As Blueface approaches a potential release from incarceration, the California rapper is confronting a pressing legal challenge. This challenge could affect both his music royalties and financial future. Known for his distinctive flow and charting hits, Blueface now contends with a defamation lawsuit. This lawsuit has serious implications for his earnings. According to MyNewsLA, the case, filed by Jackilyn Martinez in December 2023, escalated after Blueface failed to respond. In April 2024, the court ruled in Martinez’s favor, awarding her nearly $125,000—a figure that has since climbed to roughly $129,000. This decision underscores the urgency for Blueface to address the matter. He must act to prevent further financial consequences, including potential deductions from his music royalties. Martinez is pursuing her claim through major rights organizations, including BMI and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). On October 16, she filed a motion asking the court to assign the royalties owed to her directly, with a hearing set for December 9. The lawsuit centers on allegations from Martinez, who claims she is the mother of a child linked to another rapper, Soulja Boy. Initially seeking $10 million in damages, Martinez accuses Blueface of making defamatory statements about the child’s paternity. She maintains that these remarks caused significant emotional distress, including ongoing depression and anxiety. Blueface nears release amid defamation battle Court filings note that Martinez’s last intimate encounter with Blueface occurred in 2018, complicating the timeline of her allegations. She further contends that Blueface disseminated these statements publicly on social media, intensifying the impact of the claims. Blueface’s parole eligibility has reportedly been advanced to November 2025, though his mother, Karlissa Saffold, has suggested he may return sooner. Speaking with TMZ, she offered a glimpse into his mindset and routine. “He’s doing well, he’s doing his push-ups and sit-ups and preparing to come home. I get to talk to him a couple of times a week; he talks to the kids. He’s excited about coming home and getting to work and being a dad and picking up where he left off.” Even as he readies himself for life beyond prison, the defamation case presents a significant obstacle. How Blueface navigates this lawsuit could profoundly influence both his personal life and his career in the music industry.

Tyler the Creator has been facing major criticism for resurfaced posts from his X(formerly Twitter) account. Prior to the flurry of conversation online, Tyler made a post online paying homage to the late Neo-Soul singer, D’Angelo, who passed away earlier this week. After the tribute, his comment section was flooded with racist remarks, allegedly from members of the rapper’s white fan base. Some folks offered the Odd Future creator some grace, noting that he might’ve outgrown his cult-like base. However, others accused Tyler of curating said fanbase with his past anti-Black social media posts from his earlier career. Many of the posts appeared to have taken place between 2012 and 2014, meaning Tyler would’ve been in his early twenties at the time he made them. One post, in particular, from February 2014, has been circulated quite a bit, where he gives his thoughts on the importance of Black History Month. “I HATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH. WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE TO FUCKING SEPERATE N*GGAS STILL. ‘ OH, ITS PAYING HOMAGE TO OUR HEROS’ F*CK THAT,” he wrote. In another post made in Janurary 2014, he talked about not trusting “random Black dudes,” who sport “the fade and nappy naturally bummy almost dreads sh*t at the top.” He added, “THEY LIKE EVERYTHING.” Tyler the Creator was a month shy of 24 years old when he said this… this is NUTS lmfaoooooo pic.twitter.com/AGWhQ4IFFs — gaylinda’s elphabi (@its_marjay) October 19, 2025 x.com/tylerthecreator Tyler Comments On Affirmative Action & The Ferguson Riots Another post that caught attention was a joke he made about being somewhere and noticing a Black woman who was working there, insinuating she was only there because of Affirmative Action. “Hahahahaha, Some Black Chick Works Here. Affirmative N*gga.” In August 2014, amid the Ferguson riots triggered by the murder of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, by a white police officer, Tyler made a post sharing his opinions on the protest. He inferred that the protests were merely for show and were not aimed at enacting real change. “AND BLACK PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY MAD RIGHT NOW BUT IN 2 WEEKS WILL BE OVER IT CAUSE THEY REALLY DON’T CARE, COOL HASHTAG THO RIGHT?” he wrote. However, these posts were only scratching the surface as more and more new information came to light. While Tyler hasn’t directly addressed the situation, it appears the rapper has been doing his best to delete some of his past inflammatory comments. x.com/tylerthecreator x.com/tylerthecreator

