Even after going independent, Megan Thee Stallion remained one of hip-hop’s most dominant stars in 2024, and it looks like she intends to carry that momentum into the new year. After releasing her first independently produced album Megan this spring, she followed up in October with Act II a deluxe edition of sorts with a full tracklist of 13 additional songs. Now, it seems that like her fellow Houstonian, she’s got a third act in the works for release in 2025.
Replying to a fan who collected photos of all her media appearances and accomplishments for the year on Twitter, Meg patted herself on the back for “Real Hot Girl Shit,” while telling her fans “ACT 3 2025 … be ready hotties.” Meg’s media appearances this year included hosting the Anime Awards and performing at both the BET Awards and the MTV VMAs, while her brand deals included team-ups with business giants like Amazon and Nike, with which she released an exclusive collection of workout gear.
Kendrick Lamar is full of surprises. First there was the wave of Drake diss tracks, then there was the release of his new album GNX, then there’s what happened today: Out of nowhere, “Money Without Me,” a vintage unreleased Lamar track, popped up on his official YouTube channel.
Multiple commenters on the YouTube upload say the song originates from the era when Lamar released his debut album, 2011’s Section.80.
Lamar opens the autobiographical tune, “Now, I was raised on the wild side, ever since a child / I ‘member food stamps when mama said it’s chow time / Papa had the green Seville with the Alpine / Woofer in the back, Doggystyle, track number 9 / Lifestyles of a lil’ nappy head / Guns in the closet, bills in the bed / Watchin’ Jay-Z on BET countin’ bread / Pointed at him then I said, / ‘Man, you ain’t gettin’ money without me.’”
In other Lamar news, Lil Wayne recently addressed the Super Bowl Halftime show and Lamar’s GNX lyric about him, saying, “He saw how much it meant to me, I think that’s all he means. Obviously, he can’t control that, you know? So he didn’t let me down. It ain’t like he can control it or nothing. And also, I’ve spoken to him and I wished him all the best and told him he better kill it.”
We know pretty definitively what Mariah Carey wants for Christmas, as she’s been singing about it for 30 years now. As for Rihanna, we may not know exactly what she desires, but we do know what she got: Carey’s signature, right on her breast.
As seen in this video, Rihanna was at the show when she got Carey’s attention and got her signature in red Sharpie on her left breast. As Carey signed, Rihanna said, “Wow, this is iconic.” She then grabbed the mic and told the audience, “Mariah Carey is signing my tit, y’all.”
Rihanna has long been a Carey fan: In 2015, she said, “I was always drawn to music and singing. Bt the time I was eight, I knew I wanted to sing. I loved Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Bob Marley. I would watch their videos all day long on TV because that’s what they would play in the Caribbean. I would start mimicking everything I heard, everything Mariah did, I would try to do.”
Yesterday (December 16), J. Cole celebrated the tenth anniversary of his critically acclaimed album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive with a sold-out show at Madison Garden in New York City. Although fans have been in full support of his walk down memory lane of his older records and mixtapes, they desperately want a new body of work. Well, the wait is nearly over.
As the “Port Antonio” rapper closed his Forest Hills Drive 10th Anniversary concert, J. Cole teased a potential release date range for new music. While, Cole didn’t explicitly say it, fans have assumed the onstage declaration (viewable here) is about The Fall Off.
“New York City, until the next time,” he yelled to the crowd. “I’ll see y’all at Dreamville Fest [2025] if you’re coming. Hopefully, I’ll have something new to perform for y’all. Good night.’”
Dreamville Fest 2025 is scheduled to take place between April 5 and 6, 2025. With it being the multi-day’s last installment, J. Cole fans hope that The Fall Off will send the event out with a bang. Another hint supporters used to cite their speculation is The Alchemist’s recent admission that he produced several songs on the project.
As for what has been holding up its release, J. Cole might have answered that too, when he said: “2024’s been absolutely insane, you know what I mean?”
For Cole, that includes his insertion then abandonment of the heated rap beef between his friends Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
Snoop Dogg dropped by The Bootleg Kev podcast to discuss is latest collaborative album, Missionary with Dr. Dre. However, another recording artist’s music sneakily became the topic of conversation.
Snoop Dogg confessed that he “called and apologized” to Kendrick Lamar for giving the diss track a co-sign without listening to the full song that featured an AI-generated verse of his likeness and the late Tupac. On “Wacced Out Murals,” Kendrick called Snoop out for going against the home team (California) and he’s ok with that.
“That’s my nephew, man,” Snoop Dogg said. “He’s a rapper, man. He’s supposed to speak his mind and tell his truth. That’s the way he felt. You know what I’m saying? He has the right to say that. I’m his big homeboy, so I have to take what’s given to me from his perspective because he’s speaking truth. And the truth shouldn’t hurt you. It should make you better.”
