“Atlanta is in its female renaissance. All the girls got something to prove — that’s why they can do it better than a lot of the guys.” These are the words of Atlanta producer and curator Popstar Benny on his brand-new album, Oasis. He definitely makes a valid point there, especially in the case of this year. Outside of the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, they have been the biggest trending topic in hip-hop. To help put more people on to the rising female rap stars in the ATL, the veteran beatmaker (Rod Wave, Kevin Abstract, Destroy Lonely) has brought on an entire roster of them.
Names include Coco, Clair Clair, Vayda, SPOOK, Woo Da Savage, sadboi, and more. If you have heard previous beats from Benny, you know he’s not your typical trap maestro. Instead, he likes to incorporate some off-kilter sound effects. Those are all over the 18-minute-long tape and they are bolstered by some of the MC’s off-beat flows/deliveries. Princesa 28 on the grimy and alien-like “Britney Spears” is a great example of that. However, “Reverb” with Glorygirl2950 might take the cake in that regard. Overall, it’s a tape that doesn’t overstay its welcome but is memorable given how some of these songs are demo length. Adding to its weirdness is the fact this project was supposedly recorded by Benny in a treehouse Airbnb in roughly a week.
There are a lot of Kanye West rumors floating around these days, but not all of them have to do with his public controversies and alleged misconduct. Rather, many Ye fans out there expressed excitement over a new report from hip-hop journalist Touré, who offered some alleged insight into the Chicago artist’s situation these days. Per Touré, he’s living at a Tokyo hotel and working hard on his next album Bully, which will reportedly be a conceptual solo album that he’s recording at the hotel and not at a studio. However, the most important alleged detail is that the Yeezy mogul plans to self-produce the entire thing by himself, and it’s apparently unclear whether or not he will bring on guest vocalists.
“This album is 100% him,” an alleged source reportedly told Touré about Kanye West’s Bully, which seems like he will make completely on his own. “He’s producing everything 100% himself. This will be 100% Kanye West, which it hasn’t been in many, many years.” Of course, Ye is not always alone in Tokyo as he lives his “upper-class homeless” life, as Touré described it. Maybe folks will step in to help with mixing and mastering or other album details. But it looks like when it comes down to the actual music on display, the “SLIDE” artist will carry all the weight for now.
Kanye’s new album ‘BULLY’ is reportedly a concept album, 100% produced by Ye
“’This album is 100% him.’ They meant it’s pretty much made by Kanye alone. ‘He’s producing everything 100% himself. This will be 100% Kanye West, which it hasn’t been in many, many years.’” pic.twitter.com/1z71ts4bUF
Elsewhere, Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori recently disproved divorce rumors with a Tokyo shopping trip. That’s been another hot topic when it comes to his travels and goings-on as of late. But more salacious and disturbing allegations emerge when Ye’s sexual harassment accuser alleged that he told her about wanting to sleep with Censori’s mom. For more details on that, click the first internal link in the article (excluding Ye’s name) up in the first paragraph.
Meanwhile, this follows previous claims from Adam22 that Kanye West quit nitrous to focus on his new music. At the end of the day, we won’t believe Bully or any of its alleged details until we see the album for ourselves. But we can’t deny that a self-directed Ye album amid a more healed and less chaotic time could yield some compelling results.
GloRilla’s debut album, GLORIOUS, is finally here. Listening to it, there are thankfully some instrumental/production and topical risks on the 15-song set. One thing that you could find as a weakness overall is her tendency to stick to what she knows. But on GLORIOUS, there are some tributes to gospel, which lead to some instances of personal reflection. Don’t get it twisted, though. Big Glo is still delivering her trademark crunk aesthetic with trunk-knocking bangers about confidence, independence, and the like. Speaking of the latter, one of the songs that GloRilla does best with is “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME.”
Shockingly, for the first time ever, her and Sexyy Red collide on it, and they have great chemistry. The beat may sound familiar to some as it samples Boosie Badazz’s and Webbie’s “Wipe Me Down.” Credit goes to Yo Gotti, Ace Charisma, and Lil Ronnie for putting a banging spin on it. The CMG boss is actually all over her debut album as a producer. Both leading ladies bring the brags, but Red adds an extra sense of grittiness that helps take this song to the next level. “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” is already trending on YouTube with over 1.5 million views in its first 24 hours, so this looks to be an early fan-favorite.
