Rap
Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher Announce 2022 Griselda Tour
It’s a phrase so nice, their songs say it thrice: “Griselda, Griselda, Griselda.” Now, the three biggest stars of Griselda Records — founder Westside Gunn, his brother Conway the Machine, and their cousin Benny the Butcher — are hitting the road for a 2022 US tour. This marks the first Griselda jaunt since the pre-pandemic days of 2020, and since then, all three members have released a lot of music. Just in the past six months, Benny has dropped the excellent Tana Talk 4, Conway unveiled his Shady debut God Don’t Make Mistakes, and Westside Gunn finished up Hitler Wears Hermes 8, the eighth installment in his ongoing mixtape series. The trio will kick things off at Coachella in April, before officially embarking on their 10-date headlining trek in Chicago on ...
Kanye West Barred From Performing at the Grammys
Kanye West will not be performing at the upcoming 2022 Grammy Awards. The development was shared by the rapper’s “Eazy” collaborator The Game in a lengthy Instagram post on Saturday. “The Grammys have at the last minute decided to pull [Kanye West] from performing on the show as if we didn’t know it was coming.” The Game attributed the Grammys’ decision to a myriad of factors, including West’s recent beef with the ceremony’s host, Trevor Noah, which led to his temporary suspension from Instagram. Related Video A representative for West confirmed as much in an email to Rolling Stone, as they linked back to article by The Blast which cited the Donda rapper’s “concerning online behavior” as the primary factor for the Grammys’ decision. Advertisement In his Instagram post, The Game also sugges...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa Serve Up “Sweetest Pie”: Stream
The bakery is officially open, hotties. Megan Thee Stallion has unveiled her new collaboration with Dua Lipa, “Sweetest Pie.” “Hot girl shit/ Me and Dua Lipa gonna get the party lit,” the rapper promises on the track while Dua Lipa croons, “Some of this/ I might give you all of it/ Come get your taste of/ The sweetest pie/ Ooh, it’s the ride of your life/ Hold on, ’cause baby, I might/ I might just give you a bite of/ The sweetest pie.” The song also arrived with an accompanying music video directed by Dave Meyers. Watch it below. “Sweetest Pie” follows Megan’s 2021 compilation album Something For Thee Hotties, which she released in October as a special gift to her fans. The project, however, caused a rift with 1501 Entertainment after she had to sue the label over the definition of an “al...
Rap Song of the Week: Baby Tate Teaches You How to “Sl*t Him Out Again”
Rap Song of the Week is a new music feature breaking down the essential hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Baby Tate shares her ode to sexual freedom, “Sl*t Him Out Again.” Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion are three of the biggest names in music, but being a woman in hip-hop hasn’t gotten much easier. Just ask the ass-kicking Rico Nasty, who was treated disrespectfully by fans while opening for Playboi Carti without any support from the headliner. Unfortunately, chances are fellow rising star Baby Tate will have to deal with a similar disappointment at some point, but on paper at least, the Georgia native is well acquainted with self-affirmation, as heard on her late 2020 breakout “I Am.” Advertisement And with songs like “Sl*t Him Ou...
They Hate Change Announce New Album Finally, New, Share “From the Floor”: Stream
When I first wrote about Tampa Bay’s They Hate Change last year, I called them one of the most exciting acts to be featured in my column. Today the duo announced their Jagjaguwar debut album Finally, New, out May 13th, and unleashed a new single titled “From the Floor.” Spanning 13 tracks, Finally, New takes inspiration from East Coast hip-hop, Miami bass, and drum ‘n’ bass, as well as more unexpected influences like post-punk, prog, and krautrock. “With this album, it’s really like, okay, you know how you talk about the internet breaking down borders? Here’s what that actually sounds like,” explained They Hate Change member Vonne in a statement. “It’s not just a hip-hop record with a couple more weird sounds. You want homegrown DIY? This is a record that was written, produced, and recorde...
Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar to Headline Miami’s Rolling Loud 2022
Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Future will headline Rolling Loud’s 2022 festival in Miami. Other notable acts include F, Kodak Black, Saweetie, Lil Yachty, Baby Keem, Lil Durk, Gunna, City Girls, Gucci Mane, A$AP Ferg, Kevin Gates, Soulja Boy, Action Bronson, Curren$y, G Herbo, 2 Chainz, Aminé, Kash Doll, Trippie Redd, Moneybagg Yo, and more. See the 2022 lineup poster below. Rolling Loud Miami goes down July 22nd-24th at Hard Rock Stadium. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 7th at 12:00 p.m. ET via the festival’s website. Three-day general admission passes are priced at $329, while VIP passes start at $899. Rolling Loud also offers a $9.99 down layaway option. For Kanye, this marks only his third confirmed performance of 2022. He was previously announced to headline both weekends of Coache...