Snoop then went on to try and explain away the misstep claiming he only reposted that song because it referenced his song “Gin and Juice” and adult beverage company.
“What happened was, I did a collaborative post with someone [on Instagram]. So when I post it, I’m thinking I’m posting Gin and Juice,” he said. “I don’t know what song this is. I’m not hip to everybody’s music. Then I get the word, ‘Nephew didn’t like what you did.’‘What did I do?’‘You played some music’. ‘What music?’ Then I had to go look at it. I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s cuz… damn.’ So then I deleted it, called nephew, left him a message ’cause he ain’t pick up. He was working on his sh*t. I left him a message. ‘I apologize. I was f*cked up, my bad.’”
However, users online are not buying Snoop’s explanation. “Very mature of him. But he’s def lying about now knowing about the song lol,” wrote one user.
Well, if it was good enough for Kendrick that is all Snoop cares about.
Watch the full episode of Snoop Dogg on The Bootleg Kev podcast above. Missionary is out now via Death Row/Aftermath/Interscope Records. Find more information here.
Rappers Lil Baby and Central Cee flexed their financial might on the record, “Band4Band.” But for the African Giant, Burna Boy, his wealth has a different weight. On the international superstar’s new single, “Bundle By Bundle,” Burna Boy shows that there are micro levels even within the same socioeconomic tier.
“When it comes to class, I be teacher / Chop this life e no chop you my n***** / Half a million dollars when I smile for the picture / That’s why I don’t put no ice in my liquor / Cause when we throw the money / We dey throw am bundle by bundle,” melodically raps Burna.
Rhythmically, “Bundle By Bundle” is yet another display of Burna Boy’s irresistible dance tunes. But stylistically, the record is a step back from his era of Afrofusion and R&B blends (such as “Last Last” and “Sittin’ On Top Of The World“). With “Bundle By Bundle” serving as a taste of what’s to come on Burna Boy’s forthcoming eighth studio album, No Signs Of Weakness, the anticipation counties to build.
Who knows maybe there is a collaboration with Burna Boy’s rumored girlfriend, Uproxx cover star Chlöe on the upcoming release.
Listen to Burna Boy’s new song “Bundle By Bundle” above.
Today (December 17), Megan Thee Stallion is looking to end things for good. According to TMZ, Megan Thee Stallion filed a restraining order against citing “ongoing harassment.”
In the documents obtained by the outlet, Meg’s legal team claims to prison phone call logs of Tory Lanez where he allegedly plots to terrorize her with the help of others.
One of the individuals supposed connected to the supposed “conspiratorial relationship” is blogger Milagro Gramz (real name Elizabeth Milagro Cooper). Meg went on to accuse Cooper of accepting payments from Lanez to aid in his “psychological warfare.” Cooper vehemently denies this claim.
Megan filed a similar case against Cooper accusing her of purposely spreading misinformation during Lanez’s trial, online bullying, and defamation of character.
Megan Thee Stallion’s goal should the restraining order be granted is the courts to force Lanez from “contacting, harassing, or intimidating her” both “directly or through third parties.”
For all the attention that has been lavished on Top Dawg Entertainment products Doechii, Schoolboy Q, and SZA this year (not to mention former TDE signee Kendrick Lamar), there’s one member of the South LA crew who feels that his work hasn’t gotten the love it deserves. Ab-Soul’s new mixtape, Soul Burger, dropped in November, just ahead of the unofficial annual entertainment industry shutdown for the holidays, but he’s still given it impressive support, with videos for “All That” and “California Dream” promoting the project before and after its release.
But he wants more, as he wrote on Twitter, sharing his disappointment with rap fans for not talking it up more — especially since it includes some historical moments for longtime participants, such as the collaboration between Lupe Fiasco and TDE after Lupe’s less-than-favorable commentary about Kendrick Lamar.
“THIS MAY BE DISTASTEFUL FOR ME TO SAY ON MY OWN, GIVEN THE INSATIABLE STATE OF SOCIAL MEDIA,” he wrote. “BUT, F*CC IT. “SOUL BURGER” IS A PHENOMENAL BODY OF WORK. I PUT IT ALL ON THE TABLE. STOP PRETENDING TO OVERLOOK ME. ITS UNBECOMING OF THE CULTURE.”
Soul was one of the many TDE artists and special guests who took the stage during the label’s annual holiday concert in Watts this year, where he reminded attendees that there’s more to TDE than the big hitmakers. Ab-Soul may not have the accolades, but he certainly has the artistry, and it’s high time (heh) he gets some credit for his work.
