Chicago, IL – Chance The Rapper announced early Friday (March 31) that he was holding a second press conference for Chicago Public Schools at Paul Robeson High School, which follows the one previously held at Westcott Elementary where he generously donated $1 million to CPS. This time around, the press conference was once again streamed live on his Instagram and ended with another donation to the tune of $2.2 million.
https://t.co/yHVsK0OvKS
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) March 31, 2017
Among those who helped secure the funds were the Chicago Bulls (who matched Chance’s $1 million), Kanye West’s manager Scooter Braun and comedian Hannibal Buress. In light of President Trump’s proposed massive budget cuts for the arts, humanities and public media, Lil Chano also unveiled the New Chance Arts and Literature Fund, which he said “will bring arts programs and materials to schools.”
Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, Chance promised to “begin investing dollars and material resources into Chicago Public Schools,” and also said it would be in collaboration with the Children’s First Fund and in partnership with the Chicago-based arts education advocacy organization, Ingenuity. Despite his failed meeting with Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, which Chance deemed “unsuccessful,” it looks like the young activist is taking matters into his own hands and truly doing an incredible service for his community. Watch the press conference above.
Miami, FL – Internet sensation XXXTENTACION has been released from jail and let his fans know of his freedom by holding a Q&A on Periscope today (March 29).
The Florida rapper reveals in the 12-minute clip that he’s working on three solo projects, 17, I Need Jesus and Revenge. Empire had previously announced that his debut project, Bad Vibes, will be distributed through them.
He also reveals that he’s been free for three days, but decided now to make the news public after initially denying rumors of his release. He is on probation as his case is still open.
HI https://t.co/M55P4hSg8v
— MAKE OUT HILL – XXX (@xxxtentacion) March 29, 2017
XXXTENTACION then hopped on Miami’s 103.5 The Beat to talk about getting out of jail and Drake, who he claims jacked his “Look At Me!” flow for More Life cut “KMT.”
“He’s not a man. I think he’s a bitch, that’s a bitch move,” he says. “Especially when I was in jail facing life. If Drake woulda came to my bond hearing, that would made my day [bleeped] day. If he woulda showed that he’s a hospitable person and that he’s really in this [bleeped] for the culture, rather than being a [bleeped] and taking my [bleeped], running off with it and then putting it on his album, then he woulda got my kudos. He woulda got my respect.”
X thoughts on drake ๐ฌ๐ฌ@xxxtentacion @Drake pic.twitter.com/LfcU8igqCj
— dzyre (@gnawcat) March 30, 2017
The rapper was in jail awaiting trial on felony charges including battery and false imprisonment after he allegedly beat up his pregnant girlfriend.
Atlanta, GA – Coming off a year that saw both Kanye West and Kid Cudi publicly battle mental health issues, music industry vet Shanti Das has taken it upon herself to launch an initiative to impact the global market as far as Hip __hop is concerned.
In 2016, the former LaFace Records A&R — who helped jumpstart the careers of the likes of Outkast and Usher — started the #SilenceTheShame movement to give some of the world’s most fragile individuals a platform to empower themselves. Now this coming May, an entire weekend will be dedicated to the cause.
Starting on Friday, May 5, a global awareness campaign billed as Silence The Shame Day will kick off across the social media handles of various celebrities, faith and civic leaders, key influencers and the community at large. Look for national press outlets (ahem!) and other digital media platforms to get involved as well.
On Saturday, May 6, Atlanta will be host to a Silence The Shame Community Health Fair/Symposium at Jean Childs Young Middle School from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will consist of two one-hour panel discussions with mental health care professionals from the likes of Grady Healthcare and Ebenezer Baptist Church among others, faith and community leaders to educate/create awareness around mental health and treatment to aid in the removal of stigma and shame. Service providers will also be on hand to answer questions and provide information about depression/anxiety, PTSD, postpartum, suicide prevention and other mental health disorders.
Lastly on Sunday, May 7, Silence The Shame Day will hold court at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church (famously known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s former church and America’s freedom church). Other churches are also being encouraged to talk about mental health to their respective congregations on the same day.
Das’ ultimate goal with #SilenceTheShame is to generate national conversation around a topic that has historically been tiptoed around, for she’s living proof it can be conquered.
“I think the more people share the more others will be open to discussing. I know from experience. I’m living it,” she tells HipHopDX.
In her literary works, most notably The Hip-Hop Professional 2.0, she goes into detail how her father’s suicide sent her down a spiral of depression and the measures she took to climb her way out of darkness. With 25 years deep in the game, Das currently operates her Atlanta-based firm Press Reset Entertainment and works closely with Jeezy and his CTE imprint.
In preparation for the upcoming May festivities, social media users can get a headstart on joining the movement by following @silencetheshame on Instagram and Facebook. You can also find Usher already there on Twitter.
I'm so proud of my friend @ShantiDas404 for addressing the stigmas associated with mental health in her new initiative #SilenceTheShame.
Birdman and his shoewear line collaboration with Lugz has lasted for quite a while, but his latest release isn’t gaining any traction with consumers. After teasing the new boot designs earlier this month, fans have taken to blasting the Cash Money boss over his most recent look into the new release.
On March 9, Birdman posted an image of the new all-Black boots with the caption “Exclusive” along with the posting. On Sunday, (March 26), another posting of a tan version of the boots, which has racked up over a thousand comments since it was published, was replete with jabs at the design.
“Are you serious @birdman5star your favorite rapper/artist wouldn’t even wear these rejects lmfao congratulations you played yourself. Fucking hilarious,” said one comment. Another simply stated, “These gon be at the shelf at Sears.”
Even on Twitter, the boots are catching negative attention.
“WE NOT FINNA WEAR NO FUCKIN LUGZ,” tweeted @HitDaBoogiez. Another user replied to The Kid Mero’s tweet about Birdman’s deal adding, “[A]ctually lugz dropped birdman I’m in the footwear industry and met with lugz and jokingly asked when the birdman 11 was droppin,” which insinuated that Birdman is no longer with the company.
Birdman hasn’t responded to the chatter and a quick peek at Lugz’s website doesn’t indicate that the partnership has been voided. You can check out the boots in the photos below and some of the comments via Twitter.
