First, we talked about hip-hop Grammy submissions in 2026, reacting to a Billboard article that questioned the genre’s presence this year due to the absence of Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Aron and I found this to be a reductive view, one that tries to absolve the Recording Academy of missing huge rap moments like Playboi Carti’s MUSIC. Although we acknowledged that breaking into superstardom is tougher than ever, the Grammys should be focused on the quality we continue to get in new hip-hop, not its “narratives” for the general public.

Speaking of awards shows, Aron and I discussed the new fan-voted Soul Train Music Awards categories, specifically the R&B/Soul Song of the Year. We talked about how the category features a few tracks many wouldn’t categorize as R&B or soul, commenting on how much R&B has changed and the difficulty of balancing innovation, tradition, and authenticity when it comes to genre categorizations.

Later, Aron and I lamented how ComplexCon was filled with conflict, referencing the LUCKI situation and Kai Cenat’s Reggie drama as two very serious situations that became public spectacles for one reason or another. Whether it was a fight between BigLoaaf and Madi2Hotty or the overall tense nature of some interactions, we talked about streamer culture rewarding controversy.

Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

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Elsewhere, Aron was quick to point out how the Ice Cube beef with Dejon Paul online devolved way quicker and more seriously than it probably should’ve. Their clash online opened up renewed debates about what it means to be a hip-hop journalist today, Los Angeles’ torch-carrying hip-hop traditions, and the expectations of aging artists.

To celebrate the spooky season, Aron and I looked back on the term “horrorcore” and its varied, vast rap history, from Geto Boys to billy woods’ 2025 album. As you can see with those examples, it’s a broad spectrum. We discussed how the sub-genre’s content traditions and aesthetics have evolved, arguing it can be more of a catch-all term these days rather than a firm sound of its own.

As for new music this week, Aron was a fan of Offset and Don Toliver’s “Every Night” single. On the other hand, I shouted out Ovrkast. for his new album STRIKING. We also mentioned new drops from Cardi B, Tobe Nwigwe, Gunna, Vince Staples, Che Noir, and more.

Finally, for our “On The Come-Up” segment, we shouted out Shavone and Fergie Baby’s latest releases. You should check those out along with the new “Bingo” single from PaxSlim and the new Dulbi EP from Sid Spada.

Let us know what you think of all these topics, and stay posted on HNHH to rate new songs and albums and enjoy our news and feature coverage.

Read More: Hip Hop Gave Freddie Jackson’s Songs New Lives

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It’s a tribute pair, not an official team collab. You won’t find a school logo or any Hoya branding on it. The colors do all the talking.

Grey suede covers the toe, sides, and heel, so most of the shoe is that soft grey. Navy shows up on the eyelets, Jumpman logos, heel tabs, and parts of the outsole. The plastic wings stay a lighter grey, so they blend in instead of popping.

Further down below, the midsole has some speckled detail, and white wraps around the visible Air unit. The outsole mixes see-through grey with navy rubber.

The look is inspired by the player exclusives Georgetown has worn on court. Those pairs were never sold to the public, but this one will be. The retail version also swaps in Nike Air branding on the heel.

Pairs should be available through Nike.com and select Jordan Brand retailers. The style code is FV5029-004, and full-family sizing is reportedly planned. February is a long way away, but this one is already worth marking down.

Read More: Air Jordan 3 “Utility” Receives Retailer Look

Air Jordan 4 “Georgetown”

Georgetown has a special place in Michael Jordan’s story. His game-winning shot against the Hoyas in the 1982 NCAA championship game helped launch his legend.

Later, Georgetown is part of the Jordan Brand family. Jordan Brand took over the team’s gear in the 2010s, and the school’s players have worn plenty of Jordans since.

That relationship has led to a long list of Georgetown-inspired releases. Past pairs have included versions of the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 3, and Air Jordan 6. The Air Jordan 4 hasn’t had a dedicated one in a while.

Grey and navy is a good fit for the Air Jordan 4. It’s a clean, easy pair that works with almost any outfit. With a $220 price and a general release, this one should be easy to chase down. Overall its a nice option for anyone who wants a good-looking pair of 4s without a collab price tag.

Read More: French Montana Faces Heat For Refusing To Pay At ComplexCon

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This is the first “Utility” version of the Air Jordan 3. It joins earlier takes on the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 12.

The colorway is a straight black and red mix. Black leather covers most of the shoe, and darker elephant print sits on the toe and heel. Red laces give it the only big pop of color.

There’s some texture around the eyestay and collar too. It gives the pair a tougher feel without changing the basic shape. In the photos, it looks a lot like a normal Air Jordan 3 at first glance.

