But we kicked things off with a New Music Friday roundup. Aron highlighted the new Nipsey Hussle album Prolific with Bino Rideaux, Quavo and Pharrell’s song “Trance,” and Busta Rhymes and J Dilla’s song “Talk Ya S**t” featuring Lil Wayne, which is from Busta and Dilla’s upcoming album. All great picks, along with Open Mike Eagle’s DOOMED! album with Kenny Segal, Denzel Curry and Kenneth Blume coming back with the Yebba-assisted “DIFFERENCE” single for UNLOCKED II, and Erykah Badu and The Alchemist previewing their album with “Witch Doctor.”

Then, Aron and I discussed Kanye West’s recent concerts, highlighting the nostalgic tracklist and how measured and collected Ye seems to be. Even without onstage rants and other bigotries, though, we predicted he will have to be more proactive and intentional with righting his controversial wrongs rather than just letting them mull over in silence.

Next, we debated about Drake’s recent livestream and whether or not it’s a bad look for his legacy. The short answer? Nope. He’s one of the few artists who can do this without missing a beat, and Aron and I compared it to other streamers in hip-hop. All in all, Drizzy represents the attention-driven streaming game better than most, and we found it to be a fun display that shows why many rappers might look at streaming as a better alternative income-wise.

Read More: Tupac Murder Trial: Everything You Need To Know About Keefe D’s Case

HNHH Live

In addition, Aron and I told our hip-hop origin stories for the art form’s 53rd birthday. How we got into the genres represents not just how interconnected the history is, but how different origin stories can look for all fans. We emphasized the importance of building community in hip-hop, supporting local scenes, and taking bits from all eras to highlight how special the album is.

Also, Aron and I looked at some new or updated Complex lists for this anniversary, namely, their 100 Hottest Rappers and 100 Best Beats Of All Time. The lists were unsurprising, although we were disappointed in the lack of more varied production and eras on the latter list. As for the rapper ranking, we didn’t expect folks like A$AP Rocky and Ye to rank relatively low.

Later on, we spoke about the new Megan Thee Stallion interview on Michelle Obama’s podcast, as well as NBA YoungBoy’s recent revelations with Funny Marco. Aron highlighted YB’s surprising pivot away from music, praising his commitment to his health and his ability to cater to a specific fanbase. As for Megan, I found her reflections on personal passion turning into scrutinized fame very compelling, and we are very excited for whatever ACT III holds.

Finally, we covered some hip-hop anniversaries this week, such as Nicki Minaj’s Queen album and her collab with Megan Thee Stallion and Ty Dolla $ign, “Hot Girl Summer.” Other favorites of ours included Rae Sremmurd’s SremmLife 2 and, of course, Biggie Smalls’ iconic “Juicy.”

Check back in with us next week for another HNHH livestream and make sure to rate songs and albums on the website.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s Conversation With Michelle Obama: 6 Takeaways

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“10 years later, after everything we’ve been through, somehow it all still comes back to love,” Ray captioned a picture of Princess on the social media platform. “No matter what happened, what was said, what people saw or what anybody thinks they know about us, we know what’s real. Through the good times and the hard ones, we’ve stayed connected. And I think somewhere along the way we learned how to love each other without conditions. I’m grateful I can still talk to you, be your friend, stand beside you and protect the family we created. And whatever worries life brings your way, I’ll always work harder to make better. I told you I don’t wanna get a divorce! We will get it right – Happy 10 years @princesslove.”

Read More: Ray J & Princess Love’s Relationship Never Escaped Chaos

Ray J & Princess Love’s Marriage

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For those unaware, Ray J and Princess Love’s multiple divorce filings over the years have been the most recent flare-ups in a decade-plus-long saga. The two met in 2013, starred together on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, tied the knot in 2016, and had two children together.

However, their relationship issues became public spectacles more significantly in 2020, the year in which Princess filed for divorce for the first time. In 2024, she filed for a fourth time. In a post about the split, Love emphasized their commitment to coparenting and defending a healthy family dynamic.

But their relationship also experienced strain and controversy in other ways that go beyond court filings. Authorities arrested Ray J for allegedly pulling a gun on Princess Love last year. He claimed she tried to take their kids away from him, and she accused him of being an abuser.

