Fans must wait until 2023 to see Drake perform at the Apollo Theater in New York.
Drake announced another postponement for his Apollo Theater shows on Friday (December 2). He was scheduled to perform at the legendary venue on December 6 and 7. The concerts were rescheduled for January 21 and 22.
“These upcoming shows for SiriusXM are so incredibly special for us,” Drake, SiriusXM and Sound 42 said in a joint statement. “If you are going to play the world famous Apollo Theater, it has to be a world class production. We as a team have been working around the clock not just putting together a concert but an experience our fans deserve.”
Drake was originally supposed to make his Apollo Theater debut on November 11. He postponed the event following the death of Takeoff.
The OVO star and SiriusXM blamed production issues for the latest delay. They credited the Apollo Theater for being “incredibly gracious throughout this process.”
“We are up against some production delays that are just out of our control,” the joint statement explained. “After many difficult meetings and conversations trying to navigate these challenges, we are forced to make the unfortunate decision to push these shows out a little further to allow the necessary time for the work to be completed.”
Find out more information about Drake’s Apollo Theater concerts here.
Styles P decided to delay his new album A Calm Wolf / Penultimate, which was scheduled to drop on December 9.
The Lox member didn’t feel comfortable moving forward with the album’s release following the death of his manager Jonathan “Hovain” Hylton. Styles P announced the project’s postponement in an Instagram post on Friday (December 2).
“The album A Calm Wolf / Penultimate is postponed from Dec 9,” he wrote. “@Hovain was the one that would handle all I had to do. Miss him dearly for multiple [reasons], but I have to pull my brain together.”
He added, “In the meantime I did drop a music NFT @farmarcyfantoms you can buy it with a credit card. Get familiar with Web 3.”
Styles P asked fans to bear with him because he doesn’t “like dealing with the industry.” But he vowed to “figure it out” for the eventual release of his album.
Hovain passed away at his home on November 25. His cause of death wasn’t disclosed.
Just a few days before his death, Hovain was promoting Styles P’s work on Twitter.
“New @stylesp Album next month !” Hovain wrote on November 23.
The album will be Styles P’s first solo project since 2021’s Ghosting.
A 33-year-old man was taken into custody for the murder of Takeoff on Thursday night (December 1).
Houston police announced Patrick Xavier Clark’s arrest at a press conference on Friday (December 2). Clark was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Takeoff.
Police said the shooting stemmed from an argument over a dice game. HPD Homicide Division Sgt. Michael Burrow explained how investigators identified Clark as a shooter.
“We had to rely on a large volume of video, cell phone, things that surfaced over time,” Sgt. Burrow said. “We had to sift through that, physical evidence, shooting evidence and things that surfaced over time.”
Police called Takeoff “an innocent bystander” who didn’t play in the dice game. The Migos rapper wasn’t part of the argument.
“I can tell you Takeoff was not involved in playing the dice game,” Sgt. Burrow said. “He was not involved in the argument that happened outside. He was not armed.”
Earlier this week, Lil Cam a.k.a. Cameron Joshua appeared in court to face charges in connection to the shooting of Takeoff. The 22-year-old man was charged with two counts of felon in possession of a weapon. Prosecutors didn’t accuse Joshua of shooting Takeoff.
“We believe Cameron Joshua has been appropriately charged in this case,” lead prosecutor Matt Gilliam said.
Takeoff was shot and killed at a Houston bowling alley on November 1. He was 28.
The stars are aligning for Chicago rapper Common, setting the Broadway stage for him to become an EGOT.
The “Glory” chart-topper has won an Emmy, Grammys, and an Oscar. With his debut on Broadway in the new show, “In Between Riverside and Crazy,” he could win an Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence.
He seems to be locked in.
According to ABC 7, the artist said, “I come from a world where you can kind of improv and stuff, but in the theater, it’s like ‘stick to the word!’ If there’s a ‘the’ there, you have to say ‘the ‘… This is a new arena, a new space for me. I’m here to present myself and be part of this and grow and learn.
