Rap
Song of the Week: JAY-Z and Kid Cudi Hit the Mark with “Guns Go Bang”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, JAY-Z teams up with Kid Cudi ahead of his Rock Hall induction. To accompany the release of Netflix’s upcoming Western The Harder They Fall — which boasts a stacked cast of Idris Elba, Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, and the wonderful Jonathan Majors — an explosive soundtrack co-produced by JAY-Z has arrived today (October 29th). JAY-Z, whose hands are all over the project (he also produced the film), is featured on two tracks: “King Kong Riddim” with Jadakiss, Conway the Machine and BackRoad Gee, and “Guns Go Bang” alongside...
Rolling Loud New York Day 2 Recap: Rainy Weather Couldn’t Stop J. Cole, City Girls Showed Out and More
If the Day 1 theme of Rolling Loud New York 2021 was hometown rappers reigning supreme, the driving force on Friday (October 29th) was Mother Nature. Beginning as a crisp, overcast autumn day with winds strong enough to tip over garbage cans, it started drizzling around 7:30 p.m. before giving way to a full-blown rainstorm shortly after J. Cole took the main stage at 8:45. The Dreamville founder was unfazed by the weather, giving an all-time performance that those in attendance will never forget. Meanwhile, City Girls and Ski Mask the Slump God carried stage presences that demanded reciprocal energy from the crowd, Wale showed the breadth of his catalog after an unplanned set time switch, and Bas gave a sneak peek of his boss’ headlining set while playing his most popular cuts to a lo...
JAY-Z Taps Jadakiss, Conway the Machine, BackRoad Gee for New Single “King Kong Riddim”: Stream
JAY-Z has shared “King Kong Riddim,” a new song from the soundtrack to The Harder They Fall featuring Jadakiss, Conway the Machine, and English drill-grime star Backroad Gee. Backroad Gee provides the framing and the hook, rapping, “Gorilla in the jungle, man, I don’t sing song/ Bang my chest like my name King Kong.” Jadakiss still sounds like he needs a lozenge, and Conway wraps his marble-mouthed flow around, “Them subliminals on Twitter don’t really rattle my cage/ Notice when I mention my release date, had ’em afraid/ Made legends get in they bag when they heard the way I spazz/ Shooters on the road, them n****s half of my age.” As for JAY-Z, his verse hearkens back to the concrete jungles of his youth. He raps, “Jungle, I move a bundle, a hundo at my peak...
A$AP Rocky Unveils New Song “Sandman”: Stream
A$AP Rocky has unveiled the new song “Sandman.” The track appears as a bonus cut on the new digital edition of his 2011 breakout mixtape Live. Love. A$AP, which is now available on streaming services for the first time. “Sandman” was produced by Clams Casino, who contributed five tracks to the original mixtape, as well as Kelvin Krash. Rocky opens by comparing himself to visionary fimmakers: “My mind like George Lucas, I think like Stanley Kubrick/ House full of eucalyptus, that boy straight mucus.” After starting off with a slower flow, he quickens the pace for the second half of the verse, spitting, “Back to the wall, with your wall to the back, don’t back down/ Buck up, tell ’em how the fuck your mama ain’t raise no bitch.” This serves to set the scene for the spaced...
Mick Jenkins Releases New Album Elephant in the Room: Stream
Mick Jenkins has dropped a proverbial elephant into the room. Today, the rapper unveiled his third full-length studio set, Elephant in the Room, via Free Nation/Cinematic Music Group. Stream it below. The studio set from the Chicago MC was preceded by singles “Contacts” and “Scottie Pippen,” and also features collaborations with Ben Hixon (“Things you can die for”), Ayinde Cartman (“Stiff Arm”), Green SlIime (“D.U.I”), and serpentwithfeet (closer “Rug Burn”) In a statement, Jenkins revealed that the LP touches on a wide variety of subjects, “from my estranged relationship with my father to friendships that don’t feel the same anymore to the even more basic idea of acknowledging that I need help.” Advertisement Related Video He continued, “We become accustomed to allowing none progressive q...
JAY-Z and Kid Cudi Fire Off New Song “Guns Go Bang”: Stream
With the new Netflix Western The Harder They Fall cocked and loaded for next week, executive producer JAY-Z is dropping the official soundtrack today, October 29th. One of the early standouts is “Guns Go Bang,” which sees Hov shooting from his lyrical hip as Kid Cudi brings some literal bang to the hook. “My guns go bang!” Cudi sings, “I can make the guns go bang!” For his part, JAY-Z promises death to whoever dares stand against him. “Bullet’s what your name’s drew,” he spits, “Cock back, aim, shoot.” Check it out below. The soundtrack to The Harder They Fall also boasts Seal, Cee-Lo Green, and “King Kong Riddim,” which features JAY-Z, Jadakiss, and Conway the Machine. The movie arrives on Netflix November 3rd. This weekend, JAY-Z will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along...
