He has a slew of No. 1 songs and albums under his belt and has stormed stages while performing in front of sold-out arenas worldwide. However, if you ask The Weeknd, co-writing and starring in American Dad! is one of his greatest accomplishments. The singer recently shared his After Hours project, an album that has been sitting atop charts since its release weeks ago. This evening (May 4), The Weeknd's episode of Seth McFarlane's long-running animated series finally aired, and it included a performance of a satirical song titled "I'm a Virgin."

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A Starboy is Born Tonight

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We hate to admit it, but the song is a little bit of a bop. Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Variety, The Weeknd spoke about how his collaboration with American Dad! came to be. “I’m a longtime fan of the show,” the award-winning singer said. “I always wanted to play a character that was the opposite of the public’s perception of me—and of course make fun of myself. Once I was given the opportunity I took complete advantage."

"Joel Hurwitz believed in the vision and he helped execute it beautifully," The Weeknd added. Just in case you missed it, we included a clip from the show below. Check it out.

He was one of the first artists to participate in an Instagram Live Battle, and he’s been defending his catalog ever since. While many people believe he took the crown in his IG Battle against Tory Lanez, French Montana took it all in stride. The two artists later linked up to collaborate on their recently released single “Cold,” proving that these battles can inspire unexpected results. 

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Later, French Montana spoke about Kendrick Lamar, saying that he has more hits than K-Dot. He later clarified his comments, singing Kendrick’s praises while remaining fully confident that he has the chops to go toe-to-toe musically with the beloved L.A. rapper. In a recent interview with The Bassment, French was asked if there were other artists that he believes he could go “hit-for-hit” against, and he still insists anyone is up for grabs.

“Like I said before, you can put me against anybody,” he said. “If I take the L, I’ll take the L. I’m not scared to lose. This is not about… This is about me believing in myself. I have a lotta hits. I have about 20, 23 mixtapes. Then I have the hits, the worldwide hits, this and that. So, I feel I can go against anybody.”

There are a couple of people that he believes will outshine him. “I know Drake probably got me. I know Jay Z got me,” French Montana added. “Besides that, it’s whatever. It’s open game.” However, he did also throw Snopp Dogg and Dr. Dre‘s names into the mix, saying he knows he couldn’t take them. Check out the rapper’s comments on battles and more below.

Weeks ago, Westside Gunn shared the surprising news that he had a frightening battle with COVID-19. “I’m feeling good now, these short breaths, this sh*t was like a tornado through my chest,” he said. “I smoke a lot so I’m trying to build my lungs back up. I was going to go out for a walk, but even when I went outside to do that, I was like, nah let me wait another week. Next week, I’ll probably try to walk for 30 minutes.”

Westside Gunn recently released his acclaimed album Pray for Paris, a project he completed while visiting the City of Love. Prior to dropping his latest record, the rapper had planned out a fantastical roll out, but his COVID-19 diagnosis put all of that work on pause. “It was so bad I had to be rushed to the hospital,” Gunn, who has asthma, told HipHopDX. “I thought I was out of here and had already made calls to have everything in order, just in case… I thought I was going to die.”

During his recovery from COVID-19 and prior to the release of Pray for Paris, Gunn said that his famous friends like Kanye West, DJ Premier, and Virgil Abloh motivated him to push through. “I was having conversations with people like ‘Ye who showed me all these designs he was working on that inspired me to design even more too,” Westside Gunn said. “That’s what built this project, my connection to Paris and the people that spoke to me when I was sick.”

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As we all figure out how to adjust to our new normal in these strange times, there are many different artists and brands starting up new initiatives to help get us through the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering just how far-reaching the pandemic is, and how deeply it affects day-to-day society, from jobs to daycare, it’s a given that many people are struggling. Still, there is hope, and there are certain figures that are instilling optimism across the country– and among those joining the fold, we can now count 1800 Tequila.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, 1800 Tequila is kicking off a brand new live stream series, titled “Live From Inside,” that’s hosted by artists you know and love– Lauren Jauregui, Boogie, Chika and Kiane Lede are a few of the artists that 1800 Tequila is partnering with for this new digital series. 

The idea is, that you’ll not only get to have an artist host a live stream with the fans, but you’ll also get a new performance each time, alongside a guest mixologist who will be showing you how to create a few simple cocktails using 1800 Tequila liquor. Essentially, you’ll get all the trapping of a night out from the comfort of your couch. 

Before the digital event series kicks off tomorrow night with Lauren Jauregui, we hopped on the phone with Boogie to find out more about it, and his current quarantine situation. He tells us how he’s been keeping busy during quarantine– including making music and even learning a new instrument. We also touch on Eminem, Boogie’s label boss and collaborator, to find out more about their relationship, too, and Boogie’s recent string of collabs with TDE.

