The Caribbean Music Awards are almost here — and HOT 97 is bringing you closer to the action than ever before! Hosted by the hilarious Majah Hype, the night will showcase unforgettable performances from some of the biggest names in music, including Busta Rhymes (recipient of this year’s Elite Icon Award), Kranium, Chronic Law, Lady Lava, Ding Dong, and more. The show kicks off at 8 PM sharp and promises to be a historic celebration of Caribbean culture and sound. Busta Rhymes to Receive Elite Icon Award In a landmark moment, Busta Rhymes will be honored with the Elite Icon Award, recognizing his legendary influence on music and culture. Fans can also look forward to a one-of-a-kind live performance as Busta hits the stage to deliver an unforgettable set. HOT 97 is giving fans the chance to experience the Caribbean Music Awards live! Couldn’t grab a ticket? We’ve got you covered. HOT 97 will be live-streaming from the red carpet at HOT97.com, on the HOT 97 app, YouTube, and Twitch — bringing you interviews, behind-the-scenes action, and all the fashion moments. View this post on Instagram A post shared by HOT 97 (@hot97) Don’t Miss Out If luck isn’t on your side, you can still secure your spot at this cultural celebration. Tickets are available now at CaribbeanMusicAwards.com. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Caribbean Music Awards (@caribmusicawards)

Memphis Bleek had addressed Tony Yayo comments when he claimed Jay-Z doesn’t treat him the same way he gets treated by 50 Cent. During an appearance on Drink Champs, Bleek took some time to set the record straight after hearing Yayo’s remarks. The Brooklyn rapper said that Jay-Z is under no obligation to finance his career and he is doing quite well on his own. “I seen something Tony Yayo said Hov don’t look out for me like 50 look out for him. I just want to clear that up, Hov don’t have to. You know what I mean,” Bleek said. “I’m chewing a lot on my own. If Hov look out, I’m telling you, I’ll be up there. So when y’all see me out here, that’s the Blizzo budget. I just want to let n***as know Hov don’t have to.” On an episode of Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Yayo shared his thoughts on the difference between Jay-Z and 50 Cent’s relationships with their protégés. Yayo went on to state that his and 50’s relationship is more genuine.  “It’s a difference. Jay-Z, never really like […] Memphis Bleek, you would say he was his friend, but it was different for us.Me and 50 was more friends […] I’m not saying them n***as wasn’t friends, but when you look at me and Fif, it’s like alright cool,” said Yayo. “Jay and Bleek did they sell drugs, like in the same area? I was on the block with [50 Cent]. I can compare us to Jay and Bleek. What I’m saying to you is I feel like me and Fif have more of a friendship because Jay-Z is more business.” “You gotta understand, lot of artists don’t get treated [well],” Yayo continued. “People think that Fif is a bad guy, but when you’re staying in the Four Seasons, you got the Eiffel Tower there, you staying at the W in Bahrain sipping Ranis on the water.”

Cardi B appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday to answer to a civil lawsuit connected to an encounter from 2018. The complaint was filed by security guard Emani Ellis, who says she was attacked outside a Beverly Hills medical office while Cardi was pregnant with her first child. Ellis alleges the star spit on her, used racial language, and left a mark on her face with her fingernails. On the stand, Ellis described the incident as frightening. She recalled recognizing the Grammy-winning artist and blurting out, “That’s Cardi B.” According to Ellis, the rapper then came toward her in an aggressive manner. “She touched my nose but scratched my cheek,” Ellis testified, adding that the injury left her shaken. Cardi B arrives for testimony at civil trial in Alhambra, Calif., says she “never” touched the security guard suing her with claims of assault and battery pic.twitter.com/sm5XBz5wO1 — Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) August 26, 2025 Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Almanzar, firmly rejected that account. According to ABC 7, speaking outside of court, she told reporters that “nobody touched” Ellis and insisted the altercation was purely verbal. Her defense team argued that Ellis was attempting to film Cardi on her phone as she walked into the doctor’s office, despite the rapper being visibly pregnant at the time. Cardi’s lawyers emphasized that she was simply protecting her privacy during a sensitive period in her life. Legal analyst Brian Buckmire explained the defense position: “But according to Cardi’s defense, there was no physical altercation, what was a 60- to 90-second verbal altercation with no physical violence.” During cross-examination, attorneys challenged Ellis’ credibility, pointing to what they said were contradictions in her previous reports. Questions were raised about whether she was holding her phone close to her face or not, and whether she was touched on the nose or scratched on the cheek. The case names several claims, including assault, battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment. Ellis is pursuing monetary damages as the civil trial moves forward.

