Steph Curry is one of the greatest basketball players of his generation. It should come as no surprise, then, that he’s been referenced multiple times by multiplatinum rappers. Drake has been a practice of likening himself to Curry since 2015. The Golden State superstar seemed to appreciate the shout outs, carrying on a public friendship with Drizzy over the last decade. 2024 hasn’t been a great time for Drake or his fans, though, and many celebrities have hopped off the bandwagon. Steph Curry isn’t one of them.
Curry was the focus of a recent profile in GQ Sports. He discussed his career, and his involvement in the U.S. Olympics. The most unexpected, yet intriguing part of the profile, however, came when the Drake vs Kendrick Lamar beef was mentioned. Steph Curry did not hesitate to weigh in, and put his sizable weight behind the 6 God. “I’m a big Drake guy. I’ve been for a long time,” he asserted. He recognized that it has become fashionable to rag on the Toronto superstar, but he’s remained steadfast in his fandom. “I think obviously you know what it is for the rap industry to have that,” Curry added. “But I still rock with Drake. Absolutely. Absolutely.”
Steph Curry’s name was actually used as a dig against Drake on the Kendrick Lamar diss “Meet the Grahams.” Lamar urged Curry to keep his family away from the rapper, given the accusations that have been leveled at him. LeBron James’ family was also mentioned, but James has made it very clear that he has no problem switching sides. Despite being a Drake stan for over a decade, James hyped up Dot and even went to the Pop Out show on Juneteenth. The divide between Steph Curry and James was crystal clear when “Not Like Us” played during the Olympics. Curry complained about the song. “Damn with this song,” he vented aloud. “It’s not the only song in America.” James, on the other hand, said he “loved it.”
Steph Curry has never discussed Kendrick Lamar publicly. There appears to be some bizarre synergy between the Compton rapper and Curry’s Warriors, though. Fans notice that whenever Lamar drops an album, the Warriors win an NBA title. It’s lined up multiple times: 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. The funny thing is that Lamar isn’t even a Warriors fan. He’s a Los Angeles Lakers supporter, through and through. If Dot decides to drop in 2024, though, the streak could be broken.
In hip-hop, Drake appears to be public enemy number one. Thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track, “Not Like Us,” the Toronto native fell out of favor with hip-hop lovers around the world.
Even public displays of support from Lil Wayne and Lil Yachty, could win Drake over cool points. However, despite it all, future NBA Hall of Famer, Stephen Curry, hasn’t turned his back on his friend. In fact, according to him, he is “a big Drake guy.”
In an interview with GQ, Stephen Curry showed his love for the “Family Matters” rapper.
After being asked about his thoughts on the vicious Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, Curry made it clear as to which side he stands on.
“I’m a big Drake guy,” he said. “I’ve been for a long time.”
Curry went on to seemingly agree with the public’s declaration that Kendrick Lamar took home the victory in their beef. Still, that hasn’t swayed Curry’s support in any way.
“I think obviously you know what it is for the rap industry to have that,” he said. “But I still rock with Drake. Absolutely. Absolutely.”
As transplant representative for the West Coast, maybe Stephen Curry can encourage the rest of California to ease up on Drake.
We’ve been spoiled in 2024. As we previously outlined in our list of the year’s best albums so far, we’ve been treated to new albums from folks like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Vampire Weekend, Dua Lipa, Rapsody, and many more.
What’s wild is that there’s still so much to look forward to in the year’s closing months. Cardi B insists her long-awaited second album is dropping before 2025. Post Malone will complete his country pivot on F-1 Trillion. Sabrina Carpenter is set to continue her run as the year’s biggest breakout star with an LP of her own.
Ultimately, there’s something coming for everybody soon, so check out the most anticipated albums of the rest of 2024 below.
ASAP Rocky — Don’t Be Dumb (August 30)
Rocky has kept busy over the past few years with singles and collaborations, but as far as albums, fans have been waiting for a new one since 2018’s Testing. At long last, though, Don’t Be Dumb is set to land this summer and it’s set to include the 2023 single “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n).”
Beabadoobee — This Is How Tomorrow Moves (August 9)
Something major happened between past Uproxx cover star Beabadoobee’s latest album (2022’s Beatopia) and her upcoming LP (This Is How Tomorrow Moves): She opened for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour. So, Swiftie eyes will be on Bea’s next one and there’s a lot to enjoy, including “Take A Bite,” “Coming Home,” and “Ever Seen.”
Big Sean — Better Me Than You (August)
It’s been nearly four years since Detroit 2, the latest album from Big Sean. He’s on his way back, though, with Better Me Than You, and if his just-announced new management deal is any indication, he’s looking to shake things up this time around.
Cardi B
Cardi has found herself on lists of most-anticipated albums for the past few years as fans patiently (very, very patiently) await the follow-up to 2018’s Invasion Of Privacy. Cardi had a disappointing dispatch on that front a few months ago, though, when she said she’d be “relaxing this year.” Later, though, she reversed course and promised that her next album, which has yet to be officially announced, is indeed coming in 2024.
