Hip-Hop
Wren Graves’ Favorite Songs of the Last 15 Years
It’s Consequence’s 15th anniversary, and all September long we’ll be publishing retrospective pieces informed by our publication’s own history — and the entertainment landscape in general. Today, News Editor Wren Graves runs down his favorite tracks of the last 15 years. A good song is a good song, but a favorite song is a moment in time: The number one track on a cross-country road trip; the first dance at a wedding; the long hospital playlist that still didn’t cover 19 hours in labor. I’ve changed a lot over the last 15 years, and music has been there every step of the way, melody and memory hand in hand. Critics sometimes put on a mask of objectivity, but I can’t pretend that this collection of songs has anything to do with words like “greatest” or “best.” As someone who lives thei...
Nas’ 10 Best Songs
This article was originally published in 2014, but we’re dusting it off for Nas’ birthday on September 14th. Once upon a time, Nasir Jones was just a young kid stealing the show on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque,” self-aware enough to foresee that he’d be a force to be reckoned with in rap’s packed New York scene. Long before he was a household name, he was comparing himself to Spielberg and going to hell for snuffing Jesus, both proof of the grandiose nature of his vision. Over two decades later, he remains one of the preeminent voices setting the gold standard for the genre. Nas, a product of Queens, has often been hailed as the second coming of the God MC himself, Rakim, but it’s safe to say, given the lifespan of his career and his subsequent impact on the culture, that he tapped ...
Gorillaz Transform Vancouver Into Cracker Island at North American Tour Kickoff: Review, Photos and Setlist
Gorillaz kicked off their North American tour on Sunday night (September 11th) to a packed Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. The immersive experience demonstrated why the virtual band is one of the most influential acts of the past two decades — and why they’re not to be missed in person (grab tickets to the tour here). Co-creator, frontman, and primary contributor Damon Albarn was like a conductor, lovingly leading his sprawling live ensemble and exceptional backing singers. Arranged on glittering risers like an orchestra, they played underneath a big screen showing artist Jamie Hewlett’s iconic animated band members — Murdoc, Noodle, Russel, and 2D — while dancing lights bathed the room in color. Gorillaz have been masters of experimental storytelling right from the outset, creating vast, m...
The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time
It’s Consequence’s 15th anniversary, and all September long we’ll be publishing a series of retrospective pieces encompassing our publication’s own history — and the entertainment landscape in general. Today, we’re kicking it off with our new and improved 100 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Oh my God, we’re back again. It’s been over a decade since we first took a shot at boiling down all of popular music history into the 100 greatest albums of all time. Forget about how opinions have changed over those 12 years — the entire culture has shifted. Even the people taking part in this exercise are different, as only two staff members who were part of the OG list, published in 2010, remain with Consequence today. Understandably, things are going to be different this time. Tastes have bee...
Pyro, Guitar-Smashing and Massive Pop Hits: Post Malone’s “Twelve Carat Tour” Is a Spectacle Worth Seeing
Since last year, Post Malone has performed at a smattering of festivals, but on Saturday (September 10th), the rapper played his first proper arena tour date in more than two years for the “Twelve Carat Tour” kickoff at Omaha’s CHI Health Center. (Grab tickets to upcoming dates here.) And he was grateful. Every few songs, he’d pause to hoist another red Solo cup filled with beer — dutifully handed to him after nearly every song by a barely seen stagehand — and toast the audience with an f-bomb-filled thank you speech. “Omaha, how the fuck are you feelin’ tonight? Holy fuck, man. Cheers to each and every single one of y’all motherfuckers,” he said. “I just want y’all to know how fucking grateful I am.” Advertisement In jean shorts, white sneakers and a black T-shirt depicting the flaming Ey...
Nicki Minaj Announces New Song ‘Love In the Way’ With Bleu
Nicki Minaj has even more new music on the way. Fresh off the heels of her Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Super Freaky Girl,” the Queen of Rap announced through social media on Sunday (Sept. 11) that she’s teaming up with singer-rapper Bleu for the upcoming single “Love In the Way,” due out Sept. 16. “#LoveInTheWay F R I D A Y @bleuvandross,” Minaj wrote on Instagram alongside a fierce-looking photo of the pair standing alongside each other. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Bleu — whose 2020 R&B EP, Love Scars: The 5 Stages of Emotions, debuted at No. 9 on the Top R&B Albums — shared the same cover art on Instagram. “HITS ONLY! Watch this,” he captioned the post, adding a flexing arm emoji. “Love In the Way” follows Minaj’s Rick James-s...
