XXL

Fat Joe Reminisces On His Friendship With Big Pun

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Fat Joe has been in the music industry for decades, so it’s unsurprising that he has memorable stories to tell. In a recent interview with XXL, he reminisced about his fellow Terror Squad member, Big Pun. “Discovering Big Pun, I put him on the second album, and then we just focused on Pun.” he said, “Just making him a rap superstar. Pun became the first Latino solo artist to sell xx copies. Frenzy. Latinos never seen nothing like that.” The pair met in the 90s when the rapper went by Big Moon Dog.

Big Pun eventually changed his name to Big Punisher. The two rappers formed a strong lifelong friendship that Fat Joe carries with him even after Pun’s death. Fat Joe has done an incredible job keeping Big Pun’s memory alive.

Fat Joe’s “XXL” Cover

On the 23rd anniversary of his friend’s passing, he posted a heartfelt video on Instagram captioned, “RIP BIG PUN!!!! GRAMMY TALK @powertothepatients_.” It wasn’t the first message that Fat Joe has shared about his friend. In 2022, he shared a post on the 22nd anniversary of his friend’s passing. “22 years later we still celebrate your greatness,” he said. “My brother we miss you not a day goes by when we don’t think about or tell stories about you. The world got robbed of an incredible beautiful person 22 years ago was the worst day of my life. We try to hold it down for you as best as we can i know I’ll see you again. No one will ever be the TWINZ they can emulate we’ll take it as flattery we will always be the realest that cost no money just TRUST LOYALTY and RESPECT TS4LIFE” Several pictures of the diseased star accompanied the message.

Fat Joe has shared various other heartfelt messages about Big Pun on social media over the years. In 2019, he wrote on the 21st anniversary of Big Pun’s death. He also made an Instagram post wishing Pun a happy birthday on November 10th, 2020. Were you a fan of Big Pun? If yes, drop your favorite Pun song in the comments.

Fat Joe’s Interview With “XXL”

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Riff Raff Offers Home Studio Sessions For $15K An Hour

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If you’ve been looking for a studio to record in around the Wellington, Florida area, you’re in luck. Rapper Riff Raff just put his home studio up for rent for $15K an hour on the studio locating app Stufinder. Moreover, the Houston, Texas-born artist announced his offer on Thursday (February 23) for artists to record in “Riff Raff’s Realm.” Furthermore, the description reads: “Guard gated studio space at Riff Raff’s content house. Session includes a verse and social media post from Riff Raff. Studio comes equipped with Sony c800, Moog synths, Fender Rhodes, LA-2Way, Sony A7IV camera, air conditioning, snacks, and drinks.”

Also, smoking is allowed in the 60-minute session. Amenities include wheelchair accessibility, parking, a TV, bathroom, lounge, and fire alarm. According to Stufinder, the 41-year-old is the first rapper to list his home studio as part of the app’s services. “RiFF RAFF’s creative process and unique style can inspire you to think outside the box and experiment with new sounds, melodies, and lyrics,” the listing claims. “You can observe how he approaches writing, recording, and producing his music, and ask him questions about his influences, goals, and experiences.”

Riff Raff Offers His Home Studio

“Even if you don’t end up working on music together, you can still benefit from meeting RiFF RAFF in person and building a relationship with him,” it continued. “He may introduce you to other musicians, producers, or industry professionals, or recommend you to his fans and followers, increasing your exposure and credibility.” In fact, the rapper’s already released quite the output in 2023 to back this listing up. For example, he just dropped the single “Clout Collector” with Cash Motivated and AD Green.

Along with five other singles this year, he’s hard at work on his follow-up to his 2021 album, Turquoise Tornado. While Riff isn’t exactly the most acclaimed MC out there, something must be said about him still working on his career. After all, many who blew up in a similarly viral way might be in completely different avenues at this point. Regardless, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from Riff Raff and his potential new collaborators in the studio.

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G Herbo Reflects On How Leaving The Streets Helped His Career

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Chicago MC G Herbo cemented himself as one of the 2010s’ most pivotal rappers from the city. Moreover, his come-up from a hardened background fueled much of his most resonant and definitive artistry. In a new interview with XXL, G Herbo reflected on how leaving the streets behind ultimately helped his career move forward.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 30: G Herbo attends the BET Hip Hop Awards 2022 at The Cobb Theater on September 30, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

Furthermore, the interview broke down specific lyrics from the 27-year-old’s track “Outside Looking In.” It’s featured on his 2022 album, Survivor’s Remorse: A Side. In a particular moment in the interview, XXL asked Herbo when he made this realization.

