Fauci is the subject of an investigation into vaccine mandates, pandemic protocol, the origins of the disease, and more. He invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and denies any wrongdoing. However, this situation has made Stephen A. and many others reevaluate how the U.S. handled COVID. As such, he made an apology to Irving for previous attacks on his self-titled SiriusXM show.

“If I’m wrong, I’ll say I’m wrong,” Smith remarked, as caught by NBA Hoops on Twitter. “When it comes to Kyrie Irving, I can’t apologize strongly enough…”

He walked back his previous compliance with vaccine mandates, indicating many folks were under threat of losing their jobs. Stephen A. apologized for questioning Kyrie’s leadership and brought up other superstar athletes who refused the COVID vaccine. He specifically singled the Dallas Maverick out as someone who caught particular heat, including from Smith himself on his many platforms.

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Stephen A. Smith’s Apology

However, Smith also clarified he isn’t accusing COVID of being fake or Fauci of lying, saying there’s still a lot unknown about the virus and the pandemic. “We can’t engage in condemnation completely, anyway, towards Fauci, a lot of Democrats, a lot of businesses in corporate America and beyond who supported their position… We can’t condemn those who were a bit suspicious,” he remarked.

The analyst and journalist defended Kyrie as a “conscientious” person who never intended to harm anyone and defended his rights. Smith said COVID almost killed him in 2021 but said “one size never fit all” in this pandemic, apologizing to Irving for not recognizing him for being “brave.”

Stephen A. Smith has apologized to Kyrie Irving before for more broad conflicts. Now, this particular disagreement might be moving towards reconciliation.

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The post Stephen A. Smith Apologizes To Kyrie Irving For Vaccine Criticism appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As hosts, Budden and Wolf will dive into the popular genre, analyze stories, and tell some of their own. While not many details about the new endeavor are available at press time, it should be an interesting pivot for one of hip-hop’s biggest media voices.

“Without giving you too much, we’re going to delve into some stories,” Joe remarked, as caught by Stag on Twitter. “I’m a true crime head. I watch it all. This will be me looking at stories, telling stories, just putting a modern spin on true crime.”

When asked about his independence model, the Slaughterhouse MC said he’s partnered with Wolf and Headline.

“This was absolutely another step in the right direction for us in a category that Joe has been itching to do for a long time,” The Joe Budden Network’s CEO Ian Schwartzman remarked. “Partnering with an iconic company like Wolf Entertainment, Dick Wolf is the best true crime news storyteller of the last three decades, [and] Advance being one of the greatest media companies in the world with over 80 newspapers and stations.

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Joe Budden’s New Podcast

“We’re going to have access to field reporters and stories as they’re breaking,” he continued. “So I think the model that we’re trying to create here was reinventing the way true crime and news are delivered on a weekly basis. And Joe being this entirely new personality, voice, and perspective to take us there, I think the most important point that fans of Joe and us will appreciate is no, we didn’t just do a deal where we signed over the rights. We actually are owners in this franchise and we did this in true partnership with Advance and Wolf Entertainment. [We’re] honored to do so. They’ve made the best true crime television in history, in my opinion. Shows I still watch today. Joe and I are just hoping to be a part of the new phase of that, 2026 forward.”

Elsewhere, Joe Budden is still dishing out hip-hop hot takes about the latest feuds, releases, and debates. We’ll see how he fares in a new topical area with one of the genre’s greats.

Read More: Rick Ross’s Greatest Strength Becomes His Achilles Heel On “Set In Stone”

The post Joe Budden Announces True Crime Podcast With Dick Wolf appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

In a portion of the footage shared by DJ Akademiks on Instagram, you can hear Carti proclaim his superstar status to the policeman handling the matter as the law enforcement official made questions and asked him to stay in the car.

The officer told Playboi to “go sit in the car” and remarked, “Gosh, dude. None of you guys listen.” He asked the rapper who was driving him and where they came from, with Carti saying the driver had just picked him up and was on a tour with The Weeknd.

This made the officer ask him who he was, to which he responded with, “I’m a singer. I’m Playboi, Playboi Carti. Me and Weeknd on tour. Sold out.”

“Is he actually Playboi Carti?” the officer asked another individual on the scene who affirmed this, seemingly flabbergasted to have met him and shocked at his fame. The policeman then asked for Carti’s license and asked who hit each other, with Playboi claiming none of them hit each other. He seemed to be referring to him and the drivers at the scene.

You can see the full video of the traffic stop below.

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Playboi Carti’s Assault Case

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For those unaware, Playboi Carti faced legal consequences for allegedly assaulting a woman and his driver during this Utah road trip on tour. A pre-trial date emerged earlier this year, but no further case updates have emerged at press time.

Many fans assumed the woman in question was Playboi Carti’s then-girlfriend (now ex), Giovanna “Gio” Ramos. But she seemed to deny the allegations on social media, and so did Carti.

Now, fans wonder if they will get a follow-up here. Perhaps court updates are soon to come following the release of this body cam footage.

