The 2010-2020 decade for the culture sure will be one to remember as in every era the Hip-Hop and R&B sound gets reinvented. Here’s our accolades for the 2010-2020 era era with the tops songs, albums, mixtapes, artist who dominated.
SONGS OF THE DECADE
Rihanna – Work ft. Drake
Future – March Madness
DJ Khaled – I’m on One ft. Drake, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne
Chris Brown – No Guidance ft. Drake
Bobby Shmurda – Hot Nigga
Travis Scott – Sicko ft. Drake
Chris Brown, Young Thug – Go Crazy
ASAP Rocky – F$%^N Problem ft. 2Chainz, Drake, Kendrick Lamar
2020 sure was the year of the unexpected with the pandemic changing the trajectory of how artists are going to operate in the industry. For the culture it sure was challenging as some artists were left with the task of having to really get creative with their likeness as touring, interviewing, and performing at events were canceled. Some artists didn’t let this stop them as some went into the studio and locked in and delivered despite all of it. From home studio performances, social media posts, interview rollouts from home, Versus matchups, and we even saw artists bring deluxe albums back into their releases to give more music to their respective fan bases. Despite the trying year we saw artists step into the spotlight and deliver especially with frontier runners like Lil Baby, Dababy, and Megan Thee Stallion for Hip-Hop this year and underground acts like Jack Harlow, Mulatto, and Fivio Foreign made waves. R&B held it down in the pandemic with a lot of great projects being released from acts like Chloe & Hal, Kehlani, and Teyana Taylor as well as new acts like Giveon, Kiana Lede, and Blxst. 2020 will be a year to remember but still as we always do before the start of the new year we release our accolades for the year from best song, album, and artist of the year.
Devaney shares her latest visual for “Tell Me” one of her standout tracks from the rising Canadian artist. The song entails Devaney wanting honesty from a love interest of her’s and where the relationship between the two is going.
Born Devaney Leslie she’s from the Ontario, Mississauga area the R&B singer/songwriter is known for her jazz and sultry like vocals. Much of her musical style is reminiscent of an early 2000’s r&b era infused with an island vibe undertone. For more music on the artist make sure to check out her music catalog on streaming platforms.
Since becoming the Global Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors in the 2013-2014 season Drake has made a name for himself as the Spike Lee 2.0 with his antics and trolling of NBA players courtside. This has made for some of the best memorable moments and gives us another reason to Love Drake as it has made for great entertainment. Here are our top moments from Drake courtside antics with NBA Players ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals of The Warriors Vs Raptors this Thursday.
2016 NBA All-Star Game: Drake photo-bombs legendary photo
Kobe Bryant’s final All-Star Game and many fans were in attendance for it. One of the most Iconic moments of the game was during the fourth quarter when Lebron slaps the floor while defending his predecessor, and longtime rival for the last time. The sequence was caught in an iconic photo but not without Drake photo-bombing first cheering the two superstars on. Let’s just say it still made for a great photo with Drake’s throwback jacket of Kobe and we’ll this photo framed in someone’s mansion.
March 16, 2016 (Bulls at Raptors): Drake helps cause five-second violation
Raptors down three with 25.8 seconds remaining in a regular season game against the Bulls that were looking to inbound the ball. Drake roamed the sidelines and stopped to the jaw in the ear of Chicago’s Justin Holiday, who was looking to inbound the ball. Drake’s antics seem to work this time as Holiday took too long, and were charged with a five-second violation. This gave the Raptors new life as Drake pranced back to his seat but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as Toronto would still lose the game.
November 16, 2016 (Warriors at Raptors): Drake trash talks Kevin Durant
KD first year stint with the Warriors found himself arriving in Toronto to play the Raptors on Drake night. Durant fell victim to Drake’s trash talk all night long and the most memorable moment came after Demar Derozan hit a big three-pointer to give the Raptors a comfortable lead. Drake stared down KD after the shot, who was leaning on the scorer’s table waiting to check back into the game, seemingly unfazed.
