ASAP Twelvyy is closing his year with a bang, recently unveiling his new track “Ain’t Gon Cry.” He dropped the mellow song last week alongside a cinematic accompanying music video. “ENDING THE YEAR LIKE I STARTED IT .. IN MY BAGGER VANCE NOTHING CAN STOP ME AIN’T GON CRY OUT NOW. RUN IT UP. MUCH LOVE TO MY TEAM SQUAD FANS FAMILY AND EVERY ONE PUSHING THE MOVEMENT.. THANK YOU,” he wrote of the song on Instagram.
The track itself boasts a laid-back beat and insightful bars. It follows the release of his single “Millennium Puzzle,” which he dropped late last month. It also follows the release of various other singles he shared throughout 2024 including “Verrazzano Vision,” “Bronx Zoo,” “Checkpoint Charlie,” and more. This latest release has fans demanding another full-length project from the NYC rapper, though at the time of writing, it remains unclear whether or not he has anything in the works. “Best song out right now,” one YouTube commenter writes. “It’s just too gooooood,” another says.
Twelvyy’s last full-length release, Kid$ Gotta Eat, arrived in July of 2023. Roughly a year ago, he dropped a deluxe edition of the project featuring the likes of Rome Streetz, ASAP Nast, ASAP Ant, and more. Following the release of the deluxe edition of the album, he went on a mini-tour across the United States in support of it. This included his first-ever headlining show in New York City at Sony Hall, for which he was joined by Rome Streetz, Teewhy G, and 27Delly in May.
Future probably hoped that he would close out 2024 with no further legal issues, but sadly, that’s not the case. Moreover, according to legal documents reportedly obtained by AllHipHop, Minnesota-based company MIK Corporation filed a lawsuit claiming that the “Everyday Hustle” MC, Egyptian artist Mohammed Ramadan and Lebanese-Canadian singer Sari Abboud they used a trademarked “Limo-Jet” in their “ARABI” music video without the company’s permission and damaged the custom vehicle. For those of you that have no idea what a “Limo-Jet” is, it’s a repurposed jet fuselage turned into a luxurious limousine. MIK owns the trademark for it and rents it out for events. Allegedly, the defendants agreed that they would not use the “Limo-Jet,” but they filmed it anyway without consent.
Per the court docs, Mohammed Ramadan first contacted MIK in April of 2023 in order to maybe get the “Limo-Jet” for shows in California and Dubai. Eventually, he and his associates visited Des Plaines, Illinois and saw the vehicle stored in a lot to continue discussions. Reportedly, all parties at this visit agreed that Ramadan and his affiliates would not post footage of the “Limo-Jet” without asking MIK first and that they wouldn’t damage anything. But apparently, during this same visit, someone scuffed the paint per MIK’s allegations. Then, the company claims that the release of the Future-featuring “ARABI” in February of 2024 shocked them, particularly its “Limo-Jet”-starring visual.
Furthermore, the present lawsuit against Future and company alleges breach of contract, negligence, fraud, and misappropriation. MIK’s pursuit of damages would hypothetically cover both the commercial use of the “Limo-Jet” without permission and the vehicle’s literal alleged damages. As a codefendant, Universal Music Group claimed the court should dismiss the accusation due to a lack of personal jurisdiction in Illinois. Seems like UMG’s got a couple of court headaches on their hands. But not this one.
The court agreed, even though MIK argued Ramadan was an agent of UMG in their amended complaint. The judge found an unsubstantial connection between both parties, and ruled that they could not establish the necessary jurisdiction to involve UMG. As such, they dismissed UMG as codefendants and gave MIK until December 15 to change their filing. In addition, the court noted that they don’t know if they were able to properly serve the other codefendants with the lawsuit, as the only confirmed serving was for Future’s Wilburn Holding Company. So maybe the other codefendants walk away from this if process servers don’t reach them in time… But the 2024 rap beef participant is in this fight whether he likes it or not.
