Hip-Hop
Beastie Boys’ Check Your Head Gets 30th Anniversary Reissue
Beastie Boys’ 1992 album Check Your Head is getting the well-deserved reissue treatment in honor of its 30th anniversary, thanks to the Vinyl Me Please Record of the Month series. This updated edition of the rap-rock legends’ third studio album is pressed on exclusive burgundy/dark red vinyl with AAA lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Ryan Smith, with liner notes from Mark Ronson as well as an exclusive show poster. “Released 30 years ago, Check Your Head proved that the Beastie Boys were capable of breaking new ground in hip-hop for the third time, and launched singles like ‘So What’cha Want,’ that entire bands could build their career on,” reads a statement from VMP. “As forward thinking in its construction today as it was 30 years ago, the opportunity to do a AAA r...
Smino Details New Album Luv 4 Rent, Shares “Matinee”: Stream
Ahead of its release on October 28th, Smino has revealed the full tracklist for his new album, Luv 4 Rent, and shared a fresh single titled “Matinee.” Stream the track below. The 15-track project features the previous Rap Song of the Week “90 Proof” with J. Cole. Other notable guests on Luv 4 Rent include Lil Uzi Vert (“Pudgy”), Lucky Daye (“Modennaminute”), rising TDE artist Doechii (“Pro Freak”), and Smino’s cohort in the Zero Fatigue collective, Ravyn Lenae (“Settle Down”). On the Karl Banx-produced “Matinee,” Smino boasts about how easily he’s able to turn up the romance on potential love interests. “Diamonds dance in the Tesla, ‘Electric Slide,’ get it?,” the St. Louis native raps. “I don’t text her, let it fester/ I don’t stress her, I just stretch her.” Advertisement Relat...
Pivot Gang Bring the Fire (and Water, and Earth, and Air) on New Single “Aang”: Stream
Pivot Gang have returned with their first new song since 2019, and while it’s been a minute, the hip-hop collective is confident that they’ve mastered their craft like “Aang,” the Last Airbender. Listen to the braggadocious track below. “Hopping out the water like Aang with my gang n****/ Got that fire like Aang with with my gang n****/ Air a n***** out like Aang with my gang n*****/ Moving that rock like Aang with my gang n*****,” Joseph Chilliams raps, making clear he’s seen the Avatar classic. Elsewhere, Saba, who produced the track, proclaims, “I might Prada the fit/ Cuz I’m proud of the shit/ I accomplished with all of my accomplices.” Atop the rappers’ flow, the track incorporates original vocals and guitar from Gaidaa and Maria Sanchez with additional production by daedaeP...
Boldy James Announces New Album Mr. Ten08, Shares “Flag on the Play”: Stream
Boldy James has announced his third album of 2022, Mr. Ten08. Out on November 4th, the project features the lead single “Flag on the Play.” The 10-track LP was entirely produced by Toronto’s Futurewave and includes a sole feature from fellow Detroit rapper 2100 Bagz. Check out the artwork and full tracklist below. “Flag on the Play” pairs a laidback, jazz-infused beat with Boldy’s vivid tales of scraping up from the bottom of the barrel. “We went from piss poor to slumdog millionaires,” he raps. “Off pounds, pills and birds, nouns, syllables, and verbs.” Advertisement Related Video Ironically, the announcement of Mr. Ten08’s imminent arrival comes on the heels of his Evidence-produced track “Drop an Album.” Stream both songs below. Mr. Ten08 follows Boldy’s collaborative album with R...
Stefflon Don Inks New Global Recording Partnership With BMG
MOBO Award-winning artist Stefflon Don has entered into a global recording partnership with BMG, Billboard has learned exclusively. The Jamaica-via-London MC will release her debut studio album, Island 54, in 2023. Among the forthcoming album’s tracks will be “Clockwork” featuring dancehall superstar Spice. The single was produced by Grammy-winning Beam (Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Pop Smoke), while its accompanying video counts five million views on YouTube. In a statement announcing her new partnership, Stefflon Don said, “I’m excited about partnering with BMG because they trust my creativity. They have an amazing support team across the globe, and I am super excited to expand my fan base alongside my new family BMG.” Tim Reid, BMG’s senior vp of repertoire & marketing, stated, “Ste...
good kid, m.A.A.d city at 10: How Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” Helped Me Get Over My Own Toxic Relationship
Great albums are about more than the music. When they really hit, just mentioning their names evokes memories and elicits “Remember when…” conversations. good kid, m.A.A.d city — released on October 22nd, 2012 — is one of those albums, which is why its 10-year anniversary is a very big deal. Kendrick Lamar became a household name on the strength of everything he did on this album, while possibly becoming the voice of a generation at the same time. He got into our bloodstreams through touching topics that meant a lot to him, while hoping we related. I related in a way I never predicted and 10 years later, I understand how important just one song was because it truly changed my world in a way no piece of music ever has nor probably ever will. Addiction sucks. I’m pretty sure I’m not blowing ...
