Sizing and pricing are simple. Grade school pairs cost $155, preschool pairs cost $95, and toddler pairs cost $80.

Overall, the look is easy to read. Red leather covers most of the upper, with deeper red on the toe and heel. White shows up on the tongue and eyestays, and a red Jumpman sits on the tongue.

At the back, the black heel panel carries a small gold Jumpman and the word AIR. It is a clean finish for a holiday pair. The inside is where things get playful. A shaggy black lining wraps the ankle opening, which is rare for an Air Jordan 3. Overall it makes the shoe feel cozy.

The insoles carry the best story. Their artwork comes from a Nike holiday ad in 1985. The ad pictured Santa dropping down a chimney in Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” sneakers.

Adults get a different option as the Air Jordan 3 “Not Nice” arrives on the same day. Together, the two pairs tell one holiday story. That is a smart way to split the release.

Read More: Jordan Brand Turns Air Jordan 11 Into A “Space Jam” Baseball Cleat

Air Jordan 3 “Santa”

The 1985 ad is a nice piece of Jordan history. It came out when the Air Jordan 1 was brand new, and the line was just getting started.

Using it on an Air Jordan 3 is a little unexpected. Many fans would have liked to see the Air Jordan 1 used as the canvas. Still, the Air Jordan 3 is a great holiday shoe.

The red leather and white details give it a clean look, even with the holiday theme. The fuzzy lining stays on the inside, so it does not overwhelm the design.

Kids pairs like this are popular gifts, and the timing is smart. November 21st lands before Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

The “Not Nice” pair is the adult option. It has a dark, worn-looking upper with red elephant print, plus a stitched “Not Nice” label under the heel tab. It is a very different take on the same story.

Read More: Nas Blasts Trend-Chasing In Music And Calls For Unity

The post Air Jordan 3 “Santa” Hides A 1985 Christmas Ad Inside appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The price is $200, and the style code is JA7792-400. It will be available in men’s sizing through Nike and select retailers.

This is not a normal Air Jordan 11. It is a baseball cleat built on the classic silhouette. Jordan Brand has already reworked the model for the diamond in recent years.

The design uses a purple, color-shifting finish. It matches the look of the “Magic Ball” Air Jordan 11, a women’s pair arriving on November 11th. Black accents show up throughout the cleat.

Overall, it is a very clean way to turn a famous shoe into a piece of baseball gear. The glossy look still keeps the spirit of the original patent leather.

There is also a great story behind the idea. Michael Jordan spent time with the Birmingham Barons, a Minor League baseball team, and the 1996 film includes that baseball connection. Baseball fans and sneakerheads alike will want to take note of the date. Some outlets list the price as $225, so that detail may still change.

Read More: Nas Blasts Trend-Chasing In Music And Calls For Unity

Air Jordan 11 MCS Cleat “Space Jam”

The cleat is part of a very large Space Jam collection. Jordan Brand is celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary with sneakers, apparel, and more.

Most of the collection arrives on November 5th. That includes Air Jordan 1 Low and Mid pairs, a Spizike Low, a Son of Mars Low, and a spiked Air Jordan 1 Low Golf.

The headline pairs still come later. The Air Jordan 11 “Magic Ball” arrives November 11th, followed by the “Green Screen” and the original “Space Jam” 11 on December 12th.

Jordan Brand has leaned into baseball for years. Cleats like this give fans a different way to wear a favorite design. They also give players on the field a rare chance to wear a Space Jam piece.

Read More: GOP Senator Dragged Over AI Halftime “Not Like Us” Campaign Video

The post Jordan Brand Turns Air Jordan 11 Into A “Space Jam” Baseball Cleat appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Nas traced that concern back well beyond Hip Hop, writing about a musical lineage stretching from the Mississippi Delta through New Orleans to New York. He specifically invoked blues pioneer Robert Johnson, whose enormous influence has long existed alongside uncertainty over where he was actually buried.

“I think about Robert Johnson at the crossroads, how he changed music, and how we can’t even find his grave,” Nas wrote. Mississippi tourism officials recognize three possible burial sites for Johnson, with the Mississippi Blues Trail identifying the cemetery near Little Zion M.B. Church as the most likely location. Nas then brought the point into the modern industry.

Read More: JAŸ-Z Brings Out Nas And Blue Ivy Carter During New York Show

“Sometimes I look at all artists, creators and executives the same way,” he continued. “The music game forgets or doesn’t compensate the foundation. Our greats have been stolen from and ripped off of.” His message was not limited to older artists getting their flowers too late. Nas also took aim at an industry increasingly organized around whatever is moving fastest online, arguing that music cannot simply become raw material for the next trend.

