Tag: Kendrick Lamar

Weekly Wrap-Up[4/20-2020 – 4/26/20]

Last week (the week of April 20th), there was a lot going on the hip-hop world. Catch up on all your latest hip-hop news here at TheOriginalChatman.com

In #GoodMusicFriday-fashion, Top Dawg Entertainment—home of Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and more— released a string of singles the week of April 20th. Label founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith kicked off #TDEAppreciationWeek to celebrate his birthday which was the reason behind the week’s release of singles. (While Tiffith’s artists let off new songs for their individual fan bases, he blessed elderly public housing by paying their rent.)

Monday 4/20/20

Last time we heard from Ab-Soul was December 2016, from his solo album Do What Thou Wilt Do. Soulo’s “Dangerookipawaa Freestyle” song title borrows inspiration from Top Dawg’s social media handle @dangerookipawaa. On the track, he compares himself to greats of the past and present such as Craig Mack and Eminem, meanwhile name-dropping frequent collaborator and fallen rapper friend Mac Miller.

Tuesday 4/21/20

Lone wolf (his EP title from last year) Zacari, notably remembered from his assist on Kendrick’s hit song “LOVE.”, dropped “Edamame” and “This Woman’s Work.”






“Edamame” is about the loss of a love interest, and “This Woman’s Work”, an homage to the original song by Maxwell, expresses his relationship regrets.

Wednesday 4/22/20

Isaiah Rashad built a cult following, especially after Rashad’s sophomore effort 2016’s The Sun’s Tirade. While Rashad may be an artist on a highly-sought after rap label, his “everyday man” feel within his music attracts his fan base. That’s not the case with his latest single. “Why Worry” deals with forever changing rules to the ugly side of “fame.”

Thursday 4/23/20

SiR‘s latest sophomore album, Chasing Summer, did some big time placement on the Billboard 200 reaching the 64th placement. Following the success of this album, he released the Boogie-assisted song “Rapper Weed” which surprisingly doesn’t have a drug-induced sound to it. The vibe is very relaxed as always on any song by SiR.

Friday 4/24/20

Reason has made a name for himself outside his home label–especially fiercely rapping and competing with fellow Californian rapper Cozz of the Dreamville camp. “Might Not Make It” is another brash comparison similar to “LamboTruck.” “Might Not Make It” fantasizes about the crazy things Reason would do if he had 24 hours left to live on this planet. This is the biggest name-drop I’ve heard in a while!

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Weekly Update [06/25/18 – 06/30/18]

Check out all your entertainment needs from the Weekly Wrap-Up on TheOriginalChatman.com!

Mon. 6/25

1. A week after XXXtentacion was murdered, his hit song “SAD!” became the number one song in America.

XXXTentacion

  • XXXtentacion was a troubled kid yet his music lives on—literally. The troubled MC whose no longer with us created music that still touches fans from beyond the grave.
  • “SAD!” charted its way to the Billboard Hot 100, making it X’s first #1 hit.
  • According to Rolling Stone, this is the first time a rapper had a No. 1 song since Biggie’s “Mo Money, Mo Problems” back in 1997.

[Source: Rolling Stone]

Tues. 6/26

2. Cardi B and Offset secretly got married…and TMZ got the proof of their wedding certificate to prove it!

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TMZ spilled the beans on Cardi B and Offset’s secret wedding! Photo Credit: TMZ

 

  • Here’s a snippet of the actual marriage certificate, which shows that they’ve been married since September 20th of last year. Check the full document here.
  • That gosh darn TMZ..maaaan, they be on it for real!
  • Apparently, they joined each other’s hand in marriage MONTHS ago…..OKURRRR  (Cardi B voice)!
  • On Sunday, June 24th, the Migos accepted the BET Award for Best Group in which Offset said, “I thank my wife, you should thank yours.” (To be honest…I was too busy being upset that A Tribe Called Quest didn’t win to pay attention to what Offset was actually saying!)
  • Congrats to the happy couple, especially since they’re expecting their first child together sometime later this month!

