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Westside Gunn’s Pledge To The Culture 

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“Before [I was incarcerated, the sound of hip-hop] was more East Coast grimy,” recalls Westside Gunn, “when I came out, it was leaning towards the trap. That’s when everybody was going South for a little bit.” The transition from the East Coast’s dominance to the South’s reign is vivid for the East Side Buffalo native. When Jeezy’s Trap Or Die and Gangsta Grillz mixtapes punctuated hip-hop’s soundscape, Gunn sat in a cell in Atlanta. “It was the soundtrack of what we were doing,” he describes fondly of the South’s surge.

Those days of hustling embody the same grit that Griselda conveys in their art. And while we’ve heard Conway, Benny The Butcher, and Westside Gunn lean into the rolling hi-hats and pulsating 808s in recent years, the sound of trap music is deeply ingrained in Griselda’s DNA. “At the same time, I was hustlin’ in the A. I was in that time in real-time. That was my life,” he adds. “My route was going back and forth from Atlanta to Buffalo.”

And Then You Pray For Me concretizes this chapter of Westside Gunn’s life, where these routine trips to Atlanta exposed him to a lifestyle that encapsulates the Fly God’s aura. From frequenting clubs to shopping for designer brands that weren’t readily available in Buffalo, it’s no secret that Atlanta captures Fly God’s ethos to some degree — the often bleak descriptions of the streets and his upbringing, juxtaposed with the flamboyance of Atlanta’s dope boy chic. 

It’s a sunny Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles, days after the release of Westside Gunn’s latest studio album, And Then You Pray For Me. It’s an album he’s described as his final full-length body of work that also serves as the successor of Pray For Paris. Gunn appears on Zoom, diamonds dancing across his teeth and chest with a jovial spirit that shines as brightly as jewels. After a hearty meal at Los Angeles’ revered Bossa Nova (chicken, fries, rice, and some grilled shrimp, he tells me), Gunn is en route to a quick shopping trip. His tone is relaxed, sounding equally as satisfied with his plate of chicken and shrimp as he is with the reception of his latest album. “It’s super dope that I could make another classic project that don’t sound like none of my other projects,” he states confidently. “I was really just trying to have fun. Just being in a different space in life and living life, but it wasn’t like I was trying to outdo anything. It was really one of those projects.”

Read More: Westside Gunn Enters GOAT Beat Selection Discussion

Long Live Virgil 

Everything about 2020’s Pray For Paris — a masterclass in curation that juxtaposes opulence with Buffalo’s grimy essence —  laid the foundation for And Then You Pray For Me. COVID-19 struck a month before Pray For Paris, and Westside Gunn suffered a serious bout with the respiratory illness as the death toll started to rise. Then tragedy struck again with the death of Virgil Abloh. Pray For Paris was birthed after Abloh invited Gunn to the Off-White fashion show at Paris Fashion Week. Similarly, the 2023 Paris Fashion Week planted the seed for And Then You Pray For Me, down to the cover art, another Virgil Abloh design. 

Hip-hop, as a whole, suffered greatly from Virgil’s death. As a visionary, Virgil understood the importance of Griselda back in 2016, the year before they inked a deal with Shady Records, and his bond with Westside Gunn was fortified in the following years as the rapper’s profile grew. Admittedly, the stream of inspiration Gunn captured on Pray For Paris was hard to find after Virgil’s passing. “[Virgil] made me get the passport and everything. You know, I owe a lot to that man,” he says emphatically. “He’s one of the illest architects of all time. The GOAT. I’m just privileged to be able to keep the legacy alive, keep the art alive, and give the world what me and him cooked.”

His worldly travels this year helped rekindle that musical breath of life. And Then You Pray For Me captured Gunn’s energy over the summer — the spur of creativity that allowed him to travel to the UK to record with Giggs or head to Champagne, France, to “build with the builders.” “Fashion week ended on Sunday. On Monday, I was taking a road trip with Kid Super and Mike Amiri out to Champagne, France, to meet Just Don. Like, it was just like fly shit.”

In the same way that songs like “Kitchen Lights” and “Mamas Primetime” intend to bring us into the alleys of East Side Buffalo, a large portion of And Then You Pray For Me describes this summer journey. Visiting the pyramids in Egypt, overseeing the waters of Athens, Greece, while eating Wagyu steak. “A lot of [this album] will go over people’s heads because they have never been to London, they’ve never been to Athens, Greece, they have never been to Paris. So a lot of this sh*t might sound like I’m talkin’ sh*t, but if you’ve been there before, then I’m speaking your language,” he says.

Westside Gunn’s Obligation

westside gunn
Image via Prolifickid

The Griselda fanbase is far from monolithic these days. Still, the expectation for a 10+ song body of work with songs that lean closer to “Flygod 2X” rather than “Kostas” is evident. Many of these fans followed the ascent of Griselda for over a decade, others discovered Gunn’s nasally flow on Kanye’s Donda or, most recently, Travis Scott’s Utopia. “I can be their favorite rapper at 12 years old, but then you got OG that just came home from doing 15 years [in prison],” he says, “he’s 50 years old, like, ‘Yo, bruh, man, I miss this sound. I thought the sound changed, but y’all brought it back. I’ve been listening to bullsh*t on the radio for 15 years. This is what I miss.’”

As a hip-hop historian, the sonic palette of the 90s has been well-explored with the voices of a number of pioneers (Slick Rick, AZ, etc.) echoing through his catalog. “I done gave the boom-bap community a decade straight of their language,” he states.

That’s why And You Pray For Me stands out in Westside Gunn’s catalog. Although previous collaborators, such as DJ Drama, appear on the record, along with the usual cast of Griselda mainstays, Westside Gunn felt an obligation to ensure that the fans he’s procured in recent years — both old and young — have a comprehensive understanding of what’s shaped him and hip-hop at large. Much of it stems from his own personal tastes. Take Drama, for instance. Gunn recalls tuning into the Grammy-award-winning Gangsta Grillz maestro through the radio on Saturday nights when he was locked up in Atlanta. You could imagine he feels a sense of vindication when Drama’s voice emerges on songs like “Suicide In Selfridges.”

As such, exploring the textures and frequencies of trap music on his latest project felt necessary not solely in paying homage to artists like Jeezy and Rick Ross but integrating what they’ve done with the voices of the new generation, such as J.I.D., Denzel Curry, EST Gee, and Peezy. “It’s my responsibility, now, man, to keep doing exactly what I’ve been doing,” he adds. 

It’s a pledge he took for the culture, an unofficial oath to push it forward and preserve the legacies of those whose roles in the culture have been celebrated to various degrees. “The youngins, we just got to educate them and show them the history, teach them the history. People scared to learn. Ain’t that sad?” he asks rhetorically after emphasizing the importance of Jeezy rapping the way he does on “Mr. Everything” alongside DJ Swamp Izzo. 

Even beyond his lyrical aptitude and the ability to stand next to everyone, from Rick Ross to MF DOOM comfortably, Westside Gunn’s ear transformed him into a cultural pillar. He admits that he skims through roughly 1,000 beats to find the perfect selection for each project, whether for his own catalog or the artists he works with, like Estee Nack. “Just imagine starting with a blank canvas and actually have production cater to that artist 12 to 15 times to bring the best out of them,” he says. That’s exactly what soundtracked his summer travels — finding the right beats for his latest album. However, he admits he’d often press play on Young Nudy’s Gumbo during his off-time.

Read More: Why Griselda Is One Of Hip Hop’s Hardest-Working Collectives

Changing The Status Quo

“My whole goal was to turn it around… bring this sound and this style to the mainstream,” he says of the signature Griselda production style. The influence is discernable, especially considering the number of Billboard chart-toppers who’ve sought a similar sound in recent releases. The ultimate goal is to ensure that he can shed light on the talent that surrounds him. For example, Gunn reflects on working with Jay Versace on Pray For Paris. Fast forward a few years, and Versace contributed his production to R&B’s brightest talents, like SZA and Summer Walker. 

Gunn’s approach to introducing talent to the world has ushered in a new 90s renaissance of sorts. Drake, for instance, tapped Griselda’s in-house producer, Conductor Williams, for two songs on his latest album, “8 AM In Charlotte,” and “Stories About My Brother,” which appears on For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition. Then, there’s Call Me If You Get Lost by Tyler, The Creator, an artist who has openly credited Westside Gunn for revitalizing his passion for rapping. “Sir Baudelaire,” off of the Grammy award-winning album, contains an uncredited sample of Westside Gunn’s “Michael Irvin,” produced by Williams. 

“To inspire my peers is everything,” he states calmly. “It’s respect, you know what I’m sayin’? I like when someone’s confident enough to give somebody their flowers. Like I said, Tyler don’t have to do that ever again. He already did that. Drake don’t have to do it again, he did it. I’m gonna always respect both of them for doing that.” 

Westside Gunn’s Plans For Michelle Records

Image via Prolifickid

Gunn makes it clear that everything he accomplished was done on his own terms. “I earned my respect. There wasn’t nothing given to me in this shit,” he states. As an avid wrestling fan, Westside Gunn parallels this chapter of his life to Roman Reign’s WWE career. He reflects on Roman Reign’s journey from The Shield, alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, to overcoming hardships and eventually, becoming a leader of his own team. 

“When’s the last time Roman lost?” he asks. The similarities are uncanny — The Shield could be compared to the original Griselda trifecta, alongside Benny and Conway. Gunn faced personal adversities when he lost his cousin, Machine Gunn Blakk in 2006, and then in 2020, close Griselda affiliate DJ Shay passed away. “Roman Reign came back stronger than ever. Like, he hasn’t lost since,” he says.

