Over eight years have passed since the murder of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old boy who was walking home from the convenience store. His death still pains us to this day and hopefully, our work during this time can end the suffering of tomorrow.

Tracy Martin, the boy's father, was present at a Miami protest this weekend, speaking about the loss of George Floyd and his own son's killing.

Touching on one thing that has not changed in the eight years that Martin has been without his son, he stated that black people still require a "manuscript" on how to go outside without being killed by the police. 

Smokepurpp‘s reputation precedes him. One of Florida’s most prominent new-school rappers, the 23-year-old has been referred to as one of the leaders of his generation. He is emblematic of the SoundCloud rap wave that took over the Sunshine State so fervently several years ago. Alongside XXXTentacion, Denzel Curry, his best friend Lil Pump, and others, Smokepurpp took charge as a chaotic rapper that loved to get the hype train rolling.

You’ve likely read all the headlines about his antics with his close buddy Pump on social media. The two love to get the world talking, often getting into situations that mimic those of a frat house. While he loves to party, Smokepurpp is more than just a party-boy.

With Florida Jit, it’s time for Purpp to earn back your respect. While it will take more than my words to entice you, he plans on shutting up the critics with the arrival of his new album.

This week, I hopped on a call with Purpp to speak about his upcoming project, his relationship with Lil Pump and Ronny J, his upcoming reality show, what we can expect from him moving forward, and much more.

Read our exclusive interview below, edited for clarity and length.

HNHH: Hey Purpp, how’s it going?

Smokepurpp: Sup fam! Everything’s good, everything’s good, what about you?

Everything is good, I’m happy to talk to you. I was just listening to the album, actually. I got an advance copy. I wanted to start off by congratulating you on that.

What do you think about it?

I don’t want to say it sounded like the old Purpp but it sounded like the SoundCloud material, if you know what I mean.

That’s exactly what it is, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be.

That’s amazing. Aside from a return to that sound, what did you want to communicate with the album? Is this kind of like your gift to the people who have been asking for the old Purpp?

Yeah, so I’m a Florida kid, so basically me being a Florida kid, it’s just going back to the basics, it’s going back to being a Florida kid. So basically I’m just being on my day one, you know what I’m saying?

I appreciate that. It’s a little chaotic too, in a good way. What made you want to release a Florida-themed album?

I grew up in Florida, and like Florida is really what made me, what made my character. Florida pretty much made me, so it’s only right I do this for my city and I do more and more for my city. This isn’t enough but this is a start. I want to do a lot of stuff for the city. I want to donate money, I want to donate to charity, and this is just the start of that.

That’s amazing, man. I found you were experimenting a lot with new melodies and different kinds of voices. Did you go into the album wanting to try new things?

I wanted it to still be chaotic, still that hard-hitting shit, but I kind of threw melodies in there, which is something I haven’t done before. I’m like you know, like that hard-hitting type.

Definitely. You worked a lot with Ronny J this time around. I know y’all have a good relationship.

That’s my boy. We both got our first platinum plaque together, so we go way back. Even before that he was pulling up to me and Pump’s house recording us. Then he was living in Florida, so even before we grew up we were already friends, so me and Ronny have a good relationship, you know what I’m saying. The project is basically me and Ronny.

I feel like Ronny kind of represents the current sound of Florida as much as you do, so it’s nice to see you guys working together again on this.

Right.

You recently fought back claims from people saying you had fallen off. What would you say to them?

Look out (laughs).

I respect that. After listening to Florida Jit, I feel like this is like a whole different kind of avenue for you. I think once people listen to it, they’ll understand you more.

Right. They usually say [I’ve fallen off] when I go like a month or two without dropping a song, and then I drop a song and it goes crazy. I’m in the news the first day like “he’s back!” and it’s like, well, I was never gone.

Photo credit: James Pereria

That’s always how it is. You announced the album just last week. Did you complete it quickly, or have you been sitting on some of the songs for a long time?

