RU$H & Jay NiCE present "Fly Art" ft. Willie The Kid & Roc Marciano. Beats by JLVSN . Available here: https://rush-flyking.bandcamp.com/
THE ALBUM SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. THE FAMILI' DUO IS BACK. COUSINS JAY NiCE & RU$H RETURN WITH ANOTHER CLASSIC NEW FILM CO-STARRING WILLIE THE KID & ROC MARCIANO. ALL BEATS BY YOUNG PHENOM JLVSN COVER ART BY THE LEGEND FREAKO RICO ALL SONGS WRITTEN, PRODUCED, & ARRANGED BY NiCE & RU$H. MIXED & MASTERED BY V12 THE HITMAN. PLEASE RESPECT THE HU$TLE
Ru$h & Jay Nice - Fly Art Tracklist
01. Ferrari Drip feat. Willie The Kid & Roc Marciano 02. Gods In Givenchy feat. Roc Marciano 03. Steak & Red Wine feat. Willie The Kid 04. Streets Of Rage ’91 feat. Willie The Kid 05. Grandeurs Of Italy feat. Willie The Kid 06. Paris Fashion Week Super Models
The Queen of Karens has been found — and so too has the most patient team of landscapers ever.
Yet another incredible video of a vitriolic racist attack has emerged online, but it is how this one was handled that really makes it stand out.
While the 3.5 minute Instagram video, shot in Orlando, does not show what led up to the outburst, it appears the woman was upset over the noise of the work the crew were carrying out — and she did not hold back her opinions.
Screaming "You f--king bitch" a difficult-to-count number of times, the uniformed crew — from A Cut Above The Rest landscapers — just smile and tell the camera: "This is the kind of shit we go through man."
"We ain't even doing nothing, we're out here working in 94 degrees!" one laments, also smiling.
She continues to yell abuse, but one simply calls back: "Have a blessed day ma'am!"
Infuriated that her barbs don't seem to be having an effect, she charges forward to get face to face, before adding a heavy dose of racism to her diatribe.
"F--k you you f--king n----r bitch!" she screams.
Backing away to a safe distance, the worker laments "I knew it was coming... I ain't even all the way Black, I'm Puerto Rican man!"
But that, alas, only gets him labeled a "f--king Puerto Rican bitch" instead.
As the crew respectfully pack up their tools and prepare to move on, a resident approaches and asks her to calm down, but he just gets an earful for his efforts too.
"You just keep on repeating the same thing," he chuckles before backing off as well.
She can still be heard demanding the neighbor "kick her ass" as the crew pull away in their truck.
"I love you, God loves you," one of the landscapers calls out to her as she storms after the truck, still hurling abuse; he even offers some departing caring advice: "You're going to pass out in the sun! You gotta go into your house!"
"And stop winking at me!"
Hard to believe people like this woman exist but they do.
CHICAGO — A suspect is in custody in the fatal shooting of 9-year-old Janari Ricks, Chicago police announced Monday.
This past weekend was another violent one in the city of Chicago, with 24 shooting incidents and 33 shooting victims — including two juveniles. In total, nine people were killed.
Among those killed was 9-year-old Janari Ricks, who was fatally shot in Cabrini Green Friday evening as he was playing outside with friends.
Police said someone walked up and started shooting, striking Ricks in the chest. He was transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he later died.
Ricks was not the intended target, according to police.
His heartbroken mother said her son would be going into the fourth grade this fall. She said he loved basketball and math, and should not have been a victim.
Police said community tips led to the arrest of the gunman in this case. Someone who has a connection to Cabrini Green, but no longer lives there. Charges are pending and expected to be announced soon.
At least 37 children have been killed so far this year.
During a press conference Monday, Chicago police said this past weekend was the least violent in the month of July.
However, July was the most violent Chicago has seen since 1992.
Popoff drops off a new single, which is also the title track off of his just released EP titled "So Sincere." The entire six-track project was produced by Sincere Noble.
ZINC, Ark. (KY3) - A group of Black Lives Matter protesters took a trip to a small town in Arkansas on Sunday to protest the KKK, racism and hatred.
The group took to the streets of Zinc, Ark., which is the home of KKK director and Grandwizard Tom Robb.
Protesters described the town as “the heartbeat of racism.” While protesters gathered on one side of a long dirt road through the town, some locals counter-protesting gathered on the far end. Both groups were separated by local sheriff’s deputies.
