It's The Boombap

Source: Gary Gershoff / Getty

BIA is putting a stop to a "whole lotta" online rumors.

A social media user recently asked the Massachusetts MC, "is it true you slept with J. Cole?" She quickly shut the claim down, calling cap and responding, "No & I have never slept with a married man ever. Fake tea."




J. Cole and BIA previously collaborated on the 2022 track "LONDON," and she recently revisited how the record came together during an interview. According to BIA, the collaboration was strictly professional from start to finish:

"He (J. Cole) had me go to the studio for a different song. I cut a verse for something when I went there and met him. On my way out, I asked him if we can play him something. We played him 'LONDON,' and he was 'I love this song, this is my favorite song'. A week later I sent him the song telling him, 'just sending this if you need something to listen to.' He had said 'can I take a stab at this?' And we were like take a stab? You can have it."




Showing that the collab came organically, and Cole was rocking with the song beforehand.

During that year, the Grammy Award winner was handing out features like candy. Appearing on record such as Benny The Butcher's Johnny P's Caddy" and YG's "Scared Money."

With the rumors addressed and the backstory clarified, BIA made it clear there was never anything more than music behind her collaboration with J. Cole.

via: https://hiphopwired.com/3027914/bia-j-cole

Source: Matthew Stockman / Getty

Cardi B may not have had herself a big night at the Grammys (she was only nominated for one award), but she did have herself quite the weekend as the special musical guest on Saturday Night Live this past Saturday night (Jan. 31).

Hitting the stage to perform her latest hit, "Bodega Baddie," the Bronx representative got in touch with her Latina roots as she strutted out in a custom dress that not only showcased her dangerous curves, but also her Dominican heritage. After showing what her hips could do, Cardi then got laced up in a more familiar leather look to get the crowd hype as she performed "ErrTime" in an outfit that left little to the imagination.

But the real entertainment came when Cardi made a cameo in the "Immigrant Dad Talk Show" skit. She showed her comedic acting chops, which could lead to a future in acting, at some point, as the culture has now soured on Nicki Minaj following her public show of support of the orange dictator in the White House.

Check out Cardi B's performances on Saturday Night Live below and let us know which was your favorite in the comments section.







via: https://hiphopwired.com/3028020/cardi-b-shines-on-saturday-night-live

Getty Images / Xbox Live / Jeffrey Epstein

The Justice Department sloppily dropped a trove of Epstein-related emails that revealed that the disgraced financier couldn't even hop on Xbox Live.

Yup, you read that correctly, Microsoft permanently booted Jeffrey Epstein from its online gaming platform, Xbox Live, because he was an accused sex trafficker.

According to emails reviewed by Xbox Era, the ban was imposed in December 2013 for "harassment, threats, and/or abuse of other players." 

Another email revealed that Epstein was banned because he was a registered sex offender, and Microsoft was also working to purge creeps from its network as part of a coordinated effort.

Per Raw Story:

The official email to Epstein reads, "Dear Xbox LIVE member, This message is to notify you that Xbox LIVE has permanently suspended the Xbox LIVE account associated with this email address. This action is based on the New York Attorney General's partnership with Microsoft and other online gaming companies to remove New York registered sex offenders from online gaming services to minimize the risk to others, particularly children."

The notice added, "As a result, any Xbox LIVE account associated with this email address will not be able to connect to Xbox LIVE. If you have an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription, or any unused Microsoft points, we are refunding the remaining value of those to you within 30 days."




Jeffrey Epstein Was On Xbox Live As A Reigstered Sex Offender For 14 Months

The Verge reports that even though Epstein had registered as a sex offender years prior, he didn't join Xbox Live until October 2012, six months after Microsoft committed to purging sex offenders from the platform.

Microsoft's delay in banning him allowed Epstein to be on the platform for 14 months before his account was shut down.

While it remains a mystery if Epstein was a gamer, at one point in July 2014, after he was given the boot, he asked, "Do we have an Xbox 360 Kinect?"

In 2016, there was a message about purchasing an Xbox 360 for a boy, and in 2019, he complained about mysterious Xbox charges on his account.

Yikes.

It doesn't help Microsoft that its former owner, Bill Gates, is also caught up in this situation, but that's another story.

You can see some reactions below.


via: https://hiphopwired.com/3028086/microsoft-banned-jeffrey-epstein-xbox-live-reactions

Source: DANIEL SLIM / Getty

On Sunday (February 1), President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social media platform that the Kennedy Center For The Arts would be closed for two years. "The Trump Kennedy Center will close on July 4th, 2026, in honor of the 250th Anniversary of our Country, whereupon we will simultaneously begin Construction of the new and spectacular Entertainment Complex," the post began.



via: https://hiphopwired.com/3028053/trump-to-close-kennedy-center-citing-renovations

Druski sparked romance rumors after the funnyman was spotted sitting courtside with a notable adult performer. During the New York Knicks' Sunday night (February 2) game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Druski was seen witting with Bri Sky, although it isn't known the status of their relationship.

