André 3000 has shared his thoughts on the Kendrick-Drake beef, saying the whole saga left him feeling “a little sad”.
The OutKast legend, who last year took an artistic left turn with his instrumental jazz flute album ‘New Blue Sun’, discussed the rap feud of the year in a recent interview with Crack.
“I got a little sad, at a certain point,” he explained. “In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now. You got people with 100 employees. You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals — all of it can be jeopardized. If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it. But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it anymore.”
Speaking about OutKast‘s time in the Dungeon Family – led by the late Organized Noize legend Rico Wade who died this April from heart failure –he said that today’s rap stars don’t “have time to cultivate themselves”.
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“If we were to come out as OutKast when we thought we were ready, we wouldn’t be around today ’cause we sounded like everybody else. We sounded like who we were listening to,” he theorised.
“Now, I don’t think artists have time to cultivate themselves so a lot of artists sound the same,” he continued. “You can quickly jump on a microphone — it’s awesome because you’re getting an immediacy, but you don’t get time to hone who you are.”
“If it’s in you, you should rap until you die,” he explained. “The way I do it, I’m always trying to look for the next. I’m not trying to uphold what I’ve done before. Of course, I have things to say now but if I can’t say them in a fresh innovative way, like I’m hanging on to an old flow that I used to do, it’s not enough for me.”
Now, the Plain White T’s have shared on social media their reaction to listening to the song for first time. With a puzzled expression frontman Tom Higgenson said upon hearing Drake’s verse: “That’s not Drake. It’s crazy that everybody thinks that it’s real. It seems like it’s very obvious. I don’t know. But it’s cool. Whatever.”
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Higgenson’s reaction seems to suggest that he believes the song was created by AI. However, after the track’s release, Drake shared it onto his Instagram story, confirming his involvement in the tune.
The track featured verses where Drake claimed he fed Lamar false intel that first surfaced in the latter’s tracks ‘Meet the Grahams’, ‘Not Like Us’, ‘Euphoria’, and ‘6:16 in LA’. Lamar has yet to release a new track since ‘Not Like Us’, which has since garnered 69million views on YouTube.
The Atlanta rapper himself was dragged into the feud when he was namechecked on Lamar’s ‘Euphoria’ (“Yachty can’t give you no swag neither, I don’t give a fuck ‘bout who you hang with”), which he has said he “didn’t really want anything to do with”.
“I knew that my name was mentioned before it came out,” he said on his podcast A Safe Place. “I didn’t hear the record but I had got word that I was mentioned. I wasn’t surprised.”
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He went on to clarify that he has appreciated the work that has been put into the back-and-forth. “I got a ton of respect for both of these guys,” he said. “Honestly, it was a cool thing to watch. I learned so much. It was an honour and blessing to be able to experience it first hand.”
When asked to give his verdict on who came out on top, Yachty added: “Drake dropped great records. But also, let’s be fair: Drake was deemed a loser in this battle before it started because people don’t like him and haven’t. I don’t think people are gonna stop listening to Drake and Drake’s career is gonna flush.”
He then addressed Drake, adding: “I don’t feel like you won or lost.”
Lil Yachty speaking on the Kendrick Lamar & Drake rap battle
"Drake was deemed a loser in this battle before it started, cause people don't like him and havent… I think he still sits on top of the throne… I told Drake I don't feel like you won or lost"
“Rappers have lost, and then lost everything. But this hasn’t happened to Drake. He will still be in everybody’s Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year and he’ll still drop hits and control the summer. I think Kendrick made very smart moves and I don’t think Drake would disagree.”
The Kendrick-Drake beef has dominated the news over the last two months, being kindled by Kendrick’s contribution to ‘Like That’, from Metro Boomin and Future’s album ‘We Don’t Trust You’. On the track, Lamar responded to J. Cole and Drake’s ‘First Person Shooter’, where Cole called the trio “the big three”, by rapping: “Motherfuck the big three / N***, it’s just big me”.
That triggered a sequence of back-and-forth tracks: Drake’s ‘Push Ups’ and ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’, followed by Lamar’s ‘Euphoria’ and ‘6:16 In LA’. Drake hit back with ‘Family Matters’, which was swiftly followed by Lamar’s ‘Meet The Grahams’. The most recent contributions are Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’ and Drake’s ‘The Heart, Part 6’.
Kendrick Lamar‘s Drake diss track has caused a massive spike in interest for the Toronto restaurant New Ho King.
In Lamar’s song ‘Euphoria’, the ‘Humble’ artist raps in a Toronto accent and name-checks the Chinese restaurant towards the end of the second verse saying: ‘I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy’.
The restaurant is located on Spadina Avenue in Toronto. After the release of ‘Euphoria’, New Ho King has received a plethora of five-star reviews on Google, with the majority referencing Lamar and the track. “Truly euphoric meal,” read one review left by a user while another wrote: “That fried rice with the dip sauce is the way to go. All my crodies love it.”
It currently has a 4.0 star rating on Google. Speaking to local TV station CityNews, Johnny Lu – the owner of New Ho King – expressed his gratitude for the mention in the song and called Lamar a “Good guy”.
The jumbled audio in the intro of the six-minute-long track is actually dialogue from the 1978 film The Wiz that had been reversed.