There’s speculation that Eusexua is the title of Twigs’ upcoming album, and at the very least, it seems to be the name of a new song, as Vogue relays. The publication also described the song as having a “driving bassline” and Twigs called the upcoming project “a love letter to how dance music makes me feel,” while not specifically saying the album itself is dance music.
Halsey
Halsey is back (even if she’s not necessarily feeling awesome about it at the moment), as she had an album on the way, a project that comes after/amid a tough journey: Halsey recently said of the project, “When I started writing it, I thought it might be the last album I ever got the chance to make.” So far, we’ve heard “Lucky,” a Britney Spears- and Monica-sampling that sounds a lot more uplifting than the tone of everything before this sentence.
J Balvin — Rayo (August 9)
After releasing an album every year from 2018 to 2021, J Balvin fans have found themselves in a rare position: Amid an extended wait for a new album. Their suffering is about to end, though, as Rayo drops in a few days and it features the thumping SAIKO collaboration “Gaga.”
Jamie xx — In Waves (September 20)
Where’s that new album from The xx? They’ve teased new music a handful of times (here, here, here) in recent years, but we’re still waiting for their first new LP since 2017’s I See You. The silver lining is that Jamie xx has remained active in his solo endeavors, and his upcoming album In Waves (his first since 2015’s In Colour) features collaborations with Robyn and The Avalanches.
Del Rey confirmed this one herself, saying at a pre-Grammys event in January, “If you can’t already tell by our award winners and our performers, the music business is going country. We’re going country. It’s happening. That’s why Jack [Antonoff] has followed me to Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Mississippi, over the last four years.” She also indicated the project is called Lasso and at the time, it was expected to drop in September, although an official release date has yet to be revealed.
Latto — Sugar Honey Iced Tea
In June, Latto threw a big Birthday Bash concert in Atlanta, where she announced the title of her upcoming project, Sugar Honey Iced Tea. Given the prevalence of rap beef these days, some took the title as a dig at Ice Spice. Whatever the case, there’s no tracklist yet, but perhaps some of Latto’s post-777 singles will make the cut, like her 2023 hit “Put It On Da Floor.”
MJ Lenderman — Manning Fireworks (September 6)
MJ Lenderman has a bit of a double-life situation going on right now: He’s a member of successful indie rockers Wednesday while also earning acclaim for his solo material. Some considered his 2022 album Boat Songs to be one of the year’s best releases, and now he’s prepping Manning Fireworks, which brings his two musical worlds together as Wednesday bandmate Karly Hartzman has a feature on the album.
Nilüfer Yanya — My Method Actor (September 13)
Yanya has become a quick favorite in the indie world over the past half-decade, and for her third album, she’s drawing conceptual inspiration from the world of film. She previously described method acting as “a bit like being a musician,” continuing, “When you’re performing, you’re still trying to invoke the energy and emotion of when you first wrote it, in that moment. It definitely feels like you’re having to recreate or step into that headspace.”
Post Malone — F-1 Trillion (August 16)
Posty just follows his heart. He started in hip-hop, ventured more into pop territory, and now he’s in his country era. It’s off to a cracking start, too, as he landed a No. 1 single by teaming with Morgan Wallen for “I Had Some Help.” Indeed, he had some help making his debut country album F-1 Trillion, as it also features Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, and many other country favorites.
Sabrina Carpenter — Short N’ Sweet (August 23)
It’s hard to argue against Carpenter’s “Espresso” as this year’s song of the summer (although tunes from Kendrick Lamar and some others have cases, too). Carpenter has quickly become one of music’s biggest stars thanks to her down-to-earth personality and undeniably delightful songs, and there’s sure to be plenty of both on Short N’ Sweet.
Suki Waterhouse — Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin (September 13)
Toro Y Moi has done a bit of everything in his varied music career. It remains to be seen exactly what his next album, Hole Erth, will sound like, but he goes with a blend of alternative and hip-hop on “Tuesday” and honors Broken Social Scene on the dreamy “Heaven.” So, per usual, we’ll have to wait and see what Toro Y Moi does next.
The Weeknd
For well over two years now, The Weeknd has been teasing a trilogy of albums that features After Hours and Dawn FM. It’s still unclear when this arc of The Weeknd’s career will be resolved, but it appears to be soon: He unveiled a teaser video in July that strongly hints a new album is on the horizon, seemingly one about new life or rebirth. Both of the preceding projects produced hits like “Blinding Lights” and “Take My Breath,” so look forward to more bangers.
