Rap
Lil Wayne Reveals New Single “NFL” Featuring Gudda Gudda and HoodyBaby: Stream
Just weeks after dropping his massive deluxe edition of Tha Carter V, rapper Lil Wayne has scored another big release. Today, he’s unveiled his new song “NFL”, which serves as the official soundtrack to Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. “Ballin’ like we at the Super Bowl/ Scored a touchdown and just spiked this shit/ You know the other team, they don’t like this shit,” boasts the Louisiana-born Lil Wayne. He’s assisted by fellow hip-hop acts Gudda Gudda and HoodyBaby, and the track’s moody production was handled by Boi-1da (Drake, Rihanna) and !llmind (Kanye West, J. Cole). Check out the lyric video for “NFL” below. Thursday Night Football on Amazon kicks off October 8th with a showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears. Editors’ Picks In addition to Tha ...
DaBaby Joins Dua Lipa on New Version of “Levitating”: Stream
Back in August, Dua Lipa teamed with Madonna and Missy Elliott for a remix of her Future Nostalgia track “Levitating”. Now she’s back with another new version of the song, this one featuring rapper DaBaby. Unlike the Madge and Missy take, which vastly altered the song’s sound for the Club Future Nostalgia remix album, this rendition of “Levitating” isn’t really a remix. The electro-disco vibes, equal parts bubbly and sexy, are very much intact. The only real difference is the appearance of DaBaby, who drops in for a verse in which he raps, “I had to lace my shoes for all the blessings I was chasin’/ If I ever slip, I’ll fall into a better situation/ So catch up, go put some cheese on it/ Get out and get your bread up.” The Charlotte MC also appears in the single’s music video, which was ma...
Travis Scott Performs “Franchise” on Kimmel with M.I.A. and Young Thug: Watch
Young Thug, Travis Scott, and M.I.A. on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Travis Scott was both the lead guest and musical performer on the Thursday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. When he wasn’t pimping burgers for McDonald’s, Scott reminded everyone that there’s an artist lurking beneath the brands with a performance of “Franchise”. Scott’s interview covered his new promotional deal with the Golden Arches, which is basically just a quarter pounder meal with limited options. The so-called “Travis Scott Meal” became a TikTok sensation, and so popular that some stores began to run out of quarter-pound patties. The Houston rapper then shifted into high gear for his delivery of “Franchise”, assisted remotely by collaborators M.I.A. and Young Thug. The high-production performance played out more l...
Denzel Curry Unleashes Furious New Song “Live from the Abyss”: Stream
Back in June, Denzel Curry lent his fury to the protest song “PIG FEET”, featuring Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington. Judging by his newest single, “Live from the Abyss”, the Florida rapper is still very much up in arms over our current state of affairs. Although a slow-burning affair production-wise, Curry’s raging bars carry intense heat. “I don’t fuck with my president,” he declares at one point, echoing a majority of Americans. As his anger over Trump and racism mounts, Curry closes the track nearly scream-growling into the mic. “Live from the Abyss” is officially the mood for 2020. Stream the track below. To coincide with Bandcamp Friday, all net proceeds through the month of October will be donated to the protest group Dream Defenders. Its mission reads: “We are an uprising of reb...
YG Drops New Album My Life 4Hunnid: Stream
YG has let loose his new album, My Life 4Hunnid. Stream the Def Jams release below via Apple Music or Spotify. Today’s release serves as YG’s fifth full-length to date and follow-up to 4REAL from 2019. It features a solid list of guests like Lil Wayne (“Blood Walk”), Lil Tjay (“Hate On Me”), and Gunna and Ty Dolla $ign (“Surgery”). In the lead-up to today’s drop, YG shared a number of promising singles, including the flexing “SWAG” and the timely ACAB anthem “FTP”. The 13-song LP also contains “Out on Bail”, drawn from the Compton rapper’s own real-life experience with the prison system. Earlier this year, YG was arrested and charged for robbery. The MC was released shortly after — just in time for his Grammys tribute performance to Nipsey Hussle — but clearly those events have stuck ...
Megan Thee Stallion and Young Thug Join Forces on New Song “Don’t Stop”: Stream
Young Thug (photo by Philip Cosores) and Megan Thee Stallion (photo via Instagram) Megan Thee Stallion and Young Thug have teamed up to release a new collaborative single called “Don’t Stop”. Take a listen below via its accompanying video. “Don’t Stop” is the latest in what feels like dozens of collaborations for Megan this year. Throughout 2020, she’s dropped new music with Beyoncé, DaBaby, Juicy J, and of course Cardi B. The viral hit she made with the latter has stirred up plenty of controversy, with Republican congressional candidates, infamous Fox anchors, and reality TV stars alike all freaking out over the sexually fueled number. “Don’t Stop” also comes in anticipation of Megan’s first-ever appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Editors’ Picks Unfortunately, Mega...
