Amid Kendrick Lamar’s viral lyrical battle with Drake, he told the Toronto-born performer that he doesn’t like when he uses the n-word, calling it “cringe-worthy.” This became one of the most memorable jabs of the entire feud, as it called Drake’s role in hip-hop culture into question, stirred up “culture vulture” accusations, and more.
Now, Lord Jamar has weighed in on the debate, revealing that he agrees with Kendrick. “I’m not a Drake album fan,” he began. “I don’t like… how he turns his sh*t on and off, you know what I mean? […] It’s just like, n****a who are you?” He went on, theorizing that Drake acts a lot differently around white people, and even speaks negatively about Black people.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) July 11, 2024
“That’s not who you really are,” Lord Jamar said of Drake using the n-word. “Like I could see you going back to the white people when nobody is around and saying ‘Yeah, I say n***a in my rhymes and they don’t say anything to me. That’s because they think I’m one of them, but I’m really one of you.’” He continued, urging Drake to stop trying to play both sides. “It’s like come on man,” he explained. “You’ve got to choose a lane, bro. Choose a lane. He wants to be everything to all people it seems like, and you can’t do that. You’ve got to pick a side.”
Drake isn’t the only artist he was critical of during the interview, however. He also took aim at Sexyy Red, accusing her of being an industry plant and going after her appearance. What do you think of Lord Jamar speculating that Drake speaks poorly of Black people around white people? What about him claiming that he shouldn’t use the n-word? Do you agree with him or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
The Hot Boys are getting fiery, especially after their “reunion” at the recent Birdman and Cash Money set at the Essence Festival only had two of the four group members on stage together. Moreover, there’s a lot of tension between group mates Turk and B.G. now, with the latter blasting the former for not making it to the Essence link-up. He fired back with equal force, doubling down on the business issues that led to this internal rift between the group. Furthermore, Turk readdressed the issue in a YouTube video on his channel posted on Wednesday (July 10), citing confusion.
“B.G. to me has been very disrespectful,” Turk remarked about his Hot Boys brethren. “If I really did anything to you, brother, I can’t see you holding back and saying what it is. I don’t know what it is, I can’t figure it out. I can’t put no light on a lie. Homie made a statement saying I know what I did last summer. I know what I did last summer. I never felt a Hot Boys reunion could be done without homie.
“Proof of that is every time we came together,” Turk continued. “For instance, LeBron James’ party. LeBron James in the middle of his speech shouting out everybody. I’m like, ‘Hold up LeBron, free motherf***ing B.G.!’ I was doing these things because you can’t have a reunion without B.G. and I think I probably made a lot of people mad about that when I was doing it.” He finalized his remarks by saying that, when he spoke to B.G. on social media, they were all good to his knowledge, so that might be why he feels particularly blindsided now.
“You n***as want that s**t to come together because you n***as f***ed up outchea,” Turk previously said of B.G. “I ain’t f***ed up outchea. I’m blessed and highly favored by God. Y’all got me f***ed up. I’ll say f**k a Hot Boys tour, n***a. Disrespect won’t be tolerated, n***a. I don’t give a f**k who a n***a is. Ain’t no Big I’s or Lil U’s over me, mane. B.G. better sit his motherf***ing a** down somewhere, man. That n***a don’t run s**t round here. Not with me. He might run that s**t with you n***as. He don’t run that s**t with me. He ain’t doing nothing but running his motherf***ing mouth. Them wack a** raps, man. That s**t wack, n***a. All you n***as d**k-riding around here, man. That s**t wack.”
It’s no secret that Jay-Z and Kanye West are some of the most iconic hip-hop artists of their generation. According to one of their frequent collaborators, however, they each have drastically different approaches to making music. During a recent appearance on the TFU Podcast, Malik Yusef detailed their creative processes, noting that he sees them as equal despite the stark contrast.
“Hov works the least amount of hard on his music than anybody else I’ve ever met,” he began. “Like with Kanye, we’ll stay up for 36 hours, go to sleep for four and come back and do another 30. Hov — he just too good. Hov’s ridiculous. I mean, Kanye and Hov for me is [equal]; they just have different approaches.”
“Hov be like, ‘Can you get to the studio at 6?’ By 10, we got three songs done,” Yusef continued. “Kanye, he’ll have three months and have no songs done. Kanye will take a whole album and be like, ‘We have some good stuff on here. Aight, let’s start the album for real now.’” Perhaps this could explain why it took so long for fans to hear Vultures 1, though this could also have something to do with Ye’s apparent retirement plans.
