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Gunna’s Album “a Gift & a Curse” Certified Gold

October 2, 2023 by newhiphopnews

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.

Gunna’s a Gift & a Curse Goes Gold

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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.

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Rod Wave’s First-Week Sale Projections For “Nostalgia” Are Impressive

September 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

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.

— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) September 19, 2023

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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Offset Shares New Album Art For Upcoming Project “Set It Off”

September 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Offset is building excitement among fans! He’s gearing up for the arrival of his upcoming album, Set It Off, slated for release in October. The rapper has been offering glimpses of what’s in store, building up anticipation with his increased activity on social media. While the album’s official cover artwork was shared last week, Offset is still sharing visuals and imagery that pertain to the upcoming album. His most recent image featured a photo of Offset in another Michael Jackson-inspired ensemble, a red military jacket with black pants and a black glove.

Captured within the intriguing album artwork, Offset takes center stage amidst three chairs, with mysterious symbolism surrounding him. To his left, an anonymous figure is engulfed in flames. Meanwhile to his right, an intense spray of water is gushing at another unidentifiable person’s head. Within the comments section, fans engage in speculation and try to decipher the profound meaning underlying Offset’s artwork. They also shower Offset with accolades for his distinctive and original artistic vision, recognizing his ability to provoke thought and spark discussion. “1 of the best covers I’ve seen in a while,” one user wrote. “This deep. shit fire tho pay attention to detail,” another wrote. Someone else speculated, “Is that suppose to be Takeoff burning wtf!”

Offset’s New Album Is Set To Drop In October

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In recent weeks, Offset has been strategically teasing the project in other ways. He’s amping up the momentum as he interacts more frequently with his followers. His recent viral appearance on Kai Cenat‘s stream showcased the rapper in high spirits, dancing and creating a vibrant atmosphere. It seemed like high-energy, good vibes all weekend. Offset himself acknowledged the moment and let his audience know how much fun he had. Sharing on social media, he wrote, “I had the most fun in a very long time this weekend.”

In line with his promotional efforts, Offset has previously unveiled a series of visually striking cover art images, many of them drawing inspiration from the iconic Michael Jackson. The album’s cover art, shared last week, portrays another captivating scene. The artwork features an inverted image of buildings consumed by flames, seemingly with Offset descending from the sky. In a sleek all-black ensemble and sporting a single white glove, the imagery pays homage to the legendary Michael Jackson, a recurring source of inspiration for Offset, as he has noted in numerous interviews. With these teasers, Offset has set the stage for a highly anticipated sonic experience with Set It Off. The upcoming album marks his second full-length solo endeavor, following the 2019 release of Father of 4. It’s set for release on October 13.

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Noname Says She Feels “Free” After Alienating Some Fans Following “Sundial” Album

September 9, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Noname says that she feels “free” following the release of her latest album, Sundial. She reflected on the response to the album and how she’s dealt with it during a lengthy post on Instagram, Friday.

“Thank you everyone who ever supported me!” she wrote while sharing a selfie. “Sundial and my online presence over the past few years has turned a lot of people off me and that’s completely understandable. although many fans stop supporting with this new record, i just want you to know i’m truly appreciative for the times you did! i’ll forever be grateful for love, even if it’s temporary.”

Noname In Concert

BIRMINGHAM, AL – NOVEMBER 14: Fatimah Warner aka Noname performs at Saturn Birmingham on November 14, 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by David A. Smith/Getty Images)

She continued: “Some critics say sundial is brilliant and i’m incredible. others say it’s trash and i’m a horrible person. maybe both are true. maybe none of it is true. not sure but i feel free! being financially dependent on fan approval has always felt like a trap. i’m free from that now and it feels so good can’t wait to see the 3 fans i have left on tour lol. i got vinyl made just for y’all”

Noname On The Response To “Sundial”

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Among the many complaints that fans have had with Sundial is that Jay Electronica’s contribution is “antisemitic.” In response to the backlash, Noname refused to apologize for a verse she didn’t write. In the lyrics, Electronica voices support for Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan, while calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “joke,” and more. “Everywhere I step foot I leave a trail of names. Of the sons of Yakub, in a trail of flames. I’m on fire, I’m plugged in directly to Messiah. I run with the mighty ‘Khan as we expose the liars,” he raps. “And some fuckboy eighty-fiver come run up and press me. It’s all a hoax, quite simple, a joke like Zelenskyy. The Imams, the Rabbis, and the Pope, incidentally. Couldn’t stop my boca from quotin’ quotes from the senseis.”

