industry

REASON Says Heated Moosa Interview Wasn’t A “Rollout Move” For New Album

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In the age of social media, it’s not uncommon to see celebrities pull off PR stunts to draw more attention to their projects. Cardi B and Offset is a great example of a couple who have intentionally turned their real-life drama into cold-hard cash thanks to the internet. Of course, there are also those who accidentally go viral while promoting their work, such as TDE’s REASON. The lyricist revealed earlier this summer that his next LP, Porches, is due out this coming New Music Friday (August 11).

During his customary round of press interviews, the 32-year-old got to talking about some of the artists he’s collaborating with on the album, also revealing that some features – specifically with Latto and EST Gee – fell through, seemingly as a result of his label’s slacking. Before long, TDE co-president Moosa got on the line, and he was quick to assert that they weren’t sure about signing REASON in the first place. Some assumed that the feud was all an attempt to stir up streams for the project, but on Tuesday (August 8) morning, the “Extinct” artist shut that down.

Read More: REASON Airs Grievances With TDE Co-President Moosa, Says He Wanted Latto & EST Gee On New Album

REASON is Keeping the Energy Positive Ahead of PORCHES

“I appreciate [people] that’s reached out to me,” he tweeted today. “Trust, I’m as good as I can be. We’ll have a real convo at some point about what happened, just trust that wasn’t a ‘rollout move’ lol. That actually happened! All positive energy as of now moving forward tho. ‘Porches’ Friday! Love y’all!” REASON concluded his update.

Prior to his heated discussion with Moosa, REASON took time in another recent interview to clear up any gossip about his past beef with Logic. While the two seemingly took shots at each other on past releases, the West Coast native says he didn’t see his initial bars about being compared to the father of two as a diss, but rather, simply speaking the truth. Read what else REASON revealed at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: REASON & Logic Beef: TDE Artist Clears Up Issues With Fellow Rapper

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Ice Spice Continues To Dominate The Billboard Hot 100

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The year 2023 is quickly becoming the year of Ice Spice. Her debut on the Billboard Hot 100 was back in January, and she hasn’t really left since. That song was “Gangsta Boo” and featured Lil Tjay. Now, she has two tracks gracing the list: “Karma” by Taylor Swift, in which Ice Spice features on this version, and “Barbie World,” a reinvention of the Aqua classic featuring Nicki Minaj. The songs are ranked eight and seven, respectively. “Barbie World” comes from the Barbie movie soundtrack. Barbie is set to release on July 21, with Margot Robbie as the titular character and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

The song with Nicki marks Ice Spice’s fourth foray into the Billboard Hot 100. (“Barbie World” is Minaj’s 23rd track to be included on the list, a record for all female rappers.) And while Morgan Whalen’s “Last Night” came out at number one for the 13th week, Ice Spice is the one artist with two tracks in the top ten. She did this once before, in late April of this year, when “Princess Diana” and “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2” (which features PinkPantheress) were fourth and tenth, respectively. Ice Spice has claimed her throne at the top of the rap game, and she brought one of the original queens with her, Nicki Minaj.

Read more: Ice Spice Shares Extra Cheeky Dublin Photo Dump After Longitude Festival

The Singularity Of Ice Spice

Spice is having a moment in the rap and music industries. She and Nicki Minaj dapped each other up via Twitter, celebrating the success of their collaboration. Nicki was also on “Princess Diana.” That makes it and “Barbie World” two separate songs where two solo artists came together to make absolute bangers. Essentially, you put Ice Spice on a track, and she makes it Billboard Hot 100 gold. Simple as that.

As for Spice in her life, she seems to be enjoying her huge launch into fame. She releases photo dumps of herself at various events, including the BET Awards and the Longitude Festival. Also, she turned down the opportunity to be the XXL Freshman cover artist. When you can say no to what most rappers dream of, you know you’re doing something right. She’ll continue to see more of her songs make splashy debuts on the Billboard Hot 100. For now, the two songs in the top ten will definitely do.