I didn’t rush it or nothing, I wanted to make the project good. It took me about two or three months to do the project and then the rest has been mixing and clearing. You know I got to get [Young] Nudy on there too, Jack Harlow on there, [Lil] Pump on there. The producers, shout out all the producers on there besides Ronny. So, the past two months have really been clearances and stuff like that, shooting videos. We just now getting ready for the fire.

Speaking about Nudy, Denzel Curry, Jack Harlow, and a few others being on the album, do you have any cool stories about working with anyone in particular?

Rick Ross. I met Rick Ross– Pump had a song on his album, the self-titled one. That was me, him, and Rick Ross. “Pinky Ring.” We made that song and we shot the video and the video had never even came out. I never talked to him since then, and being able to link back up with him, that’s cool because we’re from the same city. I’m saying no more than ten blocks away. He been giving me the stamp in my city, and the key to the city is next, watch.

How did you re-connect with Rozay? That man is a whole legend in Florida.

I sent him the song to see what he thought about it and he ain’t even told me he liked it. He just sent it right back with the verse on it, so I knew he loved it.

That’s when you know! For Deadstar 2 you said that you wrote about 800 songs. What was the process this time around?

I really recorded Deadstar 2 like six times. All the leaks were fucking it up. So we wasted a lot of money having to go back to the studio and record new songs, and shoot new videos because we already wasted the budget on videos the first time it got leaked, so it’s a lot of wasted money because of these fucking leaks. So Deadstar 2 was a hard process. At a point, it was just like, you know what, with the leaks or not I’m just gonna put it out there ’cause I don’t even care no more.

Yeah, I feel that.

It was just too many leaks so I decided I’m just gonna put this out. Like, I can’t just keep remaking the album when I’m wasting hundreds of thousands on videos for people to leak it, you know what I’m saying?

It’s nice because I feel like this time around, you didn’t have to deal with any of that shit. It wasn’t as many leaks and things were more under wraps.

They tried, but this time we had Universal on deck blocking everything the second it got leaked.

The first single from Florida Jit is with Lil Pump. You guys just dropped the video for it. How’s everything with him doing?

Amazing. That’s my best friend, my brother. We grew up together, you know what I’m saying. We came from Florida together and that’s my brother for life. We’re never on bad terms, that’s my brother. We talk every single day.

That’s amazing. Are you guys working on more music? I feel like you always have something going on.

Of course. We have like three projects done, and we have a Gucci Gang project. That’s me, him, and Gucci Mane. That hasn’t come out yet. It’s all about timing you know.

That’s true! What ended up happening with that? Y’all did that around Coachella, right?

Yeah, so the original plan was to drop the album before Coachella and then perform the album there, but, you know, clearances and shit. It couldn’t happen on time, and then after that, we all three dropped an album and right now we’re all thinking about dropping an album again. It’s just hard finding the right time.

It’s nice to hear about that though because a lot of people want that shit.

No yeah, it’s coming. It’ll come.

FilmMagic/Getty Images

I wanted to ask another question about Pump. He tweeted a few weeks ago some scary shit about wanting to die. Did you talk to him about that? What’s going on? 

I mean, shit when I tweeted at him that specific day, he didn’t call me, but I hit him the next day and he was straight, so I really don’t know what that shit was about. To be honest, I can’t really answer that question, you know what I’m saying. That’s more personal stuff that I didn’t know, he didn’t tell me anything about that. I tried calling him that day but he didn’t answer. I talked to him the next day though and he was cool.

That’s nice to hear. You see that stuff and it just hurts.

Yeah, man.

Moving back to music, I’ve got to ask. Is there a third Deadstar tape coming at some point?

I don’t know yet, I don’t know if I want to do a 3 yet.

For Florida Jit, have you set an exact release date yet?

June 5th, you heard it right here.

Let’s go!

Hot New Hip Hop, you heard it right here. June 5th!

Shit, let’s go! How do you plan on promoting the album? With the coronavirus and shit, touring isn’t really an option. I’ve seen some stuff about virtual touring, do you have any creative ideas with that?

