A few months ago, Ace Hood shared his M.I.N.D. album, which had 10 tracks featuring introspective lyrics. The song has since been accompanied by visuals including “At War” and “Greatness”, which features Killer Mike. With a brand new single this week, the Florida-based artist returns with “Energy.” The new track switches up the tempo and shows off a quick flow:
Mr. Hood, Ace Hood’s first official album since separating from We The Best, was released prior to Mr. I.N.D. The project featured 14 tracks as well as appearances from Alexdynamix, OZ, Jacquees, and Slim Diesel.
In a recent interview, Ace Hood fans got a chance to get to know him a bit better as he discussed his journey toward financial empowerment:
Truth be told, I started investing in myself first. I believe that was my initial investment. My relationship with him started when I was a member of Dollaz N Dealz in Deerfield. I was aware that something strange was going on with our label, but at that particular time, I believed I could achieve something more. Being from a small city, I always had big dreams, so having a good grasp on finances was vital. To begin with I invested in myself, seeing myself as a business. My LLC was started many years ago with a business mindset and I have worked hard to take care of my money.”
Conway The Machine dropped his debut album, God Don’t Make Mistakes, in February. The 12-track project also includes contributions from Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Benny The Butcher, Beanie Sigel, Anderson .Paak, Westside Gunn, T.I., and more. The latest video from the Buffalo rapper is set to arrive today (June 23) for “Chanel Pearl track from his upcoming album God Don’t Make Mistakes featuring legendary rapper Jill Scott.
Featuring stunning cinematic shots of Conway and Scott in an illuminated mansion, the video was directed by Chad Tennies and Davi X. Pena, a striking contrast to the more dimly lit opening. The two collaborate on the song, which is an ode to nurturing relationships:
As well as these visuals, Conway The Machine has also shared visuals including: “Stressed” featuring Wallo 267, “John Woo Flick” with Westside Gunn and Benny The Butcher, and “Scatter Brain” by J.I.D. Conway and Ludacris have also appeared on other artists’ projects this year, such as Benny The Butcher (Tana Talk 4) and Action Bronson (Cocodrillo Turbo).
Chris Brown is slated to unveil his highly anticipated album Breezy on June 24. R&B veteran Chris Brown recently gave fans a few new previews from his forthcoming album, including “Wheels Fall Off” and “Call Me Everyday” with Wizkid. Brown is back with his latest music video for “WE (Warm Embrace),” a Don City-produced track originally released in April. As he dances the night away with Normani, Brown introduces Normani as his love interest in the video:
Brown recently spoke with Big Boy about Breezy for Big BoyTV and revealed that he had recorded more than 250 tracks for the album. Brown said, “I have so many tracks. According to Brown, I had almost 250 songs for the actual project. “Yes, I was thinking, We need to scale it down and figure out what we can do.”
Earlier this year, Chris Brown released his last solo album, Indigo. It featured 33 cuts and collaborations with artists such as Lil Jon, H.E.R., Juvenile, Tyga, Juicy J, Nicki Minaj, Drake, G-Eazy, Justin Bieber, Gunna, and more. Following the release of Indigo, Brown returned with an extended edition featuring an additional 10 tracks and contributions from Davido, Rich The Kid, and DaniLeigh. This critically acclaimed and commercially successful album topped the Billboard 200 and reached Platinum status thanks to 108,000 first-week equivalent albums sold.
It is always stimulating to see new rappers rise to fame from the bottom up, especially when it is a woman who has made her mark. There is no doubt that the south has produced some high quality talent over the past few decades. Rap, in particular, enjoys great success and legacy throughout the south, especially in Texas. Rising stars such as Erica Banks are bound to hold household names in the near future because of their ability and work ethic. It’s still pretty early in the game for Ms. DeSoto, but she is definitely making a mark on the game right now. Diary Of a Flow Queen, the debut studio album from Erica Banks, is out today (June 17).
Despite the sluggish start to the year, music in general has been doing well this year, and Erica Banks has certainly contributed at a fabulous pace. The DeSoto rapper’s hit single “Bust It” came fresh from her tour and set the tone for all of the great things she will be able to give to us in the days ahead. Diary Of a Flow Queen is a manifesto of the artist’s ascendance to the top and a clear demonstration that she is here to stay.
In an interview with HotNewHipHop, Banks discussed how surprised she was to hear that DaBaby wanted her to sign to his Billion Dollar Baby label after just a year of rapping: “I just wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast.” I had just started rapping a year before, and then he reached out to me, although it wasn’t very recently. However, I was overwhelmed. When you have people offering different goods in different locations, you’re left wondering, “Where should I go?” I simply go with my intuition.
French Montana fans can rejoice. This week, Bronx rapper Harry Fraud announced that he and he will once again join forces on an album titled Montega. The album will arrive on June 24. Fans can get a first look at French’s upcoming project today (June 10) via a new song called “Drive By,” which features Detroiter Babyface Ray. In essence, both artists have no problem letting their listeners know how much they have won to date:
French Montana’s single “Drive By” follows closely on the heels of his previous single “Alcatraz,” another hard-hitting record that is slated to appear on his fifth studio album Mac & Cheese. It came two years after he released his fourth studio album, They Got Amnesia, which featured guest appearances from Doja Cat, Kodak Black, Rick Ross, Pop Smoke, Lil Durk, Saweetie, Fabolous, Fivio Foreign, John Legend, and more.
As a featured artist, French Montana continues to maintain his position as one of hip hop’s hottest commodities outside of his own work. Additionally to his involvement in National Champions (“If I Go Down”), French has been featured on songs such as El Alfa “Máquina de Dinero,” AB “Pit Not the Palace (Remix),” DreamDoll “Ice Cream Dream,” and Skillibeng “Whap Whap (Remix).” Given French’s track record, it’s a safe bet that many of these artists will return the favor with his upcoming release.
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