Hip-Hop

13 Oct 2023

Cardi B Appears to Tease New Single While Posing in Skintight Red Mermaid Dress: ‘I’m Teachin’ Them Classes’

Cardi B knows the value of a good background. After husband Offset flooded their home with rose petals, lavish flower arrangements and balloons to celebrate Cardi’s 31st birthday earlier this week, on Thursday (Oct. 12) the “Bongos” rapper made good use of the ephemeral gifts by making them a backdrop for a song tease.

Lounging on the floor amid the flower remnants in a skintight red lace dress with an enormous mermaid-like train — with a giant heart-shaped flower arrangement with her name on it just behind — Cardi dropped a few bars of what sounds like a new song.

“I’m back in the mood/ I’m back on they asses/ I’m teachin’ them classes/ These b–ches is food,” she rapped over an ominous drilling beat while lolling around on the ground. The second slide showed the impressive length of the dress’ train as Cardi posed on the steps of her house with the gauzy fabric spilling down in front of her, followed by several more fashion shots and the final pic spotlighting the array of high-ticket Hermes bags Offset gifted her.

The caption to the post continued the b-day celebration, reading, “Throw back like its Thursday I got cake im lit its my birthday… Trophies.”

Cardi’s been teasing the follow-up to her smash 2018 full-length debut album, Invasion of Privacy, for more than a year and recently dropped her latest Megan Thee Stallion collab, “Bongos.” And, not for nothing, but Meg said last month that she is “so down” to release and joint EP and tour with Cardi.

See Cardi’s post below.

13 Oct 2023

Megan Thee Stallion Bares Her Fangs For Hottieween, Teases ‘Let’s Begin’

We know Megan Thee Stallion loves spooky season because we’ve already gotten this year’s Pumpkinhead Meg picture of the rapper with a carved gourd on her melon. But in a tweet on Thursday (Oct. 12) fans thought the “Bongos” MC was scaring up some more than just Hottieween vibes and was possibly teasing news about her next era with a Halloween-themed teaser in which she appeared to be baring her vampire fangs.

The post in question featured the cryptic message “Let’s begin…” accompanied by a sliver of a picture with a slime green filter that animated into a 3-second video in which Meg bared her sharp teeth. The clip did not have any sound, but it appeared that Meg had more to say in a series of Instagram posts with more scary scenes.

A trio of posts revealed the words “Act One” with the O comprised of a red snake swallowing its own tail. The caption on the first was a snake emoji and when you clicked through it revealed a video of a white snake coiled on someone’s hand, a close-up of Megan’s face and a third of her wrists covered in dangerously thorny bracelets. The second added the caption “Begin [snake emoji],” as well as a sliver of a shot in which a green-skinned Megan was seen reclining on a blood red divan, her long nails sharpened to murderous points.

It also appeared to reveal more of what looked like a music video, with sections of a shot in which Meg bared her vamp fangs again, before repurposing the X (formerly Twitter) vamp video and adding an image of a bowl of fruit and other totems on some kind of altar.

The final slide’s message was “Lets [snake emoji],” followed by the reveal that it was Megan holding the snake, along with a zoom in on her impressive diamond link bracelets, what looked like a bespoke pair of custom fangs and, yes, another snake picture.

The comments said it all: “m idk idk idk it’s a single or her costume!!!!,” “wait music or hottieween! I’m fine with either” and “wait music or hottieween! I’m fine with either.” Fans have been patiently awaiting the rapper’s follow-up to her cathartic 2022 album Traumazine.

At press time, however, Megan had not announced any new music, though she has been easing her way back into the game following the end of the trial of Tory Lanez, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August for shooting Megan in the feet in July 2020. Since then she has released her hit Cardi B collab “Bongos” and the “Out Alpha the Alpha,” the lead single from the A24 move Dicks: The Musical, in which she also co-stars.

And, in keeping with the tenor of the szn, she will also play a sexy hormone monstress in the upcoming seventh season on Netflix’s animated series Big Mouth, which returns on Oct. 20.

See Meg’s posts below.

12 Oct 2023

Offset Says Feeling Takeoff’s Presence Pushed Him to Finish Solo Album ‘Set It Off’

Offset is gearing up to release his upcoming solo album Set It Off on Friday (Oct. 13). Ahead of its arrival, the rapper sat down for a conversation with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, which saw him talking about his late Migos bandmate Takeoff and how his family helps him through creative roadblocks.

