Though Conway has already confirmed that his retirement would mark a bittersweet run to his absolutely epic 2020 campaign, the music he’s set to leave behind may very well numb the pain — if only for a while. For now, we’re in the midst of awaiting his upcoming album From King To A God, the lead-up project before his long-anticipated Shady Records debut God Don’t Make Mistakes. 

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

Today, Machine took to Instagram to unveil the official album artwork, appropriately spooky considering his preferred aesthetic. Not unlike his compatriot Westside Gunn’s Pray For Paris artwork, Conway’s captures that high-art feel, depicting an imposing diety with blue skin sitting aloft with crystal ball in hand. While there are many interpretations to glean from the LP’s cover, it does go a long way in setting a tone — at once luxurious and intimidating — the Griselda way.

If that wasn’t enough to entice you, remember that From King To A God also features a stacked cast of supporting players, including Drake, 2 Chainz, Havoc, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Freddie Gibbs, and Dej Loaf. On the production side, we’re looking at Havoc, Beat Butcha, Daringer, Rick Hyde, and several as-of-yet unidentified parties. While The Machine hasn’t given us a release date, his increasing post count seems to indicate we’ll be seeing this one soon. Check out the cover below, and sound off — is Conway sitting on an album of the year contender?

Though artists tend to stand by their work, it's not uncommon for them to re-evaluate their takes in hindsight. For KXNG Crooked, veteran rapper and member of the legendary quartet Slaughterhouse, his discography has become quite massive throughout the years. Seeing as he's become one of the more interactive rappers on Twitter, directly engaging with his fans about hip-hop history, his own career, and the art of rap in general, he ended up fielding an interesting question about the one song he'd like to delete from his memory banks.

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After being asked about a song that still haunts him to this day, Crook took things back to the Slaughterhouse Shady Records debut album Welcome To Our House.  "Slaughterhouse “Throw It Away," he admits. "I think the song’s title was trying to tell us something." Though he didn't elaborate much more than that, many fans were quick to point out how the track was ultimately a single, complete with a music video at that. Knowing what we know now, it stands to reason that Crook must have been outvoted on that particular front.

Regardless of how you feel about the dEnAun produced track, which also features a chorus from Swizz Beatz, it's still cool to see Crooked speaking openly on his musical journey. You have to admire a rapper willing to take a step back and reflect on the missteps, so much respect to Crook for answering the question in the first place. How do you feel about "Throw It Away" after all these years?

There was something different about watching Geroge Floyd get murdered. We have seen countless videos of police killing unarmed Black Americans on the internet these past few years, but this one hit differently. Do you remember Philando Castile, who was murdered in his car while his girlfriend recorded from the passenger seat? How about Walter Scott, who was shot in the back as he ran from a cop who pulled him over for a tail light infringement? Do you recall Stephon Clark, who was shot at his grandma’s home in Sacramento?

The list of videos goes on and on. But watching Mr. Floyd die was different. Maybe it was the circumstances that made it feel distinctive. We are always told that police “feared” for their life. But former officer Derek Chauvin wasn’t scared. No. In fact, he was calm, cool, and collected as he peered down at Mr. Floyd croaking for help. 

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable,”

– John F. Kennedy

A militant protester expresses his emotions in front of a police vehicle damaged earlier in the day. Credit HNHH 

How unbothered are you by the thought of repercussion that you would murder someone in broad daylight, on a public street, with multiple witnesses? I’m afraid to smoke a joint on my lunch break and get caught, much less kill someone. What does it say about the system if a cop was so unconcerned with repercussions that he could remain calculated while slowly murdering an unarmed man? It says the system does not scare bad cops. They aren’t afraid of breaking the law, because many of them think they are the law. Even if they uphold the law, they also uphold systemic racism. 

I was on the front lines this past weekend in Los Angeles. The sign I held says it all: “If the courts won’t hold the police accountable, the citizens will hold the city accountable.” I keep hearing and seeing people say, “be more like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Be peaceful.” But those people glorify one man who remained strong in the face of absolute mayhem. Dr. King was beaten, hosed, imprisoned, and ultimately murdered. Dr. King is the pinnacle of peace and love but let’s not forget — it was militant activists that scared the White House so ridiculously that they had to acquiesce to a peaceful Black leader to help quell the unrest. There is no Dr. King without the other side of the coin. Even women got violent when they protested for their right to vote. Both diplomacy and force have been needed to secure the rights of the historically oppressed and systematically suppressed populations. Using only force or only diplomacy doesn’t work. There has always needed to be a balance. 

Protesters on Fairfax and 3rd in Los Angeles send a message. Credit HNHH

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was arguably the last piece of important legislation passed during the Civil Rights Era. It faced heavy opposition in congress upon its creation. It barely passed in the House, and was expected to be gutted and watered down by the Senate before going through the rounds and finally reaching the President, Lyndon B. Johnson. The day of the Senate vote, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It caused massive protests and riots around the nation. Over 100 cities caused nearly $50 million in damage, which is roughly $370 million in 2020, adjusted for inflation. President Johnson increased pressure on Congress to pass The Fair Housing Act. In fact, pressure mounted so heavily that Congress put their foot on the gas. In a matter of days, the bill was passed. Whenever someone tells you that only peaceful protests can be a catalyst for change, tell them that story. And there are many more where that came from.  

 “It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard,”

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Looters are abhorrent. They’re opportunistic and self-centered. Rioters are a different story altogether. For many, there’s only so many times you can get prodded by police batons, hit with tear gas, and run from a barrage of rubber bullets before you start to get physical. In the words of Dave Chappelle, there is only a finite amount of horrible things somebody can go through before they lose their cool and their minds. For many also dealing with the fallout of COVID-19, the atrocities that occurred with Mr. Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Amhuad Arbery were the tipping points.

That’s right. These protests and riots aren’t just about Mr. Floyd. He was the straw that broke the camel’s back. This is for Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, and countless others. This is the cry of a population that pleaded and pleaded for the public to hear Colin Kaepernick’s message. Millions who stood by and watched a peaceful and very famous activist lose his job because of kneeling. I caution you to heed diplomacy next time it appears. A Dr. King or a Colin Kaepernick come along once in a generation. Will you listen next time? Things do not need to escalate to this point, and we should work together to make sure it never does. I bet you anything most of America would elect to go back to peaceful kneeling, but like the year serendipitously reminds us: hindsight is always 20/20.

“I know being a cop is hard. I know that shit’s dangerous. But some jobs can’t have bad apples. Some jobs, everybody gotta be good. Like … pilots. American Airlines can’t be like, ‘Most of our pilots like to land. We just got a few bad apples that like to crash into mountains.'”

– Chris Rock

There was something about being on the front lines in Los Angeles this weekend that changed me forever. When I was pushed by police,  groups of white protestors would come to my defense. They would form barriers or lines around, and in front of, Black protestors. When we were hit with tear gas, there were dozens of people rushing up with gallons of milk to help us douse our faces. Medics and EMTs showed up on their day off to tend to those who got hit with rubber bullets or who could not overcome the powerful tear gas and fainted or fell ill. There were checkpoints with food and water on every block. It was a togetherness I had never felt before. It was four thousand people that all said, “enough is enough.” We all watched out for each other. I didn’t see ANTIFA. I didn’t see “thugs.” What I saw was thousands of souls connected by a singular motive. Bound by the American Dream, which is the freedom to pursue happiness, these protestors were fighting against injustice. 

Should we push for violence? No. But there must be action. “No Justice, No Peace” means there must be accountability. These judges, these district attorneys, the power of the police unions, and the fear good cops have of being reprimanded have allowed police to feel like they are above the law. They say, “It’s horrible Black men are being killed by police, but the rioting needs to stop.” Instead, try “It’s horrible riots are happening, but Black men being murdered by police needs to stop.” You don’t blame the symptoms for the disease. 

What is the answer then? Stop killing unarmed and innocent civilians. There is no other acceptable answer. There are several steps we can take to make this possible. First, police in America need better training. On average, the police academy in America lasts about 6 months. In many counties in Europe –Germany for example– they train for two and a half years. American police are severely undertrained.

Second, cops need to know they are hurting their fellow co-workers. There must be financial punishments put in place for cops that commit egregious crimes like what we witnessed with Mr. Floyd. Police are often split into divisions, groups, or squads. When one officer in a squad, or division, commits an outrageous crime, everyone in that group should be docked pay or lose a percentage of their pension. That way, cops know that if they mess up, they will be directly hurting their co-workers. Making co-workers more accountable for each other is a proven way to establish accountability in the workplace.

Third, police should be required to partake in community service in a neighborhood before they are allowed to patrol there. Pay them for their time and mandate at least 40 hours of community service. The cops should be meeting the people in their community, and vice-versa. This will reduce fear and stop destruction on both sides.

Last but not least, corrupt police need to be jailed. There needs to be a counter-culture in police departments, which the good cops must reinforce. There are good cops who are scared to speak up because their superiors are complicit or involved. They could lose their job, or worse, put their family’s lives in danger. This is the hardest part of the plan, but there needs to be a culture in police departments that explicitly works to combat the shroud of corruption and cover-ups. Remember, the official police statement for Mr. Floyd said he resisted arrest, and police happened to notice he was suffering from “medical distress.” If we never got the video of his death, the official story would be that Mr. Floyd resisted an arrest and died of medical distress while doing so. These cover-ups can no longer be accepted by the good cops. 

Protesters face off against the police on a nearby roof shooting rubber bullets and cops advancing on foot. Credit HNHH

This is America, arguably the greatest constitutional republic in all of history. We set an example for the world. Protests have spread to Europe and beyond, where our cries for equality have been taken up by empathetic onlookers who have never stepped foot in our country. When we as Americans demand equality, the rest of the free world watches. What will we show them? What side of history will you be on? Whether or not we have your support, we do have your attention. And that’s a start. 

Netflix has debuted the trailer for the new film Da 5 Bloods. The movie follows four veterans, Clark Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Delroy Lindo, joined by his son, Jonathan Majors. They return to Vietnam in search of the remains of their squad leader (Chadwick Boseman) and in pursuit of buried treasure.

Directed by Spike Lee, the action-packed movie trailer shows scenes of the four veterans dancing while “Apocalypse Now” plays in the background, as well as flashbacks as young soldiers in a battle scene. Vintage footage flashes between what appears to be the Vietnam War, U.S. protests, and Nixon’s resignation speech, concluding with a fist raised to the sky.

The soldiers are encouraged by Boseman’s character to bury a trunk of gold bars and return to claim the treasure later.

“We’ve been dying for this country from the very get,” says Boseman’s character. “We give this gold to our people.”

Lee produced the film with Lloyd Levin, Beatriz Levin and Jon Kilik as well as executive producers Jonathan Filley, Barry Levine and Mike Bundlie. He also co-wrote the film with Danny Bilson, Paul DeMeo and Kevin Willmott.

Da 5 Bloods cast includes Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Johnny Trí Nguyễn, Van Veronica Ngo and Jean Reno and is set to premiere on Netflix June 12.

Check out the new trailer below.

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Rihanna hauled her wealthy self across the pond about a year ago, and this relocation means that she can officially be regarded—and evaluated—as a UK musician. Although Ms. Fenty has released little to no music in the past few years, she is still, first and foremost, a musical artist, and it turns out, one of the richest in the country. According to Britain’s Sunday Times, Rihanna sits in the third spot on the UK’s annual list of its wealthiest music stars, her first inclusion in the rankings since this move to London last year.

Rich Fury/Getty Images

Beat only by two knighted gentlemen—Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Paul McCartney, tied at No. 1 each with a net worth of £800 million, or approximately $985 million USD—Rihanna nabbed the third spot with a a net worth of £468 million, or approximately $576 million USD. Although the list recognizes the richest musicians, Rihanna’s wealth largely stems from the sales from her Fenty fashion and lingerie brands and her Fenty Beauty line. 

Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

Robert Watts, the man who compiled the list, points out how Rihanna’s position on the list reflects a “seismic change” occurring among the wealthy, as younger performers continue to rank higher and higher. “If you look through the yellowing pages of the first list in 1989, it looks like a rogues’ gallery of middle-aged and elderly white men,” Watts notes. “It was earls, dukes and figures from manufacturing and finance. Now money is being made in different ways, and by all sorts of different people – like Rihanna.”

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Bergdorf Goodman

Watts speculates that next year, though, the list will look a little different due to the current state of the music industry as a result of the pandemic. “The cancellations of tours and the pulling of albums mean it will be a thin year,” he said. “We expect most artists’ earnings to flatline but not for them to necessarily lose money, because the bulk of their wealth is already earned and safely in their bank accounts.” Check out the full list of the UK’s Wealthiest Music Stars below:

1. Lord Lloyd-Webber — £800m
1. Sir Paul McCartney — £800m
3. Rihanna — £800m
4. Sir Elton John — £360m
5. Sir Mick Jagger — £285m
6. Oli and Dhani Harrison — £270m
6. Keith Richards £270m
8. Sir Ringo Starr — £260m
9. Michael Flatley — £206m
10.Ed Sheeran — £200m
10. Sir Rod Stewart — £200m
10. Sting— £200m

Meek Mill and Kim Kardashian have made it their personal mission to fight for criminal justice reform in recent years. The two high-profile celebrities have enacted several means to help fix the current system, calling on political officials to get involved make some important changes. As we have seen Kodak Black‘s story continue to go downhill, the rapper’s lawyer is increasingly surprised that neither of the two is working to free Black. He issued a statement this week.

Over the weekend, it was alleged that an attack was laid out on Kodak Black by seven guards at his Kentucky prison. The guards allegedly placed him in handcuffs and beat him over the head with a pole, also flicking his testicles and taunting him, telling him he will need “bigger balls to survive.” Bradford Cohen, the rapper’s legal representative, has provided an update on his client.

John Parra/Getty Images

“So I will give a brief update. BOP bureau of prisons has not responded to my request for an investigation. I was able to speak directly to Bill today and he confirmed the story,” said Cohen, using Kodak’s government name. “Since the incident he is sensitive to light and has dizzy spells. I have all the officers names involved and have put them on notice. BOP needs to be overhauled @realdonaldtrump needs to put people in place that can overhaul the system or privatize the system so it is run effectively and with transparency. At every corner with requests for documents they try to stall or come up with excuses.”

“This week some documents will be filed to shed light on some issues and hopefully start to rectify this injustice of a 22 year old man accused of lying on a form being sent to a Max prison 1100 miles from his family,” he continued. “This type of thing happens quite often but most are scared to speak about it. @kodakblack is not, if there is retribution for him disclosing the filthy side of the justice system he is willing to take it head on.”

Finally, Cohen called out Meek Mill and Kim Kardashian specifically, urging them to get involved and join the fight.

“Funny how when people say they want #JusticeReform its only for CERTAIN PEOPLE #JusticeForSome #FreeKodak #PrisonReform #WhereAreTheyNow? @kimkardashian @meekmill @reform,” he concluded.

Free Kodak.

The Verzuz trend is far from being over. What launched during COVID-19 quarantine has turned into a lucrative business for Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, and it’s expected to roll on even after these “Stay Home” ordinances are lifted. We’ve watched a number of our favorite hitmaking artists and producers face-off in Instagram Live Battles, but there are still a few favorites that we’re hoping will hop on the Verzuz train. While chatting with Nick Cannon recently, Ne-Yo—who went up against mega-producer Johnta Austin—shared that he’d like to see Usher and Justin Timberlake hop on a Live. Nick and Ne-Yo then debated who would come out on top.

Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images

“I think Usher gon’ body him, just hit-for-hit wise,” Nick Cannon said. “If he can bring N’SYNC in then that’s a different…but if it’s just hit-for-hit…cause I mean, Usher just got more albums.” Ne-Yo wasn’t so quick to jump the gun and call Usher the victor. “I don’t know, though,” he said. “I feel like it would be an entertaining battle.” Nick enthusiastically agreed. 

With so many unexpected artists and producers agreeing to these battles, we just may see Usher and Justin Timberlake one day. Until then, we’ll be tuned in this weekend on May 9 to watch Erykah Badu and Jill Scott celebrate neo-soul for the culture. Get your incense and headwraps ready. Check out Ne-Yo speaking with Nick Cannon below.

If there’s one format that never fails to elicit excitement, it’s the posse cut. With roots deriving from hip-hop’s inherently competitive elements, a trial-by-fire tradition associated with regionalist pride among other factors, the posse cut often finds emcees in an unspoken quest to emerge with the standout verse — much to the benefit of the song as a cohesive whole.

Alliances are built and strengthened; the old adage of strength in numbers holds true in the booth. Unfortunately, the posse cut has come to feel like a dwindling art. Where it once seemed to be one of the game’s preferred structures, an all-but-guaranteed album highlight, newer artists have tended to steer away from the beloved tradition. That’s not to say they have disappeared entirely, but it’s become a far cry from the glory days in which hip-hop’s best lyricists would unite on sprawling, multiple-verse, sometimes even six-minute-long epics.

In honor of the posse cut, we have compiled a list of the thirty best hip-hop hs to offer. As to what technically qualifies a posse cut, it should be noted that crews have been by and large excluded from the mix — lest the list turn into a rundown of Wu-Tang Clan’s greatest hits. Should a crew be present on a track having opened the door for a fellow emcee or two, however, that’s another story. Should you call yourself a hip-hop-head, it’s likely you’ve heard a few of these already. Maybe even all of them.

Should that be the case, be sure to hit the comments with your thoughts on the ranking – including any snubs you might feel were overlooked. Obviously, placing thirty classics in numerical order is not exactly a cut-and-dry process, and many of the selections below are, to be perfectly honest, interchangeable from their allotted spots. How far can one timeless anthem really differ from another? Perhaps it’s best to not overthink this one, and simply bask in a celebration of some of the greatest collaborative hip-hop songs of all time.

– Mitch Findlay

30.  Dreamville, J.I.D, Mez, Buddy, Jace, Reese LAFLARE, Ski Mask the Slump God, Smokepurpp & Guapdad 4000 – Costa Rica

While healthy competition can drive a posse cut to heightened levels of excellence, so too can the simple purity of camaraderie. Especially when substances are involved. The Revenge Of The Dreamers 3 sessions were legendary in that regard, bringing emcees of all walks of life into the studio for a two-weeks-long creative haven, culminating in no shortage of new music and friendships forged along the way. In many says, the bombastic “Costa Rica” feels like the heart of the Dreamers sessions, a gathering of like-minded emcees feeding off one another’s energy during an extensive night of recording.

Hearing the stories of “Costa Rica’s” creation is akin to hearing a longtime journeyman reflect on a particularly epic night. Those electric feelings bleed into the song itself, with each emcee simply happy to be there — nobody is vying for top billing, with the brief verses all possessing an endearing sort of spontaneity. There’s something undoubtedly pure about hearing the entire room echo Ski Mask The Slump God’s raucous cries of “going on a date with an AK!” A relatively new addition to the list, but one that captured a distinct moment in time, one that will likely follow each participant for the rest of their lives. 

– Mitch

29. Trae Tha Truth, T.I., Dave East, Tee Grizzley, Royce Da 5’9″, Curren$y, Snoop Dogg, Fabolous, Rick Ross, Chamillionaire, G Eazy, Styles P, E-40, DRAM, Gary Clark, Jr. & Mark Morrison – I’m On 3.0

There are posse cuts, and then there are songs that boast more featured artists than most albums. It’s difficult to get more than 10 MCs to deliver dope verses that feel both fresh and different enough from one another, while ensuring that the track as a whole doesn’t drag on for so long that listeners start to check their watch. This balance is key, and that’s exactly what Trae Tha Truth and his assembly of artists successfully achieve on “I’m On 3.0.” Serving as the third installment of Trae’s “I’m On” series, this most recent incarnation takes what Trae and his previous collaborators did on both prior renditions and builds on it. While Mark Morrison’s vocals remained on the chorus, now accompanied by Gary Clark Jr. and D.R.A.M., Trae traded in the eight rappers from “2.0,” and recruited a whopping 12 replacements. Although a bold move, it ultimately paid off.

While some posse cuts require the song itself to somehow work around all the different contributing rappers’ individual styles in order to create a cohesive sound, in this case, the burden seems to lie on the artists themselves to ensure that their particular flow and lyrical flair fits the overall vibe of the track. Although there are certainly some undeniable standouts amongst this group, Chamillionaire’s verse has been widely regarded as the major highlight, the track serving as a platform on which the underappreciated MC was finally able to really show off his chops. In the case of this cut, the expression “third time’s the charm” certainly rings true.

– Lynn

28. Sway & King Tech, Eminem, RZA, Xzibit, KRS-One, Tech N9ne, Chino XL, Pharoahe Monch, Kool G Rap, Jayo Felony, DJ Revolution – 1999 Wake Up Show Freestyle

As the new millennium was dawning on a generation of hip-hop fans, Sway and King Tech were using their position to assemble an absolutely insane collective. Capturing the raw energy of a cipher and channeling it onto a golden-era instrumental, the “1999” edition of the “Wake Up Show” freestyle kicked off with Bobby Digital on a mission, representing for the Wu-Tang movement and bringing a legendary pedigree from the jump. On that note, there’s plenty of notable wordsmiths on deck; Eminem landed his first collaboration with Xzibit and Tech N9ne, Chino XL proved why he stands among the underground’s most respected lyricists, and KRS-One imbued the track with the presence of a true “master of ceremonies.” 

– Mitch

27. Chris Brown, Kanye West, T.I., Fabolous, Rick Ross & Andre 3000 – Deuces (Remix)

Chris Brown has had his fair share of ups and downs. 2010 was essentially a peak “down” time in Brown’s long career, as a year prior, he left Rihanna with bruises on her face following an argument with her that escalated to physical blows. Thus, by the time 2010 rolled around, Chris Brown was essentially working his way back into our good graces, one song at a time. 

It was around this same time that the singer ended up collaborating with Tyga for their joint mixtape, Fan of a Fan. “Deuces” served as a single off it, also featuring R&B singer Kevin McCall. It’s the sort of catchy, easy beat that you can still bop your head to right now, which is exactly the type of record we needed from Breezy back then– something we didn’t have to analyze too closely but would be easily enjoyed by masses. 

As the song grew legs on the internet, Chris Brown recruited a ton of star power for the massive remix– which just goes to show the span of his reach and his clout, even amid domestic violence allegations. It doesn’t hurt to have Kanye West, T.I., Drake, Andre 300, Fabolous and Rick Ross in your corner when you’re in the process of a career comeback. Each artist drops off their personalized dose of female relationship fodder and what spurs them to leave a particular relationship, for a total of eight verses on this epic remix. Andre 3000 blesses us with the final farewell, in philosophical manner: “And here I am, all heavy with the words where / Somebody that’s a nerd, likely fast forward / But, shit, they asked for it / It’s hard to throw up them deuces / ‘Cause when you know it’s juicy / You start to sound like / Confucius when makin’ up excuses / Chase the Cabooses until the track gone / I gotta find me a new locomotive, stop makin’ sad songs.”

– Rose

26. Lil Kim, Left Eye, Da Brat, Angie Martinez, Missy Elliott – Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix) 

With so many classic posse cuts being testosterone-heavy affairs, you know the ladies had to come through and represent. “Not Tonight’s” official remix arrived in 1997 as part of the Nothing To Lose soundtrack, earning its “Ladies Night” moniker with appearances from Left Eye (RIP), Da Brat, Angie Martinez, and Missy Elliott. A pivotal moment for females in hip-hop, the accompanying clip was lined with legendary artists like Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, T-Boz, Xscape, and many more.

Oozing with a charismatic swagger, each rapper attacks the groove with their own distinctive flow: Angie with the newcomer’s wide-eyed energy, Brat with the aggression, Kim with the Junior M.A.F.I.A sauce, Left Eye with the playful sensuality, and Missy coming through as the exclamation point — “you ain’t gon’ use me to just be singin’ hooks.” 

– Mitch

25. DJ Khaled, Akon, T.I., Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Birdman, Fat Joe – We Takin Over

“We Takin Over” had the ultimate formula for a certified hit. The track, led by posse-cut-conductor-extraordinaire, DJ Khaled, boasts verses from five major hip-hop heavyweights—Lil Wayne, T.I., Rick Ross, Birdman, and Fat Joe—some in their prime, others proving with ease that they’ve still got it. Their verses were also punctuated by Akon’s signature high-pitched vocals delivering a criminally catchy hook on the chorus. Combine all of these elements with some stellar production from Danja, and you’re guaranteed to come out with a banger.

While practically every MC on this world-domination anthem manages to hold their own, there’s one clear star. As was often the case on a Weezy-featured posse cut in those days, Wayne blows everyone else out of the water, sliding in at the very end to close out the show only to upstage his preceding partners. His unhinged, bloodthirsty delivery paired with Danja’s looming production has the track ending on a high, followed only by one final declaration of the title from Akon. Based on the sheer number of remixes alone that this cut birthed, it’s clear that “We Takin Over” left an impression not just on fans, but on other artists, as well. Though certainly a product and reflection of it’s time sonically, it still manages to hold up all these years later.

– Lynn

24. The Game, Jim Jones, Snoop Dogg, Nas, T.I., Fat Joe, Lil’ Wayne, N.O.R.E., Jadakiss, Styles P, Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Rick Ross, Twista, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, WC, E-40, Bun B, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Young Dro, The Clipse, Ja Rule – One Blood Remix

Junior Reid’s 1989 single “One Blood” has been flipped on countless occasions but perhaps, the most popular use of the sample is in The Game’s single, “One Blood.” Reid’s original single represents unifying the human race, regardless of race, class, or religion, in the face of division. The Game carried the theme in the megamix that brought together rappers from every coast in an attempt to unify gang bangers. Twenty-five rappers were included on the track such as Jim Jones, NORE, Nas, T.I., Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, Clipse, Styles P, and more, though some of the verse may have been reused from the regional remixes The Game also released. 

Running for nearly twelve minutes in length, the star power alone would be worth its placement on this list but its impact on the streets is forever as the game unified Crips and Bloods from the East and the West on one track. 

– Aron

23. Tech N9ne, Busta Rhymes, Yelawolf, Twista, Twisted Insane, D-Loc, U$O, JL B.Hood & Ceza – Worldwide Choppers

Fast rap isn’t for everyone. In fact, it has recently become synonymous with “corny,” a go-to move for rappers hoping to mask a lack of sauce with sheer technical prowess. Yet countless artists have proven that double-time delivery can be undisputably badass, including some of Tech N9ne’s handpicked “Worldwide Choppers.” Not only does this posse-cut feature nine contributing rappers from across the globe, it does so while operating under a strict conceit: all parties must gun for that god-forsaken Guinness World Record.

Arguably the quickest of the bunch, Tech sets the tone for fellow hyperspeed rappers Twista and Busta Rhymes to absolutely wreak havoc, with both parties sliding several interesting flow-schemes into their verses. Between Twista’s “stig-a-ma-tism” scheme and Bus-a-Bus’ “Get ’em, hit ’em and finish ’em” scheme, we’re looking at a masterclass in verbal dexterity. 

– Mitch

22. Jay-Z, Twista, Killer Mike, Big Boi – Poppin Tags

When hip-hop fans think of posse cuts, they think of all-time great rappers, multiple dope verses, and production that will keep your head nodding along throughout the entire song. Jay-Z’s “Poppin Tags” off of The Blueprint 2 is absolutely one of those posse cuts that ticks off every single box and then some. 

First off, let’s start with the soulful production by none other than Kanye West. By 2002, Kanye was an established producer and “Poppin Tags” was yet another highlight on his growing resume. As for the verses, those are what make this song truly stand out. Jay-Z begins the track with a fast yet steady flow that features bars about, as the title suggests, spending a lot of money. From there, Twista comes into the picture with blisteringly fast bars that create a nice contrast between him and Jay-Z’s skill sets.

The entire track is six minutes long and in the latter half, we get some southern influence with verses from Georgia natives, Killer Mike and Big Boi. Both of these MCs bring their signature flows and sounds to the track which helps spice things up a bit. Depending on where you live, one could argue Big Boi and Killer Mike actually outshine Twista and Jay-Z although that’s a debate we’re sure the commenters would love to engage in.

– Alex Cole

21. Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz – Mercy

Kanye West’s GOOD Fridays series recalls a simpler time in rap, when the market was less crowded and free download links were still the norm. Ye really shook things up with the series, drawing in more and more eyes every Friday when he came through with some sort of fire, GOOD Music cut, often featuring a crew of artists. “Mercy” was among them, and would go on to make the final tracklist of the underwhelming Cruel Summer compilation album. Nonetheless don’t let that take away from the strength of the collaboration which features a pre-controversial (well, pre-Trump) Kanye West, Sean Don, Pusha T and GOOD Music-affiliated 2 Chainz. 

The beat is one of the most iconic aspects of this record, with its dancehall sample and alternating keys kicking off the record. There’s really nothing else to say except that it was, and remains, a banger that will still get a party lit in a matter of seconds. 

– Rose

20. T.I, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, M.I.A – Swagga Like Us 

Where posse cuts of the nineties seemed to thrive off the spirit of lyrical competition, those creeping closer to modern times appeared more concerned with sheer spectacle. Despite enlisting three heavy-hitting lyricists for the occasion, T.I’s “Swagga Like Us” was hardly concerned with administering death-by-a-thousand-bars. The musical equivalent to a Basquiat hanging in one’s foyer, the Grammy-Award winning Paper Trail single was so confident in its mere existence that all it needed to do was show up.

That’s not to say the four emcees didn’t come correct, with the Troubleman asserting himself as the defining verse, but it’s clear they approached this one with the energy of a pickup game. A championship pickup game, to be sure. Impossible to ignore on the basis of sheer talent, “Swagga Like Us” remains a defining cultural moment, the ultimate flex on wax. 

