Good Cop Bad Cop
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Releases 25th Anniversary Edition of ‘Death Certificate’ Album
Demetrius Shipp Jr.
portrayed rapper and actor Tupac Shakur in the biopic All Eyez on Me
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Demetrius Shipp Jr. portrayed rapper and actor Tupac Shakur in the biopic All Eyez on Me
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Releases 25th Anniversary Edition of ‘Death Certificate’ Album
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Demetrius Shipp Jr. portrayed rapper and actor Tupac Shakur in the biopic All Eyez on Me
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Releases 25th Anniversary Edition of ‘Death Certificate’ Album
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All Eyez On Me
Demetrius Shipp Jr.
Has The Hardest Job In Hollywood—Playing 2Pac
2
Tupac Amaru Shakur
Pac is a religion. Twenty years after his passing, the hip-hop legend born Tupac Amaru Shakur has done what few musicians, or celebrities in general for that matter, have done posthumously: He’s become bigger than his art. His lyrics have touched on social issues that are still true to this day, shaping a generation of artists who have all been inspired by him. Fans have hypothesized for years about Shakur somehow cheating death and either hanging out in Cuba or some other secluded locale. Or, there’s the belief that he’s reincarnated in other people (rappers, specifically). Rap fans still love to give impactful up-and-comers the distinction of being “The next 2Pac,” and for certain artists (50 Cent, for example) the comparisons can be apt to a certain extent. But to other artists who worship the late rapper, whether it be Ja Rule or Nas, it doesn’t always work. Those more grounded in reality have taken Pac’s teachings to the classroom, expanding the contradictions and philosophies that have come to define him and compared him to the likes of Nietzsche or Ralph Waldo Emerson. Pac was a poet, an actor, a brother, and, most importantly, he was and still is all of us.
Demetrius Shipp Jr. raries. We’ve sat through documentaries and big screen adaptations of Kurt Cobain and John Lennon, but 2Pac’s tragic tale has frustratingly gone untold, and his death has become as enigmatic as the man himself. There are literally hundreds of theories about who killed 2Pac, but no definitive answers—was it his father figure and labelhead Suge Knight? Vengeful gang member Orlando Anderson? The police? The conspiracies alone make for an enticing movie plot. But while The Notorious B.I.G. got his own (critically lambasted) movie, 2009’s stinker Notorious, Pac’s life story has been absent from the silver screen. Sure, a handful of actors have portrayed the rap legend in films like Straight Outta Compton and the aforementioned Notorious, but someone of the caliber of Tupac Shakur needs his own feature film. After years of waiting, that’s finally coming to fruition this summer.
Former 2Pac producer and close friend L.T. Hutton has teamed up with prolific video director Benny Boom to release All Eyez On Me, a biopic about the life and death of Tupac Shakur. Hitting theaters on June 16, which would have been Shakur’s 46th birthday, the movie has had a Despite Pac’s continued influence on pop culture in the troubled production, from director shake-ups to Shakur’s 20 years since his violent death, his story has never really estate not authorizing it to be made. been adapted in the same way as some of his contempoJUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 5
All Eyez On Me
Demetrius Shipp Jr.
Has The Hardest Job In Hollywood—Playing 2Pac
2
Tupac Amaru Shakur
Pac is a religion. Twenty years after his passing, the hip-hop legend born Tupac Amaru Shakur has done what few musicians, or celebrities in general for that matter, have done posthumously: He’s become bigger than his art. His lyrics have touched on social issues that are still true to this day, shaping a generation of artists who have all been inspired by him. Fans have hypothesized for years about Shakur somehow cheating death and either hanging out in Cuba or some other secluded locale. Or, there’s the belief that he’s reincarnated in other people (rappers, specifically). Rap fans still love to give impactful up-and-comers the distinction of being “The next 2Pac,” and for certain artists (50 Cent, for example) the comparisons can be apt to a certain extent. But to other artists who worship the late rapper, whether it be Ja Rule or Nas, it doesn’t always work. Those more grounded in reality have taken Pac’s teachings to the classroom, expanding the contradictions and philosophies that have come to define him and compared him to the likes of Nietzsche or Ralph Waldo Emerson. Pac was a poet, an actor, a brother, and, most importantly, he was and still is all of us.
Demetrius Shipp Jr. raries. We’ve sat through documentaries and big screen adaptations of Kurt Cobain and John Lennon, but 2Pac’s tragic tale has frustratingly gone untold, and his death has become as enigmatic as the man himself. There are literally hundreds of theories about who killed 2Pac, but no definitive answers—was it his father figure and labelhead Suge Knight? Vengeful gang member Orlando Anderson? The police? The conspiracies alone make for an enticing movie plot. But while The Notorious B.I.G. got his own (critically lambasted) movie, 2009’s stinker Notorious, Pac’s life story has been absent from the silver screen. Sure, a handful of actors have portrayed the rap legend in films like Straight Outta Compton and the aforementioned Notorious, but someone of the caliber of Tupac Shakur needs his own feature film. After years of waiting, that’s finally coming to fruition this summer.
Former 2Pac producer and close friend L.T. Hutton has teamed up with prolific video director Benny Boom to release All Eyez On Me, a biopic about the life and death of Tupac Shakur. Hitting theaters on June 16, which would have been Shakur’s 46th birthday, the movie has had a Despite Pac’s continued influence on pop culture in the troubled production, from director shake-ups to Shakur’s 20 years since his violent death, his story has never really estate not authorizing it to be made. been adapted in the same way as some of his contempoJUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 5
Demet
But after five years in development hell, the film is ready to see the light of day. While that’s reason enough to be excited, what has critics and fans clamoring is the powerful performance by newcomer Demetrius Shipp, Jr.
r.
hipp J
rius S
After snagging the role of a lifetime, Shipp, 28, has the lofty job of translating Pac to the big screen, and early word says he performed it well. But he’s more than just a lookalike; his story, of the everyman that’s been plucked out of obscurity and thrust into the spotlight, matters too. A symbol of Pac’s own rose that grew from the concrete, Shipp is living out the stories that the rapper captivated his listeners with; someone who has siezed opportunity despite growing up in an area that doesn’t give many and channeling it through a legendary muse. Born in Carson, California, Shipp has one thing in common with lots of other kids from Los Angeles—2Pac has long been one of his idols. His father, Demetrius Shipp, Sr., produced “Toss It Up” on Pac’s first posthumous album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. “My father’s relationship with Pac was something I was proud of,” Shipp, Jr. recalls. “I didn’t know anything about the [East Coast/West Coast beef] or anything. I was only [7-years-old]. I was too busy playing!” Even before Shipp was revealed to the world as the man who would take on the role of 2Pac, he had been hounded with the fact that he looks eerily similar to the iconic rapper. Actually, similar is the wrong word to use here—he looks just like 2Pac. Whether watching him from afar or up close, he is the spitting image of the slain rapper, with no photoshop or makeup needed—I did a double take when I first saw him in real life on a
sunny May afternoon at the glamorous Chamberlain Hotel in the heart of West Hollywood. Shipp retains Pac’s mix of swagger and vulnerability. And while their journeys to the public eye are wildly different, Shipp’s modest rise to fame could be relatable to anyone from California to Montana. It’s why he’s perfect for the role—he’s representing us.
