When hip-hop legends Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One came together to give the culture an iconic Verzuz showdown in October, many fans asked why Rakim wasn’t up there against Kane.
Kane revealed why it didn’t go down during a recent appearance on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast.
Math Hoffa asked why the clash failed to happen despite it being the pairing that fans wanted to see. “I believe that’s what everybody think they wanted to see,” said Big Daddy Kane. “That’s who they were trying to make the Verzuz happen with,” he added.
However, he says the reason it didn’t happen is that the “energy” would have been off. A battle during the pandemic would have been “dope,” though not on a big stage, says Kane.
“He would have been sitting in the comfort of his living room,” he explained. “I’m sitting in the comfort of my living room, and we just going through songs over IG, right?”
Big Daddy Kane continued, “But me and him standing on a stage together? “Nah, I think what people got is what they needed.” He added that a Verzuz with KRS-One who “has a lot of energy,” and “real strong battle skills,” was more fitting.
Host Math Hoffa then interrupted with his own clarification. “If you’re reading between the lines like I am, he’s basically saying Rakim is not the showman he is. So it would have been a wash for you to see him on a huge stage,” he added.
“That’s not what I’m saying,” said Big Daddy Kane interjecting. The other guests, including Mike Epps, then continued to debate the subject.
The Weeknd wants the same bag Kanye West was due to receive for headlining Coachella and reportedly threatened to pull out if organizers failed to stump up the case.
As AllHipHop reported, The Weekend was slated to replace Ye after he pulled out earlier this week. He is demanding he gets paid the same amount as the rapper, otherwise he won’t perform, according to a report from Page Six.
Kanye West was apparently due to receive $8 million, plus a $500,000 production fee for his set at the festival. He withdrew, leaving Coachella with less than two weeks to find a replacement. The Weeknd wants organizers to match Ye’s fee if they want him to show up.
Page Six claims to have received information from their sources that Coachella wanted to pay the “Blinding Lights” singer much less. “Just a few million,” the source said. “The festival would pocket the rest.”
Furthermore, they say that the new line-up was made public despite the deal not being agreed upon. The Weeknd then “threatened to pull out at an hour’s notice” if the Ye deal wasn’t matched. Negotiations were finally completed on Wednesday and they “agreed to pay The Weeknd the same money” as Ye.
The Weeknd shared the festival flyer for the festival on his socials on Wednesday, confirming his appearance.
Meanwhile, Abel dropped the video for “Out of Time” earlier this week. The song is from his Dawn FM album and features a cameo from comedian Jim Carrey. Check it out below.
The fallout from the slap Will Smith gave Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars continues.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will meet this Friday to discuss any “possible sanctions” Will Smith will face following the incident on March 27. They had planned to convene on April 18 but will now meet on April 8 instead.
“The April 18 date was set in accordance with California law and our Standards of Conduct because our agenda included possible suspension or expulsion of Mr. Smith from membership,” a letter to the Board of Governors, signed by Academy president David Rubin, stated. “We were required to provide Mr. Smith notice 15 days prior to the board meeting at which such action might be taken, and also give him the opportunity to provide the board a written statement no less than five days prior to that meeting.”
“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work.”
In light of Will Smith’s resignation, Rubin wrote that “suspension or expulsion are no longer” on the table.
He added, “the legally prescribed timeline no longer applies. It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion.”
Nicki Minaj proved a stellar guest for the return of James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” segment on The Late Late Show after a two-year absence.
The rap icon was trending No.1 on Twitter as viewers tuned in and clips began to circulate. One that garnered the most attention was a spot-on Adele impersonation.
Nicki Minaj is well known for her alter-egos, including her self-professed favorite, Brit, Roman Zolanski. However, it turns out her impression of British pop superstar Adele is scarily accurate and hilarious at the same time.
Nicki Does Adele
“People pay for these sort of viral moments, you know what I mean?!” Minaj said, mimicking Adele’s voice.
When Corden asked her opinion of Adele’s rendition of Minaj’s “Monster” verse in a previous segment she replied: “It made me so, so happy. She embodied Nicki Minaj!”
James Corden also showed off his beatbox skills while Nicki rapped a freestyle. “You did good though,” she told him. “On the white scale, it wasn’t that white.”
