Hip Hop News

Lil Peep & Lil Tracy’s “Castles II” Moves To Streaming Services

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It’s been almost four years since Pennsylvania rapper Lil Peep passed away- though some of his music that was locked away on Soundcloud and Youtube are finally getting to see the light of day. Castles II, a collaborative tape with fellow emo-rapper Lil Tracy, has now become the next Lil Peep mixtape to make the transition onto Apple Music and Spotify in the years following his death. Castles II is a fan-favorite Peep project and contains one of his most successful tracks to date- “witchblades”.

Castles II originally dropped in February 6, 2017, and features some of Lil Peep and Lil Tracy’s most impressive vocal performances and interesting production. Tracy and Peep truly find a way to play off of each other; and though they both attempt to capture a similar vibe, they approach it in different ways. Whereas Peep can be more subtle or mystic with his wordplay and understated with his singing, Tracy thrives off of melodramatic melodies and lyrics you might find in a teenager’s vampire novel- but in the best way possible. Castles II is aware of its heavy emo influences and wears it on its sleeve, so much so that it’s hard not to admire its determination. 

Songs like “witchblades” and “favorite dress” are prime examples of this unfazed approach to emo-rap. They are wildly theatrical at times with sad and soppy wordplay with references to vampires and death. After giving the mixtape a few listen, you realize that this is where the genius lies- not in their off-brand approaches but in the world they were trying to create. 

Check out the mixtape below and let us know what you think:

Tracklist:

1. never eat, never sleep
2. dying out west
3. switchblades
4. past the castle walls
5. your favorite dress

Report: Britney Spears Is So Tightly Controlled That She Secretly Borrows Phones From Strangers At Gyms And Grocery Stores To Contact People

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Getty Image

Britney Spears has been actively seeking to alter her conservatorship, a court-ordered arrangement that began 13 years ago. There have been multiple hearings about the matter, and on June 23 she finally got the chance to address the matter, calling the arrangement as “abusive” and describing the many ways it restricted her desired lifestyle. “I’ve been in denial,” she admitted. “I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized. I just want my life back.”

Nearly two weeks we learned more details in an article by The New Yorker. In it, the singer’s ex-manager, Sam Lufti, shared an example of the increased surveillance the singer allegedly endures under the conservatorship.

“I’ll go years without contact, and then I’ll get a call every once in a while from her in a closet,” Lufti said. He also suggested that the singer’s phone is monitored by her lawyers and that she calls and texts only when she gets another phone. “Last time she called me, she was at Ralphs, in Calabasas[…] After she hung up, I got a call from the same number — it’s an Asian doctor, who says, ‘Wow, this is surreal, Britney just borrowed my phone.’ Five years ago, she borrowed a phone at the gym and just made off with it.”

Lufti added that his last in-person meeting with Britney, which occurred back in 2015, left him concerned for the singer’s well-being. “My opinion is that this conservatorship has drastically affected her mind-set,” he said.

You can read the full piece on The New Yorker here.

Ruptured Pipeline Leads To Apocalyptic Scenes In The Gulf Of Mexico

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Over the last week or so, it feels as though Mother Nature has been giving us a huge warning. On the West Coast, temperatures have been rising to unseen heights as some days have been in the 120-degree range. It is a truly insane sight to behold and in some places, there have been horrendous wildfires that are threatening people’s homes and well-being. Many are scared that this could be a trend for decades to come, and as a result, we risk losing valuable habitat space.

Perhaps the most apocalyptic sight, however, was in the Gulf of Mexico where the was a fire in the middle of the ocean yesterday. Oil company Pemex had one of their pipelines rupture which led to a massive fire on the surface of the water. The video of the fire went viral on Twitter and there is no doubt that many were scared about what this says about the way we extract oil.

Eventually, the fire was put out thanks to a healthy dose of nitrogen. No one was harmed in the fire although we imagine this wasn’t very good for the wildlife in the ocean. It truly makes you wonder whether or not drilling for oil using these methods is truly worth the risk.

Let us know what you thought of the fire, in the comments below.

Gulf of Mexico

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Nardo Wick Whispers A Hit With “Pull Up”

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On the surface, Jacksonville native Nardo Wick may not strike you as the most creative or eccentric out of the group if young rappers blowing up in Florida. However, Wick might just be on to something. His new single and music video, “Pull Up”, features some of his most imaginative flows and inventive execution of the Florida rap sound.

NArdo Wick kicks off the song with a nice constant flow and talk about money and crime- nothing too special for the genre. However, as the song progresses, the cadences and stylistic choices get much more strange and innovative- finding Nardo Wick transitioning in and out of a whisper voice before a long repeated chant of “I’, wicked” over and over again. Though his choices might come off more unusual than enjoyable, he pulls it off in a way that is refreshing. 

“Pull Up” features production from Internet Money’s Nick Mira and is Nardo Wick’s fifth single this year. 

Check out the song below and let us know what you think:

Quotable Lyrics:

I’m a wicked *****
He know, she know, everybody know
Ain’t coming super deep there’s four of us
But everybody go

Bandman Kevo Reportedly Spent Nearly $300K On Clothes & Image In June

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Bandman Kevo first gained infamy for his alleged involvement in bank fraud scheme which had him facing up to 30 years behind bars in 2014. After serving only 22 months behind bars in 2016, the Chicago rapper has been pushing financial literacy ever since, taking to Instagram to teach the youth on how to manage and deal with money. Well it turns out Kevo may need to listen to his own advice or he just really has deep pockets because reports surfaced this week showing Kevo spending nearly $300,000 just on clothes and his image in the past month alone.

SayCheeseTV somehow manage to obtained Kevo’s expense report for the month of June and in it shows he reportedly spent $292,993 on clothing, fitness, and image. Meanwhile his second-largest expense was advertising and promotion, which cost him $119,893. The reports shows he also spent nearly $54,000 on meals and entertainment, and another estimated $14,000 on groceries.

