Skip to content Skip to footer

On ‘November’, SiR takes the listener on a journey through love and loss

SiR, who spent the beginning of his musical career behind the scenes, has stepped out into the spotlight with November, his first album since signing to Top Dawg Entertainment a year ago.

SiR began as an engineer, working with artists like Tyrese, before teaming up with songwriting team Dre and Vidal and honing his songwriting craft. He then worked extensively with Anita Baker and would go on to write for R&B mainstays like Jill Scott and Ginuwine.

The current R&B landscape is still largely characterized by a post-Weeknd identity crisis. As revolutionary and different as House of Balloons was, that record has become as well-known for spawning an entire generation of Bryson Tillers and Tory Lanezes trying to replicate Abel’s magic rather than its actual quality.

But every aesthetic trend will always produce a pushback. Take, for instance the aggressive, lo-fi work of young rappers like Smokepurpp, Lil Pump, and Tay-K. Their music can be seen as the sonic response to years of sadboy Drake imitations.

This is all to say that while R&B swung heavily towards the dark, drug-addled sounds of early Weeknd, some artists are bringing back the genre to its heyday, adding a little new school spin. Brent Faiyaz, Daniel Caeser, Jorja Smith, Kelela, and Kali Uchis have all made amazing R&B music in the past year that recalls the genre’s best qualities.

This is where SiR comes in.

November is very much in the old school R&B mold, especially in its simplistic, soulful production, but much of the reference and lyrical content on the record is more modern. Perhaps the most outwardly modern aspect of November is SiR’s companion ‘K’, a disembodied voice that checks in on SiR, and subsequently the listener, on their journey throughout the record.

The album begins with K and SiR discussing the status of his engines, reserve power, weapons, and shields of their spaceship, or whatever vehicle we are using on this journey, before K let’s everyone know we’re ready to go.

A musical project that carries a theme of a long journey suggests that that work will have some pretty large aspirations. But November is very well-contained. SiR, while he’s able to switch up his singing style depending on instrumentation, keeps his project well within the familiar R&B margins.

“That’s Alright”, the first actual song on the record, after our opening with K, is backed with simple drums and live-sounding bass and organs. SiR sings mutedly about a love interest that he’s especially into, despite the fact that her friends are skeptical “‘Cause they know I would trade her love for a Grammy.”

It’s interesting to hear this sort of modern songwriting over such retro-styled production, but this is one of SiR’s great skills. It’s what makes November both sonically entertaining but also lyrically interesting.

“That’s Alright” is followed up by “Something Foreign”, the album’s lead single with SiR’s TDE labelmate Schoolboy Q. It’s a slow-rolling ballad about enjoying the finer things in life despite the coldness of the world. SiR sings,

“Tryna keep it humble in a world full of egos, gangsters and evils
Player in the game but I’m making my own rules”

The somber pianos on “Something Foreign” beautifully contrast SiR and Schoolboy’s cool boasts, it’s a pretty great track.

Then comes “D’Evils”, which samples Billy Bojo “One Spliff a Day”. “D’Evils” is as groovy, soulful, and fun of an R&B record in recent memory. It’s just a smooth ass song about getting high. What makes SiR’s music so particularly effective is the way his voice seems to simply roll over the production.

It never feels like SiR is trying too hard, even when the product of his work is as effective as “D’Evils” or “Something Foreign”.

That’s also the case on “Something New” a duet with British songstress Etta Bond. With horns that sound like they were taken from There’s A Riot Goin On, SiR and Bond sing about rediscovering that passion with an old love

“And if everything else falls apart, I still have you
If I can’t find my way back home, we’ll make something new
Something new”

SiR is capable of making ballads about smoking loud and his love for his partner. That’s true versatility!

On “Never Home”, twinkling instrumentation accompanies SiR on a monotone, quasi-spoken word track about life for a young up-and-coming musician. He’s not too worried about the voicemail from an aggrieved (assumed) former lover that plays throughout the song (never leave a musician a voicemail!).

After using his speaking voice for the entitreity of “Never Home”, “War” is a more typical romantic R&B ballad. And while he was a little unmerciful on the previous song, at least from the woman in the voicemail’s perspective, SiR is as sappy as possible on “War”. He’s ready to make up for previous mistakes with his partner.

