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Latto Claims She Is “Too Talented” For The Beefs She’s Had In Her Career

November 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Earlier this week, XXL dropped their new interview with one of the biggest hitmakers in all of rap, Latto. In the interview, they discussed a variety of subjects. They covered her career up to this point and also where she plans to go next. In one particular segment, she discusses what she’s learned about the industry behind the scenes. She specifically shares a piece of advice she gave fellow rapper Lola Brooke. She advised Brooke to stay neutral even when things get cliquey because you never know when your actions will be interpreted as taking sides.

From there the discussion expanded into a greater analysis of how Latto has learned to carry herself professionally. She discusses learning to carry herself differently after her actions were interpreted by fans as “clout chasing.” “I think it really don’t be a problem until we let fans, Stans, whatever you want to call them, like the outsiders once they get in the mix. I think that’s what stirs the pot. Because it’s like, we will all be fans of each other and commenting and following each other, whatever, but then once they get to comparing, they will turn us against each other, which is very weak-minded of us as female rappers,” she explains. Check out what else she had to say about her past beefs below.

Latto Reflects On Her Prior Dramas

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Now that Latto realized she was coerced into drama by fans, she’s ready to move on from past beefs in her career. “I regret any beef I’ve ever been in because I don’t want to be known for anything but my music. I’m too talented for that sh*t. It’s a distraction and a waste of my time and energy,” the rapper explained.

During the interview, she also discussed one of her dream collaborators. She’s got a pretty strong desire to work with Andre 3000. The rapper is an incredibly hot commodity following his legendary run as one-half of Outkast. After a long absence from releasing much of his own material, Andre recently returned with a new album called New Blue Sun. But the catch for fans who have been waiting a while to hear new material from him is that the album contains not rapping at all. What do you think of Latto’s perspective on previous beefs she’s had in her career? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Latto Is Adamant About Grabbing A Feature From Andre 3000: “I Want To Bring [Him] Out Of Retirement”

November 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Latto is near the peak of her powers. She has been a part of the biggest collaboration in Spotify history with Jung Kook on “Seven.” The track hit one billion streams in just about three and a half months and has become a global smash hit. While she does not have a record out this year, Latto is garnering tons of well-deserved attention. For example, she just sat down with XXL a few days ago to discuss a whole bunch of topics.

One of which was where she believes her stance is, within the Atlanta hip-hop scene amongst the other female talents. “Am I the First Lady of Atlanta? I do feel like I’m the frontrunner for female rap in Atlanta. I will say that… Yeah, I think I am.” Even with that claim, she is self-aware and more needs to be done to firmly place her legacy. “I think there’s a lot more work to be done for it to be cemented. There’s definitely a lot more work.”

Latto Wants To Get Andre 3000 At All Costs

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Another interesting discussion that Latto had with XXL was about her dream collaborations. One of the hottest names right now is not an up-and-comer, rather it is the legend, Andre 3000. His new album, New Blue Sun, shocked the world and is one the best pieces of work this year. So, it was no surprise that Latto wanted to work with him. She is looking to do whatever it takes, too. “You want to know who I’ve been saying lately? I want to bring Andre 3000 out of retirement. I got a song for Andre right now that will go so f***in’ crazy.” She goes on, “I’m really just trying to pull all strings, so hopefully, this can reach Andre somehow. I want Andre on my album.”

What are your initial thoughts on Latto saying she wants to grab a feature from Andre 3000 for a song? Do you think this will happen and would it sound good? Do you agree with the fans with their takes in the comments section? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with Latto and Andre 3000. Furthermore, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.

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Latto Believes She Is The Top Female Rapper From Atlanta

November 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

We continuously mention how dense the population is in the female rap scene. It is especially so, because of the rise of TikTok and viral hits. One of the artists to really come up in that time frame was Latto. However, she is steadily separating herself from the pack of one-hit wonders. Her popularity is rising because of the amount of quality tracks she has out. The Ohio native has a lot of talent to compete with some of the veterans in the game like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and others. Latto herself is starting to recognize that now it seems as the days go on.

One thing she can have that no one else can say they possess is the fastest song to a billion streams on Spotify. While she did not accomplish this feat on her own, Latto deserves just as much credit for it. The Atlanta-raised artist teamed up with BTS superstar, Jung Kook, for “Seven.” It took the crossover duo only three and a half months. Latto was extremely thankful for the opportunity for a lot of reasons.

Latto Is Oozing Confidence

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After all of this success, at such a young age as well, she has every right to feel confident in her abilities. That is what she expressed in a recent feature interview with XXL. “Am I the First Lady of Atlanta? I do feel like I’m the frontrunner for female rap in Atlanta. I will say that. I agree with it. Yeah, I think I am.” However, she still remained humble. “I think there’s a lot more work to be done for it to be cemented. There’s definitely a lot more work.” Congratulations to Latto on all of her success, she is going to be around for a long time.

