Hip-Hop Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

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.

Giggs, Chase & Status, Rico Nasty, Skream, Benga and more.Yesterday (January 23), the electronic music promoters and livestream platform announced the second edition of its world tour, which will make stops in 25 cities across the globe, including Amsterdam, Bogota, New Delhi, Lagos, London, Mumbai, New York, São Paolo, Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. A full list of the confirmed dates on the world tour can be found below and on Boiler Room’s official website.A post shared by Boiler Room (@boilerroomtv)Alongside the world tour’s dates, Boiler Room has also announced the first wave of acts who will play for the events.

After a six-year break from rapping, New York City’s Heems is coming back with a new album, record label, and lifestyle brand. LAFANDAR, a project entirely produced by Lapgan, will arrive on February 16 through Veena Sounds, a new label founded by the former Das Racist member.

YFN Lucci has pleaded guilty in a racketeering case in court today (January 23), local news station WSBTV reports. The Atlanta rapper, real name Rayshawn Bennett, was sentenced to 10 years in prison but may only serve 3.5 months in jail, with the rest potentially being spent on probation.

Ja Rule has shared his thoughts on André 3000 not wanting to rap anymore, and called for older stars to continue to create “classic” songs.Last year, André 3000′ released ‘New Blue Sun’ – his debut solo album made up of instrumental tracks that showcased the artist as a flautist. Ahead of the album, the 48-year-old warned fans that there were “no bars” on the album.

Nicki Minaj has been added to the line-up for this year’s Afro Nation Portugal.The fourth edition of the popular festival will take place from June 26–28 on Praia Da Rocha Beach, Portimao and already has Afro-pop juggernauts Rema, Asake, J Hus, Tyla and more set to perform.It was announced yesterday (January 22) that Minaj was added to the star-studded line-up along with The Voice France winner Lisandro Cuxi and Francophone stars Dadju and Tayc. In addition, MFR Souls, Tango Supreme, Tman Express, and Ch’cco, will bring an eclectic mix of amapiano to the Piano People stage.

Ludacris is working with BET+ to develop a TV comedy-drama series based on his early musical career.In the late ’90s, Ludacris – real name Christopher Bridges – was an intern at Atlanta’s Hot 97.5. He later became a popular DJ under the name Chris Lova Lova.Now, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that a new series will explore the Atlanta rapper’s “experience coming up in the competitive music scene in Atlanta as DJ Chris Lova Lova” and will focus on “the misadventures of a sharply drawn ensemble who are willing to do anything and everything to bolster ratings at their hip-hop radio station.”Noah Gardenswartz, known for his Golden Globe-winning work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is currently penning the script and will also serve as an executive producer for the upcoming show.Ludacris himself will play a dual role as an executive producer and the music supervisor for the series.

Doja Cat and Disclosure have been announced as the headliners of Parklife 2024 – check out the line-up below.The festival is due to take place at Heaton Park in Manchester on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. Tickets go on sale at 10am GMT this Friday (January 26) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.Organisers have confirmed today (January 23) that Doja Cat will make her UK festival headline debut when she tops the bill on the Sunday.

Tierra Whack has announced her first new full-length album since 2018, entitled ‘World Wide Whack’.Earlier today (January 23), the Philadelphia rapper took to Instagram to announce the new project, in a post which displayed the album’s cover – shot by conceptual artist Alex De Corte – and called the upcoming release her “debut album”, though it would technically be her second. “‘World Wide Whack’, my debut album out on 3/15,” read its caption.

Kendrick Lamar has shared new music in an ad for Chanel’s upcoming Spring-Summer 2024 Haute Couture show. The Button is a collaboration between the fashion brand and pgLang, the creative company run by Lamar and director Dave Free.

This spring, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2014 album Piñata with a handful of shows. Dubbed Teñata, the three concerts will take place in May in Boston, New York City, and Chicago. El Michels Affair will back the duo at each show; Eyedress is slated to open in Boston and Chicago, with Pink Siifu joining in N.Y.C.

