Author Archive for: Admin

Last week, Rostam Batmanglij shared a new solo single. Today he declared his intention to leave Vampire Weekend and strike out on his own. “I wanted to let ppl kno I’m no longer a member of VW,” he wrote on Twitter. “Ezra and I will continue to collaborate on future projects + future VW songs.”

“My identity as a songwriter + producer… needs to stand on my own,” he continued. “There is so much amazing music—all of it dear to me—on its way to you.”

Batmanglij has collaborated with a number of other musicians already, including Carly Rae Jepsen and Charli XCX. Read his full statement below.

Young Thug announced yesterday that he’s planning to release a new mixtape at the end of next week. He followed that today with a lengthy interview on Sway In The Morning. Topics covered include his disputes, past and present, with Plies, the Game, Rich Homie Quan, and Lil Wayne.

The conversation turns to Kanye West around the 17-minute mark. “Kanye’s like 50 Shades of Grey. He’s interesting. You want to be like, ‘I want to be around him, let’s see.’ He’s interesting and he’s really into music, he really is. He don’t interview you or nothin,’ he’s just like, ‘come on, listen to these beats, listen to these songs, I might put these out.’ He lets you just—he opens up fast… I think he’s a guy almost every man would want to be, or would want to be like, or would want to be in that direction, including me. He’s cool, caring. He has a real work ethic. If I was in his position, I’d still work, but I wouldn’t work as hard as him. He work[s] every day like he’s an upcoming rapper. He’s serious.”

Sway then asked Thug if he’s planning a collaborative project with Kanye. (Thug’s collaborator Be El Be recently hinted in since-deleted tweets that Thug might appear on SWISH.) “He made me sign some kind of papers, so I don’t know if I can tell,” Thug said with a laugh. “Me and him got something going on. Of course. A lot of things going on.”

Look for Slime Season 3 February 5.

The latest offering from Meow The Jewels is a clip put together by the animator Cyriak. It is packed to the brim with all forms of felines: cats with tons of eyes, cyclops cats, flying cats. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT TO YOU.. ‘meowpurrdy,'” El-P wrote on Twitter. “Thank you @Clarknova1 for helping us make THE GREATEST CAT RAP VIDEO OF ALL TIME.”

RTJ recently shared a clip from Run The Jewels 3.

Rapper/producer, Rashad Stark craves for success in his thrilling new video, “Wanna Ball 2.” As Stark goes on about his desire to ball, a mysterious figure mixes up potions in a kitchen illuminated by red lights. The obscure visuals for the track offer a unique portrayal of the magic that Stark raps about trying to tap into. The clip also features rappers Yuppie Lifestyle and Fat Trel and was filmed on location in Stark and Trel’s hometown of Washington D.C.

Fat Trel said an in email to The FADER, “The beat was smooth and I was rocking with da vibe of the record. Didn’t really know the video’s direction but it turned out dope.”

Enjoy the rap fairy tale above.

This morning, B.o.B. released “Flatline,” a track that aimed to give further explanation to his theory that the world is flat. On the song, he takes aim at scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who on Monday publicly explained to the rapper that the world is round. On the songs second verse, B.o.B. also raps: Do your research on David Irving/ Stalin was way worse than Hitler/ That’s why the POTUS gotta wear a Kipper [kippah]/ I’m a man first ‘fore an artist/ Get a lawyer, look up Doctor Richard Sauder.

The lyrics seem to carry at least a bit of anti-semitism, especially in their endorsement of David Irving’s research. Irving is a famous European Holocaust denier. In 2011, a London judge described him as an “anti-Semitic and racist” person who “associates with right-wing extremists who promote neo-Nazism.”

Reached over email from the Scottish highlands on Tuesday, Irving told The FADER that he had never heard of B.o.B. or the song until we contacted him. “I would like to say I have the greatest respect for American rap singers, but can’t quite get the words out,” he said.

According to Irving, his reading of the lyrics suggests that “[B.o.B.] does not quite go along with what the media (and shortly, Hollywood) says about me, quite right.” Irving said he agreed with B.o.B.’s estimation that Stalin was worse than Hitler. “I think that Stalin is credited with 35,000,000 nicks on his bedpost, Hitler only 6,000,0000,” he wrote.

And although Irving was unfamiliar with the terms “POTUS” and “kippur,” he said that he “will now take a greater interest in American rap.”

Representatives for B.o.B. did not immediately return a request for comment.

The long wait for Rihanna‘s ANTI—fka #R8—may be drawing to a close. The penultimate room in her Samsung ANTIdiary app, presumed to be a countdown to the album, was opened three weeks ago; and just a couple days ago, the singer posted a picture of herself listening to the record.

Today, Billboard reports that its sources have confirmed that ANTI will be out “likely as a surprise release before Friday.” The report also mentions that a single featuring “an OVO artist” will debut at 8 a.m. EST Wednesday. A representative for Rihanna did not immediately return a request for comment.

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