(AllHipHop News) With all of the talk about his presidential bid, work as an Off-Broadway producer, his deals with Adidas and the GAP, his work in ministry and just trying to keep up with his Kardashian-paced life, sometimes forget that underneath all of that acumen is a boy from Chicago that expresses himself through Hip-Hop.
Check out some of the knowledge that he spit, probably off the dome. #ChitownStandUp
First, he addressed the thuggish-ruggish 2020 COVID-19 pandemic — and the hate that it gives to the world.
Kanye raps, “This is what the COVID list made, all this hate. All this hate, Look at what the COVID list made. All this pain. Tried to keep us quiet caused riots. Look at what the COVID list made.”
In this particular freestyle, he shouted out his in-laws Kris Kardashian and Rob. He suggested that we change our diets, by considering a new “meal” plan, humanity will then get up on God’s real plan that he is a “real fan” of.
He also spoke about Pope Francis’s ability to speak 27 languages, even as there is only one language that matters: the language of love. He also spoke about someone hiding in a bunker … could that be a shot at the president? During the George Floyd demonstrations, it was shared by various news outlets that President Trump was hiding in his bunker, afraid that protesters would take the White House.
His next bit started by references Rob Kardashian, Sr. and O.J. Simpson. After sharing how happy he was as a child that O.J. was acquitted, he references one of the ten commandments, “Thou Shall Not Kill” to support his belief that government-sanctioned executions are still a form of unlawful murder in God’s eyes. He then started to recite lyrics from his latest song, “Wash Us in The Blood” featuring Travis Scott. Interestingly enough, *F**orbes* did not pick up on the remix of his song, to prove his point.
Rounding out the trilogy of creative thought is a poetic conversation on “dirt, the earth, and God’s turf.” He advocated for rebirth and even shouted out Damien Hirst.
At the end of the last rhyme, he shared with the interviewer that he had “way more” rhymes stored around his beliefs. The world cannot wait to hear what the great Ye’ dares to share. Each time he breaks stuff down, we become clearer the way we should all go.
(AllHipHop News) Jay-Z’s entertainment agency Roc Nation has entered into a new partnership aiming to revive the fortunes of Italian soccer AC MILAN.
Bosses at Jay’s firm and the soccer club announced their “unique, industry-first partnership” on Thursday, focusing on their philanthropic efforts, and partnering on music, sporting, and cultural events.
The new partnership follows the two organizations’ collaboration on the From Milan with Love charity live-stream hosted by DJ Khaled and featuring the likes of Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, and the Jonas Brothers, in May.
AC Milan chief revenue officer Casper Stylsvig says in a statement to Sportsbusiness.com: “AC Milan as a club has always looked to push the boundaries and do things differently. This ambitious partnership will help us to showcase the power of the AC Milan and Roc Nation brands across sports, entertainment, and lifestyle and provide us with some exciting new ways to engage with our fans and partners around the world.”
Roc Nation executive Michael Yormark adds: “Both brands possess a strong commitment to community, which was evident through the success of From Milan with Love. I am looking forward to building on that success by creating more opportunities together that combines the integrity of the club’s rich history and Roc Nation’s signature ability to create and move culture.”
The Roc Nation deal comes with Milan struggling with a title drought lasting almost a decade, with the team unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League tournament.
(AllHipHop News) Lil Nas X and Victoria Monet lead a diverse class of more than 2,300 music professionals invited to join America’s Recording Academy.
The 21-year-old rapper, who has won two of the Academy’s Grammy Awards, expressed his delight at joining the organization as a new member in a statement posted on Grammy.com.
He said: “I’m so honored to join the Recording Academy’s membership class of 2020. I’m so excited to officially be a part of the family with so many legends in the industry, and to be a new voice to represent other music creators like me out there.”
Other musicians listed in the class – which is 48 per cent female, 21 percent African-American, and eight percent Hispanic – include Victoria Monet, Kiana Lede, GUNNA, and Le’Andria Johnson.
In a roundtable with some of the new honorees, existing member John Legend shared: “We can literally be the change that we want to see in the academy. We still need to (be) more diverse… Rather than throw up our hands and say ‘it’s going to be a stodgy, old white guy organization,’ we’re the people that are going to change it.”
The class of 2020 is nearly twice as large as 2019’s, with Recording Academy chiefs determined to transform its membership and boost the profile of previously underrepresented groups.
In 2018, and 2019, country music star Jimmie Allen shook the Billboard charts with back to back number one hits. In 2018, his single “Best Shot” took over the #1 slot on the Country radio charts. Jimmie proved to be a fan favorite with his second single “Make Me Want To,” which also hit #1, marking the first time in history that a black artist launched their career with two consecutive No. 1 singles on Country radio.
Now the Delaware native is back with a new EP featuring a few of music’s biggest legends. The platinum-selling singer/songwriter’s star-studded collaboration project “Bettie James” is out now via Stoney Creek Records/BBR Music Group.
Jimmie assembled an amazing lineup for the seven-track EP “Bettie James,” which was co-produced by Allen and Ash Bowers. The new music was inspired by and named after his late father, James Allen, and late grandmother, Bettie Snead, who passed away in September 2019 and February 2014 respectively.
Jimmie checks in with AllHipHop just prior to his historic performance at the Grand Ole Opry to discuss being Black in country, how his family inspired his new EP and Nelly’s amazing songwriting skills.
With a new four-month-old baby and new music on the way. Jimmie talks to AllHipHop with a whole lot to be thankful for.
AllHipHop: Jimmie, What’s up, man?
Jimmie Allen: Man. Good to see you. The family is good. I got a little girl four-month-old so me and my fiance are adjusting to being the parents of a daughter. It’s a completely different thing, a completely different ballgame.
AllHipHop: What’s the difference between being a boy dad and a girl dad?
Jimmie Allen: Being a boy dad is kind of like you “do your thing, do what you wanna do. Being a girl dad, it’s like every little thing I’m like, looking around. And I know as she gets older, I know one day she’ll get a boyfriend and ahhh, I’m taking my time to that, having a boyfriend and all that other stuff and, you know, making sure you know, boys got their minds in the right places.
AllHipHop: 2020 has been a very interesting year with Coronavirus and racism but I really wanted to talk to you personally about the current state of social justice, as an African-American that’s in a predominantly Southern white music genre. How, how have you personally been dealing with stuff like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the countless others African-American lives that have been taken?
Jimmie Allen: Man, it bothered me. Like it messed me up for a while man. That’s why, I didn’t post anything or say anything for a couple of days, like five-six days. I had people on my socials like Jimmie when you gonna say something about George Floyd. I wanted to say something. But at the same time, when I say something I want to be meaningful, you know what I mean?
I feel like I’m in a position to where I can say something. and people would listen in my area of music. So I had to let people know I’m hurt. This is wrong. We’ve got to change it. I’m definitely tired of seeing Black people just killed man for just the simplest things that could easily be solved through a conversation or simply being handcuffed, and put in the car. So when I post I let people know my frustration and how it hurt me and how as a father of a Black son, I’m definitely concerned for his safety and mine.
I got pulled over one time in Virginia when I was headed to Delaware driving after “Best Shot” went #1. This cop pulled me over and was like “do you know, I stopped you?” He’s just like really aggressive, off the jump. “Hey, man, you got any weapons in your car? You got any kind of drugs?” I’m like “Nah, man.” He was like, “I need to search a car, I’m having to get up the car right now.” So dude started pulling on the door handle.
