Rap Legend Luther Campbell Weighs Congressional Run After Years of Civic Work

Luther Campbell

Luther Campbell has spent most of his adult life being told to shut up — by police, by politicians, by prosecutors, and by critics who never imagined he would still be here long enough to be taken seriously.
So when Uncle Luke says he wants to listen, it lands differently.

On Monday, Campbell posted a message to Instagram saying he is considering a run for Congress in Florida’s 20th District, but emphasized that no decision would come before conversations with the people who live there.

He said he plans to meet residents where they are — at community meetings, churches, parks and neighborhood gatherings — to hear concerns and better understand what the district needs.

“I’m considering a run for Congress in CD-2,” Campbell wrote. “But before anything, I want to have real conversations with the people who live here.”

There was no campaign launch, no slogans, no platform rollout. Instead, Campbell framed the moment as exploratory — listening first, deciding later. For an artist whose name is permanently tied to free-speech battles and confrontations with authority, the tone was notably restrained.

It was also consistent with how he has operated for decades: show up, assess, then move.

The post came as Campbell steps away from his role as head football coach at Miami Edison Senior High School, where he spent six years rebuilding a program that had nearly collapsed. When he arrived in 2018, Edison had eight players and one win the previous season. Under Campbell, the Red Raiders progressed steadily, eventually reaching a regional championship game last season.

That coaching success was not an outlier. Campbell has spent years investing in youth development, most notably through the Liberty City Optimist Club he founded in 1994. The program has produced multiple national championships and a long list of professional athletes, including Chad Johnson, Antonio Brown, Lavonte David and Devonta Freeman.

His coaching résumé also includes stints as a defensive coordinator, internships with the New York Giants and volunteer work at college satellite camps, where he developed relationships with prominent coaches across the sport.

Campbell said stepping away from Edison was about focus — a recognition that running for Congress, even tentatively, requires time and attention he was unwilling to split at the expense of young athletes. He has set Feb. 15, 2026, as the date by which he will decide whether to formally enter the race.

The political backdrop makes the timing notable. Florida’s 20th District, a heavily Democratic, majority-Black seat long held by the late Rep. Alcee Hastings, is currently represented by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is facing a federal indictment tied to alleged misuse of campaign and FEMA-related funds.

Campbell previously explored challenging Cherfilus-McCormick in 2024 but ultimately did not qualify for the ballot, despite forming a PAC and registering with the Federal Election Commission.

Ye Issues Public Apology for Antisemitic Remarks in Full-Page Wall Street Journal Ad

Ye  published a full-page newspaper apology Monday addressing prior antisemitic remarks and personal conduct.

One of the most public reckonings of Ye’s career did not arrive on social media, a livestream, or a surprise album drop. It arrived in print.
On Monday, Ye — the artist formerly known as Kanye West — took out a full-page advertisement in Wall Street Journal to issue a sweeping apology for years of antisemitic statements, inflammatory symbolism and public behavior that fractured his standing in music, fashion and the broader culture.

“I lost touch with reality,” Ye wrote in the ad, attributing his actions to an undiagnosed brain injury from a car accident decades earlier and what he described as untreated bipolar disorder. He said the deeper neurological damage from the accident went unrecognized until 2023 and contributed to years of instability, denial and destructive behavior.

Ye’s letter in full (WSJ ad text)

Click to expand. Presented verbatim as published in the ad.

Read “To Those I’ve Hurt” (expand)

To Those I’ve Hurt:

Twenty-five years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain. At the time, the focus was on the visible damage – the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.

Comprehensive scans were not done, neurological exams were limited, and the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury was never raised. It wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.

Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.

Once people label you as “crazy,” you feel as if you cannot contribute anything meaningful to the world. It’s easy for people to joke and laugh it off when in fact this is a very serious debilitating disease you can die from. According to the World Health Organization and Cambridge University, people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy that is shortened by 10 to 15 years on average, and a 2x-3x higher all-cause mortality rate than the general population. This is on par with severe heart disease, type 1 diabetes, HIV, and cancer – all lethal and fatal if left untreated.

The scariest thing about this disorder is how persuasive it is when it tells you: You don’t need help. It makes you blind, but convinced you have insight. You feel powerful, certain, unstoppable.

I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.

In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it. One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments - many of which I still cannot recall - that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience. I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.

To the black community - which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times. The black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.

In early 2025, I fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here any more.

Having bipolar disorder is notable state of constant mental illness. When you go into a manic episode, you are ill at that point. When you are not in an episode, you are completely “normal”. And that’s when the wreckage from the illness hits the hardest. Hitting rock bottom a few months ago, my wife encouraged me to finally get help.

I have found comfort in Reddit forums of all places. Different people speak of being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature. I read their stories and realized that I was not alone. It’s not just me who ruins their entire life once a year despite taking meds every day and being told by the so-called best doctors in the world that I am not bipolar, but merely experiencing “symptoms of autism”.

My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.

As I find my new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity. I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design and other new ideas to help the world.

I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”

With love,
Ye

“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state,” he wrote. “It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

The apology marks Ye’s most direct acknowledgment yet of the harm caused by his public embrace of antisemitic rhetoric, including past praise of Adolf Hitler and repeated use of swastika imagery — moments that led to widespread condemnation, severed partnerships and the near-collapse of his commercial empire.

