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Lil Poppa Reflects On Industry Hardships, Growing Up In Jacksonville & More In “On The Come Up”

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Who Is Lil Poppa?

Jacksonville, FL became a hotbed for talent in recent years, though Lil Poppa could be the most promising export. However, the grim realities of the city became a central force of his artistry. The pain-riddled melodies are coupled with vivid accounts of growing up in Jacksonville, Florida. Above all, he considers his music a survival guide to make it out of such harsh environments. 

The budding star began making music at the age of 12 following a stint writing for his church just two years prior. However, his maturity and life experiences in the following years developed his songwriting skills further. 2018’s “Purple Hearts” was a turning point that provided a form of escape during a trying time in his life. The record grapples with survivor’s guilt following the deaths of his two best friends. The auto-tune in his voice induces pain and anxiety but he crafted bars that felt wise beyond his years. At this point, Poppa’s passion ultimately transformed into a therapeutic outlet. As a result, the feelings of grief and solitude cultivated a loyal fanbase. 2021’s Blessed, I Guess was an exemplary body of work revealing his maturity since he began to make waves. The album captured his ability to turn these harrowing emotions into beautiful poetry. 

Lil Poppa on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)

However, it was 2019’s Under Investigation 2 that set him up for success in the years that followed. The 11-song effort found Lil Poppa swapping bars with formidable artists who carried the same M.O. Mozzy, his label mate at CMG, not only appeared on the project but later returned the favor when he invited Poppa onto “Price Tag” with Polo G off of the Sacramento rapper’s critically acclaimed, Beyond Bulletproof in 2020. The unadulterated thoughts seeped through gloomy Southern production that related to a wider audience than ever before. 

Given that he watched his brother pursue a career in music, Poppa naturally gained a passion for crafting bars. Then, he mixed with the ethos of Southern mainstays like Boosie Badazz and Webbie. The combination of these influences formed the foundation of his undeniably riveting sound that relies on the brute honesty that he masks through his melodic delivery. 

Lil Poppa is emerging as a singular voice representing the South, minted by a deal with Yo Gotti’s CMG. Following the deal, he released the third installment in the Under Investigation series at the top of 2022. But even after turning the projects into a trilogy, he considers his CMG debut as much of a formal introduction as his previous efforts. 

“[I’m] getting everybody familiar with me and to this day, I feel like when people go back and listen to my first project, they still do that. ​​Like they still getting a chance to know me,” he says, adding that his mood is the primary indicator of his creative direction on any given song or project. “Whatever mood I’m in is whatever’s gonna come [out in] the music at the time.” 

Check out Lil Poppa’s acapella of “Pledge” below, and the latest episode of On The Come Up with Lil Poppa. The Jacksonville, FL rapper discusses a dream collab with Juice WRLD, the reality of the music industry, and more.

Grove Hero & Lil Migo Fight At Airport

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A year after his tragic death, Young Dolph’s impact on the Memphis scene is still strong and sustained. Unfortunately, much of that impact has also been as a result of presumed beef between many artists in the region. Recently, rappers Grove Hero and Lil Migo got into a fight at an airport. While Lil Migo signed to Yo Gotti’s CMG label, Grove Hero rides for Dolph, who Gotti had beef with. However, the reason as to why this physical altercation occurred is unknown, and it’s unclear whether it’s surrounding the late rapper.

EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 14: Lil Migo attends Maino’s Surprise Birthday Party on September 14, 2022 in East Orange, New Jersey. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

First, Grove Hero approached Lil Migo while filming with his phone camera. “You Migo?” he asked the fellow rapper. “You crazy,” he responds. Hero then retorts with “I ought to beat you… what you gonna do?” In the clip, you see Migo start to approach Hero as the camera turns away. Later, you can see Migo pull his own phone out, presumably to film the interaction as well.

“Come on, don’t be tryin’ to call your partners, bruh,” Hero taunted Migo. “It’s just me and you, I’m by myself. Me and you, outside.” Afterwards, they kept exchanging insults until Grove Hero smacked Migo’s phone out of his hand. That’s the last of the recorded clips, but they also took to social media to share their sides of the story. The last update we heard between Gotti and Dolph’s camps was Gotti’s lawyer dropping out of Dolph’s murder case.

“This n***a smack the phone out my hand & ran a 4 flat soon I pull my pants up,” Lil Migo wrote. “I put this on God! This n***a ran to the police OMM.”

Grove Hero replied with “Lies,” along with some laughing emojis. “I told u when I caught u it was over.”

Later, Lil Migo went at Grove again. “Mr. Mario,” he wrote, “U know like I know u do anything for clout & manipulate some s**t, u smacked my phone cuh, why you ain’t get your baggage?” He deleted the post shortly after publishing.

What do you think of this altercation? Do you also think this beef should be squashed? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from Memphis.

Moneybagg Yo Comes Through With New Single “Quickie”

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Moneybagg Yo’s had fans waiting all year long for a new body of work. Up until 2021, we’ve known Bagg to have a prolific output with numerous projects under his belt per year. However, A Gangster’s Pain marked a new era in Bagg’s career, one where his presence is equally felt across top 40 radio as it is in the strip clubs and the streets. So, fans are undoubtedly wondering when we could expect his net body of work.

