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Conway The Machine Captures A ‘John Woo Flick’ With Benny The Butcher And Westside Gunn

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Conway the Machine is just a few weeks away from releasing his next album, God Don’t Make Mistakes. The project will be his first album since 2020’s From King To A God. That project was one of many albums that Griselda released over the course of that year including Westside Gunn’s Pray 4 Paris and Benny The Butcher’s Burden Of Proof. Ahead of the arrival of God Don’t Make Mistakes, Conway, Westside, and Benny bring their lyrical talents together for “John Woo Flick.” On the track, the Griselda trio goes to work by showcasing their top-notch lyricism over the song’s haunting production.

This year could prove to be another big one for the Griselda crew. Their first offering will be Conway’s God Don’t Make Mistakes which is set to arrive on March 25. Next up will most likely be Benny’s Tana Talk 4. While a release date for that project has yet to be revealed, the rapper recently shared its latest single, “Johnny P’s Caddy” with J. Cole, so the project may arrive sooner than later. As for Westside Gunn, it remains to be seen if he’ll deliver a project this year as he dropped off the double-disced Hilter Wears Hermes 8 last fall. That project came after he released Pray 4 Paris and Who Made The Sunshine in 2020.

You can listen to “John Woo Flick” in the video above.

God Don’t Make Mistakes is out 3/25 via Shady/Interscope.

King Von Isn’t Up For Any Games On His Posthumous ‘Don’t Play That’ With 21 Savage

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This past November marked one year since Chicago rapper King Von was shot and killed at a nightclub in Atlanta. Von’s death occurred during his rise in the hip-hop world, which was boosted by his 2020 project, Welcome To O’Block. Since his death, Von has been honored in multiple ways — especially by Lil Durk, who often referred to him as “twin.” As for music from the latter rapper, most of his releases have come in the form of guest features, but today that changes with Von’s latest single.

Von and 21 Savage join forces for “Don’t Play That.” The track serves as another example of Von’s straight-to-the-point raps which left little to no room for any fun or games. It’s this approach that makes 21 Savage a perfect guest for the song as he provides cut-throat bars for his verse on the song. Prior to this single, King Von made a posthumous appearance on the F9 tracklist after his estate released videos for “Mine Too,” “Jump,” and “Armed & Dangerous.”

As for 21 Savage, he recently joined JID and Baby Tate for “Surround Sound.” That collaboration arrived after he ended 2021 with two new songs: “No Debate” and “Big Smoke.” Additionally, Savage also declared that it’s time for a new album which should come as good news to his fans.

You can listen to “Don’t Play That” in the video above.

Queen Naija And Big Sean Seek To Rise Above The Doubters Of Romance On ‘Hate Our Love’

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Queen Naija and Big Sean both released full-length projects in 2020 with Missundertsood and Detroit 2, respectively. Queen Naija’s Missundertsood served as her official debut album complete with 18 songs and features from Kiana Lede, Lil Durk, Lucky Daye, Toosii, Latto, and more. Big Sean’s Detroit 2 was his fifth album and it arrived after he went almost more than three years without dropping a full-length project. Nowadays, both acts are surely working on their body of work, but until it arrives, you can enjoy their first collaboration, “Hate Our Love.”

Together, Queen Naija and Big Sean aim to rise above the hate they feel around them and prove the doubters of romance wrong. They both detail a love that remains solid between the two of them, but the noise from outside individuals proves to be a bit of a nuisance. Rather than let it tear them apart, Queen Naija and Big Sean strive to win and beat all the odds.

“Hate Our Love” arrives less than a year after Queen Naija released an extended version of Missundertsood with seven additional songs, Missundertsood… Still. It also presented quest appearances from Ari Lennox, Wale, and J.I. The Prince Of NY. Last fall, Big Sean connected with Hit-Boy for their project, What You Expect which delivered six songs with features from Lil Durk, Bryson Tiller, 42 Dugg, and Babyface Ray.

You can press play on the video above to listen to “Hate Our Love.”

2 Chainz Is A Confident Dance Instructor With A Plan In His Video For ‘Neighbors Know My Name’

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After going a little over a year and a half without a project, 2 Chainz is back in action with his seventh album Dope Don’t Sell Itself. It’s an effort that 2 Chainz he been teasing and promoting since last summer and it’s also supported by singles like “Million Dollars Worth Of Game” with 42 Dugg and “Pop Music” with Moneybagg Yo and Beatking. The album is finally here, presenting 12 songs for listeners to enjoy as a new video for the D4L-sampling “Neighbors Know My Name.” In it, 2 Chainz takes on the role of a dance instructor as he teaches a few ladies to lean and rock with it like true millennials.

