Hip Hop News

Rumored ‘XXL’ Freshman List Leaks, Features Coi Leray, Pooh Sheisty & More

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Last year’s XXL Freshman list included Lil Tjay, Grammy-nominated artist CHIKA, Jack Harlow, Polo G, Mulatto, and more. Earning a spot on the music publication’s highly coveted Freshman Class is no small feat, so its no wonder the internet is hung up on a rumored 14th Annual Freshman List memo that’s been floating around. The memo lists Pooh Sheisty, Coi ‘Leroy,’ The Kid LAROI, and others as members of this year’s class. 

Numerous points that particularly make the credibility in the list questionable have been pointed out by many people. For starters, Coi Leray is misspelled as ‘Leroy’ in this alleged super confidential memo about the list. Second, NYC rapper J.I. recently rebranded his stage name to not read as ‘J.I. The Prince of N.Y.’ any longer, but he is still listed as such on the list. 

Nonetheless, the rumored list is as follows:

1. Pooh Shiesty 

2. The Kid LAROI

3. morray

4. Iann Dior

5. SSGKobe

6. Sheff G

7. J.I. The Prince of N.Y.

6. Toosii

7. EST Gee

8. Coi ‘Leroy’

9. 42 Dugg

10. $NOT

As has been emphasized, there’s no guarantee this list is at all close to the actual list, which usually comes out in the summertime. It does, however, create room for interesting dialogue about which newcomers in the game right now deserve to be recognized for their stellar talents. 

What do you think of the alleged 14th Annual Freshman List? Let us know down in the comments. 

NBA Youngboy Alleged Arrest Video Surfaces

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Baton Rouge-based rapper Youngboy Never Broke Again was arrested in Los Angeles on Monday evening after reportedly fleeing from the police on foot. It is being reported that the feds have been building a case against the rapper for over the last year, cracking down on him with helicopters, a heavy police presence, and a K-9 unit last night. 

People close to the rapper have been reacting to the news of his arrest on social media, including the mothers of his children Yaya Mayweather and Jania Meshell, and alleged footage has been released that reportedly shows the police pursuit of NBA Youngboy.


Paras Griffin/Getty Images

In the video, which was shared on DJ Akademiks’ popular blog account, a street is closed off to the public as a passerby seemingly films the surroundings. Helicopters can be heard flying overhead with a police officer ensuring that nobody enters the marked-off area. Another officer calls out on the loudspeaker, allegedly warning Youngboy that he must emerge from where he was hiding with his arms raised. If he failed to cooperate, they would be sending a dog to find him.

According to the arrest report, a K-9 unit was deployed to find the rapper. He was reportedly taken into custody and it’s unclear what he is being charged with.

Watch the video of his alleged arrest above. Hopefully, he gets out of jail soon so he can continue his prolific music career. Free Youngboy.

Lil Yachty Shares All In His ‘No More Beatboxing Freestyle’ Video

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It seems like every day brings another “BeatBox” freestyle, but Lil Yachty has arrived to shut it all down with his offering to the trend, “No More Beatboxing Freestyle.” As you may have guessed from the title, the first half of the song utilizes the beat from Coi Leray’s viral hit “No More Parties,” while the second half sees Boat taking a swing at SpotemGottem’s “BeatBox” instrumental.

In the accompanying visual, a solo Yachty roams his playhouse-like home, showing off his art collection. I use “art” here loosely, because the setup mostly consists of pop culture ephemera like life-size Batman and Ninja Turtle statues (shout out Leonardo), a clear-top piano, and a truly jaw-dropping collection of sneakers. In his rhymes, the former self-declared “king of the teens” recalls his explosive entry into the rap game and touches on his recent forays into Michigan’s underground rap scene with tracks like “Not Regular” and “Royal Rumble.”

Yachty, who is fresh off the dual releases of his tracks “Asshole” and “In My Stussy’s,” is the latest rapper to tackle the viral hit since DaBaby turned in a scene-stealing “Beat Box” freestyle of his own. Since then, Deante’ Hitchcock, Mulatto, and Polo G have all tried their hands, with Polo adding the twist of connecting the “No More Parties” beat, along with CJ’s “Whoopty.”

King Los Is Rhyming At An Elite Tier On “4 Peace Nugget”

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King Los has been widely hailed as one of the game’s best lyricists, though he doesn’t always get credit in the mainstream eye. And yet few can deny the elite nature of his pen game, to the point where emcees looking to collaborate already understand the stakes. Perhaps that’s why King Los opted to fly solo for his latest release, the brief but lyrically-focused EP Four Peace Nugget, a four-song freestyle pack that features beats from Mobb Deep, Busta Rhymes, and Drake.

