Around this time last year, SZA joined the Rolling Stone Music Nowpodcast and shared (among many things) that she “100 percent did not think” she’d enjoy mainstream success. She also discussed the somewhat accidental start to her now-acclaimed music career in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, posted Wednesday, December 13.
“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, beginning at the 26:19-mark. After Lowe asked her to whom that mentality was aimed at, she said. “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.”
SZA continued:
“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. 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.”
The most-nominated artist at the 2024 Grammys went on to explain how ostracized she felt from “the kids from my little suburban town,” her evolution toward how comfortable she feels within herself now, and how she doesn’t “have any more goals” because she’s already achieved more than she ever thought she would. She finished by touching on how she wants “healthy relationships” moving forward.
“My biggest priority now is being an emotionally regulated person with healthy relationships,” she said.
Pretty much everyone agrees that Lil Wayne is a legend. Even other legends sometimes can’t help but be completely stunned by his talent. That was the case last month when Eminem tweeted about one particular Weezy lyric that blew him away. At the conclusion of the tweet, he even wishes that he had been able to come up with the lyric. Now with their second collaboration right around the corner, 2 Chainz spoke on stepping into the booth alongside a legend like Wayne.
“I think me and him just have that chemistry. We enjoy working with each other a lot, and it’s a lot of respect there. And as I always say, steel sharpens steel,” 2 Chainz explained in a recent interview. He sat down with Zane Lowe to discuss the music he’s been working on with Lil Wayne. “So, it’s always that little piece of anxiety of knowing that this verse has to be better than the last one. I think it’s healthy. I think competition is healthy in any and everything that we do.” Fans are hoping that the competition spawns great results when the pair’s new album drops next month. Check out the lead single from the album below.
Technically, the 2016 album COLLEGROVE is only credited to 2 Chainz in name. That’s because Lil Wayne was in a legal battle that didn’t allow him to release an album of his own. But he pops up frequently on the project and it’s gone down as functionally a concept album between the two. That’s why fans were so excited when a sequel was finally announced.
Their first official collaborative album between the pair Welcome 2 ColleGrovewas announced earlier this month. Though fans have been waiting on the album for a while already, they won’t have to wait much longer. The project is arriving on November 17, less than a month from now. What do you think of 2 Chainz feeling anxious when rapping alongside Lil Wayne? Let us know in the comment section below.
At the stroke of midnight tonight, Offset Mania will ensue as he releases his anticipated album, Set It Off. The sophomore effort follows the Migos hitmaker’s explosive 2019 debut, Father of 4, which found success at its peak No. 4 position on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. The industry often worries if an artist’s second go-round will be as successful as the first. Still, because so much has happened in the four years since Father of 4, fans are poised with the expectation that Offset will address most of his most scathing controversies in what is slated to be another chart-topper.
We’ve seen the highs and lows of Offset and Cardi B’s marriage become critical conversations on social media. This is especially true as rumors of infidelities plague the couple. Also, Offset’s move to a solo career was heavily debated amid chatter that he’d split from his Migos family. Then, of course, the rapper’s world was shaken when Takeoff, a best friend he considered a “cousin” since they were kids, was shot and killed almost one year ago in Houston. Further, who can forget his epic clapbacks during his Bobbi Althoff interview? As these hot topics are weighed by admirers and naysayers alike, Offset sat down with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 to discuss Set It Off, why now is the perfect time for its release, and how the family has kept him grounded.
“I’m so excited for this project. You just don’t know, man. I feel— I’m proud of myself, man. I never be proud of myself, I never give myself no pats. But I’m proud of myself, bro. I know I put a big effort into it. I stepped outside of the box, like I said, and I took my time and didn’t rush the product. I’m not settling for the past. I want progression through the future. I wanted to, especially with this project, progress as an artist and not bottle my talents like dancing. That’s why in my videos, I’ve been bringing those elements out of me because I feel like the more you entertain the people, and the more you show people who you are, the more they accept you and follow your lead.
