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.

Grammy Winner D’Angelo Dies at 51 After Private Battle With Cancer

D’Angelo, shown here in a promotional image for his 2000 album “Voodoo,” was one of the defining voices of modern soul. The Grammy-winning singer and multi-instrumentalist died at 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer, his family confirmed on Tuesday. (Photo: RCA Records)

The music world is in mourning: D’Angelo, the elusive and influential neo-soul pioneer whose voice defined a generation of R&B, has died at 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer his family and multiple media outlets confirmed on Tuesday. Reports indicate he passed away over the weekend.

Born Michael Eugene Archer in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo was among the architects of the modern soul revival that fused gospel roots, hip-hop sensibility, and jazz freedom. 

His debut album, “Brown Sugar,” in 1995 announced a new kind of groove — live instrumentation wrapped around lyrics that were sensual, spiritual and raw. 

The follow-up, “Voodoo,” in 2000 elevated him to icon status and earned two Grammys. Fourteen years later, his surprise return with “Black Messiah” turned reflection into revolution.

In recent years, D’Angelo had stepped out of the spotlight again. In May, he canceled a headlining slot at the Roots Picnic, citing complications from surgery. “I’m not 100 percent yet, but I’m working my way there,” a representative said at the time.

Tributes began flooding social media from peers and admirers who saw him as both innovator and spiritual force.

“Such a sad loss to the passing of D’Angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep peacefully D’ — Love you KING,” wrote DJ Premier on X, formerly Twitter.

“My sources tell me that D’Angelo has passed. Wow. I have no words. May he rest in perfect peace,” journalist Marc Lamont Hill posted.

Producer Alchemist added simply: “Man. Rest in peace D’Angelo.”

Fans filled his Instagram comments with heartbreak emojis and lyrics from “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” the 2000 single whose slow burn redefined intimacy on record and screen. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame called him “a singular voice who bridged past and future — the sound of vulnerability made holy.”

Through just three studio albums, D’Angelo reshaped the sound of R&B. With Questlove, Erykah Badu, Common and J Dilla, he helped create the Soulquarians collective that blurred lines between genres and generations.

D’Angelo is survived by his two children, Michael Jr. and Imani Archer. He was previously in a longtime relationship with singer Angie Stone, who collaborated with him early in his career and shared his deep gospel and soul roots. 

Their creative and romantic partnership helped shape the direction of his first album, “Brown Sugar.” Stone died in March at 63, a loss that friends said deeply affected him.

‘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.”

Diddy Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison in Federal Mann Act Case

Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison on federal Mann Act charges.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison Friday — four years and two month — after a jury in July convicted the hip-hop mogul of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution stemming from conduct involving Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane.”

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said he was sentencing Combs for the offenses of conviction — not for counts on which the jury acquitted him — and noted both the scope of harm and Combs’ broader history. “The court has to consider all of your history here,” Subramanian told Combs, while also acknowledging the 54-year-old’s “celebrated and iconic” career and the trauma of his father’s violent death when Combs was a child.

Combs, who faced a statutory maximum of 20 years — 10 per count — had been acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, charges that could have brought a life term. Prosecutors had sought more than 11 years (no less than 135 months) and the maximum $500,000 fine, arguing Combs showed little remorse and that the punishment should reflect the “psychological, emotional and physical” damage to victims. The defense urged no more than 14 months, essentially time served since his September 2024 arrest, saying his “legacy has been destroyed” and that he had already been punished in public view.

Before the sentence, Combs addressed the court at length. He apologized to his family, his community and specifically to Ventura, calling his actions “disgusting, shameful and sick,” and said he was “out of control” while using drugs. “I take full accountability and responsibility,” he said, adding, “If you give me another chance, I won’t let you down.”

