Rapper d4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found in his Tesla last year.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Burke, 21, has been booked on suspicion of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez and is being held without bail.
&#8220;Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division, have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas,&#8221; LAPD <a href="https://x.com/LAPDPIO/status/2044934044467769705?s=20">posted</a> on X, adding that the case will be presented to the L.A. County District Attorney&#8217;s office on Monday for possible charges.
Burke&#8217;s attorneys denied the allegations, saying in a statement that &#8220;actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,&#8221; per <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/d4vd-arrested-suspicion-murder-celeste-rivas-lapd/">CBS News</a>.
&#8220;There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David&#8217;s innocence.&#8221;
The 21-year-old singer initially continued touring after the remains were discovered in September 2025. He canceled the remainder of his tour after the victim was publicly identified.  
Rivas’ dismembered body was found in bags inside the abandoned Tesla that had been taken to the city impound. The car was searched after employees reported a foul stench coming from the vehicle.
The Riverside County Sheriff&#8217;s Department confirmed that Rivas was reported missing from Lake Elsinore more than a year ago, per CBS News. According to a missing person flyer, the teen was last seen on April 5, 2024, leaving her home.
Burke first gained recognition on TikTok before being signed to Darkroom and Interscope Records. The “Romantic Homicide” singer has 2 million followers on Instagram and 5.4 billion streams on Spotify.

d4vd

Rapper Arrested Months After Dismembered Teen Found In His Tesla

Crime

Entertainment

Homicide

Los Angeles

Rapper

Rapper Lil Nas X has been hospitalized after he was spotted wandering the streets of Los Angeles in his underwear just before 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The “Old Town Road” singer was arrested by responding officers on the 11000 block of Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley after witnesses called in reports of a naked man in the area. Police said the celeb charged at officers when they arrived, per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/lil-nas-x-arrested-wandering-naked-los-angeles-street-charging-officer-rcna226398">NBC News</a>. 
A source said that the rapper, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, punched one of the responding officers twice in the face.
“He was transported to a local hospital for a possible overdose and placed under arrest for battery on a police officer,” the police report said. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Lil Nas X Wanders Streets N*KED And On DRUGS?! | TMZ Live Clip" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_C98Y1YhaxU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Several videos <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/08/21/lil-nas-x-hospitalized-possible-overdose/">shared by TMZ</a> show Hill walking down the streets clad in nothing but underwear and white cowboy boots. The rapper can be heard saying, “Come to the party,” and “Didn’t I tell you to put the phone down?”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
“Uh oh, someone’s going to have to pay for that,” Hill said at another point. The clips show him strutting down the street as if he’s walking a runway and putting an orange traffic cone on his head.
The Atlanta-born recording artist burst onto the scene with viral hits like “Old Town Road” and “Industry Baby,” but quickly became controversial due to his provocative routines, which often included satanic imagery and messaging. 
In 2021, he promoted 666 pairs of limited-edition ‘Satan Shoes’—<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/28/style/nike-satan-shoes-lil-Nas-x.html">unauthorized Nike Air Max 97s</a> released alongside the Satan-themed hit ‘Montero.&#8217; That same year, Lil Nas X gave an over-the-top, sexually explicit performance of the song during the season finale of NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Saturday Night Live.&#8221;
Later, Hill <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blasphemous-lil-nas-x-blasted-for-promoting-new-song-j-christ-with-image-of-rapper-on-a-cross?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Blasphemous%E2%80%99%3A+Lil+Nas+X+Blasted+For+Promoting+New+Song+%E2%80%98J+Christ%E2%80%99+With+Image+Of+Rapper+On+A+Cross">claimed</a> to be entering his “Christian era” by releasing worship music and a song about Jesus Christ. But the video showed Hill himself being crucified.

Lil Nas X

From ‘Old Town Road’ To ‘Tighty-Whitey Boulevard’: Lil Nas X Busted After L.A. Underwear Escapade

Rapper Little Nas X Arrested, Hospitalized After Wandering L.A. Streets In His Underwear

arrest

California

Celebrities

overdose

U.S.