Several of the BLM protesters came from out of the area, including Missourians from Branson and Springfield.
Springfield protester Sonny Cropper said the drive was worth it.
“We came here open for dialogue,” Cropper said. “You know we want to be able to have conversations with people. And we want to show people that this movement can come to a place like this and keep it peaceful the whole time.”
He said the protest was the first of its kind, making a large leap forward for the movement.
“This is the first time I have heard of an anti-racism protest come directly into ‘the belly of the beats.’ I mean we’re not very far from where the national director of the KKK does his business,” Cropper said.
He said the group had one major goal for the protest.
“I think the main thing is to show them that even out here, in your little neck of the woods, where you do not think you have to see the people that you hate, we know that hatred is here and we still do not tolerate it,” Cropper said.
The protest remained peaceful for a few hours, but people living in the area still felt the visit was unwelcome.
“I think if they want to start trouble, they should do it in their own town,” Zinc resident Kenny Devore said. “We did not ask for it. We didn’t do nothing to them. And I don’t really see what the reason is for them being here.”
Devore said he stayed in the area during the protest to protect his family, who live in a house right across the street from where the protest occurred.
“I got family behind me and up here on the corner,” he said. “I’m just out here to keep it peaceful and protect the family and the citizens.”
One man came from Branson to partake in the protest. He said some of his family members were in the KKK.
“I have a lot of animosity for the klan,” Branson protester Jason Walker said. “Beacuse my grandfather was a Grand Dragon and his son was a part of all this hate. And it is not good.”
Walker said he came to protest the hatred he had learned about growing up.
“I was raised around a lot of hateful, spiteful, racist people,” he said. “And I’m out here to try and put an end to it. My kids do not need to grow up in this, my nieces and nephews do not need to grow up in this. There is no sense for any of this.”
Some people living in the town said they are worried the group will come back in the near future.
“Really people just want it to get done and go away,” Devore said.
He said he does not think there is much racism in the town, but said he thinks now there will be a lot of animosity in the town against the protesters. Devore said the protest would likely not accomplish anything in Zinc
Some protesters said they are eager to come back to the town in a few months.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are trying to navigate an extremely rough patch in their relationship, and hope a family trip will help to set things straight ... before it's beyond repair.
Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... the couple decided to jump on a jet Sunday and take a private family vacation to try and work things out. We're told the trip was something the couple discussed when Kim visited Kanye in an emotional trip to Wyoming last weekend.
As of late ... things between Kim and Kanye have been icy. They hadn't seen each other much at all for months ... Yeezy was doing his thing at the ranch and Kim's been taking care of their four young children.
Kanye said during his South Carolina rally he asked Kim for a divorce last year and he raised the subject of divorce several times at the event. We're told it's something that has definitely been discussed.
TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Ye reunited this week in Wyoming for the first time since Kanye's off-the-rails campaign rally in South Carolina, which ignited a bitter back and forth that saw KKW trying to get Yeezy treatment for a serious bipolar episode.
The family trip will mark one of the first they've taken in a long time ... and outside the vacation, Kim and Kanye hadn't spent much time together outside family birthdays and holidays.
As we've reported ... the list of grievances from Kim to Kanye is pretty long -- we're told it's everything from him continuing his presidential campaign, to his Twitter rants and what he said at his rally.
As we reported ... Kanye offered up an apology on Twitter last weekend, so the family trip will be a time for him to prove it was legit and that he's willing to change for his family.
A group including actor and former WWE star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has agreed to purchase the XFL for approximately $15 million, according to a news release issued Monday morning.
The XFL declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy April 13 and has been seeking a buyer for the past three months, marketing itself as a made-for-TV product that could transition as early as 2021 to a bubble concept during the coronavirus pandemic. It is unclear when Johnson and his investors -- who include his business partner and ex-wife, Dany Garcia, along with RedBird Capital Partners -- plan to revive the league.
The XFL has twice shuttered after one season -- first in 2001, then earlier this year as a result of the pandemic -- and there hasn't been a long-term alternative football league since the AFL forced a merger with the NFL in 1970. But XFL owner Vince McMahon has been a determined aspirant, and he invested $200 million in the league's second incarnation, one that promised to "reimagine" the game. Its eight teams suspended play after five weeks and the league laid off almost all of its workforce April 10.
