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Chuck D says Public Enemy firing Flavor Flav was a hoax intended to send a message. The revelation coincides with today's release of Enemy Radio's new album. View the full article

The NBA season may have been stopped because of the current global health pandemic but that doesn't mean that the league is exempt from the usual drama. Things have just shifted over to the virtual world. Without the opportunity to compete on the hardwood, NBA players will be going head-to-head in a Players-Only League on NBA 2K20. The game's social media head, Ronnie 2K, is well-known in the basketball community and, although he usually remains diplomatic, he forgot that he was on a live-stream when he hopped on a call about the upcoming tournament. Speaking to one of his colleagues, he accidentally revealed his true feelings about DeMarcus Cousins. "Cousins is such a dick, I can see him just being like, 'I don't wanna fucking do this,'" said Ronnie 2K, forgetting that he was in the middle of a live-stream. Once the 7-foot-tall center caught wind of the comment, he responded with a GIF on Twitter, which forced the gaming wiz to apologize. "Bro in a moment of work stress, I said something super dumb that wasn’t at all how I feel about you," said Ronnie 2K. "My bad & I sincerely apologize. Let’s have some fun starting this weekend, bring the action and see if you can be crowned champ." Rookie mistake. [via] View the full article

It's been awhile since we last scoured Soundcloud and brought you an edition of The Discovery Channel playlist. Since last summer, actually. Since it's inevitable everyone is at home working on their next musical masterpiece, or perhaps just beginning to dabble and experiment (because nothing else to do), we've decided it's an opportune moment to bring the playlist back. For this particular edition, we really relied on YOU. We put out a call for submissions on both Instagram and Twitter, and we received a shit ton of submissions in our Soundcloud DMs, and the best ones we heard actually make up the bulk of this playlist. For clarity purposes, I want to say: not every single song on the playlist below was submitted by a user -- approximately 12 of the songs that make up the 18-song playlist were user-submitted, and the rest I found through Soundcloud listening sessions. If you submitted but didn't make it this time, please keep your eyes peeled for when our DMs will be back open, as we plan to do that again very soon. The artists below are true Soundcloud up and comers, with followers that are growing, or barely-there yet. They've impressed with a singular song, adapting sounds and trends to suit their design, or experimenting and exploring new pop/rap/trap/lowfi avenues all in a very DIY-Soundcloud fashion. We start w the melodic, airy, rap, with Yola Ktwo's opening "Mhhm" really setting the stage for that. Things get progressively harder, and perhaps more angst-y, as the tracklist reaches closer to Slime Tokyo's submitted record "No Show" before things take a turn for the relaxing again, with the closing out songs veering firmly into r'n'b territory (with varying degrees of experimentation). If you are an upcoming artist, Soundcloud is also doing weekly Instagram Live sessions, AMAs and workshops to help artists continue to move their careers forward during this time. On top of that, Soundcloud has a complete guide for how to keep the music going during COVID-19, you can check out that resource here. Check out the new playlist, and let us know who you are fucking with from the tracklist below. The @'s in bracket indicate the user's Soundcloud handle, so you can check out and support their page. Let us know if you'd like more of this. THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL PLAYLIST - EPISODE 5 - TRACKLIST 1. Yola Ktwo - "Mhhm" (@yolaktwo) 2. Rence - "Hate u btw" (@yourstrulyrence) 3. Swank x Landeezy - "Believe In" (@justswankbruh) 4. Lil West - "BLEACH" (@lilwestbb) 5. J Neat - "Bros" (@jneat) 6. Lantrobroy Rosa - "Poltergeist" (@user-640821032) 7. Zarin Michael - "CRY IN THE RAIN" (@zarinmicheal1) 8. Macca Wiles - "Slime" (@maccawiles) 9. Slime Tokyo - "No Show" feat. RLNGOONY (@slimetokyo) 10. Just John - "Recipe" (@justjohnforreal) 11. Relu$ - "Rasheed Wallace" (@relusmoneysign-965153403) 12. Jay Pareil - "Hop Slide" (@user-666005475-913505696) 13. MAXIMILLZ - "On Your Own" feat. MULLALLY & ROMELL (@sumthrowaways) 14. Sierra Sellers - "Grown" (@sierra_sellers) 15. audrie powell - "Your Girl" (@audrie-powell) 16. Liza - "Morning Glory" (@liza_waz) 17. Eli Sostre - "FISH" (@elisostre) 18. Deonte Jupiter - "Enough" (@deontejupiter) 19. Ills Aint - "If You Wanna Run, Just Fucking Run" (@user980774583) View the full article

