Baller Alert Its A Lifestyle

It is day two of Young Thug’s high-profiled RICO case, and his defense team is working overtime to paint a positive image of the rapper.

During attorney Brian Steel’s opening statements, he spoke of how Thug overcame the odds to become the wildly successful rapper he is today, telling the court, “Jeffery Williams was born into an environment, a community, a society that was filled with oppression, despair, hopelessness, and helplessness.”

He then detailed how Thug grew up with a single mother and his siblings in a small apartment with no utilities. Steel dived into Thug’s dedication to learning music and even tried to distance the “Check” rapper from negative connotations about his stage name, telling the courtroom that Thug actually stood for “Truly humbled under God.”

Brian Steel tells the jury that Young Thug is a “studio gangster.”

“They’re in the studio. They are creating music for us to listen to.” pic.twitter.com/PNn86m4RU3

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) November 28, 2023

The focus on Thug’s music will be seen throughout the trial as both sides address his songs. The prosecutors are trying to use his lyrics to prove Thug committed several crimes within his YSL organization. During day one of the trial, prosecutors had already begun pointing out song lyrics. Certain songs in the indictment include “Slime S**t,” “Original Slime S**t,” and more. However, Steel is making it clear that those words hold absolutely no weight, calling his client a “studio gangster.”

“They’re in the studio. They are creating music for us to listen to,” Steel argued.

Thug has continuously maintained his innocence, though several others in the case have accepted deals. Trontavious Stephens pleaded guilty to racketeering and was sentenced to 10 years behind bars, though he was credited two years for time served, with the remaining eight to be served on probation. He has agreed to testify at trial. Antonio Sledge, also known as Mounk Tounk, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was given 15 years probation. Gunna famously accepted an Alford plea and received a four-year suspended sentence.

Georgia prosecutors are reportedly looking to prevent Tiffany Haddish from claiming that a DUI conviction would affect her career.

They filed a motion to exclude “evidence of the consequences of a guilty verdict on [Haddish’s] ability to earn a living,” as per court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com.

In January 2022, Tiffany Haddish was arrested in Georgia after officers responded to a report of a driver asleep behind the wheel.

Officers arrested Haddish for DUI after pulling her over in a vehicle that partially matched the description and claiming she smelled of marijuana. She later accused the officers of an unlawful search and seizure.

According to her lawyer, the officers lacked “reasonable articulable suspicion to detain Ms. Haddish.”

Her lawyer argued that the officers “did not report observing any traffic violations or any less-safe driving during the one minute he observed Ms. Haddish operate her vehicle. Accordingly, the traffic stop was illegal, and any evidence derived therefrom must be suppressed.”

Haddish’s lawyer is looking to exclude her police statements and blood test from trial evidence.

In a newly filed motion, prosecutors stated that “[Haddish] is an actress and entertainer charged with DUI. [Defendant may argue that her ability to travel and obtain employment may be negatively affected by a guilty verdict in this case. The State moves … to prevent Defendant from introducing any evidence or mentioning during the trial that her ability to perform or practice her profession could be adversely affected if she is found guilty of DUI,” prosecutors argued.

Last week, Haddish was arrested for a second DUI in Beverly Hills. After being released hours later, she humorously addressed the incident during a comedy show.

Kanye West is exploring the possibility of adding Lil Durk to the G.O.O.D. Music roster.

TMZ reports that Kanye is negotiating to acquire Lil Durk, who originally signed with Def Jam before joining Alamo Records in the summer of 2018, from his existing record contract.

According to the report, it is claimed that Todd Moscowitz, the CEO of 300, declined to authorize the use of a Lil Durk’s verse for inclusion on Kanye’s forthcoming album. This decision apparently led to some tension between Lil Durk and the record label.

Upon the initial premiere of Kanye’s song “Vultures,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, Bump J, and Durk, Lil Durk’s verse was included. However, his lyrics were unexpectedly omitted when the track became available on streaming services. Fortunately, the issue was later resolved, and Lil Durk’s vocals were eventually added back to the track on streaming platforms.

Discussions aimed at Lil Durk’s exit from his record deal may have grown more intense in the past week, as Durk spent time with Kanye in Dubai. During one of Durk’s recent club appearances over the weekend, he brought out Kanye, Ty Dolla $ign, and Bump J to perform the live debut of their collaborative track.

