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• Song streams & revenue 💰️ 

• Bryson Tiller wants to pursue this unlikely job after new album 🤔 

• Ye is on Team Ye, adding a 3rd and 4th side to the rap Civil War 🥩 

• New Music Friday releases 💿️ 

• Industry Insights 📈 

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new week and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Daily Double, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from March 15 to 21.

Sexyy Red’s new single debuts with 13M streams, generating almost $62K. Cardi B’s new club anthem debuts just under Sexyy Red with 11M streams and $51K in revenue. Gunna’s first song with a feature debuts with just under 8M streams and $35K in revenue.

Bryson Tiller Wants to Pursue This Unlikely Job After Upcoming Album

It’s whatever Bryson wants after his forthcoming self-titled album, set to release on April 5. Talking to Complex, he revealed that he’s planning to take another hiatus from music (his last album was in 2020) to pursue his “number one passion,” video games. 

While averaging 6+ hours of screen time on NBA 2K and Modern Warfare does require an unparalleled commitment that could be classified as “passion,” Tiller wants to participate in the game's design aspect. He’s already been designing a game for the last three years.

He’s even looked into internships with different companies to learn more about the industry. In 2021, he told WDRB News he wanted to go to college to study game programming and design, but he wasn’t done with music yet.

Tiller has two daughters, but studio time and touring make it hard to prioritize family. “The thing about game design, it’s super cool ’cause I can do it from anywhere. I could be next to [my daughter] while she’s gaming. It’s just what I love to do, and it doesn’t feel like work.”

Is Rockstar Games hiring? We might get a Tiller-designed game before GTA 6.

Ye is on Team Ye, Denying Any Side in the Rap Civil War

Less than 48 hours after a subtle IG story had the world believing Ye was on Team Kendrick, in the war of everyone vs. Drake, he’s made a PSA to clear things up. “Everyone knows I washed Kendrick on No More Parties in LA,” reads the beginning of Ye’s IG story.

So Ye is not on Team Kendrick, but it doesn’t stop there. “Everyone knows I washed Drake at the Free Hoover convert. Everyone knows I brought Adidas into the culture, and I took them out,” Ye continues.

He also names Demna Gvasalia (of Balenciaga), the late Virgil Abloh, and Jerry Lorenzo (of Fear of God), insinuating their work for him is what made their respective careers in fashion.

Ye’s IG story was handing out free smoke like he was Kelly Oubre talking to the refs after losing to the LA Clippers.

Now, for the grand final of “it’s just big me (Ye’s version)”....”I am the only person to come back to number one after cancellation. There is only one GOAT. I stand by me. My friends call me Ye :)”

If 21 Savage is the child of divorce in this war, then Ye is the step-child acting out when it’s not all about him. IRL, Ye grew up an only child, and there’s no bigger only child energy than creating your own team so you don’t have to share with others.

Sheck Wes gets involved

Rather than successfully inserting himself in the Big 3 and rap civil war convo, Ye created another beef with…Sheck Wes? Commenting on Ye’s post, Sheck said, “You stole my whole cadence, flow, beat, tempo to get  #1 u delusional.”

The randomness of this side beef has fans wondering how Travis, who has ties to Ye and Drake, will feel about his Cactus Jack artist jumping in the mix.

Ye didn’t go on his usual rant response but instead posted Sheck Wes’ “Mo Bamba” song on his IG stories. To troll? Probably, the IG story of “No More Parties in LA” was not to plead his allegiance to Kendrick. Expect more “it’s just big me (Ye’s version)” every time the attention shifts from him.

There are how many sides to this beef?

To recap, Kendrick’s verse on “Like That” was the Pandora’s box that has more and more rappers beefing. Drake continues to sneak diss in IG captions rather than getting in the booth. Ye jumped in the mix to declare he’s the only GOAT, adding a 3rd side. Sheck Wes said Ye’s delusional and a copycat for an unsolicited 4th side.

Men used to go to war—now they fight in IG comments and captions.

New Music Friday

It's hard to follow up on last week’s NMF of Future and Metro. We got a bunch of Drake sneak diss IG captions, but still no response for Kendrick. Here’s all the music you can listen to now—categorized by 💿️ for albums and 🎶 for singles:

• 💿️ Genre:sadboy by Machine Gun Kelly, Trippie Redd

• 💿️ Forget Me Not by Bfb Da Packman

• 💿️ Out Your Body Music by Lil Skies

• 💿️ Cowboy Carter by Beyonce

• 💿️ Streets Say You Still Miss Me (deluxe) by Ryan Trey

• 💿️ Don’t Forget to Breathe by Buddy

• 🎶 “BUSSIN” by Moneybagg Yo, Rob49

• 🎶 “HI-VOLTAGE” by HOMIXIDE GANG

• 🎶 “Since When” by FourFive

• 🎶 “Alter Ego” by Doechii, JT

• 🎶 “Steppas” by A Boogie Wit da Hoodie

• 🎶 “The Quest” by Mac Miller

• 🎶 “Subject” by G Herbo

• 🎶 “I LUV IT” by Camila Cabello, Playboi Carti

• Universal Music expands Spotify partnership to include music videos and pre-release teasers. The news comes after UMG pulled its catalog of 4M songs from TikTok.

• Viral TikTok rapper Trefuego must pay $800K to Sony Music for copyright infringement. His hit song “90mh” used an unauthorized sample of “Reflections” from Japanese composer Hinata.

• DJ Khaled’s former Florida mansion selling for $16.4M with epic sneaker closet. The infamous sneaker room remains intact with the signature “we the best” logo on the floor.

• Billboard Hot 100 📈 

• Ye seemingly sides with Kendrick, who’s the best rapper of them all? 🥩 

• Ye defends his pronouns, says “Kanye West” is a slave name 😳 

• Industry Insights 🔎 

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

“Carnivals” loses steam and drops to #5 this week, letting Jack Harlow take the #4 spot. Cardi B’s “Enough (Miami)” debuts at #9 in the Top 10. Meanwhile, Sexyy Red’s new song debuts at #23.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Best Rapper of Them All?

A rap civil war has begun thanks to Kendrick’s feature on Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You, which was as surprising as it was annihilating. Choosing violence, “Like That” drew a line in the sand between hip-hop’s publicly appointed Big 3 rappers.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve already heard the breakdowns of Kendrick’s triple entendre I’m him verse, the rumors that Drake and Future are beefing over a girl, and the whispers of Metro not trusting Drake. 

The latest update is Ye seemingly siding with Kendrick by posting one of their tracks together.

If Kendrick let off another diss track produced by Ye with a feature from Pusha villain T, it would take this war to hate crime status, and Drake might need to become a protected person.

So, what comes next? The ball is in Drake’s court, this is more his fight than Cole’s, but you should know the stats before you pick a side (and stay there, as Metro said). The layered Cold War history between Kendrick and Drake gives you an idea of the odds, picks, and predictions heading into this war.

Kendrick Lamar’s Offense & Defense

August 2013: Kendrick initiates a back-and-forth with Drake by firing shots on Big Sean’s “Control.” This was more friendly fire than Kendrick's violence on “Like That,” but direct nonetheless.

Oct 2013: Less than a month after Drake responded on Nothing Was the Same, Kendrick uses the TDE 2013 BET Cypher to rebuttal. “And nothing’s been the same since they dropped Control / And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes,” he rapped, using Drake’s album title against him.

Oct 20213: “First Person Shooter” dropped, asserting J. Cole as “Numero U-N-O,” the duo of Cole and Drizzy as “big as the Super Bowl,” and the only two rappers deserving of the GOAT title. Defense loading. 

Nov 2023: The FPS music video is released. Drake recreates the iconic Messi and Ronaldo chess photo to position himself and J. Cole as the GOATs of rap. Once again, excluding Kendrick from the conversation to make it more about the Big 2. 

March 2024: Kendrick lay in the grass and plotted a proper, no-weak-shade response. “Like That” was the Trojan Horse of rap disses. It surprised his enemies, sneaking into timelines on one of the most highly anticipated rap releases with the assist from Metro and Future.

Drake’s Offense & Defense 

Sept 2013: Drake seemingly responds to Kendrick’s “Control” on “The Language” from Nothing Was the Same. “I don’t know why that they been lyin/ But your shit is not that inspirin,” Drake said in his typical sneak diss language. 

Sept 2013: In an interview with Elliott Wilson, Drake complimented Kendrick and diminished his “Control” verse in the same breath by questioning its replay value or lack thereof.

Nov 2023: Drake follows up the release of For All The Dogs with Scary Hours 3 and says he’s “not into the lengthy, super-lengthy disappearances for the sake of mystery.” Fans theorize this might be a shot at Kendrick, who’s known to go incognito between albums.

March 2024: Drake gives a speech at his first concert post “Like That” diss and walks out to Future’s “My Savages.”

March 2024: Drake’s father posts a shady caption on IG about rappers beefing with Drake for sales. Yawn, Drake already ran this defensive play with the $100K bill for “promotional assistance and career reviving” sent to Pusha T and Ye in 2018.

Predictions, Picks & Odds

Spread: Kendrick -1 | Drake +1

Moneyline: Kendrick -the No. 1 spot | Drake -his dignity 

Over/Under: Over 4 diss tracks | Under 4 diss tracks

The way that Kendrick approached a response to “FPS,” along with his history, makes him the favorite to win for a few reasons. He’s risking the title of #1, but Drake’s dignity and respect are on the line.

The biggest criticism of K-Dot is that his music doesn’t have the replay value or hype factor of Drake’s club/radio anthems. Racking up 7.3M single-day streams on Spotify, “Like That” is projected to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 next week, making it the biggest rap song debut since 2020. 

Kendrick, Future, and Metro successfully staged a coup on the Big 2. Kendrick played to his strengths (bars on bars) and knew his opponent's weaknesses. By issuing such a straightforward diss, he’s forcing Drake to defend his reigning throne—without the bag of passive digs he loves so much.

“Like That” is projected to surpass the success of “FPS,” and it’ll be hard to top. If Drake responds, that’ll bring the total points in this war to 3. If Kendrick responds (his moves suggest he’s prepared for this), the total will be 4.

Ye Found His Pronouns, Says “Kanye West” is a “Slave Name”

Ye is tired of correcting his preferred pronouns. Since legally changing his name in 2021, he’s been victimized by the unshakable “Kanye West” moniker and would like the music industry to respect his decision.

In a letter obtained by TMZ, Ye’s chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, fired off a notice to streaming platforms, publishers, lyrics websites, and more, asking them only to use “Ye” going forward.

“Ye is one of the most recognizable people in the world, on par with presidents and popes,” reads the opening line. This change is crucial to reflect the “identity of such an enormously influential and historic figure.” Glad to see the size of his ego can fit on a standard 8.5x11 paper.

The most eye-catching part of the letter addresses the former “Kanye West” name. “He has on several occasions referred to it as his slave name. Ye is a black man in America who wants the right to full self-determination just like everyone else.”

In 2018, Ye spoke to Big Boi about the name that also lent itself to his album’s title. “I believe ‘ye’ is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible, it means ‘you.’ So I’m you, I’m us, it’s us.” FYI, it is not the most common biblical word.

• ScHoolboy Q explains why his joint album with A$AP Rocky was never released. “He got Rihanna, bruh, so sometimes I gotta get him back,” Q said on Drink Champs.

• Playboi Carti’s ‘Antagonist’ tour is officially canceled. After months of delays and postponed dates, tickets are being refunded, and no concert for Opium artists is in sight.

• Law enforcement raids Diddy’s properties in LA and Miami. He did not escape to Antigua via private jet and was not detained by the authorities.

• Song streams & revenue 💰️ 

• Kendrick Lamar ignites historic beef with Drake and J. Cole 🔥 

• Ye or Drake: who does the 4batz remix better? 🤔 

• Industry Insights 📈 

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new week and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Daily Double, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from March 8 to 14.

