Aries Spears confronted DJ Vlad while speaking with him for a recent interview, telling the VladTV CEO to stay out of Black culture. The argument began while discussing the current state of hip-hop with Spears not being a fan and Vlad defending it. Vlad noted that hip-hop wasn’t a top genre in the 1990s, prompting a disagreement. Eventually, Vlad realized he was incorrect.
“Apologize to me n***a. Stop thinking you know more shit about Black culture than Black people!” Spears screamed at Vlad. “You know your facts like you would know your rhythm n***a. Fuck outta here.” From there, Vlad clarified that hip-hop became the top-selling genre by 1999. “Don’t you ever say another word to me,” Spears said while describing Vlad as a “troll.”
Aries Spears Performs At The Stress Factory Comedy Club
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – MAY 19: Comedian Aries Spears performs at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on May 19, 2022 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
His spat with Spears isn’t the only issue that Vlad has had in recent days. Last week, he released a lengthy statement condemning Drake and DJ Khaled on Twitter. He was upset about the artists’ silence on the conflict in Israel and Palestine. While he defended the current generation of rappers with Spears, he took a different take during the previous statement.
On their silence, he theorized: “It’s because both are so thirsty to maintain their relevance that they wouldn’t dare risk insulting a segment of their fanbase. Heaven forbid that Drake might debut at #2 behind Taylor Swift because some of his Palestinian fans chose to not stream his album. And it would be the end of the world if Khaled sold a few less sneakers because some Jewish people decided not to buy his Jordans. That’s the difference between artists of today and timeless legends like 2Pac. You know damn well Pac would be the first one to speak out about something so close to home.”
Drake released For All The Dogs on Friday, and it is already one of the biggest albums in the world right now. Overall, Drizzy has always been a streaming and sales darling. He can get you 500K units without pushing a single bundle. If he did include bundles, his sales could easily be in the millions. Regardless, the megastar remains one of the biggest artists ever. For All The Dogs was highly anticipated, so it should come as no surprise that it is currently selling as well as it is.
Unfortunately for Drake, there has been a lot of criticism surrounding this album. Some people feel as though the project is entirely too unfocused. Moreover, there are some who believe the album is his worst yet. On top of this, you have Joe Budden publically chastising the artist for linking up with the youth. It seems like critically, Drizzy cannot catch a break. However, his sales continue to reflect just how big a showstopper he really is.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Drake performs on day 1 of the New Look Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park on July 3, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
According to Billboard, it has been reported that For All The Dogs will be the number-one album in the U.K. this week. Overall, this will be his sixth time topping the U.K. charts. Over the past few years, the Canadian megastar has been embracing the U.K. sound. In fact, he recently linked up with Central Cee, which led to an incredible freestyle. Needless to say, he is embedded in the country, and music listeners overseas continue to support him.
So far, For All The Dogs is set to sell 450K units in its first week. However, that number can change as the week goes on. With public opinion on the album in a polarizing state, there is no telling how the streams could break. Let us know what you think of the new album, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world.
2014 proved to be a remarkable year of hits for women in rap. Most notably, Iggy Azalea joined Nicki Minaj as the only other woman in hip-hop to top the charts in the decade at the time. As a result of the success of her single “Fancy,” she ended the year as Billboard’s year-end number-one song. Besides these two, featured acts: Rita Ora, Kesha, and Charli XCX enjoyed success on the charts.
Boundaries were being pushed even further, and the versatile musical palates of rap enthusiasts were introduced to new and exciting sounds. Trap music continued to be a dominant subgenre in rap, with pop collaborations also taking center stage. Furthermore, in 2014, the coveted top spot was claimed by only seven hits. There were also no re-emergences of any songs that year, unlike “Holy Grail” the year prior.
Nicki Minaj – “Only” Ft. Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown
“Only” was released in October as the third single from Minaj’s third studio album, The Pinkprint. Young Money alums Minaj, Lil Wayne, and Drake all had experience working together, making for a stellar rap track. As expected, their chemistry was unmistakably evident on the track. Chris Brown, the featured act, blended well with the three rappers. He notably delivered a smooth and memorable hook. Despite criticism and backlash over the song and its lyric video, “Only” further solidified Minaj’s status as one of the leading female rappers in the industry. The track performed well commercially, charting on both the Billboard Hot 100, and the Hot Rap Songs charts. It peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 chart, and also topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for one week.
