Jadakiss just returned from a 6-year album drought to release his long-awaited Top 5 Dead or Alive album, which featured versatile singles featuring everyone from Swizz Beatz and Ne-Yo to Nipsey Hussle and Future. The hiatus did little to kill Jadakiss’s hype–he’s remained relevant through mixtapes and features, and remains one of the best rappers […]
If you haven’t heard, Ty Dolla $ign‘s debut album, Free TC, is pretty darn good. Get it here. The biggest hit the album’s spawned thus far, the Future-assisted “Blase,” has been granted a couple star-studded remixes, including contributions from Puff Daddy, Juicy J, French Montana, A$AP Ferg, and T.I. Listen to the two remixes below, and be sure […]
Last year, Demarco Murray lead the NFL in rushing thanks to stellar performances week after week behind a Cowboys offensive line that was one of, if not the best, units in the league. This summer, Murray signed with the Eagles to be a part of Chip Kelly‘s supposed high-flying offense, and things haven’t gone so […]
Pusha T is all set to releas his first album in over 2 years, Darkest Before Dawn, a week from today (December 18), and today we’ve finally got the tracklist to his second solo LP, tagged as the prelude to his King Push LP, the album he’s been teasing since he released his debut in […]
The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting today that Quintavius Waters, a 23-year old club bouncer and member of Young Thug‘s security team, was shot and killed on Monday night. According to the report, just before midnight struck, Waters’ roommate discovered him facedown in a bed, and upon further observation realized that he’d taken a gunshot wound to the head. Atlanta police […]
The full list of Golden Globe nominees were released today, recognizing excellence in TV and film over the past year, and there was something noticeably missing: Straight Outta Compton. Among the nominees were Viola Davis for her role as the ruthless lawyer in Shonda Rhimes‘ How To Get Away With Murder, Will Smith in the […]
#Mood Hello From Da Other Side… 2nite Gone Be One Of Dem Nights Bih…. #AdeleHelloBih pic.twitter.com/R0uEC1zCT4 — Plies (@plies) December 10, 2015 Plies‘s Instagram account has long been a bottomless source of entertainment. From his drawl-heavy stories of late night club gallivanting, to his “Sweet Pw*ssy Satday” franchise, you could easily lose about 20 minutes […]
From her programs on everything from education to healthy eating, there’s no argument that Michelle Obama has made some of her goals and initiatives clear during her time as First Lady. Her understanding that Hip-Hop has a major influence on the youth has been clear as well, as she recently invited Wale to the White […]
After an extended hiatus following his emotionally and politically charged The Recession album, Jeezy has returned for the second leg of his career with a renewed fervor, and Church In These Streets makes the third album he’s released since 2011, each of them selling at least 100,000 copies in their respective first weeks, an incredible […]
Earlier this year, in September, Atlanta-based DJ and A&R, DJ Holiday, released his God Bless album, featuring the likes of Wiz Khalifa, K. Camp, Young Dolph, 2 Chainz and more. One of those features was Young Thug, on a bouncy, London On Da Track-produced song called “Everyday,” for which there’s now a music video. Watch Thugger […]
Is Just Blaze in your top 5? After the ridiculous mix we watched him put together at Bacardi’s Mango Fusion event in 2014, it would certainly be justifiable if he was. Before Just took the stage at the Chelsea party and paid tribute to Illmatic, we asked him his thoughts on it as the 20th […]
It’s been public knowledge for quite some time that President Barack Obama is a fan of Hip-Hop. He was criticized during his 2008 campaign for having Ludacris on his iPod, and during his eight years in office, artists like Common, Big Sean and Wale have made trips to the White House to perform at marquee […]
Future is finally going on the road. After a string of one-off shows in July celebrating the release of his first #1 album, DS2, Future has announced the Purple Reign tour, on which he’ll be joined by Ty Dolla $ign, who released a stellar album of his own, Free TC, last month. The announcement was […]
It’s a busy time for T-Pain, as he celebrates the 10-year anniversary of his sometimes overlooked, but quite influential debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, and prepares his first LP in four years, Stoicville. In an interview with Billboard celebrating the benchmark, Pain reveals that he feels Kanye West‘s groundbreaking 808’s & Heartbreak album, known as […]
