Baby Keem’s breakthrough album The Melodic Blue dropped back in 2021. The project rode in on a wave of hype off high-profile collaborations with artists like Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott and received positive reviews from critics. The album was a massive success spawning even more hits like “16” and “trademark usa.” But Keem isn’t done with the album and era yet. Earlier today he announced a new short film based on the album.
While the trailer doesn’t reveal a ton about the plot and direction of the film, it does feature some enticing imagery and writing. In the trailer, the “melodic blue” is described as a place where all human emotions and feelings are heightened. It also features Keem himself in a series of dark and flashy sets alongside numerous other actors and actresses. The announcement also reveals when fans will be able to see the film in its entirety. It’s expected to arrive next week on January 5. Check out the trailer he shared below.
The announcement of the short film came as a surprise to many fans who assumed that Keem’s next undertaking would be a new album. He gave fans reason to suspect that at the end of a performance at Osheaga Music Festival earlier this year. “New album coming soon motherf*ckers,” Keem said to the crowd as he closed his set.
Earlier this year Keem released his third collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, a new single called “The Hillbillies.” The two did a joint headlining performance at Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival earlier this month. They performed under the joint name “The Hillbillies” and made the live debut of the single during the hyped headlining set. What do you think of the trailer for Baby Keem’s new short film? Are you surprised he’s making a film around a project that’s more than two years old? Let us know in the comment section below.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The last time Tyler, The Creator and his Odd Future family took over Dodger Stadium for Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival was four years ago and I wrote at the time that while the “mystery headliner” gamble didn’t pay off, “Camp Flog Gnaw is still one of the best festival experiences for your money.” Since then, the festival was derailed by a global pandemic and put on ice for another three years, during which the pop culture landscape shifted in all kinds of unexpected ways.
Yet, in its return to the fabled stadium overlooking Los Angeles, the festival not only lived up to that assessment but surpassed it; despite being gone from the public eye for nearly four years, Camp Flog Gnaw has become the best festival in America. There are myriad reasons for this, but we’ve listed the strongest ones below.
Dodger Stadium: The Ideal Venue For Camp Flog Gnaw
Philip Cosores
As the old saying goes, “Location, location, location.” You don’t get very many better locations than the famed Blue Heaven On Earth. Situated on its unnamed hill overlooking scenic Elysian Park and the sparse but dazzling LA skyline, the view is unmatched, aided by the famed West Coast weather that draws transplants — some enthusiastically, others reluctantly — from all around the world.
This year’s festival made incredibly effective use of its footprint in the sprawling lots surrounding the stadium. Where the previous iterations scattered the stages around the stadium itself, this year, they were lined up parallel to each other facing toward home plate. While the side-by-side arrangement created some slight sound bleed and the need to walk past the Camp stage to get from Flog to Gnaw and vice versa, it was an easy walk, affording the opportunity to check out the main stage between the intermediate and small stage sets.
The Crowd: Kids Who Grew Up In An Odd Future
Philip Cosores
Bless the Rolling Loud kids, but they are just a little too exuberant for me. Flog Gnaw is similar in age and diversity, but remarkably chiller — more “golden retriever” energy when compared to RL’s labradors. It’s definitely the best fest for people-watching, with attendees decked out in their best Tyler, The Creator cosplay, from Doug sweater vests to Igor suits. I even spotted a few Tyler Baudelaire ushankas — the 80-degree LA weather notwithstanding.
And going back to that intro line, there was something comforting about seeing the shaggy looks of my millennial youth being so lovingly recreated by that generation’s descendants (did you know jorts are back, along with whale tails?). They’re a friendly bunch too; I found myself roped into an affable group made up of a tall white kid, a Filipino/Latino guy, a Persian Iranian, and a black rocker and felt like one of the gang.
