Why a Defendant in XXXTentacion's Murder Trial Only Got 7 years

The Ja Morant jokes are still going as he issued an official apology this week, ghostwritten by ChatGPT? Imagine the advertising opportunities, “ChatGPT used by NBA players for formal statements since 2023”. Unfortunately for Ja, the repercussions have extended to Nike removing his sneakers from their app. In other news today:

• Song streams & revenue 📈 

• 4th defendant in XXXTentacion trial gets reduced sentence

• Post Malone helps aspiring musician buy a house 🏠️ 

• NBA YoungBoy Richest Opp Review 🔫 

• Discover new music from The Rap Index 🎵 

• Industry Insights

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new Thursday and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Double Daily, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart is a compilation of the 4-week streaming period from April 14th to May 11th. Giving you more insight into how streaming revenue stacks up over time 💰️ 

Drake continues to top the chart making $306K from over 63 million streams of “Search & Rescue”. Toosii’s “Favorite Song” had another great week hitting the $277K revenue mark from over 57 million streams.

Wonder how Drake and Ice Spice’s popularity matches up? In the 4 weeks following the release of “Search & Rescue”, Drake made almost $395K from over 82 million streams. Meanwhile, Ice Spice made almost $220K from over 45 million streams in the 4 weeks following the release of “Princess Diana” ft. Nicki Minaj.

Fourth Defendant in XXXTentacion Murder Trial Receives Reduced Sentence

Defendant, Robert Allen, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed robbery in the 2018 killing of rapper XXXTentacion learned his fate this week. He received a reduced sentence of 7 years, with 5 years credited for time served since he was arrested, and 20 years of probation following his release.

Last year, Allen accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to the aforementioned charges and agreeing to testify against his three co-defendants who received life sentences in March 2023. According to NBC, Judge Michael Usan told Allen that he believes his remorse is genuine, not just because he got caught, at the court hearing.

Allen, who was facing a possible life sentence, also expressed his sorrow to the judge and the family of XXXTentacion. “To say I’m sorry does not even begin the true inner remorse I want to make known. I know that these words that I will speak will never erase the pain and sorrow and loss of what the family will have from now on. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about what happened and beg for forgiveness from God."

Context for those of you out touching grass

On June 18th, 2018, XXXTentacion was leaving Riva Motorsports in Flordia when his BMW was blocked by an SUV. Two masked gunmen confronted X, robbed him of $50,000 cash, and shoot him multiple times which resulted in his death.

Michael Boatwright was identified as the shooter and Trayvon Newsome was the second masked gunman. Robert Williams was the getaway driver and ringleader and Allen was in the SUV.

Why this matters

The headline of this story, without context, seems unfair. Why does one defendant get 7 years while the others get life sentences? You can review details of the trial and evidence presented here but in summation, Allen’s testimony was a key part of the prosecution’s case. He corroborated evidence from surveillance footage and identified the shooter and ringleader. His testimony also denied defense arguments that Drake or anyone else hired them to kill X.

The variance in sentences for high-profile cases—Tory Lanez, Pop Smoke, and Tay-K to name a few—is wildly inconsistent thanks to nuances of the law in different states (among other things). However, in Allen’s case, it’s unsurprising that a judge showed leniency given his testimony and cooperation. To compare, a defendant in Pop Smoke’s murder trial pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received four years in juvenile hall.

Post Malone Helps Aspiring Musician Buy a House in “Life-Changing” Encounter

Post Malone showed generosity and kindness after hearing a young Scottish musician perform at Glasglow’s Wunderbar. As told to BBC News, Gregor Hunter Coleman was leaving his house last Friday with his guitar, unaware that he would have a special guest in the audience.

Malone approached him after his performance and asked if he would join him for a drink. Coleman initially declined, saying he was saving up to buy a house. The conversation continued and Post asked Coleman to perform with him at an exclusive after-party and offered to help with the down payment for his house.

To be clear, Malone didn’t buy him a house as a gift, he made an undisclosed donation toward the down payment which is generous, to say the least. Coleman also shared that Malone is interested in hearing more of his music and the pressure is on to not let the opportunity of a lifetime go to waste.

