Rap

First thing’s first, she’s still the realest. Iggy Azalea took to social media on Tuesday (Jan. 10) to confirm that she has new music coming out later this year.

The rapper teased the new tunes in response to a fan asking her directly when new music would arrive on Twitter. Quote-tweeting the follower’s question, she wrote, “Music?… summer. Scandalous sh–?… Friday.” (She previously confirmed her grand return to music last summer in a tweet decrying followers’ penchant for being “negative AND nosey. So if I can’t have peace, neither can you. I’m coming back. Cry about it,” she wrote at the time.)

Azalea didn’t offer any more clues as to the scandal she’s currently prepping for the end of the week, but music by the summertime would be her first new release since the 2021 single “Knock Yourself Out,” featuring Sophia Scott and Renee Blair.

The star also dropped her most recent full-length that same year, The End of an Era, which included the singles “Sip It” with Tyga, “Brazil” and “Iam the Stripclub,” as well as collaborations with Sisterhood of Hip Hop star Bia (“Is That Right”), Ellise (“Day 3 in Miami (End of an Era)”) and Alice Chater (“N.Y.E.”).

Both announcements will arrive in the wake of Azalea selling her back catalog in a reported eight-figure deal to Domain Capital. The agreement included both the rapper’s masters and publishing shares on her past hits like “Fancy” (with Charli XCX), “Black Widow” (with Rita Ora), “Problem” (with Ariana Grande) and more.

See Azalea’s latest tease about new music below.

Introducing Love Sean Combs! Diddy showed off his new baby girl on social media on Tuesday (Dec. 27).

In the darling post, the rapper’s seventh child flaunts a full head of dark hair and gorgeous, inquisitive eyes as she peers out from her car seat. A second picture in the slideshow, which Diddy captioned simply, “Baby Love,” shows her cuddled up on her superstar dad’s chest as father and daughter take a nap together.

Naturally, famous friends and fans alike flooded Diddy’s adorable post with well wishes as they oohed and ahhed over the sweet tot. “Sweet Angel, baby LOVE, I can’t wait to see you again. Your auntie Naomi,” wrote Naomi Campbell, while Paris Hilton commented, “Aw…So beautiful! Congratulations bro” with several smiley face emojis bursting with hearts.

Busta Rhymes and The Game also jumped into the comments as well, with Diddy’s “Pass the Courvoisier Part II” collaborator writing, “Incredibly Beautiful” followed by nine red heart emojis and The Game declaring, “What in the most beautiful baby in the world is going on here.” Others who flocked to comment on the photos of the newborn included Ester Dean, Swizz Beatz, Ashanti, model Winnie Harlow and Love’s older half-brother Quincy Combs.

Diddy first announced the birth of the baby earlier this month in a jubilant tweet, though he notably chose to keep the identity of Love’s mother private. The birth also stirred up a Twitter feud between City Girls’ Yung Miami, who’s been dating the Bad Boy mogul since at least the early summer, and DJ Academiks, who accused Diddy of having a “side baby on his harem of side chicks” in a shady tweet.

Get a look at baby Love below.

Looks like we can add financial planner to Cardi B’s résumé. Earlier this week, the superstar schooled a fan who criticized her wealth on social media.

The exchange started when Cardi tweeted, “We going through a recession…..Merry Christmas,” along with a festive Christmas tree emoji. The statement then prompted a follower to clap back, “Says the rapper worth 40 million,” using a GIF of an irritated man nodding his head and rolling his eyes.

Well, naturally, the “Hot Sh–” rapper wasn’t going to take that shade lying down. “I’m worth more [than] that and guess what? If I don’t save, work and budget I could lose it too!” she replied. “What makes you think that no matter how much money you got you can’t lose it all if you don’t manage your money correctly. I too have bills, responsibilities and people I have to help.”

