Rise & Grind: Lakeyah On Quality Control Labelmates, 42 Dugg Collab & Nicki Minaj As A GOAT

Rise & Grind is a brand new editorial series, meant to introduce and dissect new, buzzing, or underground artists. 


Pierre “Pee” Thomas can spot star-quality in an artist before they can even see it themselves. As the Quality Control empire continues to grow beyond the success of Migos, Lil Baby, and City Girls, Wisconsin’s own Lakeyah is prepared for her time to shine. After going viral on the Internet a few times, her music fell into the lap of Pee whose been guiding her towards stardom. Time’s Up, her debut on QC, has produced hit singles like “Big FlexHER” ft. 42 Dugg and “Female GOAT” ft. City Girls. 

With a new project expected to drop in the coming future, the budding Wisconsin star hopped on a quick phone call with HNHH for the latest edition of Rise & Grind where she answers 10 basic questions before diving into a quick Q&A, below.

Stay tuned for a new installment of Rise & Grind every Monday.


lakeyah

Rise & Grind: Lakeyah. Photo by Chad Lawson

Stomping Grounds:

I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Midwest reppin’ but I live in Atlanta now.

I think I’m gonna be like the first famous rapper that comes from Milwaukee, from my neighborhood. [Where] I grew up, it was pretty nice. It wasn’t a suburbs type place. It wasn’t really crazy, but the city overall is pretty rough, like growing up there. A lot of homicide, people dying in cars, all that type of stuff was in that city. So that’s why I really wanted to leave and pursue my dream elsewhere.

Zodiac Sign:

I’m a Pisces. They say we’re super emotional. That is me all the way in it. That really speaks to my music because I do a lot of R&B songs and I cover a lot of R&B songs. And, you know, I go through a lot of stuff as a teenage girl, relationships and just life, overall.

Top 5 DOA:

 We got Nicki Minaj, Drake, [and] Lil Wayne. We gotta put the GOATs in there… And Lil Baby and Wale. 

Biggest Accomplishment:

Overall, definitely just being signed. But I’m gonna say all positive feedback from my first tape dropping with this label. Like, if you search my name on Twitter, it’s just so much positive feedback. Pee even said that’s the most he’s seen from like somebody that’s just come in. In a pandemic and just being a new artist overall, it hasn’t been really anything negative.

Studio Habits & Essentials:

My weird studio habit is I have to record in the dark. Sometimes, if I can’t, I’ll like — you know, how there’s a window towards the engineer? I kind of like turn my back towards him. But I definitely have to be sitting in the dark and I gotta have my heater in there, too. It’s always cold in there. It’s always freaking cold. It gotta be warm and it got to be in the dark.

My essentials, I gotta have my charger. I gotta grab some American Deli before I come here. Because the best American Deli in Atlanta is by the studio. 

My significant other is always with me. My Beats, like, I have super loud headphones so when my engineer’s playing music, I could be writing my next song if it isn’t already written. And my phone. That’s all. 

“Big FlexHer” ft. 42 Dugg:

So the record was supposed to be an Instagram freestyle. I wrote a quick little verse and I was gonna freestyle it in the car and upload it. But when Pee called me to sign me, he wanted me to send him over some music. So I sent him over that song and he was like, ‘This gon’ be your single. It’s hard.’ 

When I first met him, I [also] met [Lil] Baby, and Yachty. When they brought me into the studio they were like, Dugg would be perfect for this because it’s a Detroit style beat and Dugg is from Detroit. The next day, Dugg sent the song back over with the feature on it. So, that’s how the song came about. It’s definitely one of my favorites that I’ve recorded with somebody else. 

The video, we did half of it in Atlanta, when Dugg was here, and then I went back to my hometown because me, Coach and Pee decided — the essence of the song is definitely the Midwest. So, we figured we should fly back and have the city in it. And I wanted to make sure that my city was included and looked good because they a big part of me coming up and getting recognition. So I definitely wanted to bring everybody out. And that is my favorite video that I shot so far and I’ve shot 8 videos. 

First Bars:

I started rapping in 2014. Just like, writing stuff down because I was part of a poetry slam team. 2014 was when my little sister’s dad died from a homicide. A lot of that came through in my music. Like, I did a song called “Missing You” for him. He was kind of [like] a stepfather to me. I went viral with that. It definitely helped, just growing up in that environment and being able to let my feelings out in a way that I could. And I was speaking for other people, too.

