In a lengthy Instagram post, Nas traced that concern back well beyond Hip Hop, writing about a musical lineage stretching from the Mississippi Delta through New Orleans to New York. He specifically invoked blues pioneer Robert Johnson, whose enormous influence has long existed alongside uncertainty over where he was actually buried.

“I think about Robert Johnson at the crossroads, how he changed music, and how we can’t even find his grave,” Nas wrote. Mississippi tourism officials recognize three possible burial sites for Johnson, with the Mississippi Blues Trail identifying the cemetery near Little Zion M.B. Church as the most likely location. Nas then brought the point into the modern industry.

Read More: JAŸ-Z Brings Out Nas And Blue Ivy Carter During New York Show

“Sometimes I look at all artists, creators and executives the same way,” he continued. “The music game forgets or doesn’t compensate the foundation. Our greats have been stolen from and ripped off of.” His message was not limited to older artists getting their flowers too late. Nas also took aim at an industry increasingly organized around whatever is moving fastest online, arguing that music cannot simply become raw material for the next trend.

“We can’t keep creating music for the sake of a ‘trend,’” he wrote. “We have to remember the purpose and our contribution and how many things we created. Where’s the love for each other at… We gotta take a stand as one. It’s time for a celebration of the music.” The post ended with an even more pointed declaration. “No Knowledge of self is certain death! It’s time to address it.”

Read More: JÄY-Z Says His Nas Beef Wasn’t Personal

Nas Has Already Been Putting Money Behind That Argument

The sentiment isn’t far from the work Nas has already been doing outside the studio. He serves on the advisory board of the Paid in Full Foundation, an organization created to recognize Hip Hop pioneers who helped build the culture without receiving financial rewards proportional to their influence.

Its annual Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards return to Las Vegas on Oct. 24, with Kurtis Blow and The D.O.C. among this year’s honorees. Nile Rodgers will receive the Quincy Jones Achievement Award, while Ralph McDaniels is being recognized for his contributions to the culture. The foundation says proceeds from the event support its work providing financial assistance to artists.

There may also be more coming. Nas said outright that he has been working on music, and the post included the phrase “BLAK MUSIC 2026,” though he did not explain whether that refers to a project or something broader. Whatever he is preparing, he seems to be placing the conversation about ownership and memory right alongside the music instead of treating it as an afterthought.

Read More: Nas & Mayor Mamdani Want New York Back At The Center Of Hip Hop

The post Nas Blasts Trend-Chasing In Music And Calls For Unity appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs gets an especially specific AI makeover. The former WWE star appears in his old Kane gear while dancing behind Blackburn, who captioned the post, “Tomorrow. Ready to roll.” She later explained that a county commissioner made the clip, Burchett reposted it, and her team shared it as well.

“You know, there is a county commissioner that made the video and put it up, and I think Congressman Burchett reposted it, we reposted it, and it’s a funsie,” Blackburn told WZTV. “Everybody get out and vote!” Yet, the internet was less charmed. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger mocked the video on X, while Blackburn’s Democratic opponent in the Tennessee governor’s race, Jerri Green, used it to make her own point about political AI. “When I say please stop using AI to support our campaign, this is what I mean,” Green wrote.

Read More: Drake’s YouTube Channel Uploads “Not Like Us” During Apparent Hack

Blackburn Has A Complicated History With Rap And AI

Choosing Kendrick invited an old congressional hearing roaring back into the conversation. In 2007, Blackburn testified at a House hearing on stereotypes and degrading imagery in entertainment, where Master P and David Banner spoke about Hip Hop. Blackburn was openly critical of the rappers’ work, saying some of the lyrics were obscene and asking, “Where and how did society fail you to the point where you choose to write such filth?”

