Wu-Tang Clan is undeniably one of the most iconic groups in the history of hip-hop and rap music.
The supergroup‘s legacy continues to live on through their timeless music. Additionally, the ongoing Hulu show is actively telling the story of its members and the history of the crew.
Wu-Tang Clan perform on stage on the final night of the “New York State of Mind Tour” at PETCO Park on October 06, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
Hulu premiered Wu-Tang: An American Saga‘s first season in 2019. Executive-produced by members RZA and Method Man, along with Alex Tse and Brian Grazer, the show is a dramatized biographical look into the Clan’s formation. Season two subsequently premiered in September of 2021.
The new third and final season will follow the Wu-Tang Clan‘s five-year plan and the various challenges that come along with it. Furthermore, it will also explore the group members’ solo careers. RZA is responsible for rallying together the black men to turn to music rather than the streets. As a result, the “Grits” rapper struggles to stay on top of things.
The TV series took to its official Twitter account to reveal the first look at the show’s upcoming third season. The photos show the cast filming on set in various locations. It’s also set to be the show’s final season. “First look at the new season[.] The Final Season of Wu-Tang: An American Saga premieres February 15. #WuTangOnHulu,” reads the tweet.
The final season’s first three episodes will be available to stream on February 15. New episodes will premiere every Wednesday afterwards.
Will you be tuning into Wu-Tang: An American Saga‘s third and final season? Comment down below. Finally, make sure to stay tuned to all of HNHH for all of the latest updates in music and pop culture.
Throughout the course of Hip-Hop history, there have been countless beefs between rappers. Although his neverending conflict with Pusha T has become a career-defining back-and-forth for him, Drake’s first major beef involved Meek Mill. While tensions were undoubtedly brewing behind the scenes, most casual fans can trace their conflict back to “R.I.C.O.” That Dreams Worth More Than Money cut led to a war of words and diss tracks between the close collaborators. Furthermore, it led to Atlanta-based rapper Quentin Miller being exposed as Drake’s alleged ghostwriter.
Eventually, the Meek and Drake beef was squashed, and in the years since, the two reunited on 2018’s “Going Bad.” Despite their reconciliation, Quentin Miller has still had to combat ghostwriting labels throughout his career. Now, in a candid sit-down with DJ Vlad, the WDNG Crshrs artist revealed more of the backstory behind “R.I.C.O.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 20: Rapper Quentin Miller performs onstage during TIDAL X: 1020 Amplified by HTC at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on October 20, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIDAL)
Quentin Miller discusses “R.I.C.O.,” Drake, DJ Drama, and Meek Mill during his latest VladTV interview.
“R.I.C.O.” single-handedly caused one of the biggest riffs in the music industry upon its release. Surprisingly, Quentin Miller wasn’t even initially aware that Drake decided to use his reference track. What’s more, Quentin Miller found out about it through DJ Drama.
“I had a super tight relationship with Drama at the time, so I sent him that. Just on some, ‘Check me out,’” Miller explained. “I looked up to Drama the same way I looked up to Drake. It’s like these are two legends, so [I was] just getting their approval on shit. A lot of times, just send shit or whatever.”
He continued, saying, “Then one random day in a club with Drama in L.A., he’s like, ‘Yo, you know Meek got on that joint.’ And I’m like, ‘What joint?’ He’s like, ‘The “R.I.C.O.” joint.’” And at the time, I hadn’t heard Drake’s version of “R.I.C.O.” I didn’t even know that Drake did it. So by the time I found out, we were already in it. We were in the thick of this shit.”
Elsewhere in the VladTV interview, Miller revealed that Meek Mill allegedly contacted Miller to write for him as well. However, Miller asserted that the energy was off, so he claims he repeatedly denied Meek’s requests.
Check out Quentin Miller’s latest VladTV interview clip below.
Regardless of your thoughts on him, Drake is continuing his run as one of the most dominant acts that mainstream music has ever seen.
Although he’s been in the game for over a decade, he continues to be all over the charts and pull in quite impressive sales and streaming numbers with every new release.
Rapper Drake performs onstage during “Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert” at State Farm Arena. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
However, he didn’t get to this point without a little bit of dedication and hard work.
According to reports from TMZ, pages of the Toronto superstar’s old handwritten lyrics were recently discovered in a dumpster. At the time of these lyrics, the Take Care artist was allegedly working on music in his uncle’s Memphis factory. Once it closed down, the pages somehow ended up in the garbage.
It’s certainly hard to tell exactly what year the “Jimmy Cooks” rapper penned the lyrics. However, one of the pages does contain lyrics for a song seemingly titled “Come Spring.” On Drizzy’s very first mixtape, 2006’s Room For Improvement, there’s a song called “Come Winter” within the tracklist.
“We’re in the age of conflict and knowledge / But we’re trapped in this cage of barbed wire and wreckage with the freedom to go to college / The freedom to indulge and dissolve ourselves in the process / The law says / You have witnessed / an audience in the race of silence,” young Drake wrote on one of the pages.