We’ve already opted to spotlight the project’s closing track “Lemon Pepper Wings,” a five-minute clinic that finds Los addressing Tsu Surf following a heated Clubhouse debate among other topics; in fact, the jam-packed freestyle is so dense with meaning that it likely deserves a deeper analysis in its own right. Yet there’s more to Four Peace Nugget than its climactic chapter. For the remainder of the tape, Los opts to have a bit of fun over Mobb Deep’s “Survival Of The Fittest” and “Give Up The Goods,” as well as dexterous take on Busta Rhymes’ “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See.”

It’s certainly refreshing to see a rapper who appreciates the golden era, and hearing Los body beats from the nineties will certainly be appreciated by hip-hop purists. Those who give this one a spin should share their favorite tracks — or otherwise bars — in the comments below. Do you think Four Peace Nugget solidifies King Los as one of today’s lyrical greats?

Coi Leray Twerks Upside-Down & Does The Splits On TikTok

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The rise of Coi Leray has been amazing to watch. Once disregarded because of her familial ties to Benzino, who has been deemed “corny” by the general public, the buzzing 23-year-old rapper is currently one of the main women to watch in music. With her single “No More Parties” blowing up on social media and her presence continuing to be polarizing on TikTok, Coi Leray seems destined to reach new levels in terms of her fame. 

Gaining respect for her chilled-out relatable music, the rising star continues to shift the attention in her direction with eye-popping video uploads to social media. For the last few weeks, Coi has been teasing the release of her new single, which features Pooh Shiesty. The track is being hyped up to be even bigger than “No More Parties”, and the rapstress is making sure that people have her catchy flows stuck in their heads before the song is even out.

Posting a couple of new videos to TikTok on Monday, Coi Leray continued her campaign to build exposure for her next single, tentatively titled “Big Purr”. In the first video, she shakes her booty before twerking in rhythm with the song while wearing a pair of booty shorts that read “Hoes Mad”. Then, she shared another clip where she’s upside-down against the same wall, twerking again before hitting the splits to the same song.

@coileray

 

♬ original sound – Coi

@coileray

 

♬ original sound – Coi

Later at night, Coi Leray returned with a couple of clips to promote another new single, which is seemingly a little softer.

@coileray

Before you make me mad ima just sing this song

♬ original sound – Coi

@coileray

 

♬ original sound – Coi

Are you excited for Coi’s new song to come out?

Saweetie Flaunts Her Curves On The Cover Of Cosmopolitan

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Despite going through a highly publicized breakup with her ex Quavo, Saweetie is not letting the brief hiccup stop her bag. Similar to her Migos’ former beau who hit the studio right after their public split, the “Best Friend” rapper wasted no time getting back to work after the breakup. The newly single Icy Girl graced the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine’s April issue, discussing things like her purpose, her brand, and her mission in her cover story interview. 


Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Sharing the photos of the shoot to her Instagram page, the 27-year-old California native gushed about her experience on set. “Had so much fun shooting this thank you,” she captioned the set. Scroll through some of the stunning shots below. 

In the cover story interview, she spoke of her appreciation for making the mistakes she made at the time she made them. “I’m really grateful for my start,” said Saweetie. “Because the mistakes, the struggle, the grind—it allows me to appreciate the rewards that come now because I know what it feels like to sleep in motels, to drive and do promo, to be stressed out.”

On stepping into her purpose, she explained, “Last year was the year that I finally became comfortable in my own skin. I kind of figured out what my purpose was. I think it’s important to show little Black and brown girls that they can be successful in whatever they want to do. If I can do it, you can do it too.”

Speaking about her Icy Girl making, she explained the value of having a lot of green. “Money beats court cases, money buys medicine, money fixes potholes, money puts food on the counter, and money keeps the heat and electricity going,” she declared.


Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

“So if I can spread the wealth, that’s what I want to do.”

The April issue hits newsstands on March 30th. 

[via]

King Los Absolutely Snaps On New “Lemon Pepper Wings Freestyle”

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King Los tends to make the act of bodying instrumentals look like a relatively straightforward process, and his new four-track EP 4 Peace Nugget is no exception. Featuring a batch of freestyles over beloved instrumentals, including Mobb Deep’s “Survival Of The Fittest,” Busta Rhymes’ “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” Mobb Deep’s “Give Up The Goods,” and Drake and Rick Ross’ recent duet “Lemon Pepper.” While there are plenty of bars to unpack throughout, as the longest track, King Los’ “Lemon Pepper Wings” feels worthy of spotlighting.

It doesn’t take long for Los to get going, taking to the sparse instrumental with a focused flow. “Since you riding a wave and I’d rather own a ship,” he spits. “Why we even having these conversations? He gon think he gon want this smoke til we having complications / the last n***a that I coached, got a Grammy nomination.” Some were quick to speculate that Los was addressing a recent Clubhouse conversation with Tsu Surf, during which tempers proceeded to flare. In any case, Los clearly had more than a few thoughts to gather, continuing his lyrical onslaught for nearly five minutes straight. 