Luckily this other officer pulls up. And he says, “Hey, is everything okay over here? What’s going on?” He looks at me and says “wait aint you Jimmie Allen that sings ‘Best Shot’?” I’m like “Yeah.” He said, “Well, I’m gonna go talk to the guys.” He talked to them, calmed them down, but my thing is, what if I wasn’t Jimmie Allen that sang “Best Shot”? Man, it bothered me. So I wanted to say something about how there is injustice. And if you know if people don’t see it, I feel like you you’re lying to yourself. It’s there.
To us when we want the change, I want them to see it the way I see it right now. The reality is man, it takes time. The same thing growing up, there’s a lot of things in my denomination that I was taught. That wasn’t really biblical. It was just tradition. So I had to unlearn a lot of stuff I was taught. And in the process of unlearning, I’m questioning why did people even teach me this to begin with? But my delivery should be in a way to where it’s not aggressive to the point where they don’t listen. Because we want people to hear what we’re saying. And we want change. And I feel like the way is to say how we feel but in a way to where they can process it. Because if someone doesn’t see the world through your eyes, and experience everything you experienced, we can’t expect them to just understand it right away. You know, they actually have to see it.
When I tell people that Black Lives Matter, sometimes they hit you with all lives matter. But all lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter. So if Black lives don’t matter. How can all lives matter? It’s that simple to me. I don’t understand what the big issue is people have saying Black Lives Matter.
AllHipHop: The Confederate flag is a big symbol that is used throughout the South. I’m sure it’s in your face constantly when you’re moving through different venues. How do you deal with the flag and how do you feel about these Confederate monuments that are coming down?
Jimmie Allen: Man, it’s good to see people taking the stand towards taking them down. It’s crazy how you have you know, when people want to take down something that has to do with the mistreatment of Black people there’s an issue. If there was the Hitler statue up that would have been down. There’s no question about it. History or not man, wrong is wrong and right is right. The crazy thing is I’ve had some interesting experiences. I remember one time I was at a show. And this dude came up to me and said I loved your concert, I’m a true fan. He quoted songs off my record and said, “can you sign my vest for me?” I was like, “Yeah.” He turns around his vest is a big old confederate flag. Well, I signed right in the middle of it.
I also have to keep the mindset of some people honestly, in their heart, don’t see a problem with certain things that might affect me or you. And that’s where you have to take into account, just because things don’t affect you personally, doesn’t mean it’s not wrong. The same thing with the whole Washington Redskins thing.
My great grandmother didn’t let me watch no Redskins games in her house. She said, “to me, it is a derogatory term.” She said, “imagine there’s a team called the Washington Black Boys, the Washington N-Words.” There would be a problem. How we treated Natives has been suppressed over so many years, we become numb and don’t even think about it like that. But again, just because you don’t think about it, doesn’t mean it’s not right.
AllHipHop: Have you had to deal with racism moving within the country music, not necessarily just fans but in the corporate part of it just being a Black man in country? Have you had to deal with people saying crazy stuff to you in meetings or that kind of stuff?
Jimmie Allen: Oh, yeah. There was a guy that worked for a certain record label. We are sitting in the meeting, and this guy says, “Jimmie, I like you, man. You’re super cool for a Black guy.” Then he proceeds that say “well I like to music, but I’m not sure how our fans feel about your people. Or if your people would support you.” I turn the guy who was with me and I’m like, “he is racist as hell.” So I said, “I’m out of here bro.” I could have snapped and said something. But again our actions are a choice. No matter how mad and frustrated I was, I wasn’t going to let this guy’s negative mentality force me to say something or do something that would hinder me from reaching my goals. It was hard to bite my tongue, I’m not gonna lie. But he no longer works for that label or any label. He’s currently unemployed in the music business.
AllHipHop: So let’s get into this new EP “Bettie James.”
Jimmie Allen: I named it after my grandma who died in 2014 and my dad died last year, September 2019. I’ve always wanted to leave their legacy in a trail through my music. My grandma, she was quiet and was an usher at a church. But she was a fisher as well. And she taught me a lot about being patient. My father was the one that taught me a lot about being yourself and taking risks. So I was taking a risk with this project with the different artists I wanted on it. And at the same time, I was patient in my creativity and writing the songs and finding the right artists for the right songs.
AllHipHop: I have to ask you about this Nelly collaboration. I have never heard Nelly sing like this before. I’ve heard Nelly jump on country songs and I heard him do what Nelly usually does, but I honestly on this track, I had to listen back a couple of times I realized he was singing on this song.
Jimmie Allen: I don’t think people quite understand how talented this dude is. If you go back and listen to all his other records, he was hitting y’all with that slick, singing rap thing for a minute. And he gets down man. I remember sitting there writing with him saying like, “I’m writing with Nelly.” This might not be a big deal to people, but it is a big deal for me. You know growing up in Delaware I remember being in middle school, high school, and college bumping Nelly. And to be in a room writing and creating with him was awesome man. So hats off to Nelly, I appreciate you for taking the time to sit down and write with a dude you never met before man. He’s a real one for sure.
AllHipHop: You’ve got a lot of big names on this project, but I had to ask you about Darius Rucker. As a trailblazing Black country music star himself, did he give you any personal advice or any conversation that you guys have been able to have on how to navigate?
Jimmie Allen: Yeah, man, because Darius is in one of the biggest rock bands of all time. Hootie & the Blowfish, he took over the rock world and now the country world. He told me, be yourself. Don’t let anyone dictate how you respond to what you do, what you say. No matter what you do people are going to have opinions about it.
But you have to be comfortable with yourself you know what I mean? And that’s my ultimate goal. To let younger Black people know that might want to do country, to do it! Young Black people that might want to be a rocker. We can’t let people can let society put us in the box as Black people and say you can only do Hip-Hop and R&B bro.
(AllHipHop News) Beyonce’s Beygood foundation has teamed up with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) to launch a new fund for black-owned small businesses that are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund will offer grants of $10,000 to “black-owned small businesses in select cities to help sustain businesses during this time”, NAACP said.
Cities include New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, and, to be eligible for the grant, applicants must either be a “black-owned small business owner” or be able to “provide property damage or replacement estimates”.
“The NAACP is proud to partner with BeyGOOD to help strengthen small businesses and to ensure economic empowerment for Black businesses,” the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund’s website description reads.
“The challenges of Black business owners navigating in the climate cannot be understated, as the effects of uprisings across the nation have led to many businesses being placed in dire straits due to damages and other small business needs.”
It’s not the first time Beyonce has done her bit to provide financial relief amid the pandemic. In April BeyGOOD partnered with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s Start Small fund to provide $6 million to various organizations during the health crisis.
Tennessee Artist RK2 teamed up with another Tennessee Artist, Q Bosilini of Spice 1’s TWMG and started making moves. The Tennessee artists recorded the “Like Dat” single and shot the video in the Heart of Chattanooga not far from UTC football stadium.
Things quickly got a lil sticky when someone decided to call the CPD on RK2 for having a 9 milometer gun but by the grace of God everyone walked away from a situation where RK2 and Yung P Manee were surrounded by the CPD in tactical gear with guns pointed at them from all directions.
RK2 did comment on the altercation that he had with the Chattanooga Police Department. “It left me wandering if this would have gone another way if my skin color was different? Like what if this was my son out here and not me? Either way I’m grateful and you can see the CPD pulling up on me throughout the video when I’m in the black hoodie”. I knew that they were coming for me during that particular scene so I performed til they came up on us with guns out.”
