Legendary R&B singer Monica does not have time for nonsense while performing.  In the middle of her set, she stopped to address the fight in the crowd. 

The “Everything To Me” singer is on her R&B experience tour, which had a stop in Washington, D.C.  Monica was confused about why the fight was going on because she was singing a love ballad at the time.

“Wait a minute!  I’m singing a love song.  I ain’t singing ‘Knuck If You Buck’ baby, calm that s*** down.  Somebody take her and get a drink on me!  Calm down.  They f****** you up, baby?  Me too, join the club.  Take it on out of here.”

– Monica

Security escorted both parties out of the concert, and Monica performed her hit “So Gone” to celebrate them leaving.  Video circulated on social media as many people took to the comments to share their opinion. 

The post [WATCH] Monica Stops Brawl At Her Tour Stop in D.C. appeared first on The Source.

In the much-talked-about new reality TV show ‘Queens of R&B’ Xscape singer Tamika Scott accuses her sister LaTocha and her husband / manager Rocky Bivens of stealing her royalty checks. The accusation has caused a whirlwind response of people pleading with Latocha to pay her sister what she owes her and fix their relationship.

In a recent interview Tamika reveals exactly how her sister and husband allegedly swindled her out of her money during a time she needed it most. The Xscape member also reveals how she found out.

Tamika says it began after Xscape singer Tiny’s mother, Diane Cottle, found out about a royalty distribution service for recording artists and signed Xscape up to receive checks.

After a particularly large check arrived Tiny’s mom called Tamika to congratulate her, but that was the first time Tamika had heard anything about it.

Tiny’s mother did some digging and found out Tamika’s address at the distribution center had been changed from her address in New York to her mother’s address in Atlanta, where LaTocha and Rocky were staying, and that the checks had been cashed through Rocky’s bank account with Tameka’s signature forged on the back of the checks.
Watch the video below.

The post [WATCH] Tamika Scott Explains How Her Brother-in-Law Allegedly Stole Her Royalties appeared first on The Source.

Rapsody is hip-hop royalty, and now she reveals exactly what fans can expect on her next album.

On Thursday, Feb. 2nd, in the thick of Grammys week in Los Angeles, Roc Nation held an exclusive listening experience for their newest signee, Reuben Vincent, who just released his debut album titled Love is War. And with Rapsody coaching him as his big sis and Young Guru guiding him as a producer, the result speaks for itself: a conceptual project that’s reminiscent of the Golden Era of Hip-Hop.

The evening consisted of an album playback, as all three broke down the meaning and composition behind each record. And while many topics were covered, one definitely stood out amidst the rest: relationships.

In fact, Rapsody actually revealed her next album will see her speaking on her own experiences with love.

While speaking on the track she’s featured on, “February 13th,” she states, “I’m pursuing my dreams: when you really locked in sometimes, you gotta make sacrifices. And one of the sacrifices that I made was relationships. I lived in the studio. I would not go out to no club, I never put myself in a position to really meet people. Then whatever whatever, I found myself in a relationship. I talk about this on my next album, so I’m not gonna go too deep in. [laughs]”

“This was partly my experience, a majority of it, sprinkled with a little bit of experiences of people around me,” she adds. “I always like to make music that people can relate to. My part in this is how are you showing the behind the scenes stuff? Every relationship that I have had, I always stood on: I don’t cheat, and I don’t lie. But this one time, I told this one little lie that changed the whole thing of somebody that I really was deeply in love with. And I had to sit with that.”

Anyone who’s a fan of Rapsody’s knows the cherished relationship she shares with Young Guru and 9th Wonder, all part of the Jamla record label (founded by 9th).

“Me and Guru would talk: you could be with somebody for 10 years, and you make one decision in 30 seconds that changes everything for the rest of your life,” Rapsody says. “And you have to live with that. You could be hopeful, but at the same time, you have to live with those decisions. That’s me taking a step back and looking at: you can say you sorry all you want to. You can blame this and that, but at the end of the day, you made the decision and you have to live with it.”

“That’s what that verse was,” she continues. “Even as a woman being in this business this long, you see it. I remember when I listened to “Zion” and how Lauryn talked about the idea of having a child, having to make that decision over a career and a child. Now we’re in a time, which is beautiful, where women and men are having children. Yeah I could do this and be a mother and be a father, and I’m proud of it. And I’m going to show my child too, right? 

That was one thing that I had to deal with, it’s so layered but that’s what it was. As far as me, it’s not about the bars, it’s about connecting with people and telling real stories. I’m not going to tell any more because my next album, I’ll tell more. Guru, I’m sure you have something you want to add.”

Rapsody then passes the microphone to Young Guru, who says “Rap has the ability to write my life.” Throughout their working relationship, it seems Rapsody’s lyrics have always somehow related to Guru’s own life experiences, in a way that allows the two beautiful sync on real, meaningful music with substance. In other words, pure Hip-Hop!

Young Guru also revealed “February 13th” was “one the best beats he’s ever produced.” It was also a therapeutic process to create, as he was also going through his own break-up.

The post Exclusive: Rapsody Says New Album Will Touch On A Past Relationship appeared first on The Source.

Guest Contributor: CHIKA

The time to vote for this year’s GRAMMY Award winners has arrived. Following nominations, the final round of voting is one of the most important periods of the year for Recording Academy voting members. Starting Dec. 14 until Jan. 4, as music’s only peer-voted honor, all voting members, including myself, look at this year’s GRAMMY nominees and decide who best represents our community and who defined our year in music. All this to say, we want to see our peers shine and experience that one-of-a-kind feeling of hearing their names called on the GRAMMY stage.  

I became a member of the Recording Academy in 2020 when I was 24 years old. I thought to myself, as someone who is notably chaotic, “Am I responsible enough to do this?” The age-old saying came to mind when becoming a voting member – with great power comes great responsibility. During the pandemic, I thought about how much I wanted to weigh in on the important things that were taking place in music. Becoming a member of the Recording Academy was a signifier that my voice is valued in those conversations. Especially as a young artist, becoming a member means my peers take me seriously as a music creator and care about what I have to say. My voice taken into account reassured me that I don’t just work for the industry, but my opinions are cared about. This industry can be cutthroat, so it’s an honor to be heard and to be able to actively support the music that means something to me. 

I’ve learned that anytime you’re given the opportunity to speak and have your opinions considered, use it. One of the biggest myths we’re taught is that our voice and vote don’t count. When too many people have that mindset, we get trapped by the bystander effect, where no one raises their voice because they think everyone else will do it. Then, we’re left feeling unrepresented and uncared for when we don’t see ourselves reflected in the outcomes. We were hand-selected to be members of the Recording Academy for a reason, and we need to use that privilege to establish our voices. 

Especially in rap – if we want our music to be represented, then we need to be active in the conversations that affect it. Whether it’s through participating in the GRAMMY Awards amendment process to help write proposals and ensure our music is accurately reflected in its categories or participating in the Academy’s Advocacy wing to help push legislation like the RAP Act to protect rap lyrics in court, the Academy has given us the microphone to use our voices. It’s vital for us to speak into it. 

If you’re part of the rap community and you’re not voting, you’re allowing your peers to be represented by people who may not fully understand the impact of the music we’re making. We all need to be involved in the process to ensure those who are the culture push the culture further.  As a past nominee, I can attest to how much it meant to have my music recognized and respected by my peers. Every vote has the potential to inspire future generations of creators.

As we vote in this last round to determine the winners for the 65th GRAMMY Awards, vote with integrity. Vote with passion. Vote by what has moved you and what you think is shifting our culture. Don’t be swayed by what you think is expected of you. Your voice is unique. Vote for the songs, albums and performances you think accurately document our genre and community. Vote for who you want to see holding that award high on the GRAMMY stage.

CHIKA is a rapper and GRAMMY Award nominee.

The post CHIKA Encourages Peers to ‘Get Out The Vote’ In Final Round of GRAMMY Award Voting appeared first on The Source.

Straight from the mouth of Mr. Tony Starks aka Ironman aka Ghostface Killah as he introduces his long awaited Killah Christmas website, which features exclusive Ghost music and merch that will only be available for a limited time. It’s drops today and is just in time for the holiday season!

Here’s a few words straight from the Wallabee Champ about Killah Christmas:

Yeah people the Time has Come and The 6 Joint Direct to Download Only Is Here !!!!
The Only place to Access these limited edition Items are Available only at  www.officialghostfacekillah.com
NO DIGITAL PLATFORMS NO STREAMING ……
There is Many Bundles and Swag to Choose from But Don’t sleep This is a Limited Run So It will Be Taken Down and Unavailable After Some Time .
6 Fresh joints Out The stash
Holiday Schemin Feat. Nizzle Man (Yapp City )
Figure it Out
CL30
Sweet Violence ( Bob James ) Feat. Raekwon the Chef
Murder Murder Mery X-Mas
The Clean Up Feat. Billy Ski-Mask & Reek Da Villian

Each Vinyl will come with 1 of 5 different 8X10 photos from the exclusive photo shoot for the album.
16X20 Signed Prints will also be available …… Go check it Out

Much Love and Respect
Mr. G.F.K
Ghostface Killah

The post TheSource.com EXCLUSIVE: Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah Presents ‘Killah Christmas’ appeared first on The Source.

Following the tragic death of Migos member Takeoff in Houston last night, many celebrities and notables took to social media to mourn the 28-year-old legend in the making. One particular artist whose tearful post was so moving, that he declared that he was completely done with the rap game.

Brooklyn rap star Desiigner took to IG to express his feelings about Takeoff’s untimely passing, which occurred on Halloween night in Houston at a bowling alley during a dice game gone wrong. While in tears, he said that he couldn’t call Quavo or Offset to talk about Takeoff’s murder because it was too emotional for him.

Desiigner was a close associate of the Migos camp and has collaborated with Quavo on several projects, including the GOOD Music compilation Champions and Rich the Kid’s “Going.”  

The post [WATCH] Desiigner Reacts To Takeoff’s Death, Says He’s Done With Rap appeared first on The Source.

Two months after the largest Mega Millions jackpot was won in Illinois, the victors have claimed their winnings. A whopping $1.34 billion will be split between two people who agreed to split the winnings if they won.

