FKA Twigs Testifies To Congress About Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is one of the hottest issues right now not just in music, but in all creative mediums. Last month, dozens of artists across the music industry signed a joint letter calling for AI to be regulated. Artists are worried about the likeness being stolen by Ai platforms and recreated without their permission. There’s already been a couple of high-profile incidents surrounding artificial intelligence. Last year, an artificially generated Drake and The Weeknd song was ruled eligible for the Grammys. The decision was immediately controversial and led to them overturning it a week later. Earlier this week, there was a hearing in congress to discuss potentially regulating Artificial Intelligence going forward. R&B darling FKA Twigs was present at the hearing where she testified in favor of regulating the inevitable future of AI.

Afterward she took to Instagram to make a post about the experience. “today i spoke infront of congress to senator coons, tillis, blackburn, hirono, klobuchar, welch and blumenthal about the importance of legislation to protect artists voice and likeness, art and intellectual property from the misuse of deepfakes and ai. i am passionate about exploring new technologies with the guise of expanding my art further and exploring new ways to express myself and reach fans, however it is imperative that at this dawn of great technological growth legislation is put in place to ensure that an artists likeness is controlled by the artist themselves” her caption read. Check out the full post recap below.

Read More: FKA Twigs’ End-Of-Year Photo Dump Earns Backlash From Swifties

FKA Twigs Testifying In Congress

FKA Twigs hasn’t released a new project since 2021’s CAPRISONGS. That mixtape followed her massively acclaimed 2019 album MAGDALENE. The former features appearances from The Weeknd, Shygirl, rema, Daniel Caesar, and more.

What do you think of FKA Twigs testimony in front of congress earlier this week? DO you agree with her take the artificial intelligence is inevitable and needs to be regulated to make sure artists control their likeness? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Robert Pattinson & FKA Twigs Relationship Timeline

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Kendrick Lamar Goes Off on Drake on New Diss Track ‘Euphoria’

Kendrick Lamar is coming for blood in the lyrical battle against Drake. The West Coast rapper just unleashed a new diss track called “Euphoria.”

Kendrick Lamar Drops 6-Minute Drake Diss Track “Euphoria”

On Tuesday (April 30), K-Dot continued the lyrical onslaught with “Euphoria,” a blistering track full of lyrical ferocity aimed at the biggest artist in the rap game: Drake. The new song is in response to Drake coming for Kendrick on the recently released diss track, “Push Ups.” This marks Kendrick’s second diss directed toward Drake following K-Dot’s verse on “Like That.”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Already Has the Best Verse of 2024

Drake Disses Kendrick Lamar as Response to “Like That”

When everyone least expected it, a leaked diss track from Drake made its way around every corner of the internet on April 13. The Canadian MC fired off lyrical rounds at K-Dot, in addition to Future, The Weeknd, Metro Boomin and Rick Ross.

One of the standout gibes tossed at Kendrick includes: “Tough on record, in my city, it was friend zone/You won’t ever take no chain off of us/How the f**k you big steppin’ with a size 7 men’s on?”

There was more annihilation where that came from. Drake picked apart K-Dot’s past collaborations with Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 as well as his working relationship with Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. “Your last one bricked, you really not on s**t/They make excuses for you ’cause they hate to see me lit/Pull your contract ’cause we gotta see the split/The way you doin’ splits, b***h, your pants might rip/You better do that muthaf**kin’ show inside the bitty/Maroon 5 need a verse, you better make it witty/Then we need a verse for the Swifties/Top say drop, you better drop and give ’em 50,” Drake delivers.

Drizzy even dismantled the Big 3, and brought some of hip-hop and R&B’s major players into the mix while bashing Kung Fu Kenny. “Pipsqueak, pipe down/You ain’t in no Big 3, SZA got you wiped down/Travis got you wiped down/Savage got you wiped down/Like your label, boy, you in the scope right now/And you gon’ feel the aftermath of what I write down/I’m at the top of the mountain, so you tight now/Just to have this talk with yo’ ass, I had to hike down/Big difference between Mike then and Mike now,” Drake rhymes.

