Saturday, December 31, 2016

Drake's Record-Breaking Year: The 6 God's 2016 Highlights

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To say Drake owned 2016 is an understatement. The 30-year-old (born Aubrey Graham) had a magical run ignited by his multi-platinum album Views.
Powered by the overwhelming success of his Caribbean infused singles "One Dance" featuring Wiz Kid & Kyla and "Controlla", Drake segued from a prime-time hip hop star into a mainstream phenomenon. See how the Canadian star cruised past the competition with his epic rise in 2016.
March 5 - Rihanna & Drake's "Work" Goes No. 1
Riri and Drake flaunted their steamy chemistry when they teamed up for her infectious single "Work." The duo skated their way to the top of the Hot 100 charts and landed their second no. 1 single together.
May 8 - Drake Releases His Fourth Album Views; Debuts No. 1
Views shattered expectations by selling a whopping 1.04 million copies during its
opening week . The album sold well traditionally and pushed over 852,000 copies.
Views marked Drake's 6th consecutive No. 1 album of his career.
May 9 - Drake Earns First No. 1 Record As a Lead Artist With "One Dance"
In the beginning of May, Drizzy's "One Dance" ousted Desiigner's "Panda" from the top spot. For him, he earned his first no. 1 record as a lead artist on Billboard's Hot 100. Prior to that, "Hotline Bling" and "Best I Ever Had" were Drake's highest charting singles, both peaking at No. 2.
May 14 - Drake Hosts Saturday Night Live
For the second time in his career, Drake hosted SNL . His versatility was on full display, as he not only participated in skits including "Drake's Beef" and "Office Boss Drake", but he also graced the stage twice to perform "One Dance" and "Hype."
May 19 - Drake Earns 9 Nominations for the 2016 BET Awards
After scoring his first chart-topping record with "One Dance", BET unveiled the nominations for their annual awards show. Continuing his wave of success, Drake trumped his peers with nine nods. Ultimately, he ended up walking away with three awards including "Best Group" with Future, "Best Male Hip Hop Artist", and "Best Collaboration" for Rihanna's "Work."
July 20 - Drake Kicks Off His "Summer Sixteen Tour" With Future
In route to smashing every possible record in sight with his momentous project,
Views, Drake gallivanted all across the country on his 54-city trek with Future.
September 15 - DJ Khaled & Drake's Collaboration "For Free" Goes Platinum
Drake reign continued when he and DJ Khaled earned a platinum plaque for their summer smash "For Free."
Oct. 18 - "One Dance" Becomes Spotify's Most Streamed Song Ever
By clocking in over 882 million times, Drake nabbed himself the record for having the most streamed song on Spotify. He dethroned Major Lazer, MØ, & DJ Snake's "Lean On", which previously had 875 million plays.
Oct. 23 - Drake Announces More Life
Fired up by the success of Views and his "Summer Sixteen Tour", Drake revealed his intentions to release his new project titled More Life . To get the ball rolling, he released four new tracks including "Fake Love", "Sneakin' featuring 21 Savage, "Two Birds, One Stone", and Dave's "Wanna Know (Remix)." The project is slated to be out early 2017 .
Nov. 19 - Drake Shatters Michael Jackson's Record of 13 AMA Nominations; Takes Home Four Awards
The accolades continued piling up for Drake when he surpassed Michael Jackson for receiving the most AMA nominations with 13 this year. He won in major categories including Favorite Rap / Hip Hop Album and Favorite Rap / Hip Hop artist.
Dec. 1 - Spotify Names Drake the Most Streamed Artist of 2016
Drake pulled a major feat when he went back to back and was named Spotify's most streamed artist in 2015 and 2016. This year, he hauled in 4.7 billion streams, demolishing his previous record of 2 billion streams set last year. Views was also the most streamed album of the year earning 2.45 billion streams.
Dec. 5 - Views Goes Quadruple Platinum
Eight months after releasing Views, Drake's landmark album pushed its way to
quadruple platinum status. For the second time in his career, he accomplished such a feat, with his 2011 release Take Care serving as the other album to do so. Views was certified double platinum June 9 and triple platinum Aug. 3.
Dec. 6 - Drake Receives Eight Nominations for the 2017 Grammy Awards
Drake joined the likes of Rihanna and Kanye West for notching the second most nominations for next year's award ceremonies , trailing Beyonce's 9 nods.
Dec. 10 - Drake Opens His Third OVO Flagship Store in New York City
Earlier this month, Drake launched his third OVO flagship store in the Big Apple. After successfully opening stores in Toronto (2014) and L.A. (2015), Drake expanded his OVO reach to the east coast with his latest power move.
Dec. 27 - Drake Ties Lil Wayne For Most Hot 100 Hits Among Soloists
The prodigal son of Toronto tied his mentor Lil Wayne for the most Hot 100 hits , after his collaboration with Gucci Mane "Both", entered the charts at No. 41. Currently, Drake is sitting comfortably at the No. 2 spot with 132 entries in the Hot 100.

