It’s no secret that Kodak Black has struggled with substance abuse issues in the past, and recently, the rapper revealed that he has some regrets about glorifying that behavior in his music. In a new clip making its rounds online, he chats with fans about his Percocet habit onstage. He also refers to a bar from his 2022 track, “Super Gremlin.” In the song, he raps about knowing that a “Perc was fake,” but ultimately taking it anyway.
Kodak explained that if he had actually been taking fake Percocets at the rate he was taking real ones, he would have been “dead” by now. He told the crowd that he didn’t want them to hear the lyrics and think that it’s okay to take fake drugs, as it can be incredibly dangerous.
His admission has fans split in No Jumper‘s comments section. While most agree that it’s a good move to acknowledge that substance abuse is dangerous, some think he shouldn’t pick and choose which substances are okay to promote. With that being said, he’s been pretty open about his Percocet addiction in the past and has stated that he’s in a much better place now that he’s on the road to recovery.
During an Instagram Live in April, for example, he discussed how much his life had improved since cutting back drastically. “I’m proud of myself,” he told viewers at the time. “I’ve never been this happy in my life.” What do you think of Kodak Black admitting that he regrets his infamous bar about fake Percs from “Super Gremlin”? Are you surprised or not? Are you glad to see him taking a step in the right direction? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Megan Thee Stallion’s new album MEGAN is finally out, and fans have a whole lot to discuss and react to when it comes to this collection of tracks. For example, some fans are going wild over her anime references on the project, and others took note of some of the more emotional and personal lyricism on the LP. After all, the Houston femcee went through a lot over the past few years, situations that saturated media exposure and discussion certainly didn’t help either way. But one conversation around her, and concerning this new album as a whole, is probably a more intentional choice.
Moreover, fans couldn’t help but notice that there seem to be a couple of shots on MEGAN against Nicki Minaj, and we all know there’s history there. Their “HISS” and “Big Foot” disses kicked off a year of battles in the game, and Megan Thee Stallion might’ve doubled down on her stances with new bars here. However, this is mostly speculative and there’s not a lot of direct links to talk about… at least, that’s what usually is the case with these subliminals. But she chose to rap “I’m a motherf***ing brat, not a Barbie” on “Figueroa,” and a couple of lines on “Rattle” suggest that Roman was a main target.
Megan Thee Stallion Might’ve Sent More Nicki Minaj Shots On MEGAN
Nicki Minaj in bigfoot: You know I got a lot of tea, I went easy on you
Megan thee stallion: ain’t got no tea on me, this hoe think she tmz. She then said “worry bout your man and your kid. your life must be boring as f-ck”
Still, a lot of these early assumptions owe their current relevance and propagation to the very obvious lens that many fans initially viewed all of MEGAN through. Given how bombastic Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj’s beef was earlier this year, a lot of listeners went into this new album with that history at the forefront of their minds. It’s entirely possible that there are other bars on the record that we’re not even picking up on yet. In addition, it’s equally likely that these reads of “Figueroa” and “Rattle” provide inaccurate conclusions. Regardless, you can find more reactions to the project down below.
This production on this album man and Megan is rapping over slower beats with BARS. Ppl really don’t listen to FULL albums. All of these songs are fire too me #MEGAN#MeganTheeAlbumpic.twitter.com/P4WAxeSdDc
Meanwhile, we know that MEGAN had some release headaches to handle, such as difficult anime sample clearances. But Megan Thee Stallion should feel very proud of her latest work, and stay ready for a retort. Nicki Minaj could pop out whenever to claim her continued dominion of the rap throne. So we’ll see how this ages…
Megan Thee Stallion’s new album, Megan, has arrived — but not without some difficulty for the Houston rapper. In a recent livestream, Meg shared how a major obstacle emerged just days before the album’s release, forcing her to extensively re-record one song, “Otaku Hot Girl,” to remove references to one of her favorite anime.