The singer’s health problems made Princess change her protective order stemming from this incident so he can see their kids. We will see if this builds up to a reconciliation, whether as partners or as friends.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s Conversation With Michelle Obama: 6 Takeaways

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According to an exclusive AllHipHop report from Grouchy Greg Watkins, a Thursday (August 13) joint report shows opposing requests to Chief U.S. District Judge Kenneth Gonzales. Plaintiffs Rory Michie and Nathaniel Torres want another 90-day pause or the court’s approval for more discovery, whereas the defendants want a partial lift of a court stay in order to refile dismissal motions while Stake waits for an arbitration ruling from Illinois.

Drake and Stake’s Virginia case moved into arbitration, which represents a win for the defendants. The court found that plaintiffs had signed their right to sue away, and thus, this moved out of court into a negotiation process. We will see if a similar outcome awaits the New Mexico allegations.

Regarding these, plaintiffs Michie and Torres want discovery into how the Toronto superstar allegedly reached New Mexico residents via his Stake campaign. “Without discovery, Plaintiff cannot ascertain the exact number of New Mexico residents that have subscribed to Drake’s Kick.com channel or that Drake has targeted with promotional content and convinced to gamble on Stake.us,” lawyers reportedly wrote. “But the Court can reasonably infer from Drake’s substantial follower count and widespread influence on young people nationwide, as well as from Plaintiff’s experience, that Drake has conducted at least a ‘single transaction’ within New Mexico.”

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s Conversation With Michelle Obama: 6 Takeaways

Drake’s Stake Lawsuit

According to them, one transaction could justify the state’s long-arm law to review Drizzy’s partnerships and marketing moves. Previously, the 6ix God claimed he never specifically targeted New Mexico residents with his promotions and did not create content with Stake advertisements in the state in mind.

Elsewhere, this new filing reportedly indicates Stake won arbitration in a similar South Carolina case. However, they reportedly appealed to the Eighth Circuit in Minnesota after a judge’s refusal of arbitration in another case.

Gonzales hasn’t reportedly ruled on these requests at press time. If the judge sides with the prosecution and extends the current stay by 90 days, plaintiffs are reportedly asking for a status check on November 11.

Drake and Stake’s legal woes may be numerous, but none of the allegations against them have been proven. Amid dismissals and lengthy legal processes, we will see if any of these filings move forward or similarly move to arbitration.

Read More: Tupac Murder Trial: Everything You Need To Know About Keefe D’s Case

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The piece is officially a Rolex Piece Unique, meaning it exists as a true standalone design with no plans for a second version. “FREEZE THE WORLD” is engraved into the caseback, tying the watch directly to his Iceman rollout. Drake made that exclusivity clear himself, warning fans not to have their local jeweler attempt a recreation.

White and blue diamonds create the icy gradient effect across the case and bracelet, giving the piece its nickname. More diamonds cover the face itself, keeping the entire watch consistent from every angle. It’s flashy and expensive, so pretty in-line with Drake’s aesthetic.

This isn’t the first Rolex tied to the Iceman era either. Drake wore a separate platinum Daytona in the “What Did I Miss” music video, and that same watch appeared during a livestream teasing the album before its May release.

Read More: Chris Brown Laces Up The Air Jordan 7 “Miro” In Toronto

Drake’s New Rolex

Drake has a long history of receiving custom jewelry timed to major career moments. In 2021, he gifted a custom Rolex Day-Date to Lil Baby around the time “The Voice of the Heroes” hit No. 1, showing this kind of milestone-driven gifting runs both directions.

His own collection includes pieces with serious cultural weight too. Earlier this year, his Rolex GMT-Master II tied to the Take Care album cover, complete with baguette diamonds and a custom OVO owl engraving, was listed for $500,000 through a vintage watch dealer.

Iceman has already made history on its own. The album became the longest-running No. 1 project of 2026, and Drake became the first artist to hold three simultaneous chart entries following its release alongside two other projects.

Getting a Piece Unique from Rolex for that run fits the pattern. It’s not just jewelry, it’s Drake continuing to turn his biggest professional moments into physical, one-of-one artifacts.

Read More: Kanye West Says Yeezy Is The “Apple Of Clothing”

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This marks the shoe’s first retro since its original 2008 debut. That original release stayed extremely limited, turning it into a grail that’s traded for four figures over the years. Getting a wider release nearly two decades later finally gave collectors a real shot at owning one.

