But with all of the chatter around the late Jeffrey Epstein—a convicted child sex trafficker—and the Epstein Files, Thug doesn’t want to be associated with him in the slightest.

As caught by Kurrco, he expressed this in a quote tweet late last night. Thug came across a post from user Dr. Simon, who wrote, “And just like that… everybody stopped talking about the Epstein Files.” Alongside this message was a series of disturbing images of Epstein being inappropriate around children.

This led to disgusted reaction from Thugger who replied, “I’m changing my f*cking name asap bro.” He didn’t go any further than that, so we will see what happens next.

As caught by Complex, Meek Mill is also interested. He asked his former collaborator, “What you gone change it to?”

The Epstein Files would have been a major talking point on their own. However, due to the mentions of numerous celebrities and other big names, it’s sparked rampant discussions online on how elites abuse their power.

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

Is Young Thug Going To Be On ICEMAN?

Of course, one of those people having alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein is POTUS Donald Trump. It’s led to many debates in political spaces as a result. Trump has refuted his ties to the New York financier, but many people aren’t buying his statements.

But in some more positive news, Young Thug may have a guest spot on Drake’s next album, ICEMAN. The close friends last worked together on the former’s 2023 record BUSINESS IS BUSINESS.

What’s got us and fans believing he’ll be on the May 15 release is the fact that he posted a picture of Drizzy’s massive ice structure that was built in Toronto to promote the album. He also tagged his IG account, champagnepapi, so we feel there’s a good chance he makes the tracklist.

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

The post Young Thug Desperate To Change Name Because Of Jeffrey Epstein appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The room is stacked floor to ceiling with clear drop-front storage boxes. Air Jordan 4s appear to dominate the shelves across multiple colorways. Additionally, Air Jordan 1s, 3s, and various other Jordan Brand silhouettes are visible throughout the collection.

The footage shows a well-organized, serious collection rather than a casual accumulation of pairs. It is the kind of room that makes it clear sneakers are a genuine passion, not just a byproduct of proximity to a famous son. Furthermore, the Supreme hoodie he wears in the clip suggests the interest extends into broader streetwear culture as well.

Lamine Yamal himself is a signed Adidas athlete and the face of several major campaigns. However, his father’s collection tells a different story off the pitch. The Jordan Brand-heavy room is a reminder that sneaker culture crosses every boundary, including sport allegiances.

The clip has circulated widely across sneaker social media since it was posted. For collectors, seeing a wall-to-wall Jordan room from an unexpected figure always generates interest.

Read More: Ryan Castro Wore Nigel Sylvester’s Air Jordan 4 “Brick By Brick” To His Stadium Show

Lamine Yamal’s Air Jordan Collection

The Air Jordan 4 is clearly the centerpiece of Yamal’s father’s collection, and it is easy to understand why. The AJ4 is one of the most versatile and consistently popular silhouettes in Jordan Brand’s entire catalog.

Originally released in 1989, the shoe features the iconic mesh net side panels, plastic wing eyelets, and visible Air unit that have made it a staple for over three decades. Colorways range from classic “Bred” and “White Cement” to modern collabs and GS exclusives, giving collectors endless directions to build within the silhouette alone.

Seeing an entire wall dedicated to the AJ4 is a flex that sneakerheads everywhere can respect.

Read More: Jadakiss Wore Air Jordan 3 “Orange Citrus” At His MSG Halftime Performance

The post Lamine Yamal’s Father Shows His Sneaker Room, And It’s Full Of Air Jordans appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Hernandez doesn’t bring up any rumors in the video, but social media users suspect this was all an attempt to shut down the theory that she’s not actually expecting. This rumor started recently, and the content creator Gorgeous Doll seems to be the one behind it.

During her own recent livestream, Gorgeous Doll alleged that just a few weeks ago, Hernandez told her she wasn’t able to get pregnant. She even alleged that she watched Hernandez drink a martini.

