Rap’s biggest names are struggling to keep their tours afloat. Several acts, including chart-toppers Metro Boomin and Future, were forced to cancel multiple show dates, reportedly due to poor ticket sales. But it looks like Sexyy Red could have to make a similar decision for her 4 President Tour.
According to Touring Data, ticket sales for the “F My Daddy Dad” rapper’s tour with supporting act Hunxho aren’t moving quickly enough. Based on the organization’s metric, other outlets speculated that the North American run would be canceled soon. Yesterday (July 8), Sexyy Red took to X (formerly Twitter) to deny the claim.
“My fans are buying tickets we’re doin just fine,” she wrote. “We not canceling no tour dis cancelling sh*t all cap .”
My fans are buying tickets we’re doin just fine we not cancelling no tour dis cancelling sht all caphttps://t.co/HZBxCEAYM9
Sexyy then went on to allege that her tour was being tampered with by other event promotions companies after she took things into her own hands.
“Dis how dey try to do u wen u go wit an independent promoter n the bigger companies try to sabotage u we not cancelling sh*t,” she wrote. “I did my touring deal with a black promoter black owned company AG Entertainment and now Dey playin dirty paying pages spreading fake news to discourage my fans from buying tickets.”
Dis how Dey try to do u wen u go wit an independent promoter n the bigger companies try to sabotage u we not cancelling sht
I did my touring deal with a black promoter black owned company AG Entertainment and now Dey playin dirty paying pages spreading fake news to discourage my fans from buying tickets
Two months ago, I tweeted: “Best year of hip-hop. EVER. #2024.” and the Internet’s feisty commentators tore me up. Pardon my excitement and wild proclamation, but I haven’t felt this good about the state of rap music since life before the pandemic. The 2020s have stunk — until now. What’s not to love today? Older rappers like Nas are showing and proving that great lyricists don’t have a retirement age. The historic, long-awaited showdown between Aubrey “Drake” Graham and Kendrick Lamar Duckworth lived up to the hype and transcended it. Plus, I’ve lost count of how much terrific content Future and Metro Boomin can cook up.
Still, everybody can’t get a trophy. It’s time to recognize the best of the best. I dare you to disagree. Ha! Spoiler alert: No Ye. No Q. No Vince Staples. No J. Cole on my albums list. You got a problem with that? Turn that frown upside down and turn the music up. Here’s the best hip-hop songs and albums of 2024, so far.
The Top 10 Hip-Hop Songs Of 2024 So Far
10. Nas & DJ Premier — “Define My Name” (Mass Appeal)
Three decades since working together on his classic debut, Illmatic, Queenbridge’s finest reconnects with Preemo for some classic Big Apple boom bap. Hopefully the promise of a future full-length project between the hall-of-fame duo comes to fruition.
9. Bossman Dlow — “Mr. Pot Scraper” (Alamo/Sony)
One of hip-hop’s most celebrated freshmen, Big Za has got plenty of digestible dope boy raps, but this one is the best. He’s a hustler, baby.
What’s better than one good Atlanta female MC? Two. Newcomer Nene gets a big assist from ATL Birthday Bash headliner, Latto. The fellas better pay attention — you don’t wanna piss these ladies off.
7. Cash Cobain — “Fisherr” Feat. Bay Swag (Giant)
Bronx-bred rapper/producer, Slizzy takes his sexy drill NY sound nationwide with this irresistibly catchy, tender ode to young love. Should you play this one multiple times? For sure.
6. 21 Savage — “Redrum” (Slaughter Gang/Epic)
Murderous material made by a mad man? Yeah, that’s a pretty good summation of Savage’s haunting anthem, which pays homage to the horror classic movie, The Shining. And I still can’t believe that’s Usher at the end, gettin’ his “Vincent Price on Thriller” on.
5. Sexyy Red — “Get It Sexxy” (Open Shift/Gamma)
It’s a rallying cry to act ratchet as Ms. “Pound Town” stomps all over producer Tay Keith’s kinetic track. Whoop! Whoop!
4. GloRilla — “Yeah Glo” (CMG/Interscope)
Suffice it to say, this self-affirmation selection slaps. Who can resist cheering along to this assertive chorus? Go, Gloria!
