AMO98, age 22, was born in San Francisco to a Guyanese mother and a American father. His family moved to a small town in Maryland when he was young. In this more rural setting, he had his first encounters with racism and classism, and began writing poetry in middle school. At 14 he witnessed the death of a close friend, an experience whose painfulness he began to express through rap music. After finishing high school, AMO98 spent a year in the UK obtaining a degree in the culinary arts in anticipation of a potential career as a chef. This exploration of another passion of his, and his introduction to the contemporary urban UK music scene, only served to strengthen his conviction that music was his true passion, while augmenting his sound with some aspects of grime and UK drill. He returned to the state of his birth, settling down in Los Angeles, and began to build an independent catalogue.
AMO98’s music is characterized by infectious energy, catchy hooks, and a keen interest in storytelling. What sets him apart from the crowd is his profound sensitivity, which lies at the core of some of his most memorable songs, and allows him to tap in to a fuller range of emotion. AMO98’s life has been defined by contrasts, and in this way, his work is a reflection of that life. His debut project, Atheist Angel, is as contradictory musically as its name and cover art suggest, and unquestionably succeeds in achieving the aim of every debutante artist, of making a powerful first impression. His latest single Triple Threat feat Brooklyn native Casanova recently debuted at #22 on Chicago's top 50 hip-hop charts .
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 15, 2020 at 7:00am
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Rochester, New York's own YEAROFJORDN & Brogawd are back with “Ice Cream for The Block” the first single off their forthcoming joint project "Outer Heaven" solely produced by Queens, New York producer Adwerdz.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 4:30pm
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrested two people in connection to the January shooting death of local rapper.
On Jan. 15, an off-duty officer saw the victim, Charles Quentin McCormick Jr., also known as "Lilbuck," gunned down in a drive-by around 11 a.m. outside a business in the 7000 block of Merill Road, according to our news partners, the Florida Times-Union.
The officer chased the car until it crashed and the two suspects fled on foot.
The suspects then committed a home invasion blocks away, holding the homeowner hostage while they changed their clothes and waited to be picked up in a red or orange Dodge Charger or Challenger, police said.
Detectives were able to identify one of the shooting suspects as 21-year-old Hakeem Robinson, JSO said. Robinson is a local rapper known as Ksoo.
On Sept. 10, Hakeem was arrested and charged with murder in the second degree.
His father, Abdul Robinson, 49, was also arrested and charged with accessory after the fact, which is a capital felony.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 2:30pm
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — A Rwandan court on Monday charged Paul Rusesabagina, whose story inspired the film “Hotel Rwanda,” with terrorism, complicity in murder, and forming an armed rebel group.
Rusesabagina declined to respond to all 13 charges, saying some did not qualify as criminal offenses and saying that he denied the accusations when he was questioned by Rwandan investigators.
Rusesabagina, 66, asked to be released on bail, citing poor health that has caused him to be taken to hospital three times in the time that he has been held in Rwanda.
“I request that I am given bail and I assure the court that I will not flee from justice,” Rusesabagina said. The court said it will rule on his bail application on Thursday.
Rusesabagina, credited with saving more than 1,000 lives during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, appeared in handcuffs in Kagarama Court in the capital for a pre-trial hearing, in which the prosecution requested court permission to continue detaining him until investigations are completed.
Rusesabagina was represented by Rwandan lawyers David Rugaza and Ameline Nyembo, who have been discounted as state-imposed representation by his family outside Rwanda.
Neither his lawyers nor the prosecution explained the circumstances under which Rusesabagina arrived in Kigali at the end of August from Dubai. He had traveled from the U.S. to Dubai and then mysteriously appeared in Rwanda. The Rwandan court said the suspect was arrested at Kigali International Airport, contradicting the earlier police version that he was arrested through “international cooperation.”
When Rwandan President Paul Kagame spoke on national broadcasting about the case, he indicated that Rusesabagina may have been tricked i nto boarding a private plane in Dubai that took him to Rwanda.
Amnesty International on Monday urged Rwandan authorities to guarantee Rusesabagina his right to a fair trial.
