It seems like not even jail cells can keep Juelz Santana away from what has been his life’s true passion. On March 3, the veteran emcee released the 9thfull-length project of his career, #FREESANTANA. Santana – born LaRon Louis James – was arrested in March 2018 after he fled the scene when TSA found a gun in his bag at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Seemingly counting down the days until his rumored summer 2020 release, the rapper’s Twitter page recently posted on behalf of the incarcerated artist, acknowledging the one year anniversary of his incarceration.
The surprisingly cohesive mixtape is packed with star power, featuring the likes of Lil Wayne, 2Chainz, Jeremih, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Dipset cohort Jim Jones, and younger Harlem native Dave East, along with samples of Drake’s number 1 record, “God’s Plan.”
Juelz Santana uses the 36-minute project to touch on a myriad of topics. On records like “23 & 1,” “Do You Believe” and “In My Life,” he raps introspectively about past friendships and relationships, while reflecting on his incarceration. On “Pink Eagle” and “Ez Work,” he spends time reminding listeners that he’s a respected hustler, with plenty of street tales. The project’s outro record is a sample of Jay – Z’s classic record “Dead Presidents.” Titled “The Get Back,” with a feature from A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Santana reflects with a mixture of street tales, lessons and hope for his future post-release.
When A Boogie With Da Hoodie announced that he was set to release his third studio album, his fans were jubilant. It had been just over a year since we last heard from the Bronx native and in the age of microwaveable music, there was a yearning to hear what new melodies the “Just Like Me” rapper had cooked up. While leaked records delayed the album towards its Valentine’s Day release, they also built anticipation for what was to come.
At face value, Artist 2.0– the sequel to his 2016 breakout mixtape, Artist – gave his fans exactly what they asked for. The man known for his melodic chants and passionate crooning about his love life reverted back to what he knows best and then some. Although recognized as a rapper, that takes a backseat in this latest effort. A boogie never goes more than a few bars in any of the records before his singing takes precedence, exemplified in the emotional ballad “Good Girls Gone Bad,” where he wails about a woman who’s changed as a result of his inconsistencies.
What it lacks for in actual rapping, the album more than makes up for in its infectious choruses. “Right Back,” “Mood Swings,” “Me and My Guitar,” and “DTB 4 Life” are all records that have the propensity to become a mainstay in any playlist. While he doesn’t rap as much as some might have wanted on the album, his guest-features all brought their “A” game. Verses from Dababy, Young Thug, Gunna and Roddy Rich do a good job of balancing out the croon-heavy album, with A Boogie and Roddy Rich’s chemistry being one of the project’s highlights.
Coming into the rap game, A Boogie presented himself as a rapper who would occasionally try his hand at singing. On Artist 2.0, he doubles down on the latter, pushing his own personal boundaries and blurring the lines on what his official title should really be. While the album is enjoyable, it doesn’t always feel like it’s A Boogie at his best and it seems like, to A Boogie, “artist” means less rapping, which inherently is not the case.
Brooklyn native Pop Smoke, was killed in Los Angeles early Wednesday morning according to a report from Rolling Stone. A representative from the Los Angeles Police department confirmed that they responded to a 911 call around 4:30 this morning to find Pop Smoke shot. Pop Smoke was rushed to an area hospital were upon arrival he was pronounced dead, he was only 20.
Even though several people were questioned at the scene, no arrests have been made as of early Wednesday morning. Up to six people are sought in connection with his death, police said. The nearly 3,000-square-foot home on which the alleged home robbery took place is a rental property reportedly owned by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, daughter of John Mellencamp and star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Pop Smoke’s death comes after his new mixtape, Meet the Woo 2, made its debut at number eight in the Rolling Stone albums charts. Meet the Woo 2 was released earlier this month and was a accumulation of collaborations from this past summer with other trending rappers such as Travis Scott, Lil Tjay and Calboy. The mixtape was received well by fans, with already 37 million streams.
