Hip Hop News

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

Ludacris and his wife, Eudoxie, have announced that they are expecting another child with separate posts on Instagram, Friday, while celebrating Eudoxie’s birthday.

“How is it YOUR Birthday & Your Giving Me The Greatest Gift? Joyeux Anniversaire Mrs. Bridges,” Ludacris wrote in a caption for a photo of his pregnant wife.

“Blessed year indeed,” wrote Eudoxie captioning the same photos.

Christopher Polk / Getty Images

Ludacris and Eudoxie married in 2014 and welcomed their first child in 2015.

This isn’t the first time the couple has expressed their love in matching posts on social media. In December 2020, both Ludacris and Eudoxie celebrated six years of marriage and joked about the key the happiness in a long-term relationship.

“What’s The Secret To 6 Years of Marriage & Counting? Make Sure She Gets an Over Abundance of ‘Vitamin D!’ Happy Anniversary Mrs Bridges. We Just Gettin Started!” Ludacris said in his post.

Eudoxie added in her own caption: “May we always celebrate each other. 6 years of marriage down but it’s always felt like we have been together in another life also. As imperfect as it is, it’s pretty perfect! Thank you for making it the easiest and best decision of my life. I LOVE our LOVE”

Conway The Machine has made it abundantly clear that it’s the Griselda era, and last night, he came through to hold it down with a performance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Bringing J.I.D and Ludacris along for the ride, the trifecta delivered a performance of La Maquina’s “Scatter Brain,” an inter-generational banger that currently stands as one of the year’s hardest tracks yet. 

After an introduction from noted hip-hop head Jimmy Fallon, who deserves his credit for bringing some of the rap game’s unsung heroes into the spotlight, the performance kicks off. Taking place on an eerie set littered with staticky television sets and menacing barbed wire, perhaps foreshadowing the vibes of the upcoming music video, all three parties showcase their talents in a live environment.

 Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images

As is always the case during televised performances such as this, part of the fun comes from observing the ways they handle the swear words, and overall, Conway, J.I.D, and Ludacris do an admirable job at whipping up an effective clean version that barely breaks the immersion. It’s a welcome display of chemistry from an unexpected trifecta, and we can only hope this isn’t the last time they unite for a collaboration.

“Last night was mad real,” captions Conway, reflecting on the performance on his Instagram page. “GOD is the greatest.” J.I.D echoed the sentiment, adding “Thank you to the homie @whoisconway for putting this together, big love to @ludacris this shit was monumental to me, much love to @fallontonight for having us.” Check out the performance below, and be sure to stay tuned for the upcoming music video for “Scatter Brain,” set to arrive in the near future. Do you think Conway, J.I.D, and Luda delivered one of the best songs of the year so far?