Yung Miami caught some undue flack from the Internet recently, all for her aspirational goals to one day become one of the music industry’s billionaires. Moreover, she recently reacted to the launch of Rihanna’s new haircare line and remarked how this represents what she wants to do with her own career as far as scale and reach. “Who I aspire to be!!!! That bag & status different!!” the former City Girl shared on her Instagram Story, and in the comments section of the Instagram post covering this down below, you’ll see some skeptical and defensive reactions alike. “How can yall have anything negative to say about this?! Shes inspired!” one fan wrote, with another adding “Whew Chile…we got a ton of work to do! [crying-laughing emoji].”
Furthermore, most people who made fun of Yung Miami’s aspirations referred more heavily to her alleged involvement in the Diddy scandal. For those unaware, a lawsuit named her as someone allegedly hired as a “sex worker” by Sean Combs, and also included claims of drug trafficking, assault, abuse, and more. Of course, most of these claims are still unverified and unclear under a court of law, especially those relating to the Florida MC. Still, it’s definitely not a good look for someone who wants to be a mogul one day.
Regardless, Yung Miami is looking forward to what the rest of her career, brand partnerships, and business ventures bring, especially in this new, exciting chapter of her life. “I had to really get back in my bag,” she told Complex of the City Girls split with JT. “People had just been talking to me crazy… So just going through s**t really motivated me to get in the studio and make music. I think when the City Girls album [RAW] just dropped, and it didn’t do too well, and we was just trying to do our press run. The whole rollout of the album was just so bad because we was just in two different spaces.
“We older now, and she [JT] was doing her own thing,” Yung Miami continued. “She on the West Coast, I’m in Miami. I’m doing my own thing. And I felt like naturally, when she doing her own thing, it just worked for her. And when I’m doing my own thing, it worked for me. But when we get together as a group, it just wasn’t connecting. It just wasn’t working no more.”
Drake has officially begun his post-beef era with the recent outing “Wah Gwan Delilah.” The track is a bizarre parody/remix of the Plain White T’s 2005 hit “Hey There Delilah.” It’s been turning heads all across social media. To create “Wah Gwan Delilah,” Drake linked up with a virtually unknown artist by the name of Snowd4y. This left many fans to believe that the song was created using artificial intelligence. As it turns out, the song is all too real. That’s right, Drake really crooned lyrics about being “so cheesed” in an extremely odd fake patois. The track serves as the second release Drake has put out since the Kendrick Lamar feud settled down. The first post-beef track was another poorly-received collaboration with Sexyy Red, titled “U My Everything.”
So who exactly is Snowd4y? How did he get the chance to craft “Wah Gwan Delilah” with one of the biggest artists on the planet? With fans far and wide looking into the TikTok troll, it seems that this song may be his big break into the mainstream. Here, we’ll examine what we know about Snow, and try to understand what compelled him and Drake to produce and release this incredibly misguided track.
Before landing this massive Drake feature, Snowd4y was primarily known for his skits and jokes across social media. Users on Drake’s official subreddit were quick to track down the “Wah Gwan Delilah” vocalist’s socials. Through their research, they confirmed that Snowd4y is a Toronto native. As such, the internet comedian produces a lot of content relating to everyday life in Toronto. He often utilizes characters satirizing the people of the Canadian city. Most of the skits on Snow’s TikTok page consist of different situations involving “Toronto man.” Others lean on common local stereotypes and tropes of the city.
While Snowd4y was not well known outside of Toronto before the release of “Wah Gwan Delilah,” the social media personality does have a solid base of fans, with nearly 40,000 followers on TikTok alone. This number is expected to keep growing, particularly if the Canadian humorist continues to collaborate with big name entertainers like Drake.
While most Americans likely aren’t aware of Toronto’s mixed cultural diaspora, the city does have a large portion of residents of Caribbean descent. This explains why Drake and Snowd4y approached their “Wah Gwan Delilah” track with such a heavy island-inspired accent. Jamaican patois is even used within the title of the song. “Wah gwan” is island shorthand for “what is going on.” There are multiple bars across the song that lean on this gimmick, including Drake’s strange admission that he is “so cheesed” at the notion of Delilah having been sexually active with other men in her past.
Kendrick Lamar even referenced this Toronto dialect in his Drake diss track “Euphoria” back in May. On “Euphoria” Kendrick raps “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and blammy, crodie/ Tell me you’re cheesin’, fam/ We can do this right now on the camera, crodie.” These lyrics left many listeners baffled at first. Fans quickly determined from context clues that “cheesed” means confused, baffled, or angry, depending on its use.
