Posts

Aidonia Launches Own Cannabis Strain “Banga Kush”

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Aidonia has formally entered into the legal cannabis business.

The dancehall deejay has long been associated with one of Jamaica’s favorite herbs. After all, in many of his videos, Aidonia can be seen smoking ‘spliffs’ and has never shied away from promoting the benefits of the plant. Now he’s been given the opportunity to bring his own flare to a strain of cannabis strain, which is called, very fittingly, Banga Kush.

The launch of the new strain was held earlier this week at Epican Medicinals at Marketplace on Constant Spring Road in St Andrew, for which he is a brand ambassador. The “U Know De Vibe” artist spoke with the Jamaica Observer and explained that he had a vested interest in introducing the new strain of cannabis.

He shared that it has always been a part of his life, and so once he was given the opportunity by the company, he pounced on it.

“Once the chance came about, we being a part of the Epican brand, that was just the focus to put something out there weh wi know say wi name attached to it and just the quality like what Epican produces. Having my own strain was always a goal and a dream,” he added.

He has been a brand ambassador for Epican for the last four years, and it seems like a match made in heaven for both parties. According to the popular deejay working with Epican has been easy because it feels like he is part of a family. He added that it has been a great partnership because they are able to exchange ideas and drive growth and education where marijuana is concerned.

The “Joker Smoker” singer also said that because of the partnership, people are starting to view him differently and see that he understands the balance between his career and the corporate world.

To that end, he praised Epican for the job that they are doing with the strains and said that his role was simply to showcase and show people the great work that the company is doing.

President of Epican Medicinals, Dwayne McKenzie, also had high praises for Aidonia and explained a little more about how they came up with the new strain.

“He worked for a number of years with the team to develop something perfect for himself. Banga Kush has become a hit at Epican with many persons already specially requesting it,” he added.

Aidonia has been out of the limelight in recent times when coming to his music, but fans will soon get a chance to hear some more of his work as he’s announced that he is hoping to drop two EPs later this year.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Chris Brown & Greensleeves Reach Settlement In Red Rat’s Song Lawsuit

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Chris Brown has settled the lawsuit brought by Greensleeves Publishing.

The R&B singer’s lawyer filed a motion on Wednesday (Sept 7) to stay the case as the parties reached a final settlement. Chris Brown along with his company Chris Brown TV and Song Music Entertainment, was sued last year by Greensleeves which owns the masters for the Red Rat track “Tight Up Skirt.” Greensleeves had sued Brown and the other defendants for $1.5 million in damages.

According to Greensleeves Publishing, Brown had copied key parts of Red Rat’s 1997 hit, including lyrics from the hook and the song’s melody, and used it in his 2017 single, “Privacy.”

The parties, however, applied to the court for a stay in proceedings as they negotiate a settlement. In a September 7 letter obtained by Urban Islandz sent to Judge Robert Lehrburger of the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, Brown’s lawyer James Sammataro said that Chris Brown, whose full name is Christopher Maurice Brown, and his company Chris Brown TV said that the parties had come to a settlement.

“We write with the permission of Daniel Aaron, counsel plaintiff Greensleeves Publishing Ltd., and Jonathan King, counsel for the co-defendant Sony Music Entertainment… we write to advise Your Honor that the parties have reached a settlement in principal which fully resolves the matter,” Sammataro wrote.

Sammataro added that the agreement has not been reduced in writing as yet and requested 45 days to finalize the settlement.

“The parties intend to reduce their settlement into a formal agreement,” he continues. “This process will necessitate a little time, particularly given my current schedule which includes a trial scheduled for next week. In light of the parties’ settlement, and in order to [allow] for sufficient time to finalize the needed paperwork, the parties respectfully request that this matter be stayed for a period of 45 days so that they can amicably resolve this matter.”

Nothing about the terms of the negotiations or settlement was revealed, and the stay order was granted by the judge.

Last year, Greensleeves claimed that Brown used the iconic “aye you girl inna the tight up skirt” in his chorus, which is the same line in the hook “Tight Up Skirt”. Brown’s song is now certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Red Rat, who was not a part of the lawsuit, has not commented on it. However, Greensleeves claimed that the song was the biggest hit from Red Rat’s debut album, ‘Oh, no…it’s Red Rat’, and it was produced and distributed by Greensleeves Publishing.

According to Greensleeves in its court filings, it owns and administers exclusive music publishing rights in the United States for Red Rat’s single.

