(SPOILERS for this week’s Bel-Air episode will be found below.)
Bel-Air is back for season two and things aren’t as wholesome as any of the show’s characters would’ve hoped to start. The season one finale was highlighted by Will’s decision to leave the Bel-Air mansion after he learned that Phil, Viv, and his mom lied about Will’s father. Though it was done out of love and protection, Will felt betrayed by the most important adults in his life. Thankfully though, what started as a family divided to begin episode one of Bel-Air season two, ended as one reunited as Phil put his pride aside to apologize to will and invite him back into the house. Elsewhere, love is in the air for Jazz and Hilary!
The aforementioned events in the first episode of Bel-Air season two are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. You can find a list of them belong as well as details about the scenes that the records soundtracked.
Nipsey Hussle — “Last Time That I Checc’d” Feat. YG
Nipsey Hussle’s “Last Time That I Checc’d” off Victory Lap checks in around the 01:24 mark. A short time later, we see Will who wakes up in a slightly messy room — one that is notably not in Uncle Phil’s massive Bel-Air mansion — to get dressed for the day. He heads out into the city to start his day. We later learn that the room is in Jazz’s house in South Los Angeles.
MIKNNA — “Angel City”
MIKNNA’s record plays faintly in the background around the 3:02 mark as Will orders some breakfast at a local restaurant. A man named JB meets him there and he gives Will some money that was made off some a deal they had. We later find out that JB is helping Will secure basketball matchups for money.
Bryce Green & 81Maantra — “Boom”
We hear Bryce Green & 81Maantra around the 06:18 mark as Will and Carlton are driving to school together. Carlton lets Will know that Phil and Viv are worried about him, but Will’s rather large stash of cash has Carlton worried about what Will is doing to make money.
Easy McCoy — “Deja Vu”
At around the 07:15 mark, Easy McCoy’s “Deja Vu” briefly plays as the Bel-Air title flashes on the screen. This record is the theme song for Bel-Air.
The Royal Chief — “See Me Now”
The Royal Chief’s “See Me Now” plays around the 10:09 mark while Will and Carlton walk through the halls of their school. Carlton explains what’s changed with his school friends and also throws out the idea of him and Will becoming the school’s latest dynamic duo. Carlton may also have a new crush, a girl named Yazmin, on his hands.
BOSCO — “Easy” Feat. Smiles Davis & Royal Bait
BOSCO’s song can be heard around the 13:25 mark. At this point of the episode, Hilary meets with Ivy as they begin their run as the leaders of the content creator house. It’s also here that Hilary learns about her responsibilities as a manager and the true dynamic of her business relationship with Ivy.
Freddy Bam Bam — “Need You”
Freddy Bam Bam’s “Need You” plays softly in the background around the 15:04 mark when Hilary vents to Jazz about having to fire two men from the influence house. Afterward, they discuss their relationship status and whether or not it’s time to place an official label on it, something Hilary isn’t in a rush to do.
Last Verse — “Semper”
At around the 28:34 mark, Will walks onto an outdoor basketball court in Venice as Last Verse’s “Semper.” It’s there that he hopes to meet a scout named Doc in order to form a relationship and further his basketball career.
Via The Great — “Champion”
Via The Great’s “Champion” plays around the 31:45 mark and it soundtracks Will’s pick-up game against a much bigger guy named Big Dre. Things start off slow for Will, but he eventually picks things up and wins the game.
City Girls — “Good Love” Feat. Usher
The party begins around the 37:14 mark. It’s Ashley’s official 13th birthday party and it gets underway with City Girls’ “Good Love” being the record that everyone dances to. While most of the attendees are dancing together and having a great time, Hilary stands at a distance jealous of Jazz dancing with Ivy.
Manus — “On Top” Feat. Turbo9
Manus’ “On Top” plays around the 38:21 mark as Phil overlooks the water deep in thought. Carlton comes up to him and gently confronts him about running away from the issues and tension between Phil and Will. A short time later, Phil asks Will to speak with him.
Saweetie — “Bo$$ Chick”
To round out the music at the end of this episode, Saweetie’s “Bo$$ Chick” plays around the 42:55 mark. Saweetie herself makes an appearance to sing happy birthday to Ashely and gives her well-wishes on a new year of life. Will makes the tough decision to put things on pause in their relationship.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Jacksonville Jaguars erased a 27-0 deficit to win 31-30 over the Los Angeles Chargers during the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend on January 14. As the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history was unfolding, NBC used Jacksonville band Yellowcard’s “Ocean Avenue” as its bumper music to cut to commercial. Great moments aren’t great moments without the right soundtrack.
