Genre: R&B
Release Date: September 11, 2026
Album: Westside Whimsy

Tracklist for Westside Whimsy

1. Wild Cat(s)
2. Ghost
3. Break
4. Love Bomb (with Ab-Soul)
5. Ceiling (Freestyle)
6. Nothing Nice To Say
7. He Belongs
8. Like, Whatever (feat. Tyga)
9. You
10. Don’t Be That Guy
11. Lullaby
12. Neighbors (feat. Larry June)
13. Mine
14. So Good (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
15. Beach Boy
16. Unicorn
17. I Don’t Mind
18. Nami’s Haiku
19. A Living Light
20. Golden Coast (feat. Ohma)

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“This is my job. They don’t got a favorite burger when they flip them at McDonald’s. I’m a working man,” Vince explained in a recent interview clip.

That comparison didn’t sit well with everyone. Some fans felt like comparing music to flipping burgers made it sound like Vince wasn’t passionate about his art. Others argued that he’s in a position most people dream of being in and should look at his career differently.

Vince saw the reactions and decided to spend some time going back and forth with fans on X.

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Vince Staples Goes Back And Forth With Fans

When one person asked if he was “making art” or “making burgers,” Vince joked, “A burger cost more than a song.” Another fan told him that people simply want him to love the job they’ve supported him in. Vince responded by asking, “Why? Serious question. Let’s have a dialogue I’m free this morning.”

Eventually, the Long Beach rapper gave a longer explanation of where he was coming from. According to Vince, fans were placing their own ideas of success and fulfillment onto him.

“Y’all aren’t mad that I don’t have a favorite song,” he wrote. “Y’all are mad because you assume I’ve reached a level of success and finances that people dream for, which is true.”

He added that people seemed bothered because he doesn’t view that success the way they expect him to. Still, Vince didn’t appear too bothered by the criticism. In another post, he sarcastically asked fans what they wanted his favorite song to be so he could “add it to the lexicon.”

The whole conversation is pretty on-brand for Vince, who has never been shy about challenging the way people view artists and celebrity. For him, calling music a job doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t care about it. He just doesn’t seem interested in romanticizing the work simply because he’s successful at it.

Read More: Vince Staples, “Cry Baby,” & The Expectations We Place On Rappers

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The show goes down September 27 at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. As Deadline reports, it will air live on CBS and MTV while also streaming on Paramount+. Snoop takes over hosting duties after LL Cool J led last year’s ceremony from New York.

For Snoop, the gig is another major live television moment in what has become a pretty impressive second act of his career. In recent years, he’s become a familiar face outside of hip-hop. He covered both the Summer and Winter Olympics for NBC, had a coaching stint on The Voice, and appeared in his very own New Year’s Eve special. He also joined Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent during the star-studded Super Bowl LVI halftime show in 2022.

Read More: Snoop Dogg Biopic Casts Its Warren G And Suge Knight

Full Circle Moment For Snoop Dogg

Hosting the VMAs also brings things full circle. Snoop first hit the VMA stage back in 1994 and has since earned 13 nominations and three wins. He’s returned several times over the years, including closing the 1999 show alongside Dr. Dre and Eminem and performing with Eminem again in 2022.

“MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning,” Snoop said while announcing the news, calling his new hosting role a “full-circle moment.”

Snoop will also serve as an executive producer for this year’s ceremony. Meanwhile, MTV says more performers, presenters, and special guests will be revealed ahead of the show.

Read More: Lauren London To Play Snoop Dogg’s Mother In Upcoming Biopic

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During a recent interview with VladTV, the St. Louis rapper reacted to Starr being held without bond in Fulton County, Georgia. Starr is facing felony charges including aggravated child molestation, sodomy, and sexual battery against a child under 16. The charges followed an alleged encounter with a 13-year-old at an Embassy Suites hotel. She has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

Chingy made it clear that he has “zero sympathy” for Starr. However, he said his feelings are about the allegations involving the teenager, not their history together.

