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XXXTentacion’s murder happened back in 2018 and many fans are still incredibly distraught about his death. There are now four suspects in custody, including Dedrick Williams who back in 2019, was granted $20,000 by a judge for the hiring of an electronic device expert. In addition to this, he was also given an extra $10,000 for a private investigator. These grants were given so that Williams could get evidence and provide himself with a fair trial, which is required by law.

It appears as though this money wasn’t enough as according to All Hip-Hop, Williams is requesting another $10,000 for a private investigator. As his lawyer Mauricio Padilla explains, if he doesn’t get the money, he could risk losing the trial.

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“Defendant requires the assistance of a private investigator to assist in preparing the defense of this matter,” Padilla wrote. “Defendants defense in this cause will be irreparably hampered and his right to fair trial and due process of law would be jeopardized if he cannot obtain the services of an investigator to assist him in the preparation of his defense.”

Williams and the other three suspects will be in court on August 21st for a hearing. All four are facing Capital Homicide charges and if convicted, they could face the death penalty.

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Prior to his sudden murder in 2018, Florida rapper XXXTentacion was in the midst of becoming a superstar. Boasting albums like 17 and ? to his name, Triple X quickly won fans through his experimental nature, his strong ear for melodies, and his ability to flip the script and spit bars when prompted. In truth, few of the new generation of hip-hop artists boast his level of versatility, a quality that went a long way in widening the scope of his base. To this day, there are some who deem him legendary, another young pioneer gone before he could truly reveal his full potential.

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As his death anniversary slowly approaches, Lil Yachty took a moment to reflect on Triple X's passing. "I still can’t believe this n***a x really gone," he writes on Twitter, though it's unclear as to what prompted his mourning. In any case, it goes to show the impact XXXTentacion truly had on his fellow artists. 

Though Yachty and XXX never actually linked up on wax, it's not the first time that Lil Boat openly reflected on the rapper's passing. A few weeks after Triple X's murder, Yachty sat down with Big Boy TV and explained how the news had impacted him. "I've been a good person, I've always been a good person, but I want to be the best person, in a serious way," he explained. "I really want to be like, active. I want to help, and learn more about what's going on in the world."

Rest in peace XXXTentacion, and respect to Lil Yachty for showing his memory some love. Should you be looking to support Lil Boat in your own way, be sure to check out his brand new Lil Boat 3 album.

As we near the two-year anniversary of XXXTentacion’s tragic shooting death, the rapper’s mother is brightening up his fans’ mornings by sharing a new picture of his only son, marking how similar they look.

XXXTentacion was not around to welcome his son, Gekyume Onfroy, into the world. His girlfriend, Jenesis Sanchez, has shown off pictures of their little one, ogling over how the two look ridiculously alike. A new photo by Cleopatra Bernard confirms that.

“Caption this,” asked XXX’s mom on Instagram. The image shows Gekyume standing next to a picture of his rapper father as a baby, pointing to the framed display. Many of the commentators presumed he was asking if the picture is of himself.

You can clearly see how Gekyume took a lot after his dad. The 1-year-old hears all kinds of nice stories about the “Moonlight” star every day, as both Cleo and Jenesis have promised to teach him about his father’s greatness as he grows up.

The little one is growing so fast. It feels like, with each new photo, he’s starting to look even more like his dad. Soon, he’ll be dropping angsty and emotive music for the world to consume and enjoy.

Take a look below.

With all of the social and political unrest happening across the nation, many recording artists and labels decided to push back their upcoming releases to allow people to focus on what’s important. Although we were slated for another big drop day in hip-hop and rap, including new music from Smokepurpp, Tekashi 6ix9ine, and others, a minimal number of people actually followed through on their new music plans. 

XXXTentacion may not be around to witness what’s happening right now but, during his lifetime, he used his platform to speak on issues surrounding race. In fact, the music video for “Look At Me,” one of his most popular songs, recreated scenes from the racially-charged killings of Emmett Till and Philando Castile.

His estate has released two posthumous albums on his behalf — Skins and Bad Vibes Forever — and they came through this week by re-releasing one of his older songs called “Riot” to streaming services. 

Initially released in 2015, the song is back on Spotify, Apple Music, and other services. XXXTentacion speaks on racial tensions at the time and many of his lyrics are relevant today, especially when he speaks of lootings.

“Look in all the stores you wreckin’, n***a, I reckon/Think about the people who own it for ’bout a second/I know you got your problems, but brother, they got theirs/This is not a game, quit violence and grow a pair,” he raps. “But sure, you’d rather hear me say, ‘Fuck the black prejudice/Let’s murder different races, grow hatred, and form irrelevant/Views,’ and etcetera.”

Listen to the track below.

Trippie Redd and XXXTentacion are officially brothers for life. On Saturday (May 16th), the former shared a photo of himself and his late friend as Huey and Riley Freeman, the main characters from the animated series, The Boondocks. In the image, Trippie has been drawn as the older brother, Huey, replacing the cartoon character’s afro with his own signature red dreadlocks. As for X, the famous photo of him with blue and black dreads donning a white turtleneck and denim button-up shirt served as inspiration for his depiction as Riley, although the artist has replaced X’s dreads with the character’s signature cornrows.

Other identifiable details in the illustration include both rappers’ infamous face tattoos, including Trippie’s “14” on his forehead and X’s “NUMB” beneath his right eye. Trippie is also rocking a 1400 sweatshirt and a red bandana around his head. Although he didn’t tag or credit any specific artist, their watermark is somewhat visible on the image. 

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Back in January, just a few days before what would have been X’s 22nd birthday, Trippie shared a screenshot of some DMs he received from X only five days before he was fatally shot on June 18th, 2018. “Hope you see what I was trying to warn you about when you’re out,” X had said to Trippie. “Get all those demons from around you and get some good energy around you. The company you keep define you to a certain point.” Trippie noted that it was the best advice he’d ever received, although he has since deleted the post altogether.

One day after his death, XXXTentacion's mother revealed to the world that he was expecting a child with his baby mama Jenesis Sanchez. Unfortunately, the rapper never got a chance to meet his little one, who is now 1-year-old. X's family rarely posts pictures of Gek but whenever they do, the fans note how much he looks like his late father. 

This week, Jenesis posted several new photos of her and XXXTentacion's son, revealing that he's already doing some house chores.

Sharing a picture of Gekyume holding a large Swiffer mop, Jenesis' heart exploded at just how adorable her baby looks. Comparing current photos of Gekyume to baby pictures of his dad, you can see right away how similar they look. They practically share the same face.

Earlier this year, Jenesis and X's mother Cleopatra Bernard settled a custody dispute for the 1-year-old. Jenesis was allowed to remain the primary caregiver to her son.

In other news pertaining to the late rapper, it was reported that his critically-acclaimed album ? has surpassed 5 billion streams on Spotify. Several songs from the album are currently listed as the most popular records in the streaming platform's history.

Take a look at the adorable new picture of Gekyume below.

Ski Mask the Slump God has been through a lot in the last two years. He's had to mourn so many of his loved ones. First, his best friend XXXTentacion passed away as a result of gun violence, being shot in broad daylight outside of a Florida motorsports shop and losing his life. Then, a producer from the Members Only collective, Khaed, lost his life. Finally, Ski had to say goodbye to another one of his close friends, Juice WRLD, who passed away from an accidental drug overdose. 

Ski Mask has lost a lot of people and he has been fighting a silent battle for years. Today, he finally let his fans in on how he's feeling, saying that he sometimes wishes it were him instead of his friends.

"Should Of Been Me Instead Of Jah Or Juice," tweeted the 24-year-old rapper. 

XXXTentacion was a generational talent and he was unfortunately taken away from the world far too soon. As we near the two-year anniversary of his shooting death, the artist is getting closer and closer to reaching a new milestone on Spotify.

With 958 million streams total, XXXTentacion's song "Moonlight" has become one of the top hundred songs of all-time on Spotify, joining two more of his hit records. The rapper, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, already hit the billion-streams mark for "SAD!" and "Jocelyn Flores," with the latter reaching that point recently. 

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down the world but while many simply have to stay home in an attempt to slow down the spread, prisons across the world have proven to be ill-equipped for such an emergency. Due to this, some inmates are being released early while others are being forced to cope with the situation behind bars.

Per All Hip Hop, One of the men accused of killing XXXTENTACION, Dedrick Williams, has wrote the judge a letter pleading to be released on bond until the current situation with coronavirus “blows over.” 

“I am sending you this letter to save my life. Recently a deputy at the Broward County main jail gave an inmate the coronavirus. This matter makes me afraid because my immune system is very weak. And here at the jail they aren’t testing anyone,” Williams wrote in a letter. “I am asking to be given a bond so I can avoid catching the coronavirus. Even if it’s only to be out on bond and have and house arrest until this disease blows over.”

He added, “I ask for this request so my children won’t be without a father and my mom without a son. Please and thank you judge and I hope that you and your family are safe as well.”

We’ll keep you updated on the case. 

He may have never received the chance to meet his son, but XXXTentacion’s loved ones are making sure his little boy grows up knowing as much about his father as possible. The young rapper lost his life after being shot and killed at a motorcycle dealership in Florida nearly two years ago, and his life has continued to be celebrated by those who admired him. 

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Prior to his death, XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Onfroy, was in a relationship with Jenesis Sanchez. Days after he was murdered, the rapper’s mother announced that Jenesis was pregnant with Onfroy’s child. In January 2019, Gekyume Onfroy was welcomed into the world, and since that time, the late rapper’s family have shared a few photos of the growing boy.

More pictures of Jenesis and Gekyume surfaced on Friday (April 24) and the one-year-old is the spitting image of his father. The Shade Room reposted the photos on Instagram and within minutes people flooded the comment section with kind words about XXXTentacion’s son. If you’re wondering why they decided to name the child Gekyume, it’s a word that XXXTentacion invented that he said means “a different state or next universe of thought.” Swipe through the pictures below.

XXXTentacion and Juice WRLD never got the chance to work together, but fans of the two artists would have gone crazy if that collaboration did come to life. They shared so much in common. Both have been hailed as modern-day legends, tapping into their emotions to deliver some of the most heartfelt rap songs of the last several years. Both artists were taken away from us far too soon, losing their lives in their early twenties. 

During an Instagram Live session this week, XXXTentacion's baby mama Jenesis Sanchez was speaking to Juice WRLD's girlfriend Ally Lotti and, midway through their conversation, a surprise entrant made his way into the shot, pleasing everybody in attendance.

Worlds collided this week when XXXTentacion and Juice WRLD's partners hopped on Live together but one of the most heart-warming moments took place when Jenesis Sanchez brought her baby Gekyume Onfroy into the shot.

Ally Lotti went absolutely wild for the little one, who XXXTentacion never actually got the chance to meet. She was embracing her dog during the call.

Jenesis then goes on to explain that people are mad at her on TikTok because she gave her son a haircut. She shows an adorable little bald spot on the back of the baby boy's head, joking that it's been there since he was born.

Once the quarantine is over, you can bet your top dollar that these two will be linking up in person.

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#JuiceWrld’s girlfriend Ally with Jenesis, the mother of #XXXTentacion’s child, Gekyume, who makes a surprise appearance | XXX 999 ?

A post shared by XXL (@xxl) on Apr 8, 2020 at 6:52am PDT

XXXTentacion and Lil Wayne have collaborated several times posthumously, with the late Florida rapper appearing on a couple of Tunechi's albums. In return, Weezy F Baby delivered vocals on Bad Vibes Forever, one of the albums that X was working on before his death. One of their more recently-released team-ups, "School Shooters," will soon be earning a new chapter as it has been announced by the estate of XXXTentacion that a music video is on the way.

This could go one of two ways. At the end of the day, we all know that a ton of controversy is likely to come from this video. A music video about a topic as sensitive as school shootings -- especially one that appears to show scenes of bullying from the short preview shared on XXXTentacion's Instagram page -- could garner negative reactions given the current state of the world. Gun violence in places of education has become an unfortunate trend in the United States. 

The man who broke into the home of XXXTentacion’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, and has allegedly been stalking her, has officially been charged. According to The Blast, the Florida Assistant State Attorney has filed 5 criminal charges against Donovan Marlon Banton. Court documents read that Banton has been charged with damage to structure/dwelling, burglary, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, and stalking. This news comes after the court’s recent order that Banton undergo a mental examination to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

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Banton has been accused of stalking the late rapper’s mother over the course of several months. A police report reveals that Banton allegedly drove from New York to Florida on a few separate occasions in an attempt to make contact with Bernard. During his last attempted intrusion, he allegedly tried to get Bernard to open the door of her home and threw a brick through her back window, before retrieving the brick and smashing the window of her Range Rover. The police were called, and officers found Banton with a small ax, a pry bar, and two pairs of gloves.