– Mitch

19. Noreaga, Big Pun, Nature, Cam’Ron, Jadakiss, Styles P – Banned From T.V.

What is it about Jadakiss that seems to gravitate toward the posse cut format? Once again, Mr. Raspy slides onto this list as a key contributor to Noreaga’s absolutely stacked “Banned From TV.” On that note, fellow Ruff Ryder Swizz Beatz made New York history the day he wrapped this particular beat up — little did he know he’d be providing the soundtrack for a gathering of the the titans, including an appearance from the late Big Pun, the quitely scene-stealing Nature, and a classic back and forth from Kiss and Pinero.

Though many have come to know NORE as a lovable and perpetually inebriated storyteller on Drink Champs, long before that he was an integral member of the New York hip-hop landscape; one who commanded enough respect to bring such a  ridiculous lineup to the table in the first place. And the results speak for itself, with “Banned From TV” encapsulating everything a classic posse cut is all about. Leave the best verse debates for the philosophers.

– Mitch

18. Dr. Dre, Kurupt, RBX, Lady Of Rage, Snoop Dogg – Stranded On Death Row

Dr. Dre has been at the center of many epic collaborations, and narrowing down one in particular was no easy feat. For the longest time, 2001’s extensive west coast anthem “Some L.A. N***az” had all but secured the position — that is until “Stranded On Death Row” started to spread back into the picture, a relic of one of hip-hop’s darkest and dopest eras. Featuring contributions from Kurupt, RBX, The Lady of Rage, and a young Snoop Dogg, the Dr. Dre-produced banger features hard-hitting verses from all involved.

Kurupt spazzes out the gate, his tongue-twisted style and references to Jean Claude Van Damme instant reminders of simpler times. Yet it may very well be the Lady of Rage who leaves the deepest impression, he sneering cadence and violent vows solidifying her as the most feared inmate on the doomed cellblock. “I plead guilty on all counts, let the ball bounce where it may, it’s just another clip into my AK,” she raps. “Buck ’em down with my underground tactics. Facts and stacks of clips on my mattress.”

– Mitch

17. Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem – Forever

You can’t talk about modern-day rap posse cuts without mentioning “Forever,” the 2009 single from Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. When it was originally released as part of the More Than A Game soundtrack, the song was tremendously impactful. You’ve got to believe that if these four rappers linked up another time one decade later, the critical reception would be even wilder. And that’s saying a lot, considering “Forever” has gone 6x platinum since its release.

Each artist featured on the track is given ample time to shine through on “Forever.” Drake starts things off before Kanye West slides over the second verse. Lil Wayne takes over for the third verse before things close out with a remarkable appearance from Eminem. Drake, Kanye, Weezy, and Em are all iconic in their own right and they will each sit high on rap’s totem pole when this is all said and done. Drake sang that he wanted this to last his entire life and, eleven years later, he’s arrived at that stage. We may never see another star-studded posse cut like this.

– Alex Zidel

16. Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, John Legend, Lloyd Banks, Ryan – Christian Dior Denim Flow

“Christian Dior Denim Flow” counts another entry in the GOOD Fridays series helmed by Kanye West. It’s another example of the type of insane artist-gathered collaborations Ye was putting out at this time, alongside beats that were often “big” for lack of a better words– beats that were luxurious, over-the-top, lofty– perhaps recalling My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in the sense that they were highly arranged and layered, but a bit less refined.

“Christian Dior Denim Flow,” similar to “Mercy” also contains production that at one point breaks down, leading the way for Lloyd Banks’ raspy verse. Kid Cudi delivered the melodic hook with assistance from John Legend, but he also closes out the song with a verse– that was another hallmark of these GOOD Fridays collaborations, they were often songs spanning over 5 to 6 minutes in length– especially long if you consider these days’ 1-2 minute records. Yet this just ensured that every single artist featured on these posse cuts would have their own time to shine, ultimately making each one so exciting. 

– Rose

15. Bone Crusher, Cam’Ron, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes – Never Scared Takeover Remix

For those who came of age during the early millennium, Bone Crusher’s “Never Scared” likely holds a special place in your heart. Though the original lineup of Killer Mike and T.I. made for a strong baseline, Bone Crusher’s New York ambitions secured three of the East Coast’s most capable lyricists in the midst of their primes. With the hard-knocking and uniquely Southern instrumental from Avery Johnson and Jermaine Dupri intact, Cam, Jada, and Busta made themselves at home, seemingly moving to one-up each other with each new verse.

Narrowing down a clear standout might come down to personal preference, but there’s something about Jadakiss’ steely demeanor that makes his presence on the “Takeover Remix” uniquely formidable. “I ain’t neva scared, I got big hammers everywhere,” his flow methodical. “In places where you need yo passport at, I’m heavy there.” 

– Mitch

14. Fat Joe, Big Pun, Nas, Jadakiss, Raekwon – John Blaze

On the basis of reputation alone, “John Blaze” promises to be an onslaught of bars from a handful of dominant East Coast emcees. Many of whom would feel right at home in a top-ten lyricist conversation. As such, there’s an unspoken sense of healthy competition permeating the padded track — though Big Pun would swiftly go on to live up to his well-earned moniker of dream-shatterer.

While recognized by purists as elite, the effortless nature with which Pun would absolutely run laps around legendary emcees often goes unappreciated by the game at large. “The same n***a who known to blow out your brain mineral, I reign subliminal inside your visual,” he spits, his dexterity insane. “Try to supply your physical with my spiritual side of this lyrical / I’ll appear in your dreams, like Freddy do, no kidding you / Even if I stuttered, I would still sh-sh-shit on you.” Listen, there is no universe that would position me to speak ill of Nas, Jadakiss, Raekwon, and Fat Joe — but “John Blaze” really does feel like Big Pun’s showcase. 

– Mitch

13. Obie Trice, Lloyd Banks, Eminem, 50 Cent – We All Die One Day

Obie Trice was looking to make a big first impression with his debut project, Cheers, all the way back in 2003. When you’re backed by an artist like Eminem, there is always going to be pressure to deliver and that’s exactly what he did. Perhaps the biggest highlight on his debut effort is the posse cut “We All Die One Day” which features the likes of Eminem, 50 Cent, and Lloyd Banks.

This extremely gritty banger stands out thanks to some gritty production by Em – among other reasons – who also provides the longest and most technical verse of the song. The track starts with a smooth chorus from Lloyd Banks that eventually transitions to a visceral and violent verse from Obie Trice who is very open about shooting and killing those who get in his way. In the ensuing verse, Lloyd Banks flexes his money and accomplishments while letting people know that he still has an edge to him despite making it out of the hood. Following Em’s verse, 50 Cent helps wrap the song into a neatly tied bow as he provides some violent bars that run parallel to Obie Trice’s first verse.

As far as blood pumping posse cuts go, “We All Die One Day” is certainly up there.

– Alex Cole

12. B.G ft Big Tymers & The Hot Boys – Bling Bling

Say what you will about the mastermind behind it, but Birdman’s Cash Money dynasty has endured as one of hip-hop’s most legendary movements of all time. Featuring the talents of B.G, Juvenile, Turk, Lil Wayne, Mannie Fresh, and Baby himself, the New Orleans-based label helped forge a sound that continues to influence hip-hop as we know it today.

“Bling Bling,” originally released as the lead single on B.G.’s 1999 album Chopper City In The Ghetto, brought the entirety of Cash Money into the fold for a stacked celebration of lavish living. Driven by an iconic beat from Fresh, who also holds it down with a swaggy verse, “Bling Bling” encapsulates the collective’s sound at its most effective — playful, confident, and formidable if pressed. “N***s wear shades just to stand on side of me,” raps B.G., closing things out with a highlight verse. “Hoes say take that chain off boy ya blindin’ me.”

– Mitch

11. Ruff Ryders, Jadakiss, Snoop Dogg, Scarface, Yung Wun & Jadakiss – WW III

Regionalism is one of the most important tenets in hip-hop stylistic analysis. Throughout the years, different cities and states have developed distinctive sonic qualities, many of which are held dear by the artists who claim a given locale. On Ruff Ryder’s introductory banger “WW III,” location played an integral role. Bringing together the likes of Jadakiss, Snoop Dogg, Scarface, and Yung Wun, each rapper opened their verse by representing for the cause.

The conceit imbued “WW III” with a sense of gravitas, only enhanced by the bombastic — and instantly iconic– Swizz Beatz production. In one corner stands Snoop Dogg, representing the “west coast.” In another stands Yung Wun, triumphantly screaming “ATL Shawty!” Across is the imposing figure of Scarface, holding it down on behalf of the entire “muthafucking South.” And for the East Coast is none other than Jadakiss, who closes the anthem out with a nail in the coffin.

– Mitch

10. Danny Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Earl Sweatshirt – Really Doe

On paper, “Really Doe” stands among the most stacked gatherings of lyricists on this list. In reality, it was never meant to appear as such. When Danny Brown originally conceived the song, it was meant to be a duet between himself and Ab-Soul. Upon hearing the instrumental, Kendrick Lamar deted from the intended plan to contribute elsewhere on Atrocity Exhibition and made himself at home.

Last but not least came Earl Sweatshirt, whom Danny bestowed the coveted position of the final verse, an honor reserved for the most valuable player. Few can dispute that the former Odd Future poet absolutely bodied the track, lines like “I’m the type of ni**a it ain’t never been an honor to judge” deftly showcasing his clever mind at work. Throw in a creepy instrumental from Detroit legend Black Milk and you’re looking at the perfect posse cut for witching hour reflections. 

– Mitch

09. Puff Daddy, The Lox, Notorious B.I.G, & Lil Kim – All About The Benjamins Remix

With all this talk about a Verzuz battle between P. Diddy and Dr. Dre, many have been fondly reminiscing about the Bad Boy era. After all, such was the time when the Notorious B.I.G. was alive and well, bodying tracks at every opportunity. The classic remix to Diddy and The Lox’s “All About The Benjamins” is no exception, with Biggie and Lil Kim sliding through to represent for the Junior M.A.F.I.A. movement.

From the moment Diddy sets it off with a laid-back yet assertive opening verse, his flow seeped in the signature style of his label, “”All About The Benjamins” never lets up. Aside from boasting hard hitting salvos from a youthful Jadakiss and Sheek Louch, it’s the new additions that leave the deepest imprint. “German Ruger for yo’ ass, bitch, deep throat it,” raps Lil Kim. “Know you wanna feel the womb ’cause it’s platinum-coated / take your pick, got a firearm you shoulda toted.” You’d be hard-pressed to find a hip-hop head incapable of vibing to this timeless cut.

– Mitch

08. LL Cool J, Method Man, Redman, Canibus, DMX, & Master P – 4, 3, 2, 1 

Many hip-hop historians have come to remember “4,3,2,1” as the song on which LL Cool J and Canibus dissed each other in their respective verses. A darkly comedic turn of events to be sure, as the whole beef essentially kicked off after LL misinterpreted one of Canibus’ lines and decided to clap back accordingly. It’s hard to resist the scandalous allure of such a narrative (especially since it led to some great diss tracks from both parties), but we mustn’t forget one key factor.

This song assembled some of the best lyricists of the late nineties and engaged them in competitive sparring over Erick Sermon’s production. Given the pedigree of talent involved, it’s hard to deem a clear winner. Yet there’s something unmatchable about DMX’s menacing cautionary tale, which reveals the consequences of crossing his path at sundown. If you’re unfamiliar with the fact that LL Cool J was a murderous rhymer in his prime, look no further than “4,3,2,1.”

– Mitch

07. DMX, Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Styles P, Sheek Louch – Blackout

It doesn’t get more New York than DMX’s epic Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood gathering “Blackout.” Another instance of healthy yet borderline competitive sportsmanship, the Swizz Beatz produced classic finds DMX, Jadakiss, Styles P, Sheek Louch, and the Jigga Man sliding through to lay down verse after verse. In true posse-cut fashion, the chorus is forsaken in favor of straight bars and listeners are all the better for it.

Especially when it comes time for Jay-Z’s supremely confident verse. “The beeper done changed, you dead bitch, the Reaper done came,” he raps, his mafioso roots coming through strong. “I suggest ni***s stop speakin my name, cause trust me, y’all can still feel the heat in the rain.” A welcome collision of worlds between the Ruff Ryders and the R.O.C, “Blackout” is the perfect encapsulation of a structure we simply don’t see anymore. And yet, at the time of its release, music like this was still doing numbers. 

– Mitch

06. A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Big K.R.I.T – “1Train”

At the time of its release in 2013, all six rappers present on “1Train” were stars in their own right. Speaking with Complex, Rocky explained that he wanted to create a posse cut evocative of early nineties hip-hop, employing an array of his contemporaries boasting a variety of distinctive styles. Tethering the disparate time periods is Hit-Boy, who laces a symphony at once rugged and distinguished. There are honed flows and outlandish quotables, be it Danny Brown’s “worst enemy’s penis” bar or the imaginative Action Bronson implementing a “Chilean Horse” into his imagery.

It’s almost impossible to discern the standout performer, as each rapper comes together like some deadly coalition, but Big K.R.I.T’s murderous bars certainly conclude matters on an emphatic note. Despite its relative youth, it’s fair to deem “1Train” one of the most impactful tracks of the past ten years.

– Mitch

05. Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, & Nate Dogg – Bitch Please 2 

The Up In Smoke Tour remains one of hip-hop’s defining tours, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Ice Cube, Nate Dogg, Eminem, and countless Aftermath affiliates embarking on a weed-fueled odyssey. In some ways, Marshall Mathers LP’s fifteenth track “Bitch Please II” encapsulates the spirit of Up In Smoke. Marking a milestone for Slim Shady, who secured his first collaboration with Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg, the eerie sequel emerged as a highlight on its unexpected home album.

Between Dre’s braggadocio, Snoop’s laid-back swagger, Xzibit’s imposing aggression, and Em’s scathing wit, there’s somehow enough common ground to make for a cohesive vibe. With stellar verses from each performer — including one hell of a chorus from Nate Dogg– it’s Eminem’s climactic “fuck you” that resonates the deepest. Although, X to the Z does make a compelling case, especially when he whips into his “ashes to ashes” rhyme scheme.

– Mitch

04. Bone Thugs & The Notorious B.I.G. – Notorious Thugs

The East Coast met the smokey Midwest on Biggie Smalls’ second studio album Life After Death when the Brooklyn legend linked up with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony for “Notorious Thugs.” 

Gangsta rap was at its height while hip-hop suffered the loss of both Biggie and Tupac in a matter of months of each other. The hypnotizing piano keys, twangy guitar, and the choral harmonies of Bone Thugs turned into a haunting gospel of romanticized inner-city turmoil with violence and paranoia riddling each rapper’s verse. What might be most notable about the track, though, is that it became a further testament that Biggie had mastered the art of flow. Before even signing a deal, Biggie Smalls was highly revered for his technical prowess and viscous flow but “Notorious Thugs” took it to a new level. Without compromising his skillset, he leaned deeper into the double-time, melodic flow that Bone Thugs introduced to the game with a defining verse in his catalog.

– Aron

03. Three 6 Mafia ft UGK & Project Pat – Sippin’ On Some Syrup

To say Three 6 Mafia were ahead of their time is an understatement. To this day, many of their lyrical and sonic trends — from celebrations of hedonism to the dark southern banger — have become embedded within the very fabric of the contemporary soundscape. Nowhere is that more effectively encapsulated than on “Sippin On Some Syrup,” a posse cut extraordinaire that brought the Underground Kings and Project Pat into the fold for a rollicking good time.

The track, which arrived on the 2000 album When The Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1, featured a dangerously smooth instrumental produced by the two-headed monster Juicy J and DJ Paul. The perfect backdrop for an influx of excellent verses, with the late Pimp C, DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Bun B holding it down. With each mind married to the singular concept of giving into inebriation, it’s difficult to single out a standout verse — though it’s hard not to credit Pimp C for bringing the legendary term “simp” into the mainstream vernacular. 

– Mitch

02. International Player’s Anthem (I Choose You)

UGK’s biggest commercial record is also considered one of hip-hop’s finest collaborations, and a certified classic. Pimp C and Bun B teamed up with fellow hip-hop duo OutKast in 2007 for this ode to marriage, from the perspective of a player who may or may not have changed his ways. It’s equally important in UGK’s catalog, as the last single the duo put out before Pimp C’s passing.

The music video for the collaboration made the record even more exciting: it’s a full-out hip-hop wedding with Andre 3k playing the role of the lucky man, and other artists acting as invited guests to partake in the big day. 

It’s hard not to simply drop in Andre’s full verse here and call it a day. Apparently, Pimp C didn’t even like Andre’s verse when he first heard it (!!), taking issue with the fact that Andre had opted to remove the drums for his opening verse. Still, the song comes together in epic fashion. As soon as Andre’s verse ends, the drums pick up alongside Pimp C’s nasally verse. Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You” fills the record with soul and funk, thanks to the horn arrangement and vocal sample. It’s a record that marries soul with hip-hop with funk. In spite of this, it’s the type of record that doesn’t sound dated, the type of record someone could ostensibly drop today and we would consider it to be just as fire as it was over 10 years ago.

– Rose

01. Bone Thugs & 2Pac – Thug Luv

There aren’t any other groups in hip-hop that have the bragging rights that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have. A Midwest group signed to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records, they remain the only hip-hop group to ever work with Biggie and Tupac while the legendary rappers were still alive. Even for a group with five members, collaborations with artists like Big, Pac, Eazy-E, and more had Bone Thugs bringing their influential sound across the coasts. 

“We doin’ this shit from Cleveland to L.A,” 2Pac screams at the top of his collab with BTNH on “Thug Luv.” Riddled with sound effects of gunshots, Pac and Bone Thugs bring the world into a warzone. Between Pleads to the Lord for forgiveness, Pac and Bone Thugs’ united Thug across America for an anthem specifically geared for the streets. Though the only collaboration between the two entities, they hoisted Thug Life for the world to see. 

– Aron

While Kanye West and Jay-Z’s creative partnership has taken a few hitches following the release of 2011’s classic Watch The Throne, one thing has endured — the music they made during their brief but spectacular reign. And while both rappers obviously contributed to the album’s success, the work of the producers should not go uncelebrated. As Mike Dean was involved in the creation of several key Watch The Throne tracks, including the Hit-Boy produced “N***as In Paris,” he recently opened up about some of his favorite moments behind-the-scenes.

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

Speaking on Beats 1, Dean cited his work on the smash hit to be the “boldest” production work of his career. “The “Paris” record from Watch The Throne, we were pushing boundaries, making samples out of Jay-Z and chopping them up,” he recalls. “That was one of my first dope-ass endings. I went in the studio one day, had a hangover, and I kind of felt like how that ending sounds.”

To think, it wouldn’t have been possible were it not for Plain Pat, who introduced Dean and Kanye to begin with. He reveals that the pair originally connected after they both produced on Scarface‘s The Fix abum, with Kanye having laced the iconic “Guess Who’s Back.” From there, Mike and Kanye developed an appreciation for one another, and a longstanding creative relationship was forged as a result. Check out the full interview below. 

Drake‘s new mixtape, Dark Lane Demo Tapes, dropped on Friday, and the project is full of hidden gems. A collection of previously leaked tracks and brand new joints, DLDT was, for the most part, a surprise for fans. Whispers of a new Drake project only started circulating a few hours before he dropped the tape at midnight on Friday (May 1st), and even then, it was relatively unknown what he would be bringing to the table. One of the most widely discussed cuts off DLDT is the third-to-last track, “From Florida With Love,” largely due to Drake’s reference to a famous incident in 2009 in which the rapper was robbed at gunpoint.

Drake and his date were walking back to his SUV on Beatrice Street in Toronto on May 31st, when two armed men approached them and ordered Drake to give up all his money and jewelry. He ended up losing $2,000 in cash, an AP watch, and a diamond chain Lil Wayne had gifted him, the latter of which serves as the track’s segway into the subject of the robbery.

John Phillips/Getty Images

On “From Florida With Love,” Drake raps about the same moment that he spoke about during his infamous Rap Radar interview in 2019, in which he met the late Kobe Bryant on Wayne’s tour bus before he was gifted the chain. “Weezy played that sh*t for me and Kobe on the bus/Went and got a chain for me, I had to give it up,” he spits, before going into detail about the actual moment he was forced to give up the piece of jewelry.

“N*ggas had they pistols loaded pointed at my truck,” he raps. “And you know that lesson stuck/From that day I never touched the road without a (Plug)/Ayy, from that day I never saw the point in talkin’ tough/Hasn’t happened since, I guess you n*ggas know what’s up.” Drake opened up about the unfortunate incident in his GQ cover story the following year. “I knew it was a setup, because I had on a sweater and a jacket,” he said. “but when they banged on the car window with a gun and opened the door, the first thing he said was, ‘Yo, run that chain.’ They didn’t rob her, and her purse was sitting right there. So I was like, ‘OK, yup—you set the whole thing up.'”

Things almost took a tragic turn for Halle Berry when she was on the set of 2002’s James Bond film Die Another Day. The movie was the 20th in the Bond series and featured Pierce Brosnan as the title MI6 agent and Halle Berry as Jinx Johnson, and agent for the NSA. Halle revisited her time filming Die Another Day while chatting recently with Jimmy Fallon for The Tonight Show. The Oscar-winning actress recalled having a life-threatening moment while in a scene with Brosnan who, in turn, saved her life.

Carlos Alvarez / Stringer / Getty Images

“I was doing a scene with Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day, and I was supposed to be all sexy and, like, trying to seduce him with a fig, and then I end up choking on it,” Halle told Jimmy. Brosnan didn’t skip a beat in saving his co-star. “He had to get up and do the c…So not sexy.”

“You should’ve seen it. James Bond knows how to Heimlich. He was there for me,” Halle Berry added. “He will always be one of my favorite people in the whole world.” She also talked about being under quarantine with her kids and laughed about how differently they’re each handling being home around the clock. Watch Halle’s interview below.

Havoc has plenty of faith in his catalogue of hits, as he told Swizz Beatz he wouldn't be afraid of whichever producer they put him up against since nobody would be able to "destroy" him in a battle. The Mobb Deep rapper and producer reached out to Swizz in order to get involved with his and Timbaland's insanely popular Verzuz series, which has been keeping tons of people entertained during quarantine. The series, which has seen tons of legendary producers, songwriters, and rappers face off in a battle of their greatest hits, has been a source of joy for many hip hop and R&B fans during these dark times, and Havoc wants to get in on the action.

John Sciulli/Getty Images for VH1/Viacom

“I just hit up Swizz, I sent him my list,” he revealed. “Now I said, ‘Swizz, I’ll battle anybody you put me against.’ He said, ‘I bet.’ I said, ‘I’ll be waiting,’ and he said, ‘I’m going to do it ASAP.’ So look for that.” He went on to explain why he's not afraid to take on any producer that's thrown his way, whether it be his longtime collaborator, Alchemist, previous Verzuz champion, RZA, or a newcomer like Metro Boomin.

“You could put me up against anybody and I’m not going to get destroyed," he explained. "I believe that in my heart. I could definitely hang in there with the best of them. And yeah, I was going to say [RZA] but I didn’t want to get beside myself, but I would take him on. I’m willing to lose just because.” Swizz seemingly implied that Havoc was already on the roster for a future battle with one of the aforementioned beatmakers during an Instagram live session on Saturday (April 18th) with Timbo. Swizz responded to Alchemist's lighthearted jab about Swizz in the comments by telling him, "you just focus on Havoc."

Teddy Riley and Babyface finally went head-to-head in a battle of the hits on Instagram Live, facing off as part of the Verzuz challenge with minimal technical difficulties this time. In the middle of their face-off, Dr. Dre called up Teddy Riley and spoke about the prospect of his battle against Diddy, which was suggested by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. 

During the call, Dre calls Teddy Riley a legend and commends him and Babyface for finally figuring out how to live-stream for the culture. Then, he repeatedly states that he's unsure this sort of challenge is right for him.

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

"I don't know if I'm interested in it," says Dre after Teddy tells him he already knows the rapper/producer would kill it. "I don't know if I'm interested in doing that but we'll see what it is. I was going back and forth with Puff earlier today."

As of now, it doesn't look like this proposed Verzuz battle between Dr. Dre and Diddy will actually happen. Unless Dre changes his mind, you can probably count this one out.

Who do you think would make a good replacement for Dr. Dre against Diddy? Does anybody have the hits to match his catalog?

Ronald Reagan entered the presidential office in 1981. In response to the economic, political and cultural difficulties that went on during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, Reagan, an actor-turned-politician, entered the Oval Office. A cultural shift was happening in America following the rise of the hippie movement in the 1970s and Ronald Reagan pushed back against it. Reagan brought hope to disaffected liberals across America, emphasizing a tough-on-crime stance– just as the crime rate was also beginning to rise. Conservatism was embraced, once again. As Reagan doubled down on Nixon’s War On Drugs, he also cut funding for Great Society programs meant to benefit disenfranchised groups, and more ambitiously, eradicate poverty and racial inequity. And this remains one of the most impactful moves in Reagan’s career. To this day, we’ve seen how his effort to combat drug use in general led to increased incarceration rates of Black and Brown people. Blacks and Latin communities were targets in the eyes of mainstream America who had already associated the “evils” of society with marginalized communities. The stigma from the War on Drugs still lingers today, and it’s not limited to crack, cocaine, or heroin — it’s reflected in day-to-day life for many such as NYC’s controversial stop-and-frisk practice. 

A portrait of President Ronald Reagan in 1985 – Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In 1973, the same year DJ Kool Herc hosted hip-hop’s first block party, President Nixon launched the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) replacing the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants became the norm as Nixon attempted to combat the rise of crime and heroin. But even something like cannabis possession was being harshly penalized. A simple possession charge, under Nixon’s newly devised plan, could land someone in jail for 2-10 years. During this time, cannabis was categorized as a Schedule I drug, thus rubbing shoulders with cocaine, heroin, and other hard drugs. Even with several states, most recently Virginia, legalizing cannabis, it is still considered a drug with no medical benefit to it, per the federal government’s classification.

A Schedule I drug is classified as a substance with little-to-no medicinal value– despite the fact that cannabis has proven to have medical value and aids in treatment of many conditions from physical body pains to mental health problems such as PTSD, depression and anxiety. 

America soon declared the use of illicit substances as public enemy number one, although the undertones would suggest otherwise.

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news,” revealed John Ehrlichman, Nixon’s top aide on domestic affairs.

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A  2018 report from American Progress discovered that by 2015, drug possession arrests went up three times as much than the rate in 1980, averaging 1.3M arrests per year. This is six times as high as the average rate of drug trafficking arrests. When you focus on the numbers, the racial disparity in the war on drugs policy becomes clear. Roughly 80 percent of those incarcerated on federal drug convictions are Black or Latino. This study also points out the inequity when it comes to sentencing. The average sentencing for a non-violent drug offense among Black Americans is nearly the same amount as a white defendant would get for a violent crime. On an economic standpoint, the same study reveals that an estimated $1 trillion was spent on the war on drugs. 

Snoop Dogg arrested on charges of suspicion of marijuana possession, circa 1995 – Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Drugs that were defined as Schedule I with no medicinal value were, at one point, used for medicinal purposes in other countries and introduced to the U.S. by American doctors. Cannabis had already been introduced to America by the time the 20th Century rolled around, while opiates were being frequently prescribed throughout the 1800s. Cocaine was introduced to the States by American doctors who learned from the European explorers, who saw how Indiginous communities in South America used it. It was considered a quick pick-me-up for workers, but it’s association with the Black community in the South marked a shift in narrative. The New York Times published an article headlined “Negro Cocaine ‘Fiends’ Are A New Southern Menace” on Feb. 8th. 1914, which helped sparked this myth surrounding cocaine and Black Americans in the South. This particular article written by Edward Huntington Williams, M.D. described the “effects” that cocaine had on Black Americans. “[The Negro fiend] imagines that he hears people taunting and abusing him, and this often incites homicidal attacks upon innocent and unsuspecting victims,” the article reads. It sounds absurd, but these headlines weren’t uncommon. Williams added that cocaine essentially gave Black men Superman-like abilities such as “a resistance to the ‘knock down’ effects of fatal wounds. Bullets fired into vital parts that would drop a sane man in his tracks, fail to check the ‘fiend.’” Spurred by these types of reports, in 1914 a new law emerged, the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, that regulated and taxed all coca products.

The prohibition of cannabis followed a similar path as cocaine and heroin and it’s mostly due to Harry J. Anslinger, the man who vehemently campaigned to criminalize cannabis. Anslinger is to blame for the high levels of incarceration surrounding cannabis-related offenses, even today. He helped create the narrative that cannabis was a drug used by Black musicians to lure White women. Just as cocaine was used to paint Black men as a threat to white women in the South, the perception of weed was that it made people of color violent and sexually aggressive towards white women after consumption. 

There’s a history of Black musicians becoming public targets in the eyes of the government. In the last 30 years since the War On Drugs began, hip-hop artists have become the newest target. This unjust tradition has been passed down through generations, dating back to jazz music. In fact, if you look at some of the earliest references of cannabis in music, they come from jazz artists. Jazz music was bringing the world together ahead of Anslinger’s induction as the head of the Bureau Of Narcotics. As more reports emerged of Black and Latin communities consuming cannabis in areas like El Paso, TX and New Orleans, as well as the migrations of African-Americans into Northern states, xenophobia became stronger and stronger. African-Americans, Mexicans and jazz culture as a whole became the main targets, because, while segregation was still the norm in the South, jazz music was beginning to break down these racial barriers. Men and women, both Black and White, occupied jazz clubs in harmony, where they would enjoy music, dance, and partake in the consumption of cannabis. Much like cocaine, the use of cannabis in these jazz clubs struck a chord among middle Americans and politicians alike. A growing fear that Black men would use this “mysterious” plant to seduce and “prey” on white teenagers ran rampant due to propaganda, such as Reefer Madness. The 1936 film meant to warn people about the effects of cannabis spewed nonsensical dangers of the plant.

