Today, multi-platinum-selling recording artist Cory Gunz releases the video for “Ain’t Wit That” featuring The Militia members RMK, Whispers and Pax3.
The video was directed by Mel Phraze and shows the lyrical wordsmith alongside The Militia members as they fire off their respective bars. On “Ain’t Wit That,” Cory switches up his cadence and flow as he delivers an infectious chorus over the Daze-produced beat.
The visual for “Ain’t Wit That” comes off the heels of Cory’s previously released video “Rick Owens x Nike Tech” featuring Jae’won andthe unveiling of The Militia mixtapewhere Cory teams up with fellow Militia members Black Saun, Qui3t, Whispers, RMK, Mulaarie and Pax3 on nine new tracks. On the mixtape, The Militia members rap over Jersey club beats and gritty sounds as they showcase their versatility on tracks “Bout Mine” featuring Ms. Hustle and “Club & Go.” The tapealso pays homage to veteran rapper-turned-podcaster N.O.R.E.’s self-titled, debut album with the song “Head Tonight.”
The Militia mixtape comes after Cory kicked off the summer with his revered “On The Radar” Freestyle. Footage of The Bronx spitter’s performance grabbed the attention of fellow labelmate Drake and received rave reviews from industry peers such as A$AP Ferg, Dave East, Tony Yayo, Don Cannon and more.The freestyle was released on DSPs where it received playlisting on Spotify’s State of Mind and Frequency in addition to Apple Music’s Base:Line, BARS and Underground Hip-Hop Essentials.
Several reports have confirmed that longtime Calgary Flames player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were struck by a drunk driver and killed while cycling through their hometown in New Jersey just hours before their sister was scheduled to get married.
According to NJ State Police who were on the scene, “Troopers responded to a motor vehicle crash at 8:19 PM on County Route 551 North, milepost 11.1 Oldmans Township, Salem County. Based on a preliminary investigation, two pedalcyclists, John M. Gaudreau, a 31-year-old male from Carneys Point, N.J., and Matthew R. Gaudreau, a 29-year-old male from Pedricktown, N.J., were traveling north on County Route 551, close to the fog line of the roadway. Sean M. Higgins, a 43-year-old male from Woodstown, N.J., was traveling north on CR 551 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind a sedan and SUV.”
They continued, “Higgins attempted to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes of travel, passed the slower-moving sedan, and attempted to re-enter the northbound lanes of travel when the SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the two pedalcyclist traveling north on the right side of the roadway. Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two pedalcyclists in the rear. As a result of the collision, the two pedalcyclists sustained fatal injuries.Through further investigation, Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, charged with two counts of death by auto, and lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility. This crash remains an active investigation, and no additional information is available.”
Katie Gaudreau, the sister of the Gaudreau brothers, and Devin Joyce were slated to exchange nuptials on Friday(August 30) afternoon, but due to the recent tragedy the wedding has been cancelled.
Johnny and Matthew were both set to be groomsmen in their sister’s wedding and were just present at the wedding’s rehearsal on Thursday night. Johnny’s children were also listed as the wedding’s flower girl and ring bearer. Johnny’s wife and other sister were named one of the maids of honor.
Johnny, who was popularly recognized as “Johnny Hockey”, played nine out of his eleven season in the NHL with the Flames besides the last two seasons, which he played with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who issued a statement about his untimely passing. The team said they were “shocked and devastated” by the tragedy while calling Johnny a great hockey player. More importantly, they said Johnny loved his family and offered their support to his grieving relatives.
Other NHL players and athletes across the sports spectrum, including Lebron James, paid tribute to the NHL great and how heartbreaking the loss of Gaudreau and his family to the sports community.
Sexyy Red frequently finds herself at the center of controversy for her raunchy song lyrics and wild antics. Recently, however, critics have taken it a step further by starting to question her family life. The hitmaker has two small children, the youngest of which she welcomed just this year.
Amid this major development, however, Sexyy Red has still been hard at work with a new album, a tour, and more. She’s never too busy to spend time with her little ones, but regardless, haters continue to call her parenting into question. Today, however, she hopped online to fire back with a simple clip.
