New York Congressman on ASAP Rocky: ‘I Will Fight Until He’s Brought Back Home’

via Complex 
Free ASAP 

The world is watching as ASAP Rocky’s detainment in Sweden persists. Fans continue to circulate videos that seemingly support Rocky’s account of the alleged altercation with two Swedish men that led to his arrest, and many have signed a Change.org petition calling for #JusticeforRocky. Meanwhile, the ASAP Mob leader’s friends and colleagues are tirelessly working to contact the proper authorities to ensure his safe homecoming.

Now, the Harlem rapper is getting a political push, as well. Congressman Adriano Espaillat, U.S. Representative for New York’s Thirteenth Congressional District, is advocating for Rocky’s return. On Wednesday, July 10, Congressman Espaillat addressed several letters to the U.S. State Department, U.S. Embassy in Sweden, and the Swedish Ambassador in Washington, outlining Rocky’s innocence and pleading for justice in his case. 

Although the case for Rocky appears to be strong, and the fan petition garnered more than 400,000 signatures in its first day, Congressman Espaillat is determined to elevate the conversation and speak up for an important member of the Harlem community. 

“He’s part of a growing, young movement of artists that, first of all, I commend because they identify with the neighborhood where they live, which in this case is Harlem,” Espaillat explains. 

“Harlem is a neighborhood that is very special because Harlem is not just about the Apollo or 125th Street. It’s really about an attitude and a personality and a history and a legacy. And so, for him to be a young person and continue to identify with Harlem, and be a strong presence of the artist community in Harlem, is great. That’s why I’m going to bat for him.”

Congressman Espaillat spoke with Complex about the violations on ASAP Rocky’s rights and the campaign to bring him home. The interview, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, is below.

Who are you sending these letters to?

I’m writing to the State Department as well as the U.S. Embassy in Sweden. The Swedish Ambassador right here in Washington, but also I’m writing to the U.S. State Department, which is in charge of the all the different embassies across the world, as well as the U.S. Embassy in Sweden.  

Do the letters differ in any way?

They’re similar, but they are not the same. We’re directing them to the U.S. authorities over there, the State Department, and then, of course, the Swedish authorities. For the State Department, we're asking them to try to get to see him, and see what they can do on the ground over there. From the Swedish Embassy here in Washington, just asking to listen, because I've seen the tape of what occurred, and clearly, he was provoked, and harassed, and followed, and accosted, and I think he acted in self-defense. 

You outlined Article 36 in your letter. Can you elaborate on what that is?

This is an article within the Vienna Convention for Consular Relations which basically entitles any foreign national in any country to contact the embassy right after an arrest. It is concerning that this right was not extended to him. Or at least to our knowledge, he has not contacted the embassy there or was not offered, immediately after his arrest, the ability to contact his country’s representatives in Sweden. 

Why wasn’t he allowed those rights in this case? 

I cannot explain the behavior of the Swedish authorities because if you see the video, you will see clearly what this was, right? In fact, the first aggressor was the perpetrator when he threw his headphone at one of ASAP’s supporters or his security. So, I cannot speculate why they’re doing this. But what I could say is that the whole world is watching and that he has already endured financial damages because he hasn’t been able to make some concerts and some appearances. As well, there is a real outcry by the music industry, and people across the world feel that this is unjust. It will speak badly of [Sweden] if he’s not released within a reasonable amount of time. 

What prompted your support?

Well, I represent Harlem, and he’s a constituent of mine in Harlem. But I’ve also gotten folks who have approached me about it in the last couple of days. So I looked into it and felt I should do something about it. 

I imagine not many politicians go to bat for entertainers often.
Well, you know, he’s a young man, a young talent, and I think he’s getting a raw deal there. I think he doesn’t deserve to be in jail. He deserves to be back at the Apollo. 

There have been reports discussing the fact that he is allegedly a flight risk, and that is why they extended his detainment. Is that in any way confusing to you? 

