On Monday, June 16, jurors in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs were shown video footage for the first time—marking a significant turning point in the high-profile case. Until now, the courtroom had been dominated by audio recordings, still images, and hours of emotional testimony. But the introduction of graphic visual evidence brought the allegations into sharper focus. The footage, which prosecutors say depicts drug-fueled group sex encounters known as “freak offs,” had been referenced repeatedly throughout the trial. Witnesses described how assistants booked hotel rooms, sourced oils and lubricants, coordinated with escorts, and handled large cash payments. The videos themselves, however, were played only for the jury and essential courtroom staff, who listened through headphones. Defense attorneys were excluded from viewing the clips on their screens, a rare procedural move that underscored the sensitivity of the content. Testimony from Special Agent DeLeassa Penland accompanied the footage. She guided the jury through hotel receipts, flight logs, and text messages dating back to October 2012. At the center of those exchanges was Cassie Ventura, Diddy’s on-and-off partner between 2007 and 2018. According to Penland, Ventura used aliases—“Janet Clark” and “Frank Black”—to book hotel rooms for encounters involving male escorts. The location: Trump International Hotel in Manhattan. Juror Removed as Texts Tie Diddy’s Team to Drugs and Party Culture Earlier in the day, the court dismissed a juror for what Judge Valerie Caproni described as a “lack of candor.” The defense pressed for more clarity, concerned about the impact of the dismissal on the jury’s impartiality. An alternate has since taken that juror’s seat. Prosecutors also presented a series of charts compiled by paralegal specialist Ananya Sankar, mapping out years of text messages related to the case. The communications, many involving Diddy’s chief-of-staff Kristina Khorram, suggested her awareness of both the events and the substances tied to them. One 2016 message referenced drugs stashed in a car trunk. Another, sent shortly before Ventura filed her lawsuit in November 2023, showed a participant pulling away from the lifestyle: “I’m not doing anymore hard partying…no more ‘hotel nights’ and all that stuff.” Defense attorney Teny Geragos challenged the narrative, arguing the charts presented only a narrow slice of an eight-year timeline. “These are just select messages across eight years,” she told the court, urging jurors to consider context. In a separate revelation, prosecutors pointed to a February 2024 outreach Diddy made to a former assistant named Mia, who left his circle in 2017. While the government framed the contact as suspicious, the defense maintained it was simply an attempt to reconnect with someone from his past. Diddy, who has pleaded not guilty, faces five federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation for prostitution. With more witnesses expected—among them Brendan Paul, a former assistant accused of acting as a “drug mule”—the court continues to weigh whether the evidence supports the government’s sweeping allegations or reflects the blurred lines of a celebrity lifestyle.

Cam Newton and K. Michelle recently sat down for a powerful, emotional exchange that’s sparked major conversation online. The two got real about family dynamics, generational cycles, and the struggles many Black families face when it comes to maintaining stable households. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Funky Friday (@funkyfriday) The conversation came shortly after Jasmin Brown, Cam’s current partner, revealed on Mother’s Day that she’s expecting their second child together, his ninth overall. As the news circulated, K. Michelle took the opportunity to ask Cam some tough but honest questions about his role as a father and partner. K. Michelle asked directly whether Cam intended to build a long-term, two-parent household with Jasmin. In response, Cam opened up about how things haven’t always gone as planned in his relationships. “Every situation that I’ve ever been in, I thought this was the last one. My goal has never been to have multiple significant others, it just worked out like that,” he explained. When asked about his ideals around family structure, Cam said he believes both a male and female presence in the home are essential. In his view, boys and girls benefit in different ways from their parents. He said, “Boys need to learn from a man,” emphasizing the importance of gender balance in parenting. K. Michelle, visibly emotional at times, reflected on her own upbringing and how far removed things have become from the examples of strong marriages she saw in her family. “At what point in the Black community do our men create real homes?” she asked. She pointed out how often Black women are left to carry the burden and called on men to take more responsibility. “Black men are attacking Black women, and it’s not cool. They’re not creating homes,” she said, urging change. For K., the conversation wasn’t about blame; it was about accountability and building better futures.