— The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) April 7, 2022
Elsewhere during the segment, Nicki Minaj opened up about her struggles with anxiety and facing public scrutiny.
“I think when I was younger, probably my more natural state was to be more confident. But I think when you are a woman and you’re in the public eye all the time, if you’re not careful, you can become less confident because you’re being constantly scrutinized,” she said. She also explained that chewing ice relieves her anxiety. “It’s not natural for a human being to just always feel like everyone’s critiquing them.”
In contrast, Nicki felt “an amazing sense of freedom” at the start of her career because “nobody gave a f###” about what she was doing. “It goes from that to the complete, complete opposite,” she revealed. “If I blink my eye wrong, they’ll have a story made up about why I blinked my eye that way,” she said. Watch it below.
Nicki Minaj Carpool Karaoke
Meanwhile, over on Instagram, Nicki Minaj flaunted her curvaceous rear end wearing just a thong to promote her latest merch drop. She quoted lyrics from “Do We Have A Problem” featuring Lil Baby in the caption, unveiling the new merch.
Rap and Recording Artist Parlay Travy Has Just Launched His Digital Store “PARLY” featuring iconic streetwear and vetted sports jerseys for his fanbase to enjoy.
Parlay Travy is a renowned multi-genre music producer and artist. Parlay Travy has continued to develop his craft since embarking on his career in 2015, he has charmed his fans with his unique signature rap sounds and continues to cement his stance in the music world.
Parlay Travy always considered himself a musical person from conception, constantly exploring unique sounds from various musical mediums. He aspired to become a rapper and made mixes for a few years, and he learned music production from FL studio, later shifting to Ableton. Finally, Parlay Travy ended up constructing a mini-studio at home. Once he got into the game, he started to take things seriously and made this a full-time job.
Because the music industry is buzzing with new artists every day, Parlay Travy knew that refining his artistry to envelop a much more nuanced sound would be the only way he would stand out amidst the roaring competition. From consistent studio sessions to experimenting with new sound kits, Parlay Travy began to develop and hone his craft, finding a much more real taste and direction of the unique sound he was looking for.
Some people work hard and show dedication to their craft but never seem to break through the glass ceiling. On the other hand, we see people achieving unprecedented success through social media platforms and the internet. While it’s exciting for those involved, it might leave others wondering whether hard work is still worth it. DJ J Star, who has been chasing his dream since a young age, says it is. His pursuit of success exemplifies persistence, patience, and tenacity from when he was a young boy. In a world obsessed with instant gratification and overnight success, he is proof that effort and a great work ethic are still as important today as they have always been.
An expert radio DJ for many years, J Star is popular for his weekly show on Sirius XM ch. 13. J Star started doing the show in 2018 and became a regular after that. Over the years, he has entertained millions of listeners and honed his open format DJing skills in the process. This has opened many doors for J Star, broadening his career horizons. Besides being a skilled radio DJ, J Star also covers live events. He has DJed multiple times for the Knicks and opened for some of the biggest artists in the world in the past. He has also worked with renowned brands like Nike, the NBA, Adidas, Jordan, JBL, Dropbox, HBO, Hennessey, and Jack Daniels.
So, how did he get there?
Becoming a DJ was J Star’s dream from an early age. Born in the Dominican Republic, he grew up surrounded by a rich musical heritage in the diverse Uptown Manhattan and the Bronx areas. His family was supportive of his dreams when he decided to follow his passion, but they told him to get a college degree first. As a result, J Star enrolled and graduated from audio engineering school.
After graduation, J Star honed his skills by interning at different companies such as KTU and HOT 97. The opportunities helped him become an even better DJ, which didn’t go unnoticed. In 2015, J Star was requested to become an on-air mixer for iHeart Radio Power 105.1. There, he showcased his unique ability to mix various genres of music masterfully and gradually started growing his reputation as a mixer. Three years later, he got the opportunity to work at Sirius XM.
Hard work is the other thing J Star credits for his success besides his academic background. For instance, he says Sirius XM has opened his eyes to his potential and how much more he can do beyond what he previously believed he could. He adds that though he is now an internationally renowned DJ, the journey has been much longer than many people know. “Don’t stop working,” he says. “Consistency is key. 15 years in the game, and I am finally starting to see the benefits.”
