debut album

Today In Hip Hop History: Nas’ Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album Turns 30 Years Old!

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Nas Illmatic

30 years ago today, Nas dropped his debut LP, ‘Illmatic.’ Released by Columbia Records in 94′ Nas recorded the album at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself, the bangers on the album will be embedded in Hip Hop culture as classics merely based on their production alone.

The album sold 60,000 in the first week and debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. In 2001 it earned a platinum certification after shipping 1,000,000 copies in the United States alone.

Lyrically, Nas delivered certified street verses on ‘Illmatic’ that influenced the majority of the ’90s and is regarded as one of the greatest LPs of all time by critics and major publications globally.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas’ Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album Turns 30 Years Old! first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas’ Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album Turns 30 Years Old! appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip-Hop History: DJ Quik Dropped Debut Album ‘Quik Is The Name’ 32 Years Ago

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djquik

Released on Profile Records during a time when their roster consisted of righteous rhymers like King Sun and Poor Righteous Teachers, Quik was pioneering in helping to usher in the “gangsta rap” sound on a mainstream scale in the early 90s and labels were just beginning to shift their marketing dollars towards this sub-genre of Hip-Hop.

With the help of producers Courtney Branch, Greg Jessie and Tracy Kendrick, Quik managed to produce a rap classic that sold 50,000 in its first week with only a $30,000 budget for production. Recorded in Westlake Recording Studio in Los Angeles, the same spot where Michael Jackson’s epic Thriller masterpiece was created, Quik and crew finished up the album in 17 days.

The album’s lead single, “Born And Raised In Compton,” climbed to Number 6 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs, while tracks like “Tonite,” “Deep” and the album’s title track solidified the funk sound that later saturated West Coast Hip Hop music.

Salute to the Big Homie for laying down this pioneering project that will forever be considered one of the Top 100 Albums in Hip-Hop!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: DJ Quik Dropped Debut Album ‘Quik Is The Name’ 32 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: DJ Quik Dropped Debut Album ‘Quik Is The Name’ 32 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip-Hop History: The L.O.X.’s Debut Album ‘Money, Power & Respect’ Turns 25 Years Old!

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On this date in 1998, Sheek Louch, Styles P., and Jadakiss, who are better known as the rap trio The L.O.X. (Living Off Experience), dropped their debut album on then-Puff Daddy’s steadily growing Bad Boy label. Following in the footsteps of artists like Craig Mack and Notorious B.I.G., the Yonkers collective had to go the extra length to prove themselves worthy to carry the Bad Boy legacy and that they have done and continue to do.

With production on this project from the likes of Swizz Beatz, D. Dot, Dame Grease, and Mr. Combs himself, there was very little chance that this project flop. Even with the shiny suits, the lyrical content and dexterity were on point from all three members, solidifying their slots as lyrical legends in their own rights coming into the new millennium. Tracks like “If You Think I’m Jiggy” and the album’s epic title track were both perfect fusions of street anthems with crossover appeal, which allowed the LOX a fanbase on both sides of the mainstream “boundary”.

Thanks to Diddy, D-Block, and the entire Bad Boy staff who helped to put together this timeless classic!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: The L.O.X.’s Debut Album ‘Money, Power & Respect’ Turns 25 Years Old! first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: The L.O.X.’s Debut Album ‘Money, Power & Respect’ Turns 25 Years Old! appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Smif N Wessun Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Dah Shinin’ 29 Years Ago

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On this date in 1995, Steele and Tek aka Smif N Wessun of the legendary Boot Camp Clik released their debut album Dah Shinin’ on the ultra-indie imprint, Wreck Records.

This was also the sophomore effort of the Boot Camp Clik, which exposed the skills of more of the artists that were heard on Black Moon’s debut project, Enta Da Stage. Tracks such as “Cession at da Doghillee” and “Sound Bwoy Bureill” introduced members of Heltah Skeltah, the duo that included the late Sean Price, as well as the Originoo Gunn Clappaz(O.G.C.), which completed the epic Brooklyn rap collective.