“Like Dat” is the first release from RK2/EastwoodEnt, a partnership between RK2 and West Coast Legend Eastwood aka Mr. Black Bandana!
(AllHipHop News) Back in April, Brian Kemp was one of the first governors in the United States to begin reopening his state’s economy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Georgia now has over 106,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and the amount of people hospitalized by the disease continues to climb.
Due to favorable data & more testing, gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools & massage therapists can reopen Friday, April 24 with Minimum Basic Operations. #gapol
The Atlanta metropolitan counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb have recorded some of the highest numbers of coronavirus infections in the state. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms even revealed that she and some of her family members have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, at least 750 prisoners and 267 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. There are reportedly around 54,000 people incarcerated in the state’s prison system with over 10,500 employees at the correctional facilities.
We FINALLY received our test results taken 8 days before. One person in my house was positive then. By the time we tested again, 1 week later, 3 of us had COVID. If we had known sooner, we would have immediately quarantined. Perhaps the National Guard can help with testing too.
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) July 8, 2020
Hip Hop artist Lecrae is looking to offer a helping hand to some of the most vulnerable citizens in the Atlanta area. The two-time Grammy Award winner/head of Reach Records is set to deliver protective masks to incarcerated individuals at the Fulton County Jail.
“When my album Anomaly came out, it was released independently on my label, Reach Records, and went to #1. My first show was at Rikers Island in New York. This partnership with Mask For the People is faith in action, a vital extension of restoration, and yet another opportunity to be able to serve our fam on the inside who have been overlooked,” says Lecrae.
He continues, “In order to begin restoration or rehabilitation first you have to show that you care. This is my way of saying I care about you, I see you, and want to see you healthy and whole. A two-year sentence shouldn’t become a death sentence. Regardless of their circumstances, how ugly it is, this is not the end!”
Lecrae is joining with Pastor Michael McBride (Director of Urban Strategies & Live Free Campaign) and Billy M. Honor (Director of the New Georgia Project’s “Loose The Chains” program) in providing the first batch of masks and sanitizers to the Fulton County Jail on July 10 at 1 pm.
A special amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) will be set aside for families of the incarcerated once visitation restrictions are lifted. Remaining hand sanitizers will be distributed to protesters, the homeless population, and other communities directly impacted by COVID-19.
“When we launched this partnership with June 1st, Lecrae and Masks For the People forged a mission synergy which has literally been life giving. His message of restoration was a perfect fit as we targeted jails and prisons across the country in need of masks and sanitizer,” states Pastor McBride. “Collectively we raised almost $50,000 which provided tens of thousands of masks and sanitizer to currently and formerly incarcerated loved ones.”
“Bringing restoration to displaced and forgotten has always been a part of my DNA. It was an honor to join Terence Lester and my good friends at Love Beyond Walls as we kicked off the ‘Love Sinks In’ campaign!” expressed Lecrae. “Together we distributed 15 portable handwashing basins for the homeless and displaced in the Atlanta Metro Area. I’m proud to share that now there are over 50 sinks throughout Atlanta and the campaign has expanded to over 20 cities across the nation.”
(AllHipHop News) On Thursday, authorities arrested five people connected to the death of Brooklyn drill rap star, Pop Smoke.
In addition to detaining the suspects, detectives are now saying that the rising Hip-Hop king may have given the three men and two teenage boys the drop on where he was staying through his social media posts.
Capt. Jonathan Tippet, who is in charge of the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite Robbery-Homicide Division, expressed this theory openly, sharing that the men were there to steal from Pop Smoke, whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson.
Tippet told The Associated Press, “We believe that it was a robbery. Initially, we didn’t really have the evidence but then we discovered some other evidence that showed this was likely a home invasion gone bad.”
The suspects are as follows: Jaquan Murphy, 21, Corey Walker, 19, Keandre D. Rodgers, 18, a.17-year-old, and a15-year-old all of Los Angeles.
All of the males are believed to be members of a South Los Angeles gang, but the police department would not confirm that info.
Pop Smoke’s social media posts included him stunting by an infinity pool in the backyard of the Airbnb that he was staying in, and an image of Los Angeles skyline from the backyard of the same Airbnb.
Another photo showcased the rapper showing off a bunch of shopping bags. In the back clear, one could see the home’s address was partly visible in the background.
“It’s our belief that (the home-invasion robbery) was based on some of the social media” posts, Tippet said. “It’s based on the fact that he was posting his information may have contributed to him knowing where to find him.”
(AllHipHop News) Four years ago, Colin Kaepernick was public enemy #1 for many Americans. His non-violent kneeling protest against racial injustice during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at NFL games sparked outrage in some circles. For example, President Donald Trump once referred to Kap and other kneelers as a “son of a b*tch.”
The #BlackLivesMatter movement was also widely unpopular among certain demographics for years. However, following the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man, by a white Minneapolis cop in May, support for the global racial equality demonstrations has increased to 67% in nationwide polls.
Even National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell admitted on June 2 that the league was wrong for not listening to NFL players that spoke out about systemic racism. Goodell also took that time to encourage peaceful protesting.
Thx to your support we've expanded the @yourrightscamp legal defense initiative nationally to defend arrested Freedom Fighters. We're also working to file civil rights cases against police for their terroristic acts. Keep fighting back! https://t.co/rfMgwzGz65#wegotuspic.twitter.com/dgryYFx8qo
Kaepernick has been vindicated in many of his supporters’ eyes. California-based emcee YG appears to be one of those Kap backers. The 4Real 4Real album creator paid homage to the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback in the new music video for “Swag.”
At one point, YG can be seen in the visuals wearing a number 7 football jersey. He also put on an Afro wig similar to how Kaepernick would often have his hair. In addition, YG and two women dressed like cheerleaders take a knee as the 4Hunnid leader raps, “I got it lit, they mad.”
(AllHipHop News) Megan Thee Stallion is not shy about professing her love for anime. The “Savage” hitmaker has now collaborated with Crunchyroll to design and create a special apparel collection inspired by the animation genre.
Crunchyroll is an American streaming service that focuses on presenting Japanese style content like anime, manga, and dorama. During an interview with the company in April, Meg jokingly described herself as “half anime character, half rapper.”
Meg’s Crunchyroll Loves collection contains six exclusively designed pieces. Two t-shirts, two hoodies, one long-sleeve shirt, and one tote bag are available for pre-order only at the online Crunchyroll store through July 20.
Besides working with the WarnerMedia subsidiary to release a streetwear line, Megan Thee Stallion is still concentrating on her music career. The self-described Houston Hottie recently dropped the Eazy E-sampled “Girls in the Hood” single which debuted at #28 on the Hot 100 chart.
(AllHipHop News) As part of its 2020 Mid-Year Report, Nielsen Music/MRC Data presented information about the change in streaming numbers for certain songs in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Listeners gravitated towards several Hip Hop acts following the May 25 incident that left an unarmed Floyd dead at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The average daily audio streams for Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” jumped 268.5% from May 28-June 6 as compared with the numbers for May 22-May 27. Kendrick Lamar’s #BlackLivesMatter anthem “Alright” saw an increase of 237.5% during that time period.
N.W.A’s classic 1988 record “F*ck tha Police” experienced a 302.7% growth in streams. 2Pac’s “Keep Ya Head Up” surged by 90.2% over the 10 days. Killer Mike made national news because of the emotional speech he delivered on May 29 as a response to an uprising in Atlanta. Streams for the Georgian’s “Don’t Die” skyrocketed by 7,616%.