“My work with people who are incarcerated truly helped me prepare for this role,” Common said. “The work that I have done with people who are incarcerated has changed my life. It made me see life in new ways. It made me look at human beings in new ways. Because of my connection with people who have been incarcerated and the work that I’ve been able to do in just listening to them, I get to express that in a way onstage.”
His co-star Stephen McKinley Henderson said, “And he’s a beautiful human being.”
He added, “He brings himself humbly to it and his victories, we all celebrate, and he’s going to be triumphant.”
Battle rapper Serius Jones is back in the headlines again, but not because of his outstanding rapping ability.
The New Jersey vet was arrested on a gun charge, a few years after his release from a California jail for human trafficking and pimping.
According to Lt. Art Jensen, the 41-year-old Bergen County rapper, whose real name is Saleem Bligen, was detained after trying to run from police officer on Thursday, December 1st, around 4 p.m. near his old stomping grounds on Bergen Avenue and Mount Vernon Street, the Daily Voice reports.
Officers Kenneth Knebl, Joe Avila, Christopher Dooley, and Lavrone Green, cops from the Ridgefield Park Police Department, were tipped off that he might have violated a restraining order.
Law enforcement found him in a local restaurant, not far from his old apartment building in the business district, but once he saw the cops he dipped into the bathroom.
When he came out, according to Jenson, he went over to Knebl to talk.
The officer, after speaking to the battle rap star, went into the bathroom, searched it, and found a fully loaded, 9mm Sig Sauer P320 handgun on the windowsill.
The cops also found a small number of prescription drugs, a large-capacity magazine, and hollow-nosed bullets.
Serius Jones was later taken into custody and charged with various gun and ammunition offenses.
It seems like the Republican party is turning on not just Donald Trump but also Kanye West and the owner of Twitter, Elon Musk.
The GOP is taking a huge stance against the producer-turned-rapper-turned-designer-turned-antisemite and his comments about Jewish people.
According to The Week, after Kanye West’s unorthodox interview with Alex Jones, the official GOP House Judiciary Committee Twitter account deleted a tweet made in celebration of the three political outsider influencers.
The original tweet was posted in October but was taken down on Thursday, December 1st, after the rapper’s shocking interview where he admitted he loved Nazis and later posted an image of the Star of David intertwined with a S#######.
Earlier this week, before the InfoWars appearance, Mitch McConnell, the minority leader for the senate and top Republican in office, distanced himself from Trump.
McConnel said that because the former president is still entertaining Ye and Fuentes, he doesn’t believe he will have a strong chance at re-election.
The Tampa Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for former NFL player Antonio Brown after he was allegedly involved in a domestic abuse altercation on Monday, November 28th.
According to police reports, around 1:30 p.m., while in his South Tampa home, it is alleged he threw a shoe at a woman (who is possibly the mother of his children) and then “attempted to evict the victim from the residence and locked her out of the home.”
“The suspect exited the residence and threw a shoe at the victim, striking her in the ponytail. The victim had no injuries but believed the shoe was meant for her head,” the police report said.
The warrant alleges he committed domestic violence battery, which is a misdemeanor in Florida. On November 29th, TPD asked a judge to issue a risk protection order against Brown on behalf of the woman on Tuesday, November 29th.
However, the request was denied.
The free-agent receiver has allegedly imprisoned himself in his own home. He is thought to be hiding inside the house since cops are waiting outside to arrest him.
Law enforcement has been in contact with Brown’s attorney, and yet he still will not come out. As a result, police are said to have used a megaphone to call him out of his multi-million-dollar home.
“We’re not going anywhere,” one police officer called out, but to no avail.
Atlanta’s Lil Baby managed to become one of the top Hip Hop stars of this era. His It’s Only Me studio album recently topped the Billboard 200 chart.
According to a former owner of The Source magazine, Lil Baby is the 2022 version of a late rap icon. Benzino went on Twitter to make comparisons between the “Heyy” rapper and Tupac Shakur.
“I been around Hip Hop since day 1, out of this generation’s rappers @lilbaby4PF is the most influential and important at this time,” tweeted Benzino. “He like PAC’s influence can help turn around young black men to elevate their lives from the streets to a better life. He’s special trust me I know.”
The Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta alum added, “[Lil Baby is] really from and wit the s#### and talks that street talk, but he also raps about positive elevation and change, (like Pac), he never beefs online, helps his people and raps about it and you can see his maturity, not just on the mic but in real life, he’s this generation’s Pac.”
Tupac Amaru Shakur is one of the best-selling music artists in history. The West Coast representative is widely considered a global cultural icon who experienced high-profile ups and downs throughout his career in entertainment.
Both 2Pac & Lil Baby Found Mainstream Commerical Success
Before his death in 1996, 2Pac scored two Number Ones on the Billboard 200 with 1995’s Me Against the World and 1996’s All Eyez on Me. The latter project earned Diamond (10 million units) certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Posthumous 2Pac albums also made it to No. 1. The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Until The End Of Time, and Loyal To The Game led the chart. His Diamond-certified Greatest Hits compilation just crossed the 450-week mark on the Billboard 200.
Lil Baby’sIt’s Only Me album opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 by earning 216,000 first-week units. The album currently sits at #4 on the rankings after six weeks. It’s Only Me is the third chart-topper of Baby’s career.
Honestly, Nevermind debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 204,000 album-equivalent units. However, Drake’s seventh studio LP fell out of the chart’s Top 10 region in just two months.
While Honestly, Nevermind did not have the same level of staying power on the chart as other Drake releases such as 2018’s Scorpion and 2021’s Certified Lover Boy, his latest project scored him another Billboard victory.
Drake Makes Top Five Of Overall Top Artists Rankings
Billboard, the long-running music publication, named Drake as the Top Dance/Electronic Artist Of 2022. The rest of the Top 5 for the chart included Lady Gaga (#2), The Chainsmokers (#3), Calvin Harris (#4), and Daft Punk (#5).
Additionally, Drake made it into the upper echelon of other Billboard year-end rankings. The Canadian hitmaker finished fourth on the 2022 Top Artists list behind Bad Bunny (#1), Taylor Swift (#2), and Harry Styles (#3).
The 2022 Top Male Artist chart features Bad Bunny (#1), Harry Styles (#2), Drake (#3), Morgan Wallen (#4), and Ed Sheeran (#5). Country/Pop superstar Taylor Swift leads the 2022 Top Female Artist chart.
Latto & Future Lead Year-End Rap Music Lists As Well
Drake also landed at #1 in the Top Rap Artists and Top Male Rap Artists categories. Certified Lover Boy is listed as the Top Rap Album. Hip Hop newcomer Latto secured the #1 position on the Top Female Rap Artist chart.
Atlanta-bred music star Future tops the Rap Streaming Songs Artists and Hot Rap Songs Artists tallies for 2022. The late Juice WRLD still finished at #1 as Billboard‘s 2022 Top Rap Albums Artist.
Plus, Drake dominated many of the lists in the R&B/Hip Hop section. The former Degrassi: The Next Generation actor is the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist, Top Male R&B/Hip-Hop Artist, and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the year.
For the past decade, rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin worked together on numerous tracks. But, Metro did not produce any music for Future’s latest studio LP I Never Liked You.
“Let me tell you why. [Future] actually finished most of the album at my studio in LA,” explained Metro. “That’s my brother, but we’re working on some things. At first, we were going to put a couple of songs with me and him on the album, but we had took them off because I had talked to him.”
The St. Louis native continued, “I was like, ‘Look, the last time anybody’s really heard a song from me and you was ‘Mask Off.’ So instead of us randomly throwing one or two songs we did on here, we got to wait and just give them a joint.'”
In addition to “Mask Off” from 2017, Metro Boomin produced other hits by Future like “Honest” and “Wicked” as well as “Where Ya At” and “Jumpman” with Drake. Future does appear multiple times on Heroes & Villains.
Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains album also features Chris Brown, John Legend, Travis Scott, Young Thug, The Weekend, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, A$AP Rocky, and Gunna. The new LP follows 2018’s chart-topping Not All Heroes Wear Capes.
Throughout his career, Metro partnered with several recording artists like 21 Savage, Offset, Big Sean, Nav, and Gucci Mane on collaborative projects. A So Icey Boyz joint effort with fellow producer Southside is supposedly on the way too.