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Shortly after the track’s release, fans clipped the beginning audio and played it backwards to find that the first line: “eurt si em tuoba yas yeht gnihtyrevE” happens to be a line from the iconic film in which Richard Pryor – who portrayed The Wiz – says: “Everything they say about me is true.”
Pryor’s line in the film is taken from a scene in which his character is exposed as Herman Smith, a washed-up politician from Atlantic City. He admits to being Smith and says: “Everything they say about me is true. I’m a phony.”
Fans have also speculated that Lamar’s inclusion of The Wiz is in connection to his verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s ‘Like That‘ which was released last month.
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In the track, the ‘Humble’ rapper comparing his work and contributions to that of the late Prince. “Prince outlived Mike Jack’ N****,” Drake had compared himself to Michael Jackson on his J. Cole collab ‘First Person Shooter’. Jackson was featured in The Wiz, portraying the Scarecrow.
Despite Drake claiming that his rival had “nothing to drop” in response, Lamar has fired back with ‘Euphoria’, addressing him directly for the first time.
In other news, Drake recently replied to ‘Euphoria’ on his Instagram stories. The ‘Know Yourself’ rapper seemed to mock Lamar’s lyrics: “I’m the biggest hater / I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct” with a scene from cult romcom 10 Things I Hate About You.
This summer, Drake team up with fellow rapper 21 Savage to tour North America in support of their Grammy Award-nominated collaborative album ‘Her Loss’. According to Touring Data, the ‘It’s All A Blur’ tour grossed $129.7million in 30 out of the 72 shows Drake did this year. It is believed that the official figure will double once all money made on the remaining 42 shows is accounted for.
.@Drake's "It's All a Blur" becomes the highest-grossing tour by a rapper in history with $129.7 million in 30/72 shows, surpassing @kendricklamar's "The Big Steppers" (2022).
The rap juggernauts will tour North America in January 2024, starting in Denver, Colorado on January 18. They will stop in Nashville, Tampa, Buffalo and more before ending the tour in Birmingham, Alabama on March 27. Fans can find the tour dates below and visit here to buy tickets.
Drake’s ‘It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As The What?’ 2024 US tour dates are:
JANUARY 18 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena + 19 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena 22 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center 25 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center 29 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center + 30 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
FEBRUARY 02 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena 07 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena + 08 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena + 12 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena 20 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center + 21 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center 24 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse 27 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
MARCH 02 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center 05 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum 10 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena 14 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena ~ 18 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center ~ 23 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena ~ 27 – Birmingham, AL – The Legacy Arena at BJCC ~
+ Rescheduled dates ~ Without J. Cole
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In October, Drake dropped his long-awaited eighth studio album, ‘For All The Dogs’, which NME gave two stars, calling the record “banger-less, bitter and deeply mid.”
The rapper’s track ‘First Person Shooter’ which features J. Cole debuted at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 charts making it his 13th chart-topping song in the US charts which is a record that had yet to be surpassed since Jackson achieved it back in 1995. (per Pitchfork)
Both musicians are now tied, sharing the title of fourth-most Number One songs to chart on the Hot 100. The Beatles currently hold the reigning titled of most Number One tracks with 20 songs on the charts followed by Mariah Carey with 19 and Rhianna close behind with 14.
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Ironically, the lyrics in ‘First Person Shooter’ anticipated the milestone with Drake rapping: “I’m one away from Michael” and alluding to Jackson’s iconic 1982 hit ‘Beat It’. The track also marks Cole’s first Hot 100 Number One track.
The song is featured on Drake’s eighth studio album ‘For All The Dogs‘. The LP also earned the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart making it the rapper’s 13th Number One album. Per Billboard, the LP earned the equivalent of 402,000 units, with the overwhelming majority of them due to streaming: 391,000 units compared to 10,000 album sale units.
In a two-star review of ‘For All The Dogs’, NME shared:“Trailed as a return to form, the rap megastar instead doubles-down on his worst impulses on the final album before his health-induced hiatus.”
It continued: “‘For All The Dogs’- his third solo LP in as many years – not only feels tiring, but sounds tired too.”
Produced by Lil E$$o, the song is an extended version of Adonis’ brief verse on ‘Daylight’. The playful track sees the budding MC rap about “playing on my iPad” and “saying hi to my Dad.”
Drake’s six-year-old son, Adonis Graham, has released a debut single titled ‘My Man Freestyle’.
Produced by Lil E$$o, the song is an extended version of Adonis’ brief verse on ‘Daylight’, which featured on Drake’s latest studio album, ‘For All The Dogs’. The playful track sees the budding MC rap about “playing on my iPad” and “saying hi to my Dad.”
Drake took to Instagram today (October 16) to share the music video for ‘My Man Freestyle’, which follows Adonis as he rallies around a young basketball team and provides a pep talk to the players. “We just have to work harder,” Adonis says to his applauding teammates, “we have to play better.”
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Drake himself makes a cameo towards the end of the clip, appearing at a post-game press conference alongside his son. It marks the most recent collaboration between the father-son duo. In September, Drake revealed that the hand drawn picture of a red-eyed dog on the cover of ‘For All The Dogs’ was designed by Adonis.
