Earlier this week, Pusha T teamed up with Khi Infinite and yvngxchris for a new F1 edition Red Bull Spiral Freestyle. The trio effortlessly delivered top-tier bars inspired by the upcoming debut Red Bull Showrun in Washington D.C. The event aims to bring F1 fans together for “adrenaline-packed fun” with David Coulthard and the team behind Oracle Red Bull Racing. It’ll take place on April 20 of this year.
Pusha T’s freestyle features various references to the event and even a nod to the 20th anniversary of Oracle Red Bull Racing. He boasts some of the team’s accomplishments, as well as a few of his own, before passing the mic to Khi Infinite.
Pusha T, Khi Infinite, And Yvngxchris Pay Tribute To Oracle Red Bull Racing In New Freestyle
Braggadocious rhymes aren’t the only thing Pusha T’s been serving up as of late, however. Earlier this week, he reignited his longwinded feud with Drake with a shady Tweet reply. “I just wanted to point out that after all these years of mob talk from Drake, nobody ever laid a finger on Pusha T,” one fan had written of the Toronto MC. “Not a pinky nail,” he replied alongside a laughing emoji. The jab followed weeks of fans hoping to hear a response from the hitmaker after Kendrick Lamar went after Drake and J. Cole on his track with Future and Metro Boomin, “Like That,” which went viral in the days following the release of We Don’t Trust You.
Pusha T also dipped his toe in the world of fashion at the beginning of this year, premiering his runway walk at Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2024 show. What do you think of Pusha T’s new Red Bull Spiral freestyle? How did Khi Infinite and yvngxchris do? Are you looking forward to the upcoming debut Red Bull Showrun in D.C.? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Rap never seems to run out of tremendous rhymers and writers. Rappers like Saba, Mick Jenkins, and IDK all need to be in the conversation of some of the best in the modern-day landscape. All three have very underrated careers due to their middling exposure to hip-hop fans. But calling them that does not feel right because of how talented they all are. To flex their skills, Saba and the gang dropped some sick verses for their edition of the “Red Bull Spiral Freestyle.”
The energy drink company started this freestyle series about one year ago. If you have not been keeping track, Red Bull is now up to their eleventh installment. The cool thing about these cyphers is that it is all done in one take and every rapper has to navigate the same instrumental. However, that is no problem for Saba, Mick, and IDK.
Listen To “Red Bull Spiral Freestyle” By Saba, Mick Jenkins, & IDK
All three rap with high energy and bravado, while also spitting some introspective bars as well. Take some of Saba’s opening lines for example, “All I wanted in this life was a few thousand a month / Just enough to get by, feed two mouths and a son… They rather us savages, the city is as sad as they come / On the run, we hit the hotel, a few towels and a blunt.” It is really hard to choose the best verse, so check it out to see who you feel gave it their all.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new “Red Bull Spiral Freestyle” by Saba, Mick Jenkins, and IDK? Who had the better showing on this cypher and why? Who would like to hear an album from this year? If you had to rank these three rappers in order from talented to least talented, how would do it? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Saba, Mick Jenkins, and IDK. Finally, stay with us for the most informative song posts throughout the week.
Quotable Lyrics:
Come my way like a deacon white gloves if you reaching And I’m practice what I’m preaching These n****s can’t hold water Been a cactus all four seasons who gone hold a flame to me Jango Fett these n****s all the same to me Can’t go left we already know yo game homie
On Thursday, Oct. 26th, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles witnessed a historic musical event as Red Bull Symphonic debuted a 90-minute live concert featuring Grammy-winning producer and DJ Metro Boomin, maestro Anthony Parnther, and the Symphonic Orchestra. This groundbreaking collaboration transcended musical boundaries and delivered an unforgettable night.
The Dolby Theatre was transformed into a visually stunning and sonic spectacle. The audience enjoyed Red Bull specialty cocktails and explored an orchestral-themed Instagram Reels photo booth before the main event. The night’s energy was set by DJ Earry Hall.
The star-studded audience included will.i.am, Knxwledge, and Red Bull Athletes Will Claye, Vashti Cunningham, Justin Williams, and Lethal Shooter.
The 90-minute show saw Metro Boomin elevate his performance, accompanied by the 43-member Symphonic Orchestra under conductor Anthony Parnther’s guidance. This diverse ensemble featured violins, celli, brass, woodwinds, and a choir, creating a unique blend of classical and contemporary music.
Special guest appearances from John Legend, Swae Lee, NAV, and Roisee added to the magic, making the Red Bull Symphonic an unforgettable and genre-defying experience. The entire concert can be streamed exclusively on the Red Bull 1520 YouTube channel on Nov. 7th.
