Yesterday, on Veteran’s Day, Long Island rhyme-slinger, and U.S. Army Veteran, TYP-ILL, connected with boom bap aficionado Statik Selektah, for the release of their collaborative effort, Veterans Day.
Says Statik, “Typ is dope because he tells true war stories, yet he’s still dope as an artist. No gimmicks here.”
Support our troops who love Hip-Hop and go get the project here on iTunes!
After a public break up from his on and off fiancé Lira Galore, Rick Ross continues pushing his music for his Black Market album releasing next month on December 4th. Debuting his song with Chris Brown about broken promises, Ross raps about lies, trust and feelings. This is kind of crazy timing, this song is perfect given his situation with former ex and now fiancé. Is this video playing out what happened in real life? Press play and find out below!
Metro Boomin stirred up a bit of trouble with a Twitter rant suggesting that rappers were biting Future and still being unsuccessful. As you know Young Thug took offense to Metro’s comments and decided to hit him directly. Metro jumped on Twitter to let his followers know that his tweets weren’t directed at Young Thug. One would think that would be enough to clear up any misunderstanding, but things just got worse. Now Metro has tweeted telling Young Thug to pull up on him in the city. Thugger says he is going to beat the sh*t out of Metro Boomin. Well certainly RIP the “Metro Thuggin” joint project for sure. Things are about to get ugly!
“You motherf*cking wack ass rappers! I told you, you’re getting retired today! Nick Grant right there!” Those words were all veteran Hip Hop journalist Sway Calloway had to say after the Atlanta emcee shut down his Shade 45 show with a 4-minute freestyle. The praise for Grant did not end there. Co-host Heather B followed Sway’s influential co-sign by suggesting, “Nas just f*cking entered your body n*gga!”
Grant’s course as an artist is still in its early stages, but when the final story about his career is written years from now, that moment on Sway In The Morning may be where the rising action of his narrative begins. Like LL Cool J letting the world know he needed a beat, Nas snuffing Jesus live at the barbeque, or Kanye West spitting through the wire, Nick informing Sway’s listeners that he’s “like Marshawn Lynch with strep throat” could be a point in time that proves a compelling new voice in Hip Hop has arrived.
Grant was in such a zone as he was rapping, the rhymer claims he did not even know Atlanta legend Young Jeezy was standing right next to him. A-Town rap representatives Cyhi The Prynce and Scotty ATL were on hand during the live broadcast as well. Surprisingly, the person at the center of the adulation was the toughest critic in the room.
“I’m so hard on myself, I felt like I could have been better. When I saw the reception I thought, ‘I guess I did good,’” Grant reveals to AllHipHop.com. “I really appreciate getting that recognition, because I’ve been doing this for so long. I feel like I’m getting somewhere now.”
That life journey originally began in the small 5000 person town of Walterboro, South Carolina. A 14-year-old Nick later relocated to the next state over to live with his older sister. His first settlement in Georgia was off Atlanta’s Northside Drive. The young transplant also spent time in other areas around I-285 such as Union City, College Park, and Dunwoody.
Nick’s initial steps into the Hip Hop arena kicked off as a hobby back in Walterboro. His regular visits to a friend’s house included watching his peers battle to see who was the best MC. As a basketball and baseball player, Nick was no stranger to competition. So when he was challenged to come up with bars just as good as his boys, Grant stepped up to the plate and subsequently discovered his rap ambition.
“Rapping started out of boredom, but then I developed a passion for it,” he says. “I wrote a rhyme, then I came back and rapped it for my friend the next day. He didn’t believe that I wrote it. I actually enjoyed writing that rhyme, and I developed my craft from there.”
Those rap skills continued to cultivate after his move to Atlanta. While still a student at Booker T. Washington High School, Nick often ventured over to Clark Atlanta University to battle some of the college students. According to Nick, an economics teacher even recommended ditching school to pursue making music full time.
