It seems fitting that, in the same week Danny Brown releases new single When It Rain, Friday hits with a triple-whammy of brilliant visuals to prove that ‘when it rains, it pours’. With names like Lil Wayne, Bishop Nehru and Joey Bada$$ making appearances — this is a welcome winter downpour.
Lil Wayne — ‘Skate It Off’
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLpkYHCKXHk]
Lil Wayne‘s love of the sport of skateboarding is well-known, and he wilfully allows it to come to the forefront for the video for Skate It Off, dancing and skating around a skate park with his crew.
In a way, it could be symbolic that Lil Wayne has released the visuals for Skate It Off only days after it was announced that a plane Weezy was on found itself forced to make an emergency landing due to the New Orleans rapper suffering seizures (now thought to be related to epilepsy). In a sense, with all the worry surrounding him right now, Weezy just wants to skate it all off!
Nyck Caution (ft. Joey Bada$$) — ‘What’s Understood’
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP-wQQKqlcQ]
Powerhouse producer Metro Boomin collides with Pro Era talents Nyck Caution and Joey Bada$$ for this tremendous track, and accompanying video. All in all, both the track and the visuals give good backing to the sentiments expressed in a recent statement by Joey himself, who said of Nyck Caution:
“Nyck is a one of a kind passionate type of artist. I feel honoured to have him apart of my camp and label as he is a true lyricist and visionary. I am very confident in Nyck being the next up from Pro Era because he offers something new to the table that is very exciting to watch.”
With collabs this good, we’re hoping a statement like that means many more to come.
Bishop Nehru — ‘Midnight Reflecting’
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMMJbhMi-Nc]
Fresh off of dropping his latest mixtape MAGIC:19, the man MF Doom calls “a young master” has released the new video for Midnight Reflecting, the closing track on Bishop Nehru’s latest mixtape.
With the 19-year-old MC expected to release his debut solo EP (having previously released a collaborative album with the aforementioned MF Doom, titled NehruvianDOOM) later this year, all eyes are on the young man The Fader referred to as “New York’s newest pride” and this gloomy, slow-burning track/visual for Midnight Reflecting is as good a reason as any other to prove why.
Image: YouTube
Co-written by James Tait & Lauren Ziegler
Much has been made of Lil Wayne and his recent health scare, admitted to hospital after suffering two seizures in the space of a few hours on Monday aboard his private jet, only being released yesterday. Though the rapper has a history of similar occurrences and has previously stated that he suffers from epilepsy, many were quick to try and point the finger for his seizures on his notoriously hard use of the drug concoction ‘lean’ without taking into account the other drugs Weezy has been known to abuse.
A more level head over at r/hiphopheads was quick to point out that excessive consumption of cough syrup and other opiates alone has rarely been linked to seizures and that it’s actually more likely to be abuse of Xanax, another drug Weezy has frequently rapped about, or benzodiazepines like Klonopin. The OP points out the dangers of ceasing regular use of these drugs abruptly or by binging on them and not taking any for a day or two as well as their highly addictive nature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cykGnl1KvcM
Whatever the cause of Lil Wayne’s seizures, the popularity of benzodiazepines, opiates and other pharmaceutical drugs in hip-hop culture is alarming, if only because of the fear of these artists falling victim to their side effects.
Among other reasons, Xanax is prescribed for people suffering from very real and very debilitating anxiety disorders. It’s not supposed to be a recreational drug, much like codeine and other prescription medications are supposed to be used for non-destructive purposes. Not to say that none of these rappers using Xanax don’t suffer similar conditions, the awareness and acceptance of mental health issues having never been more prevalent in hip-hop. Whether they suffer from conditions warranting its use or not though, drinking heavily on Xanax, as the OP and many other users on r/hiphopheads pointed out, is walking a dangerous line.
The argument for better choices made by our hip-hop artists is less purely out of concern for them as individuals, as people we don’t know personally but whose art affects us on a level deep enough that we feel we do. Too many of our favourite artists have succumbed to early death at the hands of drug abuse across decades, it would be an utter tragedy to see this present wave of abuse ruin or even claim the lives of any more.
