It's tough to admit when you're wrong, but Ebro Darden did just that. Days ago, the Hot 97 talk show host took to social media to acknowledge an interview he conducted with Uzi four years ago. During their discussion, Ebro told the young, rising rapper that artists such as himself may find success, but they would struggle when it came to having longstanding careers in the rap industry. Uzi was defiantly objective to the prediction, and when it was shared that Eternal Atake would take the No. 1 spot on the charts alongside its deluxe version, Ebro came forward to own that he was wrong.
"So glad I pressed Uzi Vert 4yrs ago... He proved me wrong! Exactly what I love..." Ebro wrote on social media. "Hope more artists do the same when I question your talent or skills." Uzi's fans weren't going to let Ebro Darden off the hook, so they began bashing the veteran hip hop critic. However, Uzi hopped online to tell people to fall back.
"Stop saying f*ck Ebro!" Lil Uzi Vert said in a video. "Stop saying that! He just old! He ain't know no better. He old! He ain't know no better... I ain't know no better back then. Only thing I knew was they was old!" Of course, this was a bit of a dig at Ebro, but some fans believe that Lil Uzi Vert deserves to boast just a bit. Watch a clip from the infamous interview above and check out the tweets below.
Peter Rosenberg Doubles Down On Jay Electronica Issue
Peter Rosenberg invites Jay Electronica to “Ebro In The Morning” for a face-to-face conversation about some perceived antisemitic bars.
Following the release of his long-awaited debut album A Written Testimony, Jay Electronica found himself ruffling feathers for a variety of different reasons. While Joe Budden was displeased in a perceived lack of effort from the acclaimed lyricist, Hot 97 host Peter Rosenberg wasn’t entirely thrilled about some of Jay’s bars on “Ghost Of Soulja Slim,” which he felt were antisemitic in nature.
A few days ago, Rosenberg hit Twitter to voice his concerns with Electronica’s “Synagogue Of Satan” line, admitting that he felt offended as a Jewish hip-hop head. Electronica seemed unfazed by Rosenberg’s offense, going so far as to invite him to stage a public discourse about the topic. And while that particular tete-a-tete has yet to manifest, Rosenberg did make time to address the tense Twitter exchange during Ebro In The Morning.
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Explaining that he felt compelled to speak up in the face of an increasingly vocal anti-Jewish sentiment, Rosenberg reveals that many Jewish fans had reached out about the lyric. Following the exchange, however, he felt that few were willing to stand in his corner; instead he found himself accused of “selective outrage.” Ebro interjects with his take on “the Synagogue of Satan,” explaining that the term derives from those “faking” Jewishness and using it for nefarious means. Rosenberg claps back, stating that “to act like that is a significant portion of Jews is crazy.”
Circling back to the lyrics, Rosenberg doubles down that they were “dangerous, especially in today’s climate.” He also implores anyone attempting to gatekeep his feelings to fall back. “Please don’t tell me as a Jew whose mother was born in a displaced person’s camp after the holocaust, don’t tell me what I should be offended about,” he says. “This isn’t about my place in hip-hop…If Jay wants to speak about it, he said you want to have a forum? We have a forum every day, my G. Anytime. I’m not saying I hate the guy and we can’t have a conversation, of course we can. But I have the right to express that those words are hurtful.”
Ebro Defends Lil Uzi Vert Beef After "Eternal Atake" Success
Hot 97's Ebro is happy that he pressed Lil Uzi Vert 4 years ago because he was steadily proven wrong.
It has been 4 years since the infamous Lil Uzi Vert interview at Hot 97. In 2016, Uzi had begun picking up a buzz that would set him aside from his peers. However, the veteran instigator and troll, Ebro Darden, claimed that Uzi and his peers would struggle when it came to career longevity. There was a disconnect between the two, but also mutual respect and admiration.
The rift between the two was addressed early when they argued over what beat Uzi should freestyle over. Ebro pulled up DJ Premier beats for the melodic, high energy rapper to spit over. "Don't do that, I'm not gonna rap on that", Uzi exclaimed in their interview. The interview, although sometimes awkward, was an important moment for the culture. It was the first open discussion that the "older" and "younger" generations would have with each other, with well-respected spokespersons on both sides. Although Ebro and Uzi grew to respect each other, the generation gap divided fans. Certain comments separated fans instead of bringing them together.
"When y'all get to 27/28, ya'll get to struggling", Ebro tells Uzi towards the end of their interview.
Now, 4 years later, Ebro is pleasantly surprised. Uzi dropped on consecutive weeks and has completely obliterated the charts. "We starting brand new with you", Ebro prophetically stated in the interview. Still, none of us would have predicted this.
Iman Shumpert Shares Inspirational & Hilarious Kobe Bryant Stories
Iman Shumpert chatted with “Ebro in the Morning” about Kobe Bryant and dropped a few memories he had with the late basketball icon.
Now that he’s a free agent, Iman Shumpert has more time to work on his music career. The NBA star stopped by Ebro in the Morning to discuss his hip hop ventures, although he didn’t give them a date of when fans could expect to hear his full-length project. Iman did, however, chat about his friend Kobe Bryant and shared a memory of when the late basketball icon visited his high school.
