Hip-Hop Music News
André 3000 Selling Shirts Based on His Jumpsuits to Benefit Movement for Black Lives
André 3000 has reemerged. No, not with a new verse or track, but with new merch. The Outkast members is selling shirts specifically to benefit Movement for Black Lives. The long-sleeved black T-shirts are based on the jumpsuits 3 Stacks wore during OutKast’s 2014 reunion tour. Each one is emboldened with one of 13 phrases André 3000 wore across his chest during that anniversary trek, along with a “Not 4 Sale” tag printed on the left sleeve. (Why 13? André isn’t known for doing things haphazardly, so one has to wonder if it’s a reference to the 13th Amendment.) Designs include “across cultures, darker people suffer most. why?”, “can one rest in peace & violence?”, “narcissistic americans.”, “obviously oblivious.”, “which type of stereo are you?”, and the direct “breathe.” The collection...
Ice Cube Posting Anti-Semitic and Russian Propaganda on Twitter
Since the murder of George Floyd spurred a nationwide uprising of police brutality protests, Ice Cube’s music, specifically N.W.A.’s “Fuck Tha Police”, has felt extremely on-point. His tweets, on the other hand, have not: the veteran rapper and actor has been uploading images promoting anti-Semitic and Russian propaganda. On June 6th, Ice Cube tweeted an image of a mural that was removed from a wall in London’s East End for being anti-Semitic. The picture features a handful of caricatured Jewish businessmen playing a game of Monopoly on top of a table that sits on the backs of black men. The image itself contains the words, “All we have to do is stand up and their little game is over.” Earlier today, he shared a picture of a black cube in the center of the Jewish Star of David. The pu...
RZA Shares New Bruce Lee-Inspired Song “Be Like Water”: Stream
RZA has released “Be Like Water”, a new song dedicated to Bruce Lee soundtracking ESPN’s forthcoming “30 for 30” documentary on the iconic martial arts expert and actor. “Bruce Lee’s teachings extended beyond physical martial arts. He was full of philosophy and mindfulness,” RZA said of Lee’s legacy in a statement. “His quote ‘Be Water my friend’ is profound and multi-tiered in definition,” the founding member of Wu-Tang Clan continued. “It inspires the idea that in adapting to life situations, sometimes we have to flow smoothly as a stream, while other times we have to crash like a Tsunami.” On his new track, RZA can be heard instructing, “Be like water/ Water crosses over every border/ From the mud of the Yangtze River to the sand beaches of Florida.” He later praises Lee’s films, s...
When Ahmaud Arbery’s Lawyers Couldn’t Get to Court, JAY-Z Sent a Private Jet
Blerim Elmazi and S. Lee Merritt, via Instagram, and Jay-Z, photo by Amy Price On June 4th, two lawyers representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery — the 25-year-old black man who, last February, was murdered while jogging through his Georgia neighborhood– found themselves without transportation to a court hearing in Brunswick, GA. After unsuccessfully trying to purchase plane tickets or rent a car, Blerim Elmazi and S. Lee Merritt were rescued by rapper JAY-Z, who chartered a private jet to fly them to the courthouse on time. “[Merritt] and I spent hours trying to find flights or cars,” Elmazi wrote in an Instagram statement. “At 1 am we started losing hope till we got a call from Jay Z’s people at Roc Nation who chartered a flight for us to attend this hearing with the family of Ahmaud Arbe...
Meek Mill Breaks Down the “Otherside of America” on New Single: Stream
Meek Mill has shared a new single called “Otherside of America” about his childhood growing up black in the US. The political track opens with a sample of a negative Donald Trump speech over romantic orchestral strings, setting the rapper up for an emotional journey. Don’t mistake “Otherside of America” for your usual protest song. While there’s a high intensity to the track, courtesy of producers Butter Beats and Shroom, the Grammy-nominated rapper spends his time talking about the effects of poverty, violence, and racism on black kids-turned-teenagers with nuance and vivid imagery. “Reporting live from the other side/ Same corner where my brothers died,” he raps. “Living like we ain’t got care/ Told my mama I ain’t dying here.” Stream it below. Earlier this week, Mill — who was released ...
Tyler, the Creator is Fine with GOLF Store Property Damage During Protests
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, cities around the US have imposed strict and early curfews in an effort to prevent violent protests and looting. However, rapper and GOLF Wang clothing founder Tyler, the Creator doesn’t seem to care about property damage to his own store. Tyler’s GOLF store was recently vandalized during protests in Los Angeles. Rather than condemn demonstrators and looters, though, he simply posted a picture of the Black Panther Party on his GOLF WANG Instagram account. “BLACK FURY: keep your eyes wide and educate yourself,” the Odd Future artist wrote in the caption. In a later comment, Tyler acknowledged that the issues gripping the nation go far beyond a broken door or window. “and the store is fine, but even if it wasnt, this is bigger than getting some glass fix...