4batz and Drake’s remix gets a boost, jumping from $31K last week to $89K from 19M streams. Kanye & Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” stays in the six-figure revenue range, earning $132K from 28M streams.

Kendrick Lamar Unloads Shots at Drake & J. Cole on ‘We Don’t Trust You’

Kendrick Lamar absolutely smoked Drake and J. Cole in his surprise verse on “Like That” from Future and Metro Boomin’s album. The album has hidden features (The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Playboi Carti), but Kendrick’s is the only thing you’ll see on your timeline for the foreseeable future.

Kendrick said I heard your big 3, and I’m not 2 or 3—hip-hop is ALIVE. Let’s unpack this historic diss.

There are many references to “First Person Shooter,” and while J. Cole didn’t directly diss Kendrick in his verse, the song itself asserts Drake and J. Cole on top—leaving Kendrick where? 

Drake’s “FPS” verse also insinuates that he and J. Cole own the GOAT title. Their audacious boasting, joint tour, and overall “big as the what?” energy lit a vengeful fire under Kendrick’s ass. 

Kdot’s Prince and Michael Jackson reference lets both rappers know their work won’t outlive his. Prince outlived MJ by almost seven years, and they had a well-documented beef—just like the one we’re watching play out before our eyes.

This feels extra spicy coming from Kendrick. He’s typically unproblematic, dropping introspective lyrics about trauma and healing, so when he pops off it hits different. His feature was the lethal sniper no one saw coming.

What do Metro Boomin and Future have to do with this?

There’s been whispers of a Drake and Metro feud for months. Hours before the album dropped, Metro finally unfollowed Drake on IG (in preparation for the chaos he was about to unleash?), and if there were a beat to score the sound of revenge, it would be “Like That.”

Future, has no documented beef with Drake, but he’s day ones with Metro. They both played a pivotal role in shaping each other’s careers and the sound defining the 2010s era of Atlanta rap as legendary. 

You may have noticed the Future x Drake collabs have slowed down since 2022 and they used to appear on each other’s projects regularly. 

The title, We Don’t Trust You, carries more weight with this diss. Future voices the iconic, “If young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon’ shoot you,” and he seems to be backing his claim. 

21 Savage will have to pick a side soon, is he team Metro x Future x Kendrick or team Drake x J. Cole?

Drake or Ye: Who Does the 4batz Remix Better?

Death, taxes, and Ye beefing with Drake are three things that are certain in life. Almost two weeks after 4batz dropped the “act ii: date @ 8” remix with Drake and announced a newly-signed EP deal with OVO, Ye entered the chat.

A snippet of Ye rapping on 4batz’s “act iii: on god? (she like)” has surfaced on X. If released, 4batz might have the most legendary 5-song debut of any new artist, snagging a Drake AND Ye feature.

Ye recently gave Drake a good ‘ol “fuck Drake” shoutout in an IG caption, confirming the beef is alive and well. You have to wonder if the OVO EP deal had a non-compete clause because it feels like a conflict of interest for these two remixes to be true at the same time.

Ye x 4batz

The snippet is not the first time the two artists have been linked. At the beginning of 2024, clips of 4batz on FaceTime with Ye went viral. Less than a few weeks later, Ye gave 4batz the next-up co-sign while speaking to the paparazzi.

Ye’s short snippet, “You can’t get me mad, you can’t get no better than me bitch, I’m the best you had,” shows promise using his cadence and rhythm to match the slow beat.

Drake x 4batz

Drake only hopped on the 4batz train recently, at least publicly. He began teasing demos of his remix a week before it was officially released on March 8. The remix was an obvious promo leading up to the announcement of the OVO EP deal within days. 

The remix itself was underwhelming. Drake rapping on a slow beat? Groundbreaking. Listen to Drake’s “Act ii” remix here (Apple Music & Spotify), and let us know which one you think is better.

• Dr. Dre confirms a new Eminem album is releasing later this year. During his first late-night TV appearance in 30 years, he shared details about his work on Eminem’s 12th album.

• Apple sued by US Department of Justice over iPhone monopoly claims. The complaint says Apple maintains a monopoly by making its products more attractive and discouraging competitive innovation.

• Bryson Tiller announces self-titled album and North American tour. To celebrate the news, he also dropped the project’s third single, “Calypso.”

• Song streams & revenue 💰️ 

• Certain Vultures 2 songs released & Ye’s world tour 🌎️ 

• Could TikTok really be banned? Soulja Boy claims he’s responsible 🤔 

• New Music Friday releases 💿️ 

• Industry Insights 📈 

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new week and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Daily Double, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from March 1 to 7.

Kanye & Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” earns its highest single-week income, generating $151K from 33M streams. 4batz’s “act ii: date @ 8” remix ft. Drake debuts with almost $31K and 6.7M streams (it’s his 4th song release ever).

Everything We Know About ‘Vultures 2’ & Alleged World Tour

The rollout for Vultures 2 has been messier than that of Vultures 1. The scheduled release date came and went, and there are talks of the album being released as a digital download to boycott streaming services.

Ye’s hired his old manager back to plan a world tour, he’s beefing with Adidas and Drake (claiming Drake stole Lil Durk from the rollout), and he’s previewing new music, but no tracklist has been confirmed.

It’s a lot to take in, but we broke down everything you need to know below.

The album may not be on streaming services

Continuing the conversation that James Blake started last week about artists not being paid properly and people thinking music is free, Ye seems to be exploring direct-to-consumer options to release Vultures 2.

Talking to fan account @yefanatics on X, Ye said he’s considering releasing the album on Yeezy.com for $20. He’s done the math and thinks it would blow album-equivalent streaming sales out of the water.

Ty Dolla $ign also weighed in and echoed Ye’s thoughts. Unconvinced by arguments of piracy negatively affecting digital download sales, he said, “That’s what these streaming services want us to believe so they can stay on top.” 

“It’s time to figure out the unlock on how to bring the music straight to our audience and cut the middle man out. Artists are getting raped, and that has to stop,” Ty concluded.

‘Vultures 2’ songs are released, but there’s a catch

Mid-week, fans noticed Vultures 2 songs being available on IG and TikTok to stream and add to posts. This included:

• “Everybody” from Vultures 1 with the controversial Backstreet Boys sample

• “River” ft. Young Thug, Leon Bridges

• “Worship”

• “Promotion” ft. Future

• “Slide” ft. James Blake

• “Field Trip” ft. Playboi Carti, Kodak Black, Lil Durk, Don Toliver

Unfortunately, @yefanatics reported that this wasn’t an official release, and fans uploaded low-quality rips to social platforms. A Vultures producer allegedly contacted the fan account to clarify this.

You can find many of the leaked Vultures 2 songs in the post below.

Alleged upcoming world tour

According to Billboard, Ye has reunited with his OG manager, John Monopoly, who played an integral role at the beginning of his career. It’s been over a decade since they parted ways, but Ye allegedly praised Monopoly at a private Vultures listening event last weekend.

Ye has been without a manager for the last few years, but with Monopoly back in the fold, they’re reportedly working on a world tour set to begin in a few months.

Unlike the Vultures listening events, the tour will feature “full production and performances.” Their Rolling Loud LA set last night (March 14) wasn’t a performance, unlike initial reports, leaving fans in attendance disappointed.

Could TikTok Really Be Banned? Soulja Boy Claims It’s His Fault

The narrative of a TikTok ban has been circulating all week, but once you get past the headline, it’s not very clear what that means. If you read “House of Representatives,” “Congress,” “Senate,” and zoned out, then allow us to simplify it.

How does a bill get passed?

On March 13, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would force ByteDance to sell TikTok, or the app will be banned in the US. 

The bill will now go to the Senate, which will vote on whether or not to pass it. If the House and the Senate pass the same bill, it’s sent to the President.

If the Senate does not pass this bill, it will go to a Conference Committee. The committee's TLDR is that it tries to find a compromise, and if it succeeds, the bill goes to the president.

President Joe Biden has already endorsed the bill, saying he’ll it into law if it’s passed.

Why is Soulja Boy involved?

One of Soulja Boy’s more outlandish claims is that he’s responsible for the TikTok ban because he’s making too much money as a creator on the app. He took to his IG to flex his $32K earnings from a single day on the platform. 

It’s fair to say that the House, Senate, and President have greater concerns than Soulja Boy’s $32K bag, but it’s a valid point that if the ban is imposed—millions of creators will lose income they may depend on.

Why is TikTok potentially being banned?

Legislators are essentially trying to force ByteDance’s hand by imposing the ban, which would affect 170M users in the US, to get them to sell TikTok and cut ties with the Chinese government. 

U.S. lawmakers have cited national security risks, such as the sharing of personal data and algorithm manipulation to influence political views.

New Music Friday

Offset hopped on “Prada Dem” for Gunna’s first collab song since the YSL RICO indictment. Here’s all the music you can listen to now—categorized by 💿️ for albums and 🎶 for singles:

• 💿️ Dirty Nachos by Chief Keef, Mike WiLL Made-It

• 💿️ Fine Ho, Stay by Flo Milli

• 💿️ Sacred Heart 2 by DC The Don

• 💿️ Growing Pains by 24kGoldn

• 💿️ Mr. Beat The Road by BossMan Dlow

• 💿️ 9 by Kenny Mason

• 🎶 “Shibuya” by Ski Mask The Slump God

• 🎶 “Real Woman” by PARTYNEXTDOOR

• 🎶 “Left Wrist, Right Wrist” by Trippie Redd

• 🎶 “Wock N Red” by 42 Dugg

• 🎶 “Enough (Miami)” by Cardi B

• 🎶 “Understand” by Babyface Ray

• 🎶 “Never Lose Me (Remix)” by Flo Milli, SZA

• Trial date set for the only adult defendant in Pop Smoke’s murder. Corey Walker was 19 years old at the time of the home invasion and will face an LA jury on June 25.

• Pharrell walks off stage at F1 post-race show in Saudi Arabia. He cut his set short because of the audience’s unruly behavior, asking them to stop multiple times.

• Money Man becomes the latest rapper to receive backlash for Donald Trump support. “I fuck with Trump. This my thing—I don’t think the Democrats done did shit for us,” he said on a recent podcast.

• Song streams & revenue 💰️ 

• The hit song ScHoolboy Q almost blocked Travis Scott from making ❌ 

• Were the 2000s the toughest era of hip-hop? Nelly thinks so 🤔 

• Industry Insights 📈 

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new week and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Daily Double, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from Feb 23 to 29.

Kanye & Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” earns its highest single-week income, generating almost $145K from 31.8M streams. Bryson Tiller’s “Whatever She Wants” climbed higher on the Hot 100 and earned $63K from 13M streams.

ScHoolboy Q Almost Blocked Travis Scott From Making This 2016 Song

Appearing on the Back On Figg podcast, ScHoolboy Q revealed that he was originally given the beat for what would end up being one of Travis Scott’s biggest singles from his 2016 album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. 

“Every Cardo beat you heard, I done had it,” Q said, flexing his close relationship with the hip-hop producer behind hits like Drake’s “God’s Plan,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Family Ties,” and Playboi Carti’s “H00DBYAIR.”

When asked if there were any Cardo beats he regretted turning down, he named, without hesitation, the beat for Travis Scott’s “Goosebumps.” He also revealed that Cardo had named the original beat “Goosebumps,” and Travis kept the name for the final song.

“Every time me and Travis see each other we always laugh about it ’cause it’s like, ‘Bruh you just took the name of the beat and made that joint. I blew it!,” he added. Travis not only took the name but let it inspire the eerie earworm hook, “I get those goosebumps every time, yeah.”

Remember when Travis made headlines last year for performing “FE!N” 10 times in a row? Goosebumps walked so “FE!N” could run. He performed it 15 times in 2017 and broke the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive performances of a song during a show.

