Urban News

‌ Florida prosecutors just handed YNW Melly a massive legal victory. The state dropped all witness-tampering charges against the rapper on Monday (January 20), just one day before jury selection was scheduled to begin. Broward County State Attorney’s Office dismissed four separate charges against YNW Melly. The charges included witness tampering, directing criminal gang activities, criminal solicitation to commit murder, and conspiracy to tamper with a witness in a capital case. Melly’s new legal team celebrated the decision immediately. Attorneys Drew Findling and Carey Haughwout released a statement to TMZ about the dismissal. “On behalf of Jamell Demons, we welcome the dismissal of the [...]

A former hype man for Fat Joe and his lawyer say they’re too scared to show up in person for the rap star’s lawsuit, claiming threats have them dodging court and pushing for Zoom instead. Attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn says he and his client, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon, will only do depositions remotely because of what he calls “endless death threats and harassment” that he blames on Fat Joe and his alleged “thugs” and “goons.” “Mr. Dixon has received endless death threats and harassment from [Fat Joe] and [Fat Joe’s] thugs and goons. These threats are very serious, and Mr. Dixon and [...]

Megan Thee Stallion dropped major news for her fans this week. The Houston rapper confirmed she’s actively working on new music and plans to release it sometime this year. The announcement came during a recent interview with People magazine. Megan explained she’s been keeping a low profile on purpose to focus completely on her craft. “I’m definitely in the studio,” she told the publication. “I’m kind of hiding from everybody right now because I really just want to work.” The Grammy winner revealed she’s currently “completing act three” and assured fans the wait will be worth it. She directly addressed her supporters, [...]

While Daphne Gale’s fourth album ‘Quietude’ makes for a pensive mood, there is a hum of energy underneath. [...]

Minnesota labor unions are pushing for a complete economic shutdown across the state this Friday. The move comes after federal immigration agents killed a Minneapolis mother during enforcement operations that have rocked the Twin Cities. The “Day of Truth and Freedom” protest targets what organizers call an unprecedented federal crackdown. Multiple unions are backing the Friday action, including the Minneapolis Federation of Educators, St. Paul Federation of Educators, Unite Here Local 17, and transit union ATU. Greg Nammacher, president of SEIU Local 26, announced that over 20 union members have been detained by federal agents. His union represents 8,000 workers, including janitors, [...]

Actor, director, and musician Adam Goldberg delivers a deceptively warm, lyrically unflinching meditation on cultural collision, competing realities, and the erosion of shared ground with The Goldberg Sisters’ “The Great Resignation” – a sharply observed portrait of American unease still unfolding in real time. [...]

Skai Jackson is still a Disney start with a smart mouth to me. But babies and prison rumors say I need updating. Viral posts claim her child’s father was just handed a staggering 21 to 26 year sentence. His name is Deondre Burgin, known online as Yerky Yerky. His past arrests are turn are turning into convictions in the rumor world. The narratives and allegations to not equal truth, however much smoke there’s present. Social media blogs say Burgin had been found guilty of three aggravated robbery charges along with an additional fatal incident charge. He definitely [...]

A South Beach nightclub fired three employees for letting right-wing influencers turn their venue into a Nazi celebration by playing a controversial song by Kanye West. Vendome nightclub became ground zero for outrage when a video surfaced showing Andrew Tate, Nick Fuentes, Sneako, and other controversial personalities partying to Kanye West‘s banned track Heil Hitler during Saturday night’s bottle service. Mayor Steven Meiner didn’t hold back his disgust. The Orthodox Jewish mayor called the influencers “sick, demented people” and demanded answers about how they gained access to the club. “I am deeply disturbed and disgusted by these videos of twisted individuals glorifying [...]

A$AP Rocky just dropped the news Hip-Hop fans have been waiting eight years to hear. The Harlem rapper announced his Don’t Be Dumb World Tour today (January 20), bringing his first album since 2018 to 42 cities across North America and Europe The massive tour kicks off May 27 at Chicago’s United Center. Rocky’s hitting major markets including Los Angeles, Toronto, Houston, and wrapping the North American leg on July 11 at Newark’s Prudential Center. Then he’s crossing the pond for European dates starting August 25 in Brussels, hitting London, Milan, Stockholm, and ending September 30 in Paris. This tour announcement comes right [...]

