Pennsylvania’s very own Sean Ski releases his latest hard-hitting single/video with Chris Webby titled “Juiced Up“, produced by Big Jerm and mixed by ID Labs.
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Big Mack & King Reegz – “The G Template” (Album Review)
A project dedicated to real “G’s”, San Francisco’s Big Mack & King Reegz connect for a 17-track collaborative project “The G Template”, taking us back to when Hip Hop was represented in it’s purest ways with raw lyrics and hard hitting beats. In this project, you will find a mixture of raw boom-bap, soulful tunes, and Bay Area signature club bangers. Being that this is a lengthy project, we will 3 songs off the project, each of the styles of rap just described.
Due to the Bay Area vibes all throughout the album, lets get to the club banger first. Track 4, “VIP” is a true radio and club worthy track while both emcees describe beautiful ladies you typically find in the VIP section of all clubs who are also gold diggers, yet they don’t fall for the trap. The soulful side of the project we have to say goes tot he single, “G Code”. This track we think encompasses the whole project consisting of a soulful hook and lyrics to compliment. King Reegz & Big Mack are definitely no pretending when living the “G” lifestyle.
Now let’s get into that raw boom-bap and raw lyricism! We have to highlight “Look What You Done”. Front to back, the whole project is dope, but this song takes this project to a whole new level. There is always that classic song in every album, and “Look What You Done” will go down as that head banger classic.
Bay Area Hip Hop is alive and kicking, King & Big and keeping the torch lit. We rate “The G Template” a solid 8/10. Also, make sure to watch the official video for “Peel Awf” off the project above.
San Francisco is the home of King Reegz & Big Mack.
Hitmaka Teases Posthumous DMX Collaborations: “We’ll Hear Them Soon”
Hitmaka has had quite the career. He rose to fame under the rap name Yung Berg, before making a shift to producing in the 2010s. His rebranding has resulted in high-profile collaborations with the likes of Big Sean, Chris Brown, and Lil Wayne among countless others. One artist Hitmaka placed high on his collab list, however, was DMX. He idolized the New York icon, and was fortunate enough to produce sessions for X shortly before his death in 2021. Will we ever get to hear them? Well, according to Hitmaka, we’ll get them sooner rather than later.
Hitmaka shed light on the DMX situation during a recent interview with AllHipHop. He revealed that he’s in possession of multiple X songs, and is simply waiting for the right time to release them. “[It’s] out of respect for the family,” he explained. “I’m just waiting for the right opportunity. I don’t want any money from ‘em but whatever the proceeds [are] should go to [them].” Hitmaka assured fans that he’s been communicating with DMX’s estate to make sure these songs see the light of day. “So whenever they handled that then I’m sure his estate—we’ll hear them soon,” he added.
Read More: Hitmaka Labels Tink Drama As “Embarassing”
Hitmaka Worked With DMX Right Before His Death
Hitmaka and DMX go way back. The former actually signed with DMX when he was only 14 years old, and received a placement on the soundtrack to the DMX film Exit Wounds (2001). The two eventually parted ways, but reconnected shortly before X’s death. It’s during this brief window that they churned out new music together. “We actually have a couple records that we did in a full circle moment after I became Hitmaka,” he noted. “In the position I’m in, I was able to tap back in with X in Atlanta. He hit me randomly like, ‘Shorty! Shorty! I need a studio.” Hitmaka considered the night to be a full circle moment for both him and X.
Hitmaka has reached a point in his career where he wants to make business strides and not just hits. He proved that he could deliver the goods as a producer, but he told Flaunt that he wanted to move beyond that and challenge himself. “I aspire to be super out of here,” he announced. “I really want to run one of these companies and be at the head of it, to open up doors for people like me. I’m just getting started forreal.” Fans will be in for a treat with whatever Hitmaka does next, especially if it involves the rapper who gave him his big break.
