Hip-Hop
DaBaby Returns to the Stage, Addresses Homophobic Remarks
After facing mounting criticism, DaBaby posted apologies first on Twitter and later on Instagram, the latter of which was later deleted. At Summer Jam, DaBaby opened his set with a video montage that also featured his voice-over, according to Vibe. In video posted on social media and according to various reports, the rapper thanked New York radio station Hot97, which he said “allowed me to share my gift, share my blessing with y’all out here live on this stage amongst all the chaos and all the backlash. So hats off to y’all for that. … They accepted my sincerity and all my apologies when I said I never, ever meant to offend anybody or say anything to make anybody feel any type of way live on that stage a few weeks ago.” He continued: “And Hot 97 was also willing to stick they neck out on t...
Drake Seemingly Targets Kanye West on New Trippie Redd Song ‘Betrayal’: Listen
Both Drake and West are in the process of releasing new albums. The Toronto MC’s long-delayed sixth album, Certified Lover Boy, is expected to arrive sometime this summer; and Ye’s upcoming 10th album, Donda, has been teased at large-scale listening events and is speculated to drop soon. West’s long-term collaborator Consequence responded to Drake’s diss in a tweet on Saturday. “F— a betrayal. It’s the disrespect for me dawg,” the rapper wrote alongside a screenshot of the track’s lyrics. “Wit Trippie Redd shotgun. Respect my team. It’s party time.” Kanye also seemingly responded to Drake’s latest on-record diss in a group text with other rappers, including Drizzy’s other hip-hop rival Pusha T. On Saturday, Ye reportedly pos...
Kanye Goes The Joker on Drake: “You Will Never Recover. I Promise You”
From Jesus to the Joker? Kanye West has seemingly reignited his feud with Drake with a Joker-themed meme directed at the 6 God. In a since deleted Instagram post, Kanye posted a screen capture of a group text message thread. Though Drake’s name is not specifically mentioned in the thread, it’s evident he is the target of Kanye’s ire. For one, Kanye made a point to add Drake’s arch nemesis, Pusha-T, to the group thread. He then tweeted a photo of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker and wrote, “I live for this. I’ve been fucked with by nerd ass jock n****s like you my whole life. You will never recover. I promise you.” Kanye’s post was seemingly made in response to a new Drake verse included on Trippie Redd’s song “Betrayal.” Addressing rumors that Kanye is aiming to steal Drake’s thunder by releas...
Kanye West Shares Childhood Home Photo Ahead of ‘Donda’ Release, Deletes Other Instagram Posts
Last year, Kanye bought his childhood home for a reported $225,000. His late mother, Donda West, purchased the house in the early 1980s and sold it in 2004. The property reportedly went through foreclosure before it was bought by West’s former collaborator, Rhymefest, who planned to turn the home into an “arts incubator.” Since returning to Instagram in late July, West had shared numerous posts on the social media platform. The images included his makeshift bedroom inside Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium, where he held his first two Donda listening events and had been living while completing work on the album. While Yeezy fans have clamored online over the superstar collaborations he’s cooked up with Jay-Z, The Weeknd and Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, and more, Donda has not been given...
Big Boi and Sleepy Brown Unveil New Song “The Big Sleep Is Over”: Stream
The Dungeon Family said, ‘Wake up!’ Today, Big Boi and Sleepy Brown have shared another somnolent-themed single, “The Big Sleep Is Over,” featuring Kay-I. It’s the latest preview of their long-in-the-works collaborative album The Big Sleepover, which will be dropping September 3rd. Fans have been hearing about The Big Sleepover since 2019, and while the duo had promised its arrival in 2020, they must have forgotten to set their alarm. But if “The Big Sleep Is Over” is any indication, it will have been worth the wait. Producer Sleepy Brown has built a groovy track out of relaxed pianos and urgent 808s, allowing plenty of space for Big Boi’s stutter-step flow. “N****s sleeping but I’m wide awake/ It’s time to make the donuts by my lonely we can’t hibernate/...
R. Kelly Believed Aaliyah Was Pregnant Before They Married, Tour Manager Testifies
The conversation occurred before a concert in a city that Smith could not recall, but said he was instructed to book a flight after the show. With bodyguard Tyree Jameson along, Smith said, “As soon as the show was over, we got in the car and went to the airport.” Kelly was quiet in the limo, Smith recalled, and once they were on the plane, Kelly paused for a really long time with his eyes closed before making the revelation. “R. Kelly said, ‘Aaliyah, man. She think’s she’s pregnant,'” Smith testified. “It was a shock.” Smith said Kelly told him that his business manager and accountant Daryl McDavid was already making arrangements for Kelly and Aaliyah to get married. The two were later married in Cook Coun...