“Hot N***a” gained widespread attention and popularity through social media platforms like Vine and YouTube. The song, known for its catchy beat and dance, became a viral sensation in 2014. Furthermore, “Hot Boy” was one of the most social media-friendly rap hits of 2014. It was released as the lead single from Shmurda’s debut EP, Shmurda She Wrote. The “Shmoney Dance” featured in the music video quickly became a cultural phenomenon, and largely contributed to the song’s commercial success. It ruled atop the Hot Rap Songs chart for just two weeks, but has had a long-lasting legacy. Despite Shmurda’s long absence from the music scene due to incarceration, “Hot N***a” continued to be heavily streamed. The song made regular appearances at different kinds of events.
2014 saw Iggy Azalea gain prominence with a hoard of rap hits. While not on the same commercial level as “Fancy,” “Black Widow” sent her and Rita Ora to the top spot. The catchy and dynamic collaboration blended pop and Hip Hop elements, catering to a wide audience. Correspondingly, it was one of the most popular rap hits of 2014 worldwide. “Black Widow” was the fifth single released from Azalea’s debut studio album, The New Classic, and was a massive hit. The song achieved commercial success, and peaked at number three on the Hot 100 chart. It also topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for five weeks.
This 2014 banger remains one of Big Sean’s most recognizable rap hits. Furthermore, the song is often associated with his ability to create anthemic and catchy hooks. “I Don’t F**k with You” was released as the lead single from his third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise. The song is a breakup anthem and contains blunt and confrontational lyrics. Besides Sean’s iconic hook and verses, veteran rapper E-40 provides a guest verse on the track, adding his style and lyrical flair to the mix. ”I Don’t F**k with You” was a commercial success, and peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100 chart. It stayed on top of the Hot Rap Songs chart for three weeks in December 2014.
The groundbreaking “Anaconda” was released as the second single from Minaj’s album, The Pinkprint. The song prominently samples Sir Mix-a-Lot’s iconic Hip Hop hit, “Baby Got Back,” which is known for its celebration of curvaceous women. “Anaconda” became one of the most popular rap hits of 2014, and arguably the most controversial. In spite of the backlash, however, the song’s popularity grew, and Minaj’s career only progressed further. “Anaconda” topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for six weeks, and is one of Minaj’s biggest tracks of all time.
“Timber” was released as the lead single from Pitbull’s 2013 EP, Meltdown. The combination of Pitbull’s punchy rap verses and Kesha’s pop-infused vocals on the hook created a catchy and memorable track. The song incorporates elements of dance-pop and Hip Hop, and also features a lively production made for the dance floor. “Timber” achieved considerable chart success worldwide, and reached the top of the Hot 100 chart. It also dominated the Hot Rap Songs chart for an impressive 15 weeks, second only to Azalea’s “Fancy.”
“Fancy” was the most successful of all the Billboard-charting rap hits of 2014. The catchy and empowering song further proved that pop and rap make a near-perfect combination. It was a massive hit, and topped charts worldwide, but most considerably the Hot 100 chart for a record-breaking seven consecutive weeks, longer than any other female rapper. Crowned the “song of the summer” by many, Azalea’s braggadocious lyrics, paired with Charli XCX’s deliciously glamorous chorus received widespread radio airplay. “Fancy” remains Azalea’s most recognizable song, and is also considered a defining song of the mid-2010s. On the Hot Rap Songs chart, it held the number one spot for a tremendous 18 weeks. The music video also garnered praise for its Clueless references. It has, so far, been viewed over a billion times on YouTube.
Gunna’s newest album, A Gift & A Curse, is dominating the Apple Music charts following its recent release. As noted by Our Generation Music, Gunna currently holds the No. 1 spot on the streaming service for both album & song charts. The project is Gunna’s first since his release from jail last December.