Along with the lyrics, the lawsuit also showed examples of how similar the timbre and cadence were between both songs, as it alleged that in “Privacy,” there was “a very spare instrumental accompaniment.”

Greensleeves Publishing which is a prominent label in the reggae and dancehall music industry, has been around since 1975.

The company has one of the largest reggae and dancehall catalogs for some of the top 90s artists, including Barrington Levy, Red Rat, Dennis Brown, Mad Cobra, and many others.

The Publishing house has not commented on the latest development in the case. This is the second lawsuit that Chris Brown has settled this week. On Thursday (Sept 8), the artist settled a lawsuit brought by two artists who claimed that his song “No Guidance” featuring Drake copied a song they released years before.

NewsAmericasNow.com

India Royale Announces Lil Durk Breakup, Unfollow and Deleted His Photos

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

India Royale has announced that she and Lil Durk have broken up as she unfollowed and deleted all traces of his photos from her Instagram.

The couple, who was once the gold standard for relationships in the hip hop community, appears to have called it quits. Last year India Royale and Lil Dirk made headlines when they fought off home invaders at their home in Georgia. Now this year, they are in the news for a different reason.

Early Sunday morning (Sept 11), Royale tweeted, “I’m a free agent.” She was responding to a question posed by a fan after founding out that they’re no longer following each other on the Gram. Her message prompted fans to speculate that she was saying she is single. One fan asked her in the comments if she is single, and she liked that tweet. A further inspection of her and Lil Durk’s Instagram accounts revealed that she unfollowed him, which is quite surprising since the pair have been very close up until recently.

The OTF rapper has not responded to the speculations, but he was active on social media as recently as Saturday night when he shared an image of one of his associates on his Story. He is still following his baby mother despite her unfollowing him.

Lil Durk and India Royale have been dating for years and have one child together. She also has a daughter from a previous relationship. In May of this year, the couple went on vacation together in the Caribbean, where they wrote their names with a heart in the sand. Durkio also rapped about her makeup business in his song with Drake, “Laugh Now Cry Later.”

It’s unclear what led to their sudden split, but hopefully, they can make amends.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Drake Hilariously Mocks Kanye West Feud With Adidas At Nike Event

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Drake was feeling extra petty at a recent Nike event where he took a dig at Kanye West and Tyga.

Drake may not have reached the master troll level of 50 Cent, but he does know how to take tasteful shots at his foes. That was evident recently after he took the stage at Nike’s campus in Beaverton, Oregon, to host the shoe company’s annual event as part of its Just Do It Day.

Even though it should be noted that Drake and Kanye West publicly squashed their beef recently, it looks like he is still taking jabs at the “Jesus Walks” rapper. The event in question was part of the Nike Maxim Awards, which lasted for a week.

In front of a crowd filled with celebrities and athletes affiliated with the brand, Drake took a dig at Kanye’s current ongoing battle with Adidas. “And when you put things into perspective, you know, Adidas has Kanye — I think,” Drake said during his speech.

The clip from the awards has been making the rounds on social media as well. The comment was not lost on those who had gathered as they burst into laughter.

The “all Falls Down” rapper’s most recent reason for his discontent with the brand is that, according to him, the internationally recognized corporate sports company has been stealing his designs. In true Kanye fashion, after he made the accusations, he went after several members of the company.

Drake added that his longstanding partnership with Nike was truly an honor before he paid tribute to some of Nike’s most renowned advocates, including the late Virgil Abloh.

“At Nike we have Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Michael Jordan; the greatest creative mind of all time, Virgil Abloh. Rest in peace,” he said.

The “God’s Plan” rapper made the comments as Kanye West has been trending in the last week for his battle with Adidas and Gap. One that he has already claimed victory after getting huge support from some of his peers, including Swizz Beatz and Diddy.

“I COULD HEAR THE JOY IN MY TEAMS VOICES TODAY. ADIDAS DON’T WANT NO MORE SMOKE. THE MOVIE CREDIT’S ARE ROLLING. THIS WAR WASN’T ABOUT MONEY,” he said in all caps in one of t his posts on Instagram.

Kanye West added that his fight is purely about control of his businesses and family as well as having a voice. He said that he asked Adidas to settle the matter privately, but his requests went on deaf ears.

He was pretty active on the social media site, and in another post, he indicated that his legal team had advised him not to post anything about Gap for at least ten days.