Coochie drive ’em crazy, CDC He a dog for the p***y, and you know I got the treat Private entry through the club, f*** a fee A b**** play with gang tonight, her face going on a tee (Buh, buh) Bad b****, you know I’m thick as Coachella You won’t never catch me slippin’, I ain’t no f***in’ Cinderella, stupid b****
Missionary is the most anticipated Snoop Dogg album in ages. The Long Beach legend is really building up the hype, from its title to its framing as a sequel to his beloved debut, Doggystyle. Snoop Dogg even brought Dr. Dre back to handle the lion’s share of the production. Missionary has been teased for a few years now, but all signs point to the album coming out soon. Snoop himself lent credence to this theory when he recently spoke at the Bloomberg Screen Conference in Los Angeles. He also revealed some of the features, and believe us when we say they are surprising.
Snoop Dogg claimed that Missionary will be the album that will allow him to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career. He’s become such a brand name, that the notion of him stepping back from music isn’t that surprising. “This new record is gonna put me in a position to probably have that final big stadium tour,” he explained. “Cause there’s a lot of features on this record that I’m excited about that are big-name artists.” Naturally, Snoop was asked which big-name artists are set to appear on the album.
It would have been logical to assume that Snoop Dogg would have opted for big-name rappers. But no, he decided to branch out and link up with some pop names. “I got a feature from Jelly Roll and Sting,” Snoop said. “I’m so happy that me and Sting got a record that’s so good.” The rapper was particularly thrilled to link up with the former lead singer of The Police. He also admitted that he’s been a fan since he was a child.
“We hung out and we chilled,” Snoop Dogg stated to the audience. “It was like a child that’s infatuated with somebody as a singer. And you get a chance to meet them and they give you everything that you expected.” Sting was similarly complimentive when he talked to BBC Radio 2 about the collaboration. “Me and Snoop made a recording of ‘Message In a Bottle,’ which he’s called something else,” the iconic singer said. “I played the guitar and I sang on it, but Snoop also sings on this, which is quite a revelation to me.” We can’t wait to hear how these two sound on record together.
Summer Walker has been one of the steadiest voices in R&B for the last five years. She has dropped multiple stellar projects since her 2018 debut, and her latest, Finally Over It, appears to be the third in a series that started with Over It. It can be tough to find clever ways to market new singles and generate buzz, especially for a veteran artist, but Summer Walker found a way. The singer posted a mock video with a voicemail from her ex, Lil Meech. The rapper recreated an infamous social media exchange from 2023, and it worked like a charm.
Some context for the aforementioned exchange. Summer Walker and Lil Meech split up in 2023 after it was alleged that the latter was unfaithful. Ring footage of Lil Meech walking into a woman’s apartment went viral, and the rapper tried to play it off via social media. “Damn,” he wrote. “I can’t help my cousin bring the bags in the house? We went to the grocery store, man.” The explanation was clowned by the fans, who noted that nobody on the Ring camera appeared to be carrying anything. The voicemail that Meech leaves in the Summer Walker promo is a direct reference to the groceries comment. “You gon do me like that,” he asks over the phone. “I was just helping my cousin with the groceries.”
Summer Walker and Lil Meech may have split, but the two artists have seemingly kept a good sense of humor about each other since. In December 2023, Meech announced that his first child was on the way. Summer Walker left a hilarious response in the Neighborhood Talk comment section reading: “different cousin.” Lil Meech has reciprocated the positive energy in interviews. During a sit down chat with The Morning Hustle, the rapper assured fans that he still has love for Summer Walker.
“Me and Summer,” he asserted. “We still have love for each other but we both went our separate ways.” The rapper also complimented Walker’s music and the quality of her character. “We can stay cool and be good,” Meech added. “We don’t go no problems with each other. She’s an amazing singer. She’s a good person so we good.” Walker’s new album doesn’t have a release date yet, but the lead single, “Heart of a Woman,” is currently available to pre-save.
