What The Hell Just Happened in Music This Summer?

From Miley's twerking to June 18 and Magna Carta...Holy Grail, here's everything that happened in music during Summer 2013.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Earlier this year, we started rounding up every week's news with our "What The Hell Just Happened in Music This Week?" feature. Every Sunday, we took the biggest news stories from that week and tried to explain them—somehow, someway—with GIFs and extended write-ups. Now that Summer 2013 is practically officially over (It's Labor Day!), we rounded up some of the biggest news stories since Memorial Day.

From one of the best days in hip-hop history (June 18) to Kendrick Lamar's game changing verse and more, this summer has been packed with plenty of big events. We've got all of that covered for you, and more, in What The Hell Just Happened in Music This Summer?

RELATED: What The Hell Just Happened in Music This Week? 
RELATED: The 13 Best Songs of Summer 2013 

RELATED: Green Label - 10 Biggest Game-Changing Moments in Music

 

French Montana's dropped Excuse My French, which sadly did not include any actual rapping in french.

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J. Cole moved up the release date for Born Sinner to complete with Kanye West's Yeezus proving that eventually your idols become your rivals.

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We found out that Tim Dog might have faked his death, which only made him seem that much cooler.

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Paris Hilton signed to Cash Money because apparently Cash Money doesn't have enough tax write-offs.

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The H: The Lost Album Vol. 1—an album Birdman and Rick Ross recorded in 2008—was released and was so good it made us want to hear the lost R. Kelly/Birdman album.

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Nicki Minaj and Peter Rosenberg made amends, by which we mean Nicki tried to son Rosenberg on his own show.

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The most newsworthy item of Summer Jam ended up being an impromptu Papoose performance.

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2 Chainz dropped a song called "Feds Watching," just before the NSA PRISM scandal broke confirming that the feds were indeed watching.

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Date: June 4

RELATED: Listen: 2 Chainz f/ Pharrell "Feds Watching"

Action Bronson released Saaab Stories, adding to his on-going series of victories.

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Kanye West gave an incredible interview to the New York Times which had endlessly outlandish (but ultimately true) quotes like, "I understand culture. I am the nucleus."

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Yeezus FINALLY leaked and we discussed the sweet and sour line.

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Kanye West's American Psycho-inspired Yeezus promo let Scott Disick live out his dream and revealed Kanye's close, personal relationship with Bret Easton Ellis.

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June 18 finally came and it was anticlimactic because all the albums had already leaked.

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Miley's "We Can't Stop" video was one big clusterf**** of "ratchet culture," twerking, art, and product placement.

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Kanye and Kim actually named their baby North West—that's "Nori" for short.

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J. Cole finally made Nas proud and Nas blessed him with an amazing verse.

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Date: June 22

RELATED: Listen: J.Cole f/ Nas "Let Nas Down" (Remix)

Drake dropped four new songs, a release date for his next album, and Versace Versace Versace Versace Versace...

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Fat Joe became the latest rapper to forget to pay his taxes.

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Big Sean linked up with Eminem in the studio; maybe the two will team up and buy Detroit.

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Despite it being an off year for MMG, Wale's The Gifted debuted at No. 1.

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Jay Z gave away some of his mystique and tweeted with fans for hours.

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Justin Timberlake dropped "Take Back The Night" and is prepping his second album of the year.

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KANYE TOLD THE PAPARAZZI NOT TO TALK TO HIM OR ANYONE HE KNOWS EVER!

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A$AP Ferg proved "Work" wasn't a fluke by turning "Shabba" into another anthem.

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The Weeknd sat down for his first interview ever (with Complex no less!) and claimed he gave Drake a bunch of records for Take Care.

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Kanye West claimed the second verse on "New Slaves" is the best verse in the history of rap music, somehow forgetting the fact that the second verse on "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is better.

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J. Cole & Drake joined the growing list of rappers willing to apologize to anyone with a petition.

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The Ying Yang Twins complained about people stealing a word they stole from someone else.

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After impressing us with "The Way," Ariana Grande rapped Big Sean's "Guap" and convinced us she's awesome.

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Frank Ocean ethered Chris Brown with Text Edit.

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DJ Khaled proposed to Nicki Minaj because there's no better way to promote a record than to troll.

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Childish Gambino made a very strange short film that had us googling Abella Anderson.

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Action Bronson told an audience of octogenarians they "need to slow down, baby" during an amazing performance.

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Drake dropped "All Me," declaring himself the light-skinned Keith Sweat, among other things.

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Date: August 1

RELATED: Listen: Drake f/ Big Sean and 2 Chainz "All Me"

Kendrick Lamar dropped the verse of the year...

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...and hundreds of rappers responded for weeks to come.

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Lady Gaga promoted her album in typical outrageous Lady Gaga ways, starting with her first single "Applause."

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Date: August 12

RELATED: Listen: Lady Gaga "Applause"

A$AP Ferg's Trap Lord proved A$AP Mob has another star besides Rocky and Yams.

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Prince actually started tweeting from his verified account and was immediately awesome at it.

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Earl Sweatshirt's Doris leaked and it underwhelmed because now the mystery behind him is gone.

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Drake was all about the "No New Friends" thing until he had dinner with Kanye and the Kardashians.

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To stream Juicy J's Stay Trippy, users had to play a video game where you throw money at a stripper's butt—because, of course you did.

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Drake released the album art for Nothing Was The Same and Twitter had a field day with it.

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Kanye West went on Kris Jenner's talk show and it was awkward, though he did debut a picture of North West.

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Miley Cyrus' twerking stole the show at the VMAs and at the very least, provided something to distract us from important issues we'd rather not think about.

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Eminem went "Berzerk" and hooked up with hip-hop consultant of the year, Rick Rubin.

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