As spotted by TMZ Sports, Druski, 31, and Bri Sky, 26, were seen entering Madison Square Garden ahead of the Knicks and Lakers showdown, which boasted several other celebrities, including Fat Joe, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, and the usual suspects.

While it isn't known if the pair were out on a date night, the chatter is certainly going to go up from here, considering the Atlanta-based comedian's large profile. Druski had a brief but high-profile dating period with Rubi Rose, which kicked off in 2024.

Bri Sky has been linked to YouTuber Nick Nayersina and has also been linked with Jake Paul. The two sat down next the aforementioned Lee, so there were plenty of cameras zooming in to see what's what.

Druski's profile is larger than ever with spots with T-Mobile, Prize Picks, and GoPuff under his belt. He also got the attention of some so-called "megachurch" pastors for a hilarious video he posted spoofing the spectacle at some of these establishments.




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Photo: Getty

via: https://hiphopwired.com/3028054/druski-knicks-courtside-adult-star-bri-sky

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

Let's be honest: First Lady Melania Trump doesn't do anything. She's not in front of the camera. She barely promotes or even talks about her "Be Best" children's wellbeing. (The program which was started during President Trump's first term in office has been around since 2018 and yet, nothing.)


According to reports, Mrs. Trump spends her days exercising and spends a lot of time in a bathrobe, listening to gossip and checking her assets. And somehow, someway, someone thought it was a good idea to make a documentary about the first lady squatting in the presidential quarters like a cousin that just won't leave.  

Amazon MGM won a bidding war for the $40 million film rights to the upcoming documentary Melania: Twenty Days to History and Rolling Stone notes that it's the most the production company has ever paid for any piece of content. 

And get this: The first lady kept the lion's share of that, some 70% of the licensing fee, $28 million, for herself. And, Rolling Stone reports, there's nothing illegal about that. 

"The First Lady is, for ethical purposes, considered to be a private citizen, and so the conflicts of interest statutes, the regulations for other executive branch employees, simply don't apply," Don Fox, the former acting director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, told Rolling Stone. 

Apparently the documentary was a mad rush to get all of these people involved in the film to follow the first lady in the weeks leading up to the inauguration. 

"People were worked really hard. Really long hours, highly disorganized, very chaotic," one person who worked on the movie, told Rolling Stone. "It wasn't easy money," another added. "It was very difficult because of the chaos that was around everything. ... Usually [for a documentary] it's like, 'Oh, follow the subject.' Well, it's Melania Trump. With the first lady and Secret Service, you can't just do things you usually do."

Because the Trump family, at its least, is a series of embarrassments, one crew member guesstimated that at least two-thirds of the crew who worked on the film didn't want their names credited on the documentary. 

The doc was directed by Brett Ratner, who made his name directing the Rush Hour and X-Men movies and hadn't done much since 2017 when he was publicly accused of sexual harassment. 

Actress Natasha Henstridge claimed that Ratner forced her to perform oral sex on him when she was 19. In a separate allegation, actress Olivia Munn also claimed that Ratner masturbated in front of her. Ratner denied all accusations and was never charged. 

Ratner has become a close friend of the Trumps and is reportedly living in a villa at Mar-a-Lago, Rolling Stone reports. 

Crew members warned that viewers shouldn't walk into this documentary thinking they are going to get some real behind- the-scenes dirt. Because they aren't. 

"Some people are boring," one crew member told Rolling Stone. "Some people also never let their guard down."

The movie is set to release Friday and Amazon is investing an additional $35 million into promoting the film. But, mostly because no one cares, predictions for Melania "could take in as little as $1 million its opening weekend, while National Research Group's estimate pegs it around $5 million." 

One crew member is hoping it flops. 

"Unfortunately, if it does flop. I would really feel great about it," the production team member told Rolling Stone. 

via: https://hiphopwired.com/3019605/first-lady-pocketed-28m-and-other-reasons-to-hate-the-documentary-melania

Rockstar Games / GTA 6

Yes, finally, more GTA 6 news. Unfortunately, it won't fare well for you, especially if you're into collecting physical copies of games.

Rockstar Games is really worried about future leaks pertaining to its highly anticipated video game GTA 6, so much so that it is reportedly mulling delaying the release of physical editions of the game.

Industry insiders and reports from the Polish blog PPE claim Rockstar Games is considering the move as a preventative measure to combat the rampant leaks that have been an issue since GTA 6 began development.

Rockstar Games hopes the decision to delay GTA 6's physical release will help preserve the game's narrative and other secrets until the title's official global launch.

The studio, which is currently under fire for alleged "union-busting," reportedly is considering the unprecedented action following a series of high-profile security breaches at the iconic game studio.

The breaches include the massive 2022 data breach that led to still-in-development gameplay footage leaking onto the internet.

The first trailer for GTA 6 also leaked ahead of its original premiere, forcing Rockstar to push it out earlier than expected.




Sources claim that internal discussions at Rockstar Games are very much centered on the prospect of early copies of the game somehow getting out into the wild, which has been happening a lot as of late and could lead to major story spoilers landing on social media.

