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People Are Annoyed at Virgil Abloh’s Cover for Pop Smoke’s Album

After the first images of Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut album designed by Virgil Abloh began to circulate on the internet, fans have expressed their disappointment in the 39-year-old designer’s effort to immortalize Pop for his album cover.

Related: Snoop Dogg, and Others Mourn the Death of Bad Azz (Rapper)

On Monday (June 29), images of the Virgil’s artwork for Pop’s debut album titled Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon was shared by Abloh and Steven Victor, the head of the beloved rapper’s label Victor Victor Worldwide. However, after the image began to make its rounds online, many people on social media were displeased with the artwork for the deceased rapper’s upcoming LP. The album cover is a reimagined image based on a photo from when the Brooklyn native attended Paris Fashion Week earlier this year. The additional design for that Abloh added includes barbed wire, silver roses and puffs of smoke. The original photo can be found on Getty Images.

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Virgil Abloh, who is also the artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear, explained the origin of the design in an Instagram post. The fashion designer told fans how Pop had modeled his life in Canarsie, Brooklyn as a rose that grew from concrete.

“The last conversation I had with @realpopsmoke was about what we we were gonna to do in the future,” Virgil wrote on his social media account. “This album cover was one of like 5 things we talked about. He mentioned his story felt like the metaphor of a rose & thorns growing from concrete of of his hood in Canarsie, Brooklyn. In your memory, I just finished it yesterday. As evident of the whole idea, the t-shirt insinuates it’s mandatory we put an and to this cycle of violence that plagues us, we need to shoot for the moon & aim for the stars. As heavy as it is we are celebrating your life the whole way thru. ⁣⁣Rest in piece young one.”

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Related: Drake Celebrates 33rd Birthday With Mobster Last Night In LA

One Twitter user referenced the meme stemming from when Virgil donated $50 to bail funds earlier this month and received backlash for not giving more, writing, “nigga didn’t even put virgil percent effort.”

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Another fan compared the original Getty image to Virgil’s artwork, expressing how they thought the final draft was lazy.

“This is lazy. Pop Smoke deserves better,” the fan wrote on Twitter.

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Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon is expected to drop July 3. The LP was initially slated to be released in early June, but his team halted the departure of the album and delivered “Make It Rain” featuring Rowdy Rebel instead.

Check out other reactions to Virgil Abloh’s Pop Smoke album cover below.

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Carmen Bryan’s Cryptic Post Stirs the Pot in Jay-Z Controversy

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The hip-hop industry currently faces substantial controversy as Jay-Z finds himself in the eye of a storm. Allegations of sexual assault stemming from a 2000 afterparty involving the illustrious rap mogul and disgraced music executive Diddy have ignited fierce public debate. While Jay-Z categorically denies the accusations and expresses his intent to contest the lawsuit, the court of public sentiment appears to have already rendered its verdict. Further complicating this turmoil is the involvement of Carmen Bryan, a name from Jay’s contentious history, which has added a chilling layer to the evolving situation.

Carmen Bryan, recognized for her decade-long affair with the Brooklyn rapper, recently took to Instagram with a cryptic yet pointed post. Although she refrained from naming anyone directly, Bryan suggested that loyalty often supersedes ethical morality in cases involving influential individuals. “These days, people don’t defend what is right; they defend who they like,” she wrote. Her parting shot, “And that’s why we call you a groupie,” felt like a verbal mic drop, leaving little doubt about who her words targeted.

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The intrigue didn’t stop there. Bryan shared a snapshot of Jay-Z’s lyrics from his 2010 track “Monster,” honing in on a particularly unsettling line: “Kill a block, I murder the avenues, I rape and pillage your village, women and children.” Though these lyrics were part of a more extensive metaphorical verse showcasing a “monster” persona, their resurfacing in this context feels calculated and ominous.

Bryan is no stranger to controversy, having previously aired her grievances toward Jay-Z. In her 2006 memoir, It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, Seduction to Scandal, she detailed their affair and its tumultuous fallout. Additionally, she revealed in a 2017 interview that she had been pregnant with Jay-Z’s child, only to suffer a miscarriage. The relationship, fraught with personal and public conflict, remains a blemish on Jay-Z’s meticulously crafted, otherwise carefully curated narrative. Carmen Bryan’s multifaceted approach raises pertinent questions: Is she simply sharing her perspective on morality in the industry, or does she possess additional undisclosed knowledge?

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While the allegations against Jay-Z are still under legal evaluation, Bryan’s Instagram post has reignited another dimension to the complex and polarizing discussions about power dynamics, accountability, and the ethical responsibilities of those influential individuals in the spotlight. Her courageous decision to use Jay-Z’s lyrics against him paints a stark picture that forces fans and critics alike to reckon with the blurred lines between art and reality.

As the legal proceedings involving Jay-Z progress, the public remains split amid this developing saga. While Jay-Z’s peers have predominantly expressed skepticism toward the allegations, the enduring legacy of this iconic figure hangs in precarious balance, with shadows from the past casting long and potentially damning silhouettes.

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Jay-Z Engrossed in Fresh Allegations as Tony Buzbee Claims More Victims

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In a stunning twist to an already high-stakes legal dispute unfolding with the intensity of a Hollywood thriller, Jay-Z, one of music’s most preeminent figures, finds himself at the center of an explosive allegation involving minors. This drama stems from accusations brought forth by attorney Tony Buzbee and has escalated a conflict that began with a lawsuit over alleged extortion. Buzbee, who represents a woman accusing the music mogul of sexually assaulting her at the 2000 MTV VMAs afterparty, claims there are additional alleged victims, involving both male and female minors.

Jay-Z and his attorney, Alex Spiro, aren’t backing down. They have initiated a countersuit against Buzbee, vehemently denying the allegations and characterizing them as “entirely fabricated and malicious.” Spiro’s filing asserts that Buzbee’s accusations are part of a calculated scheme to tarnish the rapper’s reputation and coerce a settlement. “These baseless accusations are nothing more than a weapon in a calculated plot,” Spiro stated, doubling down on their stance that the allegations are devoid of any factual basis.

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The case took another dramatic turn when the woman Buzbee represents amended her lawsuit against Diddy to include Jay-Z. The timing of the amendment and the salacious nature of the claims have fueled a media frenzy, leaving the hip-hop icon fighting a battle both in the courtroom and in the court of public opinion.

Late Sunday, Jay-Z fired back with a defiant statement on X (formerly Twitter). “What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle,” he wrote. “No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”

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This case is now racing against the clock, with Jay-Z’s legal representatives seeking an emergency hearing to address the allegations. Their urgency stems from the relentless media coverage, which poses a substantial risk to the Roc Nation founder’s reputation. This matter extends beyond a mere legal confrontation; it encompasses significant implications beyond the courtroom, a fight for his legacy.

The stakes are exceptionally high. Legal counsel Buzbee hints at the potential existence of additional alleged victims, thereby intensifying the spotlight scrutiny placed on both parties involved. With careers, reputations, and justice on the line, this legal showdown is poised to become a critical juncture within the music and entertainment industry. For fans and observers alike, the unfolding circumstances prompt inquiries regarding the veracity of the claims and the tactical weaponization of reputation in the court of public discourse.

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