Post Malone Isn't Happy With XXL Mag And Critics

Earlier this week XXL revealed their freshman class, "The New Wave." The roaster is made up of Dave East, 21 Savage, G Herbo, Lil Dicky, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Desiigner, Anderson Paak, Kodak Black and Denzel Curry. The roaster has again created some controversy, as it's nearly impossible to satisfy everyone. Despite music taste being subjective, it was difficult to not notice that Post Malone didn't make the cut.

However, Posty's absence from the cover has nothing to do with his talent, rather a misunderstanding. XXL editor-in-chief Vanessa Satton joined The Breakfast Club where she discussed the 2016 freshman class and why Post Malone wasn't part of "The New Wave." According to Satton, Post Malone's camp mentioned that the "White Iverson" rapper was readjusting his musical focus, steering away from hip-hop and more toward country and rock.

When Post Malone got around to watching the interview, he apparently didn't agree with Satton and turned to Instagram to post an open letter denying her claims. The letter was addressed to Vanessa, XXL, Internet and etc.  

"I have a hip-hop album coming out in August. I made a HIP HOP mixtape to promote my HIP HOP album," the Texas native said, referencing his recent mixtape August 26.

He went on to explain that the real reason he didn't make the XXL cut was because he was "too tired" to take the 6-hour flight to New York for the photoshoot.

A photo posted by Post (@postmalone) on

Satton then replied with an open letter of her own, in which she reiterated her original claims and blames his camp for giving her any information that they wouldn't have wanted to be repeated.

"If you did not like that answer, you and your team should've told us something different because all I did was repeat what I was told"

Dear @postmalone

A photo posted by XXL (@xxl) on

New Sounds: Juicy J Feat. Travis Scott- "No English"

When you live a lifestyle like that of Juicy J's and Travis Scott's you might find yourself partying until you "don't know no English" and then talking to models who also "don't know no English."

"No English" was produced by TM88 and Lex Luger, while Travis Scott took care of the hook and Juicy J went hard on the 2 verses. With Juicy J's Rubberband Business 3 mixtape dropping sometime this summer, could "No English" be the project's first unofficial single?

ScHoolboy Q Reveals Album Title, Release Date And Artwork

A while back TDE shared with us a list of their 2016 releases and a possible 2017 release. Today, ScHoolboy Q turned to Twitter to share with his 1.69 million followers his upcoming album title- Blank Face along with the release date- July 8th, as well as the art work, which takes inspiration from the Micheal Jordan meme.

Shit about to get nasty real soon... I told y'all I got y'all in 2016 #TDE

A photo posted by gwadpot (@dangerookipawaa) on

XXL Has Revealed It's Freshman Class Of 2016

XXL has revealed their 2016 freshman. The group is labeled as "The New Wave" and consist of: 

  • Lil Uzi Vert
  • G Herbo
  • 21 Savage
  • Lil Dicky
  • Kodak Black
  • Anderson Paak
  • Lil Yachty
  • Dave East
  • Desiigner
  • Denzel Curry

XXL knows they can't please everyone, as someone is bound to be upset over not seeing their favorite new artist on the cover. Editor-In-Chief Vanessa Satten knows this and said, "There's been some controversy going into. It's always about who you're going to pick, who you missed, who didn't get it, who fits in with who who's a rapper, who's a singer. But overall, I think it's a great reflection of 2016 hip-hop."

Did your favorite new artist make the cut?

Celebrities React To Mass Shooting At Gay Nightclub In Orlando, FL

What was supposed to be just a fun night out at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL turned into a complete nightmare for the attendees and their families when shots were fired inside. The shooting killed 50 people and injured another 53- making it the largest mass shooting in the United States.

Many celebrities turned to Twitter to express their heartbreak and send love and prayers to all the victims. Some stars, like singer Adam Lambert called for gun control. 

Adele, who was performing in Antwerp, Belgium last night, used the stage as her main platform to send love and support to the LGBTQ community. The "Hello" singer got on stage and dedicated the concert to the entire Orlando community, especially the victims.

"I would like to start tonight by dedicating the entire show to everyone in Orlando and Pulse nightclub," she began. "The LGBTQ community are like my soulmates since I was really young, so  I'm very moved by it."

New Sounds: Chief Keef- "According To My Watch"

If you ever need to know the time, Chief Keef might not be the most reliable source. According to his watch it's time to get guap, f*ck a stock, get in his car and head over to the bank. The track is one of many collabs from the Chief Keef and producer Sonny Digital.

Thanks to Fake Shore Drive for premiering the track!