McMahon considered bidding on the XFL himself early in the bankruptcy process but ultimately decided against it. In a statement, Johnson, 48, provided a glimpse of the McMahon-like flair he could bring to the league.
"The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that's rooted deeply in two things -- my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans," said Johnson, who played football at the University of Miami from 1990 to '94. "With pride and gratitude for all that I've built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football."
In a statement, XFL president and chief operating officer Jeffrey Pollack called the pending sale "a Hollywood ending" and said Johnson's investors are "a dream team ownership group and the XFL is in the best possible hands going forward."
Cardinale is the managing partner and chief executive officer of RedBird, which manages more than $4 billion in assets. Last week, it purchased a controlling interest in Toulouse Football Club, a French soccer team. Last November, it invested $125 million in a new company that secures commercial rights for the NFL
Organizational plans for the newest version of the XFL are not yet clear. McMahon fired XFL commissioner Oliver Luck on April 9, and Luck responded by suing McMahon for wrongful termination and is seeking $23.8 million. The lawsuit was on hold awaiting the results of bankruptcy.
The league averaged 1.9 million television viewers per game and generated nearly $20 million in gross revenues in 2020, according to court filings. It had projected $46 million in gross revenues for the 10-game season, each data point exceeding internal expectations, according to sources.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down Grammy Award-winning rapper, musician, producer, actor, and activist -- Wyclef Jean. This thorough interview covers his ambitious career that influenced and inspired so many with his signature success in pushing the multi-cultural boundaries within hip-hop.
The discussion starts off with Wyclef's move from his native Haiti to the US at age 9, and landing in Brooklyn. He talks about finding his calling to hip hop through battle rapping in the park as a youngster. Clef goes on to speak on the importance of Pras and John Forté to the Fugees and how pivotal they both were to the group's success. He also speaks on what it was like growing up a Preacher's son, and talks about how growing up in both Brooklyn and Newark, NJ influenced him in different ways. They also discuss lessons learned from the Haitian Revolution, Clef's encounter with Police brutality, being determined to change the anti-Haitian attitudes through his success, and uniting Haitians and Jamaicans.
The interview circles back to music and Clef is asked about how he was influenced by underground hip hop and how he knew the album 'The Score' would become such an iconic album. He discusses the genius of producer Salaam Remi and his contributions, reflects on the Fugees break-up and states the advice he would give his younger self during that difficult time. Clef also speaks to how much Reggae has influenced his style of hip hop and performances, and tells us who he feels would be the best possible fit for him in a Verzuz battle.
Later Talib notes Clef's success in remaking iconic songs of the past from any genre he chooses and turning them into modern-day hip hop classics, explaining how he's always been on a quest for musical fusion. He also talks about seeing the enormous potential of Destiny's Child when he worked with them on their debut album, and how Beyonce was clearly destined for greatness. Clef goes on to talk about working with Whitney Houston, speaks on his experience attempting to run for president of Haiti, lays out lessons learned there, and also gets into the collapse of his Yéle Haiti charity, being accused of stealing from the $16 million raised. Clef then talks about working with Young Thug, lessons learned from his idol Quincy Jones, he answers how he balances his Haitian gangster affiliations with stardom, talks about his music company dedicated to seeking out and signing talent in third-world countries, and gives his take on the future of musical fusion.
TIME-STAMPS:
3:28 -- Clef is asked how he finds the motivation to keep working regardless of the level of success. He goes on to speak about the early years of being born in Haiti, then immigrating to the US to live in Brooklyn and later New Jersey. He outlines why he got into hip hop in the first place, battle rapping at a young age as a way of avoiding fist fights. Clef also talks about having the knack for visualizing music theory, and brings up a teacher that had a huge impact on his development, in helping him to understand the importance of learning all aspects of the music business.
7:42 -- Clef describes how John Forté helped shape the sounds of the Fugees' famous album "The Score" and how instrumental he was in the groundbreaking sounds. Wyclef is insistent on giving Forté his flowers, especially for showing him the scruffy, scratchy "New York" sounds and motivating him to get his "sample game up". Talib talks about John being his musical mentor, and how pivotal he was to Talib's career as well. Talib also brings up the term "zoed up" that Clef has used, and asks him to break down what it means.
