Lil Baby is special. That much is clear. The 25-year-old has the potential to become one of the biggest rap artists ever, beginning a potential monster run with this year's My Turn. The album is expected to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 again after initially debuting there. This week, the Atlanta superstar released his new single "The Bigger Picture," which is being praised by just about everybody who gives it a spin.
Detailing everything that has gone on in the last several weeks, Lil Baby speaks to the people as only he can, delivering conscious rap and sticking true to his brand.
The song has people wishing that the rapper gets his flowers this year with some of his most popular peers publicly stating their admiration for his art.
"Just give lil baby a Grammy this year already," said Tory Lanez on Twitter, earning 18,000 retweets from fans who agree with the statement.
Meek Mill went one step further and referred to Baby as a legend in the making.
"Lil Baby going legend right in front of our eyes," he wrote. Meek's post got over 33,000 retweets.
With My Turn continuously pulling in numbers and the Atlanta star becoming more consistent by the day, it's time to celebrate Lil Baby for what he is: one of the best in the game and a future Hall of Famer.
Little Richard Passes Away At 87
Music legend Little Richard broke barriers and was a pioneer of rock music.
Little Richard is considered to be one of the leading pioneers of rock music and thanks to his flamboyant style, he was able to break barriers as well. Unfortunately, the music legend passed away recently at the age of 87. As of right now, a cause of death has not been given.
Fans woke up to the devastating news this morning, just a couple hours after learning of Andre Harrell’s passing. Little Richard had numerous hit songs under his belt including efforts such as “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” and “Good Golly Miss Molly.” These tracks were staples of the 1950s and have been covered numerous times over the last 60 years.
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At one point in his career, Little Richard shifted to gospel music but eventually went back to rock in the 1960s. The artist was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1986, which helped him commemorate lifetime achievements in music.
The artist certainly overcame his hardships throughout his career but he was able to break through the barriers in front of him and became a legend in the process. He was able to influence multiple generations of artists and his contributions to music won’t be forgotten.
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Ice Cube Reacts To 25 Years Of "Friday"
Ice Cube reflects on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Friday, inadvertently raising philosophical questions about mortality in the process.
It’s a common misconception, one peddled rather furiously by Madonna of all people, that time goes by so slowly. In reality, the passage of time is but one of life’s mysterious blink-and-you-missed-it events. Before long, your hairs are graying. Three drinks can lead to a hangover of epic proportions. Friday, Ice Cube‘s classic comedy and part of the reason Deebo remains one of hip-hop’s most referenced antagonists, turns twenty-five. Where does the time go, we’re left to wonder.
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Cube himself pondered that very conundrum on his Instagram page mere hours ago. “Daaaamn,” he writes, elongating his curse to symbolize the passage of years gone by. “25 years went fast.” And to further emphasize his point, an iconic clip from the film itself, one depicting a youthful Ice Cube and a youthful Chris Tucker deeply in character. While it’s not technically the official anniversary date, as “Friday” was originally released on April 26th, 1995, it should be noted that today is, in fact, Friday. And thus, is it not all the more appropriate?
Surely we could all use a little cheering up, what with a pandemic threatening the very fabric of our society. What better way to do so than to reflect on a hilarious and enduring piece of cinema while pondering the fragile nature of our own mortality. Bye Felicia, it was said; so too, as we shuffle off this mortal coil, do we all inevitably become Felicia.
DMX Has A Lot To Say On His New Album
Though it’s been a minute since his last album, the legendary DMX has been putting in some serious work in the studio.
There’s no denying that DMX is one of the greatest rappers in hip-hop history. Look no further than his epic 1998 run that included both It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot and Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood, two classics released back-to-back. Not to mention his “Damien” trilogy, some of the best hip-hop horror penmanship of all time. A legacy act that has no doubt influenced a vast crop of modern-day rappers to some degree, fans have been eagerly anticipating the long-awaited followup to DMX’s last studio album Return Of The Beast, which hit stores in 2015. Now, it would appear the time for a comeback is nearly upon us.
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Since we last heard from DMX, the rapper has experienced a slew of hardships, including a brief stint in prison for a tax-fraud charge. Determined to remind the masses what he’s all about on the mic, X took to Instagram to provide an update on the state of his next project, which has been in the works for a minute. “Look thru my eyes,” he captions. “Locked in the studio, there’s a lot I have to say.”