Read More: Here Are the Complete Lyrics for Drake’s New Diss Track

Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track toward Drake below.

Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s Drake Diss Track  ‘Euphoria’

See Rappers’ Most Wildest Insults They’ve Said During Beefs

Drake Shows Off His Singing And Rapping As A 9-Year-Old In Viral Home Video

Drake is the biggest star in all of rap and one of the biggest stars in all of music, but it’s worth remembering he came from pretty humble origins. He’s spawned multiple hits from discussing his come up on songs like “Over” and “Started From The Bottom.” But a recently unearthed video gave fans an even more up close and personal experience with the rapper before he was famous. But it isn’t just Drizzy in his TV actor days, the video goes back even further than that.

A Twitter account called Historic Vids shared a brief 15 second snippet of video that got people talking. In the video Drake shows off his rapping and singing abilities over the music playing in the background. The catch is that it’s the now legendary rapper as a 9-year-old in 1995. The clip racked up more than 33k likes and thousands of retweets in just a few hours as fans couldn’t believe the moment was preserved on film. In the comments they discuss how fascinating it is seeing his interest in music blossoming at such a young age knowing what he would go on to become. Check out the full clip of a very young Drake rapping and singing below.

Read More: Drake’s “Scary Hours” Mixtapes, Ranked

9-Year-Old Drake Shows Off His Rapping Skills In Vintage Video

As many rap fans have heard, Drake has been attacked on all fronts recently. He’s been called out directly in song by Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, and Metro Boomin. But there’s even further suspicion that Future and The Weeknd may have also taken shots at the mega-star. Subsequently, he responded with a diss track attempting to take on all his challengers called “Push-Ups.” The song just debuted at number 19 on the Hot 100.

Drake also recently celebrated the 8th anniversary of his 2016 smash hit album Views. What do you think of the newly unearthed video of 9-year-old Drake rapping and singing? What other celebrities would you want to see long before they achieved their levels of fame? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: What Is Drake’s Best-Selling Album?

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Cash XO’s Security Guard Shot Weeks After Drake Dissed XO Executive

A security guard was shot multiple times at Cash XO’s home in Los Angeles on Monday (April 29). According to FOX 11, the 37-year-old victim was in critical condition but expected to survive.


Cops responded to several 911 calls about gunfire in the area around 2:30 a.m. The victim was one of the callers, telling dispatchers he got shot and providing a description of his attackers. Police found him inside a guard shack on Cash XO’s property and rushed him to a local hospital.

The security guard said three men wearing hoodies and surgical masks fled the scene after the shooting. Police noted Cash XO was at home at the time of the incident, per KTLA.

Cash XO, whose real name is Amir Esmailian, is the longtime manager of The Weeknd. Cash XO co-founded the XO record label with The Weeknd.

Drake recently mocked Cash XO on the song “Push Ups.” Drake targeted Cash XO and The Weeknd in response to a lyrical jab from Future and Metro Boomin’s We Still Don’t Trust You album. The Weeknd dissed Drake in a guest appearance on Future and Metro’s song “All to Myself.”

“They could never diss my brothers, baby/When they got leaks in they operation/I thank God that I never signed my life away/And we never do the big talk/They shooters making TikToks/Got us laughin’ in the Lambo/I promise that I got your back,” The Weeknd sang.

Drake released “Push Ups” to address Kendrick Lamar and many others who dissed the Canadian star. Drake mentioned Cash XO and The Weeknd in the first verse.

“Yeah, I’m the 6ix God, I’m the frontrunner/Y’all n#### manager was Chubbs lil’ blunt runner/Claim the 6ix and you boys ain’t even come from it/And when you boys got rich, you had to run from it/Cash blowing Abel bread, out here tricking/S### we do for b######, he doing for n#####,” Drake rapped.

Listen to “Push Ups” below.