In a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, Vic Mensa pointed out that the context of how drugs are glorified in hip-hop has shifted and worsened over the past few years. “We’re coming up in an era where everything is celebrated. I remember when it used to be, ‘oh, you do drugs? Don’t do them.'” It used to be about, “Sell crack, don’t smoke it!” replied Charlemagne. “People don’t realise there’s an opioid epidemic. Prince just overdosed on an opioid, and that’s the same family of drug [as xanax]” (Note: for the record Xanax isn’t actually an opiate, it’s a benzodiazepine, but the point of his argument is perfectly valid.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyWTJWrH1aI
Whereas rap has traditionally celebrated drug dealers and the hustle of the dealer lifestyle (not including weed, of which heavy use has been obviously been associated with hip-hop since day one), many have nowadays shifted to championing heavy drug use. The fact that there’s particularly been an increasing focus on prescription medication as well as lean, and the fact that many who talk about it are heavy users themselves, is troubling in many ways.
It is no secret that drugs have been synonymous with hip-hop and the wider world of music for decades, but the alarming aspect here is that many artists are going further than rapping about smoking weed everyday or dabbling in coke or MDMA or what have you. Other social issues, such as misogyny and the active degradation of women are still prevalent in hip-hop, but there are less and less rappers focusing on this in a way that blurs the boundaries between fiction and rap. Drug use on the other hand, has taken a turn for the worse in many cases. More than ever, rappers are rapping – and tweeting, and ‘gramming, and generally just talking about their own drug use and addictions.
Lean in particular is an incredibly dangerous concoction, mostly because of how easy it is to access, and how easy it is to build up a tolerance and addiction (given that codeine is an opiate, in the same family as morphine and heroin, it has a notoriously fast tolerance and dependancy rate). Even more dangerous is the way that its use is so casually celebrated. Three 6 Mafia (Sippin on some Sizzurp), Future (Dirty Sprite), Chief Keef (Go To Jail), Soulja Boy (Molly With That Lean), A$AP Rocky (Purple Swag), Young Thug (2 Cups Stuffed) and Peewee Longway (Servin’ Lean) are just some of the rappers who’ve written entire songs celebrating lean/purple drank/sizzurp in a way that not only glorifies the drug, but normalises it, which is frankly far worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL9l7z4IhgA
A rap fan who hears about their favourite rappers getting high on something as easily accessible as lean may well be more encouraged to try it, than, say, a rap fan who listens to lyrics about violence and guns and drug dealing and decides to go out and start shooting people. Rap fans simply do not all go out and buy guns and become drug dealers simply because their favourite rappers speak about it in song. Drugs are different, and drug use is far easier to fall into. Weed, for instance, is glorified by hip-hop and it is a core aspect of the entire culture, including fans, and it would not be far-fetched to suggest other drugs follow. (I’m well aware that this statement is generalising, and that it’s clearly not true in all or even most cases, but it does hold enough merit that it absolutely needs to be addressed today – especially after an incident like what’s just happened to Lil Wayne.
It’s worrying that not only are hip-hop artists openly using all kinds of drugs, but can occasionally border on advocating for use, and in turn, addiction, through song. The very real effects of this – from Lil Wayne’s seizures, to the many overdoses and addictions that have led to mental health complications, physical illness and in some cases, fatal tragedy, can be felt in a very tangible way.
If indeed it’s true that his seizures have been caused by a combination of Xanax and lean – and it’s been reported that he downed three bottles of the latter in the leadup to the incident – we can only hope that Weezy listens to his own body and understands the damage he’s doing to himself and his fans.
Drug addiction isn’t something that should be celebrated, and it certainly isn’t something that should be swept under the rug or considered normal or okay. Life-threatening incidents like this can and do lead to tragedy. Instead, let’s use it as a lesson, and let’s pray that Lil Wayne does too before it’s too late. We’ve had enough deaths in music this year. We don’t need another one.
In the meantime, let’s take the moment to honour the living legend while we still can. Considering everyone we’ve already lost this year, it’s moments like these that make us appreciate those who are still among us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Uhn-dU3Gg
Image: MTV
Things might still be messy on the legal front for Lil Wayne, but TWO new releases are apparently on the way.
Onstage at his gig in Phoenix over the weekend, Weezy F. Baby, who also recently announced that he has a reality TV show on the way, promised his loyal but long-suffering fans that good things were around the corner – and addressed some less positive matters too, like his battle with Cash Money Records and its CEO Bryan “Birdman” Williams.
