While many Danity Kane fans are excited for the group’s return, there’s a noticeable absence from the line-up: Dawn Richard. In a new interview, the former Danity Kane and Dirty Money singer opens up about why she isn’t a part of her ex-groupmates new chapter. “I don’t agree with the way I’ve been betrayed,” Richard tells the Cocoism podcast. “If you know me…I would never hurt anyone, I would never talk ill of someone…I’m not that person.” According to Dawn, the “narrative being spun” about her is, in fact, a “lie.” She continued, “I’m nowhere near perfect, but I’m not the person they say I am. Dawn claims she had been “iced out” of the decision to bring the group back together. At one point during the convo, one of the hosts implied that Dawn’s absence was almost an insult to the group because she helped create their name back on MTV’s Making the Band. “I wasn’t involved; I was iced out of this one. That’s a choice [they made], but I’m not going to go back and forth and be messy and call myself ‘the mother’ [of the group because I came up with the name]. I wish it could be all five of us.” Diddy Breaks Silence On Dawn Richard’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Back in September 2024, Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit accusing Diddy of brutality and sexual abuse. Richard claims she first noticed his troubling behavior during auditions for his 2004 reality show Making The Band. According to her, he referred to the women as “fat,” “ugly,” “b*ches,” and “h*es.” She also alleges that Diddy forced her to rehearse for up to 48 hours straight, often without sleep. On one occasion, she claims Diddy “demanded she come to his Miami home,” and when she arrived, he was allegedly not wearing underwear. “This is my f*king house!” he reportedly yelled. Not long after the news broke, Diddy’s legal team fired back with a statement. “Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit,” Diddy’s lawyer Erica Wolff said in a statement, AllHipHop reports. “In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a payday — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.”

According to Kevin Durant, regular grooming rituals — like getting haircuts, lotioning, and even showering — are a waste of time. “For what?” he told the UNGUARDED podcast. Apparently, to the NBA legend, daily hygiene routines just aren’t that important to him anymore. “Why get cuts? Why lotion?” Durant said. “I don’t lotion my body like that. I might lotion my hands if they a little dry, but I don’t.” That said, Durant never stays unkempt too long. Durant reveals that every so often, he’ll get a haircut if a barber happens to be around. “What make me get a cut, for real, is when I’m in my room playing the game and my homies like, ‘Yeah, we got the barber on the way,’” he continued. “‘All right, f*ck it. If y’all getting a cut, I go get one, too.’ I ain’t calling them myself.” On the other hand, according to Durant, he wasn’t always this way. Early in his career, the basketball player did care about his appearance, but it eventually became too time-consuming. “I really used to care at some point about like, ‘Man, I need to get a cut this week,’” he continued. “Then after a while, I was like, I’m way more relaxed when I’m just not giving a f—k.” He added, “So I just start getting cut, stop lotioning. I stop taking showers.” Kevin Durant Netflix Docuseries Is Underway In other news, back in October, it was announced that a project documenting the come-up of Kevin Durant will soon be headed to your living room. Netflix is diving deeper into basketball with a new project chronicling the illustrious career of Houston Rockets star forward Kevin Durant. The series will chart Durant’s life on and off the court: his upbringing in the Washington, DC, and Maryland area, college at the University of Texas, his immediate impact in the NBA, and his role representing the United States in the Olympics. As the release notes, the series will be directed by Emmy Award winners Michael D. Ratner (Kids Are Growing Up; Justin Bieber: Our World; Dancing With the Devil) and Robert Alexander (A Man Named Scott, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, Shaq). Viewers can expect to see Durant’s most revealing interviews to date, with appearances by his mother, father, brother, coaches.

Anthony Joshua completed his mission. The two-time heavyweight champion defeated Jake Paul by 6th-round TKO. In front of a capacity crowd at Ksaeya Center in Miami, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) landed 48 of his own 146 punches. He started off slow, although he had every conceivable advantage. Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) landed only 16 shots on Joshua, and spent most of the early rounds trying to evade his opponent before he got caught with a devastating right hand. While he admitted that it wasn’t his best performance, Joshua praised Paul for his performance. “What I could have done better is a lot of things, 100%. In the fight game, you’ve seen the amazing fighters that have graced us over the last hundred years. The expectations that we put on ourselves are immense, but I tried my best,” Joshua said. View this post on Instagram “Jake [did] well while it lasted….I wish that I could have knocked him out at the start, but as we saw tonight, Jake has spirit,” Joshua continued. “He has some heart. He tried his best, and I take my hat off to him.” Paul shared that he was not surprised that he lasted almost six rounds with Joshua. “I just got tired, to be honest,” Paul said. “It was just so much handling his weight. I think if I could have had better cardio, I could have kept it up and kept on fighting. But he did amazing, he hits really hard. I just did my personal best.” During the fight, Paul’s jaw was broken in two places by Joshua. Instead of speaking at the post-fight press conference, he drove himself to a local hospital. In the co-main, MVP’s undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (17-1, 7 KOs) delivered a dominant performance over  Leila Beaudoin (13-2, 2 KOs).  Baumgardner retained her unified WBA, WBO, and IBF world titles. Also on the main card, the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Anderson “The Spider” Silva (4-2, 3 KOs boxing, 34-11, 22 KOs MMA) defeated American MMA champion and combat sports icon Tyron Woodley (0-3 boxing, 19-7-1, 7 KOs MMA). Silva stopped the bout at 1:33 of the second round, earning a TKO victory.