Gunn’s comfortable with his position right now and looking forward to another unrelenting run. However, it’s a moment that he feels should’ve come three years ago. The roll-out for Pray For Paris was hindered by a bout with COVID-19 in the midst of the devastating death counts. Without the ability to touch the people and travel, the album wasn’t able to reach its maximum potential on a commercial scale. Vowing to deliver even more music at higher quality, he’s alleviated himself from the pressures of producing high-quality bodies of work for himself now that he’s released his final album. However, there is one particular album stashed away: Michelle Records. “That’s my baby that’s tucked under,” he says. An album that we may never hear unless — as Westside Gunn describes it — he mirrors Damson Idris in the tragic final scene of the Snowfall series finale.

“Whenever I get broke, I’m saying, lookin’ like Franklin in the last episode, I know I can cash in that Michelle Records. I might be sittin’ in the f*ckin’ MOMA with a tuxedo on. Start the highest bidder at… let me start it at,” he thinks, “we’ll start it at $5 million.” It’s a plan inspired by Wu-Tang Clan’s infamous one-of-one seventh studio album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, that made the rounds between the hands of incarcerated pharma bro Martin Shkreli and the FBI. “I might do that for the art of it.”

Michelle Records, an album shrouded with mystery ever since he began teasing beat snippets of it on Instagram, already has songs fully recorded. “I could play that shit right now,” he adds, revealing that he’s not even rapping on the album. “I was already curating ahead of its time. I’m not on one song, but it already [has] your favorites on it.”

It’s Still Buffalo To The World 

The next chapter of Gunn’s career will continue to carve out and magnify his legacy. His children, of course, will inherit his legacy, carving their own artistic avenues (future fashion icons and hip-hop connoisseurs, no doubt). Four out of his five kids already have credits on the album. More music remains in the pipeline, too in the form of singles and EPs, along with more movies and visual content that centers around Buffalo. Then, there’s the next chapter of Griselda. As the original trio, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher — establish themselves as forces, Gunn is putting his golden touch on a number of projects, including Jay Worthy’s, that he describes as influenced heavily by the early 90s West Coast sounds. Before jumping on the Zoom call, he was on the phone with Benny The Butcher, who was filming a video with Stove God Cooks, to discuss plans for his Def Jam debut. 

From building Griselda from a clothing line to one of the most respected labels in the game, Westside Gunn has kept Buffalo at the forefront of his plans. “It’s still East Side Buffalo, don’t let the bougie sh*t fool you,” he asserts. His efforts have earned him the honor of having a Westside Gunn Day in the city. Next, he plans on opening another art gallery in Buffalo inspired, in part, inspired by Nipsey Hussle. The art space will be located on the corner of Kensington Ave and Bailey Ave in East Side Buffalo, an intersection he describes as Buffalo’s equivalent to Crenshaw and Slauson in Los Angeles. It’ll be a cultural hot spot that will only open four days out of the month but will focus on bringing the community together through events like paint and sips. 

But what’s most important to him is ensuring that the legacy of Buffalo is conveyed with balance. Yes, the Buffalo Bills have also been doing well in recent years, but it’s the stories of local legends like the late Claire Melendez, whose image graced the cover of Griselda’s WWCD and Eastside Flip, who appears on And Then Pray For Me, that he hopes reaches beyond the city.

“Just the stories of these people are crazy, you know what I’m sayin’? This is really the harsh reality,” he says. “These are very important people to my city,” he adds, citing a billboard of Claire that he put up on the highway near his stomping grounds to ensure that her story, like other local figures and rap legends to whom he pays homage, isn’t forgotten. “I like to give it to people raw, you know what I’m saying? And sometimes, it might be a little too rough… We could rap about it all day but, you know, people are scared to show it. It’s like, nah, you got to put it out there.”

westside gunn
Image Prolifickid

The post Westside Gunn’s Pledge To The Culture  appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Ladies First: Queen Naija Talks “After The Butterflies,” Rough Patches, & Finding Joy In Herself

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With a decade of her life imprinted on the internet, one could search “Queen Naija” and find just about anything concerning the beloved R&B maven. She launched her career when she first took to the American Idol stage for the show’s 13th season. However, she connected with an even wider audience on YouTube, and it didn’t take long for her infectious personality to resonate with other young women.

The familiarity further aided in bolstering Queen’s music career. Since 2017, she has delivered several hit singles, including the RIAA-certified Double Platinum tracks “Medicine,” “Karma,” and “Butterflies.” In 2020, fans were blessed with Queen’s official debut offering, Misunderstood, and a little over a week ago, she returned with her first mixtape, After the Butterflies.

In our exclusive interview with Queen Naija, she told us this project marked a significant shift in her artistic narrative. She revisits the subject of love and romance, but this time, she’s opening up about the chaotic waves in her current relationship with Clarence White. Anyone known to be chronically online is familiar with Queen’s ex-husband, Chris Sails, and the turbulent breakdown of their marriage. Yet, she has kept her rifts with White closer to the chest—that is, until After the Butterflies‘s arrival. It’s a new era for the royalty-named talent.

“There comes a point where that always dies down in every relationship, where you’re still in love with the person, it could still be a healthy relationship, but you still go through things. So, I was at a very dark—in a rough patch in my current relationship. And, of course, I’m an artist, so I’m gonna write about it [laughs].”

Read through our expansive conversation with the songbird as Queen chats with us about her new mixtape, its inspiration, working with her star-studded list of collaborators on the project, why her collaboration with Monica is one of her favorites, wanting to link in the studio with Pharrell Williams, and realizing no matter where her future takes her, she can survive anything, even if it had to be alone.

Photo provided by Queen Naija, Publicist

This interview has been slightly edited for clarity.

HotNewHipHop: Thank you so much for speaking with us! We’re excited about the project. Let’s jump right in: tell us about the inspiration behind After the Butterflies and what led you to this point. This one isn’t an album?

Queen Naija: At the time of recording the music for an EP, I was recording music from the way I felt in those moments. And I was pretty much in a moment where like, it was a dark place. Like, in my current relationship—everybody knows that I was in a relationship before, and I came out of it. It was abusive, and it was not healthy. I came out of it, and I was happy. And then, when I met my current partner, there was a beginning thing, that fresh new feeling. When you get those butterflies—which is why I made those songs “Butterflies, Pt. 1” and “Butterflies, Pt. 2.”

But then there comes a point where that always dies down in every relationship, where you’re still in love with the person, it could still be a healthy relationship, but you still go through things. So, I was at a very dark—in a rough patch in my current relationship. And of course, I’m an artist, so I’m gonna write about it [laughs].

“I have to be okay with loving myself without the help of a man and be okay with being alone if it had to be that way. And really doing it myself. It did give me a new strength of like, okay, this is what I want. I want a family, and I want everlasting marriage and love, and I’m all about that. But at the same time on the other side, if life happened to go a different way, I think I would be okay.“

In those moments, I pretty much was like, a little scared. I was actually very scared because the public saw one failed relationship. And I was fearful that it would be embarrassing to see another publicly failed relationship, which would probably make me kind of crawl into a hole and not share anything else with anyone. So, I kind of was bracing myself and prepping myself for that.

But I’m also an overthinker sometimes. I was trying to explore the idea of being alone. I’m embracing it and embracing myself while being alone. So that’s pretty much what the music is about.

You have been so vulnerable about both of your relationships. In this new era, what lessons did you learn about yourself in this process of putting everything in your music once again?

I’ve learned that you got to really just, you really need to rely on your own self and heal your own traumas. You can’t expect someone else—not that I expected it. But no matter how good a person makes you feel, you still have to be responsible for giving love for loving yourself.

I have to be okay with loving myself without the help of a man and be okay with being alone if it had to be that way. And really doing it myself. It did give me a new strength of like, okay, this is what I want. I want a family, and I want everlasting marriage and love, and I’m all about that. But at the same time on the other side, if life happened to go a different way, I think I would be okay. I think I would be okay with doing it with the help of prayer. Just really blossoming into like, I don’t know how to really say. Just with doing things on my own, discovering new things on my own, and finding joy in those things.

Read More: Queen Naija Responds To Backlash: “I Don’t Want Nor Need Y’all’s Validation”

That’s beautiful. Returning gently to the mixtape, you’ve called on a handful of people to help you round out those features: the legendary Monica, Ella Mai, NBA YoungBoy, and the one and only Eric Bellinger. Talk to us about those collaborations and the essence of those tracks.

Well, you know “No Fake Love” with YoungBoy was already released. To be transparent with you…you don’t have to put this down, or you can word it however you want. But that was the song that I kind of wasn’t excited to put out at first because I was supposed to been put that out in 2022. That was supposed to be like, a fresh record for the summer of 2022. I’m a person that when things get old to me, I’m ready to move on to the next.

The reason why it had got so old and didn’t drop in 2022 is because I was waiting on a feature from a rapper who told me he would get around to it, but he never did. And then, while waiting on him, a couple of other people that I reached out to responded, and one of them was YoungBoy. I thought about it and asked people around me, and they said I should definitely do it.

Because you know, it would be a great way to bring out this different side of YoungBoy. And also, it’s just good, too. He has a big fan base, I have our fan base, it’s going to be good. So, I dropped that this year already. But he was very pleasant to work with. I judged him. I judged him before…because of the persona that he gives, I judged him before working with him. But he was actually a gentleman, and people liked the song. It was just very fun. And it was a sample record from a movie. So, that’s one of the things I liked about it.

The reason why I did “All or Nothing” with Ella Mai, or what happened behind that, is that we toured together for Mary J. Blige. And I thought it would have been perfect just to do a song with her. We been supposed to have done a song together, like a while back. But yeah, this happened to be the vibe that she felt most comfortable with. And she loved it, she hopped on it. And that vibe is just pretty much like a West Coast kind of feel. I wanted to come into her world a little bit because people know my world. The boppy, kind of West Coast cadence and beat or whatever, I wanted to kind of merge our vibe together.

And so, we brought our worlds together on that record. Just pretty much saying how we want all or nothing. You don’t want to have half of someone’s heart, you want the whole thing. It’s like, you really want to be serious. You want the person to be serious about you just as much as you are with them, or it’s nothing at all. So, that’s what that’s about.