Whatever the number above 40 million, Cardi’s net worth was certainly helped this year by her savvy career moves and various successes — from collaborating with GloRilla on their smash hit “Tomorrow 2” and Rosalía on the new “Despecha” remix to banking a cool million-dollar payday to perform a 35-minute set at a private backyard party during Art Basel in Miami.

Meanwhile, she recently teased that her long-in-the-works sophomore album should be arriving sometime in 2023, and even dropped a snippet of an unreleased song as an early Christmas gift to her fans.

Cardi and her family also experienced tragedy this year, mourning the brutal murder of her brother-in-law Takeoff after the Migos rapper was gunned down in the early morning hours of Nov. 1 at a Houston bowling alley.

Check out Cardi’s sound financial advice below.

We going through a recession…..Merry Christmas 🎄— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 20, 2022

I’m worth more then that and guess what ? If I don’t save ,work and budget I could lose it too! What makes you think that no matter how much money you got you can’t lose it all if you don’t manage your money correctly.I too have bills,responsibilities and people I have to help. https://t.co/QWIaj5Lpma— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 20, 2022

On Wednesday (Dec. 21), Kid Cudi shut down the idea of a collaborative album with Travis Scott.

A fan posed the question directly to the rapper on Twitter, asking, “Is The Scotts album still on the cards?” after Cudi tweeted that he was “workin on something special” for his fans and promised he’d have “more news next year!”

“Naw I’m not doin that,” Cudi said in reference to The Scotts album, adding, “The moment has passed.”

The super-duo first dropped their single “The Scotts” back in spring 2020. With the track debuting atop the Hot 100 upon its release, Cudi earned his first-ever No. 1 on the chart, while Scott notched his third after “Sicko Mode” and “Highest in the Room.”

More than a year later, Cudi confirmed via Twitter that he and Scott were planning to record a full album under their new moniker, claiming it would happen eventually though he wasn’t sure when.

Of course, since then the “Day N Nite” rapper has released his long-awaited album Entergalactic, embarked on his career-best To the Moon Tour across North America, and hinted that he’s nearing the end of his music career — though not before recording one final album for his fans.

Scott, meanwhile, has remained embroiled in the legal fallout from the deadly crowd crush at his 2021 Astroworld Festival, which left 10 attendees dead and hundreds more injured. He also recently dropped a new Nike collaboration and directed Future’s “712PM” music video.

Read Cudi’s tweet putting The Scotts’ album to pasture below.

The Game used social media to preemptively shut down critics of his 12-year-old daughter’s choice of outfit on Monday (Dec. 19).

Sharing a current snap of Calilynn Dream next to one of her as a toddler, the rapper wrote, “Somebody please tell the LORD to help…. She was just 2 years old like a week ago…. Now my baby is 12 years old, growing up & it won’t stop.”

In the first photo, the preteen crouches on the ground, staring down the camera in a strappy silver dress and furry white coat, and The Game made sure to put any trolls in their place before they even started. “[DISCLAIMER: before the internet get to INTERNET’n, me & her mother both agreed to let her do her make up for the young & beautiful @the_combs_twinssweet 16 birthday party],” he wrote, explaining that the grown-up party dress was for a special occasion celebrating Diddy’s daughters Jessie and D’Lila Combs. (He also added the hilariously protective hashtag “#YesIWillDieOrDoLifeInPrisonOverHerWithoutThinkinOrBlinkin” just to really drive his point home.)

While his daughter keeps getting older, The Game also continues advancing his storied career. In August, he released Drillmatic — Heart vs. Mind, which included the 10-minute Eminem diss track “The Black Slim Shady” as well as collabs with Kanye West (controversial single “Eazy”), Fivio Foreign (“Burnin’ Checks”), Chlöe Bailey, Chris Brown and Cassie (“Universal Love”) and more.

At the time, he and executive producer Hit-Boy sat down with Billboard for an exclusive interview, discussing how Nas’ classic Illmatic inspired the album title and revealing Amy Winehouse as his dream collaborator.

Read The Game’s parental word of warning below.