According to PEOPLE, the ticket was sold at a Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois, but the purchaser has yet come to claim their prize. Now, lottery officials are reminding buyers to recheck their tickets to make sure they aren’t missing out on a fortune.

“I’ve been working for the Illinois Lottery for over five years and this is by far the largest prize I’ve ever had to process. When we met with the winners’ lawyers there was a real buzz of excitement in the room,” said Illinois Lottery Claims Manager Luis Rodriguez to CNN.

He added, “It’s a surreal feeling giving away this amount of money and knowing what a huge impact this is going to make on the winners’ lives, and for others close to them as well.

The post $1.3 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot Finally Claimed in Illinois appeared first on The Source.

If you won over a billion dollars, how quickly would you take that lottery ticket in? Almost immediately, right? The winner of the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot from last month has yet to do so.

According to PEOPLE, the ticket was sold at a Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois, but the purchaser has yet come to claim their prize. Now, lottery officials are reminding buyers to recheck their tickets to make sure they aren’t missing out on a fortune.

“For a prize of this magnitude, it’s not unusual for the winner to take a while to claim,” Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays said. “I’m sure they’re going through a range of emotions.”

He added, “We will work closely with the winner to respect any wishes for privacy and support them in any way we can to provide a positive winning experience.”

The post $1.3 Billion Mega Millions Winner Has Yet to Claim Their Money appeared first on The Source.

Words by: Ebbony Pinillos

Sean “Diddy” Combs unveiled the latest CÎROC addition – Passion – which is described as a frequency, not a flavor. The company celebrated the release of the booze at Harlem Parish with Bryson Tiller, who is a brand partner, on Thursday (July 21). Tiller partnered with the Hip Hop mogul to bring the element of sound to life at the brand’s experiential platform, Château CÎROC. Regarding the expectations of the partnership, Tiller exclusively told The Source Magazine, “Fans can see a different side of me. Having a good time. I’ve never really done … too many partnerships anyway with alcohol liquor brands.”

He continued, “It’s always great to collaborate with Diddy, you know we just released our song “Gotta Move On”, so it was only right to keep the frequency of the Love Era going by helping to introduce Passion. I am having a good time tonight here at Harlem Parish experiencing Château CÎROC, with a deeper look into a sensorial experience that celebrates and empowers the passion that fuels us with fans and raising a glass of CIROC Simply Passion.”

Pen Griffey made his debut in 2015 with the critically-acclaimed album, TRAPSOUL. He was embraced early in his career by the likes of Timbaland and Drake, now he’s joining forces with Diddy for arguably one of the hottest records of 2022. The “Don’t” singer learned to “speak up” for himself while working with Diddy. One of Tiller’s biggest takeaways when working with the Bad Boy CEO: “If you don’t like something, say it. I like Diddy because he’s one of those people. He’ll tell you exactly how he feels. I’ve taken that and added it to my daily lifestyle and my career, whenever I’m making music with people.”

The bursting aroma of fresh-tasting pineapple, passion fruit, and citrus filled the venue as patrons submerged in different activations. Like, the Touch Experience by New York fashion designer, LaQuan Smith.Before joining the patrons, we spoke to Bryson Tiller about his recent collaborations, upcoming music, and his passions. Read the full interview below:

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

The new CIROC flavor is Passion and it makes me curious about what are some of your passions outside of family, music, and gaming?
I love water sports. I love jet skiing and being on the water, period. That’s my thing. Shout out to my daughter, Kelly, she’s two and a half years old. She loves water. She’s obsessed with water. I think she gets that from her dad and her mom.

“Need You Right Here” marks your second collaboration with Chris Brown – the first being “Keep You in Mind.” Which record did you have the most fun creating?
Well, I’m gonna have to say this is the first record that we did. “Keep You In Mind” is not even really supposed to be a song. It was more so supposed to be something that I gave to him and I didn’t know I was gonna be featured on it. Shout out to Chris Brown. I’ve been wanted to feature with him for a long, long time. And I got some ideas for him to get on my project as well.

You sound like you’re in a great creative space on Killer Instinct 2. On the “Second Call In” you said your “whole next album is just me singing.” What type of themes and guest features can your fans expect in your new era?
Man, you can expect the unexpected. I’m just trying new things. Definitely singing a lot more. As far as features? I’m not sure yet a hundred percent. I wanna find the right people, you know? Um, definitely my boy Jack, I would say him, of course.

It’s crazy to think that TRAPSOUL came out seven years ago and caused a major cultural shift in R&B. What is the biggest lesson you learned since your debut in 2015?
Biggest lesson? I’ve learned since my debut project is to not listen to a thing that anybody has to say about you. Sometimes when you’re doing something, right, there’ll be some people out there that really try their hardest to make you believe that you’re doing something wrong. It’s a weird thing, especially when you’re a people pleaser, you just want to make sure everybody’s happy. Like, ‘Oh, I’m doing something wrong. Okay, let me adjust. Let me change it.’ But no, do what makes you happy? Do what feels right to you. What feels true to you. You know?

When we interviewed you in 2015, you admitted that you never wanted to be in the spotlight. You wanted to walk in The-Dream’s footsteps and be more behind-the-scenes. Do you still feel that way?
Yeah, I do. I’m trying more and more every day to be open to the idea of being in the spotlight and being the quote unquote superstar. It takes a lot to get there. You know what I’m saying? And I don’t know. Sometimes I just look at myself in the mirror and I’m like ‘Bryson Tiller’ –.trying to convince myself – I be like ‘Bryson Tiller you are a superstar’ or ‘You will be a superstar,’ and every time I do it, it’s not convincing at all.

Does your youngest daughter know you’re a star?
She don’t know a thing.

I’m sure Harley is well aware.
Oh yeah. Harley, she’s well aware. She knows what’s going on.

What song do you have on repeat?
I got Steve Lacy on repeat. Shoutout to Steve Lacy. Amazing album. Keep going.

Who’s your pick for King of R&B?
My King of R&B will always be Chris Brown, for sure.

The post Bryson Tiller Talks Cîroc Partnership, New Music, and Reflects on His Growth Since ‘Trapsoul’ appeared first on The Source.

For those who want to see another installment of Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett, don’t fret, Bad Boys 4 is on the way. Sony Chairman Tom Rothman stated the film starring Will Smith, alongside Martin Lawrence, was never stalled following Smith’s Oscar slapped.

“That was innacurate… That movie’s been in development and still is,” Rothman said, according to Indie Wire. “There weren’t any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving.”

The third edition of the franchise, Bad Boys For Life, was released in 2022. A fourth edition was quickly greenlit following the film’s success. After the Oscars slap, it was believed the film was placed on hold with numerous other projects that included Smith.

Rothman added,  “That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don’t think it’s really my place to comment, except to say that I’ve known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person. That was an example of a very good person having a very bad moment, in front of the world. I believe his apology and regret is genuine, and I believe in forgiveness and redemption.”

In April, Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw reported Netflix is giving up on a sequel to Smith’s Sci-Fi action film Bright. The sequel’s cancellation is not associated with the slap of Chris Rock. Just last summer, a report cited the film was in the final stages of creating a script, bringing back Smith, Joel Edgerton, and director David Ayer. Netflix’s Fast and Loose film, which stars Smith, is now in slower development. Smith’s show with National Geographic is experiencing a delay; however, the show will continue.

The post Sony Chairman Says ‘Bad Boys 4’ Never Halted After Will Smith’s Oscar Incident, Film Still in Development appeared first on The Source.

Lil Kim paid tribute to the icon The Notorious B.I.B. in classic New York City form with a star-studded gala presented by Lexus and Pepsi. Last night, May 20th, 2022, the biggest names in hip hop gathered to commemorate Biggie’s 50th birthday. Biggie’s legacy was recognized with a star-studded black-tie gala and concert at Guastavino’s (409 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022), which featured performances of Biggie’s most iconic singles.

Lil’ Kim, Lil’ Cease, Junior M.A.F.I.A., CJ Wallace, T’yanna Wallace, Fat Joe, Havoc, Sway, Smif-N-Wessun, Tek and Steele, Prayah, Ceaser Emanuel of Black Ink Crew, and others gathered to honor the late rapper.

The event honored Biggie, who is widely regarded as the greatest rapper of all time, with performances of his most popular classics. Biggie’s impact to hip hop continues to inspire future generations. His illustrious career has left an indelible mark on mainstream culture. B.I.G. is still alive!

On Biggie Smalls and Lil’ Kim‘s official Instagram sites, as well as Lil Kim’s YouTube channel, fans can get a behind-the-scenes peek at the spectacular event. Culture Creative, a Black-owned Emmy Award-Winning firm, organized the event. Culture Creative’s mission is to link businesses with growing cultural marketing destinations through new and inventive forms of authentic storytelling.

Biggie’s and music industry giants “Don Pooh” Brooklyn Chophouse Times Square hosted the after-party. Around 230 AM, Lil’ Kim, Lil’ Cease, and Junior M.A.F.I.A. arrived, and Brooklyn Chop House fired up the kitchen to serve Lil’ Kim and her team!

You can see images from the event below.

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The post Lil Kim Teams with Pepsi and Lexus to Host the 2nd Annual ‘Biggie Dinner’ Gala Celebrating The Notorious B.I.G.’s 50th Birthday appeared first on The Source.

On Sunday, March 12, 2023, ABC will broadcast the 95th Annual Academy Awards, with Craig Erwich, President of Entertainment at ABC, promising that the show will be “even greater” than this year.

Speaking with Deadline, Erwich revealed that he is open to Chris Rock hosting for a third time, even after the controversial slap at this year’s ceremony.

“My assessment of the Oscars was that it was really a successful year for the show. Obviously there was a lot of controversy, which overshadowed a lot of the positive things about the show, but I was really happy with the program,” Erwich said. “Even before that very unfortunate moment, the show started off up year over year, and we came back in a big way.”

The telecast had 16.6 million viewers and performed positively across key demographics.

Erwich added, “It was the biggest bounce back of any award show this season. If you look at what they were trying to do, which is really bring entertainment back to the program, they had three amazing hosts, clips, and incredible musical performances, I thought it was a great way for the show to reclaim its place on the mantle. There’s always things to learn and we’ll endeavor to do even better next year.”

Would you be interested in seeing Chris Rock host next year’s ceremony?

The post Report: The Academy is Open to Chris Rock Hosting the 2023 Oscars appeared first on The Source.

