Hip Hop News

Exactly two weeks from today, the world will receive the last album DMX worked on before he passed away. The loss of such an impactful artist had devastated the Hip Hop community and beyond, and his loved ones have been careful to honor his memory with the utmost respect. DMX’s friendship with Swizz Beatz was a rarity for an industry relationship, as it lasted for decades as they remained close confidants and makeshift brothers. Swizz is at the helm of DMX’s posthumous project and recently he orchestrated a listening event to preview the record.

After a select few were able to get a first listen of Exodus, the official tracklist for the album was released just an hour ago.

There were rumors that a Pop Smoke collaboration would make its way to the project, but unfortunately for fans, it doesn’t look like that will happen. Of course, Swizz makes an appearance along with his wife Alicia Keys, and there are plenty of heavy-hitters including Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Bono, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Conway, Usher, The LOX, and Moneybagg Yo.

Continuing their collaboration moves are Jay-Z and Nas who show up on a track together once again following their impressive joint effort “Sorry Not Sorry” from DJ Khaled’s Khaled Khaled. Exodus, DMX’s youngest son, also makes an appearance on the record named after him, and unsurprisingly, the album ends with a prayer. 

Check out the tracklist in full below.

Tracklist

1. That’s My Dog ft. The LOX, Swizz Beatz
2. Bath Salts ft. Jay-Z, Nas
3. Dog’s Out ft. Lil Wayne, Swizz Beatz
4. Money Money Money ft. Moneybagg Yo
5. Hold Me Down ft. Alicia Keys
6. Skyscrapers ft. Bono
7. Male Stick Up Skit ft. Crozz, Infrared, Icepick
8. Hood Blues ft. Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Conway
9. Walking in the Rain ft. Nas, Exodus Simmons, Mr. Porter
10. Take Control ft. Snoop Dogg
11. Exodus Skit
12. Letter to My Son (Call Your Father) ft. Usher, Brian King Joseph
13. Prayer

We’re two weeks away from receiving DMX’s posthumous album Exodus, and Swizz Beatz continues to honor his late friend. The megaproducer recently hosted a listening event for X’s anticipated record, and during the virtual event, Swizz praised DMX’s’ authenticity in an industry, and a world, that thrives on the illusion of success.

“This project meant a lot to him,” Swizz shared during the listening event, according to HipHopDX. “It was something he showed up to do and couldn’t wait for people to hear.”

“It was a project he wanted the world to hear,” he continued. “We didn’t want to wait too long because he didn’t want to wait too long. The album’s name is ‘Exodus,’ which he has across his neck and is on the album cover. It’s also his youngest son’s name.” Swizz also mentioned that they attempted to get a Pop Smoke verse on the project, but in the end, it didn’t work out.

The outlet also reported that Swizz mentioned Lil Baby and Lil Durk pushed back the release date of their joint album out of respect for X. Earlier this week, Lil Baby sent out a tweet that stated Voice of the Heroes would arrive on May 28th, as well, but it was quickly deleted. Baby nor Durk have given an update on the new release date, but Durk still has the post up suggesting that the album would arrive next week.

Swizz also reportedly confirmed that there wouldn’t be any singles coming out prior to Exodus’s release date. Check out the deleted message from Lil Baby Below.

[via]

Earlier today, we reported that Lamar Odom’s baby mama was suing him for allegedly not paying his child support over the last 12 months. As a result of these missed payments, Liza Morales claims that she is being evicted from her Manhattan apartment and that her kids have been affected as well. In fact, Morales says that she put her kid through a community college instead of a four-year institution because it’s all she could afford.

Now, Odom himself is responding to the allegations and he isn’t holding back. In a post on IG, Odom gave a scathing assessment of the situation noting that his children are now adults and that he has been paying child support for 18 years. He also said that Morales had 15 years to get herself a job but refused to do so.

Per Odom:

“I had no plans on addressing this but I can’t keep letting bitter women slander my name. I have taken care of Liza and my children their entire lives. My children are adults. I have paid child support for CHILDREN on-time monthly for the past 18 years. My CHILDREN are ADULTS. I am saddened that in the past 15 years that Liza has not taken the initiative to get a job and create a source of income for herself aside from my monthly payment of child support. She is smart, able and capable of working to support the lavish lifestyle she wants to live. I love my adult children and I will support them and their dreams in every way possible. I pray that Liza finds healing and gets to a place of independence.”

It remains to be seen whether or not the lawsuit will hold up although for now, it is certainly a messy situation.

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Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather are set to fight each other on June 6th in Miami, and for the most part, fans are intrigued to see how this all plays out. Of course, Mayweather is the heavy favorite here although there is a ton of risk. For instance, if he loses, his legacy will be questioned and the social media slander will be on another level.

As for the lead-up to the fight, things have taken a dramatic turn, according to TMZ. In a new report, it was revealed that Mayweather Promotions is suing PAC Entertainment Worldwide for $120 million after failing to make a $30 million payment back in March. PAC had promised to use its connections to help host the Mayweather Vs. Paul fight in Dubai, and as part of the deal, they would pay Mayweather Promotions a total of $120 million.

Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Thanks to the missed payment, Mayweather and his team were able to end the deal although it led to quite a bit of turmoil as they were forced to think on their feet and get a brand new fight date. In the end, everything worked out although Mayweather Promotions is looking to collect and PAC Entertainment Worldwide could be in for a very substantial loss.

This is a developing story so keep it locked to HNHH for more updates.

Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

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Drake is gearing up to release his highly-anticipated album Certified Lover Boy soon although, in the meantime, he has been occupied with various different projects. One of those projects is his Nike NOCTA imprint which has come through with various collections over the last few months. Drake is incredibly passionate about fashion, particularly sportswear, which is exactly what the NOCTA brand focuses on. So far, these collections have had no problems selling out, and in just a week from now, yet another capsule will be hitting the market.

This new capsule is called “Cardinal Stock” and it is going to feature some baseball hats, t-shirts, sweatpants, and even some hoodies. All of these pieces have a white, grey, and blue aesthetic to them, which certainly makes for some clean outfits.

The entire collection has a minimalist feel to it and overall, there is no denying that there are some fire pieces to be had here. If you are into minimalism, then these will certainly be a must-cop for the summer months.

As for the release date, you will be able to cop these pieces as of Thursday, May 20th.

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Cash Money rapper B.G. recently sent a letter to the Eastern District of Louisiana. In that letter, he detailed the mistakes he’s made that have led him to prison. B.G., whose real name is Christopher Dorsey, also mentioned in the letter that he has learned from his criminal past and is willing to put it behind him.

While he was being searched at a traffic stop in New Orleans in 2012, B.G. was arrested for gun possession. That same year, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. B.G.was also accused and charged with witness tampering and intimidation, which contributed to the length of his sentence.

Years later, B.G. is now attempting to plead his case to the Eastern District of Louisiana. In order to do so, he drafted a letter explaining how he plans to transform his life for the better if he is given early release. B.G. reportedly wrote in his letter, “I intend to spend the remainder of my career atoning through my actions, for the missteps of my early years.” 

The letter also mentions that he acknowledges his wrong doings that have led him to lose out on his freedom. While discussing his prior arrest in 2009, he wrote, “I became bitter. Defiant. I refused to blame my own behaviors and my own actions…Instead, I embraced age-old excuses such as: These crackers are just targeting me because I’m a successful young Black man.”

Before his stint behind bars, B.G. was a member of Birdman’s Cash Money Records. Himself, Lil Wayne, and fellow Cash Money labelmates Juvenile and Turk formed the rap group the Hot Boyz back in 1997. He left Cash Money Records in 2001.

B.G. is set to be released in 2024. Do you think he should be released sooner? Weigh in below.  

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For the first time since Born Sinner, J. Cole has dropped a new album that actually has features, so rather than resurfacing the ongoing “platinum with no features” joke, the Hip-Hop community has been able to sit back and dissect the guest appearances tucked away on The Off-Season. One of them happens to belong to Lil Baby, and his verse on “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l” has sparked fervor and debate amongst some of Hip-Hop’s leading artists and cultural commentators.

Early Friday morning, veteran music journalist Elliot Wilson posted a screenshot of one of Everyday Struggle co-host Wayno‘s tweets, which read, “Man months ago me & @cthagod were talking and I said we were in the ‘Lil Baby’ Era , I was saying Drake still got it but we entering his run. Nigga Had a Hard verse on Drake EP & On J.Cole album , yall gotta out some respect on that nigga name for real!”

Soon Elliott Wilson’s Instagram post became the grounds for a debate as to whether the Hip-Hop community has in fact entered the “Lil Baby Era.” Charlamagne the God quickly slid through to reaffirm his stance on the topic by commenting, “Lil Baby smoking everything @wayno119 they will figure it out later…..he floated on this Cole album.”

Instagram

Instagram

Charlamagne and Wayno’s sentiments were soon echoed by other music industry insiders, including Billboard Hip-Hop Editor Carl Lamarre and legendary producer Timbaland as well, but some of the most interesting comments actually came from Conway The Machine and DJ Sam Sneak. The La Maquina rapper offered a hot take for the debate, declaring that Hip-Hop is actually currently in the “Griselda Era.” Given the collective’s recent success over the past year, it’s hard to argue against Conway’s argument, especially considering that he, Westside Gunn, and Benny The Butcher have practically single-handedly rekindled Hip-Hop’s appreciation for bars.

Another intriguing tidbit found in the comment section of Elliot Wilson’s Instagram post came from Sam Sneak, who DJs for Rick Ross. Sneak also praises Lil Baby’s recent performances and even teases that a Rick Ross x Lil Baby collaboration may be on the way, saying, “He killed this track on r…nvm. But yea he been snapping.”

Everything considered, Lil Baby has so far had an insanely successful run in 2021 without even dropping a project, especially considering that he’s lent incredible features to both Drake and J. Cole’s most recent projects. For context, check out his guest verse on Cole’s The Off-Season standout track “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l” below. 

Do you think that we’re officially in the “Lil Baby Era” or is Drake still running Hip-Hop?

New Balance is one of the premier brands in sportswear and the same can be said of BAPE when it comes to the streetwear world. These two brands are huge in their respective lanes, and now, they are teaming up for a dope new collection called “Apes Together Strong.” This collection features two new colorways of the New Balance 2002R, and it also features two pullover hoodies, three t-shirts, two full-zip hoodies, and two pairs of cargo shorts, which helps tie the collection together.

As you can see in some of the official photos below, the New Balance 2002R has two distinct offerings. The first is a more muted grey model which features some BAPE camo throughout. The other shoe is black with green BAPE camo and, of course, both shoes have the unique shark tooth motif on the back heel. As for the rest of the pieces, they all have distinct BAPE and New Balance features such as their respective logos and BAPE camo. Thanks to the more muted colors, these pieces are all extremely tasteful and will certainly get fans excited.

The collection will officially be released on June 5th in China and a North American release will follow suit, shortly after.

Image via BAPE

Image via BAPE

Image via BAPE

Image via BAPE

Image via BAPE