Exclusive
A post shared by Birdman5star (@birdman5star) on
Exclusive
A post shared by Birdman5star (@birdman5star) on
๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ฃWE NOT FINNA WEAR NO FUCKIN LUGZ @BIRDMAN5STAR pic.twitter.com/MXaBV1B0ND
— garrฮนัon ัะฝฮนrัั (@HitDaBoogiez) March 27, 2017
@THEKIDMERO actually lugz dropped birdman I'm in the footwear industry and met with lugz and jokingly asked when the birdman 11 was droppin
— OG Headband (@OGsourHeadband) March 27, 2017
How Birdman gon drop Lugz Timbs before he drop The Carter 5?? I see why Wayne is livid pic.twitter.com/KqjB6EU8kX
— Comeaux (@Listen2Tony) March 27, 2017
We def shoulda knew birdman was a shady nigga when he brought "Lugz" to the streets
— Marcus Graham (@Chipp_Skylark) March 17, 2017
No way ppl outside of the State of Louisiana bought Birdman Lugz
— G … (@MrGGlenn) March 17, 2017
I'll smack these over Birdman head RT @KarenCivil: Lugz Back pic.twitter.com/VRW9EFwQne
Kendrick Lamar shook up the Hip __hop world with his latest track “The Heart Part 4” coming as a welcome surprise as the first quarter nears a close next month. Teasing what appeared to be a release date for his upcoming fourth studio album in the song, rumors about the new project increased significantly after the publishing of an alleged tracklist online.
An anonymous Pastebin user posted what looked to be an official document showing a detailed tracklisting for the album. The potential album lists a bevy of features and collaborators, which include the likes of Kanye West, Anna Wise, Alchemist, DJ Dahi, longtime collaborator Sounwave and several others.
The line that piqued the interest of Lamar fans was as follows: “You know what time it is, ante up, this is in forever/Y’all got ’til April the 7th to get y’all shit together.”
A quick scan of Top Dawg and Punch of TDE’s Twitter timelines doesn’t reveal any clues about the potential April 7 release of an album but it wouldn’t be the first surprise release from the West Coast label as last year’s untitled unmastered. was released without the usual media blitz.
And of course, people are still wondering if KDot took shots at Drake or Big Sean on “The Heart Part 4.”
The rumored Kendrick Lamar tracklist appears in full below.
Nestled between the president of Lithuania and Chinese journalist Hu Shuli on Fortune’s World’s Greatest Leaders list is Chicago wordsmith Chance The Rapper.
The musician/activist is listed at #46 thanks to his success as an independent artist and his role as an “anti-violence campaigner.”
“Chance is also a political force as an anti-violence campaigner in his hometown of Chicago, and he may only be getting started. His latest salvo: A $1 million donation to Chicago Public Schools, after he called Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to task for what Chance called Rauner’s neglect of educational funding. The cash will go towards arts and after-school programming —and even set off a chain reaction, with Seattle Seahawk Michael Bennett inspired to donate his endorsement money to worthy causes,” Chance’s entry on the list reads.
In addition to releasing his highly-praised Coloring Book mixtape last year, the Windy City musician has fully represented for the youth of America. Most notably, in November of last year, he led thousands of young voters to the polls for the November 8 presidential election.
The rapper has also helped in raising funds for a number of local causes.
In January of last year, he helped raise over $100,000 for the Warmest Winter campaign. Similarly, in 2015, he assisted in donating $100,000 to Chicago public schools as part of his involvement in the city’s Get Schooled, Get Connected Challenge.
Chance has made such a political and social impact that many are calling for him to run for president in 2020 despite the rapper being quite a few years off from the minimum age of 35.
@chancetherapper for pres 2020!๐๐๐๐ done more for Education in 2017 than the current administration has ever done https://t.co/ST303UFB8k
— MFCollins (@HolidayCollins) March 9, 2017
@MichelleObama @chancetherapper give him a recommendation for the 2020 election
— ☀️️Krystal Reed ☀️️ (@KrystalShanel) March 8, 2017
Chance The Rapper for president 2020. Or now is completely fine too
— Alex Isley (@LoveAlexIsley) March 7, 2017
Other entertainers joining Chance on the noble list include Ava DuVernay (#6), LeBron James (#11), and Shakira (#27).
Theo Epstein, President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs, clenched the top spot on Fortune’s World’s Greatest Leaders list.
The DX Digest for Wednesday (March 22) finds a curious mashup of Drake’s “KMT” and XXXTENTACION’s “Look At Me” topping the list while a nearly 11-minute interview with Dave Chappelle on Jimmy Kimmel Live! comes in on its heels. Mike WiLL Made-It continues to kill it with another collaborative single, “Razzle Dazzle,” featuring Future, and Lecrae and Ty Dolla $ign return with visuals for “Blessings.” Music from Consequence, Papoose and Peedi Crakk, King Magnetic, Slug and Masta Ace, Wiki, Zoey Dollaz, CyHi The Prynce, and an interview with GoldLink round out the Top 10. Kick back and listen up.
Drake & XXXtentacion – “look at me” & “KMT” (MASHup)”
Some clever person known on SoundCloud as “brad.” decided to mashup XXXTENTACION’s “Look At Me” instrumental with Drake and Giggs’ vocals from “KMT,” which comes from the Toronto superstar’s new playlist, More Life. XXXTENTACION’s beat is right on time with Dreezy’s delivery and there have been accusations that Drake stole the flow from the Florida rapper, including XXXTENTACION himself. Although he initially brushed it off, he eventually took to Twitter and addressed the issue by writing, “I’m not gonna twitter rap with niggas for stealing my flow, I slap niggas don’t come to Florida. It’s funny how the industry let this pussy Nigga sit at the top for so long, all y’all suck kill yourselves, Meh dun chat.” Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t take away from the fact the mashup is pretty dope. Listen above.
dave chappelle – “jimmy kimmel live (Interview)”
Netflix finally delivered the two (very) long-awaited Dave Chappelle comedy specials the network promised and it appears the beloved comedian is truly “back” after his self-imposed 13-year hiatus. During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he talked about his reasons for doing the specials (“money”), hiding out in Ohio and lessons he’s learned along the way.
