New Hip Hop News

After a highly unusual two-day delay, Billboard has finally announced this week’s Hot 100, revealing that J. Cole has debuted within the chart’s top ten songs with his pre-album release “i n t e r l u d e.”

Last week, Billboard updated the chart shortly after posting the most popular tracks in the country, moving The Kid LAROI and Miley Cyrus’ “Without You” collaboration after it was incorrectly etched into the eighth spot. There may have been some similar glitches this week because the Hot 100 was revealed two days later than usual. However, there are still some very strong debuts and movements for hip-hop fans to take note of.

For starters, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s new group) is back at #1 with “Leave The Door Open.” They hold off Dua Lipa and DaBaby, who reach a new peak at #2 with “Levitating.” Polo G’s “Rapstar” is still performing strongly at #7. Speaking to his charting power, J. Cole managed to grab the #8 spot with “i n t e r l u d e” debuting this week. None of the other songs from The Off-Season were eligible this week– they will likely show up on the chart next week.

Just outside of the Top 10, Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti debuted at #11 with their new collaboration “Miss The Rage.” Lil Tecca starts off at #56 with “Never Left” and Don Toliver debuts at #82 with “What You Need.” 

We will keep you posted on any upcoming predictions for next week’s chart, as well as other pertinent numbers from this week’s tally. Congratulations to all of the artists who charted this week!

After TDE’s mysterious announcement on May 7th that “THE WAIT IS OVAH,” the Hip-Hop community was subsequently treated with Isaiah Rashad’s new single “Lay Wit Ya.” Featuring rising artist Duke Deuce, Isaiah Rashad’s lead single from his long-awaited sophomore album The House Is Burning officially signaled the start of Isaiah Rashad season.

Leading up to the imminent release of The House Is Burning in June, Zaywop recently connected with Billboard to discuss his forthcoming album and his willingness to live up to his full potential. However, one of the most intriguing sections of his interview was the TDE artist’s revelation about how his drug addiction struggles negatively impacted Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith.

“If anything, I might have made that n*gga a little soft,” Isaiah Rashad told Billboard about Top Dawg’s emotional investment in the Cilvia Demo artist’s wellbeing. “I went through more in these five years than I did last time. After Sun’s Tirade, I was telling that story [about my addiction], but it wasn’t like I had sh*t behind me. [My manager] Matt checked me into rehab, and we got all that sh*t out the way. Top was damn near about to cry through the sh*t.”

In addition to bringing Top Dawg to the verge of tears during his rehab stint, Isaiah Rashad reveals just how close that he has grown to the TDE founder.

“I had a dad that I ain’t never had in my life,” the “Lay Wit Ya” artist continued. “I got love that I been looking for from n*ggas that if you was coming from any other place, you’d think they want you for money, but I know if all else fails and I don’t want to rap anymore, I’ll f*ck around and just work at the office. Them n*ggas love me, and they love us.”

Label relationships sour every day in the music industry, so it’s great to see that Isaiah Rashad has been able to receive love and support from TDE throughout his addiction struggles. Check out Isaiah Rashad’s video for the Duke Deuce-assisted “Lay Wit Ya” below, and stay tuned for more updates regarding Zaywop’s forthcoming album 

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Ever since turning in a scene-stealing performance on Travis Scott’s “Can’t Say,” Don Toliver has been among the most promising young talents in the game. As such, many fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of his upcoming debut album, which is officially titled L.O.A.D (Life Of A Don). Now, according to a new Cactus Jack profile on Flaunt, we officially have a release window for the anticipated project.

During their section on Toliver, it’s confirmed that L.O.A.D will be arriving at some point in July, though a specific release date was not confirmed. It’s not entirely surprising, given that Toliver recently dropped off his lead single “What You Need,” a track that was met with instant appreciation from his fans — you can check that out right here. 

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As for potential features, Toliver has yet to unveil any of his plans on that front. Given that he’s already amassed an impressive roster of former collaborators, however — including Gucci Mane, Nas, Big Sean, and of course Travis Scott — it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 26-year-old aligning with a few heavy-hitters when he finally drops that L.O.A.D this summer.

“It wasn’t an overnight thing at all,” reflects Toliver, in his Flaunt profile. “I had to do a lot, but it feels good to get here.” Recall that back in January, Toliver warned his fans that they weren’t ready for what’s to come. It will certainly be interesting to see how Toliver capitalizes on his current status, and given how focused he sounds right now, optimism feels like a fair position. Look for his debut project to hit the game this July — are you excited?

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A Boogie wit da Hoodie and ex-girlfriend Ella Bands appear to be back together, reuniting for a TikTok video (which was quickly deleted after being uploaded) where Ella accuses the rapper of being a liar and cheater.