She said on Tuesday, June 25, her team got an email from the anime’s production company, requesting the removal of a sample from the show, as well as several character names from her lyrics. “They said, ‘Actually, I need you to take out the names of the characters that’s in the show’,” she recalled. “That is the whole song. That makes the song make sense. They said, ‘You could either do this — you could have the music clearance or you can have the name clearance.’ The music is what’s really important to me, but the names really tied it all together.”
Ultimately, she re-cut the song in a makeshift studio just before going Live on Instagram, telling fans, “I really hope y’all think this sh*t sound fire, ’cause I had to jump through eight million hoops to get this sh*t. Once y’all hear the sample, y’all are gonna know why they was giving us a hard time. This is a very big production company, so for them to even say yes — and I be cussing and sh*t — like I said, I’m grateful. I’m not complaining. I really wanted this sample. I really wanted to do it, so I’m doing everything I got to do to keep it. But change the names? Change the names the day before the album out? That was nuts.”
Even though Meg did not reveal the name of the anime or production company… it’s pretty obviously Jujutsu Kaisen, a show with which she’s already got something of a history. The beat, by Bankroll Got It, interpolates the show’s theme song, while Adam McArthur, the voice actor for the main character, Yuji Itadori, declares, “I like a tall woman with a big ass, like Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion.” The show is licensed in the US by Crunchyroll and Viz Media, and is one of the more popular properties being licensed by the companies.
megan thee stallion sampling a jujutsu kaisen track and getting yuji itadori’s english VA (adam mcarthur) to narrate the intro like she is so insane for this lmfkskdkskdr#MEGAN#JJKpic.twitter.com/eUgCo7l3Sn
The line reading used in the song is not actually spoken in the show. Although Yuji does assert his fondness for statuesque women, the example given in the show is Jennifer Lawrence (who technically qualifies by Japanese standards, I guess). Fans online rewrote the line to pay homage to Thee Stallion’s love for anime and fitting physique, then convinced McArthur to re-read the line with the Meg reference. It’s kind of a shame we might not get to hear the original verses and see how she used the names of the characters to tie it all together, but it is cool to see the continued crossover between hip-hop and anime.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of June below.
Johnny Cash — Songwriter
Universal
In 1993, Johnny Cash recorded a set of songs at LSI Studios in Nashville, and they were ultimately shelved. Now, they’ve been revamped with new arrangements (The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach plays a guitar solo on one song, for example), and you can own them on vinyl.
Seven Swans is Stevens’ fourth album and one of his most beloved. It’s also 20 years old now, and Stevens has dropped quite the deluxe vinyl edition to celebrate. The record doubles as a zoetrope, meaning that when you play it, you’ll be able to actually see an animated swan flapping its wings. Sufjan may be often associated with albums about states, but this set from that same era is one of his best.
1960s singer-songwriter Margo Guryan had a slow burn, ultimately becoming a cult favorite starting in the ’90s. Those who have finally caught up now have a new 3LP box set to enjoy, and it comes with 16 previously unreleased recordings.
Monsters Of Folk — Monsters Of Folk (Deluxe Edition)
ATO
Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, and M. Ward was a mind-blowing supergroup in its day, and now the band’s self-titled album is getting another moment in the sun. This new deluxe edition comes in various multi-color vinyl editions and some previously unheard bonus tracks.
The late ’70s is a memorable era in the Joni Mitchell oeuvre, and that’s commemorated in a new box set. It includes the albums Hejira (1976), Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977), Mingus (1979), and the live album Shadows And Light (1980), all of which have been freshly remastered. As Joni prepares to perform live again this summer, this is the ideal collection to prepare for these live events.
Fat Possum’s Spaceman Reissue Program continues with another fresh Spiritualized release. This time, it’s Songs In A&E, which has been freshly remastered and comes with new album cover art for this edition. Pretty much every Spiritualized album is a must-own for fans and collectors alike, and this new pressing is the ideal way to hear this 2008 classic.
Just like the stark green cover art, Charli XCX went simple but effective for the vinyl pressing: It’s black, but slightly translucent. If you’re fine straying from the green, there’s also a pretty striking red picture disc edition available.
