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!!!!“
Conway The Machine says that going to therapy has had a positive impact on his music. Speaking with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, he explained that his new album, Won’t He Do It, is some of his best work yet and attributes that to working on his mental health with a professional.
“I feel like I just needed to show a different side of me, man. Man, my life has been really great, if I really look at it and just really count my blessings and just be thankful more and grateful of what I have accomplished and what I do have instead of tripping off negative dumb stuff,” he began, as noted by HipHopDX. “You know what I mean? So that’s how I ended up here with Won’t He Do It. It’s just like, man, I feel good, man. You know what I’m saying?”
PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 27: Conway the Machine performs at Le Trabendo on March 27, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns)
He elaborated: “I did some therapy. You know what I’m saying? I did some therapy. Like I said, I kind of just isolated myself and just shut it off for a minute. Yeah. You know what I’m saying? It’s like a computer. You know what I’m saying? Sometimes you got to turn it off and let it rest for a few minutes and turn it back on and reboot it. You know what I’m saying?”
From there, he explained that, in the community in which he grew up, there was a stigma around going to therapy. “Because growing up in a hood and stuff, and particularly with young men and just in the communities and stuff, we look at wanting to get therapy or stuff like that, it’s like a, I don’t know, a slight, I guess or, we look at it like it’s a weakness or something,” he continued. “But I realized quick that it really wasn’t. It was actually very helpful. You know what I’m saying? And got me to this point to where I’m back making music, I think some of my best music. You know what I mean?”
Conway The Machine Discusses Therapy
Conway dropped Won’t He Do It earlier this month with features from Westside Gunn, Dave East, Fabolous, Benny The Butcher, and more. The album is his first album since last year’s God Don’t Make Mistakes, and his first post-Shady Records release.
Songibrd Victoria Monét is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Her musical talents are one thing, but she commands attention when she hits the stage. The Georgia-born, California-raised singer-songwriter has been working on her craft since childhood. Around 2010, the dancer began exploring other avenues, and after taking a shot at writing poetry, a new skill developed.
Since that time, Monét has catapulted into the industry. Her songwriting and production credits include the likes of Ariana Grande, Chrisette Michele, Fifth Harmony, Brandy, and Chloe x Halle—just to name a few. This week, Victoria shared her latest single, “Party Girls,” featuring music icon Buju Banton. With her forthcoming album Jaguar Pt. II on the horizon, Monét sits down with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 and details what’s coming in her next season. Read through a few takeaways below.
Victoria Monét Talks “Party Girls”
“So it actually started with just a bassline that was playing in the studio. It was one of those nights where we were doing a couple ideas, and for some reason, I heard it…He heard it really musically and soulful, and I heard it in a Caribbean influence. And we didn’t see eye to eye on it at first. But he was like, I understand afterward, when it all came together.”
“So then it became this multi-version song, where there’s transitions in different … The hook only plays the way you hear it the first time, once, and there are transitions. And then Buju’s part sounds so big and epic…we actually went to Jamaica to shoot the video, and when we were there…my mom is the one who actually introduced me to Buju, and I just remember his voice… I couldn’t forget it. I was like, ‘Who is that? Who is my mom listening to?’”
All About Jaguar Pt. II
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: Victoria Monét attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
“You know what? I feel really lucky that, even from Jaguar Part One, I had planned for it to be a three-part project. So this album … This album is called Jaguar Part Two … so it really kind of breathes new life into Part One. If you’re just now catching onto me as an artist, it’s because it’s Part Two, that there was a Part One, so you may revisit it.
“When I do tour this album, I will be doing songs from Part One, as well. So, I feel like… because I’m still in this era, I get to still show love. It really became a result of observation of people’s attention span. And I know that, if people are just getting an introduced to an artist, if they see a long list, a long album, they may get kind of overwhelmed. So, I kind of always intended to microdose my style and my music to people in segments. But as I went on, I just kind of kept adding songs to those little segments. I know that there won’t be a Part Three anymore, because obviously, didn’t expect to take three years in between Part One and Part Two, or have a child in between.”
How Victoria Monét Navigates The Industry
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 06: Victoria Monét performs onstage during ‘Take Pride’ Live! presented by Indeed at The Rainbow Room on June 06, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Indeed)
“It feels like a movie to me. It feels like the plot is thick. And if I were to look backwards, I know why certain things happened, positive or negative, but I wouldn’t know that until I get to the end. So within … navigating the music industry, there was times where I was miserable and burnt out. And there was also times where I felt so elated and naturally high just because of whatever was going on, or the song that I made, or the success that it had, or the way it made people feel.”
