LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 12: Vince Staples attends Netflix’s THE VINCE STAPLES SHOW Premiere at Netflix Tudum Theater on February 12 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)

Vince Staples at Premiere of the Vince Staples Show

The Vince Staples Show is an excellent insight into the polarizing Long Beach artist, Vince Staples. Netflix&rsquo;s newest show is a surrealist dark comedy exploring Staples&rsquo; lifestyle, experiences, and reaction to fame.&nbsp;
The five episode first season takes twists and turns, subverts expectations, and uses humor to smoothen out difficult topics. In this first season you&rsquo;ll see Staples&rsquo;s character get jumped by mascots, befriend bank robbers, and kill a father in department store.&nbsp;
The Vince Staples Show creates a universe within the show where anything could happen at any time. You&rsquo;ll laugh, you&rsquo;ll cringe, and you&rsquo;ll probably yell out &ldquo;what the hell!&rdquo; on more than one occasion.&nbsp;
Staples is known for his outlandish interviews, unique production style, and his &ldquo;IDGAF&rdquo; attitude, all of which shines through in his new series. His creativity is on full display throughout the series, working alongside accomplished producer Kenya Barris, the Vince Staples Show is an excellent binge-watch for anyone with a sense of humor.&nbsp;
HOT 97 in-house journalist, Jason N. Peters sat down with Staples to discuss the making of The Vince Staples Show.&nbsp;
JASON: In 2018, you released &ldquo;Sheet Music&rdquo; and &ldquo;So What&rdquo; under the name, &ldquo;The Vince Staples Show?&rdquo; What role did making those videos play in making this iteration of the Vince Staples show six years later?
VINCE: Yeah, it was an idea that, you know, I had previously, even years before that. You know, I took a couple of meetings on it and decided to kind of try to apply it and kind of put myself more into the environment of film and television. So from doing voiceover work to doing a couple of auditions here and there smaller roles in film and television series. Then trying my hand at Sheet Music and these other kinds of shorts that kind of dealt with somewhat of the thought process that went into the show. I think it all mattered like, you know, from being in Dope to Abbott Elementary to being in White Men Can't Jump all these small things.
They were big to me, but just small in the scale of what the projects were. They really, really helped me understand the medium.
https://omny.fm/shows/hot-97-podcast-project/vince-staples-explains-the-creation-of-the-vince-s
J: You have probably the most inventive music video I've ever seen. I think it was the &ldquo;Fun&rdquo; music video with the Google Earth concept. Have you always had an eye for visuals and that kind of led you in this direction?
VINCE: Yeah, when I first started making music, you know, a lot of the things that people gravitated towards were my visuals. And I feel like I've just always been lucky to be working with very, very collaborative people, people that had understanding of my ideas, they didn't feel too big even when we were working with smaller budgets or smaller songs. And just so many people I can name Ian Pons Jewel, Spike Jordan, Calmatic who did the fun video, we work with so many people who have just been able to just be malleable with kind of my ideas and that helped me working on the show because I was able to also do that with others' ideas and kind of bring in a good, good team of people who just were able to just, I guess blow out what we were trying to do from a small scale early on.
And a lot of that is from the experiences I had with music because people always took away the visual elements of what we did.
J: The theme of the show seems to be you trying to live your life and then outside characters put you in the center of their chaos and bullshit. How true to life is that sentiment?
VINCE: I think it's true to everyone. I think life is something that is not as singular as we see fit, like we're all here together and we all have to deal with each other no matter what.
And sometimes you can get thrown into another situation that you didn't expect to be. And that's kind of what happened throughout the course of the day. You know, you never know what a day is gonna bring you, and that's something that we tried to kind of showcase with the show.
J: How different is the Vince Staples in the show compared to Vince Staples in real life?
VINCE: I would probably say it's closer than,, people see with music. You know, I'm not the loudest or most,, over the top person, a lot of the time they view musicians as that. So I'll say it's very, very similar.
J: In episode three, it cuts to a sign that reads &ldquo;the weight of the world.&rdquo; And throughout the show, it does that a lot with different things. It's apparent that you drew from real life feelings in making the show. How is the process of expressing yourself this way different from making music?
VINCE: I think the tutelage that you need is different. I think the medium itself is different. The amount of people is probably the biggest difference. A lot of time with music, it's just me in the room with like an engineer, maybe one or two pro producers if that and with television and film, it's, it's a large massive set of just so many different people and it was a really, really unique and good environment to be in, you know, having other people's energy.
Trying to make sure everyone's having a good day while on set, making sure it's a fun set, a safe set for everyone was like, it was a really, really, really interesting challenge and I'm really happy. I got the ability to do that.
I think the biggest difference would really just be the dynamic of the people around and the people involved.
J: All right. My time is running out, so I'm just gonna ask one question. I'm sorry that it's not about the show. I'm a Sixers fan and you're a Clippers fan and you talked about how terrible Doc Rivers will be for Philly. The Bucks are 1-3 since Doc Rivers became the coach. Do you think that the Milwaukee Bucks are doomed, because of this recent decision?
VINCE: I mean, I don't know if they doom but, they got a really, really good team, but we'll see, man. You know, sometimes doc can't get it done, but he does have a championship.
So hopefully Giannis and Dame can make something happen. Bobby Portis, they got a really, really good team over there. They missing some defense. They should have kept Grayson Allen. I rock with him.
J: You don't know how many times I posted the &ldquo;I'm gonna kill Doc Rivers&rdquo; Tweet, but I appreciate you.
VINCE: Doc Rivers had my life for living hell man. But you know hopefully he does run in Milwaukee.
J: I feel you excited for everything you got coming. Thank you for your time Vince.
&nbsp;
The first season of &ldquo;The Vince Staples Show&rdquo; is now available on Netflix!
&nbsp;

