Metro Boomin just never slows down. The rapper has been prolifically collaborating with various rappers and releasing his own projects consistently for years. Late in 2022, he dropped his new album Heroes & Villains which had an absolutely packed feature list. The album also spawned a mega-hit in “Creepin’” with The Weeknd and 21 Savage. But he wasn’t done yet. Earlier this year he released the also feature-packed soundtrack to Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.
Now he’s begun teasing even more new material coming soon. He’s been talking about a collaborative project with Future for months now, building up plenty of fan hype in the process. Today, he took to Instagram to once again tease the project alongside a picture of him with some kind of bird of prey on his arm. “me and @future album on the way drop some if you ready,” his caption read. That’s exactly what fans did with seas of bird emojis expressing hype including some posted by fellow producers like Mike Will Made-It and Tay Keith. Check out the full post below.
Fans are happy to hear some good news about the collab album, because the last time Metro Boomin shared an update it wasn’t a great one. In a tweet he made last month, he told fans a story about how he lost three beats he was working on due to a power outage. When a friend pressed him about who the beats were for he explained that they were for his upcoming project with Future.
Earlier this year, Metro also served as the executive producer of Young Thug’s new albumBusiness Is Business. He handled details of the project because Young Thug is currently incarcerated fighting his RICO charges. The album went on to debut at number two on the Billboard 200. Are you excited about Metro Boomin and Future’s upcoming collaborative album? Let us know in the comment section below.
Kaytranada is keeping his prolific streak up with a new single. The producer extraordinaire followed up his Intimidated EP in 2021 with a string of new singles in 2022. He capped it off earlier this year by teaming up with Amine for the absolute perfect summer album Kaytramine. The project also had features from Freddie Gibbs, Pharrell, Amaarae, Big Sean, and Snoop Dogg rounding out an extremely impressive collection of talent. Now, he reportedly has even more new material on the way soon.
In a tweet Kaytranada posted earlier today he confirmed an upcoming collaboration with Childish Gambino. A fan commented on a completely unrelated post asking the producer “Is that joint with Gambino ever gonna see the light of day?” Kay quickly hit him back with a quote tweet confirming that it will appear “on my next album yes.” While he didn’t share any new details on when that album could be, it did get fans buzzing about two very unique artists linking up for a song. Check out the tweet in question below.
Earlier this year Twitter erupted in a Drake vs. Childish Gambino debate after Drake took shots at his rap contemporary on tour. He called Gambino’s hit song “This Is America” overrated. Rumors have swirled for years that the song was originally intended to be a Drake diss, though it ended up very far away from that. Gambino, who is notoriously reclusive from public attention, has yet to make any real statement on the disses.
Childish Gambino’s last new album 3.15.20 dropped, as you’d expect, in March of 2020. Since then he has still made a few appearances on some notable albums. Last year he teamed up with Lil Wayne and Latto on the song “Sunshine” from her album 777. Earlier this year, he contributed to Summer Walker’s song “New Type” from her CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP. What do you think of Kaytranada and Childish Gambino teaming up for a new song? Let us know in the comment section below.
On August 23, news broke broke about the arrest of Polo G, born Taurus Bartlett. After his L.A. mansion was raided, he and his brother and fellow rapper, Trench Baby, real name Taurean Bartlett, were taken into custody. The 24-year-old Chicago rapper and Trench Baby were later arrested on robbery, kidnapping, and assault charges.
Even though they have since been released, there are plenty of questions surrounding the case. While Polo G’s attorney has spoken out, much is still unknown. Here’s everything we know about the Polo G arrest so far and what to expect.
Day Of The Polo G Arrest
TMZ reported about the Polo G arrest on August 23. At the time, numerous police vehicles were seen around the rapper’s multi-million-dollar mansion. According to Rolling Stone, the search warrant was for the home that the two rapper brothers shared.
In video footage, authorities used a megaphone to order Polo G and Trench Baby out of the home with their hands above their heads. Once Polo G got closer to the cops, an officer cuffed him. It was reported that four suspects were taken into custody, including their sister.
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 12: Rapper Polo G performs onstage during day 3 of Rolling Loud Los Angeles at NOS Events Center on December 12, 2021 in San Bernardino, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
The arrest was related to a robbery that had taken place earlier in August. Even though Polo G was arrested, the charges stemmed from a robbery that Trench Baby was allegedly involved in. He reportedly had robbed a man at gunpoint after inviting him to the home to film a music video. Police claim Trench Baby pulled a gun on the man once he arrived and made him empty his pockets.
