Hip-Hop: Celebs Rumors

There’s something in the water in New Jersey — a close-to-deadly concentration of wormwood, perhaps, or of fresh blood drained from an inexhaustible supply of sacrificial virgins. Whatever it is, Fatboi Sharif and Roper Williams are drinking from the tap.

Every Friday, The FADER's writers dive into the most exciting new projects released that week. Today, read our thoughts on Heems's LAFANDAR, Molly Lewis's On The Lips, Frances Chang's Psychedelic Anxiety, and more.

Yeat has released his new album, 2093. The Portland rapper's latest project is a blockbuster, arriving with 22 tracks and a feature-length 1hr 20m running time.

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have been announced as headliners for Rolling Loud California 2024.The two rappers will take to the stage for a special, bill-topping ‘Vultures’ set at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California on Thursday, March 14.As Rolling Stone reports, Ty was initially scheduled to perform in a solo slot at the event on the Saturday night (March 16). Organisers of Rolling Loud California said on social media that single-day ticketholders would receive an email with a link to upgrade.

Rap Column is a column about rap music by Vivian Medithi and Nadine Smith for The FADER.

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Eminem‘s 2000 song “Stan,” a fictionalized account of an obsessed fan that ends in tragedy, became one of the rapper’s definitive tracks, overwhelming the collective consciousness to such a degree that “stan” became shorthand for anyone with an unhealthy attachment to a celebrity. Fast forward to 2023, and standom has become an inescapable presence in modern culture.

On Halloween 2023, bbymutha announced her first-ever record deal following a decade of independence, a short-lived retirement, and 13 short-form releases in the past three-and-a-half years alone. Celebrating her signing with indie powerhouse True Panther, she shared a snappy track titled “gun kontrol.” Now, the Chatanooga MC is back with another song (“go!”) and news of her sophomore album, sleep paralysis.

Russell Simmons is facing claims of sexual harassment and battery, brought forward by a former executive at Def Jam Recordings.The rap and hip-hop heavyweight – who co-founded the label with producer Rick Rubin – is accused by a former employee of “derailing” her career after raping her in the 1990s, according to a new lawsuit.The plaintiff, going as “Jane Doe” filed the lawsuit in New York federal court on Tuesday (February 13), accusing the mogul of sexual assault and battery, as well as stalling her career.According to the court filing (via The Guardian), “Ms Doe’s career in the music industry was disrupted and derailed by a devastating experience at the hands of Mr Simmons.” It also states that she and Simmons had a professional working relationship at first, before he later “revealed his true colours” and “disabled Ms Doe’s career at Def Jam, a job she loved, at the height of her success and financial viability” through his “assaultive behaviour”.Simmons has not yet responded to requests for comment, however, is expected to deny all accusations raised against him. This comes as, following other accusations of sexual assault and rape in 2017, he shared a statement stating: “I completely and unequivocally deny the horrendous allegations of non-consensual sex against me with every fibre of my being.”In Tuesday’s filing, Doe outlined a specific incident.

Lil Yachty has teased a collaborative album with James Blake called ‘Bad Cameo’.In a new Instagram post, Yachty revealed the surprise album in a video clip, saying: “I think James has worked with a quite substantial amount of hip hop artists, but this project is so left for both of us.“Then, aside from the one picture that James posted, which he doesn’t have many followers actually, I don’t think people know that we know each other exist.”Blake also played a track off the unreleased album at his recent CYMK show – watch the footage below.A post shared by CONCRETE BOY BOAT^ (@lilyachty)Unreleased one from James Blake and Lil Yachty, debuted at CMYK last night

Back in August, Nathaniel Ritchie and Parker Corey shared their first joint single as By Storm — a moniker derived from “Bye Storm,” the final track on their final album with Jordan “Stepa J” Groggs as Injury Reserve. (By the Time I Get to Phoenix dropped in 2021, a year after Groggs’s passing.) On an episode of The FADER Interview podcast following their relaunch as a duo, Corey and Ritchie referred to the rebrand a “gentle handoff.” Six months later — and a decade since starting with Injury Reserve — Ritchie (stylized RiTchie) has shared his first-ever single as a solo artist.

Rick Ross has spoken about the Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion “beef”, saying there’s no such thing as going “too far” when in a rap battle.The rap mogul recently appeared on media personality and sports entertainer Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, where he spoke about rap feuds – particularly the ongoing tension between Minaj and Thee Stallion.One of the hosts, YouTuber Mike Majlak, asked him if he thought there’s a limit to how brutal you can be in a rap battle, to which Ross replied: “I really don’t think you can go too far.”“This is a sport – it’s hip-hop,” he continued. “It’s about having fun.