Get ready for a no-brainer phrase that’s already been cooked to death: Kendrick Lamar’s new album GNX is a love letter to many things. But above all, it’s an exciting and passionate celebration of Black culture, the West Coast, and hip-hop. So it should come as no surprise that our first visuals from the project, the “squabble up” music video, are filled to the brim with the type of galaxy-brained, deep, sometimes simple, but always compelling references that he’s become so beloved and also infamous for. Drake was joking about quintuple-entendres back during his “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss, and K.Dot himself raps the following on the new LP’s opener, “wacced out murals”: “F**k a double entendre, I want y’all to feel this s**t.“
While most of the easter eggs and callbacks in the “squabble up” music video don’t carry those multiple meanings and subtle shots, they do present a very rich, appreciative, and distinct snapshot of Black and West Coast culture that many fans appreciated. Whether it’s showing a love for classic film and television, iconic albums, cultural legends, or the history of Black political identity and advocacy, Kendrick Lamar came through with some really slick homages… Plus plenty of homework for people out of the loop. We’re sure we missed plenty of significant inclusions such as the Compton Christmas parade and a CUZZOS cameo, so make sure to point out your favorite finds in the comments section down below.
First up is the most obvious and present visual reference throughout Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” music video. The shoot’s set itself and the compositional framing parallel that of The Roots’ 1999 music video for “The Next Movement” off of their classic album Things Fall Apart… Save for the velvet curtains, changes in lighting, and topsy-turvy blocking. The color of the walls, the lights on the ceiling, and even the square ridges around the room all evoke Black Thought and company’s original video, while still very much making the new homage its own thing.
However, this is one of the more surprising and unexpected tributes you’ll find in Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” music video. That’s because there isn’t really much of a West Coast connection here, but The Roots are undeniably one of the all-time legendary hip-hop groups that always have a lot to say about culture, politics, and history. As such, it’s not a complete shocker, especially when you consider that GNX as an album is filled with these loving celebrations of rap music and its legends. From the Rakim evocations on “tv off,” the very clear Nas interpolation on “man at the garden,” plus some other lyrical nods to folks like Biggie Smalls, the Compton lyricist is proud to represent the art form beyond his regional barriers.
Two flags in the design of David Hammons “Untitled (African-American Flag),” 1990, hang from the walls in Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” video.
They replace the colors of the American flag, instead using the red, black, and green from the Pan-African flag by Marcus Garvey. pic.twitter.com/XA7UghHERe
This particular section of “squabble up” has many important nods, plus some still unexplained ones like the two balloons. But let’s get one of them out of the way by reminding ignorant readers that the flags featured in this segment are not a nod to EbonyPrince2k24. That’s the African-American flag designed by artist David Hammons in 1990. It replaces the red, white, and blue of the United States flag with the colors of the Pan-African flag, which represents the African diaspora, pan-Africanism, and Black nationalism. Even though its creator Marcus Garvey and his ideologies have faced a lot of historical reevaluation over the years, the Pan-African flag still stands as a powerful call for African unity across colonized and diaspora populations against a system that would rather quell them. In the context of Black plight in the U.S., the African-American flag reclaims that cultural heritage.
In addition, toward the end of “squabble up,” Kendrick Lamar stands near what looks like a Black Panther Party statue and some artwork of Black Jesus. Furthermore, all these elements combine to speak on themes of Black mobilization, unity, identity, political thought, advocacy, and empowerment. Also, it speaks to the different layers of loyalty and confrontation that Kendrick engages in. This one is more about Black culture versus its exploiters, but there’s also West Coast culture versus its naysayers and Dot himself versus the rap game. Throughout it all, he doesn’t flinch. Still, this is not the writer to speak on this deeply (or any of these references, for that matter), so we encourage you to branch out with your own diligent, self-aware, and respectful research if you aren’t a part of the community.
