For weed-smokers of all shapes and sizes, a session with Snoop is among the most sought-after bucket-list endeavors. It would appear that the Doggfather is acutely aware of this, as he notes in his brand new single “Gang Signs,” a highlight from his recent From Tha Streets 2 Tha Suites project. Today, Snoop has come through to drop off a new video from the album, and lo and behold, it features none other than Madonna puffing on a blunt.
“Crip walking with my homegirl Martha,” he raps, but alas, footage of Martha’s footwork was not provided. “While I’m passing joints to Madonna.” Cut to the pop icon living up to the bar, blowing smoke into the camera in a clip that’s already garnered viral attention. “Who wanna smoke with Snoop, let’s have a smoke or two / puff puff pass, that’s what real smokers do.” His celebrity smoking session continues as he finds himself posted up with Gary Payton, reminding haters exactly how he gets down. “You was smoking on Gary Payton, I was smoking with Gary Payton,” he flexes. “We not the same, stop hatin’.”
Check out Snoop and Mozzy’s new video for “Gang Signs,” featuring cameo appearances from Madonna, Gary Payton, and Mistah F.A.B. And while you’re here, be sure to offer your thoughts and prayers to Snoop Dogg and his mother in the comments below.
After keeping fans shielded from their relationship status for the first year of their coupledom, it looks like Uzi and JT have taken the next step in their love story, posing for a brand new magazine cover together as part of their first joint shoot. As reported by multiple blogs on Instagram, the couple will reportedly be on the cover of Arena Homme +, a fashion magazine for men. The two rappers stripped down to their underwear for the pictures, with JT caressing her man’s face and torso.
The sexy picture hasn’t gone without its fair share of criticism though. A ton of people are very confused about the cover, pointing out some things that are throwing them off. For starters, we all know Lil Uzi is a man of pretty short stature. He doesn’t stand much taller than JT, yet, on the cover, he towers over her. “What they got him standing on?” asked one fan in the comments. Others are wondering why Uzi’s face looks a little off in the shot, pondering whether he was edited in and asking why he had to make that facial expression. “Why it look like they photo shopped his head on his body,” commented another confused fan. “He couldn’t make another face,” said another.
Let us know what you think of Lil Uzi Vert and JT’s magazine cover debut. Are you a fan of the cover? Read some of the comments below.
If you were ever fell asleep on the couch watching TBS and had a dream combining Castaway, Pirates Of The Caribbean, and The Hobbit, it might look something like the video for DJ Khaled’s latest Khaled Khaled single “We Going Crazy.” The Jamaica-filmed video opens with a shipwreck that finds Khaled and his costars HER and Migos marooned on a tropical island littered with luxury goods, including watches, sneakers, and bottles of Ciroc.
After building themselves a shelter and feasting on shellfish, the newly island rich protagonists hold a banquet in a cave with pirate skeletons (and the extant treasures with which they were buried) and follow the pirates’ map to an underground mountain of gold — which is protected by a massive, Smaug-like dragon, naturally. There’s a lot more product placement and eventually, Khaled buys a helicopter(!?) to get them off the island, signing off with his signature catchphrase: “Another one.” Indeed.
Fire and tropical islands appear to be a running theme with this album’s rollout, as the videos for the Lil Wayne and Jeremih-featuring “Thankful,” Lil Baby and Lil Durk collaboration “Every Chance I Get,” and the all-star reggae jam “Where You Come From” all prominently feature at least one or the other. In fact, only “Sorry Not Sorry” with Jay-Z and Nas excludes flames and beach scenery — although if they want to film a remix video, I’m sure neither artist would be opposed.
Watch DJ Khaled’s “We Going Crazy” video featuring HER and Migos above.
Khaled Khaled is out now via We The Best / Epic Records. Get it here.
Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley is back on his music grind. The hip-hop star has come through with enough tunes to keep fans happy through Mother’s Day courtesy of his Built For Whatever album. Tee Grizzley Drops ‘Built For Whatever’ The project follows Tee delivering ample anthems including his “Late Night Calls” and “Never Bend Never […]
During one of Kodak Black’s associates’ live stream, the rapper caught up to Pooh Shiesty and mobbed out for a minute, excitedly calling out their sets on camera and buddying up as though they weren’t insulting one another just a few weeks ago. Fans were happy (and a little confused) to see them together, with some using the moment to ask other viewers on the live what was going on, pointing out that they were beefing pretty publicly earlier this year.
