LIVESIDERADIO

Megan Thee Stallion has always believed in the power of sisterhood - so much so, in fact, that she's reportedly ditched an important concert to perform with Beyonc .According to Page Six, the "Savage" rapper was scheduled to headline the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday (September 23), but ultimately decided not to perform because she got a better offer from the Lemonade singer."Eleven days before she was due to headline, Megan Thee Stallion has pulled out of Global Citizen Festival 2023 due to a scheduling conflict," said the outlet, which claimed the Houston Hottie pulled out of headlining the festival in New York City because she was set to perform with Beyonc at her show in Houston, TX, on that same day.As it turned out, the festival sent out a tweet on September 10, confirming that Megan Thee Stallion wouldn't be performing, though the tweet didn't say why. What's more, reps for Meg didn't get back to any press asking about the scheduling conflict."Hi there - due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, Megan Thee Stallion will no longer be available to perform at the 2023 Global Citizen Festival," read the tweet. Back in May, JAY-Z and Megan Thee Stallion appeared to be having a blast at one of Beyonc 's Paris shows on her Renaissance Tour.Hov and the Houston Hottie were showing up and showing out in May as they danced along to some of the former Destiny's Child singer's greatest solo hits.This was the same concert where 11-year-old Blue Ivy Carter - the eldest daughter of JAY-Z and Beyonc - made her dancing debut onstage with her mama during "Black Parade," and by all accounts, she knocked it out of the park.While JAY-Z and Megan Thee Stallion were having the time of their lives at the show, there was certainly more than a little bit of business brewing beneath the surface.Back in September 2019, the then-rising star announced that she had officially inked a management deal with Roc Nation.Alongside a photo of herself with Hov, she wrote: "I would like to announce that I am officially apart of the @rocnation fam!!! The grind don't stop ! #realhotgirlshit."The rumors of Tina Snow's involvement with Roc Nation first began swirling when she and JAY-Z were spotted at a Puma event in NYC in August 2019 - and just one month later, the ink was officially dry on the contract.But the good times and the good vibes didn't last long, as the deal ultimately threw her into a noxious dispute with 1501 Certified Entertainment, which made the situation get ugly with Roc Nation as both continue their legal war of words in the courtroom. Back in November 2022, Megan Thee Stallion accused 1501 Certified Entertainment of "harassing" Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez.The Houston rapper then sought a protective order for Perez in an attempt to prevent 1501 from deposing the Roc Nation boss.1501, which has been entangled in a long-running dispute with Megan over her contract, reportedly issued a subpoena to question Perez in the case, which Megan's lawyers criticized as an "underhanded tactic.""1501 does not seek relevant, admissible evidence because Perez does not have any," the rapper's legal team wrote. "Rather, 1501 is intent on harassing Perez and disrupting her responsibilities as CEO of Roc Nation."They added: "1501 does not seek to depose Perez for any legitimate reason and the posture of this dispute reveals that 1501's hope is to avoid having its motion decided on the merits. The Court should not condone what is, at best, gamesmanship or, at worst, an abuse of the judicial process. Accordingly, the notice should be quashed and a protective order should issue.