“You were telling me all of these things, and I felt so bad for you,” she explained. “So for you to come online now and say that you’re pregnant to try to garner support…”

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

Joseline Hernandez & Lemuel Plummer Drama

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This wouldn’t be the only drama Hernandez is wrapped up in lately. She’s also currently at odds with Lemuel Plummer. Earlier this week, she took to social media to accuse the Zeus CEO of trying to sabotage her streaming network, cutting off her payments, and even trafficking women.

“Stopping my payments because I have my own streaming app and I wanted more for my life than just what I had—it’s illegal and it’s just plain evil,” Hernandez declared. “Telling my husband you won’t fund our business is illegal. Telling us to take our content down—it’s illegal. While I’m pregnant it is evil.”

Plummer addressed Hernandez’s allegations on his Instagram Story. “Joseline… Bullying won’t work,” he wrote. “Manipulation won’t work. I’ll continue to move with professionalism and respect.”

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

The post Joseline Hernandez Flaunts Baby Bump Amid Fake Pregnancy Rumors appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

With Drake’s ICEMAN on the way, listeners are preparing themselves for the hot takes that are about to take place. However, in the meantime, Ebro is delivering some painful commentary that is already making waves on social media this morning.

In the midst of the discourse surrounding Michael Jackson and his career, Ebro offered his unfiltered take on Thriller. Thriller is considered by many to be the greatest pop album of all time. In fact, some would say it is the greatest album of all time, regardless of genre. Despite this, Ebro is not a fan.

During yesterday’s show, Ebro asked Peter Rosenberg if there is any overarching meaning or concept to Thriller. When Rosenberg admitted there isn’t one, the former Hot97 host likened the album to “McDonald’s.”

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

Ebro On Thriller

Subsequently, Ebro went on to note how there are three skips in a row on the album. While he acknowledges there are some big songs, he just feels like the album isn’t what people portray it to be.

As you can imagine, this hot take created a bit of a firestorm over on social media. Fans love Michael Jackson, and they weren’t going to stand for any Thriller slander. At this point, hating on Thriller comes across as a contrarian take for the sake of being contrarian.

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

The Internet Reacts

Below, you can find numerous reactions on social media. These reactions are mostly on the side of outrage. There is this sense that Ebro and his co-hosts are simply looking to engagement farm these days. Ultimately, this kind of punditry is going to garner some criticism. We see it in the sports world all the time, and now, it is extending to the world of music.

In the end, Ebro got what he wanted. People are online debating Michael Jackson’s artistry. Thriller is being re-examined, and that probably wouldn’t have happened without this latest method of rage bait.

The post Ebro Enrages The Internet After Calling Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” The “McDonald’s Of Albums” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

It was the lyrics he sung that led to this furious speculation that he was referencing his relationship with her. “And you should never wanna be with a man if he can’t be a man / And do the things to you like I can (Like I do, baby) / I’m telling you, he can’t love you like I love you.”

The timing of this post was also interesting as Megan Thee Stallion announced her split from Klay Thompson just a couple of days prior.

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But it seems that Pardison Fontaine isn’t trying to speak on his ex. In his eyes, her fans are running with this narrative that he is. In a clip caught by The Shade Room, he likens the situation to a television series saying things like how his “character hasn’t been on this show in three seasons” and that he’s been “replaced multiple times.”

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

Did Klay Thompson Cheat On Megan Thee Stallion?

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Additionally, Fontaine, 36, doesn’t know why he’s “involuntarily kept in this email thread of this d*mn show.” But while he’s also tired of seeing mentions of “the new character” he affirms that he’s not relishing Megan Thee Stallion’s breakup. Fontaine expresses he takes “no pleasure” in doing something like that.

He doesn’t mention the Houston native nor the Dallas Mavericks shooting guard by name. But given the timing (again), it’s not hard to see who and what he’s alluding to.

