Peep The Tracklist and Artwork for Jay Rock's Upcoming Album '90059'

Late last night, TDE head honcho Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith released the iTunes preorder for Jay Rock's much anticipated follow-up to 2011's Follow Me Home, entitled 90059, after Rock's area code. The artwork for the 11-track album is above, and the tracklist is below.

1. Necessary

2.Easy Bake (ft. Kendrick Lamar and SZA)

3.Gumbo

4.Wanna Ride (ft. Isaiah Rashad)

5.The Ways (ft. Sir)

6.Telegram (Going Crazy) (ft. Lance Skiiiwalker)

7. 90059

8.Vice City (ft. Black Hippy)

9.Fly on the Wall (ft. Busta Rhymes)

10.Money Trees Deuce (ft. Lance Skiiiwalker)

11.The Message

Currently, the release date is set at May 20, 2016, but this isn't exactly correct. On Tiffth's Instagram, the CEO of TDE said that when the preorders hit certain goals, the release date will automatically move up. No word yet what said goals are, but at least one has already been met, as the initial release date was August 18, 2016. Make sure you preorder the album, so everyone can get more Jay Rock music soon. 

A$AP Rocky releases 'A.L.L.A.' Cover Art

Earlier this morning, A$AP Rocky released the cover art for his sophomore album A.L.LA. (At.Long.Last.A$AP). The cover is of Rocky grasping a mix of his and deceased A$AP Mob member A$AP Yams. The album will be released on June 2, not the May 12 release date initially announced. While there hasn't been any tracklist released yet, DangerMouse and Juicy J are rumored to be executive producing the album, and features from Bun B, Lykke Li, FKA Twigs, and Mos Def apparently will be on the album. So far, "Multiply", "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye II", "M's", and most recently "Everyday" featuring Miguel with a sample of Rod Stewart produced by Mark Ronson, are the only released tracks from the album. But if the rest of the album is like the singles already released, it may be one of the best albums of the year.

I'll Be Recording the Chance the Rapper Concert This Thursday for OnlyHipHopFacts

This Thursday, April 16th, Chance the Rapper will be performing at the Louisville Palace with Louisville-native Jalin Roze as the opener. Tickets are still available here, but if you won't be able to make it, don't worry, I've got your back.

Today, I contacted OnlyHipHopFacts, an original, awesome hip-hop news/information outlet, about recording the Chance concert for them. OHHF has been steadily increasing it's fan-base and it's outlets, as it has grown from a Twitter account to an Instagram account, website, and Snapchat, all with their own unique twist. They have opened up their Snapchat to fans, and allow fans to record concerts in their hometown to be broadcast on OHHF's Snapchat Story. I've been lucky enough to record the Chance the Rapper concert this Thursday, and broadcast it on their Snapchat story. The deal is still in the works, and if for some reason I can't use their Snapchat, then I'll broadcast the show on my own Snapchat. Add onlyhiphopfacts before 8:00 PM EST to see the show!

Big News From Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean

What ever happened to Odd Future? The hip-hop super-group that busted into the scene in the early  2010's with violent lyrics, interesting production techniques, and probably the most character out of any hip-hop group ever. While much of their popularity stemmed from their bold and unique styles, Odd Future boasted some legitimate talent, such as Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator, Domo Genesis, and The Internet. Their heyday was in 2013, when Tyler released his best album to date, Earl dropped his debut album to critical acclaim, and just a few months prior, Frank released probably the best R&B album in years. All of a sudden, they fell off, with very little new music to be released, and reports of falling outs between members. But, as of just a few days ago, a few OF members released some huge news.

Out of all the members, Frank Ocean has certainly been the quietest. His only form of social media is his tumblr, and despite a very small handful of guest verses, he hasn't released any new music since his debut album Channel Orange. To the delight of his fans, Ocean posted on his tumblr the image above, and announced that his next album would be dropping in July, which would be called Boys Don't Cry. No other information has been released yet, but if Boys Don't Cry, but there is no doubt that the follow-up to Channel Orange will be amazing.

