After just releasing the deluxe edition of his Ai Riff project, JG Riff is already back with a new visual. Shot by Ben10 4K.
JG Riff – ‘Ai Riff (Deluxe)’ (Stream)
A couple of months after its original release, JG Riff ups the ante with 10 additional tracks for fans to enjoy. Stream Ai Riff (Deluxe) below.
Raheem DeVaughn, Vandell Andrew & The Colleagues Feat. Goapele – “Love Around The Clock”
Love Euphoria drops Feb. 10.
Shanteari Weems Receives Four Years In Prison After Shooting Husband Over Sexual Abuse Claims
From WBAL TV:
The Baltimore County woman who shot her husband at a Washington, D.C., hotel in July 2022 was sentenced to prison.
Shanteari Weems was sentenced Friday to four years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. She pleaded guilty in November 2022 to shooting her husband, James Weems Jr., saying it was an act of self-defense.
Shanteari Weems said she shot her husband over child sex abuse allegations at her day care center.
James Weems Jr., a retired Baltimore City police officer, was arrested on several sex offense charges. He is scheduled to go to trial in the summer.
Lil Keed – “Long Way To Go” (Video)
On Monday (Jan. 30), Lil Keed‘s mother, Tonnie Woods-Reed, announced that her late son would soon have a posthumous album. Specifically, it will be an official sequel to his 2018 mixtape, Keed Talk To ‘Em:
“On May 13, 2022, I lost my son Raqhid Render — who many of you knew as the artist Lil Keed,” her message read. “Right before his passing, Keed was hard at work at what would’ve been his highly anticipated next album, Keed Talk To ‘Em 2.”
She then revealed the forthcoming effort would be led by the single “Long Way To Go,” explaining the song’s importance from a personal standpoint: “As much as he was a great father, son and friend — he was also an artist who, thanks to many of you, lived and continues to live through his music… This song holds a special place in my heart, and as you guys will see, it will reflect on many aspects of Keed’s journey here on Earth.”
Today (Feb. 3), “Long Way To Go” has officially arrived for fans to enjoy. Produced by DJ SIDEREAL and Aidan Han, the bittersweet number sees Keed rapping about his hard-earned wealth and success:
“Got a long way to go, but I’m closer than ever, I Chanel the belt, I Chanel the sweater, I go through a lot but I keep it together, I’m pulling up, 400 and better, it’s a real blitz storm in this motherf**kin’ bezel, I put my heart out, I wrote me a letter, a n**ga so rich, they calling me treasure, I’m stylin’, I’m wildin’, got sticks, I ain’t hiding, my b**ch, exotic, like something from the islands, my peace, so sacred, I stay by violence, LA, all duckеd off, in the hills, the highest…”
Press play on the visual for “Long Way To Go” below, which, in addition to Woods-Reed and younger brother Lil GotIt, shows a wealth of Keed’s loved ones honoring his tragically short life.
Cordae – Bootleg Kev Interview (Video)
DMV’s own Cordae pays a visit to Bootleg Kev to speak on a number of topics, including social issues, his TED Talk, and — of course — when the new music is coming.
TopDolla Sweizy Performs “Myself” For DMVRAPS (Video)
The track can be found on the criminally slept on It Aint Easy Being Sweizy.
Two3Ace – ‘1517’ (Stream)
Two3Ace returns with a 10-track offering, complete with assists from Row and OG Boog. Stream 1517 in full below.
NLE Choppa – “Champions”
You can also check out NLE Choppa’s performance of his latest single below.
Shy Glizzy Feat. NBA YoungBoy – “Fools Fall N Love”
Shy Glizzy and YoungBoy — who recently named his D.C. counterpart as one of his favorite rappers — come together on the Buddah Bless-produced cut. Flowers is said to be on the way.
Pretty Blackkk Performs “Love Train” for DMVRAPS (Video)
Shot by Beyond The Lens and ColdWolfVisualz.
JL Jupiter Visits Ben’s Chili Bowl In D.C. (Video)
In addition to visiting Howard China, JL Jupiter also took a trip down the street to another longstanding D.C. staple.
