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Ever since Rowdy Rebel’s release last year, fans have been anticipating full-length projects from him and Bobby Shmurda. While the two came up together and ultimately ended up locked up at the height of their careers, fans are still curious to hear what both rappers will bring to the game these days. 

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Rowdy Rebel has shared a few tracks since his release from prison including collaborations with Young Thug, Nav, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. On Friday, he blessed fans with a rack, he shared a brand new freestyle over Meek Mill’s “Flamerz Flow.” Closing out the track is a special message from Rowdy who announced the title of his forthcoming project.

“Look, Sacrifices coming soon, man. I sacrificed a lot for this shit. Basketball, streets, school. Just for my n***as, my family. So don’t play. Make sure you tune in when that bitch drop,” he says in the clip.

While no release date has been set, the recent stream of releases and appearances have been a strong indication that he’s coming prepared on his new project. Most recently, he was spotted with Lil Durk in the studio and Bobby Shmurda so hopefully, that collaboration ends up dropping soon.

Check out the snippet below of Rowdy Rebel announcing his forthcoming project, Sacrifices. Will you be looking out for it?

“iSpy” artist KYLE has announced that he’s officially an independent artist, effectively ending his working relationship with Atlantic Recording Corporation. The Ventura-based artist will be releasing new music this week, sharing a message with his day-one fans that he’s finally happy to be working on his art again.

“I have not felt like myself now for some time.. I felt like I was getting pulled in every direction and I had zero control of what means the most to me, my art. It is important to me that I give you all the best of me, and I couldn’t do that without being free, so I’m happy to announce that as of today I am an INDEPENDENT ARTIST and a self-owned business,” wrote KYLE on Instagram. 

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“In the short term I’m turning down millions of dollars but I’m taking a risk and betting on what got me to where I am today.. myself and my fans,” he added. “I’m starting to feel myself align.. It’s been an amazing feeling recording these new records free from all restraints. My fans are about to get the artist they deserve from me.. I’m being unapologetically myself. Thank you to everyone who’s stuck along for the journey and helped me get to this point.”

Kicking off this new chapter, KYLE will be releasing his new single “Love Me Like You Say You Love Me” on Friday. Will you be tuning in to hear the artist’s new music?

Read through his full post below.

It started with a billboard.

Now, fans are expecting a new record titled Call Me If You Get Lost to arrive from Tyler, The Creator by the end of the week. Longtime fans know Tyler as an endlessly creative visionary that puts a concerted effort beyond just the music to create entire eras and aesthetics to go along with each album release, evidenced by his ever-evolving GOLF WANG clothing brand, his countless self-directed music videos and the impressive Camp Flog Gnaw Festival held in Los Angeles every year.

More importantly, fans of Tyler have seen him grow exponentially as both an artist and an individual since Odd Future’s early-2010s inception. Many point to his 2017 record Flower Boy as both a creative and personal turning point that highlighted Tyler’s heightened sense of growth and maturity, across lyrics that revealed the rapper’s homosexuality, sharply contrasting the homophobic slurs and derogatory bars present in his earlier works.

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A two-years-later follow-up to 2019’s IGOR – which was anointed Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammys – the announcement of the LA-based artist’s forthcoming album came quick and as somewhat of a surprise after a Columbia Records billboard popped up in Los Angeles in early June, signifying the beginning of its rollout.

So, let’s start from the top and run through everything we know so far, about Call Me If You Get Lost.

Billboard in Los Angeles

On June 9th, fans first spotted a billboard in Los Angeles with the words “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” in bold, along with a phone number on the bottom. Marked on the side was the Columbia Records logo – Tyler’s record label. Now, a call to the phone number will play a snippet of a song on the album in which Tyler raps aggressively over some rumbling drums, but the initial call played a recorded conversation between the artist and his mother in which his mother passionately outlines her love for her son over a signature Tyler instrumental.

“SIDE STREET” Teaser

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On June 14th, the ominous album rollout continued with a video teaser posted to Tyler’s YouTube channel and Instagram page. In it, Tyler’s character is seen making out with a woman on the hood of a vintage, faded pink Fiat sports car before speeding off. Taco, Odd Future member and longtime friend of Tyler’s, then appears, seemingly in a relationship with the girl and asks her who Tyler’s character was, only for her to brush the ordeal off like nothing happened. The teaser ends with the album tagline as the soft background instrumental hits piano notes that sound similar to a generic commercial jingle.

Tyler’s Instagram caption for the teaser reads “10. SWEET,” which might indicate that the instrumental is for the tenth track on the record and/or song title– similar to his caption for the “LUMBERJACK” record as well.

“LUMBERJACK” Single and Video

On June 16th, Tyler put the mysterious teasing to a halt by officially releasing the first single called “LUMBERJACK” for the project, which was accompanied by a music video teaser. The teaser begins with narration from Tyler, which sets the scene for the visuals before it breaks out into full song. Tyler was last heard singing with primarily pitched vocals on IGOR, however here, he is heard rapping aggressively over a beat that heavily samples Gravediggaz’ “2 Cups of Blood.”The song is also propped up and accompanied by DJ Drama’s iconic ad-libs. This grimy, barebones style of rapping is quite new for Tyler– or else, it may recall Tyler’s early raps– so this single could be indicative of the different direction he’ll be taking the new album.