The Jags fell to the Kansas City Chiefs the following weekend, and the Chiefs are on to Super Bowl LVII — otherwise known as the Rihanna concert — to fight the Philadelphia Eagles for the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, February 12. But remnants of the Jags’ Super Wild Card Weekend triumph have made it into the Super Bowl LVII discourse at Uproxx.
While most everybody is focusing on the football and breaking down the matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles, I’m busy imagining the perfect bumper song for each of the 32 NFL teams if any of them were playing in the big game. The deliberation process was simple. Identify one song that hits on each team’s definitive narrative from this season, with bonus points given if the artist is associated with the team’s region.
It has been all downhill for the Falcons since infamously squandering their 28-3 lead and losing to the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. The hope in Atlanta is that rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder can take a major leap and budding tight end Kyle Pitts can break through in 2023.
The Falcons are also slotted to select at No. 8 overall in April’s draft. The face of the franchise’s future has yet to be identified, but whoever it ends up being will be tasked with resurrecting the Falcons. Plus, it was only right to choose a JID track after the Rotimi “Rise Up” debacle started Atlanta’s season on a sour note.
Baltimore Ravens
Brent Faiyaz — “Price Of Fame”
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens and star quarterback Lamar Jackson “could possibly be $100 million apart” in guaranteed money during contract negotiations this offseason. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Jackson declined the Ravens’ offer last offseason and played out the final year of his rookie deal.
The 2019 NFL MVP suffered a PCL injury in Week 13 and missed the remainder of Baltimore’s season, including a narrow loss to AFC North rival Cincinnati on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Ravens already knew Jackson’s price before this season began, but as it unfolded, they learned the cost of potentially losing him as their franchise quarterback. If Jackson is traded or walks, Baltimore’s window slams shut.
Buffalo Bills
Elton John — “Rocket Man”
Bills centaur-like quarterback Josh Allen has a rocket arm, and his arm was Buffalo’s entire offensive identity in 2022 — for better or worse. The Bills’ inability to consistently sustain long drives and over-reliance on Allen’s eye-popping talent was ultimately their demise in the Divisional Round against Cincinnati, losing (in the snow, to be fair) 27-10.
Carolina Panthers
J. Cole — “Love Yourz”
The Panthers had every excuse to pack it in when head coach Matt Rhule was fired in October after a 1-4 start. The Baker Mayfield experiment ended before it began, and franchise star Christian McCaffrey was shipped off to San Francisco. But they fought their butts off for Carolina, for each other and interim head coach Steve Wilks.
Chicago Bears
Juice WRLD — “Man Of The Year”
Stugotz of The Dan Le Batard Show contends that the Bears had the best losing season ever, and it’s a compelling argument. Second-year QB Justin Fields was the most dynamic athlete on the field most weeks — breaking several records and rushing for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns, including three 100-yard rushing games — but Chicago was still bad enough to go 3-14 and secure the No. 1 overall pick.
The Bears can feel confident that they’ve got their man in Fields and demand a king’s ransom from anyone interested in trading for the No. 1 overall pick, using that fortune to rebuild the rest of the roster.
Cincinnati Bengals
Kid Cudi, Don Toliver, Steve Aoki and Dot Da Genius — “Burrow”
The song is literally named after Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who already owns a few franchise records after three seasons (and the first of which was cut short by a torn ACL). Burrow led Cincy to its first playoff win in 31 years en route to the Super Bowl last season and has solidified himself as the second coming of Joe Cool (or paving his own legend as Joe Brrr, Joe Shiesty, or Joey B).
Sure, it’s nice to have a three-headed receiving monster in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, but the Bengals’ heartbeat is unquestionably Burrow for the foreseeable future. The Ohio native quickly won over the heart of Kid Cudi, too, becoming friends with one of his childhood idols.
Kid Cudi texted Joe Burrow to let him know a song on his new album was named after him. Burrow smiled pretty big when telling us that.
Ok. So after the Bengals win against the Chiefs, I hit Joe and congratulated him and asked if I could have his jersey. He said yes and sent it right away rockin this bitch to the game and then framing it. I am so geeked right now. #ohiolove@JoeyB@Bengalspic.twitter.com/mHWHfVRkR6
You have to give the Browns credit for constantly reinventing what it means to be a sad franchise. Tracy Chapman’s Grammy-winning track “Fast Car” is enduringly sad. Perfect match.