There's no denying that DMX is one of the greatest rappers in hip-hop history. Look no further than his epic 1998 run that included both It's Dark And Hell Is Hot and Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood, two classics released back-to-back. Not to mention his "Damien" trilogy, some of the best hip-hop horror penmanship of all time. A legacy act that has no doubt influenced a vast crop of modern-day rappers to some degree, fans have been eagerly anticipating the long-awaited followup to DMX's last studio album Return Of The Beast, which hit stores in 2015. Now, it would appear the time for a comeback is nearly upon us. Chris McKay/Getty Images Since we last heard from DMX, the rapper has experienced a slew of hardships, including a brief stint in prison for a tax-fraud charge. Determined to remind the masses what he's all about on the mic, X took to Instagram to provide an update on the state of his next project, which has been in the works for a minute. "Look thru my eyes," he captions. "Locked in the studio, there's a lot I have to say." The brief yet exciting update arrives on the heels of an unexpected cameo on Tory Lanez' madcap Quarantine Radio, which found X confirming that the album was currently in the works. Given that X has been increasingly active on social media of late, it wouldn't be surprising to see him kick off a rollout sooner rather than later. Regardless of how you might feel about new DMX music, it should be noted that his return is nothing short of a hip-hop triumph -- especially given some of the hardship he's endured in recent memory. Keep an eye out for more updates on the new DMX album as they surface. View the full article

We're only two days pout from the release of Rod Wave's next project, Pray 4 Love, a title that rings entirely true during these hard times. Ahead of its release, the rapper returned with a brand new single to uplift spirits titled, "The Greatest." Riding on a motivational theme, the rapper touches on the struggles he faced growing up before reaching the level of fame he's currently enjoying at these times and aspiring for bigger things. But even then, there are moments in the song where he touches on the paranoia and anxiety that he faces when contemplating what would happen if he lost everything he had now "The Greatest" arrives a few weeks after he released the title track off of the forthcoming project. Pray 4 Love serves as the follow-up to November 2019's Ghetto Gospel executive produced by Kevin Gates. Check out the Pray 4 Love tracklist below. 1. Pray 4 Love 2. To The Moon (Fuck The World) 3. Thief In The Night 4. Thug Life 5. I Remember 6. Rags2Riches 7. No Weakness 8. Roaming 9. The Greatest 10. Ribbon In The Sky 11. 5% Tints 12. Girl Of My Dreams 13. Dark Clouds 14. Thug Motivation Quotable Lyrics I ain't with the minimum wage I ain't with the modern day slavery Fuck is you sayin'? Told them crackas, 'Fuck you, pay me' Had to tell 'em 'Fuck you, pay me' This rap shit a block I guess it's back to the block In the streets, runnin' 'round playin' hookie View the full article

Kicking off our stay-at-home series of critical re-assessments of classic albums recorded in California: Fiona Apple's 'Extraordinary Machine.' View the full article

DJ Khaled and his wife Nicole Tuck's We The Best Foundation has provided tons of crucial protective equipment to healthcare workers in New York and Miami hospitals. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a major shortage in tons of critical supplies for doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, and many celebrities are taking action in order to make up for the lack of these items. One such celebrity is DJ Khaled, who, through he and his wife's We The Best Foundation, has teamed up with the non profit, Direct Relief, to provide protective equipment to those most vulnerable to the virus. Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Diamond Ball “Helping our local community when and where we can has always been our mission since we started the We The Best Foundation back in 2018," Khaled said in a statement. "By partnering with Direct Relief, Nicole and I are able to reach the medical staff who are most at risk in local hospitals in New York and Miami. It’s important to us to take care of those who take care of us.” Direct Relief has been rapidly mobilizing to get items such as N95 masks, surgical masks, isolation gowns, gloves, face shields, and sanitizers into the hands of as many frontline health workers as possible. The organization has even implemented daily emergency deliveries to nonprofit community clinics and health centers. In total, their combined efforts with We The Best has provided over 10,000 masks and gloves and dozens of PPE kits to healthcare workers. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images "Direct Relief is so deeply grateful for this extraordinary act of personal generosity from DJ Khaled and Nicole Tuck to help keep health workers safe as they put themselves at risk to keep all of us safe," said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President and CEO, in a press release. "This support translates into immediate, practical help, and is such a wonderful example of everyone pulling together and doing whatever we can to protect those who are most vulnerable." Khaled and We The Best have also teamed up with California-based company, simplehuman, to supply thousands of hands-free soap dispensers coated in germ-blocking nano-silver technology to communities across the U.S. This initiative begins on Wednesday (April 1st) in Los Angeles, before expanding to communities across the nation. According to the press release, Khaled and Nicole were inspired to get involved by their friend, Miami based designer Gelareh Mizrahi, whose brother has been on the front lines at a hospital in Brooklyn during the pandemic. View the full article