Nearly two decades later, “Not Like Us” was apparently fair game for an AI campaign gag. Moreover, there is another wrinkle. Blackburn has spent considerable time in Washington arguing that artists need stronger protections from unauthorized AI replicas. She co-sponsored the bipartisan NO FAKES Act, legislation designed to give people greater control over AI-generated versions of their voices and visual likenesses.

“AI should empower innovation, not give scammers and online predators a free pass to exploit someone’s voice and visual likeness without permission,” Blackburn said in June after the legislation advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The campaign video doesn’t necessarily fall under the same legal concerns the bill targets, and Blackburn said she did not create it herself. Still, critics didn’t have to dig far to spot the irony of watching a senator who once grilled rappers over their lyrics now champion protections for artists’ digital likenesses post an artificial version of herself in Kendrick Lamar’s biggest performance.

Read More: Mal Questions “Not Like Us” Ranking On Complex’s Top 100 LA Rap Songs List

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He continued by acknowledging that Jackson may not want to hear from him at all. Blockstar maintained that Pop Smoke was not personally targeted over a feud and said the February 2020 home invasion was supposed to be about money. “I always say the situation was never supposed to go like that. He’s not my enemy,” he explained. “What happened, what occurred, was not personal.”

Blockstar was 17 when the robbery at the Hollywood Hills home where Pop Smoke was staying turned deadly. He later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery and received a four-year, two-month juvenile sentence. The Los Angeles Times reported that he admitted entering the property intending to rob the Brooklyn rapper. Another juvenile defendant later admitted to shooting Pop Smoke.

Read More: Pop Smoke’s Alleged Killer Thinks He Deserved A More Severe Sentence

Blockstar’s Earlier Comments Drew A Very Different Response

The apology lands differently because Blockstar sounded far less remorseful after leaving juvenile custody in 2024. During a No Jumper interview that summer, he repeatedly said he was not sorry for his involvement, even while acknowledging that Pop Smoke should not have died.

“I’m not sorry about nothing,” he said at the time. “It should’ve never happened, but I ain’t sorry.” The comments quickly drew criticism, but Jackson made clear she had little interest in consuming interviews from someone connected to her son’s death. Speaking with Hot 97 later that month, Jackson said she had deliberately avoided watching Blockstar’s interviews and only heard about his remarks when other people brought them to her attention. She admitted that hearing he had been disrespectful affected her, but said holding onto that anger would only hurt her.

“I gotta let that go because that’ll eat me up,” Jackson said. She already decided two years ago that whatever he chose to say next did not need to become part of her world.

Read More: Pop Smoke’s Alleged Killer Claims He Isn’t Sorry

The post Man Convicted In Pop Smoke Case Wants To Apologize To His Mom appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Video from the night shows Usher watching performers at Speakeasy Magick, an intimate show built around sleight of hand and audience interaction. According to TMZ, Kevin Hart was among the guests visibly stunned by a card trick, while Usher seemed more than happy to let somebody else handle the theatrics.

The guest list was nearly as entertaining as the show. Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Fabolous and Bun B were all spotted at the celebration, turning the birthday gathering into something close to an industry reunion with a magic act running through it. LeBron James and J.R. Smith were also in attendance.

Speakeasy Magick trades the giant stage for something more personal. Performers move through the room and work directly in front of guests, making the appeal less about spectacle from a distance and more about watching somebody pull off something impossible inches away. The production currently runs out of The Overlook Bar in Manhattan.

Read More: Chris Brown & Usher Cancel Tour Dates Amid Brown’s Next London Court Date

Usher Took A Birthday Break From The Stage

The celebration landed in the middle of another busy stretch for the singer. He is currently on The R&B Tour with Chris Brown, a stadium run that has kept both artists moving through the second half of the year. They recently announced a bit of a break so that everyone can take a rest before jumping back on the road.

After decades of building a career on knowing exactly when an audience is looking, Usher seemed genuinely amused by performers using those same instincts against him. For one night, he didn’t need the entrance, the choreography, or the reveal. He just got to watch the trick.

