Music

Rick Ross Says Nipsey Hussle And Young Dolph’s Deaths Are ‘Equivalent Or Greater’ To That Of Biggie And Tupac’s

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Last fall marked the 25th anniversary of Tupac’s death. Meanwhile, next month will mark the 25th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.’s death. Since their deaths, hip-hop has experienced the loss of other major rappers. Some examples include Nipsey Hussle and Young Dolph, who were shot and killed in 2019 and 2021, respectively.During a recent interview with HotNewHipHop, Rick Ross spoke about how impactful their deaths were to this generation.

“Losing Nipsey and Dolph for this generation, I’m sure, was just as equivalent or greater to what [Notorious] B.I.G. or ‘Pac was for my generation,” he said. Nipsey was shot and killed outside of his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles back in 2019 and Young Dolph was murdered inside of Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in Memphis last fall. Rick Ross collaborated with Nipsey and Dolph throughout their careers and he even tried to sign Nipsey to his label, Maybach Music Group, at one point.

Rick Ross’ comments come after dropped a video for “Little Havana” with The-Dream — a track from his recently-released eleventh album RIcher Than I Ever Been.

You can read Ross’ interview on HotNewHipHop here.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kanye West Reportedly Wants His Social Media Posts Kept Out Of His Upcoming Court Hearing With Kim Kardashian

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It’s been more than a year since Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West, but the two are still fighting. Earlier this week, Kardashian requested to have the divorce expedited by the court while Kanye himself is still putting up a fight to win her back. Now Kanye has reportedly filed legal documents to have his social media posts kept out of their upcoming hearing. According to TMZ, the rapper has argued that Kim does not know that he wrote the posts despite the fact that they’ve been shared on social media accounts like Instagram.

“Kim claims she read something online allegedly by Kanye and characterizes the posts in her declaration as misinformation,” Kanye’s lawyer says according to TMZ. “Kim needed to offer the social media posts into evidence, and show that the posts were written by Kanye.” For what it’s worth, Kanye’s team did not deny that he’s behind the posts in the documents. Their argument instead is that Kim hasn’t done enough to prove that Kanye wrote them.

On top of that, Kanye’s lawyer reportedly says that the prenup between Kanye and Kim can no longer be viewed as valid, claiming there’s a presumption in California that prenups signed after 2001 are invalid, and that the only way that they can be validated is through a trial or if both parties agree to uphold its terms. It seems that Kanye will not agree to the terms, which means that a full-blown trial will be required, thus stifling Kim’s attempts to expedite the divorce.

Cardi B Said She’s ‘Always Got Love’ For Joe Budden After He Called Her A ‘Superstar’

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Joe Budden had some high praise for Cardi B, and she decided to show some love right back. The notoriously critical hip-hop personality, who runs his own show, The Joe Budden Podcast, was discussing her rise to fame and nothing but love for the New York rapper. “Cardi B is a superstar,” he said. “And you can’t argue that she is not.”

Well, as she does with most things — good or bad — Cardi B caught wind of the clip, which had been circulating on Twitter, and decided to respond. Of course, the high praise meant more to her because she has a long history with Budden, who also came up in New York as a rapper.

“I told y’all he always believed in me……that’s why I always got love for him even when he gets me mad …That’s my mean uncle,” she wrote on Twitter, sharing a very old photo of the two together, way back before Cardi is where she is now. Considering how many people try to come after Cardi due to her success, it’s nice to see someone in the game — and a man, no less — give her the credit she’s due. Now, superstar, can we get a new album?

Snoop Dogg Now Owns Death Row’s Music Catalog — With Some Exceptions

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Earlier this month, it was reported that Snoop Dogg had acquired Death Row Records’ brand, but was still hammering out negotiations for the accompanying catalog. Today, Billboard reports that he’s officially completed those negotiations and now owns the masters for both of his albums under the label, Doggystyle and The Doggfather, as well as those for his 213 associates Daz Dillinger and Kurupt, along with Lady of Rage and the compilations and soundtracks Death Row released throughout the ’90s. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

However, that impressive collection of music does not include a few of the most well-known Death Row releases. Dr. Dre’s The Chronic is set to be returned to Snoop’s longtime collaborator sometime next year (August at the latest), while Tupac Shakur’s seminal classic All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (as Makavelli) have already reverted to Amaru Entertainment and the Tupac estate.