J. Cole’s “Middle Child” (+8.9%), 21 Savage’s “A Lot” featuring J. Cole (+10.4%), Nipsey Hussle’s “Grinding All My Life” (+22.2% ), Ludacris’ “S.O.T.L. (Silence of the Lambs)” (+100%), John Legend & The Roots’ “Hang On in There” (+6,217.5%), and Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name” (+49%) also saw substantial rises.
“A Change Is Gonna Come” by Soul/R&B legend Sam Cooke became one of the unofficial hymns of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. It appears the classic tune also resonated with #BlackLivesMatter supporters too. Cooke’s signature song saw a 112.7% streaming hike in the days after MPD officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd.
Nielsen Music/MRC Data unveiled its 2020 Mid-Year Report which highlights information about the first six months in the music industry. Lil Baby’s My Turn landed atop the Top 10 album chart with 1.467 million sales-plus-streaming units.
The Weeknd’s After Hours (1.423 million units), Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake (1.374 million units), Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial (1.352 million units), and Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding (1.140 million units) rounded out the Top 5 on the Mid-Year album chart.
According to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, Drake is the #1 Hip Hop/R&B artist of the year so far based on the 2.460 million total units (album + TEA + SEA) he collected in the past six months. Drake is also the #1 overall artist.
Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” is the Top R&B/Hip Hop song and the overall most consumed digital song (6.058 million units). The record amassed the most On-Demand video plays (338.754 million streams) as well. YoungBoy Never Broke Again is the Top On-Demand Video Artist (772.237 million streams).
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is the genre’s top radio song (1.884 billion audience). Plus, the Canadian singer’s After Hours leads the Top 10 Digital Album Sales rankings (273,000 units). R&B/Hip Hop made up 28.4% of the total music consumption for 2020 so far, landing above every other format.
TOP 10 ALBUMS
1. LIL BABY – My Turn (1.467 million)
2. THE WEEKND – After Hours (1.423 million)
3. LIL UZI VERT – Eternal Atake (1.374 million)
4. RODDY RICCH – Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial (1.352 million)
5. POST MALONE – Hollywood’s Bleeding (1.140 million)
6. BAD BUNNY – YHLQMDLG (927,000)
7. EMINEM – Music to Be Murdered By (855,000)
8. JUSTIN BIEBER – Changes (854,000)
9. BTS – Map of the Soul: 7 (842,000)
10. BILLIE EILISH – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (798,000)
TOP 10 ARTISTS BY TOTAL CONSUMPTION
1. DRAKE (2.460 million)
2. THE WEEKND (2.175 million)
3. LIL UZI VERT (1.966 million)
4. POST MALONE (1.886 million)
5. YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN (1.886 million
6. EMINEM (1.868 million)
7. LIL BABY (1.725 million)
8. BILLIE EILISH (1.676 million)
9. RODDY RICCH (1.640 million)
10. DABABY (1.530 million)
TOP FIVE R&B/HIP HOP ARTISTS
1. DRAKE (2.460 million)
2. THE WEEKND (2.175 million)
3. LIL UZI VERT (1.966 million)
4. POST MALONE (1.886 million)
5. YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN (1.886 million)
TOP FIVE R&B/HIP HOP SONGS
1. RODDY RICCH – “The Box” (6.058 million)
2. FUTURE – “Life Is Good” (4.248 million)
3. THE WEEKND – “Blinding Lights” (3.748 million
)
(AllHipHop News) Cleveland’s Kid Cudi and Detroit’s Eminem joined forces for the new single “The Adventures Of Moon Man & Slim Shady.” Em used his verse on the song to let loose his thoughts on a famous football player.
“Purp nor lean, that’s Tunechi. That’s New Orleans. F*ck Drew Brees,” raps Eminem. He was referring to the Saints quarterback that apologized earlier this year after Brees suggested kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful to the American military.
“Prayers to George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. How the f*ck is it that so many cops are dirty? Stop, man, please, officer, I’m sorry, but I can’t breathe when I got you on top of me. Your g###### knee’s on my carotid artery,” spit Eminem.
George Floyd was murdered in Minnesota by Derek Chauvin when the then-cop pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Ahmaud Arbery was chased down and killed in Georgia by former cop Gregory McMichael and his son Travis. Both respective incidents were caught on video and have become rallying cries for the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
Styles P is a greatly evolved man. The Yonkers, NY native persists as one of the most consistently dope rappers with five projects in 2 years. Today, he’s healthier than ever, an accomplished businessman, and also extremely outspoken. David Styles talks to Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur about Black Lives Matter, Donald Trump vs Hillary and even entertains a proposed battle between The Lox & Dip Set!
AllHipHop: I’m here with one of the hardest. Are you still the hardest, Styles? I know we’ve grown up a little bit.
Styles P: I’m trying to go to the smartest, Chuck. Working on it, I’m working on it. I’m one of the hardest workers though.
AllHipHop: Like I was saying in the pre-show you work with a guy that I know, DJ Boy Wonda who just gave you a beat at our last interview, so I know its real.
Styles P: I’m thankful for Boy Wonda for giving me that fire. You know me, Chuck, I’m an easy guy to work with. I like young energetic dudes inspiring to get somewhere in the business. If I lend a helping hand, I will if I can’t, I don’t but I still try to be an inspiration any way I can. Boy Wonda – He got fire. I’m looking forward to working with him a lot in the future. And I’m just looking for some new heat, some new fire.
AllHipHop: How has 2020 been for you? It’s been a crazy year. I’ve been trying to be positive, but it’s hard to maintain that sense of positivity. It feels like we’ve been under assault in every way imaginable.
Styles P: We very much are under assault in any way you can imagine. And I guess that will be my driving force for staying positive. I’m married, I have a beautiful wife, Juices for Life, Pharmacy for Life. I guess what keeps us positive is just knowing we got a long fight ahead of us. And we got to keep the energy up for the fight, to be honest with you. There’s a lot of things that could derail you distract you, depress you, upset you stress you out, make you angry. So the best thing to do is just try to stay on your one, two, take in all the information that you can, see what works for you and see what doesn’t. Stay around positive vibes. Stay around good people that’s gonna check you when you off.
AllHipHop: You mentioned having an alkaline body. Talk about your health, your health regiment.
Styles P: I eat veggies, I eat fruits, I drink water. I do cardio. I try to work out and try to read play wordscapes, word stacks, keep my mind working, and I try to laugh. That’s pretty much my regiment and spreading the word. Pharmacy for Life, Juices for Life. I’m living off the brands. I’m taking this serious, I ain’t just talking it, we are out here living it. Black seed oil of oregano, things I don’t sell, like super lysine, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin D, vitamin E, sunlight, laughter, meditation. If you have a high power, pray, I’m just trying to remind everybody to stay focused.
AllHipHop: Jadakiss and Fab battled. Do you have a person that you would want to battle with?
Styles P: Who you think fits for me?
AllHipHop: You and Jim Jones to me, far as New York is concerned, are the two dudes that are killing it. And I’m talking marathon-style right now. I think you and Jim would be a good one. But bigger play, last time I interviewed Jim, he said Dipset and The Lox would be a joint that we should do.
Styles P: My money is on us, versus anybody.
AllHipHop: I’m neutral, like Switzerland. I just wanted to ask you. You did an interview the other day and it went viral. You said something around the lines of you would prefer Trump over Hillary. Were you aware that it went viral?
Styles P: No, not at all.
AllHipHop: It’s all over the internet. It’s being shared, which is crazy because that’s the only way I heard about it.
