While a lot of conversation and acclaim around Vultures surrounds Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign is just as important -– if not more -– to the album’s quality. Moreover, the project just cemented itself as the number one album on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the U.S. for another week following its chart-topping debut. It narrowly beat out another big album, Yeat’s 2093, for the top spot, and all artists have plenty of reason to celebrate. In fact, Ty recently took to Twitter on Sunday (February 25) to celebrate this accolade with a selfie holding up a single finger. “Not the 2,” he captioned his pic.
Furthermore, Ty Dolla Sign’s been enjoying a lot of success as a result of his collaborative album with Kanye West. His numbers are greater than they’ve ever been, and more importantly, many folks finally gave him the full-length flowers that were usually reserved to guest appearances. Regardless, the Los Angeles native hasn’t escaped a lot of the controversy behind Vultures, although most of that falls on Ye’s antisemitism, career relationships, and far-right ties. Despite the context around his success, he made this choice, and it hasn’t stopped even ardent Kanye critics from praising his contributions.
While it’s a matter of personal preference, there’s a strong argument for Ty Dolla Sign being the most consistently compelling and skillful part of Vultures. Future installments (which Timbaland says are on the way) might reflect this too, or perhaps Kanye West will step things up a notch. Either way, there’s a lot of excitement for this project’s future, which is supposed to bring Vultures 2 next week if initial teases are to be believed. It’s a Ye rollout, so we aren’t holding our breath.
Whether or not these future installments land on streaming services (and face removal again), the “Blasé” creative made his mark. As one of the most commercially successful independent albums ever, Vultures is a feat regardless of your take on its quality and its Chicago creator’s behavior. Let’s see what they follow it up with. For more news and the latest updates on Ty Dolla Sign and Vultures, check back in with HNHH.
Folks are still bumping Vultures by Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign everywhere, and it looks like that’s translating into commercial success. Moreover, the former has reposted a report on social media that the album is number one in 72 countries, including Israel. He posted it on his Instagram Story this weekend, and a clip also emerged online of him speaking to a crowd and making the same claim. It’s unclear what are the exact metrics this report is based on, but there’s a lot of ways in which it could manifest: iTunes charts, streaming, or a combination of both. Still, chart data suggested that the project was removed from Apple Music and iTunes charts when it went down temporarily, so how these numbers will manifest is still unclear.
Furthermore, this is a particularly interesting claim because this list of countries apparently includes Israel. Of course, Kanye West wants to highlight this because of his rampant antisemitism references on Vultures, and his bigoted actions and statements off wax. Yet it’s probably more of a reflection of his massive reach and scope of visibility as an artist rather than folks agreeing with these stances. As such, we still need a little more time to determine what the general public consensus is when it comes to this album.
In addition to all that, there are also other elements of Vultures that were still rocky before it finally dropped. One of these is, obviously, sample clearance issues, as Ozzy Osbourne took to Twitter recently to blast Kanye West for trying to use a song of his without clearing it properly. It didn’t end up on the final version of the album, so we know that the untouched version of the project will probably never come out. But this is part of pretty much every Ye rollot at this point, so it hardly comes as a surprise.
Ye Reposts His Alleged Success
Screenshot via Instagram @kanyewest
Donna Summer’s estate also called the Chicago artist out for alleged copyright infringement. It’s unclear whether these will simply sweep under the rug or if this will actually provoke a takedown of Vultures. Either way, the damage is definitely done, and now fans are waiting for the next installments and a Ye solo album. To find out whether these Kanye West projects drop or not, come back to HNHH.
Megan Thee Stallion ia laughing all the way to the bank, it seems, as her newest single “HISS” is poised to take the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. Of course, this contained the “Megan’s Law” bar that set Nicki Minaj on a path of revenge on social media, plus some other supposed disses to her detractors. While that femcee battle is still raging (albeit in a one-sided manner), it seems like the Houston MC is more concerned with enjoying the success and connecting with fans. During a recent Stationhead session with listeners, she joked about one of the many ways she wants to celebrate if “HISS” claims the top spot.