Of course. They don’t have to keep him in jail. If he has a court appearance, first and foremost, it should be done expeditiously. It shouldn’t be a long, protracted wait because that’s damaging in itself. So you got to wait a couple of months just to tell that you’re innocent? And then you’re away from your family and your work for several months? That’s not fair. That’s not just. I think that not only is it incumbent upon the Swedish authorities to release him or have him see a judge as quickly as possible. And for that to be done expeditiously without any further financial damages to him and his family. 

Being a representative of the Harlem community, what have you observed regarding Rocky’s presence and influence? What does he mean to the area? 

He’s part of a growing, young movement of artists that, first of all, I commend because they identify with the neighborhood where they live, which in this case is Harlem. Harlem is a neighborhood that is very special because Harlem is not just about the Apollo or 125th Street. It’s really about an attitude and a personality and a history and a legacy. And so, for him to be a young person and continue to identify with Harlem and be a strong presence of the artist community in Harlem, is great. That’s why I’m going to bat for him.

Do you think the videos, along with the Change.org petition, will aid in his return?
  
The video speaks for itself. I will speak to the ambassador, and I will let him know that there is a growing movement, and that there are people signing the petition, and that the world is watching. And we've seen, unfortunately, how videos have not brought justice in the past. The [Eric] Garner case is one of them, where we clearly saw in the video what occurred. And you know, it's already 400,000 signatures in just 24 hours. So that's close to half a million people that signed on. I will continue to fight until he's brought back home.

A-Thug Onwership A Nipsey Hussle Tribute - The Marathon Continues

The Marathon Continues From Crenshaw to Harlem 

The enormous outpouring of love for Nipsey Hussle continues. In death Nip has not only inspired others to follow in his footsteps health wise,but also in other areas like empowering the community,charity, music, business and ownership of ones decisions and one's own financial prosperity.

Receiving praise from everyone from Basketball players, music entertainers,actors, the people from his community even the former United States president Barack Obama, a local entrepreneur from Harlem A-Thug has been inspired by the life of Nipsey Hussle and has begun a movement focus on ownership. Peep the song below which is now streaming on all major platforms

A-Thug is a business man and a hard worker, he wishes to spread that mindset to all who listen to his music hoping to have positive change in the community and to build a stronger more self sufficient community. This mindset will also empower people,giving them more self esteem in and self importance allowing them to provide for their family and ultimately create a better life and generational wealth.

DRAKE & FUTURE HINTING AT A NEW COLLAB MIXTAPE

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

Drake and Future have something up their sleeves.

On Thursday night, Hendrix posted an Instagram story that teased what sounds like a collaborative project. 

"What's that?" Drake says as he holds up two fingers. "We gotta cook that up. That 2."

"It's already cooked up," Future responds. "Top secret."

Drake and @1future got something coming.... 👀 #FBGOVO pic.twitter.com/fTghpOXoj6

— Word On Road (@WordOnRd) April 5, 2019

Many fans suspect Future and Drizzy are teasing a sequel for their 2015 joint mixtape What a Time to Be Alive. Rumors of a part 2 have circulated for years, but the anticipation increased in recent weeks following a report by OnSmash. Sources told the online publication that Drake and Future have already completed WATTBA2, which might explain Future's "It's already cooked up" comment.

OnSmash reports the rumored project features entirely new records, rather than leftovers from the recording sessions for the original tape. 

Stay tuned as more details about the "top secret" project—or whatever it is—become available.

Drake is currently overseas for his Assassination Vacation Tour and is expected to drop the Scorpion follow-up later this year.

Listen to some of the dope Drake X Future Collabs from their previous mixtape

The Fresh Prince is back and its heavy on the drama

Maxing Relaxing All Cool

Things aren't all fuzzy dice for the Fresh Prince in Bel-Air, which explores the far more dramatic side of what happens when a young man born and raised on the streets of West Philadelphia is sent to live with his well-to-do uncle on the other side of the country. Everything is flipped, turned upside down in this genuinely great The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fan trailer from writer and director Morgan Cooper. Starring Jerry Madison as Will, who gets sent to live with his uncle and cousins for a far more intense reason than a little schoolyard fight, this 100% looks like it's a real drama coming to theaters this fall.

