Mariah The Scientist says she’s feeling “devastated” and “sad,” after being unable to visit with Young Thug to celebrate their three-year anniversary. Speaking with her followers on Instagram Live, she explained that the jail where authorities are holding the rapper told her their systems were down. She had driven all the way to the facility in hopes of speaking with Thug.
“It’s my three-year anniversary with Jeff. I done drove all the way to the motherf–king jail. The jail is 30 minutes from the city, first of all,” she began. “I done drove all the way to the jail and stopped at Party City in between so I could tape up my little ‘Happy Anniversary’ sign in the back because there’s not much space. It’s through a screen, by the way.”
Mariah The Scientist Performs During ESSENCE Girls United Summit
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 11: Mariah The Scientist performs onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Girls United (GU) Summit on November 11, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
She continued: “I done drove all the way to the motherf–king jail with my ‘Happy Anniversary’ sign and my Scotch tape and get inside for them to say, ‘The system is down.’ I’m devastated. I’m looking cute. I put this ponytail in my head. I done did all this s–t and I can’t see my man on my anniversary and I am sad, devastated. That is so crazy … I had to let you in on my trials and tribulations. It’s always some s–t, huh?”
Mariah The Scientist Attempts To Visit Young Thug
Thug remains behind bars as the long-running YSL RICO trial continues to be the longest in the history of Georgia. The Atlanta rapper has been in jail since May 2022. Check out Mariah’s recent comments on Instagram Live below. Be on the lookout for further updates on Mariah The Scientist and Young Thug on HotNewHipHop.
Big Sean’s brand new album Better Me Than You has us reminiscing on how far he’s come in his career. Moreover, 12 years ago today (September 5), he dropped his breakout mixtape Detroit on the Internet and re-released it on streaming services for its ten-year anniversary. While there are plenty of highlights to name here, there are multiple reasons as to why “100” featuring Kendrick Lamar and Royce Da 5’9″ is an easy standout.
For one, these introspective verses see each MC speak on their aspirations before their life is over, ripping through a dramatic and percussively stark instrumental. Also, this is a minor but still relevant chapter in the beef history between Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar, a tale that ended amicably. But it’s curious to hear this track back when you consider that it dropped a year before K.Dot would challenge Sean and many others on their “Control” collab. For obvious reasons, this reflection on that competitiveness is more relevant than ever these days.
Meanwhile, with a potential collab album with The Alchemist on the way, this throwback doesn’t take away from all we have to look forward to from Big Sean in the future. If you haven’t heard “100” with Kendrick Lamar and Royce Da 5’9″, find it on your preferred streaming service or check it out on YouTube below. Down there, you can also find some standout bars and the comments section for you to leave your thoughts on this retrospective look. As always, come back to HNHH for more recollections throughout hip-hop history.
Big Sean’s “100” With Kendrick Lamar & Royce Da 5’9″: Stream
Quotable Lyrics Haters praying I fall, move back in with my moms, Take online classes and turn back into y’all, hating, I guess they want your lights out when you the plug, N***as wanna catch you slipping like they pulled the rug
Newer Travis Scott fans are in for a treat from earlier in his discography this Friday (August 23), but for the rest of us… this isn’t our first rodeo. La Flame will drop his 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo on digital streaming platforms for the first time this week, celebrating its tenth anniversary and teasing the inclusion of more tracks from that era’s vault. All this excitement around this re-release led many die-hards to look back at the DBR days quite fondly. The project has some of this catalog’s most beloved tracks to this day, and as its title suggests, it proved crucial to the development and massive success of its successor, the 2015 studio album Rodeo.
As such, we’re taking a look today at just five of Travis Scott’s songs on Days Before Rodeo that paved the way for what he achieved on Rodeo, although you could say that about the whole mixtape. Of course, there’s a very specific and connected lineage to highlight: DBR owes much of its identity to the Houston superstar’s first tape, 2013’s Owl Pharaoh. Thus, Rodeo is an even more extended development of many of those original ideas. But when it comes to rapping performances, production styles, and the psychedelic aesthetics that Travis is so renowned for today, DBR is what really started to nurture these key elements of his discography and artistry. His 2015 album sent these elements into the stratosphere of mainstream hip-hop. But these five tracks, in no particular order, are what made them compelling in the first place.
