In this episode of 'Billboard Unfiltered,' Billboard staffers Carl Lamarre, Kyle Denis, and Damien Scott dissect J. Cole's features on Tee Grizzley’s “BLOW FOR BLOW” and Daylyt’s “A Plate of Collard Greens,” as well as his best features overall. The team also gives their predictions for who could receive a 2025 Grammy nomination, discusses Ye's announcement of his new album 'Bully,' and covers the public's reaction to the announcement, and more!
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00:00I can't take this seriously.
00:02It's a struggle for me to look at you and be like...
00:06I just see that little Dreamville monologue and I'm just like...
00:10You could potentially leave a 5 or 6.
00:14Music video too!
00:16I like his videos.
00:18Almost perfect.
00:20Kanye 2024 making new solo music.
00:24That's a massive question mark.
00:26I'm trying to identify who those next superstars are going to be.
00:29Clearly Travis is that guy right now.
00:34Hey guys, welcome to a fresh episode of Billboard Unfiltered.
00:37Shout out to Mr. Anderson.
00:39Celebrating his birthday today.
00:41Happy birthday.
00:43He didn't even tell us.
00:46He's probably having a bubble bath right now.
00:48So we're going to hold it down for him.
00:52First topic today.
00:54Mr. Jermaine Lamar Cole.
00:57Full name.
00:59He just made a splashy return last week.
01:03Featured on two tracks.
01:05The first being Blow for Blow.
01:07Tee Grizzley track.
01:09And then Daylight's Play the Collard Greens.
01:11The man who calls himself the self-proclaimed GOAT.
01:15When it comes to features.
01:21To me, he demolished.
01:23He did some demolition derby last week.
01:25Crushed those verses.
01:27In my humble opinion.
01:29Curious to hear your guys thoughts on those two respective tracks.
01:32And is Mr. Jermaine Lamar Cole back?
01:35From the bullshit that he was dealing with earlier this year.
01:38Post K-Dot and Drizzy.
01:42I think it's tough to say he's back.
01:44Because he never really went away away.
01:47He still was popping up every now and then.
01:50The only two people in this beef.
01:52I'm going to remove Dreamville Fest from this conversation.
01:56The only two people in this beef.
01:58Who really acted as if this never happened.
02:00Is Jermaine and Future.
02:02Those are the two guys who are just like.
02:04I'm just going to go on with my life.
02:06And pretend that I had nothing to do with any of that.
02:09And it's worked marvelously for Future.
02:17For Cole, we're still seeing what's going to happen.
02:20I think fans are very happy that he's back.
02:22I think the verses are great.
02:25I love the verse on Blow for Blow.
02:28I love the verse on Daylight.
02:31On Collard Greens.
02:33I think we're all still waiting to see.
02:38We're all expecting.
02:41Fans are expecting an acknowledgement.
02:44And a path forward for him.
02:48They're waiting to see how he positions himself now.
02:50It seems like he's still going with the I'm the best.
02:52Don't fuck with me.
02:53Stay out of my lane talk.
02:55Which is the brand that he's built.
02:57And the brand that has amassed him all of this success.
03:01Will that be able to hold over?
03:04Going into this next album?
03:06We'll see.
03:08I'm inclined to say that his core fan base.
03:11Will be there for him.
03:13And that the music will be good enough to sway.
03:16People who are on the fence.
03:18But there's a lot of people out there.
03:21Who are like how can you still talk like this?
03:23When someone did enter your lane.
03:25And you swerved.
03:27That's what hurts me right here.
03:30I think I told you this over text.
03:32I still struggle to play Ready 24.
03:34With Cam.
03:36Because that's when he was so aggressive and honest.
03:38Like hey at the time.
03:40Top of the year.
03:41Who could really fuck with me?
03:43I'm the best rapper alive.
03:44I do this shit.
03:45And you kind of pussyfooted.
03:47Your way.
03:48Out of this beef.
03:50Kyle.
03:51I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
03:52You know.
03:53They're good verses.
03:54I enjoyed them.
03:55I really like Low for Blow.
03:57I like Tee Grizzley in general.
03:59It's my preferred verse out of the two.
04:01I've never had any doubt.
04:03That Cole could deliver on a guest verse.
04:05So this doesn't move the needle for me.
04:07In terms of what my expectations for him.
04:09And his own solo music are.
04:11The last thing I still have to judge him off of.
04:13Is that mixtape.
04:14Was it My Delete Later?
04:15Yeah.
04:16Which I didn't care for.
04:18So.
04:19You didn't like that?
04:20I thought it was a great project.
04:21I thought it was.
04:22Wait.
04:23Did you not like it prior to the pussyfooting?
04:27Yeah.
04:28Got it.
04:29It wasn't one of my personal favorite collection of Cole songs.
04:32Got it.
04:33Interesting.
04:34But these verses.
04:36Yeah.
04:37Like I said.
04:38They don't necessarily move the needle for me.
04:39In terms of what might come with the fall off.
04:42So like that.
04:43I just need to hear a new solo track completely.
04:45I don't need to hear him.
04:47Going back and forth with another rapper on a record.
04:50Because I know he can do that.
04:51I've never had a doubt about that.
04:53I've always enjoyed Cole features.
04:55What I really do want to see is.
04:57Does he.
04:58As we established before.
04:59Does he actually acknowledge.
05:00The way he moved through this beef.
05:02On his own records.
05:04On his own terms.
05:05When the time comes.
05:06But.
05:07You know.
05:08Can.