Styles P: I didn’t know about it but I would, and I do.
AllHipHop: What makes you say that?
Styles P: I can see Trump’s racism. He’s blatant with it. I think I can see where he’s coming from. I felt like the Reds (Republicans), they let you know, they on they conservative s### like, they with the rich white people way. And I think Hillary and the Blues (Democrats) tend to use Black people. They sit there and we don’t really look at the history of what they got. Bill Clinton’s locked up more people than slavery. I remember Hillary Clinton calling us “super predators.” So chilling in Harlem, eating chicken and playing the sax and all that, that’s all cool. But I still look at the numbers. I still think about the people who’s not home from three strikes. And that’s the Democratic Party, that’s not the Republican Party. And I think we often forget.
Altogether, I’m not for either party, that’s where I stand. I think we need a whole new system. The Reds, they at least want to hold on to they old traditional b####### style, where they’re at the top. I think what the Blues are doing now is really kind of controlling the whole country, trying to put us in a place where we don’t really see what’s happening. I don’t understand how Black Lives Matter becomes a Democratic thing. Or the money goes to ActBlue.
So all of that is very weird to me. And it makes me distrust them. I like the enemy where I know where he stands, where he’s coming from. I appreciate that a lot more than than the person who’s gonna smile in my face, and then throw me under the bus. That’s just my personal stance on it. I think we as Black people, neither party is for us. That’s how I honestly feel. It’s like, you Black – I used to think the same way – you got to automatically go Democrat. I used to feel like that.
When you watch Fox or you watch Republicans talk, you feel and hear the racism. But I would rather feel and hear it and be able to see it than not. [As opposed to] someone sitting there fooling me and I think it’s so good and it’s not really all good. And I think that’s what the Democratic Party is doing to our people, as well as the Republican Party. As Black people, we should find a way to have our own strength and be able to exercise that strength for our own party that’s going to benefit us. Neither one of these parties are really benefiting us. At the end of the day we run out gung ho for the for the Blue and what are they really doing for us? What could you say they have done with us?
AllHipHop: It’s left-wing, right-wing, same bird. I just felt like the emboldening of these other races has been crazy under Trump, in a way that I haven’t seen. I’m from Delaware originally. I mean, I’ve seen every slice of racism you can imagine. Even in the 80s, It wasn’t like this man. And now it seems like they bold with it. Too bold.
Styles P: I don’t disagree with you on that. But for my personal opinion, I’d rather see it than not see it. The enemy you can’t see and don’t know where he’s coming from? It’s a lot worse. Trump, we know about what he said about Central Park Five. We know what he said about us as brown people. We know what he said about Mexicans. But has he locked up more people in Hillary?
AllHipHop: We know about Hillary. We know about Bill Clinton, we know about George Bush, so that’s a valid point.
Styles P: I think, for me personally, Chuck, how I view things is, I think both parties use racism as a pawn. They are playing the chess game, and we’re actually the pawns , and racism is part of the pawns. How focused was we all on Gates and Fauci and what they were doing? You couldn’t go outside, and then the virus is over, it’s a killing (George Floyd). It’s a virus that’s deadly, but the government is letting people go outside and protest? It doesn’t really make sense.
We was paying too much attention to Fauci and Gates. And now since people are paying attention, they are ripping doctors off YouTube, all of that’s happening. What’s the best strategy to do? We already knew Trump was racist. I’m not disagreeing with you, I totally agree with you. But now they throw a card back on the table and you already seen the card. You already know the card. Now you see the card. Now you focus on that card again. What is happening while we’re focusing on that? Who’s in control of the news? Who is in control of the narrative? You hear about the virus spreading and it keeps multiplying. But you don’t hear any doctor say “hey yo just boost your immune system, take some vitamin C glissade, stretch, go sweat,” go do these things that will actually help you with the virus. Maybe try to incorporate the Alkaline Body (diet). Take wheatgrass. Take oil of oregano.
The head who’s going to build the vaccine is a tech guy not a doctor. He didn’t graduate from medical school. He got the same medical credentials me and you have. Everything else is news reporters, politicians, and a tech guy. How much information are we getting about the virus from doctors? It should be doctors that we are hearing about the virus from. And not people that are invested or are going to make money from the vaccine. I’m not saying I’m not anti-vacc. I’m anti-forced vaccine.
Don’t force vaccines amongst the world. I don’t see how that’s gonna really be effective. And I don’t see why it has to start with poor people and Black countries. Start somewhere with rich white people.
Bill and Melinda should start it if they believe in that. They should be the first ones to take it. Then get Fauci to take it. You hear about the mask. When’s the last time you seen Gates in a mask? When’s the last time you seen Trump in a mask? You see Fauci in a mask here and there. I’m not saying don’t wear a mask, but these are things that we are not even really asking about or wondering about or saying, “Yo, this is happening.”
I felt like Trump wasn’t supposed to be there, in office, he happened to be in office. I felt like this plan was already set in play. Obaman did the alley-oop and Hillary was supposed to come catch it.
But Trump was is in and I think if she would have caught that alley-oop, we would all be f##### right now. It would have been forced vaccinations everywhere. That’s why I feel we better off with him [Trump] as the president.
AllHipHop: The other thing that you have mentioned, you questioned Black Lives Matter. There’s two different things, Black Lives Matter is a movement and then there’s Black Lives Matter as an organization. You mostly were talking about the organization of Black Lives Matter.
Styles P: Even with the movement. Whoever is the head of the Black Lives Matter movement should hold the organization responsible for making sure that money is distributed right and in the right places. It can be a movement, separate from the organization. That’s not even sensible to be honest with you. These are the things that we allow to happen. Whoever’s head of the organization should feel a responsibility. That should be they number one responsibility is to be in touch with the people in the movement and understand what’s going on. And then where’s the money?
I’m in West Chester New York. We with the deal with the mayor. We deal with City Hall, we deal with the politicians and we deal with the streets. No one hit my phone saying “Yo, we got some money that we want to give. How can we work it out in Westchester? Where does the money need to be spent in Westchester, New York?” There’s no phone calls for that, bro. So I’m not I’m not knocking it. I’m asking questions. I don’t think those are bad questions.
Who’s the treasurer? Who’s the head of the organization? Who do they contact? Where does the money go? What’s the plans for the money they have? These are legitimate questions and it shouldn’t be strange that I’m asking. We’re all black, we should kind of have that question of what’s going on? Who do we hold accountable?
Brandon Jenner has been a musician his entire life. But in 2020, he releases his most powerful song to date: “Say My Name.” The record was initially released privately on Youtube to raise money to kickstart a donation fund to send proceeds to Color of Change Org, but recently enlisted the smooth vocals of R&B singer-songwriter Emi Secrest.
The Los Angeles native originally created “Say My Name” after seeing the video of Ahmaud Arbery being murdered, overcome with pure disgust.
Jenner states, “I was shaken to my core as I have been far too many times in my life seeing so many displays of blatant racism in our society. Please allow me to state this obvious truth: I am a white man and will NEVER know what it’s like to walk a single step as a black man in this world.”
He also gives the disclaimer that he’s by no means pretending to understand the black experience in the record.
Spending quarantine with his newborn twins, Jenner feels strongly about using his platform, which includes 1.2 million followers on Instagram, for the greater good. 100% of proceeds from the song will be added to his already $15K donation to black causes and organizations.