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A version of the picture later appeared in the music video for the album single ‘8AM in Charlotte’, which also featured Adonis. As part of a pre-song cameo, Drake asks his son a series of questions about his drawings, which include designs of a goat, monsters, and a flower.
Drake shared images of his son for the first time in 2020, taking to Instagram to share a message about his “beautiful family.” Adonis has made increasingly more public appearances since then, joining his father on stage at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards and attending Drake’s concert in Los Angeles in August of this year.
“I can’t talk about titties tonight in LA because my son is at the show for the first time ever,” Drake said during the show as part of his ‘It’s All A Blur’ tour with 21 Savage. “We’ve got to keep this real PG tonight.”
Today (October 6), Drake revealed the tracklist for his upcoming album on social media. In the post, via OVO Sound, Drake also confirms the album’s release date for October 6, at 6AM US time.
The album will feature a total of 23 songs, though no feature credits were shared. The album also includes previously released single ‘Slime You Out’ with SZA and the just-released ‘8AM In Charlotte’.
‘Virginia Beach’ ‘Amen’ ‘Calling For You’ ‘Fear Of Heights’ ‘Daylight’ ‘First Person Shooter’ ‘7969 Santa’ ‘Slime You Out’ ‘Bahamas Promises’ ‘Tried Our Best’ ‘Screw The World Interlude’ ‘Members Only’ ‘Drew A Picasso’ ‘What Would Pluto Do’ ‘All The Parties’ ‘8AM In Charlotte’ ‘BBL Love Interlude’ ‘Gently’ ‘Rich Baby Daddy’ ‘Another Late Night’ ‘Away From Home’ ‘Polar Opposites’
On Wednesday (October 4), the rapper took to social media to surprise drop ‘8AM In Charlotte’, sharing its music video onto his Instagram page. The video begins with the rapper’s son Adonis talking about his artwork, which appears on the cover of ‘For All The Dogs’.
In the video, Adonis writes “daddy” next to a drawing of a goat. When Drake asks if that means Adonis thinks his father is the goat – here referencing the term Greatest Of All Time – his son says yes. “It’s Daddy Goat,” Adonis replies. “That makes perfect sense to me,” Drake says.
Watch the music video for ‘8AM In Charlotte’ below.
Drake’s most recent solo album was last year’s ‘Honestly, Nevermind’. That album scored a three-star review from NME, with Kyann-Sian Williams writing: “‘Honestly, Nevermind’ is an unexpected elevation from the bland trap, R&B remakes and Drake’s melancholic attitude to love we heard last time around. He doesn’t quite shift the latter as much as one would hope – the album is as tiresomely woe-is-me as anything he’s ever done – but the house sound has at least given him the creative boost that his recording career has been crying out for recently.”
Drake and 21 Savage have been ordered to stop using a fake Vogue cover story to promote their collaborative album ‘Her Loss’.
READ MORE: Drake and 21 Savage – ‘Her Loss’ review: exciting prospect marred by lazy songwriting
A judge ruled in favour of publisher Condé Nast today (November 10), issuing a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the two rappers according to Billboard.
The judge stated that the fake cover was likely violating the publisher’s trademarks because Drake and 21 were “misleading consumers” and “deceiving the public.” They added: “Issuance of the requested temporary restraining order is in the public interest to protect the public against confusion, deception and mistake.”
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The judge’s order bars Drake and 21 Savage from “using, displaying, dissenting or distributing” the fake cover or copies they printed and it also requires them to take down websites and social media posts sharing the image. Furthermore, the pair are to stop making any mention of Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour.
According to TMZ,Vogue and Wintour “have not endorsed [‘Her Loss’] in any way” and have asked multiple times for all promotions using the Vogue name to be taken down.
Drake and 21 Savage during fake ‘SNL’ appearance. Credit: YouTube
The ruling comes two days after the rappers were sued by Vogue after sharing a fake cover of the magazine.
The lawsuit put forward by Condé Nast, which had been obtained by both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, alleged that duo’s actions were a “deceptive campaign” that was not authorised by the company.
It is also claimed that a “counterfeit issue of Vogue” was distributed in large cities across North America, leading fans to believe the magazines were genuine.
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Both rappers are yet to comment on the allegations.
‘Her Loss’ served as Drake and Savage’s debut collaborative full-length project upon its release last Friday (November 4). The rappers had appeared on several tracks together in the past, beginning with the release of ‘Sneakin’ in 2016. They also both appeared on the Juicy J-sampling track ‘Knife Talk’ (from Drake’s solo 2022 album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’), as well as ‘Mr. Right Now’ alongside Metro Boomin.
In a three-star review of the album, NME wrote: “Despite some great beats and some heavy bars, ‘Her Loss’ is underwhelming.
“The whining misogyny laced throughout the record is a symptom of a wider issue: this album is essentially the sonic imprint of a massively bloated ego.”
Kanye West reportedly fired Yeezy employee for asking to listen to Drake in the office, a new report claims.
A new report from Rolling Stone has made claims surrounding employee treatment at Yeezy, with ex-workers alleging a “cult-like atmosphere” at the brand’s office.
“Nothing has ever compared to the amount of chaos, the amount of stress and [the amount of] anxiety you go through working for Yeezy,” a senior staffer said in the report.
