new album

Janelle Monae Reveals Album Tracklist, Including Grace Jones Feature

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Earlier today, Janelle Monae revealed the track list for her upcoming album. The title was recently announced as The Age of Pleasure. Anyone who has been following the singer in recent months will know that the title fits her new persona. Now, with the revelation of the tracklist, fans have gained another small snippet of info about the project. Janelle Monae seems to have called in the big guns for features. The album includes collaborations with notable artists such as the legendary Grace Jones. Also included are artists like Sister Nancy, Amaarae, Doechii, Nia Long, Ckay, Seun Kuti, and Egypt 80.

Janelle Monae unveiled the album last month. The announcement was accompanied by a provocative, lesbian-themed music video for the song “Lipstick Lover.” The Age of Pleasure marks the singer’s first album release since 2018’s Dirty Computer. It is scheduled to be released this Friday, June 9. Earlier this year, she also shared the album’s opening track, “Float.” Yesterday, Monae dropped a teaser video for the album on her Instagram.

Janelle Monae Teases An Era Of Pleasure

Janelle Monáe has taken a nostalgic approach to the rollout of her upcoming album. She has released a teaser trailer inspired by MTV’s Spring Break. The trailer, titled Pleasure TV, was shared on Instagram and features vintage-style footage reminiscent of the popular show. The album, titled The Age Of Pleasure, is highly anticipated and is set to be released on June 9. In addition to the trailer, Monae previously announced her plans to take the album on tour. The Age Of Pleasure tour is scheduled to begin in the fall. The dates were shared on Instagram along with provocative promotional images. In the photos, Monae posed in shorts with her braids covering her breasts. For these, she seems to be drawing inspiration from the iconic Jimi Hendrix and Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk.

Despite receiving some negative commentary for the NSFW promotional campaign, Monae remains unfazed and embraces the freedom of expressing herself. The Age Of Pleasure tour will kick off on August 30 in Seattle and include stops in major cities such as Portland, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, and Brooklyn. Fans can expect a unique and nostalgic experience as Janelle Monáe continues to captivate audiences with her music and visual aesthetics. Stay tuned to HNHH for all the latest coverage of the new album. Check out the full tracklist below!

Tracklist:

01. Float (ft. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80)
02. Champagne Shit
03. Black Sugar Beach
04. Phenomenal (ft. Doechii)
05. Haute
06. Ooh La La (ft. Grace Jones)
07. Lipstick Lover
08. The Rush (ft. Amaarae and Nia Long)
09. The French 75 (ft. Sister Nancy)
10. Water Slide
11. Know Better (ft. CKay)
12. Paid in Pleasure
13. Only Have Eyes 42
14. A Dry Red

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Killer Mike Admits He Spent $500k Of His Own Money To Make New Album, “Michael”

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Killer Mike says that he dropped $500,000 of his own money to work on his new album, Michael. He discussed his highly-anticipated sixth studio album during a new interview with Spin. Mike explained that it was originally conceived as a collaborative project with Cuz Lightyear, until the Arkansas rapper took a job at Mass Appeal Records.

“So me and Cuz double round, like, all right, let’s just make a mixtape. We’ll put it out through Mass Appeal, that way, it’ll help get you get going over there. We start working, and Cuz was like, ‘Man, we are making some serious deadly records. I’m gonna tell you what we’re gonna do: your solo record. I’m about to pause my career. And we’re gonna get your solo record together.’”

Read More: Killer Mike Lands Features From André 3000, Lil Wayne & More On New Album

Killer Mike Performs As Run The Jewels

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MAY 13: Rapper Killer Mike of Run The Jewels performs live on stage during Kilby Block Party on May 13, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jim Bennett/Getty Images)

As the costs to produce the project continued, Mike recalls his wife, Shay Render, asking, “What the fuck we doing buddy?” He added: “She’s like, ‘Well n***a, I’m glad you being reimbursed ’cause I got some issues that you spending half-a-million fucking dollars on a dream project.’”

Michael will be released on Friday, June 16 with features from Andre 3000, Lil Wayne, Young Thug, El-P, Dave Chappelle, and more. It’s Mike’s first solo album in over a decade. He last released R.A.P. Music back in 2012. In the years since, he’s mostly worked with Run The Jewels.

