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Timbaland Shares Details On Upcoming Missy Elliot Album
Timbaland is recognized as one of the most influential producers to ever do it. You could name off the laundry list of artists he’s partnered with. The list includes Drake, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, and several others. However, It may be harder to list the stars Timbaland hasn’t worked with at least once. Given his longevity and the star power he has worked with, it’s not a stretch to rank Timbaland as one of the greatest producers of all time. Timbaland has been in the music game for nearly three decades. However, his plethora of upcoming projects show he has no plan of slowing down.
Timbaland recently sat down with Variety to discuss his career and upcoming work. Perhaps the most exciting project he’s working on is an album with hip-hop legend Missy Elliot. Missy hasn’t released a full album in 15 years. However, the love her fans have for her hasn’t gone away. It was first reported that the duo would be linking up again earlier this year. Timbaland didn’t give a definitive release date for the project. However, he hopes it will be ready to go this Summer. “We’ve got a lot of songs we’re gonna start recording soon,” he said. “my dream is to have it out around her birthday in July.”
Timbaland Takes Multiple Inspirations Into New Project
Timbaland has worked with Missy before. Subsequently, he knows what kind of tracks she enjoys making. “I know how Missy works: It’s got to be new and fun,” he said. “Or maybe not so much new as kind of underground, and everything is upbeat” Furthermore, Timbaland revealed the album will have an international flavor. “Some of it has a kind of Latin feel to it, almost a Bad Bunny effect” he said. “Some of it’s kinda like underground Brazilian funk”
Additionally, Timbaland is also teaming up again with Justin Timberlake. The duo has worked together numerous times over the years. Perhaps their most famous collaboration was on JT’s FutureSex/LoveSounds, album which includes the smash hit “Sexy Back.” Timbaland says Justin’s new project has already wrapped up. “We just finished up and everything sounds great,” he said. “Now it’s really on him how and when he envisions it to come out.” Given Timbaland’s success, It’s likely that both projects will be a hit with fans.
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Rae Sremmurd Return With ‘Sremm 4 Life’ Album
Swae Lee Makes Emotional Post Before New Album
Swae Lee has made an emotional Instagram post before the release of his new album. The artist will drop a new album with his brother titled SREMM 4 LIFE. The two perform together as Rae Sremmerd. The name is instantly recognizable as the duo have carved out icon status for themselves in the industry. Now, as the two are about to release the new album, Swae Lee has posted some photos with an emotional caption on Instagram to commemorate the occasion.
Swae Lee is a rapper, singer, and songwriter who rose to fame as one half of the Grammy-nominated hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd, alongside his brother Slim Jxmmi. Swae Lee is known for his distinct vocal style that fuses hip-hop, R&B, and pop influences to create exciting and melodic songs. As a solo artist, he has achieved success with chart-topping singles and high-profile collaborations within the music industry. Swae Lee is also recognized for his fashion-forward image and dynamic stage presence, establishing him as a prominent artist in the world of hip-hop.
Swae Lee Flies High
In the emotional Instagram post, Swae Lee poses with his recently revealed son. In the first picture, the two sit together on the couch while the rapper smiles at the camera. The following picture features Swae and his son on the bed in the middle of a nap. The rapper looks over the moon about fatherhood, and makes it clear that he wants to thank his fans and family for his many successes.
“It’s bigger than me,” Swae says in the caption. “Album out TOMORROW!! This is for my friends and family my EXTENDED family the fans. This past 5 years has been full of ups and downs but I will always fly high during the turbulence.” The rapper called the upcoming album his “blood sweat and tears in melody form” and ended his emotional post with “SREMM4LIFE AS IN [infinity emoji].” With the post, Swae Lee makes it clear that Rae Sremmurd aren’t planning on going away anytime soon. SREMM 4 LIFE is out tomorrow. Are you excited about the new record? Let us know in the comments.
Tyrese Confirms A 2nd TGT Album Is On The Way
Tyrese says that the R&B supergroup TGT, comprised of himself, Ginuwine, and Tank, is releasing a second album. Tyrese confirmed the news during a recent episode of iHeartMedia’s R&B Money podcast. The show is hosted by Tank and J. Valentine.
“I got some great news for you, Tank and J,” Tyrese revealed. “Atlantic Records has officially agreed to sign TGT for a second album… yeah, congratulations.” The two then discussed the idea of making another album together but didn’t give a release date. They felt it best to come to an agreement on that with Ginuwine present. Elsewhere in the interview, they discussed their personal lives, Tyrese’s acting career, and more.
