New up-incoming artist JFUEGO starts the month off with his new hit single Vibe City, showing the fans his infinity stones of talent for music.
JFUEGO just dropped Vibe City on July 4th, giving the fans new music to vibe to during their Independence Day. Recently JFUEGO announced that he’ll be doing a show on July 23rd in New Jersey with famous Hip-Hop artist Rowdy Rebel, who is big in the music scene with hit songs like Computers.
JFUEGO will perform Vibe City along with other songs and other artist during the show. This wouldn’t be the first time JFUEGO was performing with Famous Hip-Hop artists, earlier in the year he performed with FatBoy SSE and before that Lil T-Jay. Since then JFUEGO has done over ten different shows with more on the way.
JFUEGO started his buzz in high school freestyling at lunch tables and park benches to Performing Studio Recorded Music at his latest shows. In the past year Justin Ildefonso Jr best known as JFUEGO has torn through upstate New York, going show to show and making hit after hit. JFUEGO’s Music style is a cross between Drake and Playboi Carti meets Kendrick Lamar with melodic tunes like his last hit song Dreams. JFUEGO is a force for future heat with future artists and the next Artist to lead the future generations of Hip-Hop.
Banks premiered an official music video for her “Real Rap B#### (Poppin It)” track on July 5, shot and edited by 6k Jefe. One section of the song seems aimed at Crawford’s company.
“Don’t give a f### about that label, they see me/And they owe me some money, they greedy,” Banks rhymes on “Real Rap B#### (Poppin It).”
Erica Banks released the Diary of the Flow Queen album in June 2022 via 1501 Certified/Warner Records. The DeSoto-raised rapper also put out several mixtapes and EPs, like 2022’s Class In Session, under the 1501 Certified banner.
Warner signed Banks to a major label deal two years ago. At the time, Carl Crawford stated, “Texas has such rich culture for music, and I’m happy for us to play a role in its continued evolution alongside the Warner Records team.”
Blueface shared clips of children in one room and scantily-dressed women dancing in another room. Then the “Thotiana” rapper supposedly catches his son, Jayvaughn, searching for snacks in a pantry, while a sexually explicit video shoot takes place in the home.
“Son, come here,” Blueface said. “It’s booty cheeks out here and you’re in here looking for chips and Slim Jims. You ain’t gay is you?” After Jayvaugh shakes his head, Blueface responds, “My man! My dawg!”
His behavior led to widespread backlash on social media. Some people referred to the situation as blatant abuse and demanded child protective services get involved. Blueface’s mom suggests the situation was harmless.
“False alarm, false alarm,” Saffold said. “He ain’t going crazy. He ain’t see nobody’s ass. I checked it out. I went off, and they said he was not present to watch nobody’s ass.
“He’s not watching nobody twerk. He ain’t seen no naked ass. [Blueface] covered up his eyes, like this, while he took him to the pantry. So he didn’t see no nakedness. He ain’t see no booty cheeks. False alarm, false alarm. Everybody go home.”
In addition, Saffold insisted Blueface has several nannies and family members who were “on duty” to watch the kids. As this problematic scenario makes headlines across the internet, Blueface must also prepare for his on-again-off-again girlfriend Chrisean Rock to give birth to his next baby.
There’s been below-the-radar competitive energy surrounding two of the most successful multi-hyphenates in Hip-Hop history for a while. It appears a rivalry between Drake and Childish Gambino has made its way to the forefront.
Later that year, Childish Gambino discussed taking shots at the Canadian performer. Glover said, “I think he’s a really good writer and rapper. Right now, I definitely think I’m better than him, but only because I’m working harder than him right now.”
Gambino then revealed in a recent GQ interview that he originally intended to use his 2018 single “This Is America” as a way to make fun of the OVO Sound leader. The Atlanta series creator said, “It started as a Drake diss, to be honest, as like a funny way of doing it.”
