DMX says he wants all the smoke from JAY-Z in a Verzuz battle and now Swizz Beatz is reacting.
DMX recently claimed that he wanted to take on JAY-Z in a Verzuz battle on Instagram Live. The famous virtual battle is becoming increasingly popular and has features some iconic face-offs already, but why stop the nostalgic moments there? Although he’s made some poor mistakes in his career, this may be one of the smartest things X has ever suggested. Although it might appear that X is ambitious in his choice of competition, there was a time that he and Hov were label mates and later foes, so battling for them would be nothing new. Plus, having the billionaire rapper on the other end may also allow DMX and their history to get a jolt of attention.
X was doing an interview on the Drink Champs podcast when he was asked much like many other artists these days, who he would go head to head within a Verzuz battle. When questioned about a possible opponent, the seasoned Ruff Ryders rapper had a straightforward response. “Jay,” he said. Most likely appropriating the reaction of the viewers at home, the Drink Champs co-host were visibly stunned by X’s prompt response and even had to clarify just to ensure that their ears weren’t deceiving them. “Yeah, who you think?” DMX responded to the a co-host asking if he meant Jay-Z. “Who you think n***a?”
The New York rapper is, of course, one of the few still left standing today who has actually challenged Jay-Z a couple times before, but we can’t imagine it would go the same way now if the two were to go for a hit-for-hit style match. Maybe it’s his experience that has equipped him with the confidence to hold this certainty about wanting to face Hov. One thing is for sure, fans would certainly be here for it. During the interview DMX added, “That would be battle number three.”
The rivalry between JAY-Z and DMX goes a couple of decades back. In the ’90s, long before they were bandmates in the popular hip-hop group Murder, Inc. along with Ja Rule, and before they had a falling out, the popular MCs reportedly came face to face for what was more popularly referred to then as battle rap. The two rappers met up in the Bronx for a street style rap battle that unfortunately wasn’t adequately documented due to X complaining about his material not being copyright at the time.
While footage of Jay’s verses is available somewhere in cyberspace, only the lucky few who actually got to witness it in person could really judge who won. It sounded to be a split decision as the spectators went either way. More jabs came afterward when they continued to take shots at each other in their music after becoming two of Def Jam’s hottest artists at the time, and it wasn’t until decades later in 2016 that they finally settled their beef.
Swizz Beatz posted an old photo of DMX and JAY-Z where he called both of them game changers and his brother. Timbaland has yet to react to what X said.
Drake brought back some of his “One Dance” vibe with his TikTok hit “Toosie Slide.”
TikTok is emerging as one of the saviors in this new confined world that we are being forced to living in. If you have been anywhere on social media within the last couple of months, you would have noticed the numerous dance challenges that have emerged from the app, each of them with a popular backing track. Drake seems to be taking advantage of the new craze as he drops his latest release, “Toosie Slide.” The Canada rapper is no stranger to his tracks being used for dance challenges. Drake’s most recent leaked is now being pushed as a TikTok ready release. With only a few seconds of the track being leaked earlier this week, the song has already seeped into the hearts of TikTok users.
A clip that has since gone viral shows the Atlanta based dancer who goes by the name Toosie, showcased the simple dance moves while Drake raps, “right foot up, left foot slide/left up, right foot slide.”
The full track provides a lot more for the dancing community, and Drake knows how to strike the perfect balance. He always finds a way to drop a few extra bars for those folks who are not so inclined to embark on a dancing showcase. Nonetheless, “Toosie Slide” feels like a fun track, which is something different from his two most recent releases, “When to Say When” and “Chicago Freestyle.
Whether it is starring alongside DaBaby and Lil Yachty in the latter’s “Oprah’s Bank Account” video or flipping burgers with Future, Drake has been known for putting a fun spin on the visual content it gives fans, and we are sure “Toosie Slide” won’t disappoint.
DMX delivered some exciting news on Instagram Live about his new album.
Celebrities and artists are continuing to get more creative with the ways in which they bring us entertainment and music news these days, with many turning to social media to keep fans tuned in and informed. One such solution to these social distancing problems has come in the form of Tory Lanez’s Quarantine Radio show on Instagram Live, where he recently invited DMX to join him and discuss music and upcoming projects.
Luckily for X fans, the rap icon confirmed rumors that he has been working on completing a new album, even amid the madness of these trying times. DMX didn’t stick around long enough for an in-depth interview, but Tory Lanez was allowed time to compliment the rap legend, saying, “We are complete fans, right now. We f*cking love everything you’ve done for hip hop.”
