Vince Staples’ Cry Baby: Reviewers Highlight “TV Guide” and a Slick Rick Flip
Reviews of Vince Staples’ Cry Baby single out “TV Guide” as a “paranoid, relentless attack” on the 24-hour news cycle and corporate media, with distorted guitars described as mimicking the claustrophobia of constant crisis coverage. [Hip Hop Golden Age] Another standout, “The Big Bad Wolf,” flips Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story” into what reviewers call a “frantic survival anthem.” [Hip Hop Golden Age]
→ Get the full Vince Staples Cry Baby review — TV Guide, The Big Bad Wolf, and what critics said →
Fresh Friday: Vince Staples Independent, Lizzo Reclaiming, Navy Blue with Earl and Ka
Rolling Out’s Fresh Friday frames this week’s drops around Vince Staples entering an “independent era,” Lizzo “reclaiming power on her own terms,” and Shaboozey expanding a Western-inspired world, alongside singles from Kehlani with Missy Elliott, Tinashe, and Jon Batiste. [Rolling Out] Navy Blue’s Sir Render is described as a “layered” project built around a knight battling inner demons — grief, self-acceptance, perseverance — with contributions from Earl Sweatshirt, Armand Hammer, Ka, and The Alchemist. [Rolling Out]
→ See the full Fresh Friday June 5 roundup — every drop from Vince Staples to Navy Blue →
Lizzo’s B*TCH Tracklist Surfaces With Songs Including “Little Black Cat” and “Like A Crime”
A tracklist for Lizzo’s album B*TCH has surfaced, listing songs including “Little Black Cat,” “Sexy Ladies (feat. UCB) — That GRRRL,” “Too Nice,” “Like A Crime,” and “Goodmorning!” [HotNewHipHop] Rolling Out’s Fresh Friday coverage describes the project as Lizzo “reclaiming power on her own terms.” [Rolling Out]
→ Find out the full Lizzo B*TCH tracklist and what critics are saying about her new direction →
Cardi B Apologized and Sent a Bag; Latto Put It in a Song and Left It There
Rolling Out reconstructs the Cardi B – Latto tension: leaked audio from September caught Cardi making a “sharp and dismissive” remark about Latto shortly after Latto had appeared on Cardi’s album. [Rolling Out] Cardi publicly apologized and offered a designer bag as a peace gesture; Latto responded on Big Mama with the song “Gimme Dat,” pointedly rejecting the bag and noting someone else had already “taken care of her.” [Rolling Out] On The Breakfast Club, Latto confirmed the bar was about Cardi, said a tweet felt inadequate given how personal the situation was, and said that by the time Cardi texted her privately she had mentally moved on. [Rolling Out]
M.I.A. Files $2.8M Lawsuit After Kid Cudi Cut Her From Tour Following Dallas Political Commentary
M.I.A.’s run on Kid Cudi’s Rebel Ragers Tour ended after a Dallas date where she delivered political and immigration commentary from the stage, generating online backlash. [Rolling Out] Cudi announced he was dropping her, saying his team had been clear he did not want anything “offensive” at the shows and that fan complaints pushed his decision. [Rolling Out] M.I.A. has filed a $2.8 million lawsuit in Los Angeles claiming breach of agreement and arguing Cudi always knew her outspoken reputation; her camp describes the firing as an attack on artistic expression and attributes it to ticket dynamics and a “coordinated pile-on.” [Rolling Out]
Senator Rick Scott Urges Cancellation of Ye’s Tampa Concerts; Tampa Sports Authority Says Shows Will Proceed
Florida Senator Rick Scott publicly called for the cancellation of Ye’s upcoming Tampa concerts, citing Ye’s past praise of Adolf Hitler, his self-identification as a Nazi, and a Super Bowl ad that linked viewers to merch featuring swastika imagery. [HOT 97] Scott described it as “troubling” that a taxpayer-supported stadium would “subsidize” an event promoting what he called “dangerous, hateful rhetoric,” noting Florida’s large Jewish population, and offered his office’s help as stadium officials began “reviewing” the decision. [HOT 97] The Tampa Sports Authority has signaled the shows will still proceed as scheduled. [HOT 97]
Shooting Breaks Out at Key Glock’s Houston Album Release Party