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Hip Hop Single Sales: Gucci Mane, The Weeknd & J. Cole

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This week on the R&B/Hip Hop single sales chart, The Weeknd knocks Bruno Mars off the top, J. Cole takes a pretty huge hit, and Gucci Mane comes in very high up with the help of Drake.
Huge Drop For J. Cole
Just last week, a grand total of five tracks from J. Cole’s latest album 4 Your Eyez Only were sitting in the top 20, including three new entries. One week later, all five have dropped out of the top 20, with four of them dropping past 30 and lower. It’s a huge decline in sales, with “Deja Vu” the highest ranked at 21.
Gucci Mane Lands Strong
The hype around The Return of the East Atlanta Santa has been very real. With that in mind, it’s not so surprising the single “Both” featuring Drake has done so well. The track has entered the Hip Hop charts in fourth. We wonder if this will convince Cole to use some big name features next time around.
The Weeknd Takes Top Spot
The Weeknd’s “Star Boy” has been floating around the top of the charts for no less than 14 weeks now, and last week it overtook Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” to claim the top spot. The single saw a massive 49 percent increase in sales from the previous week, and is now fewer than 3,000 sales short of going platinum.
#1. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – “Starboy” – 85,928 (997,837)
#2. Bruno Mars – “24K Magic” – 68,937 (724,254)
#3. Rae Sremmurd – “Black Beatles” – 61,918 (845,800)
#4. Gucci Mane ft. Drake – “Both” — 52,233 (52,233)
#5. Machine Gun Kelly f. Camila Cabello – “Bad Things” – 47,574 (281,696)
#6. Drake – “Fake Love” – 46,370 (339,630)
#7. Aminé – “Caroline” — 41,276 (351,250)
#8. Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert — “Bad and Boujee” — 30,638 (105,226)
#9. D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yahcty – “Broccoli” — 29,842 (915,487)
#10. Rihanna – “Love On The Brain” – 29,354 (353,440)

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Friday, December 30, 2016

From His DeShawn Stevenson Diss to LeBron James Tribute Speech, Jay Z's Best Sports Moments