Read More: Tink & Hitmaka’s NSFW Text Messages Suggest They’ve Made Up
Jay Electronica Comments On Drake Battle In The Most Jay Elect Way Possible
There are two kinds of rappers these days. The ones who are beefing with Drake, and the ones who have opinions about the Drake beef. Jay Electronica falls under the latter group. The New Orleans rapper took to X (formerly Twitter) to weigh in on the biggest hip-hop narrative of 2024, and he did so in a way that was classic Jay Elect. Instead of coming and stating how he felt, the rapper dropped references to two classic films.
The first film Jay Electronica referenced was Good Night, and Good Luck (2005). The Oscar-nominated drama is about Edward R. Murrow, a TV journalist who dared to push against the Red Scare narrative put forth by Joseph R. McCarthy in the 1950s. The rapper tweeted the title of the film, which is an expression meant to convey the notion that one must rely on themselves in the face of tremendous adversity. The same kind of adversity Drake is facing from every corner of the music industry at the moment.
Read More: Jay Electronica Claims Kanye West’s “Bound 2” Was Inspired By Him
Jay Electronica Supports Drake In The Rap Wars
“Good Night and Good Luck” was also the title of a Drake song from 2008. The song was Drake’s first ever diss, and it helped him to demolish a Toronto rapper named Aristo. It’s unclear if Jay Electronica quoted the expression with the context of Drake’s battle history in mind, but given his rapping abilities, it’s certainly possible.
The other film Jay Elect referenced was First Blood (1982), the first entry in the Rambo franchise. The specific scene sees Rambo’s ex-commander warn the local sheriff not to challenge the Vietnam veteran. “Are you telling me that 200 men against your boy is a no-win situation?,” the sheriff asks, to which the ex-commander states: “If you send that many don’t forget one thing. A good supply of body bags.”
The parallel Jay Elect is making between Rambo and Drake are obvious, as both men are being forced into battle with their backs against the wall. Drake even dressed up like the action hero in the music video for “Way 2 Sexy.” Given that Rambo is a legendary killing machine, it’s safe to infer that Jay Electronica is confident in Drake’s ability to succeed.
Read More: Kendrick Lamar Allegedly Disses Big Sean, Jay Electronica & French Montana On New Leak: Report
Symba Goes at J. Cole in New Freestyle
Symba is taking aim at J. Cole on a new freestyle and says Cole doesn’t deserve to be part of the Big 3 anymore.
Symba Disses J. Cole on Birthday Freestyle
On Thursday (April 11), Symba posted a new freestyle on Instagram in celebration of his 33rd birthday. Over Big Sean’s “Control” beat, Symba laments over the state of hip-hop before placing the blame partially on J. Cole, who publicly apologized to Kendrick Lamar for his “7 Minute Drill” diss track.
“I looked the devil dead in his eyes like I ain’t scared to die,” Symba raps. “For d**n sure ain’t scared to go to war with a friend of mine/Pushing through sunset lighting up with the top down/Barbershop convos ’bout who sit at the top now/The Big 3 f***ed up, Cole gave up his spot now/Can’t say you top five if you scared to be hostile.”
Symba continued, “I remember feeling your pain when you let Nas down/But you done let Bas down and Cozz down/You done let the squad down/Can’t say you the goat if you ain’t poppin ’em/We ain’t tryna hear all them apologies/Dot told you n-ggas that he usually homeboys with who he rhymin’ with/But this is Hip-Hop and you n-ggas should know what time it is.”
He added in the caption, “It’s my birthday and Yaw know what time it is .. THIS IS HIP HOP!!!”
Read More: J. Cole Forgets His Lyrics Mid-Performance
J. Cole Apologizes for Kendrick Lamar Diss
Symba is far from the first person to take issue with J. Cole’s apology, which went down during his performance at the 2024 Dreamville Festival last Sunday (April 7). Cole said that while he adores his newest EP Might Delete Later, “7 Minute Drill” was the outlier that didn’t sit right with him.
“I’m so proud of that project except for one part,” Cole said. “There’s one part of that s**t that make me feel like, ‘Man, that’s the lamest s**t I ever did in my f***ing life.”
Cole went on to call “7 Minute Drill” a “relapse” from his “peace,” and admitted he has nothing but love for Kendrick Lamar.
