GRAMMY®-nominated rapper and pop culture sensation Ice Spice teams up with chart-topping UK rapper Central Cee on the explosive new single “Did It First.” Demonstrating what Pitchfork hailed as a “diabolical knack for hooks,” she declares, “If he cheating, I’m doing him worse / No uno, I hit the reverse/ I ain’t trippin’, the grip in my purse / I don’t care, cuz he did it first.” On his verse, Central Cee does his best to conceal his infidelities but admits, “If I went court for all the times I got caught / I’d have about 16 felons.”
ce and Central Cee began teasing the single earlier this week, stirring up speculation and amassing over 42 million views on TikTok plus 10,500+ creates with the official sound. “Did It First” is from Ice Spice’s debut album, Y2K! — due out July 26 via 10K Projects/Capitol Records. The project also includes recent hits “Think U The Shit (Fart),”“Gimmie A Light” and “Phat Butt,” which People praised as “braggadocious.”She recently performed “Think U The Shit (Fart)” at the BET Awards ‘24.
After the first leg of her European festival performances – including Wireless Festival in London today July 12 – Ice Spice will bring the Y2K! WORLD TOUR to North America, beginning with a July 30 show at The Anthem in Washington, DC. The headline run will also include two shows at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City (August 6 & 7) and an evening at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles (August 19).
If you were looking for Cardi B’s album this summer, stop looking. Cardi announced her 2024 plans and new music is not part of them.
Interacting with fans online, Cardi revealed she agreed with a fan who stated she should pull back from social media platforms due to feeling “unappreciated” for online interactions.
Then she dropped the reveal: “Anyway NO album this year I don’t care I’m relaxing this year .. Dropping these features I already committed to and traveling and enjoying my summer.”
Just as a note, Invasion of Privacy dropped in 2018. You can see Cardi’s messages below courtesy of Hip-HopDX.
Genre-defying artist Brady Watt & Dipset legend Jim Jones have released a new single and video for “Godspeed.” “Godspeed” is co-produced by Heatmakerz.
Brady Watt continues to captivate audiences and push musical boundaries with his groundbreaking “Bass & Bars” series, which has now garnered over 100 million views. Recent episodes include collaborations with Freeway, Melle Mel & The Furious 5, Large Professor, The Pharcyde, Trinidad James, Lord Finesse, and AZ.
Beyond his series, Watt has recently performed at prestigious events such as the Montreal Jazz Festival alongside DJ Premier and headlined the Rotterdam Double Bass Festival. He also opened for blues and guitar legend Gary Clark Jr. on his U.S. tour and capped it off with a remarkable performance at Radio City Music Hall.
Watt’s journey to creating “Godspeed” began at Heatmakerz’s studio, where he sifted through approximately 20 beats before selecting one with a vintage gospel sample, that was mixed with rock and roll and street elements that immediately resonated with him; inspired Brady quickly crafted the hook and refined the track by adding bass, synths, and keys from Carlos Homs.
“I’m a lifelong Dipset fan,” Watt shared. “Over the years, I’ve developed a friendship with Jim and Heatmakerz. I’m always making beats, but I wanted to see what would happen if I used someone else’s production while still adding my instrumentation and bass.”
After amassing a staggering 40 million views on Instagram reels with a tantalizing teaser, GRAMMY-nominated artists Quavo and Lana Del Rey release their highly-anticipated new song “Tough” today via Capitol/Interscope/Polydor. Directed by Wyatt Spain Winfrey, the video for ‘Tough’ is a mesmerizing fusion that allows both superstars to fearlessly explore each other’s musical realms, showcasing their indomitable spirit. Set in a rural backdrop, Quavo and Lana are intrepid companions, undaunted by life’s trials. On one end, Quavo brandishes his shotgun while Lana carries her guitar, symbolizing their unwavering strength despite their contrasting origins.
“Tough like the scuff on a pair of old leather boots/Like the blue-collar, red-dirt attitude/Like a .38 made out of brass/Tough like the stuff on your grandpa’s glass,” the country-trap hook goes.
Following the release of the teaser of “Tough,” the clip enjoyed various viral moments and was picked up by numerous publications, including Billboard, Rolling Stone, Spin, Hypebeast, and more. Quavo and Lana added more fuel to the conversation when they performed the song together at the singer’s headlining performance at Fenway Park in Boston. The teased reel posted on Instagram became the most viewed reel of all time for Quavo, while that became the second largest for Lana.
