Marvin Vettori sharpens his boxing and BJJ skills and enjoys an Italian-style meal from his nutritionist. Champ Israel Adesanya cools off in the pool before training with teammate Brad Riddell. Deiveson Figueiredo takes a rematch personally.
Mariah Carey's looking to downsize and try something new -- that's the real reason she's parted ways with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, not any personal feud ... TMZ has learned.
Sources close to the situation tell us ... Mariah prefers to work with a smaller team where she has more personal time with managers, and Jay's powerhouse agency has a more wide-ranging business model.
We're told at Roc, artists like Mariah could have 20 or more people working on her team in various departments -- marketing, social media, music, merchandise, etc. -- and she simply felt it was time to pare down to a more intimate team.
Our sources say there was no "explosive argument" between the 2 music legends as reported by some outlets -- something Mariah shot down on Twitter. We're told they actually decided a couple months ago to amicably end the business relationship that started in 2017.
Carey's joining Range Media Partners, a move we're told also coincides with her manager Melissa Ruderman doing the same thing. Ruderman left Roc in early 2021 to become a partner in the music division at Range, and we're told she's still going to be working with Mariah.
Range is no small agency, but our sources say it uses smaller teams of skilled managers for clients ... which is exactly what Mariah wants these days.
Some of Range's other clients include Anna Kendrick, Bradley Cooper, Naomi Ackie, Michael Bay, Emilia Clarke, Johnny Depp, Taron Egerton, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy and Keira Knightley -- all big names in TV and film, but now they've got a music icon too.
NEW YORK (ABC7 Chicago) -- The Chicago-based lawyers representing R. Kelly in his New York trial have asked to withdraw from the case.
In a letter to a federal judge in New York, Steve Greenberg & Michael Leonard asked to step back from the case.
"Our reasons for withdrawal are significant & it is impossible, in our belief, for us to be able to continue to properly represent Mr. Kelly under the current circumstances," Greenberg wrote in a letter to the judge.
Kelly is set to appear in August on federal sex trafficking charges.
Greenberg said in a statement: "Ultimately, as trial lawyers & in the interests of the client, we weren't comfortable professionally with allowing lawyers who have never tried federal criminal cases to have significant trial responsibilities. That approach was not to everyone's liking."
Greenberg also said that he plans on making a similar request with the judge presiding over Kelly's case here in Chicago.
The remaining lawyers, however, said the two were terminated.
Two other attorneys remain a part of Kelly's legal team - Tom Farinella and Nicole Becker.
Farinella & Becker said in a joint statement to CNN, "The only comment we have at this time is that Mr. Kelly terminated both lawyers prior to filing their motion."
US District Judge Ann M. Donnelly, who would need to approve Greenberg & Leonard's departure from the case, has set a status conference to discuss the matter on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Mauricio Wendello - A Made Man (Prod. Serious Beats) (New Official Audio)
Lansing, Michigan emcee and Clientele Int. CEO, Mauricio Wendello, comes through with "A Made Man," the latest single off of his forthcoming project titled "The Blow Tape." Available July 2021.
Wiz Khalifa, who is one of the world’s top recording artists, is an avid fighting enthusiast. So much so that he’s placed his financial backing into the Professional Fight League (PFL) as part of its ownership group.
After starting as a boxing fan and subsequently gaining attraction to MMA, Khalifa says, his cousins convinced him to get into a gym and train jiu-jitsu. That was roughly five years ago. From there, he’s “never looked back” as far as making it part of his lifestyle. He’s in the gym five days a week at Unbreakable Performance Center in Los Angeles, and when the opportunity came up to become an investor in the PFL — arguably the number-two MMA league behind the UFC right now — he jumped on his chance to plant his roots even deeper in the fight game and attach his brand to the organization.
