YG

Best Mixtapes From 10 Years Ago Ranked

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The best 25 tapes from 2011 created by Lil Wayne, Frank Ocean, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, Meek Mill and more. Continue reading…

YG-Affiliated Rapper Slim 400 Is Dead At 33 After Being Shot In Los Angeles

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slim 400 and yg
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Compton rapper Slim 400 is dead at the age of 33 after being shot and killed in Los Angeles, according to TMZ. Primarily known for his affiliation with fellow Comptonite YG, Slim 400 appeared on YG’s 2015 single “Twist My Fingaz” and on the Still Brazy album cut “Word Is Bond.” In addition to those higher-profile guest spots, Slim released a solid body of solo work, including the February 2021 album BompTTon, which featured appearances from Compton mainstay RJMrLA and rising Florida rapper Jackboy. The day before the shooting, he’d released the video for “Caviar Gold (IceWata).”

Incidentally, the rapper had narrowly escaped death in a previous shooting just a few years ago. In 2018, Slim underwent surgery after getting shot multiple times in Compton. While he made a recovery in that instance, he wasn’t as fortunate this time. Complex relayed a report from LA’s ABC News affiliate linking TMZ’s report to a shooting near 7th and Manchester — Inglewood — in which police officers on patrol heard gunshots nearby and investigated, finding a man lying on the ground suffering multiple gunshot wounds.

News of Slim’s death prompted an outpouring of grief on social media from the rapper’s fans and friends, who include Oakland rapper Kamaiyah. Kamaiyah was also affiliated with YG early in her career, and shared a photo of the three in lowrider during better times on Instagram.

Cozz Takes Stock Of His Life And The Lessons He’s Learned On The Introspective ‘Fortunate’ EP

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It just might be Dreamville season again. Only two months after North Carolina Dreamville rapper Lute released his long-awaited second studio album, Gold Mouf, another member of the throwback rap-centric crew has returned with his own comeback project. Inglewood native Cozz, who featured on Gold Mouf alongside Lute, has released his own EP, Fortunate, marking the end of a three-year wait for the follow-up to his 2018 debut album, Effected.

The EP consists of seven songs, including the previously released singles “Fortunate” and “Addicted.” It features production by longtime Dreamville beatmaker Elite, frequent crew colalborator T-Minus, and the group’s team captain J. Cole, as well as a guest appearance by fellow West Coast veteran YG, who appears on “Control Problems.”

Unfortunately, the release had a technical hiccup, resulting in the track order getting mixed up on DSPs. Cozz addressed the issue on Twitter, writing, “No lie I’m frustrated cuz I had an idea of how I want people to hear this ep but technical difficulties ddnt allow that to happen. What’s below is the order so if u care enough, listen as is but if not f*ck it the music is the same. This will be fixed by Friday enjoy. In other words the order is completely wrong on every listening platform.”

Fortunate is out now via Dreamville/Interscope Records. You can stream it here.

Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2021

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A year full of rising rap newcomers and seasoned vets that delivered a solid soundtrack over the last 12 months. Continue reading…

YG Provides Additional Mental Health Resources For Low-Income Residents In Los Angeles

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YG x BLMLA x BLDPWR protest
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YG is once again providing key resources to those who live in the Los Angeles area. This time, the rapper’s target audience is low-income residents who are in need of better health care services. YG, his TeleHealth program with Todd Gurly and Dion Rambo, as well as the City of Hawthorne program teamed up for an expansion of the TeleHealth Vans. According to Revolt, vehicles “physically transport internet-connected telecommunications, teleconferencing, and video-conferencing devices and services/computer applications” to areas, allowing for virtual meetups between physicians and residents of the city. They also work with health departments, clinics, adult centers, and foster care providers to provide low-income residents with these services.

Additional services from TeleHealth include mental health screenings and assistance with completing medical insurance submission forms. “TeleHealth Van is a service that we created for the people in the inner-cities,” YG said to TMZ about the program last summer. “It works like—you basically don’t leave your house if you got a mental health situation or got doctors you need to talk to. The van comes to your location and you get in the van—it’s basically like doing a Zoom call. You get in the van and you see your mental health worker or [doctor] over the screen, and y’all have y’all session.”

YG also spoke about how supportive the City of Hawthorne has been with his initiative. “The city is, for sure, getting involved, getting behind it,” he said. “Everybody loves the idea. They love the fact that it’s Black people doing something real for the Black community.”

Terrace Martin’s New Album ‘Drones’ Will Feature Cordae, Kendrick Lamar, And Ty Dolla Sign

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Although Terrace Martin’s last solo full-length collection came out four years ago (2017’s criminally overlooked Sounds Of Crenshaw Vol. 1 with The Pollyseeds), the Los Angeles producer has nevertheless remained busy throughout the past year, co-producing a number of EPs including They Call Me Disco with Ric Wilson and joining the jazz supergroup Dinner Party with 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington, and Robert Glasper. However, today he announced his solo return with Drones, a new album coming out this Friday, November 5.

Included on the album’s 13 tracks are appearances from a veritable who’s-who of hip-hop luminaries including Cordae, D Smoke, Kendrick Lamar, Smino, Snoop Dogg, Ty Dolla Sign, and YG. Martin’s Dinner Party bandmates Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper are also set to appear, along with a genre-hopping collection of rising stars and well-known hitmakers including Arin Ray, Celeste, Channel Tres, Hit-Boy, James Fauntleroy, Kim Burrell, and Kim Burrell.

In his press release for the new album, Martin teases the eclectic mix of sounds he intends to display throughout: “There are touches of R&B, touches of jazz, touches of hip-hop, touches of classical, Cuban music, West African music, house music,” he says. “You’re going to hear all elements of Black music within this record. It’s not one element I can leave out if I call myself a true Black artist.”

Drones is due 11/5 via Sounds of Crenshaw / BMG. You can pre-order here and check out the lead single, “Leave Us Be,” above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

YG Leads A Lowrider Caravan In His Sunny ‘Sign Language’ Video

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YG is back with a new G-Funk banger to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather in California. “Sign Language” is exactly what its title suggests: A gangbanging anthem encouraging listeners to talk with their hands, whether throwing up their sets or throwing punches at foes. With a drop-top-worthy beat from Realmind and Terrace Martin, YG leads a caravan of lowriders through the streets of LA, shows off some tricky footwork in a parking lot, and posts up at Angels Gate Park in San Pedro to soak up some sun at the picturesque basketball court.

“Sign Language” is YG’s first solo single of the year, but far from his only output so far in 2021. He’s actually had quite the prolific 2021, releasing a pair of projects including Gang Affiliated, a compilation showcase for his 4Hunnid label’s new signees Day Sulan and D3Szn; and Kommunity Service, YG’s joint mixtape with Sacramento rapper Mozzy which featured a string of breakout singles including “Perfect Timing” with Blxst, “Vibe With You” featuring Ty Dolla Sign, and “Dangerous” with Chicago rapper G Herbo. YG also appeared on OhGeesy’s solo single “Big Bad Wolf” and is booked to perform at Snoop Dogg’s Once Upon A Time In LA Festival. Could all this activity mean a follow-up to My Life 4Hunnid is coming soon?

Watch the “Sign Language” video above.

Most Remixed Hip-Hop Songs of the Last Decade

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If it didn’t get an unofficial remix, was it really a big song? Continue reading…