ASAP Rocky and Rihanna have been going out more. The couple stepped away from the spotlight for a couple years to start a family, but it looks as though both of them are ready to drop new music and regain their popularity. The couple went out for a date night on May 15, and appeared to be having a great time. Footage of the two of them went viral, but the real standout moment came when ASAP Rocky decided to do karaoke. The Harlem rapper stepped up and serenaded the mother of his children with a classic rap single from Cam’ron and Juelz Santana.
ASAP Rocky took the mic and ripped off some of “Oh Boy” while Rihanna stood next to him. A fan captured the whole thing on their phone, and Rihanna looked directly into the camera during Rocky’s rapping. “That’s my baby daddy,” she mouthed amidst the chatter in the club. The pop star mouths the words she knows alongside Rocky, but both of them run out of steam. “I don’t know the rest, y’all,” the rapper says while laughing. The club didn’t care, and cheered on Rocky’s performance.
Rihanna wasn’t the only one who was proud of her partner that night. In a separate video, ASAP Rocky can be seen warning a man not to hit on his baby mama. “Don’t be romantic to my girl like that,” he told him. There was a split second where it seemed as though the interaction was going to get serious, but the rapper diffused the situation with some humor. “I’m playing with you, man,” he assured the stranger. The two then shook hands and continued to have fun.
ASAP Rocky picking Cam’ron’s “Oh Boy” was no accident. The rapper is an enormous fan of Cam and the whole Dipset crew. During a 2013 interview with Google Play, Rocky picked the album with “Oh Boy” on it, Come Home with Me, as one of his all-time favorites. “At that time,” he explained. “Dispet was my everything. I used to wear the bandana like Juelz Santana. It was just really flashy, flamboyant, gangsta sh*t and I f*cked with it. That was a good a*s f*cking album.” Cam’ron has shown love in return, praising ASAP Mob for continuing the Dipset legacy.
Last night (May 15), YG Marley stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform a medley of songs. The up-and-coming reggae singer was joined by his mother, rapper and singer Lauryn Hill. YG is the son of Hill and former football player Rohan Marley, which makes him the grandson of reggae legend, Bob Marley.
During the performance, YG performed his breakthrough hit, “Praise Jah In The Moonlight.” The song has received much attention via TikTok, and he even performed the song with Hill during his slot at Coachella. But YG has also been teasing new music.
Also during the performance, YG premiered a new song, “Survival.”
With his mom, they performed “Ex-Factor” from her debut solo album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.
Having been released in 1998, Miseducation remains Hill’s only solo album, however, this may soon change. After the show, TMZ caught up with Hill, asking if she has new music on the way. This prompted a happy response from YG. YG grinned even harder when asked if he would be helping her in the studio with new music.
Should a sophomore album by Hill ever come to fruition, we know that given her family’s talents, the long-awaited Miseducation follow up will sound damn good.
In the meantime, you can watch YG and Hill’s Fallon performance above.
Last year, Travis Scott released his new album UTOPIA. The project was his first in 5 years dating back to his 2018 smash hit ASTROWORLD. With how much fervor there was for new music from the “SICKO MODE” rapper it’s no surprise that there was equal demand to see him perform live. Following the album’s release he took off on the Circus Maximus tour which shares its name with a song from the album and the short film that accompanied its release. Since then he’s been churning away on tour shows and racking up an incredibly impressive total gross.
With the addition of new dates in the European leg of the tour, Travis Scott could now be embarking on one of the highest-selling tours in rap history. According to TouringData, the 61 shows he’s playing on tour are now expected to sell a total of 1.1 million tickets. That’s predicted to make for a total gross somewhere in the $130-140 million range. They also report that those numbers would make for the second highest-grossing rap tours ever. Just last year Drake set the record for highest-grossing tour by a rapper with his It’s All A Blur tour which featured opening appearances from Sexyy Red, J. Cole, and 21 Savage.
Travis Scott’s Tour To Sell Over 1 Million Tickets
.@trvisXX‘s “Circus Maximus” now aiming for $130-140 million from over 1.1 million tickets in 61 shows, following additional dates in Europe. It will mark the second highest-grossing tour by a Rapper in history.
Over the weekend, Travis Scott sold out an entire show in a single day. Following the announcement of new shows, which is how he was pushed up to the newest grossing estimates, he filled one stadiums worth of tickets incredibly quickly.
Scott is about to embark on a different kind of venture with the start of his Astroworld lawsuit. Earlier this month the rapper and his fellow defendants in the case settled the bulk of the lawsuits on the table. Now he faces just one more for the youngest fan to die at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. What do you think of Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus tour becoming the second highest-grossing rap tour of all time? Did you make it to any of the dates on the tour so far? Let us know in the comment section below.