Wed. 6/27

3. Kendrick Lamar landed on the cover of Vanity Fair!

  • It seems like everyday Kendrick Lamar is reaching not only new heights as a top-tier hip-hop artist, but also as a person aware of his responsibility to himself and his community.
  • Fresh off winning the coveted Pulitzer Prize, Vanity Fair just snagged an interview with Kung-Fu Kenny in which is discusses Kanye West, Colin Kaepernick, and more.
  • I haven’t read the interview yet myself; however, I’m sure there’s gems in it. I’ll be back in a few days to give my opinion on his Vanity Fair cover story. In the meantime, check out the cover below!

Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is the new cover star of the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Photo was taken by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.

 

Thurs. 6/29

4. Drake dropped his latest effort “Scorpion.” Memes and IG captions are here all summer 2018!

  • Side A is rap, while side B is strictly R&B vibes. Which side is your favorite or are yall not feeling the album overall?

Fri. 6/29

5. Chance the Rapper speaks on upcoming joint projects with Kanye West and Childish Gambino.

Sat. 6/30

6. Paul George and Russell Westbrook of the OKC Thunder were seen hanging out with Nas as he performed new music from his latest album, Nasir.

Weekly Wrap-up [Jan 8th- Jan. 12th]

Trending topics from the week of January 8th-12th. Read more on TheOriginalChatman.com!

 

 

Happy Sunday! Two weeks into 2018..how’s everyone holdin’ up with their resolutions? Personally, I abandoned resolutions and decided to break them down into long-term and short-term goals to be accomplished throughout the year. Anyways, this week was lit! Check out the trending topics for the second week of January.

Mon. 1/8

1. Christian Combs will serve as the newest model for Dolce&Gabana.

  • Rapper Christian Combs — whose father is hip-hop mogul/ icon Diddy — adds another title to his resume. Christian inked a deal as the new face of luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabana. Combs had a previous relationship with the company modeling for them last summer and fall, so the deal with D&G naturally makes sense.
  • Christian shared the news on his Instagram.

Source: Page Six

                  2. Swedish retail company H&M has received criticism for its “Coolest Monkey In The Jungle” hoodie—modeled by a young black child.

  • Taking notes from last year’s Pepsi advertising hiccups, retail giant H&M caught hell when they released an ad of a young black boy modeling a green hoodie that said, “Coolest Monkey In The Jungle.”
  • As a result of their blunder, artists The Weekend and G-Eazy have denounced their partnerships with the retail company due to its offensive ad.
  • H&M issued a statement apologizing for its ” unintentional casual racism” vowing to prevent it happening again in the future.

Source: USAToday

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Image via H&M/Associated Press

Tues. 1/9

3. Kendrick Lamar reveals a sneak peek into his shoe deal with Nike. 

  • Kendrick Lamar teamed up for his first signature deal with Nike in the Cortez Kenny 1. K.Dot originally debuted the kicks on Monday’s CFP National Championship in Atlanta.
  • Sporting a white leather upper with red stitching and identical DAMN. branding, the Cortez Kenny 1 drops on January 26th, and retail price is $100. Will you be getting a pair?

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Image via Kendrick Lamar’s Instagram (@kendricklamar)

4. Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, is currently the world’s richest man. He pays it forward literally in the best way possible!

  • Bezos donated $33 million  for college scholarships to ‘Dreamers’, a group of illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. by their parents.
  • The donation was made in his father’s name who fled Cuba at 15 and went to college in the US.

Source: AOL

Wed. 1/10

5. The Black Eyed Peas return with new music after a seven-year hiatus.

  • Their newest single, “Street Justice” is in the same vein as their 2003 big hit, “Where’s the Love”, and serves as an ode to several of America’s socioeconomic issues such as discrepancies in the school system, gun violence, and prison reform. 
  • Watch the video/purchase the single here.