Drake apparently fired back at Childish Gambino during his It’s All a Blur Tour stop in Chicago on Wednesday (July 5). According to Billboard, a headline titled “The overrated and over-awarded hit song ‘This Is America’ was originally a Drake diss record” scrolled across the stage.
“This Is America” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks. It also led the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. As of press time, the track’s official music video has amassed more than 885 million views on YouTube.
The Ludwig Göransson-produced single also won four Grammy Awards at the 61st annual ceremony in 2019. Gambino took home trophies for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Music Video.
Drake’s “God’s Plan” also received Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year nominations in 2019. The Scorpion track lost against “This Is America” at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. “God’s Plan” did win Best Rap Song that year.
Ice Spice and Great Britain’s Central Cee have proven to be chart-busting acts in recent years. Could fans see an official collaboration between the two up-and-coming stars in the near future?
“So the funniest thing ever is like he got on ‘Munch,’ and I had sent it to him and I was like, ‘I want you to write, like, remix it,'” she said. “He’s the first artist I thought of to remix ‘Munch’ because I was like, he would just fit perfectly on here.”
She added, “[Central Cee] sent his verse back like two hours later and it was fire but it just never came out. Right, so that’s the tea on that but then we linked up again a couple of months ago and we have started a new record… I don’t know if we’re gonna finish that record or do something else but we’ve been trying to put something out.”
Ice Spice released “Munch (Feelin’ U)” in August 2022. The track eventually earned a gold certification from the RIAA. Spice went on to appear on Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 songs with PinkPantheress,Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift.
Central Cee landed in the United Kingdom’s Official Singles Chart’s Top 10 with records like “Commitment Issues,” “Obsessed with You,” and “Doja.” The 25-year-old peaked at No. 1 in the U.K. with the Dave-assisted “Sprinter.”
Sotheby’s is auctioning a ring designed by the late Tupac Shakur and worn by the rapper during his final public appearance.
The yellow gold crown piece is encrusted with 10 carats of cabochon rubies and nearly five carats of diamonds. 2Pac wore the ring at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 4, 1996 in New York, just three days before he was fatally shot. He died from his injuries less than a week later, on September 13 at age 25.
The ring is engraved with “Pac & Dada 1996″ in honor of the rapper’s engagement to Kidada Jones, daughter of Quincy Jones. The bespoke piece is expected to fetch in the range of $200,000 to $300,000.
The ring is currently owned by Yaasmyn Fula, adviser to 2Pac and close friend of his mother, Afeni Shakur. Fula, who’s also the mother of Outlawz group member Yaki Kadifa, recalls ‘Pac designed the ring with painstaking attention to detail over several months.
He was inspired to craft a ring after the crowns of medieval European kings after reading Niccolo Machiavelli’s political manifesto, The Prince. He adopted the “Makaveli” moniker and designed the ring in “an act of self-coronation.”
The Sotheby’s lot description notes Fula taught a young 2Pac the following mantra: “You are our Black prince. You are my miracle, and you will make Black people proud.”
The auction house also highlights the rarity of the item. As far as they know, the ring “is the only piece of jewelry,” belonging to 2Pac to hit the market “with direct provenance.” Sotheby’s also claims it is “certainly the only piece designed by him to have been offered for sale.”
Offset and Cardi B appear to have put the cheating rumors behind them after a public social media spat. The rap super couple were all smiles during their outings at Paris Fashion Week earlier this week. They were pictured hand-in-hand in Paris on Tuesday (July 4) or tenderly embracing in other footage.
On Friday (July 7), Cardi B, who was recently likened to Jay-Z for spotlighting rising talent artists, shared her new single with FendiDa Rappa, “Point Me 2.” When Offset saw a clip of the visuals, he couldn’t hold back his response.
In the video, Cardi B puts on a racy cheek-shaking display while wearing a pink thong bodysuit. Shortly after the single dropped, Cardi took to Twitter to share a gif of her booty-clapping skills. She captioned the post, “Mood.”
Unlike Keke Palmer’ssignificant other, Offset was a fan of his wife’s bare booty display, reposting the clip to his timeline while hinting at his own mood. “Digg in that,” he wrote alongside a cat emoji.