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitism, described the apology as overdue. In a statement the organization said the letter does not erase years of damage, citing Ye’s past remarks, imagery and references that caused “hurt and betrayal,” while adding that the true measure of accountability will be whether he refrains from such behavior going forward.

Ye’s letter also turned inward, detailing the mechanics of mania and denial. He described bipolar disorder as having “its own defense system,” writing that during manic episodes he believed he was seeing the world more clearly, when in reality he was losing control. He said a four-month manic episode in early 2025 led to paranoid and impulsive behavior that “destroyed my life” and pushed him to what he described as rock bottom.

In one of the more personal passages, Ye addressed the Black community directly, calling it “the foundation of who I am” and apologizing for letting it down. The acknowledgment reflected a recurring tension in his career — an artist whose early work centered Black vulnerability, faith and ambition, later becoming a source of public fracture and fatigue within the same community that first lifted him.

The ad also touched on a contradiction Ye has voiced publicly in recent years. He previously claimed to be on the autism spectrum rather than bipolar. In the letter, he said reading accounts from people experiencing manic episodes helped him recognize his condition and feel less isolated, ultimately pushing him toward treatment.

The timing of the apology is notable. Ye’s next album, “Bully,” is listed on Spotify with a Friday release date, though no official rollout details have been confirmed. Whether the apology is received as a genuine step toward accountability or as part of a familiar cycle of confession and return remains unresolved.

Nicki Minaj Averts Forced Sale of Hidden Hills Home After Satisfying $500,000 Judgment

Nicki Minaj speaks with attendees during AmericaFest 2025 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix on Dec. 21, 2025. Minaj recently satisfied a court judgment tied to a civil lawsuit, avoiding the forced sale of her Hidden Hills, California, home. (Photo by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Nicki Minaj has avoided the forced sale of her Hidden Hills, California, home after satisfying a court judgment tied to a long-running civil lawsuit involving her husband, Kenneth Petty.

Court records show the rapper paid roughly $500,000 to resolve a judgment awarded to Thomas Weidenmuller, a former member of her security team. The payment was made ahead of a scheduled court appearance this week, closing out a financial dispute that had placed Minaj’s estimated $20 million Los Angeles-area mansion at risk.

The judgment stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Weidenmuller, who alleged he was assaulted by Petty during a 2019 incident while working for Minaj overseas. A court ultimately ruled in Weidenmuller’s favor, ordering Minaj to pay approximately $503,000. Failure to satisfy the judgment could have triggered enforcement actions, including the potential sale of the property.

Weidenmuller’s attorney confirmed the judgment was satisfied the night before the scheduled hearing. It remains unclear whether the full amount was paid in a single transaction or resolved through a negotiated settlement.

The lawsuit — and its resolution — arrives within a broader public context that has increasingly surrounded Minaj in recent years. Petty’s criminal history has long been part of that conversation. He was convicted in 1995 of attempted rape in New York, served prison time and is required to register as a sex offender. He was later convicted of manslaughter in 2006 and served additional time in prison. While Petty was not a named party in the civil judgment, the allegations at the center of the case stemmed from conduct attributed to him while employed as part of Minaj’s security detail.

The legal resolution also comes amid renewed scrutiny of Minaj’s public conduct, particularly on social media. In recent days, the rapper has drawn criticism for confrontational posts aimed at journalists and public figures, including Don Lemon, following his reporting on protests at a Minnesota church. Lemon responded by questioning Minaj’s understanding of journalism, a rebuttal that further fueled discussion around her increasingly adversarial relationship with the media.

Minaj, 43, has not publicly commented on the payment or the conclusion of the case.

A Rap Icon and a Rock Elder Find Common Ground on “No Country for Old Men”

Chuck D and John Densmore have teamed up as doPE, a collaboration bridging hip-hop and rock history ahead of their Record Store Day 2026 release. (Photo by Grant Ball)

When Chuck D and John Densmore finally decided to make music together, it wasn’t the result of a sudden idea or a calculated collaboration. It was the slow closing of a circle left open for more than a decade.
The project is called doPE, a collaboration between the Public Enemy frontman and the longtime Doors drummer. Its debut album, “no country for old men,” is scheduled for release April 18 in conjunction with Record Store Day 2026. The album’s lead track, “every tick tick tick,” has been named Record Store Day’s 2026 Song of the Year.

Chuck D and Densmore first crossed paths in 2014 during a Record Store Day panel at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Chuck D was serving as that year’s Record Store Day ambassador, while Densmore appeared as a veteran artist whose work with The Doors helped reshape rock music’s language and posture. Their conversation did not immediately turn into music. Instead, it lingered. About a year later, Densmore received a brief email from Chuck D that read: “You’ve got the beats, I’ve got the rhymes, let’s make doPE.”

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Densmore (@johndensmore)

What followed was not a rush to release but a measured exchange of ideas. Chuck D began sending verses. Densmore responded with rhythms, textures and reflection. At one point, Densmore sent back a line that would become central to the project: “Everybody gets older, but not everybody gets elder.” The phrase became a philosophical anchor for the album — a meditation on time, responsibility, memory and survival, rather than nostalgia or revivalism.