Before ultimately losing his intense exchange with rival Kendrick Lamar, Drizzy captivated with this sonic triumvirate of lyrical warfare. Too bad that he probably foreshadowed another K Dot Grammy triumph.
Over Metro aka hip-hop’s best producer’s best beat, Compton’s most wanted deads all comparisons to Aubrey and Jermaine and declares his dominant position. There can only be one.
1. Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar/Interscope)
It’s a diss song and a hit song. Over DJ Mustard’s masterful canvas, King Kendrick simultaneously ends hip-hop’s greatest beef and empowers the West Coast hip-hop scene. A true victory lap.
The Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2024 So Far
10. Mach-Hommy — #RichAxxHaitian (Mach-Hommy)
Mach-Hommy
Hip-hop’s most mysterious MC delivers a musically diverse magnum opus that commands your attention from beginning to end.
9. Flo Milli — Fine Ho, Stay (‘94 Sounds/RCA)
Flo Milli
Anchored by her biggest single, “Never Lose Me,” Flo defies sophomore jinx pressure and captivates with her most compelling body of work to date.
8. Benny The Butcher — Everybody Can’t Go (5 To 50/Def Jam)
Benny The Butcher
With a co-sign from West Coast icon, Snoop Dogg, this Griselda spitter subtly takes his signature gritty raps to new heights. Growth is good.
7. Rapsody — Please Don’t Cry (We Each Other/Jamla/Roc Nation)
We Each Other/Jamia Records
You can’t handle the truth? Too bad. Marlena Evans bares her mind and soul on this sprawling but still soothing soundtrack.
6. Bossman Dlow — Mr. Beat The Road (Alamo/Sony)
Bossman Dlow
A ferocious force from Florida, Dlow delivers a riveting, raw mixtape that moves him one step closer to mainstream exposure.
5. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Better Off Alone (Highbridge/Atlantic)
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
New York’s most consistent MC of the past seven years releases his best album and you all lame out? Don’t let the low numbers fool you, The Artist is on his A-Game here.
4. Gunna — One Of Wun (YSL/300)
Gunna
Although his career remains riddled in controversy as long as Young Thug is on trial, Gunna remains musically unfazed, following his should’ve-been-Grammy-nominated 2023 album, A Gift & A Curse, with a melodic masterwork that only he could put together.
3. 21 Savage — American Dream (Slaughter Gang/Epic)
Slaughter Gang/Epic
Fresh off his successful collab album with Drake, Her Loss, Savage subtly addresses his immigration saga and delivers his most cohesive collection of music.
1. TIE: Future & Metro Boomin — We Don’t Trust You + We Still Don’t Trust You (Wilburn Holding/Boominati/Epic)
Future X Metro BoominFuture / Metro Boomin
How can I choose? Same foundational premise: “The elimination of Drake.” Ha! But the execution is pure flawless excellence on both sides. We Don’t uses Mobb Deep’s Prodigy as a muse, as the two Atlanta heavyweights set their mark in hip-hop history. The follow-up, We Still Don’t, hearkens back to 2017’s HNDRXX as Pluto proves his singing can be just as potent as his rhymes. The aftermath of these two releases still resonates, as it single-handedly led to the Kendrick-Drake showdown. Future and Metro did the impossible. Then they did it twice.
In its latest collaboration, WWE paired WWE champion Cody Rhodes with producer Metro Boomin to make the announcement. In the promotion the duo team up for an old fashioned stakeout of State Farm Arena, where Metro Boomin asks Rhodes if they’re going to sit there until October, which he replies that’s exactly what they’re going to do. They then question each other on why they’re not doing this in their respective tour buses.
WWE’s last Bad Blood event took place in 2004, when Shawn Michaels squared off with Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match. The event originated in 1997 as Michaels faced off against the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match as well.
The Bad Blood show comes as Rhodes has elevated to the very top of the WWE card, earning a champion’s return home assuming he’s still carrying the belt a few months from now. It’s also a good event name to revive with the Bloodline still going strong (and now having an internal battle brewing). The last time WWE hosted a premium live event in Atlanta, Day 1 emanated from Rhodes’ home state in 2022 when Brock Lesnar headlined the show to win the WWE championship in a 5-way match.