“We can’t keep creating music for the sake of a ‘trend,’” he wrote. “We have to remember the purpose and our contribution and how many things we created. Where’s the love for each other at… We gotta take a stand as one. It’s time for a celebration of the music.” The post ended with an even more pointed declaration. “No Knowledge of self is certain death! It’s time to address it.”

Read More: JÄY-Z Says His Nas Beef Wasn’t Personal

Nas Has Already Been Putting Money Behind That Argument

The sentiment isn’t far from the work Nas has already been doing outside the studio. He serves on the advisory board of the Paid in Full Foundation, an organization created to recognize Hip Hop pioneers who helped build the culture without receiving financial rewards proportional to their influence.

Its annual Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards return to Las Vegas on Oct. 24, with Kurtis Blow and The D.O.C. among this year’s honorees. Nile Rodgers will receive the Quincy Jones Achievement Award, while Ralph McDaniels is being recognized for his contributions to the culture. The foundation says proceeds from the event support its work providing financial assistance to artists.

There may also be more coming. Nas said outright that he has been working on music, and the post included the phrase “BLAK MUSIC 2026,” though he did not explain whether that refers to a project or something broader. Whatever he is preparing, he seems to be placing the conversation about ownership and memory right alongside the music instead of treating it as an afterthought.

Read More: Nas & Mayor Mamdani Want New York Back At The Center Of Hip Hop

The post Nas Blasts Trend-Chasing In Music And Calls For Unity appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs gets an especially specific AI makeover. The former WWE star appears in his old Kane gear while dancing behind Blackburn, who captioned the post, “Tomorrow. Ready to roll.” She later explained that a county commissioner made the clip, Burchett reposted it, and her team shared it as well.

“You know, there is a county commissioner that made the video and put it up, and I think Congressman Burchett reposted it, we reposted it, and it’s a funsie,” Blackburn told WZTV. “Everybody get out and vote!” Yet, the internet was less charmed. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger mocked the video on X, while Blackburn’s Democratic opponent in the Tennessee governor’s race, Jerri Green, used it to make her own point about political AI. “When I say please stop using AI to support our campaign, this is what I mean,” Green wrote.

Read More: Drake’s YouTube Channel Uploads “Not Like Us” During Apparent Hack

Blackburn Has A Complicated History With Rap And AI

Choosing Kendrick invited an old congressional hearing roaring back into the conversation. In 2007, Blackburn testified at a House hearing on stereotypes and degrading imagery in entertainment, where Master P and David Banner spoke about Hip Hop. Blackburn was openly critical of the rappers’ work, saying some of the lyrics were obscene and asking, “Where and how did society fail you to the point where you choose to write such filth?”

Nearly two decades later, “Not Like Us” was apparently fair game for an AI campaign gag. Moreover, there is another wrinkle. Blackburn has spent considerable time in Washington arguing that artists need stronger protections from unauthorized AI replicas. She co-sponsored the bipartisan NO FAKES Act, legislation designed to give people greater control over AI-generated versions of their voices and visual likenesses.

“AI should empower innovation, not give scammers and online predators a free pass to exploit someone’s voice and visual likeness without permission,” Blackburn said in June after the legislation advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The campaign video doesn’t necessarily fall under the same legal concerns the bill targets, and Blackburn said she did not create it herself. Still, critics didn’t have to dig far to spot the irony of watching a senator who once grilled rappers over their lyrics now champion protections for artists’ digital likenesses post an artificial version of herself in Kendrick Lamar’s biggest performance.

Read More: Mal Questions “Not Like Us” Ranking On Complex’s Top 100 LA Rap Songs List

The post GOP Senator Dragged Over AI Halftime “Not Like Us” Campaign Video appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

He continued by acknowledging that Jackson may not want to hear from him at all. Blockstar maintained that Pop Smoke was not personally targeted over a feud and said the February 2020 home invasion was supposed to be about money. “I always say the situation was never supposed to go like that. He’s not my enemy,” he explained. “What happened, what occurred, was not personal.”

Blockstar was 17 when the robbery at the Hollywood Hills home where Pop Smoke was staying turned deadly. He later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery and received a four-year, two-month juvenile sentence. The Los Angeles Times reported that he admitted entering the property intending to rob the Brooklyn rapper. Another juvenile defendant later admitted to shooting Pop Smoke.

Read More: Pop Smoke’s Alleged Killer Thinks He Deserved A More Severe Sentence

Blockstar’s Earlier Comments Drew A Very Different Response

The apology lands differently because Blockstar sounded far less remorseful after leaving juvenile custody in 2024. During a No Jumper interview that summer, he repeatedly said he was not sorry for his involvement, even while acknowledging that Pop Smoke should not have died.