The colorway draws its name and design from Catalan artist Joan Miró, whose Barcelona sculpture inspired the shoe’s abstract look. White leather and black nubuck form the base, while splashes of red, blue, green, and yellow scatter across the panels in a pattern that mirrors Miró’s artistic style.

A gold “9” sits on the heel, a direct nod to Jordan;s number during the Barcelona Olympics. That Olympic connection is part of what makes the colorway so significant within Jordan Brand’s history.

That gold “9” detail wasn’t the only nod to Jordan’s Olympic run either. The translucent outsole carries a gold tint of its own, stamped with small Miró-style figures that echo the same abstract theme running throughout the rest of the shoe.

Read More: Kanye West Says Yeezy Is The “Apple Of Clothing”

Air Jordan 7 “Miro”

The Air Jordan 7 holds a unique place in Jordan’s career. He wore the model during his second NBA championship run and throughout the Dream Team’s historic run at the 1992 Olympics.

Seeing Chris Brown wear the “Miro” on stage says a lot about how far this particular colorway’s reputation has traveled. It’s not a mainstream Jordan release, it’s a deep cut that mostly resonates with serious collectors and longtime sneaker culture followers.

Celebrity sightings like this tend to give already-hyped releases another wave of attention. Chris Brown has a long history of showing off rare and hard-to-find sneakers during performances, and this pair fits right into that pattern.

With the retro still fairly fresh on the market, moments like this only add to the shoe’s growing reputation as one of the standout Jordan releases of 2026.

Read More: Man Convicted In Pop Smoke’s Murder Gets Four Years For Fentanyl Case

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It’s not the first time West has made this comparison. He’s used similar language before, once referring to Yeezy as the “Apple of apparel” during a public appearance years ago. Bringing the comparison back now lines up with a big moment for the brand.

Yeezy officially returned to JD Sports shelves earlier this week, marking the label’s first major retail partnership since parting ways with adidas. That deal gives Yeezy its widest physical retail footprint in years, something West has been working toward since going independent.

The comparison itself isn’t new territory for entrepreneurs in fashion or footwear. Plenty of brands have chased that same premium, cult-like positioning Apple built in tech. West has just been more vocal than most about wanting that exact status for Yeezy.

Read More: Man Convicted In Pop Smoke’s Murder Gets Four Years For Fentanyl Case

Is Yeezy The ‘Apple’ Of Clothing?

Apple built its reputation through decades of consistent product releases, tight brand control, and a loyal customer base willing to pay a premium. West has clearly modeled parts of Yeezy’s identity around that same approach, particularly through limited releases and minimalist branding.

Yeezy’s path hasn’t been nearly as smooth, though. The brand’s biggest commercial success came through the now-ended adidas partnership, which collapsed in 2022 following a string of controversies involving West.

Since then, Yeezy has operated mostly through direct-to-consumer sales, without the massive retail infrastructure that made the adidas era so commercially dominant. This week’s JD Sports launch marks one of the first real steps back toward that kind of scale.

Whether Yeezy can actually reach Apple level brand status remains to be seen. For now, the comparison says more about Kanye’s current mindset. If he’s really excited about the direction of Yeezy moving forward, we could be in store for some big releases.

Read More: Yung Miami Quietly Confirms She’s In A New Relationship

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Release Date: August 14, 2026

Genre: Underground Rap

Album: Pretti Loves U 2

Quotable Lyrics from Scene

You don’t like the energy I’m showin’ y’all (Yeah)
No to poppin’ pill, that’s my protocol (Yeah)
Still hang with the geeks, yeah, I fuck with y’all (Yeah)
Show packed out, look like Mardi Gras (Yeah), this a celebration

The post Scene – Song by prettifun appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Jester, now 21, admitted to possessing 25 fentanyl-laced pills that prosecutors say his mother, Nickia Randall, tried to pass to him during a December 2025 visit at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall. According to the Los Angeles Times and the L.A. District Attorney’s Office, authorities recovered one latex ball containing the pills after staff noticed the exchange. Investigators later reviewed previous visits and recorded calls that they said showed Jester discussing plans to bring contraband into the facility.

Prosecutors sought the maximum five-year sentence. Jester’s attorney instead pointed to his upbringing and the progress he had made while incarcerated, including earning his high school diploma. The judge ultimately settled on four years, saying Jester’s age and personal history had been considered but that he had shown an understanding of what he was doing when the fentanyl was brought into the facility.

