Latest news with #K-Dot
Black America Web
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees Have Been Announced
The MTV Video Music Awards, colloquially known as the VMAs, have announced their list of nominees for this year's ceremony. This year, for the first time, CBS and MTV will both air the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards in early September. This year's MTV Video Music Awards feature categories that are sponsored by internationally known brands that we'll list below. As this is Hip-Hop Wired, we're keen to highlight nominees related to the genre in the nominees list. Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' is up for a Video Of The Year VMA, presented by Burger King. K-Dot is joined by The Weeknd and Playboy Carti's 'Timeless.' For Artist Of The Year, Lamar shows up once more, and Houston superstar Beyoncé is also one of the nominees. Doechii, one of the most exciting artists to emerge in years, is up for a Song Of The Year VMA for her stellar 'Anxiety' track, and 'Timeless' shows up once again. In the Best Hip-Hop VMA slot, Doechii's 'Anxiety, Drake's 'NOKIA,' Eminem and Jelly Roll's 'Somebody Save Me,' GloRilla and Sexyy Red's 'WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME,' K-Dot's 'Not Like Us,' LL COOL J and Eminem's 'Murdergram Deux,' and Travis Scott's '4X4' were listed. Check out the full nominee list by clicking here and cast your votes. The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards will air on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. ET. — Photo: Getty SEE ALSO The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees Have Been Announced was originally published on
Black America Web
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Clipse Drop New ‘Let God Sort Them Out' Album, Hip-Hop Fans Rejoice On X
Clipse, the duo of brothers Pusha T and Malice, last dropped an album in 2009 with Til The Casket Drops , giving way to King Push's strong solo career. With the duo reunited, the Clipse's new album, Let God Sort Them Out , is getting some early positive returns on X as Hip-Hop fans are joined in rejoicing. Let God Sort Them Out , the fourth album from the Brothers Thorton, is more of the pair's usual technical flair and clear diction, with the requisite brick talk that serves as a metaphor more than anything. With longtime producer and collaborator Pharrell Williams handling the entire bulk of production, the clear-eyed vision of Push and Malice never wavers. The album opens with 'The Birds Don't Sing,' featuring John Legend and Voices of Fire. Pusha T opens up with a moving verse depicting the passing of his mother, mentioning his young son, while also referring to his brother by his given first name. Malice continues the autobiographical bent with his verse centering on their father. An early crowd favorite follows in 'Chains & Whips,' which was previously heard last year when the brothers teased the track during a Louis Vuitton fashion show last year. However, the surprise appearance of Kendrick Lamar solidified the excitement, and K-Dot delivers a sinister verse that may or may not be directed toward a certain Canadian superstar. According to X, other highlights include 'P.O.V.' featuring a blistering verse from Tyler, The Creator, the previously-released 'Ace Trumpets,' and 'Inglorious Bastards' featuring their longtime partner, Ab-Liva. Nas also shows up on the track 'Chandeliers,' which appears on the tail end of the strong album title cut. Stove God Cooks, who works alongside Westside Gunn and the sprawling Griselda collective, shows up for 'F.I.C.O.,' as he's one of the top 'coke rap' stars in the game now. We've got reactions from X to Clipse dropping their new Let God Sort Them Out project below. Check out the album at your preferred DSPs below. — Photo: Getty Clipse Drop New 'Let God Sort Them Out' Album, Hip-Hop Fans Rejoice On X was originally published on
See - Sada Elbalad
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Temple University Announces New Course about Kendrick Lamar & His Cultural Impact
Yara Sameh Temple University is planning a new course this fall focused on Kendrick Lamar and his cultural impact on the Black experience. Local outlet NBC10 in Philadelphia broke the news earlier this week, announcing the course is titled 'Kendrick Lamar and the Moral of M.A.A.D. City.' The course will be taught by Professor Timothy Welbeck, who teaches in the Department of Africology and African American Studies and is currently the Director of the Center for Anti-Racism. Welbeck has taught at Temple for 14 years and has often woven hip-hop and the Black experience into his courses. He previously taught about urban Black politics, 2Pac, and the intersection of rap with Black identity. Welbeck has been planning and prepping this Kendrick course for over a year and has previously used K-Dot's material in his other classes. 'My current department chair was very open to the idea and received it almost immediately,' Welbeck told NBC10. 'In a lot of ways, our department at Temple specifically, and Temple more broadly, has embraced the study of hip-hop in academic spaces.' He added, 'Kendrick Lamar is one of the defining voices of his generation, and in many ways, both his art and life is reflective of the Black experience in many telling ways,' Welbeck told the outlet. 'Being able to discuss his art in the environment that helps lead him into being the man that he is in a lot of ways can tell you him as an individual, but can also talk about the journey's towards self-actualization, particularly as it is related to the Black experience.' The course will more particularly focus on how K-Dot and hip-hop examine the evolution of Black expression in America. Welbeck said he hopes the course will help students see the power of hip-hop as a form of art and storytelling. Kendrick is not only the first Black artist to be a focal point at Temple University, previous course topics also highlighted Jay-Z and Beyoncé's accomplishments as well. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