What are your initial thoughts on Latto stating that she is the best female rapper from Atlanta? Is she the best female rapper going right now? What songs do you like the most by here? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Latto, as well as everything else going on around the music world.

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Lil Baby Finally Addresses Long-Rumored Drake Collab Album

August 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

For a lot of people, Lil Baby washed Drake on “Wants and Needs,” and given their extensive collaborative history, fans would love to see a showdown between them for a whole project. That’s exactly the rumor that Black Coffee started back in March, making fans start anticipating a Baby and Drizzy joint album. “[Quality Control Music’s Coach K] had said to me, ‘Lil Baby and Drake are making an album. It’s possible that Drake is retiring,’” the producer claimed on Podcast and Chill with MacG. While neither artist addressed these claims outright, we now have a… somewhat conclusive response from the Atlanta MC.

Moroever, XXL recently sat down with the QCM signee for an interview, during which the publication asked him about the Drake speculation. Unfortunately, the It’s Only Me creative wasn’t exactly clear when responding to these rumors, although that only adds to anticipation and the mythos behind it. “Maybe so. Maybe not,” Lil Baby told XXL, and the lack of outright denial is enough to keep fans excited. However, with both their careers looking at another phase soon, maybe this year wouldn’t be the best time to oversaturate their releases.

Lil Baby’s XXL Interview

That’s relevant because Baby teased an upcoming solo project dropping soon, along with that of his other label members. “I’m actually going to drop an album this summer and my artist, Rylo Rodriguez, will be dropping an album this summer,” Lil Baby remarked to the publication. Rodriguez did, in fact, drop Been One earlier in June, but it’s been radio silent on the studio album front from the 4PF leader so far this year. Summer’s technically not over, but unless he drops this Friday (August 25), then a sunny release seems improbable.

Meanwhile, considering other hits like “Yes Indeed” (and misses like “Girls Want Girls”), teaming up with Drake could yield great and retributive results for the 28-year-old. Sure, it isn’t the most consistent run of team-ups, but the two artists certainly compliment one another quite well. It seems that the chances of this collab album dropping aren’t within our wants and needs just yet. For more news and the latest updates on the 6 God and Lil Baby, log back into HNHH.

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A Famous Club Owned By Jay-Z Just Closed After 20 Years

August 9, 2023 by newhiphopnews

According to XXL, Jay-Z’s 40/40 club in New York has closed after 20 years. Jay opened up the club in Manhattan two decades ago with it serving as the flagship location for a series of 40/40 clubs throughout the country. The location reportedly closed its doors at the end of July. While there are plans to supposedly open a new location somewhere in New York later this year, the familiar location where it stood for 20 years has now officially ceased operations. The club has had some issues in the past with two notable incidents in 2012 standing out. It was briefly shut down for health code violations and was sued by a former chef for $1.5 million.

Since opening the original 40/40 club in Manhattan others have popped up around the country. Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Brooklyn, and Atlanta got their own versions of the club in following years. The former two have since closed with the Vegas location in particular not lasting very long. Though the venture ultimately came to a close, Jay-Z is still among the most impressive businessmen in rap. Earlier this month Variety released a list of the best hip-hop executives and of course, Jay was included. He made the list alongside artists like 50 Cent, Dr, Dre, Diddy, Lil Wayne, and more.

Jay-Z’s Original 40/40 Club Closes

REPORT: Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in New York closes after 20 yearshttps://t.co/SCcNN8Mdgn

— XXL Magazine (@XXL) August 9, 2023

Last week, Jay-Z spotted a fan on NBC News showing off canvas painting of Beyonce that she took with her to the Renaissance tour. Clearly, Jay liked the paintings and reached out to in order to purchase the paintings from the fan. Her name was Lauryn Michele and she got to meet Jay and have a photo-op with him as he purchased the pieces.

Jay-Z is also looking into soccer ownership. His Roc Nation company recently made some investments into international soccer in Brasil and Italy. They also reportedly hope to one day join the ownership group of a Premier League team. What do you think of Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in New York being forced to close down? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Jack Harlow Turned Down Multiple Requests For Features From Le’Veon Bell

August 4, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Jack Harlow doesn’t collaborate often. He gave a very memorable guest verse on the Lil Nas X smash hit “INDUSTRY BABY” back in 2021. When he does collaborate these days, it’s almost always with major names. On his breakout album Come Home The Kids Miss You he teamed up with Drake, Lil Wayne, Pharrell, and Justin Timberlake. So when former NFL running back turned rapper Le’Veon Bell came calling, it’s not that surprising that Harlow didn’t pick up the phone. On a recent episode of The Shark Tank podcast, Bell sat down to discuss a variety of topics surrounding his rap career and his takes on rap music in general.