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Over the past decade, Jay Z has turned his sports savvy into shrewd business moves. After cementing his legacy as a primetime performer and lyricist, Hov then founded the sports management agency Roc Nation Sports, a joint venture with Creative Arts Agency, in 2013 and built a formidable roster reeling in superstar athletes.
Within the past three years, Roc Nation Sports signed Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant, New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia, Seattle Mariners star Robinson Cano, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, and WNBA star Skylar Diggins.
Beyond his agent duties, the Brooklyn native has also been a voice in the sports world. From his 2008 diss against basketball star DeShawn Stevenson to his recent dig at Phil Jackson's "posse comments" during his speech at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year ceremony honoring Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James, look back on his biggest sports moments below.
Jay Z Disses DeShawn Stevenson in Support of LeBron James
In 2008, LeBron James was facing a whirlwind of criticism, especially from his longtime foe, former Washington Wizards forward, DeShawn Stevenson. In light of their heated confrontation in the first round of the playoffs, Stevenson pegged LBJ as "overrated." Jay Z came to friend James' defense and delivered a scathing freestyle aimed at Stevenson on Too Short's "Blow The Whistle."
James also weighed in on Stevenson's comments, saying, "With DeShawn Stevenson, it's kind of funny. It's almost like Jay Z [responding to a negative comment] made by Soulja Boy. It doesn't make sense." 
Stevenson bore no ill will towards Hov, though, telling the NY Daily News in 2013, “I mean, I take it as an honor that [Jay Z] even made a song about me. You know? He doesn't even do that with rappers."


Jay Z Purchases a Stake in the New Jersey Nets to Bring the Team to Brooklyn 
Jay Z flexed his entrepreneurial muscle when he purchased a stake in the New Jersey Nets in 2004 for a reported $1 million. By teaming up with Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner, Jay Z helped move the team to his native Brooklyn in 2012. (Jay Z then sold his stake in 2013, writing in a lengthy note, "I'm a Brooklyn Net forever.") 
Jay Z Signs Kevin Durant to Roc Nation Sports
In 2013, Jay Z made a huge splash with his signing of Kevin Durant. The then three-time All-Star was in the midst of his five-year $89 million contract with his former team Oklahoma City Thunder (K.D. now plays for the Golden State Warriors) when he elected to ink a deal with Roc Nation Sports. Later, Durant and Jay teamed up to pull off arguably the company's biggest win to date: snagging a $300 million deal with Nike in 2014. 
Last month, Jay Z responded to New York Knicks President Phil Jackson's "posse" comments after the latter had some choice words for LeBron James. In an interview with ESPN, Jackson referred to James and his friends as a "posse", which angered the three-time NBA Finals MVP. Once again, Jay Z honored the bro code and defended James by slyly throwing a subliminal at Jackson during his speech at the S.I. Sportsperson of the Year ceremony in Brooklyn earlier this month. 
"We know where we come from," Jay Z said at the event held at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. "We do understand where we come from, and the only difference between us and someone who has their MBA from Wharton or Sloan or Berkeley or Stanford is opportunity. LeBron James has provided his friends with that opportunity. And as we witness their development, and if we're looking up at the scoreboard, very few businessmen are better than Maverick Carter, Rich Paul, Randy Mims, and all the rest of the posse behind the scenes that make it look like they're just hanging out."
Jay Z Showcasing His Dribbling Skills After Kobe Bryant's Last Game 
Besides squeezing together double and triple entendres in his verse, Jay Z has other talents, as well. In the past, he has routinely showed off his ball-handling skills during basketball games as evidenced in this backstage video after Kobe Bryant's final game in April. 


Jay Z Daps Up Dallas Cowboys Wide-Receiver Dez Bryant During a New York Giants Game
Though Jay Z may call New York his first home, the Brooklynite showed his allegiance to his Roc Nation Sports client Dez Bryant when he dapped him up before the Giants took on the Cowboys earlier this month.
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Praises Jay Z 
Because of his business acumen, Jay Z has won the the respect of many notable figures in sports. One person who gravitated to Jay Z over the past several years has been Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones. In an interview with 105.3 The Fan, Jones gushed about Jay and his affability. "He, as an individual, is one of the neatest people that I've met," Jones said. "Make no mistake about it, he's the real deal. He's as easy to be around, talk to, as sharp as anybody I've met. I see what she sees in him. 
Jay Z Supports the Brooklyn Nets Wearing "I Can't Breathe T-Shirts"  
After the unfortunate death of Eric Garner, who died at the hands of police in 2014, and the grand jury's decision to not indict the NYPD officer who put Garner in a chokehold, the Brooklyn Nets took a stand. The team rallied together during a regular season game and wore "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts for their pre-game shootaround. Jay Z took a photo with the players to signify his stance on the controversial matter. Grassroots activist group Justice League NYC had arranged a delivery of the shirts with Jay Z. 
Michael Skolnik  ✔@MichaelSkolnik
Respect to Jay Z and the Brooklyn Nets for supporting the movement!! 
1:51 AM - 9 Dec 2014
Jay Z Signs LSU Running Back Leonard Fournette to Roc Nation Sports
With a roster already boasting the A-list athletes, Hov bolstered his line-up with the signing of LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette. Nearly two weeks ago, the sturdy running back inked his deal with Roc Nation Sports and is slated to be a Top 10 pick in next year's NFL Draft. 
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Nas Lists His Current Top 5 Rappers: Watch