Los Angeles Times
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Where's the music that meets this moment? Black artists are stepping up
It's been one year since Kendrick Lamar took the Kia Forum stage in Inglewood for 'The Pop Out: Ken and Friends,' the first in a series of highly publicized victory laps that have come at the expense of his deflated rival, Drake. Their rap battle began more than a decade ago, and the two heavyweights exchanged subtle lyrical jabs until the gloves came off in the winter of 2023. By the following spring, they were exchanging a flurry of scathing diss tracks, each diving deeper into the other's personal life. The fight was competitive until K-Dot landed the haymaker. It wasn't the chart performance of 'Not Like Us' that declared Lamar the winner. No recording artist has more Billboard Hot 100 entries than Drake. In fact, he has more appearances on the chart than Michael Jackson, Elvis and the Beatles combined. When it comes to talent and commercial success, Drake is unquestionably among the greats. The reason Lamar was able to knock him out was because Drake's authenticity couldn't take a punch. That's not just my score card. That's what the culture was feeling. Lamar performed 'Not Like Us' five times during that Juneteenth show last year and dropped the accompanying music video on the Fourth of July. By the time Vice President Kamala Harris was playing it at her first rally as the presumptive Democratic nominee in Atlanta, every sporting event in America was playing that song. Yes, the 'A-minor' double entendre was catchy, and it is always good to have Mustard on the beat. But what elevates 'Us' is the same thing that grounds the artist who wrote it — an unapologetic defense of the culture and the people from which the art originates. As the saying goes: 'Everybody wants to sing our blues. Nobody wants to live our blues.' For Lamar, the decadelong rap battle stems from his lifelong disdain for gangster cosplay and the vacuous monetizing of Black culture. As the diss tracks between the two progressed, it was clear Drake was still trying to win a rap battle — while Lamar was inspiring a conversation beyond their beef, rap music and even the entertainment industry. At the heart of Lamar's surgical evisceration of Drake's brand of artistry is a question all creatives must ask of themselves at some point: What am I doing this for? * * * Few inflection moments in American history have shaped our society quite like the convergence of war, technological advancement, old-fashioned prejudice and artistic expression during the summer of 1969. From the Apollo moon landing and Woodstock to the Stonewall riots and the Harlem Cultural Festival, there wasn't a disciple or demographic that was not directly affected over that stretch. It was during the summer of 1969 when the great Nina Simone gave a concert on the campus of Morehouse College in Atlanta after the school's most famous alumnus — the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — had been assassinated the year before. Simone joined other artists there to offer the students encouragement. That summer she also debuted the song 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black' and performed it during the Harlem Cultural Festival. Her contemporaries Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin soon recorded their own versions of the song — not because of its chart success, but because of its purpose. 'An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times,' Simone said after her Morehouse performance. 'How can you be an artist and not reflect the times? That to me is the definition of an artist.' Indeed, after Bob Dylan asked 'how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?' in his 1962 protest song, 'Blowin' in the Wind,' Sam Cooke was inspired to declare 'it's been a long time coming, but I know change is gonna come' in 1963. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham pushed Simone to write her first protest song in 1964: 'Mississippi Goddam.' By the summer of 1969, she was known as much for her work in the civil rights movement as for her music. Simone still wrote songs about love, heartache, those sorts of things. However, the reason her legacy still looms large today (the Irish singer Hozier named his third EP after her in 2018) is that Simone was also willing to use her art to reflect the times. Not sure if you've looked around the country recently, but the times we live in are a-changing. And just as was the case in the summer of 1969, the summer of 2025 finds the U.S. at a convergence of war (Ukraine-Russia/Israel-Gaza-Iran) and technological advancement (especially artificial intelligence) and old-fashioned prejudice (indiscriminate ICE raids). However, in this updated version of America, the White House has taken over the Kennedy Center, has cut off National Endowment for the Arts grants, has threatened the broadcast licenses of news networks and is holding a guillotine over Big Bird's head. Because of President Trump's unprecedented hostility toward long-standing cultural and academic institutions, there is a question of how far tech and media executives will allow today's artists to reflect the times we're living in. 'I think it's hard today to get a feel for the totality of what people are feeling because there's so much out there to consume,' documentarian and author Nelson George told me. 