Offset made headlines after accusing Cardi B of infidelity during a furious online row last week.
“My wife f##### a n### on me gang,” Offset wrote in a since-deleted post. “Yall n####s know how I come.”
Meanwhile, Cardi confronted the allegations during a Twitter Spaces, telling her fans not to “pay attention to the country man.” She also said she would be exposed immediately because of her celebrity status, adding, “Please boy, stop acting stupid.”
Multi-Platinum Artist/Producer & West Coast Icon “DJ BATTLECAT” joins with Stan Sheppard & KB ThePlaymaker to launch and develop the new Rap/R&B label founded by Stan Sheppard called: “11th Power Entertainment”.
The new label will focus on “street-edged REALISM MUSIC” that focuses on REALITY IN THE STREETS and not the ignorance and bold-faced lies that are told by the artists that are currently being released in the marketplace. The incredible song produced by DJ BATTLECAT off of the upcoming album “BLACK PAIN,” titled, “KNOCK KNOCK” will showcase the new style sound.
The song will describe a story of a young child whose father has been sentenced to life in prison. The young child obviously doesn’t understand what is going on as the child’s mother takes him to visit his father behind prison walls.
What major label will support this positive movement?
Drake’s hilarious reaction to a fan throwing her bra on stage was one of the highlights of Chicago’s It’s All A Blur Tour stop.
While he brushed off a phone thrown at him with a flick of the wrist without skipping a beat, Drizzy reacted differently when fans tossed their bras in his direction, stopping the show to inspect the bra before shouting out breasts of all sizes.
“Let me see what you’re working with,” Drake said while checking the size of one black bra. “Who threw this? That’s you?” he asked, pointing to a fan in the audience. “36 double D. That’s some knocks, I ain’t gon’ lie.”
Before continuing, Drake clarified that he doesn’t “discriminate” and has time for women of all sizes. “Shout out to all the girls with the small t######. Shout out the girls with the big b######, little b######, you know. All races, all faces, all places.”
Drake then returned to his onstage bra collection, saying, “Thank you again. This is perfect,” as he picked up another bra, this time a white one. “It’s like Yin and Yang, you know,” he added while holding up the bars as the crowd cheered wildly.
While the OVO honcho had all the time in the world to address the bra missiles, phones are a different story. Despite being struck in the wrist by the object, Drake refused to react and continued crooning to the crowd.
Drake is the latest celeb to be struck by objects fans throw onstage. Pop star Bebe Rexha sustained a black eye when a concert goer threw a phone at her head last month. Meanwhile, P!NK was left baffled when a fan allegedly threw his mother’s ashes at her during a performance and Lil Nas X narrowly avoided being hit by a flying sex toy.
Blueface is facing hefty backlash after questioning his six-year-old son’s sexuality when the little boy left a room with half-naked dancers to find some snacks.
The “Thotiana” rapper shared the video on his Instagram Stories, where it was swiftly clipped and circulated on Twitter. In the clip, Blueface is filming a music video with the mother of his two children, Jaidyen Alexxis, before looking for his son, who he finds in the pantry.
“Son, come here,” Blueface told the little boy. “It’s booty cheeks out here and you in here looking for chips. You ain’t gay is you?”
The six-year-old appeared confused at the question and was more interested in the snacks he was about to eat. He simply shrugged, saying, “I have so many Slim Jims!”
A second video begins with Blueface repeating the question: “You ain’t gay, right?” When his son shook his head in response, Blueface stuck his hand out for a high five. “My man, my dawg!” he added.
Blueface just asked his son was he gay because he was looking for a bag of chips. Smh some folks don’t need kids. pic.twitter.com/ZZqInH149i
Once the video surfaced on Twitter, Blueface was heavily criticized, with users slamming the rapper’s inappropriate behavior. Others called him out for bashing his pregnant ex Chrisean Rock, claiming he’s the one who poses a threat to his kids.
