Ice Spice is definitely one of the most divisive rappers today, whether it’s for her music or for her criticized career moves. But Fivio Foreign thinks that there’s a particularly enlightening gender dynamic at play when it comes to her female haters. “B***hes hate Spice cuz n***as love spice,” he tweeted on Wednesday night (September 5). Sadly for the Bronx femcee, we’re currently seeing a pretty intense and combative example of this. Cleotrapa claimed that she’s mistreated her a lot while on tour, and her allegations elicited some fan concern over this alleged behavior and around some other past controversies.
However, not everyone is on board the Ice Spice hate train… At least, for this reason. “She don’t have no say over nothing,” Joe Budden recently theorized on his podcast. “She has not sold enough records to be in this position and on tour, every single dollar is accounted for months before we went on tour. I know exactly how much each of these rooms are gonna cost. I know exactly how much the gas is gonna cost. We can’t afford another bus but we got another bus. Okay let’s bring some other people, but those people are for free. There’s no budget. Every single dollar is accounted for.”
Still, other negative perceptions of Ice Spice are more light and understandable, such as Latto’s slight beef with her. ” “I don’t got a problem with nobody ’cause beef is a different thing, you feel me?” she told 2 Chainz and his son Halo on their podcast, speaking on their mostly competitive and non-serious rap rivalry. “That’s a whole different type of conversation. I ain’t got no beef with nobody, I don’t got a problem with nobody for real. *laughs* I ain’t got no problem with nobody for real, for real, it ain’t like that.”
Meanwhile, apart from Ice Spice, Fivio Foreign also made a questionable reference to Rick Ross recently, which had fans thinking that it could’ve been a diss. But it turns out that this speculation didn’t go anywhere. Regardless, Fivio’s assessment isn’t the most misleading thing in the world when it comes to the “Princess Diana” hitmaker. While it’s definitely one explanation for a lot of backlash around her, it’s also not the definitive answer.
Dr. Umar Johnson dished out yet another controversial take on the Hustle Over Everything podcast, questioning what good hip-hop has done for the Black community. “I’m talking about both,” he answered when asked by Mouse Jones whether his disappointment in rap music is about its culture or its industry. “You’re still selling death and destruction to my kids while your kids are going to $30,000-a-year privileged white schools. That’s what you call a traitor. The hip-hop community has betrayed Black America. […] It ain’t did s**t in 50 years for the community. It made individuals rich and it’s it. And it gave out a couple of jobs. So did the drug dealer.”
The Joe Budden Podcast discussed this take, in which Dr. Umar posited that education should’ve been a stronger institution that hip-hop culture should’ve created, citing Jay-Z as an example of a success story that owes something to the Black community. Johnson and Jones agreed that the rap community needs accountability and more #MeToo-like initiatives. Moving on to the Slaughterhouse MC’s pod’ though, the cohosts argued that hip-hop can sometimes – but not always – promote street life that Black folks engage in out of necessity and survival. However, they don’t think that hip-hop caused this systemic cycle, hinting at a larger oppressive system that rap music did not create.
The Joe Budden Podcast‘s Takes On Dr. Umar’s Dismissal Of Hip-Hop In The Black Community
Joe budden wants dr umar to clarify his statements one HipHop . Are you talking about the music industry or are you talking about the culture of HipHop pic.twitter.com/EGe6JvCWdB
“And I want to make it perfectly clear that we’re using the word or the words ‘hip-hop,’” Joe Budden remarked. “I’m not certain, again, that he is referring to the culture of hip-hop. When he is saying ‘hip-hop,’ he is talking to the music and entertainment business that is controlled by Jewish people [an often bigoted insinuation that Budden doesn’t seem to endorse, but is assuming Dr. Umar’s intention with]. It would be tough for him to have that conversation with me as somebody who hip-hop saved my life. Like, he maybe can talk like that to Mouse Jones. He can’t say that to me.”
Elsewhere, The Joe Budden Podcast‘s cohosts spoke on how hip-hop as a whole provides employment for struggling families, and seemingly didn’t catch Dr. Umar’s statement that his take is about both the culture and the industry. The titular host specifically used the controversial of Russell Simmons saying that he’s been here too long and helped too many people to be “canceled.” “Like, we’re talking about over 50 years of people helping people,” Budden expressed. “My other problem with Dr. Umar is [that] he came right up here and said part of our problem is we want to do it for us and we’re not selfless enough to do it for the generations to come. He came in here and said that. I remember. It stuck out like a f***ing sore thumb. I’ll give him this: music – not the music business – but music is many kids’ way through life.”
