TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment)

Ab-Soul Returns With ‘Moonshooter’ As He Prepares To Release His Fifth Album

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Top Dawg Entertainment is a label chock-full of elusive figures, but Ab-Soul is probably the most elusive of all. Despite coming to prominence alongside Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q as the quartet Black Hippy and drawing every bit as much interest as his peers, he’s had the spottiest output among them, going nearly six years without a release after dropping his fourth album, Do What Thou Wilt., in December 2016.

Today, though, Soul-o returns with his second new solo song of 2022, “Moonshooter.” Following up April’s “Hollandaise,” “Moonshooter” is accompanied by the announcement that Ab-Soul’s next album has been completed. “Album done,” read the caption on Top Dawg’s Instagram post. “Warmup tonight.” On the song, Soul maintains his well-established form, spitting out intricate, sinuous rhymes over a mournful string sample. “I question everything,” he sings on the chorus. It’s familiar territory for fans of the philosophy-spewing Soul, which likely bodes well for the next project.

Before this year, the last we heard from Ab-Soul on the solo tip was 2020’s “Dangerookipawa Freestyle.” In the meantime, he contributed guest verses to songs like Russ’ “Rap City” and made an animated cameo in SiR’s “John Redcorn” video. Now that Kendrick Lamar’s final TDE album is out of the way, though, it looks like Ab-Soul is up next in the lineup, one of the last OGs on TDE as the label shifts its focus to the next generation.

Ab-Soul Announces A New Single And Reveals That His Upcoming Album Is Finished

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Ab-Soul Rolling Loud LA 2018
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Top Dawg Entertainment marches to the beat of its own slow-paced drum pattern, and no member of the roster displays this fact more than the elusive Ab-Soul. Amidst several TDE releases over the years, the 35-year-old has been noticeably absent, much to the chagrin of fans who have been loud about their desire to hear from him. It appears that all may change soon, as the official Top Dawg Entertainment Instagram page shared a post on Thursday afternoon (September 15) with two pieces of information about the Los Angeles rapper’s imminent musical future, namely a single and an album.

In the post, there is a photo with what appears to be the silhouette of two children standing on top of a roof pointing at a shooting star with a full moon looming in the background. The caption reads “Album done. Warmup tonight. @souloho3” and closes with the phrase “Moonshooter.” Given the contents of the photo, it is safe to assume that Ab-Soul’s impending single will release at midnight on Friday (September 16) and go by that name.

This ought to be pleasing news for his fans, as the rapper has not released an album since 2016’s Do What Thou Wilt. The rapper shared “Hollandaise” in April of this year and appeared on sparse features over the years, but has otherwise been mostly incognito. It looks like Ab-Soul is ready to fully come out of hiding.

Check out TDE’s Instagram post teasing the album and single above.

Ray Vaughn And Isaiah Rashad Are In The ‘Dawg House’ In Their New Video

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Top Dawg Entertainment’s Ray Vaughn and Isaiah Rashad have teamed up for a new song called “Dawg House.” On the track, the labelmates slide over trippy production by Rory Behr, as they lay down the laws of the “dawg house.”

“Who let the dogs out? / Turn the rap game to the fallout / Cheat on my b*tch in the dog house / My Rollie presidential from the White House,” raps Vaughn.

Rashad delivers a verse of his own, as well as the song’s chorus, on which, he says, “Loose, better not shoot no shame / My sixteen was pure cocaine / Base outside, I’m hit, okay, okay, okay? / What you gotta do? Get all this loot / Talk my shit, talk my truth.”

The song’s accompanying video sees the two of them smoking and dancing throughout the rooms of a lavish home.

Vaughn signed to TDE last year. With Kendrick Lamar having fulfilled his contractual obligations upon the release of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Vaughn told Billboard that he’s determined to prove that he can stand among his labelmates.

“Do I want to be the rookie that takes lead of the team and becomes the face of the franchise? Or do I want somebody else to come in and do it?,” Vaughn said. ” I feel like I’m responsible for taking us to the next level now — and even if [Kendrick Lamar] was staying, I would still have the same mentality, that I want to be a starter and play with the big boys.

Check out “Dawg House” above.

Ray Vaughn And Isaiah Rashad Rep Their Label On The Animated ‘Dawg House’

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Top Dawg Entertainment’s talented roster is back with a bark as Ray Vaughn and Isaiah Rashad team up for the slow burner “Dawg House.” Vaughn adds a slight pinch of melody into his verse, rapping with a strained voice. Isaiah Rashad joins later, picking up the pace with his animated vocal tone. It is a short offering, but in a world where TDE takes extensive breaks, it is more than welcome; not to mention the fun callback to Baha Men’s 2000s classic “Who Let The Dogs Out.”