J Star adds that he is just getting started. His dream is to grace even bigger stages in the coming years and to be on the road spinning or performing his own songs. When not performing, DJ J Star hopes to be in the studio working alongside the biggest artists in the world.
People want to achieve success without going through challenges which is a crucial part of the journey. Many people with success stories have become bestsellers because people found glitz and glamor in them that they often dreamt of. What they don’t see is persistence, hard work, late nights, discipline, and sacrifices. Nick Luevano, the famous pop artist, and rapper also believed in the glitzy world of the music industry as a 19-year-old until he had a reality check that changed his perception of life.
Nick Luevano was born in a middle-class family in Cleveland Ohio. At the age of 3, Nick lost both his parents in a car accident. With no one to take care of him, Nick ended up in foster care, which was known for its harsh treatment of children. It was during this time Nick developed a passion for music and dreamed of becoming a pop star like Michael Jackson or Stevie Wonder. Nick had little to no idea of the real world and its challenges.
At the age of 19, he moved to Los Angeles with a dream to work with one of the top record labels in the city. He was constantly being rejected at auditions. These experiences momentarily deterred him. He got his first big break performing at a club. That night, Nick rocked the floor. He kept the crowd alive throughout the night. Since then, Nick has never looked back.
Today he is a resident DJ in three elite clubs in Miami. Electrifying music, groovy rhythms, and a blazing message about society mark the signature style of Nick and will be the same in the coming years also.
The music industry is getting ready to be shaken up by the stylistic melodies and cadences of upcoming hip-hop artist P.O. Breezy. New to the game, but already hustling, he tells us he’s gearing up to release a few singles and a possible Rap/R&B E.P. His latest release is a single titled “Everything I Do”, which is now currently available on all digital streaming platforms. Many artists are self-proclaimed loners, but not P.O. He says that anywhere he goes, he’s trying to pull up with his people, but at the same time, he’s not afraid to roll solo for something important.
He’s also an original artist. Unlike a lot of new and popular artists, he actually writes every lyric and bar in his music; so if you’re not familiar with it, now is the chance to hop on the wave. He has been extremely consistent and even tells us that he will be releasing a new song later this month or early May. P.O. and his team are not playing around, don’t miss out!
NWMN is back with his latest single “NEVERMORE” concluding his breakup series mix. With its predecessors “Wayside” depicting bar for bar the woes of an abrupt breakup and the “Figures” single pack that delves into the dark stages of making sense of the senseless “NEVERMORE” closes off the emotions with a resolving metaphor of being able to grasp the chaos and move forward.
The tuned vocals hopping over heavy synth beats really transpire you to a whole different space. NWMN has been hard on the grind with these tracks and is on his way to drop the project. “Lust Issues” is set to release sometime in April, and his concluding single “NEVERMORE” just dropped on March 24th. The music video for “Nevermore” just dropped on April 1st, check it out below.
Check out NWMN and be sure to check out when “Lust Issues” drops on all streaming services in the links down below.
“There For You,” Leo Kwok’s newest hit, is shattering streaming records all around the world. The song went on to become an immediate hit, propelling Leo’s career to new heights. He and his great music have attracted fans from all around the world.
Leo has been connected with music since he was a child, having been born in the heart of house music. He’s seen the flow of music expand and develop over the years he’s been in the business. As a result, he has a thorough understanding of how music works and influences people. This is expressed to the fullest extent feasible through his music.
The song “There For You” was very recently released. The music surprised everyone and defied all expectations. You will feel utterly invigorated after listening to it. It’s amazing how much of a difference a simple restart can make.
Florida’s finest BABYG is knocking down doors in the underground hip-hop scene and beyond. Through pure talent and originality, he’s risen himself to the forefront of his region’s budding scene. With songs like “sugar baby” and “Nvr Die” creating buzz nationwide across social media circuits, BABYG has a chance to be Florida’s next big star. A lifelong lover of music, BABYG has been working on his rise for a long time. He moved to South Florida as a kid from his birthplace of California, young and eager to create his own way.
He perfected his style and by 2018 he began releasing music to the world with songs like “Hooligan” and “Dope2cope”, where he uses his real-life experiences of addiction & homelessness to aid listeners through their own troubles. His new music, such as his 2021 album “Fragile (Side A)”, carries a similar motif, as well as covering subjects like love and loneliness.