Were the 2000s the Toughest Era of Hip-Hop? Nelly Thinks So

“When I put out songs, I had to go against DMX, Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, [Ludacris]. All of us are fighting for one spot!” Nelly adamantly said on a new episode of LeBron James’ The Shop before claiming that 1999 to 2008-2010 was the hardest era competitively in hip-hop.

Is Nelly speaking facts? While it’s hard to make a generalization about which era of hip-hop was the hardest, no topic worth debating ever has a clear answer. If a rapper makes a controversial statement—run, don’t walk to the comments section.

So, throwing away digital music consumption, social media, genre popularity, and other ways in which the industry has changed, here’s a stat-by-stat comparison of the hip-hop Class of the ‘00s versus today to support whichever hypothesis you choose.

Hip-Hop’s Class of ‘2000s

2000: Eminem releases The Marshall Mathers LP. It stays #1 on the Billboard 200 for eight consecutive weeks, sells 1.78M copies in its first week, and wins Best Rap Album at the Grammys. 

2000: Nelly releases Country Grammar. It stays #1 for five consecutive weeks and sells over 1.5M units in its first month.

2001: Jay-Z releases The Blueprint. It stays #1 for three consecutive weeks and sells over 427K in its first week. 

2005: 50 Cent releases The Massacre. It stays #1 for six consecutive weeks and sells over 1M copies in its first four days. 

2008: Lil Wayne releases Tha Carter III. It debuts at #1 and sold over 1M copies in its first week, becoming the best-selling album of 2008 in the US.

Hip-Hop’s Class of ‘2018ish

2018: Travis Scott releases Astroworld. It stays #1 for two consecutive weeks and sells 537K album-equivalent units in its first week.

2020: Juice WRLD’s estate releases Legends Never Die. It debuts #1 with 437K album-equivalent units in its first week and became the most successful posthumous release in 20 years.

2021: Kanye releases Donda. It debuts at #1 and sells 309K in its first five days, becoming Kanye’s tenth consecutive #1 album.

2021: Drake releases Certified Lover Boy. It says #1 for five consecutive weeks, selling 613K in its first week. It becomes Drake’s tenth consecutive #1 album.

2022: Kendrick Lamar releases Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. It debuts #1 with 295K in first-week sales and wins the Best Rap Album at the Grammys.

• Elon Musk’s X must face music publishers’ multi-million dollar lawsuit. A federal judge allowed parts of a $250M copyright lawsuit to proceed against the social platform.

• Nas is making a docuseries on the first Black International Chess Grandmaster. The rapper teamed up with a Power producer to depict the story of Maurice Ashley.

• Live Nation hits back at claims of price-gouging and inflating ticket prices. “Tickets are actually priced by artists and [sports] teams,” the company said in a 2,800-word blog post.

• Billboard Hot 100 📈 

• Who is 4batz? The artist who secured a Drake remix with only 3 songs 🔥 

• James Blake, Kanye, Tyler, the Creator & more think the music industry is broken 😳 

• Industry Insights 🔎

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnivals” moves up two spots to #4, while Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ On Me” gets bumped down again to #3. Bryson Tiller’s “Whatever She Wants” continues to climb in popularity, moving from #32 to #22 in just a week.

Who is 4batz? The Artist Who Secured a Drake Remix After Releasing 3 Songs

You’ve likely already seen 4batz on your timeline, he’s the R&B singer wearing a black shiesty, hoodie, and gold grills. Except when he opens his mouth, it’s not the slew of slaughter gang bars you’re expecting, but rather smooth pitched-up melodies that would compliment a Brent Faiyaz or SZA feature.

But where did he come from? With only three songs released so far, 4batz has amassed co-signs from Kanye, Timbaland, SZA, and Drake—so much so that Drake just teased a remix of his most popular song, “act ii: date @ 8.”

In the initial IG story announcing the collab, Drake tagged his longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib, who seems to be putting his touch on what will most likely become a Billboard hit and 4batz’s biggest song to date.

From The Dallas Block

Hailing from Dallas, little is known about how 4batz, born Neko Bennett, got his start in music. His first song, “act i: stickerz “99,”” was released in June 2023 and got traction on TikTok. 

The hit web series From The Block films artists worldwide singing into a microphone hanging from the sky. 4batz caught their attention, and they released his performance in November 2023. It went viral, upping the momentum of his seemingly overnight rise.

Co-signs on co-signs

4batz’s success is two-fold. You either come across him through his music or an artist shouting out his music.

In the last 3 months, his FaceTime call with Kanye made the news, a clip of Kanye calling him his favorite new artist went viral, he linked up with Drake at a concert, and Timbaland sang his praises, suggesting Drake hops on the remix. 

The media coverage of those co-signs, coupled with the virality of his solo clips, has made him feel omnipresent and confused fans who have never heard of him.

Why James Blake, Kanye, Tyler, the Creator & More Think the Music Industry is a Broken System

James Blake is the latest artist to voice his critique of the music industry's current state, and the co-signs keep rolling in. Ye, Metro Boomin, Tyler, the Creator, and The Alchemist have all reviewed and approved his thoughts via a social media reshare or comment.

Find out why artists are rallying against a system they think is broken below.

SHEIN works hard, but TikTok works harder

Blake’s peer-reviewed academic post was prompted by another user on X who highlighted his previous critique about TikTok. “Remember when my Godspeed cover went viral? Neither me nor Frank [Ocean] ever made a cent cause it was an ‘original sound’ in every video,” said Blake.

“Most people didn’t even know it was me because my name didn’t show up…The industry is beyond f*cked, and musicians are getting f*cked harder than anyone,” he said in the original quote.

Like SHEIN, the fast-fashion retailer notorious for ripping designs from other brands and producing cheaper copies, an artist isn’t paid for a TikTok sound that goes viral if it's ripped from a random video.

Virality doesn’t pay the bills

Sir James Blake couldn’t let that one example be the poster child for his thoughts on the industry, so he elaborated.

The death of the music industry

Blake believes the evolution of physical albums to digital to streaming to viral sounds is preparing us for AI-generated music, which won’t pay artists at all.

He took it a profound step further and explained how TikTok/reels affect the songwriting and arrangement process of music while conditioning listeners to only enjoy a song snippet and not an entire song. Ironically, he shared this commentary in an IG reel—the format he said is killing the industry.

Similarly, Vince Staples, a man who has never met 2 dots he can’t connect, shared a more cryptic and hilarious version of Blake’s opinion.

On a recent episode of Complex’s Deep Talks, he pinpoints the exact moment the music industry was doomed—promise it’s not what you’d expect.

• Drake and Lebron James team up to invest in golf. They’re part of an investment group injecting $3B into the PGA tour as it bids to expand its audience.

• Metro Boomin’s ‘Heroes & Villains’ surpasses 50 cent’s 2003 debut album in Spotify streams. Metro’s album has amassed over 4.3 billion streams in under two years.

• Juice WRLD’s mother launches crisis text line for mental health issues. “I want to ensure that no other parent or loved one faces what I’ve faced,” she said alongside the announcement.

• Song streams & revenue 💰️ 

• GTA 6 hits roadblock despite final stage reports 🎮️ 

• Kanye shuts down Y3 album and “old Ye” rumors 😳

• New Music Friday releases 💿️ 

• Industry Insights 📈 

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new week and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Daily Double, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from Feb 16 to 22.

Kanye & Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” earns 113K from 24M streams in its second week, and Yeat’s “Breathe” debuts with $47K from 10M streams in its opening week. Meanwhile, Rich Amiri’s “One Call” keeps climbing the charts with $40K from 8M streams.

‘GTA 6’ Hits Roadblock Despite Reports Nearing Final Development

“GTA 6 before GTA 6 is crazy” succinctly explains the surprise heard on timelines around the world reacting to the news that the game was heading into the final stages of development. But much like Kanye teasing a song with an uncleared sample—Rockstar Games might be getting ahead of themselves. Find out why below.

How do we know ‘GTA 6’ is in its final stages?

Bloomberg reported that Rockstar Games is asking all employees to return to the office five days a week starting in April. The staff email, sent on Wednesday (Feb 28), cited security concerns and increased productivity as the reason behind the decision.

“Making these changes now puts us in the best position to deliver the next Grand Theft Auto at the level of quality and polish we know it requires,” read the email.

What’s the catch?

Rockstar may want to fast-track development, but their employees aren’t on board. Womp, womp, womp. A new report from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain criticized Rockstar for the mandatory return to office and said their reasons were unproven. 

Last year, 170 employees already signed a petition with the Union to push back against a mandatory three-day in-office week. The Union is now citing an email from that change where Rockstar said, “This isn’t our first step to five days a week.” 

Employees expressed a range of valid concerns, with only six weeks to appeal before the change goes into effect. But the disgruntled sentiment of the report suggests there’s potential for this to turn into the WGA writer’s striker of the gaming industry.

Is Rockstar Games being unreasonable?

Safeguarding GTA 6 with a Travis Scott Utopia briefcase level of security isn’t wild, given the amount of hacks the game has been victim to. The devil works hard, but GTA 6 leakers work harder. 

The September 2022 GTA 6 leak was described as one of the biggest leaks in gaming history. Well-known video game journalist Jason Schreier called it “a nightmare for Rockstar Games,” which could limit employees’ remote work flexibility—foreshadowing this week's announcement. 

But wait, there are more receipts…

The leaker, Arion Kurtaj, hacked Rockstar’s internal Slack groups (a communication platform favored for remote work) to download the clips using an Amazon Firestick, his hotel TV, and a cell phone—light work, he said. At Kurtaj’s trial, Rockstar claimed the leak cost them $5M and thousands of hours of staff time. 

It’s a Catch-22; both sides have legitimate but opposing reasons, and it remains to be seen if there won’t be any more bumps in the road to GTA 6. If you’ve learned anything from your favorite rapper, release dates are more of a suggestion than a promise.

Kanye Shuts Down ‘Y3’ Album Rumors: “Ain’t Nobody Tryna Be the ‘Old Ye’”

If anyone had hopes and dreams about hearing the “old Ye” on a solo album titled Y3 after Erick Sermon’s recent comments, Kanye’s here to crush that—while promoting Vultures. 

In an interview with HipHopDX, Sermon, a veteran hip-hop producer, commented about working with Kanye on an unreleased album meant to be Kanye’s next solo project. That alone would elicit a “Yawn, next,” but his comments about Kanye returning to his old rap style piqued curiosity.

The duo linked up in Italy last summer before Kanye began recording Vultures with Ty Dolla $ign. “I had him on Hip Hop. I was like, ‘You gotta rhyme. You have to do the stuff that you used to do ’cause you ill at that.’ And he listened! … I had [the old Kanye back].”

Kanye allegedly tabled the project when he began making Vultures, and although Sermon expressed hope they’d finish the album one day—Kanye’s not with it. 

In a DM to the popular fan account @yefanatics, Kanye said, “This is fake news. Ain’t no album called Y3 and ain’t nobody tryna be the ‘old Ye.’” Clearly, Sermon hasn’t heard “Burn” because it’s the closest thing we’ve gotten to “the old Ye” in years.

After shamelessly pointing out the success of Vultures and singing his own praises, Kanye signed off with, “I’m the greatest artist in any genre ever. And I’m just getting started.”

New Music Friday

Viral R&B artist 4batz has finally added another song to his discography, rounding it to three songs and 9.4M monthly listeners. Here’s all the music you can listen to now—categorized by 💿️ for albums and 🎶 for singles:

• 💿️ BLUE LIPS by ScHoolboy Q

• 💿️ Texas Technician by That Mexican OT

• 💿️ After TTBR by Glokk40Spaz

•  💿️ Heathenism by Meek Mill

• 🎶 “Gin & Juice” by 21 Lil Harold, BigXthaPlug

• 🎶 “Act III: On God?” by 4batz

• 🎶 “Tony Montana” by Skepta, Portable

• 🎶 “Like What (Freestyle)’” by Cardi B

• 🎶 “Still Yours” by The Kid LAROI

• 🎶 “Hold Me Down” by Matt OX

• 🎶 “Hot Spot” by Mez, Isaiah Rashad

• 🎶 “We Sh*t Him In His Head Huh” by NBA YoungBoy

• 🎶 “Sticks & Stones” by Joyner Lucas, Conway The Machine

• Over 38% of music on TikTok is “modified,” says study that analyzed 100M audio tracks. According to Pex data, either the pitch or speed of the tracks was altered.

