The new Ye LP debuted at No. 2 this week, marking his 14th top two album. It reportedly moved 152K album-equivalent units in its first week, led by 96K units via streaming performance and 56K pure album sales. This follows his previous albums Vultures and Vultures 2 with Ty Dolla $ign, which landed at No. 1 with 148K units and at No. 2 with 107K units, respectively.

Of course, these numbers are causing a lot of discussion from hardcore fans and haters alike, questioning the longevity and sustainability of Kanye in the 2020s. Even though Bully missed the top spot, at least sales numbers indicate a boost from the last few records. Also, it’s rocky and chaotic release on digital streaming platforms last week might have affected these numbers a lot. It officially came out on Saturday, March 28 on official digital platforms, excluding a YouTube livestream.

Read More: Ye’s “Bully” Arrives Amid Kanye West Praise & Fatigue

Pepsi Takes Stance On Kanye West

This news emerged as folks are debating about Ye’s past controversies and bigotries regarding antisemitism, alleged sexual harassment, and much more. Pepsi recently withdrew their longtime sponsorship of the Wireless Festival in London after the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister condemned Kanye West’s three-day booking at the festival.

As such, there’s a lot of discussion floating around already, and the commercial performance of Bully will serve to prove haters’ points or vindicate die-hards’ support. Musically, the album is just as divisive, with many praising the atmosphere as many others decry a meager and unsatisfying tracklist. No matter where folks fall, they are not finding very positive or graceful responses to their takes.

Critically, Kanye West’s Bully got panned by many, but fans continue to sing its praises. This disconnect between many different groups is clearer than ever. But when it comes to first week sales, all these opposing sides led to results that aren’t great, aren’t terrible either, and feel more transitionary than anything else.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Kanye West’s “Bully” First Week Sales Are Officially In, And They Are Divisive appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by No Jumper on Instagram, Paul recently appeared on Von’s podcast, where they discussed the comedian’s viral skit. “I’ve been, over the last couple of days, calling makeup artists,” he said. “I was going to do a response to this and do the full-on…”

“Darker?” the podcast host asked. “Yeah,” the boxer replied. “And just do it back, because why not? Are we on the same playing field?”

Theo acknowledged the massive backlash that blackface would cause, positing that Jake would need to collaborate with a significant Black entertainer to mitigate the controversy. But the former Vine star wants to double down, not seek approval.

“That’s p***ying out,” Paul argued. “Doesn’t that make us more prejudiced if we have to partner with someone? Druski just dropped this. I f***ing love it. This is great. This is how humans should be. We should f***ing make fun of each other. And I don’t see in color. I see in truth and comedy. So what are we talking about? What era are we living in?”

The two then discussed how former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced a big blackface controversy years ago, as well as Jimmy Kimmel. In fact, Paul thought (or possibly joked) that the image Von showed of Kimmel in blackface was of Shaquille O’Neal.

Read More: LeBron James Is Perpetuating Racist Narratives About Memphis, And The NBA Couldn’t Be Happier

Trump Reacts To Druski Skit

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Many folks did not like Druski’s Erika Kirk skit, particularly those from the conservative world. This includes United States President Donald Trump, who encouraged Erika to sue him. Of course, the backlash Jake would get for blackface would be even more significant for obvious reasons, so presenting it as a one-to-one comparison is inaccurate.

Considering Jake Paul’s Trump support, his idea to respond to the sketch is unsurprising. Hopefully someone in his corner steers him away from the possibility. Elsewhere, Druski might be dealing with more drama, as Charleston White accused Young Thug of threatening him at a “Coulda Been Love” reunion.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Jake Paul Wants To Respond To Druski’s Erika Kirk Skit With A Blackface Sketch appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by DJ Akademiks TV on Instagram, the streamer called White to ask him what allegedly happened between Shiesty and Gucci. Charleston pointed to Pooh’s mother’s alleged claims about Guwop making $24 million from the Memphis MC while he was in prison, which Shiesty allegedly didn’t see a cent from during his time or after his release.

Then, White spoke on federal authorities’ allegations regarding Pooh Shiesty and Gucci Mane. They claim Pooh, his father, Big30, and six other individuals kidnapped and robbed Gucci and two colleagues at a Dallas recording studio. This was allegedly to get Shiesty out of his 1017 Records contract, as there were alleged discrepancies over money left on the table.

While some of these alleged details appear in the federal indictment, none of the narratives Charleston White spoke to have been confirmed at press time. Many folks are sharing and alleging similar stories and explanations, but no one is closer to definitive answers just yet.

