Ab-Soul & DJ Hed Claim Kendrick Lamar Still Isn’t Done Yet

Kendrick Lamar impressed everyone with not just his slew of explosive moves against Drake earlier this year, but also with the massive success of his new album GNX. Moreover, close affiliates DJ Hed and Ab-Soul recently chopped it up and discussed the incredible run that K.Dot is on right now, speaking to his current mindset and what his energy feels like. Specifically, Hed claimed that Kendrick “ain’t done,” which could mean a whole bunch of different things. Does this mean we will get even more 2024 treats? Maybe, and maybe not. Either way, fans are very excited to find out, but also perfectly pleased with what we have.

Of course, we know for sure that Kendrick Lamar isn’t done thanks to his Super Bowl LIX halftime show coming up soon in New Orleans on February 9. A lot of folks can’t wait to see what he brings to the table, whether that has to do with this new album’s material or paying homage to the Louisiana city in one way or another. So there’s at least that on the horizon keeping die-hards focused.

Read More: LeBron James Slights Drake By Rapping To Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off”

DJ Hed & Ab-Soul Speak On Kendrick Lamar’s Next Moves

Elsewhere, Ab-Soul’s remarks on the new Kendrick Lamar album turned humbly confident during a recent Instagram Live that reacted to his shoutout on the track “heart pt. 6.” “I’m very honored,” the TDE MC expressed. “That’s my brother. I guarantee he didn’t study me as much as I studied him. He taught me the most as a professional recording artist. I just wanted to make that very clear. I am the B.O.A.T, I am the best rapper, that’s it. Ask anyone. I say that humbly. It’s not from a place of arrogance. I really do this.”

As for what Kendrick Lamar’s plans look like, it’s anyone’s guess. There are new album rumors already, plus a lot of speculation on what a Lil Wayne battle would look like and what the implications of Drake and his Universal Music Group/Spotify petition could result in. All in all, too many options exist for us to predict with any certainty. But that’s what keeps things exciting, so we’ll see if Ab-Soul and DJ Hed are correct.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” Sold More Than Kanye West’s “VULTURES 1” In 2024

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Wack 100 & DJ Hed Defend Kendrick Lamar Against The Haters Dragging New Album “GNX”

With his new album GNX, Kendrick Lamar clearly sought to draw a line in the sand, and a lot of people responded in kind. While it obviously garnered a lot of critical acclaim and love from fans, there were plenty of people who didn’t like the new project for a whole host of reasons. During a social media live session, commentator Luce Cannon called K.Dot overrated and claimed that his music doesn’t resonate with large audiences like international communities or with social gatherings like clubs or gyms. Wack 100 and DJ Hed combated these ideas with some evidence and arguments of their own, and it was a conversation that has already been exhausted so much in 2024.

Regardless, a lot of people are very excited about GNX, including some of Kendrick Lamar’s collaborators for the album. “I had no idea what I would record,” singer Deyra Barrera told Rolling Stone. “I make mariachi, not rap. They told me they wanted my style, my voice. I had no idea how it was going to end up on the record. He welcomed me and was so kind. He said, ‘You have such a powerful voice. Thanks for coming.’ I had no idea what to say. Lamar is a genius, a maestro. Everything he makes is magic.”

Read More: Akbar V Is “Hype” At The Idea Of A Kendrick Lamar & Lil Wayne Beef

Wack 100 & DJ Hed Are Riding For Kendrick Lamar

In addition, Kendrick Lamar’s words on GNX even convinced people seemingly on the fence to hop over to his side much more firmly. Snoop Dogg, for example, praised the new record after Kendrick’s bars for Tha Doggfather on the opening track, “wacced out murals.” “Snoop posted ‘Taylor Made,’ I prayed it was the edibles / I couldn’t believe it, it was only right for me to let it go,” the Compton lyricist rapped on the cut.

As GNX continues to spread in pop culture, we’re sure many more people will debate Kendrick Lamar’s worth and the weight of this new album. They always make for very interesting discussions, even though they will probably never be peaceful conversations again. But hey, that’s just how rap battles go sometimes, especially between the two most massive MCs today. Let’s see what else people argue about…

Read More: Compton Rapper Snoopy Badazz Disses Kendrick Lamar’s New Album “GNX” And Defends Drake

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Ab-Soul Was ‘A Little Upset’ With J. Cole Over ‘Pi,’ But Not For The Reason You Might Think

A week after Top Dawg Entertainment President Punch Henderson debunked rumors of beef between rappers on his label and J. Cole, TDE’s Ab-Soul has admitted that he was upset with Cole over their collaboration “Pi“… but not for the reason fans might think.

