Skip to content Skip to footer

Chance the Rapper on Sesame Street reminds us there’s good in hip-hop

I think we should get use to seeing Chance the Rapper…everywhere.

A couple of days ago, Chance made a stir when footage of him attempting to play weatherman for the day surfaced on the web.

https://www.facebook.com/WGNMorningNews/videos/1786174934728365/

He appeared on local Chicago news station WGN as a weatherman to discuss the importance of investing in Chicago public schools and to promote the WGN Toy Drive but it also kind of makes you think: is there anything that Chance can’t do?

Well, last night Tuesday (Dec. 12) Chance shared two videos from his Twitter from the set of Sesame Street, adding new meaning to that very question at hand.

The first clip shows Chance aside Oscar. Fittingly frustrated he says, “Honestly, I’m just tired of people saying my music is trash.” Being that Oscar lives in a trash can I’m sure he was the right shoulder to come to for help.

The second clip shows Chance around other Sesame Street legends like Elmo and the Cookie Monster. Together they give a shout to Chance’s daughter Kensli: “Just got done at work, see ya soon baby.”

This is not the first time Chance has done something major for his daughter. Around Halloween this year he appeared in a Kit-Kat commercial featuring Kensli as a mini lion and he dedicated his DJ Khaled collaboration on Grateful to her as well, making a kids’ anthem on a major hip-hop album.

As a fan of Sesame Street, it’s dope seeing a frontrunner in hip-hop showing that you’re not too tough to show some love. In an age where the depressing headlines are legion, it’s dope to see rap promote positivity for kids.

NFL Network hosts including Marshall Faulk accused of wild sexual misconduct

Sexual harassment accusations have become the grim reaper to careers in 2017 as powerful men continue to be exposed for their abuses.

It all started with Harvey Weinstein earlier this fall when woman after woman came forward to speak against his sexual misconduct, but since then virtually every space in media has seen their own ‘Weinstein moment.’

Now, according to Bloomberg, the NFL Network has suspended Marshall Faulk, Ike Taylor, and Heath Evans while investigating claims of sexual harassment from a lawsuit filed by one of their former colleagues.

There was a point in time when three former NFL Pro Bowlers being accused of sexual harassment would be shocking, but at this point it’s just another revelation about toxic masculinity.

Jami Cantor, the former wardrobe stylist for the NFL Network who filed the lawsuit, also named former NFL Network producer Eric Weinberger and former NFL Network analyst and ex- Philadelphia Eagle Donovan McNabb.

Cantor was specific in the lawsuit and though she did not name names, she was detailed in each incident.

According to Cantor, Faulk groped her breasts from behind and asked “deeply personal and invasive questions” about her sex life. She also said that Ike Taylor and Eric Weinberger both sent inappropriate pictures, with Taylor sending a video of him masturbating in the shower.

Just yesterday Cantor filed what was called an “amended complaint,” which goes into far greater detail about workplace harassment. In the complaint she recounts how Weinberger requested that she join him in an office bathroom because he was “super horny” and how he sent her a text reading, “watching you walk down the hall makes me crazy, your ass drives me insane.”

Heath Evans sent Plaintiff nude pictures of himself on at least two separate occasions. Mr. Evans constantly propositioned Plaintiff to have sex with him. Mr. Evans also made several sexually inappropriate comments to Plaintiff, such as, “you’re making me horny,” and “needed to get in you deep and hard.”

She says Faulk went as far to asking her favorite sex position, whether she liked oral sex and whether she dated black men. Cantor claims it later escalated to something physical.

“As time went on, Mr. Faulk became more aggressive, such as inviting Plaintiff to his hotel room, stroking and pulling out his genitals in front of her, pointing to his crotch and asking Plaintiff, ‘when are you gonna get on this already?’ He also pinned Plaintiff against a wall, demanding oral sex while he pulled his pants down.”

And detailed text messages from McNabb:

“Including but not limited to, asking Plaintiff if she was a ‘squirter,’ telling Plaintiff she ‘looked like the kind of girl that squirted when getting fucked,’ ‘CUM to dinner with me,’ and ‘why don’t you CUM over after work.'”

