The prompt was simple and perfect: “If creativity had no limits, what’s your AJ1 design?” Submissions poured in from the community and Solebox highlighted standout designs across their platforms.

The raffle entry form itself doubled as a blank Air Jordan 1 sketch template. People drew directly on it and handed it in with their size selection.

The concept is a genuine tribute to who Virgil was. He once said his hope was for the kid who didn’t get the Off-Whites to go to a store, buy a regular pair, head to Lowe’s, grab a zip tie and an X-Acto knife, and do their own spin on it.

That spirit of open creative participation defined his entire legacy. Asking sneaker fans to sketch their own concepts before entering a raffle for his shoe is exactly the kind of creative invention Virgil championed.

The submissions shown range from intricate hand-drawn concepts to more straightforward colorway ideas. One features detailed shading with “ABLOH” written on the midsole. This is how you honor a legacy properly.

Read More: Steph Curry Honors LeBron’s High School Legacy With His Sneakers

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

The Virgil Abloh Archive x Air Jordan 1 High OG “Alaska” is a clean, minimal interpretation of Virgil’s Off-White design language. The shoe runs in a mostly white and light grey construction with soft blue paneling at the collar and toe.

A blue zip tie replaces the standard red one from the original Off-White Jordan 1. Orange stitching details appear throughout as a subtle callback to Virgil’s signature accent color. “AIR” is stamped on the midsole in his iconic quotation mark treatment.

It is a restrained release that feels appropriate for an archive drop honoring one of fashion’s most important creative voices.

Read More: Travis Scott Shows Up To Toma El Juego ATL In Unreleased Nike

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According to No Jumper on Instagram, the federal indictment against Shiesty and his codefendants claims the victims “overheard [Pooh] talking on his cellphone (potentially with a probation or parole officer), stating that his case worker had given him permission to be out for ‘rec time.'” The Memphis rapper recently left prison on house arrest over a gun charge.

The indictment also reportedly claims whoever Shiesty was talking to told him to return home immediately. There was allegedly some misinformation regarding that “rec time” excuse. In addition, the indictment details how he allegedly wore an ankle monitor during the alleged kidnapping and robbery.

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Elsewhere, No Jumper caught a WMC Action News 5 report about Pooh Shiesty’s father’s court hearing regarding this case. Reportedly, an FBI special agent said that, at press time, there is no hard evidence such as surveillance footage that proves Pooh or Big30 carried a gun or threatened Guwop. The agent also reportedly said no “concrete evidence” emerged from searches on either rapper’s cars or homes when authorities arrested them. But a judge found probable cause to move forward with the case.

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

How Long Could Pooh Shiesty Be In Jail?

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This case is still in very early development, so we will see what future court hearings reveal. If a jury convicts these codefendants of the alleged crimes, Pooh Shiesty and company could be in jail for life.

Pooh Shiesty’s lawyer reportedly addressed the Gucci Mane case, speaking to The Dallas Morning News yesterday (Friday, April 3). “The government tries to characterize this as a dispute over money between Lontrell 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.

For those unaware, rumors of a contract dispute between Pooh and Gucci emerged in recent months. The former signed to the latter’s 1017 Records label.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Feds Claim Pooh Shiesty Spoke With Probation Officer Before Gucci Mane Kidnapping appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

SVSM stands for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. That is LeBron James’ alma mater. The green and gold colorway on Curry’s feet matches the Fighting Irish’s school colors exactly. Seeing those initials on a shoe worn by Curry, during a game against LeBron’s former team, is the kind of detail that sneaker culture lives for.

The deeper layer of this story goes back further. LeBron James famously wore Adidas during his high school career at SVSM before signing with Nike in 2003.

Curry wearing an Adidas shoe built around LeBron’s high school program is a genuinely layered move. Whether it was intentional or not, the timing made it land perfectly.

Curry’s free agency sneaker tour has been one of the most entertaining stories in sports this season. He has worn Nike, Li-Ning, On, Reebok, and now Adidas.

Choosing an Adidas shoe tied to LeBron’s roots while playing against Cleveland is either the most calculated move of his free agency or the best coincidence of the year.