“Yes I, let you down
I wasn’t the man you wanted to fall for the first time around
Ammunition just wasn’t sufficient
The bullets in my pistol kept missin’
Your heart, but I’m re-loaded”

Then on “Better”, SiR is full of regret for losing someone that he wasn’t able to show his love for. “Better” has the most contemporary sounding production on the record, with filtered vocals and rolling hi-hats. The entire track is basically SiR listing off his various reasons for not being ready to really be there for a former partner.

“She just wanted to love me and I wouldn’t let her
Now she don’t know me, ’cause somebody treatin’ her better”

At the end of “Better” we have an emotional check in with K as SiR directs his disembodied voice companion to delete the transmission.

K responds “Transmission deleted. Are you okay?” SiR sighs and tells her to initiate sleep mode and autopilot before the final stretch of the album.

On the final two tracks on November, SiR is at his soulfoul best. Over the “Xxplosive”-sounding guitars on “Dreaming of Me” SiR’s voice soars along the track as he sings about being separated from his lover while he’s on the road. After the emotional intensity of “Better” and “War”, there is a sense that the easily digestible “Dreaming of Me” is a sort of musical autopilot. Also, it’s not a mistake that we’re in “sleep mode” and this is a song about dreams.

November‘s final track “Summer in November” features funk guitars that could’ve been on Miguel’s last album. SiR is definitely taking a page out of Miguel’s book with the quick bite in his voice as he sings “You’re summer in November darlin’.”

It’s a great conclusion to an album that charts a journey from beginning to end. Sometimes that journey is arduous and emotionally painful, at other times it’s extremely pleasant and full of levity.

Either way, you gotta stop and admire the view.

Troy Ave brags about taking the stand against Taxstone in new song

Brownsville, Brooklyn rapper Troy Ave dropped a track last night intimating that he will take the stand and testify against Taxstone, the New York personality of the “Tax Season” podcast.

Taxstone is currently being held without bond for the alleged murder of Troy Ave’s former bodyguard Ronald “Banga” McPhatter during an incident at Irving Plaza in Spring 2016.

On the new song “2 Legit 2 Quit”, Troy Ave raps about his apparent willingness to testify against Tax at about the 0:58 mark of the song.

“I’m only loyal to my fam/Middle finger from the stand/It’s either me or you.”

The corresponding visuals to “2 Legit 2 Quit” depict Troy Ave on the stand with his middle finger up. Shit is rather hotboy.

Not to mention, Tax is an extremely beloved figure in the hip-hop community. His podcast had become must-listen material for rap listeners.

Tax’s interviews brought a different perspective to the music and culture. Since his incarceration last January, there’s been a massive void in the podcast game.

As for Troy Ave, hip-hop Twitter lost its collective shit responding to Troy proudly claiming that he’ll testify against Tax.

Perhaps we should stop believing rappers….


Does this make Young MA the realest out?


Might wanna find a new career


Nino Brown ish

https://twitter.com/StillDRUG/status/959049742402621440


It’s a new era!


No comment…

https://twitter.com/Ms_Octoburrrjb/status/959054529990930432


Twitter fingers etc., etc.

https://twitter.com/franley12/status/959100240010850305

As funny as some of the Twitter reactions were, this is obviously a pretty serious situation. It’d be great if it could be resolved simply without prison time for either individual, but that doesn’t appear to be an option.

Free Tax though.

LeBron apparently considering joining Warriors, would realistically be kinda chill

Last night, ESPN’s Chris Haynes published a story reporting that LeBron James would entertain the prospect of joining the Golden State Warriors in free agency this summer.

Haynes wrote that LeBron has “respect” for the culture that the Warriors have implemented in recent years,

“Out of respect for the Warriors’ winning culture, James would listen if Golden State explored ways to clear the necessary cap space, sources said.”

But as the Warriors currently have the highest payroll in the league at $135 million, they would have to seriously adjust some contracts in order to bring on LeBron.

https://giphy.com/gifs/lebron-curry-denies-iMbYyauTYLi3m

As of now, according to Haynes, the Warriors have shown no signs of changing their wage structure to account for LeBron.

“There is no indication that Golden State is evaluating such options to acquire the Cleveland Cavaliers star at this time.”

