Hip-Hop
Kid Cudi & Timothee Chalamet Celebrate Rap’s ‘Weird Little Flute’ on ‘SNL’: Watch
Kid Cudi joined Saturday Night Live‘s Pete Davidson and Chris Redd in a hilarious sketch celebrating one of rap music’s most underrated instruments — the “weird little flute.” “We got the fits, we got the flow, we got the 808s, we got the Xanned out tempo,” the faux hip-hop trio begins the musical skit. “We got that drip-drip-drip, we got that Brut, the only thing that’s missing is that weird little flute.” From there, Cudi, Davidson and Redd take viewers into a music video-reminiscent world of nightclubs, pool halls and music stores to show off their flute-playing skills. They also explore the many other practical applications of the airy woodwind instrument, such as using it for a pool cue, chopsticks and back scratcher.&nb...
Kid Cudi Wears Dress on SNL in Tribute to Kurt Cobain: Watch
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-11T14:23:47+00:00“>April 11, 2021 | 10:23am ET Kid Cudi appeared as the musical on Saturday Night Live last night, where he performed a pair of songs from his 2020 album Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. Cudi’s late-night spins on “Tequila Shots” and “Sad People” will be remembered as much for the rapper’s wardrobe than the performances themselves — through both were impressive in their own right. For “Tequila Shots”, Cudi wore a T-shirt donning the image of former SNL cast member Chris Farley, while “Sad People” saw him wear a floral dress akin to the cardigan Kurt Cobain famously wore. Replay both performances below. Cudi has long expressed his admiration of Cobai...
Busta Rhymes to Release 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of The Coming
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-11T14:56:35+00:00“>April 11, 2021 | 10:56am ET Oh, it’s a party. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Busta Rhymes is releasing a special deluxe edition of his 1996 album The Coming, featuring remastered audio, instrumental tracks, and loads of hard-to-find remixes. The digital-only release is out April 16th via Rhino, and it’s pretty much the most elaborate version of the rapper’s debut that one could possibly imagine. The 36-song tracklist includes newly remastered versions of the original 12 tracks, previously-unreleased instrumental versions of each song, and nearly a dozen remixes of its singles “Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check” and “It’s a Party”. In fact, there are actua...
Too Soon Gone: How the Life and Music of DMX Tell a Tragically Familiar Story for Black Men
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-11T15:15:47+00:00“>April 11, 2021 | 11:15am ET “I want Black men to grow old.” While scaling out to the larger population, away from the complexities of rapper Earl “DMX” Simmons’ untimely death, television writer Camilla Blackett simultaneously managed to home in on a core understanding. For Blackett and many others, the premature loss of Simmons labors as a frightening reminder that we, Black men, do not grow old, at least not nearly enough of us. Chadwick Boseman, Charlie Murphy, Bernie Mac, Nipsey Hussle, Prince, Heavy D, George Floyd, Gerald LeVert, Tupac Shakur, Notorious BIG, Prodigy (of Mobb Deep), J Dilla, Bernard Tyson, Fred the Godson. MF DOOM. These are an exceedingly...
Beyonce & Jay-Z Share ‘Sin City’ Photo Album Following Their 13th Wedding Anniversary
Beyoncé uploaded a series of stylish new photos from a trip to Sin City with Jay-Z. On Saturday (April 10), the singer’s official website was updated with a number of pictures — many of Beyoncé herself, but some featuring Jay-Z, too. The couple celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary last week, on April 4. Beyoncé showed off a killer outfit — tweed shorts and a matching blazer with a fit made for her, accessorized with red heels — from all angles, and she shared some plane ride and date pictures in a gallery that was simply labeled “Sin City.” You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the proce...
Song of the Week: Tkay Maidza’s “Syrup” Longs for Hot and Sticky Summer Nights to Come
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-10T20:55:49+00:00“>April 10, 2021 | 4:55pm ET Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, rapper Tkay Maidza reminds us of the fun times just around the corner. The rise of streaming has meant many things for the world of music over the past decade: the slow pull away from the power of radio and CD sales, increased accessibility to new artists, and constant questions around payment structures in this model, for starters. It also means that music is an abundance of...