Azealia Banks Has Realized Her Words Have Been Offensive And Releases An Apology

Azealia Banks is known for speaking her mind, regardless of how rude and overall tasteless her opinions might be. From homophobic to racist comments, Banks' words are constantly backfiring on her. Most recently, the 25-year-old singer went back and forth with 14-year-old Disney star Skai Jackson via Twitter...and took a major loss. I mean, any 25-year-old that argues with someone 11 years younger than them via social media is very deserving of an L. However, Banks didn't stop there. Her next target was former One Direction member Zayn Malik. She went on a total rant, calling Malik a "hairy curry scented bitch." Banks' nasty remarks have cost her several show apperences-including a headliner- and being dropped from her booking agency.

Many outrageous remarks later, the controversial rapper has finally realized her words have been rather offensive. She turned to Facebook- mainly because her Twitter is still suspended- to issue an apology for using racist and homophobic slurs.

Do you think anyone would really risk much to work with her after all the bad press she's received ?

Young Black Boys Pay Homage To The Late Muhammad Ali

It's been just about a week since Muhammad Ali passed away. Ali was the greatest inside the ring, but as a man who paved the way for so many African-Americans males his boxing skills make up only part of his legacy. Social media especially has been flooded with Muhammed Ali tributes. Now, the Because of Them We Can campaign, whose mission statement is "To educate and connect a new generation to heroes who have paved the way," is the latest to pay homage to the great Ali. The video features young black males in boxing gloves quoting some of Ali's most famous lines.

Source: VIBE

Watch Desiigner's Most Revealing Interview

Who is Desiigner? With his quick rise to platinum status, Desiigner hasn't given us much time or insight to figure out who he really is. However, he recently linked up with Rob Markman from Genius for his most releasing interview yet. The 19-year old opened about coming from nothing, being signed to G.O.O.D Music, his work ethic, and not having a "New York" sound. As the two walked around Brooklyn, Desiigner also admitted that being shot at the young age of 14 was a rude awakening but ultimately made him focus more on his music.

Watch the full interview below.

Mixtape Alert: Kodak Black - Lil B.I.G Pac

Despite his legal issues and currently being incarcerated, Kodak Black stayed true to his word and released his third mixtape, Lil B.I.G Pac, earlier today. The followup to Institution includes 13 tracks and features from Gucci Mane, PnB Rock and Boosie. Although I'm still not to sure how I feel about the title, this tape is definitely bound to get plenty of street play.

Which featured artist should Kodak continue collaborating with? Click below to stream the entire project.

New Sounds: Kodak Black Feat. Gucci Mane- "Vibin In This Bih"

Gucci Mane, who was released from prison just two week ago, has been quite busy lending out verses to some of the biggest rappers, including Drake and Kanye. The latest Gucci verse comes from a collab with Kodak Black, "Vibin In This Bih." The collab serves as the first single from Kodak's mixtape, Lil B.I.G Pac, which is set to drop tomorrow.

The Brick Squad CEO and the South Florida native delivery a high energy track while flexing. I'm hoping this is only the beginning of their collabs. However, with Kodak currently incarcerated for charges stemming from robbery, false imprisonment, driving without a license and possession of marijuana, we might not get another collab for a while. Despite being behind bars, Kodak is still planning to release Lil B.I.G Pac tomorrow.

Source: Complex

So Amazin: Craft Monroe- "FWYS"

New Jersey rapper Craft Monroe is celebrating the five-day countdown until the release of his debut mixtape, Bluntside God, by releasing a third single. With his first two singles "Been That Way" and "Main Thing" already doing numbers, the Bluntside God returns today with "FWYS" (F*ck What You Sayin).

Seems like Craft is tired of hearing people's two cents. Sounding more confident and focused than ever, he hopped on the Menace produced track to express how he really feels about any talk that might distract him.

"Fuck what you saying/ I need it, I get it, got no time for playing," he raps on the intro and the chorus. 

"FWYS" was engineered and mixed by Shy Boogs in The Gallery Room at So Amazin Studios.

The third single off the "Bluntside God" album dropping on June 15th.

New Sounds: Tory Lanez- "Luv"

Tory Lanez is back with another Fargo Friday- his weekly releases. This Fargo Friday is a little bit more special however, as he not only confirmed the title of his debut album, I Told You, but also released the project's second single "Luv." 

The Toronto native channels his inner Tanto Metro and Devante, as he uses the duo's hit "Everyone Falls In Love" for inspiration the single's chorus. Over the Benny Blanco and Cashmere Cat produced track Tory finds himself accidentally catching feelings for a girl 

"Oops I done fell so deep baby/ Opps I want you for me baby/ Oops I want you for me baby/ Oops I done fell so deep"

His album is already looking like it's going to be a solid project.