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MIKE DEAN Continues His Incredibly Trippy World Building With “424” LP & Short Film

MIKE DEAN is known as one of the most respected creative minds in hip-hop history. He has touched the world of rap with incredible beats, synths, and forward-thinking methods to produce truly iconic tracks. Today, he is working with artists like The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Metro Boomin, Future, Kanye West, Beyonce, and more. In fact, he had quite a fair number of production credits on Metro and Pluto’s back-to-back number albums WE DON’T TRUST YOU and WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU. However, MIKE DEAN is looking to get his own shine with a new album 424.

This is now his fifth project and fourth entry in the 420 series. He began the saga back in April 2020 with the aptly titled 4:20. MIKE would then go on to release 4:22 in 2021 and 4:23 in 2023, respectively. Like the most recent installment, the veteran has recruited The Weeknd once again to help with production.

Read More: Blueface’s Mother Karlissa Saffold & Sexyy Red Exchange Words Over Exposed DM

Listen To 424 By MIKE DEAN

Another cool part about this project is that MIKE made a similarly psychedelic short film to go along with the progressive electronic pieces he masterminded. The 13-minute video, which is on YouTube, is supposed to convey “the human experience through the eyes of a robot.” Jason Goldwatch was the director behind all of this, and he has worked with some of the greats in hip-hop as well. Make sure to check out 424 above.

What are your thoughts on this brand-new album 424 by MIKE DEAN? Is this one of his better projects, why or why not? Which song was the best and why? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding MIKE DEAN. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.

424 Tracklist:

  1. SUBDIVISION OF TIME
  2. 3 AM
  3. IT’S IN THE WATER
  4. DON’T FAST FORWARD LIFE
  5. DISTORTED TIME
  6. SPACE BRAINS
  7. BLACK HOLES ECHOING
  8. SWIMMING POOLS AND MOVIE STARS
  9. FAST FORWARD LIFE IN REWIND
  10. I LIKE

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Joe Budden Thinks Future & Metro Boomin Will Sabotage OVO Fest

Joe Budden is always looking for an angle. He’s been chronicling the feud between Drake, Future and Metro Boomin on his podcast, and he thinks the next chess moves will be made on the road. The former rapper theorized that Future and Metro Boomin will purposely schedule their tour in an effort to ruin the attendance for Drake’s upcoming OVO fest in Toronto. He went as far as to say that the duo will enlist the help of another Canadian superstar, The Weeknd, to drive the point home.

Budden noticed that Future and Metro’s Toronto date may line up with the same weekend as OVO Fest. If true, he’s confident Drake will push the date back. “If The Weeknd comes out on that Future tour stop,” he noted. “I have Drake moving that weekend. He’s moving the weekend.” The rest of the podcast panel hated Budden’s theory. Regardless, he stood his ground. “This wouldn’t be the first time he moved OVO fest,” he added. “I don’t think there’s any shame in that when you spend as much money and as much manpower to put this weekend together.”

Read More: Joe Budden Thinks J Cole Can Fix His Reputation By Dissing Kanye West

Joe Budden Thinks Drake Will Push Back OVO Fest

Joe Budden insisted that The Weeknd was the key artist in this game of concert chicken. He believes if the “Starboy” singer shows up to the Future show, it will take the wind out of Drake’s sails. His rationale is that Weeknd is a bigger artist. “I would think that the second day of OVO Fest has a greater turnout the day there’s not a Future show,” he posited. “Cuse that’s a weekend. That’s a whole weekend.”

The feud between these artists is not letting up. Firstly, Future and Metro dropped the “Like That” remix with more Drake disses. Secondly, The Weeknd crooned a few disses on the duo’s song “All to Myself.” Future also guested on Nardo Wick’s “Back to Back,” which saw him mock Drake using his own song titles. It’s safe to assume these artists will be performing their diss records in Toronto. If Drake does decided to move forward with OVO fest the same weekend, however, fans will be forced to pick sides. Things could get messy. To use Joe Budden’s own words: “let’s see.”

