Atlanta rap veteran Soulja Boy has the entire WWE world coming at his throat. After going online to low-key diss the wrestling entertainment company as well as the rap game, wrestlers and fans galore have gone at him over his message. Soulja Boy Says Rap Game = Fake The hip-hop star went to Twitter with […]
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When it comes to audacious looks and styles, the biggest boundary pusher in hip-hop right now is arguably Playboi Carti. The Atlantan ad-lib master has delighted fans and befuddled foes with his unconventional looks, the inspirations of which he detailed to Kid Cudi in a conversation for Interview Magazine. While the punk-rock influences are pretty obvious, he says he gets inspiration from another unusual source, as well: Vampire movies.
“I’m a big, big, fan of punk artists like Sid Vicious,” he tells the elder rapper. “I just feel like my lifestyle is so rocked out. This is the lifestyle I live, and I ain’t no damn poser.” Prompted to elaborate on his fashion choices by Cudi, Carti explains, “This shit that I do is not just for the ’gram. It’s not just to make people think I’m weird. This is really me. I get a lot of my inspiration from vampire movies because when you see a vampire, he always looks good. He don’t age. He can’t die. He’s beautiful. I won Best Dressed in high school. That’s what I was on. I did the streetwear sh*t. Now let’s see if I can pop this sh*t that they’re wearing on the runway. If it’s a challenge, I’m doing it.”
He also explains how he comes up with his unorthodox raps on albums like Whole Lotta Red: “Everything is freestyle,” he says. “Shout out Lil Wayne. I use whatever I bring with me that day. If something is stressing me out, I’ll come to dish that. If I’ve been hanging around my street, I’ll make street sh*t that day. No matter the vibe of that day, that’s how I come.”
You can read the full interview here.
Playboi Carti dropped off his second studio album Whole Lotta Red last Christmas. While initially provoking mixed reactions from fans, a few songs from the album have been finding relative success among audiences, namely the Art Dealer produced cut “Sky.” The 24-year-old Atlanta native sat down with Kid Cudi recently in an interview published Monday (March 1) to reflect on the album, namely working with Kanye West, who executive produced the project. He also touched on how he views himself as a “full rock-star” now.
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When asked about what it was like working with Kanye by Cudi, Carti immediately praised the hip-hop veteran. “Kanye is the OG. He opened my eyes to some sh*t,” he raved. “When I got around him, I realized why I love him so much. You get what I’m saying? When I get around you, I realize why I love you so much. I even appreciate Ye for introducing me and you,” he added, praising Cudi as well.
He added, “Being able to talk to somebody who understands what I’m saying, I got that from his whole camp. I felt that energy from everybody he deals with. I didn’t feel like a loner. The world I’m trying to build, he already got it going on. Ye is on this king vamp shi*. Cudi is on this king vamp sh*t. Y’all already on that.” Cudi then asked the “Vamp Anthem” artist if he considered himself a rapper or, “something else entirely?”
“Full rock-star. Hip-hop is my category, for sure, but I’m full rock-star,” Carti declared in response. He added that there’s no cap on who can bump his music.
“I make music for people who feel themselves. I make music for models. I make music for young n*ggas in high school trying to get a new girlfriend. I make music for a young nigga before his basketball game in the locker room. I make music for a motherfucker who got down smoking too much weed and now he’s in his head about sh*t. I make music for all of them. There’s no lid on my sh*t,” he continued.
He also talked to the “Tequila Shots” artist about only including three features on the entire 24-track run of WLR, which he chalked up to being the only three people he’s trying to impress. “I got Future, I got Cudi, I got Ye. I’m f*cking with the originals, the motherf*cking godfathers of this sh*t. Who else you need on the album after that?” he said.
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Read the full interview here, and let us know what you think of Carti’s declaration down in the comments.
Bay Area rapper Laney Keyz is lucky to have walked away with his life after three gunmen opened fire at his Los Angeles home. Surveillance footage captured the incident, which happened last month, where the men can be seen approaching his residence before riddling it with bullets.
TMZ obtained footage of the men approaching what is reportedly Laney Keyz’ residence in the early morning of February 18th. They fire off several rounds at the property before turning around and making a run for it. One of the guys seemed to linger around to shoot at the residence a little more before eventually running off with his accomplices.
Law enforcement sources tell the publication that LAPD found a number of shell casings on the ground around where the shoot-out took place, but they have yet to be able to capture the suspects involved in the case. Fortunately for Laney, TMZ also reports that no one was injured in the gunfire and an investigation is forthcoming.
Sources familiar with the situation say the rapper was inside his home at the time of the shooting, but he did not suffer any injuries. They also report that no one can think of a possible motive for the shooting either.
Keyz hails from Oakland, and has collaborated with the likes of Lil Keed and Lil Yachty. We’ll keep you updated on further developments in the case.