Animal Collective — Merriweather Post Pavilion (15-Year Anniversary Deluxe)
Domino
Merriweather Post Pavilion was an era-defining album, and it’s somehow been 15 years since then. Animal Collective is celebrating with the project’s first-ever pressing on color vinyl, as a 2-LP in Translucent Green and Bluish (Get it? Like the song!).
Los Campesinos! — We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
Vinyl Me, Please
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed locked up a slot as one of Vinyl Me, Please’s records of the month for July and it’s a beautiful celebration of the MySpace era. As tends to be the case with VMP releases, this new edition comes pressed on perfectly colored vinyl and comes with carefully considered listening notes.
A press release describes this project as “one of music’s most mythical live albums,” and it’s finally available to the masses. The album consists of live studio sessions from 1974, which have now been properly mixed, making it a substantial upgrade over the bootlegs that have been circulating for years.
Linda Ronstadt — Cry Like A Rainstorm – Howl Like The Wind
Iconic
The iconic singer’s late-’80s offering comes back to vinyl for the first time in years. This 140-gram translucent blue vinyl pressing features one of Ronstadt’s most iconic hits, the Aaron Neville duet “Don’t Know Much,” as the beloved New Orleans icon features throughout the collection. This album was massive in its time, selling over three million copies, and shines a light on a particularly fruitful creative moment from Ronstadt.
Drake is throwing his hat into the “song of the summer for 2024” ring twice with two nominations, this time being his collabs on the new Camila Cabello album C,XOXO. Moreover, “HOT UPTOWN” and his solo “Uugly” interlude have a lot of fans online singing its praises for their catchy refrains, breezy and atmospheric instrumentation, and for his vocal delivery and melodic dominion. Of course, not everyone’s on board, but what did you expect for a Toronto superstar who just emerged from one of the most monumental rap beefs in recent memory? Regardless on where you fall with these new tracks, it’s clear that they will probably make a massive cultural push when it comes to the rotation.
Also, there have been plenty of memes and comical assessments to come out of these fan reactions, a train that was already chugging for a while. For example, the 6ix God recently posted a picture with a hookah hose that elicited a lot of clowning from haters, as some of his social media content tends to land. He probably doesn’t mind all the engagement, as he’s had much worse content out about him when it comes to jokes at his expense. “Drake the type” humor ran its course with more vitriol than most memes elicit.
Jokes aside, there are rumors that Aubrey Graham will drop something else very soon, although they are purely speculative. Some fans are convinced that he will release another diss track against Kendrick Lamar around the release of K.Dot’s “Not Like Us” music video, which could arrive any day now. While many want the battlefield to reopen, others think that this wouldn’t do either MC any favors. At least we have these new Camila Cabello tracks to keep things light, fun, and sunny, for which you can find more reactions to down below.
Fans React To New Drizzy Tracks
Camila Cabello and Drake walking out the studio after making “Hot Uptown”
This song will chart on billboard and peak in that 50-80s and quickly be forgotten. The song isn’t bad but it’s typical and by 2 artists nobody likes right now. Drake labeled a pedophile, camila cabello labeled a racist. https://t.co/vhstT8v6Ny
As folks continue to debate the legendary rap feud, Drake is moving on in his own way, putting out some infectious songwriting and making hits as he does best. Kendrick Lamar is on a different path for his community, and the most likely scenario is that they both want to build off of their hype, not backtrack to it. Whether or not they succeed in this regard remains a mystery. But it’s one we’ll happily continue to solve.
Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, unveiled the first trailer for his highly anticipated new movie, Bando Stone & The New World Order. Debuting ahead of A Quiet Place: Day One screening on June 27th, Glover announced its premiere hours before on Instagram. Still, there’s very little known about the upcoming project, which will include an accompanying soundtrack under his moniker Childish Gambino. Let’s explore what we know about Bando Stone & The New World.