The song with Monica, “One Of Them Days,” is actually my favorite. I’ve always wanted to work with someone before me who passed the torch down, and that’s definitely Monica. She’s a legend to me and the R&B world. I was able to bring back out that old-school vibe with her in a song—she has a song called “Don’t Take It Personal.” And we’re just in the song talking about wanting to be selfish. Because I never really got a chance to be selfish. I always worry about how my man feels or how my kids are, I never really got a chance to do me and only think about myself.

“The song with Monica, “One Of Them Days,” is actually my favorite. I’ve always wanted to work with someone before me who passed the torch down. And that’s definitely Monica. She’s a legend to me and the R&B world. And I was able to bring back out that old school vibe with her in a song.”

I was just exploring that idea and that song and that those are real emotions. And I was feeling like a lot of times, I would pull up in my parking lot late at night or after a studio session, and I wouldn’t want to go and house. I just want to be with myself, you know. So, that’s pretty much like what that was about.

The song with Eric Bellinger, he came in real clutch [laughs]. Man, I ain’t gon’ lie. I went through a few features, and he was the one that really suited the song. He went perfectly with it. It’s called “Taboo.” And this song, he helped me—he pretty much brought out the spicier side. It’s about me exploring the idea of having a sneaky link. Although I’m always too scared to do something like that, I’ve always thought about it, because I’ve always been the one to get cheated on.

So, I wanted to think about, like, dang, what would it be like, if I was the one doing the cheating? What is it like? Is it a good feeling? Like, even though it’s probably—I don’t know, in that moment, it probably is. But I was just exploring that. And that’s taboo to me. I’m big on just being a loyal partner. But if it had to be that way, and I had to have a sneaky link, I feel like “Taboo” is the thing that you’re not supposed to want to do. But it feels good. You get what I’m saying? So, that song was a little bit…it was a real, kind of a little spicy kind of song. Are we missing anyone? No one else is right. I think we got everybody. I hope I didn’t overshare!

You’re just fine! I appreciate the details, trust me [laughs]. And all of the features were a great balance—I also have to say I love that collab you did with Ari Lennox.

Aw, thank you!

Read More: Queen Naija Shares Some Gorgeous Vocals On Her New EP “After The Butterflies”

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 07: Jesseca Harris-Dupart, DaBrat, Baby Tate, Queen Naija, and Dionne Farris attend the Strength Of A Woman Festival & Summit State Farm Arena Concert at State Farm Arena on May 07, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Strength Of A Woman Festival & Summit)

You’re a heavy-hitter in R&B, and you’ve obviously partnered with incredible talent. Who is a dream collaborator of any genre? People expect you to link with a certain type of artist, but who are your picks for someone you’d like to work with?

Hm, I can’t think of anybody right now in production-wise. I mean—well, actually, I’ve always thought it’d be super dope to see what me and Pharrell could create. I just love all his music. And then, artist-wise, I would like to start doing some records with people on the edgier side [laughs]. On the toxic side, a little bit more.

I’ve always mentioned Brent Faiyaz, I think we would sound super dope together. I think SZA is super edgy. I would love to see how that is. Because I’m more, I feel like, maybe I could be wrong. But I feel like I’m more on the sweet side of things. Like, sometimes I talk my stuff, but most times, I keep it really sweet and glittery and stuff like that.

“I’ve always mentioned Brent Faiyaz, I think we would sound super dope together. I think SZA is super edgy. I would love to see how that is. Because I’m more, I feel like, maybe I could be wrong. But I feel like I’m more on the sweet side of things. Like, sometimes I talk my stuff, but most times, I keep it really sweet and glittery and stuff like that.“

Who else who else can I see? I’ve always—there are some new artists coming up that I think are super dope on the rapping side, like female rap. I really think that Doechii is super fire. I really like Lady London. She’s cool. I like really lyrical people. I’ve always wanted to work with J. Cole, speaking of lyrical. So, I mean, I could give you a rundown on people, but that’s just a few.

Ooh, a Queen Naija and Doechii link would be fire! For this Ladies First series, I always like to highlight women in the industry supporting women. Who are some ladies who have reached out with kind words or just encouragement when you needed it?

I would definitely say Ella Mai has been one of those people who check on me even when it’s nothing business-related. She’ll check on me and just ask how I’m doing. I can say that H.E.R. has—Gabby has checked on me a couple of times. Without me even thinking that she was thinking about me, she’s always sweet. SZA has always been supportive. She’ll comment under my Instagram posts and buy songs or whatever.

And who else? Who’s really been solid? Latto, too. She’s always been super positive. Who else? I’m sorry [laughs], this is my first interview of the morning so my mind is all over!

It’s all good, I completely understand. Well, we made it to the end because this is my last question. It’s harmless; I ask this to everyone I interview. So, we know that celebrity in and of itself is an illusion. People have these expectations of who you are or what your relationship is like, because of a parasocial relationship with you through social media. When that veil of celebrity is removed, what is something about the heart of Queen Naija that doesn’t always translate to the public because they are fooled by the illusion of the industry?

I feel like a lot of people who are not in my core fan base, they don’t take the time to get to—they don’t take the time to go and do their research on me. I can’t say “get to know me” because they don’t know me personally. But if you really take the time to do some research, and go watch my videos from where it all started, you could pretty much see my personality and my spirit through there. That’s why a lot of people fell in love with me.

Also, [people can’t see] how down to earth I am and how I’m really not superficial. I’m just really a regular person, just like everybody else. I guess sometimes I could say…the industry will like…it includes trolls and people digging up very negative things about you that may not be true. I just, I just feel like, I don’t know. That’s hard to say because a lot of people say that I come off as who I am.

But I’m just a normal person. Like, a super duper normal person [laughs]. I don’t even—I still go to the nail salon, and I don’t care. I still walk into Walmart, I really do not care. And people be like, “Queen, why are you without security?” Maybe I still think that I’m still just unknown? I’m like, “Oh, for real? You see me under this mask? You can tell who I am?” [laughs] Just, if people really just take off the lenses of what social media puts on me, I guess. Then, you can see that I’m just a regular-degular-schmegular girl.

Make sure to stream After the Butterflies on all major platforms, and let us know what you think of Queen Naija’s mixtape.

The post Ladies First: Queen Naija Talks “After The Butterflies,” Rough Patches, & Finding Joy In Herself appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Nonso Amadi On “When It Blooms,” The Future Of Afrobeats & Burna Boy & Fela Kuti Influence

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Afrobeats has dominated the globe and it’s only getting bigger, thanks to artists like Nonso Amadi. The Nigerian-born artist first emerged in 2016 with the success of his single, “Tonight.” It was a record that blew up by chance but his subsequent releases proved Nonso Amadi had staying power. However, maintaining that sort of success independently can be taxing. For Nonso Amadi, it led to a three-year hiatus that came to an end in 2022 as he began to roll out the campaign for his debut album When It Blooms.

His latest album, which boasts the Majid Jordan-assisted “Different,” is a full portrayal of Nonso Amadi, shedding insight into his upbringing, aspirations, and influences. He cites Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, and Bob Marley as inspiration to use his platform to speak out. It’s important, especially when he sees the struggles that many face across the globe, including in Nigeria. Beyond crafting hit records, he strived to create a complete body of work that tells his story.

“As a young Nigerian, I’ve experienced how tough it could be, you know?” Nonso Amadi told HotNewHipHop, citing different political and social struggles that young Nigerians face daily. “So I just thought, like, it’d be right to highlight some things on this album, just to make it completely holistic, because I wanted to speak about my story, my experience, and that is a part of my story and is a part of every a lot of young Nigerians stories as well.”

These experiences undoubtedly shaped how When It Blooms turned out. This Friday, November 3rd, he’ll be bringing his latest album to Toronto for his first headlining show at El Mocombo. We recently caught up with Nonso Amadi in October ahead of his performance in Montreal on Adekunle Gold’s Tequila Ever After tour. Amadi dishes on the making of When It Blooms, tour life, and the future of Afrobeats. 

It’s been a big year for you. You dropped the album and now, you’re back on the road. I know you took a bit of a hiatus. I assume this is one of the first times you’re performing again. How’s that been?

Nonso Amadi: Well, it’s been good. So far, we’ve done like four or five cities but it’s been really good. Like, just seeing people come out for Adekunle Gold. I’m also like, using this as an opportunity to learn how touring works. It’s my first tour ever. So it’s been really, really good.

What’s the biggest takeaway from this tour so far? 

So initially, I was trying to do a setlist that was more theatrical, where I had a lot of spoken word and made it more performance-based. But then I realized – I’m adjusting my set with time to make it more of like a turn-up party-type vibe. Because, with the crowd, a lot of the crowd members are just new to the music. So if it’s too slow-paced, I might lose some people. I might want to save that for the headline instead. So right now I’m just going to turn up like throughout. And like, obviously have key moments in there where I tell my story.

What’s been your favorite song to perform so far? 

Wow, I think “Paper” and “Tonight.” Between those two – they’re just two different energies but whenever those songs are coming on, it’s proper lit. 

Paper by Nonso Amadi via YouTube

As we discussed, you took a three-year hiatus prior to the release of When It Blooms. What was happening during that time? 

Honestly, I was just burnt out. Like, I was doing a lot of heavy lifting myself, you know, mixing, producing, writing and everything was on me. So I had to like take a step back, get a proper team behind me. I obviously started working with Universal Music Canada and Def Jam during the hiatus, and that like really just gave me enough of the resources I needed to create this album. Like, it wouldn’t have been possible without the label and everyone – the management. So yeah, I had to I had to like do that to make sure I came back.

Read More: Zacari Brings A “Touch of God” To Our Weekly “R&B Season” Playlist Update

Besides having to regroup, why was it important to take a step back from the limelight?