This side storyline has been a major talking point all week, as well as the alleged infidelity that Thompson committed. When Megan announced that they were going separate ways, she wrote in an Instagram Story post claiming this.

“Cheating, had me around your whole family playing house… got ‘cold feet.’ Holding you down through all your HORRIBLE mood swings and treatment towards me during your basketball season now you don’t know if you can be ‘monogamous’???? b***h I need a REAL break after this one.. bye yall.”

In a statement to TMZ, she issued a similar message. “Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward. I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity.”

Klay Thompson has yet to address these allegations, although he seems to be doing just fine in some recent posts.

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

The post Pardison Fontaine Responds To Internet Scrutiny Tied To Megan Thee Stallion appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors alleged in a new filing Wednesday (April 29) that his motive was to silence the teen, who had threatened to expose their romantic relationship.

“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” the filing alleges.

Prosecutors went on to allege that they found text messages on D4vd’s phone that showcased their inappropriate relationship. They also allegedly found child sexual abuse images of Rivas.

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

What Happened To Celeste Rivas?

“The messages reveal the victim’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,” the filing alleges. “She became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life.”

Prosecutors allege that D4vd sent a rideshare car to pick Rivas up from Lake Elsinore last April. Once she got to his Hollywood home, her phone went silent. Allegedly, the performer later purchased two chainsaws online. He allegedly used the chainsaws to dismember Rivas’ body in an inflatable pool in his garage.

D4vd has pleaded not guilty to his charges. He and his legal team have denied the allegations made against him.

“Let us be clear — the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” his attorneys said in a statement shortly after his arrest. “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

The post Prosecutors Allege D4vd Purchased Two Chainsaws Before Celeste Rivas’ Murder appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

One of 6ix9ine’s most recent feuds is fairly one-sided, and it involves Young Thug. Following Thugger’s release from prison, Tekashi has been banging the drum that Thug is an alleged snitch. This has angered the rainbow-haired rapper, as 6ix9ine was blackballed by his peers for snitching during his infamous RICO case. Tekashi feels as though there is a double standard, and that Thug got away with things he was never given grace for.

Recently, Big Bank, who ironically enough did an interview with Young Thug a few months ago, asked 6ix9ine if he wanted to come on his show. After all, despite his antics, 6ix9ine does give you some great clips and quotables.

In pure 6ix9ine fashion, he responded to Big Bank by saying: “I mean you interviewed Thug and me and him are no different in the interrogation room.”

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

6ix9ine Takes On Young Thug

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This is a very clear shot, and one that Thugger won’t appreciate. However, Big Bank didn’t seem to even register the comment. In his reply, he simply said “#PullUp” with a couple of exclamation mark emojis. For now, it is unknown whether or not these two have plans to link up.

6ix9ine has done a few interviews with VladTV, and for those interviews, he charged a hefty fee. If Vlad is being charged for an interview, you would have to imagine Big Bank is being charged as well.

Since being released from jail a few weeks ago, 6ix9ine is in high demand. The people want to hear from him, and we’re sure he is eager to start trolling people again. Clearly, he is off to a pretty promising start.

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

The post 6ix9ine Disses Young Thug While Responding To Big Bank’s Interview Request appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

For instance, tomorrow, we will be getting a debut EP from North West. Meanwhile, Isaiah Rashad is gearing up to release It’s Been Awful on Friday. Two weeks later, Drake will be dropping ICEMAN. Artists like JPEGMAFIA, Lucki, Black Milk, BNYX, and many others are expected to drop as well.

Thankfully, Kurrco came through with an extensive list last night, detailing all of the upcoming releases throughout the month of May. While their may be some surprises along the way, below, you will find everything that has been announced.

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

A Big Month For Hip-Hop

If all of these albums drop on time, then there is no denying that May is going to be a very special month for rap music. Hopefully, the biggest albums are able to deliver what’s been promised.

