Ab-Soul’s gift for being a cerebral wordsmith will likely never be questioned again, even after his underappreciated last effort, These Days...

In a new manuever that could allegedly “get him dropped [from Top Dawg Entertainment],” the rogue Black Hippy member released a new freestyle titled “47 Bars” which doesn’t spare in any suspense with the innuendos.

The track is best described as Soulo recapping the rap landscape’s current events, and one particular set of lyrics has surely been raising eyebrows.

“I hate to address it but n****s wearin’ dresses now? Hey, it do cost a lot to live this here lifestyle/Cash Money talk/Bullshit walk a million miles/And I don’t even write, where am I supposed to draw the line?”

Of course, the dress reference combined with the Cash Money drop equals an easy Young Thug assumption. Albeit the aforementioned line was an easy highlight, the man with the Dash coupled his thoughts with plenty of ill lines, including the opening dedication to Pro Era’s Capital STEEZ, which inspired this tweet:

@FLYestintheeERA hahaha #47KGOLDSOUL

— Ab-Soul (@abdashsoul) February 28, 2015

Absorb Ab-Soul’s “47 Bars” down below. Take it how you will.

I might get dropped from the label for this 1, but fuck it lol… https://t.co/2DDINBGAR3

— Ab-Soul (@abdashsoul) February 28, 2015

Perception is everything.

— Ab-Soul (@abdashsoul) March 2, 2015

Just have some fun yall

— Ab-Soul (@abdashsoul) March 2, 2015

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Photo: Instagram / Ab-Soul

The post Ab-Soul Sends Stray Shot At Young Thug On “47 Bars” Record? [LISTEN] appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.

The glory from the 2012 classic good kid, m.A.A.d city was Kendrick Lamar’s but you’ll find plenty of fans and critics who will argue that his TDE labelmate Jay Rock had the verse. On the song “Money Trees,” the two MCs traded cleverly worded bars while specifically touching on how the root of evil leads not only to bad decisions in the hood, it also challenges close-knit friendships; even when blood ties are involved.

Topically, it was music worth treasuring and to jumpstart the campaign for his long-awaited sophomore album, Jay Rock rocks dolo on its sequel, “Money Trees Deuce.” Although duets (especially with K. Dot are always appreciated) the original Top Dawg gatekeeper has three verses worth of calculative rhymes to get off his chest and the record becomes its own man outside of the aforementioned song’s shadow. Producers Flippa and J Proof help put Rock’s poetry in motion with a serene instrumental that accented with light horns and a slow-moving drum cadence.

Listen to Jay Rock’s “Money Trees Deuce” and be sure to tell Top how you like it on Twitter.

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Photo: Instagram/Jay Rock

The post Jay Rock Breaks Bread On “Money Trees Deuce” [LISTEN] appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.

The announcement of Kendrick Lamar‘s gang-unifying Reebok Ventilator sneakers was met with a little curiosity over its red and blue colorways in representing the Blood and Crip gangs. Two gang members from the Bloods and Crips respectively sat down with Top Dawg Entertainment and discussed Lamar’s aim with the shoes.

Blood/Piru gang member G Weed and Crip member Jigga appeared together in a video interview spliced with images of their culture and backed with some of Lamar’s tunes, including “King Kunta” and “Alright.”

Both G Weed and Jigga spoke from similar places, remarking on how Lamar’s message of unity goes far beyond settling down the violence in his beloved city of Compton.

“The message behind the new Kendrick Lamar shoe is uniting red and blue, where we all can exist and respect each other and love one another,” said G Weed.

“The message is about a whole lot of peace and unity.Kendrick is just really giving us a reason and giving us an understanding of why we should have unity, or why we should really wanna do this,” added Jigga.

Check out the clip of Piru member G Weed and Crip member Jigga discussing Kendrick Lamar’s Reebok Ventilators in the clip below.

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Photo: YouTube

The post Bloods & Crips Gang Members Discuss Kendrick Lamar’s Reebok Shoe [VIDEO] appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.

Jay Rock probably should have appeared on Dr. Dre’s Compton but the orignal MVP of Top Dawg Entertainment has his own hood to rep.

It has approximately been four years, ten days and fourteen hours since Rock has released his debut–and only–studio album, Follow Me Home, but thankfully that is about to change. His newly released single, “90059,” is an ode to the Los Angeles zip code that molded his gangsta and it also doubles of the name of his long-delayed album.

“Follow Me Home was released July 26, 2011. 1st dawg off the leash for the camp,” Rock, 29, tweeted. “Sh*t always comes back around. The album title is 90059.

In an interview with Hip-Hop Wired last summer, the underrated rhymer expressed how rushing a project was the furthest thing from the agenda and more than a year later, his words remain rooted in fact.

Although the album has no concrete release date, the aggressive “90059” features Lance Skiiiwalker and is produced by TDE in-houser Tae Beast, as is currently available on iTunes.

Listen to it below.

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Photo: Instagram/Jay Rock

The post Jay Rock Announces New Album, 90059 appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.

Kendrick Lamar hasn’t even had an opportunity to enjoy a monster Grammy night and he’s already being slapped with lawsuits because of his celebrity.

Or in actuality, it is the so-called actions of the people around him.

According to a disgruntled fan, K. Dot’s longtime manager Dave Free ruined her chances to meet her rapping hero and now he most fork over a cool million dollars.

Via TMZ:

A die-hard Kendrick Lamar fan paid $350 for a backstage meeting, but got banned from the concert after Kendrick’s manager tried to bamboozle her for $10,000 … according to a lawsuit.

Whitney Larkins says she emailed Lamar’s manager, Dave Free, asking for 3 minutes of one-on-one time with Lamar … on top of the $350 VIP meet and greet package she’d purchased. In a lawsuit she filed on her own, Larkins says Free replied she could get the 3 minutes for a “cash payment of $10,000.”

The figure didn’t scare her off because Larkins says she repeatedly tried to get more info from Lamar’s team, which apparently ticked off someone. Larkins says she got an email the night before the concert saying she was banned, and would get her $350 refunded.

Larkins isn’t pissed at Lamar, in fact she calls him “one of the greatest rappers alive of all time who is on par with Tupac.” But she says Free crushed her dreams and left her with “deep sadness” — and wants more than $1 million to make it go away.

And the best lawsuit line ever — she calls Free an “arrogant, snotty and an all-around bad dude from the rooter to the tooter!”

We reached out to Free for comment. No word back.

The struggle writes itself sometimes. Good luck with this one, sister.

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Photo: Instagram / Dave Free

The post Kendrick Lamar’s Manager Dave Free Sued $1M By Angry Fan appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.

Top Dawg Entertainment recording artist Jay Rock is said to be recovering from a motorcycle accident after being involved in a crash Monday (Feb. 15) evening. Although there has not been an official report of the Watts rapper’s specific injuries, it appears he will pull through.

The news of Jay Rock’s accident was delivered by Top Dawg Entertainment’s CEO, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith via Twitter. Although Top Dawg didn’t elaborate, he gave fans a slight bone by following his initial cryptic tweet with a timely update.

“Pray 4 @jayrock he had a bad accident on his motorcycle.. He’s hurt pretty bad… #TDE,” tweeted Top Dawg.

He later added, “Jayrock is not in a coma or near death…a lot of broken bones,” much to the delight of fans.

Jay Rock released his acclaimed sophomore album, 90059, last September.

Our thoughts are with the entire TDE camp.

Jayrock is not in a coma or near death…a lot of broken bones…

— dangeroo kipawaa TDE (@dangerookipawaa) February 16, 2016

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Photo: Instagram

The post Jay Rock Recovering From “Bad Accident” Says TDE’S Top Dawg appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.

SZA, the sultry songstress and lone woman on the West Coast Top Dawg Entertainment label, tweeted Monday evening that she’s leaving the label. TDE’s co-president Terrence “Punch” Henderson replied to the tweet, apparently finding humor in the singer’s quip.

In a now deleted tweet, SZA aired out some frustrations surrounding her proper TDE debut not surfacing and told her 248,000 followers that she was moving on and that Punch can do what he wants with her release.

“Actually I quit. @iamstillpunch can release my album if he ever feels like it. Y’all be blessed,” tweeted the singer.

Punch replied with a photo of Heath Ledger’s incarnation of The Joker laughing and captioned with “Lol.”

