New Hip Hop News

Arguably one of the most surprising #1 debuts of the entire year, Polo G has officially spent his second-straight week at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with his latest single “RAPSTAR.”  It was also revealed that in just two short weeks, the song has also been certified gold by the RIAA.

The new update was announced for the Billboard Hot 100 on Monday and it was revealed that Polo G is staying still at the pole position for another week. According to a press release, the Chicago native is the only male debut to spend two consecutive weeks at #1 on the chart this year. This feat also makes “RAPSTAR” the twenty-second song in history to log both its first and second weeks at the top of the tally. “RAPSTAR” is also officially certified gold by the RIAA, moving over 500,000 units.

The song has been ultra-popular, hitting over 38 million views on YouTube. It’s Polo’s biggest song to date, making all of his fans excited for what’s to come on his upcoming studio album Hall Of Fame.

Despite some changes further down in the top ten, the most popular songs in the country have remained mostly the same for the last week. Young Stoner Life, Young Thug, and Gunna debuted some Slime Language 2 records just outside of the top ten, ranking “Solid” at #12, “Ski” at #18, and “Diamonds Dancing” at #46. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.

Read more about what Polo G’s “RAPSTAR” success means with our new article, “Polo G’s ‘RAPSTAR’ Defines A New Generation Of Hip-Hop.”

Stephen A. Smith is one of the biggest New York Knicks fans in all of sports media and when they aren’t playing very well, Smith can be seen in a depressed mood. However, when the team turns things around, he is perhaps at his absolute most jovial. Today, Smith was all smiles on the set of First Take as the Knicks are currently on a nine-game winning streak and are fourth in the Eastern Conference, right behind teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks.

In fact, Smith came through with some hot takes today, especially pertaining to the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Simply put, Smith believes that no matter what, the Knicks will always run New York and that if the Nets don’t win a championship this season, KD and Irving will have to live life with regrets.

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“If the New York Knicks are in the playoffs, and the Brooklyn Nets don’t win the chip, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will regret the day they passed on becoming a New York Knick!” Smith said triumphantly.

Perhaps this is all a little bit premature, especially as no one knows for sure what the Knicks will do if and when they make the playoffs. While they might get a winnable first-round matchup, they will probably be subjected to a second-round exit, as the Nets or 76ers will be waiting for them. 

Not to mention, as far as Irving and KD are concerned, they seem to be enjoying their new team, quite a bit.

Kyle Kuzma has been a key player for the Los Angeles Lakers over these last few years, especially in 2020 as the team won its first NBA title in 10 years, While Kuzma is known as a solid scorer, there were times where he had to deal with less playing time as head coach Frank Vogel looked for the options that worked the best. Now, with LeBron James injured, Kuzma has been getting more time on the court and for the most part, he has been fitting into his role, nicely.

While speaking to reporters recently, Kuzma was asked about the Lakers rotations and how he feels about fluctuating playing time. Kuzma’s answer was both mature and honest as he noted that at the end of the day, his one true goal is to win a title with his teammates.

“We’re all competitors and we all want to be out on the court for 48 minutes,” Kuzma said. “That’s just how you are if you’re a competitor. If you don’t want to then I would never want a player on my team like that. So I think it’s all about sacrifice. That’s something I really learned about last year, I think something that I struggled with last year. I was hard on myself and down a little bit, but I had great teammates that stuck with me and I figured it out, so now is not the time to be harping on yourself. We’re trying to win championships right now. That’s the window that we’re in and it’s at all costs. If you don’t play then you don’t play.”

With LeBron coming back soon, the Lakers will be well within their window of winning that title and no matter what, Kuzma will end up being a big part of that push.

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Moneybagg Yo recently delivered his fourth studio album A Gangsta’s Pain, easily the biggest album of his career thus far. Featuring appearances from Future, The Neptunes, Polo G, Jhené Aiko, and more, the lengthy project served to paint a thorough picture of Yo’s complex and multifaceted identity. 

Clearly, A Gangsta’s Pain proved resonant to many, checking all the right boxes and netting Bagg his biggest first-week projections yet. It was reported that Yo’s new release will be moving up to one hundred album-equivalent units, with between two to three thousand coming from traditional physical sales. The gargantuan triple-digit outcome should be enough to net Moneybagg his first-ever number-one album, provided YSL’s Slime Language 2 doesn’t undergo any unexpected surges.

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If anything, the fact that A Gangsta’s Pain is slated for a number one release speaks to Moneybagg’s current star status in the game. Naturally, that means he’s looking at an increased booking fee, following the revelation that he was netting one-hundred-and-twenty-five thousand dollars every concert. As it happens, Bagg has already experienced a considerable raise, taking to Twitter to flex his updated booking fee. “Locked In My First 200k For A Show This Morning,” he flexes. “It’s Stuck There !”

Suffice it to say, he’s living up to his name and securing the Bagg. And to think, it feels as if he’s only getting started. Don’t be surprised to see him continue to surge in popularity, and given the amount of musical versatility exhibited throughout his latest project, he can take no shortage of directions for his next drop. He certainly can’t go wrong by embracing the pure nostalgia of “Certified Neptunes.”

We’d like to congratulate Moneybagg Yo on securing a massive release with A Gangsta’s Pain, as well as the boosted booking rate that arrived as a result. It should be interesting to see how he capitalizes on this momentum moving forward. Are you still keeping the project on steady rotation? 

For more from Moneybagg Yo, be sure to check out our Digital Cover Story right here. 

Kamaru Usman came through with a massive win on Saturday night as he defeated Jorge Masvidal with a second-round knockout. It was a solid punch that was able to take out Masvidal with ease. In fact, some fans are now giving Usman a whole lot of respect as they never felt like he had that kind of punching power.

One person who wasn’t impressed, however, was Conor McGregor who took to Twitter claiming that Usman has been stealing all of his moves.

“Usman even copying my shots now. Am I to fight this guy at some stage? I think so. Can’t be copying my words and my shots and not get a smack for it. I like 170. It’s mine soon,” McGregor wrote before being told off by Usman.

In true McGregor fashion, he clapped back at Usman, this time asking why he didn’t get an invitation to fight when the Gilbert Burns bout was postponed. That’s when Usman alleged that he did invite McGregor although the Irish fighter never picked up the phone.

“I offered you the fight and you went missing. Let’s stay humble young man. I already took your pride. Don’t make me take your whiskey too,” Usman said.

At this point, it seems like Usman will probably be fighting Colby Covington again before he takes on McGregor. Regardless, these two are setting the stage for a nice potential rivalry.

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