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The hip-hop community constantly debates about who’s the hottest rapper -- and now Nas weighs in with a current list of his own. The Queens lyricist sat down with Revolt TV chairman Andre Harrell for a special “Music Talk” segment that aired Christmas night (Dec.25).
During the 44-minute interview, Nas named his top five rappers: J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, he listed without hesitation. 
In that order? Perhaps. But each rapper Nas listed is considered a modern-day G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) in some capacity. Recently, Cole’s entire album 4 Your Eyez Only debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 -- and of course he went double platinum with no features for his 2014 album Forest Hills Drive. 
Kendrick changed the game back in 2012 with his second project and major-label debut Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, which delivered pure West Coast vibes, taking fans on a musical journey through Compton. Drake catapulted to global stardom, proving himself through mixtapes (2006-2009) and eventually selling out arenas back-to-back (no pun intended). Throughout his career, the 30-year-old artist has won several Grammys including best rap album (2013). 
Lil Wayne is a living legend and recently held the record (now tied with Drake) for having the most appearances for a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100. He's also responsible for launching the careers of mega-stars Nicki Minaj and Drake.
Lastly, Ross wears many hats as a rapper, songwriter and entrepreneur. His list of chart-topping albums include Teflon Don, God Forgives I Don’t and Mastermind.
Who do you think is the hottest rapper in the game right now? Take a look at the Nas’ snippet with Revolt TV below:


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Trey Songz Charged With Punching Police Officer After Detroit Concert

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Image result for pic of trey songz dec 2016
Trey Songz was arrested after his concert in Detroit on Wednesday night (Dec. 28), police confirmed to Billboard.
The Grammy-nominated R&B singer was charged with a felony count of assault on a police officer causing injury and misdemeanor aggravated assault, according to a news release from Michigan's Wayne County prosecutor's office.
The 32 year old, whose legal name is Tremaine Neverson, is accused of punching a police sergeant in the head, causing a concussion, after the officer entered his dressing room to arrest him. 
The singer was arraigned Thursday (Dec. 29) and released after posting bond. He has a court date next Thursday (Jan. 5).
Videos posted online show Songz tearing down parts of the stage at Joe Louis Arena and throwing objects when the venue cut off his microphone and lights after asking him to wrap up his set.
"He became irate and belligerent, and started throwing microphones, speakers, basically anything he could get his hands on," police said.
Earlier, Songz had been asked to end his "Big Show at the Joe" performance, at which point he declared to the audience: "If that happens, I love you no matter what. All I want to do is give you the best show I'm capable of giving ... If they cut me off … I'm going the f--- crazy." He then starts singing: "Go on and do it. Go on and cut me off."

Assault on a police officer causing injury is punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine up to $5,000, and the misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine up to $1,000, according to the prosecutor's office.
Songz retweeted a fan-shot video with the caption, "They turned off his mic so he fsu'd," and video shot from the side of the stage shows the singer pulling down parts of the backdrop.


