Rap
Atlanta Rapper Lil Keed Dead at 24
Atlanta rapper Lil Keed has died at the age of 24. Keed’s brother and fellow rapper, Lil Gotit, shared news of his passing in an Instagram post on Saturday. “Can’t believe I seened u die today bro,” he wrote. “I did all my cries. I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama, Daddy, Our Brothers, Naychur, and Whiteboy #ImaHoldthisShitDown.” Fellow members of the hip-hop community have also paid tribute to Keed, including Drake Rick Ross, Lil Yachty, and Quavo. Related Video A cause of death was not immediately clear. Lil Keed was a protégé of Young Thug and signed to his YSL record label. He released two mixtapes through YSL, 2019’s Long Live Mexico and 2020’s Trapped on Cleveland 3. Advertisement Earlier this week, Young Thug, Gunna, and several other members of YSL were arreste...
With Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar Chooses Himself and Makes a Masterpiece
“I choose me, I’m sorry.” The last five words on Kendrick Lamar‘s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers hit the hardest for anyone who “did the work,” as trained and untrained therapists like to say. Kendrick’s fifth album, out today (May 13th), is a lot of things: part political analysis, part social critique, with a dash of familial observations. But from start to finish, it’s all therapy. Kendrick’s latest effort is the Compton emcee putting himself on the couch and asking, “Why?” Why is he addicted to women and cheating? Why is he overwrought with guilt when he can’t help old friends? Why does he bathe in toxic relationships? Or even why he’s so damn competitive when it comes to rap? Advertisement Kendrick created a double LP sure to inspire tons of ink spillage from the pop culture indust...
Rap Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar Is No “Savior”
Rap Song of the Week is a round-up of the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Kendrick Lamar returns with “Savior” off his new album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. In the second half of Kendrick Lamar’s double album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, he focuses on breaking free of other people’s expectations. Due to the Compton rapper’s position as a public figure, fans look to him to lead the conversation about racial and social issues, but just like Charles Barkley, Kendrick doesn’t want to be their role model — nor should he be. On “Savior,” Kendrick makes his case while pointing to other Black celebrities like J. Cole, Future, and LeBron James, who are also expected to shoulder the burdens of the Black community. Although each person...
Kendrick Lamar Returns with New Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers: Stream
Kendrick Lamar is finally back with Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, his first album in five years. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. In addition to marking Kendrick’s fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers also closes the chapter on the Compton rapper’s storied run on his longtime label Top Dawg Entertainment. Last August, Kendrick revealed he would be leaving TDE. It’s likely he’ll partner up with a major label to put out music through his multi-media company pgLang going forward. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was announced last month through Kendrick’s website oklama.com, under the letterhead of pgLang. He initially shared a link to the announcement by quote tweeting a fan who recently pronounced the rapper had retired. Advertisement Related Video The albu...
Post Malone Feels “Cooped Up” on New Single with Roddy Ricch: Stream
Post Malone’s forthcoming album twelve carat toothache is fast approaching. Before it drops on June 3rd, the rapper has shared a new single today called “Cooped Up” featuring Roddy Ricch. “Cooped Up” is a Posty hit through-and-through, drenched in reverb as he uses his typical sing-rapping over a heavy-hitting bass. He also co-produced the track alongside his frequent collaborator Louis Bell. As you’d probably expect, the lyrics of “Cooped Up” evoke vignettes of flaunting excessive wealth and late-night inebriated partying: “We ’bout to toast up/ All that bread that we burnin’/ ‘Cuz I’ve been feelin’ cooped up,” he sings on the chorus, a sentiment that we’ve likely all felt at some point since March 2020 — although the relatability factor stops once Post starts singing about vomi...
Joey Bada$$ Announces New Album 2000, North American Tour
Joey Bada$$ has announced his first album in five years. Titled 2000, the LP is out June 17th via Columbia Records and will arrive almost exactly 10 years after the release of his breakout debut mixtape, 1999. The record will also be supported by a summer 2022 North American tour. Not much else is known about the follow-up to 2017’s ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, but Joey recently told XXL that the album will include production from Statik Selektah, Kirk Knight, Cardo, Mike WiLL Made-It, and possibly DJ Premier. The Brooklyn rapper also shared a trailer today containing a clip from a song in which he triumphantly raps, “Back on the set like I never left/ I am takin’ steps to be the best and they don’t let me rest.” Watch the trailer below. The “1999-2000 Tour” will travel acros...
