“THESE LAST WELL KNOWN CASES THAT HAVE WENT TO TRIAL PODCAST INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN USED AS CRITICAL EVIDENCE TO TRY N CONVICT THE DEFENDENTS,” Boosie wrote. “WATCH WHAT U SAY ON THESE PODCAST. DONT AWNSER A QUESTION THAT U KNOW CAN JEOPARDIZE YOUR FREEDOM.”

He ended with a comparison that has followed Rap through years of arguments over lyrics and criminal prosecutions. “I THINK ITS MORE DAMAGING THAN THE MUSIC.”

That warning arrives while jurors deliberate in Durk’s federal murder-for-hire trial in Los Angeles. Prosecutors allege that Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, helped finance and direct a 2022 plot targeting Quando Rondo. Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed in the shooting. Durk has pleaded not guilty.

Read More: Lil Durk & His Co-Defendants Make A Unified Statement With Courtroom Suits

Podcast Interviews Have Already Entered Two Major Rap Trials

Durk’s case gives Boosie a timely example. As we reported, prosecutors used a clip from Durk’s 2023 appearance on DJ Akademiks’ Off The Record during closing arguments. Akademiks had asked Durk about people telling him to “slide for Von,” referring to calls for retaliation after King Von was killed in 2020.

Durk said he no longer heard those comments. Prosecutors pointed not only to his response, but also to Akademiks’ reaction, arguing that the exchange supported their theory that something had changed after the public pressure. Akademiks later said his facial expressions were for entertainment and denied that they carried the meaning prosecutors assigned to them.

The defense objected to how the government used the interview and sought an emergency hearing after closing arguments. The judge denied that request, leaving the jury to consider the evidence already admitted as it weighs the charges.

Read More: DJ Akademiks & Chud The Builder Go At It Amid Lil Durk Trial

Boosie’s warning also lands less than two weeks after Duane “Keefe D” Davis was convicted of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing. Davis’s media appearances and memoir made up a substantial portion of the prosecution’s case, along with recorded conversations with investigators.

Durk’s jury continued deliberating Thursday without a publicly announced verdict as of publication.

The post Boosie Warns Artists After Podcast Clips Surface In Major Rap Trials appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Vlad recently argued that N.O.R.E.’s rhetoric about race did not square with being married to what he called a white woman. The remark followed weeks of increasingly personal exchanges between the two media figures. As we previously reported, N.O.R.E. has accused Vlad of profiting from “Black drama” while questioning whether he belongs within Hip Hop. Vlad has rejected those accusations and defended his work covering Black artists.

Santiago was not interested in becoming evidence for either side. In a comment responding to Vlad’s remarks, she accused him of making assumptions about her background based on her appearance. “Keep your conflict with my husband and stop involving me,” she wrote. “The fact that you’re a grown man who thinks light skin and blonde hair automatically means ‘white’ is beyond ignorant and uneducated.”

She continued by accusing Vlad of failing to understand the difference between race and ethnicity before warning him about making inaccurate statements about her publicly. “Keep my name out of your mouth,” Santiago said, adding, “and be very careful about making false statements about me publicly, because I have no problem handling defamation legally.”

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Read More: N.O.R.E. Accuses DJ Vlad Of Racism As Their Feud Gets Uglier

DJ Vlad Says He Will Respond To Neri Santiago

Vlad did not back away after seeing Santiago’s warning. He shared a screenshot of her comment on X and described it as a threat to sue him for defamation.

“Here is the post by Nore’s wife threatening to sue me for defamation,” he wrote. Vlad also said he planned to address Santiago in a forthcoming video alongside his thoughts on the sexual assault lawsuit Carmen Bryan filed against N.O.R.E.

Bringing Santiago into the dispute adds another personal turn to a feud that has already moved far beyond its original complaint. Vlad first criticized N.O.R.E. for allegedly failing to return the favor after Vlad appeared on Drink Champs, saying the rapper avoided sitting for a VladTV interview they had discussed. N.O.R.E. responded that he deliberately chose not to do the interview because he does not like Vlad and accused him of exploiting conflict within Black communities.

Their exchanges have since included arguments about race, VladTV’s role in Hip Hop, and the drinking culture surrounding Drink Champs. N.O.R.E. also publicly challenged Vlad to take a lie detector test over whether he has ever used the N-word. Meanwhile, the Carmen Bryan case Vlad referenced is separate from his dispute with Santiago. Bryan filed a civil lawsuit accusing N.O.R.E. of sexually assaulting her at a Manhattan nightclub in 1999. N.O.R.E. has denied knowing Bryan, according to Pitchfork. The allegations have not been proven in court.

