Drill rap’s heir apparent, Fivio Foreign, released his debut album, B.I.B.L.E., over the weekend, enjoying a positive response after months of buildup. However, fans of New York’s underground rap scene might have wondered why he didn’t feature any of the other members of the drill rap movement such as Sheff G, Kay Flock, Rah Swish, or Sleepy Hallow. Instead, the album contains guest appearances from big names like Alicia Keys, ASAP Rocky, Kanye West, and Quavo. In a new interview with Complex, the 32-year-old newcomer explained why he left off his peers in favor of big stars.
“Right now, I’m elevated,” he said. “For sure, I want to help people and put people on… But I wanted to have elevated, lit songs. I was thinking about going viral.” However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about his immediate cohort when crafting the album. “I got a couple [drill] n****s on the deluxe.”
Fivio isn’t the only drill artist to receive criticism for seemingly leaving his fellows in the rearview on his major debut. Pop Smoke, Fivi’s predecessor to occupy the drill rap throne before being gunned down in early 2020, also featured big names like Quavo on his own debut rather than drill rap compatriots. However, like Fivi, Pop Smoke apparently wanted to prove himself a more expansive artist with Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, and eventually did release a deluxe version that introduced listeners to more drill artists like Dread Woo and Dafi Woo, as well as featuring frequent collaborator Fivio Foreign.
The 2022 Grammy Awards, which took place on April 3, was more of a glitzy affair compared to last year’s ceremony. It could be due to the ease of COVID-19 restrictions on events or that it was held in Las Vegas, but the night was intent on highlighting memorable performances and unexpected wins.
Gen Z took over the MGM Grand Garden Arena’s stage, with artists like Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, BTS, and Olivia Rodrigo showing why they’re at the top of their generation’s class. But the night belonged to The Late Showbandleader and jazz musician Jon Batiste, the most nominated artist of 2022 with 11 nods. The Oscar and Golden Globe winner took home five awards, including the most coveted (and the most surprising moment of the night) Album of the Year for We Are.
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic also stole the show, with their Sin City-approved “777” performance and victory in all four of their categories, including Record and Song Of The Year for 2021’s “Leave The Door Open” smash.
It was also a historical night for Kanye West’s Donda (despite being barred from performing). The controversial rapper’s wins — Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Hurricane” featuring The Weeknd and Best Rap Song for “Jail” with Jay-Z — brought him to a total of 24, tying him with Jay-Z for the most Grammy Awards won by a rapper. Other notable wins were Olivia Rodrigo with Best New Artist, Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales for Best R&B Album, and Doja Cat hilariously running from the bathroom to accept Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Kiss Me More” alongside SZA.
With all the top prizes for 2022 out the way, there’s now room for even more of music’s key players — from Adele to yes, more Silk Sonic — to take lead at the 2023 Grammys.
Check out our picks below for how major album releases within the general Sept. 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2022 eligibility period (and ones we’re still holding out on) could win on music’s biggest night next year.
Summer Walker, Still Over It
Summer Walker has yet to receive a Grammy nomination, but the critical acclaim that surrounded last November’s Still Over It may be the key she needs to earn well-deserved recognition. The singer’s sophomore effort is more of an open diary than an album, as Walker painfully recalls a rocky relationship with former flame, producer London On Da Track. The lyrics are raw and beautifully written, showcasing Walker’s growing relatability — which can possibly lead to Best R&B Performance nominations for the SZA-assisted “No Love” as well as Best R&B Album.
Silk Sonic, An Evening With Silk Sonic
“In the industry, we call that a clean sweep!“ Silk Sonic’s Anderson .Paak jokingly boasted as he and Bruno Mars picked up their Record Of The Year Grammy for “Leave The Door Open.” The major wins for the R&B super duo will surely continue at next year’s ceremony, thanks to the long-delayed An Evening With Silk Sonic. Released last November, the nine-track set features plenty of gems that can live up to the winning streak of “Leave The Door Open,” from the viral “Smokin Out The Window” to “Put On A Smile” that’s co-written by fellow Grammy King, Babyface. With the odds in their favor, Silk Sonic should begin prepping their Album Of The Year win speech.
Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
Taylor Swift’s Evermore may have lost Album Of The Year to Jon Batiste this year, but the pop star can be given a second chance in 2023 thanks to the virality of Red (Taylor’s Version). Released last November, it is a re-recording of Swift’s 2012 Red. The diehard fan-favorite marked a sonic turning point for the artist, where she began to experiment with other sounds outside of her country base. The re-recorded version showcases Swift’s vocal growth since the original’s release, but it’s most beloved for the chart-topping 10-minute unabridged version of “All Too Well,” which has a strong chance of securing Record and Song Of The Year slots along with the country and pop categories.
Adele, 30
Adele has been a Grammy darling since taking home the gramophones for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“Chasing Pavements”) following 2008’s 21 debut album. After gathering a collective 15 wins and taking a six-year hiatus, the singer returned with last November’s 30. From filing for divorce to explaining love to her son to finding new, carefree lust, the album reveals even more layers of her personal life (and some of her strongest vocals to date). 30’s lead single “Easy On Me” is a major contender for Record and Song Of The Year, while the playful “Oh My God” may receive a nod for Best Pop Solo Performance. And of course, the album itself has a high chance for Album Of The Year. Adele’s been long missed from the ceremony, and 2023’s showing can likely be her reigning comeback.
Kanye West, Donda 2
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West’s record-setting night at the 2022 Grammys could ultimately be broken in 2023 — by his own self. Donda 2, released in February as the sequel to last August’s Donda, sparked conversations about artists’ streaming rights as it was exclusively released on the Stem Player. Despite its mixed reviews and ineligibility to be charted on the Billboard 200 due to the Stem Player rights, the album may still receive a Best Rap Album recognition at next year’s ceremony.
Harry Styles, Harry’s House
Harry Styles became more of a critics’ favorite with the 2019 release of his sophomore album Fine Line, which earned two Grammy nominations and won Best Pop Solo Performance for “Watermelon Sugar.” The artist recently announced the anticipated follow-up, Harry’s House, set for a May 20 release. If the critical acclaim surrounding the zippy lead single “As It Was” is any indication, then Styles will earn a handful of nominations.
Post Malone, Twelve Carat Toothache
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Post Malone confirmed with Billboard earlier this year the “imminent” release of his next album, Twelve Carat Toothache. There’s not much to gauge about the follow-up to 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, but the artist has a growing track record of being recognized in the Big Four categories despite lacking any wins. In 2019, Hollywood’s Bleeding was nominated for Album Of The Year while “Circles” earned nods for Record and Song Of The Year. 2023 could be the year that Malone finally takes a gramophone home.
Florence & The Machine, Dance Fever
Florence & The Machine has received six nominations throughout their career, including Best New Artist in 2011. The indie rock band’s fifth album Dance Fever, the follow-up to 2018’s High As Hope, is set for a May 13 release. With co-production from Grammy favorite Jack Antonoff (who has six wins including this year’s Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical) and Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley, there’s a stronger chance for a win in the pop and rock categories come 2023.
Cardi B, TBA
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Cardi B has brought the fun to the Grammy Awards since she first attended and performed “Finesse” alongside Bruno Mars in 2018. She ended up taking her first (and only one to date) gramophone the following year, winning Best Rap Album for her Invasion Of Privacy debut. The cheeky rapper has since been living her best life as a mother and businesswoman, dropping viral hits like “WAP” and this year’s Grammy-nominated “Up” in the interim. She’s also guested on Normani’s “Wild Side,” Lizzo’s “Rumors,” and Summer Walker’s “No Love” remix as she continues to build momentum for her long-awaited sophomore follow-up, which should be on the Grammys’ radar.
Kendrick Lamar, TBA
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Following the 2017 release of his Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning album Damn., Kendrick Lamar became a bit of a musical recluse. But last August, he reassured fans he was working on his fifth and final album under TDE with a statement posted on Oklama.com: “As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years.” The wait for Lamar’s next project doesn’t seem to be long, as he’s since guested on tracks for the likes of Beyoncé and Baby Keem, and performed during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show. The rapper currently has 14 Grammy awards to his name, and if he drops new music during the eligibility period, it’ll prove the wait was worth it.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Pusha T is gearing up to release his fourth studio album, It’s Almost Dry, in the coming weeks and to help promote the new project, he sat down for an hour-long interview with radio personality Charlamagne The God to discuss his new music, fatherhood, and a variety of other topics. In the course of the conversation, Pusha explained why he thinks It’s Almost Dry will be an “untouchable” body of work, crediting the album’s producers: Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.
