collaboration

Billy Woods Reunites With Kenny Segal For New Single, “FaceTime”

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New York rapper billy woods has reunited with Los Angeles producer Kenny Segal for a new song titled “FaceTime.” It’s the first single from their upcoming collaborative album, Maps. The project is scheduled for release on May 5.

“I started writing this song at a festival in Tucson in 2023,” woods revealed in a press release. He added: “I was staying in this old classic Southwestern hotel in the center of town, and the festival was actually taking place inside and directly outside the hotel. I had been on the road for a long while at that point, and the song had been brewing inside me, but I got it written during the two days I was there. Then I finished it and recorded it at Kenny’s when I got to LA. Both of us know Sam and once I finished it I just knew his voice would be perfect. I also knew that with as much as he has been on the road over the years, Sam would be able to bring some personal experience to the collaboration”

The First Single From “Maps”

The Sam that woods is referring to is Samuel T. Herring of Future Islands. Of working on the song, Herring said in the press release: “It was late summer 2022 and most days I was stuck in my hotel room wondering what was happening with my life. All of that being on the road and living remotely, feeling alienated, alone, missing people back home, but also feeling at home living that way—I understood it deeply…. That song is my life and I was living in it.” Herring previously featured on billy woods’ 2017 track “Illegal Tints” under the moniker, Hemlock Ernst. He also worked with Segal on the album, Back at the House, in 2019.

Maps will be billy woods and Kenny Segal’s second collaborative album, following 2019’s critically acclaimed, Hiding Places. Across the tracklist for Maps, the two team up with Danny Brown, Quelle Chris, Aesop Rock, Elucid, and more.

In the press release, woods also reflects on his experiences working with Segal throughout his career: “Kenny and I made more songs together before Hiding Places than we did after. I think we only collaborated once over the last four years and although we didn’t talk about it, I think we wanted to let that energy build again. Neither of us wanted to make Hiding Places 2. We needed to go on other journeys, artistic and otherwise, to come back and do something fresh.” Check out “Facetime” below.

Quotable Lyrics:

Continental breakfast, stick and weave, tuck and roll
I can’t take you with me, but I be on your phone

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Metro Boomin Reflects On His Appreciation For A$AP Rocky

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Metro Boomin spoke about his admiration for A$AP Rocky in a tweet shared on Tuesday. In doing so, he posted a photo of the two of them together. He mentioned knowing the New York rapper for over 13 years and that they’ve been on good terms throughout.

“Flacko my real brother since Yams introduced us 13 years ago and been solid ever since. I’m 4ever grateful for brosay,” Metro wrote. In response, fans asked Metro to get Rocky to release his long-awaited fourth studio album. “Tell him to drop an Album already Dawg,” one fan replied. Another wrote: “So can you tell him to drop his album already or wha…? And I hope y’all got some collabs on the way.” One also remarked: “Man you are the bridge to a Travis and Flack feature a track with both of em on will shake the planet.”

Metro Boomin At Astroworld In 2018

HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 17: Metro Boomin performs in concert during the inaugural Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 17, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)

Metro also shared a picture of himself and Rocky with Don Toliver. “90’s rap group album cover vibes very jiggy,” he captioned the group photo. Fans were excited about the idea of the three artists collaborating as well. “Metro, Rocky and Donny T?????? This about to be some heat,” one wrote. Another joked, “Group name will be ‘The stoners.’”

Rocky has been teasing another album for years at this point, having released his latest effort, Testing, all the way back in 2018. In the time since, he’s been more focused on his personal life. He’s begun dating Rihanna, with whom he shares one child and soon to be another. Rocky spoke about fatherhood with Complex back in December. “It’s beautiful,” he shared at the time. “Honestly, I think fatherhood gives me more time to do exactly what I want. I don’t have time for anything that isn’t priorities. It helps you prioritize, honestly. I love it. Everything is just based around my newfound love for being a dad and a family man. It’s lit right now. I can’t even describe it. Yo, you see this smile! I’m all smiles right now, man.”

Metro Boomin With A$AP Rocky & Don Toliver

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Swizz Beatz Announces New Project Featuring Nas, Lil Wayne, & More

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Swizz Beatz has announced that he has a new project on the way that will be releasing later this month. The upcoming five-track effort features collaborations with Nas, Lil Wayne, Fivio Foreign, and more. The legendary producer shared the details regarding the effort on Instagram, Tuesday.