Vince Staples Explains The Creation of "The Vince Staples Show."

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 11: (L-R) Alicia Keys and Usher perform onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Alicia Keys and Usher

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/usher-shows-love-to-the-a-during-his-2024-super-bowl-halftime-show">Boosie BadAzz</a> believes Usher needs to apologize to Swizz Beatz for his chemistry with Alicia Keys during the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show performance.
On Monday (Feb. 12), the Baton Rouge native shared a photo of the performance on Instagram.&nbsp;"USHER, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, BRO. [YOU] NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO [SWIZZ]. SHE MARRIED MY N**GA I KNOW THAT WASNT PLANNED," he captioned the post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3PDhEDtnO8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
As previously reported by <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/swizz-beatz-seemingly-responds-to-usher-and-alicia-keys-bood-up-during-super">HOT 97</a>, Swizz Beatz recently addressed the performance.&nbsp;"Y&rsquo;all talking about the wrong d**n thing!!! Y&rsquo;all don&rsquo;t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium? Tonight&rsquo;s performance was nothing but amazing with [two] amazing giants! Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys. That song is a classic. We don&rsquo;t do negative vibes on this side, we make history. Go see GIANTS at @brooklynmuseum. It&rsquo;s open until July blessings," the "On To The Next One" hitmaker wrote in an Instagram post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3PkXPEuIsy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=9f660cb3-dcaf-490e-806b-ea8a1084d7d7

Boosie BadAzz Says Usher Should Apologize to Swizz Beatz

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 04: Lil Wayne performs onstage during iHeartRadio 103.5 KISS FM's Jingle Ball 2023 on December 04, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jeff Schear/Getty Images for iHeartRadio )

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne opened up about a possible <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/b-g-sends-message-to-lil-wayne-over-hot-boys-reunion-its-a-big-bag-involved">Hot Boys</a> reunion tour.&nbsp;
"We spoke about it a few times but you know they have situations like B.G. just coming home.&nbsp;So he gotta work it out if he can tour. Can he travel? Things like that. You know Juvie ready and Turk ready, but really we gotta see if Geezy can move around a lot like that," the New Orleans rapper explained during a recent interview on YG&rsquo;s new "4HUNNID Podcast."
He said that was the "only piece" of the puzzle left to solve. "&lsquo;Cause everybody got their own thing. Everybody got their own record label, their own situation. Nobody ain&rsquo;t tied down to nothing. So when we asked everybody, they were like, &lsquo;Yeah, we can jump on whenever.&rsquo; We just gotta get Geezy right,&rdquo; Lil Wayne added. Check out the full conversation below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEK4iBjfv-I

Lil Wayne Speaks On Possible Hot Boys Reunion Tour

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 23: Snoop Dogg attends the world premiere of Prime Video's "The Underdoggs" at the Culver Theater on January 23, 2024 in Culver City, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

