(AllHipHop News) Atlanta rap star Lil Jon could end up in a Super Bowl commercial during next year’s big game in February. Papa John’s is considering a spot during Super Bowl LII, which could feature the hit producer/rapper. A relationship between Lil Jon and Papa John’s started, unexpectedly, shortly after CEO John Schnatter step down from the company after he criticized NFL protests and blamed players for disrupting his businesses pizza sales. The company’s image was further tarnished, when they were slow to reply to proclamations from racists, claiming Papa John’s was the official pizza of the “Alt-Right.” Last week, a user on Twitter sent a message to Papa John’s, suggesting Lil Jon should take over as the CEO. While the relationship may not go that far, Papa John’s Chief Marketing Officer Brandon Rhoten has confirmed the company is working with Lil Jon. “He’s really excited. He likes the brand and wants to get involved,” Brandon Rhoten told AdAge. Even if Lil Jon does not make a coveted spot during Super Bowl LII, fans can expect the rapper and Papa John’s to be highly visible during the matchup on February 4, 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “It’s the kind of fun we should be having,” since pizza “isn’t something serious or deep,” Brandon Rhoten said.

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Gucci Mane’s new wife Keyshia Ka’oir is wishing for a baby boy for her upcoming birthday. The “I Get the Bag” hitmaker, real name Radric Davis, took to Twitter to field gift suggestions from fans for Keyshia’s special day, tagging the model in his post. “What y’all think I should get babe her birthday in 10 days? @KeyshiaKaoir,” he tweeted. Fans were quick to suggest a romantic vacation, jewels, cars, and designer clothes, but Keyshia had something completely different in mind. “I want a Lil boy (sic),” she responded. If Keyshia gets her 33rd birthday wish, the baby will be the couple’s first together. She and Gucci, who tied the knot in October, both have kids from previous relationships, but Keyshia recently explained she wanted to keep them out of the public eye so they could enjoy a regular childhood. “It’s a situation where I am proud to be a mother but, at the same time, I need it to be private,” she told New York radio show The Breakfast Club shortly after the wedding. “I don’t want them in the limelight. I don’t want them to be on social media. I need them to go to school and to just be children.”

(AllHipHop News) Beyonce has lost a bid to keep details from an upcoming deposition in her trademark battle confidential. The “Drunk in Love” hitmaker filed legal papers with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark “Blue Ivy Carter,” the name of her five-year-old daughter with Jay-Z, earlier this year – so she could reserve the rights to use the moniker in beauty, fashion, and electronics ventures or to prevent others from cashing in on her daughter’s identity. However, Beyonce’s application didn’t go down well with Veronica Morales, who said the trademark was too similar to the name of her event planning firm, Blue Ivy Company, and took legal action. Morales served the singer with a notice to sit for a deposition in the case, and shortly after, in September, Beyonce’s lawyers filed court documents requesting a protective order which would ban details about the time and location of the session and what she says about her family during the round of questioning being made public – as she was concerned for her family’s safety. Their request has now been shut down by members of the Trademark Trial and Appeal board, who ruled earlier this week that they didn’t find their arguments about Beyonce’s fears for her family’s safety persuasive and denied the motion. When Beyonce’s lawyers filed the request, they said the order would help minimize the “intrusive use for security” for Beyonce and the venue and “reduce the dangerous pandemonium that so often marks Mrs. Carter’s public appearances.” Morales claims she started her company three years before the child was born and had already secured a trademark. It’s the second time the party planners have objected to Beyonce’s trademark attempts – the singer previously lost her bid to secure the rights to “Blue Ivy” for commercial use shortly after her little girl’s arrival in 2012.

