After weeks as an Apple exclusive, Frank Ocean’s latest album, Blonde, is finally available to be streamed on Spotify.
The highly-acclaimed album boasts an insane lineup of guest features with contributions from André 3000, Beyoncé, James Blake, Jazmine Sullivan, David Bowie, and many more with a wide range of people handling the production including from Frank Ocean himself, as well as Pharrell Williams, Tyler, The Creator, Jamie xx, and Rostam Batmanglij.
The Spotify tracklist matches the online version of Blonde that was featured on Apple Music. Interestingly enough, the album has been available for streaming on Pandora since August, but it is still not available on Tidal.
Frank’s release strategy for the album restarted the very large debate surrounding streaming exclusives, and whether or not they are good for business. Spotify has gone on record noting that exclusives are bad for everybody, because they force users to pay for multiple services, who most likely end up stealing the music illegally instead. Days before the release of Blonde, Frank dropped his visual album, Endless, exclusively through Apple Music, which was also reportedly his last album he would be releasing through his label Def Jam. Immediately, the CEO of Def Jam’s parent company, Universal Music Group, notified the company they will no longer be doing exclusive deals of any kind. Blonde was then released independently.
Kylie Jenner had to get in a quick flex on Snapchat after that harrowing elevator rescue Thursday, flaunting a massive promise ring from Tyga. Now, before we begin, what exactly is a promise ring? Though not quite an engagement ring and certainly not some regular noncommittal piece of jewelry, a promise ring does usually signify a promise of eventual engagement. That’s the leading theory here, unless we are to further explore the possibility that King Kylie is just a really big fan of Wisconsin emo.
“If this is my promise ring I wanna know what my engagement ring gonna look like [sic],” Kylie wrote on Snapchat Thursday alongside the aforementioned flex photo. As true scholars will note, Kylie and Tyga were at the center of some serious engagement rumors last year after some ring-flaunting social media appearances sent the rumor factory into overtime hours. Kylie later squashed those rumors, however, adding that the ring was simply an “extra special gift” from an equally special “someone.”
The journey toward Kylie’s flaunted promise ring has been a long and complicated one, with many alleged breaks and pauses in the couple’s path to royal love. After some time apart, the two seemed to be definitely sorta maybe back together (again) as of June. In the months since, they’ve been nearly inseparable while supporting each other’s enviable career come-ups. Kylie, for example, is out here modeling for Alexander Wang. And Tyga? Well, he’s the newest member of the G.O.O.D. Music team:
The day after his Yeezy Season 4 fashion show in New York City, Kanye West took the stage in Washington D.C. for his Saint Pablo Tour. During his set, ‘Ye took a moment to talk to the crowd and share how he felt after the presentation.
“Today I need to hear these songs,” he said. “I needed to rehear the lyrics that I was saying or what I was feeling when I wrote these songs and had to overcome these certain controversies and whatever happens in life.”
After rapping a portion of “Black Skinhead,” he continued, “I feel like the Cavs last year when Kyrie got hurt. Y’all know what I am talking about, I am talking about the fashion show yesterday. I want y’all to look at it with your eyes and not with your ears.”
It looks like there’s been a resolution in the Bobby Shmurda murder conspiracy case, as TMZ is reporting the rapper has copped a plea deal in court today. According to the report, the deal will get Shmurda seven years in prison and five years probation. The MC was charged and arrested for a number of crimes back in 2014 and has been in prison ever since.
Specifically, Shmurda was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and numerous weapons violations. In total, 15 members of his GS9 crew were charged in the case for various acts. Throughout Shmurda’s case his legal team made numerous attempts to get their client out on bail, but every request was denied by a judge. According to the TMZ report, Shmurda’s lawyer implored him to take the plea deal in court Friday because he believed they wouldn’t get a sympathetic jury and were facing life in prison.
Shmurda has served nearly two years at Rikers Island, and the time will get deducted from his sentence. Back in May, two members of the GS9 crew were sentenced to over 50 years in prison for their roles in the case. According to FOX 5 News’ Lisa Evers, Rowdy Rebel and Nicholas McCoy, also known as “GS9,” pleaded guilty and will receive a seven-year sentence.
Shmurda’s official sentencing, along with Rebel and McCoy, is now set for Oct. 19, reports Billboard.
Desiigner was reportedly arrested in New York City on Thursday night after an alleged “road rage incident,” TMZ reports. Police told TMZ that Desiigner and four other unnamed individuals were arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of drugs with intent to sell. Desiigner, who was accused of pointing a gun at a driver in traffic, was also charged with felony criminal possession of a loaded weapon.
Playboi Carti made his presence known at New York Fashion Week yesterday. As ILLROOTS and other accounts on Twitter have noted, the fast-rising rapper appeared to perform “What” at Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music’s pop-up show and the runway during VFILES’ showcase. You can check out footage of his appearances below.