SZA is ruthless when it comes to critiquing herself. Part of what makes her such a good songwriter is her ability to pinpoint her insecurities and express them with lyrics that connect with the masses. It’s what’s led to her first two albums being hailed as modern classics. SZA is, conversely, very confident about the music she puts out. She knows she’s one of the best R&B artists working today. The confident side came out on May 16, when SZA was informed that SOS cracked Apple Music’s list for the greatest albums of all time. She was flattered, but she expected higher.
Apple Music is slowly rolling out its ranking for the greatest albums of all time on its streaming platform. There have already been some heavy hitters that have made the list, including Usher’s Confessions and Tyler, The Creator’s Flower Boy. SZA’s second album had the honor of placing much higher than these albums AND classics like people like George Michael and Solange. Rather than celebrate, SZA made it clear she was underwhelmed. “Lmao,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “72nd is so disrespectful.”
SZA’s comments drew mixed reactions from fans. Some felt the singer was being ungrateful, despite having placed higher than several notable artists. Others championed her confidence, and felt that SOS was indeed one of the greatest albums of all time. The singer’s took several years making SOS, which is probably why she feels so proud of it. “I never thought in a million years that people would like it,” she told Variety. “Everybody came down to make sure I didn’t lose my mind if the album went bad once it came out. And now we’re just hanging out, ’cause it didn’t go badly.”
“Didn’t go badly” is an understatement. SOS earned nine Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, and won Best Progressive R&B Album. It spawned a number one single with “Kill Bill” and a number two single with “Snooze.” The latter the distinction of being the only song to chart on Billboard for all of 2023. SOS was also ranked 351 on Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all time list. If you ask SZA, though, she probably felt that placement was too low as well.
There’s been a flurry of Childish Gambino news in the past few weeks. He started his new GILGA radio series where he’s made numerous new announcements. The first news to grab fan’s attention was the announcement of two new albums. Technically the first of those album, ATAVISTA, is merely an updated version of Gambino’s 2020 effort 3.15.20. The new version dropped earlier this week and provided finished mixes and even a few new songs and features to the tracklist. Now fans are looking forward to the next new album and KAYTRANADA may have just given them a preview.
During a recent DJ set at the Gucci Cruise 2025 show in London the DJ debuted a new unreleased collaboration with Childish Gambino. The track features a wavy instrumental with heavy-hitting drums and familiar lyrical motifs about love and lust. While there’s no official confirmation that the song is due to land on Gambino’s new album rather than a KAYTRANADA project or single, many are still excited to hear a tease at the potential direction he may go in. Check out a video of the unreleased song making its debut earlier this week below.
The new albums aren’t even the only news Childish Gambino has shared recently. He also announced that he’s going on a world tour later this year. Tickets are currently going on sale one tier at a time after the official dates were confirmed earlier this week. While many fans are hyped to see the rapper and singer perform life for the first time in years, others were disappointed that the “world” tour consisted of just Europe and North American shows.
There’s been even more good news for Gambino recently as the lawsuit filed over his song “This Is America” years ago lost its final appeal in court this week. What do you think of the new Childish Gambino collaboration that KAYTRANADA previewed at his DJ set? Are you hoping the song he teased lands on Gambino’s upcoming new album later this summer? Let us know in the comment section below.
Hip-hop fans have been looking forward to a possible J. Cole collab for years. The North Carolina-born rapper is widely considered one of contemporary hip-hop’s “Big 3.” That is, he stands side-by-side in the company of luminaries like Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Rumors of a J. Cole collab record began circulating recently after Black Thought revealed the possibility was once on the table. On a recent episode of the This Week in White Supremacy podcast, The Roots co-founder said that J. Cole approached him about collaborating on a full-length record back in 2018. But the potential combination never panned out, leaving the public curious about what might appear down the line.
Fans have been waiting for a proper J. Cole collab LP for years, but he’s never fulfilled their hopes. Of course, Cole has done various collaborations on single joints – like when he and Kendrick did “Forbidden Fruit” together – but what we’ve really been waiting on is a full-length. Speaking of K.Dot, there’s been talk for years about the desire for a J. Cole collaborative album, but more on that later. From Black Thought to André 3000, here’s a list of seven A-list rappers J. Cole could choose for a collab LP.