Today, On The Radar dropped the video for Cory Gunz’s“On The Radar” Freestyle. The visual shows the multi-platinum selling recording artist alongside fellow Militia members Black Saun, Whispers and RMK as he delivers rapid fire bars for four minutes straight, over a mash-up beat of previously released tracks, “Scenario” and “Rick Owens x Nike Tech.”
Cory’s “On The Radar” Freestyle comes after the release of the video for “NaySay”which pays homage to legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan’sRaekwon and Ghostface Killah by replaying the beat of one of the biggest songs of rap’s Golden Era, “Ice Cream.” The video for“NaySay,” followed the release of Cory’s latest mixtape, Loosie Pack 3 which features guest appearances by Jim Jones, Chris Rivers, Jae’won, Whispers and more. Four of Loosie Pack 3’s previously released tracks, “Real Rights,” “Die Slowly,” “Laundry” and “Rick Owens x Nike Tech,” have quickly become fan-favorite songs and received playlisting on Apple Music’s Base:Line, BARS, Football, Basketball and Underground Hip-Hop Essentials.
Loosie Pack 3 is the third installment of the Loosie Pack mixtape series which began to drop last fall. The first installment, Loosie Pack contained features from veteran rapper Styles P, frequent collaborator Whispers and others. The second installment, Loosie Pack 2 followed with the revered track “3 Staxx” and contained appearances from Nino Man, RMK and more.
Sexyy Red, performed at the 2024 BET Awards. The 26-year-old, “We Go Together” rapper kicked off her set with “U My Everything,” although the track features Drake, he didn’t make a surprise appearance. Dripped in striking red she was flanked by a live band and dancers in red dresses.
The performance then transitioned into her 2023 hit “SkeeYee,” then things got presidential as the “Sexyy Red For President 2024” emblem lit up the stage floor. She serious, ya’ll.
About that wardrobe malfunction … During her set, fans posed on social to “fire her team” when her shorts had an issue after her outfit change. In the moment, Sexyy Red barely let it affect her as she rapidly zipped the shorts as she ran down the stage. Even unbuttoned, she barely missed a beat and twerked to the satisfaction of most of the crowd.
ICYMI, Sexyy Red has had a monumental year. Back in May, she released her latest mixtape, “In Sexyy We Trust,” featuring collaborations with Drake, Lil Baby, Mike WiLL Made-It, and VonOff1700. The project debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200, selling 27,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
Despite her rising popularity, Jermaine Dupri expressed his concern about her first-week sales, seeing them as indicative of negative industry trends. “People gotta stop lying,” JD told Steve Stoute at SelectCon in Atlanta. “The industry still tries to make you believe that if you’re a hot artist with a single, album sales don’t matter […] In the era that I came into the music industry if you sold 28,000 copies, you didn’t get another chance to walk in the building […] There’s such a disconnect between understanding streaming and what you’re actually looking at.”
Get this, outside of her recent BET performance and new music, Sexyy Red made her debut on WWE television at the end of May. She appeared on an episode of WWE NXT, where she unveiled the new WWE NXT Women’s North American Championship and announced her role as host for their Battleground event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. She also escorted WWE NXT Champion Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans to their main event tag team match against the Scottish faction Gallus.
Grammy award winning, South African artist Tyla made her debut performance at the 2024 BET Awards, joining forces with “Jump” featured artists, Gunna and Skillibeng.
In this performance which was a grand spectacle, Tyla brought the continent to the BET Awards. At just 22 years old, she performed at Culture’s Biggest Night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 30. She showcased her latest hit, “Jump,” featuring Gunna and Skillibeng.
She wore a brown two-piece bra and skirt set paired with black thigh-high boots, the “Water” singer captivated the audience from behind a cage filled with dancers painted as a giant tiger, a nod to her dedicated fanbase, the Tygers.
Get this, Gunna and Skillibeng later joined her onstage to deliver their verses. Tyla ended her set with her hit record “Water,” while paying homage to her Johannesburg roots.
ICYMI, Tyla earned four nominations at this year’s BET Awards, winning best new artist and best international act.
