New Hip Hop News

Though Anderson .Paak is easily one of the most talented musicians in the entire rap game, capable of spitting bars, slinging melodies, and holding it down on the drums — his music has never quite integrated into the mainstream. That is, until now. Thanks to a recent partnership with Bruno Mars, a veritable mainstay on the Billboard charts whenever he drops new music, the Aftermath signee has officially secured the first number-one single of his career. 

As of today’s Billboard charts, Paak and Bruno Mars’ “Leave The Door Open” — their first single as Silk Sonic — has officially locked down the top spot. In the process, they knocked down Lil Nas X’s controversial “MONTERO,” which previously held the title for a brief period. It’s a big win for fans of acoustic instrumentation and soulful songwriting, as the mainstream musical landscape can sometimes feel a little oversaturated with recurring commercial trends and larger-than-life production. 

“WE DID IT BRO!!!” captions .Paak, celebrating the major milestone on his Instagram. It is now safe to wear your bell bottoms all week!! #LeaveTheDoorOpen is the number 1 song in the country and I can’t thank y’all enough! @brunomars we poppin bottles in the Stu today I’m otw champ!” 

Congratulations to Anderson .Paak, whose widespread commercial recognition is long overdue. Are you still keeping “Leave The Door Open” in steady rotation? 

When Kanye West launched his Yeezy empire in collaboration with Adidas in 2015, the sneaker game was never the same again. Already one of the most successful sneaker collabs in history with a billion-dollar-plus revenue, it became notable for its high-end limited colorways and releases. While the brand was not officially launched until 2015, the first Yeezy prototype was actually worn by the rap mogul at the 2008 Grammy Awards. 

This prototype pair of Yeezys have just gone for private sale at Sotheby’s, valued at a whopping $1 million. The Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes were the prototype created for the first Yeezy line in 2008 designed by West and Mark Smith for Nike. According to the luxury auction company, they’re the most valuable pair of kicks to ever be on the market. 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

If the Yeezy sneakers prototype that helped make Kanye West a billionaire fetches its near $1 million valuation, they will easily break the record for the most expensive sneaker sale in history. The record is currently held by a pair of Air Jordan 1s, which sold for around half a million in May of 2020. 

Ryan Chang, the New York-based art collector who is selling the sneakers, explained the shoes were a piece of art. “The Air Yeezy Prototype is particularly special to me because it captured the cultural moment in 2008 so perfectly,” Chang said in a statement. “There he was, Kanye West, on stage at the Grammys, winning 4 awards that evening, and unveiling an incredibly important and iconic design in Nike’s storied history.” 

Although the current Yeezy line is currently in collaboration with Adidas rather than Nike, the Nike Air Yeezy 1 was still, “critical to the development of the Yeezy franchise, which has become one of the most important sneaker and lifestyle brands in history,” said Brahm Wachter from Sotheby’s. 

The Yeezy samples will be on display at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 16th through 21st, while those interested in making an offer on the pair can speak directly with Sotheby’s sales directors. Let us know down in the comments if you plan on doing so.  

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

[via]

The hip-hop world is mourning the loss of DMX, one of the most iconic voices in rap over the years. Through his powerful storytelling, the raspy-voiced legend became one of the most important rappers to have ever picked up a microphone throughout the last few decades. On Friday, DMX passed away at the age of 50 following a week-long battle to stay alive. His family confirmed that he was taken off of life support after suffering a heart attack the week earlier, which was brought on by a reported drug overdose.

As fans of the late rapper continue to remember his greatest moments on social media, some people have disrespectfully taken to the same platforms to spread conspiracy theories about his passing. One of the theories, which was semi-popular on Twitter, wrapped in Lil Nas X, who was recently involved in a scandal involving his new single “MONTERO” and his “Satan Shoes” with MSCHF. DMX passed away on Lil Nas X’s birthday, so somebody thought it would be funny to create a conspiracy that DMX was a “sacrifice” for the 22-year-old hitmaker. Astonished by the length people will go for some clout, LNX quoted the tweet and shared his thoughts.

Steve Granitz/Getty Images

“It genuinely scares me knowing how crazy you n***as are,” wrote Lil Nas X on Twitter, referring to the conspiracy theory wrapping him into DMX’s death. This type of nonsense, in addition to the upsetting amount of misinformation that spread while X was in a coma, is extremely hurtful to the rapper’s family. 

