Fat Joe knows his way around a hip-hop feud, as he famously had beef with 50 Cent in the 2000s. So, his perspective about those matters is an interesting and informed one, and now he has shared his thoughts about J. Cole’s (relative lack of) involvement in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud.
On a new episode of the On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast, Joe spoke about Cole deciding to bow out of the feud and had both positive and negative thoughts on how Cole handled himself, saying:
“When you [get] called out in hip-hop, you gotta respond. And so, I’m a big fan of J. Cole, but it started from that. He probably saw that it could get real messy and real ugly, and so he said, ‘Yo, you know what? This ain’t me. I don’t want no parts of it,’ but he definitely got a stripe off […] because in hip-hop, they call you out, you come out, you know? That’s just what it is. […] You got to come out, and a guy like him… he was a king. He’s so talented, he’s a king, so it was like, ‘Wow, Cole! You did that?
But I get it, I get all scenarios. He was mature enough to think past the lyrical beef and say, ‘Yo, this might turn physical.’ I’m not mad at him, but I’m just saying from a real hip-hop artist… you know, I’ve been called out and I got to step up, even if I think the artist is a million times better than me.”
Check out the full episode above; The Cole-related portion of the show starts at about 1:11:00 into the video.
Ice Spice is a unique victim of social media, one whose rise almost felt like someone was playing an unfunny joke on hip-hop. Before her break into the mainstream, Ice had five songs to her name. She built buzz as a New York drill artist whose soft-spoken delivery contrasted with the rest of that scene. “No Clarity,” a November 2021 track sampling Zedd’s “Clarity,” went semi-viral, and the video briefly became a meme. A few months later, On The Radar invited her to freestyle on their show. After reaching stardom, the video became one of the most viewed on their YouTube channel.
Ice released her breakout song “Munch (Feelin’ U)” in August 2022. The track trended on TikTok for the rest of the year and introduced new slang into public usage. Since “Munch,” Ice has had the success of an entire career in less than two years. She received a co-sign from Drake after one popular song. In early 2023, Nicki Minaj endorsed her. Their collaboration “Barbie World” appeared on the Barbie soundtrack and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song. TheNew York Times dubbed her “Rap’s New Princess” after an EP. She collaborated with PinkPantheress on “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2,” a track that became one of the biggest of the year. She even became friends with Taylor Swift.
Ice Spice Fails To Show Growth As An Artist On Y2K!
All of this happened because much of the public ignored her most fatal flaw: Ice Spice is not a very good rapper. She lacks any substance as a lyricist. The beats she raps on, produced almost exclusively by former college classmate and closest collaborator RiotUSA, are virtually indistinguishable from one another. Because social media can produce a new celebrity overnight, Ice went from uploading tracks to SoundCloud to attending the Super Bowl with pop culture royalty faster than you can say “grah.” But, because social media has also made music the most accessible it’s ever been, Ice had no time to develop her sound meaningfully. Her debut album makes this abundantly clear.
Y2K! is the culmination of the last three years for Ice Spice. Itis the punchline to a joke that’s gone far too long. In her Rolling Stone cover story, she said that one of her goals was to prove that she can actually rap. Instead, her most glaring weaknesses take center stage, making for one of the most vapid, repetitive releases of 2024.
Y2K! opens with “Phat Butt,” which is the most interesting performance Ice puts forth on this album. She tries out a new flow, clearly taking inspiration from Nicki Minaj. The beat is also one that a younger Minaj would’ve flexed over. Not everything on this song lands. “Jamaican plug named Batman, pack smellin’ like trash cans / Let him beat it from the back and he eat it up like Pac-Man,” is especially clumsy. Even with that, this song is one of the rare occasions where anything on the album approaches “good.”
“Oh Shhh…” is the next track, featuring Travis Scott. Scott sounds like he has no desire to be there. Ice raps about twerking on a rival’s baby daddy out of spite. She rhymes “clappers” with “slappers,” which is not the only time she uses that scheme on the album. “B*tch I’m Packin” is another dud. She ditches her naturally subdued vocals for a raspy not-quite-whisper that sounds like it strains her to do. It sounds equally strenuous when she gets loud on “Gimmie A Light,” another song about how much money she has, her physical features, and how she’ll steal someone’s man simply because she’s better than who they’re with now. Ice must’ve written this album with a checklist next to her to make sure that she hit the same few topics.
On the topic of stealing a man, “Did It First,” the result of Ice Spice’s and Central Cee’s months-long fake relationship stunt, is not bad. It’s less than two minutes long, much to the song’s benefit. Their verses are both about infidelity and neither of them diverts from the subject. Ice raps about cheating to get revenge on a man who did it to her. Cench is more concerned about not getting caught in the act. The beat has a Clams Casino-meets-New-York-drill feel, making it one of the more unique moments on Y2K!
Unfortunately, for every moment on Y2K! that offers even a sliver of potential, there are even more moments that show there is no reason to ever expect anything more from her—the biggest example of this being the shocking amount of bars about poop on this album. Ice Spice is not the first to have lines about poop in her discography. However, she might be the worst offender.