Album Cover and Release Date Announcement

Tyler, The Creator “Call Me If You Get Lost” album cover versus Ol’ Dirty Bastard “Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version”

On June 17th, Tyler put it out into the world that his album is coming, sharing the title, cover art and release date for the project. The cover art appears to be an homage to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s 1995 album Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which is a photo of a food stamps card with ODB’s face, name, date of birth and album title on it. On Tyler’s cover, the ID card is a license to travel with all the similar features to ODB’s cover, but it instead includes a pseudonym name “Tyler Baudelaire,” which might be an alter ego or an important component to the album’s narrative. A tracklist was not shared in this announcement, leaving fans to speculate about the album’s content beyond its first single.

“WUSYANAME” Teaser

Today, Tyler shared another video teaser for the upcoming record on YouTube and Instagram called “WUSYANAME.” The teaser again starts with narration from Tyler that underscores the album’s apparent theme of traveling, as the shot follows Tyler driving across different terrains. The teaser song then begins playing, which is very much inspired by a nostalgic, late-90s R&B sound as Tyler raps to the girl he was seen making out with in the “SIDE STREET” teaser. Also, backing vocals from singer Ty Dolla $ign can be heard toward the end. Tyler’s Instagram caption indicates that the song will be the fourth track on the album, titled “WusYaName.”

Fan Speculation

Because Tyler has been quite secretive and ominous about Call Me If You’re Lost, while his curated teasers have been drumming up hype for the record, fans are actively speculating about what the record will sound like or which possible features might appear when the album drops on Friday. Check out some of the discussion below.

Are you excited for Call Me If You Get Lost? What are you hoping to hear from Tyler’s latest effort? Who are some features you want to see? Let us know in the comments below.

Dave Chappelle is fresh off of the debut of his new documentary This Time This Place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City which was then followed up by a surprise show including the likes of Fat Joe, A$AP Ferg, and many other East Coast favorites. The documentary premiere arrives just after the comedian launched his new podcast The Midnight Miracle on Luminary alongside Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey.

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The latest episode of the podcast debuted this week and began with Chappelle and his co-hosts discussing whether he should apologize to Candace Owens for comments he made last year. Chappelle’s 8:48 comedy special, he went in on Candace Owens over her comments relating to George Floyd. “She’s the most articulate idiot I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said before pondering whether the ring-wing talking head had a “stinky p*ssy.”

“There’s no way I owe Candace Owens an apology, is there?” He said, sparking a conversation amongst his co-hosts on the podcast. Yasiin Bey called Owens “a mascot of colonial interest in America today.”

“I did say that but I also conceded that I don’t know if her pussy stinks or not, but that I was guessing that it probably does stink,” Chappelle responded, claiming that Owens is “cruel and dangerous and completely the opposite of any Black woman I’ve ever met in my life.”

An apology did come by the end of the episode but not like how you’d imagine. “By the way, Candace Owens, I’m sorry I called you ‘articulate,’” Chappelle said.

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At the turn of the century, McKinley Phipps Jr., also known as Mac, was a rising rap star signed to rap mogul Master P’s No Limit Records. While preparing to perform at a club in his home state, a fight broke out that left 19-year-old Barron Victor Jr. with a fatal gunshot wound. Despite the lack of evidence regarding the shooting, Phipps was convicted of manslaughter. 

Phipps, who has maintained his innocence, has been behind bars now for 20 years, despite witnesses in the case recanting their statements. In 2016, the Huffington Post even obtained a copy of a videotaped confession of a security guard at the club confessing to pulling the trigger. The guard was never charged, but luckily for Phipps, the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole officially granted him parole Tuesday (June 22). 

“Today marks the end of a long fight for justice,” McKinley’s wife, Angelique Phipps said. “Today we are looking towards a brighter future for our family. We are grateful to all of those who have never wavered in their support of Mac’s innocence.”

The three members of the board unanimously voted in favor of Phipps being granted parole immediately. Phipps has appealed for clemency twice before, which would have allowed for his conviction to be pardoned. The first one failed, but in the second attempt, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards recommended immediate parole eligibility. 

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The date for his release has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to arrive sometime this year. “I want to say thank you for this opportunity,” Phipps said during the hearing, “I definitely want to say I’m sorry to the family of the victim and to just anyone who was affected by this.” It was also noted during the hearing that Phipps has not had a single disciplinary infraction during his time behind bars. 

His parole will initially be under the conditions of a 9 pm-6 pm curfew, six hours of community service a month with at-risk youth, and the promise to stay away from establishments with alcohol.  

Check out the full parole hearing above.  

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Festival season is back with a vengeance. Today, the complete lineup for the upcoming Once Upon A Time In LA festival has arrived, detailing an impressive array of legendary talent — including several key hip-hop OGs. 

At the top of the marquee are Al Green, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, YG, and Ice Cube, all of whom are presumably tapped to hold it down as headliners of sorts. In addition to the big five, we’re looking at performances from The Game, The Isley Brothers, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Cypress Hill, Three Six Mafia, E-40, Too Short, DJ Quik, Warren G, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Ohgeesy, Blueface, Drakeo The Ruler, WC, Mack 10, Xzibit, Tha Dogg Pound, and many more.

Suffice it to say, this lineup is looking like a must for any fan of west coast hip-hop. Curiously, there are a few key potential reunions on deck. One has to wonder if 50 Cent and The Game might find it in their hearts to bury the hatchet and take the stage for old time’s sake. And of course, all four members of Mt. Westmore are set to perform, so don’t be surprised to see them uniting at some point during the evening’s festivities. 

Should you be interested in checking this one out, Once Upon A Time In LA is set to go down on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 at the Banc of California Stadium. General public tickets, which start at $159.99 are set to go on sale next Monday at 10 AM PST right here. Those truly determined to cop tickets can register for pre-sale by following the instructions at the IG embed below. What do you make of this generation-spanning lineup?