The Lineup, From Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem To Ice Spice and PinkPantheress
Philip Cosores
I mean, duh, right? But there’s something to the level of effort Tyler devotes to curating the lineup each year. While most other fests seemingly recycle the same buzzy names based on social engagement and streaming numbers, T selects friends and artists he’s genuinely a fan of. Witness his going absolutely ballistic in the photo pit for Sunday night’s Clipse set, rhyming “We Got It For Cheap” word for word.
The mutual appreciation that the artists display for each other radiates from stage to stage. Whether it’s the more left-field or underground acts on the Gnaw stage like AG Club, BADBADNOTGOOD, Redveil, and Toro Y Moi, or the nascent rockers like Kevin Abstract and Teezo Touchdown, these artists all genuinely love Tyler, and they love playing Flog Gnaw. This isn’t just “show up and collect a check” stuff. Headliners like Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem showed out as well, even if they weren’t mainstays like Syd, Domo Genesis, or Earl Sweatshirt.
Philip Cosores
It’s also affirming to see how the crowd responds to these acts that mainstream observers overlook or sneer down their noses at. During Teezo’s set, his rapport with the crowd was ironclad and they sang every song from his album — only a few months old — at top volume. Ice Spice, for all the hand-wringing being done by folks my age and older (I’m getting sick of talking about it too, by the way, maybe y’all should chill out), delivered a blazing set that displayed real technical proficiency (her breath control is underrated) and had white boys in the crowd declaring their undying love.
Tyler, The Creator, The Brains Behind The Operation
Philip Cosores
But really, the main thing that makes Flog Gnaw what it is, is its … ahem … creator. 10 years on from the formation and explosion of Odd Future, Tyler Okonma has found the balance between the angry, aggressive kid he was at the outset and the cheeky genius he showed flashes of until 2017 when he flourished with Flower Boy.
During his set, he joked with fans about his lack of new music, ribbed them gleefully about the last time we all gathered at this spot and they booed his beloved headliner, Drake, and offered moments of both humility and unhinged excess. Going from earnestly thanking his most loyal fans for returning from the uncertainly of pandemic living to flexing a literal flamethrower takes panache and a certain immodesty, and fortunately for all of us, Tyler has both in spades. Watching the “campers” depart at the end of the fest felt a lot like the end of summer — nostalgic for the recently made memories and already looking forward to next year.
Check out an exclusive photo gallery from Camp Flog Gnaw 2023 below
Tyler, The Creator
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The Hillbillies (Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem)
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Willow
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Camp Flog Gnaw
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PinkPantheress
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Lil Yachty
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Dominic Fike
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Clipse
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Kevin Abstract
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Ravyn Lenae
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Turnstile
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Teezo Touchdown
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Beabadoobee
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Syd
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Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem, along with special guest Tyler, The Creator, have performed “The Hillbillies” live for the first time. The pair were performing at Tyler’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival, which is making its return after a pandemic-mandated hiatus. Tyler previously appeared in the song’s video when it was first released back in May of this year. The assembled fans seemed overjoyed by the performance, despite rumors it also served as a Drake diss track.
Camp Flog Gnaw, back for 2023, has been in full swing all weekend. Other headliners have included SZA, PinkPatheress, Earl Sweatshirt, and WILLOW. It was last held in 2021 and, aside from 2020 and 2022, has been held annually since 2012. It’s great to see the festival back at full strength. We’ll have any updates that come out of the festival here at HotNewHipHop.
Elsewhere, J. Cole recently spoke on a collab with Lamar that never came to be. “In a nutshell, [Kendrick Lamar] had pulled up on me at No I.D.’s spot,” J. Cole began. “We was already building this relationship, and I had these beats at the time and I was playing them for him. Was that our first time linking? ‘HiiiPoWeR,’ one of them beats? There’s a few beats, a gang of beats that I did, I gave him. Some of them like, maybe had a hook on them, a verse- this, that, and the third.