• Jack Harlow taps SZA, Vince Staples, & more for a new festival. Taking place in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, the festival will highlight local food and culture alongside music.

• Fred again.., Lil Yachty and Overmono drop off “stayinit.” The track gets an official release after being previewed at an impromptu NYC rave.

• Billboard Hot 100 📈 

• These 2 Vultures collaborators confirm Vol 2 is otw 🔥 

• Kanye slams Adidas over $250M lawsuit & unpaid Yeezy royalties—who is lying? 🤥 

• NBA YoungBoy is selling his $5.5M Utah Mansion 🏡 

• Industry Insights 🔎 

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

“Carnivals” remains Vultures' most popular song, only dropping one spot to #4. Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ On Me” gets bumped down to #2 by Beyonce, and Bryson Tiller’s “Whatever She Wants” debuts at #32.

Ty Dolla $ign & Timbaland Confirm ‘Vultures Vol 2’ OTW

Vultures Vol 1 holds the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 for the second week in a row, becoming Kanye’s first album in 13 years to do so. But where’s Vol 2? Ty Dolla $ign and Timbaland have an update.

The three-part series was initially teased to release on Feb 9, March 8, and April 5. The Vol 1 release came a day late, only to be plagued by distribution and clearance issues, casting doubt on the likelihood of other versions ever reaching your AirPods.

Timbaland, who contributed production on “Fuk Sumn” and “Keys To My Life,” seems to have worked on Vultures Vol 2 and updated fans on the album’s imminent arrival.

Within days, Ty Dolla $ign echoed the same statement. In an interview after the Vultures listening event in Paris, he spoke on how his musical synergy with Kanye came to fruition in the album. “It’s incredible, Ye is one of the greatest, I’m one of the greatest, and you put those together, it makes the double greatest.”

“Thank you guys for supporting Vol 2 OTW,” he said as his sign-off from the interview. There are only 9 days until March 8, and if the album is scheduled to be released, you can expect previews of songs and collaborations from Kanye’s bag of usual rollout tricks.

Kanye vs. Adidas: Who Is Lying? Rapper Slams “Fake Yeezys” & $250M Lawsuit

“Let me explain really clear to you guys what’s happening with Adidas,” Kanye said, addressing the ether of social media in a new video. “Not only are they putting out fake colorways that are non-approved, they’re suing me for $250M, and they’re also not paying me.”

Kanye’s claims were made only days before Adidas is set to release the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in a “Steel Grey” colorway on Feb 29. Like many divorces, this one is messy, and it has a paper trail longer than the “Who TF Did I Marry” thread on TikTok. Still, we dug through the archives to determine if Kanye’s accusations can be substantiated. Find out below.

What was Kanye’s contract with Adidas?

In 2016, Kanye signed a multi-year contract with Adidas that had a moral clause with grounds for termination. According to The New York Times, these grounds included felony conviction, bankruptcy, 30 days of mental health or substance abuse treatment, and anything that brings “disrepute, contempt, scandal” to Kanye and, by proxy Adidas. 

It also outlined that Kanye would get a 15% royalty on all Yeezy sales and $100M annually, officially for Yeezy marketing, but unofficially for Kanye to do what he wanted instead of traditional marketing.

Think of these terms like a prenup; they give structure to a divorce, but if you have the right lawyers and a certain amount of spite, the fine print is up for debate.

Is Adidas suing Kanye?

Shortly after their conscious uncoupling in Oct 2022, Adidas froze $75M in Yeezy assets. This part of the legal dispute stems from the $100M annual fund, mentioned in the previous section.

Adidas claims to have paid $50M to a Yeezy Wyoming bank account and $25M to Yeezy’s JPMorgan Chase account. They allege that Yeezy mishandled all of these marketing funds—mixing the money with general accounts and using it for unauthorized purposes.

Adidas dropped the federal case and moved to private arbitration instead, pursuing a return of the $75M and unspecified monetary damages, claiming Kanye reduced the brand to “economic rubble.”

Unfortunately, details of private arbitration cases are just that—private. Kanye may have been referring to this lawsuit, but the amount he’s being sued for can’t be confirmed.

What about the Yeezy sales?

Divorce is easy—said no one ever. Kanye may be entitled to 15% of all Yeezy sales, but the terms of his contract and any applicable laws would determine if he gets royalty payments during the litigation process. Once again, the answer is unclear.

The Financial Times reported that Adidas made $565M in revenue from Yeezy drops in May 2023, giving Kanye just under $85M at his royalty rate. Would he be publicly blasting a product if he was profiting from it? Probably not.

NBA YoungBoy’s Selling His Grave Digger Mountain Mansion for $5.5M

NBA YoungBoy’s been living in Utah since 2021, when his lawyers successfully negotiated the relocation as part of his house arrest deal. He’s still awaiting trial, which is set for this summer, but in the meantime, he’s put his $5.5M dollar mansion on the market.

Affectionately called Grave Digger Mountain by him, the property is listed under its formal name, 4544 S Abinadi Rd, and not YoungBoy’s nickname or “one-time jail.” The 8,800 square feet of contemporary luxury living was “designed to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living,” according to the listing.

The features include:

• Four bathrooms

• Panoramic views

• Heated driveway with five five-car garages

• Elevator

• Sprawling outdoor pool

• Private deck off the master suite

Check out photos of the estate below and view the full listing for more.

• TikTok loses even more songs over its dispute with Universal Music Group. The publishing arm of UMG began pulling their songs, and their combined catalog represents 20-30% of the most popular songs on the platform.

• Baby Keem teases new album ‘Child with Wolves.’ “Living with imperfections, back to you all so soon,” he wrote on IG stories.

• 21 Savage is going on tour with JID, Nardo Wick & 21 Lil Harold. The American Dream tour kicks off in May, and tickets go on sale this Friday, March 1.

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The Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on a combination of streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Doja Cat loses her chokehold on the #1 spot as Drake occupies seven of the Top 10, with songs from For All The Dogs. The previously released “Slime You Out” got a streaming boost climbing from #18 to #6.

3 Things You Need to Know About Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s New Album

Updates on Kanye’s forthcoming album and rumored concert in Italy keep coming in like breadcrumbs. Originally scheduled for Oct 13th, the concert is seemingly pushed back to Oct 27th as Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign are shopping for distributors to release their collaborative album. Find out more below.

1. The Release Party / Concert

Italian newspaper Reggionline broke the news of Kanye’s concert in early October when photos leaked of a large stage being constructed at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia. It seems the show’s occurrence hinges on the successful release of Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s new album.

Still no official announcement, but TicketOne, the Italian version of Ticketmaster, made Kanye’s profile publicly visible, potentially in preparation for releasing tickets.

2. No Distributor Causes Album Delays

Billboard reported that Kanye is considering five different offers to distribute the album and “will make a decision soon.” Industry executives are reportedly conflicted about releasing what some sources have called Kanye’s best music in years at a time when Kanye’s past antisemitic comments carry a lot of weight.

Don’t expect any of the major labels to partner with Kanye, but a few smaller distributors like Too Lost (who represents Kanye’s rights on YouTube) are in competition for the album.

Since Kanye owns all his copyrights, he has the option to self-release via a DIY service like Distrokid or Tunecore but will probably opt for boutique distribution that offers more label-like support.

The last time Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign collaborated was for “Junya Pt 2” on Donda in 2021, but their working relationship dates back to 2014. There’s a leaked version of their song “If I Let Go” on Reddit, cut from the Donda tracklist.

3. Collaborators in Italy

Regular Kanye collaborator Mike Dean, who was heavily involved with Donda, will be absent from the album and concert. Fans think Freddie Gibbs may be in attendance thanks to a tweet suggesting he’s going to Italy, but if we learned anything from Donda, it’s that Kanye rarely debuts an album alone.

Adonis Debuts Freestyle as Drake Breaks More ‘Billboard’ Records

Life is good for Drake and his son Adonis, who both achieved milestones in their rap careers. Drake’s For All The Dogs debuted at #1, like almost all of his projects, and his son, Adonis, made his rap debut with “My Man Freestyle” at the mature age of six.

For All The Dogs achieved…

• Another No. 1 album debut on the Billboard 200 with 402K album equivalent units for first-week sales

• Drake’s 13th No. 1 single tying him with Michael Jackson’s record (it’s technically 14 if you count “Sicko Mode”)

• J. Cole’s first No. 1 single thanks to “First Person Shooter”

• 7 out of the Top 10 spots on Billboard’s Hot 100, bringing his total Top 10 career hits to 76

• The No. 1 song on Billboard’s Global 200 chart with “IDGAF” ft. Yeat

• The largest streaming week of 2023 for any album, with 514.01M streams

For his sixth birthday, Drake gave Adonis his pen and a budget for his first music video. “My Man Freestyle” was announced on Drake’s socials in celebration of his son’s birthday. “I was playing on my iPad, and I broke my iPad,” the young protégé raps while playing youth basketball. Naturally, he had to perform the song at his basketball-themed party as well.

The freestyle is an extended version of Adonis’ verse at the end of “Daylight,” another addition to his artist resume which includes the cover art for FATD and an appearance in the “8AM in Charlotte” music video. Meanwhile, in kindergarten, other kids are learning their ABCs.

• AI music generator Riffusion raises $4M in seed funding round. Users can describe musical style and lyrics, and Riffusion’s AI will generate “riffs,” along with artwork, in seconds.

• Blueface claims he hooked up with Megan Thee Stallion and Coi Leray. The Meg hookup allegedly happened in 2019 when they were XXL Freshmen together.

• The alleged uncensored version of Lil Yachty's track dissing Lil Uzi Vert leaks. This comes after Yachty previously denied the lyrics were aimed at Uzi.

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Championship Results

Kanye has been crowned the winner of Rap Madness: GOAT Edition, as determined by your votes. He beat Tupac in the championship round by 143K votes, and you can review his round-for-round stats below.

• 190,820 votes in the Round of 32, eliminating A$AP Rocky 

• 141,763 votes in the Sweet Sixteen, eliminating Kendrick Lamar

• 178,082 votes in the Elite Eight round, eliminating Future

• 158,803 votes in the Final Four round, eliminating Drake

• 143,322 votes in the Championship round, eliminating Tupac

There’s no denying Kanye’s influence on music and culture, from critically acclaimed albums that pushed the boundaries of hip-hop to his artistic vision that has redefined aspects of entertainment, he’s always been a visionary. His influence has not been without controversy, though, and it’s essential to be mindful of the impact his past remarks and views have had on others.

The perfect bracket exists

6,225 brackets predicted Kanye as the winner, but only two brackets correctly predicted how every round would go. The winner will be chosen randomly from the two perfect brackets and announced on RapTV’s social media this weekend.

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$7 Tickets to Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus Tour

Travis Scott has embarked on his first tour since Astroworld, but even with the success of Utopia, he’s facing low ticket demand like many other rappers this year. The initially sold-out tour has resale tickets for as low as $7 USD. Why? Find out below.

For the tour’s first night in North Carolina, ticket retailer StubHub had a pair of tickets available for $7 each, and rates didn’t improve much for the second stop in Raleigh, NC, with the cheapest ticket being $18.

According to 404 Media, the low prices are a result of scalpers overbuying thousands of tickets based on a false prediction that they’d score big on the resale market.

What is a human ticket-buying botnet?

