After returning after a long three-year break with his seventh album, FEVER, Black Milk now has announced that he will be heading out on FEVER Tour. He will be accompanied by his band Nat Turner: Malik Hunter on bass, Dark Jones (Jack White) on drums, and Aaron “Ab” Abernathy on keys.
The tour will be kicking off in Italy on May 12th, and settle on June 30th in Las Vegas. Yup, Italy. Black Milk will be touring through Italy, Paris, Barcelona and more for the first half, and then he’ll return to the states to finish the tour out. Check out the full tour date list on his Instagram.
After releasing his sophomore album, Tory Lanez now announces that he will be hitting the road in his Memories Don’t Die North American Tour. The tour will kick off in Miami on May 11th, and wrap up on August 11th in Birmingham. Check out the full tour date list below and get your tickets on the album’s official site.
While gearing up for a joint album with Chris Brown and his own debut album under Atlantic, Joyner Lucas has recently announced that he will be going on a headlining tour this summer. The I’m Kind Of A Big Deal Tour will be kicking off in Toronto on May 6th. After running through some major cities, Lucas will then settle in Boston on June 7th. Check out the full 27 city tour below, and get your tickets through his website.
May 6th - Toronto, CA @ Velvet Underground
7th - Montreal, CA @ Theatre Fairmont
8th - Ottawa, CA @ Barrymore’s Music Hall
9th - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
10th - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
12th - Springfield, MO @ The Complex
13th - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
14th - Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
15th - Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose Tap House
16th - Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
18th - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
19th - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
20th - Reno, NV @ Jub Jubs
22nd - Vancouver, CA @ Fortune Sound Club
23rd - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
25th - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
26th - Los Angeles, CA @ El Ray Theatre
27th - Phoenix, AZ @ Monarch Theatre
29th - Dallas, TX @ Trees
30th - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio
31st - New Orleans, LA @ The Willow
June 1st - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
2nd - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theatre
3rd - Atlanta, GA The Loft @ Center Stage
5th - Washington, DC @Union Stage
6th - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
7th - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
#OverloadMonday: Cardi B, The Weeknd + More Deliver New Music
Here's some overload for your Monday blues. Check out what went down this past week, March 26th to April 1st.
Singles
After dropping a surprise track with XXXTentacion and a tribute joint for Biggie, Joey Bada$$ just keeps the new music coming. Now he’s released a remix of YBN Nahmir’s “Bounce Out With That.” Listen above, and check out Joey Bada$$ on IDK’s “Lil Arrogant” with Russ.
I’ll just add another highlight because… well, I just can.
Apple | TIDAL | Spotify
After she announced the release date of her debut album, scroll down, Cardi B has dropped single. “Be Careful,” serves as her third single off her album and shows a different side of Cardi. If you liked Queen Cardi singing on Ozuna’s “La Modelo,” then here you go. She balances rapping and singing over a soft beat in “Be Careful.” Listen above and stay plugged for more updates.
For weekly releases, Chris Rivers and GodBodyWati are keeping their Wednesday series afloat.
A$AP Rocky has now linked up with BlocBoy JB in his newest single, “Bad Company.”
After a week of straight new releases, A Boogie dropped his first single of his upcoming sophomore album. Check out “Nonchalant” featuring Alkaline, as well as his other new releases.
Ne-Yo drops another single from his upcoming Good Man. This past week he released “Push Back,” which features Bebe Rexha and Stefflon Don.
Future season is fast approaching as he delivers his newest joint “Absolutely Going Crazy.”
N.O.R.E. dropped some new music, a remix to his “Uno Más,” featuring Pharrell, Miguel, Wiz Khalifa and J Alvarez.
We also got new music from Thutmose, Young Buck x Twanee, Sam Smith x Logic, and Lil Durk x Ty Dolla $ign x PND.
Big Shaq recruits Busta Rhymes for a full studio version of “Mans Not Hot."
Forever M.C. returns with a new joint, “School,” featuring Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Rozewood, and Hus Kingpin.
Ty Dolla $ign recruited Gucci Mane and Quavo for his latest single, “Pineapple." What’s better than Hip Hop Beef? R&B Beef that is! Eric Bellinger takes shots - more like a whole cannon ball - at Tory Lanez in “Yikes.”
We also heard some new music from Blu and Nottz, “Yesterday,” who also have a new-ish project on the way.
Rich The Kid went after Lil Uzi Vert in “Dead Friends:” Spotify, Apple.
And while we just entered April, Wiz Khalifa is already celebrating “4.20” with a freestyle.
Visuals
SZA, baby - yass! The TDE leading lady has dropped yet another visual treatment off her debut album CTRL. Watch it above, and stay plugged for a very special CTRL feature.
While prepping for a joint release with Chris Brown (Angels & Demons), Joyner Lucas is still on his solo tip. He certainly doesn’t shy away from controversy, with his recent release of “Frozen” that head on confronts the issue of texting and driving and driving under the influence. While the video is a bit disturbing, it’s the hard truth that aids to the song’s message. Check out the visual for “Frozen,” and listen to the song via Spotify.
“Framed” is Eminem’s next single to highlight from Revival, following suit from “River,” “Walk on Water,” and “Nowhere Fast.” With this new visual treatment, Em drops a horror-filled trailer with him escaping an asylum. There’s much more so check it out, and stay plugged for the full video.
Trae Tha Truth reverts back to Tha Truth Pt. 3 to release his latest video. Dedicated to his late friend Money Clip D, Trae watches home videos and visits his grave in the emotional visual treatment for “Can’t Get Close.”
We got new videos from Tyler, The Creator, Shy Glizzy, Trill Sammy x Slim Jxmmi, and Thutmose.
A Tribe Called Quest have released their final music video, “The Space Program.” It features cameos from Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Vince Staples, Talib Kweli, Common, Questlove, and plenty more. Directed by Warren Fu, the visual serves as a tribute to Phife Dawg. Exclusively on Apple Music, check it out if you can.
YG can be found on new videos with Belly and Arin Ray.
With Joyride on the way, Tinashe releases her debut album’s first visual treatment for “Me So Bad,” which features Ty Dolla $ign and French Montana.
2 Chainz linked up with YG and Offset to release a new video for his “Proud” joint that stars each of their very own mothers.
We also got new visuals from Snoop Dogg x Charlie Wilson, Preme x Lil Wayne, Maxo Kream, and Phora.
Projects
Apple | Spotify | TIDAL
The Weeknd dropped a surprise EP, My Dear Melancholy. The 6-track project is reminiscent of early-Weeknd (“Gone,” “House of Balloons”) that has everybody gong crazy right now. Rumored to drop more projects in the next few weeks, check out My Dear Melancholy. Also check out two videos he’s just realized via Spotify: “Try Me” and “Call Out My Name."
Chief Keef released the fifth installment of his The Leek tape series. The 17-track project is featureless, following the fourth installment that dropped earlier this month: Apple | TIDAL | Spotify.
Birdman has released the Cash Money Before Anythang soundtrack. The 18-track album features the likes of Snoop Dogg, Jacquees, Gucci Mane, Migos, Young Thug and plenty more: Apple + Spotify.
Rich the Kid has finally dropped his debut album, The World Is Yours. The 14-track album features the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Offset, Swae Lee, Trippie Red and more. Check it out: Apple, Spotify, & TIDAL.
Styles P recently announced an upcoming project, Nickel Bag. He took to Instagram to unveil the artwork and official tracklist. The five-track EP features Dyce Payne, Flowboy Vegas, and Whispers. Just a couple days after, Styles P drops the project and man… you just gotta hear it: Apple, DatPiff & TIDAL.
Coming Soon...
Queen Cardi has finally revealed details on her debut album. About damn time! She took to Instagram to share the cover of her upcoming Invasion of Privacy, which is set to release April 6th. It was also announced that she has signed to Quality Control’s management division, joining her Migos and Lil Yachty.
Also set to release this Friday, April 6th, is Kali Uchis (Isolation), Khary (Captain), and Flatbush Zombies (Vacation in Hell).
Blu and Nottz are back at it! The dynamic duo have a joint album on the way. The collab is a joining of their ’13 EP Gods in the Spirit and their ‘16 Titans in the Flesh. As a full-length album, it will all be remastered as well as the tracklist restructured. Gods in the Spirit, Titans in the Flesh is set to release April 13th and is available for pre-order.
Weeks after announcing her debut album, Joyride, Tinashe has now revealed more details. Coming in at 13 tracks, the album will feature the likes of Offset, Ty Dolla $ign, French Montana, Little Dragon and Future. Hear it on April 13th.
