Lil Tjay’s Destined 2 Win album has officially landed, featuring guest appearances from 6LACK, Polo G, Fivio Foreign, Saweetie, Tyga, Toosii, Offset, and Moneybagg Yo — the latter two combining for the posse cut banger “Run It Up.” Over a melancholic piano loop and some up-tempo percussion from Josh Petruccio, Tjay sets it off and proves why he’s one of the game’s standout newcomers. “I keep a Drac’, ain’t no OVO, I ain’t for nothing, just check my portfolio,” he raps, showcasing an impressive flow. “Really come from a block where they bang, bang / Bustin’ that Glock, oh, this Glock ain’t no goalie, bro.”
Following Tjay is Offset, who warms up for Culture 3 with his own dexterous verse. “Make my bitch get your bitch, come and fuck on us,” he raps. “Make a hit with that switch, now my opps are dust / Put my racks in a wad, I was growin’ rust.” With his own upcoming album on the way, Moneybagg Yo is tasked with closing the cut, his formidable presence a welcome addition. “You ain’t gangster, you went, took the smooth route,” he spits, how flow more methodical than his collaborators. “Ran it up, now my pockets look too stout / Never enough, man, I gotta go get some more / Sold enough gas to go buy me a Texaco.”
Check out the new posse cut from Lil Tjay, Offset, and Moneybagg Yo right here, and sound off with your thoughts on Destined 2 Win in the comments below.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Pinky ring get to singin’ like Jodeci Double R and it came with a notary I see stars, I’m a star like it’s ‘posed to be I pop bars, only way I can go to sleep When my gang needed me, bought a hunnid tees Put the Patek on, my wrist a masterpiece
Barack Obama hasn’t been the president of the United States for over four years now, but he still has plenty of admirers who are eager to hear from him. That especially true of his music preferences, as he often shares well-received playlists. Fans were surely delighted a few weeks ago, then, when the former POTUS made a post on Instagram asking for questions from his followers. In his response to one of those questions, he explained why a particular Jay-Z song from The Black Album means to much to him.
Complex cited Obama’s well-known love of hip-hop and asked, “Do you have one verse you can recite by heart? Obama responded with a video, which Complex shared. In the clip, Obama begins, “First of all, Complex: you do not want to hear me rap. When I have tried to rap, my daughters have rolled their eyes, covered their ears. They think it’s painful. They even think my dancing is better than my rapping.”
He went on to speak about The Black Album‘s closing track, “My 1st Song”:
“Now, having said that, I’ve mentioned a couple of songs that even when I was running for president came up a lot on my iPod. One of them was ‘My 1st Song’ by Jay-Z, which is a song that I love because it talks about the struggle of just trying to make it. And sometimes you have to resort to false bravado and hustle and tamping down your insecurities, and when I was running for president, obviously, at that point, I didn’t know whether I was gonna make it, so somehow, that inspired me.
There’s a line in there, ‘Treat my first as my last and my last as my first and my thirst is the same as when I came.’ And I actually kept on listening to that song during the presidency because it was a reminder that — even when you do make it — having a little bit of that sense of still being hungry, still having to work hard, still having to prove something, that’s what keeps propelling you forward.
In mid-March, music lovers went understandably and rightfully berzerk after news that legendary R&B groups The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire would be the next big names to hit up Verzuz, social media’s hottest head-to-head music battle. The musicians are slated to appear on the program April 4, and fans can stream the event via the Verzuz Instagram and Triller pages.
Originally a gospel quartet who became popular in the late 1950s, The Isley Brothers broke new ground in the ’70s after proving their mastery over the pop and funk sounds. They are among one of the only acts in popular music history to have singles hit the Billboard charts in five separate decades, and because of their inimitable career, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Earth, Wind, & Fire is considered one of the most innovative groups to ever do it, often using their work to combine elements of R&B, funk, disco, Latin, and pop. They are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time, with sales of over 90 million records, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Each group’s influence and legacy lives on in our hearts and headphones, and throughout the last few decades, several artists have paid homage to these acts in some way, shape, or form. You may not even realize it, but some of the most popular songs in contemporary R&B and hip-hop have celebrated these two iconic groups through song covers, samples, and interpolations.