Moreover, Megan Thee Stallion referenced one of the bars that Nicki Minaj had for her on her response track. She said that, if “HISS” goes number one, she will have to put the straw back in the bottle of Hennessy. Queen Barb had mentioned this as a shot to her allegedly rowdy drinking tendencies, and Tina Snow herself even admitted during this convo to being in a much different place back in 2019. We can only imagine what else she has planned if her new song makes it big.
However, this also prompted a lot of backlash from Nicki Minaj fans for a few different reasons. First, they think Megan Thee Stallion was particularly hurt by this bar, which is why she referenced it. In addition, they called her out for talking with fans on Stationhead after the First Lady of Young Money popularized this concept. Finally, they want the Fever hitmaker to respond to “Big Foot,” and will discredit her as long as there is no response. While that last point is a common concept in hip-hop beef, it’s a very hard call to make.
After all, the “Megan’s Law” bar basically ruins any sort of response that Nicki Minaj could have immediately, at least according to some fans. Others think that she will be able to enjoy the commercial success of “HISS” over “Big Foot” and claim this as a victory. Maybe just 32 bars or more could heat things up considerably, but for now, Megan Thee Stallion seems unbothered. For more news and the latest updates on this feud, stay logged into HNHH.
Megan Thee Stallion is in full rollout mode with a new album and tour on the way, and that always involves a lead single to get fans excited, prepared -– and streaming. Moreover, despite the quality behind the under-appreciated “Cobra,” it seems like “HISS” will serve this purpose quite well for her when it comes to both how it’s resonated with fans and with commercial metrics. According to Chart Data on Twitter, the Houston rapper could land a No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 if its numbers continue on the pace they are at as of writing this article. While the report doesn’t indicate a particular number, Billboard themselves reported that the song continues to grow and garner more and more streams.
As such, Megan Thee Stallion could potentially have her first-ever No. 1 debuting song as a solo artist. This would be a great start to this new phase of her career, and would also lay the foundation for more buzz and promotion from a purely commercial standpoint. But the 28-year-old still impresses with blazing flows, combative energy, and some really sharp lines to contrast her previously measured and emotional single. What she needs to keep up is this sense of dynamism and freshness with each cut, and we’ll have a great project and lead-up to cherish in 2024.
However, the “Hot Girl” continues to face a lot of scrutiny and backlash from some rap corners in the game, albeit not many. For example, Wack 100 recently claimed that there is a video of Tory Lanez’s shooting of her that proves that she is lying, and that this incident didn’t happen at all between them. Many fans debated the veracity of this on social media, given that there is no evidence of this clip. Some believe the prosecution and court suppressed it in Lanez’s trial, whereas others expressed shock at how fans continue to challenge the conviction.
Meanwhile, on the topic of conflict, Nicki Minaj’s response track “Big Foot” is also performing well commercially. It played at some big events, broke streaming records for hip-hop in 2024, and made a big splash on arrival in other ways. No matter which song you think is better, this success can only set the bar for their future work, and only they can capitalize on it. On that note, come back to HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Megan Thee Stallion.
21 Savage’s new album american dream is off to a pretty great commercial start, reaching the No. 1 spot on Apple Music’s album charts. As such, the project is streaming very well, with plenty of tracklist highlights, lyrical gems, and layered instrumentals to dive into. We’ll see whether it keeps this performance up for the remainder of the year, and for the rest of his career in the game. Moreover, it’s still pretty early to call, but there’s a good chance folks will look at this as the ultimate Slaughter Gang album. Regardless of whether it lives up to these expectations over time, he should be very happy and proud right now.
Not only that, but this also contributes to other recent commercial metrics by which american dream is doing great. For example, HITS Daily Double recently reported the first week sales projections for the album, which might become 21 Savage’s biggest solo debut. Furthermore, it’s on pace to sell up to 150K first week; his last solo studio effort, i am > i was, sold 131K first week. If you’re curious, the 31-year-old’s collab albums between that project and this new one– those being 2020’s SAVAGE MODE II with Metro Boomin and 2022’s Her Loss with Drake– sold 171,000 and 404,000 units first-week, respectively.