For Ray Vaughn, “Dawg House” follows his 2022 singles “Mannequin” and “Picking Cherries.” The 25-year-old has gained a lot of steam since it was announced that he signed to TDE last year. With such a strong system in place, it is safe to assume his debut album is imminent and will impress.

As for Isaiah Rashad, he linked up with labelmate Zacari for “Bliss” back in June. The Chattanooga rapper has been riding the high of his comeback album The House Is Burning that came out in July 2021. The album featured SZA, Lil Uzi Vert, 6lack, Smino, and Jay Rock. He later shared a deluxe version in November with four new tracks, namely a remix to “RIP Young” featuring Project Pat and Juicy J.

Listen to “Dawg House” above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Doechii Announces Her Debut EP, ‘She/Her/Black B*tch,’ Arrives On Friday

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Top Dawg Entertainment’s first female rapper is about to drop her first EP. Doechii announced the title and release date for her debut EP yesterday, revealing that She/Her/Black B*tch arrives on Friday, August 5, following the release of singles “Persuasive,” “Crazy,” and “B*tch I’m Nice,” as well as the remix of “Persuasive” featuring SZA.

The timing for the release couldn’t be much better. Not only is Doechii fresh off of an impressive, attention-grabbing run of live performances including the BET Awards and The Tonight Show, but she was also selected as a member of XXL‘s 2022 Freshman Class, delivering a fantastic freestyle and a standout cypher verse.

But the thing that might be working to her advantage most is how hip-hop fans are newly (re)embracing house music as a popular production style thanks to newly released projects from the likes of Drake and Beyonce. While Doechii was just one artist in a long lineage of contemporary rappers who’ve blended rap with dance genres (see: Vince Staples, Duckwrth, Leikeli47, IDK, Channel Tres, and Azealia Banks), those artists have begun to receive renewed and increased attention now that it’s “cool” to rock with house and techno.

The fact that Doechii is no slouch on the mic and has a burgeoning following thanks to older viral tracks like “Yuck Blucky Fruitcake” only gives her more of an advantage as the summer of house heats up. She/Her/Black B*tch just might prove that on 8/5. You can pre-save it here.

Doechii’s Forceful ‘XXL’ Freshman Freestyle Arrives As Fans Discover Her House-Inspired Hits

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XXL Freshman Doechii has been getting plenty of attention over the past few months, mainly as a result of the TikTok popularity of her 2021 song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” But since then, she’s released two new songs, “Persuasive” and “Crazy,” showing off a new direction influenced by the dance music of the ’80s and ’90s — just in time to catch the wave generated by Drake’s head-turning surprise album, Honestly, Nevermind (I guess it’s true: High tides lift all boats). And now, in a feat of timing that frankly feels fated, Doechii’s XXL Freshman freestyle has arrived.

Just like the rest of the freestyles, Doechii’s finds her rapping acapella as the camera rotates around her and she shouts out her “stripper peers” while showing off a flow that shows off the Nicki Minaj DNA that runs throughout her work. She even lets out a primal scream, highlighting the next level that her live performances often reach and showing off the charm and charisma that are guaranteed to make her a star.

The genre-bending TDE rapper’s new Vevo DSCVR performance is also going viral as Drake’s house music turn dominates the discourse. Doechii performs both “Crazy” and “Persuasive” with the help of her DJ in a lightbox that allows her to capture all the attention. The video has reached Twitter, where it’s already going viral in multiple tweets, bringing added attention to the rising rapper. Knowing TDE, they’ve already got a plan to capitalize.

Watch Doechii’s Freshman freestyle and live performances above.

Zacari And Isaiah Rashad List A Few Of The Things That Bring Them ‘Bliss’

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Top Dawg Entertainment artists Zacari and Isaiah Rashad team up to list a few of their favorite things on “Bliss,” a punchy new single that could signal an upcoming project from the California label’s resident R&B singer. Although Zacari is known more for his slick vocals than the sort of heady raps his labelmates are known for, he delivers his lines with a staccato cadence that fits perfectly alongside Rashad’s more traditional flow.

Zacari isn’t the loudest or flashiest member of the crew, but he’s been more visible of late thanks to a recent collab with another rap-influenced West Coast singer, Blxst. The two rhythmic crooners connected for the smooth single “Sometimes” from Blxst’s new album, Before You Go, earlier this year and while Blxst isn’t exactly a superstar either, the track definitely resulted in added exposure for the normally low-key TDE member.

