Bobby Shmurda's fresh ink is meant to honor 3 heroes of his -- one historical, and 2 with whom he has a much more personal connection.
The rapper's tattoo artist, Daz Leone, tells TMZ ... he met up with Bobby at his studio in the wee hours of the morning Wednesday, where he was in a mixing session with his engineer for some new music.
Daz says Bobby wanted to get a Harriet Tubman tat on his arm because she's an idol of his, and so are his single mother and grandmother who raised him.
We're told Shmurda's body art is meant to honor strong Black women, and for Tubman specifically ... Daz says Bobby told him her story has always resonated with him as he first learned about her in school, and even more in recent years.
According to Daz, Bobby's planning to get more tattoos acknowledging Black history after this one. Daz also tells us he's known Bobby since they were kids and he's one of the first people he ever tattooed ... so his ink is always on the house.
As we've told you ... the rapper was released from prison early in February after spending 6 years behind bars. He's a free man now, but still must abide by special parole conditions.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest and death, accusing them of willfully violating the Black man’s constitutional rights as he was restrained face-down on the pavement and gasping for air.
A three-count indictment unsealed Friday names Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao. Specifically, Chauvin is charged with violating Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force by a police officer. Thao and Kueng are also charged with violating Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizure, alleging they did not intervene to stop Chauvin as he knelt on Floyd’s neck. All four officers are charged for their failure to provide Floyd with medical care.
Floyd’s May 25 arrest and death, which a bystander captured on cellphone video, sparked nationwide complaints about the police treatment of Black people and protests calling for an end to police brutality and racial inequities.
Chauvin was also charged in a second indictment, stemming from the use of force and neck restraint of a 14-year-old boy in 2017.
Lane, Thao and Kueng made their initial court appearances Friday via videoconference in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. Chauvin was not part of the court appearance.
Chauvin was convicted last month on state charges of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death and is in Minnesota’s only maximum-security prison as he awaits sentencing. The other three former officers face a state trial in August, and they are free on bond. They were allowed to remain free after Friday’s federal appearance.
Floyd, 46, died after Chauvin pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck, even as Floyd, who was handcuffed, repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. Kueng and Lane also helped restrain Floyd — state prosecutors have said Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held down Floyd’s legs. State prosecutors say Thao held back bystanders and kept them from intervening during the 9 1/2-minute restraint.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, argued during his murder trial that Chauvin acted reasonably in the situation and that Floyd died because of underlying health issues and drug use. He has filed a request for a new trial, citing many issues including the judge’s refusal to move the trial due to publicity.
Nelson had no comment on the federal charges Friday. Kueng’s attorney also had no comment. A message left for Thao’s attorney wasn’t immediately returned, and a call to Lane’s attorney disconnected when he was reached by The Associated Press.
Ben Crump and the team of attorneys for Floyd’s family said the civil rights charges reinforce “the strength and wisdom” of the Constitution. “We are encouraged by these charges and eager to see continued justice in this historic case that will impact Black citizens and all Americans for generations to come,” the attorneys said in a statement.
The Rev. Al Sharpton said the federal charges against the officers show the Justice Department “does not excuse it nor allow police to act as though as what they do is acceptable behavior in the line of duty.”
“What we couldn’t get them to do in the case of Eric Garner, Michael Brown in Ferguson, and countless others, we are finally seeing them do today,” Sharpton said.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is prosecuting the state charges, said the federal government is responsible for protecting the civil rights of every American and “federal prosecution for the violation of George Floyd’s civil rights is entirely appropriate,” particularly now that Chauvin is convicted of murder.
Director/Editor: Omar Jones Creative Director: Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr. Executive Producer: Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith Creative Producer: David Wept Producers: Dann Gilbuena, Keaton Smith Director of Photography: Sam Brave Production Company: TDE Films, 1800number
At least 25 people were killed in a shootout between suspected drug traffickers and police in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, one of the state's deadliest police raids, police said.
People targeted in the raid in the poor Jacarezinho neighborhood tried to escape across rooftops as police arrived in armored vehicles and helicopters flew overhead, television images showed. The firefight forced residents to shelter in their homes.
The victims included one police officer, and the remainder were suspected members of the drug-trafficking gang that dominated life in the slum, including some of its leaders, police said.
It was the deadliest single police operation in 16 years for Rio state which has suffered for decades from drug-related violence in its numerous favelas.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that Rio de Janeiro prosecutors have a constitutional obligation to oversee the police and pursue criminal investigations of police abuses. It called for a thorough and independent investigation into the deaths.
According to HRW, Rio police killed 453 people and at least four police officers died in police actions during the first three months of the year, despite a Supreme Court ruling prohibiting operations in communities during the COVID-19 pandemic except in "absolutely exceptional cases."
Police said in addition to drug trafficking, the gang robbed trucks of cargo and held up commuter trains to steal from passengers.
Police displayed an arsenal of seized weapons at a news conference: six assault rifles, 15 handguns, a machine gun, 14 grenades and a round of artillery ammunition.