trius] didn’t get on my radar until his father told me that he had to show me something,” Hutton recalls. “So the next thing I know, I’m sitting in my office and my assistant calls me and says: ‘2Pac is in the lobby.’ I thought she was playing, so I walked out and sure enough—he was 2Pac.”
The search to find the new 2Pac was an interesting moment in 2011. Imagine a Willy Wonka-esque open “IF I COULD GIVE PEOPLE A SMIDGEN OF WHAT JAMIE FOXX DID call to find someone who could be WITH RAY AS TUPAC, THEN I DID the proxy to one of rap’s most important visionaries—even if they didn’t WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.” have acting experience. Hutton and It also wasn’t long ago that Shipp was the film’s casting agent didn’t want to working odd jobs just to survive and use a known actor in the role for fear feed his three young children, from of them having their own “baggage” working at Target to being a cable that would divert the audience’s atman. “[My goal] was always to be sol- tention from the story. Relative unid,” he says. “I didn’t have it like that, knowns had the same chance to win where I could do [acting] and not the role—but the journey to get there was equal parts sad and scary. have a [steady] source of income.” “I saw a great deal of 2Pacs,” Shipp says with a sly smile. The whole world saw a number of different people trying to score the role, as submissions were not confined to just the website where they were hosted but on YouTube as well. Twitter personality Damario Brown was a very early frontrunner in many people’s eyes thanks to some excessive self-promotion, and he expressed an obsessive amount of excitement to land the part. However, it ultimately went to Shipp, and Brown hasn’t been seen or heard from since—with his last tweet (asking users to follow his new, blank account) being from 2012. It’s fitting Even though his original career path that the circus of the casting call endtowards producing mirrored his fa- ed in the selection of not only somether, Demetrius seems more guarded one close to 2Pac, but Hutton as well. when asked if his dad supported his “You can’t just find 2Pac,” Hutton foray into music. “I guess so,” he says says. “[Demetrius had] Pac’s humilcoldly after pausing for a brief mo- ity, and his charm. He was himself, ment. “[My dad] just wanted me to but he also had his characteristics.” do whatever I put my mind to.” Shipp’s hustle was grounded in his desire to give himself a better life, but also the discipline he’d learned as a child. He started playing drums at his church, and he actually wanted to be a music producer, not an actor. He threw everything at his passion much in the same way that aspiring actors and actresses go hard for theirs. With his role as 2Pac, he wants to put in the same amount of work to fall into his character, citing Jamie Foxx as one of his biggest influences: “If I could give people a smidgen of what [Foxx] did with Ray [as Tupac] then I did what I was supposed to do,” he says.
It was Shipp’s father who brought Demetrius’ tryout video to Hutton’s attention, which eventually landed him the highly coveted role. “[DemeJUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 7
Demet
But after five years in development hell, the film is ready to see the light of day. While that’s reason enough to be excited, what has critics and fans clamoring is the powerful performance by newcomer Demetrius Shipp, Jr.
r.
hipp J
rius S
After snagging the role of a lifetime, Shipp, 28, has the lofty job of translating Pac to the big screen, and early word says he performed it well. But he’s more than just a lookalike; his story, of the everyman that’s been plucked out of obscurity and thrust into the spotlight, matters too. A symbol of Pac’s own rose that grew from the concrete, Shipp is living out the stories that the rapper captivated his listeners with; someone who has siezed opportunity despite growing up in an area that doesn’t give many and channeling it through a legendary muse. Born in Carson, California, Shipp has one thing in common with lots of other kids from Los Angeles—2Pac has long been one of his idols. His father, Demetrius Shipp, Sr., produced “Toss It Up” on Pac’s first posthumous album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. “My father’s relationship with Pac was something I was proud of,” Shipp, Jr. recalls. “I didn’t know anything about the [East Coast/West Coast beef] or anything. I was only [7-years-old]. I was too busy playing!” Even before Shipp was revealed to the world as the man who would take on the role of 2Pac, he had been hounded with the fact that he looks eerily similar to the iconic rapper. Actually, similar is the wrong word to use here—he looks just like 2Pac. Whether watching him from afar or up close, he is the spitting image of the slain rapper, with no photoshop or makeup needed—I did a double take when I first saw him in real life on a
sunny May afternoon at the glamorous Chamberlain Hotel in the heart of West Hollywood. Shipp retains Pac’s mix of swagger and vulnerability. And while their journeys to the public eye are wildly different, Shipp’s modest rise to fame could be relatable to anyone from California to Montana. It’s why he’s perfect for the role—he’s representing us.
trius] didn’t get on my radar until his father told me that he had to show me something,” Hutton recalls. “So the next thing I know, I’m sitting in my office and my assistant calls me and says: ‘2Pac is in the lobby.’ I thought she was playing, so I walked out and sure enough—he was 2Pac.”
