Grammy Ballot Reaffirms Hip-Hop’s Influence as Lamar Leads With Nine

Top album of the year nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards include Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Gunna and Tyler, the Creator. The Recording Academy announced the nominations Friday ahead of the Feb. 1 ceremony in Los Angeles. (Image courtesy of the Recording Academy)

The 2026 Grammys dropped their nominations Friday morning, and the ballot reads like a reminder of
who’s really steering modern music. Kendrick Lamar leads all artists this year with nine nominations, a run powered by the continued dominance of “Luther,” his chart-shifting collaboration with SZA. The single landed nods for Record of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance , while the album that anchors it, "GNX," is in the hunt for Album of the Year.

Artist	Total Nominations	Primary Genre Focus
Kendrick Lamar	9	Hip-Hop / Rap
Lady Gaga	7	Pop / Dance
Bad Bunny	6	Latin / Música Urbana
Sabrina Carpenter	6	Pop
Leon Thomas	6	R&B / Soul
Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)	5	Hip-Hop / Rap
Doechii	5	Hip-Hop / R&B
SZA	5	R&B / Pop
Tyler, The Creator	5	Alternative Rap

The competition for the night's top honors is fierce, with Lady Gaga following Lamar with seven nominations, and both Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter scoring six nods each. All three major artists are competing against Lamar for Album of the Year, underscoring a historic race where Pop, Latin, and Hip-Hop titans face off in the marquee categories.

Leon Thomas emerged as the ceremony’s breakout story, earning six nominations — the most of any new artist — with his project “Mutt” hitting Album of the Year and multiple R&B categories. The singer-producer’s run marks one of the strongest career-reset moments in recent Grammy memory.

SZA, Doechii, Tyler, the Creator, and Clipse follow with five nominations each, a tight cluster that reflects how deeply hip-hop, R&B, Black pop, and alternative rap remain woven into the Recording Academy’s center of gravity.

Doechii’s “Anxiety” showed up everywhere — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video — a rare sweep for a track driven by emotional precision rather than chart gymnastics. Tyler earned recognition for “Don’t Tap the Glass” and “Chromakopia,” while Clipse broke through with “Let God Sort ’Em Out,” their first album in 16 years, which now competes for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album.

For all the talk this year about rap’s uneven commercial presence — including the moment in August when no rap song appeared in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 for the first time in 35 years — the Grammy ballot tells a different story. The culture continues to define the creative edge, even when the charts glitch.

The industry’s evolution shows up elsewhere, too. The 2026 ceremony introduces two new categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover, expanding the Academy’s effort to credit the craft behind the music. Even there, the nominations reflect a generation raised on hip-hop’s visual language — bold palettes, narrative artwork, and street-influenced design that now appear across genres.

Click here for a full list of nominees.

Ex-NFL Star Antonio Brown Back in U.S. to Face Attempted-Murder Charge

Antonio Brown is facing an attempted-murder charge in Miami-Dade County connected to a May 16 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event.

Antonio Brown is back on U.S. soil and behind bars after being extradited from the Middle East to face a
felony attempted-murder charge tied to a May 16 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event in Miami, according to the Miami Herald and Miami-Dade Police.

Brown, 36, had been living in Dubai for several months before authorities in the United Arab Emirates approved the U.S. government’s request to return him to Miami-Dade County, where a warrant has been active since June.

Antonio Brown was just arrested at Adin Ross’s boxing event after allegedly pulling out a f*rearm and firing shots while trying to fight off people who were trying to steal his chain 👀 pic.twitter.com/8NAANsxyYi

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 17, 2025

That warrant alleges Brown assaulted a man in the parking lot of the event, then grabbed a firearm from a security officer before “running toward the victim with the firearm and firing at him twice,” according to the arrest affidavit obtained by NBC Miami. The victim — who survived — told detectives, “He shot at me. Twice. I fought him for the gun.”

Miami-Dade Police said Brown was initially given a chance to surrender after the warrant was issued, but he declined.

“Mr. Brown was given an opportunity to surrender after the warrant was issued. He did not do so,” a Miami-Dade Police spokesperson told NBC Miami. “The case proceeded through the proper channels.”

Investigators say surveillance footage corroborates witness accounts showing Brown fighting with another man, taking the gun from a uniformed security guard and sprinting back toward the victim. Officers who responded to “a dispatch of shots fired outside the venue” detained Brown that night, but he was released before the warrant was issued and no firearm was recovered on him at the scene.

By the time the warrant became active in June, Brown had left the country.

A Miami-Dade law-enforcement official told the Miami Herald, “We were aware Mr. Brown was out of the country, and coordinated with federal authorities to ensure he would return to face the charge.”

UAE authorities later confirmed the extradition request was processed through formal channels, stating, “The United States submitted the request through official diplomatic channels.”

Brown is now being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center awaiting a first court appearance. His attorney has not issued a statement.

The former All-Pro wide receiver, whose NFL career unraveled amid a string of controversies, has faced civil suits, domestic disputes, and arrests — but never a charge as serious as attempted murder.

Watch: ‘Michael’ Trailer Revisits Thriller-Era Magic With Jaafar Jackson

The teaser poster for “Michael” features depictions of Michael Jackson across different stages of his career for the upcoming Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic. (Courtesy Lionsgate)

Lionsgate released the first trailer for “Michael,” Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming biopic about the King of Pop, offering the closest look yet at how one of music’s most iconic stories will be retold for a new generation. The teaser will play in theaters ahead of “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” and the film is scheduled to hit theaters April 24, 2026.

Jackson is portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, whose resemblance has drawn attention since production began. The trailer opens in a recording studio with Quincy Jones — played by Kendrick Sampson — telling Jackson the tracks are ready before the film flashes through childhood moments, breakthrough performances and unmistakable visuals from “Thriller,” set to the pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”

The cast features a wide lineup of heavy hitters: Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as attorney John Branca, Jessica Sula as LaToya Jackson, Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe and Kat Graham as Diana Ross. Additional roles include Liv Symone as Gladys Knight, Kevin Shinick as Dick Clark and KeiLyn Durrel Jones as longtime security chief Bill Bray.

The project — written by John Logan and produced by Graham King alongside estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain — wrapped principal photography in 2024 before undergoing additional shooting. Early rumors suggested the story might be split into two films, but the current marketing push frames a single, full narrative.