Consisting of Gucci Mane, Lil Yachty and Migos, the Glacier Boyz have a joint project on the way. Gucci Mane took to Instagram to announce the release date: “Ice Ice Baby #GlacierBoyz April 13.” Shortly after, Gucci should be releasing his solo album, The Evil Genius.
Ne-Yo’s upcoming album, Good Man, is set to release June 8th. With some singles already dropped - scroll up for one - the album will feature the likes of 2 Chainz, Stefflon Don, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Romeo Santos, Eric Bellinger, and Bebe Rexha.
Linkin Park member, Mike Shinoda, recently announced that he is gearing up for a solo debut release June 15th. Post Traumatic will consist of 16 tracks, and he shared one - “Crossing A Line.:”
“It’s a journey out of grief and darkness, not into grief and darkness. If people have been through something similar, I hope they feel less alone. If they haven’t been through this, I hope they feel grateful.”
Post Traumatic is available for pre-order/pre-save.
Check This
After becoming a Kennedy Center honoree, LL Cool J now launches a new radio station on SiriusXM that’s dedicated to classic Hip Hop. Here’s what he had to say while celebrating the show’s launch: "If you wanna be a fly on the wall in the world of classic Hip Hop, SiriusXM’s ‘Rock the Bells Radio’ is for you. It’s where fans can come and be immersed in the music, the culture, the energy and the history of classic Hip Hop. We’re gonna have great artists, legendary artists, lyricists, superstars, sex symbols. This is the place to be if you want uncut, raw, pure, classic Hip Hop, but there’s one catch, it's strictly for OGs."“Strictly for OGs” comes to no surprise, as LL has in the past talked down about this new era of Hip Hop artists. If you have SiriusXM, catch LL Cool J on channel 43.
“The Roc’s in the building”
Jay-Z sat down with David Letterman and discussed the art of rapping as well as praised Eminem and Snoop Dogg. In a preview of Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” Netflix series, Hov’s interview clearly focuses more on Hip Hop but also spans other topics such as President Cheetos, Kanye West, and Jay-Z family. The episode is set to release on Netflix April 7th, but catch the preview above.
Following his latest album, Heartbreak On a Full Moon, Chris Brown has announced that he will be heading out on a 27-city tour along with 6LACK, H.E.R., and Rich the Kid (select dates). Check out the full date list.
Afropunk Festival has announced their lineup and they pulled together an impressive list. The two-day festival will take place in Brooklyn, August 25th, and 26th. It will host the likes of Badu, Miguel, Tyler, The Creator, Jaden & Willow Smith and plenty more, You can check out the full line up above, and get your tickets over at Afropunk’s website. Get more details here.
Stay plugged
That sums up this past week in Hip Hop. Come back next week for more.
Weeks after announcing her debut album, Joyride, Tinashe has now revealed more details. Coming in at 13 tracks, the album will feature the likes of Offset, Ty Dolla $ign, French Montana, Little Dragon and Future. She took to Instagram to reveal the tracklist and hint that another one of her songs will be dropping this Friday (3/30).
Joyride is set to release April 13th. Stay plugged for updates.
Queen Cardi has finally revealed details on her debut album. About damn time! She took to Instagram to share the cover of her upcoming Invasion of Privacy, which is set to release April 6th.
"My album cover !!! LADIES AND GENTS ! My album INVASION OF PRIVACY will be out next week April 6!!!!!!!,"
It was also announced that she has signed to Quality Control’s management division, joining her Migos and Lil Yachty. Stay plugged for more details on the Queen’s debut album.
Chris Brown Announces ‘Heartbreak On A Full Moon Tour’
Following his latest album, Heartbreak On a Full Moon, Chris Brown has announced that he will be heading out on a 27-city tour along with 6LACK, H.E.R., and Rich the Kid (select dates).
The Heartbreak on a Full Moon Tour will kick off in Seattle June 19th, and wrap up August 4th in Las Vegas. Tickets have already gone on sale via Facebook / Ticketmaster, so check below to see if they’ll be stopping in a city near you.
June 19th - Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre
21st - Concord, CA - Concord Pavilion
24th - Phoenix, AZ - AK-Chin Pavilion
- without 6LACK
28th - Houston, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
29th - Austin, TX - Austin360 Amphitheater
July 1st – Dallas, TX – Starplex Pavilion
3rd – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
5th – West Palm Beach, FL – Coral Sky Amphitheatre
- without 6LACK
6th – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
- without H.E.R. & 6LACK
7th – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
- without 6LACK
9th – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
- without 6LACK
10th – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
- without 6LACK
12th – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
- without 6LACK
13th – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
- without 6LACK
15th – Newark, NJ^ – Prudential Center
- without Rich the Kid
16th – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
18th – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
19th – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center
21st – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
22nd – Burgettstown, PA – KeyBank Pavilion
24th – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
25th – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
27th – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
28th – Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
29th – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Erykah Badu, Miguel, Tyler, The Creator + More to Perform at Afropunk Fest
Afropunk Festival have announced their lineup and they pulled together an impressive list. The two-day festival will take place in Brooklyn, August 25th, and 26th. It will host the likes of Badu, Miguel, Tyler, The Creator, Jaden & Willow Smith and plenty more, You can check out the full line up above, and get your tickets over at Afropunk's website.
The festival will continue on in Atlanta on October 13th and 14th. N.E.R.D, The Internet, Benjamin Booker are more are set to perform, with “more to come.” Check out the lineup for October below and stay plugged for updates.
#OverloadMonday: New Heat from Papoose, A Boogie, Don Q and More
Here's some overload for your Monday blues. Check out what went down this past week, March 19th-25th.
Singles
Papoose! Yes, Pappose releases a banger. Some serious heat we've been missing from the guy. Papoose lyrically is top notch and proves is on this Tie Stick-produced track. Listen above to “Underrated,” and stay plugged - a project should be coming soon.
AJ Tracey, Black Atlass, Big Tymers, Yung Pinch all shared new music this past week.
A Boogie has been on a hot streak this week. This week, not only has he dropped a new visual (scroll down), he’s dropped a new single. He took to Instagram to announce that he will be dropping a new single everyday, starting with “Right Moves.” Check out the new music he’s dropped in his new series.
We heard music from KR, Chris Rivers, MC Paul Barman, Corazon x Lil Wayne, Nick Grant who does a fresh take of Lauryn Hill’s classic “Doo Wop."
The Mad Rapper recruits Dave East and Young Chris on a new single, “Look At Us Pt.2."
There was also new music from Kyle x Kehlani, GodBodyWati, Remy Ma, and Young M.A.
After delivery a dope freestyle, “Steal & Rob,” in tribute to Biggie, many were impressed and hailed Stro for his lyrical ability. Most notable is Kendrick Lamar who tells Stro just a day after the release of the freestyle, “Very proud. Don’t Stop. We are watching.” That is the message we aspiring creatives all wish for. I could feel Stro’s heart dropping reading this. Lawd. The message then inspired him to throw down another fire joint, “FEAR ME.” Produced by Homage, stay plugged for more from Stro. “We are watching,” so you know Stro won’t disappoint.
Ms. Toni is looking to back a comeback, alright. She dropped her a new single just prior to releasing her eighth studio album, Sex & Cigarettes. Take a listen to Toni Braxton’s title track via Spotify or Apple, or just scroll down to check out her new album.
With Vacation in Hell coming out soon, Flatbush Zombies have dropped another single off the upcoming album - “U&I.”
There was also new music from King Louie, Jabee, Eric Bellinger, Trizz, and Curren$y.
After dropping PRhyme 2, Royce 5’9” teams up with Obie Trice, Swifty McVay and Lazarus on the Dub Muzik-produce “The Rain.”
Let’s not forget the new music from Saba, K. Sparks, Tunji Ige, Belly, and Sheck Wes, whose upcoming debut, Mudboy, is out this Spring.
Visuals
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie releases yet another visual offering from his debut album, The Bigger Artist, for the track "No Promises” While The Bigger Artist was released some time ago, A Boogie is still eating off it - as he should. Inspired by the fan who was killed at one of his shows, watch the video above.
Yeah, I’m posting another video - and what?! It’s Wale, so let it be.
After dropping the surprise EP, It’s Complicated, Wale now has offered a visual treatment for “Staying Power.” Cutting ties with Atlantic sure does a soul good, I see. Watch the Chris Hernandez-direct video above and stay plugged for more. It doesn’t look like Wale is planning to slow down anytime soon.
DOOM x Czarface, Yo Gotti, Ye Ali, ANoyd have dropped visual treatments this past week.