Kendrick Lamar Reveals Artwork for New Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Kendrick Lamar has revealed the artwork for his new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Photographed by Renell Medrano, the cover depicts Kendrick, with a crown of thorns and a gun tucked into his waistband, embracing a child, while a woman (who appears to be his wife Lauren London) is sitting on a nearby bed nursing another a baby. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is Kendrick’s fifth album to date and first since 2017’s DAMN. The forthcoming project also marks his final release with Top Dawg Entertainment. Last August, the rapper announced that he would be leaving his longtime record label in favor of pgLang. Related Video Earlier this week, as a prelude to Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick revealed a new single called “The Heart Part 5.” Advertisement So far, Kendrick ha...
How to Get Tickets to Jack Harlow’s 2022 Tour
Jack Harlow just announced his North American “Come Home The Kids Miss You Tour,” and there’s no need for “First Class” tickets on this extensive 22-date excursion. The Louisville, Kentucky rapper is flying high after releasing his highly anticipated sophomore album, which doubles as the tour’s namesake. Get tickets here, and read on for more details including pre-sale dates. What Is Jack Harlow’s Next Tour? The “Come Home The Kids Miss You Tour” opens in Nashville on September 6th, followed by stops including Houston, Austin, and Phoenix before heading up the West Coast from San Diego, Seattle, and Vancouver to Portland on September 25th. Heading east via Salt Lake City and Denver, Harlow covers the Midwest with shows in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Detroit in early October. After a show in ...
Young Thug Arrested on Gang Activity, Racketeering Charges
Young Thug was arrested on gang activity and racketeering charges in Atlanta on Monday. According to the New York Times, Young Thug was charged with one count each of participation in street gang activity and conspiracy to violate the RICO Act as part of a 56-count indictment filed against the rapper and 27 of his associates. YSL (short for Young Slime Life) is the name of Young Thug’s record label. However, in its indictment the Fulton County District Attorney alleges that the Atlanta-based YSL also engages in criminal gang activities, including murder and armed robbery. Related Video As the co-founder of YSL, Young Thug is specifically accused of renting a car which was used in the 2015 murder of a rival gang member named Donovan Thomas, Jr. Prosecutors also say that members of YSL sough...
Kendrick Lamar Reveals New Single “The Heart Part 5”: Stream
Kendrick Lamar is set to release his long-awaited new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, this Friday, May 13th. As a prelude, Compton’s hip-hop poet laureate has unveiled a new single called “The Heart Part 5.” In both the song and its corresponding video, Kendrick raps from the perspectives of various Black men, including O.J. Simpson, Will Smith, Jussie Smollett, Kanye West, Kobe Bryant, and Nipsey Hussle. The video begins with Kendrick, but his face soon morphs into deepfakes of each of these individuals. Watch it below. The video was directed by Kendrick and Dave Free, and Kendrick gives a special thanks to South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker in the credits. (Kendrick, Free, Stone, and Parker are all collaborating together on an upcoming film.) Advertisement Related V...
Kendrick Lamar Reveals New Single “The Heart Part 5”: Stream
Kendrick Lamar is set to release his long-awaited new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, this Friday, May 13th. As a prelude, Compton’s hip-hop poet laureate has unveiled a new single called “The Heart Part 5.” In both the song and its corresponding video, Kendrick raps from the perspectives of various Black men, including O.J. Simpson, Will Smith, Jussie Smollett, Kanye West, Kobe Bryant, and Nipsey Hussle. The video begins with Kendrick, but his face soon morphs into deepfakes of each of these individuals. Watch it below. The video was directed by Kendrick and Dave Free, and Kendrick gives a special thanks to South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker in the credits. (Kendrick, Free, Stone, and Parker are all collaborating together on an upcoming film.) Advertisement Related V...
Rap Song of the Week: Doja Cat Gambles on Her Own Bars with “Vegas”
Rap Song of the Week rounds up the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Doja Cat drops her new single, “Vegas.” Recently, Remy Ma stirred the pot when she said Doja Cat isn’t a rapper during an episode of Drink Champs. The veteran Bronx MC added that although Doja makes “dope records,” she doesn’t belong in the rap category at the Grammys, either. It’s been a constant debate over the past several years as Doja has earned mainstream success, as detractors have labeled her a pop singer despite her background in the LA hip-hop underground scene. After a pair of sets at Coachella proving she’s more than capable of being a headliner, Doja Cat dropped her new single “Vegas” today. First previewed at the festival, it’s the lea...