Ice Cube has shared the story of how he was “pushed” into making Next Friday – the sequel to the iconic 1995 movie Friday.The former NWA rapper was a guest on the latest episode of the YouTube show Mavericks with Mav Carter, where he spoke about his venture into acting and screenwriting – the latter of which came at the suggestion of director John Singleton.Carter asked Cube if he ever felt “pushed into” something he wasn’t passionate about.“I was pushed into doing Next Friday,” he replied, before quickly correcting himself: “Not pushed, but I always thought, ‘We did a great movie, don’t touch it.'”A post shared by THE HIP-HOP WOLF® (@thehiphopwolf)He continued: “My people was like, ‘Yo, have you thought about ever doing a part two?’ And it’s like, ‘Nah.’ [They] said, ‘You should think about it; people love the movie.’ So, I’m glad I did it, because part two led to part three, led to me meeting [comedic actors] Mike Epps and Katt Williams, Terry Crews.”However, Cube admitted that if it was up to him, he “probably wouldn’t have” made the 2000 film, especially after hearing that co-star Chris Tucker wanted no part of it either.“But, you know, by the time I heard he didn’t wanna do it, I was invested in doing another one,” he said. “We figured out the best way to keep going.”The West Coast rap legend concluded: “I’m grateful that I was pushed on that.

Rap Blog is a weekly showcase of a standout rap song written by Vivian Medithi and Nadine Smith.

Kid Cudi has opened up on why he forgave Kanye West after their public feud back in 2022.In August of 2022, the ‘Soundtrack 2 My Life’ singer spoke out about the vitriol he received from West – who now goes by Ye – that year, saying the ‘Donda’ rapper’s online attacks damaged his mental health and irreparably damaged their friendship.The two artists were previously close friends and collaborators but have had a tumultuous relationship since the mid-2010s. They fell out again that year, allegedly due to Cudi’s friendship with Pete Davidson – West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s ex who she was dating at the time – which led Ye to remove Cudi’s contributions from his ‘Donda 2’ album.Speaking to Esquire at the time, Cudi said of West: “I’ve been on every one of that man’s albums. He’s only been on two of mine.

Every Friday, The FADER's writers dive into the most exciting new projects released that week. Today, read our thoughts on Eliza McLamb's Going Through it, ericdoa's DOA EP, PACKS's Melt The Honey, and more.

Pharrell Williams has teased an unreleased collaboration with Miley Cyrus during this week’s Louis Vuitton show.Last year, the Virginia musician-producer was appointed the role of Men’s Creative Director at the prestigious Parisian fashion brand after the untimely death of Virgil Abloh. On Tuesday (January 16), Louis Vuitton live-streamed their Men’s Fall-Winter 2024 Collection presentation held at Paris Fashion Week.During the stream, an unreleased Miley Cyrus song played near the 13-minute mark.

Underground rap duo Armand Hammer have a new album called BLK LBL on the way, but there are a couple of catches: the follow-up to last year’s We Buy Diabetic Test Strips will be a vinyl exclusive for the foreseeable future and available for sale at Armand Hammer’s upcoming 2024 tour dates and pop-ups. News of the new album was posted yesterday by the X account of Armand Hammer’s label Backwoodz Studioz.

Online music is inherently precarious — if a physical recording of something is never made, it’s dangerously easy to erase any sign that it ever existed. With mass layoffs in the wake of Bandcamp’s sale from Epic Games to Songtradr, as well as the recent announcement that Soundcloud is seeking a buyer in a potentially billion-dollar deal, there are understandable concerns about the future of the music that’s been uploaded on those platforms.

Kanye West has filed to trademark the phrase “I miss you when I wake up before you” – inspired by his wife Bianca Censori.To celebrate his wife’s birthday on January 6, the controversial rapper-producer shared a photo of his Censori on Instagram with the desired trademark as its caption: “I miss you when I wake up before you.”Now, as the Daily Mail reports, West filed nine separate trademark applications for the phrase on January 11, which is reportedly said to be used as a slogan to launch a wide range of products and services, including moisturisers, “biological cloning”, and plush toys.The goods and services listed in the applications range from technology and science to fashion, with West’s lawyer Gregory K. Nelson confirming that he filed the applications on behalf of the same company he has used to file trademarks in the past, Ox Paha, Inc.A post shared by Ye (@kanyewest)Last year, West submitted 26 trademark filings for the word “Yews” through Ox Paha Inc., trying to gain the right to use the term across education, music streaming, television, games, clothing, and more.

Snoop Dogg “giving up smoke” campaign “did not lead to sales” as planned.Back in November, the ‘Gin and Juice’ rapper announced that he would be giving up his smoking habit.The rapper took to his official social media accounts to share a statement that read: “After much consideration and conversation with my family, I have decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time.” No additional details were immediately provided.A few days after his announcement, the rapper shared that he is not giving up weed but is “giving up smoke” in an advert for a Solo smokeless stove.I’m giving up smoke.

The Coachella 2024 line-up has officially been announced. Tyler, The Creator, Lana Del Rey, and Doja Cat will headline this year's event.