A rep for the MIT auction house says rapper Drake was working in his uncle’s Memphis furniture factory as a youth and the lyrics were found in the dumpster when the factory eventually closed down. Now, they’ll be posted for sale. #yeg#yeg893fm#musicgossippic.twitter.com/gDQKguUy97
Thanks to Moments In Time, a famous authentic autograph and memorabilia dealer, the notebook is going up for sale. The price point is reportedly $20,000.
2022 has proven to be yet another majorly successful year for the 36-year-old. In November, he claimed another Billboard record, becoming the only artist ever to occupy at least eight of the top 10 songs in the the Hot 100 chart simultaneously, on two different occasions. This feat is thanks to his most recent album, the 21 Savage collab, Her Loss. Furthermore, the album marks the biggest opening week for a hip-hop/R&B album in 2022, selling 411,000 copies.
Would you consider buying this piece of music history if you have a cool $20,000 kicking around? Let us know in the comments down below. Finally, make sure to tune into our newest holiday playlist here.
As a father of seven, Future is certainly a busy man behind the scenes. He’s also evidently no stranger to baby mama drama.
However, Jakobi Wilburn, the 39-year-old’s first-born son, recently spoke out about what it’s really like to have him as his dad.
Rapper Future performs onstage during day two of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
In a recent interview with The Progress Report, the 20-year-old discusses what his childhood was like before his dad made it big.
“It was regular. Going to school, had all the KDs, Lebrons, Nike outfits. It was cool though, I still played outside every day, had bikes, went to the park, movies, did everything [that] everybody else was doing. It wasn’t really different until it got like, ‘that’s your dad?!’ I’m still the same Kobi, sh*t. Nothing really changed but the status, for real,” he says.
He also went on to talk about the ways in which his dad supports him in making his own music. When asked what his reaction was when he told the “PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ” rapper that he wanted to be an artist, he says it was first met with skepticism.
“He [was] kinda like, ‘yeah right. You don’t wanna do music. You just wanna do it ’cause I do it.’ It’s like, no! I wanna do it ’cause I wanna do it. But he was like, ‘show me that you wanna do it ’cause you wanna do it.’ Ever since then, I was in the studio every single day,” he admits.
“I’m up here longer than him. He come up here and I’ve been up here. He’s leaving and I’m still in there. He just sees me building up my music, like ‘you got hundreds of songs now! You really want it.’ So he’s fully on board with it now,” he later continued.
Wilburn makes music under his artist name, King Kobi. One of his songs from earlier this year, “40 FLOORS UP” features Homixide Gang.
2022 has been yet another busy and successful year for the “Mask Off” rapper. His ninth studio album, I NEVER LIKED YOU, arrived in April and subsequently received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
How long do you think it will be until Future decides to collaborate on some music with his son? Comment down below and be sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest updates in the industry.
As a result, the media personality has continually seen himself in some controversial headlines.
Joe Budden attends Brooklyn Chophouse Grand Opening at Brooklyn Chophouse. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
His most recent comments arrived while making an appearance on the Earn Your Leisure podcast. The “Pump It Up” rapper believes that new rappers shouldn’t get signed solely based on their musical talents. According to him, labels should be requiring up-and-coming artists to additionally take a hip-hop SAT test.
Many artists, especially in today’s fast-paced world, see offers from record labels after one viral song or snippet. However, the former Everyday Struggle host says they should also have to showcase their knowledge about the industry.
“I’ve always felt like there needs to be, like, a hip-hop SAT test that you take before you can get a record deal. Some of you n****s gotta answer some questions, like ‘how do you hold a microphone?’ They’re some of the bare basics you gotta know. If everybody just know everything, with no consequence, with no trial and error, then everybody’s just doing the same sh*t,” suggests the 42-year-old.
The comment comes in response to him and the podcast’s hosts discussing the over-saturation of both the podcast and music industry.
In other recent news surrounding the media personality, he’s been engaging in some heated exchanges with actress Vivica A. Fox. This has been a result of him dissing Megan Thee Stallion while she’s going through the trial for Tory Lanez’s alleged shooting over two years ago.
The Independence Day actress subsequently took aim at the 42-year-old, telling him to “sit your b*tch ass down.” “Y’all mad ’cause the girls right now is ruling in rap. It’s just driving y’all crazy that the sisters is just ruling,” she clapped back.
What do you think of Budden’s most recent comments? Should newer artists have to take something like his “hip-hop SAT test” before signing a deal in the industry? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below.
For those who have not yet seen the show, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon’s characters are depicted as deadly adversaries. In the first season, Raekwon even participates in a violent act that puts Ghostface’s entire family in danger. Since Rae and Ghost famously teamed up for one of the most celebrated rap albums of all time, many casual fans couldn’t believe that they were originally mortal enemies. According to one of Ghostface Killah, fans were right to be skeptical.
Ghostface Killah denies ever having beef with Raekwon
Raekwon (L) and Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan perform during the “New York State of Mind” tour finale at Oakland Arena on October 01, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
In a recent interview on the Outside with Gorilla Nems podcast, Ghostface Killah denied the validity of the show’s depiction of his beef with his Only Build 4 Cuban Linx… collaborator. When asked how they were able to work so closely together after beefing, Ghostface denied ever having beef with Raekwon.