Yup, no question, we would 100% watch that. And we are already prepared to start off hating Carlton, only to watch he and Will develop a mutual love and respect for each other over time, straight up to the point where their goodbye makes us cry. (Uh, not that happened with the original series...)
Why we care: Last year, SNL served up an extremely dark and gritty reinterpretation of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The digital short mixed ’90s nostalgia with some disturbing elements for a truly surreal throwback. But director and lifelong Fresh Prince superfan Morgan Cooper has something more ambitious in mind with his just-debuted tribute to the show.

Bel-Air is a fake trailer that heavily dramatizes the events of The Fresh Prince so convincingly, you could swear it was a real movie. This well-produced short cheekily uses all the tropes of a tear-jerking Oscar-contender, while breezing through a checklist of Fresh Prince lore. We see more of that “one little fight” that so scared Will’s mom on the series that she exiled him from West Philadelphia to Bel-Air. We witness the historic initial meeting between Will and his sidekick Jazz, portrayed as though it’s John Lennon meeting Paul McCartney for the first time in a Beatles biopic. We hear Carlton being a little prick. The only thing this otherwise perfect fake-trailer is missing is a joke about recasting Aunt Viv midway through.

Have a look:



If you where feeling the song used in the trailer the video is linked below

Nipsey Hussle Was Murdered today .... I Can't Believe It

This is Whack Bro like i"ve been on blog hiatus but this right here is whack....like my bro King T AKA Vinyl Rock would always brag about Nipsey and the positive things he was doing as an artist and leader in his community that  I soon to became a fan...a fan of his hustle,his work ethic,his realness so to have to report this today really has my heart heavy...Condolensces to the family and Lauren London...this is really whack but

The Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle was killed in a shooting outside his clothing store in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, multiple law enforcement sources said. Two other men were in serious condition, and a suspect remained at large.

Police sources said Hussle was shot multiple times at Marathon Clothing on Slauson Avenue in South Los Angeles at about 3:20 p.m. and that he was pronounced dead at a hospital. No other information was immediately available, but just a couple of hours before, Hussle, 33, whose real name was Ermias Ashgedom, had tweeted, "Having strong enemies is a blessing."

A large crowd of people, many of them crying, gathered at the intersection as police and media helicopters whirred overhead.

One of them was Matthew Talley of Denver, the engineer and director known as Megatron.

"It ain't just Los Angeles. He was an inspiration that was bigger than Los Angeles," Talley said. "You see all these people out here? ...

"He was really cool," Talley said. "He was a dope individual every time I met him."

Updates On Tekashi69's case

The judge who closed out Tekashi69's child sex case now admits there was a major screwup with his original sentence, but she also suggests it's a moot point now that he's locked up.

A spokesperson for Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Felicia Mennin -- who sentenced Tekashi in October for his 2015 child sex case -- tells TMZ the error was in the plea deal prosecutors struck with 6ix9ine's attorneys.

According to the spokesperson, "The original sentence was the result of a negotiated plea. All parties involved, the prosecution, defense and the [trial] judge (not Mennin) signed off on it." Now, here comes the big BUT ... "As an error was made, the case was placed back on the calendar and the sentence corrected."

Translation: Judge Mennin dropped Tekashi's probation Tuesday, and gave him credit for time served to correct an oversight -- namely, that the terms of the plea deal were unlawful. 

Remember, Judge Mennin handed down a light sentence of 4 years probation as opposed to jail time. Sentencing guidelines for a class C sex assault felony -- for which 6ix9ine was convicted -- call for a minimum of 10 years probation, and a max of 5-15 years in prison.

What's unclear is how Tekashi's time served -- less than 3 weeks in jail -- equals that minimum of 10 years probation. We asked Menin's spokesperson what the judge's sentence would have been had she initially noticed the plea deal screwup.

We were told, "Who knows?" All we do know is that Dummy Boy is the number one album in the country right now outselling Travis Scotts Astro World

6IX9INE HINTS AT RETIREMENT - Video

6ix9ine may be a hip-hop newcomer, but the controversial upstart is already teasing his retirement. Taking to Instagram on Sunday (April 8), Tekashi confirmed his exit plans.

