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Fader: Atlanta rap duo Rae Sremmurd have released the video for their Gucci Mane featuring “Black Beatles.” The song comes from the group’s superb sophomore record SremmLife 2. The dudes don electric guitars and seriously rock out on stage performing the track, with Gucci coming out clad in red leather to spit his verse. The video weaves in and out of the live performance showing the guys backstage and running away from screaming fans, a la those other Bealtes. They even do an Abbey Road-esque crossing of the street.

Vibe: Marvel is back with its second installment of its Hip-hop Variant Posters, and this time, the action hero brand is recruiting albums, new and old to join its collection.

The new series features Nova recreating Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book album, Luke Cage stepping in as LL Cool J on Bigger and Deffer, and Jessica Jones replacing Kevin Gates on his Islah cover. The Hulk, Spider-man, and more also sub in on Wu-Tang’s Iron Flag cover.

20 years ago we lost a special soul, Rapper, Actor, Poet, Revolutionary, ICON, TUPAC SHAKUR. 2Pac is the reason why I even have this blog as his influence on me has given me courage to follow my dreams. Writer Kevin Powell says Tupac is more than a rapper. “When we think about Tupac Shakur … not just in hip-hop but popular culture, in America and globally, you have to think about Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Bob Marley,” Powell says. “It’s that significant. He is one of the most important figures that we’ve seen in the last 25 years or so.”

Powell interviewed Tupac a number of times for Vibe magazine, including while the rapper was serving time in jail for a sexual abuse conviction. When I was very young, I had the opportunity to interview PAC after he performed at a nightclub in Nashville, Tennessee. My biggest takeaway from the interview was Tupac didn’t see himself as this huge influential figure like the rest of us did. He felt that his life was controlled by the media and the entertainment business. But what he left behind was a body of work that has touched generations of people.

San Francisco 49ers football star, COLIN KAEPERNICK, is my new Hero for having the balls to use his platform to stand up against oppression of African-Americans. Hopefully his stance will bring about some change, some legislative solution that will hold the police officers who abuse their power accountable. In the meantime, Kaepernick is taking the National Anthem protest one step further by pledging to donate $1 million to community organizations Thursday. In the midst of a public uproar, Kaepernick stands more bravely than ever.

Last night, the Queen of the World, BEYONCE, gave one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Not to mention, SHE brought the mothers of police shooting victims Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Oscar Grant to the red carpet. CBS News writes, “Brown, Martin, Garner and Grant are some of the most important names to catalyze the Black Lives Matters movement. Beyonce brought in the mothers of Brown, Martin and Garner to partake in her visual album, “Lemonade,” as well. They held photos of their late sons in the video. “

My entire life has been guided by the culture of HIP HOP. I’m admittedly a 90’s Hip Hop geek obsessed with all facets of the artform from the bass-infused drum patterns to the hardcore storytelling, lyricism and poetry. SO much so that I’ve have dedicated my life to the empowerment of Independent Artists of all genres in South Florida by developing a weekly showcase titled the HIP HOP ORGY.

I’ve been an Entertainment Reporter for over 15 years interviewing many legends in the industry including TUPAC when I was just a teen and ICE CUBE during his first movie filming for the the flick “Trespass”. Over the years, I’ve gathered numerous A-List celebrity connections and used these relationships to promote world famous Hip Hop parties all around the nation. Now I’ve honed in on the careers Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County residential musicians with hopes to lend my hand in getting artists signed.

With so many accomplishments, I could brag all day long but I won’t. I don’t have to boast because one word from the God of Hip Hop, DJ KOOL HERC, made my entire year. Underneath a simple Hip Hop party flyer on my personal Instagram account (@lisafordblog everywhere), ONE WORD summed up my entire career and I basically can retire right now (but I won’t). DJ KOOL HERC, the Father of Hip Hop, the founder of a global culture, told me that what I was doing with the @HipHopOrgy was “KOOL ;)”.

MiamiNewTimes: Last month, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in collaboration with Heineken USA, began its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise money to restore Miami Marine Stadium, it promised donors two tickets to a to-be-announced concert. Yesterday, the mysterious artist at that concert was finally revealed: ScHoolBoy Q.

You have to have big balls to be the self-proclaimed, “Trappa’s Favorite Cracka”, but South Florida Rapper, WHITE DUDE, holds up that sentiment with his deep knowledge of elemental Hip Hop and with his noticeably fire lyrics. Known for his versatility, WHITE DUDE combines ubiquitous concepts with unique word schemes reminiscent to the glory days of hip-hop yesteryear. His circuitous approach to generating great music yields fantastic results like his conscious hit single, “Everything Happens For a Reason”.

SPIN MAGAZINE: Kodak Black, who was supposed to be released from prison today, has suffered a legal setback. The Broward Sheriff’s Office says that they’ve discovered to outstanding arrest warrants for the 19-year-old during the release process. The office didn’t reveal what the warrants are for, but they will keep Black behind bars, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

CHICAGO (CBS) — A community activist who was allowed to see videos from the fatal police shooting of Paul O’Neal before they were made public claimed they show an officer stomping the teen’s lifeless body after he was shot in the back.

Jedidiah Brown said he also heard police telling other officers to turn off their body cameras.

“I saw a police officer approach a lifeless O’Neal, face down to the ground, with three or four other officers over his body, screaming at him to put his hands behind his back, run up, stomp him in his back, and then grab his hands very violently, and put him in handcuffs, clearly lifeless,” he said.

CASH MARLEY of YCEMG found the perfect moment to drop his potent new single, “GET IT IN”, which is sure to be crowned the South’s HOTTEST new anthem. Marley’s banger introduces us all to new dimensions of dope Hip hop and will catapult him further into super stardom. The influential hip-hop rapper/producer’s music has two distinct sides: a uniformly strong rap side and a street side that is just as engaging and distinctive. When asked about what makes him tick, Cash Marley states, “I just wanna tell my story and help a ‪#‎hustla‬ get thru a day.”

“Skrillex has joined with Rick Ross for a new song from the soundtrack to the superhero movie Suicide Squad. “Purple Lamborghini” debuted today on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show. Skrillex and Rozay also spoke with Lowe, telling him that Jared Leto will appear as the Joker in the song’s upcoming music video. Rozay added that he plans to release a new album before the end of 2016. ” (Pitchfork)

I’m hoping President Obama can establish an independent office of prosecutors to investigate police misconduct – it will eliminate the bad incentives that result in so many of these killers never being punished. Without consequences for the bad actors, these murders won’t end.

MIAMI — The text of Dwyane Wade’s letter to Miami, released Wednesday night to The Associated Press:

In the Nation of Hip Hop, iron sharpens iron, and when top Miami-Dade and Broward County independent artists came together last Saturday night in a dramatic, intense, roller coaster of a rap battle, one man reigned supreme, BENTLEY COOP.

BENTLEY COOP, Lauderhill, Florida’s musical virtuoso prepares for the release of his ambitious new EP, “Cut Da Check”, which weaves personal history and poignant nostalgia into a sound that’s both singular and inclusive. He stakes out his own territory in an effort that blasts off to other galaxies. Bentley sounds like he’s rapping in an outer orbit, and now has established himself as a foundational figure in South Florida hip-hop.