The Listening: New Music From LL COOL J, Laila!, G Herbo and More - Okayplayer
For The Listening, OKP takes a look at new albums and songs dropping this week. Tap in for new releases from LL COOL J, Laila! and more.| Okayplayer
For The Listening, OKP takes a look at new albums and songs dropping this week. Tap in for new releases from LL COOL J, Laila! and more.| Okayplayer
Despite the hazardous smog from the Canada wildfires that threatened to kill the fun, by Friday, Gov Ball had the clearance and air quality to move forward with some of the biggest acts across various genres in music.| Okayplayer
Coming from an artist whose songs have often sounded like soundtracks for a dungeon, Earl Sweatshirt’s new album Live Laugh Love, feels like an exercise in irony, but it’s actually a genuine shift in world view. After becoming a father, the former Odd Future member earned a proverbial new lease on life. “I think [Live Laugh Love] captured both parts of myself: being 16 and then also having a family,” Earl told The New York Times’ Popcast in a rollout interview for the album. “The ...| Okayplayer
Everyone loves a good crossover, and more times than not, that comes in the form of two TV series blending their casts for an epic one-time episode. Think Family Guy and The Simpsons in 2014,Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder in 2018, and Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia earlier in 2025. Crossovers are also cool when it’s a musician stepping onto the big or small screen. There are numerous examples of this, few are unforgettable, others are good, most decent, and...| Okayplayer
Before Jamila Sams built her award-winning education platform, We Do It 4 the Culture, she was behind the lens capturing hip-hop’s early digital rise. In the late ’90s, she freelanced as a photographer for Okayplayer during its message board heyday, even getting shoutouts from Questlove. “I used to intern with Annie Leibovitz in New York City, and I remember helping to edit some of the photographs from when she shot The Roots for Vanity Fair,” Sams said. “Even though Amir and Tariq ...| Okayplayer
Will Smith is being accused of posting an artificial intelligence-generated (AI) video of one of his tour stops. The superstar rapper and actor is currently on the U.K. leg of his Based on a True Story Tour and shared concert footage on Instagram. However, some viewers are now questioning whether parts of the clip appear to be AI-generated. "My favorite part of the tour is seeing you all up close,” Smith captioned the video. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmit...| Okayplayer
Filmmaker Ryan Coogler is set to be honored in Los Angeles. According to Variety, the Sinners director is being recognized at the 14th Annual LACMA Art+Film Gala. The fundraiser takes place November 1 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and will be chaired by museum trustee Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio. Gucci is the presenting sponsor. Coogler and artist Mary Corse are the honorees this year. “Mary Corse has continually expanded the possibilities of painting in her exquisite works, wh...| Okayplayer
I arrived at the Carenage — Grenada’s historic waterfront in the capital city — around 4:30 a.m. on J’ouvert morning, ready to “play Jab.” The streets were still cloaked in darkness, but the energy was already building. People appeared one by one or in groups, their bodies blackened from head to toe, merging into a tide of beautiful Blackness. Some carried chains, others horns, and others buckets of oil. The air smelled like charcoal mixed with old oil. Then came the sound that si...| Okayplayer
Editor's Note: This story was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. On December 4, 2018, Cardi B announced that her and husband of one year, Offset, were splitting up. She made the announcement in a video that she posted on her Instagram. In the video Cardi said, "I'm gonna always have a lot of love for him because he is my daughter's father... Things just haven't been working out between us for a long time, she says, and it's nobody's fault, it's j...| Okayplayer
The man accused of orchestrating the murder of Young Dolph has been acquitted. On Thursday, Hernandez Govan was found not guilty of both first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Dolph was murdered at a Memphis bakery in November 2021. Prosecutors alleged that Govan masterminded the killing and hired the two people who ambushed the rapper. FOX 10 reports that the 12-person jury — which was composed of five men and seven women — deliberated for about an hour on Wednesday night, ...| Okayplayer
Drake says he’s purchased one of hip-hop’s most iconic pieces of jewelry — and fans have strong opinions about the news. The rap superstar has reportedly added to his hip-hop memorabilia collection with a chain linked to none other than the late Tupac Shakur. Posting on Instagram, Drizzy revealed that he purchased a diamond-encrusted Death Row Records pendant that had once been owned by Shakur. Drake also tagged collector Alexander Bitar in his post; and Bitar confirmed the deal. The pe...| Okayplayer
Tyler, the Creator is getting fans ready for another Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, and he picked a unique way to announce the stacked lineup. He got fans thinking with a word search puzzle on the festival website. This year’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival takes place Nov. 15 and Nov 16, on the grounds of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Fans were able to identify artists’ names in the puzzle; including Tyler, A$AP Rocky, The Alchemist, Childish Gambino, Larry June, 2 Chainz, Samara Cyn, Tems, Sombr, F...| Okayplayer