Bobby Brown is pulling the curtain back on intimate details of his life. Sitting with PEOPLE before releasing his new A&E documentary, Biography: Bobby Brown, which releases on May 30, Brown dives deep into his background while opening up on his hidden trauma.

Brown revealed his mother was beaten and arrested by police in Boston after attempting to help neighbors. That temporarily placed Brown in social services.

“I was sent to a temporary custody by social services which was supposed to be a religious place but it wasn’t a very nice place to be for a child,” Brown said. “One of the priests tried to molest me. He tried to touch my private parts … At that time, I was a young boy. I didn’t know what sexual boundaries were. I just knew I didn’t like being touched. Some things are hard to forget.”

He added, “That really, really bothered me as a child, and as a grown adult. I think it was part of the reason I did things, other things, drugs, alcohol, why I abused myself.”

Brown stated he never wanted to reveal that fact about himself and dealt with its pain by hiding behind music and substances. To read more about this entire story and the documentary, visit PEOPLE.

The post Bobby Brown Says Being Molested by a Priest as a Child Leading To His Personal Abuse appeared first on The Source.

Olivia may be one of the “First Ladies of hip-hop,” but in the span of almost two decades, she’s proven to have one of the most diverse ranges of talent of females in the industry. This week, she debuted her new single, “No Permission,” off her upcoming album, Under Pressure. Olivia sat down with The Source to talk about her upcoming album, film projects, musical and fashion inspirations, and how she manages her mental health.

The Source: What can fans expect different on this album than past albums?

Olivia: They can expect something totally different because the first album that I did was on J Records- and that’s when I first came out, which was when I was like 21 years old. And then on G-Unit, we didn’t do an album. We just did a bunch of singles and features and everything.  They can clearly hear how much my sound has evolved.

I’m a big Brandy fan, so you get a lot of those tones and we have similar tones, but I always listened to her harmonies and stuff. One of my first favorite songs that I recorded,  she was actually in a session with me because she was married to Bert (Robert ‘Big Bert’ Smith) at the time. She walked in and I was stunned because again, I’m like 22 years old and I’m like, ‘oh my God, Brandy is actually in the session.’

She is really one of my inspirations as far as the R&B side, but everybody knows I love hip-hop, so that’s infused in it as well. I have a lot of different blends in there because I don’t like to stick to one genre, but the album totally follows. You can play every track back to back and you get the same vibe.

The Source: You worked with multiple producers on this album. What do you think each of them brought to the album, in addition to your talents?

Olivia: Well of course everybody brings something different, but I have a particular producer named HV, which stands for high volume. His tracks just catch you when you hear them, like the tracks alone, you can tell those are smashes. So you have to automatically write something that matches the smash that he did. I feel like his tracks make me write even better and I try to make sure that I get producers that can come with the same type of energy, the winning type of mentality in the tracks that I want.

The Source: For sure, setting the bar high. So are there any guest artists on your new album?

Olivia: I’m keeping it a secret. I don’t want it to get out yet until we’re ready for the album [release].

The Source: Ok, so your album is called Under Pressure and May is Mental Health Awareness month. How do you deal with pressure, anxiety, stress, all the things that we all go through?

Olivia: One main thing I try to do since I live in Florida now and we’re close to the beach, I try to take long walks. We go for walks at night too in whichever city or state we’re in. Stuff like that kind of calms you down or relaxes you. I love flowers and sometimes I’ll have flowers in the house. They always bring up your energy. Also, simple things, just like sitting by yourself and with everything off, no TV, no music, just try to relax. You know, it really is the simplest things. It sounds like it’s so hard, but the simple things is what will calm you down and bring down your anxiety.

The Source: Well, you already mentioned Brandy, but who are some other musical artists that have inspired you?

Olivia: Joe is also one of my top favorite male, R&B singers. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I first came out. Also, he was down with my production crew, so he used to teach me his runs and I used to watch him and play the guitar. He’s actually why I tried to start learning to play the guitar. That’s probably why I like Lenny Kravitz. Everybody who knows me knows that I’m a big Lenny fan. My genre is all over the place, but there’s always great music. That’s all that matters- as long as it’s a great artist and they make great music.

The Source: If you could collab with any artist (past present, dead, alive, doesn’t matter), who would it be?

Olivia: One would be obviously Lenny Kravitz and the other one would be Luther Vandross. Some of my fans know this story from when I was signed to J Records. Luther was basically my godfather. He took me on my very first shopping spree when I got signed, he would take me to lunch at the Ivy, like every two weeks. I remember going into the studio with him and he has this long trench coat on with one of those big sweaters. We’re in California and it’s like 80 degrees in the studio and his engineer is sweating and I’m like, “Uncle Lou, why is it so hot in here?” He says, “that’s how I keep my vocals so warm.” And then I started doing it too because I realized that it does open up your vocals so much more. Luther and I used to walk down the street and sing so amazing together and harmonies, and I always wanted to do a record with him if I could.

The Source: In addition to being a talented musical artist, as we all know, you’re also something kind of a fashionista. We’ve seen your Instagram, your nails, and you’ve been featured in several fashion magazines. Who are some of your fashion icons or where do you get your fashion inspiration from?

Olivia: That’s a tough one because I like a lot of different things. Sometimes I like to be a really girly girl and then other times I’m very tomboy. I like color, so if I go for the color types, it’ll probably be Missoni, but if I’m going for like the clean lines and for color, it could be Versace also.

I like simple, but still classic. It’s a plethora of things. It depends on the day or on how you feel like dressing.

In addition to her upcoming album, Olivia also stars in the movie “Better than My Last,” an action-suspense film directed by Shawn Baker that is expected to be released nationwide later this year.

“No Permission” is available on most streaming platforms. More information can be found here: https://unitedmasters.com/m/625daffb4269dc24e93a1165.

The post Source Exclusive: Olivia Talks New Single and Album, Music and Fashion Inspiration, and Mental Health appeared first on The Source.

Taylor Bennett knows the weight of 2020 just like you. Through the pandemic and the rest of society’s hurdles, he is remained focus on his personal growth both as a person and professionally.

Both of those efforts are displayed in his new song and video “Don’t Wait Up.” The 24-year-old showcases his evolution on the new single bridging the elements of a new experience along with the reality of anxiety that one may feel while encountering them.

The video for the new release pairs Bennett with directing duo LAMAR+NIK, creating a unique experience of producing a visual with all three of the creators being in different locations: Chicago, Seattle, and Oklahoma.

Along with the release, Taylor Bennet spoke with The Source about the creation of this single and video, challenges that occurred along the way, and more.

You can see the premiere of “Don’t Wait Up” below.

What sparked the idea for the content of the “Don’t Wait Up” single? 

Taylor Bennett: Music has a purpose to evoke emotion and also communication. In the year 2020, not just me, but a lot of people were going through a period of detachment. Within that, you can also find more strength in your independence and this song is really an example of that. The ideology of understanding that you don’t need someone else to make you better, that’s on you. You can’t rely on someone else to make you happy that’s also on you. 

The video is extremely creative, essentially being a arts and crafts product, how was your response to the idea from LAMAR+Nik?

We shot this video in July during the pandemic and had to find a creative way to make a video because of the directors being in Seattle and Oklahoma and restrictions on production at the time. It was an amazing opportunity for us to look at new ways to illustrate my vision of the song in ways that I don’t think are common or you see all the time.

Lamar+Nik went crazy and really took my ideas and mixed them with theirs to create a whole world that brought my hometown to life. You’re definitely going to be seeing a lot more of their work in the future.

How did you first get engaged with that duo and what let you know to trust them with directing? 

Those guys were actually recommended through my talent agent Riley Folsom, and when I saw their work I knew we had to do something with them.

This release comes behind “Be Yourself Pt. 2,” which hinges on the idea of being yourself. What has continuing to remain to yourself taught you along the way?

I think a lot of us are pushed from a very young age to be who everyone else wants us to be. Whether it’s our parents, our friends, or social media or media in general. What I’ve realized is that by being myself through my lifestyle, my art, my business, and family, that’s where happiness is. It’s a freeing experience to be truly yourself and not have to live within other people’s expectations. My hope is that by making this stand in some ways I’m supporting others who are trying to find their own voices and be themselves. 

This video was shot remotely, during quarantine, how complicated was that for you and just work, in general, has been during this year? 

It’s been difficult for us, as it has been for everyone else this year. But as we discussed earlier, it’s presented us with new challenges and opportunities to make something more creative which is what we did with this video.

I’m dealing with the challenges of 2020 just like everyone else. But at the beginning of the pandemic, I sat down with my family and discussed how we were going to take this thing seriously and find new ways to to make sure our business would continue to be successful but to also use this time to restructure and make our business more efficient and profitable. When we come out of this pandemic in 2021 or 2022 we’ll be sharper and stronger than ever.

These two releases would lead fans to believe that more is on the way, are there any details about future efforts that we can know?

We definitely have more songs and videos ready to go, right now we’re focusing on releasing them one by one. My brother and I have been having conversations about ways that we can collaborate on future projects, so we’ll see what comes from that. It’s a family business; the independent Bennett’s! 

Ending this year what are you excited about? 

Spending Christmas with my family.

The post Exclusive: Taylor Bennett Premieres “Don’t Wait Up” and Details Creating the Video appeared first on The Source.

Travis Scott tapped into hosting .WAV Radio show on Apple Music on Monday. While the ASTROWORLD superstar premiered some new tracks of his own, he dropped new music from some of Hip-Hop’s most coveted rappers as well. As you can expect, those premieres sent social media into a frenzy.

The Houston rapper hosted the .WAV Radio show with a close friend and frequent collaborator, Chase B. Travis premiered two new Big Sean tracks. The songs are entitled “Lithuania” and “Zen.” In addition, the Grammy-nominated rapper premiered a new collaboration with Young Thug, entitled “White Tee.” Chase B not only co-hosted the .WAV Radio episode, but premiered some new music of his own, including the Don Toliver-assisted “Cafeteria,” featuring Gunna. The two also announced their upcoming collaborative album, ESCAPISM. While fans got a chance to preview the vibe of the album, there was no announcement for a set date.

The Jackboys did not stop there. With Jack Harlow’s growing success, his newest remix of “What’s Poppin” features Justin Bieber. They premiered a new Swae Lee track entitled, “Scroote, a YBN Cordae track entitled “Parables,” and Nav’s “Pickney.”

