His latest album, BROWN, has proven to be yet another polarizing chapter in the singer’s career. The 27-track album has some big features, though it’s not what some were hoping for. There is a lot of filler, and for the most part, Brown doesn’t put together his best work. Instead, he offers up an album that feels like it was meant for the radio and streaming algorithms.

Pitchfork seems to agree with that sentiment. On Tuesday morning, the publication came through with its official BROWN review, written by Alphonse Pierre. Pierre is never one to mince words, and with BROWN, that was no exception

In fact, the writer gave the album a 1.3/10, which is the lowest score the publication has given this decade. “It’s soulless, hit-chasing music with nothing going for it if you aren’t personally invested in the Chris Brown culture wars,” Pierre wrote.

Read More: Kodak Black Keeps Circling The Same Cycle Of Controversy

Chris Brown Gets A 1.3 Out of 10

Ultimately, Pitchfork is a publication that is famous for its reviews. They can be harsh at times, and this is a perfect example of that. In the past few years, they have given albums like GNX a 6.6/10, while rating artists like Travis Scott below a 6/10. These reviews have drawn anger from fans online, although this is to be expected.

Another reviewer, Anthony Fantano, suffers the exact same thing in his comments section on YouTube. Fans don’t like seeing their favorite artists get skewered by negativity. As it turns out, those fans need to realize that criticism is a fundamental part of the artistic process.

Read More: French Montana’s Confidence Finally Paid Off During “Verzuz”

The post Chris Brown’s New Album Receives Pitchfork’s Lowest Score Of The 2020s So Far appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The same can be said of his fans. Drake’s supporters will not stand for any side-switching. A perfect example of this is none other than LeBron. While LeBron has attempted to extend olive branches to Drake in the past year or so, the fans simply do not want to hear it. Instead, they actively root against the NBA legend every chance they get.

On Monday night, LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in a clean sweep of the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. This version of the Thunder is one of the best teams in the history of the NBA. Quite frankly, it was almost guaranteed that the Thunder would sweep this series, especially with Luka Doncic injured for Los Angeles.

Read More: French Montana’s Confidence Finally Paid Off During “Verzuz”

Thunder Eliminate The Lakers

This did not stop Drake fans from rushing to X with their reactions concerning the game. There was a whole lot of vengeance being had. Ice emojis were spammed throughout Akademiks TV’s quote tweets. Meanwhile, some were eager to tell LeBron he needs to retire, for good.

Drake Fans React

Below, you can find the comments directed at LeBron. As you can see, many of them were actually pretty cruel. Others were simply sheer pettiness. If there is one thing for sure, it is that the OVO army is still going strong.

All of this is happening just three days before the release of Drake’s ICEMAN album. The project is officially set to drop on May 15, and for now, the details are sparse. While leaks are beginning to surface, there is no denying that there is still a lot that needs to be unveiled.

Read More: Kodak Black Keeps Circling The Same Cycle Of Controversy

The post Drake Fans Celebrate LeBron James’ Latest Playoff Exit appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The release is in-store only at participating Swatch boutiques worldwide. In the US, 21 stores across 20 cities will carry the drop. New York has three locations at SoHo, Times Square, and Roosevelt Field. No online release at launch.

Pricing hasn’t been officially confirmed. Industry estimates put it between $300 and $500, anchored to the MoonSwatch’s $260 launch price. Also eight colorways are expected: white, pink, green, orange, yellow, red, light blue, and navy. The design is inspired by the Royal Oak’s iconic octagonal silhouette.

This one carries more weight than the MoonSwatch did. AP is not part of the Swatch Group but Omega and Blancpain both were. This is the first time Swatch has crossed group lines for a collab of this scale. It’s also the first time the Royal Oak’s design language has ever been licensed to an outside brand in the watch’s 54-year history.

The lines forming overnight are the proof. People who can’t afford a real AP, which starts around $30,000 at entry level, finally get a piece of the icon. DDG may not be happy about it. But the people sleeping outside Swatch stores tonight clearly are.

Read More: James Harden Debuts “Pink Lemonade” Adidas Harden Vol. 10

Audemars Piguet x Swatch

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the most iconic watch designs ever created. It’s been around since 1972 and has shown up on the wrists of rappers, athletes, and billionaires for decades.

A basic entry-level version starts at around $30,000 and that’s before you get into anything special. The Royal Pop brings that same energy into a much more accessible package, built in Bioceramic like the MoonSwatch and expected to retail between $300 and $500.

Eight colorways are coming. It appears to snap on and off a lanyard, giving it a wearable, streetwear-adjacent feel. The MoonSwatch sold over two million units and introduced a whole new generation to luxury watch culture. Overall the Royal Pop looks like it’s about to do the same thing.

