As caught by CY Chels on Twitter, the podcasts hosts debated about this topic. They are all ready to hear ICEMAN, but Joe called out the OVO soldiers who think those who crowned K.Dot the victor never want to hear the 6ix God again. The cohosts debated the “stay on that side” argument, positing that these overzealous listeners care more about the image and narrative of it all than the music.

Overall, they found this expectation unrealistic, but they did acknowledge the significant criticisms The Boy received in the battle’s aftermath. They also brought up their previous praises of the Toronto superstar to combat this perspective, calling the Stans “stuck” and reinforcing negative engagements with art.

Read More: Drake Dominated 2016 Ten Years Ago & Hasn’t Let Up

When Is Drake Dropping ICEMAN?

Drake is dropping ICEMAN on May 15, so it won’t be long before The Joe Budden Podcast and the rest of hip-hop culture reacts. Die-hards will most likely continue to question and scrutinize media perceptions of him and fans who may have opposed him against Kendrick two years ago. But if the album delivers, that won’t stop even staunch detractors from giving it its due flowers.

Of course, there will be many on the other side who will trash the project, as is natural for these artists’ fanbases at this point. These two completely different narratives show just how big the OVO mogul is, as his presence diverges online timelines into Stans and haters.

Elsewhere, Joe Budden faced bias accusations surrounding Kendrick Lamar. Following some allegations from Daylyt that Kendrick’s camp paid Budden for positive coverage, DJ Akademiks stepped in to doubt the veracity of this. He doesn’t think it’s out of the question, but there are many more factors influencing opinion than just alleged money or a rap battle take.

Read More: The Top 50 Best Drake Songs Of All-Time

The post Joe Budden Blasts Drake Fans For Gatekeeping “ICEMAN” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Of course, he has love for both artists, and has made that very clear since their 2024 battle. But the Compton lyricist emphasized loyalty and autonomy while expressing his respect for the 6ix God.

“As far as [Drake] being one of the greatest ever? People thought that I was going to change my opinion and how I felt about Drake because he was at war with Kendrick. I’m not going to do that,” he remarked. “When the whole thing popped off, everybody was like, ‘You supposed to be with the West Side!’ I was like, ‘We are the most segregated culture in hip-hop.’ Y’all want to say we supposed to be so West Side. But before you drive by the opps’ hood with your window down and yell out, ‘Where y’all from, cuz?’, is it about the West Side then? Is it about your section? Or how you feel in that moment? Right? Y’all ain’t doing that. So let me do me on my type of time, and I’ma let you know how you should walk accordingly when you have camaraderies or real friendships.”

Read More: Drake Dominated 2016 Ten Years Ago & Hasn’t Let Up

The Game’s Drake & Kendrick Lamar Comments

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Most recently, The Game claimed Drake’s absence is killing hip-hop. “Y’all ain’t appreciate one of the greatest now the absence & silence has the art form down 50%,” he recently claimed on Instagram.

The L.A. rapper has also hinted at being involved with Drake’s upcoming album ICEMAN, although he could just be hyping it up as a fan.

As for Kendrick Lamar, The Game’s perspective is complex. He recently challenged Kendrick to battle on his most recent album, naming him the other best rapper from Compton. There’s clearly a lot of respect and history there, but not enough to turn on a collaborator and friend.

Read More: The Top 50 Best Drake Songs Of All-Time

The post The Game Explains Backing Drake In The Kendrick Lamar Battle appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Awake NY was founded and is run by Angelo Baque, the former creative director at Supreme. Furthermore, the brand’s Air Jordan 5 collaboration became one of the contenders for Sneaker of the Year across multiple outlets and social media last year. The Air Jordan 6 follow-up arrives with even higher expectations.

Additionally, the Air Jordan 6 turns 35 in 2026, and Jordan Brand is going all out on the silhouette throughout the year. Also the Awake NY collab sits comfortably among the most anticipated releases in that anniversary run.

The “Playful Pink” releases alongside a “Midnight Navy” colorway as part of a two-pair collaboration. Moreover, the shoe employs four different shades of pink across the upper, including light pink nubuck at the base and a highlighter pink at the heel and collar.

Influencer and designer Imran Potato was enlisted to debut the shoe publicly. The early reaction online has been overwhelmingly positive. Awake NY has done it again and August 29th can’t arrive soon enough.