MIKE WILL MADE-IT F. future – “razzle dazzle”
Pieces of the puzzle to Ransom 2 have been coming out non-stop since producer Mike WiLL Made-It re-announced the project. After sharing “Come Down” featuring Rae Sremmurd and Chief Keef, he’s now back with a high-profile collaboration with Future titled “Razzle Dazzle.”
lecrae f. Ty dolla $ign – “blessings”
Lecrae has returned with a video for his Ty Dolla $ign-assisted single, “Blessings,” which features Mike WiLL Made-It on the beat. Throughout the four-minute song, the pair details what life used to be like and how many things they have to be grateful for today. HipHopDX was on set during the making of the video and got an inside look at what went into the creation of the feel-good visual.
consequence f. Papoose & Peedi Crakk – “say my name”
When Consequence isn’t working on material or performing with A Tribe Called Quest, he’s focused on his solo output. His latest is in the form of “Say My Name” featuring Papoose and Peedi Crakk, which thankfully has little to do with Destiny’s Child.
king magnetic f. masta ace, slug & Dj Eclipse – “alone”
Army of the Pharaohs MC King Magnetic has resurfaced with another Khrysis-produced single, “Alone,” featuring Masta Ace, Slug of Atmosphere and DJ Eclipse on the 1s and 2s. The Pennsylvania rapper is preparing to launch his upcoming project, EH4AR (Everything Happens 4 A Reason), on March 31 and has already shared “Cash 4 Catastrophe” and “I’ll Show You,” which features Wu-Tang’s Cappadonna.
wiki – “icarus”
Rocking his stained sweatpant swag, New York City rapper Wiki has rolled out of bed apparently to shoot a new video for “Icarus.” Self-directed, the visual is filmed in Central Park, and involves plenty of 40 ounces and a curious cane. Wiki recently dropped the What Happened To Fire? EP with Your Old Droog.
zoey dollaz f. Sam Sneak – “blame me”
After tirelessly pumping out single after single, Zoey Dollaz is back with “Blame Me” featuring Sam Sneak, a track that leaked during SXSW. Produced by Smash David, the song borrows heavily from Shaggy’s 2000 hit “Wasn’t Me.”
cyhi the prynce – “legend”
CyHi The Prynce has been keeping busy with a recent appearance on Sway’s 5 Fingers Of Death freestyle segment and now another video for “Legend.” The track comes from his forthcoming album, No Dope On Sundays, and now gets the visual treatment from director R. Malcolm Jones.
goldlink – “meditation (Interview)”
GoldLink sat down with Genius to talk about the meaning behind his Kaytranada-produced song “Meditation” and explained that it stemmed from a visit to the DMV. In the lyrics, he talks about the “stupid bad” woman from the DMV and said to Genius, “She sounded like a hood jawn but she go to college. She was so tight.” GoldLink’s new album, At What Cost, is expected on Friday (March 24).
Houston, TX – Paul Wall and Baby Bash have been cleared of drug charges after facing a possible life sentence. According to the Houston Chronicle, a grand jury let the two rappers free today (March 21), deciding there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute them after they were arrested during a police raid in December.
“I’m ready to __hop on the next flight to Denver right now,” Paul Wall said after hearing the decision. “I go places where it’s legal, and it’s legal in 25 states – so I do smoke where it’s legal.”
The charges involved possession of THC with intent to sell, which is a felony in Texas. Baby Bash had previously admitted that the arrest was a learning lesson to be more careful and more aware of where to use marijuana.
Wall echoed those sentiments in court and encouraged people to stand with those facing the same battle he was.
“I was facing life in jail for something so minor, and there’s people who are going through the same thing, fighting these same battles day in and day out,” he said. “Don’t be so quick to turn your back on people who are fighting things. You need to be there for them.”
The two H-Town rappers were arrested with a group of people at a smokeout. Five others were indicted on charges stemming from the party.
Paul Wall and Baby Bash were also arrested in 2011 in El Paso for marijuana possession.
A West Virginia teen has created an artificial intelligence bot capable of crafting rhymes using Kanye West lyrics as its data-fueled inspiration. Robbie Barrat, 17, said that a challenge issued by members of his high school programming club led to the creation of the bot, which he says is capable of writing its own raps.
Barrat, who lives on a farm in the state, told Quartz in an interview that the programming club got into a heated discussion about whether or not AI could outperform humans. In just a week, Barrat coded a program to prove his point that AI has possible capabilities to think like a person.
The self-taught Barrat used an open-source coding program PyBrain and is familiarizing himself with Google’s TensorFlow program. Filling the backdrop of these so-called “neural networks,” Barrat’s programming enabled the bot to rearrange 6,500 existing Yeezy lyrics at first but a tweak allowed for the AI to make its own rhyme schemes.
Here’s a verse from Sunday that Barrat posted on YouTube.
And here are the lyrics to the first verse of the track. We’ll let you decide if they outdo West’s.
Bust a playa with the kids I never had All his time, all he had, all he had, all he had Most you rappers don’t even stop to get the most press kit Playas is jealous cause we got the whole city lit But without it I’d be worried if they playing that bullshit You wanna complain about the nights even wilder I swear to God I hope you have got to hear I’ll touch every curve of your favorite author No more wasting time, you can’t roam without Caesar Back when Gucci was the best summer ever Before Cam got the hundred with the peer pressure She walking around looking like Herve Leger So next time I’m in between but way more fresher And they say you never know, never never NEVER
“We’ve got to figure out the way to make more transparent machine learning models,” Barrat told Quartz. “If we’re able to make progress into seeing into the thought process of a neural network, I think it’s going to teach us a lot about Go, or language, or the structures that we aren’t able to pick up on yet.”
Amazingly, Barrat isn’t interested in entering the tech world as his primary focus is pure math. He told the publication that using math, science and the arts in this innovative way is simply a hobby he does after he gets out of school.
Wentzville, Mo – Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Chuck Berry was found dead at his residence 45 miles outside of St. Louis Saturday (March 18), St. Charles County Police confirmed. He was 90.
Police say they responded to a medical emergency call at his home around 12:40 p.m. CST and found Berry unresponsive.
“Unfortunately, the 90-year-old man could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at 1:26 p.m,” SCCPD announced on their Facebook page. “The St. Charles County Police Department sadly confirms the death of Charles Edward Anderson Berry Sr., better known as legendary musician Chuck Berry.”