“Me and Rae never had beef. That’s what I told you,” Ghostface Killah explained. “Yeah, me and Rae never had no problems. It was the way them characters got switched around. It’s TV.”
“I don’t laugh about that shit ‘cause that shit ain’t my story,” Ghostface continued. “But Rae my bro. I love him. We just had great chemistry. We had chemistry. Like he taught me a lot of shit.”
In an exclusive 2013 interview with HNHH, Raekwon admitted that there was beef and tension within Wu-Tang from the beginning. In a 2021 interview with VladTV, Raekwon confirmed Ghostface was beefing with one of his friends. That tension eventually led to Ghostface’s home getting shot up.
Do you think Ghostface Killah is being completely honest? Or do you think the depiction of Ghostface and Raekwon’s tensions in Hulu’s Wu-Tang show may have some merit? Let us know what you think in the comment section and stay tuned to HNHH for more news.
The music industry can be taxing on everyone who partakes in it, from artists to journalists and everyone in between. Unfortunately, the Hip-Hop community deals with additional issues that can make the music business even harder to stomach. On November 1, we learned of Takeoff’s passing, and in a year that has also taken away artists like PnB Rock and Trouble, many rappers were understandably distraught. Desiigner was one of those rappers.
“Yo, I’m done, I’m done, I’m done,” Desiigner lamented in a video response to Takeoff’s death. “Why do we fucking do this? I swear this shit ain’t nothing. I’m done [with] rap. It’s done, it’s done, it’s done, it’s done. Not to Takeoff, bro. It’s done.”
Desiigner’s reaction was harrowing and, more importantly, representative of the pain that many of us have felt all year long. For a moment, it appeared that the 25-year-old artist was ready to call it quits on his rap career. Thankfully, he did not because he still has a role to play in the Hip-Hop community. Like it or not, Desiigner — once touted as the crown prince of GOOD Music — is in Hip-Hop’s history books. And that’s not up for debate.
Thanks to the mid-2010s smash hit “Panda,” the New York-bred artist has a quintuple-platinum-certified record under his belt. In addition to those early career RIAA certifications, Desiigner also landed multiple appearances on Ye’s The Life of Pablo. His mentor heavily sampled “Panda” on “Pt. 2,” and Desiigner also appeared on the joyously chaotic “Freestyle 4.”
Desiigner’s presence on TLOP served as a huge co-sign from the artist formerly known as Kanye West. At the time, it was rare for Ye to feature GOOD signees, especially newer ones, on his albums. During his creative stretch from Yeezus to TLOP, Kid Cudi was the only recurring GOOD-affiliated artist on Ye’s solo efforts. Desiigner’s presence on TLOP broke that trend, and subsequently, his life changed forever.
(L-R) Desiigner and Pusha-T attend the FADER FORT presented by Converse during SXSW on March 16, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images)
Bringing youthful energy to the seasoned GOOD roster, Desiigner teamed up with his labelmates for “Champions.” The sensational posse cut was the first and last single for the long-awaited Cruel Winter compilation album, and six years later, it’s still a poignant reminder of what could have been.
Nevertheless, Desiigner’s infectious hook work on “Champions” further made him a shoo-in for the 2016 XXL Freshman Class. As expected, Desiigner made it on the XXL cover, appearing alongside industry leaders such as Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, Anderson .Paak, and 21 Savage. Surprisingly, Desiigner was able to dominate a significant amount of the 2016 XXL Freshman buzz thanks to his unforgettable freestyle. After going viral for his trance-like freestyle, Desiigner delivered “Tiimmy Turner,” and the success of that single paved the way for his debut mixtape, New English. A couple of years later, he followed that project up with his debut EP, Life of Desiigner. Unfortunately, his official debut studio album never materialized during his tenure on GOOD Music.
Years removed from the record label that helped make him a worldwide phenomenon, the New York-bred rapper is in a good place. However, Desiigner has his sights set on “Bigger and Bigger” things in 2023. Following a flurry of fiery fourth-quarter singles, Desiigner recently joined HNHH for an exclusive 12 Days of Christmas interview. Throughout our conversation, the Grammy-nominated artist discussed his long-awaited debut album, major lifestyle changes, and his deep love for Christmas music. Furthermore, he shared with us insane details about Cruel Winter, and he also revealed his fondest GOOD Music memories.
Scroll down for Desiigner’s full 12 Days of Christmas interview, edited lightly for length and clarity.
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Desiigner joins HNHH for a enthusiastic 12 Days of Christmas Q&A.
HNHH: Today, you dropped “Bigger and Bigger.” How are you feeling about that?
Desiigner: Yo! Feeling amazing. Word man, I’m just now waking up man from the strip club. Just now, man. It was a vibe. It was cool man. I’m happy to drop some more super shit for y’all, for real. And just keeping it going. We supposed to have the video coming up in the next couple of days. Getting that shot, making sure it’s prepped up for y’all. Get that up, word up.
Bet. So were they playing “Bigger and “Bigger” in the club last night?
Yeah, word. They played that thing a couple of times. We was in there vibing. No funny, it had to get ran back.