DMX replied confidently, “I’m ready to do it again. I’m down here in Nashville, working on the album. Music don’t stop!” Lanez even got up the courage to ask X if he would let viewers preview a verse form the upcoming album, to which X replied, “You could [ask], but I probably won’t.” DMX then let out a growl for his fans, who blew up the comment section with excitement.
Fans and supporters are happy to see DMX doing well after years of substance abuse issues and a recent stay in rehab. The rapper has had a difficult past several years, serving time in 2018 for tax evasion and failing to drop an album since his last project in 2015. However, upon his release from prison, he signed a new deal with Def Jam and announced a renewed collaboration with Swizz Beatz, both moves that had fans looking forward to new music. Now that we are more in need of positivity and entertainment than ever, hopefully DMX will bless us with a release date very soon.
The estate points to the loss of iconic artist Manu Dibango as their inspiration behind their decision.
Broadway Cares, Nevada’s Three Square Food Bank and MusiCares are receiving a big donation from the estate of Michael Jackson to help with those affected by the coronavirus.
Rolling Stone reports each organization will receive $100,000. Comprised of entertainment and service workers, the donation will help with those who have been hit the hardest due to production and stores closing in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. The move to issue relief was also inspired by the passing of Manu Dibango, the legendary Afro-jazz saxophonist who died earlier this week from the virus in Paris.
Dibango’s career started in the 1950s, and he worked with the likes of Fela Kuti, Robbie Shakespeare, and others, but he’s perhaps most known for “Soul Makossa” – which along with being popular in its own right, was sampled by Michael Jackson on the Thriller hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin.'”
“This virus strikes at the heart of the communities we are close to,” John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson, said in a statement. “We learned today that the legendary Manu Dibango passed away from the virus. Other performers and support staff in music and on Broadway are sick or have been left without work and are facing an uncertain future. And in Las Vegas, which has been so welcoming to Michael Jackson, the entire city has been shut down leaving thousands of workers and their families devastated and without an income.”
R. Kelly wants out of prison because he fears contracting coronavirus.
Coronavirus seems to have become the latest excuse for rappers to try and earn a “get out of jail early” card. First, we had Tekashi 6ix9ine wanting out of prison, and now R. Kelly appears to have been faking tips. R. Kelly has called Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Centre home for the last few months as he awaits trial for multiple sexual assault charges. The “In the Closet” singer is due to appear in court in Chicago next month and in New York in July on charges of child sexual exploitation, child pornography production, kidnapping, forced labor, and obstruction of justice.
Less than two weeks ago, Kelly was also charged with passing on a sexually transmitted disease to two women whom he slept with but did not inform that he had herpes.
Now, as his day in court looms, the 53-year-old wants to be released from prison as he fears contracting Coronavirus, TMZ reported. Despite correctional services across the United States enforcing strict measures to ensure that inmates are protected from the pandemic, R. Kelly doesn’t believe that this is enough. Citing overcrowding as making it impossible to practice WHO-suggested social distancing, the artist also claimed that only prisoners with enough money can purchase soap at the commissary. “No matter what steps they take the sanitation will be substandard, the risk of an internal pandemic at the MCC is great,” wrote Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, in a letter to the judge.
6ix9ine, who is currently serving time at the Queens Detention Centre, is also concerned that the deadly virus will reach him, following a case of COVID-19 reported at Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn. The “Stoopid” rapper is afflicted with asthma and has also been hospitalized for pneumonia in the past, making him vulnerable to infection. Tekashi is hoping that his lawyer’s appeal will get him out earlier than his scheduled release date of August 2nd, 2020.
Juicy J has dropped the new diss track “Fuk Columbia Records,” which features the Three 6 Mafia rapper blasting his record label.
The track, uploaded onto Soundcloud Saturday, follows a series of tweets Juicy J fired late Friday that accused the label of withholding his music as well as taking credit for his work, Variety reported., adding that the rapper also called out Columba chairman and CEO Ron Perry in an Instagram story. Columbia Records did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
“I gave @ColumbiaRecords 20+ years of my life & they treat me like back wash,” Juicy J tweeted prior to releasing the track. “Fuk @ColumbiaRecords I’m gonna leak my whole album stay tuned.”
The rapper also changed his Twitter avatar to an image of Prince with the word “Slave” handwritten on his cheek, a nod to that singer’s war with Warner Bros. over two decades ago; the “Fuk Columbia Records” artwork also bears the Prince photo, and the track samples Prince’s Soul Train Awards speech from 2000:
