Drake is not slowing down. The rapper is either dropping 100 gigs on our headtops or teasing new music. He just released three new songs. He also has an album with PARTYNEXTDOOR set for the fall. But wait, there’s more. Fuerza Regida frontman JOP claimed that the rapper is also starting a new label. The will reportedly be called PFL, and JOP claimed to know some of the artists who will be involved.
The revelation came about on the Bootleg Kev podcast. The host asked what JOP thought about Drake tapping into the genre, and the latter dropped the bombshell. “He has a new label called PFL,” he noted. He’s doing something with us. I have a record label, Street Mob Records, and that’s where we got Chino Pacas, and he’s tapped in with Chino Pacas.” The aforementioned artist is the link between JOP’s label and PFL. At least, that’s what the rapper said. “My label and Drake’s label are gonna help out Chino,” he asserted. Drake’s hasn’t discussed PFL or his prospective collabs, but he has teased his involvement with JOP and Pacas over the last few months.
Drake attended the Houston rodeo over the summer, and walked out to a Chino Pacas song. He also alluded to his involvement with Fuerza Regida on his latest single, “It’s Up.” While most of the attention went to 21 Savage’s verse, Drake seemingly tees up his PFL plans in plain sight. “The Mexicans love me,” he raps. “I’m out here just makin’ connections.” Drake has dabbled in different Spanish-language genres over the years. He collaborated with bachata singer Romeo Santos on the 2013 single “Odio.” He has two songs with Bad Bunny, though the less said about “Gently” the better.
Drake could use the good press. The rapper was linked to a highly suspect Kick streamer named Snoh over the weekend. Snoh has been accused of coercing women into sexual situations and record them without their consent. Drizzy, meanwhile, has appeared on streams with Snoh and urged fans to follow her. Drake also drew the ire of the internet when his Texas driver’s license was shared online. Most felt like the rapper’s ID photo was cringe personified. Check it out here and determine for yourself.
The vigorous demands of the industry only increase as an artist’s popularity rises, leading many of our favorites to back away from the limelight. This can come in many forms—retirement announcements, disappearing from social media, or simply letting the world know that they need time off. The most recent Hip-Hop-Affiliated artist to announce a break was SZA. The Top Dawg Entertainment songbird took to Xitter to share the news, which didn’t bode over well with her diehard fanbase.
“Yesterday was my last show for a while,” said SZA. “Finally bout to get my life together thank u God.” She didn’t specify what that meant, but SZA has been going almost nonstop since she took over the charts with her hit 2017 debut album, Ctrl. It would take over five years for SOS, her equally successful sophomore effort, to arrive—and there were plenty of frustrated updates from the singer about its execution. Her sold-out tours and packed festival performances have kept her busy, and it seems like SZA is ready for some “me” time.
Yesterday was my last show for a while . Finally bout to get my life together thank u God .
Many of SZA’s peers have also felt the pressure of successful careers, opting for a hiatus. Many of these rappers returned to their professions to earn greater accolades, solidifying themselves as legends. Others remained in the industry in different capacities, while some chose new vocations altogether. Which rapper on hiatus do you want to make a triumphant return?
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 27: Jay Z performs on stage at Air Canada Centre during his Magna Carter World Tour on January 27, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage)
Sure, the Roc Nation mogul has appeared on a few tracks here and there in recent years, but Jay-Z has taken a step back from releasing albums to focus on other billionaire ventures. There was that time in 2003 when Hov shared he was officially retiring, but that only lasted a few years before he dropped Kingdom Come. “I was really burnt out that time. I was releasing an album every year — ’96, ’97, ’98. And then in between that, soundtracks, other people’s albums, Roc-A-Fella, touring back-to-back,” he recalled, according to PEOPLE. “And you know, I just looked up one day and I was like, ‘I’m tired.’ I had never been on a vacation until like, I want to say 2000. Like my whole life. And I was just really burnt out at that moment.”
Nicki Minaj
I was in full quarantine/hiatus mode. No social media. Had no clue what was going on in the music world.
