Tag: Rap

NME

Dr. Dre has confirmed that he’s finished recording an album with Marsha Ambrosius, with both artists describing the finished product as some of their “best work”.

• READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: O’Shea Jackson Jr.

The announcement of new music follows on from the recent speculation that Dre is readying a new solo album release. Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav claimed back in August that he will be a guest on the upcoming record.

Dre’s next full-length release, however, now appears set to be a collaboration with the Liverpool-born singer-songwriter Ambrosius, with both artists confirming over the weekend that work on a record, ‘Casablanco’, had been completed.

Dre shared an image of himself yesterday (December 12) in the studio watching an orchestra record, captioning the picture: “I just finished recording an album with Marsha Ambrosius. ‘Casablanco’ I had a blast!! This is some of my best work!!”

Two hours later, Ambrosius shared an image of herself with Dre in the studio and posted a similar caption to the producer’s: “I just finished recording an album with Dr. Dre “Casablanco” I had an amazing time!! This is some of my best work!!!

Musician Eric Gorfain also confirmed that he’d worked on the album, writing on Instagram Stories: “The cat is out of the bag. I spent the summer arranging strings for this entire album, reuniting with Dr. Dre and Marsha Ambrosius.

“‘Casablanco’ is seriously good. Marsha is ridiculously talented. Dre is The Greatest.”

A release date for Dre and Ambrosius’ ‘Casablanco’ has yet to be confirmed.

Dre, meanwhile, is set to feature as a character in the latest expansion pack of Grand Theft Auto Online called The Contract alongside Anderson .Paak, with new music from Dre and Snoop Dogg promised. The Contract is set for release on Wednesday (December 15).

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NME

An associate of Kanye West allegedly pressured an election worker in the state of Georgia last year to confess to false accusations of voter fraud.

In December 2020, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, became targeted by false claims that they had illegally counted fake mail-in ballots by pulling them from “suitcases” while working on the day of the 2020 election at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

The claims, which were first disseminated by right-wing website The Gateway Pundit, were debunked by Fulton County and Georgia elections officials, according to the New York Times, but continued to be amplified by Trump allies and the former President himself.

Now Reuters has reported that a woman named Trevian Kutti allegedly attempted to pressure Freeman into confessing to those false accusations that she and Moss had committed voter fraud.

According to Reuters, Kutti has been associated with Kanye West since 2018, but a representative for West later denied to the news service that she had been associated with the rapper by the time of this alleged meeting with Freeman.

According to Reuters’ report, Kutti allegedly travelled to Freeman’s home on January 4 while accompanied by an unidentified man, telling Freeman that she represented a “high-profile” individual.

Shortly after Kutti arrived at Freeman’s home, Freeman called 911, telling the operator “They’re saying that I need help.” Freeman also said that Kutti told her “it’s just a matter of time that they are going to come out for me and my family.”

Upon officers’ arrival at Freeman’s home, Kutti said that Freeman was “in danger” and had 48 hours before “unidentified subjects” would arrive at her home. Officers present suggested Kutti and Freeman reconvene at the police station, which they did.

At the station, Kutti was filmed by a police officer’s body camera telling Freeman and her family that she “cannot say what specifically will take place”. “I just know that it will disrupt your freedom and the freedom of one or more of your family members,” Kutti said. Kutti also allegedly told Freeman she was a “loose end for a party that needs to tidy up.”

Freeman told Reuters that Kutti called a man she said was named Harrison Ford and had “authoritative powers to get you protection”, and put him on speakerphone. For about an hour, Kutti and the man reportedly tried to get Freeman to implicate herself in committing voter fraud on Election Day, Freeman told Reuters.

Freeman also recalled Kutti telling her that, if Freeman didn’t tell her “everything,” she would “go to jail.” Freeman ended the phone call by saying “the Devil is a liar” and requested assistance from an officer.