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During questioning, Banton admitted that the reason he has been trying to contact Bernard is because he has supposedly been receiving “sadistic messages” from X in his dreams. He believed that the only way to put an end to these “sadistic games” was to find X’s mother. Bernard was granted a criminal protective order against Banton, who has entered a not guilty plea to all charges. This developing legal battle follows Bernard’s separate custody dispute with X’s baby mother, Jenesis Sanchez, which has officially reached settlement.

Florida rapper XXXTentacion is seen as a legend among hip-hop’s youth but, when he was just starting out, he earned his buzz by sparking a feud with Drake over the song “Look At Me.” The track was X’s first big hit and it ended up blowing up when he was in jail. Right around the time it was popping, Drake released More Life, which featured the song “KMT” with Giggs. That record features a flow that fans have drawn back to XXXTentacion, eerily similar to that of “Look At Me.” While the beef boosted X’s profile, things could have easily gone in the other direction. In a new interview with Adam22 and No Jumper, the late rapper’s associates DJ Scheme and Danny Towers discussed that moment in history.

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“It was a shit song though,” said DJ Scheme about Drake’s “KMT.” “I think that Drake makes some decent music, some pretty good music, and that was not good. It was not his best.”

Danny Towers, who was part of the Members Only collective, chimed in. “Obviously, everyone likes Drake’s music but I felt it was kind of ridiculous to say that you’ve never heard of [XXXTentacion.] That was kind of crazy. It’s very hard for me to believe that he hadn’t heard of him.”

DJ Scheme concluded that it all worked out in X’s favour, noting that the rapper is viewed as a legend and that his legacy has been cemented forever. Watch below at the 1:32:52 mark.

Last week, reports surfaced that XXXTentacion’s mother had an alleged stalker on her hands who was trying to break into her home on several occasions. The 24-year old stalker, Donavon Banton, allegedly drove from New York to Florida a couple different times and has been stalking X’s mom’s house, trying to get her to open the door and being caught trying to climb through a window another time. He says he’s been receiving “sadistic messages” from XXXtentacion in his dreams and the only way to stop them was to contact XXXTentacion’s mother. The man also believes its X’s mom, Cleopatra Bernard, who is using witchcraft on him and speaking with X to do this.

So now not only was Cleopatra Bernard granted a restraining order last week, but a judge has now ordered the man to undergo mental examination. TheBlast reports that a Florida judge appointed a doctor to complete a competency evaluation on Mr. Banton, who’s actually been sitting in his jail cell since his arrest on January 24th.

The criminal case will be stayed until the outcome of the examination to determine if he is fit for trial. We’ll keep you posted moving forward. RIP X.

XXXTentacion’s name continues to be written in headlines that, unfortunately, have nothing to do with his music. During his lifetime, the Florida rapper was subject to much criticism in the media for his controversial past, including allegations of domestic abuse and homophobic comments. The recording artist, whose real name was Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, was murdered in June 2018 and, since then, legal battles involving his mother Cleopatra Bernard have made for front-page stories. This time, things are a little more complicated because Bernard is reportedly going up against Dwayne Onfroy, the father of XXXTentacion, in a secret legal fight over the late rapper’s estate.

As reported by The Blast, Bernard and Onfroy are currently duking it out in court over issues pertaining to XXX’s estate. As of right now, the exact reason for the dispute is unclear. However, it was reported court documents that Bernard served Onfroy with proof of service, as well as some sort of legal notice. The specifics are unknown as they have been sealed.

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In the past, Dwayne Onfroy has reportedly attempted to be involved in the handling of his son’s estate, showing up to court for a hearing and notifying a judge on the day of that he would like to be included on decisions regarding his music, business, and more. 

We will keep you updated as more information breaks out regarding this.

It appears XXXTentacion’s mother was just granted a restraining order against an alleged stalker who tried to break into her home multiple times recently.

TheBlast reports that X’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, filed a petition for a restraining order against a 24-year-old New York man named Donavon Banton. She accuses Banton of stalking the late rapper’s family and traveling to Florida multiple times in the past couple months. She said the man came to Florida to harass her and has repeatedly done so. As a result, a judge recently signed off on an order of protection against stalking violence.

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But that’s not the end of it. What really is weird is that the stalker is saying that the late rapper has been in contact with him and that he’s been receiving “sadistic messages” from XXXtentacion. He told officers the only way to stop the sadistic game was to contact XXXTentacion’s mother.

He told police that X’s mother “possessed him by the use of witchcraft and is using witchcraft to spiritually attack him.” But if you ask me this all sounds like a case of the crazies. The last time Banton was arrested outside her Florida resident was last month when he was found with a small ax, pry bar and two pairs of gloves. He was arrested on charges of felony burglary dwelling/structure cause, possess burglary tools with intent to use, burglary/dwelling structure or conveyance armed, stalking-follow harass cyberstalk another and criminal mischief over $1000.

Banton is currently behind bars awaiting a court hearing. Hopefully this is the last we hear of this kid and story. RIP X.

Even though he's not here to experience the joy attached to earning such an achievement, we know that XXXTentacion would have been ecstatic to find out his highly-celebrated album ? is currently spending its hundredth week on the Billboard 200. The body of work is generally viewed as his most complete project, serving as his final studio album before he was tragically murdered in Florida. Since his death, two albums have been released posthumously under his name, but both of them were criticized for sounding unfinished by fans of the late artist. 

Although all four of the murder suspects in XXXTentacion’s death are set to face a judge next month, one of them actually had plans of getting out on bond. Yeah, not happening buddy.

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AllHipHop exclusively reports that Trayvon Newsome and his lawyer filed documents with the court back in September 2019 that stated he was legally entitled to be bonded out until the trial began. However, unfortunately for them, the judge ruled that an abundance of evidence is present to keep him and the other suspects behind bars. Newsome was in court last week during an Arthur Hearing when prosecutors presented the evidence to Judge Michael Usan for two charges, including first-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon. Along with fellow suspects Dedrick Williams, Robert Allen and Michael Boatwright, Newsome is facing capital murder and could face execution in the state of Florida if convicted according to AHH. Let’s just pray X gets the justice he deserves.

Do you think the judge is being fair by making sure these guys stay behind bars, or does Newsome and his lawyer have a point in regards to his legal rights? Let us know what you think about this report by sounding off down in the comments section.

A former UCF football player has been killed in a reported shooting outside of a popular restaurant in Wynwood, Miami and one man has been arrested in connection to the murder. XXXTentacion associate Tankhead, also known as Tankhead666, was detained in relation to a shooting outside of KUSH in a heavy foot-traffic area of the city. Local rapper Jose Trimaine Jose, 28-years-old, has been identified as the victim with one other man being taken to the hospital. The shooting took place on Friday at approximately 2 PM. Tankhead was arrested in another state before being transported back to Miami, where he is currently in police custody. A motive is currently unknown.

Tankhead recently appeared as part of a video interview series on VladTV, representing the Members Only collective and explaining his role as XXXTentacion’s enforcer according to Complex. Tank was not paid to be security for the late rapper but he considered himself a guardian of the star, explaining that he found himself in an “enforcer” role. The rapper, whose real name is Lynwood Walker III, was also featured on several songs with XXXTentacion, frequently appearing on the Members Only collaborative projects.

As more information is revealed, we will continue to keep you updated. 

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The death of a friend is never an easy feeling to adapt to, and unfortunately that seems to be resonating hard as of late for Ski Mask The Slump God when it comes to his friendship with late rapper XXXTentacion.

Photo by HNHH

Jumping on Instagram the other day, Ski shared a photo of the two rapping onstage during Rolling Loud Miami 2018 for what would be their last time performing together. No caption was added to the pic, leaving fans and those who knew the dynamic duo only to comment their own fond memories. “Greatest rap duo of all time,” wrote one commenter, which received over 300 likes, meanwhile others echoed the same sentiment of sorrow, including one person who wrote “miss him everyday” and another simply writing “The best duo ong.” The performance, which happened in May 2018 and saw the two rappers embracing following months of beefing with each other, happen just one month before X was shot and killed in June 2018 following a robbery outside of a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The four suspects in his murder will be heading to court this Spring.

LLJ, forever. Peep Ski Mask The Slump God’s IG tribute post to XXXTentacion below: 

We’re starting this year off with some major fire. If you ask me, this is how we should begin each annual campaign: with new albums from Eminem and Lil Wayne. As a surprise to his fans, Eminem released Music To Be Murdered By out of absolutely nowhere and, taking notice of the drop, Lil Wayne might just have been a little envious of the attention he was getting. Recognizing that the Detroit icon can spare to share some of the spotlight, he came through and announced that his highly-anticipated C5 follow-up, Funeral, would be released at the end of January. We’ve officially arrived at that mark and, albeit a little later than usual, Wayne delivered.

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Last night, fans were surprised to see Funeral hit streaming services at 3 AM EST, as opposed to the traditional drop zone three hours prior. Still, we stayed up and made sure to consume the hell out of it upon its inception. With features from Big Sean, Lil Baby, Jay Rock, The-Dream, and more, there are more than enough voices to keep us entertained throughout the entire 20+ song tracklist. This also marks the continuation of Weezy’s love affair with the late XXXTentacion, marking another posthumous collaboration between the two on “Get Outta My Head.”

Spanning over an hour, Lil Tunechi is giving us more than enough material to begin the year with some flames. Are you feeling the project so far?

Ever since the passing of XXXTentacion nearly two years ago, his son Gekyume Onfroy has been the topic of many pressed conversations. The late Florida-born rapper never had a chance to meet his offspring. In fact, the world only learned about his little one days following his murder. Several questions have arisen regarding the paternity and custody situation of Geks, with X’s mother Cleopatra Bernard filing several legal claims against his baby mother, Jenesis Sanchez, to fight for the right to raise her grandson. Just a few days ago, a new suit was filed in court but it seems as though things have already been handled between both parties. According to The Blast, Sanchez and Bernard have reached a settlement.

New court documents point to a settlement between Cleopatra Bernard and Jenesis Sanchez regarding the custody agreement for Gekyume Onfroy. A note on the papers states that their agreement was “confidential” so it’s unlikely that information will ever leak out into the public. However, it’s nice to see this get resolved so quickly. There is no benefit in having Sanchez and Bernard fight over Gekyume. That’s not what X would have wanted.

XXXTentacion’s mother has become the primary source for all things pertaining to the rapper’s son. She has shared several photos of the growing boy, who looks more and more like his dad as he ages. 

Although it’s been almost two years since the murder of rising rap sensation XXXTentacion, the proceedings to get his killers rightfully convicted still continue on. Now, it appears that all four murder suspects will be standing in front of a judge together for the first time in the very near future.

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AllHipHop exclusively reports that suspects Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome, Dedrick Williams and Robert Allen each have been ordered to a mandatory hearing scheduled to happen in three months. Broward Circuit Judge Michael Usan is making sure to see them bright and early too, setting the time for 9:30 AM on May 15. It’s worth nothing at all four defendants have pleaded not guilty to killing X, following their charges of stalking him in June 2018 before murdering him in cold blood by shooting outside of a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The paperwork was filed a few weeks ago on January 10, 2020 according to official documents obtained by AllHipHop, with Boatwright, Newsome, Williams and Allen all getting issued the same date and time for appearance. We can only hope the law is utilized swiftly and justly so that fans who had to leave heartfelt tributes like the one seen above at XXXTentacion’s 2018 funeral will get the closure they deserve. 

Remember XXXTentacion with the title track off his latest posthumous album, Bad Vibes Forever:

Fans of the late Florida native XXXTentacion spent much of yesterday composing tributes to the fallen superstar, remembering him on what would have been his twenty-second birthday. In June 2018, the “Look At Me” rapper was murdered in broad daylight outside of a motorsports shop. He had been browsing the selection of bikes at the store before returning to his car where he was blocked off in a robbery attempt. After XXXTentacion reportedly refused to give up a bag filled with thousands of dollars, he was shot and killed by the group of men. His murderers have not yet been sentenced. Ski Mask The Slump God, Lil Xan, and other artists who were close to the star have issued their own tribute messages to X and his mother, who has been criticized by his supporters, also spoke out, sharing several photos of her son and writing a brief post.