Read more: Keke Palmer Dances To Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” In A Curve-Hugging Denim Outfit

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Diddy Trends On Twitter As People Reflect On His Past Troubling Behaviour

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Sean Combs has been in the news a lot lately, primarily for his hot new summer single, “Act Bad” with Fabolous and the City Girls. However, he also caught our attention as a result of his eldest son, Justin Combs, being arrested for a DUI over the weekend. Since the incident hit the news cycle, the conversation around Diddy’s name has taken a noticeably negative turn, even causing him to trend on Twitter as users debate some of his past questionable antics.

For decades now, hip-hop heads and pop culture fanatics have been speculating about the “I’ll Be Missing You” artist’s sexuality. Of course, he’s denied rumours of being bisexual or gay over the years, but that hasn’t stopped the allegations from flowing. Apart from that conversation, other users are also mentioning Diddy’s past admission to introducing R&B stars like Usher to an adult lifestyle years before they were of legal age.

Read More: Yung Miami Gives Us “Act Bad” Advice While Making Out With Diddy On IG

Diddy’s Antics Raise Some Eyebrows

Sean “Diddy” Combs attends The 2023 Met Gala on May 01, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

“Diddy admitted to exposing Usher to older women, a hyper-sexual lifestyle, and trying to get him to lose his virginity when Usher was around 14/15,” one person wrote. “Lest I digress, I believe Usher’s relations with women and his life might have been different had it not been for Mr. Love,” they further speculated. Another account pointed out that the core issue many have isn’t with the father of seven’s rumoured involvement with the LGBTQ+ community.

Rather, concerned fans have a problem with him “[using] his closeted [sexuality] to take advantage of young men and women in the industry,” according to reports from various sources. “Promising things in exchange for sex/sexual dominance & favours. THAT IS THE ISSUE,” they expressed in their contribution to the ongoing debate.

Read More: Who Has Diddy Dated? 11 Women Romantically Linked To The Mogul

Twitter Debates

Keep scrolling to read the Twitter discourse unfolding about Diddy’s sexuality and rumours surrounding his past. Do you think it’s time for the New Yorker to take accountability for his actions? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

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J. Cole’s Manager Calls Cap On Nearly $1M Payment From Lil Durk Rumours For “All My Life” Feature

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Lil Durk’s Almost Healed album had an undeniably impressive opening week after its delayed debut. Of the LP’s 21 tracks, one title in particular continues to stand out as a favourite among listeners. Before sharing his work with the world, the Chicago native offered up a teaser in the form of a single called “All My Life” with J. Cole. The collaboration has earned both lyricists immense praise from fellow industry icons and fans alike across social media. According to rumours floating around online, the Dreamville artist took home nearly $1 million for the verse he put together for Durk’s track.

Earlier this week, @raphousetv2 on Twitter alleged that the 7722 artist handed over an astounding $978K for Cole’s contribution. Breaking down the math of the transaction, for writing and spitting 489 words, the North Carolina-born star was believed to have made $2K/word for the feature. Few came out disputing the claims, especially considering how prolific Cole has become over the years, however, his manager, Ibrahim Hamad, set the record straight on Monday (June 5) afternoon.

Read More: Lil Durk & J. Cole’s “All My Life” Debuts At No. 2 On The Billboard Hot 100

J. Cole’s Manager Enters the Chat

Though Hamad didn’t reveal exactly how much Cole did make off of “All My Life,” he did use a cap emoji to indicate that the gossip is fake. It’s been a minute since the “Wet Dreamz” hitmaker gave us a solo project (his last, The Off-Season, landed in 2021) so it’s entirely possible he and Durk made a verse-for-verse arrangement, and we’ll hear the 30-year-old on his friend’s next project.