05:09I mean, on the one hand, like I get the, the whole, like,
05:11how can you wrap like this after doing all of that?
05:13But I also do think it's kind of fun to let,
05:16to watch him remain in that bag and be like, yeah, I did do that.
05:19But I'm still going to stand 10 toes because.
05:21At the end of the day is rap.
05:22What else am I supposed to do?
05:23I'm still going to, I'm not going to be here on my own record.
05:26Like, yeah, I'm number three.
05:27No one's going to do that.
05:28So like.
05:29I respected in that regard.
05:31I just hope we can keep up that energy and give us.
05:34A really solid top to bottom project with the fall off.
05:37Yeah.
05:38I mean, I, I got, I got faith in Jermaine.
05:40As far as delivering.
05:42A super dope project.
05:44Knowing him.
05:45He he's always been candid and truthful.
05:47So I think he's gonna, you know, speak on that on the album.
05:51I think to Kyle's point.
05:53You know, that, that luster that.
05:55That just appeal.
05:57He has on the feature side, man.
05:59It's undeniable, but it's also like, I can't take you serious.
06:04It's a struggle for me to look at you and be like.
06:07But it's like you're like, you're like that little dreamville.
06:09Like monologue.
06:10And I'm just like, brah.
06:11It's tough.
06:12I mean, it's, it's.
06:13He's still.
06:14To me, he's still.
06:18Up there as one of the best rappers.
06:20Of his generation.
06:21Easily.
06:22And that doesn't go away.
06:24I think.
06:27For a person like him who has excelled on these guest features.
06:30You know, from.
06:32You know, beautiful bliss.
06:33Up to now.
06:35people all over their tracks for years now, I think, yeah, I get the understanding that all
06:43right, we're now, we're waiting for your take on, not just like, I don't even need to fully
06:54get an album or a song about the beef. I particularly don't care about that anymore.
06:59I'm more so like, where are you, where's your head right now? Where's Jermaine's,
07:04what's Jermaine's POV on rap, on life, on himself? Like, where do you see yourself now
07:10that you've witnessed, you know, two of your friends basically go blow for blow in a death
07:17match? Like, you know, how does that make you feel about rap as a whole? It's, it has to change,
07:24I believe in something in him. And yeah, you said he's like, he's very introspective. I would love
07:30to hear just what the hell's going on. Can I pose you guys this question? Do you guys feel,
07:36I mean, obviously the big three has always been a debate. But at this point, do you feel like
07:39Cole, he's kind of just pigeonholed himself to being that number three spot, regardless of what
07:46he does going forward? No, I think he's always talked like, even when he was saying like, I'm
07:55number one, he would still be in interviews and on songs being like, you know, I'm those guys are
08:03amazing. And I'm just happy to be around them. He always tried to walk this fine line of,
08:10you know, extreme humbleness, but also, you know, extreme boastfulness. And
08:17I don't think that's changed. I think he still believes that he's the best, but he still is,
08:23you know, he still reveres his peers in a way that I think most other people aren't
08:27really comfortable saying out loud. Because I've always said, and Kyle,
08:32want to hear your thoughts. I've always said, had he went toe to toe with Kendrick,
08:38and he was able to make it out of that battle, with the W and a lot, I think those rankings
08:44would have easily changed. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, for everyone has their own ranking. But I think
08:53writ large, it would have Yeah, it would be undeniable. Like you are.
08:58There's no, there's no discussion anymore. Like right now, there's no discussion. Right now. I
09:03know. For some people at this desk, it might be but I think, again, the marquee note is that the
09:13best rapper alive right now is Kendrick Duckworth Lamar. Kyle, I mean, hypotheticals are cool. You
09:24know, they're fun to live in and they're fun to play around with. But the fact of the matter is
09:31the beef played out the way it did. And I think because of that, there really isn't any big three
09:38anymore. And if there is a big interest, I'm more interested in figuring out who else has a claim to
09:47a third spot, a second spot, I think like it's a bit more open than people are willing to admit
09:53like, where's future? That's my question. Like, where does he fit? He's got to be central in this
09:57debate. What is it? 11th 12th number one album this year? Like, we're at least this year. Number
10:04four don't sound right at all when I say that. So it's like, the idea of the big three as we've
10:09come to know it going into 2024, I don't think is really a thing that's interesting to me to talk
10:15about or think about anymore. I'm more interested to figure out who else has a claim to it? Should
10:19it be a big five? Should it be a big three? Is it really just number one for now? And then we'll
10:24figure out if he can hold on to it post Super Bowl. Like, those are more interesting questions
10:28for me. And I think, like I said, I need a new Cole record for me to figure out my thoughts on
10:35that. Well, listen, you know, Aubrey had the title for like a good 15. So I think you'll you can sit
10:41this one out. And we can figure out the mid three. I like the cope. That was good. We can figure out
10:46the mid three. However, the mid three is crazy. The mid three before we pivot because you brought
10:53a beautiful bliss favorite Cole feature. Oh, I think mine might be beautiful bliss. Yeah, he
11:01that was just like so early in the run in his career. And, you know, it was that time when
11:08you didn't know who was going to shake out to be what you didn't know what what the next generation
11:14was going to turn out to be. We've talked about this before about that whole blog era,
11:18there are so many new rappers that we all thought were going to be, you know, huge,
11:24or at least much bigger than they were. But then, you know, you have this song with two people who
11:31have major cosigns. You know, while I had a huge cosign and and Jermaine also had a huge cosign.