Tyler, the Creator has been a bit more open about his artistry. A few months ago he sat down with the Fader for a very in-depth interview outlining his soon to be released album and his relationship with Odd Future. Yesterday, Tyler announced two huge pieces of information. One, he has created an app called Golf Media, which will feature original content and music from him, along with a magazine. But more importantly, he announced that his next album, Cherry Bomb will be available on April 13. The album can be preordered, and two singles, "DEATHCAMP" and "F-CKING YOUNG/PERFECT"  along with a music video for the tracks. This will come right off the heels of Earl Sweatshirt's dark and reclusive sophomore album I Don't Like Sh-t, I Don't Go Outside (sorry for the lack of coverage), but judging from the first two tracks, Cherry Bomb will be much more upbeat.

Kendrick Lamar's Next Album Will Be Released on March 23 (Updated)

Last year, every single member of the TDE roster was supposed to drop a project. Undoubtedly, the most anticipated was Kendrick Lamar's. But unfortunately, we still haven't heard the album, or heard any real details about the album, until now. Just a few minutes ago, Kendrick Lamar tweeted an iTunes link. It was a pre-order link to his new album, which will be released on March 23, the same day as Action Bronson's Mr. Wonderful. There is very little information, with the current album title being Untitled, and black screen for the artwork, and no tracklist. But, there will be 17 songs, and the album will cost $14.99. I'll update on here if there is any more information released. Until then, enjoy the first two singles, "i" and "The Blacker the Berry" until the album drops on March 23.

UPDATE: 3/11/15

The official title and album cover have been released. Kendrick Lamar's next album will be entitled To Pimp A Butterfly, and the album cover is below. There has been no official news about the music itself, but Lamar will be the cover story of Rolling Stone, and an excerpt from the interview revealed that "i" will be on the album, and will serve as a juxtaposition for a track entitled "u", which has the exact opposite theme of "i", as Kendrick will portray a self-loathing character. I'll continue to update here for more info when it comes out.

 

UPDATE: 3/12/15

The supposed tracklist for To Pimp A Butterfly has been leaked. DJ Booth apparently got the tracklist from Universal Music Group and shared it today. There appears to be no features, but that could just mean that this they haven't been released yet, or are just unaccredited, like what Kanye did on Yeezus. But take this with a grain of salt. While most major music publications such as Complex has shared the tracklist, nearly every anticipated album has leaked tracklists, and 95% of the time, they are fake. This seems real, as it has the tracks "i", "u", and "King Kunta" all on it, but the placement of some tracks seems odd to me. The biggest issue is that the song "i" is originally 3:52 minutes long. The iTunes tracklist, which doesn't have any titles, has the third track at 3:54 minutes long, which is extremely close. But the leaked tracklist says that "King Kunta" is the third track, and that "i" is the fifteenth track, and is 5:36 minutes long. This could mean that the album version of "i" is longer, or that the tracklist is just wrong. But peep the list below, and we shall see on March 23 if it is real or not.

1. Wesley's Theory

2. For Free? (Interlude)

3. King Kunta

4. Institutionalized 

5. These Walls

6. U

7. Alright

8. For Sale? (Interlude)

9. Momma

10. Hood Politics

11. How Much A Dollar Cost

12. Complexion

13. The Blacker The Berry

14.You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)

15. i

16. Mortal Man

Watch Kanye West Preform "All Day" For the First Time Ever

Earlier today the 2015 Brit Awards, which are the British equivalent of the Grammys aired. There were many interesting nominees and winners, but the biggest aspect was the surprise performance by Kanye West. For the first time ever, the world heard the official version of "All Day". On a blank stage surrounded by a giant mob of hooded men with flamethrowers, Ye put on a fantastic performance, somehow balancing minimalism with raw decadence, as only Yeezy could. The song was blaring and brutal, a god-damned banger in Yeezy style. He raps with energy and stunts all over the song. The hook was done by up-and-comer Allan Kingdom, whose verse is frankly pretty weak compared to Yeezy and his energy. This single looks like it could be the best song of the year, and it seems that Kanye will completely own 2015. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Breakfast Club  for an extremely friendly and open interview. He said the album is 80% finished, has ''cookout music that just feels good", and will be a surprise release. In the meantime, look at the fantastic performance here.

