Hip-Hop
Page: 6
A few years ago, Tom Hardy met Eminem backstage at a show and it didn’t go quite as the British actor expected. Hardy stopped by DJ Whoo Kid’s Whoo’s House Podcast a couple weeks ago and told the G-Unit affiliate about the time he met the Detroit rapper for the first time. “I went to […]
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has reached a deal with federal prosecutors after his recent arrest over alleged violations of his supervised release, agreeing to spend a month in prison and another under house arrest.
The rapper was charged last week with breaking the terms of his years-long probation, which stems from a 2018 plea deal he struck with prosecutors over his involvement with a gang called Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.
In a letter to the judge filed Tuesday, federal prosecutors said Tekashi had agreed to admit to the probation violations and serve one month in prison, followed by a month of home incarceration, a month of less-restrictive home detention, and then finally a month of curfew.
Trending on Billboard
The deal will also extend Tekashi’s supervised release — which had been set to expire in six months – to a full year following his release from prison. The rapper’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.
Once a rising star in the world of hip-hop and social media, Tekashi was charged in November 2018 with federal racketeering and murder conspiracy charges over his involvement with a New York street gang called Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. Prosecutors claimed the gang “wreaked havoc on New York City” by “engaging in brazen acts of violence.”
But just a day after being arrested, Tekashi cut a deal with federal prosecutors to flip on his crew in return for lenience. Taking the witness stand during a 2019 trial, he offered detailed and frank testimony about his involvement in the gang and his former gang mates.
Under the deal with prosecutors, Tekashi was sentenced to two years in prison and five years of supervised release and ordered to serve 1,000 hours of community service and pay a $35,000 fine.
The sentence was set to run until July 2020, but Tekashi was released early, in April 2020, after his attorneys argued that the coronavirus pandemic posed an increased risk to him because he has asthma.
Last week, prosecutors alleged that Tekashi had violated his release conditions on numerous occasions, including by traveling to Las Vegas without permission, failing to submit for drug testing and testing positive for methamphetamine.
At his arraignment hearing, the rapper pleaded not guilty and his attorney argued that the failed drug test was from the use of prescribed Adderall. But the judge was unswayed and ordered him jailed until his next court date, citing a “broader pattern” of misconduct during parole that the judge said suggests a “full spectrum disregard for the law.”
Following Tuesday’s agreement, the judge ordered both sides to appear at a hearing next week (Nov. 12) to explain the plea deal and why the sentence “reflects the proper sentence for these violations.”
Tyler, the Creator released his eighth studio album, Chromakopia, on Oct. 28. And on Monday (Nov. 4), the rapper celebrated that album debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The set launched with 299,500 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 31, his best week ever in terms of […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back for the fall season with a truncated selection. Now that we’re back, we’re trimming down the CRT FRSH playlist and updating the concept with our latest drop which we hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it.
For those devoted few who keep up with the updates, you may have noticed I created a playlist in memory of the late Kaseem “KA” Ryan, perhaps Hip-Hop’s greatest lyricist if not the genre’s most sincere and vulnerable. That playlist, which captures just a small slice of who KA was, can be heard by clicking here.
We open up this week’s playlist with Tyler, The Creator’s “Sticky” from his new CHROMAKOPIA, which features GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne and is considered an early standout among some. We follow that with Megan Thee Stallion’s “Bigger In Texas” from her Megan: Act II reissue and finds the Houston Hottie in prime form.
The Alchemist is great for dropping potent singles out of the thin blue sky and we’re better for it. Adding to that stellar track record is “Ferraris In The Rain 2” featuring Freddie Gibbs and ScHoolboy Q. Danny Brown dropped his solid Quaranta album near the top of the year and the Detroit-born, Austin-based rapper and podcaster released a deluxe of the project. We include the somber “Keep It To Me” from the drop.
The Underachievers, AKTHESAVIOR and Issa Gold have been creating amazing music since their 2013 debut, Indigoism, along with consistent solo projects between then. Their new single “Have Nots” is a continuation of their esoteric poetics and atmospheric beats. We also have Buffalo’s Che Noir and her single “Black Single featuring Rapsody from Che’s The Black Lotus project, which she produced herself.
A strong salute to Patty Honcho, Lil Uzi Vert, A$AP Ferg, RXKNephew, Knowitall, Chuck Strangers, Milc, Blaq Chidori, Ab-Soul, BigXThaPlug, El Cousteau and the rest of the contributors to this week’s playlist.
Check out the latest CRT FRSH drop below.
—
Photo: Getty
The long-awaited reunion of the Hot Boys has finally taken place.
