certification

MF Doom & Madlib’s “Madvillainy” Receives RIAA Gold Certification 20 Years Later

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When you think about essential hip-hop records, where does your mind go? For us and many others, underground icons MF Doom and Madlib gave us one of those kinds of albums back in 2004. We are referring to one of the most studied and highly-regarded offerings in the genre’s 50-year history, Madvillainy. We recently put up a densely-detailed feature on the crazy samples, references, and bars from Doom and Madlib. We highly encourage you to check that out if you are a huge fan of the record. But we are back to talking about Madvillainy today because it just became certified gold.

According to a tweet from HipHopDX, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) updated the sales numbers on Monday, March 25. That led to them discovering that Madvillainy hit the required 500,000 copies to achieve that mark. What is ironic about all of this is that Doom and Madlib’s album turned 20 years old the day before this announcement. If you really think about it, this is a remarkable feat for this album.

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Madvillainy Is Still A Hit All Of These Years Later

With how off the wall and experimental it is and dropping well before the streaming era, hitting gold status is wild. Just for some stats, three of MF’s 10 most popular tracks on Spotify are from Madvillainy. “All Caps” slots in at fifth with over 146 million plays. Next is “Meat Grinder” right after with 99 million plus. Finally, “Fancy Clown,” which sits at eighth has collected over 76.8 million streams.

What are your thoughts on Madvillainy by MF Doom and Madlib going gold? Are you surprised it took this long for a classic record to hit this mark, why or why not? How impressive is this achievement considering when this was released? What tracks are you still bumping from it? Are MF Doom and Madlib the greatest rapper and producer duo ever? Is this the best hip-hop record of all time? 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 MF Doom and Madlib. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the world of music.

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Post Malone And Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” Becomes The First RIAA Double-Diamond Certified Single

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Post Malone’s ability to blend together different genres and styles has given him both a distinct sound and a wide reaching appeal. One of the best examples is his collaboration with Swae Lee “Sunflower.” The song was originally released as a part of the soundtrack for the animated superhero film Spider-Man: into the Spider-Verse. The song became the absolute biggest of hits spending an astonishing 33 weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100 including a stint at number one. The track is also among the most streamed in the history of Spotify with more than 3 billion plays.

Now the song has reached another remarkable milestone. It already held the record for most RIAA certifications by any song. Malone personal broke the record for most RIAA Diamond Certified singles earlier this year. That’s why it’s no surprise that “Sunflower” is pushing new ground with it’s recent certification. The song became the first track to be certified double-diamond. Check out the hit song’s music video, which has over 2 billion views of its own below.

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Post Malone’s “Sunflower” Is Officially Double-Diamond

Last month, it was confirmed that Post Malone would be performing in the lead-up to the Super Bowl this weekend. He’ll have the honor of performing “America The Beautiful” before its kickoff in Las Vegas on Sunday. He joins a stacked list of artists supplementing the biggest performance of the night, Usher’s Halftime show.

Last year, Post Malone found himself caught up in some pseudo-legal drama. Back in September lawyers for his ex-girlfriend made some allegations of abusive behavior, claiming they had evidence. But the legal action ultimately came from Malone himself. He used the courts to aim at the lawyers for their public statements, which he sees as never being backed up by any substantial evidence. What do you think about Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” becoming the first song certified double-diamond? Do you still listen to the track? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Jay-Z Celebrates “The Black Album” 20th Anniversary With Throwback Merch

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One of Jay-Z’s biggest and best albums is celebrating a major milestone. The Black Album was released 20 years ago and features some of the most well-known songs in Jay’s entire catalog like “99 Problems” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” Fans of the album who may not have been able to get their hands on a piece of affiliated merch at the time are now getting another shot.

Earlier this week Mitchell & Ness announced that a series of heavily stylized jerseys were being made and sold to celebrate the album’s anniversary. A few different variants were announced with a series of Instagram posts. “For its 20th anniversary, we are only releasing 2003 of each style of these iconic New York collector’s pieces. Shop the NY colorway from the limited-edition release now,” they captioned the announcement. With only 2000 of each look available fans quickly rushed to pick one up before they sold out. Check out the full announcement post below.

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Jay-Z Drops “Black Album” Jerseys

Earlier this week, Jay-Z celebrated his birthday. He’s already one of the biggest-selling rap artists of all time. But it probably still felt pretty good to get some new certifications as a birthday present. RIAA announced a massive 19 new certifications for various singles from throughout Hov’s career. That included some already platinum songs hitting even higher landmarks and some newer tracks getting their first gold certifications.

While Jay-Z is reflecting on his earlier days by bringing back some old merch, others are sharing stories. Memphis Bleek stopped by a radio show earlier this week to shed some light on Jay’s wilder early years. He told a story of the rapper and his entourage smashing up a bar so badly they had to pay $50k just to be let out. He seemed pretty well aware of how much that story clashed with the relaxed demeanor Jay gives off to many these days. What do you think of the vintage merch being re-released to celebrate The Black Album‘s 20th anniversary? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Gunna’s “fukumean” Goes Platinum

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One of the biggest rap hits of the year can now officially claim that tile, as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recently issued a platinum certification to Gunna’s “fukumean.” Moreover, the song is a standout on his 2023 album a Gift & a Curse, which was his comeback to the rap game after his plea deal in the YSL RICO case. That being said, it’s not like this was the only successful track on the album; far from it, in fact. For example, the project itself recently received a gold certification from the RIAA, marking it as one of the year’s most commercially significant. The cultural significance of it for 2023 can’t be understated, either, as this song and LP represent a lot.