Not every single reference in the “squabble up” music video is worthy of a full breakdown. Sometimes, it’s just a funny and gassed-up flex. For example, the most confident part of the whole visual is when Kendrick Lamar sits down to read a book titled How To Be More Like Kendrick For Dummies. Of course, when you’re making so many homages in a music video for a song off an album that pulls so much from past and contemporary hip-hop artists both in and outside of the West Coast, this is a pretty ironic statement that shoots itself in the foot a bit. But it works just as well as a boisterous bite from the 37-year-old to everyone under him in the rap game. He probably thinks that all of them want a copy, but if they think those attempts will help them, they’re probably dummies.
The last key reference in this part of Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” is the Trunk Boiz’s first hit, “Scraper Bike.” It introduced the hip-hop audience to the scraper bike scene in Oakland back in 2007, and you can see the “ThatGO” bike from its music video appear in this new GNX visual. It’s yet another Bay Area-adjacent nod, and also anchors “squabble up” in a pretty millennial timeframe for its audience. Sure, there are a lot of references across a couple of decades, but this is a deep cut from the 2000s that folks probably needed to particularly tap in for. Some folks say that the Trunk Boiz themselves are the ones in the video, but we can’t confirm that just yet. Check in down there in the comments if you’ve got the scoop.
Ice-T is one of gangster rap’s most pivotal pioneers on the West Coast, so a shoutout to his craft and contributions was a perfect addition. “squabble up” features a woman with a shotgun in the back of the room, calling back to Ice’s 1988 album Power. Also, style icon and Sa-Ra group member Taz Arnold appears at around the same time, holding up “Hood Love” four-finger rings (which possibly alludes to Spike Lee’s classic 1989 film Do The Right Thing, too).
In addition, Kendrick Lamar wears all-blue in this music video, just like Ice-T on the Power cover. It’s an interesting decision given his all-red attire at “The Pop Out” on Juneteenth. More importantly, it might represent the gang unity that Kendrick’s been so adamant about this year, to which there are some other allusions in “squabble up.”
Another obvious but beloved inclusion in Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” music video is the Scramble Board from the legendary TV show Soul Train. That was one of the mainstays of the program, in which dancers had to unscramble the board and piece together the letters to form the name of that show’s performer or a renowned individual in Black culture. As you can probably guess, folks immediately put their tinfoil hats on and attempted to decipher this Scramble Board for themselves. The biggest clue spreading around the Internet right now is that “omnia est aliquid” – which is what’s spelled out in the visuals – roughly translates to “Everything is something” in Latin. What does that mean? No idea. But if everything is something, maybe we just need a couple more days to figure it out…
As Kendrick raps “don’t hit him, he got kids with him, my apologies” in the “squabble up” video, this close up seems to reference Menace II Society.
Kendrick spoke about his appreciation for the film with @RealSway in 2013, asking actor Tyrin Turner how he portrayed Caine in… pic.twitter.com/goKuUak80h
Spoiler warning if you’re reading this from under a rock… Although the embeds probably ruined it anyway. Menace II Society is the Hughes brothers’ 1993 directorial debut, and it’s an essential piece of not just Los Angeles media, but Black cinema during the ’90s and beyond. It narrates the story of Caine Lawson and his friends in the Watts and Crenshaw communities, and the crime drama ends tragically as a child on a toy tricycle witnesses horrific murder. “squabble up” features an actor portraying that same orange-jacketed boy on a tricycle, and the camera focuses on him when Kendrick Lamar raps the following line: “Don’t hit him, he got kids with him, my apologies.” It’s an ominous sign and a pretty dark one, too, but the lyrics and visuals also point to an alternate ending for the original movie in which that kid didn’t see what he saw.
Finally, Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” music video references to two beloved records with key differences and similarities. The late great Nate Dogg’s G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2 CD hangs from the chandelier in one shot, paying homage to the Long Beach legend’s debut studio album. The second LP is one of Isaac Hayes’ best albums, 1971’s Black Moses, as a man stands in the room wearing the same clothing depicted on the cover art. In particular, this era of the Memphis soul legend preceded and led up to his performance at the Wattstax benefit concert in Los Angeles in 1972, commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots in 1965. This Hayes-honoring man appears right when other portraits of Black Jesus are on screen, calling back to themes of nationalism, identity, and community.