(AllHipHop News) Jaden Smith has revamped his debut album Syre: A Beautiful Confusion as an a cappella project for 2018. Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s son launched the album in November, but he is now planning to follow it up with a deluxe version of the record, which will be all about his vocals. He will also reportedly release a project titled Erys, which is his middle name spelled backwards. “Full Acapella Bonus Album Coming Next Year Along With ERYS,” he wrote in a Twitter message. He also revealed he may wear a skirt in his next video. The news comes a month after Jaden announced he is releasing a film project inspired by the album. “(Visuals are) where SYRE’s true colors (lie),” he told Billboard. “It’s an actual film that plays out that has characters… It’s just about the story of Syre.” The 19-year-old started working on his full-length music debut three years ago, and the songs mainly focus on his upbringing. “It feels good to have it out into the world,” he said. “It’s been a long three years.” “It’s really just become a legacy of this guy, this kid, who chases the sunset,” he continued. “And then one day, it chases him back and he can’t get away. It really is the story of me coming to be a young adult, and it wasn’t easy at all.” In addition to his mainstream projects, Jaden is planning to release an exclusive version of the album in Asia in the hopes of launching a K-Pop career in South Korea and beyond, while he also has ambitions to star in a Bollywood film. ​https://twitter.com/officialjaden/status/946469021708206080 ​

(AllHipHop News) Singer Lauryn Hill is starting 2018 with a clean slate after reportedly paying almost $900,000 to settle her tax debt in New Jersey. The former Fugees star owed officials at New Jersey’s Division of Taxation a total of $895,000 for back taxes relating to earnings for 2012 and 2016. Hill addressed her tax issues in a post on Instagram last year, insisting she was working towards a resolution, and now, she has settled her debt. The singer recently paid off the bills on the same day and her case has reportedly been closed. In 2013, Lauryn served three months behind bars after pleading guilty to three charges of failing to file her tax returns between 2005 and 2007.

(AllHipHop News) The family of the late veteran DJ Pam the Funkstress has launched a fundraiser to help pay for medical bills. Pam the Funkstress who was the DJ for Bay Area hip-hop group The Coup, as well as Prince, died on December 22, 2017. Pam, born Pam Warren, had recently undergone transplant surgery, after revealing her illness and canceling her bookings, in mid-November. The hospital stay left Pam with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills before she passed away. Her mother, Helen Warren is seeking to raise $50,000 through a GoFundMe campaign , which so far has raised over $6,000. Meanwhile, a candlelight vigil for Pam the Funkstress is scheduled to take place tonight (December 29th) at 30th and West Street in her hometown of Oakland. ​ ​

(AllHipHop News) Incarcerated rapper Kevin Gates has had his parole eligibility date moved up by six months to early January. The hip-hop star, real name Kevin Gilyard, was ordered to serve 30 months in prison for felony gun possession back in April, shortly after completing a six-month sentence in Florida for kicking a woman in the face at one of his shows. Authorities discovered he had an outstanding weapons-related warrant out for his arrest as he was preparing to walk free, with the order dating back to a missed court appearance for a 2013 gun case in Illinois. The “Time For That” MC subsequently pleaded guilty to the weapons charge and was locked up at East Moline Correctional Center in Illinois. Over the summer, Gates was given a projected parole date of 22 June 2018, with a potential discharge date for a year later, in 2019. However, officials at the Illinois Department of Corrections have since brought forward the dates, with the 31-year-old now able to apply for parole from January 10 for a projected release in January 2019.

(AllHipHop News) Solange has canceled her New Year’s Eve performance at South Africa’s Afropunk festival after revealing she has been diagnosed with autonomic disorder. The “Cranes in the Sky” singer has gone public with her nerve disorder condition in a lengthy message on Instagram, in which she explains why she cannot take the stage at the end-of-year celebration in Johannesburg. “The past five months I have been quietly treating, and working through an Autonomic Disorder,” she writes. “It been a journey that hasn’t been easy on me… Sometimes I feel cool, and other times not so cool at all. It’s a complicated diagnoses, and I’m still learning so much myself, but right now, my doctors are not clearing me for such an extended lengthy flight, and doing a rigorous show right after…”. Solange goes on to apologize for scrapping the appearance, but vows to perform at the festival in the future. “I give you my ABSOLUTE WORD I will come back with AfroPunk and deliver this performance…..as it is so extremely important to me to connect with the people who have so closely inspired me in so many ways,” she continues. “I can’t thank Afro Punk enough for their support, and to all of the other festivals this past summer/fall who have known about my health, kept it confidential, and gone out of their way to make me feel supported while doing these shows. As a part of the self care that I’ve tried to encourage this past year, it needs to start with myself, and I’m looking forward to doing a better job of this (in) 2018…” Festival organizers have also issued their own statement online about the change of plans, expressing their support and well wishes for Solange. It reads: “It is incredibly important to those of us at AFROPUNK that she recovers and remains in good health. Her music and spirit has been a place of great comfort and inspiration to us as a community. And of course we are incredibly saddened that she will no longer be performing at the inaugural AFROPUNK Joburg this weekend.” The news emerges after Solange pulled out of performing at Florida State University’s Homecoming concert last month due to a medical condition, although she did not detail the exact nature of her ailment at the time. Common symptoms of autonomic disorders can include dizziness and fainting upon standing. https://www.instagram.com/p/BdNmg26BVcI/?hl=en&taken-by=saintrecords