I guess the main thing for me with the hiatus was just to focus on personal growth. Prior to making this album, most of my songs were about love, purely about love. But like with this album, because of the growth and how much I’ve learned, I was able to write songs that actually told stories. Stories about my life and what’s going on around me and stuff like that. And that’s why that was such a big deal to me because it isn’t just like a bunch of songs that I just randomly put together. It tells a story.

Having released the album in May, I was wondering how season changes impact your creative process. This album definitely felt like one for the summer, especially songs like “Cali Was The Mission” and “NASA.” 

I’m less about seasons and more about moods. I was in a space where, like I said, I just wanted to express certain things. Like, California has been like a huge thing for me since I was a kid. Growing up seeing all the major acts based out there in LA. I always knew on my first album I was gonna have a song called “Cali Was The Mission” because it was the mission for me. And then like, yeah, “Ease Up” tells the story of my struggles in Nigeria, the huge struggles. That’s just how we were trying to put together to like, make sure we were being true to whatever my story was. 

What was your first time in California like? 

My first time in Cali, I was actually brought up by Emotional Oranges and they took real good care of me. I had tacos for the first time. You know, it was just really, really good. Yeah, I enjoyed that experience.

The album covers a lot of ground, even diving into political issues in Nigeria. Why is it important for you to use your platform to speak up? 

I’m just learning that, as an artist, we have certain responsibilities to use our voice, our platform to shed light on certain key social issues. It’s an uncomfortable area for a lot of artists because some artists just want to like enjoy the music and make music they vibe with. But like, when you have a platform where there’s like thousands of people keeping paying attention to you, if you can speak about certain things, it will be helpful. 

With this album, it’s the first time I’ve ever done it. I’m definitely going to try doing more of it and just learn more about how it’s done. I think the greats – Bob Marley, Fela Kuti – they were really good and not just thinking about, you know, whatever. They sang about things that matter to not just them but their country. 

Nonso Amadi. Photo by TSE.

On “Lock Up,” you say, “I never see Port Harcourt for twelve years/ Based on some complications/ Pray say I go do show for New Years.” A lot of the issues out there have made international headlines but could you talk to me about taking these risks as an artist to speak out against these problems? How do you think that impacts your ability to create freely? 

Oh, that’s a really tough one. Yeah, it’s like the country itself is like – Nigeria is going through a state where the young people are pushing to like be excellent in their fields but like, the government isn’t up to par with us. And that’s affected a lot of creatives in terms of having to leave the country to go get certain opportunities which is not really good. Like, even being having a Nigerian passport limits me to traveling and doing shows in certain parts of the world. So yeah, man, we can only just pray and hope for the best but also like, we have to use our platform to like speak on these issues and let people know what’s going on, you know?

I have been inspired by the artists who have done the same thing before me. The likes of Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, Burna Boy. These are artists who haven’t been scared to use their voices to highlight certain things. Myself, as a young Nigerian, I’ve experienced how tough it could be, you know? As a young Nigerian trying to just like live your daily life and have all these hustles and have all these, like things that pop out of nowhere, and make things a little bit more difficult than the average North American or you know, just to compare.

So I just thought, like, it’d be right to highlight some things on this album, just to make it completely holistic, because I wanted to speak about my story, my experience, and that is a part of my story and is a part of every a lot of young Nigerians stories as well. So I just felt it was only right to speak about that, you know?

You were born in Nigeria and moved to the UK, and then you came out to Hamilton. How would you describe the sound and wave of Afrobeats, especially in the way they’ve evolved in these three places where you’ve lived?

When I first came to Canada, I think the Toronto scene was what I was first exposed to. The Toronto African music scene. And it was still very underground, still growing, and it is still growing right now. I find that the young people out here who are making Afrobeats in Toronto have a lot of cohesiveness about them. So they work with each other, and they’re open to collaboration, and that was really nice to see.

Right now, because of how much African music has taken off, a lot of things have changed, for sure. We can see that in the shows, we had Cultureland recently. We have so many more events popping up. WizKid’s been here doing a couple of shows. I personally have a dream to take it further with my own events that I’m going to put together that highlight African music and Afrobeats artists within the city. It’s going to be a festival that I’m going to be throwing every year. But yeah, it’s been a lot of growth, man, like hard work. Just people really pushing the scene. There are a lot of key figures who have been advocating for African music being played on radio and African music being, you know, supported. And they really deserve a lot of credit for that.

Do you think there’s a difference in the sound between Nigeria vs. UK vs. Canada? 

At the end of the day, I think they’re mostly very similar. So then an Afrobeats song made in the UK or made in Canada or made in – Nigeria is always going to be a sauce and is going to always have a bit more rawness to it. But they’re mostly similar, especially with the younger artists making the music.

The difference will be mostly in the production because Afrobeats in the UK, I find that the instruments they use have a “drill” type vibe to it, where it’s more hi-hats and hard knocking kicks and all that. Meanwhile, the rest of the world making Afrobeats, it’s a little bit different. I think Toronto-type Afrobeats will have a bit more like trap, darker vibe, you know? Maybe they’ll use pads instead to give it this cold feeling inspired by Drake and The Weeknd and all that. But overall, Afrobeat still sounds amazing.

Nonso Amadi. Photo by Wade Hudson. Provided by Universal Music Canada

There was a recent report that major labels are beginning to prioritize Latin and Afrobeats artists over hip-hop acts. You just discussed it but how would you describe the growth of Afrobeats in the Western world? Do you think the prioritization and general commercialization of the genre will help or hurt in the long run?

I just think that the artists need to be wise with the attention because it’s good. Generally, it’s a good thing. That’s my own feeling. Like, whoever’s jumping on Afrobeats, whoever’s trying to hop on the wave, it’s good. But for the artists and for the culture, and for Africans, we need to be really smart about how we are working with people in developing the business side of it.

I’ve always said this and I’ve been a huge advocate for this – I think we need togetherness. I think a big example will be Latin music. If you take a look at J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Rosália. They do tours together, they discuss business and ideas together. Like if anything’s happened, I’m sure they discuss like, “Oh, this is what I’ve seen. What are you seeing on your end?” You know, I think we need that type of unity in this space for us to be on the same wavelength and learn from each other’s mistakes. That will be the only way that we can like truly progress without being cheated or something wrong happening along the way.

Final question: after discussing the festival and the impact you hope to have, where do you see things going in how you impact the world?

For me personally, I’m trying to approach things from more of a charity perspective, which is a little different. But I find that’s what gives me the most sense of accomplishment and purpose in the music game. Because it is a kind of a rough game, and everyone’s just trying to hit the charts and make the most money in the streams.

Just for me, personally, I feel like if we’re able to pool our resources, and just help like people who are really in need, that really just gives me a sense of like, “Yeah, we’re doing something really beneficial to not just ourselves.” So I do want to do the annual festival. I want to make it really, really fun. Like, I want young people to come out, you know, Montreal, Toronto but the show’s going to be in Toronto. I want the whole country, Canada, to be aware of it.

This is an Afrobeats-themed event and an African event that pulls people from Africa and from within Canada to come together and perform and have a good time. But then, like, I want a date to be set aside for just like community work and charity, where we come together after the show, and we do something really cool, make some money, and then send that over to a not-for-profit. So that’s just how I am trying to do it. And I feel like that we like it’s fun. We’re having a good time but like, at the same time we’re doing we’re doing some really cool stuff that helps other people.

The post Nonso Amadi On “When It Blooms,” The Future Of Afrobeats & Burna Boy & Fela Kuti Influence appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Ladies First: Mehgan James Refuses To Be The Mean Girl On “Basketball Wives Orlando”

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One could say Mehgan James is a born leader. As the eldest of seven children, the reality star-turned-podcast maven was familiar with taking the reigns and ensuring business was handled. Although many were first introduced to Mehgan as the no-nonsense go-getter from Bad Girls Club, that wasn’t the Houston native’s first reality television rodeo. Mehgan was first introduced to unscripted TV in 2008 when she starred in 50 Cent: The Money & The Power.

However, it was Mehgan James’s clapbacks that earned her viral fame courtesy of BGC—yet, when she added her name to the Basketball Wives L.A. roster, it only amplified her reputation. It was a rough time as she faced off against a cast of women who weren’t kind to the then-newcomer. Still, Mehgan made the best of her appearance on the show and continued to push through the negativity and naysayers.

These days, James boasts 1.2 million followers on Instagram alone and is ready for a new chapter. It’s been some time since those early TV times, and she’s now a podcast host of The Hollywood Group Chat with a manifestation book who dabbles in the music industry. It may seem as if Mehgan is biting off more than she can chew, but according to her, it’s an exploration of the self.

In our exclusive interview with the TV star, Mehgan James speaks openly about her ventures, continued career in the reality sphere, and why she doesn’t want to be the bully she’s faced in the industry. She also names her craziest podcast interview (take a wild guess!) and explains what she’d ask Cardi B if she ever got the chance.

This interview has been slightly edited for clarity.
Vh1 + IG @mehganjames

HotNewHipHop: You’re back on Basketball Wives, this time in Orlando. From your first appearance with the L.A. cast to making your mark here, how has that been?

Mehgan James: I was the new girl coming into [Basketball Wives L.A.] Season 4. So, I kind of got hazed. Everyone was super mean to me, they weren’t welcoming. And I had to—it was like an uphill battle in every scene during Season 4. So, coming into Basketball Wives Orlando as an OG, it feels really good.

I remember that. They seemed to be at odds with you from the jump. How have you used that experience and applied the lessons to Basketball Wives Orlando?

It just made me not want to be a mean girl to the other cast members. I welcomed all of them with open arms. They would always call me off-camera to get advice on their scenes and stuff like that. And I was always, you know, willing to help because I didn’t have anyone to help me.

I love that sort of support. And you’re also introducing more of your personal life, your romance, into the storyline.

Yes.

I know a lot of people in reality television keep that aspect of themselves under wraps. Why did you want to bring that to the forefront?

