Rap
Lil Durk Drops New Album The Voice: Stream
Lil Durk has released a new album called The Voice. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. This 16-track effort marks Lil Durk’s second full-length of 2020, coming just a few months after Just Cause Y’all Waited 2. As indicated by the cover artwork, The Voice is dedicated to fellow Chicago rapper King Von, who was fatally shot outside of an Atlanta nightclub in November. King Von also appears posthumously on a track called “Still Trappin’”. Additionally, in the video for “Backdoor”, Durk can be seen wearing King Von’s O’Block chain. The Voice also features previous singles like “Stay Down” (featuring Young Thug and 6LACK) and the title track. Outside of his new album, Lil Durk has spent the last 12 months collaborating with Drake on “Laugh Now Cry Later...
Playboi Carti Releases New Album Whole Lotta Red: Stream
Merry Christmas! Playboi Carti has just released Whole Lotta Red, his long-awaited sophomore album. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. The arrival of Whole Lotta Red today couldn’t be more of a worthwhile gift. The Atlanta rapper has been working on the follow-up to his 2018 smash hit Die Lit for over two years now. Carti revealed the album’s title back in August 2018, hinted at various details throughout 2019, and announced the release date earlier this week on Monday. And now, on Christmas day, it’s finally here. As previously hinted at, Whole Lotta Red includes Carti’s chart-topping, unconventional single “@ MEH”, which he released back in April of this year. Other notable tracks include “Go2DaMoon” featuring Kanye West, “M3tamorphosis” featuring Kid Cudi, and “Teen X” featurin...
Gorillaz Unveil Video for “The Lost Chord” Featuring Leee John: Watch
Few artists have made better use of 2020 than Gorillaz have. The virtual band released an album and an almanac, performed special livestream sets, dropped vinyl figurines, and visualized their Song Machine series with nine “episodes” (read: music videos). Today, they’re putting a bow on their busy year by sharing Song Machine’s season 1 finale: a music video — err, episode — for their song “The Lost Chord” featuring Leee John. For this one, the gang — 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel — return to Plastic Beach, the setting of their 2010 album. Unfortunately, their visit is short-lived, as a sea monster portrayed by Leee John emerges from the depths of the ocean and destroys Gorillaz’s former seaside home. Take in Jamie Hewlett’s full visual experience below. Perceptive fan...
Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray Share Cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”: Watch
Well, here’s the strangest gift to ever pop out of an advent calendar. Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray have shared a live-from-home cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”. Seemingly delivered to capture the quarantine vibes of Christmas 2020, Lewis and Murray’s rendition of the Lil Durk-featuring track is downtempo dirge. The former sings as she plucks a heavy bass line, while the On the Rocks actor shuffles out a sloppy drum phrase. “It’s almost christmas!” Lewis wrote in the Instagram post sharing the video. “laugh now cry later.” Check out the duo’s Drake cover below. The Xmas treat is something of a reunion for the pair, who last got in the holiday spirit together for 2015’s A Very Murray Christmas special. Editors’ Picks Lewis also recently reunited with The Postal Service for a fun...
R.I.P. John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, Rap Pioneer and Founder of Whodini Dead at 56
John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, co-founder of the trailblazing hip-hop group Whodini, is dead at 56. Fletcher was a towering figure in the history of rap, known for his playful storytelling and flamboyant Zorro hat. Questlove of The Roots was among the first to share news of his passing on Instagram. “One Love to Ecstasy of the Legendary Whodini,” he wrote, referencing the group’s 1986 hit “One Love”. Questlove added, “This man was legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip hop. This is sad man.” Fletcher’s cause of death has not been made public. Fletcher and his friend Jalil Hutchins founded Whodini in 1982 in Brooklyn. The duo became a trio in 1986 with the addition of DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee. Together they built a national following with hi...
Kid Cudi’s 37-Second “Beautiful Trip” Breaks Record for Shortest Song on Billboard Hot 100
It took Kid Cudi ten years to release the final entry in the Man on the Moon trilogy, but only 37 seconds to break a Billboard record. “Beautiful Trip”, the 37-second intro to Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, has become the shortest song to ever chart on the Hot 100. The Hot 100 launched 62 years ago to celebrate the most popular songs in America. It’s explicitly geared towards singles, and an unconventionally-structured track like “Beautiful Trip” would never have made the list before Billboard began counting online streams. As it is, Man on the Moon III debuted as the No. 2 album in the country behind Taylor Swift’s evermore, and since “Beautiful Trip” is the opening cut on a streaming hit, it almost accidentally grabbed the No. 100 spot on the Hot 100. The song ...