Black Thought: Different Wavelengths
When J. Cole approached Black Thought back in 2018, the two didn’t know each other too well. Still, Thought was willing to entertain the idea of a J. Cole collab and the pair exchanged beats and feedback. At the time, Thought was interested in taking a more aggressive route with his music. It seemed like Cole was on the opposite end of the spectrum, seeking a more peaceful soundscape. This is essentially why the pair’s paths didn’t match up at that point. Thought was trying to veer away from the familiar sound he’d cultivated with The Roots and felt Cole was simply steering too close to it. It was simply not the right time.
Kendrick Lamar: The J. Cole Collab That Never Came To Be
As we mentioned in the introduction, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole collaborated in the past. Way back in 2013, the pair did the track “Forbidden Fruit” together, which appeared on J. Cole’s sophomore full-length Born Sinner. In terms of a collaborative LP, there’s been on-again, off-again talk about such an effort for years. On Lil Yachty’s A Safe Place podcast back in November 2023, Cole spoke about what’s taken place. It seems that he and Lamar began talking about the possibility early on in their careers and did actually make some real effort toward it as well. A couple of tracks were demo’ed a long time ago. But the collab never came to fruition, mainly because the pair’s schedules became way too hectic—what, with their solo careers, touring, and families. And for it to really happen and be the best product they can put together, the two know it would take substantial investment and time.
ScHoolboy Q: A Friend With Unique Style
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 29: Hip hop artist Schoolboy Q performs during the Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Miguel and SchoolBoyQ concert during the 2013 BET Experience at Staples Center on June 29, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for BET)
J. Cole removed his Kendrick Lamar diss track “7 Minute Drill” from streaming services back in April. According to a writer at The Source, he was allegedly advised by his friend ScHoolboy Q to do so when the two were at the Dreamville Festival. Although it’s unclear what words the pair exchanged, Cole heeded Q’s advice and bowed out of the Kendrick-Drake beef. A full-length J. Cole collab with ScHoolboy Q could be an interesting event in hip-hop, likely producing something very unique.
Dreamville Records dropped their Revenge of the Dreamers III rap camp sessions back in July 2019. JID, J. Cole, and Vince Staples all jumped on a track together for it titled “Rembrandt…Run It Back.” Staples had been chosen as a select few to participate in the rap camp, which he fondly recalled during a Billboard interview: “It was really stress free and free for all fun.” Hearing Staples and Cole exchange verses on that compilation album track brings up the possibility of a future J. Cole collab. It would be interesting, to say the least.
Future: “Red Leather” Might Point To More
Only a couple of weeks after J. Cole removed “7 Minute Drill” from streaming services, he dropped the collab track “Red Leather” with Future and Metro Boomin. Interestingly, some listeners interpreted his verse on the track to be a diss against Drake, though Cole hasn’t confirmed any of this. It likely had nothing to do with the Toronto-based rapper, based on Cole’s public admission that diss tracks and beef are the “lamest and goofiest s***” at Dreamville Festival. After hearing “Red Leather,” fans are left wanting more from the Atlanta-born Future and Cole. A future full-length could be a genuinely unprecedented mixture of Southern rap energy.
Meek Mill: In the Studio On & Off With J. Cole
A little over a year ago, J. Cole and Meek Mill appeared on verses on the Drake collaboration track “I Can Never.” This isn’t the first time the pair have spent time together in a studio, either. The mixture of the Philadelphia-born Mill’s battle-rap-bred delivery and Cole’s southern-east hybrid production could prove to be a game changer. If Mill were to ever hop on a J. Cole collab, the results would be electrifying. And the possibility doesn’t seem too far-fetched, either. Previously Mill appeared as a featured artist alongside Cole on Wale’s “Black Grammys.” We can cross our fingers for a combo LP in the future.
André 3000: One Of J. Cole’s Inspirations
J. Cole has sampled André 3000’s tracks with Outkast “SpottieOttieDopalicious” and “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 1)” for his songs “Who Dat” and “Land of the Snakes,” respectively. It’s probably true that no southern hip-hop artists can fully escape Outkast’s influence—these are a couple of Cole’s clear nods to Outkast. Another interesting pairing was when André 3000 did a verse for the album version of Beyonce’s song “Party” and J. Cole replaced his verse with a new one for the video. Fans were eager to start comparing the two versions, which points to the kind of excitement that would swirl around a full-length collab. While André 3000 famously released the new age, ambient jazz album New Blue Sun in November 2023, and seems to be shying away from rap, a future J. Cole collab can still be hoped and wished for by fans.
Earlier this week, it was reported that three men were injured on the set of a Lil Baby music video after shots were fired. At the time, Fox 5 revealed that the men who were shot were not directly involved in the video shoot. “There may have been individuals involved in the totality of the production,” Major Ralph Woolfolk told the outlet.
