“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said, according to ESPN. “Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”

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Read More: Serena Williams Compared To Beyoncé’s “Alien Superstar” After U.S. Open Win

The Women’s Tennis Association Welcomes Serena Back With Open Arms

“Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all-time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court,” WTA chair Valerie Camillo stated. “Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players.” She added, “Serena is not just a great champion. She’s a successful entrepreneur, a powerful advocate for the issues that matter — and one of the most iconic women in the world. We are thrilled to welcome her back to the WTA Tour at this hugely exciting moment for women’s tennis.”

Any return from Serena carries significance beyond wins and losses. She remains one of the most decorated athletes in tennis history, with 23 major singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and more than 300 weeks at the top of the world rankings. Whether this comeback leads to a larger return or proves to be a one-off appearance, Williams has once again managed to command the attention of the sporting world, a reminder that some athletes never truly leave the conversation, no matter how long they’ve been away.

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One can’t imagine how difficult recent years have been for Lashawnda Woodard. While watching her son Lil Durk become one of Chicago’s biggest Rap stars, she has also witnessed a staggering amount of loss. In 2021, Durk’s older brother, Dontay “DThang” Banks Jr., was shot and killed outside a suburban Chicago nightclub. It was a tragedy that devastated the family and added to the long list of loved ones the rapper has mourned publicly throughout his career.

Today, Woodard faces another painful chapter as her son remains behind bars awaiting trial on federal murder-for-hire charges. Durk has been locked up since October 2024 after prosecutors accused him of involvement in a plot connected to the 2022 killing of Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, the cousin of rapper Quando Rondo. He has pleaded not guilty and continues fighting the charges. For a mother who has already buried one son, the uncertainty surrounding Lil Durk’s future adds another layer of heartbreak. During a recent sitdown with the Victim or Villain podcast, she gave updates on how she’s maintained throughout this ordeal.

Read More: Lil Durk Says He’s “Working On Peace” Amid Trial Delay, Shares Song Snippet For 33rd Birthday

Durk’s Mom Shares How She Found Out About His Charges

“It’s like I lost another child,” Woodard began. “It hurts. It hurts, like—I couldn’t believe it. And, I knew something [was wrong] because I kept calling his phone, and he don’t answer. And then I called his sisters, ‘Have you heard from him?’ They like, nah. I text him but…so, finally I got the call. And I’m like, ‘Oh my god.'” She added that it was Durk who rang her line to inform her about his legal situation.

At the time, the rapper was in Florida, and Woodard said that it took a “couple of days” for her Durk to call her. The host went on to call Durk one of the kindest celebrities she’s ever met. She also said that he loves his kids and cares about giving back to the community that raised him.

“Every time I talk to him, it’s never serious. So, he’s doing pretty good,” Woodard replied. When asked if Durk cut off his locs, his mother confirmed that “he did.” Check out the full episode of Lashawnda Woodard on the Victim or Villain podcast below.

The post Lil Durk’s Mom Says He Cut His Locks & Is “Doing Pretty Good” Behind Bars appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The filing comes just weeks after Lanez pursued a $100 million lawsuit connected to a violent prison attack in 2025 that left him hospitalized with multiple stab wounds and two collapsed lungs. His legal team claims a staff member at his current facility referenced that near-fatal assault while discussing the possibility of moving him to a different housing unit, raising concerns that he could be placed in an environment where his safety would be at greater risk.

Read More: Jay-Z Mocks Tory Lanez’s Jail Time In Roots Picnic Freestyle

Tory Lanez’s Attorney Says He’s “At Risk”

Lanez’s team argue the situation has escalated beyond routine prison disputes and now presents an immediate threat that requires court intervention. “The retaliation, threats, and interference with [Lanez]’s access to the courts are ongoing, immediate, andescalating, and they place [Lanez] at risk of further injury before the Court can hear the matter on full notice,” Crystal Morgan, the singer’s attorney, shared in the court documents, according to USA Today. “The conduct at issue is an ongoing threat to [Lanez]’s safety. Such a harm cannot be undone by a later judgment or through money damages.”

Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, is currently serving a 10-year sentence following his conviction in the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. His attorneys continue challenging aspects of his incarceration. In addition to limiting contact with the officer named in the complaint, Lanez is also seeking protections against potential retaliation and requesting that prison officials preserve records that could become relevant as the legal battle unfolds.

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Despite walking away from day-to-day operations, Marcus confirmed that he will retain the Trophy Room trademark and intellectual property. The brand will also transition into an online-only experience going forward.

That matters because it means Trophy Room is not disappearing entirely, just evolving into something different. What that looks like in practice remains to be seen.