It seemed that maybe the Browns were turning a new page when their 2018 No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield led them to the playoffs in the 2020 season for the first time since the 2002 season. Cleveland decided to give a fully guaranteed $230 million contract (as reported by ESPN) to Deshaun Watson last March, and Mayfield was sent to Carolina in July. Oh, by the way, Watson was in the middle of facing at least 24 civil suits for sexual misconduct and received an 11-game suspension from the NFL. Cleveland’s reward for getting into the Deshaun Watson business was a forgettable 7-10 season.
Dallas Cowboys
Post Malone — “Wow.”
Set aside the fact that Post name-checks Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott — “Always goin’ for it, never punt fourth down / Last call, Hail Mary / Prescott touchdown,” which is ironic because head coach Mike McCarthy hasn’t exactly made his name on fourth-down decision-making. Unsatisfied Cowboys fans were left slack-jawed as yet another season ended with a memeable thud, and the only word left to say is, “Wow.”
Head coach Dan Campbell promised that the long-dejected Lions would “bite a kneecap off” when opponents dared knock them down during his introductory press conference in January 2021. Detroit went 3-13-1 last season, but the Lions introduced themselves into the national conversation this season. At 9-8, it was their first winning season since 2017.
We’re in for another installment of off-season drama around whether Aaron Rodgers will retire, return to the Packers, or leave the Packers. Last year’s saga ended with Rodgers signing a very lucrative extension with the Packers, but Rodgers’ retirement seems even more plausible now that Green Bay missed the playoffs at 8-9. (They sorely missed Davante Adams, and Rodgers suffered thumb and rib injuries.)
The Packers rattled off three-straight wins to go from 5-8 to 8-8 with a chance to clinch a postseason berth if they’d beaten Detroit in the regular-season finale, but the Lions won 20-16, and Rodgers looked completely dejected afterward.
The Texans finished as the second-worst team in the NFL at 3-13-1. That came after posting dismal 4-13 and 4-12 records in 2021 and 2020, respectfully. But this season’s 3-13-1 record didn’t tell the whole story. The Texans had heart.
Houston gave the then-undefeated Eagles a scare in Week 9 and took the Chiefs to overtime in Week 15. The biggest indicator of their refusal to be totally broken came in their last game. The Texans would have locked up the No. 1 overall pick with a loss. They decided to fight to the end against Indianapolis, winning 32-31 on a 28-yard touchdown pass on 4th & 20 and a two-point conversion.
Indianapolis Colts
Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko — “Stay”
Rihanna is not from Indianapolis, or anywhere in the United States, but I granted myself one honorary Rihanna placement on this list because she is 1) Rihanna and 2) the Super Bowl LVII halftime performer.
The Colts are the lucky winners of Rihanna’s honorable mention because they were on the unlucky end of Andrew Luck’s abrupt 2019 retirement at just 29 years old. All of the sudden, Indy went from being on track as perennial contenders with a generational quarterback to becoming an ostensible retirement home for Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan. Oh, and firing Frank Reich midseason and replacing him with Jeff Saturday, who had approximately zero coaching experience. TLDR: The Colts desperately wish for a time machine to go back and somehow convince Luck to stay.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus — “Salvation”
The Jags went 1-15 and chose quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 overall in the 2021 draft. Jacksonville hired Urban Meyer as its head coach for the 2021 season, but his historically bad tenure only lasted until that December, and the team finished last season 3-14 — bad enough to own the No. 1 overall pick for the second-straight year.
And then they hired former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson last February. He gradually unlocked Lawrence’s potential and turned a 3-7 season into a 9-8 finish and an AFC South title. While the Jags were ousted by the Chiefs in the Divisional Round, all of Duval has to feel hopeful that Lawrence and Pederson are their saviors.
Kansas City Chiefs
Tech N9ne featuring Logic and Joyner Lucas — “Sriracha”
Tech N9ne is inextricably linked to the Kansas City Chiefs. I don’t make the rules, but as a Kansas Citian, I will abide by them. There was widespread suspicion that the Chiefs would lose their bite after trading all-time talent Tyreek Hill to Miami last March.
Well, Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs’ sriracha. Travis Kelce was still Travis Kelce. Andy Reid was still Andy Reid. And what do you know? Defensive tackle Chris Jones had the season of his life, too. The Chiefs’ hot streak is still running red. Since Mahomes became the starting quarterback five years ago, Kansas City has hosted five-straight AFC Championship Games and are headed to a third Super Bowl in four years. Should the Chiefs top the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, people will start flirting with the D-word (“dynasty”).
