Rap
Tkay Maidza Unleashes New Song “Syrup”: Stream
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-07T21:08:42+00:00“>April 7, 2021 | 5:08pm ET Buzzing Australian rapper Tkay Maidza has shared a new song titled “Syrup”. Stream it below. Produced by Maidza’s frequent collaborator Dan Farber, the beat is reminiscent of 2000s era Missy Elliott and Timbaland, giving the Zimbabwe-born artist a thumping palette over which to deliver energetic rhymes. You can tell she had fun recording the song, thanks to lyrics like, “Homie wants the best, but he can’t pay my rate, yuh/ Small body Hilfiger on the dater/ Small money thinker, I’m a navigator/ And that’s the tea, Arizona.” “Syrup” follows February’s “Kim”, Maidza’s bouncy collaboration with rising Georgia rapper Yung Baby Tate. In Marc...
Topaz Jones Unveils Album Release Date, Shares “D.I.A.L.”: Stream
Back in February, Topaz Jones announced that his sophomore album was on the horizon by dropping a single called “Herringbone”. Now, the rapper has officially unveiled the record’s release date alongside another preview track called “D.I.A.L.”. Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is due to arrive in the world on April 23rd. It’s the New Jersey artist’s sophomore album, following his widely-regarded 2016 debut Arcade. Like many artists these days, Jones is choosing to keep many of the record’s details (tracklist, artwork, potential guest features, etc.) under wraps until we get closer to its street date, but at least he’s giving us a taste of what it’ll sound like. Whereas “Herringbone” saw Jones channeling College Dropout-era Kanye over a luscious jazz-rap instrumental, “D.I.A.L.” feels m...
DMX in “Vegetative State” Following Drug Overdose and Heart Attack
DMX is in a “vegetative state” having suffered “lung and brain failure,” according to his former manager, Nakia Walker. Walker told Buzzfeed News that DMX’s condition has not improved since he was initially hospitalized on Friday following a drug overdose and heart attack. “We’re just praying and waiting,” Walker said. “Praying and waiting.” The 50-year-old rapper is currently in the ICU at a hospital in White Plains, New York. His family will host a prayer vigil outside of the hospital on Monday evening at 5:00 pm local time. DMX is best known for his platinum-selling albums It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and … And Then There Was X, which contained signature hits like “Get at Me Dog”, “What’s My Name?”, and “Party Up (Up in Here)”. He also appeared in feature films like Bel...
Song of the Week: Indianapolis Hip-Hop Trio 81355 Bury the Past in Hope of a Better Future on “Capstone”
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, hip-hop trio 81355 return with the second single off their upcoming, full-length debut. If there’s any initial impression to be gathered from hip-hop trio 81355, comprised of three staples of the Indianapolis music scene (Sirius Blvck, Oreo Jones, and Sedcairn Archives), it’s that great music can come from anywhere. It’s commonplace to see artists emerging from the expected staples — Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Nashville — and, so often, it’s harder to find gems like 81355. This collaborative effort has alre...
DMX Hospitalized in Grave Condition Following Drug Overdose
DMX is reportedly in grave condition following a drug overdose. According to TMZ, the 50-year-old rapper was taken to a hospital in White Plains, New York on Friday night and is being treated in the ICU. The overdose reportedly caused DMX to suffer a heart attack. One source familiar with the situation told TMZ that he is in a “vegetative state,” while another source said he has “some brain activity.” DMX has spoken openly about his addiction to crack cocaine, and had received in-patient treatment as recently as 2019. The veteran rapper is best known for his platinum-selling albums It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and … And Then There Was X, which contained signature hits like “Get at Me Dog”, “What’s My Name?”, and “Party Up (Up in Here)”. He also appeared in feature films like&nb...
Freddie Gibbs Turns Into a “Big Boss Rabbit” on New Single: Stream
Spring is here and it looks like Freddie Gibbs is ready to hop to it. He’s just released a new single called “Big Boss Rabbit” alongside a grainy music video, both of which see him boasting about his undeniable talents in the hip-hop scene. Stream it below. “Big Boss Rabbit” is the third single Gibbs has released since partnering with Warner Records, following “4 Thangz” with Big Sean and his ScHoolboy Q collaboration “Gang Signs”. Over quick trap drums, Gibbs uses the new song to rap nonstop about the fruits of his labor, the cash in his pocket, and the designer luggage he totes around. “I’m the best in the world,” he chuckles at one point. “It’s facts.” In the music video, directed by JMP, Gibbs waxes each line from “Big Boss Rabbit” while strolling around in style. He lounges on expensi...
