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Drake Slapped With Copyright Strike After Dropping Unreleased Music

August 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake dominated the news cycle when he dropped “100 Gigs” on our collective headtops. The rollout worked, as fans sifted through unreleased footage and reactive positively to new collabs with Latto and 21 Savage. The only problem was, Drake’s label did not appreciate the drop. Universal Music Group, aka UMG, issued a copyright strike against the rapper on August 9. They ensured that the three new songs Drake put out were taken down. They are no longer available to stream on the rapper’s official website.

The copyright strike was actually confirmed by Drake himself. The rapper took to his recently revealed Finsta account, @plottttwistttttt, to share the notification he received from UMG. The screenshot stated that access to the content had been restricted due to reports from a third party. The third party, being, of course, Drizzy’s label. It’s currently unknown which new song triggered the copyright strike on the part of UMG. The only song that’s gained traction, “It’s Up,” has done so due to 21 Savage’s combative verse.

Drake Signed A Massive Deal With UMG In 2021

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Drizzy’s relationship with UMG has been a topic of speculation in recent years. The rapper reportedly signed a “LeBron-Sized” deal with the label back in 2021. Variety reported that the deal incorporated every facet of Drake’s business: recordings, publishing and merchandise. Neither UMG nor Drake has divulged the specific dollar amount that was agreed upon. The latter, however, did allude to owning his own masters on the 2021 song “The Remorse.” Drake has not spoken publicly about his interactions with UMG, but it was widely theorized that the label got involved in the recent battle involving Kendrick Lamar.

TMZ claimed that UMG was putting a halt to the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef in May. A supposed leak stated that the label was concerned about the impact the beef would have on the rapper’s sales. “Drake is losing the beef in UMG’s eyes,” the document read. “So from UMG’s perspective, the sooner than this beef ends the better.” Despite gaining some traction online, UMG quickly shut down the rumor. The reps for the label asserted that they had no involvement in the battle. “Kendrick and Drake’s beef is between them,” their statement noted. “UMG just doesn’t think it’s their place to step in either way.”

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Drake Swoops In To Save Italian Soccer Club From Going Bankrupt

August 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Over these last few days, Drake has been the talk of the town. After going silent following the Kendrick Lamar battle, aside from some lackluster guest performances, he shook the hip-hop community’s foundation in a good way. Out of the blue, he dropped off over 100 GB of files via 100gigs.org. On the site, there are hundreds of files that include BTS footage across the last several years, alternate album covers, and three new songs. “It’s Up”, featuring Young Thug and 21 Savage, “Red Blue Green”, and “Housekeeping Knows” with Latto, were all included. The first of them sees 21 and Drizzy potentially firing off shots at Lamar and A$AP Rocky, adding more drama to those feuds. Now, Drake is taking more W’s by helping an Italian soccer club financially speaking.

According to TMZ Sports, Venice’s Venezia FC team is a big deal, having been around since 1907 and a force in the Serie B division. Unfortunately, though, due to the dishing out the big bucks, they have slowly been suffering. Because of this they have been staring bankruptcy in the face and have been close to dropping down to Serie D. So, with them running out of options, Venezia FC’s owner, Brad Katsuyama asked Matte Babel for a massive favor.

Drake Donates Tens Of Millions Of Dollars

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These two are close friends, and Babel happens to be a part of Drake’s team, specifically the Chief Brand Officer and on the management team. “He laid out the problem, simply — Venezia needs to raise ten million euros in a couple weeks, and then at least thirty million euros in a few months, or the club will go bankrupt”, Babel said. So, him, Drake, and Katsuyama were able to work things out. Apparently, in about two weeks, all three men were able to negotiate a $40 million donation through a handful of North American investors. Now, Venezia FC is doing much better. TMZ says that new talent and facilities are in the works with the investments looking to be finished by the 2027-2028 season.

What are your thoughts on Drake donating $40 million to help save Italian soccer team, Venezia FC, from bankruptcy? Is this one of the generous deeds you have seen from a rapper this year? If you’re a Drizzy critic, does change the way you view him, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the worlds of sports and music.

[Via]

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Drake Reportedly Just Helped Italy’s Venezia Football Club Avoid Total Bankruptcy

August 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake Los Angeles Lakers v Toronto Raptors 2022 — Getty Image

It seems Drake’s relationship with sports isn’t as cursed as fans would lead you to believe. Apparently, there is one sports franchise that has dramatically benefitted from its connection with the “It’s Up” rapper.

In an interview with GQ, Matte Babel, part of Drake’s management team, claimed the rapper helped prevent Italy’s Venezia Football Club from falling into bankruptcy. According to the outlet, despite the organization’s support in its home country, the funding didn’t quite match.

