#Repost XXLMag.com: Everything You Need to Know About Eminem’s New Album

Throughout the past two decades, Eminem has been heralded as a national treasure, long celebrated as one of the greatest rappers of all time. When you’re an artist of such legendary stature, not a day passes without a loyal fan manifesting the possibility of new music.

While some speculation may solely be the stuff of a rap enthusiast’s pipe dream—and other rumors debunked as quickly as they surface—that’s simply par for the course. However, for a rap legend who meticulously maintains a low social profile, the safeguarded news of what would be his ninth studio album wouldn’t necessarily leak solely by accident. In fact, with countless examples etched into his impressive history as an artist who plays by his own rules and follows his own timeline, Em is an expert at building momentum and keeping his audience engaged every step of the way.

The 44-year-old’s last album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, arrived in 2013, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and later becoming the second-best selling album of the year. As he added another Grammy Award to his storied trophy case for his eighth solo record, he also entered a period of subtle hibernation, taking a break from the studio to focus on Shady Records, executive producing the sports drama, Southpaw(as well as the crime drama, Motor City) and making a satirical cameo in the 2014 film, The Interview, alongside James Franco and Seth Rogen.

Throughout the past four years, Eminem has perfected the balance of working behind the scenes and making brief-but-meaningful appearances in the spotlight, with the 2014 posse cut “Detroit Vs. Everybody” arguably marking the beginning of speculation regarding Em’s future endeavors in music.

While 2017 doubled as the 15-year anniversary of his Grammy Award-winning masterpiece, The Eminem Show, fans remain hungry for more as well as are undeniably curious about what material the spitfire MC has been sitting on in recent years, especially since Trump assumed his role as president. In fact, prior to Trump’s election, Eminem resurfaced once again, with the timely freestyle, “Campaign Speech,” arriving on the same day as the third presidential debate and clocking in at nearly eight minutes for a ruthless lyrical attack against the Republican candidate.

From here, our saga begins as we calculate and piece together everything we currently know about Eminem’s (hopefully) forthcoming ninth studio album.

Full list here. Originally published on XXLMag.com.

#Repost HotNewHipHop: French Montana's "Jungle Rules" (Review)

Everyone's favorite Coke Boy shows a desire to evolve on "Jungle Rules."

Listening to French Montana’s sophomore release is a lot like going on a first date with someone you privately stalked on the Internet for months.

You know from his social media profiles, that he has lived lavishly, traveled afar, added a pet monkey to his family and etched his name on every must-not-miss occasion of the celebrity elite's social calendar. Despite being told previously by possibly jealous friends that he might be an "acquired taste," you step into the movie and have one of those ignore-your-phone types of evenings.

That's French Montana's Jungle Rules, in a nutshell.

While his days on street corners hustling his Cocaine City DVD series may now be a fleeting memory, French today is as industry-seasoned as he is street-smart. Enter "Unforgettable," his biggest hit single to date. Such a crossover into the mainstream has long been his trajectory, but with the Swae Lee-assisted summer banger, French etched a newfound sense of urgency into the foundation he spent years building. Not only are people enjoying his latest collection of polished party tracks, but there's now an elevated interest in learning his story.

The album's introductory track, "Whiskey Eyes," evidences this brilliantly. As French offers a rapped version of his complex come-up, he details his own perspectives of success through a jaded lens, further backed by the late Chinx. As the album unfolds, French sprinkles subtle moments of personal revelation into records that soundtrack a proper pre-game and memorable late night alike. At this point in the game, French knows how to craft a hit single and with Jungle Rules, he provides fans with multiple options for their go-to playlists-- perhaps too many options.

It should be noted that French rarely goes for it alone. The album’s first promotional single, “No Pressure,” recruits Future, “Migo Montana,” features Quavo, “Black Out"  has Young Thug, and those are but a few of the guest appearances. While these tracks definitely pass the car speaker test, they don’t necessarily have much replay value; after a quick run-through of the album you’ll likely only remember a handful of tracks distinctly. Among them is the album’s center(ish)piece, the horn-driven and old school-flavored "Bring Dem Things," which again contains a feature -- Pharrell -- and is perhaps the most memorable, with the highest replay value. This track may be the smartest move on Jungle Rules. The other highlights tend to feature French embracing and creating alluring narratives, like on standout cut “A Lie,” which doubles as Max B's revival and The Weeknd’s semi-ambiguous response to his longtime rumored beef with Drake, as well as a reference to his ex-girl.

On Jungle Rules, French has fans believing that he strategically dove deeper than the surface and as a result, exceeds arguably temperate expectations. In fact, he's more than comfortable with taking a backseat on certain tracks, if it's the price for a highly-curated possible hit ("Jump," "Bring Dem Things," "A Lie"). It's not like we don't know French as a 'features guy' though-- his past albums littered with them, perhaps more so than Jungle Rules. This is not necessarily a detractor, but it does seem to remain fact that he more often than not needs-- or asks-- for the assistance and guidance of notable collaborator friends when it comes to chasing that perfect-sounding hit.

Jungle Rules, still, feels like a step in the right direction for French, who seems to often sit in a limbo of fully-formed star status and just-about-to-break through that mainstream ceiling. Weaving skillfully between summer-tinged R&B and hip-hop, as well as seasoning the tracks with sounds from his Moroccan roots, Jungle Rules sets the precedent for an ever-evolving French Montana. With the album projected to debut at No. 3 and "Unforgettable," well on its way to surpassing 300M streams, French Montana has every reason to be pleased. If the past fifteen-plus years as any indication, French Montana isn't going anywhere but "All the Way Up."

Originally published on HNHH here.

#Repost TheSmokersClub.com: Here’s 5 Things We Learned Attending Chalice Festival 2017

By: KC Orcutt

Chalice Festival made a triumphant return to the San Bernadino County Events Center this past weekend (July 7-9), with attendees of every color, creed, race, religion and marijuana-intake preference finding solace in live performances from some of hip-hop’s most beloved acts, networking with like-minded folks, checking out impeccable functional glass and vendor displays, partaking in delicious food fare, ice-cold drinks and of course, indulging in the plethora of opportunities to take a free dab.

The fourth annual edition of the festival fondly reputed as the “Coachella of Concentrates” did not disappoint, despite the Mojave Desert heat resulting in some attendees requiring medical attention.

Year after year, Chalice, comprised of the who’s who of the budding cannabis industry, showcases the best in marijuana-based products, vendors and artists, with a top-tier music line-up to match. This year’s festivities boasted headliners such as Ice Cube, STS9, Big Boi, Warren G, Curren$y, Thievery Corporation, The Lox, Cam’Ron & Juelz Santana and more. With three days as gloriously packed as that brand new bowl should be, there was no shortage of entertainment, product to take in and people to enjoy the journey with.

In celebration of 710 today, here are five things we learned attending this year’s annual Chalice Festival.

Full article available here.