Representing the city of Georgetown, Georgia, where it feels good to be black, DaVincci’ Sway comes from the land that’s full of undiscovered Indian jewelry, and artifacts.
Welcome, Georgia’s new apprentice of rap.
A prodigy of the game, earning his name, because of his ability to paint musical pictures. His ability to sculpture his energy, and mix his wordplay with science and mathematics, tags him as the “The Black Leonardo da Vinci”.
A Polymath in his own right, carrying the spirit of the Africans and Indians, who died during centuries of gunfights. Inventing a sound, that can only be found in Georgetown. The “Sway” represents energy that directs, backward and forward or from side to side. The movement of swag.
You can feel the vibe in his energy, the grind in his spirit. At 26 years ready, DaVincci’ Sway is silent but deadly. His newest single called “up” and it is a motivational song, that will carry you through the day, and turn the club up at night.
By putting out these uplifting ,deep bangers, his inspirations will go as far as the music will take him.
Creating music with the mentality of march madness , he leaves crowds standing on their feet, rooting for DaVincci, to be the first one to blow up in his city, representing for the streets.
Stay tuned! When asked what’s his plans for the remainder of 2020, DaVincci said:
“Get the brand right and take off. Ready to roll out, I’ll will be dropping two mixtapes before the end of the year,” he revealed.
Currently his music can be currently found on iTunes, Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud and more platforms.
This is all brought to you by Big Block the CEO of BLOCK ENT. The same company that introduced the world to “Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Ciara, Jacquees, Boyz in the Hood, Yung Joc, & Gorilla Zoe”, All who enjoyed top Billboard success.
Look for Big Block Entertainment to stay consistent with their ability to find talent & turn them into superstars.
Sujit Kundu, the gatekeeper to the Hottest DJ’s and artists, founder and CEO of S.K.A.M. Artist, s throwing his 25th consecutive birthday blowout celebration around the globe.
Sujit Kundu, is the founder and CEO of S.K.A.M. Artist. Over the past 25-years, the brand has become the leading full-service booking agency. And each year, Kundu has held a blowout birthday celebration around the globe.
The year 2020 marks the 24th consecutive birthday extravaganza and with the current pandemic forcing the in-person event to be canceled, yet nothing was going to stop Sujit from throwing the party of the year.
Due to the current pandemic, Sujit is hosting a 24-hour virtual birthday party on August 24th, with DJs from all over the globe will be playing sets for 24 hours straight, streaming on Twitch, across 5 different countries.
Lil Jon, Pete Wentz, Samantha Ronson, Irie, Chase B, Baby Yu, Crooked, DJ Five, Eric DLux, Ever, Gusto, Jerzy, Justin Credible, Lezlee, Quiz, Richard Vision, Ross One, Sour Milk, Trauma, Triple XL, Bliss
(Dubai), Fricktion (London), Lead (Tokyo) and Horizon (Melbourne) and more are among the DJ’s spinning up grooves for fans.
COVID-19 caused an unexpected shift in his business globally but that has not stopped the demand for S.K.A.M. artists DJs during quarantine. The company’s roster of clients are regularly booked for IG Live performances and guest DJ sets across digital platforms.
Kundu’s vast client roster of names range in notability and genre, some commanding fees in the five figures and bolstering over 100 clients inclusive of Deejays and musical talent names such as Lil Jon, Tyga, Taryn Manning, Brooke Evers, LA Leakers, Nick Cannon, Amber Rose, Blac Chyna, Caroline D’Amore, DJ Irie, Reach and Samantha Ronson just to name a few.
S.K.A.M. Division, which focuses on radio promotion services, continues to thrive and successfully markets various artists’ singles and albums in its second building in Los Angeles, which is equipped with recording studios and production classes for those looking to break ground into the industry.
The birthday celebration kicked off on August 23rd, 2020 and is running for 24 hours straight on Twitch. Click here to check it out.
(AllHipHop News) Superstar battle rapper Nu Jerzey Twork was in a horrible car accident almost a week ago that could have cost him his life.
He took to his Instagram to post a selfie from his hospital bed that showed his black and blue bruises, busted lip, shut closed eye and gauze wrapped around his bruised head.
Nu Jerzey Twork’s family has a GoFundMe set up for the top tier battle rapper and NWX member.
Drake, a fan of both battle rap and Hip-Hop has contributed an undisclosed amount.