The teaser closes on an intimate detail: Jackson asking, “Q, can you lower the lights for me, please?” as the studio dims and his silhouette comes into focus — an image signaling that Fuqua’s film aims to revisit not just the legend, but the artist behind it.

Watch the full trailer below.

Teyana Taylor, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Iman Lead Ebony’s 80th Anniversary Celebration

Teyana Taylor accepts the Entertainer of the Year award during the 2025 Ebony Power 100 Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles / Ebony Media Group)

Teyana Taylor was crowned Entertainer of the Year at Ebony’s Power 100 Gala Tuesday night, leading a lineup that included Tracee Ellis Ross, Iman, Shaquille O’Neal, Lonnie G. Bunch III and reality TV star Olandria Carthen.

The celebration, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, marked Ebony magazine’s 80th anniversary and drew a cross-section of Black talent and industry power players. Robin Thede hosted the evening, with live performances by Ari Lennox and Lucky Daye, as honorees spanning music, fashion, film, sports and philanthropy took center stage.

Taylor — the creative whose work now stretches far beyond her early “Google Me” and “Maybe” days — has evolved into one of the culture’s sharpest artistic voices. The “Rose in Harlem” artist accepted her award with her trademark calm, calling the honor a reflection of “the work behind the light.”

Tracee Ellis Ross, recognized as Pathbreaker of the Year, credited the women who came before her while urging others to define success on their own terms. Iman, named Icon of the Year, spoke briefly about perseverance and the quiet power of longevity — a statement that needed no embellishment from someone who helped rewrite the rules of modeling itself.

Shaquille O’Neal received Entrepreneur of the Year, using the moment to announce he would rename the honor after the late Junior Bridgeman, highlighting the legacy of mentorship in Black business. Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was honored as Humanitarian of the Year, while Olandria Carthen took home the People’s Choice Award for her entrepreneurial and community work.

The gala coincided with Ebony’s November “Power Issue,” featuring the 2025 honorees on its group cover — a visual nod to the legacy of excellence the brand has chronicled for eight decades.

Nas, Resorts World Team up To Fund the Hip Hop Museum With $2 Million Donation

Nas appears at a Resorts World New York City event in Queens earlier this year. The Queensbridge icon recently joined the company in announcing a joint $2 million donation to help fund The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, slated to open in 2026. (Photo: Resorts World New York City)

Hip-hop is finally getting the temple it deserves — and one of its greatest lyricists just helped lay the foundation.

Queensbridge legend Nas has teamed with Resorts World New York City to donate $2 million toward the completion of The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, the long-awaited institution celebrating the genre’s origins and global rise. The announcement came during the museum’s annual benefit gala, where Nas said the project “is something our culture has needed for a long time.”

“Building this Hip Hop Museum is something our culture has needed for a long time,” he told guests. “It’s powerful to see a space being created to preserve that history and to educate and inspire the next generation. Being able to contribute alongside Resorts World to help bring this vision to life is an honor. This museum stands as a reminder of where we came from, and a celebration of everything Hip Hop continues to be.”

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The museum, rising inside the Bronx Point development at 585 Exterior Street, is slated to open in 2026. It sits just minutes from 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the site of DJ Kool Herc’s 1973 back-to-school jam that gave birth to hip-hop itself. Led by founder and CEO Rocky Bucano, the project will house interactive galleries, archives, performance spaces and a theater designed to preserve hip-hop’s five core elements — MCing, DJing, breaking, graffiti and knowledge.

“Receiving this generous $2 million donation from Nas and Resorts World at our benefit gala was a major highlight of the evening,” Bucano said. “His generosity supports our capital campaign and brings us closer to opening our doors in 2026.”

Resorts World’s contribution comes as the company pursues a full downstate casino license for its Queens racino, proposing a $7.5 billion expansion with $2 billion in community benefits — including cultural investments like this one. The Gaming Facility Location Board is expected to decide on licenses by late 2025.

The casino competition has been fierce: earlier this year, the Jay-Z/Roc Nation-backed Caesars Palace Times Square proposal was rejected by a local advisory committee after strong opposition from theater owners, leaving Resorts World and MGM’s Yonkers bid among the frontrunners.

But beyond the politics, Nas’s involvement brings the story full circle. The Bronx once birthed hip-hop; now one of its most eloquent sons is helping give it a permanent home. In a city that once tried to silence the genre, the sound that defined New York will finally have its own museum — built by the hands of those who made it matter.

At a Glance: The Hip Hop Museum

• Location: Bronx Point development, 585 Exterior St., Bronx, NY 10451
• Opening Target: 2026
• Latest Funding: $2 million joint gift from Nas and Resorts World New York City (Oct 2025)
• Capital Support to Date: $80 million + public and private funding (NYC EDC, UHHM Foundation, Resorts World)
• Facility Size: ≈ 52,000 sq ft with galleries, archives and 300-seat theater
• Mission: Preserve hip-hop history and foster innovation for future generations
• Context: Near 1520 Sedgwick Ave.—the recognized birthplace of hip-hop culture

Diddy Begins Term at Fort DIX as Appeal and Rehab Plan Take Shape

Sean “Diddy” Combs has begun serving the remainder of his 50-month federal sentence at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security prison in southern New Jersey. The move follows a court filing by his lawyers and places the hip-hop mogul in a residential drug-treatment unit closer to his family and New York legal team.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons lists his projected release date as May 8, 2028, accounting for time already served and potential good-time credit.

Combs, 55, was convicted in July of two counts of transporting individuals for commercial sex and was sentenced Oct. 3 to four years and two months in prison, fined $500,000, and ordered into five years of supervised release. He was acquitted of racketeering and coercive sex-trafficking charges.

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said a “substantial sentence must be given to send a message … that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability.”

In an Oct. 6 filing, attorney Teny Geragos asked that Combs be placed at Fort Dix so he could “address drug-abuse issues” and “maximize family visitation and rehabilitative efforts.” Sources confirm he is now housed in a separate unit for inmates in treatment programs.

Before transferring, Combs spent more than a year at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, awaiting trial and sentencing. There, he reportedly led a weekly business and leadership course for other inmates called "Free Game with Diddy."