11:39And while it was considered the bigger rapper while he was way was way bigger, he had a hit
11:44record. You know, he got a record. Nike boots was an actual hit, like a local hit that,
11:51you know, led into the into the mainstream a little bit. And then, you know, Cole just hops on.
11:59And my man was rapping like this was it like he's rapping like he's rapping like if he didn't make
12:05this work, it was a wrap. Like if this verse didn't didn't work out, man, it was back it
12:10was back to Fayetteville. You know, what got me so mad about that track is that Wale had the
12:15audacity to do another verse. I know, bro. Shout out to the cast of YouTube who clipped Cole's
12:20verse. And literally, if you go to J. Cole, Beautiful Bliss, they only have that verse.
12:25And Wale's first verse is good. It was a good verse.
12:28I didn't need another. And Wale gave like 24 bars.
12:31You say you're talking too much.
12:34To me, Beautiful Bliss is strictly J. Cole featuring Melanie Fiona.
12:37You got to let that breathe.
12:39Shout out to Wale.
12:42I mean, props to him for keeping the verse on there.
12:46There are a lot of rappers who have been like, take that shit off.
12:50Take that back.
12:51Yo, we got beef.
12:52We're not doing that. We're not doing that.
12:54Kyle?
12:55Um, Pretty Little Fears.
12:57Yeah, Pretty Little Fears.
12:59I've always been pretty partial to the London, but I like when Cole is rapping on R&B features.
13:05Brings out a nice little softer side to his delivery that I really do appreciate.
13:08So that, and like his verse on the Summer Walker EP like two years ago,
13:12I like when he has those kind of conversational moments.
13:15But Pretty Little Fears for me.
13:17I'm going to piggyback.
13:17Oh, To Summer from Cole?
13:19Cole, yeah.
13:19Yeah, yeah, yeah.
13:19That was really good.
13:20Yeah, that was a good track.
13:21I'm going to piggyback off the R&B.
13:23Shout out to Miguel, man.
13:24Comforting with chill.
13:25Powertrip in general.
13:27Not a feature.
13:28Powertrip is just like, man, I remember the day that...
13:31It was a Valentine's Day when that came out.
13:32And, you know, that was...
13:35You know, I don't want to, I don't want to like...
13:39Nah, I won't.
13:41But I remember when that song came out and it was...
13:44It felt like something was changing.
13:45It felt like he was entering into a new, into a new stratosphere.
13:49Like, I remember the New York Times never said anything good about...
13:54Cole was like, this song is great.
13:55Can I ask you, just because of your affiliation, I got to ask.
13:59And maybe this is just like your personal opinion.
14:01I always thought Powertrip was like part two to Dreams.
14:08I think if you ask him, he will say yeah.
14:10He will say like it's a, it's a continue.
14:12It's like in the same universe as that.
14:15I don't know if he like, if it's a direct part two to it.
14:19But it's definitely like, if you know this story,
14:22this story will seem familiar to you type of thing.
14:26But yeah, that song, man, that was like...
14:28It's like almost like a perfect song.
14:30It's, it's everything, everything just works.
14:33And Miguel was just, that was Miguel.
14:36And people thought, the conversation at that point in time was like,
14:40who's better, Miguel or Frank Ocean?
14:43That's how, you know, that was, that was fucking Kaleidoscope Dream Miguel.
14:46That was like, who's better, this guy or this guy?
14:49Yeah, that was a long time ago.
14:52Wow.
14:52But yeah, amazing, amazing song.
14:55Amazing song.
14:57Man, shout out to Jermaine.
14:58So we're gonna be patiently waiting for that fall off album.
15:04Going to the next topic,
15:05we're gonna talk about Grammy nomination predictions.
15:10It's about that time of the season.
15:13First round of voting ends this week.
15:16And there's a lot of heavy hitters.
15:18There's a lot of fire albums.
15:19Very crowded here.
15:20Yeah, songs, especially when you look at the R&B, hip hop.
15:23Crazy because last year was like, not a great rap year.
15:27And then everybody came out to play this year.
15:30Started the year with beef and had to stop.
15:33Right.
15:34You know, I guess the big conversation is going to be around Kendrick Lamar.
15:38Yeah.
15:39Not like us, obviously had the chance to demolish the big four,
15:44at least two of the categories, the song and record.
15:47Let's talk about the possibility Kendrick could just really eat next year.
15:52I mean, given his track record,
15:54it's like not even really a matter of possibility.
15:57It's kind of just which songs they rally behind.
16:00Like every time he's in contention, he sweeps.
16:02Like, it's just...
16:04You know what came to my head, right?
16:06You know, Kendrick just opened his mouth.
16:07That's a lot of hitters on the Grammy right now.
16:10Like you got like, what, like three or four of them for like Mr. Moralem.
16:12That was like his low key era.
16:14Like...
16:15You got 17 of them, Ting.
16:16Like he...
16:1717?
16:18That's one of the greatest golden babies.
16:21Two?
16:21Two.
16:22And he just won his first one in 2020.
16:24Right.
16:24What a world.
16:25So it's like...
16:28Not like us is obviously the biggest rap song of the year.
16:31So it's like, do you rally behind that?
16:33Or do you...
16:35Do some of those verses, some of those lines, you know, push voters away?
16:38In which case you have other options.
16:40You have Euphoria, which most people really prefer
16:43in terms of just like pure rap performance and songwriting in general.
16:48And then you have Like That.
16:49Obviously that can go in those collaboration categories as well.
16:54Yeah.
