Search results for drake

The death of Pop Smokeis still fresh on the minds of his fans, peers, and supporters in the rap game. But in wake of his death, many are beginning to notice that we’ve seen a lot more young talent get taken away too soon. Following the murder of Pop, Irv Gotti spoke to TooFab where he spoke on rap artists getting targetted the most.

“It’s sad, it really is sad. It happens in hip-hop a lot. And it’s just — I wish our people was different. I wish our people would think for one second,” he said. “20-years-old… It only happens in hip-hop. And I don’t wish that on nobody, but you know what I’m saying. It’s not like you’re ever gonna see Justin Bieber got smoked, or whatever. It’s only hip-hop.”

Just days before Pop Smoke’s murder, he had celebrated his first top 10 album on the Billboard 200 with Meet The Woo. Although we received two strong projects in a short amount of time, 50 Cent revealed that he’ll be finishing and executive producing the next Pop Smoke album. So far, it appears that he’s got the Roddy Ricch feature on the project but he’s still waiting for Drake to respond. 

Pop Smoke’s family recently held a private gathering for the rapper with his burial expected to take place later this week in Brooklyn. 

Netflix's Top Boy is getting ready to kick off the second season. Following the success of the Drake-executive produced Netflix series' return, they are already getting ready to start filming the new season. A tweet from their official account made the announcement along with the news that the original cast would reprise their roles. "We’re back. TOP BOY Season 2 begins filming this spring. @AshleyWalters82, @TheRealKano, @onlymikes_ and @LittleSimz will return as Dushane, Sully, Jamie and Shelley. Stay tuned," the tweet reads.

Top Boy became one of the hottest series on Netflix is 2019. The show initially ran for two seasons before getting canceled. Eventually, Drake intervened and got it back to Netflix. The rapper even confirmed a few months before an official statement came out that the show would return. 

Prior to heading to Netflix, the show already grew in popularity in the UK and abroad. At the show's debut, Drake explained that it was important to bring these characters back because they had an important story to tell.

"I got attached to the characters, the story really drew me in. I think there's so many parallels between Toronto and London -- obviously, we don't have the same accent but we speak the same. So it reminded me of people that I grew up with or guys that I know and situations that I've witnessed. So I felt super connected right away," he said. "Then it disappeared on me."

Keep your eyes peeled for season 2. 

What Westside Gunn envisions, he brings to fruition. Boasting his own unique blend of slick, minimalist beats injected with raw lyricism and “fly street shit,” the King of Buffalo has managed to change hip-hop’s landscape through talent and sheer force of will alone. Creating a music empire without the support of television and radio airplay, Gunn filled the need for bars reminiscent of Raekwon, Kool G Rap and early Nas sorely lacking in the mainstream, following the drop of his 2013 mixtape Hitler Wears Hermes. Collaborating with hip-hop heavyweights like Busta Rhymes, Anderson Paak, Jadakiss, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, The Alchemist and MF Doom while earning the endorsements of respected veterans like Action Bronson and Danny Brown, Gunn is nothing if not consistent in proving to his peers he’s more than worthy of his Shady Records co-sign. 

“It was my duty to change the whole landscape of this shit,” says Westside, speaking to the forethought involved in turning Griselda Records into a force to be reckoned with. “That’s what people don’t understand. It’s deeper than people think. Flygod  is like the second coming of Hip Hop. I’m making sacrifices and bringing it back to where it needs to be … I’m putting everything on my back so that it can be smoother for people coming after me.” 

“Every legend you can think of has co-signed,” says Gunn of his industry supporters. “I’ve done it all. I’ve got nothing else to prove. Nothing.”

To see just how deep Gunn’s connections run, check out the Instagram Gallery below of the “GODS Don’t Bleed” rapper rubbing shoulders with hip-hop’s finest. 

Walk Of Fame 

“Came to support @50cent on his big day getting that Hollywood star… real motivation for the Street kids who turned Bosses!!!” writes Gunna of him showing out for 50’s big day. 

Fashion 

Clearly, Westside Gunn’s connections extend to the fashion industry as well. 

A$AP

“ASAP GUNN x GXFR ROCKY ?He about to have me on my Supermodel Shit, on the runway wit the ? on me,” writes Gunn after linking up with A$AP Rocky. 

Tyler The Creator 

Westside Gunn has nothing but respect for Tyler the Creator. 

Gunn X Hov 

Westside Gunn’s connections now extend to the King of NY himself after Griselda Records linked up with Roc Nation management in 2019.

Drake 

Drake respects the Griselda movement. 

Virgil 

“I’m forever grateful!! Sat front row with Migos, Pop Smoke, Tyga, J Balvin while my song played is a dope feeling especially bc he surprised me I didn’t even know he was gonna play my shit,” writes Gunn of his co-sign during Paris Fashion Week. 

Don Gang 

Gunn’s fashion connections extend to Kanye West’s right hand man, Chicago Don. 

Roc Nation Brunch 

At the infamous Roc Nation brunch, Westside Gunn has a seat at the table alongside the industry’s best and brightest. 

Lebron 

“Last Week was Drake, this week it’s Lebron, next week MJ gonna moonwalk out his grave to this GRISELDA shit… GOD IS THE GREATEST!!!” writes Gunn of Lebron vibing to Benny the Butcher, his Griselda label mate. 

For years, Detox became something of a running punchline in hip-hop circles. The album has cropped up as both interview fodder and a lyrical reference for everyone from Eminem to ScHoolboy Q, the latter of whom once claimed the record to be “like a mix away” on “There He Go.” Over a decade in the making, the concluding entry in the trilogy that began all the way back in 1992 took on a near-mythical condition of elusiveness. Halted by Dre’s unquenchable perfectionism, the ticking of the clock plays no role in the Aftermath mastermind’s creative process and his former protégé Snoop Dogg infamously dropped “five albums from the day that Detox was supposed to come out, till the day it didn’t.”

Pursued by a dissatisfaction that he just couldn’t quell, Dre eventually downed tools on this potentially world-altering record and put it behind him. When he did re-emerge in 2016, he did so on Compton, a sprawling love letter to his past that was inspired by cinematically revisiting it through the NWA biopic. Released just 6 days after it was announced, it’s comparatively painless road to completion speaks to one of the eternal truths of the industry. Sometimes, what the public are anticipating and what you want to deliver just doesn’t sync up.

Anything but an isolated incident, Dre relinquishing an album to the ether puts the legendary producer in elite company. So, without further ado, here’s ten more sought-after records that may exist in the archives or as a batch of rough mixes, but have never— and likely will never— see the light of day.

Kanye’s gallery of shelved work

Kanye West attends an event in NYC, 2019 – Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Aside from Dre himself, no one has become more of a byword for the interchangeability of creative focus and taste than Mr. Kanye West. Seemingly working with the aforementioned Compton icon on the follow-up to Jesus Is Kingas we speak, those familiar with Kanye’s tendency to make sweeping declarations will only permit themselves to feel a shred of excitement at most. As much phenomenal, paradigm-shifting music as Ye has delivered up to this point, there’s a similar amount of music that’s been resigned to a theoretical discography.

Between two separate iterations of Good Ass Job including one that was meant to be a straightforward sequel to Graduation, his decision to embrace his “super nerd vibe” with the proposed TLOPfollow-up TurboGrafx16, announcing So Help Me God/Swish in 2015 and getting its artwork inked on his skin all the way to a confirming a proposed collab record with Drake, Ye is the master of the misdirect at this stage.

Whether he’s purposefully throwing fans off the scent or he’s simply refining projects from initial concepts to something more robust, Kanye’s eagerness to pledge that something is coming, only for the pipeline to remain barren, has forever altered how we view his words.

Lil Wayne and Drake’s collaborative album

The master and the heir apparent of Young Money, Drizzy and Tunechi have never failed to deliver across the course of 17 cuts as a duo. Last teaming up on 2017’s Dedication 6 for a “Family Feud” remix, hearing the two reconvene after several years of musical estrangement was like catching up with an old friend. The signature sound of YMCMB’s golden era, the two trading bars is always a recipe for greatness and as such, conversation abounded about “young angel & young lion” finally harnessing that chemistry they established way back on So Far Gone’s “Ignant Shit” into a full project.

Yet as he revealed to XXL in 2011, the arrival of Watch The Throne compelled the duo to put the plans on the backburner for the foreseeable.

“Me and Wayne scrapped the idea of a collaboration album. We just agreed that it would be looked upon as… this competition,” he conceded.  “I feel like it would get caught in this whirlwind of hype. [Wayne] agreed. We just said, ‘If we do it, we’ll do it down the line. But right now is not the time.’”

Nine years on, we’re no further ahead on getting it on the docket in any official capacity but Weezy insists that “We still text and send songs here and there, change a verse because he killed me or change a verse ‘cuz I killed him.”

D’angelo – James River

By the time that Voodoo dropped in 2000, Richmond, Virginia’s very own R&B pioneer D’Angelo had the world on tenterhooks for his next move. Yet for all that there was five years between Brown Sugar and the platinum-selling sophomore project, no one would’ve expected that there’d be so many bumps in the road on the way to an eventual follow-up. Although we’d get The Vanguard-assisted Black Messiah 14 agonizing years later, there is a missing link in the chain that’s still shrouded in a cloud of internal turmoil and darkness to this day. Taking on numerous shapes over the years, updates on an album entitled James River were kept all but non-existent from D’Angelo himself, leaving collaborator and The Roots’ stalwart Questlove to occasionally chime in with a snippet of information. After he’d leaked an acoustic version of what’d eventually become “Really Love” to Australia’s Triple J in 2004 and damaged their relationship in the process, Quest then proclaimed that James River was “97% done” in 2011.

Although his eventual return was seminal in itself, there’s always going to be part of us that wants to hear some other excerpts from the reported “five albums worth” of material that he’d recorded in that time.

Outkast – 10 The Hard Way

OutKast, 2000 – Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images

Said to be helmed in its entirety by their trusted advisors Organized Noize, 10 The Hard Way is known among Outkast fans as the grand send-off that never was. Reportedly constructed alongside Idlewild and its subsequent soundtrack, this record was meant to escort 3 Stacks and Big Boi back from the prohibition-era realm of their cinematic endeavours and into the heat of the Player’s Ball. In what makes for truly dismaying reading now that we know how history has panned out, a 2006 interview with Sleepy Brown saw him outline exactly where the record was headed.

“That’s supposed to be the last OutKast album”, he asserted. “Hard tracks, rap tracks. They was all for it, we’ve made plenty of beats for it, then, all of a sudden, he [Benjamin] don’t wanna do it no more. I just wish he’d make the decision,” he sighs. “Just say it! Are you done, or are you done? Nobody’s gonna be mad, but they’ll be mad if you keep doin’ this to ’em!”

Eminem – The Funeral

Although “it’s your funeral” may have been the gripping tagline of this year’s Music To Be Murdered By, the graveside ceremony we’re referring to dates all the way back to 2006. Becoming the stuff of forum legend, The Funeral was the proposed next entry in Em’s catalogue after Encore and came with a fleshed-out premise to boot. Slated to be a double disc project, the album’s proposed title wasn’t a throwaway remark, it spoke to the concept of laying his previous aliases to rest.

“I’m not really on any of the tracks named The Funeral”, he told BET. “Those tracks just signify the death of each persona.” The Eminem fansite states that the album was intended to contain three sections, each divided by one The Funeral track. Bizarre was set to rap about the Slim Shady persona, Dr. Dre was going to handle the Marshall Mathers persona, while Obie Trice was going to rap about the Eminem persona. The final track which was reportedly title “Where I’m Standing” was meant to showcase Eminem’s “rebirth.”

Enticing as that sounds, it looks like it’ll never see the light of day, unless he chooses to revive the structure for one grand swansong somewhere along the line.

J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar’s collaborative album

J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar performing during Cole’s tour, 2014 – Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Every generation has one of those great “what if’s” that arise from contemplating what would happen if two or more legendary artists teamed up for one full-length project together. The previous era had the “Murder Inc” supergroup of Jay Z, DMX and Ja Rule that failed to materialize and we have the Cole and K. Dot album that’s been hinted at for nearly five years now.

Regularly stoked by their teams either to keep interest alive or, in some cases, seemingly for their own amusement, they first encountered one another on Born Sinner’s “Forbidden Fruit” before later remixing one another’s tracks on “Black Friday” of 2015.

With Kendrick and Cole both claiming that they’d love to do it on numerous occasions and Lamar even cropping up in an uncredited capacity on ROTD3, the last real correspondence we had on the matter saw Dreamville’s leader state that “We just did a few songs. Like, we did a bunch of ideas. Put it like that. It was nothing like, you wouldn’t call it an album… Not because it’s never gonna happen. Just because, like… it’s not right now. I don’t like teasing or playing the game ’cause this has been going on for a minute.”

Whatever the case, it’s hard to imagine any record stopping hip-hop in its tracks quite like Kendrick crossing over to Cole World.

Slaughterhouse – Glass House

Despite having all the lyrical talent in the world, there was something about the dynamic at the heart of Slaughterhouse that never enabled them to live up to their potential. Across their 2009 independent debut to the Shady-backed Welcome To Our House, clashing egos, beat selection and apparent management interference prevented Royce, King Crooked, Joell and Joe Budden from creating the sacred text of rhyming that they, by all rights, should’ve delivered. Said to feature an equivalent “Slaughterhouse of producers” that included Just Blaze, J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, Illmind and others, Royce may be adamant that they didn’t finish their last album Glass House but to Crook’s mind, they’re “robbing the culture” by not releasing it.

“It came out incredible,” he told Talib Kweli’s The People’s Party podcast. “I wanted it to see the light of day. For Budden’s part, he’s happy to leak the album but who knows whether that’ll ever occur.

Black Thought & Danger Mouse – Dangerous Thoughts

Sometimes, a producer and MC combo is enough to set your imagination ablaze. Danger Mouse’s hip-hop pedigree is well established, from Gnarls Barkley to DANGERDOOM. Two years after he’d meticulously spliced Jay-Z and The Beatles together for The Grey Album, Danger was granted the opportunity to work with another one of hip-hop’s most astounding pens, The Roots’ Black Thought. Said to be “midway” to completion back in 2006, the Philly icon said later in the year that he “would call it a meeting of the minds. It would not be like me, Black Thought from the Roots, and Danger Mouse the producer — it’s us taking on two personas.”

With Black finally releasing solo material with Streams Of Thought Vol 1 & 2, let’s hope that they can finally build on all that chemistry they’d exhibited during the rapper’s appearance on Dangerdoom’s previously unreleased jam “Mad Nice.”

Zack De La Rocha’s solo album

Throughout his career, Rage Against The Machine’s Zach De La Rocha has resembled less of an artist and more of a force of nature. Initially leaving the rap-rock group that’d made his name in 2000 as he felt that it had “undermined our artistic and political ideal,” the rumour mill about a solo project from Zack essentially started there and then. Amid collaborating with DJ Shadow, KRS-ONE and others, it only seemed like a matter of time until a fiery album of political vitriol that embraced his hip-hop roots would arrive. Over the next decade and a half, Zach would be pictured in the studio with Nas, undertake some sessions with Questlove and even deliver an incendiary verse on Run The Jewels’ “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck.)”  

Then, in 2017, EL-P incited chaos on social media when he declared that  “The Zack de la Rocha album is happening in 2017. And yes this is new material made this year and yes there is more where that came from. And that’s all the info I’m authorized to give out. Been keeping my mouth shut about my work with Zack since January when we did it. It hurt. Now I’ll commence keeping my mouth shut about the rest.” To date, all that’s emerged is the phenomenal El-P produced “Digging For Windows” but we’d be eager to hear more.

Nas & AZ – The Essence/The Firm Sequel

Nas & AZ out in NYC, 2019 – Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

Since Nasir Jones came to the fore on the all-time great debut Illmatic, no one has been able to meld so neatly with his style in the vein that AZ can. Delivering one of the showstopping verses of the album— and in this writer’s opinion, all-time— on “Life’s A Bitch,” the pair have kept that shared rhythm alive over the years on tracks such as “Serious,” “The Flyest” and “The Essence” not to mention during their time in Dr. Dre’s The Firm supergroup. Speaking of that last track from Aziatic, its title bears the same name as the proposed collaborative album between the two that, for one reason or another, has never emerged. Once again consigned to the stuff of forum speculation, what AZ has been more forthcoming about is the prospect of another record alongside Dre, Foxy Brown and Nature under the mafioso-rap banner of The Firm. Speaking to The Boombox in 2012, the eternally underrated New York MC claimed that the only thing holding them back is scheduling.

“I just spoke to Foxy like two to three months ago. Everybody’s cool. We all reach out, there’s no bad blood. We all grown and what not, so it’s cool. Nas’ album [Life Is Good], just came out and he’s doing him. I’m trying to wrap up my Doe or Die 2 album, so I’m working. So hopefully, we can make it happen again — one more time. But if not, it was a great experience.”

Although they may be at vastly different ends of the industry at this stage, the prospect of hearing Nas & AZ hook up for a full-length project will never lose its lustre.

Which of these albums would you love to hear? 

After a minor setback & delay, it looks like we finally have the release date for PartyNextDoor’s long awaited new album. To coincide with the release of his new song “Split Decision,” the Toronto crooner decided to come though last night and announce that PartyMobile will be dropping March 27th.

From what we can see from the pre-order page, the project will consist of 15 songs in total and feature Drake on a couple records, which we heard with “Loyal.” Unfortunately there’s no other information about the project and features, but rumors were circulating the past few weeks that Rihanna might be on it, so we’ll just have to patiently wait to find that out.

Party first teased the project’s release for February, promising fans that he needed the extra time to put the finishing touches on it. "To the fans, I’m gonna need some more time to put the finishing touches on this album," wrote the critically-acclaimed Toronto artist. "February... I promise the extra time will be worth it.” However, he apparently needed a little more time as it’s once again been pushed back till March 27th now.

The Clipse were far from the first to rap about cocaine but the way that they took the niche genre and innovated it shifted the game for the better. Push is still rapping about cocaine nearly 20 years later but he’s faced a backlash from people who’ve claimed that he’s not really about that life while others have criticized the romanticized and largely exaggerated depiction of his kingpin stature.

Brad Barket/Getty Images

In a recent interview with Anthony “Geezy” Gonzalaz, former manager to the Clipse, there might be some validity behind the criticism towards their authenticity. Push, specifically, was able to take moments of their real-life conversations and turn it into glorified bars of gold. In fact, Geezy said roughly 95% of the things No Malice and King Push rapped about surrounded a life that he did.

“They never had to ask me about no idea off of what they have seen,” Gonzalez said. “But, I remember a couple of times it was a rap back in the day and me and him were sitting there talking and I said to him, I made a statement, for every car I got add nine O’s. It was me just talking in general when I said that and he looked at me but he ain’t say nothing. Then I heard him say it in a rhyme, ‘For every car I got add nine O’s.’ When I heard it, I was like, man I said that to him. He was good when it came to that type of stuff.”

This only adds more fuel to the claims made by Drake and No Malice that Pusha T isn’t actually living the stuff that he raps about. We’ll see if Push ends up responding to this clip. 

It begins like the eerie score of a classic horror film with shrieking trumpets diving against your ear drums stimulating the brain’s temporal lobe, the part responsible for emotion. After which, an equally gory squeaking, screeching ‘ee-urrr’ – the best way I can describe it is wet shoes dragging across tile floors or a modified bed creak from “Some Cut” by Trillville. That sound ushers in the beat to beget the year’s top song. Somehow these noises combine to create a hoodrich harmony. The organs. The 808. The rat-tat-tat of the snare. All ingredients in the recipe that baked “The Box,” this year’s defining hit.

Legend has it “The Box” was the final song Roddy recorded for his most recent album, Please Excuse Me For Being Anti-Social. It was tracked in the pitch black of New York night as the Compton rapper toiled in the studio. According to 30 Roc, the track’s producer, and an Atlantic Records A&R – after the song was already done Roddy said, “Wait let me add something,” and it was there that he may have altered the course of his musical history. Boom, we got the beauty ad-lib that I honestly can’t effectively describe but that took over the charts and social media in one fell swoop. 

Roddy Ricch performs at SummerFest 2019 – Jerritt Clark/Getty Images

“The Box” debuted at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though it was not released as a single. In four weeks, it became #1, and topped the Billboard charts for seven consecutive weeks. It also notched an eighth week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart with 52.2 million U.S. streams last week, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The track became so addicting to fans it blocked the likes of Justin Bieber from topping the chart after his return to music, thus causing him to strangely pander to his fans to help him hop over Roddy.

My girlfriend is an elementary school teacher and says all day kids walk down the hallway making the ee-urr noise. You can’t go anywhere without hearing it. The song went viral on social platforms like TikTok as well, perhaps unsurprising given that the platform is built around bite-sized, intriguing sounds, but thus also clearly highlighting why a song with such a weird sound is perfect for present-day music consumers. It’s inspired countless recreation videos utilizing the peculiar squeaking. It is mostly used for comedy skits, including the popular “how the song was made” spoofs. Here, users would recreate peculiar sounds heard in songs with everyday objects. I can’t lie, these are hilarious. 

Of the strange sound the song has come to be known for, Roddy told TIME magazine “It’s just the sound I heard when I made the song,” he said. “I be putting sounds – you ever just make random-a– noises? That’s all it was. It was my imagination, wherever your imagination wants to take you. I feel like a lot of people gravitated towards the sound, but it’s just what I heard. When you make music, it’s all art – so it’s just the way I stroke my paint, the detail added.”

Today, the way social and digital media so heavily influence our consumption patterns – songs run numbers for a myriad of reasons outside the song’s actual quality. The song “Lottery” by K Camp is another hit that went viral because of a dance frequently renditioned on Instagram and TikTok. The Shiggy challenge for Drake’s “In My Feelings” song went viral for a similar reason. “Black Beatles” by Rae Shremurd went viral because of mannequin videos everyone seemed to take part in. And of course Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” Yet to be fair, unlike Nas X who used TikTok as a launching pad for his career – Roddy had already established himself with songs like “Every Season” and “Die Young” before the viral hit. 

Musicologist Andrew Mall who spoke to TIME in the same piece highlighted other reasons that make “The Box” such a captivating hit: “I see how and why that [sound] is a viral component of the song on TikTok, but honestly that’s not the most interesting component of the beat. I’m really taken by the atmospheric synths that underpin the track and provide the central harmonic component, particularly since there is no bass to speak of aside from a pitched bass drum sample. Also, the fact that he retains writing credit here and on several other tracks that are charting, including those where he is a featured artist, speaks to a strong business savvy on his part.”

Besides for the simple soundbites that song offers to social media users, the melodic quality, cadence and lyrics make it versatile in other ways. It’s perfect for the story selfie videos, gym anthem, or pre-game turn-up tunes. It’s the perfect song for posting up, parking lot pimping or blaring your system to obnoxious decibels at traffic lights. It could equally work as a ride-slow anthem, the song builds up and moves purposefully, recalling chopped and screwed styles. The track’s catchy short phrases like “BITCH DON’T WEAR NO SHOES IN MY HOUSE!” make it extremely memorable and quotable. As does Roddy’s flow, where he stretches words and snaps them back just as quickly, on lines like “She sucked a nigga souuuul, gotta Cash App.” 

Roddy Ricch attends the Grammys –  Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Even with all of these facts, elements of sounds or components of song which can be extrapolated for different reasons seem to be more important than the actual song quality nowadays (even though, as we’ve argued, “The Box” is a phenomenal song in its own right) 

The song itself is about jail. When he was 18 years old, he spent a week in prison when he faced a potential gun charge. It’s perhaps an ironic omen that it went viral. In many ways, we exist in the confines of social media and this digital age that shrinks the globe. Technology has exposed us to so many things yet we’re still in a Box. Moral of the story is that social media, in several ways, has grown into this juggernaut that influences what we are exposed to. Because of our FOMO or fear of missing out on what every is doing or talking about, we feel compelled to join in on the fun. It highlights the fact that we are prisoners of the mainstream for better or worse.

A few months after Travis Scott‘s Astroworld dropped in 2018, a fan tweeted that they found Swae Lee’s vocals “Sicko Mode” to be soothing. Even though Swae’s contribution to the track is the mere repetition of the line, “Someone said”, it’s definitely a highlight. After the Rae Sremmurd member saw the compliment, he was inspired and replied that he would “make this a whole song with like verses and all for y’all.” Over a year later, this ingenious idea is finally coming to fruition. 

Earlier this week, Swae Lee shared a Triller video of him going bonkers on a tour bus with his new single, “Someone Said”, playing. While Swae’s line in “Sicko Mode” may have initially been considered to be soothing, he has now flipped it into a banger. Social media erupted upon hearing the snippet and demanded that Swae hand it over. This wish is being granted because the rapper just announced that he will release “Someone Said” on Friday (Feb. 28). He also shared the killer cover art for it. 

There was a bit of drama surrounding Swae not getting proper credit for his significant addition to “Sicko Mode”. He wasn’t listed as a feature on the song as Drake was. After the music video released, Swae snidely remarked that he was left out of it. Although he later clarified that he’s not stressing about the whole situation, “Someone Said” will now cash in on his brilliant vocal. 

Justin Bieber struck gold with his Quavo collaboration “Intentions,” with the Changes single becoming an instant hit on the Billboard charts when it first dropped earlier this month. It looks like the song is continuing to see even more success now that it’s officially peaked at #9 on the Hot 100.

Jeff Haynes/NBAE Getty Images

News of “Intentions” being a success was an even bigger win for the Migos member, as it now marks his sixth solo top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Others include his 2016 collaboration “Congratulations” with Post Malone (#8), Drake’s More Life single “Portland” from 2017 that also featured Travis Scott (#9), the Liam Payne 2017 collaboration “Strip That Down” (#10), the following year on “No Brainer” alongside DJ Khaled, Chance the Rapper and Justin Bieber again (#5) and finally the chart-topping “I’m the One,” again with Khaled, Biebz and Chano but this time also featuring Lil Wayne. While Quavo was sure to thank God for the success, he also gave a shoutout to Pop Smoke and Kobe Bryant while sharing the news Instagram, the latter who he also paid tribute to during the NBA Celebrity Game for All-Star Weekend (seen above). It’s also worth nothing that he also has four additional top 10 hits with his Migos group members, so this guy is definitely on his way to carving a historical musical run for himself. 

Peep his IG post below, and let us know which one of Quavo’s top 10 hits is your fave down in the comments: 

Over their lifespan, mixtapes have changed in body, but never in soul. Whether the vehicle is zip files, MP3s or C60 cassettes – they’ve always been an integral part of hip-hop’s maturation. Many fans like myself have benefited greatly from the projects that introduced new artists and DJs to the listening community – even though they were candidly, loosely ethical, bootlegged copies of intellectual property that created questions about fair use and legality – they also grew to mega popularity and demanded substantial financial returns. Overall, mixtapes have and continue to have a convoluted but important legacy.

Growing up, I was never really able to afford albums, so mixtapes were my window into hip-hop. If you’re old enough, you’ll remember having a “burner” in high school. No, not a prepaid cell phone – a person who was known for selling mixed CDs blessed with the game’s newest and most exclusive music. Luckily, one of my best friends and teammates was the aforementioned “burner.” So, after practice, we’d swing by his house and he’d go into the secret lab (which was really just the computer desk in his parent’s den) and voila, like magic a shimmering CD would float down from the heavens into his hand before tossing it in mine. This alchemistic wizardry unlocked a treasure chest of tunes that fueled my love for rap music. We’d sometimes just ride around for hours in his car after school listening to our favorite tracks and debating about the newest artists. 

One thing I loved about the tapes was their pageantry. You remember where you were when you heard classics like Lil Wayne’s Dedication or Jay Z’s Carter Collection. I’ll never forget where I was when I heard the Clipse now-infamous mixtape We Got It For Cheap Vol. 2. The project was drenched in voiced interludes and obnoxious DJ tags but most importantly vicious and imaginative bars. With the help of producer Clinton Sparks, Malice, Pusha-T, Sandman, and Ad-Liva redefined what the word mixtape meant. Rhyming over other rappers’ instrumentals in an uncanny fashion. As if they had something to prove and they deserved that industry acclaim and cultish fanfare. Back then tapes were a flare gun shot by up and coming artists trying to paint their name on the day’s rap mural. Take these lines by Malice for example: 

We Got It For Cheap Vol 2 – Intro [Malice]

“And it’s a known fact y’all tired of the circus,

So come home where you smell the crack in the verses!

The whole rap world watched the Clipse take a bow,

We left it in ya hands, you ain’t make Father proud!

None of y’all can copy; a hard act to follow,

We was cursed with the spirit of verses, the stigmata!

Suicide bomb ya, like Mohamed Atta,

Or the doors on that Phantom, Re-Up, we rap martyrs what?” 

Nowadays, it’s fairly normal to see artists routinely flood the hip-hop streets with an abundance of content. Every other week it seems rappers are delivering new music to fans – a far cry from earlier eras, times when listeners waited sometimes years to hear anything new from their favorite emcee. Twenty-plus track playlists, as is the en vogue terminology, and “commercial” mixtapes appear on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify with great regularity but in days past this sort of saturation did not exist. The explosion of the internet and advancements in technology has rendered music-making more accessible to hopeful DJs, producers, and rappers alike. Prior to this, getting your hands on a mixtape was a very limited and tangible experience. Sort of producing a snobbish hip-hop subculture. You’d have to find the block where the tape was being sold, sometimes out of a trunk or the corner store and get your hands on one before they were all gone. The web and early mixtapes sites allowed artists to reach more listeners quickly.

But, how did we get here? What are the origins of this modern-day practicality? And how can we explain the ebb and flow of their use and popularity from the infancy of hip-hop until now? Mixtapes have long been a grey area for both record labels and artists who bend copyright laws to facilitate the distribution of the mostly promotional projects. Mixtapes were some of the first building blocks for hip-hop – appearing as early as the mid-1970s in New York City. The groundbreaking compilations featured artists such as Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa. Classic records like “Planet Rock” emerged from mixtapes. They were incredibly effective in the early days and fans would collect and trade these tapes which helped spread hip-hop. 

From the 1980s into the 1990s, DJs began to join in on the mixtape craze and became a driving force in their revolution. Music personalities like Kid Capri and DJ Clue took tapes from sets on cassette, to an exclusive consumer experience featuring hard-to-find tracks and verses– he infamously had Biggie’s “Juicy” on one of his mixtape cassettes prior to the release of B.I.G.’s Ready to Die album, resulting in a furious call from Biggie on-air at Hot 97. DJ Clue is no doubt a pioneer in procuring the medium as its own art form. Clue helped build the prototype for tapes which became iconic.

DJ Clue, Memphis Bleek and Jay-Z circa 2001 at the Soul Train Awards –  Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage/Getty Images

Once homemade and sold door to door, in barbershop, and flea markets – the tapes grew into a multi-million dollar industry. RIAA reportedly estimated that in the early 2000s mixtapes were generating as much as $150 million dollars in sales each year. During this growth the music industry, for most part, turned a blind eye to the enterprise. I assume they equated the lost royalties to be invariable to gained promotion from the circulation of these tapes. Mixtapes famously incubated the early rap careers of artists like 50 Cent, T.I. and Jeezy. Like them, many rappers built the groundwork for their careers with mixtapes. Gaining the attention of major labels through the buzz those compositions created at a grassroot level.