Migos dropped another visual offering from their sophomore album, CULTURE II, for the Drake-assisted “Walk It Talk It.” With a cameo from Jamie Foxx, the Soul Train-inspired visual is a must watch. Yes, “Soul Train-inspired,” you read it right. Go watch it now!
You can watch new videos from Yhung T.O., Le$, Mani Coolin’, and Jonah Cruzz.
Jhené Aiko selects one of her tracks from Trip, “Never Call Me” ft. Kurupt,” and drops new visual treatments to the song: Asian Version & Hood Version. She also went on to Ellen to perform “Sativa” along with Rae Sremmurd, check that out.
We also got new videos from Benny The Butcher x 38 Spesh, G Herbo, Daytona x Harry Fraud. Oh and you can find 21 Savage on two new visuals from Blocboy JB and Post Malone.
Projects
Apple | TIDAL | Spotify | YouTube
Following his #DonTalkWednesdays freestyle series, Don Q has released an EP, Don Talk. With eight tracks, the project features the likes of Desiigner, Pusha T, and Tee Grizzley. On the production tip, Don Q recruited Ness, Rell Ruger, Soe95, Murda Beatz, and Honorable CNOTE. Choose your vice above and take a listen.
Toni Braxton has released her eighth studio album, Sex & Cigarettes. “I feel like I’m older and I want to say what I feel,” she says about her new album, “I don’t want to be censored.” Well, with eight tracks it’s pretty straightforward. Choose your vice and take a listen: TIDAL | Apple | Spotify
While not a visual project that they originally teased, Westside Gunn and Mr. Green have put out an EP that is definitely a must listen - FLYGOD Is Good… All The Time.
Mila J continues her monthly series with another EP release, March 2018.
Beyoncé’s baby girls, Chloe x Halle, have dropped their debut tape titled The Kids Are Alright: Apple | TIDAL | Spotify.
Chief Keef released The Leek, Vol. 5 after just dropping part 4 earlier this month: Apple | Spotify.
We’ve also gotten projects from 070 Shake, Trevor Jackson, Tiara Thomas, Trouble, Diplo, and Musa Reems.
Coming Soon...
Saba took to Twitter to announce that he is gearing up to release a new album, Care For Me, on April 5th. Also revealing the tracklist, the album features the likes of The Mind, Kaina and Chance the Rapper. At 10 tracks, stay plugged for more updates from Saba. For now, scroll up to hear the project’s second single - the lead being “Busy."
Kali Uchis announced that her debut album, Isolation, is set to release April 6th. Now available for pre-order, the album will come in at 15 tracks and feature the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Steve Lacy, Jorja Smith, and more.
Yhung T.O., of SOB x RBE, has now announced a solo project, Misunderstood. While there’s no release date set, he did release the album’s first visual offering for its title track (scroll up).
Khary is gearing up for his debut album, Captain, which is set to release April 6th.
Yeah, April 6th is a big day for releases. We also have Flatbush Zombies dropping their Vacation in Hell. Scroll up for another single release off their upcoming album.
Jim Jones, man! He has now released the official tracklist for his upcoming product that’s due out April 13th. On the production tip, Jones recruits the likes of Kyle Smith, Killa Watts, Jahlil Beats, The Heatmakerz and more. Coming in at 18 tracks, the project features the likes of Cam (yup, they made up), Trav, Jadakiss, Yo Gotti, Mozzy and more.
J.I.D has been teasing the release of DiCaprio 2 EP. From Twitter, “DiCaprio2 otw,” to Instagram, “…You ready? 3/x/2018.” Mmmm, feeling like 2DopeBoyz right now. Stay plugged y’all.
Not having dropped an album since 2009, MC Paul Barman is now gearing up to release his third album, (((echo chamber))), on May 18th. Produced mostly by Questlove, the Barman recruits production from MF DOOM, Mark Ronson, and more. The album is available for pre-order via Bandcamp.
Check This
Lauryn Hill is set to headline Pitchfork Musical Festival in Union Park, Chicago on Sunday, July 22nd. It has been announced that she will be performing her classic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, to celebrate its 20 year anniversary. Yasss, I will hop on a plane real quick! No matter all the stories of her keeping the audience waiting, I’ve seen her live and it is something you Neo-Soul hoes DO NOT want to miss. The three-day festival will also include the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Syd, Raphael Saadiq, Kelela, DRAM, Smino and plenty more. From July 20th-22nd, head over to Pitchfork to get your tickets.
Last week, The Caters announced they will be hitting the road on the On The Run II. The Carters, yes. You know the babies will be tagging along. This week, more dates have been added. The tour will kick off June 6th overseas in Wales. After 14 cities across the Europe and UK, and 20 cities in North America, Beyoncé and Jay-Z will settle in Seattle on October 4th.
Gracing the cover of GQ Style Bible April issue, Diddy speaks on Black Excellence and being the world’s mentor. In the interview, Diddy reveals that he and Jay-Z are collaborating on an app that will locate nearby “Black-owned and black-friendly businesses.” “This is not about taking away from any other community,” he told GQ. “But the application will make it possible for us to have an economic community. It’s about blacks gaining economic power.” While there’s not much to speak on the app, it was then revealed that Jay with Roc Nation has invested $3 million in a company named Promise that will help non-violent offenders who can’t afford to be in prison or make even bail.
Billboard 200 Reports: Earlier this week, Logic debuted at No. 1 with his sequel tape Bobby Tarantino II. Moving 119k units, the tape marks Logic’s second No. 1 project, following his last year’s Everybody that moved 247k units. Bobby Tarantino II knocked Black Panther: The Album out of its No. 1 spot, moving down to No. 4. Lil Yachty came in second with Lil Boat 2. Moving 64k units, the album marks Lil Yachty's both highest peak and his second debut in the top ten of Billboard 200. It also moved more units than his debut album, Teenage Emotions, that only brought in 46k within its first week.
After being found unresponsive, Rick Ross not only returned home safely but also returned to the stage. Yup, Rozay hit the stage at Las Vegas’s The Light nightclub to perform. He left the building with a crowd shouting “Free Meek Mill.”
Gucci Mane’s Mr. Davis, which was released October last year, has now gone Gold. Serving as his 11th studio LP, Mr. Davis debuted No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 70k units in its first week. Salute to Gucci!
Two weeks ago, SZA confirmed via Twitter rumors that there existed a deluxe edition of her debut Ctrl. now she has revealed that her next album will be her last. In an interview with Flaunt, she talks about working on the best music of her life for her sophomore album and thus so will be her last album.
"My world got so much smaller so fast. I have so much to write about. I feel like I’m in a cage. I’m making the best album of my life for this next album and I know that... because it’s going to be my last album.”
While this may change - God willing - but let’s see.
Lloyd Banks has on record the quickest (and fakest) retirement in the game. Yup, and that’s including Hov. All jokes aside, his announcement of stepping out caught us all off guard. Like a loved one dying, we all just had panic attacks and instantly went through…well, instead of memories it was his catalog. Luckily the punchline God was just proving a point about this new generation of media. DatPiff did tweet a photo of (almost) his entire catalog, and it’s pretty hefty. Take a look and put on your favorite Banks joint to show him love.
On the retirement note, Jeezy has announced that he is working on TM104: Trust Ya Process which will close our his career. This one may actually be real:
“As the Cold Summer Tour comes to an end, it was inspiring seeing my day one fans and class TM101 come out every night. Now, class is coming to an end. It’s time for graduation. My last album and final class, TM104: Trust Ya Process.” - Instagram
TM104 is now available for pre-order on his site.
The Grandoozy festival in Denver, Colorado have announced their lineup. The three-day festival will host the likes of Miguel, Logic, Daniel Caesar, Big K.R.I.T., De La Soul, 6lack, Kelela and several more. As far as headliners…here it goes: September 14th, Kendrick Lamar; September 15th, Florence and the Machine. Drum roll, please! Sunday, September 16th none other than Stevie Wonder will be headlining. So After I book my flight to Chicago, I will buy a ticket to Colorado. Done deal! Head over to their website, or Instagram, to get the full lineup and get your tickets now.
Russ has announced his I See You Tour that kicks off May 20th in Vancouver, and ends June 20th in Charlotte.
Also going on tour is J.I.D. and Earthgang, announcing Never Had Sh!t Tour that will take them overseas starting May 30th and ending June 23rd. They’ve also dropped their latest Never Had Sh!t Tour episode.
Let’s not forget RZA who has just revealed four new dates to his 2016 tour that he will be reviving. Live From the 36th Chamber of Shaolin Tour will be going from Denver on April 17th and ending up on April 25th in San Francisco.
Stay plugged
That sums up this past week in Hip Hop. Come back next week for more.
