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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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Back in 2012, Rihanna‘s “Diamonds” soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week ending on December 1. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time and nabbed Rihanna her 12th No. 1 single. At the time, “Diamonds” tied her with Madonna and The Supremes for the fifth most No. 1 singles in the chart’s history.
“Diamonds” was written by Sia and its producers, Benny Blanco and Stargate. After premiering on radio in September 2012, it served as the lead single off of Rihanna’s seventh studio album, Unapologetic. Blanco says the song came together overnight and was shopped around to Eminem before landing in Rihanna’s hands a few months later. Initially, he and Stargate had Lana Del Rey or Kanye West in mind while making the beat.
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Blanco details the making of “Diamonds” and the impact that the song’s had on his career below:
“I originally went to [the studio] with Stargate. We were in New York and were making just a track… I was like, ‘Man, we should really make something for Lana Del Rey’ that’s what I think it was. We made the beat, and I was like ‘Oh my god, this is so sick!’
I gave the beat to Paul Rosenberg to give to Eminem. I didn’t think anything of it, and then Sia was [in the studio] writing songs, and she was about to leave for the night. She called a car, and the car [was] going to be there in 15 minutes. So in 12 minutes, she wrote the entire song and did the harmonies and everything – everything on the spot.
We had the song for a while, and then all of a sudden it was like, ‘Yo bro! Remember that song? We’re cutting it. Rihanna wants to cut it now!’
Then later, I get a call and Stargate was like, ‘Yo, Rihanna’s gonna cut it.’ They’re in London, like they’re gonna cut it right now! And I was like, ‘Really?’ I was like, ‘I didn’t even know that song was that good?’ And they’re like, ‘Bro, you gotta trust me! This thing is gonna be crazy! They’re gonna cut it. They wanna put it out!’
They cut it, and they were like, ‘You guys gotta turn it [“Diamonds”] around in one day. We’re putting this out.’ And we’re like, ‘Holy shit!’ I think Stargate just sent it. I remember I was with Sia when we got it. We were in a furniture store randomly. We heard it, and we were like, ‘Holy shit! This is so crazy!’
We didn’t even go in the studio with [Rihanna] to cut it… that’s the rarest thing. I think it’s the only song in my career that I haven’t. Maybe one other… I usually record everything, mix it all, and do the whole thing… but they just did. It just happened, you know?
I met [Rihanna] one time in passing. It’s so weird for me because usually I have such a good relationship with all the artists. Most artists that I work with will spend the night at my house when they’re in town. Most artists I work with I’m best friends with, they know my family, and come over for dinner. Hi Rihanna, if you’re reading this!
When it came out, Paul Rosenberg hit me and was like, ‘What the fuck?” Eminem wanted to cut that song!’ I was like, ‘What! I didn’t hear anything from you for months!’ When we were making the song, I was like, ‘Yo, this can also be so good for Kanye!’ We tried to send it to Kanye, and I think nothing happened. Then he wound up getting on the remix of the song. So it’s just weird how the world works, you know?
It really resonates with a lot of people, and she made it so fucking good. It’s the ultimate of ‘not always knowing.’ I didn’t know that song was going to be big. I didn’t know what the future was going to be of that song. We just made that song, and I trusted all the people around me, and she made the song into something so special that I could’ve never imagined. She’s so talented, and the chance to work with her, even from afar, is a fucking dream.”
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Shop for Rihanna’s music on vinyl or CD now.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2017.
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A woman checks into her Florida Airbnb thinking she and her travel companion will be alone. When she arrives, the situation is more complicated than she initially expected.
TikTok user Val (@itsvaleriexx) and a friend traveled to Tampa last week to see the band My Chemical Romance live in concert.
She reveals what happened when they arrived at their Airbnb, which they thought would be a private accommodation, in a video posted last week.
“Tell me why there’s like random cars parked in front,” Val says as she approaches the front door. “Who is in here? We just got the keys. We’re about to walk in. Hopefully, there’s no one in there.”
The suspicious cars in the front yard would’ve been enough of a red flag. But then Val’s first attempt to unlock the front door doesn’t work. “I think we’re in the shed out the back, because we tried the front door and the keys didn’t open it,” she says. She goes to the back patio gate and tries the key. It works.
In the caption, Val writes, “The caveat is the Airbnb listing said we’d have the whole place to ourselves, so that’s why we were so confused.”
Florida Airbnb: ‘Are You Guys Locked In the Shed?’
