Earlier this week, Ariana Grande released her new album Eternal Sunshine. The highly-anticipated new album is her first since 2020’s Positions. The album was already led off by a successful lead single “yes, and?.” The song debuted at the very top spot on the Hot 100 and is still hovering inside the top 30 weeks later. To celebrate the release of the album, she sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. They discussed some of the most relevant details of the project.
During the interview, she spoke on one of the tracks that grabbed fan’s attention immediately. The track is called “The Boy Is Mine” and it draws heavily from the Brandy and Monica smash hit of the same name. The track spent a stunning 13 weeks at number one on the Hot 100 and went on to win a Grammy. “I love that song. I’ve always wanted to reimagine that song in some kind of way. I was kind of like, ‘This is a very bad idea.’ But there is a large group of my fans that really do love a bad girl anthem, and this is kind of an elevated version of that,” Grande explained. Check out the full interview below.
Ariana Grande’s new album is expected to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 next week. The project has the chance for a massive debut and could be one of the biggest first weeks of any new album in 2024. With it, nearly the entire tracklist of the album is expected to debut on the Hot 100. That could also include a major rise for “yes, and?.” Chart speculation sites project that it could go as high as the top 5 in next week’s charts.
What do you think of Ariana Grande’s initial skepticism to making “The Boy Is Mine?” What do you think of the final version of the song? Let us know in the comment section below.
Usher says that he’s still upset that his iconic 2004 album, Confessions, didn’t win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. Ray Charles’ final studio album, Genius Loves Company, took home the honor that year instead. Usher reflected on the loss during an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe following his performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“I didn’t win Album Of The Year that year, and I’m still a little like, ‘Damn.’ I don’t know if there’s been an album that has actually sold as many or been as influential as that album has been,” he said. From there, he explained that artists do care about what happens at the Grammys.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: Usher performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“Artists care [about winning Grammys]. And I’m happy to see the progress that they are making, but it doesn’t change the fact that we have feelings and we have lived in a time where you’re supposed to be poised and conduct yourself in a certain manner,” he said. “But I think when you finally get to an age where you’re like, ‘Hey man, love it or hate it, this is how I feel,’ rather you choose to do something for history, not just for me or these young artists. That’s good. But do you do things for history? I did.” Check out Usher’s full conversation with Apple Music below.
Usher Speaks With Zane Lowe
Confessions was Usher’s fourth studio album. While it didn’t win Album of the Year, the project did help Usher take home three Grammy Awards. He won Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (“My Boo”) and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (“Yeah!”). Be on the lookout for further updates on Usher on HotNewHipHop.
Life’s too short to be tied into unnecessary rap beef. If “Heaven’s Galaxy” musician Kid Cudi could repair his previously rocky relationship with Kanye West, mending things with Lupe Fiasco was a piece of cake. Shortly after Fiasco’s abrasive comments on X (formerly Twitter), the pair seems to have ironed out their issue. Unfortunately, that moment of peace didn’t last long.
However, on January 20, Cudi revealed that after a tense conversation, their beef had officially come to an end. “Just talked to Lupe,” he wrote on X. “[We] had a great talk. I know I was wrong and told him I shouldn’t have done that fuck sh*t I did. I called myself looking out for the fans in the moment, but in reality, I was just hating. I apologized, and he accepted it. Which I appreciated for real. I understand the anger and vitriol he had for me all these years, and I wasn’t mature enough to step up and just have a conversation and admit I was wrong.”
“We, as black men, need to be united.,” he added. “He always had love for me. Always supported me. I shouldn’t have done him like that. I wanna thank my guy Ibn for setting the call up, and u, the fans, for being real with me and urging us to speak. We are good now. Brand new journey.”
Just talked to Lupe. Had a great talk. I know I was wrong and told him I shouldnt have did that fuck shit I did. I called myself lookin out for the fans in the moment, but in reality I was just hating. I apologized and he accepted it. Which I appreciated foreal. I understand…
During Cudi’s interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he revealed the origins of their friction, which triggered Fiasco’s online remarks. The beef between the two music had been brewing for a long while.
Cudi recently sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe for an interview, and during the chat, he spoke about his time nearly brushing into Fiasco in 2008 while working at Bape’s retail store in New York. Cudi spoke about hiding from rappers when they would shop at the location to avoid giving them ammunition for future diss tracks. One of those rappers so happened to be Lupe Fiasco.