Rapper Latto, a Planned Parenthood supporter who backed Stacey Abrams’ political campaigns in the past, is getting roasted for not being able to answer a simple question in a video that has gone viral on social media. 
The 26-year-old recording artist, whose legal name is Alyssa Stephens, can be seen in the clip in a jewelry store as a salesman offers her a $2,000 discount if she can solve a small riddle.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@jewelryunlimited/video/7532993458269736223" data-video-id="7532993458269736223">
<section><a title="@jewelryunlimited" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jewelryunlimited?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@jewelryunlimited</a> Latto almost had this question in the bag 😂😂 <a title="latto" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/latto?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#latto</a> <a title="jewelryunlimited" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/jewelryunlimited?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#jewelryunlimited</a> <a title="foryou" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foryou</a> <a title="fyp" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#fyp</a> @Big Mama @aminlalani70 <a title="♬ original sound - Jewelry Unlimited Wafi" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7532993503513578271?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; Jewelry Unlimited Wafi</a></section>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
The video begins with Latto putting on her glasses, which she claims make her “smarter.”
“So $2,000 off if you can give me [the] right answer,” the salesman says. “The 45th president of [the] USA and the 47th president of the USA, they both have the same parents. How is that possible?”
“They both got the same parents…” Latto says, looking off into the distance with a puzzled expression. “The 45th president of the USA and the 47th president got the same parents…”
She repeats the facts while trying to puzzle them out.
“They got the same parents because… God made us all,” Latto replies. “And we all got the same parents.” 
The jeweler laughs at that suggestion, prompting the rapper to attempt another answer. “Because we not [sic] on this 47th president yet,” she says. 
Finally, the man reveals the answer that the 45th and the 47th presidents are the same person: Donald Trump.
Comments on the video were filled with mockery. 
“Her vote counts the same as yours btw,” one person <a href="https://x.com/BraedenSorbo/status/1952818905313099955">observed</a>.
“Scary, isn’t it,” another wrote.
“This is who the liberals listen to when they endorse Presidential candidates,” <a href="https://x.com/bigdog0668/status/1952775683999993927">said</a> a third commenter. 
The Atlanta-based performer has been politically active in the past. She <a href="https://www.vibe.com/news/politics/stacey-abrams-latto-pxssy-performance-1234704733/">invited</a> Democratic candidate Abrams onto the stage during a concert in 2022 while she was performing the song “PXSSY.” 
“I’m not going to interrupt your fun. I just want to remind you if you believe ‘it’s my body, my choice,’ I need your vote! You gotta show up. This is our time. This is our choice and this is our year. I need your big energy! Let’s get it done,” Abrams said.
That same year, the “Big Energy” rapper teamed up with Planned Parenthood to create a public service announcement for abortion.
“We already know who’s going to be hurt the most by these ridiculous abortion bans: Black women, Brown women, the LGBTQ+ community, and communities with low incomes,” Latto <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/latto-planned-parenthood-psa-video-1235131819/">said</a> in a statement at the time. “Because of this country’s history of racism and discrimination, these folks already have a hard time getting the health care they need. We all deserve to be safe and it’s every person’s right to make decisions about their own bodies.”

Latto

Rapper Latto Mocked For Political Ignorance After Viral Video

Donald Trump

The rapper known as Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, has been accused of multiple crimes, including the sexual assault of minors by his former hype man, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon.
Dixon filed a $20 million lawsuit in federal court on Thursday. Cartagena’s former employee made allegations of “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion,” per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/music/news/fat-joe-sued-former-hypeman-t-a-dixon-1236436310/">Variety</a>. The lawsuit comes after Cartagena sued Dixon for slander in April after he claimed his former employee posted on social media about the rapper transporting a minor across state lines for sex.
The outlet noted that the claims made in the 157-page document were so extensive that the filing included a trigger warning.
Dixon worked for Cartagena for 16 years as a hype man, commonly used by rap and hip hop artists to get the crowd revved up and help set the tone for performances. Dixon also reportedly contributed to some of Cartagena’s songs by assisting with lyrics and backing vocals.
The lawsuit asserts that Dixon was forced “into humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance, accompanied by threats of abandonment in foreign countries if [he] refused compliance.” The plaintiff added that he was “coerced into more than 4,000 sexual acts to maintain his standing within the Enterprise.”
Dixon also accused his former employee of engaging in sexual acts with minors on multiple occasions.
Per the lawsuit, Dixon said he “personally witnessed [Fat Joe] engage in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old.” The lawsuit listed three specific minors identified as Jane Does.
He said Jane Doe 1 was a 16-year-old New York resident who interacted with the rapper “in exchange for cash, clothing, and payment of her cell phone bill.&#8221; The lawsuit said she &#8220;would [perform] oral sex and other sexual acts” on Cartagena. 
“[Fat Joe] began having sexual relations with Minor Doe 2 when she was 15 years old after a concert overseas. Defendant flew Minor Doe 2 to New York City and Miami, Florida, on multiple occasions. Due to Minor Doe 2’s body being adolescent and not fully formed, Defendant paid for her to get a Brazilian Butt Lift. Minor Doe 2 eventually left Defendant and is now married to a professional athlete,” the complaint says. 
Minor Doe 3 is described as having met Cartagena when “she was 15 years old, turning 16.”
Per the complaint, “Defendant was in love with Minor Doe 3. He even contemplated leaving his wife. The Defendant paid all Minor Doe 3’s bills and even took her overseas to his tour stops. He brought her to Florida and would put her up in a condo he rented a few blocks from his house with his wife.” 
“In a recorded conversation, Minor Doe 3 and her 15-year-old cousin describe in detail to Plaintiff how ‘inappropriate’ it was for Defendant, who was in his late 30s at the time, to be fawning over children,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit describes, “a wide spectrum of sexual coercion, psychological control, forced exhibitionism, and surveillance-based humiliation, including being compelled to perform sex acts under observation, being filmed, or directed by [Fat Joe] in the presence of others — tactics designed to control Plaintiff’s body, erode his autonomy, and ensure silence.” 
Dixon claims the recording artist “orchestrated repeated orgies involving Plaintiff, female dancers and minors. Defendant used.” 
“These incidents occurred under conditions that included the presence of corporate security staff, surveillance cameras, and Defendant’s management entourage, yet no intervention occurred, supporting the inference that these acts were facilitated by — and covered up by — the broader enterprise and its affiliates,” the lawsuit says. 
“[Dixon] did not willingly consent to participate in these acts; instead, Plaintiff submitted solely out of fear of immediate retaliation, which Defendant repeatedly demonstrated would include financial punishment, professional sabotage, abandonment in foreign countries, or physical harm.”
Cartagena has hired celebrity criminal attorney Joe Tacopina, who once served on Donald Trump&#8217;s legal team, to defend him in this case. The attorney released a statement denying any wrongdoing by his client. 
“The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation — a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations.”
The statement continues, “Law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme. The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are complete fabrications — lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure. Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated. We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable.”
Fat Joe is a Bronx-born rapper and music executive who rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like “Lean Back” and “What&#8217;s Luv?” He has been married to his wife, Lorena, since 1995. They have one daughter together, and Cartagena has two children from previous relationships.

