This week in Hip Hop, J. Cole drew criticism for seemingly taking shots at Noname in his police brutality single “Snow on tha Bluff.” Then, Hip Hop celebrated Juneteenth with new releases from Beyoncé, Teyana Taylor, Public Enemy and more. Finally, Eminem sparked conversation when he revealed his picks for greatest rapper of all time.
J. Cole & Noname Trade Shots In Police Brutality Tracks
J. Cole found himself at the center of controversy this week after seemingly taking shots at Noname in his new song “Snow on tha Bluff,” which addresses recent police brutality protests.
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“She mad at these crackers, she mad at these capitalists, mad at these murder police/She mad at my n*ggas, she mad at our ignorance, she wear her heart on her sleeve/She mad at the celebrities, lowkey I be thinking she talking ’bout me,” Cole raps in the song, which some fans took as a diss toward Noname, who has been vocal about “top-selling rappers” not doing enough to propel the current Black Lives Matter movement.
For this reason, the Dreamville boss’ single received backlash from Chance the Rapper, CHIKA and eventually sparked a response from Noname in her track, “Song 33.”
“I guess the ego hurt now/It’s time to go to work, wow, look at him go/He really ’bout to write about me when the world is in smokes/There’s people in trees when George was beggin’ for his mother/Saying he couldn’t breathe, you thought to write about me?” she spits.
Cole stood by his lyrics on Twitter and encouraged his fans to “follow Noname.” Read more about the controversy here.
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Hip Hop Celebrates Juneteenth With New Releases
This week, Friday — a typical music release day — landed on Juneteenth, making for the perfect storm. Hip Hop and R&B artists honored the slave emancipation-commemorating holiday, which has received new recognition in the wake of worldwide police brutality protests, with surprise singles, full-length projects and new protest anthems.
Beyoncé delivered “Black Parade,” Teyana Taylor dropped off The Album and Public Enemy returned with their DJ Premier-produced single, “State of the Union (STFU)” — just to name a few.
“Our collective voices keep getting louder,” Chuck D told HipHopDX of P.E.’s anti-Donald Trump track. “The rest of the planet is on our side. But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, ‘cause it does.”
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Check out the other releases that arrived on Juneteenth, including Wale’s The Imperfect Storm EP, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s Artist 2.0 (Deluxe) and more here.
Eminem Names Lil Wayne, 2Pac, Joyner Lucas, KXNG Crooked, Redman And More In G.O.A.T. List
The greatest rapper of all time is an ongoing debate in Hip Hop and this week, Eminem decided to unleash his top picks for the coveted throne. Responding to a YouTuber on Twitter, Slim Shady listed a few reliable favorites — 2Pac, Biggie, Lil Wayne, JAY-Z — as well as some of his own previous collaborators — Royce Da 5’9, Joyner Lucas and KXNG Crooked.
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Considered by many to be a G.O.A.T. himself, Em’s shoutouts were met with gratitude from the likes of Lucas and Crooked.
“If you played ball and studied Michael Jordan as the greatest, and then Michael Jordan name drops you as one of the greatest ball players of all time. That’s how this feels to me,” Lucas responded to the compliment on Instagram.
See who else made Eminem’s G.O.A.T. list here.
Reviews
— Roy Woods — Dem Times
— Lil Yachty — Lil Boat 3
— Key Glock — Son Of A Gun
— E-40 — The Curb Commentator Channel 1
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#DXCLUSIVES: TM88, Dre & David Jassy
TM88 Has Unreleased Records With Nicki Minaj, Juice Wrld, Roddy Ricch & More
In an exclusive chat with HipHopDX, TM88 revealed he’s got records with Roddy Ricch, Nicki Minaj and the late Juice Wrld in the vault.
“I do have a Nicki record with Juice Wrld. I don’t know if she dropping it, or it’s his label dropping it,” the 808 Mafia producer informed DX. “Because I had the record first when he was still here. Because I think me and Juice Wrld did like seven songs, eight songs, and that was one of them. And I think Juice Wrld had Nicki hop on it, and I don’t know who was going to drop it from there.”
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TM88 also shared updates on his recently launched label, the beats he’s been sending to Drake and Meek Mill and more. Check out his interview here.
A$AP Rocky Owes His Fashion Sense To (Cool &) Dre’s “Naomi” Single
Speaking with DX, Dre — of the acclaimed production duo, Cool & Dre — revisited two of the pair’s 2005 singles, “Chevy Ridin’ High” and “Naomi.” Besides marking the early rumblings of their success, the latter track had a profound effect on A$AP Rocky.
“Me and Cool, we was just chilling in the lounge. [A$AP] walked in, he saw us and we saw him, but we really didn’t say anything to him,” Dre recalled. “… He went into his room and probably 45 seconds later, he comes back out and goes, ‘Yo, I know who y’all are… that walking like a chick ‘Naomi’ record, that shit changed me, bro… Yo, I really started digging fashion when I heard that song. D, I just want you to know that shit had a huge effect on me.’”
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Check out the full “Naomi” story and who “Chevy Ridin’ High” was initially intended for in Dre’s interview here.
Producer David Jassy Is Using The Hip Hop Talents Of San Quentin Inmates To Fight Systemic Racism
Swedish producer David Jassy was released from San Quentin State Prison just months before the death of George Floyd and subseqent worldwide outrage. Speaking with DX, the former Navigators member reflected on how his prison sentence and collaborative San Quentin Mixtapes, Vol. 1 prepared him to fight against police brutality and systemic racism.
“Systemic racism starts in the streets, it starts in the schools, it’s everywhere,” Jassy explained. “… I think San Quentin Mixtapes, Vol. 1 is a perfect example where you can see guys that are from different gangs in California prisons coming together. Anyone who’s been to a California prison knows that is not the norm.”
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“We have a big problem with police brutality, but we also have a big problem with black on black crime,” he continued. “I think the mixtape works on that part a little bit because this mixtape shows the unifying factor that we should really come together.”
Read Part 1 of Jassy’s interview here.