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Showing two different stages in his evolution as an artist, XXXTentacion’s mom Cleopatra Bernard celebrated her son’s birthday by speaking directly to him in her caption. “Happy 22nd birthday son,” she wrote on social media. “The world misses you and I am so very proud of you.”

Cleopatra Bernard is active on Instagram, sharing regular posts detailing the growth of XXXTentacion’s son Gekyume Onfroy, as well as tributes to the late rapper. Rest in power, XXXTentacion. We miss you.

Plenty of friends, fans, and family of XXXTentacion took to social media to honour the late rapper this past Thursday, January 23rd, on what would have been his 22nd birthday. After he was murdered on June 18th, 2018, X did not make it to see 22, but his supporters and loved ones have ensured that his memory is kept alive by sharing some loving messages and revealing special exchanges they'd had with the rapper while he was still alive. One of those people was fellow rapper, Lil Xan, who posted a tribute to X on Instagram and shared some of the powerful advice he had given Xan.

"Happy Birthday Legend ?," Xan wrote, followed by some happy memories of X. "I met you in 2016 and we spent a week in an airbnb with other up and coming rappers to celebrate 'Look At Me' hitting 1 million ! And the way you spoke was like you were an old soul who had a purpose, that purpose was to save millions of life’s." Xan continued to heartfelt message by writing, "love you man and thank you for always giving me the best advice that I’ll cherish forever❤️ Love you man..." In the post, Xan shared a photo of X followed by a screenshot of some of their DMs. "Be empowered by it," X told Xan, followed by Xan writing, "Move in silence." X then proceeds to unleash some words of wisdom, declaring, "Get what you want out of it all, don't let them ruin your love for yourself. And beyond everything, always fear yourself. Because you are your best friend and your worst enemy." Wow.

Had he not been killed on that tremendously depressing day in June 2018, XXXTentacion would be turning 22-year-old today. The late Florida-based rapper had a loyal following and, since his passing, his supporters have kept his legacy and memory alive by continuing to make him one of the most-streamed artists of the last decade. Although he only got the chance to release a couple of studio albums in his lifetime, the estate of XXXTentacion has posthumously dropped two more, marking the end of his musical catalog. There is a chance that the fallen superstar pops up here and there for a posthumous feature verse in the future but, in terms of an album, there will reportedly be no further projects released under his name. As fans deliver their tributes to XXX’s family and friends on his birthday, his estate has thrown things back to two years ago, during the year the rapper was murdered, to look at how he would have wanted to celebrate his birthday.

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Despite all the negativity spewed about him in the media, XXXTentacion was trying to change his ways to become a better man. In the final year of his life, X established an organization with his mother called Helping Hand, aiming to aid homeless people in his city and contributing time to women’s shelters across the country. With that in mind, his birthday wish from 2018 makes perfect sense.

“My birthday wish is to unite the world and to end the huge physical and spiritual war going on, let us all agree to disagree,” wrote the recording artist on January 23, 2018. The post was shared anew today, in memory of the late rapper.

Rest in power, XXXTentacion and happy birthday.

Were he not murdered in June of 2018, XXXTentacion would have been twenty-two years old today. The complicated rapper never had a chance to continue his path, leaving behind a pair of two studio albums in 17 and ?, the closest thing to a definitive catalog to his moniker. Not to mention countless friends, family, and loyal followers, who continue to paint him as a young legend. 

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As today is his birthday, many took to social media to celebrate his memory. It's no surprise that his close friend Ski Mask The Slump God, with whom he helped develop the Members Only collective, took to Twitter to pen a thoughtful message.  "Happy Birthday Jah," writes Ski Mask. "Saying I Miss You Is A Understatement But I Know I’ll See You Again One Day." Simple but powerful, our thoughts go out to Ski on this difficult day. 

Happy birthday, Triple X. It's unfortunate that we never got to see the trilogy of ?, Skins, and Bad Vibes Forever manifest as he originally planned, though posthumous efforts attempted to bring the vision to life; whether they actually delivered is strictly for the fans to decide. Who knows what the genre-bending rapper might have been capable of achieving on an artistic level? 

As many throughout the Hip-Hop community are still feeling the loss of burgeoning rapper XXXTentacion, those who knew him best have understandably been taking his death the hardest. Of course, they’re also the ones who can enlighten us on lesser known facts and behind-the-scenes moments in the late emcee’s life & career, which his ex-Members Only crewmate and longtime homie Wifisfuneral was able to do in a recent interview with VLAD TV. 

 As you can see from his Instagram tribute to X seen above, Wifisfuneral had a very close friendship with the “Look At Me!” rapper for years before the two even really blew up. Speaking with Vlad, he says, “I knew [XXXTentacion] since he was like 14,” continuing by detailing a pretty hilarious tale of how they initially met. “We knew each other because we were fucking with the same girl, little did we know,” says Wifi, jokingly referring to the love triangle as “Florida shit.” Another thing he mentions in reference to his relationship with X includes the two of them, along with Ski Mask the Slump God and DJ Skeme, living together at the house of his former manger, Table, who X reportedly was arrested for stabbing back in 2016. He also speaks on X’s incessant promo for the now-viral hit “Look At Me!” and ending the interview by calling him “on of the best” artist to ever do it.

Watch the full clip below, and let us know if you agree with Wifisfuneral that XXXTentacion is in fact one of the greatest artists ever:

XXXTentacion fans have generally not been pleased with the way his estate has been handled by his family and close friends. With much of the posthumous activity being organized by his mother, Cleopatra Bernard, a lot of anger has been directed at her. Fans are under the impression that much of the music that has been released either on Skins or Bad Vibes Forever was unfinished, tainting the legacy of the late rapper and taking the shine away from what he accomplished when he was alive. As you surely have heard, XXXTentacion’s personal life wasn’t always squeaky clean. He has been accused of some heinous things, but he did end up leaving behind a final gift for his family and the world around him: his baby boy Gekyume Onfroy. XXXTentacion never got to meet his son, who was born months after his murder, but even the situation with Yume will leave a bad taste in fans’ mouths.

According to The Blast, Cleopatra Bernard is fighting her son’s baby mama, Jenesis Sanchez, in court to gain custody of Gekyume Onfroy. In the court documents, it is reportedly noted that a “Guardian Ad Litem” was appointed by a Florida judge, which is used to formally investigate what solutions would fit the best interests of a child. An official will be looking into the living situations of Sanchez and Bernard to determine where it would be more appropriate for Gekyume to spend the majority of his time growing up. 

Shortly after the birth of Gekyume, who turns one later this month, Jenesis Sanchez attempted to order a DNA sample from XXXTentacion’s body in order to confirm his paternity, which was shut down by Cleo. Eventually, the judge sided with Jenesis and allowed the test to take place. We will keep you updated on any potential developments.

Legends never die. We’ve had a rough few years in terms of accepting the fact that some of our favorite rappers are gone forever. Thankfully, we still have the musical catalogues containing to industry-shakers like Juice WRLD, XXXTentacion, Mac Miller, Nipsey Hussle and others. After news broke last week about Mac Miller’s upcoming posthumous album Circles, it was confirmed that Nipsey Hussle’s album Victory Lap was finally awarded platinum status. Those two revelations certainly had people thinking over the weekend and one artist envisioned a bunch of rap’s fallen soldiers in one room, playing cards and lighting up one of Heaven’s rooms with their joy. 

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Tory Lanez shared the artwork on his social media profiles, pointing out that he’s not entirely sure of who created the picture but that it brought him to tons of emotional places. “Crazy…. S.I.P … don’t know who made this. But this is incredible,” wrote the Canadian singer. The artwork shows Fredo Santana, Nipsey Hussle, Lil Peep, Mac Miller, A$AP Yams, Juice WRLD and XXXTentacion gathered around a table with cards in their hands, weed on the surface, and half-drunk glasses of whiskey in front of X and Fredo. The picture truly is beautiful.

Remember some of the greatest forces to have impacted this generation of hip-hop below and think of what they could have accomplished had they not been taken away from us so early in their lives.

17-year-old rising rapper NLE Choppa has a chance at making himself a household name at a very young age. Not many artists earn nationwide recognition so early on in life but his street grit and melodious side have earned the Memphis star tons of attention. Releasing his debut Cottonwood project last month, big things appear to be in the cards for Choppa. Sitting down with Adam22 of No Jumper, the teenager spoke about a slew of topics relevant to his career, including some of the artists he sees himself in.

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When prompted to speak about Tay-K, the incarcerated rapper who was locked up partly on behalf of his lyrics in “The Race,” NLE Choppa revealed that he’s a fan. “He was gon’ have a wave,” said Choppa. “If he gets an appeal, I feel like he can get out. And when that n***a get out, oh, that boy’s show price gon’ be a million a show! They’re gonna wanna hear ‘The Race.'”

Later in the same interview, he spoke about XXXTentacion and his previous comments about the late rapper being a “prophet.” He explained why he thinks so, saying: “I feel like God sends certain people down to, like, help other people to just be there for them and help them get through something.” X’s music was much different from anything else consuming Choppa’s attention span. The youngin hummed along to “Jocelyn Flores,” which he revealed to be his favorite song from the Florida-based artist.

Watch the interview below.

Since his sudden death in June of 2018, XXXTentacion’s legacy has been steadily kept alive by his friends, family, and fans. For many in the younger generation, XXXTentacion has become a legendary figure, one whose artistic potential was shut down before it had a chance to manifest and develop. Though his posthumous work has proven divisive to say the least, his projects 17 and ? remain celebrated bodies of work, especially for those invested in Triple X’s occasionally tumultuous career. 

Jason Koerner/Getty Images

Today, Trippie Redd took to Instagram to pay homage to his fallen friend, uploading a picture of them buddied up in what looks to be a hotel bathroom. As several people in the comment section have pointed out, Trippie’s iPhone 11 (which came out in 2019) confirms this one to be a Photoshop. Still, the sentiment remains the same, as Trippie and X were indeed friends and collaborators. Many took to the comment section to pay respects, including Juicy J, who deemed the slain rapper to be “a preacher for the youth.” 

Real or not, let the picture be a reminder of another of hip-hop’s lost ones. Check it out for yourself, and show some love for the fallen in the comments — what was your favorite Triple X track?

For the last couple of years, we’ve been slowly shifting away from SoundCloud rap, putting more of a focus on other subgenres within the hip-hop landscape. When you think of the strongest artists from the SoundCloud era, a few names come to mind. One man who claims to have invented the wave is Smokepurpp. The Florida native has adamantly reminded his supporters that, when it comes to SoundCloud rap, he should be referred to as its originator. He’s not exactly capping either. Purpp did play a big part in the popularization of the medium as a means to “pop” in the mainstream. There are two other artists that earned some praise from Purpp though.

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Sitting down for a video interview with HipHopDX, Smokepurpp noted that he wasn’t instrumental in bringing the streaming service to the forefront. There were stars both before and after him that helped him do so. When asked who the most impactful SoundCloud artists of all time are, Purpp started with an obvious choice. 

“For sure Post Malone because he was like the first artist to actually blow up on SoundCloud,” he said. “He was the first artist to really go big like that from SoundCloud. And fucking [XXXTentacion] for sure. I feel like X played a big part.”

Of course, Purpp named himself as the third most impactful SoundCloud artist of his generation. Do you agree with his picks? They seem pretty solid.

Smokepurpp‘s reputation precedes him. One of Florida’s most prominent new-school rappers, the 23-year-old has been referred to as one of the leaders of his generation. He is emblematic of the SoundCloud rap wave that took over the Sunshine State so fervently several years ago. Alongside XXXTentacion, Denzel Curry, his best friend Lil Pump, and others, Smokepurpp took charge as a chaotic rapper that loved to get the hype train rolling.

You’ve likely read all the headlines about his antics with his close buddy Pump on social media. The two love to get the world talking, often getting into situations that mimic those of a frat house. While he loves to party, Smokepurpp is more than just a party-boy.

With Florida Jit, it’s time for Purpp to earn back your respect. While it will take more than my words to entice you, he plans on shutting up the critics with the arrival of his new album.

This week, I hopped on a call with Purpp to speak about his upcoming project, his relationship with Lil Pump and Ronny J, his upcoming reality show, what we can expect from him moving forward, and much more.

Read our exclusive interview below, edited for clarity and length.

HNHH: Hey Purpp, how’s it going?

Smokepurpp: Sup fam! Everything’s good, everything’s good, what about you?

