DRAM

Drake Reveals Inspiration Behind “Hotline Bling” But Fans Had Someone Else In Mind

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Over the last 12 hours or so, Drake has stirred up a lot of conversation. Late last night, the Canadian rapper put “100gigs for your headtop”, a massive folder of old files, as well as three new tracks. “It’s Up”, “Blue Green Red”, and “Houskeeping Knows” are the titles, and they include features from 21 Savage, Young Thug, and even Latto. As far as the past folders go, they include alternate covers for past projects, studio clips, and more. Overall, the internet has been mixed on this as you would come to expect with Drake at this point. Currently, one of the “archaic” documents that is causing some debate is a video of The Boy explaining how “Hotline Bling” came to be.

“We used to be in bed together — we just finished f***ing and her phone would be blowing up,” Drake began. “So, I saved her name in my phone as ‘Hotline Bling.’ That’s always been her name on my phone”. He also joked that it was such a good name that he felt it could have been his new stage moniker. “And I was looking at it today, I was like, ‘Hotline Bling’ is a sick name. That should be an artist name”. Additionally, he even talked to the still unknown fling about her nickname being used as the title for now one of his biggest songs. “Yo your name, your nickname is such a good title for something.’ And then I just told her today, I was like, you know I did a song called ‘Hotline Bling,’ thats crazy”.

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Fans Want Drake To Give DRAM His Due For “Hotline Bling”

However, some people are thinking that someone else should be credited for the song. Back in 2015, DRAM put out “Cha Cha”, a track that was released a few months prior to “Hotline Bling”. The track would go on to be his breakout record and he felt there was some obvious similarities; so much so, that he felt Drake “jacked” it. DRAM made his feelings known that same year in an interview with Billboard. He moved on, but some fans still aren’t letting Drizzy off the hook. “DRAM was the “inspiration”, one user on X writes. “Drake stay lying”, another adds. Others were defending Drake, saying that the songs didn’t sound remotely close.

What are your thoughts on Drake’s inspiration for “Hotline Bling”? Do you think DRAM needs credit for this song’s creation, why or why not? Where do you rank this song in terms of Drizzy’s biggest hits? How do you feel about him releasing all of these files the night prior? 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 and DRAM. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

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The post Drake Reveals Inspiration Behind “Hotline Bling” But Fans Had Someone Else In Mind appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

DRAM Teams Up With EVEN Platform To Drop Off A Four-Track EP “BLACK SANTA”

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There have been some interesting trends in hip-hop this year. AI technology has been a controversial tool in many music fans’ eyes. It was turning a lot of heads a few months ago when a “Drake” and “The Weeknd” song was going viral online. So much so, that it even was up for GRAMMY consideration. This new movement might be a little more favorable, though, and DRAM is taking part in it.

Born in Germany and raised in Virginia, the 35-year-old diversely talented artist has just teamed up with a rising music platform. EVEN is a website and company based in California that looks to bring fans and musicians closer than ever before. It was founded last year and it is still in its beta stage. Big K.R.I.T. allowed exclusive access to a short project on the site about a week ago.

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Listen To “BLACK SANTA” By DRAM On EVEN

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by DRAM back (@shelley)

DRAM is now the newest artist to work with the platform for a Christmas-themed EP, BLACK SANTA. You can purchase early access to the tape here. DRAM hopped on IG to let his followers and fans know where to find it. According to him, it will hit regular DSPs at some point. All of the tracks on the EP were written and produced by the rapper. There are some other perks available for those who purchase the project. Random customers could receive a surprise gift, early access to exclusive content, and messages from DRAM’s community chat.

What are your initial thoughts on DRAM being the next rapper to partner with EVEN for a new project? Are you going to purchase the $5.00 early access for the BLACK SANTA EP? Do you think EVEN is going to be the future for artists to give their fans early access and exclusive content, why or why not? Are holiday-themed projects something you enjoy? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around DRAM. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.

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The post DRAM Teams Up With EVEN Platform To Drop Off A Four-Track EP “BLACK SANTA” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

DRAM Announces His New Album ‘What Had Happened Was’ And Shares Its Release Date

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DRAM is back. After experimenting with a name change — I sense some music industry rights issues behind that — the Virginia crooner has returned to the persona that first made him a playlist while carrying over the straight-soul trappings of his last album. Today, he released a new single, “Let Me See Your Phone,” and announced his third studio album, What Had Happened Was, coming on October 27 via Waver Records.

“Let Me See Your Phone” is a slow-burning ballad in the vein of tracks like “Exposure” and “Cooking With Grease” from his 2021 album Shelley FKA DRAM, which should have absolutely killed that tired “R&B is dead” argument in its cradle. The new track is produced by Rory Farrell — that’s right, Rory from the New Rory & Mal Podcast actually makes music too — and finds the Hampton, Virginia native making a plaintive request to confirm his suspicions about a disengaged lover. It’s reminiscent of the Erykah Badu duet “WiFi” from his 2016 debut Big Baby DRAM, only from the perspective of the end of the relationship rather than its potential beginning.

In a press release, DRAM calls What Had Happened Was his most “raw and open album yet.” It’s described as “both a review of personal traumas he had to overcome, and how he’s been able to evolve as a person.” You can pre-save it here, listen to “Let Me See Your Phone” above, and see the tracklist below.

1. “Vibe of the Year”
2. “Ride Or Die”
3. “Wham”
4. “3s Company”
5. “Let Me See Your Phone”
6. “Where’s My Sunshine”
7. “Best That I Got”
8. “Can’t Hold You Down”
9. “Bad News”
10. “Angry”
11. “A Mother’s Love”
12. “Note To Self”
13. “Soul to Take”
14. “Big Baby DRAM”
15. “Ppl”
16. “Reflections”
17. “First Time Again”
18. “Wwyd”
19. “Wham (Remix)”

DRAM Ends The Week With A Bang By Dropping His New Song ‘Wham!’

