Image via Complex Original
Eminem and Shady Records plan to drop the compilation album Shady XV later this month, and as a teaser they delivered an impressive 19-minute video cypher that featured a cappella freestyles from Em, Yelawolf, and each member of Slaughterhouse. Eminem stole the show as he closed out the session with a seven-minute freestyle that displayed his clever wordplay and signature raps that bordered on vulgar. We'd expect nothing less from Marshall.
Plus, Nicki Minaj's lyric video controversy, French Montana's 30th birthday bash, Fredo Santana vs. Migos, and Lorde checks Diplo. Check out all that and more in What the Hell Just Happened in Music This Week?
Fredo Santana sent shots at Migos after the ATL group attacked a fellow GBE member.
Date: November 9
The long-running beef between Migos and Chief Keef's GBE escalated when an altercation broke out between members of Migos' entourage and GBE member Capo in a Chicago restaurant. Following the incident, Fredo Santana stepped in and responded on Twitter, issuing some pretty direct warnings toward the Atlanta trio.
Now, Fredo lets loose “Go To War,” a new track featuring fellow drill veteran Lil Reese. While it was actually recorded before recent events, its message could easily apply to the GBE/Migos beef, with blood-thirsty lyrics like, “Finna be a Killa Season, let me call up Cam'ron.” Granted, these lyrics aren't uncommon for any given Fredo song, but the timing of the release is almost too fitting. —Meaghan Garvey
French Montana celebrated his 30th birthday with the likes of Kim, Khloe, Puffy, and more.
Date: November 10
French Montana had a lavish 30th birthday bash in Los Angeles. The party was, of course, filled to the brim with stars, including Diddy, Miguel, Snoop Dogg, but most importantly, Khloe Kardashian, which basically confirms that her and French are back together. Kim Kardashian was also at the party with Kylie and Kris Jenner, although there were no signs of Kanye West during the festivities.
No word yet on what French received gift wise for turning the big 30, but he did post an Instagram with the caption, “Chairs to life.” French of course meant to write, “Cheers to life,” but as the inventor of the “alphet,” he can do whatever the hell he wants. —Zach Frydenlund
Related: “Chairs to Life:” Here's What Went Down at French Montana's Birthday Party Last Night
Eminem and his Shady crew showed off their lyrical prowess in a 19-minute cypher.
Date: November 10
Eminem will be releasing his new double-disc Shady XV album soon that's set to feature one CD with all brand new songs from the Shady Records lineup and one CD of the label's greatest hits. To help build the anticipation, Shady has put together a special series of cyphers that showcases each member of the label doing what they do best. With home turf instead of a beat to rap on, Crooked I, Joe Budden, Yelawolf, Joell Ortiz, Royce Da 5'9”, and Eminem each spit their verses a cappella.
Following the cypher, Eminem drops "Detroit Vs. Everybody," which features an all-Detroit rapper cast and seemingly pits them against the rest of hip-hop. On the Midwest posse cut, Em calls on Big Sean, DeJ Loaf, Royce Da 5'9”, Danny Brown, and Trick Trick, as they all take turns ferociously spitting over the classic production from Statik Selektah.
As expected, this one is all about the bars, as Royce kicks things off with a stellar verse before it transitions to Big Sean, who raps for nearly two minutes, showcasing his usual flow and sharp rhymes while repping Detroit to the fullest. The song then turns up a notch following the strong hook from DeJ that smoothly goes into Danny's verse, while Shady finishes it off, doing what has made him a legend, spitting at a rapid-paced flow while staying on topic and mentioning the recent Adrian Peterson situation, amongst other timely things. —Zach Frydenlund
Related: Here's the “Shady CXVPHER” Featuring Eminem, Slaughterhouse, and Yelawolf
Chris Brown and Trey Songz revealed their upcoming tour dates with Tyga.
Date: November 11
After announcing their joint tour back in August, Chris Brown and Trey Songz share the full schedule for their upcoming trek across the country, appropriately titled "Between the Sheets." The 25-date tour includes stops in Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The two R&B singers will also be joined by Tyga, who is scheduled to release his new album, The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty, later this year.—Zach Frydenlund
Related: Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and Tyga Announce “Between The Sheets”
Rihanna visited the White House and did it with style.
Date: November 11
In between jetsetting from one magazine cover shoot to the next, Rihanna took the time to partake in a private tour of the White House, stopping to pose for photos to channel her inner Olivia Pope. Being that she is Rihanna after all, the pictures popped up in short order on her thankfully-revived Instagram account, @badgalriri.