Earlier reports pointed to more rugged details, including bungee-style laces, a toggle lace lock, and a pull tab on the heel. The new photos don’t make those features clear. Keep an eye out for more images to confirm what’s real.

The shoe is a men’s release, and it should be available through Nike.com and select Jordan Brand retailers. That probably includes spots like Foot Locker, Finish Line, and Hibbett. The style code is IX0198-001.

Read More: French Montana Faces Heat For Refusing To Pay At ComplexCon

Air Jordan 3 “Utility”

The Air Jordan 3 is one of the most important Jordans ever made. Tinker Hatfield designed it in 1988, and it introduced the Jumpman logo and the first visible Air unit. It’s also home to the elephant print that fans know so well.

A “Utility” version fits the model well. Black leather and darker details make the shoe feel simple and wearable. It’s a good pick for colder months, when darker colors tend to take over.

The January datemakes this one of the first Jordan drops of 2027, and it follows a busy holiday season filled with Space Jam releases. After that run, a plain black and red pair could be a nice change of pace.

Jordan Brand has been mixing flashy collabs with simple general releases lately. This pair is clearly in the second group. If you want a clean Air Jordan 3 without the hype, this might be the one.

Read More: T.I.’s New Look Has Fans Doing A Double Take

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“We not paying for anything here. I charge $250,000 to wear something,” French said as a crowd gathered tightly around him. “When people like me come, and we rock the brand, everybody else is going to buy your brand.”

The exchange took place during ComplexCon’s 10th anniversary event, held October 3 and 4 in Los Angeles. French was among the artists making their way through the marketplace, where established labels shared floor space with smaller designers hoping to put their work in front of exactly the kind of high-profile guests roaming the convention.

Yet, once video of his shopping stop began circulating, plenty of viewers were not convinced that exposure should cover the bill. The clip spread across social media this week with people criticizing the idea of asking an independent designer for free merchandise while attaching a six-figure value to simply being seen in it. Others treated the exchange as a louder version of a longstanding relationship between fashion brands and celebrities, where free products are often exchanged for visibility.

Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

French Montana Knows What A Celebrity Co-Sign Is Worth

The interesting part is that French isn’t guessing when he talks about the value of putting a famous face on a brand. Earlier this year, he and Max B were tapped for Pelle Pelle’s Knicks collaboration, with the company explicitly citing their influence and connection to New York culture as part of the campaign. In that setting, French wearing the clothes was the product being sold right alongside the jacket.

That makes his ComplexCon argument easier to understand, even if it doesn’t make everyone agree with it. Paid endorsements, gifting, product placement, and celebrity seeding are baked into fashion. The friction came from watching that logic play out face-to-face, as if someone were trying to sell their work at a convention booth rather than through a negotiated campaign.

ComplexCon only sharpened that contrast. The event’s marketplace mixes major streetwear names with smaller labels hoping to turn a busy weekend into sales and visibility. French was not just wandering through as an anonymous shopper either. He appeared on the “Album of the Year: LIVE” panel and moved through a convention where artists, influencers, designers, and brands constantly crossed into one another’s lanes.

Read More: Lucki Shows Neck Injury, Asks LAPD To Return Car After ComplexCon Chaos

Moreover, there were plenty of viral distractions around the convention this year. Ye stopped by Kai Cenat’s VIVET booth after their old merch dispute, while Chet Hanks and Eric André reignited their feud in a tense face-to-face encounter. Outside the venue, Lucki was reportedly injured during an altercation that drew an LAPD response.

French’s moment was far less dramatic, but it found its own nerve. He was essentially making the same argument brands make when they pay celebrities to wear their products. This time, however, the person on the other side of the transaction appeared to be the one expected to foot the bill.

Read More: Playboi Carti Performs With Kanye West At ComplexCon: Full Setlist

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The Atlanta native was at State Farm Arena for Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals, where the Dream defeated the Liberty 101-98 in overtime to take a 2-0 series lead. T.I. was seated courtside in a black Magic City hoodie and appeared in arena footage joking with people nearby, cheering on the home team, and even spinning a basketball for the cameras.

However, once those clips escaped the arena, the score stopped being the main attraction. Social media users zeroed in on T.I.’s appearance, particularly the deeper tone of his complexion. Some joked that they initially mistook him for someone else, while one especially popular response declared, “That’s not T.I.P., that’s T.A.N.,” according to Atlanta Black Star.