“Waiting for someone to rob me,” he wrote. “Ima quit rapping this year. I accomplished everything i dreamed of in 5 months.”
Shortly before posting this, 6ix9ine celebrated his achievements. “Two platinum records, three gold records, five months of me making my debut in the industry,” he said. “But yet people be like, ‘Nobody knows you.’ What the fuck is you talking about?

The Recording Industry Association of America has different figures. “Gummo” earned a platinum certification last month, while “Kooda” earned a gold certification in February, according to the RIAA. No other 69 songs appear on the website’s database.

Waiting for someone to rob me. .. Ima quit rapping this year. I accomplished everything i dreamed of in 5 months.

A post shared by DAY69 IS OUT NOW !!!!!!! (@6ix9ine_) on Apr 8, 2018 at 1:22pm PDT

Controversy follows 6ix9ine. In February, a judge ordered him to complete his GED or face jail time as part of a plea deal. The rapper, who pled guilty to use of a child in a sexual performance, will find out his fate tomorrow (April 10).
“I got court tomorrow,” he said in another recent Instagram video. “I want everybody to put me in their prayers. Hopefully we come out on top. GED is done, everything is done. But you never know what the judge is gonna say.”

6ix9ine is also in a series of rap feuds. The Game, Trippie Redd, and Bhad Bhabie are among his most vocal detractors. The latter rapper recently spoke with Rap-Up about her feud with Tekashi. “Nobody likes this artist at all,” she said. “Nobody likes him.”

Tekashi 69 (6ix9ine) - Megastar TV EP 1 - Cosigned by 50 cent / Going To Jail

Tekashi69 is taking on the entire hip-hop community as he publicly beefs with stars like The Game, but the rainbow rapper now has some major firepower in his corner with support from 50 Cent.

The meeting between the two hip-hop stars went down Wednesday while 6ix9ine was being interviewed for ThisIs50.com.

The G-Unit boss crashed the interview and said everyone should “Leave him alone,” regarding the “BILLY” rapper’s ongoing war with The Game and YG.

Sources between 50 and 69 tell us the two discussed teaming up on projects, including music and TV.  We’re told specific plans weren’t set, but don’t be surprised if you see the 21-year-old rapper appearing on 50’s hit show, “Power.”

50 Cent and The Game also have a long history, the two had a bitter feud after Game was kicked out of G-Unit in 2005.  They’ve since squashed the beef, but you gotta think 50 had some interesting advice for Tekashi as he continues to trade barbs with his former foe.

As for the bottles the two were holding, we’re told it’s 50’s new champagne which has yet to be announced.

MEGASTAR TV Episode 1 Feat KING T 

Tekashi 69 (6ix9ine) - Megastar TV EP 1 - Cosigned by 50 cent / 69 Going To Jail



DJ Akademiks / 69 going to jail

Police Seeking Conor McGregor After Brooklyn Attack, UFC President Confirms

Conor McGregor is not happy that the UFC is stripping him of his featherweight title, which will be awarded to the winner of Saturday's Max Holloway-Khabib Nurmagomedov fight. Thursday afternoon, McGregor crashed a pre-fight press event in Brooklyn and caused chaos. He attempted to throw a guard rail at a bus of UFC fighters.

Conor McGregor. Picks up guard rail. Attempts to throw it at bus. ABSOLUTE CHAOS IN NEW YORK. #UFC223 (Via Felice Herrig's IG story) pic.twitter.com/JYQZD7jtKP

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) April 5, 2018
@TheNotoriousMMA is about that life pic.twitter.com/kLRbMVzSzk

— joshua. (@jrsvx) April 5, 2018
Now, UFC president Dana White says there's a warrant for McGregor's arrest. TMZ confirmed the NYPD is looking for McGregor.

It appears McGregor was going after Khabib.

I’ve seen video shot by fighters in the van. Very clear Conor is telling someone to get out of the van before being pulled away by security. Khabib and his team were in that particular van.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 5, 2018
Scarce details are available at this time, but we'll update this story when more is known.