The “God’s Plan” rapper posted a screenshot on his Instagram of one of their exchanges. He captioned the image with the following, “Y’all Know How Much I F##k With Drizzy , This Was HUGE For Me , THANK YOU MY BROTHER @champagnepapi My Come Back Will Be Epic ”
The page is simple with Nu Jerzey Twork’s name in the header and an image of him with bruised and shut-eye. The copy says, “Nu Jerzey Twork was involved in a heinous accident which resulted in him having multiple surgies. Anything you can donate will go towards his medical bills and support for his family. We appreciate you all. God bless”
Jaz the Rapper, his battle rap fairy godmother, was one of the first to respond, crying out in her comment, “ Alhumdulilah.”
Nu Jerzey Twork’s mother, Alisha Shelman, took to Facebook to share a message regarding her son.
“I was so hesitant to tell my son’s story but I must give God His Gloryyy!!! On Friday morning I got a call my son was in a car accident. I didn’t find out until later my son’s car had flipped multiple times and he was ejected from the car. Cracked skull, broken bones in his face, eye socket, broken vertebrae and lost lots of blood,” Shelman revealed.
“When I arrived to the hospital I didn’t know what to expect knowing what I was already told. Looking at all the blood my son was still laying in at the hospital. I saw pass [sic] the blood and saw my son was not on anyone’s breathing machine, no life support, wasn’t crippled, no internal bleeding, every part of his body had some form of scar but he had not lost one limb. Bruised but he’s here in his right mind. My son is Alive!!!!”
At the time of publishing, the team has raised a little under $20,000 and the prayer is for more to come from fans of battle rap and lovers of Hip-Hop culture.
Pulled up On My Bro @NUJERZEYTWORK In The Hospital 🙏🏾🙏🏾 Hes In Great Spirits & Getting Better But Still has a long way to full recovery If U Can The Go fund Me Link Is here – https://t.co/JcLvOcvteT Ito donate everything is appreciated 💯💪🏾 RT pic.twitter.com/lDoj7TbASs
(AllHipHop News) On August 14, Dave East returned with the Karma 3 mixtape. Apple Music’s Rap Life Radio host Ebro Darden spoke to the rapper/actor about his new project.
Darden and East discussed the personal content presented on Karma 3. During the conversation, the Def Jam recording artist hinted that he is partnering with the Queen of Hip Hop Soul Mary J. Blige for a full-length joint effort.
“Me and Mary cooking one. I ain’t gonna get too crazy into the details, but we got a few records right now. We’re like four in,” revealed East. His discography already contains the collaborative album, Beloved,with The Lox member Styles P.
According to Dave East, a Beloved sequel is currently in the works with an expected release by the end of 2020. The 32-year-old New Yorker told Darden that he also has unreleased songs with the late Pop Smoke.
“Pop was so cool… He’d just come to my session for dolo – don’t call me, nothing and just pull up,” said East. “We ended up doing two, three songs. He just had a good, humble spirit. He brought good vibes. I f*ck with Pop Smoke heavy. We really got close, right before that happened to him.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, MylesBigDealBrown is a rapper and dancer who’s here to prove his worth.
Myles has been at it since he was 5-years-old, when he trained at Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
He went on to earn his first big screen credit in the 2011 film “Hopelessly.” Two years later, Myles appeared in the 2013 documentary “Mindless Behavior: All Around the World.”
Now, Myles releases the official music video for “FWY,” which stands for “F##k With You.” He states, “Woman, you want to know what she does behind closed doors. The truth like school, work, and personalities are the types of frequencies her mind is on!”
Whether he’s dancing, acting, deejaying, rapping, or being an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Myles is someone you call an outsider, a rebel, a jack of all trades. From designing clothes at the age of 12, he has since created his own brand called 711pack, which stands for PEEP A COOL KID.
The mantra? Never put yourself in a box. Do what makes you happy instead of what pleases others.
He states, “Life is all about having a balance, so we’re young entrepreneurs inspiring kids around the globe to be who they want without fear of judgment.”
(AllHipHop News) The last few weeks have been a historic period in the career of Cardi B. Earlier this month, the Bronx-bred rapper set the first-week streaming record with “WAP” featuring Megan Thee Stallion. The controversial #1 single amassed 93 million streams in the United States in its first seven days of release.
In addition, Cardi’s debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, spent its 124th week on the Billboard 200 chart. The 2018 studio LP surpassed Nicki Minaj’s The Pinkprint (123 weeks) for the all-time record for a female rapper.
Every song onInvasion of Privacy has earned Gold or Platinum certification from the RIAA becoming the first album by a female artist to achieve that milestone. Cardi’s breakout project is also the most-streamed female rap album in Spotify history.
As the fallout from that incident plays out in the public, Megan is turning her attention back to her music career. The “Savage” hitmaker announced she will lead a virtual concert taking place on August 29 at 6 pm ET.
This will be Megan’s first full live show since securing two No. 1 records and the first since Lanez allegedly shot her in the feet. In June, the 25-year-old emcee performed a pre-recorded set for the 2020 BET Awards.