The brief yet exciting update arrives on the heels of an unexpected cameo on Tory Lanez‘ madcap Quarantine Radio, which found X confirming that the album was currently in the works. Given that X has been increasingly active on social media of late, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him kick off a rollout sooner rather than later. Regardless of how you might feel about new DMX music, it should be noted that his return is nothing short of a hip-hop triumph — especially given some of the hardship he’s endured in recent memory. Keep an eye out for more updates on the new DMX album as they surface.
RZA Talks The Keys To Creativity, Focus & Success For Young Artists
INTERVIEW: RZA opens up about the creative process.
The air was crisp as I walked down the crowded Los Angeles streets. Songs like “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Gravel Pit” shaped so much of my childhood that it felt like a dream to be meeting up with the creator of the magic. Born Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, RZA is the mastermind that transformed from rapper, to music producer, to movie soundtrack curator, to actor, to movie producer. His evolution is dizzying, much like his work ethic. RZA is almost a mythical creature at this point in his career, toiling away both in front of and behind the scenes as if he never made it at all. The Wu-Tang Clan‘s de-facto leader ascended humanity long ago, and entered the stratosphere of legend.
RZA stood taller than I expected. He walked into the hotel room with the energy of a lion: regal, dangerous, and wise all at once. When he spoke, his voice was a booming bass that reverberated around the Los Angeles hotel room. His movements seemed calculated, like an android from Westworld following a loop. We sat down over a cup of TAZO tea and discussed the inner workings of a genius. RZA was set to return his TAZO retreat, entitled Camp TAZO: Zen, which is a two-day creative retreat that took place in February. Ten select creators took part in activities and experiences designed to help them take their creativity to the next level. Alongside the retreat, RZA dropped off five unique Guided Exploration tracks aimed at helping anyone, anywhere explore and unlock their creative potential. Prior to the retreat and release of the tracks, RZA and I spoke about his inspirations, his creative process, and he even hinted at big things coming for season 2 of Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
This is our second interview with RZA. Read the first one here.
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HotNewHipHop: What brought you to collaborate with TAZO? You have this esoteric vibe and this seems like a good fit, but how did it come to fruition?
RZA: It was an organic fit. My agency reached out and they had a deck that TAZO had prepared. They sent it to me like ‘do you want to be part of this campaign,’ I was like ‘It’s natural.’ Because it’s part of what I do naturally, which is spreading this culture. Spreading ZEN.
It’s 2020, everybody is trying to get on this health kick. What really sets this retreat apart? What is something that you put into this that you feel is really different?
Well, first of all, it’s definitely 2020 and I’m glad people are trying to have more knowledge of their health. Put their health in front of their wealth. You can have all the wealth and not no health, ya mean? But, our exploration is not just about the physical health of things, it’s an exploration to unlock the potential out of people who may not think they got creativity. Out of people who are creative but don’t get a chance to focus on their creativity based on (what) they’re chasing. Whether they’re chasing the dollar, or they’re surrounded by distractions because of family, friends, or even just the noise in the world. To help un-stagnate that. Because in the midst of all that, I’m still creative.
Elaborate further.
We doing explorations. We got one called “Kill The Noise.” Meaning, you know, how do you center yourself in the midst of all the confusion around you, and still be yourself? Well, I use the sun as an example of that. Imagine what’s rotating around the sun, beyond our planets, the comets, the asteroids. Everything just twirling but the sun is centered still. That’s its job. So, that same mindset can be done in a creative aspect for a person. Whether he’s in the studio, whether it’s the writer with the pen and he has writer’s block ‘I can’t write, I can’t write.’ I won’t deny that certain places are better for certain things, but at one point I couldn’t write in certain locations. I wrote one of my best lyrics at this lake in Ohio, and I never released the lyric. But I know that this is the masterpiece. When I read it, it’s almost like a scripture. But then, back in the city, I was like ‘I wanna go back there and write again.’ I remember when Nas was like ‘Yo, sometimes I hit the hotel, get an L for the weekend hit the hotel and just write.’ And that’s New York City, just go into that… it’s still noisy, but it’s still a different energy. Point being made by saying that to you is that some people feel like things around them are stagnating them… just like there’s a focus to make your muscle move. There’s a focus to make that energy of creativity move. And that’s “Kill The Noise.”
Was there a demographic you were going for with these TAZO Exploration tracks? Or was this something you put out for everybody?