Check out our interview below, edited for clarity.

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HotNewHipHop: Hey Boogie

Boogie: Roseee, I miss you. How’re you?

Yeahhh, it’s been a minute, I wanted to do this myself cause I  haven’t talked to you in a while thought this would be fun.

Ye, once they told me it was you I got so excited.

How’re you doing out in L.A. right now?

I’m good, tryna keep myself busy.

So I guess this 1800 Tequila initiative will keep you busy?

Yeah for sure. I’m glad they hit me up about this. 

So can you tell me exactly what it is and what you’re going to be doing and what fans can expect?

Yeah, so basically what it is it’s a new live stream series of performances from different artists. It’s encouraging people to stay they a** at home and not go outside to be ignorant like everybody else. You can enjoy some 1800 cause that’s what we gone be drinking while we doing this. All the money is going directly to the people that’s affected by COVID-19, that’s what makes it so amazing because we just tryna reap the benefits of the situation. We know people affected by it. Hopefully it’ll cushion people a little bit. 

Cool. How have you been entertaining yourself during quarantine? What do you do day to day?

I have a kid who irritates me but keeps me busy, a lot. Besides that, I’m just tryna work. I’m not saying it’s a good situation but I’m tryna make the best out of it cause it forces me to actually sit inside and I get to know sh*t I’m lacking on, and face reality, so I’m kind of glad it happened in a way. 

Yeah for sure, I’ve been thinking about that too, you can use this time to build a new habit or just get something done that you’ve been putting off. 

Exactly. I picked up a piano. I’ve been playing the piano. I’m trying to learn how to play the piano. It’s kind of frustrating but I’m trying to embrace the challenge.

It’s going to stimulate your mind. You mentioned taking advantage of this down time, and it’s been a minute since you dropped your album on Shady. Is that in the works, like another album?

Yeah. Anybody who knows me, knows how much I overthink my projects. I always wanna make sure I improve from the last project ‘cause I feel that’s what’s keeping me alive as an artist. I keep getting better. I feel like my last project was so good, I kind of got to this point where I was like nothing is good enough and now I’m finally free. My thoughts just finally more free, and I just feel that’s how my life and my music work, it depends on where I’m at and that’s where I make the best music. 

I really loved your last album, the more I play it, the more replay value I get out of it. It just consistently goes up and up. I like that kind of album, it gets better with time.

Yeah, I wanted something that aged well. Our attention span is so short these days cause we get so much music everyday and every week, it’s hard to pick out songs and make sure I had something that did that. 

It’s rare just to find an album like that where it’s even better now from the first time I heard it. How has life been like since you’ve signed to Shady? Has anything changed for you?

What changed is it’s a lot of Eminem fans. They are probably one of the toughest fan bases in the world. If I’m not rapping fast sometimes, they get mad but then if I start rapping fast I disappoint my other fans [Laughs]. I’m tryna have a balance with my fans and all these new fans and make everybody happy. 

That’s so funny, I mean I don’t necessarily think of you as a fast rapper but you’re definitely lyrical, like low-key lyrical stuff that might impress the Eminem fans?

I put a lot of pride into my lyrics so…and my lisp is too big. I got a lisp, to be rapping all fast and sh*t, it’ll start sounding like I’m spitting. 

Do you talk to Eminem? Would you talk to him over the phone or text message? What’s a normal relationship, conversation for you guys?

When we talk it’s regular, he’s like a regular person. But when he calls, somebody else calls first and then they’ll be like ‘Marshall’s on the phone,’  and I feel like I’m about to talk to my teacher or something. 

Have you ever been to Detroit to visit him in the studio at all?

Yeah I have. When I first signed to him he flew me out. I been out there a couple times. 

As you work on the new album, is he involved or is he more hands-off?

What makes it great about him is he just lets me grow as an artist and let me do what I gotta do. If I need something from him I can always reach out. As far as my work I don’t really want other people influencing my ideas, I wanna get my own thoughts off, I don’t really involve too many people honestly.

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You haven’t put out anything yourself but you’ve been featured on a couple of songs recently, all with the TDE camp. You have “Trapped In” with Reason, I think it was released before the pandemic but it’s also kinda timely with the title.

It’s crazy how that hook is about being inside. We did that about a year and a half ago.

That’s so crazy. And then you have the one with SIR— have you been spending a lot of time with TDE camp in general? How did that relationship develop with the whole crew?