Everything is good, I’m happy to talk to you. I was just listening to the album, actually. I got an advance copy. I wanted to start off by congratulating you on that.

What do you think about it?

I don’t want to say it sounded like the old Purpp but it sounded like the SoundCloud material, if you know what I mean.

That’s exactly what it is, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be.

That’s amazing. Aside from a return to that sound, what did you want to communicate with the album? Is this kind of like your gift to the people who have been asking for the old Purpp?

Yeah, so I’m a Florida kid, so basically me being a Florida kid, it’s just going back to the basics, it’s going back to being a Florida kid. So basically I’m just being on my day one, you know what I’m saying?

I appreciate that. It’s a little chaotic too, in a good way. What made you want to release a Florida-themed album?

I grew up in Florida, and like Florida is really what made me, what made my character. Florida pretty much made me, so it’s only right I do this for my city and I do more and more for my city. This isn’t enough but this is a start. I want to do a lot of stuff for the city. I want to donate money, I want to donate to charity, and this is just the start of that.

That’s amazing, man. I found you were experimenting a lot with new melodies and different kinds of voices. Did you go into the album wanting to try new things?

I wanted it to still be chaotic, still that hard-hitting shit, but I kind of threw melodies in there, which is something I haven’t done before. I’m like you know, like that hard-hitting type.

Definitely. You worked a lot with Ronny J this time around. I know y’all have a good relationship.

That’s my boy. We both got our first platinum plaque together, so we go way back. Even before that he was pulling up to me and Pump’s house recording us. Then he was living in Florida, so even before we grew up we were already friends, so me and Ronny have a good relationship, you know what I’m saying. The project is basically me and Ronny.

I feel like Ronny kind of represents the current sound of Florida as much as you do, so it’s nice to see you guys working together again on this.

Right.

You recently fought back claims from people saying you had fallen off. What would you say to them?

Look out (laughs).

I respect that. After listening to Florida Jit, I feel like this is like a whole different kind of avenue for you. I think once people listen to it, they’ll understand you more.

Right. They usually say [I’ve fallen off] when I go like a month or two without dropping a song, and then I drop a song and it goes crazy. I’m in the news the first day like “he’s back!” and it’s like, well, I was never gone.

Photo credit: James Pereria

That’s always how it is. You announced the album just last week. Did you complete it quickly, or have you been sitting on some of the songs for a long time?

I didn’t rush it or nothing, I wanted to make the project good. It took me about two or three months to do the project and then the rest has been mixing and clearing. You know I got to get [Young] Nudy on there too, Jack Harlow on there, [Lil] Pump on there. The producers, shout out all the producers on there besides Ronny. So, the past two months have really been clearances and stuff like that, shooting videos. We just now getting ready for the fire.

Speaking about Nudy, Denzel Curry, Jack Harlow, and a few others being on the album, do you have any cool stories about working with anyone in particular?

Rick Ross. I met Rick Ross– Pump had a song on his album, the self-titled one. That was me, him, and Rick Ross. “Pinky Ring.” We made that song and we shot the video and the video had never even came out. I never talked to him since then, and being able to link back up with him, that’s cool because we’re from the same city. I’m saying no more than ten blocks away. He been giving me the stamp in my city, and the key to the city is next, watch.

How did you re-connect with Rozay? That man is a whole legend in Florida.

I sent him the song to see what he thought about it and he ain’t even told me he liked it. He just sent it right back with the verse on it, so I knew he loved it.

That’s when you know! For Deadstar 2 you said that you wrote about 800 songs. What was the process this time around?

I really recorded Deadstar 2 like six times. All the leaks were fucking it up. So we wasted a lot of money having to go back to the studio and record new songs, and shoot new videos because we already wasted the budget on videos the first time it got leaked, so it’s a lot of wasted money because of these fucking leaks. So Deadstar 2 was a hard process. At a point, it was just like, you know what, with the leaks or not I’m just gonna put it out there ’cause I don’t even care no more.

Yeah, I feel that.

It was just too many leaks so I decided I’m just gonna put this out. Like, I can’t just keep remaking the album when I’m wasting hundreds of thousands on videos for people to leak it, you know what I’m saying?

It’s nice because I feel like this time around, you didn’t have to deal with any of that shit. It wasn’t as many leaks and things were more under wraps.

They tried, but this time we had Universal on deck blocking everything the second it got leaked.

The first single from Florida Jit is with Lil Pump. You guys just dropped the video for it. How’s everything with him doing?

Amazing. That’s my best friend, my brother. We grew up together, you know what I’m saying. We came from Florida together and that’s my brother for life. We’re never on bad terms, that’s my brother. We talk every single day.

That’s amazing. Are you guys working on more music? I feel like you always have something going on.

Of course. We have like three projects done, and we have a Gucci Gang project. That’s me, him, and Gucci Mane. That hasn’t come out yet. It’s all about timing you know.

That’s true! What ended up happening with that? Y’all did that around Coachella, right?

Yeah, so the original plan was to drop the album before Coachella and then perform the album there, but, you know, clearances and shit. It couldn’t happen on time, and then after that, we all three dropped an album and right now we’re all thinking about dropping an album again. It’s just hard finding the right time.

It’s nice to hear about that though because a lot of people want that shit.

No yeah, it’s coming. It’ll come.

FilmMagic/Getty Images

I wanted to ask another question about Pump. He tweeted a few weeks ago some scary shit about wanting to die. Did you talk to him about that? What’s going on? 

I mean, shit when I tweeted at him that specific day, he didn’t call me, but I hit him the next day and he was straight, so I really don’t know what that shit was about. To be honest, I can’t really answer that question, you know what I’m saying. That’s more personal stuff that I didn’t know, he didn’t tell me anything about that. I tried calling him that day but he didn’t answer. I talked to him the next day though and he was cool.

That’s nice to hear. You see that stuff and it just hurts.

Yeah, man.

Moving back to music, I’ve got to ask. Is there a third Deadstar tape coming at some point?

I don’t know yet, I don’t know if I want to do a 3 yet.

For Florida Jit, have you set an exact release date yet?

June 5th, you heard it right here.

Let’s go!

Hot New Hip Hop, you heard it right here. June 5th!

Shit, let’s go! How do you plan on promoting the album? With the coronavirus and shit, touring isn’t really an option. I’ve seen some stuff about virtual touring, do you have any creative ideas with that?

With the coronavirus, it just comes down to entrepreneurship, you know what I’m saying. You got to have multiple sources of income. At this point, you already should have had multiple sources of income because, you know, you never know when something like this is gonna happen. I already have multiple sources of income. I had signed artists, I have producers I signed. I do real estate. I own a couple of properties. So I’m not gonna say it didn’t affect me that much because it affected the whole world, but you know I had things to back me up.

You’re absolutely right on that. Anything can happen, so it’s nice to hear that you got shit lined up.

Yeah, exactly. I’ve always been the type of person to think like that so I’m always prepared for whatever. Before the coronavirus came– I’m not saying I was thankful about it, but I was definitely thankful that I was already getting multiple sources of income. I’m just doing what I can do like rent out properties, make merch, stuff like that. Talent shows, just stuff that I can do that my fans like too besides real estate shit. An artist should always have that set up, you know what I’m saying?

Once the pandemic is over, what’s the first Smokepurpp performance going to look like?

It’s going to be insane. I was supposed to be on an arena tour right now and that was gonna be my first time headlining an arena tour by myself, but it’s nothing. When shit comes around, it ain’t nothing. I’ll probably have another project out by that time. It’s gonna be lit.

That’s it. I feel like at most, this shit’s probably gonna last like another year. You’re not going anywhere, so that’s not an issue.

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I already have three projects finished and dropping this year besides this one.

Dropping this year? Three projects?

Dropping this year. I’m going Future, Beast Mode.

Shit, that’s crazy, bro I’m excited to hear all that. At the end of 2019, you quit drinking lean. On “24s”, you say you drank some lean. Are you still off it or what’s happening with that?

Yeah, so I recorded “24s” in 2017. I actually quit drinking lean in December 2018.

That’s amazing. Congratulations, man.

Yeah, I haven’t drunk lean since then type shit. I smoke weed, you know what I’m saying. I’ll turn up, I’ll do some shit. But lean, shit, that’s out the window.

You hear so many horror stories about it so I wanted to definitely ask you about that.

Yeah, man and not only that, but I used to rap about it because I was doing it. But I don’t want other people to do it because I’m doing it. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m just telling my story, you get what I’m saying?

Exactly.

Some people don’t take it as that. Some people take it as ‘yo, I gotta do this shit too if I’m gonna be cool.’ That plus my health, it just made me want to quit the lean, like that shit’s out the window. You do lean, that shit’s lame. I’m making that a new thing. Lean is lame.

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I love that. There’s also been some shit on The Shade Room about some girl who has a tattoo of yours… What’s going on with her, can you just clear that shit up?

To be honest, I don’t know what’s wrong with her bro, I don’t know that girl. I never even fucked that girl, nothing like that. I don’t know what that shit’s about. I would’ve understood if I knew her like that and I dicked the bitch down and gave her some good dick and she was traumatized, but none of that went down. I don’t know her like that (laughs) you know what I’m saying, like.

I mean, at least she’s listening to the music, so that’s nice (laughs).

And it’s no disrespect there either by what I’m saying, but it’s just the truth like I don’t know you.

Aside from the three projects that you have lined up, what else do you have planned for the rest of the year?

A lot of music videos, a lot of merch. I’m actually dropping merch this week. I’m gonna be dropping merch all year. I have a line that I’m working on which is a clothing brand that we launched, so that’s gonna be coming this year too. I actually have a reality TV show about to come out too. We’re shooting the first season right now.

Shit for real? A reality TV show?

Yeah, man. That’s what I’m saying about different sources of income, that’s what I’m talking about. My shit is funny, cause my cameraman records what I don’t want him to record.

Yeah, that’s incredible, man. I’m excited about all of that. Is there anything else you wanted to add for the readers? 

Be on the look out. Shout out all the fans. Merch dropping. Florida Jit.

That’s amazing Purpp. I had a pleasure speaking with you, thank you so much for me giving me the time.

Ah, yeah thank you. I have a lot of love for you guys.

I appreciate you man, thank you very much.

Prior to this pandemic that put the world on pause, there were already plenty of creative ways for artists to reach a global audience. Many of us are tuned in by apps, social media platforms, websites—you name it. Crown Royal Apple wanted to give a platform to up-and-coming artists to help them showcase their talents, so they created “The Royal Sessions.” They reached out to Rapsody to act as their master of ceremonies, and as an artist who loves supporting her fellow creatives, the rapper accepted.

The Grammy-nominated emcee was more than thrilled to partner with the brand, especially as they made it their goal to bring more music to the culture from the intimacy of an artist’s own home. “The Royal Sessions” has already featured artists like Chase B and Lion Babe, and on Thursday (May 21), DJ and visual artist Quiana Parks will take her turn.

“It is important for us to come together as a community of creators and support one another,” said Johannah Rogers, Senior Brand Manager, Crown Royal. “Crown Royal Regal Apple wants to empower artists who have lost opportunities and revenue during this unprecedented time, so we created The Royal Sessions to provide a stage to rising stars in the industry who can help us come together through our connection with the music, despite being apart.”

We had the pleasure of speaking with Rapsody about her partnership with Crown Royal for “The Royal Sessions” as well as all things related to creativity, music, and encouraging new talent. “[I] just [wanted] to show my support as well as support Crown and their efforts to empower and give a platform to these emerging artists,” she said. “When they told me the idea I was excited about it, especially during a time like this when a lot of artists have to be creative on how to get their music out, how to reach their fans, [and] also how to make people feel good through art.”

When it comes to bringing art in its most authentic form, Rapsody is both an expert and an advocate. “I love what [Crown] represents,” she continued. “I look at their brand through the art, just how infused into the culture they are. They make themselves apart of the culture versus using the culture. When they came to me, I was excited to be apart of this opportunity just to help artists.”

Like “The Royal Sessions,” there has been an influx of Live music sets throughout various social media platforms. We wanted to know who Rapsody tuned into, and after singing Lion Babe’s praises (“I’ve been listening to Lion Babe for maybe the last five years. I love her artistry and what she represents to the culture”), the rapper admitted to being an avid fan of watching various DJs on the ones and twos.

