SZA reacted to her nine nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards on Twitter, Monday morning. In doing so, she reflected on the passing of her grandmother, who attended the awards ceremony the last time she was competing.
When one fan asked why she hadn’t commented on her nominations, SZA responded: “Cause I’m overwhelmed by it and it gives me [a lot of] anxiety to think of words. But I’m very grateful and very shook and I wish my granny was here to come [with] me again.” In another post, she shared a picture of her grandmother backstage at the Grammys. “Last time I was most nominated my granny flew out for the first time… bittersweet thoughts. [Heart emoji].”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 03: SZA attends the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
As for SZA’s 2023 nominations, her track, “Kill Bill,” is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best R&B Performance. Her album SOS as a whole is also nominated for Album Of The Year and Progressive R&B Album. She’s also got a nomination for Best R&B Song for “Snooze.” Check out her response to the nominations on Twitter below.
SZA Reacts To Grammy Nominations
Cause I’m overwhelmed by it and it gives me alotta anxiety to think of words .. but I’m very grateful and very shook and I wish my granny was here to come w me again . https://t.co/xS1hrZp6CR
SZA took home her first Grammy Award in 2022 for her collaboration with Doja Cat, “Kiss Me More.” The track notched them both, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Be on the lookout for further updates on SZA and the 2024 Grammy Awards on HotNewHipHop. Next year’s ceremony will be held in February.
Lil Peep’s musical presence was extremely prominent while he was still alive. However, it may be even stronger now even after he tragically passed on November 15, 2017. It is crazy to imagine that it has been six years already. But, as we said, his legacy is still being felt to this day.
His loving mother, Liza Womack, has made sure that her son’s incredibly supportive fan base gets to hear as much music from him as possible. A little bit ago, she, along with the help of Peep’s estate, got out a collaborative project with a close friend of his, ILOVEMAKONNEN. DIAMONDS featured a hefty 21 tracks and gave a good glimpse into what these two were cooking up together. Womack, though, wanted to spread more of Lil Peep’s work out to the masses.
Listen To Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2 (OG Version) By Lil Peep
Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2was a favorite of many. She was able to dig up some files from Peep’s GarageBand sessions. It removes the two bonus tracks with MAKONNEN and XXXTENTACION, and adds the track, “in the car.” The reason for this coming out now is to celebrate the project’s five-year anniversary. Womack shared some touching words about the album on her Instagram. “These songs were exported directly from Gus’s [Peep’s] GarageBand sessions on his computer in the highest audio quality possible. Thank you to the producers who have educated us on this journey. I encourage Gus’s fans to enjoy the music that Gus created, listened to, and loved. Thank you to the PeeP team that made it happen.”
What are your initial thoughts on Lil Peep’s, Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2 (og version)? Do you prefer this over the remastered edition we got to begin with? Is Peep still in your rotation? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Lil Peep, as well as all of the hottest album drops. Our continued thoughts go out to the rapper’s mother, Liza Womack, and the rest of his family and friends.
Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2 (og version) Tracklist:
In a turn of events, Chris Brown has given his fans an unexpected gift by announcing that his much-anticipated album 11:11 will drop a day ahead of schedule. Originally scheduled for release on November 11, Chris Brown took to Instagram to share the exciting news that the album will now be available on November 10, leaving fans in eager anticipation. In a video posted on his Instagram account, Chris Brown declared, “GIVING YALL THE ALBUM EARLY… Drops tomorrow night at 9 west coast/ 12:00 midnight eastern. The album was supposed to drop Saturday… but we dropping early. I’m just correcting what I said in the post.” The announcement was accompanied by a sense of excitement that could be felt among his fan base.
“Damn I liked the 11:11 at 11:11 concept,” one person said. “Something tells me he should stick with releasing it on 11:11 but I understand. I was willing wait a few more days. As much as I love this guy!! I’m grateful either way,” another wrote. “Ahhh we gettin the album early make some noise yall wtf!!!” someone else commented. The album, aptly titled 11:11 has generated immense buzz leading up to its release.
Not only is Brown leaning into 11’s this time around, but it’s also his 11th studio album. Originally the tracklist was supposed to be 11 songs long. However, looks like he’s switched it up, because now the tracklist features 22 songs. It remains a clever play on the album title as it features precisely twice the original 11 tracks, totaling 22 songs. Chris Brown’s unique blend of R&B, hip-hop, and pop has consistently resonated with listeners around the world. It’s earned him a dedicated following. The decision to drop the album early has only amplified the anticipation for what promises to be another remarkable addition to his discography.