Westside Gunn has officially announced his  And Then You Pray For Me album, which is on the slate to arrive next month.On Friday (September 22), the Griselda honcho revealed the project's cover art, which is designed by Virgil Abloh, and its release date of October 13 in an Instagram post."AND THEN YOU PRAY FOR ME FRIDAY THE 13th ARTWORK BY VIRGIL ABLOH @virgilabloh EXECUTIVE PROD BY : WESTSIDE GUNN @griseldarecords," he wrote.Conway The Machine, Boldy James, Tay Keith and more hyped the record in Gunn's comment section. And Then You Pray For Me is slated to be a star-studded affair with contributions from the likes of RZA, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Conway The Machine, JID, DJ Drama, Giggs, Ty Dolla $ign, Denzel Curry, Stove God Cooks, Rome Streetz and more.Back in July, the Buffalo native teased the upcoming collaboration with Giggs as he was posted up in the studio with the Landlord."When I'm London I'm with the Men$ that Run the End$!!!! Super Shoutout to the family GIGGS," Westside Gunn wrote to Instagram.Furthermore, he even wrote out a song title and its placement on a supposed tracklisting, writing: "8. Disgusting ft GIGGS prod by @shanarason."And Then You Pray For Me will serve as the follow-up to Who Made the Sunshine as Gunn also unleashed Pray For Paris months prior in 2020.When the album arrives, don't expect to find the featured artists listed in the song titles on streaming services as Westside Gunn took credit for starting the trend we've seen the likes of J. Cole and Travis Scott follow suit. "Hiding the features for a few days like this is honestly a win-win-win for the album's hype, the fans, + the featured artists," Gunn tweeted over the summer. "J. Cole did it perfectly with The Off-Season and now Travis Scott's done it with Utopia. I hope we start to see more artists doing this with their albums."He added that he's been strategically keeping his album features hidden for years and that he's "10 steps ahead" of the competition."I do this with every album lol," he wrote. "I keep telling y'all I'm 10 steps ahead, I can't wait to the day when MFs Wake up and see I've been doin everything y'all be claiming y'all loving yeeeears ahead."He added: "Why u think I'm the [goat] and we'll respected it's bc I'm the 1, ask ya fav artist.

Eminem's ex-wife, Kim Mathers, has adopted a whole new look just in time for her daughter Hailie's upcoming wedding to her longtime boyfriend.The US Sun snagged an exclusive look at Kim who rocked what the outlet called a "grunge" look with short blond hair and tattoos. She also revealed that she would be attending Hailie's upcoming wedding to Evan McClintock, and that Em would be walking his daughter down the aisle. What's more, she said, she's still regularly in touch with the Hip Hop hitmaker despite previously being the target of his rage in songs such as "Kim," and that they see each other "not often, but often enough!" Over the summer, Eminem became a father-in-law for the first time, as his daughter Alaina got married in the rapper's hometown of Detroit, Michigan.The 30-year-old adopted daughter of the rapper, who he calls "Lainey," married longtime boyfriend Matt Moller in June, and her younger sister Hailie Jade Scott Mathers was even in tow as a bridesmaid. While Eminem wasn't featured in any of the Instagram photos shared by Lainey, Kim Mathers later confirmed that Slim Shady did, indeed, walk his adopted daughter down the aisle."June 9, 2023 simply one of the best days of my life," Alaina wrote in a separate Instagram post. "In this lifetime and in the next, my soul will always find yours." Eminem formally adopted Alaina in the early 2000s when her mother - the rapper's ex-wife Kim's twin sister Dawn - was battling drug addiction. She died of an overdose in 2016, and Kim took a moment to pay homage to her beloved sister in a heartfelt obituary."Dawn was my sweet, beautiful sister who lost her way," Kim wrote in her obituary. "I kept a light lit for her hoping she'd find her way back to me. I miss her and love her more than anything I could ever say. I wish she was here so I could hug her and tell her I love her." Em's other daughter Hailie Jade got engaged in February to her longtime boyfriend Evan McClintock, with Alaina shouting out her "sis" in a loving Instagram post in February."My sis is finally engaged," she wrote. "There's not many moments in life that leave you feeling pure bliss, but this has to be one of them. To look at my younger sister and see her living her best life - one that some may think was always easy - has me over the moon.