Las Vegas Raiders
The Killers — “Rut”
The Raiders hoped a change of scenery would do the trick, moving from Oakland to Las Vegas ahead of the 2020 season. Last season, head coach Jon Gruden resigned mid-season after old homophobic, racist emails surfaced. Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was released following charges of DUI resulting in death (as reported by The New York Times at the time). Still, the Raiders made the playoffs, and many believed their 2021 momentum would carry over — especially after landing All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to pair with quarterback Derek Carr and running back Josh Jacobs.
Instead, the Raiders stumbled to 6-11 this year. They squandered a 17-point lead on three occasions. Carr was benched for the final two games and is expected to leave the team this offseason. If 2023 doesn’t bring their first playoff win since the 2002 AFC Championship Game (as noted by StatMuse), then head coach Josh McDaniels might not last either.
Los Angeles Chargers
Billie Eilish — “When The Party’s Over”
Every NFL season seems to end with the Chargers holding a deflated balloon. You’ve heard the term: “Chargering.” It’s its own verb for a reason. More than any other NFL franchise, the Chargers have historically uncovered new tortorous, previously inconceivable ways to lose. The apex was the aforementioned blown 27-0 lead in Jacksonville on Super Wild Card Weekend. Chargers fans are left with no choice but to lie to themselves that they like it like this. Justin Herbert deserves better.
Los Angeles Rams
Kendrick Lamar — “HUMBLE.”
No team in the NFL was humbled more this season than the Los Angeles Rams. LA won Super Bowl LVI in February to cap off the 2021 season, and the rest of 2022 was defined by injury and disappointment. The Rams’ 5-12 record is the worst Super Bowl defense in league history (as noted by ESPN Stats & Info).
Miami Dolphins
Ariana Grande — “Get Well Soon”
Ariana Grande’s hometown Boca Raton, Florida obviously isn’t Miami, but Grande could have mailed a “Get Well Soon” card to Miami at any point throughout the Dolphins’ season, and it would have applied to somebody on the team. None more than quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered at least two concussions.
And then 13-4 Minnesota lost 31-24 to the New York Giants on Super Wild Card Weekend, exposing fatal flaws they’d been able to camouflage all season. Justin Jefferson is the truth at wide receiver, but the Vikings have harder truths to contend with if they want to get over the hump.
New England Patriots
JoJo — “Leave (Get Out)”
The Patriots are still reeling from breaking up with Tom Brady in March 2020. Bill Belichick is still there, and so long as that’s the case, New England will always be in the conversation. But according to The Boston Herald, quarterback Mac Jones would love to tell Joe Judge to get out.
New Orleans Saints
Lil Wayne — “I Miss My Dawgs”
The Saints really miss the steadying presences of Drew Brees and Sean Payton. (And Michael Thomas, even though he’s still on the team, considering he missed all of last season and only played three games this season.) They still have great players, such as Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Cameron Jordan. But the team sputtered to a 7-10 record this season with a 35-year-old Andy Dalton under center for most of it after Jameis Winston fractured his back. Not exactly ideal.
New York Giants
Lady Gaga — “The Edge Of Glory”
The G-Men are vindicated in hiring Brian Daboll after his first season as the head coach. Daboll maximized quarterback Daniel Jones’ skill set and guided an injury-riddled team to their first postseason appearance since 2016.
The Giants beat Minnesota on Super Wild Card Weekend, claiming their first playoff win since New York’s 2011-12 Super Bowl run. And with Daboll at the helm, it feels like the Giants are closer to truly turning the page on the Eli Manning era and reintroducing the franchise to relevancy.
New York Jets
Mary J. Blige — “No More Drama”
If only! I traditionally have counted on the Jets to generate some messy drama, and they did not disappoint this season. Well, technically, they did disappoint: losing all of their last six games to go from 7-4 and in the playoff mix to prolong the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.
Meek Mill was front and center during the Philadelphia Phillies’ World Series run last fall, but the Eagles are all about Uzi. The Philly native led the Eagles onto the field for the NFC Championship Game, and then running back Miles Sanders (and center Jason Kelce) celebrated his touchdown run by hitting Uzi’s signature dance.
All you need to know is that head coach Mike Tomlin has never finished a season with a losing record since taking over in Pittsburgh in 2007. Outsiders have been anticipating the dropoff, especially this season — the first after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement — but Tomlin always gets the best out of the Steelers. The late Mac Miller said it best, “Tell them they can take that bullsh*t elsewhere / Self care, I’m treatin’ me right, yeah / Hell yeah, we gonna be alright.”
