Emerging as a buzzing phenomenon with legendary collaborative co-signs from the likes of N.O.R.E. and Wyclef Jean, just under-the-radar, 20-year-old Harlem, NY rapper, producer and Heads Music recording artist Rosé Riley releases the official video to his fast-bubbling trap banger “Murder Mountain” featuring Yung Tash today via premiere on VEVO’s “Incoming Daily.”
With the single “Murder Mountain”already garnering over 25,000 streams on Spotify, the visual for it follows the continuing rising buzz Rosé Riley is organically collecting on the streets and streams with the track as well as with his bold bars on other fan favorites including “Bragging & Boasting,” and “The World is Yours” f/ V$ Asad which has received over three million views on Worldstar Hip Hop for its music video.
“Murder Mountain” is from Riley’s forthcoming debut album “Rosé Season” that drops later this year.
Riley has already performed on many stages.
His most recent feature was on the track “Faded Butterfly” from Wyclef Jean’s most recent album Wyclef Goes Back To School, in addition to Jazzy Amra’s single “You Got Me”, and Wyclef’s smash hit “Trapicabana Remix” from the Carnival III featuring N.O.R.E., and Ñejo.
As passionate about fashion as he is music, in 2020 Riley dropped his clothing line Rose Fam, featuring custom designed hoodies, t-shirts, and sweatpants that are quickly becoming exclusive hype beast cult favorites.
He is currently a full-time music major college student diligently focused on furthering his music career and his designs, all while steadily building his social media following releasing more and more musical heat.
Get ready for more from ROSÉ RILEY soon.
Connect With Rosé Riley | IG, Twitter, Triller, Tik Tok: @IAMROSERILEY
As you may know recently Dreamville ringleader J Cole left the BAL (Basketball Africa League) so he’s technically in his basketball AND rap Off-Season. But that hasn’t stopped the Fayetteville, NC bred rapper as he continues to promote his new album of the same title continuing on his path and “a p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e” as you will see in the visual. He’s rap’s 100 million dollar man and as they say in the basketball highlights on ESPN, “he can’t be stopped, you can only hope to contain him” – at least as far as rap goes. Check it out below:
Trippie Redd and Playboi Cart team up for an absolute summer slapper with their new visual “Miss The Rage.” Burning down cars and everything else in sight with a flame thrower, these two young rappers deliver swagged out bars for “Miss The Rage” which also features an accompanying clothing line that details Trippie’s cryptic and gothic style. This video is already trending in the top 10 videos on YouTube so this one will likely get millions upon millions of views! Press play and enjoy!
Former Shoreline Mafia member, Fenix Flexin has just shared his first video single as a solo artist, “For Me.” The Ron Ron and Menace produced track sees Fenix leaning hard and lacing a laidback trap melody with bars detailing his young rap star lifestyle.
The new track also arrives with an After Pangea directed video featuring cameos from former Shoreline members Rob Vicious and Master Kato as well as Fenix and riders from his new Burnt Co skate team dropping in on the recently opened bowl at Lee Spielman and Garrett Stevenson’s new West Adams clothing store, Babylon.
“For Me” is the first single from Fenix Flexin’s upcoming debut project which he’ll be announcing soon. In addition to his new music, Fenix has also been forging a deeper connection to Los Angeles’ skate scene with the recent launch of his new skateboard and lifestyle apparel brand, Burnt Company including numerous sponsored riders.
At the beginning of his career, Jim Jones presented multiple albums – such as 2004’s On My Way to Church, 2005’s Harlem: Diary of a Summer, and 2006’s Hustler’s P.O.M.E.– through Entertainment One (formerly KOCH Records). The Harlemite is now back with the NYC-based company.
This week, Entertainment One announced a new deal with Jim Jones and his ByrdGang Records. The business arrangement includes the eOne Music label releasing several ByrdGang projects including work by Jones and a roster of new artists.
“I’ve had some amazing experiences throughout my career because someone believed in me – me and my crew. With this next iteration on ByrdGang, I’m very excited to be giving other artists the same chance that someone gave me,” says Jim Jones.
Alan Grunblatt, eOne’s President of Urban Music, states, “eOne helped launch Jim’s solo career and I’m thrilled to be working with Jim again. He has a remarkable gift for A&R, and I look forward to showcasing new talent together.”