Read More: Kanye West Surprises Fans At Chris Brown & Usher’s Los Angeles Show

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“Why was you coming at me? As a female?” she asked.

The room did not explode, but the temperature definitely changed. Lore’l explained that she had been looking forward to the interview and had plenty of positive questions prepared, while also defending her right to critique Miami’s music. Miami was not arguing with criticism itself. Her issue was that she believed Lore’l’s previous comments went well beyond reviewing a song.

Miami said she had heard the earlier discussion and came close to calling into the station at the time. Rather than doing that, she apparently saved the conversation for when the two were sitting across from each other.

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Read More: Is Yung Miami’s “Spend Dat” Bad For Hip-Hop?

Yung Miami Had Not Forgotten The BossMan Dlow Commentary

The comments bothering Miami stemmed from her July departure from BossMan Dlow’s Motion Party Tour. After she pulled out of the trek, Lore’l criticized the decision on-air and suggested Miami thought she was “above the program.” She also joked about the City Girls hit “Act Up” not paying as much anymore as others in the studio laughed.

Miami had publicly given a different explanation for leaving. In her announcement, she said she needed to finish her debut album and was facing deadlines, telling fans she had to “lock in” to get the project done. BossMan Dlow subsequently postponed the tour after what his team described as Miami’s “last-minute departure.” Her statement made it clear she was stepping away to work on the album rather than abandoning touring altogether.

Her press run comes as she prepares to release Watch Dis, her first full-length solo album, on Oct. 23. The project follows “Spend Dat,” “F You” and “2008,” with Miami using much of this rollout to address the criticism that has followed her solo career. Judging by her visit to The Morning Hustle, she isn’t limiting those conversations to the people criticizing her from a distance.

Read More: Yung Miami Had A One-Word Response When Asked About A City Girls Reunion

The post Yung Miami Keeps It Polite While Confronting Lore’l Over Past Shade appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Neither side got close to everything it wanted. Saxon’s attorneys sought about $1.23 million in fees and costs after trial. Ye’s lawyers argued the court should deny the request and cap any award at $59,425. Hammond landed considerably below Saxon’s request, but well above the figure Ye’s team proposed.

“I respect Judge Hammond’s openness to consider my argument” for a larger award, Saxon attorney Ron Zambrano told Billboard. He added that he still believed the work required to secure the verdict was worth more than what the judge ultimately approved. Ye’s camp was less impressed. Spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos used the ruling to take a swipe at Zambrano’s co-counsel Neama Rahmani, calling the outcome “fittingly humiliating” after Saxon’s team had pursued a much larger fee award.

Read More: Kanye West Wants Donda Academy Trial Delayed Until 2027

The Malibu Mansion Dispute Is Not Finished

Saxon sued Ye in 2023 over his time working at the rapper’s Tadao Ando-designed Malibu property, which Ye purchased for $57.3 million in 2021. Saxon alleged he was hired to oversee a sweeping renovation and suffered neck and back injuries while working under unsafe conditions. Ye denied wrongdoing and disputed Saxon’s account of both his employment and injuries.

After trial in March, jurors awarded Saxon $100,000 for medical expenses and $40,000 for pain and suffering. They rejected several of his other claims, including wrongful termination and unpaid wages. Ye later challenged the verdict, but Judge Hammond declined to overturn it in April.

The mansion itself has already delivered a separate financial hit. Ye gutted much of the concrete beachfront home during his attempted renovation before eventually selling it in 2024 for $21 million, far below what he paid three years earlier. Moreover, another legal fight still ties to the property. Ye has sued Saxon over a mechanic’s lien placed on the mansion, accusing him of interfering with its sale. That case remains pending, leaving a house Ye no longer owns attached to yet another courtroom battle.