Throughout the 12 songs on Dope Don’t Sell Itself, listeners can catch additional guest appearances from Lil Baby, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Lil Durk, Sleepy Rose, Swae Lee, Steve God Cooks, Symba, and Jacquees. The project serves as a solid follow-up to 2 Chainz’s 2020 album, So Help Me God. More recently, Dope Don’t Sell Itself arrives after 2 Chainz brought his talents to Power 106’s LA Leakers for a stellar freestyle over Pharcyde’s 1993 classic, “Passin’ Me By.”

As for what’s next, fans can expect 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne to deliver their long-waited ColleGrove 2 project at some point this year.

You can watch the video for “Neighbors Know My Name” above.

Dope Don’t Sell Itself is out now via Def Jam. You can get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

YG, J. Cole, And Moneybagg Yo’s ‘Scared Money’ Presents A Sinister Approach To Getting Rich

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YG appears to be gearing up to release his upcoming sixth album which would be his first solo full-length effort since 2020’s My Life 4Hunnid. So far, the Compton native has released one single, “Sign Language,” for the potential project, but his latest drop looks to make quite the splash. YG recruits J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo for their new single, “Scared Money.” The new track is a sinister release that presents the rappers’ unabashed approach towards making money and staying rich. The song is also paired with a confident video that captures the trio flexing their wealth by holding stacks of money to their ear in a safe and dancing as more cash falls from the sky.

“Scared Money” serves as the latest entry in J. Cole’s current guest feature run. In recent months, Cole has connected with Wale (“Poke It Out“), Young Thug (“Stressed Out“), “Joyner Lucas (“Your Heart“), and Benny The Butcher (“Johnny P’s Caddy“). Cole’s latest feature run comes after he initially said his 2019 song with Gang Starr would be the “last feature you’ll hear from me,” a statement he retracted after some self-reflection as revealed in his 2020 documentary, Applying Pressure: The Off-Season.

As for Moneybagg Yo, he’s been on a bit of a feature run as well with the Memphis native lacing records with Polo G, French Montana, 2 Chainz, NLE Choppa, and more. He even has a record on Kanye West’s Donda 2 on the way.

You can watch the video for “Scared Money” above.

Mitski’s ‘Stay Soft’ Is More Rollicking Synth-Pop From Her New Album ‘Laurel Hell’

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The music internet can rejoice — new music from Mitski has officially arrived. Her latest album, Laurel Hell, follows up her 2019 project Be The Cowboy, which created so much fervor among fans that the songwriter left the internet completely for a quite a while after it came out, just to get some peace. Perhaps said overzealous fans learned their lesson, as the reception for Laurel Hell has been decidedly cooler.

Indie superstardom has definitely shifted a lot over the last decade or two, and as our own critic Steven Hyden noted in his review of Mitski’s new album, pop star level attention on someone who came up as an independent artist can be a challenging crossroads to navigate. “If she stays, does she want to be a mainstream star who performs in stadiums with other mainstream stars, or does she want to be an enigmatic cult indie hero?” he writes. “Laurel Hell suffers from not resolving these issues before now.”

Tonight’s newest single, “Stay Soft” does feel like it swings between two poles, a rollicking synth-pop melody and Mitski’s always-pristine alto vocals, but even when the song hits a crescendo on the chorus, it never really opens up to anything. The video, however, is a different story, as Mitski gives blood to a greedy Venus flytrap, gets kidnapped, and dances under the moonlight with her captors. She eventually gets free, but at a price. Check it out above.

Nicki Minaj And Lil Baby Trick The Opposition And Handle Business On ‘Do We Have A Problem?’

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This summer will mark four years since Nicki Minaj released her fourth album, Queen. Since then, her releases have been quite sporadic and not as frequent or fulfilling as her fans would’ve hoped. In 2019, she dropped her tropical single, “Megatron,” and the following year she returned with “Yikes” and “Trollz,” her chart-topping-yet-controversial single with Tekashi 69. In 2021, she uploaded her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty to streaming platforms with three new songs including “Seeing Green” with Lil Wayne and Drake. Unfortunately, none of those years presented a new album, but that could finally change this year and it starts with Nicki’s new single with Lil Baby, “Do We Have A Problem?”

Their new collaboration arrives with a cinematic nine-minute video that initially begins with Nicki Minaj as a detective of sorts who is looking to capture a criminal played by Lil Baby. A stakeout is set up in order to capture Lil Baby, but things take a turn when Nicki runs off with Lil Baby as they complete a mission they had planned from the beginning. The visual also features a cameo from Joseph Sikora who plays Tommy Egan on Power and Power Book IV: Force.

The track adds to what’s been an event week for Nicki. She had an interesting Instagram Live conversation with Kevin Samuels and even settled her differences with City Girls. Nicki also listed her conditions for a potential Verzuz battle, saying, “It should feel like a celebration, that’s exactly what I would like it to feel like. Fun, happiness.”