Big Sean SZN is officially underway. The rapper’s unveiled a handful of singles since the top of the year in anticipation of his forthcoming album, Better You Than Me, due out on August 9th. This morning, he unveiled the new single, “One Up” and its music video. This came after the release of “Yes,” “Precision,” and “Shut Up,” along with his stellar guest verses on Eminem’s “Tobey” and DJ Premier’s “Ya Don’t Stop” alongside Lil Wayne. Sean Don has been getting busy. After a four-year wait, his upcoming project sounds like it could be his best to date.
Within that four-year window, much has happened in his life, including the birth of his first son, who appears in the “One Up” video. Sean sat down with Charlamagne Tha God for the latest episode of Out Of Context, where they addressed everything from his relationship with Ye and G.O.O.D Music to nearly giving up on rap. Below, we’ve rounded up five of the biggest takeaways.
In September 2023, a leaked version of Kendrick Lamar’s “ELEMENT” surfaced online containing direct shots at Big Sean. In the song, Kendrick raps, “Big Sean keep sneak dissin’, I let it slide/ I think his false confidence got him inspired/ I can’t make them respect you baby, it’s not my job/ You’re finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme/ Cute ass raps, get your puberty up/ Then make you a classic album before you come at us/ Drake and Meek Mill beef might got you gassed up/ But I’m a whole ‘nother beast, I’d really f*ck you up.”
Sean explained that Joe Buddenprimarily pushed this narrative that the two had beef. However, prior to the leak coming out, Sean was assured by Dave Free and Punch that there was no smoke. Moreover, Big Sean said his verse on “Deep Reverence” ft. Nipsey Hussle was inspired by a text exchange he had with Kendrick Lamar, who he claimed apologized for the misunderstanding. It should be noted that he didn’t think Kendrick would’ve done him worse than Drake. Ultimately, he felt he was ready for whatever came with a potential feud.
(Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage via Getty Images)
Big Sean expressed gratitude for the opportunity he had with G.O.O.D Music. First, he said that the $6 million discrepancy has been handled. However, he said he took a cut compared to what he was owed for the sake of avoiding courtrooms. “With the deal I signed, he made more money off of my music than me,” he explained, adding that he wasn’t necessarily bothered by that. However, he audited Def Jam for the money and later learned that the money was actually sent to G.O.O.D Music.
“He said what he said [on Drink Champs]. I’m not into gossip and stuff but he said what he said and it made me realize that I couldn’t take all of what he was saying serious on that Drink Champs,” Sean told Charlamagne. “Very performative… that’s what I’m not. That’s what he’s good at.” Kanye allegedly tried to make sure that there was a picture of the two taken to squash the narrative.
But at the root of their issues is Drake, apparently. “I think he was just pissed because he thought I chose Drake over him. I only bring that up because he brought that up to somebody who told me something,” he said. Sean explained that Ye demanded a verse on “Blessings,” which the Detroit MC helped him write. However, he gave him a deadline, and Ye basically ignored that. “For some reason, he thinks – Drake didn’t even want him on that song but I was like, ‘I’m putting Ye on the song anyway because Ye put me on. If he wants to be on the song, he’s going to be on the song,” Sean explained. Apparently, even though Ye failed to pull through, he felt like Sean was not being loyal.
Coming To Terms With The Big 3
IPhoto by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella)
In another Kendrick-related excerpt, Big Sean explained that he understood why he’s not mentioned in the same vein as his peers, namely Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole. “I hear my name every time people talk about this Big 3 stuff,” he said. Then, he acknowledged that his inconsistency as an artist played a significant role in people’s perception of him. “My consistency is where I lack. I say that in that too. It’s like, I haven’t put out music in four years, bro, essentially, I haven’t put a project out. I can’t expect to be in that conversation when I haven’t been consistency feeding hip-hop, feeding the fans.”
However, that might change in the future. Sean said that he feels like he has the potential to release more music while keeping it on “God’s time.” “I think the way my life is going, that’s one of my priorities is to put more music out with meaning, though,” he said, “I do feel like when it comes to rapping abilities, I have no limit on my rapping abilities… I can hang with anybody on any song… I’ve proven that with all of them. He added, “Even with ‘Control,’ the next song we did, I made sure I had a better verse on ‘Holy Key.’”
Nearly Giving Up On Rap Dreams
(Photo by Arik Mazur/FilmMagic via Getty)
An emotional point in the interview came when Sean started reflecting on his high school years where he wrote down a list of labels that he wanted to sign to, which included G.O.O.D Music at #1. “It was one of them omens. There’s just one little thing I needed to realize ‘Nah, I can do this, bro. I met Ye and rapped for him. He said he wanted to sign me.’ I just manifested and visualized the paperwork coming in all this time. In that one year, I was depressed, I just wanted to give up bad,” he said, explaining that he felt that he was “done.”
His grandma encouraged him to apply for community college as a backup plan. “I remember my mom being like, ‘What are you doing?’ And it was… it was a moment, dawg,” he added as he tried to fight back tears, explaining that she pushed him to keep following his dreams. “I’m just thankful I had these guardian angels in my life, like my mom, just coming in the form of anything – a book.”