All of this points to the fact that the relationship between the Cavs and LeBron is rapidly deteriorating. The Cavs have struggled of late with Isaiah Thomas yet to reach the levels of last season, a roster of aging veterans, the worst defense in the league, and a recent hand injury to Kevin Love that will see him sidelined for an extended period.

Lebron James What GIF by SB Nation - Find & Share on GIPHY

LeBron is reportedly unhappy with the Cavs front office’s inability to bring in a reputable second scorer like Paul George or Eric Bledsoe last summer. It’s clear that Cleveland has suffered from the departure of former General Manager David Griffin as the roster is currently an unbalanced mess of big names that don’t actually fit together.

Haynes wrote that Warriors ownership is a main draw for LeBron. The Warriors have fostered a culture that has become the envy of the league and James clearly notices what’s going on, especially compared to the current mess in the Cavs front office and ownership.

“James’ distant relationship with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is well-chronicled, and the instability in Cleveland’s front office has been of concern to him, but the Warriors’ strong organizational structure and the prospect of more championships would be an enticement that most veteran players would consider.”

Regardless, this is still all extremely unlikely. The Warriors would most likely have to part with Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant would have to take a paycut, not to mention the Warriors would have to adjust to having three of the best five players in the league (to say the least) in their starting 5.

Golden State Warriors Basketball GIF by NBA - Find & Share on GIPHY

As for how the deal would possibly work, Haynes broke down the prospective sign-and-trade.

“A sign-and-trade scenario would be the most realistic way for Golden State to acquire James. The Warriors could build an offer around Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala to match salary and tempt the Cavaliers into making a deal, according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.”

This would basically end the NBA as we know it. It would also be pretty cool to see LeBron, Steph, and KD balling together, obviously not from a parity perspective, but it would be quite the spectacle.

Naturally, Basketball Twitter had some fun with the rumor.

https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/958976864013508610

The NBA is never short of storylines. Best league in the world.

James Harden drops league’s first 60-point triple-double, takes crown as NBA’s best scorer

James Harden, probably the most polarizing player in the NBA, made history last night against the Orlando Magic with the first ever 60-point triple-double in league history.

Harden had 60 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in 46 minutes on 19-30 shooting from the floor. It’s this kind of display that has Harden vying at the top of the NBA MVP race.

A montage of Harden’s field goals last night reveals pretty much every point comes either in the paint or behind the 3-point line. But, unlike Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, or any of the NBA’s most prolific scorers, Harden didn’t even go wild from 3, making only 5 3’s the entire game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKfMGYtL_YE

This wasn’t a blowout either. The Magic were hanging with the Rockets as Houston was dealing with the absence of Chris Paul and lost Eric Gordon in the second quarter. After Gordon’s injury, Harden didn’t get substituted for THE REST OF THE GAME.

That might be the wildest part of the night. Harden played all but two minutes of the game, despite the fact that most of his action came in the paint, taking bumps and abuse from bigger dudes.

Although his 60th point came on a ridiculous 4-point play.

https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/958539256510668800

Harden told reporters after the game that as soon as Gordon was ruled out, he knew he had to take it into overdrive.

“I looked at Coach and said, ‘Eric can’t go.’ He said go get ’em. And after that, I didn’t come out of the game.”

And The Beard was full of praise for his entire team,

“I just gave it all I had tonight. We all did. We all fought for 48 minutes, we got key stops when we needed to and we made big shots.”

While Harden detractors (of which there are apparently many, NBA fans are some weirdos) will complain about the amount of free throws Harden shoots or that his game is “boring,” those takes are very bad and dumb.

Harden is a singular talent in the NBA. His game is pretty fucking bizarre to be honest, it’s like he was created in some kind of basketball efficiency lab. The Rockets, led by GM (and MIT grad) Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni, predicate their style on efficient scoring, taking only the highest-percentage shots, either around the basket or behind the 3-point arc.

This means eliminating the mid-range jumper, the least efficient shot in basketball. Harden takes virtually none of these. He is the perfect player for this system.

https://twitter.com/HPbasketball/status/958604304063107072

James Harden now has more than a legitimate claim to the league’s MVP this season. He leads the NBA in points per game, total points, 3-point field goals, free throws, player efficiency rating (PER), win shares per 48 minutes, total win shares, and plus/minus.