“I always knew I was special,” the rapper said. “It was just my environment. The circumstances that I was up against that made me make certain decisions. It was always hope for me. I knew that I was gon’ make something of myself.

“When I used to go visit my aunt house, all they really did was gangbang and sell drugs and s**t,” he continued. “Don’t get me wrong, it was family vibes, but that’s what I was exposed to. At my grandmother house, she liked to gamble. Her crib was like a party spot, a gambling spot. They played cards all night. But when you a kid, they not really paying attention to us observing everything that’s going on around. Referring to the birds and bees, I never had those conversations with my parents growing up. It just happened naturally. I was exposed to that type of stuff early.”

Meanwhile, the “PTSD” artist recently looked back on his personal past, as well. After he admitted to cheating on Yung Miami’s Caresha Please podcast, Ari Fletcher believed that he owed her an apology. Even though it’s in a very different context, recent interviews and discussions opened Herbo up to some very interesting conversations. Hearing him speak on how he relates art to family is a fascinating account.

“I was ahead of my time,” the drill artist stated. “I was smart and people in my life that I looked up to, they looked at me as like, ‘That’s just lil Herbie, my lil cousin.’ They didn’t take me serious when I would bring up rap. When I was going to my first studio sessions and stuff like that, I never used to let my family hear my music or nothing. I never really spoke of my dreams and aspirations ’cause I learned early on, if people don’t see it for themselves, they’ll never really see it for you. All these years later, I’m still trying to like build that connection with my family.”

When asked how he changed his focused mindset to hip-hop rather than the streets, Herbo elaborated on the extent of that focus.

“I disassociated myself with the streets and with the outside world, I wasn’t engaged with nothing other than chasing my dreams. I believe in God, so when I have those moments where I feel chills or I have those deep thoughts. My calling, my destiny. I believe in that type of stuff, I wanted to focus on solely being a rapper. I took a flying leap of faith and I really did it.”

What do you think on G Herbo’s reflections on the streets and his career? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for more insights from hip-hop’s most talented minds.

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Anderson .Paak & Cordae Announce Drop J. Cole-Produced Track, “Two Tens”

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Cordae & Anderson .Paak will release “Two Tens,” a collaboration with J. Cole as producer. Moreover, XXL reported that new cover art for the team-up surfaced online, with it being all the official info fans have to go by. Still, this could be a really exciting cut from three versatile talents in the game right now.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 25: Anderson .Paak and YBN Cordae perform onstage at the LiveXLive Pre-Grammy Jam Featuring YBN Cordae And Friends at The Peppermint Club on January 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images for LiveXLive)

In fact, this would mark another collaboration for .Paak and the former YBN MC, who previously worked together on “RNP.” Furthermore, that song was on Cordae’s acclaimed 2019 effort, The Lost Boy. Since then, unfortunately, they haven’t made anything else together. However, “RNP” is filled with so much chemistry that the thought of a “sequel” is pretty enticing.

Then there’s the fact that J. Cole is apparently behind the board for this single. Given Cordae and Cole’s similar artistic lanes and clear kindred spirit, this will excite Stans of either artist. Funnily enough, the closest they’ve come to an official collaboration is Cordae’s track “Old n***as,” which uses the beat from Cole’s “1985.” Readers may remember that track as a tough conversation between “old heads” and “the new school.” To see that growth finalized on this upcoming track could be a special moment for hip-hop in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Off-Season MC and the Silk Sonic member collaborated on the latter’s 2018 album Oxnard for the song “Trippy.” Much like “RNP,” “Trippy” is all we’ve gotten as far as a collab, and it left fans salivating.

However, all artists have been busy with releases, singles, and achievements of their own. Most recently, J. Cole did something truly special and uploaded a verse he wrote over a “J. Cole type beat” on YouTube. What’s more is that he sent his song (titled “Procrastination (Broke)“) to the type beat’s producer so they could upload it to their channel. The veteran MC said that he was with little motivation, searching for inspiration, and found it in their beat.

How do you think this Cordae and Anderson .Paak track produced by J. Cole will shape up? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest rumored releases from your favorite artists.

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Ab-Soul Gets Candid In New Interview

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When it comes to hip-hop music from the 2010s, Ab-Soul is one of that era’s household names. His second studio album, 2012’s Control System, was one of the most popular projects that year, thanks to tracks like “Illuminate” and “Terrorist Threats.”

