Ye was on hand for Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial. Day 4 has officially begun with OTF Jam back on the witness stand. However, West has proven to be the biggest story of the day so far.

He showed up in an all-black leather outfit and sat next to Lil Durk’s family. Reporters in the courtroom were quick to remark that Ye refused to stand for the jury. Furthermore, his presence was enough to turn some heads and get a few silent gasps.

Ultimately, Ye is not the first celebrity to show up for the trial. Machine Gun Kelly was inside the courtroom just a few days ago.

Read More: How 50 Cent’s Reebok Deal Changed Hip-Hop Sneaker Culture Forever

Kanye West Shows Support for Lil Durk

Outside of the courtroom, Durk has received some support from the likes of G Herbo, Doodie Lo, Rico Recklezz, and Dreezy. Durk has also had dozens of fans pull up to show support in “Free Durk” t-shirts.

With Kanye West in the courtroom, it remains to be seen if anything will be fundamentally different about today’s proceedings. The prosecution and the defense have an important job to do, especially as the stakes for Durk are high.

A conviction in this case could lead to life in prison. Meanwhile, if Durk beats the case, there are reportedly other situations that the state is looking to get a trial for. Durk was successful in keeping some of these allegations out of his current trial.

Be sure to stay tuned to HotNewHipHop as the Lil Durk trial continues in Los Angeles.

Read More: Is The Game Baiting Kendrick Lamar Into A Battle?

The post Kanye West Pulls Up To Lil Durk Trial In Los Angeles appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: August 27, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: N/A

The post Just Another Day – Song by Lefty Gunplay appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

There is considerably more attention on her now than when “BOAT” began spreading online. That record pushed the Charleston rapper beyond her existing audience, but she didn’t disappear once the initial rush settled. “Coconut Water” gave her another record with reach, “Nobody” later received remixes with Monaleo and G Herbo, and this summer brought a spot in XXL’s 2026 Freshman class. Within a relatively short window, Trim has gone from discovering what works online to building the beginnings of an actual Rap career.

What has made her easy to notice is also what has made her difficult to neatly categorize. Her voice bends constantly, sometimes within the same bar. She stretches words, changes pitch, toys with pronunciation, and slips between straight rapping and exaggerated character work without much warning. Some listeners immediately hear Nicki Minaj in those choices. Trim doesn’t. She has instead pointed toward her Charleston upbringing, her Gullah Geechee accent, and a much broader set of musical influences when explaining how she developed her sound.

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Read More: Trim Doesn’t Hear The Nicki Minaj Comparisons

Those arguments are happening while Trim is still figuring out how large her career can become. She has been open about wanting much more than a collection of viral records, and the confidence attached to those ambitions has become nearly as recognizable as the music itself. Beneath the comparisons and increasingly devoted fanbase is Ahlaisha Kornickey, a once-shy South Carolina creative who only began taking Rap seriously a few years ago.

So, who exactly is Trim?

How Ahlaisha Became Trim

The personality attached to Trim’s music can make it difficult to imagine her as the quiet one. She is playful and theatrical on records and carries herself with the certainty of someone who expects much bigger rooms in her future. Ahlaisha Kornickey remembers herself differently.

Growing up in South Carolina, the 19-year-old says she tended to keep to herself while watching the people around her command attention more naturally. “Everybody around me had explosive personalities,” she told NME. “I had to learn how to gain that.” Music eventually gave her somewhere to put a confidence that had not always come easily.

Rap was not the career she spent childhood preparing to pursue. Kornickey grew up listening to Hip Hop and R&B and has named Aaliyah, Lil’ Kim, and Da Brat among the artists whose careers she studied, but she initially imagined herself doing hair or makeup. What pushed her toward recording was less a lifelong industry plan than dissatisfaction with where she was headed. “I wanted to find a purpose,” she told The FADER. “I wanted to invest in myself.”

Read More: COCONUT WATER – Song by Trim

That decision also gave her a way to become louder than she had been in everyday life. Trim has described music as the place where she could say things she once kept to herself, while the increasingly animated persona surrounding those records gave her room to experiment with different sides of her personality. Even the confidence fans now associate with her is something she considers learned rather than innate.

Charleston has remained part of that development even as her career has pulled her toward a wider Rap community. Trim has described her hometown as dominated by men and has said she wants to maintain relationships with Charleston artists as her profile grows. The city would eventually leave an even more obvious mark on her music. Once people began paying attention to the unusual shape of her voice, where she came from became central to arguments over what they were hearing.