Last night, Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warriors fended off a persistent Indiana Pacers team to win their 23rd consecutive game to open up this season. That’s right, they are now 23-0, and seemingly infallible. Against one of the toughest defensive teams in the league last night, they put up 44 points in the […]
One thing’s for sure. The Weeknd isn’t shying away from the Michael Jackson comparisons. For much of his career, outside of his much talked about “Dirty Diana” cover, which appeared on his Echoes of Silence mixtape, there was no mention of The Weeknd joining the long line of Michael Jackson heir apparents that have risen […]
For those that don’t know Trevor Jackson, we introduced you to the former TV star with his debut as adult R&B crooner, In My Feelings, which featured Kevin Gates and Mystikal. At the tail end of the project is “Like I Do,” an emotional cut that commemorates the loss of Jackson’s cousin, Mark Cotton, who was shot […]
Pusha T is set to release a new LP, Darkest Before Dawn, on December 18, and so far, he’s only given us one single, “Untouchable,” and an idea of who will be featured on the album, including Kanye West, Q-Tip, A$AP Rocky and more. Today, Pusha follows his Biggie-sampling, Timbaland-produced banger with a collaboration with […]
The Source’s 18th Annual Power 30 issue was released earlier this year in September, and naturally, the debates have been ongoing ever since. From industry power players to radio DJs and personalities to websites and blogs, we diligently ranked the 30 best contributors to each of those important Hip-Hop culture platforms. Like he always does […]
For a brief moment last night, it was 2001 again for Kevin Garnett. The Timberwolves power forward, and his second stint in Minnesota, where he became an all-time talent in the early 2000’s, ran the floor after point guard Ricky Rubio stole the ball, waited for his window, received a pass from Rubio, and proceeded […]
J. Cole‘s a man full of surprises, isn’t he? Thinking back to the release of his 3rd, now Grammy-nominated LP, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, it should come as little surprise that the next big release from J. Cole would come at the tail-end of a quick, unorthodox roll-out. Just a day after allowing fans to […]
Like we always do it this time. The first week of December in music is reserved for Grammy fever, incited by the foundation’s announcement of the year’s nominees. Excellence in Pop, R&B, Country, Rap and more are recognized, and everyone gets to soak in the experience until the winners are announced two months later, at […]
Winter is here, meaning we aren’t far from those tundra-like temperature that always plague New York City as we enjoy the holidays, and the top of a brand new year. This year, make sure you go to your nearest shoe store and cop a pair of the brand new LUGZ Brigade Hi boots, which will […]
A common concern for many aspiring screenwriters is that their movie idea will be stolen if they pitch it to the wrong producer or studio. This fear becomes even more legitimate when one considers the imbalance of power and resources many studios and producers have compared to the average screenwriter. So how can writers protect […]
Rick Ross is back with a new album, Black Market, his third in two years, so we decided to flashback to when he was first named The Source’s Man of the Year, in 2010, alongside Rookie of the Year Wiz Khalifa. It was a huge year for Ross. He released what’s widely regarded as his […]
If you let Bryson Tiller tell you how to go from relatively unknown regional favorite to nationally beloved major label signee, you’ll probably pull your hair out, then go try and do it yourself. “It was easy for me. All I did was make a song that was good,” says the Louisville, Kentucky native, as […]
Picking the Rookie of the Year can sometimes be a daunting task, and require weeks to months of conversation and debate. Back in 2013, the conversation was brief. From the moment his free Acid Rap mixtape-album was so hotly coveted it leaked on the internet prior to its release–have you ever heard of a mixtape […]
There seems to be no way to beat the Golden State Warriors. The Toronto Raptors are the latest team to have a real shot at beating the currently unbeaten defending champions, who sit pretty at 21-0 and will probably have clinched the #1 seed in the conference by Valentine’s Day. Obviously, the Raptors fell short, […]
