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Today in Hip-Hop History: Ice Cube Released His Third Album ‘The Predator’ 28 Years Ago

On this day in 1992, gangsta rapper turned actor/filmmaker Ice Cube released his most successful solo album The Predator. Released months after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, this album follows the…

On this day in 1992, gangsta rapper turned actor/filmmaker Ice Cube released his most successful solo album The Predator. Released months after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, this album follows the same tone that existed in Ice Cube’s music from his solo beginning; Black power against any form of oppression. Although the album was very graphic, it still had a great reception among the commercial audience, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart (despite his blatant diss of the Billboard editor on the album’s title track) and selling 193,000 copies in its first week.

The mood of this album was set by the era of violence that was going on in Los Angeles, California. Every song has an element of the type of violence that was going on in the hood between and against Black people incorporated through interludes or references. Even his more peaceful tracks have an air of criminal paranoia about them. Regardless, The Predator is still slightly toned down from his prior two releases AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate, which you can by the titles more outwardly push the militant mindset that Ice Cube has as a recording artist.

This album also toted two #1 rap singles, “It Was a Good Day” and “Check Yo Self”. “It Was a Good Day” is to date Ice Cube’s most successful single. The track peaked #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1993 and sold 600,000 copies. Outside of commercial success, this album is forever a part of pop culture history voted #8 on VH1‘s Top Rap Songs list. “Check Yo Self” was also ridiculously successful, selling 500,000 copies and peaking at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Predator LP is a masterpiece and has the sales to prove it. This album has so far gone double platinum and with the success of the film Straight Outta Compton, there is no reason why sales figures should not increase over the next few months. As anyone up-to-date in Hip Hop culture should know, with the success of this album, Ice Cube went on to be an entertainment mogul directing, writing and producing successful films, appearing on television, and releasing six more studio LPs that have all done pretty well in their sales all appearing on the Billboard 200 in the top 20%.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Ice Cube Released His Third Album ‘The Predator’ 28 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

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Celebrity

Lil Durk Co Defendants OTF Dede and David Lindsey Seek Acquittal and New Trial

OTF Dede and David Lindsey are fighting their recent stalking convictions as the legal process in Lil Durk’s case continues to play out.

Lil Durk was facing five charges, two of them murder-for-hire related and three of them stalking related, while the two co-defendants were convicted on three counts of stalking in the same case. Durk was just cleared of all charges in that case a couple of weeks ago, but Dede and Lindsey didn’t get the same result.

The latest legal twist adds another chapter to a case that has remained tightly connected to Lil Durk’s ongoing legal troubles. Durk was acquitted in the initial murder-for-hire case, but his larger legal battle is far from over.

For Dede and Lindsey, the immediate issue is their stalking convictions and whether the court will grant either of the new requests filed. The couple’s pleas carry long prison sentences, and the pending motions are especially important for their attorneys.
The court has not ruled on the Rule 29 and Rule 33 motions, leaving the next phase of litigation uncertain.

Lil Durk, meanwhile, is set to appear in court on November 4 for a bond hearing. His trial in the VICAR case was scheduled for the next few weeks, but it is likely to be delayed.

Separate legal proceedings are now moving forward in the cases of Durk, Dede, and Lindsey, who remain active. Dede and Lindsey’s latest filings ensure that the group’s legal saga continues even after Durk’s acquittal in the original case.

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Celebrity

Meek Mill steps back from his ongoing feud with DJ Akademiks,

Meek Mill and DJ Akademiks’ ongoing social media beef has taken another turn, with Meek seemingly getting the last word.

The two have been feuding for around a decade, and their tensions have become closely tied to the fallout from Meek’s beef with Drake. Following Akademiks taking Drake’s side in the public feud, Meek clearly didn’t want to be featured on Akademiks’ page. Since then, they have exchanged occasional messages and renewed disagreements.

The latest chapter heated up around the Lil Durk trial. Meek Mill called out Akademiks for his coverage and commentary on the case, saying he had become a bad influence on the culture.

Akademiks fired back hard, and the beef snowballed into a back and forth of threats between the two. At one point, Meek asked for Akademiks’ address, while Akademiks showed off an arsenal of machine guns and rifles. The confrontation had been really serious before apparently cooling off in recent days.

The message is the latest chapter in a long-running feud that has flared up several times over the past decade. This latest back-and-forth could be Meek’s attempt to close the door on the feud, but given the history between the two, tensions can flare up fast.
So far, it looks like Meek is putting a line under his part of the conversation. Only time will tell whether Akademiks responds.

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