The music industry did become Nick’s profession of choice once he got his diploma. As an aspiring artist, Nick released the mixtapes Intern, Born Hip Hop, and The Present, but he realized his contractual arrangement at the time was not the most ideal situation. He decided to move on. With that deal behind him, Grant would eventually connect with Jason Geter – one of the most accomplished music business insiders to take root in Atlanta over the last 20 years.
Geter played a significant role in the development of another Southerner. Clifford “T.I.” Harris met Geter when he was just 18 years old. Tip tapped the former Arista Records intern to serve as his manager. The two would also partner together to form Grand Hustle Records and AKOO Clothing. Geter has now signed Nick Grant to his Culture Republic management company.
“I met Jason in 2011. My brother got my CD to one of his friends. He called me back immediately, but for whatever reason that situation didn’t work out,” Grant explains. “I met back up with him again last year. He told me to come by his crib and play some records. He loved the records, and we’ve been making history ever since then.”
Nick is now putting together his next official project, the first since teaming with Geter. Many of the tunes were forged with producer Dominic Gordon. Nick refers to his alliance with Gordon as a Dr. Dre-Snoop Dogg type of musical association.
Besides working with Dominic, Nick crafted tracks with other production minds. The first record released under the revamped Nick Grant brand was the Damon Thomas produced “Royalty.” As of press time, the lyrical declaration about the rise of a new rap regime has collected over 20,000 plays on SoundCloud. Cyhi The Prynce offers Grant an assist with an emperor level opening verse.
“Cyhi is one of the dopest to me. I was humbled by that. The relationship is natural,” says Nick about the fellow ATLien he met at a local open mic six years ago. “We have a lot of things in common. The most important thing we have in common is bringing lyricism back. We enjoy constructing verses, making dope songs, and making music rewindable again.”
Grant recognizes his accelerated ability to put words together came naturally to him. However, he did not simply rest on his God-given talent. Legendary Hip Hop performers act as models for both the rewarding and rough results of going after success in the entertainment business.
“I feel like you have to study those that came before you. In order to be great, you have to know what to do and what not to do. You have to study,” asserts Grant. “I came up on Big Daddy Kane, Jay Z, OutKast, Scarface – these are the people that I studied. So of course, I’m going to be a reflection of that in some way.”
Heather B seemingly saw that reflection of the Golden Era in Nick Grant when she compared him to the great Nasir Jones. Going by the online reaction to “Royalty,” rap fans have begun to embrace the newcomer as a potential heir to the Hip Hop throne as well.
Despite Atlanta’s present reputation of generating mainstream rappers that have broken from the lyrics based rap of their predecessors, Nick is unabashedly turning back the clock while simultaneously advancing the South’s hold on Hip Hop. And he’s doing it with more than just Trap beats and melodic hooks. With lines like “If Biggie was around, you would barely exist,” Nick is also not afraid to put his peers on notice.
“All the less lyrical rappers are being pushed to the forefront. I’m going to give my feelings about that, because of the things I grew up on and enjoy listening to,” explains Grant. “It was just me saying, ‘If Biggie was around, the game would be different.’ I don’t think a lot of these guys would be around, because the bar would be set to such a high level that you had to talk about something in order to stay around. I feel like if Biggie or 2Pac were around a lot of this stuff that’s popular wouldn’t be.”
Bob Marley has been quoted as saying, “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” Many Hip Hop enthusiasts view the game shifting back to spotlighting lyrical content as a much-needed positive development.
Nick Grant could be one of the catalysts to ignite that change. His place in future discussions about the impact on the culture is already an outcome being weighed in his mind today.
“Twenty years in the game, being iconic, and having over five classic albums. I feel like the greatest rappers have at least five classic albums that you can play from top to bottom. It’s just about having a dope career and people respecting you,” says Grant about his ultimate legacy. “If you’re not going to be great, why bother?”
Read other installments of AllHipHop’s #ATLRiseUp series here.