You can check out the video for “Do We Have A Problem?” above.

Fred VanVleet Was Congratulated By Drake Courtside After Being Named An All-Star

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The NBA announced its reserves for the 2022 All-Star Game on Thursday evening and, while there is always talk of “snubs” and what went wrong with the selections, it is also a time for celebration. For Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, that was very much the case, as the 27-year-old earned his first selection, earning the nod after a stellar first half of the 2021-22 season. The Raptors were set to take the floor for a home game just as the All-Star picks came down, meaning he had to focus on the task at hand, but that didn’t stop Drake from congratulating VanVleet before tipoff.

Even with fans limited, or even non-existent, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Drake has been present in support of the Raptors, and that continues here. The timing also worked quite well, as the game tipped off just moments after the official announcement, and VanVleet (due to alphabetical order) was the last player named by TNT.

In addition to the franchise’s most prominent fan showing love, the Raptors have unleashed a full-fledged campaign for VanVleet, all the way down to a “Freddie All-Star” moniker on the team’s local broadcast. VanVleet has clearly earned the All-Star nod with his play, though, averaging 21.5 points and 7.0 assists per game with impressive defense and three-point shooting (39.1 percent). It is always fun to see a first-time selection rewarded, and VanVleet received quite the congratulatory welcome here.

Yo Gotti, 42 Dugg, And EST Gee Disturb The Peace In Their Video For ‘Cold Gangsta’

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In just a few hours, Yo Gotti’s eleventh album CM10: Free Game will be available for fans to press play on. The rapper revealed that the project will be a double-disc effort with the first side titled “Free” and the second “Game.” He’s yet to reveal the tracklist for CM10: Free Game, but we know 42 Dugg and EST Gee will appear on the list of guest features thanks to Gotti’s latest single. The trio unites for “Cold Gangsta” and with it comes a new music video.

In the visual, Yo Gotti, 42 Dugg, and EST Gee have just moved into a new neighborhood and they’ve made sure to make their presence felt with their neighbors. Yo Gotti lets his music blare and flaunts his collection of luxury cars while 42 Dugg throws some money for a cast of women at a party. Lastly, EST Gee surrounds himself with a crew of masked men to lay menacing raps outside of a mansion. The song also features each artist rapping over a different beat.

“I’m gone Finish This SH!T just how I started!!!” Gotti wrote in an announcement for CM10: Free Game last month. “Wit No Regrets, Standing on Business & Principles. Motivating All Hustlers, knowing we took da Highest Risk for a Better Outcome. To the Streets, Plugs, Fans & Consumers. I’m FOREVER GRATEFUL.”

You can press play on the video for “Cold Gangsta” above.

CM10: Free Game is out 2/4 via CMG/Inevitable II Records.

42 Dugg is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Drakeo The Ruler’s Family Raises Their Live Nation Lawsuit Demand To $60 Million

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In the case of the other major lawsuit against concert promoter Live Nation, Pitchfork reports that the $20 million lawsuit planned by Drakeo The Ruler’s family in response to his death during the Once Upon A Time In LA festival in December has not only been filed but raised to $60 million on behalf of his young son, Caiden Caldwell, by his mother, Tianna Purtue.

The lawsuit, which also names promoter partners Bobby Dee Presents and C3 Presents, as well as Banc of California Stadium owners Los Angeles Football Club, cites the disaster at Astroworld just a week before and accuses the promoters of negligence. The lawsuit says that they did not place “the safety and wellbeing of its guests and its invited artists ahead of profits,” leading to the lax security conditions that allowed Drakeo’s assailant to fatally stab him in the neck during a backstage brawl.

The suit expresses the family’s belief that the promoters were “completely knowledgeable of the potential dangers posed to both their guests and the performers they hired based on numerous past incidents of violence and death at their hip hop events.” This included not only diminishing Drakeo’s own physical security but allowing access to the backstage area by multiple people who seemed affiliated with LA’s numerous street gangs. What started as a skirmish between two small groups apparently escalated into a larger conflict as more members got involved on the basis of affiliation, with many of the attackers “dressed in all red and wearing ski masks.”

Meanwhile, the lawsuit defends Drakeo from assumptions that he himself was gang-affiliated, although it notes that members of a Bloods set wanted revenge on Drakeo for allegedly killing one of their own in a dispute — an incident for which he served nearly two years in county jail merely awaiting re-trial on new charges even after being acquitted.

Among the failures of security listed in the suit is a lack of police presence, the omission of searches for artists and their entourages, and allowing unauthorized individuals to access the backstage areas. In all, Caiden, via Purtue, is seeking $25 million for Drakeo’s death, $25 million for loss of earnings and financial support, and $10 million for Drakeo the Ruler’s suffering prior to his death.