Recorded specifically for Record Store Day, “no country for old men” relies on spoken word, percussion and stripped-down musical frameworks that leave space for Chuck D’s voice to carry weight. The album does not attempt to fuse hip-hop and classic rock into a hybrid genre. Instead, it attempts to allow each discipline to speak plainly, sometimes uncomfortably, often deliberately.

Chuck D has spent more than four decades using his voice as a tool for confrontation and clarity, from Public Enemy’s foundational work in the late 1980s through collaborations across hip-hop, metal and rock. Densmore, whose drumming powered The Doors’ most enduring recordings, has long been outspoken about art, authorship and cultural accountability. In doPE, those histories are not background context; they are the material itself.

Tracklist: “no country for old men” (doPE)

Side A

1. “every tick tick tick”
2. “no country for old men”
3. “doomsay”
4. “the bones of my father”
5. “i love that i don’t know”
6. “people are strangers”

Side B

1. “breakthru”
2. “ops3ssion”
3. “dajali ii”
4. “everybody dies”
5. “no country for old men (dub)”
6. “saydoom (dub)”

“John Densmore’s beat isn’t just rhythm, it’s history talking,” Chuck D said in a statement. “He’s been scoring moments of our culture for decades, and that wisdom hits different when it meets the now. This collaboration is about locking generations together and pushing sound forward.”

Densmore echoed that sentiment more plainly, emphasizing the project’s balance. “He’s got the rhymes and I’ve got the beats,” he said. “And we made doPE.”

The album’s lead track, “every tick tick tick,” was co-produced by Densmore, David “C-Doc” Snyder and JP Hesser. It was selected as Record Store Day’s 2026 Song of the Year for its sense of urgency and restraint — a piece that reflects the pressure of time without leaning on spectacle. Record Store Day co-founder Michael Kurtz described the song as capturing both the moment and the times surrounding it.

Visually, the project follows the same stripped-back approach. The doPE logo combines elements of The Doors’ typography with Public Enemy’s crosshairs imagery and was designed by Chuck D. The album will be released as a limited-edition colored-vinyl LP in a deluxe gatefold package featuring original illustrations by Chuck D.

Syracuse Coach Says Rapper Toosii May Walk On, Decision Still Pending

Rapper Toosii posted this image on social media amid speculation about a possible return to Syracuse, where the Syracuse native has discussed the idea of walking on to the university’s football program. Syracuse coach Fran Brown said this week that Toosii is still weighing the decision and that no role has been determined. (Courtesy of Toosii via X)

For a moment, it felt like the kind of story hip-hop still loves to believe in.

A hometown artist, successful enough to never look back, choosing instead to circle home — not for a ceremony or a plaque, but for pads and practice. When Toosii said he was committing to Syracuse football, it wasn’t framed as a stunt. It read like unfinished business.

This week, that narrative shifted — not collapsed, but clarified.

Appearing on ESPN Syracuse’s “Orange Nation,” Syracuse football coach Fran Brown said the rapper, born Nau’Jour Grainger, is still undecided about whether he will actually play for the Orange. Brown added that if Toosii does move forward, the opportunity would be as a walk-on, not a guaranteed roster spot.

“He’s still thinking about it,” Brown said, explaining that while he wanted to give Toosii a chance to pursue something meaningful to him, roster realities and evaluation still matter. The coach noted that as more players continue to arrive, the situation has to be reassessed — especially when some prospects come with game film and others do not.

The comments mark the first time a Syracuse official has spoken publicly and directly about the mechanics behind the idea that briefly captured national attention.

In early December, Toosii announced that he was “coming home,” crediting a conversation with Brown and framing the move as something he had carried with him long before the music took off. It resonated because it wasn’t aspirational branding — it was personal. A Syracuse kid, now a platinum-level artist, saying the city still had a hold on him.

COMMITTED 🙏🏽 For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality. God’s will is the way and no one can stop it not even the devil. I wanna thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for even giving me the strength to chase what I believed when so many people told me I couldn’t. Thank… pic.twitter.com/WUNyvFV4KV

— Toosii (@toosii2x) December 1, 2025

At the time, reporting made clear that details were unresolved, including whether the role would be scholarship-based or symbolic. Brown’s remarks now draw a firmer outline around the idea: possible, but not promised.

That distinction matters.

Toosii is 25, and while his football background is part of his origin story, his public identity has been built elsewhere — through records that turn vulnerability into leverage and melody into momentum. His success hasn’t come from spectacle. It’s come from consistency. From songs that feel lived-in, not manufactured.

Which is why the football angle hit differently. It wasn’t nostalgia. It was identity colliding with infrastructure.

College football, especially at the Power 4 level, is not designed for open-ended narratives. Roster limits are strict. Evaluation is unforgiving. The transfer portal doesn’t leave much room for sentiment. Brown didn’t dismiss Toosii’s interest — but he didn’t romanticize it either.

That honesty reframes the moment.

What looked like a feel-good headline now reads more like a crossroads. One where desire meets process. Where a personal dream has to survive the same filters as everyone else’s.