When Johnny Venus and Wowgr8-- known collectively as the Dreamville duo EarthGang--released Mirrorland last September, it immediately stood out as a potent piece of hip-hop magical realism. In fact, an argument could even be made that the pair concocted one of the most original albums of the last few years, blending surreal soundscapes with grassroots charm and Atlanta soul. Now, several months removed from the initial release, Olu and Gr8 have come through with some appropriately psychedelic visuals for the introductory "LaLa Challenge." The animation calls back to the worldbuilding first established on their three-part EP series Rags, Robots, and Royalty, a science-fiction inspired dystopia brimming with character. As expected, the clip aims to stimulate on a sensory level, with the climactic section playing out in a cacophonous explosion of color. Following the previous visuals for "Swivel," which borrowed heavily from the horror genre, "LaLa Challenge" continues to prove that EarthGang's creativity stretches far beyond the realm of audio. Check out the latest chapter from Mirrorland right now, complete with artwork from @mckayfelt for @strangeloopstudios. What do you think of this one? View the full article

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has apologized after posting a video to his social media pages that contained a racist statement against Albanian people, which he initially did not understand. The guard landed himself in hot water after posting the video, which he removed immediately after realizing he had made a mistake. "Sorry about the video i posted!! didn’t see the bad world !! i would never share something like that," said the 21-year-old basketball player on Twitter. He also reached out to Albanian personality Deni Hoxha, who responded to the video with harsh remarks. Hoxha noted that he accepts Doncic's honest apology and understands that the video was shared without the hooper's full understanding of its content. "Mavericks player Luka Doncic shared by mistake a video with racist remarks towards Albanians. Thank you Luka for your apology," said the Albanian. "I believe you. Reconciliation between our nations is the only way forward." Doncic has blossomed into one of the best players in the entire league, becoming the first player to ever earn two 40-point triple-doubles before turning twenty-one. When/if the NBA season continues, he will surely be somebody to keep your eye on. Do you think Luka Doncic can continue his tremendous rise in the basketball world? Kevin Winter/Getty Images [via] View the full article

K Camp is keeping the streets flooded this year. Following the success of the viral single, "Lotto (Renegade)" that reached major milestones in K Camp and Reazy Renegade's careers, the rapper hasn't stopped dropping hits. Especially in a time when everyone is inside, the rapper's making sure to spread some vibes across the Internet. Today, he returned with his new single, "Cry To You" with production from Section 8 x youngtn, for the latest installment in the Wavy Wednesday. With a more melancholic vibe, Camp delivers an introspect record speaking on the hardships he's faced to get where he is today. His latest track arrives just a few days after he teamed up with 6lack, Ari Lennox, and Tink for the single, "Black Men Don't Cheat." Peep his new track below. Quotable Lyrics Fuck on these bitches for extra credit I done made me some money, I keep a debit Gotta keep me some bread, I'm talkin' lettuce Don't be talkin' to feds, they out to get us View the full article

Quarantine Radio was lit yesterday, attracting over 300,000 viewers and including cameos from some of Tory Lanez's most famous friends. French Montana, Drake, and a bunch of others showed out for the record-breaking stream, but one person was noticeably absent. Chris Brown could be seen in the comments of the live-stream asking for Doja Cat to make an appearance, presumably so that he could formally shoot his shot at the Los Angeles rapper. She did not appear during the stream though. Instead, she posted up on her own page and shared a thirst-trappy photo. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Flexing her Fashion Nova outfit, Doja Cat posted a brand new picture to her social media accounts, wearing a pair of lace shorts that revealed her thighs and a little bit of skin. The comments to the shot are complimentary of the look, but some fans felt a need to inform the rapper that Chris Brown was on the prowl and has taken a liking to her. "Chris Brown want u sis he said it on Tory Lanez live," said one fan. "Chris been checking for you all day," added another. Whenever CB logs onto Instagram, he'll surely take notice of Doja Cat's latest thirst trap. Do you think he'll go even more wild on tomorrow's episode of Quarantine Radio? View the full article