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Jim Jones Addresses Dipset Reunion Album & What It Would Take To Happen

August 11, 2023 by newhiphopnews

As one of the biggest and best crews to come out of New York in the 2000s, Dipset took the hip-hop game by storm. Recently, one of its members Jim Jones sat down with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN on Drink Champs and addressed whether the group would ever come back together for a reunion album. Moreover, their last official release as a group was the 2018 album Diplomatic Ties, which was their first in 14 years. When considering whether he, Cam’ron, and Juelz Santana would hop on wax together again for a full-length, Capo brought the financials into play. However, he made it clear that it wasn’t all about the money.

“I ain’t gonna lie, if it was a perfect world and I could have things my way…” Jim Jones remarked. “For me this is just how I see it. Partnering up with the right person, whether it be a label or person who has an invested interest to see us win. And once we have a sound blueprint of that, and not to say it’s about the money. But money makes this s**t move when it comes to doing music.

Jim Jones Theorizes Potential Dipset Reunion Album

“There’s a certain aesthetic that we wanna see and a type of sound the people wanna hear,” Jim Jones continued. “We ain’t trying to cheat the people with things like that. I think a lot of that has been going on in the past years of us doing this Diplomat installments because we’re so used to this whole independent layout. But I think that we put so much work in things like that that I think the people deserve a real Diplomat.”

Meanwhile, this would be a new chapter in a history that resulted in tensions between the Roc-A-Fella-signed group and the label. However, there’s also plenty to look back on and reevaluate when it comes to avoiding those past mistakes. Jones himself recently reflected on how the falling out between the Roc’s heads, Jay-Z and Dame Dash, could’ve been avoided. On that note, log back into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Jim Jones and Dipset.

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Travis Scott’s “UTOPIA” First Week Sales Are Here, Marks His Third No. 1 Album

August 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

To absolutely no one’s surprise, we now officially know that Travis Scott’s UTOPIA performed incredibly well commercially. Moreover, official sales data for the week of July 28 (the album’s release date), ending August 3, shows that it sold 496K units in its first week. With that, it became the Houston artist’s third album to go No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and two songs from it landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Furthermore, these are “MELTDOWN” with Drake and “FE!N” with Sheck Wes and Playboi Carti. This is the third biggest opening for any album in 2023 and the largest in the field of hip-hop and R&B this year.

Said chart data comes from press releases, Luminate, and Billboard, confirming the success of this long-awaited project. To elaborate, album-equivalent streams for UTOPIA resulted in 243,000 equivalent units, and it garnered over 650 million global streams. Of course, this means that Travis Scott had huge openings on Apple Music and Spotify, with the album gaining the most first-day streams of any 2023 album on both platforms. On the other hand, physical sales reached 252,000 units, the second-biggest physical sales week of the year so far.

Read More: Travis Scott Brings Out Kanye West In Rome, Labels Him The “Greatest Of All Time”

Travis Scott’s Charting UTOPIA Tracks

What’s more is that just the album’s streams would’ve been enough to carry it to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Considering how much more prevalent streaming generally is these days compared to physical album sales, this is an astounding feat. In addition, its highest-charting song actually carried a significant amount of weight when looking at total streaming numbers, which is a testament to its hit power. “MELTDOWN” accounts for 10% of all UTOPIA‘s current streams according to this new data.

Meanwhile, there were a lot of physical bundles for UTOPIA that led to these huge numbers. These include CD variants, bundles, digital sales, and most impressively, vinyl. In fact, it’s the largest sales week for any hip-hop or R&B vinyl since Luminate started tracking these metrics in 1991. Let us know in the comments how you visited UTOPIA. Also, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Travis Scott.