Statistics and advanced metrics aren’t everything, but the Rockets stand second in the Western Conference, trailing right behind the Warriors, and are virtually the only team that could put up a strong challenge to the Dubs in the playoffs.

I’ve been #HardenHive for a minute now. He has probably the most unorthodox game in the league, but dude just gets buckets. With Harden balling at this level, the Rockets are a truly fascinating prospect going forward.

His fellow players were impressed.

Give The Beard the MVP.

After summer of ‘crisis,’ Barcelona are back to their glory days

Let’s take a quick trip back to last summer. Barcelona are in crisis.

They’ve just sold the future of the team to PSG, are bringing in an unheralded manager from Athletic Bilbao, buying washed up players from China, and getting dominated by their bitter rivals Real Madrid in the Supercopa.

After getting throttled 2-0 and 3-1 by Real Madrid in the Supercopa, the competition between the previous season’s La Liga and Copa del Rey winners, Barcelona center back Gerard Pique claimed he felt “inferior” to Madrid for the first time in his Barca career.

“This is a long process and there is room for improvement but in the nine years that I have been here, it is the first time that I feel inferior to Madrid,” Piqué said. “We are not in the best moment, either as a team or as a club. We must stay as close as possible and keep moving forwards.”

Everyone was piling on, authoring stories about the collapse at Barcelona, claiming the club had fallen from previous heights and now found itself in catastrophy. Real Madrid, on the other hand, were supposedly on their way to another La Liga trophy and Champions League title.

Fast forward to midway through the season and Barcelona sit atop La Liga, 11 points ahead of 2nd place Atletico and 19 points above Real Madrid. Barca have yet to lose a game in league play or the Champions League. In fact, they haven’t lost a game since the second leg of the Supercopa against Madrid in August.

Despite selling Neymar, Messi getting older, brutal injuries, and political turmoil, Barcelona haven’t missed a step and are stronger than they have been in years.

So, how have Barcelona dealt with this conflict, both external and inside the club, to get back to their glory days?

A tactical change

During Pep Guardiola’s reign at Barcelona, when the Catalonian club was perhaps the greatest collective ever created, Barcelona relied on Pep’s tiki-taka style, predicated on short, fluid passing moves out of a 4-3-3 formation.

Current manager Ernesto Valverde is much more of a pragmatist than Pep. While he still encourages his team to play aesthetically pleasing soccer, Valverde’s focus is primarily about solidifying his team against opposing attacks and limiting risk.

To that end, Valverde has eschewed Pep’s 4-3-3 in favor of a 4-4-2 or 4-2-2 depending on your preferred nomenclature.

Valverde overloads the middle of the pitch with midfielders, providing stability in attack and defense, and freeing up Lionel Messi in front of them.

While the formation and tactical shift may cost Barcelona some of the flair of the Pep Guardiola era, you can’t argue with the results thus far.

Valverde’s straight forward approach has been the perfect respite for the post-Neymar era. There is a renewed emphasis on the collective as opposed to just lumping Messi, Suarez, and Neymar up top and waiting for them to produce their magic.

This means that players that had seen their roles minimized in recent years have had somewhat of a renaissance under Valverde. Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta, and Paulinho have all benefited massively from working with the Basque manager.

Sid Lowe of The Guardian wrote in November about why Valverde has the ideal profile to guide Barcelona during this period of supposed crisis,

“Calm in a crisis, Barcelona could hardly have hoped for a better man in charge than Ernesto Valverde. Hugely likable, universally popular and abnormally ‘normal’, a music, film and photography fan who likened his return to Athletic [Bilbao] to The Godfather Part II and proved it by taking them to Europe four years in a row – they’re down in 15th now without him – he has a startling ability to block out the noise and cut through the bullshit, to not be dragged down by it all.”

Barcelona’s newfound solidity means that while they may not produce the same aesthetic magic of a bygone era, they can grind out tough victories through their solidity, like yesterday’s come from behind 2-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves.


Messi is still Messi

Yesterday, against Alaves, Messi stepped up to a free kick just outside the box in the 84th minute with the game knotted at 1-1. The outcome already seemed decided before he stepped up to strike the ball, but that doesn’t make the result any less spectacular.

https://twitter.com/mediaculesgol02/status/957727925582704640

It was Messi’s 20th goal of La Liga season, which puts him far ahead of everyone else in the league. His teammate Luis Suarez is second in the league with 16 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo is tied in 10th with 8 goals (just sayin’).

