Hip Hop News

Atlanta has no shortage of beloved Hip-Hop record labels, from the massive Coach K and Pierre “Pee” Thomas-led Quality Control Music to Lil Baby’s burgeoning 4PF label. All of the various camps are well-known for their unique sounds and iconic chains, and one Atlanta record label that has made a major impact on the music industry is Young Stoner Life Records, more commonly referred to as YSL Records.

Led by Young Thug, YSL’s roster includes Gunna, Lil Keed, Lil Duke, Yak Gotti, Strick, and a bevy of other artists. In the years since its inception, the label has earned mainstream and underground success, and now it has been revealed that several YSL artists have commemorated the team’s accomplishments with new matching ink.

According to Complex, Young Thug, Gunna, and several other YSL artists have gotten matching “slatt” tattoos on their fingers. Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Dennis Estrada is the man behind the ink, and he revealed that producer Wheezy has gotten the YSL Records lingo tatted on him as well. 

Hopefully, these new matching “slatt” tattoos are an indication that Slime Language 2 and a bunch of other highly anticipated YSL releases will be arriving sooner than later. Young Thug recently teased a new album with a picture of his new ink, so fans will have to wait and see what YSL Records has in store.

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6ix9ine’s playbook doesn’t exactly require close reading. It basically involves singling out an artist with more acclaim, momentum, or respect than him at the current moment, and proceeding to unleash a salvo of disrespect in their direction.

The details of his strategy were exposed when Lil Durk revealed that 6ix9ine’s team actively tried to keep him engaged in their viral back-and-forth, going so far as to offer up a hefty sum in exchange for his cooperation. And though he has since continued to send shots at Durk, the entire Chicago rap scene, and Meek Mill, it would appear that 6ix9ine is setting his sights on a different target altogether. 

 Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage/Getty Images

For whatever reason, the controversial rapper moved to send a subliminal shot at Cardi B, taking to Instagram to offer fans a poll. “If I took women to hotels drugged them and robbed them would I be canceled?” he inquires, a clear allusion to Cardi’s infamous revelation that found her doing exactly that, albeit to men. Though he doesn’t single out Cardi by name, the inference is clear, leaving fans curious as to what prompted him to drag her into his crosshairs. Not that rationality tends to apply during these circumstances; as stated earlier, it’s all part of the plan. 

While Cardi B has yet to respond, it feels inevitable that she will, given how actively she mobilizes at the slightest whiff of disrespect. Yet, artists are growing increasingly cognizant of 6ix9ine’s tactics and taking proper measures to stymie them before the insidious roots can settle in. In this case, however, it’s entirely possible that Cardi is the spark destined to ignite the gasoline pool. Only time will tell. Check out his clear provocation below, courtesy of Akademiks. 

Jake Paul will fight former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren on April 17, but in the meantime, he continues his social media beef with former and current professional fighters. Earlier this month, Jake, along with his brother Logan, went back and forth with Floyd Mayweather on social media, and now he is reigniting his beef with MMA fighters and Dana White.

His latest video features himself mocking some of MMA’s best, as well as the president of UFC, Dana White. Paul posted a video to his Instagram poking fun at his opponent, White, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

“MMA Chronicles pt. 2 @thenotoriousmma @khabib_nurmagomedov @danawhite @benaskren @natediaz209 April 17th watch me knock out the @ufc ‘s big bad @benaskren on @triller,” Paul commented.

The former YouTube star-turned boxer is known for his outlandish social media posts to promote his brand. Following his win against Nate Robinson, Logan began to call out fighters like Conor McGregor from all over resulting in backlash from other fighters, Nate Diaz, Michael Bisping, and even Dana White.  Back in December, he posted the first part of his “MMA Chronicles” mocking those who disagreed with his call out. 

“MMA chronicles part. 1 @natediaz209 @dillondanis @mikebisping @danawhite @thenotoriousmma @benaskren,” Paul added to the post.

Do you think Jake Paul will fare well against a professional fighter or is he in over his head? 

Read our recent interview with Jake Paul here.

Following surgery for a horrific single-car crash in Los Angles on Tuesday, Tiger Woods is now “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room,” according to a statement released by the reps. The statement posted to Woods’ Twitter early Wednesday morning, confirmed the accident while giving the latest update on Tiger’s surgery. 

In the statement, Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer, and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center said, “Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center.”

Woods had a rod placed in his leg to stabilize fractures, while screws and pins were put in his foot and ankle to stabilize injuries. 

Mahajan added, “Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”

Woods was alone in his 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV when he crashed on a downhill curve on Hawthorne Ave., a two-lane road in Rancho Palos Verdes. According to Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Woods was traveling at a “relatively greater speed than normal” before the vehicle went off-road and onto a hillside Tuesday morning.

Los Angeles County Sherriff deputies at the scene of Tiger Woods’ car crash – David McNew/Getty Images

Prayers and words of encouragement have poured in for the golf legend from fans around the world. 

Former President Barack Obama tweeted, “Sending my prayers to @TigerWoods and his family tonight—here’s to a speedy recovery for the GOAT of golf. If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s to never count Tiger out.”