After years of absence, he returned late last year to drop his latest album, HERBERT. It serves as his first project in six years, since 2016’s Do What Thou Wilt.

Hip-hop artist Ab-Soul performs onstage during the Ice Cube, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock concert at Staples Center on June 27, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson/BET/Getty Images for BET)

On Tuesday (January 10), XXL published their new interview with the “DO BETTER” rapper. The 35-year-old talks about a range of topics including his new album and his struggles with mental health.

HERBERT is arguably the TDE rapper’s most intimate and expressive album of his career thus far. “The album Herbert is about getting back to self. I just kinda feel like I was becoming Ab-Soul more than Herbert. So, this album, to say the least, is dedicated to the people that refuse to call me Ab-Soul. That still call me Herbert or Herbie or Herb. It’s about getting back to the roots. Getting back to the foundation, to the source. Getting back to self,” says the L.A. native when asked about the meaning of the project’s title.

“This album, I really removed my ego and asked for help. Nobody’s bigger than the program. I asked for help. I didn’t just go pick beats or records,” he tells XXL. Elsewhere in the interview, he addresses substance abuse and mental health in society.

Ab-Soul is evidently not holding back when it comes to the rollout of his fifth studio album. In a prior recent interview with Charlamagne Tha God, the L.A. native even opens up about a suicide attempt.

“My jaw is f*cked up. I got a lotta work to do still. I’m about 85% on my foot. My foot is completely reconstructed, all the way to my pelvis, my femur, everything, was affected except my knee. If my knee would’ve been affected, I might not be walking,” he shares to Charlamagne.

Furthermore, on December 30, he took to his Twitter account to proudly declare HERBERT as a top-five album of 2022. “ALSO. My album IS top 5 of da year. F*cc all dat humble sh*t. Dead homies,” writes the 35-year-old in his tweet.

Regardless, it’s certainly great to see and hear Soulo opening up so candidly.

What are your thoughts on HERBERT and Ab-Soul’s new interview? Comment down below. Finally, make sure to stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest updates and releases.

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Eminem’s New ‘XXL’ Interview Explains How His Drug Addiction Hurt The Trajectory Of His ‘Encore’ Album

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Eminem VMAs 2022
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Eminem is decades into his historic rap career and showing no signs of slowing down. With such a storied and prominent career, many details still remain unknown to most. The Detroit rapper, in celebration of XXL‘s 25th anniversary, penned a personal story recounting all he has been through and how drug addiction spanning over multiple years affected his 2004 album Encore.

“My drug usage started at the beginning of that first album,” Eminem said, in reference to 1999’s The Slim Shady LP. “I didn’t take anything hard until I got famous. I was experimenting. I hadn’t found a drug of choice. Back then you went on tour and people were just giving you free drugs. I managed it for a little while. And then, it just became, I like this shit too much and I don’t know how to stop.”

He continued: “Encore took a whole f*ckin’ different trajectory because Encore was during my addiction. I was realizing I’m getting addicted to these f*ckin’ pills. I was just coming off The Eminem Show and the 8 Mile soundtrack and I started recording and had about seven or eight songs that were very much in the vein of what I do. But we ended up putting them out as a f*ckin’ bonus disc because the songs leaked. If those hadn’t leaked, Encore would’ve been a much different album.”

The rapper explained how “We As Americans,” “Love You More,” “Bully,” and “Evil Deeds” all leaked, with “We As Americans” originally intended to be the album’s opening song. “If that would’ve been on Encore and the other couple songs that leaked,” he wrote, “to me it would’ve been right there with The Eminem Show as far as its caliber.”

In having to start the recording process all over again, Eminem’s addiction grew and he was soon in a “goofy mood.” Said mood caused a change in the music he was making. “So now, I go make ‘Ass Like That,’ ‘Big Weenie,’ ‘Rain Man,’ all those silly songs, which I’m writing in f*ckin’ seconds at that point in time,” he wrote. “I was just writing high and feeling good about what I’m doing because I got f*ckin’ 20 Vicodin in me and this is fun to do, and I’m having fun, so f*ck it.”

Eminem had a hard time coming to grips with the fact he didn’t do his best after the album was released. Worst of all, for him, was the critical reception. “I released what I had at that point in time, and I feel that put a kind of a mark on my catalog,” he said. “Encore did some decent numbers, but I was never that concerned with numbers. I was more so worried about what people think about the album. Critics and fans were important to me, and they were always at me about that project.”

Check out Eminem’s full story on XXL here.