Perhaps no artist in hip-hop history has executed and leveraged mixtapes to his benefit quite like 50 Cent. To rap purists, his name is synonymous with the word. Curtis took the game one step further, by not just spitting 16 bars on someone else’s instrumental, but making the songs his own. 50’s mixtape tracks were so popular they’d often get played in nightclubs and had mass appeal across the country. 50 rode the momentum he built through his mixtapes to one of the best selling debut studio albums of all time.  

Mixtapes grew to be a core marketing strategy for rappers of the new millennium. They essentially became the de facto demo tape for an artist. To do that, they took on many different forms. Battle campaigns waged against the industry (50 Cent), promotional teasers for upcoming albums, DJs combining exclusive verses tracked by high-profile rappers. Both artists and DJs found a lot of ways to leverage mixtapes effectively. Mixtapes also have and continue to be used for artists who want to exercise more creative freedom in their music. Giving them an avenue to express freely without the label’s influence. 

In 2007, DJ Drama and DJ Cannon were arrested on federal racketeering and bootlegging charges from the alleged sale of mixtapes. With the endorsement of RIAA, authorities raided the pair’s Atlanta studio – seizing more than 80,000 CDs and thousands of dollars in producing equipment. Classically dubbed the “mixtape martyrs,” Drama and Cannon bit the bullet for the industry. Drama, of course, pioneered the insanely popular “Gansta Grillz” series. Cannon was influential in his own right with the Affiliate Music Group – also producing tracks for previously mentioned “Gansta Grillz” series. The pair were incredibly formidable in the early part of the decade. It was a comeuppance and turning point in the timeline of mixtape culture.    

Don Cannon (L), DJ Drama, and DJ Sense, 2005 – Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

After the fall of the “mixtape martyrs,” in 2010, the mixtape industry looked to be on life support and in desperate need of defibrillation. There was a time when you needed mixtapes to find the newest music but blogs and websites partially replaced the importance of the tapes in that they exposed listeners to new content without the quest. Everything was now at your finger tips. In a way, fans didn’t critically need mixtapes like they once did. Also, there was no way to charge for mixtapes with sites and social media spreading them. DatPiff, LiveMixtapes and HNHH began streaming mixtapes for free and made them easily accessible. It became more difficult to find a physical copy of any mixtape release. Yet as they have so many times over the years – mixtapes adapted to survive producing a new era in consumption. The boom of streaming took mixtapes yet another step. 

Mixtapes are now big business components and perhaps just as important as albums themselves. A culmination of the mixtape timeline would be Chance The Rapper cashing in on a Grammy Award because of his project Coloring Book. He actually grew to superstardom before ever releasing one album. Acid Rap, another mixtape of his, initially propelled him into the spotlight along with a series of features on a-list records. Referencing Coloring Book he famously said on his Kanye’s “Ultralight Beam”: “Let’s make it so free and the bars so hard that there ain’t one gosh darn part you can’t tweet.”and on the project he had an entire song dedicated to addressing the place of mixtapes in hip-hop, saying “Am I the only n*gga still care about mixtapes.” 

There’s an overwhelming amount of content hitting the web. Some have expressed concerns about hip-hop being extremely oversaturated with an influx of music. But don’t expect things to change. Now, mixtapes are an essential part of mainstream rappers’ portfolios. No longer reserved for merely the up-and-coming. J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Drake, and others will hit fans with new music, ambush-style. The compositions have also now lost their ties to DJs, free of interludes and drops like the ones in We Got It For Cheap Vol. 2. What we have now is a fusion of demo tapes and mixtapes which are their own entities. But if you ask me, more music is always a good thing. The essence of mixtapes are to cut out the middleman and get the music to the fans – without all the red tape. Now you have Apple Music and Spotify featuring mixtapes on their platforms, further bolstering their value to an artist’s catalog and blurring the lines between them and albums. So much has changed but so much stays the same. Mixtapes have morphed but retain their status in hip-hop.  

What’s your favorite mixtape, or mixtape memory? Sound off in the comments.

There is nobody stopping Roddy Ricch as the Compton rapper is spending another week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, holding onto his spot while his hit single "The Box" continues to gain in listeners.

Travis Scott fans rise up, as all signs point to him becoming a fully-immortalized Fortnite character when Season 2 of the popular battle royale lands in full. Though it's yet to be made official, a Fortnite miner and leaker by the name of Lucas7Yoshi unearthed several pieces of code indicating that Travis will play a major role in the upcoming drop. His findings point to both a skin and emote from the "Sicko Mode" rapper, along with several other pieces of La Flame's signature aesthetic. 

Rich The Kid revealed that his next album, titled Boss Man, will include features from the likes of Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby, Future, DaBaby, and possibly more. After leaving Interscope to sign with Republic Records in December, the rapper has started putting in work for his next project. Rich sat down with Rap-Up to discuss his next body of work, a two-part album called Boss Man and disclosed some of the featured artists.

"I got Lil Baby on the album, Future, DaBaby," he says, before explaining how a collaboration with another artist—Post Malone—came to be. "We got the same team so I'm real tight with him. We’ve actually known each other for like five, six years, when he was in Atlanta. We caught back up years down the road." The track, called "V12," was actually produced by Post. “Post Malone got beats and they’re fire," says Rich, who calls "V12" "next level" and "one of my favourite songs on the album."

Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

"Post is a real cool, genuine dude. Cause you don't really get that much, especially at his level. People be arrogant, cocky. He's like a real cool dude." According to a recent Instagram story, "V12" may also feature Drake.

Saturday night, the 51st annual NAACP Image Awards got underway as the organization continued its tradition in honoring exceptional entertainers, artists, and creators of color over the past year. This time around top honors went to the likes of Rihanna, whose philanthropic work earned her the lauded President's Award, Lizzo, who took home the top-seeded Entertainer Of The Year award, and even Blue Ivy Carter, who earned her first award for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration, sharing the win with her mother, Beyoncé, Saint JHN, and Wizkid.

Elsewhere actress and producer Marsai Martin had a fruitful night as the 15-year-old wunderkind scored wins for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture for her Little major motion debut in addition to Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by a Youth for her role in Black-ish.

Robin L Marshall/Getty Images

Catch the full List of NAACP Image Award winners below:

Wendy Williams is not afraid to document her dating life, as the talk show host took to Instagram to share photos of her date night with rumoured boyfriend and NYC jeweler, William Selby, on Friday night. Wendy officially became a single woman last month after finalizing her divorce from now ex-husband, Kevin Hunter. The controversial figure did not waste anytime finding a new man, however, as she stepped out with William for a romantic date night on Friday, and even shared the highlights on Instagram. She first posted a selfie of her luscious blonde locks with the caption, “He sent his car for me..dinner in pursuit. Happy Friday!” followed by a photo of her meatball-filled meal on their date. On the second post, she wrote, “3 meatballs plus good company equals danger! #dinner #friday #fridayvibes.”

Wendy followed up these posts with a shot of herself and William with beaming smiles, cozied up together while spending time in the studio with Black Papi. “Later on…studio with @blacpapipmh” she captioned the photo. “Another Friday night.”

The New York City-based jeweler, commonly known as “Big Will,” has created pieces for artists such as Drake, 50 Cent and A$AP Ferg. Wendy and Big Will recently attended the premiere of Cash Money’s new Spotify docuseries New Cash Order, and also spent the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day together, according to Will’s Instagram. Though Wendy has previously referred to Will as her “friend” on The Wendy Williams Show, it definitely looks as though the two of them are much more than that.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

Wendy and Kevin Hunter’s divorce was finalized in January after 25 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Kevin had cheated on Wendy a second time, which resulted in him impregnating his mistress. Since then, Wendy has described this phase of her life as a “new chapter” that has been “so lovely.”

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown turned 16 this week and posted a powerful message on Instagram about being in the public eye at such a young age, as reported by Complex.

Leon Bennett / Getty Images

"Ya girls 16 :) 16 has felt like a long time coming,” she wrote. “I feel like change needs to happen for not only this generation but the next. our world needs kindness and support in order for us children to grow and succeed."

She continued, “the last few years haven't been easy, I'll admit that. there are moments I get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me.” Brown went on to tell her followers that despite all the bad she won't "be defeated and added that she will “continue doing what I love and spreading the message in order to make change.”

In addition to her caption, Brown posted a video, which showed countless examples of the press saying negative things about the actress.

In the past, her friendship with Drake has been criticized by the media, to which she responded, “Why u gotta make a lovely friendship ur headline? U guys are weird… For real.”

The first trailer for Stranger Things 4 was released earlier this month.

View this post on Instagram

16 has felt like a long time coming. i feel like change needs to happen for not only this generation but the next. our world needs kindness and support in order for us children to grow and succeed. the last few years haven't been easy, I'll admit that. there are moments i get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me. but not ever will i be defeated. ill continue doing what i love and spreading the message in order to make change. let's focus on what needs changing and I hope this video informs you on the things that go on behind the scenes of the headlines and flashing lights. dont worry I'll always find a way to smile ;) leggo 16 ♡.

A post shared by mills (@milliebobbybrown) on Feb 19, 2020 at 4:49am PST

Kamaiyah’s Twitter feed will show you words of inspiration and tidbits of facts about her come-up and how she made her way to being the Oakland-bred rapper she is today. “I’ve been minding my business, making slaps on the low doing non-toxic shit,” she wrote. The “Windows” rapper made her mark with 2016’s A Good Night in the Ghetto followed by 2017’s Before I Wake – the latter of which she doesn’t really count in her discography.

David Livingston/Getty Images

Some of her most popular songs to date are “Fuck It Up” with the likes of YG, “Why You Always Hatin” with Drake and “Do Not Disturb” with G-Eazy.

Following her Roc Nation Brunch attendance, her $1,000 loss on a Super Bowl bet and recent music video releases (those Trina visuals though) Kamaiyah has dropped off her most recent album Got It Made today, February 21st,  equipped with 10 songs. The offering is a testament to where she is today and the growth she’s endured throughout the process. When we hopped on a call to discuss life as of late, Kamaiyah expressed even more major keys of inspiration when detailing that her success is not only from her grind, but the fact that she’s actually a “genuine person.”

“People see that and they just kind of fuck with me. I don’t be on no hater shit. It makes it easier for people to be around me,” she said. Read our exclusive interview with Kamaiyah where she opens up about her time with Too $hort, her Quavo link-ups and how she keeps herself in check below.

HNHH: Of all the offerings on Got It Made, which hits the most and why?

Kamiayah: “Ratchet” and “Ten Toes.” Depending on what mood I’m in. Every time I listen to it, I get confused because they all put me in a different mood. Off top, the one everyone just loves is “Get Ratchet.” “Ten Toes” for me it’s like… what I’ve been through, why I’m standing, stuff like that.

What does this tape touch on that your past releases haven’t?

I feel like it’s going to show my growth and where I’m at in life, personally. All my releases pretty much show you where I’m at in life and I don’t really count the second one [Before I Wake], I only count the first one [A Good Night in the Ghetto]. The second one was just me rebelling. It wasn’t thought out.

On “Pressure” you rap ‘That bitch ain’t gone tell me shit about myself, because I made it out the bottom try to find myself.’ At what point in your career did you “find yourself”?

That record was made after I went through, kind of like, depression. My brother died from cancer, I had to deal with how to handle things […] and I wasn’t happy at my last label so I felt like that [the most] when that record came about. It’s like ‘ya’ll can’t tell me shit cuz I been through all this shit and I made it out the ghetto.’ This is the next level. Anything you put me through I’m gone make it out of.

Was there ever a moment before things really took off that you had to give yourself a pep talk on what was about to conspire for you?

I feel like I always gotta remind myself who the fuck I am, honestly, not even on cocky shit. It’s like ‘bitch I am the king. Bitch, I do this.’ Sometimes in life, it don’t matter who a person is or how successful you think they are, or what you think they got. Motherfuckas can be jealous of you and try to break your spirit. You gotta remind yourself about who you are and that none of this really matters. You the only person you got. You gotta love yourself thoroughly in and out no matter who is in front of you or who’s trying to break that. I bother nobody, I respect everyone and I show everybody love.

Surely, you don’t really think you “don’t need nobody else.” Who do you show love to for where you are now?

My family and my friends of course. When I say ‘I don’t need nobody else’ I even mean them. At the end of the day can’t nobody tell you how to live your life. Can’t nobody tell you how to be happy. Everything starts with self. That’s why everybody depressed, they looking for outside sources to do what they should be doing for themselves. Even when I was sad and was going through my shit nobody could pull me out of that. Everything starts with yourself. If you ain’t happy and ain’t loving yourself and ain’t dedicated to your own craft or dream how somebody else going to take you seriously?

When you’re helming a song do you think of what one person, in particular, [will think] or your fan base as a whole?

It depends on how I feel because honestly I feel like people gone fuck with it either way. It’s always based on how I feel or what I’m trying to accomplish, like what’s the next piece to the story?

What’s the story behind this tweet: “Jay Z told me “Ima have to fuck around and call Kamaiyah“ yesterday shout out to @G_Eazy for giving me the hardest shout out of all time.”

I met Jay one time before that. When I see him I kind of like…be on some shy shit, you know, nervous. Like, nigga, ya’ll Jay Z and Beyonce. He looked up at me when I walked up towards him and he was like “sup” and he said, “I might have to fuck around and call Kamaiyah.” It was like I was an alien or something I didn’t know what was going on but he broke the ice.

What advice would you give to a young person coming from Oakland who wants to pursue a career in the industry?

Sticking to themselves, don’t let nobody discourage them. Create their own path and a big thing, I feel like for The Bay…don’t be an asshole. Niggas get on and they start poppin’ their shit and start tryin’ to shit on the people who never thought they’d make it out. […] You ain’t gotta go back and be like ‘ah fuck all ya’ll I’m on now.” If they didn’t fuck with you they wouldn’t be playing the music. And that’s a slap in the face to anybody – once you become successful they gotta listen to you! So shit, that’s another justification in itself. Do your shit, turn up and make them slap your shit.

You’ve made songs with the likes Quavo, Drake, YG, Tyga and more. Can you recall a funny or unexpected story that came from working with those homies?

A lot of this shit honestly, it happened naturally. Quavo owed me a verse since…right before “Bad And Boujee” came out. We met because Travis – I kept seeing him and “Bad And Boujee” blew up. I’ve been seeing that nigga for a couple of minutes and he’s always like “I got you.” I finally caught him on the set of [a music video] and he’s like “send me a record.” But yeah, me and Quavo had been chasing each other back and forth for like two-three years.

People have discussed how it’s time for females to rise in music. You’ve previously explained how it’s not about your gender but your grind, is this still something you stick by?

I definitely still believe in that because the females that are at the top of their careers are [there] because they keep hustling and they don’t stop. Rico Nasty’s not concerned about no niggas, she’s doing her shit popping her shit. When you stop racing and look back and see who’s behind you, that’ll fuck you up. Especially when you lookin’ at a lane that ain’t necessarily your lane. My lane ain’t Rico’s lane. You’re running your own race. People will like each female individually for different reasons. Keep running your race.

There have been a couple female artists who haven’t reacted well to certain reviews of their music. How do feel about the fact that not everyone’s going to rock with you or the sounds you put out?

I don’t give a fuck… It’s not for you. The people running these blogs got their own life outside of the blogs. Motherfucka could be working for a hip hop media publication and could go home and listen to Bon Jovi so how can I even take your opinion. It ain’t about you, it’s about these fans who are consuming my music at a rapid rate. Your opinion does not give me merit of if I’m good or bad. I know I’m good or I wouldn’t be here. […] Why the fuck should I care about your one ass opinion – it don’t matter!

You once called Too $hort someone who you look at as your Uncle, what’s something you’ve learned from him from just being in his presence?

[…] All he do is have bitches, drinkin – I don’t know! People ain’t never gave me no [long ass] speeches like people think. People already know I get what I’m doin’ so they just be like ‘keeping ridin’ on them niggas.’ They ain’t gone tell me ‘don’t do this don’t do that.’ I’m not really out there for real, I’m not talking my shit on other people and I just do my music.

Is there something you felt that you haven’t accomplished yet?

I want awards, I want to win VMAs, Grammys – all this shit that everybody else wants. You know what I’m saying, I feel like I ain’t never had a fair chance at success because my label didn’t back me. This year I feel like I’m trying to get a fair chance. I deserve that just as much as my counterparts. I work as hard as everybody else and my shit deserves being respected as much as everybody else. If I gotta invest in myself because I got my own label now, then that’s fine. I’m trying to run this race all the way to the finish line. If I keep running and get through the finish line, eventually ten to fifteen years from now I’ll pass the baton back to some lil Kamaiyah I ain’t never met before, you feel me? That’s how I feel like this game should be – you get anything you ever wanted and you create a blueprint that motherfuckas wants to follow.

When Tyler, The Creator won a Grammy this year he was happy but he spoke out about Grammys not supporting Black artists. What’s your opinion on the whole award voting system and black artists not being supported?

I feel like I understand where they coming from as far as ‘we don’t get the respect we want’ and the only way you get the respect you want is to conform into something that’s not you. But that starts within the artists to, If we really just took our stance and didn’t conform then they would have to come fuck with us. A lot of people are fed up because they conform, try to cater to them and give them what they want. Imagine if the whole hip hop genre as a whole stopped fucking with them – they’d be like ‘where these niggas at?” At the end of the day, not to pop our shit, but Black people create the waves and the vibes. Hip hop is running the world right now. I just watched the Super Bowl the other day and every commercial has a got damn Black artist in it. If that don’t tell you something.

Anything else you want to add before we wrap up?

I just want people to listen to my music and understand me as an individual. People gotta grow with me and get to know me. I’ve been here for almost four years and people don’t know me. This is my time to put out some offerings and allow people to get to know me and grow with me as an artist.

The curious case of Amanda Bynes, former child star, keeps getting weirder and weirder as it has just been revealed that she went and got even more ink added to her face. The actress is currently enrolled in college and is also working on a fashion line, so she’s clearly still doing pretty well for herself. While she has taken a step back from the spotlight, she continues to create headlines because of her bizarre behavior, which has included substance abuse issues, that one tweet about Drake, and more. Before she announced her engagement to her fiancé (who has still never met her parents, apparently), Bynes re-emerged on social media with a noticeable change in her appearance, sporting a large heart face tattoo on her left cheek.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

While it was unclear whether or not her face tat was the real deal, it’s remained on her visage for the last couple of months so that’s proof enough of its permanence. Taking to Instagram today, the 33-year-old seemingly showed off another new marking on her face.

“Sup, Instagram. Just wanted to say hi to all of my followers. I really wanted to say I appreciate you guys so much for supporting me,” said Bynes, debuting another face tattoo of a filled-in heart above her left eyebrow. “Wanted to check in, let you know that I’m out to dinner right now with my friend, Kathy, who’s a student advisor at FIDM, my college. I’m really looking forward to starting my clothing line, and I’m hoping that in the near future it will be out online.”

First and foremost, congratulations to Amanda for her work in school and on her upcoming design collection. Are y’all feeling her new tattoo though?

The tale of Tauheed Epps, famously known as 2 Chainz and formerly known as Tity Boi – is a rebranding success story rarely witnessed in any genre, let alone hip-hop. Originally signed to Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace label as one half of the duo Playaz Circle, Epps’ career reached its high as Tity Boi in 2007 with the Lil Wayne-featuring hit single “Duffle Bag Boy.” Yet by 2011, Epps was no longer with Disturbing Tha Peace, and in an effort to appear more family friendly as hip-hop began to take over the pop charts, Tity Boi became 2 Chainz overnight.

By the release of Kanye West’s “Mercy” in April of 2012, 2 Chainz had become bigger than Playaz Circle/Tity Boi could have ever imagined. Since his arrival into the rap game, 2 Chainz has released 5 albums, 5 mixtapes, 4 EPs, 10 platinum singles, and countless guest features all solidifying his dominance within mainstream hip-hop. Below you can find what we believe to be the 25 Best 2 Chainz songs. Let us know how we did in the comments.

Disclaimer: This list comprises 2 Chainz’s solo discography and songs where he appears as the main act. As such, it does not include songs where he is a featured artist.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images 

25) “It’s a Vibe” feat. Ty Dolla Sign, Trey Songz & Jhene Aiko (2017)

Producer: Murda Beatz & G Koop
Album:Pretty Girls Like Trap Music        

The third single off Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, “It’s a Vibe,” features three of R&B’s biggest hitters in Ty Dolla $ign, Trey Songz, and Jhene Aiko. Ty Dolla Sign’s verse is incredibly basic, essentially just repeating, “It’s a vibe,” while Trey Songz goes for a similar, yet more graphic direction. Meanwhile, 2 Chainz brings some bars, rapping, “My ego is enormous like my crib in California; If you ain’t got no heart, man you gonna need a donor;” later adding, “Carbon copies get declined, I’m the pioneer, Beat that pussy up, I need riot gear.” Lastly, we hear from the oft-sultry, Jhene Aiko, who opts for a similar route to the one taken by Ty Dolla Sign. In the end, “It’s a Vibe” isn’t exactly 2 Chainz’s finest lyrical work, but rather… it’s a vibe. 

24) “I Feel Like” feat. Kevin Gates (2015)

Producer: Hitmaka & Arch The Boss
Album:Trapavelli Tre           

2 Chainz’s 2015 mixtape track, “I Feel Like” featuring Kevin Gates, finds the two southern rappers exactly where they should be: reflecting on the game at the top of their game. To go from the bottom to the top must be a unique experience to share with another artist, as Chainz and Gates relate with one another over the highs and lows of success. 2 Chainz raps, “I bought my momma a crib before I got my own place; Picked my pop us from prison and gave ‘em places to stay; See I am handpicked by God, I defied all the odds; I need a sign that say foreigns only in my garage.” “I Feel Like” stands as one of 2 Chainz’s strongest mixtape songs since becoming a mainstream name in hip-hop.

23) “Crack” (2012)

Producer: Southside
Album:Based on a T.R.U. Story

2 Chainz’s 2012 song “Crack” lays out its thesis statement from the jump – “Started from the trap, now I rap; No matter where I’m at, I got crack.” Produced by 808 Mafia co-founder, Southside, “Crack” sets a nice street rap tone to his debut album, before hitting listeners over the head with all the radio hits. Chainz and Southside have a great chemistry that has been surprisingly unutilized outside of “Crack” and the 2011 mixtape track, “Undastatement.” One can only hope the two hit the studio again in the near future. Meanwhile, the turntable scratches added by DJ Jaycee make for a nice touch throughout the drug talk banger, particularly the scratch outro.

 Taylor Hill/Getty Images

22)“Kilo” (2016)

Producer: DJ Spinz
Album:Daniel Son; Necklace Don           

2 Chainz’s 2016 mixtape track, “Kilo,” is about selling drugs – kind of. Compare the confident way with which he walks to the way a major drug dealer would if he were carrying a kilo of coke; Chainz glamorizes the illegal act on the song, rapping, “Got the trap house rockin’, you ain’t get that shit; I got me a half, that’s a split when I flip it; And whip it ‘til I get me 36s; I get it, I got it, I’m slangin’ narcotics.” Included on Chainz’s Daniel Son; Necklace Don mixtape, alongside other hits like “Big Amount” and “1 Yeezy Boot” – “Kilo” is a classic mixtape track that 2 Chainz would continue to deliver with ease.

21) “4AM” feat. Travis Scott (2017)

Producer: Murda Beatz & CuBeatz
Album:Pretty Girls Like Trap Music           

“4 AM, I’m just getting’ started; For my birthday I threw me a surprise party; Reminiscin’ ‘bout the trap, playin’ the first Carter; My life changed when I had my first daughter,” begins the 2 Chainz and Travis Scott collaboration, “4 AM.” Produced by Canadian hitmaker Murda Beatz and German twins, CuBeatz – like most Travis Scott features over the past few years, “4 AM” cruises ib the identity of him more so than the actual artist himself (“Okay, you popped up on me by surprise; You see I never took you for the poppin’ type, Straight up!; Damn, it’s 4AM so please believe the hype, It’s lit!”). While that’s not necessarily a negative, ultimately “4 AM” sounds much more like a Travis Scott song than a 2 Chainz record… straight up! Still, the infectious single helped propel Pretty Girls Like Trap Music into the spotlight, rounding the album out with a hypnotic, after-hours experience. 

20) “Threat 2 Society” (2019)

Producer: 9^th Wonder
Album:Rap Or Go To The League 

9^th Wonder really blessed 2 Chainz with a gem on “Threat 2 Society.” Flipping “So Good to Be Alive” by The Truthettes – the instrumental contrasts with Chainz’s hook as he boasts, “You know I’m a threat, I’m a threat, threat, threat,” while the sample proclaims “It’s so good just to be alive!” Throughout the verses, 2 Chainz reflects on seeing friends and family killed, basketball coaches who helped shape him, and his beautiful, growing family. The confidence of Chainz paired with the soulfulness of the beat makes for a great start to his fantastic new album, Rap Or Go To The League.

19) “Riverdale Rd” (2017)

Producer: Mike Dean & Mano
Album:Pretty Girls Like Trap Music 

With a beat fitting for the Geto Boys, appropriately produced by Mike Dean, “Riverdale Rd” follows 2 Chainz down the College Park street on which he was born and raised. Bragging about the elegance his recent life has afforded him (“My pocket pregnant, don’t want no abortion; My draws got them horses, my car got them horses”); Chainz looks back on where he came from, contrasting the differences in lifestyle (“Okay, from grams to Grammys; Okay, from fans to family; I went from trips we tryna plan; To cribs in South Miami”). In addition to Mike Dean, Kanye West’s former DJ Mano, also contributed to the beat, making “Riverdale Rd” an unofficial mini-G.O.O.D. Music reunion. Now where’s Cruel Winter?

18) “Proud” feat. YG & Offset (2018)

Producer: T-Minus & Vaiyeh
Album:The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It [EP] 

“Yeah, I’m just tryna make my momma proud; I ain’t tryna let my momma down,” goes the chorus to “Proud” – the perfect Mother’s Day anthem. 2 Chainz lays it all out, sharing that he “and momma used to trap out the same house; Used to eat and go to sleep on the same couch; Me and momma got busted at the same time; Went to court and told judge the damn same lies.” Then YG reassures his mother that “When I leave the house it’s for them dollars; You are the reason I bought that choppa; ‘Cause I know you wanna see me come home proper; Soon as I get right I said I gotcha then I gotcha.” Finally, Offset preaches some life lessons his mother’s taught him, such as, “Every n**** not cha partner, son, when you come up; All them bitches in your face, son, they are piranhas.” It’s kind of beautiful that when an LA street rapper got together in the studio with two Atlanta trap hitmakers, they decided to make a song for their moms.  

17) “NCAA” (2019)

Producer: Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E.
Album:Rap Or Go To The League 

One of the more pivotal and thematic tracks on Rap Or Go To The League, “NCAA” preaches the hypocrisy of the National Collegiate Athletic Association – a “non-profit” organization that blatantly profits off the labor of student-athletes. 2 Chainz draws from experience, as he was once a scholarship basketball player for Alabama State University in the mid-90s. The song’s chorus goes, “NCAA, yeah, we the young and dangerous, yeah; We be ballin’ hard, yeah, I just want some paper,” while the overall album serves the purpose of “celebrating black excellence and focusing on the power of education and entrepreneurship” while “challeng[ing] the notion that the only way out of the inner city is either to become a rapper or a ball player.”

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

16) “MFN Right” (2016)

Producer: Mike Will Made-It & Zaytoven
Album:Felt Like Cappin / ColleGrove 

Originally featured on 2 Chainz’s 2016 EP Felt Like Cappin, “MFN Right” was so well received it was later added, along with a new Lil Wayne verse, to the ColleGrove tracklist. Throughout the song Chainz flexes about women, jewelry, and cars over a laidback, flute and piano-driven beat courtesy of two of Atlanta’s biggest producers, Mike Will Made-It and Zaytoven. A simple, yet undeniably successful formula. 

15) “Blue C-Note” feat. Lil Wayne (2016)

Producer: Mr. 2-17
Album:ColleGrove 

“Blue C-Notes, All of ‘em singin; Blue C-Notes, All of ‘em Franklins; Blue C-Notes, Spend without thinkin’,” goes the chorus on “Blue C-Note” – an ode to the new $100 bill over a funky bass and hi-hat driven beat. A common slang term along with “blue faces,” Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz devote this entire song off their 2016 collaborative album, ColleGrove, to the hundred-dollar bill. Because as everyone knows, “it’s all about the Benjamins.” 

14) “Money in the Way” (2019)

Producer: Buddah Bless and Jabz
Album: Rap Or Go To The League 

One of the catchiest songs 2 Chainz has released since his monster run in 2012 with “Mercy”, “No Lie”, “Birthday Song”, and “I’m Different” – “Money in the Way” flips a soulful The Three Degrees sample to instant swag success. Produced by Buddah Bless, who also produced 2 Chainz’s 2016 single, “Big Amount” – the track continues in the popular rap trope of “mo money, mo problems.” For 2 Chainz however, he articulates the struggle as “The money in the way, fuck what they got to say; I throw it up, it’s fallin’ down, it’s definitely in the way.” 

Earl Gibson/BET/Getty Images

13) “Used 2” (2013)

Producer:Mannie Fresh
Album:B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time 

2 Chainz pays respect to the original Cash Money era on “Used 2,” the second single off his sophomore album, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time. Produced by southern hip-hop legend and one half of the Big Tymers, Mannie Fresh – the collaboration takes it back to the sound of a bygone era. The song both samples and pays homage to the 1999 Juvenile, Lil Wayne, and Mannie Fresh classic, “Back That Azz Up.” In fact, outside of the blatant YouTube reference in the chorus, many music fans might have been convinced this song was released ten years earlier than it was. On “Used 2,” 2 Chainz, a native Georgian, pays the utmost respect to all that New Orleans has given the culture. 

12) “Big Amount” feat. Drake (2016)

Producer: Buddah Bless
Album:Daniel Son; Necklace Don / Pretty Girls Like Trap Music 

Buddah Bless’ second appearance on this list, “Big Amount” is a pan-flute beat that gives off a beach vibe ideal for 2 Chainz and Drake’s luxury rap verses. A rare Drake feature with no hook, “Big Amount” showcases Drizzy and Chainz going the classic route of one long verse apiece. The song originally appeared on 2 Chainz’s 2016 mixtape Daniel Son; Necklace Don, however, nine months later it was also included on Pretty Girls Like Trap Music. The song ultimately makes more sense as a mixtape track, but when Drake calls, you answer and put it on the album.

11) “2 Dollar Bill” feat. Lil Wayne & E-40 (2019)

Producer: DJ Mustard, Terrace Martin, and GYLTTRYP
Album:Rap Or Go To The League 

 The Rap Or Go To The League track takes the west-coast funk and jazz production styling of DJ Mustard and Terrace Martin, pairs it with the southern raps of 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, and binds the two regional vibes with that of Bay Area legend, E-40. In the end, the three unite for a banger about how they’re as rare as a $2 bill. A concept that shouldn’t work the length of an entire song somehow does, by utilizing the right amount of silly (“I’m rare like Mr. Clean with hair”) and swag (“I chill where it’s hot, Brazil, backdrop, I’m real; Her ass not, I’m rare”). 

Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images

10) “Feds Watching” feat. Pharrell (2013)

Producer: Pharrell Williams
Album:B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time 

One Grammy night in 2013, Pharrell and 2 Chainz linked up and recorded their song, “Feds Watching.” Now, simply receiving a beat from Pharrell is quite the victory in itself, but a beat and a feature makes for a guaranteed single. And that’s exactly what it became for 2 Chainz’s sophomore album, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time. The guitar and horn-based beat gives the song a tropical, summertime vibe perfect for Chainz and Williams’ memorable hook/mantra – “I’ma be fresh as hell if the Feds watching; Drop top, head bopping.”

9) “Forgiven” feat. Marsha Ambrosius (2019)

Producer: Dem Jointz
Album: Rap Or Go To The League 

2 Chainz’s most recent album, Rap Or Go To The League, opens with a high school basketball announcer introducing number 21, Tauheed Epps. 2 Chainz raps about how his dreams turned to nightmares when he was arrested on a first offense drug charge. He pleaded with the judge about being a high school basketball player and working toward a scholarship, but in the end, there would be no ACC or SEC for Epps. Instead, he wound up playing at Alabama State. But as the beautifully sung Marsha Ambrosius chorus goes, with a little help from a classic Jay-Z “Lucifer” sample – “Just let it all be forgiven (Lord forgive him).” Featuring turntable scratches courtesy of Statik Selektah, “Forgiven” starts 2 Chainz’s best album to date off with an elegant and appropriate tone. 

8) “Good Drank” feat. Gucci Mane & Quavo (2017)

Producer: Mike Dean
Album:Hibachi for Lunch / Pretty Girls Like Trap Music 

“Good Drank” featuring Gucci Mane and Quavo is one of 2 Chainz’s strongest collaborations in recent memory. Chainz and Gucci handle the bars (“Today I’m in the Maybach; And that car came with some drapes; You know I look like a safe, I put you back in your place; I look you right in your face, sing to your bitch like I’m Drake”), while Quavo takes on hook duty, and Mike Dean delivers a spacey, synth-trap beat. Originally released in 2016 on 2 Chainz’s Hibachi for Lunch EP, the song was later re-released as the first single off Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, where it eventually went platinum. The song closes with Chainz shouting out his collaborators, saying: “Ayy, Mike Dean. This shit hard as fuck, bruh. You a living legend. I appreciate that. Ayy, Guwop. I’m glad you home, cuz. Quavo, you already know man. You got next on these n*****, double salute man.”

7) “Watch Out” (2015)

Producer: FKi
Album:Trap-A-Velli Tre / ColleGrove 

“Watch Out” features the classic 2 Chainz staple of a simple piano beat with heavy trap drums and a comical first couplet: “Pulled up in a Phantom; Pull off with a dancer; Got a pocket full of money; Kinda hard to keep my pants up”. Following the breakout success of “I’m Different” and other DJ Mustard hits, it’s no surprise that producers likely began to flood the Hair Weave Killer with more piano-driven beats. However, FKi’s “Watch Out” didn’t simply rise to the top as a standout track off 2 Chainz’s mixtape Trap-A-Velli Tre, but also went platinum after being included on the Lil Wayne-assisted collaborative album, ColleGrove.

6) “Where U Been?” feat. Cap. 1 (2013)

Producer: Mike Will Made-It and Marz
Album: B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time 

Yet another batch of swag-brag raps, “Where U Been?” is arguably one of 2 Chainz’s most underrated songs. Now six years removed from its release, the track still bangs, thanks largely in part to Mike Will Made-It’s trap & rock production. While the song finds 2 Chainz once again boasting about making money. However, following the massive success of his debut album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, the lyrics this time around are all very much warranted. Appropriately capped off with a verse from 2 Chainz affiliate, Cap. 1, “Where U Been?” was released as a promotional single for his second album, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time, but tragically never got the acclaim seen by some of his bigger singles.

5) “No Lie feat. Drake” (2012)

Producer: Mike Will Made-It
Album:Based on a T.R.U. Story 

“Me and Chainz go way back, we don’t talk shit, we just state facts.” As the second Drake-featured song on this list, “No Lie” should come as no surprise considering it served as 2 Chainz’s lead single from his debut studio album. With a Drake feature and a Mike Will Made-It beat in tow – “No Lie” was too big to fail the mainstream rap industrial complex. Beginning with a memorably goofy line from 2 Chainz (“I am smokin’ on that gas, life should be on Cinemax, Movie, bought my boo bigger tits and a bigger ass”), the song at times feels more like a Drake song featuring the former Playaz Circle member. But in 2012, that was clearly a formula for success, as the song has since been certified 2x Platinum.

4) “Spend It” (2011)

Producer: Drumma Boy
Album:Codeine Cowboy 

As the first song many rap fans ever heard by the then-rebranded 2 Chainz, “Spend It” marked a pivotal transition and new beginning in the Georgia native’s career. You have to remember, early 2011 was nearly four years removed from the success of “Duffel Bag Boy” and still over a year before the release of “Mercy.” But “Spend It” truly signifies the hard work 2 Chainz has put in throughout his entire career. He could have easily hung it up, but instead he changed his name, went into mixtape mode, and started cranking out what would become known as the 2 Chainz model – a street rapper with a sense of humor, unafraid to mix some pop elements with his genuine brand of trap: a formula made for the charts in today’s music industry. Because whether it’s 1997, 2007, 2011, or 2019 – 2 Chainz will always be “ridin’ round and… gettin’ it.”

3) “Saturday Night” (2017)

Producer: Mike Will Made-It & Ducko McFli
Album:Pretty Girls Like Trap Music 

Of 2 Chainz’s five solo albums, “Saturday Night” is his strongest intro song to date. The wailing guitar beat begins Pretty Girls Like Trap Music with a southern, lyrical punch reminiscent of Lil Wayne’s “Tha Mobb” on Tha Carter II, Ludacris’ “Southern Fried Intro” on Chicken-n-Beer, or UGK’s “One Day” on Ridin’ Dirty. Mike Will Made-It and Ducko McFli pair up for a simple, but deeply emotional instrumental that 2 Chainz verbally tap dances over like the veteran emcee he’s developed into. The powerful opener preaches the mantra/mission statement for the Pretty Girls Like Trap Music album – “I hit the trap today, I’m gon’ hit the club tonight, yeah; Treat every night like it’s Saturday night.” 

2) “I’m Different” (2012)

Producer: DJ Mustard
Album:Based on a T.R.U. Story 

Produced by DJ Mustard in the throes of his radio single hot streak (“Rack City,” “R.I.P.” “Paranoid”) – “I’m Different” was released as the third single off Based on a T.R.U. Story, following the back-to-back successes of “No Lie” and “Birthday Song.” Based around a simple, yet addictive piano line, “I’m Different” serves as a classic swag & brag rap track. In the track, 2 Chainz shows off how different he is by explaining how he’ll arrive in a convertible wearing thousand dollar sneakers, and like that, he’ll take your girl. In a very self-aware bar, he states: “Hair long, money long; Me and broke n*****, we don’t get along.”

Timothy Norris/Getty Images

1) “Birthday Song” feat. Kanye West (2012)

Producer: Sonny Digital, Kanye West, BWheezy, Anthony Kilhoffer, Lifted, and Mike Dean
Album:Based on a T.R.U. Story 

Released as the second single off 2 Chainz’s 2012 debut album, Based on a T.R.U. Story – “Birthday Song” went double platinum in four mere months and has held up so well, it’s nearly commandeered the unofficial title of best alternative birthday song from the Beatles’ “Birthday” and Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.” So now, thanks to 2 Chainz – whenever you’re indignant to singing the nursery rhyme birthday song we’ve all been raised on, instead we can all erupt with a rousing chant of, “When I die, bury me inside that Gucci store; When I die, bury me inside that Louis store; All I want for my birthday is a big booty ho; All I want for my birthday is a big booty ho!”

Pop Smoke's death continues to send ripples throughout the hip-hop community, with many still reeling over his stolen youth and promise. With further details pointing to a targeted attack, it's likely that the circumstances surrounding his murder will only get clearer in time. While authorities work on piecing the narrative together, his label Republic Records have taken to social media to issue a statement on the artist's passing. 

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

"We are devastated by the unexpected and tragic loss of [Pop Smoke]," reads the statement. "Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans, as we mourn this loss together." Mere weeks ago, Smoke dropped off Meet The Woo 2, a project that would go on to become his final album. In its first week, Meet The Woo 2 performed admirably, selling 36,000 album-equivalent units and sliding comfortably into the fourth spot on the Billboard charts. As is often the case, it wouldn't be surprising to see Pop Smoke's numbers rise following his murder -- a bittersweet consequence to be sure. 

Alongside Pop Smoke, Republic Records is also home to Casanova, 9lokknine, Drake, Jaden Smith, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, Lil West, Metro Boomin, Nav, Nicki Minaj, Rich The Kid, Ski Mask The Slump God, The Weeknd, and many more.

Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was representative of a movement that is picking up traction extraordinarily quickly in his hometown. The 20-year-old star was seen as one of the leaders of modern Brooklyn drill and, while he will be remembered for much more than just that, his music will live on forever, reminding us of the potential that Poppy had. He was killed early this morning after four masked men broke into the Hollywood Hills house he was renting, marking yet another instance where the hip-hop community is forced to mourn one of their young up-and-comers. Each week, our staff mulls over all of the new releases to create the TIDAL-exclusive TIDAL Wave playlist and, especially for this edition, we're featuring a number of songs by the late Brooklyn star.

Dropping his new album Meet The Woo 2 just a few days ago, Pop Smoke debuted to much acclaim on the Billboard 200. We have included a handful of his project standouts, including "Sweetheart," "Mannequin" and more to the playlist this week. Rest in peace, Pop Smoke.

Elsewhere in today's update, we've got the remix of "Life Is Good" with Lil Baby and DaBaby, a bunch of Tame Impala offerings, YoungBoy Never Broke Again's new single, that new Migos joint, and more.

Check out each staff member's individual picks below and sign up for a free 30-day trial to TIDAL here.

Alex Zidel (Editorial)

A Boogie wit da Hoodie - Might Not Give Up (feat. Young Thug)
YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Fine By Time
Pop Smoke - Sweetheart (feat. Fivio Foreign)
Pop Smoke - Foreigner (feat. A Boogie wit da Hoodie)
Lil Gotit - Bet Up

Noah C (Editorial)

Pop Smoke - Get Back
Pop Smoke - Mannequin (feat. Lil Tjay)
Lil Quill - What It Do
Tame Impala - Breathe Deeper
Grimes - Delete Forever

Paul Pirotta (Sales)

Pop Smoke - Christopher Walking
Tory Lanez - Broke In A Minute
Tory Lanez  - K Lo K (feat. Fivio Foreign)
Future & Drake - Life Is Good (Remix) [feat. DaBaby & Lil Baby]

Alex Cole (Editorial)

Tame Impala - One More Year
Tame Impala - Breathe Deeper
Tame Impala - Is It True
Tame Impala - One More Hour
Migos, Travis Scott & Young Thug - Give No Fxk

Erika Marie (Editorial)

Tory Lanez  - K Lo K (feat. Fivio Foreign)
YG & Kehlani - Konclusions
G-Eazy - Still Be Friends (feat. Tory Lanez & Tyga)
G Herbo - In This Bitch
Nicki Minaj - Yikes

Cole Blake (Editorial)

Tame Impala - Breathe Deeper
Tame Impala - On Track
Thundercat - Dragonball Durag
Future & Drake - Life Is Good (Remix) [feat. DaBaby & Lil Baby]
Boys Noize & Rico Nasty - Girl Crush

Arden Maalik (Social)

Snoh Aalegra - Whoa (Remix) [feat. Pharrell]
Brent Faiyaz - Been Away
A Boogie wit da Hoodie - Numbers (feat. Roddy Ricch, Gunna, & London On Da Track)
Pop Smoke - Invincible
D Smoke - Gaspar Yanga (feat. Snoop Dogg)
D Smoke - Bullies

Lynn S (Editorial)

Billie Eilish - No Time To Die
Tame Impala - Posthumous Forgiveness
Tame Impala - Instant Destiny
Childish Major - Shallow Dimes
Justin Bieber - Second Emotion (feat. Travis Scott)

Keenan Higgins (Editorial)

Brent Faiyaz - Let Me Know
D Smoke - Black Habits I (feat. Jackie Gouche)
Knxwledge - learn
KOTA The Friend - Her
Tink - Cut It Out

Aron A (Editorial)

Abra Cadabra - On & On (feat. Odeal)
Young Chop - Need That Bag (feat. Calboy)
Pop Smoke - Wolves (feat. Nav)
Abra Cadabra - Superstar

Slim and Birdman will be premiering a four-part docuseries about the rise of Cash Money Records called New Cash Order on Spotify this week. On Wednesday, Spotify dropped the trailer for the exciting new series, which chronicles the legendary label’s co-founders’ journey to success.

According to a press release, New Cash Order “tells the genesis story of Cash Money Records’ meteoric rise to success” through interviews and archival footage, which will “unveil never-before-seen takes behind the million-dollar deals that have maintained Cash Money as a label standing the test of time.” Through firsthand accounts, the series will explore how the brother-duo landed “the historical Universal Music Group deal” and will go into detail about “the creative processes that pioneered the success of the label’s artists like Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj.” It will also go in depth about the label’s impact on the new wave of artists today, including signees like Blueface and Jacquees.

Kevin Mazur/BBMA2017/Getty Images for dcp

Cash Money’s impact and success are undeniable, and can be detected through a new Billboard record set by Young Money Entertainment—an imprint of Cash Money Records—artists Drake, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj. The trio of rap heavyweights are now the top three rappers with the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in history.

New Cash Order will premiere exclusively on Spotify this Friday, February 21st, within Spotify’s influential hip hop playlist, RapCar.

There’s no telling when a rapper will blow up from up-and-comer to superstar, but there’s no denying DaBaby and Roddy Ricch have done exactly that. As of now, Ricch has been holding on to the number one album for a minute, and DaBaby recently linked up with Drake, Future, and Lil Baby for a stacked “Life Is Good” remix. Clearly, both rappers have solidified themselves as a force to be reckoned with — at least commercially speaking. All things considered, is it really a surprise to see the two hitmakers in the studio together? 

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images, Roger Kisby/Getty Images 

Roddy Ricch took to Instagram to tease their upcoming collaboration, a brief clip you can catch by way of his IG story. Though he doesn’t preview any music, he does show DaBaby sitting in the driver’s seat and issuing a warning to the game at large. The confidence is contagious; Ricch’s own “caption” positions the pair as “two of the greatest,” complete with GOAT emoji for emphasis.

As of now, it’s unclear as to when the fruits of their labor will arrive in full. Given that Ricch’s Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial is exhibiting no signs of slowing down, it’s entirely possible the song will be reserved for DaBaby’s eventual Kirk follow-up. Either way, we’re destined for a banger one way or another — which of these two do you prefer? 

Age is but a number in music. While the majority of artists breaking out into the musical hemisphere are in their teens, some rappers make a name for themselves in the later stages of their career. If you need the perfect example, look no further than 2 Chainz. Even somebody like Future became more of a global success in his late twenties and early thirties. Tory Lanez has been having difficulty wrapping his head around the fact that some of his favorite artists are aging so rapidly in front of us. Tweeting (and then deleting) his response to a list of rappers and their current ages, the Canadian superstar commented on how wild it is that someone like Jay-Z has already passed the mid-century mark.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

“Kinda crazy,” wrote Tory Lanez on Twitter, reacting to a list of rappers’ ages. The original post started off at YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who is just 20-years-old, before moving onto Post Malone (24), Travis Scott (27) and Chance The Rapper (26), who are all wildly successful despite still being in their twenties. Much of the action takes place in the thirties, with inclusions from Meek Mill (32), Wiz Khalifa (32), A$AP Rocky (31), Nicki Minaj (37), Kendrick Lamar (32), and others all being mentioned.

Of course, the forties are pretty fun to consider, with Kanye West (42), 2 Chainz (42), and Gucci Mane (40) all still performing at very high rates. 

Take a look at the list below and let us know which entry surprised you the most.

Amanda Bynes let all her Instagram followers know she’s officially engaged to “tha love of my life” with a photo of her diamond engagement ring. The 33-year-old actress posted a snap of her massive rock, which she captioned, “Engaged to tha love of my life.”

Next to Amanda’s hand bearing the sparkly jewels, her fiancé’s own gold band can be seen in the photo. Amanda followed this post up with a face reveal of her future hubby, whose identity remains a mystery, though according to a source from The Blast, he’s in his 20s. The same source claims that he and Amanda met in AA and have only known each other for a few months.

Amanda’s shocking face tattoo of a crooked heart outline can be seen on her cheek in the photo, which she captioned, “Lover.” We reported on Amanda’s new facial ink back in December, though fingers were crossed that it was just drawn on with pen. It looks like it’s a permanent piece, though, so it’ll be interesting to see her walk down the aisle with the less-than-flattering tat on her wedding day.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

The former child star virtually disappeared from the spotlight after publicly struggling with mental health, drug use, and body image for years. She’s had many infamous breakdown moments, including her notorious tweet about wanting Drake to “murder” her vagina. However, Amanda appeared to be doing well last year. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles in June and gave a candid interview to Paper Magazine about her downward spiral, in which she declared that she was on a better path now.

There have been rumors circulating about Adele's recent weight loss, but this new photo may be fans' best look yet at the impressive progress the Grammy-winning singer has made, according to PageSix.

Love has been one of, if not the, most inspirational themes in art history. Painters have spent painstaking hours rendering the details of their muses. Authors have penned tales and tomes on the great mysteries of romance. Musicians have spilled their emotions on wax, sometimes melodramatic but often sincere. It’s a force that drives creativity — even if said creativity stems from the absence of love. Hip-hop is no exception. Countless rappers allowed themselves to get sensitive about a special someone, even if it meant breaking a pre-established character.

Shaolin lyricist Method Man channeled Romeo energy on “I’ll Be There For You.” 50 Cent deted from the gangsta-rap playbook on “21 Questions.” Drake and his ability to find love in a one night stand formed the basis of many classic tracks. Ja Rule set the early millennium ablaze with his declaration that every thug needs a lady. Fabolous removed his punchline crown and placed it ever so gently on the floor. LL Cool J went from asking mama to knock you out to asking mama for her daughter’s hand in marriage. Eminem took a step back from murdering his ex-wife to reflecting on their complicated relationship. It’s almost fair to say that every rapper has explored the love song in one way or another — not to be confused with the lust song, a far more popular topic.

Though getting romantic might be unfamiliar territory, it’s not uncommon to see a given rapper staying within their stylistic comfort zone when doing so. That’s not to say the act of rapping is inherently less romantic than that of singing — it’s simply an observation that many emcees prefer to stick to the script, keeping their flow and cadence relatively familiar. Still, it’s hard to deny that some approaches can be more effective than others. Double-time flow over a hard-hitting drill beat might send the wrong message. In that sense, the music is as important as the lyrics. For Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. standout “LOVE,” arguably one of the greatest modern love songs in recent memory, the instrumental plays a pivotal role in setting the table.

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Off the top, Sounwave and Teddy Walton’s production choice brings a distinct quality. The song alternates between the chords of F major and B flat major, a I to IV transition not often seen in hip-hop songwriting. For some context, a musical key is reliant on the relationship between seven chords, made up of tonal chord qualities. Often depicted in Roman numerals, the I, IV, and V are generally major; conversely, ii, iii, and vi are minor. In the most basic form, major is HAPPY and minor is SAD. While a I-vi progression might begin on a high note only to plummet into melancholy, a I-IV sits comfortably in positive territory. Though it doesn’t necessarily come to a decisive resolution, the wandering quality of the progression serves to enhance Kendrick’s detached whimsy. Enhancing the soundscape is the chosen synthesizer, atmospheric bordering on cloud-rap; the whole package is reminiscent of a high-school dance in the mid-eighties.

As he tends to do, Kendrick uses his voice as an additional instrument to build on the existing harmony. Contrasted against Zacari’s soaring falsetto, Kendrick’s unconventional cadence is endearing in its sincerity. He’s not looking to impress but rather to express. Many have correctly deduced that “LOVE” is a dedication to his wife, who he once described as his best friend. Rather than turning their story into an elaborately penned story, Kendrick instead relies on the narrative tools of ambiguity and inference. The end result is not entirely different from an inside joke, in which the meaning will hold a different meaning to the intended recipient. For the rest of us, it might be tempting to write his lyrics off as simple. Yet here the simplicity works in the song’s favor on a deeper thematic level. Where Kendrick is generally a layered writer, packing his bars with meaning and subtext, “LOVE” finds him reverting to the childhood stages. Anchoring his wistful verse around the recurring line “I’m on the way,” Kendrick lays out a series of personal snapshots in a fragmented stream of consciousness style. There are no larger than life declarations but rather small slices of life. “Remember Gardena, I took the studio camera, I know Top will be mad at me,” he raps, directly drawing on his partner’s nostalgia while indirectly sparking our own — those who have experienced similar moments will likely make their own connections accordingly.

So on this day ostensibly designed to celebrate romance, why not throw on Kendrick Lamar’s “LOVE” and see where it takes you? And if you still find yourself unmoved, there’s always plan B.

Roddy Ricch is Compton’s latest prodigal son so there shouldn’t be any surprise that Kendrick Lamar and YG also exist, aside from himself, in who he believes are the top rappers out of Los Angeles right now. Sitting down with Billboard, the rapper was asked who he thinks are the top rappers in Los Angeles right now. “This is opinionated as hell,” he said in response to the question. “I’d have to say Kendrick Lamar, Roddy Ricch, and YG.”

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In wake of Kobe Bryant’s death, Roddy Ricch also detailed his favorite NBA moment of the late Lakers legend’s career. “My favorite Kobe Bryant memory is when he scored 81 points in a game,” he said before explaining that he watched that very game with his grandfather. As a Compton native, he said it was a crazy moment watching it happen in real time.

On the topic of “The Box,” he revealed that it was 6 a.m. and he had already banked in eight or nine songs. As he kept the vibe going in the studio at the wee hours of the morning, he finished the song before sliding in the door noise at the end.

Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” is currently sitting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the fifth week, blocking Future and Drake from claiming the #1 position on the chart. 

With eyes pinned shut and an imaginary sub-woofer in each ear, think about your favorite rap song. Now summon the words. Chances are if it’s REALLY your jam, you didn’t stop at the lyrics. I would guess that ad-libs were a big part of the impromptu recital as well. This unique second layer of sound serves as part sonic measure of emphasis, part medallion of stylistic independence. It’s often the most enjoyable part of our beloved tracks to emulate. Using their voices as an additional instrument to the production, rappers have found a host of ways to put a stamp on their definitive tunes. The long-running catchphrases can even take on a body of their own, penetrating the pop culture lexicon. It’s honestly crazy how the simplest of words or phrases can become so synonymous with an artist.

Let’s play a game. I’ll say an ad-lib, you name the artist: 

“Okayyy!” 
“Cheeeaaa!”
“Bow!” 
“Ugh!”
“Skrt, Skrt!”

Even if you aren’t the biggest hip-hop fan, those sounds likely registered and the artist responsible immediately popped into your head. I personally have a habit of sitting by myself and randomly yelling “Offset,” “Mama,” or Ice!” These are some of the ad-libs we couple with the Atlanta rap group Migos. A trio who, in my opinion, took the craft to a new level of beautiful obnoxiousness. Even though they’re sometimes weird and make absolutely no sense, the swagger of these short outbursts is infectious. Dare I say brilliant. As a matter of fact, when I’m struggling to get my point across at work, I sometimes wish the Migos ad-libs were their own dialect. I’d opt to communicate exclusively in that fashion. In modern rap, ad-libbing has become its own art form – and if you believe that to be true, Migos are the Bach, Chopin, and Beethoven of the game.

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Few groups in the last decade have influenced the rap game like Migos. From the way they dress, their over-the-top jewelry to the aforementioned ad-libs. Breaking out in 2013, the cast partially changed the style of rap. Their signature flow has even been mimicked by the likes of J Cole, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar. Before the meteoric rise, the three Atliens connected in 2009. All family members, they first went by the moniker Polo Club. From 2009-2012 they had several small releases but nothing that captured a national audience. It wasn’t until 2013 when they released “Versace” that the three would skyrocket up the charts and capture the hearts of hip-hop enthusiasts. Here is where the “triplet flow” got famous. For those unaware, a triplet happens when three notes occur over one beat. In the Migos case, instead of notes its three syllables in a given word or phrase. Baked into the triplet flow are the even more illustrious ad-libs.    

After the release of Culture II, someone launched an entire interactive site dedicated to their ad-libs. On the same album, Migos managed to stuff 1,967 total ad-libs into one hour and 45 minutes. It’s an enormous part of what makes them who they are. And it’s fair to say that few have perfected ad-libbing like Offset, Takeoff, and Quavo, who already declare their influence in rap and fashion to be legendary. 

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Rappers are always looking for a way to distinguish themselves. Emcees have long sought to do this in a number of different but equally effective ways – both on and off the microphone. Where some place their focus on lyrical content others put a premium on style, delivery, and cadence. Ad-libs have become a measured way of branding and marketing the overall persona of an artist. Over the past decade, there seems to have been a shift in hip-hop where artists are focusing more on style than substance. How you’re saying it is as important as what you’re saying nowadays. Ad-libbing is essentially extemporaneous improvisation. Rappers from the northeast like Jadakiss may have pioneered modern ad-libbing but the south perfected it. Just reference artists like Baby, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and of course Young Jeezy.

It is important to note that rap’s infancy is littered with artists that utilized ad-libbing. The Zulu Nation and Kurtis Blow were a few trailblazers worth mentioning. But digging even deeper than that, James Brown incorporated ad-libbing into his music way back in the 1970s. It could even be argued that the practice birthed from jazz, blues, and funk, genres that heavily featured elements of improvisation. The early 2000s, however, saw a new era of ad-libbing emerge with artists like Lil Jon at the forefront. This is the foundation Migos used to build on, carving out their own place in hip-hop history. Together, these three Atlanta rappers built on the legacy of an obscure art form as no one has — or maybe ever will.

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When Lil Wayne dropped Funeral a week-and-a-half-ago, he reminded everyone how he has managed to make such a lasting impression on hip-hop. Now, his musical longevity has been proven even further with his latest Billboard feat: Weezy has officially surpassed Elvis Presley’s number of Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hits, with a total of 82. This officially makes Lil Wayne the artist with the second highest number of Top 40 hits in history, next only to his former fellow Young Money man, Drake, who has exactly 100.

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With his 13th studio album, Funeral, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard, Wayne managed to nab himself four Billboard Hot 100 hits. According to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, the album’s title track sits at No. 88, followed by “Mamma Mia” at No. 87, and Mahogany at No. 61. With the Big Sean and Lil Baby-featured song, “I Do It,” is sitting at No. 33, however, Weezy has secured his 82nd Top 40 hit of his career, allowing him to surpass Elvis Presley’s record as having the second highest number of Top 40 hits in the chart’s history. In total, Wayne has 167 career entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the third-highest number of hits besides Drake and the Glee cast, who are tied at 207 each.

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Funeral managed to debut at No. 1 after moving an impressive 139,000 equivalent album units during its first week on streaming services. This includes 38,000 traditional album sales, the equivalent of 134 million on-demand streams. Check out full list of artists with the most Top 40 hits in history below:

Most Top 40 Hot 100 Hits
100 – Drake
82 – Lil Wayne
81 – Elvis Presley
63 – Taylor Swift
57 – Elton John
56 – Kanye West
54 – Nicki Minaj
51 – Eminem
51 – Glee Cast
50 – The Beatles
50 – Jay-Z
50 – Rihanna

Steve Stoute was recently hired by the New York Knicks to help rebrand the franchise and make themselves cool again. Of course, Stoute is known for being a music executive although as someone who has been in New York and understands the culture, Stoute has the credentials to bring some new initiatives to the team. Considering it's the Knicks we're talking about here, Stoute's job isn't going to be easy. In fact, it's gotten off to a pretty rocky start thanks to his recent appearance on ESPN's First Take.

Throughout the interview, Stoute compared himself to Drake while also talking about how the Knicks are planning on getting a new coach. The head coach comments came as a bit of shock to people and in the aftermath of it all, the Knicks released a statement basically saying, Stoute doesn't represent the front office.

Veteran actor and social commentator Michael Rapaport has a lot of opinions about everything, whether he’s beefing with Kodak Black, backtracking on his beef with Meek Mill, age-shaming Ariana Grande, blasting Drake’s singing on Scorpion, or just questioning Lil Xan’s overall upbringing — oh, and that’s just scratching the surface! However, his latest stance on a controversial subject while visiting Talib Kweli‘s People’s Party podcast on UPROXX might just have people on his side this time around.

Talib and co-host Jasmin Leigh discussed a handful of topics with Rapaport, including cancel culture, his A Tribe Called Quest film and that “ashy ankles” controversy with Kenya Moore amongst other things. Things really got interesting though when it came to the use of the N-word, which the Higher Learning star questioned Kweli on why he and other rappers, specifically past guest The Game, still use it at this point in history. “You’re known as a wordsmith,” Rapaport assured Kweli, continuing by adding, “but I’m like, ‘Why is Kwe—N,N,N,N,N—at this point?'” The conversation leads both Talib and Jasmin to break down why the word is used in black culture and how, simply, those who aren’t African American should be careful with how they introduce their opinions on the N-word conversation as to not be “harmful by mistake.” The conversation spans for a little over two hours, so it’s definitely worth watching to get a better context of the entire discussion.

Watch the full episode of Talib Kweli’s People’s Party interview with Michael Rapaport below, and let us know what you think about the topic down in the comments:

This week, The Weeknd has logged his 10th No. 1 cut on the Billboard Rhythmic Songs airplay chart as his “Heartless” track moves from No. 3 to No.1. The jump is all thanks to a 10% surge in airplay, per Nielsen Music. “Heartless” now joins a host of Weeknd cuts that have occupied the top:

“Love Me Harder,” with Ariana Grande, five, Jan. 3, 2015
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” three, May 2, 2015
“Can’t Feel My Face,” five, Aug. 1, 2015
“The Hills,” five, Sept. 19,  2015
“In The Night,” one, Feb. 13, 2016
“Might Not,” Belly featuring The Weeknd, three, April 30, 2016
“Starboy,” featuring Daft Punk, six, Nov. 5, 2016
“Party Monster,” one, April 1, 2017
“Pray For Me,” with Kendrick Lamar, two, April 14, 2018
“Heartless,” one week to date, Feb. 8, 2020

With the new tally, The Weeknd now breaks ahead of the tie that he previously held with Beyonce and Jay-Z, becoming the seventh act ever to earn double-digit No. 1s on the chart. Currently, those ahead of the Canadian superstar include Drake (26), Rihanna (17), Usher (13), Bruno Mars (11), Chris Brown (11), and Lil Wayne (11).

Elsewhere, “Heartless” hold on in the top 10 of the Pop Songs airplay chart while slowly gaining traction at No. 20 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with an audience of 9.2 million.

Steve Kerr believes D'Angelo Russell's fit in Golden State was questionable from the beginning.