Tyrese Performing With Ginuwine & Tank
TGT released its debut studio album, Three Kings, back in 2013. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Tyrese recently reflected on working with Tank during a post on Instagram, last month. “Don’t ever question anyone success when I have to so successful, they still like Lyons got that hunger and desire to be the VERY BEST in all aspects,” Tyrese began. “Very intimidating to work with them but the results are beastly!!!!!!”
He added: “Dear Tank, if we have a figure is TGT Let me announce it now I don’t want no smoke with your vocals….. if you can look at my last post, does anybody recognize the room that I’m singing in? Does it look familiar? I’m back in the saddle for real and I’m very familiar place…. This #BeautifulPain Album has already changed my life. Another level is coming. I don’t do things for awards, but if there’s a such thing as 8 GRAMMY noms and maybe 2 wins? I’ll be happy with that.”
Tyrese’s Conversation With Tank & J. Valentine
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Kanye West’s “College Dropout” Songs Ranked, Best to Worst
Kanye West has made legendary contributions to music and pop culture, whether you like him or not. His influence over the years has been evident. Before his anti-Semitic tirades and anti-Black remarks, he built an incredible discography. West’s debut album, 2004’s The College Dropout, is an all-time classic and arguably consists of some of the greatest hip hop songs ever made. The story behind the album can be seen in the jeen-yuhs documentary on Netflix about Kanye’s rise to fame.
The College Dropout’s tracklist boasts gorgeous soul samples, legendary features, and some of the best rapping from Kanye. The album was the first glimpse of West’s artistic greatness on a major level before he went on to push musical boundaries. HotNewHipHop has previously compiled lists about The College Dropout era Kanye, but this latest piece is about ranking the entire tracklist. While no bad songs are on the project, this list ranks The College Dropout tracks from best to worst, excluding the skits.
14. “The New Workout Plan”
“The New Workout Plan” is at the bottom of this list for obvious reasons. It is not meant to be taken seriously and is pretty funny to listen to. It is a fun song that uses a fitness regimen as its base, and the skits in the middle are entertaining. Although Kanye raps well on the song, it ranks at the bottom lyrically, in my opinion. The instrumental is well-produced, and the hook is catchy. However, I don’t believe it is better than other songs on The College Dropout because the production and rapping are not on par with the quality of the album’s superior tracks. The song is still legendary is carries on its legacy as J. Cole made great use of the ending on “Work Out.”
13. “Family Business”
Yet another great track, “Family Business” discusses fundamental interactions between relatives and the pain that struggling families often endure. Even when tackling such a difficult subject, Kanye melodically raps his lyrics over an ethereal beat. The chorus consists of fantastic contributions from many different vocalists. Though it is a good song, it doesn’t rank among the album’s best because the rapping and production from Kanye are better than other tracks. It should not go unnoticed, and Travis Scott incorporated “Family Business” on “90210.”
12. “Last Call”
West was among the first rappers to have an outro that acted like the closing credits on a film. The twelve-minute closer, “Last Call,” consists of Kanye telling the story of his come-up by speaking on his beginnings as an artist. The song has a great beat produced by both Kanye and Evidence, and although it is a standout, it is quite long. Kanye talks through most of it, which is why it is ranked toward the bottom. “Last Call” influenced artists such as J. Cole and Logic, as they have made their own “Last Calls,” taking inspiration from this song.
11. “Through the Wire”
The story behind Kanye West’s breakout single “Through the Wire” is iconic. West was in a car crash and broke his jaw. He ended up recording the song with his jaw wired shut, so the vocals sound strange compared to other tracks. The title is a clever play of its sample: Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire.” Kanye’s flow on the song is nice and makes for an enjoyable track. The beat and lyrics are great, but I believe it is legendary more for the backstory than the song itself.
10. “We Don’t Care”
“We Don’t Care” sets the tone for the rest of The College Dropout. The song is the right amount of seriousness and sarcasm the group of children sings about “drug dealing just to get by” in the chorus. It is an excellent song with great verses, a catchy hook, and a gorgeous instrumental. It may not pack a punch like other tracks on the album that have significantly better rapping, but “We Don’t Care” is a phenomenal opener that prepares listeners for the album’s soulful sound, as well as Kanye’s signature rap style.
9. “Spaceship” (feat. GLC & Consequence)
“Spaceship” is a story about Kanye being tokenized while working at the Gap store, dreaming of moving on to greater things. The down-tempo, Marvin Gaye-sampling beat is nice and soulful. Kanye’s singing voice sounds great on the hook. The appearances from GLC and Consequence are exemplary verses but do not match the quality of Kanye’s songwriting and the album’s other features.
