Hip-Hop
YG Plays ‘FTP’ During L.A. Protest: ‘All of Us Protesting Are on the Same Side’
As celebrities continue to protest across the nation in hopes of accelerating justice for George Floyd and the entire Black Lives Matter movement, YG participated in the action and had a resounding message for his detractors over the weekend. “For anyone out there talking I don’t question your advocacy and don’t think you should question mine,” he wrote in an Instagram post Monday (June 8) after protesting in Los Angeles alongside BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, Melina Abdullah of BLM LA and Kendrick Sampson in Hollywood. “See you gotta understand that a lot of people out there they see me as a N—a. They don’t see the black proud man. They see a kid from Bompton and they expect violence. They hear FTP and they think I’m gonna come and burn m...
Song of the Week: Run the Jewels’ “walking in the snow” Proves Tragically Prophetic
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. After months of being cooped up inside and watching a so-called “invisible” enemy take the lives of thousands of our fellow Americans (and many more of our global brothers and sisters), the idea of returning to normalcy has been on many of our minds. Sadly, for some, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a deadly reminder that some things haven’t changed much. Poor communities, of course, are being hit hardest by the virus, challenging living conditions and less access to proper health care leading to a disproportionate number of deaths in many Black neighborhoods and other minority communities. And despite our country being devastated by...
Megan Thee Stallion Kicks Off Summer for ‘Dear Class of 2020′ With Sizzling Medley
The class of 2020’s graduation after party officially got its start with Megan Thee Stallion Sunday night (June 7). The rapper performed an at-home, virtual medley oozing of summer house party vibes right after this year’s all-star YouTube ceremony came to an end. Her nearly 10-minute set included “Big Ole Freak,” “Hot Girl Summer,” “Captain Hook,” “Cash Shit” and “Savage.” As Katy Perry said during her “Dear Class of 2020” appearance before the fete began, “a global graduation deserves a party for the ages.” “Congratulations to the class of 2020! Have a hot girl summer!” Megan said to the camera as her music wrapped. Sunday’s virtual graduation opened at 3 p.m. ET on YouT...
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...
Janelle Monae, Kelly Rowland & More Recite Maya Angelou Poem For YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020 Celebration
Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelly Rowland, Shonda Rhimes, Yara Shahidi, Janelle Monae and more recited Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” poem during YouTube’s virtual “Dear Class of 2020″ commencement celebration on Sunday (June 7). Each woman took turns reading lines from the poem such as, “Does my sexiness upset you?/ Does it come as a surprise/ That I dance like I’ve got diamonds/ At the meeting of my thighs?” The montage also featured clips of Angelou herself, as well as Misty Copeland dancing alone in a ballet studio. Watch the clip below. [embedded content] You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Ear...
Run the Jewels’ RTJ4 Takes Aim at Systemic Oppression amid National Uprising: Review
The Lowdown: Run the Jewels 4, which was released on June 3rd (two days earlier than originally announced), couldn’t have come at a better time. The duo, comprised of hip-hop mainstays Killer Mike and El-P, have ostensibly grown since their 2013 self-titled debut album. It’s imperative to recognize that the… Please click the link below to read the full article. Run the Jewels’ RTJ4 Takes Aim at Systemic Oppression amid National Uprising: Review Matt Melis You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenu...
How to Watch YouTube Originals’ ‘Dear Class of 2020′ All-Star Commencement
YouTube Originals’ “Dear Class of 2020” commencement ceremony, featuring Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, BTS, Lady Gaga, Maluma and more, will officially commence Sunday, June 7 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The four-hour virtual graduation, which was pushed back a day to honor George Floyd’s memorial service, will open with Lizzo and the New York Philharmonic performing “Pomp and Circumstance” and remarks from Alicia Keys. At the end of the celebration, Katy Perry will lead the graduates in the monumental tassel turn. Check out Sunday’s full line-up of commencement speakers, performers, featured celebrity guests and YouTube creators here. Viewers can attend the virtual ceremony by watching the livestream on the YouTube Originals channel and the L...
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 ...
Black Music Month 2020: TDE’s Reason on Petitioning For Cops to Be Local to Their Area & Why He’s ‘Never Been Prouder to Be Black’
HIP-HOP 6/5/2020 by Reason With Black Music Month in full effect this year, African American artists are looking for ways to stay active, motivated, and committed on the fight for social change within their communities in light of the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Adbery and more. Spurred by the callous disregard for Black lives, artists are hoping to use their platforms as microphones to invoke reform in both the short and long term. Every Friday of this month, we will have an artist speak on today’s climate, offer their suggestions for revision going forward, and why being Black continues to be a gift more than a curse. TDE’s Reason is first at-bat with his take on why he wants America to reconsider the hiring process for cops, and why he values his sk...
Lauren London Speaks Out About Gun Violence, Nipsey Hussle’s Legacy: ‘It’s Like He’s Touching People Still’
Lauren London sat down with Jada Pinkett-Smith on Wednesday (June 3) to discuss the impact of growing up around gun violence, the legacy of her late parter Nipsey Hussle and how she educates her sons about handling police interactions. “What I instill in them is more about the police. How to handle yourself when you get pulled over. That’s more of my education, protecting them being black men in America,” said London about what she talks about with her three-year-old son with Hussle, Kross, and her 10-year-old with former partner Lil Wayne, Kameron. London said that growing up in Los Angeles she had schoolmates who were in gangs, and by summertime “they were gone… they had transitioned from gun violence.” And while she never got numb to hearing that one of them had ...
Kanye West Donates $2M, Launches Education Plan for George Floyd’s Daughter
Kanye West is donating a multi-million dollar sum for college savings funds for George Floyd’s daughter, plus legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families, Billboard can confirm. As the hip-hop star joins street protests in his hometown Chicago, Kanye has made a $2 million donation to assist the families of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, whose murders have sparked protests across America and around the globe. According to several published reports, West set up a 529 education plan for Floyd’s six-year-old daughter, Gianna. Kanye was spotted joining in Chicago’s south side on Thursday night joining the #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd march, in protest of Floyd’s death during his arrest by Minneapolis police, footage of which was captured and seen by millions around the globe. Ahmau...
Teen Grazed as Bullets Fly on Set of YFN Lucci Video Shoot
A teenager was injured Wednesday night (June 3) after gunfire rang out during the filming of a music video in Atlanta, the city’s police said. Rapper YFN Lucci, whose real name is Rayshawn Bennett, was filming the music video in an apartment complex in the southeastern part of the city, Atlanta police told WGCL-TV. Police said the 15-year-old boy’s thumb was grazed after some 21 bullets were fired, with at least one striking YFN Lucci’s Bentley. The teen was not identified and it was not immediately known if he has been hospitalized. YFN Lucci left the apartment complex without his luxury car before authorities arrived at the scene, police said. Police are searching for suspects in the shooting. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a d...
