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Lupe Fiasco Partners With Google To Create New A.I. Tool For Rappers

August 2, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Lupe Fiasco recently announced his new venture with Google, an artificial intelligence tool designed to be used by rappers. The tool, dubbed TextFX, “specifically (focuses) on the writing process of creating raps.” It’s a large language model that allows users to explore different ways to flip words, something that Lupe Fiasco himself does when he writes his lyrics. TextFX is available for use now.

“Rap is born out of technology,” he explains in a video about the tool, “rap wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for these technological advancements.” The artist continues, describing different ways that technology has impacted rap. “What’s next,” he says, “artificial intelligence, large language models. Rap’s optimal for it.” Aaron Wade, a Creative Technologist at Google, then describes working with Lupe Fiasco to come up with TextFX. “Initially, we thought that maybe Lupe would want an A.I. system to write lyrics for him, verses and raps. But it turns out that he didn’t want that at all. What he wanted was a tool that helped him explore the universe of possibilities that can arise from any given word, or phrase, or concept.”

Lupe Fiasco’s New Songwriting Tool

In another video, Lupe Fiasco is seen “co-writing” a song using TextFX. He walks viewers through the songwriting process, revealing how the technology works. At the end of the video, he performs the song, titled “Glass Of Water.” “Depending on what you want to get out of it, it is there for you to get it,” he explains. “It does require you to do the work, it’s not doing the work for you. It’s just providing you with different opportunities, and work flow, and being efficient, and you know, offloading certain things so your mind can focus on other things.”

The artist continues to praise the tool, explaining how it took “Glass Of Water” to places he didn’t expect. “I really never thought that it would go there,” he says, “just from a small, tiny little twist.”

[Via]

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Pusha T Blamed For White House Cocaine (As A Joke)

July 5, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Back in early June, government officials canvased an area of the White House where visitors are asked to leave their phones while in the President’s residence. They found a small amount of cocaine, causing Secret Services to investigate who might’ve brought the illegal substance in. However, they can simply turn to the hip-hop special detectives for one obvious suspect: Pusha-T.

The rapper from Virginia Beach visited the White House back during the Obama administration. And even though that was over seven years ago, Pusha fans were convinced the rapper was the culprit for stashing the goods in the heart of American politics. They even think this is good fodder for a new Pusha-T verse. Somebody commented, “This one is just absolutely teed up for an all-time @PUSHA_T bar.” While the accusations could be serious, the comment thread is anything but.

Pusha T’s History With White Powder

https://t.co/HJtLXu9v4V pic.twitter.com/7k6NErjJHq

— Craig (@DebatingHipHop_) July 4, 2023

The rapper’s entire persona circles around “moving bricks.” Whether he’s actually done that before or does so presently is up for debate. But the name “Pusha T” is almost synonymous with cocaine. It’s pretty bad when Twitter “solves the case” with a picture of you by former President Barack Obama tagged to the original Tweet about the found stash, and people agree. Other hip-hop artists who have been linked to the presidential powder include Freddie Gibbs and the Griselda Big Three, also notorious hard drug fiends.

In other, actual Pusha T news, he’s been beefing with Jim Jones nonstop. There was a diss track that came out, but it turned out to be generated by artificial intelligence. Other than the current feud, Pusha and his musical comrade Pharrell have shown each other some love over the past few weeks. As far as actual music, there hasn’t been much from the Pusha camp. However, with this latest cocaine controversy, best believe he’ll keep this in his back pocket for a new song soon.

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Ice-T Issues Warning For The Next Generation Of Rappers

July 4, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Ice-T saw his rap career flourish during the era of Biggie and Tupac, amongst others. Watching them get gunned down and others get strung out on drug abuse gives him enough perspective to offer a stark warning to the new rappers in the game. While he helped create the gangsta rap era, he spoke on the dangers of the profession to People Magazine at ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans over the weekend.