Yeah, it’s no demographic. There are probably certain demographics that need it more than others, right? It’s just like, some people like ‘he trying to bring this to the hood.’ Listen. The hood could use some things better, are more vital, in some areas. Just like people in the desert need water more than people who live near the ocean right? (laughs) But water is for everybody.
So, talk about your influences a little bit. You hopped around a lot as a kid. You were in North Carolina, Ohio, PA, New York. How did those different cultures influence how you think?
I think that was one of the blessings of life for me is being able to live in different communities and places. Because it automatically goes to a diverse way of thinking for me. And then if you think about the Wu-Tang Clan, right, we got diverse personalities in my crew. I have 11 brothers and sisters, you watch the TV show we can’t show 11 that’s the whole damn season [laughs]. I’m from a family of 11.
You have also traveled quite a bit, and we know Wu-Tang has lots of Eastern influence. Tell me about a traveling memory that stands out to you.
First thing, let me say one thing about China. I hope you make it there one day. In one city I went to, they built a scale version of another city. Like so, you’ve heard of the Forbidden City? That’s where the king, all the shit… that’s probably three times the size of any Hollywood stage.
And they recreated that?!
Exactly! And it’s just a set. So, that park I was in wasn’t a famous park of nothing like that. But it still was like Central Park. Central Park is about… it starts on 59th street and some of it goes up to about 96th. Basically 20-30 blocks. Man, this park was already bigger than Central Park.
How about when it comes to working on movies? Have you ever had creative differences with actors or writers?
One actor told me that, ‘Yo, I don’t wanna die.’ But I said, ‘In the script, you die brother,’ (laughs). ‘Yeah but I don’t want that character to kill me’ and I’m like ‘wow.’ Because it became a competition. So I’m like ‘Okay, you gonna die. That’s a fact. I can switch it up, I can get you killed by someone else. I can work with that.’ In fact, so he told me also he had a crush on another character. I said, ‘You know what, I’ma have that character kill you.’ It’s going to be more artistic for me. That’s art right? But that’s also the creative force happening.
What would be your advice to young black men trying to follow in your footsteps, trying to get into this industry?
I would say to a young writer that, first thing I would tell them, write regardless of whether you’re getting paid for it or not. That’s the first thing I tell them because Picasso couldn’t even imagine how valuable his paintings were going to be. So, your experience is what you’re capturing when you’re writing. Or your imagination, or your opinion. So it’s unique. In the fact that it’s as unique as your fingerprint. You gotta keep leaving your fingerprints everywhere. And eventually, right, the value of it, whatever that value is, is going to manifest itself. That painter starts on a blank canvas, it’s just paper and oil. Until it’s complete. One of our points of our exploration is also about the idea that people get on a paper chase. Talk about chasing the money, we don’t get a chance to develop our, and evolve our, skill and talent. And the money comes in front of the talent. And I’ve said it to rappers after the 90s and the 2000s came in. I kinda met a few West Coast rappers and whatever. I just told them ‘Yo, by the time I was heard as an MC on the mic as far as 36 Chambers… I probably already wrote 400 different lyrics. So now, my shit is condensed. Like think of Inspectah Deck, ‘I smoke on the mic like smoking Joe Frazier/ the hellraiser/ raising hell with the flavor.’ That was cool for then. But he was writing for ten years before he got to that. And then, by the time he got to that, the world accepts it… but those lyrics are mediocre compared to when ‘Triumph’ comes out. Now the same rapper says, ‘I bomb atomically, Socrates’ philosophies/And hypotheses can’t define how I be droppin’ these/Mockeries, lyrically perform armed robbery/ Flee with the lottery, possibly they spotted me.” That’s just four lines. He just gave you the whole history of civilization and pulled off a bank robbery [laughs]. So, that’s because that pen never stops. So I would advise a young writer, don’t do it for the money.
Last but not least, Wu-Tang: An American Saga… everybody is waiting on the second season. Can you give us anything as far as scope, story… are we going to get to see any other rappers from hip-hop history?
Only thing I gotta say about that is that, first of all, I wanna thank all the fans. For supporting the show. A lot of people didn’t have Hulu and actually got Hulu… they did a little bit of analytics. And it was like it attracted new customers, I wanna thank the people who tuned in for it. It’s not easy to get a second season in today’s climate. We have one. And I can assure them we’re in the writer’s room and if you liked the first season we are striving with full thrusters to make it better.
Kurtis Blow Opens Up About Near-Death Experience
Hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow takes to Instagram to reflect on a recent health scare that may very well have had fatal consequences.
