Rap
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...
A$AP Rocky Proposes to Rihanna in New “D.M.B.” Video: Watch
A$AP Rocky has finally released his single “D.M.B.” after teasing it for the better part of a year, but his more famous partner (and mother of his child) Rihanna takes the spotlight in the accompanying video. Watch it below. The self-proclaimed “ghetto love tale” depicts the many aspects of the celebrity couple’s relationship, whether they’re in the Bronx hanging out on fire escapes, getting their hair done together, or competing in a game of dice. And when it’s time to bail Rocky out of jail, Rihanna’s there every single time. Three minutes into the video, Rocky asks Rihanna “Marry me?” through his grill, to which she responds in kind with “I do.” Advertisement Related Video Co-produced by Rocky with Skepta, Shlohmo, Hector Delgado, and Kelvin Krash, the song features the Harlem rapper de...
070 Shake Details New Album YOU CAN’T KILL ME, Shares “Web”: Stream
Last month, 070 Shake announced her sophomore album, YOU CAN’T KILL ME. Now, the artist has shared the artwork and tracklist for the project, officially out June 3rd via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings, as well as a new song called “Web.” Produced by Johan Lenox and co-produced, mixed, and mastered by Mike Dean, “Web” layers its harmonized vocal melody — “What is your favorite flower, I wanna know” — over 070 Shake’s spoken-word description of a fraying relationship. “One thing’s for certain/ This thing isn’t working,” she says, as droning synthesizer keys burst like sun rays. The single comes with an accompanying visualizer in which the artist melts down in an empty room, emulating her modulated vocals by singing into a fan. Take a listen below. YOU CAN’T KILL ME spans a total...
Black Star’s No Fear of Time Proves Even 24 Years Is Just a Number for Hip-Hop Greats
Time is crazy, right? It’s the one thing we never have enough of and, sometimes, can’t wait to have in the rearview mirror. Time is on the mind of Black Star, the duo who surprised hip-hip 24 years ago with a debut album still spoken about in hushed tones today. Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (f.k.a. Mos Def) capitalized on that success with their own solo careers. Still, fans kept asking — sometimes incessantly — where’s the next Black Star album? After two decades, the day finally arrived as the Brooklyn group released their sophomore album, No Fear of Time (currently only available on Luminary). While mere mortals might quake in their boots simply thinking about the prospect of releasing a new record so many years after a landmark debut and finding a way to match those lofty expectations, K...
Black Star Drop No Fear of Time, Their First Album in 24 Years: Stream
After 24 years away, Black Star have made a long-awaited comeback. The duo of Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (f.k.a. Mos Def) return today with No Fear of Time, their new album produced entirely by Madlib. It’s the follow-up to their 1998 classic Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, and it’s streaming exclusively on the Luminary podcast network. Update: You can check out the lyric video for the album’s opening track, “o.G.” below. Black Star have teased their sophomore album for years; back in 2019, Kweli even said the record was finished. Last year, the duo launched their podcast The Midnight Miracle with their good friend Dave Chappelle. A recent episode called “Bugs Bunny Mathematicx,” takes the role of “audio liner notes to introduce the album,” as the podcast’s...
Future Drops Expanded Edition of I Never Liked You: Stream
Future just dropped his latest album last week, but now he’s gifted fans with a deluxe containing five more songs from the record’s studio sessions. Listen to the expanded edition of I Never Liked You below. Originally clocking in at 16 tracks, Future’s ninth album was already a star-studded affair, with Kanye West, Gunna and Young Thug, EST Gee, Kodak Black, and Drake appearing on various songs. Now, Future’s added several other names to the roster. Babyface Ray features on “No Security,” 42 Dugg and Lil Baby appear on “Like Me,” Lil Durk lends a hand to “Affiliated,” and Young Scooter pops in for “Stayed Down.” Elsewhere, Future stands alone on the new final track, “Just the Beginning.” In addition to these songs, the expanded I Never Liked You package includes the previously released si...
Rap Song of the Week: Future and Drake “WAIT FOR U” on Latest Collaboration
Every Friday, Rap Song of the Week rounds up all the new hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Future and Drake reunite on “WAIT FOR U.” After one of the longer breaks of his career, Future returned today with the declarative I Never Liked You, which naturally features a pair of appearances from his good friend Drake. “I’M ON ONE” — the second song Drake’s guested on with that exact title — is one of their more typical collaborations about the trappings of success, making the vulnerable “WAIT FOR U” the more compelling of the two tracks. It’s produced by Future’s frequent collaborator ATL Jacob, who sets the mood with a sample of “Higher” by rising Nigerian singer Tems. Stepping into his introspective Hendrix persona, Future raps about a woman ...
How to Get Tickets to Hot 97 Summer Jam
Hot 97’s annual Summer Jam returns June 12th, 2022 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a lineup featuring Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Pusha T, City Girls, Burna Boy, Young Thug, and Gunna, plus many more. Get tickets here, and read on for more details about this year’s lineup. What is the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2022 Lineup? The 2022 Hot 97 Summer Jam festival features two stages boasting many of the biggest names in hip-hop. The main Stadium Stage performers include DreamDoll, Shenseea, Benny The Butcher, Burna Boy, Roddy Rich, Pusha T, City Girls, Young Thug and Gunna, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and — closing the show—hometown, Brooklyn’s, Fivio Foreign. The night will also feature a special musical tribute in memory of the legendary DJ Kay Slay. Advertisement The Festival Stage promises ...
Future Shares New Album I Never Liked You: Stream
Future has released his new album, and its title reads like a blunt message: I Never Liked You. Stream the LP on Apple Music and Spotify below. Future has also shared a video for the Kanye West collaboration, “Keep It Burnin,” which you can watch below. Arriving on Epic Records, the rapper’s latest solo studio set follows 2020’s High Off Life, which earned the Atlanta native his sixth consecutive No. 1 since DS2 in 2015, as well as his joint 2020 record with Lil Uzi Vert, Pluto x Baby Pluto. As revealed earlier this week, I Never Liked You’s 16 tracks include multiple high-profile guest features from the likes of Kanye West (“Keep It Burnin”), Gunna and Young Thug (“For a Nut”), EST Gee (“Chickens”), Kodak Black (“Voodoo”) and two separate appearances by Drake (“Wait for You” with rising N...