Read More: LeBron James Is Perpetuating Racist Narratives About Memphis, And The NBA Couldn’t Be Happier

Pooh Shiesty’s Mom Reacts

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Pooh Shiesty’s mother recently seemed to react to his arrest on Facebook. She shared some messages about blocking haters and trusting her faith, which indicates full support of her son. There have also been reports and rumors floating around that she addressed these theories more directly, but nothing official has confirmed them. As such, White’s claims about Pooh’s mother making those allegations are not true at press time. But we’ll see if she does speak out soon.

Elsewhere, Pooh Shiesty’s lawyer responded to this case. He claimed prosecutors are oversimplifying a complex issue. “The government tries to characterize this as a dispute over money between [Shiesty] and his record label, but in this business, things are very often not what they seem, and people’s motivations are very often not what they seem,” John Helms reportedly stated.

As for Gucci Mane, he has not publicly responded to any of this at press time.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Charleston White Peddles Pooh Shiesty & Gucci Mane Conspiracy Theories appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

For those unaware, fans felt like James insensitively criticized the city, pointing to their majority Black population. He responded to the backlash, calling it overblown and criticizing people for inflating his personal experience. “Did I say I don’t like Black people?” the Los Angeles Laker told ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin yesterday (Saturday, April 4). “I’m 41 years old and there’s two cities I don’t like playing in right now. And that’s Milwaukee and that’s Memphis… I’m not talking about the city, the people in Memphis. I don’t like staying at the Hyatt Century. What’s wrong with that?”

Shifting gears to Pooh Shiesty’s legal trouble, he and eight other individuals were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and robbing Gucci Mane. Choppa reacted to this on Twitter earlier this week: “Ian gon lie Shiesty f***ed me up with this one.”

On Friday (April 3), he returned to the social media platform with the following message: “Yall got Memphis f***ed up WE GOT BLACK EXCELLENCE TOO!” This seems to respond to LeBron’s comments and the debate around his criticisms, as well as the scrutiny against Pooh and the city’s hip-hop scene.

Read More: LeBron James Is Perpetuating Racist Narratives About Memphis, And The NBA Couldn’t Be Happier

Pooh Shiesty’s Arrest

Even Memphis Mayor Paul Young responded to LeBron James’ comments on Twitter. “@kingjames, I would welcome the chance to turn your criticism into action in one of the most important cities in the world. Come to Memphis and roll around with me for a bit and I will show you some of the culture and powerful investment opportunities in our City.”

As for the Pooh Shiesty situation, others came to his defense for different reasons after authorities apprehended the Memphis MC earlier this week in Dallas. Days later, Asian Doll blasted Gucci Mane and 1017 Records on social media. For those unaware, the alleged kidnapping supposedly occurred over a dispute concerning Shiesty’s 1017 contract with Guwop. We will see how that criminal case evolves in the future.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post NLE Choppa Defends Memphis Amid Pooh Shiesty & LeBron James Backlash appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Via Twitter, Kim thanked Cardi and their fans for all the love. “You already know I got you forever,” she wrote last night (Saturday, April 4). “Watching you step into your power is so beautiful, and I’m happy to even be a part of it. If y’all only knew… Cardi really the big sister. That outfit her and her team put together was so beautiful, I was like ‘this is HER moment…’


“I was scared, but you pushed me anyway…” the Brooklyn icon continnued.
”Cardi was like ‘girl put that on, & let’s go!!’ When I saw us on that stage 2gether… I totally got your vision.
I was looking at my twin, my love, my soul sister 4life. I love U downnn. Kollin you are EVERYTHING. If you trying to get in touch with me, call my manager Cardi (inside joke). The love you guys showed Cardi and I @TheGarden was unmatched… truly heartwarming.”

“I can’t thank you enough for joining me on stage!!!” the Bronx star responded. “You are forever and always the blue print and a queen and you need to NEVER forget that!!! F**k all that humble s**t you deserve to walk in your power everyday.”

Read More: LeBron James Is Perpetuating Racist Narratives About Memphis, And The NBA Couldn’t Be Happier

Cardi B’s “Little Miss Drama” Tour

Lil Kim and Cardi B have traded praise throughout their careers, a connection that many fans sadly only see through the lens of their Nicki Minaj beef in common. But that’s only a small part of their connection, and one that hasn’t been relevant for many years now.

Elsewhere, Cardi has a few more dates left to go on this “Little Miss Drama” trek. It will end on April 18 in Atlanta after visiting Philadelphia, Washington D.C., North Carolina, and Florida.