With the coronavirus, it just comes down to entrepreneurship, you know what I’m saying. You got to have multiple sources of income. At this point, you already should have had multiple sources of income because, you know, you never know when something like this is gonna happen. I already have multiple sources of income. I had signed artists, I have producers I signed. I do real estate. I own a couple of properties. So I’m not gonna say it didn’t affect me that much because it affected the whole world, but you know I had things to back me up.

You’re absolutely right on that. Anything can happen, so it’s nice to hear that you got shit lined up.

Yeah, exactly. I’ve always been the type of person to think like that so I’m always prepared for whatever. Before the coronavirus came– I’m not saying I was thankful about it, but I was definitely thankful that I was already getting multiple sources of income. I’m just doing what I can do like rent out properties, make merch, stuff like that. Talent shows, just stuff that I can do that my fans like too besides real estate shit. An artist should always have that set up, you know what I’m saying?

Once the pandemic is over, what’s the first Smokepurpp performance going to look like?

It’s going to be insane. I was supposed to be on an arena tour right now and that was gonna be my first time headlining an arena tour by myself, but it’s nothing. When shit comes around, it ain’t nothing. I’ll probably have another project out by that time. It’s gonna be lit.

That’s it. I feel like at most, this shit’s probably gonna last like another year. You’re not going anywhere, so that’s not an issue.

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I already have three projects finished and dropping this year besides this one.

Dropping this year? Three projects?

Dropping this year. I’m going Future, Beast Mode.

Shit, that’s crazy, bro I’m excited to hear all that. At the end of 2019, you quit drinking lean. On “24s”, you say you drank some lean. Are you still off it or what’s happening with that?

Yeah, so I recorded “24s” in 2017. I actually quit drinking lean in December 2018.

That’s amazing. Congratulations, man.

Yeah, I haven’t drunk lean since then type shit. I smoke weed, you know what I’m saying. I’ll turn up, I’ll do some shit. But lean, shit, that’s out the window.

You hear so many horror stories about it so I wanted to definitely ask you about that.

Yeah, man and not only that, but I used to rap about it because I was doing it. But I don’t want other people to do it because I’m doing it. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m just telling my story, you get what I’m saying?

Exactly.

Some people don’t take it as that. Some people take it as ‘yo, I gotta do this shit too if I’m gonna be cool.’ That plus my health, it just made me want to quit the lean, like that shit’s out the window. You do lean, that shit’s lame. I’m making that a new thing. Lean is lame.

Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

I love that. There’s also been some shit on The Shade Room about some girl who has a tattoo of yours… What’s going on with her, can you just clear that shit up?

To be honest, I don’t know what’s wrong with her bro, I don’t know that girl. I never even fucked that girl, nothing like that. I don’t know what that shit’s about. I would’ve understood if I knew her like that and I dicked the bitch down and gave her some good dick and she was traumatized, but none of that went down. I don’t know her like that (laughs) you know what I’m saying, like.

I mean, at least she’s listening to the music, so that’s nice (laughs).

And it’s no disrespect there either by what I’m saying, but it’s just the truth like I don’t know you.

Aside from the three projects that you have lined up, what else do you have planned for the rest of the year?

A lot of music videos, a lot of merch. I’m actually dropping merch this week. I’m gonna be dropping merch all year. I have a line that I’m working on which is a clothing brand that we launched, so that’s gonna be coming this year too. I actually have a reality TV show about to come out too. We’re shooting the first season right now.

Shit for real? A reality TV show?

Yeah, man. That’s what I’m saying about different sources of income, that’s what I’m talking about. My shit is funny, cause my cameraman records what I don’t want him to record.

Yeah, that’s incredible, man. I’m excited about all of that. Is there anything else you wanted to add for the readers? 

Be on the look out. Shout out all the fans. Merch dropping. Florida Jit.

That’s amazing Purpp. I had a pleasure speaking with you, thank you so much for me giving me the time.

Ah, yeah thank you. I have a lot of love for you guys.

I appreciate you man, thank you very much.