And that’s not a knock — it’s the point.

In hip-hop, we often celebrate reinvention without acknowledging resistance. We praise the pivot but ignore the friction. Toosii’s situation puts that tension on display. Wanting something doesn’t make it simple. Saying it out loud doesn’t make it real yet.

Whether Toosii ultimately puts on a Syracuse jersey or decides the timing isn’t right, the story already carries weight. It’s about an artist refusing to flatten himself into one lane. About a coach willing to open a door, but not bend the building around it.

In a culture obsessed with certainty, this moment lives in the gray.

And sometimes, that’s where the truth is.

Ice T Expands His Legacy Beyond Music and TV With Og Network

Ice T performs in 2018. The rapper and actor is a co-founder of OG Network, a new free streaming platform focused on creator-owned urban storytelling. (Stefan Bollmann, via Wikimedia Commons).

Ice T and media executive Courtney “Big Court” Richardson II are entering the streaming space with a familiar argument, one hip-hop has been making for decades: ownership still matters.

This week, Richardson and Ice T officially launched OG Network, a free ad-supported streaming platform focused on urban culture, independent filmmakers and creator-owned programming.

According to the company, the platform has already surpassed 2.3 million viewing minutes during its early rollout — a figure reported by OG Network that suggests early audience engagement, though it has not been independently verified.

OG Network is available in 186 countries across Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, iOS and Google Play, placing it within the rapidly expanding FAST and AVOD streaming ecosystem. That space has grown crowded in recent years, dominated by large-scale platforms such as Pluto TV, Tubi and Freevee, while smaller, culture-specific services compete for attention and sustainability.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OG Network (@ognetworklive)

Rather than positioning itself as a mass-market disruptor, OG Network is framing its mission around creator control and curated programming. Richardson said the platform was built to give independent creators ownership over their work and greater control over distribution — a message that aligns with long-standing concerns in hip-hop about exploitation and gatekeeping.

Ice T’s involvement adds historical weight to that framing. Few artists have navigated the shift from outsider to industry institution as visibly or deliberately. From his early work in protest rap to his long-running television career, Ice T has consistently engaged questions of power, representation and access, making his role as co-founder more than symbolic.

The platform’s early programming slate reflects that intent. OG Network’s launch includes “Somebody Had To Say It,” a weekly discussion series hosted by Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony alongside Richardson, centered on hip-hop debate and cultural commentary. Ice T serves as executive producer and narrator of “Put The Guns Down — A World Epidemic,” a documentary examining gun violence through a global lens rooted in cultural context. The service is also debuting independent films, including “My Cherie Amour,” a thriller starring Omar Gooding that OG Network says has driven strong engagement since its release.

Richardson’s “Holdin’ Court Podcast,” previously distributed elsewhere, now streams exclusively on the platform, reinforcing OG Network’s emphasis on long-form conversation over short-form virality. The service also hosts a growing library of films, documentaries and creator-led projects, with additional releases planned throughout the year.

OG Network enters a streaming landscape littered with ambitious launches that struggled to scale. FAST platforms, by design, prioritize ad-supported volume over subscription loyalty, and long-term success depends less on buzz than on sustained viewing and advertiser confidence. Whether OG Network’s creator-first positioning can translate into durability remains an open question.

A$AP Rocky Takes 'Don’t Be Dumb' on the Road With First Major Tour in Years

A$AP Rocky performs during a live concert appearance in support of his new album, “Don’t Be Dumb.” The rapper announced a 42-date world tour for 2026, marking his first major headlining run in several years.

A$AP Rocky is taking his new album on the road.

The Harlem rapper announced the “Don’t Be Dumb World Tour” today, confirming a 42-date run across North America, Europe and the U.K. that will mark his first major headlining tour in years. The tour formally launches the live phase of “Don’t Be Dumb,” Rocky’s first full-length album in nearly eight years, and places the project squarely in front of audiences rather than allowing it to live solely online.

Promoted by Live Nation, the tour opens May 27 at the United Center in Chicago and moves through major North American arenas, including Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena and Houston’s Toyota Center, before wrapping its U.S. leg July 11 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The European and U.K. run begins Aug. 25 in Brussels and continues through cities including London, Milan, Stockholm and Berlin, closing Sept. 30 at Accor Arena in Paris.

The global on-sale begins Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. local time via asaprocky.com, with multiple presale windows preceding it. North American artist presales begin Jan. 23, while EU and U.K. artist presales open Jan. 21. A Cash App Visa Card presale will offer early access to U.S. dates, along with limited merchandise and vinyl incentives tied to the tour.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A$AP ROCKY (@asaprocky)

The announcement arrives just days after the release of “Don’t Be Dumb,” which landed last Friday following one of the longest gaps between studio albums in Rocky’s career. Billboard, reviewing the project, wrote that the album “not only rewards patience but adds new wrinkles to the rapper’s approach — an evolved relationship with melody and a wiser lyrical slant,” framing it as a work shaped by time rather than trend-chasing.