“DJ D-Nice, of course, [with] like, half the world,” she said. “9^th Wonder. A lot of times within the culture, the DJs are left out. We forget how important they are, just as much as the artist. The thing I like about seeing DJs rise is people remember that DJs are still the cornerstone of hip hop.” Rapsody may be a respected emcee who many adore, but she treasures this moment as an admirer of her fellow artists as she’s able to share vulnerable moments with creators. “It makes you connect with the music they make even more.”

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Last year, Rapsody stopped hip hop fans in their tracks when she released her acclaimed album Eve that paid homage to influential black women. In a time when many artists are following similar sounds or riding the same waves, Rapsody has managed to successfully go against the grain while creating music that touches the soul of listeners who have their ears to the ground and hearts in hip hop. It isn’t easy being a person who walks their own path when the industry—or even the public—is vying for women in rap to fit a particular mold, but the North Carolina native has made it work.

“As an artist in the information age, it can take a lot out of you,” Rapsody said. “You have to keep up. It’s such a fast pace. You forget sometimes to breathe, to check in on yourself, to get to know yourself, to unlearn some things.” She recognized that this global pandemic has caused hardships for many, yet she said she quests to find a silver lining in it all. For Rapsody, she’s connecting with herself though “a lot of soul searching and revisiting ‘Who am I?’” She added, “It’s been exciting and very healing for me.”

Over the last few years, hip hop has lost a number of young artists whose lives were snuffed out before they were able to reach their potentials. Juice WRLD, XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, Pop Smoke, Lexii Alijai,  Chynna Rogers, and Rapsody’s good friend Mac Miller are just a few artists who never received the opportunity to share all that they had to offer with the world. Everyone from culture commentators to fans to critics have all weighed in with opinions regarding what hip hop as a culture needs to do in order to protect or guide the emerging generation of entertainers. We were curious as to what encouragement Rapsody would have for young artists who are trying to navigate their way in an industry that can often feel like an uphill battle during a blizzard without a coat.

“To believe in yourself,” she began, noting that it’s a piece of advice that she’d received. “Trust the gift that was given to you. Your purpose is not like anybody else. The timing is not like anybody else. You are unique and your path, your journey, and your story is unique because it’s tailored to you.” It may sound like some simple piece of advice, but Rapsody added that if an artist truly understands this rule, then they’re on their way to making pure, authentic art. She still relies on this, as she recognized that as much as she has put her heart and soul on wax, there are still parts of Rapsody that fans have never seen because she hasn’t felt comfortable. Still, she encourages other artists to walk without fear and take risks, including hitting up other creatives for support.

“The community in hip hop, in the culture, it’s a lot stronger than what people think,” she stated. “For myself, during this time, I’ve been wanting to learn something new outside of music. I was like, ‘Man, let me hit Lena Waithe because I have some questions.’ And she hit me back immediately! That surprised me! I should do this more.” If you can’t muster up the courage to slide into Lena Waithe’s DMs with questions, Rapsody recommended tuning into Lives like “The Royal Sessions” to “just watch people create.”

Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty Images

In many ways, Rapsody is a mystery. Even with 15-ish years under her belt, Rapsody has managed to hold aspects of herself close to the chest. We questioned her about who she is, removed from being Roc Nation’s critically-acclaimed emcee, and wondered how the public can connect with that person walking in the shadows of the limelight. Before responding, she let out a laugh. “I guess the best way to answer that is to know Marlanna and not know Rapsody,” she said, mentioning her first name. “A lot of people know Rapsody.” A couple of spare minutes and a quick Google search can inform you of a few of the rapper’s favorite things, but that’s not necessarily the soul and essence of Marlanna Evans.

“I think now I wanna share a little bit of who Marlanna is. The person that is the biggest part of Rapsody, why Rapsody is the way she is and why she works the way she does,” the rapper continued. People have told her “I wanna know about your love life, what makes you cry, what you talk to your best friends about,” so she’s ready to introduce people to that side of herself. “A lot of things I’ve been through, I know a lot of other people have been through. Some people just need music to heal those times, to understand those times, to laugh at those times. That’s the space that I’m into now with art: Wanting and allowing other people to come into that space with me.” We look forward to peeking in once the door is open.

Make sure to tune into “The Royal Sessions” Thursday at 9 p.m. to catch Rapsody along with DJ and visual artist Quiana Parks over on Instagram at @quianaparks.

Roddy Ricch has cemented his position in the rap game, and we don’t expect he’ll be going anywhere any time soon. The young artist is not only talented, creating insanely catchy melodies out strange noises, he’s also got a good head on his shoulders– he’s mature for his young age, as he’s continuously proven both in his reflective lyrics and in interviews. Perhaps it’s the Nipsey Hussle influence, but perhaps it’s also just who Roddy is.

The artist was already bubbling when he delivered his Feed the Streets 2 mixtape in 2018, and by 2019, with the release of “Racks in the Middle,” his clout began to reach new heights. He capped off the year by delivering his debut album Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social, which shattered expectations, led by the phenomenal success of “The Box”– apparently, no one was expecting the lurching record to take off as it did, because the label hadn’t even shot a music video for the song at the time.

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Now that Roddy is a certified super-star-in-the-making, we’re taking a look at some of the best songs he’s released in his short career so far, while we anticipate new music from the rapper. If you’re new to Roddy Ricch’s catalogue, let this list be your guide for essential listening.

Let us know your favorite Roddy Ricch songs in the comments.

Fucc It Up

Roddy Ricch’s kicks off his debut mixtape, Feed The Streets, with the unrelenting “Fucc It Up” and he doesn’t slow down from there, setting the melodic, charismatic tone for the rest of the mixtape (not to mention his entire career). Despite the fact that Roddy Ricch may not sound like where he’s from– Compton– what he does sound like is himself. Since day one, Roddy Ricch has had a distinct sound and he hasn’t strayed from it, he’s remained true to himself.

A few electronic keys signal the start of “Fucc It Up,” before Roddy Ricch proceeds to go in, weaving his way through the keys while the boom of the bass contrasts the natural pitch of his vocals. Not only does the record set the tone for the project in terms of style and sound, it paints the scene– a man who is used to the streets but is acclimating to a life of luxury. 

LISTEN.

Position

It just so happens that the first three songs on Feed the Streets are back-to-back-to-back fire. We can assume this is by design, as it ensures you are immediately hooked. “Position” has one of the hooks that will be stuck in your head, with Roddy’s voice auto-tuned slightly to create an even more pitched up feeling, as the rapper elongates his words, creating melodies with each bar. In fact, each bar seems to try out a new type of flow, some more passionate than others, showing the breadth of Roddy’s abilities (yet, he’s explored even more since). Roddy has an uncanny ability to make his vocals feel intrinsically entangled with the beat. 

The record is another reminder of where Roddy came from and where he’s heading– frequent themes in his music, as a young artist who is still getting comfortable with his success. One thing is for sure though, he won’t be heading back to any type of broke boy circumstance. 

LISTEN.

Sak Passe

“Sak Passe” rounds out the trio of opening records found on Roddy Ricch’s very first mixtape, and insanely strong introduction to the rap game, Feed the Streets. Clearly, Roddy was hungry. Not just that, but he was hungry to share with his friends and family– one of the most prominent themes within Roddy’s music is taking care of his own and spreading the wealth. 

“Sake Passe,” produced by Joey Trife and CashMoneyAP, begins with classical-sounding piano keys before a burst of bass breaks through the beat, taking over and pushing the piano keys to the background. Roddy delivers one of his most heartfelt hooks on the record: “We fed the streets, I had to flood it,” he raps, his voice aching with melody. “I wanna fuck with my niggas / Then take my niggas to the top of the world,” he says later, making a promise he’s probably keeping as we speak.

LISTEN.

HoodRicch

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“HoodRicch” helped cap off the first Feed the Streets mixtape, as Roddy Ricch envisions what his life would look like after coming up out of the streets. “I came from the bottom lil nigga / All I ever dreamt about was being hood ricchhhhh,” he croons. The beat is cinematic, adding to the dream-like quality of the record. It also has a bit of a West Coast flare to it thanks to hints of a wobbly synths that bubble below the drums, which isn’t the norm for Roddy, who tends to lean more into Atlanta’s melodic trap style. Nonetheless it’s a stand-out from the rapper’s young career.

LISTEN.

Quality

A melodic howl signals the start of “Quality,” and are littered throughout the beat, showcasing Roddy’s penchant for unique, earworm-type ad-libs that become an integral part of the record– think “The Box.” A few piano keys then set the tone for the smooth record that finds Roddy name-dropping artists he’s looking to emulate, including Kanye West, Meek Mill, and DJ Drama. Of course, he would eventually connect with Meek Mill directly, leading to collaborations between the two on top of a relationship. As Roddy’s revealed in interviews since, he was in the process of working on Feed the Streets 2 at a studio in Atlanta when he first met Meek Mill.

LISTEN.

Blue Streak

Yep, this song is another one that finds Roddy crooning effortlessly over a piano-laden beat. Roddy definitely loves his piano as a musical backdrop, however it somehow doesn’t become repetitive because the style and type of keys is often changing. Here, it’s something a bit more mellow and minimal from producer Pinnacle, who even puts a pause on the drums from time to time, making Roddy’s lyrics and voice the main focus. 

LISTEN.

Boom Boom Room

“Boom Boom Room” became a low-key fan-favorite off Roddy Ricch’s debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social. He would go on to drop off a visual for the song, which begins eerily enough, with the rapper climbing out of a car post-accident. With a bleeding head and a limp, he follows a girl slyly inviting him into a backdoor alley with a glowing neon sign that reads: The Boom Boom Room. Inside, the dimly-lit club is shadowed in hues of red and blue, while glowing-eyed strippers and cash circulate the rooms. It’s strange, yet it works–  the dark, spooky vibe matches that of the song. “Boom Boom Room” is another example of Roddy’s vocal acrobatics, where he provides squeaking “ah ah” ad-libs that once again permeate the piano-driven beat, becoming a part of it, while constantly looping in your head. 

The Box

“The Box” is the record that propelled Roddy Ricch’s already-buzzing career into another stratosphere. It’s the song that helped his name break out beyond just hip-hop circles, and into the pop culture dialogue. It was also the immediate stand-out on Roddy’s debut album, for basically everyone– the first time you played Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social, chances are you fucked with “The Box” heavily. 

While the rapper found viral success with records like “Die Young” and “Every Season,” neither charted in the way that “The Box” did– it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first song to do so, while also keeping the spot on lock for 11 straight weeks. Enough about the stats, though, it’s the song itself that’s a masterpiece, from 30 Roc’s production to Roddy’s lyrics. The inventive “eee errr” ad-lib was just the icing on the cake– although really, it’s hard to say if the song would have taken off without it– given how perfectly it meshes in the age of the short sound-bite (aka TikTok).

The record feels like a hit from the minute you press play and the cinematic sounds of an orchestra swells, giving the record an ominous, yet important feeling. That feeling proved correct, as the song has not only defined Roddy Ricch’s success but acts as a warning sign for the young artist’s endless creative energy and talent. 

LISTEN.

Nascar

“Nascar” is exactly how it sounds– it’s a fast-paced record, perfect for cruising. The production from Richie Souf and Southside, two ATL mainstays, is atmospheric and light, yet it’s all wrapped up in a sense of urgency. This is echoed by Roddy who raps passionately over the course of the three-minute record, reflecting on how his life has been zooming on by– and equally, how he himself is dashing past his fellow artists.

LISTEN.

Faces

“Faces” is the second track off Roddy’s second mixtape, Feed the Streets 2. His vocals feel particularly pitched up on the song, creating a cadence that’s a bit squeakier than usual, but proves a thrilling listen. Roddy feels like he’s full-out whining on the hook, as he admits how much his life has changed: “Nigga I can’t lie, shit changed / When I start countin’ the faces / Soon as I bust my face down / All these niggas wanna hate me now.” As much as Roddy can brag on a record, he tends to balance it out with a mature perspective–  “I just wanna make sure I got enough saved for the kids / I just wanna make sure my habits ain’t affectin’ the way I live I came up out the streets, nigga I can’t lie that’s how I live,” he ruminates. 

The Sonic-produced beat is another one that counts piano as part of its melodic nature, with skittering hi-hats and 808s rounding it out as a few of Roddy’s preferred sounds. 

LISTEN.

