Hip-Hop Music News
Perspective: Kanye West’s Presidential Run Would Be as a Long-Shot Write-In Candidate
If Kanye West is truly serious about running for president in 2020, he’ll likely have to do so as a write-in candidate. As Kanye will be neither the nominee of the Democrat or Republican party, he’d instead run as an independent or third party candidate. And as an independent or third party candidate, Kanye would not be guaranteed a spot on every state’s ballot: Each state has is own individual rules for getting on its ballot, including requiring a certain number of signatures. Obtaining such signatures in the middle of a pandemic would be a difficult enough proportion, but he would also have to do so in an extremely short timeframe. Each state has a deadline for filing to run for president, and several of those deadlines have already passed. It’s too late to get on the ballot in Indiana, ...
Tekashi 6ix9ine Premieres New Single “Yaya”: Stream
Tekashi 6ix9ine is back with another new single. “Yaya” is the rapper’s third release since getting out of prison, following “Gooba” and “Trollz”. The latter track, featuring Nicki Minaj, recently went No. 1 on the Billboard 100. Despite the success of “Trollz”, 6ix9ine says “Yaya” is the best one I did [sic] so far.” The track hears him rapping and singing entirely in Spanish, suggesting that it’s the first preview of a Spanish-language album currently in the works. Watch the explicit video below. As mentioned, “Yaya” marks his third comeback single since being released early from prison due to the coronavirus. The rapper had originally been sentenced to 24 months behind bars after pleading guilty to racketeering, firearm possession, and drug trafficking charges. ...
Pop Smoke’s Posthumous Album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon is Here: Stream
The posthumous debut album from Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, has been released. Stream it in full below via Apple Music and Spotify. The 19-track collection is the first Pop Smoke release since the Brooklyn-bred rapper was shot dead earlier this year in his Hollywood Hills home at the age of 20. It follows his 2019 breakout, Meet the Woo, and his Meet the Woo 2 mixtape, which dropped just seven days before his passing. Shoot for the Stars features many of hip-hop’s biggest names, such as DaBaby, Future, Quavo of Migos, Lil Baby, 50 Cent, Roddy Ricch, and more. Production was handled by DJ Mustard (YG), WondaGurl (SZA), and Buddah Bless (Travis Scott), among others. Editors’ Picks The cover artwork for Shoot for the Stars was initially done by ...
Vanilla Ice to Play Fourth of July Concert, With 2,500-Person Audience, in Texas
Vanilla Ice’s upcoming concert could prove deadly, and it’s not because he’s playing a dope melody. The “Ice Ice Baby” rapper has announced a Fourth of July concert, with an audience, in the pandemic hotspot of Texas. With a spike in coronavirus cases, Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently ordered the closure of all bars and nightclubs. Restaurant are however allowed to stay open at a 50% capacity, and that’s the legal loophole that’ll allow Vanilla Ice’s concert to move forward as planned. The venue hosting the concert — Emerald Point Bar & Grill in Lake Travis — is considered a restaurant because at least 51% of its sales come from food. As a result, Emerald Point is able to welcome up to 2,500 patrons for its “Independence Day Throwback Beach Party”, which will be headlined by Mr...
DaBaby Is Performing at a 4th of July Concert for a Live Audience
Fresh off his moving performance at the BET Awards, DaBaby is ready to play to a live audience again. According to an Eventbrite listing, the North Carolina rapper is scheduled for a 4th of July concert in Decatur, Georgia that’s well aware of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event, titled “4th of July Bash”, is hosted by J Hart Productions and is being marketed as part of a “weekend concert series” at Cosmopolitan, the newly renovated venue in Decatur. The event lists DaBaby as its featured performer on July 4th alongside MoneyBagg Yo and Blac Youngsta on July 5th. The “4th of July Bash” is proudly declaring itself “the only concert in the city.” Surprisingly, yes, organizers seem to be aware that COVID-19 has been skyrocketing recently — there’s been 43,644 new cases and 560 new dea...
Kanye West and FKA twigs Feature on New Ty Dolla $ign Single “Ego Death”: Stream
Ty Dolla $ign has amassed a star-studded lineup for his new single. “Ego Death” boasts Kanye West and FKA twigs, as well as electronic music producer Skrillex and experimental artist serpentwithfeet. Stream the full song below. During his turn on the mic, Ty Dolla $ign speaks about the toxicity of ego and the freedom that comes with its death. “Ego death is where you find happiness,” raps the Los Angeles native. For his part, Kanye raps abouts mass incarceration and Black voter suppression. The Chicago MC also makes references to the NFL’s history of racism and that one time he feuded with Beck over his controversial Grammys win. Editors’ Picks “Ego Death” comes just 24 hours after the release of Kanye’s own God’s Country single “Wash Us in the Blood” featuring Travis ...