One of the stories he told is about trying to get a feature from Jack Harlow. While Harlow ultimately declined both of his requests he did so in a way that feels right for him. “Like, bro, I sent Jack Harlow two songs and he turned them both down. The first one, he’s like, ‘Nah bro, this one ain’t it.’ The second one, he was like, ‘Hey man, hey, you close on this one, but it still ain’t it,” Bell explains. During the episode, they also discuss some rappers who did provide features for him. Moneybagg Yo and Stunna4Vegas reportedly sent Bell the verses he requested but the songs are still sitting unreleased because Bell didn’t think their performances were good enough.

Le’Veon Bell Couldn’t Get A Jack Harlow Feature

Earlier this year Jack Harlow released his new album JACKMAN. The short project contained no features with Harlow handling all 10 of the songs by himself. The album has already received a handful of music videos and spawned hit tracks like “They Don’t Love It” and “Common Ground.”

Harlow has also done some acting this year. Aside from a cameo appearance on Lil Dicky’s show Dave, he also played one of the lead roles in a remake of White Men Can’t Jump. What do you think of Le’Veon Bell asking Jack Harlow for a feature and being rejected twice? Let us know in the comment section below.

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XXL Posts Finesse2Tymes Freshman Freestyle

June 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

As they do every year, XXL has selected a group of up-and-coming hip-hop stars that they think have a future in the genre. This year’s group features 12 new artists from across the rap music spectrum. Highlights from this year’s class include GloRilla, Lola Brooke, Fridayy, Central Cee, and Tia Corine. 11 of the artists were picked by XXL themselves. The list also has a special spot saved for fans to vote on. Milwaukee rapper and singer DC The Don was the winner of the fan-voted “10th Spot”. As part of the promotion the various freshman participate in a variety of activities. While the most popular of the bunch is always the group freshmen cyphers, a close second are their freestyles.

Yesterday, XXL posted the first freestyle of the bunch to their YouTube channel. The first of the freshman freestyles is handled by Memphis rapper Finesse2Tymes. He delivered a performance that lasted around a minute and a half. His intense performance leaned into his distinct deep voice and even brought a prop with him. He performed his freestyle alongside a stool that he used to make a beat to rap over. Reactions from fans seemed a bit mixed. Some thought it was cool that he rapped while making his own beat. Others thought he failed to even stay on the beat that he was making.

Finesse2Tymes Freestyle

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If Finesse2Tymes one day graduates from XXL freshman to rap superstar he would be far from the first. Superstars like Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Chance The Rapper, Megan Thee Stallion and Gunna have all been freshmen in the past. The best-known freshman class is the 2016 edition. That year’s list featured talents like Anderson .Paak, Dave East, and G Herbo. The most memorable part of that year was the legendary cypher it produced. Denzel Curry, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, and Lil Uzi Vert all teamed up for a cypher. The video went instantly viral and changed how all future cyphers were done. The continued success of everyone involved has made the performance even more legendary.

Finesse2Tymes himself is a freshman, but he’s not new. He’s been releasing music regularly since 2019. Last year he dropped his breakout project 90 Days which featured Tay Keith, Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, and Gucci Mane. What do you think of Finesse2Tymes XXL Freshman Freestyle? Let us know in the comment section below.

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DJ Drama Reveals Who He Wants To Work With For Future “Gangsta Grillz” Projects

May 30, 2023 by newhiphopnews

DJ Drama says that he hopes to work with GloRilla, Stove God Cooks, Ice Spice, and more on future Gangsta Grillz projects. He discussed his hopes for upcoming collaborations during an interview with XXL.

“I’ve had the conversation with Stove God [Cooks],” Drama revealed to the outlet. “I would love to do a project with him. I think a GloRilla Gangsta Grillz would be fire. Maybe even like Ice Spice or maybe Lady London. So many dope females out there.”

DJ Drama In Concert

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 12: DJ Drama performs onstage during “Vinyl Verse Summer” tour at Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood on August 12, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

He continued: “Obviously, a lot of people have always wanted the EST Gee Gangsta Grillz. Don’t get me started, so many people. I mean, would love to do a Brent Faiyaz Gangsta Grillz. It is endless. I think that’s one thing that’s dope and potent about Gangsta Grillz. It’s a platform and cross-generational.”