GloRilla just added another ride to her garage after Yo Gotti pulled off yet another over-the-top birthday surprise. On Monday, August 25th, the rapper revealed that her CMG boss gifted her a brand-new Cadillac Escalade, showing fans the big moment in a video she shared online. The clip captured GloRilla’s genuine shock as she took in the sight of the luxury SUV. “Oh s**t,” she blurted out before breaking into laughter. “Thank you!” she added, before jokingly asking, “How [do] I cut this b***h on?” Gotti then stepped in to let her know it was a push-to-start vehicle. Yo Gotti copped GloRilla a brand new Cadillac for her birthday. pic.twitter.com/pj9mfg9M5I — Rap Alert (@rapalert6) August 26, 2025 The “TGIF” hitmaker captioned the post with “Work hard, play harder” and mixed in a few gym snapshots, showing both her excitement and her determination. Latto jumped into the comments to cheer her on, writing, “Aweee, Gloria, [you] make me so happy.” Another follower praised Gotti’s generosity, reminding everyone that “Gotti don’t play ‘bout Glo.” This is not the first time Yo Gotti has gone all out for her. On her 25th birthday, he surprised her with an Audemars Piguet watch. “Oh my God. I wanted one of these so bad,” she said at the time, adding, “Gotti, how did you know I wanted this?” When she turned 24, he marked the occasion with a Maybach SUV, sharing his appreciation for her hard work and trust in the CMG family. Her 26th birthday arrived on July 28th, just after she wrapped up her first-ever Glo Bash in Memphis. The homecoming show doubled as the closing date of “The Glorious Tour”

Death Row co-founder Suge Knight claims that Drake’s Tupac chain is not real. During a recent interview with Art of Dialogue from his prison cell, Knight claimed the Death Row Records chain formerly belonging to Tupac is fraudulent. “Well, I’m quite sure it’s not true,” said Knight. “When I came up with the idea to make the Death Row chain—one, it had never been done before. Two, it was like wearing a, you know, it was like having your flag, your rag. You can’t tuck it, It means something.” According to Knight, he was the only one authorized to give out authentic chains to represent the record label. He went on to say that Snoop Dogg was the first one to receive the but exchanged it for a “ custom dog paw believing a Death Row chain would cause too much controversy.” Knight also said Dr. Dre and a few others had chains, but others did not. “None of the b**ches on Death Row had Death Row chains. The Dogg Pound [Kurupt and Daz Dillinger] didn’t even have Death Row chains,” Knight said. After Tupac’s release from jail in 1995, Knight claimed that he would give him his own Death Row chain, but he turned down the offer. “He’s like, ‘Shit, you my big bro. Let me wear yours, that’s more important. I don’t want a first one, I want to wear the one you got,” he said. Knight recalled that “Tupac wore his diamond-covered chain immediately upon his release, and no one else had that piece.” “That’s not Tuac’s chain. It’s not a Death Row chain. Whoever sold you that chain, Drake, you need to go beat his motherf**king ass. Crazy,” Knight said.

When it comes to sexual partners, Tyrese Gibson recently admitted that his body count is through the roof. During a revealing appearance on Kirk Franklin’s Den of Kings podcast, along with Skyh Black and DJ Montay, Gibson spoke candidly about the large number of sexual partners he’s been with and the impact those encounters had on him. “I believe my number is a little scary,” Gibson said.“I got to a point where a powerful man of God asked me a question. Without even coming at me, he just said, ‘Hey, Reese, let me ask you, man. How many more?’” Gibson shared that he was already doing introspection on himself when the question was posed to him. “I already had it in my head that I’m doing too much, too often. Too many cities, too many states, too many countries. It’s too much.” “You either a sex addict and you out here just trying to put your weewee in everything and you just losing your damn mind, or it’s coming from something,” he continued. Eventually, the singer/actor concluded that his sexual lifestyle was something that he couldn’t maintain. “What’s triggering your sexual appetite? Why do you want to do so much with so many?” he asked. “I had convinced myself that at a certain point, it’s going to be over. All of this access that I have to all of these women, it’s going to be over soon. It’s going to be another situatoisere one minute you hot, and the next minute you not.”

Black athletic excellence is coming to Walt Disney World! Several elite Black college basketball programs will participate in the first-ever HBCU Hoops Invitational at Walt Disney World Resort on Dec. 4-7. According to the press release, the women’s bracket includes Bethune-Cookman University, Hampton University, Edward Waters University, and Cheyney University. The tourney features Florida A&M University, Tuskegee University, Florida Memorial University, and Barber-Scotia College, while the women’s bracket includes Bethune-Cookman University, Hampton University, Edward Waters University, and Cheyney University.  The highly anticipated games will take place in the State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in a single-elimination format with the chance to claim the inaugural HBCU Hoops Invitational titles. View this post on Instagram A post shared by HBCU Hoops Invitational (@hbcuhoopsinvitational) “The HBCU Hoops Invitational is far more than a basketball tournament—it’s a powerful celebration of heritage, excellence and the limitless future of HBCU athletics,’’ said HBCU Hoops Global vice president Haywoode Workman, a former NBA veteran before becoming an NBA referee. a “We are building a legacy that extends well beyond the court to open doors to academic achievement, career readiness and financial opportunity for our scholar-athletes.”  In addition to the HBCU Invitational, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is hosting the WBCA Showcase (Nov. 20-23) and the ESPN Events Invitational (Nov. 24-28) during the Thanksgiving holiday week.  “We are excited about the opportunities to bring thrilling, family-friendly events to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and this HBCU Hoops Invitational adds to our lineup of high-caliber youth and college events,’’ said Jorge Senior, Disney’s Director of Sport Planning and Development. “If you’re a college basketball fan, there’s no better place to be during the holidays than at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.’’  Tickets for the HBCU Hoops Invitational are on sale now at www.hbcuhoops.org.