Meek Mill catches a break Judge who holds grudge will be removed

Meek Mill’s case received a win today as Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner officially filed no opposition to releasing Meek on bail at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court level, according to documents obtained by Complex. Earlier this week Judge Genece Brinkley denied Meek bail once again, but this new filing means the rapper’s release on bail will be decided by the Supreme Court instead of Brinkley. 

Meek’s lawyers previously filed a motion to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to get him out on bail, which required approval from Krasner. According to the filing, Philly D.A. Larry Krasner "does not oppose defendant’s application to the extent he requests release on bail pending the current proceedings, but opposes all other requested relief at this time."

“We are encouraged by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s steadfast stance in not opposing Meek Mill’s release on bail at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court level while the current legal proceedings continue, even in light of Judge Brinkley’s vindictive and erroneous decision," Meek's lawyer Joe Taponica said in a statement to Complex.

Meek Mill's team also filed a motion to remove Brinkley from the case, claiming she has "exceeded the judicial role by sometimes essentially acting as a prosecutor and, at other times, taking an unusual interest in, and trying to inject herself into [Meek's] personal and professional life." A decision on her standing has yet to be made.

As of right now, there’s no timetable set for the Supreme Court to decide whether or not Meek can post bail while he appeals his 2-4 year sentence for a probation violation.

THE TOP 10 Thots In The Music Industry

THOTS...THOTS EVERYWHERE

Thots be thottin...these are facts, even Chris Brown said it..."These Hoes Aint Loyal"...whats a thot you may ask? here's that webster lol.

THOT 

noun, Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.
1.
a woman considered to be sexually provocative or promiscuous; a slut or whore.
Origin of thot Expand

acronym for t(hat) h(o) o(ver) t(here) ; see ho3

Now that we got that cleared peep the video below for the biggest thots in the industry.

Y.Rome drops visuals for his hit single RETIRED

Going All In 

Putting all his energy behind this track Y.rome and his Splitzville brothers have released a video for his fast growing single RETIRED. Boasting Some dope cinematography and the catchy melodic lyrics Y.rome captures the mood of his track perfectly in this visuals as he is on the precipice of superstardom... check out the video below and give us your feedback... Also check back with us here at thisisblaine.blogspot there's a sneaky rumor going around that there might be some new music coming from the Splitzville camp on 4/20/

COOLIN CAM - The Hype Train Is Picking Up (PARAPHERNALIA)

NEW YORK'S FINEST

Coming off the huge success of his last single Feat Vado "Amsterdam" Coolin Cam isn't content on resting on his laurels. Hard at work in Megastar Studios with Black Rolling Stones and NDO , Cam has been working on his next project, and has delivered a new single "Paraphernalia". 

Not only does he have the single but he also has a video shot by BigApeTv check it out below and ride the wave before its to late...

In 'Atlanta Robbin Season,' Success Just Makes Everyone More Miserable

All of this has happened before and all of it will happen again.



It’s hard to gauge the shape and ultimate narrative of Atlanta's second season based off of just the three episodes made available to critics before the season began—beyond the implication behind its subtitle, Robbin' Season. There's an ominosity that hangs in the air of these new episodes that didn’t exist in season one. The threat of extreme violence at worst, and at best, a polite, apologetic stick-up, looms even in scenes and episodes that ultimately reveal themselves as having nothing of the sort in mind.

But if there’s one theme that seems to be taking effect, it’s how little change changes.

There’s a stigma that plot is like, fifth, among Atlanta and the Glover Brothers' concerns, even moreso that the idea of Earn trying to be E to Paper Boi’s Vince but for rap was just a Trojan horse to lure dubious viewers and basic executives into a show with grander representation goals at hand. And it was—but as we’ve seen across three episodes of Robbin' Season now, the plot actually has advanced. We began the season with Earn and Al still feeling the after-effects of the shooting incident that bookends the pilot. Paper Boi’s career is actually advancing, scoring the gang prime meetings at streaming companies and studio face time with mainstream, pop-leaning rappers. Last week, the dividends from season one’s “The Streisand Effect” finally paid off, landing the typically teetering-on-broke Earn with several stacks in his pocket. And now in “Money Bag Shawty,” he’s, uh, earned even more.