Diddy’s 50-Month Sentence at a Glance

• The crimes: Two counts under the federal Mann Act (transporting women for prostitution).
• The term: 50 months in prison — four years and two months.
• Acquittals: Not guilty on racketeering and sex trafficking by coercion.
• Prosecutors wanted: At least 135 months (11+ years) and a $500,000 fine.
• Defense asked for: 14 months (time served).
• Judge: Balanced sentence, citing Combs’ iconic career and traumatic past but stressing accountability.
• Why it matters: A moment of reckoning for one of hip-hop’s most influential figures.

The hearing featured dueling portraits. Prosecutor Christy Slavik called Combs “a master puppeteer of his own image,” describing abuse that was “consistent, casual even, but life-changing for the people on the bruised end of it.” Defense attorney Brian Steel countered that Combs has been sober and “transformed,” pointing to his in-custody class “Free Game with Diddy,” his past philanthropy, and plans to teach rehabilitation programs if released.

Combs wept as several of his children asked the court for leniency. “We’re still just daughters who need our father,” one said through tears. Subramanian, who earlier indicated he saw no reason to depart from advisory guidelines of roughly six to seven years, ultimately split the difference between the parties’ positions and the range — imposing 50 months.

The case turned on the federal Mann Act, which criminalizes transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution. Jurors found that Combs transported women for commercial sex acts; they acquitted him of the sweeping racketeering conspiracy and coercive sex-trafficking charges. At trial, jurors viewed 2016 hotel surveillance video of Combs assaulting Ventura — footage that catalyzed public outrage when it surfaced last year — and heard testimony about what Ventura called “Freak Offs” and what Jane called “hotel nights.”

Subramanian told Combs he had weighed both the downfall and the record. “You are being sentenced for these offenses,” the judge said, urging Combs to continue treatment and accountability. The courtroom, packed with reporters and supporters, fell silent as the term was read: 50 months.

For Combs — who once seemed to personify hip-hop’s expansive promise — the number marks a coda to a summer of hard contradictions: a partial acquittal, a pair of felony convictions, and a public reckoning in which a cultural architect asked for mercy while victims asked to be believed. The next chapter will unfold behind bars.

'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.

Jury Clears Metro Boomin of Civil Sexual Battery Claims in Los Angeles

Metro Boomin, born Leland T. Wayne, is pictured in a promotional portrait. A Los Angeles jury on Sept. 25, 2025, found the producer not liable in a civil sexual assault case stemming from allegations dating to 2016. 

Metro Boomin, the Atlanta superproducer whose fingerprints are on some of the biggest records of the last decade, walked out of a Los Angeles federal courthouse today after a jury found him not liable in a civil lawsuit that accused him of rape.

The verdict, delivered after two weeks of testimony, rejected claims by plaintiff Vanessa LeMaistre that he assaulted her in 2016, a case that put one of hip-hop’s most in-demand producers under a legal spotlight he never expected to face.

“I’m blessed. I’m relieved,” the 32-year-old producer, born Leland T. Wayne, told reporters outside the courthouse. “I never thought I would ever have to do anything like that. I’m just relieved. It’s a burden lifted off my back.” His remarks came minutes after jurors cleared him of four civil counts, ending a case that began when LeMaistre filed suit in October 2024.

“I’m blessed. I’m relieved,” Metro Boomin tells Rolling Stone after jury finds him not liable at civil sexual assault trial

“It’s a burden lifted off my back" pic.twitter.com/XJXZwyA3MF

— Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) September 25, 2025

In her complaint, LeMaistre alleged she blacked out after consuming Xanax and alcohol provided by Wayne during a recording session, and later awoke in a Southern California hotel room as he raped her. She testified that she drifted in and out of consciousness during the incident. Wayne, who took the stand in his own defense, flatly denied the account. Asked whether he ever assaulted her, he told jurors, “Absolutely not,” adding there was “no way in the world” he did what she claimed. He said their past encounters had been consensual and that he had not seen LeMaistre “in, like, a decade” until she filed the lawsuit.