“If I get famous one day, I don’t ever want these n****s saying, ‘Yo, you sold me clothes. You my son,’” he said. “I couldn’t have that. This was my explanation. And when you think about it he hates me ’til this day. He hates me. So, it’s like I was right. I was onto something. I sensed something in the universe.”
On January 19, after getting wind of Cudi’s interview, Fiasco took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a message with his longtime foe. He wrote, “Kid Cudi is a b*tch. And continues to be a b*tch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his b*tch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous b*tch with a cool job.”
Kid Cudi is a bitch. And continues to be a bitch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his bitch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous bitch with a cool job.
He just couldn’t stay away, as INSANO‘s release marked Kid Cudi’s return to music—kind of. His short-lived retirement threw fans for a loop, but not everyone was convinced he would be gone for long, even Cudi. As the reviews pour in for Cudi’s 11th album, the hitmaker chopped it up once again with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1. These two have a history of intimate conversations encompassing Kid Cudi’s life, career, and personal growth, and this falls right in line.
As expected, the pair discussed INSANO at length, especially Cudi’s fairweather retirement. He admitted it wasn’t anything that he was set on, but Cudi didn’t feel as if fans were really hungry for new music. With INSANO, it seems that Cudi is welcoming criticism with open arms. “I’m just trying to compete,” he said.
“I want to have the best album of the year. You know what I mean?” Cudi continued. “I want people to arguably have the debate about my sh*t being one of the best albums of the year. I didn’t want to have any doubts. I wanted to make something that was completely undeniable.”
Moreover, it isn’t just Kid Cudi’s music that has found the Ohio native under scrutiny. His public fallouts with good friend Kanye West have made headlines, leaving many to believe their cemented bond was fractured. Yet, these two are more than simply collaborators and friends, and Kid Cudi spoke about reuniting with Ye for a fresh start. He even said Ye is aware of the impact of his controversies.
“I had this moment to think about the past and the journey that I’ve had with this person, and I know that in his soul,” said Cudi. “There is a good man there because I’ve seen it, and you don’t give up on people. He’s learning, and he’s growing. He knows he made some mistakes and I think that that’s the beauty of it, is this is a beautiful thing.”
Check out a few highlights from Kid Cudi’s chat with Zane Lowe—his feelings about approaching 40, snagging an XXXTentacion posthumous feature, working with Lil Yachty, why he wants to make the best music possible, and hiding from Lupe Fiasco (and other rappers) while working at the BAPE store back in 2008.
Kid Cudi On His Short-Lived Retirement & Returning To Music
[When I said that] I was kind of out of it. I was just in this place where I was thinking about my future, and it didn’t seem like, I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem like there was really an appetite for my music in the ways that there used to be. Finally got through that whole retirement thing because I talked to my friend Brian, the world knows him as Kaws. But he was like, “Hey, man, I don’t mean to get in your business, but I think you should rethink this retirement thing. I think you could be around for a long time.”
to see Brian kind of come to me real like that, and he’s never approached me about my music or what I should do with my music ever before. So, it hit me in a different way as if it was like it could have been Dot or Chip or Dennis. It was different. And literally after that message, I was like, “Sh*t, man. He’s right. I’m just getting warm. I’m just getting warm.” I mean, 15 years is a long time to be doing anything, but it’s just the beginning.
I was still in this place trying to figure out what that album would sound like. And I was in Paris, I just finished my European Runner tour, and I go to see Kendrick. And this motherf*cker, it blew my mind. I’m sitting there, I’m watching the crowd reaction from the beginning of the show to the end of the show. People were in it, party mode, singing every f*cking word.
Not saying this doesn’t happen at my shows, because it does. But all the way through, I don’t have that experience. You know what I mean? And it’s like I had this moment where I was like, “You know what? This is the reaction I want. I want people to feel good and it to be a joyous occasion when I’m performing.” So I took that, the inspiration from Kendrick’s show. And Kendrick has always been my top three artists in the world.
Kid Cudi On His Relationship With Kanye West & Working With Ye
It’s usually one person does something where the other one has to defend themselves, but usually you like to keep these things private. But sometimes, they can come out. I think in my situation, it’s a little bit more complicated. Me personally, I just pray on it and walking the light. The new Scott is not angry at anyone. The new Scott doesn’t have beef with anyone, and I just try to focus on that.
Any past thing I ever had, sometimes it’s been I might fall out with somebody and never talk to them ever again. And then sometimes I fall out with somebody and might not talk for a couple years, and then we reconnect, and it’s squashed, and it’s all good. So, it depends. It’s like friendships, really it’s beyond friendship, is about when it’s brotherly, sisterly sh*t, family sh*t. It’s just a little bit more complicated.