In an interview conducted by journalist Lauren Conlin and published on YouTube in October 2025, former inmate Raymond Castillo — who said he lived in the same unit as Combs — recalled that the artist “brought unity” to the housing block through his program and “showed us that peace is stronger than pride.” Castillo also disputed viral accounts of a “knife-to-the-throat” attack, telling Conlin that no stabbing occurred and that Combs had calmly defused an argument between inmates.

Superthrowbackparty was not able to independently verify any stabbing incident, and Castillo’s account remains the only first-hand description from inside MDC Brooklyn.

Combs has filed a notice of appeal and, according to public statements by Donald Trump, has also requested a presidential pardon. No decision has been announced.

Ll Cool J’s Songwriting Legacy Honored With Hall of Fame Nomination

LL Cool J attends the 2023 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington. The Grammy-winning rapper and actor is among the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame nominees. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

The Songwriters Hall of Fame has revealed its list of 2026 nominees, and LL Cool J stands tall among a lineup that blends eras, genres, and creative legacies. The Queens-born rapper — one of hip-hop’s first global stars — joins Taylor Swift, P!nk, David Byrne and Kenny Loggins as nominees for induction at next year’s gala in New York City.

For LL, the recognition goes beyond chart success; it’s an overdue acknowledgment of a writer who helped define the emotional and lyrical range of modern rap. The Songwriters Hall of Fame honors those whose words and melodies have shaped the sound of popular music. His nomination follows the earlier inductions of Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and The Neptunes, further carving hip-hop’s rightful place in the songwriting canon.

Eligibility begins twenty years after an artist’s first commercial release — a milestone LL passed long ago, after exploding onto the scene in 1985 with Radio, his Def Jam debut that made a teenage James Todd Smith a household name. “I Need Love,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “Going Back to Cali,” and “Illegal Search” — the five songs highlighted in his nomination — span his versatility, from the first mainstream rap love ballad to battle-ready anthems that redefined hip-hop’s toughness.

The 2026 ballot, announced this week, also nods to pop titans Taylor Swift and Sarah McLachlan, rock innovators David Byrne and the Go-Go’s, glam icons Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss, and hit-making producer-songwriters like Pete Bellotte and Andreas Carlsson. It’s a class that connects disco’s glitter, rock’s rebellion, and hip-hop’s lyricism under one roof — a reflection of how much songwriting itself has evolved. Ballots are due by midnight December 4, 2025, with the official induction gala scheduled for next year in New York City.

Complete nominee list

Representative songs are a sample from each catalog.

Performing songwriters ▶

• Gerry Beckley & Dewey Bunnell (America)
  “A Horse with No Name,” “Ventura Highway,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “I Need You,” “Tin Man.”
• David Byrne
  “Once in a Lifetime,” “Psycho Killer,” “Burning Down the House,” “This Must Be the Place,” “Strange Overtones.”
• Richard Carpenter
  “Goodbye to Love,” “Top of the World,” “Yesterday Once More,” “Only Yesterday,” “Merry Christmas Darling.”
• Harry Wayne Casey (KC and the Sunshine Band)
  “Rock Your Baby,” “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” “Please Don’t Go.”
• Randy Bachman & Burton Cummings (The Guess Who)
  “These Eyes,” “Laughing,” “No Time,” “American Woman,” “No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature.”
• Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley (Kiss)
  “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “I Love It Loud,” “Calling Dr. Love,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Christine 16.”
• Kenny Loggins
  “Danny’s Song,” “Footloose,” “Celebrate Me Home,” “Return to Pooh Corner,” “What a Fool Believes.”
• Sarah McLachlan
  “Angel,” “Sweet Surrender,” “I Will Remember You,” “Building a Mystery,” “Adia.”
• Alecia B. Moore (P!nk)
  “Glitter in the Air,” “Just Like a Pill,” “Raise Your Glass,” “So What,” “What About Us.”
• Boz Scaggs
  “Lido Shuffle,” “Lowdown,” “We’re All Alone,” “Thanks to You,” “Look What You’ve Done to Me.”
• James Todd Smith (LL Cool J)
  “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “I Need Love,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Going Back to Cali,” “Illegal Search.”
• Taylor Swift
  “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” “Blank Space,” “Anti-Hero,” “Love Story,” “The Last Great American Dynasty.”
• Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine & Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go’s)
  “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation,” “Head over Heels,” “This Town.”

Songwriters ▶

• Walter Afanasieff
  “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “My All,” “Hero,” “Love Will Survive,” “One Sweet Day.”
• Pete Bellotte
  “Hot Stuff,” “I Feel Love,” “Love to Love You Baby,” “Heaven Knows,” “Push It to the Limit.”
• Andreas Carlsson
  “I Want It That Way,” “Bye Bye Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” “That’s the Way It Is,” “Waking Up in Vegas.”
• Steve Kipner
  “Physical,” “Hard Habit to Break,” “Genie in a Bottle,” “These Words,” “Breakeven.”
• Jeffrey Le Vasseur (Jeffrey Steele)
  “What Hurts the Most,” “My Wish,” “Knee Deep,” “The Cowboy in Me,” “I’d Give Anything / She’d Give Anything.”
• Patrick Leonard
  “Like a Prayer,” “Live to Tell,” “Nevermind,” “You Want It Darker,” “Yet Another Movie.”
• Terry Britten & Graham Lyle
  “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” “Typical Male,” “Devil Woman,” “I Should Have Known Better.”
• Bob McDill
  “Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold,” “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” “Gone Country,” “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “Song of the South.”
• Kenny Nolan
  “Lady Marmalade,” “My Eyes Adored You,” “I Like Dreamin’,” “Masterpiece,” “Get Dancin’.”
• Martin Page
  “We Built This City,” “These Dreams,” “King of Wishful Thinking,” “Faithful,” “Fallen Angel.”
• Vini Poncia
  “Do I Love You,” “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” “Oh My My,” “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” “Just Too Many People.”
• Tom Snow
  “He’s So Shy,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” “Dreaming of You,” “Don’t Know Much,” “After All.”
• Christopher “Tricky” Stewart
  “Umbrella,” “Single Ladies,” “Obsessed,” “Just Fine,” “Break My Soul.”
• Larry Weiss
  “Rhinestone Cowboy,” “Bend Me, Shape Me,” “Hi Ho Silver Lining,” “Your Baby Doesn’t Love You Anymore,” “Darling Take Me Back.”

