Quavo is gearing up his new Rocket Power album, dedicated to the late Takeoff. Hitting Twitter, Quavo revealed the album needs a bit more Straightenin’, dropping off a new release date.
“We gotta run some more tests before the rocket is ready to launch,” Quavo wrote. “8/18. #RocketPower”
In July, Quavo released his latest single, “Turn Yo Clic Up.” The track features the esteemed artist Future and is available through Quality Control Music/Motown Records.
Quavo had previously teased the release to his fans by sharing a video clip of himself with Future on his Instagram.
“Turn Yo Clic Up” marks the third single that Quavo has unveiled this year, following the release of “Honey Bun” in March. Notably, the Grammy-nominated artist recently surprised fans with a tribute performance alongside Offset at the BET Awards, paying homage to the late Takeoff. With this new single, Quavo continues to showcase his musical prowess and maintain his presence in the hip-hop scene.
Usher is getting back to the music. Hitting Instagram, Usher has announced a new single, “Good Good,” and enlists the help of 21 Savage and Summer Walker. The single is announced to be released on this Friday.
Previously, Rémy Martin, the esteemed Cognac Fine Champagne producer, has joined forces with Grammy award-winning global superstar Usher to launch their captivating new global campaign titled “Life is a Melody.” This innovative collaboration combines the rich notes of Rémy Martin’s Cognac and the melodic artistry of Usher’s music in a harmonious celebration of life.
Under the theme “Life is a Melody,” the campaign highlights the power of harmonious connections, drawing inspiration from the idea that a beautiful melody is crafted through the fusion of ideas, encounters, influences, and experiences. The visuals and movements featured in the campaign resemble musical notes, encapsulating everyday elements infused with the essence of music.
In a tantalizing teaser, Usher offers a sneak peek of a new song, “Comin’ Home,” from his highly-anticipated album. The creative visuals showcase Usher at a piano that embraces Rémy Martin’s prestigious 1738 Accord Royal and XO bottles.
“As an artist, I’ve always drawn creative inspiration from different facets of life that are expressed through my music,” says Usher. “I’m incredibly excited to continue my partnership with Rémy Martin, representing their exceptional cognac expressions of 1738 Accord Royal and now, for the first time Rémy Martin XO, sharing an exclusive preview of my new music in a campaign that captures the breadth and endless possibilities of beautiful composition and marvelous melody.”
“The ‘Life is a Melody’ campaign embodies the fusion of Rémy Martin’s exquisite cognac, the enchantment of music, and the art of roller skating,” says Tina Reejsinghani, Vice President of Luxury Brands at Rémy Cointreau Americas. “This campaign, and the introduction of the Rémy Après Skate and cocktail experience underscores our timeless dedication to the culture of music and to our consumers who value exceptional experiences and the unparalleled craftsmanship of Rémy Martin.”
Rémy Martin and Usher will embark on a nationwide tour across the United States as part of their campaign, celebrating Usher’s deep connection to skate culture. The “4 on the Floor” pop-up skate experiences will be held in cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Atlanta, combining Usher’s passion for music with the vibrant skate communities. Each skate event will feature a Rémy Après Skate speakeasy, providing guests with an immersive cocktail experience. The specialty cocktails will showcase Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal and XO, including the UR Way and a trio of Rémy XO Old Fashioned variations.
Furthermore, Rémy Martin will unveil captivating out-of-home (OOH) experiences in New York and Chicago. Using projection mural mapping, these innovative displays will immerse viewers in a sensory journey where music and cognac beautifully merge. The OOH concept will showcase music notes, emphasizing the harmony between music and cognac. The murals will be displayed in New York from July 24 to Aug.20, 2023, and in Chicago from Sept. 18 to Oct. 22, 2023.
Life is a beautiful melody. It’s a harmony of ideas and moments that play out everyday.
In this melody, every note counts. From the ones found in Rémy Martin Cognac, to the ones in our favorite songs.