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Another detailed how Kanye allegedly liked to play his own music in the office, but in 2015 a staffer suggested they play something else, to which Kanye reportedly asked for suggestions from staff.
The staff member in question told Rolling Stone: “I thought, ‘Oh, he’s a rapper, I should probably mention some rap’,” adding: “Big mistake — the next day I was fired.”
Elsewhere in the report, a staffer was also allegedly fired for wearing a yellow jumper to the office, and told: “Dress for the palette or you dress in black.”
One former employee said: “Everyone’s always on the verge of losing their job, so the dynamics are total chaos. He doesn’t necessarily have people that he can trust around him.”
Another added: “The biggest issue is that he doesn’t appear to have high-level operational people that he trusts. Without the operational backbone, no company can really exist for a super long time. You can’t build a multi-billion-dollar brand without an operations director who stays in the job for more than six months. … He needs professionals that don’t give a shit that he’s Kanye West.”
Rolling Stone were unable to contact Kanye West for the piece.
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Kanye West at an Adidas/Yeezy event in 2016. Credit: Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images
Elsewhere, Adidas has revealed it intends to sell Yeezy products without West’s branding. West partnered with Adidas under the Yeezy banner in late 2013, with their first collection debuting in 2015. Under the terms of their agreement, it was stipulated that West would retain 100 per cent ownership of Yeezy, with full creative control over products released through the brand.
Last month, after West sparked controversy by wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt during his Yeezy season nine show at Paris Fashion Week, Adidas said it had placed their partnership with the rapper “under review”. West responded in a since-deleted Instagram post, writing: “FUUUUUUCK ADIDAS I AM ADIDAS.”
On October 25, after West publicly made a string of antisemitic comments, Adidas officially terminated their partnership with the rapper, calling his inflammatory statements “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous” in a statement.
Adidas is one of several companies to end their association with West due to his antisemitic remarks in recent weeks. Balenciaga – who West walked the runway for at last month’s Paris Fashion Week – have also cut ties with the rapper. JPMorgan Chase decided to “end its banking relationship” with West, and he was also reportedly dropped by his lawyer and talent agency.
Drake and 21 Savage are being sued by Vogue after sharing a fake cover of the magazine as part of their collaborative album ‘Her Loss’.
READ MORE: Drake and 21 Savage – ‘Her Loss’ review: exciting prospect marred by lazy songwriting
It featured the two rappers, thanking editor Anna Wintour “for the love and support on his historic moment” in the caption.
The lawsuit put forward by Condé Nast, which has been obtained by both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, alleges that duo’s actions were a “deceptive campaign” that was not authorised by the company.
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It is also claims that a “counterfeit issue of Vogue” was distributed in large cities across North America, leading fans to believe the magazines were genuine.
According to TMZ,Vogue and Winter “have not endorsed [‘Her Loss’] in any way” and have asked multiple times for all promotions using the Vogue name to be taken down.
Drake and 21 Savage during fake ‘SNL’ appearance. CREDIT: YouTube
Both rappers are yet to comment on the allegations.
As part of the campaign the rappers also promoted a fake NPR Tiny Desk appearance and updated an old Howard Stern interview.
They also parodied Saturday Night Live, sharing a performance of ‘On BS’ on a similar stage after being introduced by Michael B. Jordan.
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Yesterday (November 7), the fake promo trail for ‘Her Loss’ continued with Drake and 21 Savage seemingly taking to COLORS’ iconic gold room for a performance of ‘Privileged Rappers’.
‘Her Loss’ served as Drake and Savage’s debut collaborative full-length project upon its release last Friday (November 4). The rappers had appeared on several tracks together in the past, beginning with the release of ‘Sneakin’ in 2016. They also both appeared on the Juicy J-sampling track ‘Knife Talk’ (from Drake’s solo 2022 album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’), as well as ‘Mr. Right Now’ alongside Metro Boomin.
In a three-star review of the album, NME wrote: “Despite some great beats and some heavy bars, ‘Her Loss’ is underwhelming.
“The whining misogyny laced throughout the record is a symptom of a wider issue: this album is essentially the sonic imprint of a massively bloated ego. It’s yet more evidence that Drake’s art is suffering under the strain of his obsession with churning out as much music as is physically possible. And while 21 doesn’t have the same problem, both halves of the duo are responsible for an album that had the potential to be a classic, and missed.”
Drake has postponed his scheduled theatre show in New York this week so that he can attend Takeoff‘s funeral.
READ MORE: How the understated Takeoff became the real superstar of Migos
The Canadian artist had been set to perform an intimate gig at the 1,500-capacity Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City on Friday (November 11) as part of SiriusXM’s Small Stages series.
Taking to Instagram Stories last night (November 7), however, Drake wrote: “The Apollo show has been moved to allow us to pay respect to our dear friend this weekend. We have added a second date for the fans.”
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The ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ star will now perform at the Apollo Theater on December 6 and 7 – see the announcements posts below.
CREDIT: Drake/Instagram Stories
Drake live from Apollo New date with added show pic.twitter.com/LDAmv3RZgV
— Sound42 (@Sound42) November 7, 2022
Migos rapper Takeoff, real name Kirsnick Khari Ball, was shot and killed at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas in the early hours of last Tuesday morning (November 1). He was 28 years old.