Months After ‘Lightyear’ Remarks Drew Criticism, Snoop Dogg Drops ‘Love Is Love’ for Glaad’s Spirit Day

Snoop Dogg has spent a career flipping expectations. But this week’s move — dropping a children’s song about LGBTQ+ families after publicly stumbling on the same topic months ago — might be one of his most unexpected reversals yet.

Earlier this year, Snoop said a screening of Disney’s “Lightyear” with his grandson “threw [him] for a loop” when the boy asked about the film’s lesbian couple. “I didn’t come here for this,” he told a podcast host, adding that he didn’t have the answers. The backlash came quick: how could a man who’s preached love, unity, and evolution be so uneasy about a Pixar kiss?

Fast-forward to October. Snoop partnered with GLAAD to release “Love Is Love,” a new song from his YouTube series "Doggyland," timed with Spirit Day — the organization’s national anti-bullying campaign for LGBTQ youth. The track, sung by cartoon dogs with preschool-friendly beats, insists that “no two parents are the same, but the love won’t change.” It’s deliberately simple — not an apology, but a public correction.

“I felt like this music is a beautiful bridge to bringing understanding,” Snoop said in a filmed conversation with Jeremy Beloate, an openly queer artist who competed on his Voice team. “These are things kids have questions about. Now hopefully we can help them live a happy life and understand that love is love.”

That humility may surprise some longtime fans. For decades, Snoop has represented a particular brand of West Coast masculinity — smooth, funny, charismatic, but grounded in the coded norms of old-school rap. So when he faced criticism for how he handled "Lightyear," his response wasn’t to double down but to recalibrate in public. It’s not brand management; it’s self-education.

What’s striking is the medium. Hip-hop has had plenty of protest songs, but almost no bedtime stories about inclusion. "Doggyland," Snoop’s kid-focused series, already promoted kindness and literacy; now it’s modeling empathy. That’s not something you can fake in a market where kids notice contradictions faster than adults.

Still, the gesture comes with baggage. Some fans see “Love Is Love” as image rehab — a late pivot after months of social-media dragging. But even that tension speaks to something bigger. When an artist as visible as Snoop evolves on camera, it says more about generational change inside hip-hop itself. The culture that once defined toughness through resistance is now old enough to define it through growth.

In his GLAAD statement, Snoop put it plainly: “Spreading love and respect for everybody is what real gangstas do. We’re showing the next generation that kindness is cool, inclusion is powerful, and love always wins.” It’s both a wink and a warning — that empathy, in 2025, might be the hardest flex of all.

Because hip-hop doesn’t need another PSA. It needs its elders to keep learning out loud.

Hip-Hop Takes Center Stage as Outkast and Salt-N-Pepa Prepare to Join Rock Hall

The Atlanta duo is among this year’s inductees, joining Salt-N-Pepa and other music legends in a ceremony streamed live on Disney+ Nov. 8, 2025. (Courtesy Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)

For years, fans argued that hip-hop had rewritten the rules of rock & roll. This fall, the Rock & Roll Hall
of Fame made it official. Outkast and Salt-N-Pepa will be inducted November 8 at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater in a 40th anniversary ceremony that brings the South, the streets and the sisterhood to the Hall’s biggest stage.

The lineup, confirmed by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, marks a breakthrough for Black music and culture. Outkast — André 3000 and Big Boi — will enter the Performer category alongside Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes. Salt-N-Pepa, the groundbreaking Queens duo of Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, will receive the Musical Influence Award, a nod to how “Push It,” “Shoop,” and “Whatta Man” redefined empowerment in hip-hop and pop.

“This year’s inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”

The ceremony — streaming live coast to coast on Disney+ at 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST) and later airing on ABC on January 1, 2026 — promises a star-studded celebration of rock’s evolution. Among the presenters and performers are Missy Elliott, Killer Mike, Questlove, Maxwell, Doja Cat, Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Flea, J.I.D, Sleepy Brown, Iggy Pop, Olivia Rodrigo, and others. Together, they represent every era of rebellion and reinvention that defines the Rock Hall’s expanding universe.

While the full list of inductors has yet to be released, insiders close to the ceremony expect Southern hip-hop peers and collaborators — including Killer Mike and J.I.D — to play major roles in Outkast’s tribute. For Salt-N-Pepa, the night is expected to draw appearances from Missy Elliott and Doja Cat, both of whom have cited the duo as foundational influences.

Outkast’s induction is more than a career milestone; it’s the formal recognition of a movement. From Atlanta’s Dungeon Family collective to Grammy glory, the duo brought the world the sound of the modern South — blending funk, gospel, and social consciousness into genre-defying records like “Aquemini” and “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” The Rock Hall’s 2025 exhibit will include André 3000’s lime-green outfit from the “Hey Ya!” video, displayed alongside memorabilia from The White Stripes and Cyndi Lauper.

Sandra “Pepa” Denton, Deidre “Spinderella” Roper, and Cheryl “Salt” James of Salt-N-Pepa pose for their 1987 album in New York. The trailblazing hip-hop trio will receive the Musical Influence Award as part of the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class. (Photo by Janette Beckman/Getty Images, courtesy Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)

For Salt-N-Pepa, the honor closes a circle that began in the mid-1980s when two nursing students decided to rap about what women actually thought. They turned dance floors into classrooms of confidence, changing the language of mainstream pop in the process. Their induction alongside Warren Zevon (Musical Influence), Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins, and Carol Kaye (Musical Excellence), and Lenny Waronker (Ahmet Ertegun Award) underscores the Hall’s ongoing shift toward inclusivity and a broader definition of what “rock” truly means.

The 2025 ceremony’s range — from Chubby Checker’s twist to Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” — will illustrate that rock & roll’s essence was never about guitars alone. It was about defiance, self-expression, and the urge to push sound forward. In that sense, the voices from Atlanta and Queens belong here as much as anyone who ever picked up a Les Paul.

For hip-hop fans, it’s validation long overdue. For music history, it’s a reminder: rock & roll isn’t a sound. It’s a spirit. And it’s still evolving — with a Southern drawl, a bassline from Queens, and a groove that never dies.

