After more than a year of rumor and speculation, it finally seems that the long-gestating ASAP Mob project Cozy Tapes Vol. 1 might finally see the light of day. Last night, ASAP Rocky took to Twitter to announce that the collaboration had finally been completed.
Earlier this month, ASAP Ferg gave an update about the project while on tour in Australia with Anderson .Paak. In an interview with interview with Triple J, he said that the album is “dropping soon.” He added, “We actually shot the album cover already and everything is getting edited and mixed up and everything. I don’t know exactly when it’s dropping—I don’t have a date. I’m the wrong person to ask. I presume it’s coming out soon ’cause we shot the cover. This album is gonna be called the Cozy Tapes.”
Now just because Cozy Tapes has been finished doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going to hear the music on it anytime soon. This is obviously a fantastic development, but the ASAP Mob are known for taking their time releasing new music. According to Rocky, while the project is finished, it still might be some time before it gets out into the hands of the people.
In the meantime, you can revisit the track “Yamborghini High,” the first single off of Cozy Tapes, and a touching tribute to the Mob’s departed leader ASAP Yams which debuted back in January.
A new collection of Travis Scott songs titled Days Before Birds appeared on streaming services Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play on Friday morning. The 10 track album features Wale, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Lil Uzi Vert, and two tracks with an assist from Young Thug. It also incldues DJ Snake’s Encore track, “Oh Me Oh My,” featuring Scott, Migos, and G4shi.
Kevin Hart’s new movie, Kevin Hart: What Now? is out today in theaters and the comedian dropped a mixtape as his rap alter ego, Chocolate Droppa.
The mixtape features new tracks from the likes of Trey Songz, who is featured on the single “Push It On Me,” T.I., Migos, Chris Brown, along with Joelle James, Nick Jonas, Akon, and more. There’s also a new joint from longtime collaborators Big Sean and 2 Chainz who exchange bars on “Light It Up” and Hart’s fellow Philadelphian PnB Rock links up with Lil Yachty on “All Day.”
TMZ is reporting that Thomas Mikal Ford, who is most fondly remembered for playing Tommy Strawn on Martin, has passed away. He was 52.
While details are currently scarce, Ford’s wife Gloria told TMZ that he was on life support. The report said that Ford had been in an Atlanta hospital since Sunday after a recent check-up from knee replacement surgery; it’s said that Ford fell into a state of unconsciousness due to a ruptured aneurysm in his abdomen after a post-op check-up. His family reportedly made the decision to turn off support Wednesday afternoon.
During a recent interview with Tha Boxing Voice, Floyd Mayweather randomly decided that he wanted to talk about All Lives Matter. He was asked a question about why other boxers aren’t selling out fights like he used to, and rather than answering that question, he took the interview in a completely different direction. “I’m here to say all lives matter,” he said. “You know, a lot of times, we get stuck, and we are followers. When you hear one person say, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ or, ‘Blue Lives Matter,’ all lives matter.”
Mayweather also criticized Colin Kaepernick for his national anthem protest during the same interview. “Kaepernick needs to try and get the starting job,” he said. “Stand up, and get the starting job. That’s what he needs to focus on.”
For the record, Kaepernick has taken over the starting job for the 49ers at this point, but Mayweather still seems to be standing pat when it comes to his All Lives Matter stance. And on Wednesday night, T.I. called him out for it on Instagram. T.I. and Mayweather have a history stemming from an altercation that took place back in 2014, but the rapper was quick to point out that he did not put up an IG post about Mayweather because of that. Rather, he believes Mayweather is being “socially irresponsible” by going public with his thoughts on All Lives Matter.
Lil Wayne on Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, and Yachty: ‘I Swear to God I Didn’t Know You Were Saying People’s Name’
Lil Wayne held a book signing and meet-and-greet for the release of his new memoir Gone ‘Til November on Tuesday.
Following the signing, The New York Times sat down with Weezy, asking him questions about his book, the guest verses he’s done this year, and working with younger musicians. Surprisingly, when asked if he kept up with Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, and Kodak Black, he answered like he didn’t know who they were.
“I swear to God I didn’t know you were saying people’s names just now, so that should probably answer that question. I just do my own thing.”
Later, the Times asked if Tha Carter V was finished, and Wayne confirmed the album was completed.
“It’s done, sitting and wrapped as is. I just listened to it for the first time in months the other day. I had forgotten every single word on it, because I work every day. I popped it in, and I was like, it’s still so much better than everything I’ve ever heard. Not what’s going on right now — everything I’ve ever heard.”
