Bernadette Giacomazzo

Usher has been honored for his contributions to the culture at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards, where he was gifted the Presidential Award.The ceremony was broadcast during which he received the award from NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson, was broadcast on BET on Saturday (March 16). In his speech, Usher thanked all the women in his life for their contributions.AD LOADING…“I’m so overwhelmed with appreciation for my entire family, without them I wouldn’t be able to do this,” Usher said. “They say behind or beside or with every strong man is a stronger woman, and for that I thank my mother and my beautiful wife Jennifer for holding me down. My kids, I love you guys so, so much.”Check out the video of Usher’s acceptance speech below.Last week, Busta Rhymes and Usher were among the many A-listers present at the William Morris Endeavor talent agency’s massive pre-Oscars party in Los Angeles. The event took place at the Beverly Estate, also known as the “Godfather Mansion” due to its use in a famous scene from the 1972 film The Godfather.In addition to Busta Rhymes and Usher, TMZ reported that John Legend, Teyana Taylor, and Justin Timberlake were some of the other titans present at the bash.AD LOADING…Other than the aforementioned musicians, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Rob Lowe were also there.Regarding Hip Hop’s crossover with the movies’ biggest night, Juicy J took a trip down memory lane last year and told a story about how Will Smith took on a condescending attitude after Three 6 Mafia won their first Oscar in 2006.AD LOADING…The Memphis rap veteran made an appearance on Allison Interviews in September, where he discussed the backstory of his ordeal with the legendary rapper and actor in detail.“[Will Smith] ran up, he was like, ‘Man, I’m just mad ’cause y’all got one before me,’” the 48-year-old MC recalled. “It could’ve been a joke, but I don’t know him.”related newsUsher Recalls ‘Wild’ Experience Living With Diddy At 13 In Resurfaced InterviewMarch 4, 2024He continued: “First of all, when I seen him, I was like, ‘I grew up listening to your music, man. It’s an honor to meet you.’ And he shook my hand, but he was like, ‘Man, what the hell? Y’all got one before me?’“And like I said, he could have been joking. He’s a comedian, too. But I didn’t take it like that because I’m thinking people are gonna be like, ‘Congratulations.’ But he didn’t say that.”AD LOADING…Three 6 Mafia took home a golden statue for Best Original Song in 2006 for Hustle & Flow‘s “Its Hard Out Here For A Pimp.”

Lizzo has come under fire from conservative commentator Candace Owens, who claims that the “Good As Hell” singer is engaging in what she calls “problematic” behavior.Gaslighting is an often-misused term that describes the deliberate and systemic feeding of false information to make the victim question their own reality, which results in the victim doubting their perception and sanity, according to Psychology Today.AD LOADING…And Owens didn’t use the term in the correct context when she went on The Joe Budden Podcast on Saturday (March 16) to lob the accusations against the embattled singer.“I don’t like the game that people play where they do something that is so obviously outrageous, like, you know, Lizzo in a thong shaking your ass cheeks,” she began. “You know what that was.”AD LOADING…She continued: “This is a. Disgusting, b. Perverted, and people take their kids to the games. Is there no space that’s safe? […] And then she’s like, ‘if you don’t like it, that’s your problem.’ Like no, you are being problematic. And now you’re playing the game where you do something outrageous, and then, when we outrage, you pretend that we’re the crazy ones. I’m not dealing with that. Stop gaslighting me, okay?”Check out the full interview clip below.Lizzo’s “problematic gaslighting” called out by Candace Owens(via @JBuddenNetwork) pic.twitter.com/UyhpyJ3plv— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 17, 2024Owens appears to be referring to the 2019 moment when Lizzo made headlines for arriving at a Los Angeles Lakers game in an outfit that exposed her fishnet stockings and backside in a thong.When the Laker cheerleaders performed a routine to her hit “Juice,” the jumbotron showed Lizzo twerking and showing her thong to the camera. Social media erupted with all types of comments from full-on support for her daring outfit choice to fat-shaming.AD LOADING…More recently, Lizzo has come under fire following a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against her by her former backup dancers, which has temporarily been put on pause.Court documents obtained by Billboard reveal that Judge Mark Epstein ordered the case to be stayed as of March 7, as Lizzo’s attorneys appealed a ruling against having it thrown out.AD LOADING…Epstein denied Lizzo’s motion to dismiss because the suit violated California’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) laws, which