Benny Blanco is easily one of pop music’s most sought-after producers, having worked with an array of superstar artists ranging from Rihanna to Justin Bieber, Halsey to Ed Sheeran. Throughout his industry adventures (and occasional misadventures), Blanco has dipped his toes into the rap game, though his production style does tend to gravitate toward a radio-friendly sound. Evidently, Eminem is no stranger to such a sound, and one of Benny Blanco’s beats actually found its way onto the legendary rapper’s radar.
As Blanco explained during a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the beat in question was none other than Rihanna’s “Diamonds.” As he tells it, the beat actually went through a bit of a journey before falling into Rihanna’s hands, as she was admittedly not who the producer originally envisioned as the recipient. “We wanted it to be a Kanye song or a Lana Del Ray song, I remember, at first,” he reveals, before praising Sia’s (one of the song’s co-writers) prolific songwriting process.
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“We’re listening to it a few days later, and [co-producer] Stargate’s like, “Yo, we’re giving this song to Rihanna. It’s going to go.” And I was like, “I don’t know, man. Should we keep the beat for Kanye? I don’t know about it,” he continues. “And then, I remember, at the same time, I had given a beat CD like a month earlier to Paul Rosenberg to give to Eminem. And apparently, Eminem had done a song to it, too. And I didn’t even know. And I’m sitting there… Dude, so when it happened, Paul was like, “Man, Em had that beat on hold.” I was like, “What? I didn’t even know.”
Eventually, Blanco opted to let Stargate take the reins, and Eminem’s song over the “Diamonds” instrumental remains forever vaulted. One has to wonder how Slim approached the track to begin with, though it’s likely it would have been one of his more mainstream-friendly anthems. Check out Benny’s reflection on how “Diamonds” landed in the hands of the Shady camp below, and sound off if you would have wanted to see Eminem try his hand at Rihanna’s classic pop hit.
As a professional in any field, there are things that one should and shouldn’t do to preserve one’s professional reputation, and relationship expert Derrick Jaxn has definitely been learning that lesson over the past few days. The self-love ambassador and popular YouTuber is famous for working to dispel the stigma that all Black men cheat, and for years, he has been sharing relationship advice from a charming “good guy” relationship perspectives. According to Bossip, however, Jaxn’s brand came crashing down earlier this week as he was dragged into a cheating scandal after a woman named Candice De Medeiros claimed that they had an affair.
Initially, Jaxn passionately denied the allegations that he had cheated with his wife before finally coming forth with an Instagram post, labeled “Did I Cheat In My Marriage? #TheTruth,” in which he admitted to being a serial cheater throughout his marriage. However, the confessional video came off as uncomfortably cringy, with Jaxn speaking in the third person at times and even taking the time to promote one of his books.
One user called the YouTuber out on the disingenuous nature of his confession, writing, “this is giving forced. The hand holding is a lot. Sis still has her bonnet on. Damage control screams guilt.” Another comment that made fun of Jaxn’s wife’s demeanor in the video came from Derrick Jaxn himself, in which he wrote, “@duh_nay_uh_jackson Blink twice if you need help sis lol.”
The outlandish nature of Jaxn’s entire cheating scandal has naturally captured social media’s full attention, so peep some reactions below.
Cheating has been a hot topic as of late, with Saweetie citing that as the reason for her split from Quavo and Karl Anthony-Towns being accused of cheating on Jordan Woods. Following Derrick Jaxn’s awkward admission, he may have successfully put this cheating scandal behind him, but stay tuned for updates just in case future developments suggest otherwise.
Throughout his 2014 breakout hit “Hot N****,” Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda paints a picture of his experiences with street life, from guns to drugs and everything in between. “Run up on that n****, get to squeezing, hoe,” the piercing lyrics go. “Everybody catching bullet holes, n****s got me on my bully, yo.” The beat, produced by Pennsylvania beat maker Jahlil Beats, is a Chex Mix bag of sonic stylings, from Dirty South trap to the aggressive, then-burgeoning sound of New York drill music, which is a direct look into Jahlil’s regional production influences. (He cites Swizz Beatz and Mannie Fresh as some of his major inspirations.)
