Photo: WENN.com
A lot has happened this week with new releases, videos, and shoe deals, but the main topic of discussion seems to be next year’s Grammy nominations list, which is lead by a certain Mr. Carter.
After famously boycotting the 2002 Grammys because too many big names in rap were overlooked, Jay Z this year leads the pack with nine nominations, all for his work on his Magna Carta Holy Grail album. Not only that, Hip Hop as a whole is king this year. Both Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis earned themselves seven nominations, while each of them were also nominated for Album Of The Year for good kid m.A.A.d. city and The Heist respectively. Drake garnered five nominations. Kanye West got three. While other nominees included Pharrell, Robin Thicke, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, T.I., Bruno Mars, Miguel, TGT, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Salaam Remi, and newcomer Mack Wilds. While Wilds is in the same category as Rihanna, his album New York: A Love Story deserves the win. It’s an excellent album and definitely one of the year’s best.
c/o The Grammy Awards
Hushing his critics, Justin Bieber’s recent contribution to music comes with a more R&B-tinged edge… and in all honesty it’s hard not to like. Swagged out and singing like a young Justin Timberlake, his recent #MusicMonday series, where he releases a new track every Monday, has made me a believer (we’re not quite at Belieber status just yet). This week unleashing the visuals to one of these #MusicMonday joints, ‘All That Matters’ is smooth and seductive with a Drake bounce. Watch the video and tell me you ain’t feeling it. If the Biebs keeps putting out material like this then we just might have found a new R&B flag flyer.
Other music videos to drop this week include a new Beats By Dr. Dre commercial featuring Kendrick Lamar spitting some never-before-heard bars. All in the name of the new Beats By Dr. Dre Pill XL, this is by far one of the dopest Hip Hop commercials since the Sprite Voltron ads back in the 90s. London’s Marsha Ambrosius (formerly of Floetry) teamed up with Ne-Yo to drop the video for ‘Without You’. Then looking at a one to watch in 2014, Adrian Marcel’s new video ‘Timeless’, taken from his upcoming project The Weak After Next, made its debut on America’s 106 & Park.
Childish Gambino this week gave fans a free stream of his upcoming album Because The Internet. As a big fan of the rapper/script writer/actor/anything else he sets his mind to, this was a joy to my ears. With a cult classic under his belt in the form of Camp, the former 30 Rock writer has created his most daring project to date. Having already claimed to be the “son of Kanye West”, on Because The Internet it really does show. Experimenting with various sounds not heard on his previous projects, as an incredibly intelligent individual lyrically it’s a clusterfuck of scenarios that forces you to think. Instrumentally it might take some a moment to take it all in. For someone who once claimed that albums aren’t worth anything anymore, they’re more a marketing tool, he sure as hell made something that needs some serious rewind value to work it all out.
While Kanye West as continues his outrageous outbursts - this week he claimed his Yeezus tour was as tough as being a soldier or police offier - Drake snuck in at Nike and filled his shoes (literally). Inking a deal with Michael Jordan’s Nike brand, Drake will now design for the shoe giant. Announcing the partnership at his show in Portland, Drizzy announced: “Today also happens to be one of the best days of my life. You know, growing up, I'm sure we all idolized this guy – he goes by the name of Michael Jordan. So today, I came to Portland, Oregon and I officially became inducted into the Team Jordan family.” Already posting a few of the new designs on his Instagram page, they feature his OVO (October’s Very Own) logo and are apparently called OVO Stingray 10s and OVO Stingray 12s.
Closing things off this week it’s back to this year’s leading Grammy nominee. Posting a pic of his entire back catalogue stacked up in order of how he views their worth, Jay Z gave fans a look in to where he ranks his own work. With his classic debut Reasonable Doubt sat at the top followed by the 5 Mic rated (by “Hip Hop Bible” The Source) The Blueprint, what do you think to Jay’s ranking? Is Kingdom Come everybody’s least favourite Jay album? Take a look at the pic below and let us know what you think.
(Will “ill Will” Lavin is a Hip Hop music and lifestyle specialist who has been writing about Hip Hop culture for the past 10 years. With published works both nationally and internationally, he has written for publications such as VIBE, Complex, XXL, KING, Blues & Soul, MOBO, Soul Culture, and is one of the longest standing contributors to Gigwise having been writing since the site’s conception. You can follow him on Twitter @333illWill333, see him host The Authentic Series, and come January visit his website illWill.co.uk.)
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