Killer Mike For “Spin”

As for the Andre 3000 collaboration, Mike recently explained that it nearly didn’t come to fruition. “He called me, he’s like, ‘Kill, I don’t know about the song, man,” Mike explained. He added that he then sent over a more finalized version with Eryn Allen Kane’s vocals. “I sent it over with Eryn’s hook and stuff. He hit back with, ‘Yeah, yeah, you got the record. Who is that?!’” Elsewhere in Mike’s interview with Spin, he discusses his upbringing, politics, race, and much more.

Read More: Killer Mike Reveals Who Saved His André 3000 Collab

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Lil Durk Says He’s Done With Long Albums

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Lil Durk says he’s making a return to shorter albums, writing on his Instagram Story that he’s done with projects over 20 songs in length. The remark comes not long after the release of his latest album, Almost Healed, which clocked in at 21 songs. The project featured a myriad of guest appearances, including Alicia Keys, J. Cole, Chief Wuk, Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, and more.

“I’m going back to 13 songs a album y’all can have that 20+ song album,” Durk wrote in one post. In another, he added: “Make hip hop fun again we understand everybody got money let’s fuck em up like we was just doing s/o the females who been working salute keep going.”

Read More: Lil Durk “Almost Healed” Review

Lil Durk In Concert

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 09: Rapper Lil Durk performs onstage during the ‘7220’ Tour at YouTube Theater on April 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

When DJ Akademiks shared the story posts on his own Instagram page, many fans were in agreement with Durk. One user commented: “If a album is longer than 45min it better be full of bangers.” Another fan wrote: “Hopefully other rappers do the same. More songs actually equal less sales.”

Before Durk drops another album, he’ll likely be releasing the deluxe version of Almost Healed, which he’s been teasing for weeks. The new IG post comes ahead of Durk’s Sorry For The Dought Tour. For the shows, he’ll be traveling to Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, and many more cities across North America. Durk will be bringing along Kodak Black and NLE Choppa for the majority of the dates.

Lil Durk On Making Hip-Hop “Fun Again”

Music wasn’t the only thing Durk spoke about in his IG Story. He also referenced wanting to hold a massive prayer in Chicago. Durk wrote: “I want to hold the biggest prayer in Chicago for the Muslims that bring everybody together soon pride to the side then after get problems off the chest help the petty beef go away private location – the voice.”

Read More: Lil Durk Announces “Sorry For The Drought” Tour

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Travis Scott Dropping “Utopia” Soon? Mike Dean Opens Infamous Album Briefcase

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Could Travis Scott be dropping Utopia this month? Some seem to think that’s the case. The rapper’s producer, Mike Dean, has finally opened the mysterious Utopia briefcase. This has, of course, sparked much speculation among fans. Dean shared a photo on Instagram with the briefcase open, but the contents remained hidden from public view. He captioned the post with the question, “What’s in the case? #musicforthefuture.” Fans went wild with theories of release dates in the comments.

Fans eagerly speculated on the contents and predicted that the long-awaited Utopia would be released soon. Some commenters suggested that the album might drop at the end of the month, given Dean’s act of opening the case. The excitement surrounding Utopia has been building up for quite some time. Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone confirmed in an interview with Billboard earlier this year that Travis Scott’s fourth solo LP would be released in June. Whether or not that is set in stone remains to be seen. If it’s accurate, that means we will be getting the album in the next few weeks.

Travis Has Revealed Very Little About The Album

Travis Scott has taken a very interesting route when it comes to promoting the new album. The brown briefcase, emblazoned with the album title, made appearances at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The Weeknd was later seen with it at the premiere of The Idol in France. This led fans to speculate that The Weeknd might be featured on the album. While Travis Scott has been tight-lipped about the album, he discussed the sound and concept of Utopia in an interview with PIN-UP magazine. He revealed that he used an MPC, particularly favoring the 2000XL, to create most of the album’s distinctive and lively sound.

For Scott, Utopia is not just about living a perfect and extravagant life. It’s a state of mind that individuals can create for themselves. He emphasized that utopia can be achieved by anyone. Wealth and material possessions don’t matter, as long as the person finds contentment and fulfillment wherever they are. The album appears to be nearing completion, with mastering stages underway. In this stage, Mike Dean will likely play a significant role. Travis Scott recently even had a listening session of Utopia for the Houston Astros team before a game last month. This suggests that the album is in its final stages before release. Are you excited for Travis Scott’s new album? Sound off in the comments to let us know!

