The “Double Nickel” gets its name from Michael Jordan’s legendary 55-point performance against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28th, 1995. It was just his 5th game back from his first retirement.

MJ dropped 55 on the Knicks in the Air Jordan 10, wearing number 45 instead of his usual 23 during his comeback run. The shoe commemorates that exact moment, with “45” embroidered on the lateral ankle to mirror his jersey number that night.

Drummond wearing it at the same building, against the same franchise, in a playoff game is a detail that lands differently depending on how much you know about the shoe. Coincidence or not, it’s a very specific choice for a very specific venue.

The colorway runs on a white tumbled leather upper with a black tongue and midsole, red accents throughout, and MJ’s list of career accomplishments printed on the outsole. It’s a Chicago Bulls colorway down to the last detail.

The 76ers lost. MJ’s Bulls won that night. History doesn’t always repeat itself.

Read More: Jay-Z Wore The V.A.A. Air Jordan 1 “Alaska” Courtside At Knicks Win

Andre Drummond’s Air Jordan 10 “Double Nickel”

The Air Jordan 10 “Double Nickel” first released in 2015 to mark the 20th anniversary of Jordan’s iconic MSG performance. The 2015 version is considered the most faithful retro of the original, featuring richer leather and a shape closer to the 1995 player exclusive than the earlier 2012 Chicago 10 retro.

The “45” collar embroidery is the key detail that separates it from other Chicago 10 releases. Without it, it’s just another Bulls-colored Jordan.

With it, the shoe carries a very specific game, a very specific night, and a very specific building attached to it. That building being MSG makes Drummond’s choice all the more notable.

Read More: Lil Yachty Pulls Up To Kentucky Derby In Extravagant Diamond Chain

The post The Story Behind Andrew Drummond’s Air Jordan 10 “Double Nickel” Is Too Good appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Overall, this ranking has proven to be controversial. Some of the people on the list don’t even operate within hip-hop. Meanwhile, some of the inclusions actively make a mockery of the culture. There is a sense that the list was a bit tone deaf in certain places.

These debates have lasted a couple of days, and recently, Ebro himself weighed in on the debate. During an episode of The Ebro, Laura, & Rosenberg show, Ebro and Rosenberg had some interesting perspectives on the list.

Ebro notes that Akademiks is an “algorithm hustler” and that Complex‘s interview with him was a prime example of that. Interestingly enough, Ebro admitted that he is guilty of engaging in algo hustling, as well.

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The Hip-Hop Media Debate Continues

Ebro and Rosenberg went on to congratulate the real journalists who made their way onto the list. Names like Pierre, Frazier Tharpe, Elliott Wilson, and Rob Markman were solid shoutouts. For those who may not know, Pierre is a writer for Pitchfork, known for his sharply written reviews. He is also known for highlighting obscure artists and subgenres within hip-hop.

Meanwhile, Tharpe is doing his thing at GQ. Elliott Wilson is a legend of the industry, and Markman continues to be someone delivering level-headed commentary on the latest news in hip-hop.

Unfortunately, people like N3on got ranked above the majority of the journalists we just mentioned. It just goes to show that being unlikable on a live stream can actually carry you farther than you might think.

Read More: Trap Dickey Talks Upcoming Album “The Ville,” Teases TDE Compilation Project & Lil Wayne Vs. Jay-Z

The post Ebro & Peter Rosenberg Call DJ Akademiks An “Algorithm Hustler” Following Complex List appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

With that being said, there are still numerous mysteries concerning the album. For instance, no one knows for sure who will be featured. Subsequently, we don’t even know if there is going to be a lead single. We don’t even have so much as the cover art right now.

However, what we do know is that Drake has been filming a music video in Toronto over the past few weeks. He has been spotted at some big-time Toronto landmarks, and there were even rumblings of a CN Tower shoot.

Now, a report from We Love Hip Hop Network is suggesting that Drake’s latest music video is for a song with Lil Baby. The anonymous source wouldn’t say too much, but they seem confident about the Baby angle.

Read More: Young Thug Fires Back At Rich Homie Quan’s Camp: “Quan Went Against Me”

Drake Prepares ICEMAN

Earlier this week, we reported on Lil Baby pledging his allegiance to Drake. It made for some humorous reactions over on social media. Having said that, it appears clear to us that Lil Baby and Drake’s working relationship is still very much intact.

Baby has given Drake some incredible verses over the past few years. While his solo work has received some criticism for being too homogenous as of late, there is no doubt that he can put in a good verse when needed.

At this time, there is no 100 percent guarantee that Lil Baby will make the album. However, everything we have seen so far suggests it is at least possible. In eight days from now, the album will arrive, and only then will we know for sure who made the cut.

