Musicians
Red Bull Spiral, the innovative Hip-Hop series from Red Bull 1520, is back for a third season and is kicking things off with three lyrical heavyweights. Big Sean, Joey BadA$$, and Ab-Soul all hopped into the Red Bull Spiral cypher with their unique, face-melting bars.
Opening up the Red Bull Spiral is Big Sean, with the Detroit wordsmith sounding comfortable over the head-nodding production behind him with some assistance from Joey BadA$$ and Ab-Soul. After Sean Don playfully says that Ab-Soul’s lady told him that he was going to “wash” him in the cypher, the Black Lip Pastor returns the jab but delivers another one of his amazing displays of lyricism as only the Martin Luther King of Carson can. In his verse, Soul-O also shouts out BadA$$’s Pro Era set but still flies the TDE flag high.
On the anchor, the Brooklyn Bad Mon Joey BadA$$ ripped a hole in the multiverse with his bars and backed up all the tough talk he delivered over his blistering “The Ruler’s Back” track, expertly saluting Ab-Soul’s hometown and shouting out Sean. The synergy between the trio makes it appear as if they were an actual group, but this is the first time the three stars have appeared on a track of this sort. And if there was any doubt about Joey’s love for the West Coast, it was squashed amicably at the end of his set.
Check out Big Sean, Ab-Soul, and Joey BadA$$ in the Red Bull Spiral cypher below. Peep the lyrics here.
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Photo: Koury Angelo / Red Bull Content Pool
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Source: Lex Records / Lex Records
Hip-Hop music has embraced and occasionally criticized artists who chase the familiar, as nostalgia is seen as a schtick among some purists. Fly Anakin gently leans into this concept on his latest album, (The) Forever Dream, with the Richmond, Va. native harkening back to the days before Hip-Hop notoriety and the joy of spotanenity.
Executive produced by rapper and producer Quelle Chris, an innovative artist in his own right, the Detroit mainstay’s inventive bent is felt throughout (The) Forever Dream. As the concept of the album seemingly unfolds, Fly Anakin’s usual sharp rapping ability doesn’t have that same whipcrack intensity as heard on his earlier releases on his own or alongside his Mutant Academy collective.
With this album, there’s fluidity in Anakin’s flow that he’s always possessed, but much slinkier as production from Shungu, Quelle Chris collaborator Chris Keys, The Alchemist, and Quelle himself all open varying runways for the artist born Frank Walton.
The widest of those runways is the spirit of the impromptu studio session, and that tone is set early with album opener “Good Clothes” featuring Demae. Anakin’s double-time flow pairs perfectly with Chris Keys’ dreamy backdrop, and as the track builds, so does Anakin’s comfort in the moment. As a warmup, Anakin allows himself a moment of braggadocio but never overdoes it.
Hopping ahead to “My N*gga,” Shungu’s hulking production allows Richmond’s $ilkMoney, and Anakin’s Mutant Academy colleague Big Kahuna OG to set the stage for a strong closing verse for Anakin. Quelle provides the bouncy hook for an early highlight. In the background of the track, you hear laughter, adding to the mystique of the album, and the conditions that inspired its direction.
Micall Parknsun provides the track for “Lil One,” one of (The) Forever Dream’s more inward-looking songs, and Quelle joins in on the mesmerizing hook and outro. August Fanon, a producer with several placements in the sprawling independent Hip-Hop scene, delivers the somber and soulful “Check On Me,” featuring a memorable verse from Philadelphia’s lojii.
The fun starts picking up on “NOTTOOSHABBY” with verses from Quelle Chris, $ilkMoney, and Richmond legend, Nickelus F. The beat from Child Actor sounds like something Quelle would produce himself, hence why he sounds so at home on the track. Anakin and Nickelus both take off on the track as well, even with Anakin missing a lyrical cue, but telling the engineer to keep the session going.
This is what makes (The) Forever Dream the most inviting of Anakin’s releases. There is a vision of relaxation, hazy clouds of good greenery, maybe some libations, and a bunch of friends, new and old, attempting to capture those sparkling moments on wax. Yes, this all existed before, but it is greatly expanded here.
“Lord Forgives, I Hold Grudges,” takes its title from a line from Anakin’s verse and just when it appears he’s going to let us in more into who he is, the lyrics trail off into sincere but largely general sh*t talk. This isn’t a critique, but it’s something that he routinely does across the album. Quelle’s Crown Nation partner, Denmark Vesey, who produced the track, delivers an amazing performance, and Anakin’s FlySiifu collaborator Pink Siifu lends his consistent free jazz-styled lyricism.