Snoop Dogg

On Thursday (Jan. 25), <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/snoop-dogg-gives-an-update-on-his-daughter-cori-after-she-had-a-stroke">Snoop Dogg</a> returned to Matt the &ldquo;All The Smoke&rdquo; podcast with with an update on his highly anticipated album with Dr. Dre.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m in the lab with Dr. Dre right now. That&rsquo;s Death Row/Aftermath. We finishing that up right now, tidying up the pieces to that. He&rsquo;s a perfectionist, you know,&rdquo; the Long Beach rapper said. &ldquo;When you hear what we have and how he got me rapping, it&rsquo;s like a grown Snoop Dogg. It&rsquo;s not like, &lsquo;Yeah, n**ga, yea&hellip;&rsquo; It&rsquo;s a growth to him. It&rsquo;s the way he selects his bars, it&rsquo;s the way he uses his voice. This n**ga used me like a f**king robot, and I love it because I love to be produced. I love to be challenged.&rdquo;
Check out the full conversation below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8csIeO-pYL8

Snoop Dogg Gives Update On Highly Anticipated Album With Dr. Dre

MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 16: Nicki Minaj performs onstage during iHeartRadio Y100's Jingle Ball 2023 at Amerant Bank Arena on December 16, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

Nicki Minaj

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/nicki-minaj-reveals-she-had-bad-dreams-days-before-her-fathers-death">Nicki Minaj</a> is always breaking records!
On Sunday (Jan. 14), <a href="https://twitter.com/chartdata/status/1746698720316621212" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chartdata</a> reported that the Queens rapper's fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, sold over one million album-equivalent units in the United States.
Nicki later took to her Instagram page to celebrate her accomplishment. "WTFFFFFFFF #PinkFriday2 has officially sold [ONE] MILLION in the U.S.!!!!!!" she began. "Thank you to every single one of you listening [and] supporting this album, the best label Republic Records, the GREATEST artists in the WORLD of our generation featured when I needed them the most,&rdquo; Minaj wrote before continuing, &ldquo;Every INCREDIBLE [AND] GENIUS producer, everyone who had ANYTHING to do with the music, every radio station, PD, DJ, interviewer, post, reaction video,&nbsp;VOGUE, Papa Bear, Zoo, PATTY DUKE, JUICE and the greatest fan base of all time, the Barbz. #HeavyOnIt. GOD is good. See you on TOUR!!!!!"
Pink Friday 2 was released in December of 2023. It features vocals from J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Tate Kobang, Drake, Lourdiz, Lil Uzi Vert, Skillibeng, Skeng, Future, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2GmGOCLTIT/?img_index=1

Nicki Minaj's 'Pink Friday 2' Reportedly Sells Over One Million Units

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 12: Lil Nas X poses in the press room at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Lil Nas X

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/kai-cenat-goes-off-on-lil-nas-x-for-disrespecting-god">Lil Nas X</a> has apologized for mocking Jesus Christ and Christianity in his latest song and video, &ldquo;J Christ."
On Monday (Jan. 15), the Lithia Springs rapper posted a video to his Instagram page explaining the recent controversy.&nbsp;&ldquo;I wanted to explain where my head at and where it&rsquo;s been for the last week,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;First of all, when I did the artwork, I knew there would be some upset people, simply because religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people."
Lil Nas continued, &ldquo;But I also didn&rsquo;t mean to mock &mdash; this wasn&rsquo;t like a, &lsquo;Fuck you to you people! Fuck you to Christians!&rsquo; It was not that. It was literally me saying, &lsquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m back like Jesus.'&nbsp;I&rsquo;m not the first person to dress up as Jesus. I&rsquo;m not the first rapper, I&rsquo;m not the first artist and I won&rsquo;t be the last. I know given my history with the &lsquo;Call Me By Your Name&rsquo; video, anything I do related to religion can be seen as mockery."
The 24-year-old added, &ldquo;That was just not the case with this. I will say, though, with the communion video with me eating the crackers and juice, I thought that video was gonna lighten the mood, to take it down less serious&hellip; I do apologize for that. I am sorry for that. That was overboard.&nbsp;I know I messed up really bad this time, and I can act unbothered all I want but it has definitely taken a mental toll on me,&rdquo; he concluded. &ldquo;I want my Christian fans to know I am not against you.&rdquo;
Check out related posts below:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2IEkOdLH_g/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=526d1fd6-e7af-4a71-8d83-589afe0ea37c
https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1745149587369664642
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCrQeUaXkLo

Lil Nas X Apologizes For 'J Christ' Controversy

Actress Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union attend the after party of Screen Gems' "Think Like A Man Too" at 1 OAK on June 9, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images)

GettyImages-450373222 (1)

Gabrielle Union was caught "liking" a shady tweet towards Vivica A. Fox.&nbsp;
We <a href="https://hot97.com/hot-news/vivica-a-fox-chimes-in-on-taraji-p-hensons-pay-inequality-comments-im-good">previously reported</a> that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/01/08/vivica-a-fox-hasnt-experienced-taraji-p-henson-work-woes-complaint/">TMZ</a> caught up with actress Vivica A. Fox and asked her her thoughts on Taraji P. Henson previous comments about unfair pay wages. While promoting new movie "The Color Purple", Taraji P. Henson got emotional as she discussed pay she's receieved for some roles she's done in the past,&nbsp; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost,&rdquo; Henson began. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, &lsquo;You work a lot.&rsquo; Well, I have to. The math ain&rsquo;t math-ing. When you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don&rsquo;t do this alone. It&rsquo;s a whole team behind us. They have to get paid.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m only human," she continued. "Every time I do something and break another glass ceiling, when it&rsquo;s time to renegotiate, I&rsquo;m at the bottom again like I never did what I just did and I&rsquo;m tired. I&rsquo;m tired. It wears on you. What does that mean? What is that telling me?"
<a class="ytp-share-panel-link ytp-no-contextmenu" href="https://youtu.be/GUzqD5UcLwo" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Share link">https://youtu.be/GUzqD5UcLwo</a>
When asked about the comments, <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/vivica-a-fox-chimes-in-on-taraji-p-hensons-pay-inequality-comments-im-good">Vivica</a> expressed, &ldquo;you know, darling, to each its own, do you know what I mean? I&rsquo;m very happy, very blessed and to each its own. I didn&rsquo;t have that experience, so to each its own. But to get your piece out is important, I totally understand that, and I love my girls for looking out for each other, but I&rsquo;m good,&rdquo; Vivica responded.
Following the exchange, Gab Union "liked" a tweet on Twitter which read, "she hasn't experienced Taraji's successes either. Next."
She also "liked" a tweet explaining, "listen. Gab isnt the shady one here. That&rsquo;s ALL Vivica. Cause why the fuck is she even talking? Why is she actively working to undermine what Taraji is saying about HER mistreatment and the systematic mistreatment of Black women in Hollywood? While starting in Tubi movies?"
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C15Cjy8gLOl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">https://www.instagram.com/p/C15Cjy8gLOl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link</a>

Gabrielle Union Seemingly Throws Shade At Vivica A. Fox Following Taraji P. Henson Comments

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/nicki-minaj-gifts-funny-marco-a-lamborghini-truck-for-christmas">Nicki Minaj</a> has opened up about her father's death.
During a recent interview with Ebro Darden for Apple Music, the Queens rapper talked about &ldquo;Are You Gone Already,&rdquo; a song about the birth of her son&nbsp;and the death of her dad, Robert Maraj, who died from a hit-and-run. She revealed that the track was inspired by a few bad dreams she had before the incident.&nbsp;
&ldquo;[I]t&rsquo;s the exact replica of a call I had in about four or five dreams,&rdquo; Nicki said. &ldquo;[In the dream] the person was saying, &lsquo;[Something happened to] your mom, we&rsquo;re going to call you back and let you know how it went.&rsquo; But this call now is with my father. And I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Wait a minute. I dreamt this.&rsquo; &hellip; I didn&rsquo;t remember how it ended.&rdquo;
She continued, &ldquo;I saw all this blood coming out of someone&rsquo;s head laying on the floor, but the person was conscious, they were scared, but it was just pouring out in the hair,&rdquo; she recalled. &ldquo;And then, two nights later, [the accident] happened.&rdquo; Check out the full conversation below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ka8S4O10AU

Nicki Minaj Reveals She Had Bad Dreams Days Before Her Father's Death

MESA, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 10: Shaquille O'Neal attends TikTok In The Mix at Sloan Park on December 10, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for TikTok)

