Category: Hip Hop

Over the course of her decades-spanning discography, Mary J. Blige has been a conduit for communal pain and healing. She’s shared her world and given generously of herself over 13 studio albums, and remains a singular force in R&B. Starting out as the artist who showed the mainstream how to successfully blend New Jack Swing into a more soulful brand of hip-hop-based R&B, Blige continued to evolve her sound with every decade, as others followed her lead. From her early beginnings in the 90s to her continued impact on pop music through the 00s, and her victory lap in the 2010s, Mary J Blige is one of R&B’s brightest and most innovative vocalists. The best Mary J Blige songs tell the story of her artistry – as revealed by these 20 essential tracks.

Browse Mary J Blige’s music on limited edition vinyl and CDs here.

20: Deep Inside

Even after seven years of soul-bearing music, Blige had barely scratched the surface when it came to revealing herself as an artist and a person. But on her fourth studio album, 1999’s, Mary, she realized you can give too much of yourself away. Built around a piano loop from Elton John’s “Bennie And The Jets” (the music legend replayed the part himself for the recording), “Deep Inside” addresses all the people who wanted a piece of the singer. “The problem is for many years/I’ve lived my life publicly/And every time I find someone I like, gotta worry about/If it’s really me that they see,” she sings.

19: Take Me As I Am

Coming along six years after “Deep Inside” was the hit single “Take Me As I Am,” from Blige’s seventh studio album, The Breakthrough. Over the whimsical melody of Lonnie Liston Smith’s “Garden Of Peace,” Mary confesses, “She’s been down and out/She’s been wrote about/She’s been talked about, constantly.” Throughout the song, Blige switches from protagonist to observer and back again. It’s another tale of survival, but, this time around, Blige is singing from the bright side of the tunnel, knowing she “put my life all up in these songs.”

18: Your Child

The most enduring Mary J Blige songs are built upon lyrical storytelling over dramatic instrumentals. The Mary album does not lack in that department, as evidenced by “Your Child,” for which Blige takes what could have been a clichéd ballad and turns it into something more complex. When faced with a partner who has a child outside of the relationship, it becomes more of a story of humanizing the “other woman”, and letting the listener heal with them. Sounds ripe for a dance remix, right? Maybe not. But even Mary’s tales of heartbreak can burn up the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart – as “Your Child” did when it hit No.1, in 2000.

17: Enough Cryin

The Breakthrough turned out to be a liberating record that redefined Blige’s career on her own terms. While she channeled the hurt exhibited on her previous six albums, The Breakthrough could be seen as a triumphant comeback from a wiser, more mature R&B and pop maven. Over a Darkchild beat, “Enough Cryin” made good on its promise. Most Mary J Blige songs are based on a hip-hop/soul fusion, but on “Enough Cryin,” you get a glimpse of her MC skills, as her alter ego, Brooklyn, proves she could dominate both genres with ease.

16: Everything

Many songs stand the test of time thanks to sampling and interpolations across genres. One example that got a second life is The Stylistics’ “You Are Everything,” which serves as the backbone for this Share My World single. “Everything” sees Mary at her most blissful as she happily sings about a “love so pure,” upholding the belief that all great art comes from pain.

15: Just Fine

There can’t be a wedding, office party, cookout, or family reunion function without hearing this gem from Mary’s 2007 album, Growing Pains. Due to her eccentric dance moves, and aging like a fine wine throughout her career, many R&B fans regard Blige as a famous “auntie.” “Just Fine” could very well be the anthem for all the aunties who just “wanna move,” “wanna have fun,” and “wouldn’t change” their life. Channeling the funk groove of Marvin Gaye and the disco beat of Michael Jackson circa Off The Wall, “Just Fine” is a quintessential throwback party anthem.

14: You Remind Me (featuring Greg Nice)

When Blige debuted in 1992, with What’s The 411?, she had arrived at the forefront of an R&B renaissance and genre evolution. New Jack Swing was starting to evolve, as the sound became more aligned with hip-hop production. “You Remind Me” is a classic example of this, with Blige delivering stunning melismas and passionate belts over Dave “Jam” Hall’s funky production, earning her the title “Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul.”

13: Share My World

“Cool,” “suave,” and “effortless” are three words that describe the relaxing tone of Blige’s vocals on her third album, Share My World. While her first two albums were hard-hitting, with heavy emotional delivery, Share My World offered a more laidback approach, acknowledging hip-hop soul’s transition into a more electro-fuelled phase of R&B in the new millennium. Part of this tonal shift was also thanks to Blige’s more positive state of mind and her departure from working with Puffy as a producer. The title track of the album, “Share My World” earns its place among the best Mary J Blige songs, as she floats over the glitchy, trip-hop beat.

12: Don’t Go

Swapping typical hip-hop breakbeats for samples like Guy’s “Goodbye Love” And DeBarge’s “Stay With Me,” producers Thompson and Puffy create the perfect backdrop for Blige’s hip-hop soul balladry on “Don’t Go,” a My Life classic. It’s one of the more downtempo cuts on the album, but Blige still imbues it with the kind of soulful yearning that was usually reversed for the Marvin Gayes of the world.