The rapper also allegedly demanded that the man wire him money. The unknown man and Trench Baby had previously worked together, so it’s unclear why things went left. Even though Polo G wasn’t involved, he was charged with the illegal possession of the short-barreled rifle that was discovered at the L.A. home.
If all that wasn’t bad enough, after Polo G and Trench Baby were released from LAPD custody, the Burbank police came onto the scene. They immediately arrested the two brothers. Burbank re-arrested the brothers for “kidnapping, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon” stemming from an unrelated incident in April 2023. Polo G and Trench Baby were eventually released on $100,000 bail the next day.
The brother’s mother, Stacia Mac, posted on her Instagram, “Polo and Tbaby Have been released. Thank you for your concerns and prayers” followed by three prayer hands. Their sister, Leilani, was also released and posted, “My family is everything to me so this is never easy but we gone be alright!” She also said she was glad the police decided to let her go.
During the Polo G arrest, authorities stated that they found numerous weapons. A leaked photo showed the weapons included “rifles, machine guns, pistols, a shotgun, a suppressor, and a pair of switches.” Luckily, Polo G had one of the top attorneys on his side.
After Polo G was released, his attorney, Bradford Cohen, explained that Polo G wasn’t a convicted felon. Cohen told XXL, “The incident surrounded someone staying in Polo’s home and not Polo directly. The officers have detained Polo to ‘verify’ that he is not a convicted felon, as they assert a firearm was found in the home.” He also accused authorities of refusing to provide “access to our client which is also an illegal and unethical practice and someone will have to answer for these new wrongful actions.”
Further, Cohen emailed Pitchfork that the alleged incident happened in April. He wrote, “Given that, the charges against Polo are very unusual given the timing and purported knowledge of the police. The length of time between the alleged incident and the arrest is suspect.” He wrote that once the “facts come out it will be a very different picture than how the charges look on paper.”
Polo G and Trench Baby are expected back in court on September 12 and 13, as well as October 26. Right now, their charges are pending in Los Angeles. Despite his legal troubles, Polo G is continuing to do his thing and has his fourth album, Hood Poet, coming out on September 15. HNHH will keep you posted on the latest on Polo G’s case.
Drake is someone who has worked with Travis Scott quite a bit in the past. Overall, they always seem to appear on each other’s albums. Of course, Scott has been on albums like If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, More Life, and Certified Lover Boy. Moreover, Drizzy has returned the favor with appearances on Astroworld and more recently, Utopia. The Canadian megastar was on the song “Meltdown,” which has become a fan favorite on streaming services.
Recently, Travis Scott came out to perform with Drake at his Vancouver show. 21 Savage can’t make it into Canada, which means Drizzy has been seeking replacements. In Montreal, the artist brought out J. Cole, which was a huge moment for both artists. Although with Travis dropping one of the biggest albums of the year, fans in Vancouver were extremely appreciative. In a more recent show, however, Drake seemed to have some extra praise for Scott.
As you can see in the video above, he declares Utopia as the best album out right now. Utopia spent a whopping four weeks atop the charts, which was certainly an impressive feat. Now, however, fans are waiting for Drizzy to drop For All The Dogs. This is a project that promises to be the biggest of the entire year. Moreover, it could very well lead to hip-hop’s first number-one song of 2023. Unfortunately, a release date for the new project has still yet to be revealed.
For All The Dogs is an album that promises to bring back the “old Drake.” Or at least that is what the artist is making us believe. At this point, fans just want it to be released already. Let us know what your expectations for the album are, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always keep you informed.
Burna Boy cemented himself as one of the biggest international artists of the past few years, and that’s not because he’s not from the United States. Not only does he find a lot of traction in those markets, but fans all over the world celebrate his talents and skill. Recently, the Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer released his latest album, I Told Them…, and it debuted in the U.S. with 21K sales in its first week. While that’s definitely a successful benchmark for someone of his caliber, some expressed disappointment with these numbers and surprise that it didn’t sell more. Even rapper Russ had to step in on social media to give his thoughts, pointing to Burna’s worldwide appeal and success.
“If Burna Boy is doin 21k (in America) and sellin out arenas in America as well, how come artists who sell more than that (in America) aren’t doing arenas (in America) ?” Russ asked under DJ Akademiks’ coverage of the sales numbers for I Told Them… “Take a wild guess [crying-laughing emoji].” Of course, many pointed out that these sales are just in U.S. markets, and don’t reflect the attention he garnered in other countries. With this statement, the Atlanta-based MC posits that numbers aren’t everything, whether that’s artistically or commercially.