The platinum-selling song hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hip-Hop/R&B charts, and peaked No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2014. The official remix — one of many — features Fabolous, Chris Brown, Jadakiss, and Bobby’s fellow GS9 crew member Rowdy Rebel. Coupled with a stand-in-place groove now called the “Shmoney Dance,” the track took the internet and the country (especially New York City) on a viral trip. Artists from Lil Kim to French Montana freestyled over the beat, while Beyoncé hit the Shmoney during the On The Run concert tour with Jay-Z.
“I reached out to [Bobby] and I was just like, ‘Yo, you got my blessings, man, rock out with it,” Jahlil smiles. “[The beat and song] took legs of their own, and I was just grateful. I like to live a normal life, so a lot of things just don’t seem like they could reach that level [for me]. I was like, ‘We got one.’ I didn’t think I was going to catch [a hit] like that — I was just making street music. We ended up going number one, and it didn’t even have a chorus on it. That was the most unique thing about it for me.”
By the start of the 2010s, Jahlil Beats was steadily making a name for himself in the hip-hop world. The music maker (born Orlando Tucker) worked closely with fellow Penn State native Meek Mill on a number of tracks, including the standout 2011 single “Ima Boss” featuring Rick Ross. The infectiousness of the song, which gently steels video game sounds with bass-filled hip-hop, resulted in a six-label bidding war for the producer that same year. (He ended up signing with Roc Nation, and you may recognize his work from the tag “Jahlil Beats, holla at me.”)
From then on, Jahlil provided production assists for Rihanna and J. Cole, and released his Legends Era and Crack Music mixtape series featuring Lil Wayne, Big Sean, and many more. However, no one could have predicted the unparalleled success coming to the then-26-year-old, generated by a young Brooklynite who borrowed one of Beats’ tracks for the score to a growing phenomenon.
“People kept tagging me in clips of [Bobby Shmurda] throwing his hat up in the air, I didn’t really pay it no mind, I didn’t hear the song,” Jahlil, now 33, tells Uproxx via Zoom of his initial response to Bobby’s monster hit “Hot N****.” “I think Kevin Durant tweeted me and he was like, ‘yo, you hear this joint? This joint crazy.’”
For “Hot N****,” then-19-year-old East Flatbush-bred Bobby (born Ackquille Pollard) rapped over the beat to Lloyd Banks’ “Jackpot,” produced by Jahlil and originally released in 2012. Bobby had discovered the beat on YouTube and decided “it was the one.” Jahlil says the track was initially intended for Meek Mill to use, but the rapper thought it sounded too much like his song “Burn.”
A few weeks later, Epic Records’ executive vice president Sha Money XL reached out to Jahlil to inform him the label wanted to buy the beat, and that they were working to sign Bobby. The producer confirms Epic bought both “Hot N****” and Rowdy Rebel’s song “Shmoney Dance,” which Bobby is featured on. Jahlil was optimistic about taking his working relationship with Bobby to the next level by producing his debut album under Epic Records. However, a major blindside truncated the project during its developmental stages.
In December 2014, one month after the release of his EP Shmurda She Wrote, Bobby and 14 other members of his crew GS9, including Rowdy Rebel, were arrested. Bobby was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, reckless endangerment, drug possession, and gun possession. According to reports, the NYPD had been investigating GS9 (which stands for a plethora of things, including “Grimey Shooters,” “Gun Squad” and “G-Stone Crips,” according to the NYPD’s reports) for felonies and deadly altercations with rival gangs in the Brooklyn borough since before “Hot N****” became a hit. Former police commissioner Bill Bratton called GS9 “mindless thugs” at a press conference regarding the investigation. Held on $2 million bail, Bobby’s sentence carried a potential length of eight to 25 years.
“The last session I had [with Bobby and Rowdy] was for Juelz [Santana’s] ‘Time Ticking,’ and then a day or two later, they got locked up,” Jahlil recalls. He was at his house when his manager called with the news, which he “couldn’t believe.” “We were just making music. It was just us having fun, and then, that happened. It’s wild. [I felt like] I put all my eggs in the basket for them and Meek Mill, and the same thing happened.” Since the arrest happened in the early stages of working on Bobby’s album, it wasn’t even given a title yet. “I knew the impact these dudes [were] going to have,” Jahlil says. “I was really behind them a thousand percent, so it was kind of tough to deal with.”