11: U + Me (Love Lesson)

In 2017, Blige asserted her dominance, going toe-to-toe with trap-tinged R&B and pop music. On her 13th studio album, Strength Of A Woman, she bounces back from recent divorce drama with tracks such as “Glow Up,” “Thick Of It,” and “Love Yourself,” which all tap into the trend while maintaining Blige’s personal brand of soul. The album’s staple “U + Me (Love Lesson)” is a sultry break-up anthem. Blige doesn’t regret the relationship, but, rather, feels fortunate to have survived it. “In too deep without imperfection/Not always good, but I stayed on my feet,” she sings, proving once again that she’s the master at moving on. “U + Me (Love Lesson)” would reach No.1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs chart to become one of the defining Mary J Blige songs.

10: Not Gon’ Cry

Resilience has been a consistent theme throughout the best Mary J Blige songs. She has consistently paved the way to redemption for plenty of her listeners, particularly women who have been through relatable situations. Her appearance on 1995’s Waiting To Exhale soundtrack was an essential ingredient for a film centered around four African-American girlfriends who navigate their own stories of love, dating, and heartbreak. On this staple, Blige promises, “I’m not gon’ shed no tears,” realizing, “’Cause you’re not worth my tears,” despite having sacrificed “11 years” to unrequited commitment. Peaking at No.2 on the Hot 100 in 1996, “Not Gon’ Cry” would appear on her third album, 1997’s Share My World.

9: All That I Can Say

Sometimes, through all the heartache and pain of her discography, joyous moments may seem rare. “All That I Can Say” is therapeutic, to say the least, finding the singer in one of her most blissful states. Opening the Mary album, it also features the song’s author, Lauryn Hill, providing background vocals. In one of her most earnest performances, Blige calls her partner “heaven-sent,” which is also an apt description of the song itself.

8: I’m Goin’ Down

The best cover versions not only do the original songs justice, but also add new depths to their meaning. There’s Whitney Houston’s powerhouse cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” Sinéad O’Connor’s heart-wrenching version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and Mary J Blige’s sultry rendition of Rose Royce’s 1976 classic “I’m Going Down.” Fittingly, for the pain expressed throughout her sophomore effort, My Life, “I’m Goin’ Down,” produced by Sean “Puffy” Combs and Chucky Thompson, would showcase the resilience in Blige’s earthy soprano voice, becoming one of the most beloved Mary J Blige songs of all time.

7: No More Drama

Just as its parent album declares, the track “No More Drama” sees Blige navigate unfamiliar territory: contentment. Recalling the heartbreak and the ups and downs she’s navigated through her life, Mary declares “No more drama” in one of her most dramatic performances, over the beat of “Nadia’s Theme” from the daytime soap opera The Young And The Restless, courtesy of the star production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

6: Be Without You

As one of the finest cuts on The Breakthrough, “Be Without You” stormed R&B radio in 2005 and spent a phenomenal 75 weeks on the charts, earning Blige two Grammy wins. It remains one her most powerful performances, with vocal runs for days before she brings it home towards the end. It also proved she could maintain her leading lady status into the 00s.

5: Family Affair

For those who didn’t grow up on Blige’s 90s cuts, only knowing her as a balladeer, “Family Affair” was a reminder that she could still get down. In 2001, Blige was heading in a brighter direction and had a healthier outlook on life. Naming her fifth studio album No More Drama, she started a new era that summer by inviting fans to her “dancerie” and reminding them they “don’t need no hateration, holleration,” over Dr. Dre’s G-Funk production. The song earned her both a place at the top of the charts (her first No.1 hit) and in the history of pop-culture vernacular.

4: Real Love (Remix) (with Notorious BIG)

The Notorious BIG stepped into the mainstream thanks to his guest appearance on a remix of this What’s The 411? single. “Real Love” had already hit No.1 on the R&B chart, taking its place among the best Mary J Blige songs from the jump, but Biggie’s appearance took it to the next level. “Look up in the sky/It’s a bird, it’s a plane/Nope, it’s Mary Jane,” he raps on the verse. This remix also became the template for the R&B/hip-hop collaborations that Sean “Puffy” Combs and Bad Boy would churn out for the next decade.

3: I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By (Method Man, featuring Mary J Blige)

Blige’s many memorable collaborations have gained her respect and adoration in the worlds of both R&B and hip-hop. In 1995, she partnered with Wu-Tang’s Method Man for one of hip-hop’s most iconic love duets. The song interpolates Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s Motown classic “You’re All I Need to Get By”, with Mary singing the hook and mimicking its melody during her verses. Adding an extra layer to the Grammy-winning partnership is a sample of Notorious BIG repeating “Lie together, cry together/I swear to God I hope we f__kin’ die together.”