Drama has teamed up with numerous high-profile artists in recent years for Gangsta Grillz projects including Jeezy, Snoop Dogg, Symba, French Montana, NBA YoungBoy, Jim Jones, and more. Perhaps most notably, Drama worked with Tyler, The Creator on his Grammy-winning Call Me If You Get Lost in 2021. He also just dropped his latest studio album, I’m Really Like That, back in March. For that effort, he teamed up with Lil Wayne, Tyler, The Creator, Lil Baby, Jeezy, Lil Uzi Vert, Offset, T.I., Rick Ross, Jack Harlow, and several more. In addition to the list of artists Drama says he wants to work with, he recently also confirmed that he’s got a project with De La Soul in the works. Appearing on The Breakfast Club, he remarked, “De La Soul’s coming to streaming. I can’t be more excited. And we got a Gangsta Grillz coming! Little sidebar.”

Elsewhere in his interview with XXL, Drama discussed his relationship with Lil Uzi Vert and what it was like seeing the rapper get sober. He described the experience as being “eye-opening.”

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Lil Kim Wants More Credit For Writing For Other Rappers In XXL Cover Interview

May 19, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Of course, Lil Kim is absolutely a rap icon. But in a saturated landscape where new rappers come out every day, and old ones fall through the cracks, it’s never a bad time to give her the flowers she deserves. Recently, she appeared on XXL‘s latest cover and opened up about her career, accolades, and milestone moments during her interview. Specifically, though, she spoke on the rap game debating on ghostwriters and who deserves credit for songs when she’s written for a lot of artists, a feat she never got full praise for in the industry.

“Everyone calls me an icon, it’s an honor to me,” Lil Kim remarked to the publication. “It makes me smile, it makes me happy to know that people look at me that way because I never really saw that for myself. It just happened organically. There’s a few highlights of my career, but it’s funny ’cause I never had that ‘Oh my God, I made it’ moment. Even to this day, I feel like that moment is still coming. I’m so glad to see us women getting our recognition and everyone celebrating us. I think it’s a wonderful thing. And, by the way, all this talk about writing- I’ve [written] for other people. I wrote on Diddy’s album, check your credits!”

Lil Kim’s XXL Cover

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In addition, the Brooklyn star is also one to tribute those in the industry, older or newer, that have had a large impact. For example, Lil Kim recently filled in for Ludacris as the supporting act on Janet Jackson’s “Together Again” tour stop in Allentown, Pennsylvania. During her performance, she gave a dance rendition of Janet’s brother Michael’s hit song “Smooth Criminal,” one of his more beloved tunes. The same goes for how she honors the current biggest names in the rap game in particular.

The Brooklyn Queen’s Words On Ghostwriting In Rap

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While performing at Usher’s Lovers & Friends Festival, the 48-year-old danced along to Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock.” That track dominates the current rap landscape, in a similar way to the big hits that she pioneered. If nothing else, it’s only fair that someone as legendary as Lil Kim gets her deserved credit, especially when she often does so for the newer generation- and those before her. For more news and the latest updates on Lil Kim, stay logged into HNHH.

Lil Durk Discusses How Therapy Has Helped Him “Cope Different”

April 25, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Lil Durk says that he started going to therapy in order to learn how to “cope different.” Speaking with XXL for a recent interview, the 30-year-old rapper explained that he’s had trouble showing emotion in the past.

“Being more open. Being more open to letting [my new manager] Pete [Jideonwo] in,” he said. “Moving certain people out the way. That’s the best feeling. Therapy, the kids, the new team, all that. But the best feeling is really just starting over.”

Lil Durk On The “7220” Tour

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 09: Rapper Lil Durk performs onstage during the ‘7220’ Tour at YouTube Theater on April 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Durk continued: “I got a therapist so I cope different. … I don’t show emotion. So, some people will be like, ‘Man, you can’t hold it in.’ And I just can’t talk to nobody usually. You gotta be careful how you tell people, what you tell people, because they can use it against you. They can find out your weaknesses. So now, when I talk to the therapist, then it start getting more emotional. But like somebody on the street, you’ll never even see me shed a tear.” When asked if he started going to therapy to work through all death he’s experienced in his life, including the loss of King Von, Durk remarked, “Nah, I think I had to go to therapy fresh out the womb.”

Durk is far from the only rapper working on destigmatizing mental healthcare. Kendrick Lamar also recently opened up about going to therapy and the role it played in his latest album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Addressing the topic during Spotify’s mini-documentary, A Day In Ghana With Kendrick Lamar, he explained: “We learn to hold all our shit in. Shit, I’mma keep it 100 with you, it wasn’t my forte when people mention it to me. I’m stuck how my pops think,” he said. “I challenged myself to go to therapy. Shit, that’s like a whole new step in a whole new generation. That’s growth.” Check out Lil Durk’s XXL interview below.

Lil Durk’s “XXL” Cover

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