San Francisco 49ers
Saweetie — “Fast (Motion)”
The Niners burned through four quarterbacks this season — Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy, and Josh Johnson — which was too much to overcome in a blowout 31-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
But San Francisco was a juggernaut outside of the quarterback position, boasting the league’s best defense and A-list skill players on offense. Before their season ended in Philly, the 49ers had gone 12-1 (including 12-straight wins) since acquiring All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey in October. The Niners came at opponents fast, but the reality of quarterback uncertainty came at them faster.
Seattle Seahawks
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis — “Thrift Shop”
Disclaimer: This is not meant as an insult. Really, it’s the utmost compliment to Pete Carroll and the Seahawks. Nobody expected anything from Seattle’s season after trading Russell Wilson to Denver. As Geno Smith said, “They wrote me off. I ain’t write back, though.”
Smith went from career backup quarterback for the New York Jets, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, and Seahawks to starting all 17 games for Seattle and leading the league in completion percentage (69.8). Smith had 34 career touchdowns since 2013 entering this season and threw for 30 touchdowns and a career-best 4,282 yards this season alone — while taking Seattle to the playoffs. So, yeah, you could say the Seahawks got a bargain.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Beck — “Old Man”
This is sort of cheating, but it’s also plainly accurate. Beck’s cover of Neil Young’s “Old Man” was actually used by NBC to promote a Sunday Night Football matchup between Tampa Bay and Kansas City in September. As it were, this was the last season in 45-year-old Tom Brady’s G.O.A.T. career, as he announced his retirement (“for good“) last week.
Tennessee Titans
Taylor Swift — “False God”
Titans fans must be starting to feel like they’re worshipping a false god after three-straight fruitless playoff trips from 2019-21 and barely missing the postseason this year.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending ankle injury, thrusting rookie Malik Willis into the fire before he was ready, which led to Joshua Dobbs starting Tennessee’s must-win regular-season finale against Jacksonville. (They lost.) But here’s the thing with the Titans: Head coach Mike Vrabel can make a believer out of anyone, even if he’s working with nothing.
Saweetie has had a quiet year so far, but the Bay Area rapper is set to make a splash as she confirms her first big performance of the year will be at the Super Bowl — although, rather than playing at the big game itself (that’s Rihanna), her concert will be a virtual one within the popular Roblox platform.
According to Billboard, the Saweetie Super Bowl Concert will be a free show on Roblox presented by Intuit premiering on February 10 at 7:00 ET. It will re-air every hour on the hour until February 12. The set will be fully motion-captured and “family-friendly” according to Warner Music Group, which recently launched its Rhythm City partnership with Roblox. A screenshot provided by WMG shows what Saweetie’s in-game avatar will look like as she performs in a virtual “Intuit Stadium” (IRL, the Intuit Arena is currently under construction in Inglewood, California, and will be the home of the Los Angeles Clippers).
Warner Music Group
Meanwhile, Saweetie, who debut album Pretty Bitch Music has been one of hip-hop’s most anticipated through a string of delays, will continue to branch out in 2023. She’s billed to appear as herself in an upcoming episode of Peacock’s Bel-Air, and has been teasing new music as a follow-up to her six-song EP The Single Life.
Prepare to be inundated with news about Cardi B. The “Up” rapper recently sat down with her friend Jason Lee for his new Revolt series, and she’s addressing all the controversies she once avoided. We’ve been steadily reporting on the updates from the intimate interview, and the latest clip focuses on those rumors about Saweetie and Offset.
Lee asked why Cardi decided not to respond to the gossip. “You know why I was quiet?” she answered. “I was quiet because one thing I’m gonna do, I’m gonna find out the truth.”
“And you know that I was finding out that truth,” she continued. “So, it’s like, if I entertain something that I know is not true, on the internet, people be like, ‘Oh, it is true because you’re addressing it. But when I don’t address it, it’s true or not, as well.”
“So, I’m like, you know what? I’m just not gonna entertain the bullsh*t, because if I entertain it, it’s gonna keep goin’ longer and longer,” Cardi also added. “At the end of the day, I know what’s going on in my house.”
Lee commended Cardi on her growth for knowing when to restrain from getting involved in social media shenanigans.
“When the Selena girl said she was pregnant by Offset, and she was showing her stomach,” said Cardi. “She even showed the baby and everything. And I was going so hard like, ‘It’s not true!’ Every single time that I kept saying this, it’s not true, people on purpose kept saying, ‘It’s true!’
“So, it’s like, I have learned from those experiences not to even address things that’s going on in my home,” she continued. “When I know the truth. ‘Cause it’s like, people gonna make it worse, ’cause it’s just entertainment.”