Read More: Is the J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar Beef a Ruse?
Watch Symba go at J. Cole in a new freestyle below.
Watch Symba Go at J. Cole in New Freestyle
See the Most NSFW Cover Art on Hip-Hop Albums
Which Rappers Have Apologized To Kendrick Lamar?
During the headlining performance at his Dreamville Festival, J. Cole rescinded the shots he took at Kendrick Lamar on “7 Minute Drill.” The outro from his latest surprise album responded to Lamar’s verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” which dissed both Cole and Drake. On “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole aimed at Kendrick’s discography and minimal output while also expressing hesitation to diss him out of love. His decision to backtrack the bars on his Might Delete Later outro has garnered polarizing reactions from the hip hop community. Social media may be in a frenzy over his public apology, but J. Cole is far from the first rapper to walk back their remarks against Kendrick Lamar. Today, we are revisiting five instances in which rappers have offered an apology to Kendrick Lamar. Take a look at the list below.
After taking home the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2014 for The Heist, Macklemore took to Instagram to reveal a text message he sent to Kendrick Lamar. “You got robbed,” he wrote. “I wanted you to win. You should have. It’s weird and sucks that I robbed you. I was gonna say that during the speech. Then the music started playing during the speech and I froze.” Many saw Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s win over Kendrick Lamar, Drake, JAY-Z, and Kanye West as a major upset for the hip hop community, despite their astronomical success as independent artists. The aftermath of The Heist’s Grammy win resulted in Macklemore’s apology to Kendrick Lamar, advocating that Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City should have won instead.
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 04: Jay Electronica performs at The Tabernacle on December 4, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
A few years after appearing on Big Sean’s “Control” alongside Kendrick Lamar, Jay Electronica dissed Lamar during a 2016 livestream. “Kendrick is my son, Kendrick is my baby, Kendrick wishes he could be me,” he said. Soon after, Jay Electronica released “#TBE The Curse of Mayweather,” in which he referenced Kendrick Lamar’s 11 Grammy nominations. “He’s got eleven Grammy nominations, y’all not equal / Maaaan f*ck these white people!” he raps. Ab-Soul defended his fellow Black Hippy member, dissing Jay on “RAW (Backwards).” Jay Electronica later issued a public apology to Kendrick Lamar, asking him and Top Dawg to “forgive [his] past transgressions.”
Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco has expressed his gripes with Kendrick Lamar on several occasions. He once said he does not regard Lamar as a top-tier lyricist, favoring rappers like King Los and Logic. “[Kendrick’s] overall lyrics are good, his stories phenomenal, but punchline entendre lyrically I don’t see it,” he said. In 2018, Lupe took to Twitter to voice his suspicions about Kendrick potentially copying his album cover. “Even I admit this is a little too close for comfort,” he captioned a side-by-side image of Kendrick and SZA’s “All the Stars” and the initial artwork for DROGAS WAVE. Lupe continued, “No matter how far you go… you will reflect me,” pointing out similarities between their album covers, reversed tracklists, and ninja-themed aesthetics.
Fiasco later backtracked his views, writing, “I apologize for even engaging and talking about n****s’ careers. I’ll never do that sh*t again.” This 2018 statement recently made headlines in light of J. Cole’s apology to Kendrick Lamar. Earlier this week, Lupe Fiasco clarified his remarks on Twitter, writing, “I wasn’t apologizing to him lol…I was sorry about the entire shindig because it was such a waste of time and energy in something that actually had nothing to do with me.” Despite his sentiment, Lupe also voiced that he “fears no rapper of any kind or on any time,” indicating that he is not ducking any smoke from any artist.
French Montana
In 2020, French Montana started a Twitter debate that he has more hits than Kendrick Lamar. He wrote, “If we just talking about anthems, me vs Kendrick hit for hit ! I believe I can go neck to neck!!” Doubling down on his declaration, he continued, “I love Kendrick! that’s not just for Kendrick that’s to anybody they put in front of me.” Young Thug even got involved in the conversation, sparking a Twitter debate. French Montana later retracted his statement, apologizing to Kendrick Lamar on Instagram Live. He said, “I want to do the positive thing here and stay out the way of trouble ‘cause at the end of the day, me, Thug and Kendrick [are] three different artists.”