Fans are undoubtedly thrilled to receive the album ahead of schedule. And Chris Brown’s move to deliver 11:11 a day early has been met with enthusiasm across social media platforms. As one of the most prolific and dynamic artists of his generation, Chris Brown consistently pushes the boundaries of creativity and innovation. And this album release is no exception. As the clock ticks down to the eagerly awaited midnight release on November 10, fans are counting down the hours until they can immerse themselves in the sounds of 11:11. Let us know your thoughts on HNHH!
Categorizing Westside Gunn albums is a tricky task. The Griselda multi-hyphenate has multiple highly revered projects in his discography. They are regularly star-studded cross-generational features like A$AP Rocky, DJ Premier, Tyler, The Creator, MF DOOM, and many more. As a student of hip-hop, Gunn takes pride in having these names attached to his projects, alongside budding talent that he’s taken under his wing.
His album from 2020, Pray For Paris brought multiple new ears to his music. This project’s critical success ensured its 2023 sequelwould become his best-selling album so far. And Then You Pray For Me, which dropped on October 13th, sold 20,000 units in the first week. Meanwhile, Pray for Paris moved over 10,000 units in its first week. It also reached #29 on the Billboard 200 while Pray for Paris reached #67 and his previous release 10, reached #183.
Westside Gunn albums are always highly anticipated. However, Gunn’s also gained a reputation for delaying projects or not dropping them altogether. This is what happened with And Then You Pray For Me, the sequel to his critically acclaimed album, Pray for Paris. The original release date – according to him – was June 23rd to coincide with Paris Fashion Week. However, the album ended up actually being released on Friday, October 13th. The album rollout was on brand for him, too. He posted a video of tap dancer Cartier Williams performing in New York and then the camera panned up to show one of the album’s covers. He also started a new YouTube channel with a 4 episode docuseries that details his creative process. However, his posts on social media with the featured artists and producers created the most anticipation.
Westside Gunn Predicted People’s Reactions
Westside Gunn albums – and the whole Griselda movement – are known for their dusty, gritty, boom-bap production. Westside dived into this across the album but the inclusion of trap production seemingly caught many off-guard. He predicted apprehension about this decision. “You gone have the core underground fans that only listen to boom bap hate it, ’cause they gonna say ‘this n*gga changed,’” he said in his docuseries. “Then you gonna have the new fans who know me from Travis album gone be like ‘Oh this sh*t hard.‘” Ultimately, the album reached #1 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart. Ironically, Westside himself would be proud to say he’s anything but “emerging” – he’s even called this project his last album.
And Then You Pray For Me is a unique Westside Gunn album. Its length of 21 tracks is nearly twice as long as its predecessor. Gunn works with pretty much anyone he wants at this point in his career but he truly pulled some unexpected names for this project. Ty Dolla $ign, Rick Ross, JID, Denzel Curry and more appear across the tracklist, as well as his usual cohorts like Conway, Benny The Butcher and Stove God Cooks. For the most part, the addition of artists like Giggs, EST Gee, Jeezy, and Peezy left fans curious about how these collabs would turn out. Although there was criticism towards the Ty Dolla $ign assisted, “Chloe,” “KITCHEN LIGHTS,” with a show-stealing performance from Stove God Cooks, has been called the song of the year.
Westside Gunn Is Not Done
This is the best-selling Westside Gunn album as a result of his growing fame and reputation for quality. In the past few years, he’s appeared on albums from The Free Nationals, Mary J Blige, Kanye West, and Travis Scott, among others. Westside Gunn continued the legacy he’s built with And Then You Pray For Me.
The discography of ASAP Rocky albums is small but the numbers in it are anything but. Rocky is one of the most popular rappers today and his status as a celebrity skyrocketed even more when he began his relationship with Rihanna. The sound that he helped introduce was unfamiliar to some — a strong Houston influence that was packaged with New York sensibilities. That sound is all over his best-selling album, LONG. LIVE. ASAP. Rocky’s music has only gotten more daring since, often resulting in mixed reactions. However, LONG. LIVE. ASAP displayed a variety of unique sounds from him and his effortless delivery across it ensured its success.
ASAP Rocky’s Album Was Destined For Success
Released in 2013, LONG. LIVE. A$AP spent one week at #1 on the Billboard charts after debuting with 139,000 units sold in the first week, despite the album leaking a month ahead of time. It has since been certified double platinum by the RIAA, with over two million units sold. Compared to other projects, his 2015 opus, AT. LONG. LAST. A$AP has over 1.2 million units sold to date. His most recent release, 2018’s TESTING was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2019 after moving 500,000 units.
