Andre 3000 sat down with GQ earlier this week, opening up about Outkast’s discography ahead of his latest solo instrumental project, New Blue Sun. He spoke on he and Big Boi finding success early on in their careers, describing how they’ve had a unique experience because of how rapidly their success grew. While the duo’s known for their prolificacy, Andre 3000 notes that not everything an artist releases can be a banger, claiming that they may have missed the mark with their final studio album, Idlewild.
“It was a blessing to be successful that young,” Andre 3000 began. “I think our career is kind of interesting because since our very first album, we’ve gone platinum and just kept rising. Like, so next album was double, next three — it just kept rising.” He continued, speaking on their iconic fifth studio album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The 2003 LP just recently became the best-selling rap album of all time.
“We haven’t taken a fall, y’know what I mean?” he explained. “And I think sometimes you build character or you build something by failure. Idlewild may have been our slip. You never know — the only thing you can do is be honest about what you’re doing at the time.” He went on to describe the “true chemistry” he had with Big Boi at Outkast’s peak, noting how the love they shared still remains.
According to him, Big Boi’s always been Outkast’s “biggest cheerleader” over the years, and would agree to a reunion without hesitation. “I do know I’m not the controller, Big Boi’s not the controller, of any of this. We couldn’t have planned where we are,” he added. “So we can’t plan an ending.” What do you think of Andre 3000 claiming that Idlewild could have been a “slip” for Outkast? Do you agree with him? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
During his recent interview with GQ, Travis Scott hinted at wanting to pursue a degree in architectural design at Harvard University. However, that’s wasn’t necessarily his first love in the world of academia, and in that conversation, he alluded to what he initially wanted to do with his life. Moreover, La Flame recalled his grammar school days, specifically a time when he slept over at a friend’s house. There, he met his uncle, a man who he found to be very successful and fulfilled. As such, the Houston rapper couldn’t help but ask what he did for a living, and his answer gave him one of his first career aspirations: a kidney doctor.
“We went to his crib,” Travis Scott remarked. “His crib was cr*zy. I’ve never seen a crib like this. It was OD. His dad was an ob-gyn. And I remember his uncle was at the house, and I asked his uncle, I was like, ‘What do you do?’ And he’s like, ‘I’m a nephrologist.’ He told me what it was, and I was like, ‘Yo, it’s cr*zy.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to be that.’
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 05: Travis Scott performs during Travis Scott Utopia – Circus Maximus Tour at SoFi Stadium on November 05, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Live Nation)
“I don’t know why being a kidney doctor was just such… I think it was his swag,” Travis Scott explained. “Like, his whole swag was just, like, he was fresh. I don’t know. It was the idea of just, like, saving people at the time was dope. I used to go and shadow at the hospitals [during his college days at the University of Texas in San Antonio]. So I fell in love with it more there, just the whole process of it all. I wanted to own my own practice, know the business side of it, do the medicine side of it.”
Meanwhile, other topics of conversation during this interview were the Astroworld tragedy and the inspiration behind UTOPIA. Throughout all this exchange, we got to see a little more of who this artist is, and fans might be surprised by this career path. He’s definitely come a long way since then, but there are certain passions that you may cast aside but that always hold a place in your heart and motivation for other endeavors. For more news and the latest updates on Travis Scott, stay posted on HNHH.
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music marks a defining moment in 2 Chainz’s career. Released in 2017, this best-selling album is a collection of tracks and a narrative of cultural and personal significance. The album’s title reflects a clever commentary on contemporary society’s fascination with the trap lifestyle. It set a tone that blends street savvy with mainstream appeal. 2 Chainz, recognized for his clever lyrical delivery, showcases his evolution from his early days in the industry. It highlighted his growth as an artist adept in navigating and influencing the evolving hip-hop landscape.
Musical Composition & Collaborations Of Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
The musical essence of Pretty Girls Like Trap Music lies in its innovative blend of trap beats with lyrical storytelling. 2 Chainz’s ability to merge catchy, pulsating rhythms with introspective and often humorous lyrics is evident throughout the album. Highlights include tracks like “4 AM,” featuring Travis Scott, which showcases a perfect amalgamation of energetic beats and reflective verses.