“That’s my twin. So Icey Boyz, that’s our production duo inspired by the whole Neptunes concept,” Metro Boomin told Ebro Darden. He added, “That’s one of those things. I got a lot of stuff lined up, like this Heroes & Villains, after the hiatus. I spilled the beans, but yeah, So Icey Boyz, that’s going to be incredible.”
Atlanta-raised rap stars 21 Savage and Latto collaborated together on songs like “Pull Up” and “Wheelie.” Some music fans assume the two entertainers began dating.
However, neither Latto nor 21 Savage ever confirmed the rumored relationship. Savage has now let the world know that Latto is not his female partner.
“I’ve been hot for a long time. I don’t do all the antics and s###. I don’t got a celebrity girlfriend,” said 21 Savage during a conversation on Clubhouse.
The I Am > I Was album creator also added, “I’m not finna be out everywhere. I’m not dropping music every other week. I’m not going on live talking about sh*t every other week.”
In response to critics of the Nas link-up, Savage stated, “We been figuring out how we were gonna do a song before this. On my momma, I’ve been had his number.”
As far as the speculated Latto/21 Savage romantic connection, it is still not clear if they were never a couple or if they dated and then broke up. Back in March, Latto spoke about her musical chemistry with the “Rich Flex” performer.
“[21 Savage] is one of the male Atlanta artists running it, and then I’m the female running it, hands down,” said Latto. “I think it’s just that Atlanta chemistry. I’ve opened up for 21 way back in the day. I was probably 15, 16, or something like that.”
Metro Boomin has delivered his eagerly anticipated new album, Heroes & Villains, following a highly elaborate rollout.
The follow-up to 2018’s Not All Heroes Wear Capes arrived at midnight Friday (Dec. 2) after a short delay, reportedly due to sample clearance issues and comes packed with features. He announced the guest appearances on Thursday with a series of comic book covers.
Among those joining Metro Boomin on Heroes & Villains is The Weeknd, who he hinted would be on the project. The Toronto crooner appears on “Creepin,” which also features 21 Savage, and is an early candidate for the top track among many fans on Twitter.
The late Takeoff is featured on track 14, “Feel the Fiyaaaah,” while other guests include Future, Chris Brown, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Don Toliver, Young Nudy, Mustafa, and more. Earlier this week, Metro Boomin began trending on Twitter after sharing a short film to accompany the project.
Directed by Gibson Hazard, the mini-movie features Morgan Freeman who acts and provides narration for the video. Fellow actor LaKeith Stanfield plays the film’s villain.
Incarcerated YSL rappers Young Thug and Gunna also make cameo appearances as the hosts of “P News.” Watch the film, which contains snippets of a few songs from Heroes & Villains, below and stream the album at the end of the page.
Latto is finishing the year strong, ending 2002 as Billboard’s top new artist the same week she shared her new single, “FTCU,” featuring GloRilla and Gangsta Boo.
The Atlanta native had a breakthrough chart success in 2002 with her hit song, “Big Energy,” which is also No. 1 on the year-end R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, Rap Digital Song Sales, and Rhythmic Airplay Songs recaps.
“Big Energy” earned Latto her biggest hit reaching No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart in April. The song went viral on TikTok before receiving a boost from Mariah Carey and DJ Khaled on the remix.
“Big Energy” also came in at No. 7 on the year-end Hot 100 Songs roundup. Earlier this year, Latto admitted she didn’t expect the single to catch on so quickly.
“Crazy,” Latto replied when XXL asked how she felt following the track’s success. “I still can’t believe it. When I wrote down my 2022 goals, one of them was to be top 40 on the Billboard charts. And I’m thinking that’s shooting for the stars. I set that goal in January and I did it in January. So, it’s crazy to see it keep going up like every week. Every week I be like, Girl, prepare yourself because it’s going down this week. It can’t go up again. And then boom, it be going up again.
Latto could have another banger on her hands with her new collab. Watch her new video featuring GloRilla and Gangsta Boo below.