All through the album are moments of pure, unbridled joy. This shows up on songs like the summery “The Times” with a beat from frequent Homeboy Sandman collaborator Mono En Stereo, and “Corner Pocket” with The Alchemist on the production and a scene-stealing verse from bbymutha. Quelle’s hook is also another winner.
(The) Forever Dream isn’t a gigantic departure from Frank, Anakin’s 2022 studio album debut. However, it stands apart due to the freedom of taking chances outside the typical lanes Anakin is known for. As a complete listen, the album easily showcases Fly Anakin’s formidable ability, but highlights that he can veer off the typical paths and achieve his dreams in the process.
Check out the album below. Find the album at your preferred DSPs here.
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Kai Ca$h first appeared on our radar by way of his excellent 2021 album, 711 (Deluxe), and has been featured on past CRT FRSH (Certified Fresh) playlist roundups. The Brooklyn native spoke with Hip-Hop Wired about his persistence and consistency as an artist, which has positioned the humble and talented rapper’s career to soar even higher.
Kai Ca$h took time out of his busy recording schedule to talk with Hip-Hop Wired about his early beginnings, finding his voice as an artist, and where he hopes to take his craft now that he recently signed a deal with the stacked Generation Now collective founded by DJ Drama and Don Cannon and distributed by Atlantic Records.
For Kai, his current position was something he honed in on early on.
“I was born into music, and it’s what I’m most passionate about,” Kai explains, adding, “I never really gave myself a second option when it came to what I wanted to do in life. I’m really proud of that because I put my blood, sweat, and tears, everything I have, all into the music.”
Kai credits his mother’s diverse ear for music for increasing his palate as a listener first. His father was a close friend of The Notorious B.I.G. and a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A., giving a young Kai access to meet buzzing rap stars such as Lil’ Kim and Lil Cease, among others.
“Just being around those types of environments and that energy and then going back home with my mom listening to music, it just reassured me that this is the thing I wanted to do,” Kai said.
As mentioned above, Kai’s 711 (Deluxe) was a wider introduction of his sound after dropping his debut in 2019, and he shared what his journey was like between that project to his latest project, CASH RULES.
“At that time [during 711], I was independent. Being an independent artist is one of the hardest things ever, ” Kai shared. “I champion every independent artist that figures it out and develops a system that works for them because you might not see any money from it in a long time.”
Surprisingly, Kai revealed that he was shy and reserved, but the independent grind motivated him to work on his craft and transform his timidity into the ferocity fans witness now during his energetic live performances. He recently performed at this year’s Dreamville Festival alongside his longtime collaborator and friend, Niko Brim, who also hails from Hip-Hop royalty.
Source: Kai Ca$h / Generation Now/Atlantic Records
Our conversation with Kai moved to CASH RULES, his first body of work under the Generation Now imprint. Clocking in at 10 tracks, CASH RULES covers several lanes, including soul sample-driven beats, songs for “outside,” and plenty of moments of self-reflection. Don Cannon’s guiding hand opened the way for production from notable names like Bink, 2forwOyNE (Jack Harlow), Buddah Bless (Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion), and more. However, Kai’s already sharp and focused delivery sounds immediately improved.
“I still have a lot of work to do,” Kai said, not content to rest on recent successes. “I feel like a freshman walking through these doors. It’s just as important as everything I did before, and in some sense even more, because now I have eyes on me and a different kind of pressure. But this has been my dream since a kid, so I don’t feel any pressure at all.”
Check out Kai Ca$h online on Instagram here, and keep up with his movement on his site here.
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Photo: Kai Ca$h / Generation Now/Atlantic Records
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Coachella concluded its first weekend on Sunday (April 13), and we covered Megan Thee Stallion‘s dazzling performance shortly after Hot Girl Meg exited the stage. Missy Elliott, one of the many standout performers at Coachella, delivered a powerful performance of her own and donned a Transformers-inspired suit during her set.
As spotted on TMZ, Missy Elliott was among the dozens of high-profile acts in California for Coachella, and the Virginia native put on an epic display of futuristic vibes and delivered some of her many notable hits.
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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update after too many weeks away. We’ve had a lot of catching up to do, so let’s get to the newness!
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. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
What up, Hip-Hop Wired nation?! We’re back with our latest Certified Fresh playlist, and we hope to add to your weekend vibes. This week, we open up the playlist with “EVIL JORDAN” from Playboi Carti’s latest album, MUSIC. We follow that up with “GRITS” from Erick The Architect’s excellent I’ve Never Been Here Before: Director’s Cut project.
