We Know When That Hotline Bling
Seems like the music video for Drake’s ever popular summer jam “Hotline Bling”, took longer than it should have to drop but the reward far outweighs the negative. Sure, the music video is kind of cool, colourful and so on, but the one thing everyone is fixed on is the 6God’s dance moves. Twitter’s meme game is at an all-time high, and this was a free-throw. Who seems to love it most of all? Drizzy of course. He’s even uploaded some of his favourites to his Instagram encouraging the strange love, which we think is a very smart move. Drake hopes “Hotline Bling” will be his first single to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 100 despite a wave of placements already (more than the beetles, that’s right). The number #1 spot is currently being occupied by none-other than The Weeknd. Oprah’s looking at like Toronto like “And you get a W, and you get a W, and you get a W!”.
Shhh… It’s a Documentary
The Game has been let’s say, active in recent months? I mean, recording near 700 songs for your double disc album, interviews and promotion all over the country, and taking shots at Young Thug whenever he gets a breather seems to be a full schedule. The Documentary 2 and The Documentary 2.5 are now available for purchase and stream although Game is probably hoping you choose to purchase the two disc set. Despite being very solid projects with an all-star roster of features, both discs brought in “meh” first week sales combining for less than 150k. Perhaps this might be a lesson in quality over quantity.
2015 BET Hip-Hop Award Winners
Take a look at some of the winners from this year’s BET Hip-Hop awards. Your host of The Rap Up TJ Mroz also made his expert picks and try’s to defend the ones he missed (Winners in bold text).
Best Hip Hop Video
Big Sean featuring Chris Brown & Ty Dolla $Ign – “Play No Games”
Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings”
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Nicki Minaj featuring Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself” – TJ (It’s hard to bet against Queen B on anything)
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Best Collabo, Duo or Group
Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings” – TJ (Sean, Drake and Kanye? Shut up already and take my money)
Big Sean featuring E-40 – “Idfwu”
Fetty Wap featuring Monty – “My Way”
Nicki Minaj featuring Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself”
Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter”
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Best Live Performer
Drake
Cole
Kanye West – T (But Kanye’s shows are almost a full on Broadway performance?! Love Cole though!)
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
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Lyricist of the Year
Big Sean
Drake
Cole
Kendrick Lamar – TJ (Duh)
Nicki Minaj
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DJ of the Year
DJ Drama
DJ Envy
DJ Esco – TJ (Thought they’d give it to Esco for the all Future mixtapes this year, oh well)
DJ Khaled
DJ Mustard
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Producer of the Year
DJ Mustard
Cole
Kanye West – TJ (Okay seriously, why they ridin’ Mustard?)
Mike Will Made-It
Pharrell Williams
Timbaland
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MVP of the Year
Big Sean
Drake – TJ (Of course)
Future
Cole
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
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Track Of The Year
“Alright” – Produced By Pharrell Williams & Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar)
“Blessings” – Produced By Boi-1da & Vinylz (Big Sean FEATURING Drake & Kanye West)
“Commas” – Produced By Dj Spinz & Southside (Future)
“Idfwu” – Produced By Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West & Key Wane (Big Sean FEATURING E-40)
“Trap Queen” – Produced By Tony Fadd (Fetty Wap) – TJ (You know you love this song too)
Album Of The Year
Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly – TJ (Thought they’d ride Kendrick on this one, Cole truly deserves it!)
Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint
Wale – The Album About Nothing
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Who Blew Up Award
Bobby Shmurda
Dej Loaf
Fetty Wap – TJ (Yaaaaa Baby – Fetty voice)
Rae Sremmurd
Tink
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Hustler Of The Year
Dr. Dre – TJ (Let’s face it, Dre had a monster year… Get it, monster? Headphones? Anyone?)
Drake
Cole
Jay Z
Nicki Minaj
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Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style)
A$Ap Rocky
Dej Loaf
Drake
Kanye West – TJ (But the Yeezy Boost…?)
Nicki Minaj
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Best Club Banger
Big Sean featuring E-40 – “Idfwu” (Produced By Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West & Key Wane) – TJ (Everyone report to the dancer floor please)
Dej Loaf – “Try Me” (Produced By Dds)
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” (Produced By Tony Fadd)
Future – “Commas” (Produced By Dj Spinz & Southside)
Rich Homie Quan – “Flex” (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh) (Produced By Dj Spinz & Nitti Beatz)
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Best Mixtape
Future – 56 Nights
Future – Beast Mode – T (Either way Future was winning this one)
Future – Monster
Lil Wayne – Sorry 4 The Wait 2
Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo
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Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse
Drake – “Blessings” (Big Sean Featuring Drake & Kanye West) – TJ (no excuse for this one)
Drake – “My Way Remix” (Fetty Wap Featuring Drake)
E-40 – “Idfwu” (Big Sean Featuring E-40)
Kendrick Lamar – “Classic Man Remix” (Jidenna featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter” (Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne)
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Impact Track
Big Sean featuring Kanye West & John Legend – “One Man Can Change The World”
Common & John Legend – “Glory” (From The Motion Picture “Selma”) – TJ (But the movie was so good)
Cole – “Apparently”
Cole – “Be Free”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
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People’s Champ Award
Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings” – TJ (Im waaaaay up, I feel blessed)
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Future – “Commas”
Kendrick Lamar – “I”
Rae Sremmurd – “No Type”
Rich Homie Quan – “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”
Songs Played Tonight:
Pour Up – Lil Wayne
Clarity – Ace Hood
Fuck It – Tyler The Creator
Streetz – Jeezy
When I See It – Kanye West
Woodcrest Manor II – Raury
Like Woah – Logic
Me Myself & I – G Eazy Ft. Bebe Rexha
The Ghetto – Game Ft. Nas, Will.i.am
Up on the Wall – Game Ft. Problem, Ty Dolla $ign
From Adam – Game Ft. Lil Wayne
Magnus Carlsen – Game Ft. Anderson Paak
I Don’t Play About My Paper – DJ Khaled Ft. Future & Rick Ross
You Mine – DJ Khaled Ft. Jeremih, Trey Songz & Future
Gold Slugs – DJ Khaled Ft. Chris Brown, August Alsina & Fetty Wap
Saved – Ty Dola $ign Ft. E40
Don’t – Bryson Tiller
Rambo – Bryson Tiller
Overtime – Bryson Tiller
Exchange – Bryson Tiller