While Snowd4y is known for his comedy skits, his release of “Wah Gwan Delilah” didn’t come completely out of nowhere. Just a few weeks ago the Toronto native released the track “Banned From Toronto,” which sees him humorously interpolating multiple flows and lyrics from Kendrick’s “Euphoria.” While his primary function is to craft jokes, the “Banned From Toronto” single is much more musically enjoyable than “Wah Gwan Delilah.” Clearly, Snow has some genuine musical talent, though it’s buried under a thick layer of sarcasm and post-ironic humor.
After creating “Banned From Toronto,” many content creators have asked if Snowd4y would like to work with prominent Toronto artists. In one particularly prophetic interview, a podcast host asks Snow point-blank if he’d like to collab with Drake on a track like “Wah Gwan Delilah.” Snowd4y played it cool, suggesting he would only do the collab if Drake comes with some heat. Still, it was obvious that the young comedian would be excited at the prospect of sharing the mic with Drake, leaving some to say that the interview manifested the collaboration.
Why Would Drake Release This Song Right Now?
While nobody is suggesting that Drake isn’t allowed to have fun with a silly parody record, the release of “Wah Gwan Delilah” does have fans scratching their head in confusion. You might even say that Drake fans are cheesed themselves, regarding the whole ordeal. Releasing the track so shortly after being clowned by Kendrick Lamar on wax makes Drake look quite unserious. It also seemingly strengthens Kendrick’s argument that the Toronto MC is simply an actor cosplaying in different cultures.
For now, it seems unclear when exactly “Wah Gwan Delilah” was initially recorded. It is entirely possible that Snowd4y could have released the song without directly consulting Drake first. Drake did repost the track on social media, which assured fans that it wasn’t made using AI (Even Plain White T’s were in disbelief). Still, little is known about “Wah Gwan Delilah’s” production outside of that. Either way, this parody seems 20 years too late, and more unintentionally funny than purposefully satirical. The only major upside of “Wah Gwan Delilah” is that Snowd4y’s internet comedy has been exposed to a whole new audience of potential fans.
Kendrick Lamar has long been a massive fan of both Nas and Jay-Z, and one of his hot takes on the once-upon-a-time rivalry might get him closer to a new business venture. Moreover, Dame Dash recently discovered one of his old tweets from 2010 about Hov’s Reasonable Doubt being better than Esco’s Illmatic, and had an idea for K.Dot. “@kendricklamar my 3rd is for sale if you want to buy it. Any serious offers DM,” he captioned a screenshot of the tweet on Instagram uploaded Thursday (June 6). While Kendrick has yet to publicly respond, it would be interesting if this full-circle moment actually ends up happening.
Of course, Roc-A-Fella Records is not what it was in the early 2000s anymore, but it’s connected to Jay-Z’s wider business empire, so there’s got to be something good out of it. Regardless, we know that Kendrick Lamar is keeping busy these days and has plenty of opportunities to coincide a big announcement with. For example, he will perform at The Forum in Los Angeles for a special Juneteenth show with friends, which folks can’t wait to witness. After all, the Drake beef alone is enough to entice potential concert-goers in the city, not to mention the rest of this legendary catalog.
Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar will have to contend with a lot of bad business blood if he considers buying into Roc-A-Fella Records, which Dame Dash owns a third of through his stake in the company as a co-founder. Amid Dame’s other legal issues that almost saw him sell his shares through a court order over an unfulfilled lawsuit settlement, the Roc intervened. Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, the other two co-founders, blocked Dash from selling his shares due to the board of directors having to sign off on that decision first. The music executive also previously teased selling his shares to Cam’ron and Mase.
“In 2021, I was trying to sell my shares at public auction,” Dame Dash explained regarding the business backstory. “Jay and Biggs sued me, or had Roc-A-Fella Inc. sue me, and say I was trying to sell all the shares. I’m the CEO of Roc-A-Fella. What Jay did was pretend to be the CEO of Roc-A-Fella. He hired his lawyers on Roc-A-Fella Inc.’s behalf and sued me. Jay’s lawyers were being paid by me and the money generated from Roc-A-Fella Inc.”
Lil Wayne has an absolutely stacked catalog that spans over three decades, with so many hits that his concerts are always going to miss at least a couple of classics. But a recently surfaced clip from one of his concerts sees him give an explanation for why he doesn’t perform one of his biggest hits of the late 2010s: 2018’s “Mona Lisa” featuring Kendrick Lamar off of Tha Carter V. Of course, a lot of people might assume that this might be because of the K.Dot and Drake beef that reached its peak this year, given Weezy’s bond with Drizzy through Young Money. However, even though he has reason to obfuscate if this is really the case, his actual explanation for this omission seems much more reasonable and honest.