Although additional criminal charges were dropped against Bobby in 2015, he still faced sentencing for drug and gun possession. In 2016, as part of a plea deal, Bobby was sentenced to seven years behind bars. He was first incarcerated at Rikers Island, and was subject to solitary confinement at one point; in 2017, he transferred to Clinton Correctional Facility in Upstate New York. He was denied parole in August 2020, but his credit for good behavior was restored last December. Bobby Shmurda was officially released on Feb. 23, 2021, and he will be under parole for the remainder of his sentence, which ends on Feb. 23, 2026.
“I think that once you go through stuff like that, all you [have] is time to think,” Jahlil says of what Bobby may have learned during his time away. While the producer admits he didn’t communicate too often with his collaborator while he was behind bars, he spoke frequently with the “high-spirited” Rowdy Rebel, who was released in December 2020 after serving a six-year sentence of his own. Rowdy reportedly kept him updated on Bobby, who “sent love.”
“I think that [their sentences] were a gift and a curse,” he continues. “Bobby went in and he lost some years, but that might’ve saved his life, you know? Now he can go and take care of his family and do better.” Since his release, he’s voiced his support for the #FreeHaiti movement and performed during events at NBA All-Star Weekend in early-March.
Despite the stalls in production with two of his most notorious collaborators, Jahlil kept busy during these last few years. He has notably produced for Busta Rhymes’ latest album, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath Of God, and he divulged an as-yet-unreleased Justin Bieber/DaBaby collab to Uproxx. He’s also focused his attention on giving back to his hometown of Chester, Pennsylvania, namely by helping underserved residents of the area find affordable housing, developing properties, and running a sneaker store. “We really cracked down on a lot of our business, especially during this time,” he notes of working through the pandemic. “I’m doing stuff for my community and trying to balance that with music and family.”
However, he’s never forgotten about the unfinished business he has with Bobby Shmurda in the studio. The producer says that the sound they were going for during the planning process for his debut album was whatever fit Bobby’s interests, especially since his EP was a mix of several different sounds from different producers — “Wipe The Case Away” features a chorus sung by Ty Real and a subtle R&B vibe, while “Living Life” with Rowdy Rebel takes fans to the trap.
“He was just trying to figure it out,” Jahlil explains of Bobby’s musical direction. “But he ended up having a classic rap record stemming from him just doing him.” He notes he’s “been in touch” with Bobby’s camp and has sent over potential tracks to get their working relationship back in order. He’s also finished “three joints” with Rowdy Rebel.
Regardless of whether they end up cutting that highly-anticipated debut, Jahlil Beats is optimistic about the lessons Bobby Shmurda, his fans, and musical contemporaries can take from the saga. While GS9’s incarceration “stems from many things,” he hopes Bobby can use the incident as fuel to become the best version of himself.
“We all go through roadblocks, that’s just how life is,” Jahlil proclaims. “I think that it might have had to happen this way… Sometimes, you make mistakes, and some mistakes are a lot more drastic than others. Take something from it.”
It’s been a little over a month since Pink Sweats released his euphoric album Pink Planet, which aptly arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day. Following it’s release, Pink Sweats tapped the venerable musician Kehlani to join him on a remix of the fan-favorite track “At My Worst.” Now, the two have teamed up to share a lighthearted video to their romantic track.
The colorful visual, directed by David Karp and Courtney Loo, shows Kehlani and Pink Sweats courting each other at a retro gas station. Using flowers as a symbol of their love, they turn a simple bouquet into a lush garden.
Speaking about his Pink Planet LP in an interview with Uproxx, Pink Sweats said it was a way of offering fans a unique glimpse into his world:
“It was letting people into my world, the creative space that I made for myself to escape, I want to share that with everybody else. It’s like being a kid, but we’re grown. It’s like where you’re a child, some people at least have grand imaginations, but nobody can come to that place in your head. For me, I get to live out my childhood through music where it’s like I’ve created this place in my head and now I’ve been able to share with the world. Like some Bridge To Terabithia type stuff. You’re just bringing your friends on the rise, everybody wants to listen and give me a shot. So it’s like come on, let me show you.”