(AllHipHop News) Ms. Lauryn Hill was booked to run through songs as part of the Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring-Summer 2021 fashion show. The 21-minute visual was directed by Naima Ramos-Chapman and recorded on July 31 at MLH Studio in New Jersey.
The Grammy winner’s black-and-white video featured cuts off her classic 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Louis Vuitton Men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh stated, “Ms. Lauryn Hill is, to me, forever a muse.”
Hill also performed Guarding the Gateswhich appeared on Queen & Slim: The Soundtrack. Plus, the former Fugees member sang her 2014 single “Black Rage” which was released in response to the uprising in Ferguson, Missouri after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by then-police officer Darren Wilson.
(AllHipHop News) Two of the top vocalists of the 1990s are set to display their respective catalogs in the next Verzuz presentation. Curators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland secured a matchup involving Monica and Brandy.
“This will be historical… It’s an honor @brandy …. @verzuztv,” wrote Monica on Instagram. Brandy commented on her own IG page, “#History. Thank you @monicadenise @applemusic and @verzuztv for making this happen. Let’s celebrate!!!!”
The two chart-topping singers have been connected to one another their entire careers. Nearly from the moment Brandy released “I Wanna Be Down” in 1994 and Monica released “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)” in 1995, people began comparing the then-teenage performers.
Monic and Brandy eventually teamed up for the smash hit “The Boy Is Mine” which came out in 1998. That R&B single spent 13 weeks at the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100.
“After that duet, I remember Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey then doing a duet. I always say that it was because of ‘The Boy Is Mine’ my two favorite artists got together to do a duet. I always feel like me and Monica had something to do with that,” said Brandy in July.
Verzuz Presents: Brandy Vs Monica is scheduled for Monday, August 31 at 8 pm ET. The live event will stream on the Verzuz Instragam page and Apple Music from Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
(AllHipHop News) Tenet is already garnering positive reviews from professional film critics. The Christopher Nolan-directed motion picture has an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Not only is Nolan’s movie drawing interest from the public, but the music associated with Tenet is also making headlines. Travis Scott was tapped to create the original song “The Plan” for the sci-fi action flick.
“Beyond excited to be a part of this. So thankful that Ludwig and Christopher Nolan thought of me for this moment. Tenet is insane and I hope everyone enjoys the ride!” states Travis Scott.
Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther) produced “The Plan” along with Scott and WondaGurl. The single will also be included on the Tenet official soundtrack album.
“When I watched the movie in its entirety, I started to feel that the end needed a new voice to reflect the culmination of the journey we’ve just experienced. The first artist that came to mind was Travis Scott,” says Göransson. “Conceptually, his artistic voice is very much in step with the sound palette we’d created for Tenet, and I felt that he and Chris might almost be kindred spirits when it comes to creating fully realized worlds with music and visuals.”
The longtime Childish Gambino collaborator continued, “Travis instantly connected with the movie, and his observations of the experience were exactly what Chris was looking for. I sent him the beat and sounds, and he started to work on a song building around that material. Travis nailed it—he did indeed create the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Christopher Nolan adds, “As we were finishing the musical sound of the film, one of Ludwig’s suggestions was to bring Travis Scott into the mix and show him the film and get his input. Travis watched the film and really connected with it and had a lot of very valuable insights about what we were trying to do. The song he created from Ludwig’s tracks and the way in which we wound up layering his voice into various elements of the soundtrack through the film really became the final piece of this puzzle.”
Tenet is scheduled for release in North America on September 3 via Warner Bros Pictures. The film stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Martin Donovan, Fiona Dourif, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Himesh Patel, Clémence Poésy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, with Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh.
(AllHipHop News) Tennessee’s Young Dolph currently has one of the best-selling projects in America. His Rich Slave album debuted at #4 on the most recent Billboard 200 chart.
Dolph’s latest studio LP opened with 65,000 equivalent album units. Rich Slave is the Memphis-raised rapper’s second Top 10 release, following 2019’s Dum and Dummer collaborative album with Key Glock which peaked at #8.
“It’s the reality of being Black in this country,” said Young Dolph about the Rich Slave title. “You can have money, and you can be a benefactor and a leader in your community, but all people see is Black skin. All the bullsh*t I heard about as a kid, we still face in today’s time.”
Elsewhere on the Billboard 200 chart, Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon (#2) and Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die (#3) remained in the Top 5. Taylor Swift’s Folklore held onto the #1 position for a fourth straight week.
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West has said over and over again that he is a genius, not just in music but also in business.
Despite how brilliant he seems to be, he made one of the most tone-deaf business moves in the latest drop of his new Yeezy sneaker. West has recently dropped kicks that bear the name of two Islamic angels of judgment and death.
