Without accounting for the new releases from today, the HotNewHipHop staff was busy mulling over each of the fresh vibes introduced to us to decide what deserves placement on our TIDAL-exclusive, staff-curated playlist. TIDAL Wave has been a constant in our office for months, offering the readers a chance to get to know our editorial staff a little bit better, while also providing you with some of the hottest drops from the last two-to-three weeks. To start off the year, we were gifted new projects from Moneybagg Yo, Quando Rondo, and a few others before things were shaken up today. Next week's playlist will certainly be fun to put together but for now, let's focus on last week's come-ups. 

It wouldn't be right if things didn't start off with Future's new single "Life Is Good," which features Drake. The song is arguably still the biggest hip-hop collaboration to release this month and it will surely earn a high placement on the Billboard Hot 100 next week. Following up that record is Lil Baby's new single and the pre-Circles single posthumously dropped by Mac Miller's estate. We've also got two Stormzy joints on deck from his Wiley beef, as well as some select Dreamville cuts, new Mick Jenkins, and the Khalid single.

Let us know whose list is the best this week and, if you're not already on game, sign up for a free 30-day trial with TIDAL right here.

Alex Zidel (Editorial)

Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)
Moneybagg Yo - Bitch
Khalid - Eleven
Quando Rondo - Just Keep Going
Quando Rondo - Letter To My Daughter

Chantilly Post (Editorial)

Khalid - Eleven 
Mac Miller - Good News
Moneybagg Yo - Protect Da Brand (feat. DaBaby)
Moneybagg Yo - Real Luv (feat. Summer Walker)
070 Shake - Guilty Conscience

Noah C (Editorial)

Mac Miller - Good News
Pink Siifu & yungmorpheus - Mantle Wit The Fit
Mick Jenkins - The Fit
Akai Solo & iblss - Kingdom Koi
Knxwledge - Do You

Alex Cole (Editorial)

Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)
Lil Baby - Sum 2 Prove
Lil B - Pour A Cup
Stormzy - Disappointed
Stormzy - Still Disappointed

Mitch Findlay (Editorial)

Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)
Stormzy - Disappointed
Stormzy - Still Disappointed
Mick Jenkins - The Light (feat. EARTHGANG)
Mick Jenkins - Carefree

Aron A (Editorial)

Stormzy - Disappointed 
Stormzy - Still Disappointed
Vybz Kartel - World Government
Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)
Pa Salieu - Frontline

Lynn Sharpe (Editorial)

Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)
Mac Miller - Good News
070 Shake - Guilty Conscience
Megan Thee Stallion & Normani - Diamonds
Mick Jenkins - I’m Convinced

Cole Blake (Editorial)

Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake)
Mac Miller - Good News
Stormzy - Disappointed  
070 Shake - Guilty Conscience
Knxwledge - Do You

Keenan Higgins (Editorial)

Dreamville & Ari Lennox - BUSSIT
The Alchemist - Try My Hand (feat. Mobb Deep)
JACKBOYS - OUT WEST (feat. Young Thug)
Mac Miller - Good News

Rose Lilah (Editorial)

Mac Miller - Good News
Dreamville & Ari Lennox - BUSSIT

At the wee hours of the morning, Eminem swung in with a brand new album titled, Music To Be Murdered By. The project came at a surprise with no forewarning but as expected, the middle-aged rapper took to wax to air out his grievances. Among his targets was Lord Jamar who’s been having back and forths with Eminem indirectly over the years. 

On “I Will,” Eminem takes direct aim at Lord Jamar once again. Em’s previously done this on his album Kamikaze while Lord Jamar has continued to egg on the Detroit native during Vlad TV interviews.

I’m more than you bargained for and I am far more worse than a fourty-some bar Lord Jamar verse / Nothing means more than respect, so when I curse / You could say I swore to protect / My image I have zero time or regard for/ I never was, been claiming rap when it’s not yours/ If it was anyone’s house G Rap and Rakim would be havin’ you mop floors / Run-DMC would be havin’ you cleanin’ sinks / Yeah, your group was off the chain, but you were the weakest link

This is clearly in reference to Jamar’s claim that Em is a guest in the house of hip-hop. Clearly, it’s been weighing on Eminem’s mind for a hot minute. Will 2020 be the year they put their differences aside? Probably not. 

