hip hop
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Rapper Malik B., Founding Member of The Roots, Dead at 47
As a superfan of the hip-hop group The Roots, I will always contend that “Water,” a raw and vulnerable tale of addiction and friendship. is the best song they ever made, and—along with Kendrick Lamar’s “Duckworth”—one of the greatest examples of hip-hop storytelling ever. Malik B., the talented rapper, longtime member of The Roots, and…
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Megan Thee Stallion Opens Up About Traumatic Shooting Incident: ‘The Worst Experience of My Life’
In an emotional Instagram Live on Monday, Megan Thee Stallion spoke at length about the July 12th shooting that landed her in the hospital, calling the incident “the worst experience of my life.” According to Megan, she was shot in both feet, which required surgery to get the bullets removed. As Variety notes, initial reports…
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Nicki Minaj Announces She Is Expecting a Baby Barb of Her Own
Congrats are in order for Nicki Minaj. The rap superstar announced via Instagram that she is pregnant with her first child. Each of the three announcement photos features the Head Barb In Charge cradling her growing stomach. In two photos, she is wearing a floral bra top and a bright yellow wig, while another features…
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Is T.I.'s Rap Career On The Same Level as Jay Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne? A Discussion
On the heels of a social media back and forth between T.I. and 50 Cent about who would win in a Verzuz battle—probably a more even matchup than either of them wants to admit; neither has made much music worth listening to in the past decade—T.I. went on Big Boy’s L.A.-based radio show and proclaimed,…
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The Root Jams Weekly (7/10/2020): 'My Headphones'
We usually pick a theme to reflect the current state of affairs or a sentiment. Today, we decided to share what we’re actually listening to at the moment. What are you listening to? “My Headphones” (7/3/2020) Damon Young James Blake “I’ll Come Too” Fiona Apple “Rack of His” Kota the Friend “Chicago Diner” Kids See…
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3 Men and 2 Male Juveniles Arrested in Connection With Killing Rapper Pop Smoke
Three men and two male juveniles have been arrested in connection with the killing of beloved rapper Pop Smoke, according to ABC Los Angeles. The rapper was shot and killed on Feb. 19 at his Hollywood Hills home. He was 20 years old. Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters posted the confirmation of arrest on Twitter…
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Black Women Breaking the Silence: A Candid Conversation With the Women of HBO Max's On The Record
“It has come time that we are able to parse our fandom from our celebrity heroes apart from their very real flawed human selves if and when it calls for that. And I think that young people are closer to the idea of deconstructing celebrity culture in a way that we don’t have to have…
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Kanye's Spaceship Flies High: Kanye West Inking a Deal with Gap for Yeezy Gap Line Makes All of the (Dollars and) Sense to Me
Per the New York Times, Kanye West has inked a 10-year deal with Gap to create an iteration of his Yeezy branded clothing line for the retailer. And anybody who is (or has been a fan of Kanye) knows about his relationship with the store. Specifically because the entire first verse of classic record “Spaceship”—it…
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Rapper Huey Dead at 31, Reportedly Shot in St. Louis
Lawrence Franks Jr., known as rapper Huey, has died at the age of 31. The Kinloch, Mo., native was reportedly shot and killed on Thursday night. Fox St. Louis reports: The shooting happened just before 11:00 p.m. in front of a home in the 8100 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard near Mable Avenue in…
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30 Days of Iconic Music Video Blackness With VSB, Day 23: Kriss Kross, 'Jump'
At first glance, there’s not really much to the video for Kriss Kross’ “Jump,” though it’s a song and video that changed their lives, along with their producer, Jermaine Dupri. Famously, the royalty check Dupri received from Ruffhouse/Columbia Records (the label Kriss Kross was signed to) for “Jump”—the single itself sold over 4 million copies—enabled…