Charlamagne Tha God has expressed his disagreement with Bobby Shmurda’s criticism of rap music. He says that Shmurda should not undermine the genre because he owes his fame and recognition to it. Charlamagne discussed the topic on The Breakfast Club‘s segment, “The Rumor Report,.” He went on to kindly acknowledge Shmurda’s energy and personality. However, he pointed out that the public hasn’t been receptive to his new music since his release from prison.
Charlamagne also emphasized that the culture may not be so keen on the new attitude. While he realizes that Bobby Shmurda has avoided being a snitch and is now creating positive music, the culture doesn’t seem to appreciate or acknowledge that about him. Furthermore, he believes that rap is the reason why people know Shmurda. He highlighted that, because of this, Shmurda’s criticisms of the genre may not resonate well with the audience.
The Origin Of Bobby Shmurda’s Opinion On Rap
The conversation about Bobby Shmurda’s disdain for rap music began when he appeared on The Danza Project podcast. There, he advised children to stay away from hip-hop because he sees it as dangerous. Shmurda expressed concern that kids might take the lifestyles portrayed in rap lyrics as reality. However, he says the rappers themselves may not have even experienced those circumstances. He believes rap music should uplift people and encourage positive change. Now, however, he believes it promotes negativity. As a result of this, Bobby Shmurda shared that he no longer enjoys rap music. Apparently, he only listens to it when he’s at the club.
Shmurda went on to say that he prefers reggae now. He is so disconnected from the rap scene that he wouldn’t even notice if another rapper dissed him in a song. This isn’t the first time Bobby Shmurda has discussed his decision to distance himself from rap music and make a change. In March, he took to Instagram to share his journey towards self-improvement after being involved in criminal activities. He made it clear that he is determined to pursue a productive and successful future. He says he wants to make the best use of his time.
Throughout music history, women in the music industry have shared their experiences on how the industry has influenced their decision-making. More seriously, these decisions have included body altering such as Brazilian Butt Lifts, skin alterations, and even abortions. Cheryl James, also known as Salt of the legendary rap group, Salt-N-Peppa, recently got candid in an interview about her experiences as a member of the music industry. Cheryl James is interviewed with her groupmate in the emotional discussion.
In a sneak preview posted on youtube, the rap duo sat down with popular Tv-Talk Show Host, Tamron Hall, to discuss the truths and misconceptions women face in the music industry. The topic of motherhood lead Cheryl James to reveal the pressure she faced to get an abortion by someone she decided not to name. “I won’t say by who — but to your point, yeah, you just have to know that it’s something that you’re capable of handling if you want a kid and you want to have a career. And it’s definitely harder,” she said. Cheryl also took the moment to express how her having her child ultimately changed her life. “Like, I needed that lil’ baby in my life, you know?” she said. Additionally, she explained how her child was the “best thing” she has done.
Salt- N- Peppa Get Candid with Tamron Hall
Moreover, Salt-N-Peppa has broken barriers for women in Hip Hop. Their 1986 debut, Hot, Cool, Vicious sold over a million copies following its release. The album includes their most popular single ” Push It”. The song “Push It” has since become a pop culture phenomenon as it has been featured in films and commercials. The song is also platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Additionally, they won a Grammy at the 39th edition of the Grammy Awards.
Furthermore, Salt-N Peppa’s career has inspired women to enter the industry on their own terms. Tamron celebrated the duo by noting that they have achieved a successful career while balancing motherhood. In February, they appeared on the Grammys to celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop. They have earned a successful career as one of the notable founding faces of women in hip-hop.
As she embarks upon the week of her 26th birthday, Coi Leray has a few things to get off of her chest. On Monday (May 8), the Trendsetter hitmaker used her Twitter profile to vent about the current status of the field she works in, writing, “The music industry is oversaturated. Every song is a hit. Everybody is a star.” Thousands of followers made it known they agree with the singer by liking or retweeting the post, but others didn’t hesitate to chime in with their opinions challenging Leray’s comments.