prevent people and corporations from filing frivolous lawsuits to stifle free speech.It is expected to take several months for the appeals process to conclude.related newsSnoop Dogg, Lizzo & More All Turned Down Jennifer Lopez’s New Film, Doc SaysMarch 1, 2024Earlier this month, Epstein denied the singer’s motion to throw out her sexual harassment lawsuit filed by three of her former backup dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez.It’s important to note that while certain accusations have been dismissed — such as claims that Lizzo fat-shamed one of her dancers — the case as a whole will go to trial.AD LOADING…“It is dangerous for the court to weigh in, ham-fisted, into constitutionally protected activity,” the judge wrote. “But it is equally dangerous to turn a blind eye to allegations of discrimination or other forms of misconduct merely because they take place in a speech-related environment,” Epstein wrote in his decision.

R. Kelly has sued to get his commissary funds back, after they were allegedly taken by the United States government to satisfy a judgment against him.According to court documents obtained by HipHopDX, a hearing on the matter is scheduled for Monday (March 18), with Assistant United States Attorney Kayla Bensing representing the United States. The oral arguments will be livestreamed, and a link to the livestream can be found here.AD LOADING…In March 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Heather Williams was entitled to access the disgraced singer’s label fund — which was reportedly valued at $1.5 million in 2020, according to Billboard — before Midwest Commercial Funding, a property manager that won its own separate $3.5 million ruling against Kelly over unpaid rent on a Chicago studio.The following August, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly signed an order demanding that Kelly and his label, Universal Music Group, turn over more than $500,000 in royalties. The order, which was signed on Wednesday (August 23), previously demanded that the “Ignition” singer turn over $28,000, which was in his prison canteen.AD LOADING…“The defendant is appealing his conviction and the government’s seizure of his substantial Bureau of Prisons commissary account to satisfy the financial penalties imposed in the case,” read the announcement accompanying the livestream link, which also confirmed that each side will have ten minutes to argue their point.Check out the docket and documents below.R. Kelly sues Bureau Of Prisons over seized commissary funds pic.twitter.com/SqGyL8b9Ck— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 17, 2024Heather Williams won a $4 million judgment against Kelly in 2020 after filing a civil lawsuit against him a year prior. She alleged that when she was 16, the “Ignition” hitmaker lured her to his studio on a promise she could be in a music video and then had sex with her multiple times as a minor.Back in November, R. Kelly filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons for allegedly leaking his prison emails and call logs to blogger Tasha K.AD LOADING…According to Billboard, the embattled singer filed the lawsuit in Chicago federal court on Monday (November 13), alleging a Bureau of Prisons agent illegally accessed his digital prison records and sold them to Tasha in 2019.Tasha K is named as a defendant in the suit, with Kelly’s legal team writing that she “rallied her massive following to harass the plaintiff with the use of the stolen information and created chaos in plaintiff’s personal life.”AD LOADING…The leaks left Kelly “isolated and fearful to communicate with his attorneys or other third parties” because he knew it could be “released to the general public for mass exploitation.”The lawsuit notes that an internal BOP investigation revealed that an unnamed officer had pulled R. Kelly’s records from the agency’s digital database of information on prisoners, scanned them, then emailed them to outside parties – including Tasha – and that nothing happened once that was discovered.related newsR. Kelly Says He Wasn’t Aware Of $10.5M Lawsuit Loss Over Threat To Doc ScreeningJanuary 16, 2024“No charges were brought against defendant BOP Officer A, and the government has refused to reveal any details about the investigation including the identity of Officer A,” the complaint reads. “In short, there has been a cover-up of the rampant BOP misconduct that is ongoing.”They also noted that the leaks have continued to happen since the investigation – pointing to an incident over the summer where the $28,000 he had in his prison canteen was discovered and subsequently seized to continue paying restitution to his victims.AD LOADING…R. Kelly’s lawyers allege that the leaks amounted to “negligence, an invasion of his privacy, an intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil theft and civil conspiracy.”A spokesperson for the BOP declined to comment to Billboard, citing agency policy on pending litigation.

