Black Star Debut New Song Produced By Madlib On Dave Chappelle’s Podcast

It’s been nearly 23 years since Mos Def and Talib Kweli offered their collaborative album as Black Star but only recently have there been any sort of update regarding the project. Kweli began teasing the project’s arrival last summer. Last we heard, the duo are clearing samples on the project which is entirely produced by Madlib.


Bob Berg/Getty Images

As Kweli’s been embarking on his career as a podcaster, he and his Black Star partner yasiin bey joined Dave Chappelle for his newly launched podcast, The Midnight Miracle. The first two episodes dropped today and fans got a particular surprise when bey and Kweli unveiled a brand new single off of their forthcoming project. Though no title attached to it, the Madlib-produced single is floating around the internet under the title “Automatic.” 

Madlib and Kweli recently discussed the project’s release with the producer claiming that the delay is currently on his end. He explained that he’s still trying to identify certain samples on the project in order to move forward with clearance.

“The only thing I’ve got to do is figure out what I used for some of the songs,” Madlib told Kweli on The People’s Champ podcast. “I’m the type of producer that just freestyles my beats. I don’t even really get what I’m doing, I just keep going, you know?”

The new track from Black Star in featured on “Gladiator Circus World (Side B)” of The Midnight Miracle podcast exclusively available on Luminary. 

Are you excited for a new Black Star album?

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Lil Duval Pitches ‘Verzuz’ Battle Between Boosie & Plies “In A Hood Club”

Verzuz has effectively taken the culture by storm. Conceived by industry heavyweights Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, the musical battle show gained popularity as individuals across America tuned in for new forms of entertainment in the pandemic. Originally strictly available through Instagram live, the popular series has gone on to be available on avenues like Triller and FITE.

Recent contenders that have gone hit for hit on the series include the girl group showdown between SWV and XScape, the 4/20 match between Method Man and Redman, and an Easter weekend battle between The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire. Lil Duval is offering up his take on who should hit the stage next in a special battle featuring a slight change in formatting.  


Moses Robinson/Getty Images for BET

“Boosie and plies on Verzuz with me hosting in front of a live crowd in a hood club,” tweeted the comedian on Sunday (May 9). The suggested format for the battle has been unseen in Verzuz history, however, fans admitted it would be very fitting for the hood-favorite artists.

Of course, Verzuz usually teases promotional material for their next few battles a little bit ahead of its premiere date. While it’s unclear who is set to hit the stage next on the musical battle show, that hasn’t stopped people from teasing hypothetical battles between other members of the musical elite. 

Charlamagne tha God recently ignited a conversation around who the winner of a hypothetical battle between Beyoncé and Rihanna would be. What’s your take on Lil Duval’s proposal?

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Porsha Williams Denies Having Same Ring As Fiancé’s Ex Falynn

Oh boy, the tea was hot this morning. Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams announced her engagement to Simon Guobadia on Monday— the estranged husband of her co-star Falynn Guobadia. She has only been dating Simon for about a month but already, she believes that she’s found the perfect man. 

Given how sudden this all sounds, it’s caused quite a stir on social media. Porsha clarified, “Simon filed for divorce from a previous marriage in January. I had nothing to do with their divorce filing. That’s between the two of them.” Falynn was previously introduced to viewers of the show as a friend of Porsha’s, but the 39-year-old denies being close with her. “Falynn and I are not friends, and Simon’s divorce has been settled,” she said. “Our relationship is a positive, loving step forward in everybody’s lives.”

Porsha debuted her engagement ring in a new picture, which has already been drawing comparisons to Falynn’s ring from Simon. The two rings look pretty similar and an online discourse kicked off over whether Simon popped the question with the same ring. Porsha has stepped in to confirm that he did not.

“That’s the same ring his ex wife has,” commented a fan on her Twitter. “That’s a lie,” responded Porsha.

Porsha and Simon may be wed in a televised ceremony, as Porsha has already teased the possibility of a destination wedding for Bravo. What do you think about all this?

