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The Break Presents: Bankrol Hayden

Becoming a successful artist is difficult, and even more so when you have to face personal tragedy. Enter Modesto, Calif. rapper Bankrol Hayden, who faced a near-death experience before entering the rap game.

Rapping since he was an eighth grader, Hayden dropped his first song at 13 (“Modesto”) and kept working hard. Then in 2017, at 16 years old, Hayden nearly lost his life in a car accident in his hometown. The rapper was a in the backseat of a car when his friend crashed while under the influence of weed. The 16-year-old girl who was driving the car was charged with the murder of a mother and daughter in the other vehicle. The accident left Hayden badly injured, including a broken back, broken ribs and an injury to his small intestine.

Turning a tragedy into triumph, Hayden hit the studio in 2018, and recorded “29,” the title inspired by the date of the crash, Nov. 29, 2017. Though his injuries still hadn’t fully healed, Hayden dropped the song about the incident and started to experience real momentum. The song has 20 million Spotify streams and 7 million SoundCloud plays to date. “We was drivin’ hella fast, I woke up seeing nurses/Happened in a second, mind spinnin’ like a circus nigga/I’m in the back seat, how the fuck it’s my fault?/November 29th, almost died up on that asphalt,” he raps over a piano-driven beat.

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Hayden’s true breakout song came out in 2019. “Brothers,” a Luh Kel-assisted track, finds the West Coast rhymer rapping about putting friends over the women that may come between that brotherhood. The subject matter, Hayden’s catchy chorus and sing-song delivery got him tons of streams, over 60 million on Spotify. “Costa Rica” came in 2020, and it’s moving even faster than “Brothers,” amassing 65 million plays on Spotify in considerably less time. He even teamed up with The Kid Laroi on the remix.

With a growing buzz, Hayden dropped his debut project, Pain Is Temporary, last Friday, and he is seeing better days. He’s grasping success after such a traumatic experience. Learn more about Bankrol Hayden in this week’s edition of The Break.

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Age: 18

Hometown: Modesto, Calif.

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I grew up listening to: “Kid Cudi was a big inspiration for me on music, and I used to go to record stores, and we would just rap on instrumentals and shit, but Kid Cudi was really who inspired me with my music, and still to this day that I’m here. His melodies, really how he talks about situations in real life and shit inspired me to do shit like that.”

My style’s been compared to: “[People say I look like] Lil Mosey, but when I went on tour with him, it ended all that. We can be locked in, and you feel me? But people who used to say that a lot, really him and then that’s pretty much it. I don’t really look like much artists.”

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I’m going to blow up because: “Just, as an artist, it’s hard to always believe in yourself, but you got to, it’s just something that you have to be. As a rapper, you got to always believe that, and that’s something that I believe in strong, that I’m going to blow up, and yeah, just my music. I feel I’m coming different.”

What’s your most slept-on song, and why?: “Maybe ’29’ a little slept-on now, as time goes on and people forget about it and hear ‘Costa Rica’ and ‘Brothers’; but at the time I don’t really got a slept-on record, because I don’t got much records out, but when the project’s out, we’ll be able to tell. I feel like there’s a lot of slept-on records on the project that’s going to be fire, too, there’s a record called ‘School Girl,’ and I feel like a lot of people are going to connect to that could be a slept on record, in a good way.”

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My standout records to date have been: “‘Costa Rica’ could go gold faster than ‘Brothers,’ it’s crazy. It’s picking up more speed every day. ‘Costa Rica’ is really big right now, and did amazing. We didn’t even think it was going to do that good. ‘Brothers’ is doing amazing, and same thing.”

My standout moments to date have been: “Being able to give back to my city was big for me, that’s something that I always wanted to do as a kid. Just being really, or getting just money off music was crazy, bro. Never thinking that. I was just in Malibu for the week, and I woke up and I just looked out the window, and I was playing my old, one of my first songs on YouTube, and I was just like, “Bro, that shit was so bad, how am I here?” So I don’t know, really, it’s all new.”

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Most people don’t know: “I used to skateboard when I was little. That’s something I would be doing, but I don’t do it that much no more, and ever since I got hurt from the car crash, I can’t do too much. I don’t want to … Because my back and everything is still healing and messed up a little bit, so I can’t be wilding out like that.”

I’m going to be the next: “I’m going to be a superstar. When we met with a lot of the labels, that’s what I was trying to say, and to be a superstar, you going to have to do a lot of stuff. That’s why I’m putting out so much types of music.”

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Follow Bankrol Hayden on SoundCloud and Instagram.

Standouts:

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“Brothers” featuring Luh Kel

“Costa Rica”

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“Whatchu On Today” featuring Polo G

Pain Is Temporary

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

Jay-Z

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

Jay-Z

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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