However, all this success and pretty good reviews and reactions so far don’t mean that the american dream can’t change. 21 Savage recently took to Instagram to ask fans whether he should change a bar on the Young Thug collab “pop ur s**t” that is a little bit too on-brand with the song’s title. “Im happy yall like it, yall want me to change the poop bar?” he expressed on the social media platform. Another line that’s buzzing online right now is the alleged diss against Gunna on the track “letter to my brudda.”
Commercial success and potentially new lyrics aside, what did you think of american dream? Would you agree with folks like Kai Cenat that it’s at least an eight out of 10 or did 21 miss the mark a bit? Whatever the case, drop your thoughts in the comments section down below. Also, for more news and the latest updates on 21 Savage, log back into HNHH.
After a month of many of the biggest hits being slid down the Hot 100 by Christmas music, it’s finally beginning to fade. As Christmas songs fall off the chart this week numerous songs are taking massive leaps back up the charts. Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ On Me” was the last non-Christmas song to top the charts in early December. The song managed to stick around in the Top 10 every single week despite the influx of holiday tunes and this week it returned to the very top spot.
Elsewhere near the top of the charts are similar songs making big leaps. Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and Tate McRae’s “greedy” jumped 17 and 21 spots respectively to get back into the top 3. Doja Cat lands two songs in the top 10 with “Paint The Town Red” at number 4 and “Agora Hills” at number 10. Both songs jumped up 26 spots on the chart to hit their current spot. Breakthrough R&B star Tyla also scored a new peak for her song “Water” which turns up at number 7. Check out the full top 10 of the Hot 100 below.
Earlier this month, Jack Harlow shared an entirely new kind of live experience with his fans. He teamed up with META for the virtual reality concert “No Place Like Home.” The experience let fans get a front-row seat to one of Harlow’s shows from the comfort of their home through a virtual reality headset. Fans who got the chance to see the show praised it though many shared comments about how they didn’t have virtual reality capabilities.
Last month, Jack Harlow appeared as a guest on another new single. He joined Dave on the Lyrical Lemonade single “All Is Yellow,” the 4th new song from the musical outfit. What do you think of Jack Harlow’s new song “Lovin’ On Me” returning to the top spot on the Hot 100 this week? What’s your favorite song in the top 10 of this week’s Hot 100? Let us know in the comment section below.
To absolutely no one’s surprised, Nicki Minaj’s new album Pink Friday 2 had a great first-week debut on the Billboard album charts. Moreover, according to new metrics from Chart Data, the project is set to sell 222K units in this timeframe, placing it at the No. 1 spot on the charts. She must be very happy with this outcome, regardless of whether or not she believes in the power of angel numbers. Other placements on this week’s album chart are also unsurprising: Taylor Swift (thrice in the top 10), Drake, Morgan Wallen, SZA, and so on. Congrats to the Trinidadian MC for closing out 2023 with another No. 1 hip-hop LP, one of the few we got this year.
Furthermore, she is showing no signs of slowing her roll down in the near future. In fact, Nicki Minaj recently teased a long-anticipated spectacle for her Barbz, one that’s been in the works for a while. But she kept things clear and optimistic when relaying that she’s still hard at work on her documentary. Considering the 41-year-old’s massively impactful career and her staggering trajectory, such a tale should be a compelling look into this success.
On the other hand, she is also getting ready for her world tour in 2024, something that the Barbz have begged for incessantly for a long, long time. Finally, it seems like Nicki Minaj is ready to fully embrace the stage once again, fueled by this newfound wealth of material. Of course, we would expect her to run through her stacked catalog of hits too, but to see her in a new era is the most exciting of these prospects. If you’re thinking about buying a ticket, act fast; we’d only expect them to get tougher to purchase from here on out.
Meanwhile, what remains to be seen now is whether the “Let Me Calm Down” hitmaker landed a No. 1 song on the charts. With a couple of different smashes to choose from, it would be pretty interesting to see which one lands on top from all the tracks on Pink Friday 2, even if it doesn’t nab the highest placement. Let us know your predictions on that end in the comments section down below. Also, stay logged into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Nicki Minaj.
