Summer Walker has given birth to her newest bundle of joy – surprising the world at the same time when she revealed she was actually carrying twins.

In a since-deleted post to her Instagram page on Sunday (January 1), the singer revealed she’d welcomed two new members of her family, adding how proud of herself she was for doing so.

“I’m so proud of myself,” Summer wrote. “Just sharing to inspire other women, cause I know once you carry twins to almost 42 weeks, especially with one breech, people will try to steer you towards induction or C-section. You can do it, this was my second home birth all natural 7 hrs, no tearing I couldn’t of done it without my spirit guides, Godparents, birth team, my elders, the best dad doula ever Larry lol.”

“He was so hands on the whole time I was really impressed it wasn’t easy but it gets done,” she continued. “Both births I almost blacked out at the end but eating your placenta will definitely keep you above water I have thin blood so I always end up going to the hospital to bring myself back into good strength for them but as long as my kids stay at home untouched I’m good.”

Summer Walker gives birth to twins: “I’m so proud of myself” https://t.co/52WCdDsvQr pic.twitter.com/WVPAVt74Rq

— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) January 3, 2023

Erykah Badu served as a doula for Summer’s first birth, and returned this time to once again guide her through the process. In a post to her page, she revealed she brought her daughter Puma (whose father is The D.O.C.) along to help as well.

“Peace peace .. MEET THE WELCOMING COMITTEE,” Badu wrote. “Mother – Daughter DOULA duty. Today I am training a very capable doula who is shadowing me while we assist a mommy in labor with twins. @pumacurry I’m so proud of u and I really really like you. ❤️A doula must Be like water. Follow your instincts. – mama badoula”

This makes baby number two and three for Summer, who welcomed her first child with ex London On Da Track in 2021.

On the music side of things, Summer Walker recently revealed plans for a new project after being left out of the awards conversation this year.

“Now that I know these award shows gone play me regardless ima go back to making the soul music that I love [white heart emoji] ep coming soon,” she wrote in an Instagram Story at the end of November.

Article source: https://hiphopdx.com/news/summer-walker-gives-birth-twins

Ray J has yet to have his own Verzuz competition, but a guest appearance at Mario and Omarion’s battle in June created a viral moment that continues to make the rounds online.

On Monday (January 2), Ray took to Instagram to share a clip of his performance where he’s particularly in a groove and paired it with other people recreating the moment.

In his caption, Ray J jokingly asked the internet to leave it alone for the new year. “Can we put this behind us. Lol leave it in 2022??? #happynewyear 2023,” he wrote.

You can check out his post below:

 

 

A post shared by Ray J (@rayj)

Ray actually had multiple viral moments from his Verzuz appearance. At another point in the show, Pleasure P, Bobby Valentino and Sammie (who now have an RB group with Ray J named RSVP) took over singing duties for “One Wish” – resulting in Ray, who was holding his child at the time, getting visibly angry.

The clip quickly made its rounds on the internet after it aired, and even Summer Walker got in on the jokes and recreated the moment.

Ray J is no stranger to a viral moment. A few months back, he made headlines when he infamously linked up with Kanye West despite their years of static over Kim Kardashian.

The two were photographed on the red carpet premiere of Candace Owens’ Black Lives Matter documentary alongside Owens and UFC fighter Colby Covington – who’s also an outspoken critic of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Ray also allegedly turned a viral moment at the 2022 BET Awards into a deal. After the singer was seen scoffing down a Nissin Cup Noodles during the show, he later posted a clip to Instagram to tease that he had just closed a deal with the company.

“Just got off the phone with Cup Noodles,” Ray J said. “Shit good.”

However, it’s unclear whether anything panned out from it.

Article source: https://hiphopdx.com/news/ray-j-leave-viral-verzuz-moment-2022

Future has kicked off the new year with the same energy with which he closed out 2021, continuing to promote his ninth studio album with a new visual.

The rapper delivered an official clip for “BACK TO THE BASICS” on Monday (January 2), making it the 9th song from I NEVER LIKED YOU to get a video release. True to the song’s title, the video relies on simple visual elements to capture Future’s mood on the track, while using its exotic locals to maintain an air of opulence.

As the song plays out, Future is seen rapping along a beach alone, inside a home and on a yacht, appearing alone in most of the scenes. True to his reputation with women, the rapper is at times joined by three women who are also intermittently seen simply interacting with each other and enjoying the amenities of the coastal location.

Check out the video for “BACK TO THE BASICS” below:

The video arrived just days after news broke that Future was the only rapper to spend all of 2022 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, thanks in no small part to the success of I NEVER LIKED YOU, which was released in April.

The project opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 222,000 first-week units, while its hit single “WAIT FOR U” featuring Drake and Tems also debuted in the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song ranked as one of the biggest hits of the year as it won Best Collaboration at the BET Hip Hop Awards, Favorite Hip Hop Song at the American Music Awards and was recently crowned Apple Music’s most streamed song of 2022.

I NEVER LIKED YOU has also garnered three of Future’s four 2023 Grammy Nominations, including a nod for Best Rap Album.

The Atlanta rap icon had a massive 2022, which saw him sell off a large portion of his music publishing catalog to Influence Media Partners. In September, Future reportedly unloaded a good portion of his catalog in a lucrative eight-figure deal that is said to be worth upwards of $75 million.

Last month, the multi-platinum artist announced his first headlining trek in more than three years, the One Big Party Tour. The six-city run kicks off in Houston on Saturday (January 7) before making its way through Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Future and co. will close things out in Boston on January 27.

Future will be joined by Kodak Black, Trippie Redd, Polo G on select dates, with EST Gee, Babyface Ray, Rob49 and Ocean x KungFu, as well as Freebandz signees Doe Boy, Real Boston Richey, Lil Jairmy and Lil Double 0 appearing at all five shows.