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“I can’t remember if somebody asked a question, but basically he was speaking on people sayin’, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ type of thing, ‘Don’t spend all your money in one place’ type of vibe,” Iman recalled. “And he said he never believed in it, because he felt, ‘If I’m putting all my eggs in a basket to go for this, if I failed, and this basket drop and all the eggs break, why nobody told me I can just make more eggs?’ Of course, he said it with conviction. He stared straight through us… But he couldn’t see me, and I felt it,” Shumpert continued. “I was just like, ‘He just really believes what he’s saying.’ And he wants it to inspire me and it did. That was my inspiration story.”
Iman also shared a second tale of a time that he was guarding Kobe during a game at Madison Square Garden. “I can’t remember how much he had, but I know I had multiple steals against him,” Shumpert said. “In my head, all I’m thinking of is, ‘When I have this conversation with my brother after the game, how I’m gonna tell him how I stole the ball from Kobe, how I stripped Kobe before he was finna’ to take a shot, how I drove by Kobe and got a dunk.’ I’m thinking about all these things in my head. I’m like, so geeked.”
Then, as soon as the fourth quarter began, things shifted. “Fourth quarter starts, and Kobe said, ‘You had a great game, young fella,'” Iman remembered. “I swear I looked at the clock, like, ‘There’s 12 minutes. What you talking about? What was that?’ You ain’t said nothing the whole game. I’ve been talking sh*t, I done stole the ball, I’m hyped as hell. It’s Kobe Bryant. He ain’t said not one word to me.” Immediately Kobe began making moves that solidified in Iman’s mind that the Los Angeles Lakers icon was indeed superhuman. Check out Iman Shumpert’s full interview with Ebro in the Morning below.
50 Cent Claims Floyd Mayweather Has To Fight Again Because He’s Broke
50 Cent claimed that the reason Floyd Mayweather has been considering returning to the ring lately is because his “money’s gone.”
50 Cent seems to be under the impression that Floyd Mayweather has blown his massive fortune, which is why he’s been expressing interest in returning to the ring again. Fif visited Ebro In The Morning on Hot 97 this week to promote his new show, For Life, and ended up discussing his complicated beef with the boxer (8:40). Floyd recently addressed his relationship with Fif on an episode of N.O.R.E’s Drink Champs Podcast, in which he claimed he had no idea why they fell out. Fif calls bullsh*t, but declared that they supposedly don’t have any issues anymore.
“We are good,” he said. “I just don’t understand why he keep having the conversation…how am I coming up in conversations? I don’t even care what they doing.” However, he realizes that any mention of him is an intentional publicity stunt. “It only happens when it’s fight time. When it’s time to build some type of energy or some sort of press. When it’s time to make a fight, then that happens.”
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Ebro later asks him if he thinks Floyd should step back in the ring. “I think he got to right now because the money gone,” he responds, to Ebro’s disbelief. “What you think? It’s fight, get the money, spend the money, fight. It’s been two years [since his last fight]. “With that lifestyle, the money’s gone, trust me. Now he’s like…he’ll be at your local hosting in a nightclub because he needs that action right now.” His certainty that Floyd has blown his whole fortune in two years is surprising, considering the boxer was named the the highest paid athlete of the decade by Forbes last year, raking in a whopping $915 million since 2010. Whether or not Fif’s beliefs are true, they both seem to be under the impression that they have no problems with each other, so maybe these two will finally go back to being best friends?
Twista Says Rap Has Gone Through "Decline Of Intelligent Input"
Twista sat down with Hot 97 to talk about his new album “Lifetime,” the Chicago rap scene, and how hip hop has changed over the years.
He’s one of the fastest rhyme spitters in the game, making Twista an icon in hip hop. The Chicago native has a decades-long career filled with hits that are fan favorites, and today he released his latest project Lifetime. The five-pack EP was reportedly created in collaboration with Red Bull, and to help promote the project, Twista visited Hot 97 and chatted with Ebro in the Morning.
During the discussion, Twista talked about his relationship with Kanye West. He said that they met each other in the Chicago music scene while frequenting hip hop clubs. Eventually, the pair worked together on classics like “Slow Jamz” and “Overnight Celebrity,” but in recent years they haven’t stayed in contact. “I haven’t talked to him as much,” Twista admitted. “I talked to Rhymefest recently, I know he goes down there with him. We still cool, we just haven’t talked.”
Twista also shared how he thinks the rap game has changed throughout generations. “A lotta young cats don’t really care about intelligence in rap no more,” said Twista. “Some do, but we been in it for so long we saw the decline of intelligent input. So I think right now you got a lotta people that do music or they listen to music, they all into the vibe.”
Watch Twista’s full interview with Ebro in the Morning below and see what else he had to say about Eminem, quick-rhyming rappers, working with Red Bull, and more.
Lakeith Stanfield Says "Atlanta" Is His Favorite Workplace
Lakeith Stanfield admitted that “Atlanta” is his favorite gig to date.