“It’s just kind of like a rollercoaster and a movie, and so, when I look back on it at the end of my life, I just want it to be filled with mostly happiness… I bleed music. It’s just what I really love to do. So it’s almost just like my skin, I’m not really going to change it, it’s just what I am and what I love.”
Selling Out Her First Headlining Tour In One Minute
“I feel really, really excited. Just doing my first headlining tour, it sold out in one minute. Insane. My mom called me, she was like, ‘Victoria, I can’t get tickets.’ I was like, mom, come on, I got yours. I got yours, I promise you can come. But it was just very crazy. I’m so, so excited to put out this next project, I’m already wanting to work on the next one, because I know that… once tours happens, I’m going to want to start doing the next phase. So, I just want to get into the creative process already, now. And I kind of have the concept for the next era, as well, so I’m really excited to just keep rolling.”
World Building With Her Albums
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Victoria Monét performs onstage during 2022 Made In America at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 04, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
“I have a team of women, mostly, and we are on a group chat just checking every box, making sure everything makes sense. And the biggest thing that I wanted to do with Jaguar is to make sure that if we were to take the concept and say, build a house, or even a theme park, you would be able to see things from the videos. You’d be able to… Things you can touch and see and feel and smell. And it’s just such a strong environment that you know it’s a Jaguar era. And then, when I switch, that we’ve got a whole new park. It’s like a whole new world.”
“I feel like it allows me to not feel so obligated to stay within one lane of myself. I really want to be able to give layers and turn pages, and really create a difference between each project so people can feel, and they understand, oh, when she was feeling like this, this is the color palette, this is the mood, this is what the environment looked like. And then, maybe this age … I mean, I feel like when Adele names her projects after her age, it’s very clear, to me, it’s like, oh, this is how you feel at this age, and the concepts within it.”
“As far as family is concerned, I could not do what I do without my family. I have realized, more than ever, that it really takes a tribe. And I only have one child, and I can imagine, for families of three and four, and … so my mom’s taking shifts, my boyfriend’s taking shifts while I’m in the studio, and just being able to focus. I have the luxury of being able to have a nanny, which has become family. My friends, it’s like a community is really raising this one child. And I can look up to so many people that helped raise me. So, it’s the most important thing, because we’re not in this world to be alone. We’re not I Am Legend, you know what I mean?”
Attention has been once again focused on Janelle Monáe. Not only has she announced a new album, The Age of Pleasure, but she’s shared her much-talked-about single, “Lipstick Lover.” Social media chatter has been at an all-time high about Ms. Monáe, especially after videos of the multihyphenate artist dancing at a private party. Monáe’s eclectic style has also captured the hearts of fans across several genres. Her additions to Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, and more have set her apart in an industry of copycats.
The set off this new season, Janelle Monáe sat down with none other than Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1. During their chat, the singer discussed “Lipstick Lover” and what can be expected from The Age of Pleasure. It’s always a wild, yet enjoyable ride when Monáe is in her bag, so here are a few takeaways from her Apple Music 1 interview.
The Make-Out Inspiration Behind “Lipstick Lover”
“That song, ‘Lipstick Lover,’ ugh. I’m like, ‘Why didn’t I write this song years ago?’ Because if you know me… Today, I don’t have on any red lipstick, but I’m always in red lipstick. And there have been so many instances where I’ve made out with somebody at a party, and it’s dark. Nobody notices it. But when the lights come on, whoever I’ve made out with, lipstick all over their face. And then, I’ve also been on the receiving end of a human…who’s so attractive….or I’ll get home, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. I have lipstick all over my face.’ I’ve also been the Lipstick Lover where you know exactly who I kissed.”
Janelle Monaé Previews The Age of Pleasure
“All the songs were written from such an honest space. Look, it never stops. Even with this album, this project. I’m just like, ‘You know what? It takes work.’ I have to learn things all over again, I have to practice, I have to… And thank God I love the songs. Yeah. So, it’s always a fun thing to do, too. It’s like starting on a blank canvas.”
“So, I hope that people feel that when they listen to the music, that they feel that when they come and encounter with me when I’m around, I definitely have had an opportunity to evolve and grow and to tap into the things that bring me pleasure. The things that perhaps I should rethink and rework. Sometimes, it really is just saying, ‘You know what? Let’s get back to the basics, and also let’s honor the present.’”
“What I’m super excited about with The Age of Pleasure. The Age of Pleasure is that… Listen, I’ve had my Age of Depression. I’ve had my Age of Anxiety. I’ve had my Age of Struggle. And again, it’s not like life is pleasurable every single day, but I think I have actively just sought out, how do I create a space for myself? How do I redirect my mind on how I’m thinking about things? How do I realize that right now, in this present moment, moments that we’ll never get back, this is where you need to find your pleasure?