In fact, Russ has his own issues with album numbers, as he recently claimed that Billboarddisqualified sales from his recent project SANTIAGO. “Billboard & Luminate took away ANOTHER 4,000 of my REAL sales over the weekend,” the 30-year-old tweeted. “Making that 10,000 sales total they took away from me while allowing major labels to fake their streams and sales and do monopolistic merch bundles. Only major labels are allowed to do merch bundles because the only approved vendor is a major label vendor. These numbers and charts are made up. The impact however is not. Shoutout to the fans.”
Meanwhile, he actually sold 42K album-equivalent units, which is quite impressive nonetheless. Conversations around numbers expect the highest feasible success, and nine times out of ten, they don’t forgive. Still, despite his complaints, the main takeaway is that any support from fans you get weighs much more than the commercial value you chase after. On that note, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Russ and Burna Boy.
Midwxst might have put out one of the best albums in terms of pushing musical boundaries in hip-hop. The Indiana-born artist has been making waves ever since 2020 during the worst part of the pandemic. While it took a little bit of time for listeners to get wind of midwxst’s music, people are starting to realize what he can bring to the table. His debut album, E3, is a rollercoaster that takes you through the sounds of hip-hop, pop, rock, hyperpop, and emo rap. Honestly, there could be more we are forgetting because midwxst really tries so many different things.
It is one thing to try, but he succeeds here. Furthermore, what is more impressive is that there are no features either. It is just midwxst, his raw emotion, and the production, in which he had a big hand in too. It is 12 tracks and runs around 34 minutes. Midwxst shared a lot of details on this project as well.
According to Genius, midwxst says this has been in the works ever since he was 17 years old. “This album rollout has been in my head since I was 17. I have a full notepad in my phone with the script for the interludes on the project and the ideas that eventually became ‘E3.’” He continues to say, “The album is an emotional journey through the mistakes I’ve made as a person and that ‘E3,’ the protagonist of the story, is constantly facing and having to finally come to terms with.” Those ideas do ring true throughout with songs like “old me,” “lost,” and so many others. This album is worth a serious listen, as midwxst has something special brewing.
What are your initial thoughts on this brand new album, E3, from midwxst? Is he one of the most intriguing new artists combining multiple genres with hip-hop? Which songs are you gravitating towards the most so far? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. So, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the hottest album releases and all of the latest breaking news around the music world.
Among the many incredible MCs that came up in the early 2010s, ScHoolboy Q is certainly one of the most well-respected among his peers. Moreover, his illustrious career has markers of conceptual excellence, hard-hitting aggression, impressive lyrical displays, and a commitment to only dropping when he feels like he has to. During a recent interview with the BACKONFIGG podcast, the TDE MC revealed why he doesn’t drop an album every year and why he’s slowed down on his releases. That will most likely change soon, as he’s been teasing the prompt arrival of his next project this year. While shouting out his contemporaries’ trajectory (Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator, Danny Brown, and Mac Miller), the L.A. rapper explained how none of them treated hip-hop like a sport to dominate.
“This is our life, like me talking about our situations,” ScHoolboy Q expressed to the co-hosts. “You know, the s**t we done been through, homies we done lost to the system or to the streets. Like me talkin’ about my mama trauma from her own brothers. You can’t compare that to somebody that won an NBA championship.”
“When it comes to music, I don’t look at it as like, ‘Oh, you have to drop every year,’” ScHoolboy Q continued. “I’m like, no, your favorite rapper has to drop every year because he needs chilli. I do what I want because I move off peace, I move off my experiences. As a[n] artist, if I bring nothing to the table that comes from my life, I don’t feel I should put it out.” Overall, it’s a very respectable and understandable perspective from one of the West Coast’s biggest musical voices in the 2010s and beyond.
Meanwhile, amid song previews and here-and-there comments on his next release, the 36-year-old is building up a lot of steam. With these thoughts in mind, fans expect this new phase to be a powerful and intent-driven effort from the artist. We’ll have to wait and see exactly how that drive and determination pans out. For more news and the latest updates on ScHoolboy Q, stay up to date on HNHH.
Producing team and street clothing brand Real Bad Man are back with their second album of 2023. This time it is another collaboration with another lyrically adept rapper. That MC is Inglewood, California’s Blu, who is known best for one of the best albums of the early 2000s, Below The Heavens. This album, Bad News, is the fifth team effort from Real Bad Man believe it or not. Two of them are with Boldy James, Killing Nothing (2022) and Real Bad Boldy (2020).
