Hip Hop News

Somehow and someway, Jake Paul managed to become one of the most buzzing fighters in the country. He absolutely demolished Ben Askren in the first round of their match on Triller Fight Night, knocking out the retired UFC fighter in the first round. Following the bout, which many have speculated could have been rigged, Jake and Ben continued going at each other’s throats on social media, potentially teasing a rematch in the future. However, because Jake knows he’s one of the most in-demand fighters right now, he’s chosen to move on to bigger and better targets.

Revealing that he was offered a deal to wrestle against Ben Askren for another multi-million dollar bag, Jake Paul told his fans that he decided to step away from the rumored WWE or AEW match-up, choosing to focus on his next opponent instead.

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“I doubled Ben Askren’s Instagram following within 3 months. Made him the biggest pay day of his life. KO’d him in 1 minute. And this douchebag still talking sh*t,” wrote the YouTube influencer on Twitter. “Isn’t life funny? What I love about power is having the ability to put people on and choosing not to. Ben and I were supposed to have a wrestling PPV match after their fight which would have easily generated millions of dollars. Im choosing not to do it anymore because he’s a f*cking loser.”

Would you have been down to see Jake Paul and Ben Askren have a rematch in WWE? Who do you want to see Jake Paul fight next? 

IDK has been one of the game’s most unpredictable artists of the new generation, toeing a line between lyrically focused and musically experimental. As such, he’s maintained an intriguing presence, earning mutual respect from artists like Kanye West, Travis Scott, Jay Electronica, Westside Gunn, and many more.

Last night, IDK sparked excitement upon revealing the lineup to an upcoming single called “Red,” logging onto his Reddit account to break the news. Though he did not share a date, IDK confirmed that the track will feature the stacked lineup of the late MF DOOM, Jay Electronica, and Westside Gunn, a veritable collection of lyricists if ever there was one. And given that many of the included tend to appreciate the raw production aesthetic, we can assume that “Red” will keep that spirit alive.

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Upon sharing the cover art, minimalistic save for a lengthy message inscribed at the bottom, many looked for clues in the cryptic writing. “I see blue but I thought it was red ’cause that’s what they taught me,” it reads. “And there’s no way to describe it to you… So how do we know if we see the same thing, if we can’t even say that we see the same thing? If me and you can literally talk about colors, and we’re not advanced enough… society, humanity, whatever you wanna call it… to know if we actually even see the same colors then how can we say there is no God?”

Keep an eye out for “Red,” which may be coming as soon as tomorrow, though nothing concrete has been confirmed in that department. Who do you think will end up stealing the show with the standout verse? In other IDK news, the rapper recently united with Offset for “Shoot My Shot,” which you can check out right here. 

Baby Keem may be Kendrick Lamar’s cousin, but the pgLang artist isn’t just a family member riding the Damn. artist’s wave. His refreshing 2019 project DIE FOR MY BITCH gained Keem some notoriety amongst the Hip-Hop community and earned him his placement on XXL’s Freshman cover last year, and recent singles like “hooligan,” “sons & critics,” and “no sense” continue to prove to listeners that he’s here to stay.  

With all of that said, if you haven’t yet tapped in with Baby Keem’s music, his next single will definitely catch your attention.

Baby Keem has officially announced his follow-up single to March’s “no sense,” and according to Kendrick Lamar’s rising protege, it will feature one of the biggest artists in the music industry: Travis Scott.

Titled “durag activity,” Baby Keem’s next single follows in the footsteps of past releases, sporting a minimalistic color gradient for its cover art. In honor of Travis Scott’s guest appearance, the artwork for “durag activity” is decked in brown, referencing the Astroworld artist’s obsession with the color.

In an energetic post to Instagram,  Keem wrote, “durag activity until we make it to the mooooooon !!! let’s go jack…April 30th.” Clearly, the XXL Freshman is just as excited for his next single as the rest of us. The unexpected duo’s forthcoming single “durag activity” is set to arrive on Cactus Jack‘s 29th birthday, so stay tuned to see what Travis Scott and Baby Keem have in store for fans.

Pretty Ricky rapper Baby Blue remains in the intensive-care unit following a shooting during an alleged armed robbery. The recording artist issued a statement on Wednesday that he was fighting for his life after being shot, rushing to the hospital, and getting checked into the ICU. Thankfully, it appears as though he’s on the road to recovery.