Read More: Kanye Wants Antisemitic Posts Banned From Discrimination Trial

The post Ye’s Malibu Mansion Lawsuit Bill Climbs Past $320K appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The announcement follows August’s Joe and Donell Jones faceoff, continuing a stretch that has put veteran R&B voices back at the center of the platform. Case and Thomas make for a particularly interesting pairing because their commercial peaks overlap without their catalogs feeling interchangeable.

Case has “Touch Me, Tease Me,” “Happily Ever After,” “Faded Pictures,” and “Missing You” to pull from. His catalog also reflects how much of his run crossed through soundtrack culture and Hip Hop collaborations. “Missing You” became his biggest solo hit, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 4 on the Hot 100.

Read More: Boosie Says He Could Beat Lil Wayne In A Verzuz Battle

Case And Carl Thomas Bring Different R&B Weapons To Verzuz

Thomas enters with one of the defining Bad Boy R&B albums of its era. Emotional arrived in 2000 and gave him “I Wish,” “Summer Rain,” the title track, and “Giving You All My Love.” “I Wish” spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart, while the album eventually went Platinum.

His catalog also gives the night a slightly different emotional temperature. Case often moved between romantic records and Hip Hop-adjacent collaborations, while Thomas built much of his reputation on heartbreak songs that sounded polished without losing their ache. A Verzuz format gives both approaches room to breathe. Neither singer is coming into the matchup as a nostalgia act who disappeared once the early 2000s ended. Case released “I Can’t Breathe” earlier this year, while Thomas has remained active on the R&B touring circuit and returned to “Emotional” in 2025 with a remix featuring Big Boogie and Moneybagg Yo.

Check out the announcement above.

Read More: Who Really Won YG Verzuz The Game?

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Rather than simply inventorying the jewelry, the officers appear genuinely fascinated by it. They pick up chains and watches for closer inspection, commenting on the size of the pieces and the amount of diamonds involved. At several points, the mood feels less procedural than curious, with multiple officers taking turns examining what Thugger had been wearing.

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Read More: Netflix Announces “Young Thug On Trial” Documentary

Young Thug Eventually Won The Fight To Get His Property Back

Thugger entered a plea in October 2024 and was released on probation, but his lawyers continued fighting over the cash, vehicles, and jewelry taken more than two years earlier. By 2025, the tide had turned in his favor. A judge ruled that the state had missed a legally required deadline in the civil forfeiture proceedings. This cleared the way for much of the property to be returned. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the order covered nearly $150,000 in cash, luxury vehicles and an assortment of jewelry.

The legal wrangling continued after prosecutors appealed, but Judge Paige Reese Whitaker eventually ordered the state to return the remaining property by January 2026. Thug had already recovered jewelry earlier in the process, while some firearms and YSL-related pieces were treated separately. That gives the resurfaced footage a different ending than it had when those cameras were rolling. The officers inspecting Thug’s collection were looking at property the state may have hoped to keep. Years later, the state ordered much of it back into his hands.

Read More: Young Thug Teases New Music With Drake And An R&B Album

The post Police Fangirl Over Young Thug’s Jewelry In Bodycam Video appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The ambition comes after a year that already gave Rocky plenty of other measures of success. Don’t Be Dumb debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January. It gave him his first chart-topping album in more than a decade. He also returned to the road for his first major tour in seven years, something Rocky sees as its own proof that the lengthy gap between projects didn’t diminish his audience.

“This year my focus was really about the music,” he said. “Sixty dates sold out. It’s people who won Grammys that can’t even sell out arenas. These ideas, we’re giving people performance art that has never been seen.”

Rocky described his current live show as something beyond a standard Rap concert, telling Billboard that he views it as “performance art in a Hip Hop formation.” That approach matches how he built Don’t Be Dumb, bringing Tim Burton into the project’s visual world and working with Danny Elfman while extending the album through elaborate videos and alter egos.