Jim Jones + eOne’s Alan Grunblatt (Photo credit: Garrett Bruce)
Jim Jones rose to prominence as a member of The Diplomats (aka Dipset) along with fellow New York City natives Cam’ron, Freekey Zekey, and Juelz Santana. Dipset’s Diplomatic Immunity 2 in 2004 and More Than Music, Vol. 1 in 2005 were KOCH Records products.
More recently, Jim Jones presented 2018’s Wasted Talent and 2019’s El Capo studio albums via Vamp Life/EMPIRE. He also partnered with record producer Harry Fraud for The Fraud Department which dropped in February 2021 under The Fraud Department/EMPIRE banner.
Besides being a musician, Jim Jones also became a fixture on VH1 and WE tv reality television programs like Love & Hip Hop: New York, Chrissy & Mr. Jones, Vow or Never, and Marriage Boot Camp: Family Edition. The 44-year-old entertainer/entrepreneur also hosts Revolt’s Drip Report.
Additionally, Jones has been a part-owner of the West Virginia Roughriders team of the National Arena League and an investor in Vampire Life Clothing. He also aligned with well-known jeweler Alex Todd to sell CAPO-branded items as part of the Saucey Extracts cannabis enterprise.
This year, Danny Brown is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of his XXX album. The Detroit-raised rapper’s second studio LP came out in 2011 via Fool’s Gold Records.
In an alternative universe, Danny Brown’s XXX might have been released under 50 Cent’s label. Andrew Barber recently spoke to Brown for The Coda Collection, and the 40-year-old entertainer recalled nearly being signed to the G-Unit leader.
“50 was down with signing me, but now I’m already set into my look. So this is when I’m wearing the skinny jeans and thrift store clothes and s### like that,” Brown explained to Barber.
The 40-year-old Midwesterner continued, “So [50 Cent was] like, ‘No, you need to look non-approachable, you need to look mean, you need to wear big jeans and s###.’ And I wasn’t with that s###, so 50’s like f### that s### [laughs].”
Back in 2010, Danny Brown actually teamed up with G-Unit’s Tony Yayo for the Hawaiian Snow joint mixtape. That collaborative project included two features by Bay Area rapper Lil B The BasedGod.
XXX was the follow-up to Danny Brown’s 2010 debut album The Hybrid. His sophomore effort was met with widespread critical acclaim. Brown is now preparing to come back with a sequel to XXX titled 40.
“The f###### pandemic hit and next thing you know I’m in the house by myself, stuck, bored. I don’t have nothing to do. Let me just start writing. There’s nothing else to do,” said Danny Brown. “I started back writing, and s### was trash. I’m like, ‘I might be washed.'”
He added, “So, now you gotta think, you’re going through a pandemic, shows are canceled. I’m trying to make new s###, so I’m just going through a whole depressed, stressed-out moment. So I just wrote myself out the ditch. That’s the only thing I can really say. It was almost like back to the basics of the s###, and it felt like it was back to XXX time again, honestly.”
Many fans of Earl “DMX” Simmons are excited today because the late emcee’s Exodus album arrived this morning. The star-studded project hosts a song called “Bath Salts” which features fellow Hip Hop legends, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Nasir “Nas” Jones.
Jay-Z opens “Bath Salts” with bars that reference Coming To America, the Kardashian family, and Halle Berry. There is even a self-deprecating line about the meme of Hov diving off a boat.
Nas then jumps on the track by namedropping Kurtis Blow. He later calls out his peers who are willing to make a fool of themselves in order to get posted on Akademiks’ Instagram page.
The late DMX closes out the Swizz Beatz-produced record. X’s verse includes a callback to his classic “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” off 1998’s It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot album.
Besides Nas and Jay-Z, Exodus contains contributions by several other artists. The Lox, Lil Wayne, Moneybagg Yo, Alicia Keys, Bono, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Conway the Machine, Snoop Dogg, Usher, and other performers show up on the project too.
“The only tribute [song] was the Moneybagg track. Everything else X was present and happy for,” said DMX’s longtime friend/collaborator Swizz Beatz. The Verzuz event co-creator served as the executive producer for Exodus.
Swizz added, “[DMX] just loved the idea of [doing features], but he was a little sneaky about it because, in his mind, he loved that he was able to work with them. On the other hand, he figured out it was less work for him. He really loved it. He was like, ‘Oh, I only got to do three verses? Okay, tell Lil Wayne let’s go.'”
“Bath Salts” is the second song released in 2021 that features both Jay-Z and Nas. The two New Yorkers also connected for DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry” single which appears on theKhaled Khaled album.