The album also features collaborations with an array of artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Pharrell Williams. Each addied their unique flair and elevated the album’s appeal across diverse audiences. These collaborations enhance the album’s musical diversity and underscore 2 Chainz’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.
Commercial Success & Critical Acclaim
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music achieved remarkable commercial success, resonating with audiences and critics alike. It debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum, a testament to its widespread appeal. The album’s singles, particularly “It’s a Vibe” and “4 AM,” enjoyed significant chart success. This further cemented 2 Chainz’s reputation as a hitmaker.
Critically, the album was lauded for its production quality and 2 Chainz’s lyrical depth. This blend of commercial and critical success not only elevated 2 Chainz’s status in the music industry but also demonstrated his ability to create music that is both artistically rich and widely accessible.
Cultural Significance & Enduring Influence Of Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
The cultural impact of Pretty Girls Like Trap Music extends far beyond its initial release. The album solidified 2 Chainz’s place in hip-hop and influenced the genre’s trajectory. Its exploration of themes like success, struggle, and resilience resonated with a broad audience, contributing to a deeper understanding and appreciation of trap music.
The album’s enduring influence is evident in how it inspired subsequent artists and works in the genre, showcasing 2 Chainz’s role as a musician and cultural innovator. Pretty Girls Like Trap Music stands as a milestone in 2 Chainz’s career, reflecting his unique voice and vision in the ever-evolving tapestry of hip-hop.
Streaming services have become the way the majority of fans consume the music they love these days, and Spotify is the clear leader in the streaming space. That makes their tracking data significant, and fortunately, the company maintains the terrific Spotify Charts website. Their Weekly Top Songs charts can serve as a useful complement to the Billboard Hot 100 and offer further insight into what music is currently making music fans move.
Take a look at the the top 10 songs on the latest Weekly Top Songs USA chart (for the tracking week ending November 16) below. Check out the full top 200 list here, and if you’re curious about what the entire world is listening to, find the Weekly Top Songs Global chart here.
10. Taylor Swift — “Cruel Summer”
Summer (Taylor‘s Version) may finally be starting to fade away, as “Cruel Summer” looks just about ready to leave the top 10 of the Top Songs chart.
9. Tate McRae — “Greedy”
McRae’s hit peaked at No. 4 previously but it’s still bobbing around near the top of the chart, rising two spots from last week.
8. Drake — “IDGAF” Feat. Yeat
A new crop of Drake songs will presumably enter the chart next week with the release of For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition, but in the meantime, his and Yeat’s “IDGAF” is still representing in the top 10.
7. Taylor Swift — “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
It feels like Swift will have some sort of chart presence until the end of time, and indeed, this “From The Vault” track is one of the three songs the artist has in this week’s top 10.
Kahan had his commercial breakthrough a year ago with his third album, Stick Season. The title track is crushing it 16 months after its initial release, reaching a new peak in the top 5 this week.
Country music dominated this past summer, and while that trend has mostly dissipated, Zach Bryan is still sticking around with his hit Kacey Musgraves collaboration.
3. Mitski — “My Love Mine All Mine”
TikTok has become a regular hitmaker these days and Mitski is the latest artist to get a boost from the video platform: It’s currently No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart for a fourth week.
2. Jack Harlow — “Lovin On Me”
Following the song’s release last week, Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” is seeing some early success by claiming the silver medal on the newest Spotify chart (it’s the only song to debut in the top 10 this week). There’s more to come, too, as Harlow called the track the beginning of “a new era.”
1. Taylor Swift — “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
This is the third week at No. 1 for the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) highlight (and it’s the only song with at least 10 million streams in the US this week). Swift previously noted of the track, “I always saw this song as sort of a sister to ‘Out Of The Woods’ and ‘I Wish You Would.’ I kind of saw those songs as similar, so unfortunately, when we were making these decisions on what to put on 1989 and what to leave behind, I had to make some tough choices.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After pushing her album Pink Friday 2 back a couple of times, it looks like Nicki Minaj has all her ducks in a row and is ready to finally begin the rollout in earnest. Today, she kept things moving along with the announcement of her Pink Friday 2 Tour, sharing a link on social media for fans to RSVP to be informed when the tickets drop for their respective dates.