I’m really feeling that one. Of the four most recent ones that you just dropped within the last month, I think that was my favorite one. That one and “Kilo.” I really liked “Star In The Room,” too, but we’ll get to that. Let’s talk about “Kilo” with Slim Jxmmi. Tell me how that one came to be. How’d you two connect?
It was a situation where he was flying into town. He flew in LA, right as I was coming. So when I went to the crib, I told Kyle, KT, and everybody, ‘I’m on my way out.’ When I came back, they was already on the phone with Slim Jxm. They was like, ‘Yo, Slim on his way.’
So soon as I came in, you know, in the studio, I heard the beat. Beat sounded crazy lit, so I was like I need to jump on it. Once I jumped on it, Slim was already walking in the studio. He was tired, you know. Bro was mad tired. He fell asleep, and then out of nowhere, he just got up. Man was on a pen and paper, just writing and getting lit. We partied all night. It was a great celebration after that one. It was cool.
He came correct on that one. It was very reminiscent of the mid-2010s, like how he used to be. I guess since we haven’t had a lot of Rae Sremmurd music recently, it felt really good.
Word, no kizzy. Slim? He go hard, man. We’re working on a project right now. Slim got some shit, man. Definitely, definitely. I feel like he put put some shit on that verse, for sure for sure. That’s a vibe, you feel me?
Gotchu. Did he let you listen to any of Sremmlife 4 by chance?
Ah, nah. I listened to Sremmlife 4, man. But when he was in Saudi Arabia, he was talking about me and him coming back and working in Atlanta. We gon’ put some work in, you know what I mean. There might be Desiigner x Sremmlife vibes, I don’t know man.
That’s exciting. Y’all definitely both got that infectious energy. Well, let’s talk about the other singles. Like I mentioned you dropped four singles in a matter of a month. What inspired you to go on this run?
I just wanted to just give it to y’all. I feel like the game has changed. The game ain’t like when artists could just give the supporters one single and keep driving and pushing. I feel like the game has changed so much. Y’all just want to hear more music and hear your homeboys just dropping heat on a spree. I just love the idea of moving with my brand now. I wanted to have been doing that since the beginning, when I was with Def Jam. But when were you dealing with certain major labels, they just don’t see it like that.
Like they ain’t understand the SoundCloud wave, when we were just going on SoundCloud and throwing that thing up. This was before they were doing the subscriptions, and you could be able to tap in with your supporters. Get a video out later on that week or whatever. Like you could just make sure you could keep it going for your shows and stuff. So definitely, getting back on this was something I always wanted to do. It’s super fun now, super fun. I’m moving like that rather than just trying to promote a record all day. I can promote it and let my people promote it, and then when I go to this club or go to my shows, I can keep banging ‘em non-stop.
I wanted to have been doing that since the beginning, when I was with Def Jam. But when were you dealing with certain major labels, they just don’t see it like that.
Nah, definitely. It helps build up momentum. When I was going track by track, I was like yeah, ‘He’s getting into a groove.’ With that said, each of them has a different vibe to it, especially “Star In The Room.” I would say is the most different of all of them.
Appreciate it bro.
No worries, man. I was looking at the credits. I’m just like a nerd with the music stuff, so I be looking at the credits. You’re credited as a producer on “Star In The Room,” “My Brodie,” “Kilo,” and “Bigger and Bigger.” Have you been getting behind the boards more?
Definitely, man. Produced them, for sure for sure. Being able to put certain things and touches when we in the room and seeing how it’s gonna come out [is important]. I just got that type of air, and I love being part of the lyrics as well as being a part of the production.
Desiigner performs at It’s Time For Hip Hop In NYC: Brooklyn at Brooklyn Army Terminal on August 19, 2021 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
Interesting. What made you get into production? Or have you been producing, and we just didn’t really know?
[Laughs] I did “Tiimy Turner” with Mike Dean. Y’all probably just don’t really know. Yeah, Mike Dean did the pianos and stuff at the end. He was dope, and he was impressed that I even had some beat cadence like that. Dean was like, ‘Yo, man, that was fire.’ He liked it. And so he was like, ‘Yo, bro, I ain’t gon’ lie — you go hard. But I’mma put some saucy on it for you.’ And from then on after “Tiimmy Turner,” we were locked. Our relationship built after that, from that creation we made.
That’s dope. Well, since you’ve already dropped these singles, what else do you have planned for the rest of 2022? Because I know you’re not finna stop.
Oh yeah, man. Nonstop. Word, what else we got planned? We got this video coming out, like I said for “Bigger and Bigger.” Definitely tryna hear about some merch. I’ll probably have some Christmas vibes or some coming up for y’all. Going into 2023, man, we just going hard. I’m thinking about restaurants I want to open up. Thinking of live centers with games where kids could come over there and stream live. I’m thinking about a whole bunch of things. I’m putting it together step-by-step, but it’s all gonna get accomplished.
New Color. The new album’s called New Color. I’m working on it right now.
Nah, for sure. Well, one of the things that I think a lot of people may be interested in is your debut album. You’re kind of like a path similar to Jay Electronica, with how it’s been a long wait for your debut.
Yeah, word man.
New English was a mixtape.
Yeah.
Life of Desiigner was an EP.
Yeah.
So yeah, we’re waiting, man!