Brandy and Monica ran into some issues during a recent tour stop in Chicago on Saturday (Oct.18), where fans claim the show ended without warning. Footage has circulated on social media from the pair’s concert, where Brandy is spotted performing hit 1994 hit track, “Baby.” However, mid-performance, she began experiencing audio issues and quickly exited stage left. Before heading offstage, she told the crowd, “Give me one second, y’all, I gotta get my…” and then her microphone cut off. However, Brandy never returned to the stage. According to fan reports, Monica was left to perform the rest of the setlist by herself. Unfortunately, due to Brandy’s absence, the pair was not able to perform their tour’s namesake and 1998 hit single, “The Boy Is Mine.” Fans were left shocked last night in #Chicago when #Brandy abruptly walked off stage during the final segment of #TheBoyIsMine tour and never returned. Concert goers say it appeared she was experiencing sound issues before leaving.Take a look! #Bigorecap #Bigolive… pic.twitter.com/SOX3NpQaKk — BIGO RECAP (@bigorecap) October 19, 2025 Monica Faced Paralysis In Vocal Chord Just Weeks Before ‘Boy Is Mine’ Tour In other news, Monica recently revealed she faced a frightening diagnosis just two weeks before the tour kicked off. According to an Instagram Live from the singer’s account obtained by TheShadeRoom, Monica was diagnosed with temporary paralysis in her right vocal chord. That said, she took things in stride and was proud that she was to “get the songs out” without missing a beat. “I thank God for where I am because we found out what…two weeks before tour, that my right chord has temporary paralysis,” she said, looking to Brandy, who had joined her on the live. Brandy added that she couldn’t even begin to understand what Monica was “going through vocally.” According to MayoClinic, Vocal Chord Paralysis is “a condition that causes the loss of control of the muscles that control the voice. It happens when the nerve impulses to the voice box, also called the larynx, are disrupted. This results in paralysis of the vocal cord muscles.” 

Playboi Carti might’ve taken the title of his “Antagonist” tour too literally, according to TMZ. Reports obtained by the outlet reveal that the “Magnolia” rapper is facing a misdemeanor assault charge after an alleged altercation with a limo driver. Police officials reported to TMZ that the limo driver — a man named Carl Reynolds—alleged that Playboi Carti assaulted him while he was transporting the rapper and his entourage from the Waldorf Astoria in Park City to rehearsals on October 2. At the time, the rapper was set to perform the next day at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Reynolds claims that tensions rose after Carti and his alleged girlfriend, social media influencer Giovanna Ramos, got in a heated argument. The altercation had apparently been over sex, the outlet reports. Reynolds stated that Carti ended up punching Giovanna in the chest, which, in turn, caused Reynolds to pull over on the highway. The incident left THE DRIVER with a “bruised, swollen jaw and a whiplash effect,” HE SAYS NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 12: Playboi Carti performs during the 2019 Rolling Loud music festival at Citi Field on October 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images) That said, Reynolds admitted that he did not actually witness Carti punching Giovanna, but he had seen her “hunched over holding near her chest,” according to police reports. He also noted that he asked Carti’s head of security to remove the rapper from his vehicle; however, that’s when things took a dark turn. As Giovanna exited the vehicle, Reynolds alleged that Carti punched him in the face out of the blue. The driver claims this incident left him with a “bruised, swollen jaw and a whiplash effect.” TMZ spoke with police officers who arrived at the scene, who revealed they were in fact conducting an official investigation as well as taking photos of Reynolds’ injuries. So far, the rapper was only cited for assaulting the limo driver and not his partner. Carti nor his team has offered an official statement about the situation.