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U is still moving on the charts and “BRIAN STEEL” features Drake in big sh*t talk mode, and that gets followed up by Atlanta’s MARCO PLUS and his “omm” single. Texas spitter BigXThaPlug delivered his Take Care (Deluxe) set earlier this year, and we include the “Life Of A Boss” track. PremRock, one half of the dynamic ShrapKnel duo, dropped off his latest work, Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?, and the track “Doubt Mountain,” produced by CRT FRSH fave YUNGMORPHEUS, is a standout from the release.
Salute to the rest of the CRT FRSH entrants KenTheMan, Goya Gumbani, SALIMATA, Ken Carson, Niontay, Lil Durk, Future, Young Dro, Zaytoven, Trouble (RIP), Turbo, Gunna, P-Lo, Ovrkast., Micheal Sneed, demahjiae, Lil Tecca, Falamoun, SIDESHOW, Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA, Lil Yachty, Veeze, Raz Fresco, and Futurewave.
Salute to all of the artists we’ve included in this week’s update. Tune in in two more weeks and we’ll be back with 20, ahem, Certified Fresh joints for the people.To be considered for inclusion, please contact D.L. Chandler via email here – dchandler@bhmdigital.com in case the link doesn’t open.
—Photo: Getty
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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update after too many weeks away. We’ve had a lot of catching up to do, so let’s get to the newness!
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. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
What up, Hip-Hop Wired nation?! We’re back with our latest Certified Fresh playlist, and we hope to add to your weekend vibes. This week, we open up the playlist with “EVIL JORDAN” from Playboi Carti’s latest album, MUSIC. We follow that up with “GRITS” from Erick The Architect’s excellent I’ve Never Been Here Before: Director’s Cut project.
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U is still moving on the charts and “BRIAN STEEL” features Drake in big sh*t talk mode, and that gets followed up by Atlanta’s MARCO PLUS and his “omm” single. Texas spitter BigXThaPlug delivered his Take Care (Deluxe) set earlier this year, and we include the “Life Of A Boss” track. PremRock, one half of the dynamic ShrapKnel duo, dropped off his latest work, Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?, and the track “Doubt Mountain,” produced by CRT FRSH fave YUNGMORPHEUS, is a standout from the release.
Salute to the rest of the CRT FRSH entrants KenTheMan, Goya Gumbani, SALIMATA, Ken Carson, Niontay, Lil Durk, Future, Young Dro, Zaytoven, Trouble (RIP), Turbo, Gunna, P-Lo, Ovrkast., Micheal Sneed, demahjiae, Lil Tecca, Falamoun, SIDESHOW, Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA, Lil Yachty, Veeze, Raz Fresco, and Futurewave.
Salute to all of the artists we’ve included in this week’s update. Tune in in two more weeks and we’ll be back with 20, ahem, Certified Fresh joints for the people.To be considered for inclusion, please contact D.L. Chandler via email here – dchandler@bhmdigital.com in case the link doesn’t open.
—Photo: Getty
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Source: Westend61 / Getty
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update of the year, we’ve had a lot of catching up to do so let’s get to the newness.
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. — D.L. Chandler
Welcome back to the latest update to your newest and favorite playlist, Certified Fresh (CRT FRSH)! We’ve been MIA for a while so we’ll need to dig deep into the virtual crates as we bring the listeners and ourselves up to speed.
We open the playlist with “NOKIA” from Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s collaborative album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, which has been making moves on the charts since dropping earlier this year. Taking it to Montreal, Mike Shabb’s “Crews pop” is one of several standout tracks from his hazy, well-executed album, shabbvangogh. Playboi Carti’s new MUSIC album is doing its numbers and the track “GOOD CREDIT” sounds ready for a stadium performance with Kendrick Lamar appearing for a scene-stealer verse.
MARCO PLUS, one of dopest rappers out of Atlanta, has been on CRT FRSH before and the track “gmfu” is more of his usual strong, hypnotic work. Doechii re-released an extended version of her stellar Alligator Bites Never Heal project and “Anxiety” is one of the bonus tracks of note. We took it back to 2024 and Nappy Nina and Swarvy’s slept-on Nothing Is My Favorite Thing and the track “Omakase” features some extremely dope verses from maassai and Stas THEE Boss.
We want to thank the rest of our CRT FRSH included acts such as GELO, GloRilla, Big Cheeok, Dhani, J. Cole, LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON, Freddie Gibbs, Hidden Renaissance, MACADEN, King Quad, JT, Samara Cyn, Sherwyn, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Zelooperz, Real Bad Man, The Alchemist, Wale, IDK, Lil Durk, Jhene Aiko, Pyraminds, Planet Asia, and Guilty Simpson.
We’ll be updating this playlist in two to three weeks with some, ahem, fresh updates and new acts along with a revamped structure to the segment. Stay tuned!
