Julie McKnight broke her silence this week to firmly reject Jaguar Wright’s explosive claims that Brian McKnight physically abused her during their marriage.
May 08
Julie McKnight broke her silence this week to firmly reject Jaguar Wright’s explosive claims that Brian McKnight physically abused her during their marriage.
May 08
Tyre Nichols became the focus of national outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct after a jury cleared three former Memphis officers of all state charges tied to his deadly beating during a traffic stop in January 2023.
After more than eight hours of deliberation, on Wednesday (May 7), the panel found Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
The decision came at the end of a seven-day trial, marking the second courtroom battle for the trio in connection to Nichols’ death.
“Today’s verdict in the trial of the officers involved in Tyre Nichols’ death is devastating. But we must never let the brutality that ended his life overshadow the beauty of how he lived,” the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, said.
Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after he was violently beaten by officers from the Memphis Police Department’s now-disbanded Scorpion Unit.
Body camera and surveillance footage showed officers punching, kicking and striking Nichols with a baton as he cried out for his mother. The video triggered widespread protests and calls for sweeping police reform.
All five officers involved were fired and charged at both the state and federal levels. Two of them, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution during the state trial.
In a separate federal case last year, Haley, Bean and Smith were convicted of witness tampering. Haley was also found guilty of violating Nichols’ civil rights by causing bodily injury.
However, all three were acquitted of federal charges directly related to Nichols’ death. Sentencing for those convictions is still pending.
Nichols’ family left the court without speaking to the media after hearing the verdict.
Today’s verdict in the trial of the officers involved in Tyre Nichols’ death is devastating. But we must never let the brutality that ended his life overshadow the beauty of how he lived. Tyre was a father, a son, a skateboarder who loved sunsets and photography. He wanted to… pic.twitter.com/AiqxGe88CE
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) May 7, 2025
“Tyre was a father, a son, a skateboarder who loved sunsets and photography. He wanted to live and experience the best out of life. His death has forever changed us — but his legacy will live on. We’ll make sure of it,” Ben Crump added.
Within minutes, social media lit up with reactions ranging from disbelief to fury, reigniting debates over police accountability and justice.
“Along with many of you, I watched the video of Tyre Nichols getting beaten to death by cops, executed in the street, calling for his mother in his final moments,” one user fumed. “Those cops were just ACQUITTED.
Our justice system is a JOKE.”
I’m confused. Maybe somebody can help me understand.
Tyre Nichols was beaten so viciously he was calling out to his mother. The officers mocked him, using his bloody body as a prop in pics they sent to other people.
And yet they were still acquitted. pic.twitter.com/oSZbDq0JAO
— Kyle J. (@KrobinJr) May 7, 2025
They literally beat the life outta Tyre Nichols! And got found not guilty on all 7 counts! This country is a f###### joke.
—
your favorite flower (@gardenfullofjas) May 7, 2025
So all the cops that killed Tyre Nichols are found not guilty, Memphis is about to burn..
— Marcsxx (@marcshmltn) May 7, 2025
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Article source: https://allhiphop.com/news/tyre-nichols-police-officers-aquitted/
May 08
Drake is being accused of trying to muzzle Hip-Hop’s long-standing tradition of lyrical combat in an attempt to undermine the First Amendment with his lawsuit against Kendrick Lamar.
The rapper faces renewed legal resistance from Universal Music Group over his lawsuit targeting Lamar’s chart-topping diss track “Not Like Us.”
The legal battle stems from a heated two-month lyrical exchange in 2024 between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which saw the two rap heavyweights trade nine diss tracks.
Drake’s lawsuit initially centered on the lyric in “Not Like Us” that he claims defamed him by calling him a “certified pedophile.”
But after UMG filed a motion to dismiss, Drake filed an amended complaint and shifted his focus to Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, even though the lyric in question was omitted from the show.
UMG is now asking a judge to toss the case entirely, calling the claims baseless and constitutionally dangerous.
“Assessed in context, as it must be, ‘Not Like Us’ conveys nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole,” UMG attorney Rollin A. Ransom explained. “Indeed, diss tracks are a popular and celebrated art form centered around outrageous insults and they would be chilled if Drake’s suit were permitted to proceed.”