As a global pandemic turns music listeners insular, "lo-fi hip-hop beats to study to" have transcended the meme-o-sphere and become an integral part of nostalgic comfort. View the full article

Our daily culture watch (and hear) list includes 'Carmen,' 'Nora Highland,' 'Nixon in China,' Ree Morton at ICA LA and Pedrito Martinez. View the full article

As an April Fools' prank, singer Jaejoong of K-pop group JYJ told millions of Instagram followers that he tested positive for the coronavirus. It backfired. View the full article

UPDATE: After fans felt the tilt was too one-sided, Mannie Fresh has officially replaced T-Pain. The singer addressed the change via Instagram: Monster Producer up against a beast producer. Makes a lot more sense lol. The ppl spoke up so @timbaland and @therealswizzz are looking for somebody that makes more sense to go up against me. Ngl when they hit me with the @scottstorchofficial call I was “n***a that’s weird but let’s go” but yea. Producer at producer makes more sense for sure." ORIGINAL STORY With the coronavirus pandemic rendering many traditions obsolete, it has in turn produced a notable influx in online battles, particularly between producers. We've already seen Timbaland face off against his longtime rival Swizz Beatz, and Boi-1da waged war with Hit-Boy in a badass and banger-fueled duel. Now, the paperwork has been signed and the new matchup has been decided. Look for Scott Storch to go up against T-Pain tonight at 8PM EST in a match that many are already predicting to be a full-blown slaughter. And yet, T-Pain has proven above all else that he is both a competitor and an incredible sportsman. Taking to Instagram to hype the musical match-up, T-Pizzle had a laugh at his own expense in the process. "This boy @scottstorchofficial bout to curb stomp me," he captions. "Win or lose I’m honored to be apart of the biggest thing happening right now. Tune in and celebrate music history wit us! Shit gon be fun regardless. Thank you @timbaland and @therealswizzz." Though Storch has kept the trash-talk to a minimum, he did share a clip of T-Pain addressing the challenge on his Instagram. "You know folks, sometimes a challenge comes into your house and you gotta accept," explains Pain. "Swizz hit me, Timbo hit me, and this is happening. T-Pain vs Scott Storch. There's going to be a lot of hits. Scott, you don't want the smoke. It's happening buddy!" Check out the announcement poster below, and hit the comment section with your predictions. View the full article

Plácido Domingo, who tested positive for the coronavirus March 22 and was reportedly hospitalized days ago, is home and feeling "fine," he said in a statement. View the full article

Actor and author Patricia Bosworth, Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and jazz great Ellis Marsalis Jr. have all died from the coronavirus. View the full article

Adam Schlesinger, the Fountains of Wayne cofounder who won an Emmy for his 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' songwriting, is hospitalized with the coronavirus. View the full article

We've selected nine things to watch online today — all of them free — including performances by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and violinist Johnny Gandelsman View the full article

K-pop supergroup BTS was among the acts that performed on James Corden's 'Homefest' special on Monday night. View the full article

One of the memorable highlights from the first season of Netflix's Rhythm + Flow came from a moment between the season's winner, D Smoke, and rap icon Snoop Dogg. Following D Smoke's performance, Snoop, along with the other judges, critiqued his performance. When it came to the Doggystyle rapper's turn to speak, he put a little pressure on D Smoke when he asked him where he was from. "I'm from Inglewood," he answered. Snoop pressed him again with the same question. D Smoke was unmoving and gave the same response. That moment may have been seen as a tense exchange, but it was a lesson that Snoop wanted to give from one fellow Californian rapper to another. While chatting with People's Party with Talib Kweli, D Smoke expounded on the significance of that much talked about Rhythm + Flow encounter with Snoop Dogg. "Let's start by saying, Snoop didn't ask everybody that," he began. "I think, before I said I was from Inglewood, I think he already wanted to ask. And I think it speaks to the energy and, to use your word, the authenticity behind what I presented in my art, in my performance. Snoop, he didn't ask anybody else that, which means he was moved in a different way." "I think I'm an intersection of all that sh*t in the same box. Like, church, street, music, art, you know what I'm saying, fightin'," D Smoke continued. "I think Snoop saw that and I think it was a line—I didn't mean to look at Snoop but I think I looked at him when I said, 'If you don't like it then fight me / go meet the heel of my Nikes.' I think part of it could have been like, 'Okay, he got that energy.'... I don't know if that part made the cut but he said, 'I can tell you got that energy.'" He also said that Snoop has been a major supporter of his career ever since. The rapper added that the way Snoop approached the situation was an "L.A. thing" and he was more than familiar with what was going on. Check out his full interview with People's Party with Talib Kweli below. View the full article