Furthermore, he continued. “So he took them and, you know, in that moment, we talked about, ‘Yo, bro, we should do a project,’” J. Cole continued. “At that time he’s not on like that, but I’m f-ckin’ with him. At one point, it was a real thing. But bro, time and life, we ain’t ever got the chance to go in and do it correctly, because that would take time. For us to do something that’s full of our potential, that meets our real potential, you’re gonna need time. At least a year. “When you got two successful artists with lives and families, that’s hard to do,” he concluded. “We put it to bed years ago. But at one point in time, it was a real conversation, for sure. It’s not like it’s a ton of songs. It’s not like it’s some album sitting on the shelf somewhere.”
Camp Flog Gnaw returned yesterday (November 11) for the kickoff of the annual Los Angeles festival’s 2023 edition. As for the headliners, Kendrick Lamar and his cousin, Baby Keem, made their live debut as a duo now known as The Hillbillies. Throughout the set, both rappers played songs from their catalogs, including Lamar treating the Dodger Stadium crowd to hits like “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and “Humble.”
As they neared the end of the 23-song setlist, Lamar and Keem had one final surprise in store. The two brought out the event’s founder, none other than Tyler, The Creator, to groove along with them as they performed “The Hillbillies” song for the first time live also. Originally, the track dropped as a single online release in May. Tyler also appeared in the music video, making his appearance a fun surprise for fans.
The second day of 2023’s Camp Flog Gnaw is taking place today, as SZA is closing the night out as the other headliner, so there will (hopefully) be more surprises in store with her set. For those who are attending the sold-out event, more information can be found here.
Check out the video of Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem dancing with Tyler, The Creator below.
Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem brought out Tyler, The Creator on stage during their 2023 Camp Flog Gnaw set pic.twitter.com/aF4LNUiAmk
Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival returns to LA’s Dodger Stadium this weekend, November 11-12, headlined by The Hillbillies — comprised of Kendrick Lamar and his cousin Baby Keem — and SZA. The festival returns after a multi-year hiatus caused in part by COVID-19; the last Flog Gnaw was in 2019 headlined by Drake. Today, the fest announced its set times for the weekend, which you can find below.
in addition to the usual suspects, such as Tyler’s former Odd Future compatriots Earl Sweatshirt and Syd, this year’s fest will highlight a slew of rising talent, including singers Baby Rose, Ravyn Lenae, and D4vd, rabble rousing rap crews like AG Club and Paris, Texas, and genre bending artists from across the modern spectrum of music.
Fire Emoji time is here once again, and this Saturday (June 10) we have a beautiful balance of male and female artists for you to check out. Coming in at the top of today’s round-up is Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, who dropped off a surprise single, “The Hillbillies” earlier this week. They tapped Tyler, The Creator to join them in the accompanying visual, and while the Goblin artist doesn’t provide any bars, he did show off his dance moves – along with the location for his next edition of the annual Camp Flog Gnaw festival.
Another collaboration we’ve been loving is J Hus’ “Who Told You” featuring Drake. It arrives just weeks before the Canadian is set to head out on tour with 21 Savage. Following that comes the City Girls’ work on “I Need A Thug,” which received mixed reaction online, but was only a warm-up for what they delivered to us on New Music Friday. Elsewhere, Joyner Lucas and NBA YoungBoy joined forces for “Cut U Off.”
Sexyy Red is still riding the high of her “Pound Town 2” collaboration with Nicki Minaj at the end of May, but the rising rap diva isn’t done impressing us yet. Her Hood Hottest Princess project landed yesterday, and we’ve picked “SkeeYee” as the tracklist’s must-listen title. Aside from that, we also suggest Doe Boy and G Herbo’s collaboration with Future and Roddy Ricch on “TRY & SEE.” The fully loaded song appears on the first lyricist’s new BEEZY album, along with other noteworthy features.
Babyface Ray is making waves with his All Star Team LP, which we’re highlighting the title track from, and Rob49 made an impressive return on “Woedy” with Birdman. Finally, Yung Miami and Caresha’s aforementioned NMF drop, “Pinata” is the perfect pre-game party banger for summer. Stream all the latest additions exclusively on our Fire EmojiSpotify playlist. Which of the City Girls’ latest singles do you prefer? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in on Sunday for more HNHH release recommendations on our R&B Season round-up.
Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, and Baby Keem look like they had a blast on the set of their recent video for “The Hillbillies.” Yesterday, new behind the scenes photos were posted of the surprise collaboration. Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem are a talented duo with a strong familial bond. In fact, the two are cousins. Kendrick, a true icon in the hip-hop realm, is renowned for his unparalleled artistry. Meanwhile, Baby Keem has been steadily crafting an impressive body of work. The pair have collaborated before on tracks like “Family Ties” and “Range Brothers.” There, they showcased their seamless musical synergy. Baby Keem also made notable contributions to Kendrick’s acclaimed 2022 album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Clearly, the pair enjoy working together.
Generally, Kendrick seems to prefer maintaining a low profile between projects. He likes to create anticipation for his next musical venture. However, it appears that he is taking a different approach this time. Recently, he collaborated with Beyonce on a remix of “America Has A Problem.” Then, in another surprise drop, Kendrick and Baby Keem collaborated for their new single, “The Hillbillies.” The pgLang YouTube channel surprised fans with the release of a music video for the new track.
Kendrick, Tyler, and Keem Have Fun In New Set Photos
New behind the scenes photos of “The Hillbillies” music video were posted yesterday by the Our Generation Music Instagram account. The series of pictures can be seen above. Kendrick, Tyler, and Keem look like they are having a blast in the photos. They are seen both inside and in front of Dodgers Stadium. In one picture, Tyler and Kendrick talk with the backdrop of an empty stadium behind them. In another, the trio poses with classic cars at the entrance. Lastly, there is a photo of Tyler displaying his signature goofy smile in front of the sign of the stadium. Of course, fans took to the comment section to let their thoughts be known.
Some defended the song, which has been somewhat criticized for its un-serious nature. “Songs hard not everything supposed to be serious,” one fan said. Several replied, disagreeing, contending that the song would have been received differently if Kendrick Lamar was not on it. “This Shit A*s. Let Drake or Yeat Drop Sum Like This N*ggas Having a Field Day,” replied one commenter. Other users simply wondered why the song was not on streaming services. “Why this song not on apple music tho lmao,” they said. What do you think of the “The Hillbillies”? Be sure to sound off in the comments and let us know!
Last week, Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar dropped “The Hillbillies”. A surprise release from both of them, the song included a sample of Bon Iver’s “PDLIF” and an interpolation of Drake’s “Sticky”. It was the first collaboration between the two cousins in almost two years. Many people were excited for the new song. “it’s a great summer song. got a good bounce to it and kendrick and keem both have dynamic performances with their lyrics and their voice. also the hook by keem is hard asf,” a fan wrote on Twitter. However, not everyone was thrilled about the song. “its cool but if this is the single for a collab album then im worried,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Also notable was the music video. Filmed on a VHS camcorder, the video featured retro visuals as well as outtake footage from Lamar’s Big Steppers Tour. Notably featured in the video was an airport worker at Dublin Airport. Dublin Airport is a common hub and layover between Europe and North America. Furthermore, RapTV tracked down the now-viral airport worker.
“So he literally came up to us while we were just waiting at reception,” the man said in a recent video. “Literally came through the door, full of life. He was running around reception, throwing his arms around everyone. I knew his fella was recording but there was nothing said about a music video or anything. Oh it was crazy like, can hardly believe it. I was getting sent messages from everyone, even people I haven’t spoken to in years.”
It’s high praise for the two rappers and some much-needed good press for Lamar. Lamar was thoroughly roasted for his subpar freestyle on Beyoncé’s “America Has A Problem”. Aside from the underwhelming performance, many fans felt that Doechii deserved the remix instead. What did you think of “The Hillbillies”? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest music news here at HotNewHipHop.