15:12 -- Clef is questioned about being raised as a preacher's son, and about the traits that children of preachers share in common. Jasmine also asks how living in Brooklyn and New Jersey have influenced him in seperate ways. He specifies the different traits that he inherited from each area, he speaks on lessons from the Haitian Revolution, and Talib also asks if it's true that the Fugees got out of getting sued by Enya for her sample used on "Ready Or Not" because she found out they weren't a gangsta rap group.
20:42 -- Talib asks Clef if he thinks there is some resemblance of the Haitian Revolution to the recent movement that sprang up in the wake of George Floyd's death. Clef goes on to outline the power of the video camera, reflects on his own encounter with police brutality, he goes into how he wanted to change the anti-immigrant sentiments in his neighborhood and make it fly to have Haitian heritage, as well as pushing for the unification of Haitians and Jamacians that have a history of being at odds with each other. They also discuss the importance of learning the policy stances of your local legislators, and the dangers of tribal politics.
30:45 -- Talib states his theory of "if Puffy is for the children, then Wyclef is the Puffy for the underground", he expounds on what he means by that, and asks Clef how he was influenced by Rawkus Records. Clef gives his take on the power of words and Jasmin asks Clef how he knew the album "The Score" was going to be so special. Clef also brings up producer Salaam Remi and explains why he likens him to jazz pianist Thelonius Monk, and tells who Salaam originally intended to give the beat of "Fu-Gee-La" to.
37:09 -- Clef speaks to the misconceptions of his relationship with Pras, he talks about his experience growing up with Pras, the pressure he took on with his role, as well as his vital contributions to their group, and explains why without Pras there would be no Fugees. Clef also reflects on what he would have told his 20-year-old self during the time of the Fugees break-up, and tells what he thought about Talib's song "Ms. Hill".
44:51 -- Clef talks about his strong influence coming from Dubplate Reggae, and how it sparked his interest through the use of voice manipulations and strong focus on storytelling. Talib explains how he changed his performance style after seeing how Wyclef does his shows. Clef shouts out the best possible fit for him in a Verzuz battle in Will.I.Am. He tells how their connection runs deep. Not only does their methodology contain some similarities, but they've collaborated in the past.
51:37 -- Talib brings up Clef's ability of remaking hip hop versions of so many classic records with huge success. He asks Clef which of them are favorites. Clef talks about reaching out to Celia Cruz to get her on "Guantanamera", and Kenny Rogers to remake "The Gambler", and how he was always on a mission for musical fusion. Jasmin also asks how he knew Destiny's Child was going to be such a huge success when he was working with them on their debut album, and Talib asks Clef if it's true Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" was originally intended as a Fugees song.
1:02:09 -- Talib talks about sitting with Dave Chappelle while he had Whitney Houston's "My Love Is Your Love" on repeat for over an hour, a track that Clef wrote and produced. Clef proceeds to tell the story of how the record came to life after a visit to Whitney's home. Clef is also asked if he would ever run for president of Haiti again, and to outline his journey of being one calling for social change to someone trying to enact it through running for office. Clef lays out lessons he garnered from being involved in politics, and illustrates some of the things he saw in his native country that still make him cry.
1:10:58 -- Clef is asked about his Yéle Haiti charity and it's collapse after years of accusations of mishandled funds, which amounted to a reported $16 million following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. He's asked what lessons he learned from that experience, and what advice he can share with others having ambitions of fundraising on such a large-scale, especially black celebrities.
1:16:12 -- Clef speaks on visiting Sweden to meet up with DJ Avicii to make a record after his Haitian presidential campaign was disqualified, shares some lessons learned from Quincy Jones, talks about working with rapper Young Thug and explains why they made records titled Wyclef Jean and Kanye West, then makes his way to telling how he introduced DJ Khaled to Santana to get the blessing for his sampling of 'Maria Maria' for 'Wild Thoughts'.
1:23:01 -- Clef is asked about his relationship with the iconic Quincy Jones, who he calls his godfather, how Clef used Jones' career as a blueprint for his own path, and to outline how they met each other. He explains why he idolizes Quincy Jones, and states some important lessons learned from the legend, stating "he reminds me of who I am". Talib also asks Clef how he balances his Haitian gangster affiliations with being a successful pop star. Clef explains how it comes down to operating as a leader when moving in those circles.
1:31:40 -- Clef picks up his guitar while Talib asks him if he has any further desire to pursue more acting roles. Jasmin asks Clef about his enrollment in Berklee College of Music, and if he encourages other aspiring musicians to pursue higher education. Clef responds with how much reform is needed to curb the huge problem of student debt in this country, and tells about his company Carnival World Music Group and it's focus on signing talent out of Africa and other developing countries.
