I cannot believe it, finally I got acknowledged! There have been a few rappers that mentioned me, most notably Crooked I, but that was a long time ago. I have been illseed – the only illseed for well over 20 years. Now, after all this time, one of the goats of rap finally mentions me! NAS!
First of all, I want to say that the new album is an instant classic. Rappers of a certain age are on notice. Nas is not here for your foolish games or smoke-n-mirrors. He is here to show you that he is THE GOAT. We can argue about it all day, but Nas hit the scene over 30 years ago and the levels he has spit on have been consistently unparalleled. There have only been a couple that have come close, Jay-Z is the closest with the eternal debate.
Anyway, let’s fast forward to why you are reading this. On the song “30,” Nas mentions me when talking about himself. Right at the 40-second mark, he says “I was a illseed, the illest one / the villain Nas but I feel free / in the field be crazy / way before the drill beef.” Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now, some of you might think this is random. No, I have been putting it down consistently for a very long time. In short, “NI99AS KNOW!” Back in the day some dudes tried to steal my name from me, but I have successfully defended my gate!
I am the illest seed though Nas!!!
If you have read this far, you are in for a treat. First of all, Nas mentions that the East Coast Detox – his album with DJ Premier – may still happen. People like me have been DYING to hear this Hip-Hop Loch Ness monster. Anybody out there remember this project that never made it to us?
He also takes time to mention Pete Rock and the purported lawsuit against him. He’s not with the sh!ts needless to say. I will let you go listen to that for yourself. The album is below on Spotify. Support!
Just in case you were thinking something else … Adam Silver says he knows Kyrie Irving is being painted out to be something he is not.
According to TMZ, Silver, the Commissioner of the NBA, said, “He’s someone I’ve known for a decade, and I’ve never heard an antisemitic word from him or, frankly, hate directed at any group.”
Silver did say Irving’s decision to not explain why he posted the poster and tweeted a link for “Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” was “reckless,” but did not place him in a space where he is considered antisemitic.
He also bashed Amazon, the platform still distributing the movie and the book.
As AllHipHop.com reported, Amazon has received a letter from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Brooklyn Nets condemning the global marketplace for distributing the film or the book.
On Friday, November 4th, a letter was sent from the ADL in conjunction with Nets, that requested Amazon remove the movie and book from its distribution.
Meanwhile, the religious leaders from the Bronx Black Hebrew Israelite community protested Irving’s suspension by protesting outside of The Barclay’s Center.
Shaquille O’Neal, Nike, and the NBA had a lot to say about Kyrie Irving.
It seems like the entire world found an issue with him bringing attention to Robert Dalton Jr’s “Hebrews To Negroes” documentary.
Despite the collective scathing opinions, all the offended parties were oblivious to the fact that the documentary was readily available at Cityplex12 in Newark, NJ, in 2019.
No offense goes unnoticed by the great detectives of the internet. Notably, people have begun piecing together information.
Based on the spectrum of their investigations, people are calling the Lakers legend a hypocrite.
Has Shaq been exposed? Back in 2012, CBS news confirmed the Newark native’s acquisition.
Furthermore, a YouTube video titled “HEBREWS TO NEGROES 2: REVELATION NEWARK PREMIERE!” was posted on August 18, 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bod7hno-w_s
In addition, the video was uploaded to a channel bearing the name, “Hebrews to Negroes TV aka MOSES LEVI.” The video description indicates the film premiered on (Thursday) August 22. Cityplex12 is mentioned by name and exact location. Moreover, tickets were $20, and a contact e-mail was listed for more information.
Should Shaq feature himself on the next segment of “Shaqtin’ A Fool”?
The great detectives of Twitter would like to think so.
Why must we wait until further notice to see Kyrie get buckets, yet Shaq is still employed by TNT and the NBA? Is he going to lose his Icy Hot or General Auto Insurance endorsements?
Probably not, which makes you wonder if Kyrie was punished for being antisemitic or if it is all a direct result of refusing to behave how corporate America sees fit. You be the judge.
Entertainment legend Chris Rock will present a history-making program on Netflix. The upcoming stand-up comedy special will be the first-ever to stream live on the platform.
“Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” said Robbie Praw, Netflix Vice President of Stand-up and Comedy Formats, in a press release.
Praw continued, “We’re thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we’re so honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”
Fellow comedian Bo Burnham directedTamborine. A “remix” of the show arrived on Netflix in January 2021. Chris Rock Total Blackout: The Tamborine Extended Cut included interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
Rock took part in the Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival earlier this year. His forthcoming comedy special is set to premiere in early 2023. Netflix will provide additional details about the event in the coming weeks.