Kanye West has picked up another suspension from Twitter for posting an image of a s####### less than two months after his last ban for making antisemitic comments.
Elon Musk confirmed he had to take action after Ye shared the antisemitic post on Thursday (Dec. 1). The image included a s####### inside a star of David and fell foul of Twitter’s terms of service.
Before the suspension, Kanye West also shared an unflattering photo of the social media platform’s new owner being hosed down by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel on a yacht. However, Elon told Ye the harsh pic “is fine,” but he replied, “this is not” to the now-deleted s####### tweet.
Kanye West then took to Truth Social to post a series of screenshots, including a message indicating his ban is only for 12 hours.
He also shared a text allegedly from Elon Musk saying: “Sorry, but you have gone too far. This is not love.” Kanye’s apparent response was: “Who made you the judge.”
Moments later the remainder of the Musk / Kanye text conversation was shared by Kanye on Truth Social.
Kanye also shared a screenshot of some limitations placed on his Twitter account for 12 hours for violating Twitter’s TOS. pic.twitter.com/sHypYQDAR9
When a Twitter user asked Elon Musk to please “fix” Kanye West, the Tesla CEO replied, “I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.”
Before being suspended Kanye expressed his love for freedom of speech. “I pray to Jesus that Elon is for real…,” he tweeted before referring to people incarcerated for the Jan. 6 insurrection as “political prisoners.” He also insinuated Kim Kardashian cheated on him with Chris Paul.
Not exactly answering Ye’s prayer, Elon later tweeted “FAFO,” the acronym for ‘f### around and find out.’
Meanwhile, before his antics on Twitter, Ye doubled down on his offensive remarks about Jewish people during an appearance on Infowars. As reported by AllHipHop.com, Ye declared his love for Hitler and the Nazis among other concerning remarks.
Kanye West threatened to leave Twitter again on Thursday evening, but not before he dropped a bombshell accusation about Kim Kardashian and Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul.
The G.O.O.D. Music founder continued his recent run of offensive, antisemitic and outlandish comments on Thursday (Dec. 1).
After professing his love for Hitler and the Nazis during his troublesome conversation with disgraced conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Infowars, Ye hopped on Twitter to fire off a parting shot at Kim Kardashian.
Kanye West Alludes To Kim Kardashian Hooking Up With Chris Paul
“Let’s break one last window before we get outa here,” Kanye West tweeted alongside a picture of Chris Paul. “I caught this guy with Kim. Good night.”
Kanye did not bring any receipts to back up his claims that the mother of his four children messed around with another man. For her part, Kim Kardashian has not responded to the allegations.
A few hours earlier, Kanye went on another rant about pornography, claiming it “destroyed my family.” He also brought up Balenciaga, in the wake of their scandal, saying God “loves” the designer fashion house before praying for the “innocent” artists “who had nothing to do with,” the controversial ad campaign.
“God loves Balenciaga. Love is the answer. Jesus is the answer,” he penned. “I stand by Balenciaga and denounce all witch hunts and I cancel cancel culture. Jesus is King. Ending trafficking doesn’t start or end with a fashion campaign for Christ Sake.”
Kanye then called for inappropriate images of children to be removed from the Internet. “Remove any and all forms of pornography from Twitter and every platform. Pornography is the product of pediphilia, he wrote. When grown men look at p### they are watching someone’s daughter relive trauma for money.”
According to Kanye West: “The use of P### destroyed my family but Jesus will heal everything.” Check his earlier remarks about Hitler.
Upcoming rap star Ice Spice was interviewed by Erykah Badu and her daughter Puma Curry in Interview Magazine and talked about her decision not to get plastic surgery as she embarks on her career in Hip-Hop.
The “No Clarity” artist also talked about her signature hair and style.
She said, “There’s definitely a starter pack, and I see a lot of girls doing it. I feel like it doesn’t apply to me all the way.”
“My hair is short as f###; it’s not swinging down my back,” she told the singer. “My whole body’s natural, even though some people try to accuse me of surgery. Only thing thick is my teeth, which I got to get redone. And my nails. I be having some fake-ass nails.