For millions of fans, DJ Jazzy Jeff is a national treasure. Ever since he stepped into the music scene alongside his partner in crime the Fresh Prince, also known as Will Smith, the pair have been beloved icons in hip hop. That's why it came as a shock to the public over the weekend when DJ Jazzy Jeff shared on social media that he's exhibited major symptoms of coronavirus, or COVID-19. Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty Images “Pls say a prayer for all the sick...it’s a lot more than you know!!" he wrote on his Instagram Story. "I’m recovering from pneumonia in both my lungs…I lost my sense of smell and taste which is a main sign of the virus. I would NOT be here if not for my guardian angel for a wife!” He didn't outwardly state that he was diagnosed with COVID-19, but fans still took his warning to heart. DJ Jazzy Jeff added, “Please take this serious…it does not care who you are…what you do or what your plans are. Stay safe.” He was met with tens of thousands of well-wishes from friends, family, and strangers alike. Prayers up for DJ Jazzy Jeff and here's to hoping for a speedy recovery! View the full article

There's a new movement on the horizon, and it's been launched by Sinbad. The legendary comedian hoped to bring some laughing relief during this quarantine by sharing a funny mockumentary type clip where he spoke on the "Dark White Chronicles." Sinbad spoke about his"cheetah tribe" of lighter-skinned celebrities including Ava DuVernay, Klay Thompson, Ice-T, Nicole Ari Parker, Blake Griffin, Halsey, The Rock, Vin Diesel, Zoe Kravitz, Lionel Richie, and Chris Brown. Imeh Akpanudosen / Stringer / Getty Images Sinbad joked that they're "neither white nor black" but are "dark white." He mentioned that one day he wants to be in a movie about slavery and lead the rebellion and also quipped that he felt out of place when he watched Black Panther and didn't see anyone that looked like him. "Dark White Chronicles - Pt. 1," Sinbad penned. "The frustrations of a dark white man. It’s time to be seen. Tag your favorite Dark White and join the movement. If you’ve been hiding, we got your back. Memberships coming soon." After learning that his name was mentioned in Sinbad's clip, Chris Brown shared the video on his Instagram page where he called out Drake, too." #DARKWHITE CHEETAH TRIBE 'THE CHEETAH KING' @champagnepapi U IN THIS TOO N*GGA @sinbadbad. #IMLIGHTBLACK," Chris Brown wrote in the caption. The "cheetah king" has yet to respond publicly. Check out both Sinbad and Brown's IG posts below. View the full article

"You Mad" became a staple in pop culture after Cam'ron taunted Bill O'Reilly with that phrase on Fox News in the early 2000s. Though it's been used on several occasions since then, Smooky Margielaa has flipped the phrase for his latest track, "You Mad." Releasing it exclusively on his Instagram page, the song delivers a woozy melody-filled banger laced up with cold piano keys and thumping bass. Though he's not directing his energy to any right-wing pundit on this one, he does stunt on his haters and the ladies in his life that are blowing up his phone. The rapper took to Instagram where he explained that he's never seen anyone drop a song on Instagram so he felt it would be cool to give his fans something to vibe out to exclusively on his platform. Check out his new song below. Quotable Lyrics I meant everything I said There's nothing said that I regret It was times I was down And you left my ass on read View the full article

YNW Melly was supposed to be the next biggest star in hip-hop but his incarceration has blocked him from fully fulfilling his potential. Even so, he's still reached mainstream success, even releasing a new project, Melly Vs. Melvin while behind bars. Whether or not he's ever released from prison has yet to be determined but a few weeks ago, there was speculation that he may have been hinting towards a release date, though it actually turned out to be the date the remix of "Suicidal" with the late Juice WRLD dropped. Apparently, there was a chance he was supposed to be out, though. His mother, Jamie King, shared a video of YNW Melly and YNW Bortlen riding around and vibing out to music. "Free My sons nothing is complete without y’all @ynw.bortlen @ynwmelly," she wrote in a post. A fan commented underneath, "I thought he was sposed to been out whaat happened." Without saying too much, King simply replied, "Coronavirus happened." There haven't been any public announcements that he would be released from jail but from was Jamie King said in the comments, it appears that there's a chance he could be out once the Coronavirus pandemic dies down. His former attorney Bradford Cohen previously stated that while he won't be representing Melly, he believes the charges will be dismissed due to weak evidence. View the full article