It’s that time of year again. The space between the announcement of the Grammy nominations and the February award show are always an eventful, debate-filled time, especially in Hip-Hop. Rappers have a very complicated relationship with the Grammys, and for good reason: consider the fact that guys like Nas, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and more […]
Fans of “Devil In a New Dress” and “Live Fast, Die Young” are going to love this. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Rick Ross reveals that he and frequent collaborator Kanye West still have some collaborations in the vault, which should be music to any rap lover’s ears. Over the years, Ross and […]
Just over a year ago, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by police in Cleveland after cops claimed they responded to a 911 call that a young man was traipsing through a playground brandishing a handgun, which turned out to be a toy gun. When authorities arrived on the scene, shots were fired at […]
On Thursday, Nicki Minaj‘s 37-year-old brother, Jelani Maraj, was arraigned in court on charges of first-degree rape and course of sexual conduct against a child after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 12-year old girl. Maraj, who was married to his longtime girlfriend in August has reportedly been bailed out of Nassau County jail by his sister. […]
At the second annual #Source360, the weekend’s musical festivities were closed out by a rejuvenating performance from Lord Jamar, Grand Puba, Sadat X and the illustrious Brand Nubian, in the BRIC House BAM building in the heart of Brooklyn’s Cultural District. They performed classics like “360 Degrees,” “Don’t Let It Go To Your Head,” and […]
According to a Newsday report, Nicki Minaj’s brother, Jelani Maraj, has been charged with raping a 12-year old girl. Jelani Maraj, 37, of Baldwin, NY, was arraigned yesterday on first-degree rape and course of sexual conduct against a child in court. Maraj is married to his long-time girlfriend Jacqueline Robinson; they were married at a lavish […]
The Black Market is now open. Rick Ross’s eighth album is now officially in stores and available online—much like our 2015 Holiday Issue, which features the “Bawse” himself on the cover. The Source was invited to shoot the MMG head honcho at his mansion in Atlanta. We captured exclusive behind the scenes video with “Renzel,” […]
Aaron Rodgers is more than State Farm’s infamous “Discount Double-Check” front-man. The past few weeks however, he hasn’t played like it. Prior to last night’s game, the Packers were in the midst of a horrific skid that could single-handedly keep them out of the playoffs next month despite their 6-0 start. The Lions on the […]
J. Cole signed a deal to bring his Dreamville imprint under the Interscope Records umbrella last year, and the immediate result of that was the unleashing of Queens wordsmith Bas, and his debut album, Last Winter. The “Made Bail” rapper has been quiet since then, but now we know why. New album done. Too High […]
It’s been an incredible run for Rick Ross on Def Jam, the label that helped turn him into a superstar following the release of his iconic “Hustlin’” anthem in 2006. Since then, the self-proclaimed Biggest Bawse in the Game has released countless gold-selling albums, landed Top 10 hits, collaborated profusely with rap’s titans and become […]
Ab-Soul, the Black Lip Bastard, in the midst of his These Days… album run, decided to stop by our Midtown offices and chop it up about just where the hell he’d been in the years leading up to the release of his 3rd LP. Soul talked about continuing his highly revered Long Term series, his […]
On August 29 of this year, J. Cole brought his 2014 Forest Hills Drive arena tour to his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina in one of the most emotional moments of his relatively young career. The sold out crowd was treated to energetic performances of every single song on Cole’s platinum-selling 2014 Forest Hills Drive album–which […]
For the rest of the NBA season, at least until the playoffs begin, Kobe Bryant‘s final season as a pro baller will likely dominate basketball headlines one way or the other. Here’s one of those “other” ways. The Lakers haven’t played too well this season, but they had a strong showing on the road in Washington last […]