“Even me doing interviews and speaking more, I’ve been wanting to do that. Because people need to understand Offset. I’m not a serious guy, I’m a funny guy. I’m very creative. I love to speak, and I know how to speak well as an adult. Man, like you saying, man, I just want to elevate my sound and elevate… I do appreciate all the things I’ve been through. You know what I’m saying? Everything’s been great, and I love the blessings, but I just want more. I’m hungry for more and to challenge myself to get better.”
“I felt like I was supposed to drop last year, and it would’ve been the wrong time. It would’ve been overlooked, and the music wasn’t there yet. So I didn’t. I’m glad I held back to make sure that the sound of the music was good and also the story that could match what I’m trying to do. It was hard, too, though, because, like you saying, that cycle going. You watching other people go, you watching new people come every day. Then it’s like, ‘Am I getting… I need to drop.’”
“At one point, I was like, ‘Man, I need just drop. I need to drop, I need to…’ Honestly, bro, I’ve never felt good about an album because I always was nervous, or think you too much into it like, ‘Damn, what if this ain’t the song? We put out the wrong song.’ But this one, I’m confident, bro. I feel good, man, I feel like I did—I know I challenged myself. I know I took it to the next level for me. As an individual, not about everybody else, but me as an individual, bro, as an artist, challenging myself to do different things. I salute myself because I was stubborn for a long time.”
On Growing As An Artist & Working With New Producers
“I want to grow, and I’m cool to grow, and I accept the growth. I just feel like every year, every time, you should always be growing … What my whole mission for this album was, was to not get caught up in ‘I’m that guy.’ I feel like sometimes, when you get caught up in that, you create the same thing because you’re comfortable in that element. Then, in this day and age, people is pointing that sh*t out now. Like, ‘Oh, this sounds the same. This sounds the same.’”
“I feel like a lot of people talk down on the A&R like you don’t need them. But they bring you another element that you wouldn’t have thought of, or they might tell you to work with these producers instead of working with the old producers. The only two producers I worked with that’s on this album that’s previous was Metro [Boomin] and Southside. The rest like, Vinylz, Boy Wonder, and even Taste the Money, I had not really had no product out with these guys.”
On Takeoff & Migos’s Legacy
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 07: (L-R) Offset, Quavo, and Takeoff of Migos attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
“Take had that…he just had good character. He was a good person at heart, away from none of this jewelry and music and fame, which was never a part of his agenda. He just was like, ‘I make music with people that love my music, and I love everybody.’ He’s a loving person, man. It was just a tragedy my boy had to go like that, man. But I’m pushing for him, too. Legacy, the group thing is it. Can’t be a group because our main member is missing. That’s what people don’t… It’s not nothing against it with us. Just like, for us, we just can’t continue that way.
“But even on my own journey, I still feel his presence and his energy, like, ‘Bro, we got to go hard. We got to win. We got to win. This ain’t the end of it. We got to win.’ So, that’s another thing that pushed me through is my boy, Take, man. I know he always would want… He didn’t care that he didn’t care about the numbers, nothing. He like, ‘Bro, y’all’s sh*t hard.’ He’s just very supportive in that. I just keep that in the back of my mind and just keep pushing. Just keep pushing.”
Advice For His Younger Self
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Rapper Offset of Migos attends Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 2014 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on October 30, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Power 105.1)
“I would tell myself to pay attention more and not to move so fast. When you first getting on, it’s like, oh, show, show, show, show. You’re not really figuring out a strategy onto what your long-term is. So, I would prepare myself for longterm instead of in the moment. I was always in the moment, in the moment, in the moment, in the moment, but never wanted to be an ‘in the moment artist.’ If you look at all the greats, the longevity is always reinventions. It’s always working outside of the box of what you usually do.
“My younger self, I would say, slow down and pay attention. Learn the game, learn yourself. Learn yourself first. Understand who you are as a person. Because that’s what helped me also with this album, understanding who I am as a person. I was having downtime. Music is up and down, not putting product out for a long time.”
