“My bad B! – this apology is for you and ONLY YOU! – I was outta pocket. No spin, no extras. You’re my blood and I moved in a way that didn’t reflect your brand in a positive way!” Ray J wrote in a since-deleted post on Instagram. “I apologize for real. I’m making sure my actions line up with respect moving forward.- I accept the repercussions of these actions!”

He continued: “I will always defend you and anybody in my family I truly love! – But I have to learn how to express myself in a respectful manner especially when you are involved! – I still don’t like none of those guys and what they did was janky AsF- but what I said was not ok – hopefully I can be apart of your world in the near future or 2027. And to my mom and dad I apologize too. Sincerely On tha dead homiez.”

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

Shyne & Brandy’s Relationship

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The drama between Shyne and Brandy began during an episode of It Is What It Is, during which Cam’ron asked Shyne and Ma$e about the overlapping timeline for their relationships with the singer. When the clip began circulating online, Brandy shut down the story.

She wrote in a statement on Instagram. “In the late 90’s, I had a platonic friendship with rapper Shyne. In an unfortunate turn of events, that friendship is now being mischaracterized as ‘we dated.’ Unequivocally, we did not! I’m not sure why an untrue narrative about a scope of what was a friendship more than 20-years ago is being reshaped during his current media interviews.” Shyne fired back during an interview with TMZ, accusing her of lying.

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

The post Ray J Apologizes To Brandy For His Handling Of Shyne & Ma$e Drama appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Just moments ago, the Philadelphia rapper took to his X (Twitter) account to share that he’s working on one right now. However, what’s just as intriguing is the person he’s trying to holler at to get on it.

Caught by our social media page, he wrote, “I need j Cole on my project wassup bro let’s get it in the studio!!!!!” This would be a pretty cool song to listen to, although folks in his comments section are arguing otherwise.

“Why are you tweeting this? Just connect with him on LinkedIn,” one user half jokes after Meek Mill recently slammed X and hinted that he may exclusively use the job searching app instead.

Others are being much more malicious. “You don’t have the right to record with cole bro,” another replies. Another can’t help but continue the running joke revolving around Mill’s relationship with Diddy. “Its a diddy trap cole be cautious.”

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

J. Cole The Fall-Off Tour

Mill’s career over the last few years has sadly been relegated to jokes mostly because of his posts online and aforementioned Diddy ties. But we hope the 38-year-old can make a great comeback and hopefully before the end of 2026 if all goes according to plan.

For those wondering, it’s been five years since his last solo effort, Expensive Pain. His most recent album was with Too Good To Be True with MMG boss, Rick Ross. However, his most recent collection of tracks in general was a four-song EP titled Indie Pack (Vol. 01).

Getting this J. Cole feature may be a tad tricky though as the Fayetteville native is and will be very busy. Right now, he’s in the midst of a press run for The Fall-Off, a month after releasing it. Then, from July until mid-December, he’ll be on his world tour, which spans 73 shows.

But it would be the best time to grab the Dreamville CEO for a collaboration as he’s currently the man in hip-hop.

If they do come together, it would be their first song as a duo.

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

The post Meek Mill Has A Request For J. Cole After Announcing New Album appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Jay-Z is hosting the concerts in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint. He released Reasonable Doubt as his debut studio album back on June 25, 1996, and dropped The Blueprint as his sixth studio album on September 11, 2001. Tickets for the events went on sale on Monday morning, with the queues reaching upwards of 800,000 fans.

They won’t be Jay-Z’s only live performances this summer, either. Last week, Roots Picnic announced that he will be a headliner at this year’s event. In doing so, he’ll be joining Erykah Badu, Brandy, T.I., Wale, De La Soul, Mariah the Scientist, and many more notable artists on the lineup.

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

Is Jay-Z Working On New Music?

The announcement of Jay-Z’s concerts at Yankee Stadium, as well as his headlining set at Roots Picnic, has reignited speculation that he’s finally working on a new album. The rumors began in September, when Cash Cobain told Billboard Unfiltered Live that he’s heard the legendary rapper was working on new music. “I heard Jay-Z about to drop some s—t. That’s what I heard,” he told the outlet. “That’s about to shake the world.”