Throughout this trek, she showed not just why she’s a superstar of her own, but why Lil Kim is a big influence and mentor. Hopefully they have more to share on the way.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Cardi B Honors Lil Kim As “The Blueprint” After Their NYC Show appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by DJ Akademiks TV on IG, Fif took aim at Jay, T.I., Tip’s son Domani, Rick Ross, Diddy, Ja Rule, the Let’s Rap About It podcast (Jim Jones, Fabolous, Maino, Dave East), and Papoose. All of these artists have either directly beefed with 50 Cent recently or have faced trolling and attacks from 50 online.

Many of these names also represent longtime rifts, so it’s not surprising to see him double down. “I told you I’m the Algorithm, you tube streams for March 2026 it’s not about numbers. OK IF YOU SAY SO! LOL,” the G-Unit mogul captioned his post.

It seems like he edited the caption, though, as indicated by the post itself. DJ Akademiks TV‘s coverage shows a slightly different caption that seems to directly throw shade at Hov and his “Reminder” quote: “I told you I’m the Algorithm, Men lie, women lie, forget about the numbers. OK IF YOU SAY SO! LOL.”

50’s alleged numbers place him at 164 million streams, with T.I. following with 63.7 million and Hov after that with 58.9 million. These alleged numbers may be a small part of these commercial comparisons of success and support, but Fif is still running with them like gospel.

Read More: LeBron James Is Perpetuating Racist Narratives About Memphis, And The NBA Couldn’t Be Happier

Domani’s 50 Cent Diss

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This flex of alleged streaming numbers against 50’s opposition follows the recent release of Domani’s music video for his 50 Cent diss track “Firebug.” The track had come out a while ago, but this might reignite things. In it, T.I’s son leaves flowers for 50’s mother Sabrina Jackson’s grave and references the home fire that took her life.

As such, maybe this flaunting of alleged YouTube Music numbers was the Queens rapper’s way of responding to that. But it’s also well within character for him in any context.

For those unaware, 50 Cent has been backhandedly critical of Jay-Z throughout their careers. Even though there’s a business respect there, 50 has also levied some accusations against Jay concerning ethics and shady industry moves. Also, he trolled the Roc Nation mogul a lot for his associations with Diddy.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post 50 Cent Seems To Shade Jay-Z While Flexing Streaming Success Over Opps appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The goal was to identify which boutiques were backdooring pairs to resellers before the public could access them. According to the claim, Nike strategically gave certain tier zero accounts tagged inventory to catch stores selling out of the back door.

The video suggests a number of stores could lose their Nike accounts as a result. It is a dramatic story that the sneaker internet is taking very seriously and very skeptically at the same time.

It is worth being clear here and this is unverified. Nobody has confirmed Nike actually did this. The claim comes from a single Instagram video with no evidence. Replies across social media are split between people who hope it is true and people who think it is pure engagement farming.

That said, backdooring is a real and persistent problem in sneaker culture. Stores reserving high-demand pairs for preferred clients or flipping them directly to resellers is something the community has complained about for years.

Whether Nike actually went this far to combat it is another question entirely. For now, it remains a rumor. An entertaining one, but a rumor nonetheless.

Read More: Foot Locker Drops Air Jordan 5 OG “White Metallic” Product Images

Virgil Abloh Archive x Air Jordan 1 High OG “Alaska”

The Virgil Abloh Archive x Air Jordan 1 “Alaska” is one of the most coveted releases of 2026. The shoe runs in a clean white and soft mint blue colorway with light blue accents throughout.

A blue zip tie replaces the classic red from the original Off-White Jordan 1 series. Orange stitch details appear as a callback to Virgil’s signature design language. “AIR” is stamped on the midsole in his iconic quotation mark format.

The overall look is quieter and more restrained than earlier Off-White Jordan releases, which only adds to its appeal among collectors who appreciate subtle, considered design.

Read More: Michigan Football Just Got The Jordan 11 Low “University Blue” For Easter

The post Nike May Have Set A Trap For Stores Backdooring The Jordan 1 “Alaska” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

For those unaware, Kanye will headline London’s Wireless Festival for three nights, similar to what Drake did last year. But a reported statement from the Prime Minister to The Sun shows the controversy this is causing.

“It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” Starmer reportedly stated. “Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”

Per iTV News, the main sponsor of the Wireless Festival, Pepsi, announced today (Sunday, April 5) that they will no longer back the event. “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” a spokesperson reportedly told the outlet. Although this does not explicitly mention the Bully creative or the PM’s recent remarks, the context is hard to ignore.

Read More: Ye’s “Bully” Arrives Amid Kanye West Praise & Fatigue

Kanye West Concerts

But beyond this controversy over future shows, Kanye West is busy with his present run. He sold out two nights at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles this week, breaking various records and captivating many fans with his performances.