2: I Can Love You (featuring Lil’ Kim)

On this Share My World single, the Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul hooked up with the Queen Bee herself, Lil’ Kim. “I Can Love You” features one of Kim’s best verses over a sample of her own track “Queen B__tch,” an infamous cut released by the rapper on her 1996 debut album, Hard Core. It was a unique moment of female solidarity and a piece of hip-hop history.

1: My Life

A recurring theme throughout the best Mary J Blige songs (and all her discography) is how often she has felt misunderstood by the public, the media, and her romantic partners. Underneath all the hurt and pain, Blige has reminded us, on multiple, occasions that she’s just human. On the title track from her landmark 1994 album, My Life, she delivers her most moving performance, singing on the chorus: “If you looked at my life/And see what I see,” over a sample of Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves The Sunshine.” Like so many R&B singers, Blige started in the church, and with “My Life” she puts her gospel roots on display. What really makes “My Life” a true standard, however, is that it’s the perfect distillation of Blige and her hip-hop soul sound. It’s cathartic, spiritual, and a fine reminder of her impressive talent and wide-ranging artistry.

Shop Mary J Blige’s music on limited edition vinyl and CDs here.

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Moneybagg Yo walked into Invictus Academy last week with a $20,000 check and a personal mission to help teen parents stay in school.

The Memphis rapper handed over the donation to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Youth Advocacy Program, which provides support services for students who are raising children while trying to graduate.

Moneybagg Yo’s $20,000 donation will help fund support services that keep teen parents enrolled and on track to graduate with their diplomas. The donation came just weeks after Moneybagg Yo wrapped up an intense holiday giving season that saw him distribute hundreds of Thanksgiving meals and launch his first annual Christmas toy drive.

Moneybagg Yo said the teen parent program touched his heart because he was raised by a teenage mother who struggled to finish her education while caring for him.

“It’s a blessing. And I feel good. You know, there’s always people in need,” Moneybagg said during his visit to the school.

The rapper chose not to elaborate on his personal story because it is emotionally difficult for him, but he shared that his mother’s strength and determination have shaped who he is today.

Invictus Academy features an on-site childcare center that allows teen parents to attend classes while their babies receive care just steps away from their classrooms. After touring the childcare facility and meeting with families, Moneybagg Yo surprised students in the cafeteria with an impromptu motivational speech about perseverance and focus.

“You’ve just gotta stay focused, keep pushing, be able to take constructive criticism,” he told the students gathered around him.

The $20,000 donation caps off Moneybagg Yo’s most active year of community service in Memphis, with multiple charitable events throughout 2025.

In November, he partnered with his mother’s nonprofit organization, the Larger Than L.I.F.E. Foundation, and fellow Memphis rapper IME Casino to distribute turkeys and groceries to families struggling with rising food costs.

Cars stretched down the block as dozens of families waited to collect holiday staples.

Just before Christmas, Moneybagg Yo launched his inaugural holiday toy drive, which he plans to make an annual tradition in Memphis.

The toy drive focused on bringing Christmas joy to children in families facing financial hardship during the holiday season.

​AllHipHop

Hailey Yoo (@haileyoo0), a TikTok content creator with over 37,000 followers, is posting a warning regarding the Dior cafe in Beverly Hills, California. “If you’re allergic to alcohol, sober, or pregnant, be careful when visiting the Dior Cafe in Beverly Hills,” she wrote in her video’s caption.

According to her, the cafe may have served her and her friends alcoholic beverages when they ordered mocktails. Yoo experienced an “Asian glow” and felt severe symptoms that she associates with alcohol. When she addressed this with a server, they told her that there was no possible way her drink included alcohol. 

Yoo recounted feeling gaslit by the cafe, as she knows what the symptoms of drinking alcohol look like for her and her friend. Ultimately, though, the cafe made no attempt to apologize for the mix-up. Workers continued claiming that there was no alcohol in their beverages. 

What Happened at the Dior Cafe?

Yoo went out with two of her girlfriends to the “Dior Cafe.” This most likely refers to Monsieur Dior by Dominique Crenn, a fine dining establishment located on the third floor of Dior’s Beverly Hills store. 

All three women ordered mocktails at the restaurant. Then, after chatting for about 30 minutes, the women started to feel unusual. 

“ Suddenly, I feel like my whole body is warm and my heart was palpitating, and so I was like, ‘This is weird,’” Yoo told viewers. Her friends also started to feel slightly inebriated despite only drinking the mocktail. Yoo described that one of her friends, Jennifer, also started to have more severe side effects and an “Asian glow.”

Confused, they started asking each other whether or not there was alcohol in their drinks. The woman called over the server to ask, but was surprised by what she said. 

Apparently, the Dior restaurant mixed the drinks with only two ingredients, and there was “no way” that the drinks could have alcohol in them. The server even brought out two bottles that the drinks were supposedly made with to prove what ingredients were in them. 

Another Worker Gets Involved

However, that directly contradicted what Yoo and her two friends were feeling. They insisted that there may be alcohol in the beverages. So, the server brought out the beverage director, who had an “attitude” with them. 