Fat Joe

Fat Joe’s Ex-Hype Man Accuses Rapper Of Having Sex With Minors In $20M Lawsuit

Fat Joe's Ex-Hype Man Accuses Rapper Of Having Sex With Minors In $20M Lawsuit

Child Sex Abuse

Lawsuit

Rap Music

Sexual Assault

Macklemore, a rapper best known for the 2012 song “Thrift Shop,” was the victim of a home invasion at his Seattle residence over the weekend while his children and nanny were there. 
According to the police report, two men allegedly entered the residence just after midnight on Saturday morning. A woman later identified as the family nanny was able to escape and call 911 after she was hit with a blast of bear spray. 
“She escaped, but three children were still inside the house,” the report said, per <a href="https://people.com/macklemore-seattle-home-reportedly-robbed-3-children-inside-cops-11751678">People</a>. “[The caller] also added that the house belonged to a high-profile individual.”
The woman claims the intruders yelled at her, asking, “Where are the jewels, b*tch?” She then said she brought them to a bedroom and observed as the thieves “went through drawers, cabinets and raided the closet full of clothing, jewelry, and shoes.”
Social media users are pointing out the hypocrisy of police being dispatched to his home during a crisis after the rapper released the song “Hind’s Hall” last year, which was critical of law enforcement and referred to police officers as “actors with badges.”
The report also noted that the nanny believed the attack was “politically motivated for some reason.”
The 41-year-old recording artist, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, shares three children with his wife. The family lives in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. 
Macklemore was in Ireland at the time of the alleged break-in, per <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/10/macklemore-seattle-home-burglary-nanny-bear-maced/">TMZ</a>.
Macklemore&#8217;s anti-police single is also explicitly anti-Israel.
“Block the barricade until Palestine is free/When I was seven, I learned a lesson from Cube and Eazy-E,” the lyrics say. “What was it again? Oh yeah, f** the police/Actors in badges protecting property/And a system that was designed by white supremacy.”
The song was also critical of former President Joe Biden. &#8220;The blood is on your hands Biden, we can see it all,&#8221; the lyrics said. &#8220;And f*** no, I’m not voting for you in the fall.&#8221;
In 2023, at an anti-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., Macklemore took the stage and told the crowd, “I don’t know enough, but I know enough that this is a genocide,” as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rapper-slammed-after-encouraging-crowd-to-chant-fk-america">reported</a>.  Macklemore made headlines in 2024 for encouraging a crowd at a Seattle concert to chant, &#8220;F*** America.&#8221;

Macklemore

Rapper Who Called Cops ‘Actors With Badges’ Mocked After Police Respond To Home Invasion

Rapper Who Called Cops 'Actors With Badges' Had Seattle PD Dispatched During Home Invasion