U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall on Friday vacated the conviction of Karl Jordan Jr. in the 2002 killing of Run-DMC co-founder Jason William Mizell, known as DJ Jam Master Jay, concluding prosecutors failed to prove a key element of their case. View this post on Instagram Judge Hall granted Jordan’s motion for a judgment of acquittal, overturning his February 2024 conviction for murder while engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and a related firearm offense. The decision leaves intact the conviction of co-defendant Ronald Washington and sends a major jolt through a prosecution tied to one of hip-hop’s most notorious unsolved killings. Mizell was shot and killed inside his Queens recording studio on Oct. 30, 2002. The case remained cold for nearly two decades before federal charges were filed. Prosecutors alleged the killing stemmed from retaliation over a collapsed cocaine distribution scheme involving a planned Baltimore operation. Jordan, who is Mizell’s godson, was accused of participating in the conspiracy and firing the fatal shot. The government argued Mizell’s role as a middleman blocked profits and motivated violence. Judge Hall rejected that theory as unsupported by the trial record. Karl Jordan Jr.’s Jam Master Jay’s Murder Conviction Overturned by Federal Judge “The court is not convinced,” Hall wrote in a 29-page opinion. She said the government offered “no evidence suggesting that Jordan felt cheated by the failure of the Baltimore deal” or was motivated to kill Mizell over drugs. The court characterized the prosecution’s motive theories as “impermissibly speculative and just conjecture.” Hall acknowledged evidence showing Jordan participated in drug activity at the time. Still, she found prosecutors failed to connect that conduct to retaliatory intent. She ruled Jordan met the heavy burden required under Rule 29 for acquittal. The court conditionally denied Jordan’s request for a new trial, rendering it moot after vacating the conviction. Hall denied similar motions from Washington, finding sufficient evidence for a jury to infer he sought retaliation after being excluded from a potentially lucrative deal. Washington remains convicted. At trial, prosecutors relied on eyewitness testimony. Uriel “Tony” Rincon testified Jordan fired the fatal shot. Another witness, Lydia High, said a man with a neck tattoo greeted Mizell moments before gunfire. High also testified Washington held her at gunpoint as she tried to flee. Jordan, who was 18 at the time, has long maintained an alibi. His defense has pointed to Jay Bryant, whose DNA was found on a hat at the scene. Bryant has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in May 2026. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York said it is reviewing the decision.

Sitting down together in a recent interview, Papoose and Claressa Shields addressed the public unraveling of Papoose’s marriage to Remy Ma. This relationship once stood as one of hip-hop’s most durable unions. Married for more than 15 years, the pair became the focus of intense attention last year as personal tensions spilled into public view. What followed was a cycle familiar in modern celebrity culture. It consisted of silence, speculation, and rapid-fire judgment online. The situation reached a turning point when divorce papers were filed in late July. Rumors moved faster than facts. Online chatter suggested Papoose had exchanged messages and gifts with Shields. Meanwhile, Remy Ma was linked to battle rapper Eazy The Block Captain. All parties have denied infidelity, though disbelief has lingered among fans. As the story evolved, private disagreements hardened into a public dispute. This dispute was fueled by commentary that blurred gossip and reality. Shields Speaks, Papoose Denies Cheating The strain was most visible in the growing tension between Remy Ma and Shields. After the divorce filing, Remy publicly asked Shields to stay quiet, a request Shields rejected. “I’m gonna say what the f**K I want to say! Yes, we’re going to have a family, and yes, we’re happy!” Shields said. She added that Remy would be welcome in her presence as long as the energy remained respectful. The remarks further polarized public opinion, keeping the story alive across social media. During the conversation, Papoose held firm that cheating was never part of the breakdown. This was even during the marriage’s most difficult moments. He and Shields both said they wished Remy well as she moves forward with Eazy The Block Captain. Still, speculation flared again after a video showed Shields wearing a ring on her left hand. She later shut down engagement rumors. She clarified, “PAPOOSE hasn’t proposed YET!”