With a growing discography, BABYG is carving himself a lane as a dedicated tastemaker. Listen to BABYG’s latest project “Fragile (Side A)” here and get ready for new music from the Florida star.
An international internet thug has hacked the YouTube channels of several A-list celebrities, including Drake, Cardi B, Chris Brown, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Lil Uzi Vert, and Lil Nas X.
The Spanish shitposting’ account uploaded multiple weird videos to several of these famous people’s pages. One of the videos was entitled, “Justin Bieber – Free Paco Sanz (ft. Will Smith, Chris Rock, Skinny flex & Los Pelaos).”
According to the Daily Mail, Paco Sanz is currently locked up for stealing thousands of dollars from people, tricking them into thinking he was terminally ill.
A recently made Twitter profile with the username @lospelaosbro has taken responsibility for the debo-ing of the celebrity’s social media platforms.
Business Insider said @lospelaosbro’s Paco Sanz video was posted online for almost an hour before being removed from the artists’ YouTube channels.
A spokesperson for Vevo commented on the hack, saying, “All of those improperly uploaded videos have since been deleted by Vevo.”
“While the artist channels have been secured and the incident has been resolved, as a best practice Vevo will be conducting a review of our security systems.”
One theory is that the hackers were able to get all of these high profiled performing acts because they were possibly outsourcing their social media to a company.
Security blogger Graham Cluley suggests these high profilers might have been using the same third-party company to manage their social media, saying, “‘If that third-party service was hacked, that could provide a way for someone to post videos in the names of celebrities.”
“Another possibility is that a YouTube employee with access to user’s accounts was themselves breached, and hackers used that privileged access to post videos,” the computer expert continued.
“I’m not aware of any specific YouTube vulnerability, although it’s possible one exists,” he stated before saying, “Fans of these celebrities would be wise not to take at face value any links or messages posted by these unorthodox videos, as they might be pointed to a scam, dodgy cryptocurrency investment, etc.”
@lospelaosbro dropped a warning to the artists who think it is over. The hacker implied he was targeting the next batch of celebrities to hack by writing, “We ain’t dead.”
Big Fendi is having quite a week. The man that discovered Nicki Minaj and brought her to a lot of us, it was reported that he was robbed of over $400,000 in jewelry.
This comes on the heels of the famous OG manager being joked on for pretending to jump out of a helicopter. If you saw it, you saw it. It went super viral because the helicopter door was never opened. It seemed like he literally found a random helicopter and pretended to travel with it. He laughed it off on Instagram, but it definitely wasn’t the best look for someone of his stature.
At any rate, he says that a Prada bag with over $400,000 in jewelry was stolen from a South Beach Miami hotel. He says he did all the protocol necessary to log the bag with them but it ended up being given to someone else.
Now, he is asking for our help in getting the perpetrator. He posted a screenshot of a man with dreadlocks and some sort of headgear that apparently took the bag with him. $400,000 is a lot of money! I actually hope he gets it back.
This is a tough, tough week for OG! Hopefully, it works out.
Pusha T announced the title of his fourth solo album on Wednesday (April 6).
The Clipse member’s next studio LP will be called It’s Almost Dry. Pusha T shared the album’s title along with the tour dates for his upcoming run of shows.
“Album title: IT’S ALMOST DRY,” he wrote on Twitter. “Phase one of the tour coming to a city near you… TIX GO ON SALE FRIDAY 4/8.”
Pusha T shared the details after dropping a single titled “Neck & Wrist” featuring Jay-Z. The track was produced by King Push’s longtime collaborator Pharrell.
It’s Almost Dry will be Pusha T’s follow-up to his Grammy-nominated DAYTONA album, which dropped in 2018. The Def Jam rapper hasn’t announced a release date for his new LP.
Check out Pusha T’s tour dates below.