That Hov/Esco collaboration ignited speculation that a long-awaited official collaborative album by the former rivals could be in the works. Even DJ Khaled seemed to play into the rumors with an interestingly-timed tweet earlier this month.
Previously, Nas and Jay-Z worked together on records such as “Black Republican,” “Success,” “I Do It For Hip Hop,” and “BBC.” Only “Bath Salts” with DMX and “I Do It For Hip Hop” with Ludacris included another emcee on the track as well.
THE LEGACY CONTINUES WITH #EXODUSALBUM OUT AT MIDNIGHT EST.
Two of the brightest young rap stars to hit the scene over the last several years are now on a song together with one of the all-time greats. On Friday morning, Eminem let loose his “Killer (Remix)” featuring Jack Harlow and Cordae.
“You know we had to do a remix, right? K I L L E R RMX w/ @jackharlow & @cordae,” tweeted Eminem on Thursday afternoon. D.A. Got That Dope provided the track’s production.
The original “Killer” resides on Eminem’s Music to Be Murdered By – Side B project. The deluxe version of the Detroit representative’s eleventh studio LP dropped on December 18, 2020.
“Tonight at midnight with the legend,” tweeted Jack Harlow prior to “Killer (Remix)” dropping at 12 am ET. Once the collaboration hit DSPs, Cordae tweeted, “S/O the 🐐 @Eminem. We got more [on the way] too. 🤫🤫#Killer.”
Cordae has been teasing the release of his sophomore album which is tentatively titled From a Bird’s Eye View. The DMV-raised emcee let loose the Just Until EP in April.
Jack Harlow’s debut studio album, Thats What They All Say, came out in December 2020. The collection includes the Kentucky-bred rapper’s Top 10 hit “Whats Poppin (Remix)” featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne.
Both Cordae (2019) and Jack Harlow (2020) are XXL Freshman Class alumni. Additionally, the Atlantic recording artists have already been nominated for Grammy Awards. Cordae has two nods under his belt. Harlow has received one nomination.
For the second time this week, The Weeknd came out on top as the big winner at an industry award show. The R&B/Pop superstar followed his triumphant Billboard Music Awards night with a victory lap at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
The Weeknd took home five trophies last night. He won Song Of The Year (“Blinding Lights”), Male Artist Of The Year, TikTok Bop Of The Year (“Blinding Lights”), Titanium Artist Of The Year, and Titanium Song Of The Year (“Blinding Lights”).
Roddy Ricch was another big winner to emerge from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The California native picked up victories for Hip-Hop Artist Of The Year, Best New Hip-Hop Artist, and Hip-Hop Song Of The Year (“The Box”).
Lil Baby’s My Turn won Hip-Hop Album Of The Year. Jhene Aiko’s Chilombo won R&B Album Of The Year. Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG won Latin Pop/Reggaeton Album Of The Year.
Chris Brown and Young Thug’s “Go Crazy” won R&B Song Of The Year. H.E.R. won R&B Artist Of The Year. Snoh Aalegra won Best New R&B Artist. Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé’s “Savage (Remix)” won Best Collaboration.
Doja Cat won Best New Pop Artist. Karol G and Nicki Minaj’s “Tusa” won Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song Of The Year. Machine Gun Kelly’s Tickets to My Downfall won Alternative Rock Album Of The Year.
Check out the full list of 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards winners below.
The BET Awards, the premier ceremony honoring Black music, announced the 2021 nominations hours before the Memorial weekend and days before the start of Black Music Month.
This year, many of the top nominees are carryovers from 2019 and 2020.
Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, Cardi B and Drake are propped up to possibly rack up all the top awards.
Megan, Hip-Hop’s official “Hot Girl” is nominated seven times. There is only one other artist who has earned as many nods and that is the North Carolinian chart-topper DaBaby, who is responsible for the Billion Dollar Baby movement.
With five nominations, Cardi B and Drake are also favored to cop some trophies.
They are favored … but they are no shoe-ins.
Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars as Silk Sonic, Chloe X Halle, and Chris Brown earned four nominations and could possibly slip in and snag a few wins.
Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, said in a statement: “We are back and excited to bring culture’s biggest night, the 2021 ‘BET Awards,’ safely back to Los Angeles to celebrate this year’s incredible roster of nominees.”