Big Sean Discusses The Possibility Of Marrying Jhene Aiko
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
After being together for so long, many have wondered whether Big Sean and Jhene Aiko will ever get hitched. Sean denied that they had a secret industry wedding before divulging his thoughts on marriage in general. With the two sharing a child together and working together as a musical duo, there’s another layer of complexity to their relationship. “We’ve had our ups and downs and I think it’s still finding the right navigation through it all. I don’t know if like – to me, marriage symbolizes the best relationship,” he explained. “I feel like having a relationship is first and foremost and marriage is a byproduct of that.”
Sean added that the pressure of getting married creates a level of fear in the decision, especially with the divorce rates. While he added that they could get married in the future, it’s not necessarily the priority in their lives. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, I feel like, in general. We have so many relationships. It’s like being peers, being in a group together, parents, romantic – it’s a crazy connection because no matter what we’re always going to be tied together. No matter what,” he said.
“She and me have to be on the same page. Not to say that we aren’t but I feel like – I can only speak for myself that there needs to be more work done so we could keep going because there’s a lot of focus on our family, there’s a lot of focus on careers and everything and that’s something I feel like has not been the main focus.”
Over the last decade or so, Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar’s relationship has been very up and down. They have worked together, but they have also sneak dissed each other on a multitude of occasions. However, based on a recent sit-down with Charlamagne tha God, it seems the Detroit MC felt there has never been any animosity. So, when Sean heard Lamar’s leaked “ELEMENT.” verse prematurely around the time of Nipsey Hussle’s passing, he felt absolutely blindsided. To backtrack a little, the first time the hip-hop community learned about this was back in late 2022. Then, about a year later, the “OG” version of the DAMN. cut would make its way onto the internet, leaving the rap world stunned.
“Big Sean keep sneak dissin’, I’ll let it slide / I think his false confidence got him inspired / I can’t make them respect you baby, it’s not my job“, Lamar’s diss on Sean began. You finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme (Boy) / Cute a** raps, get your puberty up / Then make you a classic album before you come at us“. He would then wrap things up, leaving Sean off with a warning. “Drake, your Meek Mill beef might got you gassed up / But I’m a whole ‘nother beast, I’d really f*** you up“. Sean then reveals to the Breakfast Club interviewer that him and Dot text back and forth.
Big Sean Is Taking The High Road When It Comes To Kendrick Lamar
Big Sean tells Charlamange the moment he heard the leaked version of Kendrick Lamar’s ELEMENT and says Kendrick Lamar texted him to apologize. pic.twitter.com/rXWz1L6mEG
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) August 2, 2024
They don’t read the messages aloud, but essentially Kendrick apologized to him, mentioning how his ego was taking over his decision to pen such scathing bars. Sean also mentioned how Lamar thanked him for the shoutout on “Deep Reverence” off of Detroit 2. That track featured a late verse from Nipsey and Sean also says that his verse was recorded following his death and that they essentially reconnected around that time to hash things out. Before moving off the subject, the “Yes” MC wanted to address everyone who was clowning him for not responding to Lamar. He says that he’s not a “clout-chasing-a** n****” and that there is no bad blood between them. However, if he felt there was, then he was going to be ready to fire back.
What are your thoughts on Kendrick Lamar apologizing to Big Sean for the diss on his viral “ELEMENT.” verse? Do you think we will see them work together in the future again after this? How do you feel about Sean’s view of the situation? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
But not everyone wants to get caught up in an avoidable feud. Behind the scenes, it appears Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar were able to dodge a dust up (despite fans wanting the war of words).
Did Kendrick Lamar Apologize For Dissing Big Sean?
Today (August 2), Big Sean sat down with Charlamagne Tha God for his latest series, Out Of Context, to discuss his hot-and-cold working relationship with Kendrick Lamar. When addressing the unreleased version of the Compton native’s song “Element,” Sean revealed that Lamar privately apologized in a text message exchange for his the bars: “Big Sean keep sneak dissin’, I let it slide / I think his false confidence got him inspired / I can’t make them respect you, baby, it’s not my job / You’re finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme, boy / Cute-ass raps, get your puberty up.”
Sean also opened up about where he believed the issue actually arose. “Joe Budden and made this, there’s a Kendrick and Big Sean beef,” he said. “To the point where I tried to ignore it. But he made that narrative so f*cking real that I think it really did become a thing.”
Watch Sean’s full interview with Charlamagne above.