“The Prayer”
Ever since this intro track kicked off Days Before Rodeo, Travis Scott has had an undeniable penchant for amazing opening cuts. “The Prayer” sets up this precedent instrumentally with cinematic organs, string arrangements, regal keys, sharp percussion, and a disorienting but intoxicating outro. His performance, unencumbered by Owl Pharoah‘s pitched-down vocal doubling, also points to more clear and cold-blooded verses on his 2015 studio album. Perhaps most importantly, this record also parallels many of the thematic and structural opening motifs of Rodeo‘s opener, “Pornography.” “The Prayer” opens with the following line: “Midnight awaking, hyper ventilating / Drunk laps running around the globe, wild goose chasing / After three number one albums, would’ve thought I’d feel amazing.” It previews the hedonistic but ambitious concept behind Rodeo before refining his vivid picture-painting even more on that LP.
However, one of the best things about Rodeo isn’t just its loosely assembled but nevertheless compelling subject matter. It’s also full of absolute ragers, and before “Antidote” took over the rap world, “Mamacita” proved for the first time how far Travis Scott could go. It’s by no means his first big commercial and cultural “banger,” as the star-studded “Upper Echelon” landed on Owl Pharaoh. But where that 2013 track chose to be bombastic and overblown, this Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug collab meld that moshpit mentality with the darker, woozier, and more nocturnal vibes that Rodeo would fully embody a year later. This is thanks to Metro Boomin’s striking sample flip of an electric guitar line, atmospheric synth pads, and tough-as-nails drums and bass. If that isn’t enough for you, then look at how Cactus Jack continues to electrify crowds with this anthem to this day.
Speaking of collabs, this Days Before Rodeo cut is actually not one of the best on the mixtape, but it’s most certainly one of its most important. For starters, this kickstarts Travis Scott’s crucial collaborative history with Quavo and the Migos. More broadly, it’s a lofty and audacious attempt to meld vintage soul samples, cavernous synth bass, eerie keys, and grand strings together into a cohesive and progressive song that evolves and molds as it goes along. This would prove to be a key songwriting formula for Rodeo tracks like “3500,” “Nightcrawler,” and many more. It’s something that Travis eventually perfected in 2015 and beyond, but better execution down the line doesn’t diminish the weight of “Sloppy Toppy.” Fortunately, he also got much better at picking song titles.
While Rodeo‘s more summery and light moments don’t always see the same retrospective appreciation as its shadowy trap highlights, Travis Scott has always tried to balance out his sonic directions. “Backyard” represents this warmer side on Days Before Rodeo (along with cuts like “Grey”) thanks to a simple but tender sample flip, paired explosively with a crisp snare, live-sounding hi-hats, and a carefree chorus. It would fit well in a playlist with Rodeo‘s “Flying High,” but it’s more directly related to the impressive flow switches, involved verses, and stark drum patterns on a song like “Apple Pie.” That’s another thing: this was one of Travis’ best verses and rapping performances to date back in the day, and Rodeo pushed these lyrical heights even further. Thanks to songs like “Backyard,” people fell in love with him as an MC, not just as an artist.
“Drugs You Should Try It”
Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention Travis Scott’s most iconic song from Days Before Rodeo in many fans’ eyes. When he dropped DBR, this was easily his most personal, intimate, and beautiful song yet, and he’s scarcely replicated its magic since. Rodeo‘s “90210” is the key example of the musical legacy that this classic left behind, as well as that album’s more soft and emotive displays like “Impossible…” Plus electric guitar worship. The simplicity of the instrumental paired with the track’s melodic dominance – and especially its unique vocal delivery – built a new lane for Travis to express himself. In fact, it arguably cemented his auto-crooning style for good, an approach that he’s yet to let go of. While Owl Pharaoh had pretty moments, “Drugs You Should Try It” is the first stroke of genius in Scott’s discography, and it defined his idiosyncrasy and innovation as an artist.
