yasiin bey Archives - New Hip Hop News

Yasiin Bey To Return With “Money Christmas” EP On Bandcamp

December 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Yasiin Bey, one of the most elusive rappers of our time, is back… sort of. The Brooklyn MC formerly known as Mos Def is hitting fans with a bit of a curveball, which he’s been accustomed to doing now for the last several years. Recently, the Black Star artist made a big announcement to his Instagram page regarding a listening experience of sorts. “ASIIN BEY PRESENTS ‘MONEY CHRISTMAS’. LIVE STREAM PERFORMANCE EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON BANDCAMP. WHATEVER YOU THINK IT IS … IT’S NOT THAT,” He begins. “LIVE STREAM SUNDAY DECEMBER 15TH AT 8.00PM CET / 7.00PM GMT / 2.00PM EST / 11.00AM PST BROADCAST GLOBALLY.” This Money Christmas he’s referring to is what’s being billed as an EP.

For those wondering, tickets for the event were $7.99. He’s taking the songs he performed during this livestream and putting all of them onto this project. Of course, they are going to be mixed and mastered for everyone’s listening pleasure. Bey did say that the concert was still going to be available to watch for 48 hours after its conclusion. However, it’s nowhere to be found. According to Consequence Sound, “24-48 hours after the performance” the actual tape can be bought. So far though, Yasiin Bey has not shared Money Christmas on Bandcamp, the only place to hear it. Instead, it just says to pre-order for $9.99. With that said, that means there isn’t any information on the songs in any capacity. Hopefully, fans will be able to get their hands on it by sometime tonight or no later than Tuesday.

Money Christmas – Yasiin Bey

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Yasiin Bey (AKA Mos Def) Will Debut His First New Music In 5 Years With A Livestream Performance

December 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Remember how, during the lockdowns for COVID-19 in 2020, livestream performances were all the rage? Well, Yasiin Bey (who you might know as backpack rap pioneer Mos Def) hasn’t forgotten; he’ll be employing the livestream performance format as he debuts his first new music in five years, Money Christmas. The performance is slated for December 15 at 2 PM EST / 11 AM PST on Bey’s Bandcamp page. Access to the stream will be $7.99; afterward, fans will be able to access recordings of the video and audio tracks by purchasing limited-edition merch — including hoodies, stickers, and T-shirts — featuring a QR code linking to the archive.

Leave it to the perennial pioneer to push an innovative way to engage with and support the music. Bey’s most recent project, 2019’s Negus, took the form of an installation at Art Basel Hong Kong. Recorded in London in 2015, Negus will reportedly never be released on physical media or streaming services, meaning it can only be experienced live — sorta like that one-of-one Wu-Tang Clan album the Pharma Bro held hostage a few years ago. More recently, Bey reunited with Black Star partner in rhyme Talib Kweli to release their second album as a group, No Fear Of Time, nearly 25 years after their debut. Once again, they innovated; the album was initially only available exclusively on the podcast platform Luminary. Last year, though, they finally made it available on vinyl via Rhymesayers Entertainment.

Money Christmas will stream live on 12/15 and replay for 48 hours on Bandcamp.

BLACK STAR (yasiin bey and Talib Kweli) Announce ‘No Fear of Time’ Vinyl & CD Release

October 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Today, Black Star announces the physical release of their 2022 sophomore album No Fear of Time, available on vinyl and CD for the first time ever, November 22nd via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Pre-order available at blackstarkeepshining.com.

“The initial release of this album in itself was an artistic statement,” stated Rhymesayers CEO Siddiq Sayers. “To be bold enough to bring this highly anticipated album to fans in a non-traditional way that centers the art and artist first is exactly what artistic independence is about. That spirit is at the core of what we’ve done at Rhymesayers for close to 30 years, and we’re proud to bring this album from a group so important to the culture into the world in the physical form.”