The highly regarded Rock pioneer, famously known for his cutting-edge guitar licks on hit numbers such as “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Johnny B. Goode,” set the stage for the then-controversial genre. With the help of Muddy Waters after traveling to Chicago, he signed to Chess Records in 1955 and released a plethora of popular Rock tunes.
His life was played out by Mos Def in the 2008 biopic Cadillac Records.
Berry’s 1958 smash hit “Johnny B. Goode” was included on NASA’s 1977 time capsule in the form of a 12-inch gilded disk with 90 minutes of music and images on their Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts. The song on the Voyager Golden Record sits among the likes of Bach and Beethoven to symbolize life on Earth.
His inescapable influence, with big boy talk of cars, girls and young love, was controversial yet infectious. As a true musician who had a prodigious mastery of the guitar, he was also gifted in his songwriting. In 1986 he would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by The Rolling Stone’s lead guitarist Keith Richards.
Without Chuck Berry, there would be no Elvis Presley, who was very impressed with the Rock frontiersman’s songwriting abilities, so much so that The King recorded his own versions of “Memphis, Tennessee,” “Promised Land” and of course “Johnny B. Goode.” Presley’s appropriated work would chart further than Berry, which is why even today’s prevalent issue of Black Americans not being appropriately compensated or credited for their creative works in all forms is still a hot button issue and hails the importance of the Black musician.
Nevertheless, Berry will be remembered as an innovative musician who fused Country, Rock and R&B together, birthing the careers of Elvis, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Nirvana, and any other artist who may find themselves enveloped in the Rockstar lifestyle and attitude originated by him.
That one-legged __hop with a guitar, which many have witnessed Rock entertainers all over the world replicate, didn’t spring from just anywhere. The duckwalk began with the lively Mr. Chuck Berry.
According to his official website, Chuck had plans on releasing his first album in nearly 40 years, Chuck.
Fellow Rock musicians and music lovers paid homage to the late Chuck Berry for his musical contributions and shared heartfelt messages on social media celebrating his life.
Thou Shall Have No Other Rock Gods Before Him #ChuckBerry rip
A post shared by Questlove Gomez (@questlove) on
RIP King Of Rock And Roll Mr Chuck Berry. On Behalf of @PublicEnemyFTP and @prophetsofrage it was fitting for me to salute with this Art pic.twitter.com/pTJpAfO9Qa
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 19, 2017
RIP CHUCK BERRY
— Vince Staples (@vincestaples) March 18, 2017
"One of my big lights has gone out.” – Keith, 3/18/17 pic.twitter.com/I86dHlvN5W
— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) March 19, 2017
I am so sad to hear of Chuck Berry's passing. I want to thank him for all the inspirational music he gave to us. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/9zQbH5bo9V
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) March 18, 2017
Chuck Berry was rock's greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock 'n' roll writer who ever lived.
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) March 18, 2017
My profound respect and admiration to one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, who sadly passed today — the late, great CHUCK BERRY
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 18, 2017
Rest in peace. Chuck Berry. Thank you for showing us all how to do it. We'll never forget you. You ROCKED IT Dude!
— Joe Walsh (@JoeWalsh) March 19, 2017
The great #ChuckBerry is gone. A true musical pioneer, and what a life he led. Goodbye and thank you for the rocking good times.
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) March 19, 2017
RIP Chuck Berry. The 1st song that @thebeatles performed at their 1st US concert was "Roll Over Beethoven." Watch: https://t.co/rFyPCranEw pic.twitter.com/8JSgALNjDY
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) March 19, 2017
The Rolling Stones are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Chuck Berry. He was a true pioneer of rock'n'roll & a massive influence. pic.twitter.com/RT4NZH3KeQ
— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) March 18, 2017
"He could play the guitar just like ringing a bell." We will miss you, Chuck Berry.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 19, 2017
Soulful, unique musician, who brought joy to millions. Maybellene is weeping. Johnny is still being Goode. RIP #ChuckBerry pic.twitter.com/dWBVTGXmtX
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) March 19, 2017
It started with Chuck Berry. He inspired us all. The 1st album I bought was Chuck's "Live at the Tivoli" and I was never the same.
— Rod Stewart (@rodstewart) March 18, 2017
RIP to the real King of Rock N' Roll #ChuckBerry pic.twitter.com/wFEerRPHq5
— downtowns sweetheart (@vashtie) March 18, 2017
If you've heard ANY rock guitar riff, say Thank You Chuck Berry! pic.twitter.com/V00Ehq9hwG
— John Bick (@JohnBick4) March 19, 2017
When I was 10 years old and I dreamed every night of moving to America, Chuck Berry played the soundtrack. He rocked the world. RIP.
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 18, 2017
Hail Hail Chuck Berry!!! None of us would have been here without you. Rock on brother!
New York, NY – Early Thursday (March 16) morning, MTV ran a story that claimed a mysterious box had arrived at the network’s New York office on Wednesday (March 15) that contained a package with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab logo, a VHS tape labeled “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” white credit card with Kanye West’s name, the number 772233688, and the words NASA, PROJECT-10, and 8/10, as well as a tiny plastic case with what appears to be a pebble, also labeled PROJECT: 10.
Weird, right?
After thoroughly investigating its contents, the MTV staff concluded perhaps Yeezy was dropping a surprise NASA-themed project on Monday (March 20), however, after contacting Def Jam, a spokesperson quickly shut down those rumors and MTV has since deleted the article.
“That sounds really weird and suspiciously like a hoax,” a Def Jam spokesperson wrote to MTV. In a later email, the same rep clarified it was indeed a hoax and has nothing to do with West’s team.
Although at this point it appears to be nothing more than a well-plotted prank, if West did release a new project next week, coincidentally it would be his 10th studio album, which would line up with the “PROJECT-10” piece of the puzzle.
He is reportedly working on the follow-up to The Life of Pablo in the form of a project called Turbo Grafx 16. What initially appeared to be just another of Yeezy’s whims gained some traction when Pete Rock seemingly shared a tracklist for the album.
Chicago, IL – Chance The Rapper’s gift of $1 million to Chicago Public Schools has been received with much gratitude, as expressed in an open letter published on Billboard.