The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Israfil is a shoe Adidas already has on its way to market, and the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Asriel that should be released in September/ October.
YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 ISRAFIL. AVAILABLE AUGUST 22 IN ASIA PACIFIC, EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA AT https://t.co/SNOmpVaWg8, ON THE ADIDAS APP IN SELECT COUNTRIES, AND IN SELECT ADIDAS STORES. pic.twitter.com/TqUvKf2ion
Israfil is the Islamic counterpart to the Judeo-Christian angel Raphael, and ushers in the Day of Judgment which is considered Qiyamah. He is also considered the angel of music. While the angel is not mentioned in the Quran, repeatedly the Holy Scripture speaks about an unnamed trumpet-angel that tradition connects with him.
Asriel, though spelled differently in the Islamic tradition (Azrael), is the angel of death.
Both angels are considered archangels, along with Jibrael and Mikeal.
The backlash has been swift and intense.
Social media has started pushing for the be renamed shoes, an apology be issued, and for Adidas to set up a process to evaluate product and marketing campaigns for cultural, gender-based, and racial nuances.
Dear @adidas I am gonna STOP buying and using your products if those Kanye West's newest shoes' names aren't changed because it IT DOES NOT RESPECT Islam. #ShameOnKanyeWest#ShameOnYeezy
I'm not really sure what to make of this? @adidas has released the name of their new trainers Yeezy Boost 'Israfil'. The name of the angel in Islam who will blow the trumpet to mark the end of the world and the beginning of the day of Judgement. pic.twitter.com/Rv5kU1WVvE
“It has came to the attention of the Global Muslim community that Adidas has allowed the production of a shoe that is named after an archangel in Islam. This is highly offensive to the Muslim community,” the petition reads.
“Until further notice, we request all Muslims to boycott adidas products, cease all sale of adidas products by any Muslim owned 3rd party retail shops until adidas ceases the production of this commodity.”
“We demand a formal apology and for Adidas to donate all proceeds of this shoe to an appropriate charity. Profiting off hate speech is unforgivable and unacceptable. We look forward to hearing Adidas apology and steps to remedy this fiasco. Thank you for your support.”
Kanye has not addressed the Muslim community but has affirmed his faith.
Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?!”
(AllHipHop News) When Yusef Hawkins, a 16-year-old teen from East New York, was murdered in 1989, the death nearly tore Brooklyn apart, igniting racial tensions between the African American and Italian American community that still exists today.
No one could have suspected, that one of the persons involved with his race-based killing has been hiding in plain sight — not in politics, education, or in the police force but in Hip-Hop.
According to a new HBO documentary called Storm Over Brooklyn, Pasquale Raucci aka Paddy Duke, Hot 97’s Commercial Production Director, allegedly was with the wicked perpetrators who killed young, Hawkins.
On August 23, 1989, Hawkins and three friends, Luther Sylvester, Troy Banner, and Claude Stanford, went to Bensonhurst to check out a car that one of them was interested in purchasing $900.
The young white teens, a mob of over 10 people, attacked the quartet believing that one of these Black boys had been dating a neighborhood girl, a storyline used in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever as an Easter egged tribute to this horribly bigoted sociology.
As they surrounded the boys with baseball bats and vile racial hate, the boys anticipated getting jumped.
No one expected that Hawkins would be shot two times in his chest and once in the heart on Bay Ridge and 20th Avenues on that Wednesday night 31 years ago.
According to the New York Daily News, the police detained ten young Italian men who were being accused of the crimes against Hawkins, naming Keith Mondello as the instigator and Joey Fama as the shooter. The pistol that was used is now gone.
One of the boys, who was arraigned in the state supreme court with Mondello, is Paddy Duke. The Daily News printed a picture in 1990, with his face.
The documentary sheds light on the crime, but also shows how Paddy Duke, who was able to reinvent himself and create a career at a radio station that many consider just as influential in the proliferation of Hip-Hop as the major artists that they play on air.
How did he build a career on the coattails of people that years earlier he was invested in abusing?
Raucci was a producer and on-air DJ for the Angie Martinez show from December 1994 to January 2003. From 2003 until now, he served as the Commercial Production Director at Hot 97.
Lead personality Ebro spoke about the documentary, earlier in the summer but did not mention Paddy Dukes’ connection. Perhaps, he did not make the connection.
Ironically, fans have called on Hot 97 to not only speak about Yusef Hawkins’ murder but also comment on their employee — pushing for him to make a statement.
Please revisit the Hot 97/Paddy Duke conversation.
“After watching HBO’s Storm over Brooklyn, HOT97 was shocked and took swift action. Paddy Duke is no longer employed by HOT97. The march for social justice continues,” the station said via Twitter.