In the clip, she’s seen hanging out on what appears to be a tour bus, joined by her daughter. “She don’t ever got her kids,” she says, mocking haters. She then picks the child up to give her several kisses, putting her mom side on full display. Clearly, Sexyy Red doesn’t mess around when it comes to her kids, and doesn’t appreciate critics questioning her parenting skills. After all, being a famous rapper and a mother of two isn’t easy, which she admitted earlier this month.
She opened up about having her second child after “Get It Sexyy” was certified gold, revealing that she struggled with postpartum depression. “The night get it sexyy was made I was goin thru a lot just had my baby felt depressed and was goin thru postpartum,” she shared. “My team in Miami would leave me in the studio to write songs & I would just b in there crying thinkin about life.” Luckily, she went back to her hometown of St. Louis to be with family, which helped cheer her up. What do you think of Sexyy Red proving critics wrong with a sweet video featuring her daughter? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Vybz Kartel is back home. However, one thing that has lingered on everyone’s mind is how he managed to remain as prolific as he did behind bars. Sure, there’s no doubt that he recorded an incredible amount of music before he was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. However, the fact that for over 13 years, he continuously dominated the summers and released countless singles and projects has raised many questions surrounding his studio circumstances.
Kartel, who has been a cornerstone of dancehall, was released from prison earlier this year after he successfully won his appeal. Shortly after, he released his 12-song mixtape, First Week Out– a testament to his efficient creative flow. As he does the rounds with the media, he’s finally unveiled his secret to maintaining his relevance in the music industry throughout all these years.
Vybz Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, was embroiled in a highly publicized criminal case since 2011. He was convicted in 2014 for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams, a charge that has led to a life sentence. The case has been controversial. Kartel maintained his innocence and his legal team highlighted procedural issues during the trial, including concerns about juror bias and the mishandling of evidence. In 2024, the UK Privy Council quashed his conviction, citing these procedural flaws, and Kartel is now a free man.
Rumors Of A Prison Studio
Hot 97’s “On Da Reggae Tip Live” at Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday night, September 2, 2005.This image:Vybz Kartel. (Photo by Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images)
Over the years, several rumors ran rampant surrounding the circumstances that allowed Vybz Kartel to record and release music while incarcerated. Since recording music is unauthorized in prison, some suggested that he had privileged access to a professional studio, which was never actually proven. Others believed that the vault of unreleased music he left behind had enough songs to flood the streets.
It remained a mystery throughout his sentence, and in 2020, he fueled speculation even further in an interview with Billboard. “It’s a secret like the Colonel’s recipe. The true secret to success is commitment, hard work, smart work, self-analysis and most important, humility,” he responded. “Once I face a riddim (rhythm track), I’m not worldboss, just a man with a pen, paper and a track. Other artists are working hard, so I think it’s just the formula.”
When asked exactly how he’s produced so much work given his circumstances, he responded, “Many people say YES! VYBZ IS RECORDING IN PRISON!! But where’s the proof? But this is Jamaica where you don’t need proof to imprison someone. For the record, I’m not authorized to answer such ‘above pay grade’ questions so I’ll say, ‘a tree fell in the forest and no one was there to hear it.’”
During a recent appearance on the Juan Ep Is Life podcast, Vybz Kartel provided a rare glimpse into his life during his incarceration. He discussed his ongoing battle with Graves’ Disease, the first thing he did upon his release, and so much more. However, the most notable part of the interview came when Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg delved into the logistics of Kartel’s ability to continuously release music.
Kartel explained he was able to release music through a backlog of unreleased songs. “In the first year, we had songs unreleased,” said Kartel. “But then the songs ran out and we had to do what we had to do. That’s when I started recording behind bars.” This ultimately led him to get creative by using nothing more than an iPhone.
Vybz Kartel Makeshift Studio
Kartel’s method was nothing short of ingenious. Without access to a professional studio, he improvised by using his prison-issued mattress to create a makeshift sound booth. He explained how he would position his iPhone a few feet away from his face. Then, he would wrap the mattress around his head to muffle any unwanted noise. This setup allowed him to capture vocals with surprisingly good sound quality. Afterward, he would then send it to a trusted engineer on the outside.
