Author: alaskaadmin

Will.i.am is bringing his expertise in artificial intelligence to Arizona State University, where he’ll launch a new course at ASU’s Los Angeles campus in spring 2026.

The Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas frontman will serve as a professor of practice at ASU’s GAME School, where he’ll lead a 15-week course titled “The Agentic Self,” university president Michael Crow announced Tuesday (September 23) in New York City.

“This professorship marks a new chapter in my life,” will.i.am said. “From creating global unifying music to establishing my i.am Angel Foundation, which empowers 15,000 Los Angeles area high school students with STEM skills and sends thousands to college, I find the answer to my question ‘Where’s the love?’ in this course. The Agentic Self represents a solution to AI replacing human jobs.”

The course is part of ASU’s broader push to equip students for a rapidly changing workforce shaped by AI.

The GAME School—short for Global Ascent in Media and Entertainment—focuses on building digital fluency and will collaborate with will.i. am’s FYI.AI platform to launch EDU.FYI, a new educational tool powered by NVIDIA technology.

“We are always looking for ways to innovate how we teach to better prepare our students to meet the moment,” Crow said. “Our graduates must be ready for the powerful shift in jobs toward AI. This pioneering partnership with will.i.am is an unbelievable opportunity for our students to learn from his extraordinary experience as a highly creative and unique tech innovator.”

The appointment adds to will.i. am’s growing resume in the tech world. He was an early equity investor in Beats Electronics, which Apple acquired for $3 billion in 2014. Since then, he’s launched several ventures focused on artificial intelligence, voice computing and natural language processing.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FYI – Focus Your Ideas (@fyi.ai)

His i.am Angel Foundation has funded STEAM education programs for more than 12,000 underserved students in Southern California since 2009. The foundation also backs the i.am College Track tutoring center and Boyle Heights STEM Magnet High School in East Los Angeles.

​AllHipHop

Metro Boomin walked out of a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday (September 25) with a clean slate after a federal jury swiftly ruled he was not liable in a civil sexual assault lawsuit brought by Vanessa LeMaistre, ending a tense legal battle that began last year.

The verdict came after less than an hour of deliberation, with jurors rejecting all four claims against the Hip-Hop producer.

The case had drawn considerable attention due to the nature of the allegations and Metro Boomin’s high-profile status in the music industry.

LeMaistre filed the lawsuit in October 2023, alleging that in 2016, after consuming alcohol and half a Xanax pill during a recording session, she lost consciousness and later woke up in a hotel room where she claimed Metro Boomin was sexually assaulting her.

Metro Boomin leaves federal court in LA after a jury cleared him in a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted a woman in 2016.

I’ll have a full recap with quotes from closing arguments and more photos and video.

Subscribe to get it in your inbox: https://t.co/uEqaPmkwUy pic.twitter.com/VQdPcBvVRC

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) September 25, 2025

She said the alleged incident resulted in a pregnancy, which she later terminated.

On the stand, Metro Boomin denied all wrongdoing and maintained that their interactions were consensual. He added that he first became aware of the allegations nearly a decade after they were filed in the lawsuit.

One of the more contentious moments in court came when the defense introduced handwritten notes LeMaistre wrote during a 2024 Ayahuasca retreat in Peru.

In those notes, she mentioned plans to “blow the whistle” on Metro Boomin and referenced seeking millions in damages. His attorney described the writings as “disturbing” and questioned LeMaistre’s motives and credibility.

A psychologist called by the defense also challenged the reliability of LeMaistre’s memory. The expert pointed to discrepancies between her testimony and her medical records, raising doubts about the consistency of her claims.

LeMaistre’s legal team requested a mistrial after the defense referenced her sexual history without prior court approval. The judge denied the motion, allowing closing arguments to proceed.

Throughout the trial, Metro Boomin received visible support from close friends, including rapper Young Thug, who made an appearance in court.

The jury’s decision Thursday officially ended a case Metro Boomin described as a “preposterous” attempt at a celebrity shakedown. The producer is now shifting his focus back to music after the verdict cleared him of any liability.

​AllHipHop

6ix9ine was back in court on Thursday (September 25) after prosecutors alleged he assaulted a man who mocked him for cooperating with federal authorities in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods case.

Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York say surveillance footage shows the rapper briefly attacking a man inside a West Palm Beach mall.

The individual reportedly called him a “snitch,” referencing his testimony in the 2019 racketeering trial that helped convict several gang members.

The incident, which led to a battery charge, was reduced to a misdemeanor. However, the altercation added to a growing list of supervised release violations.

