Rap
Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler Finds Cardi B’s “WAP” Song “Disgusting”
When Black Sabbath first emerged, they were branded as “the devil’s music” by conservative Christians. Now, the band’s founding bassist and chief lyricist, Geezer Butler, has branded the popular Cardi B hit “WAP” (featuring Megan Thee Stallion) as “disgusting,” while also admitting he’s an “old goat.” As the first true heavy metal band, Sabbath experienced their fair share of backlash, having been dubbed “Satanists” by many who didn’t delve into the actual words of the songs. While speaking to Kerrang! about the perception of new artists, Butler brought up his own gripes with the salacious “WAP”. “Whatever new music comes out, it’s viewed as the devil’s music,” explained Geezer. “I remember when Elvis came out everybody said he was Satan. And then in the ’60s and ’70s he became America’s n...
Rico Nasty Officially Announces Debut Album Nightmare Vacation
Rising rapper Rico Nasty has officially announced her debut album Nightmare Vacation. The Nightmare begins on December 4th. Over a string of acclaimed mixtapes, the 23-year-old Maryland MC has claimed a punk-inflected corner of the hip-hop universe for her own. She blew up with 2017’s Sugar Trap 2, made her major-label debut with 2018’s Nasty, and proved she was ready for the spotlight with her 2019 Kenny Beats collab Anger Management. At every step along the way, her ascension has felt both thrilling and inevitable. Nightmare Vacation arrives as one of the most anticipated first albums of recent memory. Rico has already shared a few previews including “Own It”, “iPhone” with 100 gecs, and most recently “Don’t Like Me” featuring Don Tolliver and Gucci Mane. Th...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions Lose Luster Without Live Element: Review
It’s been a strange year for the music industry. Case in point: we’re finally watching the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions in November, it’s all being done remotely by tape, and there are no musical performances. Nothing about this is normal, of course, and fans will surely miss the who’s who of rock royalty that can usually be seen rubbing shoulders at the ceremony, not to mention the opportunity to see our heroes climb on stage together — sometimes for the first time in years — to accept hardware and even take a stab at performing our favorite songs. Obviously, the raging COVID-19 pandemic made a normal induction ceremony impossible, and those who produced or took part in Saturday’s telecast deserve credit for finding a way to safely honor the best of the music industry. <i...
Kevin Gates Sings John Mayer’s Eponymous Hook on New Song “Wonderland”: Stream
Louisiana rapper Kevin Gates built a name for himself with his confessional anthems and transparent tracks, but lately he’s been exploring his talent as a singer, too. His latest effort, a new single called “Wonderland”, sees him continue that trend in an unexpected way: by covering John Mayer. Technically speaking, “Wonderland” is an original number by Gates about the highs and lows of being a hopeless romantic. To doll up the chorus, he sings the hook of Mayer’s Grammy-winning hit “Your Body Is a Wonderland”, off his 2001 breakout album Room for Squares, rather faithfully. But make no mistake: Gates doesn’t go full-blown lovey-dovey here. Whereas Mayer’s song is a cheesy attempt to woo a woman over, Gates’ number gets straight to the point about sexual attraction. (Hence a lyric like, “W...
YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Nicki Minaj Link Up on New Song “What That Speed Bout?!”: Stream
In 2018, YoungBoy Never Broke Again released “Nicki Minaj”, a song that paid homage to the Queens-bred rapper of the same name. Today, it appears YoungBoy’s teenage dreams have come true, as he’s now collaborated with idol Minaj on a new single called “What That Speed Bout?!”. The track comes courtesy of veteran producer Mike WiLL Made-It, whose winding synths and stabbing percussion make for a listen that alternates between hypnotizing and urgent. And what is that speed bout, you might wonder? I’m still not quite sure, but I did learn YoungBoy has “got seven figures bouncin’ in the car” and watches Blues Clues, while Minaj loves to rock “diamonds on the chain, blingin’ off my tits.” Big moods all around. All three acts appear in the song’s shiny sci-fi video from Edgar Esteves and Austin ...
Chicago Rapper King Von Shot and Killed: Report
Chicago rapper King Von was reportedly shot and killed outside of an Atlanta nightclub early Friday morning. According to Atlanta police deputy chief Timothy Peek (via the Atlanta Journal Constitution), a confrontation between two groups erupted outside of Atlanta’s Monaco Hookah Lounge shortly after 3:00 a.m. local time. Tragically, “that physical altercation escalated into an exchange of gunfire with those groups.” Two off-duty Atlanta police officers who were working security at the club intervened and exchanged gunfire. Peek said police are investigating the incident, but have yet to determine a motive or identify the gunman(s) responsible for the fatal shots. DJ Akademiks has confirmed that King Von was one of the victims killed in the shooting. “I spoke with his manager who...