Though police say they didn’t investigate further, Freeman was reportedly contacted by the FBI on January 5, who advised her that she should leave her home as they feared she was in danger. A mob arrived at Freeman’s home on January 6 – the same day as the Capitol riots – shouting threats through bullhorns. It is unclear whether Freeman vacated her home before then.

Though Reuters has reported that Trevian Kutti was a publicist of West’s, a representative for West later said that the two weren’t associated at the time she met Freeman.

“Trevian Kutti was not associated with Kanye West or any of his enterprises at the times of the facts that are reported in these articles or since these facts occurred,” said Pierre Rougier, West’s spokesperson, in a statement to Reuters.

In her biography, which was shared on the business networking site Women’s Global Initiative, Kutti is described as a member of “the Young Black Leadership Council under President Donald Trump”, Reuters said. The website has since removed Kutti’s bio.

Kanye West – now legally known as ‘Ye’ – unsuccessfully ran in the 2020 election as an independent, conceding on November 4. The day prior, he shared that the vote he cast for himself was the first time he has ever voted in a presidential election.

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NME

A memorial set for Young Dolph took place at Rolling Loud California this weekend (December 11) in the slot the late rapper would have played – watch it below.

The rapper – real name Adolph Robert Thornton Jr – was shot and killed in Memphis last month as he entered a bakery, Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies. According to TMZ, a vehicle pulled up outside before someone fired at Young Dolph through the window.

Young Dolph was set to appear at the California leg of the travelling Rolling Loud roadshow at the weekend, which took place in San Bernardino.

During what would have been his set, his protégé Key Glock, recent collaborator O.T. Genasis and rappers from his Paper Route Empire record label all appeared on stage in tribute to the late rapper.

Watch the full memorial set below:

A private funeral was held for Young Dolph in Memphis last month (November 30), following the rapper’s death.

Videos coming from Memphis show Dolph’s casket being guided out the cemetery by a police escort.

As reported by Complex, members of Dolph’s family said in a statement following his death “there are no words that exist that sufficiently express the pain we are feeling.

“Losing Adolph, Dolph, Man-Man, changes our lives forever. And while we will take each day as it comes, we are comforted in knowing that he leaves a legacy that reflects his heart. A heart that was for his family. A heart that was for the people.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of love. We are grateful that his godly obligation to show kindness to the world is being acknowledged. As a family, we were blessed to call him our son, our nephew, our brother, our cousin, our partner and our Father. And now, we have the honor of calling him our angel. A role he has always played.”

Tributes were also paid by a range of musicians, including Chance The Rapper, Megan Thee Stallion, Quavo and Offset, among others.

Following Dolph’s killing, a memorial was set up outside of the cookie shop. A man was subsequently shot and wounded at the site, and taken to hospital in a non-critical condition. Three people faced court earlier this week charged with aggravated assault, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, theft and more in relation to the memorial shooting.

The post Watch a Young Dolph tribute set during his scheduled Rolling Loud slot appeared first on NME.

NME

Kid Cudi has revealed plans to drop two separate albums next year, saying he has some “tasty surprises.”

While performing as part of the California leg of the Rolling Loud festival for 2021, the rapper delivered a yet-to-be-released song titled ‘Freshie’. Elsewhere in the set, Cudi explained why he was teasing unreleased music during his set.

“As you know, I have ‘Entergalactic’ coming in the summer,” Cudi said – referencing his long-teased album, first hinted at back in 2019.

“I wanna drop another album before that. I got some tasty surprises and I really am excited about all this new shit; this new music to give to you guys. That’s why I’m teasing this shit now, because it’s coming out soon. Tonight, record this shit.”

Watch Cudi perform ‘Freshie’, and announce his two new albums, below:

While ‘Entergalactic’ has been teased for over two years, Cudi did release his seventh studio album, ‘Man On The Moon III: The Chosen’, last year.

In a review of the album, NME‘s Will Lavin wrote that the album was “a cinematic masterstroke that electrifies the senses at every turn.

“Kid Cudi gives us every part of himself, laying out his insecurities and inner demons in the hope that it might help someone else,” the review read. “No one does mood music quite like Cudi.”