Lil Nas X has entered a difficult chapter after being arrested in Los Angeles following an incident that drew widespread attention. The rapper was seen last week wandering the streets in only his underwear and cowboy boots, before removing the rest of his clothing in front of startled bystanders. Police eventually stepped in, and reports suggest there was a struggle before he was taken into custody. Officers first brought him to a nearby hospital, saying they believed his erratic actions might have been linked to possible drug use. After being cleared, he was transferred to Van Nuys jail where he spent the weekend awaiting his court appearance. On Monday, the 26 year old appeared before a judge and was hit with four felony counts. These include three charges of battery on a police officer causing injury and one charge of resisting an executive officer. Together, they carry the possibility of up to five years in prison. Court filings show he pleaded not guilty and waived a formal arraignment. His bail has been set at seventy five thousand dollars, with conditions that require him to enter an outpatient program and avoid any possession or use of illegal substances. The rapper himself has not released a statement since the arrest. His father, Robert Stafford, spoke to TMZ and asked the public to support his son. “He’s great. God is good, God has a plan,” Stafford explained. “I think you all know everything that you need to know about what happened Thursday.” When asked if drugs played a role, he responded, “absolutely not.” Stafford stressed that his son is in strong mental health and remains hopeful. “He’s in good spirits,” he shared. “He’s very remorseful for what happened, but you know, it can happen to any family. He’s gonna get the help that he needs, and just keep him in your prayers.”

Wale recently revealed what rappers would made his all-time list. During a conversation held at Soho Works in Brooklyn as part of the PLLRS series, presented by Little Engine Media, the Grammy-nominated rapper, accompanied by his longtime manager, Kazz Laidlaw, Wale shared his favorite MCs.  “Mt. Rushmore is a racist thing…” Wale told host Keith Nelson Jr., “But…my favorite rappers? Jay-Z. Black Thought. Lil Wayne. J. Cole.” He also listed AZ as an influence who is “super important.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by PLLRS (@thepllrs) Elsewhere in the interview, Wale also shared that the lack of support by Atlantic Records for his early Afrobeats collaborations was almost detrimental to his career. “I think it hurt me to my people a little bit. They couldn’t understand why these songs weren’t getting promoted. There’s a whole generation of people who don’t even know that I did it,” Wale explained. “A lot of these Gen Z kids don’t know that I took Wizkid to his first BET Awards. They don’t know we have about nine songs together. It was detrimental because Shine was my worst-selling album.” A known sneakerhead, Kazz spoke about how Wale was one of the first rappers to wear Anthony Edwards’s AE1 shoe on “Damage Control.” “Last year, after the AE’s, I think we caused a little bit of a storm for them. Ant was super appreciative of it, so he and his A&R approached me at the beginning of the year, like, ‘We have to get him on this album.’” He also shared his plans to develop his own signature sneaker line. “We’re going to have to draw a line at some point. We’re going to see. Hopefully it goes one way, but if it goes the other way, then it’s going to go the other way,” Wale said. “Something good is going to happen. I’m leaving here with something.”

Snoop Dogg recently admitted that a trip to the movies turned into something he never expected. While speaking on the It’s Giving podcast, in a segment that has since been deleted, the rap icon explained that watching Pixar’s Lightyear with his grandson brought up questions he wasn’t ready to answer. The 2022 animated film shows Buzz Lightyear’s close friend Alisha Hawthorne starting a family with her wife, which includes a short kiss between the two women. According to Snoop, his grandson immediately wanted to understand what he was seeing. “‘They just said, she and she had a baby — they’re both women. How does she have a baby?’” the child asked. Snoop admitted that he felt unprepared, saying, “I didn’t come in for this s—. I just came to watch the goddamn movie.” He confessed the situation left him rattled. “It f—ed me up. I’m like, scared to go to the movies. Y’all throwing me in the middle of s— that I don’t have an answer for.” The moment reflected a much larger conversation surrounding the film. Disney and Pixar originally considered removing the kiss, but after employee pushback over what was seen as censorship, the moment was restored. Producer Galyn Susman described the decision as important, saying the relationship was meant to be “loving and inspirational.” Despite the creative defense, Lightyear faced bans in multiple countries, including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Director Angus MacLane expressed frustration, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, “The controversy is whether or not you think it’s appropriate for people to love each other. That’s a thing that’s a controversy? I don’t know where to begin on that one.” For Snoop, though, the film became less about international debates and more about being a grandfather. “These are kids,” he said. “They’re going to ask questions. I don’t have the answer.”