1:35:24 -- Clef is asked about his cover of Nina Simone's 'Ne Me Quitte Pas', and what made him want to cover that record. Jasmin also asks if it's true that Maxine from his song 'Perfect Gentlemen' is now a doctor. Talib goes on to ask Clef if he feels the mp3 music file format is becoming obsolete. Clef speaks to how he feels like the future is a new form of stereo, expands on what he feels is the future of fusion in the cross-pollination of music genres as he outlines why he feels hip hop has stood the test of time.
Philadelphia representative and Educated Ignorance Music (EIMG) CEO, RJ Payne, has just released his highly anticipated album titled "He's a Fucking Animal."
The collaborative project features DJ Kay Slay, DJ Caeser, Bootleg Kev, Rockness Monsta, JoJo Pellegrino, Freeway, Sunnie Blac, Ransom, Vado, Denaun Porter, Nems, Swave Sevah, Tracey Lee, Lord Tariq, Mickey Factz, Mr. Chris and Jag.
Production credits: Pa. Dre, Asethic, Tobes, Vettrax, DJ Skizz, Rushmore Muzic, DJ Pia, Neff and Toast 187.
1. EMINEM & LIL WAYNE INTRO FT KAYSLAY, BOOTLEG KEV & DJ CAESER (PROD BY PA DRE) 2. WHAT WE DOIN THO REMIX FT ROCKNESS MONSTA & JOJO PELLEGRINO (PROD BY PA DRE) 3. KWAME FT SUNNIE BLAC (PROD BY VETTRAX) 4. FUCKBOY FT FREEWAY (PROD BY DJ SKIZZ) 5. BLACK MOVADO FT VADO & SUNNIE BLAC (PROD BY RUSHMORE MUZIC) 6. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED FT DENAUN PORTER (PROD BY TOBES) 7. BOOGIEMAN VS LEATHERFACE FT RANSOM (PROD BY DJ PIA) 8. FUCK YA LIFE FT NEMS & SWAVE SEVAH (PROD BY TOAST 187) 9. TAKE A RISK FT TRACEY LEE & LORD TARIQ (PROD BY PA DRE) 10. BLACK XCELLENCE FT MICKEY FACTZ (PROD BY TOBES) 11. BLACK MAGIC FT MR CHRIS CLASSIC (PROD BY NEFF) 12. BEAUTIFUL PAYNE FT JAG (PROD BY AESTHIC)
Philadelphia representative and Educated Ignorance Music (EIMG) CEO, RJ Payne, has just released his highly anticipated album titled "He's a Fucking Animal."
The collaborative project features DJ Kay Slay, DJ Caeser, Bootleg Kev, Rockness Monsta, JoJo Pellegrino, Freeway, Sunnie Blac, Ransom, Vado, Denaun Porter, Nems, Swave Sevah, Tracey Lee, Lord Tariq, Mickey Factz, Mr. Chris and Jag.
Production credits: Pa. Dre, Asethic, Tobes, Vettrax, DJ Skizz, Rushmore Muzic, DJ Pia, Neff and Toast 187.
1. EMINEM & LIL WAYNE INTRO FT KAYSLAY, BOOTLEG KEV & DJ CAESER (PROD BY PA DRE) 2. WHAT WE DOIN THO REMIX FT ROCKNESS MONSTA & JOJO PELLEGRINO (PROD BY PA DRE) 3. KWAME FT SUNNIE BLAC (PROD BY VETTRAX) 4. FUCKBOY FT FREEWAY (PROD BY DJ SKIZZ) 5. BLACK MOVADO FT VADO & SUNNIE BLAC (PROD BY RUSHMORE MUZIC) 6. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED FT DENAUN PORTER (PROD BY TOBES) 7. BOOGIEMAN VS LEATHERFACE FT RANSOM (PROD BY DJ PIA) 8. FUCK YA LIFE FT NEMS & SWAVE SEVAH (PROD BY TOAST 187) 9. TAKE A RISK FT TRACEY LEE & LORD TARIQ (PROD BY PA DRE) 10. BLACK XCELLENCE FT MICKEY FACTZ (PROD BY TOBES) 11. BLACK MAGIC FT MR CHRIS CLASSIC (PROD BY NEFF) 12. BEAUTIFUL PAYNE FT JAG (PROD BY AESTHIC)
Florida saw more bizarre traffic behavior Saturday when a man jumped on a moving semi-truck, troopers said.