Ransom didn’t hold back from pointing out what he saw as hypocrisy in Drake’s position.
“Drake, who had no concerns using UMG’s platform to publish slurs about Lamar during their rap feud, now claims ‘Not Like Us’ is defamatory. These allegations—directly aimed at chilling legitimate artistic expression safeguarded by the First Amendment—are meritless,” he said.
UMG argues that any defamation claims fall flat because the statements in the song are not factual assertions but rather exaggerated opinions typical of rap battles.
The label also took aim at Drake’s own lyrical content, noting that he used UMG’s platform to release diss tracks accusing Kendrick Lamar of domestic abuse and questioning the paternity of his child.
UMG says this undermines Drake’s credibility in claiming to be a victim of defamation. The label’s filing frames the lawsuit as less about legal harm and more about Drake’s bruised ego.
The label said the rapper is trying to “salve his wounds” after losing a public rap feud and is now targeting the commercial success of “Not Like Us,” which became the best-selling rap song of 2024
UMG is asking the court to dismiss Drake’s amended complaint with prejudice, which would prevent him from refiling the case.
Drake’s legal fight over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” drew fire from UMG, which accused him of trying to silence diss tracks and stifle free speech.
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Article source: https://allhiphop.com/news/drake-trying-to-chill-diss-rap-with-not-like-us-lawsuit/
May 08
A$AP Rocky opened up about the emotional weight of his recent legal battle and how it stalled his creativity during a revealing interview published by Variety.
The rapper was acquitted in February by a Los Angeles jury on two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The case stemmed from allegations that he fired a gun at former associate A$AP Relli during a 2021 confrontation.
Now 36, A$AP Rocky said the trial cast a long shadow over his music.
“I’m writing about these past four or five years that I had this over me, and it’s been kind of handicapping me,” he told the outlet.
He also reflected on how the experience changed his outlook on trust and accountability.
“I can’t necessarily blame it on my last situation. But what I did learn is you’ve gotta accept that everybody’s not good people; you’re not gonna run into a solid person every time. Not everybody’s gonna handle situations like you,” he said. “Once you accept that you’re not responsible for nobody’s actions but yours… That’s where I’m at — like, ‘Yo, focus on your own actions.’ Because I ain’t perfect. I’m human too, and we all f**k up.”
Away from the courtroom, A$AP Rocky has been focused on family and film. He and Rihanna, who began dating in 2020, are parents to two sons — RZA, 2, and Riot, 21 months.
During Monday’s 2025 Met Gala, Rihanna revealed she is pregnant with their third child.
Rocky is also stepping into the film world with a role in the upcoming Spike Lee-directed movie Highest 2 Lowest, starring alongside Denzel Washington.
The film is set to premiere this month at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
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Article source: https://allhiphop.com/news/aap-rocky-admits-his-music-suffered-during-legal-nightmare/
May 08
SZA admitted she owes Beyoncé a chunk of her publishing rights after borrowing lyrics from the pop icon’s 2006 ballad “Listen.”
SZA used some of the lyrics for her 2022 track “SOS”, but says the superstar has never asked for a dime.
The Grammy-winning singer dropped the confession in the comments of an Instagram reel posted by influencer Zuhaila Jama, who joked about Beyoncé’s long list of songwriting credits.
SZA said, “I literally owe her half my publishing off interpolation alone on ‘SOS’ and she never pressed me lmao. A generous QUEEN .”
The interpolation in question appears at the end of “SOS,” where SZA sings, “And I cried and cried / Said what’s on my mind,” a slight lyrical shift from Beyoncé’s original lines in “Listen”: “And I’ve tried and tried / To say what’s on my mind.”
Despite the borrowed bars, SZA said Beyoncé hasn’t come calling for compensation.
The 36-year-old artist has long admired the former Destiny’s Child frontwoman and once admitted she was too nervous to epproach her.
“I can’t speak unless she wants to speak, in my brain, because I don’t want to bother her,” SZA told E! News in 2023. “She looked so peaceful and beautiful. I just admire her. She’s a masterclass on poise, grace, artistry, beauty and kindness.”
“SOS,” released in December 2022, marked SZA’s first studio album in five years and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
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Article source: https://allhiphop.com/news/sza-owes-beyonce-royalties-beyonce-couldnt-care-less/
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