The success of LONG. LIVE. A$AP can certainly be attributed to the album’s singles. For example, “Goldie” became a launching pad for Rocky’s mainstream success, introducing listeners to his groundbreaking sound through its pitched-down vocals and unique melody. Meanwhile, “F**kin Problems” expertly brought Rocky together with 2 Chainz, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar for an undeniable banger. Then, “Wild For The Night”, boasting production from EDM icon Skrillex, brought the dubstep craze of the year to the rap world.
Features & Production: Heavyweights & Emerging Stars
For many people, this stands out among the three albums ASAP Rocky released in his career. Rocky’s production choices were both dreamy and trippy with a specific energy that oozed through each track. Not only did Rocky have production credits himself but Hit-Boy, T-Minus, Danger Mouse and more also contributed to the tracklist. Rocky’s go-to producer, Clams Casino, was behind album standout “LVL,” further cementing their on-wax chemistry together.
“1Train” quickly became a favorite amongst underground rap fans. The posse cut featured Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, Big K.R.I.T, Action Bronson, and Yelawolf. Debates about who had the best verse are still had amongst fans today. Rocky brought something new while still being sure to include elements that were universally loved amongst rap fans.
ASAP Rocky’s Lyrical Aptitude
Like most ASAP Rocky albums, Rocky’s lyricism remained a focal point. His rapid-fire flows — reminiscent of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — and impressive wordplay kept each track exciting. Meanwhile, Rocky also began further exploring his vocal range which complemented the atmospheric production. Pitched-down vocal effects were already commonplace in his music and this album ensured listeners quickly learned it was one of his trademark techniques.
Beyond his technical prowess and stylistic choices, Rocky’s personality shined across the project, specifically as it pertained to his fashion sensibilities. However, he put the materialistic bars to rest to share moments of his past and other vulnerabilities which gave listeners a glimpse into how he was beyond the music.
This ASAP Rocky album is the second entry in a trilogy of sorts. Its predecessor, the mixtape LIVE. LOVE. A$AP and successor, AT. LONG. LAST. A$AP shares a similarity in title stylization and color choices for the cover. Still, this entry remains the definitive moment in Rocky’s career that took him to the next level of mainstream success. With features from titans in the rap game, a refreshing sound, and an immense amount of confidence, Rocky made sure that he made a statement on his debut. With the album having been released 10 years ago, many listeners have called it a classic. People still have tracks from it in their rotation and some even prefer it over Rocky’s recent music. The album remains as an iconic moment for his listeners and the rap game overall.
Offset has been on quite the run with the rollout of his sophomore solo album, SET IT OFF. In 2022, he delivered a number of stand-out features before unleashing singles like “CODE” and “54321.” However, the singles he released throughout the last few months have strongly indicated that he’s ready to be back in the spotlight.
The album’s lead single “JEALOUSY” features his rap star wife, Cardi B showcasing their chemistry and their creative range, taking inspiration from Baby Boy for the official music video, along with a cameo from Taraji P. Henson. Then, he unveiled “FAN,” an homage to the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson. SET IT OFF marks Offset’s first solo album since Father Of 4 in 2019, and much has happened in his life since. The tragic death of Takeoff undoubtedly took a toll on Offset. Unfortunately, the late Migos member doesn’t have a feature on the project. Still, at 21 tracks, it seems Offset had a lot to share and his fans were eager to hear it all.
Offset’s SET IT OFF album banks off of his versatility, offering various moods and unique vocal techniques. For the most part, his attempts to stretch his vocal capabilities outside of his comfort zone are successful. However, it’s clear that he’s daring to try something different with each try.
The biggest strength of the project is that it offers variety without actually compromising Offset’s signature style. Even with the production, the use of easily recognizable samples is tasteful. There’s a solid mix of records that jump from Offset’s inevitable flexing to more intimate and emotional joints. The latter, while minimal, are still some of the strongest moments on the album.
Offset’s ad-libs and flow have been his greatest strength since Migos blew up. On SET IT OFF, he expands beyond these signature techniques, although the results vary. On “HOP OUT THE VAN,” his high-pitch delivery contrasts the deep looped vocal sample and together, it sounds uncharacteristically odd. With verses that don’t offer anything noteworthy, this one could have been left off.
Meanwhile, on “I’M ON” and “DISSOLVE” his auto-tuned croons pair well with the atmospheric melodies as he dives into some emotional vulnerabilities. He trades in these vulnerabilities for intimacies on “PRINCESS CUT” which features Chlöe. She slightly modifies the hook of the song to sing from her perspective which creatively reinforces the intimate atmosphere it has.
