Hip-Hop
Rap Song of the Week: Remy Ma and Rapsody Assert Dominance on DJ Premier’s “Remy Rap”
Rap Song of the Week is a Friday roundup of the hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Remy Ma and Rapsody team up on DJ Premier’s “Remy Rap.” For DJ Premier’s new EP celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the pioneering producer handpicked a lineup of rappers known for their lyricism including Nas, Lil Wayne, and Run the Jewels. Preemo also paired up seasoned MCs Remy Ma and Rapsody on the track “Remy Rap,” which finds both women letting out frustration about being underestimated in a male-dominated industry. Remy in particular spits with a fire in her belly, calling on female rappers to level up and expressing resentment for her pen game being questioned. After coming up as part of Big Pun and Fat Joe’s Terror Squad and later marryin...
Lizzo’s Vibrant New Album Makes Us All Feel Special
“Hi motherfucker, did you miss me?” Lizzo asks by way of introduction on “The Sign,” the bouncy first song on her new album Special (available today, July 15th — stream it below). Quite honestly, we did. How has the Grammy-winning chart-topper been spending her time since we last saw her? Lizzo is happy to share: She’s been healing, making smoothies, training and twerking — plus, working hard on this record, her follow up to 2019’s Cuz I Love You. In just about everything she does, Lizzo has a magical knack for making the listener or viewer feel like her best friend, whether it’s her candid and cheeky TikTok presence, inclusive energy onstage (get tickets to her upcoming tour here), or stories told through her music. Of the 12 tracks on the album, two were released ahead of time as si...
With Jack in the Box, j-hope Isn’t Afraid to Embrace the Darkness
“It was Hope that was kept in the innermost nook of the box. It trailed behind the miasma of darkness, assuaging the ill effects on humankind. Hope gave people the will to keep on living amidst the pain and strife.” The introduction of j-hope’s full-length debut solo album, Jack in the Box, is a female voice recounting the myth of Pandora’s Box; it’s a story j-hope, who was born Jung Hoseok, has long gravitated towards, and a partial source of his stage name. For nearly a decade now as part of BTS, j-hope has more than lived up to the name. He’s embodied it — epitomized it, even — by developing a reputation as the ray of sunshine in the global, record-smashing group. His energy onstage is astounding; anyone who is lucky enough to have seen BTS in concert inevitably walks away amazed by the...
Drake Announces October World Weekend with Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, and More
Drake has announced a new three-day festival called October World Weekend, which will see the likes of Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, and Chris Brown take over his hometown of Toronto on July 28th, July 29th, and August 1st. On Thursday, July 28th, All Canadian All Stars are slated to perform at the Toronto venue HISTORY. The following night will see Chris Brown and Lil Baby headline the Budweiser Stage. Then, on August 1st, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and a reunion of Young Money will perform at the Budweiser Stage. Drake announced October World Weekend on Instagram, adding that he planned to take his long-running OVO Fest on the road next year. “I am currently working on bringing OVO Fest around the world in 2023 for its 10th anniversary but of course we wanted to turn the city up for the...
Dorothy Rolls Out Stamp Albums: Hip-Hop Poster Featuring Decades Of Classics
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Dorothy / Dorothy Dorothy, an extremely dope art and design collective based in the United Kingdom displayed in the past deep reverence for Hip-Hop music and culture. The company just rolled out its new Hip-Hop Stamps poster, featuring a bevy of classic Hip-Hop albums from the past 40 years. We’ve featured the fly artwork of Dorothy in the past, putting a spotlight on its innovative Hip-Hop Love Blueprint, which is now in its second edition. But we’re here to talk about the Stamp Albums: Hip-Hop, and it’s another fresh look from the Dorothy team. Check out the gang explaining the concept below: Related Stories We’ve reimagined 42 seminal hip-hop albums as a series of oversized postage stamps beginning with the 1982 breakthrough album The Message by Grandm...
Big Sean and Jhene Aiko Are Expecting Their First Child Together
Congratulations are in order for Big Sean and Jhené Aiko. The hip-hop power couple is expecting their first child together. Sean confirmed the exciting news on social media over the weekend. “Whole new motivation forreal!” the rapper wrote Sunday (July 3) on his Instagram Story. “Very grateful God continues to bless us, thank you.” “Can’t wait to be a Dad,” he added alongside a black heart emoji. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Sean and Aiko, both 34, were photographed walking alongside each other in Los Angeles on Saturday, where the singer-songwriter was seen with a baby bump. “The couple is overjoyed and looks forward to this next chapter,” a representative for Aiko told People. The songstress also subtly acknowledged her pregnancy on Instag...