“Let’s just get to it,” Swizz Beatz captioned the pictures. Other tracks on the project feature Jadakiss, Benny The Butcher, Lil Durk, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more. He says that he will be dropping the tracks on April 21.

Swizz Beatz Performing With Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz perform onstage at the Pre-Grammy Gala held at The Beverly Hilton on February 4, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty Images)

The announcement comes after Swizz Beatz recently teased working on new music during an interview with Vibe. He told the outlet: “I’m just getting back into my zone music-wise. I’ve got a lot of music coming out, a lot of different genres of sounds. I’m just at a point where I just want to have fun with it again and just give people what they want, especially coming off Hip-Hop’s 50th and spilling that energy in the room. I was like ‘Man, I want to create some more space for us to be on those stages even more.’”

Outside of music, Swizz Beatz also discussed the current status of Verzuz, which is on hiatus for the time being. Speaking more with Vibe, Swizz Beatz explained that “something is cooking.” He elaborated: “Big, big, big announcements. The world know if they haven’t heard nothing from Verzuz for this long that, sh*t, something’s cooking. That’s a smart person [that’s] thinking that something is cooking. It’s been fun. We just.. Me and Tim wanted to reevaluate. We started in the basement and it went global, worldwide and sometimes you’ve got to pull it in and give the 2.0 version because you know what people want, you know, what you could have done different. You know, it’s like starting in a Mom & Pop’s store. Now, it’s like a major thing, so we’ve got to make it an even more major thing.”

Swizz Beatz’s Next Project

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Lil Durk Teases Feature On Doja Cat’s New Album

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Lil Durk teased that he’s got a collaboration with Doja Cat in store for her highly-anticipated upcoming album. Durk shared a screenshot of an audio file with the caption, “@dojacat rap album,” on his Instagram Story, Monday afternoon. The video clip contains no audio of the unreleased song.

The new information comes as Doja has been teasing details about her fourth studio album in posts on Twitter throughout the weekend. She previously confirmed that three songs on the project will be titled “Wet Vagina,” “Balut,” and “Agora Hills.” Doja also stated that the album will see her focusing on rap. She explained, “pop isnt exciting to me anymore. I dont wanna make it.” A fan had shared their concern with Doja’s choice writing, “I hope these comments are not the only thing that pushed you to go full rap…if doing pop and rap is what you like you shouldn’t stop simply because of them.”

Doja Cat At The Grammys

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Doja Cat attends the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

When fans criticized her rapping talents, Doja responded: “i also agree with everyone who said the majority of my rap verses are mid and corny. I know they are. I wasnt trying to prove anything I just enjoy making music but I’m getting tired of hearing yall say that i can’t so I will.” She also went back and forth over the decision to retire from music. “jk i quit im done with this music shit its only making me sadder every day. i cant take it anymore,” she wrote before clarifying, “jp ima finish this album yall dont worry.”

It was far from the first time Doja has flirted with the end of her music career. During an interview with Elle in 2022, she remarked: “I want to finish this tour up, kill it, and see my fans happy. And then I want to start writing again. I’m going to finish this next album, and then I’m going to get the f*** out for a second.”

Lil Durk’s Instagram Story

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Cole Bennett Celebrates New Juice WRLD Milestone

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Cole Bennett is celebrating a new milestone on a video he shot with Juice WRLD. In a new post on Instagram, the famed music video director posted a tribute to the first video he shot with the late rapper. The two were frequent collaborators and, all in all, Bennett was responsible for 7 of Juice’s videos. They began their collaborative relationship in 2018 when he shot the video for Juice WRLD’s single “All Girls Are The Same.” Throughout their time working together, the director became one of Juice’s most outspoken supporters. As such, Bennett was devastated when Juice passed away in 2019.

Juice’s death was a huge blow to the community as he seemed to be one of the fastest-rising stars in the industry. Since passing, the rapper’s music has only become more popular. In 2021, the RIAA announced that the rapper had posthumously received 50 new platinum and gold song certifications. His 2018 single “Lucid Dreams” has gone 9x platinum.

Bennett Remembers Juice As A Friend

Cole Bennett and Juice WRLD were more than just collaborators. They were friends. In a new Instagram post, Bennett celebrated his first video with Juice reaching 300 million views. The post features several behind-the-scenes photos of the two shooting the video. Along with the photos, Bennett had some kind words to say about the rapper. “The first video Juice and I did together hit 300 million views today,” he said in the caption. “Try telling us that 5 years ago and we’d never believe it.”