“I had the best of both worlds in regard to production,” he muses. “In regard to two people who actually understand who I am and they like two different things from me.” Of course, Pharrell Williams was one of Pusha’s earliest supporters, signing Pusha’s group Clipse to his Star Trak Records imprint in the early 2000s, where the duo released three albums before splitting in 2010. It was then that Pusha signed to Kanye’s label G.O.O.D. Music, where he released three albums, including the critically acclaimed 2018 album Daytona, two mixtapes, and an EP.
“Just from that aspect,” Push continues, “I feel like this body of work is untouchable because it doesn’t lean too heavily on either side. It’s like you get the whole spectrum — probably my most well-rounded body of work.” That contrast has been most clearly visible in the two singles Push has released from the album: the Kanye West-featuring “Diet Coke,” which was produced by longtime West ally 88 Keys, and the Jay-Z-featuring “Neck And Wrist,” produced by Pharrell. Both singles have certainly heightened the hype surrounding his upcoming release, even though he hasn’t announced a release date yet.
You can watch the full interview with Charlamagne above.
A new era of Lizzo began late last year with the unveiling of her first single in two years, “Rumors.” Last month, Lizzo announced on Instagram that her follow-up to 2019’s chart-topping Cuz I Love You was finally finished. It was clear from the caption that she’s happy with the material and excited to share it with the world.
She’s so stoked about her new music, in fact, that she can’t help but give us glimpses of it. On The Late Late Show a couple of weeks ago, she previewed an unreleased track titled “About Damn Time.” Corden pulled out a vinyl record with a simple sleeve that said, “TOP SECRET Lizzo New Music 2022.” He then popped the record on a portable turntable and played about 30 seconds.
Now, she’s back with a brief clip of the ’70s-inspired song again, this time on Instagram with a fierce video that shows off a lot of skin while she walks onto a plane. Her caption reads: “SONG OF THE SUMMER DROPPING 4/14.” Fans in the comment praise her confidence — both in herself and her body as well as in her forthcoming music. Considering the success of her last album, she has every reason to believe these new songs will take over the world.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
But over the weekend, no less an authority than LeBron James, the face of the NBA for nearly two whole decades, crowned rap’s best hooper during his most recent episode of The Shop on HBO. “Lil Durk can hoop,” he said of the Chicago star whose No. 1 album7220 helped secure him a $40 million contract. “He can hoop for real. Man, he [at] Lifetime hooping. He got a f*cking cannon, too. He got a peel, and he look like a muthaf*cka that can [ball].” Durk was happy to repost the clip of the discussion, which also mentions 2 Chainz, J. Cole, Sheck Wes (who also recently played overseas), and Quavo. “I don’t want to hear sh*t nomo from nobody,” Durk crowed in the caption. Check out the clip below.
What a year in hip-hop 2022 has already been. This year started with a bang thanks to new album releases from Gunna (DS4EVER), Cordae (From A Bird’s Eye View), and Earl Sweatshirt (Sick!). As the year continued, the big-name releases picked up momentum, with new albums from Saba (Few Good Things), 2 Chainz (Dope Don’t Sell Itself), $not (Ethereal), Big KRIT (Digital Roses Don’t Die), Earthgang (Ghetto Gods), and Conway The Machine (God Don’t Make Mistakes). That momentum has carried over into the beginning of spring, with King Von (What It Means To Be King), BabyTron (Megatron), Lil Durk (7220), Fly Anakin (Frank), Phife Dawg (Forever), Denzel Curry (Melt My Eyez, See Your Future), Buddy (Superghetto), and Latto (777) all contributing to the absolute mayhem that marked the first quarter of rap releases.
All that, and we still haven’t heard from heavy-hitters like JID, Kendrick Lamar, or Nicki Minaj, although increased activity from two of the three suggests that new albums may very well be dropping soon. For now, we’ll just focus on the albums we know are dropping (or have dropped — April 8 turned out to be a monster release day as well). And look, there’s no accounting for taste or surprise releases; your underground fave may not appear here but that doesn’t mean we aren’t always looking out to be pleasantly shocked by a relative newcomer or dark horse viral popup. Here are the most anticipated hip-hop albums of spring 2020.