Full List:

• Drake — ICEMAN
• LUCKI — Drgs R Bad + DaysB4Bad
• Isaiah Rashad — IT’S BEEN AWFUL
• A$AP Rocky — DON’T BE DUMB: DISC 2 (?)
• JPEGMAFIA — EXPERIMENTAL RAP
• BNYX® — GENESIS FM
• Latto — Big Mama
• Chris Brown — BROWN
• 6LACK — Love is the New Gangsta
• North West — n0rth4evr
• GIVĒON — BELOVED: ACT II
• prettifun — Pretti Loves U 2
• Thaiboy Digital & swedm® — Paradise
• Lil Tjay — They Just Ain’t You
• Edward Skeletrix — Body of Work
• PlaqueBoyMax — Crash Dummy
• PARTYOF2 — AMERIKA’S NEXT TOP PARTY! (EXTENDED CUT)
• French Montana & Max B — Wave Gods 2: Cosmos Brothers
• Lord Sko & Statik Selektah — Elevator Music
• Mach-Hommy — 5786 AM: Easy Listen (?)
• Luh Tyler — Destined For Greatness
• Boldy James & Real Bad Man — Adu 3 (Vinyl excl.)
• Black Milk — CEREMONIAL
• Kenny Mason — BULLDAWG
• Skrilla — Z
• Jay Montana — Montana 3
• AZ — Doe Or Die III
• Nick Grant — Smile
• B.o.B. — The Morning Bang
• Lucy Bedroque — c
• ApolloRed1 — DEMON HEART RADIO
• bleood — k*ll your idols (?)

Read More: Ranking Every Drake Album From Worst To Best

The post Every Hip-Hop Album Dropping In May 2026 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: April 30, 2026

Genre: Experimental Rap

Album: EXPERIMENTAL RAP

Quotable Lyrics from babygirl

Crackers be slow, they still don’t get the message
They shoot up a school ’cause nobody will mention ’em
How you this pussy? Some people need lead in ‘еm
We got sedatives (Unbеlievable)

The post babygirl – Song by JPEGMAFIA appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

But the aftermath of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is what made Views possible and necessary. Drake had already shown the potential of becoming the next heir to the throne. His pen was as sharp as ever. The consistency of each record he dropped, whether R&B or rap, held weight from headphones to clubs to car stereos. He was ubiquitous, pushing rap to new heights. IYRTITL is the last project where Drake could credibly claim “best rapper alive” without an asterisk.

That trajectory stalled the moment Meek Mill questioned his pen. It shifted things drastically for Drake. It’s not like he bowed out of rap—“Back To Back” had the summer on lock, proving the competitive spirit of an MC still lived inside him. Just when doubt crept in, he doubled back with a diss track that arguably ranks among the best. The hunger that carried from So Far Gone to Nothing Was The Same, peaking on If You’re Reading This, remained potent across loosies, singles, and features from that era.

But the damage was done. Even after a Grammy nod for “Back To Back,” it was difficult for Drake to argue he was the greatest MC alive when he’d been credibly accused of outsourcing the fundamental act of writing. He could frame it as collaboration or point to industry norms, but people still cared about bars then. When you’re responsible for shifting rap toward pop accessibility while becoming its face—and then violating a cardinal rule—there’s bound to be pushback on where you belong.

Views became an inevitable pivot we’ve seen many rappers make once the creative fuel starts to dwindle while demand remains high. Because of everything that preceded it, it also marked the moment Drake abandoned the pursuit of being the greatest rapper alive and reoriented toward becoming the biggest artist alive. He didn’t abandon greatness out of necessity, but he recognized that scale offered more power than purity. And if we’re being honest, Meek Mill’s crash-out may have backfired for him professionally and personally. However, it had a clear, under-discussed impact on Drake’s trajectory. It made him bigger, sure. It also cost him credibility, something that still lingers in other battles.