DaniLeigh: DaBaby’s Ex Bae Flames In 5 Swimsuit Shots

R&B singer DaniLeigh knows how to rack up a bunch of likes. The hip-hop star has lit up her Instagram page with a flurry of new pics living her best life in the Dominican Republic. As the spring heat intensifies and Woman Crush Wednesday just hours away, we’re taking a look at five stunning shots […]

The post DaniLeigh: DaBaby’s Ex Bae Flames In 5 Swimsuit Shots appeared first on SOHH.com.

Yung Nudy’s ‘2Face’ Video With G Herbo Announces The Release Date Of His New Album, ‘Dr Ev4l’

Atlanta rapper Young Nudy returns this month with a new album, Dr Ev4l, and today, he released the video for its first single, “2Face” featuring G Herbo. The 13-song project will also include features from Nudy’s cousin, 21 Savage, and from Lil Uzi Vert. Nudy previously posted the horror-themed cover on his social media channels, as well as an invite to his haunted house-themed album release party in Atlanta. The album is due May 18 on Nudy’s own PDE Records and RCA.

The video for “2Face” sees the two stoic-faced rappers make a stop at the convenience store and throw a parking lot party attended by their respective crews and some scantily-clad, twerking ladies. Lyrically, Herbo and Nudy tread familiar territory, flexing their cash and shouting out their homeboys, denying they’ll ever let their boys down. A beat switch toward the end is accompanied by a transition to a nighttime shoot with Nudy and friends posturing on the block in ski masks as a red filter washes everything in a ghoulish crimson.

Dr Ev4l is Nudy’s first full-length release since 2020’s Anyways and his breakout 2019 Pi’erre Bourne-produced joint mixtape Sli’merre. He also featured on Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III, further increasing anticipation for his latest release.

Watch the “2Face” video above.

Dr Ev4l is out 5/28 via RCA. Pre-save it here.

The Hollywood Bowl’s 2021 Summer Lineup Includes Two Nights Of Christina Aguilera

It’s been a tough year for some of the nation’s most beloved venues. The onset of the pandemic and subsequent quarantine meant staying away from massive gatherings like crowds at The Forum or the Staples Center was the safe choice, with plenty of canceled tours in the wake, and seeing those musical monuments sit empty has been hard on everyone. Now, there’s light on the horizon, as one of LA’s biggest and best arenas is ready to re-open its doors.

That’s right, the Hollywood Bowl has officially announced their 2021 lineup, and it includes some surprising and unexpected names. For instance, I highly doubt most Stripped diehards had not one but two nights of Christina Aguilera headlining the bowl on their 2021 bingo card, but that’s what we’ve got coming up in July. There’s also big appearances from Kamasi Washington, Earl Sweatshirt, H.E.R., Brittany Howard, Jamila Woods, Herbie Hancock, and a whole lot more.

The entire summer calendar announcement is included below, even the LA Phil dates, so please check out the venue’s website for more information on those bookings. Normally we don’t cover a lot of the classical music performances, but after a year of no concerts, I have a feeling those nights will be more populated than ever.

Check out the full listing below:

05/15 —Dudamel and the LA Phil
05/17 — Pink: All I Know So Far screening
05/22 — Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev with Dudamel (LA Phil)
06/12 — Thundercat + Flying Lotus
06/26 — La Santa Cecilia
07/03 — July 4th Fireworks Spectacular + Kool & The Gang
07/04 — July 4th Fireworks Spectacular + Kool & The Gang
07/15 — Peter And The Wolf with Viola Davis & Dudamel (LA Phil)
07/16 — Christina Aguilera (LA Phil)
07/17 — Christina Aguilera (LA Phil)
07/18 — KCRW’s World Festival: Kamasi Washington + Earl Sweatshirt
07/20 — Tianyi Lu Conducts Pictures At An Exhibition (LA Phil)
07/22 — Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky (LA Phil)
07/24 — Ledisi Sings Nina Simone (LA Phil)
07/27 — Mozart and Mendelssohn with Ruth Reinhardt (LA Phil)
07/30 — Cynthia Erivo (LA Phil)
07/31 — The Princess Bride in Concert (LA Phil)
08/01 — KCRW’s World Festival: Reggae Night XIX, Ziggy Marley, Wailing Souls
08/05 — Schumann & Schumann (LA Phil)
08/06 — Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks (LA Phil, USC Trojan Marching Band)
08/07 — Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks (LA Phil, USC Trojan Marching Band)
08/08 — Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns Tower of Power
08/10 — Dudamel Conducts Gershwin (LA Phil)
08/12 — Dudamel Conducts the “New World” (LA Phil)
08/13 — H.E.R. With The LA Phil
08/14 — H.E.R. With The LA Phil
08/15 — Blame It On Rio! with Sergio Mendes and carnival dancers
08/17 — Dudamel Leads Elgar and Grieg (LA Phil)
08/19 — Dudamel Conducts Beethoven & Falla (LA Phil)
08/21 — Sing-A-Long Sound Of Music
08/24 — Dudamel Leads Márquez and Tchaikovsky (LA Phil)
08/26 — Piazzolla & Tchaikovsky with Dudamel (LA Phil)
08/27 — Carlos Vives (LA Phil)
08/28 — Carlos Vives (LA Phil)
08/31 — Ray Chen Plays Mendelssohn
09/02 — Gershwin and Bonds (LA Phil)
09/03 — Maestro of the Movies: John Williams + David Newman conduct the LA Phil)
09/04 — Maestro of the Movies: John Williams + David Newman conduct the LA Phil)
09/05 — Maestro of the Movies: John Williams + David Newman conduct the LA Phil)
09/09 — Beethoven & Schumann (LA Phil)
09/10 — Black Panther in Concert (LA Phil)
09/11 — Black Panther in Concert (LA Phil)
09/12 — Black Panther in Concert (LA Phil)
09/14 — Yo-Yo Ma | The Bach Project
09/17 — Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince In Concert
09/18 — KCRW’s World Festival: Brittany Howard, Jamila Woods, Georgia Anne Muldrow
09/25 — James Blake (Hollywood Bowl Orchestra)
09/26 — Herbie Hancock
09/28 — Mozart Under The Stars With Dudamel (LA Phil)

J. Cole Shoots Down Rumors That He’s Contemplating Retirement After ‘The Fall Off’

Ever since J. Cole closed his 2018 album KOD with a song title “1985 (Intro To The Fall Off),” fans have looked forward to the album of that title with both anticipation and apprehension. For one thing, lyrics, interviews, and social media posts he’s made since then have all seemed to imply plans to retire from rap once the album drops. However, in a new cover story in Slam magazine, of all places, Cole denies that he has any such plans, explaining that while he’s at peace with never making another album, he has too much love for the game to simply declare he’s done.

“I’m super comfortable with the potential of being done with this sh*t,” he tells Slam. “But I’m never going to say, ‘Oh, this is my last album.’… Because I never know how I’m going to feel two years, three years, four years down the line, 10 years down the line, but please believe, I’m doing all this work for a reason. I’m doing all this work to be at peace with, ‘If I never did another album, I’m cool.’”

If it seems a little out-of-place for a rapper to be doing cover stories for a basketball magazine, Cole made sure to legitimize that as well; yesterday, it was announced that he’d signed a contract to play in the newly created Basketball Africa League as part of Rwanda’s Patriots team ahead of the release of his next album, The Off-Season, which is decidedly not the same as The Fall Off.

What Happened To King Los?

There’s no way to overstate the role that dumb luck can often play in ascending to the top of the rap game. Right place, right time, and right entourage, can all be crucial in elevation or lack thereof. This trade-off between talent and the extenuating factors that govern one’s journey to success means that, where some fairly uninspiring prospects have risen to the top, there are many high-caliber voices that have found themselves unable to transfer their potential into a prolific career. 

Possessing a near-unparalleled command of language and a breathtaking freestyle game, Baltimore’s Los– now self-anointed as King Los– appeared to have all of the raw materials required to etch his name into the pantheon of the greats when he first debuted.

A student of the genre ever since he found solace in writing rhymes at age 18, the young Carlos Coleman honed his craft with the sort of meticulousness that’s now an afterthought for the overwhelming majority of modern artists. Highly-favoured among hip-hop fans that still covet the art of MC’ing, Los has boomeranged from periods of prominence to obscurity and back again throughout his career, but one universal truth remains– if hip-hop was a meritocracy based on rhyming, the 40-year-old would be an icon by now. 