On Approaching This Era With New Hunger
“Everybody want to go big, macho man. But I want to be able to just build my sh*t. I’m not afraid to jump in. I’m jumping into it like a new artist. I feel like if I do that, it’ll help me learn more, and then I will see the bumps instead of have a big head. ‘Well, I’m Offset. I come from the biggest rap group, or I got number one song, I got solo songs. They went crazy.’ Instead of getting into that bag, which I was maybe two years ago, it’s like, nah, bro, slow down. Show these people that you can do this. Build a show where people love Offset.”
“That has kept my head on my shoulders… being home with my family is also another reminder of why I do things. Then, them being able to be close to me and to hold me tight because I needed family for a long time, man. People think everything is peaches and cream with an artist. You go through mental things, you go through things with your family, you go through confidence things, you go through creative block. I had a creative block for a minute, and then in the summer, I had all my kids around, and that helped me be able to get back into, ‘Yo.’
“Because my son was like, ‘Dad, I want to hear some new songs.’ It was like, ‘Dang, okay.’ Like they giving me more life when I felt like I was draining. It just gave me—hearing my boys be like, ‘Dad, man, we want to hear your new music. When your new album going to drop? You need to come on.’ It just sparked the juice. Okay, let’s get back into the grind mode. Let’s get back into it.”
Stream Set It Off on all major platforms on Friday, October 13th.
Usher says that his “big homie” JAY-Z was the one to inform him he would be performing at the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show. He recalled the phone call during an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music after the announcement.
“But when I got this call… he said, ‘It’s time, it’s magic time. You know, it’s time for you to have that moment.’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Usher said, detailing the conversation with JAY-Z. “He’s like, ‘The Super Bowl.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, you ready? Absolutely.’”
Usher Backstage With JAY-Z On “The Black Album Tour”
Usher and Jay-Z during Jay-Z “The Black Album Tour” Live at Madison Square Garden – Backstage at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage for New York Post)
Usher later reflected on his residency in Las Vegas feeling like it culminated in this moment. “And it was like this was destined to happen,” Usher added. “I think that everything that led up to that moment, going to Las Vegas for my residency for the last two years. The legacy, obviously, that is the music, the celebration of entertainment in that place. It’s the City of Lights. You know, it’s always been a place where entertainers go and find love and passion, connection to their fans. So for the Super Bowl to have made its way to Las Vegas while we were in Vegas, having such an amazing two years…”
On top of the performance, Usher also plans to release a new album titled Coming Home on the same day. He described it as a “celebration” to Lowe. “More than anything, it’s a celebration of music. Coming home in many other ways as you get more acclimated. When I put out more records and also to put more visuals, actually begin to really understand it. But I think that it is something to be celebrated.” The game is set to kick off on February 11, 2024, at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. Be on the lookout for further updates on Usher’s performance on HotNewHipHop.
Last month, Earl Sweatshirt teamed up with The Alchemist for a new project. The pair have collaborated in the past but never on a full-length album. The record was called Voir Dire and was met with pretty positive reviews from critics. Unfortunately, it was released on an NFT music streaming platform that prevented many fans from hearing it. Only one track from the album is available on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, the track Sentry which also features MIKE.
Earl Sweatshirt caught up with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe in a recent interview. They talked about a variety of subjects but many fans honed in on his admitted sensitivity. “I’m the most sensitive n#### that’s outside. I’m not going to lie to you. No, that’s what I was saying outside to them. I was like, what if I went in there with Zane Lowe and sat down and just started profusely crying right now. Serious,” he told Zane in their interview. He continued his vulnerability from there. “I swear to God, ask them, I was like, if I just sat down, first question, dry open and profusely crying in 10 minutes. I knew I was sensitive.” Check out the full interview below.
To celebrate the release of Voir Dire Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist announced a short tour. The pair will be playing 11 shows across various American cities running from November 6 until the 27. MIKE and Black Noise are also coming along for the ride as opening acts.
