Jul 31

Travis Scott Shares “Astroworld” Cover Art

Those giant Travis Scott heads popping up around the country are starting to make more sense.

The golden icon comes from the cover of Scott’s impending Astroworld album, which shows some kind of bizarre run-down theme park.

ASTROWORLD 8/3/18 @david_lachapelle

A post shared by flame (@travisscott) on Jul 31, 2018 at 12:25pm PDT

The image was shot by famed photographer David LaChapelle, who has previously worked with plenty of musicians, including Kanye West. West hit Twitter to share his approval.

The album comes out Friday (August 3). Scroll down for more details.

[This article has been updated. The following was published on July 30, 2018.]

Travis Scott revealed the release date for his long-awaited Astroworld album is Friday (August 3).

Scott sent out a tweet on Monday morning (July 30) that featured a trailer for the project and the caption, “ASTROWORLD 8/3/18.”

In the roughly two-and-a-half-minute clip, Scott flies down a set of stairs as pieces of asteroids fall down around him.

Meanwhile, a wolf keeps watch as Scott rolls through an abandoned city in an empty shopping cart. It ends with Scott maniacally laughing and a recording of a man saying, “God bless you all. See you in Astroworld.”

Less than 20 minutes later, Scott tweeted in all caps, “FUCKING READY TO LOOSE MY SHIT IN A COUPLE DAYS. LEGIT BLOWING ANY AND EVERY SPEAKER I CAN FIND!!!!!!!! KIDS LETS FUCKING EAT.”

Scott’s announcement comes three days after a giant Travis Scott head appeared on top of Amoeba Music in Hollywood, propelling rumors the project was imminent.

Astroworld serves as the follow-up to Scott’s Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, which was released in 2016. 

[The original version of this article was published on July 27, 2018 and can be found below.]

A giant Travis Scott head appeared on top of Amoeba Music in Hollywood on Friday (July 27), sparking rumors that the highly anticipated Astroworld was inching closer to reality.

An Amoeba Hollywood employee told HipHopDX, “The guys that put it up said the album will be coming out later in the year. We just don’t know anything. Label person called us, they’e calling it an awareness campaign. There’s no information online or anything. It’s just a fun promo kind of thing.”

Crazy n kinda creepy ⚡? @travisscott

A post shared by travisscott (@laflamejacques) on Jul 27, 2018 at 12:57pm PDT

Astroworld was included on DX’s 10 Most Anticipated Rap Albums list earlier this week. Scott has been building anticipation for the project since late 2016.

Fans are hoping a cryptic Instagram post from super producer Mike Dean means Astroworld is in the mixing stage. On Thursday (July 26), he shared a photo of recording equipment with the caption, “#MIXMODE.”

#MIXMODE

A post shared by TheRealMikeDean (@therealmikedean) on Jul 25, 2018 at 2:13pm PDT

As the rumors started to circulate online, Dean retweeted a post from a Twitter user who was attentively waiting for the mixing and mastering of Astroworld to be finished.

Astroworld will serve as the follow-up to 2016’s Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight. The project debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.47822/title.giant-travis-scott-head-on-amoeba-hollywood-stokes-astroworld-hype

Jul 31

JAY-Z Hopes His Trayvon Martin Documentary Helps Change Laws

JAY-Z wants his Trayvon Martin docuseries to do more than simply tell the story of what happened to the slain teenager. In an interview with The New York Times, Hov said he was hopeful his documentary could inspire changes to the controversial “Stand Your Ground” laws in the U.S.

The Times’ Aisha Harris asked Jay if the six-part series had the goal of changing the laws and got a definitive answer from Mr. Carter.

“Yes, absolutely,” he said. “Again, it’s an educational process. This law, we have to get people to understand what it says. Of course, he will not be found guilty. It’s very difficult to be found guilty with this law as it stands today.”

He added, “The system doesn’t work as it exists today. No one wants to talk about that because it’s as if you are bashing police officers. I’m not bashing police officers. I’m just saying the facts do not support this being the answer, the system as it stands today.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Hov discussed regret over his public spat with Harry Belafonte and shared his thoughts on the responsibility of black celebrities to be activists. Check out the entire conversation here.

Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story premiered on July 30 on the Paramount Network and BET. New episodes air on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.

Stream the first episode here.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.47861/title.jay-z-hopes-his-trayvon-martin-documentary-helps-change-laws

Jul 31

OG "I Like It Like That" Creator Gives His Take On Cardi B’s Version

Cardi B, J. Balvin, Bad Bunny, “Bodak Yellow” producer J. White and several other individuals won big by selecting a 50-year-old sample to catapult “I Like It” to the top of the Billboard 100 this summer.

Given the extensive time gap, there was potential for a serious generational divide with Pete Rodriguez, the Bronx-born Puerto Rican bandleader whose 1967 hit “I Like It Like That” has helped today’s kids go crazy in the clubs.

The 86-year-old artist heard about Cardi’s creation through his grandchildren … via text message.