“Can’t help but think Coi benefited from said saturation,” one user pointed out, seemingly referring to the endless TikTok hits the Boston baddie has released throughout her career. “Valid message, wrong messenger,” their message concluded. On Tuesday (May 9) morning, Leray responded to that tweet, along with a few others. “Y’all [buggin],” she chiefly declared. “My versatility, my stage presence, my stats, my collabs, my brand deals,” the “Anxiety” artist quickly reminded readers of her various talents aside from crafting catchy tracks.
Y’all buggen. My versatility , my stage presence . My stats. My collabs. My Brand Deals . Fashion Girl. I can dance. Sing . Rap. It’s fine if you don’t see it now. I’m in no rush for you to notice https://t.co/yRwRcGt2VY
“[I’m a] fashion girl. I can dance, sing, [and] rap. It’s fine if you don’t see it now, I’m in no rush for you to notice,” Coi’s clap back continued. In another post that landed on her feed minutes later, she publicly hyped herself up even more as a reminder to any would-be haters that her confidence isn’t so easy to shake. “Lol, I’m that girl. Real life. Offline. In the booth, on the stage, on the red carpet. On the radio, overseas, and that’s just what it is, Leray noted. “Shout out to my bitches who stay true to themselves and [don’t give a f*ck] what nobody has to say!”
In later tweets, the soon-to-be birthday girl made it known that it’s all love, and she didn’t want to start drama with anyone. Rather, she’s reflecting on her achievements throughout the last year ahead of turning 26 on Thursday (May 11). Keep scrolling to read more from Coi Leray’s latest Twitter rant. Afterward, tell us if you agree with her take in the comments below. For more hip-hop and pop culture news updates, be sure to tap back in with HNHH later.
lol I’m that girl. Real life. Offline. In the booth. On the stage. On the red carpet. On the radio. Overseas. And that’s just what it is. Shout out to my bitches who stay true to them selves and dgaf what nobody has to say!
How many people on TikTok went top 10 gobal? How many on TikTok had the amount of success I had with NMP , TWINNEM, BIG PURR, DDG IMPATIENT , plus soooo many more https://t.co/0UfhLtyV1M
I’m not cocky at all. I’m human . I should be able to speak how I feel. Look at me like ya sistaaa when you need a have a drink and call . Don’t worry bootsyyy. It’s all love end of the day https://t.co/xLP3klnQZG
Bad Bunny is one of the few celebrities to make the difficult adjustment of performing in a WWE ring. Recently, the WWE has had a string of good luck with their celebrity additions to the team. Logan Paul has been a phenomenal talent for the company. The YouTube star put on an excellent show for fans at this year’s Royal Rumble and his match at Wrestlemania. Now it is official that Bunny will be making his return to the squared circle. The Latin hip-hop star even has his next opponent lined up.
The WWE will be running its special event, Backlash, next month in Puerto Rico. When the announcement was made that WWE was returning to Puerto Rico, fans were already assuming Bunny would be involved. A few weeks ago, it was announced that Bunny would be the guest host for the special event. However, his match had yet to be announced by the company. But this past Monday, fans finally got the news they were waiting for. Bunny has been involved in an on-screen storyline with WWE superstar Damian Priest. Although now it seems that the two will have a match at next month’s special event.
Bad Bunny Set For WWE Street Fight
Bad Bunny v Damian Priest in a ‘San Juan Street Fight’ is official for #WWEBacklash
The match is being billed as a ‘San Juan Street Fight.’ A street fight in the WWE is basically a no-rules-style match. A match where weapons are legal and all but guarantee a lot of the action will happen outside of the ring. However, this past Monday on WWE’s Monday Night Raw, Bunny teased his match with Priest. Fans were welcomed to see Bunny bring his own weapon to the ring to give them a little taste of his match at Backlash. During the segment, Bunny challenged Priest to a street fight.
Professional wrestling fans have always been leary of celebrities coming into their space. Consequently, on many occasions, fans can spot out if a celebrity really wants to be a part of the professional wrestling world. However, everyone notices just how invested Bunny is when he hits the screen. Will you be tuning in to see Bad Bunny back in action with the WWE? Let us know your thoughts on Bunny’s return to action in the comment section. For the latest news in hip-hop and entertainment, keep it right here with HNHH.