“I would have to Deejay directly into the iPhone,” he explained. “I would have the phone, like, 3 feet from my face and I would wrap the mattress around my head and record. It was crazy,” he explained. He used an iPad to play the instrumental while recording his vocals on the iPhone. Vybz would then send the vocals to an engineer who would mix it to sound crisp and professional.
One of Vybz Kartel’s biggest songs came during his incarceration with “Fever.” The song, which appeared on his 2016 album, King Of Dancehall, has since earned over 100 million streams on Spotify alone, according to Billboard. However, because of the rules in prison, he had to sneakily record music at odd hours of the day. “Most of the time, we had to record like at night but sometimes, it had to be like 12 o’clock when most of the officers would be on like lunch break and I would still have to be watching,” he explained. “So I’d be like, ‘fever!’ and then I’d have to get up and look. It was crazy. It was line by line!”
What’s Next For Vybz Kartel?
The expansive interview touches on several topics including some live performances, both in Jamaica and abroad. Currently, he’s planning for his comeback show on December 31st, 2024 – the Freedom Street Concert, taking place in Kingston, Jamaica. Hopefully, he’ll be touching the United States in the future. But for now, we’re happy that he’s back home.
Tommy Richman has become both a darling and a mortal enemy in the eyes of hip-hop purists. The DMV/Woodbridge, Virginia singer and rapper has been making waves in the underground/indie scene for a few years now. Since being taken under by R&B mainstay Brent Faiyaz, his career has really blossomed. He’s now a superstar in the making and like we said earlier there are some mixed feelings towards his growing popularity. “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” is the record that’s been ruffling some feathers, but he is clearly not looking to fit into any mold. Tommy Richman is showing that with each new release, including on “THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ONE”.
This single number four or five from his next full-length project COYOTE,which will be out on September 27. Part of the reason that Tommy Richman doesn’t really conform to any sort of stereotype are his unique production choices and wild vocal delivery. His high pitch notes are something that no one could really replicate in our opinion. It might sound goofy and too over the top to some, but to us its a breath of fresh air. His upper register allows for the emotional weight of the song to really shine through. You can hear the wishful thinking in his voice somehow, as he dreams about wanting a girl to be in his life. Check out the single with the link below.
Maybe thеre’s a chance if I pray every day, I’ma get what I want to I dreamed last night, you’re in my head You’re always sticking with me even when I don’t want you I’m treating you right, not doing you wrong I know you won’t forget the night you spent so long Looking at my face, my eyes are a maze
Big Sean is on a hot streak to reinforce his new album Better Me Than You, and not even the project’s release could slow him down. Moreover, he just joined Complex‘s elevator bank in New York City to drop a brand-new freestyle on Thursday (August 29) over a Hit-Boy-produced beat. The Detroit rapper’s most impressive feature here is his dominance of flow, weaving in and out of similar pockets without missing a beat: pun most definitely intended. Lyrically, he dives into his staunch self-confidence, lack of support in the rap game, and how he has changed as a person and an artist.
Furthermore, the reactions to this new freestyle are about as impressed and compelled as those to Big Sean’s new album. Better Me Than You was a hit with fans, albeit a failed attempt to convince any haters that his music is worth checking out. But those naysayers are in an ignorant minority, because there’s a lot of soul, introspection, hunger, and determination on this LP to nurture your listening sessions this week. All that’s left to see is whether or not this prolific run will continue past this point, or if we’ve already reached the quantity and quality peak of the Sean Don’s 2024 offerings.
Elsewhere, many fans expected Big Sean to plant his flag in the great rap beef of 2024, but he’s got other priorities in mind when it comes to the likes of Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Recently, he jokingly tried to imitate Drizzy’s “duck face” selfies online, which was pretty funny if not distinctly out of character for hip-hop these days, especially when it comes to The Boy. But “The Baddest” MC doesn’t seem interested in commenting on that showdown or feeding into its social media frenzy. That’s commendable in and of itself.