16:54I think if I had to guess, if they're going to push anything,
16:57they'd probably push Euphoria.
16:59It's just a safer bet.
17:00And I think it's a better display of his rap skill than Not Like Us is.
17:04But Not Like Us is just so big that it's like, do you ignore it?
17:08It's pop culture.
17:08Because the story coming out of it would just be like, damn,
17:10biggest song of the year or one of the biggest songs of the year
17:12gets zero Grammy noms.
17:15I don't know.
17:16But I think Euphoria is probably the one that they rally around.
17:21Or they go for Not Like Us.
17:22I mean, back to back, got a nom.
17:24Like we're not...
17:25It's not foreign to nominate disstracks at the Grammys.
17:29Is it foreign to nominate ones that go as far as Not Like Us does?
17:32I guess we'll find out.
17:33But...
17:33For the record, Mama said not to out one a Grammy.
17:36I was going to say that.
17:37Yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:38So shout out to LL.
17:40Yeah, you know, I mean, I got a piece coming out.
17:43I'm not snitching on myself, but...
17:46Euphoria, I've been talking to people.
17:47Yeah, they expect Euphoria to dominate the rap categories.
17:51Interesting.
17:52Not Like Us in general.
17:53And Not Like Us, just for rap.
17:56And then Not Like Us to overtake.
17:58Yeah, so I don't know how that's going to work.
18:00So they'll submit Not Like Us to the general field.
18:02That's smart.
18:03Yeah.
18:04That's smart strategy.
18:05That could be Kendrick, you know, sweeping rap,
18:07at least the performance, the song aspect.
18:09He could potentially leave with five or six.
18:13Music video too.
18:15I like this video.
18:16Oh, man.
18:17Almost perfect.
18:18Nas has two.
18:20I just can't like...
18:21Snoop has zero.
18:22That's...
18:23I mean, someone else on this list has zero too.
18:25We about to get two, so...
18:27That ain't that foreign.
18:28That's a great point.
18:29Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday.
18:31That was a late release last year.
18:32Yeah.
18:34Got to assume that it's going to be submitted.
18:36It's like, you got something.
18:37I got nothing to say.
18:38Oh.
18:41No, I mean, it's like...
18:42That was a gulp.
18:43It's like...
18:45You know, the barb's watching, baby.
18:48I just want to say that was a great album.
18:51Very strong.
18:52Very strong showing.
18:53Listen, I love Needle, man.
18:54Shout out to Drake.
18:55Falling For You is a great song.
18:56Great cool feature on that album as well.
19:00I think...
19:02Just to go back to Kendrick real quick.
19:07I think Euphoria, to me, is the better song overall.
19:15Not Like Us has the moment, and it's this amazing zeitgeisty piece of art.
19:23But in terms of what Kendrick can do and him blowing past the limitations of
19:33what we all thought was possible for him to do, I think that's the song.
19:37And I think that's probably the song that is more Kendrick Lamar than Not Like Us.
19:44Not Like Us is like...
19:46Yeah, it's the song we never expected him to make because, you know,
19:50in what world would Kendrick make a fucking Cali club record?
19:55But when Euphoria dropped, I remember everyone being like...
20:01At first, like, this is not enough.
20:03And then like two weeks later, it was like, man, this is...
20:05Breathtaking.
20:06This is crazy.
20:07Like, this is nuts.
20:07And I've seen a performance of it.
20:09What is going on here?
20:11Just the number of flows, the...
20:13Brutal control.
20:14I just like, it's like an insane...
20:16The way the jab just kept coming.
20:18It's crazy.
20:19On like, you know, he's like...
20:21The way building the song alone is crazy.
20:23All right.
20:23We get it.
20:26So I would say, yeah, I would agree.
20:30I would agree that Euphoria is probably the song.
20:32I'm actually on some like just art house shit.
20:36I'm kind of my other favorite, like Not Like Us,
20:39probably like my third or fourth favorite of the whole bunch.
20:43I would do Euphoria and then...
20:45Meet the Grams.
20:46And then Meet the Grams.
20:47You're a foot fuck.
20:48Yeah.
20:50It's Halloween, man.
20:51You gotta get into the spirit.
20:53You gotta get into the spirit.
20:53Kendrick's the type of dude to come like with the Freddie mask.
20:55Yeah.
20:56Hell yeah.
20:57Meet the Grams.
20:58And then...
20:59Jason mask, I mean, wow.
21:00And then was it 616 in LA?
21:04And then I'll do Not Like Us.
21:05That's hilarious.
21:07So, I mean, something to note.
21:10If Kendrick is able to pull off this feat,
21:13it'd be the first rap song since Childish Gambino,
21:16This is America, to win song and record.
21:19And for that reason alone, I hope he wins.
21:21Yeah.
21:21Because it's ridiculous that that's even a stat that can be said aloud.
21:24You gotta set the record straight with rap.
21:26That's fucking ridiculous.
21:27It's stupid.
21:28Like, come on.
21:28It's like 2015, 2016.
21:29God damn.
21:30And like of all Childish Gambino's songs, fucking This is America.
21:33Like, there's not really a song that I dislike more.
21:36Like, I really do not like that song.
21:38Shit, Gambino's getting the strays.
21:41Like, I just...
21:42Yeah, for that reason alone, please give it to Not Like Us.
21:45I'm curious to hear y'all thoughts on this really quick about Drake.
21:49Because he obviously lost the feud.
21:52Can we see any of those records, let's say like a Family Matters or even a Push-Ups,
21:58get a chance at a nomination this year?