Just after 1 p.m., the Florida Highway Patrol got a call that a man was driving a Toyota SUV south with another man on Florida’s Turnpike near Boynton Beach, FHP said.
The driver, whom troopers did not identify, began acting strangely and stopped the car on the southbound exit ramp to Boynton Beach. He got out of the car and started walking on the highway.
As he walked, he jumped over the concrete median wall into oncoming northbound traffic. As cars started to slow, he jumped on top of the hood of a semi tractor-trailer that continued driving north with the man on top. The man started hitting the windshield of the semi-truck with his hands.
An FHP trooper eventually stopped the truck and detained the man on the hood. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue took the man to Wellington Regional Hospital for further evaluation.
FHP did not say if the man or the driver of the semi-truck would be charged.
Osirius Lewsiphr and Divine Milk, together known as, Reason Over Treason return with a new mixtape titled "The Pre-Medi."
Tracklist:
1. The Pre-Medi 2. Carnage Freestyle 3. Sketchy Moves 4. What U Wan Kno 5. MediSIN (Exits) 6. Fast Life (Parkeway Mix) 7. Power Ft. C-Fo 8. Follow Me Ft. Akelahtumeril
01. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – The People’s Champ Intro 02. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – Stuck On A Grip 03. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – Surfin’ Wit A K 04. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – 24 Hollows 05. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – Different Options 06. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – Retired From The Sniffy 07. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – Job Done 08. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – Mini Mac On The Fridge 09. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – Givin’ Ya My View 10. Flee Lord & Pete Rock – The People’s Champ Outro
In this clip, Luenell shares her thoughts on Kanye's comments about Harriet Tubman, which she called atrocious. Luenell also stated that she feels like Kanye is off of his medication right now and he's making a mockery of the government system. She also spoke about Dave Chappelle's "8:46" comedy special, which Luenell pointed out that Netflix was afraid to drop.
MIAMI (AP) — A Florida teen was identified Friday as the mastermind of a scheme earlier this month that commandeered Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls and scammed people around the globe out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin. Two other men were also charged in the case.
Graham Ivan Clark, 17, was arrested Friday in Tampa, where the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office will prosecute him as an adult. He faces 30 felony charges, according to a news release.
Two men accused of benefiting from the hack — Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, U.K., and Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando — were charged separately in California federal court.
In one of the most high-profile security breaches in recent years, bogus tweets were sent out on July 15 from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Celebrities Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked.
The tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address. The hack alarmed security experts because of the grave potential of such an intrusion for creating geopolitical mayhem with disinformation.
Court papers in the California cases say Fazeli and Sheppard brokered the sale of Twitter accounts stolen by a hacker who identified himself as “Kirk” and said he could “reset, swap and control any Twitter account at will” in exchange for cybercurrency payments, claiming to be a Twitter employee.
The documents do not specify Kirk’s real identity but say he is a teen being prosecuted in the Tampa area.
Twitter has said the hacker gained access to a company dashboard that manages accounts by using social engineering and spear-phishing smartphones to obtain credentials from “a small number” of Twitter employees “to gain access to our internal systems.” Spear-phishing uses email or other messaging to deceive people into sharing access credentials.
“There is a false belief within the criminal hacker community that attacks like the Twitter hack can be perpetrated anonymously and without consequence,” U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California said in a news release.
The evidence suggests, however, that those responsible did a poor job indeed of covering their tracks. The court documents released Friday show how federal agents tracked down the hackers through Bitcoin transactions and by obtaining records of their online chats.
Although the case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said his office is prosecuting Clark in state court because Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in financial fraud cases when appropriate. He called Clark the leader of the hacking scam.
“This defendant lives here in Tampa, he committed the crime here, and he’ll be prosecuted here,” Warren said.
Security experts were not surprised that the alleged mastermind is a 17-year-old, given the relatively amateurish nature of both the operation and how participants discussed it with New York Times reporters afterward.
“This is a great case study showing how technology democratizes the ability to commit serious criminal acts,” said Jake Williams, founder of the cybersecurity firm Rendition Infosec. “There wasn’t a ton of development that went into this attack.”