Police

Robbery

Seattle

Washington

Few artists loathe the music industry quite like Tom MacDonald.
The rebel rapper takes glee in taunting labels on his social media platforms. He recently posted a troll video in front of Sony Music headquarters, name-checking industry pariahs like R. Kelly and P. Diddy with a broad grin on his face.
And despite repeatedly crashing the Billboard music charts he’s refused to go corporate for a bigger promotional wallop.
MacDonald is solo to the core, with an assist from his girlfriend/video director Nova Rockafeller. No managers. No publicists. Just the music and his sizable social media flock.
The mind behind “Fake Woke,” “Snowflakes” and “American Flags” still felt influenced by mainstream superstars, from their branding efforts to songs that purport to dig deeper into their personal lives.
<div id="attachment_891745" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891745" class="size-large wp-image-891745" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube/Tom MacDonald &quot;Facts&quot; feat. Ben Shapiro" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube/Tom MacDonald &#8220;Facts&#8221; feat. Ben Shapiro</div>
“As an independent artist, we’re all watching what the biggest artists in the world are doing and what they sound like,” he says. “Even if you’re somebody like me who detests the major label system, you’re taking information in. You’re being indoctrinated … they must know what’s best.”
It took a while to shake free from that thinking, something he accomplished on his latest album.
“Proud to Be a Problem” finds the Canadian native opening up about his life in ways he never did before.
“I’ve never really been good with processing my emotions and explaining the way I’m feeling to other people… it’s the reason why I make music,” the California-based musician says.
<div id="attachment_915575" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915575" class="size-large wp-image-915575" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald.</div>
Time and maturity have let him tap into something vital and deeply personal, witness tracks like “Hell &amp; Back.”
<blockquote>I&#8217;ve been called a loser since first day of 2nd grade 
I&#8217;ve been an alcoholic with one foot inside the grave 
And I&#8217;ve been brave enough to say that I&#8217;m afraid I&#8217;m not okay 
And I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;ll survive another day</blockquote>
Other tracks, like “Man in the Sky,” merge MacDonald’s protest-singer DNA with heartfelt pleas for empathy. He’s an imperfect vessel in an imperfect world.
The musician’s flaws, like his signature tattoos, are visible to all. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/goodbye-joe-god-bless-the-usa-top-digital-song-sales-chart-after-election-1235825769/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">So are his successes</a>.
His post-election song “Goodbye Joe” gave him his <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/goodbye-joe-god-bless-the-usa-top-digital-song-sales-chart-after-election-1235825769/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth number-one ranking</a> on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart, following “Fake Woke,” “Ghost” and “You Missed.”
His YouTube channel boasts 5 million subscribers and most videos eclipse the million-view mark in days, not weeks.
MacDonald, whose recent pairings include songs with Roseanne Barr (“Daddy’s Home”) and The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro (“Facts”), sounds a little different on the new album. He isn’t giving up on rap, but the newer material offers a rootsy feel, brimming with acoustic guitars.
<div id="attachment_915573" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915573" class="size-large wp-image-915573" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald.</div>
That singing style hearkens back to his earliest days as a musician. He remembers riding in the car with his father as a boy when he came up with a jingle for Ford.
“[My Dad] was bewildered … where did that come from?” MacDonald recalls. 
He started writing music more often, but he felt he didn’t have the classic rock voice, a la Robert Plant or Joe Cocker, to execute the material. “I had to do something else. I was writing poetry, a primitive form of rap. That’s how the rap thing started,” he says.
“Problem” found him more confident in his singing, allowing him to expand his sound in the process.
“I know where my boundaries are and what I’m capable of singing on a song &#8230; if I don’t do it right now I won’t have a good enough excuse to give it a good shot [later],” he says.
Fans can pick up “Proud to Be a Problem” at MacDonald’s official web site, <a href="https://hangovergangofficial.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HangoverGangOfficial.com</a>. That’s part of his indie approach, lashing out at a streaming landscape that pays little to participating artists.
“I have such a big chip on my shoulder for the music industry,” he says, recalling a brush with a major label earlier in his career that ended in rejection. “I’ve done enough for these streaming platforms.”
“A big part of the reason I put the singles on streaming is we keep going to no. 1 on Billboard [charts] … it’s a giant f***ing middle finger to the music industry,” he says.
<div id="attachment_915581" style="width: 334px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915581" class="wp-image-915581 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-324x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Instagram/@TomMacDonaldOfficial" width="324" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-324x576.jpg 324w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-169x300.jpg 169w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-864x1536.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842.jpg 1440w" sizes=" (max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px" />Screenshot: Instagram/@TomMacDonaldOfficial</div>
That solo spirit extends beyond the music on “Problem.” He designed the merchandise around the released, mailed signed LP copies of it to fans personally and oversaw every part of the production.
“It hasn’t been touched by Hollywood. That’s the way I want it,” he says.
He shared his feelings about sending out signed copies of “Proud to Be a Problem” to fans on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJIdKXgPXX0/?img_index=1">Instagram account</a>:
<blockquote>I gotta tell y’all &#8211; people didn’t care about me for most of my life. I was one of the forgotten people whose voice was drown out by the noise of the world. Every single day I’m shocked that you guys care about me enough to want my album and my signature. I’m shocked…but I’m thrilled. I felt like a “nobody” for so long that every day I wake up expecting to be forgotten again. Every day that y’all remember me, you prove me wrong. And you absolutely make my day. No one should ever feel like a nobody. But it happens.</blockquote>
That personal connection reflects being a music fan growing up in Canada. He fondly remembers lining up at the local record store and waiting for the newest albums to go on sale.
“When you got that album .. you felt like you might be one of the only people in the world who had it,” he says. “You could hold on to it, a physical product … That’s the way I want my music to be experienced.”
Record labels still reach out to MacDonald about potential deals, and he sometimes will listen to the conversation. Then, he’ll share his reactions on Instagram.
“I’ve been trolling these people for years and years,” he says. “I’d rather roll around on broken glass [than sign onto a label].”
<div id="attachment_915577" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915577" class="size-large wp-image-915577" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald.</div>
MacDonald leveraged new media and a collective mistrust of the mainstream to power his music career. Somewhere a fledgling singer/songwriter might want to follow in his shoes, avoiding corporate overlords to make music on their terms.
MacDonald has some clichéd but honest advice for the next generation of indie musicians.
“Just be yourself … there’s always gonna be a better producer, a better rapper, a better singer. You’re the only person on earth who can do you better than anybody else,” he says. “The entire world is fake and bulls*** and disingenuous. The best way to cut through all that noise is to be honest and scream your truth at the top of your lungs … people gravitate towards the truth and what’s real.”
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Millions Of Views And Fiercely Independent. Inside The Mind Of Tom MacDonald.