Shaquille O'Neal 

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/rick-ross-says-he-almost-signed-to-shaquille-oneal">Shaquille O'Neal</a> will become the first Orlando Magic player to have his jersey retired.
On Thursday (Jan. 4), Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins surprised the 51-year-old through a fake FaceTime video call during an episode of &ldquo;Inside The NBA,&rdquo; alongside co-hosts Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith.
&ldquo;I hear you&rsquo;ve been waiting for a phone call from us, and the wait is over," Martins began. "On behalf of the DeVos family, and myself, and all of us here at the Orlando Magic, we want to congratulate you as we make you the first jersey number retired in the history of the Orlando Magic. You had a great career here &mdash; at the beginning of your career &mdash; and we had some great times. You took us all the way to the NBA Finals, and it&rsquo;s finally time to put that number in the rafters.&rdquo;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lEcXeUWvOI
Back in June of 2023, Shaq posted an Instagram video of himself freestyling in a Home Depot. In a verse, he could be heard sending a message to his former team. &ldquo;Should write a book &rsquo;bout every step on my way up the ladder/ Came out the mud, it was an ugly chapter/ I don&rsquo;t even show up at your fancy parties/ If you see me hanging out, it&rsquo;s off the f**kin&rsquo; rafters/ Only baller to go f**kin&rsquo; platinum/ If you count my points and rebounds, quadruple platinum/ Got two retired jerseys in two different cities/ I&rsquo;m still waiting on that call from the Orlando Magic&hellip;&rdquo; he rapped.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CtfFzT5MiVq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again

Shaquille O'Neal To Become First Orlando Magic Player To Have His jersey Retired

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 04: Lil Wayne performs onstage during iHeartRadio 103.5 KISS FM's Jingle Ball 2023 on December 04, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for iHeartRadio )

B.G. dissed <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/lil-wayne-reacts-to-his-hilarious-wax-figure-after-it-goes-viral">Lil Wayne</a>!
Today (Jan. 5), Finesse2tymes released a new song called "Gangstafied" featuring B.G. On the track, the 43-year-old rapper can be heard taking shots at his fellow New Orleans native, while addressing things that were happening while he was behind bars.
"My n**ga Boosie went home and my dawg was steady blowing/My n**ga Weezy steady touring, but he's b**ch and it's showing/I'm still a living legend, don't act like you didn't know it," B.G. rapped. He was released from prison back in September of 2023 after spending more than a decade locked up for illegal gun possession.
B.G. is&nbsp;known for rapping alongside Lil Wayne and Juvenile in the popular 1990s group Hot Boys.&nbsp;Check out the music video for "Gangstafied" below.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3O3hMMQCkk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3O3hMMQCkk</a>
&nbsp;

B.G. Disses Lil Wayne on New Song With Finesse2tymes

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 03: In this image released on October 10, 2023, Yung Miami performs onstage during the BET Hip Hop Awards 2023 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on October 03, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Terence Rushin/Getty Images)

Yung Miami

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/yung-miami-shares-secret-to-getting-diddy-to-date-her">Yung Miami</a> does not play about the criticism she recieves for her "Caresha Please" podcast on Revolt TV.
"Y'all always got me [and] 'Caresha Please' name in y'all mouths," the City Girls member tweeted. "STFU. If it's not that good who tf be watching it then? Corny a** b**ches."
<a href="https://twitter.com/YungMiami305/status/1743018485238714875">https://twitter.com/YungMiami305/status/1743018485238714875</a>
On Saturday (Dec. 30), Yung Miami took to her Twitter account to call out men after Joe Budden criticized her for not releasing more episodes of the&nbsp;podcast.&nbsp;"I really wanna be positive in 2024. F**k yall hating a*s h*es fr!" she began. "Oh and yall old hating a** p**sy n**gas too!!!!!"
The rapper continued, "You know you that b**ch when N**GAS praying on your downfall. I expect that from b**ches cause that's what b**chs do, but yall n**gas... LOL, Y'ALL SOME P**SY N**GAS!!!! P**syyyyyyyyyyy!!! Like b**ch a** n**gas!"

