Story

Mario Doesn’t Think There’s Another Singer Who Can Compete With Him Vocally

He hasn’t had his chance at a Verzuz just yet, but Mario is subtly challenging other R&B singers in the music game. The 34-year-old singer has had a career since he was a teenager, and according to him, he’s continuing to evolve into a much more well-rounded entertainer. Recently, Mario released his five-track EP Closer to Mars, and during a chat with Angie Martinez, Mario declared himself one of the leading vocal forces in the industry.

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“If I had to put somebody in the same room with me, as far as vocally, I can’t see—there’s no one that’s in the game that can [compete] with me vocally,” said Mario.”It’s nobody because it’s too much sauce… I think they know it, too. I don’t think there’s one person that can say yo, if it’s me and Mario in the room, I can f*ck with him vocally. If you can get somebody to admit that Ang, we can set up whatever you want, however you want it.”

Angie Martinez didn’t have to ask anyone to step up to the plate because, as she noted, there are many artists who will accept Mario’s challenge. “There’s dudes behind the scenes that love to sing people’s songs all day on they Instagram that’s vocal beasts,” Mario added. “I’m talking about dudes in the game that had success, had records on the charts, put actual albums out, Grammy-nominated people. There’s nobody.”

Back in April, Mario crowned himself the “King of R&B,” so this his recent comments come as no surprise. Check out his interview below and let us know who you would put up against Mario’s vocals.

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Story

DJ Akademiks questions if Lil Durk will get bond as the racketeering case goes on

Lil Durk’s legal battle is about to take another big step, and DJ Akademiks is already sharing his expectations for what could go down when the rapper returns to court in November.

Durk is in custody, awaiting his next VICAR case in which authorities say he was running a criminal enterprise. His next trial was set for October 5, but recent developments have called into question when those proceedings will occur.

Durk’s murder for hire trial recently resulted in a not guilty verdict in November. Regardless of that outcome, he remains in custody because the separate racketeering related charges remain unresolved. Durk’s attorneys have asked for the new hearing and have been ordered to appear by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, which also must submit a fresh bail report.

Against that backdrop, legal commentator Bradford Cohen had previously suggested Durk could eventually get bond. That view ties in with Durk’s not-guilty verdict in the earlier case, and the argument that the outcome could make it harder to sustain the remaining allegations.

DJ Akademiks sees things a bit differently. In a recent livestream, Akademiks predicted that Durk would not get a bond at the Nov. hearing. He believes the charges will stick and cites the seriousness of the allegations in the VICAR case as his reasoning. He also doesn’t appear to expect the rapper to be released from jail anytime soon as the case moves forward.

Akademiks’ prediction concerns the bond hearing, not Durk’s chances at trial. Durk’s legal situation remains unresolved for now. His recent acquittal has altered the circumstances of his arrest, but the separate racketeering case still looms over the rapper as both sides prepare for the next phase.

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Celebrity

DJ Akademiks Resurrects 2015 Drake vs. Meek Mill Beef With Alleged Nicki Minaj Backstory

DJ Akademiks is digging up hip-hop history buried for 10 years as he offers his supposed explanation for how the Drake/Meek Mill feud came to a head in 2015. The back-and-forth between Akademiks and Meek Mill has resurfaced the conversation. Akademiks returned to the long-running Drake-Meek beef on his stream last night, saying a comment by Nicki Minaj had something to do with what happened between the two rappers.

According to Akademiks, Meek and Minaj were shopping at a designer fashion store when they got to the register. He says that when Meek told her he didn’t have the cash to pay for Minaj, she allegedly told him he would never be Drake. Akademiks also claims Minaj left the store on her own, and then Meek went on X, and what happened next started the infamous feud with Drake.

The account remains an allegation, not a confirmed explanation. The information provided has not been independently verified, and ultimately only those involved, including Minaj and Meek Mill, could confirm the story’s authenticity.

The beef between Drake and Meek Mill started in 2015 and has become a staple in hip-hop conversation. Meek struggled after the fallout, while the beef became a defining moment in Drake’s career. However, the two eventually made up and collaborated on “Going Bad,” signaling a return to a more cooperative relationship despite the rivalry’s tension.

Now that Akademiks and Meek are throwing shots again, the events of 2015 are back in the conversation. By reflecting on the feud, Akademiks has added another possible piece of context to a story that has been a hot topic in hip-hop for years.

Whether his version of events is what actually happened, however, remains unresolved. Currently, the designer-store story isn’t factual, but it is Akademiks’ version of the events surrounding the beef.

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