Additionally, Smoke DZA nabbed an opportunity in 2022 with Mood Swings. Finally, Serpent, the other project from this year, featured Kool Keith on every track. Now, it is Blu’s turn to work with Real Bad Man. Fortunately, but not surprisingly, this combo succeeds with ease. The tracklist is tight, just like the rest of Bad Man’s catalog, with just eight and it is just under 23 minutes.
There were two singles ahead of the release of Bad News. “Aladdin” was the solo track with only Blu and it features impeccable bars and an odd and creepy beat. “The Golden Rule” with C.L. Smooth was put out next and that contained some jazzy production. Overall, this album is another great addition for each artist involved. It is easily one of the best lyrical rap albums of 2023 and might be in the top ten or five by the end of the year.
What are your initial thoughts on this brand new album, Bad News, from Blu and Real Bad Man? Which track is your favorite here? Should Blu and Real Bad Man make more collaborative albums in the near future? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. So, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the hottest album releases and all of the latest news around the music world.
Bad News Tracklist:
Bad News
All Praise Due
The Golden Rule (feat. C.L. Smooth)
Aladdin
Fall of Rome (feat. Cashus King, Donel Smokes & Definite)
Burna Boy dropped off his new LP, I Told Them…, at the end of last month. His seventh studio album features various high-profile features, from the likes of J. Cole, 21 Savage, Dave, RZA, and more. Now, the first-weeks sales numbers are in, and they’ve left some social media users confused. The album sold 21K album-equivalent units in the U.S. in its first week. Many are weighing in claiming that they thought the album would have sold more, while others say he did pretty good.
“I expected burna to do more than that ngl,” one Instagram commenter writes. “Considering how big he is this an L,” another claims. Though some are shocked by the numbers, others are taking the opportunity to emphasize the fact that they only reflect U.S. sales, and Burna Boy has a large following internationally. “I won’t call it a flop until I see his sales outside of America,” one user says. “Wasn’t expecting him to do huge sales in America.”
Regardless, it’s clear that Burna Boy continues to rise to the top, and get high praise from his peers. Last month, he discussed his collaboration with J. Cole, revealing that while meeting in the studio he compared him to one of the most iconic rappers of all time. According to Burna Boy, J. Cole said “This n***a’s Tupac reincarnated in Africa.”
During a recent interview, the Nigerian-born performer revealed that I Told Them… is dedicated to those back at home who didn’t believe in him. “This one is for the part of my own home and the people in my own home who didn’t believe or doubt it, or still doubt, or any type of thing,” he explained. “It’s fun to tell people something is true, and they doubt, and then they end up seeing it. There’s no greater feeling.” Keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Burna Boy.
Offset recently hopped on Instagram, showing off another Michael Jackson-inspired outfit. The artist rocks a look similar to what MJ wore in the iconic promotional video for his 1995 LP, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. Instead of sporting the original “777” on his arm, however, Offset’s sleeve reads “1013.” The post seemingly teased the release date of his upcoming album, which could drop on October 13. “Renaissance,” the carousel is captioned. One of the photos showcases him joining Beyonce on her “Renaissance” world tour last night. In the other photos, he stands in front of a group of four wearing gas masks, with white jackets reading “Crisis Response Team” on the back. This is far from Offset’s first nod to the King of Pop, as he frequently pays tribute with his looks.
The LP’s release date is approaching, with Offset revealing just last week that it’s finally finished. “Albummmmmmm!!!!!! Turned in!!!!!!!” he wrote on Twitter, sparking excited reactions from fans. During an interview for Apple Music 1 last month, Offset said that the album would arrive sometime in October, however, he had yet to share an official release date. “Yeah, we’re coming in October but right now we’re just applying pressure,” he shared. “Creatively, content-wise, I’m going to just keep my rollout going.”
He went on to explain that the rollout began with the release of his track with Cardi B, “Jealousy,” in July. “With this album, I’m definitely going to be showing way more personality, way more of who Offset is, creatively,” he explained. Offset’s next project is also set to be jam-packed with high-profile features. Travis Scott, Latto, Future, and more are confirmed to appear on the upcoming LP.
Earlier this year, Offset also revealed that the album will feature the last song he ever recorded with his late Migos groupmate, Takeoff. “This is me going full-fledged into my solo career,” the artist explained. “I’m coming through, bustin’ through the door. It’s all set, my next chapter. It’s my time.” Keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Offset.
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