In the Black Hippy group dynamic, Jay Rock is understood to be the quartet’s OG. As such, there’s a certain weight he carries when he speaks, wisdom gleaned from experience. So much so that the city of Watts actually bestowed the key upon him last year, an occasion hereby known as “Jay Rock Day.” With the honor having occurred on May 24th, 2019, Rock used the anniversary as a means to give some wisdom back to the people. 

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“A year ago, May 24th was declared Jay Rock Day & I received the key to my city Watts, CA. In that moment it made me feel alive and inspired to keep chasing my dreams! A year later, the world is in the midst of a pandemic & Life itself has been turned upside down for everyone. For that reason I’d like to offer everyone a key of my own. Stay Faithful, Be Safe, and Love On The People Who Mean The Most To You!! Together We Will Get Through This!!”

Signing off as Eastside Johnny, the words of encouragement are certainly most appreciated. Check out the message for yourself below, and be sure to check back for any developments on the TDE rapper’s new music. After all, he does feel due to drop something — it’s been two years since his last release Redemption, and many have been keen on seeing where he goes next. 

The wait for a Black Hippy album has gone on for roughly a decade at this point, though there aren't any signs that truly indicate we might hear a whole project with ScHoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul going bar-for-bar. However, following another highly successful TDE Fan Appreciation week that unveiled a string of new songs from the Top Dawg camp, the head honcho might be hinting at even more music dropping in the near future.

SiR's "John Redcorn" video will be equipped with appropriate King Of The Hill-themed animations but the opening of the recent visual shared by the TDE artist may have indicated something even more promising. While Sir takes on the role of John Redcorn for the video, the members of Black Hippy portray Hank Hill, Dale Gribble, Bill, and Jeff. Kendrick is notably the only one out of the four drinking water rather than beer.

Top Dawg and Ab-Soul, however, shared screenshots of the Black Hippy members and shared it to socials which prompted speculation that perhaps there's a joint album in the works. Some fans began pleading with Top Dawg to unleash the project while others simply stated that they weren't going to hold their breath. 

Whether or not a Black Hippy album is in motion, we do know that Kendrick Lamar has been grinding away on his forthcoming project which has been rumored to drop this year. 

It looks like the TDE camp is finally blessing us with some new music during this period of self-isolation and quarantine. Earlier today, the ever-elusive Ab-Soul popped in with the release of “Dangerookipawa Freestyle” in honor of Top Dawg’s birthday. Now, it’s not only rare to hear from Soulo but pretty much every other artist on the roster. We can’t blame them, either, knowing how hard at work they are.

Thankfully, Soulo isn’t the only one dropping this week. Top Dawg hit the ‘Gram to announce that they’ll be releasing a new song every day for the rest of the work in honor of #TDEFANAPPRECIATIONWEEK. “Celebratin my BDAY 2day, releasin New Music ALL WEEK,” Top Dawg wrote. “Startin wit @souloho3 “Dangerookipawaa Freestyle” Available on ALL PLATFORMS #TDEFANAPPRECIATIONWEEK”

No mention was made of who we’ll end up hearing from this week but it could very well be the beginning of a new album campaign for someone. Currently, artists like Isaiah Rashad and SZA have fans eager for new albums while Kendrick Lamar, of course, has been said to be preparing the release to his follow-up to 2017’s DAMN. Ab-Soul is also said to have an album that he’s conjuring up. Though “Dangerookipawa Freestyle” is only a loosie, it could also be a signal that Soulo has a new album roll out on the way.

Who do you want to hear new music from off of the TDE roster this week? Sound off in the comments. g

Jay Rock has been relatively quiet since he dropped off his Redemption album back in 2018, but that hiatus may finally be coming to an end here soon. A couple days ago, the TDE rapper was spotted in the studio, and shared a pic on his IG story informing us that his album is “80% done.”

“When Yo Project At 80% Done” he wrote atop of a black & white image of him laughing in the studio. Unfortunately, that’s all the information we have at this time, but it’s safe to assume we maybe looking at a TDE Summer takeover.