I honestly just wanted people to see the real Megan. I feel like a lot of people over the years, they have only seen one side of me. And that’s the angry, fighting messy side of myself, which everyone I feel has an angry side. But this season on the show, I wanted it to be who I really was. Me, my man being my real boyfriend at the time. I felt like it wouldn’t be the whole me if he didn’t make an appearance.

Read More: Soulja Boy Spits Game At Mehgan James: “You Balenciaga Beautiful”

That’s understandable. And I also know that people are getting to know more about who you are and your personality on your podcast. How did that transition come? Why did you want to step into this podcast space in addition to unscripted TV?

I just feel like living in L.A. and working in the industry, there’s always a struggle to stay relevant. And it’s like, if you don’t use it, you lose it. You kind of disappear. So, I just wanted to explore. I went like on a “me” month where I just wanted to explore different parts of myself that I liked, things that I like to do and things that made me happy.

And I just feel like I’m naturally funny. I enjoy entertaining people. So, I was like, maybe I should just start a podcast. I feel like people like to hear me talk, and they like to hear my opinions and views on certain things. I started reaching out to my celebrity friends to ask to come on, or people that I knew that had interesting stories, to ask to be guests for my podcast. It ended up working out.

Was there any moment with your guests, whether a friend or a stranger, that even shocked you beyond what you could think? Have you been thrown off?

Oh, my entire video interview with Tokyo Toni threw me off the entire interview.

[Laughs] I saw that!

Everything that came rolled off of her tongue…I was in shock, literally. She lied about a lot of stuff. She’s so vulgar! But one thing I can respect about Tokyo is that she’s herself. Have you ever watched reality TV and you’re like, “Are these people really this crazy?” You know? Like the Tiffany Pollards and Jackie Christies. You always wonder: “Are people really this insane?” And I must say that Tokyo Toni is very much that.

Well, I mean, like you said, at least you know what you’re getting at all times.

Yeah, yeah. She’s no different from how she appears online at all.

You made it look easy. I also know that you have a lot of stuff going on with music, working on something for the Keyshia Cole biopic and having a song used for Basketball Wives Orlando. How are you able to balance creating music with everything else that’s going on between reality TV, your manifestation workbook, and the podcast?

Um, well, I do music for fun, and it doesn’t feel like work to me. Like, whenever I have spare days—I have a studio setup in my house. I’ll just go in and just make music, and I don’t really consider myself a real artist. I’m not going to perform the songs on stage or anything like that.

Ah, okay.

So, it just helped me broaden my creativity because I don’t have to appeal to the masses, because the music that I do make is for television, video games, and commercial stuff like that. I can be more goofy; it doesn’t have to be like bar for bar. It could be kind of corny, just whatever I want to do.

How did you tap into that space?

I’m really good friends with this super-producer named Streetrunner, who worked on DJ Khaled’s album God Did, worked with Lil Wayne and Meek Mill. His wife is one of my best friends, and she also does synch music. So, I let her hear some of my stuff. She actually worked on my project with Soulja Boy, my very first single that I put out. And she’s like, “You should do synch.” She introduced me to her people over at Artists Publishing Group, and they signed me literally this same day.

That’s amazing. Especially when you can be creative and not have that pressure that is all-encompassing of your career and still succeed. I want to ask about your manifestation book as well. When I first read the title, I was like, excuse me? [laughs] What inspired you to do that? I know you mentioned exploring yourself creatively and seeing what other things you can tap into.

I named it Good Head because I know it will be catchy, and people will be like, wait, what is this? But it’s all about aligning your thoughts and actions for success. I’m a super firm believer in the law of attraction and thinking positive affirmations. What you think about the most is what you bring into your life. So, I actually wrote a book on my experiences through manifesting, and I have a couple of workbook pages within the book to help others manifest their goals.

As far as, let’s say, sisterhood in the industry goes…we touched on you having some tension in those early Basketball Wives days, and especially during the time on Bad Girls Club. Who are some women that, in your rise and come up, were also supportive? We see the wars, but was there anyone who kind of reached out and gave you a pat on the back or encouraging words?

Honestly, I did it all by myself. There’s not one woman in the industry that I can say she has actually helped me. Through my process, it’s a lot of trial and error. I’m in my 30s now, and I’ve been on TV since I was 18. My very first show was one called The Money & The Power. 50 Cent was basically Donald Trump in his show. It’s like it was like The Apprentice, but if 50 Cent was the Donald Trump. I’ve been in the entertainment industry for a really long time, and I’ve literally—everything that I’ve gotten—I’ve done it myself. But I do want to be a person to help others. I don’t want it to have to be as hard as it was for me, for other people.

That eases into my next question. What wisdom do you have for a young lady who thinks she can just jump on social media and become famous tomorrow?

Honestly, you could. And that’s the crazy part. Because when I first started getting on TV, Instagram wasn’t even a thing. Instagram didn’t come out until after I was off of Bad Girls Club. And that was in 2012, maybe, or something like that, maybe even later than that. But Instagram, and social media, wasn’t even a thing. We just had Facebook and MySpace. But I would just tell people to keep going because, in the industry, you will get a lot of nos. I’ve gotten a lot of nos, a ton of nos. And at some point, somebody’s going to give you a yes.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Mehgan James (@mehganjames)

Your dream guest for your podcast?

I would love to have Cardi B on my podcast.

Ohh, nice. What angle would you spin on an interview with Cardi?

I just want to know her. I feel like Cardi doesn’t really talk much about her struggles and her backstory. Everyone knows that she came from Love and Hip Hop and she used to be a dancer. But I just wanted to know like, what motivated her personally to keep going through everything she’s been through.

I can see that. Is there anyone else you want to chat with?

Not really that I can think of that I would just love to have on the podcast. I’m super into the girl Rap scene. Like, I love the girls. I love—oh, Sexyy Red would be an awesome guest to have on my podcast. I’m just so happy for the girls. So, any of the females in Rap would be great guests for my podcast.

Sexyy Red is definitely dominating right now. It’s her time. Okay, this is my last question that I ask everyone. You know more than most that celebrity in and of itself is an illusion. People think they know who you are. They know Mehgan based on all of these shows she’s been on, her podcast, and social media. In reality, they’re just projecting these expectations of you or who they think you are. What is something about the heart of Mehgan James that doesn’t always translate to audiences because of that veil of celebrity?

I’m actually a very soft and sensitive person. I feel like I appear to come off as aggressive and very strong, but my feelings get hurt easily. I do read all the comments. I’m not one of those people that don’t care what people think about me. I actually do care. So, I feel like that would be a shock for people to know.

I actually read every single Instagram comment, I don’t care if it’s 20,000. I’ll go through my entire picture to see all the people who liked it or, you know, the comments. I read every single one, even if it’s not on my personal Instagram. Say, like, The Hollywood Unlocked posts something about me. I’m going through each comment, literally. I feel like people don’t know that side of me.

Keep up with Mehgan James and the ladies of Basketball Wives Orlando every Monday On VH1.

The post Ladies First: Mehgan James Refuses To Be The Mean Girl On “Basketball Wives Orlando” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Tyrese Responds To Samantha Lee’s Recent Divorce Statements, Makes His Stance Clear

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In a recent Instagram Live video, Tyrese Gibson, the multi-talented artist known for his music and roles in the Fast and Furious franchise, made his feelings known about his ex-wife, Samantha Lee. Samantha had recently claimed that certain people influenced her decision to divorce Tyrese. During an interview, Samantha Lee discussed her decision to divorce the singer, revealing that had she received guidance from a nurturing “pro-marriage community,” she would not have initiated the legal process to terminate her marital relationship. Furthermore, she openly confessed that she would consider reuniting with Tyrese. On the condition that both parties were mutually committed to putting in the effort to mend their relationship. In response, Tyrese expressed his thoughts and made it clear that he’s been loyal, faithful, and a “good man,” to his ex-wife.

“The lawyers are on my back every day. Go sell this sh*t to somebody else,” Tyrese said on live in response. “Look at every interview I’ve done, from Sway In The Morning to Breakfast Club. If you don’t like me n***a I don’t like you. I dont need none of you women in my comments saying they like me.” He continued. “I don’t care to be liked, I never cheated, I got more access to p***y to most n***as I know. I was a good man, a good husband, I was very, very focused on my family and children.”

Read More: Tyrese Accused Of Lying In Home Depot Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Tyrese Calls Out Samantha

 
 
 
 
 
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Tyrese and Samantha’s divorce was finalized in 2020, after four years of marriage. The couple, who shares a daughter, had once seemed like the picture-perfect pair. However, as in many celebrity relationships, the pressures of fame, coupled with personal and emotional differences, led them to part ways. Samantha Lee’s recent revelation about her divorce has raised eyebrows and sparked curiosity. In her own Instagram Live session, she stated she wouldn’t have divorced Tyrese if it wasn’t for some people “in [her] ear.” She also mentioned wanting to possibly rekindle things if “both parties were to put in the work.”

Tyrese, however, was quick to address Samantha’s claims in a subsequent Instagram Live session of his own. In a candid and heartfelt response, he made it clear that he was not interested in revisiting the past. The public response to Tyrese’s comments has been mixed. Some fans and followers supported his decision to move forward independently, while others expressed their curiosity about the circumstances surrounding their divorce. “I agree with Tyrese on this one, wholeheartedly,” one person wrote. “And his ex wife is fully aware that he is in a relationship now, so why even speak on potentially reconciling. She is definitely gaslighting.” “One thing about it his story never changed,” another wrote.

Read More: Tyrese, Ginuwine & Tank Set The Past Aside To Bring TGT Back

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Tupac Was Extremely Close To Signing With Bad Boy Records According To His Brother

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Tupac’s mystique will never die and this recent news drop is another reason why. More and more information about the murder of the legendary artist continues to come out. We finally have more headway on who committed the crime and we are sure more will be unearthed. This latest bit of information circles back to Tupac’s musical career. As most people know, he was a part of Death Row Records. It is the label that associates itself with names like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Suge Knight, Nate Dogg, and so many other legends. However, Tupac had a chance to join another iconic music group.