A shooting occurred at a Houston release party for Key Glock’s new album, with video showing him being rushed out as chaos broke out. [AllHipHop] Witnesses offered conflicting accounts of what sparked the shooting, including chatter about a local DJ and a Memphis crew; online personality CEO King Munchie publicly questioned how firearms reached a venue that supposedly bans them, calling out security and “street culture.” [AllHipHop] Coverage notes Glock is not believed to have been involved in any wrongdoing, and the central questions remain who started it, how guns got in, and the condition of those injured. [AllHipHop]
→ Get the full account of what happened at Key Glock’s Houston album release party shooting →
Fetty Wap Sends Flowers to New Jersey Principal Suspended Over “Trap Queen” Yearbook Quote
New Jersey educator Theresa O’Connell was removed from campus and told her contract would not be renewed after a school yearbook printed a quote from Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” on its front page attributed to her; she says the quote was not in the version she approved before publication. [HOT 97] The school board has declined comment, citing pending litigation; Fetty Wap’s team sent her flowers, which she described as a thoughtful gesture during a “difficult period.” [HOT 97] A GoFundMe for her legal costs has passed $3,000 as community members rally to her side. [HOT 97]
→ See the full Trap Queen yearbook story — the principal, Fetty Wap’s response, and the GoFundMe →
Jaguar Wright Fires Back at JAY-Z, Calling Out His Ties to Questlove, Diddy, and Kanye West
After JAY-Z’s viral Roots Picnic freestyle named multiple figures including Jaguar Wright, Wright posted a lengthy YouTube response. [HotNewHipHop] Wright — a former Roots collaborator who appeared on JAY’s MTV Unplugged — criticized Questlove’s loyalty to Hov over alleged behind-the-scenes issues affecting Black Thought, and questioned why JAY has never publicly distanced himself from Diddy amid mounting legal troubles. [HotNewHipHop] She also called out JAY’s continued relationship with Kanye West, arguing he still benefitted from Ye’s records despite Ye’s public comments about his family, and labeled him a hypocrite given freestyle bars that appeared to chastise artists for involving children in public disputes. [HotNewHipHop]
Struggle Mike Drops Muerte With Benny the Butcher, ETO, and His Full Struggle Cartel Roster
Buffalo’s Struggle Mike has released Muerte, described as a “powerful final chapter before a new era begins,” featuring frequent collaborators ETO, Bars Murre, and Smoke Bulga alongside his Struggle Cartel artists Heist da Profit and Speedie da Icon. [Hip Hop Since 1987] The project includes a Benny the Butcher collaboration titled “Its Holy and Moon,” described as stepping beyond Mike’s usual boom bap lane, with production from Roar X, Bruno, DJ Beniot, and Flexx, and artwork by Queen Hornet. [Hip Hop Since 1987]
Lil Novi and North West Drop “MULA THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL” With “Blistering” Autotune Production
Lil Novi and North West have released “MULA THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL,” described as “drenched in autotune” with “blistering production choices” designed to “blow out your speakers.” [HotNewHipHop] HotNewHipHop describes North West’s production as resonating with younger listeners, while Lil Novi is said to bring “the same youthful exuberance his father had decades ago.” [HotNewHipHop]
pgLang Signs Imani Imani as Its First Singer and Drops Surprise Debut Album Papercut
pgLang — Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s company — has announced Imani Imani as its newest signee and released her surprise debut album Papercut. She is the first singer on a roster that includes Kendrick, Baby Keem, and Tanna Leone, and reportedly signed in 2024 under the name Imani Selina. Imani first appeared on “I Feel Something” alongside Kendrick, a song premiered during Chanel’s Spring-Summer Haute Couture show in Paris as part of a Lamar/Free-directed project; her track “Snatch” opened that presentation.