Watch Pink Sweats and Kehlani’s “At My Worst” video above.
The Library Of Congress has announced that several of hip-hop & R&B’s most cherished projects have been inducted into the National Recording Registry. Nas may have just won his first Grammy but it arrived just before it was announced that his quintessential 1994 debut, Illmatic has been inducted into the National Recording Registry. Additionally, Janet Jackson’s 1989 album, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 will also be honored similarly.
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“The National Recording Registry will preserve our history through these vibrant recordings of music and voices that have reflected our humanity and shaped our culture from the past 143 years,” Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, said in a statement. “We received about 900 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry, and we welcome the public’s input as the Library of Congress and its partners preserve the diverse sounds of history and culture.”
“We wanted ‘Rhythm Nation’ to really communicate empowerment,” James “Jimmy Jam” Harris III, who worked extensively on Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, said of the project. “It was making an observation, but it was also a call to action. Janet’s purpose was to lead people and do it through music, which I think is the ultimate uniter of people.”
Check all of the National Recording Registry Selections for this year below.
Benny Blanco has worked with just about everybody in the music industry. He’s made some of the biggest hits in pop and hip-hop, working extensively with artists like Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Juice WRLD, and more. The 33-year-old producer recently sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe to discuss his upcoming album FRIENDS KEEP SECRETS 2. During their conversation, which included tidbits about his friendship with FINNEAS, his work on Justin Bieber’s latest album, and much more, Benny speaks about an awkward encounter he had with Beyoncé, accidentally kissing her in front of Jay-Z at their house in the Hamptons.
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According to Benny’s story, the producer was invited to stay over at Beyoncé’s house with Jay-Z, Hit-Boy, and a few other people back in 2010 or 2011. They played a game of “Would You Rather?” before listening to beats. When it got time for everyone to leave, Benny wasn’t sure what to do. Should he hug Beyoncé? Should he just say goodbye and leave it at that? He decided to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, but somewhere along the way, he got disoriented and ended up slipping a little peck on the corner of her lips.
“I’m probably not supposed to say any of this,” said the artist repeatedly throughout his story. “We’re saying, ‘Good night.’ And it’s at that point where I’m like… Okay, do I hug Beyoncé? Like, what’s the protocol? What do you do? We’re not close yet. And so I’m like, ‘Hey, bye’ at the end of the night. But it’s like, we’re all getting to know each other, and normally at that time I’d be like, ‘Ah, great to hang.’ So I’m like, do I go in for the hug? You’re with Jay-Z and Beyoncé. You’re at their house. They’re in shorts and a t-shirt. You’re sitting there. And I remember I go in for the hug, okay? And then, I’m like, oh, I’m going to kiss her on the cheek. That’s what you do. Everyone does that. I’m very European. You go in and you do that. This is years ago. I was even more European. So, I went to do the kiss on the cheek, and I guess we just missed a little bit. I definitely hit the corner of some sort of lip. I’m like, ‘Oh, my God. This is the worst thing in my life.’ And I’m sitting there, and as I’m doing it, out of the corner of my eye, Jay-Z is right there looking at me. And I’m just like, my lip is here. Hers is there, and there’s definitely some corner things happening.”
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Benny says his music with Beyoncé was never released, adding that he doesn’t think anyone noticed the accidental kiss. “I look at Jay and I’m like, ‘Oh, okay. I’m dead. My life is over. It was great. Nice knowing you guys.’ My life flashed before my eyes. And I’m sitting there, and I look. And then he’s like, ‘All right, bro. See you tomorrow.’ Like, no one noticed.”
Curren$y recently dropped off his brand new album — a sentence that has been used with recurring frequency at this point. This time, the project in question is Collection Agency, a collaborative endeavor with the legendary Harry Fraud behind the boards. Should you have missed out on that one, be sure to check it out right here.