The day has finally arrived. Mac Miller‘s posthumous album Circles is here in all of its glory after previously dropping the lead single “Good News.” The album was released with the blessing of Mac’s family and they detailed how the missed rapper was working on the project at the time of his passing. “We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it,” Mac’s family wrote. “We are left to imagine where Malcolm was going and to appreciate where he was. We hope you take the time to listen.”

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Before the project arrived, fans had a chance to be invited to exclusive pop-ups that would give them early streaming of the tape if they submitted a short write up on what Mac’s music meant to them. While those took place yesterday, today pop-ups in New York and Mac’s hometown of Pittsburgh are rammed packed as those who love Mac the most are checking in on the exhibits that showcase more on the fallen artist. 

The limited installations are free for entry and sell merchandise, collectibles, and art all surrounded on Mac and his discography. All proceeds for the event go towards the Mac Miller Fund that supports young and inspiring musicians. 

2019 was an eventful year for A$AP Rocky, and the same can be said for Donald Trump. The rapper found himself jailed in Sweden last year after getting into an altercation in the street. Although he claimed it was self-defense, he did get convicted but as it turns out, Trump apparently tried to persuade Sweden to free the rapper.

Rocky hit the Breakfast Club up earlier today where he revealed that he spoke on Trump’s involvement. The rapper explained that he was left in the dark in Sweden about when he’d actually be released and just to have some sort of support meant the world to him.

“I don’t feel no way about that,” he said about Trump speaking on his case in the White House. “I was very thankful for everybody that supported me. Even him. You know, being in that situation ’cause when you just in there, the support is what lifts you up.”

The rapper was later released and brought back to America but a few members of Trump’s team expressed that they were pissed Rocky never thanked them personally. Well, it appears as though that was “cap,” as the kids say.

“I spoke to [Trump] to thank them,” he said. “I don’t agree with all the political shit that he does at all but I’m just thankful for everybody that supported me in there.”

Confirming that he spoke to Trump on the phone personally, he added that Trump will forever be known to him as the guy who yells “you’re fired!” “So when I’m really in Sweden and thinkin’ about all this political shit, I kind of thought that it was going to make my situation worse but I was still thankful. I’m just keeping it a hundred,” he added. Although he didn’t get into details about the conversation itself, when Charlamagne brought up Melania’s involvement, Rocky simply stated, “I think she thinks I’m handsome.”

Mac Miller's posthumous album, Circles, arrived on Friday, and the companion album to 2018's Swimming is a beautiful devastating bounty of self-reflection. According to a statement in which the album was announced by his family, Mac had been working on Circles with Jon Brion, who completed the album following Mac's untimely death in September of 2018, "based on his time and conversations" with the late artist. The project has garnered plenty of attention already, and some close listeners have already begun speculating who else might have contributed to the album. After a particularly familiar voice could be heard harmonizing with Mac's on the track, "I Can See," some became convinced that Mac's ex-girlfriend, Ariana Grande, was featured on the song.

Raekwon The Chef is one of hip-hop’s most vivid lyricists of all time. Few can rival his ability to bring his environment to life, his stories alive with sensory detail and beautifully rendered violence. A veteran of the Wu-Tang movement with two solo classics under his belt, Rae has consistently moved with integrity to his craft. His path ultimately led him to Red Bull Music, who have proven themselves a friend to creators and their visions. Together, they linked up to concoct The Appetition, the product of a seventy-two-hour studio marathon at Red Bull Music’s New York studio. 

Boasting three songs, all of which find Rae deftly exploring new sonic territory, the project serves as an appetizer for the smorgasbord to come throughout 2020. If you haven’t already checked it out, do yourself a favor and listen closely to Rae’s latest drop; despite clocking in at under ten minutes, there remains plenty of lyrical gems to unpack.