“People in front, listen, listen,” Lil Wayne’s remarks not performing “Mona Lisa” featuring Kendrick Lamar began. “This is the second time I seen this within my last three shows. Somebody had a sign that said to do ‘Mona Lisa.’ I’m not sure if that means you, if y’all said y’all real Lil Wayne.
“So if you real Lil Wayne fans, do you know I don’t know the lyrics to my s**t?” Lil Wayne asked the crowd. “Do you know how hard that f***ing song is, girl? You know what I mean? I don’t like to rap the words, but I’m going to learn that s**t. I’m going to learn it. I’m going to learn. I got you. This is for her and for the ‘Mona Lisa’ lovers. But this ain’t ‘Mona Lisa,’ but this for y’all. Let’s go,” he concluded before playing another song.
“That moment in the studio with Wayne, I never told Wayne this,” Kendrick Lamar had said of Lil Wayne a couple of years ago. “That changed my perspective on work ethic. These not no motherf***ing ‘fly by night’ verses. These is set right there and thought out right in front of your face. And he’s excited about it, and he’s loving music, and he loves what he’s doing. That gave me a whole other appreciation, and we took that same intensity and work ethic, and applied it moving forward.”
Eminem is outside for the summer. The Detroit previously made his way back to the spotlight with the announcement of his upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) and the release of its lead single “Houdini.” Eminem have his live debut of the song during the “Live From Detroit: The Concert At Michigan Central” show which celebrating the reopening of the refurbished Michigan Central, a historical landmark in Detroit. The show itself was co-executive produced by Eminem and his longtime manager Paul Rosenberg. It also featured performances by Diana Ross, Jack White, Big Sean, Fantasia, Jelly Roll, Common, Slum Village, the Clark Sisters, Kierra Sheard, and Melissa Etheridge.
Eminem and Jelly Roll – Sing For The Moment – performance at Michigan Central Station, (June 6, 2024). pic.twitter.com/6gm9tn5aYI
Eminem was not originally on the bill of performers for the night, but it’s no surprise that he joined in on the fun to perform a few songs. Eminem’s surprise set included the live debut of “Houdini,” a performance of “Not Afraid” and “Welcome To Detroit” with Trick Trick, and a special rendition of “Sing For The Moment” with Jelly Roll who stepped in to sing Steven Tyler’s parts on the classic record.
“Timing worked out for us fortunately great because we just dropped a single — that wasn’t always the case when we agreed to jump on board,” Rosenberg said about Eminem’s performance according to Billboard. “We weren’t sure we were going to have new music out. It happened to work out great, and it became an opportunity to perform a new song.”
The “Live From Detroit: The Concert At Michigan Central” was livestreamed on Peacock and will be edited into a one-hour NBC special at 7pm PST/EST on June 9. As for Eminem, he’s weeks away from the release of em>The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace) which Billboard says will arrive on July 5.
You can watch Eminem’s performances of “Houdini” and “Sing For The Moment” in the videos above.
A Hot Girl Summer continues. Over the past few weeks, the ladies of rap have been dropping heater after heater. And tonight (June 7), this pattern continues with a remix of Latto‘s “Sunday Service.” Joined by Megan Thee Stallion and Flo Milli, Latto takes the scorching diss track to the next level.
Flo Milli pops in with her brand of pretty girl magic, questioning why someone would bring their man to an event “if you know he thirsty.”
On Meg’s verse, she is well aware that she is the standard, even if her opps try change the rules of the rap game when she reaches unbeatable heights.
“I meet the goalposts, b*tches move it, they say I can’t, then I do it / Your favorite rapper might not like me but his boo gon’ jam my music,” raps Meg.
As the ladies have been known to do in their individual records, they deliver on bars, as well as pure, carefree fun. Eliminating the need for the competition the game tries to put them in, the girls display a sense of collaboration, uplifting each other and bringing each artist to brand new heights.
You can listen to the “Sunday Service” remix above.
Omar Apollo is dancing the pain away. Tonight (May 7), the queer heartbreak king has shared “Less Of You,” the latest single from his upcoming sophomore album, God Said No.
On “Less Of You,” Apollo recalls a special encounter while overseas. As days go by, he feels a connection with this person, however, he can slowly feel the other person distancing themselves from him. Apollo handles this hurt in the best way he knows how — by writing a smash.
“I can’t let you go / I see you everywhere / I’m seein’ less of you / I’m still undressing you
Am I depressing you? / Felt like a blessin’, you,” he sings on the song’s chorus.
Over a pulsating euro-influenced beat, Apollo experiments with his sounds, taking his brand of lyrical healing to the next level. According to a press release, the song was partly inspired by his exploration of London’s nightlife.
But while Apollo isn’t afraid to tap into these raw emotions, it certainly won’t be a sad boy summer for him. In July, Apollo is set to embark on the God Said No Tour.