Offset explained that losing Takeoff to a fatal shooting late last year was particularly hard because his spirit was genuinely uplifting.

“Take had that… he just had good character. He just was like, ‘I make music with people that love my music and I love everybody.’ He’s a loving person, man,” he told Lowe. “It was just a tragedy my boy had to go like that, man. But I’m pushing for him too. Legacy, the group thing is it can’t be a group because our main member is missing.”

Takeoff’s spirit lives on through Offset’s music, as he recalls the late rapper cheering him on in his solo endeavors — something that allowed him to push on in recording his new project. “Even on my own journey, I still feel his presence and his energy like, bro, ‘We got to go hard. We got to win. We got to win. This ain’t the end of it. We got to win,’” the “Clout” rapper added. “So that’s another thing that pushed me through is my boy, Take, man. He didn’t care that he didn’t care about the numbers, nothing. He like, ‘Bro, y’all’s s–t hard.’ He’s just very supportive in that. I just keep that in the back of my mind and just keep pushing.”

In addition to making music in honor of Takeoff’s memory, Offset shared that he continues to be inspired by his family, who in his words “kept my head on my shoulders” during the album recording process.

“Them being able to be close to me and to hold me tight because I needed family for a long time, man,” he said, referring to his five children and wife Cardi B. “People think everything is peaches and creams with an artist. You go through mental things, you go through things with your family, you go through confidence things, you go through creative block.”

The 31-year-old revealed that he struggled with making music during the summer months but was able to pull himself back together because one of his sons insisted on hearing new material. “It was like they giving me more life when I felt like I was draining … hearing my boys be like, ‘Dad, man, we want to hear your new music. When your new album going to drop? You need to come on.’ It just sparked the juice,” Offset recalled. “‘OK, let’s get back into the grind mode. Let’s get back into it.’”

Set It Off marks Offset’s second solo album; his first, Father of 4, peaked at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

12 Oct 2023

Drake Ends Grammy Hold Out, Submits ‘Her Loss’ for Album of the Year, Best Rap Album Consideration

Drake has been absent from the Grammy Awards mix lately, but that drought appears to be over as the 6 God has offered up his joint album with 21 Savage, Her Loss, for consideration in several categories.

Billboard has confirmed that Her Loss was submitted for album of the year and best rap album for the 2024 awards show — news first reported by The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday (Oct. 11) — while the songs “Rich Flex” and “Spin Bout U” were offered up in categories including record of the year, song of the year for both, best rap performance (“Rich Flex”), best rap song (“Rich Flex”) and best melodic rap performance (“Spin Bout U”). Drake also could earn further nominations for his collaborations on Travis Scott’s “Meltdown” and Young Thug’s “Oh U Want,” which are both entered for both rap song and best rap performance.

Her Loss was released in November 2022 and qualifies for the Feb. 4, 2024, Grammys because it falls into an eligibility period that opened on Oct. 1, 2022, and ran through Sept. 15, 2023; balloting for first-round voting for those awards opened on Wednesday, with nominations slated for announcement on Nov. 10.

Billboard has reached out to Drake and 21 Savage’s reps for comment.

Drake has criticized the Grammys in the past and withdrew his rap noms for the 2022 awards, with his management asking the Recording Academy to remove him from nominee consideration on the final-found balloting for 2022’s 64th annual awards in April 2022, a request the Academy honored. He also did not submit his 2022 Honestly, Nevermind album or any of its singles for consideration at this year’s Grammys in February. He did, however, share a best melodic rap performance trophy for his guest spot on Future’s “Wait For U” from the latter’s I Never Liked You album.

In 2020, Drake criticized the Grammys after The Weeknd (who now goes by his birth name, Abel Tesfaye) received no nominations for his After Hours album. “I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artist that exist now and the ones that come after,” Drake said in an Insta story at the time. “It’s like a relative you keep expecting to fix up but they just won’t change their ways.”

Drake’s latest album, For All the Dogs, was released Oct. 6 and would be eligible for the 2025 Grammys.

12 Oct 2023

Latto and Christina Aguilera Tease a Collab: ‘Did Somebody Say Just Eat?’

Christina Aguilera and Latto are cooking something up. And according to a series of teases over the past few days it sounds delicious. “Y’all ready for something new?” Latto asks in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday in which Aguilera can be heard hitting one of her signature sky-high notes in the background.