New Color. The new album’s called New Color. I’m working on it right now. It’s fire. I got some features on it already. It’s lit. I’m just putting it together. Shout out to a couple of great producers, like Rich Skillz, ATL [Jacob]. You know what I’m saying, people like that.
New Color, you said, right?
Yeah, New Color, man.
Gotcha. And what has that process been like putting it together? Because it’s been a long time coming. Does it feel like you’ve got a lot of like weight going into it? Are you just having a good time with it?
Um, I feel like it’s cool. Even with me just thinking about the color, like the color of the cover. I’m really trying to bring out a new color, something that we haven’t seen before. Bringing that and making it aesthetically match with the music and having that paired with the music right is gonna be dope.
Gotcha. Yeah, that sounds lit. Listening to you talk now compared to when I was watching interviews from when you first came out, I can see your growth. You’re 25 now, so how are you approaching the game differently from when you were 19?
I’m just approaching the game more comfortably, you feel me. P Diddy told me like, ‘Yo, it’s gonna take like five years before you get really comfortable in the shit.’ And word, it just took that. That and yoga, breathing, and understanding balance in life. When you get in the fast lane, you just got to understand that balance. It’s not the same as when you was a kid and you could just say, “Ayo, I’m outside. I’m gonna go turn up, and we will come to the crib and go to sleep. You really got to have this shit organized. You got to make sure you got your stuff together. You’re growing up, maturing, and you are a business. So yeah, become more mature and understand that this is given. I’m appreciating it and knowing that it was given to me. I’m just moving like that, you feel me?
Yeah. So how did the transition from like Def Jam and GOOD Music to independence influence your maturity and music as well?
There were executive decisions that I had to make. I had to adopt the standpoint of whatever I’m saying right now, I’m standing on it. And I gotta make some out of it. I can’t it and then be going back to the hood. That ain’t gonna happen. I got to make sure whatever I’m doing right now is gonna push me 20 steps ahead. Thinking like that and knowing that I had to make decisions like that in my career and my life always kept me [focused]. Breathing. balance. Vibes like that.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 28: Kanye West (L) and Desiigner attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Speaking on what you just said about saying stuff and standing on it, I have a question for you about the “Letter to Ye” song that you dropped last year. In that song, you rapped, ‘They let me through the doors/now it’s time to live it up.’ And you’ve been standing on that. You’ve definitely been going hard this year. But tell me about the whole idea and conceptualization behind “Letter to Ye.”
I really just wanted to speak about it. I felt like I never really got to talk to Ye at that time. We met each other, but we hadn’t really like met each other. We greeted each other, but we hadn’t really met each other, you feel what I’m saying? I wanted to meet him and really speak to him and understand each other. Because that’s the type of artist I am. Every artist works differently. I like to have conversations with people and build, and as we talk, I’m generating the song. It really wasn’t like that with him.
It was more like, I’m signed to bruh, and bruh was just like, ‘We in the stu, do what you do.’ I wanted to hear something, like bro, you’re Kanye West. I wanted to hear some of that Kanye vibe that’ll inspire me to [go off]. But yeah, moving with Ye, it’s helped me. It’s helped me focus on that thing that I got. Become more mature and know that I do have the executive decisions, again. I gotta make sure what I’m standing is straight because ain’t nobody around gonna lead you. You got to make sure what you’re doing is sturdy.
Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, you stood on what you said in “Letter to Ye.’ You went crazy this year. Even at the beginning, you dropped “BAKIN” with Slushii and DJ Whoo Kid.
Word up, man. Shout out to Bob Saget. Yeah, RIP the goat.
How did that connection come about? I know Snoop was in the video, but like, was that connection really through Snoop Dogg?
Not that connection was through DJ Whoo Kid. Whoo Kid knew Bob Saget.
Oh, okay. I was not expecting that answer.
Yeah, it was a vibe man. Whoo Kid, Bob Saget, man it was all chill. He was over there turned up too, slapping the booty on a stripper and all that. [laughs]
Ah, RIP man.
Word up, man RIP the GOAT. Full House, man. If anybody don’t know Bob Saget is, if you’ve seen Full House, you’ve seen that guy man.
Man, I used to watch that show all the time on Nick at Nite. It’s so crazy looking back. But someone else who we lost this is Takeoff. I mean, we’ve lost so many people this year, it’s really tragic. But with Takeoff, specifically, you had a reaction to his passing online. I know you’ve worked with Quavo on champions, but like I’m you’ve probably worked with all of the Migos behind the scenes and we just haven’t known it. So what was your relationship like with Takeoff?
Dope, bro. It was amazing. My first time coming out to Atlanta, I went to go see them. I took my niggas out there. We was chilling. It was a movie meeting bro. Next time, we always linked up. I can’t say every time, but bros know the vibes. Those were my boys before “Bad and Bougee” blew up. I was over there chilling with them, Teyanna and Shump. We all had that family understanding.
The Migos and Teyanna were like my go-to’s in the beginning of the game for me. Even towards the end of bro life, like at Hennessy’s birthday party. Me and Takeoff, we were over there chillin’ and talking about how we shrooming it. So yeah, it was that type of bond with my boy. Every time I seen my boy, it was good vibes. Sturdy, sturdy. Heavy in the A. And he was one to talk like, ‘Yeah, you got it twin. Yeah, you got it.’ 100%
Man, rest in peace to the Rocket for real.