“Blueface & Jaidyn Alexis has their son around STRIPPERS, while telling him to come look & asking him is he gay ?? & he says Chrisean won’t be a good mother,” read one response. “Yet you’re taking your son’s innocents away so early. Tryna make a kid look at adult sexual content is p### behavior.”
Blueface & Jaidyn Alexis has their son around STRIPPERS, while telling him to come look & asking him is he gay ?? & he says Chrisean won’t be a good mother. Yet you’re taking your son’s innocents away so early. Tryna make a kid look at adult sexual content is p### behavior pic.twitter.com/frwSmCOdzS
Blueface is embarrassing, and Jaidyn Alexis is an idiot. Like, who does this with a house full of children AND then ask his YOUNG SON IS HE GAY? I hate N#####. @ChriseanMalone leaving was the best decision she ever made! pic.twitter.com/l7ESkoFpYq
Blue face & his BM have strippers performing right in front of their infant daughter & he’s asking his son if he’s gay since he’s looking for snacks instead of “shaking ass”
Blueface gone ask his son is he GAY after looking for snacks instead of being in a room with strippers..this niqqa is a joke & a disgrace. He is a CHILD!!! ain’t even have no food in the damn pantry for the jitt.🤦🏽♀️ #BlueFace
Here’s the question: is this a skit or is it real? Honestly, I’m not sure, and it seems like most people are in the same boat. (This is all covered in our news section, by the way.) Our own London Jenn definitely gave the facts. Judging by Birdman’s intense reaction in the video, it would take some serious acting skills for him to fake this level of anger. I believe he might genuinely be upset.
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust apologized for its inadequate treatment of MF DOOM, who passed away in 2020.
According to The Guardian, the trust acknowledged it didn’t provide sufficient care to MF DOOM at St. James Hospital in Leeds. The trust’s investigation into his death uncovered “missed opportunities” to help him when he was treated for angioedema in 2020.
“I would like to offer our sincere condolences to [MF DOOM’s] family, friends and fans at this difficult time,” the trust’s chief medical officer Dr. Hamish McLure said. “I apologize that the care he received was not to the standard we would expect. Following his sad death, we undertook a serious incident investigation and the report has been shared with [MF DOOM’s] family. As a result, we have put in place a number of actions and the wider learning from what happened is to be used as a teaching topic in a number of different clinical specialties. We also support the coroner’s recommendation for clearer national guidance and awareness in this area.”
MF DOOM, who was dealing with several medical conditions, underwent kidney dialysis in July 2020. He experienced trouble breathing after taking a new medication and ended up at the emergency department of St. James Hospital in October 2020.
The rapper’s tongue and throat began to swell due to the medication. He suffered a rare reaction that sometimes affects people of African-Caribbean descent and smokers.
MF DOOM’s condition appeared to improve after he was given adrenaline, oxygen and steroids. But things quickly took a turn for the worse, resulting in doctors putting him on a ventilator. He died on October 31, 2020.
Assistant coroner Janine Wolstenholme determined there was an insufficient care plan for MF DOOM. The trust admitted doctors didn’t seek input from an immunology expert regarding his condition. The coroner didn’t say if doctors could have prevented the late artist’s death.
Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA appreciated Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s decision to name their son after the legendary rapper/producer.
RZA shared his thoughts on the baby’s name in an interview with CNN. Bobby Digital felt honored to inspire the name of Rihanna and Rocky’s firstborn.
“[It’s] a great honor to know that there’s another generation that’s not even of my own household that feels the strength and the inspiration of that name,” the original RZA said. “It’s an honor and I salute her and A$AP and their family. All the blessings in the world from me.”
Rihanna gave birth to her and Rocky’s baby boy RZA in May 2022. The child’s name wasn’t revealed until May 2023.
Earlier this year, fans learned Rihanna was pregnant with her second child when she performed at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show. Her due date hasn’t been publicly announced.
