Respect the WAP: Boosie, Lori Harvey, and Rap's problem with Slut-Shaming Women

By: Alexis Oatman

In a recent interview with Vlad TV, rapper Boosie Badazz offered his thoughts on Lori Harvey’s “body count” and her new relationship with actor Michael B. Jordan.

The 38-year-old Louisiana native went as far as to say, “I’d sleep with her, but never marry her,” after DJ Vlad proceeded to go down a list of Lori Harvey’s famous past suitors from Trey Songz, Future, and even Diddy.

“I think we need to stop giving the women the power with situations like this,” Boosie added. “We gotta start giving the bachelors, the men, who are running through a beautiful woman like this the credit, who not housing her, running through her.”

Boosie on Lori Harvey's Body Count: I'd Sleep with Her But Never Marry Her (Part 22)

For women, sex will always be something that happens to us, not something that we choose to engage in. The issue lies when women decide to take charge of their sexual autonomy, only to be labeled a “slut.”

Here we go again. Sadly, this is nothing new. Rap music, a long-time reflector of society, has a long history of portraying women, particularly Black women, as “sluts” and sexualized objects only to turn around and demonize for engaging in said act.

When Cardi B and Megan the Stallion released “WAP,” the world was shocked and disturbed at two women, women of color at that, talking about sex and their bodies so explicitly. 

Slut-shaming is the archaic process of criticizing women and girls who perceive to violate societal expectations regarding sexuality. These degradations, often double standards, range from criticizing women for wearing “sexy” clothing or having multiple sex partners.

However, for men, whether it's Snoop Dogg’s saying “Bitches ain’t shit, but hoes and tricks” in Dr. Dre’s hit classic “Bitches Ain’t Shit” to even Three 6 Mafia winning an Oscar for “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp,” Hip Hop not only allows the sexual exploitation of women for the male gaze but awards men in the process.

In the article, Misogyny in Rap Music: A Content Analysis of Prevalence and Meanings, Ronald Weitzer and Charis E. Kubrin suggested that “larger gender relations, the music industry, and local neighborhood conditions” are the three primary forces behind why women are portrayed so negatively throughout Rap.

The scholars note that Hegemonic masculinity is at the root.

This form of masculinity hangs on the idea that men hold the dominant position in society, leaving women at the bottom. In this context, being a “real man” means to support attitudes that perpetuate women’s sexual objectification, the practices that subordinate them, and derogating men who adopt an egalitarian approach to gender inequality issues.

The fragility of Black masculinity cannot risk being perceived as “soft” or fake.

As a result, Black male rap artists will create explicit and violent lyrics against women to assert their dominance and prove their authenticity as a “real man.”

In our community, the sexual conquests of young men are revered while it demonizes our women and girls, labeling them “fast.”

Due to society’s implications about sex, young black men will often use the graphic tells of their exploits for social status and esteem—the goal of these intended conquests to make a fool of women. Sex isn’t seen as a testament of affection, but a form of control, a way of keeping women in line.

A more in-depth look into the street male culture will show you that Black hypermasculinity is due to the historical socioeconomic disadvantages which have stripped Black men of traditional sources of dignity in a white patriarchal system.

As a woman and a rap fan, I’m tired of the patriarchy.

I was six years old in the back of my dad’s Ford Taurus when the “Bridge is Over” by KRS One came on. My dad was fan of 80s Hip Hop, he called it the “Golden Era”. The beat knocked from his stereo system, rattling around through my brain. I was in love, and I was now a fan. Today, the genre has long separated from being the voice of the people and expanded into a multi-billion-dollar industry intent on objectifying women as sexual beings.

I think more men in Rap and Hip Hop need to acknowledge their privilege and stop using women as muses to fulfill their misogynistic lyrics about objectifying women. Of course, this isn’t just a problem in the world of Rap. Patriarchy is a societal problem affecting us all.

As Feminist scholar, Bell Hooks said, “Feminism is for everybody.”

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HutchTheGift Talks The Release Of His New Album "It's Simple"

By: Omar Cook

Los Angeles rapper HutchTheGift dropped a dope new album titled It’s Simple! The project is the first of the year for this upcoming rapper and HutchTheGift definitely delivered with some bangers!

“I came up with the name of the project from the George Floyd murder in 2020. If he can’t breathe, stop pressing down on his neck. Its Simple.”

— HutchTheGift

HutchTheGift brings relatable lyrics to his tracks and that Hip Hop fans need right now especially with all that is going on with the world. The project features 12 tracks with a number of features from Kavo, Agbon, RepXL, MoThoro, Black Mike, Rasual, and Willyisforever! Our favorite track is “Bless Me” as this track will make you press repeat and adding in a Dr. Sebi reference sealed the deal as our top pick. “My favorite, it’s a tie between “Crucify” and “Favorite” said HutchTheGift.

Hutchthegift - Bless Me (Official Music Video)

In today’s Hip Hop world, we often hear artists that sound like clones of other artist, but HutchTheGift sounds like only himself and that reflects in the overall message he was trying to portray with this album.

“The overall message I wanted to send is to always be yourself no matter what.”

— HutchTheGift

HutchTheGift has a contagious sound that keeps you locked in as soon as the track starts. His unique flow separates him from other artists, but you can definitely hear the Los Angeles influence in delivery.

“What separates me from other artists is my cadence, delivery, realness, and how relatable my music is.”

— HutchTheGift

Hutchthegift - Iso Joe (Official Music Video)

HutchTheGift’s raw lyrics, dope beats, and smooth delivery makes him a candidate for a break out artist; slept on to say the least! You will definitely be hearing more from this California artist. “In 2021, lookout for the world of HutchTheGift.”

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Erica Banks Gets The Last Laugh With The "Buss It" Challenge

By: Prince Hakeem

In today’s music landscape, there is a plethora of different artists, genres, sounds, and aesthetics. The competition is more fierce and audiences have attention spans which seem to be growing shorter and shorter. In addition to the multiple ways music is distributed and shared via the internet and social media, rising above the clutter can be challenging for new acts looking to break out. That is why whenever an artist catches a record exhibit organic reach and free promotion, it’s best they ride that wave as long as they can. For Texas rapper Erica Banks, that’s exactly what happened. 

Erica Banks - Buss It [Official Music Video]

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, 22-year-old rapper Erica Banks is currently enjoying some breakout attention thanks to a viral challenge which uses a record of hers as the musical backdrop. Thanks to social media platform Tik Tok, Banks is quickly shedding her unknown, yet local, rapper image and is turning into a possible rising star to look out for this year.

The “Buss It Challenge” is the latest dance trend on Tik Tok to go viral. Much like the “Don't Rush” Challenge and “Savage” Challenge, this latest social media craze has cultivated a lot of attention for the artist whose record is featured as the anthem. The Buss It Challenge uses Banks’ song, “Buss It” and is a creative way for users to show off their transformative “glow-up” skills. With some make-up, minimal editing skills, and seemingly Meg thee Stallion-esque knees, the challenge is fun and easy to pull off.

Released in June 2020, “Buss It” uses a looped sample of Nelly’s “Hot in Here” record as it’s sonic foundation. It also makes for a catchy chorus as well. The record never really caught on after it’s initial release. However, thanks to a woman named Erika Davila, “Buss It” found new life almost immediately.

Davila was the first one to create and do the challenge. She posted a video of herself doing the drop-down-to-twerking process back on January 1. Featuring Banks’ “Buss It” as the soundtrack, the #BussItChallenge was soon born, becoming a viral sensation within the first few weeks of 2021. The hashtag has been trending on Twitter for several days, with celebrities including Gabrielle Union and DaniLeigh getting in on the fun. 

Okay Gab with the good knees! pic.twitter.com/u4YgaySorJ

— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) January 12, 2021

What started as a song, from a generally unknown artist, going nowhere has turned into a social media hit. It’s garnered Erica Banks elevating exposure and a break out introduction to larger audiences. The challenge, more importantly, is a clear testament to the power of social media. The Buss It Challenge gave the record a completely new vibe and image seemingly overnight. Banks also attested to this, revealing that it wasn't all love when it came to “Buss It”.

Just a couple days ago Banks took to IG and clapped back at the several haters and nay sayers who’ve dismissed her and the record. “It’s funny to see some of y’all who was talking sh*t months ago dropping that #BussItChallenge. Y’all had a change of heart huh,” she wrote. From constantly compared as being a diet Meg thee Stallion to accusations of biting her flow and style, Erica Banks now has an opportunity to separate herself and prove she’s her own artist.

