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Ice Spice’s 2023 Takeover Continues With R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie Of The Year Title

Ice Spice’s 2023 Takeover Continues With R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie Of The Year Title

Ice Spice became a breakout star over the last 15 months. Following the release of her “Munch (Feelin’ U)” single in August 2022, the 23-year-old newcomer quickly rose up the music ranks.

Source: AllHipHop

This year saw Ice Spice score multiple Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As a result, Billboard has named Ice Spice as the outlet’s 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie Of The Year.

“I have put in so much hard work, and it means a lot to be recognized for it and have more than just plaques to show for it,” Spice told the long-running music magazine.

Ice Spice started 2023 by linking up with British singer PinkPantheress for the “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” collaboration, which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100.

Ice Spice also connected with rap superstar Nicki Minaj for two songs this year. Both “Princess Diana” (No. 4) and “Barbie World” (No. 7) made it into the Hot 100’s Top 10.

Taylor Swift embraced the rap upstart as well. The 12x-Grammy Award winner tapped Spice for “Karma,” which just missed the top spot on the Hot 100, landing at No. 2.

The Like..? EP rapper has the chance to pick up four Grammys at the February 2024 ceremony: Best New Artist, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Billboard also released its Top New Artists year-end chart. Ice Spice placed at No. 4 behind country singer Zach Bryan (No. 1), Latin singer Peso Pluma (No. 2) and country singer Bailey Zimmerman (No. 3).

Ice Spice also finished at No. 5 on 2023’s Hot 100 Artists – Female chart. R&B vocalist SZA led that list. Taylor Swift (No. 2), Miley Cyrus (No. 3) and Olivia Rodrigo (No. 4) rounded out the rest of the Top 5.

Read more at https://allhiphop.com/news/ice-spice-named-rb-hip-hop-rookie-of-the-year-for-2023

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Nas Celebrates His 50th Birthday With Release Of Final Hit-Boy Album, “Magic 3″

Nas Celebrates His 50th Birthday With Release Of Final Hit-Boy Album, “Magic 3"

Nas and Hit-Boy have wrapped their second trilogy series in just three years, dropping Magic 3 on the Queens legend’s 50th birthday.

Source: AllHipHop

After cryptically teasing “The Finale” last week, Nas has delivered his third and final album in the Hit-Boy-assisted trilogy with the arrival of Magic 3.

The NYC icon delivered the project on his 50th birthday, September 14. Magic 3 serves as a gift to Hip-Hop as the genre also celebrates its golden jubilee year in 2023.

The prolific duo shared the album less than two months after the second offering in the Magic series. The 15-track project clocks in at just over 45 minutes and includes only one feature. Lil Wayne makes a guest appearance on track No. 6, “Never Die.”

Nas And Hit-Boy’s Iconic Partnership

Magic 3 marks the end of one of the most prolific partnerships in Hip-Hop, with Nas and Hit-Boy leaving a legacy of two epic trilogies. The dynamic pairing launched their partnership with the Grammy-winning King’s Disease in 2021, with the second in the series arriving later that year. Kings Disease III concluded the series in November 2022.

Nas and Hit-Boy celebrated Christmas 2021 with the first Magic album to kick off their second trilogy series. They dropped the sequel earlier this summer before delivering Magic 3 this week, their sixth album in just three years.

Earlier this year, the Queen’s legend explained he’s returned to the studio with a consistency he hasn’t experienced in 20 years.

For more information, go here: https://allhiphop.com/news/nas-drops-magic-3-on-50th-birthday/

Stream “Magic 3”

 

 

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Latto Is First Rapper With No. 1 Song on Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2023 Thanks to BTS’ Jung Kook

Latto Is First Rapper With No. 1 Song on Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2023 Thanks to BTS’ Jung Kook

Latto hit the jackpot with “Seven,” her new collab with BTS’ Jung Kook, which has risen to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the first time a rapper has had a No. 1 song on the chart in 2023.

Source: XXLMag

On Monday (July 24), Billboard announced the updated top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which revealed Jung Kook’s new single “Seven” with Latto is in the top spot. This marks the “Big Energy” rapper’s first No. 1. Jung is now the second member of the K-Pop boy band to have a No. 1 record after Jimin’s “Like Crazy” debuted No. 1 in April. Other rappers with songs on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart include Gunna (“F*kumean), which sits at No. 6., and Lil Durk and J. Cole (“All My Life”), which is No. 10.

It’s been rough sledding for hip-hop in 2023. The genre has only had one album to top the Billboard 200 chart this year, Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape, which dropped on June 30. Last month, Coi Leray called for unity among female rappers and urged them to come together to make 2023’s first No. 1 hit. It looks like Latto hit the winning number first.

