Young Thug is prone to reminding us how rich he is. On "Just How It Is", the opener of his latest album, he frames his fortune as inevitable: 

"I came from rags to riches, I'm the shit
I can no longer disguise it, bitch, 'cause I'm rich
I got cars galore, lil' bitch, 'cause I'm rich
I escaped every one of the licks 'cause I was supposed to be rich"

As if he doesn't highlight the disparity between his own wealth and that of the average person enough in his music, he does so on social media as well. He took to Instagram to detail the heft of his Superbowl LIV bet and the magnitude of his winnings. On his story, Thugger said that he bet $250,000 on Sunday night's game, which obviously must've been placed on the Kansas City Chiefs given his celebration. "I betted a quarter. I betted 250 racks. I won 620." he boasted to his phone's front camera. After showing his good friend Gunna sitting beside him, he flipped the camera to the Chief's celebration on the TV. "We don't lose," he proclaimed. "All we do is win."

Anybody familiar with the musical work of Compton's own Kendrick Lamar understands his significance. Few artists in music deal with themes as effectively, exploring sociopolitical concepts and wide-ranging cultural analysis through lyricism. His work on 2017's DAMN. was impactful enough to land him a Pulitzer Prize, making him the first rapper to ever take home the prestigious honor. For many, To Pimp A Butterfly stands among the most important albums of our era, the subject of countless editorials and analyses. It's no wonder that music journalist Marcus J. Moore has chosen to make Kendrick Lamar the subject of his first book, The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America.

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Announcing the book on Twitter, Moore confirmed that it will be hitting retailers on October 13th. A synopsis on Simon & Schuster reveals as follows: "This first cultural biography of rap superstar and “master of storytelling” (The New Yorker) Kendrick Lamar explores his meteoric rise to fame and his profound impact on a racially fraught Americ." 

Though it's unclear as to whether the book will feature reflections from Kendrick himself, it stands to reason that The Butterfly Effect will be a powerful and thought-provoking read for his fanbase. If you're interested, Pre-Orders can be arranged right here.

Yo Gotti just released his brand new album Untrapped, which his fans are hailing as a return to form for the celebrated Memphis rapper. Spending two decades in the rap game, the 38-year-old is considered a veteran, somebody that up-and-comers can model their careers off of to achieve tremendous levels of success. Founding his Collective Music Group and working with some of the hottest stars in his city, Yo Gotti has been taking on more of an executive role in the business, perfecting his strategies and learning how to masterfully operate a successful record label. In doing so, he learned enough to come through with a historic thirty-one days to start off the year, dropping an album, getting out of his deal, and earning ownership of all of his master recordings.

The rapper made a sweet announcement this morning, telling all of his fans that he’s untrapped in every sense of the word. It’s not just the title of his new album… it also describes his current situation in the industry. “Drop My Album, Out My Deal, Own My MASTERS …. ALL IN DA 1st Month of da Year 2020 GONE BE DIFFERENT,” wrote Gotti on Instagram. He tagged CMG and Roc Nation in the post, which are the remaining two organizations he’s dealing with. One of them is notably his own brand.

Congratulations to Yo Gotti on this tremendous career achievement. Stream his latest project below.

Chief Keef has previously expressed his love for Lizzo's music. It might not be the most suspecting artist you'd expect to see on Chief Keef's playlist but, like a lot of people, he's a big fan. Although it's unclear if Chief Keef ever actually wants to get in the studio with her in the future, he's putting on his A&R skills on display with his request for a Lizzo and Nicki Minaj collaboration. "Somebody tell Nicki to do a song w Lizzo," he tweeted. It's unsure if Nicki or Lizzo saw the tweet but someone else looked at it as a perfect opportunity to try and get a verse from Chief Keef.

It appears as though Lil Nas X is longing for collaboration with Chief Keef. The "Rodeo" rapper humbly reached out to Chief Keef on Twitter where he asked if they can work on a song together. "wassup chief keef it’s me lil nas x from old town road. wanna make a song ?" Lil Nas X tweeted.

Chief Keef has yet to reply to the tweet, nor has Lil Nas X followed up publicly but it would be interesting to hear to the two on the same song. It's unclear what it would sound like but something tells me that Chief Keef crooning over a banjo would do numbers. 

I know we're all in love with Rihanna, but Lil Uzi Vert is REALLY in love with Rihanna. We started discovering the depth of his admiration for her back in November, when Uzi got candid on Twitter leading up to the release of his latest single, "Futsal Shuffle 2020". A fan asked the Philly rapper for an update on him and RiRi, likely wondering whether Uzi had shot his shot yet. He replied that he's still waiting on the day that The Bad Gal finally realizes that he is "THE ONE" and that, until then, he "don't wanna hear about her she 2 perfect." In an iconic moment in both Twitter and HNHH history, Uzi then responded to one of our tweets lamenting that the chance of this dream coming true are slim, since Rihanna would never even look in his direction. 

Choosing not to release a full-length project in 2019, Nicki Minaj announced to the world that she would be retiring from music, shocking her fanbase in a major way. Nobody saw it coming -- apparently, not even she did. Since her infamous tweet was sent out, the rapper has popped up on several feature verses, including one for Meghan Trainor last week, and she explained that she may have been a little pre-emptive with her announcement. Now, it appears as though the star is getting back into the groove, previewing new music and getting everybody excited for what's to come. Knowing Minaj, things wouldn't be complete without one line that got people talking.