Today, The Ringer released a statement about Weinberger:

“These are very serious and disturbing allegations that we were made aware of today. We are placing Eric on leave indefinitely until we have a better understanding of what transpired during his time at the NFL, and we will conduct our own internal investigation.”

As these figureheads go down, one can only ask how much did the NFL Network know and how much did they cover up and hide. It also speaks volumes to the culture that goes on behind closed media doors.

As we have learned, statements are sure to follow as well as their probable firing. We’ll see how the story progresses going forward.

Year of the Collab: 10 collab projects that defined hip-hop in 2017

When I reflect back on 2016, I’m not going to lie, there is not one prominent collaborative album that comes to mind.

In 2011 we were fortunate to have Watch The Throne and in 2015 Drake and Future gave us What A Time To Be Alive, but I can’t think of any collaboration projects outside of established groups like A Tribe Called Quest, Rae Sremmurd, and Migos that made something impressionable in 2016.

There was Smoke DZA and Pete Rock’s Don’t Smoke Rock and you had Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz’s Collegrove but other than that, from mixtapes to studio releases, the dual artist approach to albums was quiet.

2017 has been everything but that.

The amount of collaborative efforts, both as mixtapes and as studio albums, surpassed last year’s output by a landslide. While you might have trouble remembering which multi-artist albums came out last year, this year it’s hard picking from the batch.

From Lil Wayne and T-Pain’s T-Wayne, Chris Brown and Ray J’s Burn My Name two Moneybagg Yo & NBA Youngboy’s Fed Babys, artists have been growing together like it’s 7th grade science lab. You even saw Kodak and Plies link of for a dual album with F.E.M.A.

There were too many to pick from so I narrowed it down for my top 10.

10. Fat Joe & Remy Ma – Plato O Plomo

It’s safe to say it was a successful return for there Terror Squad veterans. Both Fat Joe and Remy Ma may not have had strong album sales, but they did have a chart-topping, Grammy-nominated single “All The Way Up”.


9. Styles P & Talib Kweli’s The Seven

Keep saying lyricism is dead if you want to. The conscious Kweli and the Lox member Styles brought forth an album that will feed your itch for classic hip-hop.


8. Starlito & Don Trip – Step Brothers THREE

The third installment in their series that pays tribute to the great Will Ferrell-John C. Reilly buddy comedy Step Brothers was a treat, arguably the best of the series.


7. Lil Durk & Lil Reese – Supa Vultures

After flying solo in their perspective careers, Durk and Reese reconnected to bring the streets want they needed. Their contrast is what makes them great and they both prove they still have it.


6. Kodak Black & Plies – F.E.M.A: Finesse. Elevate. Motivate. Achieve.

https://soundcloud.com/stg-412682116/sets/kodak-black-plies-f-e-m-a

The Florida rappers previously showed chemistry with “Real Hitta” and decided to return with a full collab. Between this pair you can expect some light-hearted bangers.


5. Berner & Young Dolph – Tracking Numbers

The Taylor Gang affiliate links up with the notorious Dolph for what would be both of their second major albums of the year. Between Berner’s ear for beats and Dolph’s storytelling, this one is a must-listen.


4. Offset, 21 Savage & Metro Boomin – Without Warning

Like a thief in the night, Offset, 21 Savage, and Metro Boomin dropped their joint album without warning sending shock waves throughout the internet. Independently they both are on a roll so the fact that they secretly got together to make this happen was a delight.


3. Tee Grizzley & Lil Durk – Bloodas

I never saw this one coming, nor was I huge fan of Tee Grizzley previously but he and Lil Durk definitely got them one with this album. Representing the largest cities in the Midwest in Detroit and Chicago respectively, this duo goes hard as hell, putting together one of the best collabs of the year.


2. Future & Young Thug – Super Slimey

When I woke up to the news of Future and Young Thug dropping Super Slimey, I legit thought Christmas had come early. Imagine an entire tape off the chemistry they show in “Relationships,” that’s Super Slimey.


1. Fabolous & Jadakiss – Friday on Elm Street

Although it did not drop on Halloween, Fabolous and Jadakiss did not disappoint with their Freddy v. Jason themed album. The two lyricists go bar for bar on some of the most soulful beats you’ll hear this year. My favorite collab of the year by far.