February 11, 2015 (Wizards at Raptors): Paul Pierce shoves Drake
During a regular season match-up against the Wizards, Drake thought it would be hilarious to bother the Truth from the sideline during an inbounds pass. Drake got behind Pierce and laughed hysterically as the former Boston Celtics star was trying to make inbounds pass with 12 seconds to go, so Pierce gave him a little shove.
Game 2, 2018 Eastern First Round (Wizards at Raptors): Drake trolls John Wall and Kelly Oubre
The Raptors were up 1-0 in their first-round series versus the Wizards, and Drake shared a video on Instagram in which he tells John Wall, “John, you’re getting bodied by 20 tonight.” Toronto would go on to take the series lead going up 2-0 after winning the contest 130-119. The highlight of the night came later on when Drake crossed paths with third-year Wizards forward Kelly Oubre as the cameras caught the rapper calling him “a bum.” after being scored on by C.J. Miles.
Drake’s courtside interaction’s with NBA players are usually playful trash talk and rarely strays away from that until Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Things got heated between Drizzy and Cleveland reserve Kendrick Perkins, as something we don’t know till this day sparked a shouting match as players from both teams were heading to their respective locker rooms for halftime. The two would go back at it post-game with the rapper allegedly following Perk into the tunnel and calling him names. Let’s just say this is one fight Drake doesn’t want to start but it still made for a good laugh.
November 29, 2018 (Warriors at Raptors): Drake & Kevin Durant’s pleasant exchange
Drake and KD seem to have this playful relationship whenever the Raptors have a match-up against the Warriors and it’s always memorable. While Durant headed off of the floor to the locker room for halftime he and Drake had the type of playful interaction that’s reserved only for close friends, as KD responded to the 6 God’s friendly trash talk by giving him a purple nurple. We may be in tune for more of this in The Finals hopefully.
Game 5, 2019 Eastern Semifinals (Sixers at Raptors): Drake Mocks Joel Embiid’s airplane celebration
The Kings of Trolling, Drake and Joel Embiid are a perfect match-up everyone wants to see. During a Game 5 blowout win over Philly Drake impersonates the superstars signature airplane celebration.
Game 4, 2019 Eastern Finals (Bucks at Raptors): Drake clowns Giannis while at the Free throw line.
Drake just wants more life for his Raptors but his sideline antics got the Bucks in their feelings pic.twitter.com/6E7eDcDHFE
Drake got the last laugh after the Raptors’ series-tying Game 4 win over the Bucks. Drizzy spent most of the night dancing on the sidelines and clowning Giannis, celebrating his free throw misses with sarcastic laughter and mock air guitars. The most enjoyable moment came when the rapper got up close and personal with Nick Nurse, playfully rubbing the coach’s shoulders in a showcase of appreciation.
It’s been confirmed that in this coming June, deceased rapper, the Notorious B.I.G., will be receiving his very own intersection in Brooklyn. This has been confirmed by the rapper’s foundation, the Christopher Wallace Foundation.
The intersection of Gates Avenue and Fulton Street will be changed to Christopher Wallace Way. This street renaming was approved last November by the Brooklyn Community Board 2 after an overwhelming vote of 33-1. This year, the rapper would have turned 47. Fans will be happy to know that the public ceremony of the intersection renaming will take place on June 10th, and will no doubt include many guests, including family members of the rapper.
Biggie, who has been widely received as a crucial figure in hip-hop and Brooklyn’s culture, first burst into the rap scene in 1994. He quickly became known for his easy flow and storytelling ability. Biggie collaborated with a lot of artists, like Michael Jackson, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Jay-Z. Though Biggie had a fair share of turmoil in his rap career, including an infamously tense relationship with acclaimed rapper Tupac Shakur, Biggie’s music reached millions.
Though Biggie was murdered in 1997 at the young age of 24, his music has continued to touch millions. Even after his death, Biggie’s collaborations and songs received Grammy nominations and topped the charts. Hailed by AllMusic (online music database) as “the savior of East Coast hip-hop”, Biggie’s music continued to earn him praise. Now always regarded as an essential figure in hip-hop, there will be plenty of fans at the intersection renaming ceremony in June to celebrate the rapper and all he’s done in the name of hip-hop.