Kendrick Lamar, one of modern music’s most decorated figures, has quietly set the internet in motion with a brief but telling public moment. The Pulitzer Prize winner was spotted alongside Compton rapper Chef Boy at the TDE Christmas event, an appearance that immediately drew attention across hip-hop circles. Their exchange, casual on its surface, carried the weight of possibility. For fans accustomed to Lamar’s calculated silence, even a few words were enough to ignite curiosity. In footage shared by Kurrco on Twitter, Lamar offered open praise, telling Chef Boy, “You going crazy!” The moment quickly escalated when Lamar added, “We got one coming, it’s nothing. Say less.” The phrasing was deliberately vague, but unmistakably confident. As with most Lamar sightings, the ambiguity only intensified the reaction. Whether this signals a new Kendrick Lamar album or a focused collaboration remains unclear. Recent chatter has already linked Lamar to projects outside music, including work with the creators of South Park, along with unverified tour speculation. Still, the most immediate takeaway centers on Chef Boy. A feature, joint release, or creative mentorship all feel plausible within Lamar’s carefully paced career arc. “We got one coming, say less.” — Kendrick Lamar pic.twitter.com/rlaNzoIzCR — Kurrco (@Kurrco) December 19, 2025 Chef Boy’s Momentum Builds Chef Boy, a rising voice out of Compton, has steadily gained attention in recent months. His track “Gang Gang,” featuring YS, Hitta J3, Rosecrans HopOut, and PHOPHO8IGHT, has positioned him as part of a growing local wave. Lamar’s public acknowledgment alone carries weight in the industry. With that visibility, Chef Boy’s profile could rise sharply heading into 2026. Lamar’s recent low-key appearances, including a quiet stop at a USC basketball game, have only added fuel to ongoing theories about what comes next. Still, longtime fans know restraint is essential when tracking his moves. After all, Lamar once waited five years between DAMN. and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. If history is any guide, patience will be part of the process.

Atlanta’s hip-hop scene is once again confronting questions of loyalty, forgiveness, and public accountability as familiar relationships come under renewed scrutiny. Signals from Young Thug and 21 Savage have reopened conversations about unity, even as Gunna’s position remains uncertain following his plea deal connected to the YSL RICO case. The mood across the city’s rap community is measured, balancing optimism with restraint. For many fans, this feels less like resolution and more like a pause before difficult decisions are made. That tension sharpened when Young Thug addressed 21 Savage directly on social media, writing, “Fk the streets @21savage.” The remark came after 21 Savage publicly urged reconciliation between Thug and Gunna, challenging the rigid codes that have long governed hip-hop disputes. In a separate post, 21 Savage made his stance unmistakable: “@gunna @youngthug Y’all n*as fix that s**t… you know he wasn’t tryna leave you to hang.” The exchange quickly rippled through the industry, drawing sharp reactions from supporters and skeptics alike. Despite the sharp language, Young Thug’s response to 21 Savage carried warmth, if not clarity. There has been no public indication that he has reached out to Gunna or that a broader reconciliation is underway. Instead, the silence between the two artists continues to fuel debate. In Atlanta hip-hop, absence often speaks as loudly as confrontation. View this post on Instagram Loyalty, Accountability, and a Public Divide Young Thug and 21 Savage now sit at the center of a wider argument about consistency and credibility in rap culture. Critics question whether calls for unity can hold weight without reckoning with past choices and alliances. Supporters counter that growth requires abandoning cycles of punishment and retaliation that have defined too many chapters of the genre. The divide reflects a culture wrestling with its own maturation. For many observers, any meaningful path forward hinges on whether Young Thug and Gunna can resolve their rift directly. Without that step, skepticism is likely to persist, regardless of gestures made elsewhere. Even reconciliation, should it arrive, may invite continued criticism in a genre trained to interrogate motive as much as outcome. Elsewhere, 21 Savage has modeled a different approach. After a brief online clash with Future, the two artists quickly diffused tensions with an apology and a FaceTime call. The moment offered a reminder that conflict in hip-hop does not have to calcify. Repair, when pursued earnestly, can still happen in real time.