The search to find the new 2Pac was an interesting moment in 2011. Imagine a Willy Wonka-esque open “IF I COULD GIVE PEOPLE A SMIDGEN OF WHAT JAMIE FOXX DID call to find someone who could be WITH RAY AS TUPAC, THEN I DID the proxy to one of rap’s most important visionaries—even if they didn’t WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.” have acting experience. Hutton and It also wasn’t long ago that Shipp was the film’s casting agent didn’t want to working odd jobs just to survive and use a known actor in the role for fear feed his three young children, from of them having their own “baggage” working at Target to being a cable that would divert the audience’s atman. “[My goal] was always to be sol- tention from the story. Relative unid,” he says. “I didn’t have it like that, knowns had the same chance to win where I could do [acting] and not the role—but the journey to get there was equal parts sad and scary. have a [steady] source of income.” “I saw a great deal of 2Pacs,” Shipp says with a sly smile. The whole world saw a number of different people trying to score the role, as submissions were not confined to just the website where they were hosted but on YouTube as well. Twitter personality Damario Brown was a very early frontrunner in many people’s eyes thanks to some excessive self-promotion, and he expressed an obsessive amount of excitement to land the part. However, it ultimately went to Shipp, and Brown hasn’t been seen or heard from since—with his last tweet (asking users to follow his new, blank account) being from 2012. It’s fitting Even though his original career path that the circus of the casting call endtowards producing mirrored his fa- ed in the selection of not only somether, Demetrius seems more guarded one close to 2Pac, but Hutton as well. when asked if his dad supported his “You can’t just find 2Pac,” Hutton foray into music. “I guess so,” he says says. “[Demetrius had] Pac’s humilcoldly after pausing for a brief mo- ity, and his charm. He was himself, ment. “[My dad] just wanted me to but he also had his characteristics.” do whatever I put my mind to.” Shipp’s hustle was grounded in his desire to give himself a better life, but also the discipline he’d learned as a child. He started playing drums at his church, and he actually wanted to be a music producer, not an actor. He threw everything at his passion much in the same way that aspiring actors and actresses go hard for theirs. With his role as 2Pac, he wants to put in the same amount of work to fall into his character, citing Jamie Foxx as one of his biggest influences: “If I could give people a smidgen of what [Foxx] did with Ray [as Tupac] then I did what I was supposed to do,” he says.
It was Shipp’s father who brought Demetrius’ tryout video to Hutton’s attention, which eventually landed him the highly coveted role. “[DemeJUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 7
“Back then, I was just pissed at everything, the entertainer says of 1991 LP, which has been reissued with three new cuts”
All of us.
What is “Good Cop Bad Cop” about? It’s continuing the conversation of how cops deal It’s been nearly seven years since Ice Cube put with the community. I’m calling out good cops to out his most recent album, I Am the West, focusing weed out the bad cops. It’s the only sane option to most of his time on a busy acting career and the deal with bad cops. occasional single. Now the entertainer has three hard-hitting new tracks that he’s releasing as a part That’s a pretty different perspective from N.W.A’s of a 25th-anniversary reissue of his notorious 1991 “Fuck Tha Police.” album Death Certificate. It’s a different approach of dealing with the same problem. “Fuck Tha Police” is not a celebration; it RELATED was our only weapon to deal with the problem. Well, not our only weapon – our most sane weapon. Ice Cube on Bill Maher Racial Slur: ‘You Gotta Know It’s better to talk about it than to fight it out. When to Shut Up’ Rapper and actor will appear on ‘Real Time’ this What inspired “Dominate the Weak”? week and address host’s “joke” It’s about what I see happening everywhere I look, “A lot of my true fans got the record already, so to the makings of a police state right before my eyes. make this new version happen, why not start it off with something new and fresh?” he tells Rolling You compare Irvine, California to Nazi Germany on Stone in a serious tone. “It sets you up for the anni- that one. Does it really feel that way to you? versary of the album, and it makes you appreciate Sometimes. It depends on who pulls you over. We’ve the album more, ‘cause you’re getting new, fresh just got a world of bullies. It’s just what it is. It’s just a material that is perfect for the record.” perspective on what I see, and to me it fit the Death Certificate record. That’s why I put it on this 25th anCube says he has some 50 new songs in various states niversary. of completion, but he chose to finish up and release these three – “Good Cop Bad Cop” and “Dominate You’ve said you have some 50 new songs. What are the Weak,” both about corrupt police, and “Only One your plans for releasing a new album? Me” – because he felt they fit the themes of Death They’re in various states of completion, so it’s not Certificate, a vicious album that spoke loudly about like I’m just sitting on songs. It’s all timing. And mistreatment of African-Americans, released just we’re close to the Predator 25th anniversary record, months before the L.A. riots. Though celebrated for so if this proves to be a good formula, I’ll do the throwing harsh spotlight on injustice, it was also same thing for Predator – include three new songs the center a maelstrom of controversy due to lyrics at the front of that. I don’t know if you’re gonna get perceived as anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic, an album, but you will get new music. most notably in “No Vaseline,” a ruthless diss track directed at his ex-N.W.A bandmates. Do you not want to make albums anymore? I do, but it’s the 25th anniversary of these other reN.W.A have since made up (and released the block- cords, and I have to give ‘em they just due, so that’s buster biopic Straight Outta Compton in 2015), but what I’m doing. I’m proud of the records, and 25 when Ice Cube looks at the world at large, there’s years only come around every 25 years [laughs]. still plenty to keep him angry. After the success of Straight Outta Compton, a lot of new fans are getting introduced to my old music, You’ve said being a rapper is giving a voice to the and this is just a way to keep the momentum going. voiceless. Who are you giving a voice to on these new songs?
IC
Ice Cube on New Songs for ‘Death Certificate’ Reissue, ‘Selfish’ Trump
JUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 9
IC
Ice Cube’s Death Certificate (which actually turned 25 last October, but better late than never, right?) is the latest landmark rap album to get the reissue treatment. The 25th anniversary edition of Cube’s politically charged sophomore LP includes remastered versions of all 20 original album cuts, plus three new songs that were recorded a little more recently: “Only One Me,” “Good Cop, Bad Cop” and “Dominate the Weak.” 10 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
Did the success of that movie make you feel like doing music more again? I’ve been dropping music; that never stopped. in the last few years, movies have taken over because they’ve been back to back to back to back. I don’t believe in mixing things and doing music and movies at the same time. You need to focus on what you’re doing.
My top three always changes [laughs]. There have been some incredible MCs, and it’s like athletes: Who’s the top basketball player? You and me could start thinking about who you’re leaving off and then it’d be like, “Nah,” so I change like the wind. But I’ll put somebody out there: Muhammad Ali is up there. He’s one of the best MCs that ever did it. To me, he’s the father of the modern MCs.
