Hip-Hop
Jay-Z, Yo Gotti and Team Roc File Suit Against Mississippi Prison Over Health Conditions
In the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic across the nation and in Mississippi prisons, Jay-Z, Yo Gotti and Team ROC have filed a class-action lawsuit against on behalf of 227 Mississippi inmates against the state’s new Department of Corrections Commissioner Nathan Burl Cain and Centurion (the healthcare provider for all Mississippi prisons) in an effort to address the dire conditions for prisoners in lockdown during the pandemic. According to a copy of a sworn COVID-19 questionnaire filled out by some Parchman prisoners provided to Billboard by a spokesperson for Team ROC, the men describe a lack of COVID testing protocols in the century-old prison, reports of officials saying that corona tests in short supply, poor social distancing, a lack of PPE and confinement in cl...
Kanye West Drops New Song “Donda” in Honor of Late Mother: Stream
Kanye West has unveiled a new song in honor of his late mother, Donda West, on what would have been her 71st birthday. Simply titled “Donda”, the track begins with audio of Kanye’s mother reciting lyrics to KRS-One’s “Sound Of Da Police”. Kanye himself takes over around the 1:28 mark. Listen below. Donda West died on November 10th, 2017, one day after undergoing a plastic surgery procedure. A coroner later determined she passed from coronary artery disease and “multiple post-operative factors.” Last month, Kanye released “Wash Us in the Blood”, a collaboration with Travis Scott that serves as the first preview of Kanye’s upcoming album, God’s Country. He also recently announced his intention to run for president in 2020, though he has yet to file the proper paperwork and some family and fr...
Neighbors Called the Cops on the Birthday Party for Cardi B and Offset’s 2-Year-Old Daughter
On Saturday, June 11th, Cardi B and Offset (but mostly Cardi B) threw their adorable two-year-old daughter Kulture a lavish birthday party. While the kids vaulted around ornate bouncy castles, adults sipped on themed cocktails. Both groups were apparently having such a good time that the neighbors felt compelled to call the cops. Cardi B filmed police officers entering her home, and the noise complaint was apparently resolved quickly and amicably. As noted by The Daily Mail and on social media, Cardi B posted the video as an Instagram Story with the caption, “We was too loud I guess.” The short clip showed the rap star staring deadpan at the camera, sucking down a martini, while a mask-wearing police officer loomed behind her. A man’s voice is heard greeting the cop, saying “How ...
Kanye West Pays Tribute to Late Mom With New Song ‘DONDA’: Listen
Kanye West has shared a musical tribute to his late mother, Donda West, on what would have been her 71st birthday. The hip-hop star posted the new song “DONDA,” which opens with a recording of his mom reciting the lyrics of KRS-One’s “Sound of da Police”. In the second part, ‘Ye leaps in with both feet as he ruminates on racism, the Devil and “fake leaders,” all set to an uplifting soundbed. On it, he says, “Mama I need you to tuck me in/ I done made some mistakes and they rubbed it in/ I know you and grandma had enough of them/ Why I gotta be so stubborn then/ I’m doin this one for y’all/ So we can end racism once and for all.” Earlier in the day, Kim Kardashian West posted a vintage video of her husband and his mom singing his song “Hey Mama”, from 2005’s Late Registrat...
Kid Cudi and Eminem Release New Collaborative Single “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady”: Stream
Kid Cudi and Eminem have released their very first collaboration, “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady”. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. For a high-definition listening experience, you can sign up for a 60-day free trial of TIDAL HiFi. The joint single was initially announced Wednesday afternoon by Cudi’s own young daughter, Vada Wamwene Mescudi. “Hi! It’s Vada, I’m here to say that my daddy’s new single, ‘The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady,’ is coming on Friday! Check it out!” she adorably revealed in a video posted to Twitter. It’s not clear whether the new song is just a one-off release or taken from a larger project, such as Cudi’s promised Entergalactic album. The track’s title, of course, is a reference to the two rappers: in 2009, Cudi released a t...
Kim Kardashian Shares a Sweet Throwback Video of Kanye West in Honor of His Late Mom’s Birthday
Kim Kardashian honored her late mother-in-law, Donda West, with a sweet tribute to mark what would’ve been her 71st birthday on Sunday (July 12). The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star shared a vintage video of husband Kanye West singing his song “Hey Mama” off 2005’s Late Registration via Twitter and Instagram Stories. In the clip, the rapper can be seen smiling broadly as he sings and dances alongside Donda in a home kitchen. West told Oprah Winfrey in 2005 that he wrote the tune for his mother in 2000. “It’s one of my favorite songs,” he said at the time. The rapper has previously performed the song on Mother’s Day 2019 during a special edition of his Sunday Service events. Donda died in 2007 from post-surgery complications. She was 58. ...