Social media has become the biggest promotion tool for artists who may not have the machine behind them. It’s time to take as serious note of that. In Banks’ case, she’s definitely garnered a more focused visibility among general hip-hop fans. And now thanks to Tik Tok, she ended up having the last laugh. Mission accomplished.

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A Look Into Hip Hop's Most Anticipated Artists And Projects In 2021

By: James Teague

As we’re gearing up for an amazing new year (and yes it’s still going to be a great year regardless of everything covid-19 related), more new music is on the horizon for this new year to continue serving as our life soundtrack for the year. Even though there were some great gems that dropped last year, music 2020 was said to not really have a lot of impact due to the world getting altered because of COVID-19.

With everything going on whether it was with COVID, the presidential election, or the protests/riots that were all going on in America, I found lots of music lovers were not necessarily keeping up with all the latest new music that released each and every week. Hence why some of the albums released that I thought were going to do well actually didn't due to COVID-19. Luckily this year is a fresh start and we’re starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel with this entire living situation. Here are some of my most anticipated artists that I'm looking forward to releasing new music this year. 

TDE

The current Best Rap Label Top Dawg Entertainment has had a very quiet 2020 for the most part but it appears since SZA dropped her singles, the label is getting up for another busy year. It wouldn't feel right for me if i did each artist alone so i decided to do the entire roster in its entirety in this section. 

• KENDRICK LAMAR  - Between the numerous rumors surrounding his upcoming album, him moving in silence for the entire year and only popping out to the public on several occasions, there is no telling of what's going to happen with this next Kendrick album. What we can all say is that a lot has gone on since his last album DAMN, which was released in 2017, and everybody is wondering what he has to say for this next go round. This is one of the reasons why I'm going to always be excited for a new Kendrick release. 

• SZA - Just like Kendrick, SZA has also been under radar since her debut album CTRL and pops out seldomly. Her two brand new singles “Hit Different” and “Good Day” have me ready and anxious for SZA’s upcoming album. The people have been very very anxious for SZA to release new music and were to the point of frustration where they were taking things out on Punch through Twitter. Between that and watching SZA through her social media living and experiencing life, I expect the new album to be as amazing as her debut. 

• JAY ROCK - The OG member of the label Jay Rock has been quietly working since his last album Redemption dropped in Summer of 2018. Since the pandemic, he’s grown his hair out and looks like he’s been in the zone with making music and living life. I'm interested in hearing what he has to say this time around whenever it's time to release his new album. 

• SCHOOLBOY Q - Coming off his last album Crash Talk, Schoolboy Q has always been staying busy on the feature tip. It’s either the features or social media whenever we see him, whether it's playing the daddy role with his daughter or if he’s out playing golf. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Crash Talk as an album from front to back, I can also understand why some of the fans felt like they were let down by this album. Q has said sometime after the album dropped that he was already back to work on his next album. From what I’ve heard through the grapevine, I'm hearing that Groovy Q is back on his Blankface/Habits and Contradictions vibes for the next album. 

• ISAIAH RASHAD - I don't have a clue as to why Zaywop is taking forever with releasing his album but he is the only member on TDE right next to Ab Soul who hasn't released a brand new album since 2016 with The Sun’s Tirade. He’s been previewing brand new music here & there on his instagram live. Whether he drops an album this year or not, I'm looking forward to hearing from Zaywop musically soon. He has been away for far too long. 

DRAKE 

The anticipation for his new album Certified Lover Boy is at an all time high right now. Since last year between all of the Drake leaks and his last project Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Drake has really been in his bag on the music tip. It felt like since his last interview with Elliot Wilson on rap radar, it feels like he’s been more focused than ever making sure the new album is quality material. All of the leaks and his last project have shown me that we haven't seen anything yet for Certified Lover Boy. It’s supposed to be coming out sometime this month but we shall see and find out. 

PARTYNEXTDOOR 

It felt good hearing back from Party after releasing his album PartyMobile, after being on a hiatus from releasing new music. Now that we’ve had time to properly digest the new album, I think it’s time for Party to work on a brand new album and the reason that I say that is because since he was away for so long prior to Partymobile, it feels more appropriate that new music should start dropping.

G-HERBO

I've always been a fan of G-Herbo’s music since the beginning of his career back when he was calling himself Lil Herb. But ever since hearing his new song “Statement”, it’s become my 2021 song for the year. It makes no sense how many times I’ve had this song on repeat. Between the Dipset “I Really Mean It” sample and Herbo rapping forreal, the aura of that entire song sounds so refreshing and focused. I'm looking forward to 25 The Album , the title of his upcoming album. I don't know what's going to happen this coming album, but if he has more song quality sounding like “Statement”, then I'm very excited for this brand new album coming.  

K-CAMP

After releasing Kiss 5, one of the better albums of 2020, K Camp made it clear that in 2021 he was coming for the number one spot. Every year, K Camp drops a new project and every year he always has a hit record kept in the tuck. I expect this year to be no different. 

RODDY RICCH 

I'm very interested to see where Roddy Ricch is going to go with his Sophomore Album. Coming off having such an incredible year in 2020 with his debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social,  Roddy has kept himself busy with doing his features while also staying out of the way during this global pandemic. Roddy said earlier that he was in no rush to put out a brand new album and that he likes to take his time with creating his next album. He was able to win a lot of people over with the music that he was making but I'm interested to see what level is going to be able to take when it comes to the sophomore. He strikes me as a young man who is about his business and wants to make sure that he shows up each day as his best self. I'm looking forward to seeing what lemons that life will give to Roddy in order for him to tell his story on the album. 

FUTURE 

Instagram pictures surfaced  of DJ Esco , Metro Boomin, and 808 Mafia all being back in the studio working together which prompted the rumors of Monster 2 possibly being in the works. Now as far as I know, I cannot say if that’s really going to be true. However, I did see that Future deleted all the pictures off of his Instagram page and whenever you see an artist do something of that magnitude, then that means get in formation because it looks like there’s going to be a new album due to us at any given day/moment. 

YOUNG THUG

Even though Thugger is always active on featured guest tracks abd collaboration projects, it almost feels like forever since we've heard a solo album from him. So Much Fun exceeded my expectations and has been in my album rotation for a while still to this very day. It appears Thugger is getting ready for Slime Language 2 with the lead single Take it to Trial Featuring Gunna and Yak Gotti. This looks like this going to be a Young thug and friends album but i'm glad to hear that Thug will be releasing brand new music this year. 

LIL BABY

Cheers to another rapper who had the best 2020 yet in regards to hip-hop music. Lil Baby has done enough hits, songs, features, all for the year to help him get to where he's supposed to be. Having said that, for some reason it feels like some people are still not giving Baby the respect he truly deserves. From the awards show not properly nominating him as one of the better artists whether the nomination is for the album or him as an artist. He’s already closed off on the features and is back in the lab cooking up brand new music from what i'm hearing. Even with all of the success coming to him, Lil Baby is still hungry to show and prove to the real ones that he’s here to stay.

NIPSEY HUSSLE 

Word has got out through J Stone, one of Nipsey’s close friends and collaborators, confirmed that there will be a brand new Nipsey Hussle album that’s going to be released soon. J Stone had revealed on the The Bootleg Kev podcast that there’s so many verses Nip has done where he thought that he's heard everything. For me personally, as long as Nipsey’s team is involved in the process of making this album, then I'm all for this release. It was messed up knowing that he was in work already with his next album and the collaboration project with Meek only for him to pass away unexpectedly. 

PUSHA-T 

Daytona came out back in 2018 and yet it feels like it's been out for almost half a decade. There’s been rumors of a Pusha/Madlib project for a while now that haven't been confirmed yet. However in another interview, Pusha had confirmed his upcoming album so far is produced by Pharrell and Kanye West. He also said that it should be almost done very soon. We’ve only heard about Pusha’s music ever so often lately. The last time we heard from Pusha was about his drake diss verse on Pop Smoke’s Posthumous deluxe album, Shoot for the Star, Aim for the Moon. I'm already expecting the music to be very superior but I'm just ready for a brand new album coming very soon.

