(AllHipHop News) Kanye West and Solange Knowles have been hit with a lawsuit from a musician who claims both stars ripped off one of his songs. Singer/songwriter Leroy Mitchell alleges Kanye and Beyonce’s younger sister sampled his 1970 track “If We Can’t Be Lovers” without permission. The performer, who also goes by the name Prince Phillip Mitchell, claims West stole portions of the ballad for his song “Everything I Am,” while Knowles did the same for “F##k the Industry.” “Everything I Am” was released in 2007, while Knowles’ track debuted the following year. According to reports Mitchell is seeking an undisclosed sum for copyright infringement and is asking for both artists to stop performing their songs.

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Wiz Khalifa has been named in a lawsuit filed by a man he met at an airport. Dustin Bennett claims Wiz ripped off his 2010 song “Most of Us” after the unknown hip-hop hopeful gave him a demo copy of the tune following a chance meeting at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah. Bennett alleges he gave Wiz two copies of his CD in the hope of persuading the rap star to work with him. Bennett says he never saw or spoke to the “See You Again” hitmaker again, but in 2016 the rap superstar released the album Khalifa, which featured the song “Most of Us.” In his complaint, he claims Wiz stole “the refrain and chorus” and the lyrics to his song. “Both tracks have the same title,” the lawsuit contends, “The exact words ‘most of us’ appear approximately 80 times throughout the Khalifa song, and Khalifa used the exact lyrics in the exact manner as Bennett by introducing each refrain in the same style in the Khalifa song.”

(AllHipHop News) Rap star E-40 has added a new line of tequila to his spirits business. In addition to being one of the dopest rappers, E-40 has a successful brand called Earl Stevens Selections. Over the years E-40 has marketed wine, beer and his signature “Sluricane” mixed cocktail drink. Next up for the rapper’s brand is E. Cuarenta Tequila, a new line E-40 has been developing for several years. “I have spent years and many trips to different distillers in Mexico working with master blenders to find just the right product and taste profile,” E-40 explained. “I have selected a small boutique distillery that still uses the Old World process of making Tequila.” E. Cuarenta Tequila will come in Blanco, Reposado, Anejo produced by the distillery, which E-40 labeled one of Mexico’s “finest Boutique and awarding winning producers.” The rapper plans on launching E. Cuarenta, which translates to E-40 in Spanish, on the Cinco de Mayo holiday this year.

(AllHipHop News) Rap pioneer Chuck D still fears America will no longer be united in 2050. The Public Enemy star predicted the U.S. would be a split nation by the middle of the 21st century during an interview with talk show host Tavis Smiley a decade ago, and now he’s convinced we won’t need to wait another 30 years, thanks to the damage done by current leader Donald Trump. “I predicted that America wouldn’t be in one piece by 2050 and that it would be split up into three different countries,” the “Fight the Power” hitmaker tells Rolling Stone. “I still think that the United States of America has never really been united in the last 50 years, and it might be three countries by 2050 if there’s still a planet,” Chuck D said. And the hardcore hip-hop icon admits he fears for a future without “clown” Trump as President, adding, “I don’t think he will last his term, with health reasons just being one of them. “He ain’t a quitter, but he’ll be forced to get out of there. And then we gotta face (Vice President) Mike Pence, who is a nightmare. Trump is a clown. Pence is a nightmare.”

(AllHipHop News) Nipsey Hussle continues to reinvest into the local Los Angeles community. First, Nipsey opened his state of the Marathon Store in South Central in June of 2017. Now Nipsey has plans to open his own STEM Center called Too Big Too Fail, which he plans to base in Los Angeles as well. Nipsey has stressed the value of being independent throughout his career. His record label All Money In is preparing to release his upcoming album Victory Lap. The rapper has also been very active in educating his fan base on technology, specifically the rise of cryptocurrencies. Take a look at Nipsey on Big Boy’s Neighborhood. https://www.instagram.com/p/BekDeawn0dM/

(AllHipHop News) Fox’s new vocal competition show featuring DJ Khaled and Sean Diddy Combs, has been engulfed in a sexual assault Scandal. ‘The Four: Battle For Stardom” featured Diddy, Khaled, Meghan Trainor, and Republic Music’s President Charlie Walk, as celebrity judges, looking for the next big thing in music. But, Charlie Walk was just booted from the show, over sexual harassment allegations. An unnamed woman who worked for Republic Records, which is owned by Universal Music Group, claims Walk harassed her for years. This included sexually explicit images and videos via Snapchat, and off-color remarks in front of her colleagues at the label. The woman claims Walk took it too far when he begged her to come to his Los Angeles hotel room. In addition to being removed from ‘The Four” and scrubbed from Fox’s website, Charlie Walk has been placed on indefinite leave by Universal Music Group. “Mr. Walk has been placed on leave, and will remain in leave for the duration of the investigation,” the company said in a statement. Charlie Walk will appear on this week’s pre-taped episode of ‘The Four” but will be removed from future episodes. A replacement has not been announced.