“That had nothing to do with me,” Chingy said when the idea of karma came up. “That’s for what was done to that 13-year-old boy.” Still, he acknowledged why some people have connected Starr’s current situation to their past, adding that “what goes around comes around.”

Read More: Chingy Assures He’s Not “Down Bad” & Drops Out Of Donald Trump’s LGBT Event After Immense Backlash

Chingy Does Not Feel Bad

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For those who don’t remember, Starr previously claimed that she and Chingy had been romantically involved after the two took a photo together. She later admitted the story wasn’t true. Chingy has maintained for years that the rumor seriously damaged his career, including costing him potential business and record opportunities.

That history is now being brought back up as Starr’s legal case unfolds. Some social media users have called her arrest karma, while others have pointed to how much the old rumor affected Chingy’s career.

Chingy, however, seems more interested in keeping the two situations separate. Whatever happened between him and Starr is old news in his eyes. As for her current case, he says his concern is with the alleged victim.

Read More: Sidney Starr’s Arrest Revives One Of Hip Hop’s Most Damaging Rumors

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The conversation started after Akademiks argued that Kendrick is “lazy” when it comes to dropping music, suggesting that the rapper waits for the right moments to capitalize rather than consistently releasing records. The comments come after Kendrick Lamar is reportedly on a feature run, appearing on upcoming music releases from people like Jhene Aiko and AZ Chike to name a few.

Akademiks specifically reacted to Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming AZ Chike collaboration and says Kendrick has “starved his fans” by barely releasing music. He said that he fails to understand why he’s so “absent,” from the music scene and withholding music. “I just feel the nigga lazy, bro.” He then jokingly commented that being a Kendrick fan must be rough: “If you a Kendrick fan, you still listening to DAMN, or some s**t.”

Hitta J3, who has worked closely with Kendrick and appeared on GNX, clearly didn’t agree with that assessment.

“Dot goes for his target & he ain’t gotta use another individual record to get his point across,” J3 wrote on X. “Yall must forget what he did last time somebody said Drop drop drop #NoFeatures.”

Hitta J3 took the opportunity to reference Kendrick’s 2024 highly publicized rap battle with Drake. The world and Drake eagerly waited to see if he would respond to any of Drake’s shots. Kendrick eventually answered with a run of diss tracks, including “Euphoria,” “6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams,” and the massive “Not Like Us.”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” One Year Later: How He Hijacked The Drake Narrative

Hitta J3 Responds To Defend Kendrick Lamar

J3 followed up with another message aimed directly at Akademiks. He argued that Kendrick simply isn’t interested in constantly responding to people who speak about him online.

“While @Akademiks steady speaking on Dot like it’s not clear already he don’t care to speak on nobody,” he wrote. “We don’t send subs we address the opponent.”

The exchange comes as Kendrick has remained relatively quiet following the massive run surrounding GNX, his feud with Drake, and his Super Bowl LIX halftime performance. However, he has appeared on various features since then, including including two appearances on Ca$ino album by Baby Keem and “Good Flirts” with Momo Boyd.

Additionally, as HotNewHipHop previously reported, Kendrick Lamar did also deliver a breezy and reserved verse on “How To Pray” — a song on the new Dahi album Black Boy (Alternative).

While Akademiks seems to view Kendrick’s selective approach as a lack of consistency, J3 sees it differently. From his perspective, Kendrick doesn’t need to respond to every conversation surrounding his name. When there is something he actually wants to address, he does it directly.

Read More: Look Like My Mama – Song by AZ Chike & Tyler, the Creator

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The original SKU is 130209-103. It’s built with a white leather upper and black hits across the midsole, collar, and tongue. Royal blue fills in the tongue liner and outsole striping.

An orange Jumpman sits on the outsole, tying the whole New York theme together. That full colorway is titled White, Black, Royal Blue, and Orange Flame. A specific style code for the 2027 retro hasn’t been confirmed yet.

This colorway first released in 1995 as part of the Air Jordan 10 City Series. That collection also included Chicago, Sacramento, Seattle, and Orlando versions. Since Jordan was between his baseball detour and NBA return at the time, rising stars from each city wore the shoes instead.