With in-house production courtesy of Da Beatminerz, the Roy Ayers’ Ubiquity-Esque feel that was captured on the album’s cover can definitely be felt through the verses over the haunting tracks. Even though the album never reached gold status in terms of sales, Dah Shinin’ is undoubtedly one of the albums that define its era.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Smif N Wessun Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Dah Shinin’ 29 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Smif N Wessun Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Dah Shinin’ 29 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

G6reddot Gives Fans A Full Dose Of The Type Of Artist He Is On Debut Album “Z Dot”

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Florida’s rap scene is garnering more and more attention as the days pass. This year BLP KOSHER has been a name that is bringing some idiosyncrasy to his music. His sometimes comedic tone and wacky bars have been winning some fans over. Not too long ago, he linked up with even newer up-and-comer, G6reddot.

He made his HNHH site debut with the single “SKRR SKRR” which dropped on YouTube and Soundcloud. The song featured some dark trap production and haunting piano keys. That song now makes its way onto his debut tape. G6reddot keeps the features to a minimum on Z Dot.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s Former Bodyguard Shares Tory Lanez Song On Instagram Story

Listen To Z Dot By G6reddot

The youngster has 20 songs, which is quite a substantial amount for a first album. But, with today’s streaming age it is not too surprising. A lot of the production choices feature a decent mixture of loud banging beats to some lighter-tone synths as well. G6 shares some similarities to others in the game, but he has a decent ear for sound and it is a fun listen overall.

What are your initial thoughts on this brand-new album, Z Dot, by G6reddot? Is he going to be one of the best talents from Florida in the next couple of years? Which songs are you enjoying the most on the first few listens? For a debut album, should there have been fewer tracks, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around G6reddot. Finally, stay with us for all of the best album drops throughout the week.

Z Dot Tracklist:

  1. Bully
  2. B4
  3. Wanna Be(Slut)
  4. Star Life
  5. Abc
  6. 26 Seconds Interlude
  7. Closure
  8. Faded
  9. Slimed Out
  10. Get It Done
  11. Boss
  12. Tearz Falling
  13. Why?
  14. Main Ho Z
  15. Comma’s
  16. Whole Lotta Money (feat. Skipondabeat)
  17. Slime Life 2
  18. Plug
  19. Slipping
  20. Skrr Skrr

Read More: Lil Pump And Donald Trump Share A Selfie From UFC Event Where Fighter Claims Political Bias

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Ice Spice Might Drop Debut Album In 2024, Her Producer RiotUSA States

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Ice Spice and her producer RiotUSA had an absolutely killer 2023, with the rapper arguably being the genre’s biggest breakout star of the year. Moreover, it’s only natural for us to expect that next year will only bring us better things when it comes to this duo. With plenty of hits already under their belts, there’s a lot of pressure for them to perform, bring some real heat, and impress in a big way in 2024. During a recent interview with Billboard, Riot detailed some parts of their process together as collaborators and also hinted at what they’re working hard on for the next step in their careers.

“It’s a fun time because she really be saying how she feels in that moment,” he remarked of Ice Spice, who’s been making music with him since 2021 after they met at SUNY Purchase. “From picking out vibes or punching in lyrics on the spot. Fans should know I produce and record too, so look out for my music. Also look out for new classics with Ice in 2024. We’re working on her debut album as we speak.”

