JR Writer Sues UMG for Unpaid Royalties on Cam’ron and Juelz Santana Songs
JR Writer (Juan “Marcos” Brito) has filed a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group claiming unpaid royalties for his co-writing credits on Cam’ron’s “Shake” from Purple Haze and Juelz Santana’s “Squalie” from From Me 2 U, both Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam releases now under UMG. [Miixtape Chiick] He is registered as co-author and copyright claimant on both songs. [Miixtape Chiick]
→ Get the full details of JR Writer’s lawsuit against UMG over Cam’ron and Juelz Santana royalties →
JT the Bigga Figga: $12K Investment in The Game Returned Up to $400K, But He Left a Possible $5M on the Table
JT the Bigga Figga broke down his early financial involvement with The Game, saying a $12,000 investment eventually returned between $200,000 and $400,000, but he walked away from a possible $5 million to avoid legal exposure after a 2006 lawsuit tied to Game’s pre-Aftermath music through Koch Records. [Rolling Out] He said he was not exploited — he made his money — and described how The Game has kept his distance from him since major labels and legal liability entered the picture. [Rolling Out]
→ Break down JT the Bigga Figga’s investment in The Game — the numbers and the fallout →
Ice Spice Scheduled for Deposition in $400K Wig Company Lawsuit
Ice Spice has been scheduled for a deposition in a lawsuit with Thee Bella Brand LLC that began as a $20,000 dispute and has climbed to $400,000 in claimed damages. [Rolling Out] [HOT 97] A federal judge set a discovery deadline for early 2027 and scheduled conferences including a settlement conference that could push both sides toward a deal before trial. [Rolling Out]
Megan Thee Stallion’s Court Opponent Asks to Pause Enforcement, Says She’s Broke
Kelsey Cooper (aka blogger Nosy Heaux), ordered to pay Megan Thee Stallion after losing a defamation case, has asked a federal court to pause enforcement of the judgment while she appeals, arguing she cannot afford to fight and pay simultaneously. [Rolling Out] Megan’s team opposes the stay, and under Florida law Cooper could also be liable for Megan’s attorney fees, potentially pushing the total bill past $75,000. [Rolling Out]
Joe Budden Podcast Debates Whether Cardi B’s Delayed Apology to Latto Landed
The Joe Budden Podcast unpacked Cardi B’s delayed apology after leaked audio of her allegedly disrespecting Latto, debating whether waiting too long made the apology feel less sincere. [Rolling Out]
Lizzo Says the Female Rap Landscape Has Shifted From Nicki Carrying It Alone to a Flood of Women Winning
On Drink Champs, Lizzo talked about how the female rap landscape has shifted from Nicki Minaj carrying the lane solo to multiple women winning Grammys, No. 1s, and massive fanbases simultaneously, saying she recognizes how difficult that transition must be for someone who was once the undisputed face of women in rap. [Rolling Out] [YouTube] The comments came as an alternate version of her track “Bitch” was widely heard as a jab at Nicki around body image and weight loss. [Rolling Out]
→ Find out what Lizzo said about Nicki Minaj and the shift in female rap on Drink Champs →
Boosie Says Trans Women Are Banned From His Pool Party, Drawing Pride Month Backlash
Boosie Badazz is drawing criticism for publicly stating transgender women are not allowed at his pool party during Pride Month. [Rolling Out] Around the same time, he sat with openly gay media figure Jason Lee in a conversation described as having a lighter tone than Boosie’s past statements — he said he did not know Lee was gay prior to the sit-down. [Rolling Out]
→ Find out what Boosie said about his pool party rules and his sit-down with Jason Lee →
Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt Turns 30 — and Doechii Just Ran the Full Discography for the First Time
A new retrospective marks Reasonable Doubt turning 30, tracing Jay-Z’s decade-long grind that began with the 1986 single “H.P. Gets Busy” as part of High Potent with Jaz-O before the debut album arrived. [Hip-Hop Wired] Separately, Doechii said she only recently went through Jay-Z’s full discography from start to finish and was floored by the artistic evolution, using it to argue that anyone who doubts rap’s intelligence is relying on racist assumptions. [AllHipHop]
