On Wednesday (June 25), Fat Joe took to Instagram, issuing a blistering response to a recent lawsuit filed by his former hypeman, Terrance Dixon. “I’ve been tested the last few months- I’ve lost my big brother, my father, my mother, and now I’m fighting against these disgusting lies,” the post begins. “…Please know I will not break and I will never back down,” the post continues. “I’ve had individuals in my circle take my love and kindness for weakness, but how many times must we forgive them? I’ve had people steal from me, grow jealous of me, lie on me. Through it all, me and my family are the ones stuck dealing with the consequences of their bad decisions.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by FAT JOE (@fatjoe) As the lengthy post continues, the Terror Squad rapper says, “If you get fired for doing something wrong, just take the L and live with it. But instead, they plot on your downfall as they watch you move on with your life. They decided to go after one of the things you value the most – your reputation.” Toward the end, Joe makes it clear that he’s “never let anyone on the streets” extort him and states, “so how would I ever let a crooked attorney and a coward ex-hype man extort me??? I’m from the Bronx!” Last week, news broke that a $20 million lawsuit was filed against New York rap legend Fat Joe by former hypeman, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon, accusing the rapper of “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion.” Following the allegations dropping, Fat Joe issued an initial statement via his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, on Thursday, denying the claims. Tacopina told The Independent, addressing Dixon and his attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, that the claims were a “complete fabrication.”

Lizzo may be known as a pop diva, but she’s ready to remind folks of her rap skills with a new mixtape. On Tuesday (June 24), Lizzo jumped on Instagram to announce that her latest mixtape, MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING, is set to release on Friday (June 27). Along with sharing the project’s cover art, which features a photo of Lizzo with her middle fingers raised and smiling faces on them. She also rocks a cropped wife-beater and shorts, flaunting her newly slim figure. In the other part of the post, the Special singer unveiled its tracklist, which features two industry heavyweights and friends of hers: Doja Cat and SZA. Lizzo’s new mixtape features Doja Cat & SZA. Out this Friday. pic.twitter.com/eBz4obROLR — Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 24, 2025 Lizzo Breaks Silence On Body Changes And Ozempic Talk In other news, Lizzo recently appeared on the Just Trish podcast and opened up about her physical transformation, making it clear that it had nothing to do with trying to fit into Hollywood’s mold. Reflecting on her past, Lizzo revealed she attended major red carpets like the Met Gala at her heaviest and never once felt like her size held her back. Confidence was never the issue. But now, she says, she’s stepped into a new chapter where she genuinely feels the compliments she’s always received. “I actually believe the compliments,” she told host Trisha Paytas. Her recent changes, she explained, weren’t just about dropping weight—it was about taking care of herself from the inside out. That meant prioritizing skin care, dental work, and regular gym sessions. “I’ve tried everything,” Lizzo said when asked about Ozempic, but she stressed that her results weren’t the product of any shortcuts. The hard work, discipline, and consistency are what reshaped not just her body, but her mindset. With a 16% reduction in body fat, Lizzo says the most significant transformation has been internal. Feeling stronger and more in control, she’s found a new kind of power that doesn’t rely on public validation.

Megan Thee Stallion’s music isn’t the only thing that grabs fans’ attention; it’s her superior marketing skills. So it’s no surprise that Blumhouse Productions asked the rapper to help promote the second installment of the M3GAN film series, M3GAN 2.0. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday (June 24), we see the rapper minding her business while enjoying some leisure before she is interrupted by an unexpected guest: an adorably made but very dangerous AI bot, with whom she shares the same name. “M3GAN X MEGAN THEE STALLION ,” she writes in the post’s caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Megan Thee Stallion (@theestallion) Released in 2022, the campy-inspired horror film centers on “a lifelike doll that’s programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally.” However, after its creator, a brilliant roboticist, Gemma, becomes “the unexpected caretaker of her 8-year-old niece,” Cady, with whom she decides to give a M3GAN prototype. This decision ultimately leads to “unimaginable consequences,” per the film’s synopsis. For the sequel, M3GAN 2.0, we see Gemma, M3GAN, and Cady come together once again to face a newer, more dangerous AI bot named Emilia. The film is set to release on Friday (June 27). Megan Thee Stallion Turns Up The Heat With ‘Love Island USA’ Cameo Megan Thee Stallion’s face has been everywhere lately – in fact, the rapper recently made another cameo on the popular dating show, Love Island USA. Last week, the popular dating series premiered its latest episode, where Megan Thee Stallion stops by to give the cast a few challenges. From twerking to doing the limbo, the Houston native kept the contestants on their toes while hilarity ensued. The “Everything Bigger In Texas” rapper also made it clear who the “Real Hot Girl” was as she flaunted her voluptuous frame, donning a slinky, gold, two-piece from her new swimwear brand, Hot Girl Swim. After the episode’s premiere, in an Instagram Story post, Megan unveiled a new, limited edition one-piece inspired by the series.