When the comments went viral, Cash issued a clarification about the situation on X (formerly Twitter). “When I was on the phone with Hov he said that he is absolutely not dropping an album,” Cash wrote at the time.

A new project from Jay-Z would mark his first solo release since dropping 4:44 as his thirteenth studio album in 2017. He also worked with his wife, Beyoncé, on the collaborative album, Everything Is Love, in 2018.

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

The post Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium Tickets Are Already Reselling For Thousands appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

However, it’s going to be interesting to see how Yeat handles that focus on his upcoming double album, ADL. More times than not, Yeat has kept the features to a minimum. But that is going to be far from the case on this impending project.

Per a press release, we have a majority of the feature list revealed and it’s quite impressive on multiple fronts. With the confirmed names, it’s clear that Yeat wanted to challenge himself. There’s a wide range of genres and subgenres represented here.

Moreover, it’s simply an illustrious list. Kid Cudi, frequent collaborator Don Toliver, NBA YoungBoy, Swizz Beatz, BNYX, Joji, are making appearances. But of course, the name that sticks out the most is nonother than legendary pop singer, songwriter, and pianist Elton John.

No matter what his level of involvement is, it’s bound to be the most talked-about song on the record. We don’t have a confirmation on how many songs will land on it, but it will be split into two discs.

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When Is Yeat Dropping A Dangerous Lyfe?

Side one will be A Dangerous Lyfe whereas the second will be A Dangerous Love. So, not only is Yeat taking some risks with the collaborators he’s selected, but he’s also pushing himself thematically as well.

As for when the album will release, you can circle your calendars for March 27, which is this Friday.

It will most likely include previously released tracks such as “Let King Tonka Talk” which featured King Kylie, aka Kylie Jenner, and “Made It On Our Own” with EsDeeKid. That song just so happens to have production from BNYX, making us believe it will make its way onto the first side potentially.

With ADL, he will be trying to replicate the success of his last full-length LYFESTYLE, which went number one in 2024 with 89,000 equivalent units.

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

The post Yeat Unveils Stacked Features List For “ADL” Including Elton John appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“I don’t know what is wrong with her,” Shyne told the outlet. “I spoke from a place of admiration and a place of reminiscing on my experience with her, which I didn’t care to highlight the negatives, it was only positive.”

He continued: “She lied to Oprah about being married and had to go on Oprah and apologize because she said she did that to protect her image… I can’t get in her mind. I’m just saying that she has lied to the public before to protect her image, and maybe the fact that she was seeing both Mase and I at the same time, she feels it’s not good for her image.”

“Mase has different opinions. He’s very hard-lined. He’s very extreme. I’m a bit more compassionate, a bit middle ground,” Shyne concluded. “So, Mase and I weren’t agreeing on everything. But we agreed on [both dating her]. So, if I was capping, he would have said, ‘Nah, Shyne. I don’t remember it like that.’ He and I remember it the same way. Clark Kent remembers it the same way. So, but you know what? Happy Women’s Month.”

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

Brandy’s Response To Shyne

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Cam’ron originally brought up Brandy when Shyne appeared on It Is What It Is, asking him and Ma$e about the timeline overlap in their relationships with the singer.

Brandy ended up responding to Shyne’s initial claim with a statement on Instagram. “In the late 90’s, I had a platonic friendship with rapper Shyne,” she wrote. “In an unfortunate turn of events, that friendship is now being mischaracterized as ‘we dated.’ Unequivocally, we did not! I’m not sure why an untrue narrative about a scope of what was a friendship more than 20-years ago is being reshaped during his current media interviews.”

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

The post Shyne Accuses Brandy Of Lying And Doubles Down On Their Relationship History appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Despite the absurdity of the videos, they have been generating millions of views. The original AI Cinema account now has 3.1 million followers on TikTok. Meanwhile, each video is averaging about 15 million views, with the videos garnering hundreds of thousands of likes within just a few hours.