Down Below

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Roddy Ricch tends to have a mix of producers, some West Coast staples while others are ATLiens, thus helping curate his unique blend of trap. On “Down Below,” he has an OG behind the boards, Scott Storch, with co-production from Avedon. It’s a song that basks in its forlornness. Roddy uses this feeling of loneliness to help propel his lyrics, as he reflects on trials and tribulations of his past life. “’Member I was in the project walls, couldn’t even get a loan / Now these niggas got they hands out, if I ain’t give it, I’d be wrong / ‘Member I was in the county jail none of these bitches wasn’t pickin’ up the phone,” he raps over the simple twang of the beat.

“Down Below” acts as a reminder of where Roddy Ricch came from, or perhaps better put, it’s an ode to it– it’s as though he’s serenading his past life as he looks forward to what the future now holds, an entirely different way of life.

LISTEN.

Every Season

“Every Season” is one of Roddy Ricch’s biggest songs, at least, that was before “The Box” came along and claimed the top spot. Nonetheless, it was one of Roddy’s early viral successes, released as a single ahead of Feed the Streets 2. The production, helmed by Cassius Jay and Beezo, has the type of country-trap vibe that’s become popular this past year, while Roddy uses the instrumental to simply show off his flows. He packs quite a few different flows into this record, proving his versatility since the beat itself is rather repetitive– yet somehow, Roddy finds the pocket of the beat for every flow, making it seem all too easy. 

LISTEN.

Die Young

No Roddy Ricch best-of list would be complete without “Die Young.” The song was another in his early viral successes, and of course, production from London on da Track helped. The single dropped ahead of Feed the Streets 2, and alongside “Every Season,” it created anticipation for this up-and-coming rapper’s project to arrive. The song also came with a heavy concept, one that is easily relatable even if you’re not deep in the rap game– but the meaning behind the record became even more impactful and monumental when Roddy explained that he created the song the same day XXXTentacion died.

He told RapGenius, “The thing that inspired me making “Die Young” was that X had died that day. It was the night he passed away, I was just in the mood where, ya know, a lot of young people dying, legends, and I wanted to make something to Speaker Knockerz, Lil Snoop. It’s a lot of people that was great that died at a young age, so I wanted to make something in remembrance of them but at the same time just making people well aware of what’s been going on. I just felt some type of way about it. It wasn’t a lot of people in the studio that night either, it was just me and the gang. We was in there, just me in there going crazy.”

That spontaneous spark and heartfelt inspiration is what helped Roddy create a trap record that is for all intents and purposes– beautiful.

AI

In between dropping Feed the Streets in 2017, and Feed the Streets 2 in 2018, Roddy Ricch blessed his growing fanbase with a short little EP. The EP, titled B4 The Fame, is a collection of four songs, including one feature from West Coast rapper Skeme. It’s not necessarily his best work, but “AI” is worth inclusion here. It wouldn’t sound out of place on either FTS instalments, and it even looks to his future music with an early reference to the infamous “boom boom room” (!).

LISTEN.

Cream 

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“Cream” here stands for the old hip-hop adage, Cash Rules Everything Around Me. The song feels light and airy, but the subject matter is actually quite the opposite– the rapper admits to coping by way of codeine, as he laments on the hook, “I spent my whole life chasin’ the bag and runnin’ from coppers / And a nigga been drownin’ myself in these codeine problems.” Roddy Ricch doesn’t sugar coat things, he just tells it like is, which is part of his appeal– whether it’s an old vice or a new-found luxury. He stretches his voice to the whiniest corners possible as he confesses, “Cash rules everything around meeee.”

LISTEN.

Can’t Express

“Can’t Express” finds Roddy Ricch struggling– “I can’t express myself, don’t know how to start,” he begins the record, but before long, he’s weaving with the beat. Still, the song feels like a double-edged sword — he can’t express himself, so he turns to drugs dropping in one of many references to lean: “That’s why I’m double cupped up, I go to Mars.” 

LISTEN.

Project Dreams

“Project Dreams” was a pretty big look for the rapper at the time it dropped, one month after his Feed the Streets 2 mixtape. Thus the song helped the rapper capitalize off the success of FTS 2, and pushed him even further into the mainstream thanks to production from electronic producer Marshmello. Marshmallo manages to cook up a beat that’s perfect for Roddy’s slick flow, opting for something a bit more modern in it’s glitchy electronic noises, but still maintaining an easy rhythm. Roddy Ricch’s sing-song flow is in plain view, while he muses about his come-up. While the song hasn’t found a home on a formal album, it’s remained a fan-favorite.

LISTEN.

Baccseat

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“Baccseat” is found in the second half of Roddy’s debut album tracklist, making it an easy record to overlook. The low-key song features Ty Dolla $ign, and despite its placement, shouldn’t be missed. A few simple keys and guitar strings create the base of the production from Yung Lan, and while Ty contributes a “nice enough” verse, Roddy is the memorable part of the song– once again the song contains some ad-libs embedded into the beat, with a few wailing noises (that sound like ‘wa dee wa dee’, for lack of a better description), echoing behind Roddy’s verses.

LISTEN.

Big Stepper

“Big Stepper” has that country-trap twang with a guitar lick on repeat, while Roddy himself adopts a short yet inescapably melodic “mm-hmm” in his hook. The brevity of the line makes it all that more intriguing that he pulls it off as a lyric, one that will be stuck in your head the more you listen. “Big Stepper” is one of those slow-building records, where, the more you play it, the more replay value you find out of it. The two go up hand-in-hand. 

The song was released ahead of PEMFBA, with Roddy carrying it solo dolo, as he does much of the album– even when Roddy enlists a featured guest, it’s more complementary to his work than spotlight-stealing.

LISTEN.

Brand New

“Brand New” begins with a cinematic howling from Roddy and an elegant piano arrangement. It’s another piano-friendly record from Roddy, appearing on his Feed the Streets 2 mixtape. The howling becomes a frequent occurrence throughout the song, popping out every few seconds, while Roddy wails up and down about how his life is changing, as he navigates the aftereffects of attaining both fame and riches.

It’s a frequent topic for Roddy, the Compton native is trying to stay true to himself, but at the same time, it’s difficult not to change when your lifestyle is changing so drastically: “Gotta get this money, you can’t let it change you / But I can’t lie, all these hunnids got a nigga feelin’ brand new.” Roddy’s music is often littered with this type of observation of both himself and the world around him.

LISTEN.

Racks in the Middle

We had to include “Racks in the Middle” as a bonus cut. It’s technically a Nipsey Hussle song, with a feature from Roddy Ricch, however it’s become an important marker in both artists’ careers, especially because it was released right before Nipsey’s death. The song was a passing-of-the-torch moment, with a West Coast OG co-signing the youngest up and comer. 

There’s also a story behind the song, as Roddy has revealed that it was originally his song– but Nipsey heard it, and wanted it. “Nipsey just, he just hopped on all the verses. He took my shit off,” said Ricch. “The way he worked was like, he’s so particular. Everybody was so surprised how fast he did the video and how fast he did the turn-around of the verses because, like, even his verses, they take forever. That’s not even no shade. He was just a real perfectionist when it came to whatever he did.”

Hit-Boy cooked up the beat, Roddy Ricch was moved to hook duties, while Nipsey laid down reflective bars on both business and personal aspects of his life. The result was a 2020 Grammy award for Best Rap Performance, and equally, Nipsey’s first Grammy, received posthumously.

An artist cannot control their creative impulses. Nor should they. We’ve long seen comfort zones left behind in favor of newer, but not necessarily greener pastures.

It is, after all, part of the artist’s eternal curse. The fans want change almost as much as they inevitably come to long for the glory days. The “old” insert artist’s name here. In favorable situations, the change might elicit criticism at first, only to be damn near revered years later; consider Radiohead’s transition to Kid A, or Kanye West’s to 808s & Heartbreak. For those who aren’t so lucky, the detions are shoved into the closet to collect dust, aberrations better left forgotten. Alas, such was indeed the case for Lil Wayne’s foray into the mire that is rock-rap, his seventh studio album Rebirth. At least, at first glance. Ten years later, is it really as bad as the initial reviews would have you believe?

There’s a case to be made that Rebirth wouldn’t exist without “Lollipop,” Lil Wayne’s wildly popular Carter III single. Despite having previously established himself as one of the game’s deadliest lyricists — by a wide margin at that — Weezy opted for simplicity in both bars and arrangement. The end result was a seductive club banger strangely appropriate for stadium play, a combination that helped “Lollipop” clinch the position of being the most popular song of Wayne’s career. It’s no wonder he was, at minimum, enticed at the prospect of further exploring this potentially lucrative road. And thus, Lil Wayne’s first “rock album” was born — a flight of fancy perhaps, but one well-earned. Even now, if there’s anything to be said about the project, it’s that there remains a clear sense of artistic freedom throughout.

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Seeing as rock and roll music is a historic and expansive genre that has spawned countless subgenres, simply slapping a “rock” label onto an album does little in revealing a clear sonic direction. A rough translation might be better served as follows: there are guitars and loud drums. Guitars played by Weezy himself, if that’s worth anything on your scorecard. As such, he should be judged as a guitarist, from technique to tone. For the most part, Wayne tends to soak his chords in distortion, heavy on the sustain. Sometimes his riffs are shrill and piercing, closer in spirit to heavy metal than a typical rock band might employ. Other times they’re surprisingly whimsical, seeped in the fairy-tale romance of the pop-punk radio playbook.

Such is indeed the case on the Nicki Minaj-assisted “Knockout,” which feels directly plucked from a late-nineties summer camp comedy. The strange thing is, Weezy’s ear for melody is surprisingly solid; his vocals never lack sincerity, which in turn helps him swerve the pitfalls of parody. It’s clear he genuinely enjoys this style of music, having previously developed friendships with the likes of Pete Wentz, Green Day, and Gym Class Heroes. Unfortunately for Wayne, the direction was so left field that many of his longtime listeners were simply incapable of making the jump — to appreciate Rebirth not only required a stalwart dedication to the man behind it, but to the music he was attempting to explore. Otherwise, enjoyment for Rebirth was wholly dependent on one’s threshold to suffer through a genre they don’t even like out of sheer loyalty.

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At times, it seems as if Weezy was driven by caffeine, unchecked energy, and pent up sexual frustration, all but shrieking out his words on songs like the frantic “Price Is Wrong.” Lyrically, Weezy seems to have taken the schoolyard romance concept and run with it, pitting himself as the leading man in a John Hughes-esque adventure — albeit one slapped with an NC-17 rating. The pattern is arguably at its most obvious on the infamous “Prom Queen,” the lead single and first taste of Wayne’s vastly different energy. For many, the song became an easy target, if only because of how different it was. On the surface, there’s little on Rebirth that jumps out as being overtly hip-hop. But one look at the liner note credits might prove surprising. Production is handled by a laundry list of familiar names, with heavy involvement from Cool & Dre, J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, and Streetrunner. Eminem contributes a Recovery-era verse on “Drop The World,” a largely rapped duet picking up where “No Love” left off. Wayne does come through with a few bars here and there, but for the most part remains fully dedicated to the world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Upon its release, critics and fans alike weren’t exactly kind to Rebirth. It quickly became the butt of many-a-joke, painted as a musical midlife crisis — one largely made up of underdeveloped songwriting from an underqualified source. But did those negative sentiments withstand the test of time, or did they melt away in favor of a newfound rosy-tinted perspective? In hindsight, many songs on the album seem to have garnered appreciation, if not exactly acclaim — especially given the clear influence Rebirth had on many of the new generation’s younger artists. Especially the likes of Juice WRLD, XXXTentacion, and Trippie Redd, all of whom included elements of rock and metal in their own catalogs, though never quite with Weezy’s headlong dedication.

Even if it wasn’t the music itself that proved particularly inspiring, the willingness to boldly attempt a complete reinvention in the name of fun is undeniably admirable. As such, it further solidified Lil Wayne as a fearless artist, willing to follow a creative impulse straight off the cliff, provided that’s where it took him. It may not be your cup of tea, but there’s an argument to be made that Rebirth deserves respect, not ridicule. So many rappers fancy likening themselves to rockstars, but few are willing to commit to the cause so thoroughly. 

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Before the XXXTENTACIONs (RIP), Smokepurpps, and Lil Pumps of the world emerged there was the Raider Klan — one of the most pivotal hip-hop collective in the last decade. The South Florida movement became defined by the DIY approach and punk-rock spirit with odes to Memphis and Houston. Cloud rap became the stepping stone for what would later be known as SoundCloud rap. As Raider Klan disbanded, it was the young buck of the group, Denzel Curry, who continued to fulfill his potential. With the abrasiveness of metal and punk rock combined and his high-level technical abilities launched a small, dedicated following which, over the years, has expanded to a global scale.