More recently Cudi made a cameo in the latest Adam McKay film Don’t Look Up playing DJ Chello, the love interest of Ariana Grande‘s character Riley Bina. As part of the film, Cudi and Grande recorded a duet, titled ‘Just Look Up’.

The film sports an all-star cast, including Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet and more. In a review, NME‘s Nick Levine wrote that it “succeeds as both a raucous comedy and a grim cautionary tale.”

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NME

American brewery Anheuser-Busch has announced it will discontinue Travis Scott‘s hard seltzer Cacti, after just nine months on the market.

Despite its timing following a run of bad publicity and a tarnished reputation for the rapper in the wake of the 2021 Astroworld tragedy, a representative from Anheuser-Busch has told Pitchfork that the decision was mutual between Scott and the brewery.

“Travis was clear in his interview that he is not focused on business right now and his priority is helping his community and fans heal,” the statement read.

“Cacti asked AB Inbev to inform their wholesalers there will not be product at this time.”

The interview alluded to in the statement is Scott’s recent sit-down with Charlemagne Tha God, which has drawn criticism for Scott’s perceived lack of responsibility for what happened at his festival.

Over 1500 lawsuits have been filed by one Houston attorney, following the crowd crush that left 10 dead and hundreds injured. Scott offered to cover the funeral expenses of those that were lost at Astroworld, but half of the families reportedly rejected Scott’s payment.

Cacti was originally released in March 2021, having been originally announced in December. It is one of several entrepreneurial projects from the rapper that have since been shelved in the wake of the tragedy – including his own cannabis line, a McDonald’s meal deal and a “strategic creative partnership” with Sony for the PS5.

The post Travis Scott’s hard seltzer discontinued by manufacturer appeared first on NME.

NME

American brewery Anheuser-Busch has announced it will discontinue Travis Scott‘s hard seltzer Cacti, after just nine months on the market.

Despite its timing following a run of bad publicity and a tarnished reputation for the rapper in the wake of the 2021 Astroworld tragedy, a representative from Anheuser-Busch has told Pitchfork that the decision was mutual between Scott and the brewery.

“Travis was clear in his interview that he is not focused on business right now and his priority is helping his community and fans heal,” the statement read.

“Cacti asked AB Inbev to inform their wholesalers there will not be product at this time.”

The interview alluded to in the statement is Scott’s recent sit-down with Charlemagne Tha God, which has drawn criticism for Scott’s perceived lack of responsibility for what happened at his festival.

Over 1500 lawsuits have been filed by one Houston attorney, following the crowd crush that left 10 dead and hundreds injured. Scott offered to cover the funeral expenses of those that were lost at Astroworld, but half of the families reportedly rejected Scott’s payment.

Cacti was originally released in March 2021, having been originally announced in December. It is one of several entrepreneurial projects from the rapper that have since been shelved in the wake of the tragedy – including his own cannabis line, a McDonald’s meal deal and a “strategic creative partnership” with Sony for the PS5.

The post Travis Scott’s hard seltzer discontinued by manufacturer appeared first on NME.

NME

Reports have emerged claiming Travis Scott has been dropped from the 2022 Coachella line-up, following last month’s Astroworld tragedy that saw 10 people killed in a crowd surge.

On Friday (December 10), Palm Springs news outlet KESQ reported that the city of Indio’s community services manager, Jim Curtis, told the channel Scott will “no longer be performing” at next year’s event.

Variety later reported that Scott had been “effectively removed” from the Coachella lineup. According to Variety, the festival had told Scott’s agent, Cara Lewis, that it planned on removing the rapper from the line-up, and would pay a kill fee for the cancellation.

A spokesperson for the city of Indio later said it could not confirm whether Scott had been removed from Coachella’s 2022 lineup. “Any confirmation about the festival lineup would come from Goldenvoice,” the city’s director of communications and marketing Brooke Beare told The Palm Springs Desert Sun.