After lighting up the Troubadour, Fake Dad’s Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford are gearing up to launch a new project, new music, and back-to-back tours – proving they’re anything but ‘fake.’ [...]

Tasha K is not somebody we take a lot of time listening to, but this one made my ears itch. Gucci Mane seems to be in a good space, but there is this rumor that includes Death Row Records 2.0, Pooh Shiesty and even Yo Gotti. Now before anybody starts packing for court, let’s remember this is just internet chatter. All speculative and alleged. By the way, I am not educated on this whole thing so if there are errors in this rumor, correct me in the comments. According to Tasha K, the story goes something like this. Gucci Mane was [...]

Wiz Khalifa got hit with some heavy family history when PBS cameras rolled for Finding Your Roots. The Pittsburgh rapper sat down with host Henry Louis Gates Jr. and learned that his fifth great-grandfather, Howard Williamson, lived as an enslaved person in Alabama back in 1870. Gates dropped the news during the January 13 episode, explaining how Williamson lived right next door to the white family that owned him. “I think I’m programmed to feel a little bit p#####,” Wiz said about Thomas J. Williamson, the man who enslaved his ancestor. “But just him owning my family just sounds crazy. That sounds wild. [...]

Angela Simmons turned up the heat on social media with a steamy massage video that left fans thirsty for more content from the Hip-Hop entrepreneur. The daughter of Run-DMC legend Rev Run posted footage of herself getting a full-body treatment while wearing nothing but a pink string bikini that showed off her flat stomach and toned legs. The masseuse drenched her body with water before rubbing down every inch of her frame in the sensual clip. Simmons flipped over during the session while the spa worker lathered her entire body in bubbles. She walked toward the camera afterward in a way that [...]

On “Roommates”, Hilary Duff delivers an unflinching dispatch from inside long-term love, crafting a sleek, synth-pop confession rooted in desire, domesticity, and the quiet negotiations that define adult intimacy. Released as the second single from her forthcoming album ‘luck… or something,’ the track captures the tension between routine and yearning, where carpools and grocery lists coexist with the ache to feel wanted again. Explicit without being gratuitous, “Roommates” finds Duff reclaiming passion as something lived, earned, and deeply human, a reminder that growing up doesn’t mean growing numb. [...]

A gentle apocalypse anthem wrapped in human warmth, Sly Jr.'s “put down your weapons” reframes end-times dread as an invitation to choose presence, care, and connection – turning fear into a quiet, life-affirming plea to live deliberately while we still can. [...]

Why Don’t We’s Corbyn Besson has grown and matured, ditching the manufactured image he once knew in favor of a more authentic identity. No longer afraid of change, he embraces freedom and risk in his debut solo EP, ‘HEAD FIRST.’ [...]

A raw, communal portrait of a band catching fire in real time, Westside Cowboy’s debut EP ‘This Better Be Something Great’ captures the thrill of shared instinct, loud-room intimacy, and the belief that the best music isn’t built for perfection, but for connection. With the arrival of their sophomore EP and momentum building faster than ever, the Manchester “Britainicana” band are already carrying that first spark into bigger rooms and wider horizons, proving that what began in rattly bedrooms can grow without losing its heart – or its edge. [...]

Yam Haus join forces with Sydney Quiseng on “Always Falling in Love,” a glowing, anthemic indie pop duet that captures the intentional, life-affirming joy of choosing the same person again and again – reminding us that love grows richer and stronger with time, deepening as we move through the world together. [...]

An exciting selection of new music curated by Mitch Mosk, this week's Editor's Picks features FORAGER, Truman Sinclair, Tony DV, Searows, Elias Hix, & Ethan Regan! [...]

Francis of Delirium follow their critically acclaimed debut album with “Little Black Dress,” a feverish, adrenaline-charged rush that thrives in the emotional free-fall after the fantasy fades – when freedom turns reckless, desire becomes fixation, and regret hits at full volume. [...]