Bear1Boss, a fervent devotee of Atlanta rap’s hypercolor energy, is back with SUPER BOSS!, his first new project of 2024. The 11-track tape comes after a prolific 2023 which saw Bear release four full-length projects: Blow Up!, ACt &Bear1Beezy (made with fellow Atlantean UnoTheActivist), Lil hotsauce, and Glacier Guru.

Rap Blog is a weekly showcase of a standout rap song written by Vivian Medithi and Nadine Smith. “It’s 2024 we finna kick this shit off right,” JT announces at the beginning of the music video to “Sideways.” What follows is two minutes of imperturbable shit talk, delivered in a lithe purr over thudding 808s.

André 3000 has revealed that he auditioned for 2 Fast 2 Furious, but said he lost out on the role to Ludacris.The OutKast rapper and soloist spoke about his attempt to join the Fast & Furious franchise during a recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. As part of the ‘Colbert Questionert’ segment, 3000 was asked to share his favourite action movie.Colbert then pressed the musician – real name André Benjamin – on why he hadn’t been in one of the Fast & Furious films, to which he replied: “I would have but I think Ludacris took the role.”Benjamin was referring to Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges’ character Tej Parker, who was introduced to the series in 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Every Friday, The FADER's writers dive into the most exciting new projects released that week. Today, read our thoughts on Little Simz's Drop 7, BabyDrill's ScoreGod, Helado Negro's PHASOR, and more.

KNEECAP have accused the UK government of attempting to “silence” them after a last-minute funding block.The accusation against the UK government comes after they blocked the group from receiving British Phonographic Industry (BPI) funding award – issued under the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) to support the expansion of bands in global markets.According to the group, the decision may have been due to their provocative 2019 tour poster, which they allege “pissed off the Tories”.“We’ve just been informed that our application to the ‘Music Export Growth Scheme’ (MEGS) was independently approved and signed off by the selection board. It was then blocked directly by the British Government who overruled the independent selection board,” KNEECAP shared on X/Twitter.“We’re told that our 2019 Farewell to the Union poster pissed off the Tories.

Little Simz has shared a new EP, ‘Drop 7’ – you can listen to it in full below.The London rapper announced the seven-song collection earlier this week, sharing its tracklist on social media. It follows on from her 2020 EP ‘Drop 6’, which was released ahead of her albums ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ (2021) and ‘No Thank You’ (2022).Arriving today (February 9), the Jakwob-produced ‘Drop 7’ sees Simz adopt a more club-orientated sound.

Back in 2020, Chief Keef and Mike WiLL Made-It announced that they were teaming up for a collaborative album. We heard the songs "Bang Bang" and "Status," but the full project never materialized.

Rap Column is a column about rap music by Vivian Medithi and Nadine Smith for The FADER.

Every Friday, The FADER's writers dive into the most exciting new projects released that week. Today, read our thoughts on TiaCorine's Almost There EP, Kirin J Callinan's If I Could Sing, J Mascis's What Do We Do Now, and more.

Rap Column is a column about rap music by Vivian Medithi and Nadine Smith for The FADER.

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox have performed a cover of the Beastie Boys classic ‘Fight For Your Right’ for their latest ‘Sunday Lunch’ performance.The rendition of the iconic ‘80s hit comes as the latest instalment to the married couple’s long-running ‘Sunday Lunch’ video series – which sees them put their own spin on rock classics from their home.Although no longer a weekly series as it was in past years, the two still share the odd new video, and this time it sees them take on a Beastie Boys classic.Shared yesterday (January 28), the King Crimson guitarist took on the ‘Licensed To III’ iconic riff wearing an eye-catching gold, white and black patterned shirt, while Toyah shows off her hip-hop vocals while standing on a table in the background.Fripp even joined in on the vocal duties, singing along with the chorus, and exclaiming “Fight for your right to party with Toyah and Robert’s ‘Sunday Lunch’” at the end. Check it out below.Last week, the married couple shared a cover of Michael Jackson‘s ‘Give In To Me’ for their latest ‘Sunday Lunch’ performance, with the guitarist dressing up as Slash to take on the 1991 track.Before that, they welcomed in the New Year by kicking off 2024 with a cover of KISS’ ‘Lick It Up’.Other recent highlights include a cover of Bon Jovi’s ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, The Black Keys‘ ‘Lonely Boy’, and Richard Berry’s ‘Have Love, Will Travel’.Last year, the pair brought their viral lockdown concept to the live stage at Glastonbury, where they performed David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’.They also looked back at the success of their series backstage with NME, sharing that the response “did surprise us”.

