During his livestream, he said 50 Cent would beat T.I. in a hit-for-hit battle, but that wasn’t the extent of his take. Akademiks also said that pretty much no one from Atlanta would be able to face off against NYC’s best… Except for one artist.

“He not only beating T.I., everybody [in Atlanta] catching it… Except Future,” Ak posited, as caught by joebuddenclips/fanpage on Twitter. He said Tip is the “King of the South,” but he doesn’t think his hit catalog compares to 50’s.

“Atlanta, when it comes to Verzuz, leave them New York n***as alone,” the commentator posited. “Y’all got mad regions y’all can compete with… Y’all ain’t got no females that compete with Nicki Minaj, she’s New York. And y’all don’t got nobody except Future Vandross and maybe Outkast that can compete with Jay-Z, Fif, and I might throw some other people in there… Chill out. Jeezys and the T.I.s, we love y’all n***as, but come on… Y’all catching belt. Y’all got to throw Future out there. Future gon’ give 20 stone cold bangers. Even then, I still think Future and 50 is 12-8.”

Read More: 50 Cent’s 6 Most Compelling Potential Verzuz Matchups

Why Is T.I. Beefing With 50 Cent?

For those unaware, T.I.’s beef with 50 Cent stems from 50 allegedly backing out of a Verzuz battle they agreed to. There are some other narratives to take note of, too, such as Fif’s snitching allegations against Tip and some other social media trolling.

But now that T.I.’s family is dissing 50 Cent, it seems like this might devolve into a wider conversation. DJ Akademiks is thinking about the hit-for-hit face-off in a club setting with massive pop-crossover tracks, but there are many more ways to look at it.

Also, Future definitely deserves his props, and at least Outkast got a mention here. Atlanta versus New York is a tough call to make, especially with today’s rap context in mind.

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

The post DJ Akademiks Thinks Only One Atlanta Rapper Can Beat New York In A “Verzuz” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: February 27, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Tracklist for the rumors are true

1. Lie2Me
2. popstar Nervous
3. kill the dj
4. Selena & The Weeknd
5. (10 Outta 10)
6. (HOLLYWOOD)
7. good luck!
8. back by SUMMER**

Leading up to the release of the rumors are true, DC THE DON released one lead single. He dropped “Lie2Me” on January 16, 2026.

The post the rumors are true – EP by DC The Don appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

More specifically, the hosts wondered whether or not this was a mutually beneficial relationship that broke down without the full fruits of their labor. They basically posited that the Philly MC saw support from this partnership for his legal situation, that the higher-ups used his cultural capital, and that things didn’t end up panning out as long-form or as sustainably as they could’ve. The hosts brought up the concept of “future-bombing” as a way to get what both sides wanted in the moment and leave impactful possibilities on the table.

“I want to know the Meek [and] Hov story,” Joe Budden expressed, as caught by joebuddenclips/fanpage on Twitter. Then, Ice chimed in.

“There’s something there, bro,” he remarked. “For Hov to say, ‘I could never beef with him, I freed him from a whole bid.’ For him to even feel like he needed to address it and say it in that manner, it’s something, dog. He just said, ‘He can’t beef with me.'”

Then, Emanny questioned if maybe Jay feels like he’s done all he can for Meek and wants Meek to take his individual step up. Meek Mill’s also spoken about being independent, so maybe this is a respectful two-way street that still champions camaraderie. Budden also expressed interest in knowing about Jay-Z and J. Cole’s alleged dirt. The JPB hosts also said Hov might subliminally reference this in a verse, and they also spoke on the number of their collaborations likely disproving their assumptions.

Read More: Baby Keem “Ca$ino” Album Review

Why Was Meek Mill In Jail?

All in all, they chalked up their discussions to business divergences rather than any personal beef. We will see if anything emerges in the future to add to this narrative.

For those unaware, Meek Mill was in prison due to probation violations over a 2008 drug and gun conviction. Authorities arrested him in 2017, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court granted him bail in 2018 after serving five months of a two-to-four-year sentence.

Meanwhile, Jay-Z and Roc Nation are in legal trouble these days. They are currently facing legal scrutiny over the contract of their representation rights regarding soccer player Yan Diomande.

Read More: 50 Cent’s 6 Most Compelling Potential Verzuz Matchups

The post “The Joe Budden Podcast” Questions Jay-Z’s Relationship With Meek Mill appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Today, things probably won’t be easier as they now know Nathan’s cause of death. According to Billboard, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed to them that he drowned. Specifically, the medical examiner said it was a result of a “drowning in the setting of psilocybin use.”

For those not versed, psilocybin in layman’s terms are magic mushrooms. It’s a chemical in some types of mushrooms that “can cause people to experience distorted sights and sounds and lose their sense of time and space.” That information comes from the National Institutes of Health.

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It’s a bit of a divisive chemical compound, though. The NIH also states that the National Institute of Drug Abuse, for example, is one of several of the federal agency’s partners that also supports research into if psilocybin has the possibility to treat substance abuse and mental health issues.