Elsewhere on his Almost Healed album, Lil Durk connected with Alicia Keys, Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Rob49, and country singer Morgan Wallen. He also shared a posthumous feature from Juice WRLD, who appears on track 17, “Cross The Globe.” Do you think J. Cole’s “All My Life” feature is the best work he’s done so far in 2023? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: J. Cole’s “All My Life” Verse Impresses Jermaine Dupri

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Coi Leray Speaks On Oversaturation In The Music Industry: “Every Song Is A Hit, Everybody Is A Star”

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As she embarks upon the week of her 26th birthday, Coi Leray has a few things to get off of her chest. On Monday (May 8), the Trendsetter hitmaker used her Twitter profile to vent about the current status of the field she works in, writing, “The music industry is oversaturated. Every song is a hit. Everybody is a star.” Thousands of followers made it known they agree with the singer by liking or retweeting the post, but others didn’t hesitate to chime in with their opinions challenging Leray’s comments.

“Can’t help but think Coi benefited from said saturation,” one user pointed out, seemingly referring to the endless TikTok hits the Boston baddie has released throughout her career. “Valid message, wrong messenger,” their message concluded. On Tuesday (May 9) morning, Leray responded to that tweet, along with a few others. “Y’all [buggin],” she chiefly declared. “My versatility, my stage presence, my stats, my collabs, my brand deals,” the “Anxiety” artist quickly reminded readers of her various talents aside from crafting catchy tracks.

Read More: Coi Leray Drops Another TikTok Hit In “My Body”

The Trendsetter Speaks Her Mind on Twitter

“[I’m a] fashion girl. I can dance, sing, [and] rap. It’s fine if you don’t see it now, I’m in no rush for you to notice,” Coi’s clap back continued. In another post that landed on her feed minutes later, she publicly hyped herself up even more as a reminder to any would-be haters that her confidence isn’t so easy to shake. “Lol, I’m that girl. Real life. Offline. In the booth, on the stage, on the red carpet. On the radio, overseas, and that’s just what it is, Leray noted. “Shout out to my bitches who stay true to themselves and [don’t give a f*ck] what nobody has to say!”

In later tweets, the soon-to-be birthday girl made it known that it’s all love, and she didn’t want to start drama with anyone. Rather, she’s reflecting on her achievements throughout the last year ahead of turning 26 on Thursday (May 11). Keep scrolling to read more from Coi Leray’s latest Twitter rant. Afterward, tell us if you agree with her take in the comments below. For more hip-hop and pop culture news updates, be sure to tap back in with HNHH later.

Read More: Coi Leray Calls Out Haters During Something In The Water Set

More from Coi Leray’s Twitter Page

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6ix9ine Lashes Out At Billboard Amid Merch Album Sales Reinstatement: “Anything Just To Not See Me Win”

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Some ops at the gym certainly got the better of him earlier this year, but 6ix9ine managed to make a triumphant comeback thanks to singles like “WAPAE” and “Y Ahora” last month. Seeing as his embattled reputation obviously precedes him in the U.S., the lyricist has been tapping into the Spanish music market, where he’s found major success working with various collaborators. While he’s been celebrating the major victories coming along with that on social media, 6ix9ine also didn’t hesitate to use his platform to call out Billboard over a recent rule change that isn’t sitting right with him.

“Billboard to count limited fan packs/merch bundles with physical albums towards Billboard 200 chart starting June 30th,” a tweet from @chartdata reported earlier this week. Upon hearing the news, 6ix9ine took a screenshot of the post to share with a message of his own on his IG Story. “LITERALLY A JOKE,” the 26-year-old’s rant began on Thursday (May 4). “I’m the reason you guys got rid of this rule,” he further asserted. “You guys did everything and ANYTHING just to not see me win. BRINGIN’ IT BACK BECAUSE Y’ALL ARTISTS CAN SELL WITHOUT IT.”

6ix9ine Blasts Billboard

DJ Akademiks shared the “GOOBA” artist’s thoughts on his own page, leading 6ix9ine to drop by the comments there and get more off of his chest. “The rule got changed in June/July of 2020. I sold over $3M of [bundled] merch for ‘GOOBA,’” he explained. “The Nicki and Travis thing was in 2018 for ‘Queen’ because I promoted it,” the east coast star added, referring to Nicki Minaj’s anger over Travis Scott beating her out for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, which she claimed only happened due to the merch bundles sold with his project.