Singer Ella Mai is publicly speaking about her baby boy since giving birth. Ella Mai sat down for a candid interview with KISS XTRA where she opened up about life since welcoming a child with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Mai described him as the center of her world adding that she could not live life without him. Host, DJ Ace, asked if she sees her baby pursing basketball or following her path in music. “You know what, it’s giving a little bit of both right now,” Mai replied, “We might have a little singing hooper on our hands.” The ‘Boo’d Up’ singer also spoke about intentionally maintaining her privacy during her pregnancy.  “Yes, there’s cameras everywhere, but if you’re intentional with the way that you move, it’s not that hard to not be seen, honestly”, Mai shared. “I only really have to show people what I want them to see. While I was pregnant, I didn’t stay inside all the time. I didn’t not go outside. I went outside, I was intentional with where I went because I knew that I wanted to keep my peace.” In 2024, fans caught glimpses of Mai’s pregnancy status at various public appearances. She later appeared holding her newborn in behind-the-scenes footage following Team USA’s gold medal win at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Yet, both she and Tatum have kept their family life away from the media. The British songbird shared that when she initially pursued a music career, her only focus was to become an artist. But now as a new mother, she experienced a shift in perspective and hopes fans can hear her growth in her third album, Do You Still Love Me? The new project, releasing Feb 6, follows Mai’s six-city “Did You Miss Me?” Tour  Jayson Tatum is already a father to Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr., aka Deuce. In 2017, he found out his high school girlfriend, Toriah Lachell, was pregnant. “I wasn’t ecstatic,” Tatum said (via ABC). “I was a little selfish at that point because I knew that I was about to go chase my dream and be in the NBA. I felt like that was going to affect what people thought of me, affect where I went in the draft.”

Speculation about a past romance between Wale and Solange Knowles has circulated quietly for years, fueled more by curiosity than confirmation. During a recent appearance on Club Shay Shay, the rapper addressed the rumors directly, leaving little room for ambiguity. “No, we were really good friends,” he said, describing a relationship grounded in trust and creative alignment rather than romance. The remark brought a definitive close to a narrative that had long existed without his voice. Wale spoke warmly about Solange’s influence during a formative period of his career, particularly outside the studio. He credited her with expanding his worldview, including an introduction to fashion circles like Givenchy. “If anyone knows Solo, they understand that she’s always ahead of the curve. She recognized my potential before many others did,” he said, framing her as an early believer rather than a romantic partner. Wale noted that he is currently single, while Solange was previously married to director Alan Ferguson before their separation in 2019. Wale on the Kai Cenat Moment That Went Viral The interview also touched on a more recent moment that drew intense online attention. Wale revisited his brief exchange with streamer Kai Cenat at the BET Awards, a clip that went viral after Cenat appeared not to recognize him. “That sh*t made me look crazy now, just so you know. They’re running with it, but we’ll talk later,” Wale said, acknowledging how quickly the moment took on a life of its own. Cenat later addressed the incident, insisting it was unintentional. “To Wale, I hope he didn’t take my interaction personally. Honestly, how could I not be oblivious?” he wrote. Even so, Wale admitted the episode lingered with him. “Kai Cenat discussing mental health is relevant now,” he said. “After dedicating 13 years to this industry to support the culture, to see online the narrative of ‘@KaiCenat didn’t know who you were’ is disheartening.”

21 Savage turned to X to advocate for unity between Young Thug and Gunna, invoking their shared history and the value of loyalty. “Y’all need to work this out. You’ve shared love, and Gunna never aimed to betray you,” he wrote, framing the dispute as a personal rift rather than a public spectacle. He highlighted the emotional toll of prolonging conflict and stressed that loyalty should guide their choices, even amid disagreement. Addressing Lil Baby, he broadened the conversation to emphasize responsibility within their community. He suggested that acknowledging missteps is part of sustaining trust. “Admitting our brother was swayed is part of loyalty,” he said, reinforcing accountability as an act of care. The post resonated widely, drawing attention from both fans and fellow artists invested in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene. The following day, Young Thug responded in a manner that was personal but indirect. While he did not explicitly reference the call for reconciliation, his words carried warmth and openness. “I love you, my brother, you’ve always been there for me,” he tweeted, signaling a willingness to engage rather than close the door. As of now, 21 Savage has not replied publicly. @21savage I love u my brada, u always been with me. — Young Thug ひ (@youngthug) December 18, 2025 Young Thug’s Subtle Response Prior to this exchange, Young Thug had made remarks perceived by some as critical of Gunna, suggesting feelings of betrayal and tension. Gunna responded thoughtfully via Instagram, reflecting on integrity and resilience. “The true measure of strength lies in maintaining a compassionate spirit when life tests you,” he wrote, choosing reflection over confrontation. The timing of the post suggested it was aimed at addressing the ongoing dynamics. The dialogue between these artists highlights the complex interplay of loyalty, growth, and accountability in Atlanta hip-hop. Fans and peers continue to watch closely, hoping that reflection may lead to reconciliation. For now, the story remains unresolved, with the conversation shaped as much by careful silence as by the statements themselves.