So, you go through things, but family is always there. You don’t give up on family. And I think in the thick of it, when it was going down, I wanted to walk away. I wanted to give up, but in thinking about it the past couple years, it’s like this is someone who is my brother ultimately who came into my life and championed me and did things for me that nobody else did for me early on in my career. People don’t even know that Kanye paid for the first “Day ‘N’ Night” video when I didn’t have a deal. This was like, he needs a video, so I’mma pay for it. Guy saw me to shoot it, saw me the first director. Didn’t know me, but was sure just doing a favor.
And so, sh*t like that. I had this moment to think about the past and the journey that I’ve had with this person, and I know that in his soul, there is a good man there because I’ve seen it, and you don’t give up on people. He’s learning, and he’s growing. He knows he made some mistakes and I think that that’s the beauty of it, is this is a beautiful thing. It’s like he knows he’s been on one hell of a ride, and he knows he’s said some things that he might not be able to come back from in a lot of realms, in a lot of spaces from certain people.
But we grow, and I think I pray for him, and that’s my brother. And the reason why we became cool again is because he apologized to me, and it was sincere. I was just like, wow. Kanye does not apologize to anybody and say sorry to anyone. And that’s my brother, man. I know he loves me, and there’s just nothing like Kanye and Cudi. We like the duo that everybody loves to see.
On Wanting To Make The Best Music Possible
LONG BEACH, CA – APRIL 29: Rapper Kid Cudi performs onstage during the Smokers Club Festival at The Queen Mary on April 29, 2018 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
I feel like all these years, I’ve kind of been exploring as an artist, and I’ve been on a quest. A quest to acquire my powers to be able to compete one day, and that was one of the goals I had going into this. It’s like, no, I’m not going to just make my just offbeat different sh*t and just be in my own lane. No, I’m just trying to compete. I want to have the best album of the year. You know what I mean? I want people to arguably have the debate about my sh*t being one of the best albums of the year. I didn’t want to have any doubts. I wanted to make something that was completely undeniable.
On Closing In On 40 Years Old
CHICAGO – AUG 01: Kid Cudi performs at 2015 Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 1, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
I feel great. It’s like most people my age are afraid to tell their age. But I have found from experience that time gives me wisdom, and growth, and maturity. And when I think about my twenties, I would not want to live that over again. I would never want to go through that. And based on my experience, the older I’ve gotten, the better my life has. I just feel really good about being where I’m at. Being 40, I didn’t even know I would get here. I feel really blessed, man. It’s kind of crazy to know that I went through that hell. I didn’t see any way out of it at that time. I didn’t think…
On Working At The BAPE Store In NYC & Hiding From Rappers
Man, Kirk Franklin came through one time, and I helped him out with some clothes. Kirk Franklin, you remember me, man? Kirk Frank is the freshest dude, man. He’s so fresh. So when he came in, I was like, yo, Kirk Frank’s in the BAPE store shopping. He was buying mad sh*t. I was running down, getting him new shoes. He was like, “Yo, what you think about this with this?” I was like, “Oh yeah, man, this is dope. You could wear this with this. This is dope fit right here.” I was hooking them up, setting them up with fits, all sorts of sh*t. But I also had this phobia that rappers would come into the store and see me working there and then have beef with me later and bring up the fact like, “N****, you sold me clothes.” So, I would always hide in the stockroom.
On Working With Lil Yachty
There’s new people that I’m working with like Yachty, of course, who I’ve learned that we have crazy chemistry on record as well. You know what I mean? And we’re actually—there’s something going on with me and Yachty…like just more music between me and him. We’re trying to figure something out. Every so often, I’ll work with somebody and be like, oh my God, he’s like me. He has powers. Yachty got powers. And when we were sitting there, we must’ve banged out three, four songs. So, there’s a little bit more of Yachty on the deluxe, and he sounds amazing.
On Making A Song With XXXTentacion
Well, it was really like one of these things where I’ve heard it’s this version of a song that X had did on one of my songs on “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven,” and I tweeted out, “Is this real?” And I ended up connecting with John Cunningham, who worked very closely with X, and he met up with me. He came to the studio. We talked a little bit. He played me the joint. It’s amazing. At some point, we have to give it out. I want them to have it. I don’t even want it. I just want to make sure that they have what they need. I’ll clear it, whatever they got to do.
