Rappers Weigh in on Ja Morant's 2nd G*n Controversy

Big NBA YoungBoy fan, Ja Morant, has officially been declared NBA DumbBoy by former NBA player Kwame Brown for his 2nd suspension involving a firearm and IG live. Twitter is having a field day with the jokes and there’s more on Morant’s controversy in today’s newsletter. In other news:

• Billboard Hot 100 chart & streams 📈 

• Young Thug challenges evidence in RICO case 🐍 

• Kid Cudi teases featured artists on new album 🎵 

• Travis Scott plays Utopia for Houston Astros 🤯 

• Fat Joe & Snoop Dogg weigh in on Ja Morant suspension 🏀 

• Industry Insights

Hot 100 Chart & Streams

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking, as of today, and the corresponding song streams for the week of May 5th to 11th as reported by Hits Double Daily. Hot 100 ranks songs based on a combination of streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Toosii’s “Favorite Song” climbs 3 more spots this week rising to #8 and achieving its highest Hot 100 placement to date. Toosii also overtook Drake’s “Search & Rescue” for the most-streamed hip-hop song last week and Post Malone’s “Chemical” climbs by 1 spot to #21 on the Hot 100.

Young Thug Challenges Evidence in YSL RICO Case

The latest in Young Thug’s ongoing RICO trial is related to case evidence, a more normal legal matter than many of the bizarre updates as of late. As reported by AllHipHop, Thug’s lawyers are disputing the inclusion of a recording from a Ring doorbell. The recording allegedly features Thug’s voice which would link him to the crime scene of an Atlanta shooting.

On March 18th, 2022, Officers responded to an incident at a Southwest Atlanta residence. The house/crime scene was riddled with shell casings and was reportedly hit with bullets 10 times. During the investigation, an officer communicated with an individual at the house via the Ring doorbell, and the officer’s bodycam also picked up the conversation. The officer claims that the recording features Thug.

The rapper’s legal team does not agree and is disputing this claim. They’re looking to ban the potential evidence or have the prosecution establish a solid basis for voice identification beyond an unidentified officer’s testimony.

Context for those of you out touching grass

It was previously reported that one of Thug’s codefendants, Jayden Myrick, was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation after he claimed that he was receiving legal advice from Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Since then, he’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia and his case has been severed from the YSL RICO trial.

Why this matters

The severance of Myrick’s case brings the number of YSL defendants down to 10 (it was originally 28). The exclusion of Myrick and the Ring doorbell recording could be positive signs for Thug as the case struggles to make it to trial. Jury selection remains underway after it was projected to wrap up in February—an example of how nothing has gone smoothly thus far.

Kid Cudi’s New Album Will Feature Young Thug & Travis Scott Not Playboi Carti

If there’s one thing Playboi Carti hates—it’s releasing new music. According to Kid Cudi, his song “Solo Dolo Pt. IV” featuring Carti won't be on his new album because Carti refuses to clear it. Cudi shared his thoughts in the tweet below, calling the decision “very weak” but ultimately Carti’s loss because the album “smacks” regardless and fans' “faces will melt”.

During the impromptu Twitter Q&A, Cudi also confirmed the inclusion of Young Thug and Travis Scott on the album which will no doubt build more anticipation amongst fans. The first single is expected to arrive on June 2nd but not much else is known about the album.

Context for those of you out touching grass

“Solo Dolo Pt. IV” was first teased by Cudi during his To The Moon tour stop in Paris in November 2022. It’s the fourth installment of Cudi’s “Solo Dolo” song series from his previous albums: Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Indicud, and Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. The duo previously collaborated on “M3tamorphosis” which appeared on Carti’s Whole Lotta Red.

Why this matters

In a 2022 interview with Zane Lowe, Cudi said he was nearing the end of his music career and that the Entergalactic soundtrack album might be his last. He’s since changed his mind but the admission of Carti’s refusal gives an interesting POV.

