On Tuesday (May 19), Senior United States District Judge David C. Godbey reportedly signed off on a pretrial order scheduling it for July 6 of this year, with July 1 being the date for the final pretrial conference hearing. The defendants must receive the prosecutors’ evidence by July 1.

The trial will reportedly take place in the Northern District of Texas, more specifically in Dallas. Folks continue to debate about this case following the March arrests of the codefendants for the alleged January 2026 incident. Now that they have a stronger timeline, we’re sure more information and updates will continue to emerge.

Hip-hop heads and regular Internet users expressed shock at this whole situation, and they will have a lot more to debate. The quick turnaround of this trial is also causing a lot of conversation online, with some folks positing this is indicative of prosecutors’ confidence. But that’s just a speculative interpretation, and we’ll see what actually goes down in under two months.

Read More: Drake May Be The Most Critic-Proof Artist In Music

Why Did Pooh Shiesty Go To Jail?

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Authorities arrested Pooh Shiesty in March in connection to an alleged incident at a Dallas recording studio. Back in January, he, fellow Memphis rapper Big30, and others allegedly met up with Gucci Mane and his entourage at the studio under pretenses of a business meeting.

However, things allegedly turned south when Shiesty and company blocked the exit to the studio, robbed Guwop of several prized possessions, and forced him to release Pooh from his 1017 Records contract under duress. Gucci even dropped a diss track against his former artist about this alleged situation, which led to a lot of controversy.

Pooh Shiesty and others pleaded not guilty to these charges. With the label question in mind, some folks justified this alleged robbery while others condemned it. Now, a court and jury will hear out both sides starting on July 6, 2026.

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

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“Make Them Cry” had that moniker, but not for long. They later took to Twitter to respond to fans claiming BTS’ “Swim” was still the record-holder with 14 million streams, whereas “Make Them Cry” had 13.2 million. Still, the ICEMAN intro broke the record for Spotify’s most streamed hip-hop song debut in a day. The previous record-holder? Kendrick Lamar with “Not Like Us.” Poetic justice, indeed…

Back to Spotify’s retraction: “The initial streams review process was completed manually, resulting in streams from two different album tracks being combined,” they posted on their Twitter page last week. “Drake continues to hold the record for most-streamed artist and album in a single day in 2026. We apologize for the error and have implemented updated review procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.”

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Drake & Spotify

Unsurprisingly, this led to a lot of debate from OVO fans and haters alike. Some claimed this error is indicative of wider fraudulent activity and inflated numbers, whereas others called it a public relations stunt just to send more criticism The Boy’s way. The conversation has grown since then thanks to Drake’s other commercial achievements with these new albums, with scrutiny and defense emerging in equally seismic waves.

But there are more relevant considerations to make when discussing Drake and Spotify in the same sentence. A court recently dismissed a lawsuit that accused the streaming giant of artificially inflating his numbers. These legal conversations have also come up a lot in the wake of Spotify’s correction.

Social Media Reacts

In any case, this small error hasn’t impacted the overall success and acclaim behind this new trilogy. Overzealous fans will continue to debate, but that all translates into more engagement and momentum for Drizzy.

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

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No Jumper caught wind of this on Twitter, and shared more updates about JR’s upcoming legal process. The United States District Court reportedly scheduled his arraignment for May 27, with Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo reportedly presiding. A few days earlier on May 22, AllStar will reportedly appear before Judge Christina A. Bryan for a hearing. If a conviction follows, he could face no more than a 15-year prison sentence, a $250K fine, and three years of supervised release.

We still have to see whether or not that sentence pans out in its entirety, since we don’t have a trial to go off of yet. In fact, prosecutors and legal authorities still haven’t explicitly confirmed if they are tying this court progress to the shooting of NBA Ben10.

There have been some details hinting at that framework, such as images federal authorities reportedly released of AllStar JR standing over NBA Ben10 during the alleged altercation. But again, the court must confirm this before folks run wild with it.

Read More: Drake May Be The Most Critic-Proof Artist In Music

When Will AllStar JR Be Released?

Sadly for him, his loved ones, and his legal team, AllStar JR remains behind bars. The court denied him bond earlier this month, as a judge found that no release conditions would sufficiently mitigate a flight risk or danger to public safety.

There are still a lot of assumptions about this case online, especially when considering NBA Ben10’s post-hospital updates following the shooting. They have gone at each other on social media a lot as well. But a court of law might view things differently, depending on how they pursue the charges.

As for Pooh Shiesty’s legal situation, he pleaded not guilty in the Gucci Mane kidnapping case. So did many of his codefendants, including his father and fellow Memphis rapper Big30. We will see if there’s any more legal crossover between these two unrelated situations.