Not long ago, I had the chance to catch up with Raekwon prior to The Appetition‘s release. Our conversation has been transcribed below.

Image Red Bull Music Content Pool

Hey Rae, what’s up? Thank you so much for taking the time.

You got it, happy New Year! 

You too. Hows your 2020 going so far?

Excellent. A little tired from all the festivities I’ve been dealing with the last week and half or so. I’m cool though.

So you recently connected with Red Bull Music for a new EP. How did that come to pass?

That was a 72-hour project. I got a chance to work with some super dope artists and producers. We came together and made a little grab-bag for people to check out a new sound from Rae. This is a teaser, an appetizer for what I’m about to give you guys in the future.

 You know I’m a big Red Bull head, I love what they’re doing and what they stand for in the culture. We just did a little couple of songs to get people’s mouths watering about what I’ve got going on. I thought it was a dope project to be involved with. I call it hitting the bag. It’s like practice. Jumping back into shit. 

Did the 72-hour time period impact your writing and creative process?

I mean, I’m pretty much an athlete with it. You gotta get in there and pass the ball. Communicate with the team and make a score. Make a win, you know? That’s what we did. We put our minds together in one spot and we came up with some quality shit. I’m proud of these guys for really stepping up to the bar and giving me something I can feel comfortable with. It was dope though. My process is I listen to something to love. My creative juices start flowing. We off to the races. I’ve been doing it like that for years. It’s all about hearing what you like. 

Christopher Polk/Getty Image

I consider you to be one of the best lyricists of all time, to be honest. The way you build a world around you, you’re such a keen observer. The way your storytelling mixes stream-of-consciousness, abstract imagery, slang. When you were coming up in Park Hill, were you an observant person? 

Oh, definitely. Definitely. That’s what the neighborhood is always about. Looking and watching. Seeing who’s winning, who’s losing, the gains and the setbacks. All that type of stuff, that’s what the neighborhood gives us. I’ve always been an analyst when it comes to pretty much anything. I’m looking out for me, trying to protect me, if I see villains around. 

They say a good listener is a good learner – able to understand more from seeing things how they really are. That’s always been me. Since I was a kid, from playing sports to music. You watch the best, you become the best. You learn from people’s mistakes and you learn from your mistakes. That’s what gives you the opportunity to be greater. 

When did you first start realizing you wanted to be a lyricist and putting these experiences to the page?

My shit goes back to hanging on the staircase with some of my homeboys from the Wu. We all came up from staircase rap, going out to a couple of clubs as we got older. Seeing some of the legendary artists of that time doing their thing. We’re talking about early eighties, mid-eighties cats. Rakim to KRS One, Kane, all these dudes were an inspiration to us. They pretty much wrote the bible of rap for us, and we just followed it. We followed what we seen them do and try to do it on the same magnitude.

When you think back to those early days, has anything stayed consistent in your rapping technique from then to now? 

Passion. I’m passionate about music. Good production, good energy, good people. I couldn’t do a lot of the things I do without having that instilled in me. Everything for me always been about a team effort. Paying attention to the talented ones. I think that’s why this is so dope for me to do a couple of records with the Red Bull team. 

I’m always looking at the future, the new kids coming up, new producers. Guys that can inspire me! I’ve been inspiring people for decades. It feels good to be inspired now. All of that plays a role in my passion. You got something that’s dope and it gets me in the mood, makes me feel good about wanting to be a part of it. That’s what I’m down for. That’s how we make history. With those vibes.
 

Christopher Polk/Getty Images 

When you were coming up in the New York golden era of production, you had so many great producers — the work RZA did was incredible. With the landscape having changed so much, what are some of the things you enjoy about this era of beat-making?

The ones that’s super talented will come out when it’s time. You always gotta be prepared for talent when it comes in front of you. I’ve been around the world, I’ve seen so many dope dudes do their thing and not really get the shine they wanted at the time. I’m like ‘damn these dudes are talented but nobody knows them yet.’ I’ve always been a big advocate of wanting to see new guys do they thing — I listen to all kinds of music. Not just hardcore lyrics, but everything. From reggae to EDM. Dope is dope. You feel it, you hear it, it sounds like a winner, you sign off. 