She is hailed as a Rap GOAT and has a slew of hits under her belt, but after releasing Queen in 2018, Nicki Minaj went silent. Fans begged her for a follow-up, but the Head Barb-in-Charge was taking time to nurture and grow her family. She and her husband, Kenneth Petty, married in 2019, and in 2020, they welcomed their son, affectionately and publicly known as “Papa Bear.” In 2021, Minaj was back on Xitter answering fans’ questions, and someone wanted to know if the time off benefited her mental health.
“Great question. Yes. It was soooo needed for me,” the rapper responded. “I appreciate u guys so much for waiting. But yea, very much needed that zen for important bonding time w|my son, getting back fluid w|writing & smthn else I don’t want to discuss yet. If u know u know. .”
Eminem
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 05: Inductee Eminem performs on stage during the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on November 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
An artist who has been transparent about his personal life struggles has been Eminem. Whether he’s opening up old wounds on wax or sitting down for compelling interviews, the Detroit icon has long shared how drug addiction curtailed his life plans for short periods. However, even during his sober journey, Em retreated from releasing music on several occasions. There was a five-year gap between Encore and Relapse, and three years between Recovery and The Marshall Mathers LP 2. It would be another four years before he arrived with Revival, and after dropping Music to Be Murdered By, Eminem waited another four years to give us The Death of Slim Shady, which hit streaming services last month. Some speculate that this most recent album may be his last.
She is currently taking over stages on her Out of This World Tour, continuing to amaze fans after successful decades in the industry. Missy Elliott is celebrated as a top-tier Hip Hop innovator, even being recognized with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She hasn’t necessarily taken a hiatus from music altogether, as her hotmaking production skills have remained essential for many of today’s top-selling artists. However, the last time she dropped a full-length album was 2005’s The Cookbook, and fans may have to wait a tad bit longer for her next arrival.
“When I create something, it’s gotta be special and it can’t just be to throw something out there because I feel like I’m Missy,” Elliott revealed while on The Yo Show. “I gotta feel like what I’m giving fans is 100 percent and that it’s game-changing. I don’t just throw out microwave records.” Nevertheless, Missy promised that new music is on the way. “I just ain’t telling nobody when.”
A beloved, yet controversial figure in Hip Hop is music maven Ms. Lauryn Hill. Emerging as the only woman emcee in The Fugees alongside Pras and Wyclef Jean, Hill would reach greater heights when she went solo. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, her debut and only full-length release, continues to be hailed as the greatest Hip Hop album of all time. That title has been argued for decades, but Hill’s talents stay unmatched. While she has continued to perform worldwide, Hill’s reputation for canceling shows or showing up hours late has permeated the music industry. Most recently, The Fugees announced the cancelation of their tour just days before it was to begin. It’s unclear if Hill will deliver another record anytime soon, but with all that has transpired, some fans aren’t holding their breaths.
Mase
Former Bad Boy rapper Ma$e was at the top of his game in the late 1990s. His debut album, Harlem World, included some of his most memorable hits. Mase’s follow-up record, Double Up, didn’t reach the same success, but it was instrumental in his discography. Only two months before the sophomore album’s arrival, Mase announced his retirement from Rap. He would turn to religion, becoming a pastor and leading a congregation. However, Mase couldn’t stay away and returned to the mic in 2004 with his last album, Welcome Back. Rifts with Sean “Diddy” Combs about music rights would spill over for years, and it looks as if that tension has been settled. These days, Mase continues to enjoy his life outside of music, hosting a sports-centered podcast with former Hip Hop rival, Cam’ron.
Further, in an interview with Complex in March 2024, Mase reflected on his decision to escape the Rap game. Immediately, he said it was the best choice for his life. “Everything now that we see playing out was all the things I escaped. The car, the shine, the Loon, Puff Daddy… The Craig Mack, the Biggie Smalls. So even though I made those decisions and it cost me money, that’s why I got with Killer [Cam] and they gave me the money back. I didn’t lose no money. Destiny.”