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The post Anonymous Source Alleges Drake’s Latest Music Video Shoot Is For A Song With Lil Baby appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: May 7, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: Kill The King

The post MR HIM – Song by T.I. appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

This ultimately warranted a new response from Young Thug himself, who tried to clear the air on how his issues with Rich Homie Quan escalated. “Quan went against me my n***a how was it my pride? If you hoie do some bullsh*t towards u u suppose to reach out first,” Young Thug wrote. In separate post, he shared more depth to their issues and how it actually impacted his relationship with YFN Lucci. 

“I didn’t f*ck with Lucci ‘cause Quan didn’t. He felt like Lucci did a song with a n***a that dissed him on the song. Wasn’t my problem but was my brada so I was with him, then he stop f*cking with me cause he thought he was bigger along [which] I had no problem with but now yall p***ies wanna post about a real n***a to Quan,” he said in a separate post.

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Young Thug Claims He “Never Switched” On Rich Homie Quan

During Coachella weekend, Young Thug paid homage to his former collaborator during a performance of “Lifestyle.” Prior to that, Thug expressed regret over the fact that he and Rich Homie Quan never got to patch things up during a stream with N3on. Will we ever hear some of the unreleased Rich Gang era tracks in the future? We hope so. Check out Thug’s comments about and sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below.

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The post Young Thug Fires Back At Rich Homie Quan’s Camp: “Quan Went Against Me” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“He put me on a diss song? I thought it was going to be a regular, a hot record,” Whoo Kid said. “But then he [dropped] ‘Drop and Give Me 50,’ he did the whole G-Unit, like the whole aura, the whole energy, and then he leaked it. I’m like, yo, why is like Lucian Grainge calling my phone? Like, that’s when I was like, ‘Woah, woah.’ Nah, no Illuminati’s going to be calling me. I don’t know how they got my number. I was like ‘bruh, I did not leak this sh*t.’“

What’s interesting is that various pro-Drake X accounts highlighted a particular part of Lucian Grainge’s alleged response to Drake’s lawsuit, where he said that his focus at UMG is on creating a global strategy to shape UMG’s future. “In light of this responsibility, the proposition that I am in the weeds as to the release and promotion of any particular sound recording, from the thousands of UMG releases throughout the world, is farcical,” it reads. It should be noted that whatever DJ Whoo Kid said in this particular interview hasn’t been vetted or verified.

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Whoo Kid Claims Hip-Hop Is Suffering On The Charts Without Drake

Elsewhere in the interview, Whoo Kid explained how he felt that Kendrick only had a “moment” during the rap beef, from the success of “Not Like Us” and the Super Bowl while Drake’s absence has harmed hip-hop’s dominance on the charts. With ICEMAN on the way, it will be the ultimate test to see whether Drake’s commercial presence stands as strong as it once as before the beef. Check out Whoo Kid’s comments above. 

Read More: Trap Dickey Talks Upcoming Album “The Ville,” Teases TDE Compilation Project & Lil Wayne Vs. Jay-Z

The post DJ Whoo Kid Says Lucian Grainge Mysteriously Called Him After Drake’s “Push Ups” Dropped appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The V.A.A. x Air Jordan 1 dropped globally on April 3rd, 2026 for $230, marking the first worldwide release drawn from the Virgil Abloh Archive. It’s one of the most significant Jordan releases of the year and Jay-Z wore it courtside at MSG while the Knicks went up 2-0 in the series. The timing was right on all fronts.

The shoe carries all of Abloh’s signature design language with exposed foam tongue, orange tab on the Swoosh, “AIR” lettering on the midsole, and “V.A.A. for Nike” stamped on the side panel where “Off-White for Nike” used to read. It’s a nearly all-white colorway with subtle blue tints on the synthetic panels, keeping the whole look icy.

Jay-Z was courtside in a full black tracksuit and beanie. Low-key outfit, high-key sneaker choice. At this point his courtside footwear is its own conversation every single playoff round.

The Knicks are rolling and Jay-Z is showing up with the right shoes every time. Add the fact Jay-Z is coming off a great night at the Met Gala, wearing an out-of-this-world watch, it just keeps getting better and better.

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Jay-Z Rocks The V.A.A Air Jordan 1 “Alaska”

The V.A.A. x Air Jordan 1 “Alaska” is the first global product release from the Virgil Abloh Archive. It’s a collection of over 20,000 objects documenting Abloh’s creative practice.

The shoe revisits the 2018 European-exclusive “Euro” colorway but updates the branding from “Off-White for Nike” to “V.A.A. for Nike,” marking the estate’s new direction post-Off-White. The packaging is just as considered as the shoe. It has a box with circular cutouts, a transparent inner case, and a booklet stamped “MODERNISM IS NOT NEW.”

The zip-tie returns in light blue and multiple lace colors come with the shoes included. It retailed for $230 and is already trading well above that on the resell market.