“Before I go any further, I want y’all to know I got two new albums coming y’all way,” he told his audience, before elaborating on the long-term beef. “Fuck the Birdman. Fuck Cash Money. I’m going through a lot of bullshit right now. These n*ggas got me in bars right now. They don’t want to see me make good music. I don’t know what the fuck’s going on, but fuck them n*ggas. And I just want you to know if anything, if you thought that for any second I gave a fuck about it, I can’t because I got people like y’all that’s still supporting me.”
Weezy has been locked in a contentious lawsuit with Birdman and Cash Money Records for some time now. Way back in 2014, he took to Twitter to denounce the label, blaming it & Birdman for delaying the release of his album Tha Carter V. In a bizarre twist, last December it was reported that Wayne was being sued by his own lawyers.
Lil Wayne became a part-owner of TIDAL in 2015, releasing The Free Weezy Album via the controversial platform last April. Along with having his fraught album Tha Carter V ready for release, he also hinted in 2014 that he was working on another release entitled Da Other Album.
You can watch Lil Wayne’s full speech in the video below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ_bRSj98lU]
Image: Noisey
Another week, another few hundred (maybe even thousand) new singles to get into your earholes. We know it’s hard work, so we’ve done it for you! Check out a list of the best new songs from this week below:
PLGRMS, Fools And Their Gold
What do you get when you combine an exceptional singer-songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist/songwriter? Something like Sydney based duo PLGRMS, and their stellar new single, Fools And Their Gold. Indie pop at it’s darkest and most brooding, with a hint of mystery and intrigue, PLGRMS have really stepped up to the plate with this latest song. Following on from their previous single, Pieces, PLGRMS are just so damn impressive here. With so much going on, it’s a dynamic exercise that pairs flutters of percussion with heavy drums and staggered synths, all swirling together in harmony whilst vocalist Jacob Pearson’s stunning voice soars over the top. It’s a dream.
ABBE MAY, Are We Flirting?
Abbe May returns! And she’s got even more sass than ever before. Releasing Are We Flirting? to herald her arrival back on the scene and in our ears, this features a swaggering bassline, erratic percussion and intermittent electronic noises firing off whilst her voice shows off an impressive range effortlessly conveying her lyrics with just enough seduction to keep you hooked, but a certain nonchalance like the sonic embodiment of the “swerve” emoji (you know the one, with her hand at her shoulder smiling with her dead, not-caring eyes). Coming back after a triumphant battle with serious health issues that saw an untimely departure from the scene when it looked all but hers back in 2013, Abbe May is hungry to pick up where she left off, and Are We Flirting? (and by extension, her forthcoming record, Bithcraft) are definitely going to see her get there.
SAATSUMA, Floating
Saatsuma is a collaboration between Melbournites Memphis Kelly, Cesar Rodrigues and Joel Ma, and their latest single, Floating, is a beautiful take on solitude and the feelings that come with insomnia. Themes that are normally dark and alienating are given new life by Saatsuma, thanks to hypnotic electronica and soulful, enchanting vocals in this song, and proves the group aren’t afraid of tackling big issues – or their realities. As someone who struggles with these issues a lot, it hit particularly close to home, but it was more like a hug than a hit, and that’s exactly what you need sometimes. The trio are an exciting addition to Melbourne’s sonic landscape, and it will be really great to see where they go.
High Water, Changed The Locks
Released via Nicolas Jaar’s OTHER PEOPLE label, this bad boy is about the strangest song you would have heard this week. Described as “a mongrel, electro-acoustic jazz” in its press release, it’s the twisted brain child of one Will Epstein and is an experimental aural journey from start to finish. With pained, impassioned vocals over guitar loops and tinkering drums, Epstein sounds like a more electronic Nick Allbrook. Not down to compromise himself or his sound one bit, it’s one month until the release of his forthcoming debut album, Crush, and it’s shaping up to be a remarkable release indeed. Taking inspiration from his labelhead, Jaar, Epstein plays and experiments with sounds in a way that surprisingly works, combining a kind of controlled chaos that isn’t pulled off by just anyone. No, Epstein is onto something really good here, and Changed The Locks is a shining example of whatever it is he is trying to do.