Logic Hits the Road on ‘The Bobby Tarantino Vs. Everybody’ Tour with NF & Kyle
Following the release of Bobby Tarantino II mixtape, Logic announced his Bobby Tarantino Vs. Everybody Tour. He will be heading out on the road with NF and Kyle. With 33 shows, the tour will kick off on June 8th in Boston, and settle in St. Louis on August 3rd. Tickets go on sale March 16th on LiveNation. Check out the full tracklist below.
June 8 - Boston, Mass. - Xfinity Center
June 9 - Bangor, Maine - Darling's Waterfront Pavilion
June 10 - Hartford, Conn. - XFINITY Theatre
June 13 - Philadelphia, Pa. - BB&T Pavilion
June 16 - New York, N.Y. - Madison Square Garden
June 17 - Holmdel, N.J. - PNC Bank Arts Center
June 19 - Charlotte, N.C. - PNC Music Pavilion
June 20 - Atlanta, Ga. - Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
June 22 - Tampa, Fla. - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
June 23 - Jacksonville, Fla. - Daily's Place
June 26 - Nashville, Tenn. - Ascend Amphitheater
June 28 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Riverbend Music Center
June 30 - Detroit, Mich. - DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 1 - Indianapolis, Ind. - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
July 3 - Darien Center, N.Y. - Darien Lake Amphitheater
July 5 - Toronto, O.N. - Budweiser Stage
July 6 - Cleveland, Ohio - Blossom Music Center
July 11 - Boise, Idaho - Ford Idaho Center
July 13 - Seattle, Wash. - White River Amphitheatre
July 14 - Portland, Ore. - Moda Center
July 15 - Vancouver, B.C. - PNE Amphitheatre
July 17 - Salt Lake City, Utah - USANA Amphitheatre
July 19 - Mountain View, Calif. - Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 20 - Los Angeles, Calif. - The Forum
July 21 - Las Vegas, Calif. - Park Theater at Park MGM
July 22 - Irvine, Calif. - FivePoint Amphitheatre
July 24 - San Diego, Calif. - Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
July 25 - Phoenix, Ariz. - Ak-Chin Pavilion
July 27 - Austin, Texas - Austin360 Amphitheater
July 28 - Houston, Texas - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
July 29 - Dallas, Texas - Starplex Pavilion
Aug. 1 - Oklahoma City, Okla. - Zoo Amphitheatre
Aug. 3 - St. Louis, Mo. - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Flatbush Zombies Reveal ‘Vacation in Hell’ Tracklist
Flatbush Zombies have released the tracklist for their upcoming album, Vacation in Hell. Coming in at 19-tracks, the album features the likes of Joey Bada$, A$AP Twelvyy, Jadakiss, Bun B, and more. On the production tip, they recruited the likes of Tyler Doops, Erick the Architect, Kirk Knight and more. Check out the full tracklist below and stay plugged for more updates - Vacation in Hell is expected to release April 6.
1. "HELL-O" (prod. by Tyler Dopps)
2. "Chunky" (prod. by Erick the Architect)
3. "Vacation" Featuring Joey Bada$$ (prod. by Erick the Architect and Tyler Dopps)
4. "M. Bison" (prod. by Erick the Architect)
5. "Headstone" ((prod. by Erick the Architect)
6. "Big Shrimp" (prod. by Kirk Knight)
7. "Leather Symphony" Featuring A$AP Twelvyy (prod. by Erick the Architect)
8. "Reel Girls" Featuring Bun B (prod. by Erick the Architect)
9. "Facts" Featuring Jadakiss (prod. by Hector Delgado)
10. "Ask Courtney" (prod. by Portugal. The Man)
11. "Crown" Featuring Portugal The Man (prod. by Erick the Architect)
12. "Proxies" (prod. by Erick the Architect)
13. "U&I" Featuring Dia (prod. by Erick the Architect)
14. "The Goddess" Featuring Dave B (prod. by Erick the Architect)
15. "Trapped" (prod. by Erick the Architect and Anthony Flammia)
16. "Best American" (prod. by Erick the Architect)
17. "Misunderstood" Featuring Nyck Caution (prod. by Hector Delgado and Erick the Architect)
18. "YouAreMySunshine" (prod. by Erick the Architect)
19. "The Glory" Featuring Denzel Curry (prod. by Erick the Architect)
#OverloadMondays: Hip Hop Council Announced + Comebacks + New Music
Here’s some overload for your Monday blues. Check out what went down this past week, March 5th-11th.
Singles
Joey Bada$$ had a great 2017 and continues to kill 2018. With an album on the way, the Brooklyn rapper dropped a new freestyle “King of The Jungle” to salute Notorious B.I.G. who’s anniversary just passed. Filled with some top-notch bars, listen to the two-minute freestyle above.
As it’s a new week, R-Mean keeps #MeanMondays going with “Makaveli,” Chris Rivers continues on with his #BarzdayWednesday with “New Frieza,” GodBodyWati releases his third #WatiWednesdays banger with “Forgive Me,” and Don Q drops fire on his #DonTalkWednesdays with “King’s Dead.”
Forever M.C. keeps the music coming. From “Terminally Ill” and “King Kong,” to now their latest banger “Piranhas.”
We’ve heard new music from Bishop Nehru x Lion Babe x Kaytranada, MadeinTYO x Harry Fraud, and Deshun.
Fetty Was takes his turn on SZA’s “The Weekend” with his latest joint “The Presidential Suite."
More artists delivered new music such as Buddy x A$AP, Sango x Smino, KYLE, Murs x Fashawn x Prof., and Lucki.
Anderson .Paak returns with a new single this week. While we wait for an actually project from the man, listen to “’Til It’s Over” via Apple Music.
Gearing up for the release of his fourth album on March 16th, take a listen to Bun B’s first single, “Knowwhatimsayin.”
MED and Guilty Simpson have linked together for a collab project. They have released the project’s first single, “Face Down,” which was produced by Black Milk.
Let’s not forget the new music from King Louie, Sir Michael Rocks, and GASHI.
Visuals
Hip Hop journalist, and now rising MC, Rob Markman has released a visual treatment to “Believe Me” which followed up to the letter to his teenage self that he posted via Instagram. A HHNH premiere, Rob shares with them the inspiration behind the song, working with his son, and future plans.
"So at the end of the year I decided to write my 15-year-old self a letter and post it on Instagram. When I did that, I knew I wanted to write a song with that same inspiration. That’s how “Believe Me” was born. It’s really a dope exercise for anyone; with all that you’ve learned in life what would you tell your 15-year-old self?”
With his son playing his younger self, watch above as Rob Markman brings the letter to life and just let it inspire your soul.
Taylor Bennett, Phora, Trae Tha Truth, and Skippa Da Flippa x Sauce Walka were just some artists we’ve gotten new visuals from.
Check out Big K.R.I.T.’s Tiny Desk concert at the NPR offices.
This past week marked the anniversary of Notorious B.I.G’s death (March 9th). As we spent the day reminiscing and blasting his classics, New York rapper Stro dropped a freestyle over Biggie’s “Steal & Rob.” As his style is often compared to that of the ‘90s MCs, the freestyle is a perfect tribute. Watch as Stro pays his respect.
We’ve also gotten new videos from Rich The Kid, Kooly High, Blac Youngsta and Safaree, which features a cameo from Charlamagne Tha God.
Off their upcoming PRhyme 2, PRhyme have dropped another single. Stream “Flirt” featuring 2 Chainz, via Spotify or Apple.
And then Raz Simone, YFN Lucci x Skeet Blak, Kid Ink, and Chris Brown also dropped new visuals.
Fresh off dropping Stabbed and Shot with .38 Spesh, Benny the Butcher has released a visual treatment for his new solo joint, “Man Of The Kitchen.”
Shortly after dropping his sophomore album, Memories Don’t Die, Tory Lanez drops a visual treatment for the Future-assisted track “Real Thing.”
Let’s not forget the new visual treatments from Khary, Curren$y, Backwood Jones x Shawnna, and Tobi Lou x Smino.
Projects
Apple | TIDAL | Spotify | YouTube
At the end of his last album, Everybody, it was implied that Logic would be releasing one more album and it would be his last. He went on to confirm the implication was true. Well, now it looks like he’s giving closure to his older projects before he makes his big exit. Last year, Logic did promise he would be releasing a follow up to his 2016 Bobby Tarantino. Coming in at 13-tracks strong, Bobby Tarantino II features the likes of 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Young Sinatra - pick your poison above.
March starting to look a lot like February with these releases now, sheesh.