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37 Hip Hop Albums That Helped Shape Our Lives As Millennials

By: James Teague

Music as we know it has played a huge role in all of our lives from childhood to adulthood. Anytime we can hear certain songs being played, the music triggers something in our brains to have us reminiscing back on a certain time period in our lives when that particular music played as our personal soundtrack. That’s one of the coolest things that I like so much about music.

There’s so much that music can do for us. It helps us feel seen when certain relatable subject matters are brought up in the music. It also helps us create those “real nigga” memories in our lives. It can even help us learn a history lesson through it’s samples of the original song from the original artist from back in the day. All of these things are the reason why I believe we all have our own personal music soundtracks to our lives.

There’s just certain albums and songs that will forever touch our hearts because of the role it played for us as we set out to live our lives and figure out who we are as people. I'm going to discuss each period of my life and introduce you to the albums that helped each period of my life.

THE ADOLESCENT YEARS 

This is the beginning where everything all starts when I was brought into this crazy world. You have zero clue as to what’s really going on outside of your bubble with your family, friends, and kid activities. The music is around but it only plays in the background at first. But the more you hear certain songs/albums, the more your child ear gets very curious and wants to know what it is you're really listening to. And this is the beginning of everything. This was very early for me with hip-hop because it didn't entirely truly grab my attention but these albums helped really introduce me to the culture of hip-hop. 

NAS - Stillmatic 

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 

Will Smith - Born to Reign 

Michael Jackson - Dangerous 

THE TEENAGE YEARS 

Once you reach past the age of 12/13, we finally start dealing with puberty. We start thinking thoughts we never thought before. Doing certain things that we would never think we do. Discovering things and activities that we clearly had no business getting into. We don't really have an understanding about what's going on and the changes that's happening so we try our very best to express ourselves to our parents in many ways that they can understand what we’re saying.

Often other times, we start rebelling against our parents for the sake of wanting to hang out and experiencing life. As we are growing older, the role of hip-hop starts getting bigger and bigger. At this point, its becoming part of a lifestyle from the way we dress to the way we talk to our friends and the situations that we deal with in school and in the neighborhoods of our regional cities. These were the albums that helped me get through my teenage years as I was starting to hit puberty. 

Jay-Z - The Dynasty-Roc La Familia 2000

Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor 

Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt 

Fabolous - Real Talk 

Young Jeezy - TM101 

Outkast - ATLiens 

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

Lil Wayne - Carter 1 & 2

Jadakiss - Kiss of Death /The Last Kiss

Kanye West - College Dropout /Late Registration/ Graduation 

Ludacris - Theater of the Mind 

Notorious BIG - Ready to Die 

2Pac - Better Dayz/ All Eyez on Me /Me Against the World 

Eminem - The Eminem Show 

THE COLLEGE YEARS 

This is where life truly begins when leaving the nests and entering out into the world. We are finally living on our own and are beginning the journey of coming into yourselves. Some find themselves quicker while others it may take some more time and more living before they can become who they’re really supposed to become. This is a time to be alive. A time to live trial and error while fucking up. Living in your college phase is one of those times where you’ll have the complete freedom to take advantage of everything before adulthood and real life happens to you.

The music during this time period of your life plays a role in your coming of age story as you’re dealing with college problems, dating, sex, relationships, and living your life to the fullest. Especially if you went to an HBCU (I just had to throw it in there). I went to college during 2009-2013 at an HBCU in Louisiana and I will never forget all of the moments that helped shape me into who I am today. These are the albums that shaped me into who I was becoming.

Wiz Khalifa - Kush & OJ

J Cole - Friday Night Lights 

Nipsey Hussle - The Marathon 

Kendrick Lamar - Section 80 

Drake - Take Care

Gucci Mane - The State vs Radric Davis 

Jeezy- ™ 103

Future - Astronaut Status 

2 Chainz - Tru Realigion 

Kendrick Lamar - Good kid Maad City 

Chief Keef - Finally Rich 

King Louie - Showtime 

Lil Reese - Don't Like 

THE  YOUNG ADULT YEARS 

Congratulations you’ve reached the chapter of adulthood. This chapter is where you take everything that you have learned from being in college and begin applying it all to your living situations. Now we’re in the place where you're dealing with bills, car notes, etc. For some you might have already been living in adulthood even in college. Once you leave college this is where life truly begins. This is where you begin to learn and live in adulthood through trial and error.

You realize that everything that you thought about adulthood is not really what it seems. When we were younger we would always complain about the rules in the house and how our parents would always treat us like children. We would dream and count the days when we finally turn 18 and get out of the house. Then we finally got out of the house, out of college, and began living in the real world. Once we’re out here living, it finally hits us “What in the hell was we thinking?” 

We finally started understanding why our parents were trying to tell us to enjoy being kids. Although we realize that the dream of adult life as a whole is bullshit, we still find a way to make it work for us. With a lot of us dealing with our first big adult jobs and the struggles we go through with figuring out what it is that we want to do with our lives, Hip-Hop once again plays a huge role in the different periods of our lives. Whether it's the highs of your job supporting your lifestyle or the lows of suddenly losing your jobs and realizing you cant live the same way you once did.

You mess around and depression and anxiety are knocking on your front door to rob you of your confidence. Now you're feeling like you're not the same person as you once were so now you're trying to rebuild your confidence back. Along the way on this journey of adulthood, most of the time your college friends follow you into adulthood whether its a group of y’all all living in the same city or you meet a new group of friends who remind you of your friends from college so y’all build off of that connection.

Adulthood honestly is what we make of it. We realize that a lot of these adults haven’t truly grown up for real. Sometimes it just hits you in your head like “damn we really are some big ass kids trying to dress ourselves up as adults.” Nobody truly has it together and that’s alright. In each of our phases of adulthood we transition into that next level which in turn helps us get closer towards where we truly want to be. And the music soundtracks around us helps us think back to those moments. Here are some of the main albums during my early years of adulthood that played a role or soundtrack to all the periods in my life. 

YG - My Krazy Life 

Drake - Nothing was The Same 

Future - DS2 

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

The Internet - Ego Death 

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN

Drake - More Life 

Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap 

Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron 

Partynextdoor - PND 2

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What 2020 Taught The Culture: Hip Hop Shined In The Midst Of Chaos

By: Prince Hakeem 

The world entered into last year with declarations of 20/20 vision, manifestation, and success going into the new decade. While well-intentioned, those hopes and wishes soon turned into strive, anxiety and despair in the month of March. Looking back in hindsight, many would argue that this shift happened seemingly overnight.

However, when the first confirmed cases of the coronavirus emerged in the US and abroad, no one was prepared for what lied ahead the rest of 2020. Including a global pandemic, infrastructure lockdowns, economic upheaval, police brutality, political/election chaos, and mental health crisis, it’s safe to say that 2020 was just not it. And as with everything 2020 had touched, the culture was not immune to it’s wrath. The black community was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, the music industry came to a halt with the stoppage of live performances and tours, and state-sponsored violence and systemic racism took center stage.   

While the knee-jerk reaction is to forget 2020 even happened, that honestly would be a disservice. Just as we’ve always implored ourselves to look for the beneficial lessons and take aways going into previous new years, there’s an opportunity to do the same despite the ugliness of 2020. The black community still managed to be at the forefront of pop and internet culture, music, social injustice, and political activism. These events and lessons speak to the innovative nature, resilience and power of the culture. 

Black People Turn Lemons Into Lemonade. Remember That. 

The Black Community has always found a way to turn the lemons society throws at them into lemonade. Throughout history black people have had a unique experience pivoting through hardship and problems to find solutions in order to better their circumstances. From hip-hop starting with kids in Brooklyn, New York creating music from the break beats over drum breaks in songs as an outlet for cultural expression and mobility to today’s artists using online platforms to create innovative virtual experiences such as Quarantine Radio and Versuz. It was no different in the face of a pandemic. A surge in online businesses and entrepreneurship across many fields and interests was significant in 2020. Lesson being that when faced with adversity, lean into it and learn how adapt and change. 

The Plight/Revolution is Mainstream

With 2020 being the year of social and racial reckoning, we’ve seen that the fight is no longer just at the grassroots level. Protesting and political activism are no longer frowned upon by society as it was in the 1960’s. The plight has been fully embraced. Companies across many fields and industries within America have joined in the chorus of Black Lives Matter making financial support to marginalized and disenfranchised groups top priority.