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BabyTron Delivers His Infamous Scam Bars On New Album “6”

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BabyTron is certainly one of the most interesting rappers out right now when it comes to crafting hilarious bars. However, it doesn’t feel like the artist is consciously doing this. He is just an effortlessly funny guy who knows how to use his pop culture knowledge to his advantage. Overall, the typical BabyTron track is filled to the brim with references to obscure NBA and NFL players. Moreover, you may even get some sort of Family Guy homage too. This is then situated inside of a song with some of the most offensive bars about scamming people you will ever hear.

Ultimately, these are just a few of the reasons that BabyTron has exploded into stardom as of late. While it might be impossible for him to become mainstream, he still has a whole bunch of fans who cannot wait for his next move. He is fairly consistent with his releases, and on Tuesday, he surprised fans with a new album called 6. Interestingly, Kenny Mason dropped an EP today with the exact same name. Albeit a coincidence, one has to wonder if this was somehow coordinated.

BabyTron Delivers A Barrage Of References

Additionally, as for the sound of this new project, well, it is what you would come to expect from BabyTron. There are some hilarious bars here, and the production is piano driven and uptempo. Overall, it sounds great and the cultural references can be found all throughout Tron’s lyrics. If you were hoping to listen to some new scam rap this morning, then you will not be disappointed.

Overall, we cannot wait to see what BabyTron does next. He has proven to be a great listen on each new album, and we doubt that will change. Let us know your thoughts on his project, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the music world. We will always be sure to keep you informed.

Tracklist:

  1. 100 Bars
  2. Eobard Thawne
  3. BANG4YOBUCK
  4. Crash Yo Whip Music
  5. Money = Power
  6. Russian Roulette
  7. Slo-Mo
  8. Miguel Cabrera
  9. Thinkin’ Out Loud
  10. Spidey-Senses
  11. PS2
  12. Twilight Zone
  13. Headless Horseman
  14. Mush Smush
  15. Letters

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Russ Announces New Album, “SANTIAGO”

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Russ has announced that his next album will be titled SANTIAGO and that it will release on Friday, August 18, 2023. He reflected on the announcement in a lengthy statement posted on social media, Saturday afternoon. In doing so, he also shared the cover art for the project.

“This album represents my mental, spiritual, physical and emotional journey to my treasure (I talk more about what my treasure is on the album but it’s symbolized by the pyramid). The journey at times wasn’t and isn’t pretty,” Russ wrote. “I’ve put myself through the ringer and beat myself up quite a bit along the way. The front cover depicts externally what that sort of psychological warfare looks like.”

Read More: How Russ is Dominating the Independent Hip-Hop Space

Russ In Concert

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – DECEMBER 1: Rapper Russ performs live on stage at Audio Club on December 1, 2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.(Photo by Mauricio Santana/Getty Images)

From there, he continued to discuss the artwork while noting that the project is available for pre-order now. “The back cover depicts the internal dynamics at play. Myself, my inner child and my shadow. It’s a battle vs myself at all times and I had to do a lot of self excavation to make this album,” he said.

Russ continued: “I’m really excited. I’m really nervous. SANTIAGO is my journey to self love & self mastery while touching on the obstacles that have provided resistance along the way…feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, imposter syndrome, doubt, anger, shame (to name a few) and ultimately issues from my childhood that have shown up in my adult life. It’s my attempt to understand, navigate and heal. It’s the most vulnerable music I’ve ever made and I had to do a lot of excavating to make it. I hope that by listening to me face my own emotions, you all gain the courage to face your own. It was a confronting experience and I hope it resonates with people who are trying to navigate the obstacles on their own journey because as Paulo Coelho said, ‘one man’s journey is every man’s journey.’”

Russ’ “SANTIAGO” Announcement

The SANTIAGO announcement comes one month after the release of his latest EP,  CHOMP 2.5. That project featured production from Boi-1da, Alchemist, Havoc, 9th Wonder, and more across six tracks.