“We broke ground as one of the first official award shows to move forward during the global pandemic,” she continued. “We are ready to take our pioneer status to the next level with the return of an audience to celebrate the best and brightest creative minds in the entertainment industry.”
Voting for the “BET AWARDS” 2021 ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ begins on June 7th. For the latest “BET AWARDS” 2021 news and updates, including details on audience selection and eligibility, please visit BET.com/Awards.
The “BET AWARDS” 2021 will air Live, Sunday, June 27 on BET at 8 pm ET/ PT. The complete list of nominees for The “BET AWARDS” 2021 are:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
AFTER HOURS – THE WEEKND
BLAME IT ON BABY – DABABY
GOOD NEWS – MEGAN THEE STALLION
HEAUX TALES – JAZMINE SULLIVAN
KING’S DISEASE – NAS
UNGODLY HOUR – CHLOE X HALLE
BEST COLLABORATION *
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
JACK HARLOW FT. DABABY, TORY LANEZ & LIL WAYNE – WHATS POPPIN (REMIX)
Imprisoned comedian Bill Cosby can forget about getting out early – his appeal was denied.
According to reports, Cosby lost his attempt to get out of his 3 to 10-year prison sentence, which he received in 2018 for allegedly drugging and raping Temple University staff member Andrea Constand.
The parole board claimed they weighed a variety of factors before they denied the comedian’s attempt to be released.
The parole board claimed Bill Cosby refused to participate in a program for sex offenders, and never bothered to create a post-prison release plan, had his appeal gone through.
For his part, Bill Cosby isn’t too disappointed – the denial was no surprise – according to his lawyer.
And, Bill Cosby is still hopeful the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will overturn the verdict, based on his argument that the trial judge should not have allowed five women to testify about their separate abuse allegations.
Cosby claims he relied upon the deal when he gave up testimony in Constand’s civil suit, which ultimately led to him being charged and convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Over 600 musicians have banded together in an effort to support the people of Palestine.
Rappers like Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Questlove, Belly, Pharoahe Monch, Bun B., Run The Jewels and Cypress Hill put their John Hancock’s on a letter titled Musicians for Palestine.
Almost 2,000 Palestinians were wounded, and 243 were killed after two weeks of intense fighting broke out between the militant group Hamas, and the Israeli army.
The 11-day war broke out after Israeli Police and Palestinians clashed at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the final day of Ramadan. As a result of the tension, thousands of rockets were fired into Israel by Hamas, which lead to the Israeli army’s Operation Guardian of the Walls, which bombarded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and tank shelling.
“In solidarity and empathy, as musicians, we cannot be silent. Today it is essential that we stand with Palestine,” the letter reads. “We are calling on our peers to publicly assert their solidarity with the Palestinian people, complicity with Israeli war crimes is found in silence, and today silence is not an option.”
The letter goes on to blast the Israeli government for what the musicians labeled and apartheid like system against the Palestinian people, whom the Israelis are targeting for ethnic cleansing.
Although an informal ceasefire was implemented on May 22, the musicians believe the Palestinians are still being oppressed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government.
According to reports, the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate is already preparing for another war with the militant groups in the Gaza Strip. And Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said his group was ready for another battle with Israel as well.
“We are ready for the great battle if the enemy commits a great folly in Jerusalem and the holy sites,” Sinwar said. “We wanted to deliver a message to the occupation and the world that we do not make threats haphazardly – so that the world knows that al-Aqsa has men who protect it.”
Check out the letter in full below:
“In solidarity and empathy, as musicians, we cannot be silent. Today it is essential that we stand with Palestine. We are calling on our peers to publicly assert their solidarity with the Palestinian people, complicity with Israeli war crimes is found in silence, and today silence is not an option. Silence is not an option as the brutal israeli bombardment of besieged gaza claimed more than 245 lives in the last weeks. Silence is not an option as residents of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied Jerusalem are continuously forced out of their homes. Silence is not an option as millions of Palestinian refugees are denied their collective right of return. The Israeli government operates a settler-colonial project committe to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population. The legacies of systemic violence, racism and dispossession shaped by colonialism must stop. We call on all governments to stop funding all resources and technologies that back the Israeli state and their war crimes. today, we speak together and demand justice, dignity and the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people and all who are fighting colonial dispossession and violence across the planet. We call for you to join us with your name in refusing to perform at Israel’s complicit cultural institutions, and by standing firm in your support of the Palestinian people and their human right to sovereignty and freedom. We believe this is crucial to one day live ina world without segregation and apartheid.
