator (in the first installment of that series), The Predator (Predator 2) and a Xenomorph (Aliens). Lance Henriksen is the only other actor to have achieved that particular death trilogy.

Paxton was also a supporter of underground Hip Hop, a genre he gained appreciation for through his son James. In a 2009 appearance on The Today Show, he namedropped some of the groups they’d seen perform live together.

“I came to it kind of late,” he explains. “A lot of the big rappers I’d listened to, but really my son James … and I, and a couple of his buddies went to see Three 6 Mafia at UCSB in the fall and since then he’s taken me to see People Under The Stairs … They can’t drive yet and we live way the hell out in the country so these venues are really far away … We’ve seen Jedi Mind Tricks out of Philadelphia, we saw another guy named Murs … Entertaining. A lot of these guys have something to say.”

Paxton explained that it was his son who turned him onto the music, and that he does genuinely enjoy it.

“I’m not trying to stay hip. I actually really like it,” he explained.

Embed from Getty Images

Bill Paxton and his son, James “JPax” Paxton in 2017.

He’s survived by his wife of 30 years Louise Newbury and their two children, James and Lydia.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

New Police Report Says Bankroll Fresh Might Have Fired First In Deadly Shooting

Atlanta, GA – It is approaching the one-year anniversary of Bankroll Fresh’s murder and the case has still not been solved.

Today (February 22), police released surveillance footage of the fateful night the Atlanta rapper was shot and killed outside of Street Execs studios. Atlanta’s WSB-TV explains that authorities say Bankroll can be seen holding and firing an assault rifle, possibly aiming at a black car parked across the street. They believe this might be evidence that he fired the first shot in the incident. Previous evidence confirmed that 50 shots in all were fired.

In a controversial interview with DJ Vlad in July, No Plug admitted to killing Bankroll Fresh and said he acted in self-defense.

Investigators say it is too early to draw any conclusions about what exactly happened that night.

“What you see on the video, even though it might be as clear as day, there might be something more to it than what you’re actually seeing,” Major Adam Lee III of Atlanta Police says.

The District Attorney is now handling the case and a spokesperson said in a statement that the investigation is taking longer than initially estimated.

“We are considering additional evidence we discovered in the case,” the statement says, “because of this information, we have not been able to make a decision by the original deadline. One we reach a decision, we will notify the families and then the public.”

Earlier this month, HipHopDX spoke with Cassius Jay, who produced Bankroll Fresh’s hit song “Hot Boy” about keeping the rapper’s legacy alive.

“He was a good guy and stuff, so I don’t feel like I should in a way,” he says of releasing new music. “His family can do it, but I shouldn’t be releasing none of his music because they didn’t give me the consent to do it. I don’t even really try to bring it up to ‘em because you know how the industry is right now, so I just was like whatever it was we did, we’re just gonna leave it at that and that was ‘Hot Boy’ and that was his biggest song, so I just wanted to leave it at that ‘cause we was real close.”

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

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Rapper Formerly Known As 22 Savage Still Out There Beefing With 21 Savage

A name change for Young 22 (formerly 22 Savage) has done little to quell his feud with rapper 21 Savage.

The beef between the two appeared to reach new heights this week when Young 22 claimed he “was gonna spray that bitch,” during an encounter that allegedly took place over NBA All-Star Weekend. In a video uploaded to social media, 22 claims that he came across 21 Savage while driving through New Orleans.

“I got the 223 in the fuckin’ car,” Young 22 said. “Niggas at my window. ‘What up 22?’ Fans or whatever. And out the corner of my fuckin’ eye, I say that ‘That look like 21. Matter of fact it is 21.’ So, I grab the 223. I’m in the car. I open the door. I swear to God on everything I love. I open the fuckin’ door. These same niggas that was right here hollering ‘What up 22.’ They go over there, they tell you I’m right chea. What you did? You ran to your fuckin’ Sprinter van, ol’ bitch ass nigga … I was gonna spray that bitch.”

#young22 responds to #21savage

A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akadmiks) on Feb 20, 2017 at 9:43pm PST

21 Savage soon responded to Young 22’s video, comparing the Baton Rouge rapper to Soulja Boy, and discrediting his story.

“So instead of killing me he got on here and made a video about it nigga sound like big SOULJA … If I ran my kids can die right now I ain’t even see this ugly ass fake chain wearing ass nigga,” 21 Savage wrote in the comments to Young 22’s video.

Not one to let a diss slide, Young 22 quickly fired back, uploading video challenging 21 Savage’s “fake chain” claims.

“That’s for that nigga who say my diamonds fake … Bitch, you sound stupid. Ol’ bitch ass nigga,” 22 said in the video, which shows him submerging his chain in water.

#young22 going at it with #21savage over if his diamonds is FAKE !

A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akadmiks) on Feb 21, 2017 at 1:06am PST

Again, 21 Savage issued another clapback via comment, writing “How you big 22 and yo chain lil what are thoseee?? Black diamonds? Lil broke ugly pencil head bitch.”

In other 21 Savage news, he’s prepping for his first headlining tour.