For die-hard Carti fans, at what point does fandom turn into frustration? He won’t clear a feature let alone release his own music and every promise of “new music soon” proves to be false. Cudi, on the other hand, may flip-flop on the idea of making music but whenever he makes announcements like this on Twitter—he usually follows through.

Travis Scott Plays Utopia for the Houston Astros

“It’s on the way now, Mark, finish the master,” said Travis Scott in a new video announcing that the Houston Astros got a casual listen of his highly anticipated new album, Utopia, ahead of their recent game versus the Chicago Cubs. If Scott’s goal was to get the baseball team hyped and ready—Utopia understood the assignment as the Houston Astros won their May 15th game.

Now all that’s left is for an unspecified “Mark” to finish the master. This is the closest we’ve gotten to Scott’s new album as previous rumors and hints have culminated in nothing but disappointment.

Context for those of you out touching grass

Scott has been steadily coming back into the public eye, following a break after the 2021 Astroworld tragedy. He was recently featured on Chase B’s new song “Ring Ring” alongside Quavo and Don Toliver. In April, he teased new music with Offset at Rolling Loud Thailand, and he’s made a handful of club appearances—recently gifting a fan $5K at E11EVEN nightclub for their birthday.

Why this matters

It's been almost half a decade since Scott released a new album (Astroworld came out on August 3rd, 2023) and prior to the failed music festival of the same name—Scott was at the highest peak of his career. Utopia is part of his long-awaited comeback and will be instrumental in the next chapter of his career because sneaker hype and features can only go so far.

Rappers Comment on Ja Morant’s 2nd Suspension

Apparently, you can’t take Ja Morant holding a g*n out of Instagram Live nor can you take the NBA YoungBoy lyrics out of him.

On Sunday, the NBA star was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies after a video started circulating online of him holding a gun in the car with his friends. NBA YoungBoy’s music can be heard playing in the background and the video was captured during a friend's IG live. There’s a split second where the gun is seen in Morant’s hand before his friend quickly moves the phone.

Fat Joe had some tough love for Morant, warning him of his future if he continues to rebel against the rules of the NBA. “That man is trying hard to go play [in] Turkey or China or Serbia-Montenegro,” Joe said. “He’s trying hard to get kicked out the NBA. And those guys that’s with you? They not your peoples, Ja. They don’t care!”

“This is a problem we have with our community becoming famous because the people around you, they like the girls that’s watching, they love the lifestyle — but they’re not you! They didn’t dribble the basketball in the snow on Christmas trying to figure out the Kobe moves or the Jordan moves. They didn’t put in the work like you!”

BlockBoy JB came to Morant’s defense saying “Free Ja” and made the following statement:

Meanwhile, other rappers like Snoop Dogg and Cam’ron took the comedic route sharing memes and jokes about the suspension. Snoog dug up a scene from the iconic movie Be Cool and Cam’ron used an old Soulja Boy video to prove his point.

Context for those of you out touching grass

A little over a month ago, Morant was suspended for eight games for the exact same incident. He was seen flashing a gun on IG live while at a strip club in Colorado. Recently, Polo G referenced the first incident in the music video for his song “Off The Court” alongside the lyrics “I got my stick in the club, like Ja”.

Why this matters

As a highly publicized NBA player, Morant’s name is often brought up in conversations among hip-hop artists on podcasts, talk shows, and livestreams. The culture of sports, especially basketball, is inextricably tied to music, and unfortunately for Morant, it means tastemakers in both industries will have to distance themselves from him or go to bat and defend his decisions. One bad IG live is an honest mistake but twice seems careless despite Morant’s softer side often being displayed at games with his daughter Kaari.

• 18-year-old confesses to Pop Smoke’s killing. The admission was made in juvenile court on May 12th along with confessions for other charges.

• Apple adds concert discovery features to Apple Maps and Apple Music including 40 new guides that handpick venues to experience live music in cities worldwide.

• Lil Durk announces Sorry for the Drought tour with Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, and DD Osama. The 27-city tour begins on July 28th in Tampa.

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