New Hip Hop News

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers had a lot on the line last night. In their game against the Golden State Warriors, they were looking to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs in the first round of the play-in. While the Warriors were much better in the first half, the Lakers came back with a strong second-half showing that was capped off by a game-winning three-point shot by LeBron James.

What made his shot with one minute to go so impressive was the fact that just minutes prior, he had been poked in the eye by Draymond Green. In fact, after the game, LeBron admitted that he was seeing double and even triple at points. On the game-winning shot, LeBron told reporters that he saw three rims and had to think fast in order to get the bucket.

“The second thing I saw was three rims from being poked in the eye on that previous possession when I drove to the hole and then in transition. So, I just aimed for the middle one,” LeBron said.

While some fans are taking LeBron’s comments as an embellishment of the truth, you can’t deny that he came through with an incredibly clutch play. The Lakers will now face the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs and considering the experience gap, the Lakers still have a very good chance despite being the lower seed.

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Kenny Muney is a rising artist and Memphis, Tennessee native who is currently signed to Young Dolph’s Paper Route Empire record label, and earlier this week, reports revealed that the rapper, known for projects like Muney Talk, reportedly was injured during a shootout in Atlanta. Police reports released to local outlets like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and 11Alive originally claimed that Kenny Muney was shot twice in his elbow and his hip but was “alert, conscious and breathing” when corresponding with police and medical professionals.

As previously reported, Young Dolph’s artist also chalked up the shooting as a random incident that occurred while he was at an intersection near Atlantic Station. However, Kenny Muney has now broken his silence on the altercation with a new Instagram post.

According to the Paper Route Empire upstart, he was not hit by any of the bullets during the shootout on Monday. Arguing that his unwillingness to talk to officers and medical personnel led to “fake news,” Kenny Muney proceeded to explain his side of the story and taunt the person behind the shooting, telling them to “get a refund.”

“Aye, f*ck fake news, this the real breaking news,” Muney says in the video. “I don’t even talk that much or nothing. That’s why the reporters, police, and allat got all these fake a** stories. But I did not get shot twice. I’m straight. I’m good.”

“Ain’t no n*gga hit me. I ain’t get shot. None of that,” the Young Dolph signee continues. “Tell the n*gga to go get a refund cuz they ain’t hit sh*t! I love y’all though. ‘Preciate you for checking.”

With Kenny Muney’s side of the story aired out, it makes sense why the hospital was quick to discharge him due to “non-life-threatening” injuries. Stay tuned for more news regarding the Paper Route Empire artist.

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Tyler, The Creator and A$AP Rocky have one of the funniest friendships in the music business. They’ve collaborated countless times and through their work together, they’ve managed to build one of the longest, goofiest friendships among rappers. The two celebs love to troll one another on social media, teasing each other for various reasons. While they’ve cooled it on the roasting as of late, Tyler felt like Flacko’s brand new GQ spread presented the perfect opportunity to jump back on his neck with some hilarious comments.

After the magazine declared A$AP Rocky the Prettiest Man Alive, the rapper took to Instagram to share some pictures of his shoot with GQ. In the comments, not everybody agreed with the assessment though– most notably, Tyler, The Creator stepped in to humble his friend, making fun of his shirtless cover.

“Yeah suck that f*cking stomach in you tubby f*ck,” teased Tyler. In the picture, Rocky shows off his sculpted stomach, which some fans theorize may have been photoshopped. 

In the interview portion of his spread, A$AP Rocky spoke about his relationship with Rihanna for the first time, calling her the “love of [his] life.” He also discussed his plan for releasing new music, revealing that his next album is 90% complete and hinting that it could feature Rihanna and Morrissey.

Check out Tyler’s comment about Rocky’s physique below.

Many fans are still reeling from the release of Nicki Minaj’s “Seeing Green,” a track that found the lyricist reuniting with her fellow Young Money rappers Drake and Lil Wayne. With all three parties seemingly determined to steal the “best verse” title, the bar-heavy track became an instant favorite, evoking memories of a widely beloved era.

Naturally, Nicki has been highlighting the track on her Twitter page, and today she took a moment to share a homemade video for the track, largely composed of behind-the-scenes footage. “Check out this cute lil surprise Grizz & I put together for the #Barbz,” she writes. “Love you.” 

The video itself, clearly designed with Nick’s target audience in mind, features plenty of clips and photographs spanning the years. Appropriately, there are many vintage throwbacks circling back to the YMCMB days, when Nicki, Wayne, and Drake moved as an unshakeable unit. It’s sure to evoke nostalgia in anybody who actively pines for those days gone by, and while it might not be the elaborate big-budget video some had hoped for, it’s certainly an enjoyable addition to the track for the time being.

In addition to the new BTS video, Nicki has also thrown a bone to the aspiring emcees in her rabid fanbase. “By popular demand, the #SeeingGreen instrumental is up & out,” she announces. “Spit on it. Pauz. For now, it’s only in my store but we’ll have it on streaming shortly as well.” Should you be interested in trying your hand at keeping stride with Young Money, hit Minaj’s official shop right here.