A “Reefer Madness” poster, 1936 – Hulton Archive/Getty Images

“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind. Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing, results from marijuana usage,” Anslinger said.

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Jazz musicians became the cultural targets of this xenophobia on a wider scale as many of them also became vocal advocates for cannabis. Louis Armstrong, for instance, can be regarded as one of the pioneers of cannabis culture in music. Outside of Culver City, CA’s Cotton Club in 1930, Louis Armstrong was arrested after police spotted him smoking a joint during breaks before a set, making him the first celebrity to ever get arrested for the use of cannabis. Armstrong was sentenced to six months in prison and forced to pay a $1000 fine, but even after his release, he demanded that he have a permit to smoke cannabis anywhere he went. Armstrong was far from the last to get arrested, though. Anslinger directed authorities to keep a close eye on acts like Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway — credited for being the first to reference cannabis in music on “Reefer Man” — Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and more based on the belief they were converting young White kids into budsmokers. 

The Cotton Club in Harlem, 1925 – Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The rebellious nature of the youth prevailed, with cannabis becoming far more popular in the decades to come, largely due to jazz. One major player in the scene was Mezz Mezzrow, a Jewish Harlem jazz musician hailing from Chicago who became the number one cannabis supplier to jazz musicians–  he was known to have that jive– better known in 2020 as the “loud pack.”The Mighty Mezz was the name of the strain that all the jazz musicians were smoking at the time, named after the man himself. 

He immersed himself in Black culture, inspired by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet, even considering himself black. “In his belief that through his immersion in African American musical culture and his participation in the life of the black community in Harlem, he had definitively ‘crossed the line’ that divided white and black identities,” according to Gayle Ward, author of Crossing the Line: Racial Passing in Twentieth- Century U.S. Literature and Culture. Eventually, he ended up in jail for selling cannabis. Apparently, he was so convinced that he was Black, he demanded that the warden place him in the section for Black inmates because he feared being attacked by White inmates. Mezz Mezzrow’s arrest and stature in cannabis and jazz culture planted a bigger cultural seed than anyone could imagine, inspiring the generations to come.

Cannabis culture would not have been able to thrive without the help of great musicians like Mezz. Hip-hop, similar to Jazz, found certain artists leading the charge in normalizing marijuana use and advocating for it, perhaps beginning with Cypress Hill in the ‘90s. In the past decade, Wiz Khalifa has emerged as the new-age poster child for legalization. 

“I think for every generation you have your trailblazers and your people who kinda set the standard for what pot is for people that age,” Wiz Khalifa told us. Wiz set a standard for the generation of smokers that followed. Kush & Orange Juice marked a shift in hip-hop and cannabis culture as a whole, as well as fusing the two tighter together than ever before.

“For me, it was like Snoop, Cypress Hill, Method Man and Redman. Even seeing people like Cam’ron smoke weed and rap about it, it just inspired me to be my own,” Wiz said. Along with Curren$y, the two intertwined their love for music and cannabis to become one of the most notable stoner duos in the last decade. “Me and Curren$y linked up just by being homies and being into the same things,” he added. “I think our genuine love for art and music as well as pot, it kinda just tied everything together and made it kinda clear that that was the norm. I mean it still is, it’s just creative people love to smoke, get together, and dress well.” 

A portrait of Jazz musician Mezz Mezrow, circa 1940 – William Gottlieb/Redferns/Getty Images

The idea of having a personal strain, pioneered by Mezz’s The Mighty Mezz, set the precedent for artists like Wiz Khalifa to follow. And again, in the same way Jazz musicians came up with slang words to refer to cannabis, so too has the hip-hop community. In the mid-aughts, it was damn-near impossible to hear a rapper who doesn’t talk about smoking “Kush” or “Purpp.” Groups like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Cypress Hill as well as artists like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Devin The Dude, and countless others had popularized terms like Indo and Hydro, referencing the method used to grow the plants. Strains and nicknames that came from the streets would eventually make their way into every smoker’s vernacular. Dr. Dre’s The Chronic introduced the world to a common term for cannabis sativa in the West Coast. Nearly a decade and a half later, Cam’ron would title his magnum opus, Purple Haze, because, admittedly that’s what was fueling those studio sessions. 

Mario Guzman, better known as Mr. Sherbinski is the man behind a few popular strains that are heavily referenced throughout rap music. His proprietary genetics have created sought-after strains like Sunset Sherbet and Gelato.

“I got into the game by growing really good flowers and being known by developing Sunset Sherbert and the Gelato strains in San Francisco in the early days of legalization,” he told us over the phone. Guzman was working as a real estate broker until the market was beginning to “take a turn for the worst in California.” A friend told him to start growing cannabis as a way to supplement the loss of income, and that marked the beginning of his journey into the cannabis industry. “Starting a little hobby, I quickly realized that I had a greenthumb. And I developed this connection with the cannabis plant,” he added.

Just as he forayed into the cannabis industry, the Bay Area was witnessing the birth of the Hyphy movement and the demand for quality cannabis was high.

“By putting them into the right influencers’ hands– local rappers in San Francisco and people that we knew that just wanted the flower, to help when they’re in the studio or for them to ‘catch a vibe.’ That was sort of the beginning and how I transitioned from, getting that flower to the rapper’s hands, but also into the guys that would sell on the streets, which would make it popular,” he said. 

“When there’s good flower, we say it takes them to a place where we believe all creative energy comes from. If it’s not good flower, you don’t get to that point. You’re not able to tap into that energy so that’s what we’ve become known for. That’s why artists fuck with us, that’s why they want our flower because if they have it, they’re able to reach this place where you can tap in creatively,” Guzman explained of the SHERBINSKIS brand. 

But it’s the streets, ultimately, that dictate what’s cool and what isn’t. Maybe that’s why rappers– despite spearheading legalization through normalization– are often being used by Big Weed companies to target the urban community and beyond. “That’s the unique connection– with making [any strain] popular with the people that are rapping about it, and [then] how that affects the young people that are listening to this music, and also affects the product that they buy. I think that also speaks to a lot of these corporate companies that look to the hip hop culture, [to] the urban communities, [to] Black and Latino culture that [really] influences what people are going to buy.”

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Drug culture of the 80s was defined by cocaine, while the inner-cities were riddled with the effects of the crack epidemic. Reagan took away social programs, like Medicaid, food stamps, social security and federal education programs, that would’ve helped vulnerable communities deal with the epidemic while the Wolf Of Wall Street could rail lines of cocaine all day. Crack was harshly penalized in comparison to powdered cocaine. Given the crack epidemic disproportionately affected Black communities, the late 80s found many rappers, such as Ice-T on “You Played Yourself” (1989), pushing an anti-drug message, to prevent the youth from getting trapped as either a user or a dealer.  Only a few years before dropping The Chronic, Dr. Dre famously said he doesn’t “smoke weed or sess ‘cause it’s known to give a brother brain damage” on N.W.A’s. “Express Yourself.” Hell, even in Jay-Z’s “22 Twos” off of his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt, there’s a part in the outro where Maria Davis condemns the use of cannabis. Yet, in 2019, Jay-Z was announced as the chief brand strategist for cannabis company Caliva.

The emergence of Cypress Hill shook up the world in the early 90s. A Latino “pot-smoking” group coming out of Los Angeles, embodying gangsta rap with an emphasis on spreading the benefits of cannabis. In 1991, five years before Prop 215,  the group dropped their self-titled debut album. Their cannabis references weren’t exactly slick, either. They were letting you know exactly what they were doing on songs like “Light Another” and “Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk.” On a song like “How To Kill A Man,” despite what its title may suggest, B-Real and Sen Dog were simply explaining how things were in their community, ravaged by the crack epidemic and gang warfare.

“For them, it was easy to point the finger and to say, ‘Hey, this is the wrong example. This is not what our kids should be listening to,’ and you know trying to create these obstacles for artists like us,” B-Real said. “We were speaking our mind about what was going on in our communities and what was going on in society and in our neighborhood, you know, and we were taking big chances with some of the titles of the songs and some of the content and how we were making it. But we felt that, you know, artistically, what we had was so different and out of the box that, you know, we had to stick by what we were talking about and how we were doing it no matter what.”

“We didn’t expect that people would connect to it on the cannabis level that it did, because like you said, there was a lot of anti-drug messages in hip hop right at that point, because a lot of the labels didn’t want to take chances,” B-Real added. “Fortunately, in spite of some of the blowback of some of the songs, you know, it resonated more with people than any of us expected.” 

Cypress Hill’s 1998 single “Dr. Greenthumb” planted a seed both metaphorically and literally for the artist. “Dr. Greenthumb” served as an exploration into B-Real’s alter ego as a grower and eventually, it would serve as the name of his cannabis company. B-Real and Sen Dog’s entry into growing and cultivating cannabis began long before their days as luminary smokers, when they would be smoking out in Sen Dog’s backyard. Seeds that were found in the buds were tossed to the side, but a few of them grew into 13-feet plants. B-Real explains it was this that sparked his interest in growing. Researching constantly, some disposable income, and trial-and-error over the years finally led to the launch of Dr. Green Thumb Farms and B-Real’s foray into the world of legal cannabis. Meanwhile, lessons learned from the music industry became applicable on the business side of the cannabis industry.

“When you go into music, when you start a group and get signed by a label, you gotta trademark your name. Copyright, all of that. And you learn all these things,” he said. “I came with some knowledge on how you market in brand products and how you own it, and then how you push it out. So I took that and applied that to this, so when I decided to come into the cannabis industry, I trademarked my name under Dr. Green Thumb [in] various ways.” Cypress Hill, already an established “brand” at the time, played in his favor. “I started my trademark with Dr. Green Thumb, the music and the events and then transitioned that trademark into cannabis and people were already familiar with it so that gave me steps ahead.”

Wiz Khalifa blows out smoke – Rick Kern/WireImage/Getty Images

It can be argued that Wiz Khalifa has benefited from the Cypress Hill template, as both an artist and a brand. Wiz’s name has been synonymous with cannabis for over a decade. Though known solely as a smoker in his early career, he’s now established as a cannabis entrepreneur, working the Khalifa Kush strain into the market and even teaming up with Supreme (not the streetwear brand) to launch a line of oils, along with ventures in the cannabis tech world such as the Weed Farms app. His entrance into the legal market was, like B-Real, a natural process. 

Wiz’s KK strain is fine-tuned specifically for Wiz himself, he tells us. “I just wanted to create something that I was into. As far as taste and smell. You know what I mean? Just something I was personally into,” he explained. Described as a phenotype of OG Kush, Wiz Khalifa’s exploration into genetics and cultivation began with his relationship with Taylor Gang signee and fellow hip-hop cannabis king, Berner.

“I got into the genetics of it just by being down with Berner. Traveling and meeting up with him on the road, he just really put me onto some different strains and some different types. He was in the middle of cultivating and coming up with some new strains himself, so he kind of just sent me through the same process that he was doing. Looking at different strains and really being picky, tryna get it right. In that process, he was able to find a few strains that he held onto like Cookies, Brunch, and stuff like that while I was able to walk away with KK.”

Cookies is one of today’s most-referenced strains of cannabis in hip-hop, just like The Mighty Mezz was in jazz’s hey-day. Though the scope of the cannabis industry has vastly expanded and new methods of consumption have grown in popularity, Berner’s beginnings in the cannabis industry started when he was a budtender, just as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 was passed. Prop 215, as it’s frequently referred to, marked a milestone in cannabis culture, especially in California where the effects of the War On Drugs and the crack epidemic were still lingering. The stepping stones of his success with Cookies lie in his early adult years when he went from budtender to running a cannabis store, from the age 18 to 25. The industry was different back then. 

“It was heaven. It was the best process in the world. I wish we could bring it back to that process. It was a lot more pure and genuine. You know people just come in with their turkey bags full of good herbs and you would smell it. If you liked it, you’d buy it and negotiate the price right there,” Berner explained. He shared how, these days, it takes nearly three months to actually get products on the shelf after they go through testing. Nonetheless, these are changes he expected with the cannabis industry shifting. Berner dedicated his entire adult life to the cannabis industry, before there was a legal weed industry. Though it started off on a grassroots level, he’ll even admit that his position as hip-hop’s de-facto weed guy certainly didn’t hurt his cause.

“Having that cannabis club I was running back in the days, [helped] build my name up. When I got the brand, being able to push it on the internet and show it off, and being aware of how important branding is to what you’re doing…The music helped a lot though, I mean, I’m in the studio this week. I ran into a lot of artists, not gonna say who, but really, really, really big artists and I’ve been able to put stuff that’s not even out yet, in their hands,” Berner revealed.

One of those artists was fellow connoisseur B-Real. The two just dropped off their second joint project, Los Meros on April 17th. There’s a mutual love between the two, as both growers and MCs, but just because Berner has access to some of hip-hop’s elite doesn’t mean he uses his flowers as leverage. He’s worked on projects with Styles P and Cam’ron in the past, and the week we spoke, he had run into Dave East, A$AP Rocky, and Dr. Dre. However, it’s the organic relationships that he’s built and continues to build that have cemented his lofty position in the cannabis industry. “I almost get a kick out of not doing music with people I run into and trying to leverage the weed,” he explains, in part due to his shyness. “I just like people to acknowledge what I get done and whatever happens naturally or organically, it happens. That’s what’s dope.”

These organic relationships extend into his work as an entrepreneur in San Francisco, including a recent partnership with Shawn Richards. Under San Francisco’s Social Equity Program, Berner and Shawn Richards partnered with Cole Ashbury Group to launch Berner’s On Haight. Richards is now the first equity partner under the program that’s been approved by the city and county of San Francisco. The program is meant to create fair opportunities for Black and Brown entrepreneurs that have been affected by the War on Drugs. Berner’s On Haight marks San Francisco’s first black-owned dispensary but the rapper did face a bit of backlash upon opening it. A Vice article read, “White Weed Entrepreneurs Gaming Programs Meant To Help People Of Color” emerged just as Berner celebrated his launch. The article also happened to come out just a few days before he spoke to me.

“They put a ridiculous article out claiming that’s not the case and the headline of the article stated that rich white businessmen are taking advantage of minorities’ equity program deals. Published one of the worst articles I’ve ever seen and it really f*ckin’ upset me because the amount of energy I put into partnering with Shawn outside of the partnership itself on teaching him what I’ve learned the past 20 years, it’s crazy,” Berner, who’s Mexican, said in response to the article. “We’re so happy with what we’re doing, and it is the first black-owned dispensary in San Francisco, and it’s the first equity applicant store opened in San Francisco, the second in the nation and it’s majority is owned by him. And he’s the CEO. He’s on salary and he’s learning the business from me which I don’t give this kind of game to anyone.”

San Francisco isn’t the only place that’s taking steps to create a more inclusive industry. These equity programs are popping up a lot more across the nation. Nearly all states, with the exception of three, allow medical marijuana. Though only 13 of those states have fully legalized cannabis, certain states like California, Illinois, and Michigan have launched equity initiatives to support ownership and employment in the industry. Los Angeles, specifically, offers “individuals who are low income, have past cannabis arrests and or convictions and those that live in Disproportionately Impacted Areas may qualify to participate in the City’s Social Equity Program. This Program aims to support people impacted by the War on Drugs and seeks to reduce barriers to entering the legal cannabis industry by providing a number of programs to support business ownership and employment opportunities.” 

Berner holds up a big bag of weed – Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

The complications surrounding the cannabis business involve money and the lingering socio-economic impacts of the war on drugs. The economics of the legalization of cannabis presents issues to, not only disenfranchised communities targeted by cannabis prohibition, but independent growers who lack the reach of major corporations. Like Big Pharma and Big Tobacco, cannabis, too, now has Big Weed companies infiltrating the market. Launching a cannabis business requires big bucks for licenses, permits, and cultivation, among the various other expenses. Though fees vary state-to-state, according to Cova Software’s website, a company that produces POS systems for dispensaries and the cannabis industry at large, the initial costs for opening a dispensary start anywhere from $150K to $2M, including staffing and rent. They state that the licensing application alone, on average, is $5K, while the annual license itself, if accepted, is anywhere from $1K to $10K. An applicant’s net worth, however, makes all the difference in certain states. Pensylvannia, for example, expects owners to have enough capital leftover to maintain their company expenses which typically means assets amounting to $2M and $500K in liquid cash.

Government initiatives aside, there are people on the inside of these Big Weed corporations looking to bring inclusivity and equality to the game. Take Jason White, for example. He’s one of the leading African-American executives in the cannabis industry serving Curaleaf as its Chief Marketing Officer and overseeing the Select oil brand, which Curaleaf acquired earlier in the year. Previously working as the former global head of marketing for Beats By Dre and and Global Account Director of Nike while at Widen + Kennedy, his foray into cannabis quickly transformed him into a leading figure in bringing social equity to the cannabis industry. He’s also behind The Possible Plan that aims to bring equitable access and reparatory justice to those affected by the War On Drugs such as expunging records for those convicted of cannabis charges before legalization began. The Possible Plan recently expunged more than 400 records in Baltimore. Bringing social equity is not solely about ownership but about diversifying the industry as a whole whether it’s in sourcing the products, marketing or even the tech side of things. 

“I still think that the industry is very, very young and you still have a small handful of financial and business leaders that have the greatest amount of benefit,” he explained when asked who is benefiting the most from the cannabis industry right now. “Those that are contributing the capital are the ones that are, right now, poised to benefit.”

Though it’s white-collar businessmen reaping the benefits of the cannabis industry, White’s work could be the template for bringing inclusivity and social equity to the game. He explains that right now there’s a large amount of growth to do, both socially and fiscally, while important decisions are made behind the scenes that can ultimately dictate all of this.

“I think Big Cannabis can mean big good,” he explained. “If the right people make the decision to build this industry the way it should be built, I think you can see in Big Cannabis something very different from what we’ve seen in the past and that is an industry that thinks about its heritage, that contributes toward the livelihood of those that have been that have been damaged in the past by prohibition and thinks about how to grow as an industry in a way that is inclusive and in a way that is equitable. I think where we are at a crossroads right now, where we can still make those decisions and we can still build an industry that’s more inclusive.”

To that effect, White is keeping a close eye on the MORE Act. Standing for Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement act, the MORE Act of 2019 is meant to decriminalize cannabis on a federal level, thus removing it as a Schedule I drug. But it also includes a social equity provision in the act that would help minorities, specifically those impacted by the War On Drugs, to face less barriers in entering the legal weed game.

“What we’re seeing in social equity laws — in the upcoming legislation for states that are going legal — are there very specifically-focused on how they’re giving access to the cannabis industry, to those that have either personally been affected by prohibition or those communities that have been disproportionately affected by prohibition. They’re getting a favor in license applications. They’re getting access to training in other areas through privately funded organizations. You’re starting to finally see a movement that is thinking about those people that have been not just ignored, but really disproportionately affected by the war on drugs,” White explained to us. 

Though the fight to create more diverse spaces and opportunities in the cannabis industry continues, it’s not limited to owning a dispensary or cultivating the plant. The cannabis industry, as Leafly put it in their 2019 Job Count, is “America’s hidden job boom.” 

211,000 Americans found employment in the ever-expanding field, and the number grows to 296,000 when you consider those who are working tangentially, such as marketing firms and legal aid. The stigma surrounding cannabis hasn’t been eradicated entirely but it’s putting food on many tables across the country.

Yet, even with these promising advances, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the small guys to succeed in the Big Weed industry. The fact of the matter is, anyone who wasn’t fully invested in the industry before the legal market was established will find it difficult to compete. It’s expensive– from getting started to maintaining cultivation, as well as the taxes that come along with it. Starting on January 1st, 2020,California raised taxes on vertically integrated cannabis companies from 30% to 80%. These large corporations feeding dollars to launch cannabis brands are able to afford it, certainly, but local growers and mom-and-pop shops might have to eventually close because of the margins and competition.

“I believe that they’ve pumped these taxes up to wash out small businesses and make room for big business, and those of us that have a big enough brand to survive will be like the craft brewers and, you know, independent like that. Those of us with a big enough brand to withstand what’s coming,” B-Real explained. “I know it sounds crazy, but you know, we saw this coming the minute they say they passed Prop 64. My group of people, some of us were saying it like, ‘you know, this is great. Legalization is great but some of this shit is off because it’s going to affect the small businesses.’ It’s not going to affect someone like me, you know, because I did building my brand before I got into the cannabis industry through music, being an advocate and activist. It’s going to affect the people that maybe, they don’t have a brand that is well-known. They don’t have the financial backing to compete with the marketing of some of the giants that are going to come in, because that’s the part of it. You can have the best cannabis in the world in your shop, but if you don’t have the money to promote, publicize and market that particular place, you’re going to fall victim to the one with the bigger name.”

Cypress Hill attend the first-ever Budtender Awards, October, 2019 – Denise Truscello/WireImage/Getty Images

The advocacy and work people like B-Real, Berner, Jason White and Mario Guzman put in before legalization happened is why they’ve been able to succeed. They perfected their craft and established trusted brands with quality products over the years. B-Real and Berner, for example, have lived this life, both on and off wax, for the world to see. Guzman might not be a rapper but there’s a reason that artists like Travis Scott and Migos have given him shout outs. Not many rappers can successfully get into the industry on their own unless they’ve been putting in the work for years. At this point, we will see more musicians get into the industry but through partnerships and sponsorships because they have the leverage of their brand. 

“Groups like The Black Crowes in the 90s that were advocates and that were totally out there, up front about it. But it’s because rock, that genre, it’s about the music first, cannabis later, if cannabis at all. Some of those fans just ain’t into it but some of them are. That’s the commonality that we have.” B-Real explained. “Cannabis activists loved them. But like, let’s just say, music fans, not all of them embraced their politics. Whereas in hip hop, that’s just a given. It comes with every fuckin’ rapper. It’s like if you had a Star Wars vinyl toy with Luke Skywalker, what does he come with every time? A fucking lightsaber. If you were to put out a fucking rapper vinyl, you know, collectible, they should be having a bag of weed [come with it], because that’s what it is these days.”

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls will be the subject of a brand new documentary called The Last Dance which is set to air on April 19th. In order to promote the new docuseries, members of the 97-98 Bulls team have been summoned for a series of interviews. Recently, Steve Kerr and Scottie Pippen sat down with Rachel Nichols of ESPN where they told some incredible stories about MJ. One of those tales involved the time he finessed a Bulls arena security guard out of $4,100.

As the story goes, Jordan and the security guard used to bet $100 per game on the Jumbotron races. The catch was that MJ was being tipped off as to who won, prior to the races airing on the screen.

Though he's been active for a minute now, many are only starting to realize that Conway The Machine is one of the game's best lyricists, as further evidenced by his recent Alchemist-produced LULU EP. And while the Griselda rapper has indeed unveiled his plans to step away from the mic, The Machine has no intentions of going out quietly. With three more albums already mapped out, Conway has been taking to Instagram Live to preview a few upcoming drops -- prompting Hit-Boy to further stoke the flames of hype.

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In response to a fan singling out a particularly hard-hitting Machine banger, Hit-Boy confirmed that the pair have more than a few bombs on the horizon. And while this is purely speculation, the Hit-Boy produced song Conway previewed seemed to indicate that it stemmed from his "first album," which points to its inclusion on God Don't Make Mistakes. The spooky banger is the perfect backdrop for Conway to snap, and given the intensity with which he attacks the beat, it wouldn't be surprising to see this being the introduction to whatever comes next. 

Keep an eye out for Hit-Boy and Conway's new music, as well as any future plans from the entire Griselda camp. Are you excited to see what Conway has in store on his upcoming Shady Records debut album?

Karl-Anthony Towns revealed to the world that his family had been struck with the coronavirus, noting that both of his parents had contracted the deadly illness. The basketball star's father, Karl Sr., has since recovered from COVID-19 but KAT's mother Jacqueline Cruz is still fighting for her life. According to John Calipari, the head coach of the University of Kentucky men's team, where Towns played college ball, the athlete's mother remains in critical condition.

"Ms. Jackie, Karl-Anthony Towns’ mother, is still in that hospital fighting. She’s there," said Calipari during a live-stream on Facebook this week. "We get updates, every single day we get an update from Karl Sr. about how she’s doing from the nurses at the ICU. Keep praying for her, send her unbelievably positive thoughts. I can’t wait until she gets out of that hospital. It’s been a tough road."

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From his wording, it would appear as though Calipari and Towns believe she will make a full recovery.

Karl-Anthony posted a video on his Instagram page several weeks ago, detailing the severity of the coronavirus and how it affected his family so severely.

"WE CAN BEAT THIS, BUT THIS IS SERIOUS AND WE NEED TO TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION," wrote the forward.

Continue praying for Ms. Jackie!

View this post on Instagram

Sharing my story in the hopes that everyone stays at home! We need more equipment and we need to help those medical personnel on the front lines. Thank you to the medical staff who are helping my mom. You are all the true heroes! Praying for all of us at this difficult time.

A post shared by Karl-Anthony Towns (@karltowns) on Mar 24, 2020 at 9:48pm PDT

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If there’s any silver lining to the ongoing state of global affairs, it’s that Instagram Live battles have rapidly risen to become a cultural staple. Thanks largely in part to the diplomatic work of the legendary producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, who sparked the entire quarantine battle movement with their own epic tete-a-tete, IG battles have become a win-win situation for both the participating artists and the fans tuning in to watch.

Following previous match-ups between Scott Storch and Mannie Fresh, Boi-1da and Hit-Boy, The-Dream and Sean Garrett, Tory Lanez and French Montana, as well as Ne-yo and Johnta Austin for the R&B heads, we’re looking at a decent card for this coming weekend. Tonight, we’ll get a chance to catch Rich The Kid face off against Trippie Redd, after his previous challenge to A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie fell flat. Look for that one to pop off at 9 PM EST, one of the first match-ups between two of the new generation.

Tomorrow we’re looking at another Timbaland and Swizz-produced tilt, this one highlighting two of the biggest hitmakers of the past twenty years: Lil Jon and T-Pain. Though T-Pizzle has since downplayed the competitive spirit, labeling it a fun-time between two longtime homies, it’s still going to be interesting to see who emerges victorious in the eyes of the fans. Catch that one Saturday night at 9PM EST.

What are some fantasy match-ups you hope to one day see? If we’re lucky, perhaps we can see rappers start having verse-battles, with lyrical artists like Royce and Crooked I going head to head with their hardest bars. The possibilities are endless, and we can expect to see even more participants looking to join the fun as the quarantine continues. 

Rich The Kid, the self-declared boss man and CEO of Rich Forever Records, has assembled himself a solid repertoire of hits over the course of his still-young career. Especially now that he’s gone and dropped off Boss Man, his first album in a projected series to conclude later this year. Yet even amid all the success, all the music made, all the chart positions climbed, Rich The Kid has found himself in the same predicament as any of us — which is to say, stuck in quarantine. 

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As such, he’s likely been tuning in to the influx of glorious battles we’ve been seeing transpire on Instagram Live. Timbaland vs. Swizz Beatz. Scott Storch vs. Mannie Fresh. Tory Lanez vs. French Montana. The-Dream vs. Sean Garrett. The competitive spirit appears to be at an all-time high, and Rich The Kid has found himself bitten by the dueling bug. As such, he’s taken a break from frolicking in the nearby meadow to call out names: that of A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, to be sure. 

Though the challenge has since been deleted, remnants of it have been preserved by the ever-watchful eyes on Instagram. It should be noted that Rich The Kid’s callout does not appear to be mean-spirited, as he has previously collaborated with A Boogie on “Like Mike” off The World Is Yours 2. Yet seeing as both men have declared themselves the King Of New York, there would definitely be some underlying stakes at play, were the battle to actually manifest. And if so, who would you be betting on?

It’s been a ride leading up to Lil Uzi Vert‘s Eternal Atake, and the double disc album that would follow, including LUV Vs. The World 2. Little did we know way back when Uzi first started teasing the album that we’d be in the midst of a full-blown crisis when it would finally arrive. All that to say, the album has become even more of an a monumental release, as fans hold on to any piece of normalcy and routine in the wake of mass uncertainty. Uzi, for all intents and purposes, reflects the normalcy of the rap industry. On Eternal Atake and LUV Vs. The World 2 Uzi is just being Uzi. He’s doing all the things we expect from the quirky, googly-eyed artist. He’s rapping about materialism and women. He’s, if just for a moment, allowing us to distance ourselves from the Coronavirus news cycle to immerse ourselves in his colourful and alien world. Now that we’ve had time to sit with the unexpected double disc album, we’ve decided to rank our top 10 favorite songs from both discs. Check out the ranking below, and sound off with what’s missing, what’s misplaced, and perhaps (!) what we got right.

10. Secure the Bag (Eternal Atake)

Kicking off the list at a solid #10, “Secure the Bag” helps close out the first instalment in the Eternal Atake saga. It happens to be Uzi’s second song about securing the bag (and titled as such), following one on his joint project with Gucci Mane, although the sounds of each song couldn’t be more different. Whereas the 1017 song was brash and urgent, this song is a drawn out, and a rather whiny affair. Uzi exaggerates his words on the hook, “I was on the roaaadddddd,” he croons, where elsewhere in the song he keeps his whining curt. Securing the bag is all apart of the game that is life, according to Uzi, and he definitely seems to be winning at that. 

9. Wassup feat. Future (LUV Vs. The World 2)

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“Wassup” is only the second collaboration we have between Future and Lil Uzi Vert (!) both icons in their own right, as surprising as that may seem. Their first collab, “Seven Million,” is definitely a favorite from Uzi’s The Perfect LUV Tape. “Wassup” is up there too, with Pierre Bourne’s signature trap-lite production, and Uzi’s incessant chorus of “what’s up, what’s up, what’s upppppppPpp” sure to be stuck cyclically in your head. Uzi’s verse is solely dedicated to money, not having enough of it, and then subsequently, having so much of it that he can “build me a new facility.” He also reminds us that he is not from this world again, “Everybody know I am from outer space / So you know that aliens be sendin’ me.”