There are a few albums worth anticipating this year. New albums from Drake and Kendrick Lamar are rumored to be in the pipeline while The Weeknd is also expected to drop soon. But more than those artists, Rihanna‘s left fans deprived of music for literal years and people are getting restless, reasonably so. R9 was expected to drop in 2019 but needless to say, it’s nowhere to be seen. In her defense, though, she has built a make-up empire so it’s not like she hasn’t been putting in work.

Unfortunately, all the makeup and Puma collabs in the world won’t stop her fans from hounding her down for this album. RihRih shared a new promo for an upcoming “drive by” in New York City. And by drive by, she meant literally driving by the location of the Bergdorf Goodman in NYC where the Fenty digital display launched. Again, the fans are dying for music and one fan slid in the comment section thinking that Rih would likely overlook what she had to say. “I’m sick of this where’s the album sis,” the user wrote.

Rihanna wasn’t having any of it. As a successful, newly single, multi-millionaire entrepreneur behind Fenty, she made it clear that she’s tired of the questions. “I’m sick of this where the album sis,” she wrote. 

We should start placing wages now on whether Eternal Atake or R9 drops first. 

He may have millions of followers of his own, but that doesn’t mean that Russ still doesn’t have artists that he stans over. The Shake The Snow Globe artist and author has been building his fanbase from the ground up as he carves out his own space in the music industry independently. Russ has never been shy about sharing who inspired him to become an artist, and when Big Boy ushered in an opportunity for Russ to meet Kanye West, he couldn’t believe it.

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Russ sat down with Big Boy’s Neighborhood and shared the story of how he met Yeezy. “I didn’t know who you was on the phone with,” Russ said to Big Boy. “You just [handed] me the phone and is just like, ‘You, it’s Ye.’ Like, bro. No heads up? It’s not like it’s my idol or anything.” The rapper said that he was “gassed” by the interaction but “also once again surprised that I was relatively calm. I could have sworn I was gonna f*ck this up.”

Then he shared how Big Boy later told him that he planned on taking Russ to one of Yeezy’s Sunday Services for a face to face meeting. “He was super cool,” Russ recalled. When asked what they talked about, Russ replied, “I just praised him.” In turn, Big Boy wanted to know how Russ handles being “somebody’s Kanye.” 

“It does trip me out because I get the messages all the time where it’s like, what a Kanye or what a Drake has done for me, is what I’m doing for people,” Russ said. “And that’s why I always kinda preach accountability and responsibility for what you’re putting out to the world and the messages you’re putting out. That’s why when it comes down to the self-forgiveness thing that I talk about, I forgive myself because my intentions were always pure and my message was always solid. Even if it came off like ‘f*ck you,’ it was still from a self-belief, DIY, you can do it, too, intention…. the greatest thing you can do is inspire.” Watch Russ’s full interview with Big Boy’s Neighborhood below.

Oh boy, this broke down pretty quickly. This morning, we published an article about Meek Mill "liking" a post on social media that appeared to clown Kenneth Petty, the current husband of his ex-girlfriend Nicki Minaj. Mere hours following that, Nicki clapped harshly at the Philadelphia rapper, sharing a bunch of photos of the two together and adding a clown face over his in her story. She alluded to Meek beating a woman in her post, refusing to share too many details but when he hit back by bringing up Minaj's brother child rape conviction, she divulged all the tea.

"You beat your own sister and taped it. Spit on her & taped it. Kicked me in front your mother and sent her to the hospital," alleges Nicki Minaj in her latest string of tweets against Meek Mill. "Sucking drake dick made u feel tough again. Move on."

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This is a very serious allegation coming from Minaj and it's something we've never heard about to this day. She followed up by mentioning Mill's comments about Jelani Maraj and the child rape case he was recently sentenced in, saying: "Imagine talking about an alleged rape of a child to hurt someone who wasn’t involved just so ppl can dislike me. You can never stand on your own. You won’t tell ppl the mother is on tape asking me for $20 million to make the charge go away tho. U was around. U know. See u soon."

On top of all that, Nicki also retweeted a fan who claimed that the only reason Meek is bringing up her brother is to deflect from his own alleged status as a "woman beater."

What do you make of this development?

Longevity in any career is admirable, but to have a lengthy, successful career in rap is a blessing for many artists. We’ve watched as rappers have rotated in and out of the hip hop limelight in our social media-driven culture as many artists catch waves and eventually fall off. Jadakiss has been a well-respected emcee for decades, and The Lox rapper caught up with HipHopDX to reflect on what it’s like to be involved in the industry for this long.

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“To have a career as a rapper is a beautiful thing,” Jadakiss said. “You can pull out the Great Wall of China list, probably longer than that, of dudes who have hit songs and had special moments in rap, but the career part, it might not be that long. It might just be the white picket fence. Dudes who had a lengthy, healthy, sturdy, career. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Jadakiss added that he recognizes that many artists have “moments,” but he likes the direction where hip hop is headed in. “We just gotta get to the next stage of what it’s gonna be. Get the authenticity back up. Lyricism, along with some of this new digital stuff that’s going on. It’s coming, though. It’s taking a little slow, cardio ain’t really there for it, but it’s coming.”

He continued, “There’s a lotta dudes that can rap, really rap. [YBN] Cordae, Russ, Drake, J Cole… a lot of these dudes is super nice. A lot of ’em. I like Young Thug. A lotta people might think I don’t like Thug. I listen to Thug more than I listen to a lot of them. You gotta listen to the music and absorb it. Some people are seeing him on a centerfold or something and just automatically judge him. You gotta listen. He’s saying some incredible sh*t.”

Jadakiss also noted that hip hop is the only genre of music that gets broken down into factions like West Coast, East Coast, Down South, etc. The rapper said that’s not done with country, R&B, or pop. “It’s not West Coast Pop,” he said. “They trying to figure out a way to put everybody against each other ’cause it’s growing fast.” Watch his clip below.

After season one of Drake's HBO series Euphoria hit the airwaves, fans instantly became more intertwined in the real lives of the stars that lead the show. Big interest was put onto Zendaya, who was reported to have sparked a relationship with her co-star Jacob Elordi. The duo was spotted in Greece on vacation together and now months later they're still kicking it, this time getting even more affectionate. 

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Paparazzi caught the duo in New York recently as they stepped out to run some errands. The supposed couple were seen laughing, joking and taking photos on their stroll. One image even shows Jacob kissing Zendaya on the forehead. “They walked in sync and looked happy together. Zendaya couldn't help but break into a big smile from time to time," a source told Extra. "Jacob hailed a cab for them and got the door for Zendaya. She hopped in and looked over at him with a big smile again.”

“She's super dope to work with. She's an incredible artist and a very caring person to all of us," Jordan once said of her co-star. Either party has yet to confirm that they're in a relationship.

On Monday, Billie Eilish was revealed to be Vogue's March cover star. The story that was first extracted from the issue's profile on the Grammy-sweeping artist was that she defended Drake for texting her while she was a minor. The Canadian rapper received a significant amount of backlash for hitting up Eilish's line when she was merely 17 years old, but she attributed this to the Internet being "a stupid-ass mess" and everybody being "so sensitive." 

Another portion of the Vogue interview initially evaded people's notice, but is now drawing commentary. While discussing how she enjoys inventing characters and stories in her songs, Eilish distinguishes what she does from lying, which she claims is pervasive in rap music. “There’s a difference between lying in a song and writing a story," she says. "There are tons of songs where people are just lying. There’s a lot of that in rap right now, from people that I know who rap. It’s like, ‘I got my AK-47, and I’m fuckin’ . . .’ and I’m like, what? You don’t have a gun. ‘And all my bitches. . . .’ I’m like, which bitches? That’s posturing, and that’s not what I’m doing.” 

As one could have predicted, Twitter has started calling out Eilish for this take. Read some reactions below. 

It’s been said that hip-hop is a young player’s game. Though what constitutes “young” is certainly debatable the sentiment remains relatively clear-cut. There are certainly several pitfalls older artists must contend with. With experience comes success and with success comes a satiated appetite. That hunger of the come-up might not be what it once was. Not to mention that increased success often has a direct impact on an artist’s subject matter. Purchases that might not have been available are now adorning the living room. That one goes both ways, opening the door for all matter of exuberant new flexes. But flexing is comfortable. Comfort can be an ailment to creativity. 

Likewise is longevity a double-edged sword. While stacked discographies should be applauded some casual listeners might eventually feel the devious hints of fatigue setting in, especially if a particular rapper does little to adjust to the changing climate. Consider an artist with ten albums — is number nine or ten ever seen in higher regard than number one or two? That’s not to say it never happens. But by that point it’s usually the core fans sticking around. The younger listeners have likely moved onto something new, something that speaks to a) their sonic preferences or b) the tastes of their desired social status. One viral single can hold more weight than a completed project, which can sometimes feel tacked on as a mere receptacle for said single. The breakneck pace of consumption mirrors that of the creation process, especially with today’s climate for the surprise album. 

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One can wax poetic about the impact of the modern music industry on creativity for paragraphs on end. In this case, I’d like to pull back and attempt to discern whether an average “creative prime” can be concluded. One in which an artist’s creative output is at its most refined, culminating in what can unanimously be concluded to be his or her best work. In an era in which rappers remain productive well into their forties, the question does seem more topical than ever. To simplify the process, categories shall be broken down as follows: Late Teens, Early Twenties, Late Twenties, Early Thirties, or “The Beyond.” As the recording process itself might differ from a given release date, for the sake of clarity, the focus will remain on the time of an album’s release. 

Let’s begin with the game’s active Big Three.  Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole.

Kendrick is 32, Drake is 34, and J. Cole only recently turned 35. Though Kendrick’s catalog is in itself a hotly contested affair, it’s safe to conclude that many deem Good Kid maad city and To Pimp A Butterfly to be his strongest albums. During the former’s release in 2012, Kendrick was 24 years old. When To Pimp dropped in 2015, Kendrick was twenty-seven. Depending on where you which camp you occupy, Kendrick’s magnum opus occurred during his early twenties or late twenties. However, he’s set to drop another album this year, and should it be even remotely close to classics, he’ll be putting on for a new category altogether. It should, however, be considered that Kendrick was twenty-five — the midpoint– when he dropped “Control.” Should you be inclined to factor Section Eighty into the fold, the answer becomes all the more clear.

J. Cole is slightly more difficult to pinpoint. Someone who counts KOD as his arguable best might point to the early thirties as his prime. Not to mention the showstopping slew of feature verses throughout the past two years. For the many who count 2014 Forest Hills Drive to be Cole’s classic, consider that he was roughly twenty-nine when that released. Some might argue that his early mixtape run was his prime, but Cole appears to have developed a more self-assured vision over time. He also ironed out a few technical kinks to the point where he effectively bodied elite emcees with ease. Even on Revenge Of The Dreamers 3, released last year, Cole’s presence is that of a self-assured and wizened leader — qualities reflected in his contributions to the project. 

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When Drake came into the game with So Far Gone, the 6ix God was twenty-three years old. With the favored narrative speaking to Take Care as his best body of work, the 2011 release speaks to a twenty-five-year-old man simply looking to find his way. With Nothing Was The Same being recorded at twenty-six and If You’re Reading This arriving at twenty-nine, it’s safe to call the late twenties the most creatively prosperous era of Drizzy’s career. To be fair, while Scorpion was hardly his most acclaimed effort, it did bring an interesting new swagger into the fold. Whether the success of his next album is enough to turn the tides has yet to be seen, but what happens if he comes through with an undeniable classic?

Next up are another trifecta of GOAT contenders: Jay-Z, Eminem, and Nas.

While many conclude that Jay-Z has three and sometimes four classics to his name, it should be noted that two of them came one after another: The Blueprint (2001) and The Black Album (2003). When the former dropped, Jay was thirty-one. When his so-called retirement hit, Jay was thirty-three. Given that these are two back-to-back classics in a two-year stretch, it seems fair to call his early thirties Jay’s creative prime. True, his late twenties were staggering on the basis of pure productivity, but the early millennium found Jay at his lyrical peak, his artistic sensibilities at an all-time high. 

When Eminem broke out with his major-label debut The Slim Shady LP in 1999, Eminem was twenty-six years old. Immediately after came The Marshall Mathers LP in 2000, D12’s Devil’s Night in 2001, and The Eminem Show in 2002. On “Soldier,” Em even alluded to the possibility of waning with age, rapping “when the fire inside dies and expires at thirty.” Whether that proved to be foreshadowing is certainly debatable (though many still enjoy Slim’s recent output), but it’s absolutely indisputable that Eminem’s creative prime occurred during his late twenties. Unlike some fellow veterans of his age range, Slim has proven that he can still put in work in his late forties with both Kamikaze and Music To Be Murdered By arriving with a renewed sense of hunger.  

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It’s become a part of hip-hop lore that Nas was twenty years old when he dropped Illmatic in 1994. And while it’s widely regarded as his prime, the early twenties run to follow….less so. On average, it’s much easier to examine the run between 2001 and 2003, which found Nas dropping Stillmatic, God’s Son, and Streets Disciple. The sequel to his classic debut arrived when Nas was twenty-seven, with God’s Son landing at twenty-nine. Depending on whether you hold Illmatic and I Am over Stillmatic and God’s Son, Nas’ creative prime can be argued as either his early or late twenties. Much like Kendrick Lamar, the argument for Nas is based almost entirely on personal preference. 

Kanye West is a curious case, as time also happened to bring upon a vast stylistic departure for the creative megastar. While some remain loyal to his formative sample-based work like College Dropout and Late Registration, released when Yeezy was twenty-five and twenty-seven respectively. With Graduation rounding things out at twenty-nine, it’s evident that his late twenties coincided with one of the most acclaimed runs of his career. And yet his early thirties has its own fans, largely in part to 808s And Heartbreak and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an album widely considered to be his magnum opus. For some context, the latter was released when Kanye was thirty-two years old, mirroring the late-career artistic surge of his Watch The Throne collaborator Jay-Z. Speaking of which, that very album came when Kanye was thirty-year, standing at the arguable height of his fame and reverence. With Yeezus signaling his thirty-fifth birthday with a bang, is it fair to declare Kanye’s artistic prime to be the onset of his third decade?

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I recently mused on who might be called out in a hypothetical “Control 2,” a piece that led me to reflect on the game’s current climate. Among the artists named were Denzel Curry (24), Joey Bada$$ (25), Gunna (26), Lil Baby (25), DaBaby (28), Roddy Ricch (21), Lil Uzi (25), Playboi Carti (23), Cardi B (27), Megan Thee Stallion (24), Young M.A. (27), J.I.D. (29), Mick Jenkins (28), Rapsody (37), and Maxo Kream (29). Personally, I would say the best of the aforementioned are those currently within their late-twenties, though some of the younger artists certainly have promising careers ahead of them. In truth drawing any semblance of a conclusion is impossible, as creativity seldom has an age limit. Yet there remains a misconception, likely fueled in part by the record label mentality of everything now, that rap is a young man’s game. It goes without saying that youth is relative, but hip-hop tends to look at thirty as a damn near boomer. 

What those lamenting “old head energy” fail to realize is that experience can open the door to wisdom. Truly analyzing one’s situation tends to benefit from hindsight and with that comes the passage of time. For an artist boasting an extensive career, it’s likely that the fans have already come to appreciate them on a deeper level. Their story, the milestones they’ve witnessed from afar. After the dust has settled and the reflections have long been pored over. For artists like Royce Da 5’9″ and 2 Chainz, both 42, one might argue that the last few years have been the most artistically fruitful of their career. Much of that came from an increasing level of openness and vulnerability, two qualities with an immediate impact on their storytelling. Songs like Royce’s “Power” and Tity’s “Burglar Bars” would not have come from an artist looking to get their foothold in the game; case in point, contrast their later work with their earlier albums like Rock City and Based On A T.R.U. Story. 

Remember, this isn’t an exact science here. Simply a reflection on aging gracefully in hip-hop. Upon checking out some statistics, do you feel like the notion of rap as a young player’s game to be accurate? Or are wisdom and experience the pillars of true brilliance? 

Prior to the release of his 2018 album Pieces Of A Man, Mick Jenkins declared himself to be hip-hop’s first overall draft pick. A bold claim to be sure, but the statistics measure up. Few are as nice with the pen as the Chicago writer, pairing poetically-rendered imagery with an athlete’s formidable swagger. His vision most recently manifested with The Circus, an appetizer to a greater vision scored by music from Hit-Boy, Black Milk, Da-P, Beat Butcha and more. At once socially relevant and darkly comedic, Mick’s latest finds him at his most artistically confident. And this is only the novel’s prelude.

On January 27th, I had the chance to speak with Mick over the phone. Never one to pull punches, Mick remains refreshingly blunt in his world-view, keeping it real about the current state of the game, the album as an art form, and why he had to temper his competitive spirit. At once eloquent, affable, and inclined toward gallows humor, his unflinching style of commentary remains essential in today’s mad climate — perhaps now more than ever. 

This conversation has been edited for clarity.

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Hey, Mick, how are you doing man?

Chillin, bro. How you doing?

It’s kinda somber over here with the news of Kobe. I don’t know if you were a big fan of his. 

Yeah, it’s pretty shitty.

Are you a basketball fan?

I’m just a basketball fan. I wasn’t really a Kobe fan. It wasn’t like I didn’t like Kobe, I just wasn’t a huge Kobe fan. But it’s Kobe. 

Pretty much. On a lighter note, congrats on The Circus. It’s great. What can you tell me about the title, what The Circus means to you as a concept? When you hear “The Circus,” there are many different connotations and images that come to mind.

I think it’s a representation of what the world is right now. What my life is like right now. I see a lot of allegories. People performing dangerous feats for half-interested audiences. Having a ringmaster over an animal, person, or entity that can really defeat the powers-that-be, but not realize it cause of the system that’s happening. Cause of the whip, in a sense. Sideshows and people’s uniqueness being taken as energy. It’s really not that deep at all. It’s real. [Laughs] It’s a shitshow out here! With Trump in office, head clown.

It was just that. A loose take on society and where I am right now. A direct prelude to the album that should be coming. 

Do you see any dark humor there? Sometimes all you can do is laugh. 

For me, yeah! I don’t know if people do, but I do. [Laughs] I be laughing at shit Trump do. Shit is funny. It’s not but at the same time it’s so crazy. I think that in itself is a darker humor. A lot of people don’t think that shit is funny. 

I keep thinking about the album cover, which is very bright and colorful, suggesting something lighthearted. But then when you listen to the tracks, you’re speaking on darker themes. There’s a cool juxtaposition there, between the darker elements and the comedic elements. 

That’s actually why I liked the red. It’s darker at the bottom of the image and then it gets lighter. I just liked that. I feel like it’s bringing an element of moodiness to it. If you’re looking at it not knowing what you’re about to experience.

Definitely. Did you have that album artwork done before you started working on the music? 

Nah, after the music was done. After we already chose the seven tracks. 

Was there an inciting incident that led you to go: You know what, this is the story I need to tell right now. Make this particular commentary. 

It’s a culmination of ideas. Speaking on the topics that I am is always going to happen. It was in The Water[s] at a very surface level. It was in Pieces Of A Man. It’s my life. It’s really what I rap about. The experience on “Carefree” is a real experience. That shit happened to me. That’s what I rap about. That will always be in my music. 

As far as a defining moment, it’s really just a culmination of two years of work. Finally reaching a place where I know what I’m going to do and every move can be streamlined. I can draw a line between everything I can do for the next two years. Building up music and content to be able to move like that. This is the beginning of the story I’m trying to tell. The EP is a direct preface to the album that should be out this summer. I’m excited. I feel like I’ve been low key for a while, but I’m coming back out with all my ducks in a row.

I’m looking forward to it. It’s interesting you say that  — you mention “Carefree” as being something that actually happened to you, such a frustrating experience. But then it turns into art that then gives other people joy. It’s this weird cycle of pain to joy that speaks to the themes of The Circus. The relation between artist and fan on a deeper level. And lyrically, you’re able to touch on many different topics at once.

That’s spot on bro. I appreciate that. That’s just where I’m at, artistically. As far as what you’re saying lyrically, my biggest thing about a song like that is how can I speak to this and still make it a vibe. I think everybody, myself included…it can get heavy to listen to some shit, you know what I’m saying? For it to be another protest-esque, complaining-ass song…it’s valid to do that, but I don’t want to run that back! [Laughs] 

When I did this joint called “Eleven,” that’s not a song I listen to a lot. As powerful as it is may be. I don’t put “Drowning” on when I want to vibe out. Being able to create that vibe for “Carefree” is something I was really excited for when we clicked like that in the studio. 

Definitely. Given the meaning behind your lyrics, how long does it take you to write a full song? Are there many drafts?

Some songs. Right now I’m working on this joint from Rascal that I’ve been racking my brain over for two weeks. “Carefree” I did that shit in an hour and a half. Certain things, like the intro, I did that shit in thirty-minutes. It’s about what’s going on, where I’m at, what I’m prepared to do. When I did “Carefree” and the Hit-Boy joint, that was three weeks in L.A. where I only came there to work. It wasn’t taking me long to do shit at all.

I tell people all the time, if I go into the studio and knock out five joints solid, that didn’t happen today. That happened over the last three months. It just came out today. I don’t ever try to make it seem like I’m pumping shit out like that. I be thinking about these concepts and ideas for a very long time. So when I go lock in, it gets done quick most of the time. There’s a space like now where I’m not locked in, I’m on the road, I got a lot of shit distracting me. Now, I’m fuckin’ taking two weeks to finish this song from Rascal. 

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Compared to back in the days with The Water[s] and Trees & Truths, did you always have that confidence to know when something was done? 

Yeah, I’ve always had that confidence. I’ve actually changed that approach. A lot of times now I sit with shit. It’s what I’ve been able to do holding on to so much music for so long. In comparison to what I used to do, which was drop it immediately. Holding a song or project for a year or two isn’t crazy to me. Cause what are you doing in that meantime? Listening to it. Checking. Going back and making sure I’m singing melodies that compliment. I’m revising over and over. The album I’m working on now will be my best album because of that type of effort. As opposed to the first fifteen joints being like this is it. I have a direction. 

But yeah, I’ve always had that confidence. [Hearty laugh] The first fifteen songs was like ‘yep! That’s it!’ That’s how I did The Water[s]. It’s reasons like that I have conflicting feelings when people be like ‘that’s your best work.’ It’s like, damn yo, we put loops and we put the first fifteen songs and didn’t revise. We just put that shit out. But that’s how we did shit, I always had that confidence. 

I can imagine. Last time we spoke was before Pieces Of A Man, when you had just dropped “Bruce Banner.” You said “can’t nobody come for me except Kendrick.” 

On some rap shit, people aren’t rapping like me. For real. Top five in the game with the pen. Right now. For sure. Go argue with your mom. That’s how I feel.

I wouldn’t argue with that.You delivered it well on this project. “Carefree” is the perfect example. You hooked them in with a banger. By the time you start rapping, they’re in. 

Listen hard if you want to, or vibe out if you want to.

Yeah, exactly. On that note, one of my favorites tracks is “The Fit.” You alternate nicely between melody and spitting bars. How do you decide when you’re writing a song if you want to go in a more melodic direction or spit? On a song like that, you could have gone either way and it would have been dope. 

That’s what I’m working on. When I went with Waves and The Healing Component I was melody-based, and I saw how it was received and how it sounded. When I did that, I think I needed to find a better balance. And I’ve been finding a better balance. Melodies are crucial to replay value in songs. As a rapper, especially one that can bar up the way I can, it’s not always necessary and definitely not always absolutely necessary. Finding the right balance will make a song go crazier. 

This is my opinion, but some of my favorite Mach Hommy songs have a little something like that. When it’s just machine-gun shit, it’s hard for me to vibe cause I’m intently listening to the bars. I think people feel like that a lot. Some rappers don’t care about that and they don’t have to cause of their ability. But if you care about that, which I do, I’ve been trying to find a better balance. I won’t say that I’m there. When you say how, it’s like shit, sometimes I be hoping that shit comes out! [Laughs] Sometimes it’s the reaction that lets me know.

Do you feel like certain themes are more effectively expressed through melody? 

I think both are necessary. I was somebody who only rapped. I did that already. Melodies are crucial for replay value. There’s only so much I can do, so many people I can reach with only bars. It’s a limiting thing. They’re equally as important if you learn what to do with them, but not one over the other. I’m a rapper, so if I was an R&B artist I’d absolutely say that. But I’m a rapper, so nah. Not one more than the other.

Are there any artists you’ve been particularly influenced by these days? 

Lately, this guy Serpentwithfeet. I think he’s an amazing writer. Amazing singer. Brent Fayaiz new shit was fire. I fucked with that. Mach Hommy I guess. I’ve been rocking that shit for a while. As far as having inspiration from artists, those three.

You’ve been developing some great creative chemistry with EarthGang. Can you tell me about the sessions that led to “The Light?”

That was a while ago. I think it was the same sessions as “House,” like three years ago. I fucked with them at their crib in Atlanta. We did multiple joints. There’s some other shit we got and I chose one for the tape. 

How did you guys meet?

I don’t even remember. It was a hook up, I wanted to fuck with them and I think my manager might have reached out to the right person. They gave me an address and I pulled up and that was it. [Laughs]

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Between the three of you, there’s a lot of love for language. A lot of poetry. I think that’s what makes you guys such a good team. When you’re working with other artists, do you consider yourself to be a competitive person?

Yeah, I do! But I had to temper that shit. Muthafuckers don’t do that shit no more. I definitely do but people don’t operate like that for real. Not outwardly. People keep that shit to themselves and get offended when you have that energy in music these days. I ain’t just talking about mainstream people, even the people I know. There’s a very small circle of people I can operate like that with. Cause muthafuckers be getting butthurt!  No disrespect, I mean you valid, but damn. I remember a time when muthafuckers could really be at each other about that shit and it was just competition. It wasn’t nothing personal. 

There was a taste of that last year when Tory Lanez basically challenged everybody–

Nah, nah, that shit was weak. In that regard, like, everybody? Who? 

Everybody who wanted it, I guess. 

Who for real though? Who was a real spitter that got at Tory Lanez? You could say Joyner Lucas, but that’s not what he showed us when he battled him. [Laughs] All the people he really got into it with just teased and tweeted on Twitter cause nobody really want to get into that for real. N***as not like that anymore.

I remember J.I.D. seemed to want in, that would have been dope. But cooler heads prevailed on that one.

I mean, cause it’s too much. Essentially, and what’s crazy to me, is that n*****s be thinking about what’s the risk? What if Tory Lanez do get at me? But so what!? It’s like certain n****s at certain levels ain’t willing to risk that shit, you feel me? The culture’s not really like that anymore. N****s don’t jump out and keep it competitive. Like if Tory Lanez or JID or somebody would say the wrong shit, now the whole Dreamville run and disses him. I could see a lot of different ways that shit wouldn’t be the best. Because of how shit is, you feel me? Cause of the way social media is. 

Back then, I’m thinking the early-two thousands, the nineties. When people were getting at each other they had to actually run into each other to see the consequences.

[Hearty laugh] Facts! Now people can temper both sides on social media without muthafuckas even saying shit to each other. That aspect comes and changes it.

It’s part of The Circus I guess. Have you become desensitized to social media at this point? Like if you saw something written about you, would you feel the need to respond to it?

It depends on what it is. I’ve definitely got at muthafuckas already. Sayin’ shit the wrong way about what I said in an interview. My main concern was how people were going to react to it. Cause muthafuckas is crazy. I do that shit in my raps. Word have meaning and they come off certain ways. So if you misquote me on a serious topic it’s like you’re putting me at risk for real. The way these n****as act on the internet. [Laugh] I’ve done that already. I guess my answer is yeah. But it depends — there’s a lot of shit I wouldn’t give a care in the world about. But there’s certain shit I’d try to get on as fast as possible. People will take shit and run with it.

For sure. Switching gears back to music. When you’re speaking with fellow artists, maybe those in your circle, what’s the climate toward album construction? I feel like you’re an artist that values that — and a lot of artists are still making albums as linear stories — but a lot aren’t doing that. At all. Are artists still into that?

I don’t know. I am. I know I am. I don’t listen to a lot of people’s music anymore. I check out albums sparsely. It’s not that I don’t. I’m not an authority to be able to answer that question based off my knowledge of what people are out here doing. But Saba, Noname, JID, Smino, all the people that’s around me, close to me, they value that. It’s not always what we do every time. We value it. Think like that, seek to create something like that. 

I would assume that if those people are there, there are other people that are too. We’re reacting to fans, to consumers. We’re not going to sit up here and act like anybody wants a fucking double-disc right now. [Laughs] With fourteen songs on each side. You can do that if you’re Drake. You can do that if you’re Chris Brown. But nobody wanted forty-five songs from that man. 

That’s not how people are consuming music. Recognizing and hearing that from your label or distribution or whatever, it definitely goes into consideration. When you see Tierra Whack put out a seventeen-minute album, shit is different. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, but it definitely influences what people are doing for sure.

Was it a deliberate decision to keep songs on The Circus pretty short?

Well, yeah. My mind was to not overdo anything with this joint. It’s about the album. I didn’t want to over-conceptualize. I wanted it to be what it was. It’s a prelude. We gon’ get into the good shit momentarily.

If The Circus is part of a deeper narrative, is the next project going to be picking up where it left off thematically? A prologue to the same novel.

Yep. They’re all the same book. I don’t know if it’ll pick up right where it left off. I don’t know how people receive what I’m saying but it’s not really a story. It’s an idea of shit being a circus. In that sense I guess it picks up where it left off. The exploration of that idea.

How does one make the distinction between being an entertainer and entertainment? Almost like the difference being laughing at or laughed with. To walk a fine line between entertaining such a big group of people, but some people are entertained for the right reasons.

I don’t even think about that, bro. I can’t control that. I hope for the best. I try to change people’s minds about that one on one when I have the opportunity, not that I seek it out necessarily. Other than that, I don’t try to rack my brain over that too much. I can’t control it at all.

Fair enough. 

It crosses my mind but just as quickly I’m on to the next thing. Especially with how heavy an idea like that can be, I’m only trying to focus on shit like that if I can affect it. 

You touch on it with songs like “Flaunt.” Rapping about how “They want to see you stunt.” People become so enamored with these hip-hop stereotypes of riches and wealth. It’s like, is that real, is that genuine? I don’t know. That’s why the album works so deeply on a thematic level, it’s making me think about all this shit!

I mean, yeah! I feel you, but to me, not to other people or to you, but to me that shit’s not that deep. It’s so surface level. That’s how muthafuckas get down in our faces. Especially cause of social media. You could believe all that shit back in the day, but now we know how this shit works. Now we know muthafuckas be using fake money when they put that shit to they ear. Everybody know. How do we know? Cause the muthafuckas who sell it tell us! [Laughs] You feel me? Not these days, shit’s not that deep. It’s literally what’s happening. Donald Trump is the president. It’s a circus. A shit show. It’s wild.

It’s some Death Of The Author type shit. You write something, you put it out there. It becomes whatever people want it to be basically. All it takes is a couple of bloggers to write think pieces about the themes and then people might start parroting that. The cycle will continue. And then it becomes so far away from what you were inspired by when you were creating it. 