No funny. We taking off forever.
Speaking of the connection between you and Migos, let’s go back to “Champions.” That song was just such a big moment. But on the real, was Cruel Winter ever actually close to becoming a real thing?
Yeah, honestly, it really was. Honestly, we was in studio, and we was working on it. Ty Dolla, all of us. Word, Nicki. Yeah, everybody was on that joint man. It was about to be dope. And Ye was just doing his thing. Ye had things, [grunts] other things he was working on at the time, and it just never got finished up. But word man, we still got our verses in our phones and a lot of verses in them studio files.
Ah man, it always sucks to hear stuff like that. I was kind of hoping you were gonna say, ‘Nah, it was just in the early stages.’
[Laughs] You just don’t know when it comes down to Kanye, man. Bro might just say, ‘Yo, let’s all get back in the studio for something.’
I don’t know for certain, but I think I was the first one to start with the seven, in the gang. I wanted to give y’all something with different vibes. Then when I heard bro was doing sevens, I’m like, ‘Yo, that’s crazy.’
Speaking of that — I’ve been having this theory for a long time as well — but was L.O.D. kind of Ye’s unofficial start to the album every week thing in 2018? Because that project, Valee’s project, and 070 Shake’s project were all like six or seven tracks like the rest of the GOOD albums that came out that summer. Was GOOD Music just obsessed with like, short projects at the time? Or what?
[Laughs] You know what it was, man? I don’t know for certain, but I think I was the first one to start with the seven, in the gang. I wanted to give y’all something with different vibes. Then when I heard bro was doing sevens, I’m like, ‘Yo, that’s crazy.’ The whole team was working on the same frequency. Since we’d be around each other so much at that time. We would just pick up each other’s things. Like I’m doing seven, and then you’ll hear that Kanye is dropping and doing an album with seven songs next week. It was like, ‘Okay!’ Everybody was just moving in that moment, and we was doing the same shit. It’s crazy how you can share ideas like that.
Yeah, that’s really interesting. One more question about GOOD. When looking back at the entire experience you had with that label, what was your favorite memory?
That Summer Jam moment. I’m not gonna lie, bro. No cap. It was me Travis, and all of us on stage. We were supposed to have a GOOD Music tour coming.
(L-R) Desiigner, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, and Kanye West perform at Hot 97’s Summer Jam 2016 at MetLife Stadium on June 5, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
That would have been crazy.
Crazy. It was about to get crazy, but something happened where couldn’t do it. But them times when we were performing together were the best. Even that night after the time when we flooded out the city. Yo Gotti came out. Qua came out. Travis. Lil Yachty. They was talking about it on like Complex, how we just turned up and was jumping in the crowd. It was a movie, bro. To see all of us in one spot, but it’s just a whole nother party.
That’s beautiful. You could probably write a book with all the stuff that you have witnessed and just how insane that whole time period was. I definitely feel like mid to late 2010s was a different time.
Word, man, it was. It was turnt. It was sturdy, man. No funny. It was good vibes with everybody coming out. We just wanted to turn up, man. We were more in the club action around that time.
Speaking of clubs. You appeared in the video for a very popular club song last year. “She Make It Clap.” When I was watching it for the first time — because I actually was writing about for work — I was like, ‘Is that Desiigner?’ So what’s the story behind that? How did you end up in that video?
Oh, that’s my brother, man. Me and Soulja be on Live frequently. We be talking, that’s my boy Draco. I had to pull up on my boy. We linked up, he hit me in the DM and was like, ‘Yo D, pull up on the video.” He’s been fucking with me since I was a kid. I’ve been fucking with him, of course, since we was kids. So I was like, ‘Aight, bet bro.’ It was like me and my older brother, just chilling out.
He put me on things that he was doing. And it’s like, Soulja get bread bro. I ain’t even gon’ lie. He got so much shit he be doing. I like that shit. Being around bro, he be putting me on things.
No cap, I feel like he’s kind of like the rap Ray J. Both of them always got some type of venture going on.
You feel me? [laughs]
So with all these iconic artists that we’ve mentioned, who would you say are some of your favorite people that you like collaborating with? And who are you still trying to collaborate with in the future?
I like how me and Soulja be collaborating. Cause we be chilling. It be jokes, it be laughing. We can play the game all while making mad shit. And Jay Critch. Pharrell. I love me and Pharrell collaborated. Damn, Rick Ross. I got so many people, man, and I don’t want to miss any names. But heck yeah, I love when me and Swizz Beatz collaborate. The energy with Swizz Beatz was different. So many dope legends. When you’re around the legends and they’re working, it’s a whole nother vibe. I love being around the GOATs and the young up-and-coming artists. Lil TJay, that’s my lil bro. When I’m around the young guys, it feels good to see them being in the space where I was at right before I blew. Seeing that shit never gets old.
I wasn’t the kid who got everything on Christmas that I wanted. And I ain’t never asked for much because I didn’t think we could get it all. I was a kid with a little tree, big Christmas.