Hopefully, the two aired out their differences behind the scenes and are formalizing a plan to put out the project. Just sounds like good old fashioned artist frustration to us.

In 2013, SZA said signing with Top Dawg was a “blessing.”

See Punch’s cold-blooded reaction on the flip.

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Photo: EIX/WENN

The post SZA Tweets That She’s Leaving TDE, Label Co-Chief Finds It Funny appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.

It still looks very much to be the season of Top Dawg Entertainment, this after flagship artist Kendrick Lamar and TDE boss Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith grace the cover of the latest issue of Billboard. The magazine chose the pair for its 2017 Hip-Hop Power Players issue for obvious reasons.

Inside the cover story, K-Dot breaks down his deep allegiance to TDE, explaining he’s been with the label since 16 years of age. But for Lamar, it’s not about money or fame as working with the label has forged a bond beyond record sales and fame.

From Billboard:

“The thing with TDE,” says Lamar, “is it was all ours — an independent deal from the jump. I came in at 16 years old, so it’s all I know.” TDE patiently grooms all of its artists, building their careers until they have their pick of major labels to help take them to the next level. Lamar released five mixtapes and one independent album, 2011’s Section.80, before cutting a deal with Aftermath/Interscope, and SZA put out two mixtapes and an EP before TDE partnered with RCA for CTRL. “It’s a family type of environment,” says Lamar. “It’s not just all about making money every day.”

The normally reclusive Top Dawg drops some gems and jewels as well, explaining the operation that TDE has become since its fledlging days. Read the full cover story by following this link.

This is big news for the Billboard squad, this after the respected publication has released the 2017 Hip-Hop Power Players list for the first time. Get into it by following this link as well.

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Photo: Billboard

Kendrick Lamar‘s pen game has long garnered respect for its vivid imagery and impactful storytelling, and his current publishing deal is close to expiring. Billboard reports that sources tell them that the Compton lyricist and the Top Dawg Entertainment camp are entertaining talks of a publishing deal that could be worth millions.

Billboard writes:

Top Dawg Entertainment, which manages the rapper-songwriter, is considering offers between $20 million and $40 million, sources tell Billboard; the value would depend on the terms of the deal. One bidder has offered $28 million, a source tells Billboard, while another source cited a $23 million offer that included $11 million upon signing. Such offers would likely be for Lamar’s entire catalog, but the terms Lamar’s camp is seeking weren’t clear.

The deal would be quite the haul for TDE and for whatever publishing company decides to fork over the dough considering Lamar is one of the biggest acts across several music genres today.

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Photo: WENN.com

Top Dawg Entertainment singer and songwriter SiR has toiled behind the scenes for years, culminating in his big break in working with the rising West Coast camp. The Inglewood, California native dropped his second full-length album, November, which serves as his second project for the TDE label.

The artist born Sir Darryl Faris dropped his debut album, Seven Sundays, on the Fresh Selects label. After working with TDE’s Jay Rock and Isiah Rashad on a pair of features, SiR was signed to the label in January 2017, dropping his EP HER TOO the following month.

With November, SiR lays down more of his smooth vocals and carrying the load nearly by himself. The 11–track album has two features with TDE’s Schoolboy Q on “Something Foreign” and British artist Etta Bond on “Something New.”

Production from Mndsgn, DJ Khalil, and others help round out November‘s lush sounds. Check out the stream of the project via Spotify below.

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Photo: TDE

Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty

Kendrick Lamar‘s lyrical ability isn’t to be questioned, as evidenced by a series of critically-acclaimed albums and performances that punctuate a career still in high motion. The Compton hero’s latest album DAMN. just celebrated a year since its released, and the Instagram page of Big Boy’s Neighborhood paid homage by posting an exclusive freestyle from K-Dot.

Rapping over 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” track, Lamar is subdued yet focused as he asks Big Boy to throw some words in the air as he rhymes deftly from off the top of the dome. The video appears to be from 2017 during the rapper’s visit to the set of Big Boy TV, although it isn’t specified when the moment took place.

Oddly enough, Tekashi69 wrote on DJ Akademiks’ Instagram page seen in comments calling the freestyle “garbage.”

Does 69 really want that smoke?