In the comments, viewers expressed alarm at the abrupt end of the video and concern for the safety of Val and her friend.
“Girl, are you guys locked in the shed? Can you update us, please? This is concerning,” wrote one person.
“We had people living in the garage when we stayed near Tampa,” wrote a second user. “It was sketchy.”
“The instructions should have said if it was a separate building behind a house—let alone a locked door. That’s scary,” said a third person.
However, several people familiar with the culture in Tampa said this isn’t necessarily a red flag. “That’s totally normal for Tampa,” wrote one person. “They rent their yards for tailgating if they’re close to the stadium.”
Later in the day, Val updated viewers on her situation in a follow-up video. “In the end, it was fine,” Val wrote in the caption. “The Airbnb listing was a bit misleading, saying entire place to yourself when really it was just a room. So the cars parked out front, I assume, are all the people who actually live there. And they were using the closet to divide this room from the rest of the house.”
The ‘Entire Place’ Option on Airbnb
According to Airbnb, the entire place option is “usually” a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and a separate dedicated entrance. As was pointed out in the comments, Val’s accommodation could be seen to fulfill all those requirements.
However, Airbnb’s website does say that hosts should tell guests in advance whether the space is owner-occupied or not. The listing seems more akin to the “private room” option, which generally includes shared common areas. This is important to note, because the rules for owner access to the property are different for entire home and shared stays.
In entire home stays, hosts can’t access the property or private spaces without permission. In shared spaces, owners can access shared spaces but not bedrooms or bathrooms.
All Hip Hop contacted Val via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Airbnb via email for comment.
@itsvaleriexx The cavet is the Airbnb listing said we’d have the whole place to ourselves so that’s why we were so confused! #tampa #airbnb #travel #mcr ♬ original sound – Val 
AllHipHop
LOS ANGELES — Quinta Brunson officially ended her marriage to Kevin Anik in Los Angeles after the pair finalized a private divorce agreement six months after her initial court filing.
The Abbott Elementary creator and Emmy-winning actress reached an uncontested divorce settlement with Anik, according to court records reviewed by People. The documents confirm their legal separation date as December 1, 2024, which had not been specified in earlier filings.
Agreement Reached Outside Courtroom
Brunson and Anik avoided a public legal battle by settling outside of court. The terms of their agreement remain sealed, but the filing confirms it includes spousal support provisions. Because the divorce was uncontested, no trial or further hearings were necessary.
The couple’s decision to keep the details confidential aligns with how they handled their relationship from the start—largely out of public view.
Marriage Timeline and Public Acknowledgment
Brunson and Anik got engaged in July 2020. While she rarely spoke about their relationship publicly, she acknowledged him during her 2022 Emmy Awards acceptance speech after winning Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
“I have to thank my mom, dad, brothers and sisters, my cousins… my wonderful husband because he’s the most supportive man I’ve ever known,” she said during the live broadcast.
Career Success Amid Personal Change
Brunson’s career has surged since the premiere of Abbott Elementary in 2021. The ABC series, which she writes, executive produces and stars in as Janine Teagues, has earned critical acclaim and a growing list of accolades.
The divorce was finalized in 2024, closing a chapter in her personal life as her professional success continues to rise.
AllHipHop
Yella Beezy is pressing Dallas prosecutors to reveal the identities of confidential informants and witnesses ahead of his capital murder trial tied to the 2020 killing of fellow rapper Mo3.
Attorneys for the rapper filed a series of motions requesting that the court compel the state to disclose key information.
Among the top demands: the names and addresses of all potential witnesses, including any informants, at least 20 days before the trial begins.
The defense also requested access to all evidence collected by law enforcement, including photographs, lab results, and physical items.
They are seeking anything that could either support Yella Beezy’s innocence or lessen the punishment if he’s convicted.
Yella Beezy’s legal team is also requesting all statements he made to the police and a pretrial hearing to determine whether those statements were made voluntarily. They want to ensure he wasn’t coerced or misled during questioning.
Another motion seeks to uncover whether any witnesses were offered deals or incentives in exchange for their cooperation.
The defense is pushing to exclude any mention of past unrelated incidents unless a judge rules them relevant.
Additionally, the attorneys request full access to materials used to refresh witnesses’ memories and complete records of all evidence gathered during the investigation.
Yella Beezy was indicted in March 2025 by a Dallas County grand jury for capital murder with remuneration, accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot against Mo3.
Prosecutors allege Yella Beezy paid Kewon White to carry out the deadly shooting on Interstate 35E in Dallas on November 11, 2020. White and Devin Brown were arrested as co-defendants.
