Drake has been having an incredible year in 2026. After dropping three blockbuster albums that brought him back in fans’ good graces, his old feud against Kendrick Lamar almost feels like an asterisk. Despite the nasty beef, it’s as if he never stopped being the biggest rapper in the world.

To help with his case is his number one hit “Janice STFU”, a darker, moodier track that saw him take subliminal shots at Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar. However, despite this success, a new lawsuit suggested that he actually stole the catchy chorus for it. A member of his team essentially scoffed at the accusation.

In a new report from TMZ, they said, “These allegations are categorically, unequivocally, and unequivocally denied. There is not one iota of truth to these accusations.”

Additionally, they called it a “manufactured and baseless attempt” at gaining publicity and discrediting his work. “Drake wrote this song and has no connection or knowledge of this person, full stop,” they stressed.

The lawsuit was reported by Billboard, where hip-hop artist, producer and engineer Aviel Calev Hirschfield claimed he wrote the infamous hook. Moreover, it was made with the Toronto MC specifically in mind after hearing Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers”. He alleged that the final products were basically identical and the stem recordings were still intact to prove it.

Drake Gets Hit With Hefty Lawsuit Over His Hit Song ‘Janice STFU’

This isn’t the only time that he’s been accused of ripping off another artist. Back in May 2026, Florida rapper 1900Rugrat felt slighted, alleging that the ICEMAN rapper reached out about working on music. As a result, he sent over a few different records and immediately gravitated to a song that would eventually become his intro.

Once it was made clear that he was saving it for his album, Drake still allegedly affirmed that he would utilize him on the album. However, the stars never aligned, and afterwards, he claimed he heard a record on ICEMAN that sounded like his work. “Twin, that’s the only beat I’ve ever produced,” he said. “Don’t rip my s**t and repitch it like that, fam. That’s fried out and f**ked up, twin.”

After the video he made, he posted DMs between him and Drake that proved he wasn’t lying about the potential of them working together. In the end, he never took him to court for allegedly stealing his work, though.

Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images

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Not long ago, Diddy was living as well as you could possibly live in prison. He had his other inmates doing a litany of favors for him at any moment. Massages, special meals, and people to do his laundry and clean restrooms at any given notice. He even had his own phone and a tablet to watch 50 Cent’s documentary about him.

According to a fellow prisoner, this is the kind of lifestyle you have when you’re as rich as Puff Daddy. “You can pretty much get anything except a key to the front door and a female,” one person told NBC News. “He’s a billionaire. People are in awe of him. Money is power, especially behind bars.”

However, after an alleged fight with Jamaican drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke, Diddy suffered a head injury that landed him in the hospital. Apparently, Dudus didn’t take kindly to the special treatment that was being given in prison. Reports suggested this led to prison raids and cell phone confiscation.

Now, according to TMZ, the Bad Boy mogul was transferred from his usual New Jersey prison to a new facility in Pennsylvania. The security isn’t as intense, and there are only 1,000 inmates. TMZ presumed that this meant there would be more eyes on him and allow for more protection from massive fights.

Diddy Transferred to Pennsylvania Prison After Nasty Brawl at Fort Dix

Currently, the state of Sean Combs’ health is unknown. What we do know is that his archenemy 50 Cent finds the whole debacle to be extremely amusing. He joked on Instagram that Diddy is bound to make the next prison he goes to even crazier than Fort Dix. Then, he posted an absolutely deranged video of a toy that resembles Combs blowing bubbles out of his butt.

50 has notoriously trolled his enemies, Puff included. He even made money off trolling his adversaries through a partnership with DoorDash. Back in February 2026, he was in a Super Bowl commercial that saw him tease Diddy’s lengthy 50-month prison sentence and make reference to his name through cheese puffs and a pack of combs.

“I’ve always been about keeping it real, so when DoorDash approached me about a social campaign around beef, it felt authentic from the start,” 50 Cent said in a statement. “They’ve got everything you need, and just like with beef, the receipts speak for themselves.”

Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs

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One of the most infamous albums in hip-hop history is Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Back in 2014, RZA, Method Man, and the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan were fed up with how streaming made music feel like it doesn’t have any value. Consequently, they made the album to be consumed like high art and only made one copy of the album. Then, they deleted every master recording so that there would be no possible way for the album to ever be leaked.

By 2015, only 150 people got to come together and listen to a fraction of the album. Then, Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli bought it for $2 million and thought about destroying it just to really make sure no one heard it. By 2021, PleasrDAO had acquired it and revealed that it could only be heard at listening parties and art exhibits.

Decades later, Method Man finally got to hear the work they spent so much time working on. Now, we get a pretty solid review for it. During an episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, they brought the New York legend for an informal listening party with Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. According to Meth, it’s reminiscent of the prime work RZA used to make.

Method Man Finally Got To Hear the Lost Wu-Tang Album After its Inception over a decade ago

“I could see why people will like this album, and I could see why people will love this album,” he shared. “I don’t hate it. The production is on par with some of the stuff that RZA used to do back in the day … I’m gonna give him his props on this one. And I’m gonna validate, this is a valid piece of art right here.”