They continued denying that any alcohol could be in the beverages, as the restaurant didn’t “prep” the drinks that way. They also asked if it was possible that Jennifer and Yoo had mushroom allergies, as the drinks contained “mushroom adaptogens.” 

The beverage director even drank from their champagne flute and told them that there was “no alcohol” in their beverages, a shocking choice that seemed unprofessional to some viewers. 

Eventually, they left the establishment. Before leaving, however, they decided to get a drink to go. They wanted to prove something at home. 

How Did Yoo Prove That the Mocktails Had Alcohol in Them?

Yoo and her friends ordered alcohol testing strips online to test and see whether or not the drinks had alcohol in them. They tested the mocktails and their own urine to see if there were trace amounts of liquor in their beverages. 

Ultimately, Jennifer and Yoo tested positive for remaining alcohol in their urine, according to Yoo’s testimony. The mocktails also tested positive for having alcohol in them, directly contradicting the staff at the cafe. 

What Is an ‘Asian Glow’?

An “Asian glow” is a common phrase that refers to an alcohol flush reaction for those of Asian descent. For many people who are specifically from East Asia, any form of alcohol can bring adverse side effects like what Yoo described: heart palpitations, lightheadedness, and a flushed red face. 

Contrary to popular belief, the “Asian glow” is not an allergic reaction. Instead, many East Asian people have a genetic mutation, ALDH2*2, which makes it more difficult to break down alcohol’s toxins. 

It’s estimated that around 30-to-50% of individuals of East Asian descent experience the “Asian glow” as a result of this genetic mutation. 

The symptoms of an “Asian glow” can be particularly dangerous for anyone with pre-existing conditions. It can also be more severe for some individuals, making it harder to safely drink alcohol. 

Some people use pre-existing supplements that treat heartburn and other conditions to help with it. But, according to some researchers, these supplements can only address surface-level symptoms and not the toxins that build up from drinking alcohol. Ultimately, the inability to break down alcohol’s toxins can lead to greater issues down the line, like an increased risk of certain cancers. 

​​What Are the Risks of Having Alcoholic Beverages Listed As Mocktails?

What Yoo and her friends discovered ultimately is a huge risk for customers. If a recovering alcoholic orders a “mocktail” that actually has alcohol in it, it can derail their progress. 

Alcohol inside food and beverages is enough of a concern that even a rum cake can cause major distress for recently or long-time sober individuals. 

Many people also report experiencing severe side effects when drinking alcohol, which is why they order mocktails. The “Asian glow” can be a significant and even life-threatening issue for some people due to the increased risk of heart palpitations. Restaurants subjecting their customers to debilitating side effects due to a lack of care or caution can be particularly frightening, which is why so many commenters were appalled by the Dior restaurant staff’s behavior. 

But it seems to be a common issue based on viewers’ testimonies. “I’m allergic to alcohol and maybe [one to two times] per year I will get served alcohol when I specifically order mocktails, even when there’s a separate mocktail list with drinks that have different names,” said one viewer. “The reaction and gaslighting you got from the staff is unfortunately not uncommon.”

Likewise, many commenters shared similar experiences ordering mocktails, only to receive completely different items. 

AllHipHop reached out to Yoo and Dior via email for comment. We’ll let you know if either party responds.

@haileyoo0

If you’re allergic to alcohol, sober, or pregnant, be careful when visiting the Dior Cafe in Beverly Hills. Posting for awareness

♬ original sound – Hailey Yoo

​AllHipHop

Lil Tjay has issued a strong denial statement after being accused of involvement in a shooting incident involving Kick streamer Konvy during a livestream in the Bronx on Friday night.

The Bronx rapper took to social media to address allegations that he was connected to the drive-by shooting that targeted Konvy while he was broadcasting live on January 9, 2026.

“I had nothing to do with what happened last night in the Bronx,” Lil Tjay said in his statement. “Blogs are circulating old posts, taken out of context, and presenting them as recent, which is false.”

Tjay continued his denial by expressing sympathy for those affected by the violent incident.

“My prayers are with everyone affected,” he said. “Please stop spreading misinformation.” The rapper’s statement came after social media users began linking him to alleged Instagram Story posts that appeared to mock the shooting.

The shooting incident occurred while Konvy was livestreaming with friends in a car in the Bronx. During the stream, viewers noticed a green dot appear on Konvy’s head before gunfire erupted, forcing the group to scramble out of the vehicle.

One of Konvy’s friends, identified as JJ, was reportedly hospitalized following the incident. According to social media reports, Lil Tjay allegedly posted content on his Instagram Story that some interpreted as mocking the shooting.

Screenshots circulated on Twitter showed alleged posts from both his main account and a supposed burner account.

One alleged post reportedly featured crying-laughing emojis and a “hush” emoji, while another allegedly showed a video with the caption “Go slideeeeee” followed by laughing emojis.