The Voice Became The Calling Card

“BOAT” gave Trim the kind of introduction most new artists hope for. Released in 2025, the song quickly spread on TikTok and helped push her beyond Charleston, with artists including Tyla, Rico Nasty, and Baby Tate taking notice. However, the record did more than generate attention. It established the vocal choices that would become central to how listeners identify her.

Trim rarely settles into one delivery for long. Her pitch rises and drops, words stretch past their expected shape, and a straightforward bar can suddenly become something more animated. That flexibility is intentional. She told NME that Young Thug changed the way she thought about using her voice, particularly his habit of dragging or singing words across a beat. “I’m not afraid to try nothing new,” she said.

That experimentation also fits the way she records. Rather than entering the studio with every line already worked out, Trim frequently starts by freestyling and builds around whatever catches her ear. Hooks are especially important. “I like to do catchy hooks,” she explained to NME. “If I know it’s a good hook that everybody loves, I’m gonna come back to it.” “Coconut Water” followed that process, beginning as a freestyle before she returned to shape the verses around the hook.

The song became another major moment for her, but it also intensified a conversation that had already begun around her delivery. Comparisons to Nicki Minaj have followed Trim as her audience has expanded, with listeners pointing to the exaggerated inflections, shifts in pitch, character voices, and theatricality that occasionally recall Nicki’s early work. Pitchfork heard some of that resemblance in “Coconut Water,” comparing parts of Trim’s delivery to early Nicki and Doja Cat while ultimately placing the record more firmly in Charleston.

Read More: Nicki Minaj Seemingly Unfollows & Blocks Fan Accounts For Supporting Trim

Trim has repeatedly rejected the idea that she is intentionally patterning herself after Nicki. “Honestly… I don’t really get it,” she told NME when asked about the comparison. She has instead pointed to her Gullah Geechee accent and South Carolina upbringing as important parts of what listeners hear.

That distinction is worth taking seriously. Charleston sits within the historic Gullah Geechee corridor along the southeastern coast, where generations of Black communities developed linguistic traditions shaped by West and Central African languages alongside English. Trim’s supporters have argued that listeners unfamiliar with the region can mistake characteristics of that speech for artistic affectation. Pitchfork made a similar observation in its review, describing her “thick Geechee accent” as one of the elements giving “Coconut Water” its particular character.

Viral Isn’t Enough Anymore

Going viral gave Trim an audience. “Coconut Water” was an important part of that progression. The record leaned harder into the oddball humor and vocal experimentation that had already become Trim signatures, while “Nobody” was blunt and considerably less playful. She extended the latter twice, first bringing Monaleo onto a June remix and then adding G Herbo the following month.

That run has also started producing the kinds of industry markers that usually appear once internet attention proves it can sustain itself beyond a few weeks. Trim signed with BuVision/Atlantic Records and landed a place in the 2026 XXL Freshman class. In her Freshman interview, she admitted that even she expected the recognition to take longer. “I thought I would have to wait ’til 2027,” she said. “But I’m glad I made it. I made it in such a short [time].”

Her fans have been even quicker to declare where they think that momentum should lead. Some have adopted “Princess of Rap” as a nickname for her, a title Trim has been more than willing to embrace. During the same XXL conversation, she described appearing in the Freshman class as an opportunity to “let people know who I am and make a statement,” before adding, “I’m the princess. That’s it.” The confidence is unmistakable, even if the crown remains a fan-and-artist designation rather than one everyone else has agreed to hand her.

Trim seems comfortable with the fact that not everyone is convinced yet. She told XXL she expected some people to hate her inclusion in the class, while anticipating that her supporters would celebrate it. That divide has become part of her growth. Her online presence invites strong reactions, and she rarely appears interested in sanding herself down to make the response more universally favorable.

Bigger Than A Viral Career

Trim talks about her future with considerably more certainty than most artists do this early in their careers. There is already a project taking shape, Pass the Tiara, which she first discussed as an EP but has since begun treating more like a debut album. The title plays directly into the “Princess of Rap” nickname her fans have adopted and that she has happily embraced, but Trim’s expectations for the project reach beyond maintaining an online persona.