2024 is the year of GloRilla. The Memphis rapper’s stock has been on the rise, thanks to a series of high-profile singles (“Yeah Glo!” and “TGIF”) and collaborations (“Wanna Be” with Megan Thee Stallion and its Cardi B-assisted remix). Her mix of self-empowerment and street bars quickly made her a fan favorite. When she made herself known in 2022 after signing with Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group, she developed a base of women and men alike, signaling a universal appeal that not every rapper in the mainstream today can say they have. In April, she released her second mixtape, Ehhthang Ehhthang, twelve tracks that show the MC staying true to her roots en route to what would become a banner year for the 25-year-old.
GloRilla’s 2024 takeover culminated with the release of her debut album, GLORIOUS. In true GloRilla fashion, GLORIOUS features a number of hard-hitting beats, in line with the sound of modern Memphis hip-hop. But, she also expands her palette with some more gospel-inspired sounds that fall out of her typical crunk and trap comfort zones. The result is a unique soundscape that often complements GloRilla and the extensive list of featured artists very well. Here are the seven best beats on GLORIOUS.
7. “RAIN DOWN ON ME” (feat. Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore, Kierra Sheard & Maverick City Music)
GloRilla was born Gloria Hallelujah Woods. Perhaps it is unsurprising that a woman with Hallelujah as her middle name would make such a gospel-inspired track, but that is exactly what “RAIN DOWN ON ME” is. The track features gospel titan Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore, Kierra Sheard, and Maverick City Music. It is a unique track on GLORIOUS, pulling off an effective gospel/trap mixture. The piano and choral adlibs sound like something one would hear at a Black church. It retains the spirit of GloRilla’s typical flair with an 808 pattern that gives her an actual beat to rap to.
The final minute sees the track go from a somewhat standard hip-hop song to a full-on “take us to church” moment. Franklin shifts the spotlight onto the choir, who sing over what has become a full gospel track, complete with hand clapping and an organ. The complete product is something that is not what GloRilla normally brings to the table. It is an admirable tonal shift after the line of party bangers and Trap & B that precedes it.
6. “DON’T DESERVE” (feat. Muni Long)
“DON’T DESERVE,” the seventh track on GLORIOUS, is a much softer cut. Produced by Hawky, Drumdummie, Fraxille, and Max Hummel, it is a song about valuing oneself and wanting friends to value themselves. The beat is sentimental, with a piano loop that makes it reminiscent of an early Polo G ballad–808s, piano. The bass will still sound good in the car. But, the beat’s sparseness is what makes it effective. It does not overwhelm and gives space for an impassioned performance by R&B star Muni Long, who steals the show vocally. “DON’T DESERVE” is not as high-energy of a song as “TGIF” or “HOW I LOOK.” However, it is a welcome entry on the tracklist. Its laidback beat and subdued delivery (by GloRilla’s standards) makes it a lowkey high point on GLORIOUS.
5. “HOLLON”
“HOLLON,” the album’s second track, is another one that revisits the crunk well. Horns, an ominous bell, and some more big bass make the track (produced by SkipOnDaBeat and FnZ) go. It’s another track that has a darker feel to it. If a DJ played this song at a party, it would probably be in everyone’s best interest to move out of the way.
It’s an early hit on the tracklist that sets the tone for what to expect across the rest of GloRilla’s debut album: a series of loud, banging beats, and for Glo’s confident flow to match the energy of those loud, banging, beats. “HOLLON” is another high point on the production side of the album. It’s one that longtime fans of GloRilla will surely gravitate toward, as it sounds like something that would have been right at home on both Ehhthang Ehhthang and the preceding Anyway, Life’s Great… mixtapes.
“LET HER COOK” is the thirteenth track on GLORIOUS, and it is an appropriately named one. Produced by London Jae, Pooh Beatz, Squat, and Coupe, this track is another banger. The horn returns, and the particular loop on this track has a similar pattern to Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says,” though it is not quite as in-your-face as that track is. There is a dinging sound deep in the mix that emphasizes her bars like the “ayy” adlib does on “TGIF.” Of course, the bass is once again at the top of mind. It feels like Glo’s intention on every song is to create a track that’ll bump regardless of where it’s being played. Like so many of the production choices on GLORIOUS, this is another great one. Even towards the end of the album, GloRilla wants to keep the energy high, something that she excels at doing.