Williams said the hackers were “extremely sloppy” in how they moved the Bitcoin around. It did not appear they used any services that make cryptocurrency difficult to trace by “tumbling” transactions of multiple users, a technique akin to money laundering, he said.
He also said he was conflicted about whether Clark should be charged as an adult.
“He definitely deserves to pay (for jumping on the opportunity) but potentially serving decades in prison doesn’t seem like justice in this case,” Williams said.
The hack targeted 130 accounts with tweets being sent from 45 accounts, obtained access to the direct message inboxes of 36, and downloaded Twitter data from seven. Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has said his inbox was among those accessed.
Court papers suggest Fazeli and Sheppard got involved in the scheme after Clark dangled the possibility of obtaining so-called OG Twitter handles, short account names that due to their brevity are highly prized and considered status symbols in a certain milieu. They said Sheppard purchased @anxious and Faceli wanted @foreign.
Internal Revenue Service investigators in Washington, D.C., identified two of the defendants by analyzing Bitcoin transactions on the blockchain — the universal ledger that records Bitcoin transactions — that they had sought to make anonymous, federal prosecutors said.
Marcus Hutchins, the 26-year-old British cybersecurity expert credited with helping stop the WannaCry computer virus in 2017, said the skillset involved in the actual hack was nothing special.
“I think people underestimate the level of experience needed to pull off these kinds of hacks. They may sound extremely sophisticated, but the techniques can be replicated by teens,” added Hutchins, who pleaded guilty last year to creating malware designed to steal banking information and just completed a year’s supervised release.
British cybersecurity analyst Graham Cluley said his guess was that the targeted Twitter employees got a message to call what they thought was an authorized help desk and were persuaded by the hacker to provide their credentials. It’s also possible the hackers got a call from the company’s legitimate help line by spoofing the number, he said.
Fazeli’s father said Friday he hasn’t been able to talk to his son since Thursday.
Full Coverage: Technology
“I’m 100% sure my son is innocent,” Mohamad Fazeli said. “He’s a very good person, very honest, very smart and loyal.”
“We are as shocked as everybody else,” he said by phone. “I’m sure this is a mix up.”
Attempts to reach relatives of the other two weren’t immediately successful. Hillsborough County court records didn’t list an attorney for Clark, and federal court records didn’t list attorneys for Sheppard or Fazeli.
A 23-year-old mother was fatally shot early Monday morning during the filming of an amateur rap music video in Riverview, Fla. — an incident that also left her boyfriend injured by gunfire.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has arrested Jordan Jaime Silver, 20, for his alleged role in the July 27 shooting.
A statement from the sheriff's office confirms he is charged with first-degree attempted premeditated murder with a firearm & second-degree murder with a firearm. He has not entered pleas to the charges.
Silver is accused of killing Haley Portner Cox & injuring her boyfriend, Erik Bronowski, 22, with a semiautomatic handgun he brought to the Wimauma home of fledging rapper Giovinie Bosques & his girlfriend Sunday night.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, which obtained Silver's arrest report, the suspect, Bosques & his girlfriend — along with Cox & Bronowski — traveled to a nearby power line easement to shoot a music video late Sunday.
They brought with them two water bottles filled with fake blood & a Canon camera. The premise of the video, the arrest report alleges, was a staged kidnapping of the Bosques.
The arrest report alleges the shooting was captured on video.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that investigators reviewed the footage, which allegedly featured Silver in at least one scene holding a handgun. The arrest report notes that he appears to be acting "erratically," & Bosques at one point asks him to calm down.
The footage also reveals Cox was holding the camera, filming as Bosques & Bronowski slathered him in the fake blood. The arrest report alleges a single gunshot was fired & the camera fell to the ground. Bosques picks up the camera & begins to run.
"Why'd you do that?" Bosques allegedly asks Silver, who responds, "I don't know ... We gotta go."
The two continue running & Bosques asks again, "Why'd you do that?" Not long after, three more gunshots ring out. Bosques shouts "No!" multiple times & appears to drop the camera.
Cox was shot in the cheek and died at the scene.
A motive for her killing remains unknown.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help the 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son she leaves behind.
"Following multiple interviews, detectives learned that Silver intentionally shot and killed an adult female victim with a handgun ... while filming a music video with several others early Monday morning," reads the sheriff's office statement. "Silver's actions were unprovoked, according to witnesses. Before fleeing the area, Silver also shot an adult male victim who was transported to a local hospital in critical condition."
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