Wale is dropping his new project Wow… That’s Crazy on Friday and leading up to its release the MMG rapper is opening up about struggles he faced after his last project. The “On Chill” rapper claims that he lost over $1 million on “legal stuff” after the release of his last studio album Shine.
More importantly, the DMV lyricist says that he lost friends and nearly lost his sanity in what will probably be further revealed in his new album.
I been an open book to y’all on here for better or worse .. I been through so much since my last project … I lost over an M on some legal stuff . I lost friends and almost my sanity . But y’all held this thing together … tonight I release this balloon
Coincidentally, or maybe not, Wale is dropping his 6th album on #WorldMentalHealth day as he acknowledged on social media Thursday morning. Wale has always been an advocate for mental health and has never been afraid to address his personal struggles. Following the release of Shine, Wale was let go from Atlantic Records and later signed with Warner Bros.
Wale will be performing in Philadelphia Thursday night as part of his Everything Is Fine Tour. The artist will likely be tweeting a bunch before the album drops and it’ll be interesting to see how revealing this album will be.
Deadline reports that Warner Bros. has come to terms with Pattinson portraying the Dark Knight.
The man probably best known for playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight series will don the cowl for at least three films, with the first to be released next year and directed by Matt Reeves.
Reportedly the role came down to Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult, but Reeves preferred the former.
The spot became available after Ben Affleck fell back from directing The Batman and decided to end his portrayal of Batman. To his credit, he did an admirable job in Batman vs Superman and Justice League—and a cameo in Suicide Squad—despite the suspect scripts.
Considering Pattinson will be a younger Batman, this sounds like a reboot. Good luck with that, just saying.
It has been 30 years since De La Soul released its debut album, 3 Feet High And Rising. That 1989 Prince Paul-produced work has since achieved platinum certification as well as monstrous critical acclaim for its clever rhymes and innovative sampling techniques. In addition to more than a million shelves, that Tommy Boy Records release now sits in the Library Of Congress music archives. For the next 13 years, De La stayed with the label they were with at the start of their careers. They released five additional studio albums, along with various live works and compilations. This discography included celebrated works such as 1991’s gold-certified De La Soul Is Dead, and 1996’s Stakes Is High. Other moments include Buhloone-Mindstate, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, and follow-up AOI: Bionix. De La Soul Have Hope Their Classics Will Finally Be Available Online While those six titles and companion compilations decorate the vinyl, cassette, and CD shelves of many, they have never been available on digital retailers or streaming platforms. In 2016, The New York Times‘ Finn Cohen examined the situation, speaking to De La, Tommy Boy founder Tom Silverman, and Warner Bros. executives, responsible for legacy content. While De La members Posdnuos, Dave, and Maseo admitted some optimism, lots of red tape seemingly stood in the way. Those hurdles were reportedly due to copyright holders and sampling, especially on the earlier half of the catalog. The label system has been a complicated space for De La Soul throughout the last 30 years. After addressing frustrations with the imprint in songs and skits, the relationship ended after Bionix. In early 2002, Tommy Boy’s recorded music and publishing catalog were sold to Warner Bros. Records for more than $10 million. The label remained in business, but its Hip-Hop acts moved to the major, who had been distributing Tommy Boy since the late 1980s. In the transaction, De La Soul understood that they were headed to the Warner-backed Elektra imprint, a longtime home to fellow Native Tongues member Busta Rhymes. Thanking Tommy Boy for their service, Posdnuos told AllHipHop that the group was excited to have a new machine behind it in a changing marketplace. However, history shows that nothing came from the brief move. Pete Rock Gives A Fantastic Update On The De La Soul Project He & DJ Premier Are Producing Although Elektra soon dissolved in a merger, De La Soulnext released an album in 2004 with The Grind Date. That LP arrived through Sanctuary Urban/BMG Music, and was the first of several indie releases for the Long Island, New York veterans. That release featured Beyoncé and Solange’s father, Mathew Knowles, as top exec. It and 2016’s Grammy-nominated and the Anonymous Nobody…are available to stream and purchase online. That is not the case for a 2009 Nike-commissioned mixtape and a 2006 Art Official Intelligence compilation. In 2015, De La avoided the label rigmarole entirely and allowed fans to fund its ninth album in advance. Asking for $110,000 to make and the Anonymous Nobody…, the group received more than four times the ask in just hours. In the process Plug 1, Plug 2, and Plug 3 rewarded donors with memorabilia, fan experiences, and physical copies of the 2016 Grammy-nominated LP. In August of 2017, Billboard reported that Silverman re-acquired his catalog from Warner, including the De La Soul assets. A year and a half later, Tommy Boy Music is reportedly planning to bring those first six De La albums to the Internet marketplace. However, for De La Soul, who broke the news, this development is not a happy occasion.