That’s what happened with The Water[s.] That’s what’s going to happen with a good concept. And this is some whole other shit, this is my own thoughts. I feel like by-and-large, at the heart of it, when there’s a good concept that cracks pop culture, I think a lot of people want to identify with that without having to be that. Especially if it’s supple. Something you can apply to your own perspective. 

Not necessarily what the person meant but it sounds good cause it’s something that can be applied to different ideals and perspectives, it gives more space for you to take it and make it your own. And now you’ve got thirty-seven different meanings of one thing, that were never really what the person intended. Those are the ideas that will catch on like wildfire. Those are the feelings that people can identify with. More than being able to identify with it, I can tweak it and still keep it within the bounds of what it’s supposed to sound and look like.

 And that’s how n***as front! [Hearty Laugh] So to take it from a conceptual level, that’s what muthafuckas do! Muthafuckas want to look like they’re successful or sound like they’re successful or smell like they’re successful even without the success. As long as the space I left thinks that’s who I am, I’m good.

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Fresh off Stormi Webster’s rumored $500K 2nd birthday bash, the gossip has already begun about Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner’s relationship status. At the beginning of October 2019, the two uber-famous parents revealed that they were calling it quits on their relationship. Despite the internet rumors about Drake and Tyga being Kylie’s alleged rebounds, Stormi’s parents have been respectful of one another in the press, unlike many other celebrity exes.

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Over the weekend as celebrities made their way down to Miami for Super Bowl LIV, Travis and Kylie prepared for the Stormiworld party that looked as if it was created in a child’s dreamland. It all, of course, mirrored Travis’ Astroworld and was a star-studded event that included Cardi B and little Kulture, as well as John Legend, his wife Chrissy Teigen, and their kids Luna and Miles. Also on the scene were all of the Kardashian-Jenners with their besties.

While everyone was apparently overwhelmed by the extravagance for a toddler’s birthday, TMZ reports that close friends of Travis and Kylie believe that the two exes are on the road to reconciliation. Why they think that is a tad unclear because those “sources” admitted there wasn’t any physical affection between the two, however, they were described as being “inseparable” and “looked more like the romantic couple they used to be.” Good for them.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting on Travis’ next solo project. Check out Stormi’s party recap below.

Compton rapper Roddy Ricch is on top of the world right now. In addition to spending another week at the front of the pack on the Billboard 200, his hit record “The Box” also bested Drake and Future again to survive another seven-day campaign on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The 21-year-old’s career couldn’t be going any better right now. Eyes are being opened to his brand and he’s living out his dreams, which is truly beautiful to witness. Taking flight to Miami for Super Bowl Weekend, Ricch made sure he was fully booked during his stay but he also gave himself enough downtime to chill by the pool and listen to music. He seemingly spent time with India Love, who he may be dating, and his fans are not happy about that at all.

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India Love has been linked to a number of high-profile rappers in recent years, including Sheck Wes, Lil Yachty, Rich The Kid, Soulja Boy, and more. It looks like we might be able to add Roddy Ricch to that list and it’s for that exact reason why some fans aren’t rocking with his latest decision to link up with the infamous Instagram model. Love posted a video on her Snapchat account where she lounges outside, filming Roddy as he paces with buds in his ears. “This is so heartbreaking,” wrote one commenter. “Bruh why everybody just pass around the same females,” asked another, bringing up a valid point.

Although some people are feeling this pairing, others aren’t impressed in the least bit. Do you think they’re dating or was this just a casual one-off thing?

DJ Khaled made bank from the Super Bowl this year. The mega-producer filmed a commercial with Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez and performed ahead of the festivities leading us to believe that he acquired even more millions in his bank account. On top of his NFL pursuits, Khaled has been working with Michael Bay on an upcoming project as well as cookin’ something up with Drake that we assume will be arriving sooner than later. 

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The father of two is clearly feeling accomplished and proud of his major moves that he’s taken to Instagram to show off his stacks of cash while the caption shows love to his recent collaborators. “@jlo catch me if u can ? Bless up @hardrockholly #WETHEBEST ! Had so much fun at the casino ALL I DO IS WIN !!!!!!!!!? ? @michaelbay you forgot to add this to the commercial . bless up my sis @jlo had so much fun making the super bowl commercial Now I’m at @daersouthfl come celebrate wit me ! ?For inspiration motivation use only,” he wrote. 

Khaled recently shared the name of his second son with his fans. “His name is Aalam. It means ‘the world’ in Arabic,” he wrote, proudly adding, “BROTHERS ! ASAHD ! And AALAM !” 

Fresh off an appearance at the 2020 Grammys where he was up for two awards for his The Lost Boy debut, YBN Cordae is entering a mainstream rite of passage with a feature in new Super Bowl commercial set to air during the Big Game Sunday evening.

The brand that has tapped Cordae is Coca-Cola has he will start opposite filmmakers Martin Scorcese and Jonah Hill for the company’s newest Coca Cola Energy drink. In a new interview with Billboard, however, Cordae reveals that prior to the new project, his only point of reference for Scorcese was a Drake lyric. 

“I didn’t know who Martin Scorsese was. I was born in ‘97, but I heard him in a Drake line [on “Tuscan Leather”] that was tough: ‘Life is soundin’ crazy, 40 on Martin Scorsese/ And I wouldn’t change a thing if you paid me’.”

Elsewhere in the chat, Cordae opened up about his plans for the coming year, voicing his interest in working with more female artists while also exploring his bounds on a personal level.

“Just stay true to myself,” he told the publication of his current goals. “That’s not even my goal. That’s what you always have to do, ‘cause at the end of the day when the cameras are off and you put your phone down, you got to live with yourself, be comfortable and sleep at night with the decisions you’ve made so I’m just always myself unapologetically. And if you like it, that’s dope. If you don’t, that’s cool, too. 

J Hus has earned his very first No. 1 album in the U.K. with his sophomore Big Conspiracy album at 23,536 units in its first week. It’s a few notches up from the No. 6 position held by 2017’s Common Sense effort. The project triumphs over Eminem‘s Music To Be Murdered By which entered at No. 1 last week, slipping down to the No. 2 slot this week.

Notably, Big Conspiracy features appearances from Koffee, and Burna Boy, opening up to executive producer JAE5 who continues to capture the essence of Hus’ sound for a cohesive body of work.

It marks a solid return for the 23-year-old who saw his freedom last April after being sentenced to eight months for carrying a six-inch blade knife. It was an early release that was announced an opportune appearance at Drake‘s tour stop in London at the O2 Arena.

“These are the type of things in my career that I’m just blessed to even be a part of,” Drake said before introducing J Hus. “This is something I’ve wanted to make happen…I’m just glad I could make it happen.”

Elsewhere, drill rapper M Huncho debuts at No. 5 with his Huncholini release with Island/Universal. It marks the Brit’s first crack at the top 10. Following a favorable Grammys sweep, Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? switches from No. 10 to No. 7  

Ben Baller is arguably the best jeweler in hip-hop today. Over the past several months, the Korean-American craftsman has curated custom pieces for Tyler, The Creator, Tyga, Drake, and more. Now, the former DJ and record executive has produced one of the most intricately detailed custom pendants and chains for none other than Kid Cudi in celebration of the hip-hop musician’s 36th birthday yesterday (Jan. 30). 

The one-of-one rose gold-based “Kiki” pendant inspired and designed by Takashi Murakami and Ben Baller himself features hundreds of handset Pink Sapphire gems, rubies, and diamonds complete with a matching multicolor Murakami Skull Flower Link chain to complement the ornament. This particular piece is the first complete project of the year for Ben Baller and required a year’s worth of curation to fully execute. 

Each Murakami flower on the chain is individually designed and has the ability to spin on its own axis. The back of the chain features engraved graphics of Kid Cudi’s logo, Takashi Murakami’s logos, as well as Ben Baller’s IF & Co. custom jewelry trademark. 

Less than a year ago, Kid Cudi commissioned Ben Baller to craft him a custom BAPE pendant and chain that costed the “Mojo So Dope” rapper over a quarter-million dollars to complete. With Kid Cudi’s upcoming Enter Galatic LP and Nextflix series set to release sometime this year, Scott Mescudi’s 36th year alive has the potential to be his best one yet. 

Check out more images and videos of Kid Cudi’s Ben Baller x Takashi Murakami “Kiki” chain and pendant below. 

The mad carnival that is Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica’s “Control” continues to have ramifications to this day. Or maybe it doesn’t. Who really knows. Can we fairly attribute Kendrick’s notorious call-out, easily the song’s most iconic moment, as the fire that sparked beneath the collective asses of eleven honored emcees? And thus, is it fair to attribute their respective bodies of work, many of which are considered if not classic, damn fine efforts, to be a direct response to that fateful challenge?

Consider those who caught Kendrick’s eye that day. J. Cole. Wale. Krit. Tyler. Mac Miller. Drake. Jay Electronica. Sean. Meek. Rocky. Pusha T. Circa 2013, those eleven emcees served as the elite voices of an era. The ones that, by Kendrick’s own estimation, were both inspiring to his creativity and threatening to his reign. Rather than smothering them in the crib, he issued a warning and allowed them room to prepare a return volley. And prepare they did. Cole’s next album was 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Mac Miller’s was Faces. Jay Electronica came through with…Rocky had At. Long. Last. ASAP. Drake’s pulled a stylistic about-face and channeled his inner miscreant on Nothing Was The Same. Appropriately, following Kendrick’s verse, nothing really was the same. 

Can one verse really have so much power it alters the career trajectory of a fully grown man? Kendrick’s DAMN. proved his understanding of pride as a concept, a powerful if ultimately sinful motivator. It stands to reason that his own pride drove him to write the verse in the first place. Coming off the release of Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, critics and fans alike were singing his praises; with one major-label debut under his belt, many were already touting him as the best rapper alive. The only reason the “Control” name dropping had such an impact is the fact it came from Kendrick Lamar in the first place. For one, it dulled the sting of the blow, the most painful sting reserved for those who went unnamed. Second, it established him as a competitor, one who still enjoyed the pure sportsmanship of a streetside cipher. A quality that feels by and large absent from modern-day hip-hop, save for a few signs of life.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

That’s not a slight on today’s musical climate by any means. But muse on this — could a verse akin to Kendrick’s “Control” have the same effect if delivered in 2020? Specifically, a verse that mirrored the same process of name-dropping eleven elite emcees and challenging them to a duel for dominance. If so, two questions arise: who would deliver the verse, and more importantly, who would make up the eleven?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine somebody dropping a “Control” style verse without coming off as a fiend for the clout. Shades were teased during Tory Lanez’s spirited verbal tilt with Joyner Lucas; perhaps, for the sake of this what-if, our challenge might come from one of them — though neither party having a Good Kid under their belt might serve to lessen the blow. J. Cole has previously teased that “nobody likes rapping with him” anymore, following a particularly elite spree of feature verses — might that confidence not be better suited as arrogance? He’d certainly turn heads if he chose to take such a road, but given his newfound position as Dreamville’s unofficial father-figure, it’s unlikely. In truth, I’m not concerned with who does the name-dropping, but rather which names are dropped. It’s 2020, and everyone listed in “Control” has ascended into O.G. status. Provided those named actually took up the challenge (in lieu of penning responses on social media) think of all the glorious music us fans would receive. Receive from… receive from….

Denzel Curry. He’d get named for sure. The Carol City artist has proven himself to be one of the game’s most confident lyricists. Not only can he bring high volumes of intensity to the mix, but he’s supremely talented when it comes to penning verses. Songs like “Speedboat” and “Sirens” reveal the depth of his cleverness, and the Flordia-centric Zuu prove he’s creative enough to explore more thematic bodies of work. Whoever would dare put the game on watch would be wise to bring Curry into the fold. If only to boost their own credibility by way of real recognize real. On that note, it feels appropriate to throw New York’s own, and Denzel’s former sparring partner, Joey Bada$$, into the mix. Strictly on the basis of lyricism, few can match the Badmon’s intensity; having spoken of competitive ciphers, who better to rep that energy than the man who helped revive Big Tigger’s Tha Basement, if only for one day. 

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images – Denzel Curry

Curiously enough, when older rappers reflect on their favorite “younger” artists, there are two names that come up with more frequency: Gunna and Lil Baby. Having earned co-signs from the likes of Nas and Westside Gunn, the melodic stylings of the Drip Harder duo have earned them the right to be deemed elite in today’s climate. Omitting them from a “Control” redux would feel particularly biased, and arguably salty given the impact they both continue to have. Speaking of the Baby moniker, DaBabywould be an easy contender. At once lyrical, charismatic, and competitive, DaBaby would likely benefit from having a fire lit under him, especially if it allowed his early-millennium influences to emerge. Newly-minted number-one spot holder Roddy Ricch, still benefiting from the house that eee-err built, feels destined for greatness. Perhaps it would be wise to name-drop him, if only to keep the young Compton star on his toes. As some of the game’s best current straight-up lyricists, the Griselda trifecta would have to be challenged — especially given the sweet three-for-one value. 

Would it be realistic to challenge Lil Uzi Vert? I suppose he’d be the stand-in for Jay Electronica in this context, elusive bastard that he is. When he does eventually drop, it’s entirely possible that Eternal Atake ushers in a whole plethora of new styles, making him one of the game’s chief influencers. It only makes sense to pay respects accordingly. On that note, it’s tempting to namedrop Playboi Carti in the same breath, though it’s unlikely he’d be moved by his own inclusion to begin with. Still…it would almost be worth it if only for the inevitable uproar it would cause. Likewise for more established artists like Future, Young Thug, or the Migos, who would likely balk at the prospect of healthy competition at this juncture of their career. Cardi Bmight have been an interesting contender, were the full extent of her pen game ever revealed. Still, her presence on a beat cannot be denied and sleeping on her popularity would be unwise. Megan Thee Stallion is another contender for inclusion, cutting a domineering cloth and capable of trading bars with every collaborator she’s liked with thus far. And bar for bar, it’s unwise to count out Young M.A, who recently killed it on her first collaboration with Eminem.  

In actuality, all of the eleven Kendrick originally named shared one defining attribute. All of them were lyrically proficient. A hypothesis might then suggest that Kendrick draws inspiration from strong lyricists, as would anyone penning a fictitious successor to “Control.” As some of the game’s best writers, it’s likely that Mick Jenkins, Rapsody, YBN Cordae,  Maxo Kream, and J.I.D would be positioned within the crosshairs. Hell, J.I.D. might be one of the only current rappers capable of penning a verse of “Control’s” game-changing pedigree to begin with. Consider how he was absolutely salivating at the prospect of trading competitive bars with Tory Lanez, only for those dreams to be swiftly quashed without so much as a punchline. Mick himself almost inadvertently set it off on 2018 single “Bruce Banner,” rapping “can’t nobody come for me except Kendrick, and I hope you’re offended.” If he were to commit a little bit further to the dubious art of provocation, who knows what matter of beast he might have unleashed. On the opposite end of the beast spectrum, loveable everyman Boogie might be worth a mention, though he’s a little too relaxed to muster up a convincing retort; when it comes to artistic vision, however, he’s arguably among the game’s most focused album sequencers. As for Vince Staples, he’d likely write off the whole process as corny — honored though he may be on the inside. 

On a rather unsuspecting Mario remix, Lil Wayne delivered Drake’s favorite Weezy verse of all time. The song, “Crying Out For Me,” was initially released as the second single from Mario’s album Go, which despite mostly favorable reviews, didn’t necessarily do anything exciting on the charts. The single, likewise, peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it dropped in December, 2007. The remix, which featured Lil Wayne and alternately Busta Rhymes, was released a few months later and remains one of those in-between-records that, despite being an “official” release at the time, never truly found a home, whether it be on streaming services or an album. Wayne has plenty of songs like these, especially from the year 2007.

Ben Rose/WireImage for Radio One/Hot 107.9/Getty Images

‘07 Wayne was during the peak of his ”Best Rapper Alive” era, which resulted in The Leak EP– as well as many other leaks which did not receive such a formal release (VIBE did a list of the 77 Best Lil Wayne Songs of 2007)– and culminated with the release of Tha Carter III in 2008. It was this acclaimed 2007 run that truly helped build Wayne’s reputation, and equally, helped him become such a dominant force on the Internet. He was prolific in a way we had yet to see, and in a way that the Internet, we now know, is made for. That is to say, the Internet requires constant fueling, a constant stream of ‘new,’ and Wayne whether or not he intended, ensured the Internet always had something new from him. A freestyle, a leak, a guest verse. There was also less hip-hop fodder to compete with at the time, too. Becoming a rapper overnight was not yet a thing, Soundcloud was only founded in 2007 and did not have the notoriety it currently does. Generally-speaking, hip-hop had not yet fully taken over pop culture’s dialogue in the same way it has presently, but even so, Wayne was well on his way to pop culture stardom. 

There are many fan-favorite Wayne songs that make up his 2007 run. There’s “I Feel Like Dying,” there’s “Prostitute Flange,” there’s “La La La,” there’s “I’m Me.” His verse on “Crying Out For Me” is not usually among the discourse. However it’s an important marker in Weezy’s style. Wayne’s has a history of lyrics about his sexual exploits, so lyrics about a girl are not necessarily new territory. However, a whole verse detailing a rather mundane if not awkward conversation with a girl, littered with one-word text-responses, is. 

So I met this shawty the other day 

I got her number called her up like: “What ya doin’?” 

She say: “Nuuu’in” 

I say: “What’s good?” 

She say: “Not much?” 

I say: “Guess what?” 

She say “What’s up?” 

I say: “I think we should hook up”

She say “uh” 

I say: “What?” 

She say: “But..” 

I say: “But, why you stuck?” 

She say: “Fuck!” 

I said: “Who?” 

She say: “Not you”

 I say: “Then who?” 

She say: “You know.”

“I know what?” 

“You know who” 

I say: “I do?” 

She said: “You do” 

I said: “I do”

And that’s the end of the transcript. What transpired from there, we can only guess. One thing is for certain, the verse does not end in, or include a, sexual escapade, which would be the norm for most Wayne verses of this variety– at least the ones that begin in a similar fashion.

Wayne employed this method in future verses, and even tried it out to lesser effect in verses prior to Mario’s remix, but none compared to the length and detail contained within this particular verse. This lyrical template wasn’t usually about Wayne getting shut down– quite the opposite. 

As early as his debut album, with the song “Kisha,” he was going into the he-say-she-say of relationships in a conversational, story-telling manner:

Got a early call from Kisha, Kisha wanted me to meet her

She said she thought it was time to make the relationship get deeper

Said cool then I’m gon’ beep ya

What would be a good time to reach ya

She said what about ten but l thought eleven would be sweeter

Cuz she wanted me to see her, said I needed a teaser

On ‘07 era Tha Carter III leak titled “Lisa Marie,” Wayne reveals another bit of dialogue with a lover:

I told her I would write a rhyme about her and it would be sweet

I said I need the perfect track, she said, “That’s deep”

On the 2013 song, “Itchin’” Wayne goes into even more detail of the back-and-forth relationship-centric dialogue, with a hook that’s entirely based around it: 

Yeah, I told her take her drawers off and she says I ain’t wearin’ none

I asked her, “Who this pussy for?” She said “Ransom”

And when she says “I Love You”, I say, “Shut up, take this dick”

She treat me like a God and tell her man she atheist

And then he calls with all that bitchin’

“Who is this?” She busy, call her later

There are plenty of other examples we could cull from the countless songs in Wayne’s career, however they are often found within the context of one or two bars only, collaborating with the rest of the lyrics in whatever strange way Wayne has deemed fit.

She said she eat her vegetables so she stay alive

So she slobbed on my knob

Like corn on the cob 

He raps on “Gettin’ Some Head” off of Dedication 2.

The fact that the verse on “Crying Out For Me” allowed us to see a vulnerable Wayne (for all intents and purposes), a Wayne who could not get the girl (at least not immediately and not to our knowledge) is revealing in itself. Drake is often credited for bringing emotions into the fold of hip-hop, he is a rapper who wears his emotions and his vulnerabilities on his sleeve. Drake’s favorite Wayne verse is essentially the most Drake-y Wayne verse there is. So that may not be surprising in and of itself. However it does tell us something when it comes to influence, as low key as it might be. 

It’s interesting to piece the threads of influence together when it comes to Wayne. Wayne is credited for a lot of things openly: the use of cough syrup and prescription pills, auto-tune (but yes, T-Pain too), odd-ball metaphors & wardrobe choices, an entire generation of artists in the vein of Young Thug; it could even be argued that Wayne influenced the whole idea of prolificness as a means to fame. The blueprint that 2 Chainz used in a lead-up to his own success was the same one Wayne followed circe ‘06/‘07: releasing an insane amount of music and collaborating with any and everyone. It’s a blueprint many young artists still imitate: Russ did it when he dropped a song every week on Soundcloud for two years straight. Wayne addressed his hard-working nature in a 2007 XXL interview as well, shrugging off claims of oversaturation– around the same time 50 Cent referred to Weezy as an “industry whore” because of all the music he was out there collaborating on. Despite the many credits Wayne has received for his overall influence on hip-hop , he’s not necessarily credited for anything on rap’s emotional spectrum, which is of course becoming more and more woven into the fabric of the music. 

Clearly, this Mario verse is also not very emotional. It’s too brief for that. However it still must springboard from an emotional well, the same one that has created a whole genre of heartbroken-rap-love songs. The verse arrived when rap was still much more focused on bravado and getting the girl rather than stories of the opposite. We can’t claim that this verse is the sole influence and only reason behind Drake’s emo approach, but we can imagine that it’s certainly a factor, especially by his own admission. “You really just rapped about an awkward, confusing conversation with a girl that actually would happen? Just because I’m a conversational artist, so to get that verse off, and tie it off at the end,” Drake says in awe during a VEVO interview discussing the verse.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Things finally came full circle when Drake and Wayne collaborated on “HYFR,” and Drizzy was able to flex his own text exchange in a very-clearly-Wayne inspired manner. Recorded for Drake’s 2012 album Take Care, the song is about romantic entanglements both past and present. Drizzy adopts Wayne’s “Crying Out For Me” blueprint but fills in the missing gaps– the story itself is more detailed, the text messages are more elaborate.

And we never talk too much after I blew up

Just only “hello” or a “happy belated”

And I think I text her and told her I made it 

And that’s when she text me and told me she prayed it 

And that’s when I text her and told her I love her 

Then right after texted and told her I’m faded 

She asked what have I learned since getting richer

The song is one that centers around blocking out emotions rather than dealing with them, though, as past trauma from relationships re-surfaces for both artists. “Interviews are like confessions,” in the sense that they are revealing, they are telling– and right now, neither Drake nor Wayne wants to confess or deal with these emotions beyond a temperate and rather useless “Hell yeah.”

While we cannot credit Wayne as the main force behind the love-scorned-rap movement, we can credit his influence on Heartbreak Drake and we can trace the lines of influence, as faded as they might be. Somehow: it all goes back to Drake.  

Grammy weekend just took place in Los Angeles and many stars showed face. Of course, DaBaby was in the building as he was nominated for two Grammys, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Suge.” While it didn’t take home the award for either, the rapper was on the red carpet revealing his plan B if things don’t go his favor. 

On Grammy night, DaBaby walked down the red carpet as he had a few exchanges with the media. He revealed plans for new music as well as an upcoming collab with Drake but perhaps he saved the best piece of content for his own social media page. Hitting his Instagram story, the rapper was in a jol mood as he warned literally everyone what would happen if he lost.

“If I don’t leave with a Grammy, I bet I leave with a n***a bitch,” he said towards the cameraman before shifting over to a Grammy official.

That was not all, though. Considering the recent legal troubles DaBaby faces, you’d probably expect him to lay low from law enforcement officials. That was not the case. After informing the Grammy official that he’ll likely be leaving with someone’s wifey at the end of the night, he went up to the cops to tell them about his plans as well.

“You heard what I said, officer?” DaBaby asked. “I told ’em — officer, you heard what I said? — I say, if I don’t leave with a Grammy, I bet I leave with a n***a bitch,” he concluded as one officer laughed and the other looked concerned at the possibilities DaBaby would take his wifey. 

“No fuckin’ cap.”

We think it’s fair to say that DJ Khaled has kicked off the new decade in a major way. The “Wild Thoughts” producer welcomed his second child, won his first Grammy, debuted his acting chops in Bad Boys 3 and paid a visit to Drake‘s Toronto mansion (that inspired his next home) for a secret project.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Khaled isn’t even close to being done since he’s shared on Instagram that he’s got another project on the way that’s not a record. The mega-producer posted a clip to Instagram that sees him in a different kind of studio with director Michael Bay, clearly cookin’ something up. The lengthy caption details Khaled’s accomplishments so far and how grateful he is for his success. “Just got my GRAMMY now I’m in studio wit @michaelbay and we not making a record today we making a movie ? I WANT A OSCAR !!!!!!! BE PATIENT ILL GET ONE!” he wrote.

“My last 2 weeks has been so amazing! I was in the bad boys for life movie ? acting wit @willsmith @martinlawrence wow ! now I’m working wit @michaelbay wow. Than I’ve been blessed to have a healthy baby boy ! I’m a father of 2 boys ! Wow ! Then went to go see @champagnepapi on a top secert mission wow! and then I WON A GRAMMY! Wow! #WETHEBEST GOD IS THE GREATEST!”

Chris Brown attended last night’s Grammy’s with his favorite lady as his date – his 5-year-old daughter Royalty. The Heartbreak On A Fullmoon singer was nominated for Best R&B Song for his single “No Guidance” featuring Drake. While he didn’t pull in a win (since PJ Morton’s “Say So” featuring JoJo got the award) Chris was all smiles next to his camera excited daughter. 

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Sooner than later Chris will be accompanied on red carpets by two of his children since he recently welcomed his second child Aeko Brown with his ex-girlfriend Ammika Harris. Chris has been nothing but proud of his mini-me since sharing all kinds of updates on social media of his adorable little man. After Ammika gave birth, reports started circulating that she and Chris were engaged and she alluded that it may be true when she posted quotes about marriage to Instagram.

“Marriage doesn’t guarantee you will be together forever. It takes love, respect, trust, understanding, friendship, and faith in your relationship to make it last,” she shared. 

“Chris is the proudest dad you’ve ever seen, he loves to talk about his kids,” a source said of the new dad of two. “He still gets so emotional talking about his son being born. He was there in the delivery room which was a first for him and he was blown away by that.”

If there’s one newcomer that’s positioned for longevity, it’s Roddy Ricch. Since the release of Feed The Streets II, Roddy Ricch has made a strong case as to why he’s the next up. The release of Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial only solidified that with the single, “The Box” becoming his biggest song to date.

After shooting to the top of the charts two weeks ago, the rapper has now secured the #1 spot with “The Box” on the Billboard Hot 100 for a third week in a row. The song garnered 75M US streams, according to Billboard, in the week ending on Jan. 23rd. The rapper has yet to unleash a music video for the song, although reports claim that the visuals for the single have been completed.

The strength of “The Box” is clearly enough to block out three of the biggest rappers from hitting the top spot on the chart. Future and Drake‘s “Life Is Good” maintains the #2 spot for a second week in a row. Meanwhile, Eminem and Juice WRLD’S “Godzilla” debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Godzilla” previously topped the UK charts.

In related news, Roddy Ricch recently earned himself his first Grammy for Nipsey Hussle‘s “Racks In The Middle” alongside Hit-Boy. Additionally, he touched the stage with Meek Mill to perform their then-unreleased single, “Letter To Nipsey.”

“Music’s biggest night” is here. The industry’s finest have all gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate what the Recording Academy has deemed to be the best of the past year. Among nominees, Lizzo leads the pack with eight nods, followed behind by Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X who have six nominations each. 

Per the Hollywood Reporter, the non-televised portion of the awards show has already settled on the grim news of the death of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna early Sunday evening, honoring their memories with a moment of silence. 

Alicia Keys is set to host the full ceremony as the evening’s stars move forward to collect their awards throughout the night. Keep up below with the night’s winners:

Album of the Year
I, I – Bon Iver
Norman Fucking Rockwell! – Lana Del Rey
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
thank u, next – Ariana Grande
I Used to Know Her – H.E.R.
7 – Lil Nas X
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) – Lizzo
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend

Record of the Year
“Hey, Ma” – Bon Iver
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
“Hard Place” – H.E.R.
“Talk” – Khalid
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X f/ Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
“Sunflower” – Post Malone & Swae Lee

Song of the Year
“Always Remember Us This Way” – Lady Gaga
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker
“Hard Place” – H.E.R.
“Lover” – Taylor Swift
“Norman Fucking Rockwell” – Lana Del Rey
“Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo

Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

Best Rap Album
Revenge of the Dreamers III – Dreamville
CHAMPIONSHIPS – Meek Mill
I Am > I Was – 21 Savage
IGOR – Tyler, the Creator
The Lost Boy – YBN Cordae

Best Rap Performance
“Middle Child” – J. Cole
“Suge” – DaBaby
“Down Bad” – Dreamville f/ JID, Bas, J. Cole, EarthGang & Young Nudy
“Racks in the Middle” – Nipsey Hussle f/ Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy
“Clout” – Offset f/ Cardi B

Best Rap/Sung Performance
“Higher” – DJ Khaled f/ Nipsey Hussle & John Legend
“Drip Too Hard” – Lil Baby & Gunna
“Panini” – Lil Nas X
“Ballin” – Mustard f/ Roddy Ricch
“The London” – Young Thug f/ J. Cole & Travis Scott

Best Rap Song
“Bad Idea” – YBN Cordae f/ Chance the Rapper
“Gold Roses” – Rick Ross f/ Drake
“A Lot” – 21 Savage f/ J. Cole
“Racks in the Middle” – Nipsey Hussle f/ Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy
“Suge” – DaBaby

Best R&B Performance
“Love Again” – Daniel Caesar & Brandy
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R. f/ Bryson Tiller
“Exactly How I Feel” – Lizzo f/ Gucci Mane
“Roll Some Mo” – Lucky Daye
“Come Home” – Anderson .Paak f/ André 3000

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Time Today” – BJ the Chicago Kid
“Steady Love” – India.Arie
“Jerome” – Lizzo
“Real Games” – Lucky Daye
“Built for Love” – PJ Morton f/ Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Song
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R. f/ Bryson Tiller
“Look at Me Now” – Emily King
“No Guidance” – Chris Brown f/ Drake
“Roll Some Mo” – Lucky Daye
“Say So” – PJ Morton f/ JoJo

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Apollo XXI – Steve Lacy
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) – Lizzo
Overload – Georgia Anne Muldrow
Saturn – NAO
Being Human in Public – Jessie Reyez

Best R&B Album
1123 – BJ the Chicago Kid
Painted – Lucky Daye
Ella Mai – Ella Mai
Paul – PJ Morton
Ventura – Anderson .Paak

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Spirit” – Beyoncé
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
“You Need to Calm Down” – Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Boyfriend” – Ariana Grande and Social House
“Sucker” – Jonas Brothers
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X f/ Billy Ray Cyrus
“Sunflower” – Post Malone & Swae Lee
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Sì – Andrea Bocelli
Love (Deluxe Edition) – Michael Bublé
Look Now – Elvis Costello & The Imposters
A Legendary Christmas – John Legend
Walls – Barbra Streisand

Best Pop Vocal Album
The Lion King: The Gift – Beyoncé
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
thank u, next – Ariana Grande
No.6 Collaborations Project – Ed Sheeran
Lover – Taylor Swift

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed

Best Music Video
“We’ve Got to Try” – The Chemical Brothers (Ninian Doff, video director)
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr. (Savanah Leaf, video director)
“Cellophane” – FKA Twigs (Andrew Thomas Huang, video director)
“Old Town Road” (Official Movie) – Lil Nas X f/ Billy Ray Cyrus (Calmatic, video director) – WINNER
“Glad He’s Gone” – Tove Lo (Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia: video directors)

Best Music Film
Homecoming – Beyoncé (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Ed Burke, video directors) – WINNER
David Crosby: Remember My Name – David Crosby (A.J. Eaton, video director)
Birth of the Cool – Miles Davis (Stanley Nelson, video director)
Shangri-La – Various artists (Morgan Neville, video director)
Anima – Thom Yorke (Paul Thomas Anderson, video director)

Best Dance Recording
“Linked” – Bonobo
“Got to Keep On” – The Chemical Brothers – WINNER
“Piece of Your Heart” – Meduza f/ Goodboys
“Underwater” – Rüfüs Du Sol
“Midnight Hour” – Skrillex & Boys Noize f/ Ty Dolla Sign

Best Dance/Electronic Album
LP5 – Apparat
No Geography – The Chemical Brothers – WINNER
Hi This Is Flume – Flume
Solace – Rüfüs Du Sol
Weather – Tycho

Best Rock Performance
“Pretty Waste” – Bones UK
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr.
“History Repeats” – Brittany Howard
“Woman” – Karen O & Danger Mouse
“Too Bad” – Rival Sons

Best Metal Performance
“Astorolus – The Great Octopus” – Candlemass f/ Tony Iommi
“Humanicide” – Death Angel
“Bow Down” – I Prevail
“Unleashed” – Killswitch Engage
“7empest” – Tool

Best Rock Song
“Fear Inoculum” – Tool
“Give Yourself a Try” – The 1975
“Harmony Hall” –Vampire Weekend
“History Repeats” – Brittany Howard
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr.

