Hip-Hop
R.I.P. DJ Kay Slay, Legendary New York Hip-Hop DJ Dead at 55
DJ Kay Slay, a pioneer in New York hip-hop, has died at 55 years old. The longtime fixture on Hot 97 passed away on Easter Sunday, his family confirmed in a statement. Although no cause of death was given, Kay Slay had been hospitalized with COVID-19 for four months. “Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay,” the family wrote. “A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations. In memory of DJ Kay Slay, our family wishes to thank all of his friends, fans, and supporters for their prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve this tragic loss.” Related Vid...
Wu-Tang Clan and Nas Team Up for Co-Headlining Tour
Hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan and Nas are joining forces for a co-headlining US tour. Taking its name from Nas’ classic Illmatic track, the “NY State of Mind” tour hits 25 American cities between August 30th and October 4th. Check out the full schedule below. Tickets go on sale starting Tuesday, April 26th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Related Video Wu-Tang Clan recently saw their pioneering debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), added to the Library of Congress’ National Registry. As for Nas, he’s fresh off the release of two albums in 2021: August’s King’s Disease II and December’s Magic. Both projects were produced by Hit-Boy. Advertisement Wu-Tang Clan an Nas’ “NY State of Mind” Tour Dates:08/30 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre09/01 – Noblesville, IN –...
Mac Miller Drug Dealer Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
Ryan Michael Reavis, one of three men implicated in the overdose death of Mac Miller, has been sentenced to 10 years and 11 months in prison, Rolling Stone reports. Reavis, 39, was accused of being the middle man between Stephen Andrew Walter, who has pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl, and Cameron James Pettit, who supplied the pills to Mac Miller. The rapper was found dead on September 6th, 2018 of a lethal combination of fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol. Before his sentencing, Reavis addressed the court, saying he didn’t know the pills had been responsible for Miller’s death until he was arrested a year later in September of 2019. “This is not just a regular drug case,” he said. “Somebody died, and a family is never going to get their son ba...
DJ Kay Slay, Pioneering Record Producer and DJ, Dead at 55
DJ Kay Slay, an iconic record producer whose pioneering work helped shape New York’s hip-hop scene, has died at the age of 55. The influential artist, whose real name was Keith Grayson, reportedly passed away due to COVID-19 complications. His family confirmed his tragic death in a statement, which was disseminated via social media by New York hip-hop radio station HOT 97, home to his flagship “Drama Hour” show. Grayson hosted the show on Fridays on HOT 97 for more than two decades. “Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay,” the statement reads. “A dominant figure in hip hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will tran...
Pusha T Dropping New Album It’s Almost Dry on Friday
The ink has dried: Pusha T has announced the release date of his much-anticipated new album It’s Almost Dry. Today, the rapper revealed the LP is dropping this Friday, April 22nd. King Push made the announcement with a trailer soundtracked by an artist singing, “I pray for my enemies/ I pray for my friends/ I pray for the one that will betray me again.” Watch the clip below. Pusha T teased in January that the follow-up to 2018’s Daytona was his final release on Def Jam. In fulfilling his contract, he now has full ownership of his master recordings. However, Push’s manager Steven Victor confirmed to Complex that he will remain with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint while staying open to the possibility of re-signing with Def Jam. Advertisement Related Video It’s Almost Dry was produc...
Lizzo Pulls Double Duty on SNL: The Five Standout Moments
Pulling double duty as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live is both an honor and a curse—often more endurance test than a purely joyful performance. For every Justin Timberlake episode that audiences seem to love (sometimes inexplicably, to be honest), or Miley Cyrus episode that seems to cement the artist’s place in the SNL inner circle, there’s a Halsey episode that feels lucky to escape with a few stray highlights. Singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, actress, and flautist Lizzo seems like an inspired choice for this sometimes-thankless task; though she’s known mainly for music, she has the kind of poise and confidence that translates well to live comedy. Throughout her episode of SNL, she hit her marks with clarity and energy—though the episode itself seemed stuck in Timberla...