Trophy Room and Jordan Brand first collaborated back in 2016 to celebrate the store’s opening. The partnership produced some genuinely memorable releases over the years, including recent Air Jordan 1 Low collabs inspired by Michael Jordan’s iconic 1986 rookie card. Those drops connected the store’s identity directly to Jordan Brand history in a meaningful way.

Marcus built something real with Trophy Room, and that does not disappear just because he is stepping back. The sneaker community built a connection with the brand over the years. Closing that chapter is significant no matter how you look at it.

Read More: Drake Finally Breaks His 2020s Slump As “Janice STFU” Earns A Second Week At Number One

Marcus Jordan Walking Away From Trophy Room

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Trophy Room launched as a brick-and-mortar store and quickly became more than just a retail location. The Jordan Brand collaborations gave it a legitimacy that most boutiques never achieve.

Each collab felt personal rather than commercial, which is a hard thing to pull off when your last name is Jordan. The 2016 Air Jordan 23 collaboration set the tone early and signaled that Trophy Room was going to be taken seriously as a creative partner.

Marcus stepping away from operations while keeping the trademark suggests he sees a future for Trophy Room beyond his own involvement. What that future looks like will be one of the more interesting stories to follow in sneaker culture this year.

Read More: A$AP Rocky Kisses Rihanna’s Hand During Toronto Concert

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It has been proven that Drake’s hitmaking has slowed down a bit. Overall, it had been eight years since Drake had a song stay at the top of the charts for multiple weeks. Of course, that song was “In My Feelings” off Scorpion.

Last week, “Janice STFU” officially went number one as ICEMAN sold 465K first week. This is easily the biggest song on the album, so it made sense. However, since that time, fans have been waiting to see if Drake could break his 2020s slump with a multi-week number one hit.

On Monday, it was confirmed that the curse is broken. Once again, “Janice STFU” conquered the charts for a second straight week.

Read More: It’s About Time Lil Wayne Retires “Tha Carter” Series

Drake Is Winning With “Janice STFU”

This is obviously great news for Drake, who remains one of the biggest artists in the world. While some were ready to count him out, it remains clear that the artist is capable of delivering some massive hits. Whether or not “Janice STFU” will continue to sustain this success is something that remains to be seen.

For now, ICEMAN remains the biggest commercial success of the year for hip-hop. It has put the genre back at the top of the charts, and there is no denying that this is great to see. Overall, it had been a long time since hip-hop earned a number one hit, and it was about time the streak was broken.

Read More: The Villains Of Hip Hop: Power, Chaos, Scandal, & Survival

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Rocky’s last album before Don’t Be Dumb was 2018’s Testing. With that being said, the fans were waiting a long time for new music, and they waited a long time for this kind of tour. Throughout the next few months, Rocky will be going all over North America before heading overseas for the International leg of the tour.

Tonight, Rocky is performing in Montreal. On Sunday, Rocky was in Toronto, which is the home city of his current nemesis, Drake. Rocky’s fans showed up and showed out at the concert, and once again, Rihanna was there by his side.

In fact, there was a very sweet moment between the two as Rocky stopped his show to kiss Rihanna on the hand. It was a cool moment, and one that sends a very clear message.

Read More: It’s About Time Lil Wayne Retires “Tha Carter” Series

A$AP Rocky x Rihanna

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On ICEMAN, Drake noted how Rihanna failed to promote Rocky’s new album. Of course, this led to a very particular narrative on social media. It was a narrative that Drake fans could rally behind.

However, throughout the course of this tour, Rihanna and Rocky have proven that Drake’s narratives aren’t entirely correct. Social media clips like these continue to go viral, and it is clear that the couple is, in fact, supportive of one another.

Going forward, it will be interesting to see if Rihanna continues to show up to tour dates. If anything, this additional star power has excited fans.

Read More: The Villains Of Hip Hop: Power, Chaos, Scandal, & Survival

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When the Giants brought in Russell Wilson, it was expected that the team would be able to turn things around. In the end, Wilson was not good enough, and the team had to play Jaxson Dart instead.

Now, Dart is out here supporting President Donald Trump and dividing the locker room in the process. As for Wilson, he has seen the writing on the wall, and has decided that the best course of action is to peace out of the sport entirely.

Read More: The Villains Of Hip Hop: Power, Chaos, Scandal, & Survival

Big Day For The New York Giants

According to Adam Schefter, Wilson has officially retired from the National Football League and has signed on to become an analyst for CBS. He will be part of their Sunday broadcasts and will be a welcome addition to that team.