DJ Premier and Royce 5’9” - that’s PRhyme to you - deliver PRHYME 2 a week early. While it’s not exactly released, NPR has released the album to be streamed in its entirety. It will still be released to everywhere on March 16th. Serving as their collaborative debut album, the 15-track album features the likes of Big K.R.I.T., Chavis Chandler, 2 Chainz, Dave East and plenty more. Listen to it via NPR.
Arin Ray dropped Platinum Fire this week. Serving as his debut album, the Cincinnati singer first came on the scene back in 2012 on The X-Factor which led him to work with big names like Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, John Legend and more. The 14-track album features the likes of Ty Dolla $ign, DRAM, SiR, Terrace Martin, and Childish Major. Definitely worth a listen, so pick your poison: Apple, TIDAL, Spotify, SoundCloud.
Killy makes his debut with Surrender Your Soul. The 11-track tape has production from the likes of 1mind, Y2K, and Wondagurl, the Toronto rapper has a unique energy to which he puts his all into his new project. Surrender Your Soul premiered on The FADER, and can be streamed via Apple, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Page Kennedy delivered Straight Bars 2, as a follow up to his Straight Bars he dropped in August. Kennedy drops some serious heat over instrumentals from Jay-Z, Kanye, The Lox, Mobb Deep and plenty more. Take a listen via SoundCloud.
YFN Lucci dropped Ray Ray From Summerhill. Extensive yet a great listen, the 20-track features the likes of Meek Mill, Dreezy, T.I. and more. It’s a raw project that gives you an inside glimpse into YFN Lucci’s world. Pick your poison: Apple, TIDAL or Spotify.
Don Mykel released his 5-track EP 2ERO PATI3NCE. The Harlem rapper has been quiet since his last EP drop in September, but now he’s back. Recruiting production from the Dunk Rock, Mike Kuz, the 25th Hour, and Scott Farlee, stream 2ERO PATI3NCE via Apple Music.
Toronto singer Anders released his sophomore project, Twos, this week. The tape followed that of his 669 debut he dropped last year. The 8-track EP features production from the likes of LUCA (who’s a regular collaborator), FrancisGotHeat, Business Boi, and many more. Take a listen via SoundCloud.
03 Greedo has finally dropped his debut project under Alamo Records, titled The Wolf of Trap Street. The 21-track tape features the likes of Yhung T.O, PnB Rock, OMB Peezy, and more. Pick your poison and take a listen: Apple, TIDAL, Spotify.
Lil Yase delivers Winner’s Circle earlier than its set release date. Featuring the likes of Drakeo The Ruler, Lil Pete, J. Stalin, Mont and more. Stream via Apple Music.
Brain Fresco dropped his latest project, Love Scars. The 15-track project features the likes of KAMI, Chance the Rapper, Twista, Vic Mensa, and several more. Love Scars deserves a spin, as Brain Fresco is consistent and beyond talented - pick your poison: Apple + Spotify.
Here’s a project I missed last week: Blu has stepped out of the booth and behind the boards on his newest project The DS Dumb Style. Blu recruited the likes of Homebody Sandman, Nova, Blame One, ScienZe, and more for his tape. Check it out via BandCamp.
We also got projects from Jeremih and Lil Yachty.
Coming soon...
Keri Wilson has announced that she is gearing up to make a comeback in eight years. She teamed up with IfOnly to launch an auction that will allow fans to bid on a chance to get a tour of her studio and listen to her untitled third studio album. Starting off at $2500, the money will be going towards the Keri Hilson Foundation that benefits women and children through education, arts, health and fitness.
Drake announced during a Toronto Raptors versus Houston Rockets game that he is working on a new album for Toronto: “I love each and every one of you, I’m happy to be home. I’m working on this new album for the city.” Since last year, he concluded his More Life with “I’ll be back 2018 to give you the summary.” Looks like he’s a man of his word. We shall see.
MED and Guilty Simpson have teamed up on a new collab project, Loyalty. Set to release March 16th, scroll up to hear the project’s first single. Coming in at 10 tracks, and only two features from Blu and J. Mitchell, pre-order Loyalty via iTunes.
Also set to release this Friday, March 16th: Curren$y, Back at Burnies; Bishop Nehru, Elevators: Act I & II; Jacquees, This Time I’m Serious; MURS, A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable; PRhyme, PRHYME 2; Saweetie, High Maintenance; Rich Homie Quan, Rich As In Spirit.
After releasing the first visual offering (above) from his upcoming debut, Khary is gearing up for his new and first album, Captain, which is set to release April 6th.
With the recent reveal of the official tracklist for Rich The Kid’s upcoming The World Is Yours. With features from Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Khalid, Rick Ross, Bryson Tiller, and more, Rick followed up to say that the tracklist was incomplete and it was missing features from Kanye West, Frank Ocean and Migos. The World Is Yours is set to release March 23rd.
Back in August, SZA hinted that there existed a deluxe edition of her debut Ctrl. Now she has confirmed via Twitter that there are actually six bonus tracks that could be added to make this deluxe edition.
Check This
The OG legends, Eric B and Rakim, are planning to be in a city near you! What started off as a simply tweet, “it’s time to show you,” they have announced that they will be going on tour. Kicking off in Boston on April 8th, Eric B and Rakim will close out their 18-date tour in San Francisco on May 3rd. Check the tour dates here and stay plugged for more updates.
While we’re on the old school tip, let’s talk about Q-Tip! The Tribe member has now been appointed lead advisor of the John F. Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture Council, to which he says “reflects the creative, social, and intellectual wealth of the Hip Hop community.”
“The members are the embodiment of what we stand for and all that we aspire to achieve with the Hip Hop Culture program” - Q-Tip
The council members include legendary Hip Hop contributors like Questlove, Common, Grant Hill, LL Cool J, Bobbito Garcia, Black Thought, 9th Wonder, and several more. It is said that starting in the Spring, these members will be able to “create, experiment, develop, and produce work at the Center.” Check out more information, and the rest of the council members over at Medium.com
In honor of Phife Dawg, the Billionaire Boys Club teamed up with A Tribe Called Quest and Sony Music to create a special collected called The Space Program capsule. The collaborative capsule will include a collection of products and accessories from shirts, hats, hoodies, and more. Also going in is a hoodie with the words “FOR MALIK” in honor of Phife. The Space Program capsule collection drops this Tuesday (March 13th) at the BBC flagship store, webstore and Tribe’s website as well.
Genius has began a new weekly talk show, For The Record, that’s hosted by Rob Markman. First up, Genius has Lil Yatchy over to discuss his latest release, Lil Boat 2, and more. Check it out.
Only six weeks after releasing their sophomore album, Migos have officially earned their second Platinum record. What took Culture five months, Culture II has now gone platinum in less than six weeks with its single “Stir Fry” as the NBA All Star Weekend’s official song.
Post Malone has earned himself a huge feat as well. His “Psycho” single, featuring Ty Dolla $ign, debuted No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards took place last night and many great things happened. From Eminem and Kehlani performing together, to Cardi announcing her debut album will finally be arriving in April (let’s hope), to Chance The Rapper being honored with the Innovator Award. Check out XXL’s list of winners.
Stay Plugged
That sums up this past week in Hip Hop. Come back next week for more.
The Carters have announced they will be reviving their 2014 sold out tour this summer. Beyoncé took to Instagram to announce their upcoming tour. The Run IITour will be kicking off June 16th, stopping in 15 cities in the UK and 21 in North America. Ticket sales go on sale March19th via the usual suspects. Stay plugged for details.
The OG legends, Eric B and Rakim, are planning to be in a city near you! What started off as a simply tweet, “it’s time to show you,” they have announced that they will be going on tour. Kicking off in Boston on April 8th, Eric B and Rakim will close out their 18-date tour in San Francisco on May 3rd. Check out the rest of the tour dates below.
April 8 - Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
April 10 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
April 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre Of Living Arts
April 12 - Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
April 15 - Wallingford, CT @ The Dome
April 17 - Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
April 18 - Baltimore, MD @ Sound Stage
April 19 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
April 20 - Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
April 22 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
April 24 - Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
April 25 - Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
April 26 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
April 28 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
April 29 - Anaheim, CA @ House Of Blues
April 30 - San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
May 2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater
May 3 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Here's some overload for your Monday blues. Check out what went down this past week, February 26th to March 4th.
Singles
Smoke DZA is back! Complex premiered his first single off his upcoming album, “The Mood.” Not for Sale is slated to release on 4/20…of course! It will feature the likes of Ty Dolla Sign, DRAM, Cozz and more. “This is the mood of the youth,” Smoke told Complex. “This is the mood of NYC that we cherish and love.” Listen to the 183rd-produced “The Mood” above, featuring Joey Bada$$, and stay plugged for more updates on the Kush God.
