The Los Angeles Lakers made two big trades ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline, but only one of them, the Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis deal, will actually go through.

Late Wednesday night the Lakers made another splash by trading for Mark Williams of the Hornets to fill their vacancy at center. The Lakers sent a first round pick, a pick swap, and Dalton Knecht to Charlotte in the deal, as they made an aggressive move for Williams, assuming he would be their version of Dereck Lively II, who Doncic thrived with in Dallas. However, on Saturday, Williams did not appeared on the Lakers roster or injury report, and we learned why later that night as the teams announced the trade had been rescinded.

According to Bobby Marks, the deal was contingent on physicals being passed and since the deadline was already over, the trade couldn’t be amended. While the teams did not disclose the exact reason, the issue was reportedly Williams’ physical, per Shams Charania, as the Lakers failed it due to a few issues. Williams has had a number of injuries in the past that have limited him to 84 games played in his 2.5 seasons. There are some trades where physicals get waived, but this instance, with how much the Lakers were investing to make the trade, it was contingent on both players passing team physicals. With that not happening to the satisfaction of the Lakers, the trade has been rescinded and now one of the most awkward scenarios in sports will play out with Knecht returning to LA and Williams returning to Charlotte.

The Lakers now have to find a new answer for their center spot on the buyout market, while the Hornets traded for Jusuf Nurkic and figured to give him a chance to restore some value in the second half of the season with plenty of center minutes available.

Rick Ross and 50 Cent’s longtime beefs has reached another petty peak. Supporters of the recording artists have become numb to their constant jabs. Over the years, they taken shots at other on records, online, and in interviews. Now, Rick Ross will take their feud over into the world of film.

Yesterday (February 7), the “Champagne Moments” rapper took to Instagram to tease his Black Mafia Family (BMF) project. In a video (viewable here), Rick Ross told followers that he wants to produce a BMF film because 50 Cent’s BMF series on Starz is “lackluster.”

“I wanna do a BMF film because you’ve been entertained by a lackluster, small-budget series,” he said. “Now it’s time to do a big-budget film. Which director? Shout out to my homie F. Gary Gray. Antoine Fuqua, what’s up? Tarantino… there are a lot of legends. This is gonna be big, I can feel it.”

Ross’ declaration comes on the heels of 50 Cent threatening to cancel the series after Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory was spotted hanging with his forever foe. The BMF series chronicles Flenory meteoric rise in the illicit drug trade. Flenory’s son, Lil Meech (Demetrius Flenory Jr.), even serves as the lead actor.

With season four of the show previously announced, viewers are nervous about its future.

On February 5, hip-hop heavy weight Irv Gotti tragically died at 54 years old. Since then, fans and musicians alike have mourned the famed director, producer, and label executive.

Given Gotti’s close industry connections supporters expected a trail of tributes from many influential rappers. On the other hand, no one thought that his former Murder Inc. artist Ashanti would publicly address the sad news considering their rocky relationship. Still, the “I Got It” singer managed to put their past issues to the side in order to honor her past collaborator.

Over on Instagram, Ashanti paid tribute to Irv Gotti. View her full statement below.

I can’t believe things ended like this….and it makes me so sad… We weren’t on the best terms the past few years but as I’ve always said, through our ups and downs I will forever be grateful for everything that you’ve done for me. We made history and that will remain infinite… I’ve always respected your musical genius and ability to push me to be my best… All the greatness and positive things that came, far outweigh the dark and negative times. I have always prayed for you to find peace. Sending love and prayers to the entire family.

Rest well.

Rest in Peace Irv

The music industry has been working overtime to merge resources in wake of the devastating wildfires across Los Angeles County. During the 2025 Grammy Awards, artists, labels, and more raised millions toward the efforts. Many artists have hit the recording booth to pull in revenue. You can’t forget the massive FireAid LA Benefit concert.

Now, Weyes Blood has announced her plan to assist survivors of the natural disaster. Over on Instagram, the “Hearts Aglow” singer announced her clothing collaboration with the American Red Cross to raise money toward the LA fires relief.

