Day: October 13, 2025

Future is now at the center of a copyright lawsuit after being accused of illegally using a photo of the legendary Dungeon Family house in Atlanta as the cover art for his release, “Mixtape Pluto.”

Photographer Garey C. Gomez filed the lawsuit, claiming the rapper and his affiliated companies used his images without permission.

The photo in question was taken at “The Dungeon,” a basement studio where Future’s music career first took shape. According to the complaint, the photo was not only used on the mixtape’s cover but also appeared on merchandise sold online and in retail stores.

The suit names Titol Retail, LLC and Wilburn Holding Company, Inc.—both connected to Future’s Freebandz brand—as co-defendants. Gomez says he discovered the alleged infringement in October 2023 and reached out to Future’s team, but no agreement was reached.

Gomez says he never granted a license or received payment for the use of his work. He is seeking monetary damages, the profits generated from the artwork, and a court order to block further use of the image.

“Mixtape Pluto” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking Future’s third chart-topping album of 2024. The project was widely praised for returning to his early mixtape style and was seen as a tribute to late Atlanta Hip-Hop pioneer Rico Wade and the Dungeon Family legacy.

The Dungeon, located in East Point, Georgia, is the basement studio of Rico Wade’s mother’s home. It became the creative headquarters for Organized Noize, the production trio of Wade, Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray.

The space helped shape the sound of Southern Hip-Hop in the 1990s, producing hits for OutKast, Goodie Mob and TLC.

The basement’s raw, unfinished look—with red clay floors and minimal equipment—became a symbol of the gritty, do-it-yourself spirit that fueled the Dungeon Family collective.

That group included OutKast, Goodie Mob, Killer Mike and a young Future, who recorded early material in the space.

In 2019, Big Boi of OutKast bought the house to preserve its place in music history.

“Atlanta is my home, and I grew up with The Dungeon Family in this house,” Big Boi said. “We would spend hours hanging out in the basement, writing rhymes and putting together beats at all hours of the night. Since purchasing the home, I’ve been excited to open its doors and welcome the next generation of artists to the space that inspired countless songs.”

Future and his companies are accused of willful copyright infringement and violating federal law by distributing false copyright management information.

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A man landed a prison sentence in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, after launching a months-long harassment spree targeting Trump supporters by scattering nails and screws in driveways and stalking a grocery store worker.

The 64-year-old Yardley man, Alaric Dalberg, pleaded guilty to stalking, harassment, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to serve between two and 23 months in the Bucks County Correctional Facility, followed by a 36-month probation term.

Between October 2024 and February 2025, Dalberg repeatedly targeted homes in Lower Makefield Township that displayed pro-Trump signs. He tossed nails and screws into driveways and, in one case, harassed a supermarket employee after a political argument.

Investigators tied Dalberg to the incidents using surveillance footage and nails found in his vehicle. When questioned by police in February, Dalberg admitted to collecting the nails specifically to go after what he called “Trumpers.”

“People who think they are justified in engaging in criminal activity because the ends justify the means will have a dose of reality if they choose to engage in crimes in Bucks County,” District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said in a statement.

One of his victims, Lisa Mason, said a mechanic warned her that one of the nails could have caused a tire blowout on the highway.

Another woman, Sandra Liberato, said Dalberg followed her from her house to her workplace and was caught on camera throwing debris near her car. Investigators later matched his grocery store loyalty card to the time of the incident.

“It’s really sad that you have to wake up in the morning with a flashlight and look for nails and screws,” Mason told NBC10 Philadelphia.

Judge Bateman made it clear during sentencing that Dalberg’s actions were deliberate and dangerous. “It was not an aberration,” he said. “Just because you disagree with their political views or personal views, do you decide to victimize them? It’s completely, unequivocally unacceptable to me.”

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Lizzo says she’s done second-guessing herself and is ready to take the reins again. The Grammy-winning artist revealed in a new interview that she had “forgotten how to trust” her own musical instincts after releasing two singles earlier this year that didn’t reflect her vision.

“I had forgotten how to trust myself,” she told Vulture. “I think, musically, I have been on a path to losing myself for a long time.”

The songs in question, “Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad,” were both selected by her label, Atlantic Records. Their accompanying visuals also missed the mark for the “About Damn Time” singer, who admitted the final product didn’t align with her original concept.