During the sit-down, Babel spilled the tea. Babel revealed that after the owner Brad Katsuyama made a call to Drake, he immediately stepped in to close the multi-million dollar hole.

“The value of Drake to any football club is undeniable given his global superstardom and brand reach,” said Babel. “This intersection of culture and sport is exactly where we want to be, and as a sports organization, the ability to tap a brand like NOCTA that also teeters the same line is incredibly valuable.”

As of today (August 9), Babel claimed the Drake assist helped raise $40 million for the Venezia Football Club. With the cash boost, Venezia Football Club was able to scout new talent while simultaneously investing into its new facilities for the club on track to be up and running for the 2027/28 season.

Drake And Kendrick Lamar’s Feud Made André 3000 ‘A Little Sad’ And He Explains Why

August 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The few between Drake and Kendrick Lamar got a lot of reactions from a lot of music fans. For André 3000, his reaction was sadness.

In a new Crack interview, André said of the beef:

“I got a little sad, at a certain point. In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now. You got people with 100 employees. You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals — all of it can be jeopardized. If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it. But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it anymore.”

André also said he’s written a few diss tracks of his own but never plans to release any. He said, “You have feelings… if n****s say some slick sh*t, lines will come to your head immediately.”

Elsewhere, he discussed the relationship between music and artificial intelligence, saying, “I think some of the AI art is interesting. But, as humans, sometimes we just want to know what’s real. We want the humanness of things. […] Before cameras came into play, a king would hire the best artists to paint a portrait of you and your family. The best artists were the ones who could make it look as real as possible. But then cameras came along. So you had all these artists saying, ‘What are we going to do now?’ I think we’re at a similar place now. But what happened was — we got Van Gogh, and we got Impressionists. Doing sh*t the camera couldn’t do. You gotta find your place to be. That’s the humanness.”

Check out the full interview here.

Amber Rose Dismisses Fans Who Turned Their Back On Drake’s Music

August 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Amber Rose has spent most of 2024 as a defender. She turned lots of heads when she declared that she supported Donald Trump. She even spoke on Trump’s behalf during the Republican National Convention. Now, it seems the model is turning her attention towards Drake. Amber Rose hopped on social media on August 8 to show that she was playing the rapper’s classic single “Controlla.” She also took the time out to denigrate fans who claim to have jumped off the Drake wagon after a decade and a half. As far as she is concerned, the stance is disingenuous.

Amber Rose made it clear that she still rocks with the Toronto rapper, and anybody who claims not to is kidding themselves. “So we’re all gonna act like Drake’s music isn’t the soundtrack of our lives… ok,” she wrote on Instagram. Rose and Drake have had a complicated relationship over the years. The former was sampled by Drake on the Views song “Faithful,” and the two were seen spending time together in Miami in 2016. Page Six reported that the two celebs were spotted dining “in the wine room at Prime 112.”

Drake Has Shouted Out Amber Rose On Record

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Drake would also reference Amber Rose on the 2018 song “Sandra’s Rose.” The rapper even shouted out Rose’s “Slut Walk” charity. “My mother had a flower shop, but I was Sandra’s rose,” he spit. “Two girls that I rope like Indiana Jones. I make them h*es walk together like I’m Amber Rose.” It hasn’t been all love from Rose, however. In 2015, the model used Drake as an example of double standards in the music scene. She criticized outlets for being openly critical of her links to men, while the rapper was said to a bachelor. While Amber Rose gets labeled a “slut,” she lamented that Drake’s escapades are considered part of his “love life.”

Amber Rose and Drake are also linked through Kanye West. Both celebrities were once close with the Chicago rapper, only to have highly publicized falling outs. Rose talked about her time dating West on the Forbidden Fruits podcast. She admitted that it was overwhelming to be with such a polarizing celebrity. “I was the first,” she noted. “I was the girlfriend and then all of the sudden I was by myself walking around.” Drake viewed Kanye West as a mentor during the first leg of the 2010s, only to beef with the rapper for the next decade. West was one of the many rappers who dissed Drake earlier this year. At least he has Amber Rose is his corner.

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Andre 3000 Reveals Why Drake And Kendrick Lamar Battle Made Him Sad

August 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Andre 3000 is a rare breed of rapper. He’s universally respected for his lyrical skills, yet never beefed with anybody. It’s like there’s an accepted hip-hop rule that nobody can (or should) test Three Stacks in a lyrical competition. Andre 3000 was unsurprisingly silent during the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. It was actually far more surprising to hear the Outkast rapper address the situation months after the fact. He finally gave his thoughts on the battle, and who the ultimate loser was. It’s not who you think.

Andre 3000 told Crack Magazine that the battle made him sad for the music business. In particular, the people who work for Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and feed their families off of their respective success. In his estimation, those people were the ones who were truly at risk. “You got people with 100 employees,” he lamented. “You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals – all of it can be jeopardized. If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it. But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it any more.”