Jay Worthy ensures that his music captures the essence of Compton through his smooth delivery and laidback flow. Though he found a new fanbase following his appearance at Kendrick Lamar’s Pop Out concert in June, the L.A. by way of Vancouver MC has maintained a prolific output over the past few years. His behind-the-scenes work has allowed him to work alongside people like DJ Quik and even Kendrick Lamar while his efforts on wax have turned him into a revered underground legend. LNDN DRGS, for example, merged dreamy soundscapes of boogie and R&B-tinged funk, in ways that felt quintessentially West Coast. But at the same time, his work with people like The Alchemist and Harry Fraud, to name a few, paid homage to his influences outside of West Coast hip-hop.
“Maybe it’s I’m easy to work with or maybe, it’s just that I really love music and I understand what it is and what we’re doing, you know?” Jay Worthy tells HotNewHipHop. Perhaps that’s why he is only the second rapper outside of Snoop Dogg to work on a full collaborative album with the legendary DāM Funk. Together, they joined forces for their excellent new project Magic Hour, an album that delves into the lineage of funk music with DāM Funk in the driver’s seat.
Funk played a pivotal role in shaping Jay Worthy. He fondly recalls his father playing Parliament, S.O.S. Band, and Earth, Wind & Fire throughout his childhood in Vancouver. In that sense, it planted a seed that would grow throughout Jay Worthy’s musical career but his love for funk admittedly didn’t fully materialize until he moved to Compton. His exposure to low-rider culture and radio personalities like the famed Art Leboe developed a passion for its cultural DNA. “Like I said, oldies and funk and all of that have always been in my house. But I really started digging for samples and really, really having a love for it more after being out here on this side. You know, my big homies pulling up on they hogs and slappin’ shit, the low rider culture and all that,” he says, fondly recalling memories of Avalon and El Segundo. At this intersection, his friend’s dad sold CDs outside of the barbershop.
With that said, Magic Hour holds significant weight in Jay Worthy’s catalog. There was a seven-year anticipation for this project, though fans certainly weren’t left empty-handed since collaborative projects alongside Roc Marciano, DJ Muggs, and plenty of others came out within that time. “Not everybody can get on these types of beats, you know what I mean? Or understand what I’m doing here because I always tell people, man, I might rap, but I really look at myself as the funk artist,” he explained, detailing the meticulous process of curating the right features, such as Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Quik, and Channel Tres, and more, for this particular album.
It couldn’t have come at a better time, either. All eyes are on The West Coast right now, and there’s been unity across the city. Jay Worthy has certainly benefited from the renewed attention, too. Magic Hour feels like a crucial piece of the puzzle that traces the West Coast’s musical lineage, specifically the impact that funk had on shaping the L.A. sound as a whole. And with the momentum that Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples, and Mustard built within the past few months alone, Magic Hour is a necessary addition to the soundtrack for summer ’24.
We recently caught up with Jay Worthy to discuss his latest album and working alongside DāM Funk, sending unreleased music to Kendrick Lamar, his heavily anticipated Griselda album, and why Los Angeles has always been on.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
HotNewHipHop:I read that this album has been in the works for upwards of 7 years but it seems like a perfect time for this album to arrive considering the momentum that the West Coast has. From your end, why did it make sense to release this album right now?
Jay Worthy: You know what, all the stars just aligned, to be honest with you.I feel like when you’re recording, and sometimes you’re in another bag, like, for a minute, the only thing that was inspiring me to rap was just looped samples and stuff with no drums, you know what I mean? So it took me a while to want to get back into that funk bag, you know what I’m saying? It wasn’t coming out of me when I was trying at the time. So I sat on the beat until I was ready to get back on that. And I would slowly go at it. You know, do a few songs here, a few songs there. And then I was like, man, this is a special project. It deserves the proper features on it.
And I also feel like there’s more eyes on me now. I feel like me and DāM Funk, for the world that we come from, it’s really appreciated. I know people were really expecting it and I didn’t want to rush it, you know what I mean? It came out now and it just so happens to be that the West is back on fire so, yeah it’s a good time.
Tell me a bit about the features, whether Ty Dolla $ign or Channel Tres, and how you got them to immerse themselves into this world that you and DāM Funk created.
Well, you know, Ty Dolla is a close friend of mine and so is Channel. A-Trak, you know, that was the first person to sign to Fool’s Gold. Quik, I just did the album with Quik and I wanted Quik a part of this. You know, Quik, and DāM know each other since Safe & Sound days. Of course, Soopafly. I needed representation of Tha Dogg Pound on there. Soopafly, that’s my boy. We’ve been making records together and I felt that he fit the project. A cat named Ray Wright from Warm Brew, who always was a friend of mine, and I always loved his voice. I mean, it reminded me of a Nate Dogg. Speaking of Nate Dogg, I had to grab Nhale and get his son on there.
So, you know, just people that would make sense that I know understand this funk sh*t and what sounds good on it, you know? But, I was honored to get Quik on there, for sure. And Channel, I love what he did. He’s also a fan of DāM. Like I said, again, just people that kind of understand what it is. Not everybody can get on these types of beats, you know what I mean? Or understand what I’m doing here because I always tell people, man, I might rap, but I really look at myself as the funk artist, you know what I’m saying?