Drake’s For All The Dogsis probably going to have at least one more song from it go No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts; it’s Drizzy, after all. Moreover, he already cinched one of those with its lead single, the SZA-assisted “Slime You Out,” and there are plenty of other successful tracks that either deserve or could commercially nab the top spot on the charts this week. However, it’s really a race between two songs that are performing the best right now sales-wise. These are the J. Cole collab “First Person Shooter,” their first in about ten years, and the Yeat-dominant “IDGAF,” their first collaboration ever.
As you can probably guess, there are a lot of “firsts” involved in this saga, and that’s not even the most important one. J. Cole and Yeat’s features are actually head-to-head for their first number one hit ever on the Billboard Hot 100. Even though it’s not one of their solo tracks, it would still be an amazing achievement for either artist. The rage sensation would get it and cement his place as a top dog in the game right now, whereas the Dreamville artist could finally nab one of the very few accomplishments that his decades-long career is missing.
Of course, this also represents a bit of a curious and almost metaphorical showdown. Will the buzzing banger win, representative of a new generation, or will the lyrically dense performance from J. Cole come out on top, showing that the pen is the ultimate mark of a great song? Either way, it’s fair to say that both tracks deserve the accolade, and we’re sure there are no hard feelings between the two artists. As for Drake, even though both his features outperformed him on these tracks in this writer’s opinion, the album’s success is probably drowning that out right now.
Meanwhile, it’s important to address the following in this conversation: chart placements don’t matter, at least artistically. No amount of sales can match the excitement that these team-ups brought to fans, and they’d still love it with just ten streams or ten billion. So whatever happens come Billboard‘s updated charts, let’s praise that J. Cole and Yeat actually put some effort into what many view as a relatively effortless project. Hopefully they take turns throughout a couple of weeks and they can both reach this milestone. For more news on them and Drake, stay up to date on HNHH.
Drake and SZA’s “Slime You Out” kicked off the soon-to-come release of Drizzy’s album For All The Dogs, and got him one step closer to the history books. Moreover, that song went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, marking his twelfth number one hit and putting him right up there with the legendary Michael Jackson. He has thirteen chart-topping tracks, which means the Toronto rapper is now just one song away from tying him for the fourth-most number ones in Billboard history so far. If you’re curious, he’s currently tied with Madonna and The Supremes for the fifth spot.
Of course, it’s fair to assume that one more track from For All The Dogs might just cinch this achievement for the 36-year-old. Given that his career shows no signs of slowing down, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him work his way up. Ahead of Drake are frequent collaborator Rihanna (14 number ones) and Mariah Carey (19 number ones). At the very top of the list are The Beatles, who have 20 tracks that claimed the top spot across their discography.
In addition, this also marks one of the only hip-hop-adjacent songs that went No. 1 on Billboard this year- the second, to be exact. The first was Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red,” which ended a drought in this metric for the genre that existed since Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl.” Furthermore, this history sparked a hotly contested conversation around whether rap is a “dying” style, something that artists like Drake continue to disprove. It might not have the same chart-topping record as previous years, but it’s also the calm after a storm that dominated the early 2020s and mid-to-late 2010s. As such, we can’t really complain.
Meanwhile, the OVO superstar also has a lot to look back on and appreciate when it comes to his career. His 2013 album Nothing Was The Same, which established him as a top dog in the game, recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. While reflecting on his previous success, we’ll see if his future one puts The Boy right next to MJ. For more news and the latest updates on Drake and Michael Jackson, stay logged into HNHH.
2019 was a phenomenal year filled with rap hits, as unconventional bangers closed out the decade. As social media, particularly TikTok, continued to shape the way music was consumed, Hip Hop saw a surge in diverse offerings. By 2019, the mumble rap subgenre also took the world by storm, although its critics were abundant. The year also saw interesting collaborations between rap artists and musicians from other genres. Most notably, “Old Town Road,” the genre-defying hit dominated charts across the globe.
Women in rap also enjoyed great success in the 2010s, and 2019 was no exception. Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Lizzo, and Nicki Minaj successfully blurred the lines between rap and pop, showcasing their exceptional international appeal.
Besides housing some of the best rap hits of the decade, 2019 also dealt some devastating blows to the Hip Hop community. The genre said goodbye to Nipsey Hussle, who left a lasting impact during his time. Also, newcomer Juice WRLD was unable to unlock his full potential due to his untimely passing. Nonetheless, Hip Hop had been at an all-time high in the late 2010s, and 2019 further solidified this.