Reportedly, one 24-year-old man was shot in the arm, a 27-year-old man was shot in the back, and a 23-year-old man was shot in the neck. Immediately after the shooting, the three men were said to be “alert, conscious, and breathing.” No further details of their condition have been revealed at the time of writing, though they’re all expected to make full recoveries. It also remains unclear what prompted the shooting. Witnesses on the scene, however, claim that two unspecified parties had gotten into an altercation. Lil Baby was not involved, nor injured.
Now, new 911 audio obtained by “TMZ” unveils the frightening moments of the shooting. In the audio, a frantic caller informs an Atlanta operator of the incident, and various gunshots are heard in the background. The phone is then passed off to another man. He details the injuries of the individual who was shot in the neck. Reportedly, paramedics were already administering aid to the victims when officers arrived on the scene. TMZ also reports that several vehicles were impounded as evidence. Lil Baby has yet to address the incident.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Lil Baby has found himself in close proximity to gun violence. In September of last year, his concert in Memphis was cut short and the venue was evacuated after a shot was fired in the crowd. The shooting left one man injured, who’s since recovered, and Lil Baby was unharmed. Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Ralfy the Plug said the quiet part out loud when he alleged that Kendrick Lamar’s lingo and flow on the diss track, “Not Like Us,” is a trickle-down version of his brother Drakeo The Ruler’s style of rap. And while there were naturally a lot of dissenting opinions, many seem to agree with the statement. This was even before Ralfy brought it up. However, the nuances should not be ignored. K-Dot has always shown signs of being a student of rap first and foremost. While his style is innovative, there will always be similarities here and there. But is this a classic case of copping another artist’s flow? Or did Kendrick Lamar give Drakeo the Ruler a very subtle shoutout on the record-breaking “Not Like Us”?
Ralfy the Plug has previously expressed his thoughts on Kendrick Lamar’s music following the release of Lamar’s album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. On an episode of Bootleg Kev’s podcast, Ralfy criticized the album, specifically suggesting that it had “barbershop old n***a vibes” mixed with “politic music.” He particularly argued that Kendrick Lamar should not be hailed as the messiah of rap, especially when there were artists like his brother who had been releasing “heat no skips.”
Ralfy made it clear that he acknowledged a few records on the album as good. He also claimed to appreciate Kodak Black’s contributions. However, he did not want Lamar’s album to be seen as the saving grace of rap. He then further elaborated on his views on Twitter, stating: “Kendrick make the type of music you listen to when you on yo way to a job interview or when you at home doing homework so you got to put yo head phones on to block everybody out because knowledge is power I don’t be on that type shit don’t be mad at my opinion.” Unsurprisingly, this criticism was met with backlash.
Drakeo The Ruler’s Influence
Drakeo the Ruler’s rap style and lingo were truly distinct. His work quickly set him apart in the L.A. rap scene and beyond. Notably, his musical approach was characterized by a laid-back yet assertive delivery, often described as “creeping” through the beat. His music also often featured dense and claustrophobic beats, and he was recognized for his whispery vocal delivery and complex lyrics. Drakeo was also a pioneer of words. He was known for coining phrases like “flu flamming,” “uchies,” “Pippi Longstockings,” and “mud walking.”
However, Drakeo the Ruler himself confessed his unique style was influenced by a number of LA classics. He was greatly inspired by the battle rapper Cocky, who Drakeo admired for his smooth and calm delivery despite the aggressive content of his lyrics. Besides the delivery though, Drakeo was widely known for creating atmospheric music. His flow was unconventional; and he would often mumble in a blunt yet compelling manner. This stylistic approach is known as the “nervous” rap. Despite not being a chart-topper, Drakeo the Ruler defined a new generation of LA rap with his unique style and language.
Did Kendrick Lamar Pay Homage To Drakeo The Ruler?
Kendrick Lamar has long been associated with the old school style of West Coast rap. After all, K-Dot is a proud Compton native. Beyond that, Kendrick seems to be quite distant from newer acts. However, a second listen to “Not Like Us” shows that some aspects of Kendrick Lamar’s track give off similar vibes to Drakeo the Ruler’s work.
For one, there are the lyrics. Words and phrases like “Deebo,” and “certified boogeyman I’m the one that upped the score with ‘im,” seem to carry Drakeo the Ruler’s signature on them. Evidently, one can argue that words like these are direct effects of the LA rap scene. But it’s also enough to claim that Drakeo’s shadow looms large over the track. “Walk em down I know he got some ho in him” and “man call an amperlamp tell ‘em breath bro” both mirror Drakeo’s art. In fact, the entire first verse on the track seems to be a testament to Drakeo’s legacy.