Architects of ’01 Hip-Hop Fashion Discuss the Era’s Most Iconic Looks
Ambrose, who styled over 200 music videos, was Missy’s right-hand woman, costume designing for every major Missy Elliott production including “Get Ur Freak On,” “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” “One Minute Man,” and “Lose Control.” She was a go-to designer for R&B/hip-hop heavyweights including Diddy, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey, and currently works as a creative director for Puma. “We didn’t have a point of reference that came before us,” explains Ambrose. “We took the risk for the future.” The “Rain” designer discussed the role of late ’90s to early ’00s designers as trailblazers, bursting through barriers between high-end labels and R&B/hip-hop culture. “I bridg...
R.I.P. DMX, Legendary Rapper Dead at 50
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-09T16:14:18+00:00“>April 9, 2021 | 12:14pm ET Legendary New York rapper DMX has died following a drug overdose that led to a fatal heart attack. He was 50 years old. According to a statement released by the rapper’s family, DMX passed away Friday, April 9th. “We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50-years-old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days,” the rapper’s family said. “Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless ...
BROCKHAMPTON Get Introspective on the Soul-Searching ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE: Review
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-09T16:21:05+00:00“>April 9, 2021 | 12:21pm ET The Lowdown: We’re now deep into the heart of hip-hop’s psychedelic era. As modern-day rappers and producers have begun to embrace the use of psilocybin and LSD, the mind-altering effects are starting to bleed into the music. But for the same reason that shrooms are being legalized for therapeutic purposes, these drugs, if taken in the right doses and circumstances, can inspire deep reflection and serious psychological growth. Not that BROCKHAMPTON needed any help to gaze inwardly. This Texas crew opt for introspection over braggadocio and thoughtfulness over arrogance. But the tone of their sixth full-length and the subject matter wi...
DMX’s Woodstock ’99 Performance Was Nothing Short of Legendary: Watch
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-09T20:24:06+00:00“>April 9, 2021 | 4:24pm ET You’d be hard-pressed to find a more momentous concert video than DMX’s performance at Woodstock ’99. The 50-year-old rap veteran was sadly pronounced dead earlier today after spending a week in the hospital from a drug-induced heart attack, but thousands of his fans have memorialized his name by sharing clips from the 1999 set on social media. It’s how he deserves to be remembered. Woodstock ’99 was by nearly every metric a disaster (the heat was brutal, the food and water were dangerously overpriced, the crowds were unmanageably large, and there were numerous reported sexual assaults), but DMX’s 45-minute set felt like a beam of heav...
Saweetie & Doja Cat’s ‘Best Friend’ Cracks Top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Likewise, the current hit solidifies Saweetie’s status as a rhythmic radio favorite as “Friend” rises from No. 2 to top Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart. The track ascends after it gained 9% in plays in the week ending April 4 to become the radio format’s most-played song of the week, according to MRC Data. “Friend” gives Saweetie her third Rhythmic No. 1, and second consecutive leader. Her previous release, “Back to the Streets,” featuring Jhene Aiko, ruled for one week in January. Before that, her first trip to No. 1 came with the 2019 hit, “My Type,” a two-week champ. In addition, the rising rapper very nearly made it four in a row – between “Type” and “Streets,” her song “Tap In” peaked at No. 2. Plus, thanks to “Friend,” Saweetie becomes only the fifth female rapper to post three No...
New DMX Track “X Moves” Features Bootsy Collins, Steve Howe, and Ian Paice: Stream
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-09T13:54:28+00:00“>April 9, 2021 | 9:54am ET As of Thursday evening, DMX is still on life support and in a vegetative state after suffering a heart attack last Friday. In a curious move, Cleopatra Records thought now was the optimal time to release a new track from the rapper called “X Moves”. The track is a rap-rock banger that happens to feature three legendary performers: Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins, Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, and Yes/Asia guitarist Steve Howe. All three of those rock icons contribute to the track’s psychedelic bounce and Collins even hops on the beat for a few bars. It’s messy in a fun way, and it’s yet another reminder of the b...