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has had a rough transition as many critics object to the company’s direction. For example, Doja Cat expressed frustration with Musk’s new approach to running the social media app.
The rollout of the new Twitter Blue subscription service ignited countless accounts impersonating celebrities, companies, and government officials. There have also been complaints about the display name changes.
Los Angeles-bred rapper/singer Doja Cat took issue with Twitter blocking her from changing her display name from “Christmas.” The “Say So” hitmaker blasted Elon Musk on his own platform.
“Why can’t I change my name on here?” tweeted Doja Cat on November 10. She later added, “How do I change it? Also, f### you Elon… I don’t wanna be Christmas forever @elonmusk. Please help I’ve made a mistake.”
On Thursday night, Doja Cat returned to Twitter to send out another tweet directed at Elon Musk. It appears the Grammy winner has forgiven the Tesla CEO for the confusion over the new direction of the service.
“Thank u Elon @elonmusk,” tweeted Doja Cat at 11:19 pm ET on Thursday. As of press time, the Planet Her album creator has “fart” listed as her display name on Twitter. She also added a different profile picture.
While Doja Cat deals with the Elon Musk era of Twitter, the RCA recording artist maintains a presence on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her contribution to Post Malone’s “I Like You (A Happier Song)” earned Doja her seventh Top 10 entry. The collaboration currently sits at #8.
Joony (@joonyoftv)is putting the punctuation on his latest musical era with his latest track, “PRETTY IN BLACK.” The triumphant instrumental pairs well with the indefatigable rapper’s signature flow. The new single comes on the heels of the announcement of his debut solo Pretty In Black Tour, kicking off December 4 at Baby’s All Right in New York City, NY. The U.S. tour will make stops in Atlanta, and Los Angeles, and wraps up near his hometown in Washington, D.C., on December 18th.
“PRETTY IN BLACK” discusses all of the opinions and critiques the Lost Kids affiliate faces from his family, friends, and naysayers since his rise to stardom. A lot has changed for Joony in 2022, and his newest single proves that he’s embracing everything that comes with his new life. There are many reasons for the Maryland-bred recording artist’s meteoric rise, but his awareness will keep him there. With a solid foundation set, Joony is excited to enter his next musical era.
Press play on Joony’s exciting new track, “PRETTY IN BLACK,” here today!
Anyways, Life’s Great… dropped via Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group and Interscope Records. The 9-track EP follows the GloRilla mixtapes Most Likely Up Next in 2019 and P Status in 2020.
GloRilla also let loose her latest music video on Friday. The visuals for “Nut Quick” landed on YouTube around the same time Anyways, Life’s Great… dropped on DSPs. City Girls member JT makes a cameo in the clip.
“Nut Quick” shows up after GloRilla peaked in the Billboard Hot 100 chart’s Top 10 region with “Tomorrow 2” featuring Cardi B. That collaboration also lives on the Anyways, Life’s Great… project.
“Tomorrow 2” recently earned a Gold plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America. The music video for that track has amassed more than 41 million views on YouTube. “Tomorrow 2” collected over 27 million streams on Spotify.
“They’re going to get that raw, you know what I’m saying, that raw s###. I got my girl. They ain’t tuned in yet, Niki Pooh. She’s on there. It’s just a whole lot of raw s###, they going to feel it,” stated GloRilla on Apple Music 1’s The Zane Lowe Show about her new project.
In addition to working with her City Girls colleague Yung Miami and GloRilla, the Florida-raised JT collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, and Latto over the last several years. City Girls released their sophomore album, City on Lock, in 2020.
I’m signing copies of my debut EP and doing meet and greets for my Fans in select cities 🦍🦍! I CAN’T WAIT WAIT TO SEE Y’ALL 💕!!!!
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrived in American theaters today (November 11). Global superstar Rihanna contributed music to the Ryan Coogler-directed movie.
Rihanna released her comeback single “Lift Me Up” on October 28. The Barbadian billionaire is now back with another new track titled “Born Again.”
An official visualizer for Rihanna’s “Born Again” hit YouTube on November 11. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever composer Ludwig Göransson and R&B veteran Terius “The-Dream” Nash produced the track.
Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song became Rihanna’s first Top 10 entry on the Hot 100 since her featured performance on DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts” in 2017.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By also hosts tracks by Tems, Future, Burna Boy, Stormzy, and other international acts. Academy Award winner Ludwig Göransson oversaw the project.
“Ryan and I talked about the importance of creating an immersive journey of sound and voice,” said Göransson. “If we used a song in the film, we wanted it to be the entire song, and to be connected to the story.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Dominique Thorne, and Angela Bassett. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music from and Inspired By came out on November 4 via Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings, and Hollywood Records.
