rapper

RAPPER Young Bleed has tragically died aged 51 after suffering a brain aneurysm.

The star, whose real name was Glenn Clifton Jr, sadly passed away on Saturday, his son confirmed.

He had been rushed to hospital in the days leading up to his death after collapsing in Las Vegas.

Young Bleed rose to fame in the 90s with the hit “How You Do That” and went on to release nine studio albums.

The rap icon’s son, Ty’Gee Ramon Clifton, confirmed the tragic news with an Instagram video captioned: “RIP to the biggest legend I know.”

Addressing fans in the clip, he said: “As of November 1st, my dad gained his wings.

“This is a tough topic for me – not sure how it’s going to go. But I am here to clear up a lot of false narratives.”

He added: “I know with him being a legend worldwide, all lot of people were concerned for him, they wasn’t sure what they heard.

“So I’m here to confirm as his oldest child that he has gained his wings.

“My dad was 51 years out when this happened to him… The My dad didn’t have no real health issues, these are just chapters in life.

“I hope after this video that people that are going through grieving moments find peace in this video.

“My dad like most as you get in [older] in age take had high blood pressure. He would take his medicines… Once he collapsed he did pass from the aneurysm, the bleed to the brain.”

The late rapper’s mother has also set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of medical and funeral expenses. 

She had started the page when he had been hospitalized and admitted it was ‘completely unexpected and has turned our world upside down.’

Young Bleed was born on June 6, 1974, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and his passion for music was sparked at nine-years-old.

He shot to fame in the 90s and worked with fellow rappers C-Loc, Max Minelli, J-Von, and J-Von’s younger brother Chris Hamilton.

They created the group Concentration Camp in 1995 and his song with C-Loc How You Do That was released two years later, seeing him rise within the industry.

The song peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B and Hip Hop album charts the following year.

Rapper RBX has sued Spotify, alleging that the Swedish audio company has failed to stop the artificial inflation of music streams for artists like Drake and is hurting the revenue other rights holders receive through the platform.

RBX, whose real name is Eric Dwayne Collins, is seeking a class-action status and damages and restitution from Spotify. RBX, along with other rights holders, receive payment based on how often their music is streamed on Spotify, according to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in L.A. on Sunday.

Spotify pays rights holders a percentage of revenue based on the total streams attributed to them compared with total volume of streams for all songs, the lawsuit said.

The Long Beach-based rapper said that rights holders are losing money on Spotify because streams of some artists are being artificially inflated through bots powered by automated software, even though the use of such bots is prohibited on the platform, according to the lawsuit.

For example, the lawsuit notes that over a four-day period in 2024 there were at least 250,000 streams of Drake’s “No Face” song that appeared to originate in Turkey, but “were falsely geomapped through the coordinated use of VPNs to the United Kingdom in attempt to obscure their origins.”

Spotify knew or should have known “with reasonable diligence, that fraudulent activities were occurring on its platform,” states the lawsuit, describing the streamer’s policies to root out fraud as “window dressing.”

Spotify declined to comment on the pending litigation but said it “in no way benefits from the industry-wide challenge of artificial streaming.”

“We heavily invest in always-improving, best-in-class systems to combat it and safeguard artist payouts with strong protections like removing fake streams, withholding royalties, and charging penalties,” Spotify said in a statement.

Last year, a U.S. producer was accused of stealing $10 million from streaming services and Spotify said it was able to limit the theft on its platform to $60,000, touting it as evidence that its systems are working.

The platform is also making efforts to push back against AI-generated music that is made without artists’ permission. In September, Spotify announced it had removed more than 75 million AI-generated “spammy” music tracks from its platform over the last 12 months.

A representative for Drake did not immediately return a request for comment.

RBX is known for his work on Dr. Dre’s 1992 album “The Chronic” and Snoop Dogg’s 1993 album “Doggystyle.” He has multiple solo albums and has collaborated with artists including on Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP” and Kris Kross’ “Da Bomb.” RBX is Snoop Dogg’s cousin.

Artificial intelligence continues to change the way that the entertainment industry operates, affecting everything from film and TV production to music. In the music industry, companies have sued AI startups, accusing the businesses of taking copyrighted music to train AI models.

At the same time, some music artists have embraced AI, using the technology to test bold ideas in music videos and in their songs.

A NETFLIX star and British rapper has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a fatal crash.

Justin Clarke-Samuel, who stars in Netflix series Supacell, allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20-year-old man in Ilford, east London, on October 18.

The 41-year-old, who goes by the name Ghetts, appeared at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the same day the man died in hospital.

The indictment could change from causing serious injury to causing death by dangerous driving at the next hearing.

The rapper, from Woodford Green, was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Monday, October 27.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

The rapper has featured alongside Skepta, Stormzy and Ed Sheeran, racking up millions of hits on Spotify.

In 2024 he performed at Glastonbury. In 2008, Ghetts was nominated for a BET Award for Best International Act: UK along with Chipmunk, Giggs, and Skepta.

His music has since been played on national radio stations including BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100 and BBC Radio1Extra.

Clarke-Samuel has toured internationally with Top Bar star and fellow rapper Kano, and was a member of East London British grime group Nasty Crew.

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Rapper Gucci Mane’s newest release might be his most vulnerable yet.

The Atlanta-based musician, promoting his third memoir, “Episode,” revealed to “The Breakfast Club” crew on Monday that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He also went into detail about how he has learned to manage the mental health conditions, with a stern but helping hand from his wife, Keyshia Ka’oir.

The 45-year-old hip-hop star, born Radric Davis, said in a joint interview with Ka’oir that he sought professional help for his mental health after experiencing an episode during the pandemic. “After that I was just like, ‘Man, I gotta really hold myself accountable and take care of my health,’” he said.