First Show:

I was in my hometown so it was definitely a lot of love. It was super fun. Like, they knew every song off the tape. They loved “Female Goat” and “Big FlexHer,” of course. It was super fun. Like, it was just great not being able to, you know — Like, people knowing the lyrics, you don’t even have to rap them. It was very fun. 

It was cut short though because it got really hectic after I played “Pop Out.” I was in the middle of a fight so we had to leave. It was fun, for the most part.

First of all, it was so wrapped up. Like, they couldn’t even let everybody in. Then I play “Pop Out. You know, I’m just trying to get the crowd excited. It’s one of those like “Knuck If You Buck”-type songs and some girls started fighting so we had to go. I didn’t mean for them to fight the song just is very– turned them up.

Clocking Out:

Binge watching every series I can. I’m a nerd at heart. I like Marvel series and those and like all that. I will binge watch everything that they have available in that category on Netflix, Hulu, whatever. That’s my guilty pleasure

I just rewatched something. It was Flash or Arrow. I think it was Arrow, in about three days. The right snack, and I’m good.

Up Next:

Another tape, more videos. I just hope to show my face more, too. I know we are in a pandemic but like, [I want to] be outside more. I really just been working. Like studio time, phone interviews have been my thing right now. And like, Zoom calls and stuff. Hopefully, Biden gets the situation together and the world gets the situation together, so I can experience something different. 


LAKEYAH

Photo by Chad Lawson

Tell me about connecting with the City Girls on “Female GOAT” and how that song came about.

I love the City Girls. Like, first of all, I thought that it was going to be outside of what they usually do but when they heard it, they were like, ‘love it,’ and finished that shit in about three days [and] sent it back over. It was perfect. When you listen to it and watch the video, it feels like you’re getting jumped by three girls. Like, that’s how hard every verse was. It was just crazy.

It came about pretty easily. Like, Pee was going through all my old music because I had already dropped “Female Goat.” Like, for me, it was from 2018, so basically it was a remix. He was like, ‘You already dropped this? This is hard. We need to send it to the City Girls.’ They sent it back over in three days. And we were shooting a video in like not even a week.

Can you explain the rake scene from the “Female GOAT” video with Yung Miami? Where did the rake even come from?

First of all, I don’t even think I was out there when Miami was recording her scene. But the idea definitely came from Keemotion, who directed the video, because he gave me a toolbox and a goat with my name on it. So, he gave Miami a rake cause she said, “Beat his sister with a rake,” and they just handed it to her and she flung it for B-Roll. 

It was so funny, especially like all the memes and stuff that was on Twitter. It was definitely funny. I loved it. 

What was it like for the first time meeting the Quality Control team for the first time and how has that relationship developed?

I’ve met everybody on QC except the Migos which is crazy to me because I can’t wait to meet them. They’re like the biggest group in the world. I can’t wait to meet them but everybody else is so welcoming. They were so welcoming and everybody treats me like their little sister.

Lil Baby almost came to every video shoot I’ve had, almost. The girls are just — they treat me like a little sister. I went out with them once for one of their performances. But, yes I love everybody, and they love me because of Pee. Everybody knows that Pee is super excited about me so everybody just gives me that same energy.

What’s a night out with the City Girls like?

They pack everything out, for one, so it was super packed. Everybody was — I didn’t even know like when I first went out with them, it was kinda like when I first got signed. I didn’t even know, like, if people were gonna know me. So when I got out the sprinter with JT, I guess they were calling my name, too. And it was just so surreal because you know, I’m with the City Girls. They were probably looking for Miami because Miami came through until a minute later. But it was just always lit. It’s always lit with them. They’re a vibe. You can tell just through their music and how they are that their personality just comes through their music.

Who do you think is your biggest competition lyrically in the game right now?

Mulatto. I love Mulatto. She’s hard. Like, I love a girl that thinks about bars and metaphors and all that then goes spit it in the studio. So, Mulatto for sure. It’s never competition with females though, you know? We don’t work together. Like, the industry allows unity again. 

It’s crazy. We’ve never seen as many females in the game. Me, growing up, it was always Nicki. I’m not gonna lie, it was just Nicki Minaj. It’s great. I feel like I came out at the perfect time because the industry is so accepting for women rapping. Like, it’s just been crazy. Women have definitely been dominating the game.