#IssaTour #21savage

A post shared by 21 Savage Fanpage (@21savage.fp) on Feb 21, 2017 at 7:30am PST

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Drake Fires Back At Kanye West & Talks Meek Mill Beef On OVO Sound Radio

Drake has become infamous for his scarcity on the interview front but has used the platform in recent times to share with fans his thoughts on what’s being going on behind the scenes. The OVO captain’s latest chat with DJ Semtex on Saturday’s edition of OVO Sound Radio zeroed in on Kanye West’s onstage verbal attack last November, and their talk expanded into the Meek Mill beef and much more.

The interview, which took place last Monday (Feb. 13), opened with DJ Semtex reminding Drake of an interview the pair did years back that inspired the goodwill of the VIEWS artist to reach out and connect once more. The discussion ranged from Drake’s early rise and how Dr. Dre had him fax lyrics and join the Detox writing camp, getting paid $10,000, and eventually losing that deal because he blew off studio time to stunt with a girlfriend in Los Angeles.

“It was a huge life lesson for me and I still have that … Actually, when Dre came out at The Forum, I brought him the $10,000 [check][because] I had saved the actual hard copy of it, even though I got the money for it, they let me keep a copy of the [check],” Drake said.

Switching gears to West, Drake mentioned a miscommunication he had with the Chicago artist regarding the track “Pop Style” from the VIEWS album. The album version of the track had no features, but an earlier version of the song featured The Throne, the duo consisting of West and Jay Z.

Drake explained that Jay’s lack of a full verse and other miscommunications led to him finishing the song for the album without the guest spots.

“Yeah, I was dealing directly with Ye and that’s the version that he sent me and that was what we talked about and he was like ‘Man you know this is like ‘Pop Style’ featuring The Throne? This is huge,’ and I was excited obviously — anybody would be excited to see them link back up. And then I didn’t know what I was gonna hear. So when I heard Jay had two bars, I was like, alright it is what it is, it’s cool I like that, it’s a little intro and Kanye goes off. And then you know I’m not really sure the details between how that conversation was miscommunicated or what they were going through at that time, or what anybody felt towards me or whatever it was,” Drake said.

West ranted last year at varying intervals regarding music politics, which may have been alluding to the “Pop Style” omission. West also took shots at Drake and DJ Khaled’s dominance on radio, prompting a stern response from Drake, saying in the interview that he didn’t understand why the shot took place.

“I don’t know, I think everybody has their own little things going on, I’m not really sure what he’s referring to half the time, because in the same breath, I went from being … like working on a project with him, to him sorta publicly shitting on me and DJ Khaled for being on the radio too much,” said Drake.

Another highlight of the interview was the much-discussed Meek Mill clash and Drake didn’t bite his tongue about the Philadelphia rapper.

“You can ask me about a bunch of people in this interview and you can literally ask me what my problem is with them and I’ll tell you I don’t have one,” explained Drake.

He added, “When somebody makes a decision to say ‘Alright everybody’s supporting this guy, maybe I should be the guy to go against him,’ or they just have a series of events that gets them aggravated enough to do that, that’s what happens you know and unfortunately on display for the world, that was a terrible impulsive decision because you weren’t ready.”

Drake told Semtex that someone in the industry who is known for winning such verbal battles gave him advice to “finish this forever” but declined to say who it was. He said there’s no hate in his heart toward Meek, but he was out for revenge and felt that the rapper’s attack on his writing ability could have potentially ended the validity of his career. And while the relentless “Back To Back” truly signaled a win for Drake, he said the events took an emotional toll on him.

Check out a full transcript of the interview on DJ Semtex’s website.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Jay Z Tells Jay Electronica To Drop His Debut Album

New Orleans, LA – Jay Electronica and his elusive debut album have been the talk of Hip __hop ever since his signing with the Roc Nation imprint in 2010. During an NBA All-Star Weekend concert, Jay Z urged his signee to drop his long-awaited project for the masses.

Both Electronica and Jay Z  were all smiles when the New Orleans native called the Brooklyn mogul to the stage. “Ima fuck you up when we get outside,” said a laughing Hov. He addressed the crowd, prompting Electronica to tell the crowd that the Carters are “home team” after the purchase of a local church.

The crowd responded favorably to the appearance of Jay and a touching moment between the two occurred when Electronica stated that he loved his label boss, with Jay’s arm remaining around the rapper’s shoulders. Just as he was walking away, Jigga could be heard saying to Electronica, “let’s put this album out,” which drew loud applause.

"Put the album out" Jay Z to Jay Electronica last night. #TIDALXNOLA pic.twitter.com/BwIoj5sXqp

— JAY Z Daily (@JAY_Z_Daily) February 18, 2017

Electronica liberated a song, “better in tune with the infinite” that is reportedly from the Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn) studio album. He released his first official mixtape Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) in the summer of 2007.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

A Sisqó Imposter Has Been On The Loose At New York Fashion Week

New York, NY – Sisqó might need to change his signature blond hair after an imposter allegedly pretended to be the singer at several high-profile presentations at New York Fashion Week. A man named Gavin Barnes claims he didn’t try to dupe anyone into thinking he was the Dru Hill frontman, but his vague explanation left many questions unanswered.

