Could Jay-Z be making an appearance on DJ Khaled’s upcoming album Suffering From Success?

Earlier today, the YMCMB DJ Instamgrammed a picture of himself sitting with Jay-Z behind a mixing board, hinting at a possible future collaboration. The tag on the image reads, “I told y’all I’m up to something! I’ll keep y’all posted! #suffreingfromsuccess jus know!”

This isn’t the first Instagram picture featuring Jay-Z that has garnered speculation. Last week, Raekwon published a picture of him and Jay working in the studio, while Drake released an image of him and Hov working together over the weekend.

The post Are Jay-Z & DJ Khaled Working On Music Together? appeared first on XXL.

In an e-mail to Hot 97′s program director, Ebro Darden, over the weekend, Jay-Z shot down rumors that Beyonce is pregnant with the couple’s second child. Ebro didn’t elaborate on the nature of the e-mail, though he did say it came as a response to him congratulating Hov. Looks like Blue Ivy is going to have to wait a little longer to be a big sister.

The post Jay-Z Says Beyonce Is NOT Pregnant appeared first on XXL.

May is coming to a close, and that means that most schools around the country will be out for summer. With that in mind, XXL decided to dig into the archives and look back at some of our favorite rappers when they were still in school. Now, here’s a collection of 35 yearbook photos from some of hip-hop’s biggest acts.

The post 35 Yearbook Photos Of Rappers appeared first on XXL.

After a picture of Jay-Z and Raekwon was put on Instagram earlier this week, Lenny S. posted this picture of Hov and Drake in the studio together. The caption read:

Warning: Please be very afraid of the music we’re working on. OVO x ROCNATION

One can only imagine what type of heat they’re cookin’ up. This is looking like an amazing year of music.  The two MCs were either working on Drake’s upcoming album Nothing Was The Same or Jay’s upcoming album, or maybe even both.

The post Photo: Jay-Z And Drake Hit The Studio appeared first on XXL.

Reports have been speculating that Beyoncé is expected another child with husband Jay-Z.

The rumors were flying when she appeared on the red carpet of last week’s Met Gala trying to conceal her stomach. Those talks may be true, as sources confirmed to E! News that she is pregnant again.

Just recently, she cancelled her show in Antwerp, Belgium, after doctors told her she needed to rest “as a result of dehydration and exhaustion.” There’s no word if Beyoncé will continue on her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.

Regardless, Blue Ivy Carter is going to have a play pal real soon. Congrats!

[via E! News]

The post Sources Confirm Beyoncé And Jay-Z Are Expecting Another Child appeared first on XXL.

Raekwon took to his Instagram page earlier to show us just who he was cooking up with recently. And as you can see above, The Chef and Hov may have something big in the works. Details are scarce as to what the two were working on but one thing’s for sure and it’s that both of their upcoming respective releases have reached another level of anticipation. Here’s what Rae mentioned on IG:

The post Say What: Jay-Z Hits the Studio with Raekwon appeared first on XXL.

This week found two new hip-hop albums debuting in the top 50 spots of the Billboard 200 chart. The original soundtrack to the film The Great Gatsby – which was executive produced and features Jay-Z – took the number two spot on the chart with over 135,000 copies sold, while Talib Kweli’s latest effort Prisoner of Conscious topped at the 47th position. At the same time, Bilboard mainstays like Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continued their respective reigns over the charts, with the later group’s album The Heist missing the top 10 by one spot.