‘Billie Eilish’ Rapper Arrested After Stopping Traffic for Video Shoot

Armani White, 28, smiles in his booking photo after being arrested Sunday in London, Ky. Police say the “Billie Eilish” rapper stopped traffic on Interstate 75 while filming a video. He was charged with disorderly conduct and illegally stopping a vehicle on a highway, then released from the Laurel County Correctional Center. (Photo: Laurel County Correctional Center)

Armani White’s latest viral moment didn’t happen onstage — it happened in the middle of an interstate.

The 29-year-old Philadelphia rapper, best known for his 2022 breakout hit “Billie Eilish,” was arrested Sunday night in Laurel County, Kentucky, after police say he stopped traffic on Interstate 75 to film a video.

According to booking records and police reports, White — whose real name is Enoch Tolbert — was taken into custody by London Police officers and charged with second-degree disorderly conduct and stopping, standing, or parking on a limited-access highway, both misdemeanors. He was booked into the Laurel County Correctional Center and released shortly after.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours after White performed as a supporting act on T-Pain’s “TP20: Celebrating 20 Years of T-Pain” tour in Newport, Ky. Witnesses told police that multiple vehicles had stopped on the highway and that a man — later identified as White — was seen dancing and jumping on a concrete median while a crew filmed.

Police said the spectacle caused several motorists to call 911, prompting officers to respond to prevent potential accidents. “The situation presented a clear traffic hazard,” one report noted, describing the impromptu shoot as “reckless and unsafe.”

White’s booking photo, released by the Laurel County Correctional Center, went viral overnight. Without his signature beaded braids — reportedly removed at officers’ request — the rapper flashes a broad smile, looking more amused than concerned.

While his representatives have yet to issue a formal statement, fans quickly connected the arrest to White’s penchant for spectacle. His platinum single “Billie Eilish” turned a playful boast into a viral moment that earned him national attention, and his blend of humor and energy has long blurred the line between charisma and chaos.

Flamingos Great Terry Johnson, Who Bridged Doo-Wop and Motown, Dead at 86

Terry Johnson, tenor, guitarist, and arranger for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame vocal group The Flamingos, performs in an undated photo. Johnson, who co-arranged and sang on the group’s 1959 classic “I Only Have Eyes for You” and later worked as a Motown producer, died this week at 86. (Courtesy photo)

Terry Johnson, the silky-voiced tenor, guitarist, and arranger who helped define doo-wop’s celestial sound with The Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes for You,” has died. He was 86.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame confirmed Johnson’s passing Friday, calling him “one of the architects of sophisticated vocal harmony” and a guiding force behind one of the genre’s most influential groups. Johnson, who joined The Flamingos in 1958, arranged and co-sang on “I Only Have Eyes for You,” the 1959 ballad whose shimmering harmonies and echoing “shoo-bop shoo-bops” remain one of pop’s most enduring sonic signatures.

(1/3) In Memoriam: Doo-wop legends the Flamingos, including 2001 Inductee Terry Johnson, took listeners higher with their sublime harmonies and impeccable arrangements. With Johnson joining as tenor/lead vocalist, guitarist, and arranger in 1958, The Flamingos... pic.twitter.com/UgF15LWdV6

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) October 10, 2025

“Crafted a sophisticated sound like no other vocal group,” the Rock Hall said in its remembrance on X (formerly Twitter). “Their rendition of ‘I Only Have Eyes for You’ remains an irresistible expression of yearning.”

 

In a 2001 Rock Hall ceremony speech inducting The Flamingos, Johnson described the group’s magic as “extraordinary harmonies combined with a love of the classics and a touch of dynamic stage presence.” Their album Flamingo Serenade, he told the crowd, was “without a doubt a masterpiece” — a testament that still rings true decades later.

After The Flamingos’ peak, Johnson carried his musical touch to Motown Records. Smokey Robinson recruited him as a songwriter and producer in the 1960s, where he contributed to sessions for The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Supremes. His behind-the-scenes work helped shape the seamless, orchestral polish that came to define Motown’s golden era.

Fellow performer Kathy Young shared a tribute Friday, writing, “I am so very sad upon hearing of the passing of Terry Johnson. He and I worked together so many times and always had fun. My deepest sympathies and prayers to Theresa, his family and The Flamingos. RIP Terry.”

The Flamingos, formed in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood in the early 1950s, embodied the elegance of the doo-wop era — their tuxedoed performances and symphonic vocals bridging gospel discipline with pop sensuality. Johnson’s tenure brought a new level of polish and musical sophistication, blending jazz chords, romantic lyricism, and lush production that influenced generations of R&B and soul artists.

“Their innovative recordings made a major contribution to our industry,” Johnson said during his Hall of Fame induction. “They rightfully deserve to be enshrined.”

Drake Loses Defamation Suit Against Universal Over 'Not Like Us,' Judge Says Rap Battle Was Hyperbole

A federal judge in New York dismissed Drake’s defamation suit over Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” ruling that the song’s lyrics were protected artistic expression — a decision that reaffirmed rap’s long tradition of rivalry as a form of free speech.

Drake’s bid to turn a diss record into a defamation case just hit a wall. A federal judge in Manhattan has thrown out his lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” ruling that the song’s explosive accusations— however cutting — are protected opinion, not factual claims.

The 38-page opinion, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, brings one of hip-hop’s strangest courtroom dramas to an end. “Because the Court concludes that the allegedly defamatory statements in ‘Not Like Us’ are nonactionable opinion, the motion to dismiss is granted,” Vargas wrote. She called the song part of “perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history — the vitriolic war of words that erupted between superstar recording artists Aubrey Drake Graham and Kendrick Lamar Duckworth in the spring of 2024.”

Drake, whose suit named Universal Music Group, argued that the label helped spread false claims that he preyed on underage girls, endangering his safety and reputation. But the court said no reasonable listener would take such statements literally. “A reasonable person,” Judge Vargas wrote, “is not under the impression that a diss track is the product of a thoughtful or disinterested investigation conveying fact-checked, verifiable content.”

