Rap
Danger Mouse and Black Thought Share Posthumous MF DOOM Collaboration “Belize”: Stream
Though Danger Mouse and Black Thought shared several a handful of stellar collaborations in anticipation of their new album, Cheat Codes, they held back a track with the late MF DOOM titled “Belize.” Now that the album is out in the wild, we can finally get ears on the reunion between the three artists. Danger Mouse’s production on “Belize” is steeped in soul, with warm brass and a hypnotic bassline making way for each MC to spit a dizzying array of bars. Even without a chorus to bridge the gap, the track still transitions from Black Thought’s precise delivery to DOOM’s less structured flow with ease. When two of the greatest rappers of all time appear back to back, song structure is basically irrelevant. “You checking the Top 2 of a thousand intelligent chaps,” Black Thought boasts. ...
Open Mike Eagle Announces New Tape Component System with the Auto Reverse, Shares “i’ll fight you”: Stream
Open Mike Eagle set to return this year with Component System with the Auto Reverse, his forthcoming mixtape via his own Auto Reverse Records. Before its release on October 7th, the rapper is previewing the project today with the new single “i’ll fight you.” Component System with the Auto Reverse is Mike’s eighth full-length project to date, and from what we’ve heard about it so far, it might also be one of his most sonically eclectic. With some high-profile collaborators including Madlib, Diamond D, and Quelle Chris, the 14-track record is embellished with jazzy boom-bap, blips of hard rock, cartoon show samples, and more — all grounded in Mike’s progressive approach to hip-hop. As for the inspirations behind Component System with the Auto Reverse, Mike drew from some of hi...
Doja Cat Assures Fans She’s OK After Shaving Off Her Hair & Eyebrows: ‘I’m Rich, I’m Fine’
Doja Cat knows she’s still a boss b—h, even if she has no hair. In a recent Instagram Live, the 26-year-old “Vegas” rapper told viewers that the recent surge in online negativity over her newly shaved head and eyebrows isn’t bothering her — but that people speculating she’s mentally ill because of her new look definitely are upsetting her. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Doja first revealed her bare head in a Thursday (Aug. 4) Instagram Live, during which she later shaved off her eyebrows on camera as more than 20,000 people watched in real time. Ever since, she’s been sharing lots of selfies showing off different painted-on brow looks — but not everyone is a fan. Some on social media have commented their dislike for the style change, w...
Richmond, Virginia Honors MF DOOM with Street Sweeper Named MF BROOM
The residents of Richmond, Virginia clearly have a good sense of humor (and music taste). As the city introduces a new bike lane street sweeper, it engaged residents in a March Madness-style bracket to decide on a name for the machine, ultimately landing on MF BROOM, a play on the late hip-hop artist MF DOOM. Community organization Venture Richmond handled the naming, crowdsourcing ideas from the city and organizing polls on Twitter. Besides MF BROOM, other potential names for the street sweeper included Kate Brush, Meryl Sweep, Dirt Reynolds, Bike Dyson, LeBroom James, and The Grim Sweeper — the latter of which made it all the way to the final round of voting before losing 59%-41% to MF BROOM. “The people have spoken!” Venture Richmond tweeted. “We crowdsourced name ideas, you voted, and ...
Rap Song of the Week: Doechii and Rico Nasty Are “Swamp Bitches”
Rap Song of the Week breaks down your must-hear hip-hop tracks every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Doechii taps Rico Nasty for her new track “Swamp Bitches.” Doechii has been positioned to be the next one up from Top Dawg Entertainment after being chosen for the 2022 XXL Freshman Class. Boxing in the Tampa native as a rapper would be downplaying her talents, however, because she is just as comfortable with the flirtatious singing on tracks like her SZA collab “Persuasive” as she is with delivering hard-hitting bars on “Bitch I’m Nice.” Both tracks appear on Doechii’s new EP, she / her / black bitch, which opens with the Rico Nasty collaboration “Swamp Bitches.” In the most impressive display of her rapping skills to date, Doechii kicks the track off with snarling bar...
DJ Khaled Taps Drake and Lil Baby for “Staying Alive”: Stream
DJ Khaled has shared his new collab “Staying Alive” featuring Drake and Lil Baby as well as its hospital-themed music video. The mid-tempo collab is the lead single off Khaled’s upcoming 13th studio album God Did, which will arrive on August 26th via We The Best Music Group/Epic Records as a follow-up to last year’s Khaled Khaled. The track interpolates Bee Gees’ 1977 disco classic of the same name, with all three members of the group accordingly listed in the credits. On the chorus, Drake croons, “Try me a hundred times/ Wanted me to lie, wanted me to cry, wanted me to die/ I, I, I, I’m stayin’ alive, I’m stayin’ alive, I’m stayin’ alive, I’m stayin’ alive.” In the music video, the superstar rappers turn the Khaled Khaled Hospital For Those That Didn’t Believe™ into a veritable hou...