Earn having racks to comfortably take Van on a date that doesn’t involve him doing menu math and contemplating leaving their car with a DIY parking attendant is a huge deal. On a different show, we might be forced to analyze if it’s too radical a change, and too fast. But here, it ultimately doesn’t matter because fundamentally, Earn is in the same place he was in season one episode three: Vying for respect, at the mercy of people who don’t care to give him theirs, and struggling to woo Van without worry because of it.

Watching Earn endure a series of humiliations alongside Van while trying to stunt with the Joneses, it struck me that “Money Bag Shawty” is essentially a sequel to “Go For Broke.” The mirror image extends beyond Earn and Van to the other half of the cast as well. Alfred may prefer trappin' to streaming service office visits and corporate commercials, but quite similar to episode three of season one, “Go For Broke,” he and Darius once again find themselves opposite a rap peer that shows them what menace truly is. Last time it was Quavo sharpshooting snitches in the woods. Now it’s Clark County, whose overalls and white manager mask a sociopathic intensity and goons ready to do his dirty (or wet? RIP, engineer) work at a moments’ notice.

What does all of this actually mean about the season and the show in general? I have no clue. It’s just interesting to note the ways in which Donald, Stephen and co. are approaching narrative and combating expectations. As audiences had a year plus to digest episodes like “B.A.N.” and every feature on the show highlights its surrealism and digressions, (while they themselves have said this season would function more as a series of interconnected short stories) it’s fun and intriguing to see that they’re peppering Robbin' Season with callbacks both plot-centric and thematic. When we met Earn, he lamented that money and opportunity were holding him back. But now instead of bouncing back from last year’s Ls, that momentum just has him careening into new ones. Time will tell if he can break the cycle.

Awful Rihanna Ad Prompts Snapchat to Bring in a Domestic Violence Expert

Following the massive backlash to Snapchat’s offensive “Would You Rather?” ad that asked users to choose between slapping Rihanna or punching Chris Brown, Snapchat has reached out to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and invited a member to join the app’s board. TMZ reports that a NNEDV representative confirmed the app contacted the network on Thursday.

Is it just me, or is this ad that popped up on my Snapchat extremely tone deaf? Like what were they thinking with this? pic.twitter.com/7kP9RHcgNG

— Royce Mann (@TheRoyceMann) March 12, 2018
The NNEDV rep said the role will be to educate Snapchat staff on domestic abuse and what is and isn’t appropriate to post regarding the issue.

Ads on Snapchat must be approved by the app, so the outrage is justified, since it likely passed through multiple people before being published on the app. “The advert was reviewed and approved in error, as it violates our advertising guidelines," Snapchat said in a statement about the incident. "We immediately removed the ad last weekend, once we became aware."

The ad, which was part of an interactive game, was immediately called out by users as insensitive and tone-deaf, made only worse by the former couple’s troubling history of domestic violence. The real condemnation came when Rihanna herself took to her Instagram story to comment on the ad, writing:

“Now SNAPCHAT I know you already know you ain’t my favorite app out there! But I’m just trying to figure out what the point was with this mess! I’d love to call it ignorance, but I know you ain't that dumb! You spent money to animate something that would bring intentionally shame to DV victims and made a joke of it!!! This isn't about my personal feelings, cause I don’t have much of them...but all the women, children and men that have been victims of DV in the past and especially the ones who haven’t made it out yet...you let us down! Shame on you. Throw the whole app-oligy away."

When Rihanna speaks, the people listen, and just minutes after she condemned the app for their misguided ad, fans started deleting Snapchat from their phones in solidarity with RiRi. It’s yet another blow to the app that was already struggling after Instagram stole their business model (and arguably improved on it). The app’s stock value declined last month when one of its most loyal users, Kylie Jenner, tweeted that she didn’t even use it anymore—so you can imagine what the reaction will be now that people actually have a reason to avoid the app.