How did you react when you heard about his death last Have you been recording with Dr. Dre at all? year? Nah, we haven’t been doing anything besides what you heard To be honest, I was happy for him. He lived a good life, on his record. and he dedicated a lot of his time to God and now he got the chance to meet his maker. So it’s sad for us, but I was In the movie world, what are you working on? Have you begun happy for him. filming Last Friday? I’m not filming anything. I’m developing five or six projects One of your brags on “Only One Me” is that you showed right now, so I’m getting in my music before I end up doing Tupac how to “keep it gangsta.” What are your favorite more movies back to back to back like that. memories of him? Laughing. He was a spirit. He just enjoyed himself. There’s Has making movies made you change your approach to music? a lot of ugly things that can turn your personality ugly, Yeah, it’s changed slightly. I always experiment. When you’re and, to me, every time I saw him, he was fun and a ball of doing music, you shouldn’t stay in your comfort zone. So what energy enjoying himself. I’ve changed is I do “Ice Cube records” now. I don’t care about trends or radio or anything. That means records that sounds like When you listened to Death Certificate again for this me [laughs], beats that I should be rapping on, topics I should reissue, what struck you about it? be flowing on. So my philosophy is I do me and I don’t worry It’s very sharp. It’s sharp as broken glass. I got the same about no other artist and what they’re doing and their success. feeling I got when I first sequenced the record and listened to it. It’s fire. On “Only One Me,” you rap, “If Cube ain’t in your top three, then you’s a bitch to me.” Who are your top three? JUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 11
IC
Ice Cube’s Death Certificate (which actually turned 25 last October, but better late than never, right?) is the latest landmark rap album to get the reissue treatment. The 25th anniversary edition of Cube’s politically charged sophomore LP includes remastered versions of all 20 original album cuts, plus three new songs that were recorded a little more recently: “Only One Me,” “Good Cop, Bad Cop” and “Dominate the Weak.” 10 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
Did the success of that movie make you feel like doing music more again? I’ve been dropping music; that never stopped. in the last few years, movies have taken over because they’ve been back to back to back to back. I don’t believe in mixing things and doing music and movies at the same time. You need to focus on what you’re doing.
My top three always changes [laughs]. There have been some incredible MCs, and it’s like athletes: Who’s the top basketball player? You and me could start thinking about who you’re leaving off and then it’d be like, “Nah,” so I change like the wind. But I’ll put somebody out there: Muhammad Ali is up there. He’s one of the best MCs that ever did it. To me, he’s the father of the modern MCs.
How did you react when you heard about his death last Have you been recording with Dr. Dre at all? year? Nah, we haven’t been doing anything besides what you heard To be honest, I was happy for him. He lived a good life, on his record. and he dedicated a lot of his time to God and now he got the chance to meet his maker. So it’s sad for us, but I was In the movie world, what are you working on? Have you begun happy for him. filming Last Friday? I’m not filming anything. I’m developing five or six projects One of your brags on “Only One Me” is that you showed right now, so I’m getting in my music before I end up doing Tupac how to “keep it gangsta.” What are your favorite more movies back to back to back like that. memories of him? Laughing. He was a spirit. He just enjoyed himself. There’s Has making movies made you change your approach to music? a lot of ugly things that can turn your personality ugly, Yeah, it’s changed slightly. I always experiment. When you’re and, to me, every time I saw him, he was fun and a ball of doing music, you shouldn’t stay in your comfort zone. So what energy enjoying himself. I’ve changed is I do “Ice Cube records” now. I don’t care about trends or radio or anything. That means records that sounds like When you listened to Death Certificate again for this me [laughs], beats that I should be rapping on, topics I should reissue, what struck you about it? be flowing on. So my philosophy is I do me and I don’t worry It’s very sharp. It’s sharp as broken glass. I got the same about no other artist and what they’re doing and their success. feeling I got when I first sequenced the record and listened to it. It’s fire. On “Only One Me,” you rap, “If Cube ain’t in your top three, then you’s a bitch to me.” Who are your top three? JUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 11
“Back then, I was just pissed at everything, the entertainer says of 1991 LP, which has been reissued with three new cuts”
All of us.
What is “Good Cop Bad Cop” about? It’s continuing the conversation of how cops deal It’s been nearly seven years since Ice Cube put with the community. I’m calling out good cops to out his most recent album, I Am the West, focusing weed out the bad cops. It’s the only sane option to most of his time on a busy acting career and the deal with bad cops. occasional single. Now the entertainer has three hard-hitting new tracks that he’s releasing as a part That’s a pretty different perspective from N.W.A’s of a 25th-anniversary reissue of his notorious 1991 “Fuck Tha Police.” album Death Certificate. It’s a different approach of dealing with the same problem. “Fuck Tha Police” is not a celebration; it RELATED was our only weapon to deal with the problem. Well, not our only weapon – our most sane weapon. Ice Cube on Bill Maher Racial Slur: ‘You Gotta Know It’s better to talk about it than to fight it out. When to Shut Up’ Rapper and actor will appear on ‘Real Time’ this What inspired “Dominate the Weak”? week and address host’s “joke” It’s about what I see happening everywhere I look, “A lot of my true fans got the record already, so to the makings of a police state right before my eyes. make this new version happen, why not start it off with something new and fresh?” he tells Rolling You compare Irvine, California to Nazi Germany on Stone in a serious tone. “It sets you up for the anni- that one. Does it really feel that way to you? versary of the album, and it makes you appreciate Sometimes. It depends on who pulls you over. We’ve the album more, ‘cause you’re getting new, fresh just got a world of bullies. It’s just what it is. It’s just a material that is perfect for the record.” perspective on what I see, and to me it fit the Death Certificate record. That’s why I put it on this 25th anCube says he has some 50 new songs in various states niversary. of completion, but he chose to finish up and release these three – “Good Cop Bad Cop” and “Dominate You’ve said you have some 50 new songs. What are the Weak,” both about corrupt police, and “Only One your plans for releasing a new album? Me” – because he felt they fit the themes of Death They’re in various states of completion, so it’s not Certificate, a vicious album that spoke loudly about like I’m just sitting on songs. It’s all timing. And mistreatment of African-Americans, released just we’re close to the Predator 25th anniversary record, months before the L.A. riots. Though celebrated for so if this proves to be a good formula, I’ll do the throwing harsh spotlight on injustice, it was also same thing for Predator – include three new songs the center a maelstrom of controversy due to lyrics at the front of that. I don’t know if you’re gonna get perceived as anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic, an album, but you will get new music. most notably in “No Vaseline,” a ruthless diss track directed at his ex-N.W.A bandmates. Do you not want to make albums anymore? I do, but it’s the 25th anniversary of these other reN.W.A have since made up (and released the block- cords, and I have to give ‘em they just due, so that’s buster biopic Straight Outta Compton in 2015), but what I’m doing. I’m proud of the records, and 25 when Ice Cube looks at the world at large, there’s years only come around every 25 years [laughs]. still plenty to keep him angry. After the success of Straight Outta Compton, a lot of new fans are getting introduced to my old music, You’ve said being a rapper is giving a voice to the and this is just a way to keep the momentum going. voiceless. Who are you giving a voice to on these new songs?
