Hip-Hop
H.E.R. Delivers Crowd-Pleasing Performance With L.A. Phil at the Hollywood Bowl
Over the next 40 minutes, she and the Phil teamed up on eight more songs drawn from her prior compilation albums and this year’s debut full-length album, Back of My Mind. Crowd-pleasers included “Bloody Waters” (with the multi-ethnic and multi-generation screaming as she picked up her trusty guitar for the first time), the Academy Award-winning “Fight for You,” “Focus,” and Grammy-winning song of the year “I Can’t Breathe” (with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and names of other murdered African Americans emblazoned across the stage’s backing video screen). The performance of H.E.R.’s hit with Daniel Caesar, “Best Part,” featured a commanding performance of Caesar’s part by one of her four background singers — a 16-year-old named Miles. “I need to take all of this in,” a smiling H.E.R. ...
Nicki Minaj and Husband Sued by His Attempted Rape Victim for Harassment and Witness Intimidation
The woman who was sexually assaulted by Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, has filed a lawsuit against both Minaj and Petty, accusing the couple of harassment and witness intimidation. TMZ reports that Jennifer Hough says Minaj and Petty “have directly and indirectly harassed her and threatened her to not speak about the incident.” The assault occurred in September 1994, when both Hough and Petty were 16 years old and living in South Jamaica, Queens. According to a complaint filed at the time, the victim had been walking to school when Petty came up behind her, pressing an object against her back and instructed her to “keep walking.” The two eventually arrived at Petty’s residence, where he allegedly forced her upstairs and began to rape her at knifepoint before she was able to strike h...
Rap Song of the Week: Denzel Curry Plays “The Game” on Expert Mode
Our newest feature, 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 first installment, Denzel Curry returns with his first solo release in over a year. With one of the most versatile and technical flows out there, Denzel Curry has a multitude of ways to approach production like G.O.O.D. Music affiliate Charlie Heat’s lowrider beat on “The Game.” Choosing a carefully measured flow so listeners can hear every word, the Carol City rapper assesses the current state of hip-hop culture and tips off his contemporaries to lessons he’s mastered over time. Zel comes in hot from the start, setting the record straight to people who call him a sellout (“I told the hood that I’ma come back...
Nicki Minaj & Husband Kenneth Petty Sued for Harassing His Attempted Rape Victim
The lawsuit, obtained by Billboard, details how on Sept. 16, 1994, when Hough and Petty were both 16 years old living in Jamaica, Queens, in New York, that she ran into him on her way to school when he later held her at knifepoint, led her into a nearby house and raped her. He was arrested that day for first-degree rape and later pleaded guilty to attempted rape. He was sentenced to 18 to 54 months in prison. He later pleaded guilty in an unrelated case to a manslaughter charge in 2006, spending seven years behind bars out of his 10-year sentence and let out in 2013 on supervised release. Petty was charged Feb. 25, 2020, for failing to register as a sex offender, which is a requirement under the 2006 Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). He was later added ...
Megan Thee Stallion Drops New “Outta Town” Freestyle: Stream
On the heels of her excellent Lollapalooza set last month, Megan Thee Stallion has decided to share a new freestyle to “Outta Town,” a Lil Ju-produced beat she’s rapped over before in the past. Stream it below. In this new version, Megan Thee Stallion reestablishes herself as a dominating force in the hip-hop scene who’s full of quotable quips. “Megan is a force,” she raps at one point, “so you know I need two pair.” Accompanying the track is a music video that merges footage of her letting the freestyle roll off her lips at home with other shots of her dancing outside by a pool. It’s impossible to deny Hot Girl Meg’s talent, but especially so when it directly involves a clip of her doing her thing in the most effortless way possible — minimal makeup, comfy clothes, a microphone set up in ...
Benny the Butcher Shares Pyrex Picasso EP: Stream
Benny the Butcher has released his new EP Pyrex Picasso via Rare Scrilla. The seven-track project contains numerous collaborations with Elcamino (“PWRDRL”), Conway the Machine (“Fly With Me”), and Rick Hyde (“’73,” also with Elcamino), as well as solo tracks “1st Name Basis,” “Flood the Block,” and “The Iron Curtain.” Pyrex Picasso follows the March release of the rapper’s The Plugs I Met 2 with producer Harry Fraud, itself a sequel to the 2019 first volume of the same name. Advertisement Related Video Stream the EP and check out its illustrated cover art and complete tracklist below. On the same day as his new EP, Benny also contributed a guest feature on Boldy James and The Alchemist’s new album Bo Jackson. In June, he teamed up with Fraud for new single “Sink”, just weeks after teaming ...