Pepsi announced a five-year, $400 million initiative to increase black managerial representation by 30%. They also plan on doubling business with Black-owned suppliers. Bank of America pledged a 4-year $1 billion dollar commitment towards economic opportunities in communities of color. Netflix announced back on June 30 that they would allot 2% of its cash holdings into financial institutions which “directly support Black communities in the U.S.” It started with an initial investment of $25 million towards black financial institutions serving low income communities. 

 While it’s coming across as just a step above being lip service and surface level, seeing private and public institutions empower initiatives to dismantle systemic racism, economic inequality, and government sponsored brutality clearly demonstrate the power of the down trodden’s voice. 

Black Culture Moves Culture

Black culture is the culture. Period.

Look no father than the way in which the black community at large mobilizes on social media. 

When the music industry came a halt with it’s concerts, festivals, and tours being cancelled, artists were clamoring for a way to provide music and entertainment for fans throughout the year. Then came Versuz. When producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland started a hit-for-hit battle over instrumental beats, it soon evolved into a celebration of the culture. Versuz became a success with audiences turning out memorable hit-for-hit battles with some of the most beloved musical artists.

We next saw social media action in response to the George Floyd protest. Music insiders Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyeman disrupted labels and streaming platforms with their #TheShowMustBePaused initiative. This lead to Blackout Tuesday, which later led to reflection and better action. From Black Twitter, to the popularization of AAVE terms, black creators on tik tok making new challenges to the latest hip-hop records, and most recently  the viral engagement and networking on the new Clubhouse app, black social media users start and move everything that is popular culture for the wider audience.

Women in Hip Hop Are For Real 

If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us is that female rappers and MC’s are a force to be reckoned with. They are not just a seasonal trend. They are here to stay and are looking to lead the charge in music “on their own terms”. Artists like Megan thee Stallion and Doja Cat enjoyed a prosperous 2020 with Billboard chart topping hits like “Say So”, “WAP”, and “Savage Remix”respectively. In fact it was four black women—Nicki Minaj alongside Doja Cat on "Say So" and Beyoncé alongside Megan Thee Stallion on "Savage" —who occupied the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 for a historic two-week span. This nabbed Nicki, Doja and Megan their first No. 1s. ”Say So” also became the first single by two female rappers to reach the top of the chart. Mulatto finally came of age right in front of our eyes and had a breakout year herself.

City Girls had the summer on lock being as nasty and sultry as they want to be, making no apologies for it. Alabama rapper CHIKA went from viral IG sensation to a bonafide rising star with the debut of well received “Industry Games” debut. I could go on, but in short, the ladies in hip-hop, rap, and R&B owned 2020. Let us hopefully get to a place in 2021 where we don't see “female rappers” as a separate or subpart dichotomy within music and culture. Given the dominant year many of them had, let’s pay them more respect by just seeing them as rappers. 

Rappers Need To Stop Being Their Own Worst Enemies

Closer towards the end of 2020, we saw a lot of rappers find themselves in precarious and dangerous situations which caused trouble for many. From getting jammed up with the FBI to  several losing their lives due to gun violence and substance abuse, many young rappers, in more ways than not, have become their own worst enemies. While the lesson behind this growing epidemic isn't as black and white, there are some immediate takeaways to help navigate the problem.

Many look to scapegoat and place blame at the feet of sensationalist media such as DJ Vlad and Academics, but this anger is misplaced. It’s for the rapper to become wise enough to not incriminate themselves in interviews or on social media. Staying away from negative past influences and seeking professional help for the mental illnesses many suffer from is clearly a step in the right direction as well.

You Never Give Up

While 2020 has taken a lot away from many us, it’s also given us several valuable lessons to reflect upon and embrace if we choose to. Appreciate what and who you still have. Given that last year stopped a lot of movement and plans, learning to slow down and find happiness in simple things can go a long way. Lean on one another and do not be afraid to ask for help because we all are going through it. So we need each other now more than ever.. Do not underestimate taking moments to isolate yourself to do the internal work essential to personal growth. In 2021 let’s embrace doing the heart work being more valuable than doing hard work.

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2020 Year In Review: 15 Hip Hop Albums That Should Be In Your Playlist

By: James Teague

Up until COVID-19 making it’s controversial debut into the world, the year 2020 was set up to be a promising year for us. With the new year and new decade came new music to help serve as a personal life soundtrack for our lives this current year. As this year comes to a close, it’s safe to say that we will never forget 2020 and all of the craziness that’s unfolded.

I personally can’t wait until I’m at the dinner table with my future family and we’re talking to our kids about what will happen in 2020. From losing Kobe Bean Bryant in the beginning of the year to experiencing a global pandemic thanks to COVID-19, seeing the continuing cycle of black people being murdered and us being outside protesting for our rights and for police brutality and systematic racism during a pandemic, and controversial Celebrity stories such as J-Cole vs NoName, Meg The Stallion/Tory Lanez debacle, the 2020 election, etc.

With life happening all around us, it was difficult for some to really focus and digest the latest of new Friday music releases due to the lack of stability around us. How can you be mad at anyone who might have personally choose to not check for new music at a time when we don’t know what’s going to happen next in the world. Luckily for I, music still played a big role in assisting me with dealing with the global Pandemic in it’s entirety. Even though we weren’t outside as often normally, the music released this year still served it’s purpose for me.

Here is the list of just my personal favorite hip-hop albums of 2020. Keep in mind readers these favorites of mine are not in order.

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BLXST - NO LOVE LOST

I remember hearing about No Love Lost while I was listening to the Joe Budden Podcast and hearing Mal giving his praises on the album. So one day while at work, I decided to take a listen for myself and this quickly became one of my favorite albums cuts to play. Til this day I love it when I discover new & original dope acts. Discovering new music is considered a love language for me personally. My favorite songs off the album include “Gang Slide”, “Overrated”, “Be Alone”, and “Wrong or Right”.

Blxst - No Love Lost

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6LACK- 6PC HOT EP

I’m not even a huge 6lack fan like that but I enjoyed 6PC Hot EP. It felt good for him to create this EP to hold us over until the time comes for the official album whenever it is time to drop. My favorite song(s) off the EP was “Know my Rights” with Lil Baby and “Elephant in the Room”. Im looking forward to see what 6lack is officially cooking up for his next album.

6lack - ATL Freestyle

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VIC MENSA - V TAPE

Last time that I was tapped in with Vic Mensa was on his last project Hooligans. I’ve always been a fan of Vic Mensa music since his Save Money days. Innanetape is a personal Chicago hip-hop classic mixtape. I think Vic is one of the most talented rappers to come out of the city but he almost lost me a bit when he was making his rock music. I much would rather prefer Vic when he is on his Hip-Hop tip. “Vendetta” was the perfect intro song for V Tape. Not only did it help set the tone for me on what to expect but it’s the lyrics that reminded me why Vic is considered to be one of the best emcee’s out in Chicago. All of the guest features did their thing , especially Snoh Aalegra, which i didn’t expect for ”XGames” to really be as great of a song it was. Hit Boy came through for Vic on “Dirt on my Name”.

Vic Mensa - VENDETTA

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BIZZY CROOK - FROM ME, TO YOU

I want to personally thank my homie Kim Chanel for putting me onto Bizzy Crook music through via her IG story post. I came across this album From Me, To You. Up until this year recently, It’s honestly been awhile since I was actually able to search for newer and unknown hip-hop music. I was impressed by some of the people I checked out this year, including Bizzy Crook himself. Bizzy originally hails from Miami, Florida and has an extensive catalog of projects released since 2011. My favorite tracks include “Dios Mio”, “Rich and Damaged”, “Broke my Heart”, and “South Florida Girls”.

Bizzy Crook - Over You

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DON TOLIVER - HEAVEN OR HELL

Let me tell you if it wasn’t for Coronavirus impacting the entire world, Heaven or Hell would have been the perfect album for the summer of 2020. I heard about Don Toliver through Twitter. He was originally on the Jackboys EP with Travis Scott. When I found out about his debut project, I decided to tap in to the project to see it for myself. I was not expecting to love this debut album as much as I do. All of the vibes that I received from this project just told me that the music would’ve hit 10x more had the world been open up formal. Regardless of COVID, Don Toliver still was able to held it down on Heaven or Hell as the artist to stand his ground and let the world know he’s here to stay, pandemic or not. My favorite cuts off this album include “Cant Feel my Legs” , “After Party”, “Cardigan”, and “Candy”.

