Hip-Hop
Here’s How to Watch Jagged Edge & 112’s ‘Verzuz’ Battle
This Memorial Day weekend, “Verzuz” fans are getting two battles. That’s right, following Beenie Man and Bounty Killer’s face-off on Saturday (May 22), Jagged Edge will take on 112 on Monday. “Breaking News Just added to the Memorial Day Weekend madness,” co-founder Swizz Beatz announced on Instagram. “Something for the ladies.” He also shouted out his partner Timbaland by noting, “it’s a busy long weekend.” Earlier this month, the duo discussed having Jagged Edge and 112 as their next Verzuz battle via Instagram live. “Jagged Edge verses 112, can you make that happen?” Swizz said. “Can you make that happen JD [Jermaine Dupri], because a lot of people see what they want to see, but can you pick up the phone a...
Migos Team with YoungBoy Never Broke Again on “Need It”: Stream
The trap gods of Migos have teamed with YoungBoy Never Broke Again on their new single “Need It”. The track is all about money — but as the title implies, it’s not about merely wanting cash, it’s about doing anything and everything to get it. The structure involves pairs of rappers trading bars, with most of the song given over to a lyrical tennis match between YoungBoy and Offset. “I said I need it!” YoungBoy sneers, and Offset hits the ball back in his court with, “This Draco undefeated!” With those two on the first verse and chorus, Quavo and Takeoff are relegated to the second verse. That means every part of the song benefits from a high-energy tenor and a smooth-talking baritone, and that tried-and-true formula sure sounds easy on the ear. Listen to “Need It” below. The collab is anot...
One To Watch: How Soolking Kick-Started His Career On a Radio Show
Before finding his footing as Soolking, the artist born Abderraouf Derradji first worked as an acrobat, a dancer and even drummed in a rock band. Once he moved to Paris in his mid-20s, though, his career finally took off. Now, fresh off the release of his second album Vintage, the 30 year old is already getting to work on its follow-up. Born and raised in a northern suburb of Algeria’s capital, Derradji grew up in the middle of a civil war. He first worked as an acrobat and dancer, later discovering rappers like 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G. and French rapper Booba. Before founding a rap group of his own, which had relative success in Algeria, he had drummed in a rock band. By 24, he moved to Paris, where he lived and worked illegally — sometimes in restaurants, or by selling cigare...
Future’s ‘High Off Life’ on Course for No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart
Plus: Polo G set to start at No. 2 with “The Goat” & Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit’s “Reunions” rushing towards top 15 after wide release. Future is set for his seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as High Off Life should open in the top slot on next week’s chart, according to industry forecasters. Prognosticators suggest the new album, which was released on May 15 via Freebandz/Epic Records, could start with over 140,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 21. Perhaps about 85% of the album’s starting unit sum will be driven by streaming activity. Future has previously hit No. 1 with Future HNDRXX Presents: The WIZRD (in 2019), HNDRXX, a self-titled album (both in 2017), Evol (2016), What a Time To Be Alive (with Drake) and DS2 (both in 2015). T...
Doja Cat Pounces on Remix of The Weeknd’s “In Your Eyes”: Stream
Doja Cat has learned the power of the remix, especially after “Say So” featuring Nicki Minaj became each woman’s first number one hit. Now she’s teamed up with Canadian megastar The Weeknd, pouncing on a new remix of his After Hours track “In Your Eyes”. She feels right at home in The Weeknd’s tripped-out pop landscape, where the melodies are intoxicating and the artists have been over-served. She begins her verse in tears over her love, even though the rest of the lyrics imply that the relationship is going well. “I can’t stop staring at you” she sings, before spitting raps. “It’s like I forgot that staring is rude/ And that’s what five shots could turn me into.” Check out “In Your Eyes (Remix)” below. In March, The Weeknd shared a deluxe edition of After Hours featuring re...
Disclosure Announce New Album ENERGY, Featuring slowthai, Kehlani, Common, and More
Disclosure returned in February with an EP called Ecstasy. Now, the electronic music duo is prepping a proper full-length album for August. It’s dubbed ENERGY and sees the Lawrence brothers collaborating with rappers for the very first time in their decade-long career. ENERGY follows up on 2015’s Caracal and serves as the group’s third LP overall. It boasts guest contributions from hip-hop acts like slowthai, Common, Mick Jenkins, Aminé, and Channel Tres. Also slated to make cameos are Kelis, Syd of The Internet, Fatoumata Diawara, and Blick Bassy. According to a statement, recording sessions for the new album yielded upwards of 200 (!) potential tracks, which Disclosure eventually whittled down to 11. “The thing that decided which songs made it and which songs didn’t was that on...