Read More: How To Cop The Newest Nike Air Force 1 Low “Knicks” Release

The post Fans Are Already Lining Up For The Audemars Piguet x Swatch Collab appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: May 12, 2026

Genre: Underground Rap

Album: Pretti Loves U 2

Quotable Lyrics from Moon and the Stars

This shit comin’ from the soul, I feel like a god (God)
Been doin’ shit that you ain’t know, but I can’t talk (Can’t talk), and I won’t talk (Won’t talk)
Wearing Dior, Prada, and the Saint Laurent (Saint Laurent)
Shit was gettin’ real, had to put my life on pause (Life on pause)

The post Moon and the Stars – Song by prettifun appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: May 12, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Tracklist for BULLDAWG

1. BULLKILLER
2. BOUNCE WIT ME
3. DOOR SWANGIN
4. WHATUWANNASAY?
5. CITGO
6. JUNKYARD FREESTYLE
7. BREAK TIME ft. SMJ
8. HERE II STAY (Interlude)
9. TEST ME ft. JID
10. BE WHAT I WANT ft. Paris Texas
11. STREET CAR
12. BLACK FIT
13. COME TRUE
14. FIND GOD ft. Dominic Fike
15. 7ELEVEN

The post BULLDAWG – Album by Kenny Mason appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Kodak has faced weapons charges and probation violations. Then, there were the sexual assault allegations, where he later took a plea deal. His comments about dark-skinned Black women sparked accusations of colorism, and his public feuds caused concern. Moreover, the Florida rapper faced criticism over his comments about Lauren London following Nipsey Hussle’s death. His connection to Donald Trump after receiving a presidential commutation in 2021 had Hip Hop up in arms. Over time, the controversies stopped feeling separate from his public image and became part of it.

Read More: Kodak Black Hit With Drug Trafficking Charges In Florida

At the same time, none of it has fully stopped his career. Kodak still has a loyal fan base. His music still moves, and younger artists continue citing him as an influence. Listeners view him as a gifted rapper of his generation, like someone whose raw honesty comes through no matter how chaotic his public life becomes. After years of controversy, it’s become difficult to separate one from the other.

Kodak’s Arrests & Legal Issues

Legal trouble has followed Kodak Black for so long that it’s become difficult to talk about his career without talking about arrests alongside it. Part of that is because the interruptions never really stopped. Just as momentum starts building again, another mugshot or court case pulls the conversation away from the music and back to the same questions about whether Kodak can stay out of trouble long enough for the focus to remain on his career.

The charges themselves have varied across the years, from weapons charges to drug possession to probation violations to other run-ins with law enforcement that repeatedly placed his future in question. One of the biggest came in 2019, when Kodak was arrested on federal weapons charges related to falsified information on firearm paperwork. At the time, he was already one of the most commercially visible rappers out of Florida, which made the case feel even bigger. Then came prison.

Read More: Kodak Black Has Fans Very Worried After Concerning Livestream

Kodak spent much of 2020 incarcerated before receiving a sentence commutation from Donald Trump in January 2021 during Trump’s final hours in office. The release immediately became national news, not just because of Kodak himself, but because it tied him to a larger political conversation that followed him afterward.

Kodak publicly thanked Trump afterward and leaned into the connection in a way that kept the dialogue going long after the commutation itself. At a time when Trump remained deeply polarizing, especially among Black voters, Kodak’s praise for him sparked criticism from people who saw the moment as bigger than personal survival.

Sexual Assault Case & The Debate Around Accountability

Further, one of the most serious controversies attached to Kodak Black’s name remains the sexual assault case connected to a 2016 incident in South Carolina. According to investigators, a teenage girl accused Kodak of assaulting her in a hotel room after a concert performance. The allegations followed him for years as the case moved slowly through the legal system, becoming one of the biggest reasons many critics refused to separate the music from the person behind it.

In 2021, Kodak accepted a plea deal in connection with the case. He pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge and avoided trial, later receiving probation as part of the agreement. Even after the legal process ended, public discussion of the case never really settled. It permanently changed how fans viewed him, regardless of what happened musically afterward.

Read More: Kodak Black Says He Isn’t Mad About Slavery

Colorism Comments & Backlash From Black Women

Previously, long before his latest arrest, Kodak Black had already alienated many listeners through comments about dark-skinned Black women that sparked accusations of colorism online. One of the biggest moments came during a 2017 Instagram Live, when Kodak openly said he preferred lighter-skinned women and described dark-skinned women as “too gutter” for him. In the same conversation, he suggested lighter-skinned women were easier to deal with and more aligned with what he found attractive.

Colorism has shaped social and cultural hierarchies within Black communities for generations, particularly around beauty and dating. Kodak’s comments landed directly inside that history, which is why people responded so strongly to them.