Investigators claim Yella Beezy withdrew $40,000 in cash before the incident and cite surveillance footage as part of the evidence linking him to the crime.
Yella Beezy was taken into custody on March 20, 2025, and initially held on a $2 million bond, which was later reduced to $750,000.
He is currently under house arrest with electronic monitoring.
If convicted, Yella Beezy could face the death penalty under Texas law. His trial is scheduled to begin on February 2, 2026.
AllHipHop
President Trump authorized a federal troop deployment to Portland as investigators continue looking into a fire that scorched Ice Cube‘s tour bus just days after his performance in the city.
In a post on Truth Social Saturday, President Trump wrote, “I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”
The move comes as Portland Fire & Rescue continues its investigation into the blaze that broke out on the front passenger tire of Ice Cube’s chartered vehicle on Tuesday (September 22).
The 56-year-old Hip-Hop icon had just wrapped a show at the Moda Center the night before as part of his “Truth to Power” tour. Through a representative, Ice Cube said, “I’m not taking this incident as a personal attack. A coward like that would burn anybody’s property that was out there at the time.”
Trump’s decision to deploy troops echoes his 2020 response to protests in Portland, when federal agents were sent to the city during months of unrest.
That earlier deployment led to repeated clashes between demonstrators and federal officers, drawing national attention and criticism.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has pushed back against federal involvement. “I have not asked for – and do not need – federal intervention,” he said earlier this month.
On Thursday, Trump hinted at the upcoming action, telling reporters, “We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland.” He referred to the targets as “professional agitators and anarchists.”
Trump has repeatedly described Portland in bleak terms, once calling it “like living in hell.” He also signed an order this week designating antifa as a domestic terrorist group.
Portland Fire & Rescue has not released any new updates on the tour bus fire as of Saturday.
AllHipHop
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wale is executive producing a television drama titled Silk that centers on the deadly legacy of Washington D.C. contract killer Wayne “Silk” Perry, whose name became synonymous with fear during the city’s most violent era.
The Grammy Award-nominated rapper and D.C. native is developing the series through Perry Industries, which controls the life rights of Perry, now known as Nkosi Shaka Zulu El. The show will explore Perry’s role as the enforcer for Harlem drug lord Alpo Martinez during the early 1990s, when D.C. led the nation in homicides.
A Look at D.C.’s Bloodiest Years
From 1989 to 1993, Perry operated as Martinez’s muscle, executing rivals and witnesses with a level of precision that earned him infamy in the streets. His violent run coincided with Washington’s descent into chaos, as the city earned the grim label of “murder capital” of the United States.
“That era in D.C. was internationally famous,” Wale told The Hollywood Reporter. “The Redskins were winning Super Bowls, the mayor was indicted by the FBI, Joe Biden passed the crime bill, and D.C. had 482 homicides — the highest in the country.”
The show will blend Perry’s criminal exploits with the political and cultural backdrop of the time, including the go-go music scene, the collapse of local drug empires, and the federal investigation of then-Mayor Marion Barry.
Behind the Scenes of ‘Silk’
Wale will produce the series alongside Kazz Laidlaw, his manager at EQT, and C. Edwards of Perry Industries. The project is currently in development, with no network or streaming platform yet attached.
“D.C. is more than just politics,” Wale said. “We have a rich, Black history that’s inspired audiences around the world, and it’s time to tell more stories that are based here.”
Laidlaw added, “This story is one of the last authentic stories in Black crime lore. People have seen slivers in movies like Paid in Full and read conjecture online, but beneath the surface is an entire world that hasn’t been seen before.”
Perry’s Criminal Legacy
Perry was convicted in 1994 for multiple murders tied to Martinez’s drug operation. His victims included drug dealer Garrett Terrell and Evelyn Carter, a witness scheduled to testify. He is currently serving five life sentences at ADX Florence, a federal supermax prison in Colorado.
Martinez’s cooperation with federal prosecutors helped secure Perry’s conviction. Martinez himself was shot and killed in 2021 in Harlem.
A New Chapter for Wale
Wale, who previously appeared in Ambulance and American Gods, has long infused his music with references to his D.C. upbringing. With Silk, he’s stepping further into storytelling, aiming to portray the city’s complex history beyond its political headlines.
The series joins a growing list of crime dramas like Power, Snowfall and Narcos that examine the drug-fueled violence of the late 20th century.
Silk remains in early development with no release date or platform confirmed.
AllHipHop