Ice Cube graced our first cover of 2014 after having a record breaking January, and if history repeats itself, two years later, he could be poised to do it again. His blockbuster comedy, Ride Along, in which he co-stars with Kevin Hart, broke the January weekend box office record upon its release, and if you’ve […]
Birdman‘s strained relationships are now spreading outside his Cash Money empire. It’s been about a year since Tyga first hinted at the unrest happening inside one of the most successful rap labels ever, when he voiced his disapproval with the way his career was being handled. Lil Wayne would shortly follow, shocking the world with […]
Bobby Shmurda, who has been behind bars since December 2014 and denied bail several times, could be released from jail this week according to new details unveiled by TMZ. In 2014, the Brooklyn rapper, whose Billboard Top 10 hit “Hot N*gga” took him from selling mixtapes out of his car to an Epic Records deal, […]
At least 14 people are dead after multiple gunmen stormed a development disability center and opened fire. The shooting took place at the San Bernadino, California center earlier this afternoon, and the S.W.A.T. team, in conjunction with the police force, have worked together to evacuate the premises and search for what is believed to be three […]
Machine Gun Kelly is one of the most energized performers in the business, and you can see why. The high-strung Cleveland rapper brought his contagious energy to our offices a few years back in an entertaining episode of Beat The Staff, where he deftly answered questions about Busta Rhymes, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and declared that he […]
In 2014, DJ Mustard had a monster year. He landed Top 40 hit after Top 40 hit, releasing his debut album on Roc Nation Records, helped propel his labelmates and childhood best friends YG and Ty Dolla $ign to international stardom, and toured the world himself as one of the hottest producers and DJs in […]
Kobe Bryant‘s victory lap continues. The only problem is, there aren’t many actual victories. Until April, we’ll watch one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball stumble through an 82 game season that, for him, probably will feel much longer. Last night was a painful example of that. After coming out firing, […]
Ne-Yo gets down to the nitty gritty when discussing R&B with us back in 2012, as he was prepping one of his most underrated albums, R.E.D., and just how R&B was doing in 2012. In his interview with one of our editors, one of the biggest R&B hitmakers of the 2000’s told us that he […]
Bryson Tiller is having a huge 4th quarter, thanks to the emergence of “Don’t,” which is now a Top 40 hit, and his beloved major label debut, Trap Soul, which has spawned popular records like “Exchange” and “Sorry Not Sorry.” With “Self-Righteous,” a new release that Tiller uploaded to Soundcloud this morning, the Louisville, Kentucky […]
This Thanksgiving, Hip-Hop moved at a blistering pace, as we watched releases–both previously announced and surprises–get put out non-stop. If you looked away from your Twitter timeline to heat up leftovers, you might’ve missed three mixtapes, an album and an EP. From Fabolous to Chris Brown, and Yo Gotti to Erykah Badu, we were treated to […]
Reggie Jackson went for a heckler’s neck when he returned to OKC. #Pistons #Thunder pic.twitter.com/4QRF8AKsnj — NBA On Def Pen (@NBAOnDefPen) November 29, 2015 We already got a taste of the animosity that still exists between former Thunder guard Reggie Jackson and Oklahoma City, when Russell Westbrook pretended not to know who Jackson was during […]
Odell Beckham Jr. presents:
The Catch. The Sequel. #NYGvsWAS https://t.co/fgJos3Ndof — NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2015 Odell Beckham Jr. has become a football sensation, making ridiculous one-handed grabs, flying catches and blinding beelines for touchdowns, and today he’s added another one to his repertoire. The NY Giant wide receiver did what he could to avoid what […]
We knew that Adele‘s first-week sales numbers would be huge. The British singer-songwriter that achieved international stardom with her emotionally charged 21 album had been away for 3 years, yet her return single, “Hello,” broke sales records for first-week downloads. Early Billboard projections had her comeback album, 25, going double-platinum in its first week. The […]