Disclosure Enlist slowthai and Aminé for New Single “My High”: Stream
Disclosure continue to edge closer to the release of their first new album in five years, ENERGY. Following up on last month’s title track, the electronic duo is now sharing a second single called “My High”. For the Lawrence brothers, who are used to weaving together house-inflected club tracks, this latest offering incorporates a new fabric: hip-hop, courtesy of guest rappers slowthai and Aminé. Disclosure talked about the collaborative process in a statement: “We always wanted to work with rappers, we just didn’t know any and we had no means of contacting them… There aren’t a lot of rappers in Reigate. Writing ‘My High’ with Aminé was a lot a fun, he’s hilarious and may as well be a comedian. He writes so quickly and it’s amazing to watch. He brought so much energy to this already very e...
Public Enemy Perform “Fight the Power” with Nas, The Roots, and More: Watch
Public Enemy joined forces with Nas, The Roots’ Questlove and Black Thought, YG, and Rapsody for a special performance of “Fight the Power” to kick off the 2020 BET Awards on Sunday night. The all-star collaboration, which was filmed remotely, was interspersed with protest footage and other powerful imagery to go along with updated lyrics referencing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brook. Elsewhere during the BET Awards, Lil Wayne revisited his 2009 track “Kobe Bryant” in tribute to the late NBA legend; Megan The Stallion delivered a post apocalyptical performance of her new single “Girls in the Hood” and her remix of “Savage”; and DaBaby referenced George Floyd’s murder in a powerful visual for his performance of “Rockstar”. You can replay all of these performances below. ...
Beyoncé Announces New Visual Album Black Is King
Beyoncé will return next month with a new visual album called Black Is King. It’s due out on July 31st exclusively through Disney Plus. The project ties back to Beyoncé’s previous collaboration with Disney on last year’s CGI remake of The Lion King and the companion album, The Lion King: The Gift. According to a press release, Black Is King “reimagines the lessons of The Lion King for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns. The film was in production for one year with a cast and crew that represent diversity and connectivity.” Beyoncé wrote, directed and produced Black Is King herself. The album will incorporate music and visuals from The Gift in addition to featuring the album’s collaborators and other special guests. “The voyages of Black families, th...
Megan Thee Stallion Flips Eazy-E’s Classic in New Song “Girls in the Hood”: Stream
Megan Thee Stallion is ready to break the internet… again. The Houston rapper has just released her latest single, “Girls in the Hood”, which flips Eazy-E’s classic rap hit “Boyz-n-the-Hood” on its head. “Girls in the Hood” is an obvious nod to Eazy-E’s famous single both in name and in sound. The track warps the original number’s backing track into something fresh and modern. Of course, Megan Thee Stallion makes the music into something memorable by turning rapid-fire verses into a straight-up vocal flex, flaunting her skills not just as a rapper, but as a musical artist who continues to climb the charts. Hear it for yourself below. This is the latest instance of Megan Thee Stallion stealing the spotlight in the midst of a pandemic. She dropped her star-studded album Suga in March to high...
Tekashi 6ix9ine Earns First Billboard No. 1 Single with “TROLLZ”
Protest songs have been dominating the streaming and radio charts these past few weeks, but that hasn’t stopped Tekashi 6ix9ine from rising to the top right alongside them. The controversial rapper just earned his first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with “TROLLZ”, his collaboration with Nicki Minaj. According to a press release, “TROLLZ” also helped Create Music Group — the distributor who put out the single — make history by being the first fully independent distributor in modern music industry history to achieve a No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Chart as well. “Tekashi 6ix9ine is without a doubt one of the most galvanizing figures making music today,” said Create Music Group Founder and CEO Jonathan Strauss in a statement. “We are thrilled that we’ve been able to attain what...
Beyoncé Drops New Song “Black Parade” to Honor Juneteenth: Stream
Beyoncé went big to honor this year’s Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On Friday, the pop icon not only launched “Black Parade Route”, an initiative that supports Black-owned small businesses, but she also dropped a brand new song called “Black Parade”. Of course, it’s as timely and moving as expected from Queen Bey. Musically, “Black Parade” is a celebratory blend of pop, trap, hip-hop, and electronica-verging on Detroit techno. Over cascading horns and a chipper flute melody, Beyoncé sings about the unique joys of being Black, touching on everything from womanhood to her heritage and the ways in which Blackness proudly permeates throughout it all. Stream “Black Parade” below. [embedded content] It’s been a while since Beyoncé dropped new music ...