While Key Glock may not be a household name (yet), to his loyal fans, he’s a superstar. The Paper Route Empire (PRE) rapper’s Glockaveli tour has been quite successful, with several sold-out shows, including his most recent one at the House of Blues Cleveland on Thursday (June 12). Doors opened up at 7 p.m., with hundreds of fans pouring into the venue, awaiting to see the 27-year-old rapper. The show officially kicked off an hour later at 8 p.m., with DJ Memphis setting the vibe for the night. Not long after, two of Glock’s labelmates, Zo Trapalot and Paper Route Woo, turned the energy up to another level, giving rousing performances. A few hours later, upon Key Glock’s arrival, everything seemingly came to a halt as the rapper took the stage. Throughout his electrifying show —complete with mood lighting, smoke, and confetti—he performed several new tracks from his Glockaveli album, which was released on May 2. The crowd’s hands couldn’t seem to leave the air as he performed tracks like “Gang Sh*t No Lame Sh*t,” “Let’s Go,” “Badu,” and “No Sweat.” Key Glock also made a point to show appreciation to his long-time fans, playing some of his early-career hits, including “Mr.Glock,” “Since 6ix,” and “Russian Cream.” Additionally, Key Glock took several moments to honor his label’s co-founder, Young Dolph, who was shot and killed in November 2021 in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The tour, presented by SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation, kicked off only a few weeks after his album release on May 21 in Oklahoma City at The Criterion. Prior to Cleveland, Key Glock had stopped by big cities like Houston, Atlanta, and Baltimore. The rapper is expected to hit 20 cities in the US, with his closing show in Las Vegas at the Brooklyn Bowl. From July 4 until July 13, the rapper will begin the international leg of his tour, trekking across Europe with performances in countries like Germany, Spain, and Romania. Tour dates, as well as tickets for Key Glock’s Glockaveli tour, are still available on his website. Key Glock Opens Up About The Inspiration Behind ‘Glockaveli ‘ During a recent interview with Hot 97, the rapper opened up about the inspiration for his latest album — noting that Tupac’s 1996 project, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (commonly referred to as Makaveli), played a significant part. He also acknowledges that both his and Pac’s projects pull from Renaissance political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince. While Makaveli told the story of “vengeance” and “death,” the rapper believes Pac was much more than the violent, “thug-life” imagery often associated with his music. According to Key Glock, he, too, faces the same plight. The rapper believes people have gotten the wrong impression of him, with claims that he’s rude and cocky. “If you look more into him and just read about him,” the rapper said. “You’ll know what he represented, stood for, and how smart he was.” Glock added, “…He [Tupac] so misunderstood, and I am too.”

Just in time for summer, Drake shows off his toned-up body in a recent post that’s been circulating online. On June 14, Drake shared a photo to his Instagram Story of him hitting the gym, flexing off his big guns, while rocking an all-black Nike outfit with white Nike sneakers — which shouldn’t be surprising since he’s been collaborating with the brand since 2013. The rapper also shared a post on his story of attending a friend’s wedding, writing “Congratulations” as he stood next to a picture of the couple. Instagram.com/champagnepapi Drake Becomes First Artist With 10 Diamond Singles Last month, Drake just hit another milestone, and this one puts him in a league of his own after the RIAA officially confirmed that the Toronto superstar has earned his 10th Diamond certification, more than any other artist in history. “Drake has the most RIAA Diamond Certifications of any artist, ever,” the organization shared on social media, alongside a graphic displaying all 10 of his Diamond plaques. Two of his fan favorites, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and his breakout hit “Best I Ever Had,” are the latest tracks to reach Diamond status, meaning they’ve sold over 10 million units each in the U.S. Drake’s elite Diamond collection also includes “God’s Plan,” “Hotline Bling,” “One Dance,” “Life Is Good” with Future, “No Guidance” with Chris Brown, “Love Me” with Lil Wayne, and Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE.” And he’s not done yet. “Nice for What,” from his 2018 album Scorpion, is already 9x Platinum and inching closer to Diamond. This puts Drizzy ahead of country legend Garth Brooks and Post Malone, who each hold nine Diamond certifications. Drake is the first artist to reach double digits across both singles and albums.