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Photo: Getty

Source: TDE / TDE

Top Dawg Entertainment has done well for itself as a label and crew over the past few years, culminating with Kendrick Lamar‘s recent Pulitzer Prize win,  SZA’s Grammy Award nominations and the like. As the label preps its artists for the upcoming “The Championship Tour” jaunt, a hilarious trailer featuring members of the roster has hit the Web.

In the trailer sponsored by Lyft, it opens with Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock working out with a tennis coach with questionable results. Schoolboy Q and SZA are off on a golf outing, but the songstress seems to be a little less interested in the game while the Real Puff Daddy showcases his natural humor and charm.

Ab-Soul might be one of the strongest lyricists in the game but his basketball skills are a little lacking as seen in the trailer. In another portion, Isiah Rashad and Lance Skiiiwalker all show off comedic acting chops as well.

The TDE crew hit the road on May 4 with 25 spots across North America with “The Championship Tour” kicking off with our neighbors to the north in Vancouver. Check out the trailer below.

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Photo: TDE/YouTube

Source: Noel Vasquez / Getty

Top Dawg Entertainment is clearly the hottest Hip-Hop label around today, boasting a star-studded roster helmed by Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul with SZA, SiR, Isiah Rashad, and Lance Skiiwalker making up its ranks. TDE President Punch says there’s new unreleased heat coming soon for fans via the label’s Spotify playlist channel.

A quick look at the playlist now features already released projects from the label, but Punch says new music is on the way. In a tweet Thursday, Punch alerted fans to stay tuned to the playlist as the label shares the vaulted tracks to the public.

So far, nothing new has appeared on the page but that isn’t slowing the anticipation at any rate.

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Photo: Getty

Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

Jay Rock has been with Top Dawg Entertainment since its humble beginnings and, despite what the charts may dictate, is a vital cog in the label’s great machine. The Watts lyricist just dropped a new single “Win” and on its heels, Rock announced the title and the release date of his new studio album, Redemption.

Redemption‘s two lead singles, “King’s Dead,” which was featured on the Black Panther: The Album soundtrack, and “Win” both have been met with considerable interest and features TDE labelmate Kendrick Lamar on both tracks. Thus far, little is known about the Redemption but it appears that Jay Rock is rapping with a chip on his shoulder as both singles feature his signature aggressive rhyming over superb soundscapes.

Redemption is slated for a June 15 release.

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Photo: Getty

Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty

When news hit that SZA would be taking leave from the TDE‘s “The Championship Tour,” most thought the singer would shut down her schedule for a few days of rest. However, the vocalist hinted on Twitter that her vocal cords might be permanently damaged.

In a series of now-deleted tweets, SZA suggested that a test performed to test the range of her voice didn’t land in her favor.

“My voice is permanently injured . Great !!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYYYYUUYH!!!!!!!!’n,” SZA wrote Tuesday (May 29) night.

She added, “Tonight was the test . That settles that. I jus wanna be left alone my priorities are f*cked up . They been f*cked up . I need space goodbye.”

At the age of 27, SZA conceivably has a long career ahead of her and we hope that this is just a small setback.

Source: SZA / Twitter

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Photo: Getty

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty

Spotify was both praised and criticized for its decision to implement a “hateful conduct” policy against artists that it singled out as purveyors of such. The company has since walked back the policy and TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith was among the many label chiefs and music figures to threaten to pull its music from Spotify which helped reverse the decision reportedly.

Billboard reports:

One person who was particularly concerned was Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment, the label home of Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, SZA and more. Last week, Bloomberg reported that Spotify would be restoring XXXTentacion’s music to its playlists after pressure from some within the music industry, including representatives from Lamar’s label. Now, after Spotify officially rescinded the “hateful conduct” provision of the new policy, Top Dawg tells Billboard about how those back-channel conversations led to the policy change.

“I reached out to Troy [Carter, Spotify’s global head of creator services] over there, we had a conversation and I expressed how I felt about it, about censorship, how you can’t do artists that way,” Top explains to Billboard. “I don’t think it’s right for artists to be censored, especially in our culture. How did they just pick those [artists] out? How come they didn’t pick out any others from any other genres or any other different cultures? There [are] so many other artists that have different things going on, and they could’ve picked anybody. But it seems to me that they’re constantly picking on hip-hop culture.”