Busta Rhymes has contested 50 Cent's claim that he's a better performer than him, going so far as to mock the G-Unit boss' signature move to back up his argument.The Flipmode Squad frontman posted a recent interview of 50's on Instagram on Tuesday (September 19), in which he recites rhymes from Busta's 1997 hit "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" before making a bold declaration about who's the stronger showman. "I do his shit better than him. He better not play with me!" Fif brags. "I will fuck around and perform Busta Rhymes' show! If you ever thought that Busta Rhymes was better than me, you crazy! You crazy, man! You just looking at this shit the wrong way."The video then cuts to multiple clips of 50 Cent bobbing his hand up and down on stage while performing on his Final Lap Tour, which features Busta as a supporting act alongside Jeremih.In a recorded message, the Brooklyn rap legend saluted his tour mate for upping his performance game over the years, but made it abundantly clear that he'll never outshine him on the stage.According to Busta, 50 has to do better than "fanning a fart" every show before he can claim to out-perform the Dungeon Dragon."Ayo Fif, I ain't gonna lie, I'ma give it up to you," he began. "The production on your show? Incredible. Lights show? Incredible. The dancers? Incredible. The outfit changes? Incredible. Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda coordination? Incredible. Significant improvements since the way you used to perform back in the day."But if you think doing this shit all night [bobs hand up and down] looking like you fanning a fart is a better performance than Busta Rhymes, you out your rabid ass mind! [laughs]. Keep fanning the fart!"Proving it's nothing more than a little friendly competition, Busta Rhymes then thanked 50 Cent for bringing him on the road for what he called "the biggest tour in the whole fucking globe.""Ayo Fif, I ain't gonna front. I definitely gotta say thank you for bringing us out on the Final Lap Tour," he added. "This shit has been an incredible experience and we 'bout to take it overseas and fuck the whole planet up."But I do wanna say to the whole planet: this is the biggest tour in the whole fucking globe, let's be clear. 50, congratulations on the Final Lap Tour. Let's keep it going, king. Salute."50 Cent has yet to respond, but Busta's post got a laugh out of their rap peers as Layzie Bone, Pete Rock, DJ D-Nice, Tobe Nwigwe and Ebro Darden shared their emoji-filled amusement in the comments section. Some might call this payback after Busta Rhymes has faced his fair share of ribbing from 50 Cent since the Final Lap Tour kicked off in July.Just earlier this week, 50 clowned Busta after a video went viral of him raunchily flirting with a concertgoer at a recent show, during which he held his microphone near his crotch and stroked it as it if was an erect penis."BUSTA stole this move from me, I use to do this to magic stick 10 years ago. LOL," Fif joked in his Instagram caption. "Now it just feels dirty, inappropriate unnecessary LMAO this is giving, your old uncle at the barbecue that won't go sit down vibes right !"Expect more banter from the New York rap legends as the Final Lap Tour continues until mid December. The pair's next show will see them wrap up the North American leg in Toronto this Friday (September 22)

 Nicki Minaj's husband Kenneth "Zoo" Petty is facing legal repercussions for threatening Offset on social media, which a judge has found in violation of his probation.According to court documents shared on Twitter by reporter Meghann Cuniff on Wednesday (September 20), Petty has been sentenced to 120 days of house arrest after calling out the former Migos rapper on Instagram Live.  The 45-year-old was given three years' probation and one year house detention in July 2022 after failing to register as a sex offender in California, where he and Nicki moved in 2019 shortly before getting married.His sex offender status stems from a 1995 conviction for the first-degree attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl, for which he spent four years in prison.The victim, Jennifer Hough, sued both Petty and Nicki Minaj in August 2021 for alleged harassment and intimidation, although the Queen rapper was later dropped from the suit."Mr. Petty was recorded on video making threatening remarks towards a specific individual while in the company of someone with a criminal record," reads the order, which was signed off by Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald. "This recent violation conduct raises concerns over Mr. Petty's willingness to comply with the Court's orders."As such, the Probation Officer believes placement in the Location Monitoring Program will effectively allow for closer monitoring of Mr. Petty's activities, limit his movements, provide a sanction for his non-compliance, and hopefully encourage him to reflect upon and reevaluate his current status in the community."The document also notes that "the supervisee and defense counsel consent to modification and waive a personal appearance before the Court," meaning Petty didn't even try to fight the order.