It’s been a scary time, and hip-hop legend Kurtis Blow knows that better than many. The pioneer was recently rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, his second in as many years. This time, Blow was facing complications from a ruptured spleen and went to the ER at his wife’s behest. As it turns out, his decision to take fast action ultimately saved his life.
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A week removed from the surgery itself, Blow took to Instagram to open up about his near-death experience. “Last week I had another emergency surgery,” he begins. “My spleen was bleeding into my stomach. I went to the ER just in time because my wife made me go. I wanted to go in the morning. The surgeon said I was lucky to make in time. They took out my spleen and saved my life.”
“My spleen had splattered and I was bleeding internally,” he continues. “I am in recovery now and I thank God for the great physician and Dr Jamali. The great surgeon Dr Schriver and all the nurses and assistants at West Hills Hospital. Thanks to my wife and fam for all your prayers. Thank God for still another chance. 7 operations. A Cat with 9 lives -Amen!!!!”
Though it would appear he’s in the process of making a full recovery, the unfortunate fact remains that Blow has been fighting his share of battles with health complications. We can only hope the legendary hip-hop founding father gets the rest he needs. Thoughts and prayers to Mr. Kurtis Blow.
Diddy Proudly Declares That Biggie Is "The GOAT"
Diddy takes a moment to celebrate The Notorious B.I.G., who passed away in a drive-by shooting twenty-three years ago.
Though he passed away twenty-three years ago to this day, the legacy of The Notorious B.I.G. still endures. Many hip-hop fans still consider him to be one of the most influential rappers of all time, and his timeless catalog has amassed over eleven-million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Suffice it to say, there are plenty who still hold Biggie dear to heart — especially those who knew him first hand. Today, Diddy took to Instagram to shine a spotlight on his friend and protege, proudly reaffirming his position as the greatest of all time.
There’s not much else to the sentiment, though its importance should not be undervalued. In this age of instant gratification, where artists are essentially expected to keep up with an album-a-year pace, it’s all too easy for older acts to fall by the wayside. Though The Notorious B.I.G. has indeed become larger than life, constant reminders of his talent remain necessary, especially as new generations of hip-hop listeners begin to discover the culture.
Whether or not you agree that Biggie is the greatest rapper of all time is a matter of taste. But it’s abundantly clear where Diddy’s loyalties lie — after all, this is the man who came up alongside Big, who executive produced albums like Ready To Die and the posthumous Born Again. It’s incredibly wholesome to see him continuing to ride for the fallen King Of New York, a tradition he will likely continue on an annual basis. Rest in peace to The Notorious B.I.G. Where does he rank in your top 10?
Future’s Alleged Baby Mama & Son Pose For V-Day Photo Shoot
Future’s alleged baby mother, Cindy Parker, shared some snaps of her photo shoot with the rapper’s alleged son, Legend, for Valentine’s Day, amidst their ongoing court battle.
One of Future’s alleged baby mothers shared some snaps of a Valentine’s Day photo shoot with his alleged child, amidst her ongoing court battle with the rapper. Cindy Parker has been adamant that Future is the father of her infant son, Legend, since he was born last year. She sued Future for paternity, child support and custody a few months ago, and according to reports last month, she was officially given the go ahead to serve him with a paternity lawsuit.
Cindy shared some shots of herself and little Legend dressed in pink and red tones for the special holiday. On the first post, which she shared a day before Valentine’s Day, she wrote, “you’ll outgrow my lap but never my heart.” On the real day, Cindy shared another photo of the mommy-son duo with the caption, “You never know true love until you have a child..Happy Valentine’s Day.” The last post features a solo shot of Legend, in which Cindy reveals, “fun fact: when legend smiles he wrinkles his nose, like mami.”
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Legend’s alleged daddy celebrated his Valentine’s Day with his current lady. Future surprised his girlfriend, Lori Harvey, with a massive, rose-filled display of affection, the latest of his grand romantic gestures to show Lori just how head over heels he is for her.
Royce Da 5’9" Flexes Ghostwriting Credits For Diddy & Dr. Dre
Royce Da 5'9" gets nostalgic.
There's a stigma surrounding ghostwriting that has plagued many prominent rappers. Yet those who operate in the spiritual realm often remain unsung heroes. For Royce Da 5'9", who spent time in his early career writing for artists like Diddy and Dr. Dre, the act of ghostwriting proved immensely beneficial to both his career and creative process alike. Now, with his confidence at an all-time high, Royce Da 5'9" has taken an Instagram trip down memory lane to shake one of the stigmas surrounding ghostwriting.