8. Low Mein (Eternal Atake)

“Low Mein” became one of the fans’ favorite songs upon release, and their streaming of the song helped it climb up the Billboard charts, to debut at #8 on the Hot 100– the second-highest charting record from the album, and a non-single at that. The second song on Eternal Atake, it begins mostly with Uzi’s voice and the sound of claps, before a swell of production starts, altogether, behind him. Bugz Ronin and Brandon Finessin create something that’s triumphant if not slightly muted, horns sound far-away and a frenzy of organ keys play alongside them, while Uzi’s voice is front and center. Uzi rhymes “large low mein” with “fresh romaine” and that’s about all you need to know.

7. I’m Sorry (Eternal Atake)

“I’m Sorry” is a record that makes up the “Renji” section of Uzi’s album, as Uzi disciples have astutely uncovered. “I’m Sorry” is actually the first “Renji” song, thus kicking off a series softer songs, followed by “Celebration Station” and “Urgency” with Syd. Uzi himself is soft-spoken on the record, his vocals lightly tread atop the glitchy beat. While “Urgency” is the closest thing we get to a certified r’n’b record on the double disc, this one is a close second. The record appears to be an apology to Uzi’s infamous ex, Brittany Byrd.  “And I’m sorry for everything I ever said, yeah I’m sorry if you were misled / And I’m sorry if my words messed with your head,” he sing-raps. Still, even with his apology in tow, he is resolute that Brittany is “banned” for his entire existence.

6. Baby Pluto (Eternal Atake)

“Baby Pluto” is quickly becoming an alternative nickname for Uzi, as it should be. The man is nearing alien-status, with his pitched vocals and spacey production. Lest we forget, the album cover for Eternal Atake shows a UFO approaching earth, with bright purple, green, red and orange hazily drifting out from the planet, in water colour-like fashion. That summary actually makes for a pretty accurate “Baby Pluto” description, too. The whole song is dripping in colourful swag, in a drawing-outside-the-lines manner. The content is materialistic fare, which is pretty common tropes for Uzi. He delivers a punchy hook that runs through a plethora of Uzi’s fancy vehicles.

5. Moon Relate (LUV Vs. The World 2)

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“Moon Relate” is a marching band anthem, Uzi style. A hollow, restrained drum roll pitter-patters in the background of the production from Danny Wolf and Kid808, while Uzi muses in emo-rap fashion about his numbness. However just as quickly as he reflects on how he’s numb from the pain, he’s right back to flexing about his Wraith. Uzi’s seems to be constantly teetering between one side of the spectrum and the other, juggling materialistic pursuits with emotional turmoil. 

4. P2 (Eternal Atake)

It’s pretty much a given that “P2” would make the list. Everyone loved the original. How could we not love a sequel? “P2” retains some of the catchiest elements of “XO Tour Life,” interpolating and sampling the record– handled by TM88 once more. The soft, lurching sound you’ll recognize from the original makes a return appearance in this beat, as do the drums, while TM88 litters in a few new melodic elements. As we wrote in our breakdown of the two records, “P2” has an overall cleaner aesthetic, while Uzi continues to grapple with his break-up with ex Brittany Byrd. He lays bare how he’s feeling, still downtrodden by the fact that his ex is basically ignoring him. There’s the recurring idea that he’s numb, and even money won’t help at this point, yet he turns to it regardless: “I got paper cuts from hundred dollar bills covered in bustdowns / Countin’ with my thumb now, money make me numb now.”

3. Lotus (LUV Vs. The World 2)

The album opener, “Myron,” leads us right into “Lotus.” The two make for similar-sounding bedfellows, and it’s clear throughout this double disc that Uzi knows how to put a tracklist together. Oogie Mane returns for the production on this joint, alongside Don Cannon and Treshaun Beatz. Nintendo-esque buttons chime quickly one after another before petering off into the lonely ether, as the beat builds up with the inclusion of closed hi-hats and drums. Uzi is in his usual zone: high-end designer swag and excess spending are among the main topics, with a few not-so-menacing gun-riddled bars and self-aware lyrics sided in between: “My pants, they so tight, don’t know if they for her or him.”

2. Celebration Station (Eternal Atake)

This record, mid-way through Eternal Atake, is relegated to what sleuthing fans have deemed the Renji section of Uzi’s album. The album is divided into three parts to reflect Uzi’s personality, with ‘Renji’ being his softer, sweeter side. Thus, it’s not surprising that we find both this record and a song like “I’m Sorry” within the ‘Renji’ section (tracks #7-12, as he confirmed on Twitter). Following suit of the apologetic “I’m Sorry,” “Celebration Station” is naturally, as the name would indicate, slightly more upbeat but the vibe is contained nonetheless. It’s a light, airy beat layered with wavy, distant vocal samples and fluttering keys. It’s feel-good and dance-worthy, which is exactly the type of song you need in your life right now.

1. Myron (LUV Vs. The World 2)

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The deluxe edition of Eternal Atake is really a whole new album, in a not-so-surreptitious manner as it’s also blatantly titled LUV Vs. The World 2. As the title indicates, it is a sequel of sorts– to Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World. Uzi clearly knows how sequels work too (if “P2” wasn’t already telling), giving us a sonically similar but fully-updated project that follows exactly in its predecessor footsteps. A lot of quirky, bubble-trap-pop flares define the project, including on the first single and stand-out, “Myron.” A feat, considering the production team is actually quite a bit different. Supah Mario and Oogie Mane kick off “Myron” in a wobbly, glitter haze, while Uzi uses his voice as an instrument, wavering with each bar. The song, which is apparently titled after his fans, is actually not really about the fans at all. It’s really just one flex after another, in the typical goofy Uzi manner: “Cause I could fuck your bitch and fuck your mom and auntie / Your girl’s a five, but your mom is a dime piece” he rattles. “I stand on my money then my height, it turn to 9′ 10″” is another highlight. Honestly, these lyrics are probably true too.

Machine Gun Kelly came through with the latest instalment of his special quarantine #LockDownSessions, this time with some help from his pal, Blink 182’s Travis Barker. The two rockers decided to take on Paramore’s pop punk banger, “Misery Business” from ’07, and the results are almost as good as the original.

Filming each of their parts in their individual homes, MGK and Travis kill their performance while still respecting the rules of social distancing. MGK launched the #LockDownSessions on March 16th, promising to cover a new song practically every day until the coronavirus quarantine is over. Although he’s only been doing these #LockDownSessions for less than two weeks now, it appears that he is already recycling material. He and his friend, Omer Fedi, already delivered an acoustic rendition of “Misery Business” for the very first #LockDownSessions instalment, but I guess we’ll let it slide in the name of isolation entertainment.

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Along with his two different covers of the Paramore hit, MGK has also taken on Childish Gambino‘s “Redbone,” Kid Cudi‘s “Pursuit of Happiness,” Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun,” and more. Visit Machine Gun Kelly’s Youtube channel for more of his #LockDownSessions and stay safe!

As Ebro Darden tells it during the onset of their Beats 1 conversation, Conway The Machine is looking “dapper even at the crib.” Clearly, the Griselda lyricist has been reaping the spoils of his prolific and triumphant musical run, which is set to continue this Friday with the release of Lulu; you can check out the Alchemist-produced, ScHoolboy Q-assisted “Shoot Sideways” right here. As he tells it, the hard work is only getting started, as his goals remain the primary focus. 

“Keeping my sword sharp, keeping my pen game right, and trying to make my best song,” he reflects. “Every song I want to get better, every album, every EP…I want to be the best ever one day.” He proceeds to break down his dynamic with ScHoolboy, going so far as to tease the potential of a collaborative project one day. “I would love to,” he says. “I don’t object to that. Hopefully we get to that point. I be doing so much, he be doing so much, we ain’t get the chance to lock in the studio for a couple of days. But we see each other in passing, like at Alchemist’s house. We just vibe like that.”

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He also takes a moment to provide an update on his upcoming musical plans. “God Don’t Make Mistakes is the project we doing for Shady, we’re dropping on Shady,” he explains. “My solo. In the meantime, we still gotta keep mashing the gas. I can’t let up. After Lulu I’m giving you that From A King To A God, then [me and Westside Gunn] going to give you Hall & Nash 2.”

“I want people to respect my pen like Eminem pen, or Hov pen,” he continues. “Or Kool G’s pen, or LL’s pen. The top tier elite dudes…I want to be remembered forever in the history books, on that Mount Rushmore of rappers. Having that embrace from Jay and Em, and some of my producer big homies like Premier and Alchemist and Pete Rock, guys like that who really paved the way for the sound people say I’m bringing back, that’s what meaning the most to me.”

When Ebro asks whether Eminem will appear on God Don’t Make Mistakes, Conway breaks it down. “Yeah man, he definitely going to be on there,” confirms The Machine. “Actually, ‘Bang’ was a record off God Don’t Make Mistakes. It got leaked somehow on the internet. It got on Instagram somehow, so we decided to drop it now to put that single out there…That was actually a record for my Shady project.” 

Nike has seen an increase in its sales as more and more purchases are made online since shoppers are confined to their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nike’s digital sales went up by more than 30% in Greater China thanks to the widespread quarantine. However, their physical sales dropped by 5% as a result of store closures nationwide.

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The brand made the decision to close all of its stores across not only China, but the U.S. and Europe earlier this month as well, as a safety measure amid the spread of coronavirus. “At a time when people were confined to their homes,” said Chief Executive John Donahoe, “we moved swiftly to leverage our digital app ecosystem and Nike Expert Trainer network.” As a result of these improvements, overall digital sales grew 36% in the third quarter, which concluded on February 29th, 2020. This equates to nearly a tenth of the company’s overall revenue in the fiscal year of 2019. Total revenue rose 5.1 % to a whopping $10.10 billion in the third quarter, beating the average analyst estimate of $9.80 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Now, a reported 80% of Nike stores have reopened in China, with the region’s current-quarter sales expected to be flat.

She already poured out her heart and soul on Chilombo, but Jhené Aiko returns to open up even more with Ebro Darden. The singer’s recently released album is a hit amongst fans, and Jhené chit-chatted about the record and expressing herself musically in ways that she’d never done on previous projects.

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“Growing up, I was always self-conscious and dealt with a lot of self-esteem issues,” the singer admitted. “I don’t know, I just never liked my face. That was one of the things I dealt with when I was younger. I couldn’t look at pictures of myself. I hated video shoots, photoshoots, all those things. I almost thought that I had that thing, what is it, body [dismorphia] disorder where you just like see yourself very distorted when you look at yourself. Basically, I’m just not in that place anymore.”

There were plenty of noteworthy additions to Chilombo including Ab-Soul, Nas, Future, Miguel, Dr. Chill, John Legend, Ty Dolla $ign, and boyfriend Big Sean. Speaking of her Nas feature, Jhené shared that all of the Chilombo tracks were already full songs before she added any other artists. “I just wanted it to be this full-bodied piece of work,” she said. “There was a point in time when I was like, ‘I don’t need features. I can do a song by myself and it can be tight [with] just me.'”

“But then it’s like, the element of collaborating with people and coming together,” Jhené continued. “I did the full complete song and was like, ‘This beat reminds me—I hear Nas on it.’ He came, I talked to him about the song and what I meant with certain things and he went in and killed it… It was legendary. I can’t believe Nas is right there recording a verse for my album. Wow. Sounding just like Nas.” She also added that if she was “solely” a rapper—because she dropped a few bars on Chilombo—Jhené said, “I would be Ab-Soul.” Check out Jhené Aiko and Ebro Darden below along with her “10k Hours” collaboration with Nas.

Not only did it take a self-imposed deadline to coax Jay Electronica out of his creative exile, but it was a deadline derived from scripture. Chronicled in the Gospels of Matthew, the notoriously guarded artist that first set the world ablaze with his dizzying penmanship 13 years ago decided to spend the same window that Jesus endured the taunting of the devil to craft his own songs of praise. After a decade in limbo, a whirlwind 40 days and 40 nights birthed the arrival of his first official studio album. A day some thought would never arrive, the man that’d once been “trying to find the meaning of life in a corona” is now providing both solace and stimuli at a time of uncertainty with A Written Testimony. 

The very embodiment of a non-conformist, it’s over four minutes until we hear a solitary syllable from Jay himself. Handing over the introductory duties to none other than Minister Louis Farrakhan, The Nation Of Islam leader’s call-to-arms sets the tone for a project that gives a great deal of thought to religion, philosophy and the elusive nature of our reality. Make no mistake, this is not the mythical debut album in which Jay Elec would forego the cloak-and-dagger approach in favor of showing us the sum total of his abilities. Instead, the New Orleans-born rapper opts to retain the air of mystery as opposed to unraveling it.

As the warped, accordion-inflected boom-bap of “Ghost Of Soulja Slim” emerges in its unorthodoxy, we see a different Jay leading the charge. An ardent supporter of Electronica since he signed with Roc Nation in late 2009, Sean Carter is so embedded into this project that it could’ve been billed as a collaborative album. Rather than being a ploy to entice the non-believers, Jay has treated this responsibility with the gravity it deserves and is rapping with the ferocity of a man still trying to make it out of Bed-Stuy. From the moment that he puffs his chest out to warn would-be enemies that if “you mouth off for the cameras, I make a silent movie,” it’s clear that he isn’t here to play.

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Then, as you’re reeling from hearing that Hov verse in 2020, Jay Electronica responds in kind and reminds the faithful why they’d spent hours scouring the internet for every last morsel of his music. Declaring that “if it comes from me and Hov, consider it Quran, if it comes from any of those, consider it haram,” this opening verse sounds as if he’s picking up exactly from the moment that he was unveiled as a Roc Nation signee at The Box in New York. Granted, it’s apparent that he’s kept at least one foot in the contemporary world, dabbling in beat switches and recurring, faintly Griselda-esque ad-libs.

Speaking of mixing the old-school with the new-age, “The Blinding” begins with a classically lumbering beat from Swizz Beatz before its abruptly usurped by a co-creation between Hit-Boy and MPC mastermind Araabmuzik. Occupied by both Jays, hearing the two lyrical assassins trade bars in quick succession really emphasizes that not only can Hov reconjure the tenacity of his early years, but that Jay Elec is a worthy sparring partner. Although the news that Travis Scott was appearing on a Jay Electronica project sent alarm bells ringing — a cynical attempt to attract younger listeners, perhaps– his affected hook adds to the overall effect rather than sounding like a marketing-oriented compromise.  

This isn’t hip-hop as assembled for modern sensibilities. This is freeform expression; deconstructivism down to the core elements before being reassembled to meet a new self-prescribed template.  Where many of the beats boil down to simple loops, this minimalism accentuates the power of the verses and ensures that lyrical content takes center-stage. Foreign as this concept may seem to some ears, it’s beautifully realized on “The Neverending Story.” The wish-fulfillment of hearing Hov on a delicate Alchemist instrumental aside, Jay Electronica adds new facets to his pre-existing mythology with one of his most revelatory and layered verses.

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Spiritual to its roots but not in a heavy-handed way, Jay Electronica uses his theological compass to guide his own life rather than dictate yours, before segueing to pop culture-laced bars like “spread love like Kermit the frog, that permeate the fog, I’m at war like the dukes of hazard against the bosses of the hogs” at a moments’ notice. In a brief moment of respite from Hov spitting with Jaz-O era enthusiasm, the soulful, No I.D-helmed “Fruits of the Spirit” sees Jay Electronica broach his circular path to this moment where fans and detractors finally have something substantial to pour-over. Amid a nod to Vince Staples, he talks of taking “the underground railroad like Harriet” where others would’ve adhered to the industry’s standards and deceived themselves along the way.

A familiar offering to long-time fans, the ten-year-aged “Shiny Suit Theory” feels like it’s there just illustrate that the seeds of this project’s sonic direction were sown long ago before “Universal Soldier” veers away from archival samples to explore the world of ambient. As both Jay and Hov exercise the full breadth of their vocabulary, it’s Mr. Carter that emerges victorious on this occasion as he laments those who’d begrudge his wealth but “ain’t keep the same energy for the du Pont’s and Carnegie’s.”

Although rhyming alongside a GOAT-contender can be something of a double-edged sword when it comes to self-spotlighting, it can help keep things on track when there’s a mishap. Case in point, “Flux Capacitator”, on which one of Jay’s most insightful verses in years manages to rescue what was otherwise a garbled execution. Complete with a sample of “Higher” by Rihanna and Jay-Z mimicking the refrain of Big Elt’s “Get The Gat,” his stern warning to opportunistic mourners and fairweather friends prevents it from being a complete miss.

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Taking cues from the more abstract side of electronic music, “Ezekiel’s Dream” is a 6-minute odyssey in itself. Dealing with his own duality and the setbacks that he’s suffered over the years, Jay acknowledges the leeway he’s been afforded as he jests that “my debut album featurin’ Hov, man, this is highway robbery.” Filled with mesmerizing bars and a tasteful hook from his Roc Nation mentor, its ethereal sound blends neatly into the more agonizing subject matter of “A.P.I.D.T.A.” Using the permanence of our cell records to look at death from a fresh perspective, Jay and Hov ruminate on loss while acknowledging that it’s an inadmissible clause in the contract that allows us to experience the wonders of life. A touching crescendo to an album that demands dissection and further study, it’s only fitting that Jay Elec should pay homage to those he lost along the way in a chapter that many thought wouldn’t arrive.

Judged solely on the merits of these engrossing 40 minutes, this long-awaited “debut” corroborates Jay Electronica’s skills and keeps the romanticized idea of him as a hip-hop high priest afloat. That said, the scene-stealing presence of Hov means that it’s not quite the standalone tome of “ancient mathematics” and existential street-corner poetry that he’s always threatened to deliver. However, among A Written Testimony’s greatest attributes is that it leaves no room for impartiality. It’s impossible to be ambivalent about this project and no two people will interpret it the same way. Instead of being universally agreed upon, it’s sparking widespread, cross-demographical discussion and that’s what meaningful art should do. Let’s just hope that we don’t need to wait a whole decade for a follow-up.

Longtime viewers of Black Ink Crew are aware of Young Bae’s accusations of abuse against her father. In January 2018, the VH1 series followed Young Bae’s storyline as she and her mother returned to her home country of South Korea. Bae was scared after learning that her father had found her mother and was sending her threatening letters. Bae and her mother previously ran from the alleged abuser and even lived in a small shack-like hut to hide from him.

John Lamparski / Stringer / Getty Images

In this recent season of Black Ink Crew, viewers find Young Bae coming face-to-face with her dad while cameras were rolling. The emotional, explosive scene immediately went left after Bae questioned him about why her father beat on his family. He told her, “I don’t know how to be a good father,” before adding that he didn’t get to talk to his wife and daughter the way he’d liked to. Bae interjected by reminding him that he could speak with them because they were caged in fear and he beat them every day.

Bae’s father just stared at her with a smirk without acknowledging what she was saying, and this infuriated the reality star further. She brought up her nose bleeds, her fever after he kicked her, the beating because she smiled or cried, the threats of death—but all he had to say was that he did the best he could to provide. Then, Bae picked up the table and tossed it as she screamed and cried. Security stepped in and the crowding seemed to agitate her father, who also became upset. Watch the intense scene below.

For most of the world overcome by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not really “business as usual.” Lives have been disrupted across the map, and there is a general air of uncertainty. Prior to this worldwide crisis, our writers were meeting weekly to debate, discuss and rank the best hip-hop debut albums of the 21st century – from January 1, 2001 til present day. This is our latest team effort, following our ranking of the Best Rapper Flows of All Time.

We’re excited to share the final results with you this afternoon, hoping to spark some discussion on our site that is NON-Coronavirus related, for everyone who might need some relief from the 24/7 COVID news cycle (and the thoughts that go along with it). That all being said, this was no easy feat. A few caveats before we dive right in, we did consider certain albums that may soon be considered classics in the not-so-distant future, but that, ultimately we felt were still too fresh to our ears to evaluate properly — such as Roddy Ricch‘s debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social. Thus, do not be surprised that you will find zero 2019 debut albums and 2020 debut albums on the below list. We do, however, have a few albums from 2018.

Check out the ranking and arguments for each album below, let us know what we’re missing, what we got wrong, and what we got right in the comment section!

This was a group editorial effort, with contributions coming from:

Aron A

Alexander Cole

Noah C

Mitch Findlay

Rose Lilah

Alex Zidel

Lynn S

25. Playboi Carti – Die Lit (2018)

The road to Playboi Carti’s debut album was so long and winding that by the time it arrived, people forgot it was his debut album. For those who are still confused, Die Lit qualifies as Carti’s first proper LP. The eponymous project that he released a year earlier falls in the category of commercial mixtape. Being one of the first great offspring of the “mumble rap” era, Carti was popularized through loosies dropped on SoundCloud. He acclimated us to this method of distribution, encouraging us to eschew our expectation that a full-length project be needed to properly evaluate an artist’s talent. Playboi Carti didn’t have to further prove his potential, but Playboi Carti did. It was a grab bag of screwy anthems and entrancing mantras. We discovered that Carti could repeat any bizarre phrase over any Pi’erre Bourne beat as many times as he wished and we would rage or melt. That’s why when Die Lit emerged like a surprise from space, we took no issue with Carti cashing in on his flawless formula. If I wrote anything else about this album, I would inevitably end up paraphrasing what Slowthai said about it when asked by Pitchfork to name his favorite album of the 2010s: “[Carti] took mumble rap and made a cohesive body of work, and not many other artists in his lane have managed to do the same. He has bangers but also has a sonic narrative from start to end. This is our generation’s hardcore music.”

– Noah

24. Rae Sremmurd – Sremmlife (2015)

Perhaps it’s nostalgia talking but 2015 was a simpler time. It was only five years ago now that some of today’s biggest artists were beginning to make a name for themselves. Rae Sremmurd is a perfect example. Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi burst onto the scene in 2015 with their debut album Sremmlife which was packed with hits. “No Flex Zone,” “My X,” and “No Flex Zone” were some of the biggest songs of that year and resonated with those looking for new energetic artists who brought a youthful exuberance to the game. Swae’s ear for melodies was perfectly contrasted with Slim Jxmmi’s abrasive yet lively vocal delivery. This album was inescapable when it dropped and if you were at a party in 2015, you definitely heard some tracks blasting from the closest sound system. While Rae Sremmurd have evolved quite a bit since this album, there is no denying the impact Sremmlife had on the now melody-heavy party culture.

– Alex Cole

23. Azealia Banks – Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)

Before Azealia Banks breaks through with a subtly lethal verse on “Desperado,” a soundbite of radio personality Peter Rosenberg saying “I’ve been waiting for Azealia Banks” echoes into the distance. It has been six years since the release of her debut, Broke With Expensive Taste, and it can still feel like we’re waiting for her moment. Then we remember how generously monumental that album was and how it still holds up as a masterpiece. BWET still sounds like the future, like the true mish-mash of genres and cultures that was predicted to arise out of the unrestricted access to the history of recorded music. While Banks proved she could rap circles around anyone with her dizzying dialect of onomatopoeic gibberish, BWET also doubles as an electronic album. The cutting-edge production is given space to blister and rumble at the tailend of most tracks. However, Banks’ rapidfire rhymes remain the centrepiece and something at which to marvel to this day. 

– Noah

22. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels (2013)

It’s hard to believe that El-P and Killer Mike were once seen as an archetypical “Odd Couple” pairing. Yet prior to their blissful union on Mike’s creative reinvention that was 2012’s R.A.P. Music, the pair stood worlds apart. At least musically speaking. While Mike was coming up as an Atlanta-bred Outkast protege lacing localized cult favorites like solo debut Monster, El-P was blazing trails in the Brooklyn underground, a science-fiction inspired concoctor of spastic beats; in other words, a CHUD. But now that they’ve come together so harmoniously it’s hard to imagine them apart, a true moment of hip-hop serendipity. Retaining many of El’s inherent inclinations toward dystopian fiction and Mike’s larger than life rambunctious swagger,the first installment of RTJ hits like a supercharged laser beam to the face. Clocking in at a respectable ten songs, the project fires banger after banger with highlights like “Banana Clipper,” “Sea Legs,” and instant holiday classic “A Christmas Fucking Miracle” bringing no shortage of imagination and character into the fold. “Producer gave me a beat, said it’s the beat of the year,” raps Mike, in “Banana Clipper.” “I said El-P didn’t do it, so get the fuck out of here.” Sounds about right.

– Mitch

21. Rapsody – Laila’s Wisdom (2017)

By the time she dropped Laila’s Wisdom in 2017, Rapsody had already established herself as a force to be reckoned with, but it became increasingly clear that an artist of her caliber needed an extensive body of work to fully flourish. With her debut, she was finally able to show off her incredible lyrical prowess to its fullest. Tapping some of the most notable wordsmiths in hip hop to accompany her—including her mentor, Kendrick Lamar, on the project’s highlight, “Power”—the practice of storytelling and offering social commentary are at the forefront of the self-identified “lyrical rapper”’s collection of textual genius.

In addition, Laila’s Wisdom was a cultural trailblazer, paving the way for the presence of an alternative type of “Femcee.” “I’m just another representation and another option of what you can be,” she said at the time. With Laila’s Wisdom, Rapsody successfully carved out her own lane as a woman in hip hop, allowing other ladies to follow in her footsteps and no longer be limited to one look, one sound, one category.

– Lynn

20. Lloyd Banks – Hunger for More (2004)

Though 50 Cent quickly established himself as the defacto G-Unit capo, many were drawn to his consigliere: Lloyd Banks, the punchline King. Playing an integral role on G-Unit’s iconic mixtape run and various Shady-related features, Banks soon found himself building genuine momentum as a solo artist, culminating in the release of his classic debut The Hunger For More. Written and recorded while on the road, Banks’ first album proved his bility as a leading man with commercially successful singles like the Eminem-produced “On Fire” and the Timbaland-laced “I’m So Fly.” While many had come for the punchlines, The Hunger For More provided a closer look into the man behind them. The somber “When The Chips Are Down” brought listeners into the darkest recesses of his memory bank, while the beautiful “Till The End” spoke to the futility of his optimism. “Warrior” found Banks back on his mixtape BS, while “Part 2” symbolized his ascent to rap-royalty. It’s no surprise that Lloyd Banks secured his first platinum plaque only a few months after the album’s release, a testament to his position as a fan-favorite. Even now, over fifteen years later, The Hunger For More remains an essential part of the Platinum Era’s canon.

– Mitch

19. Tierra Whack – Whack World (2018)

It’s difficult to put Tierra Whack’s debut into any kind of definitive box, as the very structure of and innovation behind Whack World essentially rejects this practice. Each of the 15 tracks roughly a minute long, Whack World’s brevity is pivotal to its genius, a bold choice serving only to amplify Tierra’s unique artistry rather than hindering it. Constantly shifting moods in both sound and subject matter from track to track, Whack World functions as a culmination of dramatically different moments, each of them ending before they’ve even really begun. For the duration of the 15-minute experience, Whack World never takes itself too seriously, all the while without sacrificing the quality of its contents. By disrupting seemingly unavoidable conventions of hip hop and establishing Ms. Whack as an innovative artist unlike any we’ve seen before, Whack World proves that some risks really do pay off.

– Lynn

18. Meek Mill – Dreams & Nightmares (2012)

Meek Mill is among a rarity in the battle rap scene. Old YouTube clips show the rapper bodying his adversaries in the streets of Philly. Those videos are often used as a reference point for how far he’s come, but Dreams & Nightmares was the rapper’s official foray into the mainstream. A street rapper by trade, he painted an image of a young man from Philly on the brink of watching the so-called American dream come into fruition. His skill set as an MC wasn’t watered down by any means but he found a pocket that simultaneously met the needs of radio and hip-hop heads. “Intro” stands as one of the great hip-hop intros of all time while “Maybach Curtains” with John Legend, Nas, and Rick Ross extends itself as a cousin to Rozay’s “Maybach Music” series. But more than anything, the idea that an album is an artist’s full life work sums up Meek’s debut. He might have been able to enjoy the fruits of his labor on songs like “Amen” but moments before, he discusses the death of his father on “Traumatized.” Meek Mill’s debut album may have not “shifted the game” in terms of long-term influence but it was an important project that gave glimpses of what one of the greatest rappers of the 2010s was capable of.

– Aron

17. Waka Flocka Flame – Flockaveli (2010)

Waka Flocka Flame’s debut has come to be appreciated and regarded as a trap darling largely in hindsight, despite its undeniable impact following its release. Without Flockaveli, we would not, arguably, have been introduced to the likes of Chief Keef, for example. A collection of unfaltering, high-energy bangers, the album most notably features the incomparably influential “Hard In Da Paint,” an emblem of Waka’s ever-demanding presence and aggressive demeanor. However, “Hard In Da Paint,” and Flockaveli as a whole, still maintains a certain focus and simplicity, achieving the intimidation and evoking the violence intended without becoming too uninhibited. The entire project is punctuated by ad-libs—forceful “BOW”s, verbalizations of gunshot sounds, and exclamations of the Gucci Mane-headed “Brick Squad”—delivered with equal conviction each and every time. With Lex Luger’s consistently threatening yet somewhat understated production, Flockaveli hits you like a ton of bricks, still eliciting an unwavering hype in its listeners a decade later.