“Wow” was released in December 2018, as the lead single from Post Malone’s third studio album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. The song features production elements that characterize Malone’s signature sound, blending elements of Hip Hop and pop. On the celebratory track, Malone reflects on his success, fame, and the lifestyle that comes with all of it. After its release, “Wow” quickly gained traction and became a commercial success. It would have climbed to the very top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but was restricted from doing so by Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings.” It was able to claim the top spot on the Hot Rap Songs chart, however, and stayed there for one week.
This collaborative effort by Cardi B and Bruno Mars combines elements of Hip Hop and R&B. What resulted was a smooth and seductive track. “Please Me” is known for its catchy and memorable chorus, which contributed to making the song one of the hottest rap hits of 2019. The song received positive reviews from critics, and was praised for its retro-inspired sound. Furthermore, the chemistry between Cardi B and Bruno Mars was lauded. Upon its release, “Please Me” was a success, reaching high positions on various music charts. On the Hot 100 chart, it peaked at number three, and on the Hot Rap Songs chart, it peaked at number one for one week.
Travis Scott’s “Highest in the Room” is his second solo appearance atop the Hot Rap Songs chart after 2018’s “Sicko Mode.” The song remains one of Scott’s most successful and recognizable rap hits. The single also contributed to further establishing the rapper as a prominent figure in contemporary Hip Hop. Upon its release, “Highest in the Room” became a cultural phenomenon, and was embraced by both critics and the general audience. Its hypnotic sound appealed to a wide demographic, which in turn, brought it significant commercial success. “Highest in the Room” debuted at number one on both the Hot 100 chart and the Hot Rap Songs chart.
“Roxanne” by Arizona Zervas was a viral hit on TikTok. It also played a significant role in the growth of Zervas’ musical career. The song was independently released by Zervas, and gradually gained popularity on social media platforms. Eventually, it became one of the defining rap hits of 2019. “Roxanne” is characterized by its catchy beat, as well as its relatable lyrics. The single tells the story of a tumultuous relationship with a woman named Roxanne. The song has achieved multi-platinum certification, and peaked at number four on the Hot 100 chart in 2019. It stayed on top of the Hot Rap Songs chart for four weeks as well.
Lizzo may have seemingly burst onto the scene with “Truth Hurts,” but her success was not overnight. The artist had been putting in work for quite some time before her breakthrough single sent her atop the charts. “Truth Hurts” was first released in 2017, but did not chart until two years later. In 2019, after a re-release, the song was finally appreciated by the masses and became a commercial and critical success. Another one of many rap hits to go viral on TikTok, Lizzo saw a huge surge in popularity in 2019. “Truth Hurts” is now certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA, and peaked at number one on the Hot 100. It was easily one of the biggest rap hits of 2019 and topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for an outstanding 13 weeks.
“Sunflower” was one of the singles released from the soundtrack of the animated film, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. The song was prominently featured in the film, where it served as the theme song for the main character, Miles Morales. The track’s inclusion in the film contributed to its popularity. “Sunflower,” one of many Diamond-certified hits by Malone, was the first song to top the Hot Rap Songs chart in 2019. Moreover, it enjoyed the top spot for 11 non-consecutive weeks.
This groundbreaking song is one of the defining tracks of the 2010s. “Old Town Road” is notable for its fusion of multi-genre elements, blending trap and pop with a country-inspired beat. This genre-crossing approach was both innovative and controversial, but in the long run, helped secure Lil Nas X firmly in the mainstream. Billy Ray Cyrus lent his star power on the song, effectively broadening the song’s appeal to a much larger audience. “Old Town Road” was a commercial juggernaut, achieving diamond certification and breaking streaming records. It also broke the Billboard Hot 100 record for longest-running number one single. Furthermore, the song is simultaneously the record-holder for the longest-running number-one single on the Hot Rap Songs chart as well, with a whopping 20 weeks. Of all the rap hits of 2019, “Old Town Road” reigned supreme, ending as the year-end chart-topper as well.
(@nojumper)