Fans were able to retrieve the tracks and create audio uploads. Peep new Travis Scott & Chase B, Big Sean, Thugger, YBN Cordae, Swae Lee and Nav below.

The post Travis Scott & Chase B Premiere New Young Thug, Big Sean, Swae Lee & More On .WAV Radio appeared first on The Source.

DJ Khaled has continued to build the hype and momentum for his upcoming singles with Drake. The We The Best Boss was recently posted with a real life Owl in the studio as a teaser. On Sunday, he posted an animated video of an Owl flying with keys. Each video was in preparation for Monday’s big announcement. While many thought he was gearing up for one release, fans had no idea.

The Father of Asahd took to Twitter to announce two new singles featuring Drake. The OVO honcho recently stated that his upcoming album is 80% complete. 2 songs with DJ Khaled will certainly help to usher in a new Drake project. The dynamic duo have teamed up in the past for some of Khaled’s biggest hits, including “I’m On One,” “No New Friends,” “For Free,” and “To The Max.”

The post DJ Khaled & Drake To Drop 2 New Songs This Friday appeared first on The Source.

Amid the massive ongoing social justice movement, rap phenom DaBaby (South Coast Music Group/Interscope Records) has just released the Black Lives Matter Remix to his latest hit record, “ROCKSTAR” featuring Roddy Ricch. DaBaby opens the Seth In The Kitchen-produced track by recounting his own experiences. The timely remix features the Charlotte native’s undeniable flow with a hint of urgency as he announces that his community is “all fed up [and] coming back for everything.” The Grammy-nominated artist’s dedication extends beyond the recording studio as he hopes to utilize his platform and label, Billion Dollar Baby Ent., to help combat systemic racism.

The “ROCKSTAR” remix coincides with news that the original cut has now earned DaBaby his first #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song, which does not yet have an accompanying visual, also reached #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop, Hot Rap Songs and Streaming Songs charts. “ROCKSTAR” appears on DaBaby’s sophomore album Blame it on Baby, which saw record-breaking success following its April release. The album reached #1 on Billboard’s Top200 Albums, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. The 13-track project debuted on Spotify‘s US Top 50 and includes appearances by Quavo, Future, Roddy Ricch, Ashanti, Megan Thee Stallion, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. The album features production by DJ K.i.D, with additional production by Jetsonmade, London On Da Track, and more. To date, Blame it on Baby has exceeded 916M global streams. 

The post DaBaby Releases “Rockstar” (Black Lives Matter Remix) Feat. Roddy Rich appeared first on The Source.

Chris Brown is gifting fans with a collab mixtape for his birthday in less than 24 hours. Breezy and Young Thug first made the unanticipated announcement last week. It went from surprise to highly anticipated in a matter of seconds. Following successful years with their previous albums, (INDIGO and So Much Fun) and its hit single “No Guidance,” CB is showing that the music never stops.

Now the INDIGO crooner is ready to deliver another project to his fans. Chris Brown is no stranger to collaboration mixtapes. He has done a number of projects with Tyga including the Fan of A Fan: Album and was rumored to have an R&B tape with Cash Money singer, Jacquees. There is no telling the release, but it certainly sparked an interest. Tomorrow will be dedicated to Slime and B and a celebration of CB’s birthday.

Although Cinco De Mayo will not be conventional this year, celebrate it with new music from Chris Brown and Young Thug.

The post Chris Brown and Young Thug Drop ‘Slime & B’ Mixtape appeared first on The Source.

A Chris Brown and T-Pain collab is on its way sooner than you think.

Tallahassee Pain is back with another one. The multi-Grammy Award winning crooner is fresh off of his high entertaining Verzuz Battle with the King of Crunk, Lil Jon. The masses often forget how far T-Pain’s influence stretches as well as his laundry list hits of a catalog. During the battle, he played a plethora of Hot 100 bangers. They ranged from solo hits such as “I’m Sprung,” and “Buy U a Drank,” to classic collabs such as “Good Life” and “Kiss Kiss.”

The latter was a monster collab that scored Pain his second Hot 100 No. 1. Both occurred in the same year of 2007. Teddy Penderaz is getting ready for a potential new project. He recently teased multiple snippets and the cover art to his upcoming single, “Wake Up Dead.” Earlier today, T-Pain posted a piece of CB’s verse to the new track.

After massive consecutive albums releases with Heartbreak On a Full Moon (2017) and Indigo (2019), Breezy has given fans enough music to hold them off for quite some time. As you can see, the mass collection will not stop the R&B legend from dropping more music.

“Wake Up Dead” is slated to drop on Friday, April 24th.

The post T-Pain to Drop New Collaboration With Chris Brown This Friday appeared first on The Source.

Over the weekend, music lovers received new projects from DaBaby, Westside Gunn and more. DaBaby’s new release, Blame It On Baby comes less than a year after his sophomore release, Kirk. On the other hand, Westside Gunn’s, Pray For Paris is his third solo release.

The Griselda rapper took to Twitter to repost a photoshopped picture portraying his album’s quality to be better than DaBaby’s, Blame It On Baby.

Rap’s competitive nature still reigns amongst rappers. Pray For Paris revives the posse cuts missing from Hip-Hop. Of course, the album features his Gunn’s Griselda family, Conway and Benny The Butcher. In addition, Tyler the Creator, Joey Bada$$, Wale, Freddie Gibbs and more make appearances on the album as well. The album’s cover art and packaging was created by Virgil Abloh. The Off White head honcho played the entire album on Twitch prior to its release.

DaBaby album features an all-star cast including Megan Thee Stallion, Future, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Roddy Ricch, Ashanti and more. The album sparked a number of hilarious memes across social media. Black Twitter did not go easy on Rap’s 2019 rookie of the year. One fan even commented about people criticizing the Charlotte, NC rapper for having one flow.

Despite the ridicule of Blame on Baby’s quality, the album is projected to move over 150,000 units in its first week.

Both Westside Gunn and DaBaby represent different aspects of Hip-Hop, so who do you think had the better album?

The post Griselda’s Westside Gunn Implies Having a Better Album Than DaBaby appeared first on The Source.

Tom Brady wants more Drake music and Drake plans to adhere.

After four months into 2020, we are gearing up for Drake season. Similar to his unforgettable 2018, the 6ix God has kept us busy with a number of releases to start the year. After “Toosie Slide,” debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts, the follow-ups are going to be highly anticipated. The made for Quarantined Tik Tok track was simply a warm-up.

According to Tom Brady, he needs more than “Toosie Slide.” The masses concurs. The future Hall of Fame Quarterback took to Instagram to send Drizzy a message.

“Upon further review, might need to add a little more @champagnepapi.”

Drake took the time to reply to Brady by promising “more on the way,” and stamping the promise with “that’s a fact.”

The OVO Honcho certainly has the Midas touch when it comes to hits. He is the all-time leader in Billboard Hot 100 entries and will continue to stretch that number until further notice.

After previewing a number of tracks on OVO Marks’s Instagram Live earlier this month, new music is around the corner. Until then, we’ll continue to “Toosie Slide” our lives away.

The post Drake Responds to Tom Brady’s New Music Request appeared first on The Source.

Rap sensation DaBaby (South Coast Music Group/Interscope Records) is bracing to shake up the music world yet again with the release of his third album, Blame It On Baby.

With his captivating bass-filled voice and high charisma, the Charlotte rapper commands each of the 13-tracks; from the blazing opening song “Can’t Stop” to “NASTY” featuring Ashanti and Megan Thee Stallion. Also included on the album is DaBaby’s most recent single, “Find My Way.” The single was followed up by a suspenseful 10-minute Reel Goats-directed short film which has already received more than 11 million views on YouTube. Guest appearances include Quavo, Future, Roddy Ricch, Ashanti, Megan Thee Stallion, A Boogie wit da Hoodie and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

The post DaBaby Releases His New Album ‘Blame It On Baby’ appeared first on The Source.

Future and DJ Esco’s “56 Nights” was only the beginning of Future’s massive run of note-worthy projects in 2015. The Beast Mode follow-up was inspired by DJ Esco’s life-changing prison stint in Dubai. The struggle to get back to the states lasted 56 nights. Following his return, the two went on a historic run that included Beast Mode, DS2, What a Time To Be Alive, in addition to 56 Nights.

Now the mixtape is available on all streaming platforms. Despite Future’s mixtape-heavy discography, many of those projects are some of his best work and include huge singles. 56 Nights included the club banger, “March Madness,” and “Trap Ni**as,” although the latter isn’t included on the tape due to its inclusion on DS2.

With that being said, it is a good day to consume one of Future’s best projects during quarantine season.

The post Future & DJ Esco’s ’56 Nights’ Now Available on Streaming Platforms appeared first on The Source.

Last week the Big Boss of the South, Slim Thug took to Instagram to reveal that he tested positive for the Coronavirus. Slim’s story was alarming because he took every necessary precaution such as quarantining and staying home.  

“I stayed in my truck and wore mask and gloves,” the Houston rapper said. Slim also urged his followers to take the Coronavirus seriously and not leave the house adding that if anyone is experiencing symptoms to go and get “checked out.” Days later the Houston Hip Hop community was hit again when rapper Scarface announced he also tested positive for COVID-19.

We got the chance to speak with Slim Thug about the testing process, the importance of social distancing, and his latest album, Thug Life.

Earlier this week you shared that you tested positive for COVID-19, how are you feeling today?

Slim Thug: Today I feel normal. Today I feel like I’m over it. I don’t know how I’ll feel later but I haven’t felt bad since I’ve had it. What alarmed me from the beginning was I had a headache and a fever; I never have those symptoms. I sometimes have sinus infections, but I rarely have fevers or headaches, so I went to my doctor and got checked out. I feel like the bad part is over. I also had shortness of breath for a while but I’m breathing better today.

You shared a video of you at the doctor’s office, we saw you getting swabbed, but can you walk us through anything else the doctor may have done?

They just perform a normal procedure. They check your vitals and they ask you questions and check both nostrils. It wasn’t anything painful are too crazy.

They don’t have a vaccine right now, but they prescribe you any medicine?