On the album chart, A Gift & A Curse is beating out Metro Boomin’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack as well as Lil Durk’s Almost Healed and Moneybagg Yo’s Hard to Love. Gunna’s song, “back to the moon” ranks as the most popular song on Apple Music with seven of the top 10 spots being held by tracks off of A Gift & A Curse. Other songs of his include “back at it,” fukumean,” and “idk nomore,” among others.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 03: Gunna performs at the Lollapalooza Music Festival at Grant Park on August 03, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic)
Gunna addresses allegations that he snitched on his YSL associates on his song, “bread & butter.” “Never gave no statement or agreed to take no stand on’ em /Whatever you n—as on, then trust me, I’mma stand on it/ Lawyers and that DA did some sneaky s–t, I fell for it/ On my P’s and Q’s because this time I be prepared for it,” he raps.
Gunna previously shot down having cooperated with authorities in a statement after his release. “While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” he said at the time.
Gunna’s new album comes ahead of the release of new music from his former YSL partner, Young Thug. Thug will be dropping an effort with Metro Boomin, later this week. It appears to be titled, “Business is Business.”
NBA YoungBoy has tied with both Drake and Future after his latest album, Richest Opp‘s, sales landed him a spot having the third most Billboard 200 top 10 albums among rappers in U.S. history. Richest Opp saw 51,000 album-equivalent units sold in it’s first week, debuting at number four on this week’s chart. YoungBoy now has 15 Billboard 200 top 10 albums, also sharing his record with the likes of fellow rappers Drake and Future. The only rappers to surpass the record are Nas and Jay-Z, who both have 16 top 10 albums.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again ties @Drake and @1Future for the third most Billboard 200 top 10 albums among rappers in US history (15 each). Only Jay-Z and Nas have more (16 each). pic.twitter.com/UVxnKuygnt
Richest Opp followed YoungBoy’s April release of Don’t Try This at Home. Earlier this month, he revealed his latest album’s tracklist to fans. After fellow rapper Lil Durk announced that he’d be releasing a new album, YoungBoy took to social media to announce that he’d be dropping his LP on the same day. This led to a feud between the rappers.
YoungBoy also recently beefed with Soulja Boy about the release date of his latest album. After revealing that he’d put out Richest Opp on the same day as Lil Durk, Soulja Boy expressed that he was also upset about the release on social media. He said, “I’m finna outsell Lil Durk and YoungBoy at the same time,” adding “This my date.” He then went on to say, “P*ssy-a*s n*gga, you seen me announce my muthaf*ckin’ album and the next day you announced your album. So, guess what? You lame, n*gga.” When YoungBoy later responded by telling him “It’s gone be nice to meet you,” Soulja Boy went off again. He said, “You can’t wait to meet what? Bot, what the f*ck you said?” Continuing, Soulja claimed, “Boy, you don’t want to meet me,” adding, “This shit ain’t sweet. This ain’t no meet-and-greet.”
After a riveting weekend of new music, Monday (April 8), has brought with it the first-week sales numbers for some major recent releases. Among them is Jack Harlow’s surprise Jackman effort, which found him delivering bars on bars across 10 featureless titles at the end of April. While many were happy to hear the Kentucky native return to his rapper roots, the project has failed to achieve the same support that his sophomore release Come Home The Kids Miss You, amassed in 2022.
That album, which features Pharrell, Justin Timberlake, Drake, and more, landed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after earning 113K album-equivalent units (including 8K pure sales) during its first week out. Jackman, on the other hand, earned Harlow a spot at No. 13, with just over 34K in streaming sales and 2K in pure for a total of 36K. This puts the 25-year-old behind artists like Trippie Redd and Kali Uchis, with their Mansion Musik and Red Moon In Venus efforts respectively.
Jack Harlow’s Jackman First-Week Sales Dip from Sophomore Album
Jack Harlow attends the 65th GRAMMY Awards on February 05, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Regardless of what the numbers have to say, Harlow seems proud of his latest work – even if it has earned him some backlash online. More specifically, the second track, “They Don’t Love It,” finds the White Men Can’t Jump star rhyming about being “the hardest white boy” since Eminem. Not only did hip-hop heads on Twitter have plenty to say about this, but some other noteworthy Caucasian lyricists chimed in on the conversation as well.