Karon Blake’s Mother Breaks Her Silence On Shooting
From WUSA9:
The mother of 13-year-old Karon Blake says she thought her son was sleeping when he was shot by a D.C. worker in Northeast.
Londen Blake broke her silence the day after the man accused of killing her son, Jason Michael Lewis, pleaded not guilty. Lewis is facing second degree murder while armed charges for the death of Karon Blake.
“He was the man of the house. That’s who helped me, and he took him from me,” said Blake about the seventh grader, the eldest of her four children.
Blake told reporters she was doing her best as a mother, “Children are children, you know? Some of them grow up too fast. Some of them do things that they are not supposed to do, and some parents are not aware at all times.”
Additional quotes from FOX5:
“What I can say is that Karon came from a good home and I tried my best with him, you know? But Jason Lewis, he had no right. He had no right,” said the 13-year-old’s mother, “It could’ve went a different way.”
Addressing criticisms from the community, Ms. Blake and her attorney also told reporters she thought he was home that morning and did not know he was in fact out. Her attorney said Blake is not an irresponsible parent.
“Everybody is like, ‘what is he doing out a 4 a.m.?’ It’s like, would y’all feel better if it was at 4 p.m.? A crime is a crime. He took my baby. My firstborn. And it’s messed up, but I’ve got to live with that,” Ms. Blake said.
The 1975’s Matty Healy Shouts Out Young Thug During Concert
Rock band The 1975 are in the throws of their world tour, which kicked off late last year and runs until May. During their Belfast stop, lead singer Matty Healy decided to divert from the program to shout out Young Thug, who is currently in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle in Atlanta. As the concertgoers in SSE Arena listened on, Healy expressed his feelings about the YSL head honcho’s situation over Auto-Tune:
“Free Young Thug. None of these cultural references make any sense without Young Thug. Don’t care if he did anything with guns. Free Thugger. F**kin’ free Thugger.”
He then ended his short speech by telling everyone to “do their research,” eliciting yells from some and what appeared to be confusion from others.
Young Thug, Gunna, and a number of other individuals from the Young Stoner Life collective were arrested last year on RICO charges. Last month, Gunna was released from jail after entering an Alford plea, which resulted in him receiving a suspended sentence and an order to complete several hundred hours of community service.
While the aforementioned on-stage message was surprising, The 1975 aren’t strangers to the hip hop landscape by any means. Previously, Healy joined many others in calling for A$AP Rocky‘s freedom following the Harlem talent’s arrest in Sweden a few years ago. In a 2013 MTV interview, the British vocalist expressed his love for the rap genre:
“That kind of beat poetry inspired and really, really informed the way that I wrote lyrics,” he stated. “I never really had a formula for writing lyrics, but the only thing I did know was that I wanted it to be as earthy as that is, like Seamus Heaney and people like that.”
You can check out fan footage of Healy speaking on Thugger below.
R.I.P. Mike Gaddis
These types of posts are getting to be too much. From NBC Washington, where you can read more on the story:
The man who was shot in the head on Monday afternoon in front of Washington D.C.’s Coolidge High School died late Monday night in the hospital, police confirmed.
The man, identified by police Tuesday afternoon as 36-year-old Michael Gaddis, worked with D.C.’s Safe Passage Safe Blocks initiative.
The man was not on duty when he was shot, police said Monday afternoon. His identity will be revealed once relatives are notified of his death, police said.
The Safe Passage program was created by the District in 2017 “based on concerns around student safety,” to help ensure students are safe as they travel to and from school. The program expanded in 2022 to cover more areas of the city.
Coolidge High School, which the man was shot in front of on Monday, is listed as one of schools within the program’s priority areas.
Police added that the man was shot after some kind of dispute.
The nature of that dispute, and the person the Safe Passage worker was arguing with, is still unknown. Police say the mystery shooter drove off.
Big Boogie Feat. Fat Trel – “P*ssy Monster”
Taken from the CMG star’s new album, Definition of Big Dude.
Baby Fifty – ‘Amn Bra’ (Stream)
A new project from Baby Fifty? With 11 tracks? Consider the rest of the winter made… stream Amn Bra below.
Travy Nostra – “Where Yo Blick At” (Video)
Shot and directed by Hush Congo and Vibe Era Films. Produced by 46BROCK.