Royce 5’9″ Explains Choosing To Sign With Tommy Boy Instead Of Dr. Dre (Video) Today (February 26), De La Soul notified its fans that the music will be made available soon. However, on the group’s social media accounts, the trio expressed disappointment with the accounting surrounding their digital catalog. “Your purchases will go 90% Tommy Boy, 10% De La,” the group posted, approximating the splits. In a caption, the group added, “Don’t feed the vultures, support and respect the culture.” The three men encouraged fans to support its two most recent releases, which presumably provide more lucrative revenue to the group. They also hash-tagged the copy of the post #thephantom2milliondollardebt. That is presumed to be a reference to the elements of the catalog not yet recouping, or becoming profitable per the initial agreement. Two posts on Monday (February 25) confirmed that the trio was in recent contact with Tommy Boy, and disappointed with the discussion. They urged fans to contact their former label with “RespectTheCulture,” “RespectTheArt,” and “RespectTheArtist” on social media. In 2014, De La Soul hosted a one-day free music giveaway from its website, making its catalog available for free download. They have regularly treated fans to free music and surprise singles.
Thirteen years ago this week, Nipsey Hussle released his debut mixtape, Slauson Boy. Shortly thereafter, the MC’s buzz started permeating the West Coast, and then the global Rap industry. The artist from the Crenshaw section of Los Angeles, California rapped with a sense of angst, awareness, and authority that stood apart from his peers. From Snoop Dogg to Chamillionaire to Rick Ross, a cross-section of Rap artists took interest in Nip’, giving him features and putting the artist on his songs.
While Nipsey eventually landed at a restructuring and rebranding Epic Records, the 2000s ended without an album. Instead, the rapper fed the streets with a steady stream of unadulterated mixtape product. Bullets Ain’t Got No Name and Marathon became sought-out series, very much tied to themes that surrounded Nipsey’s environment and a different industry blueprint. 2013’s Crenshaw, a mixtape sold at $100 a clip, combated the notion that free music lacked value. Pressed on CD, packaged with artwork, Nipsey Hussle set up shop beyond the industry in a way that was just as impressive as his art. JAY-Z was a noteworthy supporter, copping 100 copies of the celebrated work.
Until this year, Hussle delivered mixtape singles to the charts, kept a high-profile beyond the label machine, and continuously made top-shelf music during a renaissance of West Coast Gangsta Rap. Finalizing a partnership beyond the traditional deals, Nip’s Victory Lap with Atlantic Records this year pushed the quality even further. While the streets and the charts warmly received the February album, few could have predicted the Grammy Awards recognition as “Best Rap Album” nominee. In the coming weeks, Heads will see if the low-key artist from Crenshaw can achieve something that Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and The Game have not.
Closing out his banner year, Hussle releases “Perfect Timing.” Like so many other songs in his catalog, the record focuses on the hear-and-now of his career. “I know perfect timing feels like I’m too late / And I know I’m still great in spite of my mistakes / You know it’s authentic, every rhyme I say / My only regret is I made ni**as wait / See, ain’t too many like us, we life in this, baby / An’ I don’t f&ck with busters, y’all can’t integrate / Grew up with these killers in my living space / Lotta ni**as folded through them village days,” he opens.
Thirteen years ago this week, Nipsey Hussle released his debut mixtape, Slauson Boy. Shortly thereafter, the MC’s buzz started permeating the West Coast, and then the global Rap industry. The artist from the Crenshaw section of Los Angeles, California rapped with a sense of angst, awareness, and authority that stood apart from his peers. From Snoop Dogg to Chamillionaire to Rick Ross, a cross-section of Rap artists took interest in Nip’, giving him features and putting the artist on his songs.
While Nipsey eventually landed at a restructuring and rebranding Epic Records, the 2000s ended without an album. Instead, the rapper fed the streets with a steady stream of unadulterated mixtape product. Bullets Ain’t Got No Name and Marathon became sought-out series, very much tied to themes that surrounded Nipsey’s environment and a different industry blueprint. 2013’s Crenshaw, a mixtape sold at $100 a clip, combated the notion that free music lacked value. Pressed on CD, packaged with artwork, Nipsey Hussle set up shop beyond the industry in a way that was just as impressive as his art. JAY-Z was a noteworthy supporter, copping 100 copies of the celebrated work.