Cardi B has said that she’d love to do a collaboration with Rihanna, but there’s something very important holding her back from asking the “Diamonds” singer from doing so.In an interview with Million Dollaz Worth of Game, which dropped on Saturday (March 16), the “Bodak Yellow” rapper revealed that she doesn’t think her voice is as strong as the Fenty creator’s.AD LOADING…“I love Rihanna’s music. But, I don’t [make] music like that,” she said at the 48:15 mark. “I sound kinda stupid trying to sing like that. I sound stupid trying to make music like that. So, if I ever get that perfect record, I can not wait until I feel like, ‘This song…I know she’s going to like it.’ I don’t want to send her nothing like, ‘Ho, what the fuck is this shit? Take this thing out of my face.’”Check out her comments in the interview below.Elsewhere in the same interview, she dove full-on into the ongoing debate on whether couples should split bills 50/50.“This is really controversial,” she stated, in a clip seemingly taped between takes. Then she cited an example of a couple earning equal incomes, but where the man covers all expenses.AD LOADING…“How y’all ever gonna save up to buy a house or buy a business if you make the same money but he pays all the bills?” she inquired. “‘Cause he’s never gonna be able to afford to. Certain things it’s a joint thing to do.”The “Bodak Yellow” icon continued, expressing her belief that online discussions about relationships and finances have distorted perceptions of reality for folks online. “The internet really messes with people’s heads when it comes to real-life stuff,” she added.related newsCardi B Explains Why She Scrapped Her Verse On Ice Spice’s ‘Munch’ RemixMarch 16, 2024Viewers flooded the comment section with overwhelming support, wholeheartedly endorsing Cardi B’s sentiments.“Ppl delulu out here. We have to work together! When that went out of style ?,” questioned one user. “Now, for all you broke women saying only broke men think like this, a rich woman just gave y’all game and you will still disregard what’s being said,” a second user added.AD LOADING…“She ain’t told 1 lie, ppl don’t live in reality that’s the problem,” another commented.However, Cardi B also faced some resistance, notably from one user who argued that being taken care of enables individuals to fully embrace their femininity.AD LOADING…“Black people are the only ones I ever see have this conversation [tear emoji] why is it looked down upon for a woman of color to live in her full feminine energy if a man is willing to provide [woozy face emoji] make it make sense.”