Ye also brought out special guests. Frequent Bully collaborator Andre Troutman helped him throughout the whole show, and CeeLo Green and Kanye’s daughter North West also popped out. Travis Scott graced the stage for their “FATHER” collab, and Lauryn Hill performed various cuts. She also brought out her sons, Zion and YG Marley, and joined the Chicago artist’s performance of his songs that sample her.

We will see if similar bombast applies to this Wireless Festival run, which fans expect. However, after Keir Starmer’s remarks and Pepsi’s exit, we will see if more consequences follow. U.K. politicians already criticized Kanye West and Wireless over this booking, specifically London mayor Sadiq Khan. Wireless Festival goes down from July 10 to July 12.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Pepsi Drops Wireless Festival Sponsorship After U.K. Prime Minister Condemns Kanye West’s Booking appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Sneaker Bar Detroit reports that the Air Jordan 11 Low “University Blue” is going to be released on April 18th, 2026.

The delivery method made it even better. The shoes arrived inside a golden Easter egg container, which is exactly as fun as it sounds.

The video posted by Michigan Football shows players genuinely excited about the gift. That reaction is hard to fake. Getting an unreleased Jordan 11 Low delivered in a golden Easter egg during spring practice is a moment. Jordan Brand knows how to make a program feel special and this one landed perfectly.

There is one detail that the internet could not let go unnoticed. The “University Blue” colorway has a long and well-established connection to UNC, not Michigan.

Maize and blue are Michigan’s colors. Light blue is decidedly not. A few replies pointed that out fairly quickly. Still, the players did not seem to mind at all. Free Jordans are free Jordans.

The broader story here is about Jordan Brand’s continued investment in college football culture. Michigan is one of the most important programs in the country and Jordan Brand has built genuine relationships across college sports.

This Easter delivery is a small moment that tells a larger story about how the brand operates at the collegiate level.

Read More: Nike Air Foamposite “Phoenix Suns” Is Finally Coming Back After 14 Years

Air Jordan 11 Low “University Blue”

The Air Jordan 11 Low “University Blue” is one of the cleaner Jordan 11 colorways in recent memory. A crisp white mesh upper pairs with a bold university blue patent leather mudguard wrapping the full perimeter of the shoe.

The glossy blue patent is the defining visual element and it catches light in a way that makes the shoe hard to ignore. White laces and a matching blue lace lock keep the top half clean.

An icy blue translucent outsole ties the look together underneath. It is a sharp, warm weather colorway on one of the most universally respected silhouettes Jordan Brand has ever produced.

Also, the retail price of the Air Jordan 11 Low “University Blue” will be $190.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Reveals New Details About Her Signature Nike Shoe

The post Michigan Football Just Got The Jordan 11 Low “University Blue” For Easter appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Via Twitter, she seemed to initially react to the situation by writing “Everybody ain’t playing” on Thursday (April 2). As caught by GOT DA SCOOP on Twitter, Doll allegedly deleted some messages she put out directly addressing the matter. “If you never been signed to a label or been sign to 1017 STFU all you n***as sound like straight D**K EATERS,” she allegedly wrote.

“They Sign kids from the poor ghetto that’s active in the streets,” Asian Doll allegedly added, with another alleged message following that. “A n***a ain’t never dropped me from s**t. I had to fight to get out my deal. n***a did not want to let me go, I was the 1st female at 1017 FACTS 1st female ever signed to him. I was 19 & it was the [worst] decision I ever made in life. all them other b***hes after me was signed OUT OF SPITE & they knew it.”

Read More: LeBron James Is Perpetuating Racist Narratives About Memphis, And The NBA Couldn’t Be Happier

How Long Is Pooh Shiesty Facing?

At press time, a few of her responses to other users remain on Twitter. Doll also retweeted the following post: “Seem like the only person who survived Gucci mane label is Asian doll.” Her responses included statements like “You might as well go suck the feds d**k” and “everybody don’t go out a b***h.”

The Dallas native also denied speaking about the label situation much previously, and had a more direct reply to share. “Gucci held me. I had to fight to get out my deal …. Get off your knees from sucking celebrities d**k WE DONT KNOW YOU !!! Pooh couldn’t fight cause he was in jail. Gucci was holding on cause he could. but the minute that boy got free he took matters into his own hands… go suck Gucci d**k maybe he will give you broke a** a dollar.”

The Pooh Shiesty and Gucci Mane case continues to develop, with the most recent update being the arrest of a ninth suspect in the kidnapping. If a jury convicts the alleged culprits, they could be in prison for life.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Asian Doll Slams Gucci Mane & 1017 Records Amid Pooh Shiesty Allegations appeared first on HotNewHipHop.