Soto Voce, Better
Better is Soto Voce’s first single EVER, and it’s so impressive you’d think they’d have been in the game for much, much longer. It’s a slow burner, erring more on the pop side of the R&B spectrum, but captures a certain emotional element that is often missing from this kind of style. As it goes along, it continues to unravel itself revealing from brooding R&B to a soulful build before unleashing into a buzzsaw synth breakdown. It’s expansive, immersive and irresistible. It’s also incredibly ambitious and will serve them very well for future releases. I have very high expectations for this Oakland duo!
Arthur Wimble, It Breaks
Just one week out from the release of his debut, Hearts, the elusive Arthur Wimble has shared one more cut in the form of It Breaks. Pairing glitchy, upbeat, computerised beats with modulated vocals that almost moan the hook, Wimble plays with so many different sounds and styles, whilst keeping it tight and refreshing – always keeping an arm’s length from the fray on standard producers that make this kind of pixelated dance music. Out via tastemaker label TEEF Records next week, Hearts is looking set to see Wimble start to get some widespread acclaim, so I’m not sure how much longer he can try to remain elusive for. Enjoy it while you can Arthur!
Young Greatness, Moolah Remix Ft. Yo Gotti & Lil Wayne
Mhm, this is a banger. Chasing those dollar bills comes naturally to these three, and together they hustle hard. The song is a bright, sunny banger; all three of them rapping about their love of all things $$$ with huge smiles on their faces. Recognising their struggle in the come up, Yo Gotti and Lil Wayne inject fresh life into the original, with their verses about getting “back in the kitchen for that moolah,” and being a “chef and a jeweller.” It was initially suspected Young Thug was going to share his own remix after teasing it online, and whilst that would be pretty great as well, Yo Gotti and Lil Wayne will do us just fine!
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, First World Problem
Unknown Mortal Orchestra share their first single since their 2015 widely acclaimed album, Multi-Love, and whether it was what fans were hoping for or not, their slightly more dance-y direction has been amped up in this new single. Titled First World Problem, it is definitely one of their most fun singles, all upbeat and groovy. It’s in the same vein as Can’t Keep Checking My Phone where it’s a total earworm that has an irresistible hook, and is exciting if it is signifying a slight deviation from their usual psych sounds. Although I never really pictured UMO being a must-have in a party playlist until last year, they’re doing a great job at making sure they stay there!
Bugs, Pretty
Brisbane band Bugs shared their latest album this week, and it’s yet another example of how strong the scene is in Brisvegas. Fronted by the prolific Connor White, who is involved in more bands/projects than I’ve had hot dinners, pop punk has never sounded so good. His deft lyricism is paired with in your face guitars and explosive choruses, and some lovely thrashy drums. With an impeccable knack for making really great songs, Bugs and by extension White lay down another impressive tune here in an album absolutely brimming with them. With a consistent output of quality music, Bugs are gathering a loyal following around their hometown, but it’s only a matter of time before that extends beyond and out into the rest of the world.
Cleopold, Not Coming Down
Cleopold burst onto the scene last year thanks to some fantastic singles and a few guest features (one particular one on a Miami Horror single), but he seemed to have disappeared towards the end of the year. Now it’s been revealed he was busy working on his soon to be released debut EP, Altitude & Oxygen – the first taste of which we have heard this week! Titled Not Coming Down, Cleopold’s new single is a reminder of everything he is about and everything he can do: exciting, upbeat electro beats, a stunning voice and deft lyricism that still fit in the pop world. Out June 10 via Chet Faker’s Detail Records, this could be the year of Cleopold, and I’m already loving the sound of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65zXUif2QvQ
Hip-hop and reality television have gone together hand-in-hand since the latter experienced an absolute explosion in popularity and presence in the first decade of the 2000s. A lot of it was absolutely horrendous (we’re looking squarely at you Flava Flav) but most reality television generally is. And at least you could say that the subjects of hip-hop reality TV were in some way talented as opposed to the dumpster people who somehow made careers on the likes of Jersey Shore and its Newcastle-based equivalent Geordie Shore
A real life human being exists and is paid to say things like this. Regularly. (Image: Buzzfeed)
Set to join them as part of the wonderful world of televisual syphilis and poor acting that is 21st century reality tv is none other than Lil Wayne. Young Money labelmate Stephanie Acevedo spilled the beans in an interview with famous plastic surgeon Dr. Miami of all things, revealing they have signed a contract with VH1 for a show titled Lil Wayne’s House, which sounds like it should actually be on Nickelodeon.
