The Dreamville MC said he wanted to get a deal early on, and he thought he was ready for it. Now, though, he feels grateful he didn’t blow up until later, revealing an on-stage moment during his The Fall-Off tour made him think about his first meeting with Jay.

“I played ‘Wet Dreamz’ for Jay-Z [at] my first meeting for him,” the North Carolina rapper remarked, as caught by Caleb on Twitter. “In my mind, I’m like, ‘He had to have known what this was, right?’ I didn’t put it out until five years later… Thank God he didn’t go, ‘Oh my God, let’s take that to radio right now… He’s ready now.’ Whether he thought that song was ready or not, he probably knew, ‘He needs some more development.’ Thank God he thought that.

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J. Cole Speaks On Jay-Z

“Even when I signed to him at 24, if I’d have blew at 24, even with the material I had, I couldn’t have came back from that,” he continued. “I could’ve dropped a real classic at 24, 25, with the stockpile of songs I had… I had a pure classic on my hands at 24, 25. If I would’ve blew off of that, and dropped that, I genuinely feel like I would’ve had nothing to rap about. I would’ve went and lived a whole crazy life. I wouldn’t be married, wouldn’t have kids. And then, I would’ve just been one of them n***as where they like, ‘What happened to him?'”

J. Cole and Jay-Z’s relationship has been scrutinized by fans in the past. But it’s clear they have a lot of mutual respect and appreciation regarding their history.

Elsewhere, J. Cole sadly dealt with tragedy as a driver for his tour passed away in a car crash. It was a heartbreaking development in what has otherwise been a heartening trek.

Read More: Tupac, D4vd & Feeding The Conspiracies That Never Die

The post J. Cole Says He’s Grateful Jay-Z Didn’t Put Him On Earlier appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The comeback arrives in the original black and university blue colorway. Taxi yellow and metallic silver round out the rest of the detailing. It’s the exact look Melo wore during his early Denver Nuggets years.

Black leather covers most of the upper. University blue hits the outsole, lining, and midfoot vents. That same blue also shows up on the embroidered heel logo, tying the whole build together.

A hint of vibrant yellow sits behind the tongue and on the heel Jumpman. That small pop of color gives the shoe some extra contrast against all that black and blue. It’s a detail longtime fans will recognize immediately.

Carmelo Anthony became Jordan Brand’s first signature basketball athlete after Michael Jordan himself. He signed on after getting picked third overall back in 2003. The 5.5 followed his first signature shoe, the Melo 1.5, just two years later.

Between the two, only the 1.5 has ever gotten a proper retro before now. That makes this release feel like the missing piece finally falling into place. For collectors who’ve waited on this one, the timing couldn’t feel more overdue.

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Jordan Melo 5.5

The Melo 5.5 never launched as its own original silhouette. Instead, it borrowed heavily from two Jordan classics already on shelves. It blended design cues straight from the Air Jordan 5 and Air Jordan 6.

That hybrid approach made the shoe stand out back in 2005. It wasn’t trying to be a totally new signature line. Instead, it leaned into Jordan Brand’s own history while giving Melo his own identity.

The original pair even came with a small metallic hangtag that unfolded into a booklet. That detail walked buyers through the shoe’s design story at the time. It’s the kind of extra touch rarely seen with basketball releases today.

For longtime sneakerheads, this one carries real weight. It’s a piece of early 2000s basketball nostalgia finally getting its moment again.

Read More: Adidas And Bad Bunny Unveil New Adidas BadBo 1.1

The post Carmelo Anthony’s Jordan Melo 5.5 Return Gets A Release Date appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

According to AllHipHop, the defense raised a debate over whether or not one person can be held responsible for the crimes of another. While prosecutors argue Durk ordered a hit on Quando Rondo, the defense argues the perpetrators acted independently of the Chicago rapper.

Judge Fitzgerald reportedly explained the Pinkerton rule from a 1946 Supreme Court case, which posits jurors must find the defendant joined a plan and committed a crime to further that plan. While Smurk’s lawyer Christy O’Connor fought back against the notion of indirect responsibility, the judge said the rule will stand, opening the door for both sides’ claims.

“What the defense is saying here is that they want the right, if there should be convictions, to raise this issue with the full Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court,” Judge Fitzgerald reportedly remarked. This sets a path for the defense to appeal if the jury convicts Lil Durk and his codefendants, Deondre “DeDe” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey.

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Lil Durk Trial’s Next Court Date

Prosecutors reportedly stated they will not argue a plan DeDe allegedly made without Durk’s knowledge is evidence of guilt. Their witnesses, such as OTF Jam and OTF Vonni, alleged Durk knowingly financed and approved of the hit.

AllHipHop also reported Judge Fitzgerald’s clarification that The Voice’s financial matters, such as allegedly paying for flight tickets and booking hotel rooms, cannot emerge as proof of guilt in prosecutors’ closing arguments. Instead, they must show a more direct connection to the murder plot.