“This is your moment. Don’t let it get confused that five minutes later, we’re going to try to go into doing something different. And again, this is just my experience where I’m at, even though, despite what I may be going through, there’s going to be a moment where this bad moment, I won’t even be around to even discuss it. I won’t.”
“When I was writing The Age of Pleasure, I wrote it with friends, four friends. I was just like, ‘If my friends f*ck with this, this is for us.’ Because when we are together, I want them to want to play it. And what I would do is if I knew we were having a party on that Friday or Saturday, on Monday and Tuesday, I’d be like, ‘All right. We’re going to write three songs.’ If the songs can’t work at the party, they’re not going on the album. I was like, ‘If people are not trying to Shazam…’ Because I was like, ‘Don’t say it’s me. Don’t.’ If they know…whatever. I need them Shazaming.
“I have my friend who’s my DJ. He worked on some of the songs on the project with me. I was like, ‘Just play it. Put it after this song.’ We put it in the setlist. And that’s how we made the album. I was walking around. I was so scared. I almost went to the bathroom one time. But ‘Float,’ we did that. ‘Lipstick Lover,’ we did like that. I have a song called ‘Champagne Machine’ that’s on there. I don’t want to give away too much, but basically every song that you’ll hear on the project, that’s how I did it. I want it to be so specific to this Pan-African crowd who are my friends. I want it to be a love letter to the diaspora. And if they f*ck with it, it’s good. I’m great.”
Kim Petras says that working with Nicki Minaj on their new collaboration, “Alone,” feels unreal. She spoke about the making of the track during a recent interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe on New Music Daily Radio.
“It doesn’t feel real still. Her singing, ‘It’s Barbie and it’s Kim Petras,’ I cried. I was on the floor and then she calls me Kim Petty in it, which all my friends are like, ‘How do we not come up with that our entire lives?’” Petras said in the interview.
Kim Petras At The Grammys
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Kim Petras accepts the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award for “Unholy” onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
She continued: “So she just changed my life in so many ways with that verse, and that verse rips. I love her and I’m so inspired by her always, it’s crazy to me. I don’t know how she does it, but she’s just the greatest ever. I’m so happy that she likes the song.” Petras also confirmed that a music video for “Alone” is on the way. “We shot the music video together and [Minaj] was like, ‘Ugh, when I heard the song, I just loved it.’ And that just made me so happy. I feel like I’ve learned so much. I feel like I love her more. When the camera’s on, it’s crazy. She just goes into full superstar,” Petras said.
The collaboration with Nicki Minaj comes after Petras won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, earlier this year. She was honored in response to her song with Sam Smith, “Unholy.” In winning the award, she became the first openly transgender artist to do so. Despite the song being featured on Smith’s fourth studio album, Gloria, he let Petras accept the award on stage at the ceremony. While addressing the crowd, she gave a shoutout to the late musician, SOPHIE, who helped pioneer the hyperpop genre in the 2010s.
Sometimes it’s a bit tough to talk about other rappers due to the genre’s competitive nature, but that spirit can also garner a lot of respect in the game. Lil Wayne recently spoke about supporting Drake since the onset of his career on his recent Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe. While Weezy’s already started Tha Carter VI season with a new single, he also took time to reminisce on one of his protegés. During his conversation with Zane Lowe, the New Orleans rap titan praised Drake’s persistence, vision, determination, and hunger to best his competition. Given their incredible run through Young Money and beyond, Wayne clearly placed his bets well.
“It was easy for me,” the 40-year-old said of nurturing the career of the rising 6 God. “It was obvious. I saw what he could be and would be. It was easy for me to keep motivating him and letting him know what it is. You have to see it to believe it. It was very simple. Doing a song with me. It was just that simple. Him knowing ‘I can go blow for blow with you on a joint’ — that was his motivation. That’s his chip.” Even in normal conversation, Weezy drops some crazy bars, and that joint line is no different. Anyway, his words make sense given that the Canadian superstar always had somewhat of a chip on his shoulder. While many took time to appreciate his artistic and commercial contributions to the game, his will and skill were evident from the jump to artists like Tunechi. Of course, Drake was the first, and not the last one, to thank him for his vision.
Lil Wayne Praises Drake & Drops New Single
Also, the “Let The Beat Build” MC spoke during that interview on preferring creativity over competition in hip-hop. Sure, it might slightly undercut some of his praise of Drizzy here, but preference isn’t the same as dismissal. “This is creativity,” he remarked. “No one gets behind a mic, approaches a song, and says ‘I’m making a song so it can be better than this one.’ If we all approached it that way, yeah it’d be a competition. This is creativity. Any individual who creates, this is their individuality. They’re putting their growth and creativity out there for you to enjoy. But we also know this is what the world does, so we have no problem with it.”
