The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Fivio Foreign, Kid Cudi, and K Camp.

It is the second week of July and the second week in a row that The Game was supposed to release Drillmatic – Mind Vs. Heart but didn’t. Despite the pump fake, music lovers got the chance to revel in nostalgia as Kid Cudi released a compilation of many of his seminal records. Plus, per usual, the gems that you might have missed this week.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending July 8, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Kid Cudi — The Boy Who Flew To The Moon Vol. 1

Kid Cudi captures various eras of his career in The Boy who Flew To The Moon Vol. 1. It is a solid reminder of all he’s given us for longtime fans, or a nice sampler of his extensive discography for newcomers. Either way, everybody wins.

Westside Gunn — Peace “Fly” God

Westside Gunn has a knack for beat selection and curation and furthers that truth on Peace “Fly” God. The Griselda founder opts to have no features this go around, but of course, he can’t avoid the wrestling references with tracks like “Bobby Rhude” and “Danhausen.”

Ken Carson — X

Ken Carson is here with 20 new records on X. Destroy Lonely gets verses off on two separate songs, “MDMA” and “Murda Musik,” plus Homixide Gang joins Carson on “Delinquent.”

Kota The Friend — Memo

Kota The Friend is back with a Memo in the form of his latest album. Samuellimata joins him on the title track, as well as Brianna Castro on “Empty Cup” and Hello O’shay on “Soho House.”

D Double E — Bluku Bluku EP 2

D Double E is here with a 7-track EP loaded with good raps. He enlists the help of Novelist and Chip on the tracks “Pace” and “G’s Only” respectively. It’s a fun listen.

Badda TD & DJ Drama — The World Is Yours: Gangsta Grillz

If DJ Drama’s name is on it, you know you should be expecting heat. Badda TD drops off his seven-song collaborative EP with the Hip-Hop legend, enlisting the help of Ron Suno on “Moonwalking” and Dusty Locane for “Put In Work.”

Singles/Videos

K Camp — “Holy Spirit”

This record may not be aligned with the trapsoul that Bryson Tiller popularized in 2015, but K Camp’s “Holy Spirit” blends a thumping drum pattern and vocal soul sample in his own beautiful way. “Last hoe I chased was the last hoe I chased,” he affirms as he reflects on how good life is and his gratefulness for it. K Camp is one of the most consistent artists of the last near-decade despite not getting the mainstream attention he deserves, and this is just another addition to that reality.

Joey Badass — “Survivors Guilt”

While the upcoming Joey Badass album has eluded us due to sample clearances, his vulnerability hasn’t. “Survivors Guilt” is an organ-laced, bar-laden confessional. The NY rapper tackles mental health, the darkness consuming his mind, the experiences of his friends, and even tension he has had with them. He feels at fault for their downfalls, calling it his internal war.

Yo Gotti ft. Moneybagg Yo, 42 Dugg, EST Gee, Mozzy & Blac Youngsta — “Steppas”

CMG the army, better yet the navy? Whichever they prefer, they fully leaned into the military themes on “Steppas.” They sport camouflage as they inhabit a military base, ride around in jeeps, and drink liquor amongst their comrades. Visuals aside, the raps are fun, as expected with a roster like this.

Melii — “Mala”

Melii is a fun hybrid artist, blending bars with melodies and switching between English and Spanish seamlessly. “Mala” follows suit, addressing how men want a bad girl and she is just that. “You gon’ see the reason why they say them hips don’t lie,” Melii says emphatically. I could see a fun video coming out of this song.

JID — “29 Freestyle”

JID taps into his inner outdoorsman in the “29 Freestyle” video, rapping as he trudges through water and stands amongst the weeds. He even pulls out a fishing rod and catches a small fish, only to later drop it. Thankfully, he doesn’t drop the ball when it comes to his bars. One question though: where is the album we’ve been waiting on for years at this point?

Shordie Shordie — “Body Language”

Shordie Shordie lays it all out on “Body Language.” Though the title conveys a non-verbal form of communication, Shordie is quite transparent over this mid-tempo bop. In summary, it’s all about the “sloppy toppy.”

Russ — “Paddington Freestyle”

Russ has no shortage of confidence in the “Paddington Freestyle,” opening the record stating he feels like he is outrapping everyone as he drives. He later says he feels like he doesn’t flex enough, which is definitely up for debate but it sounds good over the soul sample and drums. I’m just glad he doesn’t spend too much time looking into the camera and focuses on the road.