Lionel Messi leads Europe in total goal contributions with 20 goals and 9 assists in La Liga so far this season, a ridiculous tally from the Argentinian.

Messi has been great for years. In fact, he’s scored 20 goals in 10 straight seasons, the first player in La Liga to ever achieve that feat. But this season feels like a new level of Messi dominance.

He’s been freed up by the tactical change in Valverde’s system. While Messi always kind of defied position, the four midfielders behind him allow the Argentinian the freedom to roam around the field, one half midfielder, one half striker, and pick out spaces and weaknesses in the defense.

In what could become Messi’s career-defining year, with a chance to bring World Cup glory to his country this summer, he’s performing at previously unseen levels.

Neymar left Barca to get out of Messi’s shadow. At the time, critics of the Brazilian’s move to Paris claimed that he just needed to bide his time before the spotlight was his as Messi was getting on in age. It’s now clear that prognostications of Messi’s demise were greatly exaggerated.

The King stay the King.


Role players stepping up

Barcelona’s roster isn’t full of World Class showstoppers like the days of yore, instead Valverde has a cast of useful, experienced, and disciplined players who can do the job they’re assigned.

Perhaps the greatest example of this is Paulinho, the Brazilian midfielder who spent the last two years playing in China after a failed spell with Tottenham Hostpur in the Premier League.

When Barcelona bought Paulinho for about €40 million this summer, the soccer world lost it. It was clear to anyone going into the season that Barca had depth issues, but buying a 29-year-old who had been playing in China, while Neymar left the Camp Nou, was hardly the solution.

Paulinho has silenced his critics, scoring 8 goals so far this season, the most by a midfielder in La Liga. The same pundits that were ripping into Barcelona’s board this summer for buying Paulinho are now heaping praise on the Brazilian.

His tactical flexibility means that Paulinho can slot into any of the four midfield positions in Valverde’s system, whether it be in defensive midfield or box-to-box runner. Paulinho is equally able to break up an opposing attack as he is to latch onto a Lionel Messi cross and he’s thriving for Valverde thus far.

Aside from Paulinho, unsung heroes like Ivan Rakitic, the ageless Andres Iniesta, and Thomas Vermaelen have proved vital for Barcelona this season.

Vermaelen, a sparely-used center back, whose career has been continuously stalled by injury, was called into action by a rash of injuries to other Barca defenders. The Belgian has performed admirably, never missing a beat, and providing the defensive solidity necessary to let the team’s flair players work their magic.

Full backs Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto have also been critical. Neither player will necessarily dominate the headlines, but their importance in attack and defense is vital.

As Valverde packs the midfield and gets rid of players on the wing, Alba and Roberto are called upon to provide width in attack, but also get back in defense and break up opposing counter attacks. The two Spanish full backs have done exactly that, both tallying 6 assists on the season, second on the team only to Lionel Messi.

To have that sort of production out of defenders is ridiculous, but it’s precisely this quality that has allowed Barcelona to thrive in the post-Neymar era of ‘crisis.’

Ernesto Valverde’s team is on a roll, able to win games in a variety of different ways. It’s still early days in Valverde’s tenure, but Barcelona appear poised to retake their crown as the best team in Europe.

Getty Images’ new Creative Bursary gives scholarships to young, diverse photographers

Today, Getty Images announced the winners of the inaugural Getty Images Creative Bursary, an award and scholarship given to young photographers to help continue their work.

Getty further explains the mission of the award on its website:

“The Getty Images Creative Bursary fosters emerging creative photographic talent by supporting projects and productions for new commercial content that without funding, would otherwise not get off the ground.”

The Bursary is awarded by a panel of industry leaders including Brent Lewis, Senior Photo Editor of ESPN’s The Undefeated, Andy Adams, Photographer and Publisher of Flak Photo, and Moodboard Zine founder Jeanie Annan-Lewin, among others.

Getty awards six recipients with prizes of $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, and $2,000 for third place.

Here’s a breakdown of the winners, with biographies courtesy of Getty.