Meanwhile, the comment was just some light humor from the OVO Boss, who highlighted many other achievements of the brand. He also welcomed Travis Scott to the stage to close out the special event.

The rapper, who folks tried to cancel following the Astroworld tragedy, took the opportunity to remind fans of why he was so beloved before the mishap.

He performed a medley of songs, including “MAFIA,” “ANTIDOTE,” and “GOOSEBUMPS.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

Ne-Yo Asks Judge To Deny Wife Crystal Smith Spousal Support & Custody Of Kids

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Ne-Yo does not want to pay his estranged wife Crystal Smith spousal support, and he has also filed for custody of the couple’s three children as they battle it out in divorce court.

The R&B artist has responded to Crystal Smith’s divorce petition that was filed in early August, which claimed that the couple’s marriage had irretrievably broken down. She alleged that he had several affairs during the course of their marriage and even claimed that he fathered a child with another woman during their marriage.

On Wednesday, Radar Online reported that Ne-Yo filed court documents saying their marriage had “irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation.”

However, the artist objects to Smith’s request for temporary and permanent alimony and primary custody of their three children. They share sons, Shaffer Chimere Jr. and Roman Alexander-Raj, and daughter, Isabella, and Ne-Yo is asking the court to grant joint legal and physical custody, noting that he is an “active and loving Father to his children,” and can care for the children despite the marriage ending.

“[Ne-Yo] asserts that he is financially, physically, and emotionally capable of serving as a joint physical custodian of the parties’ three minor children alongside [Crystal],” the document read.

In regards to debts incurred during the marriage, the artist wants both parties to pay their respective debts as it appears in their names, and he also wants the “exclusive use” of their marital home based in Georgia.

Crystal Smith Instagram

“He has been solely responsible for the mortgage and maintenance of this property since the date of purchase,” the document said. The singer says that he owns three properties that were bought by him during the course of their marriage and wants that fact to be considered since Smith never contributed to the purchase price of any.

The artist admitted that Smith was a housewife who remained unemployed because she “benefited significantly due to her personal association with the Respondent and his career.”

He also believes that she is not incapable of finding work, so he doesn’t have to continue to maintain her.

“[she] possesses the considerable ability to procure stable and consistent employment at this current time and following the dissolution of the marriage,” he said.

Last month Smith had spoken about her relationship with the artist just days before she filed for divorce, where she said the marriage was “nothing else but wasted years and heartbreak.”

The couple got married in 2016 and separated around February 2020. They re-married last year and shortly after welcomed their daughter Isabella.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Eminem Reveals He Lost Brain Function After Overdose, Talks ‘Relapse’ Album

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Eminem is opening up about his 2007 drug overdose and how the incident affected his recovery.

According to the rapper’s Manager Paul Rosenberg, after the overdose, it was speculated that the rapper may have suffered brain damage that would dramatically change his life, and probably he wouldn’t be the same ever again.

In 2007, Eminem had a near-fatal overdose. Many feared the worse While in the public’s eye, he appeared to steadily improve and regain control of his life, the rapper is now disclosing that his recovery was far from simple, he said while speaking with his long-time manager Paul on his Podcast Paul Pod.

“It took a long time for my brain to start working again,” the “8 Mile” rapper began.

His manager interjected, “you literally were coming off of an overdose, and they had to sort of stabilize you with a few medications. And some of them took you a minute to adjust to — let’s just leave it at that.”

He added, “so, you’re learning how to rap again almost literally, right? Because it’s the first time, probably, you were creating without having substances in your body in… however many years, right?”

The Detroit rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, also recollected the moments following the overdose when his manager expressed concern for him to doctors.

The pair also discussed his first song after the overdose, “Give me the Ball/ Detroit Basketball,” which was leaked in 2010 where the song never even sounded like Em.

Rosenberg, however, said that the rapper’s recovery was steady, and after months he was starting to be his old self. At least on the musical front as Eminem shared mentally that other things were going as he adjusted to not being in a drugged-up state where his skin itched as he realized that he was still in withdrawal almost six months after the overdose.

“I was taking 75-80 Valium a night,” Eminem said.

That was not the end for him dealing with drug abuse, as Rosenberg noted that Mathers again had to go to rehab after he released his album post the drug overdose. When he returned, he had “an album with a bunch of f***ing accents on it.”