When I got my headache over the weekend and my fever was slight, it wasn’t even over 100. So, when I got to the doctor’s office, I was already coming off of the symptoms, but they did prescribe me some hydroxychloroquine and a Z-Pak because that’s what people have been saying that is working for them.

I saw you taking a holistic approach by using orange peels and sea salt, how did that work out?

I had shortness of breath which caused the top of my throat to feel tight so when I used the orange peels and sea salt it opened my lungs. Inhaling the steam made me breathe deeper so it’s working.

I know someone who expressed that they are experiencing symptoms connected to the Coronavirus, but they are scared to get tested, what advice would you give someone in that position?

Ignoring problems won’t make them disappear, especially with your body. I’m a hypochondriac so for anything, I’m running to the doctor. The reason why I think like that is I always want to be ahead of the problem, I don’t want it to be like you waited too late now you have three days to live. Whenever there is an issue, I want to figure out what it is and how to get to the bottom of it. I think the smart thing to do with your body and health is to go and get it checked out if you are feeling sick.

They are strictly enforcing social distancing, but we still see people going out. One thing I find funny about your Instagram account is how you urge people to use their common sense

That’s what I realize. I did a study on people and I realized common sense isn’t common. I don’t care what year this is. A lot of people making up a dumb reason to not believe the coronavirus is real. This isn’t a game. This is real life. If you can’t take that seriously then it just shows the type of mind frame you have, and you can’t take anything seriously.

You shared a video of Willie D speaking with Scarface about his experience with the Coronavirus and captioned it “Yall still think its fake?” How do you respond to people who believe that the coronavirus is fake and that celebrities are being paid to say they tested positive?

Scarface had it worse than me. When I talked to him the other day, he didn’t sound good. You could hear it in his cough. Mine wasn’t that bad, you can look at Scarface and tell he is still getting over it. It’s real. We are probably two of the most real rappers in the game, we are not with the clout. It’s just shocking that people think that I would even play like that. Why would I want to say that I have a virus? It doesn’t make sense. The coronavirus is affecting everything. At the end of the day, I’m not playing any games. I would never play like that or fake it.

You mentioned the coronavirus is affecting everything, We are seeing job loss and businesses shutting down which means people are losing their insurance but now they are offering free testing do you think this will be beneficial?

I think there are going to be a lot of who will go get tested, but I think the numbers will be crazy. Everybody thinks they don’t have it. Me for example, I didn’t have any real symptoms so you can have it and not have any symptoms. Hopefully, with all of the tests being taken they can find out how many people have, and we can get to the bottom of this. We have already passed up China and the other countries with the most cases and they are nowhere near done. People are saying that celebrities are getting paid to say they have it, but they are the only ones who took a test. If you are in the NBA, you have a personal doctor. I also have a personal doctor.

We also need to lockdown. If everybody locked down for two weeks and let it pass, then we can move on. With this lockdown, it will be slowed down tremulously but we still have people not listening so that could extend our period longer because people are not complying. 

You dropped Thug Life this past week, furthermore, we have been seeing the different artist and DJ’s host Instagram live concerts, how do you feel about using music as therapy during this time?

Music is therapy, that’s why I wanted to put this project out. If it was more casual rap, then I would have pushed it back. The music matches the time right now. I did some serious work, grown man work. This was a personal album for me, and I just wanted to put out music that will encourage people and be therapy for people. I think this is one of those projects. I’m very proud of it. We are receiving great feedback so I’m very happy.

Do you have any words last words for the people we are not going to practice social distancing and for the people who are overly buying products at the grocery store?

Yes! You don’t have to do all of that, the stores are open, so you don’t have to do all of that extra stocking up. I know people are paranoid thinking the stores will close so that isn’t necessary. What is necessary is making sure you keep your social distance, don’t get anyone sick and you don’t get sick. That’s what we need to focus on, if we can do that for the next two weeks then America will be great. A younger person may fight it off but an elder can’t so practice social distancing.

The post Exclusive: Slim Thug Shares Update on His Condition After Contracting COVID-19 appeared first on The Source.

Lil Yachty goes full talk show host.

This comes as an unexpected surprise. Earlier on Monday, Lil Boat took to his Instagram to announce his latest single, “Oprah’s Bank Account.”

Yachty’s newest single not only featured two Hip-Hop heavy hitters in Drake and DaBaby, but a hilarious video to go along with it. In the Director X directed music video, Lil Yachty takes the role of Boprah and imitates the incomparable Oprah Winfrey. As Boprah, Lil Boat interviews both Drake and Da Baby. Although Drizzy and Baby play themselves, their acting abilities are on full display. As we know, the 4-time Grammy award-winning rapper is no stranger to the big screen.

Drake speaks on reaching his inner LSC (you’ll find out what that means), mumble rap and TikTok, while Da Baby speaks on his catchy ad-libs and criticism from people who says his songs lack diversity in sound.

“Oprah’s Bank Account” is the first collaboration between Drake and Da Baby. Yachty deserves applause for facilitating the feature. With this early of a link-up, fans hope this is a foreshadow for more 6 God and Da Baby songs in the future.

Check out the MUST WATCH video for “Oprah’s Bank Account” below.

The post Lil Yachty Channels Oprah in New Drake & Da Baby Collab appeared first on The Source.

The Migos are back!  

The rap trio just dropped their new song and video for “Give No Fxk” feat. Young Thug & Travis Scott, on Quality Control Music / Motown / Capitol Records.  The masses in Times Square, NY were able to watch the video as it premiered on the Viacom Billboard near 42nd Street today.  

This marks Migos’ first new single since Quality Control: Control The Streets Volume 2. Making a cameo in the “Give No Fxk” video is Quavo’s girlfriend, Saweetie, and the Can-Am Ryker, the three-wheel vehicle that the group brought into the mainstream in 2019.

Check out the video here:

The post The Migos Drop Long-Awaited, New Single and Video appeared first on The Source.

Just days after becoming one of the Hip-Hop icons to cross the half-century mark, Raekwon drops The Appetition, a new EP that he created in partnership with Red Bull Songs. The effort is the first release from the legendary emcee since 2017. A concise and potent three-track effort, Raekwon partnered with the rising talent to create the effort in a short amount of time.

In reflection on the project, Raekwon details to The Source what drives him to still create quality efforts after being in the game for decades, what drew him to Red Bull and future plans.

You can also check out the full behind-the-scenes documentary of the EP’s creation and the full project below.

You are entering your fourth decade of contributing to Hip-Hop. What does it mean for you to have this type of longevity?
Raekwon: It’s a blessing. You know, it’s like some of my heroes in the game, they don’t even got maybe eight to 10 albums under their belt, you know, so we were able to be blessed and learn from them, not taking anything away from their timeframe, but they inspired us so much with just what they did. They just put something in us. And we was always good students of listening to hip-hop and studying lyrics and knowing what it takes to be a superstar and not just a rapper. So, you know, it’s a learning experience, man. But for me also as a blessing just to be able to be accepted as a great artist. So it took a lot of homework and a lot of passion.

Many artists have studios they prefer, what was it like working at the Red Bull Music Studios?
It was amazing man. Just to come up in this Academy over here with these young artists and young producers was dope. They looked at me like the teacher, but they was the teacher for me at the time because I’m always into checking out what’s going on and actually giving the opportunity to impress me, so it was dope. It was like watching your young generation come up and say, I could drive you. Just give me the opportunity. I always been about that because I’ve been the artists in the street before I got on that wish that somebody would just stop and pay attention to what I could bring to the table. I think that’s what really got me to want to be involved with the whole red bull machine when it came to doing this project is that I look at these young kids and I want to give them the opportunity.

You also had assistance from K-So Jaynes and P. Wright, and producers Lord Quest and Twhy Xclusive, from the Red Bull team. What learning curve did you have blending with new creators with yourself?
I didn’t hold back on what I felt I wanted. I told them, listen, if you make the cut, you make the cut. If you don’t, then you gotta go back home and you know, get the Wheaties again and eat another bowl or two and come back to the table. It was big for them and they didn’t want to drop the ball. They, they had a lot to say. They had a lot to prove.

Once you all got on the same page, was there a specific sound that you were aiming for?
It was just more just going in and not really knowing what to expect until I actually hear it. You always want to give yourself an opportunity to be inspired. And that’s what I did. I wanted to see what they had in they stash box that really could fit where I’m at today. It’s just all about teamwork, you know, teamwork makes the dream work. So that’s what we did.

How do you source subject matter for your raps today?
For me, it’s just all about keeping the passion. You gotta stay passionate when you love music. You always want to be inspired by others and give inspiration too. So I think I’m just pretty much basic when it comes to that. Even though it’s 25 years later and still going, you know, I still feel like it’s my first year and I got a lot to prove. You still want people to feel like, damn, he’s still got it. He got it. So, that’s important to me is just to make sure that I don’t lose a beat when it comes to that.

Looking into the future do you see this as your only project for the year or will you have some more?
The different endeavors that I’m involved with, you know, far as from Licataa wine that is out that’s doing excellent. I’m working on The Purple Files documentary, which is the whole nostalgic rode about The Purple Tape album itself. You know, so be on the lookout for that, for that documentary. I got a store in Toronto, a flagship store called The Purple Factory and you know, we got more music on deck.

This is just a piece. It’s like, it’s like when you go to a restaurant and they say, yo, this is the starter, this is a piece of appetizer or whatever. So Red Bull came and I said I want you guys to be a part of the starters, the appetizer of what we do.

The post Exclusive: Raekwon Talks Creating ‘The Appetition’ EP at Red Bull Music Studios appeared first on The Source.

Redman aka Funk Doc is kicking the New Year off with a new video, “Slap Da Shit Oucha,” the second track from his EP, 3 Joints.

The video centers around Redman going around slapping people who are asking him for things like money to have their rent paid, wear his jewelry, and drive his car.

“Slap Da Shit Oucha” is aggressively humorous in its own right, with other artists such as Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda noting its comical hook. The song is accompanied by “Its a Banguh” and “Zugga.”

“Slap Da Shit Oucha” marks Redman’sreturn to the director’s chair alongside producer Andrew Listermann with Riveting Entertainment.

Fans have taken to social media to share their support and to share how they can definitely relate to the video.

One person, in particular, a long-time friend of Redman, Eminem, shared in a tweet that he thought the video was “fu*kin incredible and hilarious.”