How come Wu-Tang Clan can’t just buy the album back? After all, it is still their work. Why can’t they just take the record back and finally release it for die-hard fans to listen to? Or at the very least, Method Man and co. would be able to play it again like normal.

According to RZA, he tried to buy it back when Martin Shkreli was trying to get rid of the album. However, due to limitations in the contract of their sale, it prevented the Wu-Tang Clan from ever having real ownership over the record again. Instead, it could only be heard in listening parties, like the one Pablo Torre did for the New York legend.

Photo by David A. Smith/Getty Images

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Rappers love to be rockstars. The aesthetic around being this untouchable, larger-than-life figure is extremely alluring. But rarely do you hear of rockstars wanting to be rappers. Unless you’re Kid Rock, it’s not often you get your average rocker busting out rhymes or taking inspiration from the grandiose rap personality.

But Fall Out Boy was never the average band either. Considering they featured 2 Chainz in a music video for “My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark“, they’re clearly not averse to hip-hop. It wasn’t just general aesthetic, though. Pete Wentz found massive inspiration in his songwriting by listening to the best rappers of the moment.

In 2006, that was all Lil Wayne. He was going around touting himself as the ‘best rapper alive.’ Frankly, he wasn’t wrong to think so either. He rapped in an absolutely dizzying amount of punchlines that even put Jay-Z to shame.

Naturally, at the time, Pete Wentz was trying to apply that apex form of lyricism to Fall Out Boy. In a 2006 interview with MTV, he talked about some interests that their fans might not have immediately expected from them. He declared Weezy the best lyricist working and highlighted a line that left him especially impressed.

How Pete Wentz and Fall Out Boy Learned From Lil Wayne in the Songwriting Department

“And as far as lyrics go, I’ve been taking a lot of influence from the best lyricist of the past year: Lil Wayne. He’s insane. There’s this one song [‘Hit ‘Em Up’] where he goes, ‘I eat up catastrophe/ Swallow the truth/ And belch reality,’ and I’m like ‘Wow,'” Pete Wentz recalled.

Additionally, the Fall Out Boy bassist marveled that Patrick Stump was just as into R&B and Motown vocally as he was in rock and roll.

“There’s a song we’re calling ‘Me and You,’ and in it, Patrick is doing things that are straight-up Motown,” Wentz added. “If there wasn’t a rock band playing, it’d be straight R&B, and he’d go on tour with just an upright bass and a drum and open up for R. Kelly.”

As far as Lil Wayne is concerned, he believed his own hype just as much as Fall Out Boy did. In 2007, he told XXL that anyone hating on him needs to treat him the way you would civil rights activists.

“Darling, I don’t care what nobody think. Talk to me like you talking to Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. You’re not about to ask him about what he think about what somebody said about him. You ’bout to ask him about his greatness, and his greatness only. I don’t care what nobody think,” Lil Wayne scoffed.

Photo by James Looker/Avalon/Getty Images

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The state of the music industry is confusing from every angle. Making money feels impossible. Streams pay fractions of pennies, and tours don’t last forever unless you’re like The Weeknd, who has been on the road for years now. Artists are stuck trying to figure out brand deals and licensing since no one actually buys albums anymore. This is particularly rough for veterans in the industry like Nas. Frankly, he’s tired of it.

In a statement on Instagram, he mused over the current state of culture as a whole. Ultimately, the Queens MC had a sour taste in his mouth about how the industry discards its legends and innovators. It’s a ‘what have you done for me lately’ kind of industry. Even if they give the art and culture their everything, they don’t always get the care they deserve.

“For the past year I’ve been watching so much happen in the culture while working on music,” Nas wrote. “I think about how it started, I think about the Mississippi Delta to New Orleans to New York. I think about Robert Johnson at the crossroads, how he changed music, and how we can’t even find his grave.”

Nas Addresses The State of Music and Culture While Teasing New Music

“Sometimes I look at all artists, creators, and executives the same way. The music game forgets or doesn’t compensate the foundation. Our greats have been stolen from and ripped off of,” the Illmatic legend continued.

Consequently, Nas advocated for artists to stop desperately chasing trends in favor of a more communal experience within hip-hop. That way, when the industry leaves people out to dry, artists still have something to rely on.

“We can’t keep creating music for the sake of a “trend”. We have to remember the purpose and our contribution and how many things we created. Where’s the love for each other at?” Nas questioned. “We gotta take a stand as one. It’s time for a celebration of the music.”

Then, at the end of his manifesto, he stressed the importance of knowing yourself and teased that it’s time to address what that actually means. At the bottom, he added “BLAK MUSIC 2026”.

Clearly, this suggests another album could be on the way. What we know for certain is that it won’t include any Hit-Boy production. Back in August 2026, the producer shrugged that he’ll never work with Nas again for reasons that weren’t immediately clear.

“We did a lot of great work, but I don’t see us working again,” Hit-Boy told DJ Vlad and Elliott Wilson. “There’s a lot of reasons, you know what I mean? But it’s something I don’t really wanna dig too deep in ’cause it’s pretty deep. Respect to what we did get accomplished in three years.”

Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for BMI

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During a Super Bowl party earlier this year, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Keion White was shot in the ankle. Speculation surfaced in the aftermath that Lil Baby might’ve been connected due to an altercation earlier in the evening. However, after a new report, police didn’t connect him with any of the actions that took place that night.

According to KQED, authorities have arrested four people in connection with the shooting of Keion White. 35-year-old Curtis Green, 36-year-old Gregory Walker, 36-year-old Antoine Washington, and 38-year-old Marquis Davis were all arrested in Atlanta and different parts of California.

It’s currently unclear what roles Davis and Washington played in the incident. Green was released from custody because his charges were all misdemeanors, one of which was carrying a firearm. However, Walker was charged with assault with a semi-automatic weapon, a felony charge. He’s being held without bail. Police didn’t make any connections between Lil Baby and the shooting of Keion White.

According to Police Chief Derrick Lew, the investigation “expanded rapidly”, with search warrants spanning all over California and into Atlanta, Georgia. “It involved over 50 search warrants and assistance from over 250 law enforcement personnel,” he said in a press conference.

Lil Baby Not Involved in The Shooting of 49ers Defensive End Keion White

Walker’s attorney Jeff Wozniak stressed his client’s innocence and that such a shooting isn’t reflective of his character. “Mr. Walker is a family man, a longshoreman, a union member,” he said. “We’re gonna show that he’s innocent, get him back to his family.”

Despite this, authorities displayed a litany of guns and drugs seized during their investigation. According to the outlet, they found 15 pounds of drugs, thousands of dollars, and three firearms during the proceedings.

With Lil Baby no longer connected to the shooting of Keion White, he’s busy collaborating with YouTuber, philanthropist, and multi-millionaire MrBeast on Pharrell production. On a remix of his hit song “Dead Fresh”, the YouTuber actually stepped to the mic to brag about his money and his good work behind the scenes.

“Richest rapper on the scene, call me Mr. Lean,” MrBeast raps on the Lil Baby track. “30 million pounds of trash, we got that ocean clean/Take a minute, feel the breeze, it’s 20 million trees.”

It’s exactly as jarring as you might imagine. Check it out down below, if you dare:

Mr. Beast linked up with Lil Baby for his remix of “Dead Fresh” pic.twitter.com/zDDjxMNy28

— Kurrco (@Kurrco) August 30, 2026

Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage

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Years after the passing of late Los Angeles rapper Drakeo The Ruler, his estate finally reached a resolution in court. After a lengthy wrongful death lawsuit against Live Nation, they finally settled matters out of court. Currently, the terms weren’t disclosed, but according to PEOPLE, the ruling is “conditional.” Additionally, if the preapproved terms are reached within 45 days, then the case will finally be dismissed.

This came after the Cold Devil rapper was fatally stabbed at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. music festival back in December 2021. They argued it was malpractice that her son was jumped so viciously at what seemed like a secure event. All of this was done on behalf of Drakeo The Ruler’s 5-year-old son Caiden Caldwell.

“[Caiden] lost his father and has endured great pain, anguish, and loss of emotional and financial support due to this completely preventable, yet recklessly permitted act of violence,” the suit read in another report.

The lawsuit also claimed that certain parties involved looked at the murder as a form of “street justice.” He served three years in prison and was eventually acquitted in charges related to the murder of a Blood gang member. With only one security guard at his hip and barebones security for the venue, he was jumped by “scores of people, many dressed in all red and wearing ski masks.”

Drakeo The Ruler Lawsuit Finally Settled Out of Court With Live Nation

Journalist Jeff Weiss tragically recalled the night in 2022, calling the event a full-blown “assassination.” His performance was slated to be his second in LA since his release. After an initial “decoy” fight, security and police never showed up. Then, Drakeo The Ruler and seven others were left to defend themselves against 113 people donning all red.

“Directly in front of me, I watch one of the attackers leap up on a ledge, rip off his mask, beat his chest, and screech with apparent glee. As if on cue, the attackers all remove their red hoodies and scatter. Seconds later, security and the police finally arrive, much too late. So do a team of medics, who rush up to a prostrate body writhing on the asphalt. It is Drakeo: mask off, blood pouring all over his face and neck. It looks like his throat has been slit. In the distance, I hear the wail of sirens,” Weiss wrote.

Years later, YG was detained by police in connection with the murder of Drakeo The Ruler. However, he was eventually released shortly afterward.

Photo by Timothy Norris/WireImage

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Snoop Dogg was scheduled to play a big concert in Costa Rica this year. Key word there: “was.” The show has since been canceled after the promoter was arrested in a drug-money investigation.

All Hip-Hop reports that Stockwell Entretenimiento announced that the Dec. 3, 2026 concert at the Pedregal event center in Belén would not be happening. The company stated that they reached an agreement with Snoop to cancel the show.

Automatic refunds will reportedly be given to fans who purchased tickets, which were sold through Publitickets. However, the company offered no explanation or timeframe for when refunds would be distributed. “Ticket refunds will be processed automatically, and in accordance with current Costa Rican law,” the company said in a Spanish-language statement.