21:59Well, he's got to submit.
22:01And he's been so adamantly against submitting.
22:04He's kind of just shown up whenever he's been featured on a record in recent years.
22:09Unless he elects to submit Family Matters and all of his solo tracks, then no.
22:13I don't think he's going to submit any of them.
22:15I think he's pretty much like, fuck the industry.
22:18Fuck you guys.
22:19You guys turned your back on me.
22:20That's how I feel.
22:23After all I've done for all of you, this is how you treat me?
22:27Well, yes.
22:28That's exactly how it is.
22:29He was mad at the Grammys before that also.
22:30He wasn't really fucking with them.
22:32So yeah, I don't think he's going to even play ball with it.
22:36I don't think he's going to do anything.
22:38Yeah.
22:40I know we kind of brushed on it a little bit.
22:42Nikki, she has an O for right now at the Grammys.
22:45I think it's O for 15?
22:4712.
22:47O for 12.
22:49O for 12.
22:50Pink Friday came out late last year.
22:51Can we see that possibly make some noise in the Best Rap Album category?
22:57She's been there twice before with the OG Pink Friday and the Pinkprint.
23:03I think it's a possibility.
23:06But last year, she was nominated twice for Barbie World,
23:09and those were her first Grammy noms in quite some time.
23:13I think since the Pinkprint era, because Queen didn't get any nominations
23:16and neither have any of her guest verses in the interim.
23:19So it's like, has the Academy cooled on her
23:23in terms of how willing they will be to embrace Pink Friday 2?
23:28But it's certainly not a bad record.
23:31It's a pretty solid body of work.
23:33You know, she's not an unknown.
23:35She has name recognition.
23:38She has this massive tour behind it.
23:39I think it's just a matter of if, you know,
23:42niggas fuck with the album and fuck with her.
23:44But I think it's within the realm of possibility.
23:47Is that a top five rap album of the year?
23:51It depends on who you're asking.
23:52I'm asking us.
23:54Is that a top five rap album of the year right now?
23:56I'm going to throw it in to the 2024 bunch,
23:58since it came out late.
23:59To me, no.
24:01Yeah.
24:02And it doesn't help when you got somebody like Future,
24:04who dropped three, you know.
24:08But I will say, the Grammy rap field just be so unpredictable.
24:12Yeah, I mean-
24:12That year we thought that, you know,
24:14Pop Smoke and Roddy would get best rap album nominations,
24:17and they didn't.
24:18And you have people like Iggy Azalea,
24:20who have best rap album nominations to their name.
24:22It's like-
24:23I remember the Backpacker year,
24:24I think it was like 21 or 22,
24:26where it was like Royce,
24:27which was great for the Backpackers.
24:28Royce, Freddie Gibbs,
24:30Nas, who ended up winning that year,
24:32Jay Electronica.
24:33I think they only did that so they can give Nas to them.
24:36I think someone-
24:37I mean, from a Backpacker standpoint,
24:38that's a pretty dope-
24:39Because like, even putting Nas in a Backpack category,
24:43like, yeah, they were like,
24:45here, we're going to nominate all these people,
24:47who otherwise do not get to shine commercially,
24:49or, you know, accolades wise, usually.
24:55And then there's arguably the greatest rapper of all time.
24:59In here also, who's been releasing some pretty good stuff.
25:03We're going to give it to him.
25:04Because why the fuck would we not give it to Nas?
25:07Yeah, I mean, and then shout out to Killer Mike,
25:08who swept.
25:10Had a good run last year.
25:11Yeah.
25:11Took the Rhythm Things, one best rap album.
25:14But it's also like,
25:16that's a good album.
25:17These are all like,
25:18for all the like,
25:21heave, you know, heeing, hawing,
25:22and like the excuses that could be made for like,
25:26you know, some of the nominations that happen.
25:29You know, even Iggy, the album wasn't a terrible album.
25:35People liked a lot of the stuff.
25:38She had huge songs on it.
25:39I think she had, yeah, she had huge songs on it.
25:40I had to look over here, because I'm not bugging.
25:43The album itself is not a good record.
25:46I remember people being pretty.
25:48I never heard niggas saying,
25:50yo, play that Iggy Azalea.
25:51I remember she was fucking massive.
25:53Album, I'm saying.
25:54Fancy, black widow.
25:55I can see why it got nominated on.
25:57I can see why it lands on there.
26:00Were Cath playing Iggy in Far Rock?
26:03I wasn't in Far Rock.
26:03I was still in Brooklyn.
26:04Okay, were Cath playing in Far Rock?
26:06They weren't playing Fancy?
26:09I'm talking about, we're talking about rap.
26:11I'm saying.
26:11That was a pop record.
26:13Come on.
26:14It did get nominated in Best Pop Duo Group.
26:17Come on.
26:18Still a rap song.
26:18Still a rap song.
26:19I'm not saying I was bumping it.
26:21I'm just saying I understand.
26:24I mean.
26:24Shout out to Iggy, by the way.
26:25Shout out to Iggy, yeah.
26:27I like black people.
26:28But I can say I understand how that happens.
26:35For all of the bombast around Pink Friday 2,
26:40I don't know if it has that sort of support behind it.
26:45There was no huge push.
26:48It felt like the music was secondary in the conversation around the album.
26:52It was more like victory lap for her.
26:54Big tour.
26:57Super Freaky Girl went number one the year before.
26:59But in terms of the records on the album, even the Club Up and Everybody,
27:04they did a little something.