Article source: https://hiphopdx.com/news/future-back-to-the-basics-video

50 Cent is looking to put his stamp on the rap game in 2023 with the promise of new music, along with a slew of projects from his ever-expanding film and TV empire.

The G-Unit mogul took to Instagram on Sunday (January 1) to salute his good friend Eminem’s continued success after the Detroit rap icon reportedly raked in over five billion views on YouTube in 2022, making him the most popular rapper on the platform last year.

In his caption, 50 hinted at dropping new music, as well as TV shows and movies, in the year ahead in an effort to remind the world that he, too, has still got it.

“That’s my Boy,” he wrote next to a headline about Em’s YouTube dominance. “Im gonna remind people i’m nice this year. New Music New Tv New movie let’s go! #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi.”

A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent)

50 Cent was no slouch either when it came to YouTube streams in 2022. The Queens, New York native was reportedly among the 10 most popular rap artists on the platform with an impressive 1.8 billion views — despite having released just two songs last year: the Power Book IV theme song “Power Powder Respect” with Lil Durk and Jeremih, and the unearthed Eminem collaboration “Is This Love (’09).”

Only Nicki Minaj, Juice WRLD, Lil Nas X, Future, Lil Baby, NBA YoungBoy, Drake, Doja Cat and, of course, Eminem amassed more views.

“I didn’t put nothing out in a while,” 50 bragged in another post. “I would be mad if i was new and i wasn’t on the list. #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi.”

Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik and MSNBC’s Ari Melber were among those who applauded 50’s longevity. “Nice. Staying relevant,” Snoop commented, while Quik wrote: “@50cent You’re a Legend. Too seasoned. The charts exist for the Seasons you feel like working.”

A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent)

50 Cent opened up about his new music plans last summer, telling The Breakfast Club he has no desire to release another album. Instead, he flirted with the idea of dropping an EP or a soundtrack to one of his many TV series.

“I started working on some things,” he told DJ Envy. “It may not be the last album. It may be broken up into something that goes out with one of the television shows. But creatively… I got all the vehicles that I need to do it. I got 25 television shows.”

He added: “I could just put this EP connected to this. Let it rock without having the pressure of it being a full album. If you look, when the last time you seen the actual numbers on the sales of a record?”

50, whose last album was 2014’s Animal Ambition, elaborated on his plans in an interview with Hot 97’s Ebro In The Morning in October, revealing he’s adapted his approach to releasing new content after realizing his core audience are now at a very different place in their life compared to when he first broke onto the scene.

“Now, those people are 43 years old,” he explained. “They’re having that drink that they would have on premises at the night club, they’re having at home now. They meet the person that they’re hanging out with somewhere else, not in the nightlife. ‘Cause their kids are partying there.”

A musical comeback from 50 Cent in 2023 would be fitting considering next month marks the 20th anniversary of his blockbuster debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, which dropped on February 6, 2003. Home to hits like “In Da Club,” “P.I.M.P.” and “21 Questions,” the chart-topping project cemented 50 Cent as a global superstar while reasserting the dominance of gangsta rap.

Currently 9x platinum, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ may well surpass 10 million sales this year and earn a coveted diamond plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It would mark 50’s first diamond record and make him just the ninth rap act in history to achieve the feat following the likes of Eminem, 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.

Article source: https://hiphopdx.com/news/50-cent-new-music-2023

J. Cole might be returning with a new album in 2023.

At least that’s what fans are hoping for after noticing the North Carolina native has cleared out his Instagram page — a tactic often deployed by artists before kickstarting the rollout for a new project.

After all, Cole previously wiped his Instagram clean in January 2019 days before dropping “Middle Child,” the lead single from Dreamville’s star-studded Revenge of the Dreamers III compilation that arrived that summer.

Cole, who is not exactly prolific on social media despite boasting almost eight million followers on Instagram and a further 14.3 million on Twitter, has yet to confirm plans to release new music.

But some fans are already speculating that he could be prepping The Fall Off or It’s a Boy, two projects he teased as part of “The Fall Off Era” back in 2020. It was in that same post that he also teased The Off-Season, which dropped in May 2021.

The album, which boasted appearances from 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Cam’ron and more, handed Cole his sixth consecutive solo No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after tallying 282,000 first-week units. It was later nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

“J. Cole just cleared his instagram y’all think he’s gonna drop It’s A Boy on January 28th this year?” one Twitter user asked, while another wrote: “J. Cole has cleared his instagram. Is he getting into release mode? Is The Fall Off coming sooner than we think?”

Another possibility is the soundtrack to Creed III, which Dreamville has been tapped to executive produce. The movie — starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Jonathan Majors — hits theaters on March 3.

Despite not dropping a solo project in 2022, J. Cole still made his presence felt last year. The 37-year-old delivered show-stealing verses on tracks with Benny The Butcher, BIA, YG, Smino and EarthGang while running point on Dreamville’s D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape with DJ Drama.

His braggadocious appearance on Benny’s “Johnny P’s Caddy” was crowned one of HipHopDX‘s Best Rap Verses of 2022, with writer Mark Elibert declaring: “What J. Cole did to The Alchemist-produced beat should be considered a crime.”

Outside of music, Cole strengthened his love affair with basketball by briefly suiting up for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).

“I had to let them know how incredible this was,” he said of his two-game stint with the team. “The players, the coaching staff, the organization, the league, it’s a crazy thing when you see it on paper, when you see what’s actually happening, and they made me feel so welcome.”

He also made history as the first rapper to cover NBA 2K, appearing as both a playable character in 2K23 and the focus of its MyCAREER story mode.

Article source: https://hiphopdx.com/news/j-cole-new-album-instagram-clear-out