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Ty Dolla Sign Enjoys “Vultures” Success, Reaches Massive Streaming Accolade

February 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Everyone’s talking about the new album Vultures in regards to its most popular artist, Kanye West. Even though a lot of the project sounds like it came from him and is oriented around his status, it’s a collab album. A big issue with our coverage of this LP -– and that of most publications, for that matter -– is that we might not have properly taken the time to give Ty Dolla $ign his flowers. Say what you will about his association with Ye’s antisemitism, but he is the glue that holds Vultures together, and is its most consistently great force. Fortunately, based on the numbers, the 41-year-old is definitely getting his due praise.

Moreover, a new report emerged suggesting that Ty Dolla Sign is now the ninth most streamed artist on Spotify. Apparently, this reflects a jump of 155 spots from before Vultures had released on the platform after a long wait, which is an amazing feat. Given the discrepancy between his popularity and that of Kanye West, we’re glad that this opportunity at least put him on the spotlight in a way that would boost his visibility, his numbers, and his acclaim. No matter what on God’s green Earth is going on during any given album cut, you can bet on the Los Angeles native to deliver a strong chorus or melodic line.

Ty Dolla Sign Goes Up With The Release Of Vultures

What’s more is that his emotion and perspective also shines through in a very engaging and compelling way. For example, Ty Dolla Sign’s half on the track “Talking,” plus the music video, shows his dedication and passion as a father. Contrasted with the wild statements that Kanye West espouses, this gets to the heart of their collaborative project in a much more clear and unencumbered way. As such, he’s definitely a saving grace on Vultures for those looking for something deeper, although we have to give the production its due credit, too.

If you’re interested in who else made this album what it is, you can find the features and production credits here. Do you think that the rap-R&B artist is worty of this praise and success? Let us know what you thought about him on Vultures down in the comments section below. As always, for more news and the latest updates on Ty Dolla Sign, stay logged into HNHH.

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Frank Ocean Makes History As Independent Artist Thanks To Streaming Numbers

December 30, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Frank Ocean is a complex leader in the art world, as he is as mysterious and reserved as he is beloved and sought-after. Moreover, this unique position and the strength of his incredible and consistently quality discography made him one of the most popular artists working today. Now, the former Odd Future crooner became the most streamed independent artist of all time after reaching over 14 billion streams on Spotify (note: he wasn’t always independent). When folks shared this news online, many reacted with more theories as to when he will finally drop his full-length follow-up to 2016’s Blonde. Those are as unfounded as ever, but things may change very soon.

Furthermore, die-hards went into a frenzy earlier this year when Frank Ocean teased not one, but two new songs over the course of a few days. Sonically, they seem quite sparse, cavernous, chilled-out, and minimal, while nonetheless displaying some vocal charisma and engaging soundscapes. Of course, this didn’t really manifest into anything, but fans hope that there will be much more to chew on in 2024. After all, the 36-year-old couldn’t have performed at Coachella this year and teased a new project for nothing, right? …Right?

Frank Ocean Reaches Massive Milestone As Independent Artist

Frank Ocean has surpassed 14 BILLION streams making him the most streamed independent artist of all time. pic.twitter.com/WSLaHXDd2u

— Frank Ocean Updates (@blahnded) December 29, 2023

Regardless, this whole debacle actually turned quite ironic recently thanks to an interaction with another artist who’s infamous for not dropping music. Playboi Carti posted a screenshot of a DM he allegedly sent Frank Ocean asking for him to drop the snippet that he teased, and thus, he promoted both of their rollouts and social media activity. If there’s anyone that can convince a hibernating beast to leave their cave, maybe it’s their mate snoozing right next to them. As such, hopefully this inspires some more movement in this regard, or at least gives him more motivation to keep going.

Meanwhile, that motivation is something that the “Lens” icon provided to none other than the one and only André 3000. Not only did he listen and give his thoughts on his new album New Blue Sun before it came out, but 3 Stacks also spoke recently about how it was a “blessing” for artists like Frank to give him feature spots after his career started to wrap up. Here’s hoping he’s not in that phase yet. For more news and the latest updates on Frank Ocean, the most streamed independent artist of all time, stick around on HNHH.