While there has been major backlash to AI-generated content as of late, it appears as though “Fruit Love Island” continues to thrive. Overall, the fruit-people have evolved, and are no longer just constrained to Love Island parodies.

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

Fruit Love Island Is A New Viral Craze

For instance, some videos portray families in which there is some sort of infidelity. A lot of these videos could be psycho-analyzed until the cows come home. A lot of it is just straight up bizarre, and you can’t help but feel grossed out by the messages being conveyed.

What Is AI Slop?

AI slop is a catch-all term for AI content that is made to appeal to the lowest-common-demoninator. It is the kind of content that any self-respecting person would stay away from. If someone were to catch you watching it ironically, they would probably feel a deep sense of shame.

“Fruit Love Island” is the perfect example of AI slop. It is mass-produced to generate as many views as possible. Furthermore, it is of extremely low quality. From the scripts to the scenarios to the voice acting and to the words themselves, nothing is done particularly well. The fact that precious resources were wasted on this kind of content is, quite frankly, disgraceful.

If you have this kind of visceral negative reaction to a piece of AI content, it is safe to say that it is AI slop. The same can be said of those Italian brain rot characters that went viral in 2025.

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

The post What Is Fruit Love Island? The AI Slop Taking The Internet By Storm appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“If you don’t say my name out your stupid fat mouth, you got no motion. You don’t make nothing, you don’t do nothing, you don’t add nothing. You are a net negative to hip-hop culture, you’re a net negative to society,” Mero began his rant.

Mero then accused him of drinking alcohol in his mother’s basement and gossiping about people more important than him. “We make culture, we don’t just talk about it,” he remarked, referring to Hot 97. “You’re a gossiper. You are Page Six in the flesh, you’re a diabetic page out of the New York Post, you fat hamster.”

He continued: “When I sit down and talk to somebody, it’s Denzel Washington, it’s Barack Obama, it’s Matt Damon. It’s the names that mean something in the culture of entertainment. When you sit down, you sit down with a diabetic Tekashi and a guy called Wack 100 and a guy who hangs out in project courtyards yelling at windows.”

Mero concluded by threatening to get physical. “You don’t want no smoke with anybody, especially me. If it wasn’t for them strip club bouncers that form a forcefield around you, you’d be food. You’re a 20-piece chicken nugget with sweet and sour sauce,” he joked. “The last thing I’ll say about you, is that you are a one-trick pony. You know how to do one thing, and that’s exploit poverty, misery, and violence for your own monetary gain.”

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

Why Are Mero & DJ Akademiks beefing?

Mero’s feud with DJ Akademiks began with a war of words on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend. Ak had previously criticised Mero and his Hot 97 predecessor, Ebro Darden, during one of his livestreams. He described Mero as a “DEl hire” for the radio station.

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

The post Mero Unleashes On DJ Akademiks In Scathing Hot 97 Rant appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Given just how polarizing Drake can be, it should come as no surprise that the speculation surrounding the album is ramping up in a very big way. Fans are curious as to whether or not the album is going to perform well. We are already seeing predictions for the first week’s sales figures. Some are predicting exorbitant numbers over 500K in the first week units. Meanwhile, detractors think he will do less than 200K.

This debate and duality were seen on a recent episode of No Jumper with Adam22 and Wack 100. The two had a spirited debate about Drake’s potential numbers and what they think is about to happen. As you will hear, both of them are on very different sides of the equation.

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Adam22 & Wack 100 Debate Drake

Adam22 believes that Drake can sell about 400K units in the first week. Overall, this is a figure that makes a lot of sense. It is in line with various other Drake solo projects. However, Wack 100 seems to think that this is an over-evaluation. Instead, he thinks he will only sell between 175-250K units in the first week. However, with a banger single, perhaps he can get to 300K.

Wack is going with the assumption that this will perform like Drake’s collab album with PartyNextDoor. However, the PND Collab was released on short notice with very little promo. It cannot be compared to a solo Drake offering.

When ICEMAN does make its way to streaming services, we can only imagine what an event it is going to be. It has been almost three years since Drake’s last full-length solo project. The fans are excited for it, and we are certainly going to cover every single aspect of it.

