On this date in 1988, wha some consider one of the best years in Hip Hop, Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay released their fourth full length studio album Tougher Than Leather on the Profile imprint.
Produced primarily by Rick Rubin, Davy D and the group themselves, the Hollis Crew’s fourth LP was heavy on sampling and even saw some changes in the lyrical styles of DJ Run and Daryll Mac. Even though the album wasn’t as popular as the preceding Raising Hell LP, it certainly spawned a few classic singles including the Bob James’ “Nautilus” driven “Beats To The Rhyme, “Mary Mary” and what would become the title and theme song for the Simmons’ family reality show, “Run’s House”.
A crime-filled drama of the same name accompanied the album about six months after its release, further solidifying the album’s staying power and eventual platinum success.
Salute to Run, D.M.C., JMJ(RIP), Rick Rubin and everyone who was a part of this timeless piece of Hip Hop history!
Despite marijuana legalization being at the top of the conversation list on Capitol Hill, there are thousands of men and women that are currently serving time for marijuana convictions. There are some who will never be released from prison, even with some states having legal recreational marijuana within the past few years.
According to the Associated Press, Allen Russell’s life sentence was recently upheld in Mississippi, which was related to a weed charge he was convicted of in 2019. Russell was arrested with less than eight ounces of marijuana, but more than an ounce, which sentence carries a maximum of up to three years, a $3,000 fine, or both in Mississippi.
In Mississippi, a life sentence without parole can be handed down if a person spent a year in prison on two separate felonies and one of those charges has to be a violent offense. Even though the marijuana charge is not considered a serious crime, Russell’s previous convictions for two home burglary charges and a weapons possession charge was enough to land Allen behind bars for the rest of his life as a “habitual offender”.
One of the judges who voted against the ruling is a Black woman who wrote that the decision to uphold Allen’s life sentence undermines the true duty of the court.
“The purpose of the criminal justice system is to punish those who break the law, deter them from making similar mistakes, and give them the opportunity to become productive members of society,” Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Latrice Westbrooks wrote. “The fact that judges are not routinely given the ability to exercise discretion in sentencing all habitual offenders is completely at odds with this goal.”
Florida rapper Yung Miami might be wishing on a star before Nicki Minaj decides to unblock her from Instagram. A low-key block of content from everyone’s favorite Barbie forced the City Girl to go public and request access – sparking some mixed reactions from fans. In an effort to help Yung Miami’s pitch to the […]
City Girls’ JT is low-key making headlines for the wrong reasons right now. Social media has erupted with attention going to resurfaced tweets taking shots at rap heavyweight Nicki Minaj. In an effort to ease tensions from the Florida hip-hop star, we’re looking at five different hairstyles – or possibly disguises – Lil Uzi Vert‘s […]
Florida rapper Yung Miami is low-key doing the most to get Nicki Minaj‘s attention. The City Girls rap star has reached out to the rap Barbie about getting permission to follow her on social media. Yung Miami Badly Wants To Be Nicki’s Pal The South Beach rap heavyweight hit up Twitter with a cringe request. […]
A North Dakota State University student who recently graduated is thanking Nicki Minaj for paying her tuition. The woman received her her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. In a Twitter post, the graduate highlighted her journey to getting her degree and expressed her gratitude to the rapper.
“Almost 3 years ago @NICKIMINAJ helped me to get back into school by paying for my college tuition, and tomorrow I will be walking across the stage to receive my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development & Family Science. Thank you, Nicki”
Almost 3 years ago @NICKIMINAJ helped me to get back into school by paying for my college tuition, and tomorrow I will be walking across the stage to receive my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development & Family Science. Thank you, Nicki pic.twitter.com/g3Lx6rpZOZ
Back in 2017, a fan asked the rapper if she would pay his college tuition on Twitter, and Minaj agreed to pay fans’ school costs — on one condition.
“Show me straight A’s that I can verify w/ur school and I’ll pay it. Who wants to join THAT contest?!? Dead serious. Shld I set it up?” wrote Minaj.
Show me straight A's that I can verify w/ur school and I'll pay it. Who wants to join THAT contest?!?! Dead serious. Shld I set it up? https://t.co/czH715u64a
Following the rap star’s tweet, dozens of fans took Minaj up on the offer. Some tweeted her publicity, or hit the rapper up in her messages with screenshots of their grades. The “Itty Bitty Piggy” rapper replied some individually throughout the night and agreed to pay for student loans and textbooks.
A University of Louisiana at Lafayette student who received assistance from Minaj recently graduated too. The man received his Bachelor of Science in Biology.Back in December, the graduate shared that the rapper paid his tuition a few semesters ago.
“I can’t believe that I’m acutally saying this out loud, but I am an official college GRADUATE! Bachelor of Science in Biology. Chemistry and Psychology minor. This day is even more special because @NICKIMINAJ paid my tuition a few semesters ago, and today is her birthday!”