(AllHipHop News) Rapper 2 Chainz has accused the plaintiff suing him over an outstanding car payment of impersonating his lawyer in an alleged attempt to convince him to settle the case. Joshua Waddell of Highline Holdings Group filed suit against the “I’m Different” hitmaker in October, claiming he agreed to buy a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead for just over $262,200. The car was delivered to 2 Chainz’s home with $18,320 still outstanding on his tab, and when he reportedly refused to pay up, Waddell pursued legal action. However, 2 Chainz, real name Tauheed Epps, is demanding the case be tossed after accusing Waddell of resorting to fraudulent actions to settle the dispute. According to TMZ , he alleges Waddell initially sent him texts from an unidentified number posing as 2 Chainz’s lawyer, suggesting he pay the balance and interest to resolve the case. The hip-hop star caught on to the ploy as he recognized the phone number from prior communications, but days later, he received another text from a different number. He claims that was Waddell pretending to be a lawyer for his car sales firm, telling 2 Chainz they had been awarded a default judgment, although there was no such evidence to back up the statement. The rapper has since confirmed the texts were never sent by the two parties’ lawyers, and now he wants Waddell to pay the price for his alleged meddling and have a judge dismiss the suit.

(AllHipHop News) NBA star James Harden will offer up a strong showing of support for imprisoned rapper Meek Mill tomorrow night (December 28) in Philadelphia. Hardin visited Meek at the State Correctional Institute in Chester, Pennsylvania, where the rapper is serving a two to four-year sentence for violating his probation. James Harden will be sporting a pair of sneakers that say “Free Meek Mill” during tomorrow night’s matchup between the Houston Rockets and the 76ers, in Philly. Rick Ross, who signed Meek to his Maybach Music Group record label in 2011, posted a picture of the sneakers on his Instagram. James Harden adds to a growing list of celebrities, politicians, and athletes who have offered up support for Meek Mill. In addition to Hardin, Colin Kaepernick’s, Jay-Z, T.I. and the Reverend Al Sharpton have expressed strong support for Meek while condemning the judge who has been overseeing his probation since 2008. The sentence caused a national uproar sparked an FBI investigation, and brought nationwide attention to the injustices carried out in the criminal justice system in the United States. https://www.instagram.com/p/BdOBKrmlHon/

(AllHipHop News) Jennifer Lopez has reportedly teamed up with her fellow Bronx, New York native Cardi B for a new collaboration. DJ Khaled teased a top secret project with J.Lo via Instagram in the lead up to Christmas, first sharing a snap of the pair in the studio. “I told the icon @jlo that not only do I see her vision. I am honored and grateful to have the opportunity to be involved,” he captioned the image. “The key is to express your greatness with clarity and passion. FAN LUV!” “J LO GOT NEW MUSIC COMING Feat ?? P### by who??,” he added, revealing there would be a special guest on the track. “STAY TUNED J LO YOU GOT ANOTHER ONE ! BLESS UP (sic)”. The hip-hop hitmaker followed it up with a series of video clips which showed the singer/actress arriving at his Miami, Florida recording studios with her boyfriend, retired baseball ace Alex Rodriguez. “WHEN J LO PULLS UP TO WE THE BEST STUDIO!,” he wrote beside tqhe professionally-shot clip. “Icon moment alert! Icon announcement alert. Icon visual alert. Icon everything ALERT!!! @jlo got New music coming . Be Paitient (sic)!!! Patience is a gift and a talent…” However, Alex appears to have let slip the big secret after sharing his own behind-the-scenes video footage from the visit, during which he captured Khaled and Jennifer discussing the song’s guest artist. “Cardi’s just on that one part, do you think we should do some ad-libs with her?” J.Lo asks Khaled in the Instagram Live clip, appearing to refer to the “Bodak Yellow” hitmaker. In another of A-Rod’s posts, Jennifer suggests holding off on releasing the new tune until early January. Jennifer and Cardi have yet to comment on the rumors.