27:05But they didn't really last in the zeitgeist for too, too long.
27:09Yeah, yeah.
27:09Great call.
27:10I'm interested to see.
27:11We've spoken so much this year and last year about how big the women are in rap.
27:16And it's like, no woman's been nominated for Best Rap Album since Cardi won.
27:20And when Cardi won, she was the first one to get nominated.
27:23Nicki and Rapsody.
27:25There's a lot of chances for them this year.
27:27I wonder if anybody breaks through into that top five.
27:30And I think it would just have to be whoever has the most grassroots love.
27:34Because it's not like they're going to get off of purely commercial strength.
27:37Shout out to the guy Cardi B, man.
27:39Like Meg or-
27:40Like Meg, Lotto.
27:41Yeah, I think those are probably the two biggest shots.
27:43I think I could see Sexy going back to the big four, getting a look for Best New Artist.
27:47Really?
27:48I think so.
27:48Interesting.
27:49I think so.
27:50She'll be a dark horse.
27:51Super dark horse.
27:53Yeah.
27:55So we'll see.
27:56What about Ice?
27:58Oh, Ice was nominated last year.
27:59Best New Artist.
28:00For?
28:00No, no, for an album.
28:01A project?
28:01I don't know.
28:02Hell no.
28:03What?
28:03She dropped an album this year?
28:04No.
28:05Then the Grammy goes to Poop.
28:08Sure.
28:08Poop is crazy.
28:10Well, pivoting over to another perennial Grammy superstar darling, Mr. Kanye West.
28:20You know, it just don't stop with Yeezy, man.
28:21Apparently, Kanye was out in China and announced a new solo album is on the way, titled Bully.
28:30He previewed some records off the project.
28:34Mr. West has had a busy year, put out two collaborative albums, Vultures 1 and 2.
28:38At Tye, we were supposed to get a third to, you know, wrap up the trilogy, but apparently
28:42that's going to be on the back burner for this solo album.
28:45Supposedly, yeah.
28:47Supposedly.
28:48Um, Mr. Scott, you've been, you know, pretty harsh on Ye.
28:53Does a solo album, does it tickle your fancy?
28:59Yes and no.
29:00I think, so the story coming out of China, because that's where he's been performing
29:07recently, is that the reception has been so good.
29:12I believe he was also in Korea?
29:14Yeah.
29:14Right.
29:15Supposedly, the reception in Asia has been so good because he's been playing like this
29:19massive, these massive stadiums and doing like medleys of old songs and new songs.
29:24Supposedly, the reception has been so good that he has felt reinvigorated and he's refocusing
29:34on music.
29:36There's a report, I don't know where it came out of explicitly, but saying that he was
29:43going to be back on his, you know, Art House Kanye and he's not going to be dealing with
29:48any business stuff and he's only going to be working on music and, you know, it's like
29:56you take what Kanye says with a grain of salt at all times, but then he posts things like
30:00the beat he's making on Instagram, you know, it's just him and an ASR, it's nothing crazy.
30:08It's not a heart.
30:09It's just looping a sample that, but like it's Kanye, so hearing, seeing him in front
30:17of an ASR, you know, chopping a sample is like enough to get people excited, myself
30:22included, to be like, oh, if this is the direction, then I'm with it.
30:29But then, you know, he drops a song called Beauty and the Beast.
30:31Mike Dean says it's a Donder holdover that he's going to, supposedly is going to be on
30:36the album.
30:37Even if it's a Donder holdover, I think it's the direction that I hope he goes in.
30:44It sounded coherent.
30:46It sounded like it's an actual song.
30:48There's like verses and he's not mumbling.
30:51He's actually talking about things that are outside of, you know, the conspiracy of certain
30:58racial groups dominating the world.
31:00And if that's the case, then yeah, I would love to hear a Kanye album.
31:06But if that's not the case, if he's still on this whole, like certain groups of people
31:12are ruling the world and, you know, I'm going to build a spaceship that takes us to Saturn
31:17one day and I'm good.
31:22Fair, fair.
31:23Kyle?
31:24I think on the basis of clearly Kanye has a love of creating things.
31:30And there's still an artist in the truest form where he just likes to make stuff.
31:33I'm excited in that regard.
31:35I love seeing that.
31:38Kanye 2024 making new solo music.
31:43That's a massive question mark for me.
31:44I just, you know, those conversations on social media where they're talking about who has
31:51like the greatest catalog of all time and Kanye's name gets thrown around a lot.
31:55And then I was thinking about the latter half of his discog and I'm like, hmm, maybe
32:00you're not up there where you were with me.
32:02Like at one point, like the last couple of records have just fallen flat for me across
32:08the board.
32:08So I can't say I'm too, too excited, but I'm still interested.
32:12And I think that's what makes Kanye, Kanye, like even after all this freaking time and
32:16all that he's done, there's still a part of me that's like, what do you have to say still?
32:20Like, what do you what are you thinking like right now?
32:24And I, and I, part of it is because like, clearly not everything going around with him
32:29is like wholly self-induced.
32:31So it's like, there's a bit of sympathy and empathy there, but you don't have like a
32:36super high bar.
32:37Yeah.
32:37I don't have a super high bar for a new Kanye West album in 2024, which kind of sounds harsh
32:42to say, but that's just the reality of it.
32:45Like he hasn't given me a lot in recent years to look forward to, but he's still Kanye West.
32:50So there's still part of him left in there that I wonder if he can tap into for, you
32:56know, at least a full length record.
32:58Yeah.