After sputtering and stumbling through the first month of the season, spending much of it looking like a shell of a shell of the Kobe Bryant that won 5 rings and permanently changed the game of basketball, the Black Mamba has officially announced his retirement. This year is it. Kobe gave the statement via a […]
After sputtering and stumbling through the first month of the season, spending much of it looking like a shell of a shell of the Kobe Bryant that won 5 rings and permanently changed the game of basketball, the Black Mamba has officially announced his retirement. This year is it. Kobe gave the statement via a […]
“I’m not gon’ half do sh*t!” DMX, as passionate as ever, took the stage at SOBs a few years back in the midst of his comeback and a very exciting time for New York City. When he got off the stage, we talked to him about legacy, what he hopes his will be, and his […]
One of the reasons current Detroit Piston star Reggie Jackson requested a trade from Oklahoma City last season, aside from the fact he thought he was worthy of his own team and worth more than the 4-year, $48 million contract they’d offered him, was that he no longer saw eye-to-eye with Russell Westbrook, the team’s dominant starting point […]
Cam Newton has caught an equal amount of criticism and praise for his celebratory dances during his Panthers’ incredible 11-0 start to the season, but last night, it was all praise. The University of Auburn alum and current NFL MVP candidate was in Charlotte last night, and after enjoying a little camera time sitting courtside […]
Trey Songz has been pretty quiet since dropping his Intermission mixtape earlier this year, but today, he’s continued the holiday mixtape madness with To Whom It May Concern, a surprise project he unveiled just a while ago via DatPiff. The 12-track tape features Dave East, J.R., and MIKExANGEL, along with production from Mano, DJ Mustard, […]
What’s this, Coke? or Diet Coke? Trying to smoke? Oh I’m a joke? Mac Miller went off the top of the dome during his Source cover shoot at a restaurant in New York City, and you can imagine, nothing but hilarity ensued. Nice tie, Mac. By the way, if you haven’t heard, his current album, […]
J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar over the past few years have gone from underdog favorites to mainstream juggernauts, racking up platinum plaques, Grammy Awards, sold out tours and accolades galore since they released their debuts in 2011 and 2012. They’ve also remained friends during that time–yes, even after “Control”–and have continued to tease the possibility […]
Just after apparently being on the phone with Drake for an hour, Wale chatted with The Source during his Comeback Artist of the Year photo shoot about being the “guinea pig” for internet artists, as far as being one of the first to have an actual retail album in stores. It was an awkward time […]
Just after apparently being on the phone with Drake for an hour, Wale chatted with The Source during his Comeback Artist of the Year photo shoot about being the “guinea pig” for internet artists, as far as being one of the first to have an actual retail album in stores. It was an awkward time […]
Chances are, you won’t be able to beat Redman at rapping, so our staff members tried to do the next best thing: beat him at a trivia game. Watch the hilarious video as one of the best rappers to ever come out of New York avoids being completely stumped by our random questions about all […]
Pusha T formally announced the album before the album, a prelude to King Push titled Darkest Before Dawn, will be releasing on December 18. Production and features will come from the likes of Kanye West, Q-Tip, A$AP Rocky, Jill Scott, Future and more, but we’ll also be getting a Kid Art-directed short film along with […]
Jason Kidd just kinda lost his mind for a second. Whoa. pic.twitter.com/hQi1kdbHus — Chris Towers (@CTowersCBS) November 26, 2015 Sometimes, Jason Kidd forgets he isn’t a player anymore. Can you blame him? The sure-fire Hall of Fame former Net, Sun and Maverick is only 3 years removed from his last season as a player, and […]
Sean Don! Before there was Dark Sky Paradise, or even Hall of Fame, Big Sean’s highly anticipated debut Finally Famous was finally getting ready to drop, so he hit the roof of our offices to chop it up with then editor Kaz about what had gone on in the time since he’d been signed to […]
Bridget Kelly is so underrated. Seriously. She made a name for herself on Jay Z’s Blueprint 3 tour, and with a couple of radio bangers of her own, but she’s certainly one of the baddest R&B singers in the game. This video is proof.