PSF Buyers Club is a ticket-buying scheme that leverages real individuals who want to maximize their credit card points. These members create a human botnet that can bypass Ticketmaster’s buying limits and hoard tickets for resale, collecting points as they go.

PSF told its members to buy as many tickets for Travis Scott as possible and promised they’d be reimbursed for the price and make a $25 commission on each ticket. PSF is now facing a $1M loss as tickets are being resold for under-face value—maybe Circus Maximus will become their new Roman Empire.

What to expect at Circus Maximus

Night one of the tour revealed the setlist, intricate stage set-up, and merch selection—the three things you want to know about a concert. Travis performed all the fan favorites, including “Aye” from Lil Uzi Vert's album, “Mamacita,” “90210,” “goosebumps,” and more. Certain cities with opener Teezo Touchdown can expect to see the duo perform “Modern Jam.”

Kanye Reportedly Planning Secret Concert in Italy

Kanye’s love affair with Italy continues as the rapper is allegedly planning a concert for 80-100K people in Reggio Emilia. First, Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus performance in Rome, which Kanye performed at, and now this. Has Italy become the unofficial place for rappers to rebirth after being canceled in America? Here’s everything we know about the concert below.

Italian newspaper ReggiOnline first reported that workers had been tasked to construct a stage for an event on October 13, this Friday. They clarified that permits and authorizations from Italian officials had not been granted yet, and preparations didn’t mean the event was confirmed.

Then, the reputable Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that the concert had been authorized for October 20 at the RCF Arena. All that’s left is for tickets to go on sale, which they expect will happen soon.

The more striking similarity between Travis and Kanye’s concerts is their virality based on a “will it or won’t it happen” anxiety. They’re both masters of less information breeds more speculation, which ultimately builds hype.

The 10 Best Songs From Drake’s For All The Dogs Ranked

Instead of the usual song revenue chart, which didn’t have any new entries this week, we ranked the ten standout songs from Drake’s For All The Dogs. There are the obvious favorites with highly anticipated collaborators (J. Cole carried “FPS"), but many of the album’s best songs were the low-key ones you didn’t expect at first glance.

A-list features like Travis Scott and Future were noticeably absent, but Drake opted for the curation role, sharing the spotlight with new friends like Teezo Touchdown, Yeat, and Sexy Redd.

• FTC submits a proposal to ban concert ticket junk fees. The goal is to eliminate hidden fees that only appear at checkout and bogus fees that don’t clearly state what a customer is paying for.

• YNW Melly prosecutors want juror names hidden in double-murder retrial. The motion comes after police discovered a notebook with information on jurors in the home of Melly’s co-defendant, YNW Bortlen.

• A$AP Rocky & A$AP Relli in “early discussions” of possible lawsuit settlement. This would resolve the civil lawsuit Relli brought against Rocky, but the criminal case is still ongoing.

Until then, enjoy our Today In Rap newsletter with insightful updates on all things rap, and stay subscribed for more. In other news today:

• Billboard Hot 100 📈 

• Kanye plans secret Italy concert 🇮🇹 

• Drake slams Joe Budden after FATD critique 🥩 

• Foolio shot for the third time, gives health update 🤕 

• Discover new music with The Rap Index 🎵 

• Industry Insights 🔎 

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on a combination of streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Doja Cat and Gunna hold their Top 10 positions at #1 and #8, respectively. Jack Harlow’s collab with K-pop artist Jung Kook debuts at #5.

Drake Slams Joe Budden After ‘FATD’ Critique

What For All The Dogs lacked in explicit disses and shots, Drake makes up for in social media feuds. The category is still media personalities after recently dissing Charlamagne, but his new target is Joe Budden.

“I own a 767…he owns a modest house in the 973 and flies first class on special occasions,” is just one of the shots Drake fired. Their beef dates back to 2016, when Budden shared his opinion on Drake’s Views album, and it was Budden’s take on FATD that made things spicy again.

Budden essentially said that Drake is too old to be hanging out with streamers like Kai Cenat or dating 25-year-old girls, and it shows in his music. Drake clapped back by saying Budden failed at his career as a rapper and could only make money by criticizing people who succeeded where he couldn’t.

“This is a man projecting his own self-hate and the fact that I did and continue to do everything he wanted to do for himself,” Drake wrote. The whole exchange can be reviewed below.

The most thought-provoking comment from the exchange is Drake’s plea for young artists not to take these media opinions seriously. It can be unnecessarily demoralizing to have a Budden-like figure make a mockery of your music online, and for that, Drake makes a good point.

Kanye Reportedly Planning Secret Concert in Italy

Kanye’s love affair with Italy continues as the rapper is allegedly planning a concert for 80-100K people in Reggio Emilia. First, Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus performance in Rome, which Kanye performed at, and now this. Has Italy become the unofficial place for rappers to rebirth after being canceled in America? Here’s everything we know about the concert below.

Italian newspaper ReggiOnline first reported that workers had been tasked to construct a stage for an event on October 13, this Friday. They clarified that permits and authorizations from Italian officials had not been granted yet, and preparations didn’t mean the event was confirmed.

There’s speculation that the date could be pushed back to October 20, the following Friday, and the concert will take place at the RCF Arena, but no official announcement has been made.

The more striking similarity between Travis and Kanye’s concerts is their virality based on a “will it or won’t it happen” anxiety. They’re both masters of less information breeds more speculation, which ultimately builds hype.

The Rap Index ft. Drake, J. Cole, Yeat, Earl Sweatshirt, ATL Jacob & More

The Rap Index is a way to follow and discover new music. Divided into 4 categories describing rap subgenres, songs are placed according to their style and sound—giving you a better idea of what songs will appeal to your musical taste. Only releases from the previous New Music Friday are included to help keep you up to date.

RapTV’s Ranking of NMF Songs Featured in the Rap Index

1. “First Person Shooter” by Drake, J. Cole (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

2. “Daylight” by Drake, Adonis Graham (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

3. “IDGAF” by Drake, Yeat (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

4. “What Would Pluto Do” by Drake (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

5. “Members Only” by Drake, Partynextdoor (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

6. “MF Problem” by ALT Jacob (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

7. "Sirius Blac” by Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

8. “WOO” by Denzel Curry, PlayThatBoiZay, Chief Pound (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

• Shoreline Mafia reunites at OhGeesy’s show in Los Angeles. OhGeesy brought out Fenix Flexin, whose departure is what initially ended the group in 2020.

• NLE Choppa hit with a lawsuit for alleged copyright infringement over 2020’s “Who TF In My Trap.” In a new complaint, West Coast rapper Rodney-O alleged that the song copies the 1987 track “Everlasting Bass.”

• Kid Cudi reveals he’s launching a new brand with Human Made founder NIGO, titled WZRD CWBY. Cudi teased a T-shirt with a cartoon graphic alongside the announcement and said it’s “coming soon.”

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Final 4 Results

Eminem seemed like a fan favorite, but he didn’t have enough votes to take out Tupac, who is the only remaining legacy artist in the championship round. As Kanye and Drake’s beef seems to heat up IRL, Kanye takes out Drake in the final four, advancing to the championship round.

Rumour has it Kanye’s been plotting to release something on the same night as Drake’s For All The Dogs album drops. More in our Today In Rap newsletter below.

We’re down to the championship round, and voting begins tomorrow to determine the GOAT. Are you voting for Tupac or Kanye?

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Kanye and Drake’s Never-Ending Rivalry: Are Both Albums Dropping Tonight?

In the scary (and early) hours of October 5th, Drake dropped a surprise video for his new song “8AM in Charlotte.” The video spurred three new topics of conversation: Adonis’ creative vision and artistic wage, 21 Savage’s green card, and Drake’s infamous beef with Kanye.

The video starts off with Adonis holding a drawing that’s likely the first iteration of what turned out to be the For All The Dogs album cover and explains a story involving a goat, not a dog. The goat represents Drake, and when asked, “Do you wanna talk about how much money you got for your beautiful drawing?” he replies, “Oh please.”

In the first verse of the song, Drake raps, “Savage got a green card straight out of the consulate / Where I go, you go, brother, we Yugoslavian.” 21 Savage’s immigration status is what stopped him from visiting cities outside the U.S. for his It’s All A Blur tour with Drake. According to TMZ, 21 Savage’s immigration case has been resolved—just in time for the tour’s closing shows in Toronto.

Drake vs. Kanye

It’s who he didn’t name in the third verse that has everyone talking and theorizing about whether the lyrics are a Kanye sneak diss. “Handle beef so quiet, you think that I’m letting it slide / Next thing you know, we tip-toein’ past enemy lines,” Drake raps, saying his peace offering can be for show, like a Trojan horse to give him an advantage.

“Search & Rescue” suggests the beef was not solved at the Larry Hoover benefit concert. “I’ll probably hold a grudge against you guys ‘till I’m 75,” may be a reference to Kanye and Pusha T. It was Kanye who gave Pusha the information that led to “The Story of Adidon” diss track, revealing Adonis’ identity for the first time.

Fans are speculating that all the news about Kanye’s upcoming album “dropping at any time” was a calculated plan to ruin Drake’s release day. Confirmed collaborator Ty Dolla $ign has erased all posts on his IG and posted the below IG story, hinting at an upcoming song or album.

New Murder Theory & Never-Before-Seen Photos From Tupac’s Case

As Tupac’s murder case begins to unfold, suspect Keefe D Davis’ arraignment was postponed when his lawyer failed to show up in court, more opinions and evidence are coming to the surface. Since the last recap, it’s been insinuated that Diddy played a role in Tupac’s murder, and despite Davis’ involvement, Tupac wouldn’t want him to go to jail.

Never-before-seen photos and videos were released from the night of the shooting. This includes surveillance footage of Tupac and Suge leaving the MGM Grand hotel, the bullet-ridden car Tupac was in, and photos of his autopsy. There may be more evidence unearthed as the trial begins.

Ma$e discussed the case on his talk show with Cam’ron this week and indirectly painted a picture of the suspect, Davis, having a longstanding relationship with Diddy. What Ma$e was alluding to was comments made by Davis during his confession to police in 2008. He claimed that Diddy offered him $1M in the mid-’90s to “get rid” of Tupac and Suge Knight—rivals of Diddy’s Bad Boy Records.

After Tupac’s murder, Davis said he never received the $500K from Diddy, and Davis’ indictment said Tupac was murdered as retribution for jumping Davis’ nephew.

Former Outlawz member Napoleon believes Tupac wouldn’t want law enforcement involved at all. He told The Art of Dialogue that despite Davis’ involvement, Tupac hated the cops and wouldn’t want Davis to rot in jail for his role in the murder. Oddly enough, Tupac’s last words to a responding officer were “fuck you” before he lost consciousness and later died at the hospital.

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new Thursday and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Double Daily, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from September 22 to 28.

Drake’s collab with SZA dropped to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 but still earned $75K from over 15M streams in its second week. Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” is back at #1, earning $111K from 23M streams. Gunna’s officially platinum song “fukumean” generated $74K from 15M streams.

• Offset seemingly confirms Playboi Carti didn’t clear the feature for his album. When fans asked where Carti was on the official tracklist, Offset liked a comment that replied “He definitely ain’t clear it.”

• Spotify rolls out new artist profiles highlighting music, merch, and events. The music tab also includes short-form videos from the artist and fundraising links.

• Travis Scott’s Utopia becomes the best-selling hip-hop album of the year. Surpassing Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains sales, the album achieved over 1.4M units in two months.

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Elite 8 Results

There were no close matchups in the Elite 8, but Kanye was the clear favorite, receiving the most votes overall. The most surprising win was likely Eminem over Jay-Z. Both artists haven’t been active on the music front in years, but their contributions to rap around the 2000s are what makes them GOAT contenders.

Eminem, who recently rapped, “Gen Zers actin’ like rap experts zip up your gaps and close your mouth / Bitch you ain’t been on this planet long enough to tell me how rap’s supposed to sound,” on the song “Realest” with Ez Mil, clearly has more young fans than he thinks.