The two-minute trailer premiered exclusively in IMAX theaters on Thursday night after Donald Glover, in his Instagram post earlier that day, teased the trailer drop. The brief clip shows Glover’s character, Bando Stone, joining forces with other survivors in a perilous journey through a world filled with giant, blood-thirsty creatures and electromagnetic traps. The trailer, not yet officially released online, has snippets captured by fans circulating on social media, adding to the anticipation.
However, the trailer’s debut didn’t mean that Donald Glover and his team chose to share it online. So far, only the few fans who watched the movie in theaters caught a glimpse of the preview. Nonetheless, fan-captured footage surfaced online this morning, per HipHopDX, which you could view above.
Cast & Production
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 21: Actress Jessica Allain attends the world premiere of “Fear” at Directors Guild Of America on January 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Bando Stone & The New World is produced by RCA Records and Gilga, Glover’s creative hub. The film stars Jessica Allain, known for her roles in horror thrillers like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Fear. The movie, exclusive to IMAX theaters, marks a significant collaboration between Glover and his production partners. The storyline focuses on Bando Stone, a musician trying to survive in a world overrun by extraterrestrial threats, whose sole skill is singing. The blend of horror, comedy, and science fiction signals that this movie will certainly be worth a watch.
Soundtrack & Album Release
Accompanying the film is a soundtrack album from Childish Gambino, expected to be his final full-length release under this moniker. While the release date of the movie remains unannounced, Glover has confirmed that the album will drop this summer. The lead single, “Lithonia,” is set to release on July 2. Glover expressed frustration over the single leaking early. He blamed the streaming service Audiomack and vowing to withhold the album from them. Despite this hiccup, the anticipation for the single and the album remains high among fans.
Bando Stone & The New World will be Glover’s second album release in 2024, following Atavista, an updated version of his 2020 LP 3.15.20. Glover’s return to music is complemented by a massive world tour kicking off in August 2024. The tour will cover North America, Europe, and Oceania, and he will be joined by genre-bending artists Willow Smith and Amaarae. This tour marks a significant event in Glover’s music career, promising a blend of new and nostalgic performances.
The Rollout & Fan Engagement
Glover has taken a unique approach to the rollout of Bando Stone & The New World, using cryptic messages and Easter eggs through his Gilga Radio show and social media. This campaign has created a sense of mystery and excitement among fans. Glover’s Instagram Live sessions have provided sporadic insights, including his feelings about the state of the music industry and the joy he finds in simple activities like feeding cows on his California farm. His engagement with fans through these unconventional methods has built a narrative that extends beyond the music and film, making this project a multifaceted experience.
Last night (June 27), Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino) took to Instagram to surprise his fans: He shared a photo of two tickets to an IMAX screening of A Quiet Place: Day One and wrote, “Bando Stone trailer is coming tonight @imax.” Sure enough, a trailer for Glover’s Bando Stone And The New World movie aired in IMAX theaters last night.
It hasn’t been officially shared online yet, but fan-shot recordings have made the rounds online. The two-minute video starts with Bando Stone (Glover’s character) wandering around an empty post office before heading to an also-empty convenience store. There, he encounters a character played by Jessica Allain, who holds a gun in his face. Stone reveals he’s a famous singer, and later, he joins Allain’s character and a young girl (perhaps Allain’s daughter or sister). From there, the three try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world full of dangerous giant creatures.
In April, Glover shed some light on his upcoming plans. One of them is a soundtrack album for the Bando Stone movie, which he dubbed the “final” Childish Gambino album. He also announced Atavista, an album that has since been released.
Check out the Bando Stone And The New World trailer above.
Music plays an important role in the Beverly Hills Cop movies. The soundtrack for 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 thanks to popular singles like “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey, “New Attitude” by Patti Labelle, and, of course, “Axel F.” That’s how cool Axel F. himself, Eddie Murphy, was in the 1980s — he could turn a instrumental track from a German composer into an honest-to-god hit. But Murphy is still plenty cool these days, and for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the fourth film in the franchise and first in 30 years, he enlisted Lil Nas X for “the best song of all time.”