Drake
To say that 2024 thus far has been rough for Drake is an understatement. The Pop-Rap icon has dominated the charts from the moment he stepped on the scene with co-signs from Lil Wayne, and he’s developed a career as one of the best in the game. Yet, his beef with Kendrick Lamar became an international moment, resulting in the Pulitzer Prize winner towering with his hit diss track single, “Not Like Us.” Prior to the K.Dot vs. Drizzy Drake whirlwind, the latter had expressed wanting to take a break.
“I probably won’t make music for a little bit,” Drake said while visiting Table for One in October 2023, per Forbes. “I’m going to be real with you. I need to focus on my health, first and foremost, and I’ll talk about that soon enough.” He added, “I’ve been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach,” and shared he will “focus on my health, and I need to get [that] right… I’ma lock the door in the studio for a little bit.”
Beyoncé
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 01: (Editorial Use Only) Beyoncé performs onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at SoFi Stadium on September 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood)
As one of the biggest stars in the world, it’s only natural that Beyoncé would retreat every so often. The superstar releases a new project every two to three years, working diligently to maintain her reputation as one of the hardest-working entertainers in the business. Her schedule keeps her moving around the world with her entourage in tow—but the mother of three admitted balancing her career and parenthood has been a struggle. The mother of three and her husband, Jay-Z, are billionaires with several other money-making efforts. In 2019, Beyoncé explained to Elle why she needed a year to regroup.
“After having a difficult pregnancy, I took a year to focus on my health,” she revealed. “I have researched information on homeopathic medicines. I don’t just put any prescription in my body. My diet is important, and I use tools like acupuncture, meditation, visualization, and breathing exercises.” Beyoncé added, “The more I mature, the more I understand my value. I realized I had to take control of my work and my legacy because I wanted to be able to speak directly to my fans in an honest way. I wanted my words and my art to come directly from me. There were things in my career that I did because I didn’t understand that I could say no. We all have more power than we realize.”
Logic
Another rapper to pull a pump fake on his retirement is Logic, who elaborately shared with the world in 2020 that he was withdrawing. However, like many of his peers, this retirement was short-lived. Less than a year later, Logic was back to making music. Then, he finished his contract with Def Jam with the release of Vinyl Days. “I really just wanted to be off Def Jam, to be frank,” he told Variety in 2022.
“I did retire, for a little bit, at least in my mind, from the bullsh*t of the music industry. Then, I came to realize that none of this sh*t matters, that I can make music on my terms. So, let’s do that. That’s when I decided to come back from retirement. Last year, I released Bobby Tarantino III, just to get together songs I had, and put them out, then released this new album because I needed to fulfill my deal with Def Jam. With Vinyl Days, I did it in 12 days, and just wanted to have fun.”
Barack Obama is listening to everything from Charli XCX to Shaboozey, but apparently wasn’t feeling Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” leading to fans wondering whether the former President is on Team Drake. While “Not Like Us” has turned out to be one of the biggest songs of the summer so far, climbing to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 multiple times, it doesn’t appear on Obama’s recently shared summer 2023 playlist — even though the playlist includes entries from hip-hop faves like GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion, and Saweetie.
It isn’t like Obama dislikes the Compton rapper’s music; he’s hung out with the rapper on several occasions, and even admitted to having him on a much more private playlist. He even predicted that Kendrick would topple Drake in a theoretical rap battle, eight years before the two actually came to lyrical blows. Maybe his excluding “Not Like Us” was an oversight, or perhaps he simply wanted to keep things kosher for the playlist, which still feels like it has some obligation to be at least a little wholesome and less haterific.
Drake and Jay-Z had a close relationship early in the former’s career. The duo made two songs together, “Off That” and “Light Up” for The Blueprint 3 and Thank Me Later, respectively. Soon after, the two engaged in a friendly competition when Drake rapped about feeling that the throne was for the taking on “I’m On One,” a not-so-subtle reference to the Kanye West and Jay-Z collaborative album, Watch The Throne. In a Rolling Stone interview, Drake criticized Hov for the repeated art references. Jay-Z shot back on his freestyle over Soulja Boy’s “We Made It,” referring to Drake as “Miss Drizzy” and calling out rappers for never living their raps. The two patched the rift soon after.