It’s unclear if Snoop Dogg’s canceled Costa Rica concert will be rescheduled

Notably, just a few days prior to the cancellation, Stockwell Entretenimiento execs asserted that the show was still happening. They assured fans that work was still happening behind the scenes to make sure everything was right.

Then there came a little issue with the company’s owner, Don Stockwell. He was arrested on Oct. 7 in connection with a money-laundering case. Stockwell denied any wrongdoing and was released the following morning.

According to authorities, an investigation was looking into claims that, in the past, a group had funded concerts with drug money. Michael Soto, a Costa Rican official with the Judicial Investigation Agency, clarified that the artists who performed at these concerts had no connection to the case.

Police noted that no music artists connected to the case had any involvement with the alleged crimes

Soto stated that it’s believed Stockwell and fellow producer Hugo Barboza pumped around $859,000 into a trio of events. All the concerts took place in 2024 and 2025. This was before Snoop Dogg’s show planned for December 2026.

As part of the investigation, police officers were seeking to learn whether the concerts were a front for making alleged drug money look like it was lawfully generated income. Authorities reportedly linked the money to a group purported to be led by a man named Edwin “Sobrino” Vargas García.

In response, Stockwell’s lawyer, Daniel Brenes, confirmed that his client worked with Hugo Barboza, who sought concert funding. However, the attorney stated that Stockwell didn’t know Edwin García well, and didn’t know he’d been arrested in a drug case.

Brenes added that, as he understood it, the case prosecutor was planning to request that Stockwell be held in jail. It’s unclear if that request was actually made.

Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

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Radiohead is one of the most historically respected bands of all time. Their influence across rock, pop, and even hip-hop shows up through sampling and by emulating their songwriting. The last thing you might initially expect is to hear Kanye West, Pharrell, and Lupe Fiasco rap over one of their songs on “Us Placers“.

However, that influence wasn’t just one way. Though it might not be immediately evident, they’re on the record for admiring arguably the greatest underground rap star of all time, MF DOOM. Back in January 2021, Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke paid tribute to the late icon. Above all else, he marveled at how incredible he was at stitching words together. In hip-hop and all of music, he hadn’t heard anything so transformative before. Then, he linked the 2009 track “Gazzillion Ear“. Both Yorke and bandmate Jonny Greenwood worked with him on the remix and for the 2011 record “Retarded Fren“.

“I am so sad to hear MF Doom’s passing. He was a massive inspiration to so many of us, changed things,” Yorke tweeted. “For me the way he put words was often shocking in it’s genius, using stream of consciousness in a way i’d never heard before.”

How MF Doom Inspired Radiohead and So Many Other Influential Artists of the 21st Century

Additionally, back in 2013, Thom Yorke told Dazed that DOOM was his favorite rapper. “Ultimately to me it’s not rapping at all, it’s poetry. The way he freeforms his verses and puts it all together, I don’t think anyone else quite does it like that,” the Radiohead frontman shared.

“I don’t necessarily like a lot of the beats, but he’s always amazing. ‘Guvnor’ was my single of 2012. It’s genius, that tune.

On the other side of the spectrum from Radiohead is Playboi Carti. Though he may not be the lyrical marvel that MF DOOM was, he raps with a lot of the same color and imagination stylistically. Still, when he made a reference to him on Whole Lotta Red in 2020, it threw a lot of people by surprise, his friends included.

That fact made Carti extremely giddy to share with his friends. As he told MARVIN Magazine in 2021, he was anxiously waiting to see if DOOM ever heard the lyric.

“I was more hype than anything. He’s alive to hear this s**t boy. I couldn’t wait for DOOM to pop out his shell and shout out Playboi Carti. I ain’t even do it for him to shout me out, I just did it to show older people who hear me. Yeah, I f**k with Doom, feel me. I love Doom,” he told journalist Yoh Phillips.

Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

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Fans are always having an existential crisis over the state of hip-hop. The mainstream never feels as fresh and lively as it could. But the underground is blooming with so much talent. All fans have to do is get out of their comfort zone and embrace what the future looks like. Despite all the anxieties, one of hip-hop’s biggest artists, A$AP Rocky, isn’t worried in the slightest about its future.

In an interview with Complex, the Harlem MC said he makes it a point to examine what’s happening in the current cultural landscape. Moreover, since he can’t fully control what fans are into, he tries to stay hands-off. However, through his connection to Playboi Carti, he feels some responsibility for the state of hip-hop today.

“My artist that I birthed is like the godfather of the new contemporary rage-vamp music. And he came from A$AP. He came from AWGE. He is still signed to AWGE,” A$AP Rocky explained.

“At the end of the day, if that’s what hip hop is going and that’s where it’s going, then technically I’m somewhat responsible for whatever it is and whatever it turns into. So I’m more embraceful towards it, even if I don’t get it, even if it’s not for me.”

A$AP Rocky Embraces The Current State of Hip-Hop and Shares Some of His Favorite New Artists

Rocky argued that the best thing about the current state of hip-hop is that he isn’t beholden to any one style. If new artists aren’t scratching that itch, he suggested diving back into the past.