(AllHipHop News) Brooklyn rapper Troy Ave raised some eyebrows with the release of the video for his song “2 Legit 2 Quit.” On the explosive 2: 54-minute track, Troy Ave directly addresses a deadly encounter inside of Irving Plaza in May of 2016. Troy was involved in a confrontation with podcaster Taxstone, which led to a shootout in the middle of the concert venue. When the gunsmoke cleared, Troy’s bodyguard Ronald “Banga” McPhatter was dead, and three other people were seriously wounded, including Troy Ave. Troy, born Roland Collins, maintained he took the gun from Taxstone and turned it on him, while steadily denying he would have gunned down his own bodyguard and friend. Police eventually recovered evidence linking Taxstone to the gun that was used to murder McPhatter, resulting in Taxstone being indicted for the murder in July of 2017. On “2 Legit 2 Quit,” Troy Ave asserts that he will be taking the stand against Tax and it’s underscored by the visuals accompanying the lyrics. https://www.google.com/sorry/index?continue=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTn9bFREUF0%26feature=youtu.be&q=EgQ2uICCGI6Rg_kFIhkA8aeDSykml40GqAtO1hpv07iVzDGc0ggfMgFy “I do murder without a sound/I do murders and don’t get found/I’m only loyal to my fam/middle finger from the stands/I was in and out of hell/When you see me out of jail/Ain’t no rules when you ruthless, nothing/Since this ni##as too fake/Leave em toothless.” The lyric is accompanied by an animated laughing Troy Ave on the stand, while a man presumed to be Taxstone is led off in handcuffs. The video did not sit well with Taxstone’s close affiliate, Casanova, who brought Tax to Irving Plaza as his guest. Casanova, who is signed to Memphis Bleek’s record label Warehouse Music Group, continued to rep for Tax in a series of tweets after seeing “2 Legit 2 Quit.” ATTENTION:IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE I DONT WONT NO TROUBLE LIKE IM REALLY DONE WITH THIS STREET S###.AND IF YOU FORCE MY HAND PLEASE DONT TELL ON ME KILL ME CAUSE I DONT WANNA GO TO JAIL BY A GANGSTER TAKING THE STAND Take a look at Casanova’s Instagram messages to Troy Ave, and listen to “2 Legit 2 Quit.”

(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop mogul Jay-Z is planning to expand his empire in the hospitality sector by securing the rights to a possible new restaurant venture. The “Empire State of Mind” hitmaker, real name Shawn Carter, has filed a U.S. trademark application for the name “Hovino,” a reference to his nickname “Hova.” According to paperwork, he is seeking to use the name for the purpose of restaurant and cafe services, pubs, cocktail lounges, and wine bars. Jay-Z has yet to comment on the reported new business endeavor, but he is no stranger to the hospitality industry, having previously launched the 40/40 Club chain of sports bars in 2003, with his flagship hotspot located in his native New York City.

(AllHipHop News) The 2018 Global Spin Awards will make their debut on the West Coast next month, and a hip-hop legend will host to mark the occasion. Snoop Dogg will preside over the stage to present the 2018 Global Spin Award recipients with their top honors. Now in its sixth year, The Global Spin Awards will recognize DJs from across the globe for their contribution to the music and entertainment industries. This year, the Global Spin Awards will honor Timbaland, who will receive the “Lifetime Achievement Award,” as well as So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri, who will receive the “Breaking Barriers Award.” “Through the Awards, it is our mission to recognize the diverse, bold and remarkable DJs that have helped shaped the music industry into what it is today. Snoop Dogg is a legend and a trailblazer in the industry, and we are honored that he will be joining us to host this year’s Global Spin Awards,” said Shawn Prez, Founder of The Global Spin Awards. The 2018 Global Spin Awards will take place in Los Angeles, at the Novo Theater on February 15, and will air exclusively on REVOLT on February 22 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT.

(AllHipHop News) Actor and comedian Donald Glover has started shutting down his Childish Gambino rap alter-ego by wiping the character from social media. After confirming reports he will be retiring the name after one final project, Glover has changed his Twitter account from Childish Gambino to Donald and deleted all of his tweets. His last post as Gambino was a response to seeing the new “Black Panther” movie at the premiere in Hollywood on Monday. “black panther was beautiful,” he wrote. “We should keep celebrating. Who’s out here?” The tweet has since been deleted, and his Instagram account has been wiped clean as well.