“My kids and grandkids called me and texted me about it,” Rodriguez told Entertainment Weekly. “We recorded [the original] in 1967, so it’s come a long way. I wasn’t aware of Cardi, but my kids and grandkids were. They were all excited; they’re fans.”

Like Rodriguez, Cardi was also born in the Bronx and champions her Latin heritage, which was good enough for the boogaloo artist.

“I’ve been out of the loop for a while, but I’ve watched some of her videos now and my favorite is definitely ‘I Like It,’” he admitted. “It’s certainly my song of the summer.”

The new school rules have proved to be a vantage point for Rodriguez’s version, which was written by Tony Pabon and Manny Rodriguez. It enjoyed a 2,520 percent boost in streams as a direct result to Cardi B’s success. And it’s actually not the first time the classic hit has benefitted from a resurgence.

In 1994, Latin music supergroup Blackout All-Stars recorded a cover for the comedy-drama film I Like It Like That. Burger King would go on to use that version in a commercial two years later, resulting in a Billboard 100 placement at No. 25.

As of press time, Cardi B’s “I Like It” currently sits at No. 2 behind Drake’s viral hit “In My Feelings.” Not for nothing, she also shares the No. 3 spot thanks to her feature on Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You.”

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.47847/title.og-i-like-it-like-that-creator-gives-his-take-on-cardi-bs-version

Jul 31

J. Cole Adds Jaden Smith & EarthGang To KOD Tour

J. Cole’s KOD Tour is getting some additional support. The Dreamville founder has announced Jaden Smith and EarthGang will be joining him on the upcoming tour, which is scheduled to begin on August 9 in Miami.

Cole first announced the tour in May, revealing Young Thug as his supporting act. Thugger won’t part of all the shows though, so the addition of Smith and EarthGang will provide fans with more bang for their buck.

Check out all the KOD tour dates below. Tickets can be purchased here.

Aug. 9 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena
Aug. 11 – Tampa, FL – Amelia Arena
Aug. 12 – Atlanta, GA – Infinite Energy Center*
Aug. 14 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Aug. 15 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Aug. 17 – San Antonio, TX – ATT Center
Aug. 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Aug. 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Arena*
Aug. 22 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl SDSU
Aug. 24 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Aug. 29 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
Sept. 2 – Boise, ID – Taco Bell Arena
Sept. 4 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Sept. 5 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Sept. 7 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sept. 8 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
Sept. 10 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
Sept. 12 – Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena*
Sept. 13 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at The BJCC
Sept. 17 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sept. 18 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
Sept. 19 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Sept. 21 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesar’s Arena
Sept. 22 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
Sept. 23 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Sept. 25 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Sept. 26 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
Sept. 28 – University Park, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
Oct. 1 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
Oct. 4 – Toronto – Air Canada Centre
Oct. 5 – Montreal – Bell Centre
Oct. 6 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 8 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena*
Oct. 10 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

* Young Thug not performing

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.47848/title.j-cole-adds-jaden-smith-earthgang-to-kod-tour

Jul 31

Snoop Dogg, Vince Staples & More To Appear On LeBron James’ "The Shop"

New York, NY – Virtually everyone within the Hip Hop ecosystem (should know) that the barbershop is the ideal breeding ground for healthy debates. And LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s award-winning digital media company, UNINTERRUPTED and HBO are looking to encapsulate such a phenom with their unscripted series The Shop.

The series — which premieres on Tuesday, August 28 — will immediately look to make an impact through high-profile guests. The first show alone will feature Snoop Dogg, New York Giants’ media magnet, Odell Beckham Jr., Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, Two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker and Peabody and Emmy® winner, former Daily Show host Jon Stewart.

Old Dogg, New Tricks: Snoop Dogg talks always having to reinvent himself with LBJ.

“The Shop is exactly why we created UNINTERRUPTED,” King James said via press release. “Anyone who has been in a real barbershop, like the ones where I grew up, knows why this show can be so incredible. I’m really excited HBO believed in our idea and is helping us create something special.”

Peter Nelson, executive vice president of HBO Sports added, “LeBron James told us he wanted to create a place where athletes and artists can come together to share points of view freely. We are honored they want HBO to be the home of that conversation. We are pleased to partner with LeBron, Maverick Carter and UNINTERRUPTED on The Shop.”

The Shop is executive produced by LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Peter Nelson and Rick Bernstein, with Bentley Weiner serving as the supervising producer, and marks the second venture between HBO Sports and James and Carter’s media enterprises.

Earlier this year, HBO Sports announced the college sports documentary film Student Athlete, which is produced by SpringHill Entertainment and will debut on October 2.

High Ass Expectations: King James regrets passing down his name.

Naturally, The Shop will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms. The likes of Vince Staples, Michael Bennett, Victor Cruz, Jarrod Carmichael — among others are slated to appear on future episodes.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.47849/title.snoop-dogg-vince-staples-more-to-appear-on-lebron-james-the-shop