With Sacramento’s version already set to retro this December, “Knicks” becomes the last City Series colorway still missing from the lineup. That gap makes this release feel like the final piece finally falling into place.

Read More: Vans And SZA Unveil The Full VANSZA Collection

Air Jordan 10 “Knicks”

This retro comes at a perfect moment for New York. The Knicks celebrated their first championship in over half a century. A colorway this tied to the franchise’s history landing right after that title run feels far from coincidental.

City Series colorways have carried a different kind of nostalgia compared to standard Air Jordan releases. They weren’t built around Jordan himself, but around connecting with individual fanbases directly. That regional focus has helped these colorways age into genuine cult favorites over time.

Jordan Brand has leaned hard into 2000s and 90s nostalgia across its release calendar this year. Bringing back a colorway that’s sat untouched since 1995 fits right into that pattern. For collectors who’ve tracked this one for years, the wait is finally close to ending.

Details could still change before an official announcement drops. Overall this is one of the more anticipated Jordan releases heading into 2027.

Read More: Lil Durk Jury Ends Second Day Of Deliberations Without A Verdict

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According to TheGrio, eTalk brought the old footage back online this week, prompting Palmer to repost it and laugh at how seriously she approached the assignment. “Whyyyy am I acting like I’m on 20/20 with these questions,” she joked on Instagram, adding that she sounded like an older woman discussing a soap opera. Drake replied to her comment, joking that she was “frying” him over plotlines that he didn’t have anything to do with.

Palmer appeared in the segment alongside fellow child actor Malcolm David Kelley, while Drake was still primarily known as Aubrey Graham, the actor who played Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian teen drama. Palmer clearly knew the show well. She pressed him about specific characters, including Manny Santos, whom she declared she was “very disappointed” in.

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Keke Palmer Eventually Made Her Own Degrassi Appearance

The clip is even better in hindsight because Palmer eventually got her own moment at Degrassi Community School. Six years later, she guest-starred as herself in the Season 11 premiere after previously telling Nickelodeon that she wanted a role on the series.

Palmer told TV Guide in 2011 that she had asked about appearing on Degrassi after beginning her Nickelodeon run. Her episode paired her with Sav Bhandari, played by Raymond Ablack, who meets Palmer without initially realizing she is the singer headlining a concert. She also performed during the episode.

The resurfaced interview catches Palmer before 2006’s Akeelah and the Bee pushed her career into another gear, while Drake was still years away from leaving Degrassi behind for Rap.

Read More: Drake Reflects On Days As Wheelchair Jimmy In New “Degrassi” Documentary

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The first drop reworks two familiar Vans models. A black and white Knu Skool Mule trades the shoe’s usual bulk for an easy slip-on build. The Authentic gets a worn-in finish paired with fish graphics across the upper.

That Authentic also has a functional twist built in. Its heel folds down entirely, based on SZA’s own habit of stepping on the backs of her sneakers. It’s a small detail that ties directly back to how she actually wears her shoes.

Drop 2 introduces a brand new silhouette called the LX Tabi Hiker. It features a split-toe shape, cable laces, and no traditional tongue. A rugged rubber sole climbs partway up the sides for added durability.

That second drop comes in 3 colorways so far. Options include blue and orange-green, brown and green-purple, and black with red and yellow accents. A RealTree-style camo version of the Knu Skool also joins that release.

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SZA x Vans Collection

SZA has held a creative lead role at Vans since the partnership was first announced last year. This collection is the first real payoff from that arrangement. It’s the point where her actual input starts showing up on shelves.

Musicians taking on real creative positions inside brands has become a bigger trend across fashion and footwear. Pharrell Williams runs menswear at Louis Vuitton. A$AP Rocky has held a similar creative role with PUMA. Tyler, The Creator built Golf Wang from the ground up before ever touching a corporate partnership.

