New Hip Hop News

There are many who count Cordae among the game’s best new lyricists, eagerly awaiting to see how the self-proclaimed Lost Boy moves on his anticipated sophomore album. And though some might lament the time spent between releases, others recall that old adage that so often holds true: good things come to those who wait. 

And while it has admittedly been somewhat of a wait since we heard a substantial release from Cordae, it would appear that his comeback is on the horizon. In fact, the rapper has officially confirmed that he’ll be dropping off some new music next week, taking to Twitter to preview his next single. 

 Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Over a bouncy beat that sounds like something circa Kanye’s Life Of Pablo, Cordae kicks off with some wholesome bars — at least until something else catches his eye. “I dream in color and I sleep on a canvas,” he raps. “I think we all need each other, empathy that can be our advantage / bad bitch, speaks creole and Spanish / she looks this way then I’m liking my chances / aw man, why I go on these tangents?” Alas, he cuts the clip before we can hear the answer.

It’s not the first new track that Cordae has teased in recent memory. At the end of March, he shared an upcoming banger on his Instagram page, a track that will likely see inclusion on his next body of work. Though he admittedly has entered a dangerous stage for rappers — which is to say, the coming soon stage — it would appear that fans will be treated to something at some point next week. Keep an eye out, and sound off if you’re eager to see what Cordae has been cooking up. 

Kanye West has worn some pretty incredible shoes over the course of his career and these days, he is mainly known for his work with Adidas. However, once upon a time, Kanye was working with Nike, where he helped produce the Air Yeezy 1 and the Air Yeezy 2. Both of these shoes are iconic and old samples are currently going for thousands of dollars on the auction market. Now, an iconic sample has landed in the hands of Sotheby’s, who are known for their incredible auctions.

The shoe in question is the Nike Air Yeezy 1 Grammy sample from all the way back in 2008. As you can see below, the shoe is mostly made out of black leather all while a red lace holder is placed on the tongue. There is a yellowed-out midsole and a beige Nike swoosh near the back. Perhaps the most unique part of the shoe is the packaging which is made out of wood, all while there are carvings on the lid.

As of right now, the shoe is estimated to be worth $1 million and if you are interested in setting a bid, you can do so right here. Let us know how much you would pay for a shoe like this, below.

Image via Sotheby’s

Image via Sotheby’s

Image via Sotheby’s

Image via Sotheby’s

Derek Chauvin decided not to testify, as is his protected right under the Fifth Amendment, in the final phase of the trial resulting from George Floyd’s death. The defense rested its case on Thursday, and closing arguments are set to be given Monday, after which the jury will deliberate privately. 

According to Chauvin, he made the decision not to testify completely on his own, which he announced in court before the jury was present. After questioning from his attorney Eric Nelson, it suggested there was some sort of debate regarding the issue. 

Nelson asked, “I have advised you, and (to say that) we have gone back and forth on the matter would be kind of an understatement, wouldn’t it?” Chauvin responded, “Yes it is,” agreeing with Nelson’s claim. 

Because Chauvin chose to invoke his Fifth Amendment right, prosecutors will not be able to cross-examine him. 

The prosecution called 38 witnesses over the course of 11 days, and rested its case on Tuesday morning. Their main goal was to prove that Chauvin used excessive and unreasonable force when kneeling on Floyd’s back and neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds last May. The team relied on video’s of Chauvin’s actions, experts in law enforcement criticizing Chauvin’s actions, and testimony from medical officials confirming Floyd died due to the excessive restraint.

The former police officer has pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges.

[via]

A new report from Variety announces that Jay-Z has officially added some new talent to the Roc Nation roster, signing rising r&b singer Maeta to his label. Roc Nation Co-President Omar Grant praised her talents in a press release announcing the deal.

“Maeta has one of those rare natural voices that will stop you in your tracks,” states Grant. “When I heard her sing live for the first time, she already had the poise, presence, and instincts of a much more established artist. I’m so glad she is beginning her career at Roc Nation.”

The report also features a few words from Maeta, who was unsurprisingly thrilled to join the esteemed label. “I can’t believe I’m officially part of the Roc Nation family!” she writes. “I am so thankful to Omar, Shari, and the rest of the team for embracing me and believing in my dream.” She also addressed the deal in a recent Instagram post, captioning “your girl is signed!!! thank you @rocnation for welcoming me.”

It would appear that Maeta will be hitting the ground running on her new label, with a new EP called Habits already in the cards for an April 30th release. The singer has already shared a taste of what’s to come, having recently dropped off her single “Toxic” with BEAM, produced by Skrillex — look for that one to line the Habits tracklist when it drops in a few weeks time. 