“Pi,” which appeared on Cole’s April mixtape Might Delete Later, raised fans’ antennae for potential beef, as it appeared on the tape with “7 Minute Drill,” Cole’s response to Kendrick’s incendiary verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” After K. Dot called out J. Cole and Drake for supposedly “sneak dissing” him on their collab “First Person Shooter,” Cole was the first to accept the challenge. However, featuring K. Dot’s former labelmate and Black Hippy band member Ab-Soul on “Pi” had some listeners wondering if there was some petty gamesmanship on Cole’s part.

As it turns out, no, there wasn’t. Cole decided his heart wasn’t in it, deleted “7 Minute Drill” from streamers, and moved on eventually addressing things on “Port Antonio” early this month. However, at the same time, Soul dropped his own new song “Squeeze 1st 2,” with lyrics listeners believed were shots at Cole for involving him in the “beef” with Kendrick. However, Punch clarified on Twitter that all the involved verses and songs had been recorded before the “beef,” and that “Squeeze 1st 2” had little to do with “Port Antonio.”

Yesterday, Ab-Soul appeared on DJ Hed’s SiriusXM show, Effective Immediately, and reflected on his real issue with “Pi” — that he wasn’t informed by Daylyt, the third collaborator on the song, about Cole’s involvement until after the fact. “I’m lowkey hot,” he joked. “I’m like, ‘Lyt, bro, this is one of the best rappers in the world… I’m on his head like, ‘Bro, you have to let me know if you’re gonna send this shit off. He ate us up.’” Soul also made absolutely clear that “Cole is the homie, for real,” but that he was only upset because he wanted the North Carolina rapper to appear on his song “F*ck Out My Face [FOMF],” but rather than delivering the 12-bar verse that needed, issued 48 bars on “Pi.”

You can watch the full interview above to get Ab-Soul’s hilarious story.

The Joe Budden Podcast Reacts To Tommy Richman Saying He’s Not A Hip-Hop Artist

The Joe Budden Podcast recently debated Tommy Richman’s viral claim about not being a hip-hop artist. If you didn’t hear about the debacle, catch up here. “I’m not going to call him [a culture vulture],” the host began. “Because he’s worked hard, he has music, he’s been working on music for a long time.” “Duh,” Ish said about Tommy Richman not being a hip-hop artist before he and Budden talked about how they didn’t like “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” very much. The group then felt like Richman should’ve just said his response to DJ Hed outright instead of simply tweeting out that he’s not a hip-hop artist, given how volatile and reactive social media reactions can be.

“You’ve been busting your a** to break through,” Joe Budden remarked about Tommy Richman. “Didn’t do it for whatever reason. And then you’ve got ‘MILLION DOLLAR BABY,’ and then Black people, and then TikTok, and then culture pushed you to where you needed to be. Now is not the right time for ‘I’m not a hip-hop artist.’ I have no problem with ‘I’m not just a hip-hop artist’ or ‘I’m much more than just a hip-hop artist.’ […] Yeah, why are you even tweeting? You got the easiest job in the world, Tommy Richman: shut the f**k up!

Read More: Funk Flex Disses Tommy Richman And Calls His Fans “Clowns”

The Joe Budden Podcast Speaks On Tommy Richman’s Hip-Hop Claims

“You and that group of people that can receive your success and never have to talk to Black people,” Joe Budden continued. “But when the first time you speak speaks to the years of – ‘Cause I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with what he said. I don’t look at him as a hip-hop artist either. N***a, you did not have to say that. But you saying it when hip-hop is who has broken you and accepted you, it gives us remnants of all of the white acts who their barrier of entry is hip-hop, and they abandon it, and they throw it to the side, and then they start doing country-folk music and act like that s**t never happened. Tommy Richman ain’t fire enough to do that yet. Sorry, sorry.

