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[ANNOUNCEMENT] Closed Session Founders - August 1st at 4PM ET - HipHop

[ANNOUNCEMENT] Closed Session Founders - August 1st at 4PM ET - HipHop

[ANNOUNCEMENT] Closed Session Founders - August 1st at 4PM ET

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 03:03 PM PDT

Located in Chicago, IL, the Closed Sessions label is home to a diverse group of artists ranging from vocalists Kweku Collins & WebsterX, producers Boathouse & oddCouple, singer/songwriter Jamila Woods and underground legend, DJ Rude One. Founders Alexander Fruchter and Michael Kolar have become key players in helping build and maintain an infrastructure for the Chicago Hip-Hop community at large dating as far back as 2008. Fruchter is a DJ, writer, & "tastemaker" who joined forces with Kolar, owner of the legendary Soundscape Studios to form one of the premier independent labels in the country. Collectively they've seen and done just about anything you can think of from throwing first Chicago shows shows with Action Bronson & Curren$y, to working with local upstarts turned national stars such as Vic Mensa, Chance The Rapper, and many others. In 2016, Closed Sessions was awarded a designation of "Chicagoans of the Year" by the Chicago Tribune.

Twitter Announcement

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Nike cuts ties with A$AP Bari

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 01:10 PM PDT

Frank Ocean's Channel ORANGE, 5 years later - how an album showed you can be queer and successful in hip-hop.

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 01:13 PM PDT

Being queer can be hard sometimes. You can face discrimination, slurs, hate and even aggresions just because of who you are. We have advanced, but it looks like we are starting to go back again. Look at how Trump made being trans not acceptable in the military. Or how Trump revoked protections for LGBT workers against discrimination. And it's not just the US, during the Pride Week in Madrid last month there were several aggresions by some nazi groups.

On the other hand, it takes people together. LGBT groups help people feel they belong, because feeling like you don't belong is another big problem. Many people feel they're not represented on media, like TV, movies or music.

On TV, the success of some shows like Sense8 or the already finished Please Like Me have shown that there's room for overtly gay series. Maybe it's not that much, but it's about representation.

Movies are another thing. There you have Moonlight, a movie about growing as gay and black and facing homophobia, and it has been named by many as movie of the year and on top of that, it has won an Oscar for Best Picture.

Music? You even have an specific genre, queer-core. But what about hip-hop? I made a post about it some months ago, I don't know if you remember it. In short: the situation is still bad, but acceptation and coming out has been getting better. I mean, look at Tyler and Flower Boy. But today I want to talk about a special album that I think had some big importance during this decade: Frank Ocean's Channel ORANGE.

5 years of it already. Time has flown by. What happened 5 years ago, that made this album so legendary? It's not just about the music, it's also about the importance it had over the relationship between hip-hop and the LGBT community.

Let's start: the music. Channel Orange evokes the 90's R&B, that one that has overtly sexual lyrics and flows between electric guitars, orchestration and those early programmed drums. It's done fantastically; by listening to it you could mention his references: D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Janet Jackson, Maxwell, maybe even Mariah Carey in the poppier songs. Hell, it has André 3000 on it. The albums switches between Frank's singing and the guests rappers like Earl Sweatshirt, the mentioned André 3000 and Tyler the Creator. The lyrics are beautiful, evoking nostalgia and love. Because Channel Orange breathes nostalgia in its production. Frank specifically wanted it to be recorded on analogue systems, and it gave it a characteristic sound: one dry, but that oozed. It sounds mutually exclusive, but it isn't: that's how summer is. Dry and hot, but oozing and juicy.

Because summer is a important part in Frank's life, or that's what it looks like:

  • Novacane, his first single, was released at the end of May.
  • Pyramids, the second single of Channel Orange, was released in early June.
  • Channel Orange was released in July 2012.
  • Boys Don't Cry was announced to be released in July 2015.
  • Endless started in August 2016.
  • Blonde was finally released at the end of August 2016.

And not only in releases, but also in his life. After the first listening party Frank did, premiering Channel Orange for some given people like music journalists in June, people started to make questions: did Frank Ocean mention male pronouns on his songs?

