In a sit-down with CityNews, Mayor Olivia Chow beamed as she spoke about the 6 God. She was questioned about the rapper being allowed in chambers while handling certain items. “It’s okay, Drake has done so much for the city,” said Chow.

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Read More: Drake Takes Numerous Swings At Kendrick Lamar, Mustard, & The West Coast On “ICEMAN”

Toronto Mayor Is Proud Of Drake

She continued, “The world was watching, and he’s making us proud. So, yes, he borrowed it one evening, and we had an arrangement, and they put it back in, and so all’s good. But think about how many people, outside Toronto, are watching that. It’s a promotion for the city and his music. It’s not just Canadians, it’s worldwide. So, that was quite incredible fireworks. I watched it on YouTube, I thought, ‘Whoa, spectacular.'”

Additionally, a note reportedly from Drake to Mayor Chow was shared online. It showed a notepad that stated, “Thank you my crodi Crolivia Chow! ICEMAN 2026.” Check out the clip of the mayor on the news above and Drake’s note to Chow below.

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During his appearance on the Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade podcast, Rock admitted that Shakur “didn’t like” him, adding that their relationship was “weird.” He said, “It’s always the same sh*t, [we were] f*cking the same girls. He always won that battle.”

Read More: Tupac’s “All Eyez On Me” Was His Post-Prison Reckoning

A Rapper Lost Too Soon

Sadly, Tupac was shot on September 7, 1996, in Las Vegas after attending a Mike Tyson fight alongside Suge Knight. A white Cadillac reportedly pulled alongside the car Tupac was riding in and opened fire. He was struck multiple times and died from his injuries six days later at just 25 years old.

For years, the case became one of music’s most infamous unsolved murders. His feud with The Notorious B.I.G. became central to how many people interpreted the killing, even as definitive answers remained elusive for decades.

Then, in 2023, Las Vegas authorities arrested Duane “Keefe D” Davis in connection with Tupac’s murder after years of public speculation surrounding his alleged involvement. Prosecutors accused Davis of orchestrating the shooting, reopening public attention around the case nearly 30 years after Tupac’s death.

The post Chris Rock Claims He Dated The Same Women As Tupac appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Ten years later, Drake no longer needs to photoshop himself onto Toronto landmarks. Now, the city itself participates in the mythology. The circumstances today are different from those of a decade ago. It was only last year that Kendrick Lamar returned to Canada for the first time since their battle, selling out two nights at the Rogers Centre to 72,000 people chanting for an encore of “Not Like Us.”

But for as much of a W as it may have been for Kendrick Lamar after already defeating Drake, two nights can’t undo a career of paying homage to a city and uplifting it into a global hub that’s worth paying attention to. If Views captured Drake at the moment he conquered rap’s center, ICEMAN arrives after the center briefly turned against him. Toronto, however, never really did.

The ICEMAN livestream finale treated Toronto less like scenery than infrastructure in its visuals. The city’s landmarks became active participants in Drake’s mythology, beyond serving as a backdrop. In “Make Them Remember,” Drake records inside Mayor Olivia Chow’s office wearing the city’s ceremonial chain. In another scene from the livestream, he sits in City Hall with Chromazz on his lap. Few rappers possess enough civic cachet to turn City Hall into set design.

The CN Tower becomes its own character again. Reports suggested 75 projectors lit it in blue for ICEMAN, and he filmed parts of “2 Hard 4 The Radio” inside the tower’s radome—a space most Torontonians have never seen.

ICEMAN works because it revisits the city that produced him. Aerial shots of the Rogers Centre might be interpreted as some sort of shot at Kendrick, but it’s also a place that builds from his past and explores a pivotal moment in his personal and professional life. The return to Guild Park and the Rogers Centre recalls the “Headlines” video, one of the first moments Drake fully framed himself as Toronto’s defining rap figure.

Places like Sotto Sotto no longer function as simple restaurant references in Drake’s music. They’ve become part of the architecture of his career. Filming “Burning Bridges” inside the restaurant, surrounded by old friends and family, turns it into another node in his personal mythology.

Earlier in his career, Drake often filmed Toronto like an underdog city—somewhere cold, local, and slightly overlooked. The If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late short film, Jungle, turned the streets into cinematic landmarks. That approach becomes harder to replicate once both the artist and the city become global commodities. But ICEMAN still finds pockets of lived-in Toronto: Adonis joyriding in a police cruiser on Lake Shore Boulevard with Shane Gillis, the University of Toronto Scarborough campus reframed in “National Treasures,” and Brass Rail appearing as part of the city’s internal mythology rather than tourist spectacle.