Source: Okayplayer, LA Times, and Black Eyed Peas official site

Thurs/Fri. 1/11 – 1/12

  • Ryan Reynolds reveals the new release date of Deadpool 2 will be May 18th instead of June 1st.

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According to Ryan Reynolds, the new release date for “Deadpool 2” is May 18th. The film was originally slated for a June 1st release. Image via Reynolds’ Instagram, @vancityreynolds

  • Top Dawg Entertainment pushed out another release from the soundtrack for Marvel’s Black Panther. The latest cut “King’s Dead” is by Jay Rock featuring Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake. Check it out here.
  • The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which also happened to be her 47th birthday too! 

That’s it for the second week of January! Thanks for tuning into TheOriginalChatman.com. Catch y’all next week!

-TheOriginalChatman™-

 

[WATCH]: Kendrick Lamar Drops Rihanna-Assisted Video for “LOYALTY.”

Kendrick Lamar drops another visual from his double-platinum album, DAMN. From “HUMBLE.” to “DNA.” and “ELEMENT.” to “LOYALTY.” is there a common theme within Kendrick’s most recent videos? Watch “LOYALTY.” and see for yourself.

 

Fresh off the heels of bringing out J.Cole and Chance the Rapper to his Detroit and Chicago shows, Kendrick Lamar continues to keep us tuned into his every move.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXEad7kF6E8/?taken-by=kendricklamar

Although currently on tour promoting his most recent release DAMN, Kendrick continued to satisfy his fans by releasing the visual for the Rihanna-assisted track “LOYALTY.” As I mentioned in an older post covering his video for “ELEMENT.”, most Kendrick Lamar visuals have to be watched at least twice to understand the themes behind the music.

So imagine this: Ninjas (or at least I think what I think may be ninjas). Scantily-clad women representing temptation. Metal sharks under concrete road pavement. If you’re lost, I don’t blame you. Let’s break it down a bit further. Using the comments section for some sense of understanding (which is something I should do less of..unfortunately!), my interpretation is that each of these elements represents Kendrick trying to stay not only loyal to his woman (played by Rihanna), but to himself. Kendrick recognizes the more fame he achieves within the music industry, the more likely his moral values are inclined to disappear. The lyrics even speak for themselves. Watch the video below and let me know what yall think!

 

Kendrick Lamar and Nas Discuss the Swizz Beatz-Timbaland Beat Battle

Kendrick Lamar and Nas Discuss the Swizz Beatz-Timbaland Beat Battle. Between the two producer giants, who do y’all think is #WithTheSmoke?

At its forefront, not only is hip-hop a young man’s game, it’s also a competitive sport in which rap adversaries go head to head with bars—the end result guiding us (the fans) to determine which is the best emcee.

Although emcees fighting for “the throne” in rap is nothing new, a beat battle between producers is something worth the surrounding hype. I’m not necessarily certain if beat battles have been around; however, a match-up between the legendary Swizz Beatz and Timbaland will definitely go down in the rap history books.

Swizz-Beatz-827x620
Photo by Frazier Harrison/Getty Images for Bacardi

Just a couple weeks ago (July 14), Swizz challenged Timbo the King to a beat battle. The challenge was offered during a Hot 97 promo run for the upcoming Mayweather-McGregor fight. 

Timbaland has since accepted the battle leaving both producers to prep for the epic battle via their Instagram accounts.

Both super producers have campaigned the hottest names in rap— such as Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Nas— about the outcome of the epic battle. Swizz caught up with Nas in a studio somewhere in which the Queensbridge legend calls Swizz and Timbo, “two top tier n-ggas going at it.” Nas didn’t give a clear answer on whose side he’s reppin’ but he encouraged the beat battle as “what the game needs.”

“Y’all both my brothers, so I just want to watch it go down,” he continues.

On the other side of the scale, Timbaland posted a video of Swizz chopping it up with Kendrick and Soulo. While Kendrick almost speaks a victory for Swizz into existence, he bounces back quickly by changing the subject. Watch what Kendrick says to Swizz regarding the battle and determine for yourself who Kendrick’s rollin’ with.