Nicki Minaj Takes Aim at Kanye West at Essence Fest: “We Don’t Fuck with Clowns!”
Nicki Minaj didn’t mince words about former collaborator Kanye West during her headlining set at the 2022 Essence Music Festival on Friday, July 1st. The diss in question came partway through the rapper’s set, when her DJ cued up her guest verse from Ye’s star-studded smash “Monster” off 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. (The track is largely credited for launching Minaj into hip-hop stardom). “A monster though! A monster though! But we don’t fuck with clowns,” she said, teasing the track before putting down her proverbial monster Giuseppe heel down and stopping the show altogether to instead give a shout-out to host city New Orleans. Advertisement Related Video It’s not exactly clear what led to Minaj’s snipe, but she previously expressed dissatisfaction over West’s decision to sh...
Killer Mike Unleashes New Single “RUN” Featuring Dave Chappelle & Young Thug: Stream
Killer Mike has unveiled “RUN,” a new collaboration with Young Thug that marks the Run the Jewels rapper’s first solo music in 10 years. Listen to the unsurprisingly political track below. Produced by NO I.D., “RUN” reframes America’s Independence Day with an emphasis on Black history. Bass slinks under a chorus of horns as Killer Mike reminds us, “The race for freedom ain’t won.” “All I know is keep going/ Run, *****, run,” he repeats. The song’s hook comes from a Dave Chappelle monologue about being Black in America, which opens “RUN”‘s music video. Directed by Adrian Villagomez, the clip features Black soldiers at war as Chappelle likens being African American to storming the beach in Normandy. “Ain’t no rhyme or reason why it’s not you on the ground, but as long as it’s not, ...
Drake Belts Out “I Want It That Way” with Backstreet Boys at Toronto Show: Watch
Drake became the sixth member of the Backstreet Boys on Saturday, July 2nd by making a surprise appearance during the boy band’s tour stop in Toronto. At the very end of the show, the quintet brought the rapper out to help them perform their classic hit “I Want It That Way” for his hometown crowd, but not before Drizzy told the enraptured audience about his personal connection to the song. “At 13 years old, I had a bar mitzvah,” he explained per Rolling Stone, “and at my bar mitzvah, for the first time in my life, this girl I was in love with came up to me and one of the greatest songs in the world was playing, and she asked me if I would dance with her. And it was the first time I ever felt acknowledged, and it was the first time I ever felt like I had a shot at being cool.” Advertisement...
Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean Reunite to Perform Fugees Classics at 2022 Essence Festival
Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean joined forces to perform a handful of Fugees classics at the 2022 Essence Festival. The surprise reunion occurred during Wyclef’s unannounced set at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Friday (July 1). Midway through his performance, Hill stepped out for a solo rendition of “Killing Me Softly” before being joined by her Fugees bandmate on “How Many Mics,” “Fu-Gee-La” and “Ready or Not.” The Fugees, including bandmate Pras, last performed together during a surprise pop-up concert in New York as part of a Global Citizen event in September 2021. The brief show marked the group’s first show since 2006. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The beloved hip-hop trio had planned on embarking on a 12-date international reunion t...
Calvin Harris Details Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, Shares 21 Savage Collab “New Money”: Stream
Calvin Harris has announced the release date and features for his upcoming album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 and dropped its second single “New Money” featuring 21 Savage. A sequel to 2017’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, the new studio set will arrive on August 5th via Columbia Records. One day before sharing the news, the DJ teased the release by posting a trailer on his social media accounts revealing the names of the nearly two dozen collaborators on the album, including Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Halsey, Pusha T, Charlie Puth, Tinashe, Chlöe, Normani, Offset, Busta Rhymes, Latto, and more. The album can be pre-saved here. Meanwhile, on “New Money,” Harris builds a mid-tempo groove for 21 Savage to celebrate the nouveau riche life by name-dropping an endless parade of designer brands as...
Day N Vegas 2022 Cancelled
Day N Vegas 2022 has been cancelled, organizers Goldenvoice announced on social media. The third annual event was set to take place September 2nd through 4th, and be headlined by SZA, J. Cole, and Travis Scott, who would have made his first festival appearance since the tragedy at Astroworld in November of 2021. “We’re sorry to announce that a combination of logistics, timing, and production issues have forced us to cancel Day N Vegas for 2022,” Goldenvoice’s statement read. “The refund process will begin immediately, and funds will appear back to your account within the next 2-4 weeks. All orders will be refunded to the credit card used to complete purchase.” The cancellation continued, “If you purchased a festival pass(es) via AXS and have questions about the refund p...
