Category: Hip-hop

As socio-political upheaval continues across the country as people demand justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, some have turned their attention to calling out corporations and companies for their participation in black art and black culture, although remaining silent on situations of racial injustice. Republic Records is the first company within the music industry that has decided to take a firm stance against the use of the word “urban” in the industry.

Republic Records, home to artists like The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj, and Drake through joint partnerships, announced on their Instagram that they would discontinue the use of the word “urban” within the label. The label wrote, “Effective immediately, Republic Records will remove “URBAN” from our verbiage in describing departments, employee titles, and music genres.” Many argue that the term symbolizes the music industry’s lumping of black artists into one category which marginalizes black musicians in the process. Continue reading

There is a lot of political unrest in the United States right now following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police. Anti-police brutality and anti-racial injustice protests have been going on all throughout the United States and many athletes have been vocal about what is happening throughout the nation. LeBron James has always strived to be at the forefront of many of these political discussions and with Floyd it has been no exception. 

Today on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith spoke in favor of LeBron James and defended him from all of the people out there urging him to “shut up and dribble.” As Smith noted, LeBron has one of the biggest platforms in the entire world and he is right to use it however he pleases. Not to mention, Smith sees LeBron as a role model who has done little wrong throughout his 17-year career.  Continue reading

Police brutality has been ramping up all throughout the United States in light of the protests combatting, you guessed it, police brutality. Various videos have been going viral which showcase the sheer brutality in which some cops are operating, seemingly for no reason at all. Perhaps the best example of this needless violence was showcased in a now-viral video that depicts a Buffalo police officer shoving an elderly man to the ground, causing him to bleed from his ear.

In the video, none of the cops try to help the man although eventually, some National Guard members came and called an ambulance. LeBron James saw this clip floating around the internet and immediately spoke up, noting just how sad the state of affairs in the United States is. Continue reading

Following the death of George Floyd, many artists have been moved to speak out against police brutality and anti-black racism. Today, T.I. and Nasty C have connected for a powerful new collaboration called “They Don’t,” an anthem designed to raise awareness for the changes that must transpire. Nasty C opens the song with a reflection of the tragedies present within South Africa, drawing poignant parallels with those occurring in North America. His voice soaring as he expresses his frustrations, singing “I can only imagine the pain and the grief/from the innocent mothers with all the shit they had to see/ when you lose the ones you love to the fuckin’ police /it cuts deep.“ Continue reading

Flatbush Zombies haven’t been active on the solo front since 2018’s Vacation In Hell, but the trifecta of Meechy Darko, Erick Arc Elliot, and Zombie Juice have officially returned with Now, More Than Ever. Though they did play a pivotal role on Beast Coast’s Escape From New York, this latest EP once again puts their perspectives into the spotlight. And given everything going on in the world, insight from the Zombies is much appreciated. 

As expected, there are plenty of styles on display throughout. Songs like the opening track “herb” emphasizes the respective swagger of each member, a slick and vibey ode to sparking up the title. The Meechy Darko-heavy “quicksand” puts his pain on full display, his emotive voice layered as he lets fly emotional raps. The patented New York State of Mind is not forgotten on “Dirty Elevator Music,” an ode to boom-bap percussion possessed by a vaguely sinister arrangement.  Continue reading

With all of the social and political unrest happening across the nation, many recording artists and labels decided to push back their upcoming releases to allow people to focus on what’s important. Although we were slated for another big drop day in hip-hop and rap, including new music from Smokepurpp, Tekashi 6ix9ine, and others, a minimal number of people actually followed through on their new music plans. 

XXXTentacion may not be around to witness what’s happening right now but, during his lifetime, he used his platform to speak on issues surrounding race. In fact, the music video for “Look At Me,” one of his most popular songs, recreated scenes from the racially-charged killings of Emmett Till and Philando Castile. Continue reading