Rap
Heem Announces New Project, Shares “The Realest” featuring Benny the Butcher: Stream
Benny the Butcher is best known as one of the leaders of the prolific Griselda crew alongside Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn. However, the Buffalo rapper is also the head honcho of a different collective called the Black Soprano Family, which consists of a number of underground MCs including the rookie Heem. Back in April, Benny signed a deal to make BSF an imprint of eOne, and over the summer he released their debut project, Benny the Butcher & DJ Drama Present: The Respected Sopranos, which featured numerous amazing verses from Heem that hinted at his potential star power. Today, Heem has announced his first solo project, Long Story Short, and he’s giving listeners a fitting preview by sharing a song called “The Realest” that features The Butcher himself. Over an instrumental t...
Aminé Uncorks Deluxe Edition of Limbo: Stream
Aminé has dropped a new deluxe edition of his latest album Limbo. Stream it below through Apple Music or Spotify. This continues the trend of hip-hop deluxe editions that offer a whole new record’s worth of material. The Portland rapper has added seven additional tracks: “Mrs. Clean”, “Zack & Cody” featuring Valee, “Gelato”, “Talk” with Saba, “Chicken” featuring Toosii, “Buzzin” with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and “Solid”. These cuts come front-loaded, after which Limbo unspools as it did when first released over the summer. In a September interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Aminé explained his intentions behind the album, saying, “When I started making Limbo I though a lot about legacy. I was inspired by a lot of albums, but one that inspired me a while ago was 4:...
Rico Nasty Drops Debut Album Nightmare Vacation: Stream
Genre-bending rapper Rico Nasty has finally released her first full-length album, Nightmare Vacation. The highly-anticipated debut is a fitting end to 2020, which has felt like a year-long nightmare. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Today’s new effort follows mixtapes like Sugar Trap in 2016 and the 2019 Kenny Beats collaboration Anger Management. It features standout singles in “iPhone” and “OFHR?”, both produced by Dylan Brady of experimental pop outfit 100 gecs. The tracklist also includes “Own It”, as well as the Gucci Mane and Don Toliver joint cut “Don’t Like Me”. Other guests include Aminé (“Back & Fourth”) and Trippie Redd (“Losers”). In an interview with the Recording Academy, Rico talked about her evolution over the years and how that impacted the LP. “I definitely...
Top 50 Songs of 2020
The 2020 edition of our Annual Report continues today with our Top 50 Songs of 2020. If you haven’t already, check out our Top 50 Albums of 2020, which came out earlier in the week. Also, be sure to tune in next week as we begin handing out our annual accolades and continue looking back on the strange year that was 2020. Upon being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some years ago, Tom Waits said, “We love music, but what we really want is for music to love us back.” Believe it or not, it felt like music did that in 2020. For me, anyway. I know that it’s easy to see the world through pandemic goggles right now or strictly through the lens of racial injustice or political turmoil. Tragedy and frustration that keeps piling on can definitely cloud our vision or color our window on t...
Run the Jewels Team with Royal Blood for “The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Mix)”: Stream
Rap royalty Run the Jewels have linked up with the rockers of Royal Blood for the new remix “The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Mix)”. “The Ground Below” is the ninth track on RTJ4, and it was already built around crunchy guitars that came courtesy of Gang of Four’s “Ether”. But the original mix kept the strings in the background, the better to accent those thumping drums. Now, the “Royal Jewels Mix” flips that script, easing off the percussion and placing a more muscular guitar front-and-center. RB vocalist Mike Kerr sings the refrain “Your love never meant much to me!” and provides some heavenly “Oohs!” Check out “The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Mix)” below. RTJ4 is one of our favorite albums of 2020, and the Jewels aren’t resting on their laurels. Last month, Killer Mike and...
Drake Selling Scented Candles That Smell Like Drake
The only thing Drake loves more than himself is knowing how much more he’s loved by other people. Perhaps that’s why the Toronto rapper has created a new scented candle that “actually smells like Drake,” so fans can cozy up to his essence in the comfort of their own homes. Drake began teasing his new candle line, Better World Fragrance House, in June by mailing the fragrances to a bunch of his friends, including Kehlani, Steph Curry, and Toronto Raptors players Norm Powell, Fred Van Fleet, and Kyle Lowry. In turn, the celebs all shared pictures of the wicked wonders on social media. “Okayyyyyy thank you @champagnepapi,” wrote Kehlani alongside a photo of a candle inscribed with her name. The official Better World Fragrance House line is set to officially launch “this holiday season,” but t...