“Now, he did clean it up,” Joe Budden conceded. “Thank you, DJ Hed. Thank you, Tommy Richman, for not sounding as stupid as we thought you were about to sound.” However, Ice posited that Richman’s true issue was with media publications labeling him a hip-hop artist, which is a fair and valid theory. Melyssa Ford countered that Richman’s team should’ve been cognizant of how a statement like “I’m not a hip-hop artist” would resonate with the culture. Then, Joe Budden said that “the conversation is deeper” than the COYOTE artist might’ve thought.

Read More: Joe Budden Responds To DDG’s Jabs Amid Halle Bailey Breakup Drama

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Tommy Richman (Reasonably) Denied Being ‘Hip-Hop’ And Fans Are (Understandably) Upset

tommy richman
Publicist Photo

Hip-hop fans are understandably out-of-sorts with breakout Virginia singer Tommy Richman after he denied the “hip-hop” classification on social media.

After Richman tweeted, “I am not a hip hop artist,” Los Angeles DJ and radio host DJ Hed (who also co-hosts Uproxx’s podcast, The Bigger Picture) clapped back with a fiery response: “Fasho. So every Hip-Hop station playing [‘Million Dollar Baby’] or [‘Devil Is A Lie‘] should stop today.”

Richman tried to explain himself, reasonably pointing out, “I’ll say again, Im thankful for everything. I’m saying I don’t wanna be boxed in. I grew up on hip hop. But I’m a singer.”

Now, Richman certainly has a point; he’s more R&B singer than MC. But, as Hed noted, his most popular song has received its biggest push from hip-hop radio stations and playlists, while a number of hip-hop-associated acts have given him props and much-needed co-signs.

It seems Richman has found himself in a similar predicament as Post Malone, who was classified as a rapper early in his career, despite not doing much rapping vocally. As Post expanded his musical palette, accusations of being a culture vulture, combined with his own unfortunate statements, haunted his reception among some hip-hop fans. However, that didn’t stop Malone from becoming one of the biggest stars in America, with a slew of No. 1 albums, a juggernaut of a hit in “Sunflower,” and respect from across the musical spectrum, even as he recently shifted into country music.

Because hip-hop is equally regarded as a culture as much as a musical genre (which is often conflated with rap), there is an additional level to his rejection of the label that rankles hip-hop fans who have seen far too many outsiders of the culture use its trappings to succeed commercially before later ditching them to cross over. The fact that it was the hip-hop establishment that initially accepted and promoted Richman, though, makes any outright rejection on either side much more complicated than the young singer could capture in his initial tweet, which has since been deleted.

In its place is a new missive: “I meant to say I’m not SOLEY a hip hop artist.”

DJ Hed Checks Tommy Richman After He Tweets He’s “Not A Hip-Hop Artist”

Whenever a white person enters the hip-hop space, there’s usually an understandably cautious reaction that heeds the warnings of previously exploited or downplayed community leaders. Tommy Richman risked this situation recently, but it turns out it was just a miscommunicated phrasing issue. Moreover, he tweeted out: “I’m not a hip hop artist,” which resulted in much controversy given the partial Southern rap roots of huge singles like “MILLION DOLLAR BABY.” DJ Hed was quick to respond: “Fasho. So every Hip-Hop station playing MDB or DIAL should stop today. Thanks for the Heds Up [fist emoji].” “Glad I got the PSA before I did my radio mix. I now have 2 open slots. What should I play? (From an artist proud to be Hip-Hop),” he added in another tweet.

Then, Tommy Richman clarified his original statement. “I mean to say I’m not SOLEY [sic] a hip hop artist,” he responded to the backlash on Wednesday (October 2). In addition, the COYOTE artist directly responded to DJ Hed. “I’ll say again, Im thankful for everything. I’m saying I don’t wanna be boxed in. I grew up on hip hop. But I’m a singer.”

Read More: DJ Hed Praises Drake And Shocks Kendrick Lamar Fans & Haters In The Process

Tommy Richman & DJ Hed’s Latest Twitter Interaction

DJ Hed’s answer to Tommy Richman was more sympathetic than his original statements, but still warned him of the dangers of this rhetoric. “Understood, however there are nuances that can be perceived when statements are made. I don’t believe you have malicious intent but I do believe there is much to be learned about the system that you have entered within this thing we do. I hope it works out for you [fist emoji] (Not sarcasm).” While most folks today know Hed for his association with Kendrick Lamar, he’s out here defending rap culture in many different ways.