“The lack of transparency around the arrest of Paul Rusesabagina and reports that he has been denied access to the lawyer hired by his family are red flags that cannot be ignored as the authorities prepare for his trial,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 2:07pm
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China Mac reacted to R. Kelly getting assaulted in prison and said that's what should be happening. He added that convicted rapists and child molesters should have a rough time in prison. When informed that an R. Kelly support rally may have triggered a lockdown, which caused the attack, China Mac rejected the theory and said lockdowns usually happen when there's a security issue inside the prison. He goes on to explain that a pen is a common weapon in prison due to its small size and accessibility.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 1:21pm
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Cops in Arizona say they had to sic one of their K-9s on a guy who was allegedly fleeing in a high-speed chase -- and just released body camera footage shows they released a K-9 on him that bit him repeatedly ... despite the fact, he seemed to be compliant at the time.
Prescott Valley Police recently tried explaining what happened after reports of alleged excessive use of force back in May on a suspect -- 28-year-old Alfredo Saldivar ... in which one of their officers released the police dog on him when they appeared to have the guy trapped with guns drawn.
PVPD also released body cam video from at least one officer on the scene, and it seems to show that Saldivar complying with their commands to surrender when another cop, off-camera, released their K-9 partner for some reason.
It's very graphic, but we'll just say this ... the dude is screaming and begging for them to get the dog off. They look to be taking their time ... and even congratulate the K-9 as they approach, saying, "Good boy."
As for why the dog was used at all when it seemed like Saldivar -- whom cops allege was speeding through their town at high rates of speed and initially refusing to pull over -- was doing what he was told ... the department says it appeared he hesitated while standing up and there was concern he would try to flee (again).
Watch for yourself and draw your own conclusions. In any case, cops say he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and eventually arrested on a number of felony charges.
In the meantime, the department says it has launched an internal investigative review of the situation.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 12:28pm
"La Cocina" is the name of Fredo Pounds' forthcoming collaborative Album of gritty sounds over soul samples and hardcore smooth boom bap sounds. Produced by Pots&Pans and dropping soon!
In the meantime, check out Fredo's "97 Hov" freestyle.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 12:07pm
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In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with comedian, actor, writer, and producer Hannibal Buress. The often-laugh-out-loud episode has plenty of insightful moments too -- including talk about Hannibal's latest comedy special 'Miami Nights' now available on YouTube. The crew also goes on to discuss the Twitter drama that ensued after Hannibal joked about his landlord status, people not believing his real name is Hannibal, growing up in Chicago and the hometown comedians that influenced him, how he overcame his drinking problem, dealing with color-ism growing up, his work with Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, and how his mother being a teacher impacted him on his path to success.
Later in the episode, Hannibal, Kweli, and Jas chop it up about how Hannibal met Eric Andre while homeless and Eric shooting his pilot episode in a rented bodega. Hannibal gets into landing a spot doing a set on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,' leading to spots at more writer's tables -- including 'SNL' and '30 Rock.' They touch on his work on the show 'Broad City,' what made the Knitting Factory venue in Brooklyn so special, why Hannibal respected how People's Party handled JPEG Mafia's memorable appearance on the show, police and their lack of emotional intelligence, the 'Rise Of The Karens' phenomenon, and Hannibal's latest podcasts and projects titled: '50 States Of Bowling', 'Splitting Tens,' and 'Spades Night'.
TIME STAMPS:
2:10 -- Hannibal speaks to his satisfaction of his latest comedy special 'Miami Nights' finally coming together over the last few months. Talib recalls a moment at the barbershop where he thought he might be getting hit on, he asks Hannibal if he's still DJing as Burgerfeet, and Talib reveals the best DJ trick to mask poor beat-matching. Hannibal is asked if he still struggles with women due Hannibal Lecter defaming his name, Hannibal tells how he got so deep into drinking, moments that brought him to sobriety, and how he's maintained it.
13:33 -- Hannibal speaks on the revelation that he's a landlord and the Twitter drama that circulated around it with a specific group of Bernie Sanders' supporters. Hannibal digs into the nonsensical way these people want to group him in with the types of old money supers that caused the financial crisis. They also discuss Talib's twitter feed, and how Hannibal had to unfollow him.