To gear up for Verzuz on Easter Sunday, take a listen to some of the best uses of The Isley Brothers and EW&F’s work in modern songs.
Big Pun’s “Still Not A Player” Interpolates Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Beijo (Interlude)”
The late rapper’s staple song, a remix to his debut “I’m Not A Player,” is perhaps more well-known and more successful than the original. (The remix hit No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, while the OG peaked at No. 57 in 1997.) The track, produced by music maker Minnesota, not only interpolates R&B crooner Joe’s “Still Not A Player,” it ties in one of the most catchy moments of EW&F’s popular interlude from their 1977 album, All N’ All. Get your best speakers out in order to hear Joe croon “Punisher…Punisher…Punisher, Big Punisher” to the original’s recognizable tune.
The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa” Samples The Isley Brothers’ “Between The Sheets”
Christopher Wallace was no stranger to using an R&B or soul-driven sample in his work, evident by the Herb Alpert sample in “Hypnotize” and the Diana Ross sample in “Mo Money Mo Problems,” to name just a few. “Big Poppa” in particular (which in 1996 would receive two Grammy nominations) signaled a stylistic shift for the rapper by utilizing a slower, more sensual groove to pair his rhymes with, and The Isley Brothers’ baby-making hit definitely fit the bill.
Throughout the hip-hop collaboration, a loop of the piano intro from “Fantasy” can be heard in the background. While subtle in order to let Plies and Pain’s verses do the talking, the sample is undeniable. Like most songs featuring samples and interpolations from already-popular artists, Maurice White, Verdine White, and Eddie del Barrio of EW&F have songwriting credits on “Shawty.”
Thundercat’s “Them Changes” Samples The Isley Brothers’ “Footsteps In The Dark”
“Them Changes,” found on Thundercat’s 2017 album Drunk, is perhaps one of his most recognizable songs today. This is fitting, considering “Footsteps In The Dark” is one of the hallmarks of The Isley Brothers’ catalogue. The tone is instantly set with the original tune’s iconic opening drum beats. However, Thundercat makes the song his own by including lyrics with gory imagery, which we learn is symbolic of heartbreak and love lost. In a 2020 interview, the Grammy-winning musician says he’s thrilled that “Them Changes” “translated the way it did,” and that he hopes the tune “sticks around forever.”
Yo-Yo’s “You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo” feat. Ice Cube Samples Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Devotion”
The 1991 song slingshot the rapper into the public’s consciousness, and set her apart from her contemporaries as a self-assured and strong woman. Sonically, listeners are treated to a combination of timeless throwback energy with hip-hop’s infectious rhythms, from a crinkling record noise to kick off the beat to a thumping bass that mixes in seamlessly with EW&F’s cool and collected style.
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘I” Samples The Isley Brothers’ “That Lady”
The first single off of K. Dot’s To Pimp A Butterfly was written in order to instill confidence in his listeners. While the project largely pertains to commentary on society’s negative effects on the Black community, “I” serves as a triumphant tune with a positive perspective. What makes “I”s use of “That Lady” stand out is that elements of the sample were recorded live with Ronald Isley (instead of just using the original version), which provides an unfinished yet classic feeling for the listener.
“You can actually hear him on the record with a few ad-libs that he actually did,” Lamar says of working with Isley. “We got it on camera and things like that, it’s a beautiful thing.” Isley is also a featured artist on “How Much A Dollar Cost?” from the same album.
Queen Pen’s “Party Ain’t A Party” Samples Earth, Wind & Fire’s “On Your Face”
This Teddy Riley-produced hit features a delicious twist on EW&F’s popular Spirit album cut, which is not an entirely unexpected choice given Riley’s reverence for using classic R&B samples in his ’90s production staples. (SWV’s “Right Here” samples Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” Blackstreet’s “Let’s Stay In Love” samples “Say You Love Me, One More Time” by D. J. Rogers.) The result of this particular production decision is a bonafide party starter that put the young rapper on the map in 1997.
