Friends and legends gathered to honor Slick Rick receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the iconic Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. Powered by Google Pixel and Hip Hop 50, the event was hosted by MC Lyte with music by Dj Cassidy.
Grammy weekend was a non-stop whirlwind of excitement and celebration and we were honored to attend poet J. Ivy’s short film premiere in partnership with Bulleit Frontier Whiskey & UnitedMasters.
After Khaled finished making his announcements and letting guests know what was in store for this year, the city of Miami honored Khaled by naming February 9th “WE THE BEST” day in the city of Miami and November 26th “KHALED KHALED” day in the city of Miami Beach. Khaled was also given the key to the city of Miami and Miami Beach for his generous contributions to the community, and his ongoing civic engagement. “I’m not giving this award to Khaled because of his celebrity. We’re giving it to him because he has taken that celebrity and done something extraordinary and special with it,” said Mayor Dan Gelber of Miami Beach.
DJ Khaled’s We The Best press conference in Miami was truly a legendary and unforgettable day packed with a multitude of surprises. After announcing that We The Best will be relocating to Def Jam the party did not stop there.
On Wednesday, writers and correspondents from across America were flown out to South Beach, Miami, for a special press conference held by DJ Khaled & We The Best taking place the following day.
Last Week Quality Control Music/Motown Records artist Lil Yachty Celebrated the Release of his latest album Let’s Start Here with an exclusive listening party at Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. Lil Yachty posted on his Instagram earlier in the week announcing to his fans that he would be hosting three listenings in the New York/New Jersey area with “fine dining.” Within a matter of 5 minutes Yachty posted the listening experience was “sold out.”
This past weekend Drake visited New York and made a special two-night appearance at The Apollo theatre in Harlem for SiriusXM. On Saturday January 21 and Sunday January 22 SiriusXM subscribers and VIPS were invited to attend this special event which will air exclusively on Sound 42, Drake’s SiriusXM channel.
Last week Paper Route Entertainment and The Trap Music Museum held a private cocktail reception celebrating the legacy of Young Dolph with the soft launch of the Dolphland Pop-Up Museum.
Two of LVRN/Interscope’s latest trailblazers, BRS Kash & North Ave Jax have teamed up to deliver the high-energy single “Rich & Famous” as a part of Rockstar Energy Drink’s Spotlight Studios activation. This national Rockstar Energy-curated music program champions new breaking artists by providing fans with a one-of-a-kind consumer experience including live concerts and a state-of-the-art interactive mobile music studio. Not only are we joined by both Kash & Jax to discuss their collaboration, they also highlight recent releases and what each currently has in store for fans. Not only do the two create great music together, they also share a genuine bond that lends itself to making an endless supply of hits. Both Kash & Jax have projects on the way, while Kash is contemplating dropping an EP next, Jax is in album mode working exclusively with JetsonMade for his upcoming project. Not only are both artists talented in their own right, they are both level-headed and showcase self-awareness that most artists their age lack, another trait that is sure to take both Kash & Jax far.
BRS Kash & North Ave Jax
The Knockturnal: How do both of you feel being label mates on both LVRN and Interscope?
North Ave Jax: I think it’s cool. I like the fact that I could look to Kash as someone to go to for advice and just like to see how like everything plays out. You know, like coming in, I’ve only been here for like, almost a year, so it’s like I could ask Kash any question and he treat me like a little brother, you know? So it’s like, it’s love for real. It’s really love, you know what I’m saying? So it’s like I’m blessed to be in the position I’m in, especially having someone like him to look like look up to.
BRS Kash: Yeah. On my end it’s a, it’s a, it’s a good thing because Jax got that melodic flow, so it’s like we two different worlds, but we kind of do the same thing at the same time. Like going to Jax sessions and see how he work and sometimes he’ll come in, pop in on me and we do two totally different things, but at the end of the day come together as the same thing. And being at LVRN & Interscope is, like he said, it’s a blessing. A lot of folks pray to be in the position that we in,
The Knockturnal:Can you guys tell me about how this collaboration like came about? I know this was a Rockstar Energy activation, but break it down for me.