Denzel stands on his own two feet these days. The success of TA13OO and it’s follow-up Zuu marked his official grand entrance into the game, although he’s been in it for years. His recent success, however, has helped him push his own creative boundaries. For example, the recent release of UNLOCKED with Kenny Beats provided more than just a project, arriving alongside an accompanying short film with anime-style animations. 

 Ian Witlen/Red Bull Content Pool

Denzel’s affinity for wrestling, dancehall soundclashes, and appreciationfor grime’s Lord Of The Mic series all come together for Red Bull Music’s Zeltron Worldwide series where he goes head-to-head against another high-caliber rapper of his choosing. With Flatbush Zombies as the inaugural challengers, followed by Joey Bada$$, Denzel Curry returned back to his hometown of Miami for the latest installment against J.I.D, who he describes as “one of the best lyricists of all time, honestly.” The significance behind Zeltron Worldwide, however, goes deeper than pushing his own creative boundaries. It’s about creating a space for rappers — one where bars preside over bullshit and hopefully beyond his own battles, an event that can unify rappers at a time where it feels like we’re losing members of the community at a rapid pace. 

“I’m creating a place where we might — there’s a community of us. We may not like each other but let’s take it to our advantage, man,” Denzel explained about the bigger picture of Zeltron Worldwide. “I just feel like we need to be unified and together on some real sh*t because it’s only us as artists, we share each other’s struggles, you know?” 

Hours before his homecoming performance in Miami against J.I.D for Red Bull Music’s Zeltron Worldwide, he jumped on a quick call with HNHH to discuss the series, his complicated relationship with Miami these days, and why he feels like he’s gone from underrated to underappreciated.

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Bringing Zeltron back to your hometown, in Miami, what’s your relationship with the city like these days in comparison to when you dropped Zuu? I know you were recording in L.A. around then.

I don’t know, I haven’t performed here in a long time, so I don’t know what my relationship is with the city at this point. Last time I came here and performed at Rolling Loud, that sh*t was sh*tty. Not my performance but the crowd was wack as f*ck. 

Do you find performances are different since you moved away from Miami?

Yeah. I don’t know how to describe it. I was gone for such a long time. When I do stuff in the city, it’s fine.

That’s dope. I know you’re performing with JID tonight, I was wondering what the importance of bringing J.I.D to Miami was as opposed to having him at the Atlanta show?

It’s cool. Originally I wanted J.I.D to defend his home turf. I wanted him to defend Atlanta. We was on tour at the time and Joey Bada$$ was willing to be a participant in the Zeltron Worldwide, so we ended up battling — me and Joey — and I was gonna catch J.I.D on the rebound. He was like, “I promise I got you on the next round.” I was like “alright cool” and it ended up happening.

That’s dope. As you guys step into the ring, what aspect of JID’s artistry do you find yourself appreciating more when you’re in a ring with him as opposed to being in the studio or something?

First of all, we’re both from the South. Secondly, we’re both technical. Third, we can both get with each other on every level, you know? Only difference is our age. He’s older than me. J.I.D is one of the best lyricists of all time, honestly.

For yourself, you’re kind of like a young OG in your own right, you’ve been at it for a while. In my opinion, you’ve had a larger influence on this generation of music than a lot of people give you credit for — 

I don’t get no credit. They’ll bypass my sh*t in an instant. If you want the real Denzel talkin’, this is him. So, nobody give me f*ckin credit. Every time I put out some sh*t, I bust my ass for it. For years dropping nothing but quality and mothafuckas keep going and saying, “oh you’re so underrated.” Like now it’s getting from underrated to underappreciated. Now, It’s getting to the point where it’s like, ‘bruh, I don’t want to do this sh*t no more if It’s just going to fall on deaf ears.’ I don’t get the credit I deserve, for real. I rather do creative shit like more of this Zeltron stuff than just being a rapper.

Definitely. Going into these events, I remember watching your RapGenius with Flatbush Zombies and you mentioned it’s important for you to unify the game so at a point right now where it feels like we’re losing a lot of members of the community, can you tell me why it’s significant for you to have these opportunities to create a unique experience for your fans and for the rap game as a whole?

I’m creating a place where we might — there’s a community of us. We may not like each other but let’s take it to our advantage, man. It’s like, white people are just throwing money at us [laughs] you know what I’m sayin’? And we f*ck ourselves up by trying each other and doing stupid sh*t just for the Gram, flexin’, whatever the case may be. I’m just like, ‘they’re throwing money at us, they’re giving away money to us,’ and we — how we use it? We’re going to jail, we’re doing all types of dumb sh*t. I just feel like we need to be unified and together on some real sh*t because it’s only us as artists, we share each other’s struggles, you know?

Stephanie Estrada/Red Bull Content Pool

Is that the type of conversation you have with the artists you invite to do these events with you?

Yeah, I talk to a lot of artists about it. There’s a lack of realness. If I tell somebody like, “Hey bro, I wanna battle you” and we do this sh*t for fun. It’s a friendly competition. It’s fun, it’s not judgemental. We don’t let nobody be like, “oh the winner is this or that” or let politics get into play, we just do it because we like to. I just want to end conflict. Say, for instance, Rich the Kid and Lil Uzi Vert have had problems with each other, right? If this was a factor in that, if this was playing a role in that, right? They’ll both be getting money and they won’t have to deal with each other. And they get to showcase who’s better than who, for real, for real. Instead of like, pulling up, and all this shit over some words. If you gon’ go over it over words, you can battle over words. If a n***a ain’t said, ‘go suck yuh mudda’ or some shit like that, then, n***a, let that shit go, bruh. And if it is, put your money where mic is, you know what I’m sayin’?

Nah, for sure. Do you feel like as a fan of the game, that aspect of battle rap has been missing, like it’s been misconstrued with like personal sh*t?

Yes cause me and Daylyt, we’re homies. We talk about this sh*t all the time. He loves the Zeltron stuff and what we do with the Zeltron sh*t. He wanted to come, he was like, “I like how you bring the battle aspect but on your terms.” Where it’s like music against music because that’s how soundclashes go, you know? Like my manager is Jamaican and I’m very familiar with soundclashes just by living down here in South Florida, so you gotta make that sh*t be known. And I’m a big fan of Lord Of The Mics and stuff. So all that stuff serves as inspiration. Battle culture is good. Like, even Skepta used to clash, you know?

I know you’ve done joints with AJ Tracey in the past. Having that connection with the UK, what’re the chances of you taking the Zeltron Worldwide to the UK and doing clashes on their turf or having artists back on your turf?

You know, me and JME just talked about that. We need to get that sh*t crackin’ ‘cause he likes what I’m doing with it. He likes how it’s going down. They seen the first one, me vs. the Flatbush Zombies and they were like, “yo, damn, we be doing this sh*t too.” You know, they like the originators of that, you know what I’m saying? And he was just like, ‘Damn, if we came over there and battled them like how A$AP Mob did or Taylor Gang’ — it would actually, like, it’ll be worth it. 

The title Funeral has a few meanings that parallel to Wayne’s career. It could represent the end of an era, the beginning of a new one, fueling speculation that Wayne might put the microphone down once and for all. But there’s also an eerie feeling that lingers behind the title in wake of Kobe Bryant’s death. The “Mamba Mentality” is reflected in Wayne’s work ethic — he’s known for long studio sessions where he banks in several songs per night. Wayne, however, is 5’5” (5’6” with them Balencis) and wouldn’t be able to make it in the NBA. There’s an argument to be made that Wayne embodied the same work ethic in the studio that Kobe Bryant applied to everything he did, whether it’s basketball, writing, or even his short-lived rap career. Perhaps that’s what makes the numerous tributes so effective, be it the twenty-four second moment of silence on track eight or the album’s strategic length of twenty-four tracks.  

Though many critiques can be made about Wayne on Funeral, I promise you it’s incredibly nice to hear Wayne back on his bullshit without dropping cringeworthy, lazy bars about his sex life. Funeral brings back elements of Mixtape Weezy — maybe not peak mixtape Weezy but he’s free-flowing, scrapping the concept of song structure and going head-first on every beat. Ever since the Cash Money movement sparked in the late nineties, Mannie Fresh is the one producer whose track record with Wayne remains near flawless. Once again, they reunite with Mannie flipping vocals from Eryn Allen Kane’s “Bass Song” into a smooth, soulful, Southern banger that brings out one of Wayne’s most spirited performances. Followed by “Mama Mia,” Funeral kicks off on a high-note, flexing his prowess as one of the best technical rappers to grace a microphone. 

Wayne’s strongest moments happen without the assistance of outside parties. “I Do It” with Big Sean and Lil Baby was a safe choice for a single but that doesn’t really mean much when the concept of that collaboration sounds better on paper than in execution. The same can be said for “Bing James” with Jay Rock, especially considering the last time they worked together was on “All My Life (In The Ghetto).” Luckily Jay Rock still strikes at a high caliber, easily outshining Wayne on the song, despite the production sounding like a throwaway from I Am Not A Human Being. This doesn’t mean that all of the collaborations have gone to waste. “Know You Know” ft. 2 Chainz is a high point in the project with the “Rich As F*ck” duo linking back up to deliver another banger. “I Don’t Sleep” simultaneously has Wayne and Takeoff showcasing their chemistry on a song that can easily soundtrack this summer’s next pool party. 

Despite the abundance of guests appearances, Wayne’s still in Wayne’s World — that’s as evident as ever. But it appears that Wayne’s World has finally allowed external influences to seep in. “The new era — they’re the change. They’re the upgrade for me because I have to implicate it now. I gotta implicate to what I’m doin’,” Wayne told Elliot Wilson on the latest episode of Car Test. “Maybe that’s the answer to ‘how do you stay when different eras change.’” Again, Wayne’s still stuck in a world of his own but he isn’t necessarily stuck in his ways. “Since I don’t listen to nothing’ else but my damn self because I was working so damn hard, I believe what does seep into my ear from the new world was worthy. However you got into my ear, it’s working.’”

Maybe that’s why we’re on the third XXXTENTACION and Lil Wayne collaboration that no one asked for. Or why some of his production choices have remnants of the Soundcloud era of rap that he ultimately birthed. Even an artist like Young Thug, whose ear for production is unlike anyone else, has appeared to influence Wayne to a degree. If not a direct influence, at least he inspired Wayne to further push boundaries. But even as Weezy expands into unfamiliar turf, his sheer aptitude for the art of rap still brings it home — sometimes literally. Working with Mannie Fresh is one aspect of his tribute to NOLA but “Clap For Em” has Wayne going back to the regional sounds of New Orleans Bounce. 

There’s a simple beauty behind Funeral. How it served as a reawakening of sorts, a validation of Wayne’s key thesis: rap is his lifeblood and he does it better than most. Consider that he hit a steep decline following his release from prison which lingered throughout the 2010s amid his ongoing legal battle with Cash Money. The man once heralded the “Greatest Rapper Alive” wasn’t living up to that title for a long time. Now, Wayne is rapping with a passion once again, and he’s back to being the free-flowing, idiosyncratic, conversational rapper hitting you with non-sequiturs for punchlines and sometimes more information than one asked. True, as much as Lil Wayne has fathered an entire generation, there are moments where it feels like he’s taken a page or two from some of his offspring. But as the 37-year-old vet in this rap shit, who will always maintain his place as your favorite rapper’s rapper, he reminds us exactly why that is. Give Wayne his flowers while he’s here to smell them.

Commonly believed to be the greatest rapper alive, Lil Wayne is about to enjoy another successful album release with Funeral. At the end of last week, the rapper delivered his first non-Carter project in years, delivering the fun-filled Funeral, which contains a total of twenty-four songs. With features from Big Sean, Lil Baby, XXXTentacion, Adam Levine, and more, a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, and plenty of love for his reported fiancée La’Tecia Thomas, Wayne’s world is about to be on top yet again as the body of work is projected to enjoy its first week at the pole position on the Billboard 200.

Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images

Roddy Ricch just reclaimed the top spot on the chart, beating out Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By and getting yet another gold medal for Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial. The way things are looking though, the Compton native is set to give up that spot for Lil Wayne this week, with Funeral expected to move up to 125K album units. In terms of debuts, Russ will be the runner-up in the battle with his new studio album netting approximately 75K units moved. Pop artists Kesha and Louis Tomlinson follow them up.