The rumors of Offset and Saweetie first took off after it was alleged that Quavo hinted at the affair. On his track “Messy” Takeoff, Quavo rapped: “B*tch f*cked my dawg behind my back, but I ain’t stressin’ (Not at all) / You wanted the gang, you shoulda just said it, we would have blessed it (You shoulda just said it) / Now sh*t got messy (Uh).”
Later, Cardi said Offset would address the rumor on his next album. “STAY TUNED,” she wrote at the time. Listen to Cardi explain herself above.
While the wait for Saweetie‘s debut album Pretty Bitch Music drags on, she keeps expanding the other parts of her portfolio. After wrapping up a recurring role on Freeform’s Grown-ish, she’s adding another acting credit to her resume, making a cameo appearance in the upcoming second season of Peacock’s dramatic Fresh Prince reboot, Bel Air, according to Variety. She’ll appear as herself on the show, although the report doesn’t state in what capacity she’ll be crossing paths with Jabari Banks ’ Will Smith, Olly Sholotan‘s Carlton Banks, or Coco Jones’ Hilary Banks (fingers crossed for a star-crossed romance with Jordan L. Jones ’ Jazz).
Although Saweetie has delayed the release of her album numerous times, there have been a few hints that it could be dropping this year. During a recent live stream with fans, the Bay Area rapper previewed a new song with single potential, “Icy Girl, Icy World,” which is based on Aqua’s 1997 hit “Barbie Girl.” And although her EP The Single Lifesupposedly underperformed — which is hard to tell without knowing what it was expected to sell in the first place — it definitely generated some buzz thanks to its coincidental release in close proximity to Quavo’s “Messy” verse seemingly referencing their relationship and her rumored connection to Lil Baby. While she denied that her single “Don’t Say Nothin’” was a response, the possibility that she might address those rumors on PBM keeps it firmly in the running for one of 2023’s most anticipated albums.
While some artists like to spend the early weeks of the new year relaxing and plotting their moves for the warmer months, others are ready with new music in the form of an album or single for their fans as soon as the clock strikes midnight.
This year, in particular, NBA YoungBoy and French Montana are already on their grind. Apparently, Kodak Black is about to join them, as he has plans to drop an album in the coming weeks. As HipHopDX reports, the Florida native joined Yungeen Ace on Instagram Live to catch up in front of fans. During the session, the artists revealed some of their big plans for 2023.
“I’m just chilling,” Yak told viewers earlier this week. “Finna drop this album next month.” Additionally, he revealed that EST Gee is just one of the features fans will hear on the unnamed project.
It seems the “Super Gremlin” hitmaker wants to work with some R&B stars as well. Both he and Yungeen agreed that they need to find the next Mariah Carey to aid them with their musical goals.
February appears to be a lucky month for Kodak. In 2022, his Back For Everything album arrived that month. It subsequently debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, moving approximately 60K units in the first week.
While music is clearly on his mind, during the same IG Live, the Broward County native couldn’t help but dish on his love life. At one point, he even admitted to shedding a few years when a rap diva chose another artist over him.
“When Saweetie picked Quavo over me she made me cry bro,” he told Ace and their audience. Though he was heartbroken, the 25-year-old was eventually able to “salute” the couple (who have since gone their separate ways) for committing to a serious relationship.
In other news, Kodak Black is just one of the many artists who appeared on our annual best-dressed list. Check the full roster of stylish stars out here, and come back later for more hip-hop news updates.
Among many favoured New Year’s traditions that have arisen in recent years comes Uncle Murda’s annual “Rap Up” track. This year, the 42-year-old didn’t hold back at all while recounting the wild events of 2022. From the downfall of Kanye West to Megan Thee Stallion’s recent courthouse victory, he addresses all the smoke across the 15-minute title.
Landing on Saturday (December 31), the song chiefly crowns Ye “Donkey of the Year.” Specifically, the rapper notes his anti-Semitic and pro-Hitler rants, as well as the polarizing White Lives Matter shirts he debuted during Paris Fashion Week.
Uncle Murda attends the “Straight Cap” video shoot on June 15, 2021 in Bay Shore, New York. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Later, Murda also mentions the recently released Gunna, who took a plea deal in the upcoming YSL RICO trial. “Young Thug and Gunna got with the RICO / They using rap lyrics against them and that shit is illegal,” the New York rhymer says on the track.
“They let Gunna go, we tryna figure out how that happened / He took a plea deal, Lil Boosie said that n*gga ratting,” his bars go on.