Smokepurpp is fresh off the release of his new music video for “It’s Whatever,” his latest single produced by Ronny J. The Florida native has been promoting his upcoming album Florida Jit for the last week and fans have been wondering when the full project was set to drop after Purpp previously gave a mid-June timeline. We were lucky enough to speak with the rapper over the phone and he blessed us with some exclusive information, announcing the official release date.

You heard it here first– Smokepurpp’s new album Florida Jit will be out on June 5. 

When asked about the upcoming body of work, Purpp had a lot to say.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

“I wanted to make the project good,” he said, claiming that he did not rush things. “It took me about two, three months to do the project and the rest has been mixing and clearing. You know I got to get [Young] Nudy on there too, Jack Harlow on there, Pump is on there.”

Perhaps the most exciting feature marks a mash-up of generations as Rick Ross joins the fray, re-connecting with Purpp.

“He been giving me the stamp in my city, and the key to the city is next, watch,” he said.

Stay tuned for Smokepurpp’s new album, out on June 5.

Earlier today, we reported that Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist were unleashing some new heat tomorrow. There wasn't much information regarding the release in terms of the song title, but we did know that it would be arriving tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST. Well, it looks like a few Twitter sleuths have revealed that the two are releasing an entire project this Friday with the lead single dropping tomorrow. The lead single, titled "Scottie Beam," will feature Rick Ross so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Things are getting ugly between Rick Ross and his baby mama Briana Camille.

Currently pregnant with their third child, Briana Camille and Rick Ross seemingly parted ways a couple of months ago, leading her to move out of the rapper’s home with their two kids. It didn’t take long for her to go running to court, accusing Ross of failing to support Berkeley and Billion, his two little ones. She also claimed that he was ignoring her attempts to take a DNA test to establish paternity.

After a series of updates broke regarding their legal dispute, Rick Ross decided to take matters into his own hands, filing a counter-suit against Camille and speaking his truth.

Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images

As reported by Bossip, Rozay is accusing Camille of dragging their case out, also claiming that she is keeping their kids away from him. In addition to that, she apparently refuses to return a company car that was given to her.

In his counter-suit, Ross requests joint custody of Berkeley and Billion, citing Camille’s “erratic” behavior.

“Defendant asserts that he will not be able to exercise parenting time with the minor children without the intervention of the court to ensure that parenting time is granted,” states Ross’ lawyers. 

We will keep you updated on any new developments.

[]

It’s hot in Miami and, on Memorial Day Weekend, Rick Ross decided to cool down with a dip in the pool.

For the last several weeks, the rap legend has been posting photos of his compound, which includes one of the largest yards we’ve ever seen. Rick Ross must be sitting on multiple acres of land because, from the looks of his mansion, he can go for a five-mile run in his own backyard and see tons of different sights. 

His palace includes a refreshing looking pool, which Rozay utilized this weekend. Taking a plunge off the diving board, the rapper managed to get some action shots of himself in the air, also showing the minimal splash he caused.

Taylor Hill/Getty Images

“Rate my dive. Leave a comment,” asked the Boss as his caption.

With no Olympic Games taking place this summer, Rick Ross might be entering his name for the diving trials of next year’s Tokyo Games. Do you think he can hang with elegant divers like David Boudia, Tom Daley, and others?

Rick Ross has been a whole mood as of late, dropping shots of his lavish lifestyle and showing us all how quarantine living has been going for him. This is just the latest display.

Renowned American boxer Adrien Broner revealed the tracklist for his upcoming project Still Adjusting To Fame on Instagram today and it’s truly a star-studded affair.

The tracklist boasts features from heavy-hitters like Young Thug, Youngboy Never Broke Again, Meek Mill, Rick Ross, and even new Lil Baby and Yo Gotti’s signee 42 Dugg. 

The last project AB released was a mixtape back in 2017 called Wanted, but it seems like the part-time rapper is ready to step into the rap ring again. Considering the impressive features AB locked in for this new project, the album may be something to keep on your radar.

