It's The Boombap

A pair of artists that fans didn't expect to form a close, musical relationship is rapper 2 Chainz and pop princess Ariana Grande. First, the Georgia rapper hopped on Grande's remix to her hit song "7 Rings" before they linked up on 2 Chainz's Rap or go to the League track "Rule the World." Grande recently began her "Sweetener Tour" and has been taking arenas by storm, but the pint-sized singer surprised Boston fans when 2 Chainz came out on stage to perform "Rule the World" live for the first time ever.

The two artists later thanked each other openly on social media. "Love u @2chainz 🖤 thanks for surprising boston w me #ruletheworld 🌑," Grande wrote. 2 Chainz responded, "THIS SONG #ruletheworld HAS BEEN OUT FOR TWO WEEKS 🙏🏿☝🏿🚀🔥 the show was lit !!! thank you @ArianaGrande thank you BOSTON #raporgototheleague out now !!!! Sincerely yours , Boston Toni 💪🏿."

There's no word on what other tricks Grande may have up her sleeves for the remainder of her tour, but the singer has reportedly been paying tribute to her late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller before her shows begin by playing his tracks as fans wait for the show to start. The 25-year-old is also doing her part and using her tour as a way to get people registered to vote through her "#ThankUNextGen" campaign. 
"Ariana has been very, very involved with this from day one," HeadCount Director of Communications Aaron Ghitelman told Newsweek. The campaign will follow up with those who sign up and register, reminding them to vote. "It’s this hybrid field and digital thing where it’s not just what we capture live at the concert," Ghitelman said. "It creates this open highway of sorts of communications and actions taken beyond the concert when the fan goes home."

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/2-chainz-and-ariana-grande-perform-rule-the-world-live-for-the-first-time-news.75337.htm

Last year, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa dropped his single "Metaphysical," a track that infused R&B with African beats and vocalizations. Mensa stays with that same energy for the visual, creating a noir aesthetic that features only himself and a handful of black women with indigenous face paintings and goddess-like headpieces. The song itself is about being connected to someone in ways that are impossible to express with words—a feeling that's almost primal.
With this project, Mensa tapped into his African heritage, including partnering with artist Bianca Pastel for the creation of the single's original artwork which was a nod to Fela Kuti’s Expensive S**t. "This is a song about desire,” Mensa wrote in a press release. “Admiration. Respect. Uncertainty. Surrender. Musically it’s African, tribal. My father is Ghanian so I’ve wanted to take it there for a long time. I got Stefan Ponce who did ‘Down On My Luck’ for me & Papi Beatz and just spoke my truth into song.”

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/vic-mensa-taps-into-his-african-roots-for-metaphysical-new-video.45138.htm

 Leaving Neverland is the documentary that keeps on giving because the HBO special continues to divide fans and critics alike. In the wake of the two-part series, Jackson's music has been yanked from radio stations worldwide as his presence has been removed from exhibits. While there are some celebrities who have dodged questions about Jackson, others have publicly picked a side and spoken openly about the recent child molestation accusations against the pop icon.
Rapper T.I. has questioned the motives of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, the two men at the center of the Leaving Neverland documentary. Host Piers Morgan questioned Dan Reed, the documentary's director, and stated that he believed Safechuck and Robson were out for money. Juice WRLD said he wants people to let Jackson's legacy rest. Mo'Nique took to her podcast to criticize Oprah Winfrey for hosting her After Neverland special where the media mogul sat down for an intimate follow up interview with the accusers. Now, Barbra Streisand has thrown her two cents in, telling The Times that she "absolutely" believes Safechuck and Robson, but it all couldn't have been so bad if they grew up and got married. 
View this post on InstagramLeaving Neverland is a two-part documentary exploring the separate but parallel experiences of two young boys, James Safechuck and Wade Robson. Directed by Dan Reed.
A post shared by Leaving Neverland (@leavingneverlandofficial) on Feb 20, 2019 at 6:45am PST
"His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has," she said. "You can say 'molested,' but those children, as you heard say [the grown-up Robson and Safechuck], they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn't kill them."
Streisand went on to say that still has mixed feelings about the situation but ultimately, the parents of the children need to be held responsible for whatever happened behind closed doors with Jackson. "I feel bad for the children," she said. "I feel bad for him. I blame, I guess, the parents, who would allow their children to sleep with him."

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/barbra-streisand-sympathizes-with-michael-jackson-accusers-his-sexual-needs-were-his-sexual-needs-news.75336.htm

Last night, rapper Megan Thee Stallion was celebrating the release of her new single "Sex Talk," a track that will be featured on her forthcoming sophomore effort, Fever. The Houston rapper was engaging with fans leading up to the release, retweeting messages and getting everyone hyped about her latest single.
However, today Megan shared some sad news on her Instagram page that her mother, Holly Thomas, passed away. Megan uploaded a photo of herself with her mother when she was just a child, writing, "The best mom in the whole world. The strongest woman on the planet. I can’t even put complete sentences together rn RIP mama."