8. “School Spirit”
“School Spirit” fully embraces the theme of The College Dropout as Kanye raps about his dissatisfaction with school. In this song, Kanye playfully raps about dropping out to pursue his dreams as a musician. The song features a beautiful sample of Aretha Franklin’s “Spirit in the Dark” that only got cleared if the song was censored. Even with the censorship on the explicit version, “School Spirit” is a fantastic song with a catchy chorus that perfectly combines the album’s themes.
7. “Jesus Walks”
“Jesus Walks” is nothing short of legendary. The verses contain quotable bars and stellar production, sampling Curtis Mayfield and the ARC Choir. It is one of Kanye’s best lyrical moments, looking inward at his own faith but also outward to a world of struggles. It was the first song of its kind and featured the vocoder sound that Kanye would heavily incorporate in his following albums. West would also go on to make more music centered around his Christian faith, but those never fully captured the magic of “Jesus Walks.”
6. “Two Words” (feat. Mos Def, Freeway & The Harlem Boys Choir)
The College Dropout is a project full of moments, and “Two Words” is one of the album’s greatest. The sample combined with guitar and orchestral sounds on the instrumental brings intensity to the song. This is matched by the incredible verses from Mos Def, Kanye, and Freeway. The three stick to a “two-word” structure for their verses, but each delivers a unique style. The vocals from the Harlem Boys Choir toward the end make for the ideal ending to a flawless song.
5. “Breathe In Breathe Out” (feat. Ludacris)
Though he only performs on the hook, Ludacris is the perfect feature for this song as he matches Kanye’s clever wordplay over the anthemic horns. The beat is one of the more minimal instrumentals on the album. In his verse, Kanye raps with this confident attitude that is only really captured in his earlier albums. His flow and animated rap style seem so effortless. Of course, one cannot talk about this song without mentioning the iconic “Ph.D.” line, one of the funniest punchlines in rap history.
4. “Slow Jamz” (feat. Twista & Jamie Foxx)
“Slow Jamz” is one of the more relaxed songs on The College Dropout, but it is one of the best songs on the album. Jamie Foxx’s catchy hook sets things off right over the Luther Vandross sample, while Kanye’s verse is lighthearted. There is also the iconic “Michael Jackson” lyric that always entertains listeners. Twista’s rapid-fire flow is a unique approach to the relaxed soul of the song but is equally as captivating as Kanye’s verse and Jamie’s hook.
3. “Never Let Me Down” (feat. JAY-Z & J-Ivy)
Kanye’s ascent started with his production credits on JAY-Z’s The Blueprint. Aside from 2002’s “The Bounce,” “Never Let Me Down” was among the first tracks where the two shared verses. The natural chemistry between the rappers on this song paved the way for Watch The Throne. On undeniably one of the best beats on the album, Kanye spits one of his most emotional verses. Meanwhile, Jay raps two amazing verses, and J-Ivy steals the show with a spoken-word poem, making the song even more powerful. The soulful beat with the looped hook is plenty catchy but is brought to life by the choir at the song’s end.
2. “Get Em High” (feat. Talib Kweli & Common)
“Get Em High” consists of Kanye’s best flows on the entire album and some of his finest rhyming. Kanye’s flow is arguably his most skilled on this song as he effortlessly “catches the beat.” The instrumental has the signature Kanye bounce and is the perfect soundtrack for all three rappers to transition between verses seamlessly. Both Talib Kweli and Common showed up to rap and approached the track differently. Kweli’s verse, in particular, really steals the show.
1. “All Falls Down” (feat. Syleena Johnson)
“All Falls Down” is one of the greatest songs that Kanye West has ever made. The production is top-notch and includes amazing vocals from Syleena Johnson. It is a timeless song that includes some of Kanye’s most significant verses as he showcases some of his wittiest one-liners while also telling a sincere story about materialism and consumerism. He flows so smoothly over the beautiful acoustic guitar. Kanye’s initially performed the song on Def Poetry Jam before making it into a classic.
Overall, ranking songs on The College Dropout is not easy. There are no bad tracks, which speaks to its greatness as a hip hop classic. The “worst” songs on this album are still some of Kanye’s best work.
Lil Durk Teases New Album: “Don’t Call Me On That Soft A** S***”
Lil Durk has to come through with a release date in the near future, especially after ramping up the hype surrounding his next effort. The rapper’s continued to tease the release of his follow-up to 7220 for a few months now but we haven’t received a new single or a release date. Durk didn’t release much information about the project, leaving curiosity to drive the anticipation. All he’s done is tease a few singles online while hinting at how good his next opus will be. He’s raised the bar high in recent months. Perhaps, the Chicago rapper is ramping up for his best album yet.