Even the rollout’s scavenger-hunt theatrics reflected that dynamic. The ice-block scavenger hunt near Dundas and Church became a temporary civic event—fans breaking into sculpture to find the release date. When Kishka eventually uncovered it, the moment read like a low-level ritual of participation in Drake’s orbit.

The thing is, ICEMAN can’t be considered a homecoming—he never left in the first place. But the livestream for episode 4 and the music videos that accompanied this album illuminated the city in a way that he hasn’t done since Views. Views sold Toronto as an atmosphere. ICEMAN documents Drake’s ownership over its memories, institutions, and mythology. At a moment when his cultural dominance feels less secure than it once did, ICEMAN uses Toronto to remind the world that his roots there remain immovable.

The post “ICEMAN” Episode 4 Is Drake’s Greatest Homage To Toronto Since “Views” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Cornelius Smith, Justin Johnson, and Hernandez Govan were arrested in connection with the crime, and now there is an update on one of the purported perpetrators. According to Fox 13 News, Smith, who was initially charged with first-degree murder, has agreed to a plea deal. He has reportedly accepted “a lesser charge of second-degree murder after he had confessed” to gunning down Dolph. Moreover, Smith cooperated with authorities to help convict Johnson.

Read More: Young Dolph Murder Suspect Reportedly Finalizing Plea Deal

Cornelius Smith Learns His Fate

Reports further say that Smith told police he and others executed Dolph, real name Adolph Thornton Jr., following a hit put out by Yo Gotti’s late brother, Big Jook. Johnson has already been tried and convicted, earning a life sentence. Govan also faced a lengthy sentence of his own after being alleged to be involved in the crime, but he was later acquitted.

As part of his deal, Smith agreed to a 20-year prison sentence. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a statement: “Young Dolph was a beloved member of this community, his death a tragedy, his murder an outrage. We’re glad to finally have this last part of the case resolved. The sentence properly reflects the gravity of the offense while giving due consideration to the cooperation this defendant provided. We hope this resolution can give Dolph’s family some sense of closure.”

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According to TMZ, West was all set to perform in New Delhi, India, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium next week on May 23. However, the outlet noted that the Indian government had concerns about potential threats due to “rising socio-political tensions.”

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Read More: Kanye West Shouldn’t Be Persecuted, Prague Concert Producers Argue

Ye Has Endured Several Concert Cancelations Recently

Moreover, White Fox released a statement via Instagram about Ye’s most recent cancellation.

“We are deeply disheartened to announce that Ye live in India, scheduled for May 2026 in New Delhi, has been officially canceled following security advisories and directives issued by the concerned government and law enforcement authorities amid the current high-alert situation in the capital.”

This show is one of a few European dates that have been axed in recent months. West was all set to perform in both Switzerland and Poland, but both countries decided against hosting him following protests. Some promoters and organizations cited Ye’s wild remarks in recent years, with others fearing violence or backlash if he’s allowed to appear.

Meanwhile, West has been on a redemption tour of sorts, apologizing for his previous behaviors and meeting with religious leaders. Fans who purchased tickets to the New Delhi concert are said to receive full refunds.

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The specific diss appears on the track “Make Them Pay,” and sees Drake rightfully calling out Khaled for not supporting his native Palestine. “Yeah, Khaled ain’t gon’ like this,” Charlamagne remarked after the project’s release. His thoughts appear at around the 3:35-minute mark of the YouTube video below.

“I told y’all,” Tha God continued, as he had announced Drake’s DJ Khaled diss earlier this week. “Khaled, I tried to warn you three days ago that you was getting a big shot. How can he [respond]? Like, ad-libbing? What is he supposed to do? Does Khaled even got rappers to respond? He’s either going to make Khaled lose more weight or gain more weight from stress-eating. One of the two.”

After the We The Best Music celebrity’s silence on Palestine, many fans are applauding this call-out. We will see if he responds more directly.

Read More: The Drake & Future Fallout Was Never Built To Last

DJ Khaled Responds To Drake

But DJ Khaled may have already responded to Drake via an Instagram caption from a post he put up today. “LET GOD RISE AND ALL HIS ENEMIES SCATTER,” he wrote. “No man nuh badda than JAH and a wi a run JAH crew. Unoo come in a unoo thousands and two. They stand against you and hating me. Dem just caant go through dem heart nuh clean nor free. I remind dem so much of who they are supposed to be. I am of royalty dem lost dem identity.”

For those unaware, Drake and DJ Khaled previously had tension for unclear reasons, although one could assume it was because Khaled stayed pretty silent, neutral, and amicable with some of Drizzy’s enemies. He claimed The Boy was going to be on his next album, but the Toronto superstar shut that down quick.