In her recent interview with Rolling Stone, Megan talked about how her mother influenced her interest in rap. From 2001 to 2007, Thomas was a rapper who went by the name Holly-Wood. She received airplay on local hip hop stations with a single that she dedicated to Houston legend DJ Screw and even attempted to start her own label. "I’ve been writing since I was maybe seven,” Megan told RS. “I was kind of shy about telling people that I could rap for the longest.”
Megan said that when she enrolled in college, she saw guys that were freestyling so she started to do the same. She was apprehensive about telling Thomas about her aspirations to be a rapper, but decided to face her mother head-on. “I went home and told her I could rap, and she was like, ‘No you can’t,’” Megan said. “I’m like, ‘Yes I can.’ I started rapping and she was like ‘Oh my god! No, you not coming out ’til you’re 21!” because her lyrics then were, "like how I rap now, but probably a little bit more ratchet.”
Our condolences to Megan and her family.

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/megan-thee-stallion-mourns-the-unexpected-death-of-her-mother-news.75335.htm

The trial against East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfield is over after a jury has found him not guilty on all charges for the shooting death of 17-year-old Antwon Rose, Jr. On June 19, 2018, there was a drive-by shooting around 8:30 p.m. Police say that the car described in the drive-by was similar to the vehicle they saw Rose and two of his friends occupying. Police also claim that they stopped the vehicle and noticed that there were bullet holes in it, so they ordered everyone out of the car. 
As the driver of the vehicle was being handcuffed, Rose and another person took off running from the scene. Rosfield shot at the fleeing teens and hit Rose three times in the back. The incident was captured on film by a nearby witness. Rose was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The officer said he shot at the two young men because he thought he saw a gun.

"I'm not going to wait to be attacked," Rosfield said when he took the stand during his trial. "I meant to fire until the threat against me had been ended, whether it be if I missed and he surrenders, stops, gets on the ground. I just wanted to end the threat to me." The shooting was met by protests and criticisms regarding the use of excessive force by officers as many didn't believe that Rose posed a threat as he was both unarmed and was running away from the scene.
Rosfield was investigated and charged with criminal homicide and would have been sentenced to life in prison if convicted. A jury took nearly four hours to deliberate before acquitting him of all charges. The Rose family's lawyer, Lee Merritt, said that they intend on fighting the ruling. "It will have to be challenged in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. It will have to continue to be challenged on a federal level," he said.

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/police-officer-found-not-guilty-in-shooting-of-17-year-old-antwon-rose-news.75334.htm

Kodak Black has been catching heat from every which-way lately, as the rapper has made comments that have rubbed people the wrong way. His feud with Lil Wayne's daughter Reginae Carter had New Orleans in an uproar, his comments about Young M.A got social media fired up, and his declaration that his rap status is comparable to Nas, Tupac, and Biggie had hip hop heads ready for that smoke.
Actor Michael Rapaport has developed a reputation for aggressively speaking his mind when it comes to pop culture, so when he caught wind of Kodak's personal comparisons to the three iconic rappers, he couldn't help but to hop on Instagram and let Kodak have it. "Kodak Wack...I mean, Kodak Black," Rapaport begins. "The non-rapping rapper said that he should be looked at in the same category as Nas, Tupac, and Bigge."
"He also said that Tupac and Biggie only became legends because they died. You're not dope!" he exclaimed. "You're not a dope rapper. You have no skill set. You have no flow. You have no vernacular. Without the face tats, the wild hairdo, and the short stint in prison, you'd be working at UPS. You know, like Biggie said, 'Don't be mad, UPS is hiring.' That would be you. No disrespect to UPS. Comparing yourself to those dudes is a guy playing basketball in his backyard shooting airballs comparing himself to an NBA player. You're not even a top ten mumble rapper. [Get] the f**k outta here with that crazy s**t."
Kodak recently fired back at people who criticized his comparison by doubling down on his comments. "People tryna say, oh, I can't put myself in the category with Tupac and them," he said on his Instagram Live stream. "Actually, I'm better than them n***as. You know why? Like, 'cause, I live what I rap about. Them n***as was just like -- them n***as was just legends 'cause they died."

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/michael-rapaport-knocks-kodak-black-youre-not-even-a-top-ten-mumble-rapper-news.75333.htm

Rappers need to be on alert because it seems as if they're being attacked more while minding their business in the streets. We reported earlier about rapper Skinnyfromthe9 getting assaulted and Adam 22 of No Jumper posting a clip of the altercation on his Twitter page. The violent altercation can be seen on the video as the attacker repeated punches Skinnyfromthe9 inside of a Hibachi restaurant before leaving the scene.

"The dude that hit me is a straight b***h. He came up to me while I was eating at a restaurant by myself with a girl and was like, 'Yo, I know you eatin' right now, but can I take a picture?' I got up, put my arm around him like we was gonna take a picture —like we was posin'— and the dude snuck me," he said. "And then we started wrestlin', and that's what happened. My face is fine. I still f**k b***hes. I still got all my jewelry - the dumbass didn't even get my jewelry. He tried."