Dom Kennedy ft. Kalan.Frfr — “Say Lady”

It’s not the column without a welcome West Coast bop! This week, Dom Kennedy taps Kalan.Frfr for “Say Lady,” detailing a woman getting nasty in a bathroom and how she needs their loving. Dom urges the woman to not be shy as they should get to know each other, especially with her tight dress and glowing skin.

Chinese Kitty — “Attitude”

There is a lot going on in Chinese Kitty’s “Attitude” video but I am not complaining. Flanked by beautiful women, she walks through a junkyard which later reveals a wrestling ring where men fight shirtless. While they tangle it up, the video flashes to scenes of her rapping in a photo studio and exclaiming how she can’t carry all of the junk in her trunk because her attitude is so hefty. It doesn’t seem like she’s struggling much carrying either, but who am I to debate how she feels?

Loyle Carner — “Hate”

Driving while rapping seems to be a theme of the day, as Loyle Carner delivers the “Hate” video trading off scenes of him looking stoic and others of him yelling. While it is unclear whether he is yelling at a passenger or simply into the void, the rapper had a lot to get off his chest. “Let me tell you what I hate / Everything I ain’t.” Don’t worry, he also takes time to tell us what he loves. Balance.

Self Jupiter ft. D-Styles — “It’s All About The Temple…Tempo!”

Closing off this week is a heavy instrumental track “It’s All About The Temple…Tempo.” Self Jupiter and D-Styles switch their flows effortlessly as the drums and cymbals crescendo. They definitely did not lie in the song title, and the aggressive tempo may just cause some pain to the temples. All in the name of loving rap though!

Metro Marrs ft. Duke Deuce — “Violence”

“Violence” sounds like the theme music that would play as you take on the final boss in a video game, but Metro Marrs instead finds himself crooning in a bathroom. Perhaps he just had a bout with White Castle, a final boss in its own right, and often doing some violent things to one’s stomach. Duke Deuce joins the fray, dancing and rapping all while holding an AR. Though he’s usually clowning around and showing off his dance moves on social media, he fits “Violence” seamlessly.

AAP Deno ft. B-Lovee — “Wishin”

Who doesn’t love a good 2000s sample? AAP Deno provides his own take on Ray J’s “One Wish,” trading the singing in the rain for crooning while throwing ones in the club. B-Lovee’s hostile flow pushes the record even further from its original iteration, but it works. We don’t all wish the same way.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Saweetie is a woman of many talents. The Grammy-nominated artist has delivered several fun songs over the years, played piano, shown off her unique cooking skills, started a non-profit and now has branched out into land of strikeouts and homeruns. The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated Filipino Heritage Night in last evening’s (July 7) home game and called on the “Icy Grl” artist to throw the ceremonial first pitch before they took on the Chicago Cubs. The 29-year-old lived up to her breakout hit, sporting diamond-studded four-inch nails, blindingly silver Louboutin heels, and jewelry around her wrists.

Despite not being dressed for the occasion, the Santa Clara rapper fared much better than one-off pitchers in the past like 50 Cent as she actually got the ball over the plate, taking just one hop before being caught by Dodgers star Mookie Betts. That may be due to the fact she practiced in her living room prior to doing the real thing at Dodger Stadium, the “Best Friend” rapper admitted. Saweetie clearly brought good energy as extensive as her smile as the Dodgers ended up defeating the Cubs 5-3. She shared her enthusiasm for the moment in a tweet today (July 8).

Though we may not see Saweetie on the mound again any time soon, she does hold the Filipino community near and dear, vowing to continue the work she is doing with her non-profit Icy Baby foundation.

Watch Saweetie’s first pitch above.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jenna Ellis — the discredited MAGA lawyer who continues to push false claims about the 2020 presidential election and, more notoriously, was sitting next to Rudy Giuliani when he ripped ass at a voter fraud hearing — is in no position to call anyone a loser. But especially Olympic medal winners Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe, who were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden on Thursday. And yet!

“Fittingly, Biden awarded his presidential medals to fellow losers, Biles and Rapinoe,” Ellis tweeted. She later added, “Because Biles is a selfish quitter and Rapinoe is a boorish unAmerican bully. They’re losers, not role models. Biden is making a mockery of everything solemn, like the presidential medal of freedom.”