AllHipHop caught up with Jenner and EMI, the latter of whom is featured on The Real’s theme song and also sang in Kanye’s Sunday Service choir. Her hair has been blue for the last 4 to 5 years, connecting the dots with colors and vibrations, researching meanings and intertwining them with music.
AllHipHop: Brandon, you just had twins. How’s fatherhood?
Brandon: It’s fantastic. It’s as good as it can get. I’m sleeping pretty well, I’m married to a superhero so that helps a lot. It’s been a fantastic experience. I have 3 kids now, which is crazy. Life’s going to be super busy.
AllHipHop: How are you guys holding up with everything that’s happening in the world?
Emi: Holding up as best as we can, with the climate of everything going on. I know for me being a black woman, it’s very disheartening every time I see – we literally finished one interview, I get on my phone and it’s another thing. It’s a constant state of being uncomfortable. What I’m trying to do is find little pockets of comfort in the uncomfortable. I don’t think I’ll be comfortable until this s##t changes, being honest.
Brandon: I’m okay. My life has been kind of strange. I have 3-month-old twin boys so with regard to the quarantine, my life’s been like that anyways. We’ve been in the zone. Everything has escalated to this point where I’m trying to do good with the tools we have at our disposal. Emi and I love making and writing music, we have our eyes focused on taking what we can trying to bring some light into the world. We’ve had our heads down and worked really hard on this song.
AllHipHop: What was the creative process of “Say My Name”? What did it mean to put it out during this time.
Brandon: I wrote it right after I saw Ahmaud Arbery being killed. It was absolutely disgusting, I couldn’t go any further without pouring those emotions I had into words and writing music around it. I did that with no real aspirations other than I need to pour these feelings I’m having into the piano, with those words at that moment. Down the road, I’m thinking I might put in on an album. But when the George Floyd thing happened, I knew there was an urgency. There’s a reason why I started writing it, so I wanted to get it out as quickly as possible. I had to do the song justice, I had to make it great. I reached out to Emi because I knew that she’d help to make this song spectacular. We joined forces, and the result’s pretty epic.
AllHipHop: How did you guys meet initially?
Brandon: A couple years ago, we met through some mutual friends. Emi from the very beginning was so generous with me. We met, we worked together. I had other projects I going on that she couldn’t do, so she connected me with other people who’d be great for it. She’s a connector. She encourages success in everybody around her, she has this real generous spirit. We became friends and co-workers at different times, and each other’s supporters.
AllHipHop: Emi, what did you bring to the record being a fire singer and a strong black female in the space?
Emi: Thank you. When Brandon intitally hit me, he asked me to listen to the song. I keep it real at all times. I believe we have a responsibility to be accountable and hold those around us accountable as well. Initially I said “oh my gosh, I’m so happy that a white man is saying something.” Because for years, we as black people have been speaking and not really being heard. If we were heard, we wouldn’t be right back here again. For me, it was important to allow him to be an ally and amplify my people’s voice. Allow him to amplify the black woman’s voice in particular because forever, we have been disregarded and disrespected. It’s very important for me to stand in my power and allow him to help me, allow him to create a platform so that the message can really go beyond my audience and his audience. We can really touch and penetrate the hearts of everyone in the world. That’s literally my angle.
When we got in the studio and I started singing, I felt the words in my soul. It gave me goosebumps and chills that he could be so selfless, step out of himself and really pour into this song. I was very supportive. Of course, we’ve gotten support and we’ve gotten the other side of it as well. But when your intentions are pure and you’re speaking from your heart, what’s from the heart reaches the heart. I’ve never really cared about what people said about me or said as pertaining to me because I know who I am as a person. I know what I stand for, which is equality and justice. I’m totally against police brutality and I know that he is too.
AllHipHop: Brandon, talk about speaking up as a white male. What does that mean for someone with your platform?
Brandon: There’s a certain amount of reservation with white people where they don’t want to say the wrong thing or offend people. There’s this fear around speaking up. I don’t know what it’s like to walk around in a black person’s shoes, I’ll never know what that feels like. But I do know what it feels like to be a white person and have those reservations, which I’ve expressed to Emi. Her and I along with other people’s opinions we really respect, we reached out and wanted to know how the song sat with them.
Aside from some details on how to do this as respectfully as possible so that it’s received well, what we got more than anything was encouragement. People felt not only was it important for people to speak up, but also for white people to speak up so that they can reach an audience who obviously needs to be reached. When it comes to this subject, people’s minds need to be opened up to the information. It’s clear how disenfranchised the black community has been historically for quite some time, and it still persists today. It’s important for people like me to speak up. Really, this wasn’t even my intention in the beginning. I saw another human being treated inhumanely and I wrote a song about it. It turned into an opportunity more than to speak up, but mostly to be able to listen and be able to learn about what we can do moving forward. I’ve learned so much. I’ve had more conversations around race in the last few weeks than I have in most of my life, that by itself is wonderful.
AllHipHop: You guys both co-produced the record, right?
Brandon: Yeah, I love working with Emi. I appreciate her. We were in the studio working right now.
Emi: I’m giving you a little surprise. In getting that feedback from our village, I really wanted Brandon to talk to black men so he could see how it sat with them. After speaking with not only black men but our whole village, we decided we wanted to make this a duet. Today, I went and swapped lines. It’s a duet now. One thing we never want to do is hijack any moment or come from a place that’s not pure. For me to be a black woman, I can speak on this subject because I’ve gone through this. I’ve lived this my entire life. I’m grateful for him being an ally, him opening his platform.
For years, generations, you always see the black girl who can sing real good and she never gets anything. Not even her name on the record. He sent me the mp3, it said “Brandon Jenner featuring Emi Secrest.” I’m like “where’s the feature at? I thought I was arranging some vocals.” He’s totally selfless in wanting to share my people’s message. I f##k with it, I respect that. I’m so grateful to him for being selfless in this and really wanting to make a change.
Brandon: It’s an opportunity. We have opportunity when we go to vote. We have opportunity when we decide to go and protest. We have opportunity in the conversations we have with people out in the world. We also have opportunity to lift and elevate the voices of the black people in our circles, this is that opportunity. Emi’s somebody that I look up to, she’s fantastic on so many levels as an artist and as a human being. This is an opportunity as well to not only spread the message we’re trying to get across, but also spread the talents of this incredible woman sitting next to me.
AllHipHop: Is the new version out or not yet?
Emi: I just laid it. This is our third interview so between the last one and this one, I went into the studio and laid it. Brandon’s also so amazing. I want people to know he literally did all of the music for the song, with the exception of drums and my producer Stanley Randolph. Shout out to Stanley Randolph. Brandon played all the instruments, he’s really talented. He’s amazing. I really want for my people, black people, to put yourself in a position where you can have those uncomfortable conversations with your friends. I also challenge my black queens and kings to create places that are safe so that white people can f##k up and say the wrong thing, and we can correct that in love. It can really be a change.
Most of my white friends are scared to say the wrong thing. It’s not that they don’t believe this is wrong, it’s not that they don’t want to help, they don’t want to be offensive in helping. The way we counter that is we come together and do what he and I did, we talk about it. I know he loves me. I know it’s not his intent to be malicious or harmful towards me so then I’m able to receive what he’s saying, take that and we can grow together. White people don’t know, they don’t know what to say or what’s offensive. They don’t know how to handle this because we’ve never been here before.
Brandon: That’s been such an amazing learning lesson for me. Having all these conversations about race with black people has been a wonderful experience, it’s been great across the board. It’s a weird thing, we can come with these different opinions or I can listen to someone’s different opinion on how we should approach this song — we leave the conversation as teammates going forward, really trying to create some change. It’s been amazing to watch people come around and support this thing we’re doing because they understand that our intentions really are in the right place. We’re trying to spread awareness, spread love, and hopefully make people feel.