Aside from boxing and rapping, Broner also occupies his time with run-ins with the law. In just the past six months, Broner has collected a slew of legal problems. Back in March, Broner was arrested at Miami beach on DUI charges. In February, the boxer was arrested at the MGM Grand. In December, Broner was ordered to pay over $800,000 to a sexual assault victim. 

Are you excited about AB’s new project? It’s looking set to be pretty special.

Until he gets $10 million for his next fight, Adrien Broner maintains that he’s still retired from boxing. The champion fighter has had a slew of legal troubles within the last year, and he’s decided to take a pause on his boxing career to work on new music. Broner has been releasing songs for years, including dropping his 2017 mixtape Wanted, and now he’s returned to the booth in an effort to craft a full-length project.

Ethan Miller / Staff / Getty Images

The Shade Room shared Bronner’s post-and-delete tracklist, and it includes features that show he’s not messing around. Why he decided to remove it from his Instagram page remains a mystery, but what we can see is that it’s coming in at 14 tracks. Features reportedly include looks from 42 Dugg, Young Thug, Cook Laflare, NBA YoungBoy, Yella Beezy, Meek Mill, and Rick Ross.

When this project is slated to hit streaming services has yet to be shared, but it will be interesting to hear what Adrien Broner has come up with. Let us know if you’re looking forward to this one and check out his posts below.

Tracklist

1. Intro (Still Adjusting To Fame)
2. Forbes List ft. 42 Dugg
3. Big Boy Status ft. Young Thug
4. Run Off ft. Cook Laflare
5. My Brotha
6. Static
7. All I Want ft. NBA YoungBoy
8. How I’m Living
9. Messages
10. Big Things ft. Yella Beezy
11. Miss My Bro’s
12. Crime Pay ft. Meek Mill & Rick Ross
13. Better Man
14. Rich B*tch

Rick Ross is on his 50 Cent shit this afternoon, after news circulated this morning confirming his paternity of former lover and model Briana Camille’s two children.

Apparently, Rick Ross is flipping the script on her– despite it seeming as though it was Camille pursuing legal action against Ross in this child support case, Ross is angling as though he’s been chasing Camille to confirm her DNA. In Ross’ quick video share, he claims “I can’t believe Fat Girl took the blood test, damn, they said she damn near fell running away from them people when they came to make her take the blood test.”

He adds right after, “She took it, and I’s the daddy, and I’s the papi.” 

As far as the caption goes, he included his #FatGirl hashtag and referred to her as his surrogate: “Eyez dat baby papi!! My surrogate always delivers!!! Big Thank you #Fatgirl.”

Check out his commentary below. Despite Ross’ public response, he has yet to have respond to the legal motion Camille filed, demanding a hearing to grant her temporary child support.

We’ll keep you posted as this situation develops.

Rick Ross was forced to take a paternity test for two children belonging to his former girlfriend, Briana Camille, as we reported the other week. Now, the results are in and he’s all but confirmed to be the father of Camille’s two young children, Berkeley and Billion.

Despite the legal actions taken by Camille, the Maybach Music CEO has shared photos of his children in the past, thus also confirming his paternity it would seem. Nonetheless it appears as though things eventually soured between Rozay and Camille, as Camille moved to take legal action after claiming that Ross had made very little effort to visit his two kids, aged two and three years old. This, all while Camille is reportedly pregnant with a third child fathered by Ross.

Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images

Now that the court has confirmed with 99.9% certainty that Ross is the father of both Berkeley and Billion, Camille is moving forward in legal proceedings again, demanding that Ross provide child support immediately. Camille alleged that Ross hasn’t paid anything in the way of child support since she kicked him out of the house, and equally, he refused to pay because there had not been a DNA test.

Now that the DNA is confirmed, Camille is asking for help with her prenatal care and costs, as well as child support for the two children. She’s asking the judge for a hearing as soon as possible for temporary child support, as well as reimbursement on recent expenses for their children’s care.

A judge has yet to rule on Camille’s motion. We’ll keep you posted.

[]