No Fear of Time finally reunites one of the greatest hip-hop duos of all-time nearly a quarter century after their debut. Group members yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, both enormously influential hip hop artists in their own right, first joined forces as Black Star to deliver their iconic 1998 breakout, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, which quickly became one of hip-hop’s most revered works and launched both already-rising stars into the stratosphere.

After years spent nurturing their respective solo careers, the duo returned with the Madlib-produced No Fear of Time in 2022, recorded guerrilla-style around the globe in hotels and in dressing rooms at Dave Chappelle’s shows over the course of four years and released exclusively via the podcast platform Luminary. Luminary is also the home of The Midnight Miracle podcast, which the duo hosted with Chappelle. An official video was produced for album highlight “So Be It,” which the duo also performed during their SNL debut, as well as a lyric video for “o.G.”

The album will be available on single-LP vinyl, CD, and cassette, along with a limited deluxe double-LP that includes both the main version and the instrumentals, each pressed on 180-gram vinyl in unique color treatments blending opaque white and opaque gold with translucent black ice and a metallic star effect. This deluxe vinyl edition is limited to 2000 units and features a foil stamped and numbered matte gatefold jacket, two full-color printed record sleeves, an 8-page matte lyric booklet, and an exclusive silver foil laminated heavyweight insert. Additionally, 300 units of the deluxe vinyl will be available as a premium bundle, which will include everything in the deluxe 2xLP vinyl package, with insert hand-signed by all three artists – yasiin bey, Talib Kweli and Madlib – along with a No Fear of Time t-shirt and a pair of Black Star slipmats.

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Laila! Showcases Her Immense Talent On New Album “Gap Year!”

September 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Laila! is a young up and coming artist who just so happens to be the daughter of Yasiin Bey. However, make no mistake, she is carving out her own lane for herself. In fact, her immense talent should eradicate any sort of “nepo baby” allegation. With her hit song “Not My Problem,” Laila! was put on everyone’s radar earlier this year. Now, she is here with her new album Gap Year! and it is one of the most gorgeous r&b albums you will hear all of 2024.

The new project is a total of 17 songs and it last for about 45 minutes. It is the perfect length and it contains some amazing melodies that will help get you through the Fall cuffing season. Overall, these tracks are filled with heartbreak and lyrics about the pitfalls of relationships. Laila! is a great songwriter and with each track, she showcases just how much potential is there. Hopefully, fans will tap in and give the whole project a listen. It is well-deserved.

Let us know what you think of this new project from Laila!, in the comments section down below. Did you enjoy this new effort from the songstress? Do you believe she has a future in the music world? How do you want her to evolve with her next project? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

Laila! Handles All 17 Songs By Herself

Tracklist:

Talent Show
SINK 2 RISE
R U DOWN?
If U Don’t Know By Now
Want 2
Sani (Homework Freestyle)
Like That!
Grand Opening
Blackberry (Date 4 Prom)
Mami Nelly
Could Be
If You’re Listening (interlude)
We’re So Over!
IDONTNEEDUANYMORE
Not My Problem
Flyer Than U
Coupe DeVille

The post Laila! Showcases Her Immense Talent On New Album “Gap Year!” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Is Laila! Really Mos Def’s Daughter?

August 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Over the past couple of months, if you were online at all, there’s a strong likelihood you heard “Not My Problem,” the catchy breakout single from New York rising star Laila! (yes, the punctuation is part of her name). If you did any research on the 18-year-old artist, you might have learned a surprising tidbit: Laila! was rumored for the past year to be the daughter of a hip-hop icon, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def of Black Star).

However, since she is such a new artist, it was hard to confirm this fact, as she’d done almost no interviews and only released a handful of well-received singles. So…

Is Laila! Really Mos Def’s Daughter?

As it turns out… yes! She confirmed her parentage in an interview with Complex‘s Jordan Rose. While the interview hasn’t been published yet as of this writing, Complex shared a clip on social media. While she said he didn’t give her any specific special sauce to help her on her way, he was supportive of her artistic journey. “I have just always been my own artist in a way,” she said. “That’s the cool thing, because I feel like as a kid, whenever we would just jam sesh and vibe out, me and him, I always had my own style. I always had my own thing going on. And he’s always just been like, ‘Okay kid, I see you.’”