Last week, footage surfaced of Kenneth Petty threatening Offset while stood in an empty New York Street late at night with a few of his associates. The video was allegedly filmed outside of the hotel where the rapper and his wife, Cardi B, were staying."Sturdy, n-gga. What's poppin?" Petty asks menacingly in the video. "Where n-ggas is at, man? Huh? Plan that vacation but we're planning your funeral, pussy."Offset seemingly responded in a video posted to his social media accounts, in which he laughed off Petty's threat while stepping off a private jet."I'm getting off a jet, he's funny," Offset chuckled. "Fuck these n-ggas talmbout? ... These n-ggas broke! We hoppin' off jets. Y'all n-ggas standing outside talmbout 'outside.' Extremely broke!" Rumors suggest that the back-and-forth was sparked by Kenneth Petty and his crew threatening Cardi B at the 2023 MTV VMAs earlier this month, which Cardi seemingly addressed on Twitter by writing: "I ain't even flinch."One of Petty's associates also shared Instagram DMs that Offset had allegedly sent him after the awards show."Where you located," the Atlanta native wrote in the messages. "You n-ggas old [as hell] in female business with no money for war. Don't post me either since you a GanGsta right. U live in CHARLOTTE too.

Chicago rapper/YouTuber FYB J Mane's recent arrest was briefly broadcasted for all to see after it occurred while he was live streaming on Instagram.The incident went down on Tuesday (September 19), as J spoke to his followers from behind the wheel.In a since-viral clip, an officer can be seen turning off the camera before the video ends - and he has not posted to social media since. FYB J Mane isn't the first rapper to get arrested while on Instagram Live. Just this past June, Lil Tjay's arrest for reckless endangerment was captured on the app when he was shooting a short clip for a music video.According to the rapper's lawyer Dawn Florio (via TMZ), the incident went down in New York on June 6. Apparently cops arrived on the scene in Manhattan and hauled him off to jail.While it's unclear exactly what prompted the arrest, Florio made it clear that it was not for gun possession."Nah. Do not touch me, bro," Lil Tjay is seen telling officers on IG Live while standing next to his car. "What am I under arrest for?"One of the officers then tells the Bronx native to turn around, but he refused. "No, n-gga," Tjay responded. "No, bro. Hell no. What's in the car? I don't know what's in the car. Don't touch me. There's no firearm in the car."He was then restrained by multiple officers, handcuffed and taken off.Last October, Lil Zay Osama's arrest for allegedly leaving a retrofitted machine gun in an Uber was also inadvertently streamed on Instagram.According to the New York Post, Brooklyn federal prosecutors claimed the car's driver noticed that Zay was holding a weapon when he picked up the Chicago rapper and his friends from a hotel in Manhattan. Upon arriving at their destination, a studio in Queens, Zay is said to have left the weapon in the back seat.The Uber driver immediately contacted the police to report the abandoned weapon, a Glock 22.40 which had been enhanced with a "switch" device, which gives the gun rapid fire capability like a machine gun. Zay mentioned such a weapon in his 2021 song, "Danny Block," rapping: "Ayy, I just got a brand new Glock/ With a fifty and a switch." Prosecutors presented the song's lyrics - which also include the line: "I hope this song right here don't get in the hands of the feds" - as part of their argument against allowing the artist to be released on bail while awaiting trial.Zay happened to be on Instagram Live as he was approached by NYPD officers and placed in custody. In a clip since reposted by several other IG users, he can be heard asking: "What's happening?" as he seemingly walks outside of a building.He proceeds to tell one of the officers that he's on Live, while asking if someone can grab his phone, at which point a policeman stops the livestream.The 25-year-old (real name Isaiah Dukes) was charged with possession of a machine gun and being a felon in possession of a firearm. About a month later, Zay posted a $1million bail to secure his release