Offset’s latest appearance is turning heads, and not because of his music. The rapper recently sat down with magician Anna DeGuzman for Complex’s new series Interview With A Magician, and things got interesting fast when she attempted to pull a secret from his mind: his celebrity crush, which was revealed to be Sabrina Carpenter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by COMPLEX (@complex) While Offset played it cool and avoided dropping a name at first, he hinted that the person in question had impressive “taste in her total artistry.” But the real reveal came when DeGuzman magically produced a crumpled piece of paper with the name Sabrina Carpenter written on it. Offset’s reaction? Shocked, amused, and maybe just a little caught off guard. The moment comes at a time when fans are closely watching Offset’s every move, especially following Cardi B’s official announcement of her long-awaited album Am I The Drama? just a day prior. Despite once encouraging her to release it, even after their split, Offset stayed completely silent on her big news. No reposts, no shoutouts, no mentions. While the internet expected some kind of reaction from her ex, Offset seems focused on other things. His magician-revealed admiration for Carpenter, who happens to be on the same label, sparked talk of a possible collaboration or at least a new muse. Insiders previously said Offset had been one of Cardi’s biggest supporters while she was working on the album. But now, with her release date locked in and the spotlight back on her, he’s shifted his attention elsewhere. Whether it was just a fun moment on camera or something deeper, Offset’s unexpected Sabrina Carpenter reveal has added a new twist to the post-breakup narrative. One thing’s clear: Offset’s keeping fans guessing, both with his silence and his new crush.

Nick Cannon may finally be done adding to his large family. During an appearance on The Really Good Podcast, Cannon gave a surprise reply when asked if he was done having children. “I think I’m done,” he said with a smile. As HOT97 previously reported, Cannon has admitted to having trouble remembering the names of all his children.  “You want all 12?” Cannon asked. “This is where I usually get in trouble… I know all of ’em, but can you rattle off just 12 of anything?” There’s Roc, Roe, Golden, Powerful, Rise, Onyx, Legendary, Zion, Zillian, Zen, and…” he began. “And see this is where I, uh…” Cannon admitted that he was “missing two” children, adding Beautiful and his youngest daughter, Halo Marie Cannon.  “There’s a song, and I was like, I don’t want to do that,” Cannon said about his tactics of remembering his children’s names. “I wrote a verse that had all their names in it, and I just, sometimes I recite that,” he said. When asked why he has 12 kids, Cannon said he has a “king complex” while comparing himself to the biblical character King Solomon, who had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  “I don’t want no wives, I just want kids,” Cannon explained In March, Cannon revealed that his family’s size has caused a strain on his finances.  “The way my bank account is set up, I’m going to press hold on this 12 for right now.” In total, Cannon shares twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey; sons Golden Sagon and Rise Messiah Cannon and daughter Powerful Queen with Brittany Bell; twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; son Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi; and daughter Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole. Cannon is also father to two children with Alyssa Scott — son Zen, who died at five months old in December 2021 after being diagnosed with brain cancer. His daughter Halo Marie Cannon was born on Dec. 14, 2022.

The criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs moved closer to its conclusion this week as both the prosecution and defense wrapped their cases. After weeks of testimony and high-profile allegations, the courtroom entered a quieter phase on June 24, with Diddy’s legal team opting not to call any witnesses of their own. Tuesday’s proceedings focused on evidence introduced by the prosecution, including text messages, hotel bookings, and travel itineraries linked to alleged “freak off” parties. Homeland Security agent Joseph Cerciello returned to the stand, facing cross-examination over records that prosecutors say reflect payments to male escorts and coordination with Diddy’s employees. Diddy faces multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have sought to portray him as the central organizer of a network of illicit sexual encounters, allegedly aided by staff and associates. Defense Rests Quickly, Framing Relationships as Consensual Once the prosecution concluded its case, the defense began and ended their presentation within a half-hour. Rather than introducing new witnesses, the defense focused on reframing Diddy’s past relationships as consensual and mutual. To support their argument, Diddy’s lawyers pointed to text messages exchanged between him and former girlfriend Cassie Ventura Fine. One message from February 2017 detailed playful plans for Valentine’s Day, while others contained romantic and sexual language. The defense presented these as evidence of an intimate relationship built on mutual understanding—not coercion. In one of his few direct statements, Diddy informed the court of his decision not to testify. “I made this decision with my legal team,” he told Judge Arun Subramanian, signaling confidence in the case’s direction. Following a short recess, Diddy’s attorneys filed a Rule 29 motion—requesting an acquittal on grounds that the government’s evidence fell short of proving guilt. Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro argued there was no conspiracy and that staff who may have helped book travel or handle logistics were not privy to personal details of Diddy’s private life. “Mr. Combs tried to keep these relationships and the related activities private,” Shapiro said, distancing employees from the alleged misconduct. The defense continued to reject any suggestion of sex trafficking, pointing instead to instances where Ventura appeared to willingly participate. Shapiro emphasized that allegations of domestic violence—while serious—should not be confused with federal trafficking charges, a distinction the defense has highlighted throughout the trial. With the prosecution’s case formally rested and the defense declining to present additional witnesses, the trial enters its final phase. Closing arguments are expected later this week, as both sides prepare to make their final pitches to the jury. The stakes remain high—not only for Diddy, but for the broader conversation unfolding around power, consent, and accountability in the entertainment world.

The Clipse have opened up about the breakup of the Neptunes. During a recent interview with Popcast, the dynamic spoke about the creative process of their upcoming album, Let God Sort Em Out, which Pharrell produced by himself and his falling out with Chad Hugo. “Absolutely miss Chad. As far as, you know, being on the album,” No Malice said. “But I’ll see Chad in the airport, in the street, at Buffalo Wild Wings, you know, in VA. Whatever they got going on, just hope for the best for that […] Whenever we see each other, it’s always still love. Always.” Pusha T shared that Hugo had been absent on other projects, but that won’t impact their progress. “For me, no, you know, no. Everybody knows my favorite album is Hell Hath No Fury. Pharrell did that alone. That’s it […] Chad’s my guy. I love Chad. Pharrell’s my guy, love Chad, too. We’re brothers, we came up together,” Pusha explained. “But, you know, when you say missing in the music, there is no missing in the music when it comes to the Clipse. And if it’s just P, it don’t matter—we find what we find.” In April 2024, Williams and Hugo were involved in a legal dispute over the group’s name, which HO797 previously reported. “Throughout their over thirty year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets,” wrote Hugo’s attorney Kenneth D. Freundlich. “By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from the any and all applications filed by applicant for the mark ‘The Neptunes,’ applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith.”

Ludacris knows something about taking a risk.  On Incognegro, his debut independent album, which was released on Aug. 17, 1999, he invested $20,000 out of his own money. Speaking with PEOPLE at the Waymo x Uber event on Monday (June 16), Luda recalled how he bet on himself. “Just not knowing how the world would receive it and taking the biggest risk by just putting music out there,” Ludacris said. “The fear of failure is something you have to overcome in order to accomplish great things. And I think that that was a crossroads of my life going into the success that it did because I told myself I wasn’t going to be afraid of the outcome,” Luda continued. “Those are the type of risks that have the reward that I’ve been able to live off the fruits of the label.” Betting on himself was the best decision he ever made. Eventually, Def Jam loved the project and signed him in 2000. The same year, Luda rereleased Incognegro on Oct. 17, 2000, with a new title, Back for the First Time. “I put [Incognegro] out independently, and then it got 50,000 sold, where Def Jam signed me. I took two records off and added three other records. So what people may not know is that it was an independent album way before it got the success.” The album spawned classic hits such as  “What’s Your Fantasy?,” “Southern Hospitality,” “Phat Rabbit,” and sold over 3 million units in the United States and was certified triple platinum. 