Yung Miami Continues To Slam ‘Caresha Please’ Haters

Meek Mill Rick Ross - Winter Jam

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first ever HOT 97 Winter Jam shut down the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, December 30th. The evening unfolded with a lineup that captivated the audience, kicking off with Scarlip, the hometown hero, setting the stage ablaze with hits like &ldquo;This Is New York,&rdquo; &ldquo;No Statements,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Blick,&rdquo; igniting the crowd's energy from the get-go.
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Caribbean rhythms took center stage as Ding Dong, Tee Jay, and Rupee brought an explosive heatwave to Winter Jam. Ding Dong's infectious vibe swept through the audience with chart-toppers like &ldquo;Bad Man Forward&rdquo; and &ldquo;Flair Is In The Air.&rdquo; In an adrenaline-fueled moment, he leaped over the barricade, diving into the hyped crowd. Rupee further elevated the atmosphere with tracks such as &ldquo;Tempted to Touch&rdquo; and &ldquo;Jump,&rdquo; setting the crowd on fire. Tee Jay&rsquo;s performance exuded Jamaican vibes, inciting enthusiasm with the pulsating beats of &ldquo;Drift.&rdquo; The Soca scene wasn't left behind as Bunji Garlin elevated the stage, representing Trinidad and Tobago with fervor through tracks like &ldquo;Hard Fete&rdquo; and &ldquo;Differentology.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The tempo soared higher when 41 took over, captivating the audience with sing-alongs to &ldquo;Bent&rdquo; and &ldquo;Stomp Stomp.&rdquo; The surprise appearances intensified the night as Rowdy Rebel stormed in, delivering the hits &ldquo;Computers&rdquo; and &ldquo;Re-Route.&rdquo; Remy Ma followed suit, bringing her signature hits like &ldquo;Whuteva&rdquo; and &ldquo;Conceited&rdquo; before surprising the audience with Connie Diiamond for a joint rendition of their new remix &ldquo;Ghetto &amp; Ratchet.&rdquo; Aboogie joined in, charming the crowd with nostalgic tunes like &ldquo;Jungle,&rdquo; &ldquo;My Sh*t,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Did Me Wrong.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lola Brooke, the Gator herself, stepped into the limelight, dazzling the audience with &ldquo;I AM LOLA&rdquo; and captivating performances of &ldquo;You,&rdquo; &ldquo;So DISRESPECTFUL,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t Play With It.&rdquo; The excitement soared as she invited friends like Rickey Blaze, who serenaded with &ldquo;Just You and I,&rdquo; and Serani, taking everyone back with &ldquo;No Games.&rdquo; Shenseea emerged as a surprise guest, teaming up with Lola to perform their collaboration &ldquo;Beama,&rdquo; and hyping the crowd with &ldquo;Shen Yeng Anthem&rdquo; and &ldquo;Blessed.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The grand finale was nothing short of monumental as Rick Ross and Meek Mill commandeered the stage. Meek delivered a breathtaking setlist, from &ldquo;Ima Boss&rdquo; alongside Rick Ross to &ldquo;Dreams and Nightmares&rdquo; and &ldquo;24/7.&rdquo; Ricky Rozay himself, Rick Ross, performed &ldquo;F*ckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt&rdquo; and even added a surprise with &ldquo;Diced Pineapples.&rdquo; Meek concluded the night with heartfelt tributes to the late Pop Smoke and PNB Rock.
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, HOT 97 Winter Jam put together diverse sounds, surprise acts, and unforgettable moments. It wasn&rsquo;t just a concert; it was an experience etching itself as an indelible highlight to close out the year.

Rick Ross & Meek Mill End 2023 w/ A BANG At Winter Jam! 

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 12: Lil Uzi Vert attends the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Lil Uzi Vert

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/lil-uzi-verts-pink-tape-sets-off-as-the-first-no-1-rap-album-of-2023">Lil Uzi Vert</a> said they are planning on removing all their tattoos.
During a recent conversation with Ryan Leuteritz for L.A. Weekly, the Philly rapper was asked which tattoo was their favorite. They responded,&nbsp;&ldquo;my favorite tattoo [is] none of them. I&rsquo;m trying to get them removed. All of them. I wanna go corporate.&rdquo;
Check out a clip from the interview below.
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1ahIXOvP-O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=3371e06c-5389-4d3f-b34f-902a09d5dbd8">https://www.instagram.com/p/C1ahIXOvP-O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=3371e06c-5389-4d3f-b34f-902a09d5dbd8</a>
During an interview with <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2017/02/14/lil-uzi-vert-cover-story-interview-hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The FADER </a>back in 2017, Uzi revealed they got their first face tattoo when they were homeless after their mom kicked them out of the house for quitting their job at Bottom Dollar Food.&nbsp;&ldquo;I had a job for f**king four days. I couldn&rsquo;t do it. I&rsquo;m not normal. I was in there just thinking, Why am I doing this?&rdquo; they said.&nbsp;&ldquo;It was like, &lsquo;If I get this face tattoo, I got to focus. I can&rsquo;t go in nobody&rsquo;s office with a suit on with this shit on my face. I got to focus on what I want to do.&rdquo;