It seems unlikely that Bagg will come through with a last-minute buzzer beater before 2022 concludes. However, he’s not leaving us empty handed. This afternoon, he released, “Quickie,” a woozy love ballad that finds him leaving his stamp on a classic beat. Over a sample of Lamont Dozier’s “Prelude,” famously used on Outkast’s “Jazzy Belle” and Lil Wayne’s “Pussy Money Weed,” Bagg’s wordplay and lax delivery captures sexual tension between lovers that’s similarly erotic and melancholic. “Quickie” is an anthem that fans of Bagg have been waiting for. It shows his ability to modernize iconic samples from the past and transform them into his own, similar to “Wockesha.”

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 17: Moneybagg Yo attends the GQ Men of the Year Party 2022 at The West Hollywood EDITION on November 17, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for GQ)

Though the musical output became scarce throughout the year, Moneybagg Yo still had a triumphant 2022. His presence on CMG’s Gangsta Art compilation this year found his voice echoing across the 2022 NBA Finals with “Big League.” At the same time, he’s clearly levelled up on as an entrepreneur, expanding the BreadGangg team as artists like Big30 and Finesse2Tymes flourish.

There’s no telling when we could expect Moneybagg Yo’s next album. Hopefully, the release of “Quickie” signals that he’ll be coming through with something special in 2023.

Quotable Lyrics
Came from different planets, then, one day, we intertwined
We relate on different levels, we got compatible signs
This lil’ pussy freaky, tryna keep this one a secret
How the fuck I switch addictions, feelin’ like I need it
I ain’t gon’ lie, that pussy better when her and her n***a beefin’

Lil Poppa Unloads On His New Single “Money Call”

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Lil Poppa is keeping his momentum high. Over the past few years, the Jacksonville, FL native’s transformed into one of the most exciting new voices from the South. It’s what led him to his deal with Yo Gotti’s CMG, and it seems like he’s revving up to deliver a new project soon.

This week, the rapper came through with his latest single, “Money Call.” The record highlights his melodic approach to delivering his bars as he describes an array of emotions from the paranoia of the streets and the excitement of new money.

Poppa’s last project, Under Investigation 3 earlier this year was his debut project on CMG. At this rate, it seems like he could have another body of work coming soon.

Check the song below.

Quotable Lyrics
N***a I was just with that bitch
Sorry, homie, she can’t talk right now, I got her eating dick
I’mma send her back soon as she done, she don’t get no sleep and shit
I’m paranoid, I think they got the drop, you know I sleep with blicks

Glorilla Donates $25K To Her Former High School: ‘I Decided To Be A Blessing’

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Glorilla 22
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Glorilla is generating major buzz today (September 23) for “Tomorrow 2,” her remix track with Cardi B that had been teased since Wednesday. “Poppin’ sh*t, you would think I went to school for chiropractin’,” the CMG signee raps on the first verse. Glorilla returned to her actual former high school on Thursday (September 22) and she didn’t show up empty-handed.

“God has been so good to me,” Glorilla captioned an Instagram video showing her unveiling a check for $25,000 for Martin Luther King College Preparatory High School. “Blessing me back to back so I decided to be a blessing to the students from my alma mater Mlk preparatory high school in Memphis, TN. FRAYSER BABY 4L.”

According to Billboard, the funds will be dedicated to the fine arts program, and Glorilla treated the excited students to a performance of her breakthrough single “F.N.F.”

Glorilla was signed to CMG Records by Yo Gotti in July after the success of “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” with Hitkidd. “Tomorrow” arrived in mid-July as part of CMG’s compilation project Gangsta Art. Glorilla’s original single blew up to the tune of over 11 million YouTube views and 2.6 Spotify streams. The Cardi-assisted “Tomorrow 2” figures to cast an even wider net of influence.

Glorilla’s philanthropic trip back home comes just over a week after Cardi visited her former middle school and donated $100,000 toward arts education and after-school programs.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

GloRilla Feels ‘Blessed’ With Yo Gotti In The Wake Of Her ‘FNF’ Success

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Last month, Memphis rap godfather Yo Gotti signed an up-and-coming rapper from his hometown named GloRilla to his label, CMG, after her single “FNF (Let’s Go)” took off in a big way, becoming one of the viral breakouts of the year. Fans named “FNF” the song of the summer and have spent the past few months celebrating Glo for her rough-and-ready rhymes and down-to-earth bearing. Today, she followed up with her second single since signing to CMG, “Blessed.”

Built on a sparse but hard-hitting beat produced by Macaroni Toni, the new track sees Glo reiterating her realness, asserting that she’d “rather give the people hope” because “it’s pointless to giving f*cks.” She also says she maintains her “ratchet tendencies” despite moving to the suburbs and is more focused on taking care of her people than showing off for clout. Yo Gotti comes in on the second verse to back her up — although it’s clear she doesn’t really need it — and details the levels to his success.

