Over the years, Vlad has been likened to a culture vulture. He has also been accused of working in tandem with federal authorities. His interviews are typically extremely revealing, and he has no qualms when it comes to asking about alleged crimes and indiscretions.

Recently, he found himself as a central figure in the Tupac Shakur murder trial. Duane “Keefe D” Davis was the first person to ever stand trial for Tupac’s murder, and it took 30 years for it to happen. As it turns out, many of Vlad’s interviews with Keefe D were extremely incriminating. So much so that they were used as evidence in court.

On Monday, Keefe D was officially convicted of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. Now, he faces life in prison. Meanwhile, DJ Vlad is taking his victory lap, stating, “Hip-Hop Journalist of the Decade.”

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DJ Vlad Gives Himself The Title

Whether or not he deserves such a title is up to the audience to decide. However, there is no denying that his platform played a pivotal role in garnering a conviction for a cold case that has haunted hip-hop for literal decades.

Keefe D has already demanded an appeal, although he will only be able to file for one once sentencing is complete. Davis will actually have to wait a while before then. His sentencing date has been slated for October 13.

This remains one of the biggest stories in hip-hop right now, even as Lil Durk faces a life sentence of his own amid a contentious murder-for-hire trial.

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The post DJ Vlad Proclaims Himself “Hip-Hop Journalist Of The Decade” Following Keefe D Conviction appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As he awaits his sentencing, 50 Cent reacted to the news of his conviction on Instagram. Without batting an eye, he quickly turned it into a jab toward Diddy, whose name has often been attached to conspiracy theories surrounding Tupac’s murder.

“Keefie D guilty, guilty, guilty, smh Polly market I want to bet 1,000,000 that Keefie D is a star witness in Diddys Murder for hire case. LOL @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi,” he captioned alongside a video of Nancy Grace discussing Diddy.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

50 Cent Takes Shots At Diddy After Keeefe D Conviction In Tupac Murder

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While 50 Cent previously explored the theories surrounding Diddy and Tupac on Sean Combs: The Reckoning, the Bad Boy mogul has not been charged or identified as a suspect by the Las Vegas Police Department. Therefore, there’s no murder-for-hire trial for Keefe D to testify in.

According to testimony from ex-LAPD detective Daryn Dupree, Keefe D allegedly told him that Diddy offered him payment to murder Tupac. A source close to Diddy told TMZ, “Diddy had absolutely nothing to do with the Tupac murder. He did not pull the trigger or set it up. It would be a waste of time if prosecutors ever called him as a witness.”

Keefe D is expected to be sentenced for his role in Tupac Shakur’s murder on October 13th. He remains in jail until then and is currently facing a life sentence. However, he has already announced his plans to file an appeal. 

We will continue to keep you posted on any further updates surrounding Keefe D. 

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The post 50 Cent Says He’ll Place $1M Bet On Keefe D Testifying Against Diddy appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

However, 6ix9ine has received pushback for this take, especially as Trap Lore Ross’ reporting has been refuted. On Monday night, the infamous troll ended up meeting his match as DJ Akademiks hosted a phone call between 6ix9ine and Memo600.

Memo600 did not waste any time going after 6ix9ine. He accused the rapper of being a rat as well as a sexual predator. Of course, he was referencing 6ix9ine’s case from when he was 17, and was pictured with a 13-year-old on camera. 600 continued to roast Tekashi, stating “You and Lil Durk ain’t the same — you snitched on your guys because they were smashing your girl.”

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Memo600 Vs. 6ix9ine

Elsewhere during the phone call, Memo600 challenged 6ix9ine to a boxing match as part of Adin Ross’ Brand Risk Promotions. However, 6ix9ine ended up turning down the offer.

Very rarely does Tekashi appear shaken up during these kinds of confrontations. However, on this occasion, Memo600 certainly got the better of him.

This is all happening as Lil Durk remains on trial for allegedly being the mastermind behind the murder of Lul Pab. Durk could face life in prison if he is convicted. Last week, OTF Jam testified against him. On Monday, both Flacka and OTF Vonni took the stand to testify on behalf of the prosecution.

The trial will continue today in Los Angeles, so stay tuned to HNHH for updates.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post Memo600 Calls 6ix9ine A Rat And A Sexual Predator During Heated Phone Call appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

It all started when Vlad called N.O.R.E. a snake for having him on “Drink Champs,” but ducking an interview on the VladTV platform. N.O.R.E. subsequently responded, noting that he didn’t do the interview because Vlad is a culture vulture. He said he did to Vlad what Vlad does to the culture at large.

DJ Vlad has never been one to not respond to something like this. When the Aries Spears situation happened, he got on his platform and interviewed himself. Once again, he did the same thing for N.O.R.E. Although this time around, he leveled some hefty accusations at the rapper, and even questioned the morals of the “Drink Champs” platform. Vlad believes N.O.R.E. has exploited addictions and has even been coercive when it comes to getting people to drink on the show.