'The Chuck D who's 25, right now, I don't hear him. The Tracy Chapman of this era. Do we really not have voices that are saying something or are we not getting access to those people? All those songs from other moments in history, I'm surprised there hasn't been an anthem for this time yet.' Comedian Roy Wood Jr. said he feels that in his line of work, 'resistance humor or educating humor' works best in television because 'TV is a reflection of who we are, where I feel like movies are what we wish we could be or were.' The host of CNN's 'Have I Got News for You' also said because of the political climate we're in, instead of challenging us to learn or grow as a culture, TV executives are 'canceling a lot of the shows that really focused on serious societal issues because there's a pushback against those types of topics.' Big Sean, whose 2013 project with Lamar is pegged as the starting point of the Drake beef, said there was significance to Lamar's 'pop out' appearing on Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S. 'I feel like being Black is awesome.… We worked as a people to get there, to feel like that,' he told me. 'That's why I'm so thankful for the people that said I'm Black and I'm proud.' And that James Brown vibe is the type of art Big Sean said he is currently working on, the kind that uplifts and gives listeners hope. Lamar's Juneteenth show was livestreamed on Prime and became Amazon Music's most-watched production. For Ben Watkins, creator of the Prime TV series 'Cross,' the success of Lamar's performance — along with his Super Bowl show and current tour with SZA — is proof there is a hunger for authentic Black artistic expression in this current political environment. As he was putting together the TV show, Watkins said, he told everyone involved: 'I'm going to do a Black man with swagger, I'm going to show D.C. to its fullest and I'm going to honestly talk about some of the controversies and contradictions of a Black cop.' The reaction? 'That sounds great to us.' 'Cross' premiered the week after the 2024 election and for 100 days it was among Prime Video's top 10 most-watched series. Grammy winner Ledisi said she wasn't planning on writing a political anthem when she began composing 'BLKWMN' for her latest album. However, her tribute to the resolve of Black women was embraced as an anthem after its release in February. 'I wasn't thinking of any of that, just creating,' she told me. 'When you're truly creating … you just have an intention of releasing whatever that feeling is. I'm glad it resonated with the times.' Even before the song took off, Ledisi unexpectedly found herself in the middle of social media attacks for daring to sing the National Black Anthem at this year's Super Bowl. That's why when she sang a couple of lines from one of Lamar's anthems during a recent tour stop in Chicago, I couldn't help but feel it was more a word of encouragement for herself and the predominantly Black audience than it was a nod to a commercially successful track. That week Trump announced plans to resurrect names from the Confederacy on public land. Just hours before Ledisi took the stage, 'No Kings' protesters came marching by, followed closely by local police. Their chants echoed loudly throughout the North Loop, their passion forcing those shopping and dining near the river to take notice. The concrete walls and thick glass designed to rebuke Chicago's winter could not keep out the cries of the people. Later that night Ledisi, whose Nina Simone tribute album was nominated for a Grammy in 2021, looked up in the balcony, smiled — and visibly exhaled. 'We gon' be all right,' she sang to a full Chicago Theatre house. 'We gon' be all right.' * * * Few inflection moments in American history have shaped our society quite like the convergence of war, technological advancement and old-fashioned prejudice during the summer of 1865. The second round of the Industrial Revolution was on the horizon, the Confederacy was on its last legs, and the first Juneteenth celebration was born. However, while the Civil War was all over, racism managed to emerge from the wreckage unscathed. In fact, a Confederate journalist by the name of Edward A. Pollard began working on a revisionist history book that painted the South as noble and slavery as unimportant to their way of life. Pollard's piece of fake news, 'The Lost Cause: A New Southern History of the War of the Confederates,' was completed before President Andrew Johnson had even declared the war officially over. And to this day there are elected officials from former Confederate states who repeat untruths about the war that originated from Pollard, an enslaver. Today there are state holidays in honor of men who fought against this country because for some white people it still feels better to believe Pollard's lies about the Confederacy than to accept the truth about America. Historically this is where creatives have come in, using artistic expression to fill in the gaps in our understanding of one another. Sometimes the art is profitable. A few times it hits No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list or Billboard chart. More often than not, it is underappreciated. However, art that reflects an authentic lived experience is always necessary. It is both the spark that can ignite a fire and the coolant that prevents us all from overheating. Over the last century, each time it seems the world was falling apart — be it war, famine or disease — it was always the artists who kept us laughing, hoping and believing. A year ago, on Juneteenth, Kendrick Lamar took the Forum stage for what was initially viewed as a victory celebration. And it was … though he didn't do it for himself. KDot did it for 'Us.' @LZGranderson