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk is a 27-year-old rapper and songwriter, originally born in Cleveland, Ohio. He is more commonly known by his stage name DaBaby, and less commonly as Baby Jesus. DaBaby has been active in the music scene since 2015 and has released a total of 8 mixtapes up until his prominent come up.
Since moving to Charlotte, North Carolina at the age of 6, DaBaby found himself getting in trouble with the law. The most notable was in November 2018, where DaBaby shot and killed a 19-year-old man in a Walmart store in self-defense after being held under gunpoint. Days later DaBaby got arrested under a concealed gun charge, though all charges relating to the case have been dropped. The case saw DaBaby receiving a rise in popularity after numerous news reports on the incident and its progression was made. This marked the beginning of DaBaby’s rise to relevance.
Despite his seemingly ‘short’ grind before his come up, the amount of music DaBaby has put out within the past few years justifies the success he has been seeing this past year. Consistency is one of his key secrets and undoubtedly played a major roll in his success story. The RnB Trap artist gained traction in the internet music scene after a musically productive 2017 and continued to produce music for his fan base on a regular basis. DaBaby’s 2018 mixtape “Blank Blank” caught the attention of many new fans, with two of his tracks “Blank Blank” and “Next Song” both receiving co-signs from Yo Gotti and Boosie Badazz. “Blank Blank” set the pace for DaBaby’s progression and solidified his spot in the underground music scene.
January 1st 2019 marked the release of his breakout hit “Walker Texas Ranger”, which went viral shortly after. Soon enough DaBaby found himself with a joint record deal between Interscope Records and independent label South West Music Group. March 1 became the release date for Da Baby’s first major debut project “Baby on Baby” which featured major collaborations from artists such as Rich the Kid, Offset and Rich Homie Quan. The Album Debuted at #25 on the Billboard 200 chart selling 21 000 units in its very first week of release and later would go #1 in March on Apple Music and “Suge” is now Certified Gold.
DaBaby’s prominent rise is attributed to a mix of musical talent, immaculate consistency, and great marketing despite a troubled past. Nonetheless this has been the perfect input for DaBaby’s rise to relevancy.
Kid Cudi has engraved his name as an artist who was unapologetically different, yet somehow still went on to grow a cult-like following and become one of the music industries greatest pioneers. Being one of the most widely evolving genres it’s incredible how Kid Cudi was able to stay relevant in the rap scene for so long, not to mention how many artists he has inspired on a level that goes above and beyond just a musical aspect. We give you an insight into the impact Kid Cudi has made in the rap industry, and just how much of a pioneer he really is.
Cudi himself has always been one to break boundaries and has never been bound by the norms of his genre. With his innate ability to rap, sing and produce, not to mention having an insane knack for creating melodies, Cudi has proved why his plethora of skills earn him a spot in Hip-hops hall of fame. To date Cudi has released a total of 6 studio albums and 29 singles. The release of his mixtape ‘A Kid Named Cudi’ in 2008 caught the eye of Kanye West who then flew him out to meet him. Kanye’s ‘808s and Heartbreaks’ was born after much collaboration with Kid Cudi on the lyrical and producing end of the project, which gained him accreditation on the 2009 ‘Soul Train award’ nominated album. Cudi gave Kanye the much-needed direction for his album, it was something he’d been envisioning but didn’t quite know how to execute until he heard Cudi’s breakout album. Cudi further proved his relevance in 2009 after the release of his debut album ‘Man on the Moon: The End of Day’ on September 15th, which later became two times platinum. It was released under Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music and peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts, spending 78 weeks on the chart in total. The album received rave reviews from listeners highlighting its chilled atmosphere, soulful direction, and psychedelic vibe. Inversely the worst reviews were from music critics, who mainly emphasized the repetitive instrumentals and lyrics they argued had a lack of depth, but this didn’t stop it from being one of the most well-received albums of the genre.
