“Where’s my money?” — Daz Dillinger is accusing the Tupac Shakur’s estate of owing him money stemming from more than a dozen songs

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Happy Tuesday, BFA Fam! Good morning. Kendrick Lamar has the internet spiraling again after “Not Like Us” briefly vanished from YouTube before suddenly reappearing with its views reset. Fans immediately connected the move to Drake’s upcoming ICEMAN album dropping this week, reigniting theories that the rap war is far from over. Whether it was a glitch, a strategy, or a subtle message, one thing is clear: Kendrick knows exactly how to control the conversation.

MAIN STORY

🔥 They Drew Memphis Off the Map. Your City Could Be Next.

⚡ THE SPARK

Eight days. That’s how fast Tennessee moved. Eight days after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais, Gov. Bill Lee signed new maps that slice Memphis, a 63% Black city, into three separate congressional districts, each engineered to have a white Republican majority. The state’s only Black-majority district: gone. The legislature even repealed a 50-year-old state law prohibiting mid-decade redistricting just to make it happen.

Tennessee Rep. Justin Pearson called it exactly what it was: “A political lynching that sets our state back 150 years.” Democratic lawmakers locked arms on the chamber floor. Protesters blew air horns from the gallery. And the Republicans passed the maps anyway.

🧠 THE LAYER BELOW

This isn’t just about Congress. The Callais ruling applies to state legislatures, county seats, city councils, school boards, and DA races — every layer of government where Black voters have built power since 1965 is now exposed.
Tennessee was the first domino. Louisiana suspended its congressional primary to redraw its maps. Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina have all called or are calling special sessions. This is coordinated, and it’s moving fast.
The Supreme Court gave this a partisan cover story, they framed it as “race-neutral” redistricting. But political scientists, voting rights lawyers, and Black voters all know: in the South, race and party are inseparable. Pretending otherwise isn’t colorblind. It’s a lie with a legal opinion attached.
Justin Pearson’s congressional run is now essentially dead before it starts. The maps were redrawn around him specifically. A young, expelled-then-reinstated Black progressive who became a national symbol, and they redrew the district before he could use it.
If this goes all the way, historians are already saying it could be the largest single drop in Black congressional representation since Reconstruction collapsed in 1877. We’ve seen this movie. We know how it ends if nobody fights back.
The courts are the next battleground — Democrats and civil rights groups have already filed a federal challenge in Tennessee. But with this Supreme Court, the odds of a favorable ruling aren’t what they used to be.

🎯 THE REAL QUESTION

If Black political power can be legally erased in eight days, what exactly are we building when we tell people to “just vote”?

🔮 WHAT’S NEXT

The fight isn’t over, it’s moved to federal courts, to November’s midterms, and to the states where Democrats still hold power and can gerrymander back. But the deeper lesson here isn’t just about maps. It’s about infrastructure. The Voting Rights Act wasn’t a gift. It was a hard-won tool that took blood, strategy, and decades of organizing to build. That same energy is what’s required to respond right now, not in the next election cycle, but today.

Watch the lawsuits. Watch Alabama. Watch Mississippi. Watch which Black leaders show up loud and which ones go quiet. The 2026 midterms were already high-stakes. They just became something else entirely.

The vote was never just a right. It was always a threat to someone’s power, and they just told you exactly how threatened they are.

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THE FLIP SIDE

👎🏾 Google Pays the Price: Tech Giant Settles Black Employee Bias Lawsuit for $50 Million. Google will pay $50 million to settle a sweeping racial discrimination lawsuit brought by thousands of Black employees who accused the company of steering them into lower-paying roles, blocking promotions, and fostering a hostile workplace culture. The case, which grew out of allegations first raised by former recruiter April Curley, forced renewed scrutiny on diversity and equity practices inside Silicon Valley. As part of the settlement, Google agreed to conduct race-based pay audits, increase salary transparency, and limit mandatory arbitration in workplace disputes. While Google denies wrongdoing, critics say the payout and reforms signal deeper structural problems within Big Tech’s treatment of Black employees. (Quintessential Gentleman)

❄️ Drake’s ICEMAN Leaks: Future, Karol G, and Molly Santana Rumored Features. With just days until the release of ICEMAN, new leaks are fueling even more hype around Drake’s next album. According to online insiders, the project could feature Future, Karol G, and rising underground artist Molly Santana, a lineup that hints at Drake blending trap, reggaeton, and experimental sounds all on one record. The rumored Future appearance is especially shocking given the fallout from Drake’s 2024 feud with Kendrick Lamar, where Future played a major role through Like That. Fans are also bracing for possible lyrical shots at A$AP Rocky and DJ Khaled as speculation around the album reaches a fever pitch. (Hot New Hip Hop)

💳 Trump’s Gas Tax Gamble: White House Pushes Fuel Relief as Prices Explode. President Donald Trump says he wants to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax as fuel prices surge across America following escalating tensions with Iran. Gas prices have jumped from under $3 a gallon in February to over $4.50 nationally, putting major pressure on consumers and businesses alike. While Trump cannot legally suspend the tax without congressional approval, allies like Senator Josh Hawley are already preparing legislation to make it happen. Critics say the move signals the White House expects energy prices to remain high for the foreseeable future, while supporters argue Americans desperately need relief as inflation and global instability continue driving costs higher. (Al Jazeera)

😂 Katt vs. Kevin Reloaded: Katt Williams Hijacks Netflix Roast With Brutal Jabs. Katt Williams stole the spotlight at Netflix’s “Roast of Kevin Hart” after delivering a relentless set packed with jokes about Kevin Hart’s movies, Diddy party rumors, and their long-running feud. The surprise appearance marked the first major public moment between the two comedians since Williams’ explosive “Club Shay Shay” interview in 2024. While Hart tried to publicly squash the beef by extending an olive branch on stage, fans online aren’t convinced the war is actually over. Social media quickly erupted as clips of Katt’s savage jokes went viral, with many viewers saying he completely dominated the roast. (The Root)

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

72 Hours | Kevin Hart | Official Trailer

Kevin Hart is diving headfirst into party mode in Netflix’s upcoming comedy 72 Hours. The film follows a struggling 40-year-old executive who accidentally gets added to a group chat for a three-day bachelor party packed with twenty-somethings, and decides to join in hopes of saving his collapsing career. What follows is exactly the kind of over-the-top chaos fans expect from a Kevin Hart comedy. Directed by Ride Along filmmaker Tim Story, the movie also stars Teyana Taylor and Andy Garcia. 72 Hours officially hits Netflix on July 24.

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Jim Crow 2.0 just passed. Legally.