That reasoning — rooted in decades of First Amendment case law — may sound clinical, but its impact is cultural. Vargas compared modern diss tracks to the “freewheeling, anything-goes” nature of YouTube and X, where hyperbole is part of the art. In that setting, she said, Kendrick’s most incendiary bar — “Say Drake, I hear you like ’em young” — cannot be read as an assertion of fact. “In the context of this rap diss battle,” she wrote, “no reasonable person would listen to ‘Not Like Us’ and assume that Lamar uniquely had access to credible, provable facts that revealed Drake to be a pedophile.”

The judge also cited Drake’s own provocations in earlier tracks, noting that “Not Like Us” was a lyrical counterpunch to his “Taylor Made Freestyle,” where he baited Lamar with insinuations and personal digs. The back-and-forth, she said, was the modern embodiment of battle rap’s “epithets, fiery rhetoric, and hyperbole” — a context that transforms insult into performance.

Vargas rejected Drake’s remaining claims under New York’s consumer-protection statute and harassment laws, calling them “meritless extensions” of the same defamation theory. The cover art and video, she found, operated within the same expressive sphere. “They are not literal; they are commentary.”

With that, a judge effectively codified what hip-hop fans have known for decades: the diss is a weapon of art, not evidence. For Kendrick Lamar, it’s another win in a year already marked by triumph — “Not Like Us” spent multiple weeks at No. 1 and became a cultural anthem of competitive purity. For Drake, it’s another loss in a rivalry that’s blurred the line between ego and legacy.

Beyond the headlines, though, the decision may stand as a landmark. By writing that a diss track “cannot reasonably be understood as stating actual facts,” a federal court has, perhaps for the first time, explicitly framed battle rap as protected speech.

Cash Money and No Limit To Face off in Verzuz’s Comeback at Complexcon Las Vegas

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s Verzuz series will return Oct. 25 at ComplexCon Las Vegas with “Cash Money VERZUZ No Limit,” reuniting two of New Orleans’ most influential rap labels for a new chapter in hip-hop’s Southern story. (Photo: VERZUZ TV via Instagram)

When two of New Orleans’ most powerful rap dynasties meet on one stage, it’s not just a reunion — it’s a reckoning.

Verzuz, the online battle series created by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland during the pandemic, is set to return Oct. 25 at ComplexCon Las Vegas with “Cash Money VERZUZ No Limit.” The event promises a collision of legacies that once defined Southern hip-hop’s rise from regional pride to global dominance.

Verzuz itself has traveled a long road to this moment. What began in 2020 as a live-streamed experiment between friends turned into a communal ritual at the height of lockdown, when millions of viewers tuned in to watch artists face off hit for hit. By 2021, the brand had been acquired by Triller in a deal meant to expand its reach and grant equity to participating performers.

Within a year, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland accused the company of failing to deliver on its commitments, filing a $28 million lawsuit before eventually reaching a settlement. In 2024, they regained control of the platform and struck a new distribution partnership with X, formerly Twitter. “VERZUZ is still 100 percent Black-owned,” Swizz said after reclaiming ownership — a statement that reasserted the show’s purpose as both cultural archive and act of independence.

🚨 IT’S OFFICIAL 🚨
Verzuz is BACK — live at #ComplexCon Las Vegas.
Cash Money #VERZUZ No Limit Celebration 🙌🏽
One stage. Two legendary iconic Labels . History is about to be made !!
October 25.
Live Streaming details coming soon !!!!!!
Stay tuned for more info ….. pic.twitter.com/tM4TZibBuN

— VERZUZ TV (@verzuzonline) October 7, 2025

That context makes the upcoming battle feel less like a nostalgia trip and more like a symbolic passing of eras. Cash Money Records, founded in 1991 by Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams, shaped the glossy, radio-ready sound that turned bounce into mainstream pop currency. From Juvenile’s “400 Degreez” and Big Tymers’ “Still Fly” to Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter” series and Drake’s global dominance, its artists redefined what success from the South could look like.

No Limit Records, founded a year earlier by Master P, built a different kind of empire — gritty, self-reliant, and defiantly prolific. The label’s rapid-fire releases and signature Pen & Pixel album art made its soldiers — Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal, C-Murder, Mia X and Fiend — household names. Master P’s philosophy of ownership and community uplift would go on to influence an entire generation of independent entrepreneurs.

Their rivalry fueled one of the most important shifts in rap history. Long before Atlanta became the genre’s capital, New Orleans created the model — ambition on one side, autonomy on the other. Cash Money and No Limit didn’t just compete for charts; they competed for narrative, for the right to define what Southern success sounded like.

Pooh Shiesty Freed After Serving Three Years on Florida Gun Charge

Rapper Pooh Shiesty, whose real name is Lontrell D. Williams, in a 2021 booking photo released by the Miami-Dade Police Department. Williams was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for a gun conspiracy charge. 

Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty, born Lontrell D. Williams, is officially free — and his return marks one of hip-hop’s most closely watched comebacks of the year.

According to federal Bureau of Prisons records, the 25-year-old artist was released from custody in early October, months ahead of his scheduled April 2026 date. His attorney, Bradford Cohen, confirmed the news on social media, writing, “@poohshiesty is ready... wait until you see his comeback. He will be bigger than ever.”

The rapper, best known for his breakout single “Back in Blood” featuring Lil Durk and his 2021 mixtape “Shiesty Season,” had been serving a 63-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2022 to one count of conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of violent and drug-trafficking crimes. The plea deal led prosecutors to drop three other charges — including one carrying a potential life sentence — tied to a 2020 shooting in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, where two men were injured in a robbery involving designer sneakers and marijuana.

Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty came home to a bag 💰 pic.twitter.com/Bgkg7yEht5

— Kollege Kidd (@KollegeKidd) October 7, 2025

He was sentenced in April 2022 to a little over five years and three years of supervised release. The government had sought a ten-year term, but Cohen convinced the court to impose the shorter sentence, telling reporters at the time, “He took responsibility and we felt it was fair.”

Shiesty, whose name became synonymous with Memphis trap’s new wave, was just 20 when Gucci Mane signed him to The New 1017 imprint. His rise was meteoric — “Shiesty Season” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and turned the rapper’s menacing drawl into a generational sound.

Even during his incarceration, Shiesty remained culturally relevant. His comments under Cardi B’s Instagram post earlier this week — “I love you” — racked up thousands of likes and immediately went viral, reminding fans that his charisma hadn’t dimmed. 