Follow Nick Grant on Twitter @NickGrant_ and Instagram @NickGrant_.
Watch AllHipHop.com’s premiere of Nick Grant’s “The Jungle” video below.
Today, up and coming talent ILoveMemphis dropped his video for the song “Hit The Quan.” The song which has become a viral hit over the past six months has struck a chord with teens and adults across the world.
ILoveMemphis’ success story began when he spent $35 to make “Hit The Quan.” Soon after, the 22-year-old entertainer signed with Barry Weiss’ RECORDS Label while “Hit The Quan” exploded onto the charts climbing to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The hit single and dance craze on YouTube has now earned over 150 Million combined YouTube views, sold over 450,000 singles, and landed at #14 on iTunes and #7 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. iLoveMemphis himself has reached #50 on the Billboard Artist 100.
Check the video below and let us know your thoughts!
Rae Sremmurd will be bringing a festival to their city. The two-man duo has decided to salute their hometown of Tulepo, MS and host a three-day festival, called “SremmFest.”
“We’re trying to bring good vibes back to our hometown and to bring positivity through the music that’s brought us from Tupelo, Miss., to all across the world,” said Slim Jxmmi according to VIBE.
The main event will be the concert at the BankcorpSouth Arena which will feature performances from Dej Loaf, Yo Gotti, K Camp, Two-9, Earz and the SremmLife crew. The three-day fest will include more than a jam-packed concert though. From Dec. 18 to Dec. 20th, the two brothers will also host a celebrity basketball game, a toy and food drive and a community barbecue. Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee will also be given the key to the city by Tulepo’s mayor Jason Shelton.
Find out more information and purchase tickets to the events at SremmFest.com.
A Tribe Called Quest is getting ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first album, People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm. To prepare for the reissue of the project, the Tribe will be performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Rolling Stone reports. The four-man band will hit the stage on Friday, Nov. 13th.
The remastered album will feature remixes not done by the group. J. Cole’s remix of “Can I Kick It? will be featured as well as Cee-Lo’s do-over of “Footprints” and Pharrell’s remake of “Bonita Applebum.”
“I had this album in my head for years before I did it,” Q-Tip said in a statement about ATCQ’s debut. “Looking at it overall, to see the thoughts of a 16-year-old gain any kind of acknowledgement makes me feel like I have arrived … But to see it in this incarnation … I’m humbled.”
Phife Dawg said the debut LP was “before its time.”
“Q-Tip’s thought process was beyond genius, an album that 25 years later, you can still listen to from top to bottom!,” he told Rolling Stone. “I’ve often said there may be better emcees than Q-Tip, may be better producers than him as well, but tell me who can possibly be better than him at both? Call me biased, but I’ll wait!”
People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm will also be re-released on Nov. 13th.
Two powerhouses in hip-hop are looking to do a joint project: Lil’ Wayne and 2 Chainz.
During a visit to Elliott Wilson and B. Dot’s Rap Radar podcast, Tity Boi spilled the beans about the upcoming release.
“I’ve got Collegrove, that I’m working on,” he said. “That’s the me and Wayne project. That will be out, probably sooner than people think.”
The title is mashup of the two rapper’s hometowns. 2 Chains hails from College Park, GA while Weezy represents the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans.
But that’s not the only project he has on the way.
“One of them is actually my solo project,” he explained. “It’s gonna be called B.C., like B.C. and A.D. B.C. is ’Before Chainz,’ obviously. A.D. would be like ’After the Dope Game,’ After the drugs, everything is a different feel. But B.C. is done. It’s Tity Boi. It’s nostalgic. It feels good.”
Listen to the full interview here.
Fans waited 15 years for a new Dr. Dre release and when it was released to the world many did not hesitate to cop it. Dre’ Compton: The Album has reportedly been certified gold.
Compton was certified gold back in October but its status was announced yesterday (Nov. 11).