On February 19, Lil Jon shared that him and family laid Nathan to rest on the first day of Ramadan (Feb. 18).

Read More: 50 Cent’s 6 Most Compelling Potential Verzuz Matchups

Who Was Lil Jon’s Son?

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Alongside a touching tribute video posted to Instagram, the crunk pioneer wrote, “On the first day of Ramadan yesterday, we laid my only son to rest. In this holy month, I’m asking for extra du’a (prayers) for him and for our family. Please pray that Allah grants him Jannah (heaven) and grants us sabr (perseverance), mercy, and strength. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. I love you, son. Life will never be the same without you. Allah, give me strength,” he wrote in part.

On top of Nathan Smith being what Jon described as “immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted” person, he was also a musician like his pops. He went by DJ Young Slade and was an NYU graduate. He released one song during his time on Earth called “Move Thru Fire,” which Lil Jon used to score the heartbreaking aforementioned tribute video.

Nathan was the son of Lil Jon and his ex-wife Nicole Smith, whom he split from in 2022 after 18 years of marriage.

Read More: 50 Cent Completely Unleashes On T.I. Following The Release Of A Third Diss Track

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Even if you’re not a hardcore Drizzy fan, you may recognize the sights in this Director X-directed music video from, say, the “Toosie Slide” visuals. Also, it’s not like a lot of other superstars in the world have full-on basketball courts in their homes. But there are also plenty of other factors that make this crossover unsurprising.

Most obviously, Drake and Yeat are close collaborators at this point. They have “As We Speak,” “IDGAF,” and “Dog House” under their belts at press time. That last track might appear on the upcoming album ICEMAN, but we don’t know for sure just yet.

Elsewhere, Drake’s a big fan of U.K. hip-hop, so his embrace of EsDeeKid as one of its leading stars right now is also par the course. He previously brought out a whole bunch of English MCs, including fakemink, during his three-day Wireless Festival headlining extravaganza last year.

Read More: 50 Cent’s 6 Most Compelling Potential Verzuz Matchups

Is Yeat On Drake’s ICEMAN?

As we mentioned before, Drake’s most recent Yeat collab emerged in the ICEMAN era, but we don’t know if it will make the final tracklist. We have pretty much no information on this new album beyond its 2026 release date, which doesn’t have a specific date attached to it.

We’ll see if either the 2093 spitter or EsDeeKid shows up on the final project. If not, we’re sure they will have many more chances to link up in the future.

In any case, this music video cosign is very interesting, showing just how big and marketable these two rappers have become. Sure, some fans will continue to hate, but we can’t deny that it’s a significant moment for both to celebrate. All that’s left to see is how all three will capitalize on this crossover.

Read More: Baby Keem “Ca$ino” Album Review

The post Drake’s Mansion Hosts Yeat & EsDeeKid For “Made It On Our Own” Music Video appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: February 27, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Tracklist for big country

1. perfect
2. me & you with SoFaygo
3. let me know with ApolloRed1
4. i don’t mind
5. what about us
6. ily
7. let it pour
8. pistol
9. lookin back
10. 200
11. say dat
12. rich rapport
13. miss you too with Lelo
14. how can i
15. keep steady – bonus

Leading up to the release of sosocamo’s big country, he dropped two lead singles. They include “200” (Nov. 7, 2025) and “say dat” (Dec. 12, 2025). “let me know” with ApolloRed1, “me & you” with SoFaygo, and “miss you too” with Lelo also dropped ahead of release day on February 26.

The post big country – Album by sosocamo appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

According to Rolling Stone, Saxon took the stand on Wednesday (February 25). He claimed that Kanye forced him to live at the property around the clock to fulfill a security role he didn’t originally sign up for. The contractor claimed that Ye woke him up twice without warning in the middle of the night.

Jurors saw pictures of Saxon’s living conditions, which were a small mattress on the floor next to bottled water and Ensure protein drinks. While he said he had a cordial and friendly relationship with the Chicago artist, he said the Yeezy mogul put a lot of pressure and subjected him to unfair working conditions.

Tony Saxon also showed text message exchanges between him and Kanye West, who denies these allegations. He and his legal team instead accused Saxon of sabotaging the project, avoiding being exposed for not having a license, and failing to meet Ye’s demands for the demolition of his Malibu mansion and its reconstruction.

Read More: Baby Keem “Ca$ino” Album Review

Will Kanye West Testify During His Trial?

“Since you’re going to be there so much, running shifts, you should be the security,” Kanye West allegedly ordered Tony Saxon. “Stay here now. You can’t leave.”

Ye’s legal team claims that Saxon worked as an independent contractor, not an employee. On the other hand, Saxon claims the low-key nature of the project was due to Kanye not having permits, not his alleged lack of a license. He also pointed to a back injury he sustained during work on the property, with the defense arguing that no medical record exists proving this. Tony Saxon’s lawyer Ron Zambrano admitted his client didn’t seek treatment.