On “Here We Go!,” Lil Nas X offers a warning: “Tell them boys you better hide, tell them lay low / Tell them play it safe ’cause we don’t play at all / Tell them boys you better move.” Later, he sings, “There’s a boy inside me and one day he’s gonna go / Somewhere that nobody’s ever ever been before.” The song was written by Lil Nas X, as well as Raul Cubina, Mark Williams, Jarrod Morgan, and Harold Faltermeyer, whose “Axel F” is used as a sample.
You can listen to “Here We Go!” above
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which also stars original cast members Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot and newbies Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon, debuts on Netflix on July 3.
Ralo is now a free man, as he recently shared an update on his legal situation with fans on Instagram on Thursday (June 27). Moreover, he posted a photo of a federal release notice form indicating that he was officially free from his stay at a halfway house (which lasted eight months) that same day. The Atlanta rapper and YSL sympathizer, according to this revealed paperwork, will also face five years of probation following this release. “Today the last day of this federal halfway house s**t, I’m signing my papers we finna be outside…” he captioned his post. “#FukPrison #Fuk12 I’m ready to do my interviews, my shows call Johnnie (404) 798-0197.”
For those unaware, Ralo saw a prison release in November of last year following a five-year prison sentence. Back in 2018, authorities arrested him after allegedly discovering $1 million worth of marijuana on his private plane at an Atlanta airport, and in June of 2022, he received an eight-year prison sentence. The judge credited this with four years of time served and, reportedly, with “one and a half year for good time,” according to the Thugger affiliate. Since then, he stayed at the halfway house in Atlanta until just this week.
In addition, Ralo also released some singles following his prison release, including a “First Day Out” and a couple of other collaborations. We don’t know what’s left in store for the future, but either way, fans are very happy with this development and are sending their best wishes. Unfortunately, this freedom also involved some bumps along the road, including a bizarre social media suspension shortly after its lawful commencement. Presumably, this had something to do with his post-release terms restricting fan engagement.
Meanwhile, the rap game welcomed Ralo back with open arms, as folks like Lil Baby treated him to “welcome home” gifts like a $50K watch. It’s been heartening to see, and though the process hasn’t been perfect, that’s an increasingly rare luxury. Hopefully the rest of his return to the regular world goes by without many hiccups. We’ll see what this halfway house release provides in the future.
The Pop Smoke murder trial has taken some interesting turns as of late concerning former codefendants, but they’re on very different extremes of discussion. On one hand, the sole adult defendant in the case, Corey Walker, failed to secure a plea negotiation in his case, so he will have to wait longer to face his trial. But for the other codefendant of note these days, Blockstar, his newsworthiness stems more from his extreme attempts at securing freedom. Moreover, a clip recently emerged of him seemingly cutting off his own ankle monitor, making his attempts at escape known for whatever reason.
Furthermore, the court previously released Blockstar earlier this month in the Pop Smoke murder case, presumably due to completing his four year juvie sentence following a guilty plea. The circumstances and vagueness of this release provoked a lot of debate within fans. Of course, a lot of negative messages and threats ensued, and another video was posted that shows Blockstar’s probation officer calling him and requesting relocation due to concerns over his safety. Clearly, a lot of anger or confusion over this has caused some due worries, and hopefully it doesn’t escalate.
However, things took yet another curious turn when Pop Smoke’s released alleged murderer demanded that No Jumper hand him a bag. Specifically, it seems like he wants the publication to pay him for providing coverage of his prison release and, by extension, allegedly exploiting his name and story for their own gain. We’re sure that Blockstar extends this ire to other news outlets and media pages talking about his release, but he still chose one particular target. Perhaps something develops from this in the future, but again, hopefully things stay more measured.
Meanwhile, this news arrived a couple of months after folks heard a new alleged testimony of the tragic loss of Pop Smoke. It came from a supposed friend or colleague of his that was apparently at his house when home invaders took his life. It’s a bit of a harrowing account, but it also emphasizes the mundane nature of the situation before a dark end. With luck, we will celebrate the late New York MC’s legacy this year for many more reasons that have nothing to do with this crime.
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