New Visuals: French Montana Feat. Kodak Black- "Lockjaw"

French Montana recently announced that his sophomore album MC4 is set to be released on August 19th. With the project's lead single "Figure It Out" featuring Nas and Kanye West already doing numbers, French has decided to start pushing "Lockjaw" featuring Kodak Black. The track isn't new however, as it was already part of French's last mixtape, Wave Gods. Still, the Coke Boyz CEO has chosen to include it in MC4 and so gave it visual treatment to create further anticipation. 

What happens when Kodak Black and French Montana head to Port Au Prince, Haiti and then travel back up to Broward County, Florida? A pretty cool video apparently. While Kodak Black is doing most of rapping in the song, him and French get equal camera time. Watch it below.

"Lockjaw" by French Montana feat. Kodak Black Directed by: SpiffTV Preorder "MC4" at iTunes: http://smarturl.it/MC4 Amazon: http://smarturl.it/MC4_Dig Google Play: http://smarturl.it/MC4_GP Stream "Lockjaw" on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/LockJaw_Sptfy Deezer: http://smarturl.it/Lockjaw_Deezer https://www.frenchmontanamusic.com https://www.instagram.com/frenchmontana https://twitter.com/FrencHMonTanA https://www.facebook.com/FrenchMontanaOfficial (c) 2016 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment/Bad Boy Entertainment

Boss Moves: Romeo Santos Becomes CEO Of Roc Nation Latin

Jay-Z has not only entrusted Latin singer Romeo Santos to join Roc Nation management, but also named him CEO of Roc Nation Latin.

"Romeo has had tremendous success as a composer and producer and can spot pure talent. This is a tremendous step for Roc Nation. We recognize there is a huge Latin market that is part of global culture," said Hov. "We're proud an ready to enter a true partnership with an individual that intimately lives and knows that culture."

Let's see what Romeo Santos does with his new CEO title.

Making history last night: JAY Z x @RomeoSantos x Roc Nation Latin

A video posted by Roc Nation (@rocnation) on

New Sounds: Lil Wayne- "Off Off Off"

The Golden State Warriors have definitely not made it easy for the Cleveland Cavaliers to win or even catch up. Sensing that LeBron and the rest of the team may have needed some motivation, Lil Wayne hopped on a Ben Billions produced track to pay the whole team a tribute, which he titled "Off Off Off." Maybe some new warm up music is just what the Cavs need to get back on their "A" game.

I wonder if any rapper will release a Warriors tribute.

Could Troy Ave's New Mixtape Land Him In More Trouble?

Last month, a T.I concert at Irving Plaza in NYC ended early and in chaos after shots were fired inside the venue. Initial reports on the incident claimed that rapper Troy Ave was among the audience and had been shot. However, Troy wasn't able to play the victim card for long. Just a day after the incident, surveillance footage was released to the public which showed Troy Ave as the gunman, not solely the victim. Upon the released footage the Brooklyn rapper was arrested for attempted murder and criminal possession of a firearm. Troy pled not guilty and is being held without bail until his trial.

As he awaits his trial, Troy released a mixtape titled Free Troy Ave, where he addresses the deadly shooting. While Troy used the mixtape to continue proclaiming his innocence he may have said a couple lines that could possibly be used against him at trial. Lyrics like "Pussy n*gga tried to assassinate me/ I took the gun, and turned the tables around like a G/ R.I.P my n*gga, B-A-N-G,"could possibly be questioned and used as evidence during his trial.

Many are opposed of using lyrics as evidence in a trial, as they believe that lyrics are solely artistic expressions and should be protected by the First Amendment as such. However, lyrics have previously been used in trials and served as major evidence.

Listen to Free Troy Ave below.

DJ Khaled And Ray Liotta Get Mani-Pedis In New Apple Music Commercial

Apple Music has entrusted DJ Khaled as their spokesman. A few days ago, Apple released their first commercial since recruiting the holder of all major keys. The commercial showed DJ Khaled cruising down the highway with model Naomi Campbell and even sharing a kiss with her. Just days later, Apple unveiled their second Khaled commercial. This time, the We The Best CEO joins Ray Liotta for some mani-pedis at the nail salon.

New Visuals: Vic Mensa- "There's A lot Going On"

Vic Mensa’s 7-track EP There’s A lot Going On dropped last Friday. Today, he’s unveiled the video for the tittle track. The video finds a shirtless Mensa in front of a light grey backdrop, with content-relevant images flying across the screen every few lines. From drug issues to sucidal thoughts and stress caused by label meetings, Mensa vents about it all. The simple-yet creative- video was directed by Mensa alongside Jake Osmun.