“If I wanted to listen to hip hop in a certain form, I could always go into my favorite artists’ catalogs and go into that time capsule and enjoy it. That’s why stuff like jazz is even prominent or just relevant today to me,” A$AP Rocky added. “That’s why Golden Era Hip Hop is Tribe Called Quest. All these guys, Kanye and Pharrell, all these guys in the R&B. We could just go into their catalogs if nobody’s making something like that.”

As far as what Rocky is into nowadays, he highlighted Laila! and Teezo Touchdown as incredible artists that are “pushing the bar.” Moreover, his favorite albums of the year show that he’s not worried about mainstream hip-hop in the slightest.

“Bruno Mars’ album was lit, bro. F**kin’ Don Toliver album was fire. I f**k with J. Cole and Baby Keem, Ca$ino,” A$AP Rocky shared.

Photo by Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images

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We now have some possible context for the reported injury that hospitalized Sean “Diddy” Combs.

According to a report from TMZ, Diddy was transferred from FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey to a local hospital on Oct. 10, 2026, at around 1 am. The disgraced music mogul had apparently suffered a non-life-threatening head injury.

Now, per Complex, it’s reported that Diddy was injured in a fight with Jamaican drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke. The outlet said their disagreement was over the alleged privileges Diddy has been given while in prison.

Sources claim that their altercation sparked prison raids and inmate cell phone confiscation. Ultimately, both men were reportedly separated and placed in solitary confinement.

Diddy’s current state of health and prison status are unclear

In 2024, Diddy was arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The following year, in May 2025, his trial began and ran for roughly two months. On July 2, a jury returned found Diddy guilty on two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution. He was not found guilty on additional charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and sex trafficking.

On October 3, 2025, Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison.

Subsequently, Diddy’s legal team filed a sentencing appeal. They accused the judge of punishing the rapper for crimes he was acquitted of. In their filing, Diddy’s lawyers pointed out that sex trafficking and RICO charges he was not found guilty of committing.

They argued that his given sentence was significantly higher than what someone usually gets for his particular prostitution-related charges.

Diddy is appealing his nearly 5-year prison sentence

Diddy’s attorneys called his sentence a “perversion of justice.” They accused the judge of engaging in “acquitted conduct” sentencing, which is when a convict incurs an increased punishment based on rejected allegations. They stated that this practice is widely criticized in the legal community.

Ultimately, Diddy’s attorneys seek for the court to grant him “immediate release and grant a judgment of acquittal or at least vacate and remand for resentencing.” The appeal appears to be still active, as there is no evidence that an official ruling has been made.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV

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Drake repurposed Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” for his own song, “Solar Eclipse”, which has become a massive hit. As of this writing, the song has garnered more than 19 million streams on Spotify alone. And now, it has reached the Top 5.

Per Billboard, “Solar Eclipse” has debuted at No. 5 on the Hot 100. This extends Drake’s record-setting success of landing him his 91st Top 10 hit on the chart. Coincidentally, the song—which features Don Toliver—sits a couple of spots behind Langley’s original at No. 2. Taylor Swift’s new single, “Patient Zero,” unseated it from No. 1 after it had been there for a while.

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Drake and Toliver’s tune is featured on the Toronto rapper’s new project, HABIBIT (FOMO), a re-release of his 2026 eleventh studio album. In the song, he makes some big changes to Langely’s lyrics.

In her version, the country songstress sings: “She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way / He’s two steppin’ ’round the room / And judgin’ by the smile that’s written on his face / There’s nothin’ I can do / It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see / A cowboy always finds a way to leave / Drinkin’ Jack all by myself / He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell.“

Drake takes a more salacious approach to “Choosin’ Texas”

As for Drake, he goes a different route, rapping:

“She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way she grip on my wood grain
She’s down to take a hundred shots with me and talk about my pain
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowgirl ends up riding off on me
Drinkin’ yak all by myself
She’s from Texas, I could tell, baby”

Toliver Layter comes in and repeats the “Choosin’ Texas” lyric in the chorus. He too replaces “Jack” with “yak” (Cognac) like Drake. “Fort Bend, Texas, Katy, Texas, bae, I can’t make this up (Tell the truth, babe) / Sippin’ yak all by myself (Tell the truth, babe) / She’s from Texas, I can tell (Tell the truth, babe, yeah).”

It’s certainly a unique approach, and it feels very on par with how Drake would renovate a country tune. Check out the song for yourself below.

Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage

The post Drake Turns Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Into a Top 5 Hit of His Own appeared first on VICE.

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The 90s were a fruitful time to make money in hip-hop. With the rise of G-Funk and rap gradually making its imprint in pop culture, the genre was going commercial. However, this also meant hip-hop culture was bound to be used for corporate purposes. Many didn’t bat an eye at this shift. They’d do whatever it took to chase the dollar, even if it meant selling the culture in the process.

This was the core issue The Roots had on their 1996 classic “What They Do”. The Philadelphia band, alongside Raphael Saadiq, criticized rappers who didn’t truly love hip-hop. It was just a way to make as much money as possible.

