Rap
Unreleased Notorious B.I.G. Freestyle Unveiled in (Sigh) Pepsi Commercial: Watch
Over twenty years after the murder of The Notorious B.I.G., the musical pantry is bare and fans will take any new crumbs they can get. It’s in the spirit of feeding the hungry that we offer you a previously unreleased freestyle from 1997, which has now come to light in a (sigh) Pepsi commercial. Via TMZ, Biggie laid down the lyrics in an appearance on the New York radio station Hot 97. Afterwards, it pretty much disappeared — until now. In defense of the makers of sugar water, it really is a whole entire verse about Pepsi. He raps, “Big slam, quick slam, tin can, whatever/ Whether too cold or too hot/ You got to keep Pepsi in the freezer/ I keep a 3 liter for my crew/ My girl like them diet joints too.” Ask not why Biggie Smalls keeps his soft drinks in the freezer, and instead e...
Ty Dolla $ign and Post Malone Link Up on New Song “Spicy”: Stream
Ty Dolla $ign has teamed up with Post Malone for a new song called “Spicy”. The track is taken from Ty’s forthcoming guest-heavy album, Featuring Ty Dolla $ign, which also boasts contributions from Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Nicki Minaj, FKA Twigs, Anderson .Paak, Roddy Ricch, and over a dozen others. The last time Ty and Malone crossed paths was on Posty’s 2018 hit “Psycho”. This time around, the 38-year-old veteran has brought the young crooner into his world for a smooth and bouncy track that suits both of their suave rapping styles. “She my spicy lil’ mama, she let me bust her piñata,” Ty croons with a drawn-out intonation during the hook. Malone’s boo is just as sensual, as he rap-sings, “She tryna pull my pants down/ I was lightin up a stoge on my break time/ Told her ‘Babe, I got a ...
50 Cent Endorses Donald Trump Even Though “Trump Doesn’t Like Black People”
Joe Biden has proposed raising taxes on people making over $400,000 a year. That was news to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who upon learning of the policy, quickly endorsed Donald Trump with the stirring words, “I don’t care Trump doesn’t like black people.” Still, this is a somewhat surprising endorsement. As recently as March, Jackson blasted Trump supporters over the government’s coronavirus response, saying “You wanted a reality show host as president. Well, now you’re on Survivor.” But something seems to have changed over the last six months. He recently posted a video of Trump dancing to “YMCA”, praising the President’s “no fucks given” attitude. Then today, October 19th, Mr. Cent published a CNBC screenshot that (somewhat misleadingly) showed the highest-possible tax rates for the top 1...
Benny the Butcher Flexes His Street Cred on the Star-Studded Burden of Proof: Review
The Lowdown: Despite how prolific Griselda have been in 2020, it has been a full year since we have gotten a solo Benny the Butcher project. In that time, Griselda have signed a Roc Nation management deal, dropped a group album, performed on Fallon, and tested the limits of how many solid albums a collective can drop in a short period of time. People have been waiting on Benny ever since 2019’s The Plugs I Met, an EP that brought him to a higher level of fame for its coke tales, OJ comparisons, and 38 Spesh’s lamb and stick. Benny is a man of history. The East Buffalo-bred MC has studied the game to a tee and has all of the co-signs that other rappers spend a whole career wishing they could boast. Growing up on the infamous Montana Avenue, he has spent a lifetime waiting for this moment to...
Run the Jewels Debut RTJ4 Live with Zack de la Rocha, Josh Homme, and Others: Review
GOTV Meets WFH: We’re eight months into a global pandemic and 17 days away from the strangest presidential election in modern memory, so it’s no huge shock that this year’s get-out-the-vote efforts look drastically different than past cycles. Mostly, that’s meant a shift away from performing at rallies and towards ensuring that all votes get counted safely and fairly. Those efforts have taken various shapes that conform to our current isolation, from the swing state organizing of Justin Vernon’s for Wisconsin initiative to charity Bandcamp compilations like Talk-Action=Zero Vol. 2 and Good Music to Prevent the Collapse of American Democracy to weary remote testimonials shared in a recent Pitchfork feature. Enter Run the Jewels. The Atlanta hip-hop duo of Killer Mike and El-P already owned ...
Statik Selektah Teams with Nas, Joey Bada$$, and Gary Clark Jr. on New Song “Keep It Moving”: Stream
Statik Selektah (photo courtesy of artist); Gary Clark Jr., Joey Bada$$, and Nas (photos by Ben Kaye) Statik Selektah has shared a star-studded new single called “Keep It Moving” featuring Nas, Joey Bada$$, and Gary Clark Jr. With jazzy guitar licks from Clark Jr. and throwback bars from both New York MCs, “Keep It Moving” sounds like it’s rolling through an early-’90s NYC. With their respective verses, the rappers speak on what it means for the Black community to rise up against the systems of oppression around them, from wherever they may come. “Lot of us turn out to predicate felons, not I/ My brethren’s addicted to sellin’, slipped and turned to somebody’s seller,” raps Nas. “I wish that somebody would tell us then/ Tell us chances are slim when you dancin’ with sin/ It all start from ...
