NEWS
Hot Boy Turk’s removal from the Cash Money Millionaires 30th Anniversary Tour has sparked public backlash and the threat of legal action.
The rapper, a founding member of the Hot Boys, was abruptly cut from the lineup just days before releasing his new album Joseph. He claims his dismissal stemmed from a financial dispute with organizers, accusing them of offering him an unfair deal and retaliating when he declined.
On Saturday, Turk posted a statement to Instagram alleging that the tour’s promoters branded him a “security risk” after he refused reduced compensation. “The same day I rejected less than what was owed, I got hit with a bogus termination notice,” he wrote. “Instead of admitting they couldn’t pay fairly, they labeled me a threat.”
Turk’s wife, who also serves as his manager, joined him in a video response to the termination. The couple rejected the “security” label as defamatory and insisted they would not remain silent. The video fueled speculation about deeper fractures behind the scenes of what was billed as a long-awaited reunion.
MORE: Tracklist Revealed For Turk's "Blame It On The System"
By Sunday, Turk announced his legal team had issued a cease-and-desist order targeting tour figures including Andrew Ellington and Dope Shows. “We won’t tolerate slander or false narratives that damage my name or business,” he wrote. “This will be handled the right way—through the courts.”
The Cash Money 30th Anniversary Tour was promoted as a celebration of the label’s legacy, with Birdman and Lil Wayne. Though Wayne missed several dates, fans still expected a complete Hot Boys reunion. Turk had already performed at multiple shows before his abrupt departure, which left some attendees frustrated.
The fallout coincided with the release of Joseph, Turk’s latest studio album. The project dropped on July 27, accompanied by a video for “You Too Movement.”
While the tour continues without him, Turk’s absence threatens to cast a shadow over the historic reunion.
NEWS
Oliver Tree’s team has provided a new update following the singer’s death in a helicopter crash on June 14, confirming that a new artist grant will soon be established in his memory to help creatives secure funding, a plan he had detailed in his will before his passing.
Accompanying a collection of photos highlighting Tree’s performances, travels and creative work through the years, a post shared Sunday (June 21) on his Instagram account revealed that the musician’s remains have been brought back to California, the state he called home and where he will be laid to rest. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the caption reads. “This is something that Oliver had put together before his passing.”
“We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish,” the statement continued, adding that “the constant love, support and positivity” shown by fans throughout the past week has helped his “family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times.”
Tree was among six people who lost their lives in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The musician was in Brazil for his The World’s First Tour run and had performed what would ultimately be his final concert on June 6 in São Paulo. The other victims of the crash were identified as passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Just months before his death, Tree discussed his plans to direct his fortune and future earnings from his music toward a grant program for artists during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done,” he said during the April interview. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or things that get made from it is mine. So when I die … my will is set up so that when I pass, my family, nobody is going to get a penny.”
“If I have a wife or kids or anything, they’re not getting a penny,” he added at the time, explaining that the initiative would focus on helping artists create work rather than funding education. “I’ll get my kids through college, that’s the agreement, but there’s not gonna be a silver spoon. All the money is going to go back to artists.”