The counter to this was that rapping was the only safe option for some people to get out of their rough, ugly environments. In a sense, it’s looking down at how young people are battered and kept down by the system in a cycle of violence.

Nuance and all, The Roots still had a point. But it also made The Notorious B.I.G. extremely mad. He told The Source (per Billboard) at the time that he felt disrespected by the Philly ensemble’s music video. Biggie suggested that they were making fun of his music video for “One More Chance“. However, according to Questlove, it was all a big misunderstanding.

How The Roots Made an Enemy Out of Biggie Smalls Before He Died

In a conversation on the Juan Epstein podcast alongside Chris Rock, Questlove recalled how Biggie used to love their work. Moreover, he argued that he was the driving force behind Brooklyn loving The Roots. However, when trying to make a “sarcastic look” at the culture on “What They Do”, they didn’t realize the similarities to “One More Chance”.

“We told the director we don’t want to do a direct reference to someone’s video… Based on the way the set looked, we didn’t know we were doing a direct reference to ‘One More Chance.’ So, when we saw the final cut… They showed it to us, and I was like, ‘Oh, damn.’ But it was too late,” Questlove said.

Rather than make a simple statement to The Source, he thought he could really address The Roots’ intentions in an op-ed. However, when the “1,000 pages” were ready, Questlove learned that Biggie was killed. “And that killed me. I never made it right,” he sighed.

Photo by Clarence Davis/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

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50 Cent’s next big project is the new Street Fighter film. The acclaimed rapper portrays one of the game’s characters, Balrog, in the film, and also apparently worked on the soundtrack. Interestingly, in a new red carpet interview, 50 revealed that his ol’ buddy Eminem had previously been working with him on some music for the film.

“Em, well, he put a couple pieces together for it,” 50 Cent said. However, Eminem ultimately “decided that” he had to prioritize work on his next solo album. “He kinda fell back on that,” 50 added.

Notably, this is not the first time that 50 Cent has talked about working with Em in the Street Fighter soundtrack. “I got some music that I’m working on. I did something currently: me, Eminem and 2Pac,” he told Today With Jenna & Sheinelle in July 2026. “They delivered it. It’s for the theme of Street Fighter, the movie. We worked on it and got it right.”

50 Cent and Eminem have a deep bond and strong friendship

Eminem and 50 Cent aren’t just musical collaborators; they’re also really close friends. While 50 is known for trolling other rappers and getting into beefs, he once told Jimmy Kimmel that he’d “never” beef with Em.

“Never with Em because he’s done everything for me,” he said back in 2020. “He provided my opportunity and from there… Dre is like to Em what Em is for me, and so having us together, it’s the coolest thing.”

For his part, Eminem was on hand for 50 Cent’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, and he had some glowing things to say about his friend.

“I just wanna say man, I’m here today because this is not only a business partner to me, it’s one of the best friends I’ve ever known in the world,” Em said, per iHeart. “I would say that it’s much more fun to be his friend than it is to be his enemy because this guy is f**king relentless. And he won’t stop. And the same way that he’s relentless in his battles, he’s also relentless in his business.”

Eminem continued: “He’s an artist, an entrepreneur, an actor, a director, a producer; he can juggle, he’s great at Scrabble. He pretty much does it all. And he’s also helped me through a lot of hard times in my own life, and he’s always been there when I needed him. So 50, congrats on your star, man. Hollywood is making official what I knew from the beginning, what Dre knew from the beginning.”

Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

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Rapping wrestler “Platinum” Max Caster has been fired after delivering a controversial freestyle ahead of his first and last match. Part of Caster’s persona is that he always comes out spitting bars before a match. He’s done it for years, and it was a staple of his time at AEW.

After exiting the company, he was picked up by TNA Wrestling. During his very first match at the promotion’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view on Oct. 11, 2026, Caster made some comments referencing attacks in Riyadh that killed and injured many people. Now, in a statement, TNA has denounced Caster’s comments and announced his firing.

Max Caster was fired from TNA wrestling for making comments about the fatal attack in Riyadh

“Making light of violent attacks is wrong,” they stated. “This should never have made it into the show, and that responsibility is ours. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected. We sincerely apologize.”

TNA continued, “We have removed the segment from replays and our social channels, and are taking steps to ensure something like this never happens again. Max Caster will no longer be wrestling for TNA.”

Following his firing, Max Caster has spoken out and apologized

In the wake of being fired, Max Caster has spoken out. He apologized and stated that he understood why the TNA President had to make this decision.

“I wanna say thank you to Carlos Silva. I talked to him in person,” Caster said in a video posted on social media. “He was very generous, very professional, even after all this stuff happened. I understand why he did what he did. It’s his show. He’s gotta protect TNA, and I went too far for him. So, I wanna apologize to him and everybody else in the office. I want to apologize to anyone who vouched for me to get that spot. I feel like I let those people down.”

“I’m proud of that match, and I’m sorry for how things have ended up,” Caster continued. ‘And then, for anybody who’s offended, I just want everybody to know that when I do these raps, it’s never to offend people. It’s only to entertain. So, in my mind, it’s entertainment value first. And then if you’re offended by it, that’s your right. So I can’t apologize for anyone being offended, but just know that it’s not my intention to make people upset. If it gets a reaction, I think I did my job.”