Kanye West is also set to testify here, along with his wife Bianca Censori. Censori was allegedly the one to reach out to Saxon. His lawsuit also claims retaliation. The contractor told Rolling Stone a few years ago that Ye called him a “Clinton” and a “Kardashian” for not doing what Ye asked him to do.

Read More: 50 Cent’s 6 Most Compelling Potential Verzuz Matchups

The post Kanye West Allegedly Subjected Contractor To Cruel & Unusual Punishment appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

42-year-old Joyce, an Army veteran, reportedly fought with Filthe Rich on social media. This led to a fatal shooting on a Lynn Avenue porch. Joyce shot at Brown, whom succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.

Per court testimony, in the days leading up to the murder, Joyce and Brown fought online via Instagram. The former commented “I’ll be up there in a few minutes” under the latter’s video published a day before the shooting. Joyce reportedly left a laughing emoji under Brown’s post detailing his problems, which led Brown to question their bond and accuse Joyce of betraying him. One of these examples is how Joyce allegedly refused to help Brown get his stuff back after a home burglary by someone Joyce knew.

Read More: Ranking Every J. Cole Sneaker Release Ever

How Did Bomm Sheltuh Help J. Cole?

Carlos Brown, better known as Filthe Rich, was one half of the Fayetteville rap duo Bomm Sheltuh alongside Brion Unger, better known as Nervous Reck. Unger testified as a witness for the prosecution in Joshua Joyce’s trial. “Filthe was definitely not a violent person at all,” he reportedly told The Fayetteville Observer. “Given the environment he grew up in, he probably had every reason to be that type of person. But he never was.”

Brown was reportedly in financial disarray at the time of his death. He lived in his car after the aforementioned burglary left him homeless. Filthe Rich’s Bomm Sheltuh partner said Brown was supposed to move into a Durham studio space and make new music together the week after he was killed.

J. Cole has credited Bomm Sheltuh in the past for opening doors for him as an MC and really kicking his career off. They invited him when he was 14 to perform at open mic sessions. Cole even made his debut on-wax appearance on their Fayettenam Bommuhs compilation.

Read More: J. Cole “The Fall-Off” Review

The post Man Who Killed J. Cole’s Mentor Filthe Rich Convicted & Sentenced appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

In a clip caught by joebuddenclips/fanpage on Twitter, he advised Caresha to “hit the Saweetie dash,” referring to escort allegations against her concerning European soccer players. Ak mostly dragged the California femcee and doubled down on his allegations, saying that the former City Girl won’t find her $100 million man “on UPROXX or The Shade Room.”

From there, DJ Akademiks brought up Yung Miami’s controversial relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs from a few years ago. He suggested she should get back with the Bad Boy mogul if she wants that kind of money. Of course, Combs remains behind bars on federal charges of transporting individuals across state lines for the purposes of prostitution.

“Ain’t nobody stupid enough to give some ghetto chick out of Miami a $100 million lifestyle,” the commentator argued. “Get some etiquette class and go over to Europe or go to Dubai… She can find $100 million, but Caresha’s still on some ratchet s**t… You got to go to F1 racing events [and] yacht week south of France…”

Then, Ak expressed his beliefs in two paths of messing around: the “hopeless romantics” (which he doesn’t attribute Caresha to, referencing Cassie instead) and the people who are just in it for the lifestyle. Finally, he claimed jealousy among Diddy’s partners over their alleged “freak-off” participation.

Read More: 50 Cent’s 6 Most Compelling Potential Verzuz Matchups

Yung Miami & Diddy’s Relationship

Considering Yung Miami and DJ Akademiks’ previous clashes, we’ll see if she responds. She previously dropped a diss track against him for criticizing her music and her personal life, although things died down a lot since then.

Yung Miami and Diddy dated on and off in an open relationship from 2021 to 2023, with his sexual misconduct scandal marking an end for them. She denied any involvement in his allegations and has since kept her distance.

Elsewhere, the “Tea Time” lyricist is focusing on her new music and business endeavors. Maybe she doesn’t pay this any mind, as many folks are criticizing Ak’s perspective on her behalf. We’ll see if Yung Miami finds her $100 million man one day.

Read More: Baby Keem “Ca$ino” Album Review

The post DJ Akademiks Clowns Yung Miami For Wanting A Man With $100 Million appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: February 27, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Tracklist of Out On Bond Again

1. Out On Bond Again
2. BARKIN’
3. 2026
4. JJ
5. 911 (with Rio Da Yung Og)
6. USA
7. Tell Me
8. Geek Time (with 1900Rugrat)
9. Curtis Granderson
10. Goldeneye
11. iCarly (with BLP KOSHER)
12. Carhartt (with Jorjiana)
13. Offset
14. SAY NO TO DRUGS
15. Rice St (with Scatz)
16. Wondering
17. IDK?

BabyTron’s single for Out On Bond Again was “Carhartt” with Jorjiana.

The post Out On Bond Again – Album by BabyTron appeared first on HotNewHipHop.