Kanye West Reveals New Song at His Fashion Show

The yeezy.supply link was a countdown to Kanye West's fashion show unveiling during New York Fashion Week. While Yeezy showed off a variety of new clothes, the star of the show was the new adidas Yeezy 750 Boosts (pictured above). They can be preordered on the adidas app, and will reportedly cost $350. And while a new fashion line from Kanye is cool enough, we additionally got to here the very first track of his new album. Entitled "Wolves", the opener features Sia and Vic Mensa. I'm ecstatic that Mensa is on a track with Yeezy, since he is one of my favorite current artists and will go far with this Kanye West co-sign. The audio is a recording of what was going on at the show, so it isn't the best quality, but you can still hear the new track. There is no rapping in the song, and sounds like there is a lot of auto-tuned vocals. It somewhat sounds like a cross between Yeezus and 808's & Heartbreak. It's a slow, bass-heavy industrial pop song. Kanye, Vic and Sia warn others to not love them, saying that they are "bad for you". Hopefully, we'll get the official version soon, but for now enjoy the recording and preorder the Yeezy 750 Boosts.

What is Kanye West Up To?

Undoubtedly, Kanye West's new album is the most anticipated album of the year. We've been teased with tidbits of news from the album, and two new songs. And yesterday, a low quality version of the possible first single off of the album, called "All Day" leaked. An even lesser quality version was leaked last year, but it was very short. This version is longer, and has an ending verse from Travi$ Scott on it. The song is hellish and booming, with loud bass and what sounds somewhat like a looped chainsaw in the background. Kanye flexes and swags out all over this song. It's like a darker updated version of "N*ggas in Paris". Hopefully a better quality version will be released soon.

And it may be released within a week. Just a few moments ago, Kanye tweeted (which is very rare) a link to yeezy.supply. The link was to a countdown, currently at 6 days and 19 hours away until...something. In the background is a short clip of what looks like a conveyor belt, with people talking nearby. There is little to be taken from it, since the video shows very little, and there are loud pauses throughout. This tactic looks a lot like what A$AP Rocky did for "Multiply". If I were to guess, I'd say the official version of  "All Day" will be released, since it was just leaked, or maybe a new clothing line/sneaker line, judging by the conveyor belt. Check back in a week from now to find out.

Rome Fortune Releases New Song, Also Heads to Jail

If you haven't heard of Rome Fortune yet, now is the perfect time to catch up. He's an eccentric Atlanta rapper with a blue beard, and a knack for being able to flow over basically any production. If Fortune's on a track, you know it's gonna be a banger. He released an awesome, varied mixtape last year entitled Small VVorld, and earlier this year dropped a collaborative EP with OG Maco,who he works frequently with, called YEP. Out of the unique, newcomers from Atlanta like ILoveMakkonnen, Father, and OG Maco, Fortune is probably the strongest rapper.

Most of Fortune's songs are pretty hype, but today he dropped a more personal song called "Pure". But sadly, Fortune also announced that he was heading for jail. He turned himself in due to his "stupid ass past" catching up to him, according to his Twitter. Luckily, he said that he'd only be in jail for about a month, so in that time make sure you get up-to-date with this up-and-coming rapper.

Albums To Be Released This Year

Last year was definitely not the best for major label releases. No hip hop album went platinum, and no album sold over 200k before December. And many promised albums were left open. But, 2015 looks as if it will be huge for hip hop releases.