In many ways, Kid Cudi has definitely inspired some of the industries ‘new age’ talent. This is evident not only in the style of some artists music but also in their own statements. Lil Yacthy, Kyle, Logic and Ski Mask the Slump God are all examples of rappers who stated Cudi as an inspiration in their music some way or another, and if those names weren’t already unexpected we have one more. The most notable follower of Cudi would have to be Travis Scott. In popular interviews with both MTV and Complex, Travis stated that Cudi’s music helped teach him how to express himself, and stated that Cudi was the reason he was able to stay on the right path throughout his teen years. In his interview with Rolling Stone Travis revealed that his first time meeting Cudi was when he met Kanye, immediately setting a bar of where he wanted to be in a career. It wasn’t until 2016 when the two eventually collaborated on a track entitled ‘Through the Night’ for Travis’s album ‘Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight’. A dream collaboration indeed for the young star who on multiple occasions described Cudi as his idol.
Kid Cudi’s fear of showing his vulnerability encouraged him to use music as a means to relay his emotions, pain, and feelings most people haven’t learned how to express. The emotion Cudi’s music evokes in people is what draws them, allowing an avenue to relate to someone who seemingly knows exactly what your going through. Cudi’s dark experiences resonate with his audience, ultimately more than Cudi himself anticipated it would.
Breaking into the scene after a single mixtape and virtually no prior commercial coverage is a phenomenon that was not as prominent in the industry before 2010. This shows us the level of talent Kid Cudi had honed since his love for music had begun. His ability to be relatable in his sadness, and show listeners that it’s okay to ‘feel’ is a process that well describes Cudi’s place in Hip-hop. With his ongoing trend of inspiring the industries artists and fans alike, it’s clear to see why Kid Cudi is truly a pioneer in the music industry.
R&B Artist and Choreographer Ron Baker is here to soothe you with the visual for his latest single “Cool One”. The visual gives you old school late night love vibes with a hotel setting showing love for a cool one of interest.
Ron Baker born and raised from the Springfield, MA area is a young inspiring artist who’s been making waves on the Eastcoast as of late with his “Cool One Tour”. Dancing was always a passion first for him before getting into writing before friends around his circle encouraged him to pick up the mic. Now with his latest success with his career as an artist, he aims to make music that stands the test of time like the greats of the past. For more info on Ron Baker make sure to follow him on his various social media and check out his catalog on various streaming services with his latest project “The Session: Joints”.
Tierra Helena Whack is an American rapper, singer-songwriter born August 11, 1995. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tierra has been active in the music scene since 2011. As a teenager, she used the stage name ‘Dizzle Dizz’, until eventually using her birth name in 2017.
Tierra Whack, in simple words, is an unorthodox rapper who has an incredible talent for romanticizing the weird and wonderful in her music. She started writing poetry at a young age, eventually growing skill for the spoken word. She attended The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush for three years with a major in Vocals and a minor in Fine arts. Tierra’s music videos often feature disturbing, vibrant and hilarious imagery coupled with a speedy, sometimes unintelligible delivery. She admits that she has a sick sense of humor, which evidently seems to contribute to the wacky nature of her music overall.
Tierra finished high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and eventually returned to her home state Philadelphia in 2015. This is where she connected with her past collaborator, sound engineer Kenete Simms. The pair continued working together while still underground, with Tierra releasing multiple singles as well as reverting back to her birth name, no longer using the moniker ‘Dizzy Dizz’. Popular singles (released in 2017) include ‘S*** happens’ and ‘MUMBO JUMBO’, the latter being one of her most popular songs of the year despite having nearly unintelligible lyrics. The track essentially demonstrates commercial mumble rap, but with Tierra’s very own flair.
With many singles to her name, May 2018 marked the release of Tierra’s first full body of work, ‘Whack World’. The 15 track album featured songs that were all no longer than a minute in length, embodying an elaborate form of art. Tierra knew the visual ideas she was trying to emulate through each song eventually becoming the official music videos for the tracks themselves. ‘Whack World’s song length was intended to keep each track under Instagram’s one-minute video limit, but ultimately plays out as one long video. Overall the album received critical acclaim from critics such as Billboard and Complex etc. and was named one of the best albums of the year. Tierra also got the opportunity to perform at the Pitchfork Music Festival, a stage which saw many famous artists before her. Tierra even finished the year with a Grammy nomination for her track ‘MUMBO JUMBO’ for best music video award further proving the impact of her outrageous yet artistic imagery.