Gillie Da Kid shared a post for his late son, YNG Cheese, on the one-year anniversary of his death, Saturday. Sharing a video billboard he and his family had put up in New York City in honor of the date, he wrote in the caption: “Long Live Cheese [crying emoji]. Miss u kid #WeGotChase.” The 25-year-old rapper was killed in Philadelphia in a triple shooting that injured two others.
In the comments section of Gillie’s post, plenty of fans shared supportive messages. “God bless you Gillie,” one user wrote. “I been watching you since get down on da ground sh*t was.” Another top comment reads: “Keep up the great work Gillie. Continued prayers to you and your family champ.” His podcast co-host, Wallo, also popped up with a pair of emojis.
Gillie Da Kid & Wallo Attend Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party
Gillie Da Kid and Wallo at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party held at Marquee Dayclub Las Vegas at The Cosmopolitan on February 10, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
It took Gillie several days before he opened up about the incident publically. On July 29th 2023, he eventually posted on Instagram: “I Miss u like $h*t Dev My heart will forever have a Black hole in it but u know ur father gotta be strong to hold the family up. Thanks 4 all the support from family, friends, and all of my followers y’all really helping me get thru these ruff times Me and my family appreciate and love y’all [blue heart emoji]. Rest Well dev and watch over us u know I got chase [crying emoji] love u Cheese [five crying emojis].” Check out his latest tribute below.
Fans aren’t the only ones to reach out to Gillie in the time since his son’s passing. Many other voices in hip-hop including Killer Mike, Pusha T, and more have shared messages online. Be on the lookout for further updates on Gillie Da Kid on HotNewHipHop.
Recently, Birdman and Slim were honored in New Orleans with a street renaming ceremony, just in time for the 30th anniversary of Cash Money Records. The Saratoga St. and Erato St. intersection will now be called Williams Brothers Way to recognize the duo’s contributions to the music industry. Their mother operates a bar nearby, and the ceremony took place fairly close to the home they grew up in. They both were in attendance, alongside Juvenile, B.G., and more.
“As former mayor of New Orleans, I’m extremely proud of the street being named in honor of ‘Baby’ and ‘Slim,’ CEOs of Cash Money Records,” Marc H. Morial, National Urban League President and CEO explained in a press release. “Their contributions to the music industry and their impact on our community have been immense, shaping the cultural landscape and providing opportunities for countless artists that hail from the Crescent City.”
This isn’t the only way they plan to celebrate the label’s 30th anniversary, however. Birdman is also gearing up for a performance at Essence Fest this weekend. He’ll also be joined by various other artists from the label. He’s the only one confirmed so far, though fans are hoping for performances from Lil Wayne, B.G., and more.
“The most anticipated reunion goes down at this year’s ESSENCE Fest. You asked, and we delivered,” the festival’s official Instagram page announced earlier this year. “For the love of CULTURE, for the love of US. For the love of the 99’ and 2000 — The Takeover has begun. Your July 4th weekend plans have just been confirmed.” What do you think of Birdman and Slim being honored for their contributions to the music industry with a street in New Orleans? What about the upcoming Cash Money reunion at Essence Fest? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
One of Lil Wayne’s most legendary projects, and arguably the one that shot him up into the stratosphere of hip-hop, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday (June 29). Moreover, Tha Carter has spent two full decades captivating fans and providing a crucial blueprint for modern rap, and it’s been a wonderful journey to witness. “I’m Weezy F. Baby and this is Tha Carter,” Weezy tweeted on Saturday, quote-tweeting a post about the album’s anniversary to invite newer and casual fans to do their homework. With a reunion with Birdman going down recently as well, it’s a great time for him to reflect on his amazing career and strive to live up to this potential in the future.
Furthermore, Lil Wayne is also making sure that he forms a strong relationship with the new generation, such as basketball star and rapper Flau’jae Johnson. She recently spoke on their collaboration “Came Out A Beast” off her new album Best Of Both Worlds and how it lit a spark under her creative flames. “Working with Lil Wayne on ‘Came Out a Beast’ was a surreal experience,” Johnson stated to Complex. “His energy and talent pushed me to new heights.”