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Travis Scott Reveals His Thoughts On “Astroworld’s” Massive Success

August 4, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Back in 2018, Travis Scott came out with an incredible album called Astroworld. In the eyes of many, this is his magnum opus. However, there are others who would argue that Rodeo is the better project. Either way, Astro turned five years old on Thursday, and fans have been running the album back. Sure, Utopia just came out last week. However, Astroworld still needs to be replayed so we can get the full scope of Travis and his evolution as an artist.

While speaking to Rap Caviar recently, Scott spoke about Astroworld and his thoughts when he was in the midst of dropping it. As he revealed, his Lollapalooza performance is when he really became aware of how big this album could be. “When I walked out in Chicago and I just remember like the energy that was out there. That’s when I was like, ‘Damn, it might be alright,’” Travis Scott explained. “At this moment with Lollapalooza, I was just like I think people could like understand what like I’m trying to do musically.”

Travis Scott Speaks

Not even @trvisXX could predict how massive ASTROWORLD would be. Happy 5th anniversary to the album that solidified Travis Scott as one of hip-hop’s biggest stars! pic.twitter.com/3X9mruEaa8

— RapCaviar (@RapCaviar) August 3, 2023

Moreover, Scott noted that there was a specific sound that he was going for on Astroworld. He wanted fans to connect with it, and as it so happens, that is exactly what they did. “I didn’t know how it was gonna be perceived. I will always wanna hear my album for the first time and fans after that make it feel way better,” Travis revealed. “This the album that people really fuck with. And this the album people really understand. You know what I mean? It’s kinda crazy.”

Five years later and Astrworld is still considered one of the best hip-hop records of the last 10 years. It brought a lot of fans into the world of La Flame, and with Utopia, fans are eager to continue listening. Let us know your favorite song from Astroworld, in the comments section down below. We will always be sure to keep you informed.

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Lil Uzi Vert Admits That Nicki Minaj Pressed Them Over “Pink Tape” Album Title

August 3, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Pink Tape‘s been out for a month now, and for many fans out there, “Endless Fashion” remains in rotation. Not only does it feature a charismatic performance from Lil Uzi Vert, but it’s another marker of a dominant year for Nicki Minaj. However, there was once a time when that collaboration wasn’t in the cards, and actually came about because Uzi was playing with her brand. Moreover, the Philly star recently sat down for a GQ interview about their No. 1 album, rehab, and a whole lot more. During their conversation, they remarked on how one call from Nicki late into the Pink Tape process pointed out the obvious potential for Queen Barb to be on something pink.

“Nicki hit me up like, ‘How you going to drop an album called Pink Tape and you know pink is my thing?’” Lil Uzi Vert revealed. “I was like, ‘Oh, no. You right. I’m going to send this over right now.’ And I sent it to her right there.” What’s more is that this has been a considerably pink year for Nicki Minaj, even by her high Barb standards. After all, you can’t make a hit song with Ice Spice for the Barbie film soundtrack and not expect a colorful presentation.

Lil Uzi Vert & Nicki Minaj’s “Endless Fashion”: Stream

Furthermore, we’re glad that these former collaborators realized that this was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up. Ironically enough, “Endless Fashion” is an interpolation of Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee).” Previously, Nicki Minaj spoke to JT, Lil Uzi Vert’s boo, about her verse on it, with the City Girl asking Nicki about how fast she handed it in. “Girl I started @ 8am & finished like 5pm,” the Trinidadian MC explained. “When I tell you I was exhausted by the time I was done. Lol. B/c I was rushing to get it in on time. I kept telling [them] ’30 mins’ then hitting [them] back 2 hours later TB 15-20 more minutes Uzi!!!! I did that ALL DAY LONG YO.”

Meanwhile, with Pink Friday 2 on the horizon, fans can only dream of another collab between these two. Maybe the Queen will return the favor and have Uzi hop on a track that fits their brand. “Diamond Forehead,” “Pluto Power,” or another metal cover, perhaps? Regardless, log back into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Nicki Minaj and Lil Uzi Vert.