Laila! Confirms Yasiin Bey Is Her Dad: ‘The Rumors Are True’ https://t.co/xj0xzIph6n

— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) August 2, 2024

An interview that was published was with established hip-hop media personality Angela Yee, in which she addressed her dad again. “They’ve always been so supportive of everything that I’ve wanted to do,” she said. “They never question what I want to do. My mom, my dad, you guys have always just been like, ‘Okay, that’s what she’s gonna do. That’s Laila!’ And I feel like that’s always made me feel like I can take on the world, or I can show the world who I am because I’ve always had that in my life.”

You can check out the full interview below.

Yasiin Bey Disses The Big Three On Slick “Like That” Freestyle

May 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Yasiin Bey needs no introduction. He’s one of the most acclaimed rappers of his generation, and someone who’s been praised for putting artistry before commercialism. It’s this propensity for artistry that led Bey aka Mos Def to criticize Drake during a January interview. He claimed the Toronto rapper failed to meet his definition of hip-hop. A lot has transpired since then, however. The Big Three was destroyed by Kendrick Lamar, and Drake took another high profile L in a rap battle.

Yasiin Bey has decided to resurface in the aftermath of the Drake vs. Kendrick battle and drop a new freestyle. His instrumental choice? The song that started the whole Big Three conflict in the first place, “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin. Bey sounds sharp as ever over the sparse beat, but the lines that turned the most heads were aimed squarely at the Big Three. The Black Star rapper appears to criticize the artists connected to the moniker for being superficial and greedy.

Yasiin Bey Claimed The Big Three Is “Not Much To Look At”

“Greedy, seedy, and creepy/Corny, horny, and boring,” Bey raps. “Bougie, goofy, and moody/Foolish, ruthless, and clueless/Variations on a petty Big 3/A whole lot to look at, but not much to see.” Calling rap’s most popular artists “petty” is enough to offend the younger generation, but Bey doubles down and claims that the Big Three don’t provide much substance. “A whole lot to look at, but not much to see” is a root of the rapper’s original problem with Drake.

In the aforementioned January interview, Bey dubbed Drake a “pop artist” instead of a rap artist. “Drake is pop to me,” he asserted. “In the sense like if I was in Target in Houston and I heard a Drake song. It feels like his music is compatible with shopping. You know, shopping with an edge in certain instances.” He drew so much negative attention for his comments that he clarified them on Instagram. That said, he stood by his opinion. “I require more of myself and others than just talent or charm or charisma,” he told Drake. “Particularly in times of urgent crisis.” Bey’s freestyle can be seen, consequently, as a triple down.

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De La Soul To Stream Classic NY Show With Yasiin Bey, Common, And More

April 25, 2024 by newhiphopnews

In the past year, De La Soul have returned to the rap world in a major way. After a long drought of new material they finally were able to make much of their collection available on streaming services for the first time. This allowed an entire generation of new rap fans to get into their music and sparked newfound interest in the legendary trio. Now those same fans will have a chance to see what they were like in their absolute prime when a legendary show will be livestreamed on YouTube.

De La Soul made the announcement earlier this week that an iconic New York show from 1996 would be livestreaming. “Join us this Friday, April 26th at 2 PM ET for an unforgettable experience as we premiere the full concert “Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996” on YouTube. Witness the magic of that historic night, complete with special guest appearances by @MosDefOfficial, @Common, and @JungleBros4Life,” the tweet they made announcing the livestream reads. Alongside the post they shared a brief sippet of the show letting fans know exactly what they can expect. Check out the announcement post they made below.

