There aren’t many positives to take away from a Kanye West inspired rant, unless it’s an absolutely stellar verbal barb from Amber Rose, or a timeless hashtag (#wizwearscoolpants anyone?), but as these show, every now and then there is a hidden gem to come from Ye’s fiery Twitter fingers.
This week’s rant was a brief reception however, with news that we would finally be receiving a self titled project from Collegrove, the collective name for Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. Alongside a release date slated for this Friday, we were also treated to album art which depicts 2 Chainz adorned with Weezy’s signature tattoos.
New project with 2 Chainz and Wayne dropping this Friday pic.twitter.com/IZwN3mnkIS
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 2, 2016
Now let me be frank. I have no expectations for this project. In fact, I believe that it will ultimately prove to be awful: a collection of throwaway tracks that do little to boost the discography of either artist. Here’s why.
It’s no secret that Lil Wayne has fallen off in a major way. Usurped by his own protege in Drake, and falling out with his mentor in Birdman have just been the start of Weezy’s perils.
It was not long ago that Wayne was the dominant force in hip-hop, even garnering mainstream praise for the stellar Tha Carter III with the New Orleans native collecting a slew of Grammys.
Nowadays Wayne has failed to reinvent his style, and despite a few highlights in 2015 in terms of features for Drizzy and Big Sean, Wayne has failed to deliver even one solid project in the past few years.
2 Chainz on the other hand is a different beast altogether. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and has seemingly accepted his role as comedic relief in hip-hop. If you don’t believe me just peep his latest music video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG21b8Kx2DI]
2 Chainz is often resigned to a repetitive style in the form of hooks and catchy ad-libs – hardly the skill set desired to dominate a project in its entirety. The two artists have teamed up together in the past, but the results have generally been lacklustre.
It’s fair to say that if Lil Wayne isn’t snapping on these beats, 2 Chainz is hardly the rapper to carry the project solely on his shoulders.
That being said, I am certainly hoping deep down that Wayne can offer a return to form, and that 2 Chainz realises that it is not often that he will get the chance to team up with Weezy, and delivers a motivated and inspired performance.
P.S Please don’t make this a Tidal exclusive Wayne, we know how well THAT works.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx2raP3P3FQ]
Image: The Source
While the world goes gaga for the two respective legends at the helm of OVO and G.O.O.D Music (that being Drake and Kanye West, respectively, for those playing at home), the labels themselves are slowly beginning to blood some new talent, and release some fresh faces to the hip-hop world.
G.O.O.D Music has officially unveiled DESIIGNER as the latest G.O.O.D/Def Jam signing, capping a euphoric rise to stardom for the 18 year old Brooklyn native.
Receiving the ultimate Kanye West cosign, DESIIGNER’s introductory single Panda was worked into The Life of Pablo by Yeezy himself, proving to be a high energy and adrenaline inducing spectacle which really makes the third track on the album, Pt. 2, come to life.
On it’s own merits, Panda is an absolute banger of a track, with solid synth work and booming bass which delivers a sound not often associated with New York hip-hop.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/237603952″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=’450′ iframe=”true” /]
That wasn’t all for the newcomer however, as DESIIGNER was called upon again to lend a hand to Freestyle 4, where he melded seemlessly with Kanye’s industrial and experimental stylings. While it may just be the beginning for DESIIGNER, it’s hard to envision a more attractive set of circumstances to find yourself in so early in your musical career.
Not to be outdone, OVO has also announced a fresh new act, dvsn. There is a little more mystery surrounding this signing however, as noone actually knows who dvsn is, despite a multitude of fan theories and rumours floating around the internet.
The signing was announced with a series of Instagram posts depicting dvsn’s logo reimagined with the OVO colour scheme.
Mystery surrounding his identity aside, siding with the undisputed king of the game right now in Drake is just about the smartest career move anyone could possibly make.
Image: Complex.
Fetty Wap has made one little boy the happiest kid in the world, and he is solely to thank.
For Jayden Burgos, a case of Retinoblastoma would see the 11-year-old lose his right eye, forcing him to don a prosthetic one at such a young age. After years of living with the prosthetic, the rise of Fetty Wap, who took the internet and the hip-hop world simultaneously by storm, would prove to be a wave of inspiration for the youngster.
As Fetty Wap was blowing up, news began to emerge of the inspiration that the rapper had provided Jayden, which would lead to him removing his prosthetic eye and developing the confidence to embrace who he is.
Now, Jayden has finally been given the opportunity to meet his idol and his inspiration backstage at the rapper’s performance in Denver. People Magazine was courteous enough to make the meeting happen, and judging from the photos, it was entirely worth it, and then some.
Y’all 😍 #jaydenmeetsfetty @fettywap1738
A photo posted by @anaisvaden on Feb 24, 2016 at 6:59pm PST
Just one look at the smile on Jayden’s face and you can tell just how much it means to him to meet his idol.
There can be way too many unpleasantries in the hip-hop world, and I for am incredibly touched by moments like these, that simply make me proud to be a fan of rap.