First Place

Oriana Koren is a Florida-born photographer, writer, and activist currently based in Los Angeles.

Her project “If I Can Cook, You Know God Can” will be a six-month long project documenting African contributions to food culture in the Americas.

Oriana Koren

Jeremy Dennis –Born and raised on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton New York, photographer Dennis looks to explore the topic of indigenous history and oral stories in his project “Our Stories – Past and Present”.

The very moment of change!

A post shared by Jeremy Dennis (@jeremynative) on

Through his work, Dennis uses the medium of photography to address themes of indigenous identity, assimilation, and tradition.


Second Place

Yagazie Emezi –Nigerian documentary photographer Emezi aims to provoke folkloric connotations through her photographic project titled “Another Tale By Moonlight.”

Emezi began her journey as a self-taught photographer in early 2015 and has since been commissioned by the likes of the New York Times and Vogue.

Neema Githere – Film photographer and multimedia artist from Nairobi, Githere’s idea for her project “Coming of Age as a Nomad in the #DigitalDiaspora” was motivated by her wanderlust and will document her return visit to Madagascar.

home is where the Heart is 💛✨

A post shared by ⚡️neh-eh-mah⚡️🇰🇪 (@findingneema) on


Third Place

Donavon Smallwood –New York-based photographer Smallwood has been awarded for his project “Shepherdess,” which is inspired by the traditional paintings of William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

A post shared by Donavon Smallwood (@xdonavon) on

Tara Sellios –Boston-born photographer Sellios mimics the style of altarpiece paintings in her project “Testimony.” The still-life photographs are created using organic matter with the purpose of showcasing the beauty of the natural world.

With their Creative Bursary, Getty Images inspires and encourages the work of young photographers from diverse backgrounds. It’s a great initiative to help push the medium forward.

For more information on the awards, which are given out four times per year, check out the Bursary website.

French Montana first rapper to become Global Citizens Ambassador for work in Uganda

French Montana became the first rapper to be named a Global Citizens Ambassador on Friday night, a testament to The Bronx artist’s charity work in Uganda.

After a trip to Kampala, Uganda brought the poverty of the region into sharp focus, French has worked closely with the community, donating money to hospitals and healthcare for mothers during childbirth and early childhood.

Montana helped start Global Citizen’s #2BeStrong campaign, which calls on African leaders to focus on healthcare for mothers.

French was inspired to help after he took a trip to Kampala, Uganda, where he would end up shooting his “Unforgettable” video with Swae Lee.

He told Newsweek after first visiting Uganda:

“I feel like every mother and child deserves the same care, whether they’re from [the U.S.] or back home in the motherland. It made my heart heavy. I said that when I got back I’d do everything I can to help these mothers.”

The BX rapper donated $100,000 to the Suubi Health Center in Budondo, Uganda. The money will go towards improving healthcare for mothers during childbirth. TMZ reports that several celebs and artists have matched his donation:

“His donation led to a chain reaction of others … The Weeknd, Diddy and Diddy’s Ciroc venture all matched his $100k and Global Citizen estimates some 260,000 people will benefit from the money raised.”

French Montana, who hails from the African country of Morocco, feels a deep connection to the continent.

He recently spoke to BET about hopefully being able to provide inspiration to young Africans,

“Honestly, me just emigrating from Morocco, coming from Africa and making my dreams come true, I just feel like a lot of people around the world feel like there’s hope when they see somebody like me.”

Big ups to French for putting in work where it matters most.

Best new tracks of the week (month): Migos, Drake, Kali Uchis, Hoodrich Pablo Juan, & more

I know you’ve been slacking slightly on your music discovery game since the beginning of the new year.

It can be tough to get back into the swing of things after the holidays and most artists would prefer to let the weather get a little warmer before dropping something new.

But worry not, over here we’ve been monitoring all the goings on in the music industry and keeping track of everything dropping so far in 2018.

With all of that said, here are some of the best new releases of the year so far.

Migos – “Narcos”

ATL trio Migos dropped Culture 2, their third studio album, today and it’s a whole damn thing. With 24 tracks (24!!!), Migos have more than enough good material, although it’s unclear how it’ll stack up to last year’s Culture. 24 tracks is a lot.

“Narcos” is a clear standout.