Following a recent fan interaction, Doja Cat claims she was “manhandled” in a social media post, sparking an online debate about her approach to engaging with fans. A video is circulating online of Doja Cat and a fan having a seemingly innocent interaction filled with smiles and hugs— however, in a now-deleted X post, the Planet Her rapper claims that wasn’t the case. “bottom line is i’ll smile at you, but it doesn’t mean I f*ck w you,” the post begins. “don’t touch me and man handle me when you don’t even f*ckin know me. iykyk.” She added, “i honestly think I need to stand up for myself in the moment sometimes. and he didn’t even know my fuckin name to be touching me and kissing me on my face like that is crazy.” Doja Cat addresses recent fan interaction that left her feeling uncomfortable: “i honestly think i need to stand up for myself in the moment sometimes. and he didn’t even kno my f**kin name to be touching me and kissing me on my face like that is crazy.” pic.twitter.com/nrblr0Ni7v — Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) June 14, 2025 Doja Cat Reveals She Threw Fan’s ‘Musty A** Shirt’ Away After Interaction During the odd interaction (per Doja), the fan gave her the t-shirt he was on his back, and she later followed up her initial post, saying that she “threw that musty a*** shirt away.” The fan did speak out in a TikTok video, noting that he was completely unaware that the “Woman” rapper was uncomfortable and was trying to promote a new t-shirt collection he dropped. Following the fan’s response, he released another capsule of t-shirts with the phrase “Musty A** Shirt” across the front. While many people have come out in support of Doja Cat, noting that she has a right to set boundaries, some have accused her of being mean to her fans. “well first issue is being a fan of doja cat to start with. she has some bops but she’s been openly telling yall she’s a genuinely disgusting horrific person for like a decade now, and continues to be,” one person wrote in an X post. “F*ck Doja Cat, that ignorant racist a**,” another fan wrote. “We aint forget her hatful tweets towards arabs and other ppl, now she disrespecting a fan and yall blaming HIM? Nah.” You can see more tweets below: how can you be a doja cat fan without realizing she hates her fans. i swear that’s her whole thing is being two faced and mean https://t.co/gQatJamPfJ — seanm (@SeanMombo) June 14, 2025 Hot take: Doja Cat is COMPLETELY in the wrong here. Establishing boundaries is perfectly fine, but that is an overexcited fan that clearly isn’t a mind reader and she was reciprocating his energy. Shit talking him after the fact is fucked up, full stop https://t.co/b0t8RMXDxw — Xzamilloh (@Xzamilloh) June 14, 2025 This is like… So mean?? Like, ofc you can have boundaries but you don’t have to be so mean, especially when people know who you’re talking about. Her fan was so excited and she just shit all over it in the most disrespectful way. Doja Cat just hates her fans and this is NOT new. https://t.co/kw28dIAa2n — _Taffylu_ (@Laffyyy_Taffyyy) June 15, 2025