The elder RZA stayed busy in the first half of 2023 with the third season of his Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga and the debut of his first ballet. The multihyphenate’s label 36 Chambers also started working with Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son Weather Park, who spoke to AllHipHop about his relationship with RZA.
“I applaud him for [mentoring me] because the time that he took just to talk to me was enough to let me go back and read a book, you know what I mean?” Weather Park said. “And not just because I’m around the Abbot. It’s more about I have to continuously be teaching myself something. So I don’t know, I guess that’s the perfect way to word it. Yeah, just very impactful. I would say his relationship in my life is very impactful.”
Check out the rest of AllHipHop’s interview with Weather Park below.
Kanye West was hit with another lawsuit over the poor conditions at his Donda Academy.
According to Billboard, former Donda Academy gym teacher Isaiah Meadows sued Kanye West in Los Angeles on Thursday (July 6). Meadows claimed he was fired after trying to get to the school to address pay issues as well as health and safety concerns.
The lawsuit accused West of refusing to allow glass windows at the school. The lack of glass left the building exposed to rain, creating a hazardous environment for students and employees.
“In the middle of the main classroom, a skylight was left without glass inevitably allowing rain to fall directly inside, where water would soak into the floor, which would lead to a moldy smell for the next few days,” Meadows’ attorneys contended. “The skylight was intentionally without glass because West expressed that he did not like glass.”
Meadows’ lawyers cited wiring issues that caused an electrical fire at Donda Academy. The lawsuit also said West’s school was plagued with plumbing troubles, which caused “a terrible smell.”
Earlier this year, former Donda Academy employees sued West over similar allegations. Meadows’ lawyer Ron Zambrano referenced the other employees’ case when announcing his lawsuit for breach of contract and violation of California labor laws.
The Donda Academy closed in 2022. West said the previous lawsuit against the school was “meritless.”
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections issued a wanted poster for Chrisean Rock, who addressed her legal issues on Thursday (July 6).
Chrisean Rock’s wanted poster surfaced on social media, prompting her to clarify her situation in an Instagram livestream. The reality star claimed she wasn’t a fugitive and downplayed her trouble with the law in Oklahoma.
“I am not wanted,” she explained. “They just wanted some f###### money. I’m gonna give it to ‘em.”
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections listed two charges against Chrisean Rock in Craig County. She was charged with distribution of a controlled dangerous substance/possession with intent to distribute and failure to display a tax stamp on a control dangerous substance.
Chrisean Rock’s wanted poster said she was absconding probation. The flyer urged anyone with information about her to contact (405) 425-2570 or (866) 363-1119.
Last month, Blueface swore he accepted a plea deal in a Las Vegas shooting case to protect Chrisean Rock from charges in a separate case. She was allegedly involved in an altercation at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Blueface caught a robbery charge for his role in the casino incident.
“I’m only on house arrest cuz I took all the charges for Rock y you think [there] is no warrant for her arrest,” he wrote on Instagram Stories. “Y would I let her stay in my house when I’m stuck in another state [and] I got my BM ready to drive to me with the kids.”
Blueface agreed to plead guilty to a felony count of firing a gun into a vehicle and misdemeanor battery in connection to a 2022 shooting in Las Vegas. Prosecutors dropped the robbery charge stemming from the 2023 incident at the Palms.
Why has Lil Meech’s name become synonymous with drama? Here’s some tea. As of late, the emerging actor has openly denied getting an alleged side piece pregnant.
In fact, let social media tell it. Apparently, a New York model is the one who started these salacious allegations—and they must have been disturbing to Summer Walker who’s romantically linked to the rising star.
The purported pregnant lady seemed desperate to contact the performer. According to an Instagram conversation, she boldly reached out to Walker.
The woman claimed she’d been dating the BMF heir for only four months. Although the alleged tryst was short, it may have been long enough for a life to be conceived.
Curiously, the woman didn’t have a direct way to contact Lil Meech, which is why she chose to slide into his DMs (bless her heart).
