NoCap is a master of gloom. The Mobile, Alabama, rapper’s music mines a distinct sense of hopelessness; at points, his voice warbles with an unmistakable dread and then swells into a half-rapped, half-shrieked force. “Count A Million,” his new song featuring Lil Uzi Vert, seems at first like it might …
Read More »Kid Cudi *Hums* Has Finally *Humming Intensifies* Returned
Kid Cudi has a knack for timeliness. For the last 12 years, the mush-mouthed Cleveland musician has always been a half-step ahead of popular music’s curve of influence. There are the obvious examples, like abandoning the classic strictures of mainstream rap for more melodic pastures, and harder-to-pin-down one, like his …
Read More »Justin Timberlake Went to the Woods. 2 Years Later, He's Returned to Rap and R&B
There comes a time in every man’s life where there’s a need for a change. It’s a special occurrence when the caesar transitions to a fade, the flannels and sherpa-lined trucker jackets give way to peacoats, silver chains, and Air Force 1s, and Chris Stapleton is replaced by Meek Mill, …
Read More »Watch DaBaby Perform 'Bop' With Dance Crew the Jabbawockeez on 'SNL'
Following the release of his sophomore album Kirk in September, DaBaby made his first-ever appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Accompanying host Jennifer Lopez as the show’s musical guest, the rapper performed two songs for the SNL audience in Studio 8H: “Bop” from Kirk and “Suge” from his debut …
Read More »Kanye West Sets Up Mysterious, Last-Minute Event in Detroit
Kanye West‘s latest album, Jesus Is King, has not arrived as planned. Despite a September 27th release date announced on social media, sources close to the situation confirmed that the rapper’s ninth solo album would not be released at midnight, as is typical for a major release. However, West will …
Read More »Watch Chance the Rapper Channel Motown With 'Eternal' on 'Ellen'
Chance the Rapper donned a tuxedo and channeled Motown choreography on Wednesday’s Ellen, performing his recent song “Eternal” with fellow Chicago-based rapper Smino. Flanked by a pair of backing vocalists, Chance alternated between singing and rapping as he clapped and shimmied on an elevated stage — offering the song a …
Read More »Performing With Missy Elliott, 17 Years Later
THE CALL Her text woke me up. “Not sure if any of these numbers work? It’s HiHat pls call me.” I haven’t finished reading the last word and my fingers have already forwarded a screenshot to alert my team. We rearrange Saturday’s travel to Washington D.C., postpone all meetings, and …
Read More »Lil Nas X Discusses Coming Out After Intense Line of Questioning From Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart is at the center of a controversy stemming from comments he made on the latest episode of HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted. During a conversation with Lil Nas X, marketing executive Paul Rivera asks Nas, “With all that early success you felt it was important to make an announcement.” …
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