“They looked as me as a special key player not only in the fight game, but just in the the entertainment world, as well, and we all we feel like we have something to offer,” Khalifa tells Rolling Stone. “I love the fact that it’s an alternative to what’s already out there. People deserve to be able to make a decision with what they not only want to watch, but where they want to fight. The fighters who don’t have contracts and want to get that notoriety, I see them coming over to the PFL and being huge superstars. I see a lot of people from different sports crossing over to the PFL. I see celebrities and entertainers. I see everything. There’s countless opportunities for it.”
Could one of those celebrity crossovers be Khalifa himself? He wouldn’t be the first person with a strong following from another industry to try his hand; just this weekend, YouTube celebrity Logan Paul got in the ring with veteran boxer Floyd Mayweather, sparking record viewership. Khalifa admits he’s given it serious thought. He takes his striking and grappling training seriously and knows that throwing fists with someone in a sanctioned environment is no joke — but it’s also quite a tempting idea.
The stars would have to align for it to happen, he says. Given his fame and status, jumping in a cage isn’t going to just happen on any given day against a random opponent. The situation would have to be right. “I definitely have interest in doing it myself,” Khalifa says. “I’m going to keep it clean as one of the owners now and I’m just going to take the steps, but I’m always training and if the opportunity presents itself and it’s something fun and it’s something that’s fun and it can be good for everybody, I don’t see why not.”
He adds: “I look at [the fighters] and I think it’s really entertaining and fun, and I think they’ve got a lot of balls for doing it. I respect it and I love it. It doesn’t make me more antsy or anything, but just for the entertainment side of it and the sports side of it, I love watching it.”
Khalifa’s personal tie-in to the fight is likely to only get stronger PFL grows. The promotion has a different format than anything else in the space, with a structured regular season with standing that lead to playoffs and an eventual championship final that pays the winner of each weight class $1 million. The next event airs June 10th on ESPN2.
PFL’s CEO Peter Murray says Khalifa’s involvement is thorough and genuine; he’s not merely a face for the brand. Khalifa is interested in daily happenings and has passion for the long-term, which is exactly what Murray wants from an investor.
“We’re excited about Wiz as part of our investor group,” Murray says. “He’s a music and cultural icon and the conversation started because it was such a natural fit, because MMA is part of his lifestyle. He’s training and he’s passionate about the sport as a fan, and part of his overall training regiment. He believes in where the sport is headed and he believes in where the PFL is heading.”
If Khalifa’s MMA involvement does reach the next level where he decides to fight, he says there’s only one song that could get him hyped up as he walked to the cage. “It would have to be ‘Black & Yellow’,” Khalifa says, with a laugh. “There’s no way around it.”
In this clip, Boosie spoke about being confused about white guys pulling some of the baddest Black women he's seen, and Black guys getting with "Miss Piggy"-looking white women. Boosie went on to speak about celebrities appearing to have bleached their skin, including Sammy Sosa, who Boosie says looks like a "cookies and cream" candy bar. To hear more, including Boosie telling Serena Williams that "we need you to look Black right now."
Follow Boosie's new Instagram at @hesbackagain2021
A trial date has been set for the alleged drug dealers accused of selling Mac Miller the counterfeit pills that killed him.
Miller – whose real name was Malcolm McCormick – died on September 7, 2018 at the age of 26. A coroner’s report later revealed his cause of death to be “mixed drug toxicity”, with fentanyl, cocaine & alcohol found in his system at the time of his death.
In 2019, three men – Cameron James Pettit, Andrew Walter & Ryan Michael Reavis – were charged with selling cocaine, oxycodone & Xanax to the rapper. Two days before his death, Miller bought a mix of substances, including the three aforementioned ones.
Prosecutors claimed that the pills given to the star were counterfeit & laced with fentanyl. Walter allegedly supplied the pills to Pettit, while Reavis was allegedly employed as a runner.
US Attorney Nick Hanna said the defendants had “allegedly continued to sell narcotics after Mr McCormick’s death with full knowledge of the risk of their products”.
The three men have been held without bail for over two years in Los Angeles. Their trial is now set to begin on November 16, 2021.
