The Baton Rouge Police Department claims the attack was carried out by two men in masks. They believe Cleezy5 was targeted. Reportedly, the two suspects fled in a vehicle.

“It was a targeted attack. The victim was out there working out, we know those two suspects walked up and fired upon the victim multiple times killing him at the scene,” Lt. L’Jean McKneely, a BRPD public information officer, said. “We know it was two persons they walked up, they were masked, had masks on their face prior to doing the shooting, while doing the shooting.”

“We know it was a vehicle somewhere close that they got into,” he continued, “We see and feel that there is some association involving certain groups here in Baton Rouge, but it’s nothing we can openly say at this time because it is an ongoing investigation.”

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Cleezy5 Shooting

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“We know there’s a lot of social media chatter about this particular shooting, and we’re asking if anybody knows anything, please call us,” McKneely added. “We’re following up on all the leads that we have. We’re reviewing information and evidence that we have, but we need the public’s assistance. […] The community wants to know.”

Cleezy5 was the CEO of the Top Boy Gorilla collective and worked closely with artists like Fredo Bang. Since his passing, countless fans and peers have taken to social media to share their condolences.

“Dawg been holding it down for a min, rest in peace,” one Twitter/X user writes. “Well there goes the future of rap music,” another claims. Someone else says, “I hate that for fredo he been pushing peace.”

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

The post TBG CEO Cleezy5 Dead At 46 After Baton Rouge Shooting appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Over the following four decades, the AJ1 has appeared on fashion week front rows, Super Bowl stages, social media feeds, and collaborative releases that generated some of the highest resale prices ever recorded. Here are the ten most iconic hip-hop moments…

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10. Teyana Taylor x Air Jordan 1 Zoom CMFT 2 “A Rose From Harlem”

Teyana Taylor has been a credible voice in sneaker culture since well before most people were paying attention. She built a reputation as a serious collector long before brands started calling.

Her collab history with Reebok and Adidas only added to that credibility. So when Jordan Brand finally came calling, it felt earned rather than manufactured. The “A Rose From Harlem” AJ1 is a direct reflection of who she is: a Harlem native with a deep connection to New York street culture and a love for the shoe.

Furthermore, it made her one of a very small group of women to ever collaborate on the Air Jordan 1. That alone makes it significant.

9. Just Don x Air Jordan 1 “BHM”

Don C is one of the most respected figures in the intersection of hip hop and fashion. A longtime member of Kanye West’s inner circle and a co-founder of the Donda creative agency, he built his reputation in Chicago before becoming one of the most sought-after collaborators in the sneaker industry.

The “BHM” AJ1 arrived during Black History Month and carried cultural weight behind it. It was not a celebrity vanity project. Moreover, it came from someone who had earned his place at the table through years of legitimate creative work within the culture.

For many collectors, this collab signaled that Jordan Brand was finally taking hip hop’s creative community seriously as design partners rather than just brand ambassadors.

8. J. Balvin x Air Jordan 1 OG High “Colores Y Vibras”

J. Balvin’s collaboration with Jordan Brand was a landmark moment for Latin representation in sneaker culture. He became the first Latino artist to collaborate on the Air Jordan 1, which in itself is a significant footnote in the shoe’s history.

The timing added another layer as the pair was unveiled during his Super Bowl LIV halftime performance alongside Jennifer Lopez in February 2020, one of the most-watched stages in the world. Beyond the visibility, the shoe reflected Balvin’s identity directly.

The multicolor tie-dye canvas upper and layered graphic design are an extension of the aesthetic he had built across his music and his brand. It was a personal collaboration rather than a straightforward licensing deal.

7. A Tribe Called Quest x Air Jordan 1 High Strap

A Tribe Called Quest is one of the most critically respected groups in hip hop history. Their influence on the culture extends well beyond their discography. This collaboration arrived in 2017 alongside the release of their final album, We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, which was also Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White’s first album in nearly two decades.

The fact that Jordan Brand chose to commemorate that moment with an AJ1 collab speaks to how seriously the group is regarded within sneaker culture.

Additionally, the red, black, and green colorway carries Pan-African associations that gave the shoe a layer of meaning beyond the standard collab. It remains one of the more culturally specific AJ1 collaborations ever produced.

6. Drake Off-White Air Jordan 1s

Drake has one of the most well-documented relationships with Jordan Brand of any hip-hop artist. He has had an official deal with the Jumpman since 2013, producing OVO collaborations across multiple silhouettes over more than a decade.

So when he took to social media to show off both the Off-White x AJ1 “Chicago” and the Off-White x AJ1 “White” shortly after “The Ten” dropped in 2017, it carried real weight. Drake was already one of the most followed people on the internet.

His co-sign of the Off-White AJ1s at that specific moment helped introduce the collaboration to an audience well beyond the traditional sneaker community. It was an organic endorsement from someone with credibility in both worlds.