Meanwhile, it’s heartening to see Big Sean overcome many of his personal struggles and insecurities through this cathartic release. “When you make art, you put your heart into this s**t,” he expressed during a recent and emotive IG Live session. “When I had COVID last week, I was down. I was still working on the album. When I last dropped an album, it was COVID. I was excited to plan my release party, I was excited to do all of that. [My mother] was giving me them words. And I was just like, look, I can keep working on some s**t and make it exactly how I wanted. But I’d be pushing it back forever.”
ScarLip is no stranger to chatting with her fans on Instagram Live, and recently, she used the platform to put M&T Bank on blast. In a clip from the stream, she explains that one of their employees refused to make a transfer without providing her with any explanation. According to her, she had her ID, social security card, and address. Regardless, the employee told her they weren’t “comfortable” with the transaction.
“Yo M&T bank is racist as f*ck,” she said. “Why when I go to this M&T bank, I’m being profiled on some weird sh*t.” She went on, breaking down the situation and telling the bank she wants an explanation, or she’ll consider taking legal action. “I proved everything, so why you not tryna let me make a transfer?” she questioned. “What the f*ck you mean you don’t feel comfortable?”
“B*tch gimme my money. Now because you don’t feel comfortable, I’m taking my money out this bank, and I’m going to another bank. Because y’all n****s not about to be treating me all type of weird,” ScarLip continued. She added that the employee asked what the transfer was for, prompting her to say it was a “business thing.” From there, they simply told her “That’s not good enough,” claimed they’d need more information, and threatened to call the police.
“What are they gonna do? You gone call the cops on me for tryna make a transfer? B*tch, I’m a business. I own a business,” she concluded. “She was judging me from the moment I walked in the bank.” What do you think of ScarLip calling out a bank for alleged racial profiling? What about her claiming she’s considering taking legal action against them for the incident? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Doechii may have mocked the concept of “Boom Bap” rap, but she sure is good at it. The Florida-bred Top Dawg Entertainment product made a meal out of poking fun at the idea of being a “rappity rap” rapper ahead of releasing her debut mixtape for the label, Alligator Bites Never Heal, but on the project itself, she proves adept at not only embracing and utilizing classic sounds, but also updating them to make them sound fresh.
In fact, the warm reception to the new project from fickle fans who’ve long derided or outright ignored similarly themed albums suggests that dropping the aforementioned, tongue-in-cheek “Boom Bap” as a single before the mixtape might just have been exactly the right move to get those fans on Doechii’s side. There is a sense among some fans that the “real hip-hop” purveyed by blog era holdovers and Doechii’s labelmates has calcified into self-serious stodginess; by priming her release by undercutting this perception, Doechii presented herself as a serious artist who isn’t too serious to be in on the joke.
Meanwhile, with songs like “Boiled Peanuts” and “GTFO” evoking the slinky basslines, jazzy samples, and hard-hitting kick-snare drums of the mid-90s’ best, Doechii also sets herself apart from some of her Southern contemporaries — think City Girls or Latto — while also aligning herself more closely with the backpacker-lite ethos her label has cultivated over the past decade. It’s a delicate balancing act to pull off; too far into trap and other modern production styles, and she plays into the hands of sexist critics of so-called “female rap” (or, more perjoratively, “pussy rap”). However, going too far in the other direction risked blending in with the murky sounds of fellow TDE artists like Isaiah Rashad and Ab-Soul and getting washed out amid samey production.
Instead, she embraces a little of everything that has made TDE stand out over the years: some of Isaiah’s introspection, some of SZA’s soulful heartbreak, some of Ab-Soul’s playful fascination with flipping the meanings of metaphors, and a bit of Schoolboy Q’s fearless experimentation. The result is a project that’s drawn exuberant acclamation from Megan Thee Stallion lovers and Rapsody evangelists alike. In an increasingly fractured listening landscape, that’s become difficult to do, but like Doja Cat before her, Doechii seems to have found the sweet spot between hip-hop and pop that looks very much like the route to future superstardom.