Read More: Travis Scott Shows Up To Toma El Juego ATL In Unreleased Nike

Steph Curry Sneakers

The Adidas Pro Model “SVSM” is built around St. Vincent-St. Mary High School’s iconic green and gold color scheme. The shoe features a dark forest green patent leather upper with bold gold three-stripe branding running down the lateral side.

“Class of” and “Pro Model” text is embossed on the toe box in gold lettering. A clean white midsole grounds the look underneath. The silhouette itself is a classic Adidas basketball design with a low, streamlined profile and premium leather construction.

It is a clean, nostalgic shoe that carries enormous cultural weight given its connection to LeBron James’ high school years in Akron.

Read More: Yeezy Designer Walks Through Kanye’s Concert Unnoticed

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He had already released this song as “Ms. Jackson,” pointing not just to Fif’s deceased mother Sabrina Jackson, but also the Outkast track it samples. But its official release on streaming services on Harris’ new album Hot Seat (which also includes Domani’s other 50 Cent diss track, “PU$Y”) is under the “Firebug” title.

In the music video, one can see a lavish home being burned down by an assailant, referencing how Sabrina Jackson passed away when 50 was a young boy. The visuals also feature Domani leaving flowers on her grave.

The track as a whole is a personal dissection of its target’s character. But he already dismissed a lot of the disses against him, so we doubt this will ruffle his feathers.

Read More: Domani Has Always Been An Underrated Force In Hip Hop

T.I.’s Kids Respond To 50 Cent

Domani previously spoke on the 50 Cent beef and how he and his brother King Harris stepped in to defend their father T.I., specifically on The Breakfast Club. “We didn’t really have a conversation,” he shared. “He probably would have had some input, and I would’ve had to choose to ignore him and go my own route. I just put it out. […] This was how I felt, this is what was on my mind.”

Although Tip had his reservations with his children’s participation, most of the fallout and combative trades already settled down. We’ll see if this music video is part of a full re-ignition or if it’s more of an epilogue chapter.

Elsewhere, Domani’s stepmother also addressed the 50 Cent feud. But the comments from Tiny Harris were about King, specifically. “[King] took it very personal, and he just was going so far,” she expressed on The Breakfast Club. “I kept calling King like, ‘Take this down, take this down.’ He was like, ‘No, I can’t, mama.’ […] I just couldn’t get him to listen to me.”

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

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Per the report, FBI agents arrested Rodgers in Atlanta on Thursday (April 2), according to federal sources. Officials already arrested the other eight suspects in Dallas, Nashville, and Memphis, including Shiesty, his father Lontrell Williams Sr., and Big30.

Now, the case can move forward after a court hearing in Memphis in which a judge ruled that there is enough probable cause to proceed. As for the circumstances behind Rodgers’ arrest and how it plays into his codefendants, not many other details are available at press time.

For those unaware, federal authorities claim this alleged kidnapping and robbery happened due to a contract dispute between Pooh Shiesty and Gucci Mane. Shiesty signed with Gucci’s 1017 Records label earlier this decade, and rumors had swirled about an alleged rift between them.

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

Pooh Shiesty’s Lawyer Speaks Out

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Pooh Shiesty’s lawyer reportedly addressed this situation. Dallas-based attorney John Helms reportedly took him on as a client this week, and he reportedly spoke to The Dallas Morning News about the case in an interview. He claims prosecutors are mischaracterizing the alleged situation and making a complex dynamic overly simple.

“The government tries to characterize this as a dispute over money between Lontrell 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,” Helms reportedly stated.

Elsewhere, snitching allegations around Gucci Mane have also surfaced. Folks scrutinized the allegation that he helped identify some of the alleged culprits, but that debate hasn’t led to any strong conclusions at press time.

Now that Terrance Rodgers is reportedly in custody, we will see how this sprawling case affects each codefendant and how both sides of the court proceed. There is still a lot of work to do, and a long battle ahead for everyone involved here.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

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As caught by The Shade Room, the Memphis star rubbed her belly and mouthed “Who?” to the camera, brushing off the speculation. It’s not the most explicit clap-back in the world, but considering that GloRilla already seemed to dismiss pregnancy rumors before, the message is coming through clearly for fans.