Three Hispanic 10th graders from Lake View High School —Alex Rojas, Alondra Cerros, and Annelisse Betancourt — combined their voices to thank the Grammy Award-winner for his generous donation, which was announced last week at Westcott Elementary School. Chano shared the gift after what he said was an “unsuccessful” meeting with state governor Bruce Rauner. The students explain that the 23-year-old’s contribution is about more than money.
“[W]e as Chicago Public School students would like to thank you for the supportive donation to our schools,” the letter says. “As we all know, CPS has been struggling financially, and your donation has really given us a push to get to where we need to be and possibly motivate others to give back to the community as well. This is only one of the many things that you have done to improve our Chicago.”
The students applaud Chance for being “one of the few that really give back” to the Windy City and cites a campaign from 2014 where he and his brother, Taylor Bennett, along with many community outreach programs helped Chicago go 42 hours without a reported shooting.
“You’re more than just an artist to us, you are a way of life,” the students continue. “You make music that we can relate to on many levels, because you know what living in Chicago is like, and you want to make changes in the city. We may not be from the same side but we come from the same city. We just want to thank you for not forgetting where you came from and helping the city of Chicago in more ways than just being an inspirational rapper. You’re using your fame for good and not just to look good. You gave $1 million dollars of your personal money to Chicago schools and that’s something no one has done for us.”
Chance thanked the students on Twitter, promising that the “word has only just started” after releasing his critically-acclaimed Coloring Book mixtape, which was named Album of the Year and gave Chance the MC of the Year title in HipHopDX’s Year End Awards.
I appreciate you guys, and you'll be happy to know the work has only just started. Huge things to come over the next 2weeks. https://t.co/tplZMMW9DS
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) March 15, 2017
The donation was initially met with praise from Michelle Obama and many in the Hip __hop community. But Chance received criticism from the Chicago Sun-Times, who questioned if he could be celebrated with allegations that he has problems with his girlfriend over the care of their daughter. Chance brushed off the story and shared pictures with his family to ensure his fans that everything was fine.
Read the entire letter from Chicago Public School students to Chance The Rapper here.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – If you’ve been paying attention to Will Smith’s one and only verified social media account, then you’ll know the superstar actor has been far away from home having the time of his life.
At 48-years-young, Smith has been rocking the salt and pepper look as of late and during a recent bungee jumping excursion off Victoria Falls across the Zambezi River, an action screenshot of the stunt circulated on Reddit.
And according to the bulk of Fresh Prince fans worldwide, Smith is a spitting image of his late co-star, James Avery a.k.a. Uncle Phil.
Holy shit Will Smith is becoming Uncle Phil pic.twitter.com/rBYMzMXUHA
— pauly casillas (@PaulyPeligroso) March 12, 2017
Will Smith is turning into Uncle Phil ๐๐ pic.twitter.com/s0yszfyGjb
— UNILAD (@UNILAD) March 14, 2017
Will Smith took a selfie while bungie jumping and he looks like Uncle Phil pic.twitter.com/YPWMtsSAOz
— Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) March 14, 2017
Avery died just hours shy of 2014 on December 31, 2013 at age 68 from complications following open heart surgery. The NBC award-winning series ran from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996.
As for the adrenaline rush, Smith appeared to cross a notch off the bucket list in epic fashion.
“Oh, that was fantastic,” he exclaimed following the jump.
Chicago, IL – Minister Louis Farrakhan, the longtime leader of the Nation of Islam, continued his connection to Hip __hop during a sermon in Chicago at the NOI’s Mosque Maryam, where he heaped praise on local hero Chance The Rapper and battle rap star Loaded Lux.
The sermon was part of the annual Saviours’ Day celebration on Feb. 26, which honors the birth of the NOI’s founder, Master Wallace Fard Muhammad. Over the course of the four-hour ceremony, Farrakhan covers plenty of ground including critiques of the American government and crime in urban environments.
The NOI’s Facebook page posted a portion of the address where Farrakhan spoke on Chance The Rapper’s Grammy Awards wins and also gave a little light to Loaded Lux. Before speaking of Chance and Lux, Farrakhan asked rappers in attendance to make their presence known ahead of launching into his praise.
“Chance? He a bad lil’ fella,” said Farrakhan to the crowd about Chance’s Grammy wins last month. “He won because he had a rap more significant, more acceptable, more revered by those who judge. So when you see Mr. Chance come back home, you might be a little arrogant, you don’t wanna give him his props.”
Farrakhan continued with, “See when you a rapper and somebody can spit it, somebody can take you to the mat in what they call freestyle, like what’s my man’s name? Loaded Lux!”
Lux and Farrakhan crossed paths in 2015. Lux shared a picture of their meeting with the caption “What a moment!”
What a moment! @louisfarrakhan #Yougongetthiswork #Beloved2
A post shared by FULLY LOADED (@iamloadedlux) on
The full Saviours’ Day address can be viewed here.
HipHopDX – This week in Hip Hop, Nicki Minaj finally responds to Remy Ma’s diss song “SHETHER” with “No Frauds” featuring Young Money cohorts Drake and Lil Wayne. Also, Drake continues to promise that More Life is on the way and lastly, Hip Hop remembers The Notorious B.I.G.’s legacy.
Remy Ma Waves The White Flag In Nicki Minaj Beef But Nicki Drops A “Diss Song” Anyway
Remy Ma’s Nicki Minaj diss song “SHETHER” got snatched off the internet (and not because of Nas), then she went on an apology tour rescinding the track, declaring that she’d rather come together in the name of women empowerment.
Nicki didn’t care about any of that and released three songs: “No Frauds” featuring Lil Wayne and Drake, “Regret In Your Tears” and “Changed It” which also features Weezy. “No Frauds” was the obvious song aimed at Remy while “Changed It” included a few subtle jabs that the Queens rap star highlighted with a lyric video via Twitter.
Most reactions to “No Frauds” said it is hardly a diss song and is merely a money play by creating a song that could easily be played on radio, unlike Remy’s “SHETHER” since it lifted Nas’ “Ether” beat and was never cleared.
So, while Nicki can run up a check with all three songs, Rem has been handicapped from accomplishing the same feat and has been generously given 72 hours to create a hit song by the self-professed Queen of Rap. This all despite the multi-Platinum selling rapper taking forever and day to respond to Remy’s decimating diss track.
It’s safe to say Safaree had nothing to do with “No Frauds.” He disappointedly called her out for the way the songs were structured on Twitter.