Wayne also addressed his label frustration and retirement tweets, and the reaction they received from other artists, family, and fans. While he opened up about them on Skip Bayless’ Undisputed and reconfirmed that he wasn’t going to retire, he said:
“I’d be a liar to say it didn’t. People always say, ‘How could not expect it?’ But when I saw people giving a damn about what I’m going through, that made me think and obviously uplifted me. Sometimes what you’re going through takes you far away from what the reality is. It takes someone to remind you: Look this way and remember what’s over here. I never have bad days; I have bad moments.”
In another interview with the Associated Press, Wayne addressed the criticisms he received for saying there’s “no such thing as racism,” expanding his thoughts by sharing a childhood story about when he accidentally shot himself in the chest at 12 years old. Wayne says his perspective is this way because a white police officer saved his life.
“Yeah, he was a cop, and my life was saved by a white man. I don’t know what racism is. I know a good (expletive) named Uncle Bob, though.” Wayne said.
He also said ‘Uncle Bob’ personally took him to the hospital and stayed with him until he recovered.
Nicki Minaj is on the cover of the latest issue of Marie Claire this month, the second time she’s appeared on the magazine’s cover, and she has a lot to say about making her own lane as a woman in hip-hop. She talks about drawing career inspiration from Jay Z, wondering why no other female rappers were leveraging their success in this way. “I can look at someone’s career and just pinpoint the dos and the don’ts, and the one person I’ve done that with for my entire career was Jay Z. He did such a great job being an authentic street guy and a businessman, and I was like, ‘Why aren’t there women doing that, taking the success from rap and channeling it into their empire?’ I felt like anything he could do, I could do.”
She’s discussed this before. Way back in 2012, she made headlines for saying something similar in an Allure magazine profile. “I’m coming for your spot, Mr. Mogul,” she said of Jay, which some people took as a diss or challenge to him. Looking back on it, it’s clear that she was alluding to the business inspiration she took from his career.
Nicki also touched on how empowering it is to work with Beyoncé. “Every time Bey and I do something together, I see how women are inspired, and it has nothing to do with how we look,” she said. “It has to do with how we are owning who we are and telling other women you should be the boss of your own career and the brains behind your life or your decisions or your art. I just love that feeling.”
Late last month it was announced Jay Z signed a two-year deal with The Weinstein Company, which grants the company a first-look at Jay Z’s projects, including scripted and unscripted TV as well as movies. It’s already been revealed the first project in collaboration with The Weinstein company would be a docuseries on Kalief Browder. Page Six reports Jay Z will produce a series about the Army’s first African American sniper, Nicholas Irving.
Page Six reported the project will be a six-hour NBC miniseries based on Irving’s 2015 memoir The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers. Irving was a special ops sniper with quite the reputation, earning the nickname “the Reaper.” Sterling K. Brown, who won an Emmy for The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, will star as Irving. Irving seemed to have confirmed the series casting on Twitter, posting a screenshot of himself and Brown video chatting while hashtagging Jay Z and NBC.
According to a Page Six source, “The series will take a look inside the life of the world of special ops. The plan is to start filming early next year.”
Time: The Kalief Browder Story, will be a six-part docuseries following the story of the young African American teen who spent three years in Rikers Island without a conviction after being arrested at age 16 for allegedly stealing a backpack. Browder was eventually released after the charges were dropped, but he would later take his own life.
Donald Glover is having an incredible year. In addition to debuting his hit TV series Atlanta, the 33-year-old multi-hyphenate also became a father for the very first time—and it seems no one had any idea.
According to Us Weekly, sources say Glover and his girlfriend, who has yet to be identified, welcomed their first child earlier this year. We have to congratulate the happy couple on their new arrival, as well as their impressive ability to keep their private life actually private.
As of now, there aren’t many details about Glover’s new family, like the baby’s name or even the gender. It’s even crazier considering pregnancy rumors began circulating as far back as January, when his girlfriend was spotted in Hawaii with a noticeable baby bump. Then four months later, the couple was seen walking in NYC pushing a baby stroller. Even with all the photographic evidence, Glover was able to keep this exciting news a secret, never once mentioning it on social media or in interviews. Again, really impressive.
The beef between Beanie Sigel and Meek Mill, which has gone back and forth (and back and forth) in recent weeks, added yet another chapter late Tuesday night. Meek Mill’s cousin Omelly, a core member of Meek’s Dreamchasers team, unleashed on Sigel in an Instagram post.
“You lost respect as a man in my books,” Omelly wrote. He said that Beanie let The Game “treat you like the sucka you’re [sic]… You make our city look bad in every way… You like 52yrs old outta pocket.”
Omelly’s metion of The Game may be a nod to Beanie getting knocked out while backstage at a concert late last month. The Game posted a video of the attack, and seemed to imply that a member of Meek’s crew was responsible.
You can see Omelly’s full IG post above. Make sure to stay tuned for more in this still-unfolding saga.