May 29 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox June 1 — San Francisco, CA — The Regency Ballroom June 2 — Anaheim, CA — House of Blues Anaheim June 4 — Los Angeles, CA — The Novo June 5 — San Diego, CA — The Observatory North Park June 7 — Chicago, IL — Concord Music Hall June 8 — Detroit, MI — Majestic Theatre June 15 — Boston, MA — Big Night Live June 16 — New York, NY — Irving Plaza June 21 — Atlanta, GA — Center Stage Theater June 22 — Charlotte, NC — The Underground – Fillmore Charlotte June 23 — Philadelphia, PA — Theatre of Living Arts August 19 — London, England — All Points East
50 Cent put some more pressure on Teairra Mari as he attempts to collect a $50,000 debt from her.
According to court documents obtained by Radar Online, 50 Cent hired a private investigator to find Teairra Mari. The P.I. managed to track her down and serve her with legal papers on Monday (April 4).
Teairra Mari wound up with a $50,000 debt after losing a lawsuit to the G-Unit leader over an explicit image he posted online. Earlier this year, 50 Cent asked a judge to hold her in contempt since she’s continued to avoid paying him.
“[Mari] has been the subject of repeated sanctions by this Court but has been seemingly unswayed by such actions and has not paid any money towards the Judgment or sanctions against her, making the increased penalties associated with a finding of contempt necessary,” his legal team said in a recent court filing.
Teairra Mari sued 50 Cent for sharing an explicit image of her on social media. A judge sided with the veteran rapper, awarding him $30,000 to cover attorney fees in 2019.
The debt eventually increased to $50,000 since Teairra Mari kept refusing to pay what she owed.
Three years after the initial judgment, 50 Cent still hasn’t received a penny from Teairra Mari. He wants her to provide financial records to the court so he can finally collect his money.
Ricky Styles Oakland Native veterans game spitter. Team up with Chris Lockett one of Oakland’s best-kept secrets. To Deliver a vibe like none other. You just might ask yourself who is Ricky Styles? in the event you do, Ricky Styles is East Oakland’sFinest. There has been a drought on the real authentic Oakland Sound. Now here you have it from the horse’s mouth. The independent grind has been hard. But Ricky styles has always been a boss.
Influencer and celebrity baby mom Blac Chyna believes the Kardashian/ Jenner family owes her $300 million in damages for allegedly spreading lies about how she treated Rob during their relationship.
Court documents, according to Radar Online, state that Chyna believes these lies trickled all the way up to E! executives who in turn canceled her reality show, “Rob & Chyna.”
She argues that because the show was canceled, she lost out on the nearly $1 million season paycheck. Chyna also alleges she forfeited many other business deals connected to the show due to the slander.
She said, “When they got my #1 hit show killed back in January 2017, that not only hurt me financially and emotionally, that hurt my beautiful KIDS.”
“I’m taking them to court to stand up for my legal rights and to be an example to my kids that ‘what’s right is right, what’s wrong is wrong.’ And what they did was so wrong.”
In a separate lawsuit where she is alleging she has been wronged, Chyna is suing Rob for posting explicit photos on his social media, where he has a total of 9 million followers. This trial is set to start later in April.
Kim Kardashian, who is a lawyer in her own right, has filed her own motion. She claims Chyna should not be able to get anything, calling her claims “absurd.”
Not only because the astronomical figure is based on allegations regarding two text messages and two private emails, but more fundamentally, because it is entirely unsupported by the documentary evidence concerning [Chyna’s] income,” the Kardashian claim states.
Chyna’s claim breaks down to demanding $36 million from Kim Kardashian for emotional distress, $36 million for injury to reputation and humiliation, $36 million for anxiety and betrayal, $44 million in loss of earnings, $64 million in loss of future earnings.
She also wants $100 million from Kim in punitive damages and $19 million in punitive damages from Kris Jenner, $94 million in punitive damages from Kim and Kylie, and $5 million from Khloé.
The plaintiff, whose real name is Angela Reneé White, further said in her tweet why she is going so hard.
“I am so thankful that a jury will finally listen to what really happened behind closed doors,” she writes. “The lies that were told and the damage that was done.”
“At the end of the trial, I’m going to be able to proudly tell (son) King and (daughter) Dream that I did everything I could to right the wrong that was done to me. And that, in life, it is my hope that they will be able to stand up for themselves when it matters too.”
Blac Chyna shares five-year-old daughter Dream with ex-partner Rob Kardashian and has a nine-year-old old son named King Cairo with Tyga.