Cypress Hill Unveil 30th Anniversary Extended Edition of Self-Titled Album: Stream
It’s 4:20 somewhere, and Cypress Hill have unveiled the new 30th anniversary extended edition of their self-titled debut album. To add some extra sticky to your icky, the legendary hip-hop group has dropped the standalone single “How I Could Just Kill a Man (The Alchemist x Beat Butcha Remix).” Stream these goodies below via Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. Released in 1991, Cypress Hill changed cannabis culture forever, although that high was grounded with the social commentary of cuts like “Pigs,” “How I Could Just Kill a Man,” and “Hole in the Head.” Aside from those classics, the anniversary reissue comes with three new tracks: “Stoned Is the Way of the Walk (Reprise),” “Puercos (Pigs) — Spanish Edit,” and “The Phuncky Feel One — Extended Edition.” As for the new take on “H...
EA President of Music Steve Schnur on Curating Madden NFL ’22 Soundtrack With Moneybagg Yo, Tierra Whack and More: Exclusive
EA Music has unleashed Madden NFL ’22, the first-ever soundtrack for its long-running Madden NFL video game franchise, today (August 13th). Working exclusively in collaboration with Interscope Records, Electronic Arts curated a roster of exclusive songs from upcoming Interscope talent to showcase “rising stars for the next generation of players” including the likes of Swae Lee, Jack Harlow, Tank and the Bangas, JID, and Tierra Whack. “I’ve had a long relationship with EA SPORTS and I’m excited to release my new song, ‘Ball is Life’ with Jack Harlow, on The Madden NFL 22 Soundtrack,” Swae Lee said in a statement. Advertisement Related Video Madden NFL 22 will also involve more than 50 additional tracks in a new mode called The Yard. Fans can hear new tracks from Killer Mike, Leikeli47 and C...
Haviah Mighty Teams with Mala Rodríguez on New Single “Flamenco”: Stream
Haviah Mighty’s recent singles are continuing to solidify her status as one of the most exciting voices in today’s underground hip-hop scene. As another preview of her forthcoming mixtape, Stock Exchange, the Toronto rapper has shared the new single “Flamenco,” which boasts guest vocals from Latin Grammy Award-winning artist Mala Rodríguez. Co-produced by Haviah and her repeat collaborator Taabu, “Flamenco” expectedly draws from Spanish and Latin influences. Its reggaeton beat calls to mind sardine-packed dance floors, or — perhaps more appropriate for the times — sweltering block parties in city streets. “With this one, I wanted to try something different,” Haviah said in a statement. “Inspired by the cultural influences behind flamenco, this song allowed me to be a guest in a new genre. ...
Lizzo and Cardi B Set the Record Straight on New Single “Rumors”: Stream
Lizzo has finally released her new single “Rumors” featuring Cardi B. It’s been a long time since Lizzo last treated her fans to some new music — more than two years, to be exact. Before now, Lizzo’s most recent track was her Charli XCX collaboration “Blame It on Your Love” from May 2019. “Rumors,” perhaps needless to say, more than compensates for the time that’s passed, as it sees both Lizzo and Cardi B doing what they do best: injecting some seriously fun attitude into the pop side of hip-hop. Watch the song’s accompanying video below. Lizzo has been making music for quite a while now, but she got her belated breakout moment courtesy of Cuz I Love You, her smash hit LP and one of the best albums of 2019. It skyrocketed the Minnesota rapper to become a household name thanks to her massiv...
WizKid Drops ‘Essence’ Remix Feat. Justin Bieber & Tems: Stream It Now
“Essence” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in July at No. 82 after the Tems-assisted song was released in October 2020 from Wiz’s album Made in Lagos. The sultry Afrobeats/R&B club jam has been steadily climbing the tally over the last five weeks, rising to its current position of No. 54 in the week ending Aug. 14. “That song has become emblematic of being back outside,” Tunji Balogun, who was recently announced as the new CEO/chairman of Def Jam and signed WizKid to RCA Records in 2017, told Billboard. “Then, a narrative on the internet started about the song being the song of the summer — and we took that energy and ran with it.” Listen to the “Essence” remix below. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Onl...
Justin Bieber Jumping on a Remix of WizKid’s ‘Essence,’ His Personal ‘Song of the Summer’
The song could experience a leap on the chart following the Bieber-assisted remix, which happened with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito.” The Latin pop anthem leapt to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2017 and remained at the top for 16 weeks, tying the record for longest-running No. 1 song at the time. The watershed movement could translate for the Afrobeats genre with the new version of “Essence.” Wiz has famously worked with another Canada-born sensation — Drake — on the No. 1 smash “One Dance” in 2016, which also features British singer Kyla. The remix comes in the same week as Tunji Balogun, who was executive vp of A&R RCA Records for six years and signed WizKid in 2016, being announced as the new CEO/chairman of Def Jam Records...