Best Rock Album
Amo – Bring Me the Horizon
Social Cues – Cage the Elephant
In the End – The Cranberries
Trauma – I Prevail
Feral Roots – Rival Sons

Best Alternative Music Album
U.F.O.F. – Big Thief
Assume Form – James Blake
I, I – Bon Iver
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend
Anima – Thom Yorke

Best Country Solo Performance
“All Your’n” – Tyler Childers
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde
“Ride Me Back Home” – Willie Nelson
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs
“I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” – Brothers Osborne
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay
“The Daughters” – Little Big Town
“Common” – Maren Morris f/ Brandi Carlile

Best Country Song
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde
“It All Comes Out in the Wash” – Miranda Lambert
“Some of It” – Eric Church 
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay

Best Country Album
Desperate Man – Eric Church
Stronger Than the Truth – Reba McEntire
Interstate Gospel – Pistol Annies
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker

Best Latin Pop Album
Vida – Luis Fonsi
11:11 – Maluma
Montaner – Ricardo Montaner
El Disco – Alejandro Sanz
Fantasía – Sebastian Yatra

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
X 100Pre – Bad Bunny
Oasis – J Balvin & Bad Bunny
Indestructible – Flor de Toloache
Almadura – iLe
El Mal Querer – Rosalía

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Caminado – Joss Favela
Percepcion – Intocable
Poco a Poco – La Energía Norteña
20 aniversario – Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
De Ayer Para siempre – Mariachi los Camperos

Best Tropical Latin Album
Opus – Marc Anthony
Tiempo al Tiempo – Luis Enrique + C4 Trio
Candela – Vicente García
Literal – Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
A Journey Through Cuban Music – Aymée Nuviola

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Beastie Boys Book – Various artists
Becoming – Michelle Obama – WINNER
I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years as a Two-Time Cancer Survivor – Eric Alexandrakis
Mr. Know-It-All – John Waters
Sekou Andrews & The String Theory – Sekou Andrews & The String Theory

Best Comedy Album
Quality Time – Jim Gaffigan
Relatable – Ellen DeGeneres
Right Now – Aziz Ansari
Son of Patricia – Trevor Noah
Sticks & Stones – Dave Chappelle

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
The Lion King: The Songs – Various Artists
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Various Artists
Rocketman – Taron Egerton
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Various Artists
A Star Is Born – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – WINNER

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Avengers: Endgame – Alan Silvestri
Chernobyl – Hildur Guðnadóttir – WINNER
Game of Thrones: Season 8 – Ramin Djawadi
The Lion King – Hans Zimmer
Mary Poppins Returns – Marc Shaiman

Best Song Written for Visual Media
“The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” (from Toy Story 4) – Chris Stapleton
“Girl in the Movies” (from Dumplin’) – Dolly Parton
“I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)” (from A Star Is Born) – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – WINNER
“Spirit” (from The Lion King) – Beyoncé
“Suspirium” (from Suspiria) – Thom Yorke

Best Recording Package
Anónimas & resilientes – Voces Del Bullerengue (Luisa María Arango, Carlos Dussan, Manuel García-Orozco & Juliana Jaramillo-Buenaventura, art directors)
Chris Cornell – Chris Cornell (Barry Ament, Jeff Ament, Jeff Fura & Joe Spix, art directors) – WINNER
Hold That Tiger – The Muddy Basin Ramblers (Andrew Wong & Fongming Yang, art directors)
I, I – Bon Iver (Aaron Anderson & Eric Timothy Carlson, art directors)
Intellexual – Intellexual (Irwan Awalludin, art director)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
All These Things – Thomas Dybdahl (Tchad Blake, Adam Greenspan & Roderick Shearer, engineers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer)
Ella Mai – Ella Mai (Chris “Shaggy” Ascher, Jaycen Joshua & David Pizzimenti, engineers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer)
Run Home Slow – The Teskey Brothers (Paul Butler & Sam Teskey, engineers; Joe Carra, mastering engineer)
Scenery – Emily King (Tom Elmhirst, Ben Kane & Jeremy Most, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer)
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish (Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers; John Greenham, mastering engineer) – WINNER

The entirety of hip-hop is pretty much obsessed with Zodiac signs. We can go as far as back as OutKast’s 1998 album Aquemini, the title for which combined Big Boi’s astrological sign with that of Andre 3000’s. Nicki throws out Sag vibes on her 2018 single “Barbie Tingz” with the line, “Sagittarius so you know I’m an optimist.” Last week Newlyweds Safaree and Erica Mena had an insightful 20 minute astrology reading that went in depth about their personalities and past relationships.

Drake loves to highlight the fact that he’s a Scorpio even naming a summer 2018 double album Scorpion after one of the symbols of the sign, beyond the October’s Very Own collective alluding to it. Beyoncé has also weighed in on her zodiac sign; Virgo. In an interview with Dazed & Confused she said “she’s a Virgo to a tee..a control freak…and pays attention to details.” In fact, on her 2003 album Dangerously in Love, she had two songs about astrology: “Gifts from a Virgo” and “Signs.”

The examples are endless, so we decided to make it easy and round up the rappers that reflect the best and not-so-best characteristics of their sign.  

Aquarius: Gucci Mane 

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Progressive, original, emotional, uncompromising

Gucci Mane is the OG Aquarius. His progressive side has been showing throughout his 10+ year career. When Guwop debuted in 2005 with his mixtape Trap House, he definitely set the Atlanta streets and later, the nation on fire. Gucci was one of the early pioneers of trap music, helping catapult it into the genre it is today, and co-signing some of Atlanta’s biggest stars to follow, including Young Thug and Migos before his 3-year incarceration in 2014. Today 1017 is an Alamo imprint, he’s married the love of his life Keyshia Ka’oir in a lavish wedding in 2017, and he signed rising star Asian Doll as the first female signee in 2018; although she left the label this year. Like a true Aquarius he’s also original and unique, tattooing an Ice Cream Cone on his face and making the ad lib Brrr a trademark of his music. While some veteran rappers have a lot to say about the direction trap music has taken, Gucci’s remained a supporter of the new generation signing acts like Hoodrich Pablo Juan and Lil’ Wop as well. He’s made his mark as a CEO, actor in Harmony Korine’s 2012 hit Springbreakers and continues to be an artist loved by all.  

Aquariuses

Megan thee Stallion

Logic

J. Cole

Kevin Gates

Lil Mosey

Dr. Dre 

Pisces: Tyler the Creator

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Compassionate, artistic, gentle, sad, musical

Tyler the Creator really made waves this year with the release of his acclaimed album IGOR which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammys. Tyler is a multi-disciplinary artist at this point with his fashion designs, Camp Flognaw, elaborate stage sets and costumes. He’s transcended just being a recording artist and moved into performance art with his lush videos as well as aesthetic. The emotion in his latest album IGOR, which describes a love triangle between him, a guy he’s seeing and the guy’s girlfriend are relatable while remaining very Pisces-like. 

Pisces

Lil Bow Wow

Lil Dicky

Molly Brazy

YG 

Earl Sweatshirt

Aries: Quavo

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Confident, enthusiastic, impatient

April 21, 1991 Quavious “Quavo” Marshall was born and he’s kept exhibiting Aries’ traits ever sense. Part of rap trio, Migos, they’re some of Atlanta’s most successful exports with 2 Grammy nominations in addition to having the most simultaneous hits on the Billboard Charts. He’s confident enough to land a baddie like Saweetie, enthusiastic with the ad-libs, and all these traits can come together to create the perfect storm if anyone is not taking him or his music seriously as was demonstrated the Joe Budden beef. 

Aries

Lil Nas X

Big Sean

Chance the Rapper

Young MA

Ty Dolla Sign

Juicy J

Taurus: Travis Scott

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Patient, reliable, devoted, responsible, uncompromising, hard working

Travis Scott’s sound has gone from Platinum Verb to Space Designer right before our eyes and introduced us to Astroworld; an album + festival bigger than music in the past two years. In his first mainstream breakthrough, Days Before Rodeo which was released in 2014, Scott talks about moving to LA and living in an apartment with a bunch of other guys just to get a shot at this music thing. Well it worked out for him in a major way, and now he has Stormi, his adorable daughter, Kylie Jenner as a baby moms, plus much more career success on the way. 

Tauruses

YNW Melly

6ix9ine

Meek Mill

Lizzo

Smokepurpp

Gemini: Kanye West

Kevin Winter/Getty Images 

Curious, adaptable, ability to learn quick, intelligent, impulsive

Who could be more of a Gemini than ‘Ye? He has never waited for any one to help him achieve any of his numerous dreams, from being a designer, to starting his own church (of sorts). Kanye is clearly an intelligent guy, despite any impulsiveness that may find him interjecting in a harsh manner  (think: VMAs) or popping up with some controversial opinions. 

Geminis

Tupac

Trippie Redd

Kendrick Lamar

Takeoff

Cancer: 50 Cent

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Highly imaginative, emotional, moody, persuasive

Honestly, 50 Cent being a Cancer makes the most sense. He burst onto the scene with Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in 2003. After a long career as a musician, he turned into an entrepreneur and co-producer of hit show Power in addition to keeping us laughing online all the time with his memorable/petty IG beefs. He definitely seems to have his moods. Whether or not you agree with his methods, the man is truly an entertainer and keeps reinventing while simultaneously reimagining ways to stay on top.  

Additional rap Cancers:

Post Malone

Lil Kim

Saweetie

Rich the Kid

Leo: Lil Uzi Vert 

 Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Creative, passionate, warm-hearted, cheerful, humorous

Lil Uzi is the most Leo Leo there is. Leos love the spotlight and are natural entertainers. Uzi has displayed a natural stage presence full of energy and endless creativity. He’s also a viral trendsetter with the latest hype surrounding his single and dance, “Futsal Shuffle 2020.” His first mixtape Luv is Rage (2015), threw a wrench into the mainstream sound and garnered positive reviews from both the underground and commercial worlds. It also showed his loyalty, including his then-girlfriend Brittany on the album art. His success didn’t stop there and he continued to flaunt his boisterous yet charismatic flow on hits like “Bad & Boujee” as well as his top 10 single “XO Llif3 Tour.” A lot is still in store for Uzi as his fans await the release of his second studio album Eternal Atake.

Leos:

Soulja Boy

Chief Keef

Young Thug

Lil Pump

Lil B

Sagittarius: Jay-Z 

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Straight-forward, optimistic, restless, progressive and adventurous

For Sagittarius, Hov is representing the sign well. According to Jay-Z’s mom, Shawn Carter was born December 4th weighing in at 10 pounds 8 ounces and was the only one who didn’t give her any pain during birth. During his life, he’s shown off his progressive Sag trait by becoming one of the greatest rappers of all time as well as a songwriter, entrepreneur and more. His accomplishments are far too numerous to even begin to list here, but the optimism and restlessness of his sign have led him into a power coupledom with Beyoncé, ownership of Tidal, ownership of Armand de Brignac, as well as huge success with his management agency Roc Nation. From the beginning with his debut 1996 album Reasonable Doubt, he’s had the music industry on lock. 

Sagittariuses

Nicki Minaj

Juice Wrld

Offset

A Boogie wit Da Hoodie

Asian Doll

Scorpio: Drake 

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Secretive, passionate, calculating, brooding, ambitious, sexual

Drizzy Drake will be a Scorpio legend for a long time with over a decade of steady hits. He’s managed to become the voice of at least two generations from his time acting on Degrassi as a teenager, to his transition to rap in the late 2000s/2010s. Not only has Drake put Canada on the map and opened the door for the talent coming out of Toronto like The Weeknd, PartyNextDoor, Nav, Rochelle Jordan, Majiid Jordan etc. he’s taken the country across the world on multiple excessive tours. His Scorpio nature is all over his songs from the moody production, to the trust issues displayed in his lyrics.

Scorpios:

Tyga

Future

NLE Choppa

Lil  Peep

Lil Boosie

Virgo: Beyoncé 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical, shy

We had to veer from the rapper-led course because Queen Bey has proved to us that she can flow with the best of them on tracks like “APESHIT,” from her 2018 collaborative album Everything is Love. A true performer in every sense, Beyoncé is also a hardworking and a perfectionist just like a Virgo. Her stage sets are legendary and her dance skills have been popping since she was little in one of her first groups Girls Tyme. Her Virgo loyalty is on full display with longtime bae Jay-Z (they’ve been dating publicly since 2004 and married since 2008). Just like Jay, she has too many accomplishments to list including headlining an unforgettable Coachella two weeks in a row after giving birth to twins and making a documentary about it in 2018. Her release Lemonade, an hour long video album and special that debuted at #1 on Billboard in 2016 with no promo was also a milestone. All in all, Beyoncé is Queen of the Virgos and we’re here to pay homage. 

Virgos:

Lil Yachty

Wiz Khalifa

Eazy-E

Playboi Carti

Nas

Libra: 21 Savage

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Diplomatic, artistic, intelligent, fair, understanding

21 Savage was rapping for approximately 1 year before the release of his 2015 breakthrough, Slaughtertape. Savage Mode with Metro Boomin’ was the primary put on, but he’s kept the balance like a true Libra ever since. Libras are known for their intelligence and 21 is no different. After a few years in the spotlight, he stopped buying jewelry to “save money… and increase his own wealth.” As far as diplomacy goes, 21 is a great example. Any minor beef that has arisen he actively takes steps to diffuse, like with Layzie Bone. He reached out and apologized before it went to far. In love, like a true Libra, he likes to spoil and be spoiled. His long and well-documented affair with Amber Rose was full of gifts including matching iced out watches. Clearly this was before the jewelry fast. Love can make you do crazy things. Currently, 21 is back in the US after an ordeal with immigration and made the Forbes 30 under 30 list in December. 2020 seems to have a lot in store for him. 

Additional rap Libras:

Lil’ Wayne

Cardi B

Eminem

NBA Youngboy

Snoop Dogg

Capricorn: DaBaby 

Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Ambitious, persistent, sensitive, practical, disciplined, DIY

DaBaby has had enough of a year to be the Capricorn Rap Representative. He went viral when he brought the Jabbawockees back, has been touring persistently and talks openly about how he engineered his come-up with DIY marketing methods like wearing a diaper at SXSW and using a street team. Capricorns don’t put their sensitivity on display but after a well-received interview came out with his baby mama where she had only great things to say about his role as a father, we know he’s got a soft side like any true Cap.

Capricorns:

Mac Miller

Miss Mulatto

Polo G

Joey Badass

Blueface

Sony’s upcoming Uncharted film has been delayed, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images

The film will now be released on March 5, 2021, a date that was previously held for Sony’s “Master of the Universe.” “Masters of the Universe” no longer has a release date scheduled.

Uncharted stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as his mentor Sully. The director spot is currently vacant. 

Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Ruben Fleischer was the company’s first choice to take over behind the camera. He’s recently lent his talents to Venom and Zombieland 2. Travis Knight had to give up the job after a scheduling conflict.

Uncharted has seen six directors and faced numerous delays since it was announced in 2008. Wahlberg was originally set to star as Drake, but in the time since, he’s aged out of the character and has been moved into the Sully role.

The story is expected to take place prior to the events from the first installment of the PlayStation video game series created by Naughty Dog. The latest game in the series is 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Naughty Dog’s newest game has also been delayed. The Last of Us Part II releases on May 29, 2020. 

Music’s biggest night is swiftly approaching and with the announcement of Grammy nominees comes vigorous debate around which albums or songs are most deserving of recognition. 2019 was loaded with unforgettable songs and albums that transported us from our cars, treadmills and living rooms into the studio. These songs were the soundtrack of our lives for the past year. New artists burst onto the scene and grabbed our attention while wily veterans proved again why they remain on music’s pedestal. With that said, we’ll take a stab at foreseeing winners in the Hip-Hop and R&B categories.

Let us know what your predictions are in the comments. 

Best Rap Performance

For Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.

• DOWN BAD
  Dreamville Featuring J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG & Young Nudy
   
• RACKS IN THE MIDDLE
  Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy
   
• CLOUT
  Offset Featuring Cardi B

• SUGE
  DaBaby

Who should win: Suge – DaBaby

“Suge” was the breakthrough single that propelled DaBaby into music’s mainstream. The song appears on his well-received debut album Baby on Baby. The title obviously references infamous music executive Suge Knight – a proclamation of the artist’s intention to forcefully overtake hip-hop, something Knight became legendary for. DaBaby’s exuberant personality and brazen confidence shine through on this record. To pair with his compelling voice, DaBaby also presents some cunning penmanship with creative ad-libs putting the icing on the proverbial cake. The record was blasted everywhere to the tune of a number one spot atop Billboard’s Hip-Hop AirPlay charts.

Who will win: Middle Child – J Cole

Equally deserving in its own right Middle Child is J Cole executing on the fundamentals which built his rap persona. Cole uses a number of effective analogies to explore his place in the music industry as an ambassador for this era whose greatness transcends that of many “peers.”

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Best Rap/Sung Performance

For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.

• BALLIN
  Mustard Featuring Roddy Ricch

• HIGHER
  DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend

• DRIP TOO HARD
  Lil Baby & Gunna

• PANINI
  Lil Nas X
   
• THE LONDON
  Young Thug Featuring J. Cole & Travis Scott

Who should win: Ballin – Mustard featuring Roddy Ricch

“I put the new forgis on the Jeep!” We found ourselves uncontrollably singing the hook to feel-good anthem “Ballin” all year. The infectious DJ Mustard-produced track rang out through radios, arena speakers and car systems everywhere. You couldn’t escape its brilliance in 2019. The song diaries the rags to riches story of featured artist, Roddy Ricch and his ascent to success. The come up, one of hip-hop’s core motifs. It was released as a single from Mustard’s third studio album Perfect Ten. Mustard provides the ideal instrumental for Roddy to narrate his trouble to triumph fable. The marriage of Roddy’s unique voice and Mustard’s body-rocking beat is pure alchemy. 

Who will win: Higher – DJ Khaled featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend. 

Hard to imagine a scenario where the fallen legendary figure Nipsey Hussle leaves without a triumphant moment. The creme of Khaled’s “Father of Asad,” Higher ignites your soul and your mind combining the Nispey’s message with John Legend’s refined and flowing vocals. This is sure to be a heavy, reflective and tear-jerking moment at the awards.

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

Best Rap Song

A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BAD IDEA
  Chancelor Bennett, Cordae Dunston, Uforo Ebong & Daniel Hackett, songwriters (YBN Cordae Featuring Chance The Rapper)

• GOLD ROSES
  Noel Cadastre, Aubrey Graham, Anderson Hernandez, Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, William Leonard Roberts II, Joshua Quinton Scruggs, Leon Thomas III & Ozan Yildirim, songwriters (Rick Ross Featuring Drake)
   
• RACKS IN THE MIDDLE
  Ermias Asghedom, Dustin James Corbett, Greg Allen Davis, Chauncey Hollis, Jr. & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy)

• SUGE
  DaBaby, Jetsonmade & Pooh Beatz, songwriters (DaBaby)

• A LOT
  Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage & Anthony White, songwriters (21 Savage Featuring J. Cole)

Who should win: A lot – 21 Savage featuring J Cole

Who will win: A lot – 21 Savage featuring J Cole

This is maybe the biggest no brainer of the evening. The rhythmic masterpiece of a beat featuring an incredible sample from “I Love You” by East of Underground which also samples “I Love You for All Seasons,” performed by The Fuzz is a thing of sheer dexterity. On the track J. Cole delivers critical bars addressing dubiousness of music industry inauthenticity and affirms his place in hip-hop, while 21 Savage chronicles his trials on the way to the top. The juxtaposition of rap’s adjacent regimes melts perfectly into a song that makes you want to party as much as you want to think.  

 Moses Robinson/Getty Images

Best Rap Album

For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings.

• REVENGE OF THE DREAMERS III
  Dreamville
   
• CHAMPIONSHIPS
  Meek Mill

• I AM > I WAS
  21 Savage

• IGOR
  Tyler, The Creator

• THE LOST BOY
  YBN Cordae

Who should win: IGOR – Tyler the Creator

Many, including myself were livid when nominations came out and IGOR was not included in the Album of the Year category. It was hands down the most complete body of work I have heard this year. Yet, in the confines of this designation when standing toe to toe against the likes of Championship it pains me to say Tyler will lose out of what could be his second Rap album of the year award. Flower Boy was also incredible. But Tyler is due for a Grammy so look for the academy to perhaps reward him next year.

Who will win: Championships – Meek Mill

While Championships does not have the consistency of I am > I was, the sonic delivery of IGOR or the deeply introspective approach of Lost Boys,  for a rap album it’s highs are unbelievably high and subject matter all parts profound, frivolous and entertaining. Meek’s lyrics on tracks like “Oodles and Noodles” or “Respect the Game” reach into your soul, gripping your heart with the story of his tribulations wrapped in the context of socio-economic complexities in urban America. It is a dissertation of continuous resurrection through the eyes of a dreamer. In the end, the combination of musical range, lyrical content, and hard-hitting storytelling sets Championships apart as a rap album. Although IGOR is perhaps the most comprehensive and impressive body of work from the list of nominees, it is also miscast and should be considered for the album of the year. In my opinion, considering the rap designation, Championships takes the crown this year by a slim margin.   

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Best R&B Performance

For new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings.

• LOVE AGAIN
  Daniel Caesar & Brandy
   
• COULD’VE BEEN
  H.E.R. Featuring Bryson Tiller
   
• EXACTLY HOW I FEEL
  Lizzo Featuring Gucci Mane
   
• ROLL SOME MO
  Lucky Daye
   
• COME HOME
  Anderson .Paak Featuring André 3000

Who should win: Love Again – Daniel Caesar featuring Brandy

Who will win: Love Again – Daniel Caesar featuring Brandy 

Undeniably deserving albeit by a thin margin – Love Again is the right choice. “Love Again” is a duet featured on Case Study 01, Daniel Caesar’s second studio album. The track conjoins Brandy’s signature breathy vocals with Caesar’s stirring and powerful soulfulness. The abutment of the singers’ variant styles works to give the song a pleasant musical affliction. The impressive performance by Brandy and Caesar yokes the raw youth of Caesar with the experience and polish of Brady. Although Caesar headlines here, the piece is a great reminder of Brandy’s incredible R&B legacy.    

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images 

Best Traditional R&B Performance

For new vocal or instrumental traditional R&B recordings.

• TIME TODAY
  BJ The Chicago Kid
   
• STEADY LOVE
  India.Arie
   
• JEROME
  Lizzo
   
• REAL GAMES
  Lucky Daye
   
• BUILT FOR LOVE
  PJ Morton Featuring Jazmine Sullivan
  

Who should win: Time Today – BJ The Chicago Kid

Somehow BJ is STILL underrated, undeterred by this, the vocalist continues to producer outstanding songs like “Time Today.” Labeled as the “deacon of R&B” by some, BJ delivers his spellbinding belts on the song filled with a ton of powerful canticles from a love maker. The deacon is single-handedly restoring our faith in R&B with his mastership of soul. Not to go unmentioned is the near flawless production which provides a smooth surface for BJ’s voice to skate on. Still, is it wishful thinking for him to win? Will it inevitably go to Lizzo, or does BJ stand a real chance?

Who will win: Jerome – Lizzo

Lizzo is taking home multiple Grammys come hell or high water. The academy will reward the “entertainer of the year,” more factors at play here than simply her music (while this song is fantastic and deserving).

 Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Best R&B Song

A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• COULD’VE BEEN
  Dernst Emile II, David “Swagg R’Celious” Harris, H.E.R. & Hue “Soundzfire” Strother, songwriters (H.E.R. Featuring Bryson Tiller)
   
• LOOK AT ME NOW
  Emily King & Jeremy Most, songwriters (Emily King)
   
• NO GUIDANCE
  Chris Brown, Tyler James Bryant, Nija Charles, Aubrey Graham, Anderson Hernandez, Michee Patrick Lebrun, Joshua Huizar, Noah Shebib & Teddy Walton, songwriters (Chris Brown Featuring Drake)
   
• ROLL SOME MO
  David Brown, Dernst Emile II & Peter Lee Johnson, songwriters (Lucky Daye)
   
• SAY SO
  PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton Featuring JoJo)

Who should win: Roll Some Mo – Lucky Daye

Who will win: No Guidance – Chris Brown featuring Drake

The best song on the best R&B is what I would go with but Chris Brown and Drake won’t be denied here. Once reportedly at each other’s necks over Rihanna, Chris Brown and Drake have since mended any quarrels and joined to give us the year’s best R&B song. The collaboration is truly mesmerizing and enthralls all who come under its waves. While not quite the vocalist Chris Brown is, Drake nevertheless ministers a tremendous tight-rope performance somewhere between rapper and singer. Both artists combine, with producers J-Louis,Vinylz, Teddy Walton, and 40, to give an addicting composition. 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Best Urban Contemporary Album

For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded contemporary vocal tracks derivative of R&B.

• APOLLO XXI
  Steve Lacy
   
• CUZ I LOVE YOU (DELUXE)
  Lizzo
   
• OVERLOAD
  Georgia Anne Muldrow
   
• SATURN
  NAO 

• BEING HUMAN IN PUBLIC
  Jessie Reyez

Who should win: Cuz I Love You – Lizzo

Who will win: Cuz I Love You – Lizzo

It’s Lizzo’s year. Plain and simple. Overruling the deeply competitive nature of this category and legitimate questioning of her placement, here are the vocal acrobatics Lizzo delivers on Cuz I Love You. Her colossal, sometimes theatrical voice grabs and twists your ear from the outset – running your head across each piano stroke and lyric to drive home the song’s theme of lost love. The score sounds like the predicament of a heartbroken animated film’s villain plotting her revenge in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. Grand runs and notes grab you by your shoulders, swinging you from side to side with the beat. Range and versatility keep Lizzo’s star rising. 

Best R&B Album

For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new R&B recordings.

• 1123
  BJ The Chicago Kid
   
• PAINTED
  Lucky Daye
   
• ELLA MAI
  Ella Mai
   
• PAUL
  PJ Morton
   
• VENTURA
  Anderson .Paak

Who should win: Painted – Lucky Daye

Maybe the toughest choice of all. Best R&B album. Back and forth I went before championing a victor. You could very well settle on Ella Mai and her commercial smash, self titled album. Or BJ the Chicago Kid with his soulful and touching numbers set to marvelous instrumentals in 1123. Even the density of Anderson. Paak’s VENTURE. When the dust fades the winner should and will be Painted. The debut album by Lucky Daye, led by the single “Roll Some Mo” is the most exemplary comprehensive body which also provides moments of brilliance.  

Who will win: Ventura – Anderson. Paak

Anderson has paid his dues, being passed up for other nominations and awards he probably deserved. It’s his time.

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images 

With a field this stacked the night is sure to produce loads of drama as names are called and dreams are shattered or realized. To go along with the suspense we are due for some great performances from the likes of Tyler the Creator, Lizzo and Roddy Rich to name a few. 

Ceremony date: January 26, 2020, 8:00 PM EST

Tory Lanez is that one player at the end of the bench that is practically begging to get some minutes but, for some reason, the coach won’t put him in. The Toronto rapper actually has decent skills on the court. While he’s likely not professional level, he can definitely participate in an all-rap pick-up game with the likes of Quavo and 21 Savage. In the past, we’ve seen Tory hit the court with Drake, YK Osiris, and others but all he wants is to get that call from Quavo to come out to Atlanta and get a quick pick-up game going.

Calling out 21 Savage for a blatant reach-in foul, Migos rapper Quavo posted a photo of the incident on his social media but, in the comments, an upset Tory Lanez appeared and entered a plea for the next game. “Don’t nobody ever call me for these shits man,” wrote the Chixtape star, adding a couple of facepalm emojis for good measure. As for the apparent foul committed by 21 Savage, the Atlanta-based rapper doesn’t seem to care at all about the rules of the game, hitting Quavo with a “So…” in the comments as well.

Quavo followed up the post by sharing some highlights from the exhibition display, showing off his skills on the court and reminding us that, while he can certainly make hits on the microphone, his first love will always be sports. In high school, Quavious was a star on the football field and he was also an accomplished hooper, as you can see above.

Euphoria became an instant hit once the Drake produced series hit HBO and Zendaya’s superb acting abilities were put on display. The Sam Levinson created series follows the troubled life of a 17-year-old addict whose world gets intertwined into her classmates and their troubled at home lives as well. While the second season was confirmed much before the new year, new updates on the upcoming installment have been announced. 

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

According to HypeBeast, HBO and A24 recently put out an open casting call for a handful of new characters to join the new season. The casting agents are Jessica Kelly and Mary Vernieu and the placements will be speaking roles but have some requirements to be considered. “You must be 18 and older and based anywhere in the United States. No acting experience is necessary. If chosen, this is a paid opportunity,” the casting call reads. 

Those who are interested simply have to fill out a form and attach a video of yourself answering questions that pertain to the selected character you wish to audition for. The video must be 5-8 minutes long and can easily be shot on your iPhone and the same goes for the accompanying images they casting directors are asking for. 

Below are the roles the second season is looking for – find the audition form here and good luck! 

Darian: 18+ to play 17. Any ethnicity. An outsider. Sensitive. Vulnerable. Mischievious. Definitely not the cool kid at school but one of the more interesting kids. Could struggle with addiction.

