Hip-Hop
Kanye West Asks for Signatures to Get on South Carolina Presidential Ballot
Kanye West is petitioning to get his name on the presidential ballot in South Carolina, soon after he officially filed to be a candidate in Oklahoma. “Hi guys please sign up to put me on the ballot in South Carolina at any of these locations,” he wrote on Twitter on Saturday (July 18). “You can also sign up at the website.” The message lists eight locations — Chuck Town Bar and Grill, Adams Run Civic Center, Blue Note Bistro, Ravenel Trucking, Tia Banquet Hall, Scotts Grand Banquet Hall, Inspired by Annette Events and Baconsbridge Worship Center — and links to kanye2020.country, where residents can pledge that they are “signing to put Kanye West on the ballot in South Carolina” by signing a “Ye ’20” form ...
Big Sean Remembers Naya Rivera in Emotional Tribute: ‘I’m Still Grieving and in Shock’
Big Sean is “still grieving and in shock” following the death of his ex-fiancé Naya Rivera. The 32-year-old “Bounce Back” rapper took to social media late Friday (July 17) to share a moving tribute to Rivera, who recently died from an accidental drowning in Southern California. “Rest In Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul! Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence,” Sean captioned photos of Rivera on Instagram. “you are a hero! Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn’t achieve that on their own. Rivera, 33, went missing on July 8 after renting a boat in Lake Piru with her 4-year...
August Alsina Revisits Past Relationship With Jada Pinkett Smith on Lil Wayne’s Young Money Radio
Lil Wayne welcomed fellow New Orleans native August Alsina to the season one finale of Young Money Radio, where the two artists revisited Alsina’s widely publicized past relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith. Alsina, who appeared on the Apple Music program Friday (July 17) to promote his third album, The Product III: State of Emergency, made headlines recently after Pinkett Smith confirmed that she and the singer were romantically involved during her separation from Will Smith. The 27-year-old “No Love” singer admitted to Weezy that he will always have feelings for Pinkett Smith — who described her relationship with Alsina as an “entanglement” during an episode of her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk — and that the ordeal has changed his life for ...
Mariah Carey, Ice Cube, Paul McCartney and More Remember John Lewis
The music community is mourning the loss of civil rights icon and longtime U.S. congressman John Lewis, who died Friday night (July 17) after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 80. Following his death, many artists took to social media to remember Lewis, who was the last last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. He is best perhaps known for leading hundreds of protesters in the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. “Today we have lost a heroes’ Hero.. Thank you God for John Lewis’s life of service. Let us continue to try to walk his walk of truth. Rest in Power,” Mariah Carey wrote on Twitter. Other artists paying tribute to Lewis included Paul McCartney, Ice Cube, Lecrae, Katy Perry, Stevie Van...
Open Mike Eagle Drops New Song “Neighborhood Protection Spell (Lana Del Biden Nem)”: Stream
After wrapping up a prolific year in 2019, Open Mike Eagle still had a lot on his mind — and rightfully so. From a global pandemic to a jumbled party of political nominees, this year hasn’t exactly gotten off to the best start. So he did what any talented rapper would do: pick up a mic and recorded a new song. It just so happens that the single, “Neighborhood Protection Spell (Lana Del Biden Nem)”, is as prescient as it is astute. According to The New Negroes star, he decided to write the song because felt like public figures were regularly taking aim at the Black community, seemingly without even realizing it. Instead of venting about the ignorance of and low-flying racist remarks by celebrities — especially, but not excluded to, Joe Biden and Lana Del Rey — he chose to turn his obse...
T.I. Pens Open Letter to Lloyd’s of London Demanding Reparations for Descendants of African Slaves
T.I. is putting Lloyd’s of London “on notice.” On Friday (July 17), the rapper and activist shared a two-page open letter to the U.K. insurance giant, demanding that the firm pay reparations to descendants African slaves for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. “Our people have been financially impaired & economically disabled due to the systemic oppression and institutional racism it leaves behind,” T.I. captioned an Instagram post featuring the letter. “TIME TO TAKE WHAT WE KNOW OUR ANCESTORS DESERVED & DIED FOR.” In June, Lloyd’s acknowledged its ties to the slave trade and pledged to make amends, which included recruiting more Black employees and providing financial support to charities that promote diversity and inclusion, ...