For a limited time, supporters can purchase a custom t-shirt, designed with visual artist Sharada Tolton, which will help provide food and shelter to those impacted.

“As a love letter to my beautiful, irrevocably changed neighborhood of Altadena I’ve teamed up with @SirenShores and @EverpressHQ to create this limited edition tee for the @americanredcross,” wrote Weyes Blood. “100% of profits will go directly to providing food, shelter, and support to those impacted by the California fires. I know it’s been a month but just like my story, there’s still so much to be done, and so much uncertainty of where things will land in the future.”

Weyes Blood’s collaborative t-shirt with the American Red Cross will only be available until February 27. Find more information here.

As is always the case after the trade deadline, the week following features the start of the NBA’s buyout market, as veterans on expiring deals that weren’t traded (or were acquired by teams for the express purpose of adding draft assets) find themselves on the open market.

This year, there are a handful of big names that figure to be available for contenders to sign for the minimum. Buyout players rarely make a major impact on teams, as they usually are on the buyout market for a reason, but sometimes they need to prove themselves in a different role to prove they can still impact winning in some way. This year, the player that is most in need of a career rejuvenation is Ben Simmons, as the former No. 1 overall pick has not been doing much for the Nets this season (6.2 points, 6.9 assists, 5.2 rebounds per game in 33 appearances) before reaching a buyout to end his frankly disappointing tenure in Brooklyn.

As he looked for a new home, Simmons had to seriously consider what team would give him a chance to prove himself again to the league, because few view him as a player who, even on the minimum, would be a valuable asset to a contender. On Saturday, Shams Charania brought word that he will be heading to Los Angeles to join the Clippers, a team that has had a penchant for reviving careers (most notably Russell Westbrook) in recent years — and somewhat ironically joins a team with James Harden, who he was traded for in a swap of disgruntled stars years ago.

Now, Simmons issues are the polar opposite of Westbrook. For the former MVP, effort and intensity has never been the question, but channeling that effectively and understanding his own personal limitations was the challenge. For Simmons, the question is far more existential, regarding his desire to play basketball at the highest level and if he can physically hold up with persistent back issues and mentally hold up to pressure moments. With the Clippers in the thick of the playoff race in the West, the opportunity will certainly be available to Simmons to prove himself in that environment if he can crack the L.A. rotation. S

Rihanna’s super fans (The Navy) has been begging her to release new music. So, when a new audio recording of the “Lift Me Up” singer surfaced online, they were overjoyed. However, they quickly realized something was off.

In a now viral post on Instagram (viewable here), users were taken back when they listened to Rihanna discussing lavish purchases she made across her career. But, it turns out the audio is actually an AI-generated clip of Rihanna’s voice and not the entertainer herself. Shortly after the post gained traction on the platform, Rihanna chimed in to slam it.

“Who [the f*ck] is this talking,” wrote Rihanna in the comment section.

Although the creator did not respond to Rihanna’s question. Nor have they taken down the post that flaunts Rihanna’s supposed assets (which allegedly include a massive mansion, private jet, jewelry collection, and luxury vehicles) after being called out.

Instead, the comment section is now flooded with angry Rihanna fans.

“Rih, would never boast like this. Real fans know wassup,” penned one user.

“AI is soooo scary, because whattt,” chimed another.

If you are interested in an authentic Rihanna recording, soon enough her musical contribution to the Smurfs movie soundtrack will hit streaming platforms.

As a global pop star, Ariana Grande draws in a lot of attention. However, the “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” singer isn’t always fond of it–especially as it relates to her private life.

Yesterday (February 7), during the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, Grande’s love life was the center of conversation. As host Chelsea Handler poked fun at trending topics, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s budding romance became the butt of a joke.

“It is so nice to see some of our most beloved child stars all grown up and thriving,” said Handler. “Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande are all nominated tonight. And now Ariana has even found love with a munchkin.”

The snarky remark had a shaky landing within The Barker Hangar. Handler swiftly brushed it off, saying: “That’s good news, everybody.”

While Grande and Slater seemed annoyed by Handler’s comedic chops, users online were amused by her wicked sense of humor.