The post Redman is Back in the Director’s Chair for “Slap Da Sh*t Oucha” Video appeared first on The Source.

On this day one year ago, the world celebrated the life of the great Roy Hargrove, at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

As part of the musical celebration that lasted through the next morning, Renee Neufville premiered “Something To Believe (For Roy),” a stunning ballad she and Justin Robinson composed that morning as their tribute to Roy. To commemorate the premiere, we’re sharing with you the single – released today on WJ3 Records and available on iTunes and more.

Please enjoy this short clip from the video for the single as we continue to celebrate what Renee sings is “the magic of Roy’s legacy.”

Roy Hargrove was cut short tragically in 2018 from a cardiac arrest after being admitted to the hospital for a kidney-related illness. At the young age of 49, this Gen X trumpeter was considered one of the brightest legacy carriers of Jazz music. He combined bebop with Hip-Hop and R&B music to create not only a bridge between music genres but for generations.

He worked with D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Common and alas songstress Renee Neufville, whose love for her friend endures even years later.

The post Renee Neufville Drops Visual for Heartfelt Tribute to Jazz and Hip-Hop Icon, Roy Hargrove appeared first on The Source.

As we all know, 50 Cent doesn’t stop until he gets what he wants.

The feud between Hip Hop mogul 50 Cent and singer Tierra Mari is ongoing, with Fif now asking a judge to get the songstress to comply with the court order. Mari owes the “Problem Child” $34K for the revenge porn lawsuit she filed against the rapper and lost, according to the court.

According to court docs filed by 50’s lawyers, “To date, Mari has failed to pay a single dime to Jackson in satisfaction of the Judgment despite earning over $100,000 this past year. Her previous claims under oath that she is “broke” no longer ring true, and it is more clear than ever that she has no intention of paying her debts.”

The Power star also requested that a judge sanction Teairra Mari for another $5,295.50 and make her turn over her bank statements.

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Reginald Noble aka Redman is arguably one of the coldest emcees of all time. From albums such as  Whut? Thee Album and Muddy Waters Redman has definitely proven himself as a force to be reckoned with in the rap game. Showcasing not only the ability to rap but to also produce and write music. Redman rose to fame while signed to Def Jam. It was during a challenging time for the record label that Redman and label mate Method Man joined forces. Since then Redman has prospered into an independent artist and is continuing to create bangers. The Source recently got a chance to talk to Redman about his latest single and visual “Black Man In America” which he directed, his friendship with Nipsey Hussle, Black men and therapy, and more.

The Source: I want to begin with The New Jersey performance at the MTV Awards, what was it like having that major hip-hop moment on a platform that is geared toward pop culture?

Redman: It was a great thing to happen to in the city I grew up and do a lot of non-profit work in. It was just a privilege to have the MTV VMA’s in our city. I am apart of a non-profit group with my boy DoItAllDupre from Lords Of The Underground called 211 Media and ever since we were kids, we have always talked about doing big things for our city through giving back. For the VMA’s to be in Newark, and for them to allow us to shut it down at the end of the show was remarkable. I say remarkable because MTV took a chance, bottom line. Brick City built New Jersey. It has its rough edges like any other city but we are on the come up. When you think about the VMA’s and that type platform, even being in Newark, New Jersey, you would ask why? Why isn’t it in New York or Cali? So for them to take a chance and allow us to blow it down and kill it at the end was great. I’ve been in the game since 92 and I’ve watched all of the VMA’s and this was one of their most exciting shows. The vibe was good. There were a lot of fans in the audience and not bougie people coming out to look good and show off their outfits. So not just the show itself but the energy in the air was great. I thank MTV still to this day for allowing that to happen because our city needed that. We needed to bring more awareness to our city as well as show other companies and platforms not be scared to take a chance because Newark New Jersey is on the rise.

Now let’s talk about “Black Man In America,” the song and visual were both very powerful. The video was centered around different scenarios that Black men deal with on a daily basis, such as police chases. How did you come up with that concept? Was it art-imitating life?

“Black Man In America” was produced by Rick Rock, he is a legend. We’ve worked on a lot of records in the early 2000s. When I make songs, I make sure they are timeless. For example, I have songs that have been sitting for over 15 years that could come out today and still slam. “Black Man In America was created three or four years ago. I want to be behind the camera. I want to write scripts and direct. I’m just getting my feet wet. So when it came to the visual and the content of the song, it was me giving my perspective. Everyone knows what Red and Method Man talk about. We rarely get political with subjects. We help people by talking to them directly. We have never been this political on a record like how I am on Black Man In America. However, as I get older, I’m realizing that I have a responsibility as an artist to tap into some of the unjust that is going on today. I feel as though this record and visual were my responsibility. Honestly, I didn’t know that it would get this much attention. When I shot and directed the video I said to myself, this is dope, I did a great job. It was like wow, I made a cinematic video. These are ideas that I have been sitting on and wanting to get out there and it happened. I never thought that when it hit social media I would get this type of feedback. I’m getting calls from everywhere about this record. Even Eminem hit me up and said, “the sh!t is banging. Even the vocals sound like the new you but the old you as well.” I didn’t know that it would have this much impact; I’m not even going to lie.

Black men deal with a lot of stress every day. I know it can take a toll on one’s mental health. What are your thoughts about Black men and therapy?

It is a lot to deal with. It’s not just for thugs, hustlers, and gamblers; it’s for standard Black men too. By standard I mean regular solid black men who are working jobs to provide for their families and doing right by people, they still go through it. Even for myself, as a star, as an asset in my community, as a public figure. I still go through situations. We all go through situations as black men, no matter what level you are. It is really scary. I know if I go through certain adversities as an artist and I have a little money, I can only imagine what the average Black man that is just trying to make it is going through. People may think Black men go through this because they do this, no! It’s not that. Most of the time you can be doing the right thing. It’s just because of the temperature out here, racism. The temperature out here with social media and all of the looks it’s giving black men, it’s very serious. I’m not political; I’m just here to let you know what I see from my perspective. It is a lot of stress for Black men to go through these things. If you are feeling depressed, you should call a hotline or talk to someone. You should get together with your friends and talk about it. Sometimes I talk to my friends about certain stuff and it is alleviating to talk to others. No matter if it’s a friend or someone who can give you professional help. This life can cause depression and stress. For Black men or anyone who is Black and you have kids, your kids will grow up knowing the intensity between Black people and the police.

You have four sons and one daughter so at what age were your kids when you gave them “the talk” about being pulled over by the cops?

You know what’s crazy? I never really had to tell them. They feed off of my energy. I never sat them down and told them police were bad. I never sat my kids down and told them don’t trust the police or when you see police do this. I let them know now because one of my sons is 16 about to turn 17 so he will be driving soon. It’s embedded in our kids from our actions and from what they see. I would say it’s a pro and a con because they automatically know. A conversation wasn’t needed because they felt it. I’ve been telling my kids since they were five years old, if you are driving down the highway and you see a state trooper pull a car over, someone got pulled over. But, if you see two or three state troopers behind one car, someone is going to jail.

In one of the lines in “Black Man In America,” you say, “I’m a black man who made it in America.” My question is what does winning in America as a Black man look like to you?

My perspective on Black men making it in America isn’t measured by wealth or material things because I feel like that is outward which is heavily influenced by social media. When I say I made it as a Black man in America, I’m saying I made it to my age healthy. I haven’t been shot. I haven’t had to go to the parole board. Yes, I have been locked up when I was younger for a gun charge and robbery and other dumb stuff but that is when I was young. I’ve made it to my age without snitching. I made it to my age without doing any prison time. I made it to my age and I took care of my kids and they are healthy. I’ve always made it by helping my community and the youth. That’s how I made it. I also have awareness about myself, my people, my family and where I come from. I’m very woke and fully aware of what’s going on. That’s what I mean when I say I’ve made it.

You were friends with Nipsey Hussle,  what was one of the biggest lessons you learned from him?

First,  his work ethic. I’m a workaholic. I own my studio. I engineer myself, I do everything myself as the label would do. When I’m in the studio I like to be around people who work as hard or harder than me. That is one of the qualities I appreciated in Nipsey. His work ethic was impeccable. He would like having songs done maybe a year before they dropped. His videos would be done months before they dropped just so he could have them in the can. One lesson I learned from him was that you cannot save everyone. My mother would tell me, you want more for people then they want for themselves. At the end of the day, everyone doesn’t want the same energy as you and you have to watch that. Nipsey put a battery in my back on watching my surroundings. Sometimes we can put all of our eggs in one basket about one person. We all want to give back to our community, which I appreciate Nipsey for doing but sometimes it can bite you in the butt. So I would say the biggest lesson Nipsey taught me was to stay aware. Have a keen eye on your surrounding and your circle.

What is the deal with you and social media? You are never on there. Are you busy working on a new album?

Before April I was on social media. I took a social media cleanse in April after my birthday. I was going through a lot of family issues. Things were weighing down on me. It got to a point where I couldn’t even open my eyes without the crust sticking down and me getting on my phone to see what’s happening on social media. I wouldn’t even use the bathroom without my phone. That became a problem for me with my mental thinking. I thought that I always had to have my phone. I had to wake up to social media to see if I was on point or to see how many likes I got. So, the day after my birthday I immediately got off of social media. I deleted my Instagram app so I wouldn’t sneak on it. I just got back on social media last week, just to promote my new record.

Are you going to stay on social media?

I’m going to gradually come back to social media. I’m just on it to promote the song. I could not just let this song not be promoted. A lot of people welcomed me back but I’m taking it slow. I’m going to use my social media to promote business, promote my art, and I will go about it differently than I have before. I’m going to have fun with it but I’m not going to let social media be my life. A good friend of mine, Chanel West Coast hit me. I told her I took a social media break she said something to the effect of “I don’t know if I could go without social media. I don’t want anyone to forget me. When she said that, I thought to myself, maybe this is the exact reason you should get off of social media. People should not want to remember you because you are on social media.     They should want to remember you for who you are. Your art. What you gave to the game. A lot of people are caught up mentally about needing social media. People should use social media for business and not make it become their life.

Whut?Thee Album turns 27 years old on September 22,  do you remember the mindset you had while recording the album?

