New Hip Hop News

Up-and-coming artists are being given all kinds of new and exciting opportunities to get noticed — in this current chapter of music history, social media has become a more powerful tool than ever to leverage your art to create a stable following. Artists have shifted to mediums like TikTok and Instagram to build independent fanbases, allowing them to show different sides of their personalities before becoming globally recognized superstars. 

Artists like Saweetie and Latto have strived during this era, taking smart approaches to their releases and getting creative with new methods of marketing music and themselves. Saweetie is one of the most popular celebrities on social media. Though she’s still in the beginning stages of her music career, the 28-year-old has become a superstar with how she’s used TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to build her brand, promoting her music by coupling her drops with clever content online. Latto has started a few trends, most recently blanking out her features on her album Queen Of Da Souf and replacing their names with emojis, having fans play a guessing game, and boosting her engagement by thousands. Of course, she’s almost always trending on socials too, becoming a major force in the rap game for years to come.

After launching the Thirst For Yours campaign with HotNewHipHop a few years ago, Sprite is expanding its support of the hip-hop community and culture by introducing the Live From The Label concert series this summer, giving undiscovered artists an opportunity to learn from some of the hottest talents in the game right now, including Saweetie and Latto.

Discussing the upcoming event at a virtual green room last week, moderator Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins spoke with DJ Drama, Nyla Simone, and Sprite executive Aaliyah Shafiq to explain the importance of the concert series and how it expands on Sprite’s larger initiative to remain fresh and continue finding untapped corners of the hip-hop world to amplify to the masses. That continues with Live From The Label.

LVTL will consist of three live-streamed concerts, starting on July 29 with Latto, followed by Saweetie on August 12, as well as a special headlining act later this summer from an artist that will be announced soon. The headliners will be accompanied by opening acts selected by Sprite Way, a community of passionate music fans that chose which emerging stars to pair with each artist.

“Live From The Label is new for this summer but not a new behavior,” says Aaliyah Shafiq about Sprite’s latest initiative. It’s all about taking artists that have established themselves over the years who started as opening acts, like Latto and Saweetie, and making sure that they’re available as mentors to emerging artists, offering them a larger platform and giving them tips and guidelines to succeed in this cut-throat industry. Saweetie has been paired with Summer Valentine, a Philadelphia-based urban pop singer, and Latto will be working with Chlothegod, a new-age femme recording artist that was recently featured at the Dreamville Camp with J. Cole. 

“We’ve had such a dominance of female rappers that has never been seen in the history of hip hop and that’s here to stay,” said DJ Drama about the event, which places female performers at the forefront. “We need to celebrate.” 

As a company, Sprite believes that it has a responsibility to continue to uplift the hip-hop community. Aaliyah Shafiq explains that Sprite has “to listen to what people are actually saying,” noting that hip-hop is about more than just music. Sprite wants to be a good partner to the hip-hop community by listening and being willing to evolve as the culture evolves — and we all know that evolution happens quickly in our world. 

To catch any of the upcoming live performances, all you need to do is pick up a Live From The Label Sprite bottle and scan the QR code to unlock your ticket to one of the shows. Scan a Stage 1 bottle to watch Latto perform, a Stage 2 bottle for Saweetie’s performance, and a Stage 3 bottle for the final show that has yet to be announced.

Learn more about the Live From The Label concert series here.

Suzzanne Douglas, star of Robert Townsend’s 90s sitcom The Parent Hood, has died at the age of 64 in her Martha’s Vineyard home.

According to TMZ, the actress’ husband said that it was due to complications of cancer, to which he added, “Her energy and creativity will be missed by all.”

The Illinois-bred talent guest-starred on numerous television shows over the course of her forty years in the industry, appearing on The Cosby Show, NYPD Blue, and, most recently, When They See Us. But her film resumé was far more impressive, starring as Cissy Houston in the Whitney Houston television biopic, Whitney, and, most notably, Nick Castle’s Tap, for which she was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for the role of Amy Simms.

 
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

In a tribute from her cousin Angie Tee, she wrote, “She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all around the world.” On top of that, other peers and friends have chimed in to pay homage to the esteemed actress, such as Jada Pinkett Smith and Viola Davis.

Douglas served as the Honorary Co-Chair of the Commission on Arts and Letters and was a lifetime member of The National Council of Negro Women. She is survived by her husband, Roy Jonathan Cobb, who she married in 1989, and their daughter Jordan Cobb.

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In January, former U.S. President Donald Trump was surprisingly suspended, banned, or silenced on various social media platforms following his irresponsible online behavior during the fatal insurrection at the Capitol, and halfway through 2021, he apparently still has a sour taste in his mouth regarding the incident. In response to his widespread de-platforming, Trump is now seeking legal action against some of the biggest names in Tech.