For now, Santiago has not announced that she has actually filed a defamation lawsuit against Vlad. Her public comment warned that she was prepared to take legal action if he continued making what she described as false statements about her. Vlad, for his part, says a longer response is coming.

Read More: DJ Vlad Proclaims Himself “Hip-Hop Journalist Of The Decade” Following Keefe D Conviction

The post DJ Vlad Responds To N.O.R.E.’s Wife Threatening To Sue For Defamation appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Building his label now has become a ground-up operation, especially after falling out with other members of YSL who took the stand and under conditions that prevent him from being in contact with those who didn’t. Then there’s the fact that the most successful protégé under Thug copped an Alford Plea, admitting to a court that YSL is a gang. Thug is forbidden from promoting gang-related content as part of his conditions, so the very idea of having to rep YSL as a record label becomes quite dicey.

With Gunna gone and Lil Baby effectively a distant affiliate of the label, Young Thug had a few hurdles in his return to his music career. When your influence has also transformed a generation of rappers, it places your own artistry into an identity crisis: what can Young Thug rap about if not what he lives? And who does he align with when he can’t even be in contact with certain artists who were signed to YSL?

The version of YSL found on the third installment in the Slime Language series largely relies on ØWAY’s mass appeal, the momentum they’ve built over the course of the past year, and the state of youth culture today. The thing is that YSL, in its previous form, didn’t solely rely on artists that were exclusively signed to Young Thug—artists like Lil Gotit were never formally signed to Young Thug but became close affiliates of YSL. Even Slimelife Shawty, who took a plea deal in the RICO case, was never actually signed to the label. With that said, Slime Language 3 turned into the opportunity to reconstruct the label after the government accused it of doubling as an organized crime syndicate.

Slime Language 3 is ultimately driven by the current state of youth culture, and yet, its fault is that it’s an incredibly bloated two-disc project. There are highlights, sure, though very few moments that reflect what made Young Thug a groundbreaking cultural shaker when he first emerged. But his influence remains unshakeable among the new generation, almost mirroring the free-associative influence Lil Wayne had on him. It’s most evident when you view how the rage sound ties back to trap music.

Young Thug’s imprint has always been clear among the artists that he brought under his wing. And Gunna becomes the perfect case study of the structure of YSL’s functionality as a label. His ascent is perfectly documented in the Slime Language series. He featured on four of the 15 songs in the first installment. Slime Language 2 credits it as a joint venture between Young Thug and Gunna under the YSL umbrella. It became a sprawling effort that put Thugger’s tastemaking at the fore with Gunna riding shotgun.

But with the fallout from the YSL trial, Slime Language 3 tries to piece together what was left of the label. Gunna’s no longer around, nor are other signees or affiliates—some due to conditions, others because they folded. The outcome hasn’t been favorable among Thug’s die-hards, who themselves are trying to reconcile the version of him that they once fell in love with and the current version who’s still searching for his footing. UY SCUTI hardly helped in that regard, while Thug more or less acts like a host for the new artists he’s introducing on Slime Language 3.

Ultimately, the crux of Slime Language 3 is that it attempts to bridge the gap between the underground and mainstream audiences. Tezzus and diamond* already stamped their name with UY SCUTI BOYZ as their debut on YSL. YSL, the label, currently boasts Strick, T-Shyne, Yung Kayo, Tezzus, diamond*, 1300SAINT, and Iyrus as its official signees. It’s not like these artists are censoring themselves on Thugger’s behalf–there’s still some cartoonishly violent references across the project from various artists. But in the same breath, the appeal doesn’t necessarily need to emphasize gang references as outwardly. That’s crucial when aligning with creative, fashion-forward rappers.

Slime Language 3 is a compilation, after all, so it’s not necessarily fair to view it as something that required the utmost cohesion to pull off in the first place. There are plenty of stellar moments across the board—Quavo sounds rejuvenated and inspired, while Biggs Money’s husky voice commands any song that he’s on. “Eaters” ft. Travis Scott, Future, and Tezzus feels like the rage-forward banger that almost has a generational handoff quality to it. Tezzus and diamond*, specifically, sound primed on this project for this next chapter of their careers under Young Thug’s mentorship.