Hip-hop culture is incredibly special, influential, powerful… and in the United States’ cultural marketplace susceptible to commercial exploitation, highly profitable. Moreover, controversies can pop up every once in a while concerning companies or brands either appreciating rap culture for the better or misusing its impact and pop culture ubiquity in insensitive ways. As such, many folks are split on which of these two categories Cookie Plug, a California-based multi-state bakery shop, falls into. The reason why is due to their Indianapolis franchise’s hip-hop-themed nomenclature for their items and the marketing behind them. But it’s not all that bad, at least with the information we have from a XXL report.
Furthermore, some menu items are very much innocuous, such as a “So So Icy” ice cream sandwich and packaging that boasts the message “Thank you for supporting your neighborhood doughp dealer.” However, other items such as the “Purple Drank” purple lemonade, referring to lean, rub customers the wrong way, including Indianapolis resident Feeray Phillips. “When the franchise is not aware of what the terminology they’re dealing with and, to be honest, tropes as gimmicks to sell people lemonade and children lemonade, that’s a problem,” they told the local news outlet WISHTV.
Still, the team behind Cookie Plug doesn’t really have any problem with how they’ve handled, promoted, or branded their products. Co-owner Doreen Walters recently pushed back against this negativity, seemingly suggesting that there isn’t a lot of overtly negative connotations with something like “Purple Drank.” “Those comments are hurtful so I’m not even watching it,” she expressed. “I grew up at this time and I’ve never done drugs. ‘Purple Drank’ is just that, ‘purple drank.’ It’s lemonade.”
Meanwhile, with these isolated examples in mind, it’s hard to call whether or not this cookie chop is engaging in cultural appropriation or if they’re just showing love. After all, there’s not a lot of accessible information at press time about the origins of Cookie Plug, the specific Indianapolis location’s ownership, and other important factors that could answer that question. If you’re in the city, keep an eye out and make that judgement for yourself. But supporting a business and supporting hip-hop, as much as they are two amazing initiatives, are hard to truly mix together.
Do you folks remember last year, right around this time, when the hip-hop community was debating whether the genre was dead or not? We hadn’t seen a No. 1 rap song or album in a long time as of May 2023, and it was a conversation that permeated through a lot of those 365 days. Well, nowadays that conversation looks very different, and it’s thanks to the biggest rap beef we’ve seen in at least a couple of years: Drake versus Kendrick Lamar. Right now, that’s the main event, but just a few weeks ago, there were many more players directly involved, namely Future and Metro Boomin.
Speaking of which, the St. Louis producer recently posted a picture of him in the studio (making some drums, as Drake requested) with the following caption: “HIP-HOP IS ALIVE AND WELL.” Of course, there are multiple different ways in which fans could be interpreting this message right now. The first is that Metro Boomin is teasing an upcoming project, song, or other related release on the way, and that this means that he will keep contributing to rap music’s canon very soon. The other and much more likely explanation is that he’s celebrating the success of his and Future’s collab album series, WE [STILL] DON’T TRUST YOU, and gassing up the release of Kendrick Lamar’s response track to Drake, “euphoria.”
Furthermore, their Kendrick Lamar collaboration “Like That” on the series’ first installment is what really ignited the explosion of this whole beef, roping in Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, Kanye West, and more against Drake. Also, Metro Boomin had previous rumored issues with Drizzy, and these releases and disses exposed a lot of shifting relationships and bonds in the OVO camp and beyond. Right now, Aubrey Graham is probably hard at work on a response to K.Dot, and they’ve both teased nuclear weapons in their arsenal that they haven’t revealed yet. Only time will tell whether their bluffs will become bombs.
Meanwhile, even though Drake kind of shooed away everyone in this fight expect Kendrick Lamar, Metro Boomin is right to make this assessment of hip-hop, which has always been true since its birth over 50 years ago. Even though he didn’t come out as an explicit victor in this beef, his “Like That” track, its aftermath, and all his work this year has kept rap at a commercial and artistic high, plus previous chart-toppers in 2024 such as 21 Savage and others. Whether it’s reigning over Billboard charts or causing more interest in verse writing and bar work, it’s a stimulating, chaotic, but pretty fun time to be a hip-hop fan. But we need to acknowledge how to handle that attention responsibly, because the numbers are temporary, but the art is forever.