On Saturday (Nov. 2), the iconic rap supergroup — featuring Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Turk and B.G. — performed together for the first time in more than 15 years at Wayne’s Lil WeezyAna Fest in New Orleans.
The group’s 22-minute set included songs like “Get Your Roll On,” “I Need a Hot Girl,” and “Neighborhood Superstar,” during which the act was joined by Big Tymers’ Mannie Fresh and Birdman, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Watch the performances here.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This year’s Lil WeezyAna Fest also featured solo performances from Juvenile, who brought down the house with “Back That Azz Up,” and B.G., who delivered “Bling Bling.”
During his solo performance, Lil Wayne once again spoke about being snubbed for the Super Bowl halftime show, expressing his disappointment at being overlooked in favor of Kendrick Lamar.
Trending on Billboard
“I told myself I wanted to be on that stage in front of my mom, and I worked my ass off for that position. It was ripped away from me, but this moment right here… they can’t take this away from me,” the rapper told the crowd at the Smoothie King Center.
Wayne previously teased the Hot Boys reunion on X (formerly Twitter) in September. Earlier this year, rumors began swirling when Juvenile hinted at a performance at Essence Fest in New Orleans and mentioned the group was working on a new album.
“Hot Boys is back together, man. What you talkin’ about put the Hot Boys back together? Show y’all ain’t keeping up with sh–,” he said on Instagram Live in May. “Turk gonna be with me tonight, I’m gonna be with B.G. next week. Me, Wayne, Turk and B.G., all of us gonna be on stage in New Orleans with Mannie Fresh and Birdman. And we already done started working on a Hot Boys album. Any other f—ing questions? Keep on askin’ put the Hot Boys together. Have some f—in’ patience.”
Despite the hype, fans were disappointed when the anticipated reunion at Essence Fest didn’t occur; while Birdman, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, and B.G. took the stage together, Wayne opted for a solo set afterward, and Turk was absent.
The Hot Boys’ last album was 2003′ Let ‘Em Burn.
Cardi B shared her thoughts on Donald Trump during a Kamala Harris campaign rally near Milwaukee on Friday (Nov. 1).
Ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5, the “Bodak Yellow” rapper delivered a passionate speech at the Wisconsin State Fair Exposition Center in West Allis, voicing her support for Harris and criticizing Trump’s views on women’s rights.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” Cardi told the crowd, reading from her cell phone. “I take seriously the call to show up, to speak out, and to share a message that’s been on my heart for a while now.”
She continued, “Like Kamala Harris, I’ve been the underdog, underestimated, and had my success belittled. Women have to work ten times harder and still face questions about how we achieved success. I can’t stand a bully, but just like Kamala, I always stand up to one.”
Cardi noted that she hadn’t backed either Trump or Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential election until Harris entered the race and “changed my mind completely.”
Trending on Billboard
“I didn’t have faith in any candidates until she joined and spoke the words I wanted to hear about the future of this country,” she said. “I believe every word she says. She’s passionate, compassionate, empathetic, and most importantly, she’s realistic. Kamala recognizes that this country is at risk, and that we need to strengthen our economy and address the rising cost of living.”
Turning her focus to Trump, whom she referred to as “Donny Trump,” Cardi addressed the former president’s recent comment about protecting women whether they “like it or not.”
“Protection for women — especially regarding maternal and mental health care — is not about telling us what to do with our bodies. It’s about supporting us and providing the care we need for our choices,” the rapper explained. “People like Donald Trump don’t believe women deserve rights. When those rights are threatened, he disappears.”
She added, “If his definition of protection means restricting our choices and ensuring our daughters have fewer rights than our mothers, then I don’t want it!”
Cardi also labeled the former president a “hustler,” saying, “Hustling women out of their rights is disgraceful. Hustling Americans out of their hard-earned money by selling Trump watches, Trump sneakers, Trump Bibles… do we really trust this man with our economy? A man who only cares about getting rich and cutting taxes for his billionaire friends. I don’t even get a tax cut.”
Following the rally, Cardi continued her support for Harris and critique of Trump on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Donald Trump talks about having plans, but the only plan he has is to hustle YOU.”
Watch Cardi B’s nearly 10-minute rally speech for Harris here.
U.K. rapper Central Cee has announced the release date for his long-awaited debut album, Can’t Rush Greatness. The LP is slated for release on January 24, 2025 via Columbia Records and will be the first full body of work since his 2023 mixtape 23.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The 26-year-old shared the news on his social media feeds alongside the artwork, which you can see below. Pre-orders are now open on Cench’s website.
No tracklist has been released for the album so far, but it has been confirmed that his new song “One By One,” which was recorded in a Colors session, would not feature on the record.