1. Lady Antebellum – Golden - 169,300
2. Various Artists – The Great Gatsby OST – 135,500
3. Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 46 - 88,300
4. Michael Buble – To Be Loved - 87,400
5. Pistol Annies – Annie Up – 82,800
6. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Eexperience – 66,000
7. Rod Stewart – Time - 51,000
8. Kenny Chesney – Life On a Rock - 47,700
9. Blake Shelton – Based On a True Story - 37,600
10. Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox – 35,200
11. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist – 30,800
12. P!nk – Truth About Love - 30,100
13. Imagine Dragons – Night Visions - 28,400
14. Various Artists – Music of Nashville, Season 1 Vol. 2 – 27,700
15. Florida Georgia Line – Here’s to the Good Time - 22,800
16. She & Him – Volume 3 – 22,150
17. Natalie Maines – Mother – 22,100
18. The Band Perry – Pioneer – 21,700
19. Fantasia – Side Effects of You - 21,100
20. Alan Jackson – Precious Memories, Vol. II  – 20,100
21. Lil Wayne – I Am Not a Human Being II – 18,600
22. Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll - 18,300
23. Lumineers – Lumineers - 15,400
24. Rihanna – Unapologetic – 15,000
25. Fitz and the Tantrums – More Than Just a Dream - 14,900
26. Fun. – Some Nights – 14,700
27. Straight No Chaser – Under the Influence – 14,400
28. Mumford and Sons – Babel – 14,380
29. Adele – 21 – 14,000
30. Various Artists – Now Country Party – 13,400
31. Luke Bryan – Spring Break…Here to Party – 13,000
32. Tim McGraw – Two Lanes of Freedom - 12,600
33. Of Monsters and Men – My Head is an Animal – 12,100
34. Patty Griffin – American Kid – 12,000
35. Taylor Swift – Red – 11,800
36. Brad Paisley – Wheelhouse - 11,700
37. Little Big Town – Tornado - 11,200
38. Maroon 5 – Overexposed – 10,800
39. Luke Bryan – Tailgates and Tanlines – 10,250
40. Knife Party – Haunted House EP – 10,200
41. Eric Church – Caught in the Act – 10,150
42. Jason Aldean – Night Train - 10,100
43. Erich Church – Chief – 9,900
44. Kid Cudi – Indicud - 9,850
45. Phillip Phillips – World From the Side of the Moon - 9,800
46. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city – 9,500
47. Talib Kweli – Prisoner of Conscious – 9,400
48. Various Artists – Pitch Perfect OST – 9,300
49. Kelly Clarkson – Greatest Hits – Chapter 1 – 9,000
50. Carrie Underwood – Blown Away – 8,800

[via HITS Daily Double]

The post Jay-Z’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ Soundtrack Snags No. 2 On Billboard appeared first on XXL.

At one point in time, hip-hop music wasn’t the major musical force that it is today; it was a fad relegated to the South Bronx, where DJs cut between drum breaks for a young crop of dancers to spin on their head to in the park. Flash forward 40 years, and hip-hop has become one of the most recognized forms of popular music. With that expansion, the genre’s gained millions of new fans from all walks of life.

Now, XXL has decided to investigate some of hip-hop’s most surprising devotees. From A-list actors to all-star athletes, it’s a testament to how big hip-hop has become.

The post Bigger Than Hip-Hop: 22 Unexpected Celebrity Hip-Hop Heads appeared first on XXL.

The NBA playoffs are in full-swing, and with only four series left, it’s coming down to the final moment to determine which team’s the league champion. But the NBA playoffs aren’t only good watching high intensity basketball; they’re also prime events at which to see your favorite rapper (if you’re into that kinda thing).

Now, XXL has put together a gallery of 28 photographs of rappers hanging out courtside at basketball games.

The post Kings Of Courtside: 28 Pictures Of Rappers At NBA Games appeared first on XXL.

In case you’ve forgotten, Mother’s Day 2013 is upon us. Mothers play a huge role in all of our lives, and for our favorite rappers, their influence frequently comes through via their rhymes. It’s no surprise that rappers love their moms, sharing personal moments that we all can relate to. With that in mind, let’s take some time to celebrate of some of the most visible mothers hip-hop has to offer, from Donda West to Afeni Shakur.

The post Dear Mama: Hip-Hop’s Most Important Moms appeared first on XXL.

On 2005′s “Old School Rules” by Danger Doom, Talib Kweli raps that, “I might be buggin but it seem to me/That cartoons be realer than reality TV.” While we could easily enumerate a number of reasons why Kweli’s lyric is a bold hyperbole to make – namely because they’re cartoons – it definitely speaks to hip-hop’s longstanding history with the animated arts. Whether it’s Kid ‘n Play’s short-lived animated series or the Gorillaz actually being animated, hip-hop has been all over the map when it comes to cartoons.  Now, XXL has put together a list of 23 hilarious hip-hop moments in televised cartoon history.

The post From Freaknik To Fishsticks: 23 Hilarious Hip-Hop Moments In Cartoons appeared first on XXL.

The-Dream is closing in on his upcoming release date for IV Play. Before May 28 comes around, the R&B star drops “High Art” that features a verse by Jay-Z. He’s been a frequent collaborator of Hov, despite the fact he once poked fun at The-Dream’s style choices.

Listen to “High Art” below, and pick up IV Play that will feature Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Big Sean, among others.

Previously: The-Dream Hosts IV Play Listening Session in New York City [XXL's Sneak Preview]

The post The-Dream ft. Jay-Z “High Art” appeared first on XXL.