Spotify has been a game-changer in the music industry. The streaming platform has made it easier for big-name artists to connect with their fans. Additionally, many would argue that Spotify has democratized the industry. Gone are the days when budding artists were forced to sell mixtapes to passersby on the street. Furthermore, Spotify has lessened the need for artists to be noticed by big-name producers or record companies. Now, wannabe music stars can simply record their songs and upload them to the internet.
However, there is a downside to Spotify’s explosion in popularity. The amount of people on the platform has caused oversaturation. Subsequently, many of the songs are being ignored. Baller Alert took to Instagram to shed light on a new study that shows that much of the music being uploaded to Spotify is not being listened to. The study says that nearly a quarter of music uploaded to the platform received zero plays last year. Subsequently, that accounts for about 38 million songs. Additionally, the study also says that another 67 million songs on the platform received less than ten streams. That accounts for about half of the songs on Spotify.
Meanwhile, the study went on to place the number of total songs on Spotify at around 158 million. That means that about three-quarters of all of the music on the platform is largely going unheard, Furthermore, these numbers seem to suggest what most observers likely already knew. Spotify is dominated by big names. Artists like Eminem, NBA YoungBoy, and Miley Cyrus do massive numbers on the platform. Meanwhile, the majority of artists receive little to no play.
Obviously, music is a very difficult industry to break into. Most people who set out to become big-name musicians never meet their goals. Moreover, attracting an audience can be a difficult task. Indeed even highly talented artists will never will never taste stardom. However, one of the more perplexing things about the study is that people aren’t even listening to their songs. Moreover, it seems they are not promoting the music to their friends and family.
Creative AI may be the most disruptive technology for the music business since the Napster era of piracy. Already in 2023, over 10 different music AI models have been released by independent researchers and big-tech companies like Google and ByteDance, allowing users to generate custom tracks in seconds using a mere text prompt. Thanks to off-the-shelf music AI tools like Boomy, hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs are now listed on streaming services. At large, generative AI tools for text, and visual art like ChatGPT and Midjourney have picked up tens of millions of users, forcing us to rethink traditional notions of creativity, ownership, and attribution.
The concept at the core of why creative AI could be so disruptive is that the friction between having an idea, and manifesting that idea in the form of a creative work, has essentially gone down to zero. Barriers in distributing music have already been collapsing, with anyone now able to list their music on streaming services for free. To see the same barriers collapsing in the creative process means that the playing field of who can be an “artist,” in the sense of being an active participant in the music economy, will continue to increase dramatically.
The concept at the core of why creative AI could be so disruptive is that the friction between having an idea, and manifesting that idea in the form of a creative work, has essentially gone down to zero.
Traditional music-industry notions of authorship and attribution will likely need to be thrown out the window with creative AI, as what is happening under the hood with these AI models is much more complex than directly sampling a song. The legal and regulatory landscape around generative AI is still so unpredictable that trying to make any future predictions right now is a futile effort.
That said, any historical conflict between music and tech companies has usually boiled down to stubborn information silos between artists/rights holders and tech developers, and the lack of a shared language between those two parties around what counts as “success,” and what industry issues matter and why. So, my primary advice to artists and music-industry professionals is to break down these information silos now while we’re still early, and start talking to and collaborating with music and audio AI developers to develop a culture of transparent dialogue.
This goes the other way as well—the best music AI developers are building iterative feedback and collaboration cycles with artists into their day-to-day workflows. Novel approaches to licensing, monetization, and brand protection that are being experimented with right now with AI models prioritize direct artist consent and collaboration with developers as an ethical default (e.g. Spawning).
As these music AI models continue to mature rapidly and enter the hands of mainstream consumers, I think now is the time for music professionals to jump in, start experimenting, and have their say on how these tools can grow and evolve.
Generative AI is coming for music, whether we like it or not. Much like every other creative industry. Here are a few areas of impact:
1. There will be a flood of mediocre, indistinguishable, unoriginal music. Emphasis on context- and mood-based music, ambient, sleep, lo-fi, instrumental. ‘Good enough’ music, which has become plentiful in the last 5-10 years, will now go from the long-tail to the generative AI.
2. Music libraries and production houses will see the most change. The mass music-as-a-service companies will almost entirely transition to AI, wiping out a huge area for 9-5 musicians to earn a living.
3. We may see a paradox movement back to an artist and originality focus for listener habits. Artists over songs. You must stand out. You must connect. Authenticity & originality as a premium.