Big Sean
Even after appearing together on songs like “Control” and “Holy Key,” Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar began their long history of subliminal exchanges. Sean allegedly dissed Kendrick on “No More Interviews,” leading many to believe that Lamar’s alleged shots on “The Heart Part IV” were targeted at Sean. In 2020, however, Big Sean revealed in his song “Deep Reverence” that he and Kendrick buried the hatchet. He raps, “I reached out to Kendrick, it wasn’t even no real issues there to begin with / Lack of communication and wrong information from people fueled by their ego, it’s like mixin’ flames with diesel.” The two reportedly remain friendly, though Kendrick Lamar’s outshining of Big Sean’s latest releases prompted more supposed shots.
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Does J Cole’s Apology Mean Drake Is Forced To Compete With Kendrick Lamar?
The J Cole apology to Kendrick Lamar is akin to Neo taking the blue pill in many’s eyes. The only thing slightly greater than our disappointment in one of “The Big Three” refusing the lyrical competition he sought for over a decade is our respect for the higher ground of peace and love in one of the most active beef battlegrounds we’ve seen in hip-hop in a very long time, as these three aren’t the only ones feuding. Still, the retraction wasn’t entirely surprising given the one-foot-in, other-foot-out approach to previous beefs with Noname, Ye, or Wale. Also, the transphobia on Cole’s Might Delete Later cut “Pi” is garnering him more deserved heat than this walk-back. But K.Dot’s other opponent right now is not as forgiving.
Drake is battle-tested, but so far, he’s only offered vague alleged responses to DJ Akademiks, subliminal Instagram captions, and self-affirmation speeches while on tour with J. Cole. Meanwhile, following the likes of Big Sean, Jay Electronica, and Lupe Fiasco, this is yet another instance of Kendrick Lamar’s opponent not giving him the battle experience because, frankly, they realized didn’t even want that pressure to begin with. So now there are two lone soldiers on the front lines: the biggest rapper right now and hip-hop’s balance-achieving boogeyman. Does this apology from Cole mean that The Boy must finally comply with pressure and respond to the Compton titan on his own? While we’d bet that he will, we don’t think that we’ll be hearing a verse for a bit longer.
Read More: Drake Posts Larry O’Brien Trophy With His Notebook, Fans Think A Diss Track Is Coming
Why Hasn’t Drake Responded To Kendrick Lamar Yet?
First of all, Drake had already mentioned that he planned on taking a short break from music following 2023’s For All The Dogs era (might’ve been a troll). We got a 4batz feature and a removed Bfb Da Packman verse (likely so he can at least say something about Kendrick Lamar), but not much else. Drizzy just wrapped up his tour, and he might be taking his time with this beef as opposed to some of his more prompt responses in past feuds. It’s also important to note that “The Big Three” refers to the 2010s, not right now. These aren’t the high stakes they would’ve been back in 2013, and Cole didn’t really say anything disrespectful enough regarding the “trio.” He just showed he was a bit more self-aware about the situation with this apology.
As such, J. Cole doesn’t exit “The Big Three” of the 2010s automatically… at least, if he was in yours to begin with. Similarly, maybe Drake hasn’t responded yet because he doesn’t feel like he needs to. He already has a cemented spot as one of the biggest rappers period, and his die-hards are less pretentious and backpack-y than his “Big Three” counterparts, who place much more overt value on lyricism, messaging, and competition. OVO goons didn’t mind “The Story Of Adidon”; we doubt they’ll mind anything Kendrick Lamar has to say. But the Toronto superstar has a pen he punches under the weight of far too often, and when it hits, it hits. Now, this slightly unsharpened tool is the only thing that has (barring ghostwriters) to defend himself against Kendrick Lamar, as he can no longer count on Cole as a sparring partner.
Read More: Every Time Kendrick Lamar Took Shots At Drake
What Does J. Cole’s Apology Cause?
