R&B/Hip-Hop

10 Jul 2023

Here’s When ‘Rap Sh!t’ Season 2 Premieres

Max’s original series Rap Sh!t will premiere its second season on Thursday, Aug. 10, the streaming service announced Monday (July 10).

It was first revealed that Rap Sh!t would be renewed for a second season last September. “We are so excited to continue this journey with Shawna and Mia and the incredibly fun world of Rap Sh!t. With the wonderfully comedic and unique perspectives of Aida Osman, KaMillion, Issa Rae, Syreeta Singleton and the team at Hoorae, season two is sure to bring even more seducing and scheming,” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at Max, said in a statement at the time.

The first two episodes of season two will premiere on Aug. 10, while the remainder of the eight-episode season will continue releasing episodes weekly. The finale will air on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Season two follows Shawna (played by Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) and their rise to fame as Miami’s hottest new rap duo, but the two “find themselves at a pivotal moment in their rap career as they are forced to decide if they will stay true to themselves or conform to the demands of the music industry,” according to a press release.

Jonica Booth, RJ Cyler and Daniel Augustin are also part of the season two cast.

Rap Sh!t is executive produced by Issa Rae and showrunner Syreeta Singleton, as well as Montrel McKay for Hoorae, Jonathan Berry, and Dave Becky for 3 Arts Entertainment, and Jim Kleverweis. City Girls‘ Yung Miami and JT, Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas for Quality Control Films and Sara Rastogi and Jax Clark for Hoorae also serve as co-executive producers. Rae’s audio content company Raedio handles music supervision for the series.

Watch the teaser for Rap Sh!t season two below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=tqR76mqILkU&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

10 Jul 2023

Nicki Minaj Rejected Several Songs She ‘Didn’t Love’ Before Choosing ‘Barbie World’ With Ice Spice

Of course, OG Barb Nicki Minaj was going to be a part of the new Barbie movie, but that doesn’t mean that she was going to hop on just any song that came her way. As she graced the pink carpet for the world premiere of Barbie on Sunday (July 9), Minaj spilled some tea about the process behind her and Ice Spice’s collaboration for the film’s soundtrack.

“There were a couple songs that I didn’t love,” Minaj revealed to Entertainment Tonight. “This ‘Barbie’ sample, I loved it. I just wanted it to have a dope drum, and so the one that they sent me, I loved! And I jumped on it right away.” The song in question was “Barbie World,” a collaboration with New York rapper Ice Spice that featured production contributions from RiotUSA and a sample of AQUA’s seminal “Barbie Girl.”

The rapper also called her inclusion in the project a “very full circle moment.” “I’ve been saying ‘Barbie’ my whole career,” she told ET.

“Barbie World” is currently the highest charting song from the Barbie soundtrack. The song debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Minaj’s 23rd top 10 hit and Ice Spice’s fourth. The soundtrack single also marks the second collaboration between the two artists; the pair linked up earlier this year for a remix of Ice’s “Princess Diana,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100.

In addition to Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice, the soundtrack for the Greta Gerwig-helmed film also boasts a slew of pop music’s biggest and brightest stars. Executive produced by Grammy and Oscar winner Mark Ronson, Barbie The Album is set to feature contributions from Dua Lipa, Ryan Gosling, Billie Eilish, Karol G, Lizzo, Khalid, Gayle, Fifty Fifty, Kaliii, Haim, Tame Impala, Charli XCX and more.

Check out a clip of Nicki’s pink carpet interview below:

10 Jul 2023

Watch Cardi B Twerk in a Bubble Bath & in Front of the Eiffel Tower to ‘Point Me 2’ Remix

No matter where she is in the world, Cardi B will be Cardi B. With a new Instagram video, the rapper shared a compilation of clips showing off her twerking skills in different locations — including none other than the Eiffel Tower in Paris … and her bubble bath.

In the first clip, Cardi B excitedly finds a spot in front of the famous Paris landmark, looking exceptionally casual in a white bathrobe and slippers as she proceeds to throw it back for the camera. In another clip, she squats and twerks in front of her luxurious bed; in another, she wears next to nothing while sensually shaking her stuff in a bubble bath.