When I was recording Wutt? Thee Album I was free. I didn’t have any girlfriends. I didn’t have anything weighing me down. I was just all about the music. I had just moved in with Erick Sermon before the album because I didn’t have anywhere to go or live. Erick took me in and I lived with him for three years. Within those three years, I created Whut? Thee Album and Dare Iz A Darkside. When you are young and free, and you love to do something, you don’t care about the money. You just care about that inside feeling you get when you wake up and do what you love. You can bring anything to existence. I was going through a chapter in my life where I had to make things happen. EPMD was busy at the time. Erick Sermon was busy at the time so the majority of the time he wasn’t able to be in the studio to coach me as a new artist. I was thrown in the lion’s den and I had to learn. There were plenty of times I had studio sessions and he wasn’t there but I didn’t cancel the sessions. If I did, I wouldn’t be here today. I stayed in the studio. I didn’t know what I was doing but I learned. I did not stop until I learned how to make music myself. Whut? Thee Album wasn’t just a great album for me as a new artist; it was also a great learning process. I got the beats from E and I put the whole album together. Even the skits. Everything from top to bottom, I put that album together myself. E produced the songs. I wrote and produced one of the songs. Not only is rapping and producing the beats one of the most important parts of putting the album together, but you also have to mix and master it. The other important part of putting an album together is sequencing.

What are your favorite songs on the album?

My favorite songs from the album are “Tonight’s Da Night,” “Time 4 Sum Aksion,” “I’m a Bad,” “Watch Your Nuggets” with Erick Sermon, So Ruff. I had a lot of songs I loved on that album.

What is the biggest difference between Redman then and Redman now?

Redman then, hmm, there is a pro and a con to it. The con to Redman then is back then I manifested more because I didn’t have kids. I didn’t have a girlfriend or love problems. I didn’t have money problems either because I didn’t care about money. I was still in the streets hustling. Not to say I don’t have confidence now because I do but I had more confidence bringing things to my existence back then. I manifested more. I knew everything that would happen if I executed my plans a certain way, things would happen the way I envisioned them. Anything that I wanted then, I pictured it and it happened. Now, my manifestation isn’t as strong as back then. As I said, I have kids now. I have bills to pay and college funds to start. That can kind of damper the way you think about manifestation. The pro is that I am more business savvy. I have opened more doors than just music. I’ve learned how to work more instruments and programs. Anything dealing with music I’ve learned 100% more. I’m more equipped now then I was when I was younger. I’m also more aware of the studio and what I should do while I’m in there.

The post Exclusive: Redman Talks ‘Black Man In America,’ Nipsey Hussle, Black Men and Therapy and More appeared first on The Source.

Wu-Tang: An American Saga has captured the attention of Hip-Hop heads with the weekly drops of the series.

The show stars Ashton Sanders, Shameik Moore, Dave East, Joey Badass, Erika Alexander and more while telling the story of 1990s New York City during the crack epidemic and how the group formed behind the guidance of Bobby Diggs aka The RZA and formulated the sound of East Coast Hip-Hop.

Throughout the series, you will hear the music that is iconic in Hip-Hop and made Wu-Tang one of the most important units in the history of the culture. The inclusion of the music in the show is aided by the hands of the show’s Executive Producer, RZA, himself.

“Wu-Tang captured the energy of youth, when people hear it they discover that, they feel that,” RZA said.

“RZA’s hands are very much in the music, to have his presence and trust in the show was pretty much everything,” said Stephanie Diaz-Matos, Music Supervisor.

RZA also spent time with Sanders who portrays him in the series to show him how to use an SP 1200 and more.

You can learn about the details to create the score for the show below. Be sure to watch Wu-Tang: An America Saga every Wednesday on Hulu.

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LOWFi The Movement has been described as raw, authentic and wise beyond their years. Just 20, 18 and 17 years old, Hayelo, Jayy Grams and Von Wilda have a style reminiscent of the 90’s: No autotune or heavy samples, straight bars.

Their debut project, The Allegory, signals the trio’s first full collaborative work.

This ambitious work is a conceptual project based off of Plato’s classic work “Allegory of the Cave.” Interwoven within each track, is an aim that both raises societal questions and answers them through thoughtful lyricism and a fresh, youthful energy. To coincide with the release of their debut project, the trio is also sharing a new visual for their previously-released single “LOWFi Anthem.” The mind-bending visual, directed by Kill, sees the trio attempting to break out of a world run by a brainwashing handicap.

Peep the video for the “LOWFi Anthem” below and let us know what you think by tweeting us @thesource.

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Atlanta’s superstar Quavo today releases his incredibly-anticipated debut solo album Quavo Huncho via Quality Control Music / Motown Records / Capitol.

This marks the Grammy-nominated rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, video director, fashion icon and one-third of the hardest working trio in music, Migos, debut solo album.

The 19-track album features 21 Savage, Cardi B, Drake, Kid Cudi, Lil Baby, Madonna, Normani & DaVido, Offset, Saweetie, Takeoff, Travis Scott and Migos’ members Offset and Takeoff. Full track listing below.

QUAVO HUNCHO FULL TRACK LISTING
BIGGEST ALLEY OOP
PASS OUT feat. 21 Savage
HUNCHO DREAMS
FLIP THE SWITCH feat. Drake
GIVE IT TO EM feat. Saweetie
SHINE
WORKIN ME
HOW BOUT THAT?
CHAMPAGNE ROSÉ feat. Madonna & Cardi B
KEEP THAT SHIT feat. Takeoff
FUCK 12 feat. Offset
LOSE IT feat. Lil Baby
RERUN feat. Travis Scott
GO ALL THE WAY
LAMB TALK
BIG BRO
SWING feat. Normani & DaVido
BUBBLE GUM
LOST feat. Kid Cudi

Also, for the next 24 hours only, stream Quavo’s “HUNCHO REALITY” album release experience event that went down in LA last night via the WAV app. Download it now if you don’t have it already by clicking here.

The post [LISTEN] Quavo Releases His Debut Solo Album ‘Quavo Huncho’ appeared first on The Source.

2018 has been a pretty rough one for ATL rap mainstay Young Thug.

After being arrested two weeks ago on five felony drug charges and a felony gun charge in August on his way to his release party for his recent compilation project Slime Language, Young Thug has some serious music to face in the eyes of the law.

In the meantime, the full length album, ended up being just a six-song EP and just went live last night as of midnight.

The post Young Thug Drops His 6-Track ‘On The Rvn’ EP Featuring Jaden Smith And Elton John appeared first on The Source.

There’s no slowing down for legendary R&B artist, Bobby Brown as BET’s highly-anticipated mini-series, The Bobby Brown Story, grossed 6.6 million viewers and trended on social media when it premiered this week. Just as the final half of his television biopic comes to a close, the GRAMMY winning singer is back with a new track; one which should excite new and old fans alike. “Like Bobby” is now available at all digital retailers and you can listen to the song HERE.

Produced by Grammy winning producers, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and Teddy Riley, “Like Bobby” manages to savor the singer’s signature sound while flavoring it with the vibe of today’s hip-hop and R&B. As he confidently shrugs off naysayers, Bobby reminds everyone of the raspy vocals and fiery personality that catapulted him to superstar status in the first place.

Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Bobby Brown first rose to fame as a member of the ever-popular, New Edition. Following his time with the group, he successfully launched a solo career churning out five multi-platinum studio albums over the span of 20 years. Through his music, as well as his personal life, he has remained an icon, continuing to perform live to this day. Bobby is currently on the RBRM Tour with former bandmates Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell and Michael Bivins, which is slated to run through mid-November.

The post R&B Icon Bobby Brown Releases New Single ‘Like Bobby’ appeared first on The Source.

When DJ Ron G hopped on the set, no one was doing what he was doing. A true legend, his contribution to even the way that we consume music is monumental. Think this is hyperbole? Who do you think introduced the unique deejaying tool of “blending” to the world way back in 1991? He did. “Blending” was when one would combined smoothed out R&B vocals to the street savvy Hip-Hop tracks popping in the clubs or on your personal boombox. His mastering of this skill gave way to mixtapes that continue to provide the soundtrack to Hip-Hop & Soul music lovers everywhere.

His new mixtape, Live It, dropped this week and the streets are all the way bubbling about his line-up.

1. Nicki Minaj feat. Eminem & Labrinth
2. Drake
3. Redman
4. Lou Armstrong
5. Lox
6. NORE feat. Wyclef & Jadakiss
7. Fred The Godson feat. Rick Ross & Sincere
8. King Combs feat. Chris Brown
9. Young Trev
10. Jacquees feat. Chris Brown
11. Dooley KP
12. Ella Mai
13. Illtown Sluggaz feat. Leah Janae
14. DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Chance & Quavo
15. Fat Joe & Dre feat. Chris Brown
16. 50 Cent, Don Q feat. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Murda Beatz
17. 2 Chainz feat. Drake & Quavo
18. Future
19. Catalyst B
20. Lil Pump
21. Boirazzta Primo
22. Young Thug
23. Rich The Kid feat. Gucci Mane, YG & 2 Chainz
24. Fabpz The Freelancer
25. Lil Wayne
26. Gucci Mane feat. Lil Pump
27. Iggy Azalea feat. Tyga
28. Tory Lanez feat. Moneybagg Yo
29. Mobb Deep feat. Melissa J
30. Ghostface Killah feat. Snoop Dogg &  E40
31. Travis Scott feat. Drake
32. Quavo

Available Here!

Tune into our exclusive, “Up At The Source” w/ Ron G.

The post Mixtape King DJ Ron G Drops Fire Project Feat. Nicki, Khaled, Migos and More appeared first on The Source.

Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, producer, director and HUNCHO of Migos, Quavo, has just released three new songs “Bubble Gum”, “Lamb Talk”, and “Workin Me” via Quality Control Music / Capitol Records / Motown. The tracks aptly arrive on the first day of the ‘Aubrey and The Three Amigos Tour’ kicking off tonight in Kansas City, MO at Sprint Center.

Quavo continues the Grammy-Nominated group’s meteoric rise and takeover of 2018 with his tectonic influence in music, sports, fashion and beyond. All of this on the heels of Migos’ Culture II, their monumental album and second consecutive #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, while Quavo delivers on the promise that Migos are the culture of this generation.

With his singular, ubiquitous voice and songwriting prowess, Quavo has contributed to two #1 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart including DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One” feat. Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper and Lil Wayne, nine Top 10 hits, and 46 songs on the chart in total. His collaborative album Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho with Travis Scott that came in December of ’17 debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and was released to widespread acclaim.