“I don’t ever wanna have another episode again. I’m like, I’m gonna see a therapist, if I have to take medicine — I kinda like threw in the towel,” the rapper continued. “Whatever I need to do to get better.”

Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects how people behave, think and feel, according to the Mayo Clinic. Someone living with schizophrenia — which the clinic says can be managed with medicine and therapy — can experience “a mix of hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking and behavior” and can “lose touch with reality.”

Bipolar disorder is a treatable mental health condition marked by extreme changes in mood, thought, energy and behavior, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. A widely known symptom of the illness is manic episodes, which are marked by elevated changes in mood or behavior. But many people with a bipolar disorder diagnosis more commonly experience depressive episodes.

During the hour-long conversation, the “Wake Up in the Sky” rapper and Ka’oir shared details about his various episodes over the years and how it affected their relationship. They married in 2017 and share two kids. Ka’oir recalled witnessing Gucci Mane’s episodes even before they tied the knot.

During the episodes, “you’re seeing someone you don’t know,” said Ka’oir, who was born Keyshia Watson and modeled as Keyshia Dior. She recalled the rapper making “disrespectful” remarks and understood that he didn’t mean it. “I felt like if I left, he wouldn’t have been the same,” she said Monday. “He needed someone to help him.”

“I’m cool with this,” Ka’oir recalled thinking when someone voiced concern for their marriage.

Helping the Grammy-nominated “Exactly How I Feel” rapper manage his conditions proved challenging over the years, Ka’oir said. She said she worked with his inner circle to plan a “kidnapping” to a hospital so he could receive professional help. Ka’oir said she was confident that the rapper would never hurt her, even if other people worried otherwise.

Gucci Mane, who has faced legal woes including a federal prison sentence that ended in 2016, said he was “super embarrassed and hurt by the things I said” during his episodes. After his release from prison, he said, he apologized to a number of rap artists, name-dropping Rick Ross, Drake and Nicki Minaj. The latter had her own thoughts about the pair’s interview, accusing Ka’oir on X of sedating the “I Get the Bag” artist.

“I felt bad. I felt terribly bad,” he said, adding that apologizing to fellow stars felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Ka’oir said she worked to keep her husband’s episodes away from the public eye by controlling his social media presence. She explained that she learned how to identify an episode before it became a full-blown incident, noting that some signs included him making mean comments or odd requests. Gucci Mane said that during episodes of what he called “psychosis,” he would hear voices speaking ill about people in his close circles.

Drug use, stress and a lack of sleep were among his triggers, he said. He added that other musicians did not reach out to support him during his episodes.

Throughout the interview, Gucci Mane made it abundantly clear that he prioritizes his family life, noting he sought professional help to be present and to raise his children with Ka’oir.

“My best decision was to marry her and be with her,” he said. “I got somebody to hold me accountable and I got somebody to watch TV with. Sometimes that’s all you wanna do … I don’t really need a lot.”

Gucci Mane released his memoir and his newest album — both titled “Episodes” — on Friday. This marks the third book from the rapper, who previously released memoirs in 2017 and 2020.

Rapper Cardi B is willing to get “nasty” when it comes to defending her kids.

Following the release of her second full-length album “Am I the Drama?” in September, the “I Like It” singer publicly feuded with Nicki Minaj. Both rappers’ children were also pulled into the fracas.

In a recent interview with Paper magazine, Cardi B opened up about the combative exchange.

“This week I showed the world that I will get the most nasty about mine. I never had to get that nasty for my kids. But I did, and I really feel like a lioness,” she said. “This has been one of the moments I got tested the most about being a parent.”

The beef between music’s biggest female rappers has been an ongoing saga dating back to 2017. The most recent spat took place on X in late September, when Minaj belittled Cardi B’s record sales. The two proceeded to tear apart each other’s personal and professional lives.

Cardi B called out Minaj for feuding with her on X instead of celebrating her son’s birthday. Minaj called Cardi B’s 7-year-old daughter “ugly,” among other mean-spirited names, and started to question her son’s brain development. The spat ended with Cardi B asking to meet up with Minaj — they have not posted about each other since.

Cardi described her behavior as that of a “mother warrior” and explained the lengths she would go to protect her kin. The 33-year-old performer is currently pregnant with her fourth child, her first with New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The “WAP” performer shares three children — Kulture, Wave and Blossom — with rapper Offset.

“Am I the Drama?” is Cardi B’s first full-length project in seven years. The 23-track album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200 and hit platinum 10 days after its initial release. Her debut, “Invasion of Privacy,” earned her a Grammy for rap album in 2019 and made her the first solo female artist to win in that category.

While doing press for her newest LP, Cardi B hasn’t strayed away from talking about parenthood. She told Paper that she aims to instill a hardworking mentality in her children.

“You have to hope that your kids have that work ethic in them, and I just pray that they do,” she said. “I don’t want one of them to feel they’re behind their siblings. You just got to work and not think too much. … Procrastination is what kills you. It’s what slows you. Don’t ask too much questions. Just go and f— do it.”

A U.K. judge has thrown out a terror charge against a member of the rap group Kneecap.

Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a 27-year-old Belfast artist who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, had been charged with allegedly displaying a flag supporting terror group Hezbollah at a show in London last year. (Ó hAnnaidh denied the charges, and said the band doesn’t support Hezbollah.)

At this Friday‘s hearing — one to determine proper jurisdiction — chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said, “I find that these proceedings were not instituted in the correct form, lacking the necessary [attorney general or director of public prosecutions] consent within the six-month statutory time limit,” adding that “this court has no jurisdiction to try the charge.”

