Menu
The new single titled “King Talk” by Shaquille O’Neal features Blackway

The new single titled “King Talk” by Shaquille O’Neal features Blackway

Shaquille O’Neal assured the public that he will continue to be pleasant on the mic. It was announced yesterday (May 2) that NBA Hall of Famer KoKo would release his new single, King Talk, which features Blackway. Shaquille O’Neal posted the track to his social media accounts for the first time back in February when he used it as part of an animation video celebrating LeBron’s record-breaking first season as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The track opens up with Blackway delivering a hard-hitting delivery following his hard-hitting delivery that he lays out:

“KoKo and I have been exchanging beats for a while now and we have been sending each other beats back and forth. I knew I had to seize this opportunity after he played me this song,” Shaquille O’Neal explained via a press release. “There was never going to be a better moment for me to collaborate with Blackway, and this was the right time for it. My favorite part about this record is that I can feel as if I’m walking out for game seven of the NBA finals. Especially for LeBron James, the lyrics of the track and the vibe of the music were perfect for the moment when he broke the NBA scoring record. There was no doubt in my mind that I must share it with the world a king respects a king.”

As it prepares to release his EP later this summer, Ghanaian-American afrobeats and hip hop artist Blackway is steadily working up to the release of his EP. Back in March, he released his first single titled, “Lion”, which is the lead track on the album. Among his most recent projects is the 2020 album New Yhana 2, a project that featured performances from Papi ojo, Busta Rhymes, and more.

LOX, Rick Ross, and Fat Joe team up for “The Game”

LOX, Rick Ross, and Fat Joe team up for “The Game”

The LOX (sans Sheek Louch) as well as Fat Joe and Rick Ross brought together together for the release of a new single called “The Game,” a Mike Kuz, Buda & Grandz, and Setfree-produced single which was released in collaboration with sports betting company DraftKings as a collaboration with them. Therefore, the title track of the album is replete with bars that speak about the hard work needed to win, beginning with a powerful verse from Jadakiss about working hard.

“In the Game” includes a black-and-white clip that features action shots from current top NBA players in action accompanied by a variety of betting terms that are used when placing bets. The clip fits perfectly with the moment of the basketball league’s playoffs, a time when competition is at its peak, since the league is just entering the first stage of this season’s playoffs. The artists do not appear in any of the shows, which is unfortunate.

After decades of careers of Rick Ross in hip-hop, it is amazing to see how all parties have managed to remain relevant in the industry after decades of hard work. Living Off Xperience and Richer Than I Ever Been, the latest albums released by the LOX and Rick Ross, respectively, were released in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In the wake of the release of Fat Joe’s latest solo album, The Darkside Vol. 1, which hit land in 2010 and led to a new era of hip hop, and has continued to go from strength to strength through projects such as What Would Big Do 2021 featuring DJ Drama, Plata O Plomo featuring Remy Ma, and Family Ties featuring Dre. As of yet, it is unknown whether or not there will be more to come after “The Game”.

Nas and Hit-Boy work together for the new video “The Tide”

Nas and Hit-Boy work together for the new video “The Tide”

In an announcement made last Friday (March 17), Hit-Boy announced that his upcoming album, Surf or Drown was scheduled for release on March 24. Furthermore, he confirmed the official tracklist, which includes appearances by Curren$y, James Fauntleroy, Spank Nitti James, Devin Morrison, and more. The single “Slipping Into Darkness” gives fans a peek into what’s to come, featuring Hit-Boy rapping over an instrumental composed by The Alchemist.

This morning (March 22), the producer released the latest preview of the project, a brand new sound fitting for the theme of the project, entitled “The Tide.” It is worth noting that the newly released song is assisted by Nas, who also appears in the corresponding music video. Hit slides over his own beat in this clip directed by Third Eye Raz in which the two hip hop heads explore an art museum together:

In recent months, Hit-Boy has partnered with R&B veteran Musiq Soulchild to release their joint album Victims and Villains, which was released earlier this month, which was produced by Racks In The Middle. Additionally, he has also managed to maintain his busy schedule behind the scenes for many collaborative projects throughout the year 2022, including Bulletproof Soul featuring Pacman Da Gunman and HITGIRL featuring Dreezy. In the meantime, he has released a number of well-received songs, including ones like “Amen” by EarthGang, “2 LIVE” by Offset, and plenty more.

The “No Games” video features Angel, IQ, and Haile

The “No Games” video features Angel, IQ, and Haile

Angel made his return with the release of a new song in February titled “No Games,” featuring IQ and Haile. The self-produced album depicts the R&B veteran attempting to navigate a clearly toxic relationship.

Fans were treated on Wednesday (March 8) to a corresponding visual for “No Games” created by Ron Nengese. There is a great deal of dancing going on around Angel and his collaborators in this clip, as they are seated in different colorful rooms, surrounded by a variety of beautiful women.

Earlier this year, Angel released the follow-up to his debut LP, Woman. The album featured 14 tracks and features contributions from Giggs, Eric Bellinger, and Chaz French. In the following year, Angel released his hit single “Blessings”. In the wake of this release, he released an A-list remix which featured hip hop and Afrobeats heavyweights Davido and French Montana. Since then, he has remained one of the most prominent voices on the fans’ radar with notable EPs including his Teasers series and Quarantine, the latter of which was released in 2020 and featured five songs along with contributions from King Grizz, Chaz Marcus, and Slof. Angel’s equally impressive singles such as “BAD” by Wretch 32, “Deliciosa” by Elilluminari, in addition to a remix of Capella Grey’s smash hit “Gyalis” have raised hopes that Angel’s upcoming album supposed to be called Nine Lives will be released soon.

In his latest single, Maiya The Don takes aim at the “Duties”

In his latest single, Maiya The Don takes aim at the “Duties”

The viral hit “Telfy” by Maiya The Don made her an overnight hit in October 2022, making her one of the most popular women in the world. In a weekend filled with new music, Brooklyn rappers came through with their latest single, “Dusties.” This track is a tribute to her roots in New York City, with a sample of Lil’ Kim’s famous “Magic Stick” song featuring 50 Cent, which is a sample of Lil’ Kim. The track also features an interpolation of Ice Spice’s breakout track from a few years ago, called “Munch (Feelin’ U)”:

Ahead of the release of the new track, the rising star Maiya The Don sat down on “The Zane Lowe Show” yesterday (March 6) to discuss it. “My first response when I received the beat from Pliznaya was, “Yup, that’s fine”’. Lil Kim is my fave, we both hail from Brooklyn, and she is one of those women who tells us that God is a woman. In my mind, I am thinking, “Certainly, I am there.” Obviously,” she replied.

Additionally, Maiya The Don discussed some of her greatest musical influences in the interview. “Missy [Elliott] is a great inspiration to me,” she said. “I feel as though I recognize myself in her. She is a person with whom I can relate on so many levels. Missy is my favorite; I adore her to pieces. However, most of my favorite rappers are boys since my earliest memories of hip hop are when I received my first iPod at the age of 7. All the music was provided by my uncle, who was 16 years old at the time. In other words, it’s like Rick Ross, JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, everybody.”

As a debut artist, Maiya started out with loose tracks such as “ILL NANA,” “222,” and “CHIRAQ.” Since then, she has been featured on tracks such as “Conceited” with Lola Brooke alongside Flo Milli and “No More Crying” with Lay Bankz.