Jay Worthy/YouTube
I’ve heard you refer to yourself as such in the past. How would you describe Magic Hour compared to other albums in your catalog? You mentioned that you took your time with this one.
Well, first I’ll say this: you got to think, DāM doesn’t work with a lot of rappers. The only rapper that he’s ever done an album with other than me is Snoop, so I was honored. Like I said, I consider myself a funk artist, and DāM was one of the few people, to me, that was pushing future funk and modern funk. This is way back, you know, I think me and Dame started first talking, I want to say like, ‘06 or something like that. I can’t remember exactly when, but I was always a fan before I started doing rap professionally. But I always knew that that’s where I wanted to take it.
So, you know, what’s different about this album compared to others is there’s no samples. DāM gets to showcase how good of a producer he is. If you notice on the album, I give him a lot of long outros. Or, some songs might just have one verse and a minute of a beat because his beats switch up so much, like, there’s so many different parts of the beat. He’d send me a beat, there’d be like eight minutes in the beat, and in that eight minutes, the beat would change up several times. So yeah, musically, it’s different than anything else I put out. I think it’s more musical, you know, it’s not sample-based. It’s raw. That’s just DāM in there being the one-man band.
What do you think makes Jay Worthy a great collaborator? It seems like you’re very easy to work with.
Maybe it’s I’m easy to work with or maybe, it’s just that I really love music and I understand what it is and what we’re doing, you know? I mean, like whether it’s with Alchemist and I understand what type of producer he is and what he makes him and what I’m gonna sound good on. If you listen to… I don’t know, let me see…. something like, let’s say I rap over somewhere Harry Fraud, and there’s no drums on it, and you hear me really rap-rapping – you know, that might bring that out of me. The funk might bring out some more player, more simple raps, but it’s just a different pocket. The beat is gonna talk to me and tell me what to do, you know what I mean?
But I think I just understand the music, and that’s why it comes out so it goes unspoken. I’ve never gone in a studio and been with anybody and been like, “this is what we’re gonna rap about pr this is what we’re gonna do or this is what the album is gonna be, or –” nah, we just let the music do what it do and it comes out how it comes out.
You’re originally from Vancouver. During your formative years, what was your exposure to funk music? Was that a sound that was prevalent where you grew up?
I mean, my pops, right? He raised me on Parliament, Earth, Wind & Fire, S.O.S. Band, and stuff. So that sh*t was in my house from a kid ‘til an adult. But as far as like finding my love for funk, that was more as a late teenager, you know what I’m saying? Being in LA, and you know, listening to Art Leboe and being in my hood in Compton. One of my homies’ pops – Rest In Peace – he used to sell CDs outside of the barbershop off Avalon & El Segundo.
I would always buy old-school mixes. Like I said, oldies and funk and all of that have always been in my house. But I really started digging for samples and really, really having a love for it more after being out here on this side. You know, my big homies pulling up on they hogs and slappin’ shit, the low rider culture and all that. Now, don’t get me wrong there is that, you know, low rider culture out in Vancouver, as well and record shops and stuff like that. But, you know, I think I fell in love with it out this way, just because this is such a part of our culture out here.
Considering everything that’s been going on, what are your thoughts on the current state of the West Coast and where do you see it heading?
Well, I think this: if we just stay on what we were on when we got together on that stage at the Pop Out with Kendrick, and showing unity, and – you know, we’ve been doing a lot of stuff in our community. Throwing events in the park, concerts, charity events, bringing Kai Cenat, all type of good stuff. It’s bringing people from all different neighborhoods to our specific neighborhood which probably never happened back in the day. I think places like Atlanta where everybody works with each other and supports each other. I think if we can if we can get past the politics that we have out here, and stay on what we’re on right now, I think we can get back on top, for real.
You know, because I hate when people say L.A. ain’t on anymore and I go, ‘What are you talking about? [laughs] Tyler, The Creator’s from L.A., Steve Lacy is from L.A., Billie Eilish is from L.A., Bruno Mars is from L.A., Anderson .Paak is from L.A. These are number one artists, you know what I’m saying? So I always felt that we – Kendrick Lamar, like come on, bro. We’ve been on top to me so sometimes the narrative that is pushed – I don’t understand – [like] we aren’t in a good space. But I feel like as far as the underground goes and the streets, and everybody is on some positive unity shit. So if we just stay on that, I think West Coast hip-hop is going to be in a great place.
How would you describe the Meet The Whoops project at this point of your career? You brought up Kai Cenat pulling up to Compton for the giveaway. Just by looking at the Instagram page, it seems like there’s more of a community-oriented feel to what you guys are doing.