The trial unfolded with the kind of twists rarely seen in federal court. Jurors were shown handwritten notes LeMaistre created during a 2024 ayahuasca ceremony in Peru, pages she titled Plan Ayahuasca Gave Me. In them, she wrote about her intention to “blow the whistle on Metro Boomin” and listed a damages figure between $3.4 million and $3.7 million. Defense attorney Justin H. Sanders called the case “preposterous” and told jurors, “This whole lawsuit was born out of a drug den in Peru. In the jungle.” Judge R. Gary Klausner struck part of LeMaistre’s testimony about the hallucinogenic brew, ruling that any evidence about its effects required expert testimony. “You are going to have to call an expert in that area, counsel,” the judge told her lawyer during the trial.

How many tracks does Metro Boomin have on Young Thug's new album?

"I've been so focused on this, man, I'm not even sure," Metro says after a federal jury in Los Angeles cleared him of four claims alleging he sexually assaulted a woman in 2016. pic.twitter.com/qNJovwleKk

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) September 25, 2025

Questions of credibility were constant. LeMaistre faced cross-examination over her efforts to amend Planned Parenthood medical records from 2016, which initially reflected that she had not reported an assault. She testified she was not trying to falsify the record but wanted it to “reflect what I know is true.” The defense cast it as an attempt to strengthen her claim, while the judge allowed the jury to weigh it for themselves.

In the end, the panel of five men and three women sided with Wayne. One juror explained the decision bluntly afterward: “The evidence wasn’t there. A lot of it was just testimony or talking about it. There was no substantial ‘This is what happened.’ There were no dates recollected correctly.” For Wayne, the verdict offered relief and the chance to return to his career without the shadow of liability, though he acknowledged outside court the weight of having lived under the allegations. 

For LeMaistre, the fight may continue. Her attorney, Michael J. Willemin, said after the decision, “Though the legal system is often stacked against survivors, our client showed unwavering fortitude. We believe that the verdict will ultimately be overturned on appeal.”

Court Tosses Rico Case Tied to Diddy’s Mother

Sean “Diddy” Combs and his mother, Janice Combs, in a portrait he shared on Instagram on Dec. 21, 2020, to mark her 80th birthday. A federal judge dismissed racketeering claims against Janice Combs on Sept. 19, 2025, ruling the allegations were filed decades too late. (Photo via Diddy/Instagram)

A federal judge in Los Angeles has dismissed racketeering claims against Janice Smalls Combs, the mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs, ending a high-stakes publishing royalties dispute more than two decades after it allegedly began.

In a final judgment entered on September 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson ruled that plaintiff Deon “D1” Best’s civil RICO claims were barred by the statute of limitations. The dismissal was entered with prejudice, permanently closing the door on those claims. Best’s state-law claims — including fraud, conversion, unjust enrichment and conspiracy — were dismissed without prejudice, allowing them to be refiled in California state court. The judgment also ordered that Best “shall take nothing” and that Combs and her publishing companies may recover their costs.

Best, a songwriter and producer who does business as Finish Line Entertainment and Dee Mac Music, alleged in his First Amended Complaint that he was the “rightful owner of certain music publishing rights and royalties” — including the single “Come With Me” from the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack. He accused Combs and her son of engaging in “coercive and fraudulent tactics to seize control of Plaintiff’s publishing rights,” including threats, misrepresentations and forged contracts that redirected royalties through Janice Combs Publishing beginning in 2001.

The court, however, found the allegations untimely. In a January 30 order, Judge Anderson wrote: “It is unclear from the allegations why Plaintiff would not have had enough information prior to [October 2023] to warrant an investigation which, if reasonably diligent, would have led to the discovery of fraud.” He also noted that the complaint did not allege any “new overt act within the limitations period” that would satisfy the Ninth Circuit’s separate accrual rule for RICO claims.

With the September judgment, the federal case is over. Best may still attempt to pursue his state-law claims in state court, but the racketeering allegations against Combs are permanently closed.

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.”

Cardi B Says She’s Expecting a Baby With NFL Star Stefon Diggs

Cardi B during a “CBS Mornings” interview. The rapper confirmed she is expecting her fourth child — her first with boyfriend and NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs — and said the baby is due before her February arena tour. (Image via CBS/Youtube)

Cardi B turned album week into family news — on her terms.