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What rhymes with DRAM? The rapper’s new song “Wham!” does. A hypnotic banger produced by Spiff Sinatra, Hero, and Shelley/DRAM, he blends creative rhymes with a chill R&B chorus. “Wham!” was showcased during DRAM’s prior Instagram Live and teased via his social media channels in August. According to the song’s YouTube page, there will also be an acoustic video version.

Raised in Virginia, he was born Shelley Marshaun Massenberg-Smith, and has gone through a number of artistic name changes over the years. Stepping on the scene as D.R.A.M. with his debut EP #1Epic, the musician made impressive waves early on. His debut album Big Baby DRAM reached top 10 on the US rap charts in November 2016, and has since been certified Gold. Eventually, he changed his stage name in September 2020 to Shelley FKA DRAM, releasing a sophomore album in April 2021 with the same title. Now, as of a tweet he shared in July 2022, it appears he is back to just DRAM.

Over the past few years, DRAM has also attracted attention for a number of significant artist collaborations. His hit single “Broccoli” featuring rapper Lil Yachty made it to the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and opened the door for DRAM’s work with other musicians. During the fall of 2016, he appeared alongside Chance The Rapper for a performance of “Blessings (Reprise)” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The following year, he teamed up with Gorillaz for the song “Andromeda” from the band’s 2017 album Humanz.

Now, DRAM’s “Wham!” is the first glimpse of a potential new project titled What Had Happened Was. On Twitter, he revealed that he will be including R&B songs cut from 2021’s Shelley FKA DRAM on his next release.

Listen to DRAM’s new song “Wham!” above.

Entertaining Weed Hip-Hop Lyrics to Celebrate 4/20

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Shelley Explains The Touching Reason For His Album’s Release Date

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Getty Image

Shelley — FKA DRAM — has a new album dropping in April, his first in over four years. Since then, he’s gone through a musical reinvention, a physical transformation, and a couple of name changes, but the biggest change to his life was the passing of his mother last year. The duo was close; in 2017, they released a holiday EP together, dueting on the Christmas classics “Silver Bells.” According to Shelley, she’s also the reason for his upcoming album’s release date, April 29.

Posting a photo of the pair on Instagram, Shelley explained that he pushed back the release date of his album to his mother’s birthday in honor of a favor she did for him before her death. As he expands in the caption, “Before she passed I played her my upcoming album and I begged her to promise she wouldn’t play it for anyone else. She held her promise and took the music with her beyond this life.”

For Shelley, the new release date is his way of paying her back. “Her birthday is April 29th, so I’m pushing my album Shelley FKA DRAM’s release date to April 29th as not only my gift back to her, but my promise to play it for the world.”

To promote the upcoming album, fittingly titled Shelley FKA DRAM, Shelly has presented the rollout in the form of a mock late-night talk show, which provided a smooth framing device for the videos for singles “Exposure” and “Cooking With Grease.”

Shelley FKA DRAM is due 4/29 on Atlantic Records.

Shelley Is ‘Cooking With Grease’ In His Latest ‘Shelley Show’ Video

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The rapper and singer formerly known as DRAM is turning up the heat on his release rollout, sharing the video for “Cooking With Grease.” Continuing the “Shelley Show” conceit from his last single release, “Exposure,” Shelley once again frames the video as a live performance on a fictional late-night talk show. Backed by his band, Shelley shows off his falsetto on a seductive, R&B throwback that portends more midnight storm-style jams to come.

Ever since officially changing his performance name on DSPs and social media, Shelley has leaned more than ever into his R&B side, which he previously teased on his debut album, Big Baby DRAM, his 2018 EP, That’s A Girl’s Name, and on singles like “The Lay Down” featuring H.E.R. and Watt. The “Shelley Show” rollout has cleverly addressed the musical shift as well, letting Shelley “interview” DRAM for more insight into the reasoning behind it.

“Cooking With Grease” also has a clever double meaning thanks to Shelley’s new quarantine hobby. He’s turned that hobby into a self-shot food show on YouTube called “Cooking With Grease,” in which he demonstrates his favorite healthy recipes, which helped him lose weight during the pandemic and emerge as a whole new man, figuratively and — well, also figuratively.

Watch the “Cooking With Grease” video above.

Shelley is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Shelley Hopes To Discover What Lays Within His Lover On The Charming ‘Exposure’ Single

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The artist formerly known as Big Baby DRAM began 2020 by launching a new chapter of his career, one that with a name change. The Virginia native now goes by his legal first name of Shelley. While the change may have signaled that new music was on the way, fans failed to receive that last year. The only piece of content he delivered was a jazzy cover of “Feliz Navidad” with Young Rog for LVRN’s Home For The Holidays compilation album. However, with a new year comes new opportunities and it seems like Shelley will make his presence felt this year as he returns with a new single.

Shelley enters 2021 with “Exposure,” a track that comes just before the love-themed month of February comes to a close. On the track, he asks his love interest to allow him to explore what lays beneath their physical features. “Let me love you inside-out and outside-in,” he begs on the song. “Let me touch your soul before I touch your skin.” The track also holds a double meaning of sorts with Shelley wanting to learn more about her personality at one point while hoping to engage in a moment of naked intimacy at other points of the song.

In case you’re a bit behind on Shelley’s music, make sure to revisit “The Lay Down” with H.E.R. and his That’s A Girls Name EP.

Give the new single a listen in the video above.