“When I started putting music out, I was wearing wigs a lot. I didn’t show my natural hair until I put out ‘No Clarity’ in November 2021,” she said to the Texas artists.
In the discussion, Badu asked, “What made you feel brave about it?”
The young artist said it was her father that helped her feel confident about her looks. She said, he would tell her, “It’s beautiful, you’re beautiful, wear your natural hair.”
Adding to the hype already surrounding the original version of the release, Moneyface Peso has recruited Renni Rucci for the remix and official music video to his fan-favorite single “Hell Ya.”
Dripped in Galery Dept. garments and VVS-clarity diamonds, both Moneyface Peso and Renni Rucci are showcasing their superior hustle and flow in the GeekedTV-directed visual.
No matter in the graffiti-covered streets of Florida, the packed-out nightclubs, or in exclusive studios, Moneyface Peso stands out and shines bright as his high and tight lyricism tells the story of his ambition. “Got a call from my n-gga/He say he got another load/He letting em’ go for 14/I’m selling em’ for 24,” Peso raps on the thumping record.
Since emerging in 2020 with his debut single “Victory (Booyah)” Moneyface Peso has risen within the ranks quickly and become a breakthrough artist to watch. In 2021 Moneyface Peso’s stock in the rap game drastically increased upon the release of his eight-song project If I Said It, I Lived It.
In addition to the video, Moneyface Peso also recently delivered his hard-hitting “Still Gotta Plug,” single. Moneyface Peso has maintained a consistent campaign of releases all-year-long, recently delivering his Fattymacc-assisted single “100 Pack,” back in September.
Ashanti spoke about an unsettling situation from her past in an interview with The Breakfast Club on Thursday (December 1).
The multi-platinum selling singer detailed how a producer tried to coerce her into having sex with him. Ashanti said the unnamed producer wanted shower sex in exchange for two songs they recorded.
“We did two records together,” she explained. “He was like, ‘OK, I’m not gonna charge you. You know you my homie.’ Whatever, whatever. And then when it came time to put it on the album, he was like, ‘Well, let’s take a shower together.’ I thought he was joking … And then he’s like, ‘Nah, I’m dead serious. Let’s go out and let’s take a shower together and I’ll give you the records. If not, I need 40 racks per record.’”
Ashanti continued, “Again, I thought he was joking because we had been working with each other for a couple of weeks. And then it turned out he was serious. And I had to make some phone calls and stuff was handled.”
The former Murder Inc. artist didn’t identify the producer. Ashanti recalled the uncomfortable story months after her old boss Irv Gotti repeatedly made headlines for airing out an alleged relationship with her.
Ashanti asserted she was never Irv Gotti’s girlfriend in an October interview with Angie Martinez.
Ye needs new legal representation in an ongoing legal battle over his song “Flowers.”
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Kanye West’s lawyers were granted their motion to withdraw from his case. A judge determined the attorneys had “satisfactory reason for withdrawal” on Wednesday (November 30).
Earlier this year, Ultra International Music Publishing sued Ye for copyright infringement. The company accused him of sampling Marshall Jefferson’s song “Move Your Body” without permission on the Donda 2 album.
Kanye West will have a few weeks to find another lawyer to handle his case. But it’s possible he will represent himself.
“Ye may wish to hire a new attorney, or proceed pro se—that is, on his own behalf,” Judge Analisa Torres wrote. “By January 4, 2023, Ye shall inform the Court whether he has retained new counsel or will proceed pro se. If Ye chooses to proceed pro se, by January 4, 2023, he shall provide the Pro Se Office for the Southern District of New York with the address and telephone number at which he can be reached by the Court.”
Kanye West’s Donda 2 was released exclusively on the Stem Player in February. Kano Computing Limited, the company behind Stem Player, and its co-founder Alex Klein were also named in the lawsuit. Kano’s lawyer asked the judge for an extension to respond to the complaint after Ye lost representation.