Don Toliver - Heaven Or Hell [Official Audio]

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K CAMP - KISS 5

I would just like to get this out of the way and say that K Camp does not miss at all when it comes to music. He does not disappoint with Kiss 5 (regular and deluxe album) as this served as the sendoff for the final chapter of the Kiss Series. “What’s on Your Mind”, “Tatted Up”, “1 Mo Time”, “Ari, What’s The Rush”, and “Rude Boy” are some of my favorite cuts to come from this album. Even though this deluxe has came out I’m already excited for whats to come with Camp and the Rare Sound crew in 2021. On another note, Camp told us through social media that he is to be referred as Float.

K CAMP - Regret (Intro/Audio)

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DOE BOY AND SOUTHSIDE - DEMONS R US

This album was most anticipated from me with Doe Boy. Since 2012, Ive been following his music and I’ve been waiting so long for Doe to make an album that’s going to let the world know that he’s here to stay. He makes the type of music that I want to hear and he didn’t disappoint at all not even the slightest. The sound for Demons R US is the exact sound I was waiting for Doe to rap on. I’m looking forward to seeing where Doe goes 2021 and beyond.

Doe Boy, Southside - Intro (Official Audio)

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BENNY THE BUTCHER AND HIT BOY - BURDEN OF PROOF

Hit Boy has been having a helluva year between playing executive producer for Sean’s album Detroit 2 and other projects plus him opening up about his slave deal he got into when he was younger, Hit has been making it a point to prove his worthiness to be being producer of the year. He hooked up with one of Griselda’s own Benny the Butcher and the result was his album Burden of Proof. His first single timeless with Lil Wayne and Big Sean had me sold on being excited for this new album. I’m not a huge huge fan of Griselda like that even though I know they’re some of the most talented rappers out right now, but I was amazed by Benny’s album. The sound throughout the album sounds so much more polished and rich. You can tell that there has been a lifestyle upgrade. “Famous”, “Timeless”, “Where Would I Go”, “Over The Limit”, and “Legend” are some of the songs that I enjoy.

Benny The Butcher and Hit Boy - Burden Of Proof

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21 SAVAGE AND METRO BOOMIN – SAVAGE MODE 2

Savage Mode 2 was another anticipated album that I was looking forward to. It was safe to say that the sequel overly delivered and its possible that it can be better than the original but we’ll let time tell since this album is still brand new. Now that the album has been out for a minute I can say confidently that “Runnin” is a top 5 21 Savage song. “Runnin” and “Glock In My Life” going back to back should be considered a crime. What I also love about Savage Mode 2 is how 21 has found his pocket with the Memphis sound. 21 and Metro are a duo to be reckoned with.

21 Savage - Intro

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GUNNA – WUNNA DELUX

It’s took me some time to warm up to Gunna’s music but Wunna did what it was supposed to do. A lot of Gunna’ music prior to Wunna was hit or miss for me. I liked him when he was making songs with Lil Baby or if he was on certain songs with certain rappers. Gunna to me at first sounded a whole lot like Thug too much. I was watching him and Lil Baby’s musical growth to see who was better. I’m not going to hold you I thought Baby’s album My Turn was going to be better than Wunna but once I pressed play the album told me a different story. “Met Gala”, “MOTW”, “Top Floor”, “Wunna”, “Blindfold”, and “Cooler Than a Bitch” are some of the tracks I love from Wunna.

Gunna - 200 FOR LUNCH [Official Audio]

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HONORABLE MENTIONS 

G-HERBO - PTSD DELUXE 

LIL UZI VERT - LUV VS THA WORLD 2/ETERNAL ATAKE 

LIL BABY - MY TURN 

DRAKE - DARK LANE DEMO TAPE

NAS AND HIT BOY - KINGS DISEASE

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Qweezy' Talks The Release Of His New Mixtape "One Of A Kind"

By: Omar Cook

Vegas rapper, Qweezy’, dropped a dope new mixtape titled One Of A Kind! The title describes exactly who Qweezy’ is as an artist, one of a kind, as he is separating himself from other under the radar artists.

“I came up with the title while reflecting on the versatility and unpredictable approach I have to certain tracks or beats when I first hear them. Where I’m from, I honestly haven’t heard anyone who is super soulful and authentic,but can also sting a beat at the same time like that.”

Qweezy' - Ramble (Official Video)

Qweezy’ opens up about his personal life as he hopes to inspire others through his own story.

“I just wanted to let the next person know that it’s okay to be or feel different. Your gift is for you and another person’s gift is for them. Don’t shy away from it. Also, reminding myself and listeners that with all you have going on, life still has to go on, so as you reflect, don’t sit still.”

The mixtape features 11 tracks with multiple features from rising artists such as TarikHavok, Tavious Soul, MARJON, Jaeshaun Tays, Rickie B., and DarviannaMajor! Our favorite track is “Ramble” where he shares his personal thoughts.

“‘The Plate’ is pretty dope (shoutout to Tavious Soul) and my favorite track would probably have to be “My Sincerity” (shoutout to Jaeshaun Tays).”

His previous projects, Perspectives and his EP Q3, showed that Qweezy’ is definitely an artist that needs to be on everyone’s radar but this project shows his lyrical growth as well as production quality.

“You can definitely hear the growth. I got a little bit more personal, while balancing Vibes, and the production/Mixing/Mastering elevated from the previous as well. I had more time to spend with this project than the previous. Though both are dope projects, growth is my goal. I have a great ear for music, and a great eye for art, so I know I’ve made progress for sure.”

The pandemic has forced artists to be creative in how they manage to create and put out music but Qweezy’ has remained focused through it all.

“It’s been tough, because with the pandemic comes personal life as well... so to balance all of it and stay focused is a task in itself. I just always reverted back to like simple things, listening to music, finding a getaway when/if possible, exercising etc. there’s a few things I’ve been getting after. Doing all of that helps me get back to business a little easier than it could be.”

Even with the release of this mixtape, Qweezy’ is already planning to release more content!

“Definitely more to come, more visuals and different sounds that I want to explore. Thank you for tuning in, and of course I always got Love for whoever has it for me!”

Listen to the full project below!

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1TakeOcho Drops New Visual To "Pop My Shit"

By: Omar Cook

Compton rapper 1TakeOcho dropped a dope new visual to his song “Pop My Shit”! The song features artist Azjah and was produced by Romo! The video, created by CreatedByBlu brings a futuristic sci-fi vibe along with a track that will cause you to press repeat!

“Pop My Shit” comes off of 1TakeOcho’s latest mixtape Undeniable, a 10 track project that is his best to date! Check out the video below!

1TakeOcho - Pop My Shit ft. Azjah (Official Music Video)

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LijahT Drops A New Single "Chu" And Talks The Release Of His Recent Album "Playa Therapy"

By: Omar Cook

West Coast rapper LijahT dropped a new single titled “Chu”! The song describes him deciding to give up his player ways while showing remorse for breaking someone’s heart.

“This inspiration behind ‘Chu’ is just little story between me and I ain’t gone say no names but if you know me it’s pretty obvious who I’m talking about!”

The song is definitely a relatable track especially to the men out there that have struggled to let go of their own player ways. LijahT has been on a roll recently after recently dropping an album titled Playa Therapy! The album has been a success after charting #49 on the Itunes top 200.

“The overall message I was trying to send on ‘Playa Therapy’ was showing people the progression of LijahT and just honestly showing the versatility that myself and brothers from We Out Here contain. And I feel like we did that we hit over 100k plays in two months and numbers still going crazy.”

The album featured 12 tracks and 3 features from It’s Coup, Ivi’re, and D. Showw! Everysong has a different vibe but one things that is consistent all the way through is the West Coast feel that you get from the beats and his delivery.

“There were less features on this project and I just wanted to really expand and show people that I’m not going to keep giving you the same old raps. I always want to come at fans with a different style of LijahT.”

Our personal favorite track on the project is “Keisha'“! As soon as you turn it on, you have no choice but to nod your head!

“The title track “Playa Therapy” is my favorite. I don’t know what it is about the song but I love everything thing about it! I love all my songs don’t get me wrong, but that one just hits me different!”

Even through the pandemic, LijahT has been creative in putting out new music and it has been rewarding.

“I’ve just been trying to stay busy honestly being sat down literally and not being able to perform and do everyday normals things affected me in many ways I never thought it could.”

LijahT already has a plan to release more music in the near future and fans can expect more heat from this rising rapper.