According to HipHopDX, the brother of the late rapper, Mopreme Shakur recently spoke with The Art of Dialogue. In the interview, Mopreme revealed some interesting news. When ‘Pac was released from jail in 1995, he was seriously considering joining Bad Boy Records. Mopreme said, “There was a point ‘Pac was considering going to Bad Boy before his relationship with Death Row. He wanted to be on a Black label… He wanted to be with the brothers.”

Read More: Nas’ Mass Appeal Faces Racial Discrimination Lawsuit From Former Employee

Mopreme Shakur Explains What Went Down With Tupac

However, it never worked out that way, obviously. What ultimately led to Tupac inking the contract with Death Row, was some battle of powers. Namely, Diddy had more say and control, according to Mopreme. “Over time, things happened, and ‘Pac started seeing things. Biggie was on Puffy’s label so with them two, it was Puffy calling the shots. There was some legitimate problems there.” It would have been incredible to see both of the biggest rappers in the world be on the same label. Who knows what material we could have gotten.

What are your initial thoughts on Mopreme Shakur saying that Tupac was really close to signing with Bad Boy Records? Do you think that he should have inked the deal? Would this have changed the landscape for hip-hop labels going forward? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Tupac, as well as everything else going on around the music world.

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The post Tupac Was Extremely Close To Signing With Bad Boy Records According To His Brother appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Killer Mike Reveals How He Got Young Nudy On The Deluxe Version Of “MICHAEL”

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Just last week, Atlanta’s very own, Killer Mike put out a deluxe version of his first album in over 10 years. MICHAEL originally came out on June 16, 2023, and it did not let down many people. There are stellar cuts all over this record. Some of them include, “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS,” which was the second lead single to the LP. The song features the likes of André 3000, Future, and Eryn Allen Kane.

Tracks like this one have a very uplifting and gospel inspired theme to it. According to Genius, Mike sat down with Zane Lowe, to discuss the inspiration behind it. The annotation says, “Killer Mike called the album both his “come home moment musically,” due to it being influenced by gospel, soul, funk and hip hop, and his “submission to God, like, ‘Okay, you got me.’” It goes on, “He also characterized it as his way of honoring “the civil rights movement, the abolitionist movement, which gave us some of the most beautiful music ever.”

Read More: DJ Akademiks Claims Chrisean Rock Is More Popping Than Blueface, He Responds

Killer Mike Details How He Got Young Nudy On MICHAEL (Deluxe)

While that is a deep and profound explanation of the record, Mike also sat down for another interview to discuss some of the deluxe. Fader found some footage from Rough Trade N.Y.C. and how he was able to track down Young Nudy for, “ACT UP.” It was a funny and wholesome story as he got a hold of his mom, whom he also went to school with. Mike hilariously retells the story, “So I’m chasing Nudy. Nudy’s a street kid, right? He ain’t got time to sit still for no 40-something-year-old rapper to be calling him, talking about, ‘Will you feature on something that’s gonna be on my deluxe?’” He then calls Nudy’s mom and she said, “‘Yeah, you’re gonna do that and you’re not even gonna charge him.’” Mike was grateful for her and he even said he would repay the favor with a nice purse.

What are your initial thoughts on this interview with Killer Mike saying how he got Young Nudy on his record? Is this song the best one on the album? Is MICHAEL one of the best LPs of 2023? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Killer Mike, as well as the rest of the music world.

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Lakeyah Reveals Invaluable Advice From Nicki Minaj & Lists Her Top 5 Women In Hip-Hop

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The Hip-Hop celebrations have been in abundance all year long but August was particularly busy. As different cities hosted concerts and events to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, D’USSE held a series of day parties across three different cities that specifically honored the women in the culture. The cognac brand, founded by Jay-Z, hosts an annual party in the summer but because of the milestone, they brought on Lakeyah, BIA, Lola Brooke, and Rapsody to host the celebrations.

Lakeyah, specifically, has been one artist who has continuously shown and proved with each of her releases. Although initially a poet, she proved to be a formidable rapper and singer through her recent releases. She’s yet to hit that massive mainstream stride that artists hope for but at the end of the day, she’s about two things: delivering quality music and putting on for the ladies. The former is something that Lakeyah reminisces of fondly when it comes to music from the early 2000s, especially since it didn’t feel like the antics and sales figures overshadowed the quality of music itself.

“Honestly, it is about the quality of the music. If we’re thinking back to like the 90s and early 2000s… I really didn’t pay attention to what people were doing at that point. Shit, I ain’t know nothing. All I know is that the music was good and that we were really enjoying it,” Lakeyah told HotNewHipHop.

Between the D’usse Day Party in Chicago and the release of a number of singles this summer, including “Want Em Hood” and “In Da Club,” Lakeyah’s kept busy. We caught up with her to discuss everything from her thoughts the new class of women in rap, sampling, and the advice Nicki Minaj gave her. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Read More: Lakeyah Net Worth 2023: What Is The Rapper Worth?

Lakeyah’s Proud To Be Part Of This Class Of Femcees

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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 9: Rapper Lakeyah performs onstage during “Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert” at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

We’re in the midst of hip-hop 50 celebrations and you recently graced the stage for D’USSE Day Party that specifically celebrates the women in hip-hop. How do feel about your impact on the culture thus far?

Lakeyah: It really is. I love to be a part of, not only celebrating 50 years of hip hop but to be a part of this new wave of so many female rappers and we’re being celebrated. And yeah, I’ve been doing it for some years, but it still feels so surreal. Like I’m part of this big industry that’s so male-dominated. And I was like, all these girls that these labels want, and I’m just glad to be a part of every day.

It was a day party, right?

Lakeyah: Yeah, I did.

How do you feel about day parties vs. night outs?

I’m glad you asked that. I did my day party in Chicago, which I thought was dope that they put me in the Midwest because I’m from the Midwest. It was a lot of people who knew me. They were excited to see me. So I had a very good time. Everything was D’usse infused. From you know, the popsicles — I don’t even know if the chicken sandwich had D’usse in it because I was drunk. I was so drunk by the time I left. But, I love day parties, though. I’m a party girl in general,  I don’t care what time we party, for real. I really don’t mind it.

Read More: Rise & Grind: Lakeyah On Quality Control Labelmates, 42 Dugg Collab & Nicki Minaj As A GOAT

The only reason I asked you that is because I interviewed you a few years back and you were mentioning how the City Girls took you out once you signed to QC.

I remember that night, that was super lit. They took me out, like trying to welcome me in and I definitely felt welcomed after that. We got really drunk together, I saw them perform. And I was like, this is about to be my lifestyle. So I loved it.

Was there anything that inspired you or even influenced you from that night? Or were there any pointers that you took away?

From that night, I was just super excited to be a part of the industry because I’m like, I can make money from just being a party girl; people coming to see me and watch me perform, and to be a part of the label at that point. Because, you know, it felt like family. And some pointers I took away from it… Honestly, they let me perform that night, I remember. And I remember like, when I left, P was like, ‘Don’t hold your phone or your purse in your hand no more,’ and I got cussed out for everything that I did wrong. And like, the day after that I was like, ‘Okay, I gotta practice when I go out on stage.’ So I took a lot of pointers from that night, for sure. I learned a lot of stuff.

lakeyah
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Lakeyah attends House of BET – Day 3 at Goya Studios on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)

You recently locked in with Gloss Up, Lola Brooke, Flo Milli, and Latto. I wanted to know, out of all of the women you’ve collaborated with, who do you think challenges you the most lyrically in the booth?

Sh*t, honestly, let me think… You know who I was most shocked by? Flo Milli. Because during that year, when I started dropping my little EPs, I really wanted to work with more women. I wanted to be more collaborative with my music because I work with a lot of men because I want to stand out. Like when I’m working with men, and I want people to know like, ‘Oh, she’s a real rapper.’

So when I listened to Flo Milli’s music it’s bar full, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like it’s very fun. You know you can really have fun you listen to Flo Milli but when I put her on that specific song, I didn’t know how she was gonna come and she really ate it up and it had me questioning if I should change my verse. I’m like, damn, she really went hard. She really was going at it with me and I respected that, for sure.

We’re seeing a lot of women in rap but as someone who always Who are your top 5 women rappers of all time?

Okay, this is good. Nicki Minaj, for sure. I’m gonna put Trina, I’m gonna put Lauryn Hill, for sure. Tink, I think she’s a rapper to me. She’s an all-around artist. Tink and Dreezy, for sure. 

Is that in order?

The first three are in order. 

Hip-hop is still the biggest genre but the numbers game became a large part of the discourse. It doesn’t seem like that concerns you too much but I wanted to find out your thoughts on the increased interest surrounding the sales and streaming figures.

I love that people are so intrigued with how much people are doing because it really shows who has a solid fan base and who’s getting supported and all that stuff. But honestly, I don’t think there needs to be this many A&Rs out right now, telling people what they did and what they could have done better. Honestly, it is about the quality of the music. If we’re thinking back to like the 90s and early 2000s, yeah, we — I don’t know. I really didn’t pay attention to what people were doing at that point. Shit, I ain’t know nothing. All I know is that the music was good and that we were really enjoying it. We were coming home after school to watch the music videos on 106 And Park and stuff. Like, we were really enjoying music. I really want to hear the art.

I just heard Nas say something like that, like, “I don’t want to hear any more trends.” And though, being honest, as an artist, you do sometimes have to be like, “Oh, that’s what they want to hear.” I got to be able to give that to them. But I think I want to get back to what he was speaking about and really just hearing the art and people just being genuine in their music. So that’s how I feel about it.

lakeyah
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 19: Lakeyah Danaee Robinson performs at YouTube Shorts HBCU Homecoming Celebration on October 19, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for YouTube)

Another discourse over the summer has been surrounding the lack of a #1 single or #1 album on the Billboard charts. Some people have stated that it’s a sign that hip-hop is dying and losing its grip etc. What do you make of that statement? And do you think that the numbers indicate anything about how hip-hop thrives?