Barry Sanders, one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, recently revealed that he suffered a heart attack last year during a recruiting trip as he accompanied one of his sons. During an interview with CBS Sports on Friday, June 13, the Detroit Lions legend shared the health scare he experienced. Sanders also spoke about  The Making of a Heart Attack, a documentary he appears, which will premiere on Saturday, June 14 at 1 p.m. on A&E.  “I couldn’t believe it, honestly,” Sanders said. “I thought it was like heartburn, but it just kind of persisted.”  After feeling a sensation that he thought was heartburn, Sanders left the recruiting visit and drove himself to the emergency room. “Of all things, I don’t know why, that just never entered my mind. I’m learning through this process that there aren’t necessarily any warning signs, unless you do what we’re encouraging people to do, which is to go to the doctor, get tested for LDL-C levels, or bad cholesterol. It’s not something you’re going to be able to feel. You don’t have to fit a certain physical profile.” Sanders recalled. In the documentary, Sanders speaks with four other people who experienced a heart attack or stroke “to uncover the hidden risks, lasting impacts, and what they want others to know.” “It’s really been an education for me, learning about how frequent this happens all over the U.S.,” Sanders said. “Conversing with these other individuals who are part of this documentary, who have very insightful, gripping stories about the journey that they’ve been on. It’s just really amazing. I think it will get a lot of people’s attention.”  After taking his doctor’s advice, which included additional walking, dietary change, and the proper medication, Sanders is doing better than ever. “It’s definitely made me healthier and happier,” Sanders said. “Being the kind of athlete that I was, I would see people walking and I would wonder, like, ‘What kind of workout is that?’ But there’s a thing called a heart-healthy workout, where you’re just getting your heart rate up a little bit over a certain period of time, and that’s just really good for your heart. There was just a certain ignorance that I had about things like that. But all of it has been a learning process.” The Making of a Heart Attack premieres on Saturday, June 14, at 1 p.m. on A&E.

Suge Knight believes that Diddy should serve time in prison for abusing Cassie. During a series of calls with PEOPLE from California’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, the co-founder of Death Row Records stated that Diddy.. “I never said he should walk away a free man. He does deserve [prison],” Knight said. “I don’t mean like… ‘Oh, you beat the shit out of Cassie, so, oh well.’ No, she’s a woman. You should never disrespect a woman like that […] I think everyone should be held accountable — even myself. I don’t care who it is. Anybody who does those horrible things to women deserves their issue.” After the infamous video, Knight said he was disturbed by Diddy’s behavior, saying it was “unacceptable.” He also added that a man should not  “beat a woman like that.” ‘I had never really seen a woman get dragged, beaten, and disrespected like that before […] When he came around that corner, Puff did beat the dog shit out of her,” Knight said. It bothers me. And you know I’m far from an angel. I ain’t the devil, but I’m not angel. Simple facts: Cassie and these women can’t beat a man up. And I don’t believe no woman want someone pissing on them or their mouth,” he continued. From his perspective, Knight thinks that Diddy could make amends for his wrongs by taking the stand and telling the truth about his actions. “You know how big that would be if he told the truth? At the end of the day, this trial —everybody’s watching. Why not make this a healing process,” Knight explained.. “So, if I can man up… Puffy, don’t be a bitch, my n***a. Go in there and man up.” Knight’s take on Diddy is quite interesting, being that he was accused of abusing R&B singer Michel’le during their time together. “One of the craziest things he ever did was when he tried to hit me,” Michel’le said. “He only tried one time. And he was so strong that he open-hand slapped me and threw my whole jaw out of [place]. I had to go to the emergency room. He backhand slapped and it wouldn’t go back. So I had to finally call him and say, ‘You’re gonna have to come take me to the emergency.’ It was either that or the police was gonna have to take me.” Currently, Knight is serving a 28-year sentence for a fatal hit-and-run in 2015.