The new version of YSL seeks to abandon the mythology that established it from the jump. Street infamy met the art in a way that felt equally left-field to trap as it preserved its essence and pushed it forward for a new generation, only for that same mythology to eventually be used against Thug in a court of law. But Thug’s appeal from the jump was the off-beatness as a whole—the fact that he didn’t conform to the labels the world placed on him. It makes far more sense why the praise for him came from across the board, from Elton John to Gucci Mane. That ability to transcend became a blueprint for the generation that came after him. They cemented the punk ethos into hip-hop before eventually collapsing into the rage soundscape that has taken over the term “underground.”

Part of that ethos ultimately stems from the attitude that compelled Thug to conceal an assault rifle under an Alessandro Trincone-designed dress (allegedly) on the cover of Jeffrey. That remains in the past for Thug. Still, it’s part of a lore that can’t simply be scrubbed from our memory. YSL can’t continue operating on the mythology that made it famous, but Young Thug can’t escape the cultural legacy created by that mythology either. It’s what turned him into a cult icon, one who was equally dangerous and expressive, but also what embodied the carefree premise of his influence, which championed individuality, free expression, genre-bending, and unconventional aesthetics in its totality. That’s why the ØWAY alignment feels nothing short of appropriate. They encompass his principles without the liabilities, necessarily.

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Thug’s tastemaking has always been the most important part of his public persona. But it’s that same attribute that makes Slime Language 3 such a misguided yet fascinating entry, where he himself is more of an afterthought, while artists like Yume, Biggs Money, Tezzus, diamond*, and others prove that the gravitational pull he once had as a soloist has translated to those that he’s banking on becoming the next stars of his label.

Frankly, it’s hard not to see it becoming an effective pathway for this stage of his career when his grip on the youth remains firm. He aligned himself with one of the most promising and exciting underground collectives right now, pushed Sp5der as a go-to brand among Gen Z, and validated the timelessness of his creative philosophy as he embraces his role as an OG in his own right. Slime Language 3 ultimately becomes the imperfect evidence of this transition.

The post “Slime Language 3” Demands The Reconstruction Of YSL Post-RICO appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan issued the decision Sept. 4 in Manhattan federal court. Mitchell argued that her statements were protected opinion or rhetorical hyperbole and that Combs had not adequately alleged actual malice. The judge found that some of the accusations were specific enough to be proven true or false.

Cronan did not rule that Mitchell defamed Combs. At this stage, the court was only deciding whether the lawsuit could proceed.

Read More: Diddy Scores Court Victory As Judge Permits Him To Serve Accuser Via Newspaper

NewsNation Gets Part Of Diddy’s Lawsuit Dismissed

Combs also sued Nexstar Media, which owns NewsNation, over broadcasts featuring Mitchell’s allegations. The judge dismissed several portions of that claim after finding Combs had not sufficiently alleged actual malice by the network. One claim against Nexstar survived. It centers on an October 2024 broadcast in which Mitchell discussed the alleged use of baby oil to administer drugs and tied the claim to one of her clients.

Combs filed the lawsuit in January 2025 against Mitchell, her former client Courtney Burgess, and Nexstar. Burgess had claimed he possessed videos showing Combs sexually assaulting celebrities and minors. Combs denied those allegations and accused Mitchell and NewsNation of helping spread them.

Mitchell previously called the lawsuit an effort to silence accusers and said she intended to countersue. The court also denied her request for attorney fees tied to the dismissal motion. The case will continue with Mitchell still facing Combs’ defamation claims and a narrower claim remaining against Nexstar. The parties are scheduled to return to court Sept. 17 to discuss the next phase of the lawsuit.

Read More: DJ Vlad Alleges That He Was Offered Diddy Tape Featuring Female Celebrity

The post Diddy Scores Partial Win In Defamation Lawsuit Against Ariel Mitchell appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of Astro Monte Thornton,” the family said in a statement to TMZ. They also asked for privacy as Raz B, whose legal name is De’Mario Thornton, and Mona Li mourn their son.

The couple welcomed Astro in May and had openly shared their excitement about growing their family. Before his birth, the B2K singer posted that they were at the hospital preparing to welcome “another baby boy to the Thornton family.” Days later, an update shared through their older son Versai Carter Thornton’s account celebrated his new role as a big brother.