We’ll see if any other ICEMAN targets respond. For now, everyone from hardcore fans to media titans is weighing in.

Read More: “Views” Was The Moment Drake Stopped Trying To Be The Greatest Rapper Alive

The post Charlamagne Tha God Trolls DJ Khaled After Drake’s “ICEMAN” Diss appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by Livebitez on Instagram, Deen, Broner, and Finesse walked into the party excited and made their way through the crowd. But after some commotion, folks started to scramble, shout, and try to find out what was going on with a fight that broke out in the area. The former boxer and the Memphis rapper were far from the altercation when it happened, and it seems like the streamer was as well.

As for the former (but soon reuniting) Migo, he doesn’t show up in the clip of the fight that surfaced. He did speak to Deen The Great at one point of the party before Adrien started to press Deen for allegedly trying to take his drink away.

Folks still aren’t clear about what happened, but it seems like none of the big names at this get-together were involved in whatever went down. Either way, it was curious to see these crossovers, and fortunately, it seems like that was the only hiccup.

Read More: Rolling Loud Is What Happens When Everything Becomes Content

Adrien Broner & Deen The Great’s Friendship

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For those unaware, Deen The Great and Adrien Broner have built a strong friendship over the years. They collaborate not just for live events, but for boxing training, sparring, and other big bits of content online. While they clash every once in a while, that dynamic is part of what makes stream-watchers come back for more.

Deen The Great has other online scandals to handle, whereas his friend is dealing with much heavier matters. Adrien Broner’s antics with women resulted in a call-out from his ex wife Arie Nicole, blasting him for making women uncomfortable.

As for Finesse2tymes and Offset, it seems like they were able to coexist in peace. Whatever happened at that party, it seems like it has nothing to do with them.

Read More: “Coloring Book” Still Feels Like Peak Chance The Rapper 10 Years Later

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According to XXL, the jury in this case recommended a life sentence for all four men with no shot at parole. They faced convictions on murder, conspiracy, and attempted murder charges which could have led to the death penalty. As such, the four men might be grateful for this recommendation, whereas prosecutors will not get their intended way. The official sentencing will reportedly take place on June 22, according to The Shade Room.

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A fifth accomplice in the Foolio murder, Alicia Andrews, previously got a conviction on lesser manslaughter charges. Prosecutors accused her and her boyfriend, Isaiah Chance, of stalking the rapper and providing his whereabouts to the other three perpetrators, who carried out the shooting in June of 2024. The Jacksonville MC was celebrating his birthday.

Andrews appealed her verdict and requested a new trial, so the court still hasn’t handed down a sentence in her case. We will see where that situation goes and if it poses any important developments for the four convicted killers.

Read More: Rolling Loud Is What Happens When Everything Becomes Content

Why Was Foolio Murdered?

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Prosecutors alleged the four men murdered Foolio over an alleged gang war in Jacksonville between the 1200, ATK, and 6 Block collectives. These accusations emerged in the aftermath of a lot of dissing on wax, social media taunts, and other conflicts between these groups. In fact, some Yungeen Ace diss tracks got play time during the trial to add context to the situation.

All of that is now in the rearview as the court focuses on the murder itself and those responsible. Foolio’s family can now move forward after a harrowing process with a lot of animosity and conflict peppered throughout.

As such, we will see if the jury’s recommended life sentence for his convicted killers will manifest on the final sentencing date. It seems like they will spend their lives behind bars rather than lose them.

Read More: “Coloring Book” Still Feels Like Peak Chance The Rapper 10 Years Later

The post Jury Recommends Life Sentences For Foolio’s Convicted Killers appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The challenge consists of remixing “Mrs. Trendsetter” on the app, and anyone can join in on the fun. Top remixes have a chance to win $500 or a $350 Nobu gift card. Baby already set the tone with the track, and now fans can make it their own for a chance at lavish rewards. Moreover, you can click this link to download the app, learn more about the challenge, and enter for your chance to win.

For those unfamiliar with Hook, the app lets users play with the songs they love, with a growing collection of licensed material for fans to remix, mash up with other songs, and share their creativity. Genre-based music filters and sound effects can make more out of these remixes, letting fans reimagine their favorite artists in their own way without the learning curve.

You can share your remixes directly to TikTok, Instagram, or other social media platforms. Plus, with more artist challenges to come, you can compete on Hook’s weekly leaderboard to earn more rewards for your passion and climb the ranks. So the “Mrs. Trendsetter” challenge is one of many ways to get the most out of the music you love.