It has since been confirmed by a preliminary autopsy report that Takeoff died as a result of “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arms”. The full report is not yet complete.
Drake eulogised the late artist during the opening segment of his Table For One radio show on SiriusXM last Thursday (November 3).
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He opened up about how he “formed a brotherhood” with Takeoff after featuring on a remix of Migos’ 2013 debut single, ‘Versace’. “I always talk about the fact that this was one family,” Drake added. “My friends in the music industry are not friends, they’re family.”
The rapper/singer continued: “So, our deepest condolences – tragic loss for all of us and, you know, a dark cloud over this business that we love so much. And, man… I just encourage everybody to lock into that mindset, no matter where you are, you know? It’s just really… it’s a life that’s worth living, and everybody deserves that chance.”
Other artists to have paid tribute to Takeoff include the likes of Beyoncé, Dave, Tyler, The Creator, 50 Cent and Rick Ross.
Meanwhile, Drake last week released a new collaborative studio album with 21 Savage called ‘Her Loss’.
Lil Yachty has said a controversial lyric on Drake and 21 Savage’s new collaborative album ‘Her Loss’ is not about Megan Thee Stallion.
READ MORE: Megan Thee Stallion: “I’m really working on my dynasty right now”
In the first verse of the album’s ninth song ‘Circo Loco’, Drake raps: “This bitch lie ’bout getting shot but she still a stallion“.
Megan Thee Stallion alleged that Tory Lanez shot her in the foot following a house party in July 2020, which Lanez denied.
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Lanez was charged months later with felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm – personal use of a firearm – and for carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to the assault charge in November 2020, with the court trial now scheduled for November 28.
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Shortly after ‘Her Loss’ was release on November 4, Megan Thee Stallion shared a series of tweets demanding unnamed rappers stop referencing her shooting, including one which read: “Stop using my shooting for clout… Since when tf is it cool to joke abt women getting shot!”
In another she wrote: “I know I’m very popular but y’all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name”.
I know I’m very popular but y’all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name lol Niggas nor hoes EVER address me or @ me WITH a fact or receipts. I AM CLOUT BITCH keep sucking my pussy
— TINA SNOW (@theestallion) November 4, 2022
Now, Lil Yachty, who has a writing credit on the track, has weighed in on the controversy.
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“I know he’s not going to address it, because I know Drake,” he said in an Instagram live last week. “It’s not about Megan it’s about women lying about their butt shots saying it’s real when it’s fake.”
‘Her Loss’ was first announced on October 23 with the release of the music video for ‘Jimmy Crooks’, which features both Drake and 21 Savage, and was included on the tracklist of Drake’s 2022 album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’.
Last week, Drake and Savage promoted ‘Her Loss’ with a series of parody interviews and magazine covers, appearing on the cover of a fake edition of Vogue with an accompanying message of thanks to editor Anna Wintour “for the love and support on his historic moment”.
While ‘Her Loss’ marks Drake and Savage’s first full-length project, the duo have collaborated on a handful of songs in the past, beginning with the release of ‘Sneakin’ in 2016. They also both appeared to the Juicy J-sampling track ‘Knife Talk’ (from ‘Honestly, Nevermind), as well as ‘Mr. Right Now’ alongside Metro Boomin.
Drake and 21 Savage have staged a fake Saturday Night Live performance of ‘On BS’, lifted from the pair’s new collaborative album ‘Her Loss’.
Shared to Drake’s Instagram and YouTube yesterday (November 6), the performance is introduced by actor Michael B. Jordan, who assumes the place of an SNL host while presenting the performance. “Ladies and gentlemen, presenting your musical guest for the evening,” he says. “Drake and 21 Savage, performing a song off of one of the most relatable albums of all time, ‘Her Loss’.” Canned studio laughter then makes way for the pair’s performance, which takes place in a recreation of the SNL set.
For his part, Drake has appeared on Saturday Night Live twice as a host and three times as a musical guest. 21 Savage, however, has never appeared on the show. Watch Drake and 21 Savage’s spoof SNL performance below:
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The faux-performance was shared on the same day that Steve Lacy made hisdebut on the actual show, where he performed his number one hit ‘Bad Habit’ and ‘Helmet’ from his 2022 album ‘Gemini Rights’.
It marks the pair’s most recent parody media appearance in promotion of ‘Her Loss’. In the lead-up to its arrival, the rappers appeared on a fake cover of Vogue, and accompanied the photoshoot with a message thanking editor Anna Wintour “for the love and support”. Elsewhere, they spoofed Vogue‘s ‘In The Bag’ series, with Savage naming the children’s book Charlotte’s Web as one of his “most essential” items.
‘On BS’ is the latest ‘Her Loss’ song to attract headlines, following Drake’s apparent swipe at Megan Thee Stallion on ‘Circo Loco’. During that song’s opening verse, Drake casts doubt over Megan’s alleged shooting in 2020, rapping: “This bitch lie ’bout getting shot / But she still a stallion.” In response, Megan posted a series of tweets demanding that rappers “stop using [her] shooting for clout.”
‘Her Loss’ served as Drake and Savage’s debut collaborative full-length project upon its release last Friday (November 4). The rappers had appeared on several tracks together in the past, beginning with the release of ‘Sneakin’ in 2016. They also both appeared on the Juicy J-sampling track ‘Knife Talk’ (from Drake’s solo 2022 album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’), as well as ‘Mr. Right Now’ alongside Metro Boomin.