Read More: Ice Spice Reveals That Usher Was The First Celeb She Ever Had A Crush On

Ice Spice Performing At iHeart Powerhouse 105.1

Ice Spice Album 2024 RiotUSA Hip Hop News
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 28: Ice Spice performs during iHeart Powerhouse 105.1 at Prudential Center on October 28, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

Furthermore, this is pretty much all we know about the Bronx MC’s full-length debut, but it’s just enough to get our hopes up. We never really expected her not to capitalize on her incredible fame and success, but gap years come in very surprising ways, so you never know when someone wants to take a break and really sit on their next move. This is also quite exciting because Ice Spice recently switched labels, and hopefully that ends up being a big win for her in retrospect. With that in mind, all we can hope for is that they come through with another update sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old knows exactly how good she is– and she’s not shy about gassing herself up. One of her funniest recent social media posts was revealing that she was her most listened-to artist of 2023 on Spotify. Hopefully that means the “Deli” hitmaker is listening to her own material a lot to think about what she’ll improve on her debut album. For more news and the latest updates on Ice Spice and RiotUSA, stay posted on HNHH.

Read More: Ice Spice Stunned By Nardwuar Thanks To Old Volleyball Photos

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Saweetie’s Debut Album Will Have “Songs [That] Correlate With One Another,” She Promises

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Saweetie’s music brings her more backlash than many other rap divas face, though the “Best Friend” hitmaker has more Grammy nominations than others who have been in the industry far longer than her. After her EP in late 2022 arrived to lacklustre first week sales, some have urged Saweetie to pursue other creative avenues where she feels more at home. Regardless of what critics have to say, she remains determined to put out a quality body of work – one that tells a story (or maybe even multiple) without depending on the virality of hits.

In a new interview with Elite Daily, the 30-year-old was open about the lengthy process going into her debut album, which she’s currently still crafting. “There’s a misconception about how quickly an album can be done. It’s taken me a long, long time, but it’s not as easy as some people make it seem,” she told the publication. “I don’t want it to be an album just full of hits. Yes, I want it to have hits, but I want the songs to correlate with one another.”

Read More: Saweetie Says She Still Intends To Release “Barbie” Song Despite “Barbie World”

Saweetie is Hard at Work on Her First Studio LP

The Cancer baddie originally planned for her LP to land in June 2021 but didn’t quite feel ready at the time. “I honestly have an ample amount of songs. It’s all about figuring out what kind of story I want to tell,” she shared of what’s holding her back. “I don’t know if I want a linear story. I want it to tell many stories — maybe it’s telling many stories of Saweetie’s life.”

Even if she’s not as consistent with music as her fans may like, Saweetie makes sure to stay serving us up looks. She and YG have done a great job of coordinating since confirming their romance with the public earlier this year, and the Icy Girl’s Halloween costume channelling a famous Johnny Depp character was one of the best we saw. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Best Dressed Artists Of 2023

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GloRilla’s Juggling Two Upcoming Projects, “Always” Working On New Material

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During a recent interview with NFL City Life, GloRilla revealed that she’s booked and busy as of late, juggling multiple upcoming projects at the same time. According to the Memphis-born performer, she’s always working on new material, ensuring that listeners always have something to look forward to from her. The projects she has on the way are pretty exciting, though she didn’t share many details.

“I’m always workin’ on some new work,” she explained. “I’m workin’ on a project right now. Two different projects.” GloRilla continued, describing how one of the projects is a collab, while the other is her debut album. Fans, of course, can’t wait to hear what the hitmaker has in store for them.

Read More: Nicki Minaj & Cardi B Didn’t Make The Cut For GloRilla’s “F.N.F.” Remix, Producer Says

GloRilla On Her New Music

While the idea of her first full-length album is exciting enough, listeners also eagerly anticipate the collab, though they’ve yet to learn who GloRilla’s teamed up with. There are a few fellow female MCs that she turned down in the past, however, as revealed by Hitkidd on X this week. According to him, a couple of high-profile rappers were interested in hopping on the remix of “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” and he had to make some tough calls.