Views was a more defining moment in Drake’s career than being exposed for using ghostwriters, largely because rap’s purists represented a niche demographic as streaming rose on the back of hip-hop’s mixtape era. Drake understood the assignment early, which is why Views was initially released as an Apple Music exclusive.

It was clear a shift was happening when “Hotline Bling” became culturally pervasive, producing memes and influencing aesthetics through its video. The real turning point came when he dropped two singles, “Pop Style” ft. The Throne (Jay-Z and Ye) and “One Dance.” Ten years later, only one remains in rotation, and the audience had already chosen which version of Drake mattered more.

The globalization of rap depended on how Drake navigated the commercial landscape. “One Dance” ft. WizKid and Kyla marked the onset of Afrobeats dominance in America—a trend that still holds. For Drake, a song like this translates globally, from Toronto to Lagos, Los Angeles to London, and beyond. It was an infectious anthem that defined that summer. Alongside the dancehall-tinged “Controlla” and the tropical R&B inflections of the Rihanna-assisted “Too Good,” Drake capitalized on a global shift in sound he’d seen forming in places like the UK and scaled it up. The biggest songs off Views didn’t feature him rapping at all. That itself underscored how he turned a reputational loss into a victory lap.

That isn’t to downplay the moments where he does rap, because those remain standout entries in his catalog. The first half of the album holds some of his strongest work, where his pen as both songwriter and lyricist is unfuckwittable. “Weston Road Flows” offers regional storytelling rooted in childhood memories of Toronto, punctuated by 40 and Stwo’s lush flip of Mary J. Blige. “U With Me?” lets Drake’s quintessential romanticism flourish in a way that feels absent today, where past relationships carried longing, not just possession. It shows in the writing: the millennial-coded dissection of feelings through texting habits, once organic to his brand but now closer to a meme. Across these moments, from “Hype” to “Still Here,” he proved the ability never left. The unfortunate realization about it is that it stopped being the focus.

Ultimately, Drake as a rapper became secondary to the project itself. He wasn’t pushing boundaries like before, but refining a formula he’d spent the previous decade building. It’s clear on songs like “Grammys” ft. Future, which can’t hold a candle to anything on What A Time To Be Alive. Even “Fire & Desire,” despite being a cherished R&B cut, doesn’t feel like it’s trying to do anything new. Still, they worked. Views had strong rap records, but they didn’t define it the way his melodic output did. 

Views embodied what Drake has been for the past decade: a global enterprise that resists being boxed in. Whether that’s a gift or a curse depends on who you ask. Upon release, one of the biggest criticisms was its length, 19 songs plus a bonus. But it also set a template for dominance, where long tracklists became a streaming strategy, often at the expense of cohesion. While Views captured seasonal shifts in Toronto with interludes of wind and water tying it together, later projects lacked that focus. They became smorgasbords of the sounds Drake experimented with. He leaned further into being a cultural chameleon, blurring the line between homage and appropriation depending on perspective—Atlanta one day, Jamaica the next—while still representing Toronto’s melting pot. Views showed he could be the most adaptable artist if he wasn’t accepted as the purest rapper.

The reality is, when you try to fit all these influences into one album, cohesion suffers. What doesn’t is the commercial appeal that’s made him the biggest rapper on Earth. This is the same artist whose album rollouts became reference points for multi-billion-dollar corporations across the globe.

Ten years later, Drake’s place in rap feels as contested as it did when Views dropped. While he defeated Meek and emerged victorious, the circumstances heading into Iceman are different. Views isn’t where Drake peaked as a rapper, but it is where he redefined what winning in hip-hop looks like. The ghostwriting claims didn’t hurt his pockets by any means. Unfortunately, they became a narrative nuisance that has stuck since. Regardless, he changed the rules of success in a genre where fans are fickle, and built a model that still hasn’t failed him.

The post “Views” Was The Moment Drake Stopped Trying To Be The Greatest Rapper Alive appeared first on HotNewHipHop.