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This Week in R&B / Hip-Hop (Jul 31, 2026)

July 31, 2026 ・ Previous issue (Jul 28)

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

This week split roughly in half between new music and courtrooms. Cardi B dropped her new single "Ah Ha," and Jacquees released "Mood 2" on Friday. On the other side, Diddy's release date moved again, and a judge in the 2Pac murder trial ruled for the prosecution. Kanye West and Jay-Z each made moves in their own cases. Here are the week's 11 biggest stories, ranked by our own editorial judgment.

🎤 This Week in R&B / Hip-Hop

Cardi B drops new single "Ah Ha"

Cardi B released her new single "Ah Ha" on July 31. She'd posted a preview on July 27 that drew a big response, and Atlantic Records moved fast to lock in a release date off that momentum. It's her first new song of 2026 and arrives right after she wrapped her first arena run, the "Little Miss Drama Tour." The question now is whether it becomes a song of the summer.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Diddy's release date changes again after a prison fight

Photo: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sean "Diddy" Combs was convicted in July 2025 on charges of transporting women for prostitution (a jury cleared him of the more serious counts), and was sentenced that October to four years and two months in prison plus a $500,000 fine. He's serving that sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey, and his projected release date has now shifted once more. Reports say he was involved in a fight with another inmate there, and that the incident factored into the change. The new date and the fuller circumstances have not been made public.

Source: HotNewHipHop

2Pac murder trial: judge admits a 2008 police interview

Photo: State of California DMV / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas in September 1996, and the case went unsolved for decades. It broke open after Duane "Keefe D" Davis, 62, a figure in the gang scene at the time, described his own involvement in a memoir and interviews; he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in September 2023. Prosecutors say he wasn't the shooter but the "shot caller" who ordered the hit. In the ongoing trial, the judge has now ruled that a 2008 police interview can be used as evidence. The defense had argued the statements came under a promise of immunity and should be thrown out; the judge disagreed. Separately, Davis' attorney is seeking a dismissal, arguing investigators built a weak case.

Source: HotNewHipHop / HotNewHipHop

Kanye West settles his former assistant's harassment suit

Photo: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

The plaintiff, Lauren Pisciotta, worked as Kanye West's (Ye's) personal assistant from 2021 to 2022. She sued in 2024 alleging sexual harassment, wrongful termination and other claims, including explicit messages and unwanted touching, then amended the suit in 2025 to add allegations of sexual assault. The two sides have now settled, so the case will not go to trial. The terms are confidential.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Jay-Z files a new claim accusing attorney Tony Buzbee of deceit

Photo: Joella Marano / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

This dates back to 2024, when attorney Tony Buzbee filed suit accusing Jay-Z and Diddy of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Jay-Z called it an attempted "blackmail" scheme and countersued. In February 2025, the accuser voluntarily dropped her case after admitting inconsistencies in her account, but the surrounding legal fight between Jay-Z and Buzbee has continued. In the latest move, Jay-Z has filed a new motion arguing Buzbee misled both his own client and the court. A federal judge will decide whether Jay-Z can add an "attorney deceit" claim, a rarely used provision of New York state law.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Jacquees "Mood 2" out July 31

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Jacquees released "Mood 2" on July 31 — 22 tracks on Cash Money / Republic, and the sequel to the 2018 mixtape that made his name. Features include K Camp on "Let You Go," Tink on "Physical," and New Orleans' Juvenile on the bounce-leaning "Lick Back." It's one of the standout R&B releases this week.

Source: Apple Music

Lil Durk wants the "Pissed Me Off" video kept out of his trial

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

The case traces back to August 2022, when gunmen opened fire on rapper Quando Rondo's car near Los Angeles; Quando Rondo wasn't hit, but his cousin Saviay'a Robinson was killed. Investigators believe it was retaliation for the killing of Chicago rapper King Von. Lil Durk (born Durk Devontay Banks) was arrested in Florida in October 2024 on a federal murder-for-hire conspiracy charge and has pleaded not guilty. With his trial expected next month, prosecutors now want to enter the music video for "Pissed Me Off" as evidence. Lil Durk's team is fighting it. Whether lyrics and videos belong in court has come up again and again in recent rap cases.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Nipsey Hussle's estate launches apparel line "Prolific"

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The estate of Nipsey Hussle, who died in 2019, has launched an apparel line called "Prolific," with a posthumous project also reported to be in the works. Given how much he built around ownership and giving back to his neighborhood, the response has been warm.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Eminem auctions 117 pairs of his own sneakers for charity

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Eminem is auctioning 117 signed pairs from his personal sneaker collection. Proceeds go to Detroit youth programs through his foundation.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Dave East x Harry Fraud "Price Of Pain" out July 29

Photo: Chris ATL / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

New York's Dave East linked with producer Harry Fraud for "Price Of Pain," out July 29. Fraud's hazy, cinematic beats and East's blunt writing have always fit together well. One for street-rap listeners.

Source: Rap Reviews

Nicki Minaj's hotel expenses show up in a court filing

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

The suit was brought by 24/7 Productions, an event production company that says it fronted roughly $250,000 for Nicki Minaj's hotel and other expenses during 2023 promotional appearances and was never repaid; it's seeking $275,149.62. A filing in that ongoing case laid out her hotel expenses line by line — down to Pringles, M&M's and room service. Once it went public, that itemized list did the rounds. Minaj's side disputes that she was even a party to the contract.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Each news item is summarized by our editors based on the linked sources. Photos are CC-licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (credited per image); we do not repost album covers or press photos. The running order reflects our editorial judgment based on breadth of coverage, hard numbers, artist scale and recency. Items involving active litigation reflect the parties' allegations and are not findings of fact. Release dates and case statuses are current as of publication (July 31, 2026); please check the official sites and original sources for the latest.