The top 10 R&B albums of 2017: A look back at a golden year in the genre

When you think back on the amount of music released this year, if one thing is clear, it’s that hip-hop and R&B dominated the airwaves.

In fact, in Nielsen’s annual mid-year report — which aggregates data from around the music industry halfway through the year — R&B and hip-hop surpassed rock as the most consumed genre in the U.S. for the first time since they started keeping tracking data.

The prevalence of both genres was further confirmed when, for the first time in the history of the Grammys, no white male performers were nominated in the album of the year category.

Migos‘ “Bad and Boujee,”and Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” both were the most listened to records in the county at some point to give you a sense of the type of year 2017 has been.

Yet, as inescapable as hip-hop as seemed, R&B has shown up too. While the biggest hints were rap, R&B came with both the quantity and the quality.

Sampha kicked us off at the top of the year with Process and Miguel picked up closing duties, giving us the albumWar and Leisure to enter the new year with.

SZA made her long-awaited debut with CTRL, setting relationship Twitter off in the process, not to mention the brilliance of both Daniel Caesar and Khalid, who seemingly came out of nowhere to give us all the sad vibes we could ever ask for.

It seems as if the quality and response of Solange‘s Seat At A Table last year stirred something up in the industry.

While lists are subjective by nature and almost always ends up leaving someone out, it’s too irresistible to not at least try and put some perspective to the moments year. So here are ten of what I think are the best R&B efforts this year.

10. Future – Hndrxx

Yes, I am categorizing Future’s Hndrxx as an R&B album.

Released just two weeks after his self-titled project Future surprised his fans, Super Future outdid himself with this raw soulful album.

We’re used to Future giving us club bangers and real-life raps, but with Hndrxx he bares all, speaking on his public relationship drama and battling demons all while singing his ass off.

Go listen to “Incredible” and tell me if that isn’t as R&B and R&B gets.


9. Sabrina Claudio – About Time

If you don’t know about Sabrina Claudio, just go ahead and start thanking me now.

Just 21 years young, the Miami born songstresses blew up on Soundcloud when she dropped the single “Confidently Lost“. Now signed to Atlantic, Sabrina has the resources to take her talent even further.

Peep track “Belong To You”, it’s my favorite.


8. Daniel Caesar – Freudian

The Canadian-born singer was all over the place this year. Singles “Get You” and “Best Part” were not only infectious but never got old.

Every time any of his songs came on the radio, no matter how many times you’ve heard it, you really didn’t mind.

Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album, Caesar definitely put something special together with this one.


7. Jhene Aiko – Trip

Trip is the second studio album by Jhené Aiko. The September release was a surprise and came in the middle of the night.

Fitting the album and cover, Aiko provides soft, laidback vibes as she takes you into her world. With the stresses of our news cycle and presidential predicament her album serves as a much needed escape. “Sativa” goes crazy.


6. H.E.R. – H.E.R.

Part singer, part multi-instrumentalist (who requires her identity be hidden) H.E.R. first made a splash on the scene on SoundCloud when she dropped her EP, H.E.R., Vol 1 in 2016.

Her debut studio effort,Vol 2, is a continuation of that project and she picks up where she left off. H.E.R.’s music gives you a little bit of everything.

Because of the instrumentation, she has the freedom to give lyrics and melodies to the full-bodied sound they provide.


5. DVSN – Morning After

Houston’s own and OVO signees DVSN could not be overlooked.

After last year’s slightly disappointing project Sept. 5th, the group came back with a soulful body of work showcasing what their great at: heavy 808’s and falsettos.

The entire mood of this tape is perfect after a stressful day.


4. Toro y Moi – Boo Boo

Bending the rules of traditional R&B, songwriter-producer Chaz Bear, aka Toro Y Moi, has time after time proved himself as a formidable artist in alternative dance music and R&B. Toro Y Moi does something different on every album and this was no different.

Released in June, Boo Boo is nothing short of the electric groovy tunes we know him for. “Girl Like You” is a stand out that will have anyone in their feels.


3. Ty Dolla $ign – Beach House 3

This was hands down one of my favorites of the year. Ty’s free spirit on this album made it one of 2017’s most fun releases.

With features from everyone from Lil Wayne to Pharrell, there was no shortage of star power or talent brought to the table.

