Though Ice Cube may have lulled the masses into a false state of security through his occasional family-friendly movies, affable nature, and sharp sense of humor, his roots as status-quo disrupting pot-stirrer must never be forgotten. Lest we forget, this is the very same man who wrote "Fuck The Police," a track that still carries weight and impact to this day. This is the same man who penned Amerikkka's Most Wanted back in 1991, a direct call out of the country's founding principles. Has Are We There Yet really left such an impact? 

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No matter. The days of a docile Ice Cube appear to have been brought to a swift and decisive end. A few days ago, Cube took to social media to let fly a barrage of posts rallying against systematic racism, anti-black behavior, and the American police system. Though some of his chosen stances did draw outrage, with some accusing the rapper of holding anti-semitic views, others appreciated Cube's return to the fight. And from the look of it, the legendary rapper isn't about to back down, proudly standing by his messages.

It didn't take long for Cube's onslaught to spark a mini-controversy, and while many were quick to voice outrage over his conduct, Royce Da 5'9" was content to sit back and watch it unfold with glee. No stranger to the fight against racism himself, Nickle took a moment to address the White people offended by Cube's Twitter spree. "Dear White People... Thank you for reactivating Ice Cube.... On behalf of the culture, we are extremely grateful," he writes, making it clear that he stands with the N.W.A. legend. 

Though artists tend to stand by their work, it's not uncommon for them to re-evaluate their takes in hindsight. For KXNG Crooked, veteran rapper and member of the legendary quartet Slaughterhouse, his discography has become quite massive throughout the years. Seeing as he's become one of the more interactive rappers on Twitter, directly engaging with his fans about hip-hop history, his own career, and the art of rap in general, he ended up fielding an interesting question about the one song he'd like to delete from his memory banks.

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After being asked about a song that still haunts him to this day, Crook took things back to the Slaughterhouse Shady Records debut album Welcome To Our House.  "Slaughterhouse “Throw It Away," he admits. "I think the song’s title was trying to tell us something." Though he didn't elaborate much more than that, many fans were quick to point out how the track was ultimately a single, complete with a music video at that. Knowing what we know now, it stands to reason that Crook must have been outvoted on that particular front.

Regardless of how you feel about the dEnAun produced track, which also features a chorus from Swizz Beatz, it's still cool to see Crooked speaking openly on his musical journey. You have to admire a rapper willing to take a step back and reflect on the missteps, so much respect to Crook for answering the question in the first place. How do you feel about "Throw It Away" after all these years?

Not only is Royce Da 5’9″ one of the game’s elite lyricists, but he has also established himself as an OG willing to impart his wisdom onto his peers. Following the release of his entirely self-produced album The Allegory, Royce has been steadily speaking on the importance of Black excellence, making it clear that the value of ownership should not be understated. Today, Nickle took to Instagram to share a powerful message to his followers, imploring his fellow Black men to settle their differences in a peaceful manner.

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“Black men squash all beefs,” he posts, alongside a caption volunteering his diplomatic efforts. “If there’s ANYTHING I can do to help at assisting this, lemme know,” he advises, carrying himself like a true OG. At this point, it’s clear that Royce understands the value of unity, especially within the Black community; as he has experienced his fair share of beef throughout his career, Royce’s words carry the weight of experience.

Though it’s unclear whether anybody has actively reached out as of yet — seeing as it’s a private matter and all — Royce’s gesture did not go unappreciated by the people. Some even playfully challenged him to mediate between 50 Cent and Ja Rule, two longtime foes that appear destined to keep sparring until the end of time. Whether or not he takes a stab at mending that particular fence, you’ve gotta admire Royce’s dedication to healing. Show some love to the Detroit legend in the comments below.

There is a fake campaign being advertised across social media that Pornhub is standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement by limiting their categories to solely the "ebony" videos for a week. The adult entertainment company has not made such a statement, however. In fact, the photo being shared has clearly been doctored and no such initiative actually exists. 

People are still pretty ecstatic about the prospect of this actually happening though.

Taking to Instagram, both Trey Songz and Royce Da 5'9" commented on the fake campaign that Pornhub would only be showing "ebony" porn this week.

Trigga Trey raised a fist emoji while Nickel wrote: "Just-US."

Of course, people in the comments are falling for this, heading to check for themselves and landing directly into the trap. There are a number of folks telling Royce and Trey that this initiative isn't actually a real thing though.