Read More: Drake’s Rigorous Tour Schedule Has Joe Budden Suspicious, Fans Remind Him It’s Been Five Years

The Most Disrespectful Hip-Hop Song and Mixtape Cover Art Ever

If a picture is worth 1,000 words then well-constructed diss track cover art has to be worthy of at least 1 million laughs. Diss tracks have become a big part of hip-hop culture. With the track comes the opportunity to double-tap an opponent by doubling down with the cover art.

In years past, several rappers have used mixtape and song covers to additionally besmirch a foe. In 1993, Eazy-E released the EP It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um KillaThe alternate cover for the offering features a Dr. Dre obituary. In the early 2000s, G-Unit released dozens of mixtapes and used cover art to clown their enemies on multiple occasions. One of the most notable is the artwork for G-Unit Radio Part 21: Hate It or Love It, on which they plastered a pic of The Game wearing a thong on the cover.

Recently, rappers’ diss track artwork game has gotten even more creative. In April of 2024, Rick Ross released his Drake diss song, “Champagne Moments.” On the track, Rozay attacks Drake’s mixed race by continuously calling him a White boy. The Miami rapper doubled down with the artwork for the song, using a photo of a White man who resembles The Boy.

Drake‘s “Push Ups” diss song aimed at Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Metro Boomin, Future and The Weeknd was also released in April of 2024. On the track, Drizzy jokes about K-Dot’s shoe size. For the cover art, Drake simply used a tag for a size 7 shoe. Chris Brown and Quavo‘s raging beef the same month featured multiple diss tracks. Both artists upped the ante by also dissing each other on their songs’ covers.

See the meanest hip-hop song and mixtape covers over the years below.

See the Most Disrespectful Hip-Hop Song and Mixtape Cover Art Ever

Which artwork is the most disrespectful?

Here Are Five Tips on How to Tell If a Song Is Real or A.I.

In the current age of technology, advancements are happening at a rapid rate and affecting a multitude of industries, hip-hop included. So much that it’s unclear if rap songs that are coming out are actually artist-made or created via artificial intelligence, better known as A.I. The landscape and craftsmanship of music is facing an evolution that could be for better or worse—a question that has yet to be answered and will likely linger for some time. Besides, who would have ever thought skepticism would become an innate response to newly released music or that some sort of verification would be required to be able to listen to songs with ease? Rap fans can navigate through this uncharted territory with five ways to tell if a song is real or A.I. from an expert who knows the landscape.

Before getting into how to tell the difference, there’s some dots to connect. Esteemed UMG Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, who has been a pillar in the music industry for decades, has witnessed the many transitions within the music space: CDs to streaming and now A.I. Back in January, Grainge shared his thoughts on the latest music-related development with The New Yorker. He expressed that “technology has served the industry very well.” However, the longtime music executive is also supportive of the U.S. Congress’ No A.I. Fraud Act, saying the “legislation is critical” and could be viewed “as a form of identity theft.”

The industry appears to be on both sides of the coin with this one. The CEO of the Recording Academy declared at the Fast Company Innovation Festival 2023 that “A.I. creativity” won’t be awarded. The Recording Academy also had a conversation with the U.S. Copyright Office last year to begin discussions on the measures that should be taken to protect music creators.

As it pertains to rap specifically, A.I. is single-handedly altering the hip-hop experience. It’s become exceedingly difficult to decipher which songs are real and which are fake. XXL speaks to A.I. expert, Daniel Anstandig, also the CEO and cofounder of Futuri Media, to get to the bottom of the how to determine the authenticity of a track. He explains that “detecting A.I.-generated anything (even hip-hop diss songs) is challenging because of how good the technology has become.”

Anstanding does admit that much of the music heard today incorporates A.I. elements in some way. “Also, the line between A.I. and human creation is blurred in modern music production,” he shares. “Nearly all producers utilize DAWs that incorporate A.I.-assisted plugins and processing. Even in songs we might label as entirely ‘human-made,’ there are likely elements that have been shaped or enhanced by A.I. We’re gradually merging with the tech, so it’s challenging to untangle the human from the machine in the creative process.”