The relationship between hip-hop and politics has always been a relatively strained one, but folks are working very hard today to rectify that history. Moreover, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives announced a partnership with the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) on Wednesday (February 14) to launch the Congressional Hip-Hop Power and Justice Task Force. Its leaders include Reps. Jamaal Bowman (New York), Hank Johnson (Georgia), André Carson (Indiana), and Delia Ramirez (Illinois). Bowman in particular remarked how hip-hop is what made him a congressman, and underscored the task force’s mission to work with the culture to legislatively protect and support the art form, the Black community, and hip-hop’s wider members.
“[BMAC]’s mission is to work with business leaders and lawmakers to utilize the music industry’s influence to impact federal policies that address racial and social justice,” Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, the organization’s co-founder, remarked during a press conference. “The RAP Act is just one example of how aligning BMAC’s efforts in tandem with the Congressional Hip-Hop Task Force is a natural extension of Black Music Action Coalition’s work.
“[We’re] supporting solutions to mass incarceration, justice reform, and economic hardships disparately impacting marginalized communities…” Stiggers went on. “BMAC looks forward to centralizing our energy with the first-ever Hip-Hop Power and Justice Task Force to activate legislation that protects the Black community.” “Hip-hop has ingrained itself in our culture and continuously called upon us to fight for civil and racial justice,” Jamaal Bowman added. “Hip-hop is why I support the movement for reparations, an end to discrimination and corporate greed in the housing industry, and access to healthcare and economic opportunity for everyone.
“That is why I am proud to stand with my colleagues in bringing the advocacy and ideology of hip-hop to Congress in this moment and continue our urgent calls for peace and justice across the world,” he continued. This initiative also has the support of the non-profit organization Hip-Hop Caucus. Its CEO, Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., hopes that it will address struggles that Black, Latine, and indigenous communities face on a disproportionate level. Meanwhile, for more on the intersection of hip-hop and politics, come back to HNHH.
There’s a big divide right now in the hip-hop media world: the old guard of journalists and commentators against the new wave of streamers and content creators. There’s perhaps no better example of this right now than Joe Budden’s recent tirades against the likes of Kai Cenat and Adin Ross. During his most recent episode of his podcast, released Sunday (February 11), he invited Ebro Darden to chime in as well, and reopened these wounds. Moreover, the issue stems from a lack of knowledge and authority that folks like Ross and Cenat have in the rapper’s eyes. No matter where you fall on this spat, it’s an important conversation to heal from.
“There’s a lot of people involved in culture that know absolutely nothing about culture,” Joe Budden’s new comments kicked off. “But today, because of tech, they’re integral parts in the conversation. In the song making, in what the artists can and cannot do. It’s like, who the f**k are you? Where did you come from? For me, the hip-hop I come from, there’s no world where me and Adin Ross need to talk about something. Who the f**k are you, n***a? Where did you just pop up from?”
Furthermore, this was Adin Ross’ response on his Kick stream to Joe Budden reigniting this issue. “So why bring me up, bro? How does that make any sense? Why are you bringing me up, I respond, and now you’re saying there’s no reason for him and I to be in a conversation? What do you want to gain out of it? You want to gain something out of it, clearly. Is your podcast doing that bad, your numbers are that bad, you need me to react to it? Damn, nothing just works out for you, bro. Your rap career failed, your podcast is clearly failing.”
Meanwhile, this debacle began because Kai Cenat complained about Killer Mike winning the Best Rap Album Grammy over Travis Scott, and saying he didn’t even know who Mike was. When Budden blasted him, Ross defended Cenat, and now it’s all-out animosity. We’ll see if these personalities can learn from this exchange. For more news and the latest updates on Joe Budden and Adin Ross, come back to HNHH.
Few hip-hop fans can engage with some of the biggest artists in the genre today without coming across a streamer or two. Kai Cenat and Adin Ross, on the Twitch and Kick platforms respectively, are certainly leading the pack in that regard. Moreover, their livestreams with rappers have been fan favorites for a few years now, and they show no signs of slowing down. However, their rise also provoked a tough, complex, and divisive conversation between the old guard of hip-hop media and journalism and this new emergence. According to “old heads” and critics of streamers like Cenat, Ross, IShowSpeed, and many more, they don’t really represent the culture, respect its foundations and missions, or platform it in a benevolent or knowledge-based manner.
But do Kai Cenat and Adin Ross have to hold themselves to these standards of hip-hop coverage to deserve a platform? They are by no means rap-centric, as they make content about a variety of things (and handled their own external conflicts outside of hip-hop, such as the New Yorker’s chaotic in-person giveaway and the Floridian’s controversial views or his promotion of them). In that last regard, they’ve resolved and moved past those, but the questions of their role in hip-hop culture remain unanswered. What does this generational divide mean for the future of the genre and community, how can all of us bridge that gap, and can (and should) these young, outspoken voices find not just success in the larger media world, but also respect from it?
