Southern rap mogul Master P has responded to public claims made by Mia X, the First Lady of No Limit Records, who earlier this week announced she would not be performing at Essence Festival during what has been billed as his final live performance.
Jul 02
Southern rap mogul Master P has responded to public claims made by Mia X, the First Lady of No Limit Records, who earlier this week announced she would not be performing at Essence Festival during what has been billed as his final live performance.
Jul 02
Benzino lashed out Tuesday (July 1) after being compared to Drake in a viral post that featured a side-by-side photo of both shirtless, accusing the blog of using a doctored image of him.
“The next time you post a pic of me comparing me to @drake make sure yall don’t use a photoshopped one off the internet,” he wrote on social media. “I got a bunch of dope gym pics on here you can use. Keep mind I’ll be 60 in 2 weeks so make it make sense you weirdos.”
The post came after Drake uploaded a shirtless selfie to Instagram, flaunting sharply defined abs that quickly drew scrutiny from users online. Some accused the Toronto rapper of having surgically enhanced abs, while others joked about the resemblance to Benzino’s physique.
The comparison didn’t sit well with the former Source magazine publisher, who regularly shares his fitness progress and gym routines on social media.
Benzino has been vocal about his dedication to staying fit and active. In a 2024 interview, he opened up about returning to the gym after a six-month break.
“These last few months I’ve been hitting the gym like I never had before,” he said. “It feels amazing. There’s nothing that these younger guys are doing that I can’t do, and that alone feels good.”
Benzino also credited Hip-Hop culture for helping him stay mentally and physically youthful.
“Hip-Hop has really kept us young at heart,” he said. “Without Hip-Hop, we probably would be a lot older than we portray to be.”
Article source: https://allhiphop.com/news/benzino-reacts-drake-comparison-viral-shirtless-selfie/
Jul 02
Diddy will remain behind bars after a federal judge refused to grant his release following a partial acquittal in his high-profile sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
Despite being cleared of the most serious allegations—including racketeering and sex trafficking involving Cassie Ventura, Diddy was found guilty on two counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution.
The jury reached its decision after three days of deliberation.
Diddy’s legal team pushed for his release on a $1 million bond, arguing the remaining convictions don’t qualify as “crimes of violence” under federal law; however, Judge Arun Subramanian denied his release.
The judge cited multiple incidents that demonstrate he poses a continued danger to the community. The court referenced the widely circulated video showing Diddy assaulting Ventura and highlighted a separate violent altercation at the London Hotel.
The judge emphasized that even under the standard of proving he’s not a threat, Diddy failed to meet the burden. The court noted that the defense had already conceded to his violent behavior and concluded there was no justification to reverse the previous decision to deny bail.
“For months, the government repeatedly argued, and announced to the world, that Sean Combs was a monster who perpetrated a 20-year federal crime spree through a racketeering enterprise,” attorney AE Shapiro wrote in a letter to the judge. “It devoted enormous resources to this prosecution. Then, after almost a year in detention, Mr. Combs finally got his day in Court, and the government’s allegations were tested before a jury of his peers.
“That jury heard the government’s evidence, including testimony from his former girlfriends. By its verdict, the jury resoundingly rejected the government’s depiction of Mr. Combs. It would be unjust to continue detaining Mr. Combs at the MDC even one day longer.”
The defense cited Diddy’s family obligations, his mother’s health and the conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center as reasons for bail.
Prosecutors pushed back, saying the convictions still fall under the category of violent crimes, which legally require detention until sentencing. They pointed to Diddy’s alleged history of violence, drug use and efforts to hide his actions.
“While the defendant has offered to have multiple sureties from his family, evidence at trial established that the defendant repeatedly sought to conceal his criminal conduct from those close to him,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant’s conduct after he understood that he was under federal investigation underscores that he continues to be a danger to others and is either unable or unwilling to follow the law.”
Judge Arun Subramanian ultimately ruled that Diddy must remain in federal custody until his sentencing.
Article source: https://allhiphop.com/news/breaking-diddy-denied-bail-too-violent-to-be-released-after-partial-acquittal/
Jul 02
The jury has reached verdicts on four out of the five charges facing Diddy. This is stressful. The panel of eight men and four women is expected to return to deliberations Wednesday morning to resolve the final charge of racketeering. When I saw this, I knew it was bad news for Diddy. But, we do not know for sure.