Additionally, Kanye’s longtime manager, John Monopoly, says Kanye has proposed the idea of a joint tour involving all four artists.

A Southwest Airlines passenger caused panic on a plane that was preparing for takeoff in New Orleans. 

The terrifying ordeal took place on Sunday evening, shortly before 8:00 p.m. As the airplane was still on the tarmac at the Louis Armstrong International Airport, an unidentified passenger seemingly tossed something on the floor before opening an emergency exit and jumping out of the plane and onto one of the wings. He then leaped off and ran towards an unoccupied vehicle, which he then attempted to steal. However, workers near the scene were able to pull him out of the truck and detain him, the New York Post confirms. 

One passenger captured the pandemonium on film, showing panicked travelers disembarking from the plane while others appeared in shock and unsure what was happening. One person can be heard telling others about the deranged man throwing an object down before jumping out of the plane, raising fears of a potential bomb being on board. Thankfully, no one was injured, though it’s unclear what the item was. The flight was ultimately canceled.

The man is a 38-year-old believed to be from Atlanta, Georgia. He was reportedly disoriented and seemingly unaware of where he was. The man was transported to a local hospital. Federal authorities are now investigating the incident, though no charges have been filed. 

“We commend our flight and ground crews for their swift action and apologize to our customers for their inconvenience,” Southwest said in a statement. 

Mark Cuban is making his “Shark Tank” exit.

The Dallas Mavericks owner recently joined the “All The Smoke” podcast, where he made the shocking revelation. Though there doesn’t seem to be any bad blood with his fellow “Shark Tank” judges or production, Cuban says, “It’s time.”

“This is our 15th year. Next year, 16th year’s gonna be my last year, so I’ve got one more year to go,” Cuban said to “All The Smoke” hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

While Cuban appeared pretty sure about leaving, fans can only hope this is another false alarm. Last year, Cuban said he was stepping away after season 15 to spend time with his family as his children were getting older. However, he seemingly had a change of heart and agreed to shoot season 16. There were also rumors a while ago that he was unhappy with his salary on the series, though that has not been confirmed. It has been widely speculated that Cuban brings in roughly $30 million per season of the show, another figure that has not been validated. Either way, Cuban did not hint at money woes for his departure. Instead, he praised his “Shark Tank” experience and the way they’ve been able to help business owners, with him specifically investing approximately $29 million in at least 85 companies.

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“I love it because it sends the message that the American dream is alive and well,” Cuban stated.

ABC has not yet confirmed Cuban’s departure from the show.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has reportedly stepped back from his position as Chairman at media company Revolt in the aftermath of recent lawsuits alleging sexual assault.

A statement shared on the company’s Instagram page Tuesday said, “Sean Combs has stepped down from his position as chairman of Revolt. While Mr. Combs has previously had no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps to ensure that Revolt remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora.”

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Earlier this month, Cassie, Diddy’s former girlfriend, filed a federal lawsuit against him, alleging rape and years of repeated physical abuse. One day later, the former couple settled the lawsuit “amicably.”

Since then, two more lawsuits have been filed against the “Bad Boy” founder. Joi Dickerson-Neal alleges that he sexually assaulted her in 1991 when she was a student at Syracuse University. Additionally, an anonymous accuser has claimed that Diddy and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall took turns raping her and her friends in the early ’90s.

Combs has maintained his innocence.

“These are fabricated claims falsely alleging misconduct from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute. This is nothing but a money grab. Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for anonymous accusers who lie without conscience or consequence for financial benefit. The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited by scammers. The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these bogus allegations.”

Sandy Hook families, who won $1.5 billion against Alex Jones, are offering to settle for about $85 million over ten years.

During Jones’ bankruptcy case last week in Houston, the families proposed the offer, viewing it as a practical resolution for both Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems.

Lawyers for the families are accusing Jones of mishandling finances, maintaining an ‘extravagant lifestyle,’ and failing to provide essential financial documents.

“Jones has failed in every way to serve as the fiduciary mandated by the Bankruptcy Code in exchange for the breathing spell he has enjoyed for almost a year. His time is up,” The lawyers stated.

The families’ lawyers presented Jones with two options: sell his estate and allocate the funds to creditors or commit to paying a minimum of $8.5 million yearly for a decade, plus 50% of any income exceeding $9 million annually.