Lil Uzi Vert Plans To Remove All Their Tattoos: 'I Want To Go Corporate'

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 02: Rapper Trina performs onstage at the 2017 ESSENCE Festival Presented By Coca Cola at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on July 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for 2017 ESSENCE Festival)

Trina

<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/50-cent-reveals-he-gave-magic-stick-to-lil-kim-after-trina-messed-it-up">Trina</a> is going viral for giving Beyonc&eacute; credit for opening the doors for female rappers in the music industry.
&ldquo;Yeah, Beyonc&eacute;. Because she is the No. 1 female rapper when she does rap," the Still da Baddest rapper said during a recent interview with HipHopDX at One Music Fest 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. "There&rsquo;s no sleeping on the Queen. It&rsquo;s just one of those things, of course, it&rsquo;s the Queen Beyonc&eacute;, but when you hearing a song and it&rsquo;s rapping involved it&rsquo;s like, oh my God &mdash; it&rsquo;s more inspiration.
She continued, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a good thing. I feel like for the girls now when you hear &rsquo;em and look at &rsquo;em it&rsquo;s just all different kind of music and it all sounds different.&rdquo;
Check out the full conversation below.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y84iznAd-M">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y84iznAd-M</a>
Today (Dec. 28), Trina clapped back at the haters who had something to say about her comment. "For the dusty, crusty, funky b**ches in the bacccckkkk, Beyonc&eacute; is the queen of rap (when she raps) and ALL other genres of music. Now stay mad goofy's. I said what I said and NANN b**ches [gon'] check me. Carry on," she posted to her Instagram Story.