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“Did somebody say just eat?” Latto adds over operatic trills and images of the two women modeling billowing Victorian-era ball gowns while sitting on the white steps of a mansion. The words “just eat” are then repeated in dramatic fashion over a logo comprised of a knife and fork inside a white house. The post promises a release today (Oct. 12) along with the hashtag @JustEatUK.

Xtina reposted the tease tagging the Uk food delivery service JustEat, which added, “Y’all ready for our latest track featuring our two new queens @xtina @Latto? [crown, heart eyes emoji].

On Tuesday the pair began setting the stage for the project, with Latto tweeting “Should we tell them? [eyes and mouth covered emoji] @xtina, with the “Genie in a Bottle” singer responding “I think it’s time babe…” At press time no additional information was available on the project.

Earlier this week, Aguilera announced that she has a new series of “seductively cozy” shows set for Voltaire Belle de Nuit at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas beginning New Year’s Eve weekend. Latto, meanwhile, is slated to appear on the song “Fine As Can Be” on Offset’s Set It Off solo album, which is due out on Friday (Oct. 13).

Check out the tease below.

12 Oct 2023

Cardi B Blown Away By Offset’s Over-the-Top Birthday Surprise: ‘You Always Go Beyond For Me’

If there are any rose petals, balloons or candles left in Atlanta it’s not for Offset‘s lack of trying. The Migos rapper went way above and beyond to celebrate wife Cardi B‘s 31st birthday on Wednesday (Oct. 11) by flooding the zone at the couple’s house with a lavish display.

“Thank you soo much babe @offsetyrn …you always go beyond for me,” Cardi wrote on Instagram alongside a video of her freaking out over the surprise, which included rose petal-strewn steps, an entire room covered in petals, giant “Happy Birthday” balloons, an enormous flower heart with the “Bongos” MC’s name on it and a ceiling covered in pink balloons.

“I love your skin,I love your face,I love your body , your ankles,I love your soul,I love your heart,I love your fart ,I love your faith,I love your talent ,I will BITE anybody for you lmaaooooo ❤️❤️❤️❤️,” Cardi added.

In the audio of the clip, Cardi can’t believe the lengths ‘Set went to to honor her, saying, “Ahhh… So this is why you was rushing me to go downstairs and eat?… Wow, oh my God. This n—a, I swear to God! Wow. I love you, thank you. Seems like it’s gonna be his birthday the way i’m gonna [mouth noises]. I love you, I love you, thank you so much. I’ll bite you b–ches for this man!”

Cardi and Offset married in 2017 and they share two children, 5-year-old Kulture Kiari and 2-year-old Wave Set. Bold displays are clearly his thing, as last month Offset celebrated their sixth anniversary by, you guessed it, filling up the foyer of their house with an avalanche of pink and red flowers and white candles. “Thank you for the flowers, the empowerment, the protection and for being a great father to our children… I love so many things about you,” Cardi wrote at the time.

Check out Offset’s lavish gift below.

10 Oct 2023

All the BET 2023 Hip Hop Awards Performances Ranked

The 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards — which went down at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Center — aired on Tuesday (Oct. 10), and it was a night to remember the genre’s roots.

Hosted by Fat Joe, the award show celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by bringing together the genre’s brightest new stars in GloRilla and Sexyy Redd as well as established hitmakers like Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, who were honored in the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher that featured Bun B, Lola Brooke, Cassidy, Gloss Up, Foggieraw, Lady London, Scar Lip and Symba. Maiya The Don, LaNell Grant and That Mexican OT were featured in the digital cypher.

Kid Capri, DJ D-Nice, Scott Storch, Spinderella, Kool DJ Red Alert and more were on the 1s and 2s throughout the evening, throwing it back to fan-favorite hip-hop tracks that the crowd rapped bar for bar; producers, an often overshadowed part of the hip-hop equation, were frequently given the spotlight during the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast.

Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow, Ludacris, Nelly, Da Brat, Bone Crusher, Chingy, Lil Jon, Tyrese and Dem Franchize Boyz came together during the awards ceremony for a star-studded tribute celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dupri’s So So Def Recordings. LL Cool J and Rakim performed a special tribute to this year’s “I Am Hip Hop Award” honoree Marley Marl, alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff and Technician the DJ.

Check out all the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards winners here, and read through Billboard‘s ranking of the evening’s performances below. (DJ sets are not included in the ranking).