Drake has paid fresh tribute to late Migos rapper Takeoff, describing him as “legendary” and “unprecedented”.
Takeoff, real name Kirsnick Khari Ball, was shot and killed at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas in the early hours of Tuesday morning (November 1). He was 28 years old.
READ MORE: How the understated Takeoff became the real superstar of Migos
It has since been confirmed by a preliminary autopsy report that Takeoff died as a result of “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arms”. The full report is not yet complete.
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In the wake of Ball’s passing, Drake shared an image of himself performing live on-stage with the artist on Instagram.
“I got the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch,” he wrote as the caption. “That’s what I’ll focus on for now […] rest easy space man.”
As Complex reports, the ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ star eulogised Takeoff during the opening segment of his Table For One radio show on SiriusXM last night (November 3).
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“Before I get into the pleasantries, I’d just like to send our deepest condolences from the family to the entire QC [Migos’ record label, Quality Control Music], to our brother Quavo, to our brother Offset, to the friends and loved ones of the legendary, unprecedented Takeoff – a guy that I knew for a long, long time,” Drake began.
He went on to talk about how he “formed a brotherhood” with Takeoff after featuring on a remix of Migos’ 2013 debut single, ‘Versace’. “I always talk about the fact that this was one family,” Drake added. “My friends in the music industry are not friends, they’re family.”
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The rapper/singer continued: “So, our deepest condolences – tragic loss for all of us and, you know, a dark cloud over this business that we love so much. And, man… I just encourage everybody to lock into that mindset, no matter where you are, you know? It’s just really… it’s a life that’s worth living, and everybody deserves that chance.
“It’s unfortunate that one of our dear, dear brothers had to leave us this week. And it’s tough to even talk about, I don’t even know how to really – I don’t have the words, I feel like I’m rambling, but, yeah: again, our deepest condolences from the family. We love you, and I appreciate the memories, appreciate the memories.”
You can listen to a recording of the message in the tweet below.
Drake Speaking About The Tragic Passing Of Takeoff? pic.twitter.com/AxBsEFl0jL
— Rap301 (@Rap301_) November 4, 2022
In a statement issued after Takeoff’s death, Migos’ record label Quality Control Music wrote: “It is with broken hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved brother Kirsnick Khari Ball, known to the world as Takeoff.
“Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated. Please respect his family and friends as we all continue to process this monumental loss.”
Police in Houston have made an appeal for witnesses to come forward in order to help identify the gunman who fired the fatal shot.
Elsewhere, tributes to Takeoff have poured in from the likes of Beyoncé, Dave, Tyler, The Creator, 50 Cent and Rick Ross.
Drake and 21 Savage have announced that their collaborative album ‘Her Loss’ has been pushed back by a week after Drake’s longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib contracted COVID-19 while working on the album.
READ MORE: Drake – ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ review: rapper’s house makeover provides long-overdue career boost
In a post shared to both artists Instagram stories, it was revealed that Shebib had contracted COVID while mixing and mastering the record and is “resting up”. As a result, the album – which was set to arrive tomorrow (October 28) – will now be released a week later on November 4.
BREAKING: Drake & 21 Savage are pushing back “Her Loss” to November 4th‼️? pic.twitter.com/NiGNV8Ihyg
— RapTV (@Rap) October 27, 2022
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Drake and 21 Savage announced ‘Her Loss’ over the weekend. Its title and original release date appeared midway through the video for ‘Jimmy Cooks’, a track from Drake’s 2021 album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ that features Savage.
While ‘Her Loss’ will mark the first full project that Drake and 21 Savage have collaborated on together, it’s far from the first time the pair have teamed up. Savage also appeared on Drake’s 2021 ‘Certified Lover Boy’ cut ‘Knife Talk’, while Drake featured on ‘Mr. Right Now’ from Savage and Metro Boomin‘s ‘Savage Mode II’ back in 2020.
‘Honestly, Nevermind’, Drake’s seventh studio album, arrived in June just a few hours after the rapper and singer announced it. In a three-star review, NME called the record “an unexpected elevation from the bland trap, R&B remakes and Drake’s melancholic attitude to love we heard last time around”.
“He doesn’t quite shift the latter as much as one would hope – the album is as tiresomely woe-is-me as anything he’s ever done – but the house sound has at least given him the creative boost that his recording career has been crying out for recently.”
Nick Grimshaw has written about the time he threw up in front of Drake and other musicians after smoking weed at an MTV VMAs post-show party in 2010.
READ MORE: Nick Grimshaw on Jack Antonoff’s “magic” and his NME Awards memories
The TV presenter and former BBC Radio 1 host recalled in his new autobiography Soft Boy, which is released this Thursday (October 27), the unfortunate incident.
In an extract published by The Sun Grimshaw detailed being invited to a party at Drake’s studio in the US by his friend Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine).
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“Drake played some tunes and Flo wailed along while someone passed around a comedy-sized cartoon-like spliff. I chuffed down on it and smiled at Drake,” Grimshaw wrote.