Casanova is behind bars, serving a 15-year sentence in a court case that labeled the rapper as a “high-profile leader of a vicious street gang.” Giving an update on Casanova’s condition is Slowbucks, who shared a Facetime to his Instagram Stories.
“Don’t believe the hype,” Slowbucks wrote, HipHopDX notes. “My guy in great standards and in great spirits. Free @bigcasanova_2x.”
Casanova has officially been sentenced and now his legal team has officially filed an appeal. The Brooklyn rapper was viciously slashed across his face right before sentencing and his lawyer feels jail is not safe for him following his denouncement of the Gorilla Stone Nation gang.
According to HotNewHipHop, Casanova’s lawyer James Kousouros mentioned that because the Brooklyn rapper (real name Caswell Senior) denounced his formal ties to the Gorilla Stone Nation gang, his sentence should be reduced.
“The fact is that Mr. Senior stayed in this gang as it furthered his rap career,” Casanova’s lawyers said. “As he gained moderate success and then a recording contract with Roc Nation, he increasingly separated himself from the gang’s activities despite remaining a member.”
Casanova received 188 months or 15 years behind bars on June 27 from U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern. Included in the crimes he’s accused of are a shooting in Florida on July 5, 2020, a robbery in New York City on August 5, 2018 and conspiracy to traffic over 100 kilograms of marijuana.
“Caswell Senior is not just a notorious recording artist, but he is also a high-profile leader of a vicious street gang and a magnet for gang violence,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release at the time. “At a crowded Miami house party, Senior personally fired a gun that seriously injured and could have killed a victim, inciting a shootout.”
He continued: “Further, Senior’s stature in the community was central to Gorilla Stone’s successful recruitment and nationwide expansion. Today’s sentencing — along with the other significant sentences that have been imposed in this case — shows once again that gang life is not worth it and will lead to many years in prison.”
Casanova was the 12th defendant in the Gorilla Stone case to have been sentenced. Five more defendants have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
After he received the sentence he took to to Twitter and issued a short message, saying, “Everything to the chin, Nothing to the heart. I GET IT NOW. I hope that don’t go over ya heads.”
Prior to his sentencing, Cas was assaulted in a bloody prison altercation that took place at Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, New Jersey in early June.
On this day in Hip-Hop history, New York duo EPMD released their second studio LP, Unfinished Business. Certified gold by the RIAA, this album was the critically acclaimed follow-up to the group’s debut Strictly Business.
Claiming the #1 spot on the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts, this project has proven its timelessness. EPMD’s style sets them and this album apart from what was currently popular in New York at the time. In ’89, New York Hip Hop was heavily saturated with conscious boom-bap, and the braggadocio lyricism of Erick Sermon and PMD brought something fresh to the rap game. EPMD’s rap style helped pave the way for the flashy New York rappers of the next generation, such as Jay-Z, The Diplomats, and A$AP Mob.
The single from this project, So What Cha Sayin’, peaked at #23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart and #5 on the Top Rap chart.
The fallout from Cardi B’s mic-throwing incident continues. Cardi B faces a potential battery charge after the Las Vegas pool party.
In case you missed it, Cardi B rocketed her microphone at a fan who threw a drink at her, splashing her in the face. According to Variety, the fan reported with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department on Sunday (July 30).
“On July 30, 2023, an individual came into an LVMPD police station to report a battery,” the LVMPD statement reads. “According to the victim, she was attending an event on July 29, 2023, at a property located in the 3500 block of Las Vegas Boulevard. During a concert, she was struck by an item that was thrown from the stage.”
Even when a concertgoer threw a drink at Cardi B while she was performing on stage, she showcased her real talent by continuing to sing without missing a beat
That wasn’t the only time Cardi threw a mic. The night before, the DJ at her Drai’s show caught a mic too. There aren’t any details why she tossed the mic in that incident.
On this date in 2000, Big L’s posthumous album The Big Picture was released on Rawkus Records. The LP was originally slated as the late Lamont Coleman’s debut album, but L was tragically murdered in Harlem while the album was in production.