Until this year, Hussle delivered mixtape singles to the charts, kept a high-profile beyond the label machine, and continuously made top-shelf music during a renaissance of West Coast Gangsta Rap. Finalizing a partnership beyond the traditional deals, Nip’s Victory Lap with Atlantic Records this year pushed the quality even further. While the streets and the charts warmly received the February album, few could have predicted the Grammy Awards recognition as “Best Rap Album” nominee. In the coming weeks, Heads will see if the low-key artist from Crenshaw can achieve something that Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and The Game have not.
Closing out his banner year, Hussle releases “Perfect Timing.” Like so many other songs in his catalog, the record focuses on the hear-and-now of his career. “I know perfect timing feels like I’m too late / And I know I’m still great in spite of my mistakes / You know it’s authentic, every rhyme I say / My only regret is I made ni**as wait / See, ain’t too many like us, we life in this, baby / An’ I don’t f&ck with busters, y’all can’t integrate / Grew up with these killers in my living space / Lotta ni**as folded through them village days,” he opens.
We have our opinions on the best releases of 2018, but rather than simply tell you our pick for #1, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2018. With that in mind, we decided to make our Best Rap Albums Of 2018 list a living breathing conversation, that would ultimately lead to you, the readers, choosing which album is the best of the year. Throughout December, we will pit albums against one another, battle style, and your votes will determine the winners.
The bracket-style competition among the final 16 albums has begun. Each weekday, albums will face off against one another. In each case, voting will close after 24 hours. We will go from the Sweet 16 to the Elite 8 to the Final 4 to the Championship Finals, with one album emerging as the victor. The third Round 2 match-up is between J. Cole’s KOD and Mac Miller’s Swimming. Only one of these great LPs can reach the Final 4. Make sure your opinion is heard and gets counted (click on your album’s artwork in the box below, then click “vote”).
Jermaine Cole has been displaying his self-exploration in plain sight for nearly 10 years now. Each album formulated by the Fayetteville, North Carolina MC/producer has essentially been a verbal diary, meticulously detailing his pilgrimage through both the music industry and his understandings of existence. K.O.D., Cole’s fifth LP, finds him at his most enlightened, concerned, and transparent chapter to date. It bears a title serving as a triple entendre (Kids On Drugs, King Overdosed, Kill Our Demons) is cloaked in the severe dangers of addiction, ego, and greed. King Cole meets kiLL edward (an embodiment of his former stepfather) to sort through the effects of drug and alcohol dependency (“The Cut Off”), infidelity (“Kevin’s Heart”), the selfish pursuit of wealth (“ATM” & “Motiv8”), the inability to assess insecurities and ultimately face those personal demons (“FRIENDS”). What makes Cole’s decisive cautionary tale that is K.O.D. so powerful though, is that he seemingly comes to terms with his own self-inflicted shortcomings while simultaneously cautioning his peers and fans about the destruction of theirs. Without self-awareness, administered advice falls on deaf ears, and for an artist that has already hung their hat on unapologetic authenticity so intently, Cole finds even more strength in his sentiments throughout K.O.D. because of how mindful he is about the repercussions of his own tendencies. K.O.D. is both therapeutic and instructive in a time when honest leadership from a respected veteran was absolutely critical. Cole knew this, and K.O.D. is his grand contribution to the overall well-being of the music industry. Without vanity, Cole has demanded that all parties listen closely and choose wisely. – Michael Blair
Released: April 20, 2018 Label: Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope Guest: kiLL edward Producers: self, Ibrahim Hamad, BLVK, Mark Pelli, Ron Gilmore, T-Minus