One of the dead giveaways that this is not true is the fact that the "Hook Up" section is listed twice atop the supposed advertisement. 

Pornhub has not issued a statement on the claims that they are linking up with Black Lives Matter on this campaign. However, they did speak out and encourage fans to donate to the NAACP and bail-out funds across the country.

It’s no secret that the fans are desperately seeking a sequel to Bad Meets Evil’s Hell: The Sequel, especially given that Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″ have been collaborating more than ever before. From 2018 till today, the pair have connected on “Caterpillar,” “Not Alike,” “You Gon’ Learn,” “Yah Yah,” and “I Will,” making these past two years their most fruitful era in a minute. 

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Lord knows it’s been long enough since the pair delivered their first and only album as a duo, with Hell: The Sequel having been released on June 11th, 2011. Now, with both parties sounding undeniably focused, it seems like the perfect time to begin planting the seeds for a reunion effort. Though the pandemic may have thrown a wrench in the best-laid plans of many-a-rapper, it seems as if Nickle has been building up a vault of instrumentals — including a few he’s already teased as possible Eminem joints.

Now, Royce has once again taken to the studio with one goal in mind: production. While some of his selections are undeniably left-field for the BME brand, every so often he seems to stumble upon a sample that would suit the macabre and playful direction they tend to take. “NOBODY else besides Dre understands Em creatively like myself,” captions Royce, alongside footage of his latest experiment. While it doesn’t appear to be a finished beat, the sample Royce has chosen certainly seems like something that would suit Em’s creepier side. Check it out for yourself below, and sound off — are you excited to see how Nickle might flip this one?

For those who don’t know, Royce Da 5’9″ has been steadily establishing himself as a producer in the game. Having been guided by the likes of DJ Premier and Denaun Porter, Royce has already proven to be a strong beatmaker in his own right, cleverly flipping samples and lacing the entirety of his latest album The Allegory. Since its release, Royce has been steadily building up his repertoire of instrumentals, including a two-pack reserved for himself and his “caucasian counterpart.”

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 Now, he’s back with another two-pack, this one inspired by a phone-call with the one and only Jazze Pha. “After our phone convo, I made these 2 @jazzepha,” captions Nickle, alongside a pair of snippets. “Send these or are they too hard? The shit you sent me is ridiculous.” The first is a laid-back and soulful instrumental, reminiscent of early DJ Premier in tonality and vibe. The second strikes a similar chord, with whimsical chime samples calling back to a nostalgic age of innocence.

It’s easy to imagine Royce himself putting in serious work on both of them, and fellow lyricists like Grafh and Sy Ari Da Kid came through to sing his praises. While it’s unclear as to who he’ll be sending these to, artists like Westside Gunn, Conway, and Benny The Butcher would sound right at home over something as smoothly flipped as these two. Big shout out to Nickle Nine for adding another talent to his repertoire — what do you think of his production so far?

Ever since Royce Da 5’9″ and Eminem renewed their creative partnership on 2011’s Bad Meets Evil album, fans have been excited to witness the follow-up — especially in a current climate, where both parties are firing on all artistic cylinders. It’s fair to say that both Music To Be Murdered By and The Allegory found both emcees in a heightened state, with Royce bringing a new weapon to the battle — his production.

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On that note, Nickle has been spending his quarantine hunkered down behind the boards, laying down a few beats as he plots his next move. For months now, the masses have been salivating at the thought of some new Bad Meets Evil, especially given that the past few years have seen them increasingly active. With both having recently dropped off solo albums, it seems as if a sequel to Hell: The Sequel is a logical step — especially if Royce decides to produce the bulk of the project, thus facilitating any back-and-forth that might otherwise stymie the workflow.

Today, Royce took to Instagram to preview a few of his latest instrumentals, coyly pondering which one to send to his “caucasian counterpart.” Naturally, both selections sit comfortably in Em’s stylistic wheelhouse — which is to say, uptempo dark bangers. While Royce did seem to outline a pick-one-or-the-other scenario, many were quick to counter with a well-meaning “can’t it be both?” Suffice it to say, the people are fiending for some new Bad Meets Evil. And let’s be honest, both beats would be swiftly decimated by the Detroit emcees. 

Eminem has been open about his past struggles with substance abuse but, for the last twelve years, he has been kind to himself, staying sober and celebrating his ability to remain clean every year on April 20.