Earlier this week, he told Rich The Kid that he was quitting music for good, adding that he’s “not sure what else to do.” Of course, fans are skeptical of the announcement, though they’re still eager to know what this means for Vultures 2 with Ty Dolla Sign. What do you think of Malik Yusef revealing that while Jay-Z works fast, Kanye West spends days at a time working on his music? Are you surprised that their creative processes are so different? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
It goes without saying that it’s been a busy few months for Cardi B and Offset. Aside from some ups and downs on the relationship front, they’ve both also been hard at work on new music. Regardless, they each took the time to celebrate their daughter Kulture’s sixth birthday earlier this week, sharing some adorable tributes with their social media followers.
Cardi took to X with a side-by-side of Kulture as an infant, and now as a child, all dressed up in what appears to be her extravagant birthday look. “My baby really six,” she captioned the post alongside two teary-eyed emojis. “Like how?” Offset later hopped on Instagram with a similar message, revealing that they both are blown away by how fast their daughter seems to be growing up.
“Happy birthday my princess kulture,” the former Migos member began. “My special angel big 6 so fast I couldn’t believe it I love you so much happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday !!!!!” To go along with his heartfelt message, he also shared a shot of the birthday girl dressed to the nines, as well as a couple of photos of her in her father’s arms.
Of course, social media users can’t get enough of the parents’ sweet posts. They’re sharing their own birthday messages to Kulture, praising her mother and father for their parenting skills, and noting how much the elementary schooler looks like both of them. “Enjoy your special day,” one fan tells Kulture in Offset’s comments section. “Your kid really your clone!!” someone else writes in Cardi’s replies.
What do you think of Cardi B and Offset celebrating their daughter Kulture’s sixth birthday? What about their adorable social media tributes? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Picture this: It’s late Thursday night, minutes away from Friday. In a few moments, this week’s wave of new music releases will hit Spotify. Somebody inevitably goes for Drake’s throat on a new song again. Once fans get their first listen of the diss track, they’ll flock to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about Drizzy’s latest L. Topics related to new music are regularly X’s top trending topics on Friday morning, and it’s where much of the online conversation about what’s new in music happens.
The obvious reason is that Spotify isn’t a social media platform. But, Spotify execs have perhaps also gone through the thought process I just laid out.
Earlier this week, Spotify introduced the ability to leave comments on podcast episodes. In the announcement post, Spotify notes, “Our new Comments feature expands on the Q&A and polls functionality we introduced in 2021 as a way to bring interactivity into the podcasting industry for the first time. And interactivity is a feature that already has listeners and creators buzzing: More than 9 million unique Spotify listeners have interacted with a Q&A or poll just this year, and there’s been 80% year-over-year growth in the number of total Q&A responses and votes from listeners.”
So, Spotify has the users and at least a portion of them have expressed interest in more interactive ways to use the platform. Perhaps introducing commenting to podcasts is a way for Spotify to test and soft-launch a new era: Spotify as music-based social media platform, where users can listen to and discuss music in the same place.
If that is their plan, though, and they already have a framework for comment functionality, why not just roll it out big-time and let users comment on songs and albums now?
Well, being a giant internet company doesn’t mean a social media expansion will be an automatic success. We saw this happen with Google: They launched Google+ (which you probably forgot about, or perhaps never heard of) in 2011. The Facebook clone failed to gain significant traction and ceased operations a few years later. That’s not to say that Google rushed into it, but this does illustrate that nothing is guaranteed, no matter how dominant you are in other areas.
So, trying to pivot into social media is a big swing, and it’s smart of Spotify to take some practice cuts in the on-deck circle before stepping up to the plate. After all, if full-fledged social media is on Spotify’s agenda, there are still so many factors to consider. Would the platform be purely comments-based, or could users make their own posts? Will there be a way to see the best posts and users across the entire platform, or will each song’s/album’s comments section be its own beast? Will there be appropriate moderation in place to stop Neil Young from spamming comments about audio quality? That’s just a sampling of the major questions Spotify would have to work out ahead of a launch of this scale.
The opportunity appears to be there, though: Spotify is the world’s biggest music streaming platform and it continues to grow. Public opinion of X has waned ever since Elon Musk took over. (That’s not to say Spotify is without its controversies, though.) Many social media users would seemingly embrace a new forum for discussing music, especially one that lets them do it without switching out of the app they’re already listening in. It could certainly be a major value proposition for Spotify to help increase the gap between them and streaming competitors like Apple Music. It would also make them a unique presence in the social media landscape.
This is all assuming that Spotify even wants this — that they actually aim to expand comments beyond podcasts. We don’t know that for sure, but if that is the path they’re on, our Thursday nights and Friday mornings could look very different in the future.
Despite obstacles to listen to Vultures 1, it still debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated February 24 — becoming West’s 11th-career No. 1 album and Ty Dolla Sign’s first. Vultures 1 accumulated 148,000 equivalent album units in the United States during its first week, according to Billboard and its Luminate data service.