Barnes, 31, was seen draped in Versace sitting front row with a personal assistant at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 show and presentations of Philipp Plein and Vivienne Tam, Page Six reports. At a quick glance, the faux Sisqó could have fooled the less familiar, but a closer look shows that Barnes is obviously not the Baltimore singer.

Page Six adds that Barnes attempted to board the plane of an unknown person heading to the Carribean when it was revealed he was definitely not Sisqó. Adding to the farce, the publication writes that Barnes bragged to attendees that he performed in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Barnes was reached for comment and denied he ever said he was Sisqó, but tried to deny his actual namesake all the same.

Sisqó’s team was informed of the incidents and clarified that their man was in Las Vegas on a tour stop. Reportedly, Sisqó has been shooting down Barnes’ photos by replying “Datz Not Me” on Instagram. The “Thong Song” singer’s management team told Page Six that Budget Sisqó’s attempt to mimic was “flattering” at best.

Sisqó was featured on an uptempo track “Give Me A Good Song” featuring veteran singer Marie Osmond in 2016.

Check out pictures of Sisqó, both the real and the fake, below.

Embed from Getty Images

Y?LMAO

A post shared by Dragon (@sisqo) on Oct 31, 2013 at 11:48am PDT

It has been confirmed this azz will be at the show tonight here in Albuquerque with me😂👱🏾🐉

A post shared by Dragon (@sisqo) on Aug 6, 2016 at 6:15pm PDT

#anothersoldoutshow at club Liv n Miami👱🏾🐉👍🏾

A post shared by Dragon (@sisqo) on Jun 25, 2016 at 5:42pm PDT

thinking about missing @druhill4real tonight? think again. #druhill #sisquo #dcrnb #dmv

A post shared by The Howard Theatre (@howardtheatre) on Aug 20, 2016 at 1:03pm PDT

TSR STAFF: Debra Oh! @The_Ebony_Issue _____________________________________ Issa fake! That's what the revelation was when a man tried to impersonate singer #Sisqó during New York Fashion Week! _____________________________________ It was discovered that a man was granted front row access to #NYFW shows like #PhilippPlein and #VivienneTam as well as #KanyeWest's #Yeezy Season 5 presentation after he allegedly posed as the "#ThongSong" singer. _____________________________________ He was spotted wearing "a black velvet, gold-trimmed, caftan-style Versace suit, a torrent of chunky jewelry and shades" at Plein and Tam's show as he posed for pictures passing off as the real deal! _____________________________________ via Page Six: The fake Sisqó sat front row at the Philipp Plein and Vivienne Tam shows — where he sported a black velvet, gold-trimmed, caftan-style #Versace suit, a torrent of chunky jewelry and shades. Hitting the shows with his “assistant,” he also attended Kanye West’s presentation. _____________________________________ Sham Sisqó, who bleached his hair to mimic the star’s trademark do of the 1990s, was even heard bragging to fashionistas that he had just performed at Meatpacking District celebrity haunt Up&Down until 5 a.m. this week. _____________________________________ He was later exposed when he tried to use his real passport with his real name to board a private jet traveling to — read more at TheShadeRoom.com (link in bio) _____________________________________ ( 📸 by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Vivienne Tam & Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) on Feb 17, 2017 at 10:53am PST

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Fat Joe & Remy Ma Share “Plata O Plomo” Collaborative Album

Riding high off their Grammy nominations, Fat Joe and Remy Ma release their Plata o Plomo album.

Along with the lead single “All the Way Up” featuring French Montana and Infared, the project (which means “Silver or Lead” in Spanish) is made up of 12 tracks showing the Terror Squad rappers are just as relevant as ever.

Other features come from Ty Dolla $ign, Sevyn Streeter and Kodak Black.

Stream Fat Joe and Remy Ma’s Plata o Plomo album below.

(This article was first published December 22, 2016 and is as follows.)

Fat Joe and Remy Ma have what might possibly be the song of the year (or at least the collaboration of the year) in “All the Way Up.” The track gave the rappers multiple Grammy nominations, making Remy Ma the only female rapper with a nod this year. The dynamic duo has kept their momentum going throughout 2016 and are looking to take that swing into the next year with their Plata O Plomo album, due out February 10.

This information comes with the official iTunes pre-order, which also shared the project’s cover art and tracklist. Plata O Plomo — which is Spanish for “Silver or Lead” — is made up of 12 tracks and includes an all-star cast of guest features. French Montana appears on “All the Way Up” of course and the project’s other single, “Cookin.” Ty Dolla $ign assists on “Money Showers” and other stars lending a hand on Plata O Plomo include Kent Jones, Sevyn Streeter, BJ The Chicago Kid and The-Dream.

In an interview from March, Fat Joe hyped up the project, saying it could compare to any collaboration between two titans.

“The album is the best album coming out,” he said. “It should give inspiration to everybody in New York City. This shit is phenomenal. Remy’s gonna be rated top. They gonna ask to see if she’s the best rapper on Earth, male or female. That’s how bad she’s going on this album. It’s so fuckin’ incredible, when people hear this album, this shit is so fuckin’ crazy. I feel like God blessed us … It’s like if Snoop or Dre did a new album. Kanye and Jay Z did a new album.”

Fat Joe and Remy Ma’s Plata O Plomo album cover art and tracklist are below.