We’re down to the final four, and voting begins tomorrow to determine the two rappers for the championship round. Someone tell Kanye he might eliminate Drake.

Final 4 match-ups

• Tupac vs. Eminem

• Drake vs. Kanye

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Drake & Lyrical Lemonade Shot This ‘For All The Dogs’ Music Video on Tour

About a month after fans leaked a video of Drake and Lil Yachty shooting something in Vancouver, Lyrical Lemonade’s Cole Bennett confirms it was a For All The Dogs music video that he directed. The song is titled “Another Late Night,” and all the details are revealed below.

Speaking to Arshan of Kids Take Over, Bennett says Drake had a few days off in Vancouver during his tour and wanted to shoot a video. He went to Vancouver, and Drake played him the album, giving him the option of doing a video for any song he wanted.

Bennett knew the album was still a work in progress and didn’t want to shoot a video for a song that was unfinished in the event that it never got released. “So I was like Yachty’s in Vancouver, we’re doing a run and gun style video, we shot it in 2 hours, we can lean on their chemistry, have fun, the song’s called “Another Late Night,” and it’s a night time shoot.”

He chose the Maple Ridge, Vancouver, location for its secludedness, but it wasn’t private enough to go unnoticed by nearby residents. The leaked clip showed Drake and Yachty driving around in a sports car covered in Christmas lights and rapping together in an empty lot. You can even hear Drake’s lyrical wordplay with A$AP Rocky’s name.

Man Arrested for Tupac’s Murder 27 Years Later

Last week news broke that Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis had been arrested for the 1996 murder of Tupac. The information came as a shock to many, some saying Davis had this coming for years, and others claiming authorities got the wrong guy—here’s why.

In July, cops raided the home of Davis’ wife as part of the ongoing investigation (catch up on the full details here). Davis has vocally admitted to being a witness to Tupac’s murder for years, insinuating that he was in the car with his nephew Orlando Anderson, who pulled the trigger.

Authorities have since portrayed Davis as the ringleader of a plan to get revenge on Tupac for jumping his nephew at the MGM Grand Hotel on the same night as the murder.

Witness says Big Dre shot Tupac

The indictment revealed transcripts of testimony told to the Grand Jury that voted to arrest Davis. An unnamed affiliate of the Crips testified in the weeks leading up to the arrest that it was Deandre “Big Dre” Smith who shot Tupac, not Anderson like Davis had suggested. Big Dre is no longer alive, and Davis is the only living person of the four who were in the car that night.

The witness swore that Anderson couldn’t get a clear shot, so Big Dre shot Tupac, and Davis planned it. “[Davis] is the one who’s going to make all the arrangements and all the plans until that gun goes into somebody else’s hand,” the witness told a grand jury.

Suge Knight won’t testify

The only other living eyewitness to Tupac’s murder is Suge Knight, who was in the car with Tupac. Speaking to TMZ from prison, Knight said he was surprised to hear about the arrest, and he’ll refuse if called to testify in Davis’ trial. He wouldn’t confirm or deny if Davis had any involvement, but he claims Anderson wasn’t the shooter and suggested prosecutors have the wrong suspect.

Although Tupac’s death was 27 years ago, there’s no statute of limitations for murder charges in Nevada, and that applies to those who aid or abet in a murder.

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on a combination of streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Doja Cat’s back at #1, and Drake’s song with SZA drops to #12 after debuting at #1 last week. Gunna’s “fukumean” moves up one spot to #8—it’s now been on the Hot 100 for 15 weeks.

• A$AP Rocky calls his new album “his best work yet.” During an interview with Dazed, the rapper said he’s really been experimenting, and he wants to leave expectations wide open.

• Spotify is developing AI-generated playlists created by user prompts. A tech veteran spotted references in the app’s code and posted screenshots online.

• Offset previews Playboi Carti collab at the listening party for his new album Set It Off. Arriving October 13th, the Carti preview would be the latest feature in addition to Future, Latto, Cardi B, and Chloe Bailey.

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Sweet Sixteen Right Side

The closest matchup from this round was between Travis Scott and Lil Wayne, but Travis took the win by 20K votes. Anyone who grew up listening to Lil Wayne will have 5 points ready to go as to why he’s Top 5, dead or alive, and lyrically, it’s hard to make an argument for Travis being better. What Lil Wayne is to some, Travis is to 20K more.

Kanye taking out Kendrick is an upset to Kendrick fans but not as surprising given Kanye’s widespread fanbase. The right side of the Elite 8 will likely be a close vote. Take a look at the match-ups below—voting starts Monday on RapTV’s IG stories!

Bracket Update

Prior to this Sweet Sixteen round, there were about 2300 correct brackets, and only 200 remained intact. What wiped out 80-90% of the brackets was the inaccurate prediction that Tupac would face Biggie and Eminem would face 50 Cent in the Elite 8.

Elite 8 match-ups

• Tupac vs Dr. Dre

• Eminem vs. Jay-Z

• Drake vs. Travis Scott

• Kanye vs. Future

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Kanye’s New Album Could Drop ‘Without Warning’ After ‘Jesus Is King 2’ Leaks

Sources close to Kanye told TMZ and Forbes that he’s been hard at work on his new solo album, completing 10 tracks this week alone, and it could drop anytime without the usual weeks-long rollout. Two albums from his vault have already leaked this month—here’s everything you need to know.

Jesus Is King 2, Kanye’s collab album with Dr. Dre, hit the internet this week in what was supposed to be the sequel to his 2019 gospel album Jesus Is King. The leaked version has 15 songs and is mainly made up of remixes from the original but with features from Eminem, Travis Scott, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Snoop Dogg, Anderson .Paak, and A$AP Ferg.

As with most leaks, they get scrubbed quickly, but Reddit still has some up that are linked below and the full tracklist here.

1. “Every Hour / Selah” ft. Marsha Ambrosius

2. “LA Monster” ft. A$AP Ferg

3. “Water” ft. Ant Clemons, Victory Boyd

4. “Closed on Sunday” ft. Dr. Dre, Anderson .Paak

5. “On God” ft. Thurz

6. “On Hands” ft. Travis Scott, Fred Hammond

7. “Everything We Need” ft. Ant Clemons, Ty Dolla $ign

8. “Ashes”

9. “God Is”

10. “Use This Gospel” ft. Eminem

The standout tracks from the leak are the remixed “LA Monster” with Ferg and “On Hands” with Travis. Earlier this month, Donda: With Child leaked online, reportedly an early version of Kanye’s 2021 album Donda.

YNW Melly Really Wants This Motive Banned From His 2nd Trial

As YNW Melly prepares for this second trial, his legal team filed a motion this week that attempts to block prosecutor Kristine Bradley from presenting a narrative related to money.

The motion asked the judge to ban testimony from any witnesses in the upcoming retrial who suggest there was an agreement between Melly and YNW Sakchaser to split all of the profits from music.

Melly’s team suspects that Bradley will present a witness for the motive of money, and they ask that if that happens, it has to be backed up with evidence, or testimony isn’t allowed.

Admissible evidence would include a signed contract or agreement, a verbal or written acknowledgment by Melly that he owed Sakchaser money. Otherwise, “any reference to it would be pure hearsay and conjecture,” the motion read.

The preemptive block is likely because Sakchaser’s mother and lead murder detective Mark Moretti said in depositions that they believe Sakchaser was waiting for a $200K payment before his death.

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new Friday and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Double Daily, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from September 15th to 21st.

Drake’s #1 collab with SZA earned $148K from over 30M streams in its opening week. Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” is still going strong with $107K in revenue from 22M streams. Rod Wave’s four most-streamed songs from his album Nostalgia earned a combined $233K from over 48M streams in its first week.

• Eminem becomes the 10th best-selling artist of all time. He beat Led Zeppelin after achieving 207M+ total sales in his career and is the only rapper in ChartMasters’ Top 40 ranking.

• Ice Spice speaks on being a “marketing fucking genius.” She credits the Bronx for making her quick on her feet, saying, “people with a smartass mouth make for good marketers.”

• Usher sees streaming spike after Super Bowl Halftime show announcement. There was a 16% bump in Usher’s music across all streaming platforms on Monday, with his song “Yeah!” increasing plays by 140% on Amazon.

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Round 2 Left Side

In a close match-up, Jay-Z defeated 50 Cent by just under 6K votes. That may come as a surprise given Jay-Z is routinely brought up in GOAT talks, while 50 Cent is more often praised for his self-made entertainment empire and 2000s run.

Another upset was Biggie being taken out by Dr. Dre. Although Dre has had a lengthy career with many accolades, Biggie is regarded as one of the legendary MCs from the ‘90s alongside Tupac (who did advance) and was probably the predicted choice on more than a few brackets. Voting for the right side of Round 2 goes live this Thursday on RapTV’s IG stories, and results will be sent to you Friday afternoon.

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The Rap Index ft. Lil Tecca, Headie One, DC The Don & More

The Rap Index is a way to follow and discover new music. Divided into 4 categories describing rap subgenres, songs are placed according to their style and sound—giving you a better idea of what songs will appeal to your musical taste. Only releases from the previous New Music Friday are included to help keep you up to date.

1. “Dead or Alive” by Lil Tecca (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

2. “Gun” by Doja Cat (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

3. “Smack Shit” by Doe Boy, Skilla Baby (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

4. “Call The Valleys” by Lil Kayla ft. Mally Bo (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

5. “Triple Threat” by Headie One, K-Trap, Clavish (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

6. “Tell Shyanne” by DC The Don (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

7. “Bobby Boucher” by EARTHGANG, Spillage Village, Benji (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

8. “Odd Ways” by MIKE, Wiki, The Alchemist (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

Drake Says Charlamagne Is “Really Obsessed” With Him

In case you missed it, Drake kicked off the week by beefing with Charlamagne via his IG stories. The two have been volleying insults back and forth like a tennis match for years, but the radio personality laughed off the serve and said the feud is actually hatched. So what happened?

There was a clip circulating over the weekend of Charlamagne claiming “nobody cared” about Drake’s new single with SZA. The criticism is not groundbreaking or unexpected from the radio host, but what probably activated Drake’s ego was the insinuation that his relevancy was questioned because the single’s popularity fell short of previous releases.

Drake dedicated multiple IG stories to Charlamagne, humorously calling him the off-brand Morris Chestnut. Even though “Slime You Out” was popular enough to debut at #1 on the Hot 100 this week.

Charlamagne responded to Drake on The Breakfast Club’s Monday morning episode and suggested their beef was intentionally cooked, like a perfect medium rare steak, as part of Drake’s album rollout.

Charlamagne’s Breakfast Club co-hosts didn’t believe his claims, but true or not, it was an attempt at saving face. Don’t put your popcorn away just yet because For All The Dogs drops on October 6th, giving Charlamagne a whole album to hate on.

Joe Biden Vows to End Ticket Fees as IRS Targets Resale Market

The real Hunger Games these days is trying to secure tickets to see your favorite artists. If you make it past the virtual never-ending queue, you’re congratulated by a tax on joy, also known as service fees. But President Biden has a message for those who don’t girl math their way through a surprise $100 or more extra at checkout.

Biden renewed his vow to decrease junk fees and increase transparency in the live music industry over the weekend. Tweeting that Americans deserve to know what they’re paying for upfront. The sentiment was coupled with the news that the IRS will be stricter in taxing the ticket resale industry, which is half of the problem with today’s inflated prices.

Tours like Drake’s It’s All A Blur, and Travis Scott’s Utopia sell out instantly, with bots snatching up a disproportionate amount of tickets for resale. The IRS plans to enforce the taxation of resellers who earn more than $600 annually from hustling tickets. How? By forcing platforms like Ticketmaster and StubHub to provide information about resellers using their site.

Cutting into resellers' profits will (hopefully) make the business less lucrative and increase the supply of tickets for fans. If you’d like to learn more about everyone vs Ticketmaster, read our previous recap here.