The Compton star’s alleged disconnect from the world, which became a trademark of sorts for him, also led to a disconnect with Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans who demand their stars to be ever-present and at the top of their to keep their crown. Two years later, Lamar finds himself in the good graces of these young fans following his win in the epic, rapid-fire rap battle against Drake. Through his diss tracks, especially “Not Like Us,” Lamar not only reconnected with the world and remained present, but he also proved that he always had his ears to the streets.
For example, in the “Not Like Us” video, Lamar references a Drake TikTok dance video — something a rapper who goes “months without a phone” wouldn’t notice. In the end, it made for an entertaining war that also made Lamar a more appealing figure for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans who had yet to connect with him.
When Lamar announced Morale, he did so by quoting a tweet by self-labeled “hip-hop enthusiast” SK (@raptalksk) who claimed that “Kendrick Lamar is officially retired” due to the lengthy absence fans endured before the album’s release. SK, a college freshman at the time of that tweet, captured the general sentiment of Gen-Z and Alpha rap fans who’d yet to see Lamar be the star that their elders claimed he was. Lamar wasn’t as active and ever-present as his contemporaries – Drake and J. Cole – or modern-day stars like Travis Scott, Future, and Young Thug, nor was his music universally loved like the aforementioned names.
Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans live in an era where their favorite entertainment is readily and consistently available, and new editions quickly arrive to replace the previous ones. In the past decade, Lamar didn’t care to cater to their desires, but in his battle with Drake, Lamar prioritized their interests knowing that it was key to beating his opponent.
Unlike any other time in his career, Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans became Kendrick Lamar’s main audience during the height of his beef with Drake. “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s final entry in the battle, is a joyful dance on Drake’s metaphorical grave and a victory lap that mocks the rapper with comedic vitriol, a perfect delivery for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans. Lines like “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor” and “Freaky-ass n****, he a 69 God” and the “OVOHoe” chant quickly became rallying cries in young fans’ newfound love for Lamar in the mainstream world. With “Not Like Us,” Lamar successfully recruited a new generation of rap fans who’d failed to appreciate him as one of rap’s elites. It’s the same crowd that Drake typically catered to with his music, especially that of the past half-decade.
It was a smart move from Lamar who is just two years removed from the mixed reception Morale received. Yes, the album topped the charts and went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album the following year, but it wasn’t held in the same regard by this young generation. It extended a streak of difficulty Lamar had in roping in Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha.
To Pimp A Butterfly, arguably his best album, is often deemed his worst by this young crowd. DAMN. trended in the right direction, but Morale erased that progress – not that Lamar desired to go out of his way and recruit this crowd. That changed with “Not Like Us.” Lamar reportedly removed copyright claims on the song for a limited time which allowed streamers – mostly made up of Gen-Z and Alpha members – to freely use the record for any content they desired, even commercial purposes.
Just like that, “Not Like Us” skyrocketed to the top of the charts and entered itself into the song of the summer conversation while becoming the biggest hit of Lamar’s career. To this day, videos with the song continue to go viral on social media. Whether it be at clubs, birthday parties, other artists’ concerts, in weather reports, or Twitch streams from this generation’s favorite streamers, “Not Like Us” has become inescapable. It’s a successful move by Lamar pulled right from Drake’s playbook as the Toronto native employed the same tactics with his Meek Mill diss track “Back To Back.”
Lamar pushed the agenda further by performing the song five consecutive times at his The Pop Out — Ken & Friends show before releasing an epic music video for the song three weeks later. The same Kendrick Lamar who would release an album, drop music videos, and go on tour, before retreating to his Compton cave, is now outside and in the face of everyone willing and unwilling to watch just as the young generation called for him to be.
“Not Like Us” and Kendrick Lamar’s rap beef with Drake placed the star right back in the good graces of young rap fans. How long Lamar will be there remains unknown, but at the very least, their eyes are on him as they await his next move. Rumors of new music on the way from Lamar have picked up steam by the day as some hint at a massive “Not Like Us” remix while others point the rapper’s sixth album is on the way.
The latter seems to be the most likely as the “Not Like Us” video begins with a brief preview of an unreleased song complete with thumping, bass-rattling production that Lamar glides over with a catchy flow. The preview was met with support from all generations as they begged Lamar to release the song. This is all a result of “Not Like Us,” a record that unlocked the Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fan generations for Kendrick Lamar who will have his biggest audience yet for the most anticipated era of his career.
Eminem is easily one of the biggest artists ever. Overall, he has sold tens of millions of records, and he isn’t stopping now. Although he hasn’t dropped in a few years, that streak ends on Friday. He will be coming through with The Death Of Slim Shady, an album that promises to be one of his most unique thus far. This is all thanks to some of the concepts he has been teasing. As the title of the album suggests, he is looking to kill off his alter ego.