“These proceedings against the defendant were instituted unlawfully and are null,” Goldspring said, releasing Ó hAnnaidh to raucous cheers from Kneecap supporters — including the rapper’s parents — in the courtroom.

The decision came as relief for Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who posted on social media: “These charges were part of a calculated attempt to silence those who stand up and speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Kneecap have used their platform on stages across the world to expose this genocide, and it is the responsibility of all of us to continue speaking out and standing against injustice in Palestine.”

Kneecap had recently canceled a U.S. tour, citing the court hearing as an obstacle to performing in the U.S.

Addressing the public outside the courtroom, Ó hAnnaidh said, “This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public, never about terrorism. A word used by your government to discredit people you oppress. It was always about Gaza. About what happens if you dare to speak up.”

Relating his Palestinian activism to Ireland’s own history of colonization, he added, “As people from Ireland, we know oppression, colonialism, famine and genocide. We have suffered and still suffer under your empire. Your attempts to silence us have failed, because we’re right and you’re wrong.”

Cardi B returned to the witness stand on Wednesday in a civil suit brought by a security guard who alleged that the rapper assaulted her — even scratching her with one of her nail extensions — in a 2018 incident in the hallway outside a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office.

On Wednesday, the performer blasted the plaintiff, saying she is looking for a payout. Emani Ellis is seeking $24 million. Cardi B said the pair went chest-to-chest and exchanged heated words but nothing more.

Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, reiterated in her testimony that she never touched, scratched or spat at the security guard, who she believed was taking video of her with her cellphone.

Her defense got a boost Wednesday with the testimony of the obstetrician with whom the then-4-months-pregnant rapper had an appointment on the day of the incident — Feb. 24, 2018 — as well as from his receptionist.

Receptionist Tierra Malcolm told jurors that she saw Ellis corner Cardi B — and then, when the receptionist got between them, the guard reached for the rapper. The receptionist said she ended up with a cut on her own forehead.

Dr. David Finke testified that he saw the guard cause that injury and also hit the receptionist’s shoulder. He further said that Ellis had no injuries to her face. Both testified they never saw Cardi B hit Ellis.

But the rapper testified that when a doctor’s staffer asked Ellis that day what had occurred, Ellis said, “The b— just hit me.’ … And I’m, like, so confused because … I didn’t hit you.”

Under cross-examination by Ellis’ attorney, the rapper acknowledged she and Ellis were chest-to-chest as expletives were traded.

Ellis filed suit in 2020, alleging assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress as well as negligence and false imprisonment.

She worked as a security guard at the building where Cardi B had her medical appointment and said during testimony on Monday that she was doing her rounds when she saw the celebrity get off the elevator. She testified that she was overcome with excitement and declared, “Wow, it’s Cardi B.”

Ellis alleged that the performer then turned to her and said, “Why the f— are you telling people you’ve seen me?” Cardi B then accused her of trying to spread news about her being at the doctor’s office, she testified.

Cardi B cursed at her, used the N-word and other slurs, called her names, threatened her job, body-shamed her and mocked her career, Ellis said. She alleged Cardi B spat on her, took a swing at her and scratched her left cheek with a 2- to 3-inch fingernail.

The rapper said during Wednesday’s court proceedings that she’s 5 foot 3 and was 130 pounds and pregnant at the time. She wouldn’t have tried to fight the guard, who was far larger, she said.

Asked if she was “disabled” during the incident, Cardi B’s comments drew laughter in the courtroom: “At that moment, when you’re pregnant, I’m very disabled,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “You want me to tell you the things I can’t do?”

Malcolm said that Cardi B was the lone patient visiting the office that day as it had been closed for her privacy.

When the incident occurred, the receptionist said, “I really just saw Ms. Ellis in front of her and that’s what made me rush and get in between.” Malcolm acknowledged that she did not see the entire interaction between the pair.

When she got between them, Malcolm testified she was facing Ellis, who was reaching with her arms. Malcolm said she suffered a cut to her forehead during the incident.

“Cardi B was behind me. The only assumption I had was that it was from Ms. Ellis as she was facing me,” she testified. “I see her hands trying to reach over me.”

Asked if Cardi B could have caused the injury with one of her nails, she replied, “But she was behind me.” She said it was a nurse who noticed the cut to her forehead.

The doctor said he was “just flabbergasted with the allegations that don’t seem congruent with what i saw that day.”

Following the incident, he said he eventually persuaded Ellis to get on the elevator and leave the floor.

Cardi B testified Wednesday that her social media followers alerted her that the guard had gone online about the incident, where she responded, calling the accusations lies.

The defense ended at the end of Wednesday’s session.

For the third day of the trial, the rapper, known for her daring style choices, donned a long black wig. The first day of the trial, she sported short black hair, followed the next day by a blond showgirl hairstyle.

Cardi B testified Tuesday that she never touched, scratched or spat at a security guard who is suing her over an alleged assault by the pop star outside a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office.

The rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, took the witness stand in the second day of the civil trial in an Alhambra court and vigorously denied assaulting Emani Ellis on Feb. 24, 2018. Cardi B was visiting the 5th-floor office of the obstetrician at the time and was four months pregnant with her first child.

“It was a verbal incident,” insisted Cardi B. “She didn’t hit me. I didn’t hit her. There was no touching. So, to me, it wasn’t no incident.”

The rapper did say that they went chest to chest in the hallway outside the doctor’s office, and that she called the guard a “b—” because she believed Ellis was recording her with a cellphone.

“Was there spitting?” the security guard’s lawyer, Ron Rosen, asked.

“Absolutely not,” Cardi B replied.

“Did you call her the N-word?”

“No,” the performer replied, noting that she considers herself “Afro-Caribbean.”

“Did you take a swing at her?” Rosen followed up.