While there’s still a lot of work for Baby Blue to get back to his old ways, the 36-year-old rapper says he’s recovering in his latest statement. “Thankyou everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I’m still in ICU but I’m on the road to recovery,” wrote Baby Blue on Twitter. “The bullet traveled throgh my lounges [sic] is in stuck in my back. I have to learn to breathe & walk again. I have a great medical team here at the hospital. God Got Me.”

It sounds like Blue was part of a pretty scary attack. As he explained, the bullet allegedly traveled through his lungs before being lodged in his back. If he hasn’t already, he will almost certainly require surgery to remove the bullet’s fragments from his back.

Baby Blue was previously listed as being in critical condition following an attempted robbery at a bowling alley in Davie, Florida. Send your well wishes and prayers to Baby Blue in the comments.

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Isaiah Rashad has been working hard to release his next studio album, presumably titled The House Is Burning. The upcoming body of work has been five years in the making. However, because of the TDE artist’s recent diagnosis with COVID-19, it’s possible that it might be pushed back even longer.

The Chattanooga, Tennessee-based rapper recently told his fans that he’s recovering from COVID-19 after catching the virus recently. He made the admission when a fan asked him for a status update on Twitter, saying, “gettin over this covid,” with a heart and lungs emoji. He also responded to a fan who wished for his speedy recovery, sharing a prayer hand emoji next to one of a person checking their temperature.

The 29-year-old did not reveal when he tested positive for the virus but it’s worth noting that he says he’s “recovering” right now.

Join us in wishing a speedy recovery to Isaiah Rashad. We need that album!

Back in January, the rapper told fans that The House Is Burning was being mixed. However, the project seems to have been delayed indefinitely, alongside the rest of TDE’s plans. Artists like Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Jay Rock have been sitting on the sidelines for years as fans wait for new music. With a half-decade passing since the last Isaiah Rashad album, it goes without saying that we could use some new music pronto.

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Conway The Machine is in the midst of an incredible run, operating at a prolific pace with releases like If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed and the recent solo album La Maquina. In addition to his own catalog, Machine has been working on developing the talent on his DrumWork label, including Jae Skeese and 7xvethegenius, who held it down on his recent posse cut “Sister Abigail.” 

Yet amidst his artistic rise, many fans have expressed concerns about the state of Griselda trifecta, consisting of Machine, Westside Gunn, and Benny The Butcher. Bootleg Kev recently chopped it up with The Machine on The Bootleg Kev podcast, and the host mentioned the ongoing rumors that the trio is growing apart. Kev notes that he and Westside Gunn were laughing at the rumors earlier at Gunn’s Buffalo Kids shops, asking Conway if he ever grows frustrated with the speculation.

Machine takes a moment to ponder his response. “People love Griselda, man,” he begins. “This Griselda shit, this thing we built. I knew it was going to be special, I knew it was going to work. I’ve always believed in what we’ve been bringing to the table. Me and West knew what this was going to be when we started it up. So the fans love us, man. More than we know sometimes.” 

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“So yeah, there’s concerns, genuine concerns and questions from fans,” he continues, his tone indicating how seriously he takes the project. “When they seeing certain things from the outside looking in, it’s probably not the norm they’re used to from us. A couple of my tweets probably didn’t help things. The truth of the matter is that we have grown apart, man. We not really young boys no more, hanging out and chasing a dream.”

“We all grown-ass men with families and responsibilities and people to take care of,” he continues. “Everybody got their own brands they expanding, and fucking with too. Time is very limited. You might not hear us together all the time, or see us on the same album all the time. There might just genuinely not be time to get the verse done. To pull up to the show. This Griselda shit is getting bigger than we ever would have thought.”

“I can see where the questions and concerns come from, from the fans,” he continues. “But I’ma keep it a thousand too. Some of my tweets didn’t help ease their concerns. The funny thing is, all those tweets were just verses I wrote, bars I’ve written. Nothing I thought in my mind would [get taken that way]. I’m not no internet dude. We family in real life, so that shit forever.”

Kev notes that Conway and Benny have both been dedicating time to their respective labels, DrumWork and Black Soprano Family. He also acknowledges the fact that hip-hop fans have come to expect their favorite groups to inevitably crumble. Conway makes it clear that there is no animosity, chalking the process up to “natural growth.” Still, he reassures that he, West, and Benny are family, citing their appearance on the La Maquina highlight “S.E. Gang.” 

Check out Conway’s reflections on Griselda’s current situation, courtesy of the Bootleg Kev podcast. 

WATCH: Conway The Machine on The Bootleg Kev Podcast