The Loss Of A Legend

Alongside DJ E-Z Rock, who died in 2014, Rob Base helped reshape late-1980s Hip Hop with the release of “It Takes Two.” It was a record that became one of the genre’s most recognizable crossover hits. Additionally, “Joy and Pain” has also become a legendary Hip Hop party and club classic. “It Takes Two” was built around an infectious James Brown-inspired energy and Lyn Collins’ sample work. The song moved between block parties, radio stations, clubs, movies, commercials, and generations.

Moreover, the duo’s success helped push Rap music further into the mainstream during a period when Hip Hop was still fighting for industry legitimacy. Decades later, “It Takes Two” remains part of the culture’s DNA, being sampled, referenced, and hailed as one of the records that permanently altered the sound and commercial reach of Hip Hop.

This is a major for Hip Hop. We celebrate Rob Base’s legacy by running back his entire catalog. Check out some of his hits above and below.

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The post Hip Hop Icon Rob Base Passes Away At 59 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Lizzo rejected the idea that “all famous people know each other and we’re all best friends.” While speaking with Joel Madden on his Artist Friendly podcast, she laughed and said just because she takes a photo with someone at the Grammys doesn’t mean that they’re chit-chatting on the phone. “Even people who have songs together, people think they’re besties. It’s like, no. I like them as an artist, I respect their music and we collabed. But like, I sent them files. They recorded it and sent it back to me.”

Lizzo Praises SZA As A Real Friend

Further, Lizzo said that even for artists with whom she’s worked and shot music videos, those interactions on set were minimal, not indicative of a personal relationship. “I don’t really have many people who [I can] talk to about this sort of thing. I talk to SZA, I love her. She’s one of the only few people—you’ve gotta have her on the show. But like, she’s the only person that I can call and be like, ‘Okay b*tch,’ and she’s like, ‘Okay.'”

Madden added that he’s a fan of SZA and would love to chat with her on his podcast, as well. Check out Lizzo with the Good Charlotte icon below.

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The social media personality said he doesn’t know what the altercation was about, reflecting on collaborating for community outreach in Atlanta with Thug while he was still in prison. He also spoke on partnering with him for a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, so they had some history together before the incident.

But Charleston White’s friendship with YSL affiliate and YSL RICO trial witness Woody apparently threw a wrench into things, according to Charleston. “Atlanta was mad at me for f***ing with Woody,” he remarked. White talked about Woody and Thugger getting in touch, White speaking on the Gunna situation and angering Thug, and thinking YSL and Thug didn’t care about White’s developments. “I didn’t know it was that serious,” he said.

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Charleston White’s Young Thug Incident

Then, Charleston White’s issues with Young Thug came into clearer view when he got to the Coulda Been Love reunion by Druski in Florida that was the site of the altercation. Thug’s entourage eventually approached him, and Thug allegedly said, ‘We step on s**t.’

White didn’t think much of it, as he thought the rapper wouldn’t want to risk his probation, but he hoped they would try. He said he reached for his mace and claimed someone said ‘Don’t lose your life in here’ and pretended to hold a gun.

White spoke on pretending to try to press charges to make a big deal out of this, even speaking with police to get and give more information. He spoke on the video of him flaunting his mace before security broke things up.

Charleston White made more claims about Young Thug, alleging he and Lil Baby are trying to establish intimidating dominance in Miami. But we’ll see if any of this leads to actual developments instead of online clashes over brief altercations. After all, White thought the whole thing was good for content, and played into it.

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As caught by Hollywood Unlocked on Instagram, you can see him sitting beside Tanjali in the clip. When the 19-year-old streamer got up, the former pro boxer tapped her behind with the back of his hand. Then, she walked away and eventually said she was going to head home.

“That has never happened to me,” Aya Tanjali remarked on stream outside of the location she, Adrien Broner, and others were at. “That’s the first time somebody actually slapped my a** or tried some s**t on me… That’s crazy. I really hope he apologizes. ‘Cause I know he’s drunk. But being drunk doesn’t excuse your behavior. That’s just all around weird. I low-key wanted to cry in that moment. I’m not going to lie. That’s never happened to me, ever.”

The Shade Room reportedly got a chance to talk with Broner after this situation went viral. “Man ain’t nobody violated that girl,” he reportedly expressed. “She over-doing it. Tell her I said I’m sorry and I apologize call or text me.”

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Aya Tanjali Speaks On Adrien Broner

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Aya Tanjali took to her Instagram Story recently to address some of the chatter. She clarified that she’s not seeking legal action at press time despite what some rumors indicated. The 19-year-old streamer said she felt uncomfortable at the time, but now thinks he probably didn’t mean anything by it after watching the video again.

