Hip-Hop
Phife Dawg’s Estate Details Posthumous Album Forever, Shares Title Track: Stream
Phife Dawg’s long-awaited posthumous album, Forever, will finally be released on March 22nd via AWAL. Today, the Tribe Called Quest member’s estate has unveiled the LP’s artwork and tracklist, as well as its title track. The release of Forever coincides with the sixth anniversary of Phife Dawg’s death. The 13-track project was recorded shortly before his passing, and boasts features from Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, members of De La Soul, and more. In addition to today’s new single, Forever boasts previously teasers, “Nutshell Pt. 2” and “French Kiss Trois.” The title track is classic Phife Dawg, layering elements of tried-and-true East Coast hip-hop with his unmatched lyrical wit. The verses navigate the tribulations of becoming rap royalty, and the never-ending strife of...
Princess Nokia Throws It Back with New Song “No Effort”: Stream
Princess Nokia has returned with “No Effort,” her first new single of 2022. Stream the track below. Over breezy production recalling the late ’90s and early 2000s hip-hop, the New York native crushes the competition (“These bitches is still basic like they shop on Fordham”) while prepping for a hot girl summer. Princess Nokia also reminds fans of her roots when she raps, “I’m the Diplomat girl with the Harlem Shake/ I’m on First Ave, gang, we at Hajji’s, babe.” To further acknowledge those roots, Princess Nokia recruited the StuntGuyz BMX crew for the accompanying music video, which was filmed at an East Harlem skatepark. Watch the rapper and her squad show off their dance moves in the Travis Libin-directed video below. Advertisement Related Video “No Effort” drops ahead of Princess Nokia’...
Rap Song of the Week: Fivio Foreign Takes Brooklyn Drill to “Magic City”
Every Friday, our new music column Rap Song of the Week breaks down the hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Fivio Foreign teams up with Quavo for his new single “Magic City.” Based on association alone, Fivio Foreign was tapped to be the next big star to emerge from the Brooklyn drill scene after Pop Smoke’s murder in February 2020. Those expectations were raised when Drake recruited Fivio for “Demons,” the Toronto rapper’s nod to the hip-hop subgenre, but it’s taken Fivio a few years to increase his profile further and ready his debut album. Along the way, the East Flatbush native found a new mentor in Kanye West, impressing a whole new fanbase with a show-stopping appearance on the Donda cut “Off the Grid.” Last month, Fivio reunited with Ka...
Rap Lyrics Are Still Cited in Court, But That Might Be About to Change
When Vonte Skinner stood trial in New Jersey in 2008 for a drug-related shooting that he claimed he did not commit, a detective read to jurors at length from a book of amateur rap lyrics discovered in Skinner’s car the night of the crime. They referenced bloodshed and violence and death – but they weren’t connected to the actual facts of the case. Skinner was later found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison. “It made absolutely no sense,” says Ezra Rosenberg, an attorney who worked with the American Civil Liberties Union on Skinner’s appeal. “This was a guy who was convicted of an extraordinarily serious crime based on evidence that included his rap lyrics, when there was nothing in them that was connected in any way to the crime he was convicted of.” Years later, prosecutors are sti...
Kanye West Temporarily Suspended from Instagram for Harassment and Bullying
Kanye West has been temporarily suspended from Instagram for violating the platform’s policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying. According to a spokesperson for Instagram’s parent company Meta, West is unable to post, comment, or send direct messages on the platform for the next 24 hours. Over the last several weeks, West has repeatedly posted threats directed at Pete Davidson, who is currently dating West’s now ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. West has also lashed out at individuals who have questioned West’s motives and/or sided with Davidson — including Kardashian herself, comedian D.L. Hughley, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah, and Davidson’s SNL castmate Michael Che. Advertisement Related Video Earlier on Wednesday prior to his suspension, West shared posts mocking Davidson’s mental hea...
Nova Twins Share the Origins of New Single “Cleopatra”: Exclusive
Origins presents musicians with a platform to explore all the inspirations for their latest release. Today, Nova Twins break down “Cleopatra,” the new single from their upcoming album, Supernova. “Genre-defying” is an oft-used descriptor for any artist that incorporates multiple sounds into their music, but for Nova Twins, pushing boundaries comes naturally. Both from multicultural backgrounds, singer-guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South have earned critical acclaim in the UK for combining punk, metal, hip-hop, R&B, and pop influences. For the latest preview from their upcoming sophomore album Supernova, Nova Twins have shared the new single “Cleopatra.” Combining heavy guitar riffs with tribal drums and a rapped delivery, the track embodies female empowerment. “I’m a samu...