“And here’s the dark side of Drink Champs that people don’t really want to talk about, right? N.O.R.E.-and I show the text messages. I show the text messages of what I’m talking about right now,” Vlad started. “In 2022, N.O.R.E., who fucked with Vlad, said, ‘Hey, I want you to come to Drink Champs.’ And I said, ‘Yo, you’re my man. No problem, I got you, but I just don’t want to drink on the show. I’ll drink soda and just pretend to drink.’ He said, ‘No, no, no, you gotta drink. You gotta drink. This is the show.’ And I’m like, ‘Bro, I don’t drink on camera. This is just not what I do. I’ve never done that before.’ But he kept going, ‘No, no. Yo, you’ve made all this money off the culture. You gotta give back. Oh, you rich, so you don’t care,’ and all this other shit. He’s guilting me and forcing me and coercing me into drinking, to the point where I said, ‘Man, I don’t even want to talk to you anymore.’”

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DJ Vlad Issues A Response To N.O.R.E.

Vlad then went on to accuse N.O.R.E. of disrespecting people like DMX, Lamar Odom, and Kanye West, who have all dealt with addiction. Vlad finds the timing of the Odom and DMX interviews to be especially concerning.

“Let me tell you something: He had Lamar Odom drinking on his show. Lamar Odom had almost died not that long before. He had DMX drinking on his show, who later died from an overdose and had a lifelong drug and alcohol problem,” Vlad said. “He had Kanye. Kanye, who is a self-proclaimed alcoholic, drinking on his show, starts blabbering about, ‘I could say whatever antisemitic thing that I want to say, and Adidas can’t fire me.’ And he gets fired immediately after, losing $1.5 billion—the biggest loss in hip-hop history.”

Vlad ended his rant by stating that N.O.R.E. is the Dr. Kevorkian of hip-hop. For those who don’t know, Dr. Jack Kevorkian was an advocate for doctor-assisted suicide.

N.O.R.E. has yet to respond to Vlad’s accusations.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post DJ Vlad Accuses N.O.R.E. Of Exploiting Artists & Getting Addicts Drunk On “Drink Champs” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

With OTF Vonni taking the stand on Monday, Trap Lore Ross was ready to provide live commentary. However, things got a bit weird when Trap Lore Ross made the claim that Brian Steel, Durk’s lawyer, appeared to be on the verge of tears as Vonni pointed the finger at the Chicago rapper.

“It might be over for Durk,” Trap Lore Ross said. “Vonni just got on the stand. They asked him ‘why did you try and kill Quando’ he said ‘Durk told us to,’ he said all 3 defendants Durk, Dede and Lindsay participated in Murder. Brian Steele looked close to tears.”

It was a bizarre remark to make, especially when you consider how Brian Steel is a professional lawyer who knows better than to let emotions get the best of him. Trap Lore Ross’ tweet was immediately met with skepticism. In fact, journalist Michael Blackshire took to X, where he refuted the YouTuber’s claim.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

Real Reporter Refutes Trap Lore Ross

“Brian Steel’s expressions never appeared he was ready to cry from my peripheral,” Blackshire wrote. “He bit his pen while listening and looked deep in thought by Vonnie’s testimony. Lil Durk’s facial expressions went from stone face to somber to smiling once everyone was asked to stand at the end”

There has been a debate about whether or not Trap Lore Ross should be allowed in the courtroom. His constant string of controversies has muddied the waters, and it’s only going to get worse as jury deliberations get closer.

Read More: Who Is Trim? Charleston’s New Rap Wild Card

The post Trap Lore Ross Immediately Refuted After Claiming Brian Steel Was About To Cry During Lil Durk Trial appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

During the Houston rapper’s stop in Toronto for the Octane tour, Drizzy came out on stage to perform a handful of records from the project, including the hit record “Janice STFU” and the A$AP Rocky-dissing “Burning Bridges” while the crowd went nuts.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

Will Drake Release A New Album Before The Year Ends?

At this point, it seems a touch unlikely that Drake will be hitting the road before the year comes to an end but perhaps we can expect that of him in 2027. Fortunately, it seems like we might actually be in for a new album before the year ends. The rapper’s been teasing a new project titled FOMO over the past few weeks, and a recent social media post indicated it will drop in 2026.

In a short note written for someone named Matt, he wrote, “To Matt, Two truth tellers! Love and respect my g. 6’er. ICE. 2026 FOMO.” Adding fuel to the fire was a recent appearance at CNE in Toronto where he seemingly shot a music video dressed up as Iron Man, and a teaser of a remix to Ella Langley’s song, “Choosin Texas,” which some felt hinted at a more country-forward project.

We will keep you all posted on any further updates surrounding Drake and his supposed new album, FOMO. 