(AllHipHop News) Nike bosses have tapped rapper Kendrick Lamar to front a new TV ad celebrating Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday.
The “Just Be Better” ad debuted on Sunday and featured footage of Kobe and other diversity figures in sport as Kendrick offered narration.
The rap star also briefly appeared, playing the piano. The ad begins with Lamar stating: “Kobe taught us to be better.”
The basketball legend and Oscar winner perished in a helicopter accident in January.
Meanwhile, Kobe’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, led the tributes to the sports hero on social media, confessing life for the family left behind ”feels so empty” without him.
Vanessa, who also lost her daughter Gigi in the helicopter crash, took to Instagram and wrote: “To my baby – Happy birthday. I love you and miss you more than I can ever explain. I wish you and Gigi were here to celebrate YOU! I wish I could make you your fav food or a birthday cake with my Gigi.
“I miss your big hugs, your kisses, your smile, your loud a## deep laugh. I miss teasing you, making you laugh and bursting your bubble. I miss you sitting on my lap like my big baby that you are. I think about your tenderness and patience all the time. I think about everything you would do in situations to help me deal with everything thrown my way.”
She added: ”Thank you for growing up with me and teaching me how to be strong. How to try to see the best in people but cutout the bs (bulls**t). Your thoughtful gestures and the amazing way you made us all feel is extremely missed. I picture your smile and wide big welcoming hugs daily… I wish I could wake up from this horrible nightmare. I wish I could surprise our girls and welcome you and Gigi home to us. I’m mad I didn’t go first. I always wanted to go first so that I selfishly didn’t have to feel this heartache. You were supposed to miss me. Gigi was supposed to be here with her sisters. It should’ve been me.”
(AllHipHop News) This weekend, teen rap sensation Lil Mosey was arrested for riding around with three illegal firearms that apparently belonged to no one in the car.
Mosey, whose real name is Lathan Moses Stanley Echols, hit the big time only three years ago with the single called the “Pull Up.”
Swiftly thrown into the limelight, he has since dropped out of high school and assumed the lifestyle of the rich rap star.
Mosey, his bodyguard/ driver and friends are caught up with weapons…weapons that not one of them tried to claim.
It was noted that Lil Mosey is a teen, right?
The 18-year-old “Blueberry Faygo” rapper was pulled over in Burbank, early Sunday morning (around 1 am PST) by police officers, who noticed that the 2016 Cadillac Escalade he was riding in had no plates on it.
During the inspection, the officers eyed an empty holster on the bodyguard/driver’s lap. They also found within the car three loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistols, a gun on the juvenile’s person, one in the glove box and another in the center console.
The cops further searched the vehicle and recovered four credit cards in the bodyguard/ driver’s backpack and not one of them belonged to anyone in the car. Everyone was detained.
Mosey was able to post bail at $35,000. He is expected, according to the outlet, to return to court in September.
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop has a strange connection to the OWN reality series “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” and the 2016 murder of the show’s star, Andre Montgomery.
“Sweetie Pie’s” was a successful restaurant empire in St. Louis founded by Robbie Montgomery, a former Ikette with legendary singer Tina Turner.
Oprah fell in love with her vivacious personality and interesting family dynamic. O offered the family a reality series on OWN in 2011.
But things fell apart when Robbie sued her son James Timothy Norman in 2016, for trying to pimp her franchise name and stealing money. The two settled in 2017. Robbie opened a new restaurant earlier this year.
Andre, Robbie’s beloved grandson, was murdered around the time of the fallout between mother and son.
According to Fox News, Andre Montgomery’s murder was set up by his uncle, and fellow co-star.
It is alleged that Norman hired an exotic dancer to set him up and now the U.S. Attorney’s office is suggesting that the reason was for-profit and is connected to one of the Midwest’s biggest rap stars.
Before entering into the insurance world, Yaghnam was one of the producers for the multi-platinum album, Nellyville with the three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper, Nelly.
Yaghnam also was a collaborator with Basement Beats, and though not credited by name, is responsible partially for Country Grammar.
Yaghnam, who is also called “Wally,” acted as the insurance broker for Norman and the pair orchestrated an illegal purchase of insurance policies on Montgomery totaling $450,000.
Yaghnam allegedly did so by falsifying statements on the life insurance applications for Andre Montgomery and misstated the nephew’s net worth, income, medical history, employment, and family background.
Starting in 2014, Yaghnam and Norman began their murderous plot by submitting three fake applications on Andre Montgomery’s life.
From these efforts, Norman was able to secure a $200,000 policy, a $200,000 accidental death rider, and another $50,000 rider that would pay out to Norman if Montgomery died before he turned 28-years-old, or ten years after his 18th birthday.