IC
Ice Cube on New Songs for ‘Death Certificate’ Reissue, ‘Selfish’ Trump
JUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 9
I’m way more than a Christian-American and a Jewish-American, way more than any religion you wanna put on it. People just look at the label sometimes more than the human. You were accused of racism and anti-Semitism after you put out Death Certificate because of the songs “Black Korea” and “No Vaseline.” What did you learn from that experience? That people really just look at themselves. If you look at the record, I say more about black people than I say about anybody on the record. If you’re human and you’re living, I think you deserve scrutiny, too. It doesn’t make you exempt because you’re this color or that color. I don’t care. It is what it is. Nobody’s exempt on Death Certificate. So nobody’s perfect. We got black idiots; everybody got idiots.
How could a guy that rich – not even that rich ... How could a guy that selfish care about you? You got a president that don’t care. And people want him to build a wall? Are you sure that’s to keep the Mexicans out or to keep us in? Which one? A wall’s a wall. So really? Uh ... I’m cool.
Then he’s got the Muslim ban, and you’re a Muslim, so how do you feel – [Interrupts] Well, nobody know what I am, ‘cause to me the labels that everybody putting on each other is the problem. The labels that people are wearing as A song like “Alive on Arrival,” which is about a kid who badges of honor is the problem. So I’m a human being. gets shot in gang crossfire but then has to wait forev- And that’s all I want to be judged on. Being in America, er in the hospital because the police think he’s a gang- where everybody is influenced by everything, I don’t ster, could be a story from 2017. see how anybody can say they’re anything out here. Without a doubt. It’s just mistreatment. That’s in our story: the story of mistreatment. Everybody writes things and reads into things, and they think they got the narrative. People are more That’s also what “A Bird in the Hand” is about. comfortable when they can put a title on you. Yeah, the options get taken away, so you need to People still call me a rapper, and it’s like, huh? make it with the options that are out there. [Laughs]. I think of myself as an entertainer. I started off as a rapper, but if you look at everything I’ve done, You’ve said that you get the same feeling now under a rapper is almost an insult. I’m an entertainer. But it’s Trump as you did when you made Death Certificate all good, because it makes people comfortable. But I when the first Bush was president. What is it about don’t have to buy into it, because I’m way more than a Trump that makes you feel that way? Muslim-American. 12 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
Speaking of disses, on Death Certificate’s first song, you say, “Fuck R&B.” What was that about? When I was coming up as a youngster in hip-hop, a lot of R&B and soul singers said that it wasn’t even music, that this was noise. They could never see it going anywhere; it was just a fad. It didn’t end with the emergence of Run-DMC – there was still hate.
IC
When you sequenced it, there was a “Death Side” and a “Life Side,” and you wrote in the liner notes that the Life Side was “a vision of where we need to go.” In hindsight, what do you think of how things have changed since 1991? Things move slower than we would like. A record like Death Certificate was really the peak of the era of politically charged hip-hop. That window started to close in ‘93, and it’s one of the last records of that era. It wasn’t about making you dance at all; it was a record to make you think.
“No Vaseline” has become one of the most famous songs on Death Certificate. You’ve since made up with N.W.A, but you recently said you’d written a verse and a half for a sequel diss track that you never put out. Then around the mid-Eighties we started seeing R&B groups using hip-hop beats. There was Do you remember what that was like? scratchin’ and breakers and graffiti. I thought, “Now Nah. I mean, it’s in a notebook somewhere. I’m glad y’all trying to get this hip-hop shine.” I was very I didn’t have to use it [laughs]. against the merge of R&B and hip-hop. So by ‘91, I was just pissed that so many singers were using What are your favorite diss tracks? hip-hop artists to make their records sell. I felt it It’s hard to have favorites. I like great fights. It’s a was diluting hip-hop so I was pretty pissed off at great tradition in hip-hop, and it can get ugly. It’s R&B at the time. like drag racing for pink slips or something, you can lose everything. It’s high stakes. That’s what makes When did your feelings change? it good. So there’s some great ones in history. My Shit, I don’t know. You start listening to some great radar is L.L. vs. Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One vs. MC Shan, records and your mind changes real quick. Roxanne vs. UTFO – even Salt-N-Pepa got down on Good music is good music. Back then, I was just a diss track, “Showstopper.” It’s just a great tradi- pissed at everything. tion. As long as it don’t get ugly and get violent, it’s always great. But there’s high stakes; that’s what makes them good.
IC
JUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 13
I’m way more than a Christian-American and a Jewish-American, way more than any religion you wanna put on it. People just look at the label sometimes more than the human. You were accused of racism and anti-Semitism after you put out Death Certificate because of the songs “Black Korea” and “No Vaseline.” What did you learn from that experience? That people really just look at themselves. If you look at the record, I say more about black people than I say about anybody on the record. If you’re human and you’re living, I think you deserve scrutiny, too. It doesn’t make you exempt because you’re this color or that color. I don’t care. It is what it is. Nobody’s exempt on Death Certificate. So nobody’s perfect. We got black idiots; everybody got idiots.
How could a guy that rich – not even that rich ... How could a guy that selfish care about you? You got a president that don’t care. And people want him to build a wall? Are you sure that’s to keep the Mexicans out or to keep us in? Which one? A wall’s a wall. So really? Uh ... I’m cool.
Then he’s got the Muslim ban, and you’re a Muslim, so how do you feel – [Interrupts] Well, nobody know what I am, ‘cause to me the labels that everybody putting on each other is the problem. The labels that people are wearing as A song like “Alive on Arrival,” which is about a kid who badges of honor is the problem. So I’m a human being. gets shot in gang crossfire but then has to wait forev- And that’s all I want to be judged on. Being in America, er in the hospital because the police think he’s a gang- where everybody is influenced by everything, I don’t ster, could be a story from 2017. see how anybody can say they’re anything out here. Without a doubt. It’s just mistreatment. That’s in our story: the story of mistreatment. Everybody writes things and reads into things, and they think they got the narrative. People are more That’s also what “A Bird in the Hand” is about. comfortable when they can put a title on you. Yeah, the options get taken away, so you need to People still call me a rapper, and it’s like, huh? make it with the options that are out there. [Laughs]. I think of myself as an entertainer. I started off as a rapper, but if you look at everything I’ve done, You’ve said that you get the same feeling now under a rapper is almost an insult. I’m an entertainer. But it’s Trump as you did when you made Death Certificate all good, because it makes people comfortable. But I when the first Bush was president. What is it about don’t have to buy into it, because I’m way more than a Trump that makes you feel that way? Muslim-American. 12 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
Speaking of disses, on Death Certificate’s first song, you say, “Fuck R&B.” What was that about? When I was coming up as a youngster in hip-hop, a lot of R&B and soul singers said that it wasn’t even music, that this was noise. They could never see it going anywhere; it was just a fad. It didn’t end with the emergence of Run-DMC – there was still hate.