50 Rappers Who Changed the World Celebrates Hip-Hop’s Rich History: Review
The Lowdown: Public Enemy’s Chuck D has long advocated that the history of Black music in America — from the blues and R&B to soul and hip-hop — is inextricably linked to the history of the Black community. To understand, for instance, the origins of hip-hop — its power to give a voice to the once voiceless and shine light on both the cultural richness and profound systemic suffering found in urban communities — is to know something vital about the Black experience in America. Candace McDuffie’s new book, 50 Rappers Who Changed the World, does a service to both the history of a genre and of a people by paying tribute to the game-changing emcees from rap’s earliest days right up through artists topping present-day charts. <img data-attachment-id="1077449" data-permalink=&qu...
Diddy Warns If Trump Gets Reelected “There Will Be a Race War”
Diddy has launched a new political action committee, the Our Black Party, with the goal to “center the needs of Black people and Black communities in the political process.” In a fiery interview with Revolt TV, the mogul repeatedly made the point that politicians have neglected the needs of Black Americans, and warned that “If Trump gets elected, I really do believe in my heart there will be a race war” (via Yahoo! Entertainment). In conversation with Charlamagne the God, Diddy suggested that Trump further exacerbated racial tensions with his recent remarks about white nationalist militias in which he said they should, “stand back and stand by.” “White men like Trump need to be banished,” Diddy said. He explained, “That way of thinking is real dangerous. This man literally t...
Benny the Butcher Reveals New Album Burden of Proof: Stream
Benny the Butcher has uncorked his new album Burden of Proof. Scroll onwards to stream it through Apple Music and Spotify. Benny and his cousins Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine have spent the last half-decade slowly building up Griselda Records into an artistic powerhouse. The trio leveled up after 2019’s WWCD, and now 2020 has been the Year of Griselda: W.G. and Con have already released three albums with a fourth on the way, while Griselda associates Armani Caesar and Boldy James have put out excellent projects of their own. Burden of Proof is the latest bid for world domination, but it is sonically separate from the rest of the Griselda universe. While Mr. Gunn and Mr. Machine have favored throwback beats and collaborations with legends like DJ Premier and the W...
The Weeknd Officially Releases Saxy New “In Your Eyes” Remix Featuring Kenny G: Stream
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” may be one of the best songs of 2020, but it’s the After Hours single “In Your Eyes” that’s extra sax-y — quite literally. Today, the R&B superstar has shared a new remix of “In Your Eyes” featuring the one and only saxophone legend Kenny G. The unlikely collaborators first debuted a version of this rework at last month’s TIME 100 event, where The Weeknd was honored as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020. While that live rendition saw Kenny G lend a silky instrumental outro, this official studio release of the remix features two additional solos from the jazz musician and Kanye West associate. We never would have guessed we’d be mentioning The Weeknd and Kenny G in the same breath — they each offer their own very different vision of “sexy mu...
Cardi B Calls Off Divorce from Offset: “It’s Really Hard to Have No Dick”
Crank up “WAP” because Cardi B and Offset are officially back together again. The hip-hop power couple has made amends just four weeks after filing for divorce. Cardi initially cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for wanting to split up from her husband of three years. However, it appears their squabbles may have just been part of a rough patch in their relationship. “I’m just a crazy bitch,” Cardi admitted in a new video, as TMZ reports. “One day I’m happy, the next day I want to beat him [Offset] the fuck up.” But at the end of the day, the pair’s tight friendship and even hotter sex life make all the drama worth it. “It’s really hard not to talk to your best friend,” the “Money” rapper continued, “and it’s really hard to have no dick.” Editors’ Picks “We’re just ...
Nicki Minaj Confirms Birth of Baby Boy
Congratulations to Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty! In a new Instagram post today, October 15th, Her Pinkness confirmed the birth of her first child, a baby boy. Via TMZ, the birth took place on Wednesday, September 30th. Minaj didn’t reveal the child’s name or any baby pictures. But she did share notes of congratulation from various musicians, artists, and fashion luminaries. “Thank you to Queen B, Kim & Ye, Riccardo Tisci, Winnie, Karol & everyone who sent well wishes during this time,” she wrote. “It meant the world to me. I am so grateful & in love with my son. Madly in love. My favorite liddo boy in the whole wide world.” The well wishes can be viewed below, and the differences between them might be notable for the gossip-inclined. For example, Beyoncé ...