1. Beast (f. Elley)
2. Swear to God (f. Kent Jones)
3. Spaghetti (f. Kent Jones)
4. All the Way Up (f. French Montana & Infared)
5. How Can I Forget (f. Kent Jones)
6. How Long (Interlude)
7. Say Yes (f. Sevyn Streeter & BJ the Chicago Kid)
8. Heartbreak (f. The-Dream)
9. Cookin (f. French Montana & RySoValid)
10. Money Showers (f. Ty Dolla $ign)
11. Too Quick (f. Kingston)
12. Dreamin (f. Stephanie Mills)

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Pusha T Tried To Convince Kanye West Not To Meet With Donald Trump

Washington, DC – Pusha T was among those who shook their head at Kanye West for meeting with President Donald Trump and, in an interview with WKYS The Fam in the Morning, the G.O.O.D. Music president says that he even tried to dissuade Yeezy from the chat. He was one of the few who knew about Kanye’s plans beforehand.

“This is not the first thing that me and Kanye disagree on. We disagree on a lot,” he explains. “… I was like, ‘Man, ain’t nothing to go talk about. What you talkin about?’ His perspective, we’re definitely polar opposites, he’s like, like, ‘Man you gotta talk, we gotta talk. There’s some things that I wanna get across in regards to education and so on and so forth.’ He was like, ‘Yo, bro, he’s in there. We gotta, we gonna communicate.’ He was like, ‘We either gonna communicate or we aren’t gonna be heard.’ That was his stance on it. My stance was like, ‘Listen, I can’t deal.'”

Pusha was a vocal advocate for Hillary Clinton, Trump’s Democratic opposition. He expresses his continued disappointment with the country’s choice of leadership.

“We took an L,” he says of his work with the campaign.

While the Virginia rapper says that fans can expect the much-anticipated King Push in the “springtime,” he also shares the Kanye is, in fact, working on new music. Whether that means Turbo Grafx 16 or something else, he didn’t elaborate.

“Ye’s working on a new album,” is all he said.

Yeezy has been recovering from his hospitalization in November when he was admitted for “exhaustion” and reportedly suffered memory loss. He just debuted his Yeezy Season 5 fashion line yesterday (February 15).

Listen to the interview of Pusha T talking about Kanye West below.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Adele's Win Over Beyonce Wasn't Racially Motivated Says Grammy Boss Neil Portnow

Los Angeles, CA – Social media was divided following Adele’s Album of The Year win over Beyonce at this year’s Grammys for a good reason. The British songwriter’s third studio album 25 sold 20 million copies worldwide and acquired average reviews with a 75 percent Metacritic score. Meanwhile, Queen Bey’s streaming only Tidal exclusive Lemonade, which also featured an hour-long visual presentation, became the highest streamed album of all time and earned a 92 percent Metacritic score.

This isn’t much different from last year’s controversy in which Taylor Swift’s 1989 (76 percent Metacritic score) won over Kendrick Lamar’s better received To Pimp a Butterfly (earning the highest Metacritic for a rap album to date with 96 percent). Artists ranging from Frank Ocean to Kanye West have all cried racism as the culprit.

According to Recording Academy president Neil Portnow, race isn’t the issue.

“No, I don’t think there’s a race problem at all,” Portnow told Pitchfork. “Remember, this is a peer-voted award. So when we say the Grammys, it’s not a corporate entity—it’s the 14,000 members of the Academy. They have to qualify in order to be members, which means they have to have recorded and released music, and so they are sort of the experts and the highest level of professionals in the industry. It’s always hard to create objectivity out of something that’s inherently subjective, which is what art and music is about. We do the best we can. We have 84 categories where we recognize all kinds of music, from across all spectrums.”

Portnow also used Chance The Rapper’s multiple Grammy wins including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album as an example of its diversity.

“You don’t get Chance the Rapper as the Best New Artist of the year if you have a membership that isn’t diverse and isn’t open-minded and isn’t really listening to the music, and not really considering other elements beyond how great the music is,” he said.

Embed from Getty Images

Chance The Rapper Wins Best Rap Album & Best New Artist At 2017 Grammy Awards

The following statistic gives fuel to both sides of the argument.

On Sunday night, Chance The Rapper became the first black Hip __hop Artist to win the Best New Artist Grammy since 1999.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Kanye West Reportedly Still On The Mend After Hospitalization

Los Angeles, CA – Kanye West was (of course) invited to the 59th Annual Grammy Music Awards, but opted to not attend the ceremony despite his multiple nominations, including The Life of Pablo‘s nod for Best Rap Album. Perhaps he simply forgot he is one of the music industry’s most coveted talents. According to one of West’s longtime collaborators (and the producer for Beyonce’s LEMONADE) — Chi-town artist Malik Yusef — Yeezy is still recovering from his November hospitalization. He says that part of West’s condition included memory loss after he was admitted to the hospital for his apparent “exhaustion.” Coupled with his wife Kim Kardashian-West’s traumatic robbery in Paris, France, 2016 was not exactly an easy one for the famous family.

In an interview with PopSugar, at the Grammys red carpet, Yusef mentioned Yeezy has been experiencing memory loss since his week-long hospital stay. “I’ve been to his house [and] sat down with him for about six, seven hours, just walking through his health and recovery,” Yusef explained. “His memory is coming back, which is super good. [He’s] just healing, spending time with his family.”