Jack Harlow Set as ‘SNL’ Host and Musical Guest
Live from New York, it’ll be Jack Harlow on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 29. Harlow will serve as both host and musical guest, SNL announced during this weekend’s show. “HOSTINGGGGGG SNL,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing the big news. Harlow follows fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion in most recently pulling double duty as host and musical guest. You can see a roundup of the best of Meg’s SNL skits here, and her performances here. Earlier this month, Harlow got some late-night television time in with Jimmy Fallon, co-hosting The Tonight Show. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news His Come Home the Kids Miss You album, released in May, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned the Louisville rapper a No. 1 single with “First Cl...
Two Shot, Others Hurt at Asian Doll Concert at College in North Carolina
Two people were shot and others were injured as they fled gunfire that broke out at a North Carolina college homecoming concert featuring rapper Asian Doll (also known as Asian Da Brat) on Saturday night (Oct. 15), officials said. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Officers called to the campus of Livingstone College in Salisbury around 11 p.m. found two people shot and others who were hurt as attendees fled the gunfire, city officials said in a statement. Video footage from the concert shows that a fight broke out while Asian Doll was on stage. One person, who isn’t a Livingstone student, then fired one or more shots, police and school officials said in a joint statement. A male victim with a gunshot wound was flown to Novant Health Presb...
George Floyd’s Family Considering Lawsuit Against Kanye West for Defamation
The family of George Floyd is considering a defamation lawsuit against Kanye West over comments he made on the Drink Champs podcast. “While one cannot defame the dead, the family of #GeorgeFloyd is considering suit for Kanye’s false statements about the manner of his death,” Lee Merritt, a lawyer for Floyd’s family, said in a statement posted to social media on Sunday. During the podcast, West asserted the false claim that Floyd died from fentanyl. “I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out… They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” West said. Advertisement Related Video While Floyd had a trace amount of fentanyl in his system, both a coroner and medical experts concluded that he died from a lack of oxygen c...
Megan Thee Stallion Channels Beauty Pageant & Brings Out Full Rock Band on ‘SNL’: Watch
Megan Thee Stallion expertly delivered songs from her latest album while pulling double duty as host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live on Oct. 15. In between her hilarious sketches, the 27-year-old superstar rapper performed three tracks from her August-released sophomore album, Traumazine, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. For her first song, with an introduction by SNL cast member Bowen Yang, Meg channeled a beauty pageant while performing “Anxiety.” With a large tiara set as the backdrop, the rapper donned a beautiful red sequence dress while wearing a white sash that read “Miss Anxiety.” She was backed by numerous dancers who also wore sashes with such messages as “Overworked,” “Underpaid,” “Insecure,” “Overwhelmed” and “Overlooked.” Megan returned later in the sho...
From ‘Hot Girl Hospital’ Nurse to Twerking Workout Coach, Here Are Megan Thee Stallion’s Best Moments While Hosting ‘SNL’: Watch
Megan Thee Stallion showcased her comedy skills while pulling double duty as host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live on Oct. 15. The 27-year-old Houston rapper opened the iconic NBC sketch comedy show with a fiery monologue in which she addressed all of her various monikers. “If you know me, then you know I go by more than one name,” Meg said, rattling off titles like Tina Snow, the Hot Girl Coach and the H-Town Hottie. “And if you’re one of my many, many haters, I’m probably, ugh, ‘That B—-.’” She also playfully bragged about being a good actress and even demonstrated her best British accent. “Alright, check this out. Put me in Bridgerton, b—-,” said the rapper, who recently made a cameo in the Disney+ show She Hulk: Attorney at Law. Elsewhere on SNL, Megan appeared in num...
Kanye West Talks George Floyd Death Theories, Calls Drake ‘Greatest Rapper Ever’ & More on ‘Drink Champs’
Kanye West is stirring up more controversy with part three of his interview on Drinks Champs. The 45-year-old fashion mogul and rapper, who now goes by Ye, spoke with hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN about numerous topics during the nearly 45-minute conversation, including his theories about George Floyd’s death, how Jewish people control media and entertainment, Drake‘s success in hip-hop, and much more. Ye, who recently attended the premiere of conservative commentator Candace Owens’ new film, The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM, said he believes Floyd’s death was caused by fentanyl and not by suffocation from a police officer’s knee. “I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out. One of the things that his two roommates said was they want a tall gu...