25:29 -- Jasmin asks Hannibal about his growing up in Chicago, noting some similarities with Bernie Mack, and asks what were his major influences growing up in the windy city. He also talks about going to college with rapper/comedian Open Mic Eagle, they discuss Hannibal's work with Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, and Talib asks Hannibal how his mother being a teacher has impacted him on his path to success.
31:03 -- Hannibal is asked about his experience dealing with colorism as a youth, being called names due to his dark complexion. They also discuss Eric Andre calling Hannibal a sociopath in interviews, they go into how he met Eric Andre while homeless, and shooting the first episode of his show in a rented bodega used as the set.
37:57 -- Hannibal talks about early career success and his jobs on 'Saturday Night Live,' '30 Rock,' and 'Broad City.' They dig into his character Lincoln Rice on Broad City and how it's not much of a stretch for him to play that role. He talks about how he landed a gig writing for Late Night With Jimmy Falon, as well as how that led to even bigger opportunities.
42:28 -- Hannibal is asked what made the Brooklyn Knitting Factory Show comedy club showcases so special. He talks about being the first performer ever at that location, notes some of the great acts that came through there and reflects on Dion Cole's performance that blew the roof off. He mentions how people traveling from abroad would always remind him of how great and memorable those sets were.
46:14 -- Talib brings up Hannibal calling up Talib and explaining to him why he wanted to do Miami Nights and distribute it for free on YouTube. He talks about how/why covid drove that decision. Jasmin brings up Hannibal's re-recording of 'My Name Is Hannibal' to attain his own rights the masters, and asks him if he thinks this will become even more common as artists seek to reclaim rights from major labels.
52:35 -- Hannibal mentions how he appreciated how JPEG Mafia wasn't exploited after his appearance on People's Party, Jasmin goes on to ask Hannibal if Miami is a place he enjoys turning up, and if he would prefer having a bad show over getting arrested. They also discuss the problem with the amount of cops that lack emotional maturity to do their job properly, and the quotas that only contribute to the issue.
1:02:19 -- Hannibal talks about how he gained love for bowling after moving to LA leading to him creating a podcast '50 States Of Bowling', delayed since the shut-down. He also talks about his gambling themed podcast called 'Splitting Tens', as well as his show 'Spades Night', and speaks to how the game was made for a project like this. He also expands on the hilarious idea he had for an episode of the players wearing hazmat suits once covid hit.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 11:57am
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Brandy has been making history in music and entertainment since she first debuted with her hit single “I Wanna Be Down” back in 1994. Recently setting an new bar for the mega Verzuz Battle with singer Monica, Brandy has a lot to celebrate as she’s still making history today and just released her latest album ‘B7’.
Speaking with the Power 106 Morning Show crew Teddy Mora, Melissa Rios, and DJ Carisma, Brandy opened up about all the love she’s received since releasing a new album after an eight year hiatus. With the Verzuz battle breaking streaming records across the board, Brandy confesses that she’ll never forget the experience of sharing her music and says that a possible tour with Monica would be something special as the two have only performed their Grammy award winning single “The Boy Is Mine”.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 10:11am
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — A court in Slovenia on Friday sentenced a 22-year-old woman to two years in prison for deliberately cutting off her hand with a circular saw to make a fraudulent insurance claim.
The district court in Ljubljana said Julija Adlesic agreed with her boyfriend to have her left hand severed above the wrist at their home in the capital early in 2019. She was found guilty of attempted insurance fraud.
About a year earlier, she signed contracts with five different insurance companies, the court said. The woman stood to collect more than 1 million euros, about half paid immediately and the rest in regular monthly installments.
Her boyfriend was sentenced to three years in prison while his father received a one-year suspended sentence.
The pair had taken her to the hospital, saying she had injured herself while sawing branches. Authorities said they left the severed hand behind rather than bringing it to the hospital to ensure the disability was permanent. But police recovered and it was reattached.
Prosecutors said that days before the incident, Adlesic’s partner searched for information on the internet about how artificial hands work. They claimed that this was another proof that it was done deliberately.
During the trial, the woman claimed innocence, saying she would never have cut off her hand deliberately.