The album was produced by DJ Premier, Ron Browz, Ron G, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Shomari, Mike Heron, Ysae, and Showbiz and features appearances from Fat Joe, Guru, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane and the late Tupac Shakur.
Big L is regarded as one of the games best emcees that never got their chance in the spotlight, however, because of his ability to foresee great talent, he was the one who introduced Jay-Z as a force in 90s era crime rhyme, which dominated NYC Hip Hop via the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show in 89.9 FM in 1995.
Big up to the Rawkus team, the entire DITC and Big L himself for this eternal Hip Hop classic!
Ahead of his death, reports state Angus Cloud was struggling with his father’s death. Cloud’s death was revealed on Monday, highlighting his father had died weeks before.
Cloud’s family released a statement detailing they lost an “incredible human” that filled the role of “artist, a friend, a brother and a son.”
The statement to TMZ also noted Cloud recently lost his father.
“Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the statement reads. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend.”
They added, “Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
Twenty-eight years ago today, one of the greatest conceptual albums in the history of Hip Hop was released. Raekwon The Chef released his debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, guest-starring his right-hand man, Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks.
Released on the Loud/RCA imprint and produced exclusively by The Abbott himself, Only Built For Cuban Linx was available on cassette, which was manufactured and distributed in a violet casing, thus, spawning its nickname. The album’s influence was tremendous on other landmark LPs of that era including Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and Nas’ It Was Written, with heavy mafia references, the introduction of Cristal to the hood, and constant usage of the 5% Nation’s language of Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabets in the lyrical content. The album also introduced the other WTC members via their aliases i.e. RZA is Bobby Steele, Ghost as “Tony Starks”, Deck is “Rollie Fingers”, Meth is, of course, “Johnny Blaze”, Masta Killa as “Noodles”, the Genius as “Maximillian” the Chef as “Lou Diamonds” and all together known as the “Wu-Gambinos”, which is the 16th track on the journey.
The Four and a Half Mic Classic’s(writer Nicholas Poluhoff) storyline plays out as a film, using many samples of John Woo’s Killer as an interlude between several tracks. The album contained several classic singles that had lives of their own in others spaces. The platinum-selling album yielded legendary hits such as the radio/female friendly “Ice Cream”, the inspirational “Glaciers Of Ice”, the genre sparking “Criminology”, which gave birth to many “Shark N****s”, which was an ode to biters and commanding them to “be original”. Ghost even shot a dart at the late B.I.G., accusing the slain legend of biting Nas’ pre-adolescent album cover concept. The album concludes with a positive build from the late Popa Wu aka Freedum Allah, which reminisces about the past life of a young, crime Raekwon who evolved into the multi-faceted individual seen today, which ironically is called “North Star(Jewels)”.
This platinum-selling time capsule is a must-have for all real Hip Hop fans, aficionados, critics, and historians. Salute to the entire Wu, especially Rae, Starks, and the RZA for this gem. We will forever be in debt to you guys for the “Purple Tape”.
Lil Kim is getting ready to introduce her fans to the full range of her world. Hitting Instagram, The Queen Bee announced that the edits of her autobiography are complete.
Titled The Queen Bee, Lil Kim revealed the edits are done, with Marc Jacobs on the foreword and assisted by a former journalist of The Source, Kathy Iandoli.
“It’s been a long journey beehive, edits are finally done Thank you to my bestie/soulmate @themarcjacobs for doing my forward,” Kim wrote.
Euphoria star Angus Cloud died at the age of 25 on July 31. With his death rippling across the entertainment industry, Drake, producer for Euphoria, offered a salute to Cloud.
Drake posted a picture of Cloud to his Instagram story, penning “Good soul .”
Cloud’s family released a statement after news broke of his death:
“It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways. Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.
We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss.”
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Thank you to my bestie/soulmate @themarcjacobs for doing my forward,” Kim wrote.
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