Now, Spitta has come through to line up a new music video from the project, landing on the arguable highlight “Jermaine Dupri.” A homage to the legendary So-So Def mogul, not to mention inductee into the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame, Curren$y’s clip is about as laid-back as you’d expect. Never one to do too much, Spitta keeps it simple while posting up on one of his many luxury whips; at this point, would it really be a Curren$y video without his one true love?
Though not exactly the most ambitious music video ever created, “Jermaine Dupri” is effective enough to please. There’s a classy and distinguished air throughout, one that speaks to his status as a man who went from “hood rich to wealthy” by his own admission. Check out the new clip now, and show some love to one of the most consistent artists in the rap game, bar none.
The massive, genre-fluid boy band BROCKHAMPTON has been much quieter than usual since dropping off its fifth studio album Ginger on August 23, 2019, but it looks like fans of the collective won’t have to wait much longer to hear new BROCKHAMPTON music. Two weeks after uploading the mysterious “Meet The Roadrunners” teaser to YouTube, Kevin Abstract has let his Instagram followers that a new music video and single from BROCKHAMPTON will arrive later today.
In the Instagram post, Kevin Abstract shared two pictures — one in which he’s seen sitting in a director’s chair and another showing the cover art for BROCKHAMPTON’s next single. Titled “BUZZCUT,” the self-described boy band’s next offering will arrive tonight when its music video drops, and thanks to Kevin Abstract’s post, fans now know that Detroit artist Danny Brown will be featured on the single.
From an official title to a release window, information regarding BROCKHAMPTON’s sixth studio album has been incredibly scarce, so it’s exciting to see that the collective is officially making its return and, hopefully, starting its album rollout with the release of “BUZZCUT.” The fact that Danny Brown is also featured on the single definitely raises anticipation for it, so fans will be able to check it out when it drops later tonight.
There’s currently a list that’s rumored to have been leaked from the XXL offices showing what appears to be their 2021 Freshman List. Despite some giveaways that it might not be the real deal, including the misspelling of Coi Leray’s name and J.I’s former moniker as J.I The Prince Of N.Y, people have been reacting to it as though it were legitimate. Even some of the artists that were snubbed out from the unconfirmed spot are lashing out with hopes that the hip-hop publication reconsiders adding them to the final tally.
The list that’s going around features rising stars like Pooh Shiesty, Coi Leray, The Kid LAROI, Morray, iann dior, 42 Dugg, $NOT, and more. It is not confirmed to be real, so it’s possible that some of these artists might end up making the final cut but, for right now, none of them have been announced. Asian Doll and Drakeo The Ruler, who have both been getting heightened levels of attention this year, are both pretty upset that they weren’t listed, going off on XXL for supposedly failing to add their names.
“It’s been f*ck XXL,” wrote Asian Doll on Twitter. “Nobody cares for that sh*t it’s soooooo staged now it’s been staged & the list but full of favoritism no real talent that’s why then freestyles be trash cause they pick the artist based off popularity that cover not raw at all. XXL list should be fulla females anyway they love throwing 16 n***as on there & 1 female like we ain’t out here taking over the game.”
She went on to complain that, despite having one of the biggest songs at the time, XXL never gave her ex-boyfriend King Von a spot on the cover. Later, she specified that she wasn’t throwing shade at any of the artists listed on the rumored decision, especially Coi Leray and Pooh Shiesty. “Nothing I said gotta do with Pooh or Coi fashooooooooo we don’t sneak diss around this b*tch either,” added Asian. Coi Leray was appreciative of her clarification, saying, “Asia my b*tch 4 life. Y’all know what she meant and felt what she said.”
As for Drakeo The Ruler, the LA-based rapper continued his musings by stating that XXL is playing with him by not including him. “I WASNT GONE SAY NONE BUT WTF TYPE OF SH*T YALL ON @xxl SO YALL GONE KEEP PLAYING LIKE I AINT SOMEBODY IN MY CITY WHERE MY NAME at I DONT SEE NOBODY FROM LA ON HERE.”
He concluded by theorizing that you need to have a major label deal to get on the Freshman List.
The list going around is not confirmed. We will keep you posted as more artists react to it.