However, it doesn’t look like Nicki has quite announced those dates yet, so we still don’t exactly know when the shows will be. Knowing the Barbz, though, they’ll drop everything to make sure they can attend once they do find out, so that probably won’t be much of an obstacle for Ms. Minaj. Among the cities listed are Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York (of course), Oklahoma City, Washington, DC, and more, along with a link to request a city (presumably, with enough requests, Nicki and her team will add dates later).
Of course, given the exuberance of her fans, Nicki herself had to address some concerns on Twitter and explain how it all works. “Barbz, there’s no need to panic,” she wrote. “There were lots of ppl waiting on the site. About 30K ppl. Once they sign up, they’ll come off & you’ll be able to. Pls breathe. Also, obviously these aren’t the only countries I’m going to. Just sign up. I’m holding the line open for you.”
Barbz, there’s no need to panic. There were lots of ppl waiting on the site. About 30K ppl. Once they sign up, they’ll come off & you’ll be able to. Pls breathe. Also, obviously these aren’t the only countries I’m going to. Just sign up. I’m holding the line open for you
She deigned to shoot down a hater who suggested that the RSVP site was a cover for some last-minute market research. “They’re trying to see if there’s any demand so they know to book theatres or arenas so that she doesn’t have dates that don’t sell out,” the account speculated. “Imagine waking up, realizing God gave you life & air to breathe & tweeting this,” Nicki clapped back. “Ppl who don’t like Nicki Minaj follow everything she does… DUMB HOE THIS IS AN ARENA TOUR. I HAVE THE ROUTING. THIS IS SIMPLY TO ADD MORE CITIES. AND why would I announce the routing now & not give other cities a chance to be added?” That account later deleted their tweet after Nicki encouraged her fans to mass report it (that whole “don’t attack people” lasted what? Two weeks?).
Imagine waking up, realizing God gave you life & air to breathe & tweeting this. Ppl who don’t like Nicki Minaj follow everything she does. Hmmm that’s called OB WHAT?!?!! SESSION!!!!!!
DUMB HOE THIS IS AN ARENA TOUR. I HAVE THE ROUTING. THIS IS SIMPLY TO ADD MORE CITIES.… https://t.co/MpX4Z10WfW
Joy Behar did not hold back her thoughts on The View as the panel recently unearthed tweets from Travis Kelce that showed the NFL star expressing some immature thoughts about women during his college career. As a self-avowed Swiftie, Behar became immediately concerned for Taylor Swift and got very blunt that she hopes the pop sensation breaks up with Kelce.
“Here’s one of his [tweets], ‘Damn, the Clippers girls gotta be the girls that don’t make the Lakers team ’cause they was all ugly,’” Behar read during Thursday’s episode of the talk show.
She then read two more of his old tweets: “Why can’t girls hide they back fat?” and “I feel like if you want to be a cheerleader, you have to pass a beauty test. There’s too many ugly cheerleaders out here.”
Behar did not hide her disgust with Kelce’s old tweets and called him “illiterate.” However, Whoopi Goldberg came to Kelce’s defense.
“Young people do young people stuff,” Goldberg said. “What you said 25 years ago, may not be the way that you feel this time. So everybody needs to lighten up and let these people do what they want to do.”
When Goldberg pressed Behar on why she was so “fixated” on Kelce’s social media posts, The View co-host affirmed her Taylor Swift fandom.
“I’m a Swiftie,” Behar said. “I love her because she’s getting young people out to vote so I don’t want her to be stuck with this idiot.”
A holiday-themed review of Drake’s For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition(otherwise known as Scary Hours 3): J. Cole and Rosalía are on Drake’s nice list, while Joe Budden and Pusha T remain on Drake’s naughty list. There’s a lot to unpack — too much, really — so we’re just going to focus on Budden, who slammed Drake for “rappin’ for the children” on For All The Dogs upon its October 6 release. Drake seemingly responded on the Scary Hours Edition track “Stories About My Brother,” rapping, “Imagine us gettin’ our validation from an ex-musician searchin’ for recognition.” But there’s a lot more — seriously, just an overwhelming amount — where that barbed bar came from.
Below is what you need to know from Budden and Drake’s timeline of beef and disses.