Rockstar Games Still Plans On Releasing GTA 6 In 2026

As of now, GTA 6's digital release is still on track for November 19, while the physical release could be staggered and could be delayed a few weeks or even a full quarter.

We will have to wait and see what happens, but rest assured that eyes and ears will be be locked in on Rockstar Games' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, during its February 3 earnings call, where information such as pre-order details and plans for physical copies of GTA 6 could be revealed.

You can see reactions below.


via: https://hiphopwired.com/3019417/rockstar-games-considering-delaying-physical-edition-gta-6-reactions

Source: @jeffondigital/Gilbert Flores / Getty/Radio One Digital

Christian Combs is the latest person to get trolled by 50 Cent on social media.

King Combs recently popped out during Total's set on Room 112's Tour, and the reception from the crowd was mixed at best. Before jumping into his verse on "How You Want It?,"

Christian attempted to get the audience to join him in a "Bad Boy" chant. The response was noticeably divided, with some fans participating while others stayed quiet.

In the video, the chant can be heard faintly in the background, with a few attendees shouting "Bad Boy" alongside him.

Once the clip made its way online, it quickly went viral, and it didn't take long for 50 Cent, Hip-Hop's resident king troll, to jump in.

Fif posted the video himself and joked, "Damn, his timing was just a little off."




The comment comes as no surprise as 50 has repeatedly taken shots at Diddy amid his ongoing legal troubles.

He even went so far as to create a Netflix series titled Sean Combs: The Reckoning, where he highlights Diddy's controversies at every turn.

Diddy's son, Christian, wasn't letting the jab slide. Responding in the comments saying, "The real reason why this senior citizen, Curtis, is angry and keeps posting me is cause his BM."




As of now, 50 Cent has yet to respond, but if history tells us anything, the king troll is far from finished.

via: https://hiphopwired.com/3019449/christian-combs-50-cent

Kristi Noem's tenure as the leader of the Department of Homeland Security has been met with calls for her ouster in the wake of the incidents in Minnesota. According to President Donald Trump, Kristi Noem will remain in her role as DHS Secretary, but there are rumblings that changes are soon to come.

The chatter around Kristi Noem's role regarding the handling of the ground tactics in Minnesota points to the recent shooting deaths of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent, and Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by Border Patrol officials.

According to still-developing reports across outlets such as CNN, MS Now, and The Guardian, Noem, 54, was involved in a two-hour meeting with President Trump, according to sources.

While the details of the talk were not shared with the public, there seems to be a prevailing thought that the discussion is connected to the deaths of Good and Pretti.

With former United States Border Patrol Commander-At-Large Gregory Bovino reportedly being demoted from the role, House Democrats are rallying their ranks to formally request an audience with Secretary Noem to question her on the ICE operations and the fatal shooting incidents.

While en route to Iowa on Tuesday (January 27) to deliver a speech on affordability, President Trump gave a one-word answer of "no" to reporters who asked if Noem would be stepping down at DHS.




Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS Now on Tuesday, stating he and several House members are requesting that Noem step down or face impeachment.




Jeffries also shared a statement regarding Kristi Noem via his X account, which we'll share below.




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Photo: Getty

via: https://hiphopwired.com/3019604/dhs-kristi-noem-step-down-minnesota-shootings-impeachment

Sly Dunbar, a Grammy Award-winning drummer and a member of the production duo Sly & Robbie, has died. Along with the late Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar formed the Taxi Records label in 1980 and worked with a bevy of musical greats both within and beyond the confines of reggae and dub.

Sly Dunbar's wife informed The Jamaican Gleaner publication about her husband's passing, sharing a brief statement regarding his loss.

From The Jamaican Gleaner:

"About 7 o'clock this morning I went to wake him up and he wasn't responding, I called the doctor and that was the news," Thelma said, struggling to talk through her pain and tears.

"Yesterday was such a good day for him. He had friends come over to visit him and we all had such a good time. He ate well yesterday ... sometimes he's not into food. I knew he was sick ... but I didn't know that he was this sick," shared Thelma, Sly's lifelong partner.

According to the outlet, Dunbar had been sick for some time and was getting treatment in an undisclosed location. It was not shared where Dunbar was getting treatment.

Dunbar was born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar on May 10, 1952, in Kingston, Jamaica. His drumming career began at 15, and he later joined the band of the legendary Jamaican duo, Dave and Ansell Collins.

After establishing himself as a talent on the drums, he met Shakespeare, a bassist, and the pair went on to work as session players for several reggae acts while performing as a duo. Sly & Robbie's talents were lent to the likes of Beenie Man, Bunny Wailer, and several giants of the reggae scene.

Dunbar and Shakespeare also worked with vocalists such as Joe Cocker, Maxi Priest, Simply Red, and Madonna, among other top acts.

Sly Dunbar was 73.

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Photo: Getty

via: https://hiphopwired.com/3019488/sly-dunbar-reggae-legend-obit