“The jury is already told that, specifically, in unambiguous English language, that paying for those sorts of instrumentalities are not enough,” the judge reportedly expressed. “It has to be a bounty beyond the actual fact of those things.” To be clear, Judge Fitzgerald spoke about what prosecutors and defense attorneys can argue and how jurors must scrutinize the facts for purposes of fairness and consistency. The judge did not “pick a side” regarding the case.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys will begin their closing arguments on Tuesday, September 8.

Read More: Tupac, D4vd & Feeding The Conspiracies That Never Die

The post Judge In Lil Durk’s Trial Opens Door For Appeal If Jury Convicts appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

More specifically, the Television Academy honored supervising editors Charles Divak, ACE (American Cinema Editors) and Evan Wise, ACE, along with lead editor Jack Gravina and editors Adam Goldstein, Jonathan Miller, Jeremy Siefer, and Benji Kast, ACE. The Reckoning was also nominated in two other categories: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.

Via Instagram, 50 Cent celebrated this achievement and took the opportunity to clap back at anyone downplaying his success. “I won a Emmy still think I’m taking a L or you changed your mind,” he wrote. “GLG GreenLightGang we don’t miss.” Considering how much the G-Unit mogul celebrated the nominations, the win itself will probably lead to even more celebrations.

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50 Cent’s Emmy

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Even with this editing Emmy in mind, 50 Cent’s comments about Diddy continue to show why his production of Sean Combs: The Reckoning was so controversial in the first place. Many fans alleged bias was at play, let alone the Bad Boy mogul’s team. But he’s just a small part of a much larger tale and production, and he’s never been shy about making that disdain clear.

Most recently, 50 theorized Keefe D might testify against Puff concerning the murder of Tupac. This follows Keefe’s murder conviction cocnerning the case.

Elsewhere, 50 Cent is flaunting other successes, even if they have only recently resurfaced after decades. Amid the successful relaunch of his G-Unit Reebok sneakers, he looked back at an old ad for Reebok he did with Jay-Z. Fif even suggested Hov is still mad at him over the commercial for wearing the G-Unit shoes rather than the S. Carters. With every win comes a troll, and 50’s happy to stick to that formula.

Read More: Tupac, D4vd & Feeding The Conspiracies That Never Die

The post 50 Cent Celebrates After His Diddy Documentary Wins An Emmy appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Hov spoke about his special connection to London as the show closed out, as his mentor Jaz-O had taken him to Notting Hill for two months back in 1989. Elsewhere, the show was similarly nostalgic, with pretty much all his big hits showing up and celebrations of Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint in particular shining bright.

Elsewhere, Sampha came out to perform “No Church In The Wild” and Dave came out to perform “Raindance.” While there weren’t as many people onstage as Jay-Z’s first London show, fans still loved to see the U.K. stars have their moment.

Now, fans must wait for Jay-Z’s next concerts if they want to catch him live. He will perform in Paris next Thursday (September 10) and then hit Los Angeles on October 23 and 24.

But amid all this success, comparisons to some of Jay-Z’s foes also emerged. His Watch The Throne partner Ye also had massive stadium shows in Chicago recently, to name just one of the locations. No matter which one you prefer, hip-hop fans have been eating in 2026 if this is one of their hottest debates.

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Jay-Z Setlist

1. Bam
2. Jigga My N***a
3. Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
4. Beach Is Better
5. F**kwithmeyouknowigotit
6. N***a What, N***a Who (Originator 99)
7. Run This Town
8. On To The Next One
9. Empire State Of Mind
10. Family Feud
11. U Don’t Know
12. Dead Presidents / Dead Presidents II
13. Where I’m From / Marcy Me
14. Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
15. Lucifer
16. No Church In The Wild / Lost+ (with Sampha)
17. Can I Live
18. 99 Problems
19. Girls, Girls, Girls / ’03 Bonnie & Clyde
20. Excuse Me Miss / La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again)
21. I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)
22. Dirt Off Your Shoulder
23. I Know
24. Never Change
25. Song Cry
26. Raindance (with Dave)
27. Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love) / 9/11 Freestyle / Blueprint 2
28. N***as In Paris / Big Pimpin’
29. Public Service Announcement
30. Numb / Encore

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The post Jay-Z Brings Out Dave & Sampha At Second London Show: Full Setlist appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: September 4, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: LOCKED IN

Quotable Lyrics from OK

Thought they was bookin’ Sosa, three hundred for a show
I pop it ’cause I ‘posed to, remember bein’ broke (Frrt)
It’s Alyssa, not Elsa, I can’t let you go (Go)
A-T-L-A-N-T-A, I’m in the ho
All this back and forth, man, I just want you back on top

The post OK – Song by Nemzzz ft. Latto appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The main piece is a long-sleeve PUMA King jersey in black and archive gold. “DON’T BE DUMB” runs down the sleeve, with AWGE branding mixed throughout. A bold “MANCHESTER” graphic covers the back of the shirt.

Fans can also add limited-edition “A$AP 11” name and number printing. That’s available on the club’s current Home, Away, or Third kits. It’s offered while supplies last at retail.

A separate players-only version exists too, though it’s not for sale. That one sticks closer to Man City’s sky-blue identity. It features “D.B.D.” sleeve detailing and a stop-sign graphic reading “STOP SNITCHIN, MANCHESTER” on the back.