IC
When you sequenced it, there was a “Death Side” and a “Life Side,” and you wrote in the liner notes that the Life Side was “a vision of where we need to go.” In hindsight, what do you think of how things have changed since 1991? Things move slower than we would like. A record like Death Certificate was really the peak of the era of politically charged hip-hop. That window started to close in ‘93, and it’s one of the last records of that era. It wasn’t about making you dance at all; it was a record to make you think.
“No Vaseline” has become one of the most famous songs on Death Certificate. You’ve since made up with N.W.A, but you recently said you’d written a verse and a half for a sequel diss track that you never put out. Then around the mid-Eighties we started seeing R&B groups using hip-hop beats. There was Do you remember what that was like? scratchin’ and breakers and graffiti. I thought, “Now Nah. I mean, it’s in a notebook somewhere. I’m glad y’all trying to get this hip-hop shine.” I was very I didn’t have to use it [laughs]. against the merge of R&B and hip-hop. So by ‘91, I was just pissed that so many singers were using What are your favorite diss tracks? hip-hop artists to make their records sell. I felt it It’s hard to have favorites. I like great fights. It’s a was diluting hip-hop so I was pretty pissed off at great tradition in hip-hop, and it can get ugly. It’s R&B at the time. like drag racing for pink slips or something, you can lose everything. It’s high stakes. That’s what makes When did your feelings change? it good. So there’s some great ones in history. My Shit, I don’t know. You start listening to some great radar is L.L. vs. Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One vs. MC Shan, records and your mind changes real quick. Roxanne vs. UTFO – even Salt-N-Pepa got down on Good music is good music. Back then, I was just a diss track, “Showstopper.” It’s just a great tradi- pissed at everything. tion. As long as it don’t get ugly and get violent, it’s always great. But there’s high stakes; that’s what makes them good.
IC
JUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 13
There’s a new Pitbull album out today, and it’s called Climate Change. This is despite the fact Miami’s beloved native son is proudly apolitical, if not even a little conservative-leaning. The song on the album called “Freedom”—which interpolates the Rolling Stones’ “I’m Free”—is about partying (“I’m free to do what I want and have a good time”), but it leaves an aftertaste of the GOP’s bootstrap dogma.
man in a woman’s world / Come on baby, give me what I deserve,” which… hopefully Paula Patton’s attorneys are never made aware of this song’s existence. “Bad Man” is like if “We Are the World” was about 42-year-olds who still throw up at weddings.
Nonetheless, that Pitbull made an apolitical album named after one of the great political crises of our time may still be the most digestible thing about it. His 2012 solo album, of course, was called Global Warming, and anyway, you could explain it all away by arguing that there’s no more honest way to approach the impending extinction of humanity than by encouraging individuals to match the hedonism of the capitalist overlords who are driving us toward death one way or another. Or maybe I have that wrong. In any event, there’s no real way to explain much of what is on the album itself, most of which is just extremely fucked up from an objective perspective. Here is a short list of the most bewildering things about Climate Change:
3. You have to listen 50 seconds into the fourth song,
“Messin’ Around,” before Enrique Iglesias stops singing The first song, “We Are Strong,” is a loping tropical REO Speedwagon’s “Take it On the Run.” But it’s only a house song (Pitbull obviously does tropical house now) short reprieve. featuring the British house vocalist Kiesza singing parts of Song 11, “Dedicated,” features two guests: R. Kelly Pat Benetar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” Here, Pitbull does ac- and…………….. Austin Mahone. Imagine how unique tually address our two ex-presidential candidates: “Presi- your brain has to be to put R. Kelly and Austin Mahone dential debates unreliable / Politicians want to politic and on the same song together. politrick / That’s why I call this shit politricks.” Same. Not only is R. Kelly on the album, but so is Dr. Luke, who produced the single “Greenlight.” Pitbull, uh, really 2. Track number two, “Bad Man,” contains an astound- thrives in his pursuits under capitalism. ing lineup of musicians: Pitbull, of course, Robin Thicke— hey, buddy—Joe Perry from Aerosmith, and Travis Barker. The song primarily offers Thicke howling “I’m a bad JUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 17
1.
4.
All the F...... Up Things About Pitbull’s New Album Climate Change 16 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
5.
There’s a new Pitbull album out today, and it’s called Climate Change. This is despite the fact Miami’s beloved native son is proudly apolitical, if not even a little conservative-leaning. The song on the album called “Freedom”—which interpolates the Rolling Stones’ “I’m Free”—is about partying (“I’m free to do what I want and have a good time”), but it leaves an aftertaste of the GOP’s bootstrap dogma.
man in a woman’s world / Come on baby, give me what I deserve,” which… hopefully Paula Patton’s attorneys are never made aware of this song’s existence. “Bad Man” is like if “We Are the World” was about 42-year-olds who still throw up at weddings.
Nonetheless, that Pitbull made an apolitical album named after one of the great political crises of our time may still be the most digestible thing about it. His 2012 solo album, of course, was called Global Warming, and anyway, you could explain it all away by arguing that there’s no more honest way to approach the impending extinction of humanity than by encouraging individuals to match the hedonism of the capitalist overlords who are driving us toward death one way or another. Or maybe I have that wrong. In any event, there’s no real way to explain much of what is on the album itself, most of which is just extremely fucked up from an objective perspective. Here is a short list of the most bewildering things about Climate Change:
3. You have to listen 50 seconds into the fourth song,
“Messin’ Around,” before Enrique Iglesias stops singing The first song, “We Are Strong,” is a loping tropical REO Speedwagon’s “Take it On the Run.” But it’s only a house song (Pitbull obviously does tropical house now) short reprieve. featuring the British house vocalist Kiesza singing parts of Song 11, “Dedicated,” features two guests: R. Kelly Pat Benetar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” Here, Pitbull does ac- and…………….. Austin Mahone. Imagine how unique tually address our two ex-presidential candidates: “Presi- your brain has to be to put R. Kelly and Austin Mahone dential debates unreliable / Politicians want to politic and on the same song together. politrick / That’s why I call this shit politricks.” Same. Not only is R. Kelly on the album, but so is Dr. Luke, who produced the single “Greenlight.” Pitbull, uh, really 2. Track number two, “Bad Man,” contains an astound- thrives in his pursuits under capitalism. ing lineup of musicians: Pitbull, of course, Robin Thicke— hey, buddy—Joe Perry from Aerosmith, and Travis Barker. The song primarily offers Thicke howling “I’m a bad JUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 17
1.