It was recently announced that Metro Boomin will take the stage at the Dolby Theatre in LA next month. The award-winning producer will also be joined by the Symphonic Orchestra and their conductor, Anthony Parnther. The show is part of Red Bull Symphonic, and Metro Boomin’s the second artist to take part in the project. The performance is scheduled for October 26, 2023 and tickets go on sale this Friday (September 15).
“I’m very excited to be part of such an amazing music moment with Red Bull,” Metro Boomin explains. “I have a deep love and appreciation for orchestral music, which can be heard in many of the records I’ve produced. Now, with Red Bull Symphonic, we’re able to reimagine a whole body of work that I’m proud of in a live show with the talent of the Symphonic Orchestra, which has always been a dream of mine that I’m finally seeing come to life.”
Metro Boomin Will Be Joined By Symphonic Orchestra
Metro Boomin attends an event to kicks off Gov Ball Weekend with ‘Heroes & Villains’ Pop-Up in Soho ahead of his performance Friday night on June 09, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Bravado)
In 2022, Rick Ross was joined by Orchestra Noir and Jason Ikeem Rodgers in Atlanta. The event intended to “[pay] homage to the heritage of hip-hop and the excellence of Black musicianship in the city of Atlanta.” In March of this year, the performer also dropped a 23-minute documentary about the event. “I really want [the audience] to take away the appreciation for the orchestra, Orchestra Noir,” he says in the documentary. “This isn’t something that happens a lot,” Rick Ross also added. “This is something different; rap artists collaborating with a full top-shelf orchestra. In 20 years from now, [the event] is something etched in stone, ‘It was dope.’”
Recently, Metro Boomin also performed at the 2023 MTV VMAs, reportedly hinting at his upcoming collaboration with Future. He also paid homage to his late mother, who tragically passed in 2022 as a result of an alleged murder-suicide. Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Metro Boomin.
Red Bull 1520 dropped a fresh episode of Red Bull Spiral, showcasing the iconic Souls of Mischief. The legendary group spit new bars over their classic hit, “93 ’til Infinity,” to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The track has been a timeless rap anthem that marked a pivotal moment for West Coast hip hop, and its influence on freestyle artistry remains strong. The new release is a tribute to the group’s legendary status and their lasting impact on the genre. Fans and hip hop enthusiasts are thrilled to witness the Souls of Mischief continue to shine after three decades in the game.
This month, Red Bull officially debuted Red Bull 1520, a new YouTube channel dedicated to hip-hop programming from the world of Red Bull, featuring beats, bars and live performances from rap’s next movement. Ensuring fans never miss a beat, Red Bull 1520 will showcase exclusive content from Red Bull’s various music events across the U.S. as well as original series featuring content you won’t find anywhere else.
Informed by the artists and movements born from the last 50 years of hip-hop but focused on the future of the genre, Red Bull 1520 pays homage to the culture through talent-driven and engaging programming, starting with the debut of two new monthly hip-hop music series: Red Bull Spiraland Red Bull Rap IQ.
Based on the popular Japanese format, Red Bull Rasen,Red Bull Spiral invites 3-4 MCs to Red Bull’s LA recording studio to collaborate on a one-of-a-kind cypher. Filmed in one continuous take, Red Bull Spiral challenges even the most seasoned artists to stay cool under pressure and deliver perfect bars as the camera spins through the studio, capturing every movement. Watch LA crew Coast Contra kick off the series with their debut episode here, and look out for upcoming drops featuring KenThe Man, Kalan.FrFr, Baby Tate, LaRussell, Buddy, Nana, and more.
“We definitely had to take our time and approach this like a show,” says Coast Contra’s Ras Austin. “It’s a challenge but we wanted to make it as fun of an experience for the viewers as we could. When Taj gets in a certain pocket and everybody starts a rotation in sync with his flow. Super dope moment!”
California’s Bay Area and Detroit have always been spiritually linked in hip-hop. Because of a mid-80s migration pipeline that sent frozen-toed Michiganers west for the sunnier climes provided by the Golden State coastline, the two music scenes share a lot in common. From a love of car culture to the off-kilter swing flow that has become common in both cities’ regional sounds, the Bay and Detroit have provided plenty of artists whose origins could just as easily land in one or the other — think MC Breed or any number of newer Motown rappers like Icewear Vezzo and Payroll Giovanni.