Dianne Warren has been nominated in the Best Original Song category at the Academy Awards a record 15 times — and never won. The songwriter will try for a 16th nomination at the 2025 Oscars, as her song for Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight, “The Journey,” made it to the shortlist. All she has to do is beat Pharrell Williams… and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross… and Elton John and Brandi Carlile… and Maren Morris… and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The nominees will be announced on Friday, January 17. The Oscars air on ABC on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Below, you can find the shortlist for Best Original Song at the 2025 Oscars, along with each track’s songwriters (the award goes to the lyricists, not the performers).
The Shortlist For Best Original Song At The 2025 Oscars
“Forbidden Road” by Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, and Sacha Skarbek from Better Man
“Winter Coat” by Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, and Taura Stinson from Blitz
“Compress/Repress” by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Luca Guadagnino from Challengers
“Never Too Late” by Elton John and Brandi Carlile from Elton John: Never Too Late
“El Mal” by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard from Emilia Pérez
“Mi Camino” by Clément Ducol and Camille from Emilia Pérez
“Sick In The Head” by Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, Adrian Louis Richard Mcleod, and Toddla T from Kneecap
“Beyond” by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear from Moana 2
“Tell Me It’s You” by Lin-Manuel Miranda from Mufasa: The Lion King
“Piece By Piece” by Pharrell Williams from Piece By Piece
“Like A Bird” by Abraham Alexander, Brandon Marcel, and Adrian Quesada from Sing Sing
“The Journey” by Diane Warren from The Six Triple Eight
“Out Of Oklahoma” by Lainey Wilson, Luke Dick, and Shane McAnally from Twisters
“Kiss The Sky” by Delacey, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack and Ali Tamposi from The Wild Robot
“Harper And Will Go West” by Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, and Josh Greenbaum from Will & Harper
Basketball players have been appearing in music videos for a pretty long time now. Earlier this year, we looked at some notable examples of this, which included some older examples (Shaq appearing in the video for “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!”) and some newer ones (DeMar DeRozan’s highly-publicized cameo in the video for “Not Like Us”).
Fortunately for us, that was only the tip of the iceberg, as there are plenty of other examples of times when musicians reached out to NBA players and asked them to pop up in the video for one of their songs. And today, we wanted to dive into a few more of these, starting with one of the more surprising cameos we can remember…
Kawhi Leonard: “Way 2 Sexy” by Drake featuring Future and Young Thug
Kawhi Leonard has managed to turn being a boring and laid-back guy into his brand. For how brilliant he is at his best on the basketball court, Leonard is known for being soft-spoken and keeping himself out of the spotlight. All of this is to say that when Kawhi showed up in “Way 2 Sexy” dressed in all white and joined Drake, Future, and Young Thug in essentially lampooning boy band music videos, well, I can safely say I did not see that coming.
Magic Johnson: “Remember The Time” by Michael Jackson
The legendary video for “Remember The Time” is all built around Jackson performing for Egyptian royalty, played in here by Eddie Murphy and Iman. But off to the side, Johnson is the herald who presents performers to Murphy and Iman. Shockingly, it seemed like Magic had a terrific time with the project, and earlier this year, he called getting to be in the video “one of the greatest thrills in my life.”
LeBron James: “Forever” by Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem
Of course LeBron was going to be in this video in some capacity, as it was made for the 2008 documentary More than a Game, which followed around his high school team at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron. He hops onto PokerStars before the track starts, and while we don’t see him in the video again, we get plenty of clips and photos from before he made it to the NBA. However, a few months after the song came out, we did get a famous clip of LeBron rapping along to Eminem’s verse in the waning moments of a Cavs-Lakers game.
Stephen Curry: “Lil Fish, Big Pond” by Tobe Nwigwe
Curry joined Nwigwe in the video for his 2023 release, which was part of the soundtrack for the Apple TV+ release, Stephen Curry: Underrated. In the video, the pair are fishing on a boat, and Curry lip syncs along to the first verse before viewers see that Nwigwe is also on the boat. A little later, the pair sit alongside one another in a stadium.
Metta Sandiford-Artest: “Nas Is Like” by Nas
If you blink, you’ll miss when the two Queens legends link up in the music video for the first track off of “I Am…” It shows Nas throughout Queensbridge, which both he and the former Ron Artest called home as they were growing up. While this is an extremely short cameo, Sandiford-Artest arrives, shows Nas some love, and then looks into the camera at the 1:24 mark.
Grant Hill: “Rockstar” by Nickelback
I’ll be honest with you: I am unsure why Grant Hill appeared in the music video for “Rockstar,” and funny enough, if you take his word for it, Grant Hill wasn’t 100 percent sure why, either. Anyway, the video famously has a ton of celebrities in it, and at one point, Hill shows up and is in the middle of signing a basketball in a gym while he lip syncs the line “sign a couple autographs so I can eat…” before the camera cuts to someone else. He then shows up later and lip syncs “with the movie stars.”
