Sexyy Red took the world by storm with her viral performance of “Pound Town” with BoxedIn. The organic success of the clip earned co-signs across the board from City Girls, Cardi B, and plenty of others. However, it was Nicki Minaj who officially took the song to the Billboard Hot 100 after jumping on the remix. The momentum is high for Sexyy Red and it appears that she’s only getting started. With a massive co-sign from Nicki, it seems like there’s no better time than now to unveil a new project.
This week, Sexyy Red hit the ‘Gram where she formally announced her upcoming EP, Hood Hottest Princess. The St. Louis-bred artist’s forthcoming body of work will undoubtedly set the tone for what could be a fruitful year for her. Hood Hottest Princess will arrive in its entirety on Friday, June 9th. We could imagine that Sexyy Red’s latest project will have the summer on lock, especially since she’s bringing some heavy-hitting features along with her.
Although the original version of “Pound Town” won’t appear on the tracklist, the Nicki Minaj and Tay Keith-assisted “Pound Town 2” will appear on the project – an impressive fear for anyone’s debut EP. Additionally, she’ll be bringing along Juicy J, who appears on “Strictly For The Strippers” and Sukihana, who featured on “Born By The River.” Hood Hottest Princess will also include “Female Gucci Mane,” which arrived back in April. The tracklist consists of 10 songs in total.
Following the debut of “Pound Town 2,” Nicki and Sexyy Red sat down for an Instagram Live where the Queen rapper provided some encouraging words. “This is only the f***ing beginning for her,” Nicki said. “This is what I told her: yo, people like you. People like what you have to say, they like your sound. So, make sure a whole bunch of people aren’t coming around trying to help you do this and help you do that. Because mothaf**kas really want to hear that raw sh*t, you know what I’m sayin’? And we missin’ it after a while in rap and we love discovering new people in rap and stuff like that.” Check out the cover art and tracklist for Sexyy Red’s Hood Hottest Princess above.
Monaleo revealed today that only days before the release of her debut album, Where The Flowers Don’t Die, she gave birth to her child with Stunna 4 Vegas. She shared a clip of her delivering the child at home with the support of friends and family. Monaleo also revealed that she considers it to be her “greatest accomplishment.”
“In the midst of dropping my first project i’m celebrating the birth of my sweet baby,” she began the post. “48 hour labor and a natural water birth . NO EPIDURAL!!!!!! was debating on sharing this but this my greatest accomplishment. above any accolade.” She added, “i’m so so so so so grateful for the amazing women in my life who i appointed to be my doulas and my wonderful midwife @midwifekatina for taking care of me on my maternal journey.”
Monaleo went on to thank Stunna 4 Vegas, writing, “thank you for supporting me, uplifting me, catering to my every need. always putting me first and always encouraging me to reach heights i never thought i could. i’m so glad we got to share this beautiful experience together. i love you more than life!!!!!!!” She also added a note for her newborn, “you had the happiest most amazing birth days. welcome to the world. i cant wait for you to experience it. the good and the bad. i can’t wait to create the safest space for you to be the super nova you are. mama loves you stinky.”
The couple confirmed they were expecting in April, sharing a photoshoot on Instagram featuring the rapper’s baby bump. Stunna 4 Vegas commented on the post, sharing a sweet message to his child. “I love you so much and [I] ain’t got to touch you yet,” he wrote. “You won’t have to worry about nothing in the world! I won’t steer you in the wrong direction, I won’t miss a beat. I won’t let you make the same mistakes I made.” He also showed his appreciation for Monaleo, adding, “God is a beautiful black woman.”
The Roots’ debut album Organix officially turned 30 years old on May 19. When most fans associate a classic album with The Roots, they think of 1999’s Things Fall Apart. Their fourth studio album, many largely accredit the record to shifting the intersection between jazz and hip-hop for good. However, there was a decade-long process to Things Fall Apart, which all started with their debut project Organix. It kicked off the beginning of one of the most influential hip-hop groups ever. Nowadays, the group is the iconic driver of sound for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In 1992, the group was looking to get out of their hometown to exist in a better creative space for their debut project. The initiative would lead them to the cloudy streets of London, where The Roots spent a year perfecting Organix. Through underground concerts, the city was introduced to the sharp MC Black Thought and the personality-filled afro behind drummer Questlove. Questlove was anything but a worldwide sensation. With The Roots still an underground London outfit, they would attempt to sell their CDs to concertgoers in person.