Tragically, Andre Montgomery was gunned down in March of 2016 when he was just 21-years-old.
There used to be a notion floating around Hip-Hop that inferred that battle rappers could not make music.
Based off a few failures to translate from cipher to soundtrack, that narrative was pushed heavily in the late 90s and early 2000s by artists like Canibus and Jin who failed to put out commercially successful projects.
However, this new generation of competition lyricists has learned from the mistakes of others. Big time artists like Eminem, Joe Budden, Meek Mill, Drake, and Tory Lanez have all connected the origins of their rap careers to low-level rhyme competitions based on the age-old rites of passage of battling.
Now, emcees in battle culture are more polished, the sport is more structured and commercially viable. The artists have more access to technology to work on making music and are studying the game.
The divide between making dope music and verbally knocking someone’s head off is not as wide. This is evident by the huge fan base that these new artists have and their ability to connect via social media in ways that those “keeping it real battlers” from back on your block never could.
Check out the following projects that have dropped this year that are proof that battle rappers make dope music and are not just competitive on a league but can also bang alongside any joint on your favorite radio station or playlist.
Probably one of battle rap’s biggest luminaries, this project is an East Coast answer to the universal anthem of street-s##t. With all the charisma of Drake and the hood-social consciousness of Tupac, MSYKM pushes Surf further than his mixtape with Mozzy on Empire (Blood Cuzzins) and his hit 2019 album, Seven 25. His lead single “5’7” has inspired women to look at themselves, reconciling their personal pain with the assurance that a Black man sees them and honors them.
Shout out to the trappers! D.I. Da HennyMan takes the musicality and tone of Maybach Music’s head honcho Rick Ross with his signature Maryland cool to produce a solid project reflective of a grown-ass man taking his craft and life to the next level.
Videographer and businessman Avocado has taken his battle rap platform, Ruin Your Day, and produced a compilation mixtape with a few of the most popular guests from the show. The influencer has tapped artists from every part of the country to offer a richly diverse project with not only range but heart. The mixtape opens with Ryda and features heavy hitters like Hollow Da Don, Nu Jerzey Twork, Rum Nitty, Geechi Gotti, Bill Collector, MyVerse, Bigg K, Quban, Illmac, E. Hart, D.I. Da Henny Man, Lush One, and B Dot the God. He also gives shine to artists like Eddy I., Baby Franco, Death Dealers Anonymous, DJ Akoza, Reverse Live, ESEM, Bezzelz, Young Shame, Young Claybo, Chase More, Frak, Tony Madness, Spiff, and Fredo Algebra.
Shotgun Suge makes music for the car, for the club and for your favorite street playlists. The Newark rapper has a sound that hovers over the popular drill movement but has a unique groove threaded throughout the project that reminds you that he has a story originated from the streets that have molded him into the “G” that he is. Trust … all eight songs are blaze.
If I Had A Heart is a great introduction to the Island God as a recording artist. Within the album, Aye Verb masters storytelling in the way that legacy artists like Scarface and Andre 3000 did in a generation of lyricism long forgotten. His song, “Lining Straight” featuring Reason is intoxicating. His voice melts into the seductive orchestration like he is more invested in making quality music over something hot but will soon be disposable. The album, like the Tinman from the Wizard of Oz, shows why men lose the sensitivity of their hearts. BTW way… Aide Ade… she needs a project quick.
Highlighting battle rappers because they make good music is nothing new. Most rappers from the 70s up until the early 2000s built their careers on competitive emceeing.
Battlers Rakim and Big Daddy Kane birthed Nas and Jay-Z, who in turn fathered mad rappers styles in the culture. There would be no lanes to make money on a large commercial level if the Wu-Tang Clan did not cross over and all of them started battling each other from different parts of Staten Island (just catch Method Man’s battle with Math Hoffa).
Now, the world is all buzzing because monthly, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have utilized this battle rap format, the back and forth of good music, to lift the energy that these new battlers have made hot.
The culture is widening and getting smaller at the same time. The divide between commercial and underground is closing with social media being the means to get dope music out.
And now … those gatekeepers who kept real lyricists out of the game are nervous. The true emcees and creatives in the culture got the formula and are staking their claim right next to those selected by suits to run the game.
(AllHipHop News) The Feds have just tapped Texas rapper Da Breadman and eight others in a huge drug ring takedown.
Da Breadman told us in his 2018 song that he was on some “Other S##t,” but who knew he was really about that life? Uhm… the gov’ment.
The nine people were snagged on charges that alleged that they intentionally came together to distribute meth, cocaine and/ or oxycodone and hydrocodone in an elaborate system of drug dealing.