I don’t know but I know Hip Hop isn’t dying, and I do believe it’s gonna be another number one situation. We have people dropping albums this fall. I believe, yeah, Nicki’s dropping an album this fall. Everybody is about to be in their album mode again. So I definitely think it’s gonna be another number one. And I don’t think numbers have anything to do with it. No, because we just got to get back to the quality of music, for sure. Because honestly, it’s not going to just take one person to change that. There are so many people doing the same thing. Everybody just has to beat themselves in this shit.

Read More: Lakeyah Goes In On Nicki Minaj & Drake’s “Moment 4 Life” On New KeyMix

One thing I’ve appreciated about your recent releases is that you’ve been using some really incredible samples lately. Even though the sample-driven records have been hit or miss lately — at least, to me. But, the samples you’ve used have been like huge bangers during the 2000s whether from Gorilla Zoe or J-Kwon. Do you feel pressure when you use these records considering they hold a lot of weight in that era?

Definitely. I think first things first for me is that even if the sample is very obvious in the production, I just want to make sure I’m doing justice to the beat. Because I’m a rapper rapper, I just really want to rap. I don’t really want to make no hooks or anything. So I really want to make sure that I’m giving it what it was given to us. And that’s my favorite era of music, the early 2000s in general, whether it was hip hop or R&B. So that has a huge thing when I’m grabbing my samples.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with samples but like you said, it’s been hit-and-miss. I feel like you really have to do justice to the songs and make sure you’re not ruining these songs. You know, because people will say that like ‘What was the point of you doing that?’ And I come from like doing KeyMixes and remixes of people’s songs when I was like sitting in the car just grinding. When I’m doing samples it’s like, this is really me, it’s my space, this is what I’m good at doing and it’s very easy to me. I like hearing people’s opinions though, I play for my close friends, my team, and my sister. My sister likes real hood music. We are from Milwaukee so if she gave me to pass on that, I feel like I did good [laughs].

How do Coach K and P feel about the samples you use?

Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, P specifically, loves it when I sample music. He loves that they sound so good, but on the business side of things, it’s like alright, now, let’s stop sampling. So I understand where people are coming from because it’s like, you really do as an artist have to create your original sound, which I’ve done with my Midwest style — “Big FlexHer,” “Female Goat.” But when I’m in my like, Southern bag and stuff, I really do like to sample those songs that came from the South like “Hood Figga,” and “Tipsy.” One of my songs “Poppin,” the sample was “Chickenhead.” So yeah, I like to balance it and he loves it.

Coach K is more — I’ma be honest, he loves my R&B stuff. And that’s why I love to balance it and I won’t ever leave that side of me because so many people love being different. You know, I’m versatile. I love that I can do everything.

Will there be a full R&B project from you in the future?

Hell yeah. I’ve been talking about it with my internal team. Like, what do we do next? Like, this is my favorite time of the year, when it’s about to get cold. Everybody n***as leaving them — no shade to them, I’m sorry. Everybody n***as is going through it. Like, relationships are going through it at this point. I can really be the voice for my girls. Obviously, the money gets better around this time. Homecoming scenes, and we’ve got Fashion Week and stuff. So this is my favorite time of the year and I love to put music out around this time of the year. Last year, I did some R&B stuff around this time of the year. Before that, “Too Much” came out and that’s one of my biggest songs today. And I’m definitely thinking about a full R&B project. 

lakeyah
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 30: Lakeyah attends BET Hip Hop Awards 2022 on September 30, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/ Filmmagic)

I know you finally got to meet Nicki Minaj and you mentioned that she dropped a lot of game on you. What was the best piece of advice she gave that you applied to your craft, whether on the creative or business side?

I would definitely say it was both of them because the piece that I took away was really — like I was just speaking of being yourself completely when it comes to your look, your sound, you know, what you stand for. You really have to be an artist that people can really gravitate towards just for being you. And you don’t want to blow up for faking it for years. You want to feel like ‘oh, people love me for me. And I can go outside and I don’t have to put on a costume.’ So I feel like that’s something that I took away from our conversation, for sure.

And you know I had to ask, has there been any conversation surrounding a collaboration in the future?

We manifesting it. No, no, we are manifesting it. The rest of our conversation is very private.

Read More: Quality Control Signee Lakeyah Danaee Taps 42 Dugg For “Big FlexHer”

Fair enough. Milwaukee’s blown up as a hub for hip-hop. Why do you think more people are interested in Milwaukee now than before?

We really have our own culture. I’m gonna be honest, I don’t use the Milwaukee sound very often because I’m very versatile. I moved to Atlanta when I was 18. You know, I’ve been a part of the industry for three years, and I’ve been doing different things and trying different things. But Milwaukee has its own culture like they do their own thing. And especially in this generation, everything is about fun and I think that’s perfect from where I’m from, because we don’t take anything serious. I mean, like, it’s really funny. Like the dances that they create, and the type of music that they create. I love it and I think other people will too.

Final question but what is your prediction for the next 50 years of hip-hop?

I think that it’s going to be so many different sounds because hip-hop is very open to — it looks different now. So I think it’s gonna be so many different sounds. It’s gonna be way more women because the door is broken down now. It’s not going to be any gatekeepers anymore. And we just gonna keep getting stronger. And I definitely think like, there’s going to be a number one rap out from a woman. Yeah, very soon. 

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Cam’ron, Ma$e, And Treasure Wilson To Interview OJ Simpson On Their Podcast

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The IT IS WHAT IT IS TALK podcast, hosted by legends Cam’ron and Ma$e, as well as sports personality Treasure Wilson, has just nabbed another massive guest. Just a few weeks ago, the show has been gaining more and more traction with the giant contract Cam’ron and Ma$e just signed. Back on August 21, it was reported that the duo’s podcast had been picked up by sports betting company, Underdog Fantasy. The lucrative deal is worth up to $30 million dollars, but everyone involved with the show deserves it.

The people Cam’ron and Ma$e continue to bring on show how far this thing can go. Celebrities like Ice Cube, sports reporters such as Stephen A. Smith, and athletes like Brandon Marshall have appeared on the podcast. It appears that the 18-month-long deal was worth it for Underdog Fantasy because the trio is bringing on possibly their biggest name yet. OJ Simpson is joining them behind the microphone, according to the IT IS WHAT IT IS TALK‘s account.

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Cam’ron’s It Is What Is Account Reveals OJ As Their Next Guest

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by It Is What It Is (@itiswhatitis_talk)

Many are already chomping at the bit to hear what all four of them will discuss. Unfortunately, listeners will have to wait until September 5 at 8 a.m. Cam’ron is hyping up the episode on his Instagram, saying, “And 2mr episode on episode 2 of season 2!! Killa, murder and our second new football analyst Juice!! and of course stat!! Oh it’s up N****!!! @itiswhatitis_talk.” It is sure to be there most-listened to show yet and we will be here to cover it.

What are your initial thoughts on Cam’ron, Ma$e, and Treasure Wilson scoring a big-time interview with OJ Simpson? What do you think they will talk about? Have you been tuning into the show? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news around the music and sports world.

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Sa-Roc & Sol Messiah Predict The Next 50 Years Of Hip-Hop

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The Hip-Hop 50 celebrations have been a necessary reminder of the global impact of the culture. The celebrations primarily highlighted the commercialization of hip-hop, from the streets of the Bronx to a global phenomenon. However, it’s provided an incredible moment to celebrate and acknowledge the pioneers who broke through barriers to achieve such success. Still, the number of legends on a grassroots level deserves their flower, too. Rhymesayers artists Sa-Roc and Sol Messiah have undoubtedly left their mark on their culture in their own right. Sa-Roc is a formidable MC who has gone bar-for-bar with the best of ’em. This was evident in her excellent 2020 Rhymesayers debut, The Sharecropper’s Daughter. Sol Messiah is an original member of the Bronx chapter of the Rock Steady Crew. Throughout his illustrious career as a producer and DJ, he worked with legends from KXNG Crooked to JAY-Z.

The chemistry they developed over 20 years ago took center stage at Red Bull BC One Midwest Cypher in Minneapolis. Considered the largest and most prestigious breaking competition in the world, Red Bull BC One drew in a sizeable crowd at First Avenue. Hip-hop purists celebrated breaking in its purest form. Meanwhile, Sa-Roc and Sol Messiah served as the musical talent for the evening.

“Being a part of events like this kind of validates and affirms that, you know, hip hop as a culture really is a global influence around the world. And it’s here to stay,” Sa-Roc told HotNewHipHop hours before they hit the stage. Sol Messiah added, “My whole upbringing was dealing with the four facets of hip-hop. So it’s really great to see that 50-some-odd years later, it’s still being celebrated and it’s still the biggest energy that you find on Earth.”

To celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, we caught up with Sol Messiah and Sa-Roc for an in-depth conversation that dives into the past, present, and the future of hip-hop.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Sa-Roc & Sol Messiah On Preserving The Culture & Pushing It Forward

Sa-roc & Sol Messiah perform at Red Bull BC One Midwest Cypher.
Sa-roc Rapping at Red Bull BC One Midwest Cypher in Minneapolis, MN, USA on July 29, 2023. Jules Ameel for Red Bull Content Pool.

Approaching the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, how does it feel bringing all these pillars together ahead of the major milestone?

Sa-Roc: For me, it’s really dope to be a part of it. I think that my introduction to hip hop and to rhyming was being fully immersed in the culture, getting the history. So, I had a really strong foundation for the importance of what it is I was doing in terms of moving the culture forward. Being a part of events like this kind of validates and affirms that, you know, hip hop as a culture really is a global influence around the world. And it’s here to stay.