Swizz and Timbo just need to give us a date for this battle already. Both super producers are in it to win, no doubt. Whose everyone rooting for in the battle?

Source(s): HipHopDX

[WATCH]: “ELEMENT.” by Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar drops off another powerful visual from his fourth studio album, Damn. What do y’all think of the video?

Kendrick Lamar encapsulates art with every video. I’m not saying that as a fan of his work. I’m saying it because I believe it to be true.

The Damn.  rapper just released a video for “ELEMENT.” (*sings hook as I write this*) directed by Jonas Lindstroem and co-directed by The Little Homies. I literally just found via Google search that the group Little Homies consists of Kendrick and Top Dawg Entertainment president Dave Free!

With almost every Kendrick video, you have to pay attention and don’t blink..because you might miss something; however, I blame myself for gassing Kendrick and tricking myself into believing the visual was so abstract I missed something upon the first viewing of the video. 

Not gon lie though, I had to watch it again cuz you know! This particular visual may catch some of you off guard due to the slow-motion pace of the video. In the video, the balance between violence and inner-peace is contrasted as father teaches son how to fight, and Kendrick shhhhmacks the shit out a poor guy’s mouth, meanwhile he chases someone with a pool cue.

That’s pretty much how I interpret the visual. If yall have any other opinions, feel free to show some love to my comment section! Check the visual for “ELEMENT.” below.

[WATCH]: “ELEMENT.” by Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar drops off another powerful visual from his fourth studio album, Damn. What do y’all think of the video?

 

Kendrick Lamar encapsulates art with every video. I’m not saying that as a fan of his work. I’m saying it because I believe it to be true.

The Damn.  rapper just released a video for “ELEMENT.” (*sings hook as I write this*) directed by Jonas Lindstroem and co-directed by The Little Homies. I literally just found via Google search that the group Little Homies consists of Kendrick and Top Dawg Entertainment president Dave Free!

With almost every Kendrick video, you have to pay attention and don’t blink..because you might miss something; however, I blame myself for gassing Kendrick and tricking myself into believing the visual was so abstract I missed something upon the first viewing of the video. 

Not gon lie though, I had to watch it again cuz you know! This particular visual may catch some of you off guard due to the slow-motion pace of the video. In the video, the balance between violence and inner-peace is contrasted as father teaches son how to fight, and Kendrick shhhhmacks the shit out a poor guy’s mouth, meanwhile he chases someone with a pool cue.

That’s pretty much how I interpret the visual. If yall have any other opinions, feel free to show some love to my comment section! Check the visual for “ELEMENT.” below.

Kendrick Lamar Returns to Twitter Praising the Success of His Fellow Peers

Kendrick Lamar returned to Twitter to praise Hov, Nipsey Hussle, and 2 Chainz on their recent power moves in the game.

Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar recently returned to Twitter yesterday (June 19th) to celebrate poer moves made by his fellow rappers.

Yesterday (June 19th) , Kendrick Lamar returned to Twitter praising all the exciting hip-hop news that happened these past few days.

First and foremost, taking a note from Hov’s Twitter, Kendrick showed love to JAY-Z (who officially stylizing his name this way according to Pitchfork) for being the first rap artist inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame last week.

Furthermore, Kendrick shouted out Nipsey Hussle for his “black business moves.” Nipsey recently cut the ribbon on his Marathon Store in Los Angeles last weekend.

Finally, Lamar didn’t mince words for Demetrius Shipp Jr.’s performance as Tupac in All Eyez on Me. Nicknaming him “Lil Meech”, Kendrick said he nailed the role as Tupac Shakur. 2 Chainz even appeared on Kendrick’s Lamar radar as he congratulated 2 Chainz for “snapping” on his new album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music.

K.Dot ended the tweet with “Rap run it 4ever!” which is pretty damn hard to argue with.

#ICYMI: Happy Belated Bornday to the Greatest Of Our Time–Kendrick Lamar!

Kendrick Lamar Just Turned 30! What are your top 5 favorite songs from his catalog and why?