That patience had already translated into measurable anticipation. Ahead of release, “Don’t Be Dumb” surpassed 1 million pre-saves on Spotify, a figure widely cited by the platform and Rocky’s camp as unprecedented for a hip-hop album. The buildup was fueled by a year in which Rocky remained highly visible outside of music, starring in two A24-produced films, co-chairing the 2025 Met Gala and taking on creative leadership roles with Ray-Ban and Chanel.

What distinguishes this moment, however, is the speed with which Rocky has moved from release to performance. Rather than spacing out appearances or limiting the album to festival slots, the tour positions “Don’t Be Dumb” within a traditional album cycle — one centered on rooms, crowds and repetition.

Rocky’s last studio album, “Testing,” arrived in 2018 and was followed by sporadic performances rather than a sustained tour. In the years since, his public profile has expanded well beyond music. This run places the emphasis back on the work itself, asking how the new material holds up night after night.

For an artist whose early reputation was forged as much onstage as on record, the tour represents more than a victory lap. It is the clearest signal yet that “Don’t Be Dumb” is not a standalone event, but the opening chapter of an album era designed to be lived — and judged — in real time.

Rare Demo Cassette From Tupac’s Baltimore Years Offered in Landmark Auction Tupac Shakur’s Pre-Fame “Born Busy” Tape Hits Auction Block

Tupac Shakur appears in a 1988 yearbook photo from the Baltimore School for the Arts, taken the same year as newly surfaced recordings that capture the future rapper performing with his early group Born Busy, years before his commercial breakthrough.

A rare piece of hip-hop history has surfaced — not as a remaster or reissue, but as an original artifact from the very beginning of Tupac Shakur’s creative life.

A cassette tape containing what is believed to be some of the earliest surviving recordings of Tupac is being offered at auction, documenting the rapper years before his commercial debut and long before his name became synonymous with modern hip-hop mythology. The recordings date to 1988, when Tupac was approximately 16 years old and performing under the name MC New York as part of his pre-fame rap group, Born Busy.

The tape was recorded at the Baltimore home of Gerard “Ge-ology” Young’s parents. Young, who would later become a producer and DJ, was a close friend and creative collaborator of Tupac during that period. The cassette captures Tupac alongside fellow Born Busy members Gerard Young (DJ Plain Terror), Darrin K. Bastfield (Ace Rocker) and Dana “Mouse” Smith (Slick D), rapping acapella in informal sessions that doubled as a learning tool.

Rather than recording finished songs, Young would tape acapella performances so he could study the verses and later construct beats around them — a reversed production process that predates Tupac’s later studio work and offers a rare look at his earliest creative instincts. The sessions include freestyles, song ideas, samples, laughter and conversation, preserving an unguarded snapshot of a young artist still forming his voice.

The cassette’s track list includes early recordings such as “Check It Out!,” “That’s My Man Throwin’ Down,” “I Saw Your Girl,” “We Work Hard,” “Born Busy LIVE Freestyle,” “Babies Having Babies” and “Terror’s On The Tables (Dedication to DJ Plain Terror).” None of the material was ever commercially released.

What elevates the tape beyond a compelling curiosity is its provenance. The cassette has remained in Young’s possession since it was recorded, preserved and archived privately for decades. The uninterrupted chain of custody places it among the rarest surviving audio documents from Tupac’s formative years, offering a direct line to his earliest recorded performances.

The auction also includes additional artifacts from the same period, including handwritten lyrics, archival photographs from Baltimore cyphers and gatherings, and personal ephemera connected to Tupac’s youth before his rise to global fame.

John Forté, Grammy-Nominated Producer Tied to Fugees’ ‘The Score,’ Dead at 50

John Forté attends the Vanity Fair party for the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival in New York on April 17, 2012. Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp, was found dead Monday at his home in Chilmark, Mass., at 50. (David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

John Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician and producer whose quiet but crucial contributions helped shape the Refugee Camp era that carried the Fugees into hip-hop history, has died. He was 50.


Forté was found unresponsive Monday afternoon at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts. Chilmark police responded around 2:25 p.m. and pronounced him dead at the scene, according to the Vineyard Gazette. Police said there were no signs of foul play and no readily apparent cause of death. The case has been turned over to Massachusetts State Police and the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, with the state medical examiner investigating.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean)

While Forté was never a household name, his work traveled far. Closely aligned with the Refugee Camp collective alongside Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel, Forté was a key contributor to the Fugees’ 1996 breakthrough album “The Score,” a project that helped redefine the sound and global reach of modern hip-hop. The album won best rap album at the Grammys and remains one of the genre’s most influential releases.

Born Jan. 30, 1975, in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, Forté was classically trained in music and studied violin from a young age. He later attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where his musical foundation deepened before his path ultimately led him into hip-hop’s creative underground and the orbit of the Fugees.

Canibus, DMX, John Forte, Big Pun & Mos Def, 1997. pic.twitter.com/hkJ1NaVLPy

— Tobi Marshall (@CoededMarshall) December 26, 2025

Forté’s life also included a long and public reckoning with the criminal justice system. In 2000, he was arrested on drug trafficking charges and sentenced under federal mandatory minimum guidelines to 14 years in prison. After serving more than seven years — and following advocacy from musicians, artists and public figures — his sentence was commuted by President George W. Bush in 2008.

