Latest news with #DJAkademiks
Express Tribune
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Toronto rapper top5 stabbed in neck while attending Wireless Festival in London
Toronto rapper Top5, whose legal name is Hassan Ali, was reportedly stabbed in the neck by a masked assailant while visiting London over the weekend of July 13–14, 2025. The incident allegedly occurred while the artist was engaging with fans near the Wireless Festival, where fellow Toronto native Drake headlined for three consecutive nights. Top5 survives an attempted hit on his life in London after suffering stab wounds to his neck The Toronto rapper was talking to fans when a masked man ran by and stabbed him — keep6ixsolid (@keep6ixsolid) July 14, 2025 The stabbing was first reported by hip-hop commentator DJ Akademiks and Toronto-based blog keep6ixsolid. According to their accounts, a masked individual approached Top5 while he was speaking with fans and stabbed him in the neck. Despite the seriousness of the injury, Top5 survived and is reportedly recovering. Keep6ixsolid shared an update on Instagram stating that no major arteries were hit during the attack. Authorities have not confirmed the exact time or location of the incident, and as of now, Top5 or his team have not issued any public statements. The motive behind the stabbing remains unclear, though online speculation has pointed to ongoing tensions within Toronto's rap scene. Notably, rappers Why G and FB, known affiliates of the 'Wassa' camp, were also in London for the festival. Following news of the incident, both artists allegedly posted laughing emojis to their Instagram stories, which some interpreted as mockery or indirect commentary on the attack. Top5 has long been a controversial figure in Canadian hip-hop, known as much for his legal issues and online persona as for his music. In 2021, he was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 20-year-old Hashim Omar Hashi. However, those charges were stayed in 2024 after a court ruled that his lyrics and social media posts could not be used as evidence. Hours before the stabbing, Top5 reportedly said during a livestream, 'There are no real killers in London'—a comment some have viewed as potentially antagonistic. Hip-hop media figure DJ Akademiks, who is close to Top5, addressed the situation on Instagram, writing, 'Praying for peace at top five. I love you, brother.' Authorities in London have yet to comment on the incident.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Forever No. 1: Sly & the Family Stone's ‘Everyday People'
Forever No. 1 is a Billboard series that pays special tribute to the recently deceased artists who achieved the highest honor our charts have to offer — a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single — by taking an extended look back at the chart-topping songs that made them part of this exclusive club. Here, we honor Sly Stone, who died on Monday (June 9) at age 82, by looking at the first of Sly & the Family Stone's three Hot 100-toppers: the simple, yet profound 'Everyday People.' Sly & the Family Stone, a genre-fluid, interracial, mixed-gender group (at a time when all three things were unique) was formed in San Francisco in 1966. The group was led by Sly Stone, a musical prodigy who was just 23 at the time. His main claim-to-fame at that point is that he had produced a string of hits for the pop/rock group The Beau Brummels, including 'Laugh, Laugh' and 'Just a Little.' More from Billboard Sly Stone Dead at 82 DJ Akademiks Denies Taking Payola From Drake During Kendrick Battle Raekwon and Ghostface Killah Release Trailer for 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' Documentary Sly & the Family Stone made the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1968 with its first chart hit, 'Dance to the Music.' That funky celebration of dance music wasn't topical at all, but after the stunning events of 1968 – a year of assassinations, riots and a war without end in Vietnam – acts almost had to say something, and Sly & the Family Stone did on 'Everyday People,' which was released that November. The song is a plea for understanding and racial unity, which is so understated in its approach that it's easy to lose sight of just how progressive its sentiments seemed in 1968. The record has a gentle tone and a disarming opening line: 'Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong/ My own beliefs are in my song.' Who ever starts out a conversation by conceding 'I can be wrong?' The sense of urgency and passion picks up on the proclamation 'I am everyday people!' which is repeated three times during the song, and then on the call to action 'We got to live together,' which is repeated twice. Stone, who was born Sylvester Stewart, wrote and produced 'Everyday People.' His genius move on this song was to simplify the discussion to the level of a childhood playground taunt – 'There is a yellow one that won't accept the Black one/ That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one/ Different strokes for different folks/And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby.' The unspoken, but unmistakable, message: Isn't all this division really pretty childish? Sly makes the point even more directly in the second verse: 'I am no better and neither are you/ We are the same whatever we do.' The reasonableness of his argument instantly disarms any detractors. The song's politics are expressed most directly in the third verse, in the song's depiction of counter-culture types vs. establishment types; progressives vs. conservatives. 'There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair/For being such a rich one that will not help the poor one.' The bridges of the song contain the line 'different strokes for different folks,' which was initially popularized by Muhammad Ali. It became a popular catchphrase in 1969 (and inspired the name of a 1978-86 TV sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes). Sly wisely kept the record short – the childlike sections, which are charming in small doses, would have become grating if the record had overstayed its welcome. The record runs just 2:18, shorter than any other No. 1 hit of 1969. Three Dog Night took a similar approach on 'Black & White,' which was a No. 1 hit in September 1972 – putting a plea for racial unity and brotherhood in simple, grade-school language. Three Dog's record isn't as timeless or memorable as 'Everyday People,' but it shows Sly's influence. 