4.
All the F...... Up Things About Pitbull’s New Album Climate Change 16 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
5.
PITBULL When the Southern-flavored party rap called crunk took over urban radio, Miami rapper and future superstar Pitbull decided it was time to seek stardom. The way Pitbull saw it, “crunk ain’t nothin’ but bass music slowed down.” Miami bass music, that is, the kind Pitbull grew up on. His parents were first-generation Cuban immigrants who didn’t let their son forget about his culture. They required him to memorize the works of Cuban poet José Martí, and Pitbull understood the power of words right away. Southern acts like Poison Clan and Luther Campbell were early influences, but as he grew, the young rapper got turned on to the G-funk sound of the West Coast and the New York City point of view Nas brought to the game.
Filled with high-caliber cameos and unstoppable energy, Pitbull’s 10th studio album is a rush of party-till-dawn decadence. Dance-oriented reggaeton fuels most of Climate Change, but Mr. Worldwide is a collaborative ringleader who samples hooks from every corner of the music universe. “Bad Man,” for example, features Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, pop heartthrob Robin Thicke, and guitar leads from Joe Perry. But for all the shapeshifting samples and marquee guests (J Lo, Ty Dolla $ign, R. Kelly— the list goes on and on), it’s Pitbull’s raunchy, quick-fire rhymes that make Climate Change simmer.
Pitbull got involved in the game himself when he started appearing on Miami mixtapes. A meeting with Irv Gotti resulted in nothing, but soon Luther Campbell called on the rapper to appear on his “Lollipop” single. It brought Pitbull to the attention of the Diaz Brothers management team, who introduced the rapper to the king of crunk, Lil Jon. A Pitbull freestyle landed on Lil Jon’s platinum-selling Kings of Crunk album in 2002, and the rapper’s “Oye” track appeared on the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack in 2003. Ready to take it all the way to the top, Pitbull unleashed his debut full-length, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004 on the TVT label, with the Lil Jon-produced single “Culo” leading the way.
with slick club cuts including the hits “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and “Hotel Room Service.” Featuring the hit single “Bon Bon,” his all-Spanish-language album Armando followed in 2010. In 2011, his Planet Pit album arrived, featuring the singles “Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)” and “Give Me Everything.” Both the singles collection Original Hits and I Am Armando -- a “reloaded” version of Armando -- arrived in 2012 along with his seventh studio effort, Global Warming. The latter album featured the hits “Back in Time” and “Feel This Moment,” and when a deluxe reissue appeared in 2013, the single “Timber,” with special guest Ke$ha, was added to the track list.
In early 2014, Pitbull released the single “Wild Wild Love,” which featured vocals from the girl group G.R.L. and debuted at number 30 on the Billboard pop chart. A few months later, he announced the release of an eighth studio album, Globalization, which appeared near the end of 2014 and featured Chris Brown, Sean Paul, Dr. Luke, and other guests. No less than four singles reached the Top 40, including “Wild Wild Love,” “Fireball,” “Time of Our Lives,” and “Fun.” Dale, his second Spanish-language album, followed in 2015, the same year that he launched his satellite radio station, Pitbull’s Globalization, on the Sirius XM network. The album was extremely successful, scooping up the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Soon Pitbull was making guest appearances on tracks by Awards. It was Pitbull’s first Grammy Award win, and the everyone from the Ying Yang Twins to Elephant Man. The album unsurprisingly reached number one on Billboard’s 2005 compilation Money Is Still a Major Issue collected Top Latin Albums chart. the best of these collaborations along with some remixes and unreleased tracks. In 2006, the single “Bojangles” The following year saw a return to the English language for prepared fans for his next album, El Mariel. As the album the rapper with his tenth studio album, Climate Change. landed on the shelves it was announced that his next ef- It featured high-profile collaborators like Robin Thicke, fort would be entirely in Spanish and titled The Boatlift. Joe Perry, Flo Rida, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, JaWhen the end product arrived in 2007, it was an album son Derulo, Stephen Marley, Leona Lewis, and R. Kelly, mostly in English, introduced by the single “Go Girl.” among others. The single “Messin’ Around,” featuring Iglesias, hit the pop charts, leading up to the album’s release Two years later he released Rebelution, an album filled in March 2017. ~ David Jeffries JUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 19
PITBULL When the Southern-flavored party rap called crunk took over urban radio, Miami rapper and future superstar Pitbull decided it was time to seek stardom. The way Pitbull saw it, “crunk ain’t nothin’ but bass music slowed down.” Miami bass music, that is, the kind Pitbull grew up on. His parents were first-generation Cuban immigrants who didn’t let their son forget about his culture. They required him to memorize the works of Cuban poet José Martí, and Pitbull understood the power of words right away. Southern acts like Poison Clan and Luther Campbell were early influences, but as he grew, the young rapper got turned on to the G-funk sound of the West Coast and the New York City point of view Nas brought to the game.
Filled with high-caliber cameos and unstoppable energy, Pitbull’s 10th studio album is a rush of party-till-dawn decadence. Dance-oriented reggaeton fuels most of Climate Change, but Mr. Worldwide is a collaborative ringleader who samples hooks from every corner of the music universe. “Bad Man,” for example, features Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, pop heartthrob Robin Thicke, and guitar leads from Joe Perry. But for all the shapeshifting samples and marquee guests (J Lo, Ty Dolla $ign, R. Kelly— the list goes on and on), it’s Pitbull’s raunchy, quick-fire rhymes that make Climate Change simmer.
Pitbull got involved in the game himself when he started appearing on Miami mixtapes. A meeting with Irv Gotti resulted in nothing, but soon Luther Campbell called on the rapper to appear on his “Lollipop” single. It brought Pitbull to the attention of the Diaz Brothers management team, who introduced the rapper to the king of crunk, Lil Jon. A Pitbull freestyle landed on Lil Jon’s platinum-selling Kings of Crunk album in 2002, and the rapper’s “Oye” track appeared on the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack in 2003. Ready to take it all the way to the top, Pitbull unleashed his debut full-length, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004 on the TVT label, with the Lil Jon-produced single “Culo” leading the way.
with slick club cuts including the hits “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and “Hotel Room Service.” Featuring the hit single “Bon Bon,” his all-Spanish-language album Armando followed in 2010. In 2011, his Planet Pit album arrived, featuring the singles “Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)” and “Give Me Everything.” Both the singles collection Original Hits and I Am Armando -- a “reloaded” version of Armando -- arrived in 2012 along with his seventh studio effort, Global Warming. The latter album featured the hits “Back in Time” and “Feel This Moment,” and when a deluxe reissue appeared in 2013, the single “Timber,” with special guest Ke$ha, was added to the track list.