Congresswomen Maxine Waters and Sheila Jackson Lee, MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, Tamika Mallory, Angela Rye, and other leaders joined the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium in standing with the Houston native.
The influential bunch penned an open letter dedicated to Megan Thee Stallion, denouncing violence against women. In the letter, they claim “culture has failed” Meg after she alleged Tory Lanez shot her in the foot.
The letter comes after Drake was heavily criticized for making light of the shooting in his new joint album with 21 Savage.
Megan Thee Stallion blasted rappers using her shooting for “clout” in the wake of Drake’s “Circo Loco” lyrics. “This b#### lie ’bout getting shots, but she still a stallion,” Drake rapped.
In a series of tweets, Megan Thee Stallion called out those accusing her of lying about the shooting.
“Stop using my shooting for clout b#### ass N#####!” Meg tweeted just hours after Her Loss dropped. “Since when tf is it cool to joke abt women getting shot !”
Stop using my shooting for clout b#### ass N#####! Since when tf is it cool to joke abt women getting shot ! You n##### especially RAP N##### ARE LAME! Ready to boycott bout shoes and clothes but dog pile on a black woman when she say one of y’all homeboys abused her
The Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium’s letter notes Megan Thee Stallion has been “so strong.” They say the rapper deserves to “heal” without being “judged.”
“You’ve had to endure public harassment and taunting not only from that person but from others choosing to stand with him,” it reads. “You’ve consistently been clear about what happened to you, but instead of being met with widespread support, people who should have had your back have chosen to stay out of the matter.”
Read the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium open letter to Megan The Stallion in its entirety here.
The Hip-Hop icon began teasing the third installment of the King’s Disease series late last year. He hinted at the arrival on his surprise album Magic, also produced by Hit-Boy. On “Ugly’ Nas raps: “I’m on offense every day until I see the love/KD3 on the way, this just to feed the buzz.”
The pair shared the King’s Disease III cover art last month before dropping the tracklist on Thursday. Unlike both predecessors, the 17-track record features no guest appearances and clocks in at around 50 minutes.
Nas scored his first Grammy Award for King’s Disease, winning Best Rap Album in 2021. The follow-up album was also nominated but Call Me If You Get Lost by Tyler, the Creator, collected the win.
After releasing King’s Disease II, Nas said that the duo tries to outdo themselves on each new song.
“I feel like every song we make, without even consciously doing it, we’re trying to make it better than the last,” Nas explained to Complex. “It’s just already embedded in us to do that. I feel like as long as we keep taking that approach, it’s going to get crazier and crazier, and that’s what happened.”
The NYC legend said he had an instant chemistry with Hit-Boy, making magic together from the first song they recorded.
“I keep seeing every day like, ‘Damn, how would y’all top KD1 that y’all won a Grammy for? This is even better.’ That’s a good feeling, and it lets me know that the chemistry is legit. I feel like we caught it quick. Like, the first day we came through, we recorded ‘All Bad,’ and that made KD1.” Stream King’s Disease III below.
A third man has been arrested and is facing murder charges in connection to the murder of Young Dolph.
According to Memphis news outlet Commercial Appeal, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy confirmed that Hernandez Govan, 43, was arrested on Thursday (Nov. 10). He was indicted of first-degree murder in connection with Young Dolph’s killing.
Fox News Memphis reports sources say Govan is also charged with attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The conspiracy charge reportedly dates back to June 2021, suggesting authorities believe Govan plotted to kill Young Dolph months before his murder.
Young Dolph was shot over 22 times inside Memphis cookie shop Makeda’s Butter Cookies on Nov. 17, 2021. He died on the scene at age 36.
Last week, another suspect accused of murdering Young Dolph told a court he fears for his safety behind bars. Justin Johnson asked to be transferred from a pretrial detention facility to another correctional facility in East Memphis.
Hernandez Govan’s arrest comes just days before the first anniversary of the Memphis rapper’s killing. On Thursday, the mother of Young Dolph’s children and his longtime partner, Mia Jaye shared an insight into the struggles she and their family have faced since the rapper’s death.
“Today is a week from the anniversary of me losing Adolph, and this almost year has been the most challenging year I’ve ever had to face in my life,” Jaye said in a video posted to Instagram. “And it’s like the closer I get to this earmark … it’s like trying to be positive about something so messed up, it comes to a breaking point to where it’s like it’s really just unfair, man.”
Black liberation elder Mutulu Shakur is set to be released after spending more than 36 years behind bars.
On Thursday, The U.S. Parole Commission confirmed that the late rapper’s stepfather will be released to spend his remaining days in Southern California with his family, The Intercept reports.