“No,” replied Cardi B, who insisted it was a “verbal fight. … It did not get physical at all.”

Rosen delved into the difference between a fight and a verbal altercation, asking whether he and the pop star were then having a verbal altercation. Cardi B replied that they were debating, a statement that was greeted with laughter in the courtroom.

The lawyer countered, “We’re debating about whether you assaulted and battered Ms. Emani Ellis?”

“I guess so,” replied Cardi B. “But I didn’t touch her. She didn’t touch me.” The recording artist said there were no videos of the incident.

Ellis filed suit in 2020, alleging assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress as well as negligence and false imprisonment.

Ellis, who worked as a security guard at the building where Cardi B had her medical appointment, said during testimony on Monday that she was doing her rounds when she saw the celebrity get off the elevator. She testified that she was overcome with excitement and declared, “Wow, it’s Cardi B.”

Ellis said the performer then turned to her and said, “Why the f— are you telling people you’ve seen me?” Cardi B then accused her of trying to spread news about her being at the doctor’s office, she testified.

Cardi B cursed at her, used the N-word and other slurs, called her names, threatened her job, body-shamed her and mocked her career, Ellis said. She alleged Cardi B spat on her, took a swing at her and scratched her left cheek with a 2- to 3-inch fingernail.

Cardi B said when she turned around after getting off the elevator, she heard Ellis say her name and then saw Ellis with her cellphone and said, “Why are you recording me?” The performer said the guard said, “My bad,” but continued to follow her and said she had the right to follow her.

Cardi B said that they went chest to chest and that she did curse at Ellis but that she never touched the guard, who was physically larger. When the obstetrician’s receptionist finally came out, the guard alleged the singer had hit her — something that Cardi B said never happened.

The rapper conceded she never saw proof that Ellis was recording her. She said her appointment was both sensitive and confidential; she was seeing a doctor because of concerns about her pregnancy, which wasn’t yet public.

For the second day of the trial, the rapper — who is known for her daring style choices — donned a blond showgirl hairstyle that contrasted with the black short hair she wore during the first day of testimony. Under questioning, she said they were both wigs and that she had 1-inch nail extensions.

She refused to concede that she usually wore 2- to 3-inch nails, replying that sometimes she does and sometimes she doesn’t.

The shooting death of 33-year-old rapper T-Hood at his residence in Georgia is being investigated as a possible self-defense case, according to police in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta.

Police have identified the alleged shooter as Ky Lasheed Frost, 24, the son of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” stars Rasheeda and Kirk Frost. Ky Frost was detained at the scene of the shooting and interviewed, but no charges have been filed against him.

A representative for Rasheeda did not reply immediately to The Times’ request for comment Friday.

Authorities responded to a domestic dispute at approximately 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 and discovered the rapper — real name Tevin Hood — suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Hood was dating Ky Frost’s sister, Kelsie Frost, according to TMZ. The entertainment news site also published surveillance video recorded earlier this year in their apartment that showed them in a physical altercation. In the video, Hood walks around the bedroom while Kelsie Frost is lying on the bed. The video appears to show Hood as he leaps toward her and begins to choke her.

Ky Frost and a witness, Ariel Miranda Hutchinson, 25, remained on the scene of the shooting last Friday and cooperated with investigators, police said.

Meanwhile, a female victim sustained physical injuries, police said. Kelsie Frost posted a carousel of photos of herself and Hood last Saturday on Instagram with the caption, “Just come get me baby please….. I can’t even type this. I love you papa. I can’t wait to hold you again.”

The investigation is ongoing.

A popular YouTube streamer posted on social media that he “almost [died] today” after Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies drew their weapons on him and briefly detained him Sunday afternoon in what he said appears to be a swatting incident.

Rapper DDG posted on a YouTube video that he was at a paintball tournament in Castaic when police surrounded him and other participants.

“I turned around and there’s like six police cars and I’m like, ‘OK, what’s going to happen?’” he said in the post.

DDG said he expected law enforcement would inform him of what was happening. Instead, he said, he was detained without an explanation.

Video on social media shows DDG being searched and being walked to and placed inside a sheriff’s vehicle just before 6 p.m.

“Bro, he pulled up. Ain’t no ‘what’s up,’ ain’t no nothing, ain’t no, ‘dude, we got a call.’ Nothing,” DDG said.

He then mimicked the pointing of a gun and said police yelled at him, “Hands in the air!”

DDG said that he had “just got done smoking … so, you’ve got to think what’s going through my mental, bro.”

He didn’t elaborate on what he was smoking but added, “I’m thinking to myself the whole time, ‘is this real?”

Multiple calls to the Sheriff’s Department’s Santa Clarita station went unanswered. The department’s main media relations office said it had no information about the incident.

As he sat in the back of the sheriff’s vehicle, DDG said, he told deputies he believed he was being swatted, which occurs when a false report of a crime or emergency is made to provoke an aggressive law enforcement response.

The most extreme examples of swatting have involved responses from Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, teams.

While sitting in the sheriff’s vehicle, DDG said, he read information about the potential swatting call on an open sheriff’s laptop. He believed someone provided the Sheriff’s Department with a description of the exact type of car he drove. He added that whoever called in the complaint said that the rapper was armed and was going to hurt himself and others.

DDG said he was held for 20 minutes before being released.

“Enjoy life, life life like there’s no tomorrow,” he said on his stream, “because you never know.”

Chance the Rapper is opening up about co-parenting with his ex-wife as he prepares to release a new album and go on a national tour.

The rapper from Chicago stopped by the “CBS Morning” studio on Monday to discuss the release of his second studio album, “Star Line.” Chance, whose real name is Chancelor Bennett, described the new EP as his “most expansive work.”