AllHipHop: Talk about 100% of proceeds going to black causes and organizations.
Emi: We’re not touching a dime. We haven’t touched a dime. The song’s not even registered to either one of our personal accounts. We’ve raised so far a little bit over 20,000 for Color of Change, we literally have screenshot receipts. We ask our village and our loved ones to listen to the song, then donate directly to the charity and send us a screenshot. I reached out to my village and out of all the charities and organizations, this was the most reputable I could attach my name with. I knew the money was really going to and for the black community. It’s very important for me being an artist, to use my voice to help. I challenge all artists: if you have friends in the industry and they’re willing to help, figure out what ya’ll can do. Your thing may not be writing a song. it may not be doing a duet. But it’s definitely about us coming together to create change.
AllHipHop: What do you want listeners to get from the song once they hear it?
Brandon: In the video, I saw someone who in that moment was treated as less than you and I. Less than human. I hope through the lyrics, I remind the listener that this is a human being with as much importance and as much emotion as you and I have. Has as much of a right to be here and to be happy as any other one of us. I hope through the lyrics, it reminds everyone that this is someone who has a mother. This is somebody who had yet to meet his children, that I’m sure he dreamed of one day. This is somebody who wishes and always dreamt that his life would turn out differently. I hope I remind people that somebody who might have any of those feelings or somebody that might even discriminate even if they don’t even know it, remind that person that we’re all human beings. In this situation, Ahmad was and to have the same empathy for him as you would your own child.
Battle rap fans have seen it coming for years, hoping in their spirits that the thrill of Summer Madnesses and NOMEs could keep him with us, but alas there is a bigger world calling his name. Tsunami Surf has finally tapped into that next level of magic and this weekend’s contest against Loaded Lux will be the most dynamic way to say “goodbye” to a culture that has launched his career.
AllHipHop: What made you want to be a rapper?
Tsu Surf: I have always loved rap music. My Pops used to always ride around playing Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel. I always wanted to rap since I was little. My mother brought me a karaoke machine. I used to make tapes when I was nine and in my eighth-grade yearbook, it says “rapper” where it says career of choice.
Tsu Surf: That’s all I have ever done. I have never had a job in my life.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could actually rap?
Tsu Surf: When I started. I have always been the best. I was the best in my elementary school. I have never been in a place where I was not the best. Whether that is from being incarcerated or being in URL … to being the best in school, in business, all the state facilities, I am just used to being one of the best.
AllHipHop: Is that a part of your character? Do you always strive for excellence?
Tsu Surf: When it comes to business, I just carry myself a certain kind of way. You are only worth what you act like and how you carry yourself. When it comes down to how I handle my business, I treat it as an upper-echelon quality, because that is what it is.
AllHipHop: Have you always looked at you rapping as a business or a love?
Tsu Surf: Everybody starts with the love first. Whether it is basketball or anything else. When you are a kid (13 or 14) you are thinking about the NBA but it is not business yet. Once you get to 17, 18, 19, you start to grow up you realize it is a business. That love can turn into money.
AllHipHop: You were a student-athlete also, right?
Tsu Surf: Yes, I played ball but the streets kind of took a forefront to that.
AllHipHop: Did you love ball more than you loved rap?
Tsu Surf: With all my heart. I probably loved it second after rap.
AllHipHop: Could basketball have been a career choice for you?
Tsu Surf: Anybody would say that. I am nowhere near the basketball player I am a rapper. If it could have been, well “yeah.” But it was not like I had the choice to go to the NBA or URL.
AllHipHop: You did go to college with a basketball scholarship?
Tsu Surf: Yes. I played college ball. I went to school for basketball.
AllHipHop: When you look at the art of emceeing, what parallels can you make with basketball?
Tsu Surf: A lot. Business. How you conduct yourself in interviews. Everything is like basketball. When it comes to writing rhymes for a battle, that is like rinse and repeat. It is like getting your jump shot. You just go over and over and over again until you get it. And realistically, you never really got it. And as long as you keep writing, you just get better.
In regards to business, rapping is like basketball because it is about the brand. Lebron James, Kevin Durant —what you say and how you say it — the way you look and the way you conduct yourself — the things you associate yourself with can affect your stock, not just what you are rapping about. The same thing can be said about basketball. Like basketball is bigger than just being able to play basketball.
There are also social levels that you can connect with basketball. You have the top that f*ck with each other and you have the top who are lone wolves but they are still the top.
AllHipHop: If you were to look at URL as the NBA, name which rappers remind you of which ballers.
Tsu Surf: K-Shine would be like a Lilly Steph Curry type, like one of the best guards in the league. Arsonal would be like someone that would dunk on you, super disrespectful. Hitman Holla is like Kevin Durant with his star power and skill level. Tay Roc is like a Paul George. He is a superstar and will always get a job. He is super-elite and I still don’t think people know how great he is.
AllHipHop: Where did you develop your leadership skills?
Tsu Surf: I was born like that. If I am going to do something, I want to be in control of it. I want to head it. When I think of leadership, I think of team and I think of people being on your team. I just trust myself not to let us down. I feel like if I got the gun, I feel like we are safe. I step up and be the leader out of protection purposes.
AllHipHop: When was the first time you saw a SMACK DVD?
Tsu Surf: I used to live down the street from this chicken shack. My Pops used to send me down there to get food and one day he had given me a little extra money than I needed and I just grabbed the DVD. I said, ‘Dad, I grab this DVD.’ Mook and Party Arty were at the end of it. I was like ‘Oh, they got battles at the end of the DVDs’ I used to try and collect this all.
AllHipHop: What was it like when you first saw it?
Tsu Surf: It was exhilarating. I was super excited.
AllHipHop: How did you decide to get into battle rap?
Tsu Surf: I got incarcerated at 18. I did like a year. I came home and saw this battle rap thing happening. The first battle from the new generation, I saw was Arsonal and Conceited. I was more focused on music and rapping, but there was a guy having a battle league and he reached out to me to perform at it. He said, ‘I am gonna have some battles and you can perform between them’ I agreed. The day before he called me and told me that we did not have the permit to the spot and so we can’t do it anymore. But if you want to battle you can battle. I was like ‘whatever.’ Then he gave me the address and it was just around the corner from my house and it was in somebody’s garage.
AllHipHop: When you walked in were you prepared?
Tsu Surf: I am always prepared, even when I am not prepared. As far as life goes, proper preparation prevents poor performance. Nine chances out of ten when something happens you are not prepared for it. I wasn’t ready to get shot, but I was prepared that it could possibly happen. That just in life. You just have to be prepared for s###, even when you are not prepared for it.
AllHipHop: You walked in as someone who had never battled, but you had seen battle rap…
Tsu Surf: I kinda did battle before like over the lunch tables with beats on. I was like the only person in my high school that was better than me was O-Red.
AllHipHop: You went to school with O-Red?
Tsu Surf: Yeah, he was a sophomore and I was a freshman. They used to talk about this sophomore, but we had two different lunch periods. So out lunch periods kind of saved us from each other. He would also be hearing about this freshman that was wilding.
AllHipHop: Could you beat O-Red back then?
Tsu Surf: No. I probably can’t beat O-Red now.
AllHipHop: That is what is admirable about the Jersey rappers, you have a fraternity. Who created that spirit?
