TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment)

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.

TDE’s Doechii Shares Her Colorfully Futuristic ‘Persuasive’ Video

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Top Dawg Entertainment is entering its next era soon and has been rolling out its latest wave of artists to take advantage of the vacuum that will be left by Kendrick Lamar’s departure after he releases his final TDE album. Last year, the label introduced Long Beach native Ray Vaughn to the fold with the harrowing “Tap” video and earlier this month, announced that it had signed Doechii with the release of her house-influenced single, “Persuasive.”

Today, Doechii doubled down on the new single, releasing a colorful, futuristic-looking video for the single. In it, Doechii displays her quirky fashion sense and leads a troupe of dancers as they vogue for the camera in a ballroom-inspired sequence that plays off the single’s upbeat instrumentation.

Prior to officially signing to the label, Doechii appeared on Isaiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning single “Wat U Sed” and on his Lil’ Sunny’s Awesome Vacation tour, prompting speculation that the LA-based label had picked up the eclectic new artist for its roster. While the confirmation wouldn’t come until recently, the positive reception of Doechii’s guest spots certainly helped, and fans are certainly intrigued to see what she does with the label next.

Watch the “Persuasive” video above.

Doechii Drops The House-Inspired ‘Persuasive’ After Announcing Signing To TDE

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After receiving the TDE co-sign on Isiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning standout “Wat U Sed” and months of speculation, TikTok-favorite Tampa rapper Doechii finally announced her official signing to the LA-based label and shared her first song under the imprint, the house-inspired “Persuasive.”

The new song, which follows Doechii’s breakout hit “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” sees the versatile rapper putting some slick raps over a lounge-y, Kal Banx-produced beat that wouldn’t be out of place at a party at The Standard Hotel’s rooftop pool parties (think Azealia Banks, Bree Runway, or Leikeli47). Lyrically, the song celebrates nights out under the influence and the reckless decisions that come from them.

In a statement to Complex, Doechii celebrated her newfound label home, saying, “I’m excited to run with Top Dawg – to work, to have a home for my overflowing ideas. I want to create a new vision, a new lane, and so much music. Everyone is invited to the Doechii dominance.”

Her output so far suggests that she isn’t far off from those goals. Songs like “Fruitcake,” “What’s Your Name?” “Spookie Coochie,” and “Persuasive” certainly showcase a lot of versatility and eclectic musical influences. Doechii is certainly an accomplished, polished rapper, but her musical sensibilities reach beyond the confines of the genre to encompass dance, jazz, R&B, and more. With TDE, one of the more supportive labels around, behind her, everything she wants is within reach and it’ll be exciting to see what she comes up with next.

Watch Doechii’s “Persuasive” video above.

TDE’s Punch Says Kendrick Lamar Is ‘Ready To Build His Own Thing’ Ahead Of His Departure From The Label

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Last summer, Kendrick Lamar made a rare appearance on social media, where he delivered a shocking announcement: He revealed that his upcoming fifth album would be his last under Top Dawg Entertainment. “As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood,” he wrote. “May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators.” During a recent interview with Mic, TDE’s president Terrence “Punch” Henderson spoke about Kendrick’s upcoming departure and what it means to him.

“I don’t even know if I would describe it that way as ready to leave, as more so ready to build his own thing,” Punch said. “That’s a grown man right now. We watched him grow from a teenager up into an established grown man, a businessman, and one of the greatest artists of all time. So how long do you actually be signed up under somebody? It’s been almost 20 years. So it’s time to move on and try new things and venture out.”

He continued, “He’s doing a great job developing Baby Keem. It’s always been there, but now it’s just time and space where he can actually do it. It’s a beautiful thing to watch because that’s something that started with what we built in the beginning. To see it blossom, it’s a full-circle moment.”

You can read Punch’s full interview with Mic, where he also discusses SZA, TDE as a whole, and more, here.

TDE Label Boss Terrence ‘Punch’ Henderson Announced His ‘A Room Full Of Mirrors’ Collective

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It’s well-known in LA circles that Terrence “Punch” Henderson has plenty of artistic and musical talent of his own, even though he’s spent the last several years as one of the architects behind the Top Dawg Entertainment empire. Now, Punch is readying another collective, and the trailer for what they’re about to do just dropped yesterday. A Room Full Of Mirrors will feature Punch alongside other artists like Nick Grant, DayLyt, Earlee Riser, Billymarie, Lyric Michelle, Ichiban Don, Hari and Jrias Law. They released “Mirrors” back in February and “RawR” in April to preview their first EP together, and now that project is only a few days away.

To further whet fans’ appetites, last night they dropped a trailer that revealed the EP title and gave a taste of what’s to come. Money Bags is teased in the minute-long clip (above) as a visual EP, with some clear inspirations from Quentin Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs. The film was directed by Lyric Michelle, and as far as the music, most of the project was produced by Hari and “and constructed from a narrative and detail standpoint by Punch himself.” Punch has overseen every release for TDE, so needless to say he knows how to roll an album out. Check out the preview for Money Bags above, dropping in just a few days on November 17.

Reason Releases His ‘No More, No Less: Demo 1’ EP Featuring Benny The Butcher, Isaiah Rashad, And Wale

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Carson, California-bred TDE rapper Reason has returned with a new EP, No More, No Less: Demo 1, which features appearances from Adé, Benny the Butcher, Doe Boy, Reason’s TDE label-mate Isaiah Rashad, and Wale. Reason calls the EP “a small collection of thoughts and moments that I’ve been asked for repeatedly” and explained that he released it because it was “something I wanted to give to y’all in the meantime” while he’s finishing a proper follow-up to his 2020 album, New Beginnings.