With the re-emergence of lyrical talent seeping through underground the past few years, Rome Streetz has been patiently waiting his turn. The MC originally born overseas has been building a catalog at a very fast pace, especially through the pandemic.
“I record at my house so when the pandemic came I just started to see the more I recorded the more money I’d make. He tells AllHipHop’s Slops in this exclusive interview.
Now after seriously grinding for almost 12 years he finally began to make some headway with his “Nose Candy” series. so much so that it led to a deal with the Underground’s Rap biggest conglomerate Griselda. He has taken his talents to others like Conway The Machine, Ransom, and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill fame.
Now with Westside Gunn‘s cosign Rome is looking to make an even bigger impact on the game.
Ed Sheeran won his “Shape of You” copyright infringement case on Wednesday.
The singer was accused of copying the 2015 song “Oh Why” by grime artist Sami Chokri, also known as Sami Switch, with the “Oh I” phrase in his 2017 chart-topping single.
Following an 11-day trial in March, Judge Antony Zacaroli from London’s High Court ruled that Sheeran had not plagiarized Chokri’s song with “Shape of You.”
According to the BBC, Justice Zacaroli ruled that Sheeran had “neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied” Chokri’s song.
He acknowledged similarities between the one-bar phrase in both tracks but added that “such similarities are only a starting point for a possible infringement” of copyright.
He also noted that there were “differences between the relevant parts” of both songs, providing “compelling evidence” that the “Oh I” phrase in Shape of You “originated from sources other than Oh Why.”
He also addressed the defense’s “speculative” claim that Sheeran had heard “Oh Why” before writing the smash hit, declaring, “I find, as a matter of fact, that he had not heard it.”
Following the ruling, Sheeran and his “Shape of You” co-writers Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac issued a lengthy joint statement detailing the case’s cost on their creativity and mental health.
“It is so painful to hear someone publicly and aggressively challenge your integrity. It is so painful to have to defend yourself against accusations that you have done something that you haven’t done and would never do,” the statement reads, reports Metro.
“While this has been one of the most difficult things we have ever been through in our professional lives, we will continue to stand up against baseless claims, and protect our rights and the integrity of our musical creativity, so we can continue to make music, always… Our message to songwriters everywhere is: Please support each other. Be kind to one another. Let’s continue to cultivate a spirit of community and creativity.”
In addition, the 31-year-old posted a video message about the case on Instagram, stating that “claims like this are way too common now” and are “really damaging to the songwriting industry.”
He noted that “coincidence is bound to happen” when there are a limited number of notes and chords used in pop music.
“I hope with this ruling, it means in the future baseless claims like this can be avoided. This really does have to end… Hopefully, we can all get back to writing songs rather than having to prove that we can write them,” he concluded his message.
FaZe Rain is the proud owner and founder of FaZe Clan, the company who’s here to change the trajectory of what gaming and music can be when fused together, while continuing to provide innovative new ways to push the envelope in both realms. Boasting 11.7 million followers on Instagram alone, the lifestyle and media platforms caters to youth, reeling in gamers and music-lovers from all around the world.
And now, FaZe Clan recently announced yet another exciting moment in their journey, welcoming their first ever in-house recording artist and gamer hybrid FaZe Kaysan. His debut single “Made A Way” featuring Lil Durk and Future, co-produced with WondaGurl, boasts over 14 million combined streams to date.
As we proceed in an era where technology and social media are seen as the most valuable, FaZe Rain takes advantage of his surroundings and lays down the foundation for the forthcoming content to thrive. His Youtube presence alone is admirable, having been on the platform since 2008 and working his way up to now 5.4 million subscribers. Additionally, he’s been part of the Call of Duty community, who’s been around for a long time.
AllHipHop: How was it growing up in Toronto?
FaZe Rain: Cold, that’s why I played video games all day. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Who are your biggest influences?
FaZe Rain: My mom.
AllHipHop: When you were playing video games, did you think you were going to make a career out of it or was it mostly for fun?
FaZe Rain: When I started this, I definitely did not think this would be a career. I started doing this just to show my friends the clips , but there was no one that was making guerillas. I was one of the first people to start making money in this scene, people weren’t making money yet at all. There was no one I could point to like “oh, look at that guy. He’s making money, let me do this.”