Born as Bashar Jackson in Brooklyn, New York, Pop Smoke was living the dream as he went from a unknown artists to the next-up in a span of months. Last year in April he released a hypnotic song titled “Welcome to the Party”. He quickly earned a major label deal with Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The hit has since had 80 million streams and an official remix with superstar Nicki Minaj. Minaj took to Instagram earlier to give her condolences on Pop Smoke’s early demise.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8wKzSGnCP0/
The rapper’s rise to fame has been scattered with hardships since last October. Rolling Stone had reported that Pop Smoke and a slew of other local rappers were scheduled perform at the New York festival Rolling Loud but were demanded by police to be removed from the lineup in a letter that “if these individuals are allowed to perform, there will be a higher risk of violence.” He was also arrested in January after allegedly transporting a Rolls Royce, worth $375,000, from California to New York.
We will continue to update as the story develops.
Pop Smoke performs “Welcome to the Party” in LIC Queens
Andy Frasco and the UN brought their Royal Rumble tour circus to the Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night, in the form of a high energy, wrestling themed showdown with co-headliner Big Something. Comedian Kyle Ayers doubled as the opening act and MC for the antics. The sold out crowd enjoyed the ruckus that ensued, as well as the jams.
Kyle Ayers kicked off the festivities with an unusual opening set of comedy directed at jam band fans. Shortly thereafter, Big Something descended upon the stage, delivering jam rock with a Southern and alt-rock flavor, along with extremely high energy. Members of Andy Frasco and the UN joined this party dressed in wrestling masks for a notable cover of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” At one point, Frasco dove onto Ayers, forcing him to wear a neck brace for the rest of the show. Big Something also performed the nineties throwback “Gangster’s Paradise” by Coolio.
After setbreak, Andy Frasco and the UN descended upon the stage once again, this time with even crazier stage antics. Known for stage diving, Frasco went for a ride early on in the set, and sported a bottle of Jameson throughout the night. Frasco was not without support from talented guests, as guitarists Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz and Brandon Niederauer took the stage for an electric cover of “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads. They also played their newly released track “Keep On Keepin’ On,” which was well received by the crowd.
The night was not complete without a stage diving race to drive the lane and dunk a basketball into the hoop setup within the crowd. Ayers refereed this challenge, while standing on top of Frasco’s piano. Frasco pulled off the victory while wearing his Wilt Chamberlain Lakers jersey.
The show was highly entertaining, and included some tasty blues, funk and rock-n-roll jams. This circus is back on the road this week in NY State, performing at the Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, Feb 18th. Visit their tour page for more details.
Rapper, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s highly anticipated, third solo effort has finally arrived. It’s backed by two singles: “Reply,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert and “King of My City,” as well as a snippet of “Guitar Song.” The Bronx native is looking to impress after having his album release date pushed back on several occasions because of leaked records. He shared the album’s artwork on his Instagram account on February 5 and confirmed the Valentine’s Day release on February 10.
His last album, Hoodie SZN, was his first project to debut at number 1 on Billboard 200, producing four charting singles, the most successful of which was the guitar laden “Look Back At It.” Overall, the crooner/emcee looks to capture the city’s attention, with a return to what had gained him a loyal following throughout the five boroughs.
Although Hoodie SZN was commercially successful, some felt he had strayed away from the tear-jerking records that first gained him notoriety. Such as, “D.T.B.,” from his debut mixtape Artist, hence the latest project’s title. With an ever-growing staple of New York City rappers (Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Sheff G) bringing notoriety back to hip hop’s birthplace, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is looking to leave a lasting impression, and lay claim to his throne as the latest king of New York rap.
He’ll need this project to be the one to do so, as this might be the last time we hear from A Boogie for a while. The “Drowning,” rapper took to Instagram to say, “This might be my last project for a while,” he revealed. “I wanna take a break from music after Artist 2.0 tour is over. There’s a lot of things I want to do in life and it’s just moving too fast for me to focus on everything at once. But I will never let my fans down. When you need me most, I’ll be there.”