Earl has been playing plenty of his own shows recently and drawing attention for some of them. In one viral clip that made the rounds, he bumps Playboi Carti songs during a break in his set which both he and the fans in attendance are clearly enjoying. He also recently brought out Tyler, The Creator during a show in LA so the pair could play their song “Whoa.” What do you think of Earl Sweatshirt admitting to being extremely sensitive to Zane Lowe? Let us know in the comment section below.
With anticipation for Drake’s album For All The Dogs ratcheting up every passing day, there are certainly some fans wondering which of the Toronto rapper’s A-list friends will make appearances on the tracklist. While he’s had quite the run with 21 Savage lately, he’s also had some impressive runs throughout his career with the likes of Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Travis Scott.
But there’s one artist he’s close with we haven’t seen him collaborate with for a long time: Nicki Minaj. While the two Young Money artists rose in parallel with each other, in recent years, they’ve worked together less than they did when they were starting out. So, understandably there are plenty of fans wondering whether they’ll reunite on one of their upcoming albums (Nicki’s Pink Friday 2 is due in November).
Fortunately, they’re getting some good news on that front. During an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Nicki revealed that she’ll have a guest appearance on Drake’s upcoming album. “You know, I have a song on Drake’s album coming out soon too,” she said. “I love the song so much. I’ll just say I really love the song. I know my fans are going to love the song. I know the world’s going to love the song. And that’s all I will say about that.” As far as whether he is planning to return the favor, Nicki joked, “Barbz, make sure y’all let Drizzy Drake know that Pink Friday 2 is coming out November 17th as well. And we are waiting on his contribution.”
Yesterday (August 21), Drake unveiled the official cover art for his forthcoming solo album, For All The Dogs. Another update came out today about the upcoming project. Although the initial post was taken down, Amazon Music’s official X (formerly Twitter) suggested that the body of work was slated to drop this Friday (August 25).
Rumors have continued to flood social media about what listeners should expect from the album, and somehow Apple Music’s Zane Lowe found himself wrapped up in a major one. According to the outlet Upcoming 100, Lowe hinted that Drake and Frank Ocean were working on a collaboration.
However, the journalist denied that he ever said such a thing. During an exchange with a user in a now-deleted post, Lowe shot down the claim, writing, “Never happened. I haven’t even been live on the radio for the last two weeks. Completely false [shrugging emoji].”
Never happened. Haven’t even been live on radio for the last two weeks. Completely false https://t.co/wGT7qbZi1b
Apple Music’s Zane Lowe responds to rumors that he hinted at a Frank Ocean feature on Drake’s album
“Not true. Haven’t said a word about the new Drake album, I hardly ever speak on Frank. Haven’t even been on radio for last few weeks. Back today.” pic.twitter.com/ii2dSAEZVx
Not including the album’s cover art, the last major update Drake shared regarding For All The Dogs was around the release of his poetry book in June. “I made an album to go with the book. They say they miss the old Drake girl; don’t tempt me. For all the dogs,” the rapper wrote in a post promoting his literary work.
Zane Lowe has shot down the rumor circulating that he hinted about Frank Ocean making an appearance on Drake’s For All The Dogs. Lowe addressed the reports in a post on Twitter, Tuesday afternoon.
“100% untrue. Never said it,” Lowe wrote in response to a viral tweet sharing the misinformation. “Haven’t even been on radio for the last two weeks.” In the since-deleted report, a user falsely quoted Lowe as saying that one guest contribution on For All The Dogs is “industry-shaking, never-done-before,” and the “feature of dreams.” They also said that Lowe hinted at it being Frank Ocean by not-so-subtly playing the Blonde track, “Nikes,” afterward.
AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 16: Zane Lowe of Apple Music speaks onstage at the Music Keynote during 2017 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Austin Convention Center on March 16, 2017, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by James Goulden Photography/Getty Images for SXSW)
As for official information on Drake’s For All The Dogs, he recently revealed the cover artwork, which was done by his son, Adonis. Drake has yet to confirm a release date for the project, but Amazon Music seems to have accidentally leaked that it will be dropping on Friday. Responding to the new cover art, the platform’s Twitter account wrote: “Drizzy’s son has a future as a cover artist. new @drake august 25th!!” Check out Zane Lowe’s tweet about the project below.