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A large part of Tekashi’s appeal when he first appeared in 2018 was his rabble-rousing habit of inciting beef with seemingly every street-centric rapper in rap at the time. However, a large part of the reason he was able to get away with it was the small squadron of large, probably armed men surrounding him in most public situations to ensure no one confronted him about his antics. Now, according to TMZ, it’s been revealed that Tekashi still owed the company employing those security guards a lot of money.
Metropolitan Patrol, a company employed by Tekashi 69 when he visited Los Angeles, says that despite providing round-the-clock service for the loudmouth social media personality turned rap superstar including armored cars, they still haven’t been paid over $75,000. After sending Tekashi the invoice for the service — including three armed officers working day and night shifts, a Yukon with ballistic panels, and a pair of Ford Explorers decked-out with lights and sirens — he simply refused to pay.
According to 69’s lawyer, the responsibility falls on MTA Bookings agency, which was handling the rainbow-haired rapper’s public appearances at the time. However, even the perception that he doesn’t pay his security could be unhealthy for Tekashi, who has gotten right back up to his old tricks after leaving prison last year. He recently got into it with Meek Mill, sparking a war of words that includes a sample of the altercation in Tekashi’s latest single.
Kanye West himself once joked about his tendency to blow up when he doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves. On his Late Registration song “Diamonds,” he humblebragged that he “complains about what he is owed / And throws a tantrum like he is three years old,” but concluded, “You gotta love it though — somebody still speaks from his soul.”
That tendency — though largely derided and meme-d into the ground by social media — is a big part of why he’s still around. Long after his records stopped reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts and he alienated many of his top collaborators (not to mention, a significant chunk of his fan base), his refusal to accept “no” for an answer ensured that he remains at the forefront of pop culture.
However, with only a handful of musical releases in the last few years, it isn’t his beats or his rhymes keeping him there. Instead, it’s another thing a segment of social media mocked him for — his fashion and sneaker designs. His versatility has proved to be the key to his longevity, and now, he’s the one laughing all the way to the bank.
All the way back in 2004, when The College Dropout took radio and MTV by storm, Kanye’s interest in fashion was both evident and adamant. He insisted that he’d be one of the top designers in fashion, making style choices that were considered risqué at the time. When jerseys were big, he wore pink polos and blazers with jeans. When hip-hop buttoned up, he went full-on luxury, and then, retro.
I used to love Kanye, I used to love Kanye. I even had the pink Polo, I thought I was Kanye… pic.twitter.com/N9E0PdjoMp
— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) March 4, 2018
Every time he made one of these dramatic, sartorial left turns, hip-hop followed him, usually pretty quickly and enthusiastically. So, it makes sense he believed he could take these trendsetting proclivities and carve out a second career for himself in the design world. After all, at the time, it was also something of a rap rite of passage to drop a clothing line; 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Eve, Jay-Z, Nelly, Pharrell, and T.I. had all done so.
However, Kanye’s inborn stubbornness wouldn’t let him just do a clothing line — although he did try one, Pastelle, that never quite got off the ground. Instead, he insisted on applying to internships at Louis Vuitton and Raf Simons, working his way up from the bottom, and earning his credentials in that world.
Although he was mostly rejected early on, that roiling intellectual curiosity pushed him to also try his hand in sneaker design. Partnering with Nike in 2009 for the Nike Air Yeezy, he released one of the most coveted shoes in the history of sneakers, Nike’s first non-athlete signature, and a turning point in hypebeast culture. However, in typical Kanye fashion — pun 100 percent intended — he wanted more creative control and moved on after a second iteration that was possibly even more popular than the first.
Just a few years later, he took the creative experience he’d acquired at Nike and switched to Adidas, where he released the Yeezy Boost line. He also partnered with Louis Vuitton, where he “learned to design woman’s shoes for 2 years” by apparently sneaking into the Giuseppe Zanotti factory.
He eventually did get that internship, as well, putting in a few months at Fendi and deciding that, well, it really wasn’t for him. That’s okay though — despite his interest in high fashion, he was flexible about his opportunities. The footwear deals also served as his “in” for the ready-to-wear game as well, with each “Season” of his Yeezy brand bringing another wave of hype for stripped-down, luxury garments — garments that eventually helped usher in today’s athleisure dominance.
Eventually, all this versatility led to a ten-year deal with Gap last year, where he’ll have his own clothing line, Yeezy Gap, and offer “modern, elevated basics for men, women, and kids at accessible price points.” The deal will allow Ye the flexibility of selling both high and low, while his Yeezy deal makes him one of the most recognizable names in footwear — and one of the most lucrative, with Bloomberg reporting a $3 billion valuation for Yeezy last year.
Kanye’s versatility has always been the number-one attribute driving his success. When he could have maxed out as a producer, he became a rapper. When his tastes changed, he went bigger with the sound, then brought in collaborators from all over the music world. Rather than being content with his musical stardom, he pursued even more of his passions — fashion, sneakers, design — to ensure that his brand could never be limited to just one thing or subject to the ever-changing tastes of just one kind of art.