After getting becoming pregnant, being ghosted and getting blocked, the nameless individual went searching for answers. Luckily, Walker seemed kind enough but got Lil Meech’s attention.
Following a request for “proof,” Walker appeared to get her man involved. However, Lil Meech refused to bite his tongue. “B#### why are you lying?,” he began.
Overall, Lil Meech didn’t mince words. He went on and curtly declared, “u don’t know me.” While this chat may have veered off the rails, the woman remained steadfast.
Ultimately, she claimed to have receipts. Whatever the case, people are talking. Stay tuned.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Keke Palmer sexily dancing in a sheer get-up as Usher serenades her. But some of those same people don’t seem to have a problem with Chance The Rapper doing a similar thing.
Social media is calling out the double standard with the Chicago rapper at the center of the controversy, causing him to trend on Thursday (July 6). Folks online have dug up footage of Chance and want to know, “What’s the difference?”
“I don’t want to be that person, but remember when the roles were reversed with Chance the Rapper? They were bashing him but check out the QRT when the roles reversed, but double standards I guess,” one person posted on social media, adding a video to jog people’s memory.
Another Twitter user wrote, “If I remember correctly, everybody was calling out Chance the Rapper for letting a lady dance on him at Carnival but not many are calling out our Beloved for dancing on Usher, basically doing the same thing as Chance but in reverse.
“He should’ve straight called her out on this because we all know the outfit wasn’t the real reason for him calling her out. Also should’ve did it behind closed doors. It is what it is though. We can’t be so deep in other people’s relationships when it’s not our business.”
He should’ve straight called her out on this because we all know the outfit wasn’t the real reason for him calling her out. Also should’ve did it behind closed doors.
It is what it is though.
We can’t be so deep in other people’s relationships when it’s not our business…
It all started at a recent show in Las Vegas, where Usher pulled Palmer onstage to be a part of the performance. The clip of her in a sexy outfit, dancing and blushing as the crooner sang to her went viral, capturing the attention of her baby’s father and boyfriend, Darius Jackson.
As people snapped at him about the call-out, he defended his position.
“We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife & mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is,” he wrote in response. “This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case.”
Fans have been split about the situation, understanding the multiple sides of what’s going on. Some believe they were just having fun and hamming it up for the cameras, others believe she disrespected her partner. While people continue to trip, it seems Chance isn’t. Instead, he’s promoting his new song, “Dead Beats.”
Known for his powerful voice and captivating performances on screen, Tyrese has become a respected, sometimes controversial icon in the entertainment industry. He’s transcended from his voice as a singer to his voice in Hollywood to his voice on social media. While attending last month’s 2023 BET Awards, he delved into his recent viral moment with DJ Vlad, upcoming music with Jeezy and 2 Chainz and unwavering commitment to his craft with Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur.
AllHipHop: I’m here with my man Tyrese. What’s good with you, my brother?
Tyrese: I love you, man.
AllHipHop: Yeah, I love you too, bro.
Tyrese: We are in touch. The vibes have always been real over the years, man. I’m just so proud to see you still rocking, Black man.
AllHipHop: Thank you, thank you. Likewise, likewise. So, yo, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask you about that Vlad moment, and I’m calling it what it is because I thought it was a big moment for the culture, quite frankly. Are you able to still talk about that?
Tyrese: Where is he (at the BET 2023 Awards)?
Tyrese: Wow, that’s…we’re at the BET Awards. That’s an interesting question. Yeah, you know, I just think he knows now that you can play that game. But sometimes, you bark up the wrong tree. And, you know what? He knows what it is, and everybody else that’s chimed in. Man, I’ve had the minister tap in. I’ve had every Black man of any influence on all levels, like, “Yo, man, look, don’t let them, you know, don’t let them know I hit you.” But, man, I’m so glad you… Hey, man, listen, I don’t bother nobody, bro. You know what I mean? Like, you know that’s what the hood taught me, man. You don’t go at nobody, don’t bother nobody, you just mind your own business. But, you know, you gotta remind people sometimes.