“The single from my next album will drop around February 11th, 2021 and finally some videos so everyone can finally stop asking when one is dropping! But I do need to!”

Listen to the new single “Chu” and the full album “Playa Therapy” below!

LijahT - Chu

LijahT - Intro

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William Prize Talks The Release Of His LP "Dirty Game"

By: Omar Cook

North Carolina rapper William Prize dropped one of the hottest projects of this year, titled Dirty Game! If you’re looking for a complete project, no SKIPS, this is it! The title of the project speaks speaks to his perspective on 2020 as a whole.

“The name of this project is based on 2020’s vibes as a whole. It’s been a rough year… A lot of death, change, and setbacks so the name dirty game describes all of that I feel.”

His previous project “I am Prize Vol” was solid and this project definitely did not disappoint. Prize is preparing to release his 1st album in the near future.

“Honestly I just wanted to ride the waves of my last project “I am Prize vol. 1” while getting people excited for my first official album “Up From Here”. Also these are a bunch of loose tracks, and tracks that didn’t make the albums revision.”

It’s hard to choose a top track for this project but our favorites for this project are “Hibachi” and “Clocxs” as both speak to real situations in relationships as well as bring a true 90s hip hop vibe.

“For me the answer my favorite tracks are interchangeable between the songs “Dirty Game” and the following track “Rebox”. Both songs intel a lot of things that perspired during my personal life and all of the current events occurring in the media, particularly in the African American and Latino communities, while also giving off crazy vibes with production from myself and Cidy Pyramids. Both of those are more than necessary listens!”

William Prize separates himself from other mainstream artists out today by continuing to evolve from project to project and maintaining authenticity within his lyrics by speaking on real issues. Progression is an element that Prize expects to push his projects forward.

“The progression for sure, that’s really what you can expect from any of my next projects; progression, and it being the separating factor from my last.”

With the pandemic affecting the world in many different ways, artists have had to adapt and stay creative, which is not an easy task.

“I think the pandemic gave me time to get more creative, take it back to the garage days with this shit, you know? Also gave me a lot of time to cross my t’s and dot my i’s business wise so it wasn’t hard staying focused at all for me.”

Dirty Game is a definite must listen and a good preliminary project to set up his album release.

“‘UP FROM HERE’ COMING SOON ! THATS IT! I just wanna thank everyone for tapping into this interview and with my music as well, it means a lot to me.”

Listen to the full project below!

William Prize - Dirty Game

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WAASI Shade Drops Visual To "Feel No Way"

Waasi Shade Drops Visual To "Feel No Way" Photo Credit: IG//@isnap_usmie

By: Omar Cook

Florida rapper WAASI Shade dropped a dope new visual to his single “Feel No Way”. The single was featured on his most recent album Soulo II , which was a solo project aside from his group WAASIKeso. WAASI Shade left one single message on his video description, “Fight your demons.”

The video starts off with WAASI Shade sitting in the car dealing with his emotions and masking his feelings with a bottle of liquor which gives meaning to the title “Feel No Way”. Then he proceeds to wander off in the forest where he battles with himself and his demons. The song and visual serves as a motivator for people to go within and not to run from their issues using stimulants. Life gets hard sometimes and sometimes we all need a reminder to keep pushing, and this video does just that. Check out the video below!

WAASI Shade - Feel No Way (Official Music Video)

Check out another recently released video from WAASI Shade titled “Chi”!

WAASI Shade - Chi (Official Music Video) Dir. Johnnight

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1TakeOcho Talks The Release Of His Debut Mixtape "Undeniable"

By: Omar Cook

“Make sure y’all go get my debut mixtape “UNDENIABLE”. Out on all platforms. If you wanna know who 1TakeOcho is musically, I recommend you go listen to the tape. It’s an undeniable vibe.”

— 1TakeOcho

Compton artist 1TakeOcho dropped his debut mixtape titled Undeniable! 1TakeOcho hit the scene with 2 hot EPs, Ocho and Ocho II, and with the bar already set high he definitely did not disappoint with this project. Ocho is 1 part of a rising rap group called 1TakeBoyz, but he is making a name for himself with consistent hot releases and his place in the music industry is truly becoming Undeniable.

“The big homie DJ Hed really inspired the name of the tape. A while ago he told me “if you wanna win in this game always remember to be undeniable, bring value, and don’t take shit personal.” The Undeniable part stuck out to me a lot and I decided to name the mixtape that.”

1TakeOcho - LA Life ft. 1TakeJay (Official Music Video)

When listening to the project, you definitely get the feel of good vibes as well as inspiration. On his track “Never Fold Interlude”, 1TakeOcho pays tribute to all of the people who doubted him thanking them for his success.

“The overall message is the title really. Be undeniable. Also, just to show people my growth within my music and good vibes. I always wanna display a good undeniable vibe.”

The project features 10 tracks with some dope features from 1TakeJay, Chris O’bannon, Kyle Banks, and Azjah! This is one of the most complete mixtapes released this year in Hip Hop. Every song is a banger. No Skips. Our favorite track on the project though…”Tryna Play Me”.

“There’s a few favorites I have on this tape. But the must listen would have to be “Best Life ft. Kyle Banks.” The other must listens are “The Streets ft. 1TakeJay” and “Weekend ft. Chris O’Bannon.”

From production to the lyrics, this mixtape really shows his growth from his previous 2 projects.

“This project is much more enhanced than the previous projects I dropped. This was my debut mixtape so I wanted this to be like a “wow” moment and show people my sound and my growth. I invested heavily in the production, mixing/mastering of the tracks, etc. If someone were to ask “who is 1TakeOcho” or “what type of music does 1TakeOcho make” , this project would answer all of that. 

The pandemic caused a lot of disruption around the world especially the entertainment and music industries but 1TakeOcho found a way to put out a complete project through the midst of it.

“At the beginning of the pandemic it affected my music because my engineer shut down his studio for a while and that’s the only place I like to record at. Shout out to JAGonthebeat. He’s been my engineer since I first started back in 2018. He knows my vocals and his studio and working with him is like my comfort zone.”

You can expect more heat from 1TakeOcho and the rest of the 1TakeBoyz crew for sure as they continue to put on for West Coast Hip Hop. Check out the complete project below!

1TakeOcho - Game Night

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Lona Talks The Release Of His Album "Heart Of The Summer"

By: Omar Cook

“I’m appreciative of all the love and support. i poured my heart into this so it means a lot to know people are not only listening but connecting with the music.”

— Lona

Texas rapper Lona, dropped his new album titled “Heart Of The Summer”! Lona did not hold back on this project as he delivered 20 tracks on the album with features from other rising artists including Nayome, Kennyraccs, and LAW.

“The title was a metaphor my cousin used to describe my spirit in a conversation at a low point in my life. It stuck with me as I was working through it and eventually it became the title for this project. I was inspired by a lot from heartbreak to personal adversity, the climate of the world, triumph, defeat; just a host of emotions and experiences to be honest.”

This project features a lighter tone in music opposed to his previous projects which is probably just what people need with the current state of the world.

“I wanted to open up more of myself to people, one of my closest cousins pointed out my music could be really dark and moody but I’m not always that way so I made it a point to do more upbeat records this time around to show the side of me people don’t always see. I hoped to create a bright summer soundtrack for people to live to while at the same time sharing some inner thoughts I’d maybe hinted at but not really spoken on and also share things people may not have known about me.”

The pandemic slowed up life for a lot of people but it is still a great time for artists releasing music as artists have had time to be creative and put together dope projects.

“The pandemic definitely affected me in a lot of ways, cause for one I was homeless during the majority of it and the year which was a battle of its own. Which is something that really drove me during the creation of this project. It also stopped me from being able to do all the features in person which would’ve been cool. Just trying to navigate when to put it out also, it’s been so many things going on in the world, I never want to come across tone deaf so I was sitting on it for awhile because of all the social injustice and covid-19.”

The album features a number of dope tracks especially a collab with Nayome titled “Right Back Down”.

“My favorite track if i had to pick one right now today would be ‘Been About’ or ‘Southside Hooligan’. I’m also really proud of the intro and outro so it changes a lot lol.”

Even with the recent release of this album, Lona is already preparing for more!

Expect more music, I’m already working on 2 projects for next year. Visuals too, I have some shot already so I’m just waiting for the right time to start letting them go. Also merch and something special I’m cooking up for them so there’s a lot coming.