“I think people from my generation are really upset with what’s going on with the youngsters because every week somebody’s going to jail,” Ice-T said in an interview that also had fellow rap OG KRS-One. “People are dying of drugs, killing each other.” With recent tragic losses, such as XXXTENTACION, Nipsey Hussle, and Takeoff, drug abuse and gun violence is more rampant than ever in rap. “My generation, we lost Tupac, we lost Biggie, and we got the memo,” Ice-T continues. “Everybody calmed down. We all figured this out: We [were] rapping to get out of the streets.”

What Ice-T Has To Say To The Young Ones

ice t warns rappers — NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Ice-T performs on day 2 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Ice-T performs on day 2 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. were murdered back in the late 90s, and Ice-T knows how valuable life is. So he wants to make sure the people in the rap industry nowadays are protecting themselves. “[The] youngsters who are out here behaving like that, these kids are millionaires,” he told People. “So I don’t know how many young people gotta get lost, I don’t know which one might trigger that message, but I think it’s time for this generation to get a hold of itself.”

It’s been a minute since Ice-T rapped. He is one of the mainstays on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and is going on plenty of podcasts. His rap career was spectacular, spanning two decades for solo albums. He does collaboration albums every now and then, the most recent one being Uncut with Afrika Islam in 2021. He released Carnivore in 2020 with Body Count, a heavy metal band with a focus on social and political issues.

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Nicki Minaj Joins Drake & Lil Wayne As Rappers With The Most Top 10 Hits On Billboard

July 3, 2023 by newhiphopnews

When Lil Wayne launched Young Money Entertainment in 2005 as an imprint of Cash Money, he probably knew he’d be successful. However, it was probably hard to predict the dominant and staggeringly influential status that the label would hold just a couple of years down the road. Moreover, through some of its first big releases, it gave us two of the biggest stars in hip-hop of the 2010s, beyond, and of all time: Drake and Nicki Minaj, and Weezy himself obviously fits that list, too. Chart history proves this even more, as now that the Trinidadian rapper has 23 Top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the three rappers have the most Top 10 hits in the entire genre.

Given that each artist is still releasing hype material that makes huge waves, it’s unlikely that this streak will end anytime soon. For example, Nicki Minaj has an new album on the way this year, Pink Friday 2, and Lil Wayne is hard at work on Tha Carter VI. Meanwhile, Drake recently announced his new album For All The Dogs, which fans expect to release at some point this year as well. With this in mind, it will be very hard for rappers in the game to beat these metrics, even if Eminem and Jay-Z are tied for the fourth rapper with the most Hot 100 Top 10 songs at 22 each, just one less than Nicki.

Nicki Minaj, Drake & Lil Wayne On The Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Podium

.@Drake (68), Lil Wayne (25) and @NICKIMINAJ (23) are now the rappers with the most top 10 hits in Hot 100 history. pic.twitter.com/1lWxpfcNfJ

— chart data (@chartdata) July 3, 2023

Furthermore, it’s likely that the 40-year-old MC achieved this off the strength of some of her recent singles. The last one to come out and hit big on the charts was the Ice Spice collab “Barbie World” for the doll-named film, which releases later in July. Of course, with a November drop on the cards, plenty of tracks will probably edge their way to the Top 10 of the chart, as well. In fact, Nicki Minaj might even pass Lil Wayne soon, who has 25 Top 10 entries.

As far as Drake, though, he can snooze on the throne for years and he would still be tough to beat. The Canadian superstar has a whopping 68 Top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Maybe they should make another Young Money collab project and make a rising tide lift all boats. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne.

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Travis Scott Reportedly Filming “Utopia” Album Trailer

July 3, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Mr. Travis Scott has been in the news a decent amount recently, despite not putting out much new music. A grand jury just cleared the Houston native days ago for the Astroworld Festival tragedy that happened at one of his concerts in 2021, in which multiple fans in the crowd were crushed to death. Since he’s avoided criminal and civil charges, the rapper is back to making content for the world. He was on Lil Uzi Vert’s new album, Pink Tape, with the mosh pit banger “Aye.” This marks the first collaboration between the two since 2018’s “Watch.”

