THE PLAYGROUND: INDUSTRY NEWS WRAP-UP (May 2021)
By: Disney Molina
Tap in with The Playground for all the latest updates from New York and from around the industry - where we go over the most important things that went down this week that you need to know about
1) Nicki Minaj Releases her Long-Awaited Album ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’
Barbs all over the world rejoiced when their Queen Nicki Minaj dropped a revamped version of her 2009 hit mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty. Fan’s anticipated the return of Minaj after a long hiatus. The OG tape originally dominated the streets with hits like “Itty Bitty Piggy”, “I get Crazy” and a remix to “Best I Ever Had” by Drake. The newly released version of the tape featured a remix to dancehall song “Crocodile Teeth” by Jamaican-born Skillibeng as well as a new record named “Fractions” and a reunion from her previous YMCMB family Drake and Lil Wayne on the record “Seeing Green”. The previously self-proclaimed Harajuku Barbie also gets a spot on our wrap-up for making chart history with Beam Me Up Scotty now being the highest-charting re-released mixtape from a rapper and the highest-debuting female rap mixtape in Billboard 200 history.
2) Lloyd Banks Set To Make His Long-Awaited Return With New Album ‘The Course Of The Inevitable’
In a time of returns one of the most anticipated is the soon to be return of Lloyd Banks formerly of G-Unit fame. Bank’s is getting ready to release his first studio album in a decade ‘Coti’ which stands for ‘The Course Of The Inevitable’. Banks previously teased fans with Cinematic trailers and the album cover, the Karma rapper has now divulged the details of the official release date for the upcoming project. The highly anticipated project is due to be released on June 4th. We will definitely be all ears.
3) Pop Smoke posthumously wins five awards at the Billboard Music Awards
Pop Smoke posthumously won five awards at the Billboard Music Awards. A little over a year after his untimely passing the Brooklyn native is still being honored for his music. The “Dior” rapper whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, won Top New Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Male Rap Artist, as well as Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Rap Album for ‘Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon’. The rapper's mom, Audrey Jackson accompanied by Pop’s brother, Obasi Jackson took the stage to accept the Top Billboard 200 Album honors on behalf of her son on Sunday”
"Thank you to the fans for honoring the life and spirit of my son, so much that he continues to manifest as if he were still here in flesh," she said. "He created music for the kid who has to sleep four in a room, the kid who has to figure out how to get to school each day so he can graduate and make his mom proud. He did this so that 14-year-olds would not have to kill to prove they are somebody."
.@POPSMOKE10's mom accepts the award for Top Billboard 200 Album #BBMAs ❤️ pic.twitter.com/AwrMLEstkh
— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) May 24, 2021
4) Legendary Hip-Hop Photographer Chi Modu passed away at age 54
Legendary Hip-Hop Photographer Chi Modu passed away at age 54. Having photographed the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Run-DMC, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, Nas, Ice Cube, Eminem and Mary J. Blige, Modu was well known in the industry. Born in Nigeria in 1966 , Modu started out as a photographer in the 1990s, when he became director of photography for The Source magazine.From there he stayed on for 30 Issues , capturing many icons.
5. Rapper and producer, Jamal “Mally Mall” Rashid was sentenced to 33 months in prison for running a prostitution ring
Hip Hop rapper and producer Jamal “Mally Mall” Rashid was sentenced to 33 months in prison for running a prostitution ring. According to Yahoo News federal prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada claim Mally Mall “operated a high-end prostitution business that transported victims across the United States” for 12 years — between April 2002 and September 2014. He pled guilty to one count of the use of an interstate facility in aid of unlawful activity back in October 2019.According to the prosecutors, the musician “exploited hundreds of victims” and intimidated them by “imposing rules and threatening them so that they would prostitute for him.” From what they shared, Mally Mall was using paid websites “to advertise the victims” — who were either classified as “independent contractors” that Yahoo News noted were required to pay Mally Mall some of their earnings, or “priority girls” who gave the musician around half of all the money they made doing sex work.Despite Mally Mall saying “I truly apologize to the court, the government and, most importantly, the women involved” in court yesterday to the judge — and his attorney David Chesnoff requesting that he only be sentenced to two years on account of the rapper’s work helping the homeless and at-risk youth — U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro in Las Vegas followed the prosecution’s recommendation to give Mally Mall the maximum sentence for his case, plus “three years of supervision after prison”. Mally is credited with having worked with Justin Beiber, Usher, Tyga, and Sean Kingston. He’s also appeared on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood as the love interest of Nikki Mudarris aka Miss Nikki Baby and Masika Kalysha
6) DaBaby and Meg Thee Stallion Tied For Most BET Awards Nominations
The BET Awards Nominations are out and Megan Thee Stallion and DaBaby are leading the pack with seven nominations each - including Album of the Year, Viewers’ Choice, and Best Collaboration. Who do you think will take home the most awards?.
7) Diddy + J Lo = ?
Looks like P.Diddy might want that old thing back , amidst rumors of a possible Bennifer (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez) reunion the self proclaimed Bad boy for life caught himself posting a throwback of himself and Jennifer from when the two dated.The image posted to Diddy's instagram set the internet into a frenzy.
8) G Herbo has a new baby
Congrats are in order for Rapper G Herbo and his Fiance Taina the stepdaughter of rapper Fabulous who are now the parents of a beautiful Baby Boy.
9) Mary J Blige inducted into the Apollo Theatre’s Walk of Fame
Mary J Blige has been inducted into the Apollo Theatre’s Walk of Fame. The Be Without You Songstress shared this sentiment on what the Apollo means to her
“It means everything. I mean the Apollo is the most important thing to our culture as African-American artists. If it wasn’t for the Apollo, we wouldn’t have a chance. People wouldn’t have gotten discovered,” she said.
1. Queen MARY J. BLIGE said her My Life documentary dropping June 25th. 🙌🏾
— VINCENT (@Vince_Aries) May 28, 2021
2. Mary so damn fine 😍
3. Congrats on the Apollo Walk of Fame! pic.twitter.com/5bsAmZt5pd
10) Erica Mena and Safaree split
Erica Mena filed for divorce from her husband Safaree Samuels. The currently pregnant reality tv star is seeking primary custody of the couple’s one-year-old daughter. The two met on the set of a VH1 reality TV show and were married for less than two years before filing for divorce. According to court documents obtained by Page Six, Mena states that her marriage to Samuel is "irretrievably broken" with "no hope of reconciliation."
11) Hot 97’s Summer Jam Returning for Summer 2021
After a quiet year NYC radio station HOT97 announced that their iconic Summer Jam Concert would make a live return in time for the 2021 Summer. The line up has yet to be announced but all roads lead to Met Life stadium on August 22nd 2021. Summer Jam is known for its epic surprises and we are sure this year will be no different.