Sol Messiah: For me, it’s really important because that was one that was blessed to grow up in a culture. Initially, a graffiti artist and a B-boy, and then, eventually going into DJing. And I’m also a member of the original Rock Steady Crew, Bronx chapter, and the Universal Zulu Nation. So this is just a combination of all of that. My whole upbringing was dealing with the four facets of hip-hop. So it’s really great to see that 50-some-odd years later, it’s still being celebrated and it’s still the biggest energy that you find on Earth.

From your POVs, how would you describe hip-hop’s evolution? From where it began to see where it is today. Not just on a mainstream scale but on a grassroots level, too. 

Sol Messiah: I’ll say this: for a minute, it seemed like it was going off the rails. A lot of people realize that when money came in, when the budget came in and started to hit, it was like – I was a DJ, then for a lot of MCs at the time – they would separate us. B-boys pushed to the back. Graffiti artists were not even seen for a while. And then they separated the DJ and MC and started to focus directly on rap. But luckily, the underground or the grassroots, with us who deal with the fourth facets and just the purity of it. That’s what I see.

Just like with this festival that we’re doing now with Red Bull, I liked that they bring them all back together. We still have us that tie those together. So it evolved with ‘Yeah, we got to make some money,’ it got worldwide, but it’s still a little bit – you kind of have to push to have the other elements seen. But I think the b-boys are crazy dope, DJs, graffiti artists – it’s crazy. And the MCs – the real MCs, that is. Not the rappers but the MCs are actual griots.

Sa-Roc: I have to echo a lot of what he said. I think that I think that the mass commodification of hip-hop has definitely moved it a little bit away from the foundation and the culture as a whole. But the independent artists, the actual artists that have been doing the work to maintain that the wholeness, the holistic nature of the actual culture, you know? When you travel the world and you see you randomly see b-boy and b-girl classes in Berlin. Or you go to West Africa, you hear like, people rhyming, seeing graffiti in different countries, as well. You see that it’s still alive and thriving.

So the culture itself has taken roots and maintains a consistent stronghold on the culture as a whole. But just as we do, we grow, we fall, we rise, you know? We have our ebbs and flows as humans, the culture evolves and changes and shifts in the same way. So I’m excited that we are refocusing the attention on the foundational elements of hip hop as we approach the 50th anniversary. I’m excited to see this movement reach our highest skill level in all of these elements.

Being signed to Rhymesayers, how do you feel about Minneapolis as a hub for hip-hop compared to other major cities?

SR: I think that because it’s not like one of the cities that you immediately think of like your LA’s or Atlanta’s or New York, the scene was allowed to grow and flourish in a way that was a little bit less corruptible if you could say. So the music that came out of Minneapolis – and not just hip hop – but Prince, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and you know, Stokley from Mint Condition and all the things that Rhymesayers brought to the culture. They have left an indelible impact on the broader culture, in the nation and around the world. But it was allowed to grow and blossom and develop a strong, loyal support group and fan base outside of this machine. So that’s a really beautiful thing.

I think you can tell that in terms of the sound and the creativity and stuff and the music. The uniqueness of the music that comes out of Minneapolis. So it’s, it’s a really dope thing to kind of be a part of the imprint of Rhymesayers, and have that artistic creativity to do the same.

SM: One thing I’ll say, we travel a lot, and we go anywhere in America. Minneapolis, outside of LA, is probably the only place where you can go where it’s not a mainstream artist, he or she will have a show with DJs and MCs, and the place will be packed from front to back. I realized that when I came here about seven years ago. I was like, ‘wow, they still loving hip hop.’ It doesn’t have to be a mainstream name for it to pack out. And people love it to hear these MCs and watch these DJs. That’s what I dig about what Rhymesayers, specifically. [They] brought and keep to the culture of hip hop in America.

As a celebrated MC-DJ/Producer duo, who are your top three MC-DJ duos of all time?

SR: I would definitely say Gang Starr. I would say… I would say Pete Rock and CL Smooth. But speaking candidly, the song “T.R.O.Y,” that’s the only song I really, like, remember solidly from them. But because it’s such a classic, I’m still gonna give it to them. And what Pete Rock has done individually, obviously, it’s amazing. But then, I mean, this might be controversial, but I’m gonna have to go with Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. I feel like in some circles, people kind of relegate them to pop and stuff like that. But think about the impact that their hip hop has had on the culture then helping to give Philly a wider stage and what they’ve gone on to do both individually and together. So yeah, I’m going to say DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. 

SM: Okay, so mine is first, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. And why? Not because we think of “Summertime” and all that. But if you go back and you look at their stage shows, they were together, they were a crew. You see Jazzy Jeff leading the way and he was actually [Will Smith’s] cheerleader. And they were a dope duo. Another one I would say is Gang Starr, Guru and DJ Premier. And mine, one of the top is Run DMC with Jam Master Jay, which is a crazy duo – well, trio.

Sa-Roc, you worked with [Indian music composer] GV Prakash on “Paranoid.” From your travels and your experience, how do you think the next 50 years of hip-hop will look internationally?

SR: I think, you know, definitely was just continue to develop and grow. I know, for myself, I’ve worked with a lot of international artists and done bilingual songs with different artists. And to me, it’s important to have that kind of dialogue to create this conversation of hip hop as a global influence. And I think the more artists do it, as we’re seeing with the blends of like Afrobeats, and hip hop artists in the States.

I’ve worked with artists in South America and stuff like that. So like, I think that as these musical genres start to blend, as we see amapiano gaining any more popularity and stuff like that, I think that it’s only going to get bigger. And I think it has firmly established its validity. But I think that once we recognize that there are all of these additions to the conversation all over the world, it can even it can only get better, bigger, and grow larger and even more important in the eyes of the world, you know?

Is there a specific scene or country globally that you’d like to see incorporate more hip-hop?

SM: I don’t know if Ethiopia has a poppin’ hip-hop scene but I would love to see Ethiopian hip-hop and see what they bring to the culture. I’m sure it exists, I just haven’t heard it. But as far as the next 50 years and the rise of it, as she said, hip hop language is spoken all over the world. No matter where we go. And even if you just go look it up, you’ll see hip hop, with all the elements. But, I think that being that we have the internet now, you’re gonna see more in a visible fashion. So that we’ll see brothers and sisters in India, we’ll see people in Pakistan, we’ll see the b-boys everywhere and MCs everywhere, in their language, which is crazy to me.

I’ll give you an example, we were in Mexico and we were riding down the street and it would be boys in the middle of the street to do and spins. And I was just like, what? In traffic? Hitting spins at the red light. And that just shows you how strong and how powerful the culture is for it to reach everywhere. You go around the world, they might not know what mainstream artists is but they know what b-boying is. They know what MCing is, they know what DJing is, you know? I think it’s just gonna grow, get bigger and stronger and more entrenched, which helps the people because hip hop is the people. It’s the grassroots, you know?

Sol, can you corroborate the story about JAY-Z giving Dead Prez a free 24 bars on “Hell Yeah (Remix)” in an attempt to sign them to Roc-A-Fella?

SM: We was just talking about this the other day. There is a writer and journalist named Dream Hampton. And Dream had the Dead Prez demo of the original song, “Hell Yeah.” She would take it and she played it for JAY-Z. And JAY-Z was like, “Yo, this is dope. This is crazy. Can I jump on that joint? You think they’ll let me jump on that joint?” And she was like, “I’ll ask them.” She went over and asked, “Can JAY-Z jump on this?” They was like, “JAY-Z? Of course, JAY-Z can jump on this. That would be amazing” Now, he went and did that, then after that is when he was interested in signing them. That’s how the actual story goes. 

And the reason I know is I know her but she literally just wrote this up and put it online the other day. But that is what happened. Because there are two versions: there’s my version, and the original version, which is slower and mine is the remix. And JAY-Z jumped on it willingly like it was nothing.

He was just like, you know – because Dead Prez, they’re well respected worldwide. They’re one of the few groups that have a message and don’t stray away from or try to cater to the mainstream. They just do straight-up revolutionary hip hop and JAY-Z wanted to be a part of that. But you know, JAY-Z has done a lot. He works with Jay Electronica, he worked with different people that you’re like, “Wait, you’re working with them?” He is the most mainstream artist probably ever right? If you think about it. One of our first billionaires, right? But yeah, that’s how he jumped on it because of Dream Hampton. 

Finally, what do you two hope and predict the next 50 years of hip-hop will look like?

SR: I think that we’re gonna see more of hip-hop in the academic space. We’ve already seen some of the leading universities incorporate Hip Hop curriculum. I’ve luckily been able to be a guest speaker in different classes and speak about my experience as an artist and my perspective as a representative of the culture. I think where we’re inevitably headed in the same way in which we talk about classical genres, you know? These artists like Beethoven and Mozart, and all the rest, are revered as this very timeless, classical kind of music.

Hip Hop has shown over and over again, it’s a classic form of music, it has a global imprint, and will continue to do so. So it will become unavoidable,  especially as we bring it back to the foundation with these celebrations where, in a sense, forcing these larger media platforms to acknowledge that, you know? Acknowledge the impact, not only on music but fashion and dialogue has social and historical conversation and commentary. But that’s what we’re gonna see. We’re gonna see more and more of these classes, we’re gonna see majors being developed, because it’s unavoidable. It’s here to stay.

SM: I think that the purity of it is probably going to come back because people will kind of get tired of watching the watered-down, corny. Whether it’s guys talking about drugs and murder, or its women talking about their bodies every single sentence, or the guy’s murdered somebody every single sentence. I think it’s gonna come back to what’s actually real, the purest form, which is talking about our situations at hand and what we deal with every day.

And I just think it’s gonna come back to the beginning. Everything runs in cycles. Chuck D said, “Life runs in cycles.” I mean, it’s literally what’s going to happen. And, you know, being more respected as a way an art form where we can get – you don’t have to be a pop artist to be able to get you some money for doing what you do. It’s nothing wrong with the culture, you know, being a DJ, being an MC, being a graffiti artist. Fashion – that’s another element that we added to it, but we also added health to it. There’s an element in hip-hop. So, I think it’s gonna come back to the roots.

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