The mending of a broken heart takes patience and time, or if you’re Mac Miller, an impeccably constructed musical effort to pair. On the heels of a highly-publicized two-year relationship, and eventual crushing breakup with Pop superstar Ariana Grande, the 26-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania MC/producer found his therapy and voice in the formation of Swimming, his fifth album. Rather than attributing fault to any outside circumstances, Mac examined self and assembled Swimming as an audible novel brimming with those self-reflective chronicles. Whether it be addressing the actual split with Grande (“Self Care” and ”Dunno”), his battles with substance abuse (“Jet Fuel”) and depression (“Perfecto”), or the forward-looking hopefulness (“Wings”) and need to turn the pages on regressive habits (“2009”), Mac covers a lifetime worth of emotion in the nearly hour-long album. Swimming finds Mac sincerely accountable for cycles of self-destruction while seemingly more clear-minded than ever before. Sonically, the album reaches a new plateau with a cohesive sequence throughout, displaying Mac’s grand transformation from rapper to musical composer. With the massive void that will be left by Mac Miller’s passing shortly after the release of the album, the music faithful can find solace in the notion that Mac’s maturation and potential greatness as a musician were achieved so wonderfully in his magnum opus that is Swimming. – Michael Blair
Released: August 3, 2018 Label: REMember Music/Warner Bros. Records Guests:Pharrell Williams (add’l vocals), John Mayer (add’l vocals), Thundercat (add’l vocals), Snoop Dogg (add’l vocals), Syd (add’l vocals), Dam-Funk (add’l vocals) Producers:Mac Miller, Jon Brion, J Cole, Dev Hynes, Steve Lacy, Flying Lotus, , Alexander Spit, Cardo, Carter Lang, Dam-Funk, DJ Dahi, Eric G, Gitty, ID Labs, Nice Rec, Nostxglic, Parson Brown, Pomo, Tae Beast, Tee-WaTT, Yung Exclusive
Black Milk – Fever Black Thought – Streams Of Thought, Vol. 2
Buddy – Harlan & Alondra Evidence – Weather Or Not J. Cole – K.O.D Jay Rock – Redemption Mac Miller – Swimming Masta Ace & Marco Polo – A Breukelen Story Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
Phonte – No News Is Good News
Pusha-T – DAYTONA
Royce 5’9 – Book Of Ryan
Saba – CARE FOR ME Travis Scott – ASTROWORLD Westside Gunn – Supreme Blientele
We have our opinions on the best releases of 2018, but rather than simply tell you our pick for #1, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2018. With that in mind, we decided to make our Best Rap Albums Of 2018 list a living breathing conversation, that would ultimately lead to you, the readers, choosing which album is the best of the year. Throughout December, we will pit albums against one another, battle style, and your votes will determine the winners.
The bracket-style competition among the final 16 albums has begun. Each weekday, albums will face off against one another. In each case, voting will close after 24 hours. We will go from the Sweet 16 to the Elite 8 to the Final 4 to the Championship Finals, with one album emerging as the victor. The third Round 2 match-up is between J. Cole’s KOD and Mac Miller’s Swimming. Only one of these great LPs can reach the Final 4. Make sure your opinion is heard and gets counted (click on your album’s artwork in the box below, then click “vote”).
Jermaine Cole has been displaying his self-exploration in plain sight for nearly 10 years now. Each album formulated by the Fayetteville, North Carolina MC/producer has essentially been a verbal diary, meticulously detailing his pilgrimage through both the music industry and his understandings of existence. K.O.D., Cole’s fifth LP, finds him at his most enlightened, concerned, and transparent chapter to date. It bears a title serving as a triple entendre (Kids On Drugs, King Overdosed, Kill Our Demons) is cloaked in the severe dangers of addiction, ego, and greed. King Cole meets kiLL edward (an embodiment of his former stepfather) to sort through the effects of drug and alcohol dependency (“The Cut Off”), infidelity (“Kevin’s Heart”), the selfish pursuit of wealth (“ATM” & “Motiv8”), the inability to assess insecurities and ultimately face those personal demons (“FRIENDS”). What makes Cole’s decisive cautionary tale that is K.O.D. so powerful though, is that he seemingly comes to terms with his own self-inflicted shortcomings while simultaneously cautioning his peers and fans about the destruction of theirs. Without self-awareness, administered advice falls on deaf ears, and for an artist that has already hung their hat on unapologetic authenticity so intently, Cole finds even more strength in his sentiments throughout K.O.D. because of how mindful he is about the repercussions of his own tendencies. K.O.D. is both therapeutic and instructive in a time when honest leadership from a respected veteran was absolutely critical. Cole knew this, and K.O.D. is his grand contribution to the overall well-being of the music industry. Without vanity, Cole has demanded that all parties listen closely and choose wisely. – Michael Blair
Released: April 20, 2018 Label: Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope Guest: kiLL edward Producers: self, Ibrahim Hamad, BLVK, Mark Pelli, Ron Gilmore, T-Minus
