Rap-Up

Exclusive hip-hop and R&B news delivered daily.

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Long live Nip 🏁

At his JAY-Z30 night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Jay-Z paid tribute to Nipsey Hussle, weaving “Hussle & Motivate” into “Hard Knock Life” and “Last Time That I Checc’d” into “On to the Next One,” with Nip’s face towering over the stage.

The marathon continues, always 🕊️

[Rap-Up @RapUp]

Drake really turned 40 and brought out the Backstreet Boys 😭🔥

For his milestone night at Casa Cipriani in New York, Drake surprised 400 plus guests with a full “I Want It That Way” performance alongside the group. Guests also went home with Chanel and Hermès bags, and a game show gave away prizes up to $1 million.

Name a better birthday flex. We’ll wait 👇🏾

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Cardi's not letting the Barbz rewrite her story 🗣️

On X Spaces she doubled down on her influence list, saying the women she named are who she actually grew up listening to, and she won't pretend otherwise.

Who's on YOUR all time female rap influence list?

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🦉🎂 DRAKE IS TURNING 40 AND SOME OF US CAN MEASURE WHOLE CHAPTERS OF OUR LIVES BY HIS ALBUMS!

The late-night drives. The graduation playlists. The relationship you probably should’ve left alone. There’s a Drake record for a suspicious number of those memories. 😂

Happy 40th birthday, Drake! From the Grammy-winning Take Care to Nothing Was the Same, his blend of rapping and singing helped define a major chapter of mainstream hip-hop.

Today’s celebration is about the music: the verses people debated, the hooks they couldn’t escape, and the songs that became personal favourites long after release week.

You get to keep ONE Drake album for the next ten years.

Which one are you choosingand what track makes it impossible to give up? 👇🏾🔊

[Rap-Up @RapUp]

Not him being born looking like somebody’s uncle 😭

The viral clip shows a newborn with a dark mustache like patch of lanugo, the baby hair that sheds on its own. Whether the video is the real deal is still unverified, but the jokes are undefeated.

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Dame Dash’s life story just got sold out from under him 💔

Everlasting Films won the rights at auction for $550,000 to pay off his bankruptcy creditors, with a final sale approval hearing still ahead next week.

Is a Dame biopic something you’d actually watch?

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She put it all in the music 🙏🏾 @YungMiami305 opened up about what she learned from Diddy on the business side. 'Nothing is impossible. If you really want something, get it done, and if they can't do it, do it yourself.' Y'all feel her on this?

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A gift from me to me 💅🏾 Cardi B treated herself for her 34th: a $3M pink ‘Barbie’ Rolex Daytona, a custom 7-carat diamond ring and a pink Hermès Mini Kelly. Only about 10 of those watches exist in the world.

Is this the hardest birthday flex of the year?

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Louisiana legends only 🖤 Boosie said bring Wayne on for a Verzuz. Wayne’s answer was hands down, you got me. Y’all agree or is Wayne just being humble?”

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Yung Miami says Drake left her on read after she reached out for the “Spend Dat” remix. 👀 Despite getting no response, she says it’s still all love for the 6 God.

Was Drake wrong for not responding, or does he owe nobody a feature? 🤔

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🎂🔥 RODDY RICCH HAD A WHOLE WORLD MAKING THAT SOUND FROM “THE BOX” AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHICH SOUND! 😂

Happy 28th birthday to Roddy!

“The Box” ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for 11 straight weeks. But his breakout wasn’t just one catchy moment: “Ballin’” with Mustard showed his gift for melody, while “Racks in the Middle” with Nipsey Hussle and Hit-Boy earned him his first Grammy. 🏆

Today, we’re celebrating that blend of grit and melody, the ability to make a verse feel personal and a hook impossible to leave alone.

What’s YOUR Roddy record: “The Box,” “Ballin’,” “Die Young,” or a deeper cut? Don’t let the biggest hit win by default! 👇🏾🎶

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🎂🔥 21 SAVAGE IS 34 AND HE’S PROOF YOU DON’T HAVE TO SHOUT TO MAKE A VERSE HIT.

That measured delivery is part of the signature. He can sound calm while making the record feel anything but comfortable. Happy birthday, 21!

A Lot with J. Cole earned him his first Grammy, but his contribution also reaches beyond the booth. His Bank Account campaign was created to help young people learn how to make, save and manage money. 🏆👏🏾

That deserves birthday recognition too: not just making records about success, but helping the next generation understand what to do with it.

Finish this sentence: “21 Savage’s best performance is on .”

Solo track or feature, bring the song that backs up your answer! 👇🏾🎤

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Things allegedly got HEATED at the Knicks game! 😳🏀 A viral video shows a man being carried out of a room while yelling at HOT 97’s Funkmaster Flex, sparking rumors of a physical altercation.

What do y’all think really went down? 👀

[Rap-Up @RapUp]

🎂🔥 THE BARS. THE HOOKS. THE LOOKS. DOJA CAT DOES NOT DO BORING!

Happy 31st birthday to an artist who can rap, sing, and make a whole musical era feel like its own world! 🐈👑

“Say So” gave her a first No. 1. Planet Her delivered “Woman,” “Need to Know” and “Kiss Me More” with that SZA collaboration earning a Grammy. That’s range backed by records, not just internet attention.

Today’s flowers are for the creativity, the versatility, and the ability to make a hook live in your head rent-free! 🌺🔊

You can save only ONE Doja song to your birthday playlist. What’s surviving and don’t just pick it, defend it! 👇🏾😂

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Rick Ross’ son was reportedly attacked with a pistol and threatened near his Florida college. A 20 year old suspect has been arrested.

What’s your reaction to this situation?

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Kim Kardashian took Halloween to another level by dressing up as her own daughter, North West. 😂🎃

Did Kim nail the look or did North do it better? 👀

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🔊🔥 SOME SONGS START A PARTY. FERG RECORDS SOUND LIKE THE PARTY JUST BROKE THROUGH THE DOOR!

Happy 38th birthday to Harlem’s own A$AP Ferg! 🎂🗽

“Work” announced his arrival. “Shabba” with A$AP Rocky helped define the Trap Lord chapter. Then “Plain Jane” became his first Top 40 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Different records, same unmistakable Ferg energy.

The delivery, the chants, the personality, he carved out his own space within A$AP Mob, with music that practically dares you to sit still.

The DJ has time for ONE Ferg record before the party ends: “Work,” “Shabba,” or “Plain Jane”? Which one gets the loudest reaction? 👇🏾🔥

[Rap-Up @RapUp]

Jae’Won sparked a hip-hop debate after telling Biggie’s son CJ Wallace that “Ready to Die” is overrated. 🎤

Is this a hot take or a valid argument? 👀

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Katt Williams is going from calling out Hollywood to building his own! 🎬🔥 The comedian is developing Kemet Movie Works in Alabama to open doors for Black creatives and future storytellers.

Can Katt build an empire like Tyler Perry?

[Rap-Up @RapUp]

From helping shape the halftime show to potentially headlining it himself! 💰🏈 Multiple sources are reporting that Jay-Z has chosen himself for the 2027 Super Bowl halftime performance.

Should Hov get his moment, or should another artist get the opportunity? 👀