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“fukumean” Nabs Gunna This Incredible Streaming Milestone For Rap In 2023

December 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

When you think of the best hip-hop songs of 2023, there’s a lot of variety to pick from when it comes to styles and appeals. Of course, people want their hits, and many massive albums this year like Drake’s For All The Dogs and Travis Scott’s UTOPIA amassed staggering numbers. With all these highlights in mind from these huge names, you’d expect something like a “MELTDOWN” or a “First Person Shooter” to be the biggest streaming hits, right? Well, instead, Gunna’s “fukumean” off of his album a Gift & a Curse ended up being the most streamed rap song of 2023 in the United States.

Furthermore, this isn’t so much surprising as it is just a curious and emblematic development when you look at the state of 2020s hip-hop. New sounds are replacing old ones as they bubble up to the top, and artist like Gunna who’ve built their career in the mainstream for years are now entering its highest echelons. We also can’t say this isn’t a deserved accolade. “fukumean” is hands-down the catchiest and most structurally engaging song on his project, even if you don’t care for the persistent “ee-yah!” vocal sample.

Gunna’s “fukumean” Dominated Hip-Hop Streams This Year

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With over 400 million streams across all digital streaming platforms in 2023, this track can now officially call itself the biggest rap hit of the year. What’s more is that, through recent live performances and surely more to come, Gunna has ample opportunities to celebrate this feat and his career trajectory as a whole. Not only that, but he’s also making sure to stay grounded in the collective that, although strained now due to their RICO case and his plea deal, gave him this shot at stardom. For example, during the College Park native’s recent Dubai show, he shouted out Young Thug and advocated for his freedom during his rendition of their track “Hot.”

Meanwhile, that conversation dominated a good chunk of the year, but now took more of a backseat. With Thugger’s father defending Wunna against his new opps in the game, people are split on how to interpret the state of their relationship. All we can say for sure is that there’s a chance he’ll come through with the biggest rap song of 2024, too. On that note, stick around on HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Gunna.

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Gunna Dethrones Drake For 2023’s Most Streamed Hip-Hop Song In The U.S.

September 17, 2023 by newhiphopnews

One of the prevailing narratives around hip-hop in 2023 has been its relative downturn in commercial success compared to past years. While that argument is true for top chart placements and such, to say that rap is “dying” would be a massive misconception. After all, there have been no shortage of massive tracks this year, and one of the genre’s most money-making artists just got beat out by an “underdog” story from a massive MC in his own right. Moreover, Gunna’s “fukumean” just recently beat out Drake’s “Search & Rescue” as the most streamed rap song from this year in the United States.

Considering the tight pull that both lyricists have over the game right now, this shouldn’t come as much surprise. Wunna’s album a Gift & a Curse prompted one of the most diverse discussion topics in rap, centered around his plea deal in the YSL RICO case. As for Drake, he dominates commercial metrics all the time, and getting past him is no easy task. With his upcoming album For All The Dogs releasing soon, maybe a cut from that (or a few) will reclaim this accolade.

“fukumean” Versus “Search & Rescue”: Gunna Takes The Crown

Of course, thanks to the aforementioned controversy around his release, we haven’t seen these two link up in some time. Still, we can’t really say whether that’s explicitly because of Drake “picking a side” in the “snitching” conversation. In fact, most of the developments in that area revolve around gossip, bars open to interpretation, and very little from the actual artists. For example, despite all the ruckus, Gunna still gave Young Thug a birthday shoutout at his recent show. For now, all we can really take in as fans and listeners is the music itself, and in that regard, Wunna certainly made his mark this year.

Meanwhile, the 6 God will likely join that conversation of the best rap-adjacent albums of the year alongside a Gift & a Curse very soon. His recent single with SZA, “Slime You Out,” took more of an R&B direction, but there will probably be some killer verses on here. One thing’s for sure, though: don’t expect this to diminish “fukumean” or “Search & Rescue” on the aux for the rest of 2023. On that note, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Gunna and Drake.

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