A$AP Rocky has had a lot on his plate recently, so we don’t blame him for putting music on the back burner for now. But as we wait on his long-awaited next studio album — which, allegedly, will feature a bunch of Morrissey — Rocky is holding fans over today with a preview of a new track called “OUR DE$TINY” that features Playboi Carti. The track is built off a woozy beat, psychedelic instrumentals, and sample of soulful background singers. Carti kicks things off: “I was born like this, I cannot fall,” he raps, before Rocky comes in. There’s also a video accompanying the song, which appears to compile footage of the rappers out on the road. There’s even some clips of Rocky in a limousine with, of all people, Beck — perhaps the Red Hot Chili Peppers introduced them? We’ll keep you posted for...
Rap Song of the Week rounds up and breaks down all the hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Freddie Gibbs drops “Too Much,” the lead single from $oul $old $eparately. Freddie Gibbs has kept anticipations high for his follow-up to 2020’s Alfredo by teasing it with superstar collaborations like the ScHoolboy Q-assisted “Gang Signs” and “Black Illuminati,” a previous Rap Song of the Week featuring Jadakiss. After recruiting the standout MCs from LA and New York, respectively, the Gary, Indiana native has turned to Memphis for the lead single from his newly announced Warner Records debut $oul $old $eparately. Moneybagg Yo lends Gibbs a hand on “Too Much,” a celebration of excess and wealth. With a seemingly everlasting, unwinding flow that not...
Smino has unveiled “24-8,” a new song from his upcoming album Luv 4 Rent. Take a listen below. “I’m fucking good at this shit, dawg,” Smino says to open his latest single, produced by Phoelix. “For real for real.” “24-8” proves him right; an eerie, psychedelic melody propels the artist’s “Sometimes I wanna go slow” hook, but in the verses, Smino picks up the speed. In the song’s music video, he chills by the fire and picks out the perfect Digiorno at the convenience store. Smino shared an open letter alongside “24-8,” detailing his personal journey in recent years and thanking fans for their support. “I Spent Alotta time becoming a better fren to myself…” he wrote. “I spent Alotta time searching for time I already had… I spent Alotta time tryna make this shit perfect only to realize the on...
Tensions are very, very high in We Cry Together, a new short film from Kendrick Lamar. Based on the track from the same name off his recent album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, the clip is a rap-meets-skit that stars Lamar and actress Taylour Paige as a couple whose regular fight blows out of control into a dark debate about the intersection of gender roles, Blackness, and culture. Filmed in a single five-minute take with live vocals, We Cry Together begins like a typical romantic drama: “I’m tired of these emotional ass, ungrateful ass bitches/ Unstable ass, confrontational ass dumb bitches,” Lamar spits over the track’s jazzy beat. “We could go our separate ways right now/ You could move on with your life, I swear to God.” Then, Paige comes in horns blaring: “You love ...
J. Cole is one of the cover stars for NBA 2K23 with a special “Dreamer Edition” releasing on September 9th. The Fayetteville rapper will be the first non-professional NBA or WNBA player to front the basketball video game franchise, and will also appear in the game’s story mode and soundtrack. The news was shared by Cole in a tweet featuring the “Dreamer Edition” artwork and the caption: “This shit crazy. NBA2K23 cover. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 DREAMER @NBA2K.” In a statement, he elaborated by saying, “NBA 2K has long been a place to discover new musical talent through their game and continues to be a gold standard for showcasing all things basketball culture. It’s been an amazing journey to not only appear on a cover of this year’s game, but to be par...
J. Cole is in the clouds on the cover of the “Dreamer Edition” of the NBA 2K23 video game. The Dreamville boss who signed up to play for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League earlier this year will also executive produce the soundtrack for this year’s edition of the game — due out in November — and be a playable character in the MyCareer storyline. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “NBA 2K has long been a place to discover new musical talent through their game and continues to be a gold standard for showcasing all things basketball culture,” Cole said in a statement. “It’s been an amazing journey to not only appear on a cover of this year’s game, but to be part of the MyCAREER storyline, soundtrack and bri...
While BTS continue upon the “Chapter 2” in their careers, group leader RM makes his latest move by teaming up with the award-winning Korean musical collective Balming Tiger. The self-described “multinational alternative K-pop band,” Balming Tiger is made up of nearly a dozen different creatives — including musicians, producers, directors, visual artists and writers — working together since 2018 to represent the younger generation and popularize Asian culture on a global level. While the members simultaneously balance their own projects and careers, Balming Tiger releases feature various members coming together with new single “Sexy Nukim” marking their first in a year-and-a-half. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news For their new hip-hop track...
In 2021, Fugees announced a reunion tour that they canceled four months later, with the group citing safety concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a report from Puck.News suggests that the real reason had to do with member Pras Michel’s indictment in the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, which the US Department of Justice has called the “largest kleptocracy case to date.” Michel faces long-term imprisonment for his work with Jho Low, the fugitive businessman who has been accused of moving $4.5 billion from 1MDB into his personal accounts. Michel allegedly worked on his behalf, intentionally failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and attempting to influence two different presidential administrations — by pouring in millions of dollars ...
East Coast hip-hop royalty descended upon the Midwest as Wu-Tang Clan and Nas kicked off their “NY State of Mind Tour” (grab tickets here) at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in St. Louis on Tuesday night (August 30th). The house was packed; lawn tickets were being sold for the same price as a 25-ounce Bud Light at the concession stand, and the strategy paid off. If it wasn’t sold out, the turnout had to have been close to the venue’s 20,000 capacity. Given that the tour’s namesake is derived from Nas’ legendary Illmatic track, nostalgia was the evening’s leitmotif. The night would lean heavily on material from Nas and Wu-Tang’s classic albums, with both making frequent references to hip-hop’s golden age and those who were there to live it. “Who here had a hip-hop album on cassette tape?”...
Nicki Minaj has added a new track to her surprise greatest hits compilation, Queen Radio: Volume 1. The Queen of Rap took to social media early Sunday morning (Aug. 28) to share cover art and reveal that a remix of Jamaican dancehall artist Skeng’s “Likkle Miss” has been officially added to her new 29-track release, which dropped on Friday. “Likkle Miss” was originally released by Skeng in early July, and the music video on YouTube for the track had amassed nearly 2.7 million views at press time. Minaj teased in a selfie video on Instagram earlier this month that she was “writing my verse” for “Likkle Miss.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Dancehall need this/ The whole place shake it/ Boom boom/ That a– clapping on his d— all night/ He in Jam...
Wiz Khalifa cut short a concert in suburban Indianapolis as people began fleeing the outdoor venue, leaving three with minor injuries, following a disturbance, police said. People started exiting the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville about 10:30 p.m. Friday (Aug. 26) after a reported disturbance on part of the amphitheater’s lawn, with some of them shouting about a possible shooting, The Indianapolis Star reported. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Police said in a news release early Saturday that no weapon was found following a sweep of the area at the venue about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Indianapolis. The disturbance happened about 45 minutes into Wiz Khalifa’s show that was part of the Vinyl Verse co-headlining tour with fello...