In a new episode of The Bigger Picture podcast, Elliott Wilson explained how he helped get the two to squash their beef. “I got them back together, I got them to talk,” Wilson said. “Around the time when Drake was doing the tour with Lil Wayne and they had a show in Queens, Drake came backstage and hugged me and was like, ‘I spoke to Hov. We’re figuring it out.’ He was excited that they had finally talked,” he added.
How Elliott Wilson Helped Drake And Jay-Z Squash Their Beef
After the pair reconciled, Drake and Jay-Z collaborated again on “Talk Up,” a track from Drake’s 2018 album Scorpion. That is their most recent song together, though it does not seem that they have any leftover beef with each other.
Drake and Elliott Wilson have had their own falling out since then. The UPROXX Editorial Director and former head of Rap Radar is no longer on the best of terms with the Canadian rapper. Wilson claimed that he was “blacklisted” from Toronto after the battle with Kendrick Lamar. Wilson was highly critical of Drake’s tracks in Lamar’s direction, declaring Lamar the winner after “Not Like Us” dropped. The longtime hip-hop journalist was an early proponent of Drake. He had the opportunity to sit down with the rapper in 2020 for an all-encompassing interview. However, things changed in the last couple of years and got even worse this past spring. Maybe those two could use a third person to help get them to navigate their own issues with one another.
It’s been quite a year for Kendrick Lamar. “Not Like Us,” one of his many Drake diss tracks, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “The Pop Out — Ken & Friends” show was a one-of-a-kind California performance. He’s even working on a movie with South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker.
Really, the only blemish on Lamar’s 2024 is the time he confused Haley Joel Osment for Joel Osteen. On “Euphoria,” he raps, “Am I battlin’ ghost or AI / N**** feelin’ like Joel Osteen / Funny, he was in a film called A.I. / And my sixth sense tellin’ me to off him.” One is an acclaimed actor and the voice of Sora in the Kingdom Hearts video games (Osment); the other is a shady televangelist (Osteen). But The Sixth Sense and A.I. Artificial Intelligence actor thinks the mix-up might have been on purpose.
“I think he’s too precise,” Osment told the Associated Press at the premiere of Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Blink Twice (via Billboard). “I don’t know for sure and I’m not gonna assume that he knows my exact name, but the way I’ve heard people talk about that and certain analysis that I’ve read about it, I think that it’s an intentional scrambling of my name and that other guy’s name. Because Kendrick’s too precise to just make a mistake like that.”
Or maybe the simplest explanation is the correct one: Kendrick really did confuse the two. Here’s another way to tell them apart so this doesn’t happen again: no one ever found bags of money in Haley Joel Osment’s church.
It was bound to happen at some point. Drake has just put “It’s Up,” “Blue Green Red”, and “Housekeeping Knows”, aka 100 GIGS, on DSPs. All three songs were a part of 100 GB of numerous files, videos, and random clips that the Canadian icon decided to share with the world. All of this is available on 100gigs.org, a site he launched on August 6. As of now, we aren’t really sure what Drake’s plan is right now by releasing all of this content. Sure, he supposedly took the time to respond to A$AP Rocky’s subliminals on “It’s Up”. But as far as we can tell, none of his bars were digs at Kendrick Lamar.
21 Savage did seem to have his sights set on him on the track we just mentioned, though. The only slight indicator that shows that something is possibly brewing is an IG account that Drake follows. It goes by indigochild369 and in the user’s bio it reads, “First account made some people anxious. Here we go again round 2 “‘FIGHT’”. That message presumably alludes to the plottttwiistttttt page that Drake put together during this 100gigs.org rollout. This could all be a ploy to try and get under Lamar’s skin, which is something Drake did plenty of during “round one”. Obviously, though he would be quite foolish to do that again based on the results. But yes, as it stands, Drake is doing what he does best with this 100 GIGS release, and these next few weeks will be interesting to monitor.