The Lyrical Mindset

what happened to king los & bad boy

As many a battle rapper would attest, lyrical acumen doesn’t always translate well into marketability or mainstream exposure; it often takes a lot more than that to make it big. However, Los did not only have the skills, he had the address book and major label budget to match. It’s perhaps this fact, that makes Los’ fate all the more bewildering. 

Touted as one of the future greats by former label boss Diddy, Los’ prestige as a lyricist and artist on the precipice of widespread fame meant that the collabs on his mixtapes surpassed what some rising rappers often get on their debut major label releases.

Having acquired sought-after features from Rick Ross, DMX, Chris Brown, Jazze Pha and Twista as an independent artist on tapes such as The Crown Ain’t Safe, the introduction of endless financial resources into the equation made it seem as though success was a foregone conclusion. Saluted by Kendrick as the man who’d provided the most compelling response to “Control” and lauded as a better lyricist than Dot by Lupe Fiasco, all the building blocks appeared to be in place. 

But somehow, someway, the stars never aligned for a rapper who could comfortably make devour any beat and deliver profound rhymes with ease. Instead, King Los has had several rebirths that have ultimately led to him occupying the same space in the game for almost his entire career.

Signing With Diddy’s Bad Boy Label Twice

king los and bad boy deal

King Los first hit Diddy’s radar when he auditioned for the second series of Making The Band, but then refused to sign the paperwork that’d secure his place. A young Los was signed by Diddy way back in 2006, after the Baltimore MC blew the Bad Boy impresario away with a flawless marathon of a freestyle. “I did a 10-minute freestyle that’s actually legendary. It’s been viewed probably a couple million times by this point. I did a 10-minute freestyle and he signed me off of that 10-minute freestyle. This was in 2006,” Los revealed back in 2014 when detailing where his first deal with Diddy went sour. “But what happened was, coming from Baltimore, I was surrounded by people that I was doing an indie label with, before the Bad Boy deal, and they were connected to the streets. So by the time I got my record deal, things came full circle and kinda caught up with them and I ended up losing my deal due to some street stuff.”

Los freestyles for 10 minutes straight for Diddy

Suddenly cast out into the cold, Los soon found himself back in Baltimore and received his first taste of the setbacks that can be hurled your way in the rap game. Going from, as he told Ebro in 2014, “on the verge of being that dude,” back to the lower rungs of the game. Los’ drive proved too unquenchable for him to simply accept his fate and within a few years, he was eventually granted a rare second chance when Diddy came calling again, this time in October of 2012. 

Described by Puff as one cog in “a whole new movement” for the Bad Boy label, alongside labelmates MGK, Red Cafe and French Montana, the release of 2013’s Becoming King mixtape suggested that the coronation was imminent. Composed of all new beats from esteemed producers such as Harry Fraud and Sonny Digital, alongside a plethora of guest stars, the record felt like a real step forward towards the stature that Los had always threatened to assume.

red cafe king los diddy

King Los with Red Cafe and Diddy at a Miami club, 2012 – Vallery Jean/WireImage/Getty Images

Coupled with the acclaim that Becoming King received, Los’ profile was further developed in that same year by his feature on French Montana’s “Ocho Cinco” and a star-making turn on Kid Ink’s “No Option.”

Yet even when it seemed as though he was getting out of the starting blocks, Los was candid about the issues he’d had with impressing his mentor.

“Puff kind of had an effect on the way I make music, because he is very critical and it made me just want to step my game up,” he informed AllHipHop. “It’s not easy to play a record for him and he be, like, thoroughly impressed. It’s a gamble any time you play a record for him you might be totally in love with the record and he be like [blank stare].”

Parting Ways with Bad Boy, Again

king los and diddy together

Diddy and King Los walk the red carpet, 2013 – Tommaso Boddi/WireImage/Getty Images

If the above statement is seen as an admission that Los couldn’t produce the radio-ready goods that Diddy desired, it could help explain why he languished on the shelf at Bad Boy. Losing vital time in an industry where the hourglass is on steroids, and without a major debut album to show for it, Los and Diddy soon severed their ties on a formal level.