Coi Leray — Trendsetter
The 2021 XXL Freshman had a stellar year in the wake of her breakout track, “No More Parties.” Following up with strong viral faves like “Twinnem” and “Blick Blick,” Coi proved she’s no one-hit-wonder. Trendsetter looks to bring some color and life to the rap game, bending the genre’s established tropes and throwing expectations for female rappers completely out the window.
Dreezy & Hit-Boy — Hit Girl
As the Chicago veteran — yes, she’s a vet, as she first emerged during the drill rap explosion of 2012 — aims to make her resurgence, she’s picked the perfect partner. Hit-Boy managed to jumpstart the career of rap icon Nas; if anyone can help Dreezy with her relaunch, it’s him. They’ve already made significant headway to that effect with the slick comeback singles “COVID Flow Freestyle” and “They Not Ready,” and honestly, no one could be happier about this than me.
Fivio Foreign — B.I.B.L.E.
When Pop Smoke was killed in 2020, the torch of the oncoming New York drill wave, seemingly passed to Fivio — Pop’s closest collaborator — by default. At times, it seemed uncertain whether he was ready for it, or whether he even wanted it. Yet, in the year and change since, we’ve seen Fivio take some laudable leaps as an artist. His notoriety has certainly increased as well, resulting in collaborations with big names like Kanye West and Nicki Minaj. If nothing else, it’ll be interesting to see what he does with it and whether he can blow some fresh wind into the movement’s flagging sails on B.I.B.L.E.
Jack Harlow — Come Home The Kids Miss You
Harlow’s new album’s title may be a mouthful, but the cocky Louisvillain has certainly earned some latitude to take a few left turns. Just check out “Nail Tech” and “First Class,” which have been stark departures from the upbeat, syllable-a-second breakout single “What’s Poppin’.” Jack promises more introspective material on his latest, but as it turns out, he’s not above relishing in his newfound success either.
The California supergroup consisting of E-40, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Too Short couldn’t have come together at a better time. All four rappers are independent and all four have been around the block a few times since they all emerged in the late-80s/early-90s. They’ve got the experience and wisdom of age, but also share a youthful enthusiasm for hip-hop and rap, and from the two singles they’ve released so far, they clearly enjoy working together and inspire each other in a way that has them all sounding more engaged than ever.
Pusha T — It’s Almost Dry
Once again, it’s time to see how many ways Pusha can make the same material sound brand new all over again. If anyone’s up to the challenge, it’s the guy who managed to sneak a cocaine reference into a fast-food jingle and unearthed a near-decade-old beat from 88 Keys’ stores. He even got Jay-Z to rap like he means it again. Push’s last effort, 2018’s Daytona, was universally acclaimed; could it be he has another consensus critical favorite up his sleeve?
Vince Staples — Ramona Park Broke My Heart
In all his years in the rap game, the Long Beach rapper has been a contrarian, an iconoclast, and someone who was singularly disinterested in the trappings of fame, let alone being a working musician aspiring to it. For the first time, it seems like he’s letting his guard down, demystifying his biography, and actually making music for the masses to enjoy. When Earl Sweatshirt did it, we got Sick! When Vince does it, we just might get another masterpiece.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Last year, things went sideways for Houston rapper Travis Scott when his signature festival, Astroworld, was the site of mass casualties. Now facing a class action lawsuit, not just from the families of the nine people who died, but plenty more who were injured or traumatized, Scott has been laying low while multiple collaborations were put on hold. He’s was initially slated to headline Coachella next weekend, though, but along with returning to the stage for that massive event, plans for his next project, Utopia, were also delayed.
That became even more clear this weekend when billboards promoting the album popped up near the Coachella grounds. Since local attendees tend to make up the bulk of the crowd at Coachella, the marketing definitely makes sense, but it’s notable because it’s one of the first public acts Scott has taken since the tragedy in Texas. It seems like the billboards were planned in conjunction with his performance, which isn’t happening now, but they’ve been put up anyway. Obviously, Scott alone isn’t responsible for what happened at Astroworld, and at some point he will have to move forward, but it remains to be seen how his next album will fare with the public.