Activists have fought long and hard to secure Mututlu Shakur’s release. The 72-year-old is dying of bone marrow cancer. As reported by AllHipHop.com, Mutulu’s attorney Brad Thomson said doctors determined his client only had six months to live in May. His supporters argued Shakur posed no risk to society and would be unlikely to reoffend if released.
“We are relieved that the Parole Commission now recognizes what has long been true — that Dr. Shakur’s release poses no risk whatsoever,” Shakur’s attorney, Brad Thomson, said. “It is tragic that it took until he was on the verge of death for that truth to finally be realized.”
Mutulu Shakur has long since been eligible for release, as per the Parole Commission guidelines.
The Commission stated: “We now find your medical condition renders you so infirm of mind and body that you are no longer physically capable of committing any Federal, State or local crime.”
According to his attorney, Mututlu Shakur “will now be able to live out his final days, surrounded by the love and care of his family and close friends.”
In 1998, Mutultu was sentenced to 60 years in prison after being convicted of multiple charges, including conspiracy to violate the RICO Act. His supporters argued his actions were political and not criminal.
Wiz Khalifa’s former assistant dropped a $60,000 lawsuit against the Taylor Gang leader.
According to Radar Online, the 35-year-old rapper’s ex-assistant Jason Gonzalez asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to dismiss the case. Last year, Gonzalez sued his old boss over reimbursement for groceries and unpaid overtime.
Gonzalez worked for Wiz Khalifa from February 2017 to January 2019. Gonzalez referred to himself as an errand runner for the diamond-selling artist.
The ex-assistant’s lawsuit mentioned him picking up dry cleaning, groceries and prescriptions for his employer. Gonzalez allegedly had to pay for these items out of pocket as part of the gig.
Gonzalez claimed Wiz Khalifa agreed to pay the assistant back for these expenses and cover gas money. But the lawsuit accused the Pittsburgh-bred rapper of never paying for $9,000 in expenses and $1,700 for gas. Gonzalez also said his boss didn’t provide true meal breaks and failed to pay for overtime.
Wiz Khalifa allegedly fired his former assistant after Gonzalez complained about the payment issues. Gonzalez pursued legal action over wrongful termination and unpaid wages.
Gonzalez sought $60,000 for reimbursements, unpaid overtime and the lack of proper meal breaks. Wiz Khalifa denied any wrongdoing and said all of Gonzalez’s “legitimate expenses” were reimbursed.
Some things rappers do these days don’t make sense. What’s the point? Is it to stroke the ego? Or maybe it’s to put money where your name is?
The world may never truly understand why “Last Name” rapper Future legally changed his last name to Cash.
Keep in mind, in the song mentioned above he states, “we ain’t runnin’ from no responsibilities. I take care of families. I’m embarrassed over this mess that I done caused.”
Rightfully so, this name change is almost certain to cause some mess. Especially considering his eight children. With eight different mothers to deal with, it’s safe to say he’ll be hearing from everyone in the coming weeks.
We’ve all gotten comfortable adding the Hendrix moniker to his stage name but his given name is Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn. He did offer a plain explanation via Instagram.
“Bag Secured, Da Biggest,” he wrote.
As it stands, all of his kids carry the Wilburn family name. Will their last names change as well? Not to mention, his youngest son’s first name is Kash.
Perhaps the biggest question is what his mama thinks about the sudden change. If you didn’t know Stephanie Jester is Future’s mother. She also serves as the chief operating officer of her son’s Freebandz record label.
Guess it’s time to order reprints of all the company checkbooks.
YNW Melly is facing the threat of the death penalty once again.
According to court documents obtained by Pitchfork, an appellate court judge said prosecutors can seek the death penalty against YNW Melly. The judge overruled a lower court, which took the death penalty off the table in YNW Melly’s murder case.
Earlier this year, a lower court judge determined prosecutors failed to properly notify YNW Melly and his legal team about the intent to seek the death penalty. But a Florida appeals court disagreed.
“We find that the state complied with its statutory obligations when it filed its notice of intent to seek the death penalty within 45 days of arraignment,” the appellate court judge wrote. “The fact that the state filed a superseding indictment, requiring a second arraignment, does not vitiate the already filed and timely notice of intent. Notice is notice. The superseding indictment was clearly a continuation of the original indictment.”
The judge continued, “The state did not nolle prosse the original indictment, nor did it add aggravating factors to the required notice seeking the death penalty. We find the trial court erred by precluding the state from seeking the death penalty, and thus, grant the writ of prohibition.”
Florida’s Supreme Court may have the final say on the matter. The appellate court judge deemed the death penalty debate in YNW Melly’s case to be a question of “great public importance” for the Florida Supreme Court.
YNW Melly awaits trial after pleading not guilty to first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors accuse him of killing his friends YNW Juvy a.k.a. Christopher Thomas Jr. and YNW Sakchaser a.k.a. Anthony Williams in 2018.