Trending on Billboard
A press release also confirmed that the album was recorded in multiple locations over the last year, and it will feature guest producers as well as an appearance from fellow U.K. rapper Dave. The pair collaborated on the single “Sprinter” in 2023, which topped the U.K.’s Official Singles Charts for nine weeks and landed at No.10 on the Billboard Global 200.
2024 has seen a number of singles from the west London artist. In May, he teamed up with Lil Baby for “BAND4BAND” which landed at No.18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at No.3 on the Official Singles Chart in the U.K. The song was the highest-charting U.K. rap single on the charts in Hot 100 history.
Elsewhere there was an appearance on Ice Spice’s debut Y2K, a team-up with Afrobeats star Asake on single “Wave” and most recently with RAYE on the single “Moi” in September.
Speaking to Dazed, Central Cee elaborated on the process of the making of Can’t Rush Greatness. “With the mixtapes, I was living in [the same] house I grew up in,” he said. “Now we’ve elevated, we’re actually musicians. There were times it was hard to say man’s a musician. I was just a guy that [went into the] studio [sometimes]. Now, I’m an artist.”
Last week, Central Cee was named as an additional headliner for Spain’s Primavera Sound Festival in June 2025, topping the bill alongside Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.
Megan Thee Stallion is suing a YouTuber and social media personality who she claims is a “mouthpiece and puppet” for Tory Lanez, accusing the woman of “churning out falsehoods” about the criminal case stemming from Lanez shooting her.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, attorneys for the rapper (Megan Pete) accused Milagro Gramz (Milagro Elizabeth Cooper) of carrying out a public campaign to “denigrate, belittle, insult, and spread false statements” about her.
That allegedly included Gramz sharing a pornographic “deepfake” depicting the rapper – a move that Megan’s lawyers say violate a Florida statute banning “altered sexual depictions” of real people.
Trending on Billboard
“Enough is enough,” writes Megan’s attorneys at the law firm Quinn Emanuel. “Ms. Pete—a victim of violent crime and champion of women’s rights to her millions of fans worldwide—will no longer stand for defendant’s campaign of harassment.”
The lawsuit also accused Gramz of cyberstalking, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy.
In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), Gramz acknowledged the lawsuit, saying she had “been informed that I’m being sued by Alex Spiro on behalf of his client Megan Thee Stallion.” After quoting from a threat letter, she said: “Of course we’ll chat about it. They threw in the tape too.”
The new case came days after a high-profile false story about Megan and Lanez – claiming incorrectly that an appeals court had declared “innocent” in the shooting — circulated on social media. Spiro, Megan’s long time attorney, warned yesterday that he was planning legal action over such “nonsense.”
Lanez (Daystar Peterson) was convicted in December 2022 on three felony counts over the violent 2020 incident, in which he shot at the feet of Megan during an argument following a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He has filed an appeal, which remains pending.
In the new lawsuit, Megan’s attorneys say Gramz repeatedly spread falsehoods about the case, including questioning whether she was even shot and claiming she was “caught trying to deceive the courts.” More recently, they say Gramz has pushed the “outlandish claim” that the gun used in the shooting had gone missing.
“Defendant Cooper’s statements recklessly disregarded the truth and suggested that the firearm was never presented in court because it had allegedly disappeared. It has not,” Megan’s lawyers write. “The firearm remains in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department.”
As for the deepfake video, the lawsuit does not accuse Gramz of directly creating or posting the video, but claims that she “encouraged her followers” to watch it, including by pointing users to a post that had directly shared the video.
“Defendant Cooper willfully and maliciously promoted the Deepfake Video without Ms. Pete’s consent,” Megan’s lawyers write.
Yeat lands his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as Lyfestyle debuts atop the list dated Nov. 2. The set earned 89,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 24, according to Luminate — his best week ever by units, largely driven by album sales. Lyfestyle is the fifth total and consecutive top 10-charting set for the rapper, who had gone as high as No. 2 in March with 2093.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Also in the new top 10 of the Billboard 200, SEVENTEEN snares its sixth top 10 effort, all earned consecutively, as SPILL THE FEELS debuts at No. 5. Meanwhile, Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us surges 19-8 following a deluxe reissue with added songs, for its first week in the top 10 since it debuted at No. 2 in July.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Nov. 2, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Oct. 29). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Trending on Billboard
Of Lyfestyle’s 89,000 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 60,000 (Yeat’s best sales week ever; it’s No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart), SEA units comprise 29,000 (equaling 39.67 million on-demand official streams of the songs on the streaming edition of the album; it debuts at No. 17 on the Top Streaming Albums chart) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Lyfestyle’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across many variants, exclusively sold through the artist’s webstore. Lyfestyle’s opening-week sales actually exceed the cumulative sales of Yeat’s entire album catalog before this past week. Until Lyfestyle’s release, his catalog of albums had sold a combined 35,000 copies.
