Image via Complex Original
The first month of 2014 is done and if this month set a precedent for the rest of the year, we'll be getting most of our music recorded via prison phone call a la Prodigy in 2010. All jokes aside, this week gave us way more Justin Bieber than we can handle—which seems to be the overwhelming sentiment for a lot of Americans with no grasp on how naturalization in this country works.
In other news, Macklemore had us all giving major side eye to his propensity for screengrabs, Cam'ron and A-Trak gave fans so much musical joy in their first drop from Federal Reserve, and we didn't even have to wait long before Cam started calling people out by name on his tracks. Another amazing moment this week included a gift exchange like none other between J. Cole and Jay Z. Rihanna and Shakira gave a few exchanges themselves, but in a much more aesthetically pleasing way.
All that and more on What The Hell Just Happened In Music This Week?
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RELATED: What The Hell Happened In Music Last Week? (Jan. 26)
Macklemore Texts Kendrick
Macklemore Instagrammed an apologetic text to Kendrick, which included a cop out for not publicly admitting he "robbed him."
Date: January 27
"With Macklemore winning four Grammys and Kendrick winning none, the Seattle rapper has turned into quite the rap villain with fans like Michael Rapaport tweeting about how upset they are about his victory (like we predicted).
Macklemore took to Instagram to post photos of text messages he sent Kendrick after the awards. Although Macklemore never actually apologizes, he admits he robbed the Compton rapper of an award that even he felt belonged to Kendrick."—Dharmic X, Insanul Ahmed
Justin Bieber in Panama
Justin Bieber dipped to Panama to escape from the madness of his DUI arrest.
Date: January 27
"After an insanely hectic week for Justin Bieber, things slowed down just a bit this weekend as the singer took a trip down to Panama. The purpose of that trip, though, is an open question: It's either a vacation to escape America's glaring eyes or an intervention staged by Scooter Braun and Usher in order to coax Bieber into entering rehab."—Jordan Sargent
Kanye Assault Settlement
The kid who spit racial slurs at Kim Kardashian will get a $250,000+ payout for his ignorance.
Date: January 28
"Earlier this month, it was reported that Kanye West allegedly assaulted an 18-year-old outside of a Beverly Hills doctor's office. West attacked the teenager after he allegedly spouted a bunch of racial slurs at West's fiancée Kim Kardashian. TMZ now reports that the case will be settled out of court, with the victim receiving more than $250K to not pursue criminal prosecution."—Claire Lobenfeld
Jay Z gives J. Cole Roc-A-Fella Chain
Jay Z one-ups Blue Ivy's gold sippy cup and gives J. Cole his first Roc-A-Fella chain.
Date: January 28
"Jay Z gave J. Cole the ultimate birthday gift. We're talking the kind of present that shits on everything one could possibly receive.
Not only did Hov make a surprise appearance at Jermaine's concert at Madison Square Garden, he also gave him his original Roc-A-Fella chain. Yes, the original.
Here's what Jay Z had to say about it during the show: 'It's your birthday but that on your neck is my original Roc chain, and it's yours.'"—Karizza Sanchez
A-Trak and Cam'ron "Humphrey"
Cam'ron and A-Trak dropped "Humphrey" from their upcoming EP.
Date: January 29
"Last week, Cam'ron and A-Trak set off a wave of excitement in the music world when they announced they were releasing a new joint EP called Federal Reserve with appearances from fellow Dipset members Jim Jones and Juelz Santana.
Now they've offered the first glimpse of what that project might look like, sharing the art, above, and the first single, "Humphrey." It features additional production from Fool's Gold artist and frequent Action Bronson collaborator Party Supplies."—Kyle Kramer
Justin Bieber Assault Charge
The Toronto Police Service issued a warrant for Justin Bieber, adding "assault" to his growing list of impropriety.
Date: January 29
"Just when it seemed like smooth sailing for Justin Bieber, TMZ reports that he has been charged with criminal assault. The charges come from a incident last December when Bieber and his entourage were taking a limousine in Toronto. The group allegedly got into an altercation with the driver.
One of the alleged crew members is being investigated for the assault. TMZ's sources say Bieber "will be booked for assault, given a citation and released on his own recognizance.'"—Claire Lobenfeld
Rihanna and Shakira Video
Shakira dropped a video for her duet with Rihanna, "Can't Remember To Forget You" and halted all producivity because... well... just look at them.
Date: January 30
"Shakira has released the music video for "Can't Remember to Forget You" with Rihanna, where the two singers travel off to an exotic island for a sweet rendezvous. While the song is clearly about a man in Shakira's life, she and Rihanna do an excellent job of treating it as if they were singing about each other. They spend half the video rubbing up on one another, and the other half gyrating to the rock-infused production. One thing is for sure: after watching this music video, we won't be forgetting about Shakira or Rihanna anytime soon."—Edwin Ortiz