Stop letting these producers come and give u structured songs that dont sound like you then you add a 12bar rap to it #nevausetoworklikethat
— @IAMSAFAREE (@IAMSAFAREE) March 10, 2017
Read more here.
“More Life” Is Coming, So Drake Says
Drake was allegedly dropping More Life this weekend after it being delayed over and over again. The playlist’s rumored tracklist was revealed recently but the songs are somewhere being held hostage on 40’s hard drive until March 18…allegedly.
Over it.
Read more here.
We’ll Always Love Big Poppa
March 9 marked 20 years since The Notorious B.I.G. was murdered in Los Angeles at 24 years old. To remember his treasured legacy, Diddy, Faith Evans, Lil Cease and Nas, among others paid tribute to the highly regarded Hip Hop luminary. The HipHopDX staff also curated a piece to accent how Biggie’s music transformed their lives.
The rapper born Christopher Wallace was killed in a drive-by shooting on LA’s Wilshire and South Fairfax Avenue intersection and the murderer has yet to be publicly identified.
Big’s mom, Voletta Wallace, spoke about her son’s death and revealed she knows who killed her son that fateful night and believes the Los Angeles Police Department knows as well. The case remains unsolved.
“I have a very good idea who murdered Christopher and I genuinely believe that the LAPD know exactly who did too,” she said. “They’ve done their investigation, but they just refuse to move forward. I don’t know why they haven’t arrested who was involved. It seems to me that it’s one giant conspiracy, and someone is definitely being protected somewhere down the line.”
Nevertheless, his honor has been celebrated not just within Hip Hop. Brooklyn’s Met Food Supermarket celebrated his life with grocery bags and New York Democratic Representative Hakeem Jeffries gave a speech to show his appreciation.
Read more here.
DXclusives: Young Dolph, Ugly God & Blockhead
Young Dolph spoke with Features Editor Ural Garrett at a late-night afterparty in the Hollywood Hills this week and when asked about his nasty public feud with Yo Gotti, he dismissed it as old.
“That’s old news,” he told Garrett. “It’s old. I just got time to play with it. I didn’t have time to play with it first. I found a little time to play with it.”
The Memphis rapper’s life was supposedly threatened in Charlotte on February 25 over CIAA weekend with 100 bullet shots to a van he was reportedly occupying. It’s a subject he’s unable to talk about at the moment. Thanks to the van’s bullet proof encasing, he survived and now he’s releasing a new album titled Bulletproof.
Editor-At-Large Shirley Ju caught up with Houston’s Ugly God this past weekend and they chopped it up about the controversial “mumble rap” topic. He calls the word “disrespectful.”
“I like using Lil Yachty as an example, that’s a homie of mine,” he says. “They’ll talk so much stuff about his music, and then he’ll drop more music. And they’ll talk shit about that. What doesn’t make sense to me, if you feel like he’s trash, why the fuck would you listen to something else he dropped? If you hate it, you wouldn’t even pay any mind or even pay attention to him.”
Producer Blockhead spoke with Media Manager Kyle Eustice and revealed the title of his forthcoming album as Funeral Balloons and explains why he’s not a horrible person.
“I think people have a misconception about me as a human being,” he says. “I’m not a serious person. I don’t really give a shit about much, so when I write, it was just me blathering in a funny fashion. [In the blog,] I would take ridiculous, harsh stances on trivial things and try and make them funny. Some people would read that and think I was passionate about these pointless things and feel some sorta way about it. Next thing you know, I’m arguing with strangers on the internet.”
March 9 marks the anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.’s Los Angeles murder. It has now been 20 years since he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting. His death, however, is shrouded in mystery as no one has been charged with the homicide. There’s a sense Biggie (real name Christopher Wallace) knew he was in danger. On March 5, 1997, four days before his murder, he said he had hired security guards because he feared for his safety during an interview with KYLD’s The Dog House in San Francisco. It turned out his intuition was right on.
While stopped at a red light at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and South Fairfax Avenue, a dark Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up alongside Wallace’s SUV. The driver rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the GMC Suburban. Four bullets hit Wallace and he was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead 30 minutes later. He was 24 years old.
The phenomenal catalog of music he left behind immortalized him in Hip __hop culture forever. Several members of the Hip Hop community took to Twitter and Instagram to express their love and respect for the fallen Brooklyn MC, including widow Faith Evans, Questlove, Common, Nas, Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony manager Steve Lobel (who organized “Notorious Thugs” from Life After Death), Danny Brown, DJ Cease (who was Big’s DJ and in the car at the time of the murder), and of course, P. Diddy. Check out the posts below.
The Greatest 20 Years Later! ๐Love You BIG!! Miss You Bro… #RipBig ๐๐พ
A post shared by Lil Cease (@lilcease) on
#wemissyouBIG #BIG20
A post shared by DIDDY (@diddy) on
One of the BEST to ever touch the mic! 20 years later, may God continue to bless the soul of the only Christopher we acknowledge. Mr. Wallace aka Biggie Smalls aka Biggie aka Big Poppa aka Frank White aka Notorious BIG!
A post shared by Common (@common) on
Notorious Day. March 9th. Brooklyn! We did it!
A post shared by Talib Kweli (@talibkweli) on
20 YEARS…LOVE YOU BIG…
A post shared by @djpremier on
"i learned of his tragic death from @angiemartinez on hot97 upon arrival from LA after winning 4 soul train awards.. i haven't seen those awards as they are sadly connected to a great joy followed by an incredible sadness. your influence lives on and brooklyn will never forget" #brooklyn #gemini #badboy #biggiesmalls #notoriousbig #20yearanniversary #restinpeace
A post shared by Maxwell (@maxwell) on
Greatest rapper of All time died on March 9th .. God bless his soul R.I.P. B.I.G. .. because of him now at least I know what beef is
— Danny Brown (@xdannyxbrownx) March 9, 2017
R.I.P. to the Notorious B.I.G. – You are missed!! pic.twitter.com/MVdU8cVQCq
— Cypress Hill ™ (@cypresshill) March 9, 2017
My MONTHLY party #BowlTrain rolls on the track tonight at @BrooklynBowl paying tribute to one of the illest: 20 years ago today we lost one of the best ever: #NotoriousBIG tonight I spin the music of #BIG #BadBoyRecords & the production of #Diddy & #TheHitmen making music for 25 years. Come On Down! #RipBiggie #WeMissYouBig
A post shared by Questlove Gomez (@questlove) on
the ONE.