(AllHipHop News) Azealia Banks is planning to sue Wendy Williams after the talk show host suggested the rapper was a prostitute on TV in early December. On an episode of “The Wendy Williams Show,” the host weighed in on the “212” star’s feud with fellow rapper Remy Ma, who recently posted screenshots on social media of text messages from Azealia in which she allegedly asked her for a collaboration. Wendy said in one of the messages, Azealia told Remy she needed a vaginal rejuvenation, and continued, “Well if you’re worn out at 26 and you got no kids… now we understand how she gets her money. She’s got no kids and she’s 26, with a vaginal rejuvenation, wow, she works hard for her money.” At the time, Azealia told her followers she was upset by the controversial remarks, and now she revealed she was taking legal action. She posted a since deleted meme of Wendy on Instagram which featured the message, “The last five years taught me when you’re an Azealia Banks stan (fan), you can make it thru anything (sic),” and in the caption, she added, “TOUGH AS STEEL… Wendy is getting sued top of 2018.” Azealia and Remy’s feud kicked off in December when Azealia tweeted that Remy hadn’t “done a single thing to move the cultural needle” since she emerged from jail in 2014.

(AllHipHop News) A well-known rapper in Jacksonville, Florida was tragically gunned down over the holiday. Doran Moore, aka Mista Mo, was an artist signed to Block Enterprises and was a big part of the label’s new #rebuildingHipHopblockByBLOCK movement. According to local police , Mista Mo was gunned down in the driveway of a residence last Thursday (December 21), just hours after he left a charity event for children in his hometown of Jacksonville. Mista Mo, who was a father of two and expecting a newborn, worked with artists like Ralo, Young Greatness, and others. https://www.google.com/sorry/index?continue=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hupJXc0I8_o&q=EgQs6lVwGNSQg_kFIhkA8aeDS1nhdYJQXlGaHB3na7ud7AKOEYMAMgFy https://www.google.com/sorry/index?continue=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDHraILEqW4&q=EgQs6lVwGNSQg_kFIhkA8aeDS6evCVxgJfmm8W8PYpdzE7HWnYn1MgFy ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Jim Jones Warns Fans About Fake GoFundMe For Mom’s Burned Down House Scammers are already trying to get over on Jim Jones, after his mom’s house burned down. (AllHipHop News) Harlem rap star Jim Jones is warning his fans against a scammer who claims to be operating on his behalf. Unfortunately, Jim’s mother’s Englewood, New Jersey house burned down on Christmas Day. A phony GoFundMe page has popped up, trying to raise $15,000 in funds for Jim Jones and his mother. Jim warned his fans on social media that the GoFundMe page is fake, and not to donate to it. ​ ​

(AllHipHop News) An arrest warrant has been issued for rapper Chief Keef after he missed a court appearance over a car crash in September. According to TMZ.com, the embattled star, real name Keith Farrelle Cozart, was involved in a fender bender in Hollywood, California, earlier this year. When police arrived at the scene, they ran Keef’s info and discovered he was driving on a suspended or revoked license. The website reports that court documents stated that Keef was cited at the scene and ordered to appear in court earlier this month. However, he skipped the scheduled appearance, leading to the judge in charge issuing a warrant for his arrest. It’s the latest in a string of legal dramas for the “I Don’t Like” rapper. He pleaded not guilty to drug possession after being arrested in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after allegedly trying to board a plane with four marijuana cigarettes and edibles in his backpack. He previously had a warrant issued for his arrest in May, when he failed to show up for an arraignment hearing in Miami, Florida to face counts relating to his April bust for driving under the influence (DUI) and drug possession. The April arrest marked his second DUI in three years. He was also declared a fugitive in August, 2014, after failing to attend a hearing in his native Chicago, Illinois for the same charge. His arrest in that incident took place in March, 2014, just days after he completed a court-ordered stint in rehab to deal with his marijuana habit.