Jack Harlow has continued his impressive run of consecutive wins at the SESAC Music Awards, bagging Songwriter of the Year for the third time in three years.The performing rights organization held its annual ceremony on Tuesday night (September 19) at The Highlight Room in Los Angeles, with the aim to recognize its songwriting and publishing members.The Kentucky rapper took home the top honor - which he also won in 2021 and 2022 - as well as Song of the Year for his chart-topping hit "First Class."Harlow's wins didn't stop there, as he earned two SESAC Performance Awards for "Nail Tech" and his Drake collaboration, "Churchill Downs." Sony Music Publishing also hit a consecutive win streak, taking home the award for Publisher of the Year for the second year in a row, while picking up awards for Kendrick Lamar's "Count Me Out," Nicki Minaj and Fivio Foreign's "We Go Up," Steve Lacy's "Mercury," as well as Harlow's aforementioned "First Class.""We are honored to celebrate our songwriters and publishers across multiple genres," Sam Kling, CCO of SESAC Performing Rights, said in a statement. "SESAC is proud of its affiliates who continue to write chart-topping hits and we enjoy every opportunity we get to celebrate their achievements."Bryan Michael Cox earned a performance award for his work on Ari Lennox's "Pressure," while other performance awards went to Daniel Lopatin (The Weeknd), Dez Wright (Gunna, Young Thug, Drake), Jimmy Napes (Sam Smith, Kim Petras), Dacoury Dahi Natche (Steve Lacy), Malibu Babie (Megan Thee Stallion), DJ Dahi (Kendrick Lamar), Patrick "j.Que" Smith (Joji) and more.SESAC is a music licensing organization that administers public performance and mechanical and rights through SESAC Performing Rights. See the full list of winners here. In other Jack Harlow news, the Kentucky rapper recently announced that he'll be performing six shows across the Southern state that raised him as part of his No Place Like Home tour.Set to kick off in Owensboro on November 24, he'll then hit up Pikeville, Covington, Murray, Bowling Green, before wrapping up in Lexington on December 3."The only tour I'm going on this year," he wrote on Instagram. "Six shows across the state of Kentucky. No Place Like Home 2023." Get any remaining tickets here

Lil Kim has refuted claims made by Ebony magazine's photographer that she approved her cover photo, accusing the publication of trying to "sabotage" her.On Monday (September 18), the famed magazine debuted multiple covers for their Hip Hop 50 issue. In addition to Kim, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz all have their own covers as well.The celebratory moment turned sour, though, as the former's cover was heavily scrutinized for its seemingly extreme airbrushing, with many social media users taking issue with the image.The controversy prompted a response from Ebony's photography director, Keith Major, who in an Instagram comment claimed that Lil Kim "wanted to be in control of the retouching so this is what we got."According to the former Junior M.A.F.I.A. rapper, however, the cover she approved wasn't the one that Ebony published - and she isn't happy about it."Who is this?" Queen Bee wrote on her IG Stories. "Cuz that's not the photo I approved or any other content they've put out. I always told Ebony it looked like a painting but they didn't wanna listen. They said they loved it."It's the sabatoge for me. The funny shit about this, is that this is THEIR retoucher [crying laughing emoji, sighing face emoji, face-palm emoji]."Kim also reshared the cover photo that she did approve from a member of her team, who wrote: "Me & @lilkimthequeenbee stayed up for hours wit the team & chose this .. we have the receipts fool! For the record we definitely didn't choose that other flick."A side-by-side comparison of the two photos shows a difference in skin tone, contrast and brightness. Regardless of any alleged sabatoge, Lil Kim continues to receive her well-deserved flowers from today's female rappers, including GloRilla.In July, the CMG artist set the internet on fire as she recreated Kim's iconic bikini-clad squat pose while rocking a shiny silver bathing suit and jacket. She also included two other pictures that showed off her tattooed figure. "If I didn't have a deal I'd still be worth some mills [money bag emoji] LEO SEASON APPROACHING.......... [lion head emoji]," she wrote in her Instagram caption underneath the photos.While there was spirited banter in the comments section, GloRilla won Lil Kim's approval as the female rap pioneer left a smiling cat with heart-eyes emoji, along with a fire emoji and heart emoji.Kim first did the pose in 1996 for her debut album Hard Core. The cover art itself showed her striking a provocative pose on top of a polar bear rug while wearing sexy lingerie.Since then, many female rappers have followed suit in borrowing inspiration from the Brooklyn native including Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and even newcomers such as Coi Leray, and DreamDoll