Should you appreciate the art of lyricism in its truest form, be sure to check this one out, as well as the additional tracks off Los’ new 4 Peace Nugget EP. Seeing how hard he actually snapped, be sure to share your own favorite stanzas in the comments below. 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Since you riding a wave and I’d rather own a ship
Why we even having these conversations?
He gon think he gon want this smoke til we having complications 
The last n***a that I coached, got a Grammy nomination

BandUpSick Talks Moving To L.A. To Pursue Rap Career Dreams On “BagFuel”

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Minnesota-based rapper BandUpSick sat down with Hyanken and ESSO to talk about the making of his biggest song to date, “Cap Life,” which reached 170k views on YouTube, rebranding himself, attempting to go mainstream, and more. 

For the uninitiated, BandUpSick was born in Chicago, but moved to Minnesota at a young age and has since relocated to Los Angeles, where he currently resides, in pursuit of his rap career. 

“I just felt like Minnesota just wasn’t the place for me no more. I wasn’t able to really see my kid the way I wanted to. So I was like I don’t want to look back at my life and wish I chased a dream,” BandUpSick said of his decision to move.

During the podcast interview, the artist on his grind spoke about the challenges he faced in L.A. and the mentality out there, revealing when he first moved he was working for PostMates and InstaCart, delivering food all over the map.

Speaking on his single, BandUpSick detailed, “‘Cap Life’ is a crazy record how it came about. It was basically supposed to be a record that tells about the industry and how a lot of people be cappin in they raps. You know everybody got the money, everybody got the cars, everybody got the jewelry and the b******. But when you see them in real life, you see all the things they doing its a lot of cap in they rap.”

BandUpSick also revealed that he initially rapping under the alias Sick Punchline, and “pushed the Chicago wave,” rapping with artists like King Louie, FBG, Billionaire Black, and Tay 600. However after the murder of ZackTV, BandUp decided to rebrand himself. 

“It’s time to rebrand,” he said, recalling his change in mentality. “It’s time to get out of this era that ain’t got nothing but death, jail, or just a bunch of negative energy around it. All this is just for clout. Something that’s not even money. We ain’t making no money from it, we just losing each other. And we battling each other, we ain’t even doing it to battle a supposed enemy. So when I came to terms with that, I was like it’s time to really rebrand, then the come-up came all at the same time. So I was like you know what “BandUpSick”. Not only monetary but with my knowledge. I enriched my knowledge, so I banded up in a bunch of different aspects.”

When Esso asked if BandUp wanted to go mainstream, he replied, “I am actually trying to go mainstream. Me and my PR talk about that a lot. We don’t want to force it, while we got it all set up to do that, we really want to break a record on that, lower portion and then once it shoots up past the millions we think at that point, we might have one. We might go into that record to see if it’ll take to the mainstream audience.”

Watch the full episode of BagFuel below.

NBA YoungBoy’s Mother Speaks On His Arrest

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NBA YoungBoy is no stranger to legal troubles. He’s been involved in a string of run-ins with the law the past few years, which is likely the reason why he had “an outstanding federal warrant” against him. As reported by TMZ, this warrant is the reason why the LAPD and federal authorities pulled the rapper over and arrested him on Monday (March 22) while he attempted to flee on foot. He was eventually caught after a short pursuit, pushing numerous people like Yaya Mayweather, Kodak Black, Jackboy, and now his mother to weigh in on the situation. 


Paras Griffin / Contributor / Getty Images

 “Stop worrying about somebody down fall and pray for your own come up,” wrote Sherhonda Gaulden on her Instagram page. While she remained cryptic about what exactly she was referring to, her son’s recent run-in with federal officers seems very applicable to the situation she’s describing. 

According to the TMZ report on the rapper’s arrest, a search of the vehicle the rapper was cruising in uncovered a firearm that has yet to be identified as belonging to anyone. Last summer he was reportedly arrested while filming a video for allegedly being involved in an assault. 

Yaya Mayweather expressed despair over the news that the rapper, whom she shares a child with, had been arrested. “day has been completely ruined,” she wrote with a heartbroken emoji. 

Kodak Black, who has had previous beef with the rapper, wrote this shady message. “Ion Wish Jail On Nobody Tell Dem Send Me Dey Casy App Ima Buy Dey Whole Gang A Lil Sandwich While Bruh Gone.” In another slide, he added, “Or Ah Hot Dog Out Da Gas station N*ggas Ain’t Tripping Howeva.”

We’ll keep you updated as the story develops.