You Need More People

Sometimes I worry that this is more a Black Hippy fan blog than an actual hip-hop blog. How many steps away from Black Hippy fanfic am I really?

Top Dawg Entertainment Founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith has announced that future albums by L.A. crew Black Hippy - Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock - will be released jointly through TDE and Interscope. Lamar’s as-yet-untitled proper debt album, though, will drop via TDE, Interscope, and Aftermath, the imprint founded by Dr. Dre.

This isn’t a huge surprise, considering that the Hippies - L.A. natives all - have been running with Dr. Dre and his crew for a few years now. (Kendrick even went so far as to release a track called “Look out for Detox,” which, incidentally, just slays.)

Nevertheless, it’s always great to see a supernaturally talented group like Black Hippy get the mainstream plaudits they deserve. Congrats, guys!

(Via The FADER)

XXL just released its always-controversial - but usually on-point - annual list of the best and the brightest new faces in hip-hop.

I’ll admit I’m not totally familiar with most of these dudes, though the inclusions I am familiar with seem sound - love Danny Brown, not quite sold on French Montana - even though I just can’t stand bone-simple R&B robot Future. And while it’s nice to see Iggy Azalea repping for the ladies, I would’ve preferred to see her similarly named contemporary, the fabulous and fabulously talented Azealia Banks. And it’s too bad they slept on Boldy James, Main Attrakionz, and Schoolboy Q. In general, though, spilling some ink on lesser-known quantities is always something I’m in favor of. 

Check it out over at XXL’s website.