“SHE PLAYIN WAP , SHE THROWIN CAT IN THE UBER BLACK !!!…… by the way that’s my bedroom,” Cardi captioned the Saturday (July 8) video, using lyrics from her new “Point Me 2” remix with FendiDa Rapper.

Offset chimed in with a slew of heart-eye emojis in the comment section, further proving to fans that all is well with the couple following the Migos rapper’s recent accusation that Cardi had cheated on him. The pair also seemed to be on good terms at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, cozying up for photos at the Balenciaga runway show.

Prior to PFW, though, Offset sent the rumor mill into a tailspin by alleging on his Instagram Story that his wife had been intimate with another man. But Cardi almost immediately shut it down, saying on Twitter Spaces that a discrete affair would have been implausible in the first place given how famous she is.

“So please boy, stop acting stupid,” she’d added, addressing Offset directly. “Stop acting stupid. Going crazy over a f–king space. Don’t play with me. What the f–k. Stop playing. That’s all I’m gonna motherf–king say.”

See Cardi’s post below:

10 Jul 2023

Travis Scott Announces ‘Utopia’ Livestream Show Happening at the Pyramids of Giza

Travis Scott is back. The “Pick Up the Phone” rapper is set to launch Utopia, his first studio album in nearly five years, at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. He announced the livestream event through social media posts across Instagram and Twitter on Sunday (July 9).

“Utopia is wherever you are,” he wrote in one of the announcements. The livestream is set to take place July 28 at 9 p.m. Tickets for the in-person event are already sold out.

Scott has remained relatively mum about the details of the show, but in the midst of directing fans to links through which they could purchase tickets, he tweeted “Can’t waitttt to see ya.” On Twitter, just minutes before he officially announced the Giza Pyramids event, Scott tweeted, “Damnnnnnnn I misss y’all,” followed by a relatively uncharacteristic keyboard smash. Both tweets served as Scott’s first major activity on the platform since November.

Utopia will serve as the follow-up to Astroworld, Scott’s third studio album, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and spawned several Billboard Hot 100 hits such as “Sicko Mode” (No. 1), “Stargazing” (No. 8), and “Carousel” (No. 24). Although Scott has appeared as a featured artist on a slew of recent singles — including tracks from the likes of Pharrell Williams (“Down in Atlanta”) and SZA (“Open Arms”) — his last completely unaccompanied singles arrived in 2021. A pair of songs titled “Escape Plan” and “Mafia” were overshadowed by the devastating Astroworld Festival crowd crush that killed 10 people during Scott’s performance. Scott founded the music event in 2018 in his hometown of Houston. On June 29, a Texas grand jury decided against indicting Scott for any crimes related to the fatal crowd crush.

Check out Travis Scott’s Utopia announcements below:

10 Jul 2023

Drake Confirms New Collaboration With Nicki Minaj: ‘I Got a Lot of Love for Her’

During his Detroit stop for his It’s All a Blur Tour on Saturday (July 8), Drake left a huge breadcrumb for those anticipating his forthcoming album, For All the Dogs: He and his longtime Young Money teammate Nicki Minaj will collaborate again for an upcoming song. 

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“I’m gonna give away one thing for you tonight, because I got a lot of love for Detroit,” he said while on stage. “So I’m gonna have to tell you that me and Nicki Minaj did our first song together in, like, a really long time. I got a lot of love for her.”

The pair last reunited on Minaj’s 2021 track “Seeing Green,” which also features Lil Wayne. Months prior, when Drake released his album Certified Lover Boy, he sampled the Queens rapper midway through his song “Papi’s Home.”

Despite the occasional rift in their friendship over the years, Drake and Minaj’s chemistry in the studio remains unrivaled. Their collaborations date back to Drake’s “Up All Night” and “I’m So Proud of You,” to Minaj’s “Moment 4 Life” and “Truffle Butter.” In regards to For All the Dogs, details for the release date have been sparse, though Drake acknowledged last week during his tour stop in Chicago that the album was coming “soon.” 