On “BB Belt” and “Gimmie A Light,” (a track with a distracting sample of Sean Paul’s “Gimme the Light”) she calls herself “Miss Poopie.” On “Oh Shhh…” she says she’s “standin’ on sh*t like a floor mat.” “Think U The Sh*t (Fart),” the lead single and response to some shade from Latto, opens with “think you the sh*t, b*tch? You not even the fart.” Every rapper is entitled to one poop bar since rappers naturally feel like they’re “the sh*t.” But, after the fifth one, it’s time to find new material.
Overall, Y2K! is not an inspiring debut album. It does not prove that Ice Spice is a capable rapper, nor does it prove that she is here to stay, despite the accolades she’s already received. At only 23 minutes, it feels double that runtime, made worse because she just doesn’t have anything to say. Ice became famous before becoming a worthwhile artist, and she has yet to show any growth since becoming famous. Perhaps things would be different if she had time to incubate before being thrust into the spotlight, the way her predecessors did before the internet made music discovery instantaneous. Sadly, we’ll never know.
On July 19, City Girls rapper JT put full belief in herself to shake things up a bit by dropping City Cinderella. Her debut solo mixtape, powered by singles such as “OKAY”, its remix with Jeezy, and “Sideways”, has been receiving quite the favorable reaction from reviewers. While it isn’t necessarily blowing people out of the water, the scores are very solid. We are in that same boat, as we feel that JT put forth some standout performances and chose some thumping beats. There are moments of repetition, and the features don’t really add much, but overall, it’s a respectable debut.
With it being well over a week now since its release, the final numbers are in for City Cinderella. In terms of sales, it pulled in 26,000, according to That Grape Juice. That is just 1,000 less than the original projection. As for what that means in terms of charting, it slots in at 27th on the Billboard Hot 200. For context, RAW, the City Girls’ last project, did just 6,000. Additionally, it competed with the likes of Childish Gambino and Denzel Curry’s bodies of work that week, and it actually outdueled the latter substantially.
Now that the final stats are in, its causing quite the debate online. On one hand, fans are extremely proud of JT. Their argument is that based on what RAW did, 26,000 is a substantial increase and that progress is progress. Conversely, this stance has some riled up. People on this side are calling out the ones who were gassing it up, but still didn’t decide to a buy it. Essentially, they feel that these fans are coddling JT and not keeping it real. For example, here are two differing quotes. “27k is not good. For an established artist. Regardless if this is her first solo effort”. “Her last project did 6k, the goal is to do better than your last project. Give my girl her 10’s ”.
What are your thoughts on the first week sales numbers for JT’s City Cinderella? Whose side are you on in this debate and why? What songs are you revisiting from her debut mixtape? Is she having one of the best 2024’s for female rappers? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding JT. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Lil Yachty is coming under fire on social media for criticizing New York fashion during the latest episode of his A Safe Place Podcast. The topic arose while speaking with one of the city’s biggest up-and-coming artists, Cash Cobain.
“I feel like New York didn’t have this, like…I don’t want to say identity,” he said at one point. “Y’all are so clearly separated now. As far as like, everyone used to just kinda copy Atlanta.” He added: “As far as style goes, I don’t think it’s sh*t going on when it comes to New York fashion. Y’all like Purple Label, Amiri…and y’all wear a lot of y’all homeboy’s brands. Y’all wear all y’all’s homie’s sh*t. I know, we can tell. I feel just people on those outskirts—Queens, Bronx—do they even come to [Manhattan to shop]?” He did admit he’s seen some good outfits in SoHo.
PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 16: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY – For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Lil Yachty attends the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 16, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)
Fans were predictably upset with Yachty for the remarks. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) shared a picture of the Atlanta rapper rocking a bucket hat and Polo shirt with the caption: “Yachty said n****s from the bronx cant dress its ppl in soho who dress the best in NY. Meanwhile he dressed like a 07 bx n***a.” Another wrote over a separate outfit: “Yea I’m most DEFINITELY not listening to Yachty regarding New York fashion while he’s currently dressed like middle school girl above & a homeless hipster from California below. I’m all the way good on this oxymoron.” Among those to be upset with the comments was Juelz Santana. In a fiery response on Instagram, he tagged several of his fellow New York rappers for backup, including ASAP Rocky, Fabolous, and more.
Lil Yachty Speaks With Cash Cobain
Eventually, Yachty addressed the backlash to the comments in a post on TikTok. “When you go back to a certain time, it’s for sure New York,” he said. “If you think about lately, trends come from Atlanta. I think a lot of the flyest people in the world were born in New York. That’s a fact. But, come on, bruh. As of lately, Atlanta.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Lil Yachty on HotNewHipHop.
The third judge in Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial hasn’t changed the circumstances for the troubled rapper, who has now been denied a mistrial and a bond in his last hearing.
The YSL RICO trial resumed yesterday(July 30) after a delay due to a new judge needed after Judge Glanville was removed on July 15 following a private meeting with prosecutors and a state witness without the knowledge of Thug’s legal team.
Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, who has been recently assigned to the trial, denied both motions by Thug’s legal team. The mistrial motion filed by Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel was based on the original judge’s finding that his own controversial ex parte hearing was not improper. Whitaker said that declaring a mistrial for that reason would be equivalent to acting as an appeals court, which is beyond the scope of her responsibilities.
Whitaker denied the bond hearing, ruling that recent events do not constitute a “change in circumstances,” noting that Judge Ural Glanville was not removed because he was biased.
Young Thug’s co-defendant and fellow YSL rapper Yak Gotti (real name Deamonte Kendrick) also filed a motion for a mistrial in the turbulent case.
On this, Judge Whitaker said the motion is similar to the motion to disqualify the prosecutors (which she said she needs more time on) and that she needed to go through the transcripts a little further before making a ruling.
Whitaker also said she will make a “substantive finding” about the ex parte hearing on Wednesday (July 31).
Ice Spice supported Doja Cat on The Scarlet Tour last year, but now it’s her turn to headline: The Y2K! World Tour just kicked off in Washington DC last night (July 30).
Given that Ice Spice is relatively early in her career and hasn’t released all that many songs just yet, she put just about everything she has into her setlist (per setlist.fm). Her set had 21 songs in total, including all 10 tracks from Y2K!, eight songs from the deluxe edition of her 2023 EP Like..?, and three of her collaborations with other artists: “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj, “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress, and “Fisherrr” with Cash Cobain. Cobain is opening on the tour, so he actually joined Ice on stage for the song.
Check out the setlist below, as well as Ice’s remaining tour dates.
Ice Spice’s ‘Y2K! World Tour’ Setlist
1. “Popa”
2. “Munch (Feelin’ U)”
3. “Princess Diana”
4. “Phat Butt”
5. “Barbie World”
6. “Gimmie A Light”
7. “Plenty Sun”
8. “Bikini Bottom”
9. “Butterfly Ku”
10. “Gangsta Boo”
11. “Actin A Smoochie”
12. “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2”
13. “B*tch I’m Packin’”
14. “Deli”
15. “BB Belt”
16. “In Ha Mood”
17. “TTYL”
18. “Oh Shhh…”
19. “Did It First”
20. “Fisherrr” (with Cash Cobain)
21. “Think U The Sh*t (Fart)”
Ice Spice’s 2024 Tour Dates: Y2K World Tour
08/01 — Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater
08/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark
08/04 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
08/06 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
08/09 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
08/11 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
08/13 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
08/14 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
08/17 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
08/19 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
08/21 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
08/23 — Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
08/25 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory Deep Ellum
08/26 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
08/28 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
08/31 — Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
Vice President Harris had Quavo and Megan Thee Stallion at her Atlanta campaign rally. After Quavo spoke, VP Harris called out her opponent, former president Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump, on the other hand, has talked a big game about securing our border, but he does not walk the walk,” Harris said. “Or as my friend Quavo would say, he does not ‘walk it like he talks it.’”
At her Atlanta campaign rally, Quavo was on hand for Vice President Kamala Harris. During his time on stage, Quavo revealed Vice President Harris “stands on business,” and he works alongside her because she is working on gun violence.
Kamala Harris shades Donald Trump with a Quavo reference during her speech at her campaign rally in Atlanta.
“You can’t understand the struggles of gun violence if you’re not in the field or in the heart of it,” Quavo said. “One thing I learned about working with Vice President Harris is she’s always standing on business.”
Quavo would sign off with a salute to the late Takeoff, mimicking his voice to give a shoutout to Kamala Harris. You can see his entire speech below.
Quavo speaks on raising awareness for gun violence and endorses Kamala Harris for president at her campaign rally in Atlanta.
“One thing I learned about working with Vice President Harris is she always stand on business.” pic.twitter.com/kAMcPN78PA
At her Atlanta campaign rally, Quavo was on hand for Vice President Kamala Harris. During his time on stage, Quavo revealed Vice President Harris “stands on business,” and he works alongside her because she is working on gun violence.
“You can’t understand the struggles of gun violence if you’re not in the field or in the heart of it,” Quavo said. “One thing I learned about working with Vice President Harris is she’s always standing on business.”
Quavo would sign off with a salute to the late Takeoff, mimicking his voice to give a shoutout to Kamala Harris. You can see his entire speech below.
Quavo speaks on raising awareness for gun violence and endorses Kamala Harris for president at her campaign rally in Atlanta.
“One thing I learned about working with Vice President Harris is she always stand on business.” pic.twitter.com/kAMcPN78PA
Vice President Kamala Harris brought hip-hop to Atlanta. At a campaign rally, Megan Thee Stallion performed and celebrated the presumptive Democratic Nominee for President.
In an online clip, Thee Stallion asked Harris, “What you got to say to the American people?”
Before launching into a performance of “Body,” Thee Stallion delivered a message, signaling an effort to sustain women’s rights: “I know my ladies in the crowd love their body. And if you want to keep loving your body, you know who to vote for.”
.@theestallion: My ladies in the crowd, if you want to keep loving your body, you know who to vote for
I’m crying before she said “hotties for harris” i was living in a parallel universe where megan thee stallion was about to become president pic.twitter.com/Ezl7dJ2p80
”. 
(@sadhotgirI)