4. Artists who most effectively use AI as part of their creative stack will ride a new wave. That’s not just in the music, but in video, art, and more.
The takeaway is to learn and adapt. Know who you are. The era of ‘creating for the algorithm’ may come to an end. How can you beat an advanced AI at that?
Justice Baiden of LVRNAshley Maass of Ceinwen Studios
What are your thoughts or concerns around AI and music for the coming months and years?
Just like anything in life, moderation is key. I think AI will help a lot, but could hinder creativity based on that becoming people’s only tool.
What do you expect to happen if there is no moderation with AI?
With AI specifically, creativity could take a backseat, right? For me, AI is a tool and it’s supposed to be able to help you get from point A to point Z more efficiently. Creatively, AI can allow us to expand on ideas and even connect with people that can take it to a different space. But to be relying on it… like I’m even seeing things where people are getting AI to write them songs, but there’s still a percentage of human touch that’s needed. And that usually shows through an error. Computers try to be as accurate as possible. But as humans, we still have a percentage of error. And that’s a certain feeling we’ll lose if we lean too far. I feel like we’ll lose things that keep creativity sacred if we use AI as a crutch.
Right, it raises questions about things like work ethic and authenticity. Those things could potentially be questionable, and you might start to question how artists are making music and if it’s even them actually making it.
Yeah, exactly. For me, it’s not even the question of how artists make music, it’s more so: are you giving your best effort? The only way we can really push for the best creativity is through effort and by exploration. Once that’s removed and there’s a crutch, it slows down the innovation and the creativity.
The creatives can get lost because they don’t understand how to navigate tech, and the tech people don’t necessarily understand music language. So I think they both need each other, and tech is not going to stop moving forward. But creativity can.
Technology is never going to stop moving forward, and AI is just innovation in technology. But in the music industry or anything in the arts, the language between creativity and technology hasn’t been refined. The creatives can get lost because they don’t understand how to navigate tech, and the tech people don’t necessarily understand music language. So I think they both need each other, and tech is not going to stop moving forward. But creativity can.
With AI and how it might impact streaming streaming services, you mentioned the idea of how AI will double down on this idea of targeting your fans. Can you talk a little about that?
Yeah, even beyond music, I think the future of community building is going to involve a lot of niche focus. Right now, everything is so fragmented, but it’s not going to stop being fragmented because as more people get access to the internet, you get more pockets of different subcultures. They all continue to build and get stronger. Creating your community from a niche perspective is going to be the only way to sustain.
Someone like Beyoncé, for example, makes things an event. She’s loud enough and big enough and has enough reach to get the world to pay attention and focus on one thing for at least a day, right? Newer creatives aren’t going to have that luxury and that ability to get the whole world to be on the same page for a second.
I was at a conference a couple of weeks ago and Mr. Beast, the YouTube sensation, was giving a talk. And I knew who he was, but there were so many people around me that were asking, “Who is this guy?” That’s crazy, right? He has the biggest footprint on YouTube, but the fact that people didn’t even know who he is allows me to understand that it’s just all about niches and it’s all about how big you can make your niche. But for everybody to know one person? I think we’re just getting further and further away from that.
There is no there’s no limit on niches though. I look at how AI uses different keywords to advertise or get new fans, because at the end of the day interests are interests and we’re influenced by the people around us. I could be walking down the street, and I can almost guess who listens to Tyler, The Creator and who doesn’t. I’m not going to be 100%, but I know that I’ll be over 50%. If somebody looks at me, I don’t think they’ll guess I’m a huge Bon Iver fan.
What I’m trying to say is that there’s no limit to how big your niche gets. I think Mr. Beast proves that. He can have a hundred million people watch his video in two days. It’s still a niche, but it’s an international niche. Back in the day it was terrestrial radio and TV and we all had to pay attention to one thing, but it’s just not the same anymore. So you can try to build your community and grow it as much as possible, but the days of the whole world stopping to watch a music video are over.
Yeah, it’s fascinating, right? Working at a label and doing digital marketing, that’s something that we’re challenged with. How do you create that visual brand when people aren’t watching music videos in the same way as they used to? Everything is transitioning to short form, and how do you tell that story if people’s attention spans are diminishing?