There have been rap songs circulating on the internet over the last year that contain the likeness of some of rap’s biggest names by using A.I.: Drake, Ye, Lil Wayne, Future and, most recently, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg—seemingly at the hands of Drizzy. Tracks that actually sound like they could be legit lose their validity because of A.I. and presumably should be taken with a grain of salt. Especially if the actual artists don’t promote the record themselves.

A perfect example would be the unconfirmed “leaked” Drake diss track aimed at Kendrick Lamar and others in April that people thought was artificially generated. It wasn’t until Drizzy stamped the track with posts in his Instagram Stories and then officially released it on streaming services days later that rap fans knew it was legit. The song, later titled “Push Ups,” is comprised of a series of jabs in response to Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” record that was released weeks prior on Future and Metro’s We Don’t Trust You album.

Then, there was the alleged Kendrick Lamar diss response that rap fans made a similar assumption about until his label confirmed that the record was created via A.I. The presumed Kendrick diss came shortly after Drake launched his fiery missile, “Push Ups,” targeting not only Kendrick, but Future, Metro, Rick Ross and The Weeknd. Following “Push Ups,” Drizzy took a unique approach that was praised by some and perplexed others when he delivered “Taylor Made Freestyle” via an Instagram post on April 19, which incorporated A.I. verses from Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg.

The golden question is: how does one determine what’s real and what’s fake when it comes to A.I.? Daniel Anstandig offers XXL five tips to tell whether or not a song is legit or if technology is playing a major role in this newfound musical deception.

1. Listen for generic or overly common lyrics. Is there a unique style and surprise element?

2. Pay attention to repetitive patterns compared to the artist’s original content. A.I.-generated lyrics—at least when GPT is used—tend to be packed with cliches.

3. Is there emotional depth and authenticity of the performance?

4. Are there subtle imperfections that feel human? This is hard though, because even A.I. systems are baking in subtle imperfection to “feel more human.”

5. As for A.I. detection services, approach them with a grain of salt. While some use sophisticated algorithms, they’re notoriously unreliable.

See 117 Hip-Hop Songs With Over 1 Billion Spotify Streams

The Most Vicious Lines in Recent Diss Tracks From Drake and More

Kendrick Lamar opened a Costco-sized can of worms back in March when he dissed Drake and J. Cole on the Future and Metro Boomin song “Like That.” Since then, it’s like half the hip-hop industry has been out for blood, with several diss songs being released in the last month. And some of the vitriol being tossed back and forth is off the chain.

Kendrick Lamar shocked the rap world when he went in on Drake and J. Cole.

“And your best work is a light pack/N***a, Prince outlived Mike Jack’/N***a, bum/For all your dogs gettin’ buried/That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Sematary/N***a, bum,” K-Dot raps.

It was a calm before the storm. However, Cole was the first to step up to the plate with his response “7 Minute Drill” where he trashed the Compton, Calif. rapper’s catalog.

“Your first s**t was classic, your last s**t was tragic/Your second s**t put n***as to sleep, but they gassed it/Your third s**t was massive and that was your prime,” Cole rhymes. Cole would go on to bow out of the beef a couple of days later But that was only the beginning.

It soon became clear the K-Dot wasn’t only only person who had an issue with Drake as Rick Ross, The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky have also shaded The Boy on songs. Drake has returned fired on two tracks titled “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle.”

In the midst of all this, Chris Brown and Quavo have jumped into the ring, in what may be the most intense back-and-forth of them all. It’s getting ugly in these hip-hop streets.

Check out the most vicious lines from hip-hop’s recent diss songs from Drake, Rick Ross, Quavo, Chris Brown and more below.