• Spotify launches Jam, a real-time collaborative playlist controlled by up to 32 people. The tech is designed for simultaneous listening among a group of people, like at a party, where anyone can add to a shared cue of songs.

• Playboi Carti’s jeweler previews Antagonist upside down cross-chain with intricate layers of diamonds. Reactions were mixed with comments calling out satanic associations and other fans defending Carti.

• Chris Brown hit with lawsuit over $2M unpaid loan to purchase Popeyes Chicken franchises. The business deal never happened, and City National Bank wants their money back—plus interest.

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Round 1 Right Side

The closest matchup from this round was between Young Thug and Juice WRLD, but Juice WRLD ultimately took the win by 12.5K votes. Although not often compared, they’re both GOATs in their respective rap subgenres. Thug’s been credited for pioneering the melodic trap sound that Atlanta is well known for now, and Juice WRLD played a significant role in popularizing the emo rap that started as a subculture on SoundCloud.

Take a look at the matchups for the right side of Round 2, it might be a bloodbath so be sure to vote for your favorites on RapTV’s IG stories next Thursday.

Round 2 (right side) match-ups

• Drake vs J. Cole

• Travis Scott vs. Lil Wayne

• Kanye vs Kendrick Lamar

• Juice WRLD vs. Future

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Adidas CEO Defends Kanye While the Rapper Previews New Music at LFW

“I don’t think he’s a bad person,” said Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden when speaking about Kanye on a recent podcast. Going down memory lane, Gulden reflected on the dissolution of Adidas’ partnership with Kanye and shared his POV on the scandal that caused multiple brands to break up with the rapper.

Calling Kanye “one of the most creative people in the world” and pointing to his success in music and street culture, Gulden gave Kanye his flowers for the creation of Adidas’ Yeezy line. But admittedly, Kanye made some wrong statements (referring to his antisemitic remarks), and Adidas was forced to break the contract and withdraw Yeezy products.

“Very unfortunate because I don’t think [Kanye] meant what he said,” Gulden weighed in from a third-party perspective, as he only became CEO in November 2022, shortly after Adidas’ split from Kanye.

It’s no secret that Adidas is still hurting from the breakup. They would have posted a $764 million loss for the second quarter of 2023, but the sale of their remaining Yeezy inventory boosted the brand by 85% and brought the loss down to $491 million.

Meanwhile, Kanye’s moved on, completing side quests at London Fashion Week with his wife Bianca Censori. Sitting front row at Mowalola, Kanye debuted new music in the show’s soundtrack. The aux contribution is less random than you think—Mowalola Ogunlesi was the former design director of Yeezy x Gap and was handpicked by Kanye for the role.

Listen to Kanye’s unreleased music from the fashion show here.

“Going against corporations one on one,” Kanye thematically rapped on the unreleased song. Find more of the lyrics below.

Tory Lanez Poses for Mugshot & Transfers to Violent New Prison

It’s a rough week for Tory Lanez as he was transferred to North Kern State Prison in California and posed for a new mugshot, which quickly went viral. The rapper, who looks like he’s been broke for a minute, was noticeably disheveled compared to his public appearances in court.

The medium-security prison serves as a reception center for new inmates in the California state prison—meaning it might not be Tory’s permanent home as he begins serving his 10-year sentence for the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion.

He was credited for 305 days already served at his sentencing hearing last month and served another 48 before the transfer, so he’s completed almost a year of his sentence.

According to TMZ, Tory’s new prison has had a series of violent crimes as of late. In February, convicted murderer Ramon Escobar reportedly strangled his cellmate to death. Then, in July, Ricardo Saldivar was found dead in his cell, and his death is being investigated as a homicide. There’s also tension between inmates of the Sureños and Paisas gangs. News of this has sparked concern for his safety amongst fans.

• Nicki Minaj’s husband sentenced to house arrest after threatening Offset. Kenneth Petty’s remarks towards Offset during an IG live violated the terms of his three-year probation.

• YouTube to add AI creator tools to find music for videos and add dubs. The feature will act as a music concierge finding the right song for the right price based on a creator’s description.

• Rod Wave announces Nostalgia tour with Toosii, Ari Lennox, G Herbo, and Eelmatic. The tour kicks off in October, supporting his new album, which is projected to debut at #1.

• Discover new music with The Rap Index 🎵 

• Kanye previews music from new album after Venice boat ban ⛵️ 

• Drake films music video with Lil Yachty and name drops A$AP Rocky 📽️ 

• The real reason Drake’s interview with Bobbi Althoff was deleted 😳 

• Industry Insights 🔎 

The Rap Index ft. J.I.D, Lil Yachty, Rod Wave, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj & More

The Rap Index is a way to follow and discover new music. Divided into 4 categories describing rap subgenres, songs are placed according to their style and sound—giving you a better idea of what songs will appeal to your musical taste. Only releases from the previous New Music Friday are included to help keep you up to date.

RapTV’s Ranking of NMF Songs Featured in the Rap Index

1. “Come See Me” by Rod Wave (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

2. “Half Doin Dope” by J.I.D, Lil Yachty, BabyTron (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

3. “Kat Food” by Lil Wayne (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

4. “Doin Yo Stuff” by Blxst, Bino Rideaux (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

5. “Bonecrusher” by Maxo Kream, Key Glock (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

6. “Last Time I Saw You” by Nicki Minaj (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

7. “Die Today” by Earthgang, Spillage Village (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

8. “No Fake Love” by Queen Naija, NBA YoungBoy (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

‘For All The Dogs’ Updates: Drake Namedrops A$AP Rocky in New Song Snippet

Drake’s been doing everything but dropping his album. Most recently, he dropped $50K for a fan in Vegas and A$AP Rocky’s name in an unreleased song snippet. A fan in Vancouver apparently spotted Drake and Lil Yachty filming a music video for an unreleased song and captured a clip of it.

It’s impossible to confirm identities in the highly pixelated video but the audio sounds like Drake and has a bar shouting out A$AP Rocky. “I ain’t pretty Flacko bitch, this shit get really Rocky,” can be heard blasting while a car covered in Christmas lights drives by.

Drake also teased that he’s working on visuals with Lyrical Lemonade’s Cole Bennett, possibly a For All The Dogs music video? Drake x Yachty x Bennett link-up would be insane. Bennett directed the video for Lil Yachty’s viral “Poland” track last year, but this would mark the first collaboration between OVO and Lyrical Lemonade.

After two shows in Las Vegas over Labour Day weekend, Drake’s $50K lighter noticing a fan who held up a sign that read, “I spent my furniture money on your two shows, OVO for life.” After pointing the fan out, Drake generously said, “You know what, my man, your furniture money, imma give you 50 bands ‘cause I love you. That’s some real shit, I fuck with you.”

Why his interview with Bobbi Althoff was removed

Drake’s album rollout began with an interview on Bobbi Althoff’s The Really Good Podcast. He rarely does interviews, and when he does, it usually means an album is near. The episode was a success and all seemed well until recently, it was taken down from Bobbi’s YouTube channel, and fans noticed that the pair had unfollowed each other on IG.

Some called it a PR stunt, and others said bad blood behind the scenes was to blame. Still, no official word on what happened, but TikTok news account u/photogsteve81 posted a video with an alleged explanation of why the interview was deleted.

If you’ve seen the interview, you’ll remember when Drake questions Bobbi about Tyga, who she says she doesn’t know, and he plays 30 seconds of “Rack City,” Tyga’s most recognizable song. PhotoSteve insinuates that Drake and his team had complete creative control over the interview and specifically aired a version with an extended snippet of “Rack City” as leverage, should anything go wrong.

Something happened that neither Drake nor Bobbi will speak on, but his team allegedly reached out to Universal Music, who owns the rights to “Rack City,” and issued a copyright strike against Bobbi’s podcast episode. Filing it under the terms that Universal has YouTube music meant that all of the proceeds of ad revenue from the episode would have to be given to Universal.

Unable to monetize her biggest episode ever, her team decided to delete the video rather than forfeit revenue. None of this is verified information, but the pettiness sounds like trademark Drake.

Kanye Previews New Music Amid Lifetime Ban From Venice Boat Company

Kanye can now add Venetian Boat Company to the running list of things he’s banned from. Why? An NSFW boat ride with his wife, Bianca Censori, that Italy disapproves of.

He also made a public appearance in Ireland to support Steve Lacy and previewed new music, fueling the rumors that he has an album in the works. Find out more below.

Last week, photos of Ye sitting on a boat in Italy caught fire online because his butt was exposed in what could have been a wardrobe malfunction (or a weird Yeezy sample). Different angles of the boat ride emerged, as seen below, and prompted speculation that Ye’s lack of underwear was to facilitate Bianca performing a sexual act in public.

When Venezia Turismo Motoscafi caught wind of the photos, they hit Ye with a lifetime ban, saying the couple was “no longer welcome aboard its boats.” A spokesperson for the company said, “On board, the driver had to keep a lookout for traffic and did not see these obscenities. If this had happened, he would have immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority.”

The boating company will have to wait in line with the rest of the corporate brands who’ve felt personally victimized by Ye’s impulsive actions in the last year. According to Page Six, police in Italy are investigating the boat ride and may press charges against the couple for public indecency.

New Music for Steve Lacy

There have been multiple reports of Ye working on a new album as he gallivants across Europe, and he made a public appearance at Steve Lacy’s set on Sept. 1st for the Electric Picnic festival in Ireland.

The duo were seen hugging at the festival in the pic below, and Twitter u/kurrco posted a video captured by a festivalgoer in which you can hear Ye’s voice singing in the background. It’s unclear from the video if this snippet was previewed during Lacy’s performance, but Ye’s voice is undeniable.

There’s no evidence of this, but other songs were allegedly played that feature Ty Dolla $ and Young Thug.

If Ye’s been in the studio, it’s unsurprising that he would collaborate with Lacy. They got matching “we here forever technically” tattoos with Lil Uzi Vert last year in what looked like the BTS from a shoot for the now-canceled Yeezy x Gap collaboration.

Context for those of you out touching grass

Last month, news broke about a new album via prominent Ye leaker Insurge, who shared information with moderators of the r/GoodAssSub forum on Reddit. The album was described as a combination of 2004’s The College Dropout and 2016’s The Life of Pablo. While in Italy, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign allegedly had a studio session with Playboi Carti’s Opium collective. Insurge said that the working title for the album is Change, and it’s tentatively slated for an October release.

Why this matters

Ye’s antics have always been strange, but the consistency in reports from multiple sources strengthens the hypothesis that a new album is coming. Music previewed with Ty Dolla $ign at Steve Lacy’s festival set coincides with Insurge’s report that Ye and Ty had been in the studio recently. Lacy is also a plausible confidante for Ye to share new music with. It’s doubtful that the project will drop in October, but if Drake’s new album has any Ye disses, it could be the bait Bianca was looking for on the boat and prompt Ye to respond.

• Playboi Carti disappoints fans as Antagonist tour gets delayed by months. The North American leg, originally scheduled to kick off Sept. 6, has been shifted to mid-January 2024.

• Diddy reassigns music-publishing rights worth hundreds of millions to Bad Boy artists. The move is reportedly to give back to the people who built Bad Boy Records, including Notorious B.I.G’s estate, Faith Evans, Ma$e, the Lox, and more.

• LimeWire launches AI creator studio with music capabilities in partnership with Polygon Labs. Relaunched as an NFT marketplace, LimeWire says artists will be able to earn ad revenue from original content created on the platform.

• Song streams & revenue 💰️ 

• Eminem & MGK “to be killed on sight” as targets of Jacksonville shooter 😳 

• Everything we know about Aggro Dr1ft starring Travis Scott 🎮️ 

• New Music Friday releases 💿️ 

• Industry Insights 📈 

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new Thursday and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Double Daily, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from August 18th to 24th.

