Next Thursday, ICEMAN Episode 4 is going to be released to the masses, and this promises to be a major step forward for Drizzy. It will give fans an idea of what kind of era he is jumping into.

One person who couldn’t be more excited is none other than DJ Akademiks. Akademiks has always prided himself on being a Drake insider of sorts. Recently, he went on VladTV to give his take on the upcoming project.

It was here that he gave a warning of sorts to Kendrick Lamar. In his mind, it would be a grave error to drop something on the same day. “It would only cement that he’s competing with Drake,” Akademiks stated.

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DJ Akademiks Gives Kendrick Lamar A Heads Up

Akademiks believes Kendrick has already had his fun with a “two-year victory lap.” In Ak’s mind, he just needs to let Drizzy have his release date and leave it at that.

If Kendrick were to drop a surprise album on May 15, there would be all sorts of commotion. Furthermore, fans would start comparing sales. This poses a risk to Lamar, as Drake likely has the edge when it comes to these metrics. While numbers are by no means an indicator of quality, they do lend themselves to narratives and public opinion on social media.

Regardless, it is highly unlikely that Lamar drops anything next Friday. To say otherwise is pure fantasy. While it might be nice to think about, it seems outlandish to believe K. Dot would actually do it.

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The post Kendrick Lamar Receives A Warning From DJ Akademiks About Interfering With Drake’s “ICEMAN” Release appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Yachty isn’t just a celebrity guest at these things. He’s a real partner in the Run Fast Racing app alongside Lil Wayne and Rauw Alejandro, and he personally owns 16 horses. The chain was a celebration of the Derby, the app, and the ownership. A $90K racehorse pendant is a very specific way to announce that you’re serious about something.

The piece itself is exactly what you’d expect from a custom Derby commission. Diamonds throughout, a racehorse pendant front and center, built specifically for the occasion. Barnett reportedly delivered it in person, which adds to the moment.

Also as VIBE reported, Yachty has been vocal about wanting to bring a new crowd into horse racing. The chain is part of that, it’s a visual statement that connects hip-hop culture to a sport that hasn’t always felt accessible. A $90K piece around your neck at the Derby does the talking for you.

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Lil Yachty Kentucky Derby Chain

Custom jewelry commissions for major sporting events have become their own cultural moment in recent years. Athletes and artists increasingly treat events like the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl, and the NBA Finals as occasions to debut one-of-a-kind pieces.

Erin Barnett specializes in exactly this kind of high-profile custom work, pieces built around a specific moment rather than generic luxury. A racehorse pendant at $90,000 puts it firmly in collector territory.

The diamonds, the craftsmanship, and the specificity of the design all contribute to the price. Overall, it’s an extravagant and luxurious chain that only Yachty could pull off at the Derby.

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The post Lil Yachty Pulls Up To Kentucky Derby In Extravagant Diamond Chain appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

While the Kill The King release date has not yet been announced, we do have a release date for the artist’s next single, “Mr. Him.” Just like his previous single, “Let ‘Em Know,” this upcoming single is produced by Pharrell and will drop on Wednesday, May 13.

The music video will be directed by Hype Williams, making this a can’t-miss event for hip-hop. A teaser for the track was posted on social media, and it is already garnering hundreds of thousands of views, as well as some strong reactions.

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T.I. Gears Up To Drop “Mr. Him”

Whenever a new song is released, you can be sure that X users are going to have an opinion. This is especially true when big-name artists like T.I. and Pharrell are involved. In this instance, however, the reactions were quite polarized.

There were some who felt as though the song sounded like something out of a cheesy TV show, while others believed this is a certified hit. Clearly, no one can come to a consensus on anything these days.

X Reacts

Below, you can find some of the aforementioned reactions to the track. Here you will find a mix of positive and negative reactions. The song isn’t even out yet, so fans might want to reserve some judgment, at least for right now.

These reactions just reinforce the notion that the excitement for T.I.’s final album is palpable. He is a well-beloved figure in rap, and his projects generate conversation. Hopefully, the artist feels professionally satisfied by this closing chapter of his career.

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The post T.I.’s Pharrell-Produced Song “Mr. Him” Garners Strong Reactions On Social Media appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The artist is being accused of trafficking a drug called METHYLE.-METH (MDMA). For those who may not know, this is a synthetic drug that is considered to be a stimulant.

Kodak Black’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, has already leveled a response against the allegations. In a statement to TMZ, Cohen revealed what this arrest stemmed from. In November of 2025, a vehicle was searched containing one passenger. The passenger involved was not Kodak. However, the police allegedly found a bag with various items, including prescription cough syrup. The bottle allegedly had Kodak’s fingerprints on it.

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Kodak Black Surrenders

Cohen subsequently went on to say that the case has a “weak legal basis.” The attorney believes Kodak has been unfairly targeted throughout his career, and that this is yet another example of that. Ultimately, Cohen is eager to fight the charge and get the case over with.

“We look forward to yet another fruitful resolution to another case that should have never been filed,” he explained. At this time, Kodak remains in jail.

This is certainly a sad update involving Kodak Black. The artist has elicited quite a few concerns from fans over the past few months. Videos posted to social media show Kodak in an inebriated state, and many have prayed for Kodak’s safety and sobriety.

Overall, this remains a developing story, and we will be sure to keep you informed on all of the latest updates.

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The post Kodak Black Hit With Drug Trafficking Charges In Florida appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

On May 14, Drake will officially release ICEMAN Episode 4. Fans have been waiting for Episode 4 for quite some time. It has been months since Episode 3, which some fans found to be quite disappointing. Since that time, the artist has had some time to regroup, re-record, and re-strategize.