Man, I really do this, man. And there’s a lot of phone calls I’ve never had to make because I just try my best before we get to that level. Let me just say what I’ma say. But what other level you wanna take it to? You know, I got lawyers at home, they’re bored, man. They’ll shut your life down. You know, I just… I don’t bother nobody, man. Every time Boosie was doing interviews with this goofy man, he was just coming at me. And I’m like, you know what? Those things that are pretty traumatic, actually, bro, you’re talking about… What you never do, man, is you don’t ever talk about a man’s family. And you don’t talk about traumas and things that could put a Black man in a really dark place. You don’t make a mockery of that. I know we do it a lot to each other, but yeah, he ain’t… He ain’t us. He ain’t one of us at all. He’s just a dude that’s worth 10 million, and all of that money in his account came off of the backs of Black culture. And Boosie just did an interview with him. Went to jail. He’s the feds, man. That’s just how I feel. Ain’t even allegedly. I know this for a fact. It’s a fact.
AllHipHop: Alright, well, we gonna move on now. You got some new music coming. You got some new music. Talk about that.
Tyrese:Beautiful Pain. It’s a double album, 20 songs. And if I don’t finish this album by next month, it won’t see 2023. OK, so I’m in the studio, man, and we’re at it. And, you know, I’ve never worked on an album that I consider art.
I do albums, I do videos, I release it, it happens. I’ve never done art or considered an album art. But this joint right here, man, it’s gonna be on the table, and it’s going to be spinning in circles like this slow, on that slow cook.
I’m in the studio, listen, man. I may not feature any of your favorite singers of today, right? I ain’t got none of that for y’all. I’m grown, my voice is deep. I’m 44, I’m turning 45 this year. I don’t want to be like none of you young (people). My hair ain’t gonna be turquoise. I don’t have no homosexual announcements. I ain’t got nothing coming up that’s gonna have me to be a part of anything that is out here currently doing, trying to be relevant.
I’m grown, I’m fly. I look like a black ass Coke bottle right now in 2023. This “Beautiful Pain” album is coming. All I can say to you is you got a lot of options of artists, singers, actors. I have no idea why y’all love me the way you do, but I’m grateful. And I’ve let a lot of y’all down at times, but I hope I never let you down. I’m doing the best I can with what I have every day.
AllHipHop: Yeah, yeah. Can we expect a remix of “I Don’t Think You Ever Loved Me”?
Tyrese: Yeah, the remix is with Jeezy and 2 Chainz. They killed it, man. You know what? We’re gonna play this right now.
Former Death Row Records artist RBX, who famously contributed to several tracks on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, is in the middle of a career resurgence. For the past several months, the Long Beach native has been working on his first album since 2007’s Broken Silence.
Titled Hibernation Shivers, the project feature appearances by Spice 1, MC Eiht, Daz Dillinger, Fatlip, Project Pat, Eligh, Cold 187um, Krayzie Bone, Butch Cassidy and Smoov-E, among others. As the album inches closer to its August 25 release date, RBX has come through with the first taste of the project, “Nightstalker” featuring Krayzie Bone. The track finds both MCs reflecting on infamous Los Angeles serial killer Richard Ramierz—dubbed “The Night Stalker”—who wreaked havoc on the San Gabriel Valley in the 1980s. But this time, they’re murdering “sucker MCs and funnystyle DJs in the Long Beach area.” The ominous tone of the single, provided by producers Siccraised, Sccit and Siavash The Grouch, pairs perfectly with the menacing rhymes.
“It’s definitely an honor to be able to say I’m on a track with RBX,” Krayzie Bone tells AllHipHop. “I mean, we talking about somebody who, to us, was the voice of The Chronic album. The Narrator is undeniable.”
RBX adds, “Shout out to Krayzie Bone. He pulled up and sh##ed on the board for the new joint. We just been in the lab working on this album for a cool minute, gettin it right. Can’t rush perfection. Sccit and Siavash been doing their thang, bangin out these classics. That Labcabin stuff.”