In early 2014, Pitbull released the single “Wild Wild Love,” which featured vocals from the girl group G.R.L. and debuted at number 30 on the Billboard pop chart. A few months later, he announced the release of an eighth studio album, Globalization, which appeared near the end of 2014 and featured Chris Brown, Sean Paul, Dr. Luke, and other guests. No less than four singles reached the Top 40, including “Wild Wild Love,” “Fireball,” “Time of Our Lives,” and “Fun.” Dale, his second Spanish-language album, followed in 2015, the same year that he launched his satellite radio station, Pitbull’s Globalization, on the Sirius XM network. The album was extremely successful, scooping up the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Soon Pitbull was making guest appearances on tracks by Awards. It was Pitbull’s first Grammy Award win, and the everyone from the Ying Yang Twins to Elephant Man. The album unsurprisingly reached number one on Billboard’s 2005 compilation Money Is Still a Major Issue collected Top Latin Albums chart. the best of these collaborations along with some remixes and unreleased tracks. In 2006, the single “Bojangles” The following year saw a return to the English language for prepared fans for his next album, El Mariel. As the album the rapper with his tenth studio album, Climate Change. landed on the shelves it was announced that his next ef- It featured high-profile collaborators like Robin Thicke, fort would be entirely in Spanish and titled The Boatlift. Joe Perry, Flo Rida, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, JaWhen the end product arrived in 2007, it was an album son Derulo, Stephen Marley, Leona Lewis, and R. Kelly, mostly in English, introduced by the single “Go Girl.” among others. The single “Messin’ Around,” featuring Iglesias, hit the pop charts, leading up to the album’s release Two years later he released Rebelution, an album filled in March 2017. ~ David Jeffries JUNE / JULY 2017 VIBE.COM 19
20 Best Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2017 (So Far), Ranked By DJ ZBOOTH Fin R E Drake
Thu
e e is
d d O
i
M
k
un r D -
rg
e b e
c I e
h T - Sa
dd ie
rF e
iG bb
s-
iv L y
O u Yo
nl
-
Pr o
Future - HNDRXX Future - FUTURE
ce
- Mor e Lif e
iw ce
2 e
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. r e y a r s&P
n g i S ang
G y z Storm
m Khalid - Am erican ph Teen a
ss Rick Ross - Rather You Than Me
Jonwayne - Rap Album Two
20 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
s go
C
U
L
T
U
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 3
t
rca e d n
S
Sto
ver
Ne e h T .D J.I
d y
-
Smino - blkswn
i G e i d d Fre
Raekwon - The Wild
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
e
c i w 2 e v i L y l n uO o Y ry bbs
W
ith one-third of the 2017 calendar year now complete, we decided to take stock of all the incredible hiphop and R&B albums that have been released over the past four months, ranking them based on a weighted voting system that combined the individual rankings of our core writing team.
While 2016 was an incredible year for hip-hop and R&B thanks to a slew of remarkable albums from Anderson .Paak (Malibu), Beyoncé (Lemonade), Chance The Rapper (Coloring Book), Frank Ocean (Blonde) and ScHoolboy Q (Blank Face), among others, the first 119 days of 2017 have very clearly and loudly said, “Hold my beer.”
GoldLink - At What Cost JUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 21
20 Best Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2017 (So Far), Ranked By DJ ZBOOTH Fin R E Drake
Thu
e e is
d d O
i
M
k
un r D -
rg
e b e
c I e
h T - Sa
dd ie
rF e
iG bb
s-
iv L y
O u Yo
nl
-
Pr o
Future - HNDRXX Future - FUTURE
ce
- Mor e Lif e
iw ce
2 e
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. r e y a r s&P
n g i S ang
G y z Storm
m Khalid - Am erican ph Teen a
ss Rick Ross - Rather You Than Me
Jonwayne - Rap Album Two
20 VIBE.COM JUNE / JULY 2017
s go
C
U
L
T
U
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 3
t
rca e d n
S
Sto
ver
Ne e h T .D J.I
d y
-
Smino - blkswn
i G e i d d Fre
Raekwon - The Wild
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
e
c i w 2 e v i L y l n uO o Y ry bbs
W
ith one-third of the 2017 calendar year now complete, we decided to take stock of all the incredible hiphop and R&B albums that have been released over the past four months, ranking them based on a weighted voting system that combined the individual rankings of our core writing team.
While 2016 was an incredible year for hip-hop and R&B thanks to a slew of remarkable albums from Anderson .Paak (Malibu), Beyoncé (Lemonade), Chance The Rapper (Coloring Book), Frank Ocean (Blonde) and ScHoolboy Q (Blank Face), among others, the first 119 days of 2017 have very clearly and loudly said, “Hold my beer.”
GoldLink - At What Cost JUNE / JULY 2017
VIBE.COM 21
JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE INVITED, DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE WELCOME
GET OUT
FROM THE MIND OF JORDAN PEELE, AND BLUMHOUSE THE PRODUCER OF THE VISIT, INSIDIOUS & THE GIFT
THE AUTHORITY IN HIP HOP
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JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE INVITED, DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE WELCOME
GET OUT
FROM THE MIND OF JORDAN PEELE, AND BLUMHOUSE THE PRODUCER OF THE VISIT, INSIDIOUS & THE GIFT
THE AUTHORITY IN HIP HOP
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY
JORDAN, PEELE HOME
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Home Features Charts Songs Albums Videos DJs
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Follow DJ Booth More Playlists Mixtape Downloads Album Reviews DJ Equipment Reviews
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Good Cop Bad Cop
IC
Releases 25th Anniversary Edition of ‘Death Certificate’ Album
Demetrius Shipp Jr.
portrayed rapper and actor Tupac Shakur in the biopic All Eyez on Me
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the premier late night talk show on CBS
Music Review
Top 20
DJ BOOTH RANKED 2017 Hip-Hop and R&B Album JUNE / JULY 2017
Pitbull Moves Beyond
Hip-Hop and Into the Unknown on ‘Climate Change’
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