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”.
The Louisville rapper EST Gee first released the singles from his new project back in January, which were well recieved by fans, such as “If I Stop Now” and “Blow Up.” The Louisville rapper made some more moves on Friday (Feb. 24), when he released a new song entitled “Undefeated,” an emotionally charged offering produced by VenoTheBuilder and John Gotitt that showcases some tight production. Throughout this track, he confides about the struggles he has faced throughout his life, and how he persevered despite all of them.
“Also, as part of EST Gee’s “Undefeated” project, he has released a video that shows him taking part in Future’s “One Big Party Tour,” which included shots that showed him on stage in front of packed crowds, interacting with Kodak Black and Babyface Ray, and connecting with others in the industry. As the clip ends, he and his crew are reunited with a friend who was just released from prison and he welcomes him back as part of his crew.
As for EST Gee, he had an excellent year in 2022, beginning with Last Ones Left, his collaborative project with CMG artist 42 Dugg. It was not long after this recording that he and his Detroit counterpart would join every other member of Yo Gotti’s collective for the compilation that has been well received: Gangsta Art. As a final note, the songwriter of the hit song “Blood” closed out the year with his official debut LP, I Never Felt Nun, on which 21 different tracks were featured, as well as features from Machine Gun Kelly, Future, Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow, and Jeezy. The project reached the No. 8 spot on the Billboard 200 chart, which is the highest it has ever reached in his career.
As you may have heard, Trippie Redd released a surprise album earlier this month, entitled MANSION MUSIK. The compilation featured some of the biggest stars of the industry, including Ski Mask The Slump God, Nardo Wick, Travis Scott, Rich The Kid, Lil Baby, and a lot more, spanning across 25 tracks in total. In the meantime, he followed up the release of the album with the release of the official music video for the single “ATLANTIS.” Not only did Chief Keef contribute to the clip, but he also executive produced everything on the album according to his own words. As he raps over a hard-hitting instrumental produced by SJR Beats, Trippie Redd talks about the lavish life he leads over a hard-hitting beat:
There is a reimagined visual for the Ohio native’s song on the way. It was directed by Nolan Riddle, and sees him take over a dark junkyard with his crew. Towards the end of the clip, he links up with Sosa, where they deliver a high-energy performance of their collaboration in a graffiti-filled, chandelier-lit room where both artists perform a series of rap verses. Afterwards, they head outside, assemble their entourage, and then pull off in their luxurious cars so that they can meet up with the rest of the group.
Previously, Trippie Redd had only released two songs on 2022’s First Draft EP, which was a two-song bundle including “Save Me, Please” and “1st Degree Murder.” In addition to the songs he has released on his own, he has also contributed to other tracks like “City Of God” with Orochi, “Feline” which was produced by Juice WRLD, “Who You Are” with Doodie Lo, and more.
In relation to her latest single, “Wasted” that Coi Leray released last Friday (Dec. 23), the XXL Freshman alum is extremely painful over the subject matter of a toxic relationship that she goes through:
This song was co-produced by Taylor Hill and TBHITS and it features an accompanying visual which shows Justus Pickett as Leray as the pair go through the motions with their love interest. In this film, viewers can see both the highs and the lows of a situation that eventually leads to the end of the story.
It was back in April when Leray launched her official debut LP, Trendsetter. This LP featured 20 songs, and it also featured appearances from Yung Bleu, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Nicki Minaj, Fivio Foreign, G Herbo, H.E.R., Young M.A, and more. There were several singles released as part of the project, including “Big Purr (Prrdd),” “No More Parties (Remix),” “Anxiety,” “Twinnem,” and “Blick Blick.”
As part of the interview, Coi Leray addressed the issues surrounding her current successes as well as what fans may expect to see from her in the future:
Coi Leray appears to be one of the biggest stars in the industry in the coming years. My shoutout goes out to Doja Cat. She is unbelievably inspiring. The dedication and dedicated work I put into my work has resulted in me being able to acquire a number of talents that I have acquired through my work. As far as ‘No More Parties’ is concerned, the album has already been certified double platinum in terms of sales. In a short amount of time, my album has already surpassed many of my goals, and it is only a few hundred streams away from hitting another big goal. I would recommend you listen to Trendsetter if that is the case.”
Knucks surprised his fans earlier this month with a trailer for a short film he is directing called KNUCKLES, an emotional biopic about growing up in the musical industry. The film would serve as a visual accompaniment to his latest album, Alpha Place, which has been critically acclaimed. It is with great joy that the gents of North London get a chance to see the first part of the film he has created for the masses, a film that combines footage of the talented North London talent in the present with a reenactment of his childhood. In roughly nine minutes, peers such as Stormzy, Loyle Carner, and Youngs Teflon, who have gathered to give the rising star their flowers, appear in the video.
Knucks, who was interviewed by Billboard at one point in the clip, spoke about the way he approaches the process of making music as well as how he’s been producing music since he was a child:
“All the time, I hear a tune and it feels like I have heard it before, like I have heard it a hundred times before. When I listened to this again, I remembered that I had sampled this song when I was 14 years old (laughs). I think that’s what makes sampling so beautiful, and that’s what attracts me to it. The fact that you bring music into the world that certain people haven’t ever listened to, a whole other group of people and demographic.”
Initially released in May of this year, Alpha Place boasted 13 songs and a number of features from artists such as Venna, SL, M1llionz, Ragz Originale, and Shaé Universe. In the first week after its release, the album peaked at No. 3 on the U.K. Official Albums chart, a position it held until the following week. Recently, the Knucks was able to release a limited edition of Alpha Place that contained two additional songs, including the Twengface-assisted “Lucious,” a feature the rapper developed with Carns Hill and Dayo Moshood that was inspired by the defunct series “Empire.”
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