Read More: Supreme Celebrates 10 Years In Paris With Box Logo Hoodie You Can’t Buy Online

The post Jay-Z Wore The V.A.A. Air Jordan 1 “Alaska” Courtside At Knicks Win appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

It makes sense that Melly would apply for a bond, given the fact that he has been locked up since 2019. In 2023, his murder case ended in a mistrial, which subsequently led to the scheduling of his retrial. Throughout this process, Melly has applied for a bond on multiple occasions; however, he has been denied every single time.

According to Hot97’s Bryson “Boom” Paul, Melly was denied bond yet again. On May 6, Judge Martin S. Fein filed his decision with the courts. It was a 39-page filing, which included Fein’s opinions on the case, and the evidence the prosecution had presented thus far.

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Judge Martin S. Fein Rules On YNW Melly’s Bond

 “The State’s evidence is arguably sufficient to convict; it is not contradicted in a material respect such that there is a substantial question of fact as to the guilt or innocence of the Defendant,” Judge Fein wrote.

This is an unfortunate legal development for Melly, who has not been given a speedy trial. It took four years before he sat in front of a jury. Now, it has taken another four years for the retrial to take place. By the time a verdict is presented, it will have been eight years since he’s been locked up.

Overall, this trial remains at the forefront of people’s minds. Some feel as though this entire ordeal has been a great injustice to Melly. Given the circumstances, it is easy to see why, regardless of whether or not he might be guilty.

This is a story we will continue to follow as it develops.

Read More: The 10 Most Iconic Air Jordan 1 Moments In Hip Hop History

The post YNW Melly Denied Bond Ahead Of 2027 Retrial appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

However, both Boosie and Spears have been looking for a raise. Vlad has been paying them an interview fee, and in their minds, it isn’t enough. While Vlad has explained his logic behind not giving a raise, Boosie and Spears have continued to force the issue.

Now, it appears as though Spears and Boosie are no longer welcome on VladTV. Neither side has given an inch, and that’s where things have been left off. On Wednesday, 6ix9ine got involved in the conversation with a new interview on VladTV.

During Part One of their conversation, 6ix9ine revealed that he took a $35K paycut to appear on the show. Instead of being paid $50K, he now gets paid $15K. Why? Because he believes it’s a fair price for being paid to talk.

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6ix9ine Takes a Paycut

“I took a 35K paycut… You can’t be greedy all your life. You gotta understand the business side. At the end of the day, you’re getting paid to talk,” 6ix9ine explained.

Of course, this is all a gambit for 6ix9ine to troll Spears and Boosie. It also helps Vlad in negotiations. For instance, in a follow-up video on social media, Vlad made it clear that 6ix9ine’s numbers are better than anyone else’s, and he’s making less money.

Whether or not this actually convinces Boosie and Spears to abandon their pay demands remains to be seen. It’s clear what is happening here, and we’re sure some fans can see through it. Having said that, there is no denying that a 6ix9ine interview is always going to draw big numbers, regardless of what he’s saying.

Read More: Trap Dickey Talks Upcoming Album “The Ville,” Teases TDE Compilation Project & Lil Wayne Vs. Jay-Z

The post 6ix9ine Reveals How Much DJ Vlad Is Paying Him For Interviews appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Next Thursday, ICEMAN Episode 4 is going to be released to the masses, and this promises to be a major step forward for Drizzy. It will give fans an idea of what kind of era he is jumping into.

One person who couldn’t be more excited is none other than DJ Akademiks. Akademiks has always prided himself on being a Drake insider of sorts. Recently, he went on VladTV to give his take on the upcoming project.

It was here that he gave a warning of sorts to Kendrick Lamar. In his mind, it would be a grave error to drop something on the same day. “It would only cement that he’s competing with Drake,” Akademiks stated.

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DJ Akademiks Gives Kendrick Lamar A Heads Up

Akademiks believes Kendrick has already had his fun with a “two-year victory lap.” In Ak’s mind, he just needs to let Drizzy have his release date and leave it at that.

If Kendrick were to drop a surprise album on May 15, there would be all sorts of commotion. Furthermore, fans would start comparing sales. This poses a risk to Lamar, as Drake likely has the edge when it comes to these metrics. While numbers are by no means an indicator of quality, they do lend themselves to narratives and public opinion on social media.

Regardless, it is highly unlikely that Lamar drops anything next Friday. To say otherwise is pure fantasy. While it might be nice to think about, it seems outlandish to believe K. Dot would actually do it.

Read More: Trap Dickey Talks Upcoming Album “The Ville,” Teases TDE Compilation Project & Lil Wayne Vs. Jay-Z

The post Kendrick Lamar Receives A Warning From DJ Akademiks About Interfering With Drake’s “ICEMAN” Release appeared first on HotNewHipHop.