As you can see, I’ve kind of always been a curator, you know? I don’t like to use the word A&R but, you know, I did Quik’s album, I’m working on Terrace [Martin’s] album with him. All the collaborations that you’ve seen, I’ve been hands-on with everything, from the artwork to the sample to who I collaborate with. So I just always wanted to do something with my homies from my hood and showcase the talent and put them on production that they might not have necessarily chosen.
I think we’re standing out because, you know what, you wouldn’t expect Meet The Whoops to rap on an Alchemist beat or a Terrace Martin beat or a classic DJ Quik “Quik’s Groove” that we flip to put on his album, you know? And, I just know the West hasn’t seen a rap group like this – or the world hasn’t seen a rap group like this, to be honest with you, since NWA or Wu-Tang or Dipset. And that’s how I feel. I really feel those dudes that I grabbed, who are my personal friends, are actually some of the best to do it. And I’m excited about what we’re about to do.
Courtesy Of Jay Worthy
What was it like bringing Kai Cenat to Compton?
It was just a positive thing and something that was great to see. The kids enjoyed it, the families enjoyed it, and we’re gonna do a lot more stuff like that. We’ve been doing stuff like that in our community for years. From the Christmas Toy Drive that we do with Kendrick to the Turkey Giveaways that we do with YG, I just think there are a lot more eyes on us now. You know, we get the TMZ looks and people are finding out more about what’s going on.
But you know, we’ve always been about our community and trying to bring things over there and do stuff that’s fun for the youth. And having Kai, I that was a great thing. He came and showed love and a lot of kids who weren’t able to get things like that were given exclusive shoes, and new iPhones and TVs and all types of good stuff.
Have there been any discussions of you joining Kai on his stream?
I don’t know. You know, I would have to tap back again with their team and see what’s up. Me and his agent and manager connected that day, so you never know. I think that’d be cool to see Meet The Whoops and Kai Cenat and bring him back to Compton for a livestream.
You posted a series of photos of you and Kendrick Lamar from over the years. Do you remember the first time you two crossed paths and how has that relationship developed since you first met?
I mean, Dot from our hood. We’re from the same neighborhood, we always crossed paths, you know? He’s always been in my corner. I produced a documentary called NoiseyBompton for Viceland TV which he starred in. You know, we’ve been pushing for years, that’s my brother.
You know, people don’t know, but it’s like when I dropped new music, I only send it to a few people, and he’s one of them, you know? I might send it to him, I might send it to Westside Gunn, I might send it to Terrace. So there’s only a few people that really get to hear my unreleased music that I want to really [hear] their opinion. [Kendrick Lamar] is really my brother and just a good friend. You know, it’s regular, though. That’s really just our homie, you know what I’m saying? I know, to the world, he’s the biggest thing in the world but to me and the homies, that’s just our bro.
What’s been the energy of Los Angeles since “Not Like Us,” The Pop Out, and the video shoot? I know you mentioned it before but if you could get a bit more in-depth.
It’s been a lot of unity, man. Just brought the city together. And that’s like what I was saying, man. Like, you know, it’s bigger than just – I know the lyrics and like, you know, behind it is a diss song but a message is – you know, just whatever it did, it brought L.A. together. I’m gonna just say that. You know, I’ve been feeling comfortable going to certain neighborhoods and places that I might never have gone to, you know what I’m saying? And vice versa. People are like, “yo, let’s work together. Let’s do this. Let’s do that.” Like, it’s been great. It had a very positive effect on the streets of L.A. and Compton.
When I interviewed Westside Gunn last year, he mentioned how he was working on your Griselda album. What could you tell me about that project and working with Gunn, in general?
Gunn and me, man. That’s my brother, man. He’ll tell you this: he likes to curate but, you got to understand, I curate and I know what I’m doing with my own sound and stuff and he respects that. So he kind of let me just do what I do and we’re gonna come together on this Griselda sh*t and it’s gonna sound crazy.
Is there a release date on this yet?
We just released this DāM Funk album so as soon as I’m done rolling out all of this, I’m gonna get into that Griselda stuff and start dropping singles on people and it’s gonna f*ck their heads up.
Final question: what else do you have on your bucket list outside of music?
Well, I’ve been behind the scenes, like I said. I do curation, I consult now, I’m working with all the people that — you know, it’s crazy when you wake up and you could call Mack 10 or Quik or you know, any of the greats, bro. Really, all the legends are a phone call away. I love what I’m doing with them, kind of bridging the new with the old just how I do in my own music so I’m just helping them do stuff. I’m consulting for different labels.
You know, I’ve always had my hand in the streetwear and skateboard world, doing collaborations with different clothing lines and all of that stuff. So, man, it’s a lot of stuff. Film stuff. There’s so much, man. Music is just one part of it. I’m a businessman at the end of the day. You’re gonna see Worthy executive producing more people’s albums; you’re gonna see my name pop up as an A&R on certain things. You’re gonna see more clothing collaborations, you’re gonna see more documentaries. It’s all about to happen man.