Do you think we’ll see Nicki, Drake, and Weezy reuniting for an official “Seeing Green” video? 

Drake and Michael B. Jordan have been hanging recently, having grabbed dinner and linked up with Lebron James within a matter of days. Whether they have a business or some other collaboration in the works is anyone’s guess, but it definitely looks like the two stars have become really close friends as of late.

On Wednesday, Drake and Michael B. Jordan were spotted sitting courtside at one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the NBA’s polarizing new Play-In Tournament: the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers versus the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors.

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Sitting in adjacent courtside seats, Drake is seen sporting his signature Certified Lover Boy haircut with a sleek, all-black outfit, while Michael B. Jordan rocks a Dior sweater paired with camo pants. According to a post to Drake’s story, this actually his first NBA game in a long time, which makes sense considering that his beloved Toronto Raptors temporarily relocated to Tampa, Florida this season and ultimately failed to qualify for the Play-In Tournament.

“First game back thank you @richpaul,” Drake writes in the aforementioned Instagram story post.

Drake/Instagram 

Although Drake wasn’t able to see the Raptors in action during the postseason this year, he was treated to epic performances from both Steph Curry and Lebron James, two players for who he has publicly expressed his admiration in the past. Furthermore, Drake and Michael B. Jordan were fortunate enough to witness Lebron’s game-winning shot from courtside.

Peep their reaction to Lebron’s clutch three-pointer below.

Are you surprised to see that Drake and Michael B. Jordan are still hanging out? Or are you more surprised by Lebron’s playoff-clinching performance?

Not many artists have had a better year than Coi Leray. The New Jersey-based rap artist may have had a difficult time breaking into the industry but she’s officially made it, creating a platform for herself to succeed in the music industry for years to come. The world is waiting on her debut studio album following the release of her breakout single “No More Parties” and as we stay patient for more information, the 24-year-old rising superstar is keeping her fans entertained with plenty of revealing photos and videos.

Earlier this year, Coi was being teased online by cyberbullies who targeted her for her natural frame. She wasn’t shaken by the body-shaming efforts though and, in fact, she seems to have amplified her social media presence to include even more thirst traps than before. Building a fanbase of millions on TikTok and Instagram, Coi has shared yet another revealing video she was getting styled in her glam room, taking off her pants and showing off her backside.

The “Bout Me” rapper filmed with her cell phone as a stylist took her measurements. She was feeling herself, posting different angles of her outfits, which initially included a pair of olive pants. Eventually, she took the pants off and showed off her butt in a patterned thong.

Coi has been using her social platforms to elevate, and it’s clear that the thirst traps are part of her strategy to continue bringing eyes to her page. Watch the video below, as well as a few other of her recent posts.

Soulja Boy’s contributions to the culture are second-to-none, even if it’s been a slow process to give him his credit. Many have offered him his flowers for his music and marketing but one thing that doesn’t necessarily get brought up as frequently as it should is his production style. The rapper produced his debut album entirely on his own, using a cracked version of FL Studios which, as he details in our extensive new interview, was unheard of at the time.

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“I made every beat and went platinum, you see what I’m sayin’? I made these rappers wanna produce their songs. I introduced FL Studios. I introduced Fruity Loops to the culture. They were laughing at me, “Where your MPC at? Haha.” No, “Crank Dat” just sold 10 million. HA HA!” said Soulja in a recent interview with HNHH. “Stop playing with me. I’m the best producer of all time. They try to discredit me and suppress me because I’m a great, I’m a legend. I don’t know why. They never seen nothing like it before”

Soulja Boy explained that because he served as both a producer and the composer, he was able to collect 100% of the publishing, thus changing the game, as it were.

“These rappers don’t produce their own music,” he explained. “I came into the industry at 16. I wrote the record, produced the record. What’s that mean? One hundred percent go to me. These rappers, they don’t write their music. What’s that mean? 50 percent of the song gone. They don’t make the beat. What’s that mean? The other 50 percent gone. They don’t make no money from the record.”

While Soulja Boy continues to use FL Studios, he reflected on the moment when he pulled up to the studio with his laptop rather than an MPC.

“I played piano and violin on a keyboard,” he continued. “That had never been done before that. They were using MPCs. I pulled out a laptop in the studio and hooked it up to a quarter-inch and put it through the speakers. They didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. The record labels were looking at me like I was crazy. They was like, ‘Where the shit at? What the fuck? He finna make a beat on a laptop? What the fuck is going on here?’ Yes, n***a. That’s how I went platinum.”

Check out the full interview with Soulja Boy here. 

Though the specifics surrounding the distinction tend to vary depending on the artist, there’s an unspoken difference between the mixtape and the album. For the most part, a mixtape is unfettered by a commitment to theme and structure, often used as a low-stakes showcase of an emcee’s lyrical prowess. There are certainly exceptions, but many emcees came of age during a time when a mixtape meant jackin’ for beats and attempting to steal the spotlight from the original artist.