50 Cent is stepping in to host the Drew Barrymore Show while the actress is out with Covid.
Barrymore announced her Covid diagnosis on Thursday (November 10). She informed her fans that 50 Cent and TV personality Ross Mathews would serve as guest hosts during her absence from the show.
“I’ve got covid and lucky the cat!” Barrymore wrote on Instagram. “Im good and will be back soon. In the meantime @helloross and @50cent are taking over. So only good news to report!!!!! Maybe some other special surprises too!”
50 Cent’s public relations agency wished Barrymore well and hyped up his hosting stint on Instagram Stories. His PR team indicated he will be hosting the show on Monday (November 14).
“Feel better @drewbarrymore,” AKR PR wrote on social media. “The show is in good hands with @50cent.”
50 Cent’s guest host gig will add to his already extensive presence on television in 2022. The G-Unit rapper recently launched The BMF Documentary: Blowing Money Fast on Starz and Hip Hop Homicides on WE tv.
G-Unit Film & TV produces both documentary series in addition to 50 Cent’s various scripted shows. He also has a new reality series titled Property Players in the works.
Multiple social media accounts claimed Future’s last name had been changed from Wilburn to Cash. He seemingly confirmed the new name in an Instagram Stories post.
“Bag secured,” he wrote alongside a graphic featuring the name change story. “Da biggest.”
Future was born Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn. He has been credited as Nayvadius Cash on occasion in his career, per Discogs.
New name or not, Future recently made a major move when he sold the majority of his publishing catalog to Influence Media in September. The company acquired the publishing for his music spanning from 2004 to 2020.
“I put everything into my music, and I wanted to make sure these were in good hands as I thought about the next chapter of these songs,” Future said in a press release. “I’m proud to partner up with Rene and the team at Influence Media and send a signal that this music has timeless value. My music is my art, and these songs represent some of the most precious artwork of my career.”
Future sold off his publishing in an eight-figure deal. He said he partnered with Influence Media because he wanted his work to be “in good hands.”
If you didn’t know, Kim and Ye’s divorce proceedings are nearing completion. After eight years of marriage can be described as tumultuous at best.
Nonetheless, we appreciate all that “KimYe” has contributed to the world. The four beautiful children, countless viral moments, not to mention the rise of the Yeezy Brand and Skims.
Still, none of the above achievements lessen the Ye effect on women. Therefore the title of Mrs. West is available for another woman to carry. According to reports, both parties have submitted an assortment of documents to a California court.
These filings include a Final Declaration of Disclosure, current income, Expense Declarations, a Schedule of Assets and Debts, or Community or Separate Property Declarations with attachments, everything necessary to settle a divorce in the golden state.
Communication between the pair is limited. However, both appear mutually committed to an amicable split.
Despite what many people think, the love between the former West union seemed authentic. Kim expressed regret over her divorce on a past episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians after Ye left for Wyoming.
She said, “I feel like a f###### failure. [This is]my third f**king marriage.”
Chad Watson is here to put on for his city of Los Angeles. He is a true hip-hop head, if there ever was one. Describing himself as a “Hip hop enthusiast, lyricist, and all-around music connoisseur,” Chad states, “I’m a fan of anything that’s good, or quality put together. But my home would be hip-hop.”
Growing up in Baldwin Hills but now residing in the Inglewood area, Chad Watson first experienced fame as a teenager on the reality television show titled Baldwin Hills. Premiered on BET 10 years ago, the show took place in the black Beverly Hills, chronicling the lives of privileged sons and daughters of doctors, lawyers, actors, and athletes.
Chad fell in love with music at a very young age, growing up in the church surrounded by gospel and choir. But it was Redman’s debut studio album Malpractice that got him hooked to the genre of rap as a whole. And his fifth time in the studio ever, he whipped up “She Don’t F With Rappers,” which instantly picked up organically with 100K streams to date.
Now after a string of singles, Chad is excited as ever to be dropping his debut album titled Lord of the Unimpressed.
AllHipHop spoke with Chad Watson in downtown Los Angeles to discuss how he started recording, his new song “BDE,” his forthcoming album, giving back, and more!
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Baldwin Hills?
Chad Watson: It was real cool. It’s quiet. It’s a bunch of older black professionals. They call it the black Baldwin Hills. It’s uppity, but it’s nice though. It’s nice. I’d raise a family there for sure.
AllHipHop: The only time I’ve been there was to go to Stevie Mackey’s house.
Chad Watson: Facts, it’s a couple of older Hollywood actors that you might have known or heard of. They’re all former Lakers, judges, attorneys, a lot of people like that. It’s a cool area to settle down. My dad’s an attorney, so I’d never be able to… you know? But I was fortunate enough to grow up over there.