As promised Pawtucket, Rhode Island emcee MookDaTruth comes through with a new album titled "The OG Tape." The entire 10-track project was produced by 401Life, and features Ron Donson and Da Cloth trio of MAV, Rigz and Rob Gates.
1. Intro 2. Wu Wei (Feat. Ron Donson) 3. Lovecraft 4. So Long (Feat. MAV, Rob Gates) 5. Uncle Zoe 6. Real Shit 7. A Wise Man Once Said Nothing (Feat. Rigz) 8. Livin 9. Tree Of Life 10. Outro
Benny the Butcher's Black Soprano Family and 38 Spesh's Trust Comes First imprint have combined forces for an album titled "Trust the Sopranos," dropping May 21.
The latest single off of the project is "Love Left" from Benny the Butcher, Che Noir and Klass Murda.
"Future of the Streets," the highly anticipated EP from Nyce Da Future and legendary emcee/producer Havoc of Mobb Deep has finally arrived. The longtime collaborators gift fans with eight gutter songs of that Most Infamous sound everyone has come to expect.
Texas redshirt sophomore linebacker Jake Ehlinger, the younger brother of former Longhorn quarterback Sam Ehlinger, was found dead Thursday afternoon, according to a report from the Austin American-Statesman.
Police were called at 12:18 p.m. and found Jake several blocks from UT’s campus, police told the Statesman, adding that his death is not considered suspicious. Police did not reveal how he was found.
Ehlinger walked on at Texas in 2019 and played alongside his brother, Sam, for two seasons with the Longhorns. He did not receive playing time in his two years at Texas and redshirted the 2020 season.
This is the second death of an immediate family the Ehlingers have experienced in the last decade. Jake and Sam’s father, Ross, unexpectedly passed away in 2013 during the “Escape from Alcatraz” triathlon in San Francisco.
The 45-year old minister and rapper, born Mason Betha, took to his Instagram account recently to let his 240,000 followers know his thoughts on African American males and their involvement in gangs.
"I know what I’m about to say is unpopular but it still needs to be said. The weakest thing a black man can do today is join a street gang. The person who you’re riding for today ends up getting a bag to kill you or sending you to jail," Mase wrote. "Think about it what type of person would ask you to hurt your own people and take an oath to be there for your gang only to end up not being there for your children and family. I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT. Maybe that’s why I NEVER THOUGHT PEOPLE IN GANGS WERE TOUGH! If you’re thinking about becoming one don’t! I RESPECT A MAN THAT CAN STAND ON HIS OWN."
Childish Gambino's "This is America" is a blatant ripoff of a track that sounds similar, has a similar name and was all over the Internet almost 2 years before the rapper's smash hit was released ... so claims a musician in a new lawsuit.
Emelike Nwosuocha, a rapper who performs under the name Kidd Wes, is suing Childish Gambino, AKA Donald Glover, claiming he ripped off his song, "Made in America."
According to Kidd Wes ... he created his track on SoundCloud in September 2016 and released it on YouTube a couple months later, where people could listen to it for free. He says he also registered the song with the U.S Copyright Office in May 2017, and it was set to be the lead single on his upcoming album.
As you likely know ... Gambino's "This is America" was released in 2018, became incredibly popular and went on to win Grammy for Record of the Year.
According to the docs ... Kidd Wes claims the chorus, or hook, of "This is America" is "unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical" to his "Made in America."
Wes claims Gambino's "flow" is also substantially similar to his, and points to key lyrics in "Made in America" being similar to the hook's refrain in "This is America," for example:
"Made in America / Flex on the radio / Made me a terrorist / Pessimistic n***as / You should just cherish this"
Compared to this: "This is America / Guns in my area / I got the strap / I gotta carry 'em"
Kidd Wes claims there are also scientific similarities in the 2 tracks, and alleges it's not a coincidence -- he believes he was intentionally ripped off, and he wants major damages.
He's suing Gambino, the co-writers of "This is America," the record labels that put it out, Roc Nation, and even Young Thug ... who sings backup vocals on the track.
In this clip from next week's "People's Party with Talib Kweli," Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh talk with production LEGEND Madlib about his mystical musical connection with both MF Doom (RIP) and J Dilla (RIP).
Full episodes arriving Monday 5/10 at 9AMet/6AMpt.
(Reuters) Two American tourists were sentenced to life in prison by an Italian court on Wednesday for the 2019 murder of a policeman near their Rome hotel in a case that shook the nation.
Finnegan Lee Elder, who was 19 at the time, had admitted to stabbing Mario Cerciello Rega in the early hours of July 26, 2019, while his friend Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth, then 18, was tussling with another police officer.
However, the pair say they had acted in self defense because they thought the two policemen, who were not in uniform at the time, were thugs out to get them after a botched attempt to buy drugs.
The court rejected their testimony & handed down the toughest punishment possible in Italy. Under Italy's penal code, criminals serving life terms can be eligible for parole after 21 years, if they have a good behavior record.