“Given Ye’s central role in the alleged infringing activity, it would be both logical and efficient to maintain the same response deadlines for all three defendants, rather than requiring Kano and Mr. Klein to respond to the Complaint earlier (perhaps several months earlier) than Ye,” attorney Todd Larson wrote. “Further, Ye’s current lack of counsel has made it impossible for Kano or Mr. Klein to communicate or coordinate with Ye in defending against the allegations in the Complaint—a situation that may be rectified by allowing Kano and Mr. Klein to respond after Ye secures counsel.”
Kano recently cut ties with Ye due to the controversial rapper’s antisemitism. Kanye West continued to make antisemitic remarks in an interview with Alex Jones on Thursday (December 1).
Gee-mann is here to bring nothing but good energy into the rap game. Originally hailing from Columbus Ohio, but relocating to Long Beach, California two years ago on his 22nd birthday, Gee-Mann states, “You know where the set at, we chillin’.”
Beyond the music, it’s Gee-Mann’s super outgoing personality that he’s proud of most. He explains, “I like to have fun. I like to be creative. I like to move around and be outside a lot. I’m a people person, so I’m good at getting along with everybody. But you disrespect me, then I’m a whole other person.”
It’s a respect thing for Gee-Mann, and he shows everybody the same respect he wants. No matter who you are, you can count on Gee-Mann to bring nothing short of positivity and good vibrations. He also won’t hesitate in introducing himself, humbly reminding audiences that no one is better than the other on this earth.
AllHipHop spoke with Gee-Mann in downtown Los Angeles, who literally just got out of jail. Read below as we discuss his background, new single “S.A.B.,” what sets him apart, and more!
AllHipHop: How you doing?
Gee-Mann: Sorry for looking rough, I just got out of jail this morning. It’s rough.
AllHipHop: What were you there for?
Gee-Mann: I got caught with another gun. It happens.
AllHipHop: How long were you there for?
Gee-Mann: Just since 11pm, then I got out around 12pm. Took a good nap. How everything happened, trust me last night was funny as hell. I was just in there like, f###. F### it. [laughs]
AllHipHop: How was it growing up in Columbus?
Gee-Mann: It was cool. I love everybody out there. I just had to migrate, get up out of there and elevate. I love Columbus, growing up out there was cool. It was a little rough here and there, I went to behavior school all the way until high school. But other than that, it was cool. Finally getting into regular school, public school, it was hard. But I had to get into that too, just like everybody gotta get into new s###. Get the hang of stuff.
AllHipHop: What made you move to Long Beach? Because Long Beach is a vibe.
Gee-Mann: Yeah, it’s definitely a vibe out there. I stay downtown. I’ll be in the downtown area or on the beach over there when I go, or I’ll be on the north side for the most part. The people over there, they were f###### more I guess when I came out here. They were messing me way more, way harder than anybody in LA. So I just stayed kicking it in Long Beach more than LA. It’s who took me in under the wing, that’s all.
To even come out there, I just had to get out of Ohio. It was rough. Plus, it was time for something new. I couldn’t stay in the same spot the whole time. I had to elevate and get a different scenery.
AllHipHop: When did you fall in love with music?
Gee-Mann: I was always in the music, for real for real. Music is sometimes what kept me out of trouble, just listening to music sometimes and not exploding. Or I’d help out my stepdad. When he was in the studio recording, I’d help him with the production part on the beats. Because he likes to write music without the beats, then he’ll put the beats after. I’d help him like, nah, the beat should go like this. Boom boom boom.
He’d always tell me, “hey when you get older, you’re going to do something in this music s###.” I’m like, man, that’s not for me. I’m not doing none of this music s###, I’ma just help you out. He’s like, “nah, you’re going to do something in his music s###. I’m like alright, whatever. My big brother also did music. I was watching him do music videos, in the studio with him listening to him record, helping them sometimes give a couple of lyrics here and there. When I got kicked out of college, I ended up starting to make music and finding a different outlet other than sports and having a good time.
AllHipHop: When did you get kicked out of college?
Gee-Mann: My freshman year, as soon as I got there really. I didn’t even get to play football or nothing, I was selling drugs out the dorm. I got caught up, then I got kicked out. I wasn’t tripping for real for real. I didn’t really want to sit around the college dorms and not make no money. Be bored, just going to practice. F### it, I was outside.