additional reporting from Michael Mais, Jr. I Love Nali is not simply the debut project from the Brooklyn-reared songstress; it serves as a playbook of sonic symphonies regarding love, life and reflection. Upon listening to the project’s opener, “callmeatthewrongtime,” it’s readily apparent that her project isn’t shaped around a singular musical genre or mood. Instead, it drifts, lingers, loops, and returns like memory, and is an album that lives and thrives in the moments that many...| Okayplayer
Questlove is offering a few details about the upcoming album from The Roots, which will be the legendary Philly crew’s first album in over a decade. During an appearance on Score: The Podcast, Questo was asked if there were any “unexpected” collaborations on the album, which is titled End Game. “I think we’ve worked with everyone,” he began, “The Benny The Butcher song from Griselda is still on there. Syd from The Internet—her song is still on there. Everybody and their mom ha...| Okayplayer
If Cardi B had any doubts about remaking Jay-Z’s 1997 classic “Imaginary Players,” they were probably put to rest by a stroke of serendipity. The 32-year-old rapper recently told Instagram viewers that on the day she got Hov’s blessing to sample his Vol. 1 fan favorite, he texted her manager at exactly 4:44 p.m. — the same time his 2017 solo album is famously named for. Cardi released her 2025 update, “Imaginary Playerz,” last Friday, and it quickly sparked conversation. Some ap...| Okayplayer
West Coast-born, Brooklyn-based music executive, award-winning filmmaker (High Touch, Chelsea Film Festival), and proud cancer survivor, Karlie Hustle, knows a thing or two about chill. The mother of one lovingly basks in the beauty and grit of the city with a reverence for the sweetness found just beneath the surface. Okayplayer: When you want to be “outside” without really being outside, where do you go in NYC? Karlie Hustle:SummerStage events and Smorgasburg are on the menu. I love nei...| Okayplayer
Busta Rhymes is adding another accolade to his already legendary career. The hip-hop icon has been named the recipient of the inaugural MTV VMA Rock The Bells Visionary Award, to be presented at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. It’s a trophy that’s well-deserved, as Busta has been one of rap’s most inventive all-around visual and audio stylists for the entirety of his career. Also set to be honored at this year’s VMAs is Mariah Carey, who will take home the Video Vanguard award recogn...| Okayplayer
It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s been over five years since Run The Jewels delivered their fourth album, appropriately and unsurprisingly titled RTJ4 (Run The Jewels 4). Once upon a time, Run The Jewels albums dropped more or less yearly, with the duo’s first three albums arriving within 3 years. Four years went by before RTJ4 dropped in 2020, and it’s been five years and counting without an announcement for what we can assume will be Run The Jewels 5. There’s no telling how lon...| Okayplayer
This week’s new music Friday also features Teyana Taylor, Offset, Ciara, Joey Bada$ and Flo Milli.| Okayplayer
Doechii fans are raising questions after the Grammy-winning rapper canceled some festival appearances without an explanation. She was scheduled to perform at the Rock en Seine in France (August 21), All Points East in London (August 23), and Forwards in Bristol (August 24). Neither Doechii nor the festivals has provided an explanation for the abrupt cancellations. Complex reports that All Points East has issued a statement. “We’re very sorry to announce that Doechii will no longer be perf...| Okayplayer
Earl Sweatshirt has announced the release date and shared artwork for his upcoming album, Live Laugh Love. Earl posted a snippet on Instagram along with the release date, album art and a meme of LeBron James. Earl and his wife, actress Aida Osman, have recently welcomed a baby girl. Osman posted maternity pics on her Instagram and included the caption: “We never made it to a studio to take maternity photos but right before I got induced Thebe suggested we do self-timer in the backyard. It...| Okayplayer
Joey Bada$$ is going on the road. The Brooklyn rapper has announced his Dark Aura Tour in anticipation of his upcoming album, Lonely At the Top, which drops August 29. The tour kicks off in October and will feature Ab-Soul and Rapsody as special guests. Joey also dropped his new single “Dark Aura” on Monday. He’s complained about label issues causing Lonely At the Top to be delayed from its original expected release date of August 1. In July, Bada$ put Columbia Records on blast for the ...| Okayplayer
It all started with a walk on the beach. During the pandemic, when everyone was rediscovering the outdoors, Jessa Williams noticed a line of small children carrying surfboards into the ocean. Their tiny bodies against the endless blue mystified her. A transplant from Cleveland, OH, still adjusting to LA’s coastal rhythms, she couldn’t shake the image. “The kids [in LA] have this lifestyle growing up where they are introduced to the water at a very young age. And so that sparked the idea...| Okayplayer
The whole, “music is my only language” thing can ring through as gimmicky, but talking to Kee Nola, you get the feeling it’s not empty corporate storytelling. Quiet, collected and humble, the 22-year-old’s day-to-day self is much more subdued than the expressive crooner that’s racked up millions of Spotify streams on his way to becoming an emerging star. A master of moody melody, the multi-instrumentalist channels his emotions through punk-inflected tracks that make you think of Jui...| Okayplayer