The mending of a broken heart takes patience and time, or if you’re Mac Miller, an impeccably constructed musical effort to pair. On the heels of a highly-publicized two-year relationship, and eventual crushing breakup with Pop superstar Ariana Grande, the 26-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania MC/producer found his therapy and voice in the formation of Swimming, his fifth album. Rather than attributing fault to any outside circumstances, Mac examined self and assembled Swimming as an audible novel brimming with those self-reflective chronicles. Whether it be addressing the actual split with Grande (“Self Care” and ”Dunno”), his battles with substance abuse (“Jet Fuel”) and depression (“Perfecto”), or the forward-looking hopefulness (“Wings”) and need to turn the pages on regressive habits (“2009”), Mac covers a lifetime worth of emotion in the nearly hour-long album. Swimming finds Mac sincerely accountable for cycles of self-destruction while seemingly more clear-minded than ever before. Sonically, the album reaches a new plateau with a cohesive sequence throughout, displaying Mac’s grand transformation from rapper to musical composer. With the massive void that will be left by Mac Miller’s passing shortly after the release of the album, the music faithful can find solace in the notion that Mac’s maturation and potential greatness as a musician were achieved so wonderfully in his magnum opus that is Swimming. – Michael Blair
Released: August 3, 2018 Label: REMember Music/Warner Bros. Records Guests:Pharrell Williams (add’l vocals), John Mayer (add’l vocals), Thundercat (add’l vocals), Snoop Dogg (add’l vocals), Syd (add’l vocals), Dam-Funk (add’l vocals) Producers:Mac Miller, Jon Brion, J Cole, Dev Hynes, Steve Lacy, Flying Lotus, , Alexander Spit, Cardo, Carter Lang, Dam-Funk, DJ Dahi, Eric G, Gitty, ID Labs, Nice Rec, Nostxglic, Parson Brown, Pomo, Tae Beast, Tee-WaTT, Yung Exclusive
Black Milk – Fever Black Thought – Streams Of Thought, Vol. 2
Buddy – Harlan & Alondra Evidence – Weather Or Not J. Cole – K.O.D Jay Rock – Redemption Mac Miller – Swimming Masta Ace & Marco Polo – A Breukelen Story Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
Phonte – No News Is Good News
Pusha-T – DAYTONA
Royce 5’9 – Book Of Ryan
Saba – CARE FOR ME Travis Scott – ASTROWORLD Westside Gunn – Supreme Blientele
Ava DuVernay has come a long way from her Hip-Hop roots to now becoming world-renowned as an Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated director. DuVernay has just signed a multi-year $100 million dollar deal with Warners Bros TV Group, which will see her developing ideas and programming across multiple genres.
The Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated director has signed a multi-year and multi-genre overall deal with the Peter Roth-run studio. It’s a big leap for a filmmaker primary known as a director — the sprawling WBTV production and development deal for DuVernay and her Forward Movement shingle covers drama and comedy series, documentaries, digital content, event projects and longer-form projects for broadcast and cable, premium cable, streaming services and other platforms.
It’s DuVernay’s first pact with any studio and is set to start in January. The deal is in the $100 million range, I’ve learned.
“I’ve had nothing but beautiful experiences working with Peter Roth, Susan Rovner and Brett Paul,” DuVernay, also the Queen Sugar and Red Line EP, told Deadline today. “They love and support artists in wonderful and nourishing ways. They work within a traditional studio headed by Kevin Tsujihara that is stirring with untraditional energy and fresh protocols for intentional, inclusive image-making. Warner Bros is a terrific partner about matters of visibility and belonging for all kinds and cultures of people, which is our mission at Forward Movement. I couldn’t be happier to call Warner Bros TV my production home.”
Congrats go out to Ava DuVernay for this exciting new venture!
The Hollywood Reporter recently reported that Ryan Coogler will deliver a follow-up to Michael Jordan’s Space Jam, with LeBron James leading the pack this time around. “[Ryan] gave this generation’s kids something I didn’t have when I was a kid,” James said in the Sept. 19 issue. “And that’s a superhero movie with an African-American cast.”
LBJ compared his role to a superhero role for a franchise. “I always wanted to be a superhero. Batman was my favorite. But I knew I could never be Bruce Wayne,” the Los Angeles Lakers forward explained. “You’ve got to understand, for me that was in no way possible; I never felt like I could be the president of a multibillion-dollar company.”
At the point when Warner Bros. greenlit the idea in 2016, Justin Lin was connected to write and direct; at the time, Michael Jordan proposed Blake Griffin, another well known NBA player, should star in the motion picture.
But it was LeBron James that got the movie off the ground.
