Recently, Shannon Sharpe made his thoughts clear about Shields getting in the ring against a man. He heavily advised against it, claiming that Shields would get absolutely crushed. This did not sit well with Shields and Shakur Stevenson, who had some harsh words for Shannon on social media.

For instance, Stevenson claimed that if Sharpe were to get in the ring with Shields, he would lose. Meanwhile, Shields claims that people like Shannon know nothing about boxing and shouldn’t speak on it any longer.

On Nightcap, Sharpe was not here for the disrespect. In fact, while broadcasting with Chad Ochocinco, he offered a detailed account of what would happen if Shields did fight a man.

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Shannon Sharpe vs. Claressa Shields

Sharpe believes that a trained fighter would knock Shields out fairly quickly. However, he emphasized that Shields is the GOAT when it comes to fighting against women. He said that his opinion on the matter doesn’t take anything away from the sensational career she has built for herself.

While Shields claims that she spars against men all the time, Shannon and Ocho also noted that sparring and fighting are two very different things. Sharpe also brought up how high-level male athletes generate lots of testosterone, which makes them stronger.

He firmly believes that if Shields were to enter the ring against a man, she would get hurt. While there are certainly people out there who would like to see Shields fight a man, it is probably for the best that she doesn’t.

As for Shakur Stevenson, Sharpe seems to think that Stevenson is just upset that Shannon has no interest in watching his next fight.

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“It shows absolute disrespect for the court, the jury and this entire process,” he said in Manhattan court today. “… Absolutely unacceptable.” Even though one was reached last week, Subramanian wasn’t aware of it on Friday.

Lawyers representing the states involved (around 40) and the District of Columbia also voiced their frustrations over the result.

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In fact, a great number of them are going to fight for a mistrial. Although, AP News reports that double-digit states are onboard with the tentative agreement. “We will keep fighting this case without the federal government so that we can secure justice for all those harmed by Live Nation’s monopoly,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said per the New York Times.

But as for the agreement itself, here’s what it all entails if it goes through. Firstly, Ticketmaster and partner Live Nation will have to allow its other competitors, such as SeatGeek and Eventbrite, to list tickets directly through its system.

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Why Was Live Nation Being Sued?

Additionally, Live Nation’s long-term exclusivity contracts, which essentially locked venues for no one else to sell at, would be set at four years. As such, these amphitheaters will be able to issue their ticket inventories to other sellers per Politico.

Furthermore, Live Nation would need to pay a hefty fine of roughly $200+ million to any states that decide to latch onto this agreement.

This antitrust lawsuit has been nearly two full years in the making, with the filing going through in May 2024. Overall, the DOJ’s goal was to separate Live Nation and Ticketmaster, who have been together since 2010, to create a fairer ticket marketplace.

The Justice Department accused both entities of illegal monopolization over this particular economy. “We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators.

The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said back then.

Read More: Grime Icon Dot Rotten Passes Away At 37

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On Sunday, she allegedly fired at least seven shots at Rihanna’s home, one of which penetrated a wall of the mansion. The rest hit the gate as well as an RV that was parked in the driveway. She fired the shots from inside her Tesla, using an assault rifle to do so, and fled the scene.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the LAPD radio dispatch claimed that she had her hair in braids, was wearing a cream-colored blouse, and was driving a dirty car. “When they pulled the suspect over and took her into custody, they searched the vehicle and located an assault rifle and seven casings,” said Armen Arias, an LAPD spokesperson.

Read More: Rihanna’s Home Shot At With AR-15-Style Rifle: Everything We Know

Motive For Rihanna’s House Shooting

It remains unclear why Ivana Lisette Ortiz would’ve wanted to shoot at Rihanna’s house. The singer has yet to comment on the shooting, and it’s unclear whether she, A$AP Rocky, or their three children were home at the time. Regardless, there were no reported injuries.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have been dating since 2020 and have welcomed three kids over the course of their relationship. Their eldest son, RZA, was born in May 2022, while their second son, Riot, came in August 2023. Their only daughter, Rocki, was just born in September 2025.

The shooting comes as Rihanna continues to work on her long-awaited ninth studio album. It will mark her first full-length release since dropping Anti in 2016. Rocky, on the other hand, just returned with Don’t Be Dumb, earlier this year.

Read More: Rihanna’s New Day-in-the-Life Vlog Has Fans Wondering If Music Is Finally Coming

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In fact, Yak made it even easier for this back-and-forth to begin as he voiced his persistent frustrations with the Southern MC’s past comments about him. However, all these years later, Boosie isn’t changing his stance.

“I don’t give a f*ck. I get mad when I see you look like you drugging and thugging,” the veteran said bluntly. “You know you wasn’t supposed to f*ck with that. And I ain’t gotta clean my face for nobody, Kodak Black, bro, I’m a gangsta. Anything I say, I stand on it,” he added as caught by Complex.

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While Boosie did admit to going “too hard” on the Painting Pictures rapper, he ultimately holds him to a higher standard. “I was mad at you. What you say and do matter, n****. Anybody else, I wouldn’t have gave a f*ck.”

