Mar 22

Queen Latifah Mourns Her Mother’s Death

After living with a heart condition for over 10 years, Queen Latifah’s mother — Rita Owens — has passed away. The “U.N.I.T.Y.” legend confirmed the news in a statement to People Magazine on Wednesday (March 21).

“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news my mother, Rita Owens passed away today,” her statement read. “Anyone that has ever met her knows what a bright light she was on this earth. She was gentle, but strong, sweet, but sassy, worldly but pragmatic, a woman of great faith and certainly the love of my life.”

She continued, “She had struggled with a heart condition for many years and her battle is now over. I am heart broken but know she is at peace. Thank you for your kindness, support and respect for our privacy at this time.”

On Monday (March 20), the illustrious actress/MC eluded to a decline in her mother’s health with an Instagram video thanking her fans for support.

“Words can’t to the express on the gratitude that I feel for the love and well wishes from friends family and all of you out there who just got love for the Queen!” she wrote. “But just know in the words of my brother Tupac, You are appreciated! Also please continue to send prayers up to my moms speedy recovery! GOD CAN!!!”

Words can’t to the express on the gratitude that I feel for the love and well wishes from friends family and all of you out there who just got love for the Queen! But just know in the words of my brother Tupac, You are appreciated! Also please continue to send prayers up to my moms speedy recovery! GOD CAN!!! ❤️?

A post shared by Queen Latifah (@queenlatifah) on Mar 19, 2018 at 2:09pm PDT

Owens, who was diagnosed with heart failure in 2004, was able to live with the condition for the past 14 years by taking the proper medication and adhering to a strict low sodium and low fat diet. She also had a defibrillator implanted in her chest to avert a heart attack.

Tributes have started to roll in on social media, including one from Missy Elliott who said Owens treated her “like family.”

Check out the posts below.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46290/title.queen-latifah-mourns-her-mothers-death

Mar 21

SZA Says She’s Done With Music (Again) After Her Next Album

SZA expects her next album to be the best music she’s made in her life, which is why she’s suggesting her musical follow-up to 2017’s Ctrl will be her last.

“I’m still miserable,” she told Flaunt in a recent interview. “My world got so much smaller so fast. I have so much to write about. I feel like I’m in a cage. I’m making the best album of my life for this next album and I know that … because it’s going to be my last album.”

Don’t panic yet though — SZA has often toyed with the idea of early retirement. Frustrated over album delays in 2016, she tweeted “I actually quit” and gave the go-ahead for TDE’s Terrence “Punch” Henderson to release her album whenever he felt like it.

 

SZASZA

By the end of 2016, SZA had given an interview to Complex saying Ctrl would be her last album. She hoped to get into something more visual, like film, noting that she deals with major anxiety.

Once Ctrl finally dropped in June 2017, it went on to debut at #3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, was nominated for multiple Grammys and has been certified platinum. HipHopDX also named Ctrl as 2017’s Best RB Album and gave “Love Galore” featuring Travis Scott the award for Best RB Song Of 2017.

“God didn’t give me the Grammys, because he knows I would have quit, like ‘I have nothing else to do,’” she said to Flaunt.

She ain’t got no suga

A post shared by SZA (@sza) on Feb 6, 2018 at 8:23pm PST

SZA’s comment about her next album being her last was reportedly delivered “with a grin,” suggesting she may have been joking and that she isn’t actually going anywhere.

In any case, she still hasn’t even started putting together the next album yet.

“I’ve been talking shit to myself on different topics every day for the last week, which is typically how I start — coming up with little catchphrases in the car on the way home, and I’ll be like, ‘Cute.’ Then I’ll be like, ‘I think I’m ready to write and start recording,’” she explained.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46283/title.sza-says-shes-done-with-music-again-after-her-next-album

Mar 21

Fetty Wap Becomes Father For 7th Time

Just two months after Fetty Wap’s ex Alexis Skyy gave birth to his daughter Alaiya, the “Trap Queen” rapper has welcomed a baby boy into the world. It’s not clear when Fetty’s seventh child was born, but the mother, Lezhae Zeona, posted a video in her Instagram story holding the newborn on Sunday (March 18).

#lezhaezeona and #fettywap welcome a baby boy into the world. Congrats ?? ???? Via: @theofficialcheekywiki_

A post shared by @ officialteabook on Mar 17, 2018 at 9:25pm PDT

Fetty has yet to publicly acknowledge the child, and his relationship status with Zeona is unknown. The two share a daughter, 2-year-old Zaviera Maxwell, and Zeona has been vocal about the lack of effort on his part to be in her life.