You can’t be all things to all people — something Ye hopefully learned from his disastrous political attempt last year — but you can always make sure to expand your interests so you never get stuck in one box. Ye refuses to let himself become stagnant, and that’s why — hate him or love him — he’s probably here to stay.
Rolling Stone reports that Bunny Wailer, the last surviving founding member of The Wailers, has died at age 73, as confirmed by his manager Maxine Stowe. He died earlier today at the Medical Associates Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica according to Jamaica Observer, and no cause of death has been released yet. He’d been in failing health since 2020 when he suffered his second stroke.
Born Neville Livingstone in the Nine Mile district of Jamaica’s St. Ann Parish, Bunny became a musical icon revered the world over for his work with The Wailers, which included childhood friend Bob Marley and later addition, Peter Tosh. The then-trio soon added singer Junior Braithwaite and backup vocalists Beverley Kelso and Cherry and began releasing a string of international hits, which included “Simmer Down,” “Stir It Up,” “Is This Love,” “Jamming,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Buffalo Soldier,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” and “Redemption Song.”
Rolling Stone notes that while Marley and Tosh were the group’s principal songwriters, it was Wailer who provided the band with not just its name but also its unforgettable harmonies. The group was instrumental in bringing Jamaican music to the world, touring the UK with Johnny Cash in the early 1970s. Wailer left the group in 1973 after the group’s new producer Chris Blackwell sought to rebrand them as “Bob Marley’s backup singers.” Wailer embarked on his own successful solo career with Blackheart Man. Wailer eventually won three Best Reggae Album Grammys, in 1991, 1995, and 1997.
It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Cory Gunz. He was once regarded as Lil Wayne’s next biggest star to follow Drake and Nicki. His appearance on “6 Foot 7 Foot” would end many of Wayne’s concerts during the I Am Music II Tour in support of Tha Carter IV. Unfortunately, not all went as planned and it feels like his presence has been lacking in the game but thankfully, he’s readying to come through with a brand new project tomorrow titled Tims and Hoodies.
Ahead of its release, the Bronx rapper unveiled his new single, “Different” which was accompanied by a Busta Rhymes-inspired visual. “I was inspired by Busta Rhymes’ ‘Put Your Hands Where Your Eyes Could See.’ When you start to add in visual effects and stop motion, it can be cool or creepy. I like that,” he told Hip-Hop-N-More.
Check his latest offering below and keep your eyes peeled for his new project dropping tomorrow.
Quotable Lyrics
20 percent of me hates rap
20 percent of me loves rappin’
10 percent of me likes bad bitches
Who hate rap but love when I’m rappin’
20 percent of me does drugs
And 20 percent of me eats fruit
One percent of me eats veggies
And my other nine percent will eat you
Emotional Oranges have officially returned with a new single, with Complex premiering the Biig Piig-assisted “Body & Soul.” Though the track itself is relatively on the brief side, there’s still plenty to enjoy on this one, especially for longtime fans of the band. Immediately capturing an up-tempo vibe fueled by a steady drum and a dancing bassline, “Body & Soul” is confirmed to be appearing on their upcoming album JUICEBOX.
Speaking on the track’s creation to Complex, Emotional Oranges revealed a little bit about the backstory. “It was actually the bridge for the first track we did and we decided to build around that for an entirely new song,” explain the band. “The feel-good, carefree energy reminds me of ‘Motion’ and ‘Personal’ and we’re glad we were able to bring that back for JUICEBOX.” Feel-good and carefree indeed, as the two vocalists’ effortless chemistry blends nicely over the lush groove.
With the track set to release on streaming platforms this Wednesday, be sure to check out the latest from the band right now.
Take it back to my place
Love you by the fireplace
Girl what you want from me?
My body and soul
As society continues to become increasingly progressive as the years go on, previously acceptable language and depictions have become objectively less appropriate to use in modern times. Tons of companies, publications, and people have all had to formally apologize and retract racially offensive comments made in the past that they assumed would never catch up to them. It seems like Dr. Seuss’ camp is taking some concrete steps to formally mend his use of anti-Semitic and racist depictions in six of his children’s books, discontinuing their publication.
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According to Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business responsible with preserving the late author’s legacy, says six of his books, including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” and “If I Ran The Zoo,” “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
They added they made the decision to cease the production on these books, which also includes “Scrambled Eggs Super!” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer,” after meeting with educators and reviewing the full catalog of Seuss books.
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The announcement was made on the iconic author’s birthday today, Tuesday, March 2, although the decision had been made last year. The move follows as President Biden chose not to mention Dr. Seuss on Read Across America Day, which is held annually on his birthday.
The author, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, has come under fire in recent years as his history of racist and anti-Semitic work was uncovered. A study of 50 of his books found 43 of 45 characters had qualities aligning with “Orientalism” and 2 “African” characters exhibited anti-Black qualities.
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Of the six books pulled from shelves, “The Cat’s Quizzer” and “If I Ran the Zoo” were specifically noted as examples of Orientalism and white supremacy.
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