At the center of the charges is the 42-year-old emcee, whose birth name is Jermaine West.
According to the press release from the Department of Justice, Houston natives West and Jonathan Rawlins and Bobby Pharms were charged in the meth and cocaine conspiracy.
However, the indictment suggests that West was even deeper in the drug game than just selling hard.
He also sold prescription opioids with others: Tersha French, Ronald Lucas, and Antonia Vega, Cynthia Ngwaba, Leon Covin, and Toni Maria Nalintya.
During 2018, when he was dropping his biggest career joints like “Dirty Money,” “Big Bags,” and “Super Hard,” the indictment alleges that he was selling drugs near Lil Flip and Lil Keke’s alma mater, Worthing High School in the 3rd Ward.
The indictment named the Ennis Street Pharmacy and Barker Cypress Pharmacy as the sources of some of the pills that he and his associates sold.
The FBI investigated these crimes through the Houston Anti-Gang Center with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Trial Attorney Devon Helfmeyer with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Corley are prosecuting the case.
Rah Swish is here to make sure the Woo lives on forever. Specifically, his good friend and late rapper Pop Smoke, who was shot earlier this year in February inside a rental home in Los Angeles.
Describing himself as “legendary,” the Canarsie, Brooklyn native is one of the hottest rappers amidst the Brooklyn drill scene, here to finish what Pop Smoke started. When it comes to the Woo, he states, “The Woo doesn’t really have a definition because the Woo is a lifestyle. It’s not a one-person title, there’s a lot of us that live the same lifestyle. Come from the same area, background, struggle, and we living these lifestyles — so we are the Woos.”
Equipped with an undeniable level of litness, Rah Swish delivers that aggressive, hard-hitting flow while adding his own ad-libs and storytelling. Most recently, he blessed fans with his newest project titled WOO Forever, spearheaded by “Feel Like Pop” paying tribute to his late friend. He also got his feet wet in the film world, releasing his short film BK Belly or #WOOVIE — inspired by Hype Williams’ 1998 classic Belly.
AllHipHop caught up with Rah Swish in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his friendship with Pop Smoke and the new project.
AllHipHop: Being from Canarsie, Brooklyn, what was the household like growing up?
Rah Swish: It was cool growing up. You don’t really know nothing else so you accept what you’re in. It was calm, it was regular. Street life, young black man growing up in the hood. Regular s##t.
AllHipHop: Who were you bumping coming up?
Rah Swish: A lot of Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Drake (the earlier stuff). I was f##king with them.
AllHipHop: At what point did you realize you wanted to do music forever?
Rah Swish: s##t, my gang. My brothers were rapping before me showed me. Once they started doing their thing, I’m like “s##t I can rap too.” I started rapping with them. After I seen the traction and attention it was getting around the hood, I stuck with it.
AllHipHop: You’ve been rapping for 5 years, when did you get on?
Rah Swish: The whole 2016 is when I started buzzing in Brooklyn. I was solidified as a Brooklyn rapper. From there, it was consistent work. From 2016 on, alright I’m a rapper now.
AllHipHop: You guys in the Brooklyn drill movement have a nice little wave going.
Rah Swish: I am glad we’re getting recognition. When we first started doing music, we never saw a future in it. It was a dream. We’re gonna rap and do what we’re doing right now. Now the stage it’s at, it’s good to see now because everybody’s eating. It turned this little hobby we’re doing into a real job.
AllHipHop: You were able to walk away from the streets?
Rah Swish: Definitely took a step away from the streets but you know, you gon’ be a street ni**a forever. When you get the right amount of money, you realize “I got s##t to lose.” I can’t be living the same regular lifestyle I was living. You move with some type of sense now.
AllHipHop: You just released WOO Forever, how does it feel to have it out?
Rah Swish: It’s good, the reaction was good. A lot of people told me they f##ked with it. I put together the project within a month a half. It felt rushed, but not really because I was just working. I was glad to see everyone f##k with it. During the times of what I was going through putting out music, to have them really accept it I appreciate it.
AllHipHop: “Feel Like Pop” is so powerful, how close were you with Pop Smoke?
Rah Swish: That’s my brother right there. We met in the hood, doing street s##t. We met on the block. I was rapping before him. Once he started rapping, we kept clicking together more and more. It was a vibe. You see Pop, you see Rah.
AllHipHop: Ya’ll got music together?
Rah Swish: We did a couple songs together. 2 of them got leaked.
AllHipHop: Were you mad?
Rah Swish: Mmm I was mad but f##k it, they’re still getting to hear it. We got 3 or 4 songs in the stash that didn’t get released. We got some crazy memories doing shows, a lot of shows. After the shows it’d be crazy. Before the shows, it’d be crazy. The whole show, life is crazy.