Snoop might not miss those exceptions much in the long run, as Billboard notes both of his albums are Death Row’s best sellers. Meanwhile, his newly released BODR (Bacc On Death Row) — his first release for the album in 25 years — is already generating revenue to the tune of 10,000 units, while Doggystyle alone was worth 169,000 units just in 2021. Billboard puts the total revenue for the catalog at around $6 million last year. Combined with the branding — which handles merch and licensing of the Death Row logo — Snoop’s adding about $50 million of value to his name. Billboard notes, however, that Snoop may not have paid that much to MNRK, which previously held the rights to Death Row, due to it no longer having an interest in the brand and having a tendency to return rights to artists, as it did with Dre and Pac.

Snoop says he wants to turn Death Row into an “NFT label,” which holds interesting prospects for the future, while his former protege Bow Wow revealed plans to release his own final album under the imprint earlier today.

Conway The Machine Releases His Long-Awaited Shady Records Debut, ‘God Don’t Make Mistakes’

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After nearly two years of false starts and a few strong mixtapes to hold fans over, Conway The Machine‘s long-awaited Shady Records debut, God Don’t Make Mistakes, has arrived. Made up of 12 tracks with guest features from Annette Price, Beanie Siegel, Jill Scott, Keisha Plum, Novel, T.I., and more, God Don’t Make Mistakes is the culmination of the Buffalo rapper’s career to date, which saw him and his Griselda Records cohorts Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn (also featured on the album on the lead single “John Woo Flick,” naturally) sign to Shady Records in 2019.

So far, though, the standouts of the album appear to be a pair of tracks that, on the surface, couldn’t be more different, but are in reality vintage Grisela presentations. One, “Stressed,” features a relative newcomer, Wallo627, who contributes a spoken-word outro giving a passionate pep talk to Conway, reminding him “you’re back, now you’re back at one hundred.”

The other, which you can check out up top, has a much splashier guest list. “Tear Gas,” which features a smooth beat courtesy of G Koop, Cosmo Beats, and Vidal Garcia, has guest verses from rap game veterans Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, who come through to match their host’s complex delivery with punchline-laden raps of their own. However, it’s still Conway’s show, and longtime fans needn’t worry — the Griselda capo’s Shady debut fits right in amongst the rest of his extensive catalog with haunting beats and hardbody rhymes.

God Don’t Make Mistakes is out now via Shady Records. Get it here.

Rexx Life Raj’s ‘Balance’ Video Is A Powerful Meditation On Loss

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Nobody should have to deal with this much loss. In the past year, Bay Area rapper Rexx Life Raj lost both his mother and his father and as he’s picking up the pieces of what the future holds, he’s navigating his grief and emotions in song. “Balance” is the first offering from his upcoming album and it’s an ode to his late mother and a powerful overall meditation on loss.

“We are battling obstacles in life and I know it comes with it’s challenges. But to me what separates the good from great is just the way you choose to handle it,” the rapper says on the hook over an affecting guitar and crisp snare drums. It’s an intense reminder of how music can help heal and find yourself amid insurmountable loss.

“Balance was a concept I’d had in my mind for a while because it was something I had been dealing with,” Raj said in a statement. “Trying to juggle being a caretaker, music, businesses, and relationships were weighing heavy on me. I wrote it as an affirmation to myself and hopefully the listener.”

The video plays out like a memory of spending time with his mother. She reads the boy a story, then he accompanies her to the doctor where she gets bad news. The next cut is outside of her funeral and it’s all spliced with footage of a grieving Raj leaned up against a hillside tree, delivering the song’s lyrics in a somber moment. The end of the clip is a cellphone video of Raj in the car with his parents, smiling together and enjoying life.

This is no doubt an impassioned introduction to the next chapter for Rexx Life Raj.