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Read More: From Brooklyn To The World: The Undeniable Legacy Of Pop Smoke

Jester’s Initial Conviction & The Murder Of Pop Smoke

The new case changes the custody situation created by Jester’s original juvenile conviction. He admitted first-degree murder in 2023 and acknowledged personally firing the gun that killed Pop Smoke. Because he was 15 when the crime occurred, he could not be prosecuted as an adult and was expected to remain in a juvenile facility until age 25. The L.A Times reports that the new four-year sentence will instead be served in adult prison. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office described the sentence Friday as four years in county jail. Either way, the fentanyl conviction takes Jester out of the juvenile placement where he had been serving time for Pop Smoke’s death.

The rapper was killed February 19, 2020, after a group entered the Hollywood Hills home he was renting. Detectives testified that Jester later described the shooting while speaking to a cellmate in a room equipped with hidden recording equipment. According to that account, Pop Smoke initially complied with demands for his jewelry before fighting back. Jester said he pistol-whipped the rapper and shot him three times in the back. A diamond-encrusted watch taken during the robbery was later sold for $2,000.

Corey Walker, who was 19 at the time of the robbery, received a 29-year state prison sentence in February 2025 after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of home-invasion robbery. He admitted supplying a firearm used during the crime. The remaining defendants were handled through juvenile court because of their ages when Pop Smoke was killed.

Randall also faces felony charges stemming from the alleged fentanyl handoff. Her case remains pending, and she has not yet entered a plea in that matter, states prosecutors.

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“I have been with a man for a while now,” she said, flashing a coy smile before adding, “I glow differently.”

The admission carries more weight than a routine dating update given how publicly Miami’s last major relationship followed her long after it ended. She and Sean “Diddy” Combs dated before his legal troubles dominated the conversation around him. Their relationship was over by the time his federal criminal case reached trial, but Miami remained connected to the fallout through questions about what she knew and criticism over the support she later offered him.

Before his sentencing, Miami submitted a character letter on his behalf describing the version of Combs she said she personally knew during their relationship. When the news circulated, Yung Miami faced a wave of backlash.

Read More: Yung Miami Heartbroken By Industry Switch-Up: “Left Me For Dead”

Yung Miami Says Her Man Isn’t Jealous

Meanwhile, Angela Yee tested just how private the new relationship really is by asking how Miami’s boyfriend handles the attention she gets from other men. Yee specifically brought up her appearance on streamer Tylil James’ broadcast, where flirting became part of the interaction. Miami made it sound like there is little jealousy waiting for her at home.

“Oh, my man ain’t worried about that,” she said. “He’s not insecure. Nah.”

She did not offer his name or any other identifying details. For someone whose previous relationship became part of a much larger public reckoning, keeping this one largely to herself may be deliberate. Miami was willing to confirm that she is taken. Who has her glowing, however, is information she is keeping off-camera for now.

The post Yung Miami Quietly Confirms She’s In A New Relationship appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“I don’t give a f*ck about that,” Doja told viewers. “I’m not in high school. I’m a 30-year-old woman.” Her response came while she was playing BIA’s music and complimenting her performance on the Fred again.. track, calling it “so f*cking nasty.”

That reaction apparently reached BIA. The following day, she addressed Doja directly on X and took responsibility for whatever she had contributed to their past tension. “THANK YOU @DojaCat,” BIA wrote. “I genuinely apologize for anything i ever said that was shady. I appreciate u playing my songs. I’ve always liked your music as well. Wishing you nothing but peace love and blessings.”

Doja responded, “No worries hope you’re having a good day .”

Read More: Bia Revives Cardi B Feud & Cardi B Unleashes Explosive Response

Looking Back At BIA & Doja’s Relationship

The history between them stretches back several years. Both rappers appeared on the 2020 remix of Cousin Stizz’s “Perfect,” and accusations of tension surfaced around that period. Exactly what BIA said has become harder to pin down with certainty as old posts and secondhand accounts have circulated.

Doja’s response also avoided turning the moment into a scorecard over who said what first. She has pushed back before against attempts to manufacture conflict between women in Rap, and here she seemed more interested in the music in front of her than something said years ago. BIA’s beef with Cardi B, on the other hand, is still a raging fire.

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