After its Aug. 7th release, Compton went on to sell 278,558 units during its first week, landing at the no. 2 spot on the Billboard chart. The project has guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Ice Cube, The Game and many more.
You may have seen it, but we knew what a lot of people didn’t. We knew they were going to get back together. Anyway, I am very happy that Rick Ross and Lira worked it out. I now pronounce you #King and #Queen.
Everyone remembers Mr. “OG Bobby Johnson” right? Well the homie is back again with two new tracks produced by Zaytoven. While these tracks can be found on the DGB tape called “#NoDeal,” that just dropped, this ATL artist has returned in a major way, taking his movement back to the streets as he says in the song. Is he no longer signed? When did this happen?
It’s been a big year for K Camp, so why not finish strong right? Check out the new tape featuring the much talked about 50 Cent and the now philanthropic Akon. As far as features it doesn’t get any bigger, but expect that to be it as far as big names, while K Camp keeps this tape close to home with more solo songs aside from the big one with 50 & Akon. Along with the release K Camp dropped a video for his song, “Room 1102.”
ODB is back! The god returns on a new song that has been found by RZA called “Obey.” It is a stark reminder of the talent we lost. Check it out.
Hip hop has become a global phenomenon over the years. Especially in places like Germany where the US culture has been embraced like no other. One of the poster-boys for hip hop in Germany is Frankfurt Platinum MC, Azad. Having Gold plaques under his belt, he’s back with his new visual for the song “Dreh Ab” the King of German Reality Rap is Back in Full Effect!
“People like Azad are so very ver Important to the German Hip Hop Scene and the World needs to see this Piece of Art shot by my Brother Bugi! F### the Language Its time to break the Barrier” states Joe Young, who himself is from Germany and has worked with the likes of Rick Ross, the Game, Drag On, Crooked I and more and has decided to bring more attention to his Country Azad new Studio Album Leben 2 is in Stores January 2016.
DMX’s long time producer/friend Dame Grease reaches in the vaults and shares unreleased offering “Aint Nowhere To Hide”. Listen to this unreleased heat by DMX below!
Over the summer, singer-songwriter Kay Cola released her 11-track project, For The Dreamers. Infused with tremendous vocal prowess, alluring production, and sharp-witted content, Cola was able to impress with standout tracks like “The Youth.” Bringing the aforementioned song to life, NCredible/Republic Records artist Kreesha Turner and Jon Famous join Kay Cola in an ominous, late night street setting to provide the official music video.
Snoop Dogg has always been a proud ganja smoker and now he has his own brand of marijuana, The Cannabist reports. His line, Leafs By Snoop, will be sold at marijuana dispensaries in Colorado.
The Doggfather launched the brand in partnership with dispensary giant LivWell.
“Leafs By Snoop is truly the first mainstream cannabis brand in the world and proud to be a pioneer,” Snoop said. “LBS is blazing a trail for the industry.”
Snoop isn’t a resident of Colorado so he can’t own the brand but he did select the flowers, edibles and concentrate used. The flower flavors include Cali Kush, Tangerine Man, Blueberry Dream, Bananas, Northern Lights and many others.
“Since I’ve been at the forefront of this movement for over 20 years now, I’m a master of marijuana,” Snoop said. “So naturally, my people can trust that I picked out the finest, freshest products in the game. Let’s medicate, elevate and put it in the air.”
Leafs by Snoop are currently on sale.
Atlanta singer/producer/actress, Monica, sits down with DJ Smallz and explains what the Essence Music Festival is and how her performance differs there from her other concerts.
Sometimes all you need to know is that the track is jammin. Such is the case on Mr. 704’s new joint “Yessir” featuring Southern staple Big K.R.I.T. Without doing too much explaining this song features a dope Andre 3000 sample, and a funky bass line that takes you back to the days of the 70’s. This one is strictly for the slabs and glass houses, enjoy y’all.