The Roots’ Organix Attracted The Attention Of Major Labels
The Roots’ entrepreneurial efforts to promote Organix did just enough to attract major record labels to begin knocking on their door. Two years later, they would release their debut studio album Do You Want More?!!!??!. As a result, many believe that Do You Want More?!!!??! is the first album the rap-jazz outfit ever released. Organix exists in a world of hip-hop imagination rather than concrete numbers. The project is nowhere to be found on streaming services such as Spotify. However, it’s worth looking back on The Roots’ Organix, a record that set the groundwork for their critically acclaimed career.
Featuring 17 songs, Organix blatantly stands out from the field of 90s hip-hop by the end of the first track. “The Roots is Comin’” features a tantalizing bassline and live drums, with Black Thought shouting out his Philadelphia upbringing. In fact, Black Thought and Questlove initially met while attending high school in Philly. You can hear this intimacy in the sound of The Roots. Initially formed in 1987, their debut project culminated years of experimentation and struggle after heading home from class. You can hear this rawness in the sound of Organix. Dense and layered, it’s easy for the listener to imagine themselves listening to the group in an enclosed recording studio.
The Roots Existed In Their Own World
Organix’s reputation as a jaded demo tape doesn’t fit with the fearless artistic direction of the record. The Roots’ sound never fit in with the foreboding landscape of hip-hop in the early ’90s. In an era of tense competition, many of their East Coast contemporaries were rapping aggressively over boom-bap beats. Intricate drum patterns took the forefront, with MCs rambling about the overcrowded streets of Brooklyn. On the West Coast, Dr. Dre was popularizing the G-funk sound. Better reflecting the laid-back nature of the California beaches, the sound was more melodic compared to the grittiness of the East Coast. However, each legion had their guns pointed at the other.
The Roots existed in their own world outside of the West vs. East Coast battles. Instead, they emphasized live instrumentation, which delivered an utterly unique sound for the time. Of course, Black Thought was on the mic with Questlove on the drums. However, you also had Lenard Hubbard’s bottom-heavy bass work and the compelling keyboard notes from Scott Storch. The group wasn’t exactly the first to integrate jazz into their sound. A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, and Digable Planets displayed an infatuation for the genre. The Roots were clearly inspired by these groups. However, they were the first to implement jazz in a headfirst, mainstream manner.
The Roots Helped Popularize Hip Hop-Jazz Fusion
While Organix would be outdone by plenty of respective projects from The Roots, its importance in setting the groundwork for their later works can’t be denied. Black Thought is playful on Organix, sometimes sounding blatantly off-beat. However, the messiness of the record is both a detractor and an appeal. It’s a nostalgic mess at its best. The captivating loops of Questlove set the stage for Things Fall Apart and Phrenology.
To this day, The Roots are hailed as the unsung heroes of hip-hop. Having secured a gig as Jimmy Fallon’s background band on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, The Roots would finally enter the mainstream. Impressively, they were able to do it while staying true to themselves. In particular, lead MC Black Thought has had an iconic solo career. A critical rapper on 2022’s Cheat Codes, the album of the year effort proved that the 50-year-old remains one of the best MCs out. Black Thought truly is your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper, a legacy that began in the streets of London with Organix.
Jason Lee is no stranger to interviewing celebrities (some of whom he even considers close friends), but to kick off 2023, he launched a new self-titled podcast with REVOLT. His first guest was Cardi B, who he spoke to about the tragic death of Takeoff, as well as her experience with plastic surgery. In the months since, we’ve heard him chat with the likes of La La Anthony, NLE Choppa, and now, Chlöe Bailey. The young vocalist has been booked and busy this year, but after wrapping up her In Pieces tour, found time to sit down with Lee to discuss a few things.
Of their many juicy conversation topics, one that most caught our attention was her rumoured fling with Gunna. Though they collaborated on a song for his DS4EVER album and hung out a few times in early 2022, nothing serious ever transpired between the Atlanta natives. Bailey previously said on Twitter that she wrote “For The Night” – on which she worked with Latto – about the YSL rapper. When Lee asked her if he inspired any titles from the tracklist, however, the Praise This actress took back her former claims.
Elsewhere, Chlöe and the Hollywood Unlocked CEO got to talking about Beyoncé, who’s been a long-time mentor to the former. When the 24-year-old’s debut album failed to do huge numbers earlier this year, some online critics speculated that Queen B should’ve done more to help Bailey. Despite what the internet had to say, the fashionista made it abundantly clear that she’s not bothered by the numeric achievements of In Pieces, and that she doesn’t expect Bey to do anything for her.