There’s perhaps no better starting point than to answer these questions at its core: are these streamers “right” about hip-hop? When Killer Mike recently won the Best Rap Album Grammy for MICHAEL, Kai Cenat, Adin Ross, and many others questioned who he was, and lamented Travis Scott’s UTOPIA‘s loss. Joe Budden blasted this take, aggressively saying that “it’s not about [them].” Cenat and Ross retorted quickly, flaunting their financial success and remarking how he always trashes both new music and new media. This would’ve all been much easier to empathize with if they knew who Mike was and just preferred UTOPIA over MICHAEL. A lack of familiarity with a genre you’re such a fan of reflects a lack of interest in the culture’s roots, and it made valid preferences of contemporary juggernauts harder to justify.
Of course, this “old vs. new” debate has been a part of rap from the very beginning, and it’s not wrong at all to prefer UTOPIA over MICHAEL. The real issue is that, while folks like Kai Cenat and Adin Ross get grander in the mainstream, they seem to only champion the most current artists making waves. Their visibility pulls all of hip-hop up with them, and without fully acknowledging their blind spots (which are fine to have), their frustrations don’t stand on any weight of fandom, experience, or knowledge. Instead, it turns into an old head complaining about young whippersnappers, and them responding just as stubbornly. In reality, they should cast aside these criticisms more passively, because the truth is that they are beneath them. Know what you are. Until you do, reactionary anger against you will inspire that same vitriol within you.
By launching that rage back, folks like Kai Cenat miss the opportunity to invite them to see their work for what it is, and not as a threat, replacement, or alternative to more traditional media coverage and journalism. Both can have a respected and popular space for their audiences, and streamers are doing great with hosting sessions with rappers. Kai’s had Offset, Nicki Minaj, Lil Yachty, and more, whereas Adin Ross chopped it up with Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Tory Lanez, and most recently, two separate streams with 21 Savage and Playboi Carti. Both stirred controversy for different reasons. 21 almost scammed Ross out of hundreds of thousands, whether unintentionally or not. On the other hand, Carti got a million from him and left their post-Grammys stream after about ten minutes when the 23-year-old didn’t pay up more.
While 21 Savage apparently paid him back and Playboi Carti might return, this made Adin Ross the subject of much mockery and pity for hip-hop. For example, DJ Akademiks believes that 21’s team took the opportunity to “finesse a white boy” because they don’t have respect for him beyond an opportunity for profit, content, and promo. Some defended Ross in both cases; others thought he was a fool for thinking otherwise. But it shows how these industries exploit each other to some degree. The Florida native doesn’t deserve scamming, but many think that if his streams were more formal or music-oriented, he wouldn’t run into these social media-heavy antics. Sure, Ross does talk about serious topics with rappers and provide enlightening conversations, but it’s only on occasion. Right now, he’s seeing that all that success doesn’t earn you an ounce of respect or authority in hip-hop.
Respect & Rejection Between Rap & The Streaming Community
Feed your kids old man nobody reading that. I respect all my OG’s and all of the elders but when u come at me first I clap back harder. Get out ur feelings.
That begs two questions: how much do streamers really respect hip-hop? And how much does hip-hop really respect streamers? The first question sits in the middle. For every Joe Budden, there’s someone like Drake to shout them out and engage with them excitedly. While Playboi Carti shunned Adin Ross, Offset really appreciated the great time that Kai Cenat showed him. Given how young much of rap is today, most rappers unquestionably respect, admire or are at least cognizant of streaming’s importance in the media ecosystem today. But they identify them as platforms and personalities, not as folks to help them develop their craft, take their careers to the next level, or help them translate their artistic identity. As such, they follow engagement… but it might not be a sustainable collaborative model.
As for streamers respecting hip-hop, there’s no doubt that streamers who’ve found a fanbase in the culture are fans of its current form. There’s also no tangible obligation for them to particularly like or know of its past because their content reaches a much younger fanbase that doesn’t bump Roc Marciano like that. Yet Chief Keef can let Adin Ross say the n-word during a live show. That is the key problem: when they erase history rather than add to it. Traditional rap media isn’t going anywhere, despite their close-minded takes on up-and-comers. But streaming can fall into using rap for clout. It’s probably fewer negative instances than positives, but arrogantly invalidating legitimate criticism damages that crucial element of hip-hop without providing similar frameworks. For them, it’s all about who’s more successful, not about how they can responsibly use their platforms as the biggest media voices right now.
