Kanye’s Meltdown:
Was this Kanye’s craziest year? We watched him go through a divorce with Kim Kardashian, and he had difficulty accepting Kim dating comedian Pete Davidson. Kanye lost more than his wife, he lost respect in the black community by wearing a white lives matter shirt. Kanye was determined to end his partnership with Adidas after he disagreed with how things were operating and lost $1 billion in brand deals. Kanye also made anti-Semitic comments that stirred up controversy.
Hip Hop Court Cases:
This year was heavy for hip-hop with legal troubles. Young Thug and Gunna couldn’t perform at our Summer Jam, because they were fighting RICO charges. Gunna was recently released after pleading guilty to gang-related charges. Thugger is awaiting trial in January.
R. Kelly‘s victims got Justice after the disgraced R&B singer received a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking in his NY federal case. He was found guilty of more sex crimes in the Chicago trial and is still awaiting sentencing, which takes place in February.
The Tory Lanez 2020 shooting trial is possibly the most complex case in hip-hop history. It’s clear that Megan Thee Stallion was shot, but figuring out who pulled the trigger, was complex. Tory was found guilty and awaits sentencing.
Relationship DRAMA:
Bad boy CEO shocked the world when he announced the arrival of his seventh child, with a 28-year-old cyber specialist Dana Tran. Diddy let the world know Yung Miami isn’t his side chick, but he’s also letting it be known he’s not a one-woman man.
Irv Gotti stirred up controversy when he spoke about an alleged romantic relationship with Ashanti. The Princess of R&B & Hip Hop responded to Irv and called him a liar, said he was never her man, she even seemingly called Irv out on Diddy’s “Gotta Move On” remix.
Will Smith Oscar’s slap:
Will smith’s unexpected attack on Chris rock at the Oscars reverberated for months after the incident. Will made a few attempts to apologize, but the incident hurt his image and continued to haunt the a-list actor. Chris Rock responded to Will’s apology by saying, “F your hostage video.”
High Notes:
WNBA player Brittney Griner was released in an unexpected hostage swap with arms dealer Viktor Bout. Kentaji Brown Jackson became the first black woman to serve as a Justice of the US Supreme Court. Claudine Gay is Harvard’s first black President! Abbot Elementary Actress Qunita Brunson made history as the first Black woman nominated for three Emmys.