Throughout all of this, DJ Akademiks has been offering some commentary regarding the album. He is a huge Drake fan, and he also has a direct line to the Canadian megastar. With that being said, it should come as no surprise that he is dropping ICEMAN updates on his streams.

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Drake Is Dropping ICEMAN Next Week

On Wednesday night, Akademiks was on stream, where he offered up a prediction that will serve as a warning to some of Drake’s biggest enemies. As Ak explains, if you think you might get dissed on ICEMAN, then you probably will be. The commentator doesn’t believe anyone is going to be spared on this album.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether or not Drake is going to stoke any fires. There are some who feel as though he needs to move on from the Kendrick Lamar beef. Others are happy to see him engage with those who have disparaged him in the past.

It is simply a matter of personal preference. That said, Drake has always been one to include a plethora of subliminal bars in his songs. It would be unrealistic to believe he would stop all of a sudden.

As of today, ICEMAN is officially eight days away, and there is still a lot we don’t know. Be sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from the hip-hop world.

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The post DJ Akademiks’ Latest “ICEMAN” Prediction Is A Direct Warning For Drake’s Enemies appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Furthermore, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna were at the event. Later in the evening, the two were caught having what appeared to be an argument. Yesterday, a source close to the situation told TMZ they were just tired. However, this was not the only awkward situation Rihanna found herself in.

A video started to go viral of Tyla interacting with Rihanna outside the event. Tyla was trying to have a conversation with the singer, but in the end, Riri appeared to be preoccupied with something else. The clip felt a bit “off” to some people, leading to speculation that Rihanna doesn’t like Tyla.

The narrative was hard to ignore, and Tyla decided to speak out on social media. In the video below, she says that Rihanna had to dip out of the conversation as Rocky was calling for her.

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Tyla Speaks on Rihanna Video

“I met her, but I think she was occupied. I went up to her and was like, ‘Oh hey, you know,’ and she was like, ‘Hey, um… my baby daddy’s calling me,’ and then she left. I was like, Oop!” Tyla explained.

Some fans on social media felt as though it was a bit of a mistake for Tyla to address this. After all, people are making up narratives all the time. That doesn’t necessarily mean they absolutely need to be addressed.

Having said that, Tyla remains someone who garners widespread criticism online. Everything she does is scrutinized, and this is simply another example of that.

Even Rihanna and Rocky can sympathize with this. After all, the post-Met Gala autopsy on their relationship is enough to never want to go out in public ever again.

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The post Tyla Addresses Awkward Moment With Rihanna At The Met Gala appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

These four producers are currently seeking damages, and as a result, Ye had to take the stand on Wednesday. Overall, Ye was asked a plethora of questions about his music career and his process as it pertained to sampling.

At one point, Ye’s attorney asked him whether or not he ever won a Grammy for the song “Brothers in Paris.” Of course, this is a censored version of his chart-topping hit, “N***** in Paris,” featuring Jay-Z. Ye subsequently had the entire courtroom laughing as he responded by saying, “What’s the real name?”

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Kanye West Copyright Trial Continues

According to Billboard, Ye eventually got much more serious in relation to the accusations that were being leveled his way. The artist made it crystal clear that he always goes through the proper channels for samples. Furthermore, Ye said that he prides himself on giving proper credit and compensation.

“We went through the normal process to get it taken care of,” Ye said. “I pride myself on giving people what they deserve. I feel like a lot of people try to take advantage of me.”

As it stands, the four producers are only able to seek compensation for the revenue made during the listening event. A larger lawsuit involving royalties from the songs “Hurricane” and “Moon” was struck down.

All of this comes weeks after the release of Ye’s new album, Bully, which has received some mixed reviews so far. Ye is also in the midst of a public apology tour, as he hopes to tour across the world without much pushback from local governments.

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The post Kanye West Had Courtroom In Stitches After “N***** In Paris” Joke During Copyright Trial appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: May 7

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: EXPERIMENTAL RAP

Quotable Lyrics from War Over Land

Shootin’ at has-beens, ready for, hey
You’re not a boss, I heard your bars
Don’t really fuck with, I know who you are
I see the green and your forest is gone

The post War Over Land – Song by JPEGMAFIA appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

With that being said, fans are already starting to craft their fantasy setlists. There has also been some spirited debate on social media about who will actually come away with the win here. While many purists are going with Rick Ross, there is something to be said about the sheer volume of features French Montana has delivered over the years. No matter what, we should be in for a friendly battle.

Today is officially May 7, which means the VERZUZ is set for tonight. We will be watching, and if you need some help finding the event, we’ve got you covered.

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Rick Ross VERZUZ French Montana

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The live stream for the event can be found over on Apple Music at 9:30 PM EST. Meanwhile, the show is being put together in collaboration with Complex. If you want to vote on who’s winning, you will have to sign up with Complex, as they are the only location to both watch the show and vote at the same time.

About a month ago, we got a VERZUZ battle between Tank and Tyrese. In the eyes of some fans, this battle was a complete disaster. Overall, this was due to Tyrese’s antics, in which he left the stage, leaving the crowd confused.

This time around, things should be a lot more jovial. After all, French Montana and Rick Ross are friendly with one another. We expect the vibe of this upcoming show to be positive, which will be a treat for all of the fans watching.

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The post Rick Ross & French Montana Face-Off In Epic “VERZUZ” Event: How To Watch & Vote appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: May 6, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop, Pop Punk

Album: N/A

Quotable Lyrics from Run Forever

She be runnin’
She want me to run away with her
She be runnin’
She look back at me, then she say, “Like, are you comin’?”

The post Run Forever – Song by Yuno Miles & Fantano appeared first on HotNewHipHop.