De La Soul Will Livestream A Classic Concert

Join us this Friday, April 26th at 2 PM ET for an unforgettable experience as we premiere the full concert “Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996” on YouTube. Witness the magic of that historic night, complete with special guest appearances by @MosDefOfficial, @Common, and @JungleBros4Life pic.twitter.com/oCPwQrnJWS

— De La Soul (@WeAreDeLaSoul) April 24, 2024

De La Soul’s comeback continued last month when they got some good news about one of their classic albums. The rap trio’s critically acclaimed 1989 debut 3 Feet High And Rising was officially added to the Grammy Hall of Fame earlier this month. It was joined by yet another iconic rap debut, Mr. Lauryn Hill’s first solo album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.

For fans of the group, there might be some feelings of deja vu. They just livestreamed a different concert with Nas and Wu-Tang Clan on Amazon Music last year. What do you think of De La Soul livestreaming a legendary New York concert on YouTube later this week? Do you plan on tuning in to watch the iconic show? Let us know in the comment section below.

[Via]

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[WATCH] Yasiin Bey Clarifies Remarks on Drake: “No Hate, Just Honest Opinion”

January 30, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Two weeks ago, conscious rapper Yasiin Bey sparked a wave of discussion when he was quoted claiming that Drake’s music is not representative of true Hip Hop. Now, in a recent video shared on Instagram, Bey seeks to clarify his statement and shed light on his perspective.

In the video, Yasiin Bey begins by emphasizing that his comments about Drake’s music were not intended as an attack or a form of disrespect. Instead, he asserts that as an artist and a member of the Hip Hop community, he is entitled to his opinion and to engage in constructive critique.

“I have no hate for Drake,” Bey states firmly. He goes on to explain that he has reached out to Drake directly to express his thoughts, but has yet to receive a response. Despite this, Yasiin Bey extends an open invitation for a face-to-face meeting with Drake, emphasizing his willingness to engage in a respectful dialogue at any time.

Importantly, Bey makes it clear that his critique of Drake’s music does not stem from a place of jealousy or resentment towards the Canadian rapper’s success. “I have no issue with Drake’s success,” he affirms. “I would never try to diminish his talent or his accomplishments.”

Yasiin Bey acknowledges that criticism directed at Drake in the past has often been mean-spirited and unfair, and he makes it clear that he does not wish to contribute to that negative discourse. “I don’t want to be part of that energy,” he states.

However, despite his intentions to offer constructive criticism, Yasiin Bey maintains that Drake is not above critique.

Thoughts? Watch Below.

The post [WATCH] Yasiin Bey Clarifies Remarks on Drake: “No Hate, Just Honest Opinion” first appeared on The Source.

The post [WATCH] Yasiin Bey Clarifies Remarks on Drake: “No Hate, Just Honest Opinion” appeared first on The Source.

Yasiin Bey Admits Drake Is A ‘Talented MC,’ But That Doesn’t Mean He Takes Back What He Said About Drake’s ‘Pop’ Music

January 30, 2024 by newhiphopnews

In an interview earlier this month, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) said of Drake, “Drake is pop to me, in the sense like, if I was in Target in Houston and I heard a Drake song… it feels like a lot of his music is compatible with shopping. Or shopping with an edge in certain instances… It’s likable.”

That got some reactions online, including from Drake himself. Now, Bey has explained himself further.

In an Instagram Live broadcast yesterday (January 29), he said:

“Drake, if you’d like to speak to me directly, you can at any point. I reached out to [Dave] Chappelle, I actually reached out to you. I DM’d you. You are a very talented MC, but for me, I require more of myself and others than just talent or charm or charisma, particularly in times of urgent crisis. And what I would like to see, in terms of creators or creative people in the world, as it relates to our culture, is for people to connect with us beyond the jukebox or the dance floor.

A fair-weather friend can hardly be called a friend at all. The people who party with you: that’s cool. But will they show up for you when you’re at the triage?”

Check out the video below.

Yasiin Bey admits Drake is a “talented MC” but wants more substance in his music pic.twitter.com/1VAO5D3dkO

— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) January 30, 2024