Has Nicki Minaj reached out yet?

No. I’m manifesting it and when she reaches out, I want her to ask me to be on a song. I don’t even want to talk about anything else [Laughs]. No, she hadn’t but she definitely recognized me about two times. Two of her fan pages posted me. She liked it and she liked one of my TikToks before. She’s seen me.

It sounds like the collaboration is on the horizon. 

Yes. I feel like that’s what’s coming about. Power of the tongue, though. I just gotta keep saying it and it’ll happen.

LaKeith Stanfield Points A Gun At Charlamagne Tha God Pic In Alarming Video

LaKeith Stanfield is one of the most talented actors alive, shining in his Judas and the Black Messiah role and delivering stand-out appearances in Knives Out, Sorry To Bother You, Get Out, and other films. However, on social media, his presence can be a little confusing at times. The 29-year-old actor is known to act out on a few different apps, going viral for his participating in a “moan room” on Clubhouse and for his alarming posts on Instagram, taking shots out of pill bottles last summer


Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

His latest activity is concerning fans after the actor came for Charlamagne Tha God, who shaded him during his recent interview with Daniel Kaluuya on The Breakfast Club. “Hoes. This is what hoes do,” said LaKeith on Instagram, captioning the video where Charlamagne says that he was “born” to play an informant in Judas and the Black Messiah. “Get sonned by reality. Get off me bro u a lame. Daniel ain’t an idiot. Leave me be dog and find somebody else @cthagod.” He followed up his response to the radio host with a video, dancing with a handgun and pointing it at a picture of Charlamagne.

In the clip, LaKeith Stanfield dances in the mirror and pulls a gun out of his pocket. He goes on to throw up a middle finger at William O’Neal, an FBI informant who played a role in the assassination of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton. Then, he dances with a mannequin before pointing his gun at a picture of Charlamagne Tha God on his computer screen, pretending to pull the trigger.

The video was posted on TikTok, but it has since been removed. 


Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

People have been speaking about the clip on social media, wondering what prompted LaKeith to act out in such a manner. Do you think he’s taking this too far?

DaBaby Explains The Controversial Jojo Siwa Reference On His ‘Beatbox’ Freestyle

Over the weekend, DaBaby and Jojo Siwa trended on Twitter as music fans were baffled by the rapper’s reference to the teen pop star in his freestyle over SpotEmGottem’s viral hit “Beat Box.” The lyric in question revived the once-popular hashtag punchline style — always a dangerous proposition, considering even Ludacris still hasn’t recovered from that same lyrical faux pas — to diss an imagined rival. However, the wording seemingly left his meaning ambiguous enough that some fans believed he was dissing the colorful young singer, prompting a flurry of dismayed memes and comparisons between the two entertainers.

Eventually, DaBaby himself entered the discussion to clear the air, calling the whole incident a misunderstanding by fans. “I love Twitter bruh,” he joked in a tweet responding to the frenzy. He further elaborated in a tweet directed to Siwa herself, “My 3-year-old princess is your number 1 fan. I bought her every product you have out. She think she you. Don’t let em trick you into thinking id ever have a problem with you. My word play just went over their heads. All love on my end shawty, Keep shining!”

He also leveraged “Siwa” into a homonym for another joke. “I don’t ‘Siwa’ they so mad,” DaBaby cracked. Now, that’s wordplay, even if it is cheesy. It probably won’t stop Twitter from coming after him again — after all, it’s become something of a pastime on the app, with users criticizing him for working with Tory Lanez (pre-Megan Thee Stallion shooting), performing during the pandemic, and even showing off his lunch (from Chick-Fil-A, after it was revealed that the chain’s owners had donated to some questionable organizations). It’s fortunate he seems to know how to take it all in stride.

Bobby Shmurda Will Reportedly Be Released From Prison Tomorrow

Over the past couple months, it has seemed like Bobby Shmurda’s release from prison is imminent. He was originally scheduled to get out this December, but the prison staff’s Time Allowance Committee decided to potentially bump up his release date to February 23. Rowdy Rebel ramped up more excitement on that front last week by declaring that Shmurda would be free in a matter of days. Sure enough, it now appears that Shmurda will in fact be released from prison tomorrow.