Playboi Carti joining Kanye West on stage last night to perform 'What' pic.twitter.com/g3EDmX6bFi
— ????? (@illroots) September 8, 2016
Thanks @playboicarti for closing our #vfilesrunway show last night. Watch here: https://t.co/2Jh3x9x190 pic.twitter.com/8qxIwxAJOi
— VFILES (@VFILES) September 8, 2016
Meek Mill found himself in another war of words on Sunday. And it looked like he enjoyed every second of it.
During his performance at the Las Vegas Drai’s nightclub Sunday, the 29-year-old rapper invited comedian Kevin Hart on stage for an impromptu rap battle. The Philly natives kept it friendly and lighthearted, with Meek initiating the battle with: “Popping up on my stage I’m like, ‘What is the odds?’ He must be on molly or something, look at his eyes.”
Hart then transformed into his rap alter ego Chocolate Droppa and, of course, had to blast Meek’s style.
“Meek Mill came to rap, I said don’t do none of that/I looked at my nigga’s jeans, I said we been done with that,” Hart rapped. “Stop fucking wearing pants that show your shape ain’t shit/I look at you, I look at Nicki, I say girl you too legit to quit/You don’t these bars because I’m a real nigga with it/Meek Mill’s stomach looks like he just don’t quit it.”
Hart delivered a few more jabs, most of which were directed at Meek’s sneakers, but he made sure to end it on a positive note.
“This is all love, man,” Hart reassured the crowd. “Let me tell ya’ll something before I say anything else: I stand by my guy, when I say that I mean I stand by my guy’s talent. I separate the bullshit from the talent. If y’all don’t respect nothing else, respect my nigga’s talent. Meek Mill is official and has the talent. He gets it done. I’m a fan forever. I’m a Philadelphia guy forever…. I’m going to ride with Meek forever.”
You can check out the battle below.
Just a few days after his tour bus was robbed of $3 million of jewelry, Drake is already trying to put the past behind him. “Nobody robbed me,” he twice said to a paparazzi videographer when asked how he felt about the jewelry heist.
This is technically accurate, since the jewelry was all owned by his DJ Future the Prince, but obviously the videographer was referring to the whole incident happening on his tour and tour bus. Still, Drake seemed pretty eager to dodge questions about the whole incident, understandable after he was seen getting quite heated backstage when learning what had transpired.
Arizona police arrested Travion King, a homeless man, at Arizona State University later on Wednesday after he was found on campus in possession of the missing jewelry. King had previously worked at Talking Stick Arena, where the Drake concert had taken place, which is likely how he had the knowledge to commit the robbery.
This isn’t the only bizarre denial surrounding Drake recently. On Wednesday, Drake’s father Dennis Graham repeatedly told paparazzi that Drake and Rihanna were not in a relationship and were just friends. This comes despite Drake professing his love to her on stage at the VMAs, later kissing on stage at the Summer Sixteen Tour, and even sporting matching shark tattoos in the days after the VMAs.
Whatever Drake is thinking, it’s clear that he wasn’t happy about the theft and he’s trying to put it out of mind. We’ll have to see how the denial strategy works out for him.
VFILES presented the seventh installment of its crowd-sourced runway show Wednesday night. In addition to showcasing collections by four emerging designers, the event featured a performance by Playboy Carti. But the real star of the show might just have been Young Thug.
This season the rapper was enlisted as mentor by VFILES, which means he worked with the designers, stylists, and makeup artists before their debut at New York Fashion Week. It became clear during the show that he took his responsibilities very seriously. Young Thug, who was sitting in the front row, got out of his chair to fix a model’s outfit mid-runway.
The model, who definitely didn’t see Thugger coming, stood there as he readjusted his jacket and sent him on his way. Young Thug then returned to his seat and continued taking pictures like a proud dad on his iPad. You can check out the moment at the 9:20 mark in the video below.
Jeezy announced the upcoming release of Trap or Die 3 in a video post today. “You already know how I came into this game: harder than a motherfucker, and that’s how I’m going out… I’m announcing it, Trap or Die 3, the album,” he said in the video. The album will serve as the latest installment of his Trap or Die mixtape series. The original Trap or Die came out back in 2005, with part 2 following five years later in 2010. Now, after almost six more years, fans will finally get their hands on Trap or Die 3, and this time as a commercially released album. “Third time’s the charm! TRUST ME” he wrote in the caption, followed be three snowman emojis.
Naturally, the announcement got fans pretty pumped online, with some hailing the Trap or Die series as some of Jeezy’s best work.
There’s no release date as of yet, but with the announcement officially made, it hopefully won’t be too long until we can get our hands on the new project.