But I didn’t want to ask them for a verse. I think that’s weird. So, I was like, “Man, maybe there’s something that he’s done that I could probably flip.” And I couldn’t really find that except for “Orlando” because it had no drums. And it was hitting me out of all the songs that I heard, just like, I was like, if this is not calling me to the Cudi vibes, this is just speaking to me. And I hit up John, I got the pieces to the session, got the vocals, and we were like, “Yo, just produce it up and make it brand new.” I was like, “Man, this is a gift. It was there. It was ready to be manipulated. It had no drums. It was really bare. It was there.”
So, I took that as a sign from the Heavens and went to the studio and just conjured up something and pieced together parts. And I loved his cadence and his melodies on the verse. I thought it would be cool for fans to see me be inspired by him and do his vibe. And be in his space for a little bit. Then, I wanted to just have the second half be like, this is the uplifting part. This is where we’re at right now. The light, the love. We came from the darkness.
Because X is just a reflection from my younger days, to me. I see a young man that’s hurting. I was hurting. And this song, I felt his pain. Even though it’s a verse that’s been out before, I saw some people complaining about that, whatever. But it was like a remix. My way of just showing love and giving people an idea of what an X and Cudi feature would sound like.
Earlier this month, Kid Cudi got 2024 started with a bang. He dropped his new album INSANO after much anticipation. Alongside new albums from 21 Savage and Kali Uchis, a time of the year that’s normally pretty slow got some major releases. INSANO follows up Cudi’s 2022 album Entergalactic which also served as the soundtrack to an animated special of the same name. His last official studio album was 2020’s Man On The Moon III.
Cudi didn’t hold anything back for the new record either. INSANO is stacked full of high-profile features. Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, XXXTENTACION, Lil Wayne, and Young Thug all make appearances across the record’s 21-song tracklist. But in addition to the impressive roster of collaborators, there were also some big voices influencing the record. During a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, Cudi discussed the album at length. He revealed one surprising artist who had a heavy influence over the album. Kendrick Lamar. Check out the full interview below.
In the interview Cudi explained his starting point for INSANO. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve done all these different types of albums, I’ve touched on all the different types of spaces creatively, sonically. What is the one thing that I haven’t accomplished?” he said. “And I was still in this place tryna figure out what that album would sound like. I was in Paris, I just finished my European run of tour and I go to see Kendrick. And this muthaf*cka, it blew my fucking mind.”
He elaborates on how Kendrick’s live show left him stunned and inspired. “I’m sitting there, I’m watching the crowd reaction from the beginning of the show ’til the end. People were in it, party mode, singing every f*cking word. I’m not saying this doesn’t happen at my shows, ’cause it does. But all the way through, I don’t have that experience. I had this moment where I was like, ‘You know what? This is the reaction I want.” What do you think of Kid Cudi explaining how Kendrick Lamar influenced his new album INSANO? Let us know in the comment section below.
Kanye West and Kid Cudi’s friendship has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years. The duo recently reconciled, however, much to the delight of fans. It appears as though Cudi will even be featured on Ye’s eagerly-anticipated upcoming album with Ty Dolla Sign, Vultures. Ye also showed support for Cudi’s latest project INSANO this week on Instagram. It was a simple screenshot, but regardless, it was a huge leap from where they were just last year.
They also reunited in December for Ye’s Vultures listening party in Vegas, hugging it out in a clip that made its rounds online. Kid Cudi reflected on their fallout and eventual reunion during his recent conversation with Apple Music‘s Zane Lowe, revealing that he sees Kanye as family.
“People don’t even know that Kanye paid for the first ‘Day ‘n’ Night’ video when I didn’t have a deal,” he explained. “Just was like, ‘He needs a video, so I’m gonna pay for it.’” Kid Cudi went on, describing how while Kanye’s gotten himself wrapped up in plenty of controversy, he’s able to look past it. “I had this moment to kind of think about the past and the journey that I’ve had with this person… I know that in his soul there is a good man there, cuz I’ve seen it, and you don’t give up on people. You know? He’s learning and he’s growing. He knows he’s made some mistakes, and I think that’s the beauty of it.”
Cudi continued, describing Ye as his “brother” and revealing how they eventually made up. “He apologized to me, and it was sincere,” he said. “I was just like ‘Wow, Kanye does not apologize to anybody, he doesn’t say sorry to anyone.’” What do you think of Kid Cudi’s explanation for deciding to forgive Kanye West? Do you think they should collaborate again in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Earlier this month, SZA sat down for a very long conversation with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. The interview has been making waves for weeks now as the R&B darling gets impressively candid on a variety of subjects. She also revealed plenty of details to fans about her massive 2023. The year saw her riding the massive success of her album SOS to two massive hits in “Kill Bill” and “Snooze.” But despite all of her success, there is at least one thing she still thinks she can improve on.