In terms of that responsibility, streamers have a larger voice than ever. Back in June of 2023, after he moved to Kick and made openly transphobic comments, Adin Ross spoke to Travis Scott’s manager about why other artists didn’t want to work with him. The manager explained that he was a brand risk because of these comments, plus for endorsing figures like Andrew Tate and inviting Nazi sympathizers to his stream. Rappers didn’t want to associate with him. Now they do, which reflects that they saw his numbers go up and wanted a piece of the pie. So streamers have cleaned up their act somewhat, but the price is a transactional exchange for some, whereas others like Kai Cenat are more villainized by the media than by artists.
Both sides are wrong in their combative attempts to downplay and replace each other, despite ample room for both. There’s no clear authority to encompass hip-hop’s present-day nuances. But folks like Elliott Wilson retracting their dismissals of Kai Cenat and Charlamagne Tha God praising him are the right calls, although most haven’t followed. Rappers see streamers as peers; look at Ice Spice linking up with Cenat, a similarly young star from the Bronx. Maybe less trust in casual content with rappers would make the old guard recognize streamers as storytellers, not content chasers. If Kai, Adin, and others want respect in hip-hop, they have to respect its history. If the old guard wants to stick around, they have to support the new generation instead of dismissing their youth. Until then, petty back-and-forths about money, bars, or ignorance will kill hip-hop more than any attempt to preserve tradition or embrace change.
Well, we said it was time for fans to roast “music’s biggest night” again, and the 2024 Grammys certainly did not disappoint in this regard. People are still fuming over Taylor Swift winning Album of the Year over the likes of SZA, boygenius, Olivia Rodrigo, and Janelle Monáe. Some stars like Doja Cat left with no trophies in their arms at all. However, this awards ceremony also brought us some great moments: a couple of wins for the SOS creative, a wonderful Stevie Wonder performance, and a rendition of “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” by Burna Boy, Brandy, and 21 Savage. As far as the Recording Academy goes, we can’t really complain too much out of shock this year.
Still, for the genres of hip-hop and R&B, this was a very interesting, often chaotic, and honestly conflictive time. Whether it was the awards, reactions to them, or extracurricular antics and show elements, it was a bizarre year of representation. Yet these genres hold onto their commercial stardom. Regardless of what the Grammys got right and wrong, this made us think of some key questions that always come up around this time of year, but that should be present more often. When have awards, especially the Recording Academy’s, ever nailed their takes in the public’s eyes, why does this history exist, and does the outcome even matter for artists?
Call us corny all you want for caring about what talking heads behind an industry office boardroom think about music. We can’t deny that they rope us into the ceremony every year because of our fandom. With our previous predictions for these categories in mind, the results were mixed within hip-hop and R&B, but with no egregious outcomes in our eyes. As far as what we missed the mark on, the Grammys gave Best Traditional R&B Performance to PJ Morton and Susan Carol for “Good Morning.” We’re happy they got the award, as they had the best chemistry out of the batch. We’re also glad SZA’s “Snooze” won Best R&B Song despite our prediction, plus Best Progressive R&B Album for SOS as we expected.
But kudos to Victoria Monét, who we predicted would win in the Best R&B Song category, for winning Best New Artist and Best R&B Album for JAGUAR II -– as expected and deserved! Elsewhere, Coco Jones’ “ICU” won Best R&B Performance. While we thought SZA’s “Kill Bill” would win in this category, we’re happy that they picked Coco, who had the best performance in our eyes. As expected, Lil Durk and J. Cole’s “All My Life” beat out Burna Boy and 21 Savage’s “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” for Best Melodic Rap Performance. Shout out to Durk and Cole for getting the award, though, as it’s just as much a strong contender as almost all of the picks in these categories.
Killer Mike’s Hip-Hop Blowout & Immediate Brush With Bigotry
Killer Mike was taken away in handcuffs after his big win at the Grammys because of an alleged altercation with a security guard. At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you” pic.twitter.com/qrzoCQZXKy
Similarly, all the rap categories at the Grammys this year had mostly great picks that we would’ve championed. We expected Killer Mike’s “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” to deservedly take the Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song categories. Rather than a legacy pick with Nas’ King’s Disease III, voters chose the Atlanta legend’s MICHAEL as the Best Rap Album for 2024. It’s 2023’s middle point between hip-hop purism and contemporary appeal. While it’s obvious in hindsight, we’re happy to have been wrong here. Folks are talking a lot about the other 2023 pick, Travis Scott’s UTOPIA, getting “robbed” of the award… but we’ll get to that soon. Unfortunately for Mike, the Recording Academy’s praise of his artistry was almost immediately followed with a small, since-resolved, but disgusting reminder of the biases artists of his skin color and culture face.