After just two days of Drake dropping three new tracks on his 100gigs.org site, they are making their way to streaming services. As of just several hours ago, The Boy put “It’s Up”, “Blue Green Red”, and “Housekeeping Knows” into a bundle called “100 GIGS”. It uses the stock audio frequency lines as the cover art, which is the same image that makes up the “plottttwiistttttt” IG account the tracks were uploaded to. As you are well aware by now, Drake had help from a few guest stars to create some extra buzz surrounding these songs. 21 Savage and Young Thug make appearances on “It’s Up”.
Then, you have Latto bringing some flair with sticky bars and flows to “Housekeeping Knows”. If releasing these records out of nowhere wasn’t enough, Drake appears to fire back at A$AP Rocky, while 21 seems to defend his boy by sending strays toward Kendrick Lamar. Speaking of the latter, there’s a chance that Drizzy is ready for “round 2” of a possible rematch with his biggest baddie to date. “Indigo Child”, another IG account that the rapper is following, sent this “threat”.
Hopefully, there is more to come on that development in the next few months. As per usual, Drake is stirring tons of debate with this move to drop all three cuts to Spotify, Apple Music, and the like. As you could imagine a lot of Kendrick fans are feeling that he continues to prove the West Coast titan correct. “You run to Atlanta when you need a check balanced”, one user comments on The Shade Room‘s post. “I hear Drake voice and I turn the song off immediately . … damm you Kendrick ”, another adds. However, the Drizzy fans aren’t going to be kept silent. “Drake the goat. We gonna enjoy this music. Yaw can keep hating ”.
What are your thoughts on Drake putting his three new songs from the 100gigs.org site on streaming? Is this a W or an L for you and why? Which track is your favorite and why? Do you think these could be singles for a new project? 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 music world.
Drake has had a bad summer. He lost the battle to Kendrick Lamar. He also had to sit around while Lamar’s “Not Like Us” became the biggest song in the country. It played so many places that Steph Currygot tired of hearing it. Lamar was not only winning the discourse war, though, he was winning the streaming war as well. His numbers were up during the battle, while Drake’s were noticeably down. The tables have turned, though. The 6 God is regaining his footing in a post-“Not Like Us” world, according to Spotify.
Hip Hop All Day confirmed that Drake reached a major milestone on August 9. The rapper notched 74.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify. This made him the rapper with the second-most monthly listeners on the entire platform. More importantly, though, it meant he surpassed Kendrick Lamar. K. Dot had been on a role throughout May and June. He accrued 74.7 million monthly listeners during the beef. As noted by a Billboard article, the success of Lamar’s diss songs actually boosted streams for his previous albums as well. The Compton emcee’s entire catalog was up 49% from May 3-6. Drake’s conversely, was down by 5%.
The damage the battle did to Drake’s credibility is one thing. The damage the battle did to his streaming numbers, however, is another. Meaning, it didn’t do much damage. He’s still one of the most artists in the world, as evidenced by colossal numbers he’s doing on Spotify. Eminem is the only rapper who has more monthly listeners that Drake. Tellingly, Eminem is the only rapper who has sold more albums that Drake in terms of physical units. That being said, the 6 God has Slim Shady in the overall streams department. Em recently reached 50 billion overall streams on Spotify, which made him the second rapper to do so. Want to guess the first? You’re correct. Drake stands atop the Spotify all-time streams list with an eye popping 101 billion streams.
It gets better for Drizzy. The Toronto superstar recently broke another Spotify record. According to That Grape Juice, Drake became the first artist in history to have 17 individual songs pass one billion streams. “Jimmy Cooks,” the rapper’s number-one single from 2022, was the one that pushed it over the edge. He was previously tied for the Spotify record of 16 songs with Rihanna and Bad Bunny, but know he stands alone. And it sounds like new Drake music is right around the corner.
Drake is on the of a PR nightmare. The rapper was in the process of moving on from the Kendrick Lamar battle, and doing so effectively. He dropped “100 Gigs” of content for fans, and teased a collab album with PARTYNEXTDOOR. Unfortunately, dirt from the rapper’s past has been dug up. Drake went on a Kick stream with a woman who goes by the name Snoh. The rapper has given Snoh shout outs in the past, and urged fans to give her a follow. The streamer, however, has been accused of coercing and manipulating minors into performing sexual acts.