“It covers a lot of different areas in my life,” he said.

Chance etched his way into the music world after recording a mixtape during a high school suspension. He self-released “10 Days” in 2012 and began his career as an independent artist, a path that he continues to follow.

He followed up his debut LP with “Acid Rap” a year later, and “Coloring Book” in 2016. In 2023, Chance celebrated the 10th anniversary of his second mixtape by performing the entire tape at the Kia Forum.

“I wrote [Acid Rap] when I was opening up for artists playing 300-cap rooms. I’m rapping about doing open mics but closing my eyes and seeing arenas. Going back and playing arenas for that project just makes me proud,” Chance said in a 2023 interview.

Now, the rapper behind tracks like “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and “No Problem” said his new album reflects the change his personal life has gone through in the last six years, including his divorce from Kirsten Corley, with whom he shares two children.

“It’s always just a good thing to, as an artist … release and to like, you know, just share with the world,” he added.

The couple married back in 2019 and announced their separation last year on their Instagram. Corley filed for divorce in December 2024. They continue to raise their two young daughters together.

“You know, family is like one of the biggest things for me, for [Corley], for my kids, for my mom and dad, so I think the most important thing for anybody that’s ever navigating [parenting after a divorce] is making sure that you keep an environment for the kids where they understand that [family is] the priority,” Bennett said.

His last album, “The Big Day,” was released in 2019. Chance the Rapper is releasing his follow-up on Friday and will go on tour starting in September, with a stop in L.A. on Oct. 20.

Busta Rhymes is rejecting claims leveled against him in a lawsuit filed this week by a former assistant, calling it an “attempted shake-down.”

Dashiel Gables, who filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, is accusing Rhymes — real name Trevor Smith Jr. — of wage and hour violations as well as assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“I have been made aware of the claims made by Dashiel Gables, and I completely and categorically deny these allegations,” Rhymes said in a statement to The Times. “For a very brief period, Dashiel assisted me, but it did not work out. Apparently, Dashiel has decided to respond to being let go by manufacturing claims against me in an attempt to attack and damage my reputation.”

Rhymes, 53, said he is preparing a countersuit and is “confident [it] will expose this for what it is — an attempted shake-down by a disgruntled former assistant.”

In the lawsuit, which was reviewed by The Times, Gables alleges that Rhymes repeatedly called him a slur related to sexuality and mocked his poor hearing by telling him to “get a hearing aid.” He also says he was improperly categorized as a salaried employee and wasn’t paid overtime despite allegedly being required to work 15-, 16- and 18-hour shifts regularly for a flat $200 a day.

The lawsuit says he was required to perform “menial tasks,” including fetching cigars for the rapper.

The suit says Gables, 44, accompanied Rhymes on tour from early July to early September of last year, seven days a week, without being paid travel time or overtime, then worked for him from 2 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. daily without pay over his day rate from Sept. 3, 2024, until Jan. 10.

On that last day, the lawsuit alleges, Rhymes “constructively terminated” Gables’ employment “by repeatedly punching him in the face” after first raging at his assistant for not promptly bringing a “catering-size” pan of chicken in from the rapper’s car, then chewing Gables out for sending a text to his minor daughter during work hours.

Gables “tolerated a great deal of abuse while working for Busta Rhymes, he could not tolerate the repeated physical assault and was unable to return to work,” the complaint says, adding that Gables went to the hospital for treatment of bruising and swelling and filed a police report regarding the alleged assault. He did not return to work.

After Gables filed the police report he was “frozen out of the hip-hop music industry,” the complaint alleges. He is seeking back pay as well as compensatory and punitive damages and is asking for a jury trial.

Aug. 7 (UPI) — The United States has blacklisted three high-ranking members and an associated rapper of the notorious Cartel del Noreste, as the Trump administration targets drug trafficking organizations amid it immigration crackdown.

The Treasury announced the sanctions Wednesday against Abdon Federico Rodriguez Garcia, 41, CDN’s second-in-command; Antonio Romero Sanchez, 41, a high-ranking CDN member; Francisco Daniel Esqueda Nieto, 30, CDN’s tactical operations leaded in Nuevo Laredo; and Ricardo Hernandez Medrano, 34, a Mexican rapper known by his stage names El Makabelico or Comando Exclusivo.

According to the Treasury, the four individuals are “key” enablers of the CDN’s “campaign of violence and narco-terrorism.”

While the three members blacklisted are accused of directly leading or participating in the gang’s drug trafficking and other operations, Medrano is being targeted on accusations that his concerts and events are used to launder money for the gang, with 50% of his royalties from streaming platforms allegedly being directed to CDN.

He had millions of followers on YouTube, but his account now seems to have been removed. UPI has contacted YouTube for comment.

“CDN depends on these alternative revenue streams and money laundering methods to boost their criminal enterprise, diversifying their income beyond criminal activity like drug trafficking, human smuggling and extortion,” the Treasury said in a release.

Formerly known as Los Zetas, CDN is a notorious criminal organization based in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon. Along with drugs, CDN has been connected to human and arms trafficking as well as money laundering and vehicle and oil theft.

CDN and seven other cartels were designated foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department in February at the direction of President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order targeting the criminal organizations on his first day in office.

Trump campaigned on securing the border from both criminal cartels and irregular migration, often through the use of incendiary rhetoric and misinformation.

In May, the Treasury sanctioned two high-ranking members of the gang, including a weapons procurer.

“These cartels poison Americans with fentanyl and conduct human smuggling operations along our southwest border,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday in a statement.

“Treasury, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, is committed to a full-frontal assault on the cartels, targeting the leadership and revenue streams that enable their horrific crimes.”