During his four years in the White House, Ellis’ beloved Donald Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Antonin Scalia, of “retire bitch” fame; Devin Nunes, who recently begged Elon Musk to sign up for not-Twitter; and notorious ding-dong Jim Jordan, who has been accused of covering up a sex abuse scandal.

Biles could have pointed all that out. Instead, she with a more effective approach.

Biles gets a gold medal for Twitter shade. Meanwhile, Ellis replied to her tweet with a Johnny Depp GIF, because of course she did.

For Lil Nas X, it memorably all started a few years ago with “Old Town Road.” The rapper really knew how to keep that song alive, too, as it was the No. 1 song in the country for a record 19 weeks. It was the biggest song in the world for a long time, but now Nas says he never again wants to “milk” a song of his like he did that one.

Last night, a Nas fan got on Twitter and asked for “unpopular” opinions about the rapper. Somebody responded, “i hate how fast the eras go like.. [‘Old Town Road’] was the only era i felt lasted a good amount of time. [‘Call Me By Your Name’] had potential to be so much bigger than what it was and longer at #1 if the era was longer.. same with montero.”

Nas responded to that tweet, writing, “how long did u expect [‘Call Me By Your Name’] era to be?” They replied, “u should’ve milked it like [‘Old Town Road’] idkkk hella remixes.. the song was HUGE but could’ve been bigger me thinks.” Nas answered, “i don’t wanna milk any of my songs like that again. it takes the fun out of creating new things.”

Nas also replied to other responses from the unpopular opinions prompt. One user wrote, “a lot of fans skew their opinions based on what the man himself thinks!” Nas replied, “it be the opposite way around too,” then clarified, “like i can love something then realize everybody else hate it then fall out of love with it sadly.”

Another user wrote, “He releases too many snippets!” Nas responded, “i’m just really impulsive when i create something.” The commenter added, “I love that. I just want to be surprised when the album comes out!” Nas replied, “i feel u.”

Check out more of Nas’ responses here.

This week, Doja Cat has stirred the internet pot once again. This time, it’s by calling out Stranger Things actor Noah Schnapp for sharing screenshots of DMs where she asks Schnapp if he could set her up with his co-star, Joseph Quinn. Doja called Schnapp’s TikTok posts as, “borderline snake sh*t” and “weasel sh*t.”

Trouble is, Schanpp is a minor (17 years old, to be exact) and reaching out to him in the first place could be seen as questionable behavior by some. While Doja Cat has garnered her share of supporters in calling out the young (yet very internet savvy) Stranger Things star, she’s now also facing quite a bit of backlash from commenters on social media.

“Why is doja cat (26) going on live and calling noah schnapp (17) a snake / weasel for a 20 sec TikTok he made ??? embarrassed for her,” one person tweeted, along with a photo of the Kanye West “bro stop” meme. Another tweet reads, “Sorry i have to laugh at the doja cat noah schnapp situation because why would you go to a 17-year-old known sh*tposter asking him to hook you up with his 29-year-old coworker and expect him to be 100% serious about it LETS BE REAL.”

Meanwhile on TikTok, Doja Cat’s unrelated videos, like one of her kitchen dancing, are getting flooded with comments that have been liked tens of thousands of times. “Leave Noah alone,” reads one. “UR GETTING MAD AT A KID,” reads another, while a more err… nuanced commenter concludes with, “Yikes you ain’t getting Joseph any time soon now.”

Just another day on the internet when Doja Cat and Stranger Things is involved, y’all.

Despite the fact that he declined his player option for the 2022-23 campaign to hit unrestricted free agency, all signs pointed to James Harden working out a deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers. Much was made of Harden potentially leaving a significant chunk of change on the table so the team could have more flexibility in the free agent market, and on Friday afternoon, we got a sense of just how much Harden is going to give back.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Harden will take a paycut of about $15 million on his contract next year. Because Harden could have made $47 million if he picked up his player option, this would mean Harden’s deal will pay him about $32 million and feature a player option for 2023-24.

The specifics of the deal — namely whether or not Harden will see his salary increase beyond next year — have yet to be reported. Still, Philadelphia has been quite active this offseason, pulling off a trade during the NBA Draft that landed them De’Anthony Melton from the Memphis Grizzlies for their first-round pick and signing a pair of Harden’s former teammates with the Houston Rockets, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, to deals. Harden is the final piece of the puzzle, but it appears he’ll have his future all sorted out sooner rather than later.