During his Houston court hearing, Jones’ bankruptcy lawyer, Vickie Driver, stated that the suggested $85 million settlement over 10 years was too high and impractical for Jones to meet.

She said, “There are no financials that will ever show that Mr. Jones ever made that … in 10 years.”

According to a new bankruptcy plan filed last week, Free Speech Systems plans to pay creditors $4 million per year, down from an earlier estimate, while expecting to earn $19.2 million from merchandise sales next year, with operating expenses at $14.3 million.

Jones listed approximately $13 million in total assets in his recent bankruptcy court filings, including around $856,000 in different bank accounts.

Jones, initially making $20,000 biweekly, was recently bumped to $57,700 biweekly, totaling $1.5 million annually, as a restructuring officer deemed him “grossly” underpaid for his vital role in the media company under bankruptcy orders.

On Monday, Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected the $1.5 million salary increase for Alex Jones, stating that the pay raise seemed to lack proper adherence to bankruptcy laws, requiring a hearing.

If Jones rejects the families’ offer, Judge Lopez will decide the amount he owes to the families and other creditors.

Tiffany Haddish is ready to get herself some help after her most recent DUI arrest.

The “Girls Trip” star was taken into custody on Friday after she was spotted asleep behind the wheel of her vehicle, which was stopped in the middle of the road. The arrest went viral online, with some fans urging the comedian to get a hold of her drinking. In a now-deleted Instagram Reel from the night of her detention, many followers swarmed her comment section, accusing her of being visibly drunk. When speaking to Entertainment Tonight on Monday, Haddish seemingly heard the concerns loud and clear, telling ET host Kevin Frazier, “This will never happen again.”

“I’m going to get some help so I can learn balance and boundaries,” Haddish reassured him.

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Her recent DUI is the second one in a year. In January 2022, she was arrested in Atlanta after someone also witnessed her asleep behind the wheel in a nearly identical incident. Around the time of that arrest, Haddish shared that the death of her dog and friend, Bob Saget, was weighing heavily on her. In recent years, her personal life has also been a bit rocky, which could account for her current issues. Haddish was sued for grooming a brother and sister who participated in a sexually suggestive skit with her and Aries Spears. Earlier this year, she also hinted that her 2021 break-up with rapper Common wasn’t “mutual,” as he’d previously said. This could be an indicator that she is not quite over their split.

Either way, Haddish is taking accountability for her actions. During the Thanksgiving holiday, she took the opportunity to spread cheer by handing out meals at The Laugh Factory and performing a free stand-up set.

The arrest fingerprint cards of 2Pac and Biggie have been put up for auction, but fans who want to acquire these historical items should be prepared to pay a significant price.

Moments In Time, an autograph broker based in California, has recently added to its inventory the fingerprint cards from 2Pac’s 1995 arrest for sexual assault and from Biggie’s 1995 arrest in Pennsylvania for robbery and aggravated assault. In the case of Biggie, the aggravated assault charge was eventually dismissed. On the other hand, 2Pac was convicted of sexually assaulting Ayanna Jackson, leading to a nearly two-year prison sentence. Moments In Time is offering a “lifetime guarantee of authenticity” for these cards and is asking for $225,000 each.

On another note, 2Pac’s name has recently appeared in the headlines due to the arrest and forthcoming trial of his alleged murderer, Duane “Keefe D” Davis, scheduled for June 2024. Despite Davis’ arrest, Suge Knight believes that Snoop Dogg is the one who has a significant amount of explaining to do concerning the death of his former labelmate.

“As far as the Puffy situation, I really, really, really gotta have a real conversation with Snoop,” Knight said on his Collect Callpodcast. “I knew that ‘Pac did everything right by him by putting him on All Eyez On Me, speaking about him and being real with him. And if it’s true what they say, face-to-face it’s gonna be a lot of explaining to do.”

There have been rumors suggesting that Snoop Dogg and 2Pac had a falling out shortly before 2Pac’s death. This rift reportedly occurred after Snoop praised Biggie in a radio interview. However, this speculation could potentially explain why Knight believes Snoop may have had some involvement in the shooting incident.

The Young Thug YSL RICO trial got underway on Monday, and it was pretty eventful. 

Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love opened up for the prosecution, immediately calling Thug and his YSL gang for running their criminal enterprise for years. One of the most damning moments was her allegations that Thug was the leader who called the shots for several crimes, including robberies and murders.  

However, during her presentation, Love made the mistake of tying the “Take It To Trial” rapper with a separate case that Judge Glanville previously ruled against, per the Washington Post. The defense slammed Love for this move and claimed they were not given access to several of the slides in her presentation. A prior court ruling ordered that the defense and prosecution must exchange all materials they planned to use in the trial. 

Another slip-up that raised serious concerns among the judge and the defense was “burden-shifting.” This was due to Love stating, “What you will not hear any evidence of is that the defendants were not involved in a criminal street gang.” The defense objected to this, which Glanville sustained. 

“What you will not hear any evidence of is that the defendants were not involved in a criminal street gang.”

My jaw actually dropped when the DA said this in her opening in the Young Thug trial. This is the kind of burden shifting that leads to convictions being overturned. pic.twitter.com/TP6Pm3tEZq

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) November 27, 2023

Such blunders led the defense to request a mistrial. As expected, this motion was denied. The trial will reconvene on Tuesday, and more bombshells are expected. Song lyrics, which were addressed on day one, will likely continue to come up throughout the proceedings. YSL associate Antonio “Mounk Tounk” Sledge will soon take the stand to detail the January 2015 of Donovan Thomas Jr., who was killed outside of a barber shop. He previously admitted to knowing one YSL member who killed Thomas on behalf of Thug and the gang and being paid by Thug to maintain a low profile after the murder. 

Thug has maintained his innocence.

On September 24, it was announced worldwide that Usher would headline the 2024 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11, 2024. Usher made the announcement via the intro to his hit music video, ‘Confessions.’ Stars including Kim Kardashian, Deion Sanders, Marshawn Lynch, and Odell Beckham Jr. were seen conversing with Usher in the video mash-up, telling him he’d be performing on one of the biggest stages in the world. 

Following the announcement, Usher conducted multiple interviews discussing this monumental moment in his career. During a CBS interview with Gayle King, Usher shared how he wasn’t able to share the news with any of his family before it was publicly revealed. One person that he did call when he got the news was Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who asked what he’d be wearing. Once the announcement was publicly made, Usher stated that Jay-Z was one of the first people to call him, telling him, “It’s your time. It’s the magic moment.” Looking at Michael Jackson, Prince, and even Beyonce as examples of exceeding the Super Bowl’s expectations, Usher shares that his moment will be a celebration.

Honoring his tremendous career of 30 years at the 58th annual Super Bowl, Usher will also be dropping his ninth studio album ‘Coming Home’ that same day. The album cover shows Usher holding a peach behind his back, which represents his home state, Georgia. In addition to his hometown, it’s presumed that the term ‘Coming Home’ represents him being in his new home of Las Vegas, where he’s held his ‘My Way’ residency since July of 2022, which comes to an end in December. In an interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music, Usher stated that “Coming Home” is “a love letter once again to the legacy of my career.”

In most of the interviews Usher’s conducted thus far, he’s learned to build a decent poker face, learning much of that from being in Vegas. With this new poker face, it’s difficult for viewers to know which surprise guests he’ll bring out during his halftime performance. Many speculate Justin Beiber as the number one surprise guest, but that doesn’t limit those suspecting Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, or Jay-Z making an appearance. One thing we know for sure, per his interview with Access Hollywood, is that when asked what song he thinks if he didn’t play, the fans would go nuts, he answered ‘Yeah.’ With that response, one can question if Ludacris and Lil Jon will be brought out to grace the Super Bowl stage.

Usher will be the first independent artist to play the Super Bowl. With all of the speculations around his performance, if he’ll go shirtless, if he’ll be on skates, and who he’s bringing out, Usher is determined to keep everything top secret.

Disney didn’t score big at the box office with its latest animation film, “Wish.”

The studio’s latest film, with Ariana DeBose as the main character and Chris Pine as the big bad, bombed with moviegoers over the holiday break, TMZ reported.

“Wish” only reigned in $31.7 million through the 5-day “weekend, a significant difference to the projected $45-$50 mil over the same 5 days.

The film didn’t do well internationally either, pulling in just $17.3M.