Read More: https://www.xxlmag.com/latto-first-rapper-number-1-song-billboard-hot-100-chart-2023-jung-kook-seven/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

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Lil Wayne Reacts To Being Ranked 7th Best Rapper Of All Time

Lil Wayne Reacts To Being Ranked 7th Best Rapper Of All Time

Lil Wayne has responded to his placement on Billboard’s controversial “50 Greatest Rappers Of All Time” list, which saw him ranked at No. 7.

Source: HipHopDX

The Young Money mogul recently sat down with Zane Lowe at Apple Music to discuss his highly anticipated album, The Carter 6. Amid talks about the project, its Swizz Beatz-produced single “Kant Nobody” with the late DMX, Tunechi remarked that he is simply not concerned with the ranking as he’s confident that everyone knows he’s really the G.O.A.T.

“Man, who the hell is before me?” Wayne questioned. “Was the list including ALL Hip Hop, like before and after as well? I can deal with that… I will tell you that I am a muthafuckin’ one. Everybody whose names you named, they also know I’m number one. Go ask ’em. They know what it is.”

Ahead of Wayne on the list, in reverse order, were Biggie Smalls, Eminem, 2pac, Nas, Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z.

Despite proclaiming himself No. 1, Wayne recently confirmed that, in his book, Hov remains the greatest rapper ever.

“The greatest rapper of all time is Shawn ‘JAY-Z’ Carter,” he declared on a November episode of Marcellus Wiley’s More to It podcast. “When you do this rapping thing, obviously like football, every sport is different. You play hockey, I’m sure they got something that they only know about. Something that they probably can’t explain, but only they know. That thing in rap, that we only know in rap, he has that. He’s the Tom Brady of that.”

Elsewhere in his new interview with Apple Music, Weezy gave a little insight on what fans can expect from the forthcoming C6.

“Everybody already know,” Lil Wayne said. “You already know. Come on – it’s Carter 6. I never even imagined. That didn’t even sound right years ago. I can’t believe we’re at Carter 6. My fans know I give my all. Go listen to my last feature and know it’s gonna be a thousand times better than that.”

While he has yet to set a release date for the LP, Lil Wayne has kicked off his roll out with the release of the DMX-assisted single and a tour announcement.

The 28-city Welcome To Tha Carter tour kicks off on April 4 at The Fillmore in Minneapolis. Wayne will trek through Detroit, Toronto, Houston, New York and other cities before wrapping in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on May 13.

More information and get Tickets at:
https://hiphopdx.com/news/lil-wayne-reacts-7th-best-rapper-all-time

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Jack Harlow Trades Rap For The Triangle In Missy Elliott-Assisted Doritos Super Bowl Ad

Jack Harlow Trades Rap For The Triangle In Missy Elliott-Assisted Doritos Super Bowl Ad

Jack Harlow is in a new Doritos Super Bowl ad with Missy Elliott and it looks like the chips giant has helped the Louisville rapper discover a new love when it comes to music.

Source: HipHopDX

Jack Harlow is in a new Doritos Super Bowl ad with Missy Elliott and it looks like the chips giant has helped the Louisville rapper discover a new love when it comes to music.

Missionary Jack puts his acting chops to the test in the big game clip unveiled in full on Wednesday (February 8). At first, Harlow struggles to find motivation in the studio until he stumbles upon the triangle, which is the same shape as a Doritos chip.

“It’s just not right,” he says in the clip. “Nah, I need to find something new.”

The 24-year-old sends the crowd into a frenzy when he shows off his unlikely triangle skills, but backstage Missy Elliott is questioning the move. “You gonna quit rap for a triangle,” Missy asks in disgust.

“I gotta do me, Missy,” Harlow states with Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell” booming in the background.

The triangle craze sweeps the nation with radio legend Sway Calloway making a cameo but it all comes to a screeching halt for Harlow when he loses out on Triangle Player of the Year honors to Elton John to close the Super Bowl commercial.

Look for the entire Doritos ad to air on FOX on February 12 during Super Bowl LVII, which will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Jack Harlow’s acting skills will also be put to the test in the upcoming White Men Can’t Jump reboot, which is set to land on Hulu on May 19.

A trailer arrived over the weekend showing the very first look at Harlow and his co-star Sinqua Walls in character.

More information: https://hiphopdx.com/news/jack-harlow-triangle-missy-elliott-doritos-super-bowl-commercial

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Drake and 21 Savage Collab Album Her Loss Dropping Next Week

Drake and 21 Savage Collab Album "Her Loss"

Without much fanfare, Drake and 21 Savage have announced their collaborative album, titled Her Loss, will be dropping next week.

Source: XXLMag

On Saturday (Oct. 22), Drake released the music video for the fan-favorite track “Jimmy Cooks” featuring 21 Savage, and at the end of the visual, revealed in typographic letters, “HER LOSS – ALBUM BY DRAKE AND 21 SAVAGE – OCTOBER 28, 2022.” Subsequently, Republic Records, Drizzy’s distribution label, shared a screenshot of the announcement on their Twitter account.