After Juice WRLD’s tragic and untimely death, fans and friends gathered at the Chicago United Center in late 2021 to celebrate the life and impact of the singer. Bennett was one of many attendees, and he stepped on stage to deliver a touching message about the friendship between the two. “The narrative was always, you know Cole and Lyrical Lemonade were such a blessing to Juice’s career,” Bennett said. “And as time went on, I realized that he was really the blessing to me.” If Juice was alive today, he would no doubt feel the same about Bennett. What’s your favorite collaboration between Cole Bennett and Juice WRLD? Let us know in the comments below!

Devin Booker’s Converse Chuck 70 Gets A Release Date

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Devin Booker is one of the best players in the NBA right now. Although there are some people who want to hate on Booker, there is no doubt that he is able to dominate games at will. Moreover, he has a chance to win an NBA title this year. The Phoenix Suns now have Kevin Durant, and they will take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. There is a lot of pressure on Booker to succeed, however, if he manages to pull it off, he will officially hit superstar status. That alone is enough motivation for him to go out and do as much as he possibly can.

Furthermore, Booker has been doing a great job when it comes to his endorsements. Soon, he will be getting his very own signature shoe with Nike. This is going to be a huge release, and fans are most certainly excited about it. However, before he gets to release that shoe, he is set to drop a sneaker with the likes of Converse. Converse is currently a property of Nike, so it only makes sense that he would go this route. Moreover, the Converse Chuck 70 just so happens to be one of his all-time favorites.

Devin Booker x Converse

Devin Booker
Image via Converse

If you know anything about Booker, you know that he appreciates muted colors and aesthetics. Consequently, he did the exact same thing with his Converse collaboration. In the official images above and below, you can find a shoe that is covered in beige suede. As far as collabs go, this is as basic as you can be. However, there is a method behind this madness. Simply put, Devin Booker wanted fans to have something that could be fully customized. “You can paint it. You can bleach it. This is a blank canvas—you can do whatever you want with it,” Booker said, according to Sole Collector.

As for the release date, you will be able to grab these as of Wednesday, April 12th, for a price of $95 USD. Overall, if you need something clean for the summer months, these are absolutely perfect. Let us know what you think, in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from around the sneaker world.

More Photos

Image via Converse
Devin Booker
Image via Converse

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Eazy-E Collab With Guns N’ Roses Reportedly Exists

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It has been three decades since Eazy-E passed away. Still, it seems like new information regarding the late legend’s career comes to light every few days. The rapper was just 30 years old at the time of his passing in 1995. Not long before his death, Eazy publicly revealed that he had contracted HIV/AIDS. He was hospitalized for complications stemming from the disease. Shortly thereafter, he passed away. It was a huge loss for the culture, but Eazy’s influence is felt to this day. In fact, three decades after his death, the legend is still making headlines.

Many things about Eazy’s past have been called into question in recent years – even the cause of his death. His daughter revealed in 2021 that she was working on a documentary about the circumstances around his passing. The four-hour documentary was titled The Mysterious Death of Eazy-E. In the documentary, the reason for Eazy’s death was the subject of much debate. Some allege that the rapper was purposely exposed to the virus. Some, like Too $hort, don’t think that Eazy died of HIV/AIDS at all. If it was different than what was reported, we may never know the truth of his death. Still, some seem keen to share new information about Eazy at every turn. More previously unknown information about his career has come to light recently by way of friends and collaborators.

Eazy-E’s Unreleased Music

Rapper Eazy-E performs during the ‘Straight Outta Compton’ tour at the Genesis Convention Center. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

In a recent interview with Rock The Bells, Eazy-E’s childhood friend Arnold “Bigg A” White revealed that the rap legend had quite a bit of unreleased music. “There is unreleased music still out there,” said White. “We know for a fact that he had two or three or four reels in his car when he went to the hospital.” He went on to talk about what might have been on the lost reels, which may surprise some fans. “He had songs with Slash from Guns n’ Roses,” he said.

White is not Eazy’s only childhood friend talking about the rapper. Keefe D revealed in a VladTV interview that Eazy was actually approached to join Death Row Records before Dr. Dre. However, because Eazy-E already established a name for himself at the time, he didn’t think it was a good idea to be doing business with people who were incarcerated. “Once the phone call went dead, Eazy showed up to my house 30 minutes later,” Keefe recalled, “He like, ‘Dude, them dudes in jail and I’m already established.’” What do you think about all of the new information being revealed about Eazy? Let us know in the comments!