Guess who’s back? The group that held Jay-Z down for many years is making a grand return to the spotlight. Just as the pandemic rages on, but society opens up, State Property is returning to us. Now, I’m going to do a Hip-Hop 101 for dummies right now and explain who State Property is. State Property was a collective of MC’s out of Philly, headed by Beanie Sigel. The Broad Street Bully convened a collective of his boys, and others that were poppin’ in the city of Philly during the height of the Rocafella Records reign. They were so important, because they actually defended Jay-Z from numerous rap beefs, shielding the Roc CEO from harm. But, they were also extremely dope.
And really still are extremely talented. Now, clearly some changes have happened over the years. Beans has had numerous incidents including shootings and fights. Freeway has had multiple health challenges and even personal issues with death in the family. And then, the crew has had internal squabbles for a very long time. But it seems like they have put all of that to the side and come back together in the interest of doing music. And, let me tell you guys: I am here for it! I love these guys!
So, what does this all mean? Look at this interview with Kal Dawson, the former manager of Black Rob, and you be the decider of what does this mean. No time stamps since the whole interview is dope. It talks about the last days of Black Rob.
On top of State Property reuniting, Dawson says they are planning to do another State Property movie as well! REMEMBER THIS?
GET DOWN OR LAY DOWN!
OR THIS?
I am not sure all of what they plan to accomplish with the movie, but I think they need to bring us up-to-date on the crew and maybe intro some young Philly dudes. At any rate, this is amazing and I know I am not the only one. We need more legitimate crews in Hip-Hop because this solo stuff is. bit boring. It reeks of Americanism!
“Siri … Puff is thinking about Jennifer again. What song do you think he should listen to…?”
“Seems like yesterday we used to rock the show/ I laced the track; you locked the flow/So far from hangin’ on the block for dough.” — Diddy
“Siri … but she too rich and just got out of a relationship. Why you play that?“
“Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got/I’m still, I’m still Jenny from the block” — J-Lo
Before people used to blend their names, Diddy-Lo was a thing.
It was Summer of 1999 and Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jennifer Lopez were joined at the hip. They were the most solid couple in the rap world. This too cool rap mogul and the movie star, seemed to be everything to everyone: the media, to fans, and most of all to each other.
On Thursday, May 27, Brother Love must have been humming his platinum-selling Billboard #1 hit, “I’ll Be Missing You.” But instead of thinking about B.I.G., the one to whom the song is dedicated to, it seems as if it could also apply to his ex.
Diddy and J.Lo most certainly “rocked the show” whenever they stepped out. Check them out here in the “Been Around The World” official music video, and see if that’s not true.
He came “so far from hangin’ on the block,” and well … where is Jenny from? Now you see …Well, maybe we are reaching. But what are fans supposed to think when Puff drops this #TBT on his IG?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPYlPgHH0As/
The Throwback Thursday pictures them back in the early 2000s hand-in-hand, coming out of a store. Now that they are both single, maybe Brother Love is sending the social media bat signal.
He may have to get past J.Lo’s current flame, Ben Affleck. “Bennifer” has been seen together, getting close, ever since she broke off her engagement to New York Yankee’s slugger, Alex Rodriguez.
They were even spotted smooching in between workout sets earlier this week at Anatomy Fitness in Miami.
The Bad Boy producer might be remixing “I’ll Be Missing You” right now. You never know.
Rapper Game has been commanded to pay more than $500,000 in damages over his canceled tour of Australia in 2017.
The musician, real name Jayceon Taylor, was slapped with a bill of $478,119.73 in damages, plus interest of $78,508.08 , and court costs by Australian promoters Tour Squad, following a ruling by Justice Sarah Derrington.
The rapper had been due to play in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth four years ago, but axed the concerts at the last minute after Tour Squad denied his team’s request to pay $3.21 million for a documentary they wanted to make.
In addition, The Game’s fee for each concert rose from $32,100 to $51,340, while he wanted to charge $19,250 for any afterparty appearance. He also requested that he be accompanied by a 15-person entourage at all times.
In her ruling, Justice Derrington cited the inappropriate behavior of those involved, and also revealed she had been contacted by certain parties outside of the courtroom as they attempted to “influence the court.”
In that case, Game’s record label was seized, along with the profits of his album Born 2 Rap. Rainey also recently took control of Game’s Cash App account as well.
Season 5 of the Nick Cannon hosted, wildly successful competition show, The Masked Singer US, culminated with three shocking guests.