This is definitely a must listen to project as it is almost guaranteed to give you good vibes as well as lyrics that are relevant and relatable.

I think this one is brighter in the tone of the music and I feel like it came together more organically. with 346 i had a story/concept in mind that I tried to stick to but this time around I just made songs and then picked what fit the best.

Listen to the album below!

Lona - Long Winter

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Waasi Shade Discusses His New Album "Soulo II"

By: Omar Cook

“SOULO is a combination of Soul and Solo. To me it defines a person on a journey by themselves to find out their purpose in life. ”

— Waasi Shade

Florida rapper Waasi Shade dropped his new album Soulo II, a solo project aside from his group WaasiKeso. From the second the project pops off with the track “1995”, you get hit with genuine, raw lyrics. “The project was intended for people to learn more about from what I have experienced and how I have grown as an artist. I drew inspiration from a variety of different outlets but most improved day to day life.”

The project features 8 tracks with only 1 feature coming from his counterpart Jiggy Keso on “Ma$e”. “The entire project is a must listen honestly, but if people want to hear me talk my talk...definitely play ‘Jig Is Ova’ first.” Each track has a different feel but what’s consistent is the dope delivery of conscious lyrics and you can run through the entire project with no skips. In today’s mainstream hip hop industry, we see a plethora of artists promoting messages of violence and drug culture but Waasi Shade gives us hope that their are still true lyricists out there who create music with real messages.

Waasi Shade addresses the journey of being an independent artist in the album as well the process of entertaining industry offers without selling him self out of being a true artist. “At the end of the day as an artist, you are a business yourself. As an independent artist you have to build everything from the ground up and find different avenues to promote yourself. It’s definitely a experience coming up but well worth it.”

When asked about remaining an independent artist, Waasi Shade says “All depends on the situation that’s out in front of us. Bringing leverage to the table is important for any negotiation and the need to have complete control of the art put out and owning your masters is super important as well.” Being able to maintain creative control over your work while maintaining ownership over your masters is a major issue in the music industry and artists such as Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and Tory Lanez have recently addressed some of the issues surrounding signing with major labels as well.

Waasi Shade has more coming from with his group WaasiKeso but this project will definitely keep us occupied in the meantime. “I want fans to know that WAASIKeso are dedicated to bringing you all the best music possible & connecting with each and every one of you. ALBUM COMING SOON”. Listen to the album below!

Was Shade - 1995

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Nayome Talks Her New EP "Personal" And Drops New Video For "Show Me"

“My intention was to let people know that it’s ok to be vulnerable, whether it’s after being hurt or if you’re in love. I think personal experiences really shift our navigation around love. I just wanted to share my experience and hope that people resonated with that.”

— Nayome

By: Omar Cook

Texas singer Nayome dropped her new EP titled Personal! This is her 2nd full project after dropping her 1st EP Recovered+ in 2018, and it is definitely full of good vibes.

“The inspiration came on it’s own. When I start an EP or a project, I don’t really think about a name, I just think about the intention behind the songs I wanted to do and I definitely wanted these songs to be a little bit more personal. I wanted to open up and be more vulnerable with my song selections. As you hear on “Wrong Me” and “Show Me”, I feel like these are very vulnerable tracks and they aligned perfectly with my personal life. So once I was done with all 5 songs, it was definitely in an intention on being personal which come to find out was a perfect EP name.”

This project features very relatable tracks pertaining to dating and relationships. One song that stands out is the very 1st track on the EP titled “Show Me” which Nayome also dropped a dope new visual for.

Nayome - Show Me (Official Music Video)

“It’s hard for me to pick my favorite track because I truly love all of the songs on there. I’ll have to say the female collaboration with Eimaral Sol is my favorite. It was an empowering feeling that I got whenever I heard that track the first time through and I was like wait a minute, I think we really did that on the track! It was empowering to have my first female feature and Eimaral Sol came through and really did her thing and we came up with our little mantra ‘can’t run, can’t hide, karmas coming and she’s on our side. So that’s the one that I think most people are gravitating towards and I gravitate towards but it’s going to have to be between that one and show me.”

Nayome featured some other Texas talent with collaborations from Deezie Brown and Eimaral Sol. The production on the EP is top notch giving out the perfect vibes for a late night drive. The switch up in delivery from slow R&B on “F*****g With You” to Nayome delivering rap lyrics on “I Wasn’t Done” takes the project to the next level. Nayome is definitely coming into her own as an artist and you can hear the growth from the 1st EP to this one.

“You can expect some different sounds on this project. I collaborated with my boy Deezie Brown and he really came through on the productions. I would say there’s a lot of productions on this project that is amazingly dope all local to Austin, TX. I had collaborated with Nick Cooper, Sam Houston and Deezie Brown but Deezie executive produced. One thing I told him is I don’t want this to sound like anything out there so when you listen to the first track, I feel like I finally found my sound. it sounds like me, and I’m just so proud of like the products that we have on the project. So just be looking out for some great production, great messages, and great vibes. It fits every vibe, cleaning in your kitchen, out with the bae, or right after a break up.”

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Bun B Addresses Tory Lanez And Speaks Out In Support Of Megan Thee Stallion

By: Omar Cook

Houston rapper Bun B took to instagram live to address the shooting incident between Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion. On Friday. August 21, Megan Thee Stallion confirmed that Tory Lanez was responsible for shooting her in the foot. Bun B started his message with “Fu*k Tory Lanez, and I don’t care if this go viral or none of that shit. I’m from Houston and if somebody would’ve done something to Megan in this city, we would’ve rolled.”

“She ain’t got a mama no more; her mama’s gone. Her daddy’s gone. Her grandmother is gone. All the people that loved her and cared about her unconditionally — that looked out for her and would’ve protected her — ain’t there. So, as an O.G. in Houston, I’m standing up.”

People have been waiting for more information to come out on the incident as well as expecting other artists in Hip Hop to say something in support of Meg Thee Stallion. Since the incident occured, Tory Lanez has remained silent.

“... Nobody’s talking about [the shooting] because it’s a Black woman. We love Megan; we brag about Megan, [but] nobody wanna talk about it when she gets shot,” he said. “We got memes. We got jokes. Fu*k that.”

This was an unforeseen fall from grace for Tory Lanez after he built up his fan base during the pandemic by entertaining fans with Quarantine Radio. Even worse is the aftermath of the shooting that Meg Thee Stallion has deal and post trauma that she has to deal with. Bun B speaking on this matter is important because Black women should feel protected by Black men and people with a platform should definitely be coming to her aid to provide her with support during this time.

“This is why Black women are so hesitant to speak against Black men, because Black women know how the legal system will treat Black men, they know how white America will treat Black men,” Bun B said.

See clips from Bun B’s live below.

Bun B discusses Tory Lanez and shows support for Megan Thee Stallion pic.twitter.com/zyBscWZTqG

— 247 Live Culture (@247LC) August 24, 2020

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2 Suspects Arrested For The Murder Of Jam Master Jay After 18 Years

By: Omar Cook

It’s been 18 years since Jason Mizell also known as Jam Master Jay, was murdered inside his studio in Queens, New York on October 30, 2002. The legendary DJ was prominent in the success of the iconic rap group Run-D.M.C.

Jam Master Jay pictured with Run-DMC

During a press conference, Seth DuCharme, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced charges for alleged murderers Karl Jordan Jr., and Ronald Washington. “Today we begin to answer who killed Jason Mizell and why” said DuCharme. “It was important for us then and remains extremely important to us now to bring justice for the victim, his family, friends, and the community that cared so much about those events.”

Jam Master Jay was just 37 years old when he was murdered. According to the indictment, the murder was in retaliation to a drug deal gone wrong involving 10 kilos of cocaine which was supposed to be distributed by Jordan and Washington. A dispute ensued which led to Jam Master Jay attempting to cut out Washington in the deal. Washington and Jordan conspired to kill him and Jam Master Jay was shot in the head.

Jordan and Washington have both been charged with murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearm related murder. Jordan, 36, also faces a count of conspiracy and seven counts of distribution of cocaine for events dating back to 2017. He was arrested on Sunday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Washington, 56, is already in federal custody after being convicted in 2007 of robbery conspiracy due to a string of gun point robberies in New York City and Long Island. He was originally sentenced to 210 months in prison was scheduled to be released in April 2021. He will be arraigned on a later date.