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Read More: B2K’s Raz B Joins The Cast Of “Love & Hip Hop Hollywood”

Raz B Celebrated Fatherhood With Astro Earlier This Summer

Fatherhood had remained a visible part of Raz B’s life in the months that followed. For Father’s Day in June, he and Mona shared a family post that included footage of him holding Astro and moments from the baby’s first weeks at home.

The loss comes during a busy period professionally for Raz B. B2K reunited for performances this year, including an appearance at the 2026 BET Awards, after the group announced plans for a 25th anniversary comeback. Still, the family’s statement made clear that they are now grieving privately.

No further details about Astro’s death have been released. Neither Raz B nor Mona Li had issued an individual public statement as of Thursday (September 10) afternoon, beyond the message shared through their representative.

The post Raz B And Wife Mona Li Mourn Loss Of 3-Month-Old Son appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“You know what else I got? I got them charges dropped!” Tigger told viewers, laughing as he discussed the case. He also pointed out that he now wears his wedding ring on his right hand, joking that it was because he “married the wrong person.”

The remarks are his most extensive public response since prosecutors decided not to pursue the charges stemming from a confrontation with his estranged wife, Alicia Brown. Tigger, whose legal name is Darian Morgan, had denied the allegations from the beginning and repeatedly said he trusted the facts of the case to support him.

During the livestream, Tigger encouraged people to look into the district attorney’s decision themselves, saying the office had explained why it declined the case. Public reports confirming the declination have not detailed prosecutors’ reasoning. The decision means Tigger will not face criminal prosecution on those charges.

Read More: Big Tigger Won’t Face Charges After Domestic Battery Arrest

Big Tigger Says He Remembered Who Stood By Him

The months between Tigger’s arrest and the prosecution decision appear to have left him with a much shorter list of people he trusts. He thanked supporters who stood behind him and pointed to his three decades in the public eye as part of why many gave him the benefit of the doubt.

“Luckily, the majority of people believed in me, stood by me and represented for me,” he said. Tigger admitted he also paid attention to those who didn’t. “I did keep notes though. Oh, there’s a lot of people on this list.”

His relationship with Brown became public in a much different way in June after she accused him of injuring her during an argument at their Sandy Springs home. According to the arrest affidavit, Brown told investigators that the May 9 dispute involved text messages between Tigger and a female coworker. She alleged that he later shoved her, causing her to fall headfirst into an office door and suffer a deep cut above her left eye.

Brown received medical treatment for the injury. Authorities also charged Tigger with third-degree cruelty to children because the couple’s 13-year-old son was allegedly upstairs and could hear the confrontation. Ring camera footage from inside the home later became part of the public dispute. Portions showed the couple struggling, although the available clips did not capture every part of Brown’s allegations.

Tigger was arrested on June 20 and released that day after posting $10,000 in bond. He issued a statement denying every allegation against him and later stepped away from The Big Tigger Morning Show on V-103, saying the attention surrounding his personal life had become overwhelming and that he wanted to focus on his family.

Read More: Alleged Security Footage Surfaces Of Big Tigger Allegedly Assaulting His Wife

His marriage appears to remain fractured even with the criminal case over. Asked about his romantic life during the livestream, Tigger said he is not dating and admitted his “trust level in new people is at an all-time low.”

Brown has her own ongoing legal disputes unrelated to the allegations against Tigger. She was arrested in July on warrants connected to a Maryland custody case and later sued Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat over a separate Georgia warrant that she claims led to a wrongful arrest. V-103 personality Francesca Amiker has also sued Brown for defamation over social media allegations that Amiker had an affair with Tigger.

The post Big Tigger Jokes About His Marriage After Charges Are Dropped appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Yesterday, deliberations began in Los Angeles, and the jury was not able to come up with a decision. Near the end of the day, they asked the judge for digitized evidence. This evidence was only procured this morning, as deliberations continued around 11:30 AM EST.

Just about an hour after deliberations began this morning, the jury sent the judge a note. They were looking for clarification on the stalking charges, as they needed more information about what constitutes “intent.” They also wanted some clarification on the nature of the allegations against Durk and his co-defendants.

According to Michael Blackshire, Durk was back in the courtroom for this morning’s hearing. In fact, the artist was all smiles as he shook hands with his lawyers. He also smiled upon seeing his mom in the crowd.

Read More: Breaking Down Cardi B’s Beef With Plus-Size Fashion Influencer Samyra

Lil Durk Back In Court

The jury is back from lunch and will continue deliberations this afternoon. If a verdict is not reached, then deliberations will continue on Friday.