That’s how I look at music in general. It’s an energy you feel when you hear talented muthafuckas do they thing. I just feed off of that. If I could give a guy some great advice or inspire him in any type of way, it feels good to know  I inspired people who are really into it. It makes me feel good to know that I’m giving them some life, and they’re giving me some life. That’s the same way we were inspired when we came up! From watching people be great at what they was great at. It’s about passing the torch. You gotta pass the torch and give them the opportunity to be great at what they do.

You’ve become The General now. I recently saw you pass the torch to the Griselda movement. How did you connect with them?

Yeah! Those are my good friends. They put something in me. They gave me that surge we had back in the day and I love it. That’s why I give them credit. I told them when I met them, 

‘Y’all get it in. Ya’ll doing what you’re supposed to do.’ That’s one style of hip-hop, but that particular style is one of my favorites. That’s what made us be great. 

It reminds me of you and Ghost. I’ve been listening to so much Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and Wu-Tang music lately, revisiting my favorite Wu-Tang projects. I have to ask – how did the dynamic between you and Ghost evolve through music? 

It started from Wu-Tang Clan. The energy at home. We’re nine ill emcees and we all got something special that we bring to the table. I guess with me and Ghost, we vibed off each other cause we was linked by what me and him love personally, what was inspiring us. The crew started to see that, and they were like ‘ya’ll need to do a record together.’ Next thing you know, we started doing it, and all of us was like ‘this sounds right.’ That was a great thing. 

After The Appetition, what’s next for Raekwon in 2020? Are we going to get a full-length album?

We definitely got a big entree about to come out. Don’t worry, we going to score again and make another classic. I always keep it genuine to what kind of hip-hop I love and what I’ma give you guys. There’s a lot of things on board. I got a great wine out, it’s called Licata. We got a big documentary we still working on. We got a store in Toronto called The Purple Factory. There’s other endeavors I’m involved in, we’re going to incorporate everything to it. We’re going to bring a whole decade of new shit to the table.

Anyone would be more than flattered if a superstar rapper not only complimented their steez but then proceeded to offer cash money for the aforementioned fashionable possession. Well, that’s exactly what happened to an unsuspecting commuter in NYC recently when she was approached by none other than Tyler, The Creator.

Lars Niki/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards

Given the fact that Tyler is well known for his swagged-out sunnies, as seen above while flexing for cameras at the 2019 Innovator Awards last November, it’s not exactly surprising that the IGOR rapper would be interested in copping a new set of frames. What is surprising is the way he went about it and how much he was willing to spend.

Here’s how TMZ breaks down the story:

The lady hardly noticed — she was wearing headphones — and she kept moving until she felt a tap on her shoulder. The woman spun around to find a large man — Tyler’s bodyguard — asking to buy her glasses for $50. She politely refused, but when Tyler’s muscle upped the ante to $100 … she couldn’t turn it down.

The exchange ended with the lucky lady meeting Tyler at a nearby ice cream shop, where he proceeded to drop a c-note in her hand and even take a pic with her to prove it all actually happened. The things you see in NYC, man!

This wouldn’t be the first time Tyler, The Creator jacked a random person’s shades. Peep this quick clip below of a fan who says Tyler wore his girlfriend’s sunnies onstage during the Cherry Bomb Tour in 2015:

Nick Cannon is one of the hardest working men not only in hip-hop but in the entire entertainment industry overall. He recently dropped his first solo full-length project in four years, The Miseducation of the Negro You Love To Hate, stepped back into the battle rap realm going head to head with Eminem, and got the morning show hosting gig for the highly-popularized LA-based radio station, Power 106. 

Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images

With music being very prevalent in his career at the moment, the “Pray For Him” rapper took time out to share some kind words about Mac Miller‘s posthumous album, Circles (2020), all the while totally disregarding his nemesis, Eminem’s, surprise drop album, Music To Be Murdered. 