It made headlines and rumours about his sexuality. Apart from the promotion given by Def Jam itself with the two singles, some buzz was starting to get created around Frank. There's this spanish refrain, silence is consent, and this is a example of it. If it's a rumour, then why saying yes or no.

Until he did.

July 4th, Frank Ocean posted this on his Tumblr blog. An open letter about his first love with a man: '4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide. Most of the day I'd see him, and his smile.' [...] 'By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love, it changed my life.' [...] 'Imagine being thrown from a plane. I wasn't in a plane though. I was in a Nissan Maxima, the same car I packed up with bags and drove to Los Angeles in. I sat there and told my friend how I felt. I wept as the words left my mouth. I grieved for them, knowing I could never take them back for myself. He patted my back. He said kind things. He did his best, but he wouldn't admit the same. He had to go back inside soon, it was late and his girlfriend was waiting for him upstairs.' He was openly admitting his bisexuality. If the rumours made headlines, the confirmation made even more. But it didn't matter. More promo. Let the music speak for itself, and all that jazz.

The days before the release were kinda calmed. He released Sweet Life as a third single, performed Bad Religion in Fallon, and surprise released Channel Orange a week before to avoid leaks.

Now, let's go back to a concrete song, Bad Religion. This is one of the most important songs in the album because of it's double entendre: it talks about an unrequited love, and an unrequited love with a straight man. Frank makes a comparison, in the outro:

It's a, it's a bad religion
To be in love with someone
Who could never love you

At the same time, it compares a loved person with a god. He worships her. But also, the bad religion it refers is an homophobic religion, like some die-hard christians and muslims. Given some parts of the lyrics, like

And you say, Allahu Akbar

we could guess it's a muslim religion. It's not that obvious at first, but once you read the lyrics, it's easy to see what he could be meaning: a muslim friend, who Frank is in love with, doesn't reciprocate his love.

It's all reading into it, but now let's go to a song that is obviously gay it'll make you want to watch RPDR: Forrest Gump.

My fingertips and my lips
They burn from the cigarettes
Forrest Gump you run my mind, boy
Running on my mind boy
Forrest Gump

It's a great hook. Vocally excellent, and with a great instrumentation behind. But what stands out the most it's that Frank continues the story that he shared on his open letter, making an analogy between the characters in Forrest Gump and them. Frank is Jenny, and the unknown lover is Forrest. It's overtly gay, and that's the only thing that it needs.

Blonde sometimes feels like an extension of Channel Orange. Not in sound, but more like lyrically matured. You can see that in the imaginary used in Nikes and Seigfried.

I'm not him but I'll mean something to you
I'll mean something to you
I'll mean something to you
You got a roommate he'll hear what we do
It's only awkward if you're fucking him too

Nikes, in its video, feels also queer. The constant mentions of glitter, the figures of both men and women, the eye liner in Frank's eyes. But at the same time, it's kind of an ode to masculinity, with the racing cars. It's an ode to bisexuality.

5 years later, has something changed? Kind of. Months after the release of Channel Orange, T-Pain said, regarding Frank: "I know niggas that will not do a song with Frank Ocean just because he gay, but they need him on the fucking song and that's so terrible to me, man... What I do ain't going to affect nothing that you got going on". It's interesting to theorize, would have something changed in his career if Frank Ocean wasn't bi? If he was just a soft guy, would he have had a career path closer to the rest of rappers and singers, like Rocky? Maybe. But Frank has worked with other rappers and popstars, like Kanye, Jay Z, Beyoncé, Calvin Harris, A$AP Rocky... and apparently he had worked with James Blake and Kendrick Lamar.

Of course T-Pain said that 3 years ago, but his point still stands. Of course many rappers are still homophobic, but things have gotten better. Kevin Abstract is openly gay and could be the next big popstar in hip-hop. Tyler just came out and he ignited discussion around many topics, like the use of some slurs and the internalized homophobia. And even tho he isn't at the levels of Frank or Tyler, Steve Lacy said he was bi a few days ago and nobody even cared. Have things changed in 5 years? I guess so.

