🙏🏾 let's celebrate each other 5.9.20
hip hop's new daily operation
It’s Saturday. De La Soul style. And with a heavy heart we shall proceed:
I’m Elliott Wilson, and this is TheMotto No. 6. TheMotto documents hip-hop’s 24-hour race all in one place — here you’ll find the most important stories and moments of our culture. I’m overly dedicated to covering this fast-paced world— and it’s time to share more of my personal stories and thoughts. We’re just getting started on this journey— subscribe to TheMotto.
all hail the Queens:
tonight’s da night: Jill pre-games by speaking on why she’s participating in this evening’s festivities ⤵️
Lord knows, we need our spirits lifted. Last night, Live from his groundbreaking Club Quarantine, D-Nice broke the news: music mogul Andre Harrell had died ⬇️
Dre brought us Uptown Records, the blueprint for R&B and hip-hop as one sound and style — the label’s catalog contains an overload of classics. Harrell was everybody’s OG! He mentored and guided many greats including the legends Sean “Puffy” Combs and Mary J. Blige. He even took over the entertainment side as Executive Producer of the police drama, New York Undercover. A show he always made sure had the best soundtrack.
I was a fan of Harrell since his early rapping days as Dr. Jeckyll. My favorite ‘80s classics from him are “Genius Rap” and “A.M./P.M.”
B. Dot and I had the pleasure of speaking with Harrell in September 2016, back when the Rap Radar Podcast was broadcast by CBS. Harrell is a father, a true teacher, a mentor to many, a man who’s mark on culture can never be replaced. Rest easy, King.
⏫ 🙏🏾 Word to Brother ?uestion: thank you, Little Richard. You kicked in the door for all.
back to the wild world of rap:
6ix9ine’s comeback. He’s got numbers on the board. The new song is No. 1 trending on YouTube, 35 million views and running.
Instagram Live: two million Views.
Weezy Media strikes again ⏬ special guest: Marshall Mathers.
like they always do at this time: The Breakfast Club gets Kehlani to be candid about her career and personal life 🔽
gloves on — no face mask:
“Never ever let the fuckery get to me.” Memphis’ Moneybagg Yo is still gettin to the Lysol-sprayed stacks of money ⏬
this, that and a third:
these are the breaks: DJ Premier on a few of his favorites ⏬
feel the vibes: Ghost got his hoodie up and a lot on his mind. These sharp bars will illuminate your soul 🔽
chi-city: Lil Durk turns his breakthrough tune into a symphony ⏬
what more can I say:
GFK50. That’s right — the Wu-Tang God, Dennis Coles turns a half century. Woah. Salute to the Clan member with the greatest solo masterworks. And our personal history is rich, too. I was going to do a Ghostface Killah book deal in 2007 with Testify Books publisher Dana Albarella James (salute!). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get Brother Starks to commit to True Reflections from the Soul of the Wu-Tang Clan.
I have so much love for Ghost Deini! When the group first started, he didn’t like showing his face, and he showed up to a 1993 BeatDown cover shoot with his grill covered in pantyhose. Ghost even popped up in 1995 RapPages photo shoot for Raekwon and GZA —it’s the article that Rae references in “Incarcerated Scarfaces”: soon to get an article in Rap Page(s). Photos: Carl Posey. Words: Elliott Wilson. Thank you, Ev.
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