You can listen to “Less Of You” above.
God Said No is out 6/28 via Warner. Find more information here.
Rihanna has certainly been busy. Though it’s been over eight years since she released her last studio album, Anti, she definitely hasn’t been laying low. Outside of music, she has been killing the make-up game with her Fenty Beauty collection, laying down the laws of the bedroom with her Savage X Fenty intimates, and most recently, giving a spin at hair care with her newly announced Fenty Hair.
Additionally, she has been on mommy duty with her sons, RZA and Riot. All of these things considered, it’s a miracle if she’s had anytime to work on new music.
Still, fans are itching for a new album from Rihanna, and while a performance at the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show seemed to indicate that she hasn’t completely said goodbye to music. But since then, we’ve heard very little from Rihanna in regards to her long-awaited ninth studio album.
Earlier today (June 6), Rihanna was photographed in New York City wearing a shirt that read “I’m retired.” There was some text at the bottom which read “This is as dressed up as I get,” which was obscured by a bag she was carrying.
Nevertheless, fans have taken this as an indicator that we may never get new music from her.
Rihanna knows what she’s doing. She dropped a classic album in 2016 with Anti, and has kept fans on the hook ever since. The pop superstar has had two children, bolstered her fashion empire, and played the Super Bowl Halftime Show in this nearly decade-long drought. 2024 seemed as though it would be the end of the drought, but RiRi has fans thinking otherwise after she stepped out on June 6. She was seen wearing a graphic t-shirt, and the text on it provides a terrifying possibility for her Navy.
Rihanna was photographed in New York City. The full text on the t-shirt was obscured by her purse, but the main text was crystal clear: “I’m retired.” Fans did manage to find the exact shirt she was wearing on the internet, though. The text underneath allegedly reads: “This is as dressed up as I get.” It’s very much meant to be a tongue-in-cheek shirt, not to be taken seriously, but given who is wearing it, and how long its been since her last album, fans were more stressed than usual. “Welp she never doing music again,” one distraught X user wrote. “I don’t feel good,” another wrote. “She better be joking.” Some fans took the stance that Rihanna is actually teasing the title of her upcoming album, which would be I’m Retired.
Rihanna has, admittedly, been hyping up her comeback album in 2024. She confirmed that she’s been in the studio with her boyfriend, ASAP Rocky, who has also been working on his first album since 2018. The biggest thing Rihanna wants to convey to fans is artistic growth. At least, that’s what she told Extra back in April. “It’s gonna be amazing,” she told the outlet. “It has to be — that is the only reason it’s not out yet. If I’m not feeling it and I’m not feeling like it represents the evolution, the time I spent away. There should be a show of growth, right?”
While Rihanna confirmed that her and ASAP Rocky have been working closely, she maintained that the new album will not be filled with guest features. If anything, the singer wants to error on the side of less features, so as to give fans more of her. Especially after nearly a decade away from the industry. “I’m not a big collaborator,” she explained. “It has to be very intentional, so I’ll know when I have the record.” RiRi is playing up the notion that she’s retired in public. That said, she’s made it very clear that she’s hard at work on new music behind closed doors.
At long last, Tems‘ debut album is finally here. Tonight (June 7), the Nigerian R&B hitmaker has shared Born In The Wild, her long-awaited full-length project. With her years of features, EPs, and viral tracks, Tems delivered on her promise of pure quality. On Born In The Wild is “Free Fall,” a collaboration with J. Cole.
Neither Tems or Cole avoid facing difficult emotions, but on “Free Fall,” the two find themselves confused as to how to move forward with a love that is draining them of their energies.
“Hopeless, in the moment / I free fall straight into you / I don’t know if I can fight what you do in my mind / Or and more can collide with you,” sings Tems on the song’s intro.
Cole hops in, noting that he cam empathize, however, he feels frustrated at the woman’s inability to open up to him.
“Toxic, who would’vе thought whats comin’ was a plot twist / Soon as you let me in, you start hunting for the locksmith / Now thе key I once had to your heart does not fit / I got three choices, bad on your door or lock-pick / Or walk away confused at your logic,” raps Cole on his verse.
Though Cole’s hot streak of verses has recently been called into question, recently with his verse of Cash Cobain’s “Grippy” and his removal of the Kendrick Lamar diss track “7 Minute Drill” from streaming platforms. But with “Free Fall,” he bounces back, and makes a return to melodic, rhythmic form.
And ultimately, Tems’ debut album proves to be worth the wait, and only the beginning of a long, promising career.
You can listen to “Free Fall” above.
Born In The Wild is out now via RCA. Find more information here.
Kevin
HOUDINI – EMINEM [FULL PERFORMANCE AT MICHIGAN CENTRAL] 