The panel had a few ideas about the identity of the winner who starred all season as Piglet.
Before the big revelation, singers like Cody Simpson, Brian Littrel, and Adam Lambert were confident but wrongly guessed. One judge even thought actor Jeremy Renner played the pig.
But three keen-eared judges Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, and LeAnn Rimes rightly guessed, 98 Degrees’ Nick Lachey.
Lachey has had his time working on other competition reality shows like The Sing Off (2009 to 2014) and *Clash of the Choirs *(2007). On those shows, he served as a host and not talent.
The runner-up, was child-star turned GRAMMY winner, Jo Jo.
Jo Jo donned the disguise as the Black Swan is best known for her 2004 top-charting song, “Leave (Get Out)” and her collaboration with P.J. Morton on “Say So” which won her the golden trophy.
The judges had a few guesses that included the following: Rita Ora, Normani, Monica, Jesse J, Demi Lovato, Natasha Bedingfield.
But Nicole Scherzinger and LeAnn Rimes got it right.
In third place was Mr. Black and Yellow himself, Wiz Khalifa. The character that he rocked all season was the Chameleon.
Caitlyn Jenner, who as the former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete is used to victory, fell short of the prize as one of the guests on the season. She stared as Kermit the Frog.
Gio Dee is hardworking, dedicated, devoted, a family man, a strong leader, a businessman, and a rapper all in one.
Born and raised in Boston, the rising star recently unleashed his newest single titled “Way Up,” speaking volumes to his current state of mind. The follow-up to his previous single “Save It,” both records hold fans over until the release of his forthcoming project arriving Summer 2021.
Back in 2015, Gio unleashed his EP titled Mind Yo Business, tapping all-star production from Metro Boomin and TM88, with standout features from Iamsu! And MadeinTYO. From there, he had the rare opportunity to open up for the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, G-Eazy, and Iamsu! — proving he has what it takes to be one of the greats.
Additionally, Gio was seen as a guest appearance on Marc E. Bassy’s critically-acclaimed Post Modern Depression album, unveiling his versatility in both realms of R&B and hip-hop.
AllHipHop: What was the household like growing up in Boston?
Gio Dee: Definitely different, because we don’t come from a city where it’s super known for music. Only people known prior to this generation that’s poppin’ right now would be Ed O.G., Benzino, or Gang Starr’s originally from there. Those are the top 3 people you think of when you think of Boston as far as older heads. Outside of that, it’s Boston hoods and s###. Everybody knows everybody, the city’s small. You seen somebody, you grew up with somebody, or you know somebody that knows that person. It’s not that hard to get familiar with everybody.
AllHipHop: Biggest influences coming up?
Gio Dee: Life, definitely my mom. She’s literally the strongest woman I’ve ever met, strongest person I’ve ever met. My grandmother as well. Music influence though, it’d definitely have to be 50 Cent. A lot of early Dipset, Kanye, Lil Wayne, things of that nature.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Gio Dee: To be honest, after I sold out my first concert at Middle East Upstairs in Boston. I did my first headline concert after my first original project. Middle East was 210 people, that’s my first headline concert. I said “Yo, I could do this.” From there I started traveling, doing everything else.
AllHipHop: How did you get your name?
Gio Dee: We came up with the name Gio Dee literally because before, my rap name was really, really wack. I was at a label meeting, the first label meeting I ever went to at Epic. Shoutout to the OG, Moneybags, He’s the one that brought me there. They said “Yo, your music’s fire, but you’ve got to change your name.” My old rap name was Big D, they said “Yo, no grown man want to call another grown man Big D. That’s weird n*gga, change your s###.” [laughs] Alright bet.
At the end of that year, we sat down before going into the new year and I said “f### it, we’ve got to change the name.” We did that and came up with Gio Dee. Gio means gracious in Italian, then Dee is from my first name which is David and that means beloved musician. It’s gracious, beloved musician all together.
AllHipHop: “Way Up” out now. What were you on recording this one?
Gio Dee: Nothing, to be honest. I was sober as hell, I was at the crib. Ever since quarantine started, I ended up buying an in-home set up. I literally did the reference for the first verse and the hook at home, then I went to the studio. I originally did a different take for the second verse, but I liked my second take better so we went along with that.
AllHipHop: What are you excited for now that it’s out?