During a press conference in New Jersey on Wednesday morning, Donald Trump revealed that he would be filing a class-action lawsuit against Facebook, Twitter, and Google in an effort to combat censorship and the involvement of private-owned social media platforms in the United States government.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

“Today, in conjunction with the America First Policy Institute,” Trump announced early today, “I’m filing as the lead class representative, a major class-action lawsuit against the big tech giants including Facebook, Google, and Twitter as well as their CEOs — Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jack Dorsey, three real nice guys.”

According to Complex, the America First Policy Institute is a nonprofit that was launched by former Trump administration officials earlier this year, and this class-action lawsuit will serve as one of the nonprofit’s first major moves. At the time of publishing, Trump’s Twitter ban remains indefinite, and his Facebook ban is set to continue until 2023.

“We’re asking the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida to order an immediate halt to social media companies’ illegal, shameful censorship of the American people,” Trump also said in his speech.”We’re demanding an end to the shadow banning, a stop to the silencing, and a stop to the blacklisting, banishing, and canceling that you know so well.”

Check out his speech about the class-action lawsuit below, and stay tuned for updates regarding Donald Trump’s battle against the social media giants.

Derek Chauvin, the officer responsible for the death of George Floyd, was recently found guilty for his role in the murder. In addition to various witness testimonies on the scene of the incident, the former Minneapolis PD officer was brought to justice by video evidence taken by Darnella Frazier.

The viral footage captured the tragedy, and unfortunately for Frazier, another instance of police violence has hit her a little closer to home. According to CBS Minnesota, the young woman’s uncle was killed by a Minneapolis police officer during a high-speed chase early Tuesday (July 6) morning. 

According to reports, police were pursuing a man who they suspected to be a suspect in a carjacking and robbery around 12:30 am. The report furthers that Leneal Frazier was traveling westbound while a squad of officers was chasing the suspect northbound. The photos of the wreckage display just how severe the accident was following the 8-block pursuit. By the looks of it, Frazier was killed on impact. The suspect in question, however, got away scot-free.

“An officer observed the suspect vehicle in that area, attempted to pull it over and the vehicle, instead of pulling over, fled,” Minneapolis police spokesperson John Elder explained. The pursuit protocol in Minneapolis explains that officers should cease a chase if it poses  “an unreasonable risk to the officer, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued.” The Minnesota State Patrol is currently investigating if the incident follows protocol. 

Darnella took to Facebook to corroborate the news. “I honestly can’t believe I’m making this post right now…I’m so hurt…nothing feels real. I woke up to the most horrible news. MINNEAPOLIS police Killed my uncle. MY uncle… Another black man lost his life in the hands of the police! I asked my mom several times “he died??”. I couldn’t accept what I was hearing and still can’t . Some things just take time to process. I’m still in shock and it haven’t fully hit me yet,I broke down in tears,” wrote Frazier.

She added, “you took an innocent life trying to catch someone else… I don’t know how to feel… I was just with you at the beach ….if I would’ve known that would be my last time seeing you, I would’ve hugged you so much longer, told you I love you way harder….I love you so much…. please pray for my family.” You can visit donate this GoFundMe page if you’re looking to donate. 

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Dr. Luke has been at the center of controversy ever since he was accused of sexual assault and battery by Kesha. Though a judge cleared him of wrongdoing, the allegations still weigh heavy on his name. Saweetie, whose biggest songs to date have writing and production credits from Dr. Luke, has faced criticism in the past for working with him, despite the accusations. 

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

A recent profile with Saweetie dropped today where the “My Type” rapper discussed her work with Dr. Luke. The first part of the interview was conducted last summer following the release of “Tap In.” “I’m so green,” she said of their collaborative efforts. “Maybe that’s a double-edged sword because I’m coming into the studio and I’m not knowing who these people are,” she added. She said that was unaware of the allegations that were made against Dr. Luke.

The second part of the interview was conducted earlier this year, just as the Luke-assisted “Best Friend” with Doja Cat began making waves. Saweetie explained she was brought into the studio as part of a “bundle deal,” adding that some of the records they’ve created were created as far back as two years ago.

“I had those songs for over two years,” she said. “Do I compromise my artistry, do I keep them in the vault, or do I release them?”

She added that she’d stay “out of any controversial situation in the future” but the article’s author, Hunter Harris, pressed Saweetie on whether she’d work with the producer again. “What do you think?” she asked Harris. “I think you have a good sense of my character by now.”

Are you excited for Saweetie’s debut album Pretty Bitch Music?

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