Cardi B Shows Off New Face and Arm Tattoos of Son Wave and Daughter Kulture’s Names
Cardi B is proudly showing off new ink of her children’s names. The 29-year-old rap superstar took to Instagram Live on Saturday (Sept. 10) to reveal fresh tattoos featuring the names of her son Wave, 1, and daughter Kulture, 4. Wave’s name is penned in light red-colored cursive on the side of her face, while Kulture’s name is inked in a similarly styled darker shade on her arm. “I tatted my son’s name because I love him,” Cardi told fans in the brief clip, pulling her hair to the side and showing off the face tat. “And I tatted my daughter’s name,” she added, revealing the ink on her bicep. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Earlier this summer, the “I Like It” rapper’s hairstylist Luis Santana shared a video on social media of Cardi on a...
Rap Song of the Week: Sampa the Great Strikes Out for Herself on “Let Me Be Great”
Rap Song of the Week runs down all the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Sampa the Great shines on “Let Me Be Great,” a standout track from her sophomore album, AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. Like many people, Zambian-born poet and rapper Sampa the Great sought refuge at home during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Returning to her place of birth unexpectedly helped free Sampa of some of the heavy expectations she was carrying after the success of her debut album, The Return. “A beautiful thing happened where I got to relocate back home,” she told GRAMMY.com. “As uncertain and scary as it was, I got to work with artists I saw growing up. Then, I got to journey back to the young Sampa, who dreamed of being an artist, and revert to the re...
Lil’ Kim Denies 50 Cent’s Claim She Slammed Nicki Minaj’s Son on ‘Plan B’ Remix: ‘Kids Are Off Limits!!!’
The Queen Bee is clapping back. On Thursday (Sept. 8), Lil’ Kim addressed allegations started by 50 Cent that she had taken aim at Nicki Minaj‘s young son on her new “Plan B” remix with Megan Thee Stallion. “I never said a word about anyone’s child…” the rapper wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Please feel free to listen to the song where we were clearly talking about an EX. To try and twist my words to have an excuse to take digs at my child is disgusting. I’m one of the most disrespected legends in the game but what you will not do is come for MY CHILD.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A couple slides later, Lil’ Kim went on the offensive against the Super Bowl LVI halftime show performer, whom she blamed for fueling the gossip to begin with. ...
Nicki Minaj Drops ‘Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix)’: Stream It Now
Nicki Minaj released “Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix),” a collaboration-fueled new cut, in the early hours of Friday (Sept. 9). Minaj teased the track Thursday, but didn’t give away her co-stars. It’s a long lineup, including JT & BIA, featuring Katie Got Bandz, Akbar V and Malibu Mitch. “Ayo, this the Queen Mix right here. Miami, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, New York … stand the f— up!” the star announces on the updated version of her first solo No. 1 hit before the sample of Rick James’ ’80s classic “Super Freak” kicks in and she begins to rap, “I can lick it, I can ride it while you slippin’ and slidin’/ I can do all them little tricks and keep the dick up inside it/ You can smack it, you can grip it, you can go down and kiss it/ And every time he leave me ‘lone, he always tell me he mis...
Run the Jewels Soundtrack “Opening Theme” to Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm: Stream
Aqua Teen Hunger Force returns this November with the movie Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm, and Run the Jewels contributed the opening theme to the film with the appropriately titled “Opening Theme.” Listen to the duo’s new track below. Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm sees our beloved Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad reunite with their neighbor Carl to fight the corporate overlord Amazin, and Run the Jewels support the team by lending their classic sound to the fight song. “Master Shake will make you meet your maker,” El-P raps over glitchy synths. In the chorus, he and Killer Mike repeat a simple command: “Get money.” Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm hits shelves and streaming services on November 8th. Written and directed by original Aqua Teen Hunger Force creato...
Eminem Had to Relearn How to Rap Following Drug Overdose
Eminem revisited his 2007 accidental overdose on methadone while appearing on the latest episode of his longtime manager Paul Rosenberg’s podcast Paul Pod, opening up about the process of “relearning how to rap.” “I remember when I first got sober and all the shit was out of my system, I remember just being, like, really happy and everything was fucking new to me again,” Em recalled about working on his 2009 comeback album Relapse. “It was the first album and the first one that I had fun recording in a long time.” However, the Detroit MC first had to retrain himself in his longtime craft. “It was like the first time I started having fun with music again and relearning how to rap,” he said. “You remember that whole process, [it] took a long time for my brain to start working again.” Adverti...