NME has reached out to Goldenvoice – the music events company that oversees Coachella – Scott’s representatives, and the festival for comment. None has publicly confirmed the reports nor issued a statement at the time of publication.

A Change.org petition was launched last month calling on Goldenvoice to remove Scott as a performer from all of its festivals and has over 60,000 signatures at the time of writing. It’s not clear whether this petition had any bearing on Scott’s purported removal from the Coachella line-up.

Scott is currently facing numerous lawsuits over the crowd surge that took place during the headline set at his Astroworld event in Houston on November 5, killing 10 and leaving hundreds more injured. Nearly 2,800 plaintiffs are seeking restitution for what happened at the festival.

Earlier this month, Scott requested to be dismissed from many of the lawsuits levelled at him, with a representative for the rapper saying he’s “not legally liable” for the tragedy. Other parties facing lawsuits, including Live Nation, its subsidiary ScoreMore and Astroworld’s promoters, have denied the allegations.

Speaking of the incident in his first interview since Astroworld, Scott said: “Fans come to the show to have a good experience and I have a responsibility to figure out what happened here. I have a responsibility to figure out a solution.”

Responding to Scott’s interview, Tony Buzbee, a lawyer for the family of Axel Acosta, who died at Astroworld, said: “You don’t get to punt back responsibility somewhere else. These are lessons we learn as children.”

Scott was to appear on the bill for the 2020 edition of Coachella, but the festival was cancelled due to the public health orders around the coronavirus pandemic. He was scheduled to headline the 2022 event along with Rage Against The Machine, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Swedish House Mafia.

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NME

Reports have emerged claiming Travis Scott has been dropped from the 2022 Coachella line-up, following last month’s Astroworld tragedy that saw 10 people killed in a crowd surge.

On Friday (December 10), Palm Springs news outlet KESQ reported that the city of Indio’s community services manager, Jim Curtis, told the channel Scott will “no longer be performing” at next year’s event.

Variety later reported that Scott had been “effectively removed” from the Coachella lineup. According to Variety, the festival had told Scott’s agent, Cara Lewis, that it planned on removing the rapper from the line-up, and would pay a kill fee for the cancellation.

A spokesperson for the city of Indio later said it could not confirm whether Scott had been removed from Coachella’s 2022 lineup. “Any confirmation about the festival lineup would come from Goldenvoice,” the city’s director of communications and marketing Brooke Beare told The Palm Springs Desert Sun.

NME has reached out to Goldenvoice – the music events company that oversees Coachella – Scott’s representatives, and the festival for comment. None has publicly confirmed the reports nor issued a statement at the time of publication.

A Change.org petition was launched last month calling on Goldenvoice to remove Scott as a performer from all of its festivals and has over 60,000 signatures at the time of writing. It’s not clear whether this petition had any bearing on Scott’s purported removal from the Coachella line-up.

Scott is currently facing numerous lawsuits over the crowd surge that took place during the headline set at his Astroworld event in Houston on November 5, killing 10 and leaving hundreds more injured. Nearly 2,800 plaintiffs are seeking restitution for what happened at the festival.

Earlier this month, Scott requested to be dismissed from many of the lawsuits levelled at him, with a representative for the rapper saying he’s “not legally liable” for the tragedy. Other parties facing lawsuits, including Live Nation, its subsidiary ScoreMore and Astroworld’s promoters, have denied the allegations.

Speaking of the incident in his first interview since Astroworld, Scott said: “Fans come to the show to have a good experience and I have a responsibility to figure out what happened here. I have a responsibility to figure out a solution.”

Responding to Scott’s interview, Tony Buzbee, a lawyer for the family of Axel Acosta, who died at Astroworld, said: “You don’t get to punt back responsibility somewhere else. These are lessons we learn as children.”

Scott was to appear on the bill for the 2020 edition of Coachella, but the festival was cancelled due to the public health orders around the coronavirus pandemic. He was scheduled to headline the 2022 event along with Rage Against The Machine, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Swedish House Mafia.

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