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BIGQUINT - Flower Boy Reaction

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 08:32 AM PDT

Tyler's "Flower Boy" (101k) and Meek's "Wins & Losses" (99k) debut at #2 and #3 on the Billboard Top 200 chart

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 08:50 AM PDT

#1 - Lust for Life (Lana)

  • 103,805 total units sold

  • 80,442 album sales

  • 23,976 track sales

  • 30,370,121 streams

https://twitter.com/chartdata/status/892043965083508736

#2 - Flower Boy (Tyler)

  • 100,641 total units sold

  • 70,087 album sales

  • 19,205 track sales

  • 42,951,771 streams

https://twitter.com/chartdata/status/892044328138194944

#3 - Wins and Losses (Meek)

  • 98,594 total units sold

  • 37,309 album sales

  • 38,093 track sales

  • 86,214,061 streams

https://twitter.com/chartdata/status/892044546405564416

submitted by /u/cvelz
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Did you see NAV?

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 09:45 PM PDT

New Rae Sremmurd single "Perplexing Pegasus" coming Friday

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 01:35 PM PDT

Daily Discussion Thread 07/31/2017

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 05:46 PM PDT

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

  • objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
  • general hip-hop discussion
  • meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

  • Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

  • If a question has been asked many times before, provide a link to a thread that contains the answer.

Other ways to interact

There are a number of other ways to interact with other members of HHH:

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Majid Jordan announce new album 'The Space Between' for fall

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 04:09 PM PDT

[FRESH VIDEO] SZA - Supermodel.

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 09:52 AM PDT

[FRESH] Hoodrich Pablo & Lil Uzi Vert - Zombamafoo (Prod. By Danny Wolf, Ronny J & DJ Spinz)

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 05:01 PM PDT

[FRESH ALBUM] wifisfuneral - Boy Who Cried Wolf

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 10:32 PM PDT

Frank Ocean performing Forrest Gump and Pyramids at Wayhome Music Festival 2017

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 08:17 AM PDT

Big Sean - Blessings (feat. Drake & Kanye West)

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 10:50 AM PDT

Open Mike Eagle Announces New Album "Brick Body Kids Still Daydream"

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 07:12 AM PDT

[FRESH] Young Thug - My Boy

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 05:18 PM PDT

John Mayer brings out Post Malone to perform "Congratulations"

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 06:58 AM PDT

Tyler, The Creator- Where This Flower Blooms

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 02:21 PM PDT

RiFF RAFF: iF U REALLY KNOW ME U KNOW iM SUiCiDAL SO YEAH

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 02:56 PM PDT

[FRESH] Open Mike Eagle - 95 Radios

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 07:31 AM PDT

TNGHT confirmed to be making a come back with new releases.

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 09:52 PM PDT

Pitchfork gives Vic Mensa's debut album "The Autobiography" a 6.9

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 08:15 AM PDT

[FRESH] Mozzy - Momma We Made It (feat. Jay Rock)

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 01:51 PM PDT

[FRESH] Kanye West - Stronger (Mike Dean Mix 9)

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 11:06 AM PDT

[FRESH] WESTSIDEGUNN X MACH HOMMY - MACHO ON COKE

Posted: 31 Jul 2017 04:39 PM PDT
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"Interscope paid me to make memes to make it seem like a rapper has a lot of buzz around them." - HipHop

"Interscope paid me to make memes to make it seem like a rapper has a lot of buzz around them." - HipHop

"Interscope paid me to make memes to make it seem like a rapper has a lot of buzz around them."

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 03:13 PM PDT

Someone snitching on how the meme game is planted by the industry.

Here's the video linked on NBC News twitter.

submitted by /u/CranberryMoonwalk
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Vic Mensa says R. Kelly "Needs to be locked away forever"

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 03:07 PM PDT

This is How Many Times Has Lil Wayne Said "Pussy" In His Career (Albums, Mixtapes, Guest Verses, Loosies)

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 07:35 PM PDT

You might remember this post from December 2016, a video showing all of Wayne's pussy eating references. Noisey also published an article at some point about it.