Of course, some fans still aren’t believing this, and will keep their tinfoil hats on until they find something more convincing for them. In any case, this is the kind of thing folks won’t know for sure until she announces any potential development. But the gossip train continues to run, so Glo will probably have to deal with this for a little while.

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

GloRilla Responds To Pregnancy Rumors

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GloRilla’s last purported response to pregnancy rumors was via a song choice in an Instagram Story post. It was the “Bad Bih 4 Ya” collab with Real Boston Richey from her 2024 project Ehhthang Ehhthang, and the clip showed off the following bars: “Crop tops in the wintertime, showing off my flat-a** bеlly / Got to watch my back, though, all these f**k n***as want to get mе pregnant.“

While this isn’t an explicit denial (and neither is this Grizzlies pop-out), it all adds up. In any case, Glo probably knows exactly what she’s doing and won’t bother yet to crash the party and shut down the speculation outright.

Beyond that, GloRilla’s recent gym recaps online also caused fans to speculate about her. Whether they added to pregnancy rumors or took away from them, fans still had a lot of discussion over this.

We’ll see if the Memphis femcee comes through with a more firm address in the future. Either way, all this ruckus can only help her visibility and profile.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

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According to Complex, a new amicus brief filed in support of UMG shows various scholars and social scientist arguing against Drizzy’s allegations. The brief opposes the notion that rap lyrics can enter a court as statements of fact, and they seek to uphold the legal action’s dismissal. In addition, the brief reportedly argues that his pursuit could set a dangerous legal precedent that could lead to racial bias and First Amendment infringements.

Various high-profile scholars and social scientists reportedly contributed to this brief, including professors Regina Bradley and Erik Nielson. Bradley wrote Chronicling Stankonia: The Rise of the Hip-Hop South, and Nielson co-wrote Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America.

“When rap lyrics are admitted [as evidence], it is because they are treated as literal,” the brief reportedly reads. “This in turn opens the door to racial bias and stereotypes in the courtroom, as empirical studies demonstrate. Treating rap lyrics as literal also threatens First Amendment speech protections, and the practice already has created a demonstrable chilling effect across the industry.”

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

UMG Responds To Drake

Also, the brief points to the historical and cultural roots of rap battles. “It is critically important that courts consider the particular artistic norms around rap battles when determining whether lyrics should be deemed factual representations… Individuals understand these performances to be contests of verbal dexterity and lyrical domination, not factual arguments or a series of news reports,” it reportedly reads.

Drake filed for appeal after his lawsuit’s dismissal back in January, fighting against criticisms of his angle. “Millions of people understood [‘Not Like Us’] to convey factual information, causing countless individuals around the globe to believe that Drake was a pedophile,” his lawyers reportedly wrote in a court filing.

UMG recently responded to Drake, claiming hypocrisy. Still, his lawyers point to a shooting at his home after “Not Like Us” dropped as an example of the diss track’s impact.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Scholars Push Back On Drake’s Appeal For “Not Like Us” Lawsuit Against UMG appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Of course, this type of hyperbole is par the course for the Kanye fandom, but the massive setlist certainly indicates that scale. In addition to new cuts and live debuts, he performed some of his biggest hits ever along with cuts like “Wolves” and “Believe What I Say” that he hadn’t performed in years.

However, not everyone was a fan of Ye’s shows. Technical issues and delays plagued the performances, and some continue to criticize his status in spite of his bigotries. As such, a lot of debate continues to build on social media. But there’s a lot of praise, too.

“This will go down as one of the greatest live shows in history,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “Ending it in the best way possible way, 12 minutes of Runaway. 45 perfect songs, thank you Ye.”

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

Lauryn Hill At Kanye West’s Concert

Kanye West also brought out multiple special guests during this second SoFi Stadium show. His daughter North West came out to perform a few songs, and CeeLo Green and Andre Troutman were in the mix for some Bully tracks (the latter was all over production and voice-box duties for other songs).