Meek Mill has received an offer from Akademiks that the rapper may find hard to refuse after announcing his intention to enter the podcast game.Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday (March 16), the Dreams & Nightmares rapper revealed that he has a lot to say, and can only say it on a podcast platform.AD LOADING…“I want a podcast deal I have a a lot to say on many different levels!” he said, in part. “If you have a podcast business moving slow I can reverse that! From – meek mill – I’ve always been my own media and I wanna join the culture of black media!“I wanna partner with somebody already good in the business not just dive in! 2 episodes a month! Yeah just a podcast deal my boy…. I just wanna get in media now and rap to tell reforms stories about the system let others share their stories and address all propraganda [sic]… uplift the black culture … stop beefs publicly ..AD LOADING…He added: “it’s gonna be called ‘culture currency’ Teach the level of business knowledge I know from the streets to being around extreme wealth! Like how you had the show on Spotify but fueling street beefs I want that type of opportunity!”That prompted Akademiks, a longtime podcaster and rival, to make an offer to the Philadelphia rapper.AD LOADING…“I’ll offer you a Million dollars up front for you for 52 episodes,” he responded in a quote-tweet. “1 a week. We own video and audio, with a option to renew for a second year. Also we buss down ads 50% on any ads we bring in (Prizepicks, Fashionova etc). You can own the podcast, but we share the IP as long as u in the deal.”Check out the interactions below.Meek Mill says he’s ready to “join the culture of black media” pic.twitter.com/QF8Zu6jfUO— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 17, 2024I’ll offer you a Million dollars up front for you for 52 episodes. 1 a week. We own video and audio, with a option to renew for a second year. Also we buss down ads 50% on any ads we bring in (Prizepicks, Fashionova etc). You can own the podcast, but we share the IP as long as u… https://t.co/B8CcL8lLae— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) March 16, 2024Oh and we’ll handle the production. We’ll record, edit and obviously promo as part of the deal .— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) March 16, 2024This is the latest million-dollar offer made available to the two warring factions.Earlier this month, Damon Feldman — the author of the book 16 Minute Man and the CEO of Official Celebrity Boxing — told TMZ  that he’s made all the necessary provisions for the pair to step in the ring, including booking a venue for May 18 and providing a $1 million purse for the winner, if they will take him up on his offer.related newsAkademiks Fires Back At Meek Mill Amid Diddy Sex Claims: ‘Nobody In Rap Envies You’February 29, 2024“DJ Akademiks, always starting shit — listen, man, you gotta step up,” he said. “I already have the boxing training camp for you at Gonzalez Gym. Raekwon [not the Wu-Tang Clan legend] here is going to train you. Meek Mill, he already has a trainer with Monique Jackson.”Feldman continued: “You gotta make this happen. May 18 in Atlanta. I already talked to my guys down at King of Diamonds. They’re helping get the venue down there. Step up. Celebrity Boxing has $1 million on the table.”AD LOADING…Neither side has taken Feldman up on the offer, so far.

Diddy has been spotted on his latest rare outing amid his sexual assault allegations coming to light, taking in Kanye West‘s Rolling Loud set with his children.TMZ was on hand at the venerated festival on Thursday (March 14) as the embattled mogul appeared with an entourage and his children.AD LOADING…Sources at the festival say that Diddy showed up as the opening notes of Ye and Ty Dolla $ign‘s “Keys To My Life.”Check out the video below.Kanye West and Diddy seemed to have put the past behind them, as back in 2022, the two had a heated exchange over Ye’s “White Lives Matter” t-shirt controversy.The Donda rapper took to his Instagram with a series of posts showing fans the conversation he was having with Diddy via text and made it loud and clear he wouldn’t let his peer stop him from doing what he needed to.AD LOADING…The Bad Boy Records mogul told The Breakfast Club that he did not agree with Kanye’s decision to wear the “White Lives Matter” t-shirt but wouldn’t condemn him either. Kanye caught wind of the comments and subsequently addressed Diddy.“I didn’t like our convo,” Kanye wrote. “I’m selling these tees Nobody gets in between me and my money This is my grandfather texting you now Never call me with no bullshit like that again unless you ready to green light me Cause anybody who got on that tee is me.”related newsDiddy’s Former Charter School Swamped By ‘Fear And Chaos,’ Says ExposéMarch 17, 2024Ye continued to say he would be as quiet as his friend and late fashion designer Virgil Abloh while also admitting he now knows how he’s hurt people his loves with his threats. He then asked Puff to confront him.“Come do something illegal to me noooow pleeeeeeeeease,” Kanye added.AD LOADING…The G.O.O.D. Music founder shared another post letting his fans know they know who the culprit is if anything were to happen to him and revealed he would be selling the White Lives Matter t-shirt on Friday: “THIS IS WHY I’M THE LEADER I JUST MADE BOTH THESE GUYS MY SECURITY CAUSE ANYTHING HAPPEN TO ME YALL THE TOP SUSPECTS IMA BE SELLING WHITE LIVES MATTERS TEES LATER TODAY.”In the next post, Diddy seemingly responded to Kanye’s invitation telling him, “As soon as I land we’ll meet face to face!!! Send me an address.” Ye then likened Diddy to a federal agent after he asked for the address saying: “N-GGA FUUUUUCK YOU YOU FED.”