32:58I think anybody who, and I've always said this between, I think it's between him and
33:03Kendrick.
33:05The only two guys to me in hip hop to string together five consecutive classics.
33:11There's always going to be a glimmer of hope.
33:14You know, I mean, this is the guy who made my beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
33:18Yeah.
33:18Graduation.
33:19Yeah.
33:20Graduation.
33:21He's made most of what we consider to be popular culture right now.
33:25And I know people don't want to hear that or object to it in some shape or form.
33:33But I think if you look around and you look at what does music sound like, who is popular
33:39in music?
33:40What are those people wearing?
33:42What are the fans of those people wearing?
33:44What are they referencing?
33:46What are the style of life that they live?
33:52It comes from this guy.
33:54Even the colors that we see around us were influenced by Kanye.
34:01He is a creative genius who I think flew a bit too close to the sun, as we can all agree.
34:08But I don't think you lose that genius.
34:11And, you know, he's still relatively young for a creative.
34:16I think he's, as Kyle said, has a lot more to say.
34:18And no one's really taken that lane yet.
34:24No one's there hasn't.
34:26We haven't really seen a multi hyphenate in the way that we've seen him dominate the game.
34:34And so I think there's still space for him.
34:36Like the closest of his kids is Travis.
34:41Yeah.
34:42And Travis is doing great.
34:43But Travis is not that.
34:47He doesn't rap about the same thing.
34:49We don't look to Travis for bars, I guess, or enlightenment.
34:57So I think there's still a lane for him to occupy.
35:02It's just like, can he focus enough to do it?
35:05Yeah.
35:05I just wonder who's around him.
35:06That's all for the creation of the record.
35:09I feel like it's even less about his mental state and just who are the people around him
35:15giving yeses and giving nos and giving feedback and helping pull everything together.
35:20I think that, for me, would be make or break between a good 2024 Kanye West record and
35:27whatever he might put out that might be a bit sloppier.
35:30We will now close out the show with give Mr. Scott his flowers in the sense that Crazy Stat,
35:37DBR Days Before Rodeo was number one and then just plummeted out of the Billboard 200.
35:45That's the first time for any album to do that.
35:48Any album or any album?
35:50Any album.
35:52But he got that number one, though.
35:54I know that's right.
35:54He got that number one, though.
35:56Wikipedia will say number one.
35:58Yeah.
35:59Shout out to Mr. Anderson.
36:00He gave us a neat stat that DBR Days Before Rodeo in terms of pure sales,
36:05492,000 copies is the most for a rap album and number two overall behind Miss Taylor Swift.
36:15Yeah.
36:16Crazy.
36:17When you think about that and you think of Travis Scott, because we were just talking about
36:23who those...
36:24I try to identify who those next superstars are going to be.
36:26I mean, clearly Travis is that guy right now.
36:28Oh, yeah.
36:29Yeah.
36:29Undeniably.
36:31He's it.
36:31He's the guy that can actually move people and move product more than I think anybody else besides
36:40Drake.
36:41And I think even talking about the worlds that Kanye occupies, Drake even struggles when it
36:50comes to clothing and material goods.
36:55I think...
36:56So the guy that has like...
36:57I got like six OVO...
36:58I don't know, Kev.
36:59He got the OVO store.
37:01You have.
37:02Oh, we got the...
37:03I don't see Travis with a store, baby.
37:05You need a store, bro.
37:07How many people do you see?
37:08How many people...
37:09We got the OVO store like in SoHo, don't we?
37:11Yo, shout out to OVO store.
37:14You know, shout out to my boy, Tommy.
37:16Shout out to Tommy, man.
37:17We got some gear.
37:18They have been doing great things.
37:20That store is really dope.
37:22It's like a great branding exercise for OVO.
37:25But I mean, look at...
37:27How many people do you see on a daily basis?
37:30We're in New York City.
37:30We're basically in Times Square.
37:32We're like in the epicenter of the crossroads of tourism in this country.
37:40How many people do you see wearing Drake sneakers?
37:42Not sneakers, but you know, I think...
37:44How many people do you see wearing Travis sneakers?
37:47Fair.
37:47All the time.
37:48They're like super expensive.
37:51People wait on lines to get them.
37:53No one has...
37:54No artist has really done that besides Kanye.
37:57And I think to me, Drake, yeah.
38:01He has the highest grossing rap tour ever.
38:04He sells the most out of, you know...
38:08Or as Trevor would say, the most consumed music, I guess is the phrase.
38:16But I think in terms of like, you know, the ever elusive cool
38:23and being able to move people with that coolness.
38:26I think it's Travis.
38:28There's no one even close to him, I think.
38:31Like he's the...
38:32Maybe Playboi Carti, but no one's trying to dress like Playboi Carti.
38:37Yeah.
38:39Shout out to Travis.
38:40He did...
38:41What's the stadium?
38:43MetLife?
38:43Oh no, that's coming up.
38:45That he did.
38:46SoFi?
38:46He did SoFi, making him the first rapper to do so.
38:50And now he's going to do MetLife in two weeks.
38:52And his tour is truly global.
38:54I also want to really point that out.
38:56It's very, very much touching multiple continents,
39:00multiple countries in those continents,
39:01in an era where everyone's like, world tour.
39:04And it's like the UK, US, and Canada.
39:07He's actually doing the world tour, and it's not a co-headlining tour,
39:10which I think is super important to note also.
39:12Like, you know, it's all a blur.
39:13Had co-headliners for multiple dates.
39:15Yeah, level of shit is nasty.
