And other recent hip hop news.
Biggie’s debut album commemorated, 25 years on
Biggie’s debut album Ready to Die turns 25 this year, and what better way to celebrate it than with the release of some new #hotcontent.
Amazon Music has already got a new mini documentary in the making, tentatively titled The Birth of Biggie, which will be focusing on the rapper’s early chapters through to the release of this seminal record. Viewers will also gain more insight into the formative nature of Biggie’s relationship with Puff Daddy in shaping the former’s career to cross over into the commercial charts.
Apple Music are also set to release a short commentary film on Ready to Die, featuring DJ Premier, Lil’ Cease, Easy Mo Bee and former Bad Boy Records executive, Rob Stone.
Ex-BROCKHAMPTON member Ameer Vann drops solo EP
Rapper Ameer Vann has dropped his debut solo EP. The former BROCKHAMPTON member’s new collection of music has come in a six-track record entitled EMMANUEL and paints a pretty candid picture of the last year in his life.
Vann and BROCKHAMPTON split in 2018 following numerous sexual abuse allegations aimed at Vann by ex-partners. As of yet, he has not been charged with any crimes, however BROCKHAMPTON were quick to disassociate themselves from the 22-year-old. The EMMANUEL EP sees Vann rapping about his mental health and personal struggles, his relationship with his former band members and the pressures of fame and money.
BROCKHAMPTON, meanwhile, continue to go from strength to strength. Since Vann’s departure, they’ve released two well received albums in Iridescence and Ginger, and have become global festival favourites. They’ll be back in Australia for FOMO Festival in 2020.
Nicki Minaj returns from brief retirement
Can we really trust rappers when they say they’re tapping out of the game?
It seems as though no, no we can’t.
Not long ago, Nicki Minaj took to social media to announce she was retiring from music to focus on family and her eventual marriage to partner, Kenneth Petty. Now, after just weeks of being on hiatus Minaj has come back with the announcement of a brand new single in ‘Fendi’. While not strictly Nicki’s own track, she is featuring on the song with PnB Rock and Murda Beatz. It’s not the first time Minaj has aligned herself with the fashion house either, namedropping Fendi in her music and, this October, collaborating with some Fendi swag of her own.