Zane Lowe Shuts Down Rumors
100% untrue. Never said it. Haven’t even been on radio for the last two weeks https://t.co/24uFL32io9
As for word from Drake himself, he noted that For All The Dogs is just “weeks” away during a concert in July. He told the audience in New York City: “Make new friends. If you drink, drink some liquor. If you smoke, smoke some weed. And if you like somebody, like my dad says, keep f*cking. I will be back soon. I have an album dropping for you in, like, two weeks or some sh*t. But until then, just know, you’re always with me and I’m always thinking of you. Everything I do is for you. Every time I step in that booth, I hope I make you proud.”
Zane Lowe appeared to hint that Frank Ocean will be making an appearance on Drake’s upcoming album, For All The Dogs. Speaking about the project during his Apple Music Radio show, Lowe described one guest contribution on For All The Dogs as “industry-shaking, never-done-before,” and the “feature of dreams.”
Immediately following the remark, Lowe played Frank Ocean’s Blonde song, “Nikes.” The comments sparked plenty of excitement from fans on social media. One tweeted: “If I see Frank on a track ima go nuts.” Another wrote: “If frank ocean is on the album its album of the year automatically.” Further fueling the rumors, Drake shared a picture of Ocean’s Blonde on vinyl on his Instagram Story, last week.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 26: Zane Lowe attends the 62nd Annual Grammy. Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Despite the apparent hints, other users online weren’t as confident that Ocean will be collaborating with Drake. “That’d obviously be cr*zy and a great song but idk if it would really be considered ‘industry-shaking, never done before feature of dreams,’” one said. A different fan added: “Not to mention that this album is mostly singing drake. If this is true it’d be ground breaking but it is frank at the end of the day so don’t get ur hopes up.”
If he does make an appearance on the album, Ocean won’t be the only high-profile guest to do so. During a concert on his Its All a Blur tour in July, Drake confirmed that his longtime collaborator Nicki Minaj will be a guest on For All The Dogs. “Imma give away one thing off the album in Detroit tonight, ‘cuz I got a lot of love for Detroit,” Drake told his audience at the time. “So Imma have to tell you, like, me and Nicki Minaj did our first song in like, a really long time. I got a lot of love for her.”
During a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Russ opened up about his previous alcohol consumption. Apparently, that’s what could have led to some of his previous controversies. He revealed that he used substances to mask his insecurities, claiming that eventually, it just felt normal to him. It soon got out of hand, however, and he began to feel the need to drink before interviews.
“I was drinking a lot, and it was just because when I first started making music, that’s what it was,” he began. “The studio was a party. You’re smoking weed, you’re drinking. And so I would drink when I was in the studio. It just felt normal. It felt regular.” Russ went on, “But then I was drinking before interviews, and that’s how a lot of those interviews went left. I was pretty hammered in some of them. Because it’s all that’s coming out, but I never had a problem. I wasn’t waking up and like, ‘I need a drink.’ I would just drink in certain situations, but that in and of itself was an issue.”
“And it was easier to just do that than actually be authentic and be like, ‘You know what? I am nervous, I am feeling insecure, I am all these things,’” Russ shared. “And now it’s, yeah. I’m not rigid to the point where it’s like, ‘I will not drink.’ It’s, ‘I’ll have a drink whenever I want to have a drink.’ It’s just now I don’t want to have a drink when I wanted to have a drink back then.”
He went on to explain that he’s been able to maintain a healthy relationship with alcohol since slowing down, which has helped him come into a more real version of himself. It looks to be paying off, as his new album SANTIAGO has so far been a success. Recently, it even got the approval of Dr. Dre. Russ shared a clip of the duo nodding along to “Enough” in the studio. “A big part of this album is about validating yourself and chasing your own approval,” he captioned the post. “But I can’t lie DR DRE APPROVAL FEELS GOOD AS F*CK!!!!“
(@mosthiphop)