SEAN ‘Diddy’ Combs’ attorneys have confirmed they’ve approached the Trump administration about a possible pardon.

It comes after the disgraced rapper Diddy was convicted of two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution last month.

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“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” his lawyer told CNN.

Trump previously suggested a pardon would be unlikely.

In an interview with Newsmax last week, the US President said: “I was very friendly with him, I got along with him great and he seemed like a nice guy.

“I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.”

Attorney for Combs Nicole Westmoreland said Combs “is a very hopeful person, and I believe that he remains hopeful”.

A White House official declined to comment.

It comes after The Sun on Sunday revealed last month how Ghislaine Maxwell is also seeking a pardon from Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, earlier this year the President pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022.

And, when he was first inaugurated, Trump gave the founder of dark web marketplace Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, a full and unconditional pardon and saved him from serving two life sentences after he was convicted in 2015.

It comes as Combs was denied $50 million bail – for the second time – ahead of his October 3 sentencing on prostitution charges.

Judge Arun Subramanian agreed with federal prosecutors’ decision to keep the disgraced rapper locked up at MDC Brooklyn.

In a court order the US district judge wrote there were no “exceptional reasons” warranting Combs’ release before his sentencing.

The former music mogul reportedly filed a new motion for bail, offering a $50 million bail package in which he pledged to stay at his Miami home and restrict travel to Florida and New York.

His legal team argued there is no binding precedent for keeping him in jail before sentencing – an argument Judge Subramanian rejected.

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They also claimed he is likely the only man in America jailed for hiring male sex workers to sleep with his girlfriend.

But Subramanian dismissed this, stating that the case involved “evidence of violence, coercion or subjugation in connection with the acts of prostitution”.

When Combs’ legal team raised concerns about his safety at MDC Brooklyn, Subramanian said staff protected Combs “even during an incident of threatened violence from an inmate”.

The judge added that the bail denial will not affect Combs’ sentencing in 60 days’ time.

Combs faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence – 10 years for each count of transportation to engage in prostitution.

However, federal prosecutors have said they would seek a three- to five-year sentence.

On July 2, Combs was convicted on two prostitution-related counts, but was acquitted of the more serious charges he faced.

He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking in regard to his ex-girlfriends Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura and “Jane” (pseudonym).

The music executive fell to his knees in prayer after the jury foreperson read the verdict.

Combs’ defence team delivered a post-verdict victory speech to reporters outside the US District Courthouse, calling the outcome a “great victory for the jury system”.

Agnifilo said the 12-person jury “got the situation right – or certainly, right enough”.

“We are not nearly done fighting. We’re not going to stop until he walks out of prison a free man to his family,” he added.

Meanwhile, in their closing arguments, prosecutors described Combs as the “leader of a criminal enterprise”, who used his expansive “wealth, power, violence, and fear to get what he wanted”.

The prosecution’s case centred on disturbing and graphic testimony about drug-fuelled “freak-offs” during which Combs allegedly coerced his ex-girlfriends into participate in sex acts with male escorts.

Combs was first denied bail in November 2024 – shortly after his arrest in late September of that year.

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Cardi B’s infamous microphone-throw incident is being raised again, almost two years after it took place in Las Vegas.

An Ohio woman is suing the 32-year-old “Bodak Yellow” rapper, claiming battery, assault and negligence. The owners of Drai’s Beachclub and Nightclub, where the incident took place on July 29, 2023, are also being sued for negligence. The suit was filed days before the statute of limitations in Nevada for such charges ran out.

According to court documents filed in Clark County on Monday, the plaintiff — who chose to go by Jane Doe because of “psychiatric trauma” — alleges that during Cardi B’s performance, she encouraged the audience to “splash water on her” amid “visibly high-temperature conditions.” Though she initially approved, allegedly pouring water on herself and stating “Wooh that s— feel good,” it was when the plaintiff partook that the rapper abruptly and “forcefully” threw her microphone.

The object is said to have hit Jane Doe, with Cardi B shouting “I said splash my p—, not my face, b—.” Documents called it an “unreasonable escalation” that resulted in “harmful and offensive contact.” Though the deed was investigated by police at the time, the rapper was not charged. Representatives for Cardi B did not immediately respond on Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.

Just weeks later the microphone was auctioned on eBay and fetched $99,000. It is a key part of the case, as Jane Doe claims the sale “exacerbated emotional distress.” At the time, sellers told TMZ that the money would be given to two charities — the Wounded Warrior Project and Friendship Circle Las Vegas, a local program that helps individuals with special needs.

The plaintiff is seeking damages up to $15,000 for alleged physical and emotional injuries, as well as reputational harm.

Snoop Dogg told us long ago that he’s got his mind on his money and his money on his mind.

Now he’s got his mind on using some of that money to become the latest American celebrity to invest in an English Football League team.

On Thursday, Welsh club Swansea City announced that the hip-hop legend, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, is joining its ownership group. It was not disclosed what percentage of the club is now owned by Snoop Dogg or how much he invested in the team.

The announcement came days after the “Gin & Juice” rapper helped reveal Swansea City’s uniforms for the upcoming season by posing in the new home jersey in a video posted to Instagram.

“My love of football is well known, but it feels special to me that I make my move into club ownership with Swansea City,” Snoop Dogg said in a statement released Thursday by Swansea City. “The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working class city and club. An underdog that bites back, just like me.

“I’m proud to be part of Swansea City. I am going to do all I can to help the club.”

Swansea City plays in the EFL Championship, the league’s second tier, which means Snoop Dogg’s team will be competing against the likes of Wrexham, which was famously purchased in 2020 by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, and Birmingham City, which boasts NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority owner.