“Forever in the Bad Boy family, just I’ve chosen to explore other endeavors just like my mentor, just like Puff,” King Los declared in March 2014. 

Although he was insistent that their split was “amicable” and born of refusal to “stagnate, rumours began to surface that his decision to part ways with the label was due to an explosive rant by Diddy. And this rant would soon be adapted by Rick Ross and inserted into the intro of “Nobody” from 2014’s Mastermind.

Rick Ross “Nobody” featuring French Montana

“You wanted to fuckin’ walk around these roaches. These n***s is mere motherfuckin’ mortals. I’m tryna push you to supreme being,” an impassioned and irate Diddy proclaimed. “You don’t wanna embrace your destiny, you wanna get by. You don’t wanna go into the motherfuckin’ dark where it’s lonely. You can’t handle the motherfuckin’, the pain of the motherfuckin’ not knowin’ when the shit is gonna stop.”

While Ross would not reveal who the words were aimed at, he did confirm that they were not targeting his “Nobody” guest feature, and another Bad Boy signee, French Montana. “When I took [the rant] and chopped it up and put it on my record I gave him my word. I would never reveal who it was that he was scolding because it’s someone you know,” Rozay said at the time.

Naturally, speculation began to run rampant, and as the news of Los’ departure broke just one month later, fans started to do the math. Shortly after this idea gained traction, Los headed to RapFixLive and inferred that he may have been the recipient of Diddy’s ire.

“I love the mystique of this. I’ma let this play out a little bit, but boy, your intuitive skills, man,” Los revealed. “I had something to do with it.” 

Moving on to RCA Records 

king los rca records

King Los at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, 2014 – Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images

Chewed out by Diddy or not, Los’ potential and upside remained so pronounced that after releasing one tape in the form of Zero Gravity II, he was immediately snapped up, and signed a joint venture between RCA and After Platinum.

At the time, After Platinum CEO Ernie Romero described the deal as “the perfect platform for us to reach the next level,” and with that, they prepared to make their assault on the mainstream and step out of the mixtape terrain, finally.

Executive produced by Diddy, 2015’s God, Money, War was billed as a digital-only prelude to his official debut album and as fans will remember, the project had an undeniable gravitas to it before its release. In interviews, Los spoke of its philosophical outlook and even suggested that he’d attempted to move out of his wheelhouse a little, for the benefit of the content.

“I actually have to fight not to be lyrical,” he told HNHH in 2015 by way of pre-release promotion. “Not to dumb down, but just to have a conversation that everyone can embrace. Because the message is too important. That’s me getting on your level, lyrically melodically, sonically. The album will have more attack. The album will be scary.”

Arriving in June of that year, God, Money, War proved that he could juggle dualing perspectives, spiritual battles and flows while even trying  his hand at Billboard crossovers, with the same energy that’d made his mixtapes into a hot commodity. Featuring standout tracks such as the transfixing “War” and the Isaiah Rashad-aided “Black Blood,” the record was the culmination of a decade-long journey from his initial deal in 2006. And yet, it didn’t re-calibrate the industry as expected.

Amassing 7,000 sales in its first week, the project peaked at number 68 and while it did receive its fair amount of plaudits, it wasn’t the paradigm-shifting event that was hoped for by Los nor his fans.

Sadly, the album that it was intended as a precursor to has still yet to arrive. Billed by Los back in 2015 as arriving “late this year, first quarter” and with “legends on deck,” it’s gone on to become the underground hip-hop equivalent of Detox in its elusiveness. 

Still bursting with ingenuity and wisdom but with no sizeable audience to impart it to, his contributions to Diddy’s star-studded MMM would arrive later that same year, but did little to move the needle and with that, it felt as though his spell as a contender for worldwide renown was seemingly over. 

Post-Labels, Present-Day 

In the years that have passed, Los got back to his mixtape hustle. Both released in December 2017, G.O.A.T saw him put his skill set forward and vie for the hall of fame, while the Puff Diddy-introduced Moors Bars was an exercise in exquisite bar work over a succession of trap beats. Elsewhere, Los bested Head Ice in a legendary battle rap outing for Rare Breed Ent in 2018.