A post shared by The Boss Rick Ross,Yung Renzel (@richforever) on
RIP…u are missed badly..this game is a big ?…#biggie
A post shared by erick sermon (@erick_sermon) on
Where’s the Biggie party in NY tonight ? Might need to hit a 2 step to Juicy right quick
— Joe Budden (@JoeBudden) March 9, 2017
#Repost @bryanmichaelcox with @repostapp ・・・ B. I. G. P. O. P. P. A.
A post shared by Faith Evans (@therealfaithevans) on
20 years ago 3/9/97 we lost one of the best #ripbiggie To many real ones to name #uwasentthere comment if u no anybody in this pic from 1996 #weworking #bonethugs #diddy #steviej #notoriousthugs #biggiesmalls #badboy ๐๐ค๐
New York, NY – Manhattan native Tony Simon, better known by his stage moniker Blockhead, literally thinks his head is shaped like block, hence his name. It was also the first name he rapped under. However, those days are gone. The longtime producer/DJ has been churning out brilliant instrumental albums since 2004’s Music By Cavelight, but is also the mastermind behind several of Aesop Rock’s productions, including material from 2001’s Labor Days, 2003’s Bazooka Tooth and 2007’s None Shall Pass. Their last collaborative track was 2015’s “Cat Food,” another example of their undeniable musical compatibility.
Since Music By Cavelight, Uncle Tony has released five additional solo albums, culminating with 2014’s Bells & Whistles. As he puts the finishing touches on lucky number seven, he’s finally revealed the title — Funeral Balloons — exclusively to HipHopDXalthough, there’s no official release date.
“It’s gonna be a while because of scheduling with the label, Backwoodz Entertainment,” Simon says in an interview. “I’m looking at a late summer or early fall release.”
Until then, fans will be happy to know Detroit’s Heavy Soul Records is reissuing 2007’s Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book on vinyl for Record Store Day (April 22), an album peppered with hilariously titled songs like “Cheer Up You’re Not Dead Yet” and “Grape Nuts and Chalk Sauce,” a look into who he is as a person. However, not everyone gets Blockhead’s sense of humor. For years, he ran the Phat Friend blog, which gave him a chance to be as ridiculously sarcastic and offensive as he wanted to be. In fact, one song on Funeral Balloons, “Gobsmacked,” is inspired by an online argument he got into after one of his infamous posts.
“I think people have a misconception about me as a human being,” he says. “I’m not a serious person. I don’t really give a shit about much, so when I write, it was just me blathering in a funny fashion. [In the blog,] I would take ridiculous, harsh stances on trivial things and try and make them funny. Some people would read that and think I was passionate about these pointless things and feel some sorta way about it. Next thing you know, I’m arguing with strangers on the internet.
“The most ridiculous misunderstanding, and there have been many, was one time I tweeted a joke about Razor scooters and some dude lost it on me,” he continues. “Like he was raised by Razor scooters and I had disrespected his family. It was so weird. Another time, some girl tweeted that I was a disgusting and terrible person with no other context. I retweeted it and added some smarmy response. She responded and it turned out she read one of my ‘Fuck/marry/kill’ articles and took it way too seriously, even though I’d always specifically warn people how unserious that particular article always was. At some point she told me she was ‘gobsmacked’ by my terribleness and I told her I was gonna name a song that on my next album. I kept my promise.”
Atlanta, GA – Young Thug is back in trouble after he allegedly slapped a woman who got in an argument with his fiancée.
Police are searching for Thugger to question him about the incident, TMZ reports.
Valerie Raven, aka Akbar V, filed a battery report after alleging that the Atlanta star slapped her in the parking lot of Palace nightclub. She called police the night of the incident, but Thug and his boo, Jerrika Karlae, had already left the scene when authorities arrived.
Always taking up for this pussy hoe nigga what it had to do with u @thuggerthugger1 lame ho @thejerrikakarlae u a punk ho this ho fucked every crew in Atlanta u saving this ho
A post shared by Akbar V (@akbar__v) on
Lame as fuck @thuggerthugger1 @thejerrikakarlae u talking all that shit threw the fucking car call thug to come save u ho u lame and too u fuck ass security guards yall right there acting lame @palaceatl by I got slap on your premises an your security standing there an let him slap me when this ho @thejerrikakarlae started with me u wrong I need yall to witness this palace security letting him slap me and the @atlpalace so lam they right there letting the nigga slap me
A post shared by Akbar V (@akbar__v) on
Young Thug was facing an arrest warrant in January for skipping out on a court date regarding tinted windows. He was taken into police custody at an Atlanta mall in December for the same case.
HIPHOPDX – This week in Hip Hop, Remy Ma came for Nicki Minaj’s entire life in seven minutes in a diss track, then lost steam when she dropped a second, while Nicki is living her best life. Also, Kodak Black goes back to jail and Chris Brown’s friends expose his alleged drug problems to Billboard.
Remy Ma Drops Nicki Minaj Diss Song “SHETHER” & Gets Paid Dust
A Timeline
It all began when Nicki Minaj reportedly dissed Remy Ma on her song with Gucci Mane, “Make Love.” When Remy caught wind of it, she dropped a seven-minute diss track over Nas’ “Ether” instrumental and titled it “SHETHER.”
Nicki’s only response was to point out Plata O Plomo‘s lackluster sales, continue working and parlaying with the fashion world’s elite in Paris.
So far, there hasn’t been a response from Nicki on wax except on social media where she checked Trey Songz for not immediately dispelling rumors set out by Remy that he smashed, which he eventually denied. Trey’s denial was followed by Hot 97’s Ebro Darden’s denial that he also got the cakes, who said while it did make him look like the man for a second, the closest he’s gotten to Nicki was a lusty thigh grab.
Many have called on the Queens rapper’s ex-boyfriend Safaree to help Nicki pen her response, but he says he wants no parts and calls “SHETHER” the “most disrespectful record ever.”
Meek Mill was caught liking meme’s leaning in Remy Ma’s favor and was called out on it by The Game, who captioned his own diss track towards Meek Milly followed by a thirsty Instagram post wishing he could be more than friends with the Dreamchaser’s former boo.