“I’m not sorry about nothing,” he said at the time. “It should’ve never happened, but I ain’t sorry.” The comments quickly drew criticism, but Jackson made clear she had little interest in consuming interviews from someone connected to her son’s death. Speaking with Hot 97 later that month, Jackson said she had deliberately avoided watching Blockstar’s interviews and only heard about his remarks when other people brought them to her attention. She admitted that hearing he had been disrespectful affected her, but said holding onto that anger would only hurt her.

“I gotta let that go because that’ll eat me up,” Jackson said. She already decided two years ago that whatever he chose to say next did not need to become part of her world.

Read More: Pop Smoke’s Alleged Killer Claims He Isn’t Sorry

The post Man Convicted In Pop Smoke Case Wants To Apologize To His Mom appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Video from the night shows Usher watching performers at Speakeasy Magick, an intimate show built around sleight of hand and audience interaction. According to TMZ, Kevin Hart was among the guests visibly stunned by a card trick, while Usher seemed more than happy to let somebody else handle the theatrics.

The guest list was nearly as entertaining as the show. Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Fabolous and Bun B were all spotted at the celebration, turning the birthday gathering into something close to an industry reunion with a magic act running through it. LeBron James and J.R. Smith were also in attendance.

Speakeasy Magick trades the giant stage for something more personal. Performers move through the room and work directly in front of guests, making the appeal less about spectacle from a distance and more about watching somebody pull off something impossible inches away. The production currently runs out of The Overlook Bar in Manhattan.

Read More: Chris Brown & Usher Cancel Tour Dates Amid Brown’s Next London Court Date

Usher Took A Birthday Break From The Stage

The celebration landed in the middle of another busy stretch for the singer. He is currently on The R&B Tour with Chris Brown, a stadium run that has kept both artists moving through the second half of the year. They recently announced a bit of a break so that everyone can take a rest before jumping back on the road.

After decades of building a career on knowing exactly when an audience is looking, Usher seemed genuinely amused by performers using those same instincts against him. For one night, he didn’t need the entrance, the choreography, or the reveal. He just got to watch the trick.

Read More: Kanye West Surprises Fans At Chris Brown & Usher’s Los Angeles Show

The post Usher Celebrates 48 With Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, & A Night Of Magic appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“Why was you coming at me? As a female?” she asked.

The room did not explode, but the temperature definitely changed. Lore’l explained that she had been looking forward to the interview and had plenty of positive questions prepared, while also defending her right to critique Miami’s music. Miami was not arguing with criticism itself. Her issue was that she believed Lore’l’s previous comments went well beyond reviewing a song.

Miami said she had heard the earlier discussion and came close to calling into the station at the time. Rather than doing that, she apparently saved the conversation for when the two were sitting across from each other.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

Read More: Is Yung Miami’s “Spend Dat” Bad For Hip-Hop?

Yung Miami Had Not Forgotten The BossMan Dlow Commentary

The comments bothering Miami stemmed from her July departure from BossMan Dlow’s Motion Party Tour. After she pulled out of the trek, Lore’l criticized the decision on-air and suggested Miami thought she was “above the program.” She also joked about the City Girls hit “Act Up” not paying as much anymore as others in the studio laughed.

Miami had publicly given a different explanation for leaving. In her announcement, she said she needed to finish her debut album and was facing deadlines, telling fans she had to “lock in” to get the project done. BossMan Dlow subsequently postponed the tour after what his team described as Miami’s “last-minute departure.” Her statement made it clear she was stepping away to work on the album rather than abandoning touring altogether.

Her press run comes as she prepares to release Watch Dis, her first full-length solo album, on Oct. 23. The project follows “Spend Dat,” “F You” and “2008,” with Miami using much of this rollout to address the criticism that has followed her solo career. Judging by her visit to The Morning Hustle, she isn’t limiting those conversations to the people criticizing her from a distance.

Read More: Yung Miami Had A One-Word Response When Asked About A City Girls Reunion

The post Yung Miami Keeps It Polite While Confronting Lore’l Over Past Shade appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Neither side got close to everything it wanted. Saxon’s attorneys sought about $1.23 million in fees and costs after trial. Ye’s lawyers argued the court should deny the request and cap any award at $59,425. Hammond landed considerably below Saxon’s request, but well above the figure Ye’s team proposed.