– Lynn

16. Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty (2010)

When Big Boi dropped his official debut album Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty in the summer of 2010, he was already a distinguished artist with classics under his belt. Having already developed and honed his style through his time in Outkast, Big Boi’s first showing as a solo artist arrived when he was thirty-five years old. With that came a refreshing sort of artistic freedom, a place for Big Boi to pay homage to his Southern influences while continuing to chart out his intergalactic jaunt. It’s no wonder Sir Luscious feels simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic, the byproduct of our hero’s madcap vision. Nowhere is the sonic pairing more evident than on the Scott Storch-produced lead-single “Shutterbug,” a song that might have sounded right at home in the eighties — provided it didn’t scare the shit out of unsuspecting disco acolytes. Followed immediately by the incendiary “General Patton ” and the Andre 3000-laced “You Ain’t No DJ,” Sir Luscious delivers an unrelenting back-to-back-to-back assault bedazzling in its versatility. Songs like “Shine Blockas” manage to permeate even the thickest clouds, save for those smoked by George Clinton on that dope on dope incarnate, “Fo Yo Sorrows.” As brilliant a summer soundtrack as one man can possibly concoct, Outkast fans should take solace in the comfort that one member blessed them with a bonafide (and still criminally underrated) solo classic.

– Mitch

15. Travis Scott – Rodeo (2015)

Travis Scott’s debut album had a lot riding on it. After two groundbreaking mixtapes in Owl Pharoah and Days Before Rodeo, fans were expecting an evolution of La Flame’s sound. With Rodeo, Scott exceeded expectations with a progressive trap masterpiece that still resonates with fans to this day. From T.I’s hovering narrations to Travis’ dark moody sound, the whole album feels like a movie being played out in Scott’s head. The album starts with a slow build on the track “Pornography” and then morphs into the dramatic introspective track “Oh My Dis Side” which sees Travis and Quavo exchanging melodies. Singles like “Antidote” and “90210” helped bring this album into the mainstream and helped set the tone for what eventually became Travis’ biggest moment in Astroworld. Fans still regard Rodeo as Travis’ best work and when you look at the tracklist, it’s easy to see why.

– Alex Cole

14. Rick Ross – Port Of Miami (2006)

The art of Coke rap has been mastered by very few over the years. Although rappers have detailed the drug trade over the years, the kingpin status that’s strived for and often mimicked in music was hardly carried in the way that Rick Ross managed on Port Of Miami. His baritone voice and larger-than-life persona told stories of cocaine transactions and the luxurious life that came with it. But at the same time, his debut album painted the underbelly of Miami and surely, it wasn’t entirely sunny in Florida. From a first-person perspective, Ross was a plug turned rap superstar that proved that his charisma and penmanship can take him further than the success of “Hustlin’. Although his credibility would be questioned down the line, Port Of Miami shifted hip-hop and the streets inevitably as Rozay began his ascent to rap royalty.

– Aron

13. Jadakiss – Kiss the Game Goodbye (2001)

A Top 5 Dead Or Alive candidate oughta have at least one classic record under their belt. Though it may not be widely recognized as such (for better or worse), Jadakiss’ 2001 debut Kiss Tha Game Goodbye checks off all the right boxes. Arriving at the height of the Ruff Ryders movement, in which The Lox played a pivotal role, Jada’s first solo outing found him taking risks in his exploration of new sounds and thematic directions. Tethering him to his signature style were street classics like the back-and-forth “We Gon Make It” and the DJ Premier-laced “Ain’t None Of Y’all Better” (which features Primo’s spookiest beat of all time). Duets with fellow elite lyricists like the Nas-assisted “Show Discipline” and fellow Double R affiliate DMX “Un-Hunh” kept his pen sharp. Geographical boundaries were blurred on the heavy Southern banger “What You Ride For” and the west-coast flavored Snoop Dogg collaboration “Cruisin’.” No matter the vibe, Jadakiss remains an inspired leading man, credible in both his street savoir-faire and his undeniable authorial qualities, exhibited on the Alchemist-produced autobiography “Feel Me.” It’s time we see Kiss Tha Game Goodbye sitting comfortably within the canon where it belongs. 

– Mitch

12. Pusha T – My Name is My Name (2013)

It’s hard to not draw comparisons between Pusha T’s My Name Is My Name and Kanye West’s Yeezus. The most obvious reason for this association is that they both dropped in 2013, four months apart. Kanye serving as the executive producer of Push’s debut album also creates a tangible link between the two. But perhaps most importantly, both of these projects find brute power in brevity. There’s nothing superfluous in either of them and that could be attributed to the fact that Ye and Push were decorated veterans at this point in their careers. The minimalist covers mirrored the artistic restraint contained within the packaging. While the songs were often brash, the G.O.O.D Music masterminds sounded more in control than ever. Push especially honed his incisive lyricism, taking what he contributed to Clipse and letting it expand to encompass an entire stage. Since MNIMN, Pusha T has continued the trend of succinct projects, even reducing the tracklist length from twelve to seven on his latest. His pen has only gotten sharper and the coke raps have only gotten more potent.  

– Noah

11. Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap (2018)

Los Angeles legend Nipsey Hussle may have made his name before the release of his debut studio album but Victory Lap is what opened him up to some much-deserved critical acclaim. Earning the late star his first-ever Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album, Hussle’s 2018 body of work was a decade in the making. 

For years, Nipsey Hussle had toyed with the Victory Lap title, carefully plotting on when was the right time to unleash his life’s work on us. Much like a debut album is supposed to do, eyes were opened to Nip’s story through Victory Lap as the rapper described his entire being to newcomers and veteran listeners alike. Hussle calculated things perfectly with this release, which picked up in popularity in the months following its initial drop. With features from Kendrick Lamar, Puff Daddy, YG, and more, the LA native definitely had the right help to deliver an instant classic.

– Alex Zidel

10. Chief Keef – Finally Rich (2012)

Chief Keef was the face of the Chicago drill movement in the early 2010s and immediately made his mark with his debut album, Finally Rich. In the early stages of 2012, Chief Keef linked up with Lil Reese for the album’s lead single, “I Don’t Like.” The song was an immediate viral success and it got both fans and executives in the industry talking. Eventually, he followed up the success of this track with “Love Sosa” which was yet another huge hit that embedded itself in pop culture. With pressure mounting in regards to his debut album, Chief Keef delivered a classic that is revered by his contemporaries to this day. This body of work is credited for inspiring a whole new generation of artists. For years, artists that sounded like Chief Keef were referred to as his “child” as rap fans recognized that he was one of a kind at the time. Say what you will about his career since this album, there is no doubt that Chief Keef changed the game with Finally Rich.

– Alex Cole

9. YG – My Krazy Life (2014)

In 2014, after immeasurable success with his single “My N****” featuring Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan, YG dropped his debut studio album My Krazy Life. The rapper had been introducing us to his modern West Coast sound thanks to a series of mixtapes, which helped him bubble locally and then, across the globe. However My Krazy Life was YG’s most refined display of that West Coast bop. Working closely with producer DJ Mustard, YG took us along for a singular day in his (krazy) life. This is a day in his hood, and it starts brazenly with YG’s mom yelling at him: “I hope you not outside hanging with them gang banger,” she screeches at him before we hear the penetrating synth line. The song, which opens the album, also contains a nod to YG’s predecessor: Dr. Dre (“The Watcher”). “BPT” is simply setting the scene; much like in a movie, consider it the opening credits that pan an eerie and dark neighborhood. From there, we get into YG’s local antics. The storyline is continued through short interludes, which YG pulls off fantastically, in an era when skits were increasingly becoming a thing of the past (because, the internet/attention spans). DJ Mustard’s imitable bounce pervades many of the songs, a true homage to their coast, from “My N****” to “Bicken Back Being Bool” to “Who Do You Love?” with Drake– the synth-y wobble is undeniable.

YG delivered an extremely special album with My Krazy Life. It did all the right things: introduced us properly to YG and his way of life; gave us catchy anthem after catchy anthem (look at that tracklist and recall just how many of those songs you were hearing in the club and on the radio, regardless of their status as an official single); it was a cohesive and well-curated body of work; it payed homage. Even the features were perfect– each one more covet-able than the next, yet YG is still the main character in his music and his life.

– Rose 

8. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor (2006)

Of all the included rappers to make this list, Lupe Fiasco stands proudly as one of the most esteemed lyricists. Though much has been made of his sophomore album The Cool, it was 2006’s Food & Liquor that laid the foundation. Boarded with a stacked production roster including Kanye West, The Neptunes, and the stalwart presence of Soundtrakk, Lu’s conceptual debut was put together under the watchful eye of Jay-Z himself. Not only was Fiasco’s technical ability at once elite and effortless, but there was something refreshing about his idealism. Songs like “Kick Push” steered a new cultural movement into hip-hop, while the Grammy-Winning single “Daydreamin” served up candy-coated critiques with a subtle sense of satire. Not only did the album come together as one cohesive voyage through Lupe’s complex mind, but it did so while firing on a variety of cylinders. Thematic density did not come at the cost of hard-hitting punchlines; sometimes they arrived hand in hand.  

– Mitch

7. Clipse – Lord Willin’ (2002)

Pusha T has since become a household name, a widely respected rap titan prone to airing out secrets with a devilish grin. Long before the days of Daytona, however, Pusha T and his brother No Malice were sparking a new wave of post-mafioso coke rap. Where predecessors like Ghostface and Raekwon forged their path over golden-era production, The Clipse opted to look to the future, enlisting The Neptunes to score the entirety of their 2002 debut album Lord Willin. Off the bat, Skateboard P and Chad Hugo’s unique brand of production elevated Clipse to a different plane altogether, pairing booming percussion with ice cold synth minimalism. The perfect backdrops for Push and Malice’s brand of lyrical content, which found them effectively reviving a movement many wrote off as deceased. Songs like “Intro,” the Fabulous-assisted banger “Comedy Central,” and the timeless “Grindin” still entice to this day. When The Neptunes are in their bag, there is nothing quite like it; few producers can sound both playful and menacing in the same ten second loop. Throw in some unapologetic and downright murderous bars from a young King Push and No Malice, and we’re looking at a classic hip-hop debut worthy of revisitation. 

– Mitch

6. Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End Of Day (2009)

If you’ve wondered what it’s like to travel to another universe through music, Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon is the album for you. Released in 2009, MOTM is still considered almost unanimously to be Scott Mescudi’s best album of all-time. Without the use of psychedelic drugs, Cudder transports listeners to a new dimension, experiencing sounds we’ve never heard before while simultaneously delivering his life story in a clear, concise manner.

Considering the fact that an artist has their entire life to create their debut album, the end result should encapsulate your entire being by the time it’s out. Your debut should represent your soul. Man On The Moon perfectly describes who Kid Cudi is, marking it as one of the most impactful starting points ever. With “Soundtrack 2 My Life,” “Day ‘N’ Nite,” “Enter Galactic,” and “Pursuit of Happiness” all on the tracklist, there are enough bops to keep the casual listener entertained while Cudi dives deep into his background to appeal to the experienced fan who was seeking more after his initial mixtape releases.

– Alex Zidel

5. Young Jeezy – Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005)

Where would we be in rap music today if it wasn’t for Young Jeezy? Thug Motivation 101 marked a shift in hip-hop as the South affirmed Trap Music as the future of the genre. T.I. and Gucci Mane will likely continue to argue about the origins of the genre but there’s no doubt that Thug Motivation 101 was a milestone release in the history of Atlanta hip-hop. Jeezy’s portrayal of the trap was so vivid, you can smell wafts of cocaine bubbling in a pot.

Jeezy’s mixtape run prior to this album is what made the term “trapper turned rapper” official but TM101 was his welcoming party to the music industry. “Standing Ovation,” for example, perfectly summed up that this was all deeper than rap. “These are more than words/ This is more than rap/ This is the streets/ And I am the trap,” he declared. More than anything, Thug Motivation further solidified the South’s place in hip-hop, especially at a time when New York City’s platinum era began to fade out. It was gritty but still had enough commercial appeal. “My Hood” and the Akon-assisted, “Soul Survivor” were examples of how he took the gruff sound of the South and spread it across the United States, and eventually, the world.

– Aron

4. The Game – The Documentary (2005)

Every decade, the West Coast has one or two artists that define it. And typically, it’s the approval of Dr. Dre that assures longevity. In the 80s, it was Ice-T and N.W.A while the 90s birthed the solo career of Ice Cube and brought us Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. The 2000s had a few rappers from the West Coast emerge but there was arguably no one bigger than The Game. He brought the West Coast back into the fold when there weren’t many rappers from the West actually doing it at such a magnitude. With the penmanship that was on par, and often exceeded his East Coast counterparts in G-Unit, The Documentary blended slick wordplay, gang banging, and the West Coast lifestyle all into one. A product of the greats that came before him, the rapper conveyed the weight that was on his shoulders as Compton’s prodigal son of the 2000s. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent oversaw the project, bringing hip-hop’s elite producers and artists into the fold. Just Blaze, Timbaland, Kanye West, Cool & Dre and more held down production while heavyweights like Eminem, Busta Rhymes, and of course, 50 Cent appeared throughout the tracklist. Mixed with the emotional vulnerability, the rapper delivered a tour of the Compton streets that raised him referencing landmarks that played a pivotal role in his life, in his ascent to national stardom.

– Aron

3. Kanye West – The College Dropout (2004)

When people say they miss the old Kanye, this is the Kanye they’re talking about. These days, it’s become a farce to the revolutionary artist when someone reminisces over the good ‘ole days when the Chicago native was chopping soul samples, pulling hilarious skits on his albums, and spitting some real rap. The College Dropout, Kanye West’s debut studio album released in 2004, contains all of that and more.

The overall theme of The College Dropout is to make your own decisions and not allow society to dictate your life for you, which is something that West has preached to this day. It all begins with a skit introducing us to a fraternity-era West being influenced to create something “for the kids.” He goes right into “We Don’t Care,” which he describes as “the perfect song for the kids to sing.” The entire song and its carefree nature stands as the beginning of Ye’s never-ending journey to becoming a free-thinker, uncensored by social norms.

Much of Mr. West’s production is highlighted on College Dropout, which is still viewed by many hip-hop heads as the best body of work in West’s extensive discography. With songs like “Jesus Walks,” “All Falls Down,” “Through The Wire,” and more included on the tracklist, those fans have a strong point. In theory, people came for the outstanding production and stuck around for the phenomenal story-telling that was laid out by the man they now call Yeezus. This is where it all started.

– Alex Zidel

2. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)

Kendrick Lamar had the entirety of hip-hop waiting on the edge of their seats when he released good kid, m.A.A.d city. In 2011, he released Section.80 underneath Top Dawg Entertainment, a then-budding independent label to a few up-and-coming West Coast artists. The project was our first real glimpse into Kendrick Lamar, the artist, as he teetered somewhere between social activism and socializing. Section.80 gave both Kendrick and TDE enough momentum to ink a deal with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath and Interscope Records, through which Kendrick would release, one year later, his major label debut: good kid, m.A.A.d city. 

Good kid, m.A.A.d city followed in the footsteps of Section.80. Section.80 was an album conceptualized around 1980s-era children, where GKMC was rooted in Kendrick’s own era. And while both albums are great, perhaps what makes GKMC even more impactful is that same fact; that Kendrick was able to double his luck with back-to-back “debuts,” the former laying  formidable groundwork while the latter improved upon it, and added details to it. 

GKMC is full of these little intricacies that make it so thrilling to listen to initially (but then again, and again), while its originality ensures it’s something unlike anything you’ve heard before, thus helping Kendrick earn his #2 spot on our list. Kendrick is the type of artist who appeases all fans, which is indeed why the entirety of hip-hop was waiting for this project. We were not disappointed either: going back to the idea that he balances social activism with socializing, Kendrick laces us with life lessons and hard-hitting facts, masked in banger format. A spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down, so to speak.

GKMC is also full of songs. Like real, fleshed out, multi-dimensional and complex songs, with hooks, bridges, skits and more. The songs average 4-6 minutes in length, a far cry from the 1-2 minute songs that make up a lot of our current releases. This added to the nostalgic punch that also pervaded GKMC, the fact that it really did feel like a more traditional hip-hop album/listening experience. And at just 13 songs, the album has quite literally a perfect tracklist. We’ll leave it at that.

– Rose

1. 50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin (2003)

Get Rich or Die Tryin is one of those albums that has remained ageless, which is often the determining factor in a “classic” — is it still just as good as it was when it first dropped, perhaps even better? Get Rich or Die Tryin was hot when it first dropped, clearly, debuting at #1 and selling close to 1 million copies in its first week out. However, if you play it right now, it’s still hot. To be clear, though, the album definitely sounds like it belongs in the early to mid 2000s (because it does)– but even if you look at the album through that lens, through the context of the era in which it was released, it is not to the detriment of the album nor the music. It simply offers a fantastic sound-time-capsule into the Millenium era of music– isn’t that what most classic albums are supposed to do, to some extent? If we’re talking about a classic Beatles record, to give an arbitrary and generally-agreed upon example, you expect it to offer a unique insight into the sounds that the Beatles were championing and revolutionizing/evolving at the time that particular album was released. Which is very much what 50 Cent has managed with Get Rich or Die Tryin. The music remains steadfastly unique, and it remains a true testament to the persona of 50 Cent and his musical impact on the rap game. 

There are plenty of reasons why Get Rich or Die Tryin is the #1 best rapper debut of the century, beyond the simple conclusion offered above. The replay value and consistency are among them, and lending to that idea are the hooks: is there one bad hook on the album? Even if the song didn’t become a proper single, every song was blessed with a catchy, sing-along hook to juxtapose the hardened tracklist. Fif maintained a balance of his gritty, close-mouthed rhymes with his ability to hold a melody, before it became a given that every rapper should also be a singer. Fif’s pitched-up hook for “What Up Gangster” definitely has a melodic sensibility to it, an approach Fif employs again on the chorus for “Poor Lil Rich.” Elsewhere, “Many Men” gives us a more somber sing-song hook, while “Blood Hound”’s version of the melodic hook is much more aggressive, whereas “Back Down” is pure bark. We can talk about the beats too: banger after banger, with one soft spot for “21 Questions,” makes the adrenaline-fueled tracklist literally unskippable. While not yet in our current playlist-obsessed era, 50 managed to put out an album that still has a distinct playlist-esque flow; certain elements such as the piano keys and the drums recurring again and again throughout the album to create a cohesive body of work. The Shady-approved crew of producers, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mr. Porter, Luis Resto and Mike Elizondo, ensured that no Coast would feel left out. There’s enough bounce to appease any West Coast dwelling fan, and there’s enough grit to satisfy the whole of New York. Thus it becomes quite clear how the album managed to make, not only the initial impact that it did, but a lasting impact. It was ahead of its time in certain ways, it remained grounded in its era in other ways; and in the process, we were given the most exciting debut album of the century. 

– Rose

Following a last-minute delay, Jadakiss has officially released the fifth studio album of his legendary career, Ignatius. A recurring placement on top ten lists from the barbershop to the booth, Jada’s prolific catalog and deadly bars have earned him respect in a game where steel sharpens steel. Many might even call him the blacksmith — an inspiration to the likes of Pusha T, a collaborator to legends like Nas, Eminem, Jay-Z, DMX, Ghostface Killah, and countless more. You can hear his laugh the moment you read about it. Jason Voorhees during hunting season.

Being a longtime fan of Jadakiss, I jumped at the chance to interview the LOX lyricist following his “Fuck Cancer” event at the end of November last year. A second conversation was then scheduled in February, once the album’s initial release date was inching closer. As such, today’s feature arrives in two parts, both of which span topics ranging from Ignatius, the man behind the album’s title, and Jada’s own wide-ranging career.

Check it out now, and show some love to one of hip-hop’s most formidable lyricists of all time. This conversation has been edited for clarity. 

Johnny Nunez/Getty Image

PART ONE

Originally recorded on November 27th, 2019. 

Hey Jada, how are you?

How you doing?

How’s your day going so far?

It’s alright, I just got to Detroit.

You and Fuck Cancer just put together an event honoring your friend Icepick. How’d that go?

It was cool. It was dope. Nice turnout.

How did you end up linking with Fuck Cancer?

Swizz and my man Rob Walker. They plugged us in, we did a little piece a few months back on Icepick.

Looking back on Icepick and everything he helped build –I’ve been seeing his name for years, since I was buying Ruff Ryders albums– how did you guys first meet and develop such a close friendship?

We met when he was doing jewelry. He’s also a jeweler, that’s why his name is Icepick. He was doing jewelry on 125th and Harlem. Ruff Ryders hired him. We had a close relationship working on all those compilations, group albums, and solo albums. When Ruff Ryders kind of went down, I hired him to work with me.

What was his dynamic like in such a big group like the Double R? He’s clearly impacted so many people within the Ruff Ryders camp, working with you, Eve, DMX.

He’d just get things done. He was the person who’d go get the features, go get the producers, go get everything you wanted. He’d make it happen.

Was he ever giving creative input?

A little bit. He was more of my A&R slash partner. He’d go get me production, get me different sounds. He’d do all the running around, the fieldwork. Sample clearances. He’d do everything.

Was there ever a feature you didn’t think would come through, only for Icepick to make it happen? Was there ever a feature he wanted you to do?

On the Kiss Of Death album, we were trying to wrap the album and we needed Snoop. Snoop was in New York at the time, at a party. Pick actually went to the party, came back and brought Snoop back to the Sony studio and got him to lay the verse. He got him to leave the party and lay the verse on a song called “Shine.” That was the beginning of his dopeness. He’s been doing that kind of thing ever since. He’d always drag me to the studio if I didn’t want to go. He always had good insight on things.

Looking toward your upcoming album Ignatius—

That’s his real name. That’s his government name. Ignatius “Icepick” Jay Jackson.

Were you working on that album before his passing?

I was working on a project. We were just gathering production, getting beats together. It wasn’t going to be the Ignatius project, that came after his passing.

Did the direction of the music change in light of it?

Definitely. It all went around him. Going back to the last question, he always wanted me to do a feature with Pusha. Just me and him. Me and Styles have a song on the Clipse album, but he wanted me and Pusha to work just me and him. He always wanted me to do a song with John Legend, I got that on this project. Production from Pitchshifters, they did “One More Mile To Go” on the Top 5 DOA project.

There’s a lot of things inspired by him. That’s why I named it after him, to give myself some closure from his untimely demise. He’ll still be with me in spirit, but I can move on and do other stuff.

My condolences. I can’t imagine losing such a close friend. Was the writing process ever particularly difficult on this album?

The intro, the outro, the song with John Legend. Even some regular songs. Just thinking about him will put you in a somber place, a dark place. But I didn’t want the album to be all somber. That’s why the first single is “Me.” Soulful, not sad or nothing. The album’s not sad, it’s just in his name. A couple of sad moments there.

When you guys used to talk about music, was there a particular style he liked to see from you? A favorite verse or track?

Nah, he was always trying to find that next big hit. He always wanted me to be bigger and better every project, every opportunity.

I recently say you make an analogy to hip-hop being a Ferris wheel, with the goal being to get as many go-arounds as possible. To sustain that longevity. Looking at your own career — platinum records, unanimous respect from your peers– is there anything you’re still looking for?

Just to give the fans good music. I was able to buy my mom a house off hip-hop. Put my oldest son through college. My second oldest kid is about to go to college in a year or two. I’m pretty much happy with my achievements and accolades as far as financially and respect from my peers. Those that passed before me, the Bigs, the Puns. I’m pretty much cool. I just do it cause of the passion. It’s still a lucrative way to take care of my family and enjoy life, but for the most part it’s the passion still.

How’s The Lox’s documentary coming?

Dope, it’s going to shock everybody. You gonna see a bunch of different sides of me, Styles, and Sheek that’s never been really seen by the public. There’s some sad moments on there also. That’s how life is, there’s going to be ups and downs in life. A lot of people keep those things private, which they should, but it’s a documentary about us. We had to share some things with the people.

When’s that dropping?

It’ll probably come out at the beginning of the year. February, March. After my album comes out. It’s going to come out with the new Lox album.

Anything you’d like to share about Ignatius moving forward?

Make sure you absorb it. For all the fans, I appreciate the D Block support, the Jadakiss support. Check out that new Styles album that’s out now, Present. Look out for the new Lox album coming out after my solo album. As far as the Ignatius project, if you know me, if you knew Icepick and his history working with Ruff Ryders and The Lox, you know the significance and importance of this album. You’ll appreciate it if you really sit down and listen to it.

Looking back, how do you feel about the Ruff Ryders movement?

The Ruff Ryder movement was very therapeutic for my career. Those my big brothers. They took us somewhere we wanted to go in hip-hop. A world tour, making big records. Making a lot of money young. Doing things like that. It’s beautiful to be a part of that. It’s like being a part of the Lakers, the Bulls, the Dallas Cowboys. One of them teams that’s America’s favorite, for a nice amount of years. Especially to be a part of that so young.

The Ruff Ryders movement was legendary.

The Ruff Ryder movement was very therapeutic for my career. Those are my big brothers. My managers. They took us somewhere we wanted to go in hip-hop. As far as seeing the world, making big records, making a lot of money young. Doing things like that. It’s beautiful to be a part of that. It’s like being a part of the Lakers or the Bulls or the Dallas Cowboys. One of those teams that’s America’s favorite for a nice amount of years. Especially to be involved in that so young.

Man, I got Volume 3: In The R We Trust for Christmas one year. I listened to that so many times.

[Hearty Laugh]

That actually put me onto your music in the first place. Kiss Tha Game Goodbye dropped, and then Gangster And A Gentleman dropped. Both those albums are classics to me. Just wanted to say that. I’m a big supporter of everything you’ve done.

I appreciate it, definitely.

PART TWO

Two days before the initial release date of Ignatius on February 26th.

Hey, how are you doing?

How you doin’ brutha?

I’m doing pretty well. Can’t complain. You in the studio?

Yes.

Nice. What are you working on?

Just tightening up some last little things on the album I had to lay on top of the masters. Couple words, couple tweaks.

Are you excited for the big release?

Hell yeah, always excited. Always thankful. Always honored to still be in this position twenty-plus years later.

Could you walk me through what it’s like to put out a big release into the world? You’ve been working on this for a long time and it’s got a lot of emotional weight as well.

The recording process is always the easiest process, the least stressful. It’s when it gets to the end, where we at now — closing out of an album with the samples and the payments and the producer splits, who did this and that. That’s when it becomes a headache. That’s when you just want to throw in the towel. But for the most part, it was one of the easier albums to make. I think that’s because of the aura. The energy of Icepick was with me, making it.

And you got the Pusha T collaboration! I know he really wanted you guys to link up and drop something, and the track is crazy.

Appreciate it.

How did you come up with the concept of “Hunting Season?”

That’s just how I felt when I got the track. My in-house producer, he actually picked the track from another in-house we got. He was like ‘yo unk, this track right here is one of the most knocking-est tracks I heard in a minute. I’m bringing it to you.’ As soon as he threw it on, I was like damn.

“Hunting Season” just came to me. I recorded my part and sent it to Push. We actually recorded it months ago. He was on me to put it out, like ‘when are you going to put it out?!’ I was like dawg, I gotta finish the whole album first! He had a relationship with Icepick as well. Pick used to work at Star Track for a minute. Double families.

I like how you’re warning people you have a crossbow and bear traps in your arsenal. You really are Jason.

I tried to keep the comparisons of really hunting. Talk some real talk on hunting.

You even have all the good strategies. I’d be scared at that point. The bear trap line in particular.

[Laughs]

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

With this being a brand new album, I want to take it back to the beginning. When did you first realize you had a skill for rapping, for putting words together? What was the scene like when you were a kid?

Coming from Yonkers, it’s north of the boroughs. We always had a chip on our shoulders cause they always called it upstate. We never got the recognition that The Bronx, or Brooklyn, or Manhattan or Queens or Staten Island got. They always overlooked us. One of the gripes we always had was: ‘we going to show them how nice we are.’ Make them know about this demographic where we from.

I started off just snapping on my friends. Around seven, eight years old. Maybe nine, ten. Maybe even eleven, twelve. That’s how I started with it. One of my bigger homies used to make me rhyme. We used to rock with one turn-table. He would come with all sorts of makeshift beat machines and ways to provide the production. I would just be doing what I could do.

As I got to junior high school I got better. In high school, me, Sheek, and Styles were making tapes. We started hustling to pay for the studio. And then once we were able to make good enough songs for a demo, we gave it to one of the dudes that was in our everyday entourage, my manager Marco. He’s actually Mary J. Blige’s first cousin. The rest is history. He passed it to her while she was on tour with Jodeci and Puff. That caused Puff to set up the meeting. The rest is history.

Was there something specific about the Yonkers sound that was setting it apart from the other boroughs?

The way that we was spitting! You hear the young Lox. You hear the young DMX. That took the world by storm! Whatever’s going on in Yonkers. Mary on top of that — we busted the door down.

Getting into the industry, it must have been a major change from what you were used to. Did you ever feel overwhelmed?

We was definitely overwhelmed. But we was hungry, thirsty to get in the game. We didn’t learn as much as we should, which caused us to sign the contract we signed. It was all a learning experience. But we was more eager to just rap. We didn’t care about the business. We didn’t know none of that stuff, publishing, splits. We was just trying to rhyme. Hit hard and as fierce as we could. Any time we could.

Look back at that whole era, it feels like there’s this notable sense of healthy competition. There were song structures you don’t quite see anymore. Posse cuts! You, Styles, Sheek, DMX, Jay-Z on the same track, killing verses — was that competitive spirit always there? That chip on your shoulder?

It’s still always there, due to the politics of game. The stuff the people want to see and hear. There’s always a sense of hunger and fierceness in it. You gotta look at it like that, cause you know — somebody always trying to steal your spot. Steel sharper steel. Sometimes you have to sharpen your own steel.

On that note — I wanted to ask about your relationship with Biggie. What brought you guys together? Was it an artistic thing, a genuine friendship?