“I’m putting in overtime to make sure she doesn’t ever meet a nigga like her father,” Zeona wrote on Twitter in 2016. “Let’s be real, I raise Za ALONE you’re never here you come see her for 20 mins-2 hrs max a few times a month.”

Fetty now has seven children in total. His daughter Alaiya, who was born in January, arrived three months premature and currently remains hospitalized.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46284/title.fetty-wap-becomes-father-for-7th-time

Mar 21

Drake Teases Murda Beatz-Produced Single On Instagram Live

Fans watching Murda Beatz’s Instagram Live stream got a special surprise when Drake jumped in on the comments. After the producer started previewing a beat for his followers, the 6 God revealed he’ll be releasing a single produced by Murda in the near future.

“New single dropping soon produced by Chef Murda,” Drake wrote.

After Murda finished playing the beat, he playfully challenged Drake to get to work. According to the “MotorSports” producer, he’s just waiting on the OVO Sound co-founder to hit the studio for a collaboration.

“I’m waiting on this boy Drizzy,” he said. “Wake the fuck up, man! Drink a coffee. Drink a tea. Drink some water, text me the address and I’ma pull up.”

Drake and Murda have teamed up for multiple tracks in recent years. Murda produced Drizzy’s Gucci Mane collaboration “Back On Road” and the VIEWS album cut “With You” in 2016. Last year, he handled the production for “No Long Talk” and “Portland” from Drake’s More Life playlist.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46285/title.drake-teases-murda-beatz-produced-single-on-instagram-live

Mar 21

Chance The Rapper Answers Whether Or Not He’ll Play The Fresh Prince

Chicago, IL – During a recent interview with HipHopDX (out in Poland of all places), DJ Jazzy Jeff anointed Chance The Rapper to be the heir apparent if a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot were ever to manifest.

Both MCs share unique likeability attributes, acting talents, and undeniable music savvy so one could see why the legendary disc jockey would spout off Chance’s name with ease.

The word of Jazzy’s wishes traveled all the way to the awareness of Mrs. Lisa Bennett, who, according to the record-breaking Grammy Award-winning artist, told her son he’d best go ahead and fulfill that destiny.

During a recent sit-down on Pitchfork’s In Sight Out podcast, Chance literally laughed off the thought of filling Big Willie Style’s shoes.

“I’m not going to play the fucking Fresh Prince,” he chuckled to host Adrienne Samuels Gibbs. “I love the Fresh Prince. I love Will Smith. I have so much respect for him. I would never do that. But you know what, I would write on that joint.”

Chance has yet to have a recurring role — in film or television. But, he did score mega hashtag points for his November 2017 appearance as Saturday Night Live’s host, where he admitted to writing a pair of the skits: “Family Feud: Harvey Family Thanksgiving” and “Wayne Thanksgiving” — the latter being a self-proclaimed stroke of genius.

That said, Chance called the victory short-lived for Kevin Hart flipped the idea shortly after.

“And then, Kevin Hart had to try and come on two weeks later and reproduce my sketch but with Batman as a black man in a routine police stop. Who at the end, gets arrested for actually having cocaine. To which I say, ‘Where’s the political statement? What are you saying?’”

He continued, “I give one where I say, ‘Here’s Batman as a regular citizen.’ He’s a vigilante. We put all these dope lines in it. We wanna use terms like ‘excessive force’ and certain cool things; we have the sketch all put together. And it gets whittled down and watered down but you still get a dope piece. You still get a community upset about how this criminal justice is being enacted on them disproportionately. And you get to understand that Batman is focusing it on one specific group of people. And it’s not too in your face.

“People like and respond well to it. And my head gets gassed up because I’m like, ‘Oh, shit! I’m a writer now!’ And then, you look on TV and a couple weeks later … it’s Batman but now Batman is black and Batman is getting stopped by the police. And I’m like, ‘O.K. I see where you taking this. Batman is getting profiled in some way for being black. But in the end, after some questioning, Batman has cocaine on him and the whole [police] stop was justified. But where do you see that in society? What about Philando [Castille]?”

Chance went on to clarify he had zero beef with Kevin Hart and hopes to be back on SNL as the host and musical guest, for Eminem held down the latter honor during the episode in reference.

Listen to Chance’s full podcast down below for more gems on the culture. The Fresh Prince segment starts at the 30:40 mark.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46276/title.chance-the-rapper-answers-whether-or-not-hell-play-the-fresh-prince