Ja Rule has broken his silence on Diddy and all the allegations that the disgraced Bad Boy Records founder is facing. Speaking with Extra’s Billy Bush, Ja shares his thoughts on Diddy’s sex trafficking trial. “It’s all kind of shocking, seeing it, you know,” Ja explained. “Me knowing Diddy and what I know of Diddy, you know, I’m looking at some of this stuff and I’m like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know he was capable of some of these things.’” While Ja has been in attendance at some of Diddy’s now-infamous parties, he made sure to point out that he’s never attended a “freak off.” “I’ve never partied with that side of him. I’ve never seen that side,” Ja said. “ I’ve never seen Diddy be violent, so I don’t know that side of him, so it’s like when you’re watching all of this, it’s kind of unraveling.” Diddy is currently on trial, facing charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied any wrongdoing. On the music side for Ja, the “Put It On Me” rapper is preparing for an upcoming summer world tour with fellow rap legends Nelly, Eve, and Fabolous. “We’re doing like, you know, all of Live Nation’s outdoor big venues they have, like these 20,000- to 30,000-seater outdoor venues that are equivalent to arenas,” he said. At 50 years old, Ja remains in shape by doing 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups every day. My main thing is what I tell people, you got to maintain, make sure you eat right,” Ja said.” That’s the most important thing, but I’m going to come out with my own workout thing and let people know how I do this.”

NEW YORK — (WQHT) — This Father’s Day, the beats of hip-hop aren’t just driving club hits—they’re carrying heartfelt messages of fatherhood, resilience, and legacy. Across New York City and beyond, artists are raising the mic to celebrate father figures, share wisdom, and honor their family ties. For Father’s Day 2025, HOT 97 has partnered with ICON MANN and Toyota to salute four dynamic New York fathers with this special Father’s Day Salute. Is your dad one of the great ones? Tell us about it! Share your story about someone you’d like to nominate as one of the Great Dad’s of New York. Great Dads of New York Who are you nominating as a Great Dad of New York?(Required) First Last Tell us why your nominee is a one of the Great Dad’s of New York(Required) In 300 words or less, tell us a story about why this dad should be one of The Great Dad’s of New York. Share a Photo Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, psd, Max. file size: 4 GB. Share a pic of the nominee Tell us YOUR Name(Required) First Last Who is nominating this dad? What’s YOUR Email Address? (We’ll keep it private)(Required) What’s YOUR Phone Number? (We’ll keep it private)(Required) Would you like to be a HOT 97 VIP?(Required) Yes, consider me a VIP No thanks, I’m good. HOT 97 VIP’s receive periodic messages about special events and behind-the-scenes offereings. Δ

On Friday, June 13, Ice Cube hopped on X to make a rather shocking claim: he’d been the victim of a theft. Not only that, but he’s placing the blame on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). According to Cube, his iPad was stolen while on United Flight 2615, which travels from Los Angeles’ LAX to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Ice Cube isn’t known for being bashful about how he feels, and he quickly called it out, “TSA stole my iPad out [of] my bag tonight.” He added, “I need my sh*t back ASAP, or it’s [going] [to] [be] a problem. TSA stole my iPad out my bag tonight. United Flight 2615. Either LAX or O’Hara. I need my shit back ASAP or it’s a problem. — Ice Cube (@icecube) June 13, 2025 Ice Cube Announces ‘Truth to Power: 4 Decades of Attitude’ Tour In other news, earlier this year, Ice Cube announced that he’s heading out on the road to a city near you. Dubbed the “Truth to Power: 4 Decades of Attitude” tour, it marks Cube’s first domestic headlining tour in more than a decade. It will celebrate his remarkable forty-year career in the music industry. Produced by Live Nation, the arena tour commences September 4 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and includes 22 dates across major U.S. and Canadian markets, ending on October 9 in Toronto. Taking to Instagram, Cube shared his excitement about the upcoming tour. “I’m finally doing a coast-to-coast tour with a big production. I’m giving y’all something special, something real with the Truth to Power Tour 2025,” Cube wrote. “Secure your tickets early using code TRUTHTOPOWER. If you ever seen me before, don’t sleep on this one.” He added, “Truth to Power is more than a tour — it’s a 40-year celebration,” Cube said in a statement. “The world needs truth. The people need power. And that’s what my music brings. It’s gonna be next level to go from city to city with a major production, unlike anything I’ve ever done before.”