The thing with TDE, I think it’s a relationship that’s grown over the past few years. Me and Reason was friends before he got signed, I been watching him grow and helping him when I could. Me and SIR been homies for a minute. Of course Kendrick [Lamar] is from my neighborhood, I text him like a month ago. I’m just cool with all of them. We all from LA so it’s close-knit city, as far as the industry goes. 

Do you have any other records in the stash with TDE rappers? Is there something with Kendrick or ScHoolboy Q?

No, I wish. I would’ve been exposed that. No Kendrick record right now, just the Reason and SIR record. Me and Isaiah [Rashad] are actually finna work on something soon.

Once quarantine is over, who are you most excited to get back in the studio with?

When I get out of quarantine, I wanna work with… uhh. I don’t really be thinking about chasing features cause everybody I’m cool with I still be texting ‘em. Me and Jack Harlow have been working on some stuff, so that’s about it. 

What’s the first thing you wanna do when you can leave your house, not studio-related?

I wanna go to the spa. I want a facial, full body massage while I’m butt naked.

That would be sick. Okay cool, thanks so much for talking to me. We’re excited to check out the 1800 Tequila Live sessions.

Yeah make sure everybody know!

You’ll be able to catch Lauren Jauregui tomorrow on IG Live with 1800 Tequila at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST. Boogie will be hosting “Live From Inside” on May 11th, Kiana is following suit on the 17th, and Chika will be capping it off as the host on the 21st.

This Friday, Chris Brown and Young Thug are coming through with their first-ever collaborative mixtape, the aptly titled Slime & B. While we genuinely don’t know what to expect from this one, having heard little in the way of previewed music, it’s exciting to see what the duo have been concocting in the booth. Especially given that both parties are extremely versatile; should the occasion call for it, Thugger can sing his heart out as effectively as Breezy can lay down some bars.

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Though there are still a few days until the big release, Chris Brown took it upon himself to reveal the tracklist on his Instagram page — although he has opted to keep the inevitably features under wraps for the time being. Judging by the titles alone, the project will likely feature a few debaucherous anthems, with “Go Crazy,” “She Bumped Her Head,” and “City Girls” fitting that particular bill. If we’re lucky, however, Slime & B will be a diverse project, showcasing a range of talents from both Thugger and Chris.

Check out the tracklist below, and look for additional details — namely album artwork and guest appearances — to surface in the days to come. What are your expectations of Slime & B?

1. Say You Love Me
2. Go Crazy
3. Trapback
4. I Got Time
5. She Bumped Her Head
6. Big Slimes
7. I Ain’t Tryin
8. Animal
9. City Girls
10. Stolen
11. Undrunk
12. No Such Thing
13. Help Me Breathe

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Though many artists have chosen to delay the release of their projects due to the coronavirus pandemic, thankfully, others have chosen to stay on track with their planned release dates. For those who’ve been hoping for a new album from Kehlani, she’ll be blessing us with It Was Good Until It Wasn’t this Friday.

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Ahead of its release, the R&B star shared the tracklist for the project which includes appearances from some heavy hitters in the game. Tory Lanez shows up for “Can I,” Jhene Aiko links up with Kehlani on “Change Your Life,” and James Blake shows face on “Grieving.” In addition to that, she’s tapped a few other favorites for some assistance such as Lucky Daye and Masego. There’s also a “Real Hot Girl Skit” on the tracklist which would seem like a strong indication Megan Thee Stallion‘s voice might pop up somewhere. It’s even more promising since they do have a rapport with Kehlani’s appearance on “Hit My Line” off of Suga.

Check out the tracklist below. 

1. Toxic
2. Can I ft. Tory Lanez
3. Bad News
4. Real Hot Girl Skit
5. Water
6. Change Your Life ft. Jhene Aiko
7. Belong To The Streets Skit
8. Everybody Business
9. Hate The Club ft. Masego
10. Serial Lover
11. F&MU
12. Can You Blame Me ft. Lucky Daye
13. Grieving ft. James Blake
14. Open (Passionate
15. Lexii’s Outro

You can’t deny the impact of Three 6 Mafia. At a time when it felt like the South wasn’t getting its dues in the rap game, several artists and groups from Southern hubs proved that they “got something to say,” in the words of Andre 3000. Even now, many of those Southern legends have directly influenced the sound and aesthetic of many artists today. 

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Unfortunately, like many groups, they eventually disbanded due to internal disputes with Crunchy Black being one of the firsts to part ways with the remaining members. Though Crunchy Black has previously discussed some of the friction he had with his fellow group members, he did acknowledge that maybe he could’ve dealt with it a bit differently.