Trina Credits Beyoncé For Opening The Doors For Female Rappers

HOT97EndofYear WITH-LOGO Social Graphics1920x1080---HOT-97-Top-Songs-of-2023

This year was a unique one for hip-hop, it was hip-hop&rsquo;s 50th anniversary, however there was a number of debates about the current trajectory and identity of the genre. 2023 featured no new albums from Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Cardi B, Kanye, or many other mainstream A-list acts.
Nicki Minaj and Drake delivered huge projects that are represented on our list, but the &ldquo;new guard&rdquo; of hip-hop also made huge waves. The arrival of Sexyy Red on the scene made waves, Ice Spice continued her run of hits, and Burna Boy&rsquo;s meteoric rise to international stardom gained more steam.&nbsp;&nbsp;
How Did We Decide Our Song of the Year?
Members of the Hot 97 editorial staff were asked to rank their top 30 songs of 2021, those songs were given a point value based on their rankings. Each writer's favorite song was rewarded 30 points, their second favorite song rewarded 29 then that continues all the way down to their 30th favorite song being rewarded 1 point. The maximum number of points a song could have gotten was 270, the winning song received 184 points.&nbsp;
Only songs that were released after November 1, 2023 were eligible to be the 2023 Song of the Year. For the first time in this series history, three songs released in 2022 are present on our end of year list. SZA&rsquo;s &ldquo;Kill Bill&rdquo; and &ldquo;Snooze&rdquo; and &ldquo;Players&rdquo; by Coi Leray, all of which hit peak popularity in 2023.
&nbsp;
<div dir="ltr" align="left">
<table><colgroup><col width="100"><col width="384"><col width="100"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
FINAL LIST
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
VOTES
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Water by Tyla
</td>
<td>
184
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
2
</td>
<td>
All My Life by Lil Durk &amp; J Cole
</td>
<td>
166
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
3
</td>
<td>
fukumean by Gunna
</td>
<td>
162
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
4
</td>
<td>
On My Mama by Victoria Monet
</td>
<td>
154
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
5
</td>
<td>
Deli by Ice Spice
</td>
<td>
137
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
6
</td>
<td>
Snooze by SZA
</td>
<td>
132
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
7
</td>
<td>
First Person Shooter by Drake &amp; J Cole
</td>
<td>
124
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
8
</td>
<td>
Players by Coi Leray
</td>
<td>
120
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
9
</td>
<td>
Boy's a Liar Pt. 2 by PinkPanthress &amp; Ice Spice
</td>
<td>
114
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
10
</td>
<td>
Paint The Town Red by Doja Cat
</td>
<td>
99
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
11
</td>
<td>
SkeeYee by Sexyy Red
</td>
<td>
93
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
12
</td>
<td>
Pound Town by Sexyy Red
</td>
<td>
91
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
13
</td>
<td>
This Is New York by Scar Lip
</td>
<td>
88
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
13
</td>
<td>
Princess Diana by Ice Spice
</td>
<td>
88
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
15
</td>
<td>
Talibans by Byron Messia
</td>
<td>
80
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
16
</td>
<td>
Spin Bout U by Drake &amp; 21 Savage
</td>
<td>
79
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
17
</td>
<td>
You by Lola Brooke and Bryson Tiller
</td>
<td>
74
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
18
</td>
<td>
Barbie World by Nicki Minaj &amp; Ice Spice
</td>
<td>
72
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
18
</td>
<td>
Put It On Da Floor by Latto &amp; Cardi B
</td>
<td>
72
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
18
</td>
<td>
Sittin On Top Of The World by Burna Boy and 21 Savage
</td>
<td>
72
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
21
</td>
<td>
Everybody by Nicki Minaj &amp; Lil Uzi Vert
</td>
<td>
68
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
22
</td>
<td>
Kill Bill by SZA Doja Cat
</td>
<td>
63
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
23
</td>
<td>
City Boys by Burna Boy
</td>
<td>
62
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
The Top Songs of 2023
2023 feels like a transitional year for the genre, on our list there are a number of different subgenres of both hip-hop and R&amp;B. Our number one song of 2023 was &ldquo;Water&rdquo; by Tyla, which would have been unfathomable just as recently as April of 2023. However, the South African singer has blown up on the back of this track and we&rsquo;ll likely be seeing a lot of Tyla in 2024.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Water&rdquo; gained popularity on TikTok and Instagram with a mesmerizing viral dance that was essentially unavoidable throughout the Fall. Now, &ldquo;Water&rdquo; is a song that you&rsquo;ll hear on HOT 97, Top 40 stations, on TikTok, in the club, or at a mall. The track is massive internationally and locally. &ldquo;Water&rdquo; is not a traditional hip-hop song, it is more of an international pop record, but that&rsquo;s the kind of year it&rsquo;s been where hip-hop is blending with other styles.
Our number 4, 6, and 22 songs are all R&amp;B tracks. &ldquo;Snooze&rdquo; and &ldquo;Kill Bill&rdquo; by SZA were numbers 6 and 22 then newcomer Victoria Monet released &ldquo;On My Mama&rdquo; which has been a ubiquitous hit earning her number 4 on our list.
The songs that earned 2, 3, 5, and 7 on our list are more traditional rap songs with household names. This is where you can find Gunna&rsquo;s &ldquo;fukumean,&rdquo; Lil Durk and J. Cole&rsquo;s &ldquo;All My Life,&rdquo; along with Ice Spice&rsquo;s &ldquo;Deli&rdquo; and Drake and J. Cole&rsquo;s collab on &ldquo;First Person Shooter.&rdquo; Many people thought Gunna&rsquo;s hot streak would be over after his arrest and subsequent release, but he proved the world wrong with &ldquo;fukumean&rdquo; whether you like it or not.&nbsp;
Newcomers and Rising Stars
Scar Lip gave New York another anthem with &ldquo;This Is New York&rdquo; and Lola Brooke is back on the our list for the second year with &ldquo;You&rdquo; featuring Bryson Tiller. Obviously Tyla, Sexyy Red, and Victoria Monet made huge names for themselves this year, but there&rsquo;s one artist who really sticks out among this list.
From Kingston, Jamaica a breakout Dancehall sensation named Byron Messia made his name known with his smash hit &ldquo;Talibans.&rdquo; This song was remixed, chopped and screwed, and made massive waves across the globe. Burna Boy hopped on a remix of &ldquo;Talibans&rdquo; and put it on his 2023 album. The international popularity of hip-hop is starting to blur the lines between R&amp;B, hip-hop, afrobeats, and dancehall. Hip-hop is in a unique place where you can either throw your hands in the air and say hip-hop is dead or you can appreciate the growth and expansion of the genre you love.
These were the HOT 97 top 23 songs of 2023! Congratulations to all of the artists on the list, we can&rsquo;t wait to see what the top 24 songs of 2024 are.
&nbsp;

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