Soon, though, those two sides will find themselves embroiled in a friendly competition, courtesy of Red Bull and the Red Bull SoundClash. The fan-favorite battle event is returning this year with a traveling schedule that’ll see two rising rappers — Detroit’s Babyface Ray and San Francisco’s Larry June — face off in each other’s hometowns. They’ll each have an opposing stage and the winner will be determined by crowd reactions via a decibel reader. The cool part is, because of the Bay/Detroit connection, there might not be much of a hometown advantage for either.
In addition to those two battles, a third will take place in Houston featuring a unique cross-genre clash between modern-day blues man Gary Clark Jr. and chopped-and-screwed aficionado Paul Wall. That should be interesting in its own right, thanks to the odd blend of music styles from both Texas natives.
The schedule can be found below, and you can find more info here.
10/15: Babyface Ray vs. Larry June – Detroit
11/3: Larry June vs. Babyface Ray – San Francisco
11/10: Gary Clark Jr. vs. Paul Wall – Houston
Red Bull is excited to announce the US debut of Red Bull Symphonic: an unprecedented collaboration of hip-hop and classical symphony that brings audiences a larger-than-life celebration of music, heritage, and community. Taking place in the cultural mecca of Atlanta, the event will deliver live stunning orchestral renditions from the repertoire of multi-platinum superstar and rap legendRick Ross, alongside Atlanta’s award-winning all-Black symphony,Orchestra Noir, with an intermission featuring acclaimed favoritesSAINTED andMapy.
Merging classic with contemporary, Red Bull Symphonic is a groundbreaking spectacle that brings together today’s most exciting and influential artists with a full-scale symphonic orchestra—paying homage to the heritage of hip-hop through an original live format. The event will open with Orchestra Noir’s astonishing 50-person orchestra led by conductor Jason Ikeem Rodgers, followed by an intermission act that will feature SAINTED, a musical group and trap choir party founded by DJ Fannie Mae and Grammy award-winner Dennis Reed, that curates immersive events which pay homage to the southern Black church through trap, soul, old school funk, gospel, and new age hip-hop. The audience will also experience the artistry of award-winning violinist Mapy, fittingly nicknamed the “Violin Queen,” who turned heads as she performed at the 2021 Grammy Awards and seamlessly melds the warm, rich tone of the violin with high-energy hip-hop, Afrobeats, reggae, and soca.
“From The Biggest Boss I’m going to make sure I give y’all an unforgettable and one night only performance,” said headliner, Rick Ross. “Red Bull Symphonic is helping us celebrate heritage, musicians, and more importantly Black excellence. We gonna innovate big that night.”
Cross-genre artists will come together on stage for an unforgettable performance showcasing all-Black talent from all over the country, including musicians from the South’s most prestigious historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Grounded in the artists and local communities that have paved the way for Atlanta’s thriving music scene, Red Bull Symphonic is an elevated experience that reinforces Atlanta’s position as the hip-hop and creativity capital of the New South.
For over two decades, Red Bull has supported artists and local communities worldwide through festivals, workshops, and artist collaborations including a successful history of events in Atlanta that includes: Red Bull Culture Clash in 2018 (Zaytoven, Mija & Kenny Beats, Kranium, and Fuego), Red Bull Music Festival in 2019 (Teyana Taylor, Gunner Stahl, Yung Baby Tate, Zaytoven), Red Bull Zeltron World Wide in 2020 (Denzel Curry vs. Joey BadA$$), and most recently, Red Bull SoundClash in 2021 (Shelley FKA DRAM vs. Westside Boogie). With Red Bull Symphonic, Red Bull will celebrate the musical contributions of Black communities and artists across genres.
For more information around Red Bull Symphonic and to purchase tickets for the event, visitredbull.com/symphonic to stay up-to-date on all things Red Bull Symphonic, follow along @RedBullMusic + #RedBullSymphonic.
Last week saw the return of one of music’s most fun events: The Red Bull SoundClash. Taking over Radius Chicago, an event space converted from an old steel factory, the latest installment pitted two of hip-hop’s students of punk, Danny Brown and Rico Nasty. Despite being from two different generations, the two rappers are both steeped in the counterculture of punk-rock and other hardcore styles; both have embraced “weird” as an aesthetic, adopting hairdos, sonic choices, and rhyme approaches decidedly left of hip-hop’s traditional center.
However, they’re also different enough to make the matchup unique; aside from the obvious age and gender differences, they have taken divergent paths on the journey to being two of rap’s quirkiest iconoclasts. Rico is the more colorful of the two, often rapping in a screaming voice somewhere between Run-DMC and pop-punk staples like Blink-182 and The Offspring. Meanwhile, Danny wouldn’t be out of place on a late-90s Rawkus Records compilation but for his yelping delivery and unhinged drug references. Sparring head-to-head, the SoundClash takes its inspiration from the Caribbean tradition of musical battles — a little like the modern Verzuz, but with a more aggressive flair.