“No one wants to be crippled,” she told the court. “My youth has been destroyed. I lost my hand at the age of 20. Only I know how it happened.”
The trial has attracted lots of public and media attention in the small Alpine state.
“We believe the sentences are fair and appropriate, and will serve their purpose,” judge Marjeta Dvornik said.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2020 at 9:53am
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As a member of both Dot Mob and Coastwave Regime, Trav Da Assasin, has earned well deserved recognition as an elite lyricist. As he works on his solo album titled "T.I.M.E.," Trav offers fan a warm up in the form of a new banger called "State of the Union" featuring Coastwave boss and fellow New Jersey emcee, J-Ness.
When RnB/Soul (and a dash of true hip hop essence if you ask me) song writer "17," music came our way we were impressed. It was different. An entire different vibe from what everyone else is doing. He was original in his sound. The music let off a positive energy. And we knew immediately we were going to feature his latest single, "Seventeen" in an up coming article. So we began our research...and here's the part that let us know we were seeing the rising in someone who well deserved it.
"17" is so much more than a recording artist. This Baltimore, Maryland native is also a recognized director and actor. Working hard to reach this point with his music, 17 gives credit to rubbing shoulders with the likes of Raheem Devaughn, Timberland, Common, Missy Elliot, Miguel, among others, along the way and picking up what knowledge and understanding he could in those instances. But he accredits alot of it to RnB artist Lil Mo. It was Lil Mo who put 17 on the tour bus and the road with her as her videographer.
And this young man is using those opportunities of learning to push forward with his own passion. And his numbers are growing. Especially with his latest single release "Seventeen." soulful melodies capture you in the instrumental and 17 does his magic lyrically. Making it an instant classic for any music lover. As you will quickly learn...most of 17's music has that quality. Check out the video to "Seventeen" below. This is an artist worth following!
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 13, 2020 at 5:00pm
Kobe Bryant's former teammate, Pau Gasol, just paid perhaps the greatest tribute to him and his late daughter, Gianna Bryant, by bestowing her name onto his own flesh and blood.
The former Laker announced the birth of his and his wife's first child -- a girl that they've named after Gigi. He also made sure to reference what Kobe has become known as in the wake of his death ... an awesome girl dad.
Pau broke the news in both Spanish and English, writing ... "Our little one has finally arrived!! The delivery went really well and we couldn’t be happier!! Elisabet Gianna Gasol, a very meaningful name for our super beautiful daughter!! #girldad."
He also posted a shot of him and Catherine McDonnell holding Elisabet's little hand, with the kid getting a firm grip on her mom's forefinger.
It's a great way to honor Kobe, who was Pau's teammate through some crucial championship runs in the early late 2000s. He remained on the Lakers through 2014, so he knew KB and his family well.
Kobe and Gianna died, along with 7 others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas last January -- devastating the NBA community and the world.
Clearly, Kobe meant a lot to Pau. Congrats on the new addition to your fam!
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 13, 2020 at 4:45pm
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In this clip, the mother of the late FBG Duck— LaSheena Weekly spoke on begging her son not to retaliate after his brother was killed.
Weekly also talked about her son’s legacy and how certain songs pulled him out of a period of being blackballed, and said the rapper was more than the “drill music” titled that the media was trying to place on him. Weekly also touched on the passing on FBG Brick.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 13, 2020 at 4:40pm
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In this VladTV clip, BG Knocc Out spoke on LA gangsters taking out Biggie, 2Pac, and Pop Smoke.
The rapper noted all three of those situations were different, but the street mentality finds people from the city taking out folks for “next to nothing.” BG Knocc Out then advised people to tread Los Angeles carefully.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 13, 2020 at 4:05pm
Twenty fours years ago today, Tupac Shakur, succumbed to injuries suffered in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas strip after attending the Mike Tyson vs Bruce Seldon fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, six days prior.
He was 25 years old.
The fact that his murder remains unsolved is mind boggling.
Tupac is widely considered to be the greatest rapper of all time. On April 17, 2017 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the first solo rapper to receive the honor.
The "Keep Ya Head Up" hit maker was also an accomplished actor, best known for his role as Bishop in the 1992 film, "Juice."
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