Boxing Star Mike Tyson tweeted, “Fight  @tigerwoods  like the champion you are for your kids and the world.  Love and prayers.”

We’re wishing him a speedy recovery.

Yesterday, Bobby Shmurda came home, and the Hip-Hop world almost stood still. Quavo gave the “Hot N****” rapper a ride home on a private jet, and several public figures celebrated Bobby’s release in the comment section of a video posted to Quavo’s Instagram. Of those was Atlanta rapper Trouble, who wrote, “U 3 real for dis cho!!! Welcome home shmurrda.”

Fans quickly spotted Trouble’s comment and some mistook his account for T.I.’s, with one user saying, “@troublemmb you too damn old to be tryna talk slang lmao…sit down old man.”

Seeing that Trouble is 33 years old, some may have found the user’s comment, but Trouble knew exactly what was going on. In response to the Instagram user, the Edgewood artist wrote, “dawg dis is NOT T.i… Yall killin me wit da confusion.”

The Atlanta rapper continued responding to other users who found the misunderstanding comical, saying, “dey keep thinking im T.i. man.”

To be fair, there are a couple of reasons why fans may be confusing Trouble with the King of the South. For starters, both rappers do originate from Atlanta, with T.I. hailing from Bankhead and Trouble representing Edgewood. More importantly, however, the two artists’ Instagram handles are ridiculously similar. Since Trouble’s Instagram account is registered as @troublemmb, one could easily see why some fans could mistakenly land on his page when searching for T.I.’s, whose Instagram handle is @troubleman31.

With such similar Instagram handles, unattentive fans are unlikely to discern between the two accounts, so Trouble may need to get used to the confusion. 

When Lil Tecca first entered into the game with “Ransom,” many were immediately captivated by the young rapper, to the point where his breakout single currently sits with four platinum certifications. Yet with such instant stardom comes an interesting challenge, which is to say, avoiding the dreaded curse of the one-hit-wonder. Luckily, Tecca appeared to have dodged that particular bullet with the release of his debut album Virgo World, which landed in September of 2020.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Now, the youngster faces a different challenge altogether — swerving the sophomore slump. On that end, Tecca has been hard at work in the studio, having connected with a few prominent names in the Atlanta scene. While we’ve already heard a glimpse at his upcoming collaboration with Lil Yachty — you can check that out right here — now we’ve caught a preview of a new Gunna-assisted banger. While Tecca didn’t opt to share too much, it’s enough to get a feel for the vibe, with both parties spitting melodic flows over a percussive, up-tempo instrumental.

Given that Gunna appears to be reflecting on his days “sleeping in the trap house,” perhaps we’re due to see a more introspective side of Tecca. Either way, anticipation for his upcoming album continues to build with every passing snippet — do you think this new song preview is a promising sign of what’s to come?

Lil Keed is one of the most eclectic and popular artists coming out of Atlanta right now. Signed to Young Thug‘s YSL Records, the newly minted XXL Freshman has been making waves over the years with cult classics like Trapped On Cleveland and Long Live Mexico, but last year, fans go across the world got a better idea of who Keed is as an artist with the release of his first mainstream foray Trapped On Cleveland 2.  

Lately, Lil Keed has recently been teasing the imminent release of Keed Talk To ‘Em 2, and yesterday, the YSL artist took a break from hyping up his upcoming release to show some major lover to his mentor and fellow Cleveland Avenue native Young Thug. In a since vanished Instagram story post, the “Nameless” artist shared a picture of Thugger under a heartfelt caption that read, “My love 4life.”

Some fans have questioned the nature of Keed’s post and called the post sus, but the YSL camp and its affiliates, from Thug himself to frequent collaborator Lil Uzi Vert, have been known for sharing gushy, loving posts such as this one. Regardless, it’s clear that Lil Keed is extremely appreciative of all that Young Thug has done for him and his career.

What are your thoughts about Lil Keed’s loving shout-out?

When the stark reality of COVID-19 was only starting to kick in, many states, provinces, and cities mobilized to issue quarantine measures. And with many confined to their homes with nothing to do, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz stepped up to offer a solution. As it happens, that solution was the Verzuz series, a friendly competition designed to highlight the legacies and discographies of hip-hop and r&b’s most esteemed figures.

Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images

Since launching on March 24th with an inaugural head-to-head match, Verzuz has since ascended into a household name. And despite how massive Swizzy and Tim’s brainchild has grown, boasting a grand total of twenty-four battles so far, the pair haven’t actually connected in real life since Verzuz launched. Timbo shared the interesting factoid on his Instagram page. “Fun fact me & @therealswizzz haven’t seen each other in person since Verzuz started,” he writes, alongside a FaceTime picture of the two production legends.

“Crazyyyyy,” marvels Swizzy, sliding into the comments to reflect on the surreality of the situation. Given that the pair are no strangers to linking up, at least in simpler times, it’s hard to believe that Swizz and Timbo were still able to launch a successful series and straight-up phenomenon entirely through webcam. Yet they did exactly that, and you have to believe that when they do ultimately connect, the reunion will be one for the ages. Check out Timbo’s post below.