5. A$AP Rocky Various Air Jordan 1s

A$AP Rocky occupies a unique space in hip hop. He is as well known for his fashion sensibility as he is for his music. Over the years, he has been documented in multiple Air Jordan 1 colorways: the Off-White x AJ1 “Chicago,” the “Bred,” the “New Love,” and several others.

Rocky’s relationship with the AJ1 is notable because it sits within a broader wardrobe that pulls from luxury fashion, vintage archive pieces, and streetwear simultaneously. The fact that the AJ1 holds its own in that context says something about the shoe’s versatility.

Furthermore, Rocky’s consistent reach for the AJ1 across different eras and colorways reflects a real love rather than a one-off styling choice. Few rappers have worn the silhouette with as much range.

4. Jay-Z Wears Off-White x Air Jordan 1 “Chicago”

Jay-Z spent years as a Puma creative director, which made this sighting particularly significant. He was spotted courtside at an NBA game in the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” one of the most coveted and expensive sneakers in the world at the time.

For someone of his stature to step out in these shoes, unprompted and without any commercial arrangement attached, was a co-sign. Additionally, Jay-Z’s history with sneaker culture runs deep.

He built the S. Carter line with Reebok into one of the fastest-selling shoes in the brand’s history. When someone with that kind of credibility and that kind of brand independence chooses to wear a specific shoe courtside at an NBA game, the sneaker community notices.

It remains one of the most high-profile AJ1 sightings in recent memory.

3. Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 High “Mocha”

The “Mocha” is the most commercially significant rapper and Air Jordan 1 collaboration ever produced. Travis Scott’s relationship with Jordan Brand had been building for several years before this dropped in 2019, but this was the shoe that defined it.

The reverse Swoosh was unprecedented on the AJ1 silhouette and immediately became his signature design detail. It also changed how Jordan Brand approached rapper collaborations going forward giving artists creative input rather than surface-level branding.

Resale prices reflected the demand immediately and have remained elevated ever since. Additionally, the “Mocha” introduced a new generation of consumers to the AJ1 who had no prior connection to the shoe’s basketball or retro history.

2. Kanye West At Fashion Week

This image is one of the most referenced photos in sneaker culture. Kanye West sitting front row at Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2012 show in London wearing the Air Jordan 1 “Bred” is a moment that crystallized the shoe’s crossover into high fashion.

Fashion week front rows in 2011 were not yet a common place to see Air Jordans. Kanye changed that simply by showing up. His presence in that world was already significant at that point, and the choice to wear the “Bred” AJ1 in that specific context sent a clear message about where the shoe stood culturally.

It helped establish the Air Jordan 1 as a legitimate fashion object rather than just a basketball shoe or a streetwear staple. That shift had lasting consequences for the entire sneaker industry.

1. LL Cool J Wears The Air Jordan 1 “Bred” On The Back Cover Of Radio

This is where it started. In 1985, LL Cool J appeared on the back cover of his debut album Radio wearing the Air Jordan 1 “Bred.” Michael Jordan was still a rookie. Nobody in hip hop was wearing Jordans yet. Everyone was in Adidas and Puma.

LL has said himself that he was never paid by Nike and never had a deal. He simply liked the shoe. That organic, uncommercial quality is exactly what makes this moment so significant. It was the first documented instance of a rapper putting the Air Jordan 1 on a hip hop record.

Furthermore, it predates every collab, every co-sign, and every resale record on this list. Without this moment, the relationship between the Air Jordan 1 and hip hop culture looks very different.

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The post The 10 Most Iconic Air Jordan 1 Moments In Hip Hop History appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

UMG owned nearly 6.5 million shares in Spotify as of 2025, per the company’s 2025 yearly report. This is worth 3.16 percent of the company.

“We delivered a solid quarter of growth in our core businesses, complemented by our strategic development and investment in fast-growing areas of the industry, UMG’s Chairman and CEO, Lucian Grainge, stated. “We continue to build the most successful music company in history by attracting the world’s top talent, engaging fans globally, and delivering long-term value for stakeholders.”

“Central to that mission is fostering an environment that protects artists and songwriters, champions human creativity, and embraces innovation at a pivotal moment for our industry,” he also added.

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Taylor Swift’s Spotify Clause

CFO of UMG, Matt Ellis, explained: “Against the backdrop of a healthy industry, we are consistently driving sustained revenue growth through our multi-faceted strategy, while continuing to expand EBITDA and reinvest for the future.”

“In addition, the important steps we are announcing today to increase our share buyback authorization and monetize a portion of our equity stake in Spotify will lead to enhanced shareholder value while maintaining the flexibility the Company requires to drive further success,” Ellis also said.