“The industry changed rules and laws just to blackball an artist, that’s how I know I’m really him,” the controversial star concluded. “Get mad all you want, but this is facts.” Do you think 6ix9ine’s anger towards Billboard is valid, or is he letting a victim complex get the better of him? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in later for more hip-hop news updates.

Rapper Speaks His Truth

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Brent Faiyaz Shuts Down Major Label Deals In Favour Of Staying Independent

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It’s been quiet on Brent Faiyaz’s front since he delivered WASTELAND back in 2022. Thankfully, the R&B crooner came back to Instagram on Monday (May 1) with some major news, which he’s only been able to top in the time since. Not only does he have a collaboration with Marshmello dropping as his first single of the year on Friday (May 5), but he’s also heading out on tour later this summer and for most of the fall. The F*ck The World It’s A Wasteland tour will kick off on July 16th, followed by stops in North American cities like Chicago, Toronto, Miami, Houston, Oakland, and Los Angeles before he heads overseas to the United Kingdom for more fun.

While in Europe, Faiyaz is set to hit up Glasgow, London, Stockholm Copenhagen, Berlin, Milan, and Barcelona, among other beautiful cities before closing things out with a final concert in Paris on November 19th. Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Friday at 10 AM PDT, while presale will take place on Thursday (May 4). While fans of the “ALL MINE” artist wait in the online queue to purchase their passes, they’ll at least be able to stream his upcoming “Fell In Love” single.

Brent Faiyaz Announces 2023 Tour Dates

Brent shared a teaser of the highly anticipated song earlier this week, along with a video that sees him seemingly putting the charm on a love interest. “You ain’t fall in love with me,” he sings. “You fell in love with the man I could be.” As always, the 27-year-old proved that he knows his demographic all too well and that plenty of women who have a habit of seeing potential, rather than what’s right in front of them, will certainly be un their feelings over this one.

Along with all of those announcements, it was also revealed by Variety that the Maryland native has turned down several major label record deals in favour of remaining independent. He’ll be partnering with UnitedMasters for the time being, who hope to “further amplify his creative vision and support his entrepreneurial ambitions” through their work together. Check out Brent Faiyaz and Marshmello’s “Fell In Love” single teaser below, and tap back in with HNHH this weekend to stream it along with our other new release recommendations.

New Music Coming This Friday

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Ice Spice & Taylor Swift Collab Dropping Soon, EZMNY Records President Claims

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Ice Spice has been in the spotlight for less than a year now, but already she’s been a part of some seriously impressive collaborations. She and fellow New Yorker Lil Tjay showed out on “Gangsta Boo” from her debut EP (even if their music video shoot was derailed by an unexpected arrest) and English songstress Pinkpantheress brought her onto “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2,” which quickly became a success on TikTok and other platforms. More recently, the 23-year-old crossed her dream feature off of her bucket list thanks to Nicki Minaj’s appearance on the “Princess Diana (Remix).” Seeing as it’s hard to top the Queen of Rap, the Spice Cabinet has been wondering who she’ll work with next.

If the latest gossip from EZMNY Records President Shawn Barron is true, then the answer may surprise you. During a recent appearance on the One More Time Podcast, the industry executive revealed that the bodacious redhead is apparently working on a song with country-turned-pop star, Taylor Swift. Rumour has it that Spice could make an appearance on the blonde singer’s next release, which would follow her highly successful surprise Midnights album from late 2022. Of course, nothing has been confirmed just yet, though the two stars did share a sweet moment on stage at the iHeartRadioAwards in March.

Are Taylor Swift and Ice Spice Working Together?

PinkPantheress and Ice Spice present the Song of the Year award for “Anti-Hero” to Taylor Swift onstage during the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 27, 2023. Broadcasted live on FOX. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

At the time, Spice and her foreign collaborator presented the “Fifteen” hitmaker with the Song of the Year award for “Anti-Hero.” As XXL notes, Isis Gaston also spoke with Nylon about her favourite breakup song, which is Swift’s 2012 classic, “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” Taylor doesn’t have a ton of joint songs in her discography, and she typically works with other pop artists, so it’ll certainly be interesting to hear how she and the “Bikini Bottom” hitmaker bring their wildly different sounds together on one single.