When the trailer for Terence Nance’s debut feature film, An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty, came out a few weeks ago, confused hip-hop blogs across the net quickly spread the word about a project they didn’t know much about, save for its executive producers—hip-hop icons Jay-Z and dream hampton. While the sites didn’t do much to research the film’s origins or subject matter, Nance knows that the film’s big-deal cosigns are a big part of why it’s of interest to anyone outside of an art-house theater. Another reason—it’s great.

Oversimplification is a perfectly titled experimental journey that follows the narrative of an infatuation/non-relationship, set against a dazzling Brooklyn backdrop. It’s romantic, it’s dark, it’s funny, and it’s honest. Oversimplified, it’s beautiful. After celebrating its limited release in New York (it’ll see a wider release on May 17th – more info here), Nance—who wrote, directed, produced, edited and scored the film—came by the XXL offices to discuss modern masculinity, living in Brooklyn, and how he got Jay to watch his movie.—Additional reporting by Abrea Armstrong.

XXL: So the film took six years to put out, but it’s finally out. How does it feel? 

It’s a long process, because we’re releasing it one city at a time, starting with New York, then LA, then the rest of the cities. It’s weird because it goes against your expectations, for someone who hasn’t done this before. It’s a sustained effort over a long period of time.

Are you sick of the movie yet?

I wouldn’t say that publicly. [laughs] I think with the nature of filmmaking or with making any art, by the time it’s released you’re mentally and emotionally onto whatever else you’re working on. For the audience it’s something new and fresh, so you have to get with them in that energy space, even when you’re not. But for anything you make, there’s always that distance you have to travel from where you are now to where you were when you actually made the thing because you’ve thought about it a million times by the time it comes out, even before making it.

When you sit in on a screening and watch the film do you ever feel like, “What the fuck is this thing that I’ve made?”

I have that moment all the time, even when I’m not watching it with the audience. We’ve played over 45 festivals by now so I’ve seen it in different countries, but humor is so cultural, so the jokes play differently everywhere. Even in screenings in New York, sometimes people fall in the aisles laughing and sometimes nobody laughs. It’s a very strange thing.

Your film’s won awards at festivals for Best Experimental Film. What makes it experimental?

I don’t think it’s experimental, actually. People just say that. I think it’s one of those words that, when people use it, I think they mean something else. To me, the idea of an “experimental” film is one where you start it and you don’t know what the result will be. But I had a script. I’d made a short film, called Exercising Rejection, that I’d constructed in a similar way, so I knew the final outcome in the scripting and pre-production process.

I guess people call it experimental because you’re experimenting with the form – it’s a narrative film but in a nontraditional narrative format. 

I think a better word than experimental is “bizarre.” I think I like the word bizarre better. What makes it bizarre is that it blurs the line between fact and fiction in the same way that reality blurs the line between fact and fiction—because your reality is only your own. So on some level, however we think about ourselves and articulate who we are and talk about ourselves is completely subjective. That’s not who you really are, in the wider context of the universe. Hopefully the film plays with those ideas.

The film is obviously very personal and dissects your relationship with Namik, the other co-star, but I want to talk to you about how you wrote the film. One of the key lessons you learn as a writer is to be fair to the people you’re writing about since they can’t defend themselves in your story, so do you feel like you were fair in your storytelling?

Well, I’d never learned that principle directly, but it was something I was very sensitive to because I love the people I’m writing about. My approach to it was to just be as honest as possible and hopefully through that honesty—which incriminates me as much as it does them—find fairness. But at the end of the day, I showed the movie to everyone in it and they all supported it.

You’ve said in a previous interview that there’s a masculine aspect to your storytelling, in the way that you remember interactions and relationships in an overly objective way. Does that bleed into your real life?

I was actually quoting a Dave Chappelle joke in that interview, where he talks about the different ways that men and women tell stories. Like, men just state facts, and that’s it. Oversimplification. But women talk about what happened, how they were feeling before it happened, and how what happened made them feel… So I tried to infuse that stereotype into the film by writing all the facts, and then doing a voice over. But as far as real life, a lot of people around me are going through stuff and we’re always talking about it, and I don’t really see any difference in how men and women talk to each other about what they’re going through. Maybe it’s an age thing.

I think it’s a modern thing, and it’s the reason your film can be successful, because men have become more comfortable with sharing their emotions rather than just stating facts.