But don’t think that Lil Wayne isn’t reflecting on the game as a whole as opposed to his sole contributions, because he’s often got two cents to share on the game. For example, he recently updated his top five MCs of all time list in an interview, and it carried a different context compared to his previous rankings. Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Eminem, and Biggie Smalls made the list, and so did Young Money partner Drake. This caught many fans’ eyes and ears due to Drizzy’s current beef with Kendrick Lamar, and the fact that K.Dot didn’t make the list.
Of course, it’s not like the Compton lyricist had to make the list, or that Lil Wayne had previously included him, but it’s a curious choice nonetheless for fans. After all, why wouldn’t the New Orleans legend pick one of his proteges? We’re sure that Nicki Minaj is number six. Between a LeBron James-assisted Beats commercial, more new music on the way, and celebrations of his iconic past work, it’s a great time to be Tunechi right now.
It’s already been a year since Jacky Oh passed away due to cosmetic surgery complications at 33 years old, and her partner DC Young Fly came through on Friday (May 31), the day of the anniversary, with an Instagram tribute. “#ThisS**tForEver,” the post’s caption began, which features a picture of the couple. “1 year already [sad face emoji] s**t feel like yesterday!!! Being frustrated aint gon work cause its gon make yu more frustrated… yu just gotta keep GOD first and jus stay positive and not lose focus… cause this s**t will have u all over the place… #NotAPostImTrynaGetUseTo … jus wanna kiss yo dam faceee i love u mama [two brown heart emojis].”
Of course, this has hung high over DC Young Fly’s head ever since Jacky Oh passed, and he always takes the time out to remember and honor her. For example, he came through with a brief but sweet message for her on Mother’s Day earlier this year, which falls tragically close to the anniversary of her death. “Happy Mothers Day baby !!!” the Wild N’ Out alum shared in an Instagram post. “Miss u like krazy !! Jus wanna talk hold ya kiss ya love ya let u kno im here…”
Elsewhere, DC Young Fly has also spoken on how he feels this loss is a constant presence in his life. “I’m constantly reminded, like, they made it,” he said on Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast about women surviving the cosmetic enhancements whose procedure took Jacky. “Here go another big booty. She made it. See what I’m saying? I get why women want to enhance themselves. I get it, but fellas, we have to do more than just continuously telling our women that they are beautiful. You have to continuously tell them that they’re enough. Don’t make your woman feel like she has to do something. Even if you f***ing with a b***h… with another chick. No, no, no, no, no, you just love a woman. That’s it. And women, listen to your man.”
Meanwhile, DC Young Fly is also finding other ways to pay tribute to Jacky Oh. Last year, he got a tattoo in her memory. Hopefully the comedian continues to champion his late partner and always keeps her spirit alive throughout his life and career. Fortunately, fans are right there to support him and share his process, a companionship that has a much deeper impact than one would think.
Pusha T is not one to “reminisce”, but he is doing just that by celebrating the sixth anniversary of DAYTONA. The third solo album for the Virginia Beach, Virginia native, it was also the first of five projects to be executively produced by the one and only Kanye West. It was a legendary summer for hip-hop heads in 2018, as Ye went on to release ye, NASIR, KIDS SEE GHOSTS, as well as K.T.S.E. Out of all of those releases you could make the argument for DAYTONA being the strongest of the bunch. The record began with perhaps one of the best and most memorable intros “If You Know You Know.”
It is a masterclass in coke rap, with King Push talking about the treacherous life of a drug dealer. Then, you have one of the nastiest boom-bap beats and sample flips on “The Games We Play.” Even though Push’s rapping performances were stellar across the board, the production from Kanye really helps sell each track. The middle of the tracklist is fantastic too, but of course no one can forget “Infared.”
“The game’s f***ed up / N****s’ beats is bangin’, n****, ya hooks did it / The lyric pennin’ equal the Trumps winnin’ / The bigger question is how the Russians did it / It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.” These fighting words restarted the beef between him and Drake, prompting him to respond with “Duppy Freestyle.” Of course, it then led to “The Story of Adidon,” which revealed that Drizzy was hiding his now-known son, Adonis. DAYTONA is certainly “the gift that keeps on giving.”