Context for those of you out touching grass

Malone’s currently touring Europe which explains the chance encounter during a Scotland bar crawl. He recently unveiled his new album, Austin, set to release on July 28th, and announced his summer 2023 North American tour. He also shot a music video in Scotland for his upcoming single “Mourning” which releases tomorrow, May 19th.

Why this matters

It’s not the first or second time Malone has extended kindness to strangers and fans. He went viral last year for wishing a fan with autism Happy Birthday at a Beverly Hills restaurant. The fan’s mom said that rarely are strangers as patient and kind as Malone was when her son struggled to speak clearly. It’s wholesome moments like this that give you a glimpse of someone’s true character, beyond fame and money. You may already like him as an artist but stories like this will make you like him more as a person.

NBA YoungBoy Takes Shots & Prays to God on ‘Richest Opp’

Soon after releasing his sixth studio album, Don’t Try This At Home, NBA YoungBoy announced he would be dropping the mixtape, Richest Opp, amidst a Twitter rant about longtime rival Lil Durk. 2 projects and 50 new songs in a matter of weeks? It’s a good month to be an NBA fan unless you’re Ja Morant.

NBA is the polar opposite of artists like Playboi Carti who move like they’re allergic to releasing music but quantity doesn’t always mean quality. For such an impulsive release, Richest Opp has its redeeming qualities, and if it’s the only thing to come out of NBA’s never-ending beef with Lil Durk it’s a win for rap fans.

Read the full review below to dive deeper into the unhinged disses, the uncredited Roddy Ricch sample, and the underrated songs from the mixtape.

Context for those of you out touching grass

The beef between NBA and Lil Durk is longstanding and NBA announced the release of his mixtape, Richest Opp, to coincide with the release of Durk’s new album Almost Healed. Petty? Yes, but Durk pushed back his release date so the two projects won’t go head to head. When the mixtape was released, NBA didn’t just diss Durk but came for Drake, J. Cole, Lil Yachty, and J. Prince as well. The beef is further explored in the full review.

Why this matters

NBA’s nothing if not consistent. He releases a project every other month but his numbers speak for themselves and if Richest Opp debuts in Billboard’s Top 10 like it’s projected to, NBA will officially tie Drake and Future for the third most 10 albums by a rapper in US history. It’s a noteworthy achievement and the impromptu mixtape is well put together even if it was born out of NBA’s desire to piss Lil Durk off.

The Rap Index ft. NBA YoungBoy, Lil Tecca, Deante’ Hitchcock & More

The Rap Index is a way to follow and discover new music. Divided into 4 categories, describing subgenres of rap, songs are placed according to their style and sound—giving you a better idea of what songs will appeal to your musical taste. Only releases from the previous New Music Friday are included to help keep you up to date.

1. “All My Life” by Lil Durk ft. J. Cole (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

2. “Ring Ring” by CHASE B ft. Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Quavo (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

3. “I Got That Shit” by NBA YoungBoy (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

4. “Woah!” By Deante Hitchcock (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

5. “Mind Over Matter” by Lil Poppa (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

6. “Fort Worth” by Chavo & Pi’erre Bourne ft. Sharc (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

7. “Roll The Dice” by KayCyy Prod. Gesaffelstein (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

8. “Need Me” by Lil Tecca (Listen on Spotify & Apple Music)

• Apple’s new “Personal Voice” feature can create a voice that sounds like you in just 15 mins. The tech company unveiled accessibility updates coming this year.

• Busta Rhymes’ new album is produced by Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and Pharrell. Swizz made the announcement on IG in a “Busta Rhymes appreciation post”.

• Timbaland reveals AI startup that will revolutionize how songs are made. By leveraging AI voice filters, emerging artists can improve their music, producers can get rights to the voice of a deceased artist and collaborations can be tested ahead of time.

Like sports? 🏀 🏈 Get up-to-date analysis and unique insight that’s actually interesting to read with the Playmaker Newsletter.

Want to win $100 cash? Leave a review and rating in the poll below 💸 

Select a rating and drop 1-2 sentences about why you enjoy our newsletter in the “additional feedback” section of the poll. Be sure to click “continue” to ensure your answer is recorded.

1x poll review = 1x giveaway entry. If you’d like to double your chances, tweet @rap and tell us why you enjoy our newsletter for a 2x entry. Winner drawn at the end of the month.