Now, Travis Scott is setting his sights on a brand-new album, complete with hijinks media stunts. From the verified Twitter account TRAVIS SCOTT FAN PAGE (@RodeoTheAlbum), Scott is getting ready to unleash UTOPIA, his first full-length album since 2018’s Astroworld. And he’s already pulling off some publicity for the announced project. He’s dropping an album trailer soon, with Scott “‘looking for UTOPIA’ in different countries across the world,” according to the Tweet. There’s also a video of Travis Scott spray-painting the word “UTOPIA” in Tarragona, Spain. This gives credit to the international feel of the album trailer.

Travis Scott And The “UTOPIA” Hype

Scott is trying to put Astroworld Festival completely behind him. With the jury clearing him and a new single out with Lil Uzi Vert, he’s looking for a fresh start. Going around to different countries and spray-painting his new album’s name on foreign walls might seem a tad reckless. But it’s harmless and should make for an exciting album trailer. While there’s no news on when the album or trailer will drop, we do know he’s filming in far-flung locations.

Travis Scott is easily one of the best rappers in the game in 2023. Even with a five-year hiatus on his next album, he has remained in the pop culture canon with other music. He’s collaborated with Kid Cudi, Yeat, and Bad Bunny. There was recent speculation that he and SZA might be dating. And he’s been busy crafting hype for UTOPIA, shelling out for billboard ads, and updating his website with the UTOPIA logo. Whenever the album trailer and album drops, best believe his fans will be ready.

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Kanye West, J. Cole, Young Thug, And More Seen In Photos Submitted In YNW Melly’s Trial

June 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Several notable rappers were included in the hundreds of photos submitted by prosecutor Kristine Bradley as evidence in YNW’s Melly trial. As Bryson “Boom” Paul reports, the full list includes Kanye West, Trina, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, Fredo Bang, J. Cole, Young Thug, Tee Grizzly, and PNB Rock. Melly is accused of murdering his two friends, alongside Cortlen “Bortlen” Henry, back in 2018.

Earlier this week, the trial’s ninth day saw attorneys name-drop various other artists. Melly’s defense lawyer, David A. Howard, brought up lyrics to songs from Drake and Kevin Gates. French Montana was also previously mentioned by Danny Polo, an undercover detective and gang expert.

Various Rappers Appear In Photos Submitted As Evidence In YNW Melly Trial

#YNWMellyTrial: Here’s a list of all the rappers included among the 500+ photos of @YNWMelly submitted by the state’s prosecutor Kristin Bradley.

Kanye West, Trina, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, Fredo Bang, J. Cole, Young Thug, Tee Grizzly, & PNB Rock#ynwmelly #melly #hiphop pic.twitter.com/3PaXAXR5oq

— Bryson “Boom” Paul (@brysonboompaul) June 29, 2023

Today in court, one of the alleged victim’s mother, Leondra Phillips, also got the opportunity to testify. She was asked to identify her son, born Christopher Thomas Jr., in surveillance footage. Juvy, along with the other alleged victim, YNW SakChaser, were seen in the footage getting into a car with Melly and Bortlen. They were then seen leaving a recording studio on the night of the alleged murders. Melly’s defense claims that after they got into the vehicle, a drive-by shooting took place. Melly claims the drive-by is what took the lives of SakChaser and Juvy.

Sgt. Christopher Williams also took the stand today, supporting claims that Melly could have staged the drive-by he says resulted in his friends’ deaths. “The shooting happened from somebody inside the car,” Williams claimed. He also went on to detail a forensic analysis. He claims that the angles and proximity of the victims’ injuries point to Melly being behind the shooting. Yesterday, however, it was reported that none of Melly’s DNA was found in the vehicle on the night of the shooting. Investigators were able to find his DNA on the handle of the car door recently, but no gun residue was found on his hands on the night the alleged murders took place.