For All the Dogs will follow Drake’s previous albums 2022’s Honestly, Nevermind, and 2021’s Certified Lover Boy, continuing his prolific output over the last few years. “I look around at all these faces, I know it’s summertime, I gotta give you s–t!” he told fans during his Chicago tour stop. I don’t know about these guys that go away three, four, five years and wanna chill out and all that s–t. That’s not me.”

Watch a clip of him talking about working with Nicki below. 

10 Jul 2023

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: FendiDa Rappa & Cardi B, Dominic Fike, LUCKI & More

Happy Monday! With new R&B/hip-hop releases dropping left and right, it can be quite overwhelming navigating the newcomers in the genre. But that’s why Fresh Picks exists! This week, we have an eclectic array of sounds, from alt-R&B and Jersey club to jazz rap — everything you need to get you through this second week of July.

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And of course, don’t forget to check out this month’s Fresh Picks (so far) in our Spotify playlist, linked below.

Freshest Find: Dominic Fike, “7 Hours”

This week’s Freshest Find goes to alt-rock/rap/pop straddler, Dominic Fike: last Friday (July 7), the multi-hyphenate released his second album, Sunburn, a collection of older songs that explores themes related to his past. Fike explores his alt-R&B side with standout album cut, “7 Hours,” where he sings about driving seven hours to see his lover, only for them to not give him the time of day.

FendiDa Rappa feat. Cardi B, “Point Me 2”

Cardi B is continuing her outstanding feature run by hopping on FendiDa Rappa’s “Point Me 2.” The collab comes after Fendi’s viral Jersey club-inspired single, “Point Me to the Sl-ts,” where she calls out her male counterparts (“N—-as dissing when they rap, should we call it drill?/ N—-as capping in they raps, should we give ’em deals?”) and proudly showcases her lust. Here, Cardi checks in around the 2:20 mark and wastes no times matching Fendi’s energy, rapping, “B—hes talkin’ all that rah rah, I don’t feel it though/ Like the Plan B didn’t work, baby, I’m in this hoe.”

LUCKI, “2021 Vibes”

The Cash Cobain-produced track “2021 Vibes” sees LUCKI delving deeper into his world of hazy hedonism. Through a drowsy delivery, the Chicago rapper calls himself the “codeine cowboy in the flesh” — which makes sense given the title of its parent album, s*x m*ney dr*gs.

Mick Jenkins feat. JID, “Smoke Break-Dance”

Mick Jenkins and JID linked to take a smoke break: this bass and piano-driven jazz rap song is particularly introspective, with an accompanying video that shows scenes of Jenkins unbothered amongst chaos and young Black men succumbing to societal pressures. “Smoke Break-Dance” acts as a conversation piece about Black male plight in America, with the end of the video including a bell hooks quote that reads, “The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves. If an individual is not successful in emotionally crippling himself, he can count on patriarchal men to enact rituals of power that will assault his self-esteem.”

Avenoir, “WHO DO U LUV”

Slowing things down a little, Avenoir goes deep in his bag on his new single, “WHO DO U LUV.” The Canadian singer questions his lover’s feelings towards him, but also assures that the two can rekindle their emotions by making love, before the four-minute song concludes with an electric guitar solo.

AntsLive, “Ooh La La”

UK rapper AntsLive is practicing his French on “Ooh La La.” With his (not actual) grandfather in tow in the video, the rising rapper shows a chic side to his repertoire, with his trademark tongue-in-cheek vocals about ongoing relationships and international love interests.

Marques Martin, “Butterfly”

Brooklyn-based musician Marques Martin collides synths and deep bass lines for a chaotic, yet somehow cohesive, new offering called “Butterfly.” “The beat at most points feels heavy, but then the synth floats euphorically in and out of the song,” he told Billboard about the song’s productions. “The combo gives the track gravity and lets it sit in a middle ground of aggressive/assertive but uplifting.” “Butterfly” appears on his new EP, sex on the first.