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Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

T.I.’s Haircut Is Not Quite As New As It Looks

Part of the surprise may come from how dramatically T.I.’s hair has changed over the past year. He spent several years wearing locs before cutting them off in January, returning to the close Caesar style associated with an earlier stretch of his career. The haircut was revealed while he was rolling out “Let Em Know,” his Pharrell-produced single.

There is at least one thing about the appearance that required no explanation. Showing up for the Dream is very on-brand for an artist whose Atlanta identity has followed him throughout his career. The team left State Farm Arena one win away from their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013. T.I. left with the internet examining screenshots of his face. Playoff basketball can be cruel that way.

Read More: T.I.’s New Album “Kill The King” May Not Be His Last, Despite His Promises

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During his October 7 appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay, Young revisited the 2016 controversy that erupted after Russell secretly recorded him discussing other women while Young was engaged to Iggy Azalea. Young said he headed to the arena after the recording surfaced but discovered the Lakers were prepared for his arrival. “I had the whole gang with me,” he recalled, adding that things were “about to go crazy.”

Security ultimately kept the confrontation from happening. Young said security stopped him at the door and told him to take a couple of days away from the team. Yet, he remembered feeling pressure to respond because he believed staying quiet would make him look weak. He acknowledged that Russell was only around 19 at the time, yet maintained that secretly recording a teammate crossed a line he could not ignore.

“I ain’t never been in a situation like that where my teammate just snitched on me,” Young said.

Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

Nick Young Says His Friends Went After D’Angelo Russell’s Brother

Being kept away from Russell apparently did not satisfy Young’s desire for retaliation. He told Sharpe that while Russell was playing, some of Young’s friends confronted Russell’s brother in the Lakers’ family lounge. Young didn’t explain exactly what happened during that encounter, saying only that he felt he needed “some type of get-back.”

Sharpe questioned how an incident involving Russell’s family could have stayed out of the press when the original scandal was already dominating sports coverage. Young’s answer suggested there was plenty happening around the organization that outsiders never heard about. “It’s the Lakers,” he said, before adding, “L.A. is no place for the weak,” as Yahoo Sports reported.

Young also made clear that whatever friendship existed between the two teammates didn’t survive the fallout. Asked about their relationship after the recording surfaced, he answered simply, “It was over after that.” Meanwhile, Russell publicly apologized in March 2016 for recording the conversation. He said he regretted jeopardizing his friendship with Young. However, he also explained he had “no clue” how the footage became public and maintained that it was never intended for anyone else to see. The video’s release immediately strained the Lakers locker room, with ESPN reporting at the time that Russell had become isolated from some teammates.

The damage followed Young home, as well. He recalled returning to the house he shared with Azalea and realizing how bad things had become when he discovered his belongings in the swimming pool. Although the couple initially stayed together, Azalea announced in June 2016 that she had ended their engagement because she could no longer trust him. She later said she had also discovered through home security footage that Young brought women into their house while she was away.

Read More: Gilbert Arenas & Nick Young Flame Iggy Azalea’s Career

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During Wednesday’s episode of The Breakfast Club, Charlamagne said he had no issue with Drake choosing not to participate in the awards process. His point was that the decision should not necessarily be read as indifference toward outside approval altogether.

“He actually cares more about internet validation than he does the Grammys,” Charlamagne said. When Loren LoRosa and Jess Hilarious suggested Drake was more interested in what listeners think, Charlamagne pushed the argument further. “He cares about what he can control,” he said, claiming Drake has considerable influence over the online conversation surrounding him.

Read More: The Grammys Allegedly Reached Out To Drake For “ICEMAN” Submissions

Drake Has Been Distancing Himself From The Grammys For Years

The conversation followed reports that Iceman, Maid of Honour, and Habibti were all kept out of contention for the 2027 Grammys. None of the songs from those projects were submitted either, continuing a complicated relationship between Drake and the Recording Academy that stretches well beyond this awards season.

Drake had already made his intentions known on the Iceman closer “Make Them Know,” where he said he would never submit the album. His frustration with the institution has surfaced publicly before. While accepting Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan” in 2019, he used part of his speech to tell artists that success did not have to be defined by a Grammy before the broadcast cut away. In 2021, he went a step further and withdrew Certified Lover Boy and “Way 2 Sexy” after both had received nominations.

Whether Drake would describe his priorities the same way as Charlamagne is another matter. He has not publicly responded to Charlamagne’s remarks, and sitting out this year means there will be no Drake entries when first-round Grammy voting begins October 12. Nominees for the 69th annual ceremony will be announced November 16, leaving his three-album run entirely outside the race by choice.

Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

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“THANKS TO MY MOST AMAZING SON FOR ALWAYS THINKING OF ME ON MY SPECIAL DAY!! YOU ARE A BLESSING!!” she wrote alongside photos of her birthday setup. Hawkins went on to tell Brown that he gives her “strength when life gets a little too much” and called him “one of the greatest gifts” in her life.

“THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY SO SPECIAL! SO GRATEFUL FOR BEING YOUR MOM!” she continued. “YOU ARE ONE MY REASONS FOR KEEP PRAYING!! THANKS MY ANGEL!!”

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Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

Joyce Hawkins Has Long Been One Of Chris Brown’s Loudest Supporters

Anyone who follows Hawkins online knows affection for her son is hardly reserved for birthdays. Her social media regularly doubles as a Team Breezy cheering section, whether she is celebrating Brown’s career or sharing family moments. In September, she posted a letter a fan had given her for Brown and said its message brought her to tears, thanking his supporters for continuing to show him love.

Hawkins has also remained visibly involved as Brown’s own family has grown. When Jada Wallace announced the birth of Brown’s youngest son in April, Hawkins was among those celebrating the new arrival, calling her grandson “just perfect.”

Her latest birthday message kept the focus closer to home. The flowers and champagne made for pretty pictures, but Hawkins’ words made clear that what she valued most was having her son show up for her when she needed him.

Read More: Chris Brown’s Mom Gushes Over His Showmanship At Rolling Loud L.A.

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According to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, White’s attorneys recently filed a motion accusing the juror of falling asleep nearly every day for several minutes at a time. The filing claims she would wake up and later drift off again, missing portions of witness testimony and other evidence presented in court.

“The juror’s sleep was open and obvious,” the defense wrote. The motion describes her leaning back with her head tilted or dropping her head forward while proceedings continued. White’s attorneys contend that letting a juror miss parts of the trial deprived him of his right to a full jury of 12.

Read More: Kewon White Speaks After Conviction, Denies Being Paid By Yella Beezy

Defense Says The Sleeping Juror Was Raised During Trial

White’s attorneys say they didn’t discover this issue after the verdict. The filing claims both prosecutors and the defense repeatedly alerted Judge Chika Anyiam when the juror appeared to be sleeping. At times, the court reportedly responded by taking short breaks, but the defense alleges the juror resumed dozing afterward.

One episode became serious enough that the juror appeared unwell while slumped in her seat. She told the court she was able to continue, though Anyiam later ended proceedings for the day after speaking with attorneys from both sides.

White was convicted of capital murder in September for the November 2020 killing of MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble. Prosecutors said White chased the rapper on Interstate 35E in Dallas before fatally shooting him. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole after the jury returned its verdict.

The new-trial motion is separate from the appeal White filed after his conviction. Judge Anyiam has 75 days to rule on the request, according to FOX 4. Further, what happens with White’s conviction could also become relevant as another major case tied to MO3’s death approaches. Prosecutors accuse Yella Beezy, born Markies Conway, of hiring White to carry out the killing, an allegation Conway has denied. His capital murder trial is currently scheduled to begin with jury selection on October 26.

Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

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The exchange came as 50 discussed his role as Balrog in the upcoming Street Fighter movie and whether marriage might ever be in the cards. When the hosts asked who he would want performing at his wedding, he named Jay-Z before adding Ye to the mix with one condition.

“If Kanye’s not banned,” 50 said calmly. That lineup immediately amused the hosts, who agreed it would make for a “fun” wedding. Considering 50’s history with both men, fun might be underselling it.

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Read More: 50 Cent Shades Jay-Z For Making “Reasonable Doubt” Seem Like A Big Deal

50 Cent Imagines A Wedding With Some Familiar Rivals

Jay-Z and 50 have spent years trading competitive remarks, even as both have acknowledged each other’s place in Hip Hop. Their relationship has never fit neatly into friendship or outright beef, so the thought of Jay performing while 50 celebrates a marriage is funny on its own.

Ye comes with an entirely different history. His public controversies have made canceled appearances and restrictions around performances familiar territory, giving 50 an easy setup for the “banned” joke. Their own relationship has included competition as well, most famously when Graduation and Curtis went head-to-head in 2007 in one of Rap’s biggest album-sales showdowns.

None of that means 50 is quietly preparing invitations. The marriage conversation remained hypothetical, and he offered no indication that a trip down the aisle is actually imminent. Still, if that day ever arrives, apparently old rivals need not worry about being left off the entertainment budget.

Read More: What Do Trippie Redd & Melle Mel Have In Common? When Revolutionaries Become Gatekeepers

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