The city of New York is used to being serenaded. Entertainers famous and obscure alike have sung the city’s praises – delivering some of their biggest records in doing so. From Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” to Jay – Z and Alecia Keys’ 2009 fall hit “Empire State of Mind,” New York City is used to being romanticized and looked at as a potential nesting ground for out-of-towners. While clearly magnetic in its appeal, the rougher parts of the city are less likely to be spotlighted during anthem songs.
That’s the thing about hip-hop, it has always been about speaking the truth. It has a reputation for delivering an authentic inner-city experience. Harlem native Cam’ron – known for his alliteration and uniquely playful delivery – tried his hand at an ode to hip-hop’s birthplace, on the 7th track from his 2002 album, Come Home with Me.
Featuring Jay – Z, the record signified the unification of two of hip hop’s most dominant rappers: Jay – Z, the accomplished veteran and label head of Roc-A-Fella Records, and Cam’ron, the captain of influential hip hop faction Dipset. The album marked Cam’ron’s first commercial release under the label and a verse from Jay – Z was the ultimate stamp of approval for his latest signee.
Jay – Z begins the record by shouting out a couple of legendary figures (Michael Jordan and Notorious B.I.G.) that have hailed from Brooklyn – his hometown. He then proceeds to paint a picture of his past endeavors in the streets of Brooklyn. While the verse might come off as braggadocios, it’s merely an explanation of why he would put himself in harm’s way by entering such a dangerous occupation. For every couple of bars about his cocaine exploits, it is followed up by the resulting glory that comes from it. Going from delivering the drugs to Baltimore, to being front and center at a Knicks game.
Based on the former’s subject matter, it was pretty safe to predict what Cam’ron’s lyrics would revolve around. He wastes no time attacking the Just Blaze produced record. “Yo, there’s a war going on outside no man is safe from.” Unlike Jay – Z, he doesn’t spend any time discussing monumental figures, nor does he glorify drug dealing. Instead, he chooses to relay the realities that come with the streets, in entertaining Cam’ron fashion of course. He even manages to take a shot at fellow Harlem native Mase, attributing his departure from hip-hop due to his uneasiness with being surrounded by so much violence. Eventually Jay – Z and Cam’ron go back and forth, describing the violent crimes that they come across in their respective neighborhoods.
Overall, the record feels like a moment in time. Just Blaze’s distinctive production (loud drums, guitars and horns) captures the aggressiveness of both emcees, and the two complement each other well. The record also served as the theme song for a popular video game, True Crime: New York City.
Welcome to New York City Lyrics:
Jay – Z
Turn the motherfucking music up [Cam’Ron] Just Blaze, man. You owe me n***a
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Welcome to the Empire State. Home of the World Trade. Birthplace of Michael Jordan. Home of Biggie Smalls. Roc-A-Fella headquarters. Ladies and gentlemen, Killa Cam, Young Hov is definitely in the building Brooklyn, Harlem World (Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City) Stand the f**k up!