(AllHipHop News) Professor Michael Eric Dyson has linked up with Ice-T’s Final Level Productions to produce a new daytime talk show. Dyson, a Georgetown University Professor and author, will serve as host of “The Raw Word.” “The Raw Word” pilots will run on Sinclair Stations during a four-week test run this March, with reality T.V. personality, Claudia Jordan as co-host, along with chronic pain psychologist, Dr. Dan Ratner. Three complete episodes of “The Raw Word” already feature guests Don Cheadle, Bill Maher and Tavis Smiley. “The Raw Word” is executive produced by the show”s creator, Andre Jetmir (“Ice & Coco”), who manages Professor Dyson and serves as CEO of Michael Eric Dyson Enterprises. Andre Jetmir is also partners with Ice-T in Final Level Productions. “Ms. Jordan and Dr. Dan are two people you want to sit next to on a flight,” Andre Jetmir told AllHipHop.com. “They have such a mental curiosity for all things affecting people today.” “The Raw Word’ test run will being on 16 Sinclair stations starting on March 5, 2018.

(AllHipHop News) Rihanna has called for an end to gun violence after her cousin Tavon Alleyne was shot and killed in Barbados over Christmas. The 29-year-old singer shared the sad news on her Instagram page on Tuesday night, alongside a gallery of pictures of herself and her 21-year-old relative. “RIP cousin… can’t believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms! never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man! #endgunviolence,” the Diamonds singer wrote. While the circumstances of Tavon’s death have yet to be confirmed, the Barbados Today newspaper reported that Tavon was “walking through a track in the area of his house when he was approached by a man who shot him multiple times before fleeing the scene.” The publication also reports that the shooting occurred at 7pm on December 26 in the parish of Saint Michael in the island country. Rihanna has long been campaigning for gun violence to come to an end – both in her home country of Barbados and her adopted home of the United States. She attracted criticism by getting a gun tattooed on her side in 2009, but told America’s Elle magazine in an interview that she considers it a symbol of strength, having added it to her collection in the midst of her abusive relationship with now ex Chris Brown. “Everybody wanted to know what was happening in my life. Is she a drug addict? No. Is she an alcoholic? No. Is she a victim? No,” Rihanna told the magazine. “That’s when I got the gun. It was a symbol of strength. I’ll never be a victim.” https://www.instagram.com/p/BdMLSMTDO5i/?hl=en&taken-by=badgalriri

(AllHipHop News) Rap newcomer Cardi B is threatening legal action against hackers who leaked nude videos of the star online. The “Bodak Yellow” hitmaker hit headlines over the weekend after explicit footage of the former stripper emerged on the Internet, with one clip, featuring Cardi dancing while naked, heavily rumored to be the beginning of a sex tape. It has since been revealed her fiance, Migos rapper Offset, had his phone hacked, with the steamy footage said to have been taken from his cell. Another leaked video also sparked gossip suggesting Offset had cheated on his new fiancee, as it featured a different naked woman in a hotel bathroom. That film is thought to have been captured in September, weeks before Offset proposed to Cardi. While she has no issue with people seeing her nude, Cardi seems determined to punish those responsible for the leaks because they were obtained illegally. Her attorney, Scott Mason, said they have launched an investigation to identify the hackers in a bid to have them prosecuted. Meanwhile, Cardi has also shrugged off allegations of Offset’s infidelity. “I still put the p##sy on offset,” she tweeted. And she made it clear the couple was still very much together on Tuesday by recording an Instagram Live video of herself and Offset appearing to have sex. Cardi has since insisted it was just a spoof, writing on her Instagram Story app, “I was fully clothes on live, I was not f##kin on live! Yaaa can’t be that slow.”

(AllHipHop News) Kanye West’s financial difficulties may just be behind him. The superstar rapper/producer gifted his wife a variety of valuable stocks for Christmas. Kim took to social media and revealed Kanye had bought stock in Apple, Disney, Amazon, Netflix, and Adidas, which makes Ye’s popular Yeezy sneakers. The stocks are said to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Earlier in the year, Kanye made headlines when he took to Twitter to reveal he was supposedly $53 million dollars in debt.