Following both Grande and Slater’s respective divorces in 2024, their coupling sparked outrage online.

Slater addressed that pushback in a sit-down with GQ.

“There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening,” he said. “So it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love.”

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater has not publicly addressed Chelsea Handler’s joke at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards.

Back in August 2024, Oasis announced their highly-anticipated onstage (and in-studio) reunion. Now, their Oasis Live 25 reunion tour is nearly months away. However, the UK show run has hit yet another snag.

According to NME, in an effort to combat bots and resellers Oasis has canceled thousand of tickets to their forthcoming show. In any other circumstance, their actions would be applauded fans online claim to have been hit the hardest by yesterday’s (February 7) action.

Across X (formerly Twitter), Oasis supporters shared notifications that their purchases were voided seemingly by mistake.

“If 2025 could actually get any worse – now I don’t even have this to look forward to anymore. Denying legit fans their tickets,” wrote one user.

“So what’s this complete sh*t show? Sat on my laptop for hours on general sale day to secure just TWO tickets for ONE gig, and you’re telling me I’m a bot and a tout,” penned another.

While supporters are encouraged to contact Ticketmaster’s customer support line if they are experiencing this issue, the company made their stance against the shows’ promoters Live Nation and SJM have standing firm in its decision to nixed tickets.

“Only use the official resale partners,” said a representative for the companies. “Selling tickets through unauthorized resale platforms will breach these T&Cs and those tickets may be cancelled. Terms were specifically established to limit resale of tickets on unauthorized ticketing platforms for profit.”

Oasis has not issued a response to the pushback from fans.

After the animated Lego film Piece By Piece underperformed at the box office, Universal Pictures has pulled the plug on Pharrell Williams’ According to Variety, the project, which was retitled Golden after a name-change from Atlantis, “did not live up to its developed conceit,” and will be pulled from the studio’s release schedule. Directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind), the film would have been released in theaters on May 5 and featured among its cast Halle Bailey, Quinta Brunson, Brian Tyree Henry, Janelle Monáe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Anderson .Paak, and Jaboukie Young-White.

In a joint statement, Williams and Gondry told Variety, “When all of us got into the editing room, we collectively decided there wasn’t a path forward to tell the version of this story that we originally envisioned. We appreciate all the hard work of the talented cast and crew. While we’re disappointed we can’t deliver this film, we have incredible partners at Universal and will collaborate in a different capacity again soon.” The movie has reportedly cost the studio $20 million in sunk cost, but the studio will absorb the hit instead of releasing it.

In explaining the differences between Golden and Piece By Piece, Pharrell told Empire magazine in November, “Piece By Piece is about my life, whereas Golden is about a neighborhood that I grew up in. I’s a musical expedition set in the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach. It’s a coming-of-age story about self-discovery and pursuing your dreams, but it’s so much more magical than that. It’s a celebration of Black life, Black culture, and most importantly, Black joy.”

While it’s somewhat disappointing we won’t get to see the completed vision, especially with such a dynamite cast, Pharrell still has other film projects in the works — and everybody already got paid. And hey, even if Piece By Piece bricked at the box office (sorry), it’s still in line to potentially win him an Oscar.

The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from 2 Chainz, Larry June, Tyga, and more.

On the eve of Kendrick Lamar’s big star turn at Super Bowl LIX and just a week removed from the Grammys, it’s relatively quiet on the new release front — but not completely silent.

Saba & No ID shared the latest single from their long-awaited collaborative project, “Woes Of The World.”

LiAngelo Ball — AKA GELO — added a New Orleans legend to the remix of his breakout single “Tweaker,” which now features Lil Wayne.

Pardison Fontaine and Cardi B reconnected on a record for the first time in six years with “Toot It Up.”

And IDK and Denzel Curry continued their longstanding collaborative chemistry on their new release, “S.U.”

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending February 7, 2025.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Krept & Konan — Young Kingz II

The long-running British rap duo nod to their 2013 breakout mixtape, penning an earnest sequel consisting of 18 tracks with appearances from UK rap pioneers like Chip and Ghetts, alongside appearances from dancehall veterans Popcaan and Sizzla. It’s a remarkably accessible project for stateside listeners and Brit-rap newcomers, with moody beats and vivid storytelling rhymes running the gamut from more contemporary drill style to chill afrobeats.

Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist — Life Is Beautiful

The Alchemist lays down an impressive spread of his signature production for the two rappers’ cross-coastal collaboration. The lush sound beds give the laid-back lyricists plenty of space for their hazed boasts and low-key luxury lifestyle raps. The surprise here is how easily 2 Chainz adapts to the chill-guy format perfected by rappers like June, Curren$y, and Dom Kennedy, but don’t overlook the elevation of June’s pen to keep up with the weathered vet.

Luhh Dyl — Intrude

A Detroiter who has built a solid local buzz over the past couple of years with his projects The Ticket and Cart Music, Dyl jukes expectations of the Michigan style that’s grown in popularity for the last decade. While he certainly bears many hallmarks of his surroundings — a motormouthed, waterfall flow that often overruns the beats, a standoffish outlook on his home municipality — he rejects others. He’s alarmingly sincere compared to featured artists like Sada Baby, Tee Grizzley, and Veeze, and he takes pride in making staunchly anti-club cruisers. Intrude peaks when it speeds up to accommodate its guests, but Dyl proves he’s plenty compelling on his own.

Tyga — NSFW

It’s Tyga. You know what you’re getting.

However, if that idea turns you off of this polished package of unabashed party tunes, you haven’t been paying attention. Tyga’s improvement in the pen department has gone largely unheralded over his last handful of releases (it’s subtle), but really shouldn’t be overlooked. The man knows his business and takes it seriously enough that you know it’ll hit the spot — he’s the In-N-Out Burger of West Coast party rap. There are fancier/healthier/tastier options… but sometimes you just want In-N-Out.

Singles/Videos

The Underachievers — “Brand New”

Y’know, it’s weird. I can’t remember the last time the Flatbush duo came across my radar, which is weird because associated acts like Flatbush Zombies and Pro Era seemingly never leave it for too long. A quick browse on Tidal tells me their last album came out pre-pandemic (2019’s Lords Of Flatbush 3) and they’ve sprinkled a handful of single, both solo and as a duo, over the past year or so, but this is the first one that broke through the noise. They still sound engaged, and if they’re making a comeback this year, consider my curiosity piqued.

Flyana Boss — “Airplane Mode”

Flyana Boss offers a fascinating case; unlike most acts with massively viral hit singles that seemingly lose momentum, they’ve been fairly consistent releasing new music. None of it has been an overt attempt to recreate the magic of “You Wish,” nor has it outright rejected their fun, poppy aesthetic. Maybe the zeitgeist moved on while they were living life, but personally, I would really love to see another one catch on for them. “Airplane Mode” isn’t it, but it’s an exuberant, catchy anthem that feels primed for a streaming TV placement.

P-Lo — “Had To” Feat. E-40 & Too Short

The Bay Area favorites team up again for a burping, lurching flex anthem. With NBA All-Star landing in NorCal next week, it makes sense that the Warriors partners are putting some new music out ahead of the festivities. It’s a regionally-appropriate effort, more likely to resonate with locals than the tourists — but hey, considering how things have gone up there over the past 20 years, maybe we do need a reminder of just which folks are which. For The Soil, the All-Star-themed album from Golden State Entertainment (the Warriors’ actual record label), drops on February 12 featuring ALLBLACK, Goapele, Rexx Life Raj, and the previously released “Players Holiday” with a who’s-who of Bay talents.

ZelooperZ & Real Bad Man — “Sweet Celine”

LA-based producer Real Bad Man & Detroit’s ZelooperZ united today to release their joint album Dear Psilocybin, which is every bit as trippy as it sounds. The Bruiser Brigade-repping ZelooperZ is a rather buzzy name on the underground “weird rap” scene, earning praise and collaborations from the likes of Boldy James, Earl Sweatshirt, and The Alchemist, and Real Bad Man grants him the perfect canvases to work out his left-field ideas. See what the hype is with their previously released single “Sweet Celine” and check out the album here.