Image: Pigeons and Planes.
LIL SCUFFLE , STILL PRETTY, STILL HANDSOME , STILL FUCCKIN YO BITCH TOO. DEFENSE SQUD DONT TRIP… LOVE 2 AUCKLAND ! pic.twitter.com/rE6YM3Ahop
— LORD FLACKO JODYE II (@asvpxrocky) February 25, 2016
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oshbQnXLeP8]
Doing more for the political debate than any of New South Wales’ politicians, Wu-Tang Clan has vowed to put an end to the lockout laws that are plaguing Sydney.
Taking to the stage at the Hordern Pavilion (because Allphones Arena was too remote for fans), Wu-Tang ensured that concertgoers were aware of the legendary rap group’s distaste for the restrictive legislation.
“We heard ya’ll got some new laws,” declared Wu-Tang frontman RZA. “We going to to get these laws changed for y’all.”
Declaring the laws “crazy”, RZA indicated that the after-party for the concert would be held in Bondi as a means of avoiding the madness.
For a group that is touring Australia for the first time in 5 years, it speaks to the ridiculousness of the lockout laws that Wu-Tang is so acutely aware of their presence.
Lockout laws have been thrust back into the spotlight in recent weeks, with ridiculous lockout legislation being enacted in Queensland (peep our epic reaction to the decision here), whilst 15,000 Sydneysiders have united in a bid to ‘Keep Sydney Open‘ (Peep our photos from the rally here).
It remains to be seen if Wu-Tang, RZA, Ghostface Killah and crew are going to have any influence on the legislation, but one can only imagine that with continued high profile support present within the live music scene, it is only a matter of time for politicians to take notice, and for changes to be made.
Make sure you check out our stellar gallery of photos from the Wu-Tang performance in Melbourne here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hH-Q6Wm_0s]
Image: Michelle Grace Hunder for Howl & Echoes
LeBron James has harnessed the collective voice of the internet and pleaded with TDE CEO Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith to release the Kendrick Lamar tracks that have graced our eardrums over the past month.
Taking to Twitter, the home of every important business transaction, LeBron pleaded to hear the plethora of tracks that have been performed by Kendrick at the Grammys, The Colbert Report, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Yo @dangerookipawaa after that @kendricklamar Grammy performance , you have to release those untitled tracks asap!!! What’s up? Talk to me
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 23, 2016
LeBron is clearly not the first person to demand the release, and it would appear that even a 2-time finals MVP is resigned to waiting like the rest of us.
Dam my nigga u on my head 2…The fans been killing me. Y’all just backed me in a corner..Give me a few days 2 think https://t.co/5mFIPYUMXJ — dangeroo kipawaa TDE (@dangerookipawaa) February 23, 2016
Even when random Twitterers offer the TDE CEO some hefty cash sums, we are no closer to a definitive release date.
How much lol https://t.co/2A4juR1I4v
— dangeroo kipawaa TDE (@dangerookipawaa) February 24, 2016
It’s no surprise that the world is collectively calling out for new Kendrick, after the Compton rapper wow’ed audiences with his stunning Grammys performance, which was even declared a ‘masterpiece’ by the Grammys president. Still fresh from sweeping the rap categories at the esteemed awards show, Kendrick is clearly still the king.
LeBron on the other hand, seems quite adamant to have his voice heard regarding the latest hip-hop happenings, with the NBA megastar recently issuing his public support for Nike after Kanye West declared in Facts that the company had paid him a “billi not to run away.”
Hey, if Nike paid me a cool 1 billion, I think it’s safe to say that I would go to my grave defending them from Kanye’s lunacy as well.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyJW19SAG6U]
Image courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
Eccentric billionaire, nerd, and all-round cool dude Bill Gates has given hip-hop fans what they have all been clamouring for; public acknowledgement of his name drop in Beyonce‘s latest smash hit, Formation.
In an interview with Wired, the Microsoft genius voiced his surprise that the Queen B had taken it upon herself to include a name drop in the polarising new single, where she declares “I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay.”
“I hadn’t realized that she did that until somebody in the office actually sent me a copy of the lyrics and I said, ‘Are you serious? This is kind of a strange set of words here,” Gates noted, clearly showing that he is not too familiar with the fact that his name is thrown around as a euphemism for extraordinary wealth within hip-hop.
“I guess it’s nice that people consider me successful,” Bill continued. “I actually haven’t met Beyonce. I know Jay Z, because when I did some humour right when I was retiring from Microsoft—he was nice about participating in that, and did a great job on that. I guess I should do a Bing search and see if there are more uses of my name that I don’t know about.”
I’m not sure what’s worse. The fact that Bill Gates has not yet had the pleasure of meeting Beyonce, or that he just used the phrase “I should do a Bing search.”
C’mon Bill, you’re not fooling anyone.
While Formation clearly has Bill Gates perplexed, the song has been met with protest and a polarising response as to the political and racial messages behind the track. Even resident hip-hop hero Killer Mike made his thoughts on the track public.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5BPfRHX1SE]
Image courtesy of Forbes.