Mr. Rogers Sued Ice Cube for Sampling Him in “A Gangsta’s Fairytale”
Mr. Rogers and Ice Cube Over the weekend, Ice Cube celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut solo album, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, with a digital listening party. He hosted the event on Instagram Live where he rapped along to his hits, shared insight into the songwriting process, and recalled old memories. Unexpectedly, one of those recollections involved getting sued by Mr. Rogers himself. As noted by Stereogum, the N.W.A. rapper brought up the surprising legal tussle practically as an aside. “I actually wrote [‘A Gangsta’s Fairytale’] for Eazy-E. But y’all know what it is; we weren’t getting down at the time so I had to take it myself,” he said on Instagram. “It’s a trip because off this song, Mr. Rogers sued us. He was mad because we had the Mister Rogers theme at the beginning of thi...
Kendall Roy’s Succession Rap “L to the OG” Gets an Official Release: Stream
During Season 2 of Succession, the character Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) tried to honor his father Logan with a lot of effort and no self-awareness by writing the octogenarian a rap song. Now you can relive that cringeworthy moment, as HBO and WaterTower Music have released the official studio version of “L to the OG”. Written by Succession composer Nicholas Britell, who also plays DJ Squiggle on the show, “L to the OG” is an intoxicating mix of simple rhymes, brown-nosing lyrics, and one of the whitest characters in TV history appropriating black vernacular. “Yo, bitches be catty, but the king’s my daddy,” he raps, “Rock all the haters while we go roll a ’rati/ Squiggle on the decks, Kenny on the rhyme / And Logan big ballin’ on Hamptons time.” In an interview with Vulture,...
Wu-Tang Clan Selling “Protect Ya Hands” Sanitizer
Wu-Tang Clan are here to protect ya hands with their own signature line of hand sanitizer. The all-natural, plant-based, vegan hand sanitizer is a collaboration between RZA’s lifestyle brand 36 Chambers and the skincare company Jusu. Though a 8.45 oz bottle of “Protect Ya Hands” will set you back $28.00, for every purchase, 36 Chambers will donate another bottle to The Ottawa Mission Foundation and other homeless shelters in Canada. Order yours here. Wu-Tang’s “Protect Ya Hands” sanitizer isn’t the only band-themed piece of PPE up for grabs: Devo recently launched Energy Dome Face Shields. Additionally, Consequence of Sound just launched its own capsule of custom face masks. A portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares’ COVID-19 Artist Relief fund supporting indepen...
Russ Drops Five New Songs With ‘Shake the Snow Globe (Deluxe)’
After capturing a top-five debut on the Billboard 200 with his third album Shake the Snow Globe, Russ has given his fans five new songs for the deluxe edition of the project. Along with the new tracks, there are also fresh features from Ty Dolla $ign (“3 AM”) and Boogie (“Sky”). Released in January, the initial Shake the Snow Globe included features from Rick Ross, Kiana Lede and Benny The Butcher. Shake the Snow Globe received a steady boost, courtesy of the success of his radio scorcher “Best on Earth.” The song peaked at No. 46 on the Hot 100 and earned platinum certification. Before the pandemic, Russ was preparing to head on the road in light of his latest album. Last month, he canceled his Shake the Globe Tour but assured fans that their ...
Kid Cudi Just Dropped a Fashion Collab With Virgil Abloh to Celebrate His New Single
The rapper also premiered the lyric video for “Leader of the Delinquents.” Kid Cudi returned in April with his first solo single in nearly four years, “Leader of the Delinquents,” and now he’s dropping the perfect merch to go with it. On Tuesday (May 19), the rapper unveiled his new fashion collaboration with Virgil Abloh: a chic T-shirt featuring a sketch of the rapper by the Off-White founder and current Louis Vuitton artistic director with the name of the single emblazoned across the back. In conjunction with the new merch, Cudi also released the colorful lyric video for the track, which serves as the lead single for his first solo project since 2016’s Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’. Cudi has certainly had plenty to celebrate lately: Along wi...
Bono Names Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” as a Song That “Saved My Life”
For his 60th birthday, U2 frontman Bono curated a list of “60 Songs That Saved My Life”. As part of the project, he penned individual letters to each of the artists behind his songs of choice. Among those receiving the a handwritten note from Bono was Kanye West, whose Yeezus cut “Black Skinhead” sounded like nothing [Bono had] ever heard before.” Bono was actually in the SNL house the night “Black Skinhead” debuted in 2013. “I was a hundred feet away from your feet,” the letter begins. “Your eyes were shut so as not to be distracted from the words you had just written around the corner.” The letter quotes some favorite lyrics, and suggests that with this performance, “It felt like hip hop wanted the black leather jacket back from rock ‘n roll…. and the rock ‘n roll sil...