While gearing up for his Angels & Demons collab with Chris Brown, they released its first single “Stranger Things,” However, Joyner decided this week to drop his own joint. A remix to Blocboy JB and Drake’s “Look Alive,” check it out.
With their three-disked album on the way, Rae Sremmurd have released three singles from SremmLife3.
New music came in this week from the likes of Smooky MarGielaa, GiiFromTheIslands, Rome Fortune x Sango, Now unsigned and free from his label, Wale has new music. After his Valentine’s Day “All Star Break Up,” Wale came out with “Staying Power.” He’s feeling liberated and letting the music flow. Check out his new single and stay plugged for more new music from Wale.
We heard new music from Lil Durk, Joe Moses x Future, and Jhené Aiko , who delivered an acoustic cover for Tupac’s “Keep Your Head Up.” From the female perspective, she released it on what would’ve been his 44th birthday. Check it out on Spotify.
Lil Kim recruited Fabolous for a “Spicy” new joint. Stream it via Apple, TIDAL or Spotify.
R-Mean keeps it up with his #MeanMondays with “A Tale of 2 Cities,” while Don Q keeps his #DonTalkWednesdays rolling with “Diplomatic Immunity,” and Chris Rivers on his #BrazdayWednesdays drops “Chompers."
Let’s not forget the new music from Snow The Product x O.T. Genasis, GodBodyWati, Gem Heart x A Boogie and AD x Josh K x Coca Vango
Dave East has been busy with his new “Set It Off” track, and his collab with Nym Lo “Speedin’ Remix,” which can be found on Apple, TIDAL, and Spotify.
So if you didn’t know, KXNG Crooked, Tech N9ne, Chino XL, Rittz and producer Statik Selektah have come together to make up Forever M.C. After dropping “Terminally Ill” a couple weeks ago, Forever M.C. is back with another fire joint that now features DMX. Slated to appear on their upcoming project, Forever M.C. & It’s Different, take a listen to “King Kong” and stay plugged. The compilation will feature the likes of Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Wu-Tang Clan, Chris Rivers, Kool G Rap and plenty more. Forever M.C. & It’s Different is now available for pre-order via iTunes.
Conway linked up with Lucky Seven on their newest collab titled “Temple.”
After being spotted filming a music video earlier this year, Royce 5’9” and J. Cole have released said track. The collaboration, “Boblo Boat,” lands on Royce and DJ Premiere upcoming album, PRhyme 2. Listen via Spotify and Audiomack.
Eli Sostre dropped a new single, where the production was handled by himself, “High Grade." Sonny Digital teams up with Lil Can and Steven Cannon for the banger, “I Got."
And finally, we got new music from King Louie x D Low, Gucci Mane x Migos x Lil Yachty, Tom Misch x De La Soul, and Smokepurpp x Murda Beatz.
Visuals
Prior to dropping his debut EP, Valee released a visual for his first single “Miami” and gets help from label mate Pusha T. Fresh off signing to G.O.O.D Music, watch the Chicago native’s new video above and check out his debut below.
Talib Kweli puts out a new visual treatment from his latest album, Radio Silence. Featuring Amber Coffman and Myka 9, visual for the title-track follows the visual for “Traveling Light” that features Anderson .Paak.
Kemba revisited his 2016 project, Negus, and dropped two videos this week: “No You Ain’t” and “Hallelujah.”
From the 4:44 inspired Blame It On Jay-Z, ANoyd releases a visual for the title track. Check it out and stay plugged for “February Releases.”
We’ve also gotten new visuals from Kelela, Bobby Valentino, Stwo x Jeremih, Caleb Brown and Problem.
LGP Qua makes his debut after his shared inspirational rhymes on social media that gained recognition from the likes of legends Nas and Snoop Dogg. They dropped a visual for the Will.i.Am.-produced track, “Insomniac (Woke),” where he even makes a cameo alongside the young emcee. LGP Qua gets to flex his lyrical skills, and is currently working on his upcoming Voice Of The Youth Vol. 1 tape.
Fresh off their dropping Cloud 909, Audio Push releases another visual off their album for “Update."
Let’s not forget the new visuals from Benny the Butcher x .38 Spesh, Prime Boys x Murda Beatz, and Evidence x Slug.
Fresh off dropping his album, which you can find in the upcoming "February Releases,” Skooly dropped a visual for his 2 Chainz-assisted “Habit.”
Jean Grae x Quelle Chris, who’s joint project, Everything’s Fine is slated to release March 30th. Pre-orders are available via Bandcamp.
While we still wait for Woke, Kamaiyah released a nostalgic visual for “Dope Bitch.”
Let’s not forget the videos from Gucci Mane x Hoodrich Pablo Juan, A$AP Ant x Lulu P, and Flo Rida.
Projects
Apple | TIDAL | Spotify
Tory Lanez has released his long awaited album, Memories Don’t Die. Featuring the likes of 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Fabolous, Paloma Ford, and more, Tory put together a production team with the likes of AraabMuzik, OG Parker, Nav and more. The album was led by singles “Shooters,” “Skrt Skrt” and “Real Thing." Memories Don’t Die is definitely worth a listen, as it is more polished and well put together than his 2016 debut I Told You. Stream it above.
Oh and as far as any and all February releases…stay plugged for that.
Mathaius Young has released his newest project, Dreams of My Death: 2030. Following up his 2017 EP, Take The Night Away, Dreams includes no features and is produced largely by Mathaius with co-production from Wondagurl and Idlekid on a couple tracks. The EP is a testament to his talent and shows that he has no plans on stopping his grind. Listen via SoundCloud, and stay plugged for reviews.
Phonte has returned with a surprise release. Check it out via Apple, Spotify, TIDAL.
Atlanta’s Sy Ari Da Kid just released a 19-track project that features the likes of Eric Bellinger, Kissie Lee, Verse Simmons and more. He recruits production from the likes of Natra Average, DJ Burn One, Vntg Jag, and more. Check it out via SoundCloud.
Newest G.O.O.D Music signee, only announced officially last month, Valee has dropped his latest EP perfectly titled GOOD Job, You Found Me. Executively produced by Kanye West, the project only has one feature from Pusha T but they recruited other producers like Rio Mac, ChaseTheMoney, and TayCreations. Pick your poison, and let’s hope there’s more from Valee: Spotify + Apple + TIDAL.
Chicago MC Ajani Jones released the EP Cocoons after recently signing to indie label Closed Sessions. Check it out on his SoundCloud.
We got another EP from Mozzy, titled Spiritual Conversations. The 6-track project features the likes of Jay Rock, YFN, Ravyn Justice and more. Stream via Apple and Spotify.
Coming Soon...
Royce 5’9” and DJ Premier are PRhyme and are gearing up to release PRHYME 2 March 16th. The dynamic duo have released the album’s tracklist and it’s very promising. At 17 tracks, it will feature the likes of Roc Mariano, Yelawolf, Novel, Rapsody, Big Krit, CeeLo and more. Let’s not forget Dave East with the album’s first offering “Era.” PRhyme followed that release up with “Rock It” over the classic Tribe “Can I Kick It?" Yeah, the project is very promising so stay plugged for more updates.
Smoke DZA is back! Complex premiered his first single off his upcoming album, “The Mood.” Not for Sale is slated to release on 4/20…of course! It will feature the likes of Ty Dolla Sign, DRAM, Cozz and more. Scroll up to find DZA’s first single off Not For Sale.
Last year, Roc Marciano dropped his third album Rosebudd’s Revenge, his first in three years. Thankfully we won’t have to wait that long for his fourth. He recently revealed it will serve as a sequel to its predecessor. While Rosebudd’s Revenge 2: The Bitter Dose has no reveal date, we do now that the 14-track album will feature Knowledge The Pirate and Action Bronson. Stay plugged for more updates.
After releasing a joint track with Dave East, scroll up to find that, Nym Lo has an album that’s dropping March 8th titled The Big Horse. Flatbush Zombies are gearing up to release their newest album, Vacation in Hell. The album is slated to release April 7th, and its album cover has been revealed via Instagram.
Flatbush Zombies are gearing up to release their newest album, Vacation in Hell. The album is slated to release April 7th, and its album cover has been revealed via Instagram. Their See You in Hell Tour kicks off April 14th at Coachella, and will wrap up June 16th in San Francisco, California.
Young Scooter took to Twitter to announce that his upcoming project, Street Lottery 4, is set to release on April 1st. Yes, April Fools Day. Rumored but now confirmed, the tape will feature Young Thug and Future.