This album tease comes just a week after Kendrick Lamar popped back up on the radar after he announced a mysterious new media company called pgLang with Baby Keem and Dave Free. While we don’t know what’s happening entirely, TDE is up to something and a safe bet might be a couple projects are on the horizon for later this year.

We’ll keep you posted moving forward, but in the meantime revisit Jay Rock’s latest project, Redemption, right here, to hold you over. Who’s excited to hear some new music from Jay Rock?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There’s something to be said about an impeccable flow. The ability to navigate uncharted pockets and become one with an instrumental. For many of the most technically proficient rappers, flow serves as a defining characteristic. A means of establishing individuality, even if one rapper covers similar thematic territory as another. Though some recognizable flows have become commonplace, the true artisans have developed their own through years of experimentation. And yet, what about that old adage: is two really better than one?

There’s something special about a well-structured Back and Forth. Everyone has likely heard one song in which two artists share the load, trading bars as if driven by a singular mind. Think of all the timeless classics, from Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg’s “Dre Day” to Big Pun and Fat Joe‘s “Twinz.” Only the most well-established duos can pull it off; not unlike a barber offering a straight razor shave, trust must first be built. Of course, there are exceptions. We recently saw Anderson .Paak and YBN Cordae employ the practice with cavalier swagger on “RNP,” a lead single off Cordae’s 2019 debut The Lost Boy. Despite having never worked with one another prior, “RNP” was instantly fueled by a “big brother/little brother” vibe, its back-and-forth structure enhancing the song’s playful nature. For the most part, however, only the tried and true camarades opt to go back and forth. And while uninhibited technical prowess tends to take a backseat, the sheer spectacle of two artists trading bars ultimately makes up for it. 

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For many, the benchmark back and forth duo has to be Jadakiss and Styles P. Their seminal work and magnum opus is the Alchemist-produced “We Gon Make It,” a classic single off 2001’s Kiss Tha Game Goodbye. It’s unclear how the pair pieced this one together, but it’s evident that the writing of these verses was highly collaborative. Lines flow into one another masterfully, each emcee’s personality shining through. “Real n*** say that they be wilding, we on the Cayman Islands on a yacht with our favorite albums,” raps Styles, setting up the scheme. “A bad ho and a plate of salmon, smoking and drinking, n*** is you thinking that our fate is violent?” tags in Jada, closing the rhyme out both internally and externally. The pair would soon make the back-and-forth a habit, setting the pace for Fabolous’ “Keepin It Gangsta Remix,” and carrying on the tradition with Kiss Of Death’s anthemic “Shoot Outs.” 

In keeping with New York tradition, another legendary duo who engaged in the practice were none other than Ghostface Killah and Raekwon The Chef. Though the Wu-Tang lyricists had established themselves as kindred spirits and harmonious collaborators on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… & Ironman, they seldom arranged verses in such an intimate fashion. On Mobb Deep’s grimy classic The Infamous, Ghost and Rae shared a sixteen, delivering lines as a well-oiled machine. “You know what’s out there, thousands of grams wrapped in Saran / sealed tight, keep the freshness,” sets up Rae, only to be concluded by Ghost’s “that’s how we expand.” The beauty of this hard, albeit brief verse, is that you know it was crafted in the studio; how they decided who spits which line remains a mystery, but there’s something refreshing about such a blue-collar creative process.

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Unlike the former two New York classics, The Firm’s “Phone Tap” employs back and forth bar trading to accomplish a different goal. Over brooding Dr. Dre production, Nas and AZ’s cult classic find them operating two distinct roles having a real-time discussion with one another. The simulation of a conversation makes a back and forth structure necessary, creating an immersive and cinematic experience befitting of the song’s criminology themes. They’re not merely adding emphasis to punchlines or segueing in new flow-schemes, but propelling a narrative forward complete with individual character arcs. For that reason, they’re allotted more space to move, spitting miniature verses and responding to one another with fleshed out answers. Though not quite as prolific as some hip-hop duos, Nas and AZ have amassed one hell of a joint catalog; perhaps that’s why “Phone Tap” stands as a crowning achievement in mafioso rap. 

