Author: info@rapgriot.com

On Saturday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, North Carolina native Rapsoy electrified the stage at this year’s Dilla Day LA celebration. Held at Don Quijote in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, the annual tribute brought together hip-hop heads, legendary performers, and devoted fans to honor the life and legacy of the late, great J Dilla. Rapsoy, representing the East Coast with undeniable presence and lyrical precision, delivered a powerful set pulled straight from their catalog. From start to finish, the performance commanded the room, blending raw lyricism with soulful production in a way that paid homage to Dilla’s influence while maintaining Rapsoy’s…

Believe MeSince coming home from prison last year, YFN Lucci is set on leveling up. New music, a nationwide tour and a clearer look at the endless possibilities freedom allows.Words: Peter A. Berry“I just wanted to hear myself again,” YFN Lucci says on a chilly evening in Atlantic Records’ cozy Manhattan office this past November. He’s referring to the moment he got back in the studio for the first time after his prison release over nine months ago. It was a humble enough request for a multiplatinum-selling artist, since behind bars, there are only lonely nights, no recording sessions, and more worries than new…

DJ Michael “5000” Watts was remembered in a massive memorial service that was attended by Slim Thug, Mike Jones and others.On Monday (Feb. 16), the legendary Swisha House co-founder was laid to rest in Houston. The entire city seemingly came out for Watts’ send-off, which featured his body being carried by horse and carriage throughout the city. Hundreds of candy-painted rides filled the producer and label exec’s funeral procession and masses of people lined the streets to watch it go past. Rappers in attendance included Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Lil’ Keke and others.DJ Michael “5000” Watts passed away at the…

Sheff G shares a new rap from behind bars.On Monday (Feb. 16), the incarcerated New York rapper shared a post on Instagram, which shows a recording of a jail call with Sheff. In the call, Sheff is rapping the words to a new song a capella about his time in prison.”This jail time got em forgetting the wins that I led/So many lies out the mouths of backstabbers I fed,” he raps. “They said they’ll be there for me that was just words being said/Same ones went fleeing, disappeared once they siezed me instead/But I’ll be back like Arnold Schwarzenegger/Take…

Cardi B confirms her split from Stefon Diggs while also clapping back at her rap rival Bia during her Little Miss Drama Tour.On Sunday (Feb. 15), during her Los Angeles stop of her Little Miss Drama Tour, Cardi B called out Bia while confirming that her and New England Patriots footballer Stefon Diggs are no longer a couple. While performing her Bia diss track, “Pretty & Petty,” the Grammy-winning rapper addressed the breakup while defending the NFL star.”Let me tell you something, just because I ain’t f**kin’ with my baby daddy doesn’t mean you get to talk about my baby…

A federal judge has permitted some of Lil Durk’s lyrics and screenshots taken from his music videos to be submitted as evidence in the rapper’s upcoming murder-for-hire trial.According to a Complex news report, published on Feb. 14, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled on Friday (Feb. 13) that lyrics from Lil Durk’s songs could be used as evidence in his upcoming trial. The decision followed arguments over the material between prosecutors and Durk’s defense team, led by Drew Findling, during a hearing held on Feb. 9.Durk’s legal team seeks to prevent the Chicago rapper’s creative works—both lyrics and music videos—be entered…

YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s MASA Tour has become the highest-grossing tour by a debut headlining rapper with earnings of $70 million.Touring Data reported the record-setting feat on Feb. 14. NBA YoungBoy’s tour revenue was a total of $70,012,731 and 552,215 tickets were sold across 42 shows.His Philadelphia show at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Oct. 3, 2025, earned $2.373 million, becoming his highest-grossing concert of all time, while his most attended show was at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where he sold 15,343 tickets on Nov. 9, 2025.The MASA Tour marked the 26-year-old rapper’s first performance trek in five years following…

J. Cole brings home another No. 1 album with The Fall-Off topping the Billboard 200.On Sunday (Feb. 15), Billboard reported the North Carolina native’s double-disc effort landed atop the chart, selling 280,000 equivalent albums. 113,000 of that number are pure album sales. J. Cole’s accomplishment marks the largest sales week for a hip-hop album since Playboi Carti’s MUSIC earned a No. 1 with 298,000 last March.Five of Cole’s previously released albums hit No. 1 during a debut week: Cole World: The Sideline Story, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, 4 Your Eyez Only, KOD and The Off-Season. Born Sinner debuted at No. 2 in 2013 behind Ye’s Yeezus, but climbed to No.…

Ghost Face Killah & Cappadonna – By Loe Kee Phlicks On Friday, February 13th, Panic in LA delivered a night that felt less like a concert and more like a moment in hip-hop history. The sold-out crowd packed into 1720 in Downtown Los Angeles for a rare and electrifying performance by Ghostface Killah of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, alongside rising Los Angeles artist Coyote. From start to finish, the energy inside the venue was relentless—proof that real hip-hop not only lives, but thrives. Headlining the night, Ghostface Killah took the stage to thunderous applause, commanding the room with the same…

On ‘DIA Vol.1‘, under Degrand Island Records, Detroit veteran DJ Dremond delivers a masterclass in gritty, sample-based beatmaking that could only come from a student of the game with over two decades in the trenches. This isn’t a flashy, modern production; it’s an analog affair built on warm, live drums, the punch of an MPC, and the deep, sinister hum of a Moog Voyager bass. The album serves as both a personal mission statement and a platform for some of the most respected voices in underground hip-hop, proving that the raw, unfiltered sound of Detroit is alive and well. Dremond’s curation is just as…