JID and Metro Boomin are two of hip-hop’s most in-demand artists right now without question. Both have put together some of the best projects, especially in the mainstream, through the halfway mark of the 2020 decade. For the superstar producer, you have him and 21 Savage’s SAVAGE MODE II and HEROES & VILLAINS. Additionally, WE DON’T TRUST YOU and its quick follow-up WE STILLDON’T TRUST YOU are some of the biggest of 2024, partially due to their fueling of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. For JID, it is not as expansive of a catalog. However, The Forever Story is arguably the most complete body of work over the last four years.
These reasons are why it was such a huge deal when they revealed that they were in the process of cooking up a collaboration project back in March of 2023. Metro Boomin’s tweet basically set hip-hop Twitter ablaze, “Got a lot of new music coming but when me and @JIDsv drop ”. JID then confirmed that it was an album and not just a single after one user originally claimed, “Metro Boomin Teases His Song With JID”. Since that bombshell, both have been repeatedly asked if it still in the works.
Each and every time, both of them have reassured fans and interviewers that they are still on course to get this done. JID did more of the same after a recent interview. “We’re working on that project every single day… We have so much music, it’s just about making it right… “It’s happening for sure”, JID clarified. He also vaguely hinted that he has been working on a ton of other things right now too, so who knows what that could mean. The only question is now, “when is the Metro tape happening?”. The Georgia rapper has previously not wanted to give anyone false on hope on that detail. We would not be surprised if it is not until later this year or maybe early 2025. Metro also recently just revealed that him and NAV are cheffing something up too, so no one should be too optimistic as of now.
What are your thoughts on JID claiming that his album with Metro Boomin is still on the way? Will this be one of the best trap tapes of all time when it drops? When do you see them dropping this and why? Do you want to see them grab any features for it? 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 JID and Metro Boomin. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Future and Metro Boomin have been on a roll in 2024, dropping not just one, but two of the biggest hip-hop albums of the year. We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You are credited with kicking off the open battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which pulled nearly everything rap-related into its orbit — and eclipsed plenty of other things going on in hip-hop, which may have backfired on Future and Metro.
After the release of the double album, Future & Metro announced their We Trust You Tour, but it looks like they may have fallen victim to the same obstacles that have interfered with plenty of their peers’ touring plans. The rapper-producer duo have nixed a handful of shows in August, including stops in Milwaukee (8/2), Nashville (8/6), Columbus (8/10), New Orleans (8/20), and Tulsa (8/25), according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Although they didn’t give reasons for the cancelations, it might be fair to attribute them to low ticket sales, as missed sales goals has been the culprit behind plenty of tour cancelations of late.
The We Trust You Tour was one of the most anticipated tours of 2024, so this is certainly a disappointment to those fans who had tickets. If low sales were the reason, let’s hope future tours (no pun intended) can adjust and avoid these pitfalls.
Each summer, we anticipate the biggest tours to come to our city. However, it seems that for a few artists, the demand isn’t high enough. Apparently, that’s the case for Future and Metro Boomin, who are coming off of the release of two joint projects, We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You. The first boasts the hit single, “Like That” ft. Kendrick Lamar and sparked a wild feud between Drake and basically, everyone else who appeared on either of the projects.
Both Metro and Future have strong collaborators within trap music for the better part of the decade. Their combined stardom would’ve presumably been a shoo-in for sold-out crowds worldwide. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. According to Journal Sentinal, the two have officially nixed their August 2nd show in Milwaukee, along with several other dates, from the We Trust You tour. Here’s what we know so far.
Fiserv Forum released a statement late Wednesday afternoon confirming the cancellation of the Milwaukee concert. “Future’s concert scheduled for August 2 at Fiserv Forum has been canceled. If you purchased your ticket from the Fiserv Forum box office or online via Ticketmaster, refunds will be automatically processed and returned within 30 days,” the statement read. Unfortunately, no additional information was provided regarding the reasons behind this decision.
Impact On Upcoming Performances
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 12: Metro Boomin and Future perform onstage during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for MTV)
Interestingly, the canceled Milwaukee concert was scheduled for the night before Future and Metro Boomin’s planned performance at Lollapalooza, the mega music festival in Chicago. According to the tour’s website, the Lollapalooza show is still on. This suggests that the artists are selective about which performances to cancel. If this were a one-off cancellation, perhaps, we’d be able to chalk it up to some sort of prior engagement or travel conflicts related to the two shows. However, Milwaukee isn’t the only city impacted by the recent decisions.