Other famous Americans who own stakes in EFL teams include Lakers superstar LeBron James (Liverpool) and former NFL star J.J. Watt and his wife and former NWSL star Kealia Watt (Burnley).

Once a polarizing gangsta rapper and now a beloved pop culture icon, Snoop Dogg has expressed interest in owning a soccer team before. The “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper told the Daily Record in 2012 that he wouldn’t mind purchasing a stake in a specific Scottish club.

“I see how passionate Celtic fans are about their team,” Snoop Dogg said, “and I could see myself making an investment if any of the board wanted to sell.”

He added: “The boxes at Celtic would never be the same once I have hosted a party there.”

Now Snopp Dogg is finally a club owner, and Swansea City is happy to have him.

“To borrow a phrase from Snoop’s back catalogue, this announcement is the next episode for Swansea City as we seek to create new opportunities to boost the club’s reach and profile,” the club said in a statement.

“Snoop’s colossal global fanbase and audience will certainly help us do that, and he has made clear to us throughout this process just how excited he is at the prospect of joining the club. … We expect his involvement to support us putting as competitive a team as possible out on the field.”

Ye, the vitriolic rapper formerly known as Kanye West, is facing a new round of controversy involving fresh allegations from an ex-assistant including sex trafficking, sexual harassment, stalking and sexual battery.

Ye’s accuser, former Yeezy employee Lauren Pisciotta, has taken more legal action against the Grammy-winning “All of the Lights” musician a year after she sued him for sexual harassment and breach of contract, among other counts, in June 2024. In an amended complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles, Pisciotta claims the rapper forced her to perform oral sex on him, sexually assaulted her numerous times during her Yeezy employment and engaged in sexual activity with employees at his Yeezy offices. Pisciotta also accuses the rapper of stalking her after she filed her initial lawsuit.

Legal representatives for Ye and his Yeezy brands did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Thursday.

Pisciotta’s 37-page complaint, reviewed by The Times, doubles down on claims from her June 2024 suit but also details sexual assaults that allegedly occurred at a San Francisco hotel shortly after Ye hired Pisciotta in 2021 to help with the creation of his album “Donda.”

“For almost two years Ms. Pisciotta dedicated her life to Ye under the pretense that he would present her with pivotal opportunities in the music and fashion industries at an even larger scale than any of her previous work,” the lawsuit said. “Despite Ms. Pisciotta’s unwavering dedication to her job, Ye continued to sexually harass her at every opportunity.”

Pisciotta alleges that during her time working with Ye in San Francisco, he forcefully kissed her on the mouth, forcibly touched her genitals with one hand while stroking himself with the other, exposed himself and “forced his penis into her mouth,” according to legal documents.

Ye allegedly sexually assaulted Pisciotta another time, in October 2023, according to legal documents, when they were en route to Paris from Los Angeles. The 48-year-old rapper requested Pisciotta come to his private room on his plane and demanded she give him a hug. She refused, but Ye said he needed to speak with her and locked her in the room, where he allegedly “retreated to his bed and began to masturbate.” Pisciotta claims she was “forced” to remain in the room until someone opened the door from the outside.

The complaint also paints a disturbing picture of the inner workings and culture of the Yeezy offices, alleging Ye verbally abused Pisciotta, often used “derogatory, antisemitic slurs” and “demanded assistants and other employees draw swastikas in the workplace.” Earlier this year, Ye came under fire for placing a TV ad during the Super Bowl for a website selling a T-shirt emblazoned with the hate symbol.

Additionally, “Ye openly performed sexual acts with women at the Yeezy office,” the complaint said, adding that one of the women was his current wife, Bianca Censori. Pisciotta’s complaint also repeated previous allegations that Ye constantly messaged her about his sexual fantasies involving her, sending sexually explicit videos, photos and memes.

Ye, who in recent years has used his social media pages to spew hate including antisemitic rants, posted on X earlier this year about his inappropriate workplace practices in numerous lewd posts mentioned in the complaint.

“Life is about using your position to f— the baddest b— possible,” he said in one post.

Other since-deleted posts from Ye include “I’m a walking me too,” referring to the watershed #MeToo movement, and “I’m a big time perv.” The complaint also includes posts where Ye uses misogynistic language and homophobic slurs, and claims there is a difference between “me too rapes” and “real rape.”

Though the complaint mainly concerns incidents that allegedly occurred during Pisciotta’s Yeezy tenure, she said the rapper admitted to assaulting her in 2015 during a studio recording session in Santa Monica.

Pisciotta alleged that West’s disturbing behavior did not end after she was terminated at Yeezy. She claims the rapper grabbed her by the throat and stuck his tongue in her ear when they saw each other at a concert in November 2022. He also allegedly moved into the same apartment complex as Pisciotta, prompting her to move out of state.

After moving to Florida, Pisciotta claims Ye arranged a “swatting” event at her home days after she filed her initial lawsuit. Swatting is a hoax 911 report made in the hope of generating a large law enforcement response. Pisciotta said officers arrived at her home to investigate reports of child abuse and murder. Pisciotta said she had “also experienced a barrage of service workers such as plumbers and food delivery workers showing up to her door unannounced.”

She further alleges she has received calls from people warning her not to pursue further legal action against Ye.

Pisciotta is also suing for counts of assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other charges. She demands an unspecified amount in damages and wants a jury trial.

Cardi B, who wonders “Am I the Drama?” on her upcoming album, now faces a different question from curious fans: Did she split with Stefon Diggs?

The Grammy-winning “Bodak Yellow” rapper sparked breakup chatter this week after eagle-eyed followers noticed she had taken down photos featuring NFL star Diggs from her Instagram page. Cardi B, 32, and Diggs, 31, hard-launched their relationship during the NBA Playoffs in May and made things Instagram official in June.