Public Feuds, Viral Moments, & A Chaotic Image

At a certain point, the controversies surrounding Kodak Black stopped feeling isolated and began to blend into a larger public image built around unpredictability. One of the biggest came in 2019 after the death of Nipsey Hussle, when Kodak made comments about wanting to pursue Lauren London while she was publicly grieving.

Feuds with other rappers, tense or alleged intoxicated livestreams, erratic interviews, and social media behavior left fans debating whether they’re watching authenticity or self-destruction. Kodak often comes across like someone operating without much of a filter between thought and action, which is part of why people react to him so strongly in either direction.

Read More: Boosie Badazz & Kodak Black Exchange More Insults As Feud Escalates

Even concern around his well-being has become part of the conversation. Fans have repeatedly speculated about substance use and mental health struggles after public appearances and viral clips where Kodak appeared disoriented or emotionally detached. Those moments tend to spread quickly online, often blurring the line between public concern and internet spectacle.

A new arrest doesn’t just lead to conversations about the arrest itself. It pulls everything back up at once with the legal issues, comments about Black women, the Trump pardon, the sexual assault case, the feuds, the viral moments, and the visible instability that has followed him throughout much of his career. The public no longer reacts to Kodak in isolated moments. People react to the accumulation.

Read More: Kodak Black Leaves Fans Concerned After Drinking Lean While Driving On IG Live

Kodak remains commercially relevant, culturally influential, and deeply polarizing all at once. The controversy surrounding Kodak Black became part of the story of the work itself, something audiences continue to debate every time his name returns to the headlines.

The post Kodak Black Keeps Circling The Same Cycle Of Controversy appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: May 8, 2026

Genre: R&B

Album: N/A

Quotable Lyrics from Charge It To The Game

Can’t think about the thought of losing you
If it cross my mind, I won’t know what to do
I fell in love too quick and it’s the truth
I’ll charge it to the game

The post Charge It To The Game – Song by Karri appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: May 8, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Album: Reaper’s Son

Quotable Lyrics from Nightgown

Yes, I’m the man in the background
Yes, with all black with a hat now
If I say I gotta strap, would you back down?
I suggest that you back, biggity back down

The post Nightgown – Song by Ronshach appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“Dreams and nightmares one of the best rap songs to ever come out!” Meek Mill fired off on X. “From my years on this earth I never seen nothing with the same impact! Thank God for that lifetime energy shifter!” Although fans were quick to point out that “Dreams and Nightmares” has gone down in history as a Meek classic, some called him out for saying he’s never seen another track with a similar reach.

Read More: Meek Mill Goes Off About Today’s Overproduced “Bubblegum Rap”

Meanwhile, the Dreams and Nightmares album was a massive success for Meek upon its arrival. It was released through Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It reportedly racked up approximately 165,000 unit sales in its first week and helped put Meek on the map as a formidable contender on the Rap charts. Moreover, features included looks from heavy-hitters like Drake, Rock Ross, Nas, Mary J. Blige, Wale, and more.

Fans were quick to share their takes on Meek’s assertion, with some agreeing while others gave a bit of pushback. Check it out below, along with a clip of Meek closing out Kevin Hart’s Netflix roast.

The post Meek Mill Says “Dreams & Nightmares” Is One Of The Best Songs Ever appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Music fans can’t help but mention the opening of the show, which featured none other than Usher Raymond, himself. The legendary R&B crooner has been busy preparing for his upcoming R&B Tour with Chris Brown, but that didn’t stop him from making a unique appearance on Hart’s special. Usher took to the mic to deliver a…funny?…rendition of his classic hit “Burn,” albeit with jabs toward Hart.

Read More: X Users React To The Chaos Of “The Roast Of Kevin Hart”: “That Roast Was Toxic As Sh*t”

“Tell me why I should stay in this fake friendship / ‘Cause we ain’t laughin’, Kevin / It keeps happenin’, Kevin,” Raymond sang as Hart playfully interrupted him, yelling, “What the f*ck are you doing?!” Usher continued to belt out, “Plus, you’re probably somewhere filming some bullsh*t / I think that you should/ Watching Kevin ain’t the same for nobody / When they go to commercial / Had to do a roast, ’cause them jokes ain’t/ Crackin’ like they used to / Look at what money does to you.”

Fans online didn’t hesitate to react with a bit of criticism, with some confused about Usher’s addition. That was only baffling to those unaware of the singer and comedian’s friendly music beef. Others were critical of the singer’s delivery, which some didn’t find as funny as it was probably intended to be. Still, it was the least controversial moment in the entire roast, so regardless, it seemed as if both Usher and Hart had fun with the brief back and forth. Check out the clip above and some reactions below.

The post Usher Remixes “Burn” For Kevin Hart’s Netflix Comedy Roast appeared first on HotNewHipHop.