This morning, journalist Jayson Rodriguez shared New York City records that indicate the rapper’s conditional release date is set for tomorrow, February 23. Last night, Shmurda also got fans buzzing by sharing a 5-minute clip from the film King Of New York, in which Christopher Walken’s character is released from prison and then celebrates his freedom. Shmurda captioned his post, “How the fuc y’all forget about me.”

Shmurda has been in prison since 2014. In December of that year, he and multiple others were arrested on gun and drug trafficking charges. Naturally, his musical output his been limited since then, although not non-existent: In 2018, he featured on Tekashi 69’s “Stoopid,” recording his verse over the phone.

It appears music is where the rapper’s focus will be once his is free: His mother, Leslie Pollard, told TMZ that once Shmurda is out, he wants to enjoy an “intimate dinner” with his family. After that, he apparently intends to spend most of his time working on music.

Karl-Anthony Towns Speaks Out On His Future With T-Wolves

Over these past few seasons, it feels like no team has struggled as much as the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite having a plethora of talented players, this T-Wolves team has not been able to secure big wins, and it always seems like they are in the bottom half of their conference. Last season, the team got the first overall pick as a result of their failures, and still, the team finds itself at the bottom of the Western Conference this year.

This has been a stressful time for star player Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been through a lot over the past year. There have been rumors that he might want out of Minnesota, although while speaking reporter Chris Hine, Towns re-iterated that he is committed to the T-Wolves and has no intentions of leaving. 

Karl-Anthony Towns

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

“If you want to build a legacy we got to win. And I want to build my legacy here so I want to win with the Wolves, and I’m going to do everything I possibly can to keep step-by-step, brick-by-brick, building something and a culture here that’s going to stand here for a long time,” Towns said.

Towns appears to be ready for the long haul here, although as many fans know when it comes to the NBA, sentiments can pretty well change on a dime. If the Timberwolves continue this trajectory, it will be interesting to see if Towns has a change of heart.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

[Via]

YBN Nahmir Reflects On Cordae Dropping “YBN”

Though he’s only been in the rap game for a few short years, Cordae has already undergone a key alteration to his moniker. Having originally arrived sporting the fancy title of “YBN Cordae,” an association that aligned him with fellow rising artists Nahmir and Almighty Jay, it wasn’t long before the more lyrically-inclined emcee began to separate himself from the pack. Following the release of his acclaimed debut The Lost Boy, not to mention the disbanding of his formative crew, Cordae took the initiative and dropped the YBN altogether.

YBN Cordae

Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

As tends to be the case on the internet, some interpreted Cordae’s decision as disrespectful, despite the fact that neither Nahmir nor Almighty Jay felt any type of way about the soft rebrand. In fact, Nahmir has remained loyal to his former groupmate, as evidenced by a recent interview on VLAD TV. After admitting he was “pissed” when The Lost Boy didn’t win Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards, he opens up about Cordae’s decision to move in a different direction. 

“I was on the phone with him two days before,” reflects Nahmir. “He really didn’t say it to the fullest, but I understood exactly what he was saying. I didn’t expect him to do it, but he did it. And I was like ‘that’s the right choice that you had to make.’ It’s for the right reasons. I can’t get mad at him, but I let my emotions get the best of me when I went on Twitter. We all did it, but in that situation, I put it on the internet, and that’s where I fucked up. When you put it on the internet, it ruins the whole image of everything.”

“At the end of the day we’re all brothers,” continues Nahmir. “If he needs anything, I got him. If I need anything, he got me.” Given that Nahmir played a key role in expanding Cordae’s audience in the early stages of his career, it’s no surprise to hear their still bond runs deep. Nahmir likens the situation to people simply growing apart, as happens often with high-school and workplace friends; that’s not to say the love and respect fades away, but the paths diverge all the same. “The people I got around me, even if they’re not around twenty-four-seven, they got the best intentions for me.” 

Check out Nahmir’s full interview with DJ Vlad below. 

Tekashi 6ix9ine’s Bae Jade Loves His New ‘Jamaican’ Look

New York rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine‘s boo can’t get enough of her zaddy. The hip-hop star’s ride or die Jade goes to Instagram with behind the scenes footage from his “ZAZA” music video set. In the clip, the curvy model calls Tekashi “Daddy” and playfully describes his look as a Jamaican man. The rap troll isn’t […]

The post Tekashi 6ix9ine’s Bae Jade Loves His New ‘Jamaican’ Look appeared first on SOHH.com.