Rich the Kid has revealed the tracklist for his upcoming The World Is Yours. Slated to release March 30th, the 14-track album will feature the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne and more. While there have been conflicting release dates, we will just have to wait and see when it will drop.
Redman has recently revealed that he is gearing up to release the sequel to his 1996 Muddy Waters. For years now, dating back 2014 exactly, the Jersey native has alluded sequel. In 2014, he announced it would be in the form of an album and a mixtape. Then last year he told HipHopDX, “Muddy Waters is my favorite album and I’m calling it Muddy Waters Too…I don’t want it to compare to Muddy Waters, the first one. I’m saying this is Muddy Waters Too.” And now Redman has taken to Twitter to announce that the album is coming soon. With no set release date as of yet, stay plugged for more updates.
Check This
My name is..What? Eminem became the first rapper to move 100 million song units. With over 20 years in the game, this is a huge feat that deserves recognition. Em has passed Taylor Swift and Rihanna, and following is Drake and Kanye West who moved 55 million and 51.5 million song units respectively.
SZA and Migos are set to headline the Blurry Vision festival in Oakland, California, May 12th and May 13th respectively. The two-day show will also star artists like Brockhampton, Roy Wood$, Majid Jordan, Kamaiyah, and more. It’s the Bay Area’s first year to put on their show and the line up is pretty impressive. Check out the full line up and buy tickets at the Blurry Vision Fest website.
Talking about SZA, she recently made some big feats with her debut album Ctrl. The RIAA announced that Ctrl has been certified platinum, and tracks “Love Galore” and “The Weekend” are now double platinum. Oh, let’s not forget that “Broken Clocks” and “Garden (Say It Like Dat)” have been certified gold. Go ahead girl!
Big Sean has postponed his Unfriendly Reminder Tour. Just announced at the top of this month, Sean had this to say:
“To all my fans: I’ve been in a deep creative space and decided I need to stay focused in the studio – so unfortunately, I am postponing my upcoming tour. I learned in life you have to follow your intuition – I hope you do the same. Thank you for your continued love and support. It means the world to me. Trust, we are working on something special for you all.”
While it’s disappointing that he’s choosing to postpone his tour, he makes it up for the promise of new music.
Flatbush Zombies announced their See You In Hell Tour that will begin shortly after the release of their upcoming album. Bringing along Nyck Caution and Kirk Knight, the tour will kick off in Portland, OR on April 25th, and settle in San Francisco, CA on June 16th. Get your tickets, and check out more cities they’ll be in, at thegloriousdead.com
After having a few concerts last year, Spotify returns this year with a RapCaviar Tour. With 13 shows across the country, the tour kicks off March 27th in LA and settle in Philadelphia on May 19th. Teaming up with Live Nation Urban, Spotify has gathered up artists like 2 Chainz, Migos, Tory Lanez, PnB Rock and more. While some dates have been announced, much more will be revealed at a later date. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.
On top of performing at the Blurry Vision festival, Brockhampton recently announced their Stereo Spirit Tour. They will kick off their overseas tour in Norway on August 8th and end in Leeds, UK on August 26th.
Since we’re talking about festivals…Soundset have announced their line up which includes the likes of Atmosphere, Logic, Erykah Badu, Evidence, Rapsody and several more. Wu-Tang are also set to perform as it is their 25th anniversary of their big debut, Enter The Wu-Tang. Rhymesayers Entertainment’s popular festival will take place at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on May 27th. Tickets have already gone on sale.
Stay plugged
That sums up this past week in Hip Hop. Come back next week for more.
#OverloadMonday: Golden Era’s Kids Taking Over + Black Panther Arrives
Here's some overload for your Monday blues. Check out what went down this past week, February 5th - 11th.
Singles
Apple | Spotify | TIDAL
What’s to follow the Golden Era? Their kids of course. Diddy’s kids, the lot of them, are all talented and literally do everything from fashion, acting, music. After testing the waters with a couple tracks here and there, it seems like one of Diddy’s kids are ready. Christian “King” Combs has released a new single with Chris Brown titled “Love You Better” that shows King is not playing games. In a flip of Schoolly D’s “P.S.K. What Does It Mean” - or you may recognize it as “Touch Me Tease Me” - King shines through and damn does he sound like their father. I hear a bit of Mase in there, too.
We got new music from Cozz, Tee Grizzley x Meek Mill, Pollàri x Lil Skies, and Skizzy Mars.
Chris Rivers keeps his “Barzday Wednesday Freestyles” going. Now he enlists his sister, Star Rios, in his tribute to their father Big Pun on this past Wednesday which marked the 18th anniversary of Pun’s death - “You Ain’t Banned."
We also heard from Space Dolphin, Rae Sremmurd, Yung Pinch, and Lenny Grant x Tory Lanez x Aviator Keyz.
After all the big news and new music flowing with Pro Era, Joey Bada$$ drops his own new joint, “80 Blocks” featuring Chuck Strangers.
Oh, we’re not close to done…we ALSO got music from Lucki, Sage The Gemini x Trina, and MF DOOM x CZARFACE.
Check out a remix of Khalid’s “Location” with Jorja Smith and British rapper Wretch 32.
Lawd! This past week five people got together and made a six and a half minute track that will blow your mind. KXNG Crooked, Tech N9ne, Chino XL, Rittz and producer Statik Selektah all makeup Forever M.C.. With a compilation project on the way that will feature the likes of Talib Kweli, Royce 5’9”, The Game, and plenty more. To start they release their first joint together, “Terminally Ill.”
After a taking a year off, Jon Waltz returned with new music - “Backstreets."
And then there was...Stalley, Young Thug x 24hrs, and Dessa.
With a project in the works, check out IDK’s newest single with Denzel Curry - “No Wave.”
SOB x RBE have released their first single in a long time, “Carpoolin’.” Produced by Joe$$, the single is slated to appear on their upcoming project, Gangin’. While we’re on the topic of SOB x RBE, one of their members, YHUNG T.O has linked with Kamaiyah for her newest joint “Seasons."
Brent Faiyaz, the pure magically voice in the trio Sonder, and GoldLink’s “Crew,” released a not so new but still amazing track called “Make Luv.” Originally supposed to appear on Sonder’s debut album Sonder Son, the track didn’t clear because of sampling. Thankfully he’s able to release it now: Apple + Spotify.
In a HNHH freestyle session, female MC Molly Brazy made her big debut. It’s definitely a hot one, take a listen. After you listen to that, check out her latest single “Last Minute."
Ciscero links up with Goldlink and recruits April George and Cheakity for his newest single off his upcoming Devil’s Pie, “Function.”
Visuals
Another beautiful awe-inspiring visual from Dave Meyers and The Little Homies. From beginning to end…just damn! And the same can be said about the album. Watch the visual for Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All The Stars” above, and scroll down to check out Black Panther: The Album.
Black Youngsta dropped a hilarious video for his track, “Booty.”
We saw new visuals from the likes of Lud Foe, Towkio, and Rich Homie Quan.
After teasing it earlier on in the week, Wiz Khalifa released a visual treatment for his new joint track with Sosamann, “Best Life.”
After dropping The Saga Continues back in October, Wu-Tang have recently released a visual treatment for “Lesson Learn’d” starring Mathematics, Redman, and Inspectah Deck. W’s in the sky!
There were videos also released by DJ Mustard x RJ x Ty Dolla $ign and PARTYNEXTDOOR x Calvin Harris.
BlocBoy JB teamed up with Drake for his latest single, and visual, “Look Alive.”
J.I.D. pays homage to his favorite cartoon with a twist in “EdEddNEddy."
We also saw new visuals from Black Atlass, Nilüfer Yanya, and Tate Kobang x West Side Goldie.
Projects
Apple | TIDAL | Spotify
And its here! The highly anticipated - yes highly anticipated and we’re only in February - album for Black Panther that hits theaters this coming Friday (Feb 16th). Executive produced by Kendrick Lamar along with TDE, with contributions from Mike WiLL Made It, DJ Dahi, !llmind and several more. The 14-track album features the likes of The Weeknd, SZA, Swae Lee, Anderson .Paak, Travis Scott, Jay Rock and many more. No really, there’s a shit ton of people on this album. Pick your poison above, and stay plugged for a review.
Rock Abruham, Rayvn Lenae, Audio Push, Young Sizzle (aka Southside), and Ralo have all dropped projects this week.
As this year marks the 25th year anniversary of Wu-Tang’s big debut (Nov 9th), U-God has just released a new project for good measure. Bring Back God II comes in at 18 tracks and is laced with some good ol’ freestyles laid over some today’s hottest beats. Mixed and mastered by DJ Homicide, DJ Green Lantern provides some exclusives too. The tape serves as an introduction to his upcoming work, as he prepares to make 2018 his year. U-God has his memoir, RAW My Journey into The Wu-Tang, and his album, VENOM, dropping March 6th and March 30th, respectively. For now, Bring Back God II is available to stream and download via DatPiff.