Even though Isaac Hayes is not from Los Angeles, both albums here have significant connections to the West Coast… and perhaps to Kendrick Lamar himself. Both Hayes and Nate Dogg’s LPs are double albums, and you’ve probably already heard the theory that we’ll get a more grand, thematic, and formal K.Dot album very soon in the wake of GNX. Will that manifest? We can’t wait to find out. Either way, as the visuals for “squabble up” prove, Kendrick gave us so much food for thought with this album and its rollout (or lack thereof) that a long or short wait can’t dampen our excitement for what’s next or our excited appreciation of what’s here.
Today has been another busy day for Kendrick Lamar. Throughout Monday afternoon, the California sensation has been dropping more extra curriculars surrounding the release of his sixth album GNX on Friday, November 22. One of those things includes physical copies of the record. He’s launched three different vinyl variants, as well as a CD, cassette, and a digital version. They are all available for pre-order (except the digital version) and will ship at the beginning of March or soon thereafter. But that’s not all, right around noon again, he shocked everyone. This time, it was with a music video for what is shaping up to one of the biggest hits on the record, “squabble up.”
The snippet from the “Not Like Us” visual was highly anticipated and has been ever since. Fans have been extremely thankful that Kendrick wound up building out a full idea for the song and they are rewarding him handsomely for his efforts. Previous reports say that the song is trending toward a chart-topping debut on the Hot 100. We still have some time before that officially happens, but it’s very likely. On top of streaming the song across numerous platforms a ton, the visual is getting similar love. As it stands, it sits at nearly two million views just four hours in to it dropping.
As with most things Kendrick does, fans are trying to find connections, callbacks, and the like with this visual. Overall, it doesn’t seem to be too deep, but it is a healthy homage to West Coast hip-hop and the culture at large in California. However, some fans are maybe reaching one particular shot in the music video and it’s with the one above you. As you can see it’s Lamar standing away from the wall with a half-naked woman standing and facing the green backdrop.
Some are likening this to Kanye West and his cover art for VULTURES 1. If you remember it’s Ye facing the camera while his wife Bianca Censori is practically nude facing the opposite direction. However, this is actually not correct. Instead, this is a callback to one the OGs, Ice T. The New Jersey to L.A. rap act put out an album in 1987 called Power and it featured a woman of similar stature wearing a white jumpsuit/unitard on the cover. Some fans cleared up the confusion in the comments, but it just goes to show how much effort Kendrick puts into every artistic move.
Fans have been waiting for Lil Baby’s new album for some time now, and recently, they got yet another taste of what’s to come. Early this morning, the Atlanta rapper dropped off his new song fittingly titled “5AM” alongside an accompanying music video. In the Wheezy-produced track, Lil Baby’s signature flow is complemented by a hard-hitting beat. It serves as a solid teaser for his upcoming LP, which he references towards the end of the song. “Even my mama be askin’ me ‘Where is the album? We want it’ / Had to get on my business and tighten up on my mental, I’m coming,” he raps.
Lil Baby’s latest release arrives amid speculation that he’ll be teaming up with Young Thug for a song sometime soon. Earlier this month, the newly free rapper seemingly teased the collab on X. “Real plea deal jack!” his first post-prison tweet read, followed by “Wham let’s drop one on these rats peter.” This prompted a heartfelt response from Lil Baby, who made it clear he was happy to see Young Thug back home.
“I missed you mf !!” he wrote. “Welcome home my brudda! Thank god you able to get back to the fam in good health and spirits! Wish ya none but billions jack! #whateverwhamsaygoes.” Lil Baby went on to preview a new track at the Don’t Fall In Love festival in San Bernardino and was later spotted in the studio with Young Thug, Travis Scott, and Future. “5AM” also arrives amid comparisons to Gunna resulting from the A Gift & a Curse artist’s rumored beef with Young Thug.