“My biggest priority now is being an emotionally regulated person with healthy relationships,” she explains at the beginning of the segment. That’s in line with something else she says in the interview about fame. She feels like the sensation of being famous is unnatural and wants to escape it. The singer also goes on to explain how she’s also praying to control her temper. She wants “to be slower to anger, like I literally pray, like oh, you know, may I be slower to be anger, may I be calm, like filled with love and kindness.” Check out the full interview below.
SZA concluded the segment by saying that she just wants to be a better person. “and not in like the idea of what a good person is, I want to be honest enough to create boundaries, healthy boundaries and I want to be honest enough to say no,” she claims. The new interview sheds plenty of light on what the R&B darling may have been up to privately in the past few years. There was a 5-year gap between the release of SOS and her previous album CTRL.
Earlier this month there was discussion online about SZA’s hit “Snooze.” Fans were discussing the list of songwriters involved in the track. That was until Punch from her label Top Dawg Entertainment had to weigh in. He clarified that she did, in fact, write every word of the song herself. What do you think of SZA’s perspective on controlling her temper and being less quick to anger? Let us know in the comment section below.
While it’s obvious that SZA had an absolutely massive 2023, she may have accomplished even more than people realize. During a recent interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music she reflected on a year that saw her star power reaching higher than ever before. During one segment of the interview when she focuses on what’s next she makes a surprising revelation. “I don’t have any more goals,” she revealed.
In an effort to explain herself, she discussed the incredibly impressive list of achievements she’s pulled off. “I didn’t think I would ever go platinum. I sold a bunch of records, I got to meet Stevie Wonder, I got to meet Beyoncé and work with her, I got to meet Frank Ocean. My mom came and my dad came to all these cool countries to see me perform. I’ve had sold-out shows, I got to headline a festival,” she explained. “I’m nominated for Grammys. I’ve won a Grammy. I’m done, for me, personally. … Anything past this is so much more than I wanted, thought of, dreamed of.” It’s a fair question to wonder what else is even left for her to achieve. Check out the full interview below.
Elsewhere in the interview, SZA made a number of other notable points. She spoke on the nature of fame and how uncomfortable she is with being famous. Subsequently she claimed that it leaves her “on edge” and wasn’t a normal thing for a person to experience.
Additionally, SZA recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of her smash hit album SOS. She did so by posting a series of teasers about a deluxe version of the album. The deluxe edition is called LANA and it’s been teased multiple times across the past few months. Despite that, the project doesn’t have an official release date quite yet. What do you think of SZA claiming she’s achieved every goal she can think to set for herself already? Let us know in the comment section below.
SZA’s undoubtedly one of the leading figures in R&B, and music at large, right now. AlthoughCTRL put a massive spotlight on her name, the release of S.O.S. transformed her into one of the biggest stars of the year. With several accolades to her name, SZA’s success was a result of years of hard work. However, what truly motivated her was that she had to “prove a point.” During a recent interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, she shared a bit of her mentality when she began pursuing music.
“Some people choose music as a career, and they feel very certain about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, but I was never quite certain, and I really only did music to prove a point,” she said around 26:19 mark. Zane Lowe pried further into who put that battery in her back to ensure that this path worked for her. “When I started making music, it was to my ex-fiancé because he was paying for everything. My food, my clothes, where I lived, and he was eight years my senior, so I was so co-dependent,” she revealed.
SZA continued to explain that her ex-fiancé’s success pushed her further into music, which she said she was “randomly good at.” “And he was so talented, and like, he’s a designer — so brilliant. His ex-girlfriends were all lawyers and businesswomen and artists that went to [Rhode Island School Of Design], and all these things, right? And you know, I’m a college dropout. I’m still bartending at the strip club, so it’s giving — like, I felt like a lacked value,” she added. “So, when I started trying to make music, it was this thing that I didn’t have to try at but was randomly good at because I’ve always written poetry and always felt emotional.”
Clearly, she was destined for this success from the jump. From her early days with TDE to her current status as the most nominated artist at the 2024 Grammys, SZA has undoubtedly had a spectacular year. Most recently, she began teasing LANA, the deluxe edition of S.O.S. Although she shared cover art pieces for the deluxe, she has yet to confirm a release date.