Travis Scott’s Astroworld Fest 2021 Boasts Tame Impala, SZA, Bad Bunny & More
Travis Scott has revealed the lineup for the 2021 installment of his Astroworld Festival. Set to take place November 5th and 6th at NRG Park in Scott’s hometown of Houston, TX, this year’s Astroworld is top-lined by Tame Impala, SZA, Bad Bunny, and Lil Baby, in addition to a headlining performance from Scott himself. Other notable acts include Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, Baby Keem, Earth Wind & Fire, 21 Savage, Don Toliver, Master P, Chief Keef, Sheck Wes, Toro y Moi, Yves Tumor, Sofaygo, and the Houston All-Stars. A number of this year’s acts have worked with Scott in the past, setting the stage for some intriguing on-stale collaborations. Notably, Scott and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker collaborated on the track “Skeletons” from Scott’s smash Astroworld album. Scott also recently appeared ...
Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution in Connection to Mac Miller’s Death
One of the men charged in connection with providing Mac Miller the fentanyl that led to his untimely death has agreed to plead guilty. As TMZ reports, Stephen Andrew Walter will enter a guilty plea to federal charges of distribution of fentanyl. In exchange, another charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance was dropped, though Walter still faces up to 20 years in federal prison. According to the plea agreement, Walter “knowingly and intentionally directed Ryan Michael Reavis to distribute fentanyl in the form of counterfeit oxycodone pills, to Cameron James Pettit” on September 4th, 2018. Reavis was Walter’s runner, while Pettit was the drug dealer who eventually delivered those pills to Miller. Miller died from an overdose of fentanyl in combination with cocaine and alcoho...
Kid Cudi Shares Trailer for Amazon Documentary A Man Named Scott: Watch
Next month, Kid Cudi will let fans behind the scenes of his successes and stresses with the new documentary A Man Named Scott: The Kid Cudi Story. Today, he’s shared a first-look at the Amazon Prime film by releasing its first trailer. Coming from director Robert Alexander, A Man Named Scott traces the Cleveland-born rapper’s career from his 2009 Man on the Moon: The End of the Day debut through “over a decade of creative choices, struggles and breakthroughs.” (The doc’s title is actually taken from an unrealized mixtape Cudi announced way back in 2011.) “I sacrificed the privacy of my life and put my story out there to help others,” Kid Cudi says in the documentary’s trailer. “That’s always been my mission. I’m not done yet.” Advertisement Related Video Check out the traile...
Boosie Unleashes Disgusting Homophobic Rant on Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X is one of the most compelling and innovative artists to emerge in the last decade. Boosie (aka Lil Boosie aka Boosie BadAzz) is a one-time Southern rap titan whose career hit the skids when he decided to name his 2017 album BooPac and never recovered. Nowadays, you’re much more likely to see Boosie’s name in the headlines for the homophobic comments posted to his Twitter than you are for his music. Over the last several months, Boosie has made a number of derogatory comments about the “Industry Baby” rapper and his sexuality. Lil Nas X has mostly ignored Boosie, but during a recent Instagram chat with fans, he joked that the two had collaborated on a new song (via HNHH). “Shit fire,” Lil Nas X quipped. “I ain’t even gonna lie, for real. Gotdamn song with Lil Boosie gonna come out...
Rap Song of the Week: Maxo Kream Details Immeasurable Loss on “CRIPSTIAN”
Every week, our new music feature Rap Song of the Week breaks down our favorite hip-hop tracks of the week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, we highlight Maxo Kream’s WEIGHT OF THE WORLD opener “CRIPSTIAN.” The world has changed immeasurably in the two years since Maxo Kream released his standout project Brandon Banks, and the Houston rapper might be carrying more weight than anyone else. While still grieving the loss of his brother, Maxo’s grandmother was hospitalized due to COVID and he had a cousin die by suicide — not to mention a friend whose bail was set at a million dollars. Trauma is a theme explored throughout Maxo’s aptly titled new album WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, but the opening track “CRIPSTIAN” distills all his pain from the get-go. In addition to his dad and frien...
Judge Approves Kanye West’s Petition to Change Name to “Ye”
A California judge has approved Kanye West’s request to legally change his name to “Ye.” According to documents viewed by Consequence, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court approved the name change request on Monday. Ye first filed a petition requesting the rebrand in August, with no middle or last name. Ye has yet to publicly comment on the name change, but in a 2018 interview with radio host Big Boy, he expressed his affinity for the word by pointing out that it is “the most commonly used word in the Bible,” and that it’s a plural form of “you.” That same year he also tweeted about his desire to be called “Ye,” writing, “the being formally known as Kanye West … I am YE.” Advertisement Related Video Over the weekend, Ye gave his first live performance in over three year...