Reavis is reportedly also facing charges of fraudulent schemes & artifices, possession of marijuana, possession of prescription drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, weapons misconduct by a prohibited possessor & manufacture of a prohibited weapon.
Champ Israel Adesanya and Brad Riddell acclimate to the Arizona heat. Marvin Vettori preps for a title rematch. Brandon Moreno shows off his collections. Leon Edwards wraps a long training camp. Nate Diaz and team set up shop in the desert.
During UFC welterweight Leon Edward's current nine-fight unbeaten streak he faced Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in Singapore for a Fight Night main event. Edwards will face Nate Diaz at UFC 263 on Saturday, June 12.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy accused in a teenage girl’s slaying is facing a charge of evidence tampering, authorities say.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza said in a news release that Crystal Lane Smith, 35, was arrested Saturday morning in St. John’s County. She was later released on $25,000 bail.
It was not immediately clear if she has an attorney to speak for her.
An arrest warrant claims that Smith scrubbed a pair of jeans belonging to her son, Aiden Fucci. He is being tried as an adult on a murder charge in the death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey, whose body was found May 9 in a wooded area.
She had been stabbed 114 times.
The arrest warrant says a surveillance camera inside the home recorded Smith washing her son’s jeans, which later tested positive for blood. Traces of blood were also found in a sink drain.
Evidence tampering is a third-degree felony in Florida.
“Tampering with evidence is tampering with justice and cannot be excused or tolerated,” Larizza said.
Fucci has pleaded not guilty to Bailey’s slaying and is being held without bail. The knife believed used in the killing was found in a pond near the crime scene.
Kamaru Usman is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC—a dominant and reigning Welterweight Champion who has defended that title on four straight occasions. But how is he with spicy wings? Find out as the "Nigerian Nightmare" tries to put the wings of death in a chokehold while discussing fellow fighters like Francis Ngannou, breaking down the secrets of "sweet spots," and explaining the global appeal of Burna Boy.
Logan Paul came out swingin' ... but in the end, Floyd Mayweather is just too good.
There was no "official" winner in Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather -- but we didn't need judges to see the domination after it went the distance, a full 8 rounds.
26-year-old Logan came out strong Sunday night & even landed a handful of serious power shots.
But, 44-year-old Floyd ate everything Logan had & began to really open up in round 3 in front of a fired-up crowd at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
From then on ... it was pure Mayweather domination.
Logan looked like he started to gas in round 3 ... Mayweather looked fast, strong & confident all the way to the end.
The fight was an exhibition -- so there is no "official" winner ... but everyone knows Floyd gets the "W."
Floyd praised Logan after the fight -- "He was better than I thought he was."
Mayweather says Paul would have his work cut out for him against real heavyweights -- but called Logan a "good guy" & admitted, "I had fun."
Logan was equally respectful -- saying, "Floyd Mayweather, it was an honor ... this is one of the greatest moments of my life."
"This is the coolest thing ever, I'm happy I made it out ... he's tough to hit.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with the legendary producer, DJ and rapper:
Soul Brother #1, The Chocolate Boy Wonder...
PETE ROCK
Here's what we dug into with one of the most iconic and influential producers in hip-hop history:
• Hip-hop being born in the Bronx and having its roots in the Caribbean. • Being cousins with Heavy D and how he helped Pete get his big break. • Marly Marl putting Pete on the air at age 13. • How important Heavy D and his legacy are to the culture. • His parent's record collection and how much it impacted his ambitions. • Meeting James Brown at age 7 and Pete's favorite JB songs. • The influence of Marley Marl, Howie Tee, Large Professor, and Prince Paul. • Making the albums 'Mecca And The Soul Brother' and 'Main Ingredient'. • The process behind the creation of 'They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)' • Pete's brother Grap Luva and his contributions on 'Mecca And The Soul Brother'. • Kanye West taking inspiration from Pete's production on 'I Got A Love'. • What it was like working with Run DMC on 'Down With The King'. • Being inspired by the militant sound of Public Enemy's production team The Bomb Squad. • Getting on the roster for 'Illmatic' and the producers competing with each other. • Pete producing the original mix for Biggie's 'Juicy' and BIG not liking the beat initially. • Love for Marvel's the Hulk and comparing the Wu-Tang members to superheroes. • Pete's long-time friendship with producer Madlib as well as DJ Premier. • The loss of Phife Dawg and how much it deeply affected Pete. • How it feels to be a go-to classic producer for the younger generation of NYC hardcore emcees. • A breakdown of the differences between the SP-1200 and the MPC. • Why Pete feels hip-hop instrumental albums are so important. • If we'll be seeing another Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth album. • Pete goes on to name off some of the projects he has in the works right now.