Cardi B Reveals She’s a My Chemical Romance Stan: “They Don’t Make Music Like This Anymore”
Don’t hold your breath, but Cardi B might be the next rapper to come out with a pop-punk album. As 2000s emo continues its unexpected second (third?) cultural zeitgeist moment, the Bronx artist has revealed a pressing fascination with… My Chemical Romance? “They don’t make music like this anymore,” Cardi B tweeted Tuesday (March 15th), attaching a short clip of the MCR classic “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).” As of this writing, the tweet has already wracked up over 25,000 likes, a testament to the world’s excitement as the band’s long-awaited, oft-rescheduled reunion tour inches closer to becoming a reality. Cardi B is hardly the first hip-hop artist to dabble in pop-punk. WILLOW and Machine Gun Kelly recently fell in love with an “emo girl,” and Kid Cudi and Lil Peep were rapping about their ...
Megan Thee Stallion Wants You to Take a Bite of Her Extra-Sweet ‘H-Town Hottie Pie’
Megan Thee Stallion did the math and realized that the only way to properly celebrate the nerdiest holiday is with a sweet and savory dessert. The rapper helped her Hotties raise a fork to Pi Day on Tuesday (March 14) — the global party commemorating the Greek letter that is used as mathematical symbol to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (3.14159…) — by offering up the mouth-watering “Megan’s H-Town Hottie Pie.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news The $59 delight cooked up with GoldBelly, was inspired by Megan’s “hometown of Houston and her love for all things sweet,” according to a statement. It is described as a “deliciously decadent” mix of sweet and salty, rich and gooey, made up of coconut, pecans, butterscotch chips, dusted with edible...
Pete Davidson Finally Responds to Kanye West… From Kim Kardashian’s Bed
Since beginning a relationship with Kim Kardashian late last year, Pete Davidson has been at the receiving end of Kanye West’s fury. The Donda rapper has verbally and physically threatened the SNL comedian, including in a pair of music videos in which West decapitates, skins, and buries Davidson alive. Finally, Davidson has responded to West… in a series of text messages sent from Kardashian’s bed. Davidson’s friend and collaborator, Dave Sirus, shared photos of a lengthy text exchange between Davidson and West in a since deleted Instagram post (see below). In the first message sent early Sunday morning, Davidson jokingly referred to himself as “Skete” (the same nickname given to him by West) and complimented Kardashian’s abilities as a mother. “I’ve decided I’m not gonna let you treat us ...
Fans Choose Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa’s ‘Sweetest Pie’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa‘s “Sweetest Pie” tops this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (March 11) on Billboard, choosing the pair’s collaborative track as their favorite new music release of the past week. “Sweetest Pie,” which arrived this week alongside a trippy music video from the superstar duo, brought in more than 67% of the vote. “Oh, it’s the ride of your life/ Hold on ’cause I might just give you a bite/ Of the sweetest pie,” Lipa sings in the chorus. Lil Durk‘s latest project, his new 7220 album, came in second on the poll, with more than 17% of the vote. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below. [embedded content] [flexi-common-toolb...
Rap Song of the Week: Latto Pops a “Wheelie” with 21 Savage
Rap Song of the Week is a new music column breaking down the essential hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Latto previews her upcoming album with the 21 Savage collaboration “Wheelie.” After winning Lifetime’s reality series The Rap Game back in 2016, the former Miss Mulatto bet on herself, turning down a recording contract on Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Records in favor of going independent. Six years later, our 2022 Rising Artist to Watch is on the verge of her mainstream breakout. After earning her first Top 40 hit last year with the pop-leaning “Big Energy,” it’s time for Latto to aim even bigger with her upcoming album 777, which drops on March 25th. As Latto’s new single “Wheelie” proves, however, she’s hardly left hip-hop behind. A ...
Benny the Butcher Unleashes New Album Tana Talk 4: Stream
Benny the Butcher has released his new album Tana Talk 4. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Tana Talk 4 is the Buffalo rapper’s final album released independently through EMPIRE before he moves on to Def Jam, where he signed late last year. Along for the ride is an all-star lineup of guest features including J. Cole, Diddy, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Boldy James. Production is completely handled by The Alchemist and Daringer In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, The Butcher explained how Tana Talk 4 is different from his previous projects. “My content is gonna switch: I’m not in the streets anymore, I’m not doing shit like that,” he said. “My content is gonna be different. It’s just a bigger sound, a fuller sound. And I’m not even talking about the music...