In comparison to Tha Carter V‘s first-week sales numbers, this is a massive decline for Lil Wayne. However, the novelty surrounding that project could be what boosted it to enjoy such a tremendous debut. Still, 125K is nothing to scoff at. Have you been messing with the new albums from Wayne and Russ?

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Lil Wayne dropped his 13th studio album, Funeral, on Friday, after some teasing this past week, and the project is absolutely stacked. Not only did Lil Tunechi deliver 24 new tracks for our listening pleasure, he also tapped 9 different artists to feature on the album, including Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Lil Baby, Jay Rock, XXXTentacion, Takeoff, and more. Wayne even revealed that he left a 24-second moment of silence at the end of the album to honour the late Kobe Bryant following his tragic death on Sunday. 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest

Funeral was met with excitement from fans on Twitter, who, for the most part, could agree that the project was fire.

After a minor setback, Lil Wayne’s 13th studio album, Funeral, finally dropped today after months of anticipation. The follow up to the Carter V contains a whopping 24 tracks in total, and a ton of A-list features, including Big Sean, Lil Baby, 2 Chainz, XXXTentacion, Takeoff, and The-Dream, not forgetting names like Adam Levine, Jay Rock, and Lil Twist as well either.

As for the production on the album, Wayne decided to call on some big name hitmakers like he typically does for his albums, but he also relies on some lesser-known producers over the 24 tracks. For the A-listers, Weezy tapped names like Mannie Fresh, Mike WiLL Made It, STREETRUNNER, Jahlil Beats, Ben Billions, Murda Beatz and Cool & Dre, meanwhile he also gave shine to some up & coming beat makers like Aaron Z & Alex Delicata, Some Randoms, PRXZX, and more.

HHNM was able to obtain the full production credits for the album, which you can see for yourself (below). And if you haven’t listened to the album yet, be sure to do so right here.

Production Credits:

1. “Funeral” – Prod. by R!O & Kamo

2. “Mahogany” – Prod. by Mannie Fresh & Sarcastic Sounds 

3. “Mama Mia” – Prod. by Some Randoms

4. “I Do It” (Feat. Big Sean & Lil Baby) – Prod. by Charlie Handsome & Rex Kudo

5. “Dreams” – Prod. by Aaron Z & Alex Delicata

6. “Stop Playin With Me” – Prod. by Chill Shump, Infamous & Rivs on Da Beat

7. “Clap For Em” – Prod. by Jahlil Beats, Benny Wond3r & Yonni

8. “Bing James” (Feat. Jay Rock) – Prod. by Bijan Amir

9. “Not Me” – Prod. by STREETRUNNER & Tarik Azzouz

10. “Trust Nobody” (Feat. Adam Levine) – Prod. by Ben Billions, Brandom “B Ham”, Hamlin & Ryan Ogren

11. “Know You Know” (Feat. 2 Chainz) – Prod. by Bobby “Keyz” Reese, Javar Rockamore, Theodore “Stonii” and Thomas

12. “Wild Dogs” – Prod. by MonstaBeatz

13. “Harden” – Prod. by STREETRUNNER & Tarik Azzouz

14. “I Don’t Sleep” (Feat. Takeoff) – Prod. by Bobby “Keyz” Reese, Javar Rockamore, Theodore “Stonii” and Thomas

15. “Sights And Silencers” (Feat. The-Dream) – Prod. by Mike WiLL Made It & Blue Cheeze

16. “Ball Hard” (Feat. Lil Twist) – Prod. by Ben Billions

17. “Bastard (Satan’s Kid)” – Prod. by Cool & Dre and Spanish Josh

18. “Get Outta My Head” (Feat. XXXTentacion) – Prod. by PRXZX

19. “Piano Trap” – Prod. by Mannie Fresh

20. “Line Em Up” – Prod. by Murda Beat

21. “Darkside” – Prod. by Brandon “B Ham”, Hamlin & Smurv

22. “Never Mind” – Prod. by Bobby “Keyz” Reese, Javar Rockamore, Theodore “Stonii” and Thomas

23. “T.O.” (Feat. O.T. Genasis) – Prod. by MonstaBeatz

24. “Wayne’s World” – Prod. by Louie Haze & Manny Galvez

His posthumously released collaboration with Eminem has helped the late Juice WRLD climb the charts once again. Music To Be Murdered By‘s “Godzilla” reached the No. 1 spot in U.K. charts, making it the first for the late rapper. Last week, it was shared by Juice’s family and team that there were plans in place to continue his legacy by sharing his unreleased music with the world in the coming months.

Jamie McCarthy / Staff / Getty Images

“From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank each and every one of you for your undivided adoration and love for Juice,” they stated. “You guys meant the entire world to Juice and by listening to his music, watching his videos and sharing your stories about him, you are keeping his memory alive forever. We plan to honor Juice’s talents, his spirit, and the love he felt for his fans by sharing unreleased music and other projects that he was passionately in the process of developing. There will be a public tribute in Chicago, details will be shared soon.”

TMZ reports that last week 26 of Juice WRLD’s tracks were leaked online but were swiftly removed. The outlet also shares that while the artist was diligent about keeping his music safely stored and hidden, there were times when he would download to hard drives at the studio. It’s reported that Juice was constantly writing new music and that he has approximately 2,000 unreleased tracks. Recent posthumous albums have arrived from XXXTentacion and Mac Miller, so Juice WRLD’s team is planning to follow suit. What that project looks like, exactly, is still speculative.

XXXTentacion’s Bad Vibes Forever included a number of features including Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Trippie Redd, and Joyner Lucas. However, Mac Miller stood alone on Circles. It will be interesting to see what Juice WRLD’s team comes up with in the end.

The Game has always represented Compton since getting into the game. The rapper became the new face of West Coast’s gangster rap at the time when G-Unit was the biggest thing in the game. However, even when The Documentary dropped and he saw an extreme amount of success, he was still in Compton, his old stomping grounds.

In a recent interview with NME, the rapper explained why he moved out of Compton. At the very moment he decided to leave, he was on top of the rap game but troubles from his past just came back to haunt him at every step.

“I was fuckin’ five times Platinum and still getting in shoot-outs in my neighbourhood,” he said. “The thing that changed my life was when a bullet went through my son’s car seat and I was just about to go into the house and get him and put him in the car. A bullet hole was in the car seat where his head would have been. And on that day, I moved out of Compton and got me a condo in Beverly Hills.”

Last Saturday marked the fifteen-year anniversary of the release of The Game’s The Documentary, an album that brought hits like “Hate It Or Love It” ft. 50 Cent and “How We Do” also featuring Fif. 

Peep the entire interview with The Game here.

He’s a rookie in the music scene, but Lil Nas X has made history. He’s broken Mariah Carey‘s record for the longest-running No. 1 song on the Billboard 100 chart, and although the “Old Town Road” hype has dissipated in recent months, the song is an unforgettable milestone for the 20-year-old artist.

Emma McIntyre / Staff / Getty Images

The 62nd annual Grammy Awards will take place this Saturday (January 26) in Los Angeles, and Lil Nas X has received his first nominations—six, to be exact. He recently caught up with Variety to chat about his quick rise to stardom while sharing a few unknown facts about his background. “So much happened during my rise,” X said of artists like Nipsey Hussle, XXXTentacion, and Juice WRLD dying. “You know, drugs and murders. And my grandmother passing [in 2018]— she was the first person close to me who died. It was devastating. And it made me a hypochondriac: I’d wake up, heart racing. It was scary.” That caused him to “[smoke] [weed] heavily, but then I started feeling more connected with the universe, and taking everything as a sign.”

Lil Nas X also shared that while he was one of the most talked-about artist of 2019, he was secretly attempting to get his mother into rehabilitation. “I never really talk about my mom. She’s an addict so we don’t have the closest relationship,” he said. “Even trying to get her better — things didn’t quite work out. But there’s still love… The biggest surprise of becoming globally famous? On the outside, everybody loves you — but on the inside, everything [feels] the same.”

Back in September 2019, he announced that he was taking a break from music after he canceled two festival appearances. “I wanted to do more performances last year, but it didn’t go as planned and I didn’t have confidence,” he said. The time off wasn’t particularly helpful.  “I would start to overthink it all and I’d get overwhelmed. Like, what song should I put out next? Or should I put out multiple songs? Or how do I prove this person wrong?”

Make sure to tune into the Grammys this weekend to see if Lil Nas X takes home any trophies. In the meantime, swipe through below to check out a few images from his Variety feature.

Some people believe that Trippie Redd was creating the best music of his life while he was with his ex-girlfriend Ayleks. Others are under the impression that the best is yet to come. At just 20-years-old, the latter is most likely the realistic belief when it comes to the young Ohio native. Trippie Redd has enjoyed an impressive career thus far, dropping off some bangers, some heartbroken ballads, and everything in between. One of the most versatile artists in the rap game right now, Trips loves to blend genres together to create his own unique sound. That creative drive can be heard as part of XXXTentacion’s second posthumous album on their collaboration “Bad Vibes Forever.” Trippie Redd moved on from his ex with Coi Leray but it looks like he might be interested in starting things back up with Ayleks, posting a video of her whining to the track and not necessarily clarifying why he was doing so.

Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

Trippie Redd fans are confused about a few things right now. Firstly, why would the rapper post a video of his ex-girlfriend dancing along to one of his newer records? Second, why is Ayleks liking said post? Third, are they getting back together? People just aren’t sure what’s going on and Trippie Redd isn’t down to provide any answers, leaving the post captionless. Adding even more confusion to the mix, Ayleks allegedly hooked up with Trippie’s eternal rival Tekashi 6ix9ine following their split, so fans are surprised to see her on his social media once more.

Do you think this means anything or are the two just getting back on friendly terms?

Twitter account, Culture Central, shared a tweet on Sunday that features photos of "36 of your favorite rappers as kids." It appears as though nearly all of the photos are from yearbooks or school photoshoots, and the ages of the artists range from as young as toddlers to as old as high school seniors. Though it got a few details wrong—the photo claiming to be T-Pain is actually a young Lil Jon, A$AP Rocky's dollar sign is missing from his name, 50 Cent has a dollar sign in his name, for some reason—that were pointed out by Twitter users in the replies, the post is mostly accurate. Photos of plenty of the best (and some of the most mid) of the rap game are included, from OGs to newcomers, and some who are no longer with us. 

The news of Mac Miller‘s death in September of 2018 was devastating for so many people around the world. While his friends and family were, of course, deeply affected by his passing, fans of Mac, of hip hop, and of music in general were also shocked and upset to hear he was gone. Many fellow artists in the industry, and those who just looked up to him, have shared their fond memories of crossing paths with Mac, and so many have had nothing but good things to say about the man. One such artist was Lil Xan, who has been very candid about Mac’s impact on him as an artist and how hard his death hit him. He even got a face tattoo in honour of Mac and commissioned a painting of the late rapper to remember him by. Following the news that Mac’s family will be releasing a completed, posthumous version of Mac’s album, Circles, which he was working on before his tragic death, Xan revealed he knew the name of the album for “dam near a year but wouldn’t say out of respect for everyone.”

He continued, “the fact this is dropping this month makes me wanna cry,This has made my whole fucking year and I wanna cry rn call me a bitch idc because it’s MOST DOPE FOREVER ! 412 BABYYYYY ! @macmiller @idlabsmusic ? Since 2009?.” Xan also posted a screenshot of him and Mac’s final DMs to each other.

The photo, which Xan captioned “Miss you every day malcolm ?” on Instagram, reveals the last words Xan and Mac exchanged before his untimely death on September 7th, 2018. On August 2nd, just over a month before Mac’s final moments, Xan had messaged him saying, “Bro so excited!” likely referring to his anticipation for the release of Mac’s album, Swimming, which dropped the following day on August 3rd. Mac replied with three swimming emojis (“?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️”) followed by, “My guy,” confirming the meaning of the message. Xan messaged him again on October 3rd, less than a month after Mac had passed, writing, “Miss you man ❤️.” 

These were not Mac’s very final words to him, though. Xan has revealed that Mac’s final words to him were, “Be safe,” which became the name of Xan’s tribute album to Mac that he’s been working on for over a year now. A big reason that Mac’s passing had such a massive effect on Xan was their similar struggles with substance abuse. Mac’s tragic passing was the result of a drug overdose, and Xan has opened up about how losing so many of his friends (XXXTentacion and Lil Peep along with Mac) to drug-related deaths got him seriously considering getting sober. Circles will drop January 17th, 2020.