Naturally, Offset’s album has some bangers that highlight his inimitable ad-libbed flows. However, it’s the production that allows him to find these pockets that truly stand out. “BIG DAWG” and “SKYAMI” share space-like melodies that showcase Offset’s delivery well. The latter features fellow Atlanta rapper Mango Foo. “DOPE BOY” which features Young Nudy, continues this formula alongside an infectious hook.
The Metro Boomin-produced “NIGHT VISION” rides the border between hype and low-key through its dreamy soundscape. Throughout these offerings, Offset fleshes out a universe with each song, switching his energy and pairing them with their respective instrumentals.
Perhaps, the most anticipated aspect of this project surrounds Offset’s state of mind. Between issues surrounding his marriage, welcoming his fifth child, and the death of Takeoff, Offset promised to provide insight into his personal life on SET IT OFF. On the album intro, “On The River,” he declares, “I’m telling the truth, I became the one when I got out the group,” with equal parts pride and honesty. It’s a grand statement to make, especially when many felt he was at fault during the Migos break-up.
On “SAY MY GRACE” with Travis Scott he wonders: “Why I lose my brother to bullets? / Why I lose my grandma to cancer? / Why mе, God? I need answers.” It all comes together during the penultimate track “UPSIDE DOWN.” Offset gives a glimpse of his mental state over some minimal production and background vocals that enhance his lyrics. A contrast to the rest of the project, “UPSIDE DOWN” largely feels like a stream-of-consciousness. It’s a necessary moment on the project that leads to the closer, “HEALTHY,” where Offset balances his vulnerabilities and his braggadocio tendencies expertly.
Gunna’s A Gift & A Curse and Lil Uzi Vert’s The Pink Tape are Kai Cenat’s favorite albums of the year so far. The streamer brought up the topic of favorite albums on a recent stream. Travis Scott’s UTOPIA and Drake’s For All The Dogs were also raised. However, Cenat said that he “hadn’t really gone back to” UTOPIA after a week or so. Meanwhile, Cenat said he had found “at least two skips” on For All The Dogs.
Elsewhere in the same stream, Cenat went off at Kick personality BruceDropEmOff after he reportedly dissed Cenat and Lil Yachty. Cenat’s response was to call out Bruce for being two-faced. The popular streamer, who signed with Kick rival Rumble earlier this year, spoke on Bruce publicly bashing him while also being in his DMs asking if they could privately hash things out. Bruce had come under fire for dissing Cenat’s short film Global Pursuit as well as making homophobic remarks about Cenat’s content house, AMP. Previously, Cenat had denied any notion of a relationship with Bruce. In a livestream that occurred soon after Cenat’s Rumble deal went public, he claimed that he and Bruce had never been friends. Furthermore, Cenat claimed that he had only ever interacted with Bruce to use him for content.
Someone else that Cenat has put on blast lately is Joe Budden. The response came after Budden included Cenat in his dismissive comments about Drake and For All The Dogs. “I be minding my motherfcking business my n-gga. And somehow, I always catch a fucking stray. This happened with Zion Williamson and that other bitch, caught a stray from her. Why am I always catching strays, my n-gga. The n-gga is always saying something bad about me. This man said he was ecstatic to see me arrested and go to jail for the shit that happened in August.”
The comments came after Cenat had hosted a 10-hour stream to listen to For All The Dogs. That stream included a brief call with Drake himself, who thank Cenat and fans for support on the album. Cenat would later make an appearance at the It’s All a Blur tour’s Toronto shows.
As a society, sometimes we forget that even the most well-off people are human. It is obvious, but somehow, from time to time, we assume that their lives are all sunshine and rainbows. That is certainly not the case with City Girls rapper and multimedia mogul, Yung Miami. The significant other half of Diddy is seeing some tremendous success in her fairly young career. Several days ago, her man hyped her up by saying she could become the next Oprah Winfrey. That is a high remark, but she definitely has the potential.
From her podcast, Caresha Please, to all of her ventures in fashion, TV, and of course, her music, Miami is one busy woman. In fact, her show won the award for Best Hip-Hop Platform at the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards last night (October 10). However, even with all of the accolades and cash flow, people can still be hurting deep down. Yung Miami proved this to be true in a recent video clip she shared to her Instagram.