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NBA Youngboy Taps Nicki Minaj For “WTF”

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NBA Youngboy’s revving up for the release of his next album. As the rapper transitioned from Atlantic Records to Motown earlier this year, he’s become a bit more open to the public with interviews. Even though I Rest My Case boasted no features, his upcoming project, Don’t Try This At Home looks like it’ll have a few collabs on there. He hasn’t revealed the tracklist yet, but we do know that Nicki Minaj will appear on the album.

This morning, YB came through with his new single, “WTF” ft Nicki Minaj. The new single boasts production from Dom, Kenoe, Wayv Beats, Yetty, and Yo Benji. YB and Nicki deliver a melodious effort over luscious strings and looming 808s for their new collab as they scoff at their competition. NBA Youngboy kicks off the record as he details his success and the envy that comes with it. Then, Nicki slides through with an impressive 16 before emulating YB’s flow for the latter half of her verse.

NBA Youngboy & Nicki Minaj Do It Again

YB and Nicki Minaj have formed a strong collaborative streak over the past three years. The two first linked up on Mike Will Made-It’s “What That Speed Bout?” in 2020, which proved how strong their hit-making capabilities are when they work together. However, it took two years for the YB and Nicki to work again. When the Louisiana rapper came through with his album, Ma’ I Got A Family, Nicki served as the sole feature on the single, “I Admit.”

With Nicki Minaj revving up for the release of her next project, it feels like we could expect YB to return the favor. Over the past year, Nicki’s hinted at the release of her follow-up to Queen. Though she hasn’t revealed a title, she recently dropped off the single, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” which has been making the rounds on TikTok and radio. Hopefully, we’ll get a new single from her soon. Check out YB and Nicki’s new collab above.

Quotable Lyrics
Cross YoungBoy, then you cross the Queen
All them internet games turn boys to memes
Keep sleepin’ on the team, we gon’ pause your dreams
They want action, tell my n***as, “Cause a scene”

R-Mean Trades Bars With Nas On “Candle Of The Devil”

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R-Mean isn’t playing around these days. The West Coast rapper continues to apply pressure with each record. Every time he shows out, he proves that he’s one of the fiercest lyricists in the game right now. Over the years, he’s show-and-proved time and time again, from the Mean Monday series, which showcased his consistency, to projects like December’s Justin Credible Presents: R-Mean, a project that found him trading bars with the likes of Jay Critch, BlocBoy JB, and more. 

However, he’s been gearing up for something major in the past few months. With his album M.E.A.N due out later this month, he’s dished out excellent singles. He kicked off the year with “Lonely Day.” Later on, he showcased his versatility when he joined forces for YG on the playful, “Charles Barkley.” Now, he connected with one of his childhood heroes for an incredible collaboration, produced by Scott Storch.

R-Mean & Nas Trade Bars On “Candle Of The Devil”

It truly takes a special type of artist to earn praise from Nas, but evidently, R-Mean proved himself worthy through years of hard work. This week, the two connect on their new collaboration, “Candle Of The Devil.” Scott Storch’s xylophone-heavy production feels like a call back to Nas’ 96 run while the two bring top-tier storytelling and wordplay to the table. R-Mean’s resilience shines as he reflects on spirituality, family, and legacy. Nas follows up with an excellent 16 that showcases his timeless flow and penmanship.

On Instagram, R-Mean detailed how he manifested the collaboration. Back in 2017, he released “Letter To The King,” a tribute to his two idols, Eminem and Nas. Though many of his fans praised the record, he didn’t get any sort of acknowledgment from either rapper, until a few years later. “Several years later, on a random Wednesday, I got a facetime call and when I picked up it was Nas [mind blown emoji] He happened to walk into Cookies on Melrose and my brother @alll___1 played him ‘Letter to the King,’” he wrote on Instagram. “Nas told me ‘that sh*t did something to me right now’ as he pointed to his chest. Three days later we were in the studio at @scottstorchofficial’s house and we created this masterpiece together on the spot!” Check the song above.

Quotable Lyrics
Red wine straight out of Spain, poured from a pitcher
Four hour dinners out with my n***as, pour out some liquor
You was told to accept things you can’t change
I respect that, to me, nothin’ in monolithic
Nobody exempt from who karma visit