Drake and 21 Savage’s song “Jimmy Crooks” is the last track featured on Drake’s latest album, Honestly, Nevermind, which dropped in June. The 14-song collection arrived following reports that the OVO head honcho signed a $400 million deal earlier this year. Initially, Drake generated some backlash for the album’s predominantly house and Baltimore club music sound, with “Jimmy Crooks” being the standalone hip-hop-sounding track.

Drake addressed the bad reviews and memes that were being made in response to Honestly, Nevermind on his Instagram account. “It’s all good if you don’t get it yet. It’s all good,” said 6 God in his IG video. “That’s what we do. We wait for you to catch up. We’re in here, though. We’re caught up already. On to the next. My goodness.”

This isn’t the first time Drizzy has teamed up with another big-name rap star. In 2015, Drake paired up with Future on their collaborative mixtape, What a Time to Be Alive.

Meanwhile, 21 Savage has a few collab albums under his belt. The Atlanta rapper partnered with producer Metro Boomin on two projects: 2016’s Savage Mode and 2020’s Savage Mode II. 21 also collaborated with both Offset and Metro Boomin on 2017’s Without Warning project.

Read More: Drake and 21 Savage Collab Album Her Loss Dropping Next Week – XXL | https://www.xxlmag.com/drake-21-savage-collab-album-her-loss/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

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‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio dead at age 59

coolio on enjoythebeatz.com

Coolio has reportedly died.

Source: XXLMag

Tonight (Sept. 28), TMZ has reported that West Coast rapper Coolio has died at the age of 59.

The “Gangsta’s Paradise” artist’s manager Jarez reportedly told the Hollywood gossip site that Coolio was visiting a friend at a home in Los Angeles when he passed. The rapper allegedly went into his friend’s bathroom, but never came out. Paramedics were called around 4 p.m., but Coolio was pronounced dead at the scene. Jarez reportedly said the veteran rhymer died of cardiac arrest, although an official cause of death has yet to be determined.

XXL has reached out to Jarez for further confirmation.

Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr, had major mainstream success in the 1990s, primarily with his 1995 hit single “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the same year it was released. “Gangsta’s Paradise” earned further widespread acclaim after being the main song featured in the 1995 film Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeiffer. The track won Coolio a Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance. It has since been certified double-platinum in the U.S., and also sold millions of additional units worldwide.

The song was the title track to Coolio’s 1995 breakthrough album, Gangsta’s Paradise, which also features two other successful singles: “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “Too Hot,” the latter of which features J.T. Taylor of Kool & the Gang on the hook. Gangsta’s Paradise is also certified double-platinum, with over two million units sold in the U.S. alone.

The MC released a total of eight studio albums, beginning with It Takes a Thief in 1994, and ending with what would be his final LP, From the Bottom 2 the Top, in 2009.

Outside of music, Coolio appeared as an actor in various films, including the 1997 adaptation of Batman & Robin. He also made cameos in TV shows Sabrina The Teenage Witch, The Nanny, Malcolm & Eddie and more.

Read More: Coolio, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ Rapper, Dead at 59 – Report – XXL | https://www.xxlmag.com/coolio-gangstas-paradise-rapper-dead/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

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Rapper PnB Rock fatally shot during robbery in Los Angeles popular restaurant.

PnB Rock R.I.P. 09-12-2022

PnB Rock has died at the age of 30 after being shot in Los Angeles today.

Source: XXLMag

On Monday (Sept. 12, 2022), the Philadelphia rap-crooner, born Rakim Hasheem Allen, passed away after succumbing to gunshot wounds he suffered during a reported attempted robbery at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles, according to the Los Angeles Times this afternoon.

Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Kelly Muniz did not initially identify PnB Rock as the victim. Based on the Times’ report, the shooting transpired at 1 p.m. at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ’N Waffles located on Main Street and Manchester Avenue in Inglewood. The victim, now identified as PnB Rock by police sources per the Times, was transported to a hospital and was pronounced dead at 1:59 p.m.

Muniz stated that the suspect, who doesn’t appear to be in custody as yet, brandished a weapon inside the restaurant and demanded items from the rapper. TMZ reported that PnB was targeted for his jewelry and that the robber removed the jewelry from the rapper before fleeing the scene.

“He shot the victim and ran out the side door to a getaway car and then fled the parking lot,” Muniz said.

News first broke regarding PnB Rock being shot this afternoon, after a grisly video surfaced on social media that was purported to be from the scene of the crime. The rapper appeared lying in a puddle of blood. The incident reportedly occurred at a Roscoe’s House of Chicken ’N Waffles location in Inglewood, Calif. while PnB and his girlfriend were there enjoying a meal. In the harrowing clip, witnesses try to assist the rapper by putting towels on his wounds. According to reports, shortly afterward, he was transported to a local hospital. He did not survive.