Watch the video for “Balance” above.

John Mayer Tests Positive For COVID And Consequently Postpones Some Concerts

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John Mayer is in the midst of a tour, and so far, COVID has taken its toll on proceedings. A few days ago, Questlove filled in for Mayer drummer Steve Ferrone, who tested positive for COVID. Now, Mayer himself and other band members got COVID, too, so a few upcoming tour dates have been postponed.

In a post sharing the news yesterday, Mayer wrote, “Whelp. More members of the band tested positive for Covid today, and I was one of them. This means we have to reschedule the next four shows, which we’ve already rescheduled and posted above. I’m so sorry to make you change your plans. This is a bummer for everyone in the band and crew, to say nothing of the question hanging over everyone’s head — mine included — as to how I tested positive on PCR twice in two months. (The first was extremely mild, but this one’s got the better of me.) We’ll give you everything we’ve got at these upcoming shows, just as soon as we rest up and regroup. With love and appreciation… me.”

As for the altered shows, they were originally scheduled for tonight (February 25) in Pittsburgh; March 1 in Belmont Park, New York; and March 4 and 5 in Boston. Those concerts have been moved to May 5, 7, 9, and 10, respectively. It appears Mayer’s next show will be at Las Vegas’s The Grand Garden Arena in March 11.

Earthgang Finally Shared Their Long-Awaited ‘Ghetto Gods’ Album, Hear ‘Billi’ Featuring Future

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Atlanta hip-hop duo Earthgang have been grinding forever, but recently, they’ve been getting the shine they always deserved. After J. Cole signed them to his Dreamville label, they released their eclectic debut, Mirrorland, and have been teasing a follow-up for a minute now. After another January date was thrown in the mix, Ghetto Gods was finally slated for release, and came out today. It’s chock full of features from other Atlanta legends, like Future and 2 Chainz, and if you want to get a taste of what their collaborations with hip-hop royalty sound like, check out “Billi” featuring Future up top.

Along with him, the album features cameos from J.I.D., fellow Dreamville artist Ari Lennox, of course label head J. Cole jumped on a track, Musiq Soulchild and Nick Canon are also featured. Disappointingly, CeeLo Green is also involved with the project, despite his past conviction of drugging a woman and raping her. A press release about the album describes it as “a sonic reminder of the godhood present in all of us and a study in how our environments create our reality, which, through dedication, faith and belief can be transmuted into whatever we desire.” Check out “Billi” above and stream the album below.

Central Cee’s Wildly-Anticipated ’23’ Mixtape Has Arrived Along With A Clip For ‘Straight Back To It’

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By the end of the day, Central Cee’s new video for “Straight Back To It” will already be touching a million views. That’s because the West London rapper is the next big thing in British rap and just dropped the wildly-anticipated mixtape 23 today.

The follow-up to last year’s breakthrough Wild West, a mixtape that saw Cench nominated for three BRIT Awards, 23 showcases a rapper firing on all cylinders. Singles like “Khabib” and “Cold Shoulder” have Cee leaving haters in the dust and rising in the ranks over sleek drill production. “Straight Back To It,” is no different. A track about fighting back when you get knocked down, it’s an apt display of the rapper’s commitment to the grind. “Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got straight back to it / Took me an L, no problem / I got on my grind, got straight back to it,” he raps.

The track is produced by longtime collaborator Young Chencs and it’s another highlight from the immediately essential British hip-hop release.

Watch the video for “Straight Back To It” above and check out the 23 album artwork and tracklist below.

Central Cee 23
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1. “Khabib”
2. “Straight Back To It”
3. “Ungrateful”
4. “Bunda”
5. “Retail Therapy”
6. “Eurovision” feat. Rondodasosa, Baby Gang, A2Anti, Morad, Benny Jr, ASHE
7. “Cold Shoulder”
8.” Mrs”
9.” Air BnB”
10. “No Pain”
11. “Terminal 5”
12. “Obsessed With You”
13. “8 Ball”
14. “Lil Bro”
15. “End of The Beginning”

23 is out now via self-release. Listen to it here.