Drake – “God’s Plan”

Yeah, I know you probably saw this already. In fact, everyone has. With “God’s Plan”, Drake broke the record for streams in a day earlier this week.

Then he broke his own record later in the week. Ridiculous.


CupcakKe – “Cartoons”

20-year-old Chicago rapper CupcakKe has set the hip-hop world on fire with her recent album Ephorize.

Her hilarious, irreverent, hyper-sexual lyrics will surely get a reaction out of you, but at the end of the day, girl can spit. She’s one to watch for sure.


SiR – “Something Foreign” (ft. ScHoolboy Q)

TDE signing SiR’s November is an impressive collection of neo-soul, R&B, and hip-hop. “Something Foreign” with ScHoolboy Q is a slow-rolling R&B ballad perfect for kicking your feet up. Listen to November.


Dave East – “Woke Up” (ft. Tory Lanez)

Harlem rapper Dave East can’t stop releasing fire music. Paranoia 2 is his third release in six months and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

East is an impressive storyteller and on P2 and “Woke Up”, East is doing his damn thing.


Kali Uchis – “After The Storm” (ft. Tyler, The Creator & Bootsy Collins)

Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis‘ new soulful single with Tyler, The Creator is such a banger. The ambient pop goodness is the perfect recipe to warm up a cold front during the winter months.


HoodRich Pablo Juan – Racks On Des Diamonds (ft. Lil Baby)

HoodRich Pablo Juan is Gucci Mane’s most recent disciple and his output definitely measures up to prime Gucci work rate.

His most recent project Rich Hood is full of nonchalant putdowns and brags with twinkling trap production. It’s worth a look.


Maxo Kream – “Grannies”

Maxo Kream’s debut album Punken, released earlier this month, is one of those moments when an artist officially announces themselves on the scene.

Kream has an incredibly distinct, almost sing-songy delivery and Punken sounds largely unlike anything coming out in hip-hop right now.


James Blake – “If The Car Beside You Moves Ahead”

James Blake, British trench coat wearer and experimental electronic musician, dropped by yesterday to drop the incredibly weird and glitchy “If The Car Beside You Moves Ahead”.

It would appear Blake is going further down the experimental rabbit hole, it’ll be interesting to see what else he drops this year.


Sango & Xavier Omar – “Sweet Holy Honey”

Soulection producer/DJ Sango joins up with Xavier Omar for this fucking great track “Sweet Holy Honey”. Is this song perfect? Yes, this song is perfect.


Slowthai – “T N Biscuits”

Slowthai, who hails from Northampton (about 70 miles removed from London), brings an energetic, snarling delivery on “T N Biscuits”.

The Northampton MC has a very different style than his London contemporaries, British hip-hop keeps getting more interesting.


And as always….

Piers Morgan giving Trump a personalized Arsenal shirt is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me

Piers fucking Morgan sat down with our dumbass President for some softball interview that will air in England this weekend. Fine, whatever.

I’m sure Trump will say incredibly awful and terrible things and we’ll all be stupider for hearing it, but Piers has crossed a damn line in this interview.

Earlier today, Piers posted a picture of himself and Trump as he holds up a personalized Arsenal Football Club jersey.

Morgan wrote:

“The moment I invite President Trump to be Arsenal’s new manager – because he’d build a strong defensive wall, have an attacking philosophy & want to win big trophies at all costs.”

In order to understand this situation fully, we have to take a quick step back. Arsenal is managed by a man named Arsene Wenger, who has presided over the club for 21 years.

When Wenger first came into the job, he revolutionized soccer in England, leading Arsenal to three Premier League titles in his first seven years.

Wenger hasn’t been able to return to his glory days in recent years and his job has come under increased scrutiny by Arsenal fans calling for his head.

Piers Morgan is one of the leading members of the #WengerOut movement, which is a rather loud and prominent sect of Arsenal fans.

As an Arsenal fan myself, I am conflicted about Arsene Wenger. I think his best days are probably behind him, but my respect for the man is such that I won’t stoop to Morganesque levels of assholedom to express my feelings.

But this latest move by Morgan, to give Trump a fucking personal Arsenal shirt and offer him the job of manager, is a truly horrifying move.

Is nothing sacred? Every weekend I wake up early in the morning to see 11 guys in an Arsenal shirt give me anxiety attacks and find exciting new ways to disappoint me, it’s one of the only sources of organic happiness I have left.