TIME STAMPS:
3:04 -- The interview begins with talk about hip hop's emergence from the South Bronx and it's roots being in Jamaica. They discuss Pete being brought up by Jamaican parents in the Bronx and moving to Mount Vernon at 7 years old. Being cousins with Heavy D, Pete details what it was like in the early days growing up with Hev and CL Smooth. He also digs into how he met Marley Marl at age 13 getting a spot on the air DJing which helped Pete build a name for himself and led him to getting regular gigs doing live shows.
8:17 -- Pete is asked if he can identify elements of hip hop that are rooted in Jamaican influence. They talk about the godfather of the culture Kool Herc himself being a Jamaican immigrant, Heavy D's reggae being underappreciated, Pete singing the hook for one of Hev's classics at 15 years old, parties at Pete's parents crib and they further discuss how deeply important Heavy D and his legacy is, Pete thanking Hev everyday for giving him the opportunity to shine.
12:22 -- Pete speaks on how having parents with a deep record collection and strong knowledge of music set the stage for his destiny of becoming one of the most iconic hip hop producers in hip hop history. He tells how his dad showed him how to take care of the records, taught him about the artists, Pete tells the story of meeting James Brown at 7 years old and names off his top five JB tracks of all-time.
17:27 -- Talib brings up Pete's name being featured on a flyer in the movie Juice, proving Pete's status as one of the most sought after DJ's at the time. They dig back into how important Marley Marl was, reflect on Pete blessing Black Star with the 'Respiration Flying High Remix', discuss how much DJ/Producer Howie Tee inspired Pete, as well as picking up tricks of the trade from Large Professor and Prince Paul's production style having a huge influence as well.
25:07 -- Pete discusses how important the album 'Mecca And The Soul Brother' was and Talib asks Pete "what the f*ck was going on in your brain when you decided to make that album." Pete replies with "things like time didn't matter when you're making magic." He details what he said to CL the last day of completing the record and they discuss the song 'Straighten It Out' pointing to bootleggers, along with issues of sample clearance and how much that's changed the game.
32:59 -- Pete details his process as a producer when he first heard Tom Scott's 'Today' that he would end up sampling for Pete and C.L.'s monumental classic 'They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)'. They also discuss Pete's childhood friend "Trouble" T Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz who the song was dedicated to, Pete's asked about C.L.'s unique contribution to hip hop, how Pete and C.L. initially started working together and how at that time all the right things were falling into place.
39:28 -- Pete is asked about his brother Grap Luva and his contributions freestyling on the album 'Mecca And The Soul Brother' and they also go on to discuss Pete and C.L.'s second album 'Main Ingredient'. They talk about the group's move to more love themed tracks on that record, Pete's take on C.L.'s bar "I'm lettin off on anybody tryin' to steal my DJ", his feeling going into making that album as well as Biggie sitting in with Pete when he produced 'In The Flesh'.
44:38 -- Talib brings up an interview where Kanye West notes how much inspiration he took from Pete's production on 'I Got A Love', Pete talks about his experience working with Kanye on 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' and why Pete had so much love for the Greene St. Recording studio. They also dig into Pete and C.L. making 'Down With The King' with Run DMC, what it was like working with the legendary duo and the process of laying down the production for that track.