First, what we know will be dropping. Joey Bada$$'s debut album B4.DA.$$ will be released on January 20th, as well as Lupe Fiasco's Tetso and Youth. Action Bronson's debut album Mr. Wonderful will be dropping on March 24. So far, those are the only officially announced to be dropped, but their are plenty other albums that will soon be announced.

Chance the Rapper and the Social Experiment's free album Surf was announced late last year, and was supposed to be released before the end of the year, so it'll probably be dropping soon. Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock were also supposed to be releasing albums by the end of 2014, but never did, so they both will probably be releasing their respective albums in the first quarter of this year. Lil Wayne said that Tha Carter V will also be released in the first quarter, but amid major label disputes this may not be happening. Drake, Migos, Nas, Meek Mill, Raury, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Gang, Macklemore, Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples, Domo Genesis, Danny Brown, Pusha T, Miguel, James Blake, Big Sean, Travi$ Scott, A$AP Rocky, Ferg, and Nast, and Run The Jewels have all either announced that they will be releasing albums this year, or are working on another album.

There are a few other big names who haven't officially announced yet, but there is a very good chance they'll drop. Both Kanye West and Frank Ocean haven't said anything about new albums, but have dropped a new song each, and many others have rumored that they are done, or almost finished with their albums. Another Watch The Throne album is also heavily rumored to be released soon. And Jay Electronica's Act II: Patients of Nobility has been delayed and delayed for years, but it is possible that 2015 will be the year of Jay Elect.

Cash Money Records is in Trouble

Cash Money Records is one of the most well known record labels in hip-hop today. Led by CEO's Birdman and Slim, Cash Money has an extensive roster that includes big names such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga. While Cash Money Records have produced a stream of popular music in the last few years, they have been having a multitude of problems recently. With the parting of many artists to lead artist Lil Wayne stating that Cash Money was holding his latest album hostage, Cash Money Records is in hot water.

Troubles began in late October when Tyga starting tweeting about his discrepancies with his label, stating that they had been delaying the release of his sophomore album. He then sat down with Vibe and told them that he didn't get along with Drake or Nicki Minaj, even calling Drake "fake". The Toronto rapper then threw some petty shade at Tyga by liking Tyga's ex-girlfriend's pictures on Instagram, which is probably the stupidest way in the world to throw shade. Tyga fought back by hiring Drake's ex-girlfriend to star in a music video with Tyga, which is also pretty petty. It appears the Tyga was finally let off of his label, as he tweeted that his next album would be released independently. This is the third artist to leave Cash Money Records in the last few months, as rapper Busta Rhymes and singer Jay Sean have both left. But unlike Tyga, Rhymes and Sean both said that they left the label on good terms. Lesser known rapper Lil Twist also expressed his disdain with Cash Money's management team, but Twist appears to still be on the label.

But yesterday, Lil Wayne revealed he's also at ends with the label. He took to Twitter to say that he wants off of Cash Money and that his soon-to-be-released album Tha Carter V has been held back by the label and won't be released. This came as a complete shock, as Wayne was one of the original members of Cash Money, and they seemed to be on great terms. Tha Carter V was supposed to be released on October 28th, but was pushed back to this Tuesday.

Truly, I have no problem at all if Cash Money crashes and burns. Almost all of the music Cash Money has produced in recent years has been tacky and unoriginal. Lil Wayne hasn't put out a solid project since Tha Carter III. Nicki Minaj's last albums have sounded more like pop albums than rap albums, and her singles "Super Bass" and "Starships" are a disgrace to hip-hop music. Her soon-to-be-released album The Pinkprint sounds as if she's getting back to her hip-hop roots, which is a definite plus, but leaving Cash Money as well might help her further distance her more recent work from her previous projects. And Drake has focused much more time on his personal OVO label than on Cash Money. I have to agree with Tyga, because I think Drake is pretty fake. Being on Degrassi before becoming a rapper definitely doesn't mean you're "Starting From the Bottom" and at the rate of artists he's cosigning, "No New Friends" is just a blatant lie. Cash Money has done a terrible job promoting their lesser known artists. But with a roster that includes Limp Bizkit, Paris Hilton, and Austin Mahone, the world would be better off if Cash Money Records closed.