(AllHipHop News) The latest woman accusing Russell Simmons of rape was in New York doing press and reportedly visiting the police. Hollywood filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik with claims Russell Simmons raped her twice, once in 2011 in his New York office. Jarosik who is suing Russell Simmons for $5 million dollars, decided to stop by “Megyn Kelly Today,” where she discussed her alleged encounter with Simmons at his Manhattan penthouse. “I had a great, tremendous amount of respect for him at the time and I had thought, this is amazing,” Jennifer Jarosik stated, “Here is this high-profile man who understood what I was trying to do, to help women, who offered to give an interview.” Even though Simmons supposedly raped her, Jennifer Jarosik said she decided to remain friends with the Def Jam founder even after she was sexually assaulted. “I think I was weak in some ways because I depended on him to possibly help with my film,” Jennifer Jarosik said. “I’m also very forgiving, and he was a friend.” According to reports Jennifer Jarosik was in New York City to file an official police report against Russell Simmons. Simmons, who stepped down from his companies in November of 2017, has been accused sexual assault or rape by over a dozen women. Four of the women claim that Russell Simmons forcibly raped at them. Russell Simmons has repeatedly denied all of the allegations and even offered to take a lie detector test to prove his innocence. “I am confident that when all is said and all is done, it will be as clear to others as it is to me that I did not do what this lawsuit accuses me of doing,” the 60-year-old said in a statement while welcoming a civil trial which said would clear his name.

(AllHipHop News) Chart-topping rapper Cardi B is heading to the Super Bowl. Cardi is one of several artists featured in Amazon’s commercial for their smart home assistant, Alexa, which will air during Super Bowl 52 this weekend. Cardi pops up on the device when Alexa loses her voice. When a student asks how far away Mars is from Earth, Cardi B offers the response. “How am I supposed to know? I’ve never been there,” Cardi says. “This guy wanna go to Mars. For what? There’s not even oxygen there!” Other celebs featured in the Super Bowl spot include Rebel Wilson, Gordon Ramsay, actor Anthony Hopkins and others.

(AllHipHop News) N.E.R.D have been announced as headliners of Adidas’ ‘747 Warehouse St.’ event in Los Angeles. Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley’s attendance at the two-day function, which has been billed as a nod to “basketball culture,” was confirmed by the sportswear brand on Tuesday. It will be held at the event’s namesake address in downtown L.A., starting on February 16. As well as musical performances and guest appearances by athletes, 747 Warehouse St., will also see the release of several exclusive styles such as Ultra Boost Mid Parley, Speedfactory AM4, and Crazy BYW. Attendees will additionally be offered a customization service and a unique tour outlining the details of the production process. The Adidas by N.E.R.D. Training Gear line coincided with the musical trio’s return to the industry after a seven-year break, and the 88-piece range of apparel featured various colorful camouflage designs on items including T-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, shorts, socks, caps, and backpacks, with different colors reflecting the individual styles of the diverse group’s members. Fashion lover Pharrell has worked with Adidas since 2014, and released a tennis-inspired collection with the sports brand last summer, with pieces including knee-high socks, sneakers, dresses and polo tops. “Silhouette-wise, it kind of celebrated a different kind of sexuality, a sexiness,” the singer explained in an interview with W magazine. “It’s very interesting for us to get the opportunity to inject some of that mentality and some of that swagger the players had when they were wearing those clothes on the court.”

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Method Man struggled through a weekend concert at the 2018 X Games in Aspen, Colorado because the high altitude made it difficult to breathe. The Wu-Tang Clan star and his longtime collaborator, Redman, were booked to perform at the extreme sports event on Saturday, but the 46-year-old found it tough to acclimatize to the thin air. Speaking to ESPN before the show, Method Man said, “This altitude is killing me, you know? (It’s) hard to complete a sentence without taking that deep breath.” “It sucks, but you know, we still have that energy and we gonna turn up (have a good time),” he added. Despite his concerns, Method Man and Redman appeared to pull off the gig without any real issues, delighting fans at the sporting extravaganza.

(AllHipHop News) Cardi B’s chart-topping success means she won’t have time to get married to rapper Offset this year. The couple, who have been engaged since October, are both keen to marry, but with their burgeoning careers, the “Bodak Yellow” hitmaker and the Migos star, who recently released new album CULTURE II, won’t have time to tie the knot, Cardi told E! News. The 25-year-old rapper, real name Belcalis Almanzar, blamed the delay on the fact that they won’t be able to get two weeks off together to enjoy a honeymoon this year. “I really want to get married around the fall time, I love the fall time,” she told E! Online. “But I keep getting, ‘Do you want to do tour around this time? Hey do you want to do this around this time?’ And it’s just like – I’m touring, I’m putting out an album. He’s touring, putting out an album,” she sighed. The rapper promises that when she and Offset, real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus, do tie the knot, the wedding will be as flamboyant as their public profiles. “It’s gonna be extravagant. You know, we’re both rappers,” she grinned. “We’re both artists, so it has to be a very extravagant wedding.” Until their nuptials happen, Cardi is happy to console herself by admiring the $500,000 eight-carat diamond ring which Offset gave her when he proposed onstage at the Power 99’s Powerhouse concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “It makes me feel good. Even when we’re in an argument… I’m like does he really love me? He got me a half-million dollar ring, yeah he does,” she laughed. https://www.google.com/sorry/index?continue=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2hP_HYTXvM&q=EgQi3HnaGIj-gvkFIhkA8aeDSwFVROb0CTUc4ZYxXbWBeJCqTyTBMgFy