The musically-inclined West Coast native gives you whatever vibe you’re looking for all in one place. Gotta check out this project if you haven’t yet.


2. Kelela – Take Me Apart

She may have flown under the mainstream radar for the better part of this year but that doesn’t matter, because Kelela has arguably the best album of the year, R&B or not.

Carrying momentum from her 2015 EP HallucinogenTake Me Apart gives you deep brooding emotion, soaring synths, and strong songwriting. Anyone who says R&B is dead clearly hasn’t heard Kelela’s album.


1. Sampha – Process

Although released in February, Sampha’s Process has stood tall through the numerous amount of music released this year.

Spending the previous years lending his genius to the likes of Drake (“Too Much”), Solange (“Cranes In The Sky”), Kanye West (“Saint Pablo”), and Jessie Ware (“Valentine”), he apparently saved the best for himself. Process is a masterclass of songwriting, melodies, and transitions.

He is fearless in approach; and in turn we get a front row seat to innovative R&B. Not only is Process my pick for the best R&B album of 2017, but I believe it’s the best complete body of work put out by an artist this year, period.

If you have not checked out any of these albums, I advise you do.

Smoke and workout: How weed is becoming the new fitness trend

The classic track “Because I Got High” by Afroman chronicles his hilarious difficulties of completing simple errands because of his marijuana lifestyle. Though the song is fun and catchy, it highlights just a fraction of what the plant can do.

Between strain, choice of rolling material, and just how you react to bud personally, there could be countless reasons why Afroman was so absent-minded. Yet that’s exactly what popular opinion has chosen to believe. Fitness and cannabis seem like an unlikely pairing because the stigma is well-established.

But the truth is they can, and do, coexist. Even as a usual workout supplement, hemp protein powder is already widely used as an all-natural type of protein.

Take California for example. While marijuana had been legal for medicinal use, it wasn’t until the Prop. 64 passed in November last year that it made it legal recreationally. Within that short year there’ve already been case studies proving the advantages of the plant.

Some yoga studios in San Fransisco even serve members vape pens and earlier this year, San Francisco opened its first “cannabis gym,” called Power Plant Fitness, which advocates getting high while raising your heart rate. Of course former NFL star Ricky Williams is a co-founder.

Co-director of UCLA’s Cannabinoid Affinity Group, Dr. Jeff Chen says a case can be made for smokers who do not have a preexisting condition. Chen told Vogue in May.

“Heart rates can increase after smoking cannabis, which could conceivably make [people] hit their maximum heart rates at a reduced workload.”

When you add this to the massive amount of evidence published that proves cannabis can also help ease the anxiety and pain of a strenuous workout, it’s no wonder why this trend is catching on.

Even artists like Wiz Khalifa, who’s as lanky as they come, admits his ridiculous weed usage is actually helping him as he just recently started working out and getting brolic.

Former NBA All-Star Al Harrington is leading the way for showing how cannabis can help NBA players.

After a knee operation led to a staph infection while playing for Denver in 2012, he began using medicinal weed in creams and ointments that he rubbed on his knees. While they didn’t get him high, they brought relief.

Even former Commissioner David Stern, when speaking to Harrington in his documentary with Uninterrupted said, “We’ve got to change the collective bargaining agreement and let you do what’s legal in your state.”

“I think it’s up to the sports leagues to anticipate where this is going and maybe lead the way.”

Because marijuana is allowed for recreational use in only a few states, it’s important to look at legal states for their innovation in how best to utilize cannabis.

But without a doubt, California sets all the trends in cannabis for the rest of the country. Who’s to say weed workouts aren’t the new yoga or Soul Cycle in the next 10 years?

If cannabis can alleviate pain while not compromising severe health complications, then it only makes an even strong case for its national wide legalization.

Chris Bosh’s Texas home is revealed to be a drug fortress, mother arrested

Chris Bosh has a drug layer cops say after raiding a Texas home owned by Bosh on Friday morning.

Using a search warrant approved for a drug trafficking investigation, cops came across iron gates, security cameras, and drug paraphernalia on the property.

TMZ reported that police sent an undercover officer to the home Tuesday to obtain trash bags that had been left out in front of the home. It’s likely that the drug casing they found in those bags led to approval for the search warrant.