If found guilty on the murder-for-hire charges, Lil Durk faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Furthermore, he is expected to face a separate trial for racketeering charges, regardless of the outcome of this current case.

Stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest updates from the Durk trial as we remain on verdict watch. Let us know what you think of this case so far in the comments below.

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

The post Lil Durk All Smiles In Court As Jury Deliberations Continue appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Since that time, Offset and Quavo have mostly focused on their solo careers. In fact, Offset has had some huge albums in the last few years, while Quavo has also delivered some projects and some big singles to boot.

Quavo is set to drop a new album soon, and he is going to be teaming up with legendary producer Pharrell. However, it appears as though Quavo has some other big plans waiting in the wings, and they involve Offset.

While being interviewed on DJ Greg Street’s V-103 show in Atlanta, Quavo revealed that a new Migos album is on the horizon, and there is even going to be a tour. “We’re gonna do it one more time… We’re gonna do it right, we’re gonna tour…” he said.

Read More: Breaking Down Cardi B’s Beef With Plus-Size Fashion Influencer Samyra

Quavo To Reunite With Offset

Without Takeoff, there will be some logistical hurdles. However, there are certainly some Takeoff verses in the vault that could be used for the album. We previously saw a photo of Quavo and Offset in the studio together, which furthers the notion that they’ve already been working on new music.

The Culture series remains beloved by fans, and a new entry would certainly excite fans who feel as though the genre has been stagnant as of late. We just hope that they do right by Takeoff and put out something he would be proud of.

You can watch Quavo’s entire interview with Greg Street down below. Let us know your expectations for a future Migos album in the comments section.

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

The post Quavo Reveals New Migos Album And Tour Are On The Way appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Per TMZ, he said that the First Amendment protects his right to decide the political and artistic tone of his shows. M.I.A. previously accused him of unfairly firing her because of the political comments, even though she claims he was aware of where she stood politically in the first place. 

The lawsuit also alleges that Cudi’s decision led to a massive financial loss of $2.8M guaranteed from Live Nation, which Cudder said is a dispute she should resolve with Live Nation.

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

M.I.A. Sues Kid Cudi

Cudi booted her off the tour due to her on-stage commentary where she referenced voting Republican and then made offhand remarks. On X, she shared the transcript of her rant in which she said, “We can’t do ‘Illygal,’ though some of you could be in the audience.” She also noted how she and her team are also “illegal.” She also fired back at Cudi in a lengthy response defending herself.

 Ultimately, fans booed her from the stage as fans expressed their disappointment online after the fact and the controversy led Cudi to make an executive decision.

“M.I.A. is no longer on this tour. I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tout that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cz I already knew what time it as, and I was assured things were understood,” he said in a statement shared to Instagram. Cudi said that he received several messages from fans who were upset by her rants. “This, to me, is very disappointing and I won’t have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase.”

Read More: Breaking Down Cardi B’s Beef With Plus-Size Fashion Influencer Samyra

The post Kid Cudi Fires Back At M.I.A. Lawsuit By Invoking First Amendment appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

However, in recent months, Ye has apologized for his past behavior. Given the severity of West’s past, millions of fans have yet to forgive him. Some have even completely sworn off his music. That said, there are still those who prioritize the music and don’t seem to care about the things Ye says in his personal life. Even if some of those things do, in fact, bleed into the music (Ex: “HH”).

This past weekend, Ye found himself performing in Chicago as part of a pair of homecoming concerts at Soldier Field. Both shows were sold out, and they featured some major cameos from some of the biggest artists in hip-hop. It was a triumphant moment for Ye, even if some remain skeptical about his personal development.

In fact, according to Pollstar, 129,562 tickets were sold across the two nights. Moreover, Ye grossed $29.8 million with these shows. He even passed Beyoncé’s record with a $15.76 million night during the second show.

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

Kanye West Runs His Numbers Up

These numbers prove that despite everything, Kanye can still bring fans out to his shows. This is especially true in Chicago, where he remains beloved by fans in his hometown.

The concert did elicit some conversation about whether or not it is ethical to go see Ye these days. His past controversies are far from behind him. After all, Hitler worship is one of those lines you simply cannot cross, regardless of your mental state.

Only time will tell whether or not Ye will be able to bring back more fans to his side.

Read More: Breaking Down Cardi B’s Beef With Plus-Size Fashion Influencer Samyra

The post Kanye West Grosses $30 Million With Sold-Out Chicago Shows appeared first on HotNewHipHop.