Sexyy Red‘s performance at Rolling Loud has been met with some pushback from Hip Hop fans, and she simply doesn’t care what they have to say.Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday (March 15), the rapper poked fun at herself while addressing the haters.AD LOADING…“Dis how it be when somebody hear you singing in da shower [laughing face emojis],” she wrote, quote-tweeting a fan who shared a clip of her performance from the venerated festival.The video showed Red singing SZA’s section of “Rich Baby Daddy” in a notably out-of-tune voice a la Biz Markie. The fan responded, “What is this[?]” followed by a series of crying emojis.AD LOADING…Check it out below.Dis how it be when somebody hear you singing in da shower ???????? https://t.co/TPnJ0j5pnd— Sexyy Red (@SexyyRed314_) March 16, 2024While Sexyy Red might not have gotten much love for her singing, the “Pound Town” rapper certainly got support from her fans when she revealed that she’d like to make a special guest appearance on the hit ABC show, Abbott Elementary.Taking to Twitter/X on Tuesday (March 12), the “Pound Town” rapper took a page out of SZA‘s manifestation book and wrote: “How I get on Abbott elementary?”AD LOADING…When it was announced that SZA would be appearing on Sesame Street earlier this month, the SOS singer shared a post from 2017 similar to Red’s that read: “HOW DOES ONE GET ON SESAME STREET !?”Though it took years, it happened for SZA, so perhaps fans will soon be seeing the rapper walk through the halls of the beloved (fictional) Philadelphia elementary school.AD LOADING…When The Shade Room shared Sexyy Red’s post, the comments were overwhelmingly positive as fans brainstormed different roles she could play.“Let her be somebody mama coming late to pick up her kids. Please!” one person wrote, while another said: “She can be Ava’s little sister.”related newsSexyy Red Issues Vicious Response To Adin Ross’ Claim He Took Her To Pound TownMarch 14, 2024A third person added: “Pleaseeee let sexy be a mama who chaperones a field trip.”Additional comments included: “I work in education and there are many women like her in the school system honey. She could be a funny paraprofessional,” “the principal would LOVE to have her there [laughing emojis] i KNO that episode would b hilarious!” and “She got ‘teacher’s aid’ written all over her.”AD LOADING…On the music side of things, Sexyy Red just teased a brand-new song — with a little help from one of Soulja Boy‘s old ones.The St. Louis rhymer hopped on social media on March 9 to share an excerpt of a new song. But she synced up the audio to a 2008 clip of Soulja Boy and crew dancing to his unreleased song “Crank That Billie Jean,” tagging the rapper in the process.