Quavo has also collaborated with high profile artists like Beyonce and Jay Z on their recent smash “Ape Shit” as well as Kanye West and others across the spectrum including Liam Payne, Halsey, Calvin Harris, Camilla Cabello, Bebe Rexha and many more. As a result Quavo was the recipient of ASCAP’s Songwriter of The Year Award, a Teen Choice Award for “Know No Better” with Major Lazer feat. Travis Scott and Camilla Cabello, and an American Music Award for DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One.” A jack of all trades, this year he also appeared on Fox’s TV show ‘Star’.

Listen to “Bubble Gum” here

Listen to “Lamb Talk” here

Listen to “Workin’ Me” here

‘AUBREY AND THE THREE AMIGOS’ TOUR DATES:

08-10 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
08-12 St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
08-14 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
08-15 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
08-17 Chicago, IL – United Center
08-18 Chicago, IL – United Center
08-20 Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
08-21 Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
08-22 Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
08-24 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-25 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-27 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-28 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-30 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
08-31 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
09-01 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
09-04 Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
09-05 Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
09-07 Boston, MA – TD Garden
09-08 Boston, MA – TD Garden
09-09 Boston, MA – TD Garden
09-12 Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
09-13 Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
09-15 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
09-16 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
09-18 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
09-21 Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
09-22 Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
09-24 New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
09-26 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
09-27 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
09-29 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
09-30 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
10-02 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
10-05 Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
10-06 Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
10-08 Phoenix, AZ – Gila River Arena
10-10 Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
10-12 Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center
10-13 Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center
10-14 Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center
10-16 Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
10-17 Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
10-19 Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
10-26 Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
10-27 Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
10-29 Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
11-01 Seattle, WA – Tacoma Dome
11-03 Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena
11-04 Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena
11-06 Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place
11-07 Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place
11-16 Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
11-17 Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena

The post Migos’ Quavo Shares Three New Tracks To Kick Off Aubrey And The Three Amigos Tour appeared first on The Source.

Each Friday, The Source combs through all the releases and brings you the hottest new music in the culture in our series, Music Fridays. Source Correspondent and Music Friday Host, Zae Diggs (no relation to Taye Diggs), hit the street to see if the world is checking for DJ Khaled’s new song and video “No Brainer”, the highly anticipated “In My Feelings” from Drake and Wale’s return to the set with “Black Bonnie.”

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On this date in 2000, Big L’s posthumous album The Big Picture was released on Rawkus Records. The LP was originally slated as the late Lamont Coleman’s debut album, but L was tragically murdered in Harlem while the album was in production.

The album was produced by DJ Premier, Ron Browz, Ron G, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Shomari, Mike Heron, Ysae, and Showbiz and features appearances from Fat Joe, Guru, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane and the late Tupac Shakur.

Big L is regarded as one of the games best emcees that never got their chance in the spotlight, however, because of his ability to foresee great talent, he was the one who introduced Jay-Z as a force in 90s era crime rhyme, which dominated NYC Hip Hop via the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show in 89.9 FM in 1995.

Big up to the Rawkus team, the entire DITC and Big L himself for this eternal Hip Hop classic!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Big L’s Second And Final Album ‘The Big Picture’ Dropped On This Date 18 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

DJ Khaled releases his brand new single “No Brainer”, featuring Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper & Quavo at all digital retailers today.

Once again, the Grammy-nominated multiplatinum artist, music industry visionary, innovative influencer, mogul and mega-producer delivers a blockbuster anthem to heat up the summer season. Inciting immediate excitement, the track launches with a major cross-format radio push. Beginning at 10am PT/1pm ET, pop, rhythm, and urban stations will play “No Brainer” every hour on the hour, while the single makes its formal impact on Monday July 30. Also at 10am PT/1pm ET, Khaled shares the event-level music video directed by the legendary Colin Tilley.

Continuing a tradition of larger-than-life cinematic visuals, he went all out for the video like only he can. For “No Brainer,” Khaled takes on the role of a video director, blocking all of these superstars and bringing an unforgettable vision to life (in addition to taking a moment to salsa dance). Among iconic vignettes, Quavo paints with a pigeon on his shoulder, Chance the Rapper rocks a classic suit Gatsby-style, and Bieber sings in front of a tropical backdrop.

Of course, Khaled is joined by “co-director” and producer on-screen his son Asahd Tuck Khaled…

Setting the stage for the video’s arrival, Khaled shared a hilarious clip on Instagram. Apparently Asahd’s stock has gone way up, and he may be going solo. Serving as the voiceover, Kevin Hart helped him air his ambitions! Check it out HERE.

“No Brainer” reunites Khaled with three of the masterminds behind his sextuple platinum, record-breaking 2017 smash “I’m The One” [feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, & Lil Wayne] which, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. This time around, they up the ante yet again with show-stopping performances and unmatched charisma and chemistry.

Check out the blockbuster single HERE

The post DJ Khaled Drops Smash Single ‘No Brainer’ Featuring Justin Beiber, Chance The Rapper And Quavo appeared first on The Source.

2 Chainz hands over the keys to his wildly popular “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music” Spotify Playlist to Mr. Magic, owner of the iconic Magic City Strip Club in Atlanta. Mr. Magic will curate the playlist with his top DJs and Dancers featuring the best music from established artists and rising stars coming out of Atlanta.

Check Out the playlist HERE

The post 2 Chainz And Mr. Magic Launch ‘Magic City Monday’ Spotify Playlist appeared first on The Source.

2 Chainz has been on the road touring around the country this summer, but that has not prevented him from cooking up some marvelous trap music for his fans. After his performance at this year’s BET Award show, 2 Chainz has a surprise for all of his trappers.

This latest effort comes from a collabo between 2 Chainz, Drake and Migos’ Quavo on the hook of his newest single “Bigger Than You”.

Also, check out Viceland for the new season of 2 Chainz’s Most Expensivest show coming July 10.

The post 2 Chainz Releases Lyric Video For ‘Bigger Than You’ Feat. Drake and Quavo appeared first on The Source.

It always hurts to lose someone and the Hip Hop community lost a lot with the death of Prodigy. For his fans, Hav, helped the healing with some unreleased posthumous music.

One year ago, Prodigy unexpectedly passed away and Hip Hop has been affected in a way that can’t be described. Havoc took to social media to give Heads two previously unreleased freestyles.

“We lost my partner one year from today,” Hav tweeted. “It’s Mobb Deep for life. Enjoy these unreleased freestyles.”

Both recorded in with DJ Absolut, the first track is called “Stay Chiseled Freestyle”, featuring P giving fans those unparelleled crime rhyme bars over Large Professor’s “Stay Chisel”–the original version of which featured Nas. “[We] Drink the most Henny and E&J,” P raps on the track. “We smoke the most weed and that’s mostly the haze / You get the most Timb boots kicked on a ni**a face / Gotta be the most idiot ni**a on the face of the earth to ever let the thought cross your head that we not the most likely to pop off, kid.”

The second unreleased freestyle is called “Thief’s Theme Freestyle,” which is over Nas’ “Theif’s Theme” (from Street’s Disciple). It features both Hav and P and also showcases that traditional P E-Double.

The post Havoc Releases 2 Mobb Deep Freestyles To Celebrate Prodigy 1 Year After His Passing appeared first on The Source.

You can always count on a dope album from Esco and his latest definitely doesn’t disappoint.

After six years since his last full length studio LP Life Is Good, Queensbridge king of rap Nas delivers his new album aptly entitled Nasir.

Produced entirely by Kanye West and distributed under the newly formed merger of Universal Records and Nas’ Mass Appeal Records, Nasir is a seven-track piece of history that Nas debuted in the park of his old Queensbridge Projects stomping grounds the night before its scheduled release.

The post [LISTEN] Nas’ New Album ‘Nasir’ Exclusively Produced By Kanye West appeared first on The Source.

PHresher is gearing up for the release of his upcoming album, PH, and he’s ready to celebrate the project alongside Eminem at New York’s annual Governor’s Ball music festival this Sunday (June 3). But before the Brooklyn rapper hits NYC for the turn up, he’s kicking off the first week of summer with his new single, “Keep It Up,” featuring Famous Dex.

Upbeat and lit as can be, the three-and-a-half minute This Slikk Da Producer track showcases PHresher’s hook-writing skills over head-banging beat as he raps, “Keep it up, keep it up/Keep it up, keep it up/All of my n—as stay freezer’d up/She cam with you, I’mma leave with her/Bad as hell, so I beat it up/Table turnin’, now they be needing’ us/Name always in the media/Life was so hard, now it’s easier.”
Famous Dex cuts in to let the people know that he’s not another regular rapper trying to fake it to make it.

“N—as so fake, can’t hang with me/Yea, tell ‘em read about it/Diamonds on my chain and my neck/Yeah, b—h, come see about it/Money in my pocket/Nah, I don’t carry no wallet/Nah, I don’t wear Versace/I got big Gucci all on my body.”

Together, Famous Dex and PH use their rhyme-slinging abilities to stop the confusion, and let everybody know they they always give they crowd what they want because they know just how to “keep it up.”

Check out the official lyric video for “Keep It Up” below.

The post Source Premiere: PHresher & Famous Dex Let the People Know They Can Always ‘Keep It Up’ [VIDEO] appeared first on The Source.

With appearances from the lies of 2 Chainz, Rapsody, Nas, T.I. and superproducer Just Blaze, Netflix‘s Rapture documentary captures the essence of the lives of these iconic artists through the peaks and valleys of their careers.

Def Jam Recordings and Mass Appeal Records have jumped on board with the Netflix project and offered up a soundtrack to Rapture with six tracks featuring all of the artists in the doc. Click here for the soundtrack and see below for the tracklisting.

RAPTURE soundtrack tracklist:
1. Let Me Work – G-Eazy (prod. By Just Blaze)
2. Gold Digger – Dave East featuring A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
3. Care To Say About It – T.I. featuring Rapsody
4. NYCHA – Dave East featuring Nas
5. Black Power. White Powder. – Killer Mike & 2 Chainz
6. State of Emergency – Logic featuring 2 Chainz

The post Def Jam/Mass Appeal Records Release Netflix’s ‘Rapture’ Soundtrack appeared first on The Source.