In it, she is sitting down with her musical partner, JT. Right at the beginning it shows them talking about their 2020 album, City On Lock. While it helped push the duo even further into the mainstream, she was going through some heavy stuff. HipHopDx broke down what Miami said and she let it all come out. “Whenever I think about that [album], it just make me depressed.” The reason why she feels this way is because her ex-boyfriend, Jai Wiggins, father to her now pre-teen son, was murdered. She continues, “I feel like for death, it be a never-ending cycle. Me, personally, I get worse over time… Just to imagine the person not having their father.” We continue to wish Yung Miami and the family of Jai Wiggins well as they continue to recover through this.
What are your initial thoughts on Yung Miami saying how the City Girls 2020 album City On Lock makes her feel? Were you aware of what happened to Miami during that year? Do you think she should mention this on their next album, or should she let it be? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Yung Miami, City Girls, as well as the rest of the music world.
Many doubted his return, and while that conversation isn’t over, it definitely diminished a lot. Gunna just received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for his newest album, 2023’s a Gift & a Curse. Moreover, the album’s now officially sold over 500K album-equivalent units, marking a big milestone for the comeback record. Of course, this is off of the strength of massive hits like “fukumean,” plus thanks to his die-hard fanbase that continued to support him through it all. The College Park MC also just returned to the live performance space, so this is definitely an exciting time for his career.
For those unaware, the aforementioned narrative around his career concerns his “snitching” in the YSL RICO case. This had Gunna laying low for months, and a Gift & a Curse was his big comeback to the hip-hop release sphere. His relationship with other rappers is still up in the air, but with all this commercial success and fan loyalty, that aversion might shift very soon. Still, the 30-year-old also has a lot bigger things to worry about right now, and might be thinking more as a lone wolf within the industry.
That being said, a lot of that bias and backlash diminished after the release of a Gift & a Curse. Maybe the conversation just died down, but various sources (including Gunna himself, Young Thug’s father, and more) shut down beliefs that there was beef as a result of Wunna’s plea deal. It’s not the red flag it once was, and that came as a timely development as he builds skills in other areas. For example, his upcoming remix of Victor Thompson’s Afrobeats hit “This Year” stunned fans at its live debut, with many surprised by his excellent foray into the genre.
Meanwhile, there’s a lot of bars to digest on the Drip or Drown MC’s latest full-length. Now, though, it seems like people just enjoy the music without feeding into the debate. We’ll see what else the year holds for him, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he ends it off even stronger. Come back to HNHH for more news and updates on Gunna.
Florida trap-soul rapper Rod Wave is projected to have a big first week debut. He recently released his album Nostalgia and it included 18 tracks of pure vibes. With just three features total throughout the project, including 21 Savage as the biggest one, Rod Wave’s project is among some of the biggest first-week sales projections we’ve seen in a while. According to a post by DJ Akademiks shared yesterday (Sept. 19), “Rod Wave ‘Nostalgia’ [is] on pace to sell 133K first week.” Fans responded, “We’ll deserved needs more! Great album timeless.” “Great music still sells,” another said. “Rod Wave new album is heat,” someone else wrote.
According to HitsDailyDouble, it was reported last week that Nostalgia was projected to sell between 130K and 140K copies in its first week of release. This isn’t exactly a new feat for Rod Wave, as his extremely dedicated and loyal fan base supports every release of his. In fact, his previous 2022 album, Beautiful Mind, earned first-week sales of 115K copies along with a top slot on the charts. Additionally, he previously achieved chart-topping success on the Billboard 200 with his albums SoulFly in 2021. Additionally, he secured a place in the Top 10 with Ghetto Gospel in 2019 and Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory EP in 2022.
Rod Wave Could Outperform Majority Of Projects This Year
Rod Wave ‘Nostalgia’ on pace to sell 133K first week.
These projections would make Nostalgia “the third-biggest rap debut of 2023.” Taking the first and second spots include Lil Uzi’s The Pink Tape, and Travis Scott’s UTOPIA, respectively. A well-earned effort, Rod Wave’s signature approach and sound are to credit for this high first-week projection. He caters to a niche audience — people who enjoy singing pain music with heartfelt emotions over moody beats. But, Wave did get creative with his music and experimented with new sounds.
As previously reported, Rod Wave shared that the track “Crazy,” which is featured on Nostalgia, includes sampled elements from Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun.” “So all my music, I try to just shed light on my background and what made me who I am, the reason I’m this kind of artist, the reason I’m who I am,” Rod Wave shared during an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1’s New Music Daily Radio show. “So I always try to just shed light on that. Just the way [Paramore’s Hayley Williams] painting a picture vividly gives you both sides of the good and the bad.” Stay tuned for official first week numbers on HNHH.
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