Today marks the twelve-year anniversary of Eminem’s sober journey. The legendary rapper has come a long way from his old life. In the past, Em has admitted to struggling with pills and other drugs. He’s clean now though, living his best life and celebrating for us all to see.

This year, the Detroit rapper remained silent while his Bad Meets Evil co-star did all the talking for him. 

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Posting a photo of Eminem holding up his sober accomplishment chip, Royce Da 5’9″ corrected his ten-year achievement to twelve years and wrote a touching message on social media.

“And counting…. Proud of my brother,” wrote Royce on Instagram, sending a message to his frequent collaborator.

Congratulations to Eminem on such an important accomplishment in his life. Every day is tough but with his will power, he can get through the rest of his life without ever relapsing.

To celebrate, check out our new feature about the friendship that Em and Proof shared here. Also, read our new interview Skylar Grey, another one of Em’s friends, here.

The eternal shelving of Slaughterhouse‘s sophomoric Shady album Glass House remains one of hip-hop’s great tragedies, especially given that it doesn’t appear likely we’ll ever get our hands on it. Especially not after the way Joe Budden and Eminemwent from collaborators to rivals, exchanging shots on records and podcasts alike. Yet, perhaps foolishly to be sure, fans have decided to remain hopeful that Slaughterhouse will rise again — even if it is by way of a years-old release.

Speaking on the My Expert Opinion podcast, Royce opened up about the status of the lost project, and what might need to occur before it stands a chance at releasing. As expected, Joe Budden plays a pivotal role in the saga, though Royce is clear to absolve him of all the blame. “There wasn’t always an issue between Joe and Shady,” he explains. “The issue with Joe and Shady now is just the way he voiced his opinion about Marshall’s album. Marshall didn’t like that. It wasn’t because he had an opinion about Marshall’s album, it was the way he publicly voiced it. I actually had a problem with that too. But me and Joe spoke about it.” 

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Though Budden did apologize to Royce for putting him in an awkward position, Em has yet to receive the same treatment — a point that Royce is quick to point out. Even prior to the whole Revival-Gate incident, however, the Glass House album was facing a fair number of challenges. “There were things behind the scenes going on that brought certain vibes into the studio as well,” continues Royce. “Two people had some disagreements and some business dealings separate. I’m not gonna say who those two people were. And that caused a little something and then everybody in the group decided to go do separate albums.”

As for now, the group remains signed to Shady Records, inactive though they may be. “[Jpe] wants to get it released from Shady because he doesn’t want to release it through them,” says Royce. “But he’s basically saying he’ll still play ball. You know, ownership is a big thing to Joe right now. He’s evolving. Just in terms of understanding the importance of equity. He looks at the brand as something we built, which we did, you know.” As to whether Slaughterhouse will ever be able to come together on the same page, Royce isn’t entirely ruling it out – provided everybody is fully on board to commit.

“If we are not gonna do the album then I don’t even want to have conversations unless I know that everybody’s down to rap,” he clarifies. “I don’t want to force anybody to rap, man. Joe’s having a good time doing what he’s doing, Crook is super successful. Joell Ortiz just got married. I mean, I’m just happy where everybody is, where we are as men. I’m happy about that.”

While the collaboration album seemed to have been unceremoniously snuffed out in 2017, due to an overwhelming supply and not nearly enough demand, KXNG Crooked has pitched an idea destined to have hip-hop heads salivating. Taking to Twitter to field a variety of fan questions, the elite Slaughterhouse lyricist took a moment to address one fan's request for a KXNG Crooked & Eminem collaboration album, molded in the same vein as Bad Meets Evil.

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Crook came through with a surprisingly optimistic response, writing that he would indeed do his part in making the partnership happen. "When social distancing is over let’s all go to Detroit and speak to him about this. I’m serious. Who’s with me?" he writes, thus sparking a new wave of hope in this dark and trying time.

Of course, it should be noted that the fate of Bad Meets Evil 2 is still uncertain, and it might be difficult for Eminem to balance a pair of partnerships at the same time. Yet Em has spoken nothing but highly of Crook's pen, all but gushing over the Slaughterhouse rapper's pedigree during their sit-down on Crook's Corner. Last we saw, Em and Crook were linking up on Music To Be Murdered By's "I Will," a miniature Slaughterhouse reunion, save for Joe Budden -- perhaps, if Em and Crook do link up for a joint album, they can bury the hatchet once and for all and coax Budden out of retirement.