Read More: “Coloring Book” Still Feels Like Peak Chance The Rapper 10 Years Later

Lil Baby’s “Mrs. Trendsetter”

This is a big moment for the Atlanta artist to gift to fans. Through Hook, he and many other artists can connect with them even more closely, letting them dictate what material from their favs connects via their remixes and mashups.

With Lil Baby’s “Mrs. Trendsetter” going viral on TikTok, it’s clear listeners made their pick. Now, everyone wants to get in on the action. Don’t miss out on your chance to win big with your best remix on the Hook app. The Grammy winner, Billboard darling, and hitmaker will have a lot of great material to evaluate. Hopefully this isn’t the last challenge he offers to fans excited about reimagining music.

Read More: French Montana’s Confidence Finally Paid Off During “Verzuz”

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There are many sonic gems to speak of on this new record. But we chose five of the best in the short hours since its release. With more time, these cuts and others will reveal themselves to be even more compelling and well-crafted.

The album’s title already set the tone, and the producers on these credits lived up to that with full force. There are amazing soundscapes for the Toronto superstar’s woes and wins, making gritty verses and more casual moments come alive.

Read More: The Drake & Future Fallout Was Never Built To Last

“Make Them Cry”

Starting off with the consensus ICEMAN highlight, “Make Them Cry” is a Drake fan’s hip-hop dream. It evokes earlier intros like “Tuscan Leather” with its three-part instrumental, but does so with even more cohesion between its separate parts. Percussion begins as crisp, turns dusty, and settles into stark territory by the end, never letting The Boy’s flow fall off the rails. Lush sample work in all three parts also goes a long way to make each part feel distinct, whereas the washed-out and hazy production approach across all three helps it all come together. It’s cinematic and evocative in the best way, while still emphasizing the OVO mogul’s penchant for making the most out of disparate space.

Read More: “Views” Was The Moment Drake Stopped Trying To Be The Greatest Rapper Alive

“Little Birdie”

Although this track stands in contrast to most of ICEMAN, “Little Birdie” is one of Drake’s most creative artistic fusions on the tracklist. The tempo, pace, and bounce of this track might evoke some of the West Coast-adjacent sounds he fully sought to emulate on “2 Hard 4 The Radio” earlier on the record. But it mixes that energy more compellingly with the 6ix’s submerged melodies, ghostly vocal samples, and brooding bass. As such, it feels like more of a statement than just hopping on Kendrick Lamar’s home turf for a petty imitation. Instead, it turns that pettiness into something Drizzy makes more of his own. Sadly, his buzzy and warbled vocal treatment on the track does take some of the sting out.

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

“Whisper My Name”

“Whisper My Name” is one of Drake’s most characteristic beats on ICEMAN, serving as a bit of a summary of the whole project’s tone. It meshes trap drums with eerie piano line and a wailing synth line that really amps up the menace in Aubrey Graham’s delivery. It’s not overly noisy like some moments on the album, and it doesn’t lose itself in its space either. Of course, more dramatic string and vocal embellishments as the song goes on also builds this idea in a very gratifying way. It’s a great balance between grand scale and minimal simplicity, especially for a tracklist that leans more overtly in either direction on other cuts.

Read More: Drake Dominated 2016 Ten Years Ago & Hasn’t Let Up

“Make Them Pay”

As for the best sample flip on ICEMAN, Drake lets his pen loose on “Make Them Pay.” The sample calling out for freedom doesn’t make up a complicated loop, but its simple effectiveness hits that much harder when Drizzy sings along towards the end. There’s a generally nostalgic tone here thanks to the piano keys and the boom-bap drums, even if the lyrical venom is still there. It turns some of the reflections on this album from vengeful retorts into more aspirational and earnest statements, letting go of some of the rest of the tracklist’s frigid or explosive bravado. It just so happens to be one of the best rapping performances here, and lived up to that weight gracefully.

Read More: The Top 50 Best Drake Songs Of All-Time

“National Treasures”

Finally, “National Treasures” is one of the Drake tracks we heard before ICEMAN via leaks. But that first beat still hits incredibly hard thanks to the lush and spacey synth lead that refuses to escape the mix. The trap drums feel large and impactful as well, and the swirling vocal sample for the beat switch immediately catches your ear. Dramatic and heavy percussion hits help keep the chaos in check, and builds up cathartically to the final beat drop. One of the album’s most anticipated cuts fortunately lived up to its potential, and it will probably remain one of the fanbase’s beloved favorites.

Read More: Here’s Every Cameo From Drake’s “ICEMAN” Episode 4 Livestream

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