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

The post Drake’s First Week Sales For “ICEMAN” Have Adam22 & Wack 100 At Odds appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

His apology, caught by Blackish Press, was posted to his Instagram this weekend. “After looking back at what I said… I have taken the time to listen, really listen, through very different eyes and ears to understand why some people felt judged and dismissed.”

Smalls adds that he can see how his “approach may have lacked the love, humility, and awareness that I believe God calls us to have.”

The actor shares that people in his circle “did not condemn me” but “corrected me in love.” They did so through sharing stories of how certain people within the LGBTQ+ community have been harmed by words and actions.

These allowed him to “see more clearly why words carry so much weight.”

Smalls concludes, “I am truly sorry for any pain or hurt that my words caused. Please do not let anyone make you feel less than, including me. I will do better.”

As for what he said: “That goes for other sinners. Scoffers, mockers, liars, all things that are an abomination. It’s not just the LGBT. If you’re drunk, if you’re an alcoholic, if you’re a murderer, these are all sins that God doesn’t tolerate.”

Read More: Afroman Beat The Case—So Where Are Free Speech Warriors When Hip-Hop’s On Trial?

Who Is Xavier Smalls?

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The timing of this apology does come at an interesting time as his show, Beauty in Black, just had its season two premiere on March 19. As a result, some folks online feel this statement isn’t passing the smell test. “Translation: I got the call that I might not come back for next season so now I have to do PR damage control…” one person says on X.

Another adds, “how can he be gay and homophobic?!? it just doesn’t make sense.” For those wondering, Smalls portrays a gay character, Angel, on Beauty in Black.

This show, created by Tyler Perry, is one of two projects by the director that he’s been involved with. The other includes Madea’s Destination Wedding.

He’s also been a part of some theatre productions such as Pipeline (Celebration Arts) and She Kills Monsters. Moreover, Smalls has starred in short films Shelf Life and Picture Perfect per Soap Central.

Read More: Jack Harlow’s “Monica” Problem Isn’t Just The Music

The post The Internet Isn’t Buying Xavier Smalls’ Apology To The LGBTQ+ Community appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Travis Scott was spotted wearing the “Green Spark” courtside at a Celtics game. The moment immediately sent sneaker Twitter into a frenzy. Seeing them on foot in that setting only added to the anticipation.

The CJ1 T-Rexx is Travis Scott’s newest Jordan Brand silhouette. It introduces a bold, low-profile shape with aggressive outsole sculpting. The shoe looks different from anything else in the Cactus Jack catalog.

The custom “Jack” branded shoe box is also worth looking at below. Brown with playful hand-drawn lettering, it fits perfectly within the Cactus Jack universe. Even the packaging feels intentional and collectible on its own.

A release through Nike and select Jordan Brand retailers is expected. Cactus Jack’s SNKRS drops have historically moved fast and sold out quickly. Overall, the “Green Spark” looks like one of Travis Scott’s strongest Jordan collabs to date.

Read More: Ranking Every Air Jordan 3 OG Colorway From Worst To Best

Travis Scott CJ1 T-Rexx “Green Spark” Images

The Travis Scott Jordan CJ1 T-Rexx “Green Spark” is a very exciting new silhouette. The shoe blends basketball heritage with Travis Scott’s signature design sensibility throughout.

Electric green leather panels dominate the upper from toe to heel. Black perforated overlays add depth and texture across the midfoot area. Also a pale green Swoosh provides subtle contrast against the louder green base.

Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack logo is embroidered on the ankle strap in matching green. The heel features his signature smiley face logo in white. A bright green sculptured outsole wraps the entire bottom dramatically.

The overall look is loud, confident, and definitely Cactus Jack.

Travis Scott Jordan CJ1 T-Rexx Retail Price

While we don’t have an official release date for the sneakers, we do have an anticipated retail price. Further, the retail price of the sneakers is expected to be $205 when they drop.

Read More: The Nike Air Foamposite One PRM “Tianjin 2.0” Is Worth the Wait

The post Travis Scott Jordan CJ1 T-Rexx “Green Spark” Official Images Surface appeared first on HotNewHipHop.