On the same day, the New York Giants announced that they would be bringing back wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. While OBJ might be in the twilight of his career, this is still an exciting prospect. Now, the star gets to go to the team that made him famous over a decade ago.

Whether or not the Giants are any good this season remains to be seen. Quite frankly, it is much likelier that the team is going to be bad. The NFC East is going to be competitive, and the Giants arguably have the worst roster of any of their competitors.

Read More: It’s About Time Lil Wayne Retires “Tha Carter” Series

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During a performance at the Roots Picnic, Jay-Z took some heavy shots at the likes of Drake, Tory Lanez, Dame Dash, Nicki Minaj, and even Ye. These bars have been heavily debated over the past couple of days. Many believe the Drake bars are the most interesting, and that they suggest a rap beef between the two heavyweights is about to begin.

However, Shmurda isn’t so impressed with what he heard. In an Instagram story, Shmurda said that Jay-Z was going through an identity crisis and that he is an oldhead who ought to “sit down.”

Read More: It’s About Time Lil Wayne Retires “Tha Carter” Series

Bobby Shmurda Not Impressed With Jay-Z’s Freestyle

These were some strong words, and Bobby Shmurda did not stop there. He continued by saying that Jay-Z is trying to be “Shakespeare.” He also said that people such as himself and Tory were put away because of Jay. In his mind, all of this means Jay’s bars ring hollow.

Ultimately, Shmurda probably isn’t the only one upset with what Jay has to say. We can imagine Tory Lanez is also a bit annoyed with the bars. After all, his father did promise the downfall of Roc Nation.

Overall, Jay has become quite the newsmaker in recent days, and that will continue to be true. Especially so if Drake or Nicki Minaj decides to respond. Ultimately, it’s good to have Jay-Z back with a competitive spirit. Clearly, he still has a lot to get off his chest.

Read More: The Villains Of Hip Hop: Power, Chaos, Scandal, & Survival

The post Bobby Shmurda Pops Off On Jay-Z For Going Through An “Identity Crisis” At 56 Years Old appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

However, it seems like we might be able to expect to see 6ix9ine in the boxing ring in the near future. With the rise of streamers and internet celebrities duking it out in the ring, Tekashi and Top5 seem to be inching closer toward settling their differences at a Brand Risk event. When 6ix9ine was on stream, Top5 allegedly slid into the chat claiming that Adin Ross called him to set up the fight.

At this point, 6ix9ine asked if Top5 himself was trying to set up the fight, which really sounded like a sidestep. He quickly changed the topic to Top5’s professional accomplishments. “Name me one thing Top5 has… achieved in life right now,” Tekashi asked streamer Oblivionsw in a clip caught by Akademiks. “Other than being a Drake d*ck rider.” The streamer struggled to reach a conclusion, but not before 6ix9ine cut the conversation short.

Read More: The Villains Of Hip Hop: Power, Chaos, Scandal, & Survival

What Is 6ix9ine Up To These Days?

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While we certainly haven’t heard any music from 6ix9ine lately, he has been making the rounds on several different streaming platforms. Most recently, he appeared at Adin Ross’ latest Brand Risk event and sat down for an interview with Big Bank, which he said he paid for. Check out the clip of Tekashi above. Who do you think wins in a boxing match? Tekashi 6ix9ine or Top 5? Let us know in the comments below.

The post 6ix9ine Says Top5 Hasn’t Succeeded At Anything Except Being A “Drake D*ck Rider” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Today, the artist was back in court for his case, and this led to a video message for his fans. In fact, Boosie does not seem concerned about the case, calling it a “money grab.”

As you will hear in his online message, the artist claims the man accusing him of assault just served 18 years for aggravated assault. Furthermore, he says that he has already spoken to his parole officer, who is aware of the situation.

As it stands, details on the case are fairly sparse, and it remains to be seen what will come of all this. However, it remains clear that Boosie has no interest in pleading guilty.

Read More: It’s About Time Lil Wayne Retires “Tha Carter” Series

Details Of The Case Against Boosie Badazz

This morning, we reported that Boosie had been hosting at the Privilege nightclub prior to the alleged incident. According to Click2Houston, a security guard was ushering a woman away from the restroom, claiming the club had closed.

This eventually led to a verbal argument in which the woman dropped her belongings. Subsequently, the security guard went to help but was then allegedly struck in the head by Boosie. The security guard then went to the hospital to be treated for a head injury.

According to the report, Boosie was then identified by his artist name by the alleged victim and one of the witnesses on the scene.

This is a developing story that we will continue to update you on.

Read More: The Villains Of Hip Hop: Power, Chaos, Scandal, & Survival

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