Authorities arrested Killer Mike for a misdemeanor right at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles after an alleged altercation with a security guard. Sure, folks should be held accountable for their actions, but the secretive and overtly punitive way in which they treated him is a worrisome reminder that Black creatives -– and people, for that matter -– will always have a narrative against them. Some people immediately clowned and mocked this incident from racist or uncaring points of view. This wasn’t the Grammys’ fault at all, but because of the timing and how security officials handled it, the perception of his success is tainted. For hip-hop fans, it isn’t. Thus, this doesn’t matter in the grand scheme. Nevertheless, rap’s unjust representation at the most mainstream level poses cataclysmic effects for its treatment moving forward. One current juggernaut represented this in a surprising way.
Travis Scott performed UTOPIA‘s “MY EYES,” “I KNOW ?,” and “FE!N” at the Grammys this year. He brought out Playboi Carti and called the Recording Academy out for snubbing him, causing a lot of ruckus. To be honest, we had our issues with this 2023 album, but its impact and accurate representation of rap right now warrant praise. It was just a very competitive year. But as always, “snubs” like these cause folks to question whether these awards matter. The answer’s been a resounding “no” for decades, ever since Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff boycotted the 1989 Grammy Awards, the first to acknowledge hip-hop as a genre. That year, the Grammys decided against televising the hip-hop awards… another problem we’ll get to later.
What is strangest about Travis Scott at the Grammys is the framing. They let him perform with no other recognition, knowing the backlash from snubbing ASTROWORLD back during the 2019 ceremony. In addition, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. gave a speech right after his performance that seemed oddly hypocritical. He lamented the loss of life at music festivals, and while the example he proposed resulted in over 300 deaths, it was bizarre to see this after the host of the Astroworld Festival performed. It seemed a lazy way to avoid criticism while revealing their true choice: platforming La Flame. We don’t think the festival’s fully his responsibility; we believe the Recording Academy made it impossible for folks not to discredit him for one reason or another and still profit off his appearance.
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) February 5, 2024
Along that same vein, Jay-Z’s acceptance speech for the Global Impact Award contained curious inconsistencies. He blasted the Grammys for never giving Album of the Year to his wife Beyoncé, the most awarded person in their history. Also, Hov said some of the nominees that night didn’t deserve it, and that these awards are subjective. But he emphasized that hip-hop wants them to get it right because it matters for folks to see that they can find massive reach and keep artistry intact. The 54-year-old even referenced Will and Jazzy Jeff’s boycott of the ceremony and his own boycott when DMX didn’t receive a nomination. Even though it’s wild to say, similar to 1989, no rap categories showed up during the CBS broadcast of the main event in 2024, either.
As such, 2024’s Grammys left us with a lot to think about. What does it mean when the industry’s most successful rapper calls them out and puts others down while doing so? Why put one of the world’s biggest rappers today on your stage just to sideline him in every other way, warranted or not? When SZA loses in the general categories, can R&B ever dominate critically as it has culturally for decades? We like all the picks and congratulate the nominees, but now we’re in a comedown. The hype cycle passed, and we left with a sinking feeling in our stomachs. With more pushback against the Recording Academy from these genres than ever on their stage, maybe rap and R&B should eschew validation from this organization, one uninterested in providing an equitable spot for it at the table.
With every generation, there are a handful of artists whose talent, reach, and story mark themselves as timeless achievements and souls. Without question, Amy Winehouse is one of the 21st century’s most important exponents in this regard. Her influence ushered in revitalizations of vocal flair, vintage aesthetics, and raw, emotive storytelling and character portraits in popular music. The London singer encompassed so much: powerful songwriting, carefully crafted and intent-driven releases, production that is deeply appreciative of the wide-ranging musical canon, and a truly resonant voice in every way. So it’s no surprise that her love of hip-hop, and so many other genres, drove much of her artistry.
Furthermore, the culture certainly returned the favor, and continues to do so to this day. As recently as October 2023, U.K. rapper Skepta sampled Amy Winehouse’s vocals from her 2006 song “Tears Dry On Their Own” on his aptly titled house cut, “Can’t Play Myself (A Tribute To Amy).” So many rap subgenres and communities appreciated her work: classic boom-bap exponents, Atlanta trap pioneers, Long Beach genre-benders, and some of the biggest artists in the game in general. Across these six picks (in no particular order), the late legend’s legacy lives on through artists and art forms that she championed like few others.