Tyler, The Creator has officially confirmed that his music festival, Camp Flog Gnaw, will be returning in November 2023. The event has been on hiatus since 2019, a year before the coronavirus pandemic. It will be held from November 11-12 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Advanced tickets for Camp Flog Gnaw 2023 will go on sale Friday, June 2nd at 12:00 PM, PDT. Fans can register their mobile number to be sent an exclusive code to purchase before the general sale. On the festival’s website, there is a link to Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem’s new music video, “The Hillbillies,” in which Tyler makes a cameo. In doing so, he displayed a “Camp Flog Gnaw 2023” button on a jacket in front of Dodger Stadium.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 08: Rapper Tyler, The Creator of Odd Future performs at Camp Flog Gnaw at Los Angeles Coliseum on November 8, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/WireImage)
For Camp Flog Gnaw, there are general access passes available priced at $335 as well as VIP passes at $595. A Super VIP pass is also available for $1495 which includes a custom SE 29” Big Flyer Bike, Converse x Golf Wang custom shoe, a “Camp Flog Gnaw” blanket, fanny pack, mug, and pin, all in addition to access to the festival. Tyler has yet to reveal the lineup for this year’s event. In past years, he’s brought along Solange, Juice WRLD, Brockhampton, and many more.
Fans expressed their excitement for the news by replying to Tyler’s tweet. One wrote in all caps, “THANK YOU TYLER!!! I MISSED IT SOOOO MUCH.” Another replied, “I have to be there this year.” Others further theorized who could be performing at this year’s event. Some suggested a surprise appearance from Frank Ocean.
While Tyler hasn’t provided details about his next album, he recently dropped a deluxe version of his 2021 project, Call Me If You Get Lost, titled Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale. He also recently hung out with Lil Yachty, prompting rumors about a collaborative effort together.
Fans on social media are accusing Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem of biting Drake’s flow from his Honestly, Nevermind track, “Sticky,” for their new single, “The Hillbillies.” On the track, Lamar interpolates the song while also sampling Bon Iver’s 2020 single, “PDLIF.”
As Lamar raps, “Messy, get them girls off the stage, ’cause somebody’s gonna get taken,” he appears to be referencing Drake’s line, “Ayo Eric, bring them girls to the stage, cause somebody’s getting paid.” Fans online quickly made note of the similarities. “Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem used Drake’s Sticky flow and this is how it came out,” one fan tweeted. Another remarked: “Yooo everyone fucking with that new Kendrick!! Now give Drake his credit for predicting dance music was the new wave cause Hillbillies is just Kendrick’s version of Sticky.”
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 24: Rapper Kendrick. Lamar performs onstage during day three of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 24, 2022 in Miami. Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
Other fans argued that Lamar was trying to diss Drake by using his flow. “How these dumbass drake fans can’t see that kendrick is not jacking drake he’s CLOWNING HIM,” one wrote. Either way, Lamar and Keem weren’t trying to be subtle with the references to “Sticky.” Keem directly noted the track in a tweet on Tuesday.
“The Hillbillies” is the latest of several tracks Lamar and Keem have teamed up for in recent years. They’ve collaborated on “N95,” “Die Hard,” “Range Brothers,” “Savior,” “Nile,” and “Family Ties.” For the latter, the pair took home the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance.
Fans React On Twitter
Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem used Drake’s Sticky flow and this is how it came out pic.twitter.com/wzWxch9iaN
Yooo everyone fucking with that new Kendrick!! Now give Drake his credit for predicting dance music was the new wave cause Hillbillies is just Kendrick’s version of Sticky https://t.co/VqIz4913kxpic.twitter.com/VKh3RRCkmD
Also of note in the new music video, Tyler, the Creator makes a cameo appearance to announce the return of Camp Flog Gnaw. In doing so, he displayed a “Camp Flog Gnaw 2023” button on a jacket in front of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. No further details have been provided as of now.
DECEMBER 5TH
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