10 Jul 2023

Jamie Foxx Spotted Waving From Boat in Chicago Months Hospitalization For Undisclosed Medical Issue

Jamie Foxx made one of his first public appearances since being hospitalized with a mystery illness earlier this year over the weekend. The singer/actor was seen waving from the deck of a large boat during a cruise on the Chicago River on Sunday afternoon according to images obtained by TMZ. In the brief clip, Foxx was spotted sitting near the front of the boat and appeared to wave, smile and flash a peace sign as boaters on a nearby vessel shouted out that they were celebrating a birthday; Foxx did not appear to speak or stand up in the short video.

Foxx was accompanied on the boat by several unnamed people and at press time the star had not made any additional comments about his recovery.

The cause of Foxx’s hospitalization has not yet been disclosed by his family or team, who have also not offered any updates on his condition or recovery in the months since. Foxx’s daughter, Corinne, announced his hospitalization on April 12.

“We wanted to share that my father Jamie Foxx experienced a medical complication yesterday,” she wrote at the time. “Luckily due to quick action and great care he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.” 

On May 3, Foxx broke his silence and thanked fans in a note for their support. “Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed,” Foxx wrote. The next day, friend Nick Cannon also gave an update on Foxx’s progress. “I gotta tell you, there would be no Nick Cannon if it wasn’t for Jamie Foxx,” said Cannon, who has stepped in to fill Foxx’s shoes on the set of the Fox game show Beat Shazam. “I love this brother and in a real family-type way, man. He looked out for me when I didn’t have a place to sleep as a teenager. This brother let me sleep on his couch…It was good times and those good times will continue ’cause I am expecting that my brother is gonna just recover fully.”

Check out the TMZ video here.

07 Jul 2023

Lil Uzi Vert Announces Pink Tape Tour: Here Are the Dates

After unleashing his 26-track album Pink Tape on June 30, Lil Uzi Vert’s foot remains on the gas as they announce their first headlining trek in five years with the Pink Tape Tour. 

Produced by Live Nation, the Pink Tape Tour will kick off Oct. 21 in Minneapolis at The Armory, and will travel through cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Brooklyn. The 17-date tour will end on Nov. 22 in Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center.

Uzi’s third album, Pink Tape, includes their Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Just Wanna Rock,” which they performed at the BET Awards in June. Along with performing their Jersey Club anthem, Uzi also dished out their album standout, “Spin Again.” Pink Tape features notable rap stars including Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott and Don Toliver. The rock-laden project also has prominent samples: Uzi reimagines WWE superstar Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance music for their song “Nakamura” while revisiting System of the Down’s “Chop Suey.” Pink Tape could become the first hip-hop album to score a No. 1 entry on the Billboard 200 in 2023 as it duels with Morgan Wallen’s long-standing No. 1 effort One Thing at a Time.

Tickets go on sale starting Friday at 2 p.m. local time at ticketmaster.com. Check out the tour dates for the Pink Tape Tour below. 

LIL UZI VERT 2023 TOUR DATES: 

  • Sat Oct 21 — Minneapolis, MN — The Armory
  • Mon Oct 23 — Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
  • Tue Oct 24 — Cincinnati, OH — The Andrew J Brady Music Center
  • Wed Oct 25 — Detroit, MI — Fox Theatre
  • Tue Oct 31 — Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway
  • Thu Nov 02 — Hampton, VA — Hampton Coliseum
  • Fri Nov 03 — Raleigh, NC — PNC Arena
  • Sun Nov 05 — Birmingham, AL — Avondale Brewing Company
  • Mon Nov 06 — Atlanta, GA — Coca Cola Roxy
  • Wed Nov 08 — Dallas, TX — South Side Ballroom
  • Thu Nov 9 — Austin, TX — Moody Center
  • Fri Nov 10 — Houston, TX — 713 Music Hall
  • Mon Nov 13 — Denver, CO — Fillmore Auditorium
  • Thu Nov 16 — Los Angeles, CA — The Kia Forum
  • Sat Nov 18 — San Francisco, CA — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
  • Mon Nov 20 — Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center
  • Wed Nov 22 — Philadelphia, PA — Wells Fargo Center

07 Jul 2023

Ice Spice Considers Taylor Swift a Mentor: ‘She Gives Me So Much Advice’

Ice Spice has dominated the year with a slew of star-studded collaborations, but success on the Billboard Hot 100 is not the only thing she has gleaned from these tracks. In an interview with The Guardian published Friday (July 7), the “Munch” rapper opened up about how both Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj have become mentors to her.