The allegations against Tjay stem from his ongoing beef with Adin Ross and Cuffem, who are close friends with Konvy. The conflict escalated recently when 6ix9ine, Adin Ross, and Cuffem released a diss track called “BACON” that specifically targeted several rappers, including Lil Tjay, Lil Durk, and Doechii.

Lil Tjay has previously called Adin Ross a “culture vulture” and criticized the streamer’s involvement in Hip-Hop culture.

The Bronx shooting incident has not resulted in any official police statements regarding suspects or motives at press time. Law enforcement has not released details about the investigation or any potential arrests related to the drive-by shooting.

​AllHipHop

Lil Wayne is starting off 2026 by making serious power moves with his Young Money Sports Agency by signing European Footballer Amadou Onana.

The Aston Villa midfielder signed a deal with the entertainment powerhouse to manage his commercial use of name, image, and likeness, including sponsorships and brand partnerships.

The agreement positions Onana for global expansion, particularly in the American market, where crossover appeal among sports, music, and fashion continues to grow rapidly.

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Young Money Sports Agency, officially known as Young Money APAA Sports, launched in 2017 when Lil Wayne partnered with the von Gontard family’s APAA Sports.

The agency represents more than 80 athletes across multiple sports, including football, basketball, boxing, and softball. The 24-year-old Belgian international brings serious credentials to Young Money’s roster.

Born in Dakar, Senegal, Onana has had a remarkable career since his professional debut with Hamburger SV in 2020.

He scored on his debut in the DFB-Pokal against Dynamo Dresden, announcing his arrival with a dramatic 89th-minute header. His performances earned him a move to French champions Lille in 2021, and Everton paid over $40 million for Onana’s services in August 2022, where he established himself as a Premier League regular over two seasons.

Aston Villa secured Onana’s signature for $65 million in July 2024, making him one of the most expensive defensive midfielders in Premier League history.

Onana’s international career with Belgium has been equally impressive and he was featured at both the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Euro 2024 in Germany, playing every minute of Belgium’s four matches at the European Championship.

Young Money’s recent signings demonstrate their growing influence in professional sports.

The agency made headlines in December 2024 when it secured Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter ahead of his NFL Draft declaration. Hunter’s four-year, $46.65 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars was negotiated by Young Money agents Adie von Gontard and Ray Haija.

Onana’s signing comes at a pivotal time for football’s expansion in the U.S.

With the 2026 World Cup approaching and Major League Soccer’s continued growth, European stars are increasingly looking to establish their brands in the United States market.

The deal separates Onana’s commercial representation from his football representation, allowing Young Money to focus specifically on brand partnerships, sponsorships, and marketing opportunities while his playing contracts remain handled by traditional football agents.

Outside football, Onana has shown entrepreneurial spirit by releasing rap music under the name 24 AM. His debut single “Check On Me” dropped in August 2024.

​AllHipHop

Kanye West is fighting back against his former project manager, who slapped a $1.8 million lien on his old Malibu mansion that he gutted and sold at a massive loss.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the rapper filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Tony Saxon and the law firm West Coast Trial Lawyers, alleging they wrongfully placed an invalid lien on the property and launched a public pressure campaign to force payment on disputed claims.

Saxon worked as West’s project manager, security guard, and caretaker at the Malibu property before suing the controversial artist in September 2023 for labor violations, nonpayment of services, and disability discrimination.

The former employee filed the mechanics lien in January 2024 to secure compensation for his construction-related work on the property, giving him the legal right to force a foreclosure sale if he remains unpaid.

West’s lawsuit alleges that Saxon and his attorneys immediately issued statements to the media after recording the lien, with attorney Ronald Zambrano telling Business Insider that potential buyers would have to deal with them before any sale could proceed.

“These statements were designed to create public pressure and to interfere with the Plaintiffs’ ability to sell and finance the Property by falsely conveying that Defendants held an adjudicated, enforceable right to block a transaction and divert sale proceeds,” the complaint states.

The legal filing states that the Los Angeles Superior Court granted West’s motion to release the lien from the bond last year and awarded him attorneys’ fees, yet Saxon’s team continues to pursue its claims.

The Malibu property has become a financial disaster for everyone who has touched it, starting with West’s original $57.3 million purchase of the Tadao Ando-designed concrete masterpiece in 2021.

Kanye West completely gutted the architectural jewel, removing windows, doors, electricity, plumbing, and breaking down walls while reportedly saying he wanted to turn it into his “bomb shelter” and “Batcave.”

Three years later, he sold the unfinished concrete shell to developer Steven Belmont’s Belwood Investments for just $21 million, taking a staggering $36 million loss on the investment.

Belmont has struggled with the property ever since, first trying to flip it for $39 million before dropping the price to $34.9 million when no buyers emerged.

Now the current owner faces his own financial crisis, with Quality Loan Service Corp hitting him with a notice of default claiming he owes $814,623.54 on his $18.5 million mortgage as of November 4.

Belmont has 90 days to catch up on payments or risk losing the entire property to foreclosure, forcing him to get creative with a new “Populis” timeshare concept.