Common Performs “Say Peace” on Fallon with Black Thought: Watch
Common linked up with Black Thought and PJ for a new performance of “Say Peace” on Wednesday’s episode of The Tonight Show. The song is off Common’s jazzy new album A Beautiful Revolution Pt 1, which came out last Friday, October 30th. Like so many pandemic performances, “Say Peace” was a combination late-night concert, livestream, and music video. Common and Black Thought rapped in a sound stage together, while a projection of PJ floated behind. The song also included imagery of peaceful protests and young people holding up a single fist representing Black power. Watch it below. Over the summer, Common and John Legend paid tribute to late congressman John Lewis with a DNC rendition of the Oscar-winner “Glory”. Last month, Black Thought released his own excellent solo album Strea...
24kGoldn Drops “Mood” Remix with Justin Bieber and J Balvin: Stream
J Balvin (photo by Heather Kaplan), 24kGoldn, and Justin Bieber (images via Instagram) No sooner had 24kGoldn’s “Mood” summited the Billboard Hot 100 then did Ariana Grande’s “Positions” knock it back down. But in the year of our Lord 1 ALN (that’s After Lil Nas X) we know there’s nothing like a starry remix to buoy flagging sales. In the spirit of the many incarnations of “Old Town Road”, 19-year-old 24kGoldn has shared “Mood (Remix)” featuring two of the biggest superstars in the Americas, Justin Bieber and J Balvin. In its original form, “Mood” featured Puerto Rican singer iann dior. His voice is a littler higher than 24kGoldn, but they have similar tones, and on a first listen only a fan familiar with their music would be able to tell them apart. That’s no longer a problem with Bieber ...
J Dilla’s Welcome 2 Detroit Gets 20th Anniversary 7-Inch Vinyl Box Set
Next year will mark 20 years since the release of J Dilla’s solo debut album, Welcome 2 Detroit. To celebrate, Dilla’s early label BBE Music has announced a deluxe 7-inch vinyl box set reissue set for release on February 5th, 2021. Welcome 2 Detroit — The 20th Anniversary Edition presents the original LP remastered and split amongst 10 discs. Each disc includes one or two of the 16 album tracks backed by either an instrumental or alternate take. The exception is “Rico Suave Bossa Nova”, which is paired with a previously unreleased edit by Azymuth. An additional 11th disc features newly released alternate outtakes, demos, and mixes, while disc 12 includes both the original and instrumental versions of DJ Muror’s new remix of “Think Twice”. Also packaged in the box is a book by British write...
10 Timeless Political Songs for Election Day
This feature originally ran November 2008 and has since been edited for Election Day 2020. Everyone hates politics. Election Day is among us, though. So, it doesn’t matter if you get nauseous any time you flip by C-SPAN or that you once had an asthma attack during your eighth-grade field trip to Washington, D.C. Truth be told, the country’s future is on the line, and it’s your civil duty to get out there and cast a ballot. As a source of inspiration, we scrambled together a cliché collection of the best political anthems out there. Because, really, sometimes you just need to hear the hits again to feel good about something — it’s sort of like how every sports team relies on the same three or four songs to get everyone in the mood. Editors’ Picks So, slap on those headphones, pump up ...
Lil Wayne’s Girlfriend Seemingly Denies Rumors She Dumped Him After Trump Endorsement
After rapper Lil Wayne endorsed Donald Trump for president, TMZ reported that he’d been dumped by his girlfriend, Denise Bidot. It looked like Weezy F. Baby might have to F. himself for a little while, but now Bidot seems to have quashed those rumors. In a since-deleted tweet, screenshotted for posterity, Bidot responded to the breakup story by writing, “I did NOT! This is absolutely false,” (via Complex). Bidot, a model, recently deleted her Instagram account, and one of her last posts was a meme that read, “Sometimes love just isn’t enough.” That fueled rumors of their breakup, and blogger B. Scott poured gas on the fire by publishing a confirmation from someone alleging to be Bidot’s friend. But yesterday, November 3rd, Bidot herself dumped cold water on the story. At this time, it’s no...
Lil Pump Joins Donald Trump for Election Eve Rally, Introduced as “Little Pimp”
As Lady Gaga stumped for Joe Biden in Pittsburgh, Donald Trump countered with his own “celebrity” endorser. During a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Monday night, Trump was joined on stage by Lil Pump. The Harvard Dropout rapper came out in support of Trump last week, after apparently learning of Biden’s plan to tax individuals making over $400,000 a year. “Fuck I look like payin’ an extra 33 in tax for Biden, bitch ass n*gga? Fuck Sleepy Joe, n*gga! Trump 2020, bitch,” he yelled in a clip posted to social media. Word apparently got back to the reality show president, who’s always on the lookout for a new attraction for his “COVID-19 Superspreader World Tour”. Of course, neither man bothered to do one iota of research on the other before taking the stage together. Trump introduced Lil P...