“She’s one of the most incredible human beings; I never want her to be attacked,” Chlöe vented to Lee about the situation. “And then attacked on anything with me involved, of course. That’s never fun.” Who has your favourite guest on The Jason Lee Show been so far? Let us know in the comments, and check out the interview’s full video version on YouTube tomorrow (May 24).
On this day in Hip Hop history DMX released his debut album It‘s Dark and Hell Is Hot. This is DMX’s most popular project to date, with Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood serving as a close second. Within the first week of its release selling 251,000 copies debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The LP went on to become certified quadruple platinum on December 18th, 2000.
This project came during a turbulent time in Hip Hop. The genre was coming off of the loss of two titans, Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G., and was facing a change in what was hot. With the rise of high energy production melded with dark and oft-violent lyricism coming from camps like No Limit, Cash Money, and Three 6 Mafia, DMX’s sound allowed him to find his place perfectly within the current trend while add his own twist.
DMX’s melancholic realism spoke to the generation. This project was able to simultaneously turn the party up and cause its listeners to think introspectively about the concept of good and evil and existence as a whole. This album touched on the struggle and pain that came being DMX. As most rappers would glamorize the finer side of the industry life, DMX reveals through this debut that even early on in his career he had been wrestling with the demons that come with wealth and fame.
The stand out hit of the album, “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”, has been deemed as a classic squad anthem. Produced by Swizz Beatz, the single peaked at #93 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #79 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
Following this album, DMX went on to release six other studio albums and rise to be one of the most popular and influential artists of the early 2000s. Shortly following the release of this album DMX made his film debut in the hit film Belly with fellow New York rapper, Nas.
Tyler, the Creator has always been enamored with the messy corners of the world. Whether he’s picking up supposedly repulsive insects or dressing up as the outcasted character Igor, the LA-born artist has always resonated with the shunned away aspects of society. Take Igor, a concept rooted in an oddball character who acted as an assistant to Gothic villains in The Ghost of Frankenstein. He’s also taken a liking to The Grinch, an iconic villain whose menacing outer personality masks an innate desire to be accepted by those around him. These characters are a purposeful reflection of how Tyler, the Creator views himself.
These anti-hero concepts originated with Tyler, the Creator’s Goblin. Released 12 years ago on May 11, his journey from the grumbling flows of the project to the pop or soul-infused soundscapes of Flower Boy or Call Me If You Get Lost has been wild. The outcasted themes of Goblin coincided with the narrative surrounding Odd Future. The boisterous group of teenagers was nearing its peak by the summer of 2011. Tyler, the Creator approached the record with a nihilistic viewpoint. He’s pointing fingers at traditional society through derogatory lyricism, which would notably get him banned from the United Kingdom.
The hallmark song off of Goblin is, of course, “Yonkers.” The track that would finally eclipse Tyler into the mainstream spotlight, its New York-influenced beat overtook the hip-hop world. The music video mirrors the thematic structure of the overall album, as Tyler can be seen eating a cockroach (and then proceeding to throw up). The music video is utterly repulsive yet somehow wholly magnetic. It parallels the world Tyler, the Creator built in his early years. His outlandish personality garnered a worldwide fanbase enamored with Odd Future’s calculated chaos.
Of course, “Yonkers” isn’t the sole notable track of Tyler, the Creator’s debut album. “She” features future star vocalist Frank Ocean, a symbolic prelude of Tyler’s future ventures away from the world of grimy hip-hop. Tyler and Hodgy went live on The Jimmy Fallon Show to perform “Sandwitches,” shocking the audience with their uncompromising bravado in what is an Odd Future anthem. There are also more experimental cuts, such as “Analog,” a 3-minute house-induced experience. While Goblin is a struggle to listen through in one sitting, it chronicles Tyler’s wide array of emotions as a confused 20-year-old.
Tyler Experienced Growing Pains on Goblin
Since Goblin‘s release, fans have had plenty of discourse on where the album lands in the context of his body of work. The bleakness and endless quality of the record have many arguing that its lack of cohesiveness makes it Tyler, the Creator’s worst album to date. Others argue that Goblin’s messiness is a brilliant reflection of his mental headspace. Tyler darts from being deeply depressed to a sudden state of manic happiness. Goblin is a personal therapy session that Tyler, the Creator doesn’t prefer to reflect on as a fully grown man in his 30s. However, it’s a valuable insight into the rappers’ growth on a personal and creative level.