She wants the record to hold up as a complete body of work. That point became muddled online after Trim compared her ambitions for Pass the Tiara to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which predictably sent social media into a frenzy over a 19-year-old newcomer appearing to place herself alongside one of the most successful albums ever made. Trim later told NME that she was talking about quality rather than sales or stature. “Every song has to have meaning,” she explained. “Every song has to be your best work of art.” Her goal, she said, is to make something people return to, rather than a project held together by a single recognizable element.

That ambition makes more sense alongside the way Trim has approached releasing music so far. She has cited NBA YoungBoy’s consistency as something she admires and has made a promise to herself to continue putting out records instead of disappearing between moments of attention. That mindset required some adjustment once “BOAT” sent new listeners backward into songs like “Taxi” and “Bugatti.” Trim admitted to NME that she had already mentally moved on from those records by the time new fans discovered them. She had to learn that building a catalog also means allowing older music time to find its audience.

Read More: Nobody (Remix) – Song by Trim, Monaleo & G Herbo

Her definition of success is similarly centered on work rather than simply being recognizable. Asked where she expects to be in five years, Trim told the magazine, “A superstar.” She was equally clear about what she thinks that requires. “Being a superstar is showing up,” she said. “A superstar shows up for their fans with no excuses.”

The scale of those expectations isn’t particularly surprising coming from someone who told The FADER, “I wanna accomplish everything. Who’s stopping me?” What makes the bravado more revealing is what Trim says she wants underneath it. Her long-term goal is not framed around surpassing another rapper. She told NME she wants to become “the best version that Ahlaisha never got to be,” contrasting the confidence she carries now with the shy teenager who once hesitated to pursue much of anything.

There is still plenty for Trim to prove, but the question surrounding her has already shifted. “BOAT” established that she could create a moment. “Coconut Water” and “Nobody” kept her name moving after it. “Get Hit” now arrives with listeners paying attention before the record is officially theirs to judge.

The single hits streaming platforms August 28. Pass the Tiara is expected later this year.

The post Who Is Trim? Charleston’s New Rap Wild Card appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“I think they’re derivative of me being the only person vocal about what’s going on, why everybody else throw rocks and hide their hands,” he said. The Game explained how he has the ability to pull the curtains down on everybody but he much rather squash whatever beef is currently happening. 

“That’s what the phone thing about. I’m trying to make sure that it never goes too far,” he said, citing the deaths of Nipsey Hussle and Tupac as examples of how things go over the edge, though he admitted things aren’t that deep. 

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The Game Discusses Kendrick-Drake Beef

Eventually, The Game got into the meat and potatoes of the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud. The Game explained that he was placed in a weird position because of his friendships with both. “I can get Drake on the phone but I can’t get these cats on the phone,” he added. 

He also explained that his gang affiliations prevented him from attending the Pop Out with other Los Angeles rappers. Check out the full clip above and sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. Do you think The Game is in the wrong?

Read More: Aaliyah’s Final Days Revisited 25 Years After Her Death

The post Big Boy Asks The Game Whether He Brings Kendrick Lamar Narrative On Himself appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Fat Joe is coming through with his new album, Organized Rhyme. Furthermore, Erykah Badu and The Alchemist are ready to drop Before The World Blows. DJ Dahi’s new project is on the way, with features from Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and many more. From there, we also have new projects from Trippie Redd and Rod Wave.

On the singles side, Yung Miami is finally dropping the remix to “Spend Dat,” which features Lil Baby and Kodak Black.

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What’s Dropping Tonight?

Albums & Songs Coming Tonight:

• Rod Wave — Don’t Look Down
• Fat Joe — Organized Rhyme
• Erykah Badu & The Alchemist — Before The World Blows
• Trippie Redd — #NDA
• Dahi — Black Boy (Alternative) [ft. Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Vince Staples + more]
• Lancey Foux — THE TIME OF OUR LIVES
• Yung Miami — Spend Dat (Remix) (feat. Lil Baby & Kodak Black)
• YNW Melly — Collect Call 2
• AZ Chike & Tyler, The Creator — Look Like My Mama
• ok — ok tape
• Rob49 & Sexyy Red — IN THE CLUB
• Majid Jordan — Two Roads
• DC THE DON, Sajkeena & midwxst — Yellow
• E-40 — Turning My Money Over
• 2slimey — critical
• Boohavinn — ROTY
• Chris Patrick — Check Me
• Vory — DONDADA
• K Carbon — Regular Day
• Dave Blunts — ULYSSES
• Babyfather — big farma
• CZARFACE & Frankie Pulitzer — CZARFACE Meets Frankie Pulitzer
• Trim — Get Hit
• Jay Worthy, George Clinton & LNDN DRGS — GENERATION P
• hollowtiphero — Bentley & Lambs
• Headie One — MMM
• matt proxy — LORD
• Liim — A Sunflower Garden In Harlem Is Hard To Find
• Cblak — Who Iz Me
• Lackvill — New Level
• Kuzi Cee — Ember (Remind me)

Let us know which of these songs and albums you will be listening to first. Also, be sure to rate songs and albums directly on our website.