To this day, his self-belief remains unwavering and he’s not afraid to inform his rivals or detractors of his credentials.  

“I have heard certain battle rappers create slurs about my career being cold,” he tweeted in February 2019. “You should see my publishing checks, I’ve written for the artist you think are litty. I wrote a whole season of Empire and just did a Netflix series with Cardi B. My next move is (fire) just wait.”

what happened to king los

Screenshot via twitter

In terms of his whereabouts presently, April’s 4Peace Nugget release saw him doing what he does best; bodying beats and making them his own, including”Lemon Pepper Freestyle” and Mobb Deep’s classic “Survival Of The Fittest.”

While there’s plenty of baffling tales of missed opportunities in hip-hop, King Los’ is uniquely frustrating in that his skills, deals and overall acclaim from peers suggest that he should’ve been a fixture, but instead, he remains on the fringes of public acclaim. Vaunted by hip-hop’s devotees, but left behind from the highly-commercialized landscape that is now hip-hop music, Los refuses to count himself out. And with any luck, he’ll eventually strike gold in the manner that his talent has warranted for years. 

Have you been keeping up with King Los all these years? Sound off in the comments.

Adele’s Estranged Father Passes Away After Battle With Cancer

Adele has earned international recognition for her laundry list of musical accomplishments. Celebrated for her soulfully drenched, emotionally charged lyrics, the Grammy winner often elects to forgo a heavy social media presence or letting fans see too much behind the scenes. 

A source close to the singer’s family confirmed today (May 11) that her estranged father, Mark Evans, had died at the age of 57. The source tells The Sun publication that he lost his life after battling cancer. Adele has previously vocalized her fractured relationship with her father several times in the past after Mark left her family when she was just three years old. 


Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

She explained she didn’t “hate” her father but rather their relationship deteriorated further as her stardom continued to grow. In 2013, Mark revealed he was struggling with bowel cancer and feared he would not be able to meet his grandson Angelo. The singer’s father claimed in 2015 that they had patched up all their issues. 

Mark went on to call their feud a “misunderstanding,” although those claims were countered by Adele during a 2017 Grammy Awards speech where she told her manager she loved him “like I would love my dad.”

She said, “Thank you to my manager because the comeback, as it were, was completely masterminded by him. And you executed it incredibly, and I owe you everything. We’ve been together for 10 years, and I love you like you’re my dad.

“I love you so, so much. I don’t love my dad, that’s the thing. That doesn’t mean a lot,” she added. “I love you like I would love my dad.”

Adele has yet to issue a statement regarding Mark’s passing. A source from The Sun explained, “Mark’s family are of course very upset by his passing. He always hoped things would work out with Adele, but it remained acrimonious to the end. He made a few attempts to make things right, but clearly it had been too long.”

May he rest in peace. 

[via]

J. Cole Is The First Artist To Have Solo Feature On The Cover Of Slam

J. Cole’s been giving us varsity bars since he came into the game, drawing the parallels between his come-up in rap and the NBA. While Cole’s often mentioned in the list of rappers that could hoop, the upcoming release of The Off-Season will be a new body of work to bridge the gap between athletes and entertainers. 


Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

After the announcement that he’ll be taking his talents to the Rwandan club in Basketball Africa League, beginning this weekend, the rapper has now graced the cover of SLAM Magazine. Not only has he gone platinum with no features but he’s now the first artist to be featured solo on the cover of the magazine. 

“J. Cole stands for everything SLAM stands for—the way basketball and music overlap and inspire greatness in one another,” Chief Content Officer at SLAM Adam Figman said. “This cover was a long time coming, and we’re proud that we were able to make it happen just as Cole was about to release an album influenced by his love of hoops.” 

The rare editorial interview with Cole offers a further glimpse into his new project. He explained the inspiration behind the title of The Off-Season, due out on Friday.

The Off-Season symbolizes the work that it takes to get to the highest height,” he said. “The Off-Season represents the many hours and months and years it took to get to top form.”

Peep the cover below. Are you excited for The Off-Season?


Via Publicist

[Via]