Diddy‘s former charter school, Capital Preparatory School in Harlem, NY, has reportedly faced a string of serious problems.In an exposé written by The Cut, which dropped on Friday (March 15), it was revealed that despite the school’s promises to provide an “elite education” to poor Black students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to such things, Capital Prep — which Diddy co-founded in 2016 — has reportedly done nothing of the sort.AD LOADING…Instead, the article says, the school has been plagued by teacher shortages, high turnover rates, and students who don’t learn subjects for months at a time. It also claims that fights are frequent, communication with parents all but nonexistent, and that the NYPD has been called on students when the administration — already in flux, having gone through seven principals in just as many years — was unable to get a handle on the students.All of this, according to Capital Prep parents, has created a culture of “fear and chaos.”AD LOADING…For its part, Capital Prep denied the article’s conclusions. “We accept and are saddened that some scholars and colleagues were not pleased with their experience,” Shenique Coston, director of communications and development for the school’s network, wrote in a statement to The Cut. “However, we affirmatively state that many of the allegations included in your fact-checking list are fabrications.”Representatives for Diddy and Capital Prep co-founder Dr. Stephen Perry did not respond to requests for comment from the magazine.AD LOADING…Back in November, Dr. Steven Perry, the founder and head of schools for Capital Preparatory, released a statement confirming that the charter school network had parted ways with Diddy.“Following a comprehensive evaluation, a decision has been made to end the partnership between Capital Preparatory Schools and Sean Combs,” Dr. Perry wrote in a statement shared on the school’s official website. “While this decision was not made lightly, we firmly believe it is in the best interest of our organization’s health and future.”AD LOADING…The statement was subsequently deleted.The parting with Diddy came in the wake of the allegations of rape and domestic violence from Cassie, who he dated for a decade until 2018. He denied all allegations and quickly settled the suit, with his lawyer saying the decision “is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”AD LOADING…The second person to accuse Diddy of sexual assault was Joi Dickerson-Neal, who claims that the rapper and producer drugged and raped her in the early ’90s, while also filming the act.He denied these allegations as well, saying through his spokesperson: “This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Ms. Dickerson’s 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”AD LOADING…In late February, before the most recent claims by Lil Rod, Diddy claimed he was a victim of cancel culture in a motion to dismiss the gang rape lawsuit brought against him.Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones (who worked on The Love Album: Off the Grid) accused Diddy of sexual harassment as well as drugging and threatening him.related newsSuge Knight Links Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre’s Ties With Diddy To ‘Secret Society’March 11, 2024According to a trigger warning that prefaces the court documents, the lawsuit contains “highly graphic information of a sexual nature, including sexual assault. Additionally, there are graphic images of the aftermath of a shooting, redacted images of sexual intercourse, redacted images of minors, sex workers, and prostitutes, details of sex trafficking, the illegal distribution of guns, and drugs.”Diddy has vehemently denied all claims, with his lawyer Shawn Holley sharing the following statement with HipHopDX: “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.AD LOADING…“We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with [Lil Rod]’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls.”

Kanye West has roasted Kai Cenat for his recent livestream, which featured him trying on some Yeezy clothes and appearing to poke fun at them.The livestream, which happened on Friday (March 15), featured Cenat dancing around his room in a pair of oversized pants as 50 Cent‘s “In Da Club” played in the background.AD LOADING…“I said a small, not an extra-extra large,” he said. “The fuck am I supposed to do with this shit?”That prompted Ye to fire off an angry DM towards Cenat.AD LOADING…“Don’t make no jokes about my clothes when you ain’t sayin’ nothing about what adidas is doing,” Ye wrote. “When Vultures song came out, you ain’t play my verse. You controlled.”“Fuck you n-gga,” West continued. “You was told to diss my shit. You a pawn.”