Gotchu, respect. Well, I got some Christmas questions for you since this is our 12 Days of Christmas thing. You celebrate Christmas?
Aye, word man. Little tree, big Christmas.
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Oh man, really just mackin’ out, being with my homeboys, being with family, and just chilling Like I said, I was a kid with a little tree, big Christmas. So just having that mindset of wanting to see us all chill. I wasn’t the kid who got everything on Christmas that I wanted. And I ain’t never asked for much because I didn’t think we could get it all. I just wanted to make sure I can just be happy and chill out.
No, I like that. This is the first time I’ve ever heard that — little tree, big Christmas. I like that though. Well, what’s your go-to when it comes to Christmas music? Like who are you playing first?
Oh man, son. [Sings “Jingle Bell Rock]. But we playing everything. Michael Jackson, we listening to that Mariah Carey. You know she gives the good Christmas vibes every year. Honestly, no funny shit, I listen to everybody, man. My house is old. My moms is 65, and pops is 66. So it’s just a vibe, you know.
Yeah, they got the best Christmas music to be honest with you.
You feel me! Word up. We was listening to the Isley Brothers, man. Before you know it, by the time it’s about six o’clock, Isley Brothers was on. Earth, Wind & Fire done got played!
[laughs] Then the James Brown creeps in.
The boy James Brown! Can’t forget the big stepper, the grandfather of this shit for sure.
Well, I’m curious. Since you have like a distinct voice, have you ever given any thought to like doing a Christmas song or Christmas album of your own? I’m thinking something like DMX’s “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” would be crazy.
I’ve thought about it, for sure. Definitely, after X put out that album for Christmas, I thought about something like that.
Gotcha. Well, what’s the word? Is it something that you think you’re gonna make eventually?
Come on! Come on, man! I might just gotta put together right now. Drop a little something on the SoundCloud, take you back there real quick.
We can’t hoard everything, bro. We become hoarders and try to collect everything, thinking we’re like leveling up on material. But as a person, your mind and your mental is everything that you need.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 02: Desiigner attends the boohooMAN x SwaeLee Launch Party at Casita Hollywood on November 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for boohooMAN)
One more Christmas-related question for you. Even with all of the fun and festive stuff that comes with Christmas, this time of the year can also be really like sad for a lot of people. When watching some of your recent interviews, I noticed how you were talking about taking care of your mental health following Takeoff’s passing and your homies’ passing around the same time. What are some mental health practices, tricks, or resources that you would suggest for people who may be struggling mentally during this holiday season?
My advice for people at this time is to really enjoy your life beyond these material ‘needs.’ Really enjoy what you got and what was originally given to you, and that’s your fresh air, your breath, your legs. Really take the time to embrace that, you know what I mean. If you’re around people, hopefully y’all share that y’all care about each other that day.
Tell each other how much y’all care about each other that day because — like you said, bro — we lost people towards the end of the year. We lost brothers; we lost friends. And it’s real. People need to understand that we got to share these times. When you with your homie, explain how dope bro is. Tell your friend that they’re smart, you know. Because you don’t know when the last time we might be able to see each other. Even with us having this conversation, it’s the last time we gon’ say it with this type of energy again, so just really appreciate things in time.
We can’t hoard everything, bro. We become hoarders and try to collect everything, thinking we’re like leveling up on material. And you gotta just level up with your relationships, your time, you. Understanding yourself, and that’s when you can just tap back into this realm and be like, ‘I want this, I want that.’ But as a person, your mind and your mental is everything that you need.
Respect. It’s been great talking to you, and I appreciate you taking the time. One more question before you go. What do you want fans to know about Desiigner going into 2023?
Oh, man, we go up. We getting [sings] “Bigger and Bigger!” Word man, we getting bigger and bigger man. So stay tuned. We got merchandise dropping, new jackets keeping us warm outside in Desiigner fabric. We got restaurants, like I said, dropping. I got gaming streaming libraries that I’m trying to open up for the kids so they can stream there and link up there. You know, more places where young men can go and get our knowledge and stuff. I feel like our knowledge gets lost. I’m tryna find ways to for men to learn something without trying to incorporate violence so much.
Preciate you again for your time, man. It really has been great. Stay safe and enjoy the holidays.
There have been talks about having 106 & Park revived for BET, and now, Jermaine Dupri is taking a walk down memory lane. Last year, Bow Wow expressed interest in having an executive position at BET. During that time, there were also speculations that he wanted to revive 106 & Park for this generation of R&B and Hip Hop listeners, but later, he revealed that the BET powers that be weren’t interested in the concept.
While on The Goats And Underdogs podcast this week, Dupri gave insight into how the series began. “106 & Park was created by me. I created the show for Bow Wow,” Dupri revealed.
“I was watching MTV and MTV had TRL. And they was catering to N’Sync, they was catering to the Backstreet Boys,” he also stated. “Anything white that was coming out that was Pop, they was allowing these kids to scream and holler. I’m like, ‘Yo, we don’t have nothin’ for Black people. Like, where’s the Black kids that love music. Why don’t they have a show like this?’”