Playboi Carti Will Release New Album Whole Lotta Red on Christmas
Yes, it’s actually happening. Playboi Carti will finally release his long-awaited sophomore album Whole Lotta Red on Christmas Day. The Atlanta rapper has been teasing the follow-up to his visionary 2018 record Die Lit for over two years, revealing its title back in August 2018 and detailing it throughout 2019. Back in April of this year, he dropped its lead single “@ MEH”, which led many people to believe that the album would arrive before the summer. It didn’t, but Carti said that album was “turned in” to his label on November 23rd, and last week some eagle-eyed fans spotted promotional graffiti that seemed to indicate that Whole Lotta Red would finally be seeing the light of day on Christmas. In typical cryptic Carti fashion, the rapper has eschewed a tracklist ...
Lil Durk Pays Tribute to King Von with New Single “Backdoor”: Stream
Lil Durk has released a new song called “Backdoor” dedicated to fellow Chicago rapper and King Von who was fatally shot outside of a nightclub in November. The third single from upcoming album The Voice, it sees Lil Durk protecting himself from his enemies and staying vigilant so as not to end up like his fallen friend. “Before you leave that door, you gotta pick that glock up,” he says, later adding, “I’m riding around with choppers.” In the track’s corresponding video from JerryPHD, Lil Durk sports King Von’s own signature O’Block chain around his neck. As Complex points out, he also shared a text exchange on Instagram confirming his choice of jewelry. Watch the “Backdoor” video below. Lil Durk previously shared The Voice single “Stay Down” featuring Young Thug and 6LACK. This ...
Lil Wayne Drops Off No Ceilings 3 Deluxe Edition: Stream
Hip-hop fans have received an early Christmas present courtesy of good ol’ St. Nick Lil Wayne. Less than a month after dropping his No Ceilings 3 mixtape, the rapper has unboxed a deluxe edition “B Side” version featuring 14 new songs. Stream it below via YouTube or DatPiff. As with its predecessor, this effort is “hosted” by DJ Khaled and comes with multiple star-studded collaborations. Big Sean appears on the opening track “Tyler Herro”, named after the Miami Heat’s impressive young guard. Meanwhile, Rich the Kid pops in on “Throat Baby”, and 2 Chainz lends a few verses to “Hit Different”. Euro and Lil Twist also appear on the effort. If each track sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because they all incorporate, sample, or remix other songs in some way. “Tyler Herro”, for insta...
G Herbo Responds to Fraud Charges on New Song “Statement”: Stream
Earlier this month, G Herbo was arrested and charged with $1.5 million in fraud and accused of stealing identities to pay for chartered flights, a vacation in Jamaica, and designer puppies. Having entered a “not guilty” plea in a Massachusetts court, the Chicago MC is now making his case in the court of public opinion on the new song “Statement”. Herbo begins the verse by exploring the familiar landscapes of his hit song “PTSD”. “Same spot they shot my brother, next day I’m chillin at,” he raps. But after a tour through the mean streets of Chicago, he turns his attention to his recent arrest. “But anyway, said enough of that let’s talk about this paper/ Let’s talk about them jets, yeah let’s talk about Jamaica/ Ask about me I ain’t never been a fraud (ever)/ I went hard from the start (sta...
Eminem Drops Music To Be Murdered By – Side B (Deluxe Edition): Stream
At the top of 2020, Eminem dropped his eleventh studio album, Music To Be Murdered By. Now, as the year comes to a close, he’s unveiled an expanded deluxe edition of the album. Take a listen below via Apple Music or Spotify. Officially titled Music To Be Murdered By – Side B (Deluxe Edition), the release boasts an additional 16 tracks, including new collaborations with Dr. Dre, Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Premier, and Skylar Grey. They’re followed on the tracklist by the album’s original 20 songs. Over the summer, Eminem joined Big Sean on a new song called “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady”, and was forced to defend himself against a home invader. More recently, he made a surprise cameo on Saturday Night Live. Music To Be Murdered By – Side B (Deluxe Edition) Artwork: <img data-att...
slowthai Pops Off on New Song “Thoughts”: Stream
UK rapper slowthai gives us a piece of his mind on the new song “Thoughts”. While the artist born Tyron Frampton recently announced his sophomore album TYRON, “Thoughts” did not appear on the tracklist. This apparent loosie finds the volatile MC spitting a stream of consciousness flow. “There’s a fine line between love and hate,” is how he begins, and this tension infuses all that follows. Early on, he raps, “Couple times I’ve contemplated killin’ my folks,” then later he says, “Knock on wood that my family’s good.” He contemplates a life that’s perceived as, “Too black for the whites, too white for the blacks,” and his childhood traumas are balanced against a recently fat wallet (“Check my account, won’t believe I was poor once”). slowthai’s “Thoughts” is revealing and deeply persona...