Even though Tommy Richman deleted his original tweet, his other remarks on the matter are still up. The exchange made the misunderstanding clear, so much so that fans are currently debating over whether or not hate towards him is justified (spoiler alert: hate isn’t the same as criticism, and the former is a slippery slope). We’ll see what the “WHITNEY” creative does next with his versatile artistry. Only labeling him as hip-hop is part of the problem, but so is disregarding the culture’s influence. Neither Tommy nor DJ Hed displayed either attitude here.

Read More: Russ Praises Tommy Richman For Capitalizing On His Success

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DJ Hed Has A Hot Take About Kendrick Lamar & Lil Wayne Super Bowl Controversy

During an interview with The Shade Room, DJ Hed gave his definitive take on the Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne Super Bowl debacle. “I mean, I don’t like the comparisons,” he began. “I don’t like the negativity around it, I don’t think it’s needed. For people who are completely self-absorbed and people who are selfish in a certain way – ‘Cause it’s The Shade Room: I’m not talking about Nicki, Drake, Stunna or nobody like that. I’m just saying that the Internet and the fans and people cause these types of disruptions. I think it’s unfair taking away from people’s moments.

“When you look at Lil Wayne, Lil Wayne is one of them ones in a real way,” DJ Hed continued. “This is not to diminish his legacy or take away from anything that he’s done culturally or musically. He’s a legend. All of these dudes is his sons. That’s a fact, right? So because all of these dudes is his sons, I think he’s owed that respect. However, the Super Bowl performance has never been indicative of geography. That just recently became a thing because of cultural awareness.

Read More: Dee-1’s Support Of Kendrick Lamar Leads To Barrage Of Backlash From New Orleans Community

DJ Hed Speaks On Kendrick Lamar & Lil Wayne Debate

“We’ve all been in rooms where we’re the only person who looked like us in those rooms,” DJ Hed went on. “So whenever you’re in these situations, I think you have an opportunity to speak culturally. When you look at what’s happening recently with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg at the Super Bowl, that was more or less curation. Being culturally aware. ‘Hey, this might be a good idea. Rappers have never been at the forefront, or hip-hop has never been at the forefront on a stage like this.’

“I don’t think it’s about geography,” DJ Hed concluded. “Just ’cause it’s in Atlanta doesn’t mean Future is the one that needs to perform. Just because it’s in Detroit doesn’t mean that Eminem needs to perform. The teams who are playing, who earned the right to compete in the Super Bowl with no round twos, those teams are not even from the city that they are playing in. So I don’t like that mixed messaging that people are conflating the two. Also, if you want to keep it real, who’s had a better year than Dot at this point?

Read More: DJ Hed Praises Drake And Shocks Kendrick Lamar Fans & Haters In The Process

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DJ Hed Praises Drake And Shocks Kendrick Lamar Fans & Haters In The Process

DJ Hed might’ve played at “The Pop Out,” thus picking a firm side in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, but he doesn’t only have negative things to say about the Toronto superstar. Moreover, he recently gave him some due flowers on HipHopDX‘s The Bigger Picture podcast with Elliott Wilson. As you can see in the clip below, the @djakademikstv caption for this clip is a pretty pro-Drizzy and anti-K.Dot one, which makes sense given Akademiks’ current beef with Hed. Nevertheless, the California native thinks that The Boy does deserve a lot of credit for his hip-hop contributions, despite the picture that Kendrick painted in his diss tracks.

“You know what?” DJ Hed’s remarks began on The Bigger Picture. “Thank you. Thank you, Drake, [for] what you’ve done to the ecosystem. We appreciate you. No, I’m not even throwing shade. Drake has done more for hip-hop than a lot of people give him credit for. ‘Cause he’s actively participated in the culture the whole time. There’s credit to be owed for that, you know what I’m saying? He also used his platform to benefit others outside of himself,” he concluded, with Jeremy Hecht asserting that “he has a family tree.”

Read More: Baby Keem Trolls Kendrick Lamar With Hilarious Viral Meme Referencing Drake Beef

DJ Hed Speaks On Drake

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Akademiks TV (@djakademikstv)

This seems to be what Drake himself is trying to prove through his “100 GIGS” content drops, showing off his connection to the rap game over the past decade-plus. His combative new material hints at him wanting a “Game 2” with Kendrick Lamar, although we don’t know exactly what this “game” will look like. Will they have a sales battle for their next albums, or will it be another lyrical back-and-forth? Will they actually go at each other again or does Aubrey want to focus on winning “the long game” by staying as the top dog in the industry?