The desperate developer is now pitching memberships ranging from $1,000 for basic “gold” access to $300,000 for “Founders Circle” packages that include chef dinners, concierge service, and four private estate sessions annually.

The timeshare plan is Belmont’s last-ditch effort to generate revenue from the cursed property, which has burned through millions of dollars without producing any successful outcomes for its owners.

The lawsuit adds another chapter to the ongoing legal drama surrounding the concrete mansion, which continues to generate headlines for all the wrong reasons more than two years after West sold it.

​AllHipHop

Megan Thee Stallion just got legal backup from one of the biggest names in modern courtroom history: the same powerhouse attorney who helped take down Donald Trump.

Roberta Kaplan, the civil rights lawyer who represented writer E. Jean Carroll in her defamation and sexual assault lawsuits against Trump, has stepped into Megan’s corner with a blistering amicus curiae brief filed in federal court.

She’s backing Megan’s fight against Texas blogger Milagro “Milagro Gramz” Cooper, who was found liable for spreading a fake, sexually explicit AI-generated video of the rapper.

Kaplan doesn’t mince words. She argues that Cooper’s conduct, reposting and promoting a pornographic deepfake of Megan to her thousands of followers, is not “free speech.”

“This case demonstrates how technological advances can amplify familiar forms of online harm, including harm based on sexually explicit images. Deep-fake sexual imagery does not contribute to public debate; it reproduces patterns of intimidation and degradation that the law has long deemed unprotected,” Roberta Kaplan explained.

Kaplan says it’s harassment, plain and simple. And under Florida law, that kind of abuse has no First Amendment protection. The filing marks another chapter in Kaplan’s long campaign to hold powerful and reckless people accountable for weaponizing lies.

She’s the same attorney who secured two major defamation verdicts against Trump on behalf of Carroll, totaling more than $83 million.

In that case, jurors decided Trump acted with malice when he smeared Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault. A federal appeals court upheld the verdict last year, cementing it as one of the most important defamation rulings in decades.

Now, Kaplan is making it clear that digital defamation, especially when fueled by AI, deserves the same treatment.

In her brief, she compares deepfakes to other banned forms of abuse like revenge p### or child sexual exploitation materials, saying all of them use technology as a “mechanism of harm.”

The connection between the Carroll and Megan cases runs deeper than just Kaplan’s signature. Both center on women forced to fight in public: one against a former president, the other against a YouTube gossip blogger.

Both women endured online harassment and disbelief before juries ultimately sided with them and the victories hinge on the same legal foundation: defamation law’s recognition that free speech doesn’t protect deliberate, damaging falsehoods.

Megan Thee Stallion filed her defamation suit in 2024 after Cooper repeatedly targeted her online, pushing false narratives and amplifying the deepfake clip that claimed to show Megan in a sexual act.

Megan’s team said the posts caused emotional distress, career fallout, and relentless public humiliation. In December, a Miami jury agreed, finding Cooper liable for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

At trial, Megan Thee Stallion testified that the fake video wrecked her mental health.

Her manager described her breaking down and crying after seeing the clip, while her psychologist diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident.

“I genuinely did not care if I lived or died,” she told jurors.

The jury awarded Megan roughly $75,000, which was later reduced slightly after post-trial motions, but Cooper still called it “a win,” bragging that it wasn’t a “multimillion-dollar fine.”

That attitude, Kaplan argues, is exactly why an injunction is necessary: to stop repeat behavior that continues to inflict harm long after a verdict. Kaplan’s filing notes that courts have always drawn a line between speech that informs and speech that terrorizes.

Kaplan’s involvement suggests the Megan Thee Stallion case could set a benchmark for how deepfakes and online harassment are handled legally.

The judge in Miami is expected to rule soon on Megan’s request for an injunction to permanently block Cooper from promoting similar content. If granted, it would set one of the first major precedents tying deepfake abuse to cyberstalking law.

“Maybe I am going through all of this because there’s another woman out there that may be a victim and she sees me going through it, and she sees me come out on the other side and it may give her the courage or the strength to speak up and say, this happened to me and I’m not going to be scared of you. I am not going to be intimidated by you,” Megan said during the trial.

​AllHipHop

Pressa sits down with AllHipHop and talks Drake vs Kendrick, why the city didn’t take the beef personal, and how Tory Lanez didn’t crack until 10 years in. He breaks down the real Toronto sound, being from Jane and Finch, going independent, and why outsiders need to stop trying to “figure out” the city.

SlopsShotYa talks to the Canadian star with no industry polish, no safe answers and pure real live at WonWorld Studios. Pressa simply gives his raw perspective on Hip-Hop, beef, business, and culture straight from Toronto.

AllHipHop: Do you listen to dancehall?

Pressa: Yeah, all the time.

AllHipHop: Anybody ever compare you to Alkaline? You sound like a rapping Alkaline.