G Herbo Arrested for Stealing Identities to Pay for Vacation, Designer Puppies, More
Maybe it’s time for G Herbo to drop “Lawyer Fees Pt. II”. The Chicago rapper has been arrested on 14 counts of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as the Chicago Tribune reports. The $1.5 million scheme allegedly took place over the last four years, and was used to charter private jets, book a vacation, and purchase two designer puppies. The MC born Herbert Wright III isn’t the only one facing legal scrutiny. His manager and promoter Antonio “T-Glo” Strong is “alleged to be the ringleader of a $1.5 million fraud,” according to court records written by U.S. District Judge Robert Dow. Four other men are also charged: rapper Joseph “Joe Rodeo” Williams, and alleged co-conspirators Terrence Bender, Steven Hayes Jr., and Demario Sorrells. All have been charged wi...
Your Old Droog Reveals the Origins of New Track “Krygyzstan”: Stream
Origins is our recurring new music feature in which artists dare to dig deep into the stories behind their latest track. Today, Your Old Droog takes us on a trip to “Krygyzstan”. Recent years have put a different vibe on the life of the American immigrant. Never mind that the entire country was established by expatriates, it feels like there’s never been a more tenuous time for outsiders. Yet that also makes it the perfect time for those with diverse background to embrace those differences, something Your Old Droog does thoroughly on his new album, Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition. Due out December 4th, the effort finds the Ukraine-born, Brooklyn-raised rap musician channeling his Eastern European and Central Asian heritage. He showed us what that sounds like on the lead single “Pravda”, and now h...
Top 50 Albums of 2020
As we return from Thanksgiving and head into December, our Annual Report will spend the next few weeks looking back upon the strange year that was 2020 and the music, film, and television that came with it. We begin today with our Top 50 Albums of 2020. You’ve heard it from me dozens of times already: 2020 has not been a normal year. And by that, I mean absolutely nothing has been normal. The music world hasn’t been immune, of course. I’ve spent more time cancelling flights and accommodations and trying to get tickets refunded than I actually did watching live music this year. Instragram became a concert venue, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions had no performances, and livestreams (which are pre-taped) seem to be the often-underwhelming future of live music at least for the forseea...
Juicy J Unveils New Album The Hustle Continues: Stream
Juicy J has unveiled his new album The Hustle Continues. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. As one of the founding members of Three 6 Mafia, J is a principal architect of the southern hip-hop sound. The Memphis MC’s last solo album, 2017’s Rubba Band Business, was a star-studded affair. But it’s follow-up packs even more guests into the house, cramming 15 features onto 16 tracks. In addition to fellow Mafia-alumn Lord Infamous, The Hustle Continues boasts contributions from Logic, Megan Thee Stallion, Ty Dolla $ign, Conway, NLE Choppa, Jay Rock, Project Pat, Keyglock, Young Dolph, and A$AP Rocky. The record is Juicy J’s first indie effort in ten years. A former signee of Columbia, J has reunited with the first label exec to ever offer him a record deal: Alan ...
Nicki Minaj Still Mad About 2012 Grammys Loss, Drags Bon Iver on Twitter
Bon Iver vs. Nicki Minaj Earlier Tuesday, the nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards were revealed. But not quite everyone is ready to start thinking about next year’s big ceremony: mere hours after today’s announcement, Nicki Minaj reminded Twitter she’s still mad about being snubbed at the 2012 Grammys. Minaj specifically dragged Bon Iver, who beat her to win the Best New Artist accolade that year. “Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade- went on to inspire a generation,” a still-salty Minaj tweeted this afternoon. “They gave it to the white man Bon Iver.” On the strength of sophomore album Bon Iver, Bon Iver, the Justin Vernon-led indie...
Saba Unveils Two New Songs “So and So” and “Areyoudown? Pt. 2”: Stream
The single is dead; all hail the double single. Having already released a two-pack in September, and teaming on another from Femdot earlier this month, the hip-hop chameleon Saba has now released two new songs, “So and So” and “Areyoudown? Pt. 2” featuring fellow Chicagoan Tobi Lou. “So and So” is a laid-back ode to the flow, with the 26-year-old rapper reveling in double- and triple-rhymes based around the flexible “oh” sound. He raps, “Propose a toast ya know,” and with the way he pronounces “propose,” and “toast” that’s four “ohs” right there. He continues, “You made the most with all your highs and lows/ Stick to the code you know the same as before/ Gang la costra nostra.” The song comes with a pastoral music video that showcases Saba in what looks like the hills of Italy. He sits in ...