For what it’s worth, Danny tells me that while the spirit of Jamaican soundclash is still alive in Red Bull’s version, it’s also a much friendlier environment — he calls it a “pillow fight” — that still captures the competitive energy as the two stars try to outperform one another through multiple rounds including covers of popular songs and unreleased tracks. Ahead of SoundClash, Danny spoke with Uproxx about why Red Bull’s SoundClash is different from traditional ones, how he worked off the “ring rust” after not performing for a year, and the need for hip-hop’s artists to stick up for each other and their fans.
Tell me how you got involved and what was the attraction for you?
I was a part of the A$AP SoundClash in London that they did against Boy Better Know. I don’t know, but they just hit me up. But I was always a fan of what it was. So, of course, when they asked me to do it, I was down. It didn’t even matter who it was against.
What’s the difference in the approach of doing a soundclash versus doing your own personal set?
Like you said, it’s my own personal set. This is working with someone else. And to me, this is not a soundclash, with the real Jamaican sound clashes. This is training. This is preschool. I mean, that’s what they calling it, but this is not that vibe. It’s not that energy. In Jamaica, a soundclash is war. We ain’t got that energy with each other. We ain’t got that vibe, so this ain’t that. This is a pillow fight between two friends at a sleepover.
Is there something that you’re looking forward to the most when it comes to this set, or are you just kind of laid back, seeing what’s going to happen?
I’d love to see how the cover round goes.
Covering each other songs or covering any song?
No, we got to cover someone else. We covering someone else song, but we got to both cover the same song, and whoever do it the best.
Did you guys agree on what song to do first, or is it just going to be random?
Yeah, we agreed on the song.
Oh, what song is it?
I can’t tell you, man, I can’t tell you.
[Editor’s note: As it happens, they wound up performing different songs. Rico played Chief Keef’s “Faneto” while Danny Brown kicked out a blog-worthy rendition of Korn’s “Freak On A Leash” that just might have included the band’s own Jonathan Davis.
Danny Brown covers Korn’s ‘Freak On A Leash’ at his Red Bull SoundClash with Rico Nasty
It really struck me as similar to what happened to Ashnikko on your tour and you handled it differently. Why do you think it was so important for you to stand up for Ashnikko in the way that maybe somebody should have stood up for Rico Nasty?
Well, for me, I can’t talk about anybody, but for me, I just fought for her to have her on the tour with me. I was a fan of her shit. And then, I knew she was going to blow up like crazy, so I knew I had a good spot where I could get her to open. I wanted her to have the best possible time she can have on the road with me. I didn’t want her to fucking have to go through things like that, but it was happening a lot. That was just the boiling point. But then, once that happened, and then that video kind of came out, then the shows was great after that. It was like people knew what was up.
But at a lot of times, it was a lot of her fans came to see her, just her. They wasn’t coming to see me. So a person doing something like that, you ruining the show for them. At the end of the day, you, they paid they money to see her. They ain’t paid they money to see me. It just happened that I’m the one bringing her out. So at the end of the day, don’t ruin the show for them. It ain’t even about her. It’s about the fans too, at the end of the day.
Had you ever performed on a set with Rico before doing this clash?
First time just meeting her literally like 10 minutes ago.
Oh wow. Really? What did you think? You guys going to be best friends?
Yeah. She’s great. You know, we vibe. We on the same wavelength. We got the same frequencies, I already could tell.
.@Rico_nastyy and @xdannyxbrownx weren’t playing when they said they would hold Chicago down at SoundClash
This is one of the first big things that I’ve seen your name on since the pandemic started. Any insight into how the last year off has maybe changed your style or changed your approach?
I mean, definitely rusty. I don’t care; you can be the best boxer in the world, you ain’t been in the ring, you got ring rust.
So there’s a little stage rust, but I’m a veteran. That’s no big deal, I’m actually happy to get out. Before, when we was just working so much, and being out all the time, it’s tiring. Just tired of traveling. Now, I miss it. All the shit that I hated, I missed it, so I’m coming back into this shit a lot more humble, for sure. No one ever knew this shit could just end like that, so definitely more appreciative of the situation.
There you go. So you are definitely going to be getting back into the album cycle soon? I’ve heard whispers.
I mean, the album been done. Just waiting on the right time.
Can we expect that next year?
Of course.
Can you tell us anything about it? Who’s on it? Who produced it?
Called Quarenta. It’s the sequel to XXX. Quarenta is 40 in Spanish. That’s the most I can get you.
Rico Nasty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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