Earlier this week, Monica and Brandy kicked off their highly anticipated Boy Is Mine tour. However, Monica recently revealed she faced a frightening diagnosis just two weeks prior. According to an Instagram Live from the singer’s account obtained by TheShadeRoom, Monica was diagnosed with temporary paralysis in her right vocal chord. That said, she took things in stride and was proud that she was to “get the songs out” without missing a beat. “I thank God for where I am because we found out what…two weeks before tour, that my right chord has temporary paralysis,” she said, looking to Brandy, who had joined her on the live. Brandy added that she couldn’t even begin to understand what Monica was “going through vocally.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) Vocal Chord Paralysis is “a condition that causes the loss of control of the muscles that control the voice,” according to MayoClinic According to MayoClinic, Vocal Chord Paralysis is “a condition that causes the loss of control of the muscles that control the voice. It happens when the nerve impulses to the voice box, also called the larynx, are disrupted. This results in paralysis of the vocal cord muscles.” The condition can cause difficulty with speaking and breathing. “The vocal cords, also called vocal folds, do more than just produce sound. They also protect the airway. They prevent food, drink, and even saliva from entering the windpipe and causing a person to choke,” MayoClinic says. Back in June, Brandy and Monica announced they were co-headlining their first tour, aptly titled The Boy Is Mine Tour. The 24-city arena tour is an homage to their era-defining duet “The Boy Is Mine,” which ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks straight. Produced by the Black Promoters Collective, the event is a “cultural homecoming” of two of R&B’s greatest stars, said President Shelby Joyner. The tour is expected to conclude on December 7 in Jacksonville, Florida, at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research and development company behind ChatGPT, officially shut down the use of Martin Luther King Jr. deepfakes. “While there are strong free speech interests in depicting historical figures, OpenAI believes public figures and their families should ultimately have control over how their likeness is used,” the company and King’s estate said in a joint statement posted to X. The request to remove these “disrespectful depictions” came at the behest of Bernice A. King, the youngest child of King. Prior to this, several deepfake videos of King had begun circulating on social media. “While there are strong free speech interests in depicting historical figures,” the statement continues. “OpenAI believes public figures and their families should ultimately have control over how their likeness is used.” Many of you have expressed concern about the demeaning, disjointed use of my father, Dr. #MartinLutherKingJr’s, image in AI apps. Thank you. Please see the statement below from #OpenAI and the King Estate, followed by more of my thoughts. ••••••••• “Statement from… pic.twitter.com/rhdhuySHzK — Be A King (@BerniceKing) October 17, 2025 “While Daddy was a public figure, he was not an elected official,” Bernice King, the youngest child of the late civil rights leader, said Back in September, the controversial tech company launched “Sora 2.” The app allows users to create hyperrealistic AI-generated video content. Prior to this recent move, there had been no clear policy against generating videos of deceased individuals. That said, the company has since established a policy allowing authorized representatives to request protection for a public figure’s likeness. “While Daddy was a public figure, he was not an elected official, and his image is not public domain. He was a private citizen. Further, in the United States, about half the states recognize post-mortem right of publicity laws that let estates inherit and control a deceased person’s name, image, or likeness,” King said. “For me, many of the AI depictions never rose to the level of free speech. They were foolish.”

French Montana is facing yet another lawsuit, TMZ reports. According to court documents obtained by the outlet, two Swiss men —Justo Obiang and Samir Gato—are accusing French Montana of allegedly stealing a watch valued at over $1,000,000. The suit, which was filed on Thursday (Oct. 16), claims that the pair met French back in 2015 following a show the rapper had in Geneva, Switzerland. According to Obaing and Gato, they stayed in contact with the rapper for “years” after the brief encounter. Fast forward to 2024, the two reconnected with French in Egypt, and the rapper allegedly asked to trade watches with Obaing; however, he refused. MIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 10: French Montana poses for a picture at LIV nightclub on November 10, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images) “The Claims Are Untrue,” Say French Montana’s Attorney That said, Obaing and Gato did agree to let the rapper borrow the watch for 30 days amid Paris Fashion Week. They claim that French had “promised” to return it, and in turn, the rapper provided them with a watch of his, worth $1,000,000, as collateral. Unfortunately, according to Obaing and Gato, the watch was never returned, despite repeated attempts. Additionally, the pair claims the watch given to them by French was indeed counterfeit. They’re suing for “fraudulent misrepresentation, conversion, and unjust enrichment” and are asking for at least $1 million in damage. French Montana didn’t respond to the allegations directly, but his attorney, Steve Haddad tells TMZ, “these claims are untrue” and that the rapper will be countersuing Obiang and Gato. According to the rapper’s attorney, he only went to Egypt after being convinced by Obaing to allegedly be part of “multiple days worth of media and social media postings,” and the watch was his “payment.”

Sauce Walka has reached a resolution in his high-profile legal case stemming from a high-speed police chase earlier this year. The Texas rapper was sentenced to 50 hours of community service. He was also placed on two years of probation, marking a significant turning point in his ongoing legal matters. On October 16, in Harris County court, Sauce Walka pleaded guilty to evading police, resulting in a two-year deferred adjudication probation. This arrangement allows him to avoid a formal conviction as long as he abides by the court’s conditions. Reports note that any violation could trigger a prison sentence ranging from two to ten years. This highlights the seriousness of compliance. In addition to probation, Sauce Walka was ordered to pay a $500 fine to the Houston Area Women’s Center. He had missed a court appearance the day before his plea, prompting a warrant for his arrest. He attributed this to a miscommunication with his legal team. The incident began on December 7, 2023, when Sauce Walka ran a red light on Homestead Road in north Harris County. He fled after being signaled to pull over, reaching speeds of 130 miles per hour over more than two miles. The chase concluded when he crashed and was taken into custody. He later posted a $35,000 bond. Loss and Legal Struggles: Sauce Walka’s Creative Rise This year has also brought personal tragedy, including the shooting death of his associate, Sayso P. Sauce Walka was unharmed but publicly mourned his friend’s death, using his platform to address violence in the community. On the creative front, 2025 has seen a positive turn with the release of his collaborative project, Chicken & Sauce, alongside That Mexican OT. The project highlights their distinctive regional styles. It demonstrates Sauce Walka’s resilience amid both personal and legal challenges. Fans await his response to the court’s decision, and given his outspoken nature, he may address it directly. Observers hope he can navigate the remainder of the year without further legal setbacks, moving toward stability and creative focus. View this post on Instagram A post shared by XXL (@xxl)