In March, Lizzo announced that her fifth studio album was finished. However, the release date remains in limbo due to ongoing legal issues. The lawsuits, filed by former employees in late 2023 and early 2024, accused her of sexual harassment, weight-shaming and creating a hostile work environment. Lizzo has denied all allegations.

Despite the turmoil, she’s now doubling down on her creative independence. During a pivotal meeting with her label, she made it clear she was done compromising.

“I sat down at the table and I said, ‘I need to do s**t my way starting from now. And I need y’all to have my back. It’s going to be a little scary,’” she said. “And everybody agreed, and they said, ‘We got your back, whatever you need.’”

By May, she had already begun reshaping her sound. She dropped a stripped-down version of “Still Bad (Animal Style),” signaling a return to a more raw and personal approach. The video, shot entirely on an iPhone, captures her walking through New York City after the Met Gala, stopping at an arcade and a drag show.

“Oh yeah, the point of this was to have f**king fun,” she said of the DIY-style video. Lizzo’s next move remains unclear, but her message is loud: she’s back in charge and doing things on her terms.

The album, though finished, has no confirmed release date as of June 2024.

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Papoose allegedly attacked a comedian at a public event, striking him in the face with a book after he made a joke about Claressa Shields.

Detroit-based comedian and internet prankster Gerald Huston claimed during a livestream that the Brooklyn rapper clocked him in the face after Huston mistook Shields for tennis icon Serena Williams.

“Papoose done hit me with a book, Huston said in a video after the incident. “Play silly games, win silly prizes.”

Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and boxing champion, later addressed the situation in her own video.

She said she had “nothing against” Huston but explained that things escalated after he kept following her and ignored her attempts to correct the mistaken identity.

“All of us who was around looked at him like, ‘bro, what is you doing?’” Shields said. She added that she wasn’t familiar with Huston’s comedy and believed the situation could have been avoided if he had asked for permission first.

According to Shields, Papoose initially asked Huston to back off, but Huston refused and continued pressing the issue. “Y’all already know what happened. I don’t have to say nothing,” she said.

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This isn’t Huston’s first run-in with a celebrity over one of his pranks. In 2022, he approached Young Thug at a shopping mall and called him “Future,” prompting a cold reaction from the rapper and a warning from his associate.

Huston has also pulled stunts on other public figures, including calling Stevie J “Diddy” at an airport and mistaking O.T. Genasis for DaBaby. While some celebrities have laughed it off, others have not been as amused.

Papoose and Shields began dating in 2024 following his split from rapper Remy Ma. The couple celebrated their first anniversary in September 2025, having first met at a boxing match in July 2024. 

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Rod Wave made his long-awaited return with a new music video and a tour announcement following a 10-month hiatus to focus on his mental health.

The Florida-born rapper released the visual for his new single “Leavin” on Sunday night (October 12), marking his first piece of new content since stepping away from the spotlight earlier this year.

The nearly three-minute video features Rod performing inside a dimly lit mansion, delivering raw lyrics with his signature melodic delivery.

The release quickly gained traction online, with supporters flooding social media to welcome him back.

Alongside the video, Rod also revealed he’s hitting the road again.

His upcoming Redemption Experience Tour kicks off December 7 in Los Angeles and wraps January 2 in Miami.

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Rod Wave Announces He’s Stepping Back From Spotlight

The announcement comes after months of silence from the 27-year-old, who paused his career in January to prioritize his well-being.

In a message shared with his followers at the time, Rod wrote, “Gonna travel, See the world, Find love, Raise kids, Prolly go back to school, Last lap was smooth, Hell of a journey. Thank you all.”

He followed up with a direct note to his critics and loyal listeners alike: “To the rest of y’all drag my name, Talk about me like a dog, Constantly speaking on me, bashing me, and what make me happy, I don’t fw you. To the real fans that love Me thank you. This ain’t goodbye, it’s simply see u later, keep your head up, and remember long as you got music you’re not alone … Till we meet again.”

Rod has consistently addressed his mental health struggles in his music and public statements, often using his platform to connect with those going through similar experiences.

His last project, Beautiful Mind, dropped in August 2022 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

With “Leavin” and a full tour on the horizon, Rod appears ready to step back into the spotlight on his own terms.

The Redemption Experience Tour begins December 7 in Los Angeles.

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