Lil Wayne has a new project on the way that will serve as an appetizer for fans ahead of Tha Carter VI.While he hasn't made an official announcement, a pre-save link to Tha Fix Before Tha VI quietly popped up in both the Young Money CEO's Twitter and Instagram bios on Wednesday (September 20).The project's red-hued cover art is reminiscent of 2011's Sorry 4 The Wait mixtape, which itself served as a warm-up for the fourth installment in his flagship Tha Carter series.It's unclear when Tha Fix Before Tha VI will arrive, but it appears to be on the horizon with a pre-save link live on streaming services. Lil Wayne first teased Tha Carter VI during a Young Money reunion performance in August 2022 at Drake's October World Weekend festival in Toronto.Since then, he's released a handful of potential singles including the DMX-sampling, Swizz Beatz-produced "Kant Nobody" and "Kat Food," which also flips a classic record from Missy Elliott.Weezy has also been spotted in the studio with the likes of Wyclef Jean and Juelz Santana while crafting the album.The New Orleans native has been busy in recent weeks too. In addition to performing at the 2023 MTV Videos Music Awards alongside Nicki Minaj, LL COOL J, Run-DMC and other rap legends earlier in September, he reunited with Nas on the Magic 3 standout "Never Die." The song marked Esco and Wayne's fifth collaboration following Busta Rhymes' "Don't Touch Me (Remix)," Rich Boy's "Ghetto Rich (Remix)," "My Generation" from Nas and Damian Marley's Distant Relatives and Wayne's Tha Carter IV outro.Last weekend, Lil Wayne flew out to Boulder, Colorado to support coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes as he led the team out of the tunnel ahead of their matchup with in-state rival Colorado State.Tunechi proved to be a good luck charm as Colorado ended up taking home the victory in thrilling overtime fashion by a score of 43-35

Birdman has claimed that the South will remain at the top of the Hip Hop food chain for years to come.The Cash Money Records co-founder recently sat down for an insightful conversation on the 85 South Show, where reflected on Southern Hip Hop's early struggles in the 1990s be taken seriously by the East and West Coasts, who at that time were the dominant regions."The East and the West was the last two places that would embrace our music if you were from the South," Birdman said. "It's always been a competitive thing for us with them - 'cause they felt like they was better than us and we felt like we was better than them, especially in our neck of the woods, the South."He continued: "You'll have a hit in the South and it'll take a long time to hit in the East and the West. But once they caught onto us like it is now, I don't think they'll ever get it back. We here forever, 'cause they had it forever. The East and the West, they had it forever."It was challenging for us coming up. Very, very challenging because they wouldn't play our music in no kinda way."Birdman then gave props to Jermaine Dupri for kicking down doors for Southern Hip Hop."Jermaine Dupri really broke that barrier for us down South cause he went up there and really made them play our music 'cause they wouldn't play our music at all," he said of the So So Def hitmaker, who in addition to his solo success played a key role in the careers of Da Brat, Kris Kross and other '90s rappers."I got a lot of respect for Jermaine Dupri. They wouldn't play our music and Jermaine Dupri went up there and was fighting for us. Our music would be his down bottom, and it'd be four, fix, six months before it'll be hit on the East and West Coast."But now, it ain't like that. Our music hit more up there than down here, but ain't nothing but love for the East and the West." Birdman's sentiment is one that is shared by many Southern rap acts - although the question of who is responsible for putting the South on the map is a hotly-contested one.During an interview with AllHipHop last month, CeeLo Green said that his legendary Atlanta rap group Goodie Mob deserve credit for paving the way for Southern rap's eventual dominance."I think that's definitely our contribution to the culture and to community - being able to spearhead and set into motion the rise and reign of Southern Hip Hop," he said. "We fought those first wars, and we fought for the civil rights and the equality of Hip Hop. And with that equality, we gave the sentiment and the sound a certain kind of quality."He continued: "There was an accountability here of where we wanted to do it pridefully, effectively and successfully. It was very important to have integrity as a curriculum as we taught it to be as it flowed through and was passed down as an inheritance to the ones who wave that banner today." Meanwhile, Jermaine Dupri previously took credit for New York radio stations playing Southern Hip Hop, echoing Birdman's above comments."The reason New York plays down South music on the radio is because of me," JD said during a December 2022 appearance on The Gauds Show. "Bone Crusher and the YoungBloodZ were all over Hot 97 in a way that like nobody could ever imagine. And I hired DJ Envy to work for me."He added: "My attack on New York radio and the New York streets from the South is like no other. Nobody, no other company, nothing. Not as far as back then, now everybody else moving forward, that door opened cause I was out there beating the streets.