Four days after “SHETHER” dropped, Remy Ma shared “Another One,” a diss track aimed at Nicki again, which prompted #ThatWasTrashRemy to trend on Twitter. Then she uploaded and deleted an old risqué photo of Onika before the ass shots on Instagram.
The very next day, the “All The Way Up” rapper went on the Wendy Williams Show to share that the multi-Platinum selling artist had been blocking her from red carpets and messing with her coins.
Foxy Brown randomly came for Remy Ma in a diss song titled, “Breaks Over,” for including old rumors about her in the diss song meant for The Pinkprint superstar shortly after giving birth to a baby girl.
Listen to “Make Love” here, “SHETHER” here and “Another One” here.
Kodak Black Goes To Jail
Kodak Black turned up at a Miami strip club and found himself back behind bars for violating his probation on Tuesday (February 28).
The Project Baby was ordered to five years of house arrest and any movement outside of that needed approval from a judge. It appears it was social media that ultimately got the “No Flockin'” rapper caught up.
The flub is reportedly costing him bank as it’s interrupted his Back and Better Tour.
He was originally arrested for robbery false imprisonment, fleeing a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a delinquent in April.
Read more here.
Chris Brown Reportedly Dancing With Death In Drug Love Affair
Billboard published an exposé, revealing Chris Brown’s alleged struggle with drug addiction through the words of his team and former employees.
Breezy’s drugs of choice are listed in reports of the R&B pop star snorting coke, popping Molly, sipping lean, popping Xanax and smoking weed.
There’s also reports of his rabid mood swings, which can range from a friendly Christopher to a violent and evil Christopher.
These are all claims that he denies and points blame to his old security guard who he calls out by name, Clay.
“Y’all gotta stop with this angry shit going through drugs and all this other shit,” he says in response to the lengthy report. “I’m tired of reading about some shit as soon as I got something popping. As soon as I wanna promote a tour, a party, a fuckin’ album, anything, y’all bring up something.”
Read more here.
DXclusives: Mahershala Ali, SiR & Chris Cuffaro
Before Mahershala Ali became an Academy Award-winning actor for his role in the Best Picture-winning film Moonlight on Sunday night (February 26), he was Prince Ali: A rapper signed to underground Hip Hop legends Hieroglyphics’ record label, Hiero Imperium, during the late 2000s.
Souls of Mischief member and Hiero Imperium label manager Tajai Massey spoke with HipHopDX’s Dana Scott about Ali’s time on the label and congratulates him for his Oscar win.
“I think it’s awesome, man,” Tajai said. “What’s crazy is that he’s been grinding since before he was even signed to our label. That was 10 years ago now. To just sort of watch him bubble from the underground, from Benjamin Button, to 300, and all that kind of stuff all the way up to now, a lot of people are going to realize, ‘Oh, we’ve been seeing this guy for a whole bunch of years.’ So it’s just good to see it culminate in some accolades for him.”
TDE’s latest signee, SiR chopped it up with Features Writer Ural Garrett about coming onto the label and what it meant for him prior to the official announcement.
“Man it was stressful for me just waiting on everything,” he said. “Having the secret that I couldn’t talk about. I’m very straight forward so it was weird and different. It was an easy process as far as the music and the business and stuff goes. It was seamless. Everything happened how it was supposed to.”
Music Editor Kyle Eustice caught up with photographer Chris Cuffaro who shared some pretty interesting stories while taking pictures of some of music’s greatest artists including LL Cool J, The Game, Ice Cube and Nirvana, among others.
He shared one moment that involved Ice-T, Body Count and guns.
“We’re doing this picture where they’re all holding guns, and posing with guns, and everybody had fake guns, except one guy brought a real gun,” he explained. “Ice-T goes nuts — like a parent. ‘What are you doing? Get that the fuck out of here!’ He really got upset the guy brought a real gun to the photo shoot. It was funny. This poor guy really got scolded. In the ‘70s, I went to schools that were all blacks and Mexicans. We had low riders, cholos — that whole thing — but I was never fearful of that. Gangs back then were nothing compared to what it’s like today. I got along with everybody. I don’t fear them. I could get along with everybody and I used my photography to do that.”
Polk County, FL – Kevin Gates is scheduled to be released from Polk County Jail on March 24 after being sentenced 180 days under the cell.
Last October, A jury of six women found the 31-year-old Baton Rouge native guilty of battery after a video surfaced of him kicking a then 18-year-old female fan during a concert at Rumors Nightclub in Lakeland, Florida back in 2015.
The Islah rapper tried to use Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law” for his defense to no avail, as he claims the fan, Miranda Dixon, kept aggressively grabbing on his leg. His wife, Dreka Gates, championed the actions perpetuated by Kevin and noted that Dixon and her friend stayed at the show even after the incident occurred.
You mean to tell me that @iamkevingates kicked the girl in the red jumpsuit and knocked the breathe out her? Because that's what she's been claiming and testified today in court. If anything her friend choked the fuck out of her. She claims she fainted, but yet she and her friend stayed at the club at the front of the stage even after this incident. She also acquired a civil attorney early on…what does that tell you? She also touched him FIRST (more than once) without his consent but yet he was the one sentenced to jail today for the same crime. She and her friend also had very conflicting stories and were tripped up in many lies today in the courtroom. It was comical and sad at the same time to see how desperate people are for fame and money. Not to mention the prosecutors wanted to give him 60 days with anger management and community service but yet the judge decided to give him 180 days?!? Are you fucking kidding me. Inshallah justice will be served. #unjust #fuckery #polkcounty #smfh by the way, thanks for taking my husband away from our kids (sarcasm) #itsnotoverjustyet
A post shared by Dreka Gates (@realdrekagates) on
Dixon passed out as a result of the kick and was taken to the hospital following the incident where she was given a CT scan.
Polk County prosecutors were gunning for a 60-day sentence for the boot. However, he was instead given 180 days by Judge Sharon Franklin who sternly condemned him for his actions.
“While a simple act of touching or pushing someone without his or her consent may amount to simple battery, the Court finds that such a minor act does not necessarily rise to such a level as to justify the use of force in return,” Judge Franklin wrote in the five-page order, according to The Ledger.