It was both. Artistic and friendship. We were like his little brothers! He was happy we was on the label. He had big plans to work with us and do big shit with us in the future. As far as music and touring and things of that nature. The sky was going to be the limit for us. He welcomed us on Bad Boy with open arms.

He was a master at his craft. A great storyteller. It’s cool to know he saw something in you guys. I can see how you forged that bond. Moving away from the Bad Boy era, how did you end up connecting with Ruff Ryders?

Ruff Ryders was our managers when we were on Bad Boy. After we got on, and DMX got on, they got their own label. The object for us was to get back home and make the music we wanted to make. Which would be on Ruff Ryders label. And that’s what we were able to do.

Was a solo album always part of the plan?

Nah. They presented that after. The solo album wasn’t in the plans for nobody until it was presented.

Were you looking forward to that at the time? Especially when Kiss The Game Goodbye started taking shape…

Yeah, I was cool with it. The people wanted it. You gotta give the people what they want. It wasn’t forced, they asked me for it.

Do you still look back at that album today?

I loved it. I loved making it. I loved the times, the budgets they gave. I loved everything that had to do with it. Those were the golden eras. The great years.

One of my favorite songs of yours was on that album — Show “Discipline” with Nas. Did you record that together?

Yeah, we recorded that together in L.A. In the Interscope studios. It was dope.

A song that has come to be representative of your story is “Feel Me” off that album. What was it like opening up to an audience that might not have known that story?

It was exciting for me. The fans want you to open up to them, and I was giving them me. Feel me?

Moving through the early millennium, when everything was so big — album budgets, CDs were selling, music videos were the most popular way to discover new music — how do you look back on the Kiss Of Death era?

It was beautiful. There was even more money being spent. It was royalty. Those were the royal days. The money they were spending, they wasn’t saying no to nothing. We were making so much money and they were spending the same.

Streaming really changed the game. Do you ever miss the CD days?

Yeah, and no. I like this new digital shit. But I liked the CD era, it was the best era for me. In the same token, there’s still a lot of money on the table.

Plus the convenience. It’s mostly good, but sometimes the deeper cuts don’t always get enough shine. When you own the CD, it’s easy to live with the whole album. Now, I can listen to songs from Kiss Tha Game Goodbye and songs from Ignatius in the same five-minute span.

Yeah.

Back to Ignatius — did you have a specific writing process in mind, given the importance of the subject matter?

It depends. But this project was very meticulous. Usually I’m meticulous but if it’s an on-the-go type of situation, if that’s what the beat is saying, we make it happen. But for the most part, I like to sit down and be particular.

When you’re piecing together a project like this, do you have the structure in your mind already?

I build it piece by piece. Throw a storyboard up and start to build around it. Make sure all the songs fit.

In terms of collaborations, you’ve recorded with every hip-hop legend in the game. Is there still someone on your bucket list?

My all-time bucket list track is with Andre 3000 and Stevie Wonder.

That would be monumental.

Correct.

It sounds pretty specific. I assume you’ve thought it through.

Stevie Wonder on the hook. Me and Andre 3000 have the same birthday so we base the song around there somehow.

I have one last question for you, and it’s about you and Styles’ juice bar.

Juices For Life, baby.

Who is the bigger juice connoisseur — you or Styles?

Styles is definitely the bigger juice connoisseur. I’m actually learning from him. He damn near a doctor right now. He knows so much about the remedies and tonics. Blac seed oil and things like that. I learn from him as we go.

Juice of choice?

They switch up. Yesterday I had a banana shake with a bit of peanut butter in it. Tasted awesome so I’ma be on that for the next two or three days.

Anything else you’d like to share before the album drops?

Look out for the tour — they’re routing that now. Look out for the merch. I appreciate everybody who supports Jadakiss, D Block, LOX, So Raspy. Anything affiliated.

Stream Ignatius right here.

The unexpected death of Fredo Santana, the older cousin of Chicago rapper Chief Keef, was understandably surprising to hip-hop fans. While the 27-year-old was candid about his struggles with drug addiction -- specifically Xanax and lean -- the extent of his health damages was unclear. The rapper was reportedly suffering from liver and kidney failure, and his fatal seizure was caused by a cardiovascular disease that is believed to have been brought on by his drug use. In turn, fans have been quick to blame codeine cough syrup for the death of Fredo Santana, but Chief Keef wants everybody to stop making that assumption.

Taking to Twitter, 24-year-old Chicago drill legend Chief Keef wished that people would stop spreading misinformation about his cousin's death. 

Brooklyn drill finds itself in a state of flux. At a crucial time in its ascendency, the life and career of one of its breakout stars has been prematurely brought to an end. Garlanded as the new “king of New York” by some, the untimely death of Pop Smoke has left both the emergent subgenre and hip-hop as a whole reeling from the news. Slain just days after he released his official debut album Meet The Woo 2, the man that’d seemed destined to shepherd the genre to new heights of worldwide visibility has now been forced to secede the reins to another.

Although there’s no shortage of talented artists that seem capable of picking up the mantle such as Sheff G, 22Gz and, in recent times, Jay Critch, it seems as though there’s a clear frontrunner for the movement’s next breakout star. Positioned neatly alongside Pop Smoke on his final project, Fivio Foreign has all the attributes to supersede the borough that’s already heralding him as a top-tier artist to make the rest of the world take notice. Packing a seemingly endless array of boastful yet imposing bars, Fivio’s punchy, ad-lib laden delivery has made him a real standout among a progressively crowded batch of prospects and resulted in a star-making turn on Meet The Woo 2’s “Sweetheart.”

The Music

Riding the assortment of invigorating, AXL Beats productions that have helped make his name, Fivio has experienced a meteoric rise that took him from guesting on tracks alongside other notable names within the scene such as Fetty Luciano, Ether Da Connect and Mr Swipey in early 2019 to making in-roads towards the promised land of viral exposure by the midway point of the year.

“Big Drip,” released independently in June on his debut Pain & Love EP, was a more energetic take on Brooklyn drill than the ominous, UK-influenced “Welcome To The Party” that took his fellow woo affiliate into the world’s glare. Initially emerging to little fanfare, the arrival of the accompanying visuals on August 28^th would renew interest in the song and at, time of writing, it’s gone on to garner over 19 million views.

“I started seeing mad IG videos, everyone was putting it in their stories,” he said of the track’s explosion in popularity. “I thought my other song was better than that song, ‘Pop Out.’ That’s on my EP. But when I put the songs out together, they liked ‘Big Drip’ more.”

Major Label Deal

As is often the case, this organic momentum catapulted his name onto the lips of those in the boardrooms and back offices of the major labels. Wasting little time, Columbia put pen to paper on a deal with Fivio in October that, if the reports are to be believed, was in the seven figure region. “Yesterday was a day I will neva forget,” he said Instagram. “Now we give em hell.”

With Def Jam and Universal allegedly in the race as well, a November interview with Power 105.1 saw him vocalize a desire to start his own imprint that’d house some of his fellow Brooklyn MC’s. Naturally, this leads to speculation over whether Columbia had perhaps thrown this clause in to sweeten the pot and gain his signature.

The Co-Signs

Ascribed with plenty of upside potential, a whole host of modern-day titans have rushed to endorse and connect with him. Back in October, the late Juice WRLD brought him out at Rolling Loud NYC to deliver a rousing version of “Big Drip” to a hometown crowd. Another enble co-sign would come from the Dream Chasers CEO himself, Meek Mill. After they appeared onstage together at Powerhouse 2019 to perform Fivio’s breakout track, the Brooklynite was quick to disclose that there’s a collab waiting in the wings. “We got somethin’ in the stash,” he revealed. “You know how it go. I’m new to all the industry stuff so I guess it gotta be cleared or something.”

While this collision between the drill movement and one of Philly’s finest has yet to materialize, recent months have seen Fiv team up with some other high-profile artists. On the characteristically brooding banger “Richer Than Ever” from December, Foreign secured a Rich The Kid feature and signified that he wasn’t here to play in 2020. Five months after tapping Tory Lanez for the “Big Drip” remix, the Canadian would return the favour while dipping his toe into drill with January’s “K L O K.”

With close ties to incarcerated 6S9 originators of the New York-based brand of drill, Fivio informed Ebro that Bobby Shmurda would be releasing a new mixtape from behind bars in the coming weeks.

Fivio Foreign and Casanova in NYC – Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

New Music

Despite being a fleeting 2 minute conversation on his Beats 1 show, the January interview gave the rising star a chance to provide a rundown of the plans for the future and the heightened pace he’s working at. “It’s coming fast,” he proclaimed. “I said I wanted to do an album, they [Columbia] said a mixtape first and a couple of singles. An album will be coming around April-ish, but I’mma do a mixtape as soon as possible.”

Provisionally titled The Bible, what’s slightly more disconcerting is that if his remarks to XXL are to be believed, its release will also signify his exit from the game.

“Even when I be telling people like I’m only dropping one album, they be like, ‘nah, bro, you gotta keep going,'” Fivio says. “One album, one and done, I’m outta here. I ain’t tryna be rappin’ for mad long. Shit’s mad work. It’s something I really love. So, if I feel like I gotta rap, I’ll keep rapping.”

Although there may be doubts around his own predetermined longevity, one thing that’s become clear from his social media is that his new single in the works. Initially teased a brief cell phone clip, “Wetty” is an ode to the object of his affections and stills from the video shoot have been unveiled his Instagram.

In case you needed any other accolade to convince you that he’s on the rise, Fivio has already been embroiled in one of 50 Cent’s innumerable online skirmishes. Apparently involved in a deal with Mase’s Rich Fish imprint, a visit to Cigar Talk saw the G-Unit mogul take aim at his one-time signee for purportedly withholding Fivio’s publishing.

In an effort to rectify the situation, the show’s host Naji reached out to the former pastor and proclaimed that “I spoke to Mase today. He called me & showed me paperwork saying he took 0% of Fivio Foreign’s publishing rights. Fivio & Mase do have an existing agreement which I won’t disclose. We will have clarity soon, on a lot of issues.”

Between his major-label backing and the prodigious manner in which the young artist has imposed himself upon the game, 2020 is sure to be a massive year for Fivio Foreign. Undoubtedly one of the stars of New York’s drill movement, expect him to continue to expand beyond its ranks and turn in some high-profile collabs in the months leading up to his debut album.

Sledgren has never cared what others had to say, he’s always been committed to establishing his own path. Being different has come naturally to the architect of Taylor Gang’s sound, which is fitting because the collective are known for their originality. Now, years into his career the innovative producer is blazing a new trail. That’s why releasing an instrumental album didn’t intimidate him, even though it isn’t commonplace.

Sledgren – Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

If you’ve listened to any of Wiz Khalifa mixtapes then you’ve heard him yell “Sledgro!” Shouting out the childhood friend and producer who helped him elevate his hip-hop persona. The record “Change Up” was the first of many times Wiz rapped over a Sledgren beat. It was the start of a rollercoaster ride for him. After a number of hit songs and developing a strong reputation, XXL magazine recognized the Pittsburgh native as one hip-hop’s best up and coming producers. Now, having realized that potential and planting himself as a mainstay in the industry, Sledgo is challenging his creative boundaries and he doesn’t give a f*ck what you think about that. 

This interview was conducted over the phone in early February 2020, just after the release of Sledgren’s instrumental album. It’s been edited for length and clarity. Listen to “Sagittarius Luv” here. 

HotNewHipHop: How and when did you fall in love with music? 

Sledgren: That just comes from my upbringing. Me and my family. My parents and my grandparents always had music playing in the background at festivities and cookouts. Those types of atmospheres. I said to myself, whenever I get older, I just want to be involved in music that’s timeless.  

Is there a specific moment you can point to in your life when you knew that you were destined to create music?

Starting on the road. My first sold-out shows with Wiz. The records that I was making at my grandma’s house, in the attic. Watching people cry and pass out or long lines. That’s really what let me know that I should keep doing this and I should take it seriously. 

Take us back to the first time you heard a song you produced on the radio – describe the moment and explain how that felt? 

By the time I first heard our songs on the radio I had expected it. We had put in so much behind the scenes. None of it came easy. So, I was like yeah – that’s what it took to get on the radio? We had to go through that. The shows with nobody there. The projects that nobody clicked on, to get to the sold-out shows. To get to the projects that are number one. 

You said you guys did a lot of projects that nobody paid attention to, shows that nobody went to. Talk a bit about how hard it was to get to that level?

For us, it’s different because we always had the hometown but we didn’t always have the hometown radio support. But going to LA and hearing our stuff on the radio and hearing our singles. Seeing organic singles go to number one and being on the road working. Doing radio. Doing touring and promo. It just felt like it paid off and we saw the formula to get there.

Is there one show in particular that you can think back to where even though there was no one there, you knew you guys had something special?

We had sold-out shows, but this was the first time every single show in a row was sold out. I just remember being at a show and somebody was like … ‘yo, Diddy about to come. He wants to come out with y’all.’ It was the same thing with Suge Knight or HOV upstairs in the cut and I meet HOV and I’m like damn. Why did HOV leave from his house to come to our show? 

How did your connection to Taylor Gang start for you?

We are all family. We started Taylor Gang as one. Taylor Gang is from Taylor Allderdice. That’s the high school everybody in my neighborhood went to. That’s just something that rang with everybody. The Taylor abbretion. It was just more of a way of life than it was a name. My parents. Everyone’s parents went there and our family still continues to go there. So it was about family. We kind of plot on that.

Even when you guys were young, the people you were around, did you know there was something special about your group?

We did feel like that. I just felt like, my musical – I felt like it was any given time. any record. Any co-sign. We didn’t ask for them but we didn’t get the co-signs that a lot of artists get and we started getting the recognition without a lot of that and that’s when I knew we were our own entity. Going to other people’s concerts and seeing the numbers – it helped us to see we had support without having to be attached to any other organization. 

You’re credited with being the architect of Taylor Gang’s sound – how did you go about formulating that musical identity?  

It just more, less what I’m into – what [we] have in common with everyone. What we grew up to. What I think I hear when I create. A lot of old schools. People saying smoking rags – that’s stuff I heard [growing up]. My uncle who was a flute player that’s where I get my inspiration for my leads and my flutes. And I just combine all those things. What I heard when I was growing up. That’s what I create now.

So, it wasn’t a situation where you had to search for that Taylor Gang sound. It was already in who you were and you just allowed that to manifest …

Yea, I would definitely say our style started formulating. The marketing. The marijuana industry. The vibes. Everything just kind of came with Taylor. But I didn’t really search for that. I didn’t play my music all the time. I wasn’t marketing myself. I’m not the person that’s in the room and be like I got beats. I was more less, trying to develop my sound so that they [Wiz and other Taylor Gang artists] sounded good on it. But I didn’t really search for it. I started sampling video games because that’s what I played. I started incorporating styles of music that I heard.  

You talked about your uncle, what have been and are now your musical inspirations along with him?

I had a cousin that produced and he was like seven or eight years older than me and he put me onto like the Three 6 Mafia, 2Pac, No Limit, Cash Money. Just growing up and being young in that time I think those are really like my inspirations. Even, the Jay-Zs, the Rockafellas, State Property, it’s a lot. I don’t have one that outweighs the other.  

Talk about your creative process – how do you personally approach it and how do you feel that’s different from other people?

I don’t know if it’s different. I really approach it how the artists usually want to. Whatever they’re working on, I try to play it by that. I try to always factor in that I do have my own sound and where I can pull them into that. Create a new area or maybe something that didn’t exist. But, I usually always make stuff for an artist before I go in. I can make stuff on the spot. No problem. So, I take a couple in there – but worst come to worst we can map it out and build right there. I don’t want to be attached to too many styles and too many genres. 

You just released your instrumental album, explain what it took to bring that to life? Where was the seed planted in your mind to do the project and then what did it take to bring it to life?  

I started the project all myself, like some projects I don’t want people given me input or insight on it until it’s done. I can bring it to my homies, a couple close friends. I got with the art guy, I wanted to create the direction. I went through a lot of songs and did a lot of post-production and I tried to like give my own style and my own genre of music that’s not what everyone is doing. I didn’t have formats of everything you hear on the radio, I didn’t have features on there. I wanted to make it something completely itself that I felt people were scared to put out. I love trap music but I just wanted to make this something else.

You said a lot of people are scared to be original – do you feel like that’s something you had to overcome? Reaching that level of vulnerability, like I’m not sure how people will receive this …

I’m a critic of myself. I’m a critic but I’m also confident in a lot of the work I choose to release. I didn’t care what people would have to say about it, I just felt like if you understood me or if you were a fan of my music then you would understand it.

Early in your career, do you think you had the confidence to do something like this or do you think it took the experiences that you went through to get to the point where you could be like I’m going to put this out and I don’t give a f*ck what anyone thinks?

I do say yeah to that, like I could’ve been done that. I mean a lot of people don’t drop instrumental albums, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. I had so many mock projects through the years that I thought were it and I’m like nah that not it. I’m hearing other people’s projects and thinking that’s good but it’s not what I want for myself. I think through experience and just looking at the market and trying to tap into it … I definitely waited a bit but, now … It was never about the quality of music, I just didn’t know how to present it. Like I don’t rap. I don’t want to sing on the track. I don’t want to show my face really. 

How did you feel when the project was totally complete – what did that feel like?

The wild thing is that, I had the final tracklist but I didn’t know that was going to be the final. I was searching for the title of the project and for months and I didn’t have it but I kind of had the title for something else and it kind of fit this perfect. It just worked. I didn’t second guess it. I thought about doing more to it but I had so many projects that I’m working on now – I have my first instrumental project out and I’m happy that I’ll be able to execute those even better.

The name, Sagittarius Luv, what are you trying to say with that title? What is the message you’re trying to convey? 

It wasn’t a direct message. More-less it was about moods of love and moods of life. If you listen to the songs and just the emotions that they give you. I’m a Sagittarius and I spelled it … l.u.v. on some internet/digital stuff. I feel like people throw that word out like it doesn’t mean “love.” So, it’s temporary moods of me, in a way. 

Every project is its own story, what is the journey you’re trying to take people through with this album?

I’m trying to make people want more. That’s why I was cutting songs short. I have songs on there that are whole songs with videos and artists that I plan on releasing and I almost left it ‘to be continued’ for the next project. In December, I’m possibly doing a sequel with whole artistry and not just instrumentals. 

So this was an appetizer?

I had a lot of people who complained to me about song lengths. I literally sat in the studio and I was like cut that. I’m cutting that way short. Cut it right there. I was listening to some inspiration from like Tyler, the Creator. There were certain songs he would just cut out of nowhere. He didn’t have to explain it to you. I could’ve gotten further into that but I wanted to stop songs and do certain things that were out of the ordinary. 

You worked with obviously Wiz, Mac Miller, Curren$y – who are the artists you like to produce for the most and why?

The thing about that is, Mac was probably my favorite to produce with because he produced as well. So, before Mac even wanted to write to a track he wanted to like really produce. We would go get three or four records and take pieces from those records and then start building chords and then start adding stuff in Ableton and FL studios and guitar and sending it to Thundercat. Just doing so much, the process was so wild to his music. Just adding all his textures. He did that with every song. We’re generating a sound that it took all these things to do – and that’s something I got from Mac. I don’t think he had a set formula or format.

Do you think people have enough appreciation for a lot of those idiosyncrasies that go into producing a great record?

HOV said people will never interpret your music for what you think. People never going to hear who played it. A lot of people are never even going to check for that part. Nothing wrong with that but that’s just how I see it.

How do you think you’re going to push the boundaries of your creativity going forward? 

Embracing the past. Embracing the future and trying to work in both places. I’m making my trap sh*t, I’m making my east-coast boom. I make it all in my way. That why when people hear it they’re like oh, they think sounds and flute progressions. Things I’ve done and they’ll be like Oh, that’s a Sledgo beat. And that’s where I want to be at. I want to be my own sound. I want to have my own genre.

Producers are becoming the new stars in hip-hop because there’s less of an emphasis on what emcee’s are actually saying or their ability to be a lyricist.

I totally agree. A lot of artists aren’t willing to put out songs without our tags. Like they have to let people know this is a such and such beat. We own 50% of the songs too. A lot of people don’t say that or don’t know that. 

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 being treated earlier to the highly-anticipated SZA and Justin Timerlake collaboration “The Other Side” and its surprise music video to accompany the release, we’ve now got a preview of the very loaded tracklist for the entire Trolls World Tour soundtrack.

John Keeble/Getty Images

The compilation will feature a total of 20 tracks, including vocals from stars of the upcoming film like JT, Anderson .Paak, Mary J. Blige, Icona Pop, Kelly Clarkson, James Corden, Ester Dean, Kenan Thompson and music icon George Clinton. SZA is one of the musicians who appears on the soundtrack but not the film itself, in addition to HAIM and composer Ludwig Göransson. 

The Trolls World Tour soundtrack arrives in stores and on streaming services on March 13, with the film itself hitting theaters the following month on April 17.

Trolls World Tour Tracklist:

1. “The Other Side” – SZA & Justin Timberlake
2. “Trolls Wanna Have Good Times” – Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Ester Dean, Icona Pop, Kenan Thompson & the Pop Trolls
3. “Don’t Slack” – Anderson .Paak & Justin Timberlake
4. “It’s All Love” – Anderson .Paak, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige & George Clinton
5. “Just Sing” – Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak & Kenan Thompson
6. “One More Time” – Anthony Ramos
7. “Atomic Dog World Tour Remix” – George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Anderson .Paak & Mary J. Blige
8. “Rainbows, Unicorns, Everything Nice” – Walt Dohrn & Joseph Shirley
9. “Rock N Roll Rules” – HAIM & Ludwig Göransson
10. “Leaving Lonesome Flats” – Dierks Bentley
11. “Born to Die” – Kelly Clarkson
12. “Trolls 2 Many Hits Mashup” – Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Icona Pop & the Pop Trolls
13. “Barracuda” – Rachel Bloom
14. “Yodel Beat” – Ludwig Göransson
15. “Crazy Train” – Rachel Bloom
16. “I Fall to Pieces” – Sam Rockwell
17. “Perfect for Me” – Justin Timberlake
18. “Rock You Like a Hurricane” – Rachel Bloom
19. “It’s All Love (History of Funk)” – George Clinton
20. “Just Sing (Trolls World Tour)” – Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Kelly Clarkson, George Clinton, Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak, Rachel Bloom, Kenan Thompson, Anthony Ramos, Red Velvet, Icona Pop & Sam Rockwell

Pop Smoke’s discography is seeing a spike in streaming, rising from 5 million streams to 24.7 million streams after it was announced that the rapper was tragically killed in a fatal shooting in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday. According to Billboard, tons of fans rushed to streaming services to play his music on the day of his death, resulting in a 392 percent increase in streaming numbers, per Nielsen Music/MRC Data. 

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Pop Smoke’s catalogue as a whole garnered 24.7 million streams on February 19th following his death, almost five times as many as the 5 million streams the day prior. “Dior” off Pop’s 2019 debut mixtape, Meet The Woo, has raked in the most streams since we lost the young artist, rising from 909,000 listens on February 18th to 5.2 million on the 19th—a whopping 467 percent increase. However, while “Dior” may have the most listens, “Better Have Your Gun” saw the greatest increase in streams. The song was at 202,000 streams on February 19th, having experienced a 783 percent jump. The late artist also experienced a 984 percent increase in digital downloads of his songs, sitting at 3,000 downloads in total, 1,000 of which were “Dior.” Most strikingly, Pop’s music saw a 12,179 percent jump in album sales between Wednesday and Thursday, 3,000 of the 4,000 of which were his new album, Meet the Woo 2.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

Pop Smoke’s murder took place in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday as a result of what was initially believed to be a home invasion robbery. It has since been reported that surveillance footage from the Hollywood Hills home had led authorities to believe that the shooting was in fact a targeted hit, rather than part of an intended robbery. While the police investigate Pop Smoke’s murder, which may have had ties to gang relations, the rest of the world continues to mourn the loss of a young talent gone too soon. RIP Pop Smoke.

It's still hard to believe that just yesterday (February 19), rising Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was killed in what's now being reported as more than just a home invasion gone wrong. As the hip-hop community still tries to wrap their minds around Pop's senseless murder, some are now pointing to the sad fact that his death now means the Brooklyn-bred emcee won't be able to collaborate with East Flatbush's own rap hero,  Bobby Shmurda.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty

Seen during brighter days at his listening party less than two weeks ago at Villain in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, Pop Smoke was truly on his way to doing big things in his skyrocketing career. Meet The Woo 2, his sophomore mixtape which just received a deluxe edition last week, proved to be a hit on the Billboard 200 where it debuted at #7. Many believed it was the start of great things to come, including an inevitable collaboration with Bobby if his December 2020 release date proves to be true. Even though a posthumous collab with unreleased vocals is still a strong possibility, nothing beats the in-studio synergy these two could've had and without a doubt the pandemonium they would've caused hitting the stage together. It goes without saying, but the world of hip-hop, New York's influential rap scene to be specific, is lesser for Pop Smoke's loss.

Take a look at some of the realest fan reactions to the Pop Smoke and Bobby Shmurda collab that never was and never truly will be:

We all woke up to the horrendous news that Pop Smoke, one of the brightest young stars in Brooklyn's blossoming drill scene, was murdered in a home invasion robbery. At just 20-years-old, we've lost yet another star who was just at the beginning of his artistic career. Just a few months ago, the hip-hop community was mourning the loss of Juice WRLD, who was 21-years-old at the time of his death, and now we're forced to speak of Pop Smoke in the past tense. It's all so heartbreaking and the rap world is reacting with great pain to his loss. People like Kehlani, Quavo, Young M.A and others have all spoken out about the passing of Pop Smoke and 50 Cent, who was close to his New York brethren, has officially issued his own response to the tragedy.

Uploading a photo of the two hanging out at a Super Bowl party just a few weeks ago, 50 Cent came to terms with the fact that he'll never get to spend time with Pop Smoke again. He made note of how, once you become successful, people are always watching your moves and jealousy is a common thing. "No such thing as success with out jealousy," said the rapper-turned-television producer. "Treachery comes from those who are close," he added, perhaps suggesting that he believes this was an inside job.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

The details surrounding Pop Smoke's murder remain unclear but some people on social media have mentioned that in a recent video uploaded to Instagram, the rising rapper forgot to blur out his address on his luggage tags. That may somewhat debunk 50 Cent's theory, given the fact that his location had allegedly been made public information, whether it was intentional or not.

In a prior post, Fif said that there is "no sympathy for winners." He also shared a tribute video with "Dior" playing in the background, which is the late rapper's most popular song. Just a few months ago, Pop Smoke made headlines when he freestyled over a 50 Cent beat at Power 106 Los Angeles. While their musical styles were different, it makes sense why Fiddy would have an affinity for the Brooklyn rapper. Both stars share the same hometown and they both broke out after turning the rap game on its head. Pop Smoke was a very unconventional talent, utilizing his extremely deep voice to audibly represent his gutter-like bars. As a pioneer of the recent surge in Brooklyn drill rap, the 20-year-old was just starting out and he was rightfully on track to create a long-lasting name for himself. While he will live on forever in our hearts, it's horrifying to think of what he could have accomplished in the coming years.

As further updates break out regarding the passing of Pop Smoke, we will keep you updated. For now, revisit his catalogue and read our review of Meet The Woo 2, which was released just a couple of weeks ago.

Rest in peace to Pop Smoke, a young Brooklyn King.

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.

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images 

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.

If you were caught off guard on Sunday night when Eminem appeared onstage at the Oscars to perform “Lose Yourself” backed by an orchestra, then everything worked out exactly as planned. Following the performance, confused viewers took to Twitter to try and decipher why Em would be recruited to perform a song that had won the Academy award for Best Original Song a whole 17 years earlier. Well, you no longer have to scratch your head about this mystery because Robert Mills, Senior Vice President of Alternative Series, Specials and Late-Night Programming at ABC, has explained the whole backstory of the performance to Entertainment Tonight.

“I want to say the first time it was ever talked about was after Justin Timberlake opened with ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ in [2017],” Mills said. “There are just these songs when you have an iconic performer opening with an anthem like that it just gets everybody pumped up. We talked about it with the Academy that Eminem, the fact that he never performed that song and it’s such an anthem, and it’s one everybody knows and it won the Oscar. Wouldn’t it be great to figure out a way to get him to come and do that?”

Kevin Winter/Getty Image

Everything fell into place this year to get Eminem to finally bring his hit to the Oscar stage because the ceremony’s producers had a relationship with his label, Interscope. All that was left to figure out was how they would keep the performance a secret until it occurred, since “the element of surprise” was a priority for both Em and the showrunners. So much so, that Mills believes that Em might have backed out had the news leaked beforehand. According to Mills’ recollection, only the Academy, the network, the producers and Eminem’s team were aware of the surprise up to two days before the ceremony. 

The organizers were also very particular about other details in order to optimize the performance’s impact. “It had to be the right time, it had to be in the right place in the show,” Mills explained. The “Lose Yourself” spectacle came after a montage showing iconic musical moments in movies, ending with Em’s song in 8 Mile. 

Wait, there’s more. Em & Co. were so stealthy that they held just one rehearsal for the performance and had a whole plan in case any outsiders happened to walk in on it. “When we did dress rehearsals, there was a whole alternate beat where it was just Eminem’s band playing ‘You Should Be Dancing’ by The Bee Gees with John Travolta in the background, so that’s how much it was kept a secret and surprise,” detailed Mills. “There was a whole alternate ending to that beat. If anybody happened to wander in and see it they would have been like, ‘Oh yeah, there’s been a switch with a salute to Saturday Night Fever. It was a fake-out.”

Eminem has provided his own explanation for why he wished to do this performance. While “Lose Yourself” is widely accepted as classic, one of our writers wondered, is it really the defining song of Eminem’s career?