According to Acevedo, the series is shooting in Los Angeles in July of this year and will focus not just on Lil Wayne but other Young Money acts as well. She states “It’s just basically us coming together as artists,as a family, collaborating. Wayne’s gonna be our mentor”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FQydMzlVRw
Considering legitimate superstars like Drake and Nicki Minaj are long-term members of the Young Money Entertainment family, the show certainly has the potential for some A-list excitement, but you just know that it’s probably instead going to be turrible and prominently feature the lesser (and inherently awful) Young Money members.
People like Gudda Gudda basically (Image: MTV)
Of course this has probably been dreamed up as a way to keep Weezy’s name in the headlines given that present legal troubles are preventing the release of his long-awaited Tha Carter V album, but it’s probably going to be less an insightful look inside the world of Young Money Entertainment and the lives of hip-hop uh… superstars, and probably more them going through a bunch of pointless, hamfisted and over-dramatised situations created for them by a bunch of producers. Flava Of Love turned Flava Flav into (even more of a) punchline and if this is done badly it could certainly end up the same for Weezy too.
No word yet on when Lil Wayne’s House will hit your television screen (and at this stage it hasn’t been announced beyond an interview with a plastic surgeon by someone who isn’t Lil Wayne himself so don’t count your chickens) but if you want a stroll back through memory lane at some of the other reality shows of your favourite musicians, we covered the top five of them right here.
Image: HotNewHipHop
A while ago I began to notice that Lil Wayne‘s Facebook page is really strange and annoying. A teeny tiny percentage of his posts are to do with his music, while the vast majority of articles are memes and lowest common denominator-clickbait, the kind you typically, and inexplicably, find most often on mainstream radio station social media accounts. You know the type – “You’ll Never Believe How This Woman Discovered Her Husband Was Cheating,” “8 Ways To Look Younger Today,” that kind of this.
I began wondering if someone was perhaps just paying Weezy’s team a tonne of money to drive traffic to their website, no matter how dumb the stories are. Considering he has nearly fifty-one million Facebook followers, it makes sense.
The truth however, is far more sinister. The main website in question, known as shreddin.tv, is in fact owned by Lil Wayne himself.
Here’s some examples:
There are hundreds of these on shreddin.tv.
It’s very strange. I always thought it was strange that his Facebook page was so inactive and irrelevant compared to most of his contemporaries. With fifty-one million followers, you can do a lot for your career, your fans and so on, but save for his cover image being an ad for his new collab with 2 Chainz, almost nothing on the page indicates that it exists as an online representation of one of the most powerful figures in hip-hop.
The fact that the outright owns this strange and cringeworthy website is even stranger. Is he so broke that he needs to turn to clickbait articles for extra coin? Surely he would be better off venturing out into literally any other business? Perhaps he just enjoys clickbait so much that he had to create his own?
Bizarrely, I cannot find one other reference to this website and Weezy anywhere else online. if you Google “Lil Wayne shreddin,” all that comes back (other than the website itself) is this amazing video of Lil Wayne shredding on a guitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BmgSqGdcQ
The site mentions that brands can advertise via Shreddin, with the following stipulations:
Advertise with us! Lil Wayne has a loyal fan base and you can get direct access to all of them.
If your product or service qualifies (Lil Wayne has to like it) then you can take advantage of various marketing packages for advertising on Shreddin.tv.
You can also take advantage of Lil Wayne’s social media and advertise directly on his Facebook.
Here’s how Lil Wayne’s 51.27M fans are spread out over his social media account:
- Facebook: Over 51.27M fans
Contact us today today at info@shreddin.tv to setup a meeting and discuss details.
I love Lil Wayne so much, but I’m really confused by this weird, weird website. Obviously celebrities endorse products and brands all the time, but surely there’s a better way to go about it than this?
I don’t know. I don’t have an answer to this and I’m not sure I want one, I just needed to alert the world of this extraordinarily odd website and its owner.