“Good Riddance”
2009: Multiple outlets, including HipHopDX, traced Budden and Drake’s connection to 2009 due to resurfaced video from the early days of Budden’s Joe Budden TV YouTube channel. In it, Drake says he is “honored to be around” Budden because he used to listen to him. However, there was a song called “Good Riddance” around the same time in which Drake rapped, “If I copy Budden’s flow, you mimickin’ his career / And the same money we hearin’ you giving to charity.” It’s not totally misguided to wonder whether that ancient bar is the root of Budden’s bitterness, considering Drake went from a self-proclaimed fan to mocking Budden’s career trajectory.
May 2016: During an episode of Budden’s since-renamed podcast I’ll Name This Podcast Later, Budden criticized Drake’s album, Views, by saying Drake sounded “real f*cking uninspired” (as relayed by Complex). To be fair, Budden acknowledged Drake’s rap (and pop culture) prowess, saying, “When he puts something out, you stop what you’re doing, right?”
“4PM In Calabasas”
June 2016: It is believed that Drake threw subliminal shade Budden’s way in his single “4PM In Calabasas,” though Drake never mentions Budden by name. In the 68th episode of Budden’s aforementioned podcast, he addressed Drake’s credibility as a songwriter and the perceived diss toward him in a 20-plus-minute segment annotated by Complex at the time.
Joe Budden Drops “Making A Murderer, Pt. 1” And “Afraid”
July 2016: Budden (again, seemingly but more or less definitely) referred to Drake as his child in “Making A Murderer, Pt. 1.” The song’s interlude is audio from the aforementioned video of their first meeting, during which Drake outed himself as a fan and gushed over Budden. Later in the song, Budden raps, “You made me proud, lad, but it seems my child mad / With all the clout that he grabbed, it’s still doubts from his dad.”
Drake then responded with “No Shopping,” leading to Budden’s “Afraid,” which samples Drake’s “The Resistance” and finds Budden going at Drake repeatedly throughout. Perhaps most notably: “Yeah, Aubrey, that’s the one we trusted / Not this new Aubrey with his stomach sculpted / I’m disgusted, you’re such a f*ckin’ incumbent / Can’t govern, trust in the public becoming a f*cking puppet.”
Um, Liposuction?
July 2016: So, about that “Aubrey with his stomach sculpted” line. After the song’s arrival, Budden doubled down, tweeting that Drake had gotten liposuction (twice) from the plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael “Dr. Miami” Salzhauer. Uproxx did the important follow-up investigative journalism of getting plastic surgeons’ opinions on whether Budden’s outrageous claim could be true.
Joe Budden On Hot Ones
Yep, still July 2016: Budden stopped by Hot Ones, where he addressed Drake fans who had recently appeared uninvited outside of his home.
April 2020: The beginning of 2020 threw many confounding things our way, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a potential Budden-Drake resolution — which, to be clear, are equally confounding. Budden went live on Instagram, and Drake was active in the comments. Eventually, Drake joined Budden on the Live, and they had a friendly exchange. Budden joked that Drake was avoiding him, to which Drake said, “I never avoid you; we’re just never in the same place.”
Petty Drake Thrives In St. Tropez
July 2022: Take it or leave it: Drake posted a video to his Instagram Story from a restaurant in St. Tropez that was playing Budden’s “Pump It Up” (as relayed by XXL at the time). “Where else, Joey, would you have them going so crazy?” Drake is heard saying in the video. It goes without saying by now that it was in a mocking tone.
Joe Budden Slams For All The Dogs
October 2023: Skipping ahead to the present to preserve whatever is left of our collective sanity. Budden did not care for Drake’s For All The Dogs album. Right after Drake dropped it on October 6, Budden dedicated a portion of his podcast to torching it. DJ Akademiks posted a snippet on Instagram, where Drake left a lengthy comment that felt like it was a decade in the making.