Aaliyah’s “At Your Best (You Are Love)” Is A Cover Of The Isley Brothers’ Song Of The Same Name
Fresh on the scene as a budding musical ingenue, Aaliyah Haughton’s cover of The Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best” for her 1994 debut Age Ain’t Nothin’ But A Number catapulted her to stardom. Her version of the track — which was considered somewhat of a deep cut for the group — became more popular than the original ’70s version, and its remix brought the song to new heights. After her death in 2001, Ronald Isley said that the group was “devastated,” and they dedicated several performances of the song to her in the aftermath of her passing.
“I met this young lady when she was 15,” Isley said during a concert set in 2001. “She said, ‘Your group is my favorite group. I’m recording one of your songs. This is a favorite of mine.’”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Quality Control rapper Bankroll Freddie began the rollout of his first project since signing to Motown earlier in the year with the release of “Add It Up.” The Arkansas-native has finally followed up with the release of Big Bank, his first major release since last year’s From Trap to Rap album, featuring guest vocals from fellow artists like 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, Megan thee Stallion, Young Scooter, EST Gee, PnB Rock, and BIG30.
Admittedly, there’s something left to be desired in the beat selection throughout the project. Big Bank oftenrelies heavily on layering his bars with repetitive melodies implementing similar arrangements, making for an interesting listening experience if you’re not a huge fan of trap. Nonetheless, highlights from the project include the declaratory track, “Active,” the 2 Chainz and Young Scooter assisted track, “Dope Talk,” and “Pop It” with Megan thee Stallion.
Check out the tracklist below and give it a listen. Of course, let us know what you think down in the comments.
A triumphant soul sample drives the single’s hard-hitting production, and Young M.A floats on the beat with ease. “Successful” finds the Brooklyn-born artist boasting about her long-term success as an independent artist as well as her influence in her city. “Successful” ditches a drawn-out hook for a positive and affirming refrain that simply consists of Young M.A. saying the phrase, “I’m one word with ten letters/Successful,” twice. Thus, even with a runtime of about two and a half minutes, the track is able to fit in three scorching verses from the “Off The Yak” rapper.
Check out Young M.A’s latest single below, and sound off it the comments if you’re feeling it.
Quotable Lyrics
So many people let me down, why would I let up? (Why?) Can’t trust these Philly niggas, nah, it’s a set up (Nah) I can’t trust these pretty bitches, M-O-B forever (Mob) Yeah, my heart told me, “Fuck love, get your shit together” (Uh-huh)
Last night, Lil Uzi Vert and Yung Miami engaged in a tense Instagram Live session, during which the pair made it abundantly clear that they don’t have much fondness for one another. Given that Uzi is currently in a relationship with Miami’s City Girls partner JT, it’s likely part of what drove them to speak on Live in the first place. Alas, all the conversation appeared to do was further embroil existing conflicts, as well as inflaming new ones — namely, between Lil Uzi and Southside, who has a child with Yung Miami.
Image via HNHH
Clearly displeased over the way Lil Uzi spoke with Miami, Southside proceeded to put the Eternal Atake rapper on blast, going so far as to threaten him with an on-sight beatdown. “I’mma say this one time. Ay, Uzi, don’t address none to my b*tch,” Southside said, in a clip that has been circulating on social media. “You handle your bitch, you stay on your side. You got one more time to say somethin’. I promise you I’mma punch your teeth out your mouth…If you don’t like my bitch, don’t like my bitch…Stay the little weirdo you is, keep rockin’ purses, keep doin’ that bitch shit you doin’.”
While much has already been made of Southside’s threats — check out some of the reactions to beef right here — another moment from the heated exchange has sparked interest. As it happens, Southside claimed that Lil Uzi Vert would have been robbed by Offset were it not for his own intervention. “I’m the same n**ga that saved you from getting robbed from Offset and them, don’t forget that,” he warned. “I’m the same ni*ga. I was the only ni**ga that had blicks in the studio. I’m the same ni*ga that kept you from getting your jewelry took.”