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Logic Sells His Entire Music Catalog For Eight Figures

June 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Influence Media Partners have bought the publishing rights to Logic’s entire musical catalog, according to a press release. The Grammy-nominated artist has eight studio albums and eight mixtapes under his belt from the last 15 years. The catalog totals 185 songs, and now Influence is in control of the publishing rights in exchange for an eight-figure payout. This is not new territory for Logic, as the rapper has previously announced potentially retiring from the music industry for various reasons. And while he hasn’t called it quits, this is a step he’s taking so his music continues to leave a legacy.

“It’s important to me that the positive messages of my music continue to reach new audiences,” Logic said when talking about the deal. “I’m excited to partner with Rene and the Influence Media Partners team to make a further impact through creativity.” A big proponent of positivity, Logic recently partnered with BetterHelp, the nonprofit organization, to help get Logic fans free therapy if they’re in need. He’s also about to go on tour for his eighth studio album, College Park, with Juicy J in tow as a special guest.

Logic’s Absurd Catalog

logic sells catalog — INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Logic performs at the YouTube Theater on June 28, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harmony Gerber/Getty Images)

You might think you know how prolific Logic has been over the years. But in reading the list of songs he just sold, it really is eye-popping the number of certified bangers the rapper put out into the world. The catalog includes “1-800-273-8255,” his therapy-positive anthem with Alessia Cara and Khalid, which went multi-Platinum. There’s also “EVERYDAY” featuring Marshmello and “HOMICIDE” featuring Eminem. For the fans of his earlier stuff, the catalog has “Fade Away” and “Stainless” from 2015’s The Incredible True Story and “Gang Related” and “Alright” from 2014’s Under Pressure.

With a tour, a new collaboration with Better Help, and more verses swirling around in his head, Logic is far from done with putting out content. In the last few years, he’s released his first novel, a memoir about his childhood, and plenty of social media content for the fans to get hyped about. No matter which way he goes at this point, best believe we’ll be stoked for anything the rapper decides to create.

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French Montana Is Selling His $23 Million Hidden Hills Mansion

June 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Hip-hop artist French Montana is putting his Hidden Hills home on the market. He posted the mansion with a $23 million listing price. Montana bought the house three years ago for roughly one-third of his current asking price, making this a sound investment for the rapper. The previous owner, NBA superstar Paul George, sold it to French in 2020 as a pandemic sale. Iqosa Interior and Architecture Design did a massive remodel of the home, adding to the jump in value.

The mansion is, in a word, incredible. Covering 16k square feet, the house has seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a game room, a five-car garage, a wine cellar, and an outside tennis court. The reason behind the posting is clear: French Montana’s listing agent, Tomer Fridman, says the musical artist is looking to expand his portfolio of real estate beyond the posh L.A. neighborhood. He says French is looking for property in either Miami, New York, Paris, or somewhere else. (Might we suggest… Montana?)

French Montana & The Hidden Hills Mansion

french montana selling mansion — NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 16: French Montana performs during the “For Khadija” Premiere – 2023 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre on June 16, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Also known as Coke Boy Numero Uno, the rapper has had some pretty famous neighbors while he lived in Hidden Hills. In December, couple Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty bought a home for almost $20 million. However, current residents are unhappy with this development, causing one homeowner, Beverly Bardan, to start a petition. She titled it “SAY NO TO SEX OFFENDERS IN HIDDEN HILLS,” referring to Petty’s alleged assault during one of Minaj’s tour stops. He is currently serving a year of house detention for failing to register as a sex offender in California.

On the other hand, French Montana is leaving the neighborhood and its drama behind. He is looking forward to doing bigger and better things with his time and money. One area he’s particularly interested in is the unfair treatment of immigrants in America. He’s highlighted his own struggles with immigration into the country before. Now he advocates on behalf of those going through the same thing. With an additional $23 million in his pocket, French can potentially help a lot of people.