Andre 3000 Enjoyed Being Referenced By K. Dot

André 3000 on the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake beef

“I got a little sad, at a certain point. In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now.”

“You got people with 100 employees. You have livelihoods, empires,… pic.twitter.com/bUV5MLqqgD

— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) August 9, 2024

Andre 3000 contrasted the elevated stakes that Drake and Kendrick Lamar are playing it versus the rap battles he experienced as kid. As far as he’s concerned, it’s night and day. “I got a little sad, at a certain point,” he admitted. “In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now.” Andre 3000 occupies an interesting place within the Drake and Kendrick Lamar narrative. He’s collaborated with both artists in the past. He worked with Drake on “The Real Her” and “I Do (Remix).” He’s linked up with Lamar a few times, most notably on the N.E.R.D. song “One of You,” but none of their collabs have been officially released.

Both Drake and Kendrick Lamar hold Andre 3000 in high regard, though. The latter referenced Stacks on the diss song, “Like That.” He likened Drake and J Cole’s tough talk to the trend of seeing Andre carrying woodwind instruments with him. “Lost too many soldiers not to play it safe,” Dot raps. “If he walk around with that stick, it ain’t Andre. 3K.” Despite the context, Andre 3000 appreciated the nod. “As a 49-year-old rapper, you’re just happy to get a shoutout,” he told the aforementioned outlet. “I had to say: ‘Yeah, he got it.’”

[via]

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Eminem Becomes Second Rapper To Pass 50 Billion Streams After Drake

August 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Eminem is having a good year. The reception to his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady, has been strong. The rapper’s fun promo tour has appealed to fans who’ve long since given up on his non-Slim rebrand, and both helped him reach a major streaming milestone. The blog HipHopAllDay announced that Em has surpassed over 50 billion streams on Spotify. This makes Eminem the sixth most-streamed on the platform, and the second most-streamed rapper.

Eminem is in excellent company in terms of crossover success. The four non-hip-hop artists who are ahead of him include Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny and The Weeknd. The Detroit rapper is closing the gap on Beiber and Sheeran, though, who both have 54 billion streams. If Eminem continues to go strong, he could very well surpass The Weeknd’s 67 billion streams. Ironically, the only other rapper on the list is the artist who tops the list: Drake. The Toronto superstar has a staggering 101 billion streams, making him the only artist in history to cross the 100 billion mark.

Eminem Is Still The Best-Selling Rapper Of All Time

Eminem may be team Kendrick Lamar at the end of the day, but he has complimented Drake in the past. He said that he will always respect the rapper during a 2019 interview with Sway. “Drake will always be in my good graces,” he noted. “Because he did something for one of my daughters that I will never forget.” Eminem also predicted that the public would turn on Drake in the 2020 song “Zeus.” He was a few years early, but not incorrect. “Drake, they’re gonna turn on you (You) one day, too (Too),” Eminem raps. “And the more you win, the sooner (Sooner) they do/They’ll be calling you a trash bin.”

Drake may be winning the streaming game, but Eminem has him beat in album sales. The Detroit rapper remains the best-selling artist in the genre’s history. He’s moved over 220 million units since he debuted in 1996, which places him in the company of artists like Whitney Houston and the Rolling Stones. He was the best-selling artists of the 2000s, and the third best-selling artist of the 2010s. Drake, by comparison, has sold 170 million units since 2009. He has time to catch up, but there’s something to be said for the longevity and success that Eminem has maintained. He’s going to be a tough one to topple.

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Drake’s Father Dennis Graham Goes Viral For Flaming Hot Cheetos Outfit

August 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake has been having an interesting year and that isn’t exactly a good thing. Regardless, he is marching forward and it seems like he still has the support of close friends. Overall, there is certainly one person still in his corner and that would be his father, Dennis Graham. Graham has caught flack from fans, and even Drake’s rivals like Pusha T and Kendrick Lamar. However, he continues to be himself, and can be seen out and about doing his own thing on occasion.

According to DJ Akademiks, Graham was recently seen at a convenience store where he took a photo with Reese Youngn who recognized him. However, what makes this photo particularly interesting is the outfit that Dennis Graham has on. As you will see, he is wearing some sort of sweatsuit that is completely decked out in Flaming Hot Cheetos branding. Sure, it is a bit weird, but at the end of the day, you have to make yourself stand out, some way and somehow.

Drake Has An Interesting Dad

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One has to wonder where he may have gotten such a jumpsuit. Perhaps he found it on a website like Wish or Temu. Maybe he even found it at a thrift store. Who knows, it could even be custom-made? At the end of the day, you have to applaud Dennis for trying something different, especially with everyone else dressing relatively the same on a daily basis.