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

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“the white house has now made 2 promos using Drake’s album (which he hasn’t denounced yet) but they thought we were crazy for saying ‘iceman’ is a tone-deaf album title in this climate,” he tweeted. This referred to earlier debates around Drake’s ICEMAN album title.

“Shut yo b***h a** up…” Akademiks responded on Twitter. “talking bout a rapper need to ‘denounce’ free promo from the f***ing White House. I’m so glad n***as like u is outta here. Ain’t no denouncing f**k n***a .. take dat woke s**t back to the f***ing dot era! It’s iceman szn.”

The former The Bigger Picture cohost responded with an IG video yesterday (Wednesday, May 20). He started off by mocking the streamer and commentator’s foodie-ness and his Drizzy “meat-gargling,” later highlighting the White House’s posts about Drake’s ICEMAN.

Read More: Drake May Be The Most Critic-Proof Artist In Music

Jeremy Hecht Responds To DJ Akademiks

“He has been caping for his daddy for years,” Jeremy Hecht said of DJ Akademiks, specifically referring to Donald Trump. He then claimed from purportedly talking to alleged sources that Ak is being paid by the head of Truth Social, the social media platform Trump owns and uses extensively. Hecht also claimed every label is paying Akademiks, tainting his musical coverage along with alleged political conflicts of interest.

He also clarified that he thinks the Toronto superstar most likely didn’t intend any of this, pointing out how the 6ix God called the ICE agency “fake feds” on ICEMAN‘s “Ran To Atlanta” with Future and Molly Santana. ICE garnered outrage due to various civilian shootings in the U.S. and for their treatment of communities of all sorts, most significantly immigrant and marginalized populations.

Hecht also called attention to other artists denouncing the U.S. government for using their material. Finally, he called out DJ Akademiks’ issues with women and back-handedly congratulated him for his new OVO chain after finally meeting its boss.

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

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The publication provided updated first week sales projections for Drake and his new LPs. Per the outlet, ICEMAN will most likely go number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart with 475K album-equivalent units, whereas HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR will land at number two or three respectively with about 120K units each. This would make him the first artist ever to top the Billboard chart with three new project debuts.

Also, Drake is looking to dominate Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart, which tracks song performance. He could have as many as 14 tracks in the top 15. Some of the biggest contenders in this race are “Ran To Atlanta” with Future and Molly Santana, “Janice STFU,” “Make Them Cry,” and “Whisper My Name.” All those cuts are from ICEMAN, but there’s always a chance HABIBTI or MAID OF HONOUR records get more momentum.

Read More: Drake May Be The Most Critic-Proof Artist In Music

Drake’s Triple Album Chart Debut

We’ll see very soon whether or not the 6ix God achieves this triple album chart debut. They could all have a lot of staying power, too. After all, classic full-lengths like Take Care haven’t left the charts since they landed. With so much conversation around this trilogy and so much music to digest, revisit, and scrutinize, it will have a lot of fuel to keep skyrocketing.

Elsewhere, Drake is showing love to fans’ praise online, and mostly ignoring all the negativity his way. There’s a lot more love to focus on, and a lot more momentum to build as this trilogy aims to stay as a dominant commercial force.

All three albums are expected to move 715K-plus album-equivalent units in their first week of availability, an incomprehensible number for many. We’ll see what their staying power looks like concerning fan-favorite tracks, how the fit in the discography, and other questions.

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

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Release Date: May 21, 2026
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Album: Experimental Rap

Tracklist For Expermental Rap

1. 投影の芸術
2. babygirl
3. Burning Hammer
4. $ (Money)
5. Pop this Heat
6. Meet the Dealers
7. Head
8. Degenerate’s Prayer
9. The Ghost of Emmett Till
10. Since I Met Ye
11. ¥ (Yen)
12. GYBB
13. TSAR BOMBA
14. Mask On
15. His Will
16. Lights
17. New Era
18. One Day It Will Be Over
19. War Over Land
20. Bridges on Fire (ft. Buzzy Lee)
21. No Strippers In Heaven
22. 內戰
23. Chat
24. The 1st Amendment
25. You will always lose money chasing women, but you will never lose women chasing money

The post Experimental Rap – Album by JPEGMAFIA appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

ICEMAN, of course, is the vengeful comeback where Drake addresses the fallout from 2024. And while he didn’t hold back from addressing everyone and anyone who was even tangentially involved in his public takedown, he certainly had some choice words for Kendrick Lamar, specifically. But while some staunch Drake fans believe Kendrick is freaking out behind the scenes about his next move, Akademiks strongly feels that isn’t the case.

During a recent livestream, Ak explained how he feels as though Drake and Kendrick are in an endless war of mind games with each other. 