The new arrests bring family and friends a step closer to justice for the unsolved murder and hopefully some closure as well. The case recently was featured on episode of the Netflix series “ReMastered” which took a long at where the case went wrong over the years.

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WAP Video Exposes Double Standards In Hip Hop: It's Time To Let Women Enjoy Things

By: James Teague

Social Media and society has been up in flames ever since Cardi B dropped her anticipated new single with Meg The Stallion called “WAP” on this past Friday night (technically Thursday). Since the release of this record, the amount of opinions and hot takes that were presented to the masses were very interesting to say the least.

Cardi B - WAP feat. Megan Thee Stallion [Official Music Video]

Some listeners  debated that “WAP” was one of the nastiest songs they’ve heard (me personally i don't agree but that’s a different story for another write up LOL) while others have went as far as creating a petition in hopes of getting a certain individual removed from the music video (I refuse to say this person name but If you know you know). I'm very conflicted about that particular subject but again, different topic for another write up.

One thing that stuck out to me the most was seeing how some men were being reactive towards the music and the women enjoying it. Me being a Man myself, it was weird for me to scroll down my twitter timeline watching other grown men on social media acting real republican like when it came to the overall message of WAP. It got even more aggravating when the men once again brought up rapper Rapsody and were using her as a crutch only in an attempt to shame Cardi and Meg for their vulgar raps about their sexuality.

First off, just by the way she’s only brought up to combat other successful women who rap, it just says to me that y’all don't really listen to Rapsody music like that. Secondly she’s expressed before that women like Cardi B and Meg The stallion are necessary and important for the hip-hop world. And Also, if you REALLY claim to believe that women who are conscious rappers don't get the same love like the more hyper sexual women rappers, then show more love and support to those conscious rappers then. Buy their music, show up to their shows, let them know that you see them, feel them, and support what they’re doing .

Cardi B Co-Signs Tierra Whack, Rapsody + More

 I don’t know how many times this needs to be said but let the women love and enjoy the things that were made and meant for them and stop policing what they should or should not like, and what they should do or not do. This is applicable to different subject matters outside of music. Music is just being used as a main example here. Every time women are out here having fun enjoying themselves with the music that’s made for them, men want to suddenly get on their high horses and speak about how music is suddenly a bad influence for the children and suddenly want to rely on celebrities to raise their kids.

It says so much more about you as either a man, parent, or both when you decide to go to social media and voice your opinion on this type of thing. There should be no reason why anyone complaining about how vulgar or sexualized the music is when there is so much content available to us that caters to different audiences. Not to mention the amounts of content that’s been created over the decades that were catered to stroking  the male ego with things such as money, high class cars, and beautiful women damn near naked women running around in videos.

Whenever that content is released, the women have allowed us men to get our shit off. But when the content for women is made and the shoe is on the other foot, all of a sudden now some men all of a sudden have high morals. Bro, I understand that you feel how you feel in regards to the subject matter and you have your right to feel however you want to feel. But please, just leave it alone and let the women have their moment of celebration. I promise that it will help you more than hurt you. If you are really sitting there complaining and critiquing a song that’s clearly not catered to you, then it speaks more volume about yourself than the consumers enjoying the content.

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Daily Motivational Hip Hop Quotes About Success And Life

By: Omar Cook

Hip hop culture is full of dope lyricists, artists, and entertainers who inspire and influence the entire world. We compiled some of the most motivational quotes from entertainers that will help you make the best out of life and strive to reach your greatest potential.

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“The Lord may not come when you want Him, but he’s always going to be there on time.”

— Louis Gossett, Jr.

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“You can’t change what happened. Just like you can’t change the future by worrying about it. You just have to keep moving.”

— Bernie Mac

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“There have been so many people who have said to me, ‘You can’t do that’, but I’ve had an innate belief that they were wrong. Be unwavering and relentless in your approach.”

— Halle Berry

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“Faith is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but taking God at His work.”

— Faith Evans

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“You need to sweat yourself. Don’t sweat nobody else.”

— Busta Rhymes

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“Any decision I make is based on myself, and the only person I have to give an explanation to is God.”

— Solange Knowles

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“Put God first in everything you do ... Everything that I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It’s a gift ... I didn’t always stick with Him, but He stuck with me.”

— Denzel Washington

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“I was always led to believe you should take care of yourself, trust in your abilities and you’re the author of your own destiny.”

— Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

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“One thing I’ve learned is be comfortable in your skin, and more importantly, be comfortable in your shoes.”

— Octavia Spencer

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“Much success to you, even if you wish me the opposite.”

— Nas

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“Everything we do should be a result of our gratitude for what God has done for us.”

— Lauryn Hill

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“My legacy is that I stayed on course...from the beginning to the end, because I believed in something inside of me.”

— Tina Turner

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“In our music, in our everyday life, there are so many negative things. Why not have something positive and stamp it with blackness?”

— Jamie Foxx

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“You should be treating yourself like you are your own best friend.”

— K. Michelle

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“I wanna change the game in a way where I’m not knocking nobody out of the way, not claiming to be the best at this or that, but just doing wonders with the gift I’ve been given.”

— Anthony Hamilton

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“My main goal in life is to just be happy. I don’t compromise my happiness for anything. If I find what makes me happy I’m going to do that. That’s really going with the flow of life.”

— Jhene Aiko

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“Life is a journey, not a destination; there are no mistakes, just chances we’ve taken.”

— India.Arie

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“If I abuse myself daily, who can I love?”

— Big K.R.I.T.

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“I create my own calm and I keep my balance, because I know that it’s not really me, by myself...The Creator always gives me the energy.”

— Erykah Badu

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“Always believe in yourself. No matter who’s around you being negative or thrusting negative energy at you, totally block it off. Because whatever you believe, you become.”

— Michael Jackson

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“I don’t believe in luck. It’s persistence, hard work, and not forgetting your dream.”

— Janet Jackson

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“Pull down the shades on the windows of your soul, And gaze into your mind and watch the wisdom unfold.”

— Beanie Sigel

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“Work yourself from the inside out. Eat right, drink right, look right! Positive energy brings a certain glow, so think positive, choose positive, be positive & attract positiveness. It always shows up on the outside.”

— Mya

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“Don’t wait for the stars to align, reach up and rearrange them the way you want...create your own constellation”

— Pharrell

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“What separated me from all my homeboys is the fact that I didn’t get caught inside the reality. I was always dreaming about doing something else or going somewhere else.”

— Kendrick Lamar

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“We give a lot of others significance in our lives even when they don’t deserve it. It doesn’t matter if they’re family or if you’ve known them forever. If they’re not good for you, they’ve got to go.”

— Gabrielle Union

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“I don’t think about other people. They are not walking in my shoes. They are not paying my bills. What makes me happy is when I do what I like to do, for me.”

— Taraji P. Henson

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“Value our lives because we never know what day or what time it’ll be over... Rich, famous, whatever, it just makes you appreciate just seeing today.”

— Ludacris

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“When you get to know yourself, you get to know everyone and everything on the planet.”

— Rakim

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“Be true to your heart, and if you’re passionate about your dream, work towards it but don’t allow your idea of how you think it should manifest prevent what’s actually unfolding from happening.”

— Keke Palmer

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“The idea of having to conform to someone else’s ideal is unacceptable. I’m gonna be me. And if I can’t be me, then I’d rather not do it.”

— Lenny Kravtitz

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“When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on.”

— LL Cool J

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“It was when I realized I needed to stop trying to be somebody and be myself, that I actually started to own, accept and love what I had.”

— Tracee Ellis Ross

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“They say no matter how hard you work, there’s always someone, somewhere working harder than you. Guess what...I’m that someone.”

— Kevin Garnett

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“I encourage people to embrace whatever it is that makes them different. Not being like everybody, setting your own trends, being your own person, that’s what makes you cool.”

— La La

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“The certainty that life cannot be long, and the probability that it will be much shorter than nature allows, ought to awaken every man to the active prosecution of whatever he is desirous to perform. ”

— Samuel L. Jackson

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“Struggle and survival, losing and winning, doesn’t matter. It’s entering the race that counts. You enter, you can win, you can lose...but it’s all about entering the race.”

— Pam Grier

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“I take pride in working very hard. You need to understand that hard work doesn’t instantly pay off. My career grew gradually and taught me a lesson every step of the way.”

— Trey Songz

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