Representatives for Cardi B and Diggs did not immediately respond to The Times on Tuesday.

In June, Cardi B flaunted her relationship with the New England Patriots wide receiver, sharing very intimate photos from a steamy boating trip in a since-removed Instagram carousel. “Chapter 5 ……Hello Chapter six,” Cardi B captioned the collection of photos, which is no longer publicly visible on her profile.

Cardi B and Diggs first sparked dating rumors in February, when TMZ published video of the pair arriving at a Miami hotel during Valentine’s Day weekend. In April, they were spotted together again partying it up at a Manhattan nightclub. Photos of the rapper dancing on the athlete’s lap spread online and even got a thumbs-up from the musician’s estranged husband, Migos rapper Offset.

Cardi B reportedly filed to divorce Offset in 2024. Since then, their relationship has been far from friendly as the pair — who share three young children — continue to spar on social media.

While Cardi B’s Instagram does not currently feature any photos of Diggs, it’s worth noting that they still follow each other on the app. Cardi B and Offset, on the other hand, are no longer Instagram mutuals.

Speculation about the status of Cardi B’s romantic life surfaced as she arrived at Paris Fashion Week sans Diggs. She appeared at the Schiaparelli showcase at Petit Palais wearing a body-hugging gown with a dramatic neckline and fringe. A live crow was perched on the “W.A.P.” artist‘s right hand, evoking imagery from her forthcoming album.

Cardi B revealed in late June that her long-anticipated sophomore album, “Am I the Drama?,” is set to drop Sept. 19, seven years after her debut, “Invasion of Privacy.” Her social media announcement included a look at the theatrical album cover: She wears an abstract red body suit and matching fishnet stockings, grabbing one heel as a dark bird rests on her shoe and more of them swarm around her.

Before the announcement, Cardi B reflected in a teaser on “seven years of love, life and loss” and trading in grace for hell.

“I learned power’s not given. It’s taken,” the Bronx native says in the video. “I’m shedding feathers and no more tears. I’m not back. I’m beyond.”

Terrance “T.A.” Dixon, once a hype man to rapper Fat Joe, has sued his former employer for $20 million, making some allegations that might blend right in at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ RICO and sex-trafficking trial.

The federal lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York and reviewed by The Times, alleges that the rapper underpaid Dixon, cut him out of promised pay for contributing to album tracks, defrauded authorities about his income, ditched Dixon in foreign countries without money or transportation home and is running a criminal organization built on intimidation and violence.

The lawsuit alleges that Fat Joe forced the hype man — a sort of backing vocalist who pumps up the audience — into approximately 4,000 sex acts with women in front of him and his crew.

The 54-year-old rapper, born Joseph Antonio Cartagena, is also accused of having sexual relationships with girls who were 15 and 16. The allegations go back to when the rapper was in his late 30s, the lawsuit says. Fat Joe’s song “She’s My Mama,” which has graphically sexual lyrics, was based on what is alleged to have happened with him and one of the girls in real life, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit states that Dixon’s role over about 16 years was more than that of the usual hype man. He “consistently” had duties that included co-writing lyrics, structuring hooks, recording background vocals, performing at more than 200 live shows as Fat Joe’s primary onstage counterpart and managing travel logistics, including equipment transport, security and emergency arrangements. The complaint alleges that Dixon also acted as Joe’s bodyguard and handler during tours.

According to the filing, Dixon wrote or co-wrote tracks including “Congratulations,” “Money Over Bitches,” “Ice Cream,” “Cupcake,” “Blackout,” “Dirty Diana,” “Porn Star,” “Okay Okay,”“No Problems,” a version of “All the Way Up,” “300 Brolic,” “All I Do Is Win (Remix verse),” “Red Café (Remix),” “Winding on Me,” “Cocababy” and “Get It for Life.”

The complaint alleges that Dixon was not properly paid for his efforts, even though he says he was promised certain ownership percentages and documented credit on songs that Fat Joe released commercially. Dixon, who left Fat Joe’s team in 2020, was unable to obtain certain evidence of wrongdoing until a person named as “Accountant Doe” came forward last year with information, the lawsuit says.

Fat Joe “exercised sole control over contracts, budgets, tour management, licensing, and credit attribution and intentionally omitted Plaintiff’s name from liner notes, publishing registrations, and royalty structures, despite Plaintiff’s direct contributions to these works’ creative and commercial success,” the complaint says.

Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Fat Joe, called the lawsuit “a blatant attack of retaliation” and labeled the allegations “complete fabrications” that his client denies in a statement to Variety. Retaliation referred to the slander lawsuit that the rapper filed against Dixon in April after the former hype man accused him on social media of flying a 16-year-old across state lines for sex.

Dixon’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, is also representing producer Lil Rod (Rodney Jones) in his $30-million federal lawsuit filed last year against Sean “Diddy” Combs and others in Combs’ orbit, in which Lil Rod alleged sexual harassment and sexual assault. A judge tossed out a majority of Lil Rod’s allegations against Combs in late March.

Both lawsuits include trigger warnings in bright red type ahead of the allegations — something not often seen in such documents.

“Fat Joe is Sean Combs minus the Tusi [pink cocaine],” Blackburn said in a statement to the Independent. “He learned nothing from his 2013 federal conviction,” the attorney added, referencing Fat Joe’s four-month sentence and $15,000 fine in a plea deal for failure to file a tax return in multiple years on more than $3.3 million in income.

In addition to Fat Joe, defendants in the new lawsuit include Peter “Pistol Pete” Torres, Richard “Rich Player” Jospitre, Erica Juliana Moreira and several companies —including Roc Nation — that are affiliated with the rapper. Dixon is asking for a jury trial.