The three-song effort opens with “Left Hand” featuring Benny, Isaiah, and Wale, a block thumper that finds the three rappers trading verses over a variety of different beats. That’s followed by the hypnotic “Not For Me,” which reunites Adé and Wale and includes Benny, then the set concludes with the woozy, downtempo “12am In ATL,” which features Benny, Isaiah, and Doe Boy. Clocking in at nine minutes and 53 seconds in total, No More, No Less showcases Reason’s impressive wordplay by setting it alongside some of the most prolific and clever rappers in the game today.

The EP also helps set up Reason as part of the vanguard of the post-Kendrick TDE roster the label will have to get behind after a “weird time” for TDE in 2020. Along with Isaiah, Ray Vaughn, and Doechii, Reason is carrying the torch for the West Coast rap label as it evolves in the wake of Kendrick Lamar’s departure.

Listen to the EP below.

SZA And TDE’s Punch Slam A Photographer Who Released Photoshoot Pictures Of The Singer Without Her Consent

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SZA and TDE’s President Terrence “Punch” Henderson aired out their grievances with a photographer who they allege released photos of the singer without their permission. SZA first brought the matter to the attention of her followers on Twitter, writing in a post, “Releasing pictures of me w out my consent is scary . Y’all be careful working w folk u don’t know well .”

One person asked if her message was in regards to photos of her in a blue bikini that recently appeared on social media. SZA confirmed that this was true, replying, “He literrally text me [and] said ‘sorry if u never wanna work w me again but I decided I’m releaseing these.’” She added, “Never felt more powerless or disrespected.”

Punch later called out the photographer directly after he failed to get in contact with him. “Anybody know this dude @Edwiggery ?” he wrote. “This man leaked a whole photo shoot of SZA WITHOUT permission. Now he’s not responding.”

The photographer addressed the issue in a tweet of his own. “Definitely not doing anything for clout, there’s so much more to this than you guys know, I’m not a bad person,” he tweeted. “I’m not arguing with anyone on social media. Never have, never will. And please stop sending death threats [prayer hands emoji].” Punch caught wind of his message and replied, “And you still got the post up on ig?? You doing this wrong champ. I promise you you’re doing this the wrong way.”

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The picture of SZA remains up on the photographer’s page, and upon viewing it, a disappointing comment from SZA can be seen. “I begged u not to post these,” she wrote.

Isaiah Rashad Asserts His Stardom In The Mellow ‘Chad’ Video

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In the video for “Chad,” the latest single from Isaiah Rashad’s long-awaited comeback album The House Is Burning, the Chattanooga rapper asserts his stardom alongside fellow Chat-town native YGTUT. Employing the “video shoot at a gas station” trope that has become so popular over the past year, Rashad fills the video with cameos from his friends in the music business. The cameos include Aminé, who appears as a delivery man, Denzel Curry, who maintains the gas station sign, and Dominic Fike, who appears to be assisting Rashad’s TDE cohort Jay Rock in some shady business. In addition, many members of the TDE posse show up, including new signee Ray Vaughn and Reason.

The video arrived just in time to highlight TDE’s next generation of stars as Kendrick Lamar departs the label after over a decade of partnership. Rashad recently had to clear up a fan misconception that one of his recent tweets dissed Kendrick for leaving; after a subtweet to his ex was interpreted as a shot at Kendrick, Isaiah deleted the tweet and explained the context on The Breakfast Club. It appears there isn’t really any bad blood between them, and Top Dawg himself wished the Compton rapper well in his future endeavors.

Isaiah, meanwhile, has been hard at work promoting his new album, releasing videos for “Runnin,” “Wat U Sed,” “From The Garden,” and now, “Chad” in relatively rapid succession while preparing to head out on Lil Sunny’s Awesome Vacation tour this month.

Watch the video for “Chad” above.

Isaiah Rashad is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

TDE’s Newest Rapper Ray Vaughn Details His Struggles In The Harrowing ‘Tap’ Video

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The complexion of the West Coast rap scene is soon to change as Kendrick Lamar prepares his final album under the Top Dawg Entertainment flag, but rumors of the label’s impending demise are greatly exaggerated. Just as Kendrick announced his departure, TDE launched the career of its next potential star: The Long Beach born-and-raised Ray Vaughn, who introduced himself in impressive fashion with both a three-song EP titled Peer Pressure and an eyebrow-raising debut freestyle for Power 106’s LA Leakers.

Today, he shares the video for “Tap,” one of his three introductory singles from Peer Pressure, a harrowing look at the travails that made him who he is today. As he details his struggles and stories of survival on the streets of East Side Long Beach, the video straight up assaults viewers with images of just what those roadblocks looked like, from drugs and violence to the stresses of having incarcerated friends and zero mental health care.

Like fellow TDE signee Reason, Ray first attracted attention from the label with his “Freestyle Fridays” series of videos on YouTube, building a following on social media that his newly announced connections are sure to supercharge. He was introduced to the crowd at Isaiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning listening in LA, where he proved he’s got the charisma, presence, and performance to justify his inclusion on the storied TDE roster. He’s working on his debut album, with the release date to be determined.

Stay tuned.

Watch Ray Vaughn’s “Tap” video above.