For now, West is taking a break from making music while he focuses on his health. Watch the brief interview above.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Grammy 2017 Winners: The Full List

The 59th annual Grammy Awards have come and gone, giving us another year of some incredible performances, some controversial moments and all the memes you’ll see on your timeline in the coming weeks.

Adele scored a major victory in the three big categories, winning Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for “Hello” and Album Of The Year for 25. The song, a performance of which kicked off the televised portion of the ceremony, also won for Best Pop Solo Performance. Adele also performed a tribute to the late George Michael, but messed up her first take of “Fastlove”and restarted it after some cussing.

Embed from Getty Images

The 28-year-old U.K. singer thanked Beyoncé directly in her end-of-night speeches, praising her fellow nominee for the power of LEMONADE and musing that she wished Beyoncé could be her mother.

Beyoncé didn’t go home empty handed, though, winning the trophies for Best Music Video for Formation and Best Urban Contemporary Album for LEMONADE. As she accepted the second award, she gave an impassioned speech while her husband Jay Z and their daughter Blue Ivy watched on.

Her live performance was also nothing short of show-stopping.

Embed from Getty Images

Her sister Solange took home Best R&B Performance for “Cranes In The Sky” off of A Seat At The Table.

Chance The Rapper was another of the night’s big winners, making good on three of his seven nominations. He won Best Rap Performance for “No Problems” featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, and then scored Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for his streaming-only mixtape Coloring Book. His performance at the end of the show was another standout moment from the telecast, as he brought out gospel singers Kirk Franklin, Tamela Mann and a full choir.

Some of the other nominees for Best Rap Album skipped the show, with Drake on tour in Europe and Kanye West making good on his promise to boycott the awards if Frank Ocean wasn’t nominated (he wasn’t, in what was kind of a big deal). Drake was awarded two trophies, with “Hotline Bling” winning Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song.

Plenty of other Hip __hop and R&B notables attended though, with Rihanna, Rick Ross, CeeLo Green, John Legend, 2 Chainz, Desiigner, Lil Yachty and many others showing up on the red carpet.

ScHoolboy Q had previously said he’d probably pass on the show unless his daughter wanted to check it out, and apparently she did.

Embed from Getty Images

While A Tribe Called Quest’s new album wasn’t eligible for this year’s ceremony, they made their presence felt with a politically charged set that paid tribute to the late Phife Dawg and saw Busta Rhymes take aim at “President Agent Orange” and his “unsuccessful Muslim ban.” Watch that performance here.

Check our list of winners below, or see the winners of every category here.

Record Of The Year

Adele – “Hello”
Beyonce – “Formation”
Lukas Graham – “7 Years”
Rihanna – “Work”
Twenty One Pilots – “Stressed Out”

Album Of The Year

Adele – 25
Beyonce – Lemonade
Justin Bieber – Purpose
Drake – Views
Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth

Song Of The Year

“Formation” — Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“Hello” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
“I Took A Pill In Ibiza” — Mike Posner, songwriter (Mike Posner)
“Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Justin Bieber)
“7 Years” — Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Pilegaard & Morten Ristorp, songwriters (Lukas Graham)

Best New Artist

Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance The Rapper
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak

Best Rap Performance

Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz – “No Problem”
Desiigner – “Panda”
Drake Featuring The Throne – “Pop Style”
Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared – “All The Way Up”
ScHoolboy Q Featuring Kanye West – “That Part”

Best Rap/Sung Performance

Beyonce Featuring Kendrick Lamar – “Freedom”
Drake – “Hotline Bling”
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream – “Ultralight Beam”
Kanye West Featuring Rihanna – “Famous”

Best Rap Song

“All The Way Up” – Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared
“Famous” – Kanye West Featuring Rihanna
“Hotline Bling” – Drake
“No Problem – Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
“Ultralight Beam” – Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream

Best Rap Album

Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book
De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody
DJ Khaled – Major Key
Drake – Views
ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP
Kanye West – The Life Of Pablo

Best Pop Solo Performance

Adele – “Hello”
Beyonce – “Hold Up”
Justin Bieber – “Love Yourself”
Kelly Clarkson – “Piece By Piece” (Idol Version)
Ariana Grande – “Dangerous Woman”

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey – “Closer”
Lukas Graham – “7 Years”
Rihanna Featuring Drake – “Work”
Sia Featuring Sean Paul – “Cheap Thrills”
Twenty One Pilots – “Stressed Out”

Best R&B Performance

BJ The Chicago Kid – “Turnin’ Me Up”
Musiq Soulchild – “I Do”
Rihanna – “Needed Me”
Ro James – “Permission”
Solange – “Cranes In The Sky”

Best Traditional R&B Performance

William Bell – “The Three Of Me”
BJ The Chicago Kid – “Woman’s World”
Fantasia – “Sleeping With The One I Love”
Lalah Hathaway – “Angel”
Jill Scott – “Can’t Wait”

Best R&B Song

“Come See Me”- (PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake)
“Exchange” – (Bryson Tiller)
“Kiss It Better” – (Rihanna)
“Lake By The Ocean” – (Maxwell)
“Luv” – (Tory Lanez)