But it’s Chris Bosh’s mom, Fredia Bosh and not Bosh himself, who is the focus of an alleged crack cocaine and heroin trafficking operation based out of a home owned by the former All-Star.

https://giphy.com/gifs/nba-joe-johnson-chris-bosh-Kze50EL00ZQys

Of the items found in the trash bag was mail with Freida’s name on it.

Cops also are saying that another suspect in the case has paperwork on them that includes an incident for allegedly shooting someone in the face during a drug deal.

TMZ Sports reports that Chris is not suspected of any wrongdoing.

Although Bosh isn’t officially retired, the NBA and the players’ union ruled that Bosh’s illness was career ending, which is why the two-time NBA champion has been away from the game.

Given the nature of the case, one can only assume more facts are due to come.

Update: Fredia Bosh spoke to TMZ and denied all claims that she was trafficking drugs, all while looking like the wild Queenpin. Get ya money Fredia!

Odell Beckham goes off on double standard in the NFL. Is he right?

He may be sidelined with a fractured ankle but that doesn’t mean has nothing to say.

On their way to a 23-3 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr took to Twitter to express his opinion on Tom Brady’s abrasive behavior towards Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

https://twitter.com/Sean_Lyric/status/937452200862855170

Odell may have a point though. Tom’s outburst on Sunday was not the first for the five-time Super Bowl Champion but it seems that whenever it happens it’s brushed under the rug or laughed about.

Take a look at Tom Sunday night talking to his offensive coordinator. Brady’s “passion” is the same behavior or “antics” that Odell has been accused of distracting his team with. It makes you wonder if it comes down to winning, coaching personnel, or something more sinister. Either way, there is clearly a double standard.

Because what’s the difference between Brady on Sunday and what Odell was doing here against the Giants rival the Washington Redskins?

From Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco to Randy Moss, the NFL’s greatest wideouts have always been Prima Donnas and Odell is no different, but if the media is going to call out one super talented star for his love of the game, why won’t they do the same to another?

Odell explained himself further in his tweets.

Why have there not be unsavory headlines about Brady? Why is his lack of a cool head brushed off as passion for the game and not Odell’s?

Brady’s explanation for his outburst was even more downplayed. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reported that “McDaniels started that sideline argument by telling Brady multiple times Gronk was ‘wide open’ on the incompletion to Cooks.”

“It’s just football,” Brady added after the game, per Howe. “We’ve been around each other a lot. I love Josh.”

Being that Odell is home watching games instead of on the sidelines, I’m sure it gives him a completely different perspective — one that he had to talk about on Sunday.

As the NFL and “the shield” continues to see money and ad sales disappear, maybe catering to players — their health, personal expression, and pockets — would be a great start to turning that around.

If there continues to be a double standard like this, the NFL won’t have talents like Beckham wanting to even join the league in the future.

Does 2 Chainz meeting Michael Jordan dispel rumor that MJ hates rap?

Yesterday 2 Chainz posted a pleasantly surprising picture on his Instagram of himself and arguably the greatest to have ever touched a basketball.

To the naked eye this is a typical celebrity Instagram post.

Two celebrities who probably ran into each other at some rich people event where only rich people were invited — no big deal.

For the culture

A post shared by 2 Chainz Aka Tity Boi (@hairweavekiller) on

But, you see, rumor has it that six-time NBA Champion Michael Jordan is an asshole who does not like rap. So a picture with 2 Chainz would surely debunk that, no?

Now I’m sure every celebrity or public figure has one story or another of them not being as friendly as a fan would like, so at surface level such claims such as these wouldn’t hold credence; but the stories of MJ are well documented.

Legend

A post shared by 2 Chainz Aka Tity Boi (@hairweavekiller) on

In a 2016 interview with Rap Radar, N.O.R.E dropped the bomb that Michael Jordan, out of his own mouth, said he did not like hip-hop.

“I seen him shut Redman down at a Def Jam Christmas party,” the Queens native said.