Conservatives

Music

Music Industry

Tom MacDonald

A rap artist who goes by the name <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rapper-macklemore-talks-about-being-sober-following-pandemic-relapse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Macklemore</a> was slammed on social media after encouraging others in the crowd at his concert in Seattle to chant “F**k America.”
In a clip that surfaced on <a href="https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1837704621822714322">X</a> over the weekend from his concert, the 41-year-old rapper-born Benjamin Hammond Haggerty appeared to react to something he heard in the crowd, telling his fans, “Straight up say it, I’m not gonna stop you. I’m not gonna stop you. Yeah, f**k America,” <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/macklemore-hinds-hall-2-f-america-chant-seattle-show-1235781597/">Billboard magazine</a> reported.
The crowd then begins to cheer, yell, and clap loudly for the performer, before he debuted a new track titled “Hinds Hall 2,” which contains anti-Semitic rhetoric, in which he blasts Israel for defending itself following the deadly October 7 attack that left more than 1,200 dead and hundreds kidnapped.
It came during a music event in Washington titled, “Palestine Will Live Forever Festival.” The description of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Macklemore/">event</a> said, “All funds raised will be split between: Pious Projects, HEAL Palestine, UNRWA, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, and grassroots mutual aid.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;F*ck America&#8221; &#8211; Macklemore tonight in Seattle. The cheering crowd goes wild. <a href="https://t.co/gF8AP6uAje">pic.twitter.com/gF8AP6uAje</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1837704621822714322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
Reaction to the video was swift with people blasting the rapper’s comments.
One person <a href="https://x.com/Sassafrass_84/status/1837705105652511121">wrote</a>, “If you hate this country, then get [the f] out. Go find one that represents your ideals. American doesn&#8217;t want or need your trash here.”
Another <a href="https://x.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1837708439453106237">added</a>, &#8220;Hey<a href="https://x.com/macklemore"> @macklemore</a>, since you hate America so much why don’t you leave? Thanks.”
While a third wrote, “Shame. This country made Macklemore possible. Where else could he have got rich and famous?? Shame.”
The rapper has been vocally anti-Israel, even dropping an earlier version of his song “Hinds Hall” in May which blasts the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas following the terrorist attack on October 7. The song references the many anti-Israel protests on college campuses that were happening at the time, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13880077/macklemore-leads-anti-America-chant-charity-concert-Seattle-benefit-Palestinian-refugees.html">Daily Mail</a> noted.
In the song he called out President Joe Biden and raps, “&#8217;The blood is on your hands Biden, we can see it all. And f**k no, I&#8217;m not voting for you in the fall.”
Last year at another anti-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., Macklemore took the stage and told the crowd, “I don&#8217;t know enough, but I know enough that this is a genocide,” the outlet noted.
Weeks before the rally, the rapper released a statement in which he condemned both the bloody Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel&#8217;s response, calling the latter an “unfolding genocide” and a “U.S. backed human catastrophe,” <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/macklemore-delivers-impromptu-speech-at-pro-palestine-rally-in-dc/">Pitchfork</a> noted.

Macklemore-2

Rapper Slammed After Encouraging Crowd To Chant ‘F**k America’

America

concert

Rapper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-saved-my-fing-life-post-malone-opens-up-about-battle-with-alcohol-and-praises-fiancee-for-getting-him-out-of-dark-times" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Post Malone</a> credited his young daughter and fiancée with saving his life when he was going through a “rough path” and said being a father has been “amazing.”
During an interview on <a href="https://x.com/HonestlyGifted/status/1823778140524564635">CBS Sunday Mornings</a>, Malone opened up a bit about how different his life has been since he and his longtime partner welcomed a daughter into the world in 2022.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll never forget her. If you heard her cry, you&#8217;ll never forget her, either,&#8221; said the 29-year-old Malone, who was born with the name Austin Post. &#8220;It changes you in the best way ever. And the most beautiful thing is she has a beautiful mom.&#8221;
When asked if his daughter saved his life, Malone said, &#8220;That&#8217;s true.&#8221; He added, &#8220;Her and her mom.&#8221;
&#8220;Four years ago,&#8221; Malone said, &#8220;I was on a rough path.&#8221; The rapper said he was dealing with loneliness. He was also struggling with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-saved-my-fing-life-post-malone-opens-up-about-battle-with-alcohol-and-praises-fiancee-for-getting-him-out-of-dark-times" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alcohol addiction</a>. 
&#8220;Everything. It was terrible. Gettin&#8217; up, havin&#8217; a good cry, drinkin,&#8217; and then goin&#8217; living your life. And then whenever you go lay down, drinkin&#8217; some more and having a good cry.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Post Malone speaking on the importance of his daughter, and the mother to his child. And how they both saved his life.
Then post goes into how the worst thing for him was loneliness and when no matter how famous he was, he felt he was always missing something.
Now he finally… <a href="https://t.co/6lKNqu52OC">pic.twitter.com/6lKNqu52OC</a>
— Brandon J. Lane (@HonestlyGifted) <a href="https://twitter.com/HonestlyGifted/status/1823778140524564635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
“Just like, &#8216;I gotta wake up tomorrow and do this again.&#8217; And I don&#8217;t feel like that anymore,” the rapper <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rapper-turned-country-artist-post-malone-credits-daughter-saving-his-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued</a>. “And it&#8217;s the most amazing thing. I needed to for myself, to figure who I am. I don&#8217;t want people to feel how I&#8217;ve felt. And I know they do and I&#8217;m here, and I&#8217;m on stage. I just want everyone to feel welcome and to feel loved. And that&#8217;s the most important thing for me.&#8221;
In 2022, Malone appeared on Sirius XM&#8217;s “<a href="https://www.siriusxm.com/blog/post-malone-baby-girl">The Howard Stern Show</a>” and let it slip that he had become a father and with his longtime girlfriend.
“That’s been on the QT [quiet] though?” Stern asked after the rapper talked about how he had “kissed” his “baby girl” before recently heading to the recording studio.
“We didn’t know you had a daughter, right?” the host repeated, and got confirmation about the child’s birth from the rapper himself.
During an interview in 2023 with CR Fashion Book, Malone made it clear he doesn’t want his young daughter or fiancée anywhere near the spotlight, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/post-malone-explains-why-he-keeps-young-daughter-away-from-cameras-people-feel-entitled">reported</a>.
“I feel like a lot of people feel entitled to know every single detail of everyone’s life and it’s why I don’t want to post any pictures of my baby, because I want her to be able to make that decision whenever she wants to and is ready,” Malone said.
“We live in such an interestingly semi-connected world where everybody is a phone call away, but you lose a lot of the intricacies and nuance of being with the person and seeing what’s actually happening,&#8221; he added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/post-malone-explains-why-he-keeps-young-daughter-away-from-cameras-people-feel-entitled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Post Malone Explains Why He Keeps Young Daughter Away From Cameras: ‘People Feel Entitled’</a>