“I didn’t really notice it [the accents] and was just so excited that you were making music and having a good time with it,” Rosenberg said. “At the end, I went to play some music for some people and they were like, ‘yeah, he’s rapping really well again but what’s up with the accents?’”

Eminem speak on Relapse 2 album

“I remember when I first got sober and all the s**t was out of my system I remember being really happy. Everything was like f***ing new to me again,” Eminem added. “It [Relapse] was the first album and the first time that I had had fun recording in a long time.”

During his 2010 appearance on Recovery with Dre in Hawaii, Eminem recalled his old music as the guide to finding himself again.

“It was literally like a fing awakening and it happened in like fing five minutes, 10 minutes listening to some of my older s*** and going, ‘I need it to feel like this again,’” he said.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Queen of Dancehall Spice Album ‘Emancipated’ Debuts In Top 10 On Billboard

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Spice new album Emancipated debut at No. 7 on the Billboard Reggae chart this week.

The Queen of dancehall Spice is showing she has what it takes to be an independent artist after she earned her fourth entry on the streaming and sales-driven Billboard Reggae Albums chart.

Spice continued her ascendancy in the genre with her second full-length album, Emancipated. According to the first-week performance, the album has sold 1,500 total units of consumption from sales and streaming in its first week of release. That included 700 copies from pure album sales and 1.1 million combined audio and video streams in the US. It’s a good showing for the “Go Down Deh” artist and is a little better than what she was able to accomplish with her debut 10, which spent came in at No. 6 on the chart last year. However, it was nominated for a Grammy.

That was the last work she did for her previous label, VP Records, and it sold just 1,447 total units, which consisted of both sales and streaming in the US in its first week.

Emancipated was released on August 26 via Stealth Music/Spice Official ENT and features nine tracks. She is no stranger to the chart, and in 2014 her So Mi Like it EP came in at No. 14, while her mixtape Captured debuted at number one in 2018.

Meanwhile, on the US Current Reggae Albums chart, the album debuted at number one with 653 in pure album sales.

Over on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, Bob Marley & The Wailers continue to hold strong at No. 1 for an astounding 139th consecutive week, with Legend. Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection is at No. 2, while Sean Paul’s Dutty Classics Collection is at No. 3.

At No. 4 is UB40’s Greatest Hits compilation, and Stick Figure features in the No. 5 and No. 6 positions with their albums World On Fire and Set In Stone.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Yung Bleu Buys Himself A Private Jet: “It Took Me 10 Years To Get Here”

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Yung Bleu celebrates his success with the acquisition of a private jet.

The rapper/singer is proving that he is a businessman at heart as he shared that he bought himself his first jet at age 28. Yung Bleu shared a lengthy emotional post about his motivations for buying the jet after dedicating himself to his career.

“Nobody know we’re life can take you . It took me 10 hard years to get here,” he began. “We’re can I start. I used to day dream all day when I lived with my mama. I used to tell people everyday Ima be successful. Some people believed some didn’t. I just Kept going ! On my road to success I fell off bout 4 r 5 times. Lost Alotta loved ones . Gave away Alotta money blowed a lot to . But I dnt regret ! I helped Alotta people.”

He also shared that he experienced many personal struggles, including not being able to buy his son diapers at one point.

“At the same time Never hated on Nobody ! never said I deserved another man success . always played my role . Stayed a HUMBLE BEAST ! hits , im resilient! can’t be defeated ! I pulled my self up every-time ! ! IM PROUD OF MYSELF ! U A F***** BEAST. To not even owning a car to owning plane ! I couldn’t afford to buy Corbin diapers now to owning my own private jet . From alabama ? Man I broke barriers I’m already a goat in my state,” he said.

Yung Bleu also shared a motivational message for his fans. “When I was young in the game I didn’t no what being a ARTIST Vs BUSINESS MAN was. Alotta these people dnt understand the moves I make behind closed doors. I just be letting y’all flex but mane ! I had to post this 1 ! I’m posting this to motivate the young guys ! Long term investment ! #MOONBOYJETS @moonboyuniv #HUMBLEBEAST.”

The rapper recently shared that he was making power moves with the impending launch of his Moon Boy University coming soon.

Yung Bleu showed photos of the building under construction and said that Moon Boy University will house his artists, producers, and video producers while also offering training producers in the music industry.