Best Urban Contemporary Album

Beyonce – Lemonade
Gallant – Ology
KING – We Are King
Anderson .Paak – Malibu
Rihanna – Anti

Best R&B Album

BJ The Chicago Kid – In My Mind
Lalah Hathaway – Lalah Hathaway Live
Terrace Martin – Velvet Portraits
Mint Condition – Healing Season
Mya – Smoove Jones

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

T.I. Stands With Charles Oakley After Arrest At Madison Square Garden

Last Wednesday (February 8), New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley was involved in a shoving match with Madison Square Garden security that eventually led to his arrest. Despite Oakley’s contributions to the squad, he has been banned by owner James Dolan, which led T.I. to stand in solidarity with the imposing former player.

On Friday (February 10), the announcement was made that Oakley would be banned from entering Madison Square Garden. Fans from all walks of life stepped up in defense of Oakley and he has since reached out via Twitter to thank those who have spoken up in wake of the arrest.

I love NYC I LOVE the Knicks that you for all your love .. I will be holding a Press conference next week Let's go Knicks

— Charles Oakley (@CharlesOakley34) February 11, 2017

T.I.’s stance was made known via his Instagram account, which featured a photo of Oakley with the caption reading ““If HE can’t go. WE ain’t goin!!! #OGOakley” to go along with the post. What that means exactly isn’t known, but it appears Tip is asking people to not support the team or that he himself will no longer attend games for the duration of Oakley’s banishment from the arena.

“I love NYC I LOVE the Knicks [thank] you for all your love .. I will be holding a Press conference next week Let’s go Knicks,” tweeted Oakley on Friday. He followed that tweet for by thanking former and current NBA players for also stepping up for him.

Oakley was allegedly booted from the arena for making inappropriate comments during the game, which prompted the response from the arena’s security staff.

I want thank all in players and pass NBA players as well as family and friends for all your love and support

— Charles Oakley (@CharlesOakley34) February 11, 2017

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

22 Savage Changes His Rap Name

22 Savage took to Twitter on Monday (February 6) to announce that he’s changing his stage name. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana rapper revealed that he will now go by the moniker Young 22.

“Changed my name to Young 22,” he tweeted.

Changed my name to Young 22

— Young 22 (@xyoung22x) February 6, 2017

Young 22, who has also rapped under the name Mighty Mike, first came onto the scene last year, taking shots at 21 Savage before the latter responded during a live show. A subsequent social media back-and-forth ensued.

Last month, 50 Cent revealed that he was planning on getting 21 Savage and 22 Savage to square-off on the undercard of the Chris Brown vs. Soulja Boy bout. The winner, it’s proposed, will get the rights to the “Savage” moniker.

Is two Savages enough? In early January, a third Savage named 23 Savage dropped a music video for “Ain’t No 22” — a play on 22 Savage’s infamous “Ain’t No 21” track. Check out the full ist of 21 Savage’s competitors at HipHopDX’s Encyclopaedia Savagica.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Jim Jones Serves As Latest Roc Nation Signee

Harlem rhymer Jim Jones will now be making moves with the Roc after inking a new deal this week.

In a series of photos uploaded to Instagram, Jones alluded to a major move being made. Before posting a photo with Vic Medina of Roc Nation, he shared a photo that featured a bottle of D’USSE and a document with a Roc Nation header on it.

Caption this

A photo posted by jimjonescapo (@jimjonescapo) on Feb 7, 2017 at 2:09pm PST

Medina confirmed, in an Instagram photo of his own, that a deal with Jones had in fact been inked. Despite the confirmation, it’s unclear if the Dipset rapper signed a management or distribution deal with Roc Nation.

It's a done deal… Jim Jones/Roc Nation. #rocnation #vamplife

A photo posted by #NewRules (@mrvicmedina) on Feb 7, 2017 at 2:11pm PST

This latest move for Jones, who dropped his most recent project, The Kitchen in June, serves as a Hip Hop-friendly reminder that a little time can heal just about any relationship.

Over a decade ago, both Jones and Jay Z were deep in a feud that birthed a series of diss records.

On Jay Z’s end, he went on to flip Jones’ “We Fly High” record for “Brooklyn High,” which took aim at the Harlem rapper and the rest of Dipset.

Jones then fired back with a little tough talk of his own on “We Fly High (Beef Mix),” rapping “I told your old ass to chill/ Better slow down before your old ass gets killed.”

It’s safe to say that Jones signing with Roc Nation has put an official end to any remnants of his feud with Hov.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Meek Mill's Back On Instagram With An Announcement

Meek Mill has returned to his official Instagram account after shutting it down a few weeks ago. Among his new posts are a clip of him attending last night’s Super Bowl and a picture of him with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

#FUCKCANCER she's trolling 21 about the falcons… I told her chill b4 he air this place out 😂

A video posted by Meek Mill (@meekmill) on Feb 6, 2017 at 3:44pm PST

Robert kraft in the section posted with #THECHASERS

A photo posted by Meek Mill (@meekmill) on Feb 6, 2017 at 4:41pm PST

One of the more eye-catching posts is an orange cover art with a picture of a toddler Meek Mill and the caption “Down Forever.” It is unclear what exactly the cover is for, but the Philly rapper has teased DC4.5. The cover art for DC4 was also orange and featured a teenaged Meek. The new art could also be a single perhaps with the title of the caption.