51:04 -- Pete speaks on another one of his huge production influences being Public Enemy's Bomb Squad. He talks about being at Green St. Studio for the making of Ice Cube's 'Amerikkka's Most Wanted, Pete drawing from the Bomb Squad's militant sound for his remix of PE's 'Shut Em Down' as well as how that song opened people's eyes and ears to who Pete Rock was. They then go on to discuss how Pete was brought on to the roster of Nas' 'Illmatic' and all the iconic producers on that album secretly competing with each other.
56:22 -- Pete is asked about his producing the original mix for Biggie's classic 'Juicy' as well as how Puff and Trackmasters took credit for it but gave him the consolation of producing the remix and Pete reveals how Biggie originally wasn't a fan of the beat. Talib and Pete also reflect on touring together with the group Slaughterhouse and they discuss Pete's love of Marvel's the Hulk character as well as how much Talib and Pete enjoyed working with the group Camp Lo who Talib said challenged him.
1:04:30 -- Talib thanks Pete for asking him to contribute three verses on 'Soul Survivor II'. Pete is also asked to break down his comparison of Wu Tang Clan to Marvel superheroes, for him the Clan being the Avengers of hip hop. They also go on to talk about Pete's long time friendship with producer Madlib, Pete's excitement of Talib and Diamond D's 'Gotham' and how Pete feels about the future of his team the Knicks and them being in the playoffs this year.
1:10:59 -- Pete speaks on his and DJ Premier's history of working closely together on so many iconic projects over the years. They also talk about Pete's love of the Native Tongues family as well as his close friendship with Phife Dawg and how much the loss of Phife deeply affected Pete. Jasmin also goes on to ask Pete how it feels to be go-to classic producer for the younger generation of NYC hardcore emcees like Skyzoo, Benny The Butcher, Smoke DZA, Max B and Jim Jones and others.
1:14:58 -- Pete is asked about his move from using the SP-1200 to the MPC for making beats and if he can break down the most significant differences between the two machines. They also discuss Pete working on a Petestrumentals 4, a new artist he's bringing out named Ameer, why Pete feels these instrumental albums are so important, things going full circle with J Dilla inspiring Pete and working with the live band The Soul Brothers on Petestruemntals 3. Pete's also asked if we'll be seeing another Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth album anytime soon as well as what else he might have coming down the line.
As promised top 5 DOA emcee Ransom aka Duffle Bag Ran delivers his highly anticipated "Se7en" EP. Features on the project include Royce Da 5'9, Lloyd Banks, J. Arrr, and IX Wulf.
Production credits: V Don, Chup the Producer, 38 Spesh, Ransom, Lord Sear and Nicholas Craven.
The Good People - The Greater Good (New Album) Ft. Lords Of The Underground, Craig G, John Jigg$
THE GOOD PEOPLE (the dynamic duo of Saint and Emskee) bring you their highly anticipated new release, THE GREATER GOOD – Now available everywhere music is streamed and sold! The new 14-track project features production by Saint, bars by Emskee with additional features by Lords of the Underground, DJ C-Reality, DJ Ace, Mikey D, Tone Spliff, Craig G, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Skanks the Rap Martyr, DJ Eclipse, Rasheed Chappell and Mxnxpxly Family! Tune in and run it up!
01. The Greater Good 02. Sound the Horns 03. Good Lord Ft. Lords of the Underground & DJ C-Reality 04. No Sweat 05. Ace & Two Kings Ft. DJ Ace 06. Nyghtlife Ft. Mikey D & Tone Spliff 07. Fire! Ft. Craig G 08. Nuthin’ Left Ft. Shabaam Sahdeeq, Skanks the Rap Martyr & DJ Eclipse 09. Six Shooter Ft. John Jigg$, Mouf, Rocwelz & Nam Nitty 10. Underdogs 11. On the Move 12. Different Moves Ft. Rasheed Chappell 13. The Knock 14. Grown
Executive produced by Irving Alan ‘DJ Digit Al’ Flack Mastered by Jake Palumbo at the Space Lab, Brooklyn, NY Design and layout by Mr. Krum Distributed by NEXT Records, LLC