What interesting is her performance follows the cancellation of her debut concert tour, which was scheduled around the release of her self-titled debut album in March. At the time, she disclosed she was dealing with the lingering effects of an injury. Thankfully she looked A-okay on stage at the awards.
“As much as this is something I would rather have dealt with privately, it’s important that I share what I have to share with you today. For the past year, I’ve been silently suffering with an injury that has tragically worsened,” Tyla wrote. “I’ve seen doctors and specialists with high hopes, but the pain has only become more agonizing as has the severity of the situation.”
She added, “I am absolutely heartbroken to have to say this, but as of right now, I won’t be able to proceed with the tour. In consulting with medical professionals, it’s become increasingly clear that continuing any festival or tour dates would jeopardize my long-term health and safety.”
During a recent interview with PEOPLE, Tyla hinted at what fans could expect from her tour when she returns to the stage. “Obviously, what happened unfortunately happened, but the plans were there,” she said. “We were giving them an experience, not just a show, which I love. We always try to do things that are different and more interesting, or things that I feel people would want to see. That’s definitely going to be a part of the planning when we do get back to working on the tour. We have so many ideas, and it’s just going to be amazing.”
Back in February, Tyla won her first Grammy Award for best African music performance for “Water,” her breakthrough hit that reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Safe to say she’s hot and has the momentum.
Reflecting on the “surreal” moment, she told PEOPLE, “Hearing my name, being able to get on that stage and say a whole speech was crazy, especially considering my age and how early I am in my career. I didn’t expect that honestly, but I’m just so grateful that it happened. It’s history. It’s such a big moment for home. I couldn’t be happier, really.”
Keep killing it, Tyla. We see you!
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With summer officially here, JT (Quality Control Music/Motown) looks to topple the competition again, teaming up with Jeezy for the official remix of her hit single “OKAY.” Teasing fans with billboards across Atlanta featuring a Cinderella heel and a snowman, JT and Jeezy’s collaboration makes them an unbeatable duo.
In a candid verse following his divorce, Jeezy raps about being “single as a dollar bill” while maintaining his status as one of hip-hop’s most influential figures. Directed by Gerald Victor, the music video matches the song’s intensity, with JT and Jeezy dressed in all black, flexing their dominance as they rap back and forth.
JT has enjoyed an incredible run in 2024 with “OKAY,” which has netted over 40 million U.S. streams. Building on her success with City Girls, JT has emerged as a solo superstar, impressing with her swagger and unshakable confidence. Billboard has named her one of the hottest female rappers of the moment. This year, she not only dominated the Hot 100 but also set the club circuit on fire with her celebrated “JT’s Coming Tour.” With hits like “Sideways” and “No Bars,” JT is gearing up to drop her highly anticipated project, City Cinderella.
Next week, JT will take her talents to the ESSENCE Festival, performing on the Coca-Cola Stage on July 5 and participating in the ESSENCE Gu’s BeautyCon Panel the following day. She was also highlighted in Ebony’s Black Music Month Freedom List.
Breakthrough artist 4batz has released the highly anticipated music video for his single “act v: there goes another vase,” featured on his debut mixtape u made me a st4r. The video arrives just before the 2024 BET Awards, where 4batz has been nominated for “Best New Artist.”
Directed by Child, the video opens with a phone conversation in which a girl, in disbelief, explains to her friend that she’s spending her Tuesday doing arts and crafts to fix a broken vase. The video then intersperses intimate moments between the couple, offering a montage that depicts their relationship seemingly falling apart. The visuals capture the trials and tribulations of young love from a fresh and modern perspective, showcasing both the highs and lows in a visually compelling narrative.
As the first release from his latest LP The Crown, Now Rule(New Rochelle) slangspitter Kasim Allah drops the visual for “Duppy”, a return to the underground sound from the “God Emcee” on his Little George Music imprint.
The infectious, slow tempo beat produced courtesy of legendary rapper/producer Jesse West, Kasim delves into the evils that lurk in society that haunt Black men, with Kas coming with practical and just solutions to the Black man’s dilemma. With stark visuals from director Dr. Bombey, Duppy sets off a wave of momentum for Kasim for the vet’s third full length project.
“Duppy” is the first release since Kasim dropped his top of the summer mixtape “For Promotional Use Only Vol 1” exclusively produced by Wu Tang Clan in-house producer Iron Sheik.