Down forever. 😍

A photo posted by Meek Mill (@meekmill) on Feb 6, 2017 at 4:19pm PST

This account was noticeably offline when a newly-single Nicki Minaj posted a picture of herself and Drake that sent the internet ablaze. What seemed to be a parody account for Meek Mill reposted the picture tagging Drake a “nut-ass nigga” while the rest of the world wide web gave Meek another L for his ex reuniting with his rival.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

News Hip-Hop Chess Federation Combines Tech And Hip-Hop For Two-Day Seminar In San Francisco AHH Stray News: Meek Returns, Machine Kelly #1, Kevin Liles Discusses Migos Success Big Sean Has Another Release Party In Las Vegas Game Avoids Jail Time With Plea Deal Over Assault Case EXCLUSIVE: Atlanta Rap Legend Raheem The Dream Accuses Three 6 Mafia and Sony Of Stealing His Music and His Sound Faith Evans and Faith Hill Planning To Collaborate After CNN Screw Up J. Dilla Gets His Own Turntable As Late Producer’s Birthday Approaches Kanye West Deletes All Twitter References Mentioning President Donald Trump Offset From Migos Pays Blac Youngsta $10K Over Falcons Super Bowl Flop, 2 Chainz Blows Off Loss Kanye West and Tyga Use Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner For New Video Chance the Rapper Models Obama-Inspired Clothing Line Drake Suggests A Young Money Reunion Tour Could Be In The Works Sales Predictions For Big Sean’s ‘I Decided’ Are In Russell Simmons Talks Upcoming Hip Hop Musical ‘The Scenario’ Migos Earn First #1 Album With ‘Culture’ More Breaking News On AllHipHop.com New Rumors New Videos New Music Exclusive Features New Pix

Pix Big Sean Has Another Release Party In Las Vegas Atlanta Rappers Hurt Over New England Patriots’ Defeat Of Falcons In Stunning OT Super Bowl Loss Common and John Legend Help Taylor Swift Celebrate “Super Saturday” During Super Bowl Weekend Rappers, Athletes and Celebs Hit ESPN’s Annual Super Bowl Party’s John Legend Celebrates His First Super Bowl Ad With DJ Khaled, Cee Lo and Others Migos, 2Chainz and Lil Uzi Celebrate Super Bowl With NFL Legends Big Sean Hosts Parties In Detroit, L.A. and New York To Celebrate “I Decided” Rae Sremmurd Signing Autographs at JD Sports In Germany Fabolous Explains How Public Enemy and Flavor Flav Inspired Him As A Youngster French Montana, Ty Dolla $ign, 2 Chainz At CES Chance the Rapper and Wale Say Goodbye To President Barack Obama At White House Party Check Out The Weeknd, Wiz Khalifa and More Ring In The New Year Kid Cudi Crushes His Debut Performance At Las Vegas Hotspot Drai’s Rosa Acosta Teams Up With Floyd Mayweather, Bad Medina and Coast To Coast Sailing Co. For Second Annual Haute Holiday Toy Drive Young Jeezy Makes The Holiday Special For Hundreds Of Foster Kids New Pix More Breaking News On AllHipHop.com New Rumors New Videos New Music Exclusive Features

Drake Teases Young Money Reunion Tour

London, UK – Drake had just gotten off the phone with Nicki Minaj before he hit the stage in London during his Boy Meets World Tour and revealed to the stadium crowd in attendance that there may be a Young Money reunion tour in the very near future.

“We might have to do something special,” Drizzy told the sea of concertgoers at the O2 Arena. “We might have to do some like Young Money reunion shit out here or something. I might have to bring my friends from America, all my friends from Canada and the whole OVO.”

Drake saying their's going to be a Young Money Reunion tour 🤔 who's here for this !?!

A video posted by Our Generation Music (@ourgenerationmusicco) on Feb 5, 2017 at 4:46pm PST

The last time Young Money went on tour was in 2009 following the release of their We Are Young Money compilation album that included the highly successful single “BedRock” featuring Lloyd, which peaked at #1 on the Billboard charts.

The announcement comes on the heels of Nicki posting a picture of herself, Lil Wayne and Drake in the studio together on Instagram.

The current Young Money roster consists of the 6 God himself, Nicki, Cory Gunz, Lil Twist, Gudda Gudda and Weezy’s daughter Reginae, among other artists.

Wayne’s official Facebook account hinted at three upcoming musical releases at the beginning of 2017 — Tha Carter V, Funeral and Dedication 6 — but most headlines overlooked the Young Money tag that could have been another clue about a reunion.

And a Young Money reunion tour means a Young Money reunion project, right?

Only time will tell — but this time around, no Tyga.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Nicki Minaj's Brother To Stand Trial In Rape Case After Rejecting Plea Deal

NASSAU COUNTY, NY – Nicki Minaj’s brother rejected a plea deal in a case where he is facing rape charges and will now go to trial, Bossip reports.