Pooh Shiesty back home and already shining like he never left 🧊🐍💯 The whole team celebrating his return — big energy, big ice, and big Memphis vibes only 🔥#PoohShiesty #Big30 #Memphis #TrapsNTrunks #WelcomeHome pic.twitter.com/q1Fo4UIOAP

— Traps N Trunks (@trapsntrunks) October 7, 2025

A Comeback in the Making 

Shiesty’s release has sparked both optimism and reflection inside hip-hop. Fans flooded social media with clips of his homecoming, including one viral post showing him stepping out of a luxury car surrounded by family and supporters. “Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty came home to a bag 💰,” read the caption.

Cohen, his attorney, called the moment “a climb back up to elite status,” while adding that Shiesty’s journey wasn’t finished: “His story isn’t over — it’s just starting.”

'The Infamous' vs. 'Illmatic': Two Visions of Hip-Hop’s Greatest Album Emerge

Mobb Deep’s “The Infamous” and Nas’s “Illmatic” became the center of debate after Pitchfork’s editors and readers named different albums the greatest rap record of all time. 

For decades, arguments over the greatest rap album lived in barbershops, dorm rooms, and late-night debates between fans who knew every lyric by heart. This week, the fight played out on the record.

On Tuesday, Pitchfork’s editors declared Mobb Deep’s “The Infamous” the best rap album of all time. A day later, readers pushed back, voting Nas’s “Illmatic” into the top spot. Two visions of rap history, 24 hours apart — proof that hip-hop’s memory is less a monument than a moving target.

Pitchfork had invited the clash. On Aug. 25, it opened a readers’ poll asking fans to rank the greatest rap albums; thousands responded. When the results were published Wednesday, the comparison to the editorial list was explicit. The result was a cultural referendum: editors celebrated bleak Queensbridge realism; fans rallied behind an album that defined New York lyricism and spoke to generations.

Editors vs. Readers — Top 5

Pitchfork Editors (Tuesday)

1. “The Infamous” — Mobb Deep (1995)
2. “All Eyez on Me” — 2Pac (1996)
3. “400 Degreez” — Juvenile (1998)
4. “Supreme Clientele” — Ghostface Killah (2000)
5. “Illmatic” — Nas (1994)

Full editors’ list

Pitchfork Readers (Wednesday)

1. “Illmatic” — Nas (1994)
2. “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” — Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
3. “To Pimp a Butterfly” — Kendrick Lamar (2015)
4. “good kid, m.A.A.d city” — Kendrick Lamar (2012)
5. “The Marshall Mathers LP” — Eminem (2000)

Full readers’ poll

Flashpoints: Editors’ list snubs Drake, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. Readers surge for Kendrick. Lauryn Hill remains the only woman in the critics’ top 10.

The editorial list leaned toward innovation and grit. Alongside “The Infamous,” the top five included 2Pac’s “All Eyez on Me,” Juvenile’s “400 Degreez,” Ghostface Killah’s “Supreme Clientele,” and “Illmatic” at No. 5. Southern classics and underground landmarks sat shoulder to shoulder with only one woman in the top ten — Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

Fans, by contrast, elevated cultural resonance. Their top rankings were led by “Illmatic,” followed by Wu-Tang Clan’s “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” and “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” with Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP” rounding out the top five. The poll showed younger generations pulling recent classics into the same conversation as ’90s staples.

Online, the omissions drew outrage. On Reddit and X, fans blasted the lack of Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, The Roots, and other staples, while questioning why women MCs beyond Lauryn Hill were left off the critics’ top 25.

The divide is revealing. For critics, “The Infamous” represents the pinnacle of craft — cold-blooded imagery and soundscapes that redefined East Coast rap. For fans, “Illmatic” is scripture: a lyrical coming-of-age story that still feels lived, remembered, and quoted 30 years later. Both changed rap; only one can be called the greatest, depending on who’s asked.

Fan Reactions

The lists sparked heated debate across X and Reddit. Some fans called it “wild” that no Jay-Z or Drake albums appeared in the critics’ top 25, while others said the readers’ embrace of Kendrick Lamar proved newer generations are reshaping the canon.

On r/hiphopheads, one thread argued that Lauryn Hill being the only woman in the editors’ top 10 showed how narrow the definition of greatness still is. Another popular post praised Nas’s “Illmatic” topping the readers’ poll: “It’s the one album everyone still quotes, 30 years later.”

What makes this moment remarkable is not who won, but what it says about power. For decades, critical institutions curated hip-hop’s registry. In the streaming era, fans now challenge that authority with votes, playlists, and viral debates. It is less about a fixed canon than a contest — a tug-of-war over memory itself.

And maybe that’s the truest measure of rap’s vitality. A genre born from turntables in the Bronx, raised on battles and bravado, refuses to be frozen. When Mobb Deep and Nas trade the crown in 2025, it isn’t indecision — it’s affirmation. Hip-hop is still alive, still argued over, still ours.

6ix9ine Avoids Prison, Ordered to Home Detention for Palm Beach Mall Attack

Rapper 6ix9ine speaks during a taping of the “One Night with Steiny” podcast, where he addressed stigma and trauma tied to his past cooperation with federal investigators. (Screengrab via YouTube/"One Night with Steiny")

6ix9ine was ordered into home detention Thursday after admitting in federal court that he punched a man during a confrontation at a Florida mall. The Brooklyn rapper — born Daniel Hernandez — told Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, “Me and another individual hit a person, and I was wrong.”

Prosecutors said the Aug. 8 assault in Palm Beach County was sparked when the man taunted him about cooperating with federal investigators in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Rebold warned the court that this was the third time in a year Hernandez had violated supervised release, describing what he called a troubling lack of impulse control.

Judge Engelmayer, who previously sentenced Hernandez to two years in prison in the racketeering case, said repeated violations could soon end leniency. This time, he imposed electronic monitoring and home detention in Florida, making clear that the rapper’s “serial pattern” of violations will weigh heavily in any future hearing.

The sanction follows earlier admissions that cocaine and MDMA were found in Hernandez’s Florida home, as well as past penalties for unauthorized travel and missed drug tests. In November 2024, he spent 45 days in custody after what the judge called a pattern of absconding and defiance.