So it’s not a stretch to say that Kendrick Lamar is adopting Drakeo the Ruler’s flow. But what’s most important is identifying Kendrick’s allegiance to the West Coast. It’s definitely worth mentioning the similarities, as well as the homage, but Drakeo the Ruler is not the only artist K-Dot references on the track.
Kendrick, a master of his craft, is not one to shy away from drawing inspiration from his contemporaries. His silence on adopting the new style championed by Drakeo doesn’t diminish the evidence presented in his music. But then it also raises the question of Kendrick’s intentions to emulate this rap style on his diss track against Drake, especially when the Canadian rapper previously collaborated with Drakeo before his passing. Moreover, the production by DJ Mustard — known for his “ratchet” style West Coast beats — adds another layer of complexity.
Despite the rumors of Mustard’s alleged falling out with Drakeo the Ruler, the beat for “Not Like Us” does carry the essence of his sound. It’s quite evident that fans of both artists will easily pick up on it. However, a simpler theory is that Kendrick is simply branching and trying out a newer West Coast sound, one that’s inspired by the younger homegrown LA artists.
Both Kendrick Lamar and Drakeo the Ruler’s music often falls squarely into the tradition of classic L.A. rap. However, what makes them stand out is their wit, as well as their refined and vivid perspectives. They are both authentic and original artists, known to adapt to the flows of the legends before them. Despite his untimely death, Drakeo the Ruler’s legacy continues through his music. Evidently, Kendrick Lamar’s work, whether consciously or not, pays homage to this legacy. Regardless, they will forever be influences within the genre of West Coast Hip Hop.
It’s no secret that the explosive rap beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a new peak earlier this month when the artists took aim at each other’s families on “Family Matters” and “Meet The Grahams.” Things only got messier from there, as Kendrick went on to drop “Not Like Us,” accusing Drake and his OVO Sound colleagues of being “certified pedophiles.” While the feud had hip-hop fans everywhere tuned in, some felt as though things went a bit too far, though Common disagrees.
During a recent appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn, the Chicago-born MC weighed in on the viral battle, revealing his criteria for a solid diss and revealing whether or not he thinks it’s even possible to take things too far. “In a battle, first of all, I think the criteria is that you’ve got to have lyrics… Saying something that’s like, ‘Man, I’m lighting this n***a up.’ The lyricism is there. It’s got to be lines that punch, they punch, like you’ve got to hit. And I like wordplay with that too.”
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) May 16, 2024
“But,” Common continued. “If what you’re saying is just clever and it’s got punch, to me that’s part of it.” He went on to praise both Drake and Kendrick for the style they each brought to the battle, noting how that took things to “another level.” As for how far is too far, Common says late or sick family members are off-limits to him. He notes that while he’d usually not go after family at all, he did so on his own Drake diss years back, “Stay Schemin’.”
“For me, I wasn’t like ‘This is too far.’ I just was like, ‘Damn, this is a really incredible battle,’” he added. What do you think of Common claiming that Drake and Kendrick Lamar didn’t go too far on their diss tracks? 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.
Earlier this year, Kid Cudi made waves at Coachella. He surprised fans with a last minute set during the festival’s second weekend. There he unpacked some of his recent INSANO tracks making the live debut of multiple songs. The performance was by all means a pretty big success, but what everyone was talking about came at the end of the show when Cudi jumped off stage. News made the rounds later that day that the rapper had actually broken his foot in the jump and required surgery.
Since then he’s been pretty active in sharing updates with fans through his recovery. One of those announcements revealed that his surgery went well and he was on the way to recovery, but it came with some bad news as well. He revealed that his tour had to be canceled because of the time he needed to take to heal. That came just a few weeks after he had announced the tour in the first place, which was due to feature Pusha T, Jaden, and more as openers. Last week he even showed fans the particularly brutal x-rays of his foot that required surgery. Now he’s once again sharing news with fans on how things are going. Check out his most recent update below.
Kid Cudi shared a pair of videos to social media updating fans on how things are going. In the first he reveals that his recovery is going great and that his surgery and following therapy has been a big success. He also confirms that much of the process of rescheduling his tour is already done and that all the shows should be rescheduled soon. In the second video, he teases some new music that he’s been working on and hopes to drop by the end of summer.
What do you think of Kid Cudi’s newest update following his gruesome broken foot at Coachella this year? Do you plan on seeing him on the rescheduled INSANO tour later this year? Let us know in the comment section below.
” 
Sound On) 
ATTENTION: ANNOUNCEMENT