In an exclusive “CBS Mornings” interview, the 32-year-old rapper confirmed she’s pregnant with her fourth child, her first with boyfriend and NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and said the baby is due before her arena tour begins in February.

“I’m having a baby,” she said, adding, “I’m excited. I’m happy… I feel very strong, very powerful that I’m doing all this work while I’m creating a baby.”

 

She explained why she waited to share the news amid weeks of speculation: “Can I just say it on my own time?… on my time, on my own terms. Let me close some deals first… Let me see a couple more sonograms. Let my baby be healthy.” She laughed that, as of the taping, she still hadn’t told her parents — “I’m very scared of my parents!” — and turned the reveal into a playful pitch: “Now that I talked about it… now y’all could buy my album so I could buy Pampers and diapers.”

Cardi said Diggs has been a steadying force during the pressure of a high-profile rollout. “He just makes me feel safe and very confident and very strong,” she said, recalling a recent panic attack tied to online blowback and his no-nonsense pep talk: “Girl, you better get it together.” Asked about the timing, she said the tour will stay on schedule: she’s already “at the gym” and “taking dance classes,” and rehearsals will start soon after delivery. “I don’t come from weak women.”

“Am I the Drama?” — her long-awaited sophomore album — arrives Friday. The pregnancy news makes the release week even more personal, but the message was clear: she wanted to share it herself, when she was ready, and she’s preparing to juggle motherhood and a full arena run this winter.

Police: Man Charged in July Car Break-in That Took Beyoncé Tour Files and Hard Drives

Courtesy Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Atlanta police say the digital paper trail from a July car break-in that snatched five drives of Beyoncé’s unreleased, watermarked music has led to an arrest.

Investigators identified the suspect as Kelvin Lanier Evans, who is now charged with entering an automobile with intent to commit theft in the July 8 case. Police said Evans was taken into custody in Hapeville, just south of Atlanta, and booked into Fulton County Jail; he’d previously been held on a parole violation late last month. The July theft occurred in a parking deck near Krog Street Market in the Inman Park area while Beyoncé’s team was in town for the “Cowboy Carter” shows.

According to an Atlanta Police Department report, the rental SUV used by choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue was left for about an hour. When they returned, a window was broken and two suitcases were gone. Inside, the pair said, were five thumb drives with unreleased and watermarked Beyoncé music, tour-related digital files including footage plans and set lists, two Apple laptops, AirPods Max headphones and other personal items. In a 911 call, Grant told a dispatcher he was carrying “personal, sensitive information” for Beyoncé.

Detectives said device-tracking pings from a stolen laptop and headphones helped map the path of the missing gear. Surveillance video, license-plate reader hits and fingerprints from the SUV rounded out the case, leading investigators to Evans. As of the announcement, police had not said whether the unreleased music or hard drives have been recovered. A representative for Beyoncé has not commented publicly.

Little Miss Drama Tour Marks Cardi B’s First Tour in Six Years

Photo Credit: Warner Music

Cardi B is trading headlines for turnstiles. After a summer that put her on the stand by day and back in rehearsal by night, the Grammy winner is taking “Am I the Drama?” to arenas with the "Little Miss Drama Tour" — her first headlining arena run, and her first tour in six years.

The trek launches Feb. 11, 2026, at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., and spans more than 30 North American dates, including Los Angeles, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Austin and Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena on April 8).

“HELLO!! … We putting the kids to bed early because the Little Miss Drama Tour is coming to a city near you! Sign up now thru this Sunday, September 21 at 10 p.m. PST for artist presale,” she posted on Instagram, pointing fans to the link in her bio and Stories.

Presales begin Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. local; artist presale registration closes Sunday, Sept. 21, at 10 p.m. PT. General on-sale opens Thursday, Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. local. Venue and ticketing pages are carrying market-by-market details. For more information click here.