SZA’s role fits that same pattern of artists pushing past guest-collaborator status into something more permanent. She’s described wanting the collection to reflect how she actually lives, not just a themed capsule built around her image. That kind of direction usually only comes with a real seat at the table.

Vans clearly leaned into that approach here. Details like the Authentic’s folding heel came directly from SZA’s own habits, not a design team’s guess at her style. That specificity reflects the kind of access that comes with an ongoing creative role rather than a one-time licensing deal.

Read More: Boosie Warns Artists After Podcast Clips Surface In Major Rap Trials

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Deliberations began Wednesday after closing arguments wrapped the previous day. Prosecutors accuse Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, of helping organize a 2022 plot to kill Quando Rondo. Rondo survived the shooting near the Beverly Center, while his cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed. Durk has pleaded not guilty.

The jury is considering five federal counts, including conspiracy to commit stalking and murder-for-hire charges stemming from Robinson’s death. Co-defendants Deandre “OTF DeDe” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey have also pleaded not guilty.

Read More: Lil Durk Verdict: DJ Akademiks Gives His Prediction As Jury Deliberates

Lil Durk Jury Spends Another Day Reviewing The Case

Jurors signaled early that they intended to take another look at the evidence. On Wednesday, they asked for digital copies of materials admitted during the trial, delaying deliberations while the court prepared them for review. As we previously reported, the judge said the requested evidence would be available Thursday morning.

That request gave the jury access to a substantial record, including messages, photographs, and video evidence presented during the weeks-long trial. Prosecutors also relied on testimony from cooperating witnesses who claimed Durk was behind the alleged plan. His defense attacked their credibility and argued the government had failed to connect him to an agreement to kill Rondo.

The jury began its work after another dispute over Durk’s 2023 interview with DJ Akademiks. Prosecutors played part of the Off The Record conversation during closing arguments while discussing public calls for retaliation after King Von’s death. Durk’s attorneys later asked U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald to reopen the evidence so jurors could hear more of the interview, arguing that prosecutors had presented the clip without its proper context. Fitzgerald denied the request.

Deliberations are expected to continue Friday (Sept. 11), with Durk remaining in federal custody while the jury considers its verdict.

Read More: 6ix9ine Trolls Lil Durk With “Laugh Now Cry Later” Lyrics Ahead Of Jury Deliberations

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According to Variety, Timberlake emerged during the Magna Carta… Holy Grail single and stayed at the piano afterward for a performance of “Until the End of Time.” The appearance came as Jay continued his JAŸ-Z 30 shows, turning his anniversary celebration into a revolving door of guests from across his career. Moreover, Pharrell Williams made an appearance to perform his hit, “Frontin’.”

“Holy Grail” arrived in 2013 as the opening track on Magna Carta… Holy Grail, with Timberlake handling the record’s chorus and opening verse. The collaboration became one of Jay’s biggest songs from the album, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2014 Grammys.

The two were hardly strangers onstage during that period. Jay and Timberlake spent the summer of 2013 co-headlining their Legends of the Summer stadium tour, where “Holy Grail” was a centerpiece of the set. Timberlake also featured Jay on “Suit & Tie” from The 20/20 Experience, giving the pair two major records together during the same stretch.

Read More: Jay-Z Brings Out Dave & Sampha At Second London Show: Full Setlist

Jay-Z’s Anniversary Shows Keep Bringing Out Familiar Faces

Timberlake joins an increasingly long list of artists who have appeared during Jay’s 2026 concerts. His three-night Yankee Stadium run in July included Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem, Nas, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Usher and several other collaborators from different eras of his catalog. The shows commemorated 30 years since Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint. Variety reported that the final New York show stretched until roughly 3 a.m.

London got its own lineup of surprises when Jay brought the anniversary run to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week. Both dates sold out, with guests including Giggs, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Dave, and Sampha across the two nights. The first show also fell on Beyoncé’s 45th birthday, prompting Jay to lead the stadium in singing “Happy Birthday” while she watched from a suite.

After Paris, Jay’s remaining announced shows are scheduled for Oct. 23 and 24 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

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