In the preview to her upcoming record "Yikes," Nicki Minaj makes reference to Rosa Parks and not everybody is feeling it. "All you bitches Rosa Parks, uh-oh, get your ass up," spits Minaj on the unreleased Pooh Beatz banger. Considering Black History Month just began, some of her Barbz aren't quite in tune with the bar, calling it insensitive or reacting with memes on social media. Others find it absolutely hilarious.

Shortly after the snippet was posted, people began reacting on Twitter, causing a chaotic ruckus and even getting Rosa Parks trending on the social platform. What do you think of the line?

Her debut album Invasion of Privacy earned Cardi B top honors at the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019 for Best Rap Album, and fans have been waiting for the Bronx rapper's followup. It's been nearly two years since Cardi shared her debut effort, but she's been hinting that her sophomore record will drop sometime this year. 

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She recently sat down with Baller Alert to share a few more details about her next project, revealing that she's still waiting on a few more tracks to round things out. "I have my cool, calm, and collective songs. Just missing a couple of more club hits, but we getting there," she revealed. When asked about a potential release date, she said she didn't know. "I'm not sure, I can never put a date on it," she stated. "When you feel like you got those songs that's when it's gonna come out. I cannot put a date on my ears. When I feel like I have it, that's when."

The rapper also talked to the outlet about Kulture, revealing that "Clout" is her toddler's favorite song. "When she sees the video she's like, 'Dada, mommy.' It's the cutest thing." Then, in true Baller Alert fashion, the publication asked the rapper to give advice on how to snag a baller. She didn't say anything but showed off her neck. No one understood what she meant, but then she said, "You see the longitude?" Everyone laughed as they then got that she was referring to the depth of her throat.

Moving on swiftly, she also gave advice to new artists who may be inspired by her success: Always get a lawyer. No matter how broke you think you are, invest in a lawyer before making any deals. Watch her clip below.

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the status of her sophomore album, and more! ?: @adamglyn

A post shared by Baller Alert (@balleralert) on Feb 3, 2020 at 12:50pm PST

In the early days of Love & Hip Hop New York, back when the VH1 series was still fairly new on the scene, Rich Dollaz's storylines centered around his artists. Whether he was developing them or dating them, Rich was known as the music industry professional who was about his business, and he took on his good friend Oli as a client.

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Oli was hoping to revive her career after her time with J Records had come to a close and she was no longer affiliated with G-Unit. Rich worked with Oli on songs and even gave one to her that was initially intended for his then-girlfriend Erica Mena. The fallout from that decision was watched by millions, and now years after Liv and Rich collaborated, Oli is back with some serious accusations.

In a clip, the singer told Rich that he cheated her out of money she should have earned off of their single. Rich vehemently denies that he stole anything from her. "If you do not write on a record, you get what's called performance royalties," Rich said in the clip. "What were you entitled to other than the hundreds of thousands of dollars you made on the road singing it?" 

"You and I took hits together, Rich. That's what we always did," she said. "So, when I found out from the lawyers what was going on that really hurt me to my core. Because you were really my brother. I'm trying to understand how do you think that you get all of the money. That makes absolutely no sense."

Rich told her that he was in debt. "Everything that was going on at that time of our lives was footed by me," he said. "I was your production company. I was your management. I was your security. I was your f*ckin' taxi service. Radio! Record had over 800 spins. Independently, by me. By myself. You think that sh*t is free?"

Oli wanted to know why he just didn't tell her that he was taking money to cover expenses. "Financially, this sh*t put such a f*cking strain on me for the four years," Rich said. "Why am I gonna tell you that? You my sister." Oli added if that was the case, they should have been able to speak about any and everything. 

Rich told her that she made a good amount of money from the record, more money than anyone else. Oli, in turn, insisted that she "got got" by Rich and they both ended things by saying they were hurt by the situation. Check out the clip below.

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. 

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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”

It’s safe to say that Nicki Minaj‘s retirement announcement may have been a tad bit reactionary. In early September 2019, Nicki shocked her dedicated fanbase when she tweeted that her music career may be coming to an end. “I’ve decided to retire & have my family,” she wrote. “I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, ❌ in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. ✅ Love you for LIFE ?♥️?.”

Larry Busacca / Staff / Getty Images

Since that time, she’s been featured on a number of tracks, including Meghan Trainor’s “Nice to Meet Ya” that dropped last Friday (January 31). This latest collaboration comes after Nicki’s month hiatus from social media, but now that the Queen rapper has returned, she’s been showing off daily glam looks.

On Monday (February 3) evening, Nicki showed that she’s been hard at work in the studio, as well. The rapper shared a clip of herself previewing a new track that will most likely be featured on her forthcoming record. “Woke up, the price of coke up / I just hit em with the low cut then call my folks up,” Nicki raps. “All that talkin’ out your neck just might get your throat cut / This a mac truck not a black truck / When we move tell ’em back up / Click the clack up.” She then moves into the chorus which mentions, “Yikes, you a clown, you do IT for likes.”

Unsurprisingly, Nicki’s husband Kenneth Petty sits right next to her and the two newlyweds groove to Nicki’s newly recorded track. Give it a listen and leave your thoughts.