Prosecutors urged U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer to jail Hernandez immediately, but the judge declined.

Sentencing is now scheduled for November 4 on three separate violations tied to his supervised release. The court will decide whether Hernandez will serve additional prison time.

The rapper’s legal issues stem from a 2019 plea agreement in which he cooperated with federal prosecutors to avoid a lengthy sentence. He initially faced up to 47 years behind bars but received just two after testifying against members of Nine Trey.

In exchange, he agreed to five years of supervised release, 1,000 hours of community service and a $35,000 fine. This latest courtroom appearance follows a string of recent legal problems.

In July, Hernandez pleaded guilty to drug possession charges after police found cocaine and ecstasy in his Miami home. Prosecutors dropped related charges involving a firearm and fentanyl due to insufficient DNA evidence.

That guilty plea alone violated the terms of his supervised release. Judge Engelmayer warned Hernandez at the time that “the rules don’t apply to him” attitude could land him back in prison.

The rapper had already served 45 days in jail last November for unauthorized travel and multiple failed drug tests, including one for methamphetamine.

Despite his own cooperation with law enforcement, 6ix9ine has publicly criticized other artists for doing the same.

He previously took aim at Young Thug amid the Atlanta rapper’s controversy after a video of him talking to police in an interrogation room and a series of leaked jail calls put him under scrutiny and damaged his reputation.

​AllHipHop

This is awesome.

Walter Emanuel Jones is remembered by a generation as Zack Taylor, the original Black Power Ranger. Now, at 54, the Detroit-born actor is trading martial arts for microphones as he dives headfirst into rap.

Jones, who also goes by Tre Emanuel, dropped a new track that leans heavily into Hip-Hop with a bounce that would fit nicely on today’s playlists. While most might expect nostalgia when they hear the Black Ranger is rapping, Tre delivers something closer to mainstream rap than a gimmick. He’s nice. If the name wasn’t attached, listeners could easily mistake it for a fresh new artist. I guess he is a fresh new artist.

Detroit has produced rap giants like Eminem, Big Sean and J Dilla. Tre doesn’t have a well-known history in Hip-Hop, but his sound is polished. I am thinking he’s been rapping all this time and finally decided to go for it. By the way, he’s got other songs like “Dance,” a feel-good cut that’s more about fun than bars.

Walter’s story has some weight outside of music. As a child, he lost part of his left hand after an accident with a real gun he mistook for a toy. The injury cost him his middle finger. It has almost nothing to do with Hip-Hop or Hollywood, but it adds a layer of grit to his life.

For many, Jones will always be the first Black Ranger—a trailblazer. He is one of the most recognizable kids’ shows of the ’90s. I am glad he’s looking forward. He’s got new songs hitting and he has great momentum. He’s been a morphing superhero and now he’s a morphing talent. Surprise!

​AllHipHop

A$AP Rocky dismissed traditional therapy and praised Jay-Z as a trusted confidant during a revealing conversation with Elle, linking mental health skepticism to his own experiences and upcoming film.

“I think Jay-Z is a Black therapist,” A$AP Rocky said. “A lot of people come to him with their problems.”

The Harlem rapper made the remark while discussing the shortage of Black therapists and his personal doubts about the effectiveness of therapy.

His comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview tied to the release of If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a psychological thriller he stars in alongside Rose Byrne.

“That whole f**king film is an anxiety attack,” he said.

Rocky didn’t hold back when asked about his stance on therapy, comparing it to mystical practices.

“My outlook on therapy is so pessimistic, it’s not even funny. I might get killed for this, but I put therapists in the same box as psychic readings,” he said.

He added, “I look at it like, yo, if you don’t share the same experiences what’s the point of me telling a stranger my business for an hour straight, for them to just say, ‘OK, well, how did that make you feel?’”

The Elle feature also touched on Rocky’s personal life. He and Rihanna recently welcomed their third child, a daughter, further expanding their high-profile family.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is set to hit theaters next month.

​AllHipHop

Diddy has been ordered to explain why he needs fancy threads instead of jail-issued garments when he appears in federal court for sentencing on October 3, 2025, after a judge rejected his earlier attempt to wear civilian clothes for a separate hearing this week.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian denied a motion from Diddy’s legal team to allow him to wear non-prison attire at his September 25 court appearance, saying the defense failed to provide a valid reason for the request.

The judge left the door open for the October sentencing but made it clear he expects a more detailed explanation before signing off.

Diddy’s attorneys submitted a scaled-back wardrobe request, asking the court to approve two button-down shirts, two pairs of pants, two sweaters and one pair of shoes without laces.