Read More: Aaliyah’s Final Days Revisited 25 Years After Her Death

The post Hip-Hop Albums & Songs Dropping Tonight, August 28, 2026 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

His mother, Joyce Patton, confirmed to TMZ that he passed on Wednesday at a hospital. She also shared a message on Facebook announcing his passing. “I want to thank all of my facebook family and friends new and old for praying for Samuel Monroe, Jr., my son. But today God called him home. Please honor my final request to pray for the family especially his 3 children,” Patton wrote.

The actor had faced significant health problems in recent months. In April, he was hospitalized after developing meningitis and MRSA pneumonia, along with other medical complications. His condition appeared to improve enough for him to leave the hospital. Per TMZ, a hospital representative confirmed on Thursday that Monroe had been discharged alive. Hours before he was pronounced dead, Patton wrote that he was undergoing a procedure. 

Read More: Aaliyah’s Final Days Revisited 25 Years After Her Death

Samuel Monroe Jr. Acting Career

Monroe began his acting career in 1993 and quickly became associated with a series of films that defined an era of cinema. His breakout performance came in Menace II Society, where he became part of the film’s enduring ensemble. He later appeared in Tales From the Hood, Set It Off, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, and The Players Club. His television credits included appearances on NYPD Blue, Murder One, Smart Guy, Southland, and The Lion’s Den. 

He is survived by his mother and three sons. We will keep you posted on any further updates. RIP. 

Read More: How 50 Cent’s Reebok Deal Changed Hip-Hop Sneaker Culture Forever

The post “Menace II Society” Actor Samuel Monroe Jr. Dead At 52 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Drake is staying involved though. He will maintain a 44% stake and remains in charge of creative direction, so the actual look and feel of OVO isn’t going anywhere. Vince Holding Corp. will also step in as the global licensee, handling design, merchandising, and retail moving forward.

Drake spoke on the deal himself, calling it a natural next step for something he and his team built from scratch in Toronto years ago. He framed Authentic and Vince as the right partners to help OVO keep growing from here.

Right now, OVO runs 12 flagship stores along with its e-commerce operation. That’s a solid footprint already, but it’s nowhere close to what Authentic typically works with across its portfolio.

For a brand that started as a hoodie and a logo, this deal marks a real turning point. OVO isn’t just Drake’s side project anymore, it’s becoming part of a much bigger retail machine.

Read More: Brian Steel Demands Mistrial In Lil Durk Case As OTF Jam Mentions Tory Lanez On The Stand

Authentic Acquires Majority Stake In OVO

Authentic Brands Group runs a portfolio worth around $38 billion, covering everything from fashion labels to entertainment brands. Plugging OVO into that system gives it access to serious retail infrastructure it didn’t have before.

Now, OVO goes from a somewhat niche, celebrity-driven streetwear label to something built for actual global scale. More stores, wider distribution, and stronger backend operations are all suddenly on the table.

The tricky part will be keeping OVO feeling like OVO through all of this growth. Drake staying on as creative lead should help with that, even as the business side gets a lot bigger behind the
scenes.

Either way, this deal changes what OVO can realistically become over the next few years. It opens the door for expansion into markets and retail formats the brand couldn’t easily reach on its own before. For fans, the real test will be watching how much of that original OVO identity survives the growth.

Read More: Lefty Gunplay Called Kendrick Lamar When He Decided To Get Sober 

The post Drake Speaks Out As Authentic Brands Group Buys Majority Stake In OVO Brand appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Jam, OTF Vonni, and Flacka have all taken plea deals and are expected to take the stand in the coming days. Jam was the first to get his turn, and he immediately headlines by pinning the blame on Lil Durk. While OTF Jam copped to multiple murders, he alleges the Lul Pab shooting was a direct result of Durk’s instructions.