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Travis Scott Releases Hazy 'beibs in the trap' Video Feat. Nav

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Despite its title "beibs in the trap," Travis Scott's latest single has no association with pop star Justin Bieber.
For the RJ Sanchez-directed clip, the Missouri City rapper instead taps Canadian artist NAV for the trippy cut, where he name-drops a slew of vices on the hook: "I just poured a 8 in a liter/Throw some jolly ranchers in make it sweeter/Versace my clothes I'm with a white ho/And she snortin' three lines like Adidas/Got a black girl rolling off molly/Got a white bitch snorting up snow."
The visual also features a sleek silver Lamborghini, a multitude of models in sheer attire, white powder and a purple concoction in a deserted hangar.
"beibs in the trap" appeared on Scott's sophomore studio effort Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 upon its debut. The album's lead single, "Pick Up The Phone" featuring Young Thug was also certified gold.
Watch Scott's "beibs in the trap" video below.


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Nick Cannon Leaves Hospital After Spending Christmas Receiving Blood Transfusions

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Nick Cannon has been public about his ongoing battle with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease, as he has shared a handful of photos and videos of treatment and hospital visits across his social media channels.
Last week, Cannon shared an Instagram post announcing that he "will be in the Hospital through Christmas" along with a photo of his tattooed arm covered in bandages and an IV.
On Thursday (Dec. 29), Cannon took to the platform once more to reveal that after 2 weeks and 5 blood transfusions, "by his stripes I am healed!!!" He also wrote in the caption, "I broke out that joint!!!! Stuffed some pillows under the covers and ran out like the little rascals!! LOL." Meanwhile, in the video he shows fans he went straight from the hospital bed to the studio. 
"I feel great, we back at it... it's a no pity party," Cannon said in the video. "We taking the game over, 2017."
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Big Sean Reveals Inspiration Behind New Album 'I Decided'

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Earlier this month, Big Sean proved that he was ready to "Bounce Back" with his new video. For his fourth album titled I Decided, set to drop Feb. 3., the Detroit MC revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly the project's source of inspiration. 
"I was just at this Motown exhibit with Berry Gordy with my mom. He was talking about Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and the Temptations and how one of the things they did was inspire people. They inspired people to have a good time, to do better -- to be a better version of themselves. That really stuck with me. That’s what I want to do, too," says Sean.
He also spoke on the album focusing on the process of rebirth. "I [told my friend], ‘Sometimes I feel like I was an old man and didn’t succeed in life and asked for a second chance, and this is my second chance.’ He was like, ‘Make that the album.’ People who can be inspired by it, that’s who I’m doing it for. Everybody else can f--k off or whatever.”
Sean's last solo attempt came in 2015, when he released his critically-acclaimed album Dark Sky Paradise, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in March 2015. The project spawned a bevy of hits including "Blessings" and "Play No Games." In 2016, Sean forged a new duo with his girlfriend, singer Jhene Aiko, for their collaborative effort Twenty88. For several months, he remained off the radar, until he released a string of tracks including "Bounce Back" and "No More Interviews" in October. 
This month, he kept the momentum going when he released "Moves" and the final version of "Living Single" featuring Chance The Rapper and Jeremih. 
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Dubai Promoter Sues Talent Agency For $300K After Failing To Book Chris Brown & Lil Wayne

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Dubai Promoter Sues Talent Agency For $300K After Failing To Book Chris Brown & Lil Wayne

 A Dubai promoter is in the process of suing Red Entertainment Group for promising to get Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Enrique Iglesias and will.i.am for a few concerts some years back that never saw the light of day, TMZ reports.
Roberto Warnert filed the lawsuit claiming that he put up $150,000 to book Lil Wayne in 2011 and, due to some unforeseen circumstances, wasn’t able to book the Collegrove artist.
Soon after, he attempted to book Chris Brown, will.i.am and Enrique Iglesias with the agency. Each time, the group failed to come through on its promise while it took off with the dough.
None of the deposits were reportedly refunded in full and now Warnert wants Red Entertainment to pay him the $300,000 they owe him.
No word on why Warnert continued to do business with Red Entertainment Group after they proved themselves incapable.
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Chief Keef Shares Tracklist For "Two Zero One Seven" Album