“Tears Dry On Their Own” Dungeon Family Remix – Organized Noize (Released 2011)
Speaking of Skepta’s treatment of this Back To Black cut from 2006, frequent Outkast collaborators -– and some of the best producers out of the South -– also gave it a spin. Amy Winehouse’s vocals, instead of pairing with retro instrumentation with a peppier step, ride over heavy kicks, chopped-up piano melodies and background vocals, and sharp snares, crafting a DJ Screw-esque effect. Of course, this is exactly the type of beat that the Dungeon Family perfected back in the 1990s and 2000s. Despite the aesthetic change, the contralto vocalist’s croons and swells sound even more spotlit and passionate here.
Sure, the mixing quality of this version is a little off, probably because of how its distribution methods have aged. Big Boi originally posted this remix on a website after she passed, and YouTube re-releases of it hit your ears with a lot of fuzz. Bizarrely, though, it adds to the atmosphere of this Amy Winehouse reimagining in a contemporary context. Much like the soul and R&B that inspired so much of her greatness (and that she and frequent production collaborators Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi sampled), it sounds like an unearthed vinyl that becomes a gem for a crate-digger years later, crackling through the speakers with all the passion its performer holds.
“Kush Is My Cologne” – Gucci Mane ft. Bun B, E-40 & Devin The Dude (2009)
Moving over to one of the six-time Grammy Award winner’s most popular songs, Back To Black‘s opener, “Rehab,” is one of her most iconic hooks and instrumentals. Even Gucci Mane took a liking to it, and on his 2009 album The State vs. Radric Davis, he interpolated the chorus for one of his verse lines. “Kush, purp, strong dro, What I need cologne for? They tried to send me to rehab but I said ‘No, no I won’t go,’” he raps on the record. It’s certainly one of the most tonally conflictive but curious examples on this list.
However, we’d be remiss not to mention Jay-Z and Pharoahe Monch’s remixes of “Rehab,” each of which came out around 2008 and warrants a listen. Unfortunately, none of these tracks knew how Amy Winehouse’s career would tragically end. As such, it’s strong whiplash to listen to any version of this song today, yet it doesn’t take away from its potency, its resonance, and its quality as a composition and performance. Also, it’s a reminder that music can affect lives for many different reasons than why lives affected its creation, and few artists can ever transcend their context like this.
Here we have one of the most subtle instances of sampling on the list: a simple drum beat that’s distorted, echoed, and manipulated to make it a hazy, lo-fi driving force. Lil Ugly Mane doesn’t rap on “vpn,” as this is an album (2021’s volcanic bird enemy and the voiced concern) where he goes into more singing, trip-hop inspirations, and a lot of genre and timbre experimentation. So what’s the drum beat that he takes from? It’s from Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” (also off Back To Black), on which Homer Steinweiss is on the kit.
Perhaps the most important thing to remark about “vpn” as it relates to “You Know I’m No Good” is how it’s able to communicate the slightly despondent, melancholy, yet hopeful tone of the original. Lyrically, both artists play a lot with how their inner demons inform their relationships, and they make you feel that push-and-pull with their deliveries. Amy Winehouse’s contributions are as musical as they are personal, as many saw their own troubles reflected in her confidence and honesty. There’s also a great remix of the original featuring Ghostface Killah, which should be another gem for you to add to your queue.
“Half-Time” – Flatbush Zombies Ft. A$AP Twelvyy (2015)
Coming off the New York trio’s non-streaming 2015 EP expansion, Day Of The Dead, this track samples Amy Winehouse’s “Half Time” (with drums courtesy of none other than Questlove) released posthumously on the 2011 project Lioness: Hidden Treasures. With glistening keys, an easy-going but crisp drum beat, and dense staccato bass, this is a classic East Coast boom-bap treatment. Each MC on here flows incredibly well, and the dreamy instrumental evokes the original’s themes of a passion for music. We’re repeating ourselves here, but it’s the truth: few artists could represent this fervor more than the Frank superstar.
Not only that, but this is also one of the most musically complex examples on this list, albeit a simple technique in the grand scheme of things. “Half-Time” switches between loops of two different parts of “Half-Time” to build its progression. A slowdown towards the end makes the dream feel even woozier, and it makes us wonder what amazing collaborations could’ve come from Amy Winehouse and the contemporary lane of sample-based and genre-fusing hip-hop artists. Like everything that was ever great, it leaves us wanting a little more.