Yeah, I challenge that theory. I think short form content is the way, but there’s still an audience that likes black and white movies. There’s still an audience that would appreciate short films. It might not be explosive numbers, but if the product is good and the quality’s there, you start to train your niche to understand and go along with what’s important to you. I think human behavior is just training. We have been trained to enjoy short form content. Long form content just takes longer but you have to train, to be patient, and the content has to be good. But if you can do that, I think you build more quality fans, because they appreciate what it is that you’re building.
What types of questions do you think AI raises when it comes to music creation, distribution, and marketing?
The recent advancements in AI technology have prompted a fascinating inquiry into its impact on the creative pursuits of musicians, particularly with regard to the authenticity of expressing genuine emotions through AI-generated lyrics. There is a debate on whether AI helps or hinders the creative process, and whether it leads to more emotionless music. There’s also the question of whether AI makes music production more accessible to individuals without specialized knowledge in music composition. It’s understandable that some artists have concerns about AI potentially replacing their artistic abilities, given that many individuals make a living through various creative fields such as songwriting, singing, producing, and mixing. Ultimately, the impact of AI on music creation remains an open question that warrants further exploration.
How do you foresee AI impacting the way artists create their music and the way fans consume it?
Songwriting is often a deeply personal and introspective process that can be hindered by writer’s block. In such cases, AI-generated prompts can serve as useful aids to help songwriters overcome creative hurdles and stimulate new ideas. However, if AI is solely responsible for generating lyrics, the resulting music may be perceived as lacking in emotional depth and authenticity. While some argue that AI-generated lyrics may result in more formulaic and emotionless music, others contend that AI can help songwriters more accurately express their intended feelings and emotions, which they may have struggled to find the right wording for.
Tao Romera (far right) and the Soundraw teamDarryl Milliner of SinceThe80s
Share your thoughts, questions, or concerns around AI and music for the coming months and years.
I think there’s going to be a shift in the creator industry. “Creators” are going to become more like “directors,” taking part in the whole process of creating a piece of work instead of specializing in one particular aspect. For example, until the emergence of AI, you had copywriters, illustrators, voiceover artists and music producers, to name a few of those specialized professionals. Thanks to AI, creators are going to be able to leverage a set of tools in order to create a piece of work. Specialized professionals are still going to be there because the AI tools and the new “directors”’ skills in each field will never be comparable, but it will allow a huge number of people to come up with pieces of work they would have never had the resources to create were it not thanks to the AI tools.
What types of questions do you think AI raises when it comes to music creation, distribution, and marketing?
In my opinion, the biggest question is about copyright infringement and how to properly compensate artists for their work in case their music has been used to train an AI model. It’s terrible that some companies are trying to make money on the back of artists by using their work to train an AI model and then sell works created by that AI.It’s terrible that some companies are trying to make money on the back of artists by using their work to train an AI model and then sell works created by that AI.
It’s terrible that some companies are trying to make money on the back of artists by using their work to train an AI model and then sell works created by that AI.
Soundraw’s AI engine has been trained exclusively on music generated in-house by our music producers, so the music generated by Soundraw is free from any copyright infringements. We respect the artists’ work.
How do you think AI will impact streaming services?
Depending on the genre, I think we will see a lot of AI-generated music occupying spaces in the streaming industry. For example, lo-fi music is a good candidate. But for music you want to properly listen to, as opposed to music you play in the background while you do something else, I don’t think AI will become relevant.
How do you foresee AI impacting the way artists create their music and the way fans consume it?
AI can actually be a great tool for artists, especially aspiring artists—people who can’t afford expensive beat lease licenses or a music producer/sound engineer. So rather than damaging the artists and the music industry, I think it’s going to have a very positive impact on it by allowing many more people to become artists and democratizing music creation.
AI technology provides many helpful applications, such as systems being used for composition through machine learning which can generate musical ideas or fragments that can then be refined by a human touch. There are also tools like LANDR which use AI to provide mastering services at affordable rates, a much more cost-efficient alternative to purchasing the necessary recording hardware and mastering software. AI algorithms are being used to create playlists on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora.