I’m a B.K. brawler Marcy projects hallway loiterer Pure coke copper, get your order up I bring ‘em to Baltimore in the Ford Explorer It’s going to cost you more if I gotta get em to Florida Rucka game attender With the bent pole on the sidewalk with the tin plates on the fender I ain’t hard to find you catch me front and center At the Knick game, big chain and all my splendor Next to spike and the pen left to write I own Madison Square, catch me at the fight But damn once again if you pan left at the ice If you the man that write cheques with the hand that don’t write I go off the head when I’m rambling on the mic And I go off the feds when I’m scrambling at night And if its off the set I brought hammers to the fight But we from New York City, right Cam? [Cam: Ya damn right]
It’s the home of 9-11, the place of the lost towers We still banging, we never lost power, tell em Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City Why Y’all f***n with BK’s banger and Harlem’s own gangster Now that’s danger there’s nothing left to shape up Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
Cam’ron
Yo, there’s a war going on outside no man is safe from It don’t matter if you three feet or eight-one You’ll get ate from me, nine and straight blown Wig split, melon cracked, all that on day one Carry eight guns, two in the trunk Two in the waist, two in the ankle, two to just spank you You can jam with them jammers, blam with them blammers It’s hot here, ask Mase he ran to Atlanta You think we know what life do, make want to mold the cycle Drinkers they so delightful, blinging with so much ice In front of sparks, body cops Dilano Block away watch by Gotti and Girvano It’s la costra nostra, someone close approach ya They’ll toast ya gopher, bread loaf with shofer Old coke they raise up and snort, blayze up ya fort Jay puff shine, cases was caught Midnight pick fights, they love a victim Watch him fore he watch you, Killa
I’m from 101, west to Hunt 40th, this shit is live Fifth-floor, 56, you know the zip, district five You’re on 22nd, you from two-one That’s on Lennox, 7th ave was news one [Jay-Z] Coverage I synethestry Got rise from defending me Cause New York’ll miss me if I’m locked in the penitentiary The judge said “Is this that thug, from the kit kat club?” But I got enough chips stacked up to make a bitch to back up [Cam’Ron] Killa, I pinch that bud, I grip that snub to hit that thug Lay up in a pitch black tug, You lookin’ at rich black thugs to get that love And we won’t stop ‘til I get back blood Holla at em Hov [Jay-Z] I’m from Flushing, Marcy, Notia, Myrtle and Park N***as’ll drive by in the day, murder you in the dark That’s why the Johnny gun I’m holding Wet n***as up like the johnny-pump is open Homie, I play hard
I’m from 101, west to Hunt 40th, this shit is live Fifth-floor, 56, you know the zip, district five You’re on 22nd, you from two-one That’s on Lennox, 7th ave was news one [Jay-Z] Coverage I synethestry Got rise from defending me Cause New York’ll miss me if I’m locked in the penitentiary The judge said “Is this that thug, from the kit kat club?” But I got enough chips stacked up to make a bitch to back up [Cam’Ron] Killa, I pinch that bud, I grip that snub to hit that thug Lay up in a pitch black tug, You lookin at rich black thugs to get that love And we won’t stop ‘til I get back blood Holla at em Hov [Jay-Z] I’m from Flushing, Marcy, Notia, Myrtle and Park N***gas’ll drive by in the day, murder you in the dark That’s why the Johnny gun I’m holding Wet n***as up like the johnny-pump is open Homie, I play hard
Y’all n***s man, why Y’all can’t f**k around man It’s the ROC b***h, Killa, my n***a Jigga, Sigel, Beans Diplomats man, holla, Dash Get the f*** off our dicks I own this s**t right now man, I ain’t going nowhere
Vevo announced rapper Fat Joe, as the next artist in their Ctrl series, with a performance of “Heaven & Hell.” Vevo’s Ctrl series highlights the work of hard-hitting, cutting-edge musicians, both emerging and established, making an impact on today’s music scene. These artists demand attention and Vevo’s Ctrl shines a deserving spotlight.
Shot in Vevo’s Brooklyn studio, Fat Joe’s performance of “Heaven & Hell” follows sessions from Fabolous, Rick Ross, Common, Rapsody, Jeezy, Jadakiss, A$AP Ferg and more, according to their official website.
Sampling Wendy Rene’s 1964 record “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” – made famous throughout the hip-hop community by Wu Tang Clan for their sampling of it in 94’s “Tearz” – Fat Joe & Dre, spend roughly the first two-minutes detailing their past lives in the inner-city through a braggadocious lens, before a beat switch halfway through the record sees the two men double down on their affinity for jewelry and their status as bosses in their respective professions, before fading out the record with the original Rene sample.
