Hip Hop News

Joey Bada$$ hasn’t released an album in a few years but he’s been busy working on other ventures, proving that he’s far more than an exceptional lyricist. The rapper’s been getting into his acting bag a bit more heavily, as well. He received praise for his appearance in Wu-Tang: The American Saga last year and his role as Carter in Two Distant Strangers has now earned him a nomination at the Academy Awards.

The Diddy-executive-produced short film, which stars the Brooklyn rapper, is now up for an Academy Award in the category of Best Live Action Short Film. The 28-minute short film was influenced by the protests of summer 2020 and follows the protagonist Carter James who tries to head back to his place after a night at his girlfriend’s. However, his encounter with the police turns out to be violent, and ends up getting replayed over-and-over again.

Joey Bada$$ took to Twitter where he celebrated the win, writing, “I’m officially Oscar-nominated. That’s crazy. #TwoDistantStrangers.” Adding, “Imma be A FUCKING EGOT.”

“We are thrilled and honored to be nominated by the @theacademy for Best Live Action Short! Our film, despite the hard nature of the subject sparked by the tragic events of last summer, is meant to be one of hope, optimism and determination,” reads a post on the film’s official IG account.

It’s clear that Drake’s reign should not be questioned, as his recent Scary Hours 2 project led to an absolutely decisive takeover of the Hot 100 top three. And even though the project was released only a few short weeks ago, the lead single “What’s Next” has already proven to be a runaway hit. Not only does it lead the pack in the number one spot, but it has already landed Drizzy another gold certification for his massive — and still growing — collection. 

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The news shouldn’t come as a surprise, though some may criticize the manner in which Drake has achieved this latest milestone. Charlamagne The God already stated that the Canadian icon “cheated,” arguing that “streaming and radio manipulate the game in ways we’ve never seen.” In any case, it’s interesting to see how rapidly “What’s Next” managed to move five-hundred-thousand album-equivalent units, and we can only anticipate that the remaining Scary Hours 2 tracks will soon follow suit and hit gold status. 

On that note, should he move to include “What’s Next” on Certified Lover Boy as he previously included “God’s Plan” on Scorpion, Drizzy’s upcoming album will be landing with a pre-established advantage. Not that he really needs it, having already proven himself to be a commercial juggernaut to this day. And though some, like Charlamagne, expect something a little more than simple radio domination from the 6ix God, many believe that Scary Hours 2 is — creatively speaking — a promising step in the right direction. 

Congratulations to Drake for securing another gold plaque for his collection. 

It’s been quite some time since the world last heard some new material from Lil Nas X. Releasing his debut EP 7 back in 2019 loaded with hits like “Old Town Road,” “Panini,” and “Rodeo,” the Grammy-award winner has a lot to prove with his debut project considering his record-setting 2019 run. Likely feeling the pressures to live up to his previous success, he’s taken his time in curating his first album to perfection. Announcing the slated release date of his new single “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” last week, it seems like he’s ready to get the ball rolling on the rollout of the project. 

Ahead of the release, the artist is letting the world know he’s desperate when it comes to promoting his music, and he doesn’t seem to care either. 

“i hate when people tell me i’m desperate for how i promote my music,” vented the 21-year-old on his Twitter account Monday (March 15). He continued, “like yes bitch i am desperate, i do not mind being desperate when it comes to my dreams.” 

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While he didn’t reference exactly the “desperate” attempts at promoting his music that he’s made, the Georgia-bred artist might be citing flack he received for exposing alleged DMs from 6ix9ine, as well as “buying” himself a new pair of breasts. 

His next single “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” is set to arrive on Friday, March 26th. Let us know if you’ll be tuning in when it drops. 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic continuing and lockdown precautions still in place, members of Hollywood have continued to throw all types of lavish parties and get-togethers through it all. Members of the hip-hop community in Atlanta have particularly been oblivious to the pandemic, throwing a number of large-scale maskless celebrations throughout the course of the past year. The most recent hip-hop darling to throw a lavish soirée in celebration of her birthday is Kash Doll. 