August Alsina Reacts After Jada Pinkett Smith Confirms Their Past Romance
August Alsina is speaking out following Jada Pinkett Smith’s confirmation that she and the singer were romantically involved during her separation from Will Smith. The 27-year-old “No Love” singer took social media on Friday (July 10) shortly after Pinkett Smith detailed their past relationship during her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk. “Imagine not knowing how to mind the business that pay you,” Alsina tweeted. “I catch all the subliminals. (Not just about today) & you can call me whatever you like, Mess is constantly inserting yourself in topics you have nun to do w/. Go play w/ ya MAMMY! Not me!” He added, “If you have something to say, say it w/ ya CHEST kids. It’s always very perplexing cause I real deal be showing people genuine...
Kid Cudi Credits Lil Wayne for Helping Land His New Eminem Collaboration: Listen
Kid Cudi joined Lil Wayne on the latest episode of Young Money Radio, where the two rap superstars discussed Cudi’s new collaboration with Eminem and more. Earlier this week, Cudi and Em dropped their first collaboration “Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady.” The fiery new track was set into motion after Eminem was a featured guest on Weezy’s Apple Music show in early May, Cudi told Wayne on Friday (July 10). “Well it’s crazy because your interview kind of set it off, right?” Cudi said, adding that his team reached out to Em’s manager, Paul Rosenberg, after the interview aired. “I had the record and I just was like, ‘Man, let’s send it to him. The worst that could happen is, he doesn’t f–k with it, and then at the end of...
Song of the Week: Kid Cudi and Eminem Get Real on “The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify New Sounds playlist. Music hasn’t pussyfooted around in 2020. Nor has it turned a blind eye to what’s going on in the world. More and more, artists are tackling the topics we see in our daily media feeds and on our nightly news programs, and they’re getting music into the hands — or at least ears — of listeners faster than ever. And that trend makes sense. In a time where artists reveal more about themselves than ever via social media platforms and the world never sits still for longer than a news cycle, listeners are not only demanding that songs address their needs — something to march to, dance to, or lean on — but that they do so in as close to rea...
The Streets Shares New Mixtape None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive: Stream
Today marks the return of The Streets with the UK hip-hop project’s first new release in nine years, the None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive mixtape. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify, or hear it in high-definition quality by signing up for a 60-day free trial of TIDAL HiFi. The follow-up to 2011’s Computers and Blues is described by the The Streets mastermind Mike Skinner as a “rap duets album.” As such, it’s a star-studded affair with guests like Tame Impala (“Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better”) and Donae’O and Greentea Peng (“I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him”). Other contributors include IDLES, Ms Banks, Jesse James Solomon, Chris Lorenzo, Dapz on the Map, Kasien, and more. None of Us finds Skinner reactivating The Streets after shu...
Kanye West Shares Artist Roster for Possible Yeezy Sound Streaming Service
Kanye West could be one step closer to launching his own music streaming service. The 43-year-old rapper and fashion mogul, who recently announced his plans to run for president in 2020, took to Twitter on Friday night (July 10) to share the “roster proposal” for Yeezy Sound, a company he filed trademark papers for in 2017. “YEEZY SOUND ROSTER PROPOSAL,” West captioned a handwritten note featuring a list of artists, including hip-hop duo Abstract Mindstate, G.O.O.D. Music’s CyHi The Prynce, himself, jazz drummer Tony Williams and Clipse. The mysterious list also included the name “KC” — possibly a reference to Jodeci singer K-Ci — and Kanye’s 7-year-old daughter, North West. As previously reported, West’s trademark for ̶...
Yeasayer Drop Copyright Lawsuit Against The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar for ‘Black Panther’ Hit ‘Pray For Me’
Yeasayer voluntarily dismissed the copyright lawsuit against The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar over their Black Panther: The Album highlight “Pray For Me.” In this dismissal obtained by Billboard today (July 10), the indie rock band and its record label We Are Free “confirmed to their satisfaction that no copyright infringement occurred” by the defendants The Weeknd (real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye), Lamar (Kendrick Lamar Duckworth), Canadian producers Doc McKinney (Martin “Doc” McKinney) and Frank Dukes (Adam King Feeney), and labels Universal Music Group, Interscope, Aftermath and Top Dawg Entertainment. In February 2018, “Pray For Me” propelled both The Weeknd and Lamar into another echelon of superstardom when it...