3. “TGIF”
“It’s 7 P.M. Friday, it’s 95 degrees / I ain’t got no n***a, and no n***a ain’t got me” has become an oft-repeated opening line for many this year. Those bars represent a level of freedom that comes with being out of a relationship. They also would not hit as hard if they were said over any other beat. “TGIF” remains a 2024 highlight for Glo.
Produced by Zenjikozen, Brophy, and Jess Jackson, “TGIF” is a downtempo track with a persistent horn and thumping bass, as well as a repeated “ayy” adlib that punctuates many of the bars on the song. No one could have predicted “TGIF” was going to dominate the rap game in 2024 as much as it has. It is one of the only hip-hop songs to consistently be in the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 since its June release. That is a particularly impressive feat as the charts have favored pop and country the most this year. It’s easy to see why, as like much of GLORIOUS, “TGIF” is radio and party-ready. It is a 2024 banger and even on an album full of new material, a standout, anthemic track.
2. “STEP” (feat. Bossman Dlow)
“STEP,” the album’s twelfth track features another rising star, Tallahassee rapper and recent XXL Freshman, Bossman Dlow. The bass-heavy beat sounds like GloRilla taking a trip into Dlow’s world. The track has a type of bounce that can really only be found on a Florida rapper’s song. In that regard, it takes Glo a bit out of her comfort zone. But in the nascent years of her career, she has shown the ability to flow over just about anything you ask her to.
Her and Dlow sound at home over the bass, piano, and bell (which underscores the entire track). It is another track that, like “HOW I LOOK,” and like much of the tracklist, is immediately ready to make its way into DJ sets at most parties. The beat doubles as an opportunity for both Glo and Dlow to showcase their talents, and those who may have been previously unfamiliar with Dlow can get a good feel for exactly what he brings to his own music on “STEP.”
“HOW I LOOK” is the tenth track on GLORIOUS and the latest collaboration between GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion. It is also the hardest song on the album. The production, handled by Yo Gotti (who has thirteen credits across the album’s fifteen tracks), Go Grizzly, B100, and London Jae, is the type of trunk-rattling sound fans have come to expect from those in the Memphis scene. It’s dark but still energetic, with some heavy bass and an eerie whistling sound buried in the mix. It feels like something that Duke Deuce, a Memphis contemporary, would rap over, and it is the most that Glo dips into the Memphis crunk sound on the album.
“HOW I LOOK” has a party-ready feel, thanks in part to the self-assured bars put forth by the two artists on the song, but also because the beat is one that could send even the most reserved person to the dance floor. It’s the standout moment on Glo’s debut and more than ready to be the next big single from this part of her career.
Kanye West is still spending a lot of time in Tokyo, and we now have some new theories and information as to why. Moreover, hip-hop journalist Touré reportedly spoke to TMZ about the matter on Friday (October 11), and he suggested that Ye is living an “upper-class homeless” lifestyle. This is because he’s still staying at a hotel rather than up-keeping a home, which is apparently what he prefers. Not only that, but Touré also reportedly claimed that the Chicago artist is hunkered down in his hotel room working on his next solo album Bully, which will apparently be self-produced.
Also, one of the music writer’s alleged sources reportedly spoke on how the Yeezy mogul isn’t bothered in the Japanese city thanks to respectful fans letting him quietly roam alone, a sharp contrast to the paparazzi presence in Los Angeles. Elsewhere, though, Kanye West’s presence in Tokyo raised some eyebrows for fans, as his wife Bianca Censori didn’t accompany him for a couple of outings. Divorce rumors quickly followed, although they axed this speculation with a recent shopping trip this week.
HAIKOU, CHINA – SEPTEMBER 15: American rapper Kanye West performs during his Vultures Listening Experience at Wuyuan River Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Haikou, Hainan Province of China. (Photo by Luo Yunfei/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
Speaking of Bianca Censori, Kanye West’s former alleged “Director of Intelligence” anonymously sued him for lack of payment and infliction of emotional distress. The plaintiff alleges that Ye originally hired him as his campaign manager for his presidency bid, and that he ordered him to investigate Censori and the Kardashians. While the man didn’t specify why he allegedly followed the G.O.O.D. Music artist’s current wife around without her knowledge, he did allege that Kanye wanted him to look into his previous wife’s family’s alleged “criminal links” over alleged sex trafficking.