Read More: Russ Reveals New EP From CHOMP Series, “CHOMP 2.5”

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Kid Cudi Announces The Title Of His New Album

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Kid Cudi, who had been dropping hints about retiring, doesn’t seem so hellbent on it anymore. The rapper-turned-actor has been building anticipation for his “final” album since last year. Despite gaining acclaim in the rap industry since his breakthrough hit “Day ‘n’ Nite” in 2007, the 39-year-old artist is allegedly saying goodbye to his experimental contributions to hip-hop. The album is scheduled for release later this year, and Cudi previously confirmed that he will release the first track of this “powerful” album on June 1st. During a recent Instagram live session on March 9th, the Ohio native further teased his ninth solo album. He expressed his immense excitement and assured fans that they will deeply resonate with the music.

Although Cudi’s current studio work is driven by contractual obligations to Republic Records, he has poured his passion and dedication into this current project. Talking to fans about it, he proudly said that this album is the most powerful work he has ever created. He also said that he is confident that it will profoundly move listeners. “I just wanted to get on here and just let y’all know that I’m not gonna let y’all down,” he said. “This is gonna be the album of the year right now, I’m not playing. This is not a f*cking joke. Tell everybody you fucking know, ok?” Today, we got our first taste of the new album. Cudi also dropped the new title.

Cudi’s New Album is Called “INSANO”

Today, Kid Cudi dropped the first single from his new album. The track is called “Porsche Topless.” The rapper brings his energetic and wild side to the forefront in the song, with fantastic synth-heavy production and skillful navigation of the beat. The lyrics boldly declare his status as the GOAT while embracing a summer-like party atmosphere. This track will definitely help build further anticipation among fans for the forthcoming album release. However, the project’s exact release date remains unknown. Cudi did have one more surprise for fans today though. Earlier today, he took to Twitter to reveal the title and logo of the new album.

In a tweet sent out this morning, Cudi simply said, “Album is called INSANO. The world is not ready…” Along with the tweet, he posted a graphic of the album title logo. It features the word INSANO in scratchy green font on a dark pink background. Fans expressed their excitement in the replies. Although there is still no release date set for the full album, Cudi has plenty to keep himself busy with. What do you think of the new album title? Let us know in the comments below! As always, be sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the all latest updates.

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The Weeknd Announces “The Idol Vol. 1” Release Date

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Earlier today, The Weeknd shared the release date of his upcoming sixth studio album, The Idol Vol. 1 on Instagram. He announced to fans that they can expect to hear the new LP later this month, on June 30. The album will act as the soundtrack for his new series alongside Lily-Rose Depp, The Idol.

The Weeknd just shared a song earlier today from the album, titled, “Popular.” It features Madonna and Playboi Carti and was produced by Metro Boomin and Mike Dean. He teased the track earlier this week, and announced that the album is now available for preorder. Playboi Carti also shared a screenshot of him FaceTiming with The Weeknd last week.

Read More: The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp Get Raunchy In New Trailer For “The Idol”

The Weeknd Reveals The New Album Comes Out June 30

The artist spoke with Interview in April, telling them that the new album is “just as important” as the series. He added, “There’s a whole album. I’m not shying away from making music. It’s just adding another element to my already crowded schedule.” “I’ve been inspired by The Wall and Purple Rain and when Bowie was doing it, but even films like Shaft, the music is literally telling the story of the film. But I want to take it to the next level,” he revealed. The Weeknd went on to share, “I want to challenge myself and I feel like, as a musician, I’m the best I’ve ever been. But I have ADD. I can’t focus on just that. It’s like, how do I throw a wrench in it?”

The series has stirred up some controversy for nudity and a Rolling Stone report of an alleged behind-the-scenes “shitshow.” Their piece featured interviews with various members of the cast and crew. The show, however, received praise from Sharon Stone in May. “I just watched the first two episodes of @theidol. @lilyrose_depp and Abel (@theweeknd) [are] so sure-footed,” she wrote on Instagram. She continued, “Sam Levinson addresses the root of crisis in entertainment,” adding, “Which comes first, the brilliance? Or the heartache?”