Read More: Rick Ross’s Greatest Strength Becomes His Achilles Heel On “Set In Stone”

The post Officer Shocked By Playboi Carti’s Fame In Traffic Stop Footage appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

A TikTok video from artist Medasin recently went viral on the Internet for claiming “RUBBERZ” is entirely the product of AI technology. He accused the Shoreline Mafia member and the track’s producer Purps of lying about its authenticity, claiming they used the software Treblo (formerly known as Sonauto).

As alleged evidence, @medasinmusic pointed to a song snippet Fenix posted before “RUBBERZ” came out that still had “Sonauto” in its file name. Sonauto allegedly rebranded to Treblo just two days before “RUBBERZ” came out, which followed other AI accusations against Flexin. This had Medasin and folks online wondering if there are financial ties between these parties, nothing of which has been verified at press time.

Then, Medasin broke down how to use Treblo, specifically its “tags” feature and their lyric box, to generate AI music. He shared an example he created with a vague lyric prompt, on which the voice sounds a lot like the Back In Bidness artist’s voice on the viral hit.

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Fenix Flexin’s “RUBBERZ”

Medasin also claimed Treblo repeatedly uses many lyrics that appear on “RUBBERZ” in its results. The lyrics include references to heavy diamond chains, faces on champagne glasses, thick pockets, stacking bills, plastic smiles, losing friends, rubber bands snapping, money on the table, rain, and not sleeping at night.

In addition, Medasin explained why he thinks “RUBBERZ” isn’t being used in this model to spit out these common bars in future prompts. When he used “Eminem” as a tag instead of “Fenix Flexin,” Treblo allegedly gave him the same lyrics.

This joins other AI controversies in hip-hop, which will not get easier to parse through if this is sadly the new normal… If all of this is true, of course. Amid other debates about the technology in music, this stands as one of the most viral and consequential examples so far.

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The post Fenix Flexin’s “RUBBERZ” Allegedly Exposed As AI-Generated appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The Freebandz boss recently took to Instagram to repost the video of his artist blasting the Los Angeles executive’s claims, as caught by DJ Akademiks on IG. “N***as start off just lying,” Doe Boy had said. “N***a said, ‘What’s that one b***h name? The singer b***h. His baby mama.’ Boy, you know Ciara’s name, bruh. Stop playing. N***as is crazy, bruh. And then, it don’t even sound realistic at all, though. You telling me you ran down on Pluto and Ciara? Oh, you a bad motherf***er. Oh, this n***a crazy.” Back in 2022, Fewtch had left a few crying-laughing emojis under this video.

In another video, Doe Boy had said the following about Wack 100: “You telling me n***a running from you at full speed, pulled his phone out, dialed a n***a number, got the n***a to answer, told him the story, threw the phone at you, and you caught that b***h? That n***a crazy.”

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Future & Big U Allegations

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Big U had denied these Future allegations as well, calling out Wack 100 for spreading alleged misinformation. “I. HAVE. NEVER. BEEN. N. .LAX AIRPORT. WITH. WACC100!! NOR DID WE RUN DOWN ON #FUTURE,” he wrote on social media. “YALL WOULD GET IT N YALL HEAD THESE PEOPLE LIE ALL DAY… 10% TRUTH 90% THEM.”

Now, this alleged situation is coming back up thanks to Big U’s federal racketeering case. Paperwork in court filings allegedly refers to this airport incident as an example of Henley’s threats and violent actions.

That hasn’t been confirmed at press time, but folks reading between the lines connected these alleged dots. In any case, Future found it pertinent to reaffirm his denial of the whole thing. Elsewhere, we will soon see how Big U responds in court.

Read More: Rick Ross’s Greatest Strength Becomes His Achilles Heel On “Set In Stone”

The post Future Denies Big U & Wack 100 Claims By Reposting Doe Boy’s Video appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Unfortunately, that won’t be happening after all. Just days before it set to kick off on August 5th, both artists confirmed that they’ve cancelled their joint run together. It’s unclear why they decided to cancel the shows.

Per NME, North shared a statement on Instagram, writing, “I was really excited to go on tour [with] Molly Santana, sadly it isn’t happening anymore, but I have something special for you guys, see you soon.”

Santana offered an apology on her own Instagram, too. “To everyone who bought tickets to the tour, I sincerely apologize. I know a lot of you have taken time out of your busy schedules and spent your hard-earned money planning to be there,” she wrote, per Billboard. “Nothing makes me more happy than the opportunity to share more amazing memories with you all, and I hope to see you soon. You are all so greatly appreciated and please know that I never take your time or support lightly. I love you so much & I promise I will make this up to you.”

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Why Did North West & Molly Santana Cancel Their Tour?

No reason on the tour’s cancellation has been provided yet. The tour website now redirects to a page that reads “404-Page Not Found.” Moreover, the landing page for Dallas’ House Of Blues had been labeled canceled while other pages were simply replaced. Billboard reports that all other sites for the shows with the exception of the August 25th date in San Francisco have been scrubbed. We will keep you posted on any further updates. 