“Nicki Minaj called me to get on the FNF remix,” he wrote. “But I still went who I already had on it because I gave them my word. No cap, Cardi wanted to get on the FNF remix and I hit Meg up to get on there with her. I was tryna change the game and put the hottest women artists on one song! [… ] I fw Nicki’s artistry but I made a moral decision,” he added. “Like I said I was trying to get everybody one song and change the game. I’ll have to get [the other remix] cleared , we have the video with Saweetie though. She showed us a lot of love which is why I still want to drop it. Hopefully we can drop it for the fans!” What do you think of GloRilla claiming that she’s working on two new projects right now? Are you looking forward to hearing her upcoming music? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: GloRilla Not Interested In Fredo Bang Or His “Polygamy”

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The Game Recalls Eminem Collaboration On Debut Album: “One Of The Highlights Of My Career”

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The Game says that working with Eminem on his debut album, The Documentary, for the song, “We Ain’t,” was one of the “highlights of his career.” The rapper reflected on the collaboration during a recent interview with VladTV.

“I went to 8 Mile. I went to Detroit and I stayed out there for about a week and we did the song out there,” The Game began. “Watching Eminem record and his whole recording process, that might’ve been one of the highlights of my career. I don’t know if you want to call it weird or legendary or some Einstein type of sh*t, evil genius type of sh*t, but Em is a very complex and different individual in good ways.”

Read More: The Game Explains Why He Went After Eminem On “The Black Slim Shady”

The Game Attends Lakers’ Game At Staples Center

LOS ANGELES CA – OCTOBER 19: Rapper The Game attends Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers pre-season basketball game at Staples Center October 19, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork S. Djansezian/Getty Images)

He continued: “When he writes raps, he turns the paper around and he just writes in circles. When he reads it, he turns it back the opposite way– when we were using paper. I don’t know his recording process these days. He also, back in those days, Eminem would just eat Taco Bell and drink Mountain Dew like it was like Snoop would smoke weed. But, that process was dope. I’m forever grateful for being able to experience prime Eminem and his essence in Detroit. That’s one of the highlights of my career.” Check out the full comments from The Game on VladTV below.

The Game On The Making Of His Debut Album

Elsewhere in the interview, The Game discussed his rift with 50 Cent, the album reaching the top of the Billboard 200 chart, and more. He admits that the level of success got to his head and he got a little too “cocky” at that point in his career. Be on the lookout for further updates on The Game on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Eminem Takes Aim At The Game In New Ez Mil Song “Realest”

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Big Hit’s Debut Album Brings Forth Words Of Advice From Snoop Dogg

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Usually, generational wealth comes in the form of parents working hard to create financial freedom for their children, bit on occasion, we also see grown people doing their part to help their mothers and fathers become more successful in creative industries and beyond. Multi-talent Hit-Boy and his father, Big Hit, are a prime example of this as the latter prepares to share his debut album. As HipHopDX reports, we saw Chauncey Hollis Sr. return from prison in the spring, and following that, he immediately took a trip to the studio with his son to get cracking on telling his story.

On Monday (December 4), the Magic producer shared a heartwarming video on Instagram that finds another hip-hop legend, Snoop Dogg, offering some wise words of advice to Big Hit. “As a father, your job is to mentor and give him information where one day, your son can teach you,” the “B**ch Please” artist said. “You in a position now to be taught. That ni**a can teach you how to stay out, how to get money, how to be the dope-a** rapper that you are,” the Doggfather further motivated his friend.

Read More: Big Hit Reacts To Keefe D Arrest

Big Hit’s Breakout Project Already Has Hip-Hop Excited

Hit-Boy’s excitement was obvious when he shared the sweet memory on Instagram, along with a touching caption. “This is the FIRST TIME ever in music you’ve seen a role reversal of this proportion. I’m helping my dad do something constructive with his time and giving him an outlet to express himself in a creative manner through music,” he declared before thanking the current Death Row leader.

For Snoop Dogg’s part, he pulled one of the most epic pranks of 2023 earlier this fall after announcing that he’s quitting weed. No one wanted to believe that the West Coast icon could give up kush so easily, and while he initially had us fooled, it all wound up being a marketing campaign for a smokeless grill company he’s collaborating with. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Snoop Dogg Pokes Fun At Weed-Quitting Hoax With Iconic “Friday” Reference

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