PnB Rock officially jumped into the rap game with his debut mixtape Real N*gga Bangaz in 2014, and stood out due his brand of trap R&B. A year later, he secured a deal with Atlantic Records following his breakout moment with the 2015 track “Fleek.” His 2016 song, “Selfish,” peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2017, he was part of that year’s XXL Freshman Class and put out the mixtape GTTM: Goin Thru the Motions and debut album, Catch These Vibes, which was followed by the 2019 LP, Trapstar Turnt Popstar.

Recently, he’d been bouncing back after going through some serious legal issues in 2019. Last December, he released the EP 2 Get You Thru the Rain. He put out his most recent single “Luv Me Again” earlier this month as an independent artist no longer signed to Atlantic.

Read More: PnB Rock Dead at 30 After Being Shot in Los Angeles – Report – XXL | https://www.xxlmag.com/pnb-rock-dead/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

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Capitol Records Drops Virtual AI Rapper FN Meka Following Backlash

Source: XXLMag

Industry Blackout has released a statement to XXL in the wake of virtual AI rapper FN Meka being dropped from Capitol Records. The organization sent an open letter to the label earlier today, calling for the artist and label to terminate its partnership.

“We feel it it is a great victory that Capitol Records terminated their contract with FN Meka however, the fact this happened to begin with shows how much work is still ahead of us,” the statement starts. “We’re glad the people amplified our voices to be heard so quickly on a Black issue, and that our action led to results. This should set a precedent that shows how Black and Brown voices can unify behind issues and get things done.

“There was a great opportunity to do something innovative with hip hop and tech. Tech should be used to amplify the culture And there’s still a chance to do so—the right way. At the end of the day, we’ve been about the people since inception and continue to focus on our community. At every turn we will stand up when needed.”

ORIGINAL STORY (Aug. 23):

Grand opening. Grand closing. Just days after news broke that AI-powered virtual rapper FN Meka had signed a deal with Capitol Records, the label announced it has dropped the ’bot following backlash.

On Tuesday (Aug. 23), a rep for Capitol Records released a statement to XXL confirming its decision to part ways with the “rapper.”

“CMG has severed ties with the FN Meka project, effectively immediately,” the statement reads. “We offer our deepest apologies to the Black community for our insensitivity in signing this project without asking enough question about equity and the creative process behind it. We thank those who have reached out to us with constructive feedback in the past couple of days—your input was invaluable as we came to the decision to end our associate with the project.”

The opposition to FN Meka apparently received a strong push from @industryblkout, a “unified body of Black people in the industry committed to changing the community” on Twitter, who published a hard stance statement against Capitol Records and the Meka project on Tuesday calling it an “abomination and disrespectful to real people who face real consequences in real life.”

XXL has reached out to Industry Blackout for comment.

The announcement arrives after backlash the label received from recently signing the virtual rapper to a recording contract. FN Meka is the creation of Anthony Martini and Brandon Le, cofounders of Factory New, a virtual record label who were the first to ink the virtual rhymer to a deal. FN Meka’s voice is based off a real human, but everything else about the rapper including his rhymes are based off artificial intelligence technology, according to its creators. In appearance, Meka looks like to a caricature of a racially ambiguous Soundcloud rapper, complete with colored dreads and face tats. Meka even has a new single with Gunna titled “Florida Water.”

However, the Meka “project” has received backlash. For one, Meka uses the N-word in lyrics. On the 2019 track “Moonwalkin’,” he spits the lines, “Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby/Feel like Hank Hill when I raise the Bobby (Bobby)/I don’t see no niggas like we playin’ hockey (Hockey).”

The announcement arrives after backlash the label received from recently signing the virtual rapper to a recording contract. FN Meka is the creation of Anthony Martini and Brandon Le, cofounders of Factory New, a virtual record label who were the first to ink the virtual rhymer to a deal. FN Meka’s voice is based off a real human, but everything else about the rapper including his rhymes are based off artificial intelligence technology, according to its creators. In appearance, Meka looks like to a caricature of a racially ambiguous Soundcloud rapper, complete with colored dreads and face tats. Meka even has a new single with Gunna titled “Florida Water.”

However, the Meka “project” has received backlash. For one, Meka uses the N-word in lyrics. On the 2019 track “Moonwalkin’,” he spits the lines, “Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby/Feel like Hank Hill when I raise the Bobby (Bobby)/I don’t see no niggas like we playin’ hockey (Hockey).”

Read more at:
https://www.xxlmag.com/capitol-records-drops-virtual-ai-rapper-fn-meka/