The modern hip-hop landscape feels like fertile ground for lone wanderers. Though it wasn’t always. There was once an era in which rap crews reigned supreme, gangs roving the game waving their own respective flags. Especially at the turn of the century. Every superstar seemed to have their own loyal band. Interesting dynamics and standout members proved inevitable — all part of the fun. Any hip-hop head in their late twenties can likely rattle off names like D12, G-Unit, State Property, The Lox, Bravehearts, Disturbing Tha Peace, Tha Eastsidaz, and the St. Lunatics. Some have delivered hip-hop classics; others have faded from memory.

The rap crew has been a mainstay in the game since the late eighties, since Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella united to form NWA. Years later came Wu-Tang Clan, arguably the greatest band to ever bless the culture. The product of ten emcees, disparate in styles though united in vision, the Shaolin warriors achieved commercial and critical dominance. Likewise did legendary groups like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia have untold impact on the culture, their influence on production trends and flow-schemes evident now more than ever. Cam’ron, Mase, and Big L fought record label attention as Children Of The Corn, their movement shattered by Big L’s untimely murder. The Hot Boys, a New Orleans based collective helmed by the notorious Birdman, brought a new bounce to the table. Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Nature joined Dr. Dre for The Firm, a mafioso clique that ultimately floundered under the weight of expectation.

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The list goes on. To shine a spotlight on all deserving parties would require far more than a single article. But there is one interesting pattern worthy of exploration, one that really came to manifest in the early millennium. The idea that a commercially successful rapper had a band of little homies waiting in the wings, ready to be put on. Was it a label-fuelled movement? Perhaps; you can bet the Interscope powers that be were salivating at the thought of a D12 album, especially if it didn’t impact Em’s contract as a solo artist. Business aside, the arrival of a crew often introduced new dynamics, undoubtedly fueled by a good-natured sense of healthy competition. Upon listening to D12’s Devil’s Night and St Lunatics’ Free City, there’s a certain edge to both Eminem and Nelly, culminating in some of their rawest and most effortlessly confident work.

Such results wouldn’t be possible without capable colleagues and standout members. For D12, it was Proof, the architect behind the Dirty Dozen’s vision; and of course the gruesome Bizarre, but he’s a standout for reasons beyond technical prowess. For St-Lunatics it was the original schoolboy, Murphy Lee, the high-school prodigy who had a decent solo career in his own right. Those familiar with the group might be quick to vouch for Ali’s prowess, but Murph’s marketability gave him leverage once the crew hype faded. And in most cases, such a fate is not a matter of if, but when. Sadly, rap crews often benefit most from one illustrious centerpiece; if one of the supporting players can find solo success, it’s akin to a late-game Hail Mary catch. Sometimes the buzz is so ridiculous it impacts everyone in the vicinity. It happened to Lloyd Banks, who carved his way from G-Unit’s punchline king to a respectable solo artist with a classic to his name. Young Buck found similar success in his own right, with Straight Outta Cashville serving as a respectable look for the Nashville emcee. 

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Circumstances matter. When a group arises on equal footing, as was the case when Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek formed The Lox in the mid-nineties, the established dynamic allowed for a smooth transition into solo waters. Especially for Kiss and Styles, who explored new artistic depths on their debut albums Kiss Tha Game Goodbye and A Gangster And A Gentleman. Such cases skew closer to the Wu-Tang model, in which no discernible skill-based leader is selected by default. It’s the reason The Lox has been able to thrive for as long as they have, despite boasting only three crew albums to their name. Same goes for the Diplomats, who formed in 1997 after the dismantling of Cam’ron’s Children Of The Corn. With Cam, Jim Jones, Freekey Zeekey and later addition Juelz Santana operating on more or less equal footing, the healthy competition from within allowed each member to forge solo careers on their own merit. Sadly, tension ultimately destroyed the group from within, an inherent risk when four capable emcees move forward with no authoritative leader calling the shots. 

The rise and fall of the Diplomats echoes that of a newer group, the lyrical powerhouse that is Slaughterhouse. At the time of their formation, Royce Da 5’9”, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I were all accomplished lyricists, despite having never sustained long term success in the mainstream. Benefitting from the combined attention of their already established solo fanbases, the group was all but unburdened by the pressure of breaking an artist into the mainstream. The raison d’etre was simple: strive for lyrical excellence in the spirit of hip-hop tradition. Pure in theory, albeit naive: rather than pursuing the mixtape route, the group signed with Shady Records and attempted to reinvent themselves as commercially ble. In this case, it could be said that a case of “too many cooks” brought upon their downfall; others might argue that ego and creative differences played a role. As of this moment, their lost sophomore album Glass House remains an urban myth, forgotten until that one fateful day it leaks from the bluest ether.

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Such sharp demises are the risk when no clear group hierarchy exists. In some ways, the “little homie” model is the more sustainable option, though the ceiling is significantly lower. Look no further than Ludacris’ short-lived Disturbing Tha Peace family, though it ultimately gave us Tity Boi. Or Nas’ Bravehearts, whose main contribution to the game was “Oochie Wally” — do with that what thou wilt. In hindsight, it’s rare for a group (not to be confused with a duo) to sustain a lengthy and creatively fulfilling career. Even a modern-day quartet like Black Hippy, comparable in many ways to Slaughterhouse, never found the time nor motivation to link up for an album. Heavyweight stars seldom do — does anybody remember the short-lived promise of CRS, the Thom Yorke sampling trifecta of Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams?

Yet today’s era has brought several exciting movements into the fold. Borne of vision-chasing principles previously seen in the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and The Diplomats yet instilled with a contemporary desire to shift culture, SpaceGhostPurpp’s Raider Klan was among the most impactful early movements to benefit from the internet. In 2008, the hazy and eclectic producer united with artists like Kadafi, Dough Dough Da Don, the late Jitt, and eventually Denzel Curry and Yung Simmie. Drawing influence from their environment of Carol City, Raider Klan’s impact went on to stretch beyond music, encompassing the community and providing like-minded artists with a means of expression. Though with massive collectives of this nature comes another risk, that varying degrees of both talent and motivation will lead to varying degrees of success and sustainability. 

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When that does end up happening it need not tear a crew apart. Even as clear standout members begin to thrive as solo artists, some groups remain tethered by a sense of familial loyalty and mutual artistic respect. The A$AP Mob comes to mind, as brought to life by visionary creative Yams in 2006.  Inspired by a shared desire to push several facets of artistic culture ranging from music to fashion, the Mob united several like-minded New Yorkers under one banner. Though A$APs Rocky, Ferg, Twelvvy, Nast, Ant, and producer Ty Beats have all experienced different career trajectories, the Mob and by extension Yams’ memory represents a shared ideology above any well-defined creative goals. A similar vibe was felt during the rise of Odd Future, the primary creative outlet for a young Tyler, The Creator. Originally formed in 2007, Odd Future’s formative lineup consisted of Tyler, Hodgy Beats, Jasper, and Left Brain, who quickly found their music gaining steam. As the band of outcasts gained notoriety, Earl Sweatshirt, Domo Genesis, and Frank Ocean added their minds to the creative brain trust. Unlike the Mob, however, Odd Future is more or less inactive, fondly remembered for the spirit they once represented. 

And so it goes. Though the rap crew all too often meets an untimely and unamicable end, few go out without leaving a profound impact on the fans. Sometimes, if luck would have it, the dust might even settle to reveal a classic album or two. It’s hard not to look back on all the movements come and gone and not feel a pang of nostalgia. Past, present, or future, what’s your favorite hip-hop crew? 

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Coming off the release of his latest and arguably most introspective project, uknowwhatimsayin? (2019), Danny Brown has earned his right to be considered one of hip-hop's most respected underground kings. Currently on the European leg of his 2019-2020 tour and recently unveiling a blossoming relationship with Rockstar that will immortalize the Detroit emcee forever, Danny Brown was pleasantly surprised to learn that his 2017 single "Ain't It Funny" was used during Christopher John Rogers Fall/Winter 2020 presentation at New York Fashion Week, this past Saturday (Feb. 8). 

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund-winning designer, Christopher John Rogers presented a total of forty different garments utilizing boisterous silhouettes, iridescent fabrics, and a color-coordinated lineup of models ranging in complexion, wearing natural hairstyles. The packed house was able to consume the designs to a very fitting soundtrack, curated by Skype Williams, which included tracks like FKA Twigs and Dennis Ferrer’s "Hey Hey," Eurythmics’ "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," SBTRKT’s "New Dorp. New York," and more. 

The fashion presentation came to a climax as Danny Brown's "Ain't It Funny" instrumental was played during the show's finale. Christopher John Rogers himself took a moment to capture the models walking the runway in unison to the experimental beat his Instagram account. Yesterday evening, Danny Brown saw the clip on Twitter and simply quote Tweeted the video simply stating, "Ain't It Funny."

Check out the clip of Christopher John Rogers NYFW Fall/Winter 2020 collection featuring Danny Brown's "Ain't It Funny" as well as the "Savage Nomad" rapper's reaction in the videos provided below.

During last night's 92nd Oscar Awards, Billie Eilish took the stage to sing a sweet cover of The Beatles' 1965 release “Yesterday” as the Academy paid tribute to fallen stars that made an impact in show business. The first act to be featured in the slide show was Kobe Bryant who recently passed in a helicopter crash. The rest of the slideshow included Agnes Varda, John Singleton, Kirk Douglas and more but some viewers were quick to notice some missing names. 

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Luke Perry, whose last acting role was Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood did not get a mention, even though the film pulled in 10 nominations and went home with two wins. Sid Haig, known for his horror film moves was also left out of the slideshow as well as Disney actor Cameron Boyce who passed at age 20 last year. "Excluding LukePerry from the Oscars in Memoriam was disrespectful. He appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood which was nominated for Best Picture. Quentin Tarantino personally selected Luke to be in his movie so why not mention him?" one user wrote. 

Peep more reactions below.

If award shows teach us anything, it’s that we can’t all be winners. Red carpets are always walked by some who dazzle and others who disappoint. The good news is that an unfortunate fit does not necessarily reflect poorly on the celeb donning it nor does it discount whatever great work they may have participated in the past year that led to them attending the ceremony. When it comes to Hollywood, we can place the blame on the often-unnamed stylists and keep it moving with no hostility in our hearts. 

Elton John wowed the audience with a performance of “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”, but also with his neon running shoes. Aside from his shoes, the glitter king shined with sparkly sunglasses and a diamond bow-tie. If you’ve seen Best Picture-nominee, Jojo Rabbit, you were likely obsessed with the friendship between Jojo and Yorki. Turns out the young actors who played those roles, Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates, are just as tight in real life and seeing them together on the red carpet was awesome. Billie Eilish, who performed a Beatles cover during the in memoriam tribute, rocked an over-sized (obviously) tweed Chanel suit that looked quite comfy. As phenomenal of a film Little Women was,  the cast members were not style icons on Sunday night. Timothee Chalamet, while usually whipping up some fresh fits, wore a rather boring Prada tracksuit of sorts. Laura Dern and Kristen Wiig, we love you both endlessly, but those dresses were not it. 

BEST DRESSED 

Elton John

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Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates

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Chelsea Winstanley

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Brie Larson

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Billie Eilish

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WORST DRESSED

Timothée Chalamet

                                 Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Saoirse Ronan

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Laura Dern

                                 Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Kristen Wiig

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When all is said and done, Stephen A. Smith will go down as one of the most entertaining sports media personalities of all-time. The former Philadelphia 76ers beat writer found himself at ESPN in the early 2000s and quickly became a household name while co-hosting First Take with none other than Skip Bayless. Smith and Bayless’ chemistry was electrifying from the start and they quickly became fan favorites, even if people didn’t agree with a single thing they were saying. Now, Smith is doing First Take with Max Kellerman and while the show doesn’t have the same charm it used to, it still provides us with some hilarious moments.

Smith can be fairly aggressive with his opinions but the presentation is always entertaining. Some of his antics will forever live on as iconic sports memes. In fact, Smith’s influence runs so deep, there is even a Parody account dedicated to tweeting out some of his funniest clips. From going after Kwame Brown to having complete breakdowns over the New York Knicks, Smith has left us with enough entertainment to last a lifetime.

Stephen A. Goes After LeBron James For Not Winning

It’s hard to believe there was a time where people were debating whether or not LeBron James would ever win a championship. Back in 2011, LeBron had a complete meltdown in the NBA Finals as his first season with the Miami Heat ended in heartbreak. Before the start of the 2011-2012 season, LeBron jokingly asked an ESPN reporter if he could still be signed as an NFL free agent. Many people took this the wrong way, including Smith who went scorched earth on the superstar. Throughout the rant, Smith urges LeBron to win something before opening his mouth again. While it may not be his funniest rant, it shows Smith at his most passionate. Not to mention, it’s one of the few times Skip Bayless agreed with him.

Stephen A. Tells Kevin Durant To Not Make An Enemy Out Of Him

Throughout the 2015-2016 season, there was a huge debate over which team Kevin Durant would sign with during the offseason. Before the 15-16 campaign had even begun, Smith was on First Take saying he had been in contact with KD who was taking his time with the decision. Durant would go on to say that him and his family never spoke to Smith. As you can imagine, Smith wasn’t too happy about his credibility being questioned which led to one of the most iconic First Take clips of all-time. Smith essentially tells Durant to tread lightly and to not make an enemy out of him. It was one of the few times a member of the media had gone after a player so explicitly and fans were jarred by it. Eventually, KD and Stephen A. peaced it up but this clip will forever live in infamy for its brazenness. 

Stephen A. Walks Off The Set After Skip Praises Tim Tebow 

Remember Tim Tebow? At one point, he was the most box office player in the NFL albeit for the worst reasons. Tebow wasn’t a very good quarterback but his ability to win captured the hearts and minds of Americans everywhere. Stephen A. absolutely despised Tebow but for some reason, Bayless loved him. In the iconic debate above, Bayless and Smith discuss whether or not Kobe Bryant is overpaid. Out of nowhere, Bayless suggests Tebow should be paid $27 million per year because he’s the most box office athlete in the United States. Smith was in utter shock over Bayless’ comments and eventually had to walk off the set. Perhaps the funniest part of this rant is when Smith stands up so he can scold Bayless while towering over him. Smith’s reactionary style is on full display here and you can’t do anything but just sit back and laugh.

Stephen A. Has A Meltdown Over Demarcus Cousins Knicks Rumors

During the 2019 offseason, the New York Knicks did exactly what the Knicks do: next to nothing. As a lifelong Knicks fan, Smith was incredibly on edge especially since the team missed out on Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Zion Williamson. During this First Take segment, the idea of DeMarcus Cousins going to the Knicks was tossed around. This sent Smith into a full-on tailspin of emotions as he began shaking his fists and yelling “no” repeatedly, much to the delight of Will Cain. Once again, Smith shows just how entertaining he is, all while ripping on the New York Knicks. If you ever see Stephen A. Smith and the Knicks in a title of a First Take video, we highly suggest that you watch it.

Stephen A.’s Heated Argument With Lavar Ball

What more can be said about this one? Lavar Ball came into this interview making all sorts of bold claims about his kids. From thinking Lonzo was the next Magic Johnson to saying he could beat Michael Jordan 1-on-1, Lavar was quick with the antics. Luckily, he was going up against a man with an equally vibrant personality. Throughout the clip, Smith and Ball trade jabs as the two get louder and louder with each other. Smith came through with a hilarious line as he tells the Ball family patriarch “ain’t nobody thinking about damn Lavar.” If you need a good laugh, this video always seems to work. Lavar has been to the First Take studios on multiple occasions but this specific encounter will always be remembered as the best one.

Stephen A. Loses It Over Scottie Pippen’s “Blasphemous” MJ Comments

Before LeBron James could even win a single championship, there were people saying he was a better player than Michael Jordan. Surprisingly, one of those people was MJ’s own teammate, Scottie Pippen. Of course, Smith took exception to this and unleashed an epic rant upon Pippen. Smith starts out the clip calling Pippen’s comments “blasphemous.” For those who watch a lot of Stephen A., you know just how much he loves to use that particular word. He then goes on to say Pippen should be banned from the city of Chicago for an entire day and that Jordan would be ashamed by those comments. He even told a story in which MJ called out Stephen A. for saying LeBron was the best 20-year-old he ever saw. This moment is jam-packed with personal anecdotes, big words, and hilarious jabs. Overall, it’s some of Stephen A.’s finest work.

Every Single Stay Off The Weed Rant

What more can we say other than “stay off the damn weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeduh.” 

Stephen A.’s Infamous Kwame Brown Monologue

Ever since Kwame Brown was drafted with the first overall pick in the NBA draft, Stephen A. has been critical of him. While Brown doesn’t play in the NBA anymore, every now and then Smith finds some time to shade the man. Back in the late 2000s, the Lakers parted ways with Brown and landed Pau Gasol who went on to become a two-time champion with the Lakers. When asked if the Lakers gave up too much, Smith replied with “is that a trick question?” He then goes on to give us his best rant to date. From calling Brown a “bonafide scrub” to disrespecting the man’s small hands, Smith lays it all out there. If you were to watch a Stephen A. meme compilation, there is a 100 percent chance you would be graced by this clip.

Stephen A. Calls JaMarcus Russell A Fat Slob

JaMarcus Russell will most likely go down as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. He was picked first overall by the Oakland Raiders and never really amounted to anything. He had a lack of motivation, never watched game film, and played horribly out on the field. Eventually, Russell found himself out of the league despite his desire for a second chance. When asked if Russell should get signed, Smith went off calling the quarterback a fat slob who was lazy and good for nothing. The rant seemingly came out of nowhere and its brashness will have you trying to hold in excessive amounts of laughter. In fact, Bayless was so shocked by Smith’s remarks that all he could say in response was “well that’s a little strong,” his mouth agape. 

Stephen A. Roasts Phil Jackson Over Lamar Odom Signing

Phil Jackson won’t be remembered favorably amongst New York Knicks fans. The championship-winning head coach is a legend of the game but as an executive, he made some pretty awful moves. Of course, one of these moves was signing Lamar Odom at the height of his drug problems. During a segment on the possibility of a Kristaps Porzingis trade, Smith went nuclear on Jackson and eventually gave us perhaps his best one-liner of all-time. Speaking with Kellerman, Smith said Jackson’s first move was “to sign Lamar Odom, who was on crack.” Smith’s delivery of the line had Kellerman smiling from ear-to-ear as he began trying to process what Stephen A. had just said. The clip immediately went viral and is one of the most memorable moments in First Take history. If you’re a Knicks fan, this clip definitely resonated with you.

Which Stephen A. Smith moments are your favorite? Let us know in the comments, below.

There’s no end to the list of rappers in the game that Young Thug can claim as his offspring. It’s no longer controversial to deem him one of the most influential artists of the past decade. However, there’s a pack that Thug has put effort into raising in his own image, whose members can be differentiated from his off-brand clones. Thugger’s label, YSL Records, houses talents that possess the same brazenness as the head honcho himself, but they all manage to carve singular identities. When these voices come together on a track, sparks fly. In the list below, we will explore the most electric collaborations to come out of this camp and dissect what each Slime brings to the table. 

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images   

8. “Family” – Young Thug feat. HiDoraah and Dolly White 

YSL is all about family, both biological and chosen. Two of Young Thug’s siblings are in his crew: HiDoraah and Dolly White. I’m Up may not be the most highly-regarded project within Thugger’s oeuvre, but he and his sisters come together for a nice moment on “Family.” They all rap about a shared characteristic that connects them as strongly as blood ties: dedication to the hustle. HiDoraah captures it well in her verse: “I get it from lil’ Thugger, you know relations / Grind, grind, grind, that motivation.” Thug ignites this drive in all of his comrades. It’s what keeps them soaring upwards and their songs feeling so elevating. 

7. “Ain’t Slime Enough” – Young Thug feat. Karlae & Lil Duke

In August 2018, Young Thug presented Slime Language, the first compilation project from YSL Records. It commenced with a Young Thug solo cut, which is fair, considering he is the ringleader of the whole operation. However, the second track on the project, “U Ain’t Slime Enough”, is the true opening. It captures the spirit of YSL much better than “Tsunami” by providing a fierce rallying cry: “These bitches not Slime enough!” Aspiring artist and Thug’s longtime girlfriend, Jerrika Karlae, repeatedly shouts this slogan in the chorus and it guarantees to convert anyone into a supporter of the YSL movement. 

6. “Understood” – Lil Duke feat. Young Thug & Gunna

Lil Duke has a discography filled with memorable YSL moments. If you dig back to 2017, you will discover “Understood” on Blue Devil. It’s produced by Billboard Hitmakers, who may not be responsible for many YSL collaborations, but they furnished the perfect beat for one to thrive on in this instance. It rests on a skeleton of tiptoeing synths, similar to the mesmerizing guitar loops that have brought us gems like “Oh Okay” and “Anybody” (spoiler alert). However, the drums are heavy on this one, forcing energetic performances out of the rappers. “Understood” dates back to when Gunna barked with tenacity, opposed to the tranquil delivery he prefers to rely on as of late. Thug only pops in for a spoken outro, but he emphasizes that the “YSL Slime bosses in town” like a proud parent.

5. “Chanel (Go Get It)” – Young Thug feat. Gunna & Lil Baby

While we might have expected Slime Language to provide some massive posse that united all the Atlanta Avengers, no song exceeded a three-artist lineup. When you consider all the songs together though, you grasp the strength of the squad. Slime Language introduced several of their emerging talents, but one track featured a cast of established names. “Chanel (Go Get It)” gathered Thug, Gunna and Lil Baby. Lil Baby is not only being placed under the YSL umbrella to beef up this list. He may be signed to Quality Control, but he will always be an honorary Slime. No trio could make a more magical hedonistic anthem. Young Thug chirps through the chorus, Gunna’s nasally murmur buzzes like ambient noise and Lil Baby’s flow spastically bounces around like a ping-pong ball. Magic.   

4. “3 Headed Snake” – Gunna feat. Young Thug (Prod. Wheezy)

Wheezy can 100% be considered a YSL member, hence, “3 Headed Snake” 100% qualifies as a posse cut. If you take any issue with that, you can speak to my lawyer. The “Wheezy Outta Here!” tag has blessed the majority of the YSL conglomerate’s output. Despite Wheezy often getting Gunna to sing over whimsical guitar, he set him up for a banger with the “3 Headed Snake” beat. Gunna and Thugga trade bars like a hot potato while Wheezy’s production swirls around them, tying them all together into a single indefatigable creature. It’s the stuff of legend.

3. “Life Goes On” – Lil Baby feat. Lil Uzi Vert & Gunna

There was zero chance I was going to leave this masterpiece off the list. Yes, Lil Uzi Vert is an honorary Slime too! Check the Slime Language tracklist. Two out of the three artists on this song may not be signed to YSL, but it packs the same spirit as all of their posse cuts. “Life Goes On” feels like speeding through some Tron-like landscape with vibrant lights flashing all around you. The fact that Lil Baby jumpstarts the track by spitting “Trackhawk Jeep go too fast / I don’t even wear no seatbelt”, amplifies the adrenaline rush. Lil Baby, Uzi and Gunna have collaborated with one another several times, but this was the first and only official release on which all three of them joined forces. We’ll likely see this lethal trio reband again in the future, but for now, we must savor this historical song. 

2. “Anybody” – Lil Keed feat. Lil Duke & Gunna

“Anybody” could be considered as the sequel to “Oh Okay,” but they can certainly be judged on their own merits. The similarity primarily stems from their guitar-driven beats, but how many artists have entered the musical canon by relying on nothing other than a guitar? If Gunna, Lil Keed or any other YSL signee wishes to milk this formula, let them go in. They’re the new generation of rockstars pouring their hearts out over twinkling strings. Lil Keed’s sing-songy chorus on “Anybody” is exquisite. His squawking is contrasted by Duke’s hoarse tone coming in on the first verse. Gunna slides through at a level that sits between the pitches of his collaborators. This song is a paradigmatic example of the versatility and chemistry within the YSL collective. 

1. “Oh Okay” – Gunna feat. Young Thug & Lil Baby

An ear that has yet to be seasoned by the YSL family’s discography might not be able to discern the different artists squealing on “Oh Okay.” This task is not made any easier by the fact that Thug and Lil Baby share a verse. They both let the tail-end of their bars stretch out like… well, slime. The pitter-patter of the hook and the lilting of the verses are sprinkled across an entrancing loop of guitar-plucking. There’s a celestial quality to the song that is undoubtedly heightened by the fact that Gunna, Thug and Lil Baby all approach music like they’re from another planet. 

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.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

Alchemist continues to solidify himself as the most prolific producer in the game. If not the number one, he’s up there. The legendary beatmaker and occasional rapper never stops working, and now he’s linked up with Boldy James for yet another collaborative effort. Picking up where last year’s Boldface (not to be confused with Blueface) EP aperitif left off, the pair have unveiled further details about their upcoming album The Price Of Tea In China. 

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images 

Drawing inspiration from an old idiom suggesting an irrelevant point, the project features esteemed lyricists in supporting roles; look for Vince Staples, Benny The Butcher (who seems to be widely recognized by fellow verbal elites), Freddie Gibbs, and Evidence. Yet it’s Boldy himself, and possible Alchemist with the occasional verse, who will be carrying the torch the majority of the way. And for that reason, it’s clear we’re in good hands. 

Check out the full tracklist and Kei Imazu-laced cover artwork below, and look for The Price Of Tea In China to land on February 7th. 

1. “Carruth”
2. “Giant Slide”
3. “Surf & Turf” f. Vince Staples
4. “Run-Ins”
5. “Scrape the Bowl” f. Benny the Butcher
6. “Pinto”
7. “Slow Roll”
8. “S.N.O.R.T.” f. Freddie Gibbs
9. “Grey October” f. Evidence
10. “Mustard”
11. “Speed Demon Freestyle”
12. “Phone Bill”

Not everyone can break through the glass ceiling. For every transcendent star that sets the world alight, there’s a whole graduating class of aspiring artists they’d once shared mics with that find themselves left in the dust. At a time when New York hip-hop scrambled to meet the rising tide of west coast gangsta rap, the east coast of the mid-to-late 90’s was bustling with talent that were happy to pool their resources and act for the betterment of the genre’s birthplace. Leading the way for the empire state, Bad Boy & Rocafella Records would grow from humble beginnings to become twinned powers and were unified by the close-knit ties between their two flagship stars, Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G.

Repping Bed Stuy and Marcy respectively, these Brooklynites became the two defining voices of the time. But even though the dust has settled and Big has been gone for 23 years, there are those who still have grievances to air from that whirlwind of an era. In the wake of Diddy’s speech at the 2020 Grammy’s that placed an onus on providing an “even playing field” for black artists, one dissenting voice from his past couldn’t help but point out the apparent hypocrisy.

Sauce Money at Jay-Z concert, 2006 – Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

“Just watched Diddy Icon acceptance speech at the Recording Academy and I can honestly say I respect the message, just not coming from him,” proclaimed BK veteran Sauce Money on Instagram. “He practices the same backdoor politics against his own people.” Not content to stop there, the tenured MC broadened his scope to issue a stark warning to both Sean Love Combs and Hov himself, stating “Him and his friend Jay-Z. If the Grammys are on the clock, then ya’ll are too!”

Without prior knowledge of Sauce Money’s legacy, this could be chalked up to nothing more than a disgruntled older rapper sniping at an icon a la Lord Jamar. But if anyone is qualified to speak on the ecosystem of 90’s east coast hip-hop and beyond, it’s Sauce. From 1991 onwards, Marcy Projects’ Todd Gaither has carved out what could appear to be a relatively innocuous career. Always in the relay team but never the frontrunner, his decision to lay low for much of the past decade has downplayed how indispensable he was at certain points in the journeys of more commercially and critically-esteemed artists.

Like Sean Carter, whom he first met at the age of 13, Sauce Money was initially thrust into the spotlight by way of an endorsement from the legendary Big Daddy Kane. Armed with a commanding rasp that bear similarities to that of Raekwon, Daddy’s Home single “Show & Prove” was an intergenerational endeavour from Sauce’s then-manager that gave him, Hov, Shyheim, Big Scoob and the Wu’s Ol Dirty Bastard a chance to shine.

After spitting his first ever verse in front of Jay, the two rappers/hustlers were doing their utmost to get their presence felt but, as he informed DJ Vlad, noone could “see the vision.” Fast-forward to two years later and Jay had grown weary of waiting for the industry’s green light and facilitated his own come-up on his classic debut album Reasonable Doubt. Laden with quotable bars and a typically timeless Preemo beat, Sauce’s lyrically astounding performance on “Bring It On” remains one of the keystones of his legacy to this very day. That said, the track’s hallowed status doesn’t mean that there’s any love lost between him and Jaz.

“He’s a piece of shit,” he declared in 2012. “Without getting too much into it, he’s a twofaced kind of n***a. He’ll backbite with you about a n***a then we get with the n***a, he’ll do the same.” Unsurprisingly, Jaz-O was aggravated by Sauce’s remarks and has since vowed to “punch him in the face” for this sleight and other comments he’s made over the years.

Across Jay’s next two projects— In My Lifetime Vol 1 & Vol 2… Hard Knock Life, the always welcome Sauce Money guest spot would become a recurring trope on “Face Off” and the Erick Sermon-produced “Reservoir Dogs.” Capable of wizardry with the pen, it was this reputation for conjugating stunning verses that granted Sauce a platinum opportunity. Despite it being one of the most solemn moments for his borough and hip-hop culture at large, Sauce’s most commercially successful offering came when he was drafted in to write Puff Daddy’s verses for the Grammy-winning “I’ll be Missing You.”

“It was going to be difficult at that time to open up and eulogize a good friend,” Sauce told Genius in 2016. “For whatever reason, he [Hov] reached out to me and said ‘I’m going to introduce you to Puff.’ I remember going to the studio and sitting down with him, I didn’t know which record it was at the time.” With Puff historically comfortable with the checks but less adept at the rhymes, Sauce’s name is found on the official credits as opposed to being enlisted as a ghostwriter.