The two Americans, who come from California, were also found guilty of attempted extortion, assault, resisting a public official & carrying an attack-style knife without just cause.
The pair were quickly led out as soon as the sentence was delivered. Cerciello Rega's widow, clutching a photograph of her dead husband, was in the courtroom & sobbed after the verdict was announced.
Elder & Natale-Hjorth had come to Rome on holiday & tried to buy drugs from a local dealer in a tourist hotspot. They told the court that they were cheated, but managed to snatch a bag off an intermediary as he tried to get away.
They subsequently agreed to meet the dealer again to get their money back in exchange for the bag, but instead the two policemen showed up. Elder testified that the pair attacked them, forcing him & Natale-Hjorth to defend themselves.
The second policeman, Andrea Varriale, denied this & said they clearly identified themselves. He hugged his slain partner's widow following the verdict.
CHICAGO - Local rapper G Herbo was accused Tuesday of lying to a federal agent, adding a third federal charge to an indictment that already includes allegations of fraud and identity theft.
Herbo, whose real name is Herbert Wright III, allegedly told a federal agent in November 2018 that he never knew or worked with rap promoter Antonio Strong, who was among five people indicted with him in December.
Strong identified himself as Wright's manager when he allegedly used stolen credit card information and IDs to pay for private jets, expensive meals & designer puppies beginning in March 2016, according to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Wright allegedly told a federal agent that he had no relationship with Strong, personal or professional, when in reality he paid Strong for work & "received valuable goods from Strong, including private jet charters, luxury accommodations & exotic car rentals," the prosecutor's office said.
He also allegedly had frequent conversations with Strong over the phone, via text and on Instagram, prosecutors said.
Wright faces up to five years in prison if convicted, along with three years of supervised release & a $250,000 fine.
The South Side native has been a staple in Chicago's drill scene since he was a teenager in the early 2010s, helping the local rap genre grow to international prominence alongside frequent collaborators like Chief Keef & Lil Durk.
Wright's last album, "PTSD," peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard charts in March 2020.
Though the rapper has been slapped with weapons & battery charges in recent years, he's most recently made headlines for his community outreach on the South Side, hosting food drives & back-to-school giveaways.
"Money Makes Me Feel Better" is a classic Max B song/music video off of his 2011 "Vigilante Season" album. It also appears on Max's 2020 "Wave Pack" album.
Produced by Dame Grease
Directed by Nicolas Heller
Special thanks to Amalgam Digital for permission to upload this classic.
Free Max B!
"Vigilante Season" is available everywhere music is streamed and sold!
George Jung -- the prolific cocaine smuggler portrayed by Johnny Depp in the movie "Blow" -- has died.
Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... George died Wednesday morning at home in the Boston area. The cause of death is currently not known, though he had recently been experiencing liver & kidney failure.
We're told he had been in home hospice care since this past weekend & died with his girlfriend, Ronda, & friend, Roger, by his side. We're told he will be cremated.
George's Twitter account tweeted a quote from the film Wednesday, “May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face, & the winds of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars. 1942-2021."
"Boston George," as he was known, served 20 years in prison for running drugs. He was released in 2014, but ultimately landed back behind bars just 2 years later for violating his parole by failing to inform his parole officer he would be hitting up San Diego.
He was famous for being part of the Medellin Cartel & helping Pablo Escobar smuggle planeloads of cocaine into the U.S. That was a big deal because, at the time, Escobar's cartel was responsible for distributing 80% of the world's cocaine & about 15 tons of blow reportedly came into the U.S. per day ... for a weekly haul of $420 million.
George's story was ultimately written in the book "Blow: How a Small-Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellin Cocaine Cartel & Lost It All" & then in the 2001 flick starring Johnny Depp & Penelope Cruz.
According to a new report from the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies frequently harass the families of people they have killed, including taunting them at vigils, parking outside their homes and following them and pulling them over for no reason, reports The Guardian. After collecting detailed accounts of alleged harassment from the families of Paul Rea, an 18-year-old killed during a traffic stop in 2019, and Anthony Vargas, a 21-year-old shot 13 times in 2018, the report claims that the LA sheriff’s department (LASD) has routinely retaliated against victims’ relatives who speak out, that LASD deputies regularly drive by or park in front of the Rea and Vargas families’ homes and workplaces and at times have taken photos or recorded them for no reason. In response to family members’ formal complaints of harassment, LASD has frequently concluded that “employee conduct appears reasonable.”
The NLG report alleges that stations with officer gangs have been responsible for some of the harassment. Hilda Solis, an LA county supervisor, also introduced a motion on Tuesday, which unanimously passed, calling for an investigation into incidents of harassment and for written policies to bar this behavior. The report also said some families are too afraid to speak out given these reports of harassment.
"Stimmy" featuring Jay Blue is the lead single off of Bronx emcee Def Soulja and producer Saint Michael's new collaborative EP titled "There's a Soulja In Every Saint."
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