J. Cole's New Album "2014 Forest Hills Drive" Will Be Released December 9th

J. Cole has been relatively quiet for the last year. Besides a few featured verses here and there, and two tours, Cole has been mostly quiet. Earlier this year, his label Dreamville Records dropped a mixtape and his signees Bas and Cozz released their debut albums, but there has been little word about Cole's follow up to 2013's Born Sinner. But, a few days ago, Cole took to Twitter to announce that he will be releasing a new album by the end of the year, called 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

The announcement was accompanied by a YouTube video showing Cole chilling back in his hometown. The video explained that Cole was going back to his roots and moving away from Hollywood influences. 2014 Forest Hills Drive is actually the address of Cole's childhood home, which he purchased earlier this year. To promote the album, Cole is having a listening party at the house, and you can enter the drawing to be at the session here. Cole said that he will have no singles for the album, which will probably mean less sales. But Cole is following up on first week sales competition anyways. Last year, Cole dropped Born Sinner on June 18th, the same day Kanye West and Mac Miller dropped albums. And this year, 2014 Forest Hills Drive will be released on December 9th, the same day that Lil Wayne, Royce Da 5'9 & DJ Premier, E-40, YG, and Ghostface Killah will be release albums. You can pre-order 2014 Forest Hills Drive here. 

The Social Experiment Will Be Releasing New Albums Soon

Remember that time I said Chance the Rapper will be releasing a new project soon? I was right! Around a week ago (no Bobby Schmurda jokes), Chance the Rapper had a very revealing interview with Billboard. In the exclusive interview, he talked about his new song "No Better Blues", working with J. Cole and Frank Ocean, and his new project(s). He revealed that he has been working with his band the Social Experiment extensively, and will be releasing a variety of free albums with the band. Chance stated that the first album will be released before the year's end, and it will mainly feature work by bandmate Nico Segal. But Chance said that each bandmate would have the spotlight on one of the albums, so we might be getting a pure Chance album featuring his bandmates pretty soon. Along with the new projects, Chance said in the interview that the Social Experiment is working on a Lion King-esque live concert series. All of the announcements are good news to Chance fans, and also show a completely new and strange artistic direction, Keep a look out for more news on the projects (but only look on this blog because this blog rocks).

Chief Keef is Unsurprisingly Dropped From Interscope

Oh Chief Keef. The epitome of what people who don't listen to rap music think rap music is has done it again. After countless scandals, run-ins with the law, and sub-par music releases, Keef has been dropped by Interscope. According to HotNewHipHop, Keef was dropped due to differences in musical direction and over the release of Back from the Dead 2. It's surprising he's been on the label for over two years, considering his piss-poor mixtapes Bang 2 and Almighty So, and his various legal issues, from his first arrest for heroin production to not appearing at a benefit concert. Keef is still signed to 1017 Brick Squad Records and Glory Boyz Entertainment, which Keef started himself.

Keef seems to be following in the footsteps of other trap artists, but with less success. Epitomized by Gucci Mane (who Keef reportedly has a mixtape with, entitled BigGucciSosa), many new artists refuse to release proper solo albums, and instead release a multitude of collaborative, or Internet-only projects. While some artists like Migos have projects that are can be purchased online, most can also be downloaded for free. Young Thug, Migos, Gucci Mane, Chief Keef, Trinidad Jame$, and countless others are straying away from the standard "drop a few mixtapes, maybe an EP, get signed then a debut album" way of releasing music, and instead are dropping projects that meet somewhere between an album and a mixtape in quick succession. In the fight for quality over quantity, quantity seems to be winning for many artists. This is a shame, since many new artists are taking this route and never really get out from the underground, nor make huge sums of money.