Rap Song of the Week: Big Boi and Sleepy Brown Declare “The Big Sleep Is Over”
Rap Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the rap and hip-hop tracks we just can’t get out of our head each week. Check out the full playlist here. For our latest installment, Big Boi and Sleepy Brown share the latest single from their upcoming collaborative album. Ahead of Big Boi and his longtime collaborator Sleepy Brown’s upcoming joint album, The Big Sleepover, the duo have recently teamed with affiliates like Killer Mike and Cee Lo Green on singles like the swaggering “lowercase (no cap)” and silky smooth “Intentions.” This time around, Big Boi and Brown link up with Jamaican singer Kay-I on “The Big Sleep Is Over” for a Caribbean-influenced jam combining laidback production with booming 808s. Nearly 30 years after joining forces with André 3000 as OutKast, Big Boi h...
Kendrick Lamar Announces Final Album with TDE
Kendrick Lamar has shared an update on his long-awaited next project, revealing that it will be his final album with his longtime label home Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). The Compton rapper announced the news in a letter posted to a new website called oklama.com. “I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years,” Kendrick wrote. “The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling.” Advertisement Related Video “There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown,” Kendrick added. “Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I’ve prayed for you all. See you soon enough.” Kendrick also signed the letter with the name “oklama.” ...
Skrillex, Justin Bieber & Don Toliver Team Up for ‘Don’t Go’: Stream It Now
“Don’t Go” is the most recent Skrillex/Bieber collab since Skrillex co-wrote “2 Much” on Bieber’s March LP, Justice. That song followed “Sorry,” which Skrillex produced for Bieber’s 2015 album, Purpose. “To be honest,” Skrillex told Zane Lowe of first linking with Bieber, “before I even worked with Justin Bieber, in that era, I didn’t really pay attention to pop music that much and I wasn’t really paying attention to what was current and relevant, and I knew his music and I knew who he was…So for me, it’s similar to when Korn called me up earlier in my career and I was just honored to work with people who were great. “The thing about Justin,” Skrillex continued, &...
R. Kelly Accuser Says in Tearful Testimony She Was ‘Trained’ to Please Singer as a Teen
“I went to Rob’s house and Rob called me ‘a silly bitch.’ Rob slapped me three times and said if I lied to him again it’s not going to be an open hand next time,” she read. “He spit in my face and in my mouth. He choked me during an argument. I had sex with him — oral sex with him. I became fed up with him and I went home and confessed.” Immediately after reading the the entry, Pace tearfully asked for a “bathroom break.” As the trial against Kelly entered its second day, at the prosecution’s request Pace detailed Kelly’s demands during their sexual encounters, at which time Pace was 16. “He wanted me to put my hair up in pigtails and dress like a Girl Scout,” she said. According to Pace, now 28, K...
Kanye West & Take a Daytrip Tie Atop Rap Producers Chart, Thanks to ‘Industry Baby’
Kanye West’s Hot Rap Songs No. 1s as a Producer:Artist, Title (peak year)Ludacris feat. Shawnna, “Stand Up” (2003)Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (2004)Twista, “Overnight Celebrity” (2004)West feat. Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger” (2005)West feat. T-Pain, “Good Life” (2007)West, “Heartless” (2009)Jay-Z, Rihanna & West, “Run This Town” (2009)Jay-Z & West, “Ni**as In Paris” (2011)Big Sean feat. E-40, “I Don’t F**k With You” (2014)Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby” (2021) Take a Daytrip earned its first chart credit in 2018 with Juice WRLD’s “Legends,” which reached No. 29 on the Hot 100 the next year. The pair ...
9 Memorable Covers of Billie Eilish Songs
In August 2019, the 15-time Grammy champ offered her stripped-down take on Eilish’s debut song. In a video shared on Instagram, Keys sings emotionally while playing the piano, giving “Ocean Eyes” a soulful feel. A few months later, she covered the tune once more, this time recording it for Spotify’s Single Series. Vitamin String Quartet, “Bad Guy” There have been several notable covers of this Billboard Hot 100 hit, which spent 49 weeks on the chart. But one of the most memorable is VSQ’s take, which soundtracked a scene in the third episode of Bridgerton‘s steamy debut season. The quartet may have made the song suitable for a ballroom scene in a period romance series, but it also added to the fun with its bouncy strings, even sans vocals. Le...