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
As he did not elaborate in the heat of the moment, many have been left speculating as to when this alleged altercation between Offset and Lil Uzi Vert might have taken place. It should be noted that the pair of “Bad And Boujee” collaborators previously nursed animosity toward one another after Offset called Uzi out for wearing an upside-down cross back in 2017. “All y’all n*ggas wearing upside-down crosses, even my little partners, stop that sh*t,” he stated, back in 2017. “You look lame. All that worship the devil sh*t. Get with God man.”
Check out Southside’s accusation below. As of now, Offset has yet to acknowledge his presence in the conversation, nor has Lil Uzi Vert come forward to respond to Southside’s ire.
It’s fair to say Future had the rap arena in a chokehold back in 2017. First off, he unleashed two albums within two weeks of each other in February of that year, his self-titled fifth studio album followed by the fan-favorite project Hndrxx. With the two successful efforts, the Atlanta native made history as the first artist to release two Billboard 200 chart-topping albums in consecutive weeks. Secondly, it was impossible to escape the reigns of his massive smash hit “Mask Off.” Unsurprisingly, the single has just joined the billion-stream club.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella
“Future’s ‘Mask Off’ has now surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify,” wrote a rap chart aggregate account. It is his first song to achieve this feat and currently sits above “Life is Good” with Drake as his most-streamed single.
At the time of its release, it became Future’s highest-charting single as a lead artist, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. He later earned a top 2 hit with “Life is Good.” The Freebandz founder’s chart performance is an interesting point to contemplate as it calls attention to his cult following.
His core fanbase is often able to push nearly all his albums to the top of the charts, however, the performance of the album’s singles often does not experience the same success. Among his core listeners, though, no stone in Future’s discography has been left unturned.
Congrats to Future on joining the billion-stream club. Do you guys think “Mask Off” is Top 5 for Future? Let us know down in the comments.
Last night, Quavo started celebrating his birthday by hitting up the extravagant, red-themed birthday party put together by Quavo’s sister Migo Shara and the Celebrity Wedding and Event Planner Eliana B., and several of his friends, family members, and close collaborators were in attendance. Fellow Atlanta artist Jacquees also made an appearance at the event, and he even did Quavo the honors of singing “Happy Birthday.”
Other celebrities in attendance include Quavo’s nephew and fellow Migos member Takeoff, YRN Lingo, and DJ Duel. Yet, as mentioned before, the surprise party was more of an intimate affair, so be on the lookout for more lavish pictures as Quavo continues to celebrate another year around the sun.
Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs is in his music bag. The hip-hop star has blessed fans with the visual treatment to his new “Big Boss Rabbit” single. Freddie Gibbs Gets Jump On Easter Bunny Just in time for Good Friday, Fred came through clutch with both a new tune and music video. Clocking in at just […]
In September of last year, R-Mean paid homage to the great LeBron with “King James,” a Scott Storch-produced banger with a key assist from Jeremih. Now, four months deep into 2021, the lyricist has returned to give the single some additional momentum. Behold the new visuals for “King James,” which finds R-Mean and Jeremih holding it down for a heavily basketball-inspired video clip directed by Alex Kodo.
Though the titular baller is currently sidelined with a high ankle sprain, his legacy is well represented all the same. Adorned in Lakers gear and surrounded by similarly supportive cheerleaders, both R-Mean and Jeremih hold it down with the commanding presence of a starting duo. Given the subject matter, it’s not surprising to see basketball heavily incorporated into the clip, with plenty of highlight-reel dunks from Jordan Sutherland and Alan Palesano — there’s even a reimagined take on the Zoom audience, which originally aimed to simulate the presence of fans during the onset of the COVID bubble.
Though the video may have taken a bit of time to land, it’s nice to see R-Mean keeping his momentum rolling. The rapper has been putting in work for a minute, and we’re interested in seeing what he’s got lined up for the remainder of the year. Check out “King James” now, and sound off if you’re eager to catch R-Mean’s next move.