Meanwhile, fans are as excited as ever for Wayne’s next studio project. “Everybody already know… you already know… come on… it’s Carter VI,” he stated about his next album. “I never even imagined. That didn’t even sound right years ago. I can’t believe we’re at Carter VI. My fans know I give my all. Go listen to my last feature and know it’s gonna be a thousand times better than that.” As always, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news, updates, and greatness from Lil Wayne.
Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI is creeping closer and closer. Although it has yet to be given a tracklist or release date, Wayne’s latest moves suggest it could arrive any day now. Simultaneously with the release of his lead promotional single “Kant Nobody” on Feb. 23, Wayne sat down with Zane Lowe for a chat. On the latest Apple 1 Radio episode of the Zane Lowe Show, Wayne and Zane discussed a multitude of topics. Aside from the obvious Carter VI chatter and his latest single, Wayne divulged about his current creative process. Sounding content, Wayne spoke about how he is not trying to compete with other rappers when making songs.
“This is creativity,” he said. “No one gets behind a mic, approaches a song, and says ‘I’m making a song so it can be better than this one.’ If we all approached it that way, yeah it’d be a competition. This is creativity. Any individual who creates, this is their individuality. They’re putting their growth and creativity out there for you to enjoy. But we also know this is what the world does, so we have no problem with it.” With this sentiment, it’s clear that Wayne knows fans will pin artists against each other. But, with the storied career he has, that surely does not bother him.
Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter VI” Updates
Lil Wayne performs onstage during the Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman on February 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
The approach to songwriting that Wayne described likely pertains to his process of making Tha Carter VI. After teasing the album first in 2020, we did not hear of it again until last August. After the Young Money Reunion Show with Drake and Nicki Minaj, Wayne shared the pre-save link for the album on social media. Not much happened following this, though, except for a tour announcement. Kicking off in April and ending in May, the “Welcome To Tha Carter Tour” would predictably come after an LP release, so fans can hear their favorite album tracks live.
When speaking specifically about the project with Zane Lowe, Wayne talked to fans about what they can expect quality-wise and the incredible journey it took to get to this point. “Everybody already know… you already know… come on… it’s Carter VI,” he said. “I never even imagined. That didn’t even sound right years ago. I can’t believe we’re at Carter VI. My fans know I give my all. Go listen to my last feature and know it’s gonna be a thousand times better than that.” Some of Wayne’s recent features include verses on “GOD DID” by DJ Khaled and “Just In Time” by JID, both of which stunned. So, if his album contains output better than this, we are in for an incredible project.
It isn’t easy finding long-lasting friendships in the industry, but Drake and Lil Yachty are as thick as thieves. They’ve partied, collaborated, and been inspired by one another, and Yachty told Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 about his growing friendship with the OVO icon. “Shout out to Drake, man. I love him to death,” said the “Poland” hitmaker. “Yeah, that’s my guy, man… Our relationship has just grown.”
“I had a conversation with him and was just telling him, ‘Man, this music that you made over this time period has affected so many people.’ I said, ‘Man, I remember there was a point in time when you were about to release music, and everyone was like, man, I’m about to call my ex. Like, oh man, I’m finna cry.’ That was a time period. And that’s when people thought when Drake was finna drop, you thought like, ‘Oh man, I’m about to get back with my ex-girlfriend.’ You felt like, emotions were about to be pulled out of you.”
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 22: Drake and Lil Yachty attend 21 Savage’s Freaknik22: The Sequel at Underground Atlanta on October 22, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/ GettyImages)
Revisiting those moments in Drizzy drop history made Yachty want to return to that feeling. “I was like, ‘Man, we got to get back on that. You got to get back on that.’ At this point, I feel so close to him. I feel like whatever he does, I did it. If he wins something, I feel like I just won. He’s really, really smart. No matter how much he’ll act like he’s oblivious to his career and the things that he’s done, he knows what certain things and certain moments in his career mean to people.”
Elsewhere during his chat with Lowe, Yachty explained his new artistic endeavor. We previously reported that he created a girl group, and now he detailed the inspiration behind working with women. “I have an all girl band. Yeah. I just wanted to show how sick women can rap,” said Yachty. “I feel like…I was just in rehearsal yesterday. I just feel like women don’t get as much respect as men when it comes to the music industry. So I was like, ‘These songs are pretty badass, and I want to show women playing them.’ They didn’t make it, but I want to show they can do it, not better. So that was my vision.”
“I haven’t toured in five years, so I am dying to see people care to see me and hear me because I haven’t been on stage since I was like 19, 20. I haven’t toured since I was like 19 years old, before I was 21.” Check out Lil Yachty and Zane Lowe above.
