Hip Hop News

2021 XXL Freshman Class Revealed: Coi Leray, Pooh Shiesty, Rubi Rose, & More

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It’s officially time for the annual summer Hip-Hop tradition of seeing which new rising acts are given the stamp of approval by XXL. Yes, right on time for the summer, the 2021 XXL Freshman Class has finally been revealed. Some of the artists featured on this year’s freshman cover already have a Billboard chart-topping single under their belt, while others are just now breaking out onto the mainstream stage. Regardless, a case can be made for any of the eleven Hip-Hop artists who have made the cut and been crown the lastest XXL Freshmen.

For context, last year’s Freshman cover featured artists who would go on to become rap superstars, such as Polo G, Mulatto, Rod Wave, Jack Harlow, and several others. With such a stacked 2020 XXL Freshman Class, this year’s class of newcomers definitely has big shoes to fill, so without further ado, here are the 2021 XXL Freshmen.

Coi Leray, Pooh Shiesty, Murray, Iann Dior, Lakeyah, DDG, 42 Dugg, Blxst, Rubi Rose, Toosii, and Flo Milli have been named XXL’s 2021 Freshman Class, which the beloved Hip-Hop magazine describes as “out of this world.”

The reveal comes months after a rumored Freshman list leaked that featured many of the artists who made the cut for the official cover as well as other rumored freshmen, such as The Kid Laroi, Sheff G, EST Gee, and $NOT. When that list leaked in March, rising artists Asian Doll and Drakeo the Ruler publicity criticized XXL‘s list, and unfortunately, both artists didn’t make the final 2021 Freshman cover either.

Now that the Hip-Hop community finally knows who this year’s XXL Freshmen are, get ready for the freestyles, cyphers, and interviews that will be popping up over the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, check out XXL’s reveal video for this year’s Freshman class. 

 

What are your thoughts on this year’s XXL Freshman Class? Is it stronger or weaker than years past? Is there anyone who you think landed the cover that didn’t deserve it? And most importantly, who do you think is missing?

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Migos Executive Produce New YouTube Series On The History Of Diamonds

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There is no group icier than the Migos. So, it only made sense that they’d be executive producing a new series about diamonds for YouTube. The group launched a trailer for Ice Cold: The Untold Story Of Hip-Hop Jewelry, a four-episode YouTube Original that explores the history behind diamonds in connection to the hip-hop industry. “Told through the multi-faceted prism of jewelry, Ice Cold explores Hip Hop’s ability to reimagine and transcend established notions of wealth, status, and superiority,” a description for the series reads.


Andrew Toth/Getty Images

The show will include an array of some of the entertainment world’s finest like Migos, Lil Yachty, A$AP Ferg, French Montana, Lil Baby, J. Balvin, City Girls, and more. The show dives not only into hip-hop’s connection to jewelry but also speaks to “deeper issues driving the passion for jewlery: racial inequality, access to the American Dream & the sheer resilience of hip-hop culture.”

“If you’re in America, you have to participate in capitalism. It’s where a lot of people who haven’t been able to build the same type of generational wealth as white people in this country. That’s where you could show that you’re a good capitalist, ‘Look how big and fly my chain is,'” Talib Kweli says in the trailer.

Ice Cold is set to launch on July 8th. Are you tuning into the Migos EP’d series?

Tyler, The Creator’s New ‘LUMBERJACK’ Has Fans Pumped

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Odd Future’s Tyler, the Creator has his day ones really jumping for joy. The hip-hop heavyweight has come through with an unexpected but very must-hear new “LUMBERJACK” single. Tyler, the Creator’s New ‘LUMBERJACK’ Is Awesome TTC hit up his social media pages to unload the record to the world. It’s way more than just a […]

The post Tyler, The Creator’s New ‘LUMBERJACK’ Has Fans Pumped appeared first on SOHH.com.

Lil Baby & Lil Durk Score Gold With DJ Khaled’s “Every Chance I Get”

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DJ Khaled unleashed his most recent project Khaled, Khaled at the end of April. Packed with a star-studded lineup of guest appearances including Lil Wayne, Lil Baby & Lil Durk, Cardi B, 21 Savage, Drake, and Roddy Ricch just to name a few, it was supported by its Drake-assisted dual lead singles “Popstar” and “Greece.” 

The project topped the Billboard 200 Albums Chart in May, spending six consecutive weeks in rotation from the top position. While the producer has found himself in some hot water on social media, he is continuing to score major wins from his latest collection. In a series of posts to his Instagram on Tuesday (June 15), Khaled celebrated earning some new RIAA certifications, including one for his Lil Durk and Lil Baby assisted track “Every Chance I Get.” 