“So, I called Stephen Hill and I said, ‘Yo, I got [an] artist, we need to make a show just like TRL. He said, ‘What’s the artist?’ And I said, ‘His name is Bow Wow.’ Of course, he was like, I don’t know. Everybody challenges what I’m saying.”
“Mind you, they wasn’t gon’ put Bow Wow on TRLlike that because he was also a rapper. He was a Black, little young boy rapping. But he also was 12 years old. Nobody on TV was 12 years old anywhere creating this type of pandemonium.”
Dupri returned to Hill to further emphasize the need for a BET version of what TRL was accomplishing. From 2000 to 2005, 106 & Park‘s original hosts were A. J. Calloway and Marie “Free” Wright. In 2006, Rocsi Diaz and Terrence J took over until their tenure ended in 2012.
Bow Wow would also famously host the series in 2012 alongside Jordan Johnson, Kimberly Walker, and Mykel Gray. After straightening out who would remain as hosts, Bow was joined by Angela Simmons.
Check out highlights from 106 & Park‘s reign below.
Gucci Mane has one of the most legendary careers in hip-hop. Whether or not you like his music, he’s had a heavy role in shaping the current landscape of hip-hop. Though artists like Waka Flocka, Young Thug, and Migos came up under his wing, perhaps, one of his most notable protegés is Nicki Minaj. However, Wop wasn’t the biggest fan of the Young Money rapper, according to Deb Antney.
Antney, Waka Flocka’s mom and founder of Mizay Entertainment, sat down with Math Hoffa and co. on My Expert Opinion. At one point in the interview, she said that Gucci Mane didn’t actually like Nicki Minaj, mainly because she refused to sleep with him.
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 17: Gucci Mane and Nicki Minaj perform during the Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash at Philips Arena on June 17, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Chris McKay/Getty Images)
“You know what hurt me? Gucci couldn’t stand her,” she said. “He didn’t like Nicki. Because he couldn’t fuck her. He didn’t like her! But for you to give these big-ups to the shit that he did? That shit was crazy! He ain’t do nothing for you! He didn’t even like her!”
Though the two worked together on a few occasions, Antney said it was a task to get Gucci on a song with Nicki MInaj.
“He had a fit when I had her getting on a record,” she said. “But I wanted all of them to work together because we’re a family, so we all have to be together. It can’t be any of this.”
Ultimately, Antney questioned Gucci’s abilities as a record executive, as well as his business acumen. She accused Wop of being “selfish,” especially when it comes to signing artists.
“He’s very selfish,” Antney said. “He’s very much to himself. I don’t even understand how he gets to sign artists. I never let artists sign to other artists because they not gonna let them become bigger than them.”
Antney’s recollection of Gucci Mane and Nicki Minaj’s relationship corroborates the latter’s claim following Wop’s infamous tweet storm. During the Twitter rant, Gucci alleged that he and Waka Flocka had sex with Nicki Minaj. “Me and waka fuck nikki minaj dats nothing,” he wrote. “Her intervention my dick in her throat I moved dat bitch to atl. Bitch u was sleepin n d car. Bitch. I pulled dat bitch off wayne bus.”
Nicki quickly denied that there was any truth behind Gucci’s claim, calling him a crack head and Bubba Gump. Gucci later admitted to being wrong in the situation and blamed his addiction to lean on the outburst.
Snoop Dogg is easily one of the most identifiable figures in hip-hop, and pop culture as a whole, but perhaps, that wouldn’t have happened without2Pac.
During a recent appearance on The 85 South Comedy Show, Snoop Dogg explained that he was never comfortable with embracing a flamboyant fashion sense until 2Pac pushed him towards it. He recalled still dressing in khakis and Chucks after the success of Doggystyle. However, ‘Pac said that he needed to elevate his style to appeal to a wider audience.
“[2Pac] like, ‘Me and you finna have a meeting… We stepping our game up. We gotta change your look, Snoop Dogg. You a pimp, n***a. Bitches love you. You fly. You gotta start showing your fly side,” Snoop recalled. “‘I’ma get you suited up.’ ‘I’ma call this n***a Dion Scott, get your suits fitted, get your hair laid, get your nails done. Put some pimpin’ on screen, n***a.’”
Rappers Snoop Doggy Dogg (left) and Tupac Shakur flash gang signs while attending the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall. (Photo by Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
The result of the pep talk inspired the look in 2Pac and Snoop’s “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” music video in 1996, which certainly marked a shift in Snoop’s career. However, Snoop explained that he wasn’t necessarily comfortable with making the stylistic shift at first.
“Just look at how I’m standing next to cuh when I’m wearing it. I’m trying to figure it out! I’m like, ‘Do I look right? I hope I don’t look sweet ’cause these pants tight as a muthafucka!’” Snoop Dogg continued, explaining that ‘Pac had him in “all this Italian that” that he “couldn’t even spell or pronounce.”
“Once I got comfortable with it, then it was like, ‘OK, this n***a’s teaching me how to be a star.’ Like, levels and layers,” Snoop continued. “‘We know you gangsta, dawg, but can you go higher than that? What if a n***a call you to be in a movie where they want you to be a lawyer? What if a n***a wants you to be a detective?’”
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