“At the same time, I still feel like no man should be putting their hands on a woman in any way that can make her uncomfortable, intentional or not,” she added. Tanjali asked folks to stop spreading false information and thanked those who checked in with her to show love.

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Adrien Broner has faced controversies with women before, and this wouldn’t be the first time his comments towards a woman led to backlash. We’ll see if there’s anything else in this saga.

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According to XXL, Judge Kimberly Fernandez denied Andrews’ motion to appeal the conviction today (Friday, May 22). Judge Fernandez then handed down a 15-year sentence. “After having reviewed all of the defense’s assertions as to the defense’s argument as to errors made by my predecessor judge, I’m going to place on the record that I would not have ruled any differently,” the judge reportedly expressed.

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Mays emotionally spoke on her son’s murder during her statement, as caught by No Jumper on Instagram. “My son was hunted, followed and ultimately murdered in what authorities described as a coordinated plot involving multiple individuals,” she reportedly expressed. “It is extremely painful to hear Alicia Andrews portray herself as someone who didn’t know what was going on. They could have turned around, but they still carried on the plan to hunt my son down like a deer in the woods…My son’s life mattered. He was not disposable.”

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Have Foolio’s Killers Been Sentenced?

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Four men received convictions for Foolio’s murder, those being Alicia Andrews’ boyfriend Isaiah Chance, Rashad Murphy, Davion Murphy, and the aforementioned Sean Gathright. A jury recommended life sentences for all four men for the heavier charges, and they will reportedly learn their fate on June 22.

Foolio’s mother Sandrikas Mays, who celebrateed the convictions and mocked the perpetrators, claimed Gathright is also responsible for other murders in Florida. As caught by My Mixtapez on IG, she claimed during an Instagram Live session that bullet casings from her son’s case matched forensic information from other murder cases in the state.

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Alicia Andrews’ conviction and 15-year sentence rests on the notion that she tracked the late MC and provided his whereabouts to the perpetrators. Now, the case can finally come to a close, with the four killers’ sentencing date happening in about a month. We will see what their fates are, and what other reactions to this may emerge.

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Per Billboard, ICEMAN debuted at number one in the country’s Official Albums Chart today (Friday, May 22). MAID OF HONOUR reportedly landed at number six, and HABIBTI landed at number seven. This makes the Toronto superstar the first artist in the chart’s history to debut three studio albums simultaneously in the chart’s top ten.

Ironically enough, Prince achieved something similar in 1993 by having three compilations in the chart’s top ten. Michael Jackson and Prince, not to mention their comparison and rivalry, were big lyrical reference points for Drizzy during his battle with Kendrick Lamar.

ICEMAN is now his seventh chart-topping album in the UK, and its “Janice STFU” and “National Treasures” tracks landed at numbers two and three respectively on the UK’s Official Singles Chart.

Read More: Drake “HABIBTI” & “MAID OF HONOUR” Review

Drake’s First Week Sales Projections

This UK chart news follows Drake’s anticipated takeover of the Billboard charts, both for songs and albums. First week sales for the trilogy are almost officially in, and fans have been waiting to see which tracks rank high.

Projections indicate ICEMAN will go number one with 475K album-equivalent units sold, followed by MAID OF HONOUR and HABIBTI at either two or three with about 120K units each. This would make him the first artist in history to take up Billboard‘s top three positions on the 200 albums chart with three simultaneous studio album debuts.

As for Drake’s new songs, he could take up all but one of the Hot 100’s top 15, according to early projections. Even if the numbers look a little different when it’s all said and done, it would still be an impressive feat.

Meanwhile, all of this is going down as fans continue to dissect the albums, discuss them, and look forward to the next moves. On both sides of the pond and much further beyond, the ICEMAN trilogy is spinning.

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

The post Drake Sets New UK Chart Record Following “ICEMAN” Album Trilogy appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

That’s the case, even when Drake isn’t remotely involved with their activities. In late April, Rocky performed at the Chanel Cruise 2027 after-party in Biarritz, France, in an intimate setting. Just as he breezed through some of the cuts from his latest album, it became quite obvious that the Chanel crowd isn’t really his core fanbase. 

Elle shared a video of the performance, which began circulating this week, just as the rapper gears up to launch his tour on May 27th. Unfortunately, Drake fans didn’t hesitate to troll A$AP Rocky for performing in front of a fashion audience who probably aren’t hip-hop fans to begin with. The Harlem rapper was clearly trying to deliver an engaging show with high energy, teasing what should be expected from his upcoming tour.

“Someone said ‘He should’ve just performed this for Rihanna and the kids at the house ’ ,” one X user wrote.  Another added, “rocky post testing is one of the saddest things ive ever seen.”