Now, for what might be the most unique sample choice here, we have Vince Staples’ excellent and experimental 2017 album, Big Fish Theory. On the frantically percussive but atmospherically calming cut “Alyssa Interlude,” the Long Beach MC -– rather, the track’s producer “Zack Sekoff” -– samples an Amy Winehouse interview with Tim Chipping from 2006. “That’s like a real drug, isn’t it?” she says of love. “So when it -– when it didn’t come together, I was just like… you know? It really hurt. But I needed enough distance from it so that it wasn’t, like, raw emotion anymore. But not enough -– enough distance that I’d forget. I’m quite a self-destructive person, so I guess… I guess I keep giving myself material.”
Emotionally, this is a powerful moment considering the English icon’s personal struggles with addiction and mental health. It also means a lot to Vince Staples, as she inspired his 2016 EP Prima Donna and uses this interview to complement his romantic feelings for someone who is no longer there. “A true artist can make you feel both their sorrow and their happiness,” he said of Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black, one of his favorite albums, during a TIDAL Magazine interview. “You feel all of these emotions back to back and transform them into these stories without noticing the shift. Definitely someone who was gone too soon. R.I.P.”
“Cherry Wine” – Nas Ft. Amy Winehouse (2012)
Yeah, we know this isn’t a sample, but we can’t talk about Amy Winehouse and hip-hop without bringing up her strong bond with Nas. He was her crush, as portrayed in her track “Me and Mr. Jones,” and they met up thanks to the producer of “Cherry Wine” and collaborator-in-common, Salaam Remi. This cut, released on Esco’s 2012 album Life Is Good, resulted from a lot of back-and-forth work together, of which they had a lot before she tragically passed. Eventually, the “Valerie” hitmaker’s demo vocals for the song surfaced (which technically makes it a sample), and the Queens legend could pay fitting tribute to his birthday twin. They were born on September 14 exactly a decade apart.
What’s more is that she had previously sampled his 2002 song “Made You Look” on her 2003 release “In My Bed,” both produced by Salaam Remi. Back to “Cherry Wine,” though, Amy Winehouse longs for her soulmate (whom many interpret to be the Illmatic lyricist), as he goes over what he wants in a woman. It’s tender, soulful, well-paced, sonically pristine, and an evocative display of chemistry and appreciation. “We’re just so thankful that her people were so understanding that, you know, this was our homie,” Nas told Power 106 in 2012. “They let us rock out with her music on the album. So, we got love for Amy forever. That’s our sister. Love her.” We’re forever thankful for what these artists did to honor Amy Jade, and even more thankful for what she saw in hip-hop.
In a celebration of Hollywood and Hip Hop, notable figures like Angela Bassett, Dave Chappelle, and Tasha Smith gathered for a spirited event in the heart of Inglewood. As HNHH previously reported, Dave Chappelle performed Biggie’s “Big Poppa” on stage. This cost-free concert, a reflection of the city’s diverse cultural landscape, brought together a blend of entertainment worlds. The event took place on Monday, January 15 (also coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day), and was an evening to remember.
The focal point of the celebration was the acclaimed collective 1500 or Nothin’, recognized for their significant role in producing hit records for artists like Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z. The City of Inglewood acknowledged their contributions by dedicating January 15th as 1500 or Nothin’ Day, a tradition upheld for four consecutive years. The day unfolded with an array of talented musicians, contributing to a captivating evening.
Moreover, taking place at the 1500 Sound Academy in Inglewood, the event featured an extensive 8-hour concert, showcasing the talents of LA’s revered artists. From Xzibit and Dom Kennedy to Eric Bellinger, Problem, Kurupt, DJ Quik, and Warren G, the lineup comprised influential West Coast talent. The atmosphere was punctuated with impromptu appearances by celebrities, including Dave Chappelle and Angela Bassett. Chappelle made a surprising detour into rapping and singing, while Bassett made her first public appearance since winning an Oscar, adding a touch of Hollywood prestige to the proceedings.
The event’s complimentary nature added to its appeal, creating a noteworthy turnout for Inglewood. The live music aspect, an integral part of the celebration, underscored the broad appeal of Hip Hop culture. This remarkable event was a reflection of Rance’s enduring connections and a sincere effort to give back to the community that shaped him. With deep roots in Los Angeles, 1500 or Nothin’ not only received local recognition but also earned acknowledgment from the broader Los Angeles community. Their dedication to both their craft and community resonated, establishing them as cultural contributors. In summary, the Inglewood celebration seamlessly blended Hollywood influence with the authentic beats of Hip Hop, highlighting the collective impact of 1500 or Nothin’.
Democrats Launch Hip Hop Task Force to Fight Racial Inequity
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