“It was bittersweet,” he continued. “I’m still affected by Big’s death but having the chance to participate in something like this. It was an honour. He just wanted to capture some of the things they did, the conversations they had…I made sure that I walked him through it and got as close to the rhythms as he could. He did a great job.”

Memphis Bleek and Jay-Z on the red carpet of a movie premiere, 2000 – SGranitz/WireImage/Getty Images

Although Jay had been instrumental in presenting him to Puff and mainstream audiences alike, Sauce Money wasn’t part of the Roc-A-Fella dynasty in the official capacity that Beans or Memphis Bleek would be. Operating under the tutelage of former Orlando Magic player Dennis Scott, an appearance on the Combat Jack Radio Show saw Sauce reveal that he’d actually been an offered a deal with Atlantic when Jay was still getting rebuffed by the majors. Opting to sign to MCA Records but still informally linked to the ROC camp, Sauce’s next few years would be fraught with roadblock after roadblock. Yet for all that they’d styled themselves as an everlasting monarchy in hip-hop that’d span generations, there was one MC from Marcy that had always detected impermanence.

“I was gone early, but from the time that I was there, I didn’t see how it could last,” Sauce told ForbezDVD. “If nothing else, just for a business move on Jay’s behalf because it’s like ‘ok, we’ve reached a certain plateau.’ Jay’s a very ambitious person and it’s only right that he should be able to eat totally off himself and not break up his money three ways. ‘Cause at the end of the day, he’s the one that’s carrying the shit.”

No matter how structurally unsound Roc-A-Fella was by the turn of the millennium, Sauce was flagging too. As his record deal unravelled, Sauce Money set a course for pastures new. However, it proved to be too little too late for his debut project Middle Finger U.  

Armed with two Hov features in the form of the brooding “Pregame” and “Face Off 2000” his long-awaited studio project arrived in November 1999. Helmed by an all-star assembly of producers that featured Juice Crew progenitor Marley Marl, DJ Clark Kent and DJ Premier, the album’s title track caused unexpected friction with another legendary New York artist in Big Pun. Complete with the line “Did you hear? I’m the fattest, nicest n***a you know,” Punisher and the Terror Squad had misinterpreted the line as a diss and as a result, DJ Whoo Kid’s placement of the track led to him having an uzi pulled on him by the late Puerto Rican in Harlem.

His lyrical skill notwithstanding, Sauce is candid about the album delays and how they’d diminished the cultural relevance that it may have had otherwise. “I was having problems with MCA, so I moved the project to Priority. Like I said, it was two years late. There was a lot of other things that went into that situation that I won’t mention,” Sauce told Vlad TV. “The timing was bad, some of the material was a little dated to me. Even though I did have some good songs on it, the timing of it, the separation, everything played a part in that. It was impossible for it to do anything good.”

Left deflated by the middling response, Sauce would turn his attention towards his lucrative ghost-writing business, penning plenty “songs you love” but keeping discretion as to for who. But over the past year, a new, more embittered side of Sauce Money has begun to seep out into the public eye. In March of last year, the Brooklyn MC emerged from his self-imposed hiatus and with a renewed fire in his belly. Implored to act due to the “sucker shit” that Diddy had allegedly been partaking in, Sauce unveiled a diss track that took Puff to task in eloquent but foreboding fashion. As well as claiming that he’d kept “my mouth shut, but I guess it wasn’t good enough,” Sauce issued a stern warning to the Bad Boy CEO that didn’t skimp on intensity.

“Should’ve flamed your ass in ’06/Did the drugs make you forget, who it was who wrote your biggest hit,” Sauce spits on the track. “N***a my pen the reason you the shit, you are crossing a thin line about 10 times/Shorten my bag, now I gotta go in mines with you in mind.”

Promising that’ll “only get worse from here” as the beat tapers off, there’s every possibility that his comments about Diddy’s Grammy’s speech could be the overture to another diss track that he’s been sitting on for a rainy day. However, what’s even more uncharacteristic about his most recent outburst is the fact that his long-time friend Jay-Z wasn’t merely caught in the crossfire, but was an active target. Adamant that Jay actively “toned it down” for mainstream listeners and had a “disgusting flow” from his earliest years, Sauce and Hov’s relationship has had its fair share of tumultuous moments but it’s nothing that their bond couldn’t overcome.

Diddy and Biggie performing, 1995 – Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

“We family,” he assured Vlad in March 2019. “I’m not gonna make diss records and put them on the internet, that’s corny to me. Me and Jay don’t always get along. We bump heads y’know? But if I have an issue or he has an issue, we talk to each other.” So, when he held this opinion just 9 short months ago, what’s caused this change in tact that’s made Sauce Money willing to admonish his brother before the world’s prying eyes?

Well, if we can get speculative for a minute, it’s hard not to take notice of the close proximity between Sauce’s first barb that’s been directed in the way of the Roc Nation president and the release of his adversary Jaz-O’s first single on the label just one day prior. Formerly content to operate behind-the-scenes, all signs point to Sauce Money harbouring a renewed desire to take his rightful spot in New York’s hip-hop mythology. Or at the very least, root out falsehoods in hip-hop. Now rallying against the same music industry inner-workings that had extinguished his chances to be a star in his own right, it’s safe to say that this won’t be the last we hear from the Marcy Projects veteran in 2020.

On Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By track “Godzilla,”  he closes the track by spitting two-hundred-and-twenty-nine words in thirty seconds. Making short work of his own preexisting world record, Em’s dexterity raised the bar for speed rap to lofty technical heights. Given that he’s currently the fastest rapper in the world, it seems a fitting time to reflect on the evolution of double-time rap, otherwise known as chopping. 

In the early eighties, while rappers like Kool Moe Dee and JJ Fad pushed the boundaries of expected tempo with “New Rap Language” and “Supersonic” respectively, Rakim was evolving the art of flow to new heights. Though the legendary emcee attacked instrumentals with more fluidity than ever before, New York rapper Jaz-O, also known as The Originator, stands as a key pioneer behind the “triplet flow.” A student of music theory, Jaz explained that his dexterous approach was the product of necessity. “I had to stuff those words, those extra syllables in the sixteen so it would transform those syllables into twenty-fourths, which became a triplet of an eighth,” he explained. “That’s why I called it the triplet style.”

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

That style was on full display on 1990 single “The Originator,” which featured his young protege Jay-Z long before Reasonable Doubt. In his opening bars Jaz is spitting straight up tongue-twisters: “My rhyming and singing technique is applaudable, living in luxury, and it’s affordable /  no other brother is better than me, the J, the A, the Z.” That’s twenty-six words and forty-one syllables in five seconds. A groundbreaking development, one Jaz picked up from studying blues and jazz. Even the Jigga Man gets in on the action, following the leader with the most dexterous and alliterative verse of his career; he even riffs the oft-memed “lyrical miracle” scheme.  

LISTEN: Jaz-O & Jay-Z – The Originator

Meanwhile in Chicago, a young emcee by the name of Tung Twista was on the verge of making history. On April 7th, 1992, Twista dropped his debut album Runnin’ Off At Da Mouth. The titular track ultimately earned him the Guinness World Record for fastest rap, a title he held for a decade. Over some breakbeat production from DJ Rhythm, Twista let fly syllables at an insane rate, notably quicker than The Originators and other aspiring double-time spitters. “Flowing the lyrical magic of mine I be mopping and sweeping, and breakin’ ’em up and then makin’ ’em break in a sweat,” he spits, after pledging to take a deep breath. “I be makin’ ’em jump and then sit up and lift the style, I be kicking and popping the rhythm I’m rocking and pumping.” Though the substance is somewhat surface-level, the sheer defiance of physiology is enough to astound even today. Unlike Jay-Z, who moved way from speed-rap, Twista embraced it as an integral component of his sound — even to this day. 

LISTEN: Twista – Runnin Off At Da Mouth

It’s impossible to discuss the art of chopping without mentioning Cleveland’s Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Arguably one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history, Bizzy, Krayzie, Layzie, Wish, & Flesh-N-Bone developed a new take on double-time flow, deting away from the breakbeat influences and implementing melodic elements. Their first recorded album Faces Of Death (1993) skewed closer to traditional hip-hop of the time, the double-time flows similar in approach to Jaz and Tung Twista. After linking up with Eazy E and signing to ruthless records, Bone Thugs brought a new style to Creepin On Ah Come Up. Alternating between singsong sections and machine-gun bursts, the group’s flow on breakout single “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” earned immediate acclaim. Though their fastest flows would come later on, with 1997’s Art Of War standing out as an absolute clinic, Bone endure among most commercially successful double-time spitters in the game. In hindsight, 1997 was one of the greatest years in speed-rap history, with Bone’s double album and Twista’s classic Adrenaline Rush hitting shelves. The similarities in style were enough to spark a beef over alleged biting, though it was quickly resolved before any escalation.

LISTEN: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Handle The Vibe

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

While Jay-Z was revisiting his “Originators” origins on the Jaz-O assisted “N***a What, N***a Who,” Kansas City’s own Tech N9ne was in the process of building the Strange Music Empire. His first recorded album The Calm Before The Storm clearly drew influence from Bone Thugs’ gothic brand of G-Funk, and while Tech wasn’t speedy as a general rule, he was more than capable of kicking up the acceleration. As his style progressed, Tech began implementing more fast flows into his arsenal, with 2002 Anghellic: Reparation track “Breathe” solidifying his prowess. Absolute Power tracks like “The Industry Is Punks” showcased his ability once more, but Tech wasn’t always associated with chopping like Twista or Bone; that came later, when he sparked the movement on 2006’s “Welcome to the Midwest” and once more on the spiritual successor “Midwest Choppers.” By the time he arranged his piece-de-resistance in “Worldwide Choppers,” a song many consider to be a crowning achievement in double-time spitting, Tech had all but incorporated double-time into his recurring repertoire of flows. 

LISTEN: Tech N9ne – Breathe

Speaking of “Worldwide Choppers,” Busta Rhymes is another integral piece of the puzzle. It began with his scene-stealing introduction on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario,” a classic that instantly slammed Bus-a-Bus into stardom. Though some current-day listeners may have become conditioned to the idea of Busta as a fast-rapper, his early music skewed closer to Ol Dirty Bastard than Twista. Flirting with quick-tempos as his career progressed, Busta’s emergence as not only a speed-rapper but potentially the speed-rapper was the Dr. Dre-produced “Break Ya Neck.” One of the greatest singles of the early millennium, “Break Ya Neck” received such acclaim that Busta doubled down on the chopping. For a while, his verse on Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” became the pinnacle of modern-day speedom, a Titianesque display of virtuosity. From that point, Busta often brought that high-octane intensity to every guest verse he blessed, the point where many forget he was once the “Dungeon Dragon.” It wouldn’t be surprising for many younger emcees eager to try their hand at chopping to name Busta Rhymes as one of their primary influences. 

LISTEN: Busta Rhymes – Break Ya Neck

David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

It’s impossible to shine a light on everyone. Since its creation in 1973, hip-hop has brought many slept-on fast rappers into the mix. Ruff Ryders rapper Drag-On set fires on the Swizz-Beatz produced “Down Bottom.” Independent QN5 leader Tonedeff set his sights on the syllable record on Extended Famm’s “Velocity.” Twisted Insane brought chopping and horrorcore together to diabolical results. Given the scope of the competition, it’s almost surreal that Eminem has officially claimed the title as the fastest rapper in the world — again. Especially given his double-time style came, like Busta Rhymes, relatively late in his career. Arguably sparking on “Forever,” Em’s fascination with chopping served as a means of asserting his technical dominance. “Rap God” and Tech N9ne collaboration “Speedom” found him pushing the boundaries even further, with the former’s “supersonic” section securing him the Guinness World Record for speed. Forever in competition with himself, Slim shattered his own record on “Godzilla,” delivering the fastest piece of recorded music ever put on wax. Clocking in at 7.6 words and 11.3 syllables per second, the dazzling conclusion marks the final evolutionary stage of “Chopper Em,” the product of all those pioneers who paved the way. 

LISTEN: Eminem ft Juice WRLD – Godzilla

The NBA’s trade deadline is swiftly approaching. Always an exciting, time the exchange window offers teams looking to compete a chance to bolster their roster and teams aiming to start over a chance to dump bad contracts and retool. Let’s take a look at some trades that would shake up the league. 

Nets Trade Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen And A 1st-Round Pick For Bradley Beal

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Just before training camp, Bradley Beal locked himself in with the Wizards – inking a 2-year, $71 million contract extension. However, with running-mate John Wall continuously sidelined and the losses piling up, Beal has reportedly become irritated with the front office, questioning the organization’s culture and commitment to winning. Here’s a solution. I think it’s obvious that Washington needs to clear the decks and start fresh with a rebuild. John Wall has maybe the most toxic contract in sports and his money remains on the books through 2023 (player option). I propose the Nets swoop in and poach Beal. One of the game’s best players gets to contend for a title as early as next season with Kevin Durant‘s return and Washington can get a young promising talent and a pick while they figure things out with Wall. The Wizards would have to add a player or two to the deal to make the money work but I think we have a nice shell for a solid trade. 

Heat Trade Justise Winslow, Kendrick Nunn And A 2022 1st-Round Pick For Jrue Holiday

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported nearly a month ago that New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday was available trade. Holiday seems like a perfect gamble for Pat Riley and the Heat organization to make leaning on their optimism for this year’s team after a franchise-record start. The big question here becomes what New Orleans will want in return and how much of their young crop Miami is willing to ship. Miami likely won’t entertain any deal that includes Bam Adebayo, who is having an all-star season – but names like Kendrick Nunn, Justise Winslow, Derrick Jones Jr., and Duncan Robinson will definitely be on the chessboard. Giving away their young prospect is a heavy pill to swallow though, as Miami does not have picks to give in 2021 or 2023. Yet, things can change at the drop of a dime at the highest level of competition. Here today, gone tomorrow. So, Miami may need to roll the dice while they’re hot and make a run at the Finals. This, in the Eastern conference which seems relatively wide open outside of the reigning MVP and the Milwaukee Bucks who Miami has beaten earlier in the year.

Lakers Trade Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2020 & 2023 1st-Round Picks For Devin Booker

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

Before and after the arrival of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma has proven to be an able scorer. The former Utah prospect has moments where he’s absolutely unstoppable scoring from the perimeter and the mid-post. Not to mention he’s still getting better and has a star personality off the court. So, could Phoenix be interested in pairing DeAndre Ayton and Kelly Oubre with Kuzma instead of Booker who has for years been posting flashy scoring numbers without it translating into wins? Can the Lakers create a package around Kuzma enticing enough for them to relinquish Booker? Although it’s a doubtful trade, it’s fun to theorize and crazier things have happened at the deadline. Booker would give the Lakers their legitimate third star and more importantly a marksman to pair with LeBron James who traditionally thrives with knock-down shooters. The Lakers would have to pay a heavy price but when you have arguably the best player in the game in his 17th season you have to maximize what’s left of his elite-level play before he begins to decline.

Mavs Trade Tim Hardaway Jr. & Justin Jackson To The Spurs For DeMar DeRozan

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

DeMar DeRozan, a volume mid-range shooter who is also a poor defender, has been a name floating around the NBA twitter-sphere in connection with several teams needing a third wheel. I’m actually a DeRozan fan. But for all his beautiful fade-away jumpers can he make your team better? Maybe as the here-and-there big game veteran who vanishes on some nights for the good of the team. But I’m not sure how willing DeRozan is to conform to a lesser role. Yet, despite all that I feel he can work in nicely with the Mavericks and Luka Doncic. DeRozan can take some of the scoring load off of Luka and run the show offensively when he goes to the bench. When the Dallas offense grows stagnant they can dump it to DeMar in the high-post and let him create. While I said he needs to subject himself to a lesser role, what makes DeRozan attractive is his ability to explode for humongous scoring games when needed. He can single-handedly win games for you and is probably more of an ideal fit for a tertiary role at this point in his career. Spurs would get back a microwave scorer with youthful legs in Tim Hardway Jr. and a player still with tons of upside in Justin Jackson. The trade works for both teams. Spurs continue to skew younger as they transition into a new era in San Antonio while the Mavs can make a push for the now. 

Thunder Trade Danillo Gallinari To The Blazers For Hassan Whiteside & A 2020 1st-Round Pick 

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Gallinari is a name that makes a ton of sense for Portland. Trade rumors have swirled around the pair for years. He’s a 6’10” point-forward who can run the floor, knock down an open three-pointer, create his own shot and score in bunches. When he’s hot, he can scorch the earth. Gallinari fits in well with what the Blazers do on offensive and is an improved defender. Gallinari would give Portland another tough, proven veteran wing who can post monster scoring nights on occasion. Along with Carmelo Anthony, Gallinari can help lift some of the weight off Damian Lillard’s shoulders. With Jusuf Nurkic returning from injury soon the Blazers will have little need for Whiteside. Portland gets a piece that better fits their style of play while the Thunder collect another first-round pick.   

What trades would you like to see at the deadline?

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. 

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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

Coco Gauff has repeated history as she returned to the Australia  Open and issued out a win against Venus Williams just half a year after defeating the older Williams at Wimbledon.

"That was really difficult. She played really well," Gauff said post-match. "[...] I definitely was more confident this time. I think I was used to playing on big courts, so the crowd - I guess the size of the crowd didn't startle me as much as last time. Definitely, a bit more positive coming into this match.''

With her win, Gauff now becomes only the 4th woman in the past 30 years to win 6 or more major matches before turning 16.

Elsewhere in the tournament the favorites of Roger Federer, Noami Osaka, and Serena Williams all come out on top in their respective matches as Osaka took down the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova while Williams defeated Russia's Anastasia Potapova. Federer claimed his victory by beating out Steve Johnson of the USA.

Patience is a virtue. Especially so, in the case of Donald Cerrone vs Conor McGregor. Their mounting animosity has been left to simmer for over five years. Although they’ve both spent the past few years flitting between the 155 & 170-pound divisions, the two have ostensibly been ships passing in the night, travelling on completely different paths that seemed like they may never intersect. While Conor was brokering a lucrative boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, before coming up short in the culmination of his feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov, “Cowboy” has been competing at an expeditious rate.

Conor McGregor at UFC 229 – Harry How/Getty Images

For clarity, Cerrone has stepped into the Octagon seven times between 2018-2019, with his McGregor bout serving as his 51^st professional fight. Within that same sample, the Notorious two-time UFC champion has fought once and had his athletic accomplishments overshadowed by his antics outside of the cage. Peculiar as the matchmaking may seem to the uninitiated, a square-off between McGregor and the Cowboy hasn’t been hastily thrown together. In fact, it’s the culmination of years of near-misses and confrontational run-ins.

However, it wasn’t always this way. And during their initial encounters, the two fighters from blue-collar backgrounds were actually cordial to one another. When they appeared on the same card at 2015’s UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston, backstage footage revealed that the two exchanged pleasantries before the veteran told the fast-rising Irish newcomer to give Dennis Siver “hell” for good measure. But as Conor’s star rose and he morphed into the sport’s biggest crossover star, so too did the irrepressible need to make an enemy out of every unsuspecting fighter within a mile radius. At the UFC’s star-studded “Go Big” conference, Conor shifted his focus from his upcoming contest with featherweight titan Jose Aldo to take aim at then-lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos and his opponent, Donald Cerrone. 

“I see stiffness when I look in that 155-pound division,” McGregor remarked. “I feel like they’re stuck in the mud almost. The featherweights, they hit like flyweights. So, it’s nice down there just destroying them and killing that whole division. But I have my eye on that 155 division.”

Never one to suffer perceived fools gladly, Cowboy didn’t hesitate to ridicule the prospect of McGregor moving to a heavier division: “Conor has no right coming up to ’55. There’s no way; he’s not gonna stand a chance. We’re too big for him, too strong, so you can take your little English ass and get on.”

UFC 205 – Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Yet as the years rolled on, Cerrone would have to eat those words when Conor snatched the 155 strap from one of his former foes Eddie Alvarez, with undeniable finesse at UFC 205. On the other hand, an opportunity to fan the flames of he and Cerrone’s brewing beef fell into his lap in 2016 when he decried Cowboy’s performance in a losing effort to Rafael Dos Anjos. Contested for the Lightweight title, The Notorious One chalked up Cerrone’s 66-second TKO defeat in the biggest fight of his career to simple cowardice. “Cerrone pussied out on that big time,” McGregor proclaimed. “He’s fighting again this week or sometime soon. Ask [Jose] Aldo if he can fight this weekend. He cannot fight. When you win by KO, by stoppage, by a true stoppage, you put your opponent out of action for 10 months to a year. He quit in there inside that Octagon. That’s why he can go now next weekend and say ‘Oh, I fight every week’ and this and that — you can fight every week if you go in and quit. If you were willing to die in there, you wouldn’t have those turnarounds.”

During a February 2016 fan Q&A that preceded his bout against MMA’s other “Cowboy,” Alex Olivera, Cerrone trashed McGregor’s remarks in succinct fashion, stating, “Conor called me a quitter but I didn’t even get started in that fight.” With McGregor heading into the stratosphere, 2016 onward saw the trail go cold as Conor became too much of a transcendent star to be within the reliable Albuquerque-based scrapper’s grasp.

As Crumlin’s most famous son began to reconcile with his own uncertain future, Donald’s resounding victory over Alexander Hernandez within two rounds encouraged McGregor to re-open the door Twitter: “For a fight like that Donald, I’ll fight you. Congratulations.” Fourth months later, Cerrone would lobby for the fight after rendering Al Laquinta unconscious, declaring, “I want the title, whatever that means. Unless, Conor McGregor you want to fight me in July. I’m ready.” Now, almost one year to the day since McGregor’s call-to-arms on social media, the two will finally meet in the middle of the octagon tomorrow, Saturday, January 18.

Both record-breakers in their own right, it’s a fight that, if kept on the feet, is combustible in the best way imaginable. Similarly adept in the striking realm, the disparity comes in the ground game and it’s an area of the sport that Cerrone unquestionably has the edge in. A black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu that harbours considerable wrestling skills to boot, a recent interview with Brett Okamato would suggest that Conor’s Instagram side-swipe of “the first one to shoot’s a cowbitch” has compelled Cerrone to keep things standing: “You know, I probably should,” Cowboy said of taking him down, “but I don’t think I will. I like to fight too; I like to get in there and throw down. Everyone says his stand-up is amazing, so why not go and test it?” Regardless of what game plan Cerrone implements, Conor and his team seem to be treating victory as a foregone conclusion.

Alongside McGregor claiming that he’d still beat Cerrone while afflicted “by the flu,” his longstanding coach John Kavanagh told Ariel Helwani that he sees his prized fighter besting his adversary with little to no exertion. “Whether it’s something that happens in the first minute or if it goes the distance, if it goes 25 minutes, I don’t see it being a war. I see it being very one-sided.” 

UFC 202 – Steve Marcus/Getty Images

However, there’s no shortage of esteemed figures that believe the fight won’t be as cut and dry as Conor and his SBG comrades believe. “I see a lot of people writing Cowboy off,” protested UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, “like he’s just a wash because he’s won some and lost some, but Cowboy’s a very dangerous fight for Conor. I know he’s a professional and he’s going to come prepared but I think… Conor has underestimated an opponent before [Nate Diaz] and he paid for it. And when you light a fire under Cowboy, he’s going to get going.”

Amid all the speculation that surrounds UFC 246’s main event, one thing that’s certainly changed is that the two are now operating within a headspace of mutual respect. Exhibited in numerous interviews, it’s perhaps expressed through a newly-humble Conor’s chat with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani: “Me and Donald have a history. Not a long history, but we’ve had a history. It’s an exciting bout. It’s a fan-friendly bout. It’s a fight that excites me. I appreciate Donald, I have to say,” McGregor revealed. “He’s fought a lot of times since the last time I saw him, at the Aldo press conference many, many years ago (in September 2016).”

A bout which could realistically go either way, we as fans should approach this action-packed contest without getting bogged down about what it means for the rankings or where either man goes afterwards. Ever the picture of contentment, this was epitomized by Cerrone’s typically blasé response to Brett Okamoto when asked what it truly represents. “This is like a fan’s dream fight and I’ve got the best seat in the house. So, I think I’m going to be super pumped. And at 170? Thank you. All the way around, a good time.”

Who have you got in McGregor Vs Cerrone? Sound off in the comments below.  

Wild ‘N Out guest stars know that at some point they’re going to be made fun of on the show, and over the years there have been some monumental moments. While it’s all on good fun, there are times when segments can turn awkward, including Blac Chyna’s recent visit.

John Sciulli / Stringer / Getty Images

The reality star appeared on MTV’s long-running series lead by Nick Cannon and during their freestyle session, cast member Justina Valentine took a few potshots at Chyna. “Ay yo Chyna you ain’t beat for this battlin’ / You went and bagged the least famous Kardashian / With all that plastic whose gon’ smash / Your body recyclable but your career is trash.” The audience gave an audible “ooooh” but the cast wasn’t impressed. Chyna quickly hopped on the mic and responded, “But you ain’t got no ass” which was a well-received clap-back by viewers.

Even after a scathing roast, Nick declared Chyna’s team the winner, handing over the championship belt to Chyna while calling her a “queen.” It was evident by the look on Chyna’s face that she didn’t appreciate the jokes and jabs, but she took it all in stride in the end. Some fans have stated that Justina Valentine wasn’t as harsh as she could have been against the Zeus Network star, especially considering her ex Rob Kardashian has made accusations that Chyna is a drug and alcohol abuser who neglects their daughter, Dream. She’s denied the allegations. Check out the Wild ‘N Out clip below.

The LSU Tigers will look to complete their undefeated season tonight in Atlanta, as they take on the unbeaten Clemson Tigers in the National Championship game. Ahead of the highly anticipated showdown, LSU Football dropped off one final hype video, narrated by the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Sure, The Rock reps for The U, but the video clip shown below will have LSU players and fans ready to run through a brick wall.

Aaliyah, a pioneer of the Hip-Hop Soul sound that defined urban music in the 1990s and early 2000s, released one of her most chill records 20 years ago today (January 11). Baby Girl’s street-but-sweet single “I Don’t Wanna” has for years been a favorite amongst hip-hop heads — just ask Weezy or Tory Lanez — and yet it still gets overlooked when people reflect back on the late singer’s classic music catalogue. Hell, it’s one of the only songs you can even stream at the moment (legally) since all of her post-R. Kelly albums and singles are currently locked away in a vault by her former label Blackground Records. It’s for this reason that we wanted to reflect back on an artist that we lost way too soon and a record that’s continued to serenade Hip-Hop and R&B fans over the past two decades and counting.

Simply put, everyone has a favorite Aaliyah song. Megan Thee Stallion and 21 Savage share an appreciation for “At Your Best (You Are Love).” DVSN effortlessly put a “Purple Rain” spin on “One In A Million” a few years back. Cuban Doll went as far as jacking her entire swag (and government) for her breakout Aaliyah Keef mixtape in 2017. Even pop tart Miley Cyrus got down to “Rock The Boat” last summer, and we can’t even blame her; Aaliyah has hits for days. With all that saidthough, “I Don’t Wanna” fits into the Queen of Urban Pop’s catalogue in a weird way; it’s probably one of the most slept-on hits of her short-yet-impactful career. Let us break down the facts so you can better understand what we mean.

Aaliyah as Trish in “Romeo Must Die” – Kharen Hill 2000 Warner Bros./Getty Images

Produced & written by the Noontime crew consisting of Donnie Scantz, Kevin Hicks, Johnta Austin and Jazze Pha, “I Don’t Wanna” was originally included on the soundtrack to Next Friday, released on December 7, 1999. At the same time, Aaliyah had just finished filming her debut acting role in the Jet Li-starring action flick Romeo Must Die while also executive producing the film’s soundtrack alongside Timbaland. While the latter LP didn’t drop until March 29, 2000, “I Don’t Wanna” was silently released as an airplay-only single in the United States to help promote both movies in January 2000. With no official music video to amplify the song’s success and no live performances aside from a non-televised rendition on TRL and a Romeo Must Die Kickoff Special, both aired on MTV, the song should’ve flopped if we’re being honest. However, it did far from that and people rocked with it simply for its melodic beat and Aaliyah’s rap-like flow on the first and second verses. No wonder Lil Wayne sampled the entire first verse on his feature for Pleasure P‘s 2009 mixtape song “Rock Bottom” and Tory Lanez borrowed her bars for his Chixtape 4 cut titled, not surprisingly, “Aaliyah.”

The song did fairly well given the absence of the aforementioned tools that artists typically use to help a single rise up the charts. “I Don’t Wanna” peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #35 in March 2000, ending that year as the 96th most popular song of 2000. It faired even better on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks chart, peaking at #4 in April 2000 and finishing off the year as the 25th biggest record in Hip-Hop and R&B of 2000, 15th based off airplay alone. It was also the seventh most successful soundtrack song of that year as well, proving that great music truly speaks for itself without all the extra tidbits. With that said, what the hell was Aaliyah thinking by not giving us a proper music video for this banger?

The most recent resurrection of “I Don’t Wanna” notoriously happened late last year when Kanye West and his cult — errr, we mean choir! — re-recorded it as one of their “holy remakes” (seen above) that had everyone using the world “secular” all of a sudden. Whether or not Yeezy’s intentions were pure or for profit, nobody can knock him for loving one of Aaliyah’s biggest-yet-quietest hits of her career. Carry on, Ye.

Let us leave you with this short and blurry clip of Aaliyah performing “I Don’t Wanna” live at MTV TRL in San Francisco on April 26, 2000. We’ll always miss you, Baby Girl.