“We were all sitting there waiting to speak to Michael Jordan. N—s said, ‘Yo, Redman and Method Man is here.’ [MJ] said, ‘F–k rap.’ I seen the n—- say that … Quote me. I believe it was Redman and Method Man, and I’m to the side, so I can directly hear his voice. He was like, ‘F–k rap.’ That s— hurt me. Def Jam Christmas party, Mariah Carey hosting and sh*t like that. He only spoke to Hov…That’s without a doubt.”

The incident N.O.R.E was speaking of supposedly took place in 2002 but Jordan’s longtime rep Estee Portnoy released a statement to TMZ that dismissed the claim.

In 2009, Chamillionaire tells his story via Ustream about meeting with Jordan which was eerily similar. According to Cham, MJ curved him in a way that fits the other stories that’ve been told.

“Nobody was talking, they were just chilling or whatever,” Chamillionaire recounted at the 1:23 mark on the original video, which you can see above. “I was just like, ‘Hey I don’t mean to be rude, but Mike I just wanted to know if I could get a picture?’ I kind of expected him to say no, so I wasn’t mad if he said no. But the way he said it? He said, ‘Oh hell nah, man! I ain’t taking no pictures with no niggas.’”

Now that 2 Chainz has a picture with the proclaimed hater of rap, does this not absolve him from all claims?

Cheese-eye’d and all he seems happy to be sanding along Tity Boi, so maybe it’s time we give him a pass.

I told him I can out shoot him , he laughed ,then i laughed , and said you’re right bru im tripping ‍♂️‍♂️

A post shared by 2 Chainz Aka Tity Boi (@hairweavekiller) on

The road to ‘Victory Lap’: How Nipsey Hussle did the majors the right way

Last night Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle revealed the album cover along with the lead single, “Rap Niggaz” to his first ever studio albumVictory Lap, set to be released February 17, 2018.

Peep the album cover:


And here’s the video for the new track:

You would think that after more than a decade in the game, countless mixtapes, and gracing magazine covers that Nipsey Hussle would have long released his debut studio album.

It was in 2010 when he graced the cover of XXL of which he shared with the likes of J.Cole, Wiz, and Big Sean.

He’s had commercial success with “Killers”, which featured Drake back in 2013 and his Marathon series has had nothing but rave reviews. Yet despite spending two years with Cinematic Music Group and Epic in 2008, today is Nipsey’s first stab at the major circuit.

Signing to a major label has the perks of nabbing you big name features, a first-class press run, and distribution in any retailer under the sun, not to mention the advance.

But it wasn’t until this past November that Nipsey and his label, All Money In LLC entered a strategic partnership with Atlantic Records.

So why the delay?

When talking to Power 106’s The Cruz show in L.A. yesterday, Nip spoke on remaining patient, waiting for the right deal and maintaining creative control.

“I’ve been real adamant about being in control and maintaining equity and ownership and being a partner at the next level,” Nipsey said to Cruz. “It took a lot of work; we had to get our weight up in outside of the traditional ecosystem of the industry — we had to build it outside that. Once I felt like we got it to a certain level, what were asking for, and the terms we wanted them to be met on, it made sense.”

And leading up to this moment, that’s exactly what he did.

With no label to back him, Nipsey incorporated an innovative #Proud2Pay campaign, creating limited edition opportunities for fans who purchase his music. 2013’s Crenshaw went for $100 a pop, making $100,000 in a day in 2014 he sold 100 copies of his mixtape Mailbox Money for $1,000 each

Hussle explained in a 2015 Forbes interview,

“I think you can give a pure artistic product if you understand how to build your own industry. A solution built by an artist serves the artist more than the solution the capitalist comes up with.”

– Nipsey Hussle, 2015

That’s just what he’s done musically.

The high school dropout who used to shine shoes for clothes has a partnership with the digital currency corporation Follow Coin and has his own merch store which he can fully operate from an app on his phone called The Marathon.

No wonder he was in no rush for a deal.

Now it seems that Nipsey Hussle’s plan is finally entering its final form.

According to the Nip, Victory Lap is about his journey between major labels, the business deals, and what it means to build your platform to a point where you can negotiate on your own terms.

With the release of his single today, we’re finally getting to see the final product of what has been a long-term vision for Nipsey.

Maybe now LeBron won’t be the only one who gets to bump it.