AllHipHop: How was your experience on BET’s Baldwin Hills?
Chad Watson: It was fun. That was the first thing that put me on camera. From there, we were able to go to clubs and parties. Gave us a little bit of clout, that was the most fun about it.
AllHipHop: Were you rapping then?
Chad Watson: Nope, we were only 17. We were just kids. We hadn’t even gone to college or nothing yet.
AllHipHop: Were you all wildin’?
Chad Watson: They tell us to do certain things. They wanted storylines. We had relationship drama, homie beef, s### like that. Eric Bellinger was in that group, he was in the same clique. It’s a small world.
AllHipHop: Did you grow up to the West Coast legends?
Chad Watson: You know what, I didn’t even listen to rap until I was 13 to 14. My first rap album wasn’t even Tupac or Bone-Thugs, which it should have been probably. But it was Redman. That’s my dude. I don’t know if he does too much rapping anymore, but that was my first album: Malpractice.
AllHipHop: Is Chad Watson your real name?
Chad Watson: It’s my middle name. I couldn’t think of an artist name so I thought I’d keep it real.
AllHipHop: Talk about releasing your first single, how’d you learn how to record?
Chad Watson: My first single was 3 years ago, it was either that one or one of my very first ones ever that went viral. That’s the whole reason I was able to even do something. It was on a fluke, a whim. It’s crazy. I didn’t put any promotion, I didn’t know how to do all that stuff. I just put it out, but somehow it got hooked up to these really powerful Spotify playlists. From there, it developed its own algorithm.
I rolled with it and kept putting stuff out. I only put out singles forever, I’m now finally deciding to put an album out. I thought singles were better, right? You give them each their own time to break, or not. I thought the single way was aggressive?, but a lot of people have been wanting an album. So I decided to do it.
AllHipHop: Definitely want to talk about “She Don’t F With Rappers,” what inspired that?
Chad Watson: That’s the track I’m talking about, that’s one of the first ones. I made that at the time about a girl I was dating at that time, that wasn’t somebody that was into industry people. Through a connect I had, I was able to get some studio time. That friend of mine, I didn’t even know about mixing and mastering and all that stuff. I was fortunate, I paid for maybe 2 hours and they gave me all the time that I needed. Next thing you know, we put that out and that’s the track that started everything.
AllHipHop: Was that when you started taking music serious?
Chad Watson: Before that studio, I had only gone to friends’ studios. That was my professional studio. There was an engineer in there, the sound board, the takes and all that. Once I developed my studio etiquette and my voice, that’s when I started finding the booth as home. I swear, it was my fifth time in the studio ever.
AllHipHop: What about your new single, “BDE”?
Chad Watson: [laughs] “BDE” specifically, I wanted a club banger. I felt like I didn’t have one. I made that song just for the clubs. I made “BDE” as something the girls could twerk to, something that’d get that rotation. Repetitive hook, I thought it came out really well. It’s a crowd favorite.
AllHipHop: Do you be clubbing?
Chad Watson: Not as much as I used to. I used to go more often, but then once COVID hit. I just got back comfortable being a homebody. I used to frequent Supperclub, Do Over, those day parties and s### like that. Those are necessary, though. Right now what I’m doing with you, I’m doing more club appearances, performance, just to help get promotion out there.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from your forthcoming album, Lord of the Unimpressed?
Chad Watson: Yes, that’s the one.
AllHipHop: Are you unimpressed?
Chad Watson: [laughs] I’m hoping everybody else is impressed. It’s going to show a funky side of me. It’s eclectic, so it shows what you’d expect from me, but also what you wouldn’t. It shows both sides. It’s going to show a good range of singing, a little bit of storytelling. There’s a real clear hip-hop theme to it. I’m ready for it. I hope everybody can vibe with it the way I do.
AllHipHop: Why did you name it that?
Chad Watson: That’s a good question. I thought the first one was going to have to be something that was particular to me. Being unimpressed embodies not being impressed by the fake stuff, the shiny things. There’s a lot of people like that: they want substance, they want things that they can resonate with. I’d consider myself the face of that movement, so I’d be the Lord of the Unimpressed of most people.
AllHipHop: What do you want listeners to take away from the project?
Chad Watson: If anything else, just the hard work for the quality of it. Sometimes, you can appreciate something even if it isn’t your genre, which is just the fact that it was well-made. I’m hoping that fans can at least appreciate the effort, the curation behind the tracks, and jthe fact that it’s a quality production.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times?
Chad Watson: Weed, alcohol, and good vibes.
AllHipHop: How was it opening up for Yo Gotti?