“I’ll say this to you because I never said this to nobody. It was a lot of foul shit going on Vlad, you know what I’m sayin’? Paul and Juicy were the business people of the label I was on,” Crunchy explained before detailing that they would be consistently flying back and forth between L.A. and New York while booking high-end hotels. “They would make me put my own incidentals and all kinds of other slick shit they was doing at the time. And I couldn’t figure out why they was doing me like that.”

“It’s a lot of shit that kind of knocked me and made me feel some type of way. If I beat a n***a up for you, Vlad. C’mon, you can’t look out for me?” He continued. “I felt like they was doing a lot of sh*t that I didn’t feel like was cool at the time but like I said, could’ve just been me, Vlad… I could’ve talked it out. Me and Paul was real cool. I could’ve pulled Paul to the side and talked to him about it. But I didn’t do that. I did what a lot of people do. Let they mind take control.”

Peep the clip below. 

There’s a reason we have implemented an “Antics” category into the mix, especially considering the role social media plays within the hip-hop landscape. Beefs are ignited and intensified, relationships are developed and aired out, even “likes” are placed under a microscope. Over the weekend, rising rapper Lil Tjay spent some time engaging in some pretty hefty antics, embroiling himself into a beef with Don Q and — though inadvertently— A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

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It all seemed to stem from a chain-snatching that allegedly saw Tjay nabbing a Highbridge chain from one of Don Q’s associates, though A Boogie later claimed the chain had been lost a “long ass time ago” in an unrelated incident. Perhaps A Boogie’s disappointed tone was enough to open Tjay’s eyes to the error of his ways, as the young rapper recently took to Instagram to issue an apology for his behavior — while he didn’t exactly offer up specifics or name names, he did appear to be sincere for the time being. 

“Today’s a new day man, I’m chillin’,” he admits. “I don’t feel like arguing with anybody today. Real shit though, I swear I’m going back to the old Lil Tjay. This is why I’m not posting a lot, cause I can’t control myself. Start getting out of hand and shit. My fault for getting out of composure. May 8th, State Of Emergency Mixtape be dropping.”

Check out Tjay’s apology below, and sound off – should rappers prioritize music over antics at all times? Or do you quietly appreciate the extra-curricular activities that tend to transpire on social media? 

It’s already May, and the Griselda trifecta has wasted little time in establishing their presence in 2020. In March, Conway The Machine delivered his Lulu EP, produced entirely by The Alchemist. A little later, Westside Gunn dropped off his absolutely stacked album Pray For Paris. Now, Benny The Butcher is getting ready to drop off some new music of his own, confirming to Complex that he’s got a project with Hit-Boy and another with Harry Fraud on the horizon — though neither are given a date, he affirms that the year will be his before long.

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As for his listening habits, Benny reveals that his playlist has been consisting of music from Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, Jay Electronica‘s A Written Testimony, and a re-listen of Jay-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt. As for his watching habits, The Butcher admits to watch ESPN reruns, putting forth an interesting theory. “Men, we addicted to sports,” he laughs. “They still showing games from 96, 88. I’m still watching those. My daughter watching All-American so I might come in the room and watch it a bit. I might stay for an episode or two.”

The Butcher also issues a challenge to any PS4 gamers who think they stand a chance against him. “Anybody out there who think they can get with The Butcher,” he boasts. “I’m playing UFC 3, I’m playing Madden 20, I’m playing 2K20. If you think you can get with the Butcher, my tag line is Tana_Talk_4.” 

Be sure to keep an eye out for another big year from The Butcher, and should you feel up to the challenge, load up the PlayStation and see how it plays out. Keep your heady up, Benny — the quarantine won’t last forever. 

Throughout the last few years, people have been asking themselves “Who is Clever?” and the answer has been given in chunks along the way. It was enough of a hot topic for the Alabama rapper to use it as his latest project’s title and now, he’s looking ahead to his next official studio album.

After featuring on songs with Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Juice WRLD, and others, Clever is finally ready for the spotlight, announcing his new album’s release date and sharing the cover artwork on Instagram.

Just before the end of this year, Clever will be dropping his new album Crazy. The announcement was made with the cover artwork being revealed, showing a bloodied skull on rocks with a hawk sitting atop it. Clever also changed his handle on social media to coincide with the album’s title, which will drop on December 8, 2020.

Some find it curious that Clever is announcing the album so early, considering it only comes out at the end of the year. However, with all that’s been going on in the world, we can all use something to look forward to. The Alabama rapper is likely just making sure his fans stay put and keep that date circled in their calendars.

Will you be tuning in to the new album from Clever? Read our recent interview with the rising star here.