While Tessa Thompson is understandably busy promoting her return to the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder, the actress found time to drop a little update on her upcoming role in Creed III. This time around, Michael B. Jordan is pulling double duty as both star and director, and Thompson was surprised at how well they maintained their dynamic from the first two films. She initially thought Jordan directing would make things weird, but it ended up being remarkably smooth.

“He felt entirely in it,” Thompson told The Hollywood Reporter. “We got back into those character dynamics very easily. The only thing that was different was the time. We’d do the scene, and then he would have to go to the monitor sometimes to watch. So that felt a little different. But dynamically, we were just in the pocket of what we’ve been doing.”

Not only did they slip right back into the groove, but Thompson credited Jordan with making it much easier to give her character “agency and an arc,” which tend to get lost in sports films.

I could do that work more actively with Mike. I also had a lot more freedom to improvise on the day than the past ones. He gave me a lot of license to do that, so that felt different. But it didn’t change the dynamic between these characters. We’ve been making these films for almost eight years, and Mike and I have grown up a lot. So there’s ways in which the trajectory of the characters also has an interesting sort of poetry to our own personal journeys in a lot of ways.

Unfortunately, Thompson didn’t reveal how many “Sexiest Man Alive” jokes she dropped on Jordan during filming, but hopefully, we’ll get to hear about those when Creed III punches into theaters next year.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Apple slices are a sweet and healthy snack that little kids love and parents feel great about feeding them. However, you can’t cut up a bunch of apples in one sitting to dole out for lunches and snacks over the entire week because they will turn brown.

So you have to cut them up on demand.

Nicole Keshishian Modic of KaleJunkie had found a “secret” solution to the brown apple problem. She recently shared the apple hack with Good Morning America, which she says keeps slices from turning brown for up to a week.

The hack utilizes an age-old method for preservation that humans have used for centuries, salt. Salt works as a natural preservative by inhibiting microbial growth through osmosis. It also reduces the amount of water available to bacteria, inhibiting reproduction.

The KaleJunkie apple hack:

“In a bowl, add cold water and salt, whisk until it dissolves, then add your sliced apples and set a time for 5 minutes,” Keshishian Modic says in the video. “Drain the apples and rinse and when you take a bite they shouldn’t taste like salt.”

Then, put the apples in a resealable container and serve them at your leisure for a week.

Keshishian Modic is a food blogger, recipe developer, former lawyer and boy mama. She began her popular KaleJunkie blog as a way of overcoming a serious eating disorder. “My recovery journey ignited my passion for creating recipes made with real, whole-food ingredients, that are easy to make, quick, and don’t sacrifice flavor,” she wrote on her site.

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that the “10 things that made us smile” list was too full of awesome people doing awesome things that week to include any delightful animals. That was great news for us humans, but still a sad omission, so I did promise to bring the doggos back.

I’m happy to announce the doggos are indeed back. And the kitties. And the birdies. Even some goats and a lemur, for good measure.

There’s a lot happening in the U.S. and around the world right now that deserves our attention and energy and even our righteous anger. But there’s also a lot to delight in and celebrate. Small joys help sustain us through hard times, and a story or video that makes us smile can be just the moment of peace our hearts need.

Whether it’s a cute kid or a hilarious pet or an amazing human representing the best of us, reminders of hope and happiness can be found everywhere. Here are 10 of them to help carry you through the weekend.

1. This woman who goes back to help an elder cross the street in the rain.

u201cud83dudc4dud83dudc95nnhttps://t.co/8zqL1WImt4u201d

— Figen (@Figen)
1656964819

I love that she had been waiting under an awning and started rushing across the street, trying not to get wet, and then when the realization dawned on her, she immediately went back and took her time to help the old woman cross the street safely. Beautiful example of selfless service to a fellow human being.

2. Why can’t we all just sit and hold hands with lemur on a bench?

u201cEnjoying the moment together.. ud83dude0au201d

— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden)
1657135725

I have zero idea what’s happening here or why, but it’s adorable.

3. Uncle kills it with his niece in the father-daughter dance.

See on Instagram

Here’s to those who show up and step up when they’re needed.

4. Mom shares the heartwarming results of positive parenting with her toddlers.

@lauralove5514

Gentle parenting doesnt always yeild immediate reaulya because it is nog fear based BUT if you are consistent, you WILL see them actively use what they learn ♥️ Be patient! #fyp #foryou #toddlermom #parenting #gentleparenting #breakingthecycle #positivediscipline #respectfulparenting #viral

“‘Scuse me, I need some attention.” I know a lot of adults who should have learned to express that with their words. Good job, mama. (Follow @lauralove5514 on TikTok.)