Kenny Mason Drops New Song “Rih”: Stream
Kenny Mason is keeping the faucet running. The Atlanta rapper has dripped out a new song for three weeks in a row now, and his latest is another excellent track called “Rih”. The 25-year-old is building up hype for a new project called Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut, which is the follow-up — not the deluxe edition — for his 2020 debut Angelic Hoodrat. So far, he’s teased it with the grungey “Play Ball”, the celestial “Pup”, and the gnarled “Partments”, and this latest preview is a quietly menacing trap banger. If the four Supercut singles aren’t enough of a glaring indicator, Mason’s style is all over the place. He seems to take as much influence from emo-rap and rock music as he does straightforward hip-hop, but tracks like “Rih”, which feels like a much chiller counterpart to his 20...
BROCKHAMPTON Share New Single “COUNT ON ME”: Stream
BROCKHAMPTON season continues. The hip-hop boy band are back with another new song called “COUNT ON ME”, available for streaming below via Apple Music or Spotify. The track is the second preview from their upcoming album ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE, which is due out in full on April 9th. Last week, they gave us our first taste of the album with a joyfully chaotic new single called “Buzzcut” that featured Danny Brown. “COUNT ON ME” takes things in a more straightforwardly melodic direction, offering the type of bright hook that was absent on the fiery “Buzzcut”. While teasing the song on Twitter, Kevin Abstract described it as “summer time vibes.” “Ride around with the windows down with ya best friend singing super loud to the chorus type vibe – shows the other si...
FKA Twigs Thanks Lil Nas X for “Acknowledging the Inspiration” of “Cellophane” on “Montero” Video
After Lil Nas X dropped his new single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” on Friday, fans were quick to note the visual similarities between it and the music video for FKA Twigs’ 2019 hit “Cellophane”. Both clips feature the artists sliding down a lengthy stripper pole while putting on a difficult routine — by the same choreographer, no less — leaving viewers to question if it was plagiarism or tribute. So Twigs called the rapper on Tuesday to privately discuss the matter once and for all. Ultimately, they’re on good terms, with her even thanking him for “acknowledging the inspiration” of her track. “Thank you @lilnasx for our gentle honest conversations and for acknowledging the inspiration cellophane gave you and your creative team in creating your iconic video!” wrote FKA Twigs. “I t...
81355 Announce Debut Album This Time I’ll Be of Use, Share “Capstone”: Stream
81355 (pronounced “Bless”) is an Indianapolis rap trio signed to 37d03d, the label co-founded by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner. Today, the group announced their debut album, This Time I’ll Be of Use, which is slated for release on May 28th. 81355 is comprised of Sirius Blvck, Oreo Jones, and David Adamson. According to a press release, This Time I’ll Be of Use finds the rappers “reflecting on Black struggle in the pandemic-ridden and democracy faltering landscape” while grappling with “hard-wired truths and imagines alternate realities with better futures while meshing mystical, somber and danceable elements throughout.” As a preview of the album, 81355 shared the opening track, “Capstone”. Over a spaced-out beat, the MCs demonstrate their lyrical...
Queen Latifah’s Anthem “U.N.I.T.Y.” Still Spells Out a Critical Message About Women’s Rights
Editor’s Note: As Women’s History Month draws to a close, arts critic Okla Jones looks back at the indelible legacy of Queen Latifah and the long-lasting influence her anthem “U.N.I.T.Y.” had on women’s rights, especially in the hip-hop world. The contributions of women to the arts have often been overlooked throughout history. In music (specifically hip-hop), the female artist has been held to an unfair critical standard. The industry requires women to be both talented and desirable, only to allow them to be negated by public opinion if they come across as overtly “sexy” or if their content doesn’t fit some status quo. For quite some time, the music business has served as a microcosm for society’s treatment of women overall: including the verbal and physical abuse, lack of appreciat...
Surveillance Footage Captures Altercation Between Quavo and Saweetie in Elevator
TMZ has obtained video of an altercation between Migos rapper Quavo and Saweetie. The incident took place in an elevator in Saweetie’s apartment building in 2020. In the surveillance footage, Quavo and Saweetie struggle over possession of an orange case. Saweetie appears to take a swing at Quavo, at which point he pushes her to the ground. Saweetie remains on the ground for several minutes — including when the elevator doors first open — before slowly picking herself up and limping out of view. At no point in the footage does Quavo offer Saweetie assistance. Quavo and Saweetie had been dating since 2018 but broke up earlier this month. In an Instagram post, Saweetie implied that Quavo had been unfaithful. Related You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we r...