The racketeering count is widely considered the most complex of the charges. They have reached a consensus on the remaining counts. These counts include two sex-trafficking charges and two counts related to the transportation of individuals to engage in prostitution. Those verdicts remain under seal as deliberations continue. But, we are forming our thoughts on what we think may lurk ahead.
The 55-year-old Bad Boy Records founder has maintained his innocence. But, if convicted on the current charges, Combs could be spending the rest of his life behind bars. What do you think the result will be?
If found guilty, Combs would almost certainly appeal, but it would be seriously problematic. Anyway, I asked AI what the outcome looked like based on the most recent developments…
HERE IS EXACTLY WHAT AI SAID:
The jury has already reached a verdict on four out of five charges, including the two sex-trafficking charges and two charges related to transporting individuals for prostitution. However, they remain deadlocked on the racketeering charge, which is the most complex and sweeping of the accusations.
Several signs suggest a partial guilty verdict is likely:
Article source: https://allhiphop.com/rumors/ai-guesses-diddy-trial-outcome-based-on-jurys-partial-verdict/
Jul 02
Diddy was found not guilty on three counts Wednesday (July 2) after a jury rejected the government’s case accusing him of running a criminal enterprise built on sex trafficking, coercion and violence.
Jurors delivered a partial verdict, finding him not guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura and sex trafficking of Jane. However, the jury returned a guilty verdict on one count: transporting Ventura and Jane across state lines to engage in prostitution.
The jury rejected prosecutors’ claims that he operated a criminal enterprise and used force, fraud or coercion to traffic the two women, dealing a significant blow to the government’s broader case.
The verdict came in on the third day of deliberations. On Tuesday (July 1), U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian received a note from the jury explaining that they could not reach a verdict on Count 1—the racketeering conspiracy charge, which had almost gone unresolved.
But Judge Subramanian instructed the jurors to continue deliberating until they reached a verdict, which ultimately resulted in the stunning win for Diddy this afternoon.
The not guilty rulings mark a significant blow to federal prosecutors, who alleged Diddy led a years-long campaign of coercion, manipulation and abuse and now any mandatory minimum sentences are off the table.
The 12-member panel—comprised of five white jurors, four Black jurors, two Hispanic jurors and one Asian juror whose identity was kept confidential—deliberated for three days before reaching its decision.
The not-guilty verdicts capped a six-week trial that featured graphic testimony, high-profile witnesses and a barrage of evidence, including surveillance footage and text messages.
The verdict marks a major legal victory for the music mogul, who has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024.
Prosecutors had painted Diddy as the leader of a decades-long criminal operation that used his fame, fortune and inner circle to exploit women.
They alleged he orchestrated sex parties known as “freak-offs,” drugged and manipulated ex-girlfriends, including Cassie Ventura, and used employees to cover up abuse.
The government also accused him of bribery, arson and kidnapping, citing testimony from 34 witnesses and evidence seized during raids.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors Combs “counted on silence and shame” to protect himself and insisted the evidence proved sex trafficking and racketeering beyond a reasonable doubt.
However, the defense disassembled that narrative and successfully convinced the jury that Diddy was innocent by focusing on consent and credibility.
They argued that Diddy’s relationships, including his tumultuous history with Ventura, were consensual and not criminal. His attorneys described their romance as a “great modern love story” and admitted to domestic violence but denied it rose to the level of federal crimes.
The defense called no witnesses of their own, instead relying on cross-examinations to poke holes in the prosecution’s timeline and motives.
Diddy’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo highlighted inconsistencies in witness accounts and introduced texts and social media posts suggesting some accusers maintained friendly contact with Diddy long after the alleged abuse.
Diddy, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, faced up to life in prison if convicted. The acquittal is like a re-run of one of Diddy’s television shows.
In 2001, he was acquitted on all charges stemming from a high-profile nightclub shooting in Manhattan. That trial revolved around a December 1999 incident at Club New York, where three people were injured.
Prosecutors accused Diddy—then known as Puff Daddy—of gun possession and bribery after police claimed he tried to hide a weapon in a car with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.
But the jury found him not guilty in March 2001, clearing him of any wrongdoing. Rapper Shyne, however, was convicted of weapons charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Soon, it will be business as usual for Diddy, who will be a free man and back out on the streets to run his business empire.
Article source: https://allhiphop.com/news/diddy-cleared-acquitted-federal-sex-trafficking-racketeering-trial/
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