Pressa: What’s crazy about it, my grandma mentioned, my grandma tells me I’m somehow kind of related to Alkaline, but not really. Like, you know, I don’t know. I think like my cousin’s cousin or something, you know, in yard. My grandma said, “Yeah, Alkaline,” she like, “His family, his auntie,” da da da da.

AllHipHop: West Indian people don’t got not one person not related to someone. They got to ask the last name, some out there cousins.

Pressa: Yeah, I know exactly how that go.

AllHipHop: Press Machine 2 is a great body of work. Long time coming. What took so long to cook it up?

Pressa: I was going through a situation at the time and I just had to reset everything. My business was all messed up. I had to go back, my corporation, my taxes, all that stuff. So I reset and got stuff rolling. Put my team back together, restructured my team, and now it’s goal time. You’re gonna see a lot more music from me.

AllHipHop: That’s a way to come back. On the intro “Machine Gun,” it had that “Went Legit” sample vibe, also “Drop Slow” by Kanye. Was that on purpose?

Pressa: I honestly didn’t know. I didn’t know what was on there. I’m tuned out a little bit. As much as he say I be smoking and tuned out, I don’t really notice a lot of things. I got selective hearing, selective thoughts. Sometimes I go on the beat and I’m just doing my own thing. I wasn’t really aware of certain things.

AllHipHop: So how long did it take to get the project together?

Pressa: The project’s easy. It was more my business. I can make music every day. It wasn’t the music holding me back. It was my business, and how I had to come out my label deal. I was signed to RCA before, just transitioning from there. I had to get my bag right because I’m independent. You feel me?

AllHipHop: Is there a big difference between Canadian laws and the American music business?

Pressa: In Toronto we get grants. They fund us. Artists in Canada, they’ll give us 20, 30, 40, 50 G’s as funding. Even when I used to tour, when I did the 50 Cent tour, I was doing it out of love. But they’ll give me money each date. Like a stipend. It’s like grants, money from the government.

AllHipHop: So it comes out the tax money?

Pressa: Yeah. They support their local artists and stuff. Shout out to FACTOR and shout out to the whole Canadian grant team. They always look out for me and all the artists coming up. That’s how a lot of Canadian artists are able to put out projects and get a little support and push. 

AllHipHop: You’re one of the originators of that newer Toronto sound. Do you feel like you get enough credit?

Pressa: I’m not entitled to credit. If they give me my flowers, they give me my flowers. I was never the entitled type. I just got to do my part and keep it coming, be part of the culture. It’ll be dope.

AllHipHop: Explain Toronto’s signature sound to people who aren’t tapped in.

Pressa: The signature sound is that melodic sound. Like Houdini, Robin Banks, me, even like Burna, you feel me, my brother Burna Bandz. That’s the sound. There’s bare of us. There’s QTB, there’s so much of us that actually have influence onto the city. I feel like we’re part of the main culture.

AllHipHop: When you collab with an American artist, do you try to “Americanize” it?

Pressa: I kind of just do my own thing. People gonna feel me regardless. I try American style beats sometimes, like a Lil Baby type beat, but I never switch up my lingo or hide where I’m from. I make everybody know I’m from Canada. Toronto, the trenches, Jane and Finch. Why would I come to America and try to steal their culture? Obviously you guys got mad influence in us. I might have took some of the culture on accident, jewelry or whatever, just being influenced. But never intentionally like, “Yo, I want to be American today.” I’m proud to be Canadian, bro. We got manners. We respectful. You know what it is.

AllHipHop: Put me on some Toronto lingo.

Pressa: “Wasa demiana.”

AllHipHop: What’s that?

Pressa: It’s like dead man marijuana. It’s weed. Like pass the demi.

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AllHipHop: That’s clean. But the internet, Reddit, YouTube, all that. How do you feel about outsiders being nosy, trying to figure out what’s going on behind the music?

Pressa: Hopefully they don’t figure out the pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully they never figure it out.

AllHipHop: I get it. As a New Yorker, it can feel predatory when people “solve” your neighborhood like it’s content. Toronto and New York got similarities though.

Pressa: Toronto and New York is much alike. You guys got strong Caribbean culture. I got family in Toronto, plenty cousins. I used to come to New York all the time as a little boy. Jamaica Avenue, buy a little chain. Shout out to the Coliseum.

AllHipHop: The Coliseum, yes. Jewelry downstairs, jackets upstairs.

Pressa: Facts. I was like 10, 11. My uncle brought me. Outside got the mixtapes. It was lit. Toronto is heavily influenced in Caribbean culture, so that’s why I say Toronto and New York is much alike. Just a little colder. It’s like a 6 hour drive.

AllHipHop: 2026 looking like what?

Pressa: I’m working on my album right now.

AllHipHop: So what is Press Machine today, mixtape or album?

Pressa: A mixtape.

AllHipHop: I’m still confused on the difference nowadays.

Pressa: Same. I still don’t even know.

AllHipHop: Back in the day mixtape was free music to get the album hot. Now it’s like YouTube and SoundCloud, and maybe “less effort” than an album.

Pressa: Oh okay. I get it. Press Machine was definitely a mixtape.