All images: shreddin.tv
It seems today you are nobody if you haven’t been given a key to your home city, as Lil Wayne became the latest recipient after he was handed a key to Lafayette, Louisiana.
The New Orleans rapper was given the key while backstage at an exclusive gig and was clearly impressed with the honour.
Local mayor Joel Robideaux was on hand to give Lil Wayne the key to his hometown.
“We appreciate what you and Tidal have done on behalf of the philanthropic efforts and we’re so proud of our Ragin’ Cajuns, Alpha Phi Alpha, for what they did and we want to present to you a very special key to the city that we made specifically for you,” the mayor said.
“This is a one of a kind, nobody else has it. … That’s the only one in America.”
Lil Wayne was at the concert for Lafayette students as part of the streaming service Tidal’s campaign called Social Wave for Change. According to The Daily Advertiser, the rapper was on hand at the Cajun Dome because the local school had won a charity contest.
The student led initiative devised by the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity sought to donate water bottles to Flint, Michigan who are still suffering through severe water contamination in the area. The school reportedly donated nearly 7,000 bottles to the cause.
Prior to the gig, Lil Wayne wrote a column in the Huffington Post where he declared the importance of charity work.
“It’s truly humbling to see such young individuals put in hard work that really makes a difference for communities, causes and people across the country,” he wrote.
“Not many people are fortunate enough to say that they can make a difference. Not many people are blessed enough to inspire America’s youth. I can. And I do. I’m always trying to do good and give back to communities that need it most: from supporting after-school programs, giving back to Haiti, and most recently working with Tidal on the Social Wave for Change,” he continued.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvgJPWaU2qc
Image: HipHopDX
Today is a historic day for the NBA. Not only did the Golden State Warriors beat the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ long standing record for most wins in a season (73), but Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketballers to ever grace the court bowed out with 60 points and a five point win over the Utah Jazz.
Praise for Bryant’s achievements has been universal and come from all corners of the media and celebrity circles, including the hip-hop world. Anyone who’s a fan of either knows the close association basketball and hip-hop has. While basketball has always been huge in the States, the sport went up another level in the 1980s as hip-hop culture began to take shape. The popularity of the two wasn’t the only similarity, with basketball and hip-hop both originating from the streets and focusing on individual talent, often within a team or group environment.
As basketball and hip-hop grew into multi-million dollar industries during the 1990s, it was seen as a way out for members of the black community struggling to make ends meet while surrounded by rising gang violence. These days, the two are intertwined, with your favourite rapper’s and basketball player’s often seen hanging out together in nightclub VIP sections. Stars like Drake (the official ambassador for the Toronto Raptors) and Jay Z (an integral part of the Brooklyn Nets move from New Jersey back to Brooklyn) have become heavily involved with their home clubs. History lesson aside, Bryant’s retirement is a special event that’s led to numerous tributes from high profile hip-hop stars that you can view below.
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z & SchoolBoyQ
As an L.A. native, Kendrick Lamar is an obvious Bryant fan, and the Compton rapper recorded a tribute to 37-year-old entitled Kobe Bryant: Fade To Black. With Lamar’s untitled 7 playing the background, K-Dot speaks on not only the impact Bryant had on him, but also his city and the wider NBA community.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JFcdpB-GWU]
Lamar was also joined at the game by good friend and Black Hippy member SchoolBoy Q and New York mogul Jay Z, with the there posing together for a picture on the NBA’s official Instagram page. Jay looks particularly stoked to be at the game.
Image: NBA Official Instagram
iLoveMakonnen
iLoveMakonnen has been dropping tunes like it’s going out of fashion this week, and today he paid homage to Bryant in the form of the thumping Black Mamba Freestyle. Produced by regular collaborator Danny Wolf, Makonnen drops references about Bryant’s illustrious career, including the famous three-peat (2001-2003) and his five championship rings.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258901379″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=’450′ iframe=”true” /]
Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne has always been an admirer of Bryant for many years and was one of many celebrities in attendance at the game. Wayne took to Twitter to announce the L.A. legend as his “Favourite player forever!” and posted a picture of him and Bryant holding one of the Laker’s five title winning trophies from the Black Mamba era. But this isn’t the first time Weezy’s professed his respect for the sporting titan, having released tribute track Kobe Bryant from 2009 mixtape Tear Drop Tune 2.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCH-owsrC-A]
Kanye West
Chicago native Kanye West made sure he was centre of attention with his custom made “I Feel Like Kobe” long sleeve tee, inspired by his The Life Of Pablo merchandise. The back of the yellow tribute tee was emblazoned with the phrases, “Los Angeles Lakers”, “Mamba Day 4.13.16.,” and “Kobe Bryant Lower Merion’s Finest,” in Old-English font. Hopefully these will be available soon because I want one.