All artists signed to UMG will benefit from the sale, all thanks to Taylor Swift. As part of a record deal she signed in 2018, she asked that any sale of the label’s Spotify shares result in a distribution of money to their artists, non-recoupable. Artists that will benefit as a result include Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, and many more.

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The post Kendrick Lamar, SZA & More To Benefit From UMG’s Spotify Stake Sale appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Per the outlet, he’s going to be youngest host in the program’s 25-year history. He’s going to narrowly eclipse fellow comedic star Kevin Hart, who was also 31, but closer to 32 than Druski was when he took the role in 2011.

Hart was born on July 6 whereas Druski was born on September 12.

Given that the Coulda Been Records creator is going to be following in the footsteps of greats like Hart and at such a young age, he’s incredibly thankful for the opportunity. In statement he said, “It’s an honor to be the youngest host EVER for the BET Awards. I grew up watching the BET Awards and, to know the comedic legends that hosted before me set the bar so high, I’m just grateful to be a part of the history.”

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Druski Erika Kirk Skit

He added, “BUT I’m still bringing my brand of comedy to the stage, so expect a little chaos, a lot of laughs and some of your favorite Druski characters to pop out along the way.”

You’ll be able to catch Druski’s hosting chops on a national stage this summer. The 2026 BET Awards will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The broadcast is on Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. ET.

It’s going to be interesting to see how far Druski pushes the envelope in a setting like this. His skits online have certainly done that, with his most recent mocking Erika Kirk causing tons of controversy.

Erika, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, has been under a lot of scrutiny. Specifically, she’s faced it for the way she’s moved past her husband’s death late last year. Everyone grieves in different ways, but the way it’s looked hasn’t been great.

So, naturally, Druski went ahead and made a skit called “How Conservative Women in America act.” It’s also been divisive as his makeup and prosthetics made him look like a white woman. Erika Kirk was not amused by the post in the slightest.

“Every morning, I wake up to a new headline lying about me. I have comedians dressing up in whiteface. I have people saying I’m not fit to be CEO, and I have Candace Owens claiming I murdered my husband, and the list goes on and on and on.” 

Read More: Trap Dickey Talks “The Ville,” TDE Compilation & More

The post Druski Makes History After Becoming Host For 2026 BET Awards appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Recently, that is exactly what she did as it pertains to Ice Spice. The artist recently posted a thirst trap in which she had appeared to gain some weight. The thirst trap went viral, with many praising Ice Spice for her current looks. However, Saffold took a much different approach that probably won’t be well-received by Ice Spice or anyone with a similar body type.

“That booty look like my grandma booty,” Saffold wrote. The internet personality then went on to make more comments about cellulite and how she could get rid of it. It all felt mean-spirited, and as you can imagine, the comments were subsequently amplified.

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Karlissa Saffold Has Harsh Words For Ice Spice

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There have been two very different reactions to all of this. Of course, there are those who are haters who want to agree with Saffold’s sentiments. Meanwhile, there are those like Jack Harlow, who can’t help but express how good Ice Spice looks.

Quite frankly, it feels like a conversation that doesn’t serve anyone any good. Women are already under immense pressure to perform and to look a certain way. Ice Spice has changed her looks a couple of times over the years, and it’s her business as to why that is.

One has to wonder why Saffold felt the need to comment on this. Ice Spice has not been associated with her son, nor anyone in her immediate vicinity. With that being said, it really does feel as though these comments are uncalled for, and completely out of pocket.

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The post Karlissa Saffold Body Shames Ice Spice Following Viral Thirst Trap appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The resulting tension hasn’t dissipated just yet, and recently, Shields hopped online with what many fans believe to be a message for Remy.

“You don’t like me, and what are you going to do about it?” she asks in a clip shared by Live Bitez. “You feel me? You’re not going to do anything. You’re not going to do sh*t. All that mumbo jumbo, all that talking, all that tweeting. […] Just move on.”

“Listen, anyone who’s making videos about little old me, excuse me, big ol’ GWOAT,” she continued, “Your life is not all the way together, honey.”

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Claressa Shields & Remy Ma Beef

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Shields’ message arrived just a few weeks after Remy dropped her new song, “W.Y.F.L.” In it, she appears to take shots at both her ex and his new boo. “In competition with herself, I don’t know that b*tch / H*es be doing the most over so-so d*ck / Wanna be a baddie but you not bad enough,” she spits.

“The nerve of n****s claiming that they wrote those hits when they whole career they ain’t never ghost wrote sh*t,” she continues. “Not for me or anybody else / You always act like you helped a n****, go help yourself.”

Remy Ma isn’t the only person Shields is at odds with these days, either. She’s also currently clashing with 50 Cent, who’s been trolling her online for months. She even threatened to take legal action against him in March after he accused her of cheating on Papoose with Maserati Bud.