Gio Dee: I’m excited for everything that’s about to come. The project dropping, all the other music that’s on the project getting attention. There’s other stuff behind the scenes that’s gonna be really, really big for me, that people are going to see.
AllHipHop: You say “I admit I was lost in my thoughts,” how’s music a coping mechanism for you?
Gio Dee: At a certain point, every rapper goes through the emotions of comparing yourself to other artists, comparing your successes to other successes, just comparing certain things. I got to a point where I was comparing myself a lot, battling with depression. That’s why I said I was lost in my thoughts, I got lost in my thoughts. Nah, I got myself out of that mode, got myself out of all that s###. F### that, I’m finna take control of everyting.
https://www.instagram.com/p/COGRy6tgqB2/
AllHipHop: Best memory from that video shoot?
Gio Dee: S### Matt right here, Matt’s the one that shot the video. The part shooting it at the crib, kicking it with the homies was the most fascinating s###. It was all genuine, there was no fake s###. My homegirl in the video, she was cool. It was all natural. It wasn’t anything forced, literally us kicking it and doing s### together.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you recorded “Save It”.
Gio Dee: Oh man, that was just a freestyle. I hardly write anymore. I haven’t fully written a song song in years. It’s been 6 years forreal forreal. I go into the booth, I just freestyle. Most of the time I do find s###, there are rare times I go all the way through. “Save It” was me, my brother Deon, my Chef brother, D-note. We’re all in the studio kicking it, we came up with the flow. After that, “my dawg catching bodies, beat the cases!” [starts rapping lyrics] Just went off and kept going off of those words. Simple, we knew it. The energy in the studio that night was a vibe. We’re jumping around, going crazy forreal. It was lit.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from your new album, Excited for the Hate?
Gio Dee: Everything. This is the most cohesive project I’ve made as far as sonically. It’s the most elevated I’ve ever been musically. Not no crazy features I have on it. There’s Polo Summers, he’s part of the Chef Boyz collective. Then Marc E Bassy, who’s also from the Bay. We’re shooting a video for the song we have this Saturday. There’s only 2 features really on the project, everything else is me. It’s the project where I really, really gave me the most, but at a level where it’s super outta here. [laughs]
AllHipHop: How did you link with Marc E Bassy and what did it mean to have him featured on his album?
Gio Dee: We connected randomly in the Bay, we was at some club. Shout out to Shabazz. Shabazz introduced me to Bassy and said “Yo, he’s going to be the next R*B superstar.” I said “Word, it’s lit.” Anything Shabazz tells me, I believe it off rip. That’s my OG, he really coached me throughout this whole game. He told me that, me and Bassy been cool ever since. Anytime he comes Boston, he taps in with me. Anytime I come out here or the Bay, I tap in with him. We always been cool, outside of music. We party together, we kicked it together, have dinner together. All types of s###, that’s literally the homie. We’ve always had a good relationship with each other. That’s literally how it is, it happened naturally.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Gio Dee: It depends on the type of mood I’m in. One is liquor. If I’m in the studio by myself, I prefer to drink Jameson. If I’m in the studio with gang, I prefer to drink Henny. If I’m in the studio where there’s other people I don’t really know or females in the studio, I drink tequila to be honest. Those sessions are rare. I don’t have those types of sessions anymore, but before it used to be like that. I’d get distracted and not fully complete songs, so I stopped doing those types of sessions. Those are the 3 different vibes, liquor is definitely on mine.
Fire beats. I found out recently, I work better in an environment where the producer is there and I’m building from scratch. it’s only been the past year and a half. Shout out to YianniOnFire, I’ve been building with him a lot. Shabazz as well, Shabazz produces now. Those two, we’ve been building stuff from scratch. They’ve really helped me polish and build the best songs. A producer, then the homies realistically because they’re honest with me about everything in the studio. If they don’t like something, they’ll tell me. I know I’m not perfect as an artist and as a person, they’re not always perfect either. There’s certain things they might say that aren’t right on, but I know we keep each other in line.
AllHipHop: What do you like to do for fun when you’re not doing music?
Gio Dee: Call of Duty for sure. Gamer tag is [Chef]DamnGio61707. Add me on Call of Duty. N*ggas don’t want the smoke. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself as an artist at this point?
Gio Dee: Being a diverse artist, that’s one. I don’t want to be stuck in one lane. I don’t want to be known as a trap rapper. I don’t want to be known as a pop rapper or somebody who makes turn up s### or fly s###. I’m not trying to stay in one lane, I want to touch every single lane. Obviously Billboards, Grammys, those awards, all that. There’s other business endeavors I want to do on the side, but I want to create a new lane. There’s not many artists coming in the game and creating new lanes. I don’t know if I’m at that point in my career, but I definitely want to get to that point.