Read More: Drake “HABIBTI” & “MAID OF HONOUR” Review

ASAP Rocky’s Performance Gets Torched Online

At the end of the day, all publicity is good publicity, and even if this intimate performance didn’t translate to social clips. The viral moment arrived a week after the release of Drake’s ICEMAN, where the Canadian rapper took a few subliminal shots at both A$AP Rocky and Rihanna on songs like “Burning Bridges,” “Firm Friends,” and possibly on “Ran To Atlanta.” Check Rocky’s performance post above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments below. 

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Ye probably is one of the few, if not the only, rappers from his era who can still deliver record-breaking numbers on par with some of the streaming era’s most successful exports. Case in point: his latest Spotify feat. According to BARS, Ye has a new milestone in his career as “Heartless” became the first song in his catalog to reach 2 billion streams on Spotify. The 808s & Heartbreak song served as the second single of the project, following “Love Lockdown” and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It’s a moment that cements the influence and timelessness of 808s & Heartbreaks. Despite being polarizing upon its release, it opened the floodgates for a new era of hip-hop, including one where Drake claimed his stake as one of the genre’s frontrunners. The album often feels like it doesn’t get as many mentions as it should in broader hip-hop and pop culture discourse. However, it’s impossible to deny how it shifted music entirely and also allowed Kid Cudi to put his talents on full display in front of the world just as his career began bubbling up.

Read More: Drake “HABIBTI” & “MAID OF HONOUR” Review

Kanye West Hits 2 Billion Streams On “Heartless”

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The new milestone comes as Ye plots his 2026 global tour, which has faced its own setbacks and hurdles. It comes on the heels of Bully, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200. Although he’s struggled to book venues in America, several European countries have been open to hosting him. The rapper recently shared a list of his upcoming performances in Europe this summer, which will see him on stages in Turkey, the Netherlands, Georgia, Albania, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Will you be attending any of his upcoming shows? Let us know in the comments below. 

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In the video of the snippet featuring NYC radio commentator Punch, you can hear Capo rap about beef, and there are specific references that are pointing some listeners to 50 and Dame. In the former’s case, it’s reportedly a Queens and Supreme flip referring to Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff and his history with Fif. As for the latter’s case, it’s a bar about complaining to Jay-Z about a lack of success, alluding to Dash’s Roc-A-Fella struggles.

We’ll see if this eventually comes out and if Jones will seek more beef with his rivals. He already has other spats to take care of, such as a recent fight with Kid Cudi over his “Day ‘N Nite” remix. But Jim always keeps his foot on the gas when it comes to smoke, and we doubt future releases will stray away from confrontation.

Read More: Drake “HABIBTI” & “MAID OF HONOUR” Review

Jim Jones’ 50 Cent Beef

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For those unaware, Jim Jones’ beef with 50 Cent stems from tensions between G-Unit and Dipset back in the 2000s. Most recently, though, it ignited when Jones criticized 50 for his role in the Netflix Diddy documentary. He made those comments on the Let’s Rap About It podcast alongside Fabolous, Maino, and Dave East.

The G-Unit mogul went at all of them in response, but his online trolls mostly targeted Capo. They continue to send shots every now and then, but rarely are they musical. So maybe the release of this new snippet will start another chapter.

As for Jim Jones’ issues with Dame Dash, they are over a decade old. The former called the latter a “culture vulture” back in 2014, and face-to-face confrontations followed.

In both cases, this beef has so many years of history that a hatchet burial seems impossible. But maybe they can all continue to hash things out via music rather than social media trolling.

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In the aftermath of the livestream, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow sang Drake’s praises as an international ambassador for the city. Evidently, Drake expressed the same type of gratitude to her for allowing him to utilize Toronto as the backdrop for his new album. She later shared a photo of a note that Drake left her that dubbed her “Crolivia Chow.” 

“Thank you my crodi, Crolivia Chow! Iceman 2026,” he wrote on a notepad, along with his signature. 

That particular note went viral on social media, proving that Drake’s standing with local politicians hasn’t gone sideways. In fact, it feels like one of the few moments in his career where he’s integrated local politics into his career organically. And clearly, Olivia Chow takes much pride in that, as well.

Read More: Drake “HABIBTI” & “MAID OF HONOUR” Review

Crolivia Chow’s Press Conference

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During a recent press conference in Toronto, Olivia Chow stepped to a podium after she was introduced, joking about the new nickname. “What do you mean you didn’t introduce me as Crolivia?” she said.

In an interview after the ICEMAN reveal, Chow confirmed that Drake used her office for his music video. 

“It’s great because Drake has done so much for the city. The world was watching, and he’s making us proud,” Chow said. “He borrowed [my office] one evening, and we had an arrangement, and put it back in, and so all is good. But think about how many people outside Toronto are watching that, so it’s a promotion for the city, and his music, it’s not just Canadians, it’s worldwide.”

Check out Olivia Chow’s press conference above. 

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

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