Ahead of the new album’s release, Eminem took to Twitter where he offered a fair warning for all of his listeners. Essentially, he offered up some key listening instructions that could go a long way for those who want to experience the project as it was meant to be consumed. “Public service announcement: the “death of slim shady” is a conceptual album, therefore, if you listen to songs out of order they might not make sense. Enjoy,” Eminem wrote.
Public service announcement: the “death of slim shady” is a conceptual album, therefore, if you listen to songs out of order they might not make sense. Enjoy.
This crucial piece of information is certainly going to be music to the ears of fans. Concept albums can be few and far between these days. However, it seems as though Em is fully committed to telling a story with this project. Knowing him, there will definitely be some unique twists and turns along the way. Now that “Tobey” and “Houdini” are already out, it will be interesting to see how these tracks fit into the narrative. Hopefully, the project will live up to the hype.
Let us know what you think about this revelation from Eminem, in the comments section down below. Are you excited about this new album which comes out at midnight? What are your thoughts on this new era of Eminem? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
DJ Akademiks has been arguably the fieriest commentator amid the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, and his OVO repping keeps getting more and more heated. Moreover, he recently responded to shady Ab-Soul tweets and the general reception to the “Not Like Us” video, as well as rumors that either K.Dot or Drizzy are looking for a round two. Well, Ak has a pretty different perspective, accusing Kendrick’s camp of milking this beef and trying to bait The Boy into another response. This rant seemingly occurred during the same livestream in which he trolled artists for not having or getting Kendrick features despite their participation in The Pop Out show or the aforementioned music video.
“So my last thoughts on this is a pathetic attempt, I believe, by pgLang and TDE to try to bait Drake out,” DJ Akademiks remarked. “Talking about ‘redemption is not off the table.’ N***a, listen, call me the spokesperson for Drake or OVO, but I can tell you, n***a. Drake is gonna drop amazing music, it’s gonna be good. If you think he gon’ keep going back and forth with that n***a calling him a pedophile and lying, he’s not. So move on, hurry along, and y’all go drop y’all music. See you n***as on the f***ing charts. That’s it, okay? That’s it. There’s no more conversation, that’s it.”
Of course, there are a lot of rumors around what Drake will drop next, with some like DJ Akademiks claiming that it won’t have anything to do with Kendrick Lamar and others anticipating more shots. We won’t really know until more new music comes out, but we doubt that the Toronto superstar wouldn’t have a subliminal bar or two over this situation in the future. As for his Compton rival, perhaps his supposed new album will focus more on the West Coast or on other topics that aren’t “Other Vaginal Option”-related. What are you betting on?
Meanwhile, even Siri is glitching out over this battle, and to see its crossovers into pop culture is a pretty comical and curious affair. DJ Akademiks doesn’t want this to keep progressing, but there are a whole lot of fans who say otherwise. We’ll see what sides of their duality these MCs choose to feed into. But what’s true is that on both sides, there are plenty of people who want to speak on behalf of these artists and dig the hole deeper down a combative path.
Desiigner just gave a pretty bizarre and eyebrow-raising explanation for his indecent exposure charge, stemming from masturbating in a flight to Japan. Furthermore, to little folks’ surprise, these wild claims appeared on the No Jumper podcast, for which he sat down for an interview with Adam22 and talked about this controversial situation. Moreover, the “Big Dawg” rapper spoke about how he was out of it mentally and wasn’t fully aware of what he was doing on this flight, and how he was on medication during his travels. However, his actual explanation of why he was out of it and why he was on medication might cause you to do a double take.
“I didn’t know what I was doing, I was fully tweaked out of my mind,” Desiigner remarked on the No Jumper podcast. “When I was vegan, I didn’t have enough sugars and stuff like that, so it was like I was out of my body. I was on medication and just went to sleep on the plane. I’m, like, out of my body saying wild s**t.” Whether or not most folks buy this excuse or believe it to begin with is another story, but it’s also disrespectful to speak on someone else’s condition and lifestyle without personal experience.
Desiigner Speaks On How His Vegan Diet Contributed To His Masturbation Scandal
Desiigner speaks on being arrested for exposing himself on a plane for the first time, says it was partially because he was vegan pic.twitter.com/A8Uo0JZtYg
Regardless, Desiigner had previously spoken on how mental health issues and substance struggles contributed to this incident. “For the past few months i have not been ok, and i have been struggling to come to terms with what is going on,” he stated to TMZ. “While overseas for a concert i performed at, i had to be admitted in to a hospital, i was not thinking clearly. They gave me meds, and i had to hop on a plane home.
“I am ashamed of my actions that happened on that plane,” Desiigner concluded. “I landed back to the states, and am admitting my self in a facility to help me [and] will be cancelling all of my shows and any obligations until further notice. Mental health is real guys, please pray for me. If you’re not feeling like yourself please get help.”
: The Art Of Dialogue/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/uzZ4FMuLBm