AllHipHop: Talk about your journey with FaZe Clan, how did it all begin?
FaZe Rain: It just fell in line with what I was doing, I was already recording clips and putting them online. I saw that FaZe Clan was doing the same thing, they were living in my world but differently. I felt I had to join FaZe Clan because all the other teams were doing something differently, they weren’t doing it the way FaZe was. I knew it was a goal for me to get into FaZe. I was grinding for two years when I finally made it into FaZe.
AllHipHop: What was it about FaZe Clan that drew you?
FaZe Rain: It was mostly the fact that they were trickshotting and doing montages, that’s literally what I was doing at the exact same time. It was only FaZe that was doing it, they were the only team that was doing it, too. Trickshotting montages like Call of Duty highlights, montage with music and editing, this and that. Not many people do it like that.
AllHipHop: When and how did you join?
FaZe Rain: I joined September 19th 2012. The way it worked back then was the community knew who was hitting the most amount of trickshots and had the best episodes. It’s like drafting in the NBA, we just knew who the prospects were and those people eventually made it into FaZe. I don’t know how else to explain it. It was all up to FaZe CBass and FaZe Temperrr at the time, back in the day.
AllHipHop: That’s a decade ago. Did it take a minute to blow up?
FaZe Rain: Depends what you classify as blowing up, right? FaZe was getting a million views on videos a year after it was born, but it wasn’t making that much money. It depends on whether you count that as money or viewers. It took a few years for sure for it to become a business, it took 5, 6, 7 years. But for us to get our name out there in the community, that was actually pretty quick. Because what FaZe was doing was pretty much one of one, nobody else was doing it like that so it was easy to scale.
AllHipHop: You were the first member to start a daily vlog on YouTube. What made you want to flip the camera on yourself?
FaZe Rain: At that time, trickshotting would sometimes take days to hit a single clip, and I realized there’s not much longevity in that. I realized my fans only really cared about me doing trickshots. We moved to a crib together in New York, I wanted to pivot and make new content. I knew there was a demand that people did want to see what our lives were behind-the-scenes of gaming and whatnot. I decided to pivot into a new channel and start vlogging, just so I wouldn’t have to be forced to only be a Call of Duty creator. I didn’t see much longevity in myself in that, and I didn’t feel like trickshotting everyday forever.
AllHipHop: What is trickshotting?
FaZe Rain: It’s the Call of Duty version of skateboard tricks. It’s what people would do at skateparks, but in Call of Duty with a sniper. It looks cool, it does.
AllHipHop: What’s the secret to growing a Youtube following?
FaZe Rain: No, I never had that one video that went viral. Up until after my career took off, I had this vape video that went kind of viral. I had this vape character. I went to a vape convention, which is mad weird, but I went to a convention and made a video about it. I got 30 million views on that, that’s my most viewed video. But before my career, nothing really went viral. Just apart from the community posting every single day. That’s really what it is, you gotta love what you’re doing and stay consistent.
A lot of people come into the scene now just for money or for gaming. If they don’t get it out in 3 months, they get demotivated. That’s why for me, it wasn’t even a big deal. I didn’t make money for 6 years, because I was literally doing it because I loved it. It didn’t matter to me if I was getting paid, I would’ve done it anyways. But a lot of people that come into the scene or music industry just to make money, they get really upset when they don’t make money within the first year or two. Even people like Ninja, he tried for 10 years before he really got big, which is admirable.
AllHipHop: You have a huge fanbase. What is it about you fans love the most?
FaZe Rain: One of my biggest slogans is keep it real, I’ve always been saying that my whole career. I saw that so many Youtubers and people in the industry would lie about stuff, they sell out on certain stuff. I always made it a mission for myself to never be that way, and always be as authentic and transparent with my community as possible. As a human, you gravitate towards people that are like that. You’re more trusting of people like that, so that’s my foundation with my fanbase. I always wanted to be as upfront with them as possible, so they know I’m never up to no shady s###.
AllHipHop: Last year you signed FaZe Kaysan, the org’s first in house music artist, how did that come about?