According to Ice, Swift — who tapped the rapper for a much-discussed “Karma” remix — had been listening to her Like..? EP during rehearsals for her Eras Tour. “I was like, ‘You f–k with my project? Like, what?’” Ice said. “She’s so sweet – I was so obsessed with how humble she was and willing to work. She gives me so much advice – we talk all the time and she’s so funny. … But I can’t say what she be telling me.”

The “Karma” remix peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100, tying “Lavender Haze” as the second-highest charting single from Midnights.

The idea for the collaboration came from Ice Spice, according to the rapper — she “reached out through her team, just kind of saying, ‘Hey, Ice has been a big fan of Taylor’s since she was a little kid, would love to collaborate if that was ever something that came about.’” As with so much of her career already, Ice manifested the collaboration into existence and soon performed the remix to a sold-out stadium alongside Swift at the New Jersey Eras Tour stops.

Aside from Swift, Grammy-nominated rap icon Nicki Minaj has been another key collaborator for Ice Spice this year. The two New York rappers have teamed up for a pair of Hot 100 top 10 hits: “Princess Diana” (No. 4) and the AQUA-assisted “Barbie World” (No. 7). In the interview, Ice expressed how much she has learned from spending time with the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” rapper.

“She be telling me to learn from her mistakes – just watching her in general, if you pay close enough attention, you gonna see what you should do,” Ice said. “I love to talk to her about things that I can’t talk about publicly – it just means so much to be able to have somebody like her.”

In addition to “Karma,” “Princess Diana” and “Barbie World,” Ice Spice has also sent a fourth song to the top 10 of the Hot 100 this year: the Jersey-inflected PinkPantheress duet “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” (No. 3).

07 Jul 2023

RZA Says Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Naming Their Baby After Him Is a ‘Great Honor’

Wu-Tang Clan mastermind RZA has collected a trophy room full of honors over the course of his nearly-four decade career. But it is a recent unexpected tribute that had the veteran MC/producer feeling super special.

“[It’s a] great honor to know that there’s another generation that’s not even of my own household that feels the strength and the inspiration of that name,” the Grammy-winning rapper born Robert Fitzgerald Diggs told CNN on Thursday (July 6) when describing his feelings about Rihanna and A$AP Rocky naming thier 13-month-old son after him.

“RZA is only a name, it’s a title,” RZA added. “So it’s an honor and I salute her and A$AP and their family. All the blessings in the world from me.” According to Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide Vol. 1, RZA came up with his rap name as he began to delve into Islam and learned about the significance of the letter Z, which refers to the highest level of human consciousness. He’s said the name stands for “Ruler, Zi-Zag-Zig, Allah,” which translates into “Ruler, Knowledge-Wisdom-Understanding, Allah.”

Back in May, Rocky posted a series of photos and a video of the couple’s son on Instagram, including a caption that included the name RZA and a Wu-Tang shout-out. “‘WU TANG IZ 4 DA CHUREN’ HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO MY 1st BORN . RZA,” he wrote at the time. Just days before the Daily Mail claimed that it had obtained the baby boy’s birth certificate, which reportedly noted that his full name is RZA Athelston Mayers; Rocky’s birth name is Rakim Athelston Mayers.

The happy couple celebrated summer earlier this week when Rihanna showed off her view from the beach via a cute photo of Rocky holding RZA up the sky. With a palm tree and setting sun background, she captioned the sweet scene, “my Bajan boyz…??❤️,” suggesting that the family — which will soon by joined by baby No. 2 — is taking some R&R time in RihRih’s home country of Barbados.