"I wrote this," declares Royce, sharing a stream of Diddy and Christina Aguilera's nostalgic single "Tell Me." "I’m not bragging just not being private tonight. Don’t categorize me, I’m special ... I like to do things just because I’m not supposed to." As of now, the track has amassed over sixteen million streams on YouTube; if you listen back, you can actually hear some Royce-isms in Diddy's flow.
View this post on InstagramRoyce also highlighted another one of his notable writing credits, Dr. Dre's 2001 closer "The Message." Revealing that he was only 19 when he penned the emotional tribute, Royce actually opened up in-depth about his process working for Dre in our exclusive retrospective on the making of 2001: "When I’m laying it, Dre is just staring at me through the glass of the booth. I’m like, he must not like this one. When I’m done doing the verses, he went quiet for a minute. That’s when he told me about his brother.”
Look for Royce to lay waste to the game on February 21st, when he fires off The Allegory for all to hear. Where does he rank among your list of greats?
View this post on InstagramKobe Bryant Transcended Basketball
Rest in peace to one of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball.
To some, he may have been just a basketball player, but to millions more, he was invincible– a man who could hit two clutch free throws, limping on a torn Achilles, a man who could score 81 points in a single game, a man who, while being the best at it, showed us there was more to life than just basketball. Kobe Bryant was a hero.
Sure, I was undersized and never anything special, but it didn’t matter. When the bell rang and school was over, the first place I wanted to be was the basketball court. I wanted to reenact the moves I saw my hero, Kobe, make the night before on ESPN.
I’d have to heave the ball with all my strength just for it to reach the hoop from where Kobe hit the impeccable game-winner over Dwyane Wade in December of 2009, but when the ball finally went in, I felt like Kobe Bryant. I was shooting from the edge of a driveway in Charlestown, Rhode Island, but I felt like I was in front of thousands at the Staples Center. I could escape the stresses of middle school, the low self-esteem of my anxious 12-year-old self and, for just a moment, feel like I was invincible, because Kobe Bryant was invincible. Kobe Bryant was Super-Man.
This story is likely similar to millions of other kids who looked up to Kobe and found solace on the basketball court.
He was an assassin– 33,643 career points, 18 all-star selections, five NBA championships, an MVP award and countless more accolades. He was one of the rare competitors who could strike absolute fear in his opponents. Regardless of the score, a lead was never safe if Kobe was on the court. Unparalleled balletic footwork, a brain that seemed designed for basketball, an unshakable love for the fourth quarter, it all made Kobe the most entertaining player to watch.
Moments like when Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters in a 112-90 route over the Dallas Mavericks in 2005 made fans fall in love with his game. Kobe sat out the fourth quarter, and, as legend goes, when offered a chance to go back in to reach 70, he told coach Brian Shaw, “Nah, I’ll get it another time.”
How about when he scored 60 points in his final game and gave life to the Staples Center, that of which it hadn’t seen in years? Or when Matt Barnes pump-faked the ball into his face and Kobe didn’t even flinch? The alley-oop to Shaq in Game 7 against the Trail Blazers in 2000? The countless game-winners, deep fadeaways, jawdropping dunks, are all ingrained in the memories of NBA fans whose lives were impacted by Kobe Bryant.
A loss like this forces us to stare in the face of our own mortality. How can he be gone? He was invincible.
Kobe may have been passed the prime of his playing days, but he was just entering the prime of life. With his wife Vanessa, he had four children– Gianna, Natalia, Bianca, and their newborn Capri, who was only just born, in June 2019.
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Above all else, though, Kobe was a father. After taking a break from basketball post-retirement, he rekindled love with the game once again, vicariously through his daughter Gianna. The two could be seen attending NBA games across the country; he often tutored her from the sidelines in the art of the game. At his Mamba Sports Academy, he did the same for other young girls who found love for basketball.
For his short film, Dear Basketball, Kobe won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, setting up what could have been an illustrious second-act: “What I love is storytelling,” he told Sports Illustrated in 2018. “I love the idea of creative content whether it’s mythology or animation, written or film, that can inspire people and give them something tangible they can use in their own lives.”
Tragically we will never get to see that second-act come to fruition. Kobe Bryant died yesterday, in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others. It’s one of the most devastating losses in NBA history.
This is not the ending Kobe Bryant was supposed to get.
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