These are all big questions, and ones that DJ Hed himself doesn’t want to answer just yet. Furthermore, the whole reason why he clashed with DJ Akademiks is because he shut down Ak’s report that Kendrick Lamar will drop again soon. No matter what he or Drake choose to do next, it’s clear that this conversation is much less black-and-white than what many fans assume.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Scores Yet Another “Not Like Us” Milestone As Drake Tries To “Win Game 2”

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DJ Akademiks Calls Out DJ Hed For Shooting Down His Kendrick Lamar Album Report

DJ Akademiks went off on DJ Hed while live-streaming on Sunday night after the Kendrick Lamar associate shot down the reports that the iconic rapper is working on a new album. In doing so, Akademiks labeled himself the greatest journalist that Hed has ever seen and reaffirmed his previous report that a new project is in the works.

“I’m the greatest single journalist you’ve ever heard of,” Akademiks remarked. “I built a $20 million industry by doing this sh*t. I played Drake’s video and Drake had to ask me, ‘How’d you get it?’ When I tell you something came from or something I know when it comes to Kendrick or whatever– I don’t give a f*ck who Kendrick is, I don’t give a f*ck about none of these n****s. Akademiks is the greatest single journalist you’ve ever heard of. You could be f*cking Kendrick if I said it that’s what it is. Let me be clear: I don’t need to talk to the artists. How much sh*t did I break about Yung Miami? You think I ever talked to her? Nope.”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar’s Alleged Album Confirmation Sparks Chaos On Social Media

Kendrick Lamar Performs At “The Pop Out”

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 19: Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch)

From there, he mentioned reporting on Drake, Lil Yachty, JAY-Z, and more. “DJ Hed you go ask Kendrick… you up under that n***as crotch, I’m big Ak… I made a million dollars with the n***as that work with Kendrick now, so what is DJ Hed talking about shut up n***a,” he added.

Akademiks Slams DJ Hed

Hed had debunked a screenshot of an alleged text conversation with Lamar in which the rapper appeared to confirm Akademiks’ report about new music coming. Afterward, Hed wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Dot don’t really talk to nobody.. especially not Ak.” Be on the lookout for further updates on DJ Akademiks, DJ Hed, and Kendrick Lamar on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Inspires Several HBCU Marching Band Performances

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DJ Hed Calls Cap On Kendrick Lamar Album Rumors

DJ Hed has shut down the rumors that Kendrick Lamar recently confirmed he’s at work on a new album. The story began when a user on social media shared alleged an text message with the iconic rapper, in which he remarked that a new album is “coming.” While the original post was taken down, the screenshot went viral on Sunday night, prompting Hed to respond.

In doing so, he quote-tweeted Kurrco’s coverage of the story with a cap emoji. In a follow-up post, he added: “Dot don’t really talk to nobody.. especially not Ak.” Despite debunking the screenshot, many fans still disagreed with Hed. “But that was his cousin hed, it’s different and dot follows him,” one wrote back. “It’s to many layers for him to fake that.” Another responded: “He don’t talk to his cousin? Cause that’s who put the info out there.”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar’s New Album Could Arrive Soon, DJ Hed Speculates

Kendrick Lamar Hosts The Pop Out – Ken & Friends In L.A.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 19: Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch)

As for why Hed brought up Akademiks, the live streamer warned that Lamar is cooking up new music, last week. “I’ve gotten some sources that tell me Kendrick – I don’t think it’s on some diss s**t. But I’ve heard that, you know, Kendrick is loading up,” he said. “I don’t know if that means an album, I don’t know if he’s finally going to start giving out the handouts of features that he probably promised them n***as who were Crip-walking and Blood-walking on that stage. I don’t know if it’s just going to be a loosie. Maybe it’s that track that was at the beginning of the ‘Not Like Us’ video.”

DJ Hed Speaks Out

Despite shutting down the validity of the new text messages, Hed recently remarked that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Lamar drops a new project soon. “I guess so, I mean I don’t know you tell me,” DJ Hed said back in June while speaking with Bootleg Kev. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we got something soon, but I don’t know. That’s not me, I don’t know for sure.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Kendrick Lamar on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Childish Gambino Wants To Focus On Fun After Drake & Kendrick Lamar’s Viral Feud

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