This is far less than what he was allowed during his criminal trial earlier this year, when he was permitted to wear up to five items of each type to avoid appearing in prison attire before a jury.

The October hearing will determine Diddy’s sentence after he was convicted on two counts of transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.

The charges stem from violations of the Mann Act, a federal law that prohibits transporting people for illegal sexual activity.

The judge’s demand for justification reflects how federal courts handle inmate appearances, especially in high-profile cases involving celebrities like Diddy.

The court typically allows civilian clothing during jury trials to avoid prejudicing jurors, but the same leniency doesn’t always apply during sentencing.

Meanwhile, Diddy’s legal team is also pushing to overturn his conviction or secure a new trial.

His lawyers argue that prosecutors misapplied the Mann Act and failed to prove their case. They claim Diddy did not profit from prostitution and only paid escorts to perform with his romantic partners, which they say is protected by the First Amendment.

They also argue Diddy never transported anyone himself and did not receive money from the encounters.

Prosecutors counter that Combs directed and sometimes participated in the acts, secretly recorded them without consent and met the legal threshold for trafficking.

Judge Subramanian heard arguments on the motion to acquit or retry the case on September 25. As of presstime, he has not yet ruled on whether the conviction will stand or if a new trial will be granted.

Diddy has been held in custody since September 2024. His bail requests were denied due to concerns about potential violence and witness tampering.

​AllHipHop

Nas landed a major win in his hometown as a $5.5 billion casino expansion project he backs in Queens received unanimous approval from a local advisory board, clearing a key hurdle in the race for one of New York’s coveted downstate casino licenses.

The Queens Community Advisory Committee voted 6-0 in favor of the Resorts World New York City expansion near the Aqueduct racetrack, setting the stage for a sprawling entertainment complex that includes a 7,000-seat venue, 2,000 hotel rooms and more than 30 dining spots.

“Queens get the money,” one voting member said, adding a jab at JAY-Z: “Sorry, JAY-Z. We win again! I just had to rub that in.”

Richards’ comment referenced the recent collapse of JAY-Z’s $5.4 billion Times Square casino proposal, which was rejected in a 4-2 vote by Manhattan’s Community Advisory Committee on September 17.

That project, backed by Roc Nation, Caesars Entertainment and SL Green, faced strong pushback from Broadway theater leaders and local groups who feared it would disrupt the area’s cultural and economic ecosystem.

It was also a nod to the pair’s infamous feud, which resulted in a pair of classic diss tracks: “Takeover” by JAY-Z and Nas’ reply, “Ether.”

Nas, who grew up in the Queensbridge Houses, partnered with Resorts World to help shape the development’s community outreach and long-term impact.

The plan includes 3,000 units of workforce housing, over 50 acres of new parkland and upgraded transit connections to JFK Airport and Manhattan. He’s also helping lead a $50 million commitment to launch the Genting Innovation Campus, a wellness center and a STEAM institute aimed at youth in Southeast Queens.

If licensed, the casino would double its gaming revenue from $1 billion to an estimated $2.2 billion by 2027. The expansion is expected to create 5,000 permanent jobs and an additional 5,000 jobs during construction.

​AllHipHop

Wale is diving into the gritty past of his hometown with Silk, a television series spotlighting infamous D.C. hitman Wayne “Silk” Perry during the city’s deadliest years.

The Grammy-nominated rapper and Washington D.C. native is stepping behind the camera to executive produce the crime drama, which centers on Perry’s violent reign from 1989 to 1993—a time when the nation’s capital earned the grim title of “murder capital” of the United States.

“D.C. is more than just politics,” Wale said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

The series will trace Perry’s rise as a feared enforcer for Harlem drug trafficker Alpo Martinez, who moved his cocaine operation into D.C. following the downfall of local kingpin Rayful Edmond. Perry’s reputation for carrying out executions with precision and ruthlessness made him one of the most feared men in the city’s underworld.

“This story is one of the last authentic stories in Black crime lore,” Wale’s manager Kazz Laidlaw said. “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.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wale (@wale)

Perry, now known as Nkosi Shaka Zulu El, is serving five life sentences at ADX Florence, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. He was convicted in 1994 for a string of murders tied to Martinez’s drug empire. His conviction followed Martinez’s arrest and cooperation with federal prosecutors, which included testimony that helped seal Perry’s fate.

Among the victims were drug dealer Garrett Terrell and Evelyn Carter, a witness who had been prepared to testify.

Wale has secured a stake in Perry Industries, the D.C.-based company that holds Perry’s life rights. He will produce the series alongside Laidlaw and C. Edwards of Perry Industries.