Cole’s apology also sets a precedent for what fans don’t want, and with clamors for blood, it seems like Kendrick Lamar is getting exactly what he wanted with his “Like That” verse. But does a response from the 6ix God even matter? Absolutely. Pusha T proved he was mortal. Kendrick might prove he’s fodder. Drake has to exemplify his music and persona’s pretenses and confidently go all the way. The Take Care pioneer certainly has more experience with lyrical wars, although his overuse of subliminals and social media will not be enough anymore. Kendrick is the only rapper close to his commercial level to still retain the positively traditionalist qualities of an all-time MC. He’s undefeated because he doesn’t focus on that status: he focuses on the craft.
It’s not that risky for Mr. Morale, either: if he wins, it’ll be his final victory atop the rap mainstream’s throne as the best of our generation, and if he loses, it won’t be for lack of trying. His music is resonant and powerful enough to carry his legacy on its own with ease. Drake’s loss (or silence) could mean losing any slightest chance of being remembered as an all-timer by the classic art of rap that he reveres so much, although he would never lose the massive fanbase and commercial appeal that is built in his DNA at this point. But if he competes and wins… there would be a whole lot of shocked haters in line to apologize, and it would hopefully be something that would prove and improve his talent as an MC for years to come. Is Drake truly hip-hop? Hopefully, we’ll see.
Joey Badass Reminds Kendrick Lamar & J Cole Of His “Control” Response Amid Beef
The civil war between Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Drake is ramping up now following Cole’s “7 Minute Drill” response to the former TDE MC’s disses. However, while this whole situation has folks remembering Kendrick’s callout of other rappers on Big Sean‘s “Control” a decade ago, not enough people are remembering how these lyricists responded to him back then. At least, that’s what Joey Badass thinks, as he took to Twitter on Friday (April 5) after the Dreamville boss’ diss dropped with a simple message: “Never Forget,” and a link to his “Killuminati Pt. 2” song’s lyrics. On this song, he responded to Kendrick’s “Control” shots with a lot of hunger, aggression, and boastfulness.
“No escaping, you in a swimming pool of champagne,” Joey Bada$$ rapped against Kendrick Lamar on the Knwledge-produced track about 11 years ago. “You set yourself up for that one, mane / The King of New York? Ha! We ain’t just gon’ let that one hang.” This seemed to be a direct address when it comes to J. Cole and Drake beefing with Kendrick right now, and in particular how folks are only keeping this debate to “The Big Three.” As such, it seems like the New York spitter is opening it up to the entire rap game, and to names like his who fans might be overlooking right now in the face of “Like That” and “7 Minute Drill.”
Read More: J Cole Disses Kendrick Lamar: Breaking Down The Bars On “7 Minute Drill”
Joey Badass Seems To Throw His Hat Into Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole’s Ring
Of course, Joey Bada$$ and Kendrick Lamar have shown each other a lot of respect and love over the years despite this competitive attitude. Still, this is pretty interesting since Kendrick never explicitly named Joey in his “Control” verse, yet naming himself the King of New York clearly and rightfully struck a nerve with the Pro Era boss. For now, at least, it seems like the general hip-hop community will keep this beef to “The Big Three,” but there’s still plenty of room to debate whether folks like Joey should replace one of them in conversations. Might this be a prelude to him making this a full-on lyrical attack, throwing his hat into the ring?
That seems unlikely, but it would certainly be pretty incendiary. As more reactions to “7 Minute Drill” pour in, folks will likely continue to bring up other rappers in this debate. But let’s not act like this is the culmination of 11 years of silence; MCs have been challenging K.Dot for the throne for a while. For more news and the latest updates on Joey Bada$$, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, stay posted on HNHH.
Read More: Serayah Crying Footage Has Joey Badass Putting “TMZ” On Blast
Kendrick Lamar Should Pick On Joyner Lucas Since He’s Begging For A Battle
Joyner Lucas just pulled the “show me my opponent” card and to be honest, it feels like he threw it down in front of Kendrick Lamar as if he was in the moment, frantically slamming down a draw four card during a competitive Uno game night.