In other label news, Mac Miller just signed to Warner Bros Records following his leaving of Rostrum Records. Warner Bros signed Miller, along with Miller's own label REMember Music for a whopping $10 million. Miller will still run REMember Music, signing and creating music with artists in the label, but all music released will be released through Warner Bros/REMember.

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A$AP Rocky Is Doing Something Soon, And It's Not LORD$

Earlier this year, A$AP Mob announced that they would be releasing a compilation album, entitled LORD$ Following the success of A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg's debut albums, it makes sense for the entire group to drop a new album. LORD$ is a follow-up to the Mob's mixtape Lord$ Never Worry, and the single "Hella Hoes". But unfortunately, the album isn't happening. A$AP Mob member A$AP Yams announced on his personal Tumblr that the compilation album was scrapped. But worry not, we'll still be getting plenty of music from the Harlem natives. Yams also announced that member A$AP Nast will be releasing a project this October. Nast is a relatively quiet member of the group, but with a distinct East Coast sound and heavy influences from Nas. It will be interesting to hear the "Trillmatic" spitter on his own project. Additionally, Yams said that A$AP Rocky will be releasing his sophomore album, along with a link to flockojodyseason.com. The link leads to a black screen with a countdown currently 3 days away from something. This could be a new Rocky single, announcement, or possibly an entire album. But for now, it's a mystery. Check back here after 3 days to find out what the countdown is all about (or look on your own, but I'd prefer to get the page views. Tell all your friends about this awesome blog).

Everything You Need to Know About Logic's New Album

Logic has been on the rise, and is about to blow. The Maryland-native has released four mixtapes since 2010, through the independent label Visionary Music Group. Last year, he was named a XXL Freshman, and signed to Def Jam Records in April. The rapper is one of the most gifted rappers of our time, and in my opinion, is lyrically on par with, or better than Kendrick Lamar. And he is about to make is official debut. For months, Logic has been teasing his fans with singles, tours, and stating that he had finished his album, but was sitting on it for awhile. He let the hype build for a while, and has now released a lot of information on the album. Set for release on October 21, Logic's new album is titled Under Pressure.  The album supposedly has no features, and the production is handled mostly by Logic himself, and Visionary Music Group's in-house producer 6ix, along with Dj Dahi, Tae Beast, and Cocaine 80's. About a week ago,  Logic sat down with  Complex to talk more in depth about Under Pressure. The album is much darker than his previous mixtapes, and he personally helped engineer the album. Logic raps from a variety of perspectives, and apparently Andre 3000 himself cleared an OutKast sample used on the album. Yesterday, Logic revealed the standard tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. Soul Food
3. I'm Gone
4. Gang Related
5. Buried Alive
6. Bounce
7. Growing Pains III
8. Never Enough
9. Metropolis
10. Nikki
11. Under Pressure
12. Til the End

Preorder Under Pressure is available on September 30, but until the album drops, enjoy the lead single "Under Pressure" now (the full song on the album is apparently six minutes longer).

Ab-Soul Explains Why "These Days" Was Pretty Bad

A few days ago, Ab-Soul sat down with journalist Elliot Wilson in part of the CRWN series to talk about his new album, along with other things. During the interview, he explains the similarities between his most recent album, These Days, to his previous album Control System. Control System was one of the best albums TDE has ever released, and focused on the vices of the music industry, the government, and society in general. These Days, on the other hand, was a hodgepodge of half- assed lyricism, sporadic messages, questionable production, and boasts of wealth and bitches. The transition from one album to the next is unsettling for many Soulo fans, but worry not; Ab-Soul somewhat explains why his newest album. During the interview, Ab-Soul stated, “I think These Days... represents me following the control system. It’s an example of how the control system works. So you’re either gonna understand that or you might get upset with me because I souled out.” It appears that the Black Lip Pastor sacrificed the quality of These Days to show the effect of the "control system" on him. This makes sense, since Soulo has been delivering outstanding featured verses for the past year, including probably the best featured verse so far this year.
 Hopefully, Ab-Soul's next album will be on par, or better than Control System.