Hailing from the South Bronx, Fat Joe is one of hip-hop’s first Latino superstars. The Terror Squad founder has parlayed his streets smarts and lyrical ability into a legendary rap career. While he began as a gritty lyricist known for his inner-city tales, he soon developed a sense for penning hits and has provided some of hip-hop’s most memorable records with hit such as; “Lean Back,” “All the Way Up,” and ‘What’s Luv,” among others. Apart from his individual projects, Fat Joe has shown a knack for discovering and developing talent, with his most prominent protégé being late-rapper Big Pun and renowned emcee Remy Ma.
Ever since Washington D.C. based rapper Wale released his debut album Attention Deficit in 2009, he’s had a steady output of biennial records. In October of 2019, Wale out put his latest release, Wow… That’s Crazy, on Warner Records and has been touring behind it ever since. The ‘Wow… That’s Crazy‘ tour made its way to Brooklyn Steel on January 15, with support from Yowda and DJ Money.
Wale opened the show with one of his biggest hits – “Lotus Flower Bomb,” off his sophomore release Ambition. Miguel’s opening verse on the track served as Wale’s introduction on stage, and the capacity crowd burst out with energy. They were in full-throat the entire show, singing along to every track without missing a single beat. The fans that showed up Wednesday night spared no moment to express their admiration for Wale and his music.
Wale was in firm command of the stage and kept the energy at a high level the entire show. Emphatically bouncing back and forth across the stage, he frequently allowed the fans to sing over his beats, creating a very engaging and intimate performance. Wale’s music attracts people of all ages and backgrounds and that was confirmed just by looking around. In the security pit alone there were young teens, boomer-aged adults and even a group of uniformed NYPD who came inside to catch a bit of the show themselves.
The show concluded with the track “On Chill” off Wow… That’s Crazy, allowing Wale to display his rap talents one more time before saying good night. This is the second leg of the tour behind the new record and shows continue through the end of February with the last stop at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, MI.
Inductees for the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have officially been announced. The committee in charge of inductees – made up of more than 1,000 historians, members of the music industry and every living Rock Hall inductee – have included two prominent names in music culture, whose body of work was not based in the genre. In an effort to diversify the Rock Hall of Fame, soul songstress Whitney Houston and iconic hip-hop emcee The Notorious B.I.G., will make their entrance into the hallowed halls of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They will be posthumously induced, at the 35th annual Rock Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The duo headlines an illustrious class, which features influential rock band The Doobie Brothers, Grammy-winning rock act, Nine Inch Nails, English rockers, T. Rex, who were prominent in the development of the rock scene during the early 1970s, as well as Depeche Mode, a dominant force within the electronic music scene.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Jon Landau, the longtime manager of Bruce Springsteen, and entertainment executive Irving Azoff will also be recognized at the ceremony. They will be presented with the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record executives, journalists, and other industry professionals who have had a major influence on rock & roll.
The ceremony will be broadcast live for the first time on HBO on May 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Performances and special guests and Induction Week programs will be announced later.
Tickets go on sale to Rock Hall members on February 25 and to the public on February 27 at 10 a.m. ET, at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
The 2020 Bonnaroo lineup was revealed Tuesday morning. The June 11-14 festival returns to Manchester, TN for its 19th year with headliners Tool, Lizzo and Tame Impala.
Other acts slated to appear this year include the newly reformed Oysterhead (featuring Trey Anastasio of Phish, Stewart Copeland of the Police and Les Claypool of Primus — which will also be performing), Lana Del Ray, Vampire Weekend, Miley Cyrus, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Tenacious D.
Brooklyn’s Turkuaz, which released its latest EP Kuadochrome in November of last year, is performing with former Talking Heads members Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew as part of a 40th-anniversary tribute to the Heads’ Remain in Light album. Also Nelly will be performing a 20th-anniversary tribute to his Country Grammar album.
Tickets for Bonnaroo 2020 go on sale Thursday, Jan. 9 at Noon ET at several different price levels. Details can be found here.