Just heard the heartbreaking news that John Fortè has passed away. Sending our condolences to the family and loved ones of the Fugees/Refugees All-Stars legend 💔🕊️ pic.twitter.com/a2sdtu4gYt

— Rock The Bells (@RockTheBells) January 13, 2026

Among Forté’s most vocal supporters was Carly Simon, who became a close friend during his later years. In a 2010 interview, Forté described Simon as “my champion, my crusader, my mentor, my friend, my spiritual guru,” crediting her with helping him rebuild his life and creative footing after prison.

In the years that followed, Forté continued working across music, film and television, including composing music connected to the recent revival of the civil rights documentary series “Eyes on the Prize,” which aired on HBO.

Tributes from the hip-hop community began surfacing soon after news of his death broke. “This one hurts,” Wyclef Jean wrote on social media, sharing archival performance footage honoring his longtime collaborator.

Forté spent his later years on Martha’s Vineyard with his wife, photographer Lara Fuller, and their two children, Haile and Wren.

Mary J. Blige Sets 10-Date Las Vegas Residency Following Milestone Birthday

Mary J. Blige appears in promotional imagery released alongside the announcement of her first Las Vegas residency, “Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story,” a 10-date engagement at Dolby Live at Park MGM scheduled for May and July 2026. The residency is framed as a narrative-driven production centered on her catalog and career arc.

One day after celebrating her 55th birthday, Mary J. Blige shared a gift with music fans.

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul announced her first Las Vegas residency, "Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story," on Monday. The 10-date run at Dolby Live at Park MGM is scheduled across May and July 2026.

For Blige, the title signals intention as much as location.

Vegas are you ready? I am so excited to announce my first ever Las Vegas Residency May 1 – 9 & July 10 – 18 at Dolby Live at Park MGM! Get your tickets (Friday at 10 AM PT/NOW) ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Wx78xvVnq9

— Mary J. Blige (@maryjblige) January 12, 2026

“Creating a show like this has been something I’ve always wanted to do,” Blige said in a statement announcing the residency. “It’s a chance to get my fans together from all over — different cities, states and countries — to experience something together. My Life, My Story will be just that.”

The residency is set for May 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9, followed by July 10, 11, 15, 17 and 18. All performances will take place at Dolby Live, the 5,200-seat venue inside Park MGM, with shows scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

 

Blige has indicated the production will lean into theatrical storytelling, with actors and narrative elements woven throughout the performance, an approach that mirrors the emotional architecture of her catalog, which has long blurred the line between confession and craft. Speaking during media appearances tied to the announcement, she described the show as rooted in music and fun, but guided by story rather than spectacle.

The announcement follows a period of sustained momentum. In 2024, Blige completed the For My Fans Tour, headlined Madison Square Garden and released the concert film “Mary J. Blige: For My Fans.” She has also continued expanding her work as an actress and producer, with the Lifetime original movie “Be Happy” scheduled to premiere next month.

Blige’s influence extends far beyond chart performance. She built a bridge between classic soul vulnerability and hip-hop realism in the early 1990s, reshaping the emotional vocabulary of R&B. Her music did more than soundtrack an era; it articulated endurance, accountability and survival in a way that resonated across generations.

Las Vegas residencies are often framed as reinvention or consolidation. In Blige’s case, this one reads differently — less reinvention than affirmation. A career once driven by urgency now arrives at authorship, with full control over pacing, presentation and perspective.

Tickets for “Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story” go on sale Friday, Jan. 16, following a series of pre-sale windows beginning Tuesday.

For an artist whose work has always insisted that truth matters — even when it’s uncomfortable — the Strip is not an ending. It’s a chapter break.

Golden Globes open with Teyana Taylor win for 'One Battle After Another'

Teyana Taylor appears in a scene from “One Battle After Another,” the Paul Thomas Anderson film that earned her the Golden Globe for best supporting actress during the opening moments of the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.

Teyana Taylor became the emotional center of the Golden Globes early Sunday night, winning best supporting actress in a motion picture for her performance in “One Battle After Another.”

Taylor’s win was the first award announced during the live telecast of the Golden Globe Awards, and it immediately shifted the tone inside the Beverly Hilton from pageantry to presence.

Teyana Taylor just gave the best speech of the entire award season at the Golden Globes

"To my brown sisters and little brown girls nominated tonight, our softness is not a liability. Our depth is not too much. Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room… pic.twitter.com/LeWdDFA3Yr

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) January 12, 2026

“To my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight, our softness is not a liability,” Taylor said as she accepted the award, visibly emotional. “Our depth is not too much. Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve space.”

In “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a role defined less by dialogue than by control. The performance resists flourish, relying instead on timing, restraint and physical presence — tools Taylor has honed across disciplines long before this moment.

She won the Globe over Emily Blunt for “The Smashing Machine,” Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for “Sentimental Value,” Ariana Grande for “Wicked: For Good,” and Amy Madigan for “Weapons.” The category was crowded. The decision was decisive.

For much of her career, Taylor has existed in the space between visibility and validation — widely respected, rarely centered. She emerged publicly as a dancer and singer, but steadily expanded her range behind the scenes, directing visuals, shaping performances and, more recently, choosing acting roles with increasing care.