Chad Watson: That was fun. Backwoods was doing a national showcase, I won. They had each city at Miami, Atlanta, LA, Dallas. It’s supposed to be in Atlanta. I was supposed to be flown out there, but they had it out here. It was cool. It was fun. They were out there taking pictures, they had the buffet breakfast. They should have still put me up in the room, they didn’t do that for me because I lived in LA.
But the experience was fun, it was one of my first big stages. It was at the Catch, which is a culture spot. That’s huge. I performed there one other time, but that was a big deal for me to be able to perform there. Get that attention, those cameras. It was free merch. It was one of my first times being treated one of the bigger people, so it was an experience. That taste of it made me know I wanted to keep doing it.
AllHipHop: Talk about giving away to the homeless and your charity work.
Chad Watson: The LA Mission is one of my favorite organizations to partner up with. They do a lot of giving out food, hot plates at the end of the night. Just dinner, I think that’s clutch. Different ways: backpacks full of socks, underwear, t-shirts. I partnered with Humanity Heroes. These are things I try to do once a month. Sometimes the schedule won’t allow me to. But at least once a month, I try to at least get a day where I go down and at least get some food or a backpack. Some people are really hands on in the trenches, and I can respect that. I want to get more involved like that.
AllHipHop: What makes you want to give back?
Chad Watson: A lot of us, we get a little bit of a name and we’re seen winning by going to the clubs and the jewelry store. But the real sign of winning when you get a little bit of a name is to show how tied into the community you are to get it back. I want to change that winning phase. Winning is the change, but winning is also the dudes that are giving back, serving, community service. Even if it’s after-school tutoring, whatever you can in different ways. But that should be the true sign of winning, I want to be known for that.
AllHipHop: Talk about your upcoming merch line with MaisonTiet.
Chad Watson: We’ve been working all year on something special to drop at the end of the year, it’ll correlate with my album. We’ve been doing one of one customs: logo t-shirts, logo sweaters with embroidery and things like that. He’s an East Coast designer, he’s doing major things over there. He uses a luxury hemp, they come with a specialized magnetic seal pouch. It’s next level functional. I wanted to pick a brand that was comfortable, kind of luxury, but also look nice. His design and the stuff he comes up with over there is next level. I was grateful for the opportunity. He impressed me and we were able to come together on a cool sweater and t-shirt line that’ll complement the album.
AllHipHop: Do you have any goals?
Chad Watson: Yup. It’s funny, it used to be win a Grammy. But now my goal is if I can get my message out and it’s received positively, and I can affect people who want to either do more or follow their dreams or if they change in any way, then that’i\ll be my goal. That’s all I really want.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Chad Watson: The album, that’s pretty much it. Stay tuned for the stuff that’s coming out this year. The album, the merch, that’s it.
“Wakanda Forever” is the big-budget follow up to “Black Panther”, the 2018 global phenomenon that went on to gross over $1.3 Billion dollars at the box office. This is the fourth feature film by director Ryan Coogler, who was tasked with the herculean effort of directing this sequel despite the passing of his close friend and lead star, Chadwick Boseman (King T’Challa). “Wakanda Forever” sees the return of the majority of the cast from the first film returning, sans folks like Daniel Kaluuyaal. The goal: to captivate viewers once again though heart, emotion, and entertaining by way of this spectacle.
To start, we find the nation of Wakanda in deep mourning, trying to heal and forge ahead under the matriarchy of T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett). After the somber opening, Queen Ramonda is forced to address world leaders over their aggressive insistence on having access to Wakanda’s natural resource, Vibranium. As this matter over Wakanda’s advanced technology is being debated, a dangerous presence emerges that poses an incredible threat to Wakanda’s land and existence. This threat comes by way of the undiscovered and underwater world of Talokan which is led by a powerful King named Namor.
After ultimately rejecting an offer from Namor that would make Wakanda and Talokan allies, the Wakandans are forced to ban together to protect their country from Namor and his fierce battalion of Talokan Warriors. This conflict brings about a war between both sides that results in high stakes drama, tension, and immersive action sequences carried out on an epic scale.
“Wakanda Forever” is a very entertaining, yet somber and emotional film that is largely shaped by the passing of Chadwick Boseman. This is a feature where the grief of the cast truly blurs the line between film and reality in a way that will certainly touch film goers. As the viewer, fans get to see the characters mourn T’Challa”, their King, while simultaneously watching the actors mourn Chadwick, their friend. This delicate balance is handled with sensitivity, reverence and grace by Ryan Coogler who is emerging as one of the favorite directors in the industry today.