Hernandez addressed some of these issues in a recent appearance on the podcast " One Night with Steiny." He said taunts about being a “snitch” still feel like threats, insisting, “Putting me in jail is not going to teach me a lesson.” He spoke about the trauma of being kidnapped by former associates and argued that Latino rappers face narrower lanes in hip-hop: “When you’re Spanish, there’s no space for you in the rap game.”

 

The rapper’s legal turmoil comes against the backdrop of a once-blazing career. His 2017 breakout “Gummo” became a viral hit. “FEFE,” with Nicki Minaj, reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, and his 2018 album "Dummy Boy" bowed at No. 2 despite an early leak. But the racketeering plea and testimony against Nine Trey members recast him from chart star to lightning rod.

Hernandez also recently mourned the death of Ariela “La Langosta,” a Dominican influencer close to his circle, calling her a “tremendous woman” and “queen of New York.” The loss underscored the turbulence of a life lived partly in courtrooms and partly online.

For now, home detention keeps him out of prison. But with his record of repeat violations, the question is no longer whether 6ix9ine can top charts again — it’s whether he can keep his freedom long enough to try.

6ix9ine: Highs and Lows

Career Highs 2017: Breakout with “Gummo,” a viral hit that launched him to national attention 2018: “FEFE” with Nicki Minaj peaks at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 2018: Dummy Boy debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 2020: Post-prison single “Gooba” sets a first-day YouTube record for a rap debut

Legal Lows 2015: Pleads guilty to use of a child in a sexual performance; sentenced to probation 2018: Arrested in racketeering conspiracy with Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods 2019: Testifies against gang members; sentenced to two years in prison 2023–2024: Supervised-release violations: drug possession, missed tests, unauthorized travel Aug. 2025: Admits assault at Florida mall; ordered to home detention with ankle monitor

His chart success and courtroom trouble have risen in parallel — each new hit matched by another legal fight.

Diddy’s Children Beg Judge for Compassion: 'Please Let My Dad out of Jail'

Sean “Diddy” Combs kisses the hand of his mother, Janice Combs, in a 2019 portrait shared on his official Facebook page. Now 84, she has written to a federal judge ahead of his sentencing, asking for mercy and saying, “I would like to spend the last few years of my life with my son, Sean.” (Photo via Diddy/Facebook)

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother does not shy away from the truth. “He has made some terrible mistakes in his life, which I know he recognizes,” Janice Combs wrote in a letter to the judge. But at 84, with her health fading, she begged for leniency so she could see her son outside of a prison cell. “On December 21, I will be 85 years old … I would like to spend the last few years of my life with my son, Sean,” she wrote. “This separation for the past year while Sean has been incarcerated has been excruciatingly difficult and painful for me and his children.”

The plea was among more than 60 letters filed as part of Combs’ sentencing submission ahead of his Oct. 3 hearing in Manhattan federal court. Convicted in July of two counts of transporting people for prostitution, he was acquitted of racketeering and sex-trafficking charges. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024, after a judge denied multiple bail requests, including a $50 million bond proposal backed by his Miami mansion.

His six children wrote with equal urgency. Justin Combs acknowledged his father’s failings but insisted, “I refuse to let those mistakes erase the truth of who he is: a loving, present father who has instilled in me and my siblings the importance of respect, of honoring women, and of standing tall in the face of adversity.” His brother Christian was more direct: “Please let him out! This is driving me crazy and my family crazy! I’m asking for grace and compassion to the family … please let my dad out of jail!”

Chance Combs told the court that “some of my siblings do not have their mother and are now missing a father figure in their lives. We miss him deeply and need his presence, especially now.” Twins Jessie and D’Lila added: “Our family has faced many challenges … but no matter what we continue to stick together through it all. We know who our father truly is, a caring, loving, generous, passionate and dedicated man.”

Defense lawyers are asking Judge Arun Subramanian to impose no more than 14 months — roughly the time Combs has already served — paired with supervised release, drug treatment and counseling. Prosecutors are pushing for 51 to 63 months, pointing to testimony and surveillance evidence they say depicts acts of violence, including dragging and kicking a woman in a hotel hallway.

The judge has consistently rejected release motions, citing risk of flight and danger to the community. In denying bail last year, he dismissed even the multimillion-dollar bond package and declarations of family support, writing that no conditions would reasonably assure safety or appearance.

As sentencing approaches, the case now balances sharply between punishment and mercy. For prosecutors, a prison term of several years reflects the seriousness of the conduct and the need for accountability. For Combs’ family, it is a question of time: how much longer a son, a father and a brother will be kept from them, and whether a final chance for reunion will be lost. “My son is my life,” Janice Combs wrote. “Please let me have him back, even for a little while, before God calls me home.”

Finesse2tymes Says He’s ‘Safe and Sound’ Following Weekend Arrest in Texas

Photo Courtesy: Smith County Jail

Ricky Hampton, the Memphis rapper who performs as Finesse2tymes, was arrested late Friday in Tyler, Texas, after a traffic stop that followed his concert in Smith County. Police say they smelled marijuana during the stop and later found drugs in the car, leading to Hampton’s booking alongside passenger Halie Buckingham.

According to an arrest affidavit, an officer saw Hampton driving a red Corvette and pulled him over for not wearing a seat belt while turning onto Claude Street. During the stop, officers reported the odor of marijuana and saw a hand-rolled cigar in the ashtray. When police searched the vehicle, they said Buckingham grabbed a bag from the passenger-side floorboard; officers searched the bag and reported finding about 0.7 ounces of marijuana, 12 oxycodone pills and seven methylphenidate pills.

 

Hampton was booked into the Smith County Jail on a charge of possession of marijuana. Buckingham was booked on two counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Both were released on bond at about 4:50 a.m. on Sept. 20, according to jail records provided with the affidavit.

Hours later, Hampton posted a video telling fans he’d made it out “safe and sound,” thanked his team and supporters, and framed the detention as old business. “They took me down on some little charges from 2018… it’s over with now… all this is dismissed… I ain’t got to pay no bond,” he said in the clip. His account differs from the arrest paperwork that lists the new Smith County charges and notes a release on bond.

Hampton said he’s “coming up with a strategy… how we can repay y’all,” floating meet-and-greets to make up for disruptions, and thanked fans who “didn’t count me out.”