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Read More: A$AP Rocky’s New Merch Suggests “Don’t Be Dumb” Deluxe Is Coming Soon

A$AP Rocky Is Still Chasing His First Grammy

Despite more than a decade as one of Rap’s most recognizable artists, Rocky has yet to win a Grammy. His previous nominations include Best Rap Song for “F***in’ Problems” in 2014 and Best Music Video for “L$D” two years later. “Tailor Swif” brought him back to the Best Music Video category in 2025. Still, he left without a trophy again.

That history helps explain why Don’t Be Dumb is being aggressively entered for 2027. According to Billboard, the album was submitted for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, along with several production and packaging categories. “PUNK ROCKY” is being pushed for Record of the Year. Meanwhile, “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” with Brent Faiyaz was entered for Song of the Year.

Rocky doesn’t sound interested in pretending the trophy would be meaningless after everything else he’s accomplished. “It would be an honor,” he said. “I’m ready, and I think I should win these awards and solidify to kind of go on to the next chapter and sh*t like that.”

First-round Grammy voting runs through Oct. 22, with nominations arriving Nov. 16. Rocky has more music coming before voters finish making their decisions, with “Mushroom Clouds” set for release tomorrow (Oct. 16) as he begins moving toward Don’t Be Dumb – Disc 2.

Read More: A$AP Rocky Announces Release Date For New Single Ahead Of Disc 2

The post A$AP Rocky Admits He Built ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ With A Grammy In Mind appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

At this point, the information remains rather scarce, and there has been no confirmation from either Diddy or Coke’s representatives. However, it did come as a bit of a surprise for fans of true crime and drug lore that one of the biggest cocaine traffickers was responsible for the alleged injury. In response to the story, the Bureau of Prisons told TMZ, “The Bureau Of Prison have since denied that the story is true.” However, they didn’t share any other details surrounding Diddy’s injury, and TMZ stood by their original reporting.

But for those who aren’t familiar, Christopher “Dudus” Coke is a convicted crime boss from Jamaica who led the Shower Posse Gang, an international drug-trafficking network, prior to his incarceration. Although cherished by many in the Tivoli Gardens community who viewed him as a benefactor, Dudus’ reputation as a drug lord eventually led to his extradition to the United States, where he pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering in 2011.

Below is a breakdown of everything you need to know.

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Did Dudus Beat Up Diddy In Prison? What We Know About The Rumors

Dudus’ name hasn’t made international headlines as of late until a TMZ report emerged claiming that he and Diddy got into an altercation behind bars that led to Diddy’s hospitalization. Reports initially claimed that Diddy suffered a head injury after falling from his bed. However, later reports claimed that it was because he and Dudus came to blows, which the music mogul’s family denied.

The report said that this allegedly stemmed from Diddy’s luxurious lifestyle behind bars, which has gotten him into trouble on a number of occasions. NBC News exposed these “prison perks” in an exposé, leading to two raids in the prison, along with the confiscation of cell phones from inmates. Outside of obtaining a cell phone, he reportedly also paid inmates to cook, clean, and give him massages.

Sources close to TMZ suggested that Dudus continues to have major influence behind bars, even if Diddy is the most famous person inside of Fort Dix. Dudus allegedly wasn’t happy with the attention Diddy brought.

The Bureau of Prisons has since denied that there’s any truth to the story. When asked how Diddy sustained a head injury, they said they had “no additional information to provide.” 

TMZ stated that they trust their sources. “Our sources are solid on Diddy’s injury, and his transport out of Fort Dix early last Saturday morning. As we reported, he was returned to the prison before sunrise, so whatever treatment he got was not for a life threatening injury,” they wrote. 

Who Is Christopher “Dudus” Coke? 

Born Christopher Michael Coke in Jamaica, he grew up in Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston, an area that eventually became synonymous with his name. Per The Guardian, Coke’s father, Lester Lloyd Coke, also known as Jim Brown, already developed a reputation as a prominent figure in Jamaica’s underworld as the founding leader of the Shower Posse. The organized crime syndicate gained notoriety internationally because of its international drug and arms trafficking.