AI tools are also being used by artists to create music, sounds, and references, as well as content. Content is vital for an artist to promote themselves, and AI content and art generators like Jasper.ai and Open.ai’s Dall-E are efficient and accurate systems. These programs are beneficial to artists and creatives as they save time, money, and keep the vision moving forward. Although AI technology has been used for many things in the music industry, I am still searching for a software that can take an uploaded song or sound and generate a piece of cover art or a visualizer based on the audio rather than a typed summary in a field box.
I would also like to mention that I used Playground AI to help me properly edit and get my ideas across more concisely in this letter.
Concerns:
My concerns regarding AI are that this software could begin to be used in a way that promotes full replacement of any human element or touch in this process. Creating music, marketing plans, and rollouts require cohesiveness but also a human experience. Finding ways to connect with fans, family, and friends through music is the one of the most important factors of why we all love and listen to music. It influences and inspires us with a feeling of love and compassion. I am not sure a machine can ever truly learn that, no matter what level of sophistication.
I have a concern that people will begin relying too much on this technology rather than going fully through the ups and downs of a creative process, which is usually what can be felt through the works once released. Keeping the human element and touch is essential and hopefully will never diminish.
Disclaimer: Opinion focused on music creation in particular, not about other ways AI can help artists.
I see the evolution of music and how it’s created and consumed as very similar to the evolution of the video space: Previously there was just Hollywood and PGC (100% access gated), then YouTube started and a few more people could create (via prosumer video editor, 10% access), then TikTok came out and way more creative people got access to simple tools to create videos (25% access). AI-generated music now will move access up to 90%.
AI will enable artists to share a much higher quantity of songs, and then have an increased chance to win in the sea/avalanche of mass UGC and AGC music that is about to flood the gates.
As we see with video and entertainment, Hollywood (PGC), Creator Videos (UGC) and now AGC (AI-curated content, e.g. Stable Diffusion) can co-exist, given lots of people have different tastes that are changing generationally. Similarly, professional music (PGM, labels, indie artists), creator music (UGM, e.g. mayk.it) and now AI-generated music (AGM) will co-exist. The timeline to move from PGC to AGC has been accelerated compared to video, where we almost skip the TikTok phase. When you flood the world with new stories and voices, now anyone can find stories that represent them, which wasn’t possible before for literally any niche.
Another important behavioral change that has already happened in the TikTok era is the commoditization of content. The game is mainly about quantity now—if you pump out 100 videos or songs a week, there is a good chance that one of them is going to be more successful and find its audience. In music we have been stuck in the library phase (Spotify, SoundCloud era = create perfect songs to last) and just started moving into this era last year. AI will help accelerate artist wins.
So will AI music replace musicians? Definitely not. It will enhance their workflow and help them focus on the most creative part of the song creation process: the core idea and feeling of the song. AI will enable artists to share (publish) a much higher quantity of songs to social media given the AI-assistance and then have an increased chance to win, given their creative capabilities, in the sea/avalanche of mass UGC and AGC music that is about to flood the gates. The best creative spark and relatable idea will continue to win. More artists can just play more and have more chances now.
DJ Quik recently revealed that he almost fought with hip-hop legend Tupac over a misunderstanding. “Outside the studio, he was a jokester – bagging on n****s — joking, fun — we toured a little bit. He got in my ass one time too — we were about to get into a fight because he thought I was stealing his stage show — like when he would rap and jump up on the speakers. I had to tell him ‘bro I got that off of Bobby Brown my n**** — off of the ‘My Prerogative’ shit.”
The DJ then shared the way they resolved the conflict. “Come here, Quik. Let me holler at you — How am I stealing the show — this n**** hot; he ready to fight. So, instead of us fighting, we went into the weight room and just started lifting weights and shit. You know what I’m saying? Just go in there like ‘knock it out, dog.’”
The Time DJ Quik Almost Died
This isn’t the first time DJ Quik has gotten into trouble thanks to the “All Eyez On Me” artist. The star recently recounted how he could have lost his life in an altercation over Tupac’s bootleg music in a Uproxx Video interview. He states that he gave a security guard a copy of a copy of a CD that the late rhymer was working on.
Quick said “‘Ay, you know ni**as up here playin’ that new Tupac sh*t y’all in there workin’ on?’ He’s like, ‘What!?’ What!?. So I get a call, ‘Hey man, come up to the office.’ I already know with them Death Row meetings, when they call you randomly at 4:20 to fight traffic and get up here, ‘Aw, this finna’ be some bullsh*t.’”