BRS Kash: It was just a power play. If one person eat, everybody eats. And me so far is like a rockstar vibe. Like I can get into that rockstar feeling, but I look, I look at Jax as a young rockstar. So I was like, I may as well bring Jax in to see what type of flavor he can bring to this song so we can really make it a song in not just something to give them. We wanted to make something good, so we was in the studio and I think we sat in the studio probably about eight hours that day trying to come up with this song. We went through producers, we kept going back and forth. Finally Tre Tracks came in he dropped the beat, it was like instant. It started to come to life and instantly after I laid the hook down, Jax came in, did his verse went crazy on the verse. Jax went so crazy on his verse that I had to go back and redo my verse.
The Knockturnal: Who would you want on the remix?
BRS Kash: Me personally, I would put Lil Uzi.
The Knockturnal: You two work so well together, you’ve got a beautiful relationship and the music you make sounds amazing. Are there gonna be any other collaborations on the way for you two?
BRS Kash: Oh yeah, definitely, definitely, definitely. So we were working on another song like probably like two weeks ago. I crashed Jax session and pulled up some beats. It’s actually a funny story. So he pull up a beat and I started recording and as I’m recording I’m looking for Jax. I call him and he say, ‘Oh yeah, my bad bro I left, but I’ll be back.’ So the song that we was supposed to do, I end up finishing the whole song.
North Ave Jax: But at, at the same time, it’s just like at any point we’ll go into a session and we can make a song in an hour or two hours.
BRS KASH
The Knockturnal: How has life changed since the last time we spoke when the “Throat Baby” remix featuring City Girls came out?
BRS Kash: Yeah, man. Life has changed a lot. You know, I’m doing a lot more of what I love doing, which is writing. So I’ve been doing a lot of those camps. Got a couple place placements. I did rockstar Energy Drink. I got the Madden theme song!
The Knockturnal: So what are you currently working on and do you have any new music on the way?
BRS Kash: Yeah, I got, I got a lot of new music on the way. I’ve been knocking out features and just basically building up my catalog. I’ve been in the studio trying to perfect my craft and, and give people what they want to hear. I definitely have a lot of new music on the way, 2023, we finna light the city up.
The Knockturnal: Do you have any other collaborations on the way that you are able to speak on right now?
BRS Kash: I got one on the way featuring Eli Derby. He’s on LVRN. it’s a pretty great record, I love that record, you know what I’m saying? It’s smooth. I just dropped, I just dropped a record called “Real Freak” featuring Sally Sosa and that track is crazy!
The Knockturnal: How did you two link up?
BRS Kash: We actually linked up a couple times, but she hit me and was like, I got this track I want you on, don’t hold back on it, just talk your talk, Do what you do best. And then I heard it and then I was like, oh yeah, okay. This hat old trick Daddy and Trina mm-hmm. She flipped it!
The Knockturnal: What is your next release looking like?
BRS Kash: I envision a whole project. It’s gonna be a EP and you definitely gonna get a lot of visuals with it. I’m more so of like a, a visual person, so I like to see the videos come out with the song because it just it gives me that feeling of I’m living what I’m rapping.
North Ave Jax
The Knockturnal: How does it feel to experience this journey to stardom while maintaining and working with your day ones, like your childhood friend and music video director Kelly Butts-Spirito?
North Ave Jax: Well, I find it even more important than like, the average scenario because we’re like the first, group that’s trying to make Vermont known and we’re trying to do it in a way where everyone’s a part of it. I don’t even wanna like, take credit or have anyone take credit for anything that’s happened. I just want it to be like imprinted in people’s minds and like let people know that like the team that we have together is dedicated to making it being able to be seen everywhere. Growing up in Vermont, I say this every time to everybody ,opportunity isn’t the same as it is everywhere else. Like Let’s say you’re a scout for a sports team, right? You’re not going to Vermont to find the best player, but at the same time though, we have the internet now and there’s so many ways to share your media with the world, you know? Just as, as far as having like the team I’m working with together, it’s like t was, meant to be like everything played its part, like, it wasn’t like nothing was set up, it was organic as hell though, like super organic, none of it was cliche or set up. I feel like we’re just walking upstairs and it’s like the marathon.