Others who face heat from Uncle Murda include Thee Stallion, Will Smith, Yung Miami, Diddy, as well as Freddie Gibbs. Elsewhere on the song, he also addresses the deaths of Takeoff, PnB Rock, and DJ Kay Slay.
Finally, stream Uncle Murda’s “Rap Up 2022” on YouTube or SoundCloud below. Afterward, tell us your favourite bars from the lengthy diss track in the comments.
Quotable Lyrics:
Let’s talk about Kanye being antisemitic The Adidas deal that made him a billionaire got deaded Now he only worth ’bout four, five hundred M’s He lost his momma, Pete Davidson started fucking Kim He be dressing dusty now, he don’t even look rich Been looking stressed since that white boy took his bitch
While some of hip-hop’s biggest names made big comebacks in 2022 – and many wound up on Uproxx’s Best Albums of 2022 list – there were a few notable names promising new albums that didn’t quite manage to put anything out before the new year, leaving us with a host of anticipated hip-hop albums for 2023.
After long hiatuses, TDE artists like Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and SZA all dropped their new albums this year, receiving a warm response from fans and critics alike (Kendrick is on our Best Albums list; Soul and SZA just missed the cutoff). Drake dropped two albums – one very dance oriented and one with 21 Savage – while Megan Thee Stallion addressed her rocky 2021 with a solid second effort.
However, there were a few A-listers whose names were not included in the rolls for the year-end roundups, including Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and Travis Scott. While we’ll get into the various reasons for their absences below, it’s worth noting that the release schedule was already jam-packed, and having 2023 pretty much wide open can only help them lock down the time and attention their profiles deserve. There are a few rising stars on that list too, including Baby Keem, Doja Cat, and Saweetie. Here are the most anticipated hip-hop albums of 2023.
ASAP Rocky – Don’t Be Dumb
It’s been a minute since we last heard from ASAP Rocky with 2018’s Testing. Since then, he’s become a father, he’s been a hilarious meme, he’s expanding his acting credits, and he’s even starred in a video game. After dropping the new single “Sh*ttin Me” and teasing more Metro Boomin contributions, he finally announced that the album was done with just a few weeks left to go in the year. With a lot to talk about (cough, cough, Sweden) and what sounds like a lot more focused musical direction with Metro’s involvement, Don’t Be Dumb could very well return the Harlem rapper to the top of the charts and reveal new facets of his personality.
The most mysterious of the bunch, Keem’s the only one who hasn’t outright announced an album. That hasn’t stopped Keem fans from sniffing out any and every available clue that he could be working on one. And given his and cousin Kendrick’s tendency to surface suddenly and without warning, that could be all the reason to be on the lookout for a follow-up to The Melodic Bluesometime in the next 12 months.
Cardi B
Cardi was one of the artists that fans most looked forward to hearing from in 2022, but aside from some inflammatory singles, it wasn’t to be. She did give us “Hot Sh*t” with Kanye West and Lil Durk, which was well-received, but given Kanye’s issues and an inability to promote the song the way she wanted, Cardi moved on from the single fairly quickly. She had better luck with GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2,” which offered an instant classic Cardi verse, but she later admitted that she’s been feeling a lot of anxiety and pressure from the potential reception of her long-awaited follow-up to Invasion Of Privacy. She did say she wants to get that album out in the new year, though.
Doechii
After an impressive breakout in 2022, TDE’s latest signee still remains a refreshing question mark for the new year. Her EP, She/Her/Black Bitch, showed some promising signs that she’s got a clear direction and isn’t afraid of taking creative risks. And the response to singles like “Persuasive” and “Crazy” indicates that fans may wind up being a bit more receptive to her left-field mashups of hip-hop and house than they were ten years ago when “212” was dominating playlists and sync licensing placements. If nothing else, she’s got the TDE machine on her side, which means that when she does drop, she’ll have the full support of her label, something not every artist gets to enjoy.
Doja Cat
im not doing a german rave culture album you guys i was pranking the outlet that interviewed me about it
After an absolutely explosive 2021 thanks to Planet Her and its seemingly endless string of fan-favorite hit records, anticipation was high for Doja to follow up her debut. Doja herself was more than happy to feed into that feeling from fans, teasing permutations of the project that included a 9th Wonder-produced rap LP, an R&B album, and even a euro-house edition. However, she was unable to do much recording after having throat surgery, which forced her to pull out of The Weeknd’s After Hours stadium tour and confined her to home for recovery. The content she did share – namely, a lot of selfies of her new bald look – has ironically generated even greater fervor for new music, since she’s clearly feeling newly freed and more creative than ever.
