This week in Hip Hop, Marvel’s latest superhero film, Black Panther, made its theatrical debut to much fanfare. Also, Drake blessed some folks with nearly a million dollars while shooting his “God’s Plan” video in Miami and Yasiin Bey sparked talk of a Black Star reunion.
Marvel’s “Black Panther” Film Breaks Records
Marvel’s highly-anticipated Black Panther was released in theaters across America on Friday (February 16) and moviegoers (many of which were cosplaying) showed up in droves in to catch the movie. Since its debut, the Ryan Coogler-directed movie has received critical acclaim and set box office records, grossing $218 million in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend.
The film’s Kendrick Lamar and the TDE family’s executive produced soundtrack, Black Panther: The Album, has earned high marks, including a score of 4.5 in HipHopDX’s review.
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Read more about Black Panther‘s mega debut here.
Drake’s Good Deeds
Drake is calling his “God’s Plan” video “the most important thing” he has ever done in his career. The visual for the popular single off Drizzy’s Scary Hours EP was first reported as being filmed at Miami Senior High School, followed by various blessings Drake bestowed upon some Floridians, including $50,000 to a student at the University of Miami and $10,000 shopping spree for a housekeeper.
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The video for “God’s Plan” featured all of these good deeds, which ended up totaling nearly $ 1 million (the music video’s reported budget). The nice acts tugged at the heartstrings of everyone across social media and has inspired others to do some good deeds of their own.
Watch Drake’s “God’s Plan” video here.
A New Black Star Album Is In The Making
Black Star fans are excited about the news of Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey possibly coming together for a new album. During a Madlib DJ set in Denver, Colorado, Bey announced that it’s in the works.
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“New Black Star with Madlib, Talib Kweli, Yasiin, coming soon!” Bey said. “All Madlib, all day. 2018, Madlib, Black Star. Madlib Black Star.”
Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, was thought to be done with music, having announced his retirement in 2016. But, if history is any indication, most rap retirements don’t last very long.
A new Black Star project would be the follow-up to 1998’s Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star.
Read more about Black Star’s possible reunion here.
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DX Reviews
RiFF RaFF & DJ Afterthoughts — Cool Blue Jewels
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TDE — Black Panther: The Album
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DXclusives: Evidence, Menace & Handsome Boy Modeling School
Evidence Discusses Future Of Dilated Peoples & Plans To Self-Produce His Next Album
Dilated Peoples’ Evidence spoke with DX Staff Writer Justin Ivey in a two-part series about his third solo album Weather Or Not and shared with him the biggest change he’s experienced since Dilated’s debut album, The Platform, was released in 2000.
“I think something as broad as just going from really wanting to be accepted to caring less about what the people who inspired me think about me, creatively,” Evidence said. “Moving out of that a little bit. Maybe moving out of the emulation and into the innovation a little bit more. That was a big lesson. ‘Cause when you start, you really just wanna be like whatever made you wanna do this in the first place. And then, as you move along, you start to form this set of rules about how I’m supposed to sound and what’s expected. And I think if you get out of that, it’ll probably lead to the healthiest place, creatively.”
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Read the full interview with Evidence here.
#DXHitList: The Menace Session
For the latest edition of the #DXHitList Sessions series, UK producer Menace created a Spotify playlist for DX filled with music that he created along with some songs that have inspired him. Speaking with DX’s Cherise Johnson, Menace shared what happened the day he created the beat to Desiigner’s breakout hit “Panda.”
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“I had just come home from work and I was just really tired, you know…frustrated,” Menace recalled in our exclusive interview. “I had my boss yelling at me, telling me I was slacking at work. I was really tired that day. I came home and wanted to make music. Making music to me is like stress-relief. Then I just came out with ‘Panda.'”
Read more stories like these from Menace here.
Handsome Boy Modeling School Announces Reunion & Forthcoming Album
Prince Paul and Dan The Automator are coming together as Handsome Boy Modeling School once again for a new project. During a conversation with DX’s Kyle Eustice, Prince Paul reveals they have plans on hitting the studio soon to make it happen.
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“So far, the album is already recorded in our heads,” Prince Paul said. “Now, it’s just a matter of physically recording it. We’re trying to determine where we’re going to do it. We’re kind of thinking of going far away to record it, maybe fly to Europe. It has to be a handsome experience. You can’t get more handsome than that.”
Read more about Handsome Boy Modeling School’s reunion here.