The Knockturnal: Kelly gave me a little bit of background on you and your friend grouping from what it sounds like, you and the group of friends you had around you always had like this idea that while Vermont is your home, you were always meant for more, and you guys had this unified vision that you and your friends brought it to life.
North Ave Jax: Nah, for real, You just said was meant for more and like I knew like as a kid, like that something was gonna happen whether it was basketball or music or something. like I just had that feeling and like I feel like the people that are on the team that I’m working with now all had that feeling as well, you know Whether it it was sports or now it’s music.
The Knockturnal: Is it true that you discovered hip hop at your local library? Can you elaborate on that experience please?
North Ave Jax: Yeah, I was with my grandma and like, she took us to the bookstore, I guess that was the treat for us and we were playing hide and seek instead of getting books and I walked into like the CD part and there was headphones and like little iPod touches and I just pressed the button and I put the headphones on and “Low” by Flo Rida comes on, but when I heard that I was like what is this? And the thing is like, I would only listen to like rock music before that moment, but when I heard that I was like, nah, this is the greatest shit ever.
The Knockturnal: Was that a turning point for you and how did it impact your relationship with rap music?
North Ave Jax: I feel like, yeah I digested the culture of it and like, just like took it in, you know, like, cuz like after seeing that I just explored so much more and like I looked at way more, you know? That was probably like the beginning of me being curious about what else there was because I knew, that can’t be the best.
The Knockturnal: What was the first rap song you listened to where you felt inspired or motivated to rap?
North Ave Jax: Well, what really made me wanna start rapping for real was watching him Eight Mile and at the time I didn’t know Eminem was a real rapper. I wasn’t even supposed to watch the movie. And I searched him up after and then I watched, I listened to his music, I’d listened to like Jay-Z and stuff before, but it wasn’t like making me wanna be a rapper and then I searched up like the music that Eminem made and I was like, this is amazing.
The Knockturnal: Would you say you life has changed after taking that very first meeting with LVRN?
North Ave Jax: You know, I might, this might sound crazy, but like, I feel like I’m the same exact person. Even though all this stuff has happened, like I still feel the exact same. Like, I want way more now, obviously.
The Knockturnal: What has been the biggest change for you after signing with L V R N and Interscope?
North Ave Jax: I get to work on my craft every day in a good space with good people. And like, I live in a city that I have never lived in before. This whole experience is just, I feel like it’s God, trying to teach me how to grow up and that’s kind of like what I feel like I’m going through right now and the stage I’m going through. That I kind of gotta like finish that stage. Maybe that’s what I gotta do is finish that stage before I go to the next stage of music.
The Knockturnal: You’ve got a lot of music out right now, are there any visuals on the way for LAZY?
North Ave Jax: Yeah I got the “Guns & Roses” video coming and I’m actually gonna be selling merch at my show. So I got more visuals, still promoting LAZY, but currently working on a new project. An album with JetsonMade and this gonna be the project that changes everything
On Saturday, June 11th Tribeca Film Festival hosted the world premiere of Lil Baby’s documentary Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby at the Beacon Theatre in New York City following a star-studded red carpet. The cast graced the carpet including Lil Baby and his sons, producers P & Coach K from Quality Control, director/producer Karam Gill, and industry tastemakers and artists alike came out to show their support including MTV’s Jamila Mustafa and superstar Shensea.
We briefly spoke with Forbes 30 under 30 director Karam about his favorite part of the documentary, “The documentary captures Lil Baby and where he’s at right now, but my favorite part of the documentary was going to the West End and really just spending time with him and really organically being with him in his community, it’s not contrived, it’s real, that was just an incredible highlight.” After wrapping the carpet guests headed inside to view the screening followed by a Q+A and intimate performance by Baby who performed unreleased music.
Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, directed by Karam Gil, centers on Baby’s journey and rise to fame, but it also paints a larger picture of circumstance, environment, oppression and opportunity. Before we as an audience learn about the Lil Baby we know today, we’re first introduced to Dominique Armani Jones, his family, his hometown of West Atlanta and the history that contributed to the environment in which Dominique/Baby grew up in. Baby was raised by a single mother in poverty in an area faced with decades of racial injustice, but even in the face of adversity, Baby was making millions before ever entering the booth. Baby came to prominence in West Atlanta originally as a drug dealer and was well-known and well-respected in the streets. While hustling he befriended Young Thug and P who believed in his greatness early on. Young Thug speaks on his intentions to protect Lil Baby at all costs, “if he asked for a million dollars I’d give him a million dollars, I told him you don’t have to go to the studio, just take this money and go home and spend time with your kids” says Young Thug in the documentary.
After being released from Jail, Baby officially inked a deal with Quality Control and his artist development began. Over time Baby improved, but it was never a childhood dream nor something he sought, he was fortunate enough to have people like P who saw his potential and push him towards greatness. The documentary shows both lows and highs in Baby’s career, but he is virtually unfazed and keeps an optimistic outlook even when the industry fails to recognize his achievements. Stars like Drake also make an appearance to speak on Baby’s success, “He had the biggest rap project of the year” says Drake about Baby’s My Turn. Gunna and Charlamagne Tha God also spoke on Baby’s talents and his impact on the music industry.
The documentary sees a turning point both in America as whole and Lil Baby as an artist after the tragic killing of George Floyd. This becomes the catalyst for Lil Baby shifting focus and using his voice as a platform against social injustice. He even pays for and makes a special appearance during Gianna Floyd’s birthday. Lil Baby says, “ I feel like I have a responsibility to leave the Earth a better place for the next generation,” when speaking on his current mindset. Baby gets another sad wake-up call when his close friend and fellow rapper Marlo is killed. Baby is more focused now more than ever and hopes to uplift his community through his music. Chairman/CEO of Motown Ethiopia Habtemariam says “Lil Baby represents the American dream” and it becomes apparent throughout the documentary that Lil Baby’s success is not only his family’s success, but all of Atlanta’s as well.
Drake highlights that, “Baby has already cemented himself as an important figure from this generation.” Baby’s Grammy snub and the subsequent performance reflect where Baby is at today and how even at the height of his career he still continues to face systemic oppression within the industry even though he had the largest-selling album of all genres of music in 2020. Ironically, the Grammy snub hits his team harder than him and Baby sees the Grammy performance as an opportunity to reach larger audiences and is still grateful for the opportunity. Overall this documentary tells the triumphant tale of Lil Baby in his prime and celebrates the talented artist at the beginning and height of his career, Baby ends the documentary on a poignant note stating “I’m just getting started and I’ll never be trapped again.”
Following the world premiere, Lil Baby, P, Coach K and Karam Gill took the stage to answer questions about the documentary, moderated by Pitchfork’s Alphonse Pierre. Highlights from the conversation include P saying that capturing content was a priority while developing Baby because he wanted to be able to showcase his legacy and the work that went into his career. Baby revealed during the Q+A that he still isn’t fully comfortable today with the role of an artist as it wasn’t something he aspired to since childhood, “a lot of people been waiting for this moment their whole life, so when that moment arrived it was bigger than I was ready for.” Karam Gill also highlights that the documentary depicts what a great father Baby is and how present he is in his children’s lives which you seldom see when reflecting on artist’s legacies. Coach K explained that transitioning to music was all about budding confidence in Baby because he was already well-respected, he just needed time to hone in on his craft and focus himself on the music. After the Q+A Baby gave the audience an exclusive performance with fan favorites as well as unreleased tracks.