“GOLD FOR YOUR DOME SONG OF THE YEAR #EVERYCHANCEIGET OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED GOLD @riaa_awards
@djkhaled @lilbaby @lildurk @taykeith @riaa_awards @wethebestmusic #KHALEDKHALED @riaa_awards #EVERYCHANCEIGET @riaa_awards SONG OF THE SUMMER AND YEAR THANK YOU ! FAN LUV KEEP GOING ! ANOTHER ONE !!!!!!,” wrote Khaled in the post littered with tons of celebratory hashtags and emojis. 

“Every Chance I Get” featuring Voice Of The Heroes artists Durk and Baby peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart last month. Khaled also showed off a multi-platinum plaque for “Pop Star,” and gold plaques for the entire album and Drizzy’s other standout “Greece.” 

“#POPSTAR 2x PLATINUM #GREECE GOLD #EVERYCHANCEIGET GOLD ? #KHALEDKHALED #1 ALBUM GOLD @wethebestmusic @epicrecords @rocnation @riaa_awards THE ALBUM WIT ALL HIT ANTHEMS! And the album wit the song of the year ! FANLUV THANK U ! Love you,” Khaled wrote in another post. 

Congrats to Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and DJ Khaled!

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Tyler The Creator Flexes Fashion And Flows In His Snowy ‘Lumberjack’ Video

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Tyler The Creator has been teasing new music all week, first with a billboard in LA bearing the phone number to a cryptic message from his mom, then with a video snippet called “Side Street” that appeared to be teasing a new aesthetic for his latest rollout. Yesterday, he updated the preview phone number with more new music, but he saved the biggest surprise yet for today, releasing the “Lumberjack” video to YouTube and DSPs.

The video opens with Tyler reading car magazines in bed while eating a pastry, with a mellow track backing Tyler’s narration from what sounds like a diary entry. Then, out of nowhere, the scene, music, and overall vibe take a hard 180, as we see Tyler standing atop a tower of designer trunks rapping like a madman over a gritty, ’90s-style beat, complete with ad-libs being screamed in the background by none other than DJ Kay Slay. And just in case you’re wondering, he does explain the meaning behind the title, with a bar that should have rap connoisseurs reaching for the rewind button with a sour lemon expression on their face.

The video concludes once again with the sitcom-y outro teasing “Call Me If You Get Lost,” which suggests that this is just the first salvo from a barrage of new music Tyler has ready to go.

Watch Tyler The Creator’s “Lumberjack” video above.

Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Thot Sh*t’ Video Has One Conservative Politician Feeling ‘Threatened’

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Megan Thee Stallion returned from a brief hiatus last week to issue a clap back to conservative politicians who are offended by her music. Releasing her “Thot Sh*t” video, Megan made fun of right-wingers who trash talk her music, but continue to obsessively follow her every career move. One conservative apparently took this critique to heart, as she took the visual as a personal affront.

GOP congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine was very outspoken about her disdain for Megan and Cardi B’s “WAP” video last year. Now, she’s taking aim at Megan’s latest song. In a video statement shared with TMZ, Lorraine mentioned that she felt personally targeted by Megan’s video:

“Megan Thee Stallion’s latest video, she’s referring to potentially me because we’ve feuded in the past with her videos like ‘WAP,’ but probably just the conservative political commentators on a whole that have called her out for her music videos and her outrageous, degrading songs in the past. So if I were to run again for office, I would say, ‘Look, we actually need to have better music, better examples of role models in our media and in our movies, and especially in our music because young people listen to music so much.’”

Lorraine continues to note that some particularly diehard Megan and Cardi B fans have sent her threatening messages. But in her mind, she really thinks she’s doing something to “help these people.” “I feel threatened. I worry sometimes if they’re going to come after me or they really will find my address and kill me or doing something terrible to me,” she said. “That’s a shame because I’m trying to help these people, I’m trying to help them see that they can be more than their ‘WAP.’”

Lorraine concluded her rant by doubling down on her assertion that Megan’s music is “garbage.” “I’m trying to help them realize that there’s a positive way to be successful in society that doesn’t mean selling your body on the streets and getting that money,” she said. “But they don’t really care, they’re going to listen to the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion no matter what, and it’s not going to stop me from standing up for what I believe in, which is that this music is garbage and we need to do better for our youth, we need to do better for our culture.”