Radio 1 presenter, Nick Grimshaw, poses for the camera to promote the sport relief challenge ‘The Heat is On’. CREDIT: Sam Riley/Comic Relief via Getty Images
But he soon began to feel unwell. “I stepped a foot outside and proceeded to projectile vomit for what felt like 30 minutes,” he added.
Although he managed to reach outside to puke, security footage of him throwing up ended up being shown to everyone in attendance.
He continued: “I stepped back in, pale and smelling slightly of vom. The room erupted into a fit of laughter. I looked up to see a CCTV screen showing the exact location of the vom incident. I had it live streamed into the studio.”
Elsewhere in his memoir Grimshaw shares anecdotes about his friend, the late Amy Winehouse, and other celebrity friends including the supermodel Kate Moss.
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He said of Winehouse: “We’d all go back to hers and fire up her electric sun bed. We’d sit on the floor side by side and toss our heads back into it to tan our faces while smoking fags and drinking a mini Red Stripe.”
Earlier this year Grimshaw caught up with NME on the red carpet of the BandLab NME Awards 2022 where he talked about the “magic” of Jack Antonoff as well as some of his favourite memories from NME awards past.
In Drake news, the rapper and singer has announced a collaborative album with 21 Savage, ‘Her Loss’, which is out next week.
Drake and 21 Savage have announced a new collaborative album is on its way, titled ‘Her Loss’.
The pair revealed the forthcoming project in the Mahfuz-directed music video for ‘Jimmy Cooks’, lifted from Drake’s recent record ‘Honestly, Nevermind’. Released today (October 23), the clip sees the pair rapping in a warehouse space, with various videos projected onto the screen behind them.
READ MORE: Drake – ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ review: rapper’s house makeover provides long-overdue career boost
They announce ‘Her Loss’ about mid-way through the clip, with the album’s title and release date — October 28 — appearing onscreen. Check it out below.
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Drake and Savage have linked up multiple times over the years, with the latter appearing on Drake’s 2021 cut ‘Knife Talk’ from his ‘Certified Lover Boy’ album. Drake also featured on Savage and Metro Boomin’s ‘Savage Mode II’, appearing on the track ‘Mr. Right Now’.
‘Honestly, Nevermind’ arrived back in June, just hours after Drake announced it. Speaking about the record in a three-star review, NME‘s Kyann-Sian Williams said: “‘Honestly, Nevermind’ is an unexpected elevation from the bland trap, R&B remakes and Drake’s melancholic attitude to love we heard last time around.”
“He doesn’t quite shift the latter as much as one would hope – the album is as tiresomely woe-is-me as anything he’s ever done – but the house sound has at least given him the creative boost that his recording career has been crying out for recently.”
Though the album qualifies for the 2023 Grammy awards, Drake was notably absent from the submissions list, which went to its first round of voting last week.
It follows Drake’s ongoing criticism of the awards and the Recording Academy after he withdrew 2021 album ‘Certified Lover Boy’ and its single ‘Way 2 Sexy’, featuring Future and Young Thug, from last year’s nominations.
Drake has confirmed that he was paid just $100 (£89) to open for Ice Cube at a gig in 2006.
READ MORE: Kanye beef, Right Said Fred samples and the Drake-iest lyrics yet: 10 talking points from Drake’s ‘Certified Lover Boy’
Taking to his Instagram Story on Tuesday (October 18), Drake re-shared a post by Flyer Vault, an archival account that documents the concert history of his Toronto hometown. The post includes an invoice for the Ice Cube-headlined concert in question, which took place at the city’s Kool Haus venue in August of 2006.
While Ice Cube’s fee is redacted, the invoice shows that Drake received a hundred-dollar sum for his supporting performance. According to Flyer Vault, the 30-minute opener marked “what was likely [Drake’s] first ever concert”, and saw the rapper perform songs from his debut 2006 mixtape ‘Room For Improvement’.
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A post shared by The Flyer Vault (@theflyervault)
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Confirming the payday in his re-post, Drake used the invoice to encourage his musician fans, writing that “this is for anybody getting 100 a show right now”, before imploring them to “keep going”. Drake shared his second mixtape, ‘Comeback Season’, in 2007, before releasing what would become his breakout project – the EP ‘So Far Gone’ – which later earned him his first-ever Grammy nominations in 2010.
Drake’s more recent album, however, will not be in contention at this year’s Grammys, following the rapper’s decision to withdraw his nomination for 2021’s ‘Certified Lover Boy’. While the reason for his rejection of the Best Rap Album nod remains unclear, Drake has criticised the Grammys in the past, writing in 2020 that “we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked” by the awards body following The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours’ snub that same year.
As evidence of how far he’s come since his 2006 pay-check, Drake recently bet $833,333 Canadian dollars (£537,000) on the football club FC Barcelona. The team’s loss to Real Madrid on October 16 resulted in the rapper losing over half a million pounds on the bet, adding to his reputation for being a bad luck charm.
Kanye West has said that Drake is the “greatest rapper ever”.
READ MORE: With his “White Lives Matter” stunt, has Kanye West finally hit the point of no return?