I went deeper, and tried to answer the question, "Did Lil Wayne's Obsession With Pussy Hurt His Career?"

I analysed every legitimate Lil Wayne song on Genius for the word "Pussy", and I came up with these hard facts:

Total songs: 978 Total Pussy Mentions: 717

I answered the question in the article, I broke the references down by year and by project, and I've included all the hard data I collected via a link to another post. I analysed how many times per song Wayne uses it, how often his guests use it, and insights into which projects were most critically acclaimed and how "pussy" seemed to impact upon ratings and reviews. If you're interested, have a read:

http://www.bensbigblog.com.au/2017/07/did-lil-waynes-obsession-with-pussy.html

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SZA: ‘The record company took my hard drive from me’

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 07:52 AM PDT

[FRESH] The Weeknd - Reminder Remix (ft. Young Thug & A$AP Rocky)

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 09:55 PM PDT

Tyler, The Creator on lack of black cartoon characters

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 02:08 PM PDT

XXXTentacion announces '17' Album to drop August 25th.

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 10:07 AM PDT

The Notorious B.I.G. - "20 Years: Excess & Success" ///// I collected many acapellas by Biggie and created this brand new song from scratch finding rhymes between songs

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 04:45 PM PDT

[FRESH] Ugly God - No Lies (ft. Wiz Khalifa)

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 08:55 PM PDT

Q-Tip says "this will be their last show ever in NYC as ATCQ" live at Panorama

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 05:39 PM PDT

Bobby Shmurda - Bobby Bitch

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 01:25 PM PDT

Boosie Badazz's Brother Arrested for Stealing $361,000 From Rapper's Bank Account

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 07:40 AM PDT

SUNDAY GENERAL DISCUSSION - JULY 30th, 2017

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 01:01 PM PDT

What do you do for a living? If you are a student, what do you study? Do you like it?

What are some of your non-music related hobbies?

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Redman - MTV Cribs [2001]

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 08:17 AM PDT

Aminé - Spice Girl

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 04:22 PM PDT

The Roots - The Seed (2.0) ft. Cody ChesnuTT

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 06:32 AM PDT

Kendrick Lamar - FEEL. (DAMN Live Tour)

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 09:20 AM PDT

Jamie Foxx telling Joe Rogan about recording Slow Jamz with Kanye

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 04:06 PM PDT

Jonwayne - These Words Are Everything

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 02:35 PM PDT

Theory that LUV can be dropping tomorrow, but not LUVisRage 2

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 03:31 PM PDT

  • Lil Uzi's birthday is on the 31st
  • The Perfect LUV Tape dropped last year on the same day
  • Many new snippets and even 5 tracks on a radio show have surfaced online

That doesn't mean LUV2 can come out. I feel like it'll be TPLUV Tape 2 or LUV is Rage 1.5 from songs off SoundCloud from the EP, and the 5 that has surfaced on the radio show featuring Don Cannon, as well as a few new songs shown here: https://youtu.be/j3_EjjoSd8s https://youtu.be/GB1_ICMNXCQ https://youtu.be/qEG9vLN3PEA https://youtu.be/up9IvL58rAA

If this happens, LUV is Rage 2 ain't dropping anytime soon other than maybe this fall. X0 Tour Llif3 just got triple plat, so if his streams are going high, it may not need to put another tape due to his popularity.

What do y'all think?

submitted by /u/waddup121
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[ORIGINAL] I took the summer to learn how to produce, mix, and rap better. My previous music was trash, I won't even front. I lost confidence in myself, and my ability to create, I almost put up rap for good. Supportive comments from Reddit kept me going. Thank you. Where will we go? -Hartdy

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 03:55 PM PDT

Future and Young Thug - Who

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 04:06 AM PDT

[FRESH PRE-ORDER] Ugly God - The Booty Tape

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 08:49 PM PDT

Chance and Chief Keef: A tale of two rappers

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 09:03 AM PDT

It's Lil Uzi Vert's birthday today!

Posted: 30 Jul 2017 09:26 PM PDT
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