Everything sells exclusively in Manchester on a first-come, first-served basis. That includes the Man City Stadium Store and some jerseys even came with “Golden Tickets” for the concert or Saturday’s match.

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Man City x A$AP Rocky

The collection’s first moment came through a one-night pop-up on September 4th. PUMA transformed Black Milk in Manchester’s Northern Quarter into the “Don’t Be Dumb Caff” for the night. Doors opened and drew the big fans in early.

That event mixed football, music, and street culture into one space. It gave fans first access to the longsleeve jersey before wider retail rollout. The numbered kits followed the next morning at the stadium store.

A$AP Rocky has described the project as staying true to his own design language. He’s said the goal was honoring Man City’s legacy while still keeping his creative fingerprint intact. PUMA’s Teamsport VP echoed that same sentiment in the collection’s announcement.

This isn’t Rocky’s only club project also matching collection with AC Milan dropped around the same time. Together, both releases show just how far music and football crossovers have come.

Read More: Adidas And Bad Bunny Unveil New Adidas BadBo 1.1

The post Man City And A$AP Rocky Team Up On “Don’t Be Dumb” Kit appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The debut colorway comes in a chalk white, grey, and soft pink. It’s inspired by the coastline of Puerto Rico. That’s a much lighter palette compared to the original BadBo 1.0’s debut brown.

The 1.1 trims down to a true low-top shape with a thinned-out collar. That’s a clear departure from the heavily padded mid-cut build of the original release. The layering of the upper has also been reworked to accommodate that lower shape.

The toe box also gets reworked too. A T-toe construction swaps out the smooth toe from the 1.0. That detail gives the shoe a sportier, more traditional sneaker look.

Even the branding shifted slightly. It now sits centered on the heel instead of positioned off to the side near the rear. Bad Bunny’s stitch-mark tongue tab, thick rope laces, and heel star logo all carry over from the original.

Both BadBo models trace back to the Adidas Streetwise basketball shoe from 1994. That happens to be the same year Bad Bunny was born. It’s a detail that’s carried through every version of this partnership so far.

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Adidas BadBo 1.1

The original BadBo 1.0 debuted during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year. It sold out almost immediately following his big Grammy night. Resale prices on that first release have climbed well past retail since then.

This 1.1 arrives just months after that debut, which is a quick turnaround for any signature line. Bad Bunny has stayed busy with his Adidas partnership all year regardless. Golf and baseball cleat versions of the BadBo have already released too.

The lower price point here also stands out. At $120, the 1.1 comes in cheaper than the original’s $160 tag. That could make this version an easier access point for fans who missed the first drop. Overall, With more BadBo colorways already expected, this partnership shows no signs of slowing down.

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The post Adidas And Bad Bunny Unveil New Adidas BadBo 1.1 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: January 11, 2011

Genre: Hip-Hop

Tracklist of Dirty Sprite

1. Intro
2. Dirty Sprite
3. We Winnin
4. Watch This (with Rocko)
5. Pop Them Bands (with Travis Porter)
6. Racks (with YC)
7. Yeah Yeah – Remix (with 2 Chainz)
8. Never Been This High
9. We On Top
10. Conceited (with Cap 1)
11. Upper Echelon
12. Old Hundreds (with Twista)
13. On 2 Us
14. Splashin’ (with F.L.Y.)
15. Much More
16. So Cold – Interlude
17. I Got Yo B***h (with Rocko)
18. Stand
19. Pajamas (with Rocko)
20. Future Speaks
21. 4 My People

The post Dirty Sprite – Mixtape by Future appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Wilson responded via Twitter to Jermaine Dupri commenting on the many guests the Chicago artist brought out for these concerts. They include Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Lupe Fiasco, Travis Scott, Future, Common, and many more. “Everybody always reconciles with dude. I hope Big Homie never does,” Elliott wrote.

While he didn’t explicitly name the Roc Nation mogul, fans quickly connected the dots online. However, folks who agreed with him didn’t necessarily align with his reasoning. Some hardcore Roc supporters are firmly against the Yeezy mogul, whereas others hope Kanye is the one who never lets Jay back into his life.

Conversations about Kanye West’s Jay-Z beef could also apply to folks like Pusha T, especially with the context of Sean and much of the G.O.O.D. Music family reconciling with Ye. Some folks are focused on the interpersonal dynamics and industry loyalties, whereas others expressed outrage at these artists ignoring Kanye’s previous bigotries and controversies.

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Kanye West & Jay-Z Beef

Most recently, Kanye West seemed to show Jay-Z love for his Yankee Stadium performances, although it may have been for the art direction rather than anything related to Hov himself. Considering Jay had dissed Ye during his Roots Picnic freestyle, this shocked a lot of fans. But clearly, it didn’t lead to any significant reunion or reconciliation.

Speaking of Jay-Z shows, he just wrapped up night two of his London concerts, and he has a few more massive performances on the way. Some fans are now debating which Watch The Throne MC had the better shows. But many of those agree with Elliott Wilson in one way or another: they don’t expect The Throne to rule again.

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The post Elliott Wilson Doesn’t Want Jay-Z To Forgive Kanye West appeared first on HotNewHipHop.