Well I think the idea of American masculinity has broadened, and I think that things like being able to cry or feeling like you have low self-esteem are more accepted now.

Do you think all men oversimplify beauty?

All people, maybe. I think the title of the film is an allusion to the idea that we tried to make a feature film that shows you what it’s like to be with her. Just in that act…

So the beauty is the relationship?

The beauty is her, and the feeling of being with her is this beautiful thing. Just in attempting to put that into an hour and a half, it will inherently edit and take things out, so it’ll become a facsimile of what the relationship really was, which is on some level unknowable and incommunicable. So that’s the oversimplification. But there’s a lot of media that dicusses the bad shit in relationships, because it’s easier to talk about.

And because you feel guilty for talking about the positive. Like, if you’re in a great relationship and you’re totally in love, and you see your friend who’s single and depressed, you don’t want to bash him over the head with your happiness. 

There is a guilt. But what makes anything beautiful between two people is your inability to articulate it, and that’s always specific to any given connection. That’s why I still have trouble trying to describe what me and Namik had, and that’s the nature of the movie. I’m trying to define whatever that relationship was—it was kind of great, it was kind of terrible.

Like all important relationships are.

Exactly.

So the film is executive produced by two people who are iconic in the hip-hop world—dream hampton and Jay-Z. How’d they get involved?

Well, dream was a supporter early on, even before the film premiered at Sundance. We have mutual friends and we were introduced, then she saw the film and loved it. One of our producers had decided that we needed a board of executive producers to help raise the profile of the film and get it into different cultural spaces. We weren’t really in the hip-hop world, so dream was the first person we recruited. Then we sent DVDs to all these other people, hoping they would like it, and they did and wanted to support it. So we got Wyatt Cenac, then Jay-Z, who were all people who represented different spaces and could talk about the film to help raise its profile.

So every executive producer’s involvement was after the fact?

Yeah, almost all of them came in when the film had been made and after it’d premiered at Sundance. I’m glad we did it, because going into the festival circuit, there’s 200 films there and everyone’s elevated to this platform but it’s like, “How are you going to raise the profile of your film even higher so that it gets picked up by a distributor?” Honestly, I don’t think we could’ve sustained an awareness in the public eye for this long unless we attached names and people to the film who would help raise its profile.

Did you grow up listening to hip-hop?

I did, but my personal experience with hip-hop came from a place of cultural privilege, because my father is an audiophile. So I don’t think my experience was like a lot of other people’s, where it represented a sense of rebellion. For me, it was just within my normal, accepted life. I remember my dad gave me Goodie Mobb albums and Outkast albums, Roots albums and stuff like that… The Fugees. But the stuff I was hearing was also really adult compared to what I was dealing with in my life, so it’s interesting to see now that guys in their early 20s are making music from a sincere and emotional space. Hip-hop now is much more relevant to what I was going through as a teenager. Like, if you look at Tyler [The Creator]‘s song “IFHY,” back then people wouldn’t think, “Let me make a hip-hop song that makes me look like somebody who’s been broken up with and is driven to desperation,” because there just wasn’t a precedent for that. But now it seems natural and nobody’s questioning it or saying, “Oh, that’s soft.”

You’d be surprised. 

There’s definitely some sort of shrinking population of hip-hop culture that’s rule-based, but that’s going to die at some point because as you get older, you’re just like, “Who cares?”

You mentioned that you live in Brooklyn, how do you feel about the new Brooklyn movement of rappers like Joey Bada$$ and Flatbush Zombies?

I think no matter how far anything gets in one direction, there will be a reaction in the other direction—I think that’s the nature of energy, on some level. And I think the genius of somebody like Joey Bada$$ and the whole Pro Era thing is really a reaction to the same energy, whether you like it or not, moving in the opposite direction from the corporate music infrastructure. But I think in Brooklyn specifically, I’m never surprised by the cultural output because there’s such a constantly moving cultural environment that influences art and culture in a way that it can all come in and be synthesized in one person and come out of them through their own art.

Do you feel that way about yourself and your art? 

Yeah, just being in the company of all the filmmakers I know in Brooklyn definitely helps. We actually have a collective of filmmakers who are at this emerging stage—on their first feature or slightly before—and it’s very organized. And it’s not that that can’t exist anywhere, but I think it happens here a lot. What makes New York special is that people have to come here at some point. Whether they stay is another thing, but for artists it has that “I need to be there” feel. Just being here and within that constant flow creates a certain cypher that will always keep people here moving rather than stagnating.