'Everyday People' entered the Hot 100 at No. 93 for the week ending Nov. 30, 1968. You might assume that a record this catchy and classic shot to the top quickly, but it took a while. In the week ending Jan. 11, 1969, it inched up from No. 27 to No. 26, looking like it might not even match 'Dance to the Music''s top 10 ranking. But then it caught fire. The following week, it leapt to No. 15, then No. 5, then No. 2 for a couple of weeks behind Tommy James & the Shondells' 'Crimson and Clover,' before finally reaching the top spot in the week ending Feb. 15. It stayed on top for four consecutive weeks, the longest stay of Sly's career. The song was of a piece with such other socially-aware No. 1 hits as Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' (1967) and The Rascals' 'People Got to Be Free' (1968). 'Everyday People' remained on the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, a personal best for Sly, and wound up as the No. 5 song of 1969 on Billboard's year-end chart recap. The song was included on the group's fourth studio album, Stand!, which was released in May 1969. The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 102 weeks – also a personal best for the group. The album, which also featured 'Sing a Simple Song,' 'Stand!' and 'I Want to Take You Higher,' was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2014 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. The band included 'Everyday People' in their set at Woodstock on Aug. 17, 1969. Fun Fact: It was the only No. 1 Hot 100 hit performed by the original artist during that landmark three-day festival. The song is widely acknowledged as a classic. Rolling Stone had it at No. 109 on its 2024 update of its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Billboard included it on its 2023 list of the 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List. (We had it way down at No. 293, clearly proving the wisdom of Sly's opening line, 'Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong.') While Sly was bedeviled by personal demons that shortened his run at the top, he lived to get his flowers. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 (in its first year of eligibility). On his own, Sly received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2017. Numerous artists covered 'Everyday People' in the wake of Sly's recording. Between 1969 and 1972, the song was featured on Billboard 200 albums by The Supremes, Ike & Tina Turner, The Winstons, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Supremes & Four Tops, Billy Paul and Dionne Warwick. Spend any time on YouTube and you can also find cover versions of 'Everyday People' by everyone from Peggy Lee to Pearl Jam (who performed it in concert in 1995). Other artists who took a stab at it: Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, William Bell, Belle & Sebastian, Maroon 5 (on a 2005 remix and cover album Different Strokes by Different Folks) and the unlikely team of Cher and Future, who covered it for a 2017 Gap ad that has recently gone viral. A couple artists even had Hot 100 hits with their new spins on the song. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts covered the song in 1983 and took it to No. 37. Arrested Development drew heavily from the song for their 1993 hit 'People Everyday,' which reached No. 8. (The song used the chorus and basic structure of the original, with new verses written by lead singer Speech.) Sly & the Family Stone nearly landed a second No. 1 hit in 1969, but 'Hot Fun in the Summertime' stalled at No. 2 for two weeks in October behind The Temptations' 'I Can't Get Next to You.' 'Hot Fun' wound up at No. 7 on the aforementioned year-end Hot 100 recap, making Sly the only act with two songs in the year-end top 10. Questlove, who directed the 2025 documentary Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius), shared a touching tribute to the icon on Instagram on Monday. 'Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, left this earth today, but the changes he sparked while here will echo forever … He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths.' That last part was a clear reference to 'Everyday People.' Questlove also recalled what he called that song's 'eternal cry' – 'We got to live together!' Said Quest: 'Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command. Sly's music will likely speak to us even more now than it did then. Thank you, Sly. You will forever live.' Later this week: Two additional Sly & the Family Stone No. 1s take the group into darker and murkier territory, with similarly spellbinding results. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ab-Soul Adds To Joey Bada$$ Vs. West Coast Feud On Untitled Track
Ab-Soul has responded to Joey Bada$$'s ambitious feud with multiple West Coast rappers on a song of his own. On the untitled track produced by Low the Great & Python P, the Carson-bred lyricist has some words for the Brooklyn rapper, DJ Akademiks, and teases a Black Hippy reunion. Although the song plays more like a warning shot than a full-on diss record, Ab-Soul's intent is not lost in the bar-heavy performance. He takes on Joey Bada$$ with respect for his peer and their longstanding relationship, but stands firm in knowing the power in his own skills and solidarity with the West Coast. In his upload, he repurposed an image posted on January 2018 by his close friend Armon 'Doe Burger' Stringer, who passed away in 2021. 'Come to find out STEEZ was the leader of the whole s**t/Wish we could've bust it down more 'fore he transitioned,' he rhymed, paying homage to the Pro Era crew and the late Capitol STEEZ. 