‘Check’ Out Iggy Azalea’s Latest Sultry Outfit: Pics
Iggy Azalea has her 13.5 million Instagram followers “checking” out her latest Fashion Nova outfit. In yesterday’s (July 16) quarantine ‘fit pic, the “Fancy” rapper stays classy and cool with a mimosa in hand, showing off a checkered two-piece set that had Noah Cyrus commenting, “wwoow.” The artist (real name Amethyst Amelia Kelly) unveiled the name of her newborn son, Onyx, on Instagram earlier this week with a voice recording titled “Amethyst & Onyx,” revealing his adorable coos. Last month, she announced she had given birth and that she wanted fans to respect her family’s privacy. “I want to keep his life private but wanted to make it clear he is not a secret & I love him beyond...
Logic Is Calling Time on His Music Career: ‘It’s Been a Great Decade’
Logic is dropping the mic. The Maryland hip-hop artist revealed his future plans in a good-news, bad-news message, which caught almost everyone by surprise. “Officially announcing my retirement with the release of ‘No Pressure’ executive produced by No I.D. July 24th…,” reads a tweet from Logic’s official account. “It’s been a great decade. Now it’s time to be a great father.” Officially announcing my retirement with the release of “No Pressure” executive produced by No I.D. July 24th… It’s been a great decade. Now it’s time to be a great father. Art by @SamSpratt pic.twitter.com/stgSU6dMBt — Bobby No Pressure (@Logic301) July 16, 2020 If he does go out, he’ll do so at the very top of his game. The “Homicide” rapper (r...
DJ Khaled and Drake Team up for ‘Popstar’ and ‘Greece’: Listen
DJ Khaled doesn’t do b-list collaborations. The Miami emcee and music man tapped none other than Drake for his latest work, which spills out over two tracks, “Popstar” and “Greece.” It’s all part of a big plan for the We the Best chief, who this week revealed the title of his forthcoming 12th studio album, Khaled Khaled, due out later this year. Drizzy and Khaled go way back. The hip-hop megastars worked on the track “I’m on One,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2011. And they joined forces on the tracks “For Free” and “Fed Up.” New tracks “Popstar” and “Greece” dropped at midnight. They’re the first tunes from the new album, and both can be streamed in full below. [embedded co...
Audio Engineer Kesha Lee in Atlanta, in a Pandemic: ‘I’m Getting to the Place Where I’m Wanting to Create’
Lee was planning to travel for audio engineer work when her car broke down — now, she’s collaborating with a local songwriter on her own music. Since getting her start through a chance meeting with Gucci Mane, Atlanta-based audio engineer Kesha Lee has worked on chart-toppers like Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” and Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” and is now the go-to audio engineer for rappers including Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert. She spent the past two-and-a-half years working on Uzi’s Eternal Atake album in the artist’s native Philadelphia, before it was released on March 6 — mere weeks before the near-national lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus began. As part of Billboard’s efforts to best cover ...
Will Smith Serves Up New Quarantine Mix: Hear ‘Lo-Fi Summertime Beats to Social Distance To’
Summer, summer, summertime, time to sit back and unwind! On Friday (July 10), Will Smith dropped his second quarantine mix on YouTube. Titled “Lo-Fi Summertime Beats to Social Distance To,” the mix contains tracks by rising producers and artists including Yungmaple (“Two Door Coupe”), Rinse Cycle (“Solitude”), Bloopr (“Cold History”) and more. The 90-minute mix kicks off with a popular quote by Smith from 2007 interview with CBS News, in which he admits, “I’ve never really viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic.” As Smith’s voice echoes, the mix launches into Don_Solo’s “Sentimental Feelings” and the camera pans out to reveal an illustration of the ra...
Japanese Rapper Awich is “Shook Shook” on Her New Single: Stream
Japanese rapper Awich is ready to break through to America with her upcoming EP, and there’s no better track to make a memorable introduction with than “Shook Shook”, the new song she’s dropped today. Over the past few years, Awich has been busy establishing herself as a rising force within Japan’s hip-hop scene. And now, in a few weeks, she will cross over to western audiences with Partition, her upcoming EP due out August 21st via Universal. “Shook Shook” is our first taste of Partition, and it comes on strong in the best of ways. Awich alternates between Japanese and English while rapping about her experiences as a women in the male-centric music industry. Behind her, a dark piano loop can be heard atop a gritty bass beat, all smoothed out by producer Chaki Zulu. It’s almost reminiscent...