Tiffifth enlisted the helped of Sean “Diddy” Combs and music executive Tommy Mottola and the trio spoke with Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek to work on a compromise or take its music elsewhere. According to Tiffifth, he was “willing to get the whole culture to back out” of working with allowing their music to exist on Spotify.

Talk about a power move.

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Photo: Getty

Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

Jay Rock has not enjoyed the same level of fanfare in comparison with his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates, but his third studio album should change things greatly for him. The Watts MC steps up to the plate with Redemption, featuring Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Future, and more.

Redemption features production from Mike WilLL Made It, Hit-Boy, Boi-1Da, Sounwave, Jake One and more. The album opens with “The Bloodiest” and shows Rock in top form with his signature aggressive style. Rock taps Brent Faiyaz for vocal assistance on “For What It’s Worth” and Hykeem Cater gives Rock a heater of a track for “Knock It Off” that serves as one of the album’s early highlights.

Pops and Crooklin provide the backdrop for “OSOM” featuring J. Cole. Rock goes into autobiographical mode while sharing his rise to fame while struggling with his ties to the streets. Cole gives another one of his solid performances, mirroring Rock’s somber tale of battling with the pressures of being a rap star.

The album’s second single, “Win” closes out the album on a stong note on a record with several high marks.

Check out the stream of Redemption below.

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Photo: Getty

Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty

Top Dawg Entertainment‘s reign in the music world was not an overnight process but clearly, they own the market share of the game’s top talent on the Hip-Hop side with a rising stake in the R&B world today. TDE president Dave Free recently broke down how the label has thrived using time-tested methods of success, remaining true, and the value of Kendrick Lamar winning the Pulitzer Prize among other gems.

VIBE writes:

VIBE: At one time TDE was the bubbling underground crew, but what has it been like to really work your way up to being a powerhouse?

Dave Free: In the middle of the process, it looks the same, just the resources changed. We get more resources to do bigger and better things but it feels and smells and looks the same because it’s rooted off the same concept of repetition. So for us, we haven’t even gotten to the celebration point yet, because there’s still so much more to do. When I talk to friends and I talk to buddies, and even just hearing you say everything you’re saying right now, that’s when I get kind of pulled back into the perspective that “damn, it’s been a long time. We were just that. We were that underground crew that was trying to figure out how to get our feet in the game and now it’s the total opposite.” It’s really hard to say in a few words ‘cause it feels exactly like when we were in Carson just grinding in the studio. It feels exactly the same.

VIBE: How long do you think it took for you guys to really find your groove?

Dave Free: I would say about eight years ’til we figured out what not to do. The earlier stages when we were just really grinding through. It’s not about what you do right, it’s about what you’re doing wrong. We were doing a lot of right, but the wrong stuff sets you back. You don’t have to do everything perfectly, just don’t do anything that [sets you] back.

Check out the rest of Dave Free’s interview with VIBE here.

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Photo: Getty

Source: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty

Derek “MixedByAli” Ali has become one of the most sought after audio engineers of his era, applying his mixing and mastering skills with the Top Dawg Entertainment stable of artists and beyond. Over the weekend, MixedByAli shared via social media a virtual tour of his new recording studio home, which just happens to be the former studio used by Death Row Records.

MixedByAli took to Instagram this past Sunday (Dec. 6) and shared details on his new studio, which is apparently known as NoName Studios/EngineEars Office.

From IG:

This is Death Row Records former studio, where they recorded and mixed @drdre ‘The Chronic 2001’, @snoopdogg ‘The Dog Pound’, Tupac’s ‘All Eyes On Me’ and countless other records that shaped my childhood and inspired me to create the music I make today, being from the west coast.

I’m proud to announce, this is now my facility.

Starting renovations next week and In the coming months I will be transforming this iconic hip-hop monument into Two of the BEST sounding @solidstatelogic / @augspurgermonitors mixing rooms in Los Angeles . We’re looking forward to harnessing the energy & history from this studio and continue pumping out nothing but timeless hit records just as they did in the 90’s.

MixedByAli went on to thank his business partner and best friend Daniel Maynard, who has an extensive background in branding and fashion with the Noble Gentleman Trading Company, of which he is a co-founder.

NoName Studios and the main hub for the EngineEars will undergo a facelift and is slated to open in the second quarter of 2021. And without a doubt, plenty of TDE heat will be generated within that building.