'Fast forward, 4-7 on me permanently/Meanin', if you f**king with them, then you f**king with TDE/This a competitive game, ni**as better be in shape/ Catch you a friendly fade, then keep it that way.' In the two-part track, Ab-Soul also makes sure listeners 'Don't forget the dash' and sends shots outside of the rappers entangled in the drawn-out feud. 'Carson across my belly, I'll prove I won already/ Bar none, don't cross the ninety-one without a pass/You gon' need credentials and premium gas/And I'ma slap Akademiks when I see him.' The song comes after Joey Bada$$ hopped in the booth, defending himself amid disses from Ray Vaughn, Daylyt, and AZ Chike in his attempt to bait Kendrick Lamar to respond. A highlight of the entire ordeal came when the 1999 rapper joined Ab-Soul and Big Sean in a Red Bull Spiral freestyle cypher where everything was laid on the table. 'At the end of the day, I was going to be super cool but f**k it, man. I choreographed the whole sh*t,' explained the 38-year-old to VIBE. 'Because of the whole thing with Joey and a couple of the homies. I knew he was going to have something to say about that.' He continued to detail, 'Me and Joey are really close, obviously. And so, we had to let the world know that we are just keeping it on wax. Hip-Hop is competitive, it's a sport. It's real healthy, but it's not…it doesn't have to be disrespectful or dangerous or anything like that…We can get busy and still shake hands.' More from Joey Bada$$ And Serayah Can "Bearly Wait" For Newborn In Baby Shower Pics DJ Akademiks Clowns Ab-Soul For Being Legally Blind In Response To Diss Track Joey Bada$$, Serayah Announce They're Having A Baby Boy
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meek Mill Reveals The 'Craziest' Experience He's Had While At A Diddy Party
Meek Mill is breaking his silence about the 'craziest' experience he says he witnessed at one of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' infamous parties — as the embattled music mogul fights for his freedom at his federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Taking to social media, the Philadelphia rapper addressed both the resurfacing of an old lawsuit and his firsthand experiences in Diddy's circle. 'In the mist of Diddy on 'FEDERAL' trial I wanna bring back up 'lil rod' and his lawsuit that was dropped? He never said my name but these blogs amplified that whole agenda against me,' Meek wrote, referencing a lawsuit previously filed by music producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones. 'My culture don't believe it but it's an attack on my brand.. I wanna get to the bottom of it!' In a follow-up post, Meek revealed what he described as the most shocking thing he's ever seen at a Diddy-hosted event. 'Just to put that on public record …. and the craziest thing I seen at a puff party is 'coke vibes' & that's going on at all these parties,' he seemingly argued in Combs' defense. 'I'm from Norf Philly I had millions since I was 23! I don't even wanna be addicted to weed! Not judging but I see it different!' he shared, distancing himself from the rampant drug use he claims to have witnessed. The X post has since been deleted. Meek also took aim at online commentator Luce Cannon and his controversial interview with DJ Akademiks, calling it a clout-chasing stunt. 'And luce cannon with that akademiks interview that was full bait also he's a nobody saying he just walked up and robbed me … I was running into suge knight and big u when I came to la no camera phone vibes! I was showing ni**as out there it's more to life with black success!' he added, defending his street credibility and dismissing recent attempts to tarnish his image. These revelations come as Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces mounting legal troubles. The Hip-Hop mogul is currently under federal investigation and standing trial for sex trafficking, racketeering, and other serious allegations. The case has rocked the entertainment industry, leading to multiple lawsuits accusing the mogul of rape, sexual exploitation, and other crimes. See Meek Mill's comments below. More from Suge Knight Breaks Silence On Diddy's Alleged Gun Confrontation Mentioned In Trial Kid Cudi Testifies Diddy "Was Involved With" Setting His Car On Fire "Like A Marvel Supervillian" Diddy Could Lose $400M Fortune If Feds Seize His Remaining Assets
Express Tribune
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Kanye West reveals KKK-inspired 'WW3' album cover and tracklist following Bianca Censori fallout
Kanye West has ignited a fresh wave of controversy following the reveal of the artwork for his upcoming album WW3, which features imagery inspired by Ku Klux Klan robes. The cover depicts two masked figures in white hoods posing in front of hay bales, a visual that has drawn immediate backlash for its racially provocative and inflammatory symbolism. Photo: X The album announcement was made by DJ Akademiks, who revealed on April 2 that the project was set to release today. The unveiling comes just weeks after West dropped his last album BULLY. The WW3 tracklist includes provocative titles such as "Hitler Ye And Jesus" and "Free Diddy", continuing a pattern of controversial themes that has become synonymous with West's recent output. Photo: X During a recent interview with DJ Akademiks, West appeared wearing a black hooded outfit resembling a KKK robe, further aligning his current aesthetic and messaging with highly inflammatory imagery. The interview mirrored many of his unfiltered X (formerly Twitter) rants, marked by erratic statements and polarising views. West also uses the album to publicly address his recent personal issues with partner Bianca Censori. On the track titled "Bianca", the rapper claims she left him following one of his outbursts on social media. Lyrics detail an emotional fallout, including her alleged panic attack and an episode where West tracked her using the Maybach app. "My baby she ran away / But first she tried to get me committed / [...] She's having a panic attack and she is not liking the way that I tweeted," West raps. Whether WW3 is officially released today remains unconfirmed, as West has a history of announcing projects that face delays or sudden cancellations.