The tour lands the same week as her long-awaited second album, “Am I the Drama?,” due Friday, Sept. 19, following 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy.” Announced guests include Janet Jackson, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Tyla, Kehlani and Summer Walker.

Cardi telegraphed the move days earlier on daytime TV. “I actually have an announcement coming soon… I’m already preparing for it. I’m at the gym, and I’m taking dance classes already,” she told “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”

It caps a stretch of high-visibility moments — a televised courtroom appearance that ended in her favor, a viral clip where she admitted she briefly nodded off in court, and an album rollout built for spectacle — now crystallizing into a straightforward ask: show up IRL. 

'Hearts Sold Separately' Goes Global as Mariah the Scientist Announces 36 Dates From Paris to Atlanta

The singer has announced a 36-date “Hearts Sold Separately” world tour, opening Jan. 12 in Paris and closing April 10 in Atlanta. 

Mariah the Scientist is taking “Hearts Sold Separately” around the world. The Atlanta singer announced a 36-date tour that opens Jan. 12 in Paris and wraps April 10 with a hometown show at the Coca-Cola Roxy, with marquee stops including Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 27 and the Hollywood Palladium on March 28. Presales begin Sept. 17 (market-specific times); general on-sale is Sept. 19.

The run follows the strongest chart debut of her career. “Hearts Sold Separately” bowed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 — new personal bests that extend the momentum of “Burning Blue” and her Kali Uchis duet “Is It a Crime.”

Mariah has framed the project as a statement about love in a cynical moment. “The climate of the world made me want to make a whole project about love,” she said in an interview, a theme that threads through the album’s sleek, 80s-tinted R&B.

The tour also arrives amid renewed attention on her partner, Young Thug. After leaked jail calls circulated online, he released a seven-minute track, “Man I Miss My Dogs,” apologizing to Mariah by name and addressing rifts with peers. The headlines haven’t slowed her rollout: the itinerary spans Europe, Canada and a full North American sweep before the Atlanta finale.

Tickets are listed via Live Nation, Ticketmaster and venue sites; Radio City’s page shows on-sale at 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 19, with presales beginning Sept. 17. Check local listings for times.

Lil Nas X To Stay in Inpatient Program as Los Angeles Felony Case Moves Forward

HOTSPOTATL, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a brief hearing in Van Nuys on Monday, a Los Angeles County judge allowed Lil Nas X to remain in an inpatient treatment program out of state while his felony case proceeds. The Grammy winner, born Montero Hill, did not appear; his attorneys told the court he has entered treatment and is complying with release conditions.

“We’re doing what is best for Montero from a personal standpoint and a professional standpoint — but most importantly, for his well-being,” defense attorney Drew Findling said outside the courthouse, reiterating that Hill is surrounded by “an amazing family” and support team.

Judge Shellie Samuels modified Hill’s release terms to permit him to stay in treatment out of state, with the understanding that the arrangement will be revisited if his status changes to outpatient. The court kept his next appearance on the calendar for Nov. 18, 2025.

Lil Nas X seeking inpatient “treatment" of an undisclosed nature after his arrest and felony charges last month

“We’re doing what is best for [him] from a personal standpoint and a professional standpoint, but most importantly, for his well-being," lawyer Drew Findling says pic.twitter.com/zufDW0Vwgx

— Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) September 15, 2025

Hill is charged with three felony counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one felony count of resisting an executive officer stemming from an Aug. 21 encounter in Studio City. Police said they were called to Ventura Boulevard around dawn after reports that a man was walking in the street wearing only underwear and boots. In a complaint cited by multiple outlets, prosecutors allege Hill used “force and violence” that injured three officers and attempted, “by means of threats and violence,” to deter a fourth officer from doing his duty.