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The post Claressa Shields Appears To Call Out Remy Ma Over Scathing Diss Track appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Given that it was an all-inclusive list, it wasn’t a surprise to see just a handful of MCs make it. One of them to do so was Kendrick Lamar, which wasn’t shocking. He was joined by Jay-Z, OutKast, Missy Elliott and Young Thug, believe it or not.

Lamar’s track record speaks for itself as albums like good kid, m.A.A.d. city and To Pimp a Butterfly feature some of the best writing and storytelling front to back this century. DAMN., while not his most consistent body of work, even has a Pulitzer Prize to its name and TPAB is in the Library of Congress.

Overall, it’s hard to argue leaving Kendrick off a list like this and one of his former collaborators agrees. George Clinton, who worked with the Compton rapper on the TPAB opener “Wesley’s Theory,” had nothing but high praise for his penmanship.

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Is Kendrick Lamar Working On New Music?

Speaking with the NYT per PEOPLE, he said, “I’ll put it like this: He, along with Motown, Sly Stone, the Beatles—that kind of institution is going to last. There are a lot of slick writers out here nowadays with lyrics and things, but he writes with soul.”

Clinton also expressed how mature and thought-provoking he was and still is. “He’s a young kid, but when I met him, he sounded my age. He’s like a psychiatrist on record—he talks about sh*t that most people are afraid to talk about.

Clinton continued, “He’s at that point where he can move the conversation. Nobody will talk about these topics, and he talks about them so matter-of-factly that you don’t even think, ‘You can’t say that.'”

He added, in part, “Kids today, they want their new artist; they don’t want their older brother or sister’s artist or their mother and father’s. Kids don’t like you after a few years. When you can go past that and have the next generation after that still talking about you, you’re doing something.”

Speaking of which, fans are eagerly awaiting his next move as we speak. Thanks in part to DJ Akademiks, he raised Lamar’s supporters’ eyebrows when he claimed he heard he’s been working on new material.

The West Coast icon hasn’t outwardly announced anything yet. But his attire at the Grammy’s this year and Ak’s intel have us hoping something is on the horizon.

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The post George Clinton Praises Kendrick Lamar’s Songwriting After Recent “NYT” Nod appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: April 30, 2026

Genre: Underground Rap, Heavy Metal

Album: N0rth3evr

Quotable Lyrics from #N0rth4evr

Too much goin’ on that I can’t say (Ayy)
Too much in my mind, yeah, it’s crazy (What?)
Actin’ like it’s okay, yeah, I can’t relate (Huh?)
Know it’s been a hard time for me lately (Yeah)

The post #N0rth4evr – Song by North West appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors allege in a new filing that D4vd met Rivas back in 2022. At the time, she was just 11 years old. They also allege that at one point, he paid a high school student $1000 to buy Rivas a new cellphone after hers was confiscated by her parents.

They allege he murdered her because she threatened to expose their romantic relationship. Allegedly, he sent a rideshare car to pick Rivas up last April. Once she got to his house, her phone went silent.

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What Happened To Celeste Rivas?

“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” prosecutors allege.

Allegedly, D4vd purchased two chainsaws online following Rivas’ death. Prosecutors allege he used them to dismember her body in an inflatable pool in his garage. D4vd denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty to his charges.

“Let us be clear — the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” his attorneys said in a statement after his arrest. “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

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The post D4vd Allegedly Met Celeste Rivas When She Was 11 Years Old appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Interestingly, there looks to be no other car with damage visible in these pictures. As a result, it’s making us wonder if this was a single car crash or not. Victoria Woods vehicle, a red Genesis G70 sedan, has lots of damage along the driver’s side.

Both doors on that side, as well as a little of the rear fender, have minor to major dents and/or deep paint scratches.

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Victoria, on the other hand, appears to not be injured in the slightest. The photos show her sitting cross legged in the driver’s seat. Weirdly, though, she may actually be sitting on someone’s lap as someone else’s feet appear to be next to her.

At the time of writing this, it appears that she has yet to comment on the situation. There’s also no police report available that would give us details on where and when this occurred.

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GloRilla & Victoria Wood’s Beef

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GloRilla also hasn’t said anything about it either it seems; however, that’s not too surprising. For the last couple of months, Victoria has been calling her out on social media for allegedly neglecting the family.

Big Glo did respond by showing thankful texts from their mom, for example. But more recently, she seemingly expressed her issues with Victoria on wax. During her appearance on Latto’s “GOMF” single, the hitmaker rapped, “Get out my face, ho (Ho), beggin’ for change, ho (Yup) / Get you a hustle and get that p**sy out your face, ho (Yup).” She then adds: “You coulda been anything, it’s a million ways to get paid, ho (Yup) / But you ain’t sh*t but a freaky stud that’s laced, ho.”

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The post GloRilla’s Sister Victoria Involved In Car Accident appeared first on HotNewHipHop.