Let us know what you think about this outfit from Dennis Graham, in the comments section down below. Would you go out in public and wear something that looks like this? Or do you believe that this is one of the worst outfits imaginable? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

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JAY-Z Recorded An Iconic Drake Feature After A Grueling Two Hour Show

August 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake and JAY-Z have a lot in common. Both are among the biggest rappers of all time. Both have parlayed their success into other ventures. And both maintained relevance for decades. It’s no wonder these two see each other as kindred spirits. Drake and JAY-Z have collaborated five times since 2009 (six if you count “Off That”). “Talk Up” has become a fan favorite over the years, and a recent anecdote from JAY’s engineer, Young Guru, has given fans even more respect for the 2018 release.

Drake initiated the whole thing. The rapper dropped 100 GBs of unreleased material on August 6, which included footage of him and JAY-Z making “Talk Up.” Young Guru saw the footage, and decided to shed light on the unique circumstances in which the song came together. He detailed the experience on his IG Story, and revealed that JAY-Z recorded it right after a concert. “Hov has to do a verse [for Drake],” he recalled. “We are on On the Run 2. Remember I’m the DJ. Hov hit me and simply said ‘Set up a studio in the venue’ I’m like ‘what’? But of course I get it done… He literally wrote that verse after doing a full two-hour show.”

Young Guru Shared The JAY-Z Story On Instagram

Young Guru responds to Drake’s video about collaborating with JAY-Z by diving into more behind-the-scenes details pic.twitter.com/uGPh9D752E

— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) August 7, 2024

Guru’s account lines up with the footage that Drake released. The Toronto rapper is asked whether he plans to rest, but he insisted he stay up until JAY-Z sent his verse over. “I don’t want him to hit me and be like, ‘Hey, what do you think of this?’ and I’m not there to respond,” he said. JAY-Z and Guru were under the wire, but they managed to get the verse done in time. The latter recalls the lofi tech they had access to on such short notice. “I had to tether my phone to my computer to send the session to @ovo40,” he explained. “I made it too the club just in time for my set.”

Young Guru and JAY-Z were thrilled with outcome. Guru did note, on his IG Story, though, that the best musical moments often come from stressful situations. “When y’all hear this work I sometimes wonder if you understand how much goes into it,” he wrote. “Classic Nights!!!! And I killed my set lol.” “Talk Up” is not mentioned as often as other Drake and JAY-Z collabs like “Light Up” or “Pound Cake,” but the story behind it does make it an extra boost. Keep it’s creation in mind next time you listen.

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Drake Admitted He Wrote This Song About Serena Williams, Even Though It Featured Rihanna

August 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Since May, Kendrick Lamar made it impossible to mention Drake outside the context of his feud with Kendrick Lamar, which Lamar pretty unanimously won. This week, Drake provided plenty of new talking points by uploading three unreleased songs — “It’s Up” featuring 21 Savage and Young Thug, “Housekeeping Knows” featuring Latto, and “Blue Green Red” — alongside various unreleased content from his past archives. The dump is known as “100 Gigs,” billed as “100 gigs for your headtop.”

People have latched onto one behind-the-scenes video in particular, reposted on X (formerly Twitter) by someone named Ahmed.

In the video, Drake is seen in the studio smoking a hookah while “Too Good” plays. “This is more about me and Serena,” Drake said, referencing tennis GOAT Serena Williams. “It’s funny because when I make songs about women, I also make songs for them, so I know what kind of song to make — if I’m gonna talk about them, I’ll at least do them the justice of making them a song that they like.”

He continued, “So, I know Serena very well, and I know that she’ll hear it loud and clear, but she’ll also not hate me for it because it’s light-hearted.”

Drake was speaking to his mother, Sandi Graham, who was off-camera. She added, “And she is seeing someone else.” Drake exasperatingly responded, “I don’t know, Mom.”

“Too Good” featuring Rihanna, another one of Drake’s exes, was released in early 2016. Drake’s newly released video did not come with a date, but he was briefly rumored to be romantically involved with Williams in 2015. Williams was linked to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, her husband of nearly seven years, by late 2015.

We already knew at least one song was aimed at Williams, at least partially. On “Middle Of The Ocean” from Drake and 21 Savage’s 2022 joint album Her Loss, Drake rapped, “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don’t got a problem but / No, boo, it is like you comin’ for sushi.” Ohanian appeared to respond by writing on X, “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter.”

Last month, Williams hosted the 2024 ESPY Awards and playfully shaded Drake during her opening monologue.

“If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us — not a single one of us, not even me — should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” the 23-time grand slam singles champion said. “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a [Toronto] Raptors game, they’re gonna Forrest Gump him. ‘Seat’s taken!’”