“I respect Judge Hammond’s openness to consider my argument” for a larger award, Saxon attorney Ron Zambrano told Billboard. He added that he still believed the work required to secure the verdict was worth more than what the judge ultimately approved. Ye’s camp was less impressed. Spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos used the ruling to take a swipe at Zambrano’s co-counsel Neama Rahmani, calling the outcome “fittingly humiliating” after Saxon’s team had pursued a much larger fee award.

Read More: Kanye West Wants Donda Academy Trial Delayed Until 2027

The Malibu Mansion Dispute Is Not Finished

Saxon sued Ye in 2023 over his time working at the rapper’s Tadao Ando-designed Malibu property, which Ye purchased for $57.3 million in 2021. Saxon alleged he was hired to oversee a sweeping renovation and suffered neck and back injuries while working under unsafe conditions. Ye denied wrongdoing and disputed Saxon’s account of both his employment and injuries.

After trial in March, jurors awarded Saxon $100,000 for medical expenses and $40,000 for pain and suffering. They rejected several of his other claims, including wrongful termination and unpaid wages. Ye later challenged the verdict, but Judge Hammond declined to overturn it in April.

The mansion itself has already delivered a separate financial hit. Ye gutted much of the concrete beachfront home during his attempted renovation before eventually selling it in 2024 for $21 million, far below what he paid three years earlier. Moreover, another legal fight still ties to the property. Ye has sued Saxon over a mechanic’s lien placed on the mansion, accusing him of interfering with its sale. That case remains pending, leaving a house Ye no longer owns attached to yet another courtroom battle.

Read More: Kanye Wants Antisemitic Posts Banned From Discrimination Trial

The post Ye’s Malibu Mansion Lawsuit Bill Climbs Past $320K appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The announcement follows August’s Joe and Donell Jones faceoff, continuing a stretch that has put veteran R&B voices back at the center of the platform. Case and Thomas make for a particularly interesting pairing because their commercial peaks overlap without their catalogs feeling interchangeable.

Case has “Touch Me, Tease Me,” “Happily Ever After,” “Faded Pictures,” and “Missing You” to pull from. His catalog also reflects how much of his run crossed through soundtrack culture and Hip Hop collaborations. “Missing You” became his biggest solo hit, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 4 on the Hot 100.

Read More: Boosie Says He Could Beat Lil Wayne In A Verzuz Battle

Case And Carl Thomas Bring Different R&B Weapons To Verzuz

Thomas enters with one of the defining Bad Boy R&B albums of its era. Emotional arrived in 2000 and gave him “I Wish,” “Summer Rain,” the title track, and “Giving You All My Love.” “I Wish” spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart, while the album eventually went Platinum.

His catalog also gives the night a slightly different emotional temperature. Case often moved between romantic records and Hip Hop-adjacent collaborations, while Thomas built much of his reputation on heartbreak songs that sounded polished without losing their ache. A Verzuz format gives both approaches room to breathe. Neither singer is coming into the matchup as a nostalgia act who disappeared once the early 2000s ended. Case released “I Can’t Breathe” earlier this year, while Thomas has remained active on the R&B touring circuit and returned to “Emotional” in 2025 with a remix featuring Big Boogie and Moneybagg Yo.

Check out the announcement above.

Read More: Who Really Won YG Verzuz The Game?

The post Carl Thomas & Case Bring Classic R&B Catalogs To Verzuz appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Rather than simply inventorying the jewelry, the officers appear genuinely fascinated by it. They pick up chains and watches for closer inspection, commenting on the size of the pieces and the amount of diamonds involved. At several points, the mood feels less procedural than curious, with multiple officers taking turns examining what Thugger had been wearing.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

Read More: Netflix Announces “Young Thug On Trial” Documentary

Young Thug Eventually Won The Fight To Get His Property Back

Thugger entered a plea in October 2024 and was released on probation, but his lawyers continued fighting over the cash, vehicles, and jewelry taken more than two years earlier. By 2025, the tide had turned in his favor. A judge ruled that the state had missed a legally required deadline in the civil forfeiture proceedings. This cleared the way for much of the property to be returned. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the order covered nearly $150,000 in cash, luxury vehicles and an assortment of jewelry.

The legal wrangling continued after prosecutors appealed, but Judge Paige Reese Whitaker eventually ordered the state to return the remaining property by January 2026. Thug had already recovered jewelry earlier in the process, while some firearms and YSL-related pieces were treated separately. That gives the resurfaced footage a different ending than it had when those cameras were rolling. The officers inspecting Thug’s collection were looking at property the state may have hoped to keep. Years later, the state ordered much of it back into his hands.

Read More: Young Thug Teases New Music With Drake And An R&B Album

The post Police Fangirl Over Young Thug’s Jewelry In Bodycam Video appeared first on HotNewHipHop.