Post Malone-2

‘I Was On A Rough Path’: Rapper Post Malone Credits Young Daughter With Saving His Life

fatherhood

Post Malone

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/travis-scott-in-trouble-again-with-law-after-paris-arrest">Travis Scott</a> was released from jail after being arrested in Paris on Friday for an alleged assault of a security guard and will face no charges.
Sources close to the 33-year-old rapper — born Jacques Bermon Webster — told the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/travis-scott-paris-arrest-1235970424/">Hollywood Reporter</a> that there are no plans to charge the rapper and that no one was injured when Webster was taken into custody at the five-star George V hotel in the French capital after a security guard attempted to break up an alleged fight between the rapper and his bodyguard.
Sources told the outlet that there was no injury to Scott’s bodyguard and that it was nothing more than authorities in France overreacting to a verbal argument between the two.
The Paris prosecutor’s office told <a href="https://variety.com/2024/global/entertainers/travis-scott-arrested-in-paris-1236101344/">Variety</a> that the offense was “insufficiently characterized” and that no charges will be brought against the rapper.
On Friday, Prosecutors in France confirmed to <a href="https://people.com/travis-scott-arrested-paris-fight-with-bodyguard-luxury-hotel-8693055?hid=4f90b78dc31e627328d98338e1fa49d03b364abc&amp;did=14111681-20240809&amp;utm_campaign=ppl-newsalert_relationship-builder&amp;utm_source=ppl&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=080924&amp;lctg=4f90b78dc31e627328d98338e1fa49d03b364abc&amp;lr_input=a08f4ce0dc67f7e22d138c82b9ce538ad294bfaca0b145e2f563962e58e05ef7">People magazine</a> that in the early morning hours, police took the 33-year-old rapper into custody.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dramatic new video of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TravisScott?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TravisScott</a>&#8216;s arrest shows Paris Police dragging him away from a luxury hotel &#8212; before they later took him to the hospital via ambulance. <a href="https://t.co/lK0zAWwMSe">https://t.co/lK0zAWwMSe</a> (🎥: Backgrid) <a href="https://t.co/F2LDHr6MM2">pic.twitter.com/F2LDHr6MM2</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1821907544132202778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
“I can confirm that on August 9, 2024, shortly after 5 a.m., the police were called to the Georges V Hotel and arrested the man nicknamed Travis Scott for assaulting a security guard,” the prosecutor’s officer said previously.
“The latter had himself intervened to separate the rapper from his bodyguard,” the statement added. “The 1st judicial police district was seized of the investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office.”
A representative for the rapper said, at the time, “We are in direct communication with the local Parisian authorities to swiftly resolve this matter and will provide updates when appropriate.”
“After multiple days of being chased and harassed by paparazzi upon entering his hotel early this morning and another evening of being swarmed with no help given Travis was arrested at his hotel after unfortunately getting into a fight with his own security detail, his bodyguard,” a source close to Scott said.
The arrest came 24 hours after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/travis-scott">Scott</a> dodged one of two charges after being arrested in June in Miami Beach, Florida, for disorderly intoxication and trespassing property after yelling at people on a yacht, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/travis-scott-dodges-disorderly-intoxication-charge-after-being-arrested-in-miami">reported</a>.
Scott didn’t appear in court last week, but his attorney was on hand when prosecutors officially dropped the disorderly intoxication charge against his client, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/08/08/travis-scott-miami-case-dropped/">TMZ</a> reported. However, the prosecution is still looking to charge the rapper with a misdemeanor trespassing charge, the outlet noted.
The rapper’s trial for the misdemeanor trespassing charge is set for September.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/travis-scott-in-trouble-again-with-law-after-paris-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travis Scott In Trouble Again With Law After Paris Arrest</a>

Astroworld Festival 2021

Travis Scott Released From Paris Jail After Alleged Assault Of Security Guard, Facing No Charges