Read More: Ja Morant Just Revealed The First Official Look At The New Nike Ja 4

Awake NY x Air Jordan 6 “Playful Pink”

The Awake NY x Air Jordan 6 “Playful Pink” layers four different shades of pink across the classic silhouette. A light pink nubuck serves as the base at the front, with an even lighter pink for the overlays, a highlighter pink wrapping the heel and collar. Further, a fourth mid-tone pink on the mid foot window features Awake’s “A” logo.

Red accents appear on the lace lock, heel branding, contrast stitching, and speckled midsole sections, while black midsole panels break up the brighter tones throughout. The result is a pink shoe that earns its loudness. Overall the shoe is layered and the design is definitely Awake NY’s design

Read More: Bronny James’ Nike LeBron Witness 9 PE Has Already Hit Outlets

The post Awake NY x Air Jordan 6 “Playful Pink” Just Got A First In-Hand Look appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Drake Dominated 2016 Ten Years Ago & Hasn’t Let Up

What Is AllStar JR’s Charge?

A criminal complaint from April 17 obtained by Complex outlines federal gun charges against the Michigan MC. The official charge is being a person with a felony conviction in possession of a firearm. Investigators accused him of firing the gun at the Houston restaurant Confessions on April 8, and released alleged surveillance footage of the incident.

Authorities claim various individuals jumped AllStar and tried to snatch his jewelry. Per their allegations, a handgun fell to the floor during a fight, which JR allegedly picked up and fired while people ran. He allegedly fired at an injured individual at close range while they laid on the floor, along with allegedly striking them with the weapon and spitting on them.

As for NBA Ben 10, authorities still haven’t confirmed he was one of the individuals AllStar JR shot during this incident. He did suffer a shooting injury that same night at the same location. Also, AllStar JR’s trolls towards NBA Ben 10 on social media are a big part of this alleged context. He released the J Prince Jr. and Mob Ties diss track “Mob United” over Prince’s assessment of the situation online. He claimed he was there at Confessions when this went down, but had nothing to do with it.

Read More: Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” Is 10 Years Old & Still Feels Like A Cultural Reset

When Was AllStar JR Arrested?

On Wednesday evening (April 23), reports emerged that authorities arrested AllStar JR in California. Interestingly, rumors also surfaced about him being on his way to a VladTV interview with DJ Vlad at the time of his arrest.

Vlad later addressed this rumor, claiming they were going to speak remotely in Detroit and that AllStar never showed up. He said he later received information about JR’s arrest, and denied conspiracy theories about him putting the police on his guests.

NBA Ben 10 is recovering from the shooting, although he still hasn’t confirmed if he’s claiming AllStar JR is responsible. He allegedly has (or had, his recovery is unclear) no feeling in his legs following the shooting. Ben 10 also called out fake narratives about the incident.

With all this in mind, we will see what the next step for AllStar JR is in court, and whether or not we get more confirmation on these details. Many updates and claims about the situation on the Internet still need further assessment and verification in court.

Read More: The Top 50 Best Drake Songs Of All-Time

The post AllStar JR Arrested In Connection With NBA Ben 10 Shooting: Everything We Know appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by Hollywood Unlocked on Instagram, the clip is of the singer performing his track “Afterlife.” The emotional moment, per an account from an IG fan page, happened at his album release party on April 28. Rivas’ date of death was reportedly listed as around April 23, 2025. Her body was found in September later that year, and authorities arrested the Queens native earlier this month.

Speaking of musical developments, some of D4vd’s previous collaborators recently reacted to his arrest. Specifically, it was through pulling their collaborations from streaming services. These collaborators include Kali Uchis, Holly Humberstone, Laufey, and others.

Read More: D4vd Charged With First-Degree Murder In Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case: Everything We Know

Who Is Cassidy Clarke?

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This resurfaced concert footage follows scrutiny of D4vd’s old music videos, specifically from a collaborator. Cassidy Clarke, an actress who played his girlfriend in the “Here With Me” visual, recently spoke out on TikTok and disavowed any connection to him.

“I do not associate with D4vd by any means,” she expressed. “I did it for a job, I did it for a check, I didn’t know who D4vd was, I don’t follow him on Instagram anymore. I’m going to remove him as a follower, and I think that he deserves even more than what’s happening to him right now. He’s a monster. And I do not associate with him by any means. I’m not making this video to make this about me. I’m making this video to put an end to my association with D4vd.”