Drake’s Record-Breaking 'Fortnite' Sesh Could Birth an In-Game “Hotline Bling” Celebration

After Drizzy spent the wee hours of Thursday morning playing Fortnite: Battle Royale with Twitch streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins—breaking the record for most concurrent viewers of a solo stream—the game’s developers seem eager to add a “Hotline Bling” emote feature to the game in the Canadian rapper’s honor.

According to Dexerto, there were over 600,000 viewers tuned in at one point, watching Drake and Ninja duke it out, with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, infamous entrepreneur Kim DotCom, and rapper Travis Scott eventually joining in on the fun. It only makes sense, for the developers to realize the opportunities here—and to pounce on the idea of adding more Drake into the equation in the wake of this record.

Now, in case you’ve forgotten what exactly a “Hotline Bling” emote might look like (but honestly, how could you, with the 6 God’s dance turning into a worldwide meme), check out this fan-made Fortnite-infused Drake video.

Imagine @Drake & @Ninja getting a Victory Royale and celebrating with this emote. #Fortnite

Credit : Dylan_0202 pic.twitter.com/lnOUYGIKfN

— Dexerto.com (@Dexerto) March 15, 2018

At the crack of dawn on Thursday, Reddit user Dylan_0202 shared his concept art for what an in-game Drake emote might look like. The exciting part of all this is that Epic Games’ community coordinator Christ Attalus responded to the redditor’s concept art, with a promising “Feedback noted,” shortly afterwards.

If you’re not an active Fortnite player, think of the emotes as the dance moves in Madden when a player accomplishes a play. They’re essentially there to taunt your opponents in the wake of their defeat—and what better subject for a braggy emote than a rapper? Braggadocio, swagger, and one-upmanship are essentially three of the main ingredients an emcee needs to stand tall.

Is Lonzo Ball trash at basketball ?

Brick by brick, Lonzo Ball is tearing down the sky-high expectations set by his father and tearing apart Laker Nation. Through the first month and a half of the NBA season, Ball has looked more Le’Bryan Nash than Steve Nash, shooting an abysmal 31.5% from the field and 25.7% from beyond the arc. If it holds, that 31.5% number would be the lowest field goal percentage for any player taking more than 10 shots a game since Woody Sauldsberry in 1961. Ball’s 3-point percentage would be the lowest ever for a player attempting at least the 4.9 triples he takes per game.

It’s all a bit perplexing. Many expected the rookie point guard to struggle with the speed and physicality of the NBA game, but making shots was something Ball never had difficulty doing until now. In his lone season at UCLA, he shot 55.1% from the floor and 41.2% from 3-point range, often pulling up off the dribble from well beyond NBA distance. The chest-release form on his jump shot was a very real concern coming into the league, but that worry had more to do with his ability to create his own looks than his ability to hit shots. Of the 103 threes he’s taken this year, only nine have come with a defender within four feet of him; he’s made three of those shots. And on the remaining 94 open threes he’s attempted he’s converted at an even worse clip, 25.5%.

His raw stats have been solid—9.0 points, 7.2 assists, and 7.0 rebounds with only 2.6 turnovers a night. And in a handful of games he’s shown glimpses of the Lonzo Ball we all loved watching with the Bruins last season, including two triple-double performances. While his historic inefficiency as a scorer has negated a lot of the benefits he’s brought the Lakers in other aspects of the game, his ability as a playmaker and floor general makes him a slight net positive for the Lakers in terms of win shares (+0.2) and value over replacement player (+0.2). A more bullish take on Ball can be found in a statistic called expected wins created by analytics guru and current editor in chief of cleaningtheglass.com Ben Falk. His formula indicates that Ball makes the Lakers play at the level of a 37-win team when he’s on the floor versus a projected win total of 35 when he’s on the bench.

So if Ball, despite all his struggles so far this year, is still contributing useful minutes to the Lakers, what does that say about his future in the NBA?
The reality of the situation is that Lonzo Ball’s shooting woes are bound to improve, even if he never becomes the shot creator and finisher some hoped he could be. Even if he simply raised his shooting percentage on open threes from 25.5% up to the league average of 37.1%, that alone would increase his scoring average from 9.0 to 10.5 points per game and improve his shooting splits to 39.7% from the floor and 36.9% from beyond the arc. And the expectation based on his college production is that Ball will eventually be an above-average three-point shooter when left unguarded.