Image: NBA Instagram
For more information on the rich history hip-hop and basketball share, check out fellow writer Alex Osbourne’s great piece, Hip-Hop: A Basketball Soundtrack.
Image: YoungMoney.com
Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz sat down with Genius backstage in Atlanta after their first performance of new material from their latest joint project ColleGrove. The rappers discussed their decade-long friendship, the making of the album and Lil Wayne even admitted to shedding a few tears over 2 Chainz’ Dedication track.
At the beginning of the interview, Lil Wayne tells the story of the first time he heard Dedication which opens with the bar, “If it wasn’t for Wayne it wouldn’t be/a lot of dudes in the game includin’ me.” He says, “I had a few tears dropping and I remember hitting him up like man, this one right here, I don’t even know where this one came from, this is amazing.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvKotB6rYzc
They also discuss their recording process for the album including the fast-paced, aggressive track Bounce where the two go back and forth in what Lil Wayne calls “friendly competition.”
“People normally email each other music and we did that as well but Bounce, we were actually in the studio together working on it. That’s what made this the most epic time,” said 2 Chainz.
They clearly have a tonne of respect and love for each other (and themselves). They share fond memories and heap praise on one another while putting down the rest of the rap game. Lil Wayne says, “We rappin’ and nobody know how to rap these days.”
For an alternative opinion you can read about what we thought of the album here and check out the full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdzaEQM9xl8&nohtml5=False
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5vKmBTZXKA
Image: Fuse
Some people would argue that rap music has scarcely experienced a better time than it is currently. They would argue that the genre is being brought to the forefront of music discourse, finally finding itself truly a part of the mainstream while its practitioners innovate and reimagine the genre in ways not previously possible. A healthy crop of young and hungry artists as well as a swathe of veterans are pushing the limitations of hip-hop and setting the bar sky high, the debate for who is the best among them one that rages across comments sections worldwide.
Lil Wayne sees the hip-hop landscape of today in a markedly different way though, the Cash Money rapper bemoaning in a recent interview with DJ Drama that the current generation of rappers ‘aren’t trying to be the best rapper’ anymore.
They [new rappers] settle for what works. It’s works for them. That’s why you don’t hear me knocking them, you don’t hear me hating. I’m just a part of a different culture, a different wave of music. That wave was Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, at that time it was all about being the best. I’m quoted for saying I’m the best rapper alive. Now a days they’re not trying to be the best rapper, or the best at anything. They’re just trying to do what other people say is ok, and I’m not a part of that culture.”
Apparently ‘Greatest Alive’ was a very legitimate thing back when Weezy was coming up (he quite famously gave himself the title in a song of the same name on his 2008 hit album The Carter II) but he has now rejected the notion that it is still of any relevance today, seemingly calling out the new breed for being apathetic and their competitiveness dulled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhr_-FM8yRo
The concept of ‘Greatest Alive’ certainly isn’t one that is completely dead and forgotten about. Social media comments sections are littered with debates on that exact topic. Tastemakers Complex have even gone as far as to chronologically chart who they consider has held the title in every year since the generally agreed upon birth of the genre in 1979 right up until 2015 (a list which actually features Lil Wayne holding the belt twice in 06 and 08).
As to who would hold the title in 2016 contrary to Lil Wayne’s opinion? Right now popular opinion would suggest it would probably be split between Kendrick Lamar or Kanye West, with Kendrick probably taking it home after he ripped through this year’s Grammy Awards. It would be very interesting to hear whether Weezy thinks his statement still applies to those two, given that each of their most recent releases were absolute game-changers in their own right.
You can listen to the interview, where he primarily chats along with 2 Chainz about their upcoming collaborative mixtape Collegrove, in its entirety below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_4ajWGeCBs
Image: Noisey