Salute to MixedByAli and Daniel Maynard.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Derek 'MixedByAli' Ali (@mixedbyali)

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Photo: Getty

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty

Top Dawg Entertainment might just have the most talented roster in music today, hence why each release from one of its stars causes shock waves throughout the industry. TDE boss Top Dawg tweeted out a date for next month attached to a mystery release some expect to be Kendrick Lamar’s return to the world.

“THE WAIT IS OVAH!!!! #TDE,” read the tweet from the TDE founder. The tweet features a timer and the TDE logo, with the end of the short clip revealing “5/7/21” but nothing else. The speculation occurring online at the moment is sky high, but the label likes to do things differently than most.

THE WAIT IS OVAH!!!! #TDE pic.twitter.com/MVjWIO7o7L

— TOP DAWG #TDE (@dangerookipawaa) April 28, 2021

Between Lamar, the beloved SZA, SchooHboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SiR, Reason, Isiah Rashad, and Lance Skiiiwalker, a new full-length from any of them would be a huge musical event.

K-Dot hasn’t dropped a full-length studio album since 2017’s DAMN., and he was the lead curator of the Black Panther: The Album release. There have been reports that the Compton wordsmith would be leaning into a rock-influenced sound for his next album, another leap forward from Lamar.

SZA’s last release Ctrl was also in 2017, and she dropped a pair of singles in “Hit Different” and “Good Days” from what most expect to be her sophomore release. She also featured alongside Doja Cat for the “Kiss Me More” track.

Ab-Soul has been away from the album release schedule since 2016, but he had a relatively active 2020 with features and the surprise “Dangerookipawaa Freestyle” single.

Jay Rock’s slept-on Redemption in 2018 was his last full-length, and ScHoolboy Q’s last drop was 2019’s CrasH Talk.

Check out the Twitter reactions to Top Dawg’s tweet below.

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PHoto: Getty

TDE has made a few cosmetic changes in recent weeks, beginning with the signing of songstress, SZA. We caught up with her at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards to discuss how it felt to join the West Coast label, her upcoming project, Z, and more.

“Honestly [it’s] a blessing. Like it’s literally the craziest thing that could ever happen to me,” SZA said. Not quite sure if the New Jersey by way of St. Louis native can be categorized as strictly R&B, but she definitely lacks the hubris of certain female counterparts.

Instead, she shies away from the spotlight and lets her music do the talking. And while the songbird is currently a stranger to most, she revealed that her next body of work is complete. “Z is done — the next project is done — and I’m working on some cool features that I wish I could say.”

And so it seems that SZA’s career will see a jolt in upward mobility much like her Top Dawg brothers.

As we anxiously await Z, get an early look at a face you’ll see for a long time below.

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Photo: Hip-Hop Wired

TDE‘s first lady, SZA, returns with a visual for her new single “Teen Spirit,” produced by Wondagurl. Premiered by Vogue, this will likely be many people’s formal introduction to the 23-year-old.

The songbird is from New Jersey by way of St. Louis, but traits of neither city are recognizable in the dark treatment. SZA sings tales of peer pressure and other things one experiences during their adolescence inside of a large, deserted house.

And to top it off, she co-directed the treatment with APLUSFILMZ. “I wanted to live and die by my own decisions,” said SZA on her decision to man the camera. “From color correction to set choice to dressing myself in dirty T-shirts and random Marni pieces and refusing a stylist and makeup artist…I figured if I was going to fail, I’d do it on my own terms.”

Judge “Teen Spirit” for yourself below and share your opinions in the comments.

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Photo: YouTube

After last night’s 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards cypher, Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul are undoubtedly the topics of conversation. And today, XXL magazine announced that the Black Hippy collective will cover the October/November issue.

The cover story details the rise of TDE, each artists’ respective career, and the recent acquisitions of MC Isaiah Rashad and singer SZA.

The photos were captured by renowned photographer Jonathan Mannion.

TDE’s next up, ScHoolboy, is set to release his major label debut, Oxymoron, sooner than later. But in the mean time, we suggest that you catch that Black Hippy cypher as soon as humanly possible.

Also catch K. Dot rhyming alongside Kanye West on the “Yeezus” tour. See what the crew’s XXL spot looks like after the jump.