In a thoughtful Instagram post featuring a photo of Miller’s Circles album cover, Nick Cannon kept it short and sweet stating, “Rest in Power King! #Circles is classic.”

While many participants within the culture have been critical of Nick Cannon’s actions as of late, Nick Cannon has continued to be one of the most creative personalities in hip-hop diversifying his assets and ventures into many different avenues. His new podcast, Cannon’s Class has also enlightened some of his dedicated followers. However, if he continues to prod Eminem with diss tracks, he could potentially end his own recording career. 

Check out Nick Cannon’s reflective post about Mac Miller’s post-mortem LP, Circles, in the Instagram post provided below. 

Today, Eminem surprised the world and dropped his tenth studio album Music To Be Murdered By. Here are some of the key takeaways. 

THE GANG’S ALL HERE

Like Kamikaze, Music To Be Murdered To brought several new collaborators into Em’s circle, including three placements from D.A. “Got That Dope” Doman. For the most part, however, the album find Em reconnecting with many longstanding collaborators, including the main musical core behind Relapse. For the first time in a minute, Dr. Dre blessed Slim with four instrumental contributions, not including skits: “Premonition,” “Never Love Again,” “Little Engine,” and “Lock It Up.” Alongside the Good Doctor stood producer Dawaun Parker, the clutch behind-the-scenes MVP behind much of Relapse. 

Another recurring presence is Luis Resto, a multi-instrumentalist responsible for working on many of Eminem’s best beats of all time. A perusal through the credits reveals Resto’s name on fifteen of the album’s twenty cuts, providing “additional keyboards” as well as deeper compositional contributions. As one of his most loyal collaborators behind-the-scenes, it’s time to start recognizing Resto’s impact on Em’s sound.  

Though Music To Be Murdered To found Em collaborating with many new friends, he also made sure to connect with some former collaborators. Former D12 associate turned hype-man Denaun Porter lays down a kinetic beat for the lyrical banger “Yah Yah,” which marks Em’s first official collaboration with Q-Tip. Not to mention his first official collaboration with Black Thought following their turn on the 2009 BET cypher. He even brought Slaughterhouse out of retirement on “I Will,” though old friend-turned-foe Joe Budden was a notable snub. Naturally, longtime friend and collaborator Royce Da 5’9 held it down with three verses and a few production credits, and it wouldn’t be an Eminem album without a hook from Skylar Grey. Even Alchemist, who spent a longstanding run as Em’s touring DJ, came through to co-produce on “Stepdad.”

TORBEN CHRISTENSEN/AFP Getty Images 

DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS

Since declaring war on his enemies in 2018, Em spent the majority of the following year fielding petty shots and deeper critiques from the likes of Lord Jamar, Machine Gun Kelly, and Nick Cannon. And while many fans openly prayed for Em to rain fire and brimstone upon him, it seemed unlikely that he would dedicate a full diss track to one singular party. It’s no surprise to see Slim address each one individually on Music To Be Murdered By, to varying degrees of intensity. 

Lord Jamar catches the most bars, as delivered on Slaughterhouse collaboration “I Will.” As his verse nears its conclusion, he reverts back to the “hip-hop-as-a-house” analogy that has been a throughline throughout their war of words:

I am far more worse than a forty-some bar Lord Jamar verse
Nothing means more than respect, so when I curse
You could say I swore to protect
My image I have zero time or regard for
A never-was-been claiming rap when it’s not yours
If it was anyone’s house G Rap and Rakim would be having you mop floors
Run-DMC would be havin’ you cleanin’ sinks
Yeah your group was off the chain, but you were the weakest link

Given that Jamar will likely respond to this by the time next Monday rolls around, it’s likely this particular cycle will continue until it simply dissipates. On that note, Em also addressed Machine Gun Kelly twice, leaving fans unpacking his motive through mixed signals. The first arrived on the Young M.A. collaboration track “Unaccomodating,” as Em seemingly moved to call a halt on the once-heated duel between Rap God and Rap Devil. “But when they ask me is the war finished with MGK? Of course it is / I cleansed him of his mortal sins, I’m God and the Lord forgives — even the devil worshippers,” raps Em, in the second verse. “I’m moving on but you know your scruples are gone when you’re born with Lucifer’s horns.” 