At points during the Live, Kodak can be seen expressing his anger with Badazz for joking about his health. “REGARDLESS IF HE SOBER NOW IT DONT MATTER THATS HYPOCRISY TRYNA SEEM PERFECT ON THIS INTERNET THING.”

The Pompano Beach native adds, “ION LAUGH @ YO PAIN N**** YOU FOUL BRA.”

Read More: Rihanna’s Home Shot At With Assault Rifle: Everything We Know

Why Do Kodak Black & Boosie Badazz Have Beef?

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But the fiery comments and critiques didn’t stop there. As caught by Live Bitez, things escalated and traveled to X. Black responded hours ago with a clip of Badazz portraying a snitch in an effort to expose the hypocrisy of his detractor’s past statements.

However, Badazz had a comeback for that. “YAK WE WAS JOSING ON SET LOL THAT AINT EVEN N THE MOVIE!! IM A GREAT ACTOR HA. JUST SAY YOU WANNA GET N ONE OF MY FILMS. I GOT THE PERFECT ROLE FOR U TO PLAY. A CRACK HEAD #NOSCRIPTNEEDED JUST BE YOURSELF.”

Speaking of the past comments from Badazz, their beef’s origin dates back to 2023 when Kodak connected with 6ix9ine for a song. The latter had been facing severe snitching allegations after the Nine Trey Bloods case, and this upset the “Wipe Me Down” MC.

“That n**** Yak f*cked me up,” Boosie said at the time. “I wonder how all them Zoes feel, dawg… I know the state of Florida f*cked up right now. This n**** ain’t got no morals. No principals. Damn, I thought that little n**** was like that. N**** ain’t no street n**** at all. Damn.”

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“Dr. Dre blessed me with a record,” T.I. said. “It happens to have Anderson .Paak on it and a young lady by the name of Stallone. It’s a dope record. It’s called ‘Where I’m From.’ Dope record.” As for the recording process, he added: “He sent it to me, and I went to the house, and I laid it. And then I laid another verse, and I went back.”

“It’s always for the best outcome, for the betterment of the record. I’m always for someone who I know is dedicated to making the absolute best sh*t we can make,” T.I. concluded.

Read More: T.I. Reveals Which Rapper Gave Him “The Greatest Ass-Whooping” On A Song

When Is T.I. Releasing “Kill The King”?

T.I. still hasn’t announced a release date for Kill the King, but he’s been working on it for years. Back in January, he finally shared a lead single titled, “Let ‘Em Know.” At the 2026 Grammy Awards in February, he confirmed that it will be his final album before transitioning away from music.

Back in 2023, he spoke about the name of the project during an interview with TMZ. “I feel like the King of the South moniker is very egotistical, self-gratuitous and it’s a persona that kinda enters the room before I do physically. Big Boi cautioned me of [the title] back when I was coming onto the scene,” T.I. recalled to the outlet at the time. “Big Boi said, ‘It sounds cool. I like it, but understand when you are king you put a big bullseye on your back. You can’t look for no favors. Life is a game of chess, and the name of the game is called Kill The King. That’s what you are setting yourself up for.’ [At the age] I didn’t really think much of it.”

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The post T.I. Reveals Dr. Dre Will Be Appearing On A Star-Studded Record For “Kill The King” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The Breakfast Club isn’t the only hip-hop-related entity to go in this direction. Rory & Mal have also gone over to Netflix. This has subsequently led to a decline in viral clips from their show. The show’s engagement has had a significant decline, and they aren’t the only ones feeling the effects.

As it turns out, The Breakfast Club is coming off one of its worst months on YouTube in years. In February of 2025, the show had 27 million viewers on the Power 105 YouTube page. In February of 2026, those numbers declined to 13 million viewers. This is a steep decline, and it is further proof that the Netflix deal has taken away some of the show’s viewership.

DJ Akademiks was recently on stream, where he spoke about the situation and why it’s happening. Simply put, the focus on Netflix has alienated viewers who don’t have a subscription.

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DJ Akademiks on The Breakfast Club and Netflix

For The Breakfast Club and other big podcasts, the calculus was simple. Netflix pays up front for an entire year’s worth of content. That payout was likely larger than whatever The Breakfast Club would have made through YouTube ad revenue.

However, the issue is this: if and when The Breakfast Club leaves Netflix and comes back to YouTube, there is a chance that their audience will have left them behind. There is no guarantee that the numbers will eventually return to where they once were.

The short-term gain might lead to long-term pain. The media landscape is incredibly unpredictable, and there is no telling how this is all going to end.

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The post “The Breakfast Club” Hits A New Low On YouTube, And DJ Akademiks Has Some Thoughts appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The move left some fans in the replies confused by what he meant. “Isn’t she your fiancée?” one user asked. Others brought up the recent rumors about Thug allegedly being unfaithful, which he has already denied. “When you stop cheating,” a user remarked.

More fans noted that Thug is likely referring to the fact that Mariah is currently on tour and their relationship is likely doing well. “Patience Thug, she locked in. Just drop that new album so she got something to listen to while she’s out there shining,” one fan wrote.