While Lakeith Stanfield has slowly become an on-screen go-to guy in recent years, the 28-year-old San Bernardino-bred actor has revealed that Atlanta is his all-time favorite work environment. The actor/aspiring musician‘s Hollywood takeover has been one of the most awe-inspiring events to witness as he starred alongside Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems (2019), and had pivotal roles in films like Knives Out (2019), Get Out (2017), and more. Now, in promotion of his latest project, The Photograph (2020), starring himself and Issa Rae, he stopped by Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning to discuss a wide array of topics including his favorite sets he’s worked on thus far in his blossoming career.
Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez berated the upcoming movie star with questions in regards to his rise to prominence on the silver screen, his issues with media accountability, starring in the upcoming Fred Hampton film, meeting the infamous Teddy Perkins, Donald Glover’s impact on the culture, and more. Around the 6:05 mark of the interview, the Ebro clique got introspective with the multifaceted actor asking him about his thoughts on the musician turned scriptwriter, Donald Glover, stating:
“I think there are many, many, many people who are genius but some people that are allowed to tap into it or know how to tap into it, and some people who don’t. And some people allow themselves the space to tap into it. He’s just tapped into it. And once you tap into it, you gotta stay the course and realize that your genius is going to cause things to shake up and people ain’t gonna understand you. But you just gotta keep walking the line and that’s what he’s done… his genius ain’t no surprise to me.”
At the 7-minute mark, Lakeith revealed that Atlanta was his favorite work environment to date exclaiming:
“Atlanta‘s my favorite set to work on. Everyone there feels like family. It’s a bit of a coveted situation where we are all sort of in one thought, walking together, and we don’t really let outside things come in and break up and shake up what we’re doing. And we believe in it and we feel like we’re doing something new and trailblazing. So, I love being there. It’s a gift and an honor for me.”
With Lakeith Stanfield providing the masses with its latest blockbuster black love film in The Photograph, in theaters tomorrow on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), the possibilities are endless for the well-rounded thespian. Who knows, he could become DC Universe’s newest arch-nemesis. Check out Lakeith Stanfield’s full interview on the Ebro in the Morning show in the video provided below.
Ebro Doubles Down On Eminem Stance: "He’s Had To Prove Himself Over And Over"
Ebro stands by his comments about Eminem.
Following the surprise release of Eminem's album, Music To Be Murdered By, last Friday, veteran radio host, Ebro Darden, took to Twitter this week to share his loaded opinion on the artist's position within the hip hop community.
"Eminem treats Rap how Black folks have had to treat life... be 5x better, work 5x harder than everyone and still not necessarily get respect," Ebro wrote. This comparison quickly sparked a heated debate, and Ebro followed up his initial claim with, "You can absolutely hate Eminem musically. What you cannot say as a HipHop fan is that is a wack rapper..."
He then clarifies what he means, insisting that while Em may be successful, he still has to work harder to gain respect in the hip hop community. "People confuse success and respect," he tweeted, followed by, "Eminem’s success comes from him being white, he’s even said it. Lack of respect also comes from him being white. The disdain for him comes from him being successful @ something Black people own. His love for the culture is why he worked so hard to be great and get respect."
Ebro took the argument over to his show, Ebro in the Morning, on Friday, elaborating on his point about conflating success with respect. "There are people who will fix their lips to say that Eminem is a wack rapper. You may not what he talks about, you may not like the sound of his voice, you may not like his music, which I would debate is probably because he's white and it's racial anyway, but let's assume that it's not," he said. "His skill set as a rapper? If he is privileged—and he is—the fact that he cares this much about being great in hip-hop and being respected? Yo, the entire album that he just put out: shouting out the greats, paying homage, flexing his rap skills."
"The disdain that people have for Eminem is mostly because he's white...Eminem cares so much about hip hop, he put out a letter yesterday," he continued, referring to Em's message to fans in which he clarified the intentions of the album and warned them not to misinterpret the project. Ebro goes on to emphasize why his initial comparison makes sense. "Eminem operates in a space that is dominated by black folks. He's had to pay his dues, be made fun of, be second guessed. That's just how it works. Black folks have had to do that every single day. And he's also had to prove himself over and over and over again. You know what black folks still have to do right now in America? We still have to prove ourselves all the time."
While Ebro's co-host, Peter Rosenberg, agrees with parts of Ebro's argument, he illustrates the key difference between Eminem's so-called struggle within hip-hop and black people's struggle just to exist. "The difference is when you're a white person in hip-hop, you're opting in. Black people have to do that every day to live life in America. No option," he pointed out. "I could complain to you about the breaks I don't think I get and the benefits of the doubt I don't get. But guess what? I'm opting to chose with my privilege to be involved in hip-hop, so I can't sit here and cry when people go, 'Shut up, Rosenberg, you don't know what you're talking about.' So the same with Eminem, but he's not crying about it...What makes Eminem great is that he didn't want that, he wanted the respect from black culture. That's what Eminem cared about. That's what makes him so iconically great: He cares about what matters."