39:16Circus Maximus, that's Travis packing out stadiums.
39:20He's just packing out stadiums.
39:22He did one stadium.
39:24Well, he's going to pack out MetLife most likely,
39:26too. You don't book MetLife, you can't pack it out.
39:28You know what?
39:28You know what?
39:29These are facts.
39:29Let me go on Groupon real quick,
39:31because I'm sure they probably got them.
39:32Oh, you said Groupon.
39:32It don't matter how much they got on Groupon, it's time.
39:35Donna, you know what?
39:36You so heard.
39:37Listen, you don't catch.
39:40They'll try to finesse.
39:41Travis is a finesser, bro.
39:42I love Travis.
39:42He's just been got like three, four stadiums in Australia
39:45coming up at the end of this month.
39:47We're not doing that, man.
39:48That's-
39:49I'm talking about US soil.
39:50Australia don't count?
39:51I'm talking about US soil.
39:53They're about to ban you.
39:54Yeah, that's one.
39:58What are you arguing right now?
40:02What I'm trying to say is,
40:05no, because he was trying to say Drake needed like,
40:07I guess, Cole to like-
40:09I ain't say nothing bad, Chase.
40:10Or 21, I think he brought them.
40:13I said that there were co-headliners on one,
40:16and there were no co-headliners on the other.
40:18Where's Travis in now all time?
40:20Store's not done yet, so we're not sure.
40:23Yeah, I'm sure it's not going to be like top five.
40:25Actually, I think he probably had to challenge for top three.
40:28Really?
40:28Yeah.
40:28Because I think top three right now is Drake, 50, and Nicky?
40:33He's been touring for like-
40:34I mean, Nicky's still going,
40:35but I think Nicky's going to crack top three when it's done.
40:37All these top-
40:38He's been touring since October 2023.
40:40This is the same tour as October 2024.
40:42I'm looking at it right now, bro.
40:43Like he's been on tour forever.
40:45Damn.
40:46Like doing an actual world tour.
40:49That's the other shit with these tours.
40:50These shits are long as hell now, bro.
40:53He got kids to feed.
40:53I feel him, man.
40:55These tours nowadays go on for like years.
40:57The album dropped July 2023,
41:00and then tour kicked off October 2023.
41:02October 2024, he's still touring.
41:04Like, bro, how many days did Drake do?
41:06It felt like Drake was on tour forever.
41:07Yeah, he was on tour for a minute because he brought it back.
41:09Yeah.
41:10This is saying 78 shows.
41:12Is that just like the-
41:13Is that just the-
41:15Part one was with 21.
41:16I was like three months.
41:17And Drake did 80 shows, two legs,
41:20between July 2023 and April 2024.
41:22That's my king, man.
41:23That's crazy.
41:24And he was touring two albums at once.
41:26That's my king, man.
41:27I know. I thought a little shady, too.
41:31That little subtle shot.
41:32I'm just giving the full context.
41:35That's a lot of work.
41:36That's a lot of fucking work, man.
41:38Let me ask this in terms of the power ranking.
41:40Mind you, I saw Drake.
41:41I didn't see Travis on tour.
41:42So it's not even that much shade.
41:44So power rankings real quick before we head up out of here.
41:47I just want to hear it.
41:48Kendrick clearly has won.
41:51Is Future or Travis, too?
41:54What's more important?
41:55That's a good question.
41:56Oh, man.
41:57Second best-selling album across all genres in pure sales.
42:00Or three number one albums in six months.
42:04Coming off a sold-out tour as well.
42:09Like, rap?
42:11Yeah.
42:12Oh, I gotta say Future.
42:14I think musically he's just been more present and more dominant this year.
42:17Again, I think Travis is the fuller package.
42:23He is in the center of the zeitgeist.
42:26He is the guy.
42:29Every...
42:31Like the Michelangelo figure.
42:34Every arm of his, leg of his is like a P&L.
42:39You know, he just makes money.
42:41He just controls so much culture-wise.
42:44Future is just the hottest rapper.
42:46Like, he's just, he's just, he just is.
42:49He's just the, you know, outside of Kendrick, who had to scrap for it, basically.
42:56Had to, you know, go up and snatch the crown.
43:01Future is just steady.
43:04Sounds like we have a new big three with Kendrick, Travis, and Future.
43:08Not in any order, just saying in general.
43:10Kendrick, Future, Travis.
43:12I said that old big three template is time to retire it a little bit.
43:17So it's a reshuffling, though.
43:18That's interesting.
43:19A new big three.
43:20Kendrick, Future, Travis.
43:22Wow.
43:25I think that's the power.
43:25I'm not, yeah, I'm not even mad at that.
43:27That's crazy.
43:28Damn, my king.
43:29Damn, the era really ended.
43:31My king, man.
43:32Wow.
43:33Let's sit on this, because I want Travis to, you know, when he comes back next week,
43:36maybe that's something we talk about.
43:37Yeah, yeah.
43:38Well, we'll let y'all ponder on that, and let us know who you guys think the new big
43:43three is.
43:44Yeah, who's y'all big three, man?
43:45Who are we missing?
43:46Who are we giving too much?
43:48Listen, Drake Silliman, guys.
43:50It's Drake, Drake, Drake.
43:51Drake, Aubrey, Graham.
43:55With that said, I appreciate y'all kicking with us.
43:58Dylon, Dylon, Dylon.
43:59No more.
44:00That's a filter.
44:01We'll see y'all next week.
44:02Peace.
44:08Peace.