In the aftermath of Drake’s big beef with Kendrick Lamar, it’d be easy to forget that it all started with Future and Metro Boomin paving the way with their joint album, We Don’t Trust You, and its standout track, “Like That.” Lots of other rappers jumped in to voice their thoughts on Drake, not just Kendrick, and it led to one of his few remaining supporters, Lil Yachty, saying, “Drake was deemed a loser in this battle before it started, because people don’t like him.”
However, now Yachty appears to regret saying even that much. Appearing on the Flagrant podcast with Andrew Schulz, Yachty said, “I just wish I had never spoke on it. I wish I hadn’t said anything about it.” While the show’s hosts didn’t give him a chance to elaborate — because podcast hosts aren’t journalists and these in particular are… yeah — it sounds like Yachty’s about as fed up with hearing about the beef as Drake is.
While Drake seemingly waved the white flag after the exchange of diss tracks between the two quickly became one-sided, Kendrick fans have continued fanning the flames, crafting browser games about the feud, which even appeared as a clue on Jeopardy!. I’m sure Yachty would like to be asked about just about anything else, such as his new song with Ian, “Hate Me.” Well, almost anything: He seemed reluctant to discuss the departure of Karrahbooo from his Concrete Boys crew.
You can watch the full episode of Flagrant podcast with Lil Yachty up top.
Fat Joe knows his way around a hip-hop feud, as he famously had beef with 50 Cent in the 2000s. So, his perspective about those matters is an interesting and informed one, and now he has shared his thoughts about J. Cole’s (relative lack of) involvement in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud.
On a new episode of the On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast, Joe spoke about Cole deciding to bow out of the feud and had both positive and negative thoughts on how Cole handled himself, saying:
“When you [get] called out in hip-hop, you gotta respond. And so, I’m a big fan of J. Cole, but it started from that. He probably saw that it could get real messy and real ugly, and so he said, ‘Yo, you know what? This ain’t me. I don’t want no parts of it,’ but he definitely got a stripe off […] because in hip-hop, they call you out, you come out, you know? That’s just what it is. […] You got to come out, and a guy like him… he was a king. He’s so talented, he’s a king, so it was like, ‘Wow, Cole! You did that?
But I get it, I get all scenarios. He was mature enough to think past the lyrical beef and say, ‘Yo, this might turn physical.’ I’m not mad at him, but I’m just saying from a real hip-hop artist… you know, I’ve been called out and I got to step up, even if I think the artist is a million times better than me.”
Check out the full episode above; The Cole-related portion of the show starts at about 1:11:00 into the video.
J Cole is in a weird place. The rapper wasn’t defeated in combat the way Drake was. The fact that he chose to forfeit, and cede ground to Kendrick Lamar, though, has been viewed by many as a fate worse than defeat. At least Drake stood on his convictions, right? The debate as to whether Cole made a smart or cowardly decision continues to rage on. Fat Joe recently weighed in on the legacy of the Dreamville star during a recent appearance on the Jay Shetty Podcast. He gave J Cole his flowers, but also noted that things will never quite be the same.
“He definitely got a stripe off,” Fat Joe asserted. “They took a stripe off that because in hip-hop, when they call you out, you come out.” The Terror Squad founder acknowledged that J Cole’s sense of self preservation was smart in some ways, but noted that it came at a great cost. “He probably saw that it could get real messy and real ugly,” Fat Joe added. “So he said, ‘You know this ain’t me I don’t want no parts of it.’” Joe’s reputation is ironclad when it comes to rap beef, so it’s hard to argue with his stance. The rapper has gone at everybody, from 2Pac to JAY-Z to 50 Cent, and never backed down. As far as he is concerned, backing down is not an option.
Fat Joe Wishes That J Cole Had Risen To The Challenge
Part of Fat Joe’s reasoning is that beefing on record is not the same as beefing in real life. The rapper was perplexed by J Cole’s decision to throw in the towel, given that his battle with Lamar was strictly a lyrical one. “I had one of the biggest, most dangerous beefs with 50 Cent,” Joe relayed to Shetty. “And I was sitting next to him at the game yesterday, having the best time in the world. We’re brothers.” Once again, the rapper took Cole to task for shying away from competition. “When you’re called out in hip-hop, you gotta respond,” he asserted. “I’m a big fan of J Cole, but it started from that.”
Fat Joe isn’t alone in his thinking. Kanye West absolutely laid into Cole on the “Like That” remix, throwing more shots at the Dreamville star than his supposed “main” target, Drake. The Game was also frustrated by Cole’s reticence to attack Kendrick Lamar. “Hip hop [or] rap or whatever y’all calling it these days was already watered down,” the Compton emcee tweeted. “Then Cole apologized and turned this sh*t into Kool-Aid wit no sugar.” Here’s hoping J Cole can bounce back. We will all agree to forget “Grippy.”
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