What are your thoughts on Pusha T remembering DAYTONA on its six-year anniversary? Do you still have this project in rotation, why or why not? If so, which songs do you revisit the most? Is this Push’s best album to date? Do you need a new album from him this year? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Pusha T. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Boosie Badazz has a couple of legal wins to celebrate, or at least, a potential escape in sight as he reflects on his previous victories. Moreover, he recently took to his Instagram page to commemorate when the court acquitted him in a 2009 first degree murder case. “12 YEARS AGO TODAY !!” the Baton Rouge rapper captioned his IG post. “I WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY N LET OFF DEATHROW N PUT BACK N POPULATION @runwithjason #MARTIN REAGENrip #NICOLE #Donk TRUST N GOD ” This was a big pop culture moment and especially so for the hip-hop community, so looking back on it must mean a lot to him.
Furthermore, the Boosie Blues MC might score another legal victory over his federal case for firearm possession, according to reported Meghan Cuniff. According to a reported new appellate opinion, people with non-violent felony convictions can legally possess guns for self-defense purposes. This new legal development could lead to the court dismissing his gun case, as his situation is very similar to the overturned case that this appellate opinion stems from. In both cases, authorities found firearms during a traffic stop and neither defendant caught accusations of any other illegal activity.
As such, Boosie might get this legal headache away from him, but no obstacle can stop him from speaking his mind on the culture. Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s beef did not escape a take from this perspective, and this assessment may surprise you. “I never seen so many men excited to see men tearing each other down thru music,” he wrote on Twitter. “The men r more excited than the women lol.
“DO YALL REALLY WANT ONE OF THESE GREAT ARTIST CAREER DONE CAUSE THEY LOST A RAP BATTLE?” Boosie continued. “DO YALL WANT ALL WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR HIP HOP OVERSHADOWED BY RAP BEEF? THEY TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN, BABYMOMAS DIRT, FIANCÉS, MOLESTATION, PEDOPHILES ETC. ‘S**T THEN GOT REAL.’ I HOPE YALL DONT THINK THESE ARTIST N CREWS SHAKING HANDS N SMILING WHEN THEY SEE EACH OTHER. NOBODY GO BE SAFE N THE NEXT ARTIST CITY. NOT TO MENTION WHEN OTHER ARTIST START PICKING SIDES N GETTING INVOLVED smh THATS WHEN S**T GET SERIOUS #justspeakingfacts.”
Recently, Pusha T’s fourth studio album It’s Almost Dry turned two. The project, originally released in April of 2022, was the performer’s first number one of his career. For obvious reasons, fans are looking back on the iconic project in honor of the anniversary. According to him, however, they’re better off bracing themselves for what’s to come.
Yesterday, the Clipse star took to Twitter/X to reply to a celebratory post, revealing that he has big things coming soon. “Why reminisce?” he asked. “So much more new [fire emoji] on the way…” While it remains unclear exactly what he has in store for listeners, they have some ideas of what he could be cooking up.
He previously hinted at linking up with DJ Drama for his first-ever Gangsta Grillz mixtape, which was announced by Fake Shore Drive‘s Andrew Barber back in 2022. “I’m working on a special mixtape. To have the fun I want to have. What I’m trying to do is restore the feeling in every aspect of this subgenre of music. And just of this cloth, of this taste level,” Pusha T said at the time. “I’m just trying to make people realize how viable this is. To show people that I can’t do what you do, but you definitely can’t do what I do. I have to show those differences. That’s the whole premise behind the mixtape.”
In an interview with Complex last month, he also revealed that there’s a “100%” chance fans will hear new solo or Clipse music sometime this year. What do you think of Pusha T teasing new music on the second anniversary of his fourth studio album, It’s Almost Dry? Are you looking forward to hearing what he’s been working on? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
” This was a big pop culture moment and especially so for the hip-hop community, so looking back on it must mean a lot to him.
on the way…