Last month, rapper YBN Almighty Jay turned himself over to police after he was accused of robbing Skinnyfromthe9 of cash and jewelry. Jay adamantly denies the claims, but the incident created a division between the two rappers. The blood is apparently still bad between them as Jay hopped on Instagram to laugh at Skinnyfromthe9's reported beatdown.

"I got jumped this n***a got a beating," Jay wrote with eight laughing emojis. Skinny seemed amused as he responded, "He blocked me," adding, "This n***a got stripped his whole ass was on everybody's feed. I went to Texas...They stripped this n***a."

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ybn-almighty-jay-laughs-off-skinnyfromthe9s-assault-as-just-a-beating-news.75332.htm

A few thousand dollars worth of missing money is enough to set someone on edge, but $1.5 million? Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball has reportedly severed ties with longtime friend and Big Baller apparel co-founder Alan Foster after over a million dollar has gone missing from his personal and business accounts. Ball told ESPN that Foster "used his access to my business and personal finances to enrich himself. As a result, I have decided to sever all ties with Alan, effective immediately."
Foster has known Ball since he was a seventh grader and helped in establishing the NBA star's Big Baller brand. ESPN reported on Foster's sketchy criminal past that includes a seven-year stint in prison for mail fraud and money laundering. "This dude is one of the smartest suckers ever," LaVar Ball told ESPN when speaking of Foster in 2017. "He knows how everything goes...He was like, 'I'll tell you what. You're going to put all the work in with your boys. I'll come back and run the agency. Whatever you need me to do. Let me do it, though.’”
Sources claim that Ball's financial adviser, Humble Lukanga of Life Line Financial Group, began to notice that something was wrong back in October. It's also said that Ball has been vocal about his concerns about Foster, but he's leaned on his father, LaVar Ball, to handle the situation. LaVar issued a statement to ESPN regarding the missing money and the split from Foster, calling the situation "devastating."
"I've always believed in the best in people. Regretfully, I put my complete trust in Alan Foster to manage my son's business affairs," LaVar said. "At the end of the day, family comes first, and I support Zo wholeheartedly. Together, we will make this right."
Darren Moore, Ball's personal manager said, "Alan Foster was more than a trusted adviser. He was a mentor, a father figure and someone Lonzo and I respected, loved and listened to. ... I'm proud of Lonzo for waking up and taking back his power. Together, we will fight for justice."
ESPN reports that Foster initially agreed for a sit down interview about the allegations, but ultimately didn't respond when they followed up with him. The Lakers declined to comment on the situation.

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/lonzo-ball-cuts-ties-with-big-baller-co-founder-alan-foster-after-s15-mil-goes-missing-news.75331.htm

If you're out and about and just happen to be jonesing for some fresh lemonade and a pair of Yeezys, then Kanye and Kim Kardashian West have you covered. Today, Kim announced on Twitter that Ye and Adidas have linked up to create Yeezy lemonade stands, a charitable venture. "Kanye and Adidas partnered with families across America to create homemade pop-up YEEZY Lemonade Stands stocked with limited pairs of the unreleased YEEZY Boost 700 V2 'Geode,'" Kim wrote.
"In the continued spirit of bringing people & families together, the brand has selected unexpected locations for the stands to connect w communities throughout the country," she continued. "Stand Locations: Indianapolis, IN; Missouri, TX; Waterloo, IA; Minneapolis, MN; Alton, IL; West Chester, OH; Belle Fourche, SD; Cedar Rapids, IA."
The Yeezy kick will set you back $300, and all proceeds made through the pop-up stands will be donated to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The lemonade stands are up and running, and it's even being reported that the famous couple will have a stand of their own in their neighborhood. Hopefully, security is somewhere around to make sure those Yeezy's get paid for.

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/kanye-west-partners-with-adidas-for-yeezy-pop-up-lemonade-stands-news.75330.htm

The Michael Jackson boycott is in full force these days following HBO's Leaving Neverland docuseries which explores Wade Robson and James Safechuck's allegations of child molestation at the hands of Michael Jackson. The docuseries prompted The Simpsons to remove the late singer's episode from syndication and the series entirely while Drake removed his posthumous collab with the iconic singer from his tour set. In Jordan Peele's latest film, Us, the director made reference to Michael Jackson which seemed to upset a few people. However, he explained that there was a symbolic meaning behind it.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty ImagesSpeaking to Variety at the premiere of Us, Jordan Peele explained one pop culture reference that caught everyone's attention. In the opening sequence, Lupita Nyong'o's character is a little girl when her dad wins her a "Thriller" t-shirt at an amusement park. She puts on the shirt before walking into a house of mirrors.
The reference of Michael Jackson didn't cause any sort of issues between the studio and director, according to Peele himself. “No, we start in the eighties and it’s an image of well documented duality and the film is about duality,” Peele said. He added that the reference is, “a tone-setter, and I think it sets a chilling tone, but one of much duality.”
Jordan Peele's Us serves as his directorial follow-up to 2017's critically acclaimed, Get Out.

via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jordan-peele-breaks-down-the-michael-jackson-reference-in-us-news.75329.htm