The 53-year-old then speaks about getting into a life-threatening altercation after he asked the security guard who received the aforementioned CD from him. “So I fight the dude, and he dropped his Hennessy, and I think he was more mad that he dropped his Hennessy than me actually swinging on him or whatever. So he told his homeboy, ‘Man, blast this mothaf*cka!’ My man just pulled out a Tec and cocked it. I just [stopped and became] cold over this dumb-ass Tupac tape. So my man didn’t shoot me. My security got the gun from him and was like, ‘Y’all just go ahead up.” What’s your favorite DJ Quik song? Let us know in the comments.
Method Man and Redman. Two names that hold enormous weight in the hiphop industry. These two hip hop heavyweights made their debut during the Golden Era in the 90’s. While separately there is no denying their greatness, over the past two decades, they have become synonymous with one another.
Having become somewhat recognized as a package deal in the entertainment industry, many have speculated whether the two MC’s were actually related due to their similar names and incredibly close relationship. Though the two are not related, it is only fair to wonder given the amount of other industry stars that actually are. Artists such as GZA, RZA and ODB are all related and created the very Wu-Tang Clan that Method Man is a part of. Though the pair have accumulated plenty of aliases over the years such as Meth & Red, Red & Mef, John Blaze and Funk Doc, they very much broke into the industry on their own accord.
On Their Own
Method Man (L) and Redman of Redman & Method Man perform during the Pemberton Music Festival. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/FilmMagic)
Clifford Smith, Jr. Is better known by his stage name Method Man. He was born March 2, 1971 in Hempstead, Long Island. Smith divided his childhood between his father’s Long Island residence and his mother’s home in Clifton. During those years, he hung out and rapped with Robert Diggs (now known by the names Prince Rakeem, or the RZA) and his cousins Gary Grice (the Genius, or GZA) and Russell Jones (Ol’ Dirty Bastard).
Some years later, Diggs and Grice, after suffering recording industry setbacks, gathered old friends Jones and Smith along with newcomers Dennis Coles (Ghostface Killah), Jason Hunter (Inspectah Deck), Lamont Hawkins (U-God), and Raekwon to form the Wu-Tang Clan in 1991. And after some practice, they were considered the best crew of MCs in the neighborhood. He took his stage name from the 1979 film Method Man. Meanwhile, while the Wu-Tang was being formed on Staten Island, Redman’s roots began in Newark, New Jersey. Reginald Noble is best known by his stage name Redman. Growing up he was raised in Newark, New Jersey and attended West Side High School. Which was an experience he described as “off the hook”.
How Method Man Got His Start
He was later expelled from Montclair State University his freshman year due to poor academic performance. At the time having no other options, Redman then went back home to live with his mother, who kicked him out of her house for selling drugs. Roughly two years later, when he was 18 years old Redman became a DJ-MC who went by the name “DJ Kut-Killa”. During that time he would freestyle over funk and hip hop instrumentals that were spun on vinyl records in various parks and house parties around New York and New Jersey.
Eventually, he was discovered by Erick Sermon of the legendary hip hop group EPMD. A few months after moving in with Sermon, Redman went out on tour with EPMD. While on tour with them he did everything from carrying their bags to coming out on stage and doing rap freestyles. In 1990, during one of their shows in New York, Redman was invited onstage by Erick Sermon where he delivered a rap freestyle that was life changing. He freestyled a song describing himself as a rapper using every letter in the alphabet, from A to Z. After his performance, Redman began production with Erick Sermon on his first major label album.
The Dynamic Duo
Rappers Method Man and Redman perform during the Budlight Event 2017 SXSW Conference and Festivals. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW)
The duo have known each other long before they both signed with Def Jam records. They actually met for the first time at a Kris Kross release party in the very early 90’s. In 1994 during their time under the same label they met again on tour. And then again in 1995 in a recording studio while working with 2Pac. The pair recorded “Got My Mind Made Up” for his multi-platinum album All Eyez on Me.