21 Savage and Metro Boomin Release New Collaborative Album Savage Mode II: Stream
21 Savage and Metro Boomin have shared their latest collaborative album, Savage Mode II. Stream it in full below via Apple Music and Spotify. The new 15-track effort comes four years after the pair’s Savage Mode EP, a project that bumped Metro Boomin into a new stratosphere of in-demand production and helped 21 Savage make a name for himself. After a petition urging them to release the follow-up garnered over 15,000 signatures, they announced its imminent premiere with a trailer voiced by Morgan Freeman. “‘Savage’ is defined as fierce, beastly, and untamed. ‘Mode’ is defined as a way of operating or using the system,” explained the acclaimed Freeman in the clip. “So to be in ‘Savage Mode’ is to go hard, not allowing anything to stop or deter you from your mission. Basically, this...
Chuck Strangers Returns with New Single “Regular Season”: Stream
Pro Era member Chuck Strangers had a busy 2018 thanks to the rollout cycle for his debut solo album, Consumers Park. Since then, the Brooklyn-based rapper has been relatively silent, but he’s looking to change that today by releasing a new song called “Regular Season”. This is the first official single Strangers has released through his own label, Sounds of Beverly, which he announced earlier this year. A press release suggests there’s more to come from Strangers soon, be it other solo tracks of collaborative material with other artists. The latter wouldn’t come as a surprise considering what a pivotal role he’s played in other artists’ careers over the years. In a statement, Strangers said he felt inspired to write “Regular Season” in part due to the natural evolution that comes with grow...
Westside Gunn Details New Album Who Made the Sunshine
Griselda mastermind Westside Gunn has provided details for his next album, Who Made the Sunshine. His major-label debut arrives this Friday, October 2nd through Shady Records. Westside is surely one of the few people on this blessed Earth who can call 2020 his best year yet. April’s Pray for Paris was an early contender for rap album of the year, and he followed that up in July with the solid, though occasionally uneven mixtape FLYGOD Is An Awesome God II. Even beyond that, his labelmate and real-life brother Conway the Machine put out the excellent Griselda effort From King to a God, while recent signee Armani Caesar made waves with her new tape The Liz. Now Mr. Gunn is ready to put a bow on 2020 with his debut on Shady Records. Who Made t...
Testament’s Alex Skolnick Unveils New Rap Song “Trump Sucks”: Watch
Testament’s Alex Skolnick (photo by Antonio Marino Jr.), President Trump (via YouTube) Testament’s Alex Skolnick has long been regarded as one of thrash metal’s finest guitarists, but now he’s showing off his rap skills. The metal musician spits verses on his new original track “Trump Sucks”. The veteran rocker is not exactly Snoop Dogg when it comes to his flow, but he’s got some clever rhymes that spotlight his gripes with Donald Trump and the current administration in the White House. Skolnick was inspired to write and record the song by certain responses to his recent Instagram post condemning the president. “This song just poured out of me yesterday,” wrote Skolnick about the song. “It was completed in a matter of hours. To all the # Trump2020 and # Maga folks who’ve been floodi...
21 Savage and Metro Boomin Announce New Album Savage Mode 2
21 Savage and Metro Boomin have announced Savage Mode 2, the follow-up to the 2016 trap blockbuster Savage Mode. The sequel arrives this Friday, October 2nd, and in the anticipation, the duo have shared a trailer narrated by none other than Morgan Freeman. The original EP came at a pivotal time in both men’s careers. Metro Boomin was 22 years old and already had half a dozen big hits under his belt. He may have been an in-demand beat-maker, but everybody knows Metro Boomin wants some more, and the collaboration with 21 Savage allowed him a chance to executive produce and expand his empire. As for Savage, he was a 23-year-old rising rapper in Atlanta with a pair of mixtapes to his name. After the co-sign from Metro Boomin, he became a star almost overnight. The Savage Mode 2 ...
Public Enemy Are Mostly in Full Effect on the Rallying What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?: Review
The Lowdown: 2020 has become a year of extremes. A global pandemic that will forever affect the way that we live our lives. A political climate that has created division at a level that the United States has rarely seen. And a racial divide that has reached a boiling point. During times as distressing as these, it is important to have representation — a voice that holds the establishment accountable and gives an in-depth report on the current state of the nation and the world at large. For over 30 years, the legendary hip-hop crew Public Enemy have provided that hard-hitting soundtrack reporting back on our oft-troubled country. Last Friday, PE released their 15th studio album, What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?. Their first on Def Jam since 1998, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and DJ Lord ...