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Earthgang Throws A Wild House Party In Their ‘Options Remix’ Video With Coi Leray And Wale

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Earthgang is well-known by now for the spacey, surreal visuals that accompanied their debut album Mirrorland, but with their latest rollout, they’ve gone for a more down-to-earth approach. While the initial video for “Options” with Wale featured Claymation analogs for the Atlanta duo and their guest, the grounded storyline revolved more around the mechanics of relationships and dating. The video for the remix, which added breakout artist Coi Leray to the mix, strips down the concept further, landing all four rappers at a debauched house party.

Earthgang, who recently used their notoriety to help fund a community garden at a local Atlanta school, have been somewhat cagey about a follow-up to Mirrorland, joking that it would drop on the same day as J. Cole’s album before admitting that they didn’t even know when their Dreamville boss would be putting his album out (that album, The Off-Season, has since released to an impressive commercial response).

Meanwhile, the ATLiens have kept themselves in the pop culture conversation with releases like “Aretha” and their take on Drake’s “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” as well as returning to performing at New Zealand festival Bay Dreams and the upcoming Dreamville On The Rocks in Colorado, among others.

Watch Earthgang’s “Options Remix” video featuring Coi Leray and Wale above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Beyoncé, JAY-Z & Kelly Rowland Flick Up At June Ambrose’s Birthday Bash

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z are one of Hollywood’s most elite power couples. While they have been less secretive about the details of their romance in recent years, it’s rare that the duo is spotted in conditions outside of their own terms. The pair recently hit up the Nets vs Bucks game in Brooklyn, posing for photos courtside. 

The low-key couple recently attended the birthday celebrations of their dear friend June Ambrose. The celebrity costume designer turned 50 years old this week, and celebrated the milestone with a luxurious birthday bash in Los Angeles attended by her famous pals like Destiny Child’s group mates and childhood friends Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, plus Jay-Z and others. 


Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Lenny “Kodaklens” Santiago shot the photos of the affair for Vogue, sharing the best of the shots to his Instagram feed. “I had the pleasure of shooting my dear friend June Ambrose’s 50th Born Day Dinner for Vogue,” he explained in the caption.

He added, “Yes, I know, I know.. she looks 35. She’s hands down one of the most brilliant, beautiful, incredible, stylish, amazing, enthusiastic, positive and consistent human beings in and out the business. Love her to death! Happy Belated My sister and thanks for trusting me behind the lens for your special day.”

One photo depicts Ambrose alongside Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who rocked matching all-black outfits. Jay wore a black suit with accented pockets and white sneakers, while Beyoncé wore a form-fitting black dress that cheekily exposed just one of her toned legs. She completed the look with a long braided ponytail and diamond snake earrings. 

Elsewhere, Ambrose posed for solo shots with Kelly Rowland, who wore her hair in a curly style and a matching light green set, and another one with Bey. Kelly and Hov also posed for a friendship shot together. 

Check out the photos for yourself above and below. 

Trump Pressured Justice Department To Overturn 2020 Election Results

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Former United States President Donald Trump attempted to pressure members of the Justice Department into supporting his baseless claims of election fraud, per newly released emails from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

The House Committee shared a press release Tuesday from Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, releasing the appropriate documents that reveal the former President’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results through the Department of Justice. The documents show that Trump and his allies pressured DOJ officials around last December and early January through email communication in a thinly-veiled attempt at keeping him in power.

“These documents show that President Trump tried to corrupt our nation’s chief law enforcement agency in a brazen attempt to overturn an election that he lost,” Chairwoman Maloney said. “Those who aided or witnessed President Trump’s unlawful actions must answer the Committee’s questions about this attempted subversion of democracy.“

Donald Trump

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Minutes before announcing that former Attorney General William Barr would step down from his position, Trump’s assistant sent phony election fraud “proof” documents to Deputy Attorney Jeffrey Rosen. The documents alleged that there was a cover-up regarding voting machines in Michigan and that the state couldn’t certify Biden’s win, and there were set talking points included to reflect those false claims. Trump then tweeted that Rosen would serve as Acting Attorney General, supplanting Barr – who firmly did not believe there was any kind of election fraud going on – for someone who could regurgitate his falsified talking points.

Later in December, Trump used official White House channels, along with a private attorney, to pressure the DOJ to file a Supreme Court lawsuit to nullify the election results, alleging that Electoral College votes cast in six states – which he lost – couldn’t be counted and requesting that the Court order a “special election” for him in those states. Trump’s private attorney, Kurt Olsen, contacted these senior DOJ officials on his behalf to nudge them into filing the complaint in an urgent manner.

These attempts at nullifying the election ultimately built up to the Capitol insurrection that took place on January 6. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is currently working toward highlighting the Trump Administration’s failure to adequately anticipate and prevent the events of the insurrection.

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