Shaped by (and for) moments of stillness and longing, Scottish singer/songwriter Theo Bleak’s quietly devastating EP ‘Bad Luck Is Two Yellow Flowers’ transforms achingly intimate reflections into soul-stirring reckonings, inviting deeper awareness by letting feelings move at their own pace. [...]

Ribbon Skirt guitarist Billy Riley reflects on the band’s meteoric rise, the making of their Polaris-shortlisted debut album ‘Bite Down,’ and the creative, cultural, and emotional forces shaping one of Montreal’s most compelling new voices. [...]

spill tab’s quietly devastating “Paranoia” (ft. boylife) is a tender, soul-stirring slow-burn confessional that finds its beauty and power not in resolving anxiety, but in sitting honestly inside the fear of loving someone who might be slipping away – a striking new release from one of alt-pop’s most compelling voices. [...]

On their unflinching sophomore album ‘CUNTRY,’ Cleo Reed delivers a timely address from inside the weight of modern American life – crafting a deeply present, achingly raw collection of songs rooted in labor, the body, and survival. In conversation with Atwood Magazine, Reed opens up about the stories and shared struggles that animate their music – and what it means to stay human inside a system that asks so much and gives so little. [...]

Atwood Magazine dives into Black Dahlia’s latest album, ‘The Imposter,’ exploring the nine tracks that blend theatrical storytelling with experimental soundscapes. Each song unfolds a chapter of The Imposter’s journey from an otherworldly Paradise to the strange reality of Earth, revealing a tale of identity, adaptation and much more. [...]

Music industry veteran Troy Carter has acquired the complete catalog of Pop Art Records, the pioneering Philadelphia Hip-Hop label that launched the careers of legendary artists including Roxanne Shanté, Salt-N-Pepa, and MC Shan. The deal marks a homecoming for Carter, who grew up in West Philadelphia before becoming one of music’s most influential executives. “I’m proud to be a steward of some of the most important pieces of music in Hip-Hop history,” Carter said in announcing the acquisition. “These are songs and artists who shaped my childhood and inspired me to pursue a career in music.” The Pop Art Records catalog represents [...]

Kendrick Lamar earned five nominations for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, capping off what many consider his most dominant year in music since his commercial breakthrough over a decade ago. The Compton rapper secured nominations for Artist of the Year and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year. At the same time, his collaboration with SZA on “luther” earned nods for Song of the Year, Hip-Hop Song of the Year, and Best Collaboration when iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment announced the nominees Thursday. Kendrick’s iHeartRadio recognition comes after a banner 2025, which saw him emerge as hip-hop’s highest earner according to Forbes’ annual list [...]

Indie rock band (and Atwood Artist to Watch) Witch Post summon something unsettling and magnetic with “Changeling,” a feverish spell of a song that finds power not in clarity or closure, but in surrendering to transformation and the strange places it leads – a thrilling signal of what’s already taking shape for Alaska Reid and Dylan Fraser’s new project. [...]

Kelis just reminded everybody why she still dominates a feed with minimal effort, dropping a new wave of beach photos that instantly lit up timelines. In the first shot, she’s up close in a hot pink bikini top, ocean behind her, skin glowing like she brought the sunshine with her. The camera sits tight, catching the details, from her jewelry layered over her chest to that subtle sheen of salt and sun and it all reads like pure, relaxed vacation energy that still pulls every eye in the room. View this post on [...]

Emmanuel Lopez thought he had escaped the worst night of his life when masked gunmen opened fire at a child’s birthday party in Stockton on November 29. The mass shooting killed four people and wounded thirteen others, including his nine-year-old daughter, who was shot in the head. One month later, the thirty-three-year-old man was dead, gunned down at an apartment complex in his hometown on December 28 in what police are calling a possibly gang-related shooting. Lopez watched his best friend, Susano Archuleta, die in his arms after the twenty-one-year-old was shot in the neck while trying to protect other partygoers from [...]