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Hosted and organized by 50 Cent, who cast the “Ice Me Out” rapper in his highly anticipated Black Mafia Family Starz series, Kash raved about the intimate celebration on her Instagram page. “When i say best birthday everrrrrrrr!!!!!!! I absolutely loved turning 23,” joked the rapper in the caption of an Instagram video recapping the night.

“Special shout out to [50 Cent] I’m so grateful for u not only u kicking off my acting career but u threw me the best bday dinner. thank youuuu and [Hannah Kang] u showed yo ass decorating this place! I wanna live there!! Thank u sooooo much I’m so happy and grateful,” she finished in the caption. 

The relatively small-scale bash was flourished with stunning floral arrangements, plenty of pink decorations, and enormous portraits of the Detroit beauty

She shared multiple videos from the function, showing off her multiple outfit changes and a wide smile as she dined with guests. The function was complete with a fancy buffet featuring garlic buttered crab legs, stuffed salmon, fried lobster skewers and seafood stuffed ribeye, which is a flex within itself, and themed drinks courtesy of Branson Cognac. 

The occasion was also a celebration of Kash Doll’s casting in Black Family Mafia. Directed by Tasha Smith, the series tells the true story of brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who ran one of the most infamous crime rings in the country. She will star as Monique, one of the love interests of Big Meech.   

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The road to El Dorado is underway, and 24kGoldn has officially unveiled the tracklist to his anticipated debut album. Doing so by way of a thematically appropriate skit, which finds him donning his explorer’s cap in the search for uncharted territory, 24kGoldn ultimately reveals that El Dorado will feature thirteen tracks and guest appearances from Future, DaBaby, Swae Lee, and Iann Dior.

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For the most part, however, the Bay Area melodist appears to be handling the bulk of the project on his own. Fans will likely recognize a few familiar cuts, as the DaBaby-assisted “Coco,” “3, 2,1,” and the Iann Dior-assisted “Mood” have already been released. Luckily, the majority of El Dorado will consist of new material and should go a long way in establishing the depth of 24kGoldn’s artistry. Should you be interested in seeing what he’s been cooking up for his debut, look for El Dorado to land in full on March 26th.

In the meantime, check out the full tracklist, as well as the adventurous skit that accompanied the big reveal. Should you be among the many anticipating the album, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have you enjoyed what little we’ve heard from El Dorado so far? 

1. The Top
2. Love or Lust
3. Company (feat. Future)
4. Outta Pocket
5. Coco (feat. DaBaby)
6. Butterflies
7. Breath Away
8. Yellow Lights
9. 3, 2, 1
10. Empty (feat. Swae Lee)
11. Cut It Off
12. Don’t Sleep
13. Mood (feat. Iann Dior)

Lil Yachty is one of the funniest rappers on social media. His presence has been strong on TikTok, but he’s also one of the most entertaining artists to follow for his live-streams. In this day and age, fans want to be more connected to their favorite artists than ever before. We’ve seen rappers like Lil Nas X, Saweetie, and others revitalize the way musicians interact with their supporters through social media in recent years, with Lil Yachty also doing numbers.

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The rapper went live on Monday night and he likely didn’t expect his session to get as lit as it did, but he was ready when it popped off. “The most random fye live ever,” wrote the Atlanta native on Instagram, sharing it for anybody that wasn’t free when he was live. During the 47-minute stream, Yachty has a quick conversation with Kodak Black before inviting Trippie Redd into the chat and getting roasted by Big 14. Then, Offset calls in, staying for a while and comparing sneaker collections. “This sh*t took a turn for the best,” said Yachty.

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Yachty and Offset showed each other some of the rarest kicks they’ve got laying around the house, pulling off somewhat of a sneaker Verzuz.

Watch the full live-stream below and let us know who has the next sneakers: Lil Yachty or Offset? Who do you wish would have called in?

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