I know I’ma whole day late, but I have to wish one of my favorite artists out right now a huge Happy 30th Birthday–to Kendrick Lamar! You don’t know me personally; however, I can honestly say  I’ve felt every word you put into every lyric. K.Dot…you changed the game for the better by putting everyone on their toes with this rap sh-t!

♠J.Chatman aka TheOriginalChatman♠

To celebrate Kendrick’s/K.Dot’s/Kung-Fu Kenny’s 30th birthday, here’s a list of my top 5 favorite songs by him—in no particular order, mind you.

 

Kendrick’s ode to killing your favorite rapper is a classic. It was on this particular song where he used the double-time flow he would soon perfect on various songs and other projects in the future.

 

2. “B-tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” (Section.80)

*screams “BITCH DON’T KILL MY VIBE!” excitedly and carefree in the middle of a conversation*

3. “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” (good kid, m.A.a.d. city)

A lot of his best songs are taken from personal experiences growing up in Compton, CA. Kendrick is no stranger to story telling on his albums–but this one is so important because of the perspective used to illustrate Kendrick’s childhood trauma in a dangerous environment. If you wanted to start listening to Kendrick now, I’d recommend you start with this song!

4. “m.A.a.d. city” (good kid, m.A.a.d. city)

“YAWK YAWK YAWK YAAAAWK!”

Enough said.

5. “Money Trees” (good kid, m.A.a.d. city)

The sample. The hook. The verse from fellow TDE member Jay Rock. Virtually everything about this song—following adolescent Kendrick’s pursuit of money as a means to escape poverty—captures Kendrick’s ability to translate his life story and transform it into someone else’s story.

 

Kendrick’s “DAMN.” Album is Certified Platinum!

Kendrick’s “DAMN.” Album is Certified !

There’s nothing Kung-Fu Kenny isn’t capable of of, as he slices up the competition again this week!

According to Interscope Records, Kendrick Lamar‘s DAMN. reached platinum status on Thursday (May 5th).

Interscope broke the news via their Twitter yesterday, while the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) declared Kendrick’s fourth effort as certified platinum less than a month (!!!) since its April 14th release. Lamar’s hot streak is still red-hot with astoundingly consecutive accomplishments.

Let’s recap all of Kendrick’s most recent accolades:

  • DAMN. is the first album of 2017 to go platinum
  • All 14 tracks appeared on the Billboard Hot 100
  • DAMN.  sold more than 600,000 units the first week, beating Drake’s More Life opening weeks sales by 100,000 units

The videos for “Humble” and “DNA.” are carving out more success for Kendrick too.

K. Dot torched the Coachella festival as a headliner this year— so something tells me we have yet to get the best of him as he prepares for The DAMN. Tour. The tour will feature D.R.A.M. and Travis Scott. Check out the dates below. Tickets can be purchased here.

Tour Dates:

July 12, 2017  – Phoenix AZ @ Gila River Arena
July 14, 2017 – Dallas TX @ American Airlines Center
July 15, 2017 – Houston TX  @ Toyota Center
July 17, 2017 – Duluth, GA @ Infinite Energy Arena
July 19, 2017 – Philadelphia PA @ Wells Fargo Center
July 20, 2017 – Brooklyn NY @ Barclays Center
July 21, 2017 – Washington DC  @ Verizon Center
July 22, 2017 – Boston MA @ TD Garden
July 25, 2017 – Toronto ON @ Air Canada Centre
July 26, 2017 – Auburn Hills MI  @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
July 27, 2017  – Chicago IL  @ United Center
July 29, 2017  – Denver CO  @ Pepsi Center
August 01, 2017  – Seattle WA @ Tacoma Dome
August 02, 2017 – Vancouver BC @ Rogers Arena
August 04, 2017 – Oakland CA @ Oracle Arena
August 05, 2017  – Las Vegas NV  @ T-Mobile Arena
August 06, 2017 – Los Angeles CA  @ STAPLES Center

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