“What I would put stock into is that let me just say this. I think Kendrick is a very cerebral and smart guy. You’d be an idiot to come out of that entire battle and not even, whether you like him or not, have that opinion. To think he’s like losing it like that, no, we make jokes but no. If anything, I think he’s plotting his next move and I think he’s trying to counterpunch Drake,” Ak said, adding that he believes Drake was also strategizing on how to counter Kendrick Lamar if he tries to stomp on his rollout. 

“So, they’re still playing chess. They’re still playing chess, they’re just not like, you know, playing in the local park where everyone’s watching,” he added. Akademiks theorized that Kendrick probably won’t center or be immediately influenced by what Drake has presented on ICEMAN, but he might use it to fuel his next release.

Read More: Drake May Be The Most Critic-Proof Artist In Music

What Is Kendrick Lamar Cooking Up Right Now?

Just days before the release of ICEMAN, Kendrick Lamar’s music was temporarily pulled from platforms like YouTube and Apple Music, specifically the records released during his battle with Drake along with GNX. And while they all were reinstated later, posters across Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta reading “WHO IS THE GIANT?” surfaced, sparking speculation that Dot was readying to release a new album on the same day as Drake. That obviously did not happen. However, even though the Big 3 conversation has been dead, it would be a great year for music if we got new albums from Kendrick, Cole and Drake. Check Akademiks comments above and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

The post Akademiks Thinks Fans Would Be Stupid To Think That Kendrick Lamar Is “Losing It” Over “ICEMAN” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

This week, Latto confirmed that she gave birth to her first child with 21 Savage. The pregnancy announcement and the birth of her and 21’s child have both played a role in the rollout for her forthcoming album, BIG MAMA, which arrived on May 29th. The clip also featured footage of 21 Savage, giving fans the clearest confirmation yet that the two are together.

For 21 Savage, this journey hasn’t exactly unfolded in the public eye, but it’s clearly not something he’s unwilling to acknowledge anymore. After he was spotted at Arsenal’s historic match over the weekend, he shared a photo dump celebrating the win. The second slide included a photo of his newborn wearing Arsenal gear, with the post captioned, “We did it !!!!!!!! @arsenal.”

Savage also has three other children, including his sons Kamari and Ashaad, along with a daughter, Rhian.

Read More: Drake May Be The Most Critic-Proof Artist In Music

21 Savage’s Newborn Is An Arsenal Fan 

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Savage’s appearance at the Arsenal match this weekend felt more surprising than his connection to Latto. During a halftime interview, Savage revealed that he’s been a lifelong supporter of the team. “I was born in London,” he said, per Complex. “That’s all I know is Arsenal. I’ve always been an Arsenal supporter my whole life.”

The couple have yet to reveal the baby’s name, but with Latto’s upcoming album around the corner, that may be something she’s saving for release day. Check out Savage’s post above.

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

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In one clip circulating, PBD asks Ross if he would put “Drake at your level.” “No,” he responded. “I can see it in your eyes, you might be confused with all of the numbers and all of the fake numbers flood the marketplace, 50-something. That sh*t ain’t nothing. Remember what I told you: the streets are the streets. If Drake was what he thought, what you think he was, or what he thought he was, he would’ve been able to clear all this shit up, address it, and been moved on.”

Ross then added that Drake’s lawsuit against UMG isn’t entirely in the past before comparing that situation to a hypothetical one where the Canadian rapper sues podcasters like Patrick Bet-David for speaking on the situation. “That’s like him, he might sue you for speaking of him on this situation,” he said.

Read More: Drake May Be The Most Critic-Proof Artist In Music

Did Rick Ross Listen To ICEMAN?

PBD was truly curious about Rick Ross’ critical analysis of the music itself. “I listened to some of it… It was horrendous. My homies actually say there, they lost an hour of their life for this sh*t,” he said. When PBD asked if they were recovering, Ross added, “Yeah. Trauma.”

Ross argued that the rollout for the album built such high anticipation that the album itself was a disappointment. However, he added that he didn’t listen to the entire project before citing Pitchfork’s unfavorable review of ICEMAN. “I couldn’t do it… I said it was mid. Mid meant 5. Pitchfork gave it a 4-point-something,” he added, before sharing a hilarious interpretation of Drake’s woeful bars about mistrust and disloyalty. Check the clip above and sound off with your thoughts on ICEMAN in the comment section below.

Read More: Drake “ICEMAN” Album Review

The post Rick Ross Calls Drake’s “ICEMAN” Horrendous: “Lost An Hour Of Their Life” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Album: Cry Baby
Genre: Hip-hop
Release Date: May 21st, 2026

Quotable Lyrics
Why they treat me like I’m in a UFO
Cuffed me in the backseat so I can’t phone home
How does it feel to be all alone?
Quite familiar, Freeway Roc La familia

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