But one of the biggest names to come out for a performance was Travis Scott, who performed the Bully collab “FATHER” with Ye and his track “FE!N.” Most notably, Lauryn Hill came out to perform “The Mystery Of Iniquity,” “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and the Kanye tracks “All Falls Down” and “Believe What I Say” that sample those cuts, respectively. She also performed “Lost Ones” and brought out her sons Zion and YG Marley to sing their records.

Fan Reactions

With all this in mind, fans had a lot to talk about with this show. It seems like most die-hards are satisfied, even if there’s still a lot of criticism to unpack.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Kanye West Fans Are Calling His Second SoFi Show The Greatest Concert Ever appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Shiesty’s lawyer John Helms addressed the case in an interview yesterday (Friday, April 3). Helms is reportedly a Dallas-based attorney who joined the case upon its onset this week, describing his client as being talented and having “a lot of success as an entertainer.” He claims that federal authorities’ allegations against the Memphis rapper are oversimplifying a complex situation between both sides.

“The government tries to characterize this as a dispute over money between Lontrell 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,” Helms reportedly stated. Rumors have floated around for months now that Shiesty wanted out of his contract with Gucci’s 1017 Records label.

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

How Long Is Pooh Shiesty Facing?

Pooh Shiesty faces a potential life sentence if convicted of these crimes. He and eight other individuals, including his father, face allegations of kidnapping and robbing Guwop and two colleagues at a Dallas recording studio. Gucci and his entourage allegedly arrived under pretenses of a business meeting.

Elsewhere, fans continue to debate about other alleged details. There’s alleged surveillance footage, allegations of social media boasting after the alleged crime, snitching allegations regarding Gucci Mane and Pooh Shiesty, and much more. For now, we will have to wait for more concrete information to emerge in this investigation.

At least Shiesty’s reported lawyer John Helms gave folks an alleged idea of what the legal strategy might be moving forward. Even with alleged evidence in mind, prosecutors will need to secure more information to prove their allegations, whereas the defense might try to characterize this dispute and incident differently.

Either way, Pooh has a long legal battle ahead of him. The hip-hop world and beyond continues to express shock over this saga.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

The post Pooh Shiesty’s Lawyer Reportedly Addresses Gucci Mane Kidnapping Case appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

La Flame popped out to perform his new Ye collab “FATHER” off of Bully and a shortened version of his UTOPIA hit “FE!N,” as caught by FearBuck and ALBUM TALKS on Twitter. On the other hand, Ms. Hill led “The Mystery Of Iniquity” into “All Falls Down” with Kanye and also played her tracks “Lost Ones” and “Doo Wop (That Thing),” which Ye led into his “Believe What I Say” track. Kurrco caught some clips on Twitter.

Also, the Fugees legend brought out her sons Zion and YG Marley to perform “Heartbeat,” “Crisis,” and “Praise Jah In The Moonlight,” as caught by infolky and Ahmed/The Ears on Twitter. Despite some technical delays, it was very compelling to see. Considering Kanye West and Lauryn Hill’s dynamic over the years, fans were very happy with the show of love.

Other special guests included Andre Troutman, who took over instrumental and voice-box duties for the whole show and for various specific songs like “Runaway,” “ALL THE LOVE,” and “Wolves.” CeeLo Green also performed his “Bully” collab with the Chicago artist, and North West came out to perform the Vultures collab “TALKING” and her “PIERCING ON MY HAND” song.

Read More: Kanye West “Bully” Album Review

Kanye West & Lauryn Hill’s History

Kanye West and Lauryn Hill have history together, even if it’s mostly for their musical connections. There’s “All Falls Down” and “Believe What I Say” to talk about as far as sample inspiration, Ye’s bar about being uninspired since Hill retired on “No More Parties In L.A.,” and more. So this full-circle moment was great to witness for fans.

As for Travis Scott and Kanye West’s dynamic, they had some tension last year due to Ye ranting about him. But it seems like things are all good now between them after that “FATHER” collab and performing together.

With Bully in the backdrop and Kanye’s recent apologies, many fans hope these shows are a sign of a brighter path ahead. We will see how the discourse continues to evolve over time.

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

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