A back and forth can also be the perfect means of celebrating your favorite wingman. Look no further than Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy’s lavish and obnoxiously opulent “Pass The Courvoisier” series, a pair of Neptunes-produced bangers circa 2001. The first part was far more frantic, with Busta’s signature “dungeon dragon” energy juxtaposing nicely with Diddy’s dangerously cool swagger. In keeping with tradition, Busta and Diddy weave in and out as the scheme demands, particularly in the song’s second verse. “They call me Mr. Diddy, the boss, you know me, the only G to willy a Porsche,” boasts Diddy, as Busta closes out declaring “we get dough in all land the size of Philly, of course.” On their second go-around, Busta relaxes a bit to meet Puff’s energy, culminating in a sequel that’s at once seductive and classy, an arguable triumph over the first. Despite any potential differences in net worth or technical prowess, in the context of “Pass The Courvoisier Part 2,” Busta and Diddy stand on equal footing.

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In a modern-day setting, the TDE camp is no stranger to the back and forth. ScHoolboy Q and A$AP Rocky have traded lines on “Brand New Guy,” and the entirety of “Vice City” seems to be an exercise in collaborative penmanship. Reason even brought a bit of that sauce to the Dreamville camp with his triumphant turn on the darkly comedic Cozz duet “Lambo Truck.” Yet perhaps the hardest-hitting Top Dawg back and forth banger arrived on Jay Rock’s 90059 by way of “Easy Bake.” Given the superstar that Kendrick Lamar has become, it’s hard to imagine him as anything other than a larger than life leader. But once upon a time young Kenny occupied the position of Jay Rock’s symbolic little brother, a protege of sorts to the buzzing Watts rapper. It’s only made sense to honor the dynamic on “Easy Bake,” as Rock and Dot trade verses a la Jada and Styles, setting each other up with line after line; Rock busts them, Kenny punishes em’. The fact this two-headed verse feels like such a far cry from Kendrick’s solo material makes this one all the more special, a time-honored tradition stemming from a deep-rooted pre-fame dynamic. 

It would be foolish to ignore the work of Royce Da 5’9” and Eminem, known collectively as Bad Meets Evil. No more is their madcap chemistry more evidence than on the outlandishly depraved lullaby “A Kiss” off 2011’s Bad Meets Evil: Hell The Sequel. Speaking with Royce, he explained how he and Em approach each song with a competitive spirit: “We challenge each other with the back and forth shit,” he told me. “He’ll go in, do a certain amount of bars, and stop. We try to finish connecting each other’s syllables to continue the scheme.” Deep though their catalog may be, “A Kiss” exemplifies that character on a variety of levels. Not only is it a constant spree of hilarious one-upmanship, but a testament to their similarly structured minds; well-matched in gallows humor and better matched in technical prowess. Their chemistry is best revealed on the song’s latter half, with both parties effortlessly baton-passing over a Bangladesh banger. “What a demon, a behemoth evil just seems to be seething through him,” spits Em, only for Royce to continue the scheme with “I like the little strip tease you doing.”

To comb through all of hip-hop’s classic back and forth bangers would be a Herculean, albeit highly enjoyable task. In essence, the art of bar-trading best serves as a validator of chemistry, a tangible expression of camaraderie on wax. It’s no surprise that only trusted collaborators tend to attempt the practice, as the writing process likely requires the presence of both body and mind. In other words, what might be a highly introverted process becomes a collaborative one. And yet the results tend to speak for themselves, with back and forth verses proving to be crowd-pleasers damn near every time. Which one is your favorite? 

If you liked this, check out:

The Art Of The Dark Banger

The Top 50 Best Flows Of All Time

Album Number Seven: Examining The Lucky Number

Masters Of Cadence: The Art Of Voice In Hip-Hop

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