This is what Drake wrote:
“@joebudden you have failed at music. You left it behind to do what you are doing in this clip cause this is what actually pays your bills. For any artist watching this just remember you are watching a failure give their opinion on his idea of a recipe for success…a quitter give their opinion on how to achieve longevity…you switched careers cause the things that pop into your brain had you broke living cheque to cheque and the raps you write had 450 men showing up to your shows in dusty Enyce jeans to screw up their face to Mood Muzik 29 and pretend you are the goat…pls to any artist that’s doing what they feel is right don’t let these opinions affect your mindset after the fact…
This guy is the poster child of frustration and surrendering. You retired and we never hung up your jersey we don’t even remember your number. We know you for doing this…you withdrew from rap not cause you accomplished all you need to it’s cause it wasn’t working for you. I never want anybody in the generations to think that the whole ‘everybody’s entitled to their opinion’ is a real thing…this is a man projecting his own self hate and the fact I did and continue to do everything he wanted to do for himself. If you need it put in simpler terms I own a 767…he owns a modest house in the 973 and flies first class on special occasions.”
November 2023: This morning, November 17, Drake dropped “Stories About My Brother” as part of For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition. In it, he raps, “Imagine us gettin’ our validation from an ex-musician searchin’ for recognition.” Welp!
Although Uproxx has covered Redveil a bit over the past couple of years, I can’t say I was all the way tuned in — that is until I saw him perform at Camp Flog Gnaw a couple of weeks ago. I think I can truly say I Get It now, and if you’ve been wondering about this semi-obscure but rapidly rising name in hip-hop, don’t worry; as usual, we’ve got you covered.
At just 19 years old, the Maryland native has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with in hip-hop and forged some pretty impressive connections on the way. In June this year, he appeared on the Danny Brown podcast, getting advice about getting booed offstage early in your career (there’s little danger of that happening to Redveil, though).
The young rapper has used those connections to land some on some pretty impressive collaborators’ albums and features, including Chance The Rapper, Denzel Curry (with whom he toured earlier this year), and Jpegmafia and Danny Brown’s Scaring The Hoes. He also opened on tour for Freddie Gibbs last year, exposing him to an even larger audience.
So far, he’s self-released three albums (Bittersweet Cry, Niagara, and Learn 2 Swim) and one EP (Playing W/ Fire, released early this year), establishing himself as a consistent producer and a formidable lyricist, even as he finds his footing both in the industry and in life. It’s early days, but with supporters like Brown, Curry, Gibbs, JID, and Tyler The Creator, I can see him becoming a star worth following.
How To Buy Tickets For Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday 2’ 2024 World Tour
Minaj shared the link on social media today (here’s the link), and while tickets aren’t for sale just yet, fans can RSVP with their phone number or email to be notified with more information when it becomes available.
The actual tour dates have not been shared yet, but the RSVP site reveals the tour is set to hit the North American cities of Austin, Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Montreal, Nashville, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington DC. Internationally, the tour will go to the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
Meanwhile, Minaj recently spoke about her plastic surgery regrets, saying, “I guarantee you, if you change anything on your body and do anything surgical and all this, you’re going to — more than likely, not definitely, more than likely — look back one day and say, ‘I was fine just the way I was.’ And that’s what happened to me.”
Cassie’s new lawsuit against Diddy includes countless damning allegations against the Bad Boy Records founder. Amid chatter, reports that he was being investigated by the NYPD surfaced. Yesterday, sources told TMZ that he was currently at the center of a “locked “criminal investigation involving sexual assault allegations. Now, however, the NYPD has circled back to claim that there is no active criminal investigation of Diddy. Moreover, they say that sharing such information isn’t consistent with their policies.
“Yesterday, a member of the NYPD’s public information office erroneously told a reporter about the apparent existence of an active case file containing the name ‘Sean Combs,’” their statement reads. “There is no such investigation, at present. Further, the release of such information is not consistent with the internal policies of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information. The NYPD always treats allegations of sexual assault and rape extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so that support and services can be offered to survivors and a comprehensive investigation can be conducted.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs attends Black Tie Affair For Quality Control’s CEO Pierre “Pee” Thomas at Fox Theater on June 02, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
In her suit, Cassie accuses Diddy of rape, physical abuse, and more. After the news initially broke, Diddy’s lawyer denied the allegations on his behalf. “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Ben Brafman stated. “For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”
Brafman also added that most of Cassie’s claims would be barred from criminal prosecution due to the statute of limitations. She could still file a criminal complaint for her rape allegation in California, however, if she chooses. What do you think of the NYPD’s recent statement about false reports of a criminal investigation of Diddy? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
that’s called OB WHAT?!?!! SESSION!!!!!!