LISTEN: Maeta – Toxic ft BEAM

Maeta is managed by Jeff Robinson (the manager of H.E.R.) and Jason Hobdy of MBK Entertainment; she has collaborated with artists like Buddy and Kaytranada. We’d like to Congratulate Maeta on her new Roc Nation deal, and we look forward to seeing what this new development has in store for the Indianapolis singer. 

[via]

Kobe Bryant will be heading to the Hall Of Fame this year after perhaps one of the greatest NBA careers of all time. With five NBA titles and numerous records to his name, there is no denying that Kobe belongs in the Hall. Unfortunately, Kobe won’t be here to see himself get inducted, but we’re sure the honor will be massive for his family, who are expected to be in attendance. The ceremony is going down on May 15th, and today, it was revealed who would have the honor of inducting Kobe into the Hall.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Michael Jordan will be the one to present Kobe into one of basketball’s greatest institutions. Jordan was a huge influence on Kobe and during Bryant’s funeral, Jordan gave a moving speech that had many tearing up. With this in mind, MJ is the perfect person to be bestowing this honor onto Kobe.

Kobe will also be inducted alongside incredible names like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, who were all huge giants of that era. Kobe had his run-ins with those players, and it only makes sense that they would go into the Hall of Fame together.

Needless to say, we will be watching come May 15th.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant left a lasting impact on the NBA and even the sneaker world. During his time with Nike, he came through with various dope designs that are still beloved to this day. He helped usher in the low-top era and since that time, numerous players have delivered their own low-top silhouettes. Perhaps one of his most popular models was the Nike Kobe 6 which just so happens to be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Numerous colorways are making their way back to the market, including the “POP” model.

In the official images below, you can see that this “POP” version is extremely close to the original and longtime Kobe fans will certainly enjoy these. As you can see, the upper is covered in white scales all while black and yellow highlights are found all throughout the silhouette. The colors contrast nicely and if you want something simple for your collection, these may very well be the way to go.

As for the release date, one has yet to be announced yet although you can expect them to drop closer to the Spring. In the meantime, let us know what you think about this model, in the comments below.

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

To this day, the fabled supergroup consisting of Jay-Z, Ja Rule, and DMX, remains one of hip-hop’s oft-pondered what-ifs. Originally imagined by Murder Inc leader Irv Gotti, circumstances ultimately fell through as it proved immensely difficult to gather all three emcees in a singular space.

Ja Rule recently reflected on the difficulties of uniting Jay-Z and DMX — “Jay and X, you couldn’t get them in the same room together,” he told HipHopDX — though they did ultimately manage to deliver the standout posse cut “It’s Murda” and Streets Is Watching highlight “Murdergram.” Alas, that was the extent of their collaborative history, though many have since wondered how the game might have changed under different circumstances.

LISTEN: Jay-Z, Ja Rule, & DMX – Murdergram

In a recent interview with Audacy, Irv Gotti actually opened up about the failed supergroup, providing further insight behind his motivation to unite the three New York lyricists. “When you talk about X, Jay, and Ja,” begins Irv. “The same feeling I had with X, I had with Jay when I heard him rhyme. It’s the same feeling I had with Ja when I heard him rhyme. These three guys that are all my brothers, imagine selfishly how I felt. I was like ‘yo, I got the best three dudes in the world yo!’ And this was before any of them got on.”

“The revolution that happened, the takeover with all three of them reaching the pinnacle, I knew it was going to happen,” he continues. “Cause they all get busy, and get busy at a high level. I watched all three of these guys battle other people. They would shut people up, dudes who rhyme wouldn’t rhyme around them. They was that nasty, it was a different level with all three of them.”

Streeter Lecka/BIG3/Getty Images 

“So we was in the studio, I wanted that Murder Inc album so badly,” he admits. “I didn’t even care about the money. I loved Hip Hop so much, I knew if those three dudes go in the studio and make an album, it’s gonna be the illest Hip Hop album ever. Why? They’re all gonna battle each other really. Any record that you’ve ever heard with them on it together, they tryna outshine each other.”

“The first one was ‘Murdergram,’ and Jay set that off,” continues Gotti. “He only spit sixteen bars. But Rule and X spit twenty-four, thirty. They were going at it! When we did ‘It’s Murda,’ did you hear Jay’s verse?! That’s because of ‘Murdergram!’ These dudes ain’t playing!” He laughs as he remembers how all three used to drag him into the conversation, eagerly looking to be crowned the best by their longtime production collaborator.

Carley Margolis/FilmMagic/Getty Images

For more legendary stories on DMX, be sure to check out both parts of Gotti’s interview with Big Regg on Audacy. Murder Inc supergroup discussion takes place around the three-minute mark of part two.