Disney is typically a powerhouse that dominates the box office during this time of year, with releases like Encanto and Coco in the past.

However, this movie, which got good reviews, may have been impacted by the SAG strike. Now it joins the list of other Disney films that didn’t do so well, like ‘Indiana Jones’ and “The Haunted Mansion.”

The Carolina Panthers have fired head coach Frank Reich after a disappointing season thus far, holding a record of 1-10. Remarkably, this marks the second consecutive year that Reich has found himself released mid-season, as the Colts similarly relieved him of his duties last season.

The Carolina Panthers traded their first-round pick this year to move up to draft Quarterback Bryce Young, who has struggled immensely this season. The Carolina Panthers haven’t scored 20 points since their week six loss against the Dolphins. 

The Carolina Panthers find themselves at the bottom of the league, ranking last in both total yards and passing yards. Their performance in rushing yards and points is not much better, placing them at 29th. The disappointment of this season is evident, and team owner David Tepper seems to have a penchant for cycling through head coaches as if they were leased cars. He will be hiring his seventh coach since 2018. Some would say a new owner is needed, not a new Quarterback or Coach. But you can’t fire the owner. 

On Monday, Tepper made the announcement that Panthers fans were desperately looking for after a deflating season. 

“I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well. Effective immediately, Special Teams Coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as our interim head coach. Senior Assistant Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play-calling duties.” 

https://twitter.com/Panthers/status/1729150623273083146?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

It was a confusing time in Charlotte, with no clarity and, some would say, not a lot of competence from the owner as well.

Ryan Clark let it be known how he felt about the leadership in Charlotte Monday on ESPN’s morning show Get Up. 

“The owner is the issue to me. When you have a super fan as an owner who wants to play with the team like it’s a toy, you have a lot of issues,” Clark told his colleagues this morning.

A long off-season is on the way for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. Check out Ryan’s clip from this morning below.

Ryan Clark on the Panthers: "When you have a super fan as an owner who wants to play with the team like it's a toy, you have a lot of issues." pic.twitter.com/Nk8UDTwFcm

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 27, 2023

Kylie Jenner recently opened up to Jennifer Lawrence about her reconciliation with Jordyn Woods following the kissing scandal with Tristan Thompson.

If you can recall,  Thompson caused a rift between the former besties after kissing Jordyn while in a relationship with Khloé Kardashian in 2019.

At the time,  Jenner allegedly unfollowed Woods on Instagram, indicating the end of their friendship.

During the interview, Lawrence said she had questions to ask about her relationship with Jordyn. “Obviously, there was a huge trauma many years ago, but we’ve recently seen that you are friends with Jordyn again. How is that? How did that happen? What up?”

Jenner said, “Jordyn and I, we always stayed in touch throughout the years and we would meet up at my house and catch up and just talk through everything. We never fully cut each other off, and one day, naturally, we were like, we want to get sushi and we don’t want to hide anymore. There’s a learning lesson in everything, and I think that in a weird way, everything happens how it’s supposed to happen. We were so attached at the hip that we needed space to grow into the people that we were supposed to be. I needed that independence and that confidence because she was like my security blanket for so long.”

Lawrence said, “I get that and I’m happy that you still have that in a healthier way. She was so young and she made a mistake, but those lifetime friends are very important.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Jenner replied.

Despite Joe Budden’s consistent claim of retirement from music, he recently hinted at a possible return to the booth.

During a recent episode on his self-titled podcast, Joe Budden, the rapper claimed that new music could possibly be on the way.

“Don’t worry, I called Just Blaze the other day,” Budden said. “I’m done talking about these rappers. I’m gonna do it myself. I’ll do it myself.”

When his co-host Parks Vallely asked if he would rap again, he responded, “I’m gonna listen to what Just Blaze has in there that might make somebody wanna rap.”

Budden said his comeback will focus on a 15-minute record, stating, “Might be an EP but you gonna get this first track for $20. Whenever that is, I don’t want to hype fans up to think that’s coming soon. Me and Just Blaze have real jobs.”

If you don’t know, Just Blaze produced Joe Budden’s 2003 hit “Pump It Up,” marking the rapper’s biggest success, reaching Top 40 and earning a Grammy nomination.

According to reports, the rapper hasn’t stopped an album since  Rage & The Machine album in 2016.