Essentially, Goblin is 82 minutes of growing pains. There isn’t a happy ending or even a satisfying conclusion. In fact, he seems just as lost on “Golden” as he did on title track. The album was the crux between a wild skateboarder and a tantalizing artist. Tyler himself hasn’t always been fond of the record. In an interview with GQ Style in 2018, he conceded, “I think Goblin is horrible. The only songs I would keep from Goblin are ‘Yonkers,’ ‘She,’ ‘Nightmare,’ ‘Tron Cat,’ ‘Fish,’ ‘Analog,’ and ‘Au79.’” While he’s since expressed a greater appreciation for the album on social media, his relative disdain for the record speaks volumes about his maturation as an artist.
Goblin Arrived At The Perfect Time
US rapper Tyler, the Creator poses in the press room with the award for Best Rap Album for “Igor” during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
His next album, Wolf, presented a much more composed and introspective Tyler. Rather than solely lashing out at the world, he’s painfully blatant about his need to address his personal trauma. “Answer” is an in-depth analysis of his relationship with his father (or lack thereof). “IFHY” sees Tyler utterly lovesick, as he’s fully infatuated with a lost lover. These emotionally complex songs are rooted in Goblin. He was able to build on those narratives more accurately on future records.
Goblin contributed to the normalization of individuality that Odd Future promoted. With many of its members on the album, Tyler, the Creator’s debut studio album was a fitting counterpart to the group’s overarching message. Even more fittingly, Tyler was detained by Los Angeles police for public disturbance while promoting the album. Essentially, the record released right Odd Future was all over the Internet. Frank Ocean would release his debut album, Nostalgia, Ultra, a week later. Goblin was yet another anchor that riled up their teenage fanbase. The wild collection of fans wearing Thrasher and Vans would also mature with Tyler into his late 20s.
A quarter of a century ago, Christopher Rios, aka Big Punisher, put out his first LP, Capital Punishment, on Loud Records.
Released by Fat Joe and the Terror Squad on Loud Records, Pun’s highly anticipated album showcased Pun’s unequaled lyrical ability, comedic punchlines, and ever-evolving style that his son Chris Rivers has inherited from his pops.
Album highlights include joints like “You Ain’t A Killer,” “Super Lyrical,” featuring The Roots’ Black Thought, and the platinum-selling album that propelled the album to a million sales, “Still Not A Player.”
Salute to Fat Joe, the Rios family, the Terror Squad, and the entire Loud staff for this classic!
On this day in Hip Hop history, OutKast, the duo that helped pioneer putting southern Hip Hop on the map, released their debut classic LP, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.
This Dungeon Family masterpiece recorded by Andre 3000 and Big Boi paved the way for Atlanta and the rest of the Dirty South to have their unique voice in Hip Hop. Before this album, there weren’t many hit records coming from anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. Peaking at #20 on the Billboard 200 and being certified platinum less than a year after its release, this album’s achievements speak for themselves.
Produced entirely by OutKast and Organized Noize, this project was like none before. Its sound is perfectly described as southern rap. Everything about this album screams Atlanta, from the dialect to the instruments used to the references. The smooth blues and marching band-influenced beats blend with Big Boi and Andre 3000’s flows, creating something new that rippled the tide of an industry saturated with G-Funk or New York Hip Hop.
Both commercially and critically, this album was immensely successful. It peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts. This album was also the reason OutKast received the Best Newcomer Award at the 1995 Source Awards, which, as we all know, was met with controversy. Regardless of the haters, this album came at the beginning of the career of two rappers who changed the game forever.
On this date in 1989, Boston native Keith Elam and Houston native Christopher Martin, better known as Guru and DJ Premier, came together to continue the legacy of Gangstarr and released the group’s first full studio album entitled No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Released by overseas label Chrysalis Records, Gangstarr, and their debut release ironically heavily influenced the NYC Hip Hop sound, even though neither artists were native New Yorkers. Tracks such as “Positivity,” “Conscious Be Free,” and the album’s lead single, “Manifest,” exposed Guru’s unparalleled slow flow, while instrumentals like “DJ Premier In Deep Concentration” just set the pace for who Hip Hop would later recognize as one of the greatest producers in the game.
A supreme salute goes out to DJ Premier, Guru(RIP), the Elam family, the Gangstarr Foundation, and the entire East New York for creating a pivotal moment in Hip Hop history.
(@themonaleo)