AllHipHop: You got a name for the album?

Pressa: Nah, I’m still working on it. I got some dope records in the stash.

AllHipHop: We waiting on that next Drake feature.

Pressa: I don’t know, man. Go check it out on Press Machine II. It’s probably on there.

AllHipHop: I wanted to ask somebody from Toronto. Did y’all take “Not Like Us” personal?

Pressa: It’s music at the end of the day. But I feel like Drake’s a better artist all around. Kendrick had that one song, it was hot, but Drake has a million of those. Hundred million slaps. You feel me? Like what are we competing with right now? We want to hear stuff too, for the ladies. I didn’t know a Kendrick song until “B,” and then “Not Like Us.” That’s probably the only two songs off the top of my head. “Poetic Justice” hard though.

AllHipHop: The battle fed YouTube too. People ate off that.

Pressa: Oh yeah. It was good for the city, good for music, good for Hip-Hop. A lot of people say we didn’t have a big moment, and that was a big moment.

AllHipHop: Before we go, I’m still mad about that World Series, bro.

Pressa: The greatest World Series of all time. Seven games. Crazy. We folded. They should have put me on the field, bro. I would have never fumbled that. Put me on third base, I would’ve made it home. These guys get paid to be stars. You better hit that ball.

AllHipHop: Baseball is a sport of failure though. They say you good if you fail seven out of ten.

Pressa: That’s a fact.

AllHipHop: Last thing. Drake is basically the OG of Toronto now. You want that kind of longevity?

Pressa: Yeah. Remember Tory Lanez didn’t crack till 10 years later.

​AllHipHop

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Kick streamer Konvy was targeted in a drive-by shooting while livestreaming from the Bronx on Friday night, with the terrifying incident captured live on camera.

Adin Ross, a close friend and frequent collaborator of Konvy, confirmed the shooting was real during his own livestream hours after the attack. The shooting occurred while Konvy was broadcasting live with two friends in a vehicle in New York City.

Video footage shows the three men having a casual conversation when gunshots suddenly rang out, causing them to scramble for safety as the stream abruptly ended.

Viewers noticed a suspicious green laser dot appearing on Konvy’s head moments before the shooting began, though authorities have not confirmed whether this was connected to any targeting device.

The incident happened around 10 P.M. Eastern Time as Konvy was conducting his regular evening broadcast. Ross addressed the shooting during his Friday night stream, telling viewers he had personally verified the incident’s authenticity.

“It got confirmed to me that it’s real, I made sure to know it was real,” Ross said during his broadcast. “It’s a real situation, it’s not b#######, it’s not fake s###, it’s not no f###### script s###.”

One of Konvy’s companions, identified only as JJ, was injured during the shooting and transported to a local hospital for treatment. The shooting represents the latest in a series of dangerous incidents involving live streamers who broadcast from public locations.

Content creators have increasingly become targets for harassment, swatting, and violent encounters while conducting their broadcasts.

Konvy has built a significant following on the Kick platform through his association with Adin Ross and other streamers. The two frequently collaborate on content and are known to be close friends both on and off camera.

​AllHipHop

Tupac Shakur was shot while riding in a BMW driven by Suge Knight after a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas in 1996 and that car is now listed for sale online for $1.75 million.

The listing identifies the vehicle as the same car Tupac was riding in when gunfire erupted on Sept. 7, 1996, a night that forever altered music and culture.

Despite viral headlines loosely branding it as the car Tupac was murdered in, the facts remain unchanged. Tupac was shot while inside the BMW, howe he actually died seven days later in a hospital. The distinction matters, even as the car’s grim legacy continues to command attention and value.

According to the listing, the vehicle was driven by Suge Knight and was originally leased by Death Row Records. The shooting occurred around 11:15 p.m. PT when the car stopped at a red light near East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, shortly after leaving the MGM Grand area. Tupac was struck by four .40-caliber bullets reportedly fired from a Glock handgun, a detail included as part of the vehicle’s documented history.

The seller claims this marks the first time the BMW has been publicly displayed or offered for sale since Tupac’s death in 1996. Over the years, the car has undergone a full restoration designed to return it to its appearance before the shooting. That process included a fresh paint job and wheels replaced to match the original style from the night of the attack.

Still, the restoration stops short of erasing history entirely. The listing notes a slight exterior indentation believed to correspond with one of the bullet impact points. It is described as subtle and easy to miss unless specifically pointed out, but intentionally preserved as a reminder of what happened.

Inside the BMW, the details are equally unsettling.

The seller states that interior door panels were carefully pulled back to reveal original weld marks aligned with where bullets entered the vehicle. Those marks are presented as physical confirmation of the car’s role in one of Hip-Hop’s most infamous moments.

Documentation verifying ownership and provenance is included, according to the listing. While the BMW has had multiple owners since 1996, the most recent owner reportedly commissioned the restoration now on display.

For now, the car is being exhibited at Celebrity Cars Las Vegas. The full description is below.

​AllHipHop