Tsu Surf: Jersey n##### are just bred like that. So it wasn’t something that we had to discuss. All of us are from different hoods and I am watching Ars do his thing and he is watching me do my thing. We watched Suge and then O-Red. As we started communicating, we decided that we ain’t taking no shorts. We kinda self-proclaimed who Team Jersey was and it was whoever we accept is who we are accepting.
AllHipHop: Do you accept all rappers from New Jersey?
Tsu Surf: Nah. There are some wack n*ggas that come up from Jersey but never made it in the click. You definitely have to prove yourself. Twork just recently got inducted. It is like an unsaid thing. Like Ars wants to win for Arsonal. I want to win for me. Suge wants to win for Suge. But we all got this connection with New Jersey.
AllHipHop: What are the lessons that you carry with you as a rapper from the streets and from being incarcerated?
Tsu Surf: There is nothing more important in your life than family. You make a lot of irrational decisions ripping and running the streets, but at the same time (Lord willing) if you survive the streets you kind of have all the tools you need for anything. Especially with the business. The business is easy because you go through it in the streets so much. If you can handle the street business you can handle this paperwork and these people who are actually just trying to help you get money (or get money off you).
AllHipHop: Is it difficult sometimes to know that you are a commodity and people are trying to get money off of you?
Tsu Surf: Yes, it is very difficult. Super difficult.
AllHipHop: You are a superstar, undeniable. How do you balance being a commercial rapper as well as being a battle rapper?
Tsu Surf: I don’t balance well. That’s why I am about to stop. It is dope that I get the type of respect that I do for my battles and my tapes, the quality of them. But I am still not giving a 100% to either. In reality, I can’t properly get ready for Lux while I am trying to put out a tape that is going to chart on iTunes. My tape peaked at number 5, maybe it would have hit number 1 if I was not getting ready for Lux.
Maybe I would be more prepared than I am now if I wasn’t getting ready for a tape. Anything is possible, but I don’t think I balance. Being as though, I am so talented I can do both. But if you ask me, we should do both. I think you should conquer one and then focus on the other.
That’s what people get mad at me about. I don’t want to just be a Jack of all Trades. I don’t want to win every battle.
AllHipHop: How important is it to win a battle or curate a battle?
Tsu Surf: For the last six months or year, they have been talking about me and Loaded Lux (one of the biggest names in battle rap). Me and him battling have a shorter lifespan than the buildup. If you are not putting into the sh*t talking and the buildup then you are really missing out on what is really making you the money.
AllHipHop: How long have you wanted to battle Lux?
Tsu Surf: I don’t really want to battle Lux. It just makes sense. I never really want to battle anyone, but if a n*gga at the forefront of the situation.
AllHipHop: You never wanted to battle anyone?
Tsu Surf: I wanted to battle K-Shine. I wanted to battle Hitman. But that’s about it.
AllHipHop: This really is strategy for you?
Tsu Surf: Yeah.
AllHipHop: When you are promoting your battles and doing your face-offs is that fun for you?
Tsu Surf: That is exactly what it is? I did my job already. It doesn’t matter how good the battle with Lux turns out, at this point they are going to talk about it. Whether I beat him or he beats me, they are going to talk about it. Once the battle is booked, I’ve done my job. Surf losing is bigger than some of these n*ggas winning.
AllHipHop: Have you ever lost?
Tsu Surf: Yeah. Everybody loses. That is why I am here. If I didn’t lose, I wouldn’t be here right now.
AllHipHop: Who is your most difficult opponent?
Tsu Surf: Me. I am only battling myself. There is nobody that can say anything. It has already been proven that I am one of the best rappers in America, in the world. At this point, it is like what can I do more. If I am doing X million views on a freestyle, what can I do to get 12 million views? What can I do to go from 7 million views in a battle to get to 12 million views. I am battling myself. Beating Lux is no different than beating Mook or DNA. These n*ggas are professional battle rappers, a win is a win is a win.
AllHipHop: Do you love battle rap?
Tsu Surf: No. I don’t love what battle rap is today. It is just not battle rap. Battle rap is us meeting up and me spitting my best s### and you spitting yours. We just battle it out, whether it is freestyle or not. This is just entertainment. This is a production. This is a show. This is TV.
AllHipHop: And if this is a show, you would rather be the producer?
Tsu Surf: Yes.
It takes me three months to prepare properly for what I want to do. You got these battle rappers that take battles in a week or two … but that is why sh*t turns out like they do. So it takes me three to five months for me to prepare the way I like to prepare … in that time I could have put out a tape, got twenty-two features, did fifty shows, and wrote a book. The time doesn’t really add up anymore.
AllHipHop: What is the most important thing to you?
Tsu Surf: My daughter.
AllHipHop: When you think about legacy and passing something one … is she why you go so hard?
Tsu Surf: I think I go hard because I have to … daughter or not. I have no choice. People depend on me. My legacy is pretty much solidified in battle rap. Battle rap is like anything. Think about skating. You might say, ‘Who the f*ck skates?’ But if I take you to Cascades in Atlanta on a Thursday night, you will realize it is a whole world. You have bike riders. Motorcycles. So many subcultures. Battle rap is a whole world and I have conquered it. So it is really hard for me to give my all to a place that I run lapse around.
That’s why I used to get in trouble in class because I used to finish my work so fast. Being as though, I know I am better. I feel I am better. It is hard for me to perform at the level that I want to perform because it doesn’t intrigue me anymore.
But music … I haven’t done anything so my mind is still intrigued. I still work at a fast pace to figure out why I am not where I am supposed to be where I need to be. I want to be in music the way that I conquered being in battle rap.
AllHipHop: Is this value in beating Lux?
Tsu Surf: Remember what I said about the skating world? It is like beating Sweetness. If I am not into skating … It doesn’t matter. It really is about how much does this battle rap sh*t matter to you.
AllHipHop: Do you see yourself as a model (artist or businessman) for the generation after you?
Tsu Surf: Yes. I am going to open up a battle rap record label. So I can prove a point and show that my artists are better battle rappers than others. Look at the quality battle rappers that I am producing. It will be no different than being signed to a label. I will book your battles. Promo your battles and make you the type of artist you were meant to be.
AllHipHop: NOME X … are you going to kill Lux so bad that he just retires?
Tsu Surf: I doubt it. Because Lux is in the space that I am in. Lux is Lux. Grey hoodie or not. But guess what … Surf is Surf.
The Newark rapper is right about that. Surf is Surf and battle rap will never see another one of him.
(AllHipHop Rumors) Do not include Erykah Badu and Jada Pinkett-Smith mess. As you already know, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith have been embroiled in a situation of sorts that includes August Alsina. Now a few days ago Jada Pinkett Smith said she was going to take her self to the “red table,” a play on words that refers to her talk show. But she has yet to do that because I suspect they don’t quite know how to handle the matter. One thing is for sure, as the new cycle switches over to a number of other issues, this is becoming old news. I do not think they want the scrutiny associated with answering the really hard questions, which is very simple: “Did she sleep with August Alsina and did Will Smith cosign the relationship?” That said, Erykah Badu wants nothing to do with any of it.
Erykah Badu recently responded to a meme that included Jada Pinkett Smith in it. And she did not bash her sis but she made it clear that her womanly nether-regions and Jada’s are not the same. And that is well documented. There’s not a man alive that can resist the nectar of Erykah Badu, and that is why she is so captivating. But do not think that she will ruin your life, because that is not the case. In fact, Erykah Badu says it is quite the contrary.
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