Jay-Z will release a new album in 2024.Speculation around a new LP from the US rapper began circulating this weekend, when artist and video director Hidji World posted to social media on Sunday (January 28) that he was “shooting today” with Jay-Z.In the Instagram Story, he teased a film clapperboard labelled “JAY Z -2024 ALBUM” (per Billboard).Hidji’s name was credited as the director alongside director of photography Leroy Farrell. The slate was dated January 28.However, Jay-Z’s own Roc Nation quickly put down rumours on social media.

Wireless Festival have been announced, with Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage and Doja Cat leading the line-up. Find ticket details below.For this year’s instalment, the iconic London festival will return to its new space in Finsbury Park and span across three days.

André 3000 has shared what he thinks about his musical legacy, and the artists that inspired his latest release.Earlier this week, the music innovator went on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to talk about his latest album ‘New Blue Sun‘ – a record of flute instrumental music – and upcoming tour. The host asked 3000 what he meant when he called himself “a catalyst artist.”The host was referring to the rapper’s interview last year with NPR, where he said: “I’ve noticed that I’m a catalyst kind of artist… I’m being used in ways to be watched, to be inspiring to people.

Pharrell has announced his forthcoming biopic Piece By Piece, which will be made out of Lego.The musician took to social media to share the news, revealing that the film will land in theatres on October 11, 2024. “Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life,” he wrote.

After releasing the EP All In in 2021, Skepta shifted his focus away from rap and towards his burgeoning career in house music, both as a DJ and owner of the label Más Tiempo. He still popped up with the occasional indication that he hadn’t left rap behind entirely, though: last spring, a snippet of a new song went viral, and today you can hear the full version, titled “Gas Me Up.” Produced by Cardo, the single is a glossy celebration of success boosted by Skepta’s oaky, blunt delivery.

The wait for Chief Keef‘s perpetually-delayed album Almighty Sosa 2 continues with no end in sight, but today sees the release of a new song from the Chicago rapper, “Say Ya Grace,” a collaboration with Lil Yachty that appears on the new Lyrical Lemonade compilation project All Is Yellow. The song is co-produced by Keef, Carlton McDowell, and Marvy Ayy, and introduces itself right away as an outlier in the handful of songs Keef has released over the past few years.

Every Friday, The FADER's writers dive into the most exciting new projects released that week. Today, read our thoughts on Benny The Butcher's Everybody Can't Go, NewDad's Madra, Astrid Sonne's Great Doubt, and more.

Ice Spice has dropped her first single of 2024. "Think U the Shit (Fart)" is an amusingly titled dismissal of a munch who thinks they are something special.

Megan Thee Stallion has released a new song titled "Hiss." The song is her second snake-themed single after "Cobra," which was released late last year. The new song opens with Megan stating, "I just wanna kick this shit off by sayin' fuck y'all.

Super Bowl is great.However, nothing beats all the entertainment that comes in the week building up to the game.On Saturday, Feb. 10 — aka Super Bowl Eve — the highly anticipated annual MAXIM Casino Royale Experience presented by Vivid Seats is dropping into Resorts World Las Vegas and bringing some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and EDM to celebrate Sin City style.Just a few of those icons set to take the stage include the ’00s Hip-Hop legend 50 Cent, Grammy winning superstar 21 Savage, EDM favorite Elderbrook, famed Las Vegas DJ Shift, Ibiza icon Plastik Funk and DJ unKommon.“It is an honor to bring these mega stars of music to Las Vegas for the best Big Game weekend the world has ever seen,” said Seth Kaplan, founder of unKommon events.

André 3000 has performed his 10-minute-long track ‘That Night in Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther…” while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.The musician made his appearance on the famed talk show yesterday (January 23) and performed the lengthy flute track ‘That Night in Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Shit Was Wild’, from his debut solo LP ‘New Blue Sun‘ which was released in November.His solo LP came 17 years after OutKast’s sixth and final studio effort, 2006’s ‘Idlewild’. Since then, André had distanced himself from making music.

Cakes da Killa has announced a new LP titled Black Sheep. The New Jersey-born rapper, a major figure in queer hip-hop’s ascendance over the past decade, is scheduled to release the album on March 22 via Young Art Records.

Lovers and Friends is, it feels appropriate.On Saturday, May 4, the annual nostalgia extravaganza returns to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds for a day featuring some of the biggest names in early-aughts pop, R&B, Hip-Hop and more.Just a few of those mega headliners include Janet Jackson, Usher, Backstreet Boys, Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg.They’ll be joined by Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Nas, Mary J. Blige and Ludacris.Nelly Furtado, Akon, T-Pain, Ja Rule and M.I.A.