AllHipHop: Ya’ll turnt up or what?
Rah Swish: Yeah definitely, he the turn up king right there. He makes sure everyone is turnt.
AllHipHop: Turnt off the liquor…?
Rah Swish: Yeah, definitely the liquor. We don’t do too much hard drugs.
AllHipHop: The song is so powerful, how was making the song?
Rah Swish: It took a lot to make the song, it brings back memories. You try to block that out your mind so you don’t get emotional and stay focused. Shooting the video, I’m doing it for him. I’m not even gon’ watch it or let it emotionally affect me. Go through with it and get the s##t done.
AllHipHop: What was your reaction when you heard? You were in NY?
Rah Swish: Yeah I was in New York, leaving the studio. I heard and I thought it was fake, fake news going on. I started making calls, they’re like “nah he got shot.” I’m like what?” A couple minutes later, “he passed away.” The news was crazy, I didn’t know how to feel. Even though I heard it through the phone in real life, it was fake to me.
AllHipHop: What was it like seeing him blow up like he did?
Rah Swish: It was a good feeling because he always said he was going to do it. I’m looking at him, holy s##t this ni**a a psychic. How the f##k he …? so it was good. There’s never no hate in my heart for nobody, especially someone I f##k with and care about. The whole way, he always kept me in tune with every step. “Yo bro I’m doing this, so you ‘bouta do this. The labels like this, so f##k with this.” It was a good vibe, he always kept me in tune with what’s going on.
AllHipHop: How’s your journey with EMPIRE?
Rah Swish: What they were proposing made the most sense, for me to start my own s##t and have a partnership with them. They really showed me love. I met with Ghazi, Nima, Bobby, all had genuine love and actually f##k with me. They’re like “oh this song? I f##k with this. This the s##t you made last year? I f##k with this.” Alright, they’re in tune with what’s going on. They actually see me becoming a bigger artist.
AllHipHop: Do you want to stay independent?
Rah Swish: The independent label now is treating me good. I have to get presented with a good situation that’d make more sense. I’m really going with whatever makes sense at the time.
AllHipHop: What songs mean the most to you & why?
Rah Swish: Definitely “Feel Like Pop,” “Woo Forever,” “We Can Do It.” They all mean a lot because it was different moods that I was in. The song “Tongue Out,” I went to the studio drunk in a party mood. f##k it, turn up. That means a lot because whenever I get in my party mode, let me play “Tongue Out.” “We Can Do It” is a street love song, I f##k with that one. Whenever I wanna be a gentle gangsta, okay you can put this love s##t on. All of them really mean something to me because it’s a certain mood that I was in when I was recording.
AllHipHop: Talk about your short film under BK Belly?
The short film came about being in the studio, I’m telling them I can act too. They’re joking like “nah, you can only do this.” Nah, I can act. I’ve always wanted to be an actor, so we put it to the test. We actually made a script, did it and it came out fire. We’re definitely going to work on part 2. A lot of hours, I was tired as f##k. I wasn’t ready for all those takes. 1 scene, 37 takes, I’m like oh s##t. I had fun filming, definitely did what we expected it to do.
AllHipHop: What do you like about the film Belly?
Rah Swish: Just the whole thing and how it showed the whole street life. If a person don’t really understand the streets or never been to the hood, it really show me that aura and that energy.
AllHipHop: You say your passion is different, how so?
Rah Swish: I played sports, I played football. I got a different type of drive. Whatever I’m doing, I’m not going to quit. Especially if I put my heart into something, that makes the passion grow. I’ll never give up on anything I put my mind to. Music’s what I fell in love with, music is my life so I’ma give it my all. Give everything 110%.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Rah Swish: Liquor, water, Peanut M&Ms. Matter of fact, apple juice. [laughs] That’s my favorite drink, Tropicana apple juice.
AllHipHop: Best encounter you had with a fan?
Rah Swish: I seen this little kid, had to be around 6 or 7. He was so amazed to see me. No one’s looked at me like that, especially at such a young age. He’s rapping my s##t, crazy. I told him “you know I be performing and forgetting my words? You know all the s##t.” Young homie knows all the words, he was talking that s##t. He felt it.
AllHipHop: Top 5 rappers in rotation?
Rah Swish: I always switch my Top 5. Lil Baby, Drake, Roddy Ricch, Pop Smoke, Rah Swish.
AllHipHop: Dream collab?
Rah Swish: Jay-Z. We have the same birthday.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Rah Swish: Rah Swish is in the state we are going to keep going crazy we are gonna turn up. It’s only the beginning. We are on a legendary run. We are gonna finish the job. Keep putting on for the woos.