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The post North West & Molly Santana Tour Canceled Days Before It Was Set To Launch appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As All Hip Hop notes, the Los Angeles Times revealed the moment when their relationship took a turn. The alliance reportedly unraveled after a disagreement involving recording equipment. Federal court filings describe the dispute as escalating beyond a simple business disagreement, with Hussle responding through music by releasing the diss track “U Don’t Got a Clue,” which fueled tension between the two. Prosecutors allege Big U viewed the song as a personal attack.

According to the indictment, he attempted to confront Hussle over the perceived disrespect, but the encounter never escalated after Hussle’s brother, Blacc Sam, intervened and prevented a face-to-face confrontation. 

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Big U’s History Of Confronting Rappers

The Los Angeles Times report didn’t just focus on Big U’s issues with Nipsey Hussle. It ultimately detailed a pattern of intimidation on his part. In one instance, he reportedly chased Future at an airport in Los Angeles because he reportedly owed Trick Trick some money. At the time, Big U and Future both denied the claims that Wack 100 made about the alleged altercation, but this recent report indicates that this could be part of Big U’s trial. 

Big U is accused of maintaining influence through intimidation and violence, including allegations of witness tampering. Big U and six co-defendants are currently scheduled to stand trial in February 2027. We will keep you posted on any further updates surrounding Big U’s case. 

Read More: Rick Ross’s Greatest Strength Becomes His Achilles Heel On “Set In Stone”

The post Big U Reportedly Wanted Revenge After Nipsey Hussle Diss Track appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

According to TMZ, the streamer (real name Nurideen Shabazz) is now facing 15 years in prison over charges from Miami prosecutors. Via the charges shown in court documents, they reportedly accused him of felony robbery and misdemeanor battery over an alleged May 27 incident.

Per the reports, a woman called law enforcement and claimed Deen physically attacked her after verbally arguing on a yacht. She alleged he booted her from the boat because other men were hanging out with her after he warned her to only focus on his attention. The woman accused Shabazz of grabbing and scratching her left forearm to stop her from recording their interaction. He allegedly left a minor scar.

The yacht’s owner reportedly spoke to police and gave them security footage. Furthermore, the footage allegedly showed the Kick streamer “putting his hands on the victim multiple times, attempting to grab her phone, where a struggle ensued over the taking of the phone as the victim is trying to get away from him where she could be seen cradling her body to the floor trying to stop [Deen] from taking her phone.”

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Is Deen The Great In Jail?

Reportedly, police saw Deen aboard the yacht when it returned to the dock. His version of events he gave to law enforcement at the scene supposedly contradicts the footage, according to police.

Deen The Great is no longer in jail over this incident, as he posted bail the next day. His lawyer Richard L. Cooper recently gave a statement to TMZ about this matter. “On May 27th Deen was arrested and charged with a 2nd degree felony. [It] carries a maximum of 15 years in a Florida prison. However, we still anticipate that this case will be dismissed by the prosecutors in short order. We look forward to resolving the case next week.”

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The post Deen The Great Facing 15 Years In Jail For Alleged Yacht Robbery appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: July 31, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: DOOMED! (out August 14)

Quotable Lyrics from She Swear I’m Colorblind

She used to say when we argue,
It was hard to see us as a “We,”
What I’m supposed to do if I disagree
With the s**t you think about me?

The post She Swear I’m Colorblind – Song by Open Mike Eagle & Kenny Segal feat. billy woods appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Her support for the current administration has raised a few eyebrows, but after the GOP-led hearing on COVID-19 origins and the subsequent government page that popped up moments after it concluded, Nicki Minaj chimed in. She had specific vitriol toward Anthony Fauci, whom she depicted in an AI-generated image lying on his stomach and writing in his diary in a girl’s bedroom.

“Feeding tubes will be his portion. He will lose the ability to speak & then & only then will he feel the collective pain & long term ramifications he caused to new borns, young children who are still trying to become acclimated into society & schools, traumatized pregnant women who couldn’t even have family in the delivery rooms & visits, the elderly who died alone & afraid, young ppl still struggling w/mental health, suicide, people turned away from hospitals at their most vulnerable moments, the trust that is now gone from innocent people toward their governments forever, billions of stolen money from hard working tax payers via con artists,” she wrote. 

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Is Nicki Minaj Preparing For The Apocalypse?

Nicki later revealed that the vaccine is what prompted her skepticism of the powers that be. “Once they started telling yall to get a new booster shot every 5 to 10 business days like it was the new Jordans droppin?!?!!!!!!! That’s when I knew. I went in my backyard & started building the Arc. Nicki’s Arc. I know the Lord won’t send another flood but still,” she added. Check her tweets above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.

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The post Nicki Minaj Wishes Dr. Fauci The Worst: “Feeding Tubes Will Be His Portion” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.