After welcoming their second child into the world last year, A Boogie and Ella Bands seemingly drifted apart as the beauty influencer tweeted in February that she wanted to be single. The next month, they publicly broke up in an ugly fashion. After some celebratory posts from Ella about finally being “free,” it appears as though she’s run right back into the arms of her former lover, making fun of him with her latest TikTok video.

“He’s a liar, he’s a cheater,” sang Ella in the video, going to the tune of Mooski’s “Trackstar.” “He gon’ keep on lying just to keep ya. Tell so many lies, I can’t keep up.” During the video, the two were all smiles, playing around with one another and leading fans to speculate that their breakup could simply have been for clout. 

“Sis if y’all are still together say that,” complained one person in the comments after the video was shared by The Shade Room. “We knew this breakup wasn’t gonna last long,” said another. 

At the end of the day, they have two babies together. Hopefully, they can get along in the long run for the sake of their kids. It looks like they’re back on good terms, at the very least. Watch the video below.

Tonight, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will have to take on the Golden State Warriors in a play-in game to determine who gets the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Based on the fact that Anthony Davis and LeBron are now healthy, it seems like a safe bet that the Lakers should win. However, nothing is guaranteed at this point and if the Lakers want an easy path to the playoffs, they will need to fire on all cylinders tonight.

Despite being in this position, the Lakers have excelled in one specific field this year, and that is defense. In fact, after 72 games, the Lakers were crowned as the best defensive team in the entire league, and if they make the playoffs, they will be one of the scariest teams to play. Even LeBron is acknowledging the achievement as he took to Twitter with a bevy of emojis.

LeBron and the Lakers are looking to win their second-straight title although as a seventh or eighth seed, that path is going to be very difficult. However, the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns occupy the top two spots, which makes things easier on the Lakers seeing as these are two teams with limited playoff experience.

Regardless, the Lakers will be a team to watch, starting tonight.

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According to Insider and countless other media outlets, legendary comedian Paul Mooney reportedly passed away on Monday morning following a heart attack at his home in Oakland. He was 79 years old.

Paul Mooney was revered as a pioneer in stand-up comedy and beloved for his ability to bridge humor and social commentary. Mooney previously starred in films like Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and he was also known for his frequent collaborations with acclaimed comedians such as Richard Pryor and Dave Chappelle. 

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The unfortunate news of his passing was originally revealed by journalist Roland Martin, who received an exclusive tip from Mooney’s cousin Rudy Ealy. According to Ealy, Mooney had been struggling with dementia for some time, which led to him living with his cousin. Rudy Ealy also reportedly told Roland Martin that the Oakland paramedics who arrived on the scene were “valiant” in their attempts to save Mooney. 

According to Insider, Paul Mooney’s publicist has confirmed his passing. His team also appears to have commented on the situation by taking control of Mooney’s Twitter account and releasing a statement that celebrates the legendary comedian’s lifetime achievements, saying, “Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts …you’re all are the best!…… Mooney World .. The Godfather of Comedy – ONE MOON MANY STARS! .. To all in love with this great man.. many thanks.”

Stay tuned for more updates as this sad story continues to develop.

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Curren$y’s mixtape catalog is massive, almost overwhelmingly so. It’s honestly gotten to a point where new fans looking to dive into his older repertoire need an almanac for guidance. And while competition is certainly fierce, one of his most undeniable tapes has to be 2011’s Covert Coup, produced in its entirety by The Alchemist. 

At this moment, Covert Coup is but one of many classic mixtapes yet to make the transition to streaming services; while it’s certainly not impossible to find a copy of the project, many have long sought the convenience presented by the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL. As it happens, it would appear that Spitta is looking to facilitate the process, taking to Instagram to tease Covert Coup’s transition onto streaming platforms as soon as Friday. 

“Tryna have this available on all streaming sites this Friday,” he captions. “Y’all widdit?” Unsurprisingly, Spitta was met with universal approval, all but ensuring that Cover Coup will indeed by making the transition before long. It should be noted that Curren$y has been mentioning the project often of late, fueling speculation that he and Alchemist have already cooked up a sequel; alongside a picture of him and Alc reunited, Spitta offered up a cryptic caption: “the cake has already been baked.”

While it certainly feels like Curren$y is setting the stage for a proper sequel to Covert Coup, we’ll have to wait and see if he delivers anything solid on that front. In the meantime, stay tuned for his fan-favorite mixtape to hit streaming platforms this Friday, provided Spitta’s efforts aren’t in vain. Are you excited to revisit the project?