Sunday night did not introduce a new version of Teyana Taylor. It acknowledged one that has been forming in plain sight.

Fetty Wap Released From Federal Custody, Transferred to Home Confinement

Fetty Wap has been released from federal custody and transferred to home confinement, bringing a quiet close to one of the most dramatic legal arcs faced by a mainstream hip-hop star of the 2010s.

The rapper, born Willie Junior Maxwell II, was released today and placed on home confinement under federal supervision, according to Bureau of Prisons confirmation and reporting by TMZ. He will serve the remainder of his sentence under strict conditions in Philadelphia, including ongoing oversight by U.S. Probation.

Fetty wap is home from prison.
I’ve confirmed he’s been released —

Here’s a statement I received from fetty wap on his release:

“I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for the love, prayers, and continued support—it truly means everything to me. Right now, my focus is… pic.twitter.com/JE0QiYiaXL

— BROWN GIRL GRINDING⭐️ (@LorenLorosa) January 8, 2026

Fetty Wap was sentenced on May 24, 2023, to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances in a multi-state drug trafficking case tied to Long Island and New Jersey. The sentence also included five years of supervised release following incarceration.

At the time of sentencing, federal records projected a release date of March 2027. That timeline was later revised, with reports in late 2025 indicating his expected release had been moved up to December 2026. His release this week came even earlier, after he served approximately four years of his sentence.
 
According to TMZ, Fetty Wap’s transfer to home confinement carries strict conditions, including regular drug testing, financial disclosure requirements, restrictions on travel and employment, and continued monitoring by federal authorities. The Bureau of Prisons has not publicly detailed which specific credits or provisions led to the earlier-than-expected transfer.

Following his release, a statement attributed to Fetty Wap was shared by Brown Girl Grinding, the media platform that first circulated his remarks.

“I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for the love, prayers, and continued support—it truly means everything to me,” the statement read. “Right now, my focus is on giving back through my community initiatives and foundation, supporting at-risk young children by expanding access to education, early tech skills, and vision care for young kids and students so they can show up as their best selves. I’m committed to moving forward with purpose and making a meaningful impact where it matters most.”

The release marks a stark contrast to Fetty Wap’s rapid ascent a decade earlier. In 2015, he emerged as one of hip-hop’s most dominant breakout artists, propelled by the No. 1 single “Trap Queen” and follow-up hits including “679” and “My Way.” His melodic delivery and raw regional sound helped define a specific moment in radio-driven rap, where street records could still cross cleanly into pop dominance.

That momentum proved difficult to sustain. Personal loss, inconsistent releases and mounting legal issues gradually eclipsed his early success, culminating in his arrest in October 2021 and eventual conviction.

The Carters’ Property Empire Reflects Hip-Hop’s Next Phase of Power

Beyoncé and Jay-Z pose for a Tiffany & Co. campaign, part of the luxury brand’s recent collaborations with the couple, whose combined cultural influence now extends well beyond music into fashion, business and high-end real estate. (Photograph by Mason Poole. Courtesy of Tiffany & Co)

In hip-hop, real estate has always been shorthand.

From the brownstones name-checked in early rap records to the gated compounds that once symbolized escape, property has long represented arrival. But in 2025, the meaning has shifted. Ownership is no longer about flexing square footage — it’s about leverage, insulation and permanence.

That context matters as Beyoncé and Jay-Z quietly emerged at the center of December’s most consequential celebrity real estate moves.

According to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, the Carters now control seven residential properties valued at approximately $500 million, a portfolio that surpasses those of Oprah Winfrey and Taylor Swift. The number alone is striking. The timing is more telling. Beyoncé’s inclusion comes weeks after Forbes officially recognized her as a billionaire, estimating her net worth at $1 billion, driven primarily by touring revenue, music ownership and Parkwood Entertainment’s vertically integrated structure.

This isn’t lifestyle creep. It’s infrastructure.

Jay-Z, whose net worth Forbes estimates at $2.5 billion, has long treated real estate as one component of a diversified investment strategy. His wealth is anchored by the valuation of his music catalog (roughly $75 million), stakes in spirits brands such as Armand de Brignac, proceeds from the sale of Tidal, and early investments including Uber. 

For Beyoncé, the math looks different.

Sidebar: Culture + capital

Beyoncé + Jay-Z: the ownership era in numbers

A December celebrity real estate roundup ranks the Carters at the top — a reminder that the loudest flex in hip-hop isn’t the purchase. It’s the portfolio.

Reported holdings: 7 properties

Estimated value: ~$500 million

Source roundup: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

Context that hits different

• Oprah: sold a Montecito property for $17.3M
• Taylor Swift: commonly cited as a real estate heavyweight, but ranked below the Carters in this roundup
• Kanye West: Malibu property sold for $21M after a $57M purchase — a reminder that “value” needs stewardship

Why it matters: In an industry that once denied Black artists ownership, real estate becomes something deeper than luxury — it’s permanence.

Read the full Top 10 list

Note: Values in the roundup are reported estimates; included here for cultural context and comparison.