The amazing 2017 of Elon Musk: 8 breakthroughs he brought forth just this year

Lil Uzi Vert’s recent collaboration with Pharrell,”Neon Guts” which was featured on his album Love Is Rage 2 is easily one of catchiest club bangers of the year. You can’t lose putting that song in rotation and it shows that, like his face, Skateboard P’s skills still hasn’t diminished.

When the song get’s to the chorus, the N.E.R.D frontman start’s with his signature tone:

Higher than Elon Musk, so high stars eat our dust
And I got a colorful aura like I got neon guts

Now, don’t feel too bad if a face docent suddenly pop in your head on that name drop — Elon Musk is not your everyday celebrity.

Musk is the billionaire CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX. As a thought leader in that of the beyond, the lyric makes a lot more sense now. But Pharrell could never fit everything Musk has done in one bar; or one song for that matter.

The Tesla CEO is a South African native who immigrated to Canada at age 17 who later went on to graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a cofounder of Paypal, which turned out in his favor when they were acquired by eBay for $1.4 billion in 2002.

2017 has been a wild for way too many reason to count with heroes stepping up in a variety of ways, from the mayor of Puerto Rico to Kaepernick’s influence in the league. But we mustn’t overlook the spectacular 2017 Elon Musk has had as well.

To get you a snap shot of what he’s done, I’ll give you 8 breakthroughs he masterminded just this year.

August 21, 2017: Trained AI to teach itself

OpenAI, a research venture Elon Musk co-founded that specializes in artificial intelligent research, developed a new tool for improving  ‘deep reinforcement learning’.

This discovery enhances machine learning performance by making it more efficient. That means


July 26, 2017: Tested the first car elevator

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company tested a working model for a car elevator this past summer. It is part of the electric sled concept for their innovative tunnel system which which was designed to ferry vehicles — and eventually even people — down to the tunnel system that could one day also serve the Hyperloop.

According to the Boring Company’s website, the electric sleds can go up to speeds of 200 k/h (125 mph). This is all of Musk’s vision transform transportation o The sleds are a critical component of’s revolutionary transportation concept. Their hopes are to construct tunnels that are smaller than regular tunnels for cost efficiency.


August 9, 2017: Claimed Tesla is producing more batteries than anyone else in the world

Elon Musk’s Gigafactories are still mid-construction, yet sources talking to Fred Lambert of Electrek commented that Elon Musk recently stated that Gigafactory 1 in Nevada is,

“…already producing more batteries than any other factory in the world.”


May 10, 2017: X Tesla makes solar roofs more affordable than regular roofs & have “Infinity Warranty”

What’s significant about the unprecedented warranty, besides putting good faith behind the product, is that is also verifies it’s affordability because efficiency critical when it comes to renewable energy.

As for us, acquiring a solar roof helps decrease energy bills and allow individuals to truly go “off the grid” if they wanted to.


June 16, 2017: Published updates to his plan to colonize Mars

Musk’s Mars ambitions were unveiled last year but in June he updated them, reveling fresh plans for SpaceX’s to colonize Mars which he so happen to make free to the public.

The focal point of his publishing were affordability. In it he writes,

“You cannot create a self-sustaining civilization if the ticket price is $10 billion per person.”


July 20, 2017: Gets approval to go ahead with plans to build 29-minute Hyperloop from NY to DC

Musk’s Boring Company completed the first segment of the Hyperloop system in Los Angeles in June proving as a positive case study for his east coast venture.


April 20, 2017: Elon Musk blueprints how to merge human brain with AI

In a new venture called Neuralink, Musk has already began developing plan on how to create a brain-computer interface.

The motive behind building this technology stems from Musk’s fear of what AI’s can become. The brain-computer interface would actually make us one with a robot, allowing humans to keep up with the advancements made in machine intelligence.


April 13, 2017: Elon unveils plans on electric Tesla 18-wheeler and pick-up truck

With a focus on environmental costs and safety Elon’s Tesla company confirmed plans on possibly rolling out a “seriously next level” Tesla semi-truck.

screenshot

Along with his Hyperloop plans, it’s clear Elon has a desire to have his hand in the transportation industry.

The 46 year old seems to have his hands in everything, which can only make you wonder what his plans for 2018 are.

If it’s anything thing like the past year has been, we may be in tune for major advancements in basic human life sooner than we expected.