For Lloyd Banks, who essentially made a name for himself through early G-Unit tapes, the tradition became a staple of his career. Over the course of the past twenty years, Banks has assembled an extensive collection of mixtapes, many of which played a role in honing his reputation as The Punchline King. It wasn’t uncommon to hear Banks absolutely obliterating beats both classic and original, paying little mind to anything other than clever lyricism and hard-hitting bars. Series like The Cold Corner and Halloween Havoc are widely praised among Banks’ best work, with a case to be made that his mixtape catalog surpasses his studio discography.

Consisting of three studio albums — The Hunger For More, Rotten Apple, and The Hunger For More 2 — his discography is certainly worthy of praise. For one, the production value is notably higher, with a wide range of beatmakers and a generally pristine sonic aesthetic. As the budget was bigger on such releases, Banks tended to dabble in the commercially viable sounds of the time, which results varying. While it sometimes forced the PLK to deviate from his comfort zone, it also opened the door for some of his most contemplative penmanship; who’d have thought one of the realest songs he ever wrote would take place over a haunting Eminem ballad? Yet with that increase in character development, during which the many facets of Banks’ personality are revealed, comes the risk that punchlines and relentless lyricism might fall to the wayside.

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With COTI on the way, many have wondered whether the project would be a proper studio album or another mixtape. Given how long it’s been since Banks dropped anything, either option is certainly welcome. And since it’s been such a long time, an album might give Banks a little more space to unpack some of his experiences of the past few years, perhaps even touching on the rap game and society at large. Not to mention that it would certainly be nice to see the project land on streaming services, and mixtapes seldom make the transition gracefully.

On the other hand, hip-hop has undergone such a drastic transformation since Banks was active, his straightforward and lyrically focused mixtape approach would be a welcome jolt of electricity. It’s not entirely uncommon to see a narrative lamenting the death of real hip-hop, with the implication centering around a shift away from the golden era sound. Given that Banks has always embraced that raw and gritty aesthetic, there’s no reason to believe he would deviate at this stage of his career. There is nothing even remotely suggesting that Banks has any desire to chase commercial trends, though he may have experimented in doing so in the past. That’s not to say he’s a cult artist, but the days of seeing Lloyd Banks on the charts are likely over.

And that’s okay. It’s evident, based on his social media activity, that Banks’ competitive spirit remains sharp. Though this is purely an assumption, it seems fair to suggest that he values the praise of his peers — specifically those with a stellar pen game — over any sort of commercial accomplishments. Shades of Griselda, who have been responsible for some of the more recent Banks releases, including Conway’s “Juvenile Hell” and Conflicted OST highlight “Element Of Surprise.” Unsurprising, given their shared connection to Beat Butcha, who has seen quite the substantial rise since the Griselda trio infiltrated the mainstream. In fact, many fans are hopeful to see Banks embrace his affiliation to the Buffalo crew, with Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher among his most desired collaborators. We can only hope to see one or more of them make an appearance on COTI, perhaps even over production from Daringer, Beat Butcha, or both. In fact, Banks has already teased a potential collaboration with Benny, teasing fans that their next duet was coming “very soon.”

Insofar as other potential collaborators, a few names come to mind. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and unlikely though it may be, seeing Lloyd Banks reuniting with 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, or Young Buck would be an exciting development. Buck is probably the likeliest, given that he opened the door for Banks to reach out on his recent single “Ash Tray.” It would also be interesting to see him connect with The Alchemist, whose raw and stripped-down production style would be the perfect backdrop for Banks’ lyricism. Havoc, who previously enjoyed a stint alongside Lloyd Banks on G-Unit, actually teased a few Banks collaborations. “ Lloyd Banks hit me up [after “Juvenile Hell],” explained the legendary producer. “He was like, “Yo, Hav I need the track.” I said, “Don’t worry. I got you.” And I sent him some tracks. So we have yet to see what is to come of that. But I’m sure it’s going to be dope.”

At this time, Banks has kept details about COTI, including what the acronym stands for, relatively close to his chest. He has shared a few snippets, including a proper teaser trailer centered around an atmospheric piano-driven instrumental, striking a similar tone as his classic “Til The End.” Another, also shared on his Instagram page, found Banks spitting bars with deadly precision over a grimy instrumental from Jay Fab Vs The World. It’s likely that the full version will arrive on COTI, which certainly bodes well for fans praying for the Punchline King’s triumphant return. As does the seeming variance in sound, with the teaser featuring a more cinematic instrumental and the snippet sounding delightfully grimy and gritty.

At this time, we’re still waiting on a concrete update on a release date — but rest assured that COTI is coming, and it won’t be long before the Punchline King reclaims his rightful place on the throne. After all this time, what kind of project are you hoping to see from Lloyd Banks?