10 Oct 2023

LL Cool J & Rakim Paid Homage to Pioneering Producer Marley Marl at 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards

Considered one of the greatest rap producers of all-time, Marley Marl enjoyed his flowers at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards when he received the I Am Hip Hop Award during the Tuesday (Oct. 10) broadcast.

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Presented by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland — who previously were honored with the Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award earlier in the night — Marley Marl felt the love from his peers in a stirring highlight reel that captured his most significant wins, including producing Roxanne Shante’s “Roxanne’s Revenge” and LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out.” “The energy that LL had with Marley’s production lit a fire under LL to make that album what it was,” said Eminem.

The famed producer doubled down on Em’s statement by detailing their efforts in the ’90s. “Me and LL had something to prove, and we proved it,” said Marl during his acceptance speech. Swizz Beatz elaborated on Marl’s greatness by telling the audience, “He said something that’s very G, that I don’t think a lot of y’all heard. He invented sampling on a record. This is Marley Marl right here.”

LL Cool J and Rakim delivered a rousing performance in honor of the hip-hop pioneer. First, Rakim, clad in a black hoodie, delved into his fistful of classics, including “Eric B. Is President” and “Paid In Full” with Technician The DJ and Jazzy Jeff on the 1’s and 2’s. Then, LL Cool J paid homage to his frequent collaborator by performing “Jingling Baby,” “Around The Way Girl,” “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “Rock The Bells.”

Earlier in the night, DaBaby, Sexxy Red and City Girls performed while Atlanta legend Jermaine Dupri enjoyed So So Def’s 30th anniversary with a huge medley of hits.

10 Oct 2023

Here Are the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards Winners

At the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards — which took place at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on Oct. 3 and then broadcast Tuesday night (Oct. 10) — Kendrick Lamar emerged the night’s biggest winner, taking home four prizes.

The rapper swept every category he was nominated in, winning hip hop artist of the year, lyricist of the year, best live performer and video director of the year, alongside his collaborator Dave Free.

A slew of artists went home with two awards, including Drake & 21 Savage (hip hop album of the year for Her Loss and best duo or group); Lil Durk feat. J. Cole (best collaboration and impact track for “All My Life”); Lil Uzi Vert (song of the year and best hip hop video for “Just Wanna Rock”); and Metro Boomin (producer of the year and DJ of the year).

Cardi B and 21 Savage entered the show as the lead nominees, with 12 apiece; Cardi was shut out, while Savage scored the two awards above.

The Fat Joe-hosted awards show featured performances by Sexyy Red, GloRilla, City Girls and DaBaby, as well as LL Cool J and Rakim’s tribute to the night’s I Am Hip Hop Award honoree Marley Marl and a So So Def 30th-anniversary tribute featuring Lil Jon, Ludacris, Nelly, Chingy, Bow Wow, Da Brat and more.

Follow along with all the night’s winners below, and see our gallery of red-carpet photos from the BET Hip Hop Awards here.

10 Oct 2023

New Company Allows You To Register .HipHop Domain Names

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GetDotHipHop

Source: @getdothiphop / Instagram

Hip-Hop continues to unite individuals from all over the globe. A new company is making connecting with like minds easier with .HipHop domain names.

Digital Music News is reporting that Dot Hip Hop is making strides in tech on the behalf of the culture. This new start-up allows users to register websites with a .HipHop domain name. Not only does the service make it easier for entrepreneurs to connect their brand to the art form it also hopes to empower the Hip-Hop community overall by providing a simple but effective way to own IP.

“There’s a lot to the story of our dedication to the community and the culture,” Managing Director Monte Cahn said in an exclusive statement to Digital Music News. “We’re trying to re-educate people about the importance of having your own intellectual property, your own identity, utilizing it properly, and being able to monetize it.” He also went on to point to the downfalls of most social media apps. “These platforms own everything that you do and say. You can be cut off and deleted and even hacked by others while using these platforms,” he added.

Ajene Watson, Managing Director, also reaffirms that the company’s mission statement also includes economic empowerment. “We are creating an environment where the culture can own equity in Dot Hip Hop, LLC — the registry that holds the license to operate the .HipHop extension” he said. “Secondly, we’re promoting financial literacy and economic opportunity by teaching the community about digital real estate — researching, analyzing, buying, developing, and selling these domain names”.

.HipHop domains can be purchased here or at GoDaddy.