[Via]

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Dr. Dre, Angie Martinez Receiving Hollywood Walk-Of-Fame Stars

June 28, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The 2024 Class of the Hollywood Walk of Fame has some heavy hitters throughout the entire entertainment world. Dr. Dre and Angie Martinez are two from the rap corner looking to solidify their legacy as all-time greats. On Monday, the selection committee announced those being honored, with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Board ratifying the selections that same day. Other honorees include Otis Redding, Toni Braxton, Chadwick Boseman (posthumous), Gwen Stefani, and Carl Weathers.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a celebrity honor, but it’s definitely for the fans. Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame ceremony producer, said in a Billboard interview, “This [award] is on the sidewalk. [Fans] can sit next to it. They can pose with it. It’s an interactive award.” For some, it’s as close as they can get to touching superstardom. Luckily, fans of Dr. Dre and Angie Martinez will be able to flash smiles and rock-on hand signs next to their stars soon.

Dr. Dre and Angie Martinez’s Legacies

dr dre angie martinez hollywood star — BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 08: Angie Martinez speaks on the Main Stage at CultureCon at Duggal Greenhouse on October 08, 2022, in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Netflix)

Andre “Dr. Dre” Young is a mainstay in the rap game. Previous co-founder and president of Death Row Records, Dre is responsible for discovering the musical talents of Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige. Truthfully, he has too many hit singles to count. He began with the rap group NWA in the ’80s and ’90s. His most recent big-time performance was the SuperBowl LVI Pepsi Halftime Show, which brought out all of the above artists in a tribute to L.A.-based hip-hop over the decades. Even without the Walk of Fame star, we’d never forget about Dre (just like the song says).

As for Angie Martinez, her radio presence and brief rap career got her the nickname “The Voice of New York.” For two decades, she was the main host of HOT 97’s Afternoon Drive with DJ Enuff in NY. In 2014, she joined cross-town rival Power 105.1. Born in Brooklyn, she was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2020. Musically, she signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation back in 2014. However, she doesn’t make much music these days. Instead, she opts for radio interviewing the stars of hip-hop today. Honestly, both Dr. Dre and Angie Martinez are rap icons well deserving of this prestigious honor.

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Jay Rock Says New Album Is All Hits: “No Skips”

June 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Jay Rock is almost ready to drop hit latest rap album, which has been five years coming. Why has this album taken so long? According to Jay, speaking with Bootleg Kev at BET Weekend on Saturday, “…I’m tryna do an album like my last one where you ain’t gotta skip sh*t. No skips.” (The pandemic is also a solid excuse.) He understands the fans clamoring for more music, but Jay Rock is a perfectionist and wants to release good tunes, not mediocre vibes.

He’s looking to drop a major album that screams quality, something Jay Rock fans can appreciate. He released his first single from the tracklist, “Eastside,” earlier today. While that’s a little taste of what’s to come, it slakes the thirst of those waiting for the follow-up to 2018’s Redemption. That album had features from Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Future, Jeremih, and SZA. It also debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and one track, “King’s Dead,” won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 2018. Therefore, there’s plenty of expectation surrounding the new album.

Jay Rock New Music… Finally!

Despite the release hiatus, the TDE rapper is keeping busy. Top Dawg Entertainment, the independent record label, houses an entire family of rap kings and queens. Back in 2019, Jay Rock mentioned how all of their success raises each of their ships. “We came up from the ground up,” he said. “We built this thing from the ground up, so why would one of us be bitter [at] one another?” With Kendrick, SZA, and ScHoolboy Q running the TDE show with Jay, they’re just getting started with taking the rap industry by storm.

While we wait for Untitled Jay Rock Album, at least he’s getting out of the house and gracing us with his presence. He went to the 2023 BET Awards. Plus, he featured on multiple records for other musical artists. With friendly competition and hard work, he’s stayed in the conversation. But now, a new album full of Jay Rock music is just what the doctor ordered.

[Via]

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