Several other tour dates have been reportedly marked as canceled. These include an August 6 concert in Nashville and an August 10 show in Columbus, Ohio. Moreover, it appears that the two were also expected to perform at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center (Aug. 20), but the show no longer appears on Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and the venue’s website. Other dates that have reportedly been canceled are Tulsa, OK (Aug. 25). The tour, initially announced in April, was set to cover 26 stops across North America, starting in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 30.
Why Are They Canceling Shows?
WE TRUST YOU, @1future & @MetroBoomin 177,318 Tickets Available (North America) 43.13% Percentage Sold (23/26 shows) 13.5K Estimated Average Capacity 04/19/2024 General Sales Date
Thus far, there isn’t any particular reason that’s been provided to the public. In recent weeks, there have been some rumors that they haven’t been able to move enough tickets in certain markets. There have been a few whispers that both Canadian dates in Toronto and Vancouver may have been impacted by initially gained steam surrounding the pair of Canadian dates in Toronto and Vancouver – largely connected to their ongoing feud with Drake. However, both of these shows seem to be still on their itinerary for this summer.
Ultimately, there hasn’t been any concrete data available that would suggest either Metro Boomin or Future aren’t selling tickets. Still, that wouldn’t necessarily be shocking as it’s been difficult for plenty of major-name artists to book full-blown tours as of late. Even outside of hip-hop, bands like Black Keys and even superstars like Jennifer Lopez have pulled out of cross-country treks. Though J. Lo’s team said she wanted to spend more time with the family, the announcement arrived on the heels of reports of poor sales. Black Keys, on the other hand, canceled their arena tour with promises to reschedule dates in smaller venues.
Conclusion
Despite having two consecutive albums reach the top of the Billboard 200 within a month and a half of each other – not to mention a chart-topping single – Future and Metro Boomin’s recent cancellations put a spotlight on the conversation surrounding the disconnect between the streaming world and hard ticket sales. This conversation has become more prominent, especially as we witness streaming giants fail to fill out arenas. Still, Future and Metro are much more than two artists who’ve grown popular on Spotify and Apple Music; they are pivotal forces who’ve transcended hip-hop in many ways. However, with inflation hitting hard and the cost of concert tickets running deep, the canceled tour dates probably aren’t related to a shift in cultural relevance but rather, the financial crisis impact millions of people. We’ll keep you posted on anymore updates surrounding their upcoming tour.
NAV and Metro Boomin are workhorses. They are constantly touring, recording, or planning their next album. It’s obviously benefited them. Both artists have risen in popularity over the last decade. Metro, in particular, has become the most sought-out producer in hip-hop. NAV and Metro Boomin recently talked about their tireless recording process. In the midst of talking shop, these two hinted at the possibility of another collaborative album.
The whole thing came about due to a NAV question. He asked Metro Boomin whether he was going to take a break after recording two consecutive albums with Future. The producer said that the opposite was true. “Nah, [I’m ready to keep] going,” he explained. “I’m a producer and it’s not the same as an artist who might burnt out with a specific style or their voice.” The money quote then arrived. Metro compared working with Future to working with NAV on an album. An album, seemingly, that fans have not yet heard. “I could do an album with Future,” Metro asserted. “And it’s not going to sound like my album with NAV.”
The cherry on top was Metro Boomin claiming that he always has something that he’s working on. The fact that Metro and NAV alluded to an album, and are even interviewing each other, suggests that there is something in the works. There’s also the fact that the producer and rapper have worked together in the past. They collaborated on the 2017 mixtape Perfect Timing. Both artists were still on the rise when the tape dropped, and it boosted their respective profiles.
There’s also the Drake-shaped elephant in the room. Metro Boomin and NAV were pitted against Drake during the recent hip-hop civil war. Metro spearheaded the war with “Like That,” and NAV caught a stray shot in the Drake diss “Family Matters.” Both artists are bonded by their dislike for the 6 God, and have made a point of working with artists who feel the same way. Metro Boomin linked up with Kendrick Lamar and NAV was photographed in the studio with Pharrell Williams. Maybe there are more subliminals aimed at Drake on this hypothetical album.