Ray: 18+ to play 17. Any ethnicity. Attractive with an edge. Working class. Pure heart. Scrappy but a fighter. Not verbose or educated but has all the words he needs. Attractive in a real and accessible way. Might be going nowhere in life but has a smile so genuine it’s not depressing.

Ami: 18-20’s. Drug Addict. Stripper. Hates her boyfriend. Talks shit. Can’t read a room. Has a big mouth. Can make a bad situation worse.

Serena:50’s+, Caucasian. Sassy and tough. A real character. The kind of women who partied her whole life and attended every White Snake concert and now she has several different hustles just to make a living.

Lita: Female 40s. Any ethnicity. A foster mom with bills to pay. Seems like an average, regular person but can be a ruthless businesswoman if you cross her. Recur.

Last week's TIDAL Wave playlist may have arrived a little later than usual but, this week, we're right back on track. It was an incredible seven days for hip-hop, bringing us new albums from Eminem, Mac Miller, Stunna 4 Vegas, and many more. As expected, our staff-curated TIDAL-exclusive playlist is a total bop this time around with our editorial and sales team members mulling over all the new releases and deciding what would earn a spot on their personal lists. Here's what we came up with.

Obviously, Eminem's Music To Be Murdered By was a favorite at our headquarters. The Juice WRLD-assisted "Godzilla" kicks us off strongly before we head into the new record from Royce Da 5'9" and Westside Gunn and JID's "Big Black Truck" from the Dreamville deluxe tape. We reach Drake and Future's latest joint single before exploring some album cuts that we were all messing with. Select tracks from 070 Shake's debut album have been added and so have the majority of cuts from Mac Miller's posthumous Circles. Moneybagg Yo is still getting love, and so is Pop Smoke's contribution to the JACKBOYS project.

If you're not yet signed up to TIDAL, you're missing out on some premium sound quality. Out of all the available streaming services on the market, TIDAL is a must if you're looking for master-quality vibes. Get on game with a 30-day trial here.

Alex Zidel (Editorial)

070 Shake - The Pines
Pop Smoke - Christopher Walking
Rich The Kid - Money Talk (feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again)
Moneybagg Yo - U Played (feat. Lil Baby)
Moneybagg Yo - 1 2 3 (feat. Black Youngsta)

Noah C (Editorial)

Pop Smoke - Christopher Walking
The Professionals, Madlib & Oh No - Give N Take
Mac Miller - Everybody
Mac Miller - Woods
Mac Miller - That's On Me

Alex Cole (Editorial)

070 Shake - Morrow
070 Shake - Guilty Conscience
070 Shake - The Pines
Mac Miller - Hand Me Downs
Eminem - Godzilla (feat. Juice WRLD)

Michael Rapp (Sales)

Fivio Foreign - Big Drip
Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)
T.R.U., 2 Chainz & Skooly - Virgil Discount
Camila Cabello - My Oh My (feat. DaBaby)

Mitch Findlay (Editorial)

Eminem - Lock It Up (feat. Anderson .Paak)
Royce Da 5’9” & Westside Gunn - Overcomer
Eminem - I Will (feat. Kxng Crooked, Royce Da 5’9” & Joell Ortiz)
Future & 2 Chainz - Dead Man Walking
Dreamville & JID - Big Black Truck

Lynn Sharpe (Editorial)

Mac Miller - I Can See
Mac Miller - Blue World
Mac Miller - Everybody
070 Shake - Nice To Have
070 Shake - Daydreamin

Chantilly Post (Editorial)

Mac Miller - Woods
Jhene Aiko - P*$$y Fairy (OTW)
dvsn - A Muse
Theophilus London - Whoop Tang Flow (feat. Raekwon)
Thundercat, Steve Lacy & Steve Arrington - Black Qualls

Paul Pirotta (Sales)

Rick Ross & Bryson Tiller - Future Bright
Meek Mill & Farruko - Uptown II
Eminem - Unaccommodating (feat. Young M.A)
Fivio Foreign - Big Drip
Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)

Rose Lilah (Editorial)

Mac Miller - Everybody
Dreamville, JID, EARTHGANG & Vince Staples - Up Up Away
Mac Miller - Blue World
070 Shake - The Pines

Keenan Higgins (Editorial)

Eminem - Unaccommodating (feat. Young M.A)
JACKBOYS, Pop Smoke & Travis Scott - GATTI
Buju Banton - Murda She Wrote
dvsn - A Muse
Uncle Murda - Freedom (feat. Jadakiss, Benny The Butcher & Que Banz)

Cole Blake (Editorial)

Mac Miller - Hand Me Downs
Mac Miller - Woods
Mac Miller - I Can See
070 Shake - Guilty Conscience
070 Shake - Microdosing 

For the past several years, Young Thug has essentially run a masterclass in brand development. For one: his avant-garde approach to gender-bending attire helped usher in one of hip-hop’s prominent fashion trends, much to the dismay of Black Air Force aficionados. For two: his malleable take on language and seemingly infinite supply of cadences have solidified him as one of hip-hop’s most influential voices; even esteemed lyricists like J. Cole and Drake stand firmly behind the YSL serpent. And all this while by and large remaining a cultlike figure, one who only recently secured his first number one album with So Much Fun.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Given the man’s artistic prowess and undeniable mystique, the price of his presence on stage has skyrocketed as a result. Today, Thugger took to Instagram to flex accordingly. Looking like a customizable character from Cyberpunk 2077, Thug boasted in royal fashion. A move likely to leave pocket watchers angrily clutching fistfuls of lint.

“1.5 for a 45 min show,” he declares, sparking a chorus of praise from Lil Baby, J.I.D, EarthGang, and Mike WiLL Made-It. And rightfully so; that’s approximately thirty-three thousand dollars a minute. Whether forty-five is a justifiable show length is up for debate, but one has to wonder if venues could even afford his hour-plus rate to begin with. 

Roddy Ricch is having a very fortuitous 2020. The 21-year-old Compton rapper made a case for his talent when his breakout single, "The Box," prevented Justin Bieber's "Yummy" from topping the charts earlier this month. Following Bieber's attempts and subsequent failure to debut "Yummy" at No. 1 in a panic, Bieber's ex Selena Gomez mirrored his public pleas for streams when Roddy's debut album, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, posed a threat to Selena's album, Rare, debuting at No. 1. While Selena may have ultimately achieved what she set out to, it wasn't without having to resort to desperately begging fans to help her get there, all because Roddy Ricch proved to be more powerful than either of these pop stars could have ever predicted. Now, Roddy has further solidified himself as a force to be reckoned with, as "The Box" spends a second consecutive week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 Charts.

Ballplayers want to be rappers and rappers want to be ballplayers. It’s an age-old adage. The NBA has long been a core piece of hip-hop culture – from Allen Iverson heralding a new era of emphatic urban style to rappers being fanatical about basketball sneakers. And of course, rap songs are often laden with references to the game’s most iconic players.

“Which park are y’all playing basketball/Get me on the court and I’m trouble/Last week fucked around and got a triple double/Freaking niggas every way like MJ/I can’t believe today was a good day” – Ice Cube

“Real quick, real sick, raw nights, I perform like Mike/Anyone—Tyson, Jordan, Jackson, action, pack guns” – Biggie

“But I’m limitless mentally, I’m lyrically ZMT/Lebron shit, I was in that 6 after 23” – Wale

“Went from most hated to the champion god flow/I guess that’s a feeling only me and LeBron know” – Kanye

NBA stars have attempted to crossover into rap with great regularity. Shaquille O’Neal dropped four studio albums (although he’s not quite as dominant in the booth as he is on the block) and Ron Artest even started a record label. And whether its Stephon Marbury in Big Pun’s “Whatcha Gone Do” video or LeBron popping up in Jay-Z’s “D.O.A” visual or, let’s not forget, Ray Allen’s unforgettable cameo in Public Enemy’s “He Got Game,” Ballers haven’t ever been shy about popping up in rap videos. MC’s are mainstays at NBA games; if you turn on a Hawks game, you’ll often see Gucci Mane sitting court-side or Ice Cube on the hardwood at Laker games. Given all the crossover and cultural importance these two share, I thought it was only right to draw some comparisons.

Trae Young (DaBaby)

New on the scene but with an adept game and a lot of swag. Their moves on the court/stage get the crowd going. Both are more than willing to provide a good assist. DaBaby with a host of saucy features, including Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Cash Shit” and Quality Control‘s “Baby.” Trae with the frequent no-look pass or alley-oop. Young Ice is Top 5 in the NBA in scoring and assists. Neither’s success has come without hate. People criticize DaBaby over his singular method of flow. But those nay-sayers may be missing the actual bars he’s spitting. Like, are you even listening? Not to mention he’s got a chart-topping album. The same goes for Trae. People talk about the Hawks record but overlook the fact he a). Has 0 help and b). Is putting up historic numbers for an NBA sophomore.

Anthony Davis (Meek Mill)

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

It always seemed like one thing after the other for these two. Nick-nack injuries, an incompetent General Manager – probation, legal fight after legal fight, beef. Neither could ever quite seem to get over the hump but now they are in significantly better situations. Davis is a Los Angeles Laker; running flank to LeBron James. Meek has rebounded from being the target of maybe the biggest hit diss record ever and has been released from prison. With monkeys off their back, Davis is vying for a title this season and Meek is eyeing his first Grammy for Album of the Year. These two have the potential to be the best in the game. Before his coup to exit New Orleans, Davis was pegged as next in line to take over the league while Meek was pinned the new Jay-Z. They have the talent but questions still remain about whether they can elevate their game even more to reach their potential.

Luka Doncic (YBN Cordae)

Young but polished. These guys both burst onto the scene looking to compete immediately with absolutely no fear – I’m sure to the surprise of many. Cordae’s delivery as velvety and fluid as Luka’s step-back jumper. Each has his eye on running the game for years to come. they’re also not afraid to go at the neck of an all-time great. YBN responded to J. Cole’s “1985” while Luka has dropped a 30-point triple-double on LeBron’s head top. Bright futures await this pair. Both will be hoisting trophies in the years to come. 

Damian Lillard (Dame DOLLA)

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

There’s not a better comparison for Damian Lillard on the court than Damian Lillard in the booth. He plays the way he raps. Even keel. Consistent. Sharp. And they’ve been underrated for a long time. Another similarity, they both need to get out of Portland! Neither is willing to back down from a challenge. Damian went nose to nose with Russell Westbrook who barked and barked at him during the first round playoff series – sending OKC home with an elimination-game buzzer-beater. Dame DOLLA is no stranger to beef wither. He’s battled rapped the likes of Marvin Bagley III and Shaq, taking home victories in both bouts. 

James Harden (Travis Scott)

Their numbers are as gaudy as their eye for attention-grabbing ensembles and jewelry. To go along with their creative fashion choices, each posts flashy numbers. Stats tell you they’re two of the best in their individual games. But success hasn’t just come on a silver platter. Harden began his career as a 6th man, coming off the bench in OKC. Then transformed in the virtually unstoppable scoring machine we see today. As shown in his recent documentary, Travis had a steep climb up the mountain as well. A video that went viral shows Scott performing for a few dozen people in 2013. Compare that to La Flame selling out the AstroWorld festival just 6 years later. Harden went from 6th man of the year in 2012 to NBA MVP in 2018. An equally impressive rise. 

Jimmy Butler (Pusha T)

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

These two do so much for their team. Jimmy is Mr. Everything for Miami while Pusha T is the President of GOOD music with the second most releases under the label. Neither puts up the splashy numbers but they’re incredibly effective in big moments. While their stats won’t jump off the page, they consistently deliver. Both are winners. Put them up against anybody rapping or hooping and they have the ability to come out on top. Of course this pair is not afraid of a little beef. Pusha and Jimmy have regularly had spats with peers. Butler can trash-talk with the best of them while Pusha diss records are the stuff of legend. 

Nikola Jokic (Jack Harlow)

At first glance and maybe even second, most people wouldn’t recognize them on a city block. But these two are erudite in their craft at the highest level. Harlow and Jokic can hold their own against some of the best in the game. In the basketball community, Jokic gets mad love but the casual fan may not fully appreciate his ability. The same could go for Harlow who isn’t as well known as he should be. 

LeBron James (Drake)

The numbers say they’re the best ever, but both have their doubters. Harshly criticized by the general public each just keeps on compiling milestone after milestone. Drake and LeBron have had their forgettable moments that amount to tiny stains on Rushmore resumes. The fact is, you can’t tell the story of hip-hop without Drake and you can’t tell the story of the NBA without LeBron James. The pair have single-handedly changed the culture of their respective industries. LeBron ushered in positionless basketball while Drake took the role of rapper-singer to new heights. Label them, all-around players, because of their versatility. Lebron can do just about everything on both ends of the court, while Drake can rap, sing, act, do comedy. Hell, I’m not sure if there’s anything this guy can’t do. To top the comparison off they are both chasing legacies many feel are untouchable no matter what they do (Jay-Z & Michael Jeffery Jordan).

Kawhi Leonard (Kendrick Lamar)

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

Both L.A. guys. Both don’t quite get the recognition they deserve but are arguably the best in the game. The only question left about them is, how much longer will the run continue. Mild-mannered and unassuming off the court or stage their performance has a mercurial nature about it. Oh, and they make greatness look effortless. Two defensive player of the year awards, two finals MVPs and two championships versus 37 Grammy nominations and 13 wins. All since 2013. They’ve got the hardware to back up an all-time resume. Each has accomplished a lot in a short period of time. Both had to pay their dues before having the breakout year that changed their careers.  

Giannis Antetokounmpo (J. Cole)

Giannis and Cole are humble superstars, true to their roots and the soil that bred them. Both possess a tremendous work ethic and the ability to make those around them better. Giannis is one of the only players in the NBA averaging more than 10 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Cole dished out plenty of assists on features in 2019, including some fire bars on Jay Rock’s “OSOM.” He’s even featured on what may be the Grammy winner for Song of the Year – 21 Savage’s hit, “A lot.” But don’t let the smile and even temperament fool you. If you push them far enough, they’ll get gully on you real quick. These stars are giving but they don’t have a problem shouldering a superstar’s burden. Giannis has been vocal about not wanting to team up with other marquee players in the league, rather wanting to beat them. Similarly, Cole had an album go platinum with NO FEATURES. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Kevin Durant (Wale)

Al Bello/Getty Images

Some things just write themselves. There’s the obvious DMV connection. Both are constantly in their feelings, funny and candid on twitter. Seems like they’re always at war with themselves. Neither is afraid to speak their mind and go after their critics. Wale and Durant seem to search for the validation and praise they feel aren’t justly given. Wale has classic mixtapes but people say he doesn’t have a classic album while Durant has two rings but doubters say he rode the coattails of the Warriors big three for those. Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State – Wale left Atlantic Records for Warner. Both are cemented in the eyes of some but personally feel there’s something left to be proven.  

Steph Curry (Young Thug)

Their Innovative styles changed the game. Curry virtually eliminated traditional centers and is single-handedly responsible for the rise of 30-foot chucks in the game. Few have influenced this era of rap like Young Thug; BBC named him the 21st Century’s most influential. Curry attracted KD to join him in Golden State. Thug attracted some of the game’s hottest new artists like Gunna and Lil Keed to YSL records, his label. Curry has kids everywhere emulating his style. Thug has kids everywhere dressing like him and rapping/singing auto-tuned.  

This article is sure to stir up some heated debate, but I SAID WHAT I SAID! Sound off in the comments with your opinion.

His single “Bop” is still storming airwaves and his Billion Dollar Baby-Interscope No. 1 album KIRK is still a hit worldwide, but DaBaby believes it’s time to drop some new heat. The 28-year-old rapper’s 2019 was a year that catapulted his career into the stratosphere, and it’s assumed that he’s carefully mapping out how to maintain, and supersede, that success in 2020.

Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images

On Tuesday (January 21), DaBaby hopped on Instagram to give fans a taste of what he’s been working on. The rapper shared a video of himself in a car as he played a new song while giving a sneak preview as to what he has in the vault. “I got my check up for real / I think I need a check up I’m here / Out in Beverly Hills Uncle Phil / Rockin’ Js with a fade b*tch I will / See that look on my face I’m for real / I like when my b*tch tell me I’m pretty,” he raps over a booming beat.

There were plenty of requests for DaBaby to drop the new track ASAP, but we’ll just have to wait and see what he has in store. He recently shared on Twitter than in 2020 he’d like to collaborate with Lizzo, NBA YoungBoy, Meek Mill, Drake, Young Thug, and Roddy Ricch. Check out a snippet of DaBaby’s track and let us know if you’re ready for him to release new music.

Yams Day is damn near a Hip-Hop holiday at this point, with the entire A$AP Mob turning up for one night in celebration of the group’s late head honcho, A$AP Yams.

Credited with being the glue that brought the group together in the first place, Steven Rodriguez was a wildfire personality that unfortunately saw his flame put out due to an accidental death by overdose on January 18, 2015. Now, exactly five years after his death, it’s clear that the moniker “A$AP Yams” will only grow in notoriety as long as A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg and the entire Mob continue to keep his legacy alive like they successfully did last Friday (January 17) for Yams Day 2020.

The scene at Barclays Center was jaw-dropping, especially given how brick it was in New York City that evening. Every single entrance was packed, and being a fancy-ass (OK, far from fancy, but still!) writer for HNHH, I figured I could get in through the “artist” entrance. That was not the case — I had a ticket in a good seat, but a GA ticket nonetheless — and I ended up getting in through the VIP entrance. However, it was beyond interesting to watch some of the people getting in this door for the 20 minutes they had us waiting: Solange’s baby daddy was right behind me, notorious “anti-Supreme” bully YMBAPE had no problems getting in with an entourage of hood dudes and, of course, groupies galore! However, it wasn’t until 12-year-old “Clout” rapper Bouba Savage arrived — he became a viral meme later that night when Rocky literally tossed him off the stage into the mosh pit — and put all of us old heads to shame. Not only did this pre-teen emcee pull up with mad heads, but he also waiting zero time to get in and was screaming at the top of his lungs, “Let them in! Let all my people in!” I knew from there it was about to be one unforgettable night.

I got in just as Bun B was running through his set. Walking in to “Big Pimpin” blaring through Barclays was a vibe I can barely explain, but it was without a doubt what you’d want to be doing on a Friday evening in Brooklyn. The stage setup was insane: a bull head with glowing eyes in the middle of the main stage, which extended a runway-style platform into an actual wresting ring that had real wrestlers going at it in the middle of each performance. The people on the surrounding floor looked like a sea of talking heads, each filled with the excitement and vitality that comes with being surrounded by such energy. 

Pi’erre Bourne hit the stage soon after, who had just traveled from an in-store performance/fan signing in the Lower East Side at a clothing store called PRIVILEGE New York. The rock star life can see you moving from spot to spot in a matter of hours, and I gained a huge respect for Pi’erre seeing him kill it for an intimate crowd of diehard fans as comfortably as he did on a grand stage like the one at Barclays. His set was also particularly special because that’s when A$AP Rocky decided to make his entrance by crowd surfing his way to the ring. It goes without saying, but pandemonium ensued afterwards.

From there, tons of random moments started happening. Lil Yachty pulled up for DJ duties for a bit, Smoove L captivated the whole crowd with “OUU AHH”/”BIG MAD” and ICYTWAT and his crew had the entire building shaking with “THOTTWAT” just to name a few. The entire Mob filled the wrestling ring in between sets to keep the energy going, but the momentum was on such a high (literally!) that it was impossible to wane down the level of energy given off by the entire venue.

Top performers of the night included Nav, Young M.A., Casanova and even2 Chainz hitting the stage before a touching speech by Yams’ mom, Tatianna Paulino, to acknowledge those involved for keeping her son’s legacy alive and at the forefront of New York City’s biggest rap movement and collective in a very long time. It was, without getting too emotional or corny, one of the most beautiful examples of finding a silver lining in what has obviously been a dark cloud over her head for the past five years.

The biggest surprises of the night were reserved for the very end, even though Ferg debuting his new red hairdo and looking like a big pack of Now and Later candy was shocking in itself. After ending things with the posse cut we’d all been waiting to hear all night — the “Yamborghini High” turn-up was real! — Rocky brought out Tyler, The Creator in the very final moment of the show to do a closing encore that had fans screaming well after the “take your ass home” lights came on. Also, in a wild turn of events, both Drake and Rihanna (!!!) were backstage for the sole reason of honoring Yams and didn’t even touch the main stage. 

Overall, we can only hope that Yams Day 2021, 2022, 2023 and beyond continues to be as lit as it’s been annually for the past half a decade. Keep scrolling for a full photo recap of Yams Day 2020 below. Rest in peace forever, Yams.

All photos provided by @TimStype exclusively for HotNewHipHop.

Following its inclusion in a December 8th episode of Rick & Morty,Future‘s “Mas Off” smash has experienced a new surge in streaming, earning it a top spot on the Top TV Songs Chart.

The chart pulls in both song and show data and develops a ranking based on this data along with sales and streaming information collected from the period that follows.  For Future, this means that “Mask Off” was streamed 23.87 million times while earning 2,000 digital downloads, per Nielsen Music, in December 2019. It marks a major bump since the track first debuted two years ago, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2017.

“Mask Off” went on to the Future’s highest-charting track to date, but numbers indicate that this record could soon be unseated by his newest “Life Is Good” collaboration with Drake.

Elsewhere on the same chart, Billie Eilish also makes an appearance at No. 2 for her “ilomilo” track, which finds its place on her When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? album. After appearing in the fourth episode of the debut season of The L Word: Generation Q, the track earned 1,000 downloads while racking up 10.1 million audio streams.

Future is really going all in with the "Life is Good" promo, taking things to a whole new level. This weekend, the rapper brought the "Hotlanta's" fast food restaurant from the music video for the Drake-featured track to life. A Mrs. Winner’s on 4350 Fulton Industrial Blvd. SW in Atlanta, the same location where the scenes of Future and Drake working as food service workers at the fictional "Hotlanta's" chain were filmed, has temporarily been transformed into "Hotlanta's" and opened to the public for a limited time. The pop-up joint was unveiled on Friday, but will only stay open until Sunday night, so local Altantans better act quick and hit it up if they haven't already.

The same day that it was reported that she and her Saudi billionaire boyfriend, Hassan Jameel, had called it quits, Rihanna hit up Yams Day 2020 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Rih was spotted backstage at the event, which is held every year to honour the late rapper and A$AP Mob founder, A$AP Yams, who died of an accidental overdose in 2015. Accompanying Rih was none other than fellow Mob member, A$AP Rocky, who has been romantically linked to Rih in the past. Rih and Rocky were spotted smiling and laughing together while posing in front of a graffitied wall.

Attending YouTube Music’s star-studded Leaders & Legends event last night, both Da Brat and Future spent time in Atlanta with some of the most iconic movers and shakers in the music industry. Starting off the year, Future has seen his name hit the headlines for so many different reasons. With a new single on the market with Drake, life has certainly been good for the rapper, who recently confirmed his relationship with Steve Harvey’s daughter Lori. Throughout his artistic career, Future’s personal life has been a huge topic in the tabloids with popular media figures like Wendy Williams clowning him for his supposedly weak pull-out game. People have lost track of how many baby mamas the man has and it seems as though even his peers like to nag him for that. Da Brat joked that, just by taking a picture with him, she got pregnant and is officially his twenty-third baby moms.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

After the soirée ended, Da Brat took to her social media profiles to share a photo she had taken with Future, laughing that she was feeling some morning sickness coming on as a result. “I can’t even lie, @future is a charmer,” wrote the legendary rapper. “I think I’m pregnant‼️ #babymama #23.”

The seed is so strong with Future that he doesn’t even need to get into bed with another woman for them to feel his effect. At this point, a tap on the shoulder is all it takes to have his baby. Lori Harvey better watch out… Da Brat is calling next.

Til this day, Timbaland and Aaliyah are responsible for one of my favorite sounds in the history of mankind. The instrumental break during “Are You That Somebody” is one of, if not the best beat breakdown of all-time – followed closely thereafter by the one in Dr. Dre’s “Next Episode.” Timbaland and Aaliyah were lightning in a bottle. The rarest kind. Put sticky notes of their discography in a hat and pick one at random, they’re all a DJ’s cheat code – proven to get people on the dancefloor even if the most witless of disc jockeys is at the turntable’s helm. The era’s most influential producer and most influential R&B artist were a match made in heaven and along with Missy Elliot, they were innovators of modern R&B sound. All three possessed incredible creative frequency. Missy told Amazon Music in an interview: “I guess my mind is far out there. I don’t never really say I’m going to aim for something that is different, it’s just that’s the way I think.” With their far-out thinking, together, this trio helped usher R&B into the mainstream peeling back against tradition and delivering a treasure chest gigantic hits.   

Aaliyah & Missy Elliott at the 12th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, 1998 – Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images

Aaliyah’s story is a thing of pop culture folklore. In a short but remarkable existence, with the help of R. Kelly, Timbaland and Elliot, she created an unforgettable legacy. At the unripened age of 15-years old,  this phoenix scored the first top-10 hits of her career with the songs “Back & Forth” and “At Your Best (You Are Love)” from her debut album Age Aint Nothing but a Number, which was soon certified Platinum. Immediately the prodigy had an impact on the mainstream. At this time the norm was R&B groups like SWV along with Xscape. Aaliyah was the first teen solo act of the 90s to transcend. She precursors other acts to follow like Brandy and Monica. It’s unbelievable in hindsight that she didn’t gain substantial critical attention until just before her passing.  

Songs like “Are You That Somebody” and “One In A Million,” were true game-changers and defined an entire era of R&B. It was the sound ushered in by Timbaland, Aaliyah and Missy Elliot. A futuristic and innovative score with stylistic eccentricity, that was emulated by droves of producers and vocalists to come thereafter. The trio’s iconic springy baselines with electrifying synthesizers refined and reinvented the sound of 1990s urban music. Not only was the production before it’s time, so was Aaliyah’s voice. Artists for years after her death would try to duplicate her crisp mid-range delivery and delicate falsetto – not to mention the depth of soulfulness she occasionally tapped into. She went against the grain. Before she broke through R&B singers were all about power (i.e. Mariah Carey). Her subtlety and nuanced approach became popular and trendsetting. Look no further than Ciara for an example of how this peculiarity influenced a generation. 

As their resumes would suggest, both Missy and Timbaland have an uncanny ear for beautiful musical detion – neither is afraid of flirting with the boundary’s brink, pressing their heels right to the cliff’s edge. The duo with a brine history brought the best out of each other. Elliot spoke more on their relationship and her creative process later in the same Amazon Music interview, saying: “When I play something, he’ll most definitely be like ‘no, you should do it like this’ and that’s always been us. And he’ll play something and he’ll go through sounds and I’ll be like ‘oh that’s crazy’ or I’ll be like ‘that’s super wack.’ And vice versa. And you know I think we trust each other because we’ve been knowing each other since high school.”  

The singer’s star continued to ascend with the release of her third album, self-titled Aaliyah, which went certified double Platinum in the United States. These three albums are an emblem to her prestige and the impact of those works can still be felt today. Ty Dolla $ign told Billboard: “Aaliyah is one of my favorite artists, and One In A Million is one of my favorite albums ever. I can’t wait until there is another artist who is remotely close to the type of artist Aaliyah was, because I don’t think we’ve seen it yet.”

Canadian rapper/singer Drake said in an interview with Soul Culture, “Aaliyah has had probably the most impact on my career because when I made the choice to start singing … I needed someone to reference …  I just found comfort in all of Aaliyah’s music.” Drake used Aaliyah’s vocals on his single “Enough Said.” Her voice also appears on Chris Brown’s “Don’t Think They Know.” However, these posthumous collaborations came at the chagrin of Timbaland. The superproducer told the LA Times: “People always say, ‘I’m going to do a song with Aaliyah.’ It will never work,” he said. “Chris Brown got a record, it won’t work. Drake can go do a record with Aaliyah, it ain’t gonna work. ’Cause Aaliyah music only work with its soulmate, which is me.” Timbaland even admitted he fell in love with Aaliyah while they were working together. 

Aaliyah in NYC, 1995 – KMazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Timbaland has had a hand in aiding the careers of several prominent artists. He’s mentored the likes of Nelly Furtado and Tweet, gained credits on works for Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and even Coldplay. But, arguably, nothing he’s done can quite compare to the groundbreaking records he created with Aaliyah. Along with her own insanely successful solo career, Missy found major success behind the scenes as well, working with Eve, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, and Keisha Cole among many other artists she and her childhood friend co-produced together. 

We would love nothing more than to hear new Aaliyah records. But unlike in today’s musical ecosystem, Aaliyah was sparing with the release of music. In fact, she only recorded three albums in her lifetime. As a result of disputes between her estate and her former record label, Blackground Entertainment and Reservoir Media Management her final two albums are not available on streaming platforms which is an absolute shame. Her estate has considered the idea of repackaging her demos but there is yet to be any progress on that front.

Aaliyah’s legacy is defined by her originality. From the baggy clothes and oversized jerseys to the iconic crop tops to her choreography or vocals: she was always a step ahead. In a time where we maybe see a lack of bold imagination, it’s refreshing to reflect on her time with us and the impact it had on music. As a quote from her website reads: “I stay true to myself and my style, and I am always pushing myself to be aware of that and be original.”

Atlanta icon Future's major-label debut Pluto still earns some spin-time on our playlists every so often but years before that was even a thing, the rapper was using a different name to get off his ideas. These days, we view Future as one of the coolest dudes on the planet. He's seemingly unbothered by everything that goes on around him, moving carefree and flaunting his extravagant lifestyle in all of his musical displays. Fresh off the release of his new single "Life Is Good" with Drake, Big Fewtch is currently enjoying his spare time with none other than Lori Harvey, confirming their relationship on social media and making tons of headlines. Because of the added attention, people went digging to find some of the artist's older material and one person was surprised to find some audio from 2003 when he was still known as "Meathead The Phuture." The song was tweeted out and it's since gone viral with everyone remarking just how different he sounds these days.

Andrew Toth/Getty Images

Considering the fact that this was recorded over fifteen years ago, it makes sense that Future's style has changed this much. However, it's still shocking to note just how much of a switch he made in his sound. Some are saying that he was attempting to emulate Andre 3000's swag while others are comparing him to harder rappers from Atlanta. Whoever you think he sounds like, it's hard to point a finger and automatically say "hey, this is Future" when listening to this. These days, his style is so distinguishable but back in 2003, he didn't even sound like himself.

Listen below and let us know what you think.

The discourse surrounding the greatest of all time has been one rife with adamance, hot takes, and hyperbole. And yet, it remains one of the most fun talking points, be it in a barbershop setting or merely among friends. Names like 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Andre 3000, and Snoop Dogg are often hailed; newer voices like Kendrick Lamar and Drake have recently gained credibility as contenders. Yet one name who often goes uncelebrated, despite boasting a massive influence on lyricism and flow, is LL Cool J.

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

Currently bringing classic hip-hop to the masses as the host of Rock The Bells radio, LL has amassed a sizable discography of hits, collaborations, and memorable verses to his name. For Snoop Dogg, birthday boy LL served as a dominant inspiration during his come-up, a fact he openly shared in a celebratory Instagram post this morning. 