The post Terence Nance Finally Defines Beauty With ‘Oversimplification’ appeared first on XXL.

Yesterday, the world of music was rocked when news broke that Rihanna and Chris Brown had finally called it quits. It was surely a tragic day for the dozens – and that’s a generous estimate – of people out there that genuinely care. But the news got XXL‘s staff thinking – isn’t this something we really should’ve seen coming? We’ve all heard the rumors of love triangles between Drake, RiRi and Chris, but we suspect that Drizzy’s not the only one. That being said, here’s 21 photos of Rihanna with Breezy’s rap game peers.

The post 21 Pictures Of Rihanna With Rappers appeared first on XXL.

As April turns into May (and spring allergies continue to plague our collective day-to-day existence), the XXL staff is grateful, because another summer means a lot of things to look forward to, like girls in sundresses, rooftop barbecues and an inevitable abundance of beers. On the music front, Kanye might be putting out a new album on June 18, and we’re sure it’s going to be like the best thing that’s ever been made. Also, Mac Miller (who we recently spent the day with) is putting out his sophomore LP on the same day, which can be either great or not-so-great for the Pittsburgh young’n.

This week also saw the release of a new J. Cole mixtape—dude is so good to his fans—as we continue to wait for his upcoming Born Sinner and a new project from Chance The Rapper (which is great, so you should get it here). Tyler, The Creator stirred up some controversy with his Mountain Dew ad after a lot of people called it racist. In our opinion, it’s not actually racist, but you can read his “apology” here. Finally, Chris Kelly of Kriss Kross sadly passed away at the age of 34, and we extend our sincerest condolences to Kelly’s family and former collaborators.

In our weekly column called In The Cut, the diversely opinionated XXL staff celebrates another lively week in hip-hop and picks some of their favorite releases from the past week. Until next week—keep it trippy, mane rap fans.

The post In The Cut: Chance The Rapper & J. Cole Made XXL’s Top Songs Of The Week appeared first on XXL.

Earlier today, Kanye West sent the Internets into a frenzy when he mysteriously sent out a Tweet that read “June Eighteen.” Although a number of sources report that the Tweet is actually an announcement for the release date of his next solo project, nothing has been officially confirmed by either West or his label. That being said, XXL decided crack the case with 10 other possible reasons why June 18 is a significant date for Kanye West.

The post 10 Things That Kanye West Could Be Planning For June 18 appeared first on XXL.

It’s always a fantastic day when new Hov is released. One of the most highly anticipated tracks off The Great Gasby‘s soundtrack, Jay-Z’s “$100 Bill” was released to the public today through NPR. If you think “Open Letter” stopped traffic, this may freeze the Internet as the song does not disappoint. Hovito totally snaps on the futuristic beat and adds sprinkles of sound bites from Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the film. This will be played everywhere, very quickly. “Carters, new Kennedys,” he raps. Those are strong words.

You can listen to the song below.

[Via NPR]

The post The Full Version of Jay-Z’s “$100 Bill” is Released appeared first on XXL.

Jay-Z has been quite busy these past few days. But that’s common for the man who’s a walking businessman business. Just last night (May 1), Jigga went suit and tie at the premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby in New York. The dapper don walked the carpet in a charcoal suit along with Dior shoes, and posed for flicks while rubbing elbows with Hollywood’s best including the film’s stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan. Catch the Jiggaman on the film’s soundtrack, which he also helped executive produced, for the track “$100 Bill.” Soundtrack arrives May 7th and the film, Great Gatsby hits theaters nationwide on May 10th.

The post Jay-Z Walks the Carpet for The Great Gatsby Premiere appeared first on XXL.

The post Skateboard P & Friends: Photos of Pharrell with Rappers appeared first on XXL.

Rappers’ lyrics have the power to sway public opinion much greater than any other genre. That same logic can apply to the various incidents rappers get themselves into. Sometimes, with all the boasting and tough talking that goes on in hip-hop, an apology can be difficult to get out of rappers. You can blame the humiliation factor, but the reality is rappers rarely backtrack on their own words.

Take Lil Wayne for example: Today he finally released a public apology for his verse on Future’s unofficial “Karate Chop (Remix).” After months of a firestorm over his vulgar line, Wayne admitted that he was wrong for referencing civil rights figure Emmett Till. In light of Wayne being in the hot seat again, here are 10 other rappers who have apologized for their actions. Find out why these rappers had to ask for forgiveness.

The post 10 Other Rappers Apologizing For Their Actions appeared first on XXL.