The new album, his fifth full-length studio effort, was issued as a widely-available 22-track digital download and streaming set, and in a CD and vinyl edition exclusively sold through his webstore. (It’s the first time Yeat has released an album on CD.) The CDs were only available as part of deluxe boxed sets (exclusive to his webstore), and all CDs and vinyls were signed by the artist. There were six different deluxe CD boxed sets, each containing a T-shirt and a CD inside a branded box. There were also three webstore-exclusive CD variants, signed by the artist, and each contained two additional bonus tracks unique to the CD (one has “Style Lyfe” and “Back Thën,” the second has “5Brazy” and “Barbarian” and the third has “Graveyard” and “Gonë”)
In addition, Yeat’s webstore offered two exclusive digital download album variants — one with the bonus track “Project Lyfestyle” and one with four bonus tracks: “Project Lyfestyle,” “For Lyfe,” “Night Come” and “5Brazy Remix,” featuring Quavo.
All of the bonus tracks on the CD and download album variants were not available to purchase as stand-alone tracks through any retailer, nor available to stream through an official service.
In total, of Lyfestyle’s first-week sales of 60,000, digital downloads comprise 43,500; CD sales comprise 12,000 and vinyl sales comprise 4,500.
Yeat’s last album, 2093, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 earlier this year, was available in its first week across three digital download variants, but only one of them was exclusive to the artist’s webstore. 2093 sold 12,000 copies in its first week — all from downloads.
Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping Short n’ Sweet climbs 4-2 on the Billboard 200 with 79,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%). After debuting at No. 1, Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken falls to No. 3 with 68,000 (down 58%). Rod Wave’s Last Lap dips 2-4 in its second week with 67,000 units (down 47%).
SEVENTEEN collects its sixth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as SPILL THE FEELS debuts at No. 5 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 64,000 (it’s No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 2,000 (equaling 2.61 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The album’s sales were bolstered by its availability across 17 CD variants, each containing collectible branded paper ephemera (such as photocards, posters, lyric books and stickers, some randomized).
Morgan Wallen’s former leader One Thing at a Time rises 9-6 on the Billboard 200 with 50,000 equivalent album units earned (up 5%), GloRilla’s Glorious falls 5-7 in its second week with nearly 50,000 (down 27%), and Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us surges 19-8 with 49,000 units (up 78%). The latter vaults up the chart, and back into the top 10 for the first time since its No. 2 debut in July, thanks to its Oct. 18 deluxe reissue on digital download and streaming services with seven additional tracks. Of the 49,000 units The Secret of Us earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise the bulk of the sum — a little over 45,000 (up 89%).
Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 are Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft (falling 7-9 with a little over 48,000 equivalent album units earned; down 4%) and BigXthaPlug’s Take Care (8-10 in its second week; with 48,000; up less than 1%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Tyler, the Creator is teasing a new song ahead of his upcoming album.
On Saturday (Oct. 26), less than 48 hours before the arrival of his new album, Chromakopia, the 33-year-old rapper shared a music video for the song “Thought I Was Dead.”
The nearly two-minute black-and-white video, directed by Tyler, finds the Igor musician dressed in military attire as he dances and prances on the wing of an old war plane in the middle of an airfield.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Chromakopia will be released on Monday (Oct. 28) through Columbia Records. The set comes three years after his last album, Call Me If You Get Lost, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned a best rap album Grammy award.
Tyler released a single titled “Noid” on music streaming services ahead of Chromakopia. The accompanying music video features Ayo Edebiri, the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress from The Bear.
Trending on Billboard
The rapper is scheduled to host a Chromakopia listening party at Los Angeles’ Inuit Dome on Sunday (Oct. 27). “Los Angeles I’m playing my album in full for you at the Inuit Dome. I will not be performing, I will be standing in the middle of the venue lip syncing to the new sounds. This event costs $5,” he wrote earlier in the week on X (formerly Twitter).
And after previewing Chromakopia in L.A., Tyler plans on taking the album around the globe with the Chromakopia: The World Tour. Along with special guests Lil Yachty and Paris Texas, the trek will launch Feb. 4 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., and wrap July 27 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
He also has dates set in Europe, Australia and New Zealand for next year.
Watch Tyler, the Creator’s “Thought I Was Dead” video below.