YG Releases New Protest Song “FTP” (“Fuck the Police”): Stream
For the last four years, “FDT” has been something of a signature song for YG — and with good reason. Now he’s back with another acronymic protest song to match the current socio-political climate: “FTP”, or “Fuck the Police”. Bass heavy with piano notes creeping throughout, the track sees YG being direct about his feelings about the “Ku Klux Cops,” as he puts it. “I’m tired of being tired of being tired/ I’m tired of being shot at like a opp,” he raps. “Callin’ all the foodies from the tribe/ We on some fuck the police shit, it’s the vibe.” YG announced the song via an Instagram video in which he said he wouldn’t be attending a protest he’d promoted earlier. Standing in front of a framed photo of Nipsey Hussle (who joined him on “FDT”), YG said, “I was told today that my protest is not saf...
Killer Mike Delivers a History Lesson and Assigns White America Homework on Colbert: Watch
After a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, America erupted. Police clashed with protestors, cities imposed curfews, largely peaceful demonstrations spilled over into vandalism, looting, and arson, and white nationalists impersonated legitimate activists to sow distrust and chaos. In the midst of generational turmoil, the rapper Killer Mike delivered a powerful speech that balanced historical awareness, community love, and a rage that threatened to become all-consuming. By speaking directly to his Atlanta neighbors, he gave voice to Americans everywhere. And now that his words have gone viral, the artist born Michael Render is using his heightened platform to push that message forward. On Monday, June 1st, Killer Mike called into the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert&nb...
Run the Jewels Reject Racists on New Song “A Few Words for the Firing Squad (Radiation)”: Stream
Run the Jewels have just dropped the perfect song to coincide with the Black Lives Matter protests raging across the country. Titled “A Few Words for the Firing Squad (Rotation)”, the poignant track sees Killer Mike and El-P condemning racism, while also being the voice of the marginalized. “This is for the never heard, never even get a motherfucking word,” El-P raps during one of his verses, his words punching just as hard as the track’s driving production. But it’s Killer Mike’s turn at the mic that provides the most graphic visual, as he references both lynching and slavery, “This is for the do-gooders that the no-gooders used and then abused/ For the truth tellers tied to the whipping post, left beaten, battered, bruised/ For the ones whose body hung from a tree like a piece of strange...
Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, and Denzel Curry Throw It Down on New Protest Song “PIG FEET”: Stream
Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington (Debi Del Grande), and Denzel Curry (Cat Miller) Protests are sweeping the nation from coast to coast following the murder of George Floyd, who died while in Minneapolis police custody last week. To express their own rage over police brutality, and the systemic racism in America that allows it, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, and Denzel Curry have joined forces on a new single called “PIG FEET”. Producer Martin and saxophonist Washington deliver arrangements of frenetic, and sometimes clashing, jazz to mirror the present-day chaos of this country. Curry, meanwhile, recounts a tale too often told by young blacks. “Helicopters over my balcony/ If the police can’t harass, they wanna smoke every ounce of me,” the Florida-bred MC says. “You tell me life’s a ...
Anonymous Hacks Chicago Police Scanners to Play N.W.A.’s “Fuck Tha Police”
N.W.A. As the protests over George Floyd’s death and normalized police brutality continue into a new week, we’ve seen everything from celebrities marching in the streets to tone-deaf remixes of Martin Luther King Jr. speeches. Over the weekend, the notorious hacker group Anonymous joined the fray by tapping into Chicago Police Department’s radios and playing N.W.A.’s “Fuck Tha Police”. This past Saturday, the notorious hacker group returned to social media to announce their solidarity with the protestors fighting racism and corruption in the US. “If the police can’t restrain themselves and are shooting reporters, kicking protesters, punching protesters, and engaging in violence — how can anyone expect the people to restrain themselves? People are done being brutalised and murdered,” they t...
Lil Wayne on George Floyd’s Death: “If We Want to Place the Blame on Anybody, It Should Be Ourselves”
Lil Wayne has addressed the killing of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died with the knee of police officer Derek Chauvin on his neck. In a conversation with Fat Joe on Instagram Live on Friday, Wayne said, “If we want to place the blame on anybody, it should be ourselves for not doing more than what we think we’re doing.” The controversial remarks came after a conversation about the time a police officer saved Wayne’s life. At the age of 12, the precocious rapper discharged a hand-gun and shot himself in the chest. Robert Hooper, an off-duty cop whom Weezy referred to as “Uncle Bob,” appeared on the scene. He said that, on the way to the hospital, Cooper “sat in the backseat with me and held me in his arms.” At the conclusion of that story, Fat Joe asked Lil Wayne about the death of...