AllHipHop: What’s the inspiration behind your name?
Gee-Mann: I got my name from the big homie over in Long Beach in the set. We were saying a bunch of different names: Gee Nasty, Gee Naughty. We were saying random s###. We were smoking the blunt, out of nowhere he looked at me and said “Gee-Mann.” I’m like oh s###, hold on. Gee-Mann? Yeah I f### with that.” He said, “yeah, we about to call you Gee-Mann. F### that, you Gee-Mann now.” Everybody just kicked. Somebody seen me: nah that’s Gee-Mann right there.” It just stuck. Now, it’s just natural. When somebody say it, it’s natural. It got a kick to it.
AllHipHop: You just released “SAB,” can you touch on that.
Gee-Mann: Hell yeah, “Stupid Ass B####.” I just released that with my big brother Cuzz Duff. He’s the one I was telling you that got me into this music stuff too, so I had to record a few songs with him honestly. But that’s one of the ones that was one of my favorites, so he had to drop that one ASAP. [snaps] We got it out quick.
AllHipHop: What inspired this one?
Gee-Mann: I don’t know. We inspire each other to just go crazy, make a lot of music together or apart, whatever. I call him like, what you got new going on? You got some new s###, send it to me. He’ll call me out of nowhere, “you got some s### going on? Send it to me.” He’ll send me open tracks and say “hey, I want you to hop on this. Hey, I got a slot on this for you. See if you can vibe out on this.” Or I’ll send him something or something open. So really one time, I sent him an open track. When I sent him that track, he was f###### with it and said, “oh nah, I’m about to throw some on this. Don’t give it to nobody else, I want to throw something on this.”
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your music, your story?
Gee-Mann: I want them to really get the whole view of my life. They could be able to get a bunch of different viewpoints on the pain side, on the female side, on the drug side, the gang side. I like to say everything in my music. Not say too much, but say what I need to to catch people’s attention. That’s all.
AllHipHop: What makes you different from other artists, would you say?
Gee-Mann: Everything about me, honestly, because I’m Gee-Mann. My personality, how I walk, talk, everything. I don’t sound like nobody else. I don’t try and steal nobody’s sound, nobody’s look. I don’t try to mimic nobody’s style. I just try and be me, make my own music, my own lyrics. I never used a songwriter.
For the first time, I just did a week ago in the studio. I’m debating on dropping that song because some of the lyrics aren’t even mine. But on all the other tracks, I write all my own lyrics. I don’t really like to get too much input on my music because I like my stuff to sound how I want it to sound, not how nobody else wants it to sound.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times?
Gee-Mann: I always need a vibe in there with me, some kind of female or some kind of drug. We gotta have good energy at all times. If I got a Negative Nancy in the studio with me, I’m getting them out of there ASAP. Really I need my female, I need my drugs, and I need good energy around me at all times.
AllHipHop: You still in the streets?
Gee-Mann: We be outside. I just got out of jail this morning, so I had to hurry up and catch up to y’all and make this interview.
AllHipHop: How’s the independent grind?
Gee-Mann: It’s definitely a struggle. On the promotions side, marketing side, PR side. You definitely gotta find the right outlets and the right sources, make sure you got the right connections because this s### is definitely hard. It’s not easy, but it just takes one song. I’ma keep going, make sure I get that one song here soon.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next?
Gee-Mann: I can’t really tell you what’s up next to come, because I want everything to just be a surprise when I drop it. But what’s coming next is definitely going to shock some other people, give some people a sound that they haven’t heard from me before on the other tracks. They’re going to really start to catch on and vibe out to my s###.
AllHipHop: Do you have any goals for yourself?
Gee-Mann: I got a lot of goals. Really the main one is to make sure at the end of the day, I can feed everybody that fed me and got me to where I’m at right now. I can look out for everybody that looked out for me and got me to where I’m at, kept me on my feet and out of trouble. I want to be able to feed everybody, and I want to be able to eat good too.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Gee-Mann: Thank you for having me. It’s a lot more to come. We shoot them videos after videos, record music after music. I’m about to drop here soon, so keep up with the page. Stay tuned, we got some crazy s### on the way.