Now, Piers Morgan is over here making jokes with Trumpito about taking over at MY Arsenal.

Luckily Arsenal fans and the general soccer world dunked all over Morgan.

Matt Spiro, a French soccer writer and correspondent pointed out that Arsene Wenger would be a better US President than Trump.

A selection of Arsene Wenger quotes, and the basic knowledge that Wenger is a truly great and deeply thoughtful man, proves this to be true.

I mean, look at how this dude talks about managing soccer teams:

“Religiously, it is said that God created man. I am only a guide. I allow others to express what they have in them. I have not created anything. I am a facilitator of what is beautiful in man.

“I define myself as an optimist. My constant battle in this business is to get out there what is beautiful in man. We can at this level portray me as naive. At the same time, it allows me to believe it and it often gives me reason.”

I AM A FACILITATOR OF WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL IN MAN! Imagine if our president actually thought like that. Our country would be a lot better off.

Wenger would bring some fire socialism to the United States:

“I chose a team sport. There is a kind of magic when men unite their energies to express a common idea. That is when sport becomes beautiful. The unhappiness of man comes when he finds himself alone to fight against the problems he must face.”

Some Arsenal fans even conceded that they’d prefer Manchester United manager and comic book villain Jose Mourinho at the helm (God forbid).

https://twitter.com/th14Renato/status/956949539151405056

We’ve already got Jeremy Corbyn on our side!

You already know Trump is a Chelsea fan anyways.

https://twitter.com/Nigerianscamsss/status/956944563377246209

As bad as it gets for The Arsenal, this image assures us that it could always be much, much darker.

Piers has gone too far with this one.

As always, Piers Morgan has reminded us that he is truly the worst. The only positive to come of this whole fiasco is this fascinating question:

Send Piers to the fucking sun.

Team LeBron and Team Curry All-Star rosters revealed, NBA Twitter falls apart

Yesterday afternoon, LeBron James and Steph Curry drafted their All-Star teams behind closed doors and the results were… interesting.

This was the first year that NBA All-Star teams were drafted by captains instead of doing the whole tired East vs. West format. A quick look at the teams looks like LeBron got the upper hand.

A starting 5 of LeBron, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Boogie, and Anthony Davis, with Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Kristaps Porzingis, John Wall, Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Kevin Love off the bench is ridiculous.

Steph’s squad has Curry, James Harden, DeMar Derozan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid, with Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Al Horford off the bench.

So many plotlines.

You’ve got Kyrie and LeBron reunited, KD versus the rest of the Warriors, the Pelicans big men along with actual players, and the issue of who the hell was picked last.

Basketball Twitter obviously went into meltdown over the roster reveals, here’s a selection of what went down.

Why wasn’t this televised?

Commissioner Adam Silver established well before the fact that the draft would not be televised in order to avoid feelings getting hurt or whatever, which is the precise reason that this shit needed to be televised.

Even LeBron and Steph wanted it on TV.

LeBron is a media savant.

https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/956684656165957632

LeBron and Kyrie reunited

There was a lot of discussion about whether or not LeBron would pick Kyrie Irving for his squad. Especially when news broke yesterday that Kyrie was prepared to get knee surgery and sit out the entire season if the Cavs didn’t trade him this summer, so it’s clear things were not gucci in Cleveland prior to his departure.

But LeBron came through selecting Kyrie and Basketball Twitter went wild.

https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/956639642530566150

So wild.

THE WILDEST.

Kevin Durant on being first pick

KD was very forward in making sure EVERYONE was aware that he was first pick in the draft.

He then went on to joke that his next chapter is with LeBron, a reference to leaving OKC for Golden State a couple summers ago.

“TEAM LEBRON!”

Russ thought he was last pick, drops 46

Russell Westbrook did not realize that the names on the All-Star list were organized alphabetically and thought he was last pick.

His reaction was to drop 46-6-6 on the Washington Wizards like an absolute savage.

Russ was relieved to be informed that was not the case. Unfortunately for the Wizards, it was too late.

In unrelated (but kinda related) news, Russell showed up to the game last night doing just the most.

So… who was last pick?

Shaq, take it away.

Never change, NBA Twitter, never change.