Rap’s undisputed rookie of the year exploded in popularity thanks to her summer smash “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” but unlike plenty of other viral favorites, she was able to maintain her momentum with follow-ups like “Tomorrow 2” and the … Anyways, Life’s Great EP. Now, more than anything, fans want to see whether her natural charisma can carry a full-length project. She’s got more than enough viral moments over the past year to keep her name red-hot (and comfortingly uncontroversial) and with one of her hometown’s biggest stars giving his backing, it’ll be interesting to see where she ends up next.
Ice Spice
If GloRilla took the crown for the year’s biggest breakout, it’s only because Ice Spice didn’t manage to get her project out under the wire. Like Glo, she saw much of her impact come from the TikTok popularity of a single song: “Munch,” which launched seemingly a million memes and almost got the Cardi B treatment as well. It also drove attention to prior Ice Spice videos like “Name Of Love” and “No Clarity.” The resulting hunger for more of the Spice life led to a follow-up, “Bikini Bottom,” and the New York rapper being put on the fast track to stardom, with Rolling Loud appearances and homage tracks from other artists galore.
J. Cole – The Fall-Off
While Cole has seemingly returned to his self-imposed hibernation from the rap game following a few stints of professional basketball, I don’t think for a second he’s forgotten about his commitment to deliver the magnum opus promised a few years ago at the end of KOD. He’s even said The Off-Seasonwas more of a warm-up (if only he hadn’t already used that name) or practice session, sharpening his tools before attempting to sum up his incredible, decade-long career.
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj maintained a chokehold on the hip-hop discourse this year by sheer force of will (and the efforts of her ever-dedicated fanbase), and with a few strategically-placed singles and guest appearances. In the first half of 2022, she joined forces with rising star Coi Leray on “Blick Blick” (seemingly an extension of her 2021 strategy of teaming up with Doja Cat and finally ending her self-imposed moratorium on collabs with up-and-coming female rappers). Then, she dropped “Super Freaky Girl,” harkening back to her “Anaconda” era to garner her first-ever solo No. 1. She even dropped a remix with a whole peck of rap girlies, extending her influence and driving curiosity to see what other new avenues remain to this venerated veteran.
As a track runner in high school, Saweetie probably knows all about having to recover from false starts. Although anticipation for the project may have waned after so many delays, it doesn’t look like Saweetie has given up on herself yet – and that’s the true test, in many ways. In any event, I’m sure there are still plenty of folks who want to hear just what exactly she has had in store after nearly three years of teases. If the new single “Icy Girl, Icy World” is any indication, she could be back on her Sample Saweetie kick, which could mean a return to prominence is just one starter pistol away.
Just about the only rapper whose album we know anything about this year is Travis Scott, who has been quietly biding his time in the wake of the Astroworld Festival disaster last summer. He actually began the rollout for Utopia during Coachella, putting up massive billboards on the way to and from Indio extolling the upcoming project. However, he kicked his promotional efforts into high gear more recently, joining Pharrell on “Down In Atlanta” and making multiple appearances on Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains album and SZA’s SOS. While he hasn’t overtly dropped anything from Utopia yet, it looks like he’s building himself back up and testing the waters to make sure it gets just as warm a reception as its predecessor.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
This past year proved to be fruitful for Memphis rapper GloRilla. Her songs like “F.N.F (Let’s Go)” and “Tomorrow 2,” with Cardi B, proved to be viral hits. But with a platform like the one she’s earned this year comes downsides to fame, including rumors.
“F.N.F.” became a quick favorite in the rap world, with her peers, Latto and JT of City Girls quickly hopping onto a remix of the track. Though, it was previously announced that Saweetie would remix the track, and her verse even leaked to the internet and received much play in the clubs.
Because of this switch, rumors began to circulate that GloRilla and Saweetie were beefing. In a recent interview with Complex, GloRilla revealed that those rumors couldn’t be further from the truth, nor is she invested in beef with anyone else.
“I ain’t know they was trying to make us beef,” Glo said. “We never thought that sh*t. We always, ‘What’s up, sis?’ I don’t know what the f*ck they talking about. In general, they do try to pit women against each other. They don’t do that to males. It be a lot of lying and sh*t. That’s why I learned to not give a f*ck about any of that sh*t.”
Saweetie and Cardi B are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
rockin this bitch to the game and then framing it. I am so geeked right now. 
(@GloTheofficial) 
(@Saweetie) 