Wale recently named his favorite rappers ever. On Monday, the Grammy-nominated rapper and his longtime manager, Kazz Laidlaw sat down for an invite-only conversation at Soho Works in Brooklyn as part of the PLLRS series, presented by Little Engine Media. Towards the end of the conversation, host Keith Nelson Jr. asked Wale to name his Hip-Hop Mt. Rushmore. Wale rattled off an impressive list of his favorite emcees. “Mt. Rushmore is a racist thing…” Wale began, before adding, “But…my...| Okayplayer
Jay-Z's "Imaginary Players" is getting new life. According to Complex, the classic Hov track has seen a +305% increase in Spotify streams in the United States since Cardi B released her single, “Imaginary Playerz.” Cardi’s song prominently samples Jay’s 1997 track; and “Imaginary Playerz” dropped as a prerelease single from her upcoming album Am I the Drama? Jay-Z’s song was never released as an actual single, but was a standout track on his sophomore album In My Lifetime, Vol. ...| Okayplayer
Everyone loves a good multitalented entertainer. Sometimes it’s a rapper who can also sing, or a vocalist who can also play an instrument and/or produce music. While these examples are commendable on their own, being able to thrive in one world and have an equal or greater success in another world is a feat that deserves a big round of applause. Many rappers have been able to achieve this over hip-hop’s lifetime, and the cool thing about it is that each one did it in their own way. Some p...| Okayplayer
The Wiredoesn’t need a reboot. At least, that’s the opinion of one of the acclaimed show’s former stars. Wendell Pierce starred as homicide detective William “Bunk” Moreland on the HBO series, which ran for five seasons from 2002 to 2008 and depicted crime, policing and politics in the thick of the early 2000s Baltimore drug trade. “The Wire is something that is classic,” Pierce told Collider. “What makes it classic [is] it speaks to, it spoke to the audience then, it speaks t...| Okayplayer
Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. The singer’s sentence comes five months after he and his mother were convicted of five criminal counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. CBS News reports that it was in connection with a $1 million fraud scheme in which Kingston used his celebrity status to obtain high-end goods from sellers that he did not pay. In addition to prison time, he was also sentenced to three years of supervised release...| Okayplayer
“The company that I run has invested millions of dollars in Drake.”| Okayplayer
In case you missed the memo, NYC is now officially “humid subtropical,” which means August could behave, or not at all. Either way, when the sun peeks out and the air feels semi-decent, take advantage. This week, head to uptown thrift pop-ups, Bed-Stuy block parties, sober day-dancing, anime hangs in Sunset Park, and more. Free Clothing Pop-Up for National Thrift Day Sunday, August 17, 1:00 p.m., Recirculation, 876 Riverside Dr, Manhattan Shop five secondhand pieces for free while supplie...| Okayplayer
The late Los Angeles icon will be featured on limited edition TAP cards.| Okayplayer
Summer’s not over yet, and now is the perfect time to get those last few sun rays in, so we’ve got you covered with another batch of all the best NYC activities for you to enjoy!| Okayplayer
If LeBron James would have halted the season, he would have cemented his legacy and truly become “more than just an athlete.”| Okayplayer
Erykah Badu joined Dave Chappelle on night 9 of his 10-night run at Radio City| Okayplayer
The New York musicians dropped the cover on the 6th anniversary of Kendrick Lamar's second studio album, "Good Kid M.A.A.D City."| Okayplayer
Friends and collaborators took to social media to celebrate the memory of Nipsey Hussle on the one-year anniversary of his death.| Okayplayer
Attendees of Atlanta’s Freaknik festival are coming to social media with their concerns about an upcoming Hulu documentary.| Okayplayer
From the DJ booth to the main stage, Magic City has been breaking records and building icons for decades. The STARZ docuseries brings together Jermaine Dupri and “Mr. Magic” to share the untold story.| Okayplayer
Run The Jewels have dropped their latest track "Mean Demeanor." The song is on the soundtrack for the video game FIFA 2018.| Okayplayer
The dopeness of Adult Swim's singles series continues with a fiery new joint from diabolical duo Run The Jewels.| Okayplayer
We spoke to Ghostface Killah about his catalogue, 'Supremer Clientele 2,' the fate of the mythical 'Doomstark album,' and more.| Okayplayer
Ghostface Killah took to a Reddit forum to share specifics on his upcoming release, 'Supreme Clientele 2.'| Okayplayer
In a recent interview, Ghostface Killah recalled how a Metal Fingers CD led to him realizing that it was another one of MF DOOM's aliases.| Okayplayer
From Chuck D to Megan Thee Stallion, here are 15 times in which a rap artist and a record label became embroiled in a public dispute over bad contracts.| Okayplayer
Okayplayer provides the freshest new hip hop and hip hop news. Bringing you true notes since 1987.| Okayplayer
Today, the rap world mourns the loss of BeatKing, who has passed away at age 39.| Okayplayer
With the release of his new album, 'The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),' we’re looking back and ranking Slim Shady’s first five studio LPs.| Okayplayer
From his brilliant debut to 2006’s Fishscale, we’ve ranked The Wallabee Champ’s best projects.| Okayplayer
As we kick off Banned Books Week, here are a few banned books by Black authors that you can pick up to “Let Freedom Read."| Okayplayer
