News › Oct 23, 2026

This Week in R&B / Hip-Hop: News Roundup (Oct 23, 2026)

October 23, 2026 ・ Previous roundup (Oct 21)

Photo: Mike Barry / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

This issue comes two days after the October 21 one. The biggest story is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell saying nothing is confirmed on the Jay-Z Super Bowl halftime report. Nicki Minaj answered after President Trump introduced her in the Oval Office, and the man charged over the attack on Rick Ross's son pleaded not guilty. New albums from Cordae & Anderson .Paak and John Legend & Pharrell land tonight too. Here are 11 stories, ranked by our editorial team's judgment of reach of coverage, hard numbers, scale and how central a story is to this week.

🎤 This week in hip-hop and R&B

Jay-Z's Super Bowl halftime report: Goodell says nothing is confirmed, but doesn't deny it

Photo: The New York Times / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Asked about the Jay-Z halftime report at the NFL's annual meetings, commissioner Roger Goodell said nothing has been confirmed "to his knowledge." He did not deny the report. HotNewHipHop covered it on October 22.

The report says Jay-Z will headline Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium in California, with guests such as Beyoncé, Eminem and Alicia Keys floated. Those names are speculation, and the NFL has announced nothing. Commentators including Stephen A. Smith and Jimmy Fallon weighed in again this week, and Carmelo Anthony defended Jay-Z, saying he can carry the show.

Source: HotNewHipHop (Goodell) ／ HotNewHipHop (Carmelo Anthony) ／ HotNewHipHop (Stephen A. Smith)

Trump calls Nicki Minaj a "favorite"; she replies she's "not going anywhere"

Photo: Pure DOPE Magazine / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

On October 20, as Nicki Minaj walked into the Oval Office while President Trump was speaking with reporters, he pointed her out as a "favorite" and said the two have stood by each other for a long time. The clip spread widely, and Nicki replied on X: "Not going anywhere. Right where I need to be."

Minaj has backed Republicans since Trump's 2024 re-election and has been urging fans to vote Republican ahead of the November 3 midterms. Opinions on her politics are split, and reaction online has been mixed.

Source: HotNewHipHop ／ Complex

Rick Ross's son attack: suspect pleads not guilty, 50 Cent offers to bail him out

Photo: The 85 South Comedy Show / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Photo: TechCrunch / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The 20-year-old charged with aggravated assault over the October 11 attack on Rick Ross's son, in which he was allegedly threatened with a gun and struck, has pleaded not guilty. As we noted last issue, 50 Cent offered to post the man's bail, and Billboard and HotNewHipHop report the suspect has since thanked him.

The charge is still to be argued in court and is not an established fact.

Source: Billboard ／ HotNewHipHop

Cordae & Anderson .Paak release the joint album "Heavy Is The Crown" today

Photo: Frank Schwichtenberg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo: John Sears / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Cordae and Anderson .Paak release their joint album "Heavy Is The Crown" on October 23. According to the August announcement, J. Cole, 9th Wonder, Conductor Williams and Swizz Beatz are involved, though their exact roles were not specified.

The pair previously worked together on "RNP" and "Two Tens," both produced by J. Cole, and the album follows from those songs.

Source: Ratings Game Music ／ HotNewHipHop (tonight's releases)

John Legend & Pharrell's "Muse" arrives today, including a track with Clipse

Photo: LG전자 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Photo: Web Summit/Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Photo: Simon Abrams / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

John Legend and Pharrell Williams' joint album "Muse" is out October 23. On "Joe & Jada," the show hosted by Fat Joe and Jadakiss, Legend previewed "Bodies On The Floor," which features Clipse (Pusha T and No Malice).

Clipse's 2025 album "Let God Sort Em Out" was widely praised. Which songs Pharrell produced on "Muse" has not been spelled out.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Doechii drops "CATWOMAN," the second "Swamp Sessions" release

Photo: Josh Berendes (@brende_films) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Doechii released "CATWOMAN" on October 20. It is the second entry in her standalone "Swamp Sessions" series after "Bombs," and arrives ahead of her debut album.

The track switches beats and flows several times, and its video is very gory. HotNewHipHop describes her as having fun while still making a point.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Wiz Khalifa gets a new hearing in his Romanian prison-term fight; next date October 29

Photo: Rickmunroe01 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Wiz Khalifa was sentenced to nine months in prison in December 2025 over smoking weed on stage in Costinesti, Romania in July 2024. On October 20, a Bucharest court agreed to move forward with one part of his challenge, the question of whether he was properly notified of a court date, and rejected the other part.

The guilty verdict itself stands. The next hearing is October 29.

Source: AllHipHop

Funk Flex denies a Knicks-opener scuffle and says it was a setup for a payout

Photo: B LOU / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Funk Flex denied reports that he was assaulted at the Knicks home opener at Madison Square Garden, saying Shadow Stokes tried to set him up for a payout. Stokes has not commented, and TMZ reports the NYPD has no information. The two accounts conflict, and the facts are unconfirmed.

At the same game, DJ Akademiks posted videos of himself skipping security and took shots at Meek Mill.

Source: HotNewHipHop ／ HotNewHipHop (Akademiks)

Kevin Gates ordered to share music-catalog sale proceeds with his estranged wife

Photo: Atlantic Records / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Per HotNewHipHop (October 22), citing TMZ, a judge ordered Kevin Gates to share proceeds from his music-catalog sale with his estranged wife, Dreka. The headline says $1 million, but the itemized amounts in the article add up to more, and the figures are not reconciled.

The money goes into a managed account, and the arrangement includes $225,000 a month to Gates starting in October. The couple has been separated for several years and each side disputes the other's claims.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Lil Wayne concedes a Verzuz battle to Boosie Badazz

On Tyrann Mathieu's podcast "In The Bayou," Lil Wayne answered Boosie Badazz's Verzuz challenge by saying he can't go up against him, and said he was surprised to learn Boosie had been held at Louisiana's Angola prison.

Boosie said earlier this year he'd battle anyone over 20 songs. The article says an actual Verzuz is unlikely.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Tonight's releases: Yeat, Yung Miami's "Watch Dis," YG & Ty Dolla $ign, De La Soul's "Stakes Is High" anniversary edition and more

Photo: 16.Osc / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Friday, October 23 is a heavy release day. HotNewHipHop's list includes Yeat's "LUH LEAKYZ VOL. 1," Yung Miami's debut album "Watch Dis," Offset's "GMFU (?)," Toosii's "Platinum Heart 2," and YG & Ty Dolla $ign's "Relax (2009)."

De La Soul's "Stakes Is High" gets a 30th-anniversary edition, and Armani Caesar & Benny the Butcher's "Sephora In Ibiza" and Boldy James' "Love Me Now" land the same day.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Each news item is a summary by the editorial team based on the original reporting. Photos are CC-licensed or public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (credited per photo); album covers and press photos are not reproduced. Ordering reflects the editorial team's judgment on reach of coverage, hard numbers, scale, and how central a story is to this week. For pending matters, statements are the claims of the parties involved and not established facts. Release dates, chart data and case statuses are current as of the time of writing (October 23, 2026); check official sites and sources for the latest.