You think you can beat The Based God? Our writers and editors tried their luck at defeating the Bay Area rapper, philosopher, and NBA curse-giver. He seems easygoing and laidback, but this intense competition did away with the pleasantries and got right down to business. Check out a throwback episode of Beat The Staff with […]
It had been a long time since the world heard from Jeezy—who was Young Jeezy at the time—but TM:103 marked a big return for the Atlanta rapper, who had fought off label politics and internal conflict to motivate the streets one more time as he moved into the veteran stage of his career. While he […]
The Warriors winning games isn’t news anymore, they’re on pace to win more games in a single season than any other team in NBA history, but last night was significant for a couple reasons. For the first time ever, a team is 16-0 to start an NBA season, and that team is the Golden State […]
The recently announced G.O.O.D. Music President hit our Midtown offices back in 2013 to shoot his first ever solo print cover, in commemoration of his solo debut, My Name Is My Name. Just like Pusha’s albums, this was nothing you’d expect, complete with a snake that we managed to drape over the coke rap pioneer’s […]
Peyton Manning: “OMAHA!” Tom Brady: “REX RYAN!” #MNF #BUFvsNE https://t.co/uFi2DLvIDv — NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2015 Last night, the New England Patriots faced off with the team directly behind them in the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills, but this week’s Monday Night Football game was significant for more reasons than a match-up between 1st and […]
Since the release of his solo debut, My Name Is My Name, G.O.O.D. Music prez Pusha T has been teasing the release of his sophomore effort, beginning with photos of a reported 20-day studio marathon with The Neptunes from January 2014. Since then, new Pusha T music has been scarce, but following the release of […]
It’s insane to think that at some point during this roll-out, Adele was worried that people didn’t care about her comeback. Her new album, 25, was released on Friday, November 20, and it was already expected to do some pretty big numbers, like go double-platinum in its first week on sale. What some people didn’t anticipate, […]
It appears that Rihanna season has arrived. The Bajan beauty that’s spent the last year teasing her fans in the wake of her 9th LP, ANTI, which is rumored to be released sometime in the next fortnight, has announced a corresponding world tour. The ANTI World Tour will feature The Weeknd and Big Sean for the European leg, […]
Today, Jadakiss‘ new album, Top 5 Dead Or Alive, is in stores, and in commemoration of his long-awaited return, he graces the cover of our 2015 Holiday Issue. Yesterday, just hours after we unveiled the cover to the world, Jadakiss took the stage at Stage 48 to perform his classic records–some new, some old–to a packed house thirsty to […]
The romance between Tyga and Kylie Jenner has apparently come to an end. According to this TMZ report, Kylie broke up with her rapper boyfriend today in what was a “sudden and nasty” split. The report states that sources closely connected with Tyga are pointing to “pressure from the Kardashians” as the reasons why Kylie pulled […]
Since signing to Drake‘s OVO Sound label last summer, ILoveMakonnen has used his multi-pitch delivery and hiccupy, substance-drenched flows to entertain on projects like Drink More Water 5 and the ILoveMakonnen EP. While we wait for his proper debut album, which reportedly features at least Rihanna and Snoop Dogg, the Atlanta native brings us the sequel […]
Rockie Fresh has been away for a couple of years, working on new music and prepping his proper debut album. Before he delivers his LP, he’ll provide a free teaser, The Night I Went To…, which will certainly be a taste of what he’s been putting together since we last heard from him, on 2013’s […]
Meek Mill‘s sophomore album, Dreams Worth More Than Money, moved just short of 250,000 copies in its first week on sale back in July, and there are still several records of note worth revisiting before we head into 2016, namely, “Lord Knows.” Meek’s debut album intro, the Dreams & Nightmares title track, is considered a classic […]