At its core, “Wakanda Forever” is a film about loss, healing and pressing forward as Coogler attempts to navigate through the world of Wakanda without the beloved character of T’challa. However, despite the melancholy that permeates throughout the film, the conflict between Wakanda and Talokan proves to be riveting storytelling that is much more serious, engaging, and carries more gravitas than most of the recent projects from the MCU.
There is no one primary star in the movie, exuding ensemble in every sense of the word where each of the separate parts create one organic whole. Many of the stars from the first film are back for this installment including Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku) and Martin Freeman (Everett Ross). Newcomers to this sequel include Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams) and Tenoch Huerta (Namor). Unfortunately, due to the film’s multi-layered structure, not every actor has as much screen time as one would hope, but each one certainly has their shining moments.
As Namor, Tenoch Huerta gives a charismatic, intense, and sometimes frightening performance as the King of Talokan, an ancient underseas civilization that has remained hidden for centuries. Huerta’s striking portrayal is the complex characterization of a leader whose actions can be perceived as justified depending on the perspective one views his motives from. As the film’s antagonist, the character of Namor is skilled, powerful, extremely well written and has an engrossing back story which guides his superb character arc throughout the entire film.
Letitia Wright also gives a captivating, nuanced, and emotional portrayal of Shuri, the one-time sassy sister who has lost her sibling. She is overcome with grief and denial, but must press forward to help her Mother save Wakanda at all costs. Wright shows her true range here and rises to the occasion with a moving and wonderful performance. Lastly, Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda is given much more to do in this film and steals every scene she’s in due to her commanding presence, powerful performance and seasoned acting prowess. Acting as both a Queen and mother, Bassett took the real life pain and put it all into her work. Basset’s performance here is simply phenomenal and she could receive an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work. She’s that good here.
From a writing and directing standpoint, “Wakanda Forever” also highlights the fact that Ryan Coogler continues to become a master at filmmaking. Coogler’s ability to balance such mature themes of heartfelt grief, cultural ideologies, political overtures and heightened drama while still displaying the film’s “comic book” sensibilities is quite fascinating to witness. In terms of his directorial vision, the look of the film, the shots and angles he choose, as well as his choice of sound, soundtrack, and silence to emphasize key moments showcases Coogler’s growing maturity as a Director. This type of direction, in conjunction with the beautiful cinematography from Autumn Durald Arkapaw, makes “Wakanda Forever” a film that is both sonically and visually pleasing to the senses.
Another area of “Wakanda Forever” where Ryan Coogler has upped the ante is in the action department. This film features considerably more action set pieces than its predecessor which are more polished, beautifully choreographed, and visually vibrant. It also appears that Coogler and his team heard the warranted criticisms of some of the CGI in the 3rd act of “Black Panther”. The visual effects in this film are more detailed & dynamic as evidenced by the spectacle on land, in air, as well as the beautiful underwater scenes in Talokan. This renewed and improved focus on the VFX truly accentuate the expansive action sequences on display in this film.
Overall, “Wakanda Forever” is an extremely ambitious and well-made film that was likely the most challenging of Ryan Coogler’s directing career. Once the decision was made to not recast the character of T’challa following Boseman’s death, Coogler was faced with quite the challenge: Create a film that organically addresses this enormous loss, but at the same time, still produce a large-scale comic book film that features elements of thrills, tension, new characters, spectacle, and high stakes action that rivals its 2018 predecessor.
In my opinion, Coogler and his cast passed that test with flying colors and gives us a film that is not only heartfelt, intimate, and emotional, but also one that is very entertaining. Honestly, because of the brotherly relationship he had with Chadwick, his kindred connection to his cast, and his innate grasp on the material he helped introduce in 2018, I don’t think anyone else but Ryan Coogler could have completed this sequel, this competently, under these less than ideal circumstances.
No matter which side of the fence you fall on in terms of the “RecastTchalla” movement (Google it if you’re unfamiliar), I don’t think any fan of cinema with a keen eye for details can deny that this is a well-crafted film that was created with care, love, and a desire to honor the legacy of Chadwick Boseman. If I had to point out any perceived flaws, I do think there are some small moments of humor in the film that didn’t quite land. Additionally, I thought there was a certain subplot and “world building” element for the larger MCU that didn’t fully serve this film’s narrative. However, these issues were very minor and did nothing to take away from the emotional a enjoyable journey this film takes us on.
Every fan of 2018’s “Black Panther” may not get exactly everything they desire from the “Wakanda Forever” but there are still plenty of wholesome elements to enjoy in this spirited and soulful sequel. From the sharp direction, cinematography, performances, surprises, action, score, soundtrack and beautiful production design, this sequel more than proves itself to be a worthy successor to the original. “Wakanda Forever” is a huge win, one of my favorite films of the year and one that comes HIGHLY Recommended – Enjoy!