Metro Boomin is the most famous producer in hip-hop at the moment. He kicked off the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle, scoring a number one single and dropping a viral instrumental in the process. Both of his studio albums have gone platinum. He even dropped an acclaimed soundtrack to a Sony superhero film in 2023. He’s a recognizable brand, which is why he wants to make control over the distribution of his music. Namely, the use of digital streaming services.
Metro Boomin took a screenshot of a X (formerly Twitter) exchange on June 24. The screenshot was in response to a question about “industry math.” It broke down, in simple terms, how little an artist actually makes from an album when it’s uploaded to DSPs. “A fan needs to stream an artist’s music 20 times a day for a whole year for that artist to make $25 from that fan,” the tweet read. Metro Boomin not only co-signed the tweet, but made a big announcement. He told followers that these paltry streaming profits are partially why he’s going to stop putting albums on streaming. “This is why my next album probably be the last one streaming,” he wrote.
The producer didn’t specify what his next album will be. The announcement could pose issues for DSPs like Apple Music and Spotify, though. Metro Boomin and Future dominated the Spotify charts with their joint album WE DON”T TRUST YOU in March. Forbes reported that the duo occupied half a dozen of the top 10 spots on Spotify’s U.S. charts. The biggest song, “Like That,” beat out the second place entry by an impressive 400K streams. This announcement comes a year after Metro Boomin decided to sell part of his publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital for $70 million.
Metro is mindful of his worth, but he’s made a point of avoiding “cash grab” trends. He spoke on the importance of maintaining a quality brand during an interview with Variety. “I feel like people can just tell I care,” he asserted. “At a time when everybody has their hand out — like, ‘Let me do this for cash; let me make a dance for TikTok’ — you can hear all the details and thought behind my music.” Only time will tell if the producer sticks to his non-streaming plan.
Don Toliver has an instantly recognizable voice. Few artists make their presence on a track known as a quickly as the Houston rapper. It’s the reason Travis Scott signed him to Cactus Jack Records, and why he’s amassed a huge following over the last five years. HARDSTONE PSYCHO is his fourth album, but it truly feels like a coming out party. The album encapsulates everything Don Toliver does well on record, while introducing new and exciting musical ideas. Simply put, it’s his best release to date.
The writing was on the wall from the singles. “BANDIT” was a stunning teaser single built on a classic rock sample and a stuttering beat. “ATTITUDE” was even better, as Don Toliver teamed up with Cash Cobain to remake a beloved Pharrell track. The rest of HARDSTONE PSYCHO maintains this exciting, musically bold direction. “BACKSTREETS” is a memorable duet with another eccentric vocalist, Teezo Touchdown. Travis Scott shows up a couple of times to wave the Cactus Jack flag, but his presence is most notable on the nocturnal “INSIDE.” All of the features do their thing, but HARDSTONE PSYCHO is a triumph because Toliver carries the solo tracks with newfound confidence. He’s never sounded better on solo cuts like “LAST LAUGH” and “TORE UP.” He’s the real deal, in case that was ever in doubt.
Let us know what you think of this brand-new track, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Over the past few years, hip-hop artists have publicly indulged a wider range of interests, and in doing so, found more avenues to express their creativity. One of those is comic books; plenty of rappers, like Isaiah Rashad, have long been fans, and recently, some of them, like Flatbush Zombies, Rico Nasty, and Vince Staples, have written their own comic books.
Joining their number is one of the most fitting figures to have a comic book, Metro Boomin. His last album was called Heroes & Villains, and it did have a running theme based in the world of comic book superheroes, with samples taken from The Boys. His Zero Zero-published comic will be called The Metroverse; it’s co-written by Ryan Cady, who’s written for DC and Marvel, as well as Adventure Time, illustrated by Vasilis Lolos, and edited by Joshua Frankel. Fred Stresing is on colors, Micah Meyers does the letters, and Vincent Kings will handle design and back-up story art. The story will be about “Metro’s musical journey portrayed in an immersive comic universe.” No word yet on if Drake will appear as a villain.
The first issue will debut this week, with a special pop-up at NTWRK LA on Fairfax in Los Angeles on June 13th from 11am to 7pm PT. You can find more information about the release here.
”. JID then confirmed that it was an album and not just a single after one user originally claimed, “Metro Boomin Teases His Song With JID”. Since that bombshell, both have been repeatedly asked if it still in the works. 
(@metroboomin)
(@nojumper)