Drake’s Triple-Album Chart Flood Is Receding — Michael Jackson Catalog Cuts Are Filling the Space
Drake’s three-album drop landed all three projects at the top of the Billboard 200 and temporarily placed him across half the top 10 of the R&B Streaming Songs chart, with tracks Billboard classified as R&B. [Rolling Out] Multiple Drake entries have since slipped or fallen off, with four classic Michael Jackson cuts re-entering the R&B streaming ranks in their place. [Rolling Out]
Ohio’s Rap Legacy: Bone Thugs Were Discovered by Eazy-E; Trippie Redd Broke Out on SoundCloud
A new feature on Ohio’s greatest rappers highlights Bone Thugs-N-Harmony being discovered by Eazy-E, selling over 16 million records, and bringing Midwestern chopper flows and gospel-infused harmonies into the mainstream. [Hip-Hop Hero] It also positions Trippie Redd — raised in Canton and forged in the 2010s SoundCloud ecosystem — as a cross-genre hitmaker whose double-platinum debut mixtape A Love Letter to You and collaborations with Travis Barker extended Ohio’s reach into emo-rap and rock-inflected territory. [Hip-Hop Hero]
→ Get the full breakdown of Ohio’s greatest rappers — Bone Thugs, Trippie Redd, and the full list →
8Ball Recalls Dropping His First Record in 12th Grade and the Memphis Culture That Shaped Him
In a new interview, 8Ball recalled dropping his first record while still in 12th grade without making any label demos — just meeting people, getting into the studio, and watching that early track lead to Comin’ Out Hard, the Suave House catalog, and eventually a Bad Boy deal. [YouTube] He also reflected on Memphis culture today, saying that while the city helps its own, internal fighting has long held back its progress even as the broader industry keeps borrowing from Memphis’s sound and style. [YouTube]
→ Find out what 8Ball said about his origin story, Suave House, and signing to Bad Boy →
Five Iconic Hip-Hop Style Elements Still Defining Modern Fashion
A new style breakdown traces sneaker culture from Run-D.M.C.’s “My Adidas” era — when kicks shifted from breakdance gear to status symbols — through today’s limited drops, chunky silhouettes, and campout releases, pairing that with the ’90s oversized look popularized by Wu-Tang, TLC, and Aaliyah. [The Source]
→ See the full breakdown of five hip-hop style elements still defining fashion today →
BroRilla’s New Look Stopped Timelines — Earlier This Year She Wore a Used Wig That Once Belonged to Mariahlynn
Rising artist BroRilla drew attention with a viral new look this weekend, continuing a pattern of bold fashion choices. [Rolling Out] Earlier this year she wore a used blonde wig that had previously belonged to Love & Hip Hop: NYC alum Mariahlynn at a Zeus event and leaned into the joke publicly, laughing at herself while wearing it. [Rolling Out]
→ Find out more about BroRilla’s viral new look and the Mariahlynn wig moment →
Rob Swift’s Airwave Invasion Turns 20 — 24-Carat Black, Big Pun, and Kool G Rap All in the Mix
A 20th anniversary retrospective on Rob Swift’s Airwave Invasion highlights how the project dug into breaks including 24-Carat Black’s “Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth,” Oliver Sain’s “On The Hill,” David Axelrod’s “Holy Thursday,” Lowell Fulsom’s “Tramp,” and the Pointer Sisters’ “Don’t It Drive You Crazy.” [Blackout Hip Hop] The project also includes archival radio sets with Marley Marl, Pete Rock, and WNYU crews, plus an early raw version of “X-ecution Style” with Big Pun and Kool G Rap that preceded “Dramacyde” on X-Ecutioners’ Built From Scratch. [Blackout Hip Hop]
UKOV Speaks on the Balkan Hip-Hop Scene; UK’s Babylon Dead Draw Praise for Boom-Bap Craftsmanship
In the Balkans, UKOV sat for an interview about childhood, shows, hip-hop culture, and how mistakes and growth shaped him as what he calls “an authentic representative of the new school” of domestic rap. [Blackout Hip Hop] In the UK, Babylon Dead’s Death Upon Dem is drawing praise for Illinformed’s sample-driven production, described as creating “intimidating” atmospheres that match Jman’s lyricism. [Blackout Hip Hop]
→ Find out about UKOV and the Balkan hip-hop scene, plus Babylon Dead’s UK underground album →