Read More: “The Idol” Praise: Sharon Stone Applauds The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp As HBO Series Slammed For Nudity

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Dr. Dre’s Passion For Snoop Dogg’s New Album Matches “The Chronic,” Smitty Says

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Dr. Dre’s excitement for Snoop Dogg’s upcoming album reportedly matches that of The Chronic, according to producer Smitty. The Grammy Award winner sat down with AllHipHop to discuss the highly-anticipated project. He detailed what the studio sessions have been like with the two legendary artists.

“It’s gonna be great music,” Smitty said. “That’s not even the given. What people won’t expect is the level of execution that Snoop is committed to. Snoop’s in his bag. I was in Hawaii working with other projects last week. He called me — I’m three hours behind, it has to be 8 in the morning — he’s like ‘Man, this is Snoop. Little bro, I ain’t seen Dre this excited since The Chronic. He’s really excited about what we’re doing.’ I said, ‘Nah, you think?’ He said, ‘Y’all ain’t got what we got. Y’all go on trips on yachts with him, record and all that shit,’ because that’s how we started.”

Read More: Snoop Dogg Lands Deal To Release New Albums & Distribute Death Row Catalog

Dr. Dre Performs With Snoop Dogg

INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: Rappers Dr. Dre (L) and Snoop Dogg perform onstage during day 3 of the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on April 15, 2012 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)

He continued: “He took us on a yacht trip to Croatia. We were recording every day, we had three records for Snoop. When we came back, Snoop said ‘Yo, this could be something!’ That’s what set the plug, that’s what started it. That’s the last thing Snoop said to me: ‘Man, he’s really excited.’ And Snoop’s commitment to execution makes us all humble.”

As for Snoop and Dre’s chemistry in the studio, he added: “I’ve seen Snoop come in and not be in the mood to record, and he’ll still give it his all. Because a lot of people are intimidated to record with Dre. I’ve seen some of the biggest names not want to record with him because he’s that meticulous. He’ll make you do the line over and over a thousand times, then tomorrow say, ‘Yeah, I was wrong.’ That’s him. It takes a certain level of commitment to even rock with him.”

Snoop first announced that he’d be dropping an album with Dr. Dre while appearing on Stephen A. Smith’s Know Mercy podcast back in October. He hasn’t given the project an official release date, but he recently promised it’s arrival will come this summer.

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Lil Uzi Vert Spotted Wearing A “UTOPIA” Beanie

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Lil Uzi Vert is an artist that fans have been waiting on as of late. Overall, he is one of the biggest artists in hip-hop. However, his releases can be very staggered. For instance, he dropped Luv Is Rage 2 in 2017 and waited until 2020 to deliver Eternal Atake. Now, fans are waiting for The Pink Tape. Unfortunately, there is no release date in sight. Instead, we just have a handful of leaks to go off of. It isn’t much, and fans are starting to get a bit restless. However, he may have just teased his involvement in a major album.

In the photo below, shared by Our Generation Music, you can see Lil Uzi Vert wearing a “UTOPIA” beanie. You can tell this is a reference to the upcoming Travis Scott album thanks to the logo. When Scott revealed this logo, a lot of fans were impressed, and overall, it is very recognizable. Although, with Uzi repping this merch, the question now is…will he be on UTOPIA. Well, that question can only be answered by two people: Travis Scott and Mike Dean. Unfortunately, neither is ready to divulge that information.

Read More: Lil Uzi Vert Net Worth 2023: What Is The Rapper Worth?

Lil Uzi Vert x Travis Scott?

Travis Scott and Mike Dean have been strategically teasing UTOPIA. From briefcases to various social media posts, it seems clear that this album is on the horizon. For now, some fans have theorized that the album could come out on June 23rd. Although, there is nothing out there that confirms that. The only thing that makes a bit of sense is that June 23rd is a Friday, but that’s about it. Overall, fans are in the dark, and they are grasping at straws. The merch Lil Uzi Vert was rocking only adds to the anticipation.

Hopefully, Travis is able to provide some clarity on this new album, sometime soon. He is a massive artist, and fans want to know what to expect. Moreover, if it comes with a Lil Uzi Vert feature, then even better! Let us know your expectations for UTOPIA, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the music world.

Read More: Playboi Carti & Lil Uzi Vert Reaffirmed Their Chemistry On “Shoota”