Black America Web
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Compton's Creative: Celebrating Kendrick Lamar's 38th Birthday With All Of His Top 10 Billboard Hits
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty One of the greatest rappers of all time celebrates his 38th birthday today (June 17th). Continue reading to check out a gallery of some of Kendrick Lamar's biggest hits to celebrate the grand occasion. The Compton, California native began his career by releasing several mixtapes (under the name K-Dot) that gained considerable attention in the underground scene. In 2010, he started to turn heads in more than just his hometown with the release of the mixtape Overly Dedicated. His next project, the independent album Section.80 , laid the groundwork for his mainstream breakthrough. The body of work showcased his uncanny ability to merge introspective lyricism and sharp social commentary. Lamar made his major-label debut in 2012 with the critically acclaimed good kid, m.A.A.d city . The masterpiece chronicled his coming-of-age in Compton and included the tracks 'Swimming Pools' and 'Money Trees,' which become cultural staples. He then showed off his versatility and gave fans a bold and experimental album entitled To Pimp A Butterfly . The album fuzed jazz, funk, and spoken word to explore themes of Black identity, systemic oppression, and self-worth. At this point, Kendrick became more than just a rapper, he became a voice of the culture. His next album, DAMN., touched on morality, fame and inner conflict. With stand out tracks including 'DNA.' and 'HUMBLE.' the album earned Lamar the Pulitzer Prize for Music (the first ever awarded to a hip-hop artist). Kendrick then took a brief hiatus from solo work, but still showcased his influence across music and film when he curated the Black Panther soundtrack in 2018. After parting ways with longtime label Top Dawg Entertainment in 2021, Lamar returned with Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The deeply introspective double album once again touched on topics extremely close to home including generational trauma, therapy, fatherhood and personal growth. With the album, Kendrick made it abundantly clear that he wasn't afraid to confront uncomfortable truths, which critics lauded him for. Last year, Kendrick partook in one of the most legendary rap beefs of all time with Drake. The historic exchange led to numerous chart-toppers for Lamar, who the majority of the public crowned the winner. It was the perfect segue to his latest album, GNX. S urprising fans worldwide, it was a West Coast hip-hop project that leaned heavily into G-funk grooves with a modern edge. Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever do it. His rare combination of lyrical brilliance, cultural impact and artistic innovation have set him apart from a lot of his peers. With a Pulitzer, 22 Grammys and may more accolades under his belt, it's no surprise that his discography is full of slaps. To celebrate his birthday and untouchable legacy, check out a gallery of all his Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits. HAPPY 38TH KUNG FU KENNY! , Compton's Creative: Celebrating Kendrick Lamar's 38th Birthday With All Of His Top 10 Billboard Hits was originally published on Source:ASAPROCKYUPTOWN Debut Date: November 17th, 2012 Peak Position: 8 Weeks On Chart: 27 Source:Taylor Swift Debut Date: November 15th, 2014 Peak Position: 1 Weeks On Chart: 25 Source:Maroon 5 Debut Date: October 29th, 2016 Peak Position: 6 Weeks On Chart: 27 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 6th, 2017 Peak Position: 1 Weeks On Chart: 38 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 6th, 2017 Peak Position: 4 Weeks On Chart: 20 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: January 20th, 2018 Peak Position: 7 Weeks On Chart: 26 Source:The Weeknd Debut Date: February 17th, 2018 Peak Position: 7 Weeks On Chart: 20 Source:Lil Wayne Debut Date: October 13th, 2018 Peak Position: 2 Weeks On Chart: 8 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 28th, 2022 Peak Position: 7 Weeks On Chart: 11 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 28th, 2022 Peak Position: 3 Weeks On Chart: 6 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 28th, 2022 Peak Position: 5 Weeks On Chart: 5 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 28th, 2022 Peak Position: 8 Weeks On Chart: 2 Source:Future Debut Date: April 6th, 2024 Peak Position: 1 (3 weeks) Weeks On Chart: 32 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 11th, 2024 Peak Position: 3 Weeks On Chart: 17 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: May 18th, 2024 Peak Position: 1 (3 weeks) Weeks On Chart: 53 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: December 7th, 2024 Peak Position: 1 Weeks On Chart: 29 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: December 7th, 2024 Peak Position: 1 (13 weeks) Weeks On Chart: 29 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: December 7th, 2024 Peak Position: 2 Weeks On Chart: 29 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: December 7th, 2024 Peak Position: 5 Weeks On Chart: 14 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: December 7th, 2024 Peak Position: 4 Weeks On Chart: 7 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: December 7th, 2024 Peak Position: 9 Weeks On Chart: 4 Source:Kendrick Lamar Debut Date: December 7th, 2024 Peak Position: 8 Weeks On Chart: 4 Source:SZA Debut Date: Peak Position: Weeks On Chart: Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