“Happy c day to my. O. G,” pens Uncle Snoop, alongside a picture of LL in his heydey. “One of the rappers I studied and learned line for line bar for bar style attitude and class on the mic. Goat is why I still here. L. L. Cool. J. Is hard. As hell.” He’s certainly not alone in that assessment; his former mentor Dr. Drerecently sat down for an extensive conversation with LL, a rare sighting indeed. Likewise did Eminem, equally selective in who he reaches out to. Perhaps it’s time to start including LL in the greater GOAT discourse — who is vouching for him? 

Roddy Ricch is going to be a problem for a very long time. Russ said so on his social media pages today and that sentiment is shared by a number of higher-ups in the music industry. With his songwriting prowess, the Compton rapper is setting himself up to enjoy quite an outstanding career. Starting off the year on the right foot, Roddy Ricch is back at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with his debut album Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial. He learned on the same day that he had scored his first-ever No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with "The Box," even after Justin Bieber's desperate attempts to take that spot for himself. Biebs has congratulated Ricch on his total takeover but the internet hasn't forgotten about the pop star's lame tries to get "Yummy" to the top, clowning him on social media.

It has been four years since Lil Dicky delivered his debut album Professional Rapper, which featured appearances from Snoop Dogg, Fetty Wap, Rich Homie Quan, T-Pain, Jace, and more. Toeing the line between comedic and serious, Dicky’s unique penmanship and confident flow added credibility to a project that might have stumbled in lesser hands. And yet, upon its release, LD seemed to shift gears altogether. Now, with an original television series called Dave set to premiere in March, Dicky has come through to bless his fans with a lengthy update on his sophomore release. 

David Livingston/Getty Images

“I just wanted every Dickhead to know that even though I’m putting out a real doozy of a TV show in March, I’ve never stopped rapping. And Lil Dicky the musical artist is far from done,” he begins. “I know that it’s been about four and a half years since I’ve put an album out, and that’s much longer than either you or I would’ve hoped for. It must be annoying, I get it. If drake took that long, I’d be so sad! And I’m sorry for that. I don’t like letting you down. But as it turns out, it takes me a long ass time to make the ideal body of work.”

He continues, explaining that his perfectionist nature has prevented him from delivering a rushed product and vowing that the ends will more than justify the means. “You will hear it and love it and be proud of me, and less annoyed with me,” vows Dicky. “But I gotta finish it and then roll it out right. You only get so many cracks at doing what I’m about to do…I can’t wait till it’s out so I can get back to the music that made you care about me in the first place. I’m an elite, world class rapper, and I look forward to proving that to the world, and validating all of you who believed that I had it in me in the first place.”

A bold claim, and one that surely bodes well for fans of L.D’s approach to bars. While we don’t exactly know when he plans on wrapping the untitled album, it’s good to know he’s getting back to business. But first, there’s Dave. Are you excited in catching the fruits of Lil Dicky’s labor, be it on TV or your favorite streaming service?

Dating back to his tenure as a “Hot Boy,” Dwayne Carter went from Cash Money’s resident prodigy in 1996 to claiming to be the “Best Rapper Alive” within a dizzying ten-year period. From there, he resuscitated the genre at a time where many believed it to be DOA and even dramatized those life-preserving maneuvers on “Dr. Carter.” Undeterred, even as his own label seemed hellbent on derailing him. Closing in on his 25th year in the game, Tunechi aims to deliver a new project album Funeral this February. And if a September 2019 interview with Vibe is to be believed, he’s approaching the art form he’s long since perfected with a renewed zeal.

“It’s different now,” he explained. “I can’t wait to get in the studio now every night, just to see what I can come up with. [Before] it was just me going to the studio and saying, let me kill ten more songs and then I’m going to go home or do whatever I was doing. Now, it’s let me see what I come up with. Self-discovery, rebirth – call it whatever you want to call it but it feels awesome, I swear to God.” Creating with a clear-cut sense of purpose, Weezy F’s unwavering focus adds fuel to speculation over whether or not this album could serve as the perfect opportunity for the NOLA veteran’s fond farewell.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that Funeral has a symbolic meaning based on the title alone. But when you take both the stop-start nature of his past five years and the contradictory reports of impending retirement, it becomes not only a plausible but a potentially wise course of action. For Weezy, retirement is a subject on which he’s voiced some strong, albeit oxymoronic, feelings. Beginning a decade deep into his career, Wayne attempted to reconcile with the concept of eventually riding off into the sunset during a skit on 2006’s Dedication 2. In that era, he believed little would be gained from quitting when he’s always going to need a vehicle to express himself. “You retire out when you die out straight up, cause you never retire out what you do,” he explained. “Meaning, if you put so much into– if what you do is your life, like mine. You know what I mean like, my career is my life.”

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Incapable of fathoming a world without hip-hop, this stands at odds with a 2011 interview with GQ in which he formally flipped the hourglass towards his 35th year.“I have been doing this for eighteen years,” he reflects. “That’s reason number one. I have accomplished all that I have set out to accomplish and more. Also, I have a label, and I’ve only put out two artists [Drake and Nicki Minaj]. I have a lot more work to do, and it’d be selfish to not focus on being the boss and focus on their projects.” Supplemented by wishing to spend more time with his kids, Weezy would double down on these sweeping claims during an appearance on Katie Couric’s talk show, claiming that “I know I’ll be ready to retire at thirty-five because I am so ready to retire now!”

As the prospect of The Carter V began to circulate in 2014, Wayne believed that the album, in its original incarnation, would represent his last standalone project (though he’d still pitch in when required by his labelmates). Pledging to “leave gracefully” on Twitter in 2016  amid the ensuing war with Cash Money, the constraints he was under made it possible that would Wayne end his career on an embittered note. Actively attacking his label, the eventual release of C5 was cathartic for both artist and his loyal fans. As such, the elation that he felt might have contributed to Weezy rescinding those previous remarks to Billboard in 2018, as he claimed, “I do think about retirement. I think about how I don’t think I ever will.”

Granted a new wave of enthusiasm at 37, it raises the question of whether his thoughts of bowing out were a by-product of the internal friction with Birdman. Now, he’s back to the heady days of “mixtape Wayne” where metaphors and exquisite wordplay rolled off the tongue at high volume. But no matter who you are, the law of diminishing returns is important to be mindful of. Among the elite-level wordsmiths that operate without pen or pad since he purged everything he’d written on “10,000 Bars”, Weezy’s skills have remained indisputable. Dropping 77 songs and two projects in 2018 alone, Wayne has always kept his nose to the grindstone and how this sets him apart is something he’s been cognizant of since The Carter 3. “I used to tell Cortez [Bryant, manager], ‘my work ethic is going to sell me,'” he told Rolling Stone in 2009. “Nobody ain’t doing what I’ve done. People will have to recognize that.”

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

This has remained true to this day. Compounded by years of anticipation, The Carter V skyrocketed to the top of the charts upon arrival, racking up first-week sales of 480,000. Yet artistically, the record wasn’t without its sticking points. Which, aside from its oppressive length, centralized around the feeling that both he and audience had been there and done that. Save for a few moments of self-reflection on “Famous” or “Let It All Work Out” and the plaintive narration from his mother Jacinda, C5 is overrun with punchlines or puerile bars that fall on the wrong side of familiarity. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, it seems that the forthcoming Funeral will be a fork in the road for Wayne’s career. Either he sticks to his guns and potentially teeters towards stagnancy, or he overhauls his style and potentially faces the wrath of critics and fans. 

Infamously slaughtered for his attempt at reinvention on the rock-indebted Rebirth, any fretfulness he’d feel about switching up would be understandable. But that doesn’t make it any less of a necessity. As he’s proved at irregular intervals of his career, Weezy heading into a more demure, less youthfully brazen direction a la latter-day Jay-Z, could yield greatness. Case in point, his verse on Solange’s “Mad” from 2016’s A Seat At The Table. Not only rappelling him into the view of snobbier audiences that had likely expelled him from consideration years earlier, but the introspective look at his previous attempt at suicide also demonstrated an aptitude for soul-baring lyricism:

“Are you mad ’cause the judge ain’t give me more time?
And when I attempted suicide, I didn’t die
I remember how mad I was on that day
Man, you gotta let it go before it get up in the way”

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Similar to the Hurricane Katrina-inspired “Tie My Hands,” his feature on Nas & Damien Marley’s “My Generation Will Make The Change” or the touching ode to his father that is “Everything” from 2000’s Lights Out, Wayne has always been capable of appealing to the heart. Yet beyond emulating the change in tact that his own GOAT pick pulled off on 4:44, Weezy should perhaps consider a line uttered during Hov’s own retirement phase: “they say they never really miss you till you’re dead or you gone, so on that note I’m leaving after this song.”

These lines from The Black Album’s “December 4th” allude to something that’s been inapplicable to Weezy’s career. Between mixtapes, EPs, compilation projects, a collaborative album, his own solo studio album discography and his time with The Hot Boys, Dwayne Carter has released a grand total of 41 bodies of work. As a result, Wayne has been an omnipresence and aside from 1998 and 2001, has released something every single year that he’s been an artist. Therefore, there’s every chance that these prolific levels of productivity haven’t given us a chance to properly digest the scope of his influence.

Alongside 2 Chainz’ remarks that he wouldn’t be here “if it wasn’t for Wayne,” 2013 saw ASAP Rocky rally against what he saw as a culture of negligence towards Tunechi’s contributions. “Are we forgetting that Wayne made everybody switch their flow up and start using the E’s and R’s, and “I’m ir-regul-ar, seg-ular”? he told Complex. “Are we forgetting that Wayne changed hip-hop, too? Are we forgetting that he made all these motherfuckers want to have tattoos? Are we forgetting that? It wasn’t Wiz, it was Wayne… This is a guy who went from being the youngest underdog in his crew to saving his company, and saving his “Daddy.” I’m not a fucking Lil Wayne dickrider, I’m just speaking facts.”

Noam Galai/Getty Images

Although Wayne has retained this status as a top-tier MC, there is something to Rocky’s suggestion that his tangible impact on the game has been overlooked on account of his continued presence. Consequently, this state of affairs takes us all the way back to his comments on Dedication 2. Ever the deep thinker, Wayne unknowingly foretold his own future on the skit and made the case as to why Funeral could be an appropriate time for him to call it a career: “Y’all gonna remember that that was a rapper. But hopefully, I’ll go down known for something different. Not different, but known for something else also, you know what I mean.”

Both gifted and afflicted with one of hip-hop’s greatest drives, Wayne’s influence— whether that be style or the careers of Young Money artists—often falls to the wayside as the hip-hop consumer focuses on what’s coming down the pipeline from “The Martian” himself. And by the looks of things, this can’t be righted while he’s still an active participant. With the world’s collective attention still in the palm of his hand, there’s a lot to be said for Funeral acting as Wayne’s offramp to the same high road that The Game and Fat Joe have recently claimed to be travelling on. Having given us more music than many record labels have ever produced, Lil Wayne deciding to draw a line under his career while at the top may be bittersweet, but no one would feel short-changed.

Future and Lori Harvey are officially a thing. They came right out with this news this past weekend, after months of sneaking around. Lori turned 23 on Monday so Future took her and some friends on a birthday getaway. It seems she was so appreciative of Future’s gesture that she could no longer keep their relationship a secret. 

On Saturday, Lori shared a video of the Atlanta rapper kissing her on the cheek. This sent the Internet into a frenzy, trying to imagine the fate of this couple and determine the implications for Hot Girls and City Boys everywhere. On Monday, Future revealed to his own audience that he is boo’d up. He posted a photo of him and Lori wrapped around each other in a pool with the simple caption, “Life Is Good”. Not only did this caption summarize his current outlook, it referenced his new song with Drake that arrived on Friday. 

Lori’s mother, Marjorie Harvey, used this same slogan while wishing her daughter a happy birthday. Given the suspicions that Lori’s parents did not approve of her choice of partner, Marjorie inserting this Future reference in her IG post could be interpreted as her finally giving Lori and Future’s relationship her seal of approval. “You may be 23 today….. but you will always be my baby. ? Don’t ever be afraid to choose your own path. Keep shining baby….. life is good,” Marjorie lovingly captioned a slideshow of Lori photos. 

Diddy, who is one of Lori’s ex-boyfriends, also offered a subtle co-sign of the newly-announced couple. 

Future‘s relationship with Lori Harvey raised a few eyebrows when rumors started to emerge. Much of this had to do with the fact that she began dating Future shortly after her relationship with Diddy fizzled out. That clearly hasn’t made much of an impact on Diddy and Future’s relationship as they were seen hanging out earlier this month with Meek Mill and DJ Khaled as they kicked 2020 off on jetskis.

That was probably a strong enough indication that Diddy’s clearly moved on and gave Future and Lori his blessing, even before they officially came out as a couple. This past weekend, Future and Lori made their relationship Instagram official. This arrived just days after Future dropped his latest single, “Life Is Good” with Drake which currently sits at the top of HNHH’s Top 100 chart. After Lori and Future both shared photos confirming their relationship with identical, “Life is good” captions, it appears as though Diddy wants everyone to know that his life is going quite great as well. 

Sharing a video of his view from his home, infinity pool included, the music mogul’s heard bumping “Life Is Good” with the caption, “Present Frequency.” Like the rest of us, clearly, Diddy is happy that Future has some new music out and it appears as though our toxic king is readying a new album. 

Some artists are very transparent about the recording processes for their albums, while others prefer to work in private until a finished product is presented. Updating fans on an album’s progress opens the door to them feeling entitled to have an opinion on whether it’s taking too long. SZA recently teased that we can expect new music from her this year, so if she doesn’t follow through on that promise, you can rest assured that she’ll receive an earful (or angry tweets, rather) from her followers. When artists are secretive about recording, the public can forget to pester them about the status of their projects. No one ever knows what the hell Frank Ocean is up to, so it’s hard to have any expectations for when he’s going to drop some new new. He’ll do it when he does it and we’ll wait patiently in the meantime.

Sports betting website, Bovada, analysed the varying predictability levels of the music industry’s most admired artists to determine the likelihood of whether they will release albums in 2020. According to the betting odds listed below, you can be fairly optimistic about Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Frank Ocean, and J. Cole dropping within the next twelve months. Survey says there will not be a sequel to Kids See Ghosts anytime soon.

Check out the numbers and see if you feel confident enough to place any bets. 

Will Childish Gambino Release An Album In 2020?
Winner
Yes -300
No +200

Will J. Cole Release An Album In 2020?
Winner
Yes -700
No +400

Will Lil Wayne Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -700
No +400

Will Adele Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -400
No +250

Will Beyoncé Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
No -220
Yes +155

Will Cardi B Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -700
No +400

Will Drake Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -350
No +225

Will Frank Ocean Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -220
No +155

Will JAY-Z Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
No -270
Yes +180

Will Kanye West And Kid Cudi Release A Collaboration Album In 2020?
Winner:
No -700
Yes +400

Will Kendrick Lamar Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -240
No +165

Will Kid Cudi Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -800
No +425

Will Lil Nas X Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
No -220
Yes +155

Will Nicki Minaj Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -140
No EVEN

Will Post Malone Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
No -270
Yes +180

Will Pusha-T Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
No -280
Yes +185

Will Rihanna Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -400
No +250

Will SZA Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -600
No +350

Will The Weeknd Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
Yes -320
No +210

Will Travis Scott Release An Album In 2020?
Winner:
No -270
Yes +180

After months of rumors, Future and Lori Harvey have finally confirmed that they are dating. Heading into this past weekend, it was unclear whether Future had planned and financed Lori’s 23rd birthday trip. Similarities were noted between the extravagant vacation that Lori started showcasing on her Instagram and ones that have been enjoyed by Future’s exes in the past.

This mystery was solved when Lori posted a video of Future kissing her on the cheek on Friday. This also happened to be the first time that Lori ever publicized that she’s seeing the Atlanta rapper. It was then Future’s turn to open up to his followers that he is taken and not afraid to admit it. He accepted this responsibility and posted a photo of him caressing Lori in a pool during their romantic getaway. He captioned the photo “Life is Good”, which is both an accurate statement for him and a great way to plug his new song with Drake. 

While Future and Lori appear to be happily in love, Twitter is obviously cracking jokes about them and wondering whether the two are a perfect match or bound for disaster. On the heels of Lori’s blessed weekend, she was charged with two misdemeanors for her Beverly Hills hit-and-run back in October. 

B. Simone has been attracting attention for her DaBaby obsession. She has repeatedly publicized her desire to be DaBaby‘s woman and her extreme thirst resulted in her getting the opportunity to hug him in a nightclub. Her admiration for the buzzing Charlotte rapper is such common knowledge that even Drake was teasing her for it. 

But B. Simone isn’t just a DaBaby groupie. She starred on Lil Kim‘s VH1 show, Girls Cruise. In her new freestyle over Roddy Ricch‘s “The Box”, she reminds people that she’s also a stand-up comedian. “You rap bitches are really lucky I’m going on tour with Martin Lawrence so I don’t have time to go in the studio,” she boasts before she starts rapping. She mentions several times throughout her freestyle that these “rap bitches” are fortunate that she is only dabbling in rap as a side hobby. She has good reason to be so confident. Her bars are quite impressive on here. While B. Simone’s schedule may not permit her to hop in the booth, it seems she’s going to keep showing off her skills with videos like this one, as she teased that this marks the “first freestyle of 2020.” 

Of course, B. Simone slid in a little reference to her crush, DaBaby. “Aye Mr. Kirk, lay your head right here,” she raps while putting a hand on her chest. At the end of the freestyle, she transitions into singing her own spin of Mario Winan’s 2004 hit “I Don’t Wanna Know”. 

Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” is taking the world by storm and has been embroiled in a battle this week with Justin Bieber’s new single, “Yummy”. By the end of today, we will learn whether “The Box” or “Yummy” secured the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100.  

There have been very few rap feuds involving two worthy opponents. Meek and Drake. Drake and Pusha T. I suppose Eminem and MGK, for the sake of this discussion. For the most part, rap beef has devolved into social media back-and-forths. As we entered the new year, Stormzy, a few weeks removed from the release of his sophomore album Heavy Is The Head, found himself on the receiving end of some scathing remarks made by Wiley, an artist that he’s previously referred to as his “big bro.” A back-and-forth ensued on Twitter, including Stormzy calling Wiley “old” and “weird” as well as alleging that the Godfather of Grime was abusing crack.

Now, as much as I’d like to say this was unexpected, Wiley, especially in the past year, hasn’t kept his mouth shut. Taking aim at internationally renowned stars like Drake and Ed Sheeran, there’s a part of this entire feud that one could argue is rooted in preserving grime culture amidst its influence on modern pop music and the rise of UK drill. Even though Stormzy became one of the biggest rappers in the UK, it appears as though his pop sensibilities are what rubbed Wiley the wrong way in the first place.

As things heated up on the Interwebs, Wiley kept to the tradition of clashing in grime and made their beef official on wax. Releasing “Eediyat Skengman,” a jab at Stormzy’s “Wicked Skengman,” Wiley fueled their beef with a barrage of bars claiming Stormzy not only sold out but used grime as a way to come up in the industry. This later resulted in Stormzy’s “Disappointed” and “Still Disappointed,” the latter serving as a response to “Eediyat Skengman 2.” Following the release of the third and final installment of Wiley’s “Eediyat Skengman” trilogy, there might be a few of you who aren’t entirely aware of how this all came about. Below, we’ve briefly broken down Wiley and Stormzy’s respective diss tracks and origins of their feud.

From The Jump

This week might have found the two grime heavyweights sparring on wax but this beef has been boiling up since summer 2019. Wiley’s fight to preserve the culture as he knows it, given he is a grime pioneer, has made him an unofficial cultural gatekeeper of sorts. But as its evolved, and UK rap subgenres emerged, Wiley’s made a concerted effort to keep his voice heard. Despite previously having a tight-knit relationship, Wiley’s made it abundantly clear that he’s not a fan of outsiders stepping into grime music or taking elements of it. This is what provoked Wiley to send off a salvo of insults towards Ed Sheeran, calling the pop singer a “culture vulture,” among other things. 

Then Ed Sheeran and Stormzy linked up on “Take Me Back To London,” a grime infused banger, and again on “Own It” alongside Burna Boy, prompting Wiley to put a ban on Ed Sheeran’s access to grime culture. “Ed your banned and I don’t wanna hear you on another grime beat ever again you don’t deserve it,” he tweeted, adding, “Ed, I love this shit. You know that already.” Stormzy was placed in an awkward position, caught between having to defend his innocent guitar-strumming ginger friend and an OG who helped pave the way for him. Being strategically political, Stormzy responded, “no Wiley you know Ed been doing this from early, been a real one from early, can’t question that, you know I love you and respect you brother but nah don’t do that.”

Ed Sheeran later issued a statement explaining that he’s had mad love for Wiley, even expressing his excitement on previous work they’ve done together. “You know I have a deep love and respect for the scene, and for you. I look forward to Godfather 3, excited to hear it,” Ed wrote. On a mission to do further damage control, Stormzy paid homage to Wiley on Heavy Is The Head single, “Wiley Flow.” Unfortunately, Wiley didn’t seem to actually take the song as a form of homage as he stated that sometimes people who pay homage aren’t actually doing so before signing off with a maniacal laugh.

Fast forward a few months, and in the midst of a clash between Wiley and Dot Rotten, the allegations of culture vulture-isms emerged once again. After another grime artist, JayKae, released a send for Wiley, a fan asked the Godfather MC whether he’d respond. “He is with Stormzy and Ed,” he said, taking a swipe at Stormzy’s credibility as a grime MC.  “I love you so much but you are so annoying fucking hell,” Stormzy wrote in response, which resulted in another back-and-forth. Stormzy continued to clap back, calling Wiley a crackhead and old, among other things. A few days later the first diss track dropped.

Eediyat Skengman

The first of three diss tracks on Wiley’s end. Things were yet to get too disrespectful but the grime MC successfully stirred the pot. Wiley threw shots at Stormzy accusing him of abandoning grime and going pop. In addition, he made it clear that he did not appreciate “Wiley Flow” at all. “These bumbaclat flows I’m hearing are all my ones / It’s not homage, looking like a sly one,” he raps on the grime infused track. While the track didn’t get personal — yet– Wiley made a concerted effort to name drop Stormzy’s ex, Maya Jama. “I ain’t gonna chat any shit about Maya, she’s cool/ So we ain’t gonna do the whole Maya ting.”

Disappointed 

As the song began to trend on Twitter and YouTube, Stormzy came out of the blue with “Disappointed,” a dub over Headie One & RV’s “Know Better.” Stormzy didn’t hold back on this one and reminded everyone of their history together, especially when it pertained to Cadell, another grime MC and Wiley’s half-brother. “I came to your show, and moved to your brother in front of your dad / Your old man just stood there pissed / I said pops, why you look so sad?” He raps viciously. “Go back your bro before you suck my dick.” 

This is in reference to an old feud Stormzy had with Cadell back in the day which apparently resulted in a confrontation at Wiley’s show. Apparently, things between Wiley and Cadell weren’t great; on top of confronting Cadell, Wiley brought Stormzy up on stage shortly after. Stormzy also addressed the negative comments Wiley made toward “Take Me Back To London,” as well as the supposed Jay-Z feature that didn’t end up making the song. While he continued to issue insults at Wiley’s family, he also continued to fuel allegations about his drug use. Signing off by claiming the title of “King Of Grime,” the public sided with Stormzy in round one, but Wiley still brought it back to his initial point: it’s not actually grime.

Eediyat Skengman 2

The lines had already been crossed and given Wiley’s volatile behavior, all gloves were off. In the second installment of the “Eediyat Skengman” series, Wiley had much more to say regarding Stormzy’s family including his absentee father. Serving as grime’s Godfather, he tied together Stormzy’s past with the current state of affairs. “I’ve done more for you than you dad has/ You didn’t chief my dad so don’t backtrack,” Wiley raps.  

Although Wiley kept Stormzy’s mom’s name out of his mouth in the first track (opting to tell Stormzy, “suck ya mudda” on Twitter), “Disappointed” clearly opened up the floodgates for more mom jokes. “If I see your mom down Croydon market/ I’m gonna rip that weave off of her head.” Unfortunately, Skepta, who’s removed himself from any sort of grime feud in recent times, was name-dropped as Wiley insists that Stormzy owed Skeppy credit for bringing him onto the stage during Kanye’s performance at the 2015 BRIT Awards.

Still Disappointed 

Wiley kicked off round 2 with “Eediyat Skengman 2” but like the general rule of thumb of most wars, there’s a 24-hour timer ticking for a response. Wasting barely any time, Stormzy came through with “Still Disappointed,” a dub over Kano’s “Mic Check.” That being said, Stormzy’s here to show-and-prove that his roots are in grime. Over a 140 bpm grime beat, Stormzy lets off a whole clip on Wiley’s entire family — father, brother, and sister included — but this one also plays out like one long “Yo Momma” joke: 

“Let’s talk about why you moved your mum to Cyprus / That poor little woman was scared of the house ‘cah you put her life in danger you prick / Bricks and shots just fly through the window,” he raps.  

Referencing his previous altercation with Cadell where Wiley’s father watched as it happened, Stormzy declares that Wiley’s mom “is the only real man in the house.” Signing off by blowing a raspberry, Stormzy gave Wiley his twenty-four hours. 

World War III 

In a shocking turn of events, Cadell, Wiley’s half-brother Stormzy claims he confronted on “Disappointed,” came in swinging in an attempt to defend his name. On “World War III,” Cadell issues his own side of the story. He kicks things off by setting the record straight on the confrontation with Stormzy, claiming that chart-topping rapper never tried to beef in the first place and even admitted it to his face. Although he spends time defending his family, he also takes aim at Stormzy’s personal life, alleging that he cheated on Maya Jama with Jorja Smith.  

Eediyat Skengman III  

The war might very continue but Wiley seemingly took it down a notch on his third and final diss track in the “Eediyar Skengman” series. Hopping over Ghetts and Rude Kid’s “One Take,” a song Stormzy actually dubbed in a diss towards Cadell in 2016, Wiley gets a bit more juvenile on this one. Calling Stormzy “Chewbacca” and “BFG,” he doubles down on his opinion on Ed Sheeran, “Take Me Back To London,” and Stormzy going pop and asserting himself in the UK Drill space. More than anything, Wiley seemingly used the moment to clear the air on the allegations of using crack and his mother hiding out in Cypress.

Well it looks like Lori Harvey is ready to go public with her relationship with Future. On Saturday, Lori, who’s celebrating her 23rd birthday, took to her IG story to share some footage from her time while down in Jamaica, one of which shows her and Future sharing a kiss for the world to see.

After her morning by the pool, Lori shared a clip of the “Life Is Good” rapper kissing her on the cheek in what looks to be the back of a vehicle while in Jamaica, looking happy as ever. She captioned the post with “life is good,” which is coincidentally the name of Future’s new song with Drake.

The kiss comes just hours after Future threw Lori a surprise birthday party, which has been getting criticized for being the same surprises Future has used on other ex-girlfriends in the past. Future used rose pedals on a bed and a private jet to surprise Lori, but he must’ve forgot that he’s done that for a few other ladies too, including ex-girlfriends Joie Chavis and Brittni Mealy, who both showed off similar rose pedal situations.

Earlier this week, Lori’s father, Steve Harvey, finally addressed his daughter’s relationship with Future, pretty much not acknowledging it at all. “I don’t know nothing about that,” Steve said when asked. However, that doesn’t look to be stopping Lori from seeing her man though. We’ll keep you posted on Lori and the power couple moving forward.

Lil Wayne has decided to pay tribute to the life of 5th Ward Weebie, who tragically passed away this week after suffering from heart failure. In the wake of his death, Weezy decided to pen an emotional tribute to the New Orleans bounce icon on IG yesterday. “Still haven’t been able to find to words to express how I feel,” Weezy posted on Instagram alongside a photo of Weebie. “RIP to a true New Orleans legend @5thwardweebie.”

Weebie, who released his debut album Show the World in 1999, was a pioneer of the bounce movement with songs like “Let Me Find Out” and “Fuck Katrina,” which was released in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He collaborated with Drake on “Nice for What” as well as Lil Wayne on “Bend It Ova,” and performed at Lil WeezyAna Fest in 2015.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell released a statement following his passing. “He was an iconic personality, a New Orleans legend, and a beloved friend,” said Cantrell. “He was the Bounce King, who showed us how to move, how to love, and how to bring passion and humanity to everything we do. New Orleans has lost a cornerstone of our culture. Our City will not be the same without his voice and his spirit.”

Weebie, born Jerome Cosey, was just 42 years young. RIP.

Sony Pictures is eyeing Ruben Fleischer to direct the upcoming Uncharted film starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.

Two women were taken into custody on Wednesday on allegations that they attempted to fraud the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation. The organization was launched by family members who lost their loved ones during the tragic attack at Sandy Hook Elementary in December 2012. On that day, 20-year-old Adam Lanza entered the school and opened fire killing 26 people: 20 children and 6 adult staff members.

Handout / Handout / Getty Images

The Sandy Hook Promise Foundation lists its mission as hoping “to  create a culture engaged in preventing shootings, violence, and other harmful acts in schools. Sandy Hook Promise is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions that address the “human side” of gun violence by preventing individuals from ever getting to the point of picking up a firearm to hurt themselves or others.”

According to ABC News, the foundation wanted to host a benefit concert in San Antonio, Texas, so the nonprofit contacted booking agents Nancy Jean and Carissa Scott of reportedly Canvas Media Group. The women stated that they were responsible for scheduling events for high-profile artists, so SHP agreed to use them to secure talent. 

Then, Jean and Scott penned contracts for the event: $500K for Justin Timberlake and $600K for Bruno Mars. With the latter also came a $300K down payment to secure the December 13, 2019 concert date. There were even talks of Drake, Flo Rida, Ed Sheeran, Usher, and Lady Gaga possibly being added to the bill, but what the foundation didn’t know was that the women weren’t in contact with any of the artists or their representatives. 

ABC News reports that as time drew closer for the concert to go down, investors were confused as to why none of the artists were listing the event on their social media pages. When they realized there was no publicity at all, they contacted authorities to make sure everything was legitimate. What the FBI found was that the women used half of the money to lease a Mercedes-Benz and made $1,200 worth of purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Jean and Scott were arrested while they were making their way through the John F. Kennedy Airport on Wednesday. They were arrested on charges of fraud, but it’s unclear if other charges will be added at a later date..

Men lie, women lie, numbers don't. It's one thing to flex with millions of dollars of jewelry around your neck, designer clothes, foreign whips and a model on your arm. It's another to flex with sales figures, streaming numbers, video views, and the sort. YoungBoy Never Broke Again is the undisputed king of YouTube, taking over the video-sharing platform in 2019 by nearly doubling everybody else's stats. Any given week, you would be able to observe just how much of a pull YB had on his fans, out-performing big names like Post Malone and Drake by a serious margin. With his sales now calculated for the entire year, it has been determined that he was the seventh best-selling artist of the entire year, placing just above some other big names.

Detroit rapper Eminem released four studio albums in the last decade and that was enough to earn him yet another title contributing to his legendary status. As we wait patiently for him to drop his next body of work after it was teased by 50 Cent months ago, we have a unique opportunity of looking back on the last ten years of musical activity and determining who had the biggest impact on us as a community. While much of Em's significance came before the last decade, he continued his string of successful releases all the way until two years ago with Kamikaze. It was revealed today that he delivered enough pure sales to be named the male artist with the best-selling albums, clocking in nearly 14 million pure units moved.