Meanwhile, Isaiah Rashad has gotten a lot of attention this year, but not for his music. Although he’s less than a year removed from his well-received sophomore album, The House Is Burning, Zay’s drawn the most publicity from the leak of a sex tape which also unfortunately outed him at the same time. However, in an interview with Joe Budden, he seems to have taken things in stride and turned the experience into a teachable moment for the hip-hop audience — and his bemused host.

Listen to “Bliss” above.

Kendrick Lamar Releases ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,’ Ending A Five-Year Wait For A New Album

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Kendrick Lamar 'Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers' cover
PgLang/Aftermath/TDE/Interscope

The music world has missed Kendrick Lamar. Sure, we’ve been doing alright with various releases from the industry’s heavyweights like J. Cole, Drake, Kanye West, Young Thug, Future, Taylor Swift, and more, as well as newcomers who have provided something new and refreshing to the world. Prior to last fall, Adele was seemingly the long superstar who went longer than Kendrick without a new album, but even she returned in November with 30. Ever since Kendrick stamped himself as not only the next great rapper but the next great artist overall, his full-length releases grab the attention of the world and it’s something that will happen again with his newly-released long-awaited fifth album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

There are a few things to keep in mind with Kendrick’s new album, which was prefaced by the impressive “The Heart Part 5.” Aside from what the project adds to his undeniable legacy, it will also be his last official release on Top Dawg Entertainment, a label he’s called home since 2004. There’s no telling what Kendrick’s next step will be, heck, it took us over four years to find out what it would be following Damn. One thing we do know is that Kendrick’s journey will most likely continue under PgLang, a creative agency that he founded with his longtime partner and former TDE co-president Dave Free. PgLang is also home to Baby Keem and newly-signed act Tanna Leone.

But enough about the future, let’s enjoy the present. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out now and there will mostly be so much to enjoy with it. It arrives with 18 songs and features from Blxst, Amand Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, Baby Keem, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons of Portishead. So grab a pair of headphones or turn on your speakers, and press play on an album that many of us have waited a long time to hear.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out now via PgLang/TDE/Aftermath/Interscope. You can stream it here.

SiR Yearns For His Lost Love In The ‘Satisfaction’ Visual

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It’s felt like a long wait for new SiR music, with a few errant singles and features occupying the space between present day and 2019’s Chasing Summer. As fans have wondered what is next and when it’s coming, the answers could be coming sooner than they think after the TDE artist returned today (May 5) with the single “Satisfaction” and an accompanying visual.

What begins as a heartwarming reflection on a happy relationship with one lover evolves into the 35-year-old cycling between different activities with different women. Through it all, his expression is never as bright as when he’s with the woman he truly loves. In “Satisfaction,” SiR sings about wanting to stay in his true love’s arms and wishing the future could never happen because he knows, inevitably, things will fall apart.

Prior to this, the Inglewood native appeared on “Common Sense” with his brother D Smoke, the “Same Space” remix with Tiana Major9, and his own solo outing “Teach Me” from the Judas & The Black Messiah soundtrack. Though rumors are swirling around TDE’s roster as a whole when it comes to projects, it still remains that Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers is the only confirmed upcoming release. Still, with it almost being three years since SiR’s last LP, fans are definitely prepared to chase him into the summer until he drops again.

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ Might Be A Double Album

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For the past six months, rap fans have been forced to speculate about Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming final album under his Top Dawg Entertainment contract, with little concrete information about the project (other than its elaborate title) to go on. Today though, Kendrick dropped another cryptic clue about Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, suggesting that it might be a double album. Fans checking in on the website he set up to promote the album, oklama.com, found a new folder to click on, leading to an image of a pair of CDs marked “Morale” and “Steppers” bearing the legend “Master Copy” on each along with a hardcover book bearing the album’s title.

Anyone who’s burned a mix CD in their lifetime (so basically anyone born before the year 1996) knows that CDs contain around 74 minutes of space or around 21 tracks. Obviously, most CDs never used the full capacity, but to go over that time limit (or even inching too close to it) meant separating the songs across two discs. Now, I’m not saying that this means Kendrick’s next album is going to be the length of a Marvel movie, but we should probably expect a longer project. It’s also projected to pull down huge numbers — as befits Kung-Fu Kenny’s swan song for the label that has developed his career for the past decade and a half.

As Kendrick inches closer to its release date (the only other solid bit of information we have right now), more details will undoubtedly be revealed at oklama.com. Until then, the speculation continues.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is due on May 13 on TDE and Interscope.