Optics wise, the fact Kendrick was able to upend the rap game once again with his feature verse on “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin 10 years after doing so via his feature verse on Big Sean’s “Control” is pure insanity.
However, looking through that same lens, it’s almost even more insane that Lucas indirectly triple-dog dared Kendrick to see him in the booth, even after witnessing the mess his latest verse caused. Nevertheless, during his recent radio interview, Lucas appeared to challenge not only Kung Fu Kenny, but the entire top tier of rappers in Hip-Hop to try him so he can show the game what he’s about.
“I Just stay in my pocket and pray to God and hope that somebody disses me first,” Lucas said with a cold blooded mug on his face. “Because then I’m not technically wrong for the spot going crazy, right? So any rappers out there, if you listening to this s###, please even on some competitive s### diss me.”
Taking things a step further, Lucas made his intent clear that he’s gunning for the HNIC’s of Hip-Hop, not the little Lil’s or the wanna-be, clout-chasing newcomers.
“I’m not talking about the minions or none of these little n#####, independent m############ rappers trying to come up and try to use my name and to get pop, I’m talking, talking about the n##### that are on already, you feel me?” he said.
He continued, “All of the big n###s, pause, and n###s in the game, you know what I’m saying? And n##### that say something, n##### that went platinum before, you know what I’m saying? N###s that are on my level all my way, them n##### not the, you know what I mean.”
As he continued, Lucas was literally foaming at the mouth, essentially begging rap artists to tag him into the royal rumble. “Let me jump out the, please, tap me in,” he said. “Tap me in my n###a. I feel like bullying n##### sometimes.”
What y’all think? Do you need these bars from Lucas and Kendrick or can ole boy keep em? To keep it a buck, it seems like Lucas has been bout that action ever since he and Machine Gun Kelly exchanged words in 2022, when Joyner threatened to “lyrically destroy him.” Apparently, he got that dog in ’em, so somebody gotta let him off the leash!
Check out the full clip above.
Amine Buys Nearly $3 Million Home In The Hollywood Hills
Amine reps his city as much as anybody. In his lyrics, song titles, and music videos he’s always talking about the city of Portland. That’s why some recent news about him buying a new home is surprising rap fans. That’s because the home he purchased isn’t in Portland at all, but the Hollywood Hills. According to XXL, he’s nabbed a 3,591 square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom residence in Los Angeles. They also shared some pictures of the stunning residence, check out the full set of photos below.
Amine’s most recent musical effort was a collaboration. He teamed up with producer Kaytranada for a fittingly titled crossover album called Kaytramine last year. In addition to the two talented artists at its core, the album also featured appearances from Freddie Gibbs, Big Sean, Amaarae, Snoop Dogg, and Pharrell. The album spawned hits and fan favorites like “4EVA,” “Rebuke,” and “Sossaup.” The pair played a special five-show summer tour last year to celebrate the release of the album. The tour included dates in both Amine’s native Portland and Los Angeles.
Read More: Kaytranada Brings Out Aminé, Kali Uchis At Coachella
Amine Buys Himself A New Home
Earlier this year, Amine teamed up with RiTchie from Injury Reserve. He’s hearing up to drop his first solo album later this year and has teased it with a series of singles including “Dizzy” which also features a verse from the Portland-rapper. The two have collaborated numerous times before on songs like the single “Campfire” and the Limbo deep cut “Fetus. Amine lent a memorable guest verse to the car-themed banger “Jailbreak The Tesla” from Injury Reserve’s 2019 self-titled album.
Amine’s last solo project was his TWOPOINTFIVE mixtape project in 2021. It served as the sequel to 2018’s ONEPOINTFIVE. Both projects served as shorter splashes of material in the gap between bigger and more substantial solo releases from the rapper. What do you think of Amine’s new house in the Hollywood Hills? Are you looking forward to new material from the rapper soon? Let us know in the comment section below.
Read More: Aminé & Kaytranada Announce Collab Album “Kaytraminé”
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