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Chief Keef Shares Tracklist For "Two Zero One Seven" Album

Chief Keef is preparing to drop his Two Zero One Seven album and shared the tracklist on Instagram ahead of its January 1 release date.
The project fittingly has 17 tracks with Sosa handling most of the production. Other producers who contributed to Two Zero One Seven include Lex Luger and Young Chop. Chief Keef appeared on Young Chop’s King Chop album this summer.
Fellow Glo Gang rapper Tadoe makes a handful of appearances on the project as well.
Check out Chief Keef’s Two Zero One Seven album tracklist and cover art below.
  1. So Tree (Prod. by Lex Luger)
  2. Fix That (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  3. Empty (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  4. Reefah (Prod. by Lex Luger)
  5. Falling on the Floor (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  6. Short f. Tadoe (Prod. by Lex Luger)
  7. Knock it Off (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  8. Hit the Lotto Kash f. Chief Keef (Prod. by Young Chop)
  9. Check (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  10. Dope Smokes (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  11. Control f. Tadoe (Prod. by Lex Luger)
  12. Trying not to Swear (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  13. Go (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  14. Telling it All (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  15. Stand Down f. Tadoe (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  16. Running Late (Prod. by Chief Keef)
  17. Anything Gets You Paid (Prod. by Leekeleek)

Chief Keef Two Zero One Seven cover art


(This article was first published December 14, 2016 and is as follows.)
Chief Keef is preparing to ring in the new year with a new album called Two Zero One Seven in honor of 2017.
Sosa made the announcement on his Instagram yesterday (December 13) sharing the official cover art for Two Zero One Seven, which is due out January 1.

This comes after Chief Keef and FilmOn went separate ways. The Chicago rapper joined the label/entertainment company in early 2015 and released Bang 3 and its sequel through the label, owned by Greek billionaire Akil David. His contract was suspended in November of that year.
Chief Keef has mostly made headlines this year for his social media activity from announcing his retirement to clarifying a situation where someone posed as him asking for nudes.
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Funk Flex Calls Out Drake For His Photo With Jennifer Lopez

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Funkmaster Flex isn't here for Drake's possible relationship with Jennifer Lopez.


Drake and Jennifer Lopez's snuggly Instagram photo is stirring up feelings, and Funk Flex appears to be among the victims. The OG Hot 97 radio personality took to twitter last night to share his thoughts on the photo and Drake's tactic.
By now, it's possible you've caught wind of the fact that this boo'd up photo of the maybe-couple arrived on the same day as another infamous J. Lo headline, many moons ago. December 28, 1999, was the day after Diddy and then-girlfriend J. Lo's trip to the club went awry-- resulting in a Daily News cover page story on the two. Some are seeing the fact that Drizzy posted his photo on the same day, 17 years later, as a very calculated and strategic move. Funk Flex seems to agree in his latest twitter rant, targeting Drake and defending Puff.
Funk starts with, "JLo is nice.. but my mans hit 17yrs ago.. these new sensitive nigga think we sweat pussy like them.. nah." He continued, "JLo? That's the get back for a punch in the face? Took me all day to figure this out! Throwback pussy don't never disrupt getting that bread! Facts! [ Canada Dry ]"
He added after, "Doggy saved the pic for the anniversary and everything!!! Haaaa! Wow! Sensitive new nigga fail! Haaaaa!! Here come the Weirdos and Super Stanley's because I got an opinion!!!!!"
Check out the tweets below. It's worth noting he seems to be evoking an entirely different sentiment towards Drake with his Instagram post, also below. Thoughts?
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