While speaking to the court, OTF Jam painted Durk as a criminal mastermind of sorts who wanted the people around him to act in a violent manner. Jam told a story about being in a nightclub with Durk while Tory Lanez was in the building. Jam says he wanted to snatch the chain from the neck of Tory’s friend. Durk allegedly replied to this, saying, “That’s the Jam I wanna see.”

According to @youvegtMEL on Twitter, this prompted Brian Steel to call for a mistrial.

Read More: How 50 Cent’s Reebok Deal Changed Hip-Hop Sneaker Culture Forever

Lil Durk Trial Continues

“Durk’s defense argued this is prejudicial because it’s essentially telling the jury Durk encouraged Robbery – which is not apart of this case and shouldn’t have been said,” @youvegtMEL reported. “Additionally, because the person mentioned was Tory Lanez, the jury could attach greater significance to this.”

In the end, the judge dismissed the motion for a mistrial, and OTF Jam continued his testimony. On Thursday, OTF Jam will be back on the stand, and it is expected that Brial Steel will undertake the cross-examination process.

This is a developing story, so stay tuned to HNHH for details.

Read More: Is The Game Baiting Kendrick Lamar Into A Battle?

The post Brian Steel Demands Mistrial In Lil Durk Case As OTF Jam Mentions Tory Lanez On The Stand appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

During an interview, he explained how he became addicted to drugs at a young age from growing up in an impoverished environment that drew him into the gang lifestyle. Though he admits he’s still involved in that life, he explained that his career prompted him to take sobriety seriously and go to rehab.

“As of recently, I started taking my career serious and I made the decision to go to rehab for nine months,” he said, revealing that he stopped cold turkey. What’s more interesting is that he reached out to two West Coast heavyweights once he made the decision to quit.

Read More: How 50 Cent’s Reebok Deal Changed Hip-Hop Sneaker Culture Forever

Lefty Gunplay Made Some Calls

“I called Kendrick Lamar, I called Top Dawg, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to go,’ and everyone was telling me you’re blowing all this opportunity,” he said. “And yeah, I ain’t the best rapper but nowadays, you don’t got to be the best rapper on the West. It’s just different. You just got to have it. People got to really love you and vibe with you but everyday, I’m trying to get better at rapping and being sober is part of it.”

Lefty explained that some of the online comments began to get under his skin and he wanted to do better for himself. Check his comments out above and sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Read More: How 50 Cent’s Reebok Deal Changed Hip-Hop Sneaker Culture Forever

The post Lefty Gunplay Called Kendrick Lamar When He Decided To Get Sober  appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Red dominates the entire build here, with Infrared 23 layered throughout the woven upper. That mix of textures gives the shoe some visual depth despite sticking to one core color story. The collar sits low and tight around the ankle, keeping the fit close for on-court movement.

A carbon fiber plate shows through the midsole, hinting at the performance tech packed underneath. Jordan Brand hasn’t confirmed every spec yet, but ZoomX branding is already visible on the shoe itself.

Early reports point to a loaded cushioning setup. That includes Cushlon 3.0 foam, ZoomX up front, Zoom Air in the heel, and a full-length Zoom Air Strobel unit running underneath. A translucent outsole rounds things out, paired with a traction pattern that looks different from past Jordan performance models.

The style code is listed as HV6474-601 for anyone tracking the release. It’ll be available through Nike.com and select Jordan Brand retailers once October arrives.

Check out these back-to-school deals at Foot Locker! Save your way with codes GET20, GET25 or GET30. Buy More, Save More!

Read More: Air Jordan 12 “Sumo” Official Images Unveiled

Air Jordan 41 “University Red”

Jordan Brand’s numbered performance line has stayed fairly quiet in recent years, with most attention going toward retros instead. The Air Jordan 41 signals a return to pushing the signature line forward.

Loaded cushioning setups like this one tend to signal a serious on-court focus rather than a lifestyle driven release. Combining ZoomX, Zoom Air, and Cushlon 3.0 in one shoe suggests Jordan Brand is aiming for something built for actual performance.

The numbered line has always served a different purpose than the classic retros. Instead of leaning on nostalgia, these models are meant to reflect whatever performance tech Jordan Brand is working with at the time.

“University Red” gives fans their clearest look yet at the shape and material direction before further details roll out. Expect a full breakdown of the shoe’s tech and additional colorways as the release date gets closer.

Read More: N.O.R.E. Fires Back At DJ Vlad After Being Called A “Snake”

The post New Air Jordan 41 “University Red” Gets First Official Photos appeared first on HotNewHipHop.