→ Get the full Imani Imani pgLang story — Papercut, the Chanel debut, and her place on the roster →
Navy Blue’s Sir Render: Reviewers Highlight Drumless Soundscapes, Suicidality, and a Boom Bap Heater With Armand Hammer
A review of Navy Blue’s Sir Render breaks down how tracks “Commencement” and “Crux Ansata” use drumless soundscapes to address capsizing, turning life over to God, healing “broken wings,” and past suicidality. [Underground Hip Hop Blog] Collaborations with Armand Hammer on “Residuum,” Earl Sweatshirt on “Belladonna,” and Mike Shabb on “Over” are described as a “symphonic boom bap heater” of abstract lyricism and a “heavenly loop clinic.” [Underground Hip Hop Blog]
Yung Miami Got a Like From Drake Instead of a Verse; Sauce Walka Re-Enters the Drake Discourse
Yung Miami revealed that when she pitched Drake on a feature she thought he would be perfect for, he responded with silence and a single like on the message, delivering no verse and no direct answer. [Rolling Out] She contextualized the non-response by saying Drake was in a turbulent stretch in 2024 and that people in difficult periods deserve grace, while noting she expected more than a thumbs-up from someone she has history with. [Rolling Out] Separately, Sauce Walka re-entered the Drake conversation as DJ Akademiks reacted to their 2015 record “Wack 2 Wack” and raised allegations that Walka pimped women for Drake; Walka said his recent shots were aimed more at Adam22 than Drake. [HotNewHipHop]
Rapzilla June 5 Drops: Chris Caro Uses Quebec’s Motto to Address Spiritual Betrayal; Tds Cam Captures Intrusive Thoughts
Rapzilla spotlights new faith-based releases including Chris Caro’s “Je Me Souviens,” which uses Quebec’s historic motto (“I remember”) as a hook for confronting betrayal and spiritual trauma under abusive leadership. [Rapzilla] Tds Cam’s “One More Step” is described as capturing the “suffocating internal noise” of intrusive thoughts, finding “a haunting peace in the quiet” with survival itself framed as rescue. [Rapzilla]
→ Explore the June 5 Rapzilla drops — Chris Caro, Tds Cam, and what’s happening in faith-based rap →
Tragedy Khadafi’s Against All Odds Turns 25 Today
Blackout Hip Hop marks the 25th anniversary of Queensbridge rapper Tragedy Khadafi’s third album Against All Odds, released via Gee Street, V2, and his own 25 to Life imprint, describing it as a “raw, unfiltered underground document.” [Blackout Hip Hop] Before that project, Khadafi — then recording as Intelligent Hoodlum — released a self-titled debut in 1990 and Tragedy: Saga of a Hoodlum in 1993, albums described as fusing street realism with political activism and cementing his role as a premier Queensbridge lyricist and Juice Crew member. [Blackout Hip Hop]
Joe Budden TV: High Schoolers Now Dream of Being Content Creators Over Rappers, Says Marc Lamont Hill
On Joe Budden TV, Marc Lamont Hill and the crew discussed how high school students now often aspire to be content creators or streamers rather than rappers, with Hill noting that top creators are making “billions” and the panel concluding that “streamers is really what they want.” [Joe Budden TV]
Nick Cannon on The Breakfast Club: He Was Hit With “Coon” Slurs Online After Making Political Comments
On The Breakfast Club, Nick Cannon reflected on a past controversy in which he was hit with “Coon” and “Nick Coonin” slurs online after making political comments, including from people he considered friends at the time. [The Breakfast Club] He credited The Breakfast Club hosts with holding him accountable while remaining respectful, and distinguished them from industry acquaintances he felt had piled on; he also described himself as “anti-establishment” and said his turban is part of that identity. [The Breakfast Club]