While this confident declaration of victory could easily be seen as — at the very least — mildly antagonistic, it still feels like an armistice. And yet, merely eight songs later, he’s letting off another jab. On a track with Royce Da 5’9”, Black Thought, and Q-Tip of all place, Em took a moment to son the Gunner, spitting a dexterous scheme equating him to a premature baby born in his image: “Me and this game we got married already, had the prenup ready, fucked on her, should’ve seen her belly / she barely was three months pregnant, Bitch had to give me a baby, we named it Machine Gun Kelly.” One big happy family. 

And course, the trilogy wouldn’t be complete without a reference to Nick Cannon, who has been doing his damndest to elicit a response from his longtime sparring partner. His wish, albeit a diluted version, was granted on “No Regrets.” “For some adversaries, I carry big guns,” he spits, in what feels like a spiritual successor to “Fall.” “So some targets’ll get the kill shot, some, I just barely nicked ’em.” 

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images 

ROOTS RUN DEEP

If there’s one thing that has remained important to modern-day Eminem, it’s the preservation of hip-hop history. In an age that finds many young voices glossing over the cultural forefathers, Em has made it his personal mission to shout out his peers and chief influences alike. One of the first mentions arrives on the opening track “Premonition,” as Em shouts out three of his former collaborators; by his estimation, Tech N9ne, 2 Chainz and Jay-Z are kindred spirits, inevitably plagued by some of the more frustrating critiques. “Instead of us being credited for longevity and being able to keep it up for this long at this level, we get told we’ll never be what we were,” he vents. “Bitch, if I was as half as good as I was, I’m still twice as good as you’ll ever be.”

A proud student of the school of “Notorious, Puba, Cube and The Poor Righteous Teachers,” Em also takes a moment to shout out his old pal Sticky Fingaz on “Godzilla.” And while quick homages are scattered throughout, the centerpieces arrives on golden-era homage “Yah Yah.” It’s only appropriate that a gathering of elite lyricists is home to Slim’s love-letter to his formative influences: 

Now here’s to LL, Big L and Del
K-Solo, Treach, and G Rap
DJ Polo, Tony D, ODB, Moe Dee, Run-DMC
Ed OG, and EPMD, D.O.C., Ice-T, Evil Dee
King Tee, UTFO, and Schoolly D, PE, and BDP
YZ and Chi-Ali, Rakim and Eric B., they were like my therapy
From B.I.G. and Paris, Three Times Dope, and some we’ll never see, and PRT
N.W.A and Eazy-E, and D-R-E was like my GPS
Without him, I don’t know where I’d be

Be sure to check out Music To Be Murdered By, itself a homage to the Master Of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock, and share your thoughts accordingly. 

Gary Miller/FilmMagic/Getty Images

The death of Mac Miller was one of the biggest losses in hip-hop in recent times. A month before his untimely passing, the rapper released what would be his final album, Swimming. However, his family revealed a few weeks ago that he was working on a companion project at the time of his death.

“At the time of his passing, Mac was well into the process of recording his companion album to Swimming,”  “Two different styles complementing each other, completing each other – Swimming in Circles was the concept.”

Releasing the first single, “Good News,” his family revealed that Jon Brion, Mac’s collaborator, has been working relentlessly to complete the project with respect to Mac’s vision. Brion had worked with Mac before on Swimming, producing several tracks on the project, and was working with Mac on Swimming.

After a few lucky fans received an early preview of the album, Circles has arrived in its entirety today. Complete with 12-songs, the companion piece to Swimming continues to showcase Mac’s incredible musicality as a rapper and instrumentalist. 

“We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it,” a statement from Mac’s family read. “We are left to imagine where Malcolm was going and to appreciate where he was. We hope you take the time to listen.”

R.I.P Mac Miller.