Read More: Who Is Trim? Charleston’s New Rap Wild Card

The post Drake Performs “ICEMAN” Songs For The First Time At Don Toliver’s Toronto Concert appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: August 28, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: Slime Language 3

Quotable Lyrics from Snakes On My Collar

Got a Glock in my pants so I got two dicks (Bling)
And the clip on the yacht look likе a pool stick (Bling, it’s diamond*)
I done changed up the game, made these hoes pay for dick (Bling)
Got a Chrome Heart wrist and a bustdown wrist (Bling, slime, woo)

The post Snakes On My Collar – Song by Young Thug ft. diamond* & Lil Keed appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Last year’s launch became Fanatics’ best-selling merch release ever, so expectations are high heading into this second wave. A few pieces from the drop are already standing out to us, starting with the Micah Parsons Green Bay Packers Rivalries jersey. It brings that classic green and gold identity fans know, but wrapped in a fresh design built specifically for this year’s rollout.

The Randy Moss Minnesota Vikings Rivalries jersey hits a little differently too. Putting a franchise legend on this year’s design ties the new look back to real Vikings history instead of just slapping a logo on fresh fabric. It’s one of the more meaningful pieces in the entire collection.

Beyond jerseys, the drop also branches into footwear and outerwear, giving fans more ways to rep their team without needing to wear a full uniform every time.

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Nike NFL Rivalries

The Nike Air Max 90 in Minnesota Vikings colors is one of the more interesting pieces from this drop. It takes one of Nike’s most reliable retro runners and dresses it in team colors, without losing what makes the shoe work in the first place. It’s a genuinely wearable option beyond just game day, which isn’t always true for team-branded sneakers.

On the outerwear side, the Green Bay Packers Rivalries Windrunner rounds things out nicely. It pulls the same design language from this year’s jerseys and turns it into something you can actually layer up in as the season gets colder.

Between the jerseys, footwear, and outerwear, this year’s Rivalries drop gives fans a lot more to work with than just an alternate uniform. The full collection releases September 1st across Nike, NFL Shop, Fanatics, and select retailers.

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The post Our Top Picks From the Nike x NFL Rivalries 2026 Collection appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As we get deeper into 2026, fans are looking forward to even more big releases. As it turns out, September is a fairly light month as far as confirmed releases are concerned. Although that doesn’t mean there isn’t quality on the way.

This Friday, we are getting a new project from French Montana and Max B. Blu & Sndtrak are also dropping their collaborative album LA, while Nemzzz is Locked In.

EST Gee and Rio Da Yung OG promise to give us some dope albums. Meanwhile, Rakim, Kurupt, and Masta Killa are teaming up for The Godbody LP, which is certainly an exciting prospect. We are also getting projects from AZ Chike, Karrahboo, and Hoodrich Pablo Juan, among a whole slew of others, which can be found below.

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September 4:

French Montana and Max B – Night To Remember
Dizzee Rascal – We Want Bass
Blu & Sndtrak – LA
Nemzzz – Locked In
Karrahboo – Not Da 2
Mykki Blanco – Cafe Paradiso

September 11:

Est Gee – Bigger Than The Devil
Hoodrich Pablo Juan – The Bloprint
Ro$ama – My Forte
Rio Da Yung OG – The World Is Yours

September 18:

AZ Chike – No Rest For The Wicked
Nocap – Heaven On Mars
Rakim, Kurupt, & Masta Killa – The Godbody LP

September 25:

Apollo Brown & Skyzoo – Luxury Tax
Tee Grizzley – They Forgot

Let us know which of these albums you are most excited about in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the music world.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post Hip-Hop Albums Dropping In September Of 2026 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

This swift verdict came after a two-week trial in which the prosecution brought 24 witnesses to the stand. Keefe D’s interview statements and memoir were also used throughout the trial, which ultimately led to the jury’s decision to convict.

After being given his guilty verdict, Keefe D made some demands in the courtroom. In the clip below, he tells the judge that he wants all of his “stuff” back. This includes phones and anything else that was taken into evidence. Furthermore, he stated that he had plans to appeal his conviction. The judge swiftly explained that this can only be done once he has been officially sentenced.

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When Will Keefe D Be Sentenced?

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Keefe D is going to be sentenced on October 13 at 10 AM local time at the Clark County District Court in Las Vegas. The maximum sentence for this conviction is life in prison. At 63 years old, this is ultimately a death sentence for Davis.

Once sentencing is over, Keefe D will be able to appeal his conviction. Whether or not he is successful remains to be seen. If no new evidence is presented, and it is found that the judge and jury followed the law, then it is unlikely that this will go anywhere.

Stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from this case. Let us know what you thought of the verdict in the comments below.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post Keefe D Demands An Appeal Following Conviction, Receives Sentencing Date appeared first on HotNewHipHop.