rap music

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Man Behind 'Most Paralyzing Rap Lyric Ever' Dead at 42

Prodigy of Mobb Deep was hospitalized for complications from sickle cell anemia

(Newser) - Prodigy, one half of iconic rap duo Mobb Deep, died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was 42. Born Albert Johnson, the rapper was hospitalized after a weekend performance "for complications caused by sickle cell anemia," a disease he'd battled since birth, his publicist says in a statement....

Run-DMC Rapper Demands Apology From NYPD Head

Darryl McDaniels takes issue with William Bratton calling rappers 'thugs'

(Newser) - Run-DMC's Darryl McDaniels ( not McDonald's ) is demanding an apology after comments made by NYPD commissioner William Bratton following a fatal shooting at a TI concert this week, the Hill reports. Bratton blamed the shooting on "the crazy world of the so-called rap artists who are...

A Tribe Called Quest Rapper 'Phife Dawg' Dead at 45

Rapper Malik Taylor had suffered from various health issues, including diabetes

(Newser) - Malik Taylor, the rapper also known as Phife Dawg who helped catapult A Tribe Called Quest to success with such hits as "Can I Kick It?" and "Scenario, " has died at the age of 45, Rolling Stone reports. Taylor was known for his rhyming skills and his...

Men Wanted for Trying to Rap Battle Some Teens

'Frightening' or 'absurd?'

(Newser) - Be on the lookout for a roaming group of young people picking rap battles with unsuspecting citizens, warn police in one Massachusetts town. WCVB reports the Charlton Police Department issued the warning after an SUV with two or three young men inside stopped next to a group of young teens...

Rock Hall Picks Its Latest Class

NWA, Cheap Trick among the honorees

(Newser) - The groundbreaking Los Angeles rap act NWA will join a quartet of 1970s-era FM radio rockers—Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, and Steve Miller—as 2016 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. NWA, led by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, was elected after three unsuccessful nominations in...

Shia LaBeouf's Newest Plagiarism Accuser: '90s Rap Group

Anomolies MC doesn't appreciate actor's viral freestyle-rap video

(Newser) - Stop us if you've heard this one before , but Shia LaBeouf has been accused of plagiarism : The actor turned up on YouTube over the weekend in a video since gone viral that shows him, sans shirt, freestyle rapping. But as relaxed and spontaneous as LaBeouf seemed, a "self-described...

New Yorker's Pop Critic Leaves for Lyrics Startup

Sasha Frere-Jones joins annotating site Genius

(Newser) - After 11 years at the New Yorker, the magazine's pop music critic is departing to join a startup. Sasha Frere-Jones' new job is as executive editor for Genius , a startup that annotates lyrics and other material online, the New York Times reports; he will focus on annotating lyrics. Genius,...

Megachurch Pastor May Sue Rappers

TD Jakes taking Young Jeezy, Kendrick Lamar to court

(Newser) - Megachurch pastor TD Jakes says rappers Young Jeezy and Kendrick Lamar violated God's law—and US law, too. The rappers' remix of "Holy Ghost" opens with a sample of a Jakes speech from last year, the New York Daily News reports, and Jakes says in a Facebook post...

Court: Rapper's Lyrics Aren't Evidence

'One would not presume' Bob Marley actually shot the sheriff

(Newser) - Disturbing though they may be, justices say, a man's violent rap lyrics can't be used as evidence that he tried to kill someone. New Jersey's Supreme Court reached a 6-0 decision in the case of Vonte Skinner, who is accused of shooting and paralyzing a man. Skinner...

Bigger Vocabulary Than the Bard? Wu-Tang Clan

Data scientist does fascinating analysis of rap lyrics

(Newser) - Shakespeare's works include 28,829 unique words, which gives him what some think is the largest vocabulary ever at more than 100,000 words. But is it possible he's been eclipsed—by rappers? New York data scientist Matt Daniels decided to try and figure it out, the Daily...

Dear Prosecutors, Rap Lyrics Aren't Actual Confessions

Let's keep them out of courtrooms: Erik Nielson and Charis Kubrin

(Newser) - When Vonte Skinner was convicted of attempted murder in 2008, the evidence against him included 13 pages of violent rap lyrics. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but four years later, an appellate court ruled that the lyrics weren’t admissible evidence—and it overturned his conviction. New...

Kris Kross Rapper Kelly Dead in Likely OD

Chris 'Mac Daddy' Kelly's death probed as overdose

(Newser) - Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly, who soared to fame as a member of the 1990s teenage rap duo Kris Kross, has died at age 34 in an Atlanta hospital. He'd been found unresponsive at home yesterday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports; authorities are investigating a possible drug overdose. His mom...

Goodbye Snoop Dogg, Hello Snoop Lion

Snoop adopts new monicker for reggae album

(Newser) - Snoop Dogg is branching out into new musical styles and more intimidating animal pseudonyms. His Snoopness is about to release a reggae album, under the new monicker Snoop Lion, Rolling Stone reports. His first single, "La La La," is available now, and according to his website, "Snoop...

Odd Future Singer: My First Love Was a Man

Frank Ocean marks hip-hop milestone with sexuality revelation

(Newser) - Frank Ocean, member of the rap group Odd Future, revealed today that his first love was a man—making him, TMZ notes, "the first hip-hop star to publicly address a sexual attraction to men." Ocean, who has collaborated with Kanye West and Jay-Z, told the story in a...

Serena Williams Now a ... Rapper?

Tennis player releases new rap song

(Newser) - Is Serena Williams switching careers? The tennis player has released a rap song that TMZ says is "actually pretty catchy" though a "little cliche." Williams recorded a few tracks last year at a recording studio owned by a friend, but nothing surfaced until now. Sister Venus gets...

NY Post Writer: Jay-Z's Nets Should Be 'New York N-----s'

Phil Mushnick column makes some people angry

(Newser) - New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick is taking some heat for some, er, colorful comments in today's column about the Brooklyn Nets' new uniforms. "As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots—what a shock that he chose black and white as the...

Wu-Tang Clan Linked to Murder, Gun Running

Rap group's FBI file comes to light

(Newser) - The notorious rap group Wu-Tang Clan has perpetrated a slew of crimes including gun running, drug dealing, and even murder, according to a recently unearthed FBI file. Among other details, the 94-page file on late Clan co-founder Ol’ Dirty Bastard—christened Russell Jones—claims the group purchased a .40-caliber Glock...

Bankrupt Rapper Could Lose ... His Name
 Bankrupt 
 Rapper 
 Could Lose 
 ... His Name 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Bankrupt Rapper Could Lose ... His Name

'Young Buck' will be sold along with other assets: trustee

(Newser) - Rapper Young Buck could lose more than just his stuff in his bankruptcy liquidation case—he could lose the very right to be called “Young Buck.” His trademarked name will be sold off, along with his other assets, according to the trustee administering his estate. His financial woes...

Cops: Toddler Shot in Head During Rap Video Shoot

Seven others also hit; rapper Kafani denies he was filming a video

(Newser) - A 1-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot in the head last night, possibly during the taping of a rap music video in Oakland. Six others also were shot, including a 24-year-old woman also in critical condition, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Police say Oakland rapper Kafani...

New Music Trend: Rap About Your Own Vodka

Increasingly, rappers sing about brands they sell

(Newser) - Rappers have always name-checked alcohol in their music, but nowadays many artists are going beyond references to actually selling their own brands. From the way the Los Angeles Times describes it, Pitbull’s latest hits sound more like advertisements for Voli vodka. He’s part owner of the liquor brand,...

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