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
It’s great to see that Kodak and Pooh squashed their issues. Hopefully, this precedes their eventual studio collaboration. These two would sound great on the same song.
What do you think about Pooh Shiesty and Kodak Black meeting up this week in Miami? Were you surprised to see them together?
Shortly after confirming that his upcoming album would be titled From A Bird’s Eye View, Cordae took a moment to catch up with Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1 show Rap Life Radio. During the conversation, Cordae opened up about his music yet to come, as well as offering some major praise to Young Thug, with whom he collaborated on his recent EP Just Until.
Despite the perceived stylistic difference on paper, Cordae and Thugger’s chemistry proved undeniable, making for a track that many deemed a project highlight. Hearing the way Cordae speaks on Thug’s musicianship and professional approach in the studio, it’s evident that the young emcee has nothing but respect for the trendsetting Atlanta chameleon.
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
“We did that joint one of the first nights we was in the studio just linking up,” explains Cordae. “And we’re just sitting down in a control room going back and forth and it’s incredible with Thug. This n***a is a master of cadence, flow and being able to create high-level music at an extremely fast pace. And he would stop what the engineer doing and shift the vocals and put a certain EQ and compressor on a vocal, I’m just so impressed by that as well.”
“I tell Thug all the time I told him this in person, I’ll say it right now too,” he continues. “I feel like when it’s all said and done, he definitely belongs in the rock and roll hall of fame for sure.” One has to wonder if his positive experience, not to mention the praise “Wassup” garnered, will ensure Thugger a guest spot on Cordae’s upcoming body of work. On that note, he confirmed that H.E.R will be appearing on the project, though he opted to keep any other features close to the chest.
Check out Cordae’s appearance on Rap Life Radio below, and sound off if you’d like to see him and Thugger reconnecting in the booth.
Snoop Dogg has been asking for prayers from his fanbase all week, suggesting that his mother, Beverly Tate, could be unwell. The rapper has not specified why exactly he is requesting prayers from his fans, but he has shared multiple photos with his mom, hinting that she may have fallen ill.
“Sending special prayers out for my mom this morning y’all pray for her and me,” wrote Uncle Snoop on Instagram on Wednesday. His supporters have been flooding the comments with plenty of positive energy for Beverly to read through, wishing her well and praying for the health and wellbeing of the family. Beverly is 70-years-old. On Friday morning, Snoop returned to the social network and asked fans to continue sending their well wishes, revealing that his family is still struggling.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
“I need all my prayer warriors for momma right now please and thank you,” wrote the 49-year-old legendary rapper today. Celebrities, including Lizzo, Meagan Good, Haha Davis, and more have been commenting, sending their love to the entire Broadus clan.
Njomza has come through with her brand new single “Winter In Atlanta,” enlisting Russ for the vibey and understated collaboration. A low-key drop perfect for soundtracking a late-night cruise — as exemplified in the simple but tonally appropriate new video — Njomza’s airy melodic chops shine as she takes to the atmospheric production. “Tell your other bitches that your busy,” she sings, emphasizing a strong and possibly ill-advised romantic connection. “They ain’t gotta know that you’re with me.”
Though occasionally known for melodies himself, Russ opts for bars on his section, a choice that rounds out “Winter In Atlanta” quite nicely. “I ain’t with you, you could say the same,” he raps, providing another side to the story. “Neither of us takes the blame, fuck though I’m drowning in your box I feel like David Blaine.” Check out the intimate and introspective new collab from Njomza and Russ here, and share your thoughts below.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
I ain’t with you, you could say the same Neither of us takes the blame, Fuck though I’m drowning in your box I feel like David Blaine
“Woman,” the second single from British rapper Little Simz’s upcoming album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, finds Simz celebrating femininity in sort of an audio Miss International pageant. Naming locations all over the world from African nations to Brooklyn, New York, she describes the beautiful qualities of each woman in both physical and deeper terms, praising them for having both beauty and brains.
The video follows the theme, with Simz signing seven-figure checks at a banquet attended by beauties in business suits and dancing in silk slips at an elegant mansion pajama party. Simz also bartends at a classy lounge, singing along to Cleo Sol’s dreamy chorus as the women around her boogie to the beat.