So far, four different billboards have popped up, “PSST….” and “WRONG WAY!” are the most oblique, while “Looking for UTOPIA?” and one with the Cactus Jack insignia are more obvious. Check out photos of the billboards below.
Last month, YK Osiris committed to doing a good deed by saying he would pay for the funeral of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson who fell to his death after getting on a ride at ICON amusement park in Orlando, Florida. Last week, during an interview with TMZ, he said that was in touch with Sampson’s family in order to go through with his plan of covering funeral costs. “I feel like it was just a devastating thing for the parents, for everybody in his family, so I had to make it happen,” he said. “Somebody had to make it happen. In the celebrity world, we got too much power and we got [too] big [of a] platform to not help with things like that.”
Despite Osiris’ promises, Sampson’s family came forward to accuse the rapper of lying about Tyre’s funeral. “YK Osiri or whatever dude name is cancelled,” Sampson’s brother said in a Facebook post. “Used lil bro for pure clout. Didn’t pay a dime but told the world otherwise. Even posted a fake screenshot of a GoFundMe donation. Stop pretending you about giving back to the community just to get your sales up. Lame as hell.” Tyre’s mother Nekia Dodd chimed in and added, “And he blocked me on IG too!”
Screenshot from HipHopDXScreenshot from HipHopDXScreenshot from HipHopDX
YK Osiris caught wind of the comments and took to his Instagram page to respond. “Why me? I’m not even that type of person fr,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “I will never play around like that NEVER.” He then shared a screenshot of private messages between him and Dodd where he asks to call her and make things right. After Dodd agreed that a GoFundMe donation from Osiris would work, he shared a screenshot of a $15,000 donation that he made in his name.
Screenshot from HipHopDX
“It’s a difference doing something from the heart and doing something for clout,” Osiris wrote in a separate Instagram Story post. “When u do something genuine, u don’t care what comes with it.”
You can view the posts and screenshots regarding the funeral matter above.
Lately, Willow Smith has been a secret weapon for pop star who want to add an influx of punk energy to their sound. Since she started coming up as an adult artist, Willow has evolved far past “Whip My Hair” and has become a full-fledged “Emo Girl” — or so her recent collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly asserts. Since Camila Cabello has never been edgy or punk at all, this is the perfect chance for her to explore what a song with those undertones would be like, and “Psychofreak,” her recent collab with Willow, does not disappoint.
The track is off Camila’s third album, Familia, which she just released this past Friday. Of course, Camila has been on a press blitz promoting the record, and she was lucky enough to get an appearance on Saturday Night Live as part of that. As collaborations become more and more popular, it’s not necessarily surprising that Willow joined her, but kicking off her set with this recent collab is definitely a pivot from the earlier sounds of the record, including “Bam Bam” featuring Ed Sheeran, and one of the record’s earliest singles, “La Buena Vida.” Check out the high-energy performance of “Psychofreak” up top, and look out for Camila’s second performance of the night, “Bam Bam” as well.
We’re two weeks removed from the 94th Annual Academy Awards which also means that we’re two weeks removed from the slap heard around the world. During the live broadcast, Will Smith approached Chris Rock on stage and slapped him for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. Since it occurred, the incident has been discussed from every angle, and while some hoped the conversation die out, it appears that won’t be the case anytime soon. This comes as The Academy recently announced that Smith will be banned from all events, including the Oscars, for the next ten years.
That punishment sparked a new round of comments and opinions from people all over the world. One of them includes 50 Cent who paused his normal output of jokes to give a more serious response about the ban. “Got Damn they doing Will dirty,” he wrote on Twitter. “This is too harsh. He can’t come back till he 63 years old. And the law suit ain’t even hit yet. SMH.”
50 Cent previously let off a couple of jokes after Will Smith’s slap. “You have to win Oscars to do this kinda sh*t,” he tweeted the night of the Oscars. “After i win i’m gonna slap the sh*t out of a few people. LOL.” A couple of days later, he posted a meme of Jussie Smollett with the caption, “Will Smith hit me too.”
You can read 50 Cent’s comment on the Oscar ban in the post above.
Got Damn they doing Will dirty, This is too harsh so he cant come back till he 63 years old. 
and the law suit ain’t even hit yet. SMH