Elsewhere in the news, the east coast rap diva dropped a hint over the weekend that we may see her at this evening’s Met Gala. Rihanna has also confirmed that she’ll be attending, setting up a seriously stacked guest list ahead of the big red carpet reveal. Tap into Barron’s full interview on the One More Time podcast below, and let us know if you’d stream a Taylor Swift x Ice Spice joint track in the comments.

EZMNY President Shawn Barron Spills Industry Tea

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“Jackman” Projected For Decent Opening Week

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The world was surprised by a new Jack Harlow album this week. The 10-track Jackman has no featuring artists and moves away from the pop sound Harlow has become associated with. The album has been well-received so far, with people comparing it favorably to Come Home The Kids Miss You, which left many fans disappointed. Furthermore, Jackman is only around 30 minutes, providing a concise and intimate listening experience.

The surprise album drop comes with a busy for Harlow. He recently made a cameo on the critically acclaimed comedy Dave and is set to start in the Hulu remake of White Men Can’t Jump next month. However, how is “Jackman”, released to little fanfare, expected to do in its first week? And what does that mean for it’s chart debut potential?

“Jackman” Projected To Sell 50k

According to industry source HDD, Jackman is on pace to move 45,000 to 50,000 units in its first week. This is about half the sales of Harlow’s last album, Come Home The Kids Miss You. However, his 2022 release was about double the length and featured a collab with Drake, putting it in a very different category from Jackman. However, this may be a good thing as Come Home The Kids Miss You was seen as vapid. People were turned off by what some saw as a generic style and reliance on big-name collaborators.

But where will this put it on the Billboard 200? NBA YoungBoy’s Don’t Try This At Home is expected to be a top-five album with first-week sales of 60,000-65,000. Additionally, like YoungBoy, Harlow will have to compete with a K-pop album releasing the same week. In Harlow’s case, the number one spot is expected to be taken by SEVENTEEN’s FML: the 10th mini album, which is projected to sell around 140k copies. Morgan Wallen’s One Day At A Time is currently the album to beat, having spent seven weeks atop the charts. However, what did you think of Jackman? Where do you think it will debut in the charts? Be sure to make HotNewHipHop your first stop for all new album releases and sales projections.

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Roc Nation Stole Samples For GloRilla & A$AP Ferg Songs, Producer Kerry D. Brown Claims

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It’s been several years since A$AP Ferg’s “Plain Jane” was one of the biggest hits on the radio, but as AllHipHop reports, the song is now at the centre of a lawsuit against Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. According to producer Kerry D. Brown, the renowned music label used his copyrighted beats on both that track, and more recently, on GloRilla’s “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” last year. The Krushial K. Productions managing member claims he previously met with RN’s vice president, Lenny Santiago in Houston in 2015, at which time the former gave the latter samples of his instrumentals in hopes of building a future working relationship.

Their meeting took place at The Hotel Derek’s Dealmakers Conference, and Brown asserts that he never transferred the official rights to his music when sharing the samples. In the following years, the southern-born creative came to realize that two of his instrumentals – “You Don’t Know Nothing About Me” and “AUDIOBOX Instrumentals” – were used without his permission on the aforementioned hits. In his lawsuit, Brown has chiefly named Roc Nation, Santiago, Sony Music Entertainment Digital, LLC and Blac Noize Recordings LLC.

Kerry D. Brown Calls Out Roc Nation Over “Plain Jane” & “F.N.F.”

“Within 21 days after this summons on you (not counting the day you received it — or 60 days if you are the United States or a United States agency, or an officer or employee of the United States described in Fed R. Civ. P. 12 (a)(2) or (3),” documents previously obtained by AllHipHop read. “You must serve on the plaintiff an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 or the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The answer or motion must be served on the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney.”

The producer made it clear that he didn’t receive a Notice of Intent to Use or any paid royalties from any parties involved. With his legal actions, he’s hoping to sue the label and others for copyright infringement, unfair competition, and paid attorney fees. Do you believe Kerry D. Brown’s allegations against Roc Nation? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in later for more hip-hop news updates.

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