Simz first announced the impending release of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert two weeks ago with the release of the video for its lead single “Introvert.” The album will be her first full-length release since 2019’s critically acclaimed Grey Area, a ten-track effort that featured appearances from Jamaican reggae artist Chronixx and Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. In 2020, Simz also released the Drop 6 EP, recording its five songs to help herself shake off the quarantine blues from the coronavirus pandemic.
Five years ago, Isaiah Rashad was flying high, on top of the rap world. The Sun’s Tirade, his 2016 debut album, had released to critical and commercial success — and more importantly, was a fan favorite, delivering on the potential promised by his 2014 mixtape, Cilvia Demo. But then, instead of following up, the Top Dawg Entertainment rapper more or less vanished from public view, beginning a long wait for a follow-up that left fans frustrated, decrying the label for “mismanaging” Rashad’s career.
This week, Isaiah released “Lay With Ya” featuring Memphis rapper Duke Deuce. the first single from his upcoming album, The House Is Burning. It appears to showcase an artist who hasn’t lost a step from his glory days at the height of the so-called SoundCloud Rap era — one who managed to not only adapt to ways the Southern rap sound has evolved since then but to adapt those sounds to his own unique style. However, a cover story in The Fader revealed just how much personal tumult the Chattanooga native had endured in the years since he seemingly faded from view.
The profile provides a perfect example of how patience pays off for both fans of artists and their business partners. It also highlights a fact that often gets lost in the clamor for new music to feed the nonstop churn of the streaming era: Artists are human beings who deserve empathy. Oftentimes, we take the artifice of music at face value; the cars, the clothes, the sexual fantasies, and the piles of money depicted in videos are their day-to-day realities in fans’ minds because that’s all we see of the lives these people “live.” However, Isaiah Rashad’s story especially belies that fantasy, revealing just how much artists can struggle with once the video wraps, the spotlights go off, and they step off the stage.
In 2016 and 2017, amid the rollout and subsequent tour for The Sun’s Tirade, Isaiah was open about the addictions that plagued him. He said that he was abusing alcohol the antidepressant Xanax in the years between his mixtape and his debut, jeopardizing his standing at TDE. He even put a voicemail from former TDE co-president Dave Free on the album’s intro in which Free admonished him for blowing through deadlines without turning in the project. He said that the alcohol abuse had destroyed his stomach lining. Yet, amid all that, the label patiently stood by him, and reaped the benefits of that steadfast support when The Sun’s Tiradedebuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 — before the publication changed the counting rules that would have allowed streams and almost certainly pushed it to the top ten.
And that persistence appears to still be paying off as fans celebrate Isaiah’s long-awaited return to the spotlight after a stint in rehab. Isaiah, who revealed how dire his situation had gotten before then to Fader’s Jeff Weiss — he’d spent nearly all his money, wrecked his Jeep and his label boss Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith’s car, and moved back home to Chattanooga feeling like a failure — seems to be in better spirits than ever and replaced his negative habits — alcohol and pills — with positive ones, like collecting comic books.
Fans of artists like Isaiah who are open with their struggles with anxiety and addiction would do well to learn from Top Dawg’s example. The label head was empathetic to Isaiah’s struggles, helping him to get clean and never pressured him to live up to the outsized expectations and pressure that he heaped on himself. When fans push artists to “drop the album,” it’s understandable but unnecessary. Of course, we would like more music that makes us happy, that soundtracks our best moments, and gives us something to look forward to when festival season rolls around. But artists already want — and need — to put out music. It’s their job, but having to hear about how their job is more important than their lives not only puts undue extra pressure on them, it minimizes their struggles.
We’ve all been there, wanting to call in sick because things have just gotten on top of us. But our bosses need us to clock in, our customers don’t care that we’ve got bills and problems at home, and that clock is the most indifferent, counting down the hours until we can escape. Now imagine you never got that escape, that work followed you everywhere you went until yelling at you to get more done. No one deserves that, least of all the artists who help us to endure the pressure we deal with ourselves. Besides, the wait can make receiving the final product that much sweeter, as we may soon find out when The House Is Burning arrives. Even after nearly five years, it’ll be right on time.
Isaiah Rashad is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