“The consequences of everything, I’m accepting that. I can accept the facts of that. And then, to anybody who is asking if I’m good, I’m good. I’m just embarrassed how all this happened. You don’t want it to be one match, and then that’s it, you get fired. But again, that’s the reality of the situation. I’m accepting it, and that’s life.”

Re: TNA situation pic.twitter.com/cBxhTXiTC4

— ''Platinum'' Max Caster (@PlatinumMax) October 13, 2026

Photo by WWE via Getty Images

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Tragic news struck the family, friends, and fans of rapper and reality TV star Kash. In a report from Fox KTVU 2, she passed away at 29 years old after a shooting in downtown Oakland.

Currently, not much is known regarding the exact details of the tragedy. Officers reportedly responded to calls at around 1:30 am, when the late TV star was found suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a hospital shortly afterward, but died at the facility. A woman based in Richmond has been arrested in connection to the shooting, as the police department investigates what led to the tragedy and why it happened.

Born Mackayla Paige, Kash was best known for her time on shows like “Real West Coast Baddies,” “RoomH8z” and “Young & Reckless”. Friends and family described her as the life of the party in any setting. “Oh my God, she was so fun. Was she not hella fun? Oh my God, this girl was so fun. She had us everywhere,” one of her friends, Poodah, shared with the news outlet.

Additionally, the late Mackayla Paige had serious visions of becoming famous and successful. Whether in reality TV or business, she worked hard to make it big.

Reality TV Star Kash Passed Away at 29 Years Old After Fatal Shooting in Oakland

Her cousin Nicky Clayton shared with KTVU 2, “She still had morals, don’t get me wrong. She wanted to be a reality star. She [wanted] to start her own business, she was modeling for a lot of companies, and she really wanted to do makeup.”

The tragic shooting took everyone by surprise, with her cousin getting teary-eyed, recalling how Kash had just been with family earlier that day. “She was chilling. She was with family. So she supposed to be good. I don’t know what transpired, but I know she’s supposed to be here,” Clayton said.

Meanwhile, her friend Poodahh reflected on what giving Kash was like as a person. She was somebody who would push her to be the best, most successful version of herself. As a result, her death hit especially close to home.

“She pushes me to be better every day. She sees when I’m not giving it my all, and she pushes me to be what she knows I could be,” Poodahh said. “I’m sorry for all of our loss, because she’s a star.” 

Photo via Instagram/@spoilmewitkash

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Hardcore rock snobs can be especially thorny towards hip-hop. Back in the day, people scoffed at it as if it wasn’t “real music.” Eventually, hip-hop became the premier genre in pop culture, and rock slowly faded out of the zeitgeist. Still, some maintain it could never compare. But one of rock’s all-time stars, Bruce Springsteen, advocated for the genre and culture, highlighting two artists who defined music in the 2010s.

During a Q&A at an Apple store in New York, Springsteen spotlighted Kendrick Lamar as a rapper he absolutely loved. One thing he loved most was that he’s “intense” above all else.

But perhaps the rapper he was kindest towards was arguably the most controversial, especially today. “I like Kanye West,” Bruce Springsteen said, per Billboard. “He makes great records. They are creative, amazing records.”

This wasn’t the first time he shared his love for Ye either. Back in 2014, he told Ann Powers for NPR that his Yeezus classic “Blood On The Leaves” left him particularly intrigued. Ultimately, his relationship to hip-hop allows Springsteen to keep his fingers on the pulse of music and culture.

Bruce Springsteen Shares Why He Loved the Controversial Kanye West

“I saw him on television. He did the song called “Blood on the Leaves” on the Later…With Jools Holland — it was fantastic, you know. I still find him very interesting,” Springsteen shared. “I’m not necessarily driving [to] it in my car, you know. I probably fall back on the stuff that I listened to as a kid or something if I’m driving around. But I do listen. I listen to a lot because there’s a lot of information in it and it’s just fascinating record-making.”

Kanye West has always wanted to be a rockstar like Bruce Springsteen anyway. Back in 2007, his only way to do that was to settle down with someone he loved.

“I think real rock stars get married and have little rock star kids. At some point, you have to add some sort of stability to your life,” Ye said. “You have to have something real that you can hold on to. There can be a point where your records don’t sell as much, or you’re not as popular as you used to be. The best thing that any of the Backstreet Boys could have had was a really good woman in their life.”

Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images

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You gotta be careful shading someone like Rihanna. This is the message Charlamagne Tha God is sending TV personality EJ Johnson after they criticized the music diva for being late to a Dior show during Paris Fashion Week.

During an October 2026 episode of The Brilliant Idiots, Charlamagne dropped some advice for EJ. Essentially, he wanted to make it clear that certain people are untouchable, and most of them are high-profile Black women in music.

“Now listen, there’s a lot of queens EJ stepping on. Like 99 percent of queens EJ stepping on,” the radio host said. “But it’s that one percent that EJ just not going to ever be able to touch. Rihanna’s one of them. Beyoncé’s one of them.”