Aside from posing with her “Scandal” viewing party crew in the West Wing, she rang up both the show's Chief of Staff and the President himself, Fitzgerald Grant. The First Lady of Instagram received some love from the show's cast; even Kerry Washington gave the future Madam President Fenty some props. —Luis Paez-Pumar
Related: Rihanna Channeled Olivia Pope and Took Over The White House on Monday
Big Bank Hank of The Sugarhill Gang passed away.
Date: November 11
Henry Jackson, better known by his alias Big Bank Hank as one-third of the pioneering hip-hop group, The Sugarhill Gang, has passed away. He was 57 years old. According to TMZ, Hank had been suffering from cancer.
Big Bank Hank began his rapping career in the early '70s, and alongside fellow Sugarhill members Master Gee and Wonder Mike, broke down barriers for hip-hop when their 1979 single “Rapper's Delight” reached Top 40 radio. Master Gee and Mike shared a statement with TMZ regarding Hank's passing, saying, “So sad to hear of our brother's passing. Rest in peace Big Bank." Others, such as LL Cool J, Funkmaster Flex, and Q-Tip, have shared their own condolences for the Bronx native. —Edwin Ortiz
Related: Big Bank Hank of The Sugarhill Gang Has Passed Away
Nicki Minaj apologized for the questionable creative direction of her “Only” lyric video.
Date: November 11
Nicki Minaj's lyric video for her The Pinkprint single “Only” has put the singer, and the video's director Jeff Osborne, in the middle of controversy over the use of Nazi imagery, including the Nuremberg-like rallies, armies, and SS-style Young Money banners which are littered throughout the animated clip. The ADL National Director and Holocaust survivor Abraham H. Foxman, issued a statement condemning the use of Nazi imagery in the animated visuals earlier this week:
“Nicki Minaj's new video disturbingly evokes Third Reich propaganda and constitutes a new low for pop culture’s exploitation of Nazi symbolism. The irony should be lost on no one that this video debuted on the 76th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “night of broken glass” pogrom that signaled the beginning of the Final Solution and the Holocaust.
It is troubling that no one among Minaj's group of producers, publicists and managers raised a red flag about the use of such imagery before ushering the video into public release.
This video is insensitive to Holocaust survivors and a trivialization of the history of that era. The abuse of Nazi imagery is deeply disturbing and offensive to Jews and all those who can recall the sacrifices Americans and many others had to make as a result of Hitler's Nazi juggernaut."
TMZ caught up with Nicki at LAX, where she laughed off some of the controversy, though she ended up apologizing on Twitter. "I didn't come up w/the concept, but I'm very sorry & take full responsibility if it has offended anyone. I'd never condone Nazism in my art."
The video director, Jeff Osborne, had a different take on the controversy:
"First, I’m not apologizing for my work, nor will I dodge the immediate question. The flags, armbands, and gas mask (and perhaps my use of symmetry?) are all representative of Nazism.
But a majority of the recognizable models/symbols are American: MQ9 Reaper Drone, F22 Raptor, Sidewinder missile, security cameras, M60, SWAT uniform, General’s uniform, the Supreme court, and the Lincoln Memorial. What’s also American is the 1st Amendment, which I’ve unexpectedly succeeded in showing how we willfully squeeze ourselves out of that right every day."
News surfaced of an Usher sex tape.
Date: November 12
Back in 2010, Usher's car was broken into somewhere down in Atlanta and the thief snatched two laptops, two video cameras, and a shitload of jewelry…. is that where the U-Chain went? TMZ is reporting that one of the laptops contained some explicit footage of Usher and his ex-wife Tameka Raymond, and someone is trying to sell it to the blogs again.
There's no way Usher will sign off on a release via adult film companies—and his lawyer, Mark Geragos, is aggressively trying to find whoever has the sex tape these days. —Lauren Nostro
Related: There's an Usher Sex Tape Allegedly Making Its Way Around the Black Market
Lorde called out Diplo for making fun of Taylor Swift's derriere.
Date: November 13
Diplo took to Twitter to suggest that someone start a Kickstarter to, and we quote, “get Taylor Swift a booty.” Of course, this excited some of his minions, one of which started an actual Kickstarter campaign.
But, Lorde, friend of Swift, had enough of the bullshit and effortlessly called out Diplo on Twitter with one simple, yet effective, tweet: "@diplo should we do something about your tiny penis while we're at it hm."
It's worth noting that Diplo and Katy Perry have been on and off again all year, and that Swift and Perry have had some very subliminal beef this year (Swift's “Bad Blood” is a perfect example of such). Either way, Swift probably couldn't give less of a fuck as she raked in 402,000 second week sales and is still sitting pretty at the top of the Billboard charts. Here's to hoping Lorde's tweet makes Swift's next album. —Lauren Nostro
Related: Lorde Flawlessly Sons Diplo on Twitter After He Makes Fun of Taylor Swift