The rapper and entrepreneur said in a new interview that his collaborator tops the all-time list of MCs
“Drake is the greatest rapper ever, and I don’t apologise about it,” Ye told the Drink Champs podcast. He was then interrupted by the podcast’s co-founder and co-host, N.O.R.E., who brought up rumours about Drake formerly having a sexual relationship with Kris Jenner, the mother of Ye’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
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Ye’s praise for Drake follows the pair reconciling last year after years of trading barbs, with the duo putting on the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert.
JUST IN: Kanye West says Drake is the greatest rapper EVER‼️? pic.twitter.com/8rcm6u3I71
— RapTV (@Rap) October 16, 2022
West’s comments about the Canadian rap star have come amid a media storm over a range of controversial statements he’s made in recent weeks including those that are anti-Semitic, fatphobic and racially sensitive in nature.
After briefly making his Twitter comeback he was blocked on the social media platform as well as Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) following a series of anti-Semitic posts. An ex-staffer at TMZ has also since claimed that the rapper once praised “Hitler and the Nazis” during an interview with the site.
Prior to his recent anti-Semitic claims Ye denounced the Black Lives Matter movement as a “scam” in defence of wearing an “White Lives Matter” shirt at Balenciaga’s recent Paris Fashion Week show. He has doubled down on the stunt.
Kanye West and Candace Owens wearing “White Lives Matter” shirts at his fashion show in Paris. pic.twitter.com/eJekZ8cGhe
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 3, 2022
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Elsewhere, last week Lizzo appeared to respond to Ye’s comments about her weight, saying that she’s “minding my fat Black business”.
In a recent interview on Fox News, West said that what he believed was the promotion of obesity by social media companies was “demonic”. “When Lizzo loses 10 pounds and announces it, the bots … on Instagram, they attack her losing weight, because the media wants to put out a perception that being overweight is the new goal when it’s actually unhealthy,” he told host Tucker Carlson.
Ye’s behaviour has led to commercial partnerships falling through or reportedly being put on hold, including those with the bank JPMorgan Chase and the sportswear brand Adidas.
Many artists, celebrities, politicians and organisations have since publicly condemned West over his remarks including Jack Antonoff, David Schwimmer and New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Kanye West CREDIT: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Approached by Page Six in the wake of JPMorgan severing ties as he left a screening in Nashville, West also said in response to the backlash about his anti-Semitic comments: “Hey, if you call somebody out for bad business, that means you’re being anti-Semitic. I feel happy to have crossed the line of that idea so we can speak openly about things, like getting cancelled by a bank.”
West added that he was “the richest black man in American history, that put $140 million in JPMorgan”, before ending the interview by saying that he will “speak at a different time”.
Submissions for the 2023 Grammys are in, with the first round voting for next year’s awards kicking off yesterday (October 13).
There are a number of notable submissions and absentees from the 2023 submissions list, including six from Taylor Swift. Swift has put forward ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ for consideration in the Album of the Year and Best Country Album categories, eight years after the original ‘Red’ release lost in both at the 2014 awards.
Her other submissions include ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’ for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, ‘I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version)(From The Vault)’ for Best Country Song and Best Country Performance, and the Phoebe Bridgers-featuring ‘Nothing New (Taylor’s Version)(From The Vault)’ for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
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Beyoncé has entered two dance/electronic category nominations for the first time. She’s put forward her seventh studio album ‘Renaissance’ for both Album of the Year and Best Dance/Electronic Album, and its lead single ‘Break My Soul’ for Song of the Year, Recording of the Year and Best Dance/Electronic Recording. She’s won the most Grammy awards for any female artist and any male or female singer, with 28 wins over her career.
Then there were the notable absentees, such as Drake and The Weeknd. Neither submitted any works for the 2023 awards, despite both having released major albums this past year – The Weeknd’s ‘Dawn FM’ came out in January, while Drake’s ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ arrived in June.
It follows Drake’s ongoing criticism of the awards and the Recording Academy after he withdrew 2021 album ‘Certified Lover Boy’ and its single ‘Way 2 Sexy’, featuring Future and Young Thug, from last year’s nominations.
The Weeknd has also expressed frustration with the Grammys, boycotting the awards after his 2020 album ‘After Hours’ and its singles failed to receive any nominations. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys,” he said at the time.
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak‘s project Silk Sonic are also absent from the list, with Mars saying yesterday they’d decided to withhold their album, ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’ from next year’s nominations.
“We truly put our all on this record, but Silk Sonic would like to gracefully, humbly and, most importantly, sexually bow out of submitting our album this year,” Mars told Rolling Stone in a statement.
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The duo took home Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song categories at the 2022 ceremony for their single ‘Leave The Door Open’.
Shortlisted nominations will be revealed later this year, with winners announced at the 65th Grammy awards ceremony in February 2023.
Drake has announced announced a small theatre show in New York for next month.
The Canadian artist, who released his seventh album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ in June, will take to the stage at the 1,500-capacity Apollo Theater in Harlem on November 11 as part of SiriusXM’s Small Stages series.
READ MORE: Drake – ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ review: rapper’s house makeover provides long-overdue career boost
As Spin notes, Drake has only played four live shows so far this year.
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Tickets for the star’s intimate NYC gig are available for free to SiriusXM subscribers. Alternatively, non-subscribers can download the station’s app, subscribe and then can be entered to the prize draw.
Fans have until 11pm ET on October 26 to enter – you can find more information here, and see Drake’s announcement below.