Charlamagne continued: “I respect EJ’s place in this queendom, but he’s gotta know there’s certain queens he’s never gonna outshine. Rihanna, Beyoncé—of course the OG queens, the Patti LaBelles, the Stephanie Mills, all of them like that. Other than that, EJ, you having your way with these hoes out here. They all hating on you.”

Charlamagne used masculine pronouns to describe EJ, though EJ has said they prefer They/Them or She/Her

Charlamagne’s comments stem from EJ calling Rihanna out in a social media video during Paris Fashion Week. Allegedly, the Fenty Beauty founder was late to the Dior show, which caused a one-hour delay.

“It did start an hour late because Rihanna’s was late,” the 34-year-old TV personality said in a post on TikTok. “We didn’t care to wait for her, but the show was beautiful nonetheless.”

To be fair, Rihanna is the face of Dior, so it’s not really unusual that they would wait for her to start the show. It also doesn’t seem to have bothered Dior, as far as anyone has noticed.

Rihanna did not respond to EJ’s claims. However, she posted a brief comment related to EJ some time later. In an Instagram post, EJ was seen posing for paparazzi outside their Paris hotel. Afterward, they were apparently blocked from entering said hotel for unclear reasons.

Rihanna just posted one word: “Damn,” in the comments. That one little comment now has nearly 48,000 likes.

Photo by TheStewartofNY/Getty Images

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Blueface claims that Chrisean Rock is with child. He said she was “142 hours pregnant,” to be specific. She refuted his comment, though, saying she absolutely is “not” pregnant.

The moment came in a social media clip where Chrisean was helping Blueface with his hair. He made the comment, which kind of seems like a joke, and she denied it with a chuckle. However, in a separate social media post—during a video chat with her sister—Chrisean seemed to imply that she IS pregnant. So, it’s unclear who is telling the truth.

If Chrisean Rock is pregnant, this would make 5 kids for Blueface

Blueface—real name Johnathan Michael Porter—is already the father of four children. This includes one son with Rock. He also recently welcomed a child with Nevaeh Akira, but appears to be back with his ex.

Infamously, Blueface publicly questioned whether or not he was the father of Rock’s son. Rock also alleged at one point that Blueface was not very involved in their son’s life.

During a March 2026 episode of The Danza Project podcast, the topic of parenthood came up. Rock read aloud a text message purportedly from boxer Ryan Garcia in regard to her and Blueface’s son.

“If it’s anything I could do, I’m here,” Garcia allegedly wrote. “The part that really messed with me is that Blueface doesn’t seem active in the child’s life because of his disability.”

Chrisean Rock refutes claims that her son has a “disability”

Rock replied that she never indicated her son was differently abled. “So I said, ‘My son does not have a disability. He is developing at his own pace and hitting his milestones in his own timing. Every child is different, and I’m confident in his growth,” Rock said, seemingly reading her reply.

“I ain’t say none of that,” she went on to say, again referring to her child’s alleged disability. “Watch your mouth.”

Finally, Rock asserted that she trusts in her spiritual faith more than a doctor’s diagnosis.

“It’s like saying if someone [is] a doctor, anybody speak against your kid or yourself, then you should not accept it, bro,” she stated. “If they’re guessing or whatever: no. The word said what the word said. God says what God says. I don’t have to accept what you [say]. So, it’s really me protecting a revelation that I heard from the Lord over my son.”

Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for Lemuel Plummer/ Zeus Network

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Diddy was reportedly transported out of federal prison over the weekend due to a medical emergency.

According to TMZ, on Oct. 10, 2026, at around 1 am local time, Diddy was transferred to a hospital from FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey. He apparently suffered a non-life-threatening injury to his head. It’s speculated there may have been some type of fall, but the circumstances are currently unclear.

He was ultimately returned to the prison hours later. Seeming to be in better health.

Diddy has been incarcerated at FCI Fort Dix since October 2025

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in 2024 on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. This followed months of police investigation. He pleaded not guilty. The rapper proceeded to petition for bail multiple times. All of his requests were denied.

In May 2025, Diddy’s trial began, running for nearly two months. On July 2, after deliberating for only three days, the jury returned its verdict. They found Diddy guilty on “two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution involving” Cassie Ventura—his ex-girlfriend—another former partner, and multiple male sex workers. However, he was not found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.

The prosecution asked that he be sentenced to 11 years in prison. The defense requested no more than 14 months behind bars.

On Friday, October 3, U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced Diddy to 50 months incarcerated. “Mr. Combs, you’re being sentenced for the offenses of conviction, NOT the crimes he was acquitted of,” he stated. “However, under law, the court shall consider’ the nature of the offense and characteristics of the defendant.”

The judge also reportedly cited a law stating that no limitations are to be placed on the “background, character, and conduct” a judge is authorized to consider when ruling. This includes video footage of Diddy violently assaulting Ventura, which had gone viral some months prior.

In addition to his federal criminal case and incarceration, Diddy has also faced numerous civil lawsuits. The cases all stem from alleged sexual misconduct and assault claims by numerous individuals.

The disgraced rap mogul has maintained his innocence.

Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images

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