Am I delusional? Keep tellin’ myself that it’s a good All I know is survival and dollars, I come from the hood Can’t be fuckin’ with that nothing at all, they couldn’t even if they could
Yesterday, Freddie Gibbs announced that his new project You Only Die 1nce would be dropping on Halloween night. He unveiled the project’s cover art, tracklist, and a cryptic teaser on social media at the time. The teaser didn’t provide fans with much insight as to what they could expect to hear on the album. The tracklist, on the other hand, managed to build a lot of anticipation. While it revealed that the project has either no features or hidden features, it also unveiled some of the producers who contributed to the album. This includes BNYX, 454, and more.
Now, Gibbs has provided his supporters with yet another exciting surprise, the final track on the album. He dropped “On The Set” today, produced by Pops & Mischa Chilak, along with a cinematic accompanying music video. The video shows him on the set of a film in which he plays a gunshot victim, spitting bars about some of the biggest losses in hip-hop and more. So far, fans in his YouTube comments section are feeling the mellow track, and can’t wait to hear what else he has on the way.
“Gibbs just don’t miss,” one listener writes. “Album of the year,” another predicts. What do you think of Freddie Gibbs’ new track, “On The Set”? Are you looking forward to hearing the rest of his album You Only Die 1nce when it drops at midnight? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
God damn, they done got Diddy I used to look up to that n***a even when that n***a Pac dissed him I wonder if he paid off Pac killers I wish them I wish them n****s in LA ain’t never pop Biggie
Recently, Dame Dash explained why he decided to appear in R Kelly’s “Fiesta (Remix)” music video, despite hearing rumors about his allegedly inappropriate relationship with Aaliyah. During an interview with America Nu Network, he said that Aaliyah was aware he’d be in the video and that he did his best to stay as far away from Kelly as possible. According to him, Aaliyah didn’t want him appearing in scenes with Kelly, which he respected.
“I didn’t want any part of it, and I told them I don’t want a dollar from it,” he described. “Her exact words to me were, ‘I don’t want to start any trouble. I just want to heal and get as far away from it as possible…’ She asked me not to be in any scenes with [R. Kelly] or take any pictures with him, and I respected that.”
“I did my shots with Jay, but I wasn’t in any scenes with R. Kelly,” Dash added. “You’ll never see me in a picture with him.” In his caption, Dash continued to elaborate, making it clear that he and Aaliyah discussed his appearance in the video beforehand.
“I’ve answered this before, but here it is again,” it reads. “When Jay chose to keep working with R. Kelly, I told Aaliyah. Her response was clear—she just wanted to heal, avoid any drama, and move forward in peace. So when it came to the Fiesta video, I made sure I wasn’t in any scenes or photos with R. Kelly. I stayed in the trailer unless my shots with Jay were being filmed. That’s the truth.” What do you think of Dame Dash’s explanation for working with R Kelly after hearing rumors about him and Aaliyah? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
The goal for Big Sean’s latest album Better Me Than Youin our eyes was to promote maturity and personal growth. Overall, the project mostly succeeded in that regard outside of a few detours in the tracklist. In terms of the quality, Sean Don definitely had some flashes of pure genius, but too many times did he revert back to some things that hold him back. Some of those drawbacks included sleepier performances and some awkward singing. All in all, though, we are happy to see the Detroit native back in action and there are still a few tracks that we go back to. One of those is Big Sean’s first-ever collaboration with Gunna, “It Is What It Is.” This seems to be a favorite for most that checked out this tape and it’s easy to see why.