To respond to the question posed in the headline of this article, the answer is yes and no. As controversial as Ball is as a public figure, his game is even more polarizing. As a scorer, he’s so far been one of the worst to ever don an NBA uniform. But as a playmaker, he’s posted assist and turnover numbers similar to those of Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, and Tim Hardaway as rookies. Projecting ahead, Lakers fans should be much more confident in Ball remembering how to shoot again than they should be worried that the obvious strengths in his game will atrophy.

XXXTentacion says he was assaulted by Migos outside of his hotel in Los Angeles.

XXXTentacion says he was assaulted by Migos outside of his hotel in Los Angeles.

The Florida rapper made the claims Monday night on Instagram, stating the trio had jumped him and pulled out a gun. XXX claims he was with his girlfriend and a friend during the incident.

“They jumped me […] Nobody gave the respect of a one-on-one,” he says in the video. “[…] I’m just letting y’all know for now that I’m a man before anything, and I’m gonna take my fucking ass-beating like a man, nigga, and I’m gonna carry myself like a man. This shit don’t affect me, and you niggas gonna lose money [for] fucking with me.”

You can see in the video that XXX sustained several injuries to his face; however, the Florida rapper says he was surprised Migos didn't do more damage considering all the shit-talking he did.

“After all the shit I’ve been talking, how the fuck you ain’t shoot me?” he says. “[…] He was scared to fight me one-on-one. These niggas were scared to fight me! Y’all niggas like 35! I ain’t mad because I got 35-year-olds afraid to fight me […] Migos just gave me free clout.”

Report: LiAngelo Ball Among UCLA Players Arrested for Shoplifting in China

Three members of the UCLA Bruins basketball team were arrested in China for allegedly shoplifting, ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman reported Tuesday.

LiAngelo Ball, brother of Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, is reportedly among the UCLA players facing legal trouble. According to Goodman, Chinese authorities also arrested freshman forward Cody Riley and freshman forward Jalen Hill. 

The arrests come a little over three days before the Bruins open their season against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday in Shanghai, China.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Ken Sugiura reported Chinese police also questioned three players from the Yellow Jackets before releasing them. Authorities also searched the UCLA team bus and ordered the Bruins players to return to the hotel.

"We are aware of the matter involving UCLA student-athletes and we are gathering more information," UCLA spokesman Alex Timiraos said in a statement provided to Sugiura.

Ball played 16 minutes and scored 11 points in UCLA's exhibition victory over Cal State Los Angeles on Nov. 1. Riley also played 18 minutes in the 111-80 win, coming off the bench to finish with eight points, five rebounds and three assists.

Lonzo Ball Is Selling Shirts With His Face On Nas’ ‘It Was Written’ Cover

The basketball rookie debuted the t-shirt as part of his new ZO2 apparel collection.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball isn’t changing his opinion about Nas any time soon. After stating that no one listens to the legendary rapper on the season premiere of his family’s Facebook reality show in August, the basketball rookie later doubled down on the comment by claiming that Future and Migos are what’s “real hip-hop” right now. This weekend at ComplexCon, Ball took his opinion a step further by officially debuting a t-shirt with his face superimposed on Nas' It Was Written cover as part of his new ZO2 apparel collection.

The t-shirt first made an appearance on Ball’s Instagram account last month, where it was worn by his manager, Darren Moore.

The It Was Written cover is an updated version of the highly influential artwork for Nas' debut album, Illmatic. As pointed out by Art Genius, Illmatic featured a photo of him as a kid, taken by his father Olu Dara when he returned from an overseas tour, superimposed over a backdrop of a New York city block. The It Was Written cover had a similar concept but featured Nas as an adult.

According to Nas' manager, the Queensbridge rapper was unbothered by Ball’s initial comments. Perhaps the t-shirt will change his mind.

The next step in their rivalry would be for Ball to take it to the recording booth, but even the fledgeling athlete/rapper is probably aware of Nas' infamous diss track, “Ether.”