Hibernation Shivers, produced entirely by Sccit and Siavash The Grouch, will initially be released as a CD exclusive on Labcabin Records, followed by a later vinyl and digital release. The title of the album is a reference to a condition a bear experiences after coming out of hibernation, which coincides with RBX returning to the rap game.
“Connecting with Sccit and Siavash was divine intervention,” he says. “I was in a funk when they came to me with the idea to do the album. S### woke me up. This is the first time I’m really taking music serious. Too many clowns always trying to sell you out. I always stayed away from that. We on some authentic s###.”
RBX’s history is seeped in brilliant moments. After contributing to six tracks on The Chronic in 1992, including “High Powered” and “Lyrical Gangb##g,” he left Death Row to embark on a solo career. In 1996, RBX reunited with Dr. Dre as one of the first artists on Aftermath Entertainment and had a cameo on The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem (2000).
“I didn’t even know what the song was really for,” RBX recalls. “Dre just called me and told me he needs me to help on his new artists’ album and I was there. All of a sudden he’s the biggest thing in Hip-Hop.”
RBX dropped multiple solo albums throughout his career, including The RBX Files (1995), No Mercy, No Remorse (1999), Ripp tha Game Bloody: Street Muzic (2004) and The Shining (2005). But following 2007’s Broken Silence, then retreated from the business. Hibernation Shivers marks his first release in 16 years.
“RBX is an innovator in the game and an unsung legend in West Coast Hip-Hop,” Sccit says. “His humility makes it difficult for him to get the shine he deserves in an industry full of snakes and vultures. He was never with the f###ery. So when we started working with X, we quickly realized how bad he was being disrespected by those who were supposed to be closest to him and we made it a personal mission to give him that concentrated effort Hip-Hop was missing.”
Siavash echoes those sentiments, adding, “The Narrator has one of the most unique voices and styles in music. We always wanted to give him his flowers and bring attention back to an OG full of flavor like RBX. On this album, I feel like we captured the essence of what a West Coast record is, in an attempt to bring back the art of putting out legit albums.”
“Nightstalker” featuring Krayzie Bone officially arrives on Friday (July 7), but you can hear it early above.
Ice Cube has invoked a particular conspiracy theory that’s been threaded throughout the rap industry for years. He asserts the entertainment industry and prison industrial complex are working in cahoots to funnel Black and brown youth into the jail system through rap music.
In an interview with Bill Maher for his Club Random Podcast, the man behind songs like “F##k the Police” and “Gangsta, Gangsta” asked, “Who benefits and profits off our bickering and our division?”
He continued, “Like follow the money. I don’t know their names, but if you go high enough you begin to see this is an industry …lLet’s take rap music. [The] same people who own the labels own the prisons. It seems really kind of suspicious—if you want to say that word—that the records that come out are really geared to push people toward their prison industry.”
Maher was quick to rebuttal with a pushback, stating that no one is making rappers write the lyrics that they scribe.
“It’s not about making somebody write the lyrics,” he said. “It’s about being near as guardrails to make sure certain songs make it through and certain songs don’t. Certain flavors are exposed on the record. Some records are made by committee. Meaning record company guys sit around and tell the artists ‘This is hot, say that. Do this, we gonna have this guy write lyrics.’”
He continued, “So the narrative is really kind of structured and really made into what the record company wants the record to be.”
Ice Cube then surmised that not only are a lot of artists frustrated by this, but that it’s also a form of social engineering. Of course, not everyone believes the Big 3 owner’s assertions.
Gigafact.org released a statement about this conspiracy:
“Allegations of ties between private-prison operators and the music business have been circulating on blogs and social media since 2012, but these have never been substantiated.
Proponents of the claim have pointed to two asset management companies, BlackRock and Vanguard Group, that invest in both industries. CNN notes that BlackRock has shares in 97.5% of the 500 most valuable companies. Given the vast scope of both groups’ holdings, the mere ownership of two otherwise unrelated stocks is insufficient to prove any connection.”