Sean and Gunna absolutely glide over Turbo’s Latin-esque trap blend. The topic at hand is substantial enough to keep your interest as the successful MCs remember their journeys to fame and flex on the doubters. Both drop some gems, with one being, “No time to wait, I’ma hit in this Scat, hope they payin’ attention / They try turn their back on the realest / Ain’t work, what the word on me now when you fearless?” It’s pretty evident that this track has tremendous replay value and Sean recognizes that as the visual for “It Is What It Is” is here now. Given that him and Gunna are rapping with that blue-collar mentality, them choosing a decrepit-looking freight train station was a smart move. It’s a lowkey video, but it really needs nothing more. Check it out with the link below.
Somehow, fans are still searching for new details concerning Kendrick Lamar, specifically his “Not Like Us” music video that came out months ago. Even though we’re as invested in the Drake battle as anyone else, die-hards must really be feeling desperate for new talking points or album hints if we’re out here shouting our barbers out. Fans noticed that K.Dot included barber Chris Donato Smith in the credits for the visual, along with the rest of the massive team that worked on it. In fact, if you look in the replies of the post below, some folks are under the impression that this is actually his personal barber and not for the actors on set.
Also, you will find many Kendrick Lamar haters and regular social media users alike asking different variants of the same question: Why? Why is this a topic of conversation and why do we particularly care unless our name is Chris Donato Smith or one of his loved ones? Maybe it’s a result of the Drake battle discourse reaching its peak, although we can argue that happened months ago. In addition, fans are desperate for a new album, so they’re looking for hints in the most ridiculous corners. But speaking of the Drake battle discourse…
J. Cole recently threw his hat back into the ring with his new song “Port Antonio,” on which he finally addresses the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle lyrically. Of course, he also speaks on why he deleted his Kendrick diss track and why he “pulled the plug” on his efforts. You’ve probably already seen the huge debate that this track caused, although most of it revolves around Cole’s own decisions.
As “Not Like Us” continues to dominate, Kendrick Lamar fans have a lot of other narratives and possibilities to consider. With so much to talk about, mentioning the music video’s barber is a funny detail to meme on for a bit on the Internet based on the ridiculousness of its relevance. For the love of Top, Kendrick, please drop when you feel like it’s ready. But in the meantime, Stans will probably point out your visual’s location manager next!
Kendrick Lamar, while mostly more of an artist’s artist, still has loads of bangers and hits in his catalog. “B****, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” “Money Trees,” “Swimming Pools,” “All The Stars,” and most recently, “Not Like Us,” are just a handful. The other one you have to throw in there is “HUMBLE.,” easily the biggest record off of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. The lead single went on to debut at number two in the Billboard Hot 100. However, it would eventually climb to number one, making it Kendrick’s first-ever solo release to do so. Overall, though, it was his second, as his feature on Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” was the first.
What was also incredible about “HUMBLE.” was that it was the highest chart rap song at the time since Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love The Way You Lie.” Now, after seven years, the track is still doing massive numbers. According to HipHopDX, it’s fantastically creative music video (Dave Meyers, Kendrick, and Dave Free) now has over one billion views. Currently, it sits at 1,000,574,820.
Kendrick Lamar Deserves To Not Be “HUMBLE.” After This Amazing Accomplishment
It’s easily his most-watched set of visuals, with the next closest being “All The Stars” with over 465 million. This is just one more accomplishment for Lamar in 2024, as he has already been named the Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner and took down Drake head-to-head in their heated battle. Some may nitpick or view this as a fairly insignificant achievement. There’s already a lot of people hating on Lamar a ton in 2024. But overall, he’s doing some incredible things that need to be praised.
What are your thoughts on Kendrick Lamar’s music video for “HUMBLE.” achieving one billion views on YouTube? Is this a major accomplishment, why or why not? 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 Kendrick Lamar. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
NOTHING CAN STOP ME
AIN’T GON CRY OUT NOW. RUN IT UP. 
MUCH LOVE TO MY TEAM SQUAD FANS FAMILY AND EVERY ONE PUSHING THE MOVEMENT.. THANK YOU,” he wrote of the song on Instagram.
(@mosthiphop) 