“The year gone be some amazing sh** getting done I promise. Studio, conference room. Video/Movie production room im even gonna start inviting young upcoming producers doing classes etc ! I’m so excited about this,” he wrote.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Tekashi 6ix9ine Not Happy About Court Ordered Protection From Girlfriend

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

6ix9ine says he doesn’t need a court to protect him from his girlfriend who recently put the paws on him.

Tekashi 6ix9ine’s girlfriend has been ordered by a court to stay away from the rapper after her domestic violence arrest last week in which she allegedly battered the “Trollz” rapper at a Miami nightclub. Jade and Tekashi have been together for more than four years, but it seems that their relationship has broken down. Despite the arrest and charge, Tekashi doesn’t seem keen on having her suffer consequences, TMZ reported.

6ix9ine’s girlfriend has been issued an extensive protective order to keep no contact with the rapper. This includes not only all forms of remote contact, such as phone calls, texts, letters, and social media but also physical contact. Jade must also stay at least 500 feet away from the Brooklyn rapper.

It doesn’t seem that Tekashi or Jade will follow the order. The rapper stated that their relationship is doing well, meaning that they are still together despite the incident. He recently went on Instagram Live and tell fans that they are in a good place with their relationship but admitted that he found himself in a dark place frequently, so he is taking a break.

The rapper also says he is allowing Jade and her child to remain in residence at his house in Florida until they take care of the legal issues. 6ix9ine, on the other hand, will stay in a hotel until that is sorted out, but he does indicate that there is a possibility that he will move back into the home with her and her child.

Last month Jade was arrested for throwing hands at 6ix9ine. At the time, the rapper said that her friends had encouraged her to fight with him. Part of the altercation was also videoed and shared online.

Despite Jade being the aggressor, 6ix9ine had said that he was going to pay her bond so she could be released from bail. At the time, she was placed on a $1500 bond.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Offset and Cardi B Gifted Son Waves His Own G-Wagon At 1st Birthday Bash

/0 Comments/in /by

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Offset and Cardi B are celebrating the first birthday of their baby boy, Wave, with a mini car show to ring in the first 12 months of his life. The couple is notorious for spoiling their kids and things was no different at Waves birthday party.

On Sunday, the Offset shared a series of birthday messages as he shared his love and pride for Wave. “MY BIG WAVE IS 1 YEARS OLD TODAY,” Offset wrote on Sunday as he shared several throwback moments over the last year. One of the photos showed Offset holding his baby boy for the first time while he was still wrapped in the hospital blanket, while another showed him sitting on his own in a jet.

The Migos rapper also shared several Instagram stories in honor of Wave. One of them showed them on a shopping trip, while another showed him fixing his son’s hat while the baby boy sat in his stroller. He also shared a throwback of himself and Cardi B with a few of their magazine covers over the last year.

Young Wave was also gifted a diamond-crusted Mercedes-Benz G Wagon mini car for his first birthday from his aunt Hennesy Carolina, Cardi B’s sister.

Offset and Cardi B have Wave along with four-year-old daughter Kulture. Cardi B also shared a few cute messages on Wave’s birthday.

“He got his daddies mean mug lol,” she captioned a photo of Offset and Wave. In addition to his sister Kulture, Wave has several siblings from his father’s side his sister Kalea, 7, and brothers Kody, 7, and Jordan, 12.

Cardi B also shared videos on her Instagram Stories of Wave’s birthday party. Wave is seen driving into his own party while surrounded by photographers. He and his sister Kulture are seen wearing matching denim jackets similar to their father’s pants, Cardi B’s jacket, and their other siblings’ outfits. Wave might have been past his bedtime as he was looking around at everyone, but he did seem to keep up till around 9 pm.

Cardi B also shared the after party for Wave’s birthday, which included tracks by Jamaican dancehall artists Kranium and Popcaan blazing while soca tunes also blazed away.

Cardi B and Offset got married in 2017, but the couple appeared to have marital issues leading to Cardi B filing for divorce in 2020. However, all seems well with the couple now.

Earlier this year, Offset, in an essence interview, spoke about being a father and having a blended family.

“It’s a blessing to be able to have them all together, and to have a wife who’s open and treats them as if they’re her kids,” he said. “It could be an issue, but I don’t have to go through that, and that’s beautiful.”

“I feel like sometimes people go into a relationship with a man or a woman who has kids with negativity — and I feel like people should embrace it, and love it,” Cardi added. “I love our family, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said.

NewsAmericasNow.com