On Saturday (May 6), Machine Gun Kelly leaned back into his rap skills, sharing a new cypher in which he dissed the “Nail Tech” hitmaker with absolutely no shame. Not only did he urge the young star to return Drake’s flow back to him, but he also included a double entendre about underwater sea creatures. Tap into Jack Harlow’s Jackman album on Spotify below if you haven’t already. Afterward, tell us if you’re surprised by his latest work’s first-week sales numbers in the comments, and tap back in later for more hip-hop news updates.
If you haven’t heard the news yet, your favorite artists might be selling a whole lot of merch to get on the charts. Moreover, Billboard recently announced they are reinstating their controversial rule that merch bundles (i.e. selling socks along with a physical or digitally purchased record) will contribute to that release’s chart placement. However, many artists are calling this out as a mistake. Furthermore, the organization eliminated that rule back in 2020 after years of pushback. The most recent artist to speak out against it is Rich The Kid, who spoke to TMZ about the reinstated “merch rule.”
“That’s fire,” the Queens-born and College Park-raised MC said. “Because them floppin’ a** artists can get- you know what I’m saying- yeah, that’s some bulls**t. But you know what? My new album’s coming out this summer, and I ain’t sellin’ no Crocs with ’em!” While that’s a valid point, a lot of the conversation around Billboard‘s “merch rule” (now referred to as “Fan Packs”) targeted some of the biggest artists in the world. However, one artist who actually wanted to see the “merch rule” reinstated was none other than 6ix9ine.
Rich The Kid Dismisses Billboard‘s Rule Change
“The rule got changed in June/July 2020,” he lamented via Instagram. He made the distinction to claim that they specifically changed the rule to prevent artists like him from succeeding. “I sold over 3,000,000 dollars of bulged merch for gooba. The nicki and travis thing was in 2018 for queen because I promoted it. The industry changed rules and laws just to blackball an artist that’s how I know I’m really him. Get mad all you want but this is facts.”
Furthermore, the incident between Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj that he referred to was the biggest public example of this rule’s divisiveness. After ASTROWORLD beat Queen for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, Nicki unleashed on La Flame and pointed blame at the “merch rule.” “What we’re not gonna do is have that Auto-Tune man selling f***ing sweaters telling you he sold half a million albums, because he f***ing didn’t,” she said on Queen Radio. “You stupid fuck. You got your f***ing homeboy talking for you and you got your girlfriend selling tour passes. Stop it. Knock it the f**k off.” Let us know your thoughts on Billboard‘s “Fan Packs” down below. Also, stick around on HNHH for more on this rule change and the latest from Rich The Kid.
Future’s ninth studio album, I Never Liked You, has remained on the US Billboard 200 chart for over a year. The project debuted atop the chart back in April 2022, earning 222,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. It became Future’s eighth US number-one and 15th top-10 album. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has since certified it platinum.
I Never Liked You is supported by guest features from Kanye West, Gunna, Young Thug, Drake, Tems, EST Gee, and Kodak Black. Future also dropped a deluxe version of the album with appearances by Babyface Ray, 42 Dugg, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and Young Scooter.
Future At The 2023 Grammys
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Future attends the 65th GRAMMY Awards on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
When news of the continued success of I Never Liked You was posted by Our Generation Music, fans expressed their feelings on the project. “One of the best albums to come out last year imo,” one fan commented. Another called out Future’s doubters, “And some folks said the album was trash? Lol. They were clearly wrong.” “Im still listening like it just came out, great album,” one more wrote.
After the release of the album, Future embarked on the Future and Friends: One Big Party Tour. For the shows, he showcased several high-profile artists including Lil Durk, Kodak Black, Jeezy, and more. In a statement provided to Billboard at the time, he described the tour as “life-changing.”
Future is currently still working on his tenth studio album. When asked about his goals for the upcoming project in November 2022, he told Billboard he wants to become a billionaire off of its success. “A lot of money,” he answered. “That’s a lot of damn money. My main focus right now is just to do something I never done. One thing I never done is make a billion dollars. I ain’t done that, so I’m focused on that.” Future has yet to provide concrete details on his next effort, but be on the lookout for more information this year.