Presumably, he’ll have a lot to say about his ongoing beef with the Never Broke Again tour, and his journey to win back India Royale. Over the past few months, he found himself publicly taking subliminal shots at Quando Rondo and NBA Youngboy, who recently got into an online spat with Royale. Though Durk’s remained quiet, we could imagine he’ll have more to unload on the topic when his album comes around.
Lil Durk Sends Another Warning
(@nojumper)Shortly after his appearance at Dreamville Festival this weekend, Lil Durk provided another update on his upcoming album. The rapper shared a statement on his Instagram Story, hinting that the project would be coming soon. “When my album drop don’t call me on that soft shit,” he wrote. It’s still unclear who he’s talking about. However, we could imagine that it’ll be filled with some heavy hittting features from a few of his superstar buddies.
Over the weekend, Durk provided a bit of insight on some of the collaborations that may appear on the project. At Dreamville, he said that he and J. Cole have locked in the studio. Shortly after, he shared a cryptic message about Drake, who he worked with in the past. It seems inevitable that Drake would return the favor at some point. Besides Drake and Cole, we feel like there will be a heavy presence from OTF members on Durk’s upcoming project. We’ll keep you posted on anymore updates surrounding his next project. Peep Durk’s message above.
Nick Cannon Says He Won’t Ever Release Another Rap Album
Nick Cannon says that it’s unlikely he ever releases another rap album. Speaking with HipHopDX about his music career, Cannon explained that he’s never viewed himself as a “rapper.” The crux of the issue for Cannon is that he doesn’t like labels and feels they are inherently restricting.
“To define me is to confine me,” he explained to the outlet. “I never thought I was a rapper. That’s why I think I just kind of never — I wouldn’t say I didn’t take it seriously, but I was more focused on being a producer, a musician.” Cannon released his self-titled debut album back in 2003. It features collaborations with Ying Yang Twins, Biz Markie, R. Kelly, Nivea, and more.
Nick Cannon At The Kids’ Choice Awards
Cannon went on to explain that he grew bored of writing raps as he became more invested in music. “I feel like even when I started I was evolving as a musician, you know, everything from production, being a piano guy, guitar, playing various instruments and stuff. I was always on that,” he explained. “Rhyming words was never that exciting to me. So when people make fun of me, I don’t care — anybody can do that. I’m not impressed by anybody who can rhyme words together. TikTok has proven anyone can do it.”
From there, Cannon clarified that he didn’t intend to downplay the skills of all hip-hop artists. “When you think about someone who really raps, you think of somebody like Symba,” Cannon clarified. “That’s an art form and it’s a young man’s game. I commend and salute all poets and storytellers. Those are the greats. But just being able to put some words together over a beat, anybody could do that. Literally, Dr. Seuss has turned us all into rappers.” Cannon is currently finishing up his Future Superstar Tour alongside Symba, 24KGoldn, Hitman Holla, and others. The final show will take place in New York on April 8 at Palladium Times Square.
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NBA Youngboy Drops “Don’t Try This At Home” Release Date & Cover Art
It’s not even April and NBA Youngboy’s second offering of the year is on the way. Over the past few months, the rapper hinted at the release of his forthcoming project, Don’t Try This At Home. Following singles like “Next” and “Demon Party,” NBA Youngboy finally settled on a release date for his new album. This morning, he shared the official cover art for his upcoming project, which drops on April 21st. The cover art includes an image of Baton Rouge’s F.G. Clark Activity Center, where the Southern University’s Jaguars play, along with the album’s title printed on the roof.
NBA Youngboy already unloaded his first project of the year, I Rest My Case in January, marking his official debut on Motown Records. During an interview with Rap Radar, he explained that the title reflects his unadulterated thoughts that will spill across his next opus. “I’mma be talking crazy on there,” he said of the project. “I’mma show you Murda Man… but I’m lettin’ you know, though: Don’t try this at home.” In the midst of his feud with Lil Durk, YB sounds like he won’t be holding back on his upcoming effort.
NBA Youngboy Sets Release Date For New Album
At its core, Don’t Try This At Home appears to be a direct message to NBA Youngboy’s peers in rap. Though he hasn’t necessarily become a competitive lyricist, he unloaded his issues towards his peers on wax in the past, especially those who portray a lifestyle that they don’t actually live. “Entertainment and reality is very different. What I do think, some of the entertainers make their entertainment their reality also, if I said that right,” he continued to explain to Rap Radar.
The album’s release couldn’t come at a better time. The Baton Rouge rapper just received modifications to his house arrest conditions. Now, he’ll be allowed to have more than three visitors at his home at a time. Hopefully, this becomes a strong sign that he’ll soon be released. Following the release of Don’t Try This At Home – his seventh release within the past year – we hope to see NBA Youngboy back on the road and touring, once again. Check out the official cover art for his project above.