5. Cairo the parrot uses his words to express his displeasure with the cat invading his space.

@feathersandfriends

Cairo’s house is a no-cat zone! #parrots #cairothegrey #africangrey #parrotsoftiktok

Cairo isn’t messing around. “Stop being a gerbil.” “Smarten up, man.” And that finger-snapping sound! Cairo is too smart.

6. Paul Rudd made an incredibly kind gesture to a bullied kid who had no one to sign his yearbook

When Brody’s mom shared that her son came home crushed that no one wanted to sign his yearbook, her plea for kindness went viral. Paul Rudd saw it and called Brody to talk to him. Then he sent him some Ant-Man gear and a sweet note of encouragement. Definitely a kindness this kiddo will never forget. Read the full story here.

7. Lost baby goat gets reunited with its mama, and you 100% want the sound up for this.

u201cThis sweet baby goat gets reunited with it’s mom, after being lost u2764ufe0fnnud83dudd0a Sound up!u201d

— Jess ud83cudf3b (@Jess ud83cudf3b)
1657057599

Awwwww.

8. Heroic teen saved three girls and a police officer from drowning in a river.

u201cHeroic 16 Year Old Mississippi Student Corion Evans saves 3 teenage girls and an officer after the girls drove their car into the River. Corion we salute your efforts and sacrifice! May your compassion & bravery serve as an example to others!u201d

— Black With No Chaser (@Black With No Chaser)
1657004517

Corion Evans deserves all the kudos for his quick thinking and selfless bravery. Read the full story here.

9. This 1991 blooper clip of Robin Williams and Elmo is just too delightful.

See on Instagram

Robin Williams was such a gem.

10. The way this kitty instantly plays it cool after being discovered.

u201cJust checking the walls.. ud83dude05u201d

— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden)
1657117334

“Who me? I’m just here checking the wall. Yeah, the wall. That’s it.”

BONUS: May your weekend be as exciting as this doggo seeing his friend.

u201che gets very excited when his friend comes over ud83eudd70ud83dudc36u201d

— Puppies ud83dudc36 (@Puppies ud83dudc36)
1657068088

Hope that made you smile! Come back again next Friday for another roundup of joy.

This week’s episode of People’s Party with Talib Kweli — hosted by Kweli and Jasmin Leigh — features the infamous Redman. Over the course of a wide-ranging, intensely personal interview, the Newark New Jersey MC explains how his family has a legacy that still touches the hearts on the streets, beyond hip-hop. His mother Darlene worked for 40 years ensuring young Black people were given a fair shot in the workplace.

“My moms never taught me to be pro-Black,” he notes. “She taught me to be pro-me.”

Growing up poor in New Jersey during the 80s was not easy. Many of the apartments then (and now) still have massive roach and rodent infestations. It was one such roach that changed the life of Red and his tenacious, hardworking mom, Darlene Noble.

“We had mad roaches,” Redman tells Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh. “We had mad mice and mad roaches. And everybody knowsm — don’t nobody wanna live with no roaches.”

The infestation of roaches at the time was taking over the entire apartment. Red remembers the tipping point of her patience.

“One day she was fixing us breakfast before we go to school. She opened the cabinet door to get us some cereal. And a roach jumped out and jumped on her nose…And I seen her fucking lose it! She said ‘That is it!’”

After that Darlene focused on making sure her life, and her kids, were headed in the right direction. Reflecting on his own drive to do well in life he says “That’s what inspired me — at a very young age…As she worked her way up the ladder, I seen her progression. She ended up getting a job at city hall helping lots of people. She retired like seven or eight years ago. But ‘til this day I got dues that will come up to me- that don’t even know. That’s G’d up. They’ll be like ‘Yo, your mom- anything she needs’. They don’t give a f*ck about me. ‘I know you’re Redman my nigga or whatever. But anything your moms needs, I’m riding for her.’”

Darlene Noble ensured many underserved people got good jobs, weren’t unjustly fired or got boxed out of economic opportunities. She’s a hero and this story is a testament to that.

Learn more about the life and legacy of Redman beyond his lyrics on People’s Party with Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh — on Luminary and Youtube.com/UproxxVideo.