Since founding Parkwood Entertainment in 2010, Beyoncé has brought nearly every aspect of her career in-house, absorbing production costs in exchange for ownership and backend control. That structure paid off at historic scale. The Renaissance World Tour grossed approximately $579 million in 2023, according to Pollstar, while the Cowboy Carter Tour generated more than $400 million in ticket sales in 2025, with Forbes estimating an additional $50 million in on-site merchandise revenue. Because Parkwood produced the tours internally, Beyoncé captured profit margins rarely available to artists operating under traditional promoter models.

Forbes estimates Beyoncé earned $148 million in 2025 alone, before taxes, placing her among the three highest-paid musicians in the world for the year. Her catalog — which includes albums such as "Dangerously in Love," "B’Day," "Lemonade," and "Cowboy Carter" — remains fully controlled, a rarity for an artist whose career began in the late 1990s.

Together, those numbers explain the real estate strategy.

The Carters’ properties are concentrated in high-barrier markets — Los Angeles, New York and coastal California — where long-term appreciation historically outpaces inflation. Public records show purchases and expansions over the past decade rather than rapid accumulation, suggesting deliberate pacing rather than spectacle. Their holdings function less as status symbols than as capital preservation tools within a broader wealth architecture.

Elsewhere, December’s celebrity real estate headlines offered a contrast.

Oprah Winfrey sold a 3,500-square-foot Montecito home for $17.3 million, part of a portfolio she began assembling in 2001 with a $50 million estate purchase. Kanye West’s former Malibu home, designed by Tadao Ando, resold for $21 million after being purchased for $57 million, underscoring how wealth without stewardship depreciates quickly. Russell Wilson and Ciara listed a 30,000-square-foot Rancho Santa Fe estate for $54.9 million, positioning the property as both residence and performance infrastructure.

But Beyoncé and Jay-Z represent a different endpoint.

Their combined net worth now exceeds $3.5 billion, achieved without licensing their identities into mass-market dilution or surrendering ownership for liquidity. Beyoncé’s rise to billionaire status — without cosmetics hype driving the valuation and without selling her catalog — marks a structural shift in how Black artists can convert cultural capital into permanent wealth.

Hip-hop has always documented the journey from the outside in. What this moment captures is the inside view: wealth that doesn’t announce itself because it no longer has to.

Bruno Mars Signals Next Chapter With New Album and 2026 Stadium Tour

Bruno Mars is pictured in promotional artwork for “The Romantic Tour,” which coincides with the completion of his first solo album since 2016’s “24K Magic.” The tour marks a major return to stadium stages for the Grammy-winning artist.

Bruno Mars has never been prolific by modern standards, but his absences have often mattered as much as his releases. That pattern continued this week when Mars confirmed that his long-awaited fourth solo album, “The Romantic,” is complete and that a large-scale stadium tour is planned for 2026 — his first full album-and-tour cycle since “24K Magic” reshaped pop, R&B and live performance nearly a decade ago.

The announcement arrives after years in which Mars remained visible but deliberately peripheral to the solo-album churn that now defines mainstream pop. Since “24K Magic” produced era-defining singles such as “24K Magic,” “That’s What I Like” and “Versace on the Floor,” Mars has resisted traditional follow-ups, opting instead for tightly controlled collaborations, residencies and selective appearances that preserved his profile without exhausting it.

That strategy reached its peak with Silk Sonic, his collaborative project with Anderson .Paak. Songs like “Leave the Door Open” and “Smokin Out the Window” leaned heavily into classic soul and funk aesthetics, drawing from a lineage that predates streaming metrics and algorithmic trends. The project earned critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Awards, but it also functioned as a detour — a side chapter rather than a replacement for a Bruno Mars solo statement.

“The Romantic” is positioned as that statement.

Mars first hinted at the album’s completion with a brief social media post confirming it was finished, offering no additional context. In an era dominated by extended rollouts and constant content, Mars’ approach suggested confidence in the music’s ability to speak without prolonged preamble.

The accompanying “Romantic Tour” places him back in stadiums across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom, environments that have historically separated hitmakers from true performers. Mars’ reputation was built not only on chart success but on command of the stage — live bands, disciplined choreography and an understanding of Black American performance traditions that stretch from funk and soul revues to early-2000s R&B tour culture.

Tour dates for Bruno Mars’ upcoming “The Romantic Tour,” his first full global stadium run in nearly a decade, which will take the singer across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom in 2026.

Anderson .Paak’s presence on all dates, performing as DJ Pee .Wee, reinforces that grounding. Their creative relationship has been defined less by novelty than by shared musical fluency, rooted in rhythm, musicianship and showmanship. Select dates will also feature Victoria Monét, RAYE and Leon Thomas, artists whose work emphasizes craft and vocal presence over spectacle alone.

What remains unresolved is how “The Romantic” will position Mars within a pop landscape that has shifted dramatically since his last solo release. In his absence, the center of the charts has moved younger, faster and more fragmented. The question is not whether Mars can still produce hits, but whether he intends to engage the current moment directly or continue operating just outside it, as he has in recent years.

That tension gives the announcement weight. Mars has rarely chased relevance, but he has consistently understood timing. His most durable work has arrived when the culture was receptive, not when demand was loudest.

For more information on the tour, or to purchase tickets click here.