Elsewhere in the world of Kanye West, some vault leftovers continue to emerge every once in a while, such as a recent leak of the unreleased music video for “RoboCop.” As for his current Tokyo stay, we hope that he continues to find peace and focus on his craft rather than on his antics and controversies. Of course, there’s no shortage of those these days. But perhaps this distance and seclusion will result in a new, better, and more healed era for the divisive superstar.
Today, GloRilla finally unleashed her eagerly anticipated debut album, Glorious. The project boasts features from the likes of Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, Muni Long, and more. It even includes a Boosie Badazz-sampling song featuring Sexyy Red, “Whatchu Kno About Me.” The two femcees recruited the Louisiana-born artist for a lively music video, which so far, fans are loving.
Following the release of the project, however, some listeners were quick to notice what seemed to be some shade directed at JT. “You won’t never catch me slippin’, I ain’t no f*ckin’ Cinderella, st*pid b*tch,” GloRilla raps. This could potentially be a reference to JT’s mixtape City Cinderella, which she dropped in July.
This is unconfirmed, but the bar has sparked a debate in The Neighborhood Talk‘s comments section. For those who don’t recall, Glo and JT got wrapped up in an explosive Twitter/X feud earlier this year, which stemmed from rumors that they got into a physical altercation. Glo accused JT of having “secret animosity” towards her, prompting some serious insults to fly. Months after the feud fizzled out, at least publicly, GloRilla was accused of shading JT alongside Megan Thee Stallion in a behind-the-scenes video. For now, it remains unclear whether or not that was the case, or if GloRilla and JT have been able to patch things up since.
While some social media users are demanding a response from JT, others are urging them to squash their beef once and for all. What do you think of listeners speculating that GloRilla threw a jab at JT on her new track “Whatchu Kno About Me”? Do you agree or not? How are you liking her new album, Glorious, so far? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
At this point, everyone knows the deal when it comes to what Rod Wave is going to do on an album. From the writing to the themes and the production, the St. Petersburg native has a creative process that he knows his fans will love, no matter how much time he takes in between LPs. In this case, it’s been just over a year since Nostalgiawas the hot new thing on the block. With Rod Wave now dropping Last Lap this Friday, the singer and rapper has now dropped a project ever year since 2017.
This sixth studio album boasts 23 tracks and includes features from Lil Baby, Rylo Rodriguez, and Lil Yachty. The tracklist is led by “Passport Junkie” and “Fall Fast in Love,” both of which were released in September. Last Lap sees Rod Wave features your typical painful love songs as well as songs about his mental health. In addition to that, there are some cuts about losing family and friends, whether that to be prison bars or simply passing away. The title track, for instance, is a dedication to his late uncle and manager Uncle Dee, who lost his life this past summer (via Hypebeast). At points, Rod does come across as unsure about his own life and how all of these tragedies happening around him will affect him in the long term.
GloRilla has been building a buzz for a minute. She has proven to be one of the most exciting and consistent names in hip hop when it comes drop fun and energetic party anthems. “TGIF” popped off during the summer, and the scene-stealing verses GloRilla dropped on other albums ensured that she would have plenty of eyes on her debut. Well, Glorious is finally here, and it lives up to its title. GloRilla doesn’t overstay her welcome, and instead delivers a concise, 42-minute showcase for all her pros and stylistic strengths. “INTRO” proves that few can sound harder than her on a trap beat, while the second song, “HOLLON,” is one of her hardest singles to date.
The highlights continue on the album cuts. GloRilla and Latto swap lavish bars on “PROCEDURE,” while the former and Sexyy Red go even harder on the soon-to-be hit “WHATCHU KNOW ABOUT ME.” It’s the exact kind of sound and subject matter that both rappers are known for, and they make it sound great. It is a testament to GloRilla, however, that the less obvious songs also work on Glorious. “Stop Playing” is one of the album’s highlights, and it packs a positive message into a hypnotic, snappy throwback beat. GloRilla even sounds good opposite Kirk Franklin on “RAIN DOWN ON ME.” GloRilla showed even more range than was expected, ensuring that she’s going to stick around in the game.
Let us know what you think of this brand new album, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