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Photo: XXL

Today (October 22), marks the first anniversary of Kendrick Lamar‘s critically acclaimed debut good kid, m.A.A.d city.

Since then, we’ve seen the West Coaster go from a promising MC to become one of the game’s undeniable superstars. If Drake is numero uno, then K. Dot is a clear second choice for the top out. And that’s merely because of his Toronto counterpart’s accomplishments.

With a platinum album — he’s one of four new artists achieve this feat in the past five years — and the bars to boot, TDE’s first to make it is on a trajectory to rise even higher.

Early adopters have been privy to the Kendrick’s talents for some time. For those who weren’t, we provide a trip down memory lane that shows some of the talented wordsmith’s dopest moment pre-good kid, m.A.A.d city. In fact, these predate both Section.80 and O(verly) D(edicated) in most cases.

Relive the good kid’s come up here.

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Photo: TDE

Kendrick Lamar is unavoidable these days and considering he’s arguably the hottest young rap artist in the game, the high visibility makes sense. K-Dot’s latest media splash is gracing the cover of JET magazine for their Black History Month special issue, and the TDE standout shares more of his story.

JET announced the upcoming feature in a press release earlier today, and it appears that the 26-year-old Compton rapper views getting placed on the cover as a high honor

“I always seen [JET magazine] every time I walked into the house,” said Lamar in a brief chat regarding the feature.  “It was always there.  So I already knew that it had to hold some type of weight.  Being a young cat, I had to know, since this magazine is right here all the time, it must be a powerful magazine. So it’s a privilege just to be a part of it, and for Black History Month, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Lamar’s displayed more of his savvy worldview, realizing that his songs have impact beyond entertainment and how Hip-Hop music connects with Black History.

“Hip-hop plays a huge part in Black history,” said Lamar.  “It’s bigger than music.  Entertainers are actually leading a generation today as role models, whether they want to or not.”

Lamar added, “The songs aren’t for me. They are for that person who needs to hear them. People who live their lives to this music. So I take it a little further than just coming up with a clever line.”

The whole world will be watching Kendrick Lamar this coming Sunday (January 26) to see if he’ll snag one of the seven Grammy Awards he’s been nominated for.

For now, check out this preview of his feature with JET by following this link. The issue hits newstands January 27.

Hit the jump to see Kendrick Lamar’s JET magazine cover and a behind the scenes video as well.

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Photos: JET

Although tonight has been a historic and genre-shifting night for Hip-Hop, there could only be one winner in the pantheon of independent-turned-top-40 rap stars.

As the Grammys conclude, the CBS aired program was full of oohs, ahhs and Internet slander.

It also included plenty of debate about who will take home the golden sippy cup between Kendrick Lamar versus Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. While mainstream Hip-Hop fans are familiar with both beloved indie rap juggernauts, the popular thought was argued on-and-offline with all wondering who’d take home the night’s biggest prize, Album of the Year.

With the lines of divide clearly drawn, and the results tallied, we take a look at how Twitter’s rap twitizens felt about Seattle’s MVP beating out Compton’s good kid.

Photo: Instagram/CBS

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We start off with a guy who believes that the Top Dawg Entertainment wunderkind had his own anger therapy while on stage…

Photo: Twitter

The overall consensus when dealing with opinions for Kendrick Lamar’s new single, “i” appears to be grounded in the record’s lyrical offerings, opposed to its ability to become “the turn-up” like a vast majority of his counterparts.

Top Dawg Entertainment has released an official lyric video for the single that supports this claim and could very well serve as official representation for the track as well. Director Christian San Jose takes his camera through all avenues of Los Angeles’ atmosphere and documents all colors, creeds and ethnicities (and gangsta lineages) showing how the power of love can be contagious. Kendrick also makes an appearance by way of a recent performance he had in Toronto to generate traction for the record.

Watch and soak up the positive energy from the clip. It is currently available on iTunes.

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Photo: VEVO

Jay Rock has been waiting in the wings, releasing music in small spoonfuls sporadically. Keeping it clean, the Watts rapper’s latest material infers that he may have an album of the year candidate tucked away; a track called “Pay For It,” featuring Kendrick Lamar and Chantal says the same.

