YG’s 4Hunnid label has signed a multi-million deal with Interscope Records.
The deal came together following the success of YG’s debut studio album, My Krazy Life. “Joie [Manda, president of urban music at Interscope Geffen A&M] was really behind our whole movement and everything we had going on,” YG told Billboard. “[Joie] knew what I did, who I had something to do with. With the album being a classic, [DJ] Mustard popping off, Ty [Dolla $ign] popping off ’cause we all from the same camp, he felt like I could have my own label and do the same things that we did for ourselves and other artists.” For his part, Manda says that he as a “full belief in their vision to build a label that moves the culture.”
Manda’s sentiments were echoed by John Janick, chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M. “YG has an unbelievable eye for talent and an innate understanding of what people want to hear…I know 4Hunnid and Interscope will do great things together.”
The success of 4Hunnid is rooted in the foundation established by YG, Ty Dolla $ign, and DJ Mustard, according to YG. “[We were] really was homies before everybody had their success. Just three motherfuckers who popped off and became successful from nothing—that’s big.” However, the label head and rapper aims to amp up the success of his venture by imploring artists to drop a consistent stream of new music as he always did. “Same day my shit dropped, I dropped another video. That’s basically how to use the game now. Motherfuckers is just dropping projects unannounced and they just dropping them with videos and touring. We’ve been doing that since 2010.”
As he goes forward, YG is looking for a roster of artists who are going to be around for 20-plus years. “It’s a lotta other artist-owned labels who want artists with hot singles like for right now and that’s cool because that’s the easy money but we getting brands. We teach artists how to build brand and be businessmen and business ladies.”
On top of his Interscope venture, YG is cooking all over the place with his upcoming FDT Tour this fall, a collaborative 400 Summers mixtape with DJ Mustard, and his own clothing line that will cement his place at the center of the West Coast hip-hop world.
It looks like all of those rumors about Eminem being on the verge of going at Drake on wax were, to put it mildly, a little off base. On Tuesday night, Drizzy brought Eminem onstage during the Canadian’s show at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The entrance, with Em coming up from underneath the stage, was very dramatic.
Kodak Black will reportedly be released from jail this week after 91 days of incarceration. According to reporter Brett Clarkson of the Sun Sentinel, a judge ruled Tuesday to free the rapper from jail after Black’s team changed his plea from not guilty to no contest in his charges of armed robbery and false imprisonment.
During the hearing, Atlantic Records’ Vice President spoke on behalf of Black telling the judge, “It is our hope that the court will agree that he be given the opportunity to turn his life around.”
Drake recently took to Instagram and unveils still from his project PLEASE FORGIVE ME. This look to be a short film which will include music from his more recent album Views. Peep the screenshots below and expect this visual to arrive soon.
Vince Staples has announced his new EP titled Prima Donna. The project will be available on August 26th. Pre-orders for the vinyl copy will be available on August 19th. The 6-track tape will have features from A$AP Rocky and Kilo Kish. The producers credited are No I.D., DJ Dahi and James Blake. Be on the lookout for Prima Donna later this month accompanied by a short film directed by Nabil. See the tracklist below.
1. WAR READY
2. SMILE
3. LOCO FEAT. KILO KISH
4. PRIMA DONNA FEAT. A$AP ROCKY
5. PIMP HAND
6. BIG TIME
Young Thug’s new project, Jeffery, is on the way, but it seems the rapper’s new name might not be as permanent as we previously thought.
Thug spoke to Travi$ Scott on his new Beats 1 .Wav radio show to clear up the confusion surrounding his new name change. “I’m Jeffery for one fucking week. If I don’t sell a 100,000 copies.”
In support of Thug, Scott said, “Let that be known. Let that be stated. We going for 100,000 first week.” He added, “I’m doing my verse tonight.”
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, PARTYNEXTDOOR opened up about Kehlani.
The two were romantically involved in 2015 and the relationship reportedly came to an end the same year (PND released a song called “Kehlani’s Freestyle” last July and later changed the title to “Things & Such”). Then, this past March, PARTY shared a photo on Instagram of him and Kehlani together with the caption, “After all the shenanigans, still got the R&B singer back in my bed.” The photo caused backlash against Kehlani, who many believed was still dating Kyrie Irving at the time. A day later Kehlani posted a photo of her in the hospital with the caption, “Today I wanted to leave the Earth.”
“I regret how it went down,” PND explained. “Big time I regret how it went down. I look into people’s eyes, and I know they think I’m a bad guy. There’s a lot of details that people don’t know.”
Soon after her divorce from Dot Da Genius made news last week, Jhene Aiko went to social media to defend her decision as well as her character. The 28-year-old singer was accused of being unfaithful to the producer, as well as attempting to play the victim. She made an effort to shut down those rumors in a series of tweets.
In several of the posts, Aiko alluded to her tumultuous past with Dot, whose real name is Oladipo Omishore. One of the now-deleted tweets read: “i only cheated myself. so glad to be free from all the drugs, depression and confrontation,” while another suggested she was disrespected in more than one way.
Vince Staples performs live at this year’s Primavera Sound Festival. Presented by Pitchfork, we get the opportunity to see Vince right before he goes out on stage as well as two additional videos from his performance. Watch below to see ‘Lift Me Up’ and below to see ‘Blue Suede.’ The footage was directed and edited by Jim Larson.
Grammy-winning singer The Weeknd is donating $250,000 to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The singer made the announcement Wednesday, days after donating $38,000 to the University of Toronto to establish an Ethiopian studies program.
The parents of The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, are from Ethiopia, but raised the performer in Canada.
Black Lives Matter, which advocates for justice and freedom for African-Americans, was founded in 2013 by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi. The organization has garnered attention after rebuking police treatment of minorities.
The Weeknd’s hits include “Can’t Feel My Face,” ”The Hills” and “Earned It,” which was nominated for an Academy Award. He earned two Grammy Awards earlier this year.