Jim Jones is once again talking about Nas. Appearing on the latest episode of Nightcap, co-hosted by NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, the former Dipset members had some more words to share about Nas. “Were you smoking when you said you were better than Nas?” Sharpe asked, During the heated exchange, Jones acknowledged that the Queensbridge legend’s skills but downplayed the reach of his influence. “Nas was nice when I was in high school. Nas was dope. We appreciate him. He had a little bit of a run,” Jones explained. “But Nas always came up second to [Jay-Z] and DMX and all these other people. He never had that type of influence on us, except for his first album.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nightcap (@nightcapshow_) “I used to want to dress like Nas… He had one of the illest albums of all time. I’m a real fan of Nas. But he kind of lost me after the movie Belly and s**t like that,” Jones continued. Sharpe strongly disagreed with Jones’ assessment of Nas’ accomplishments. “You can’t eff with Nas lyrically,” Sharpe told Jones. “I know you on that good stuff, but you not seeing Nas. Let’s be real.” Jones then went on to challenge Nas to meet him in the booth. “Let Nas stick up for himself and meet me in the booth or something if he wants to do something historical,” Jones challenged “I would run circles around Nas rapping right now, bro. Right now, 2025, I’m in the game still rapping at a high capacity,” Jones responded. “If Nas wants the smoke, come in the booth.” “I’m not mad, it’s about the sportsmanship of the game,” he continued.  I’m a very aggressive person. I seem to get misconstrued when I’m talking my sh*t. I’m just talking my sh*t, you heard?” Jones added: “Let me talk my sh*t, ’cause I am on the field. If anybody got a problem with that, they can meet me on the field. That is the booth. Anybody from that era.” This isn’t the first time that Jones has taken shots at Nas. As HOT97 previously reported, appearing on Fat Joe and Jadakiss’ podcast, Joe and Jada, Joey Crack spoke about a viral clip where a 22-year-old compared Capo and Nas, suggesting Jones has more influence than the Queensbridge legend. “I was a superior Nas fan, but when you get into the game, you realize your idols become rivals,” Jones said. “Not to take anything away from that. I developed my own style and my own lane that these kids started to gravitate towards, the same way I gravitated towards Nas when I was younger.”

As proceedings wind down in the federal criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the defense team prepares to mount its case following weeks of testimony and evidence presented by prosecutors. The high-profile trial, centered on allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, and coercion, has pulled back the curtain on the lifestyle of one of hip-hop’s most recognizable figures. On June 23, Diddy appeared in Manhattan federal court as Homeland Security agent Joseph Cerciello resumed his testimony. He detailed a broad collection of financial records, including hotel invoices, flight logs, and payments allegedly tied to male escorts and a woman referred to in court as Jane, a former girlfriend of Diddy. Jurors also reviewed text messages suggesting preparations for so-called “freak offs,” referencing purchases of baby oil, erectile dysfunction medication, and large sums of cash. In court, jurors were shown explicit video footage featuring Jane and an escort. Diddy, according to prosecutors, was visibly present in portions of the clips, which were screened privately for the jury, legal teams, and court staff. Brendan Paul, Diddy’s former assistant, testified the previous week and pushed back on claims that he acted as a “drug mule” for the artist. Though he admitted to purchasing items and working grueling hours, he denied ever witnessing illegal behavior at events described in court as “king nights.” Arrested in 2024 on drug charges that were later dropped, Paul now testifies under immunity. Defense introduces texts and party details as trial nears closing arguments in Diddy case Diddy, who was arrested in September, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Toward the end of Monday’s session, defense attorney Teny Geragos told Judge Arun Subramanian that her team expected to use approximately 75 more minutes for cross-examinations. A hearing on jury instructions is set for June 25, with closing arguments slated to begin June 26 and continue into the following day. Both sides anticipate using roughly four hours each for final remarks. Geragos also introduced text messages between Jane and Diddy, where she described enjoying aspects of their intimate relationship—part of the defense’s effort to illustrate consent and mutual participation. As prosecutors concluded direct examination of Agent Cerciello, jurors heard audio messages in which Diddy requested items for his parties. “There’s no more baby oil,” he joked in one clip. Other messages mentioned lubricant and cash, offering a glimpse into the preparation and excess behind the scenes. Evidence presented also linked Diddy’s staff to the planning and execution of these gatherings. Text messages suggested Jane communicated with aides about logistics and occasionally expressed concern for Diddy’s well-being, including after alleged drug use. As the prosecution signaled its intent to rest, the focus now shifts to the defense. While explicit footage and financial documents have played a central role in shaping the case so far, the courtroom has yet to hear the full counter-narrative from Diddy’s legal team. With closing arguments on the horizon, the jury will soon be tasked with weighing weeks of testimony, digital records, and emotional accounts.