US rapper, Lil Nas X arrested into custody, following a suspected drug overdose incident, where he was seen almost naked on the streets of Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/1wIJ4JgYaW

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) August 22, 2025

Hill pleaded not guilty on Aug. 25. That day, a judge set $75,000 bail — down from an initial amount of $300,000 after the court noted he had no prior convictions and was not considered a flight risk — and ordered him to attend four Narcotics Anonymous meetings per week while on release, according to reports. Police initially said Hill was transported to a hospital after his arrest for a possible overdose; Hill’s father, Robert Stafford, told reporters his son did not take illegal drugs and asked for “grace and mercy” as the family sought help. Defense lawyer Christy O’Connor told the court, per the Associated Press, that the episode, even “assuming the allegations here are true,” would be “an absolute aberration” in Hill’s life.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has said the charges carry a potential sentence of up to five years in state prison if there is a conviction. As in all criminal cases, the charges are allegations; Hill is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

After he was released from custody on Aug. 25, Hill posted a brief message of reassurance on Instagram Stories, describing the previous four days as “terrifying” but adding, “your girl is gonna be all right.”

Billboard News: Lil Nas X rounded up all of his new friends for one star-studded run through of "Old Town Road" at the 2020 #Grammys. #BillboardNews pic.twitter.com/4Jet9YIb8W

— billboard (@billboard) January 27, 2020

The treatment update arrives at a complex moment for one of pop’s most visible young stars. Hill broke through globally with “Old Town Road,” winning two Grammys in 2020 with Billy Ray Cyrus and later earning a CMA award for the collaboration — milestones that made him a rare Gen-Z, openly gay Black artist operating at the center of mainstream pop. Monday’s ruling keeps the criminal case moving while prioritizing care, a balance Judge Samuels underscored from the bench.

Keith Sweat, Joe, Dru Hill and Ginuwine Announce 2026 R&B Lovers Tour

Art for the R&B Lovers Tour featuring Keith Sweat (center), Joe, Dru Hill and Ginuwine. The trek runs Feb. 13–June 20, 2026.

The classic slow-jam era is back onstage. Keith Sweat, Joe, Dru Hill and Ginuwine are sharing one bill next year, plotting an 18-city R&B Lovers Tour that opens Feb. 13, 2026, in Norfolk, Va., and closes June 20 in Detroit, Mich.

Presale tickets begin Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. local time; the general on-sale is Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster and venue sites. The run is produced by Post Road Entertainment, a subsidiary of North American Entertainment Group. (Lineup subject to change; venues will post city-specific links and showtimes.)

The package functions like a quick history of modern R&B performed by the people who wrote it. Sweat—an early New Jack Swing force whose “Twisted” and “Nobody” became cross-format staples—anchors the night. Joe brings quiet-storm glide on “I Wanna Know” and “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do).” Dru Hill supply the church-trained stacks that powered “In My Bed” and “Never Make a Promise.” Ginuwine rounds it out with Timbaland-era bounce on “Pony,” plus slow-burners “Differences” and “So Anxious.” Expect full songs, live vocals and the kind of call-and-response that turns large rooms into choir lofts.

The first announced itinerary: Feb. 13 Norfolk, Va.; Feb. 14 Atlantic City, N.J.; Feb. 15 Greensboro, N.C.; Feb. 21 Birmingham, Ala.; March 20 Charlotte, N.C.; March 28 San Diego, Calif.; April 3 Kansas City, Mo.; April 4 St. Louis, Mo.; April 10 Huntsville, Ala.; April 11 Biloxi, Miss.; April 17 Orlando, Fla.; April 18 Jacksonville, Fla.; May 8 Baltimore, Md.; May 9 Washington, D.C.; June 5 Baton Rouge, La.; June 12 Fort Worth, Texas; June 19 Chicago, Ill.; June 20 Detroit, Mich. Detroit’s Fox Theatre lists the finale at 8 p.m., with Comerica Bank as presenting partner.

If 2024 found Sweat flirting with farewell language, 2026 casts him as curator—pairing his New Jack foundation with Joe’s satin polish, Dru Hill’s group dynamics and Ginuwine’s crossover spark. For one night in each city, the lineage is audible: swing to satin to harmony to bounce, sung back at full volume.