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Kanye West’s Odd But Meaningful Gift To Conway The Machine Explained

July 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Kanye West and Conway The Machine have quite a tight relationship, and that’s something that the former’s gift to the latter proves. Moreover, the Drumwork rapper recently popped by the Rap Radar podcast for an enlightening conversation that held some interesting revelations. One of the things he talked about was his sophomore studio album God Don’t Make Mistakes, and Ye’s reaction to it when he played it for him in Wyoming. Specifically, on the track “Stressed,” Conway’s remarks on alcoholism and his use of it as a coping mechanism struck a chord with the Chicago artist.

“That third verse, I talk about how I was on that bottle, I’m sipping, I’m getting nice everyday and shit,” Conway The Machine expressed on the program. “I’m just giving my perspective of what I’m dealing with with that. And [Kanye West] heard that s**t and he didn’t say nothing. He just got up and walked out the room. He must’ve been feeling that s**t. N***a came back and gave me an autographed Alcohol Anonymous book. Like, ‘Yeah, read that, dawg. I love that record. That s**t, I felt that.’ We had a whole different conversation that I don’t want to share.”

Conway The Machine Reflects On Kanye West’s Reaction To God Don’t Make Mistakes

Though it was a strange move considering that an autograph can’t mean much to two friends these days, the former (but forever) Griselda affiliate thanked Kanye West for allowing him to pull up, play the album for him, and hear some feedback. In addition, the Yeezy designer previously opened up abut his own struggles with the substance. “I would drink to take the stress away and knock the edge off,” he remarked in a 2021 Thanksgiving prayer. “Drinking affected my health and the health of people around, around me because I already had a hair-trigger temper and this just heightened it.”

“I never thought about the effect alcohol could have had on my life,” Kanye said in Arizona at the Awaken prayer event back in 2020. “I was drinking on the red carpet, and then running on stage a few minutes later. Everyone around said, ‘Nah, he ain’t really no alcoholic.’ And then you get to the point where you’re drinking Grey Goose and orange juice for breakfast, thinking, ‘Nah, I ain’t really no alcoholic.’” Stay up to date on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Kanye West and Conway The Machine.

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Lil Uzi Vert Reveals What It’s Going To Take For Second Album Drop

July 4, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Lil Uzi Vert should be basking in the spotlight of their latest album, The Pink Tape. However, the man is still hungry for recognition, as well as for dropping more music. On July 4th, Lil Uzi posted to their Instagram story a picture of the album cover with the caption, “Get this [to] number one… And I will drop [the] album [y’all] really looking for.” He completes the story with two shushing emojis, referring to the top-secret nature of this mysterious second album.

It’s clear Lil Uzi Vert thinks that, while The Pink Tape is a solid collection of songs, there’s a separate tracklist that hits even harder. They’re saving that second drop for a rainy day or, in this case, for when Pink goes number one. When they says that, they mean going number one on the Billboard 200. To top the charts with their entire album would be quite an accomplishment. With so much new music dropping in 2023, it’s difficult to own a top spot on the Billboard chart.

Why Lil Uzi Vert Isn’t Satisfied

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Lil Uzi is currently performing songs from this most recent album, but they want to give people even more music. From a live stream, Vert confirmed they wouldn’t release a deluxe version of The Pink Tape, instead opting for a complete second album. Whether it’s a sequel or response to Pink is unclear, but the project seems almost ready to drop. There’s only one thing for fans to do, and that’s make sure Lil Uzi tops the charts. Honestly, it’s fantastic marketing.

In other Lil Uzi news, it might happen that The Pink Tape hits number one all on its own. First-week sales projections have it ending the week at the top spot, with Young Thug falling short of taking the number one crown. For almost months, Morgan Whalen has been killing the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. Perhaps it’s time for hip-hop to claim the throne. In the meantime, Lil Uzi Vert will be mobbing in their 1-of-1 Rolls Royce, living the good life with a best-selling album.

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