Recently, it was reported that DMX’s autobiography was back on the best seller’s list. The late legend’s family also issued an official statement about scammers reportedly trying to profit off of information connected to the funeral.

We will keep you updated on any of the family’s statements, as well as news regarding DMX’s funeral, vigils, tributes, and more.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

On April 9th, 2021, DMX passed away at the age of 50. He was widely celebrated by fans around the world, including many of his hip-hop peers, with many praising him as an inspirational figure. Not only were many moved by X’s unwavering faith, but also by his resilience in the face of hardship. Those familiar with DMX’s life, either by way of the recent Ruff Ryders Chronicles documentary or his own 2003 autobiography E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX, know the many roads he’s had to cross since his troubled childhood.

 Noam Galai/Getty Images

On that note, there has been a surge of fans eager to learn more about the man that has impacted so many, a development that has led to increased interest in E.A.R.L. At this time, the autobiography is number five on the Amazon Arts & Literature Biographies charts, sitting at an impressive thirty-five on the complete Biographies chart. 

Written by both DMX and former Source editor Smokey D. Fontaine, E.A.R.L: The Autobiography Of DMX is described as follows: “The dark journey of a boy who became a man, the man who became an artist, and the artist who became an icon. A talent for rhyme saved his life, but the demons and sins of his past continue to haunt him.”

Though the book only covers up to 2003, the year X delivered his fifth studio album Grand Champ, that period is widely regarded as the peak of his stardom. In 1998, DMX delivered his first two albums — It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot and Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood — both of which went number one. The following year came …And Then There Was X, which also hit number one. 2001 brought his fourth studio album, the underrated The Great Depression. In the interim, X starred in films like Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, and Cradle 2 The Grave. 

Should you be interested in learning about one of hip-hop’s greatest of all time, check out his official autobiography right here.  

[via]

Lil Pump is down horrendous right now. The young rapper is about to turn 21 this summer but he appears to be in the midst of a quarter-life crisis. His downturn was predicted years ago by J. Cole, who actually took time to interview the “Gucci Gang” star and try and set him on the right path, but the clout-obsessed rapper was stubborn and continued to chase the cheapest levels of attention online. His latest antics have included photos showing off his acrylic nails, which were roasted to no end in the comments section. 

As he tries to figure out what his fanbase wants from him, Lil Pump’s latest picture is picking up a lot of attention– again, for all the wrong reasons. People are making fun of the Florida-based rap artist for showing off his Chanel drip, including a matching pink-stripe top and bottoms set. At the same time, he showed that he was still painting his toenails in different colors. As you can surely expect, people were not impressed in the comments, calling him all sorts of names and joking about his new look. The picture was deemed “sus” by a number of haters, and it’s genuinely pretty difficult to find a positive comment in the bunch. It seems like people are unanimous on where Lil Pump stands in 2021.

One of the more popular responses comes from Soulja Boy, who made a comment about Pump’s generation of rappers. “F*k be wrong with these new rappers,” he asked with multiple laughing emojis.

Following his support for former President Donald Trump during his campaign last year, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see the 20-year-old struggling to determine where he fits in the rap game these days.

Are you a fan of his new look? Check out the picture below.

For many years, one woman in hip hop dominated the entire market, paving the way for many of the newer women within the genre.  While many of the ladies of rap have spoken out against the usage of the ‘female rap’ subcategory since it inherently pits them against each other, the term is still used in contemporary hip hop discussions.

Chicago rapper Cupcakkke recently took to social media to weigh in on the “boring” female rap landscape right now, later doubling down on her comments by adding how “mediocre” the current climate is. Taking a slight step back from her comments, the “Discounts” rapper took to social media again to tease a forthcoming release from a female rapper set to make the game “unboring.”           

“There’s a female rapper coming & boy boy boy this is scary. She’s sick,” penned Cupcakke in a since-deleted tweet. She continued, “She damn near made me push my release back. If you have a release hold it y’all I think the game just got unboring.”

While she did not name drop any specific woman in hip hop, internet users instantly suspected the mysterious release to be from none other than Nicki Minaj. 

Back in 2019, Nicki hinted at a retirement from music to focus on her family. While she has gone to appear on numerous tracks as a feature, she hasn’t released a solo project since 2018. While it’s hard to be sure who exactly Cupcakke is hinting will be releasing music soon, given Nicki’s absence from the scene for years, all signs seem to point to the Queen of Rap. 

What do you make of Cupcakke’s statement? Let us know down in the comments.