We will see how fans continue to discuss this case on the Internet while it develops in court. The artist pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge against him. On the other hand, prosecutors alleged they found child pornography on his phone and provided their alleged details about the alleged murder. Outside of court, every clip is causing conversation.

Read More: Drake Dominated 2016 Ten Years Ago & Hasn’t Let Up

The post Concert Footage Shows D4vd Allegedly Crying Days After Celeste Rivas’ Death appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by Complex, Funkmaster Flex reportedly took to his Instagram Story to relay that on multiple days this week, he’d be playing new music from Kehlani, Lil Tjay, and more. In addition, he also claimed he’d be playing an unreleased Drizzy song and an unreleased Ye and Ty Dolla $ign collab on Thursday (April 23) or Friday (April 24). But these efforts were to no avail, and Flex hasn’t explained anything on social media yet.

Of course, maybe he will play these tracks today (Saturday, April 25) instead. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Still, the timing of these promises is very curious. Drake is dropping ICEMAN in a few weeks, whereas his former collaborator Kanye West’s new album BULLY just came out. So there’s a lot of demand for new music from these two right now, whether a solo album comeback in the former’s case or a potential deluxe expansion in the latter’s.

Read More: Drake Dominated 2016 Ten Years Ago & Hasn’t Let Up

Drake & Kanye West Collabs

Some fans even hoped Drake and Kanye West have more music together for Funk Flex and others to share. Their previous collaborations include “Forever” with Eminem and Lil Wayne, “Glow,” “Blessings” with Big Sean, and the 6ix God’s vocal credits on “All Of The Lights.”

But given the two’s rocky relationship throughout their entire careers, no one knows if they will reconcile and drop more tracks together. Ye did support the Toronto superstar against Kendrick Lamar last year… after dropping a diss track against him and UMG’s Lucian Grainge during the 2024 battle. Needless to say, things are complicated.

Still, maybe Funk Flex will follow through on his promise a little late and premiere new heat for fans. In any case, listeners can’t wait for more music from these two, and we will definitely get some very soon. Whether it’s them working separately or together is a wholly different story.

Read More: The Top 50 Best Drake Songs Of All-Time

The post Funk Flex Pump Fakes Fans With Unreleased Drake & Kanye West Music appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: April 24, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: N/A

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Release Date: April 24, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: N/A

Quotable Lyrics from Misconceptions

Wonder if you still’d love me if I wasn’t next to blow
Can’t look inside your eyes for a long time at all (Time at all)
‘Cause it make it harder for me to tell you no
Hate fallin’ in love, it make it harder for me to let you go

The post Misconceptions – Song by FattMack appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: April 2024, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: N/A

The post No Trick – Song by Luh Tyler featuring Trim appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The album opened big and stayed there. The songs held their place in a way that didn’t feel normal for a release that size. “One Dance,” “Controlla,” and “Too Good” lingered. You heard them in different places, at various times, and they kept coming back. That stretch didn’t really break.

Read More: Drake Clinches Massive “Views” Milestone And Creates A New Spotify Record

Looking back, the numbers explain part of it with celebratory first-week sales and streaming records. There were also weeks at No. 1, but what stood out in real time was how constant it felt. He wasn’t dropping into the year for a moment because he was already there. Once Views landed, there wasn’t much space left for anything else to take over. It read like control across the charts and radio, shifting the way music was starting to move.

Before Views: Drake Was Already Running The Year

Late January 2016 set the tone for Drake that year. “Work” dropped on January 27, and within weeks, it was everywhere. It spent nine weeks at No. 1 and carried through February into March without giving anything else room to take over. Rihanna had the record, but Drake was tied directly to it, which meant the biggest song in the country already had his voice on it before his own album cycle even started.

Then, three days later, on January 30, he released “Summer Sixteen.” That record didn’t move the same way commercially, but it did something just as important by framing the year. His direct shots and confidence made it clear he wasn’t easing into anything. It wasn’t built for radio but to set a position. That combination mattered.

Read More: What Is Drake’s Best-Selling Album?

At the same time, Drake was already coming off a stretch where his presence didn’t really drop off. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and What a Time to Be Alive were still recent enough that he hadn’t left rotation. So, going into 2016, there was overlap.