As anticipation builds for his upcoming album, Rod Wave is poised to redefine both his career and artistic identity. The Florida rapper appeared on The Joe Budden Podcast, speaking candidly about his new music and his evolution as a self-reliant artist navigating the complexities of the music industry. His reflections offered insight into balancing creative ambition with entrepreneurial strategy. Amid the excitement, Rod Wave addressed legal disputes with a former tour promoter, describing them as pivotal in asserting his independence. He revealed that his merchandise revenue has surged from $200,000 to $14 million, underscoring both his business acumen and commitment to self-sufficiency. This growth stems from taking control of his merchandising operations rather than relying on outside management, illustrating how autonomy can drive lasting success. Reflecting on his journey, Rod Wave shared advice from his uncle: “You can buy your own clothes, pay to have them printed and transported, and handle it all yourself.” He added, “If you can make it in the street, you can make it anywhere. Your mind can be the key to innovation.” These words highlight his focus on personal agency and provide a blueprint for aspiring artists aiming to combine creativity with independence. Rod Wave on Music’s Business and Artist Independence Discussing the business side of music, Rod Wave was candid about the systemic exploitation many performers face. “It’s just business, bruh,” he said. “While I’m up on stage rapping, there’s a whole ecosystem profiting off my work.” He emphasized how artists often see only a fraction of the revenue they generate: “Even if someone makes a couple million off you, they could have multiple others like you.” His insights underscore the importance of understanding the broader business landscape in music. Looking ahead, Rod Wave’s forthcoming album promises to capture both his creative vision and the lessons learned from navigating the industry independently. While hints of missed collaborations, including a potential feature on the UY SCUTI project, linger, fans remain captivated by his story of resilience. His journey reflects empowerment through autonomy, offering a roadmap for artists striving for both artistic freedom and financial control. Rod Wave reveals that he makes $14 million from selling and making his own merch, an increase from $200k before doing it himself (via The Joe Budden Podcast: https://t.co/puAqnaAnAT) https://t.co/f9zpQwWEwC pic.twitter.com/UzGa1wxr1B — SOUND | Victor Baez (@itsavibe) October 17, 2025

French Montana has secured a decisive win in a protracted copyright lawsuit concerning his 2013 track, Ain’t Worried About Nothin’. The case was brought by producer Eddie Lee Richardson, known professionally as Hotwire The Producer. Richardson alleged that Montana had illicitly sampled Richardson’s instrumental, Hood Pushin’ Weight. The dispute had drawn attention for its broader implications on music ownership and the boundaries of artistic influence. On October 17, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, under Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, ruled in Montana’s favor. The court acknowledged striking similarities between the two tracks. However, auditory resemblance alone does not satisfy the legal standard for copyright infringement. “We concur with Richardson that HPW’s beat appears indistinguishable from the beat in AWAN when listened to casually. However, unsupported opinions and allegations do not suffice,” Judge Jackson-Akiwumi wrote. This ruling follows an earlier decision from a lower court, which highlighted the complex terrain of copyright law in the music industry. The judge noted the irony that imitation is often “the sincerest form of flattery,” while underscoring that legal protection requires more than perceived similarity between works. Copyright Claims Fall Short While Montana Celebrates Engagement A key factor in Richardson’s case was the type of copyright he held. He registered a sound recording copyright rather than one covering the underlying musical composition. U.S. law stipulates that claims based on sound recordings require evidence of direct copying or sampling. Mere stylistic imitation is insufficient. Judge Jackson-Akiwumi clarified, “Richardson could have provided either direct or circumstantial evidence to support his assertion that [Montana] copied HPW when creating AWAN. However, he has presented neither.” The lack of supporting evidence ultimately led to the lawsuit’s dismissal. While Richardson faces disappointment, Montana’s personal life has seen a brighter development. Reports indicate that he is engaged to Sheikha Mahra, Princess of Dubai. This is a milestone that follows months of speculation. With the legal matter resolved, Montana now looks ahead to balancing his creative work with his personal life. He demonstrates resilience amid both professional and emotional challenges.