Miami

Paris

Travis Scott

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/travis-scott">Travis Scott</a> has dodged one of two charges after being arrested in June in Miami Beach, Florida, for disorderly intoxication and trespassing property after yelling at people on a yacht.
The 33-year-old rapper &#8212; born Jacques Bermon Webster &#8212; didn’t appear in court on Thursday, but his attorney was on hand when prosecutors officially dropped the disorderly intoxication charge against Webster, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/08/08/travis-scott-miami-case-dropped/">TMZ</a> reported.
However, it’s not all good news for Scott because the prosecution is still looking to charge the rapper with a misdemeanor trespassing charge, the outlet noted.
On June 20, Scott was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in the early morning hours with his bonds set at $500 and $150, before he was released, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rapper-travis-scott-arrested-in-miami-beach">reported</a>.
Police said when they arrived at Miami Beach marina, officers saw Scott yelling at occupants of a vessel and that they smelled a strong scent of “alcohol coming from the defendant’s breath,”  <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rapper-travis-scott-arrested-disorderly-intoxication-miami-dade-county-rcna158014">NBC News</a> noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Travis Scott&#8217;s disorderly intoxication charge was dropped in Miami today.
However, he still faces a misdemeanor trespassing charge that he will have to appear in court for on September 10th. <a href="https://t.co/IAfVSt64jJ">pic.twitter.com/IAfVSt64jJ</a>
— No Jumper (@nojumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/nojumper/status/1821616708307882319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
At first, Scott complied with officers when they instructed him to sit down, but then he got up and continued. Police then instructed him to leave the area or risk being arrested. He left, but while walking away, he yelled “obscenities to the occupants of the vessel,” a Miami Beach Police arrest affidavit read.
However, a short time later, he returned to the marina and headed back to the yacht, before officers caught up with him.
Scott is reported as speaking to one sergeant and “becoming erratic” and “disturbing the peace of the occupants of the marina and nearby residential buildings causing public disturbance,” the arrest affidavit added, before he was taken into custody.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
“Mr. Scott was briefly detained due to a misunderstanding,” his legal rep Bradford Cohen told NBC News. “There was absolutely no physical altercation involved, and we thank the authorities for working with us towards a swift and amicable resolution.”
Later, Scott took to <a href="https://x.com/trvisXX/status/1803801576340926973">X</a> and wrote about his arrest, noting his European tour was still on. The rapper also posted on his Instagram story about the arrest, including a picture of his mugshot and a second post using his mugshot, but edited to include him wearing headphones and sunglasses.
Scott shares two children with “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” star Kylie Jenner: Stormi, 6, and Aire, 2. The two are no longer together.
The rapper’s trial for the misdemeanor trespassing charge is set now for September.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rapper-travis-scott-arrested-in-miami-beach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rapper Travis Scott Arrested In Miami Beach</a>

Travis Scott Dodges Disorderly Intoxication Charge After Being Arrested In Miami

The defense attorney for rapper Young Thug was held in contempt of court and arrested in Fulton County, Georgia, on Monday after he refused to reveal information he obtained about an ex parte meeting held in the judge&#8217;s chambers between the prosecution and a key witness.
Attorney Brian Steel got into a heated exchange with Judge Ural Glanville after Steel revealed information about a private meeting between the judge, the state, and a key witness, 11 Alive <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/ysl-trial/young-thug-lawyer-brian-steel-taken-into-custody-held-in-contempt/85-47a2aceb-0eb7-467a-ae57-30ac94a3a635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is in the middle of what has already been the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/young-thug-trial-longest-in-georgia-history-started-one-year-ago-today/RLQKG42ZHFGABLSBUHJ5HBNTZM/#:~:text=Selecting%20a%20jury%20took%2010,state%20trial%20in%20Georgia's%20history." target="_blank" rel="noopener">longest trial</a> in Georgia history. Young Thug was indicted with 27 others in the spring of 2022 on allegations that he leads the YSL street gang, which investigators have tied to drug deals, drive-by shootings, and the deaths of at least three people in Atlanta.
Along with gun and drug charges, the rapper was charged with violating Georgia&#8217;s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) — the same charges leveled against former President Donald Trump, who is also being prosecuted in Fulton County.
Steel motioned for a mistrial, telling Judge Glanville that he received information about the ex parte meeting, which means it was done outside of the presence of opposing counsel, excluding the rapper&#8217;s defense team. The attorney alleged that during the meeting, the judge and district attorney&#8217;s office convinced Kenneth &#8220;YSL Woody&#8221; Copeland to testify. Copeland was previously held in contempt and arrested after pleading the fifth during testimony last week, but during the ex parte meeting, Copeland allegedly admitted to killing Donovan &#8220;Nut&#8221; Thomas Jr, who was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting.
&#8220;I need you to tell me how you got the information [about the meeting],&#8221; Judge Glanville told Steel. &#8220;If you don&#8217;t tell me how you got the information, I&#8217;m going to hold you in contempt.&#8221;
&#8220;I understand. I don&#8217;t want to be held in contempt,&#8221; Steel replied.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to hold you in contempt, but this is so sacrosanct to have a conversation in my chambers parrotted to you and others,&#8221; the judge added. &#8220;It is that serious.&#8221;
Steel agreed with the judge about the seriousness of the meeting, adding, &#8220;That&#8217;s why we should&#8217;ve been there.&#8221; He also asked why the meeting with a witness would be held ex parte.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716990157394000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qQydjIo8bet419amChif">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;It&#8217;s ex parte because that&#8217;s what the state asked me to do,&#8221; Glanville said. &#8220;It&#8217;s just like when you asked me for an ex parte conversation.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve never asked this court or any court to meet with me and a witness,&#8221; Steel said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FULL HEATED ARGUMENT 🚨‼️
Judge Ural Granville and Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YoungThug?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YoungThug</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RICOTrial?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RICOTrial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Law?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Law</a> <a href="https://t.co/AoTASWSRFN">pic.twitter.com/AoTASWSRFN</a>
— The progress report (@Theprogressrep2) <a href="https://twitter.com/Theprogressrep2/status/1800301757547032660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Judge Glanville then again asked Steel to reveal how he obtained information about the meeting with the state and Copeland, but the defense attorney refused, arguing that he isn&#8217;t permitted to disclose his source.
&#8220;Well, I&#8217;m gonna hold you in contempt,&#8221; the judge said. &#8220;And you can think about it — 5 o&#8217;clock today we&#8217;ll see where you stand on that point.&#8221;
Glanville again ripped into the defense attorney, accusing him of eavesdropping to &#8220;get information that was not meant for you to hear at that particular point in time.&#8221; Steel argued that the meeting was proof of &#8220;coercion&#8221; and &#8220;witness intimidation&#8221; during &#8220;ex parte communications that we have a constitutional right to be present for.&#8221;
The judge <a href="https://x.com/Theprogressrep2/status/1800360343535046852" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> Steel to be jailed for &#8220;no more than 20 days&#8221; for contempt of court. Steel will serve his jail sentence every weekend for the next 10 weekends, per the judge&#8217;s order. Steel asked if he could spend his time in jail with his client, Young Thug, to help him prepare for court, and the judge said he would ask the Fulton County sheriff if that would be possible.