Set against the backdrop of early 1990s Washington, the show will weave in the city’s chaotic political climate, high crime rates, and the pulse of its go-go music scene. The same years saw the Washington Redskins winning Super Bowls, Mayor Marion Barry under FBI investigation, and Congress passing the 1994 crime bill.

“That era in D.C. was internationally famous,” Wale said. “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.”

Wale, who has previously acted in Ambulance and American Gods, has consistently infused his music with references to his D.C. roots. With Silk, he’s aiming to bring an unfiltered look at a city that’s often reduced to political headlines.

The project is still in early development, and no network or streaming platform has been attached.

The series joins a growing wave of crime dramas like Power, Snowfall and Narcos that explore the drug-fueled chaos of the 1980s and 1990s.

​AllHipHop

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony will receive a hometown salute during a celebration at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, where the third annual Music Keynote to the City will honor the legendary Hip-Hop group. The news comes two months after it was announced that the group would also get their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame sometime in 2026.

The Rock Hall tribute will take place Sunday (September 28) at 3:30 p.m. local time at the Rock Hall. Cleveland City Councilman Brian Kazy will present the ceremony, which will include a formal recognition of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony—Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Flesh ‘n Bone and Wish Bone—followed by a brief performance. Admission to the ceremony is free with RSVP, though museum entry is not included.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, formed in Cleveland in 1991, carved a lasting legacy in Hip-Hop with their melodic flows and rapid-fire delivery. Their breakout single, “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” and chart-toppers like “Tha Crossroads” helped define the genre in the ’90s.

The group collaborated with their mentor Eazy-E, who signed them to Ruthless Records, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., bridging coasts and styles in a way few others have.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (@btnhlive)

The Rock Hall also unveiled a trio of Rihanna’s stage and video outfits now featured in its “Legends of Rock” exhibit. The collection includes the bustier worn in her “Rude Boy” music video, the bodysuit from the same shoot and the bustier she wore during her “Rehab” performance at the 2008 American Music Awards.

The Music Keynote to the City is part of the Rock Hall’s ongoing efforts to honor artists with deep ties to Cleveland and beyond. Thanks to KeyBank’s CLE*VIP program, Cleveland residents can visit the museum free of charge every day.

Looking ahead, the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for next fall, with the official date and lineup of inductees still to be announced. The annual event, which celebrates artists across genres who have made lasting contributions to music, typically draws major names and performances. Last year’s ceremony featured appearances from Missy Elliott and Willie Nelson, among others, according to NBC News.

The Bone Thugs-n-Harmony celebration and Rihanna exhibit are both housed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, located at 1100 Rock N Roll Blvd in Cleveland.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layzie Bone (@thereallayziebone)

​AllHipHop

Young Thug and YFN Lucci shocked the Hip-Hop world Friday (September 26) by appearing on each other’s albums, signaling the end of a years-long feud that once split Atlanta’s rap scene down the middle.

The two rappers, who had been embroiled in a bitter rivalry for nearly a decade, dropped their respective projects — UY Scuti from Young Thug and Already Legend from YFN Lucci — on September 26.

But the real headline came from their unexpected features on each other’s albums, a move that insiders say was intentional and meant to close the chapter on their public conflict.

Lucci appears on “Whaddup Jesus,” a melodic track that touches on their shared past, with Thug nodding to old street tensions.

Meanwhile, Thug shows up on Lucci’s “Still Waiting” alongside 21 Savage, marking a moment many thought would never happen.

Young Thug & YFN Lucci Drop On The Same Day

The mutual features weren’t just symbolic — they were strategic. Sources close to both camps confirmed the collaboration was planned as a way to shift the narrative in Atlanta Hip-Hop, which has long been shaped by beefs and rivalries.

The rollout included some lighthearted trolling on social media, but behind the scenes, the move was serious and calculated.

UY Scuti marks Young Thug’s first full-length release since being released from jail in October 2024.

The 20-track album runs just over 74 minutes and includes appearances from Future, Cardi B, Ken Carson, T.I., Sexxy Red, Travis Scott, Lil Gotit, Mariah the Scientist and more.

Thug uses the project to reflect on his time behind bars, relationships, and regrets, especially on the single “Miss My Dogs.”

Lucci’s Already Legend is his first major project since returning home earlier in 2025.

The 21-track album spans 55 minutes and includes previously released singles like “Would You Care?” and “JAN. 31st (my truth).”

The fact that both rappers chose to feature each other on the same day, on albums that dropped simultaneously, is being viewed by many as a deliberate and public truce.

​AllHipHop