Promoter Beyond The Valley has today revealed that the highly anticipated (or so we thought) Wu-Tang Clan Sydney concert has undergone a location change from Allphones Arena to the Hordern Pavilion. The decision was announced via the following statement:
“After a stream of comments regarding the remoteness of the previous venue, the Wu-Tang Clan show in Sydney has moved to the more readily accessible and intimate Hordern Pavilion!”
Now unless fans were planning on travelling from the home of The Wu-Tang Clan, New York City, it is hard to envision any situation in which Allphones Arena, and Olympic Park in general for that matter, is too remote. It is an arena after all. Arenas are not typically something you find in the middle of a suburban street.
One would have to imagine that the move is actually in response to poor ticket sales, and while the Hordern Pavilion will undoubtedly provide a more intimate atmosphere, any decision to shift a performance to a venue that houses a mere quarter of the previous capacity is likely to garner some inquisitive looks.
It is surprising that even with Wu-Tang a constant fixture throughout the media since the release of their one-off album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, this has not translated to extra sales, and the very public spat with pharma bad boy Martin Shkreli has failed to garner any extra attention when it come to putting fans in seats.
At this stage no similar moves have been made to corresponding concerts in Melbourne and Brisbane, and Beyond The Valley has urged fans to snap up tickets now as they are soon to be exhausted. Tickets already purchased for the Allphones show will be honoured at the new venue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBwAxmrE194
You can catch Wu-Tang Clan at the following dates and venues:
Tuesday 23rd February
Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
Wednesday 24th February
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Friday 26th February
Riverstage, Brisbane
Image courtesy of Spin.
In what is arguably the greatest sign that trap-influenced rap is almost undecipherable, Young Thug has attempted to recite the lyrics to one of his best known hits; with hilarious results.
“Young Thug’s songs are often great. They are also often difficult to understand. Here, the rapper reads his hit Best Friend like a bedtime story—clearly, slowly, and using words you can actually comprehend,” serves as the introduction to a GQ video where the Atlanta rapper tries his hardest to make sense of his own lyrics.
While GQ would like to believe that Thugger uses words that are fit for human comprehension, what follows is a video that fails to make any of the following lyrics any more understandable:
“I’m gon’ skeet off, lil nigga come catch me, catch me
And that’s my bestie, my bestie, my best friend, go best friend
Nigga livin’ TTG and everything is still on fleek”
Let’s be honest; there’s only so much you can do with a verse that includes the word ‘fleek’. It’s around the 45 second mark where Thugger Thugger starts to have trouble reading, and I am still none the wiser as to what this song is actually about:
“Take them boys to school, swagonometry
Bitch I’m bleeding bad, like a bumble bee”
It is also slightly worrying how many times Young Thug has to refer to his handy notes to remember the lyrics to his own song:
“Eat on that coochie, lay that bitch down like “let’s do it”
No Tiger bitch, eat that wood, eat that wood
Supplier, bitch, I got pistols, no wood
I want them tacos that are Meagan Good”
On second thought, I don’t like my chances of remembering that either. Thugger definitely has enough on his plate, from public custody battles with his assortment of baby mommas, to public stoushes with Lil Wayne, Rich Homie Quan, and basically everyone else in hip-hop.
Kudos to you Young Thug, for giving hope to everyone out there that they can make it big by saying gibberish really quickly!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVRXJ1Gd33g
Image: GQ.
Tyler, The Creator has shattered the hopes and dreams of fans of his earlier work by revealing that the song that thrust him into the global spotlight, Yonkers, was made as a joke.
In an interview with fellow hip-hop young gun Vince Staples, the Ladera, California native donned his DJ Stankdady alias for Golf Radio, where he revealed the original intentions behind the track would which eventually be accompanied by a cringeworthy music video filled the consumption of live cockroaches.
“Niggas don’t know that that beat was made as a joke. I was trying to make a shitty New York beat and we was just rapping like we was from New York like we were retarded. And then, I just had some random verses and I was just like ‘I’ll just record it to this beat, this beat is kinda cool.’ And then niggas really liked it. That’s so nuts, because that shit was actually a fucking joke. I made that beat in literally eight minutes.”
The interview provides a fascinating take on just how crazy Tyler, The Creator’s euphoric rise has been, and the comedic, tongue-in-cheek nature in which it began. The fact that one of Tyler’s most iconic, shock-inducing songs began as a track where he was purposely trying to sound “retarded” speaks to his ingenuity as an artist, his ability to not take himself or his music too seriously, and the overarching fact that he simply just likes to have fun.
Tyler and Vince make the perfect on-air pairing, with both rappers capable of floating back and forth between serious creative personas and side-splitting comedians. Which makes sense of course, with Vince openly declaring that he is “One of the funniest people alive.” Jokes aside, Tyler and Vince launch into an in-depth discussion regarding the ability for art to drive forward contemporary culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW21Wotbej8
Image: Rip It Up.