During an interview Redman explained what touring together was like and how it solidified the pair’s friendship. He explained, “Every time when we roll together, I’m the music man. I put the music on or whatever. We listen to s**t that everyone can vibe to whether it’s beats or old school, whatever. I’m kinda the DJ. So, when we was riding in the vans at that time doing promotion, that’s real promotion, we had some songs written.
They Started Making Music Together
He continued and said, “That’s how I can say how the Red and Meth brand came about was from us being on the road when Def Jam put us there. They placed that scene I would say. They mapped out that scene for us to be on the road. It was up to us, organically, to make the Red and Meth brand happen because it could’ve went another way. It could’ve went like, ‘Alright, I ain’t f***in’ with this n***a. Or I ain’t f***in’ with this n***a.’ And we could’ve just went on about our business after that promo tour. But after that promo tour, I threw them beats on and we literally connected through the music organically, and we came back home like real good friends and ready to say, ‘You know what? Let’s do an album.’”
After this, they had a few friendly freestyle battles against each other on the 90’s TV show, “Yo! MTV Raps”, which ultimately led to their collaborative debut single “How High” in 1995. In 2001 the rappers teamed up to star in the stoner classic coincidentally also titled, “How High”. In the film, Redman and Method Man portray two cannabis users who are visited by the ghost of a deceased friend after smoking his ashes. The ghost helps with their exams, and they receive scholarships to Harvard University. While the movie did not receive the best reviews, it goes down as one of the top stoner films of all time.
What Are They Doing Now?
I(L-R) Rappers Method Man of Wu Tang Clan and Redman perform onstage during the KDay 93.5 Krush Groove concert. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
While the pair’s last official album, “Blackout 2!” was released in 2009, neither of them have stayed out of the spotlight. Singularly or collectively. As recently as 2022 the two had released music. A track titled, “Live From the Meth Lab”. Which featured Method Man, Redman, Hiphop legend KRS-one and Jojo Pellegrino. Although neither of them have released an album alone or together in a few years, it is not because of a rift between them at all. They have had and continue to have much love for one another. Although they are not blood brothers address each other and refer to one another as such on and off cameras.
Rick Rubin, the legendary producer whose influence is still heralded as gospel, said that he knows nothing about music. In a recent interview with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, he explained how he has no technical knowledge of music production. Moreover, he had some insights as to why his style and taste is so sought-after… and successful.
SANTA MONICA, CA – NOVEMBER 01: Rick Rubin attends the premiere of Endangered Spirit’s ‘Bunker77’ on November 01, 2017 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by JB Lacroix/ Getty Images)
“Do you play instruments?” Cooper asked the Def Jam co-founder. “Barely,” he replied, to which Cooper responded almost incredulously: “Do you know how to work a soundboard?”
“No. I have no technical ability, and I know nothing about music,” Rubin stated. Cooper laughed, as we’re sure many did when they heard those words. Furthermore, given his track record (Kanye West, Run-DMC, The Strokes, Johnny Cash, Black Sabbath, and Eminem just to name a few), this seems preposterous. Still, the 59-year-old identified why he stamped his name into the game.
“I know what I like and what I don’t like, and I’m decisive about what I like and what I don’t like,” he expressed.
“So what are you being paid for?” Cooper asked. “The confidence that I have in my taste and my ability to express what I feel has proven helpful for artists,” the Beastie Boys producer said humbly.
The best leaders are decisive and make decisions quickly. It’s a massively underrated strength. pic.twitter.com/tsPPFZJwhU
In a previous interview with Channel 4 News, the producer highlighted the importance of singularity and not comparing yourself to others. Moreover, such advice likely fueled some of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Some are License to Ill by The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. However, more recent examples of Rubin’s genius are Ye’s Yeezus and Slim Shady’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2.
“We each have a singular voice, we each have our own voice,” he told Channel 4. “What I do is different than what you do…we all do something different and they’re not comparable. They have nothing to do with each other. It’s apples and oranges.
“So if you make something today and you think it can be better,” he concluded, “tomorrow you can improve it. You can continually make the thing you’re making better. You can learn and practice and do anything.”
Still, what do you think of Rick Rubin supposedly knowing “nothing” about music? However you may feel, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for more wisdom from the music industry’s genius gurus.
. Don’t worry bootsyyy. It’s all love end of the day 