Jelani Maraj was offered a deal of 15 years to life as he was indicted for child rape back in April. He is being accused of raping a 12-year-old victim multiple times in 2015. He will now stand trial in Nassau County where a jury will decide if he is guilty or innocent of the charges. The trial might feature the alleged victim testifying against Maraj. Pre-trial hearings are to begin within the next few weeks.

“He is choosing to go to trial because he is not guilty of these allegations and has faith in our system of justice,” Maraj’s lawyer, David Schwartz said.

As the legal process has continued, it was falsely reported that Minaj paid for her brother’s bond when in fact it was their mother who put up her house and two $50,000 promissory notes to get her son out of jail. Maraj’s wife filed for divorce amidst the case’s proceedings.

Maraj could face life in prison if found guilty.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Meek Mill Denies Any Connection To Nicki Minaj Home Burglary

Houston, TX – News broke this week that Nicki Minaj’s Los Angeles home was burglarized to the tune of an estimated $200,000 in stolen items. Chatter began to emerge that former boyfriend Meek Mill orchestrated the theft, but the Philadelphia rapper sidestepped any accusations while showing off his own expensive bling.

“Do it look like I rob people?” said Meek to a throng of paparazzi snapping photos. Speaking directly to TMZ cameras, the 29-year-old artist then pulled his expensive jewelry from around his neck for photo purposes.

“I got [$450,000] around my neck, [$80,000] on my wrist, do it look like I rob people?” exclaimed Meek once more. When the TMZ pap asked Meek if he’s seen or spoken to Minaj, the response was less than warm.

“You asking too many fucking questions about my personal life, real talk,” said Meek with a slight smirk before cutting off reporters.

Meek was in town for the Super Bowl Friday party at Houston’s Life nightclub and will be making several appearances throughout the weekend ahead of the big game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots tomorrow (February 5).

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Blue Ivy Carter Might Be Launching Her Very Own Fragrance & Hair Care Line

Not only is Blue Ivy Carter Grammy Award-nominated for lending her vocals on her mother’s self-titled album Beyoncé at the very young age of 3, now she’s on her way to becoming a mogul with the launch of her own fragrance and hair care line at 5 years old.

Beyoncé’s company has registered the legal docs to trademark baby Blue’s name to make it happen already. Clothing, mobile devices and video games among other products are all in the domain of possibilities for her to create. The application is on the road to being approved very soon, according to TMZ.

It may be a while before we get to experience what Blue comes up with for the masses, but she’s already shown interest in beauty products and fashion. The budding mogul already knows to let everybody aware of who she’s wearing.

Blue told me she likes my fluffy dress lol! She was also fully aware that she was in Dior, and not afraid to let ya know ok

A photo posted by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Feb 9, 2015 at 3:03pm PST

A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Mar 9, 2016 at 12:39pm PST

With Bey and Jay having twins on the way, this is a great way for Blue to set an example of what a young boss looks like for her future siblings.

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com

Here's What Nicki Minaj, Russell Simmons & Akon Think About Trump's Immigration Ban

Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy famously wrote of America as a “nation of immigrants,” a concept that has become all the more poignant since President Donald Trump wrote an executive order slamming the door shut on refugees.

Many in the Hip __hop world are speaking out against Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including Nicki Minaj, who emigrated to America with her family after being born in Trinidad.

Referring to herself as a “proud immigrant,” Nicki tweeted that “the most harmful thing you could ever take away from another human being is hope.”

The most harmful thing you could ever take away from another human being is hope. #ProudImmigrant #Grateful #TaxPayerButIcantVote #America

— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) January 30, 2017

Nicki’s stance on Trump’s moves has been reflected elsewhere in the Hip Hop industry. Aminé and Madeintyo have both condemned Uber for their CEO’s involvement in Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum.

Public Enemy’s Professor Griff, who is himself a Muslim, joined protesters at LAX Airport to speak out against the ban, and told reporters that Donald Trump needs to meet with “real black people” rather than “Kanye West and Steve Harvey.”

Griff also encouraged artists not just to protest against Trump on social media, but to make music against the executive order.

Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam, was once friends with Donald Trump — but has roundly criticized the new president on Twitter, rebuking the ban, the plans for a border wall with Mexico, and Trump’s pick for Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions.

#NoBanNoWall

— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) January 30, 2017

#StopSessions

— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) January 31, 2017

Akon, who is a Muslim Senegalese citizen, thinks that Trump’s main problem is “giving the people too much information.”

“I respect him. I honestly believe that he’s probably the most courageous president to ever hit the office. But at the same time I also believe that if you’re gonna be a strong leader, you also have to be compassionate and you have to think about the people’s wellbeing in the process as you’re doing things. It’s one thing to be tough but everybody knows a bully one day will be taken down and it’s just a matter of time. We don’t want our president to be looked at as a bully, or someone who’s gonna say ‘My way or no way.’ We want him to be able to negotiate on behalf of the people but at the same time keep our integrity in a great place. ”

Most courageous ever?

Akon also expressed worry that the ban would make Americans targets when travelling abroad, saying: “I don’t wanna have to deal with foreign affairs because of a decision my leader made for me. All the biggest American icons become targets once they leave America. And that even goes to Canadian artists.”

Source : hiphopdx[dot]com