Brian Steel

Fulton County Mayhem: Rapper’s Attorney Held In Contempt, Ordered To Jail After Refusing To Reveal Source To Judge

Fulton County Mayhem: Rapper's Attorney Held In Contempt, Ordered To Jail After Refusing To Reveal Source To Judge

Court

fulton county

Georgia

Jail

An Iranian rapper who openly challenged the despotic Iranian regime has been sentenced to death.
On Tuesday, a court in Isfahan reversed the higher Supreme Court’s decision and sentenced Toomaj Salehi, 32, to death. He had been arrested in October 2022 during widespread protests against the regime. “The rapper has been detained, held in solitary confinement and was allegedly tortured following his arrest,” CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/25/middleeast/toomaj-salehi-death-sentence-iran-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“Toomaj&#8217;s music is not only revolutionary because he is willing to go after the regime while living in Iran, but also because he goes after all the enablers of the regime both in Iran and overseas: the media, NGOs, and foreign politicians who don&#8217;t stand up for the freedom of Iranians,” political commentator Yashar Ali <a href="https://www.thereset.news/p/the-islamic-republic-in-iran-has" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. He continued:
<blockquote>
Toomaj has been in and out of prison for years on various absurd charges ranging from insulting the Supreme Leader to propaganda against the regime to propagandistic activity against the government, cooperation with hostile governments, and forming illegal groups to create insecurity in the country. The names used for these charges are propaganda; they don’t reflect what Toomaj or anyone charged with these “crimes” has done. Toomaj did nothing but fight for the freedom of all Iranians and call for an end to the regime.
</blockquote>
“The Islamic Republic has sentenced dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi to execution,” Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s exiled Crown Prince, wrote. “Since its inception, the Islamic Republic has waged war on artists, particularly those who have [used] their talents to advocate for Iran’s liberation. I call on the international community, particularly Toomaj’s peers in the arts, to be his voice and to demand an immediate revocation of this sham sentence and his unencumbered release from prison.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Islamic Republic has sentenced dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi to execution. Since its inception, the Islamic Republic has waged war on artists, particularly those who have use their talents to advocate for Iran’s liberation.
I call on the international community,…
&mdash; Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) <a href="https://twitter.com/PahlaviReza/status/1783172476677042360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Listen to these powerful words of Toomaj from the streets of Iran and join our urgent call to action,” leading Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad added. “Time is running out. Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian rapper, faces a death sentence for [amplifying] the cries of the voiceless during ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ uprising. Toomaj’s unjust sentence demands our unified efforts to secure his freedom! This echoes the brutality of the Islamic Republic, which mercilessly silenced unarmed protesters rallying against the tragic murder of Mahsa Amini. Now, Toomaj confronts a similar fate. Let Toomaj’s voice continue to echo.”
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Listen to these powerful words of Toomaj from the streets of Iran and join our urgent call to action.
Time is running out. Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian rapper, faces a death sentence for amplify the cries of the voiceless during “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising.
Toomaj’s unjust… <a href="https://t.co/FdKHQHZRGO">pic.twitter.com/FdKHQHZRGO</a>
&mdash; Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/1783227280132649185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Toomaj Salehi, a beloved Iranian rapper and activist, has just been sentenced to death for his involvement in the Women, Life, Freedom movement that exploded after the murder of Masha Amini by Iranian Morality Police.
The Islamic Regime in Iran has been cruelly and violently… <a href="https://t.co/ueKpHxAh8o">pic.twitter.com/ueKpHxAh8o</a>
&mdash; Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) <a href="https://twitter.com/HenMazzig/status/1783166510208315569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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