The sparse instrumentation is a departure from the gritty, West Coast sound that Rock often fancies, but he adapts with no problem. Waxing thoughtful poetics alongside his TDE partner in rhyme, the duo’s verses are accentuated my powerful vocals from singer Chantal.

Fans can find “Pay For It” on iTunes. Press play to hear the song below.

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Photo: Instagram

The biggest night in music has passed, but not without a few raised eyebrows and some celebratory wins to boot.

Focusing on the rap categories (because that’s what we’re all here for, right?), Kendrick Lamar finally earned praises from the GRAMMYS following numerous snubs in 2014. His uplifting, Isley Brothers-sampling record “i” earned the Best Rap Performance — defeating Eminem, Drake, and Childish Gambino in the process. The MC also nabbed the Best Rap Song award.

As MTV noted, it appears that Lamar and his TDE brethren, including fellow GRAMMY nominee ScHoolboy Q, boycotted this year’s awards show.

It’s unclear if TDE officially boycotted this year’s GRAMMYS, though a recent tweet from ScHoolboy reveals why he’s been quiet as of late. “Been in my cave gettin tHis album ready…….. Jus relax, da grooviest crip workin….. Bye,”

Singer-songwriter Sam Smith also had a major night, picking up four awards, which was more than any nominee of the night.

Beck also surprised most viewers, winning the coveted Album of the Year award over the likes of Beyoncé, Pharrell, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Smith.

That, of course, didn’t register well with Kanye West. Queen Bey and her hubby Jay Z did nab Best R&B Songs and Best R&B Performance awards, and a the former scored a Best Surround Sound Album award for Beyoncé.

Eminem and Pharrell made the rap cypher complete, winning the Best Rap Album and Best Urban Contemporary Album awards, respectively.

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Photo: YouTube

Reason, a member of the sprawling Top Dawg Entertainment operation, is prepping for the release of his upcoming album Porches this Friday (August 11). The Carson, Calif. rapper aired out some grievances with TDE, getting into a heated discussion with label co-president Anthony “Mossa” Tiffith Jr. over features that didn’t happen.

Reason was a guest on the BACKONFIGG podcast with hosts T-Rell and Smac. During the chat, the artist born Robert Gill Jr. had plenty to say about the practices of TDE as a label, explaining that features from Latto and EST GEE were lined up but lost due to time.

“We had certain features lined up that could’ve went through,” Reason said. “We had the budget, we had the feature lined up, takes too long to get pushed through, feature price ended up going up or something goes away. Content ideas lined up, not executed. Rollout ideas lined up, not executed.”

He went on to explain that Latto was all but set to go as well as EST GEE but TDE execs held up the process.

“I had Latto lined up for something, not executed. I had EST Gee lined up, not executed. Like, us not pushing through. Features lined up, we got a price set, video and verse for the love, takes too long,” Reason added.

The EST GEE feature in particular jumped in price by $25,000, which apparently would’ve been a huge hit to the album’s marketing budget.

During the interview, Moosa called into the podcast to challenge some of the points made by his artist. Moosa explained that much of what TDE does is a process and kept pointing to the “motion” that TDE artists Ray Vaughn and Doechii have managed to garner as far as fan interest goes.

Moosa then challenged the co-hosts, self-proclaimed fans of their guest, to name 10 Reason songs, which they both failed to do. Also in the call, Moosa explained that former TDE exec Dave Free didn’t want to sign Reason, citing that the rapper gave off, “substitute teacher” vibes.

Reason took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to explain that he’s very much releasing his album on TDE and seemingly wants to remain on the label.

“I appreciate ppl that’s reached out to me. Trust I’m as good as I can be. We’ll have a real convo at some point about what happened, just trust that wasn’t a “rollout move” lol that actually happened! All positive energy as of now moving forward tho! Porches Friday! Love y’all!” he tweeted.

I appreciate ppl that’s reached out to me. Trust I’m as good as I can be. We’ll have a real convo at some point about what happened, just trust that wasn’t a “rollout move” lol that actually happened! All positive energy as of now moving forward tho! Porches Friday! Love y’all!

— REASON TDE (@reasonTDE) August 8, 2023

Check the full BACKONFIGG podcast episode with Reason below. Hop to the 1:24:00-minute mark to see the moment in question.

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Photo: Getty