Rap Song of the Week: A$AP Rocky Channels “Frankenstein” on Swedish House Mafia Collab
Rap Song of the Week handpicks all the new hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. Today, A$AP Rocky’s Swedish House Mafia collab “Frankenstein” has finally been officially released. At this point, it’s possible even A$AP Rocky doesn’t know if he’ll ever drop a follow-up to 2018’s Testing. Between older material like “Lost and Found Freestyle 2019” with Tyler, the Creator and features on songs by $not, Nigo, and Fivio Foreign, however, he’s kept fans fed this year. This week brings another new release with his long-awaited Swedish House Mafia collaboration “Frankenstein,” which appears on the dance supergroup’s new album Paradise Again. As A$AP Mob diehards might remember, “Frankenstein” has actually been floating around since the late Virg...
Cardi B Joins the Sample Drill Wave on Kay Flock’s “Shake It”: Stream
The latest trend in New York drill has been the liberal use of ’90s and early 2000s R&B samples, as heard in regional hits like B-Lovee’s “My Everything,” which flips Mary J. Blige’s “Everything.” Kay Flock is the latest rapper to hop on board with his new single “Shake It,” bringing fellow Bronx native Cardi B along for the ride. Produced by Elias Beatz, the track samples Akon’s 2005 hit “Bananza (Belly Dancer).” A snippet of the song had already gone viral on TikTok, but anticipation for “Shake It” reached a fever pitch after clips from the video shoot surfaced of Cardi performing her verse while draped out in red — her wig even looks like a red bandana. That unbridled energy is the perfect fit for the sample drill production: “I gotta step up, bitch, I’m a stomper/ All of my opps ge...
JNR Choi & Sam Tompkins’ ‘Moon’ Lands in Top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart
The TikTok-to-charts pipeline yields another success story as JNR Choi and Sam Tompkins‘ “To the Moon!” breaks into the top 10 of Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The collaboration rises from No. 12 to No. 10 on the list dated April 16 as the song reaches new highs in radio airplay. “Moon” surfaced on TikTok beginning last August. The drill single’s origins are double-layered: It samples Sam Tompkins’ cover of Bruno Mars‘ 2010 release “Talking to the Moon” – a situation that temporarily led to its removal from streaming services, as JNR Choi detailed in his Billboard Chartbreaker profile earlier this month. JNR Choi and Tompkins each earn their first top 10 with their first entry on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Notably, Mars, credited as a songwriter on “Moon,” collects his 10th ...
DaBaby Shot a Trespasser at His North Carolina Home: Report
On Wednesday evening, a trespasser was shot at the Troutman, North Carolina mansion of controversial rapper DaBaby. Local news reported that DaBaby was home at the time, with police officers suggesting he was somehow involved. Now, TMZ confirms that DaBaby himself pulled the trigger. According to law enforcement sources, DaBaby exchanged words with the intruder before shooting the man in the leg. He then dialed 911, and police arrived at around 7:45 p.m. The rapper reportedly cooperated with police and no arrests have been made. The trespasser was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries. Troutman Police Chief Josh Watson called the event an “isolated incident” that posed no further risk to the community. He added that the interloper didn’t live in the area and w...
‘We Ready’ Rapper Archie Eversole Killed by Brother, Say Police
One week after “We Ready” rapper Archie Eversole (born Arthur Eversole) died of gunshot wounds from a March 25 shooting in the Atlanta area, the MC’s brother has been charged with his murder. According to a statement from the DeKalb Country Police Department, Eversole, 37, was shot last month and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries on April 3. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Investigators say that they were called to a Chevron station last month, where they found a victim with a gunshot wound. Eversole’s brother, Alexander Kraus, was found at the Chevron where the shooting took place and taken into custody without incident, according to police. Kraus was charged with aggravated assault, with the charges upgr...
Kae Tempest Breaks Down New Album The Line Is a Curve Track By Track: Exclusive
Our Track by Track feature gives artists the opportunity to share the inspiration and stories behind each song on their latest release. Today, Kae Tempest takes us behind the inspiration for their new album, The Line is a Curve. British multi-hyphenate artist Kae Tempest is back with their fourth album, The Line Is a Curve. Simultaneously sensitive and grounded, the album is as sonically dazzling as it is vulnerable. Their first release since 2019’s Rick Rubin-produced The Book of Traps and Lessons (and their first since coming out as non-binary), The Line Is a Curve shows Tempest overcoming overwhelming anxiety and self-doubt, their undeniably unique creative voice shining through. “For the last couple of records,” Tempest tells Consequence, “I wanted to disappear completely from the...