AllHipHop: What kind of new lanes are you talking?
Gio Dee: Just sonically. You know how Wayne came into the game and changed the game sonically with autotune and the bars? Drake did the same thing with making the singer/rapper thing. s### like that.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
Gio Dee: Follow me @iamgiodee on everything. Make sure you sign and subscribe to the website Iamgiodee.com. Shoutout to you Shirley for interviewing.
G Herbo, while in the midst of so much legal controversy, welcomes a new baby.
The Chicago native took to his social media account to make the announcement. The caption next to his @nolimitherbo moniker was one black and white heart.
He posted a very simple black and white image of him cradling the child. Against his brown-tatted chest, the child’s balled-up fist is poking out of a white blanket.
Earlier this month, G Herbo hosted a baby shower with his child’s mom Taina Williams, who happens to be the step-daughter of rap legend, Fabolous and the daughter of his wife, Emily.
“A New Addition to THE FAMILY 🤎🤍 Congrats to Taina & Herb.. A Prince is on the way,” Fabolous wrote in come beautiful pictures of his family.
G Herbo is being accused of being deceptive about his participation in an identity fraud scheme.
The rapper claimed that he did not know Antonio Strong during a 2008 interview with the FBI and the Secret Service, but the prosecution believes that they have evidence to show that not only was he in association with Strong but have proof that the relationship yielded him a luxurious lifestyle with fancy toys and privileges.
G Herbo also declared his innocence in his song, “Statement.”
R&B star SZA has urged fans to “be nice” to her manager after venting about hating her label online.
The “All the Stars: hitmaker has previously suggested her representative and Top Dawg Entertainment president Terrence “Punch” Henderson had been holding up plans to release new music.
Responding to a fan’s Instagram post about the performance of the track, which had peaked at #9, she wrote, “I really hate my label. So much.”
SZA, who is signed to both TDE and RCA, didn’t expand on her frustrations but she took to Twitter to try and calm fans down, insisting Punch isn’t the one to blame.
Punch is my manager (not a machine or a label) lol also been like my stage dad the last 10 yrs. be nice to him pls 🥺. he really fights for me. Not angry w him . Or anybody really . Jus my own choices .
“Punch is my manager (not a machine or a label) lol,” she began. “also been like my stage dad the last 10 yrs. be nice to him pls. he really fights for me.”
She continued, “Not angry w (with) him. Or anybody really. Jus my own choices.”
SZA hasn’t released a new studio project since her critically-acclaimed 2017 debut album CTRL.
First of all, let it be known that I think Bow Wow was absolutely scared to battle Soulja Boy. Soulja Boy, at least has a couple of hit records that everybody knows. I can’t speak about Bow Weezy’s catalog, but in my honest opinion, he has no hits. Now, if they play something I may remember a song or two that I was forced to listen to on Rap City or “106 & Park” back when we had no options. However, for the most part I don’t know anything Wow Bow ever done in his entire career. Not even movies.
Bow Wow it’s no longer a Lil Guy, at last in how he treats women. I don’t know exactly how many kids he has, and I am not about to start looking, but one of his baby mamas got the wrath recently. He has a newborn and the babies mom is suffering from postpartum depression and she had a major fall out with Shad Moss. One would think that he would do one of two things, 1) be quiet or 2) offer a caring word. No. He said just the opposite, clearly regretting any interaction with the woman ever. He said on social media “Not my problem. Go get you a man who cares. I barely know the girl. I don’t even have a photo with the girl. Let that hurt go.“ I can’t imagine saying that someone online, in front of the world, and she is the mother of your child. Even though she may not be someone he likes at all, it’s still a woman that bore your child. You have to do better Bow Wow!
She is not going to take this lying down. She said she is going to air him out….
“I stay humble, I stay out the way, I get my own money, I f##ing focus on myself, I’m the best mom for my baby,” Sky said in a clip. “And it still don’t be enough for ni##as. [They’ll] still find something to tear you down, still try to find a way to make you think you’re doing something wrong — why are you trying to f–k with me so hard dude? Why are you trying to make this single mom sht so f##ing hard? This co-parenting sht could be so easy but n###as would rather make it hard and that’s crazy.”