Dudus eventually inherited the organization’s leadership from his father, who died in a prison fire while awaiting his extradition to the United States. He eventually emerged as his successor and maintained a presence in Jamaica and the U.S. The Shower Posse’s history in the 1970s and 1980s is connected to the political division in Jamaica, which led to rival political parties gaining support from working-class neighborhoods, sometimes through armed groups associated with criminal activity.

Tivoli Gardens was one such community. Established under the influence of Jamaica Labour Party politician Edward Seaga, the neighborhood became a stronghold of political loyalty and a base for Dudus’s influence. Dudus ultimately gained a reputation as a community benefactor who helped his community by reportedly providing food, school supplies, financial assistance, medical support, and employment to people struggling economically. Despite allegations of using Tivoli Gardens as a base, he earned some credit from certain residents for maintaining law and order.

Read More: The Grammys Has A Hip-Hop Problem

Why Was Dudus Arrested? His Extradition And 23-Year Prison Sentence

The arrest of Dudus came after a lengthy international investigation into his involvement in drug and weapons trafficking. The U.S. government claimed he led an organization that distributed narcotics across borders, brought firearms into Jamaica, and used violent practices to protect its business interests.

The United States requested his extradition in 2009, but Jamaica’s government initially resisted the request. The attempts to arrest Dudus and extradite him to America became a national crisis. By May 2010, Jamaican authorities launched an operation to capture Coke after the government agreed to the extradition, leading to armed confrontations in West Kingston and more than 70 people dead. And while Coke escaped the initial operation, he was arrested on June 22, 2010, near Kingston as he tried to turn himself in. He waived his right to an extradition hearing and was extradited to America.

After arriving in the United States, Coke faced federal charges related to guns and drug trafficking that carried the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. 

In 2012, a federal judge sentenced Coke to 23 years in prison. He was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release following his imprisonment and to forfeit $1.5 million. Complex reports that his expected release date is Jan. 28, 2029.

Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

The Pop Culture Influence: Drake, Tory Lanez, Pusha T & More

Dudus’ reputation exceeded the streets. In hip-hop, his name has been immortalized by artists like Pusha T, who delivered a tribute of sorts to Dudus on 2010’s “Dearly Beloved” following Coke’s arrest. Push opens the song rapping, “Dearly Beloved, hail Dudas.”

On “2 On/Thotful,” Drake raps, “Woop, comin’ from the 6 side/ Where n***as goin’ shower posse just to get by.” He’s also rumored to have used the name TheBoyDuddus during a Twitch livestream.

Tory Lanez also mentioned Dudus on “K Lo K” ft. Fivio Foreign, when he raps, “Smoke this dope, feel like I’m Dudus.”

In the dancehall and reggae community, Dudus hosted two annual concerts through his Tivoli-based company, Presidential Click: Champions in Action, a charity show typically held in August, and West Kingston Jamboree, which usually took place ahead of Christmas. These drew in some of the biggest names in Jamaica like Shaggy, Elephant Man, and Beenie Man, as well as Vybz Kartel and Mavado. In fact, Coke was credited with ending the long-standing feud between Vybz and Mavado during the West Kingston Jamboree in 2009, where the two performed together. 

“Getting warring gangs in Jamaica to sign peace treaties is something Dudus did regularly,” Julian Jones-Griffith, Mavado’s long-time manager, told Billboard. “So Mavado and Kartel looked at it like, ‘If he can stop men out there from killing each other, then what is our lyrical feud to squash.”

In that same Billboard article, they pointed to Bunny Wailer, founding member of the Wailers, who wrote a song titled “Don’t Touch The President,” which described Coke as “Robin Hood from the neighborhood.”

“Dudus is a man of peace who makes sure people in his Tivoli Gardens community don’t commit crimes,” Wailer told the publication.

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