For the third week in a row, Gunna’s “fukumean” is the most profitable rap song from streaming revenue, generating $93K from 19M streams. It’s been on the Billboard Hot 100 for ten consecutive weeks, peaking at #4.

It’s been one month of Utopia and Travis Scott’s combined streaming revenue for “Meltdown,” “I Know,” “Fe!n,” and “Telekinesis,” week over week, is…

• $452K from 93M streams in its first week

• $259K from 53M streams in its second week

• $233K from 48M streams in its third week

• $191K from 39M streams in its fourth week

Jacksonville Shooter Wanted Eminem and MGK “to be Killed on Sight”

On August 26th, a racist gunman killed three Black people at a dollar store in Jacksonville, FL, and his writings reveal his desire to kill Eminem and MGK as well. Rolling Stone reviewed two disturbing passages full of racist and homophobic remarks that suggest the gunman, Ryan Palmeter, was once close enough to MGK to take a shot.

“[Eminem] walks the edge of ni**er lover and honorary ni**er. Fell off not because his new stuff sucked but because the lyrics were gay annoying liberal shit. ROE for Total Ni**er Death is to include Eminem (aka Marshall Mathers, aka Slim Shady, aka Ken Keniff, aka the white guy from D12) as a valid target, and he is to be killed on sight,” the shooter wrote.

He then turns his pen to MGK, writing, “Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly): Honorable ni**er. To be killed on sight like Eminem because I didn’t get a shot at him up in Ohio.” It’s unclear when Palmeter was in the same proximity as MGK, but it suggests he’d been planning these racist attacks for some time.

Multiple writings were recovered from electronic devices that show “a hatred against African Americans and belief in the inferiority of Black people. There’s also evidence he harbored anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Semitic grievances,” said FBI agent Sherri Onks in a briefing call on Monday.

The shooting took place two days before the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Along with the manifestos, swastikas were drawn on the two firearms used. 21-year-old Palmeter murdered two men, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr (19) and Jerrald Gallion (29), and one woman, Angela Michelle Carr (52), before killing himself.

Travis Scott Performs “Meltdown” with Drake & Stars in Upcoming Aggro Dr1ft “gamecore” Film

Earlier this week, there was speculation that Travis Scott would replace 21 Savage for the Vancouver stop of It’s All A Blur tour, and sources were correct. “Oh yeah, for the first time ever in Vancouver, Astro, and The Boy, we in this bitch,” Drake said before he performed “Meltdown.” Watch on Twitter here.

It was reported in March that 21 Savage wouldn’t be attending any of the Canadian tour dates, likely due to his ongoing immigration issues after he was arrested by ICE agents in 2019. J. Cole stepped in for the Montreal dates, but Travis fittingly filled in for Vancouver after announcing his own Circus Maximus tour.

Kicking off in October, Travis will be taking Utopia to 28 cities across North America, ending in December. As expected, ticket prices are super reasonable if you have an extra $600 you don’t need. The Ticketmaster floor plan reveals a weirdly shaped stage layout with floor seats surrounding it.

Everything we know about Aggro Dr1ft

Aside from the tour, Travis is starring in an upcoming movie directed by Harmony Korine, who also worked on the Circus Maximus film for Utopia. Details were scarce when the film was first announced this summer, but as the premiere approaches, more has been revealed.

Aggro Dr1ft is described as an experimental action movie filmed entirely with infrared photography, per the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film will be screened on Sept. 11th.

In just 80 mins, it tells the story of “the world’s greatest assassin,” named BO, as he prepares to vanquish a demonic crime lord in Miami. Spanish actor Jordi Mollà plays the assassin, and Travis stars alongside him as a “literal snaked-tongued militia leader.”

Hip-hop electronic producer Araabmuzik, best known for collaborations with A$AP Rocky and Cardi B, is scoring the film soundtrack. The movie’s plot is said to be very minimal, so don’t expect intricate storytelling, and places a greater emphasis on the unique visual stylings. Korine calls the aesthetic “gamecore” reminiscent of crime-ridden video games like Grand Theft Auto.

GQ writer Zach Baron, who saw an early screening, said, “It’s got the repetitive cadence of a video game cutscene, plenty of strippers, plenty of guns.” The description could sound more on-brand for a Travis Scott acting debut.

Aggro Dr1ft’s first premiere is at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 3rd, but no official release to the public has been announced yet.

New Music Friday

J.I.D announced he’s dropping a new album soon, and the first two singles with Lil Yachty and BabyTron arrive tonight. Here’s all the music dropping tonight—categorized by 💿️ for albums and 🎶 for singles:

• 💿️ SIXTAPE3 by Blxst, Bino Rideaux

• 💿️ Flying Objects by Smoke DZA, Flying Lotus

• 💿️ E3 by midwst

• 💿️ Blue Moon by Coi Leray

• 🎶 Van Gogh by J.I.D, Lil Yachty

• 🎶 Half Doin’ Dope by J.I.D, BabyTron

• 🎶 Kat Food by Lil Wayne

• 🎶 Street Sweeper by Chase B, Swae Lee

• 🎶 Demons by Doja Cat

• 🎶 Last Time I Saw You by Nicki Minaj

• 🎶 Bonecrusher by Maxo Kream, Key Glock

• 🎶 No Fake Love by Queen Naija, NBA YoungBoy

• 🎶 Die Today by EARTHGANG

• 🎶 Goodfellas by Conway The Machine, 38 Spesh, Benny The Butcher

• J.I.D announces new album Forever & a Day along with a new single ft. Lil Yachty. He confirmed that the new album will be dropping before his collaborative project with Metro Boomin.

• Nicki Minaj says her upcoming song with Drake on For All The Dogs is Young Money nostalgia. “The song I did with Drake recently put me in the feels,” she revealed in a TikTok livestream.

• 50 Cent is reportedly a battery suspect after hitting Power 106 host with a microphone. The performer got fed up with faulty microphones and threw one in the crowd, leaving Bryhana Monegain injured.

• Billboard Hot 100 📈 

• Discover new music with The Rap Index 🎵 

• Why did Donald Trump get bail for RICO, but Young Thug didn’t? 💸 

• Drake weighs in on Noah Lyles’ criticisms of the NBA 🏀 

The Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on a combination of streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” jumps 10 spots, from #15 to #5, and Gunna’s “fukumean” holds steady at #7. Rod Wave’s new single debuts at #26 in preparation for his new album, Nostalgia, scheduled to release on September 15th.

Not pictured above, Travis Scott’s Utopia holds the #1 album spot on the Billboard 200 chart for the fourth consecutive week. It’s the first rap album to spend its first four weeks at #1 since Drake’s Scorpion in 2018.

The Rap Index ft. J. Cole, Gucci Mane, Burna Boy, Lil Yachty & More

The Rap Index is a way to follow and discover new music. Divided into 4 categories describing rap subgenres, songs are placed according to their style and sound—giving you a better idea of what songs will appeal to your musical taste. Only releases from the previous New Music Friday are included to help keep you up to date.

1. “There I Go” by Gucci Mane, J. Cole, Mike WiLL Made-It (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

2. “Rapper of the Year” by Luh Tyler (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

3. “No Amiris” by Peezy, Key Glock (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

4. “Tesla” by Lil Yachty (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

5. “Cheat On Me” by Burna Boy, Dave (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

6. “Mercy” by Fridayy, Byron Messia (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

7. “Thanks” by Burna Boy, J. Cole (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

8. “Wish U Well” by French Montana, Swae Lee (Listen on Apple Music & Spotify)

Young Thug’s Father Questions Why Donald Trump Got Bond But Thug Didn’t

When Donald Trump turned himself in at the Fulton County jail, where Young Thug is imprisoned, he spent a total of 20 minutes there before being released on a $200K bond and hopping back on his private jet.

If Trump is facing the same RICO charges as Thug, in the same state, brought forth by the same D.A., why was he granted his freedom pre-trial, but Thug remains behind bars? It’s the question Thug’s father is publicly asking.

On Saturday (August 26), a few days after Trump’s release, DJ Akademics shared a post with the caption, “Message from Young Thug’s dad.”

Jeffrey Williams Sr. (yes, Thug has the same name as his father) calls out D.A. Fani Willis, who has been a controversial figurehead leading the YSL and Trump RICOs. Comments on the post were mixed, with the majority opposing the statement that Trump and Thug are facing the exact charges. “There’s no bodies involved, big difference 💀” commented u/thebighash.

Are Trump and Thug’s cases the same?

Both Trump and Thug are accused of breaking a variety of criminal laws, which differ in their indictments, but D.A. Willis strategically uses the Georgia RICO law to tie all of their alleged misconduct together, and it is the backbone of both indictments.

At Young Thug’s latest bond hearing in July, Judge Ural Glanville denied the request for bond for the fourth time, citing fears of witness intimidation. Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, tried to argue that Thug’s pre-trial incarceration was causing severe harm to his health, making his existing kidney condition worse with poor nutrition, and the lack of sleep was interfering with preparation for trial.

Steel likened the jail conditions to “torture” and said the court could set “whatever conditions needed” to grant bond. In comparisons drawn by this Rolling Stone article, Lashawn Thompson was found dead in a Fulton County Jail cell with inhumane conditions, eaten alive by bed bugs, last year, and alleged mobster Ralph DiMatteo was granted bail while awaiting federal RICO charges in New York.

Meanwhile, Trump is not accused of being the leader of a criminal street gang, but he was granted bail on the condition that he cannot intimidate witnesses, co-defendants, or other people. Trump is free to continue his political campaign, and there seems to be no concern for him repeating the same illegal activities he’s being accused of (trying to reverse his 2020 electoral loss in Georgia).

He also made a casual $7M from merchandise with his mugshot—directly benefitting his presidential campaign.

Why this matters

As Trump and Thug’s trials progress, it’ll be easier to draw comparisons and point out differences that could support the double standard accusation made by Thug’s father. RICOs are lengthy trials by nature, and both cases are highly publicized, so Trump’s jury selection, in theory, should be as difficult as Thug’s.

Lawyer and former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani spoke to Rolling Stone about the strategic advantages of keeping a defendant like Young Thug in jail. There’s a higher chance of convincing a defendant to take a plea deal if they’re in jail while awaiting trial—Gunna is an excellent example of this. It also makes it harder for the defendant to defend their case and prepare for trial if they don’t have the freedom to meet with their lawyer as they please.

Drake Claps Back at Noah Lyles’ Criticisms of the NBA

Drake, an NBA fan and professional courtside heckler, entered the Noah Lyles chat, clapping back at the track star’s remarks that the winners of the NBA finals are unfairly titled “world champions.”

Who even is Noah Lyles? You’re probably wondering. The 26-year-old athlete won the 100 and 200-meter sprints at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest last week, making him the first male to win both since Usain Bolt in 2015.

At a post-meet press conference, Lyles threw shots at the NBA when asked about how to grow or improve his sport. You can hear his complete response below, along with Drake’s hot take.

Devil’s Advocate Opinion

Sports journalist Gary Al-Smith, who covers African sports, spoke to NPR about why other countries agree with Lyles’ take on the NBA.

“I would say a disproportionate amount of Americans actually believe that the NBA is — or that the winner of the NBA is — the world champion because people from multiple nationalities, or the best NBA players in the world, play in the NBA,” Smith said.

“That is very odd for me, because as a sports journalist, when you hear anything being described as the "world championship," automatically in your mind, it's different countries competing,” he said, concluding his opinion.

Why this matters

Similar to the NBA, rap as a genre is dominated by American artists. The Billboard charts, which are exclusive to sales in the US, are the only rankings that matter in the global conversation of rap music. Even countries like the UK, with a prominent rap scene, are considered inferior when it comes to artist vs. artist debates. There is no American awards show that crowns artists “the best of the world,” but the Noah Lyles controversy can be applied to a conversation about underrepresentation in music, too.