As his first release of 2018, Kap G dropped his latest effort Real Migo Shit 4. The 10-track project features the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, Don Ace, and more. Serving as a follow up to his Mood and Supa Jefe projects, Real Migo Shit 4 proves to be a pretty solid project.
2 Chainz has released a surprise project, The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It. It features the likes of YG, Offset, Street Runner and a few others. The EP can be found on SoundCloud.
SHIRT began his 2018 with a new single, “Flight Home,” and now he’s released his official debut album under Jack White’s Third Man Records. Coming in at 11-tracks, listen to PURE BEAUTY via Apple Music or Spotify.
Coming Soon...
After teasing the project last year, Bishop Nehru recently made an announcement that confirms the reunion between he and MF Doom on their Kaytranada-produced joint album. Titled Elevators: Act I & II, the album serves as a follow up to Nehru and Doom’s 2014 NehruvianDOOM.
"This project is a collection of my feelings straight from my heart, all of my ideas were created specifically off of instinct and intuitive occurrences. This album is my answer to the question, 'What would you say your music sound like?' My answer to that would be 'Grammy Rap.' There's 'Mumble Rap' and then there's 'Grammy Rap.' With this project I was largely influenced by music theory and Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. This is my attempt at a 'rap' Pet Sounds.”
Along with the announcement, Nehru also dropped a trailer for the project that you can watch above. While Elevators is due March 16th, stay plugged for more updates.
Speaking of MF DOOM, he will be teaming up with CZARFACE for a new album titled Czarface Meets Metal Face. The album is set to release March 30th.
Finally, it’s about damn time! It looks like we can definitely expect an album from Anderson .Paak as he has confirmed it’s “almost done."
With Victory Lap coming out February 16th, Nipsey Hussle reveals the album’s tracklist. The album is loaded, featuring the likes of YG, Kendrick Lamar, The-Dream, CeeLo Green, and more. Check it out via his Instagram, and it’s available for pre-order.
SAINt JHN is finally gearing up to drop his debut album, Collection 1, on March 9th.
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, has announced that he will be joining forces with Talib Kewli once again for a new Black Star album this year. Together as Black Star, they have only released one studio album. No title or release date revealed but we do know that the duo will be working with producer Madlib.
Jacquees is also gearing up for a new EP release, This Time I’m Serious, that will act as an introduction to his debut album 4275. Just recently he revealed the tracklist to This Time I’m Serious via Twitter along with its release date, “2/16.”
Rich The Kid is releasing his debut album in March. No actual date, just “March,” he told XXL in his latest interview where he says: “This will be the greatest album of 2018. Best hip-hop album - you heard it here! There’s no other rapper that will drop a better album than me. No one.” Mm..bold claim right there. We shall see. He also made his Hot 100 debut for his joint track with Kendrick Lamar, “New Freezer.” This is a big year for The Kid.
Dreamville’s Cozz took to Instagram to announce the release of his debut album. Effected is slated for February 13th, yes tomorrow, and will feature the likes of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Garren and of course Curren$y with their “Badu” joint. He also released the single with Garren you can find above.
After dropping solo projects last year, all members SOB x RBE have come together to release a project. The lot of them - Yhung T.O., Slimmy B, DaBoii and Lul G upcoming project, Gangin,’ that is slated to release February 23rd.
With Memories Don’t Die dropping March 2nd, Tory Lanez has revealed the album cover, tracklist and dropped three new singles all in one day. The album will feature the likes of Future, 50 Cent, Paloma Ford, Wiz Khalifa, and more. Upon going onto the album’s official website, you must “secure the bag” with your email. Once you do that, a download should happen automatically and there you have it - the bag of Memories Don’t Die goodies.
Flatbush Zombies are back! After a quiet 2017, the Brooklyn trio have just announced their next project Vacation In Hell will drop April 6th. The project serves as a follow up to their film, “Building A Ladder,” that drops April 2nd. They took to Twitter to make the announcement through a two-part trailer. Check out parts one and two, and stay plugged for more updates.
After releasing his joint track with Missy Elliott and Kelly Rowland, “Get It,” Busta Rhymes sat down with Billboard to talk about his upcoming album.
"The only thing I am going to say is that this is definitely going to be my most compelling body of work that I've ever put together. I haven't dropped an album in retail since 2009. I am really proud of this project. I was very patient with it and took my time. Patience was probably one of my greatest weapons when putting this project together because there were things I ended up stumbling on that ended up on the album years into the recording. I've been working on this album on and off for nine years. There's going to be an announcement made soon on the title and we should definitely be having this album drop before the midway point of 2018.”
Check out the rest of the interview where he talks about setting the tone with “Get It,” his Extinction Level Event album’s 20 year anniversary this year, and more. And stay plugged for more updates on Busta Rhymes and his upcoming album.
Check This
Big Sean has announced his Unfriendly Reminder Tour. Via Twitter, he had this to say:
"With the platform I have now, I thought it would be perfect to revisit a lot of the old music as well as the new classics on my next tour. But I’m gonna give you guys the opportunity to choose my setlist on this tour.”
Yup, he will be revisiting his older material and we get to pick his setlist - UKNOWBIGSEAN! He always has something up his sleeve. With Playboi Carti, G4SHI and Shy Glizzy all tagging along, check out the tour dates via his Instagram and his website. The tour kicks off on April 12th in Orlando, FL, and ends in Toronto, ON on June 3rd.
After releasing his debut album, Maxo Kream has also announced dates for his own Punken Tour. Kicking off in San Francisco, CA on March 21st, Maxo will wrap up his tour on April 28th in El Paso, TX. Go to his website for more information and to get your tickets.
Following the induction of Jay-Z last year, Jermaine Dupri is the next to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is the second Hip Hop act to do so. As if I have to mention, Dupri deserves this spot for co-writing No. 1 hits such as Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” Usher’s “Burn” and several more. He took to Instagram to celebrate. Salute to JD! Among the inductees this year are Kool & The Gang members bassist Robert “Kool” Bell, saxophonist Ronald Bell, drummer George Brown, and singer James “JT” Taylor.
“Music has scored my life since day one.” Nas penned an open letter to commemorate Black History Month, paying homage to those who came before him and opened those doors. While we wait for his next album to drop any day now, the letter is a must read.
Previously, anything before his debut album Camp was not available on Apple Music, TIDAL or even Spotify. Now, Childish Gambino’s earlier work, cleverly titled EP, is finally available to stream anywhere and everywhere: Apple, TIDAL, and Spotify.
Mike WiLL Made revealed via Twitter that Rae Sremmurd was influenced by OutKast’s 2003 double-disc Speakerboxxx/The Love Below for their triple-album SremmLife3. He followed up with another tweet: “w that being said, to all true Sremm fans out there that know we drop the quality when we feel it’s right, never just for attention. ‘Sremmlife3’ is FOR Y’ALL specifically.” He goes on explain the triple-album, and this explains for all the misunderstood solo rumors. SremmLife will consist of two solos, Jxmtroduction and Swaecation, from Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee respectively, and one group effort titled SR3MM. With no release date as of yet, stay plugged for more updates on SremmLife3.
From Bronx girl to Bronx girl, we should be seeing a collab from Cardi B and Jennifer Lopez soon. After the “Finesse” video dropped, many from In Living Color thanked and gave props to Cardi and Bruno, especially former Fly Girl J.Lo. And then during one of her shows, J.Lo danced to Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow" that had Cardi B in her feelings: “This is a Bronx girl dream… The mother @jlo.” And now, J.Lo has confirmed their collab with Latino.com: “I do have a record coming out with [Cardi B] and it’s coming out soon. I don’t know what the video is going to be set, but we’ll see what we come up with."
Stay plugged
That sums up this past week in Hip Hop. Come back next week for more.
After I mentioned Anderson .Paak that we may receive an album this year in “New Year, New Music,” he has finally confirmed that a new project is underway. Actually, the California rapper/singer and his band, The Free Nationals, both have albums on the way this year. While there are no set dates, the Aftermath signee sat down with Triple J to make the announcement and also reveal something about his boss Dre.
“[Dre] had a heavy role in this new album that’s almost done as well. Just going through the mixing phase. I won’t say any dates but you can definitely expect it this year, sometime.”
Check out the full article where he praises Dre and also talks about working with Kendrick Lamar on the upcoming Black Panther: The Album.
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