FaZe Rain: I didn’t know about it at first, he’s always been one of our homies. I think Tommy (FaZe Temperrr) and Banks (FaZe Banks) were the ones who originally were talking to him. Our CSO Kai Henry was talking to him and he felt like that was his wave. It’s really cool too because we get to work with as many artists as we want to, through Kaysan. Him being the producer, DJ versus the artist, we’re not only limited to just his sound but also have access to every person that he wants to work with. That’s a huge benefit with signing Kaysan.
AllHipHop: Why did FaZe Clan want to get into music and why lead with Kaysan?
FaZe Rain: We’ve always been tied to music. Even with Logic, Macklemore, Hoodie Allen, people like that, we’ve always used music in our videos from early on when they were super underground –before they had a following or before they even made it. Music and FaZe Clan have always been correlated because we’ve always had to use music for our montages. We’ve always been super interested. We decided to go with Kaysan because he was close to us and he was an inspiring DJ. We thought let’s just put 2 and 2 together.
AllHipHop: Kaysan’s debut single “Made A Way” features Lil Durk & Future, co-produced with WondaGurl. That’s a hell of a collab!
FaZe Rain: I helped where I could. I didn’t obviously produce it or choose who was going to be on it or anything like that, but I helped where I could. Marketing the song, helping strategize the song, all that.
AllHipHop: Those are two of the biggest names in Hip Hop!
FaZe Rain: It showed all of our fans that we’re moving into music and getting into that industry, a lot of our fans are super excited about that. It was a way for us to break the ice in the music world with that song. We got a lot of big things coming with music with Kaysan.
AllHipHop: What’s your own love for music?
FaZe Rain: I love music. First thing I do when I wake up, I have to play music. It sets the vibe for the day. That’s what honestly in a weird way dictates my mood. That’s why I gotta chill with sad music, I start getting sad for no reason.
AllHipHop: Talk about using songs from Juice Wrld, Macklemore, Logic in your ILLCAMS video.
FaZe Rain: ILLCAMS is the series name of the trickshotting montages. We always use different artists. That’s why FaZe and music have always been correlated because we needed music for our montages, which was ILLCAMS.
AllHipHop: Why ILLCAMS?
FaZe Rain: It’s crazy, I don’t even know who came up with that. It’s such an OG term. I think it’s Tommy (FaZe Temperrr), definitely because he loves the word ill. The montages were made out of Killcams. But because they looked ill, we called them ILLCAMS. Tommy did, but you know.
AllHipHop: Where do you see FaZe Clan heading in the future?
FaZe Rain: That’s really hard to say. If you asked me 10 years ago, I wouldn’t say here. So it’s up to where we want to be. It could be anything, we could be an airline for all we know. We could be one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. We could be anything we choose to be. That’s the cool part of FaZe Clan: our fans help us achieve anything we want to do and be. We really could go wherever we feel like FaZe needs to and should go.
AllHipHop: How has your role within FaZe Clan evolved over the last decade?
FaZe Rain: Originally of course, it started as me just being a Youtuber. Literally I was getting trickshotting clips in the beginning, then I pivoted. Started making more lifestyle videos and more videos showcasing my personality. I became a co-leader of FaZe, started calling shots of who was joining FaZe and how we’re doing things alongside Apex, CBass, and Temperrr.
As of the last few years, I’ve been hurt. Especially this year, I got hurt so I haven’t been making videos of anything. I’ve been working more on FaZe: helping with strategy, recruiting, marketing, everything. Pretty much everything and anything FaZe. I know the brand inside and out, I helped build this brand…I was a key part of that so I know everything about the brand, about our fans, what they like and want to see. I’m helping the brand stay alive with what our community wants and making sure that we do everything we can by our fans.
FaZe Rain: I mean, everyday. It’s crazy when I think about it now, I don’t remember loving it everyday as much because I was stressed having to make 3 videos a day. Now I look back at it, it seems like the golden days. The craziest memory was when I filled up Apex’s entire room with packing peanuts, damn near to the ceiling. That’s one of my favorite days.
AllHipHop: What was his reaction?
FaZe Rain: [laughs] It was crazy cause he was supposed to come home at 9PM but then his flight got delayed so he ended up coming in at 6AM. He was so tired and just wanted to sleep, he was so over it, it was so funny. He opened his door and saw all the packing peanuts come rushing out, gave me the dirtiest looks, went downstairs and went to bed.
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