“The pants Don’t Fit,” Cenat responded. “You think someone told me something? I’ll prove you wrong.”Check out the interactions below.Kanye West hits back at Kai Cenat: “Don’t make no jokes about my clothes” pic.twitter.com/koKNd7G2w5— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 16, 2024Kai responds to Kanye pic.twitter.com/Y2FBpwpKJD— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 16, 2024West’s manager John Monopoly reached out to Cenat after the exchange. You can view their talk here.Kai Cenat is certainly no stranger to controversy.AD LOADING…Last month, the popular Twitch streamer reacted to Killer Mike’s Best Rap Album victory at the Grammys with a profane rant, seemingly shocked that it had triumphed over Drake and 21 Savage‘s Her Loss, Travis Scott‘s Utopia, and Metro Boomin‘s Heroes & Villains (King’s Disease III by Nas was also nominated, but went unmentioned by Cenat.)After addressing the rant with a brief mention on the Baller Alert show, Mike went into more detail while talking with The Breakfast Club on Valentine’s Day.related newsJoe Budden Called Out By Kai Cenat & Adin Ross Over Furious Tirade Against StreamersFebruary 8, 2024“Don’t be afraid to own it. Like, I made the best rap album last year. I know my guy Kai was upset, man. Shouts out to Kai Cenat,” Mike said. “Hey man, I didn’t know who the fuck you was either. But listen, now that I know my n-gga – man, let me bring a broom through ya room, player! See if we can put it together. I wanna see you win. I wanna see it happen. I’m sorry your boy didn’t get it – well no I’m not, because I won.“But shouts out to Travis. I’ve seen him grow from SXSW. I ain’t got no hate for nobody. I want you to win but if we competing, I absolutely want to win and I will rap a muthafucka under the table.”AD LOADING…Mike went on to say that while Cenat may not care for the album now, he does believe its content will mean much more to the livestreamer as he gets older.“I’m just here to tell Kai … you’re a leader. You will lead a team, you got a bunch of money now,” he added. “As you grow into your leadership, this album’s gonna be more and more relevant to you. As you matriculate more into adulthood, because you’re a young man, this album is gonna mean more and more to you.”

Lil Jon has made quite a few changes in his life lately, and one of those changes included a conversion to Islam.In a Facebook video posted on Friday (March 15), the “Turn Down For What!” rapper can be seen taking the shahada (that is, the Muslim declaration of faith) at the King Fahad Mosque in Culver City, CA.AD LOADING…Lil Jon took the shahada during the month of Ramadan, which takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a month marked by fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.Check out the video below.Lil Jon converts to Islam at Culver City mosque(via FB: King Fahad Mosque) pic.twitter.com/cXietlDeca— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 16, 2024HipHopDX has reached out to the mosque, and to Lil Jon’s publicist, for a statement.Last month, in an interview with XXL following his recent appearance at Usher’s Super Bowl halftime show, the crunk legend shed light on his latest project, which is called Total Meditation.AD LOADING…Jon explained how divorcing his wife and turning 50 — both of which happened in the last few years — led him down a different path, both personally and professionally.“I’ve always kind of meditated a little bit. But when I turned 50, started going through a lot of things,” he said before dropping the bombshell news that he and his wife are no longer together. “Started going through a divorce, I’m separated now.AD LOADING…“And all the emotions from the divorce and all that process was really getting to me. So, I found I had to start to go within to calm myself.”After news of his divorce broke, a rep for Lil Jon told PEOPLE: “Nearly two years ago, Lil Jon and his wife Nicole decided to separate. This is an amicable split, and while Lil Jon is a public figure, his family matters will remain private at this time.”AD LOADING…The former couple tied the knot back in 2004 and have a son named Nathan who is now 26. They got married six years after first meeting and had largely kept their relationship out of the public eye.As for his guided meditation album, news of Lil Jon’s drastic sonic (and spiritual) direction change emerged earlier this month.related newsUsher’s ‘Yeah!’ Gets ‘Freek-A-Leek’ Remix Treatment After Lil Jon Revisits BackstoryFebruary 16, 2024The 10-track project, which arrived on February 16, aims to help listeners “relieve anxiety, boost focus and find peace,” Jon told XXL.The initial announcement caught fans by surprise, with some likening it to André 3000’s New Blue Sun, which found the OutKast luminary swapping the bars for ambient flute instrumentals.AD LOADING…“DAWG WHAT IS IT WITH ICONIC RAPPERS AND MEDITATION ALBUMS NOWADAYS LMAO. FIRST ANDRE 3000 NOW LIL JON WHAT IS GOING ON,” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).Another said: “Okay but let’s get into Black men doing mindfulness work! First 3K and now Lil Jon? Will be putting this in my rotation.”