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Mariah The Scientist’s “Hearts Sold Separately” Tour

Mariah the Scientist has been traveling on her ongoing Hearts Sold Separately tour. She recently celebrated the popularity of the shows in the comments section of an Instagram post from The Fader. She explained that online criticism of her career no longer affects her and bragged about headlining sold-out shows.

“My (current) tour is sold out, 125k tickets sold all on my own… Packed from the front to the back & not a single lyric goes unsung,” she wrote. “It’s really something, u should see it in person. I thank God for it everyday. I’ve been able to support myself and my entire family by simply being myself. My sister is my manager, my cousin is my assistant. My fans (friends) have grown with me and related to me in ways that I never thought were possible.”

As for the aforementioned cheating rumors, they stemmed from a viral video of Thug dancing with a woman at a club. He wrote on social media afterward: “N***a can’t even show luv to fans lol I was just being nice and having fun with humans. I don’t know that girl or want too, no shade to her tho she’s beautiful.”

Read More: Young Thug Claps Back At Claims He’s Cheating On Mariah The Scientist

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Throughout the video, Luciani flashed a large bag, which supposedly had cocaine inside it. She even showcased the white powder on numerous occasions. Subsequently, she revealed that her daughter with Howard had been taken away by CPS following numerous visits.

It was a heartbreaking admission that led to numerous reactions on social media. In fact, Howard ex, Royce Reed, also took to social media to sound off on all of this. For the most part, Reed did not offer much sympathy to Luciani. Instead, she noted how the world had been warned about Howard’s alleged transgressions.

Now, Reed and Howard’s son is getting involved in the situation. On social media, Howard’s son offered his take on the ordeal, and revealed what he truly thinks about the allegations made against his father.

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Dwight Howard’s Son Speaks Out

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As you can see in the video above, the young man had a measured and nuanced take on what is happening. Instead of getting angry at his dad, he simply urged his father to get some help and clean up his life. He also noted that these are all issues he had spoken on in the past. However, they mostly fell on deaf ears.

Now that Luciani is speaking out in such an emotional way, the story is growing legs like never before. Ultimately, this is just a very sad story. It is always heartbreaking when a child is separated from their mother and father.

We can only hope that Luciani and Howard are able to get the help they need during these difficult times. It is never easy to see these kinds of familial issues play out in the public eye. Only time will tell whether or not Howard responds to the allegations that have been made.

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Rotten worked with a number of popular artists throughout his career, including Cher Lloyd and Ed Sheeran. He put out his first mixtape, This Is the Beginning, as Young Dot back in 2007. He ended up changing his name to Dot Rotten the following year. The name is an acronym for “Dirty on Tracks, Righteous Opinions Told to Educate Nubians.” He eventually inked a contract with Mercury Records and released his debut album, Voices In My Head, in 2012.

That project contained the single, “Overload,” which became one of the most successful songs of his career. It peaked at No. 15 on the UK Singles chart.

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Tributes For Dot Rotten

In the wake of his death, several hip-hop icons have shared tributes for Dot Rotten on social media. Wiley, for one, posted several pictures and videos on Instagram. Sway described Rotten’s passing as “very sad news” while adding, “Sleep well Dot.” KWest also wrote: “RIP one of the greatest to do it.”

DJ Michael Hall wrote on Facebook: “We have lost a genuine friend, brother and one of the best to ever do it ! My thoughts are with you and your family D. Mr Joseph Ellis Stephenson AKA DOT ROTTEN THE ABSOLUTE GOAT ! THIS WORLD IS SUCH A CRUEL PLACE AT TIMES!”

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Taking to X (formerly Twitter), DJ Logan Sama wrote: “Talent in abundance. His impact on the scene was not just as a brilliant artist but also the guidance and inspiration he gave to hundreds of other aspiring creators around him. Never, ever received the accolades or rewards for his craft that it deserved. Rest in peace, Dot.”

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The murder-for-hire charges are severe, and it is not going to be easy for Durk to fight this. As one can imagine, he is looking to put together the best legal team possible. Drew Findling is already on his team, which speaks volumes to the kind of fight that Durk is preparing. Findling is infamous for the cases he has won and is not shy about discussing his victories with the media.

While Findling is certainly a great start, it appears as though Durk is trying to beef up his defense. When it comes to high-profile hip-hop cases, there is no one more respected than Brian Steel right now.

Of course, Steel is the man who helped free Young Thug. His work during the YSL Trial was highly regarded as nothing short of masterful. There had been rumblings that he would join Durk’s legal team, but now, it appears as though his interest in the case is all but confirmed.

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Brian Steel Could Be Lil Durk’s Lawyer Soon

According to Kurrco and various sources like Complex, it appears as though Steel has officially filed paperwork to become one of Durk’s lawyers. Interestingly enough, Steel is not an additional body. Instead, he is replacing another attorney.

The attorney in question has not been named at this time. Regardless, the addition of Steel to this case certainly makes things more interesting. Steel and Findling will be forming a super team of sorts. This could have major implications for how this case plays out and whether or not Durk can come away unscathed.

This is a case that everyone will be paying attention to, and will be following it, every step of the way.

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