Views & The Moment It Took Over

Everything came together with the arrival of Views, and the album didn’t ease in. The streaming numbers were already pushing past what albums had been doing up to that point. That first week wasn’t just big, it reset expectations for what a release could look like in the streaming era.

Still, the bigger move came after that. Twenty songs from the album landed on the Hot 100 at the same time. It meant the album wasn’t being carried by one or two singles. The whole project showed up at once, across the charts, playlists, radio, and social media.

Read More: Drake’s “VIEWS” Debuts At No. 1 With Over 1 Million US Sales

Thirteen weeks at No. 1 means nothing else fully replaced it for months. Other albums came and went, but Views kept its position, which says more about the moment than the first-week numbers do. The sound helped it travel.

Moreover, Drake wasn’t working in one lane here. You had Noah “40” Shebib holding the core of the album together, that slow, atmospheric style that had already defined his sound. Around that, there were others. There was Nineteen85 on records like “One Dance,” Murda Beatz adding a different energy, Kanye sprinkling his writing talents on “U with Me?,” and Southside bringing in a harder edge. It didn’t feel scattered, but it didn’t stay in one place either. The features added to that reach.

Rihanna shows up again on “Too Good,” keeping that connection from “Work” going into the album. Artists like Future and PARTYNEXTDOOR pulled the album into different corners of the sound at the time without tearing it apart. Further, the rollout mattered, too.

Read More: 7 No. 1 Rap Songs From 2016

Views lived on Apple Music early, which kept it slightly gated at a time when access was starting to define how music moved. That exclusivity didn’t limit the reach, but concentrated it. People went to find it, and once they did, the album spread through everything else.

The Songs That Made 2016 Feel Like Drake

It wasn’t one record carrying this year. “One Dance” arrived with Views on April 29, and within weeks, it took over. Ten weeks at No. 1, but more than that, it stayed in rotation in a way that didn’t drop off. Still, the year doesn’t make sense if you leave it there.

“Pop Style” dropped April 5, a few weeks before the album, and set a different tone. Then “Controlla” followed as a single on June 7, and that’s where the sound of Views really settled in. With Dancehall influence and a slower pace, it was something that stayed in rotation even without needing to peak at the top of the charts.

Read More: 11 Albums That Sold Over 1 Million Copies In The First Week

“Too Good” with Rihanna came later, released as a single in July. It didn’t hit as hard as “Work,” but it didn’t need to. It extended that same connection, keeping both of them tied to the same sound that was already shaping the year. Even outside of Views, “Hotline Bling,” which dropped July 31, 2015, was still active in 2016. It carried into the year through awards and radio. It didn’t feel like a leftover but a current hit. That’s what made the year feel the way it did.

You weren’t hearing the same Drake record over and over. You were hearing different versions of him, released at different points across the year, all overlapping and staying in rotation at the same time.

Awards, Records, & Being Everywhere At Once

Moreover, that fall, Drake pulled 13 American Music Award nominations, which broke Michael Jackson’s previous record of 11. It was the kind of stat that made the year look even bigger in hindsight because it confirmed how the music already felt. He was taking up an unusual amount of space across formats.

The Grammys carried that same idea into the next awards cycle. Drake picked up eight nominations for the 2017 ceremony tied to his 2016 work, including nods connected to Views, and walked away with Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance for “Hotline Bling.” That matters because “Hotline Bling” started in 2015, but its reach was still extending into 2016, active enough to pay off at the highest level. Then there’s the year-end sweep.

Read More: Drake Shifted The Sound Of Pop Music On “One Dance”

Billboard’s own year-end framing around Drake’s 2016 makes it clear that he wasn’t dominating one lane. He finished the year all over the rankings, not just as an album artist or a singles artist, but as a constant presence across radio, streaming, rap, and R&B. IFPI naming him the Global Recording Artist of 2016 only widened the picture.

Plenty of artists have had No. 1 records and huge albums. Yet, 2016 felt different because Drake had the hits, the album, the features, the streaming records, and then the awards bodies and global industry rankings came in behind it. His dominance has never been abstract. It kept getting confirmed, and ten years later, people are expecting the same with his Iceman rollout.

The post Drake Dominated 2016 Ten Years Ago & Hasn’t Let Up appeared first on HotNewHipHop.