Furthermore, many thought that the College Park MC would fall off after his brief prison stint. Some just didn’t think he had a career after this, while others pointed towards his alleged “snitching” in the case as a prime reason to shun him. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, it’s clear that Gunna’s not going anywhere anytime soon. “fukumean” still gets spins like wildfire, and amid a lot of other tracks that address his situation, this one proved he still makes bangers.

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Gunna’s “fukumean” Certified Platinum By The RIAA

 
 
 
 
 
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However, maybe this phase of Wunna’s career won’t be what truly defines his post-RICO renaissance; it could just be the beginning. For example, an upcoming remix of Victor Thompson’s “This Year” has fans very excited for what he’ll do next. Gunna debuted the Afrobeats remix during his most recent live show in Los Angeles, and fans absolutely love this new direction for him. While he’s very well-known for his woozy, laid-back, and flow-heavy brand of trap, it looks like we’ll be getting more versatile material from him very soon.

Meanwhile, it’s safe to say that “fukumean” will remain relevant in the year’s last few months. We have a lot of big releases to look forward to, but that guitar loop and flute-assisted atmosphere is too infectious to ignore. Let’s just hope that there are more heaters like this in store in the future, regardless of what genre it occupies. On that note, stay posted on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Gunna.

Read More: The 10 Best Moments From Gunna’s “A Gift & A Curse” LA Show

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Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint” Is Now Triple Platinum

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One of the best hip-hop albums of the 2000s just got a brand new platinum plaque. Moreover, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) just certified The Blueprint by Jay-Z as triple platinum. Not only that, but interestingly enough, it took over twenty years for this project to get a new plaque from the RIAA. Previously, it reached double platinum status on May 1 of 2002, according to the association. With this development, one of the finest works in Hov’s catalog has now sold over 3 million album equivalent units.

In the years since its release, Jay-Z and various other hip-hop figures have reflected on its legacy and creation. Of course, as the album that firmly established Jay as one of the top rap dogs after a successful career beginning, said impact should come as no surprise. For example, the New York legend pushed back against comments that Kanye West made about producer Just Blaze copying others on the 2001 album. “Nore sent me a piece and I’ve seen a couple pieces,” the 53-year-old began on Twitter Spaces about Ye’s 2021 Drink Champs interview.

The Blueprint By Jay-Z Is Now Triple Platinum

“I think, again, everyone is entitled to their opinion and everyone can, sees things through their own lens,” Jay-Z continued. “Some of it could be true, some of it may not be true, but that’s the lens that you see it through, so you just speaking to your truth. I think the one thing I would say out of the, all the pieces I’ve seen is…the Just Blaze thing was a bit unfair. ‘Cause if you’re making an album, you’re creating an album and the assignment is Soul samples, everyone’s coming with Soul… Everyone created for the project.

“The thing was, the baby was The Blueprint and I think everyone should be prized for what we created,” he concluded. “It’s in, I don’t know what you call that, the Library of Congress or something. It’s something that we all should be proud of and everyone should be prized for their contributions. Everyone ha a contribution, I will say, and I don’t think anyone was copying off of anyone. We all had the assignment and created this one body of work.” Regardless of your take, check back in with HNHH for the latest on Jay-Z.

Lil Baby Gets Official Platinum Plaque For “It’s Only Me”

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One of the hottest rappers out of Atlanta continues to see success for his work, even months after its initial drop. Moreover, Lil Baby just got a new platinum plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for his 2022 album, It’s Only Me. The project reportedly reached over 1 million album equivalent units sold in February of this year following its October release. While many might see this as Baby being late to the party or failing to meet these standards sooner, it also goes to show how long-lasting and relevant his work continues to be well after its release.

Not only that, but there might even be a new album from the 28-year-old soon with a very exciting name attached. Recently, producer Black Coffee hinted at Drake releasing a collab album with the “California Breeze” MC soon, although neither artist’s confirmed or denied this as of writing this article. Black Coffee worked heavily on Drizzy’s Honestly, Nevermind, so he’s quite the close source to get this info from. However, only time will tell if it actually manifests into a drop, yet the Toronto superstar’s joint project with 21 Savage certainly inspires hope with its precedent.

Lil Baby Gets Another Platinum Plaque For It’s Only Me

Unfortunately, while It’s Only Me sold very well, it represented a bit of a critical downturn for Lil Baby. Many fans weren’t pleased with the 23-song tracklist and cited a general lack of inspiration or notable songs. Of course, all music is subjective, so many stood by the Quality Control signee and kept bumping his new tracks. Regardless of whether every song is a hit, you can still count on him to deliver rhymes and topics with a bit more detail and grace than the average rapper. As such, maybe a mixed reception will motivate him even more to drop something special as its follow-up.

Meanwhile, it’s hard to imagine that the rapper worries too much about what others think of his musical output. As one of the most successful rappers of his generation from sales to guest verses and beyond, he still holds a strong grip on much of the hip-hop fanbase. Also, he got a lot of respect from his peers, including Lil Uzi Vert who said they’ve “never heard a bad song” from him. With that in mind, he definitely has the backing to keep pushing himself to greatness, and platinum plaques are just the cherry on top. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest updates and news on Lil Baby.