Bandman Kevo seemed to confirm the validity of the expense report when he commented on the post and wrote, “Write off,” in response to the post highlighting the clothing expense. Check out the lavish expense report (below).

This report comes just a few weeks after Kevo was arrested in Miami on 5 different charges. He was able to bond himself out, but that won’t be the last we hear about those charges. We’ll keep you posted.

Doja Cat Delivers Visually Stunning Live Performance Of “Ain’t Sh*t”

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Doja Cat has been nothing short of impressive when it comes to the early stages of her career. She started out by going viral on Twitter thanks to her “Bitch I’m A Cow” song, although eventually, she turned into an international megastar with some big hits to her name. Just a couple of Fridays ago, Doja unleashed her brand new album called Planet Her which is a dope fusion of r&b, pop, and hip-hop.

The project has been receiving rave reviews from her fans, and to help support the album, Doja Cat has been dropping some new visuals. The latest video came out yesterday and it was a Vevo-sponsored live performance of the track “Ain’t Shit.” As you can see below, the performance is visually stunning as we see Doja in the middle of the outdoors, all while surrounded by gold stairs and some ginormous ornamental structures.

Doja Cat

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

As for her wardrobe, Doja can be found wearing an extravagant plack patent leather jacket that shines when contrasted to the backdrop. As for her vocals, she seeks to change things up throughout the performance, and as always, she makes sure to exude feminity while rapping about the things men keep messing up on. Doja is becoming more and more known for her visuals, and this performance is a great example of why.

You can read our review of Doja Cat’s Planet Her, right here. Also, be sure to check out the performance, below.

Mariah The Scientist Drops Atmospheric “Aura”

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Atlanta native Mariah The Scientist has been making waves ever since she released her debut album, Master, in 2019. As part of the rollout for an upcoming album, Mariah The Scientist- real name Mariah Buckles- has dropped her second single of 2020, “Aura”. Hypnotic melodies and atmospheric production is what Mariah The Scientist is known for-and she’s brought it back heavy in this new single.

The production in “Aura” largely serves to empower Mariah The Scientist’s voice and keep itself in the background of the track, but the chopped up and stuttered vocal sample creates an inescapable hypnotic vibe. A series of beat drops, which become progressively more intense as the track continues, also serve as nice instrumental changes of pace. 

However, the true star of the show is Maria’s vocals, which soar over the production with incredible intimacy. While sometimes she’s belting out long melodies, other times she finds herself in between a singing and a rapping cadence- though she always makes it work.

Check out the song below as well as our R&B Season playlist on Spotify:

Quotable Lyrics:

Was just too much for me to swallow
Now it’s takin over, tryna take me out
I guess it’s better if we pretend we’re better as friends
I’ll try my best to forget your braid up and your Chanel scent

Kirk Franklin Discusses Kanye West And His Place On The Mount Rushmore Of Gospel

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It goes without saying that Kirk Franklin is one of the kings of contemporary gospel music if you’re familiar with the genre, so his opinion is widely regarded when it comes to holy hits. That’s why many felt his approval was necessary when Kanye West took a shift away from secular and put his musical focus into writing songs more in tune with his Christian values.  

TMZ was able to catch up with the “Stomp” soul legend to get his opinion on whether or not West has what it takes to be considered one of the greatest in the genre, or if his status is so high already that he deserves a place on the proverbial “Mount Rushmore Of Gospel.”

You might be surprised with Kirk’s answer!

Kirk Franklin Kanye West Mount Rushmore Gospel Music
Image: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET 

If you thought Franklin was about to go against his faith to shade Kanye, well, think again! Actually, he showed his fellow GRAMMY-winning music friend nothing but respect, telling TMZ, “I think he’s one of the greatest artists of all time,” and doubling down by adding, “I think he’s an incredible artist.” 

In terms of the “Mount Rushmore of Gospel” question, the ordained OG told TMZ, “There shouldn’t be no Mount Rushmore of Gospel music — there really should be only one face on the Mount Rushmore of Gospel music,” making it clear that he truly puts God first when it comes to everything.

Here’s what he said in terms of ranking Kanye West in gospel music, or any gospel artist for that matter via TMZ:

“Well first of all, anybody can do gospel music. It’s because gospel music is for any of God’s children, man. Anybody that think’s there’s a monopoly on the gospel, that’s a very arrogant mindset.”

 

Peep the praise Kirk Franklin gave to Kanye West below, and let us know down below in the comments if you can think of any other rap artists that might one day make a shift to Gospel music:

 

Drake, Patrick Mahomes & More React To Sha’Carri Richardson’s Suspension

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If you missed it yesterday, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, the gold-medal hopeful in the 100-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics, was suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Association for testing positive for marijuana at the Olympic trials in June. While she took to Good Morning America to apologize for her actions Friday morning, many of her pro athlete peers decided to come to her defense following the news.

Everyone from Patrick Mahomes and Dwayne Wade to Odell Beckham Jr and Drake had voiced their opinion on the suspension, all of which aligning with complaining on how bullshit it is. Mahomes said “just let her run,” while Dwayne Wade added: “in a world where people are literally making millions upon millions growing and selling it! Y’all ever heard of a fine?”

Arguably the biggest marijuana advocate in all of Hollywood is Snoop Dogg, who also couldn’t believe the decision. “Are you serious? Marijuana? It’s not an enhancement for her abilities,” he said on IG. 

Drake also responded to the decision in the early hours of Saturday morning, taking to his IG story to say “she woulda ATE” if they let her run.

Check out more reactions from around the sports world (below), including that from Damian Lillard, Joe Thomas, Isaiah Thomas, and more.