I can't believe that I'm acutally saying this out loud, but I am an official college GRADUATE! Bachelor of Science in Biology. Chemistry and Psychology minor.
City Girls’ JT has the Internet watching her Twitter fingers. The hip-hop star is catching heat courtesy of throwback tweets resurfacing across the Internet and taking direct aim at Young Money’s Nicki Minaj. City Girls’ JT Takes Big Shots In Old Tweets Over the past few hours, tweets have reemerged to the masses. They point […]
OVO Sound’s Noah “40” Shebib isn’t staying silent. The hip-hop hitmaker went online to share some thoughts on the publicized Israeli-Palestine conflict. Drake’s Producer 40 Weighs In On Conflict Shebib went to his Instagram page to share his thoughts. More specifically, he provided some insight into how people could understand the Palestinian struggle. “❤️🖤🤍💚 I […]
On Friday, the rap queen released her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty to streaming services for the first time featuring three new tracks including “Seeing Green” with Drake and Lil Wayne.
In a Q&A with fans, Nicki said that her Young Money brothers “washed” her on the track, and she’s not afraid to admit it.
Way too many. All I know is that they washed me on #SeeingGreen I’m a woman enough to admit when I’ve been washed on a track by the Greats and it’s ok #Barbz I’ve washed them b4. We’ll live through this one. I was still a lil rusty I washed them in my head on #Fractionshttps://t.co/ZdPIqjOJn3
“All I know is that they washed me on #SeeingGreen,” tweeted Nicki. “I’m a woman enough to admit when I’ve been washed on a track by the Greats.”
However, Nicki feels that she has outshined Drizzy and Weezy on their past collaborations. “And it’s ok #Barbz I’ve washed them b4. We’ll live through this one,” she said, adding, “I was still a lil rusty I washed them in my head on #Fractions.”
She also revealed that she recorded around seven different versions of “Seeing Green” before settling on her verse. “Honestly I kept coming back to it for like a week. I have like 7 diff versions of my verse on that song,” she told fans.
Honestly I kept coming back to it for like a week. I have like 7 diff versions of my verse on that song. and no I’m not gonna upload them. and I took out a very funny line from #Fractions a cpl days b4 we released. It was such a fkng Ki https://t.co/KsgQ2j3Xki
During her Instagram Live on Thursday night, Nicki said that it was Drake who helped her overcome her writer’s block after she gave birth. “He single handedly got me out of my writer’s block, and I’m never gonna forget it and I’m gonna shout it to the fu**ing world from the mountain tops,” said Nicki. “He’s a fu**in’ genius as a musical artist but also as a human.”
Fresh off the release of The Off-Season, the Dreamville champ paid a visit to “The ETCs” podcast with Kevin Durant and Eddie Gonzalez, where he reflected on his career and relationship with fellow rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which has evolved over time. While they came up together, he has learned to value friendship over competitiveness.
“These are the guys that push you, and you gotta push them,” said Cole. “I was so competitive early on that, like, even though we were all friends, I’ve never been a reach out, I’ve never been that person, especially when it’s competition involved. It’s almost like working out together.”
When he was younger, he had a more competitive mentality, which has changed with age. “I guess in the NBA in the past that was unheard of. Like, ‘Why would I work out with this ni**a? I’m trying to destroy this ni**a.’ That was kind of my mentality early on,” he said. “But as I’ve gotten older, I realize that no one is truly my peer or can relate to what I’m going through in life more than these people right here–just in terms of whatever pressures there might be… Nobody can really relate to that like these dudes, and I really genuinely f**k with these dudes.”
He was able to stop viewing them as competition and more as friends. “I’ve been absolutely trying to make an effort as time goes on, to strip the competition from me,” he said. “I’m more interested in the relationship ’cause I also see a time when I’m not doing this. That seems very realistic to me.”
Added Cole, “I’m more interested in the genuine relationship. Before I was interested in the competition. Before I was just interested in putting pressure or responding to pressure… It’s just less competition in my mind ’cause ni**as is old, bro.”
However, he always had respect for his peers. “It was always a respect thing. Now it’s just more of a wisdom thing where it’s like, ‘Yo, you can never have it all.’”
“Michael Jordan will never be universally hailed as the greatest player of all time–and that’s insane. And LeBron James will never be universally hailed as the greatest player of all time–and that’s insane. You’ll never have it, so it comes with age to realize that like, ‘Yo, what are you even worried about?’ ‘Cause you’re just setting yourself up for suffering.”
Elsewhere in the podcast, Cole opened up about fulfilling his professional basketball dreams. On Sunday, the Fayetteville rapper made his debut playing for the Rwanda Patriots BBC in the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League.
Dead serious. Shld I set it up? 
and it’s ok 
I washed them in my head on 
and no I’m not gonna upload them. 
and I took out a very funny line from 
: ESPN+