Earlier this week GloRilla gave her fans another example of her commitment to authenticity, telling her followers on Instagram she has no plans of getting plastic surgery despite apparently being encouraged to by some who are used to female stars getting their features augmented. “You mfs better get use to this slim body, green eyes & big beautiful nose of mine cause ain’t a damn thing gone change,” she wrote. “Y’all can hate y’all self all ya want but I luv me some BIG GLO.”

You can check out her new song “Blessed” above and stay tuned as her takeover continues.

Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo And CMG Show That Life Imitates Art In The Somber ‘Gangsta Art’ Video

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People may admire the canvasses, but they can never know the full story behind each brush stroke if it isn’t told. Though Collective Music Group may appear successful on the surface, there is pain and struggle behind their journeys that makes where they are now even more laudable. Their latest video for “Gangsta Art,” featuring Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, 42 Dugg, EST Gee, Blac Youngsta and Lehla Samia, tells the story behind their work

Samia handles the hook while Mozzy, Moneybagg, Gee, Dugg, Youngsta and Gotti all tell their own stories through verses accompanied by elaborate scenes. Mozzy spits from bedside, EST Gee sits on a bench, Moneybagg Yo shows blood dripping from his shoulders, Blac Youngsta is chained up, and Yo Gotti sits in front of an oven. The only person missing from the video is the incarcerated 42 Dugg, but his energy is still felt.

“Gangsta Art” is both the opener and title track from CMG’s latest label compilation album. Gangsta Art also features Kodak Black, Coi Leray, Big30, and more across its 27 records. If CMG somehow wasn’t on radars before, they are making sure to change that with efforts like this.

Check out CMG’s “Gangsta Art” video above.

42 Dugg is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

EST Gee Wants To See ‘Blood’ On His Cold-Hearted New Single

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CMG’s 2022 takeover continues with another new release from the Memphis-based label’s Louisville slugger, EST Gee. Collective Music Group shows no signs of letting up this year even though the group just dropped a compilation album, Gangsta Art, two weeks ago. While EST Gee was all over that project, it seems he hasn’t quite satisfied his creative itch, following up today with “Blood.” If you know Gee’s past work like his 2021 mixtape Bigger Than Life Or Death, you know what to expect here.

It’s a good thing EST Gee is on his grind since his “Lurkin” labelmate Mozzy just turned himself in on gun charges today. The Sacramento native is due for a year in prison on those charges, but with his crewmates going so hard in the meantime, he’s set to return to more collective wealth. Much of it will be generated by Gee, who has been a hotly demanded feature artist, collaborating with French Montana on “Keep It Real” as well as a supposed joint project with fellow Louisvillian Jack Harlow.

Meanwhile, the label continues to grow; earlier this month, CMG announced signing Memphis rapper GloRilla, whose song “FNF” has been burning up the streets independently since its release. It’s looking like a CMG summer.

Listen to EST Gee’s new single “Blood” up top.

Yo Gotti & CMG Releases Compilation LP, ‘Gangsta Art’

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The gangs all here.

Yo Gotti‘s Collective Music Group (CMG) imprint is one of the most formidable and successful record labels in today’s hip-hop with a roster of superstars, including Moneybagg Yo, Mozzy, 42Dugg, Blac Youngsta, EST Gee, Blockboy JB, Big Boogie and Lehla Samia. As promised, Gotti, 41, rallies the roster — along with some new signees — for the release of their high-anticipated debut compilation album, Gangsta Art, out now via Interscope Records.

MORE: Yo Gotti Announces Lil Uzi Vert as Special Guest at Birthday Bash 8 in Memphis, Amazon Music’s Rotation to Livestream

Gangsta Art contains 27 new songs featuring guest appearances by Kodak Black, BIG 30, and Coi Leray. The project includes previously released singles “Steppers,” “Lurkin” and “Rocky Road.” And with the guest stars and singles are standout collaborations and chemistry on the roster’s abundance of posse cuts.

Gotti launched Collective Music Group, formerly known as Cocaine Muzik Group, in 2012 following the “Down In The DM” creator signing a record deal with Epic Records. Gotti would sign the label’s first act, Blac Youngsta, in 2015, then Moneybagg Yo in 2016. The success of Youngsta and Moneybagg have spawned offspring record labels in Heavy Camp and Bread Gang. Gotti would eventually sign Blockboy JB in 2018, 42Dugg in 2019, Big Boogie in 2020, EST Gee in 2021 and Mozzy in 2022.

MORE: Yo Gotti, NY Attorney General Letitia James & More Announced for United Justice Coalition’s Inaugural Social Justice Summit

The label project comes on the heels of Yo Gotti signing the roster’s newest artist and new sensation GloRilla, who announced signing with the imprint last week. GloRilla went viral this summer with her trailblazing single “FNF”. GloRilla also hails from Memphis, Tennessee.

Watch the video for “Steppers” above and stream the full compilation below.

The post Yo Gotti & CMG Releases Compilation LP, ‘Gangsta Art’ appeared first on The Source.