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After Backlash, slowthai Forced to Confirm “Destroy [Swastika]” Shirt Was Anti-Fascism
Festivals require artists to think about close and far, longtime fans and newcomers, and now, apparently, whether an explicitly anti-fascist shirt can be misinterpreted as pro-Nazi. Facing a backlash, both Osheaga and slowthai have apologized after the UK rapper wore a t-shirt that said “Destroy” above a Swastika during his festival set. As Pitchfork points out, the shirt was inspired by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s famous 1977 “Destroy” design. Historical context aside, slowthai’s performance took place on a stage with large video displays, suggesting that even distant viewers could have spotted the word “Destroy” if they looked for it in good faith. “i’m sorry to anyone who is offended by me wearing an anti-fascist / anti-regime t-shirt and the use of the symbol...
Lil Durk Hospitalized After Being Struck in the Face by Pyrotechnic at Lollapalooza
A major accident befell Lil Durk during his Lollapalooza set on Saturday, July 30th when an onstage pyrotechnic blew up in his face. In fan-captured video of the performance, the “What Happened to Virgil” rapper can be seen covering his face with his T-shirt after walking through the blast, but ended up finishing his full set after taking a moment to reorient himself. (During the performance, Lil Durk also had what appears to be milk inexplicably thrown at him from the crowd.) However, he revealed on Instagram later in the day that he actually went to the hospital upon leaving the festival, posting a selfie with a mask on and his eye covered in a giant bandage. “Due to the incident that happened at Lollapalooza in Chicago on stage, I’ma take a break & focus on my health. I finished my ...
Lollapalooza 2022 Day One Recap and Photos: Lil Baby, Tove Lo, & More
Day one of Lollapalooza 2022 (Thursday, July 28th) is in the books! We were there to catch all the action of the Chicago festival’s opening day. Blessed with clear weather, Lollapalooza kicked off with a day of strong sets, from the “tiny fonts” to the headliners. Before Metallica brought the house down, stand out sets came by way of Lil Baby, Sam Fender, Tove Lo, Jazmine Sullivan, and more. Other acts, like country up-and-comer Zach Brown, TikTok rocker Petey, and rapper Maxo Kream, reminded attendees that the strength of this year’s lineup came by way of its genre diversity. Day one also featured festival favorites like 100 gets, Still Woozy, Caroline Polachek, and Remi Wolf. Advertisement The crowds brought an excited energy, giving life to the longstanding, legendary festival. With thr...
Police Officer Who Saved Lil Wayne’s Life After Suicide Attempt Dead at 65
Robert Hoobler, the former New Orleans police officer who helped save Lil Wayne’s life in 1994, has died at 65 years old. According to local Fox affiliate WVUE, Hoobler was found dead at his home in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana on Friday, July 22nd. No cause of death was revealed, but his grandson Daniel Nelson told NOLA.com that Hoobler had been dealing with health issues after a car accident and that both of his legs had been amputated due to complications from diabetes. At the age of 12, Lil Wayne (born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) shot himself in the chest with a 9mm pistol in what he later revealed to be a suicide attempt on November 11th, 1994. Somehow, he was still able to muster the strength to call 911 and crawl toward the front door. Hoobler, who was off-duty at the time, heard the ...
Kendrick Lamar Big Steps Into “King of Rap” Role In Dallas: Review and Setlist
“Is Dallas in this shit tonight?” Kendrick Lamar asked a roaring crowd before performing “Purple Hearts” from his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. “You know it’s been five years since I seen ya’ll, right? So I maybe a little bit rusty on this stage. I may need a little help. I think I need ya’ll to help me sing this … Let’s get it.” The last time Kendrick Lamar performed in Dallas was July 14th, 2017, when he brought the “DAMN. Tour” to the American Airlines Center. Then, he was one of hip hop’s biggest attractions with the highest-selling album of the year, on the verge of becoming the first-ever rapper to be awarded the prestigious Pulitizer Prize the following year, and arguably the new King of Rap. Exactly five years later, Lamar brought “The Big Steppers Tour” (get tickets...
Rap Song of the Week: Megan Thee Stallion and Future Turn Up the Heat on “Pressurelicious”
On Fridays, Rap Song of the Week rounds up all the hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Megan Thee Stallion recruits Future for her new single “Pressurelicious.” Though Megan Thee Stallion counts Future as one of her favorite rappers, the two superstars had somehow never connected on a track until her new single, “Pressurelicious.” Featuring a hypnotic beat from Hitkidd, the hard-hitting trap anthem should heat up strip clubs this summer. In a June interview with Rolling Stone, Meg said Future deserves his flowers for being “unapologetically himself” while dealing with constant online scrutiny “gracefully.” As someone who was put under a microscope long before Tory Lanez allegedly shot her, the Houston rapper can clearly relate to the immense p...