6ix9ine Flexes Ridiculous $1 Million Chain

6ix9ine is looking to release new music and as a result, he has been making the rounds on social media by pissing everyone off. The artist has particularly gone after Chicago artists like Lil Durk, Lil Reese, and 600Breezy, as he continues to disrespect those who have passed away. He has been called out quite a bit for his disrespect although it’s clear that he doesn’t really care.

Now, 6ix9ine is showing off a brand new piece of jewelry which he copped for $1 million. The piece is fairly massive and has a Takashi Murakami-type vibe to it. 6ix9ine was pretty hyped about it and made sure to rub his wealth in the faces of those who oppose him.

“1,000,000 DOLLARS ON A CHAIN. BEST CHAIN IN THE FUCKING GAME ‼️‼️‼️ MY CHAIN COST MORE THEN YOUR WHOLE CHAIN PIECE AND WATCH ‼️‼️‼️ LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOU KNOE WHO RUN THE CITYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY,” 6ix9ine wrote.

The artist decided to go out and show off his piece in public as he could be seen in public, standing up shirtless out in the open. Of course, 6ix9ine opted to take an antagonistic approach here as mocked his haters in the caption.

“UNTOUCHED ‼️‼️‼️‼️ OUTSIDEEEEEEEEE ‼️‼️‼️ STOP LETTING THE INTERNET LIE TO YOUUUUUUUUUU ‼️‼️‼️‼️ THESE N****S AINT LIKE THAT,” 6ix9ine wrote.

At this point, the artist is playing a very dangerous game although that has always been his MO. With new music on the horizon, it’s safe to say he will continue to go on with these antics.

6ix9ine

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Power 105.1

Azealia Banks Is Engaged: “I’m Jewish Now”

Azealia Banks is getting married. The outspoken New York-based rapper announced her engagement to artist Ryder Ripps on Monday morning.

“I just got engaged k*nts. I’m crying,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m Jewish now. MAZEL TOV B*TCHES! WE IN HERE…. YERRRRRRR.”

Azealia’s fiancé Ryder Ripps is a conceptual artist from New York. He’s worked with Grimes, James Blake, Miley Cyrus, and others. He has also worked with Azealia’s enemy Kanye West as part of his Donda group, working with him as the creative director of the first annual Pornhub Awards. He also provided creative direction and design for Pop Smoke’s Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon album cover, working with the rapper’s mother on the final design.

The two seemingly started dating a few weeks ago when Azealia referred to them as a “power couple” at the beginning of this month. She has been teasing her new song, suggestively titled “Big D*ck Ryder”, on Instagram with pictures of her fiancé.

Azealia showed off her engagement ring, which has a menorah on it. Given her caption, she will seemingly be converting to Judaism as part of her marriage to Ryder Ripps.

Congratulations to Azealia and Ryder on their exciting new announcement.

Memphis Rapper Duke Deuce Drops New Single “Spin” With Foogiano

Memphis is having a moment right now, introducing some of the hottest up-and-coming rappers to the mainstream. This year, we’ve seen the rise of Pooh Shiesty out of the South, working closely with Gucci Mane as part of The New 1017, but he’s not the only budding superstar coming out of the group. Foogiano is also making a lot of noise out of Georgia. 

Another rapper stepping out of the shadows in Memphis is Duke Deuce, who has been catching a lot of eyes as Quality Control’s latest focus. The energetic 27-year-old is back with another new single, enlisting Foogiano for “Spin”, a street record that shows why both artists are getting so much buzz lately.

Foogiano starts the song off with a long verse and a hook before Duke Deuce steps before the two-minute mark, shining through his ad-libs and delivering gritty bars over the hypnotic loop. This track was initially previewed in October 2020 on Instagram.

Check out the latest single from Duke Deuce and Foogiano below and let us know what you think in the comments.

Quotable Lyrics:

Me and Foogiano rep the same thing, we folks
Playin’ with my bread, n***a, f*ck around, get toast 
Your b*tch in a Hummer, ’bout to drop pounds in that hoe
No hashtag, but I’m straight poundin’ your hoe
Wanna be mob, get plugged in
Jump in the mob, we thuggin’
She give me slop in your den
Then she gon’ say I’m her friend