To be considered for inclusion in the CRT FRSH playlist, please email playlist curator D.L. Chandler at: dchandler@bhmdigital.com
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The Alchemist has been on a legendary run with one-off singles, a short EP series, and collaborations like his excellent joint album with Larry June, The Great Escape. The West Coast producer and rapper will reconnect with June along with 2 Chainz for the collaborative Life Is Beautiful project.
2 Chainz and Larry June have collaborated in the past via the song “Still Boomin’ from June’s 2022 Spaceships On The Blade album. The trio just unleashed the potent single and video for “Bad Choices” and it’s a natural pairing as any. June’s motivational get-money bars paired next to Tity Two Necklace’s opulent lyrics sound at home over the soulful production of The Alchemist.
Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty
The announcement came as a bit of a surprise with “Bad Choices” not initially framed as part of a larger project. Chainz sounds in tip-top shape and June is always cool, relaxed, and focused on the end game of keeping his hustle up.
Fans won’t have to wait long to experience Life Is Beautiful in full despite the relatively fast rollout of the “Bad Choices” single. The trio will drop that project on Feb. 7.
Source: Julia Beverly / Getty
Check out a trailer for the album featuring The Alchemist, Larry June, and 2 Chainz below.
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. A new album by @2chainz @LarryJuneTFM & @Alchemist 2/7/25 pic.twitter.com/ctaMD8M4wV
— Alchemist Type Beat (@Alchemist) January 29, 2025
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Personally can’t wait to hear a lot of “Tony!” and “Good job” adlibs all over this album. Color us excited.
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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again for 2025! Now that we’re nearing the end of the year, 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. — D.L. Chandler
Happy New Year, Hip-Hop Wired Nation! I’m glad to be back to curating what’s about to be your new favorite Hip-Hop music playlist! Since the year is new, we’ll be featuring quite a bit of music we missed over the past year.
Opening the playlist this weekend is Lil Baby’s “Outfit” from the Atlanta rapper’s new WHAM album, and he invited 21 Savage along for the ride with a verse that some believe was in support of frequent collaborator, Drake. We follow that up with Redman’s “Dynomite” from his fantastic new album, Muddy Waters Too with Sheek Looch of The Lox on the feature.
Offset’s “Swing My Way” sees the Migos artist back in top form. Smoke DZA, one of our favorite rappers, delivered a couple of projects in 2024 and his You’re All Welcome deluxe drop with DJ RELLYRELL had several standouts, including “Another Full Tank In The Bronco” featuring Westside Gunn and Stove God Cooks.
We’re still enjoying CHROMAKOPIA, one of our top albums of 2024, and the track “Thought I Was Dead” featuring ScHoolboy Q and Santigold. That’s followed by Mike Shabb’s “Free Jesus” from the Montreal artist’s Sewaside III album featuring the talented Navy Blue. We slept on that one, our fault.
We want to salute all of the entrants on this week’s playlist and thank you for your contributions to the art.
We’ll be updating this playlist in two weeks, so live with these songs a bit and stay tuned.
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Photo: Getty
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Lil Durk is currently behind bars awaiting trial for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted Quando Rondo but instead left the rapper’s cousin shot and killed in 2022. In new court documents that were recently filed, Lil Durk’s trial has been postponed until October of this year as officials will comb through 230 gigabytes of digital evidence.
As shared by independent legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, Lil Durk was slated to go on trial next week as seen in the filing made on Dec. 31 to the United States District Court, Central District of California. Cuniff combed through the filing and discovered that Durk’s new trial date will be Oct. 14 as the state continues to examine its haul of evidence as prosecutors continue to build out their case.
Cuniff shared that Durk’s co-defendant Asa “Boogie” Houston is opposing the trial postponement while another co-defendant Deandre “DeDe” Wilson appears to be seeking a plea deal after requesting a pre-plea sentence report.
The discovery portion of the matter focuses on “approximately 230 GB of digital evidence such as audio/video recordings and surveillance footage, and approximately 20,000 pages of reports concerning murder and other violent acts, photographs, witness statements, and medical documents.”
It is expected that Lil Durk will remain behind bars until the trial after being denied bond due to a potential flight risk. The Chicago star was arrested while en route to a Florida airport that was reportedly heading to Europe before he was cornered and arrested.
Meghann Cuniff’s thread from X regarding the matter can be viewed below.
Rapper Lil Durk is looking at a new trial date of October 14 in his murder-for-hire case in Los Angeles, according to a stipulation today from federal prosecutors and the defense. pic.twitter.com/XtMjADEOPd
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 31, 2024
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Photo: Getty