Rap
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 ...
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...
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...
Rap Song of the Week: Nothing Is Ever “Too Much” for Freddie Gibbs
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 Goes Slow on New Song “24-8”: Stream
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...
Kendrick Lamar’s Bickering Gets Brutal in New Short Film We Cry Together: Watch
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 ...
Jamie Foxx Cracks Snoop Dogg Up With Spot-On Donald Trump Impersonation: ‘Fake News!’
Who knew Jamie Foxx could transform into Donald Trump? The comedian revealed his eerily accurate impression on Thursday during an interview alongside Snoop Dogg. The hilarious moment happened during a sit-down with the Rap Radar podcast, where the stars were promoting their new Netflix vampire hunter flick Day Shift. In the middle of the chat, Foxx effortlessly broke out his Trump bit, saying, “There’s a lot of great people on both sides. Lots of great people on both sides. I know Harry O,” he said, referencing Death Row co-founder Michael “Harry O” Harris, whom President Trump pardoned and was released from prison last year. “He’s a great person. He couldn’t vote for me at the time. Now he can vote for me once he gets out. I love Snoop D-O-double-G, great person.” Explore See latest video...
DJ Khaled Talks ‘God Did,’ Reuniting With ‘Favorite Artists’ Drake & Lil Baby: Watch
In a new interview from his home in Miami, DJ Khaled sits down with Billboard News to talk all about his next album God Did. Speaking to Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre, the producer reflected on reaching his milestone 13th album with the upcoming release, which drops Friday (Aug. 26) via We the Best/Epic Records. “To get to a 13th album is, like, beyond incredible for me,” he said. “The greats that I look up to, when I see how many albums they put out, I’m on the right track. And I know how hard it is to be in this game — some people can’t make it past their first single or their first album.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Khaled’s latest LP features the top five single “Staying Alive” with Drake and Lil Baby, as well as collaborations with the lik...
Kid Cudi on Kanye West: It Would Take a “Motherfucking Miracle” to Be Friends Again
While they’ve mended fences before, the Kid Cudi seems adamant that he’ll never again be friends with Kanye West after their most recent public fallout in February. In a new cover story for Esquire conducted back in June, Cudi said it would take a “motherfucking miracle” for them to patch up their relationship. After initially declining to speak about West for the interview, Cudi let off steam about being cut from Donda 2 solely due to his friendship with Kim Kardashian’s now former boyfriend Pete Davidson. “Do you know how it feels to wake up one day, look at your social media, and you’re trending because somebody’s talking some shit about you?” Cudi said. “That shit pissed me off. That he had the power to fuck with me that week. That he used his power to fuck with me.” He...