Snoh has been accused of making “revenge porn” in which she convinces girls to show off parts of their body on a stream, and then records them without consent. There are allegations that the streamer does this with underage girls as well, but again, nothing has been proven. What has been proven, though, is the fact that Snoh and Drake seemingly have a good relationship. Drake has urged people to follow the streamer’s account, and has even appeared on streams himself. One such stream, which was deleted but was subsequently dug up by fans, is not a good look.
Drake joined this deleted stream with a streamer called “snoh” and an 18 yo girl on Monkey app, this streamer do “Revenge Porn”, she made girls (including minors allegedly) flash their private parts without them knowing they being recorded, Drake praised her on stream before . pic.twitter.com/wvh5mVfF7b
Drake appears on the stream with Snoh and a girl who is clearly identified as 18 years old. The clip in isolation is harmless, as the girl and her friend attempt to determine if it’s really Drake or someone who looks like him. In the context of what Snoh has been accused of, though, it’s alarming. The Twitter profile sum_offfff posted the aforementioned clip of Drake. The profile also dug up footage of Snoh coercing a number of different people to show off their bodies on camera. It’s pretty damning.
Drake has, obviously, a dubious track record when it comes to interaction with younger women. Kendrick Lamar based most of his diss campaign on this very suspicion. Dot alluded to these borderline, or maybe even illegal behavior on “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us.” The latter turned a joke about Drake and minors into one of the catchiest phrases of the year. Drizzy adamantly denied these accusations on the song “The Heart Part 6.” As many will remember, though, the rapper’s rebuttal was not the most well received.
Drake is making big moves. The rapper dropped “100 gigs” of unreleased material, and frankly, we’re still sifting through it all. One of the most unexpected pieces of material in the drop, though, pertained to the rapper’s private jet. Drake is planning to give a massive facelift to the aircraft he’s been riding around in for the last decade. A facelift that will include changing the reference to his iconic 2015 mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late on the bottom of the plan. Instead of reading: “If you’re reading this we left,” it will read: “Chances are she’s onboard.” Heartbreak Drake in full effect.
This is not the first time the rapper has made changes to “Air Drake.” In 2013, the late Virgil Abloh added a cloud pattern on the exterior. Another reference to an album: Nothing Was the Same. The new version of the PJ is going to feature a darker shade of blue, however. In keeping with the sky analogy, it will look less like a cloudy day and more like an overcast evening. Oddly enough, “Air Drake” has been a subject that generates controversy in the past. The rapper was criticized by the public when he was took a few short flights on his jet in 2022. The shortest of these flights was 7 minutes.
Drake responded to the criticism by noting that he’s not organizing these flights. There are meant to be for maintenance and convenience with regards to upkeep of the jet. “This is just them moving planes to whatever airport they are being stored at for anyone who was interested in the logistics,” he explained on Instagram. “Nobody takes that flight.” This was around the same time that Taylor Swift was catching heat for her perceived overuse use of private jets as well. The rapper’s explanation was deemed unsatisfying by many, but it eventually blew over.
The most recent controversy surrounding “Air Drake” stemmed from the rapper’s beef with Rick Ross. The two men traded bars and social media insults, and Rozay decided to provide some background on Drake’s jet. He told Instagram followers that the jet was made in 1996, and warned Drake to be careful when he flies since the aircraft is so old. The weirdest part of the back and forth is that Ross eventually had a flight malfunction of his own. He was forced to crash land his own private jet on May 3. The MMG boss took the situation in stride, though. “My jet just crashed,” he jokingly tweeted. “Drake OvO F16 fighter jet just shot us down.”
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(@big_business_) 
(@talleyberrybaby) 
”, another adds. However, the Drizzy fans aren’t going to be kept silent. “Drake the goat. We gonna enjoy this music. Yaw can keep hating 
”. 