See 24 of the Most Vicious Lines From Hip-Hop’s Recent Diss Tracks

Kanye West Disses Drake On “Like That Remix”: A Break Down Of Lyrics

If you thought Drake and Kanye West had forgotten their long-standing beef, think again. Ye recently came out guns a-blazing with the release of the “Like That Remix,” proving that he and Drizzy have a long way to go before they settle. From the first line of the diss track, it’s evident that Ye has a bone to pick. Alongside Future, Metro Boomin’, and Ty Dolla $ign, this remix borrows many elements from the original track and takes things up a notch. Altogether, 2024 has quickly become the year of the diss track, and the Drake-Kanye West beef is the latest entry in the long lineup. 

Drake Vs. The World

Kanye West and Drake’s beef stretches back years, and the remix is the most recent milestone. However, while Ye is pretty used to commandeering multiple spats simultaneously, this is seemingly new territory for Drizzy. In what can only be considered a humongous feat, Drake has had words for several heavyweights in the game this year alone. Between Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, and now Ye, it’s a miracle he’s still standing. 

As Drake continues to prove he’s no pushover, the industry is foaming at the mouth in anticipation of what’s to come. But what’s most remarkable is that two of his diss tracks, “Push Ups” and the controversial, AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle,” are targeted at Kendrick. This is why Ye’s involvement caught us all by surprise. Kanye West debuted the “Like That Remix” during his appearance on The Download with Justin Laboy, and this has effectively added a new layer to his ongoing beef with Drake. 

Ye Felt “Energized” To Eliminate Drake

Much to the disappointment of fans, Kendrick Lamar has yet to respond to Drake for the aforementioned diss tracks. Nonetheless, Ye seems to have taken on the task, claiming the baton off K-Dot. It’s no wonder the track begins the way he does. In an aggressive manner, Ye hollers: “You know we had to get The Hooligans up here / We gon’ take this p*ssy n*gga out / Yo, Dot, I got you.”

Right out the gate, Kanye’s made his intentions clear… he’s out for blood. While on The Download, he shared that he was “energized” to take down Drake. “[Future] called me and I went to the studio and laid that,” he began. “We went through the creative process of adding the chords and called the Hooligans out in London to get on the joint… Everybody was very, very energized about the elimination of Drake.”

Multiple Stray Bullets

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 14: The Weeknd and Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award Honoree. Sir Lucian Grainge pose backstage during the Songwriters Hall of Fame 49th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner at. New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 14, 2018, also in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)

In true Ye fashion, shots were fired at not just Drake but those within his proximity. Drake famously resigned with Universal Music Group in 2022, reportedly featuring some serious money being thrown around. UMG’s CEO, Lucian Grainge, was one of the names dropped on the “Like That Remix.” Specifically, Ye referred to him as Drake’s “master.”

Where’s Lucian? Serve your master, n*gga / You caught a little bag for your masters, didn’t ya / Lifetime deal, I feel bad for n*ggas / Y’all so outta sight, outta mind/ I can’t even think of a Drake line.

However, the most memorable stray bullet fell on J. Cole, who famously bowed out of the rap feud by apologizing to Kendrick Lamar. Nonetheless, Ye had some words for him. In what has become one of the most viral lines on the track, Kanye says, “Play J. Cole, get the pu**y dry.” The reason for the animosity remains unclear, but fans have long since had their theories about why Kanye West and J. Cole do not see eye to eye. 

For one, Ye might not have enjoyed Cole’s “big three” claim. However, Kendrick’s response about “big me” didn’t seem to rub Kanye the wrong way. In 2016, Cole’s “False Prophets” had a few lines that may have subtly pointed to Ye’s mental health issues. Whatever the case may be, Ye told Justin Laboy that it was too late for Cole to back out of the feud. Evidently, the damage is already done. “It’s like, n**ga, you can’t run now,” Ye said. 

Conclusion

Kanye West and Drake’s beef has now hit a new peak. It’s anyone’s guess if Ye will double down with another verse soon. Or maybe Drizzy has some words of his own in store. However, at the core of it all is Kendrick Lamar. Above all, the fans are still eager for his return.

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