Pooh Shiesty isn’t fumbling his second chance. For 1,580 days, the 26-year-old Memphis rapper sat in prison, never really knowing if he’d be a free man again. He went in at 22 years old, the same month he was named a 2021 XXL Freshman. After pleading guilty in 2022, to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of violent and […]
Category Archives: Pop/Hip Hop/R&B
Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out has been one of the year’s biggest albums, not just in hip-hop, but across all genres. It’s year-end list season and Pusha T and Malice’s reunion hovers around the top of just about all of them. Perhaps as a victory lap, today (December 10), they shared a video for […]
Despite speculation that hip-hop may be in decline, several rappers have had remarkable years, with chart-topping singles and critically acclaimed projects. So, who will be crowned the MVP of 2025? XXL is inviting fans to cast their votes! We partnered with VAZA, the leading online monetized opinion market, to present the Most Valuable Rapper bracket. […]
There’s a certain confidence that comes with being early on a cultural icon, and Officially Ice of The Joe Budden Podcast has championed Max B for many years. When Ice curates a list, you respect the authority. You don’t debate it: you salute it. Forget the diss records and internet nostalgia — these are the […]
Erica Banks was arrested for possession of ecstasy with intent to distribute near Atlanta yesterday. On Monday (Dec. 8), the Dallas rapper, born Erica Breaux, was taken into custody following a traffic stop in Brookhaven, about 20 miles outside of Atlanta. Banks was charged with possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance—Ecstasy—with intent […]
The secret’s out: 21 Savage has new music dropping this Friday, What Happened To The Streets? And it’s pretty good (Larry David voice). Trust me. But at this point, why would anyone be surprised? 21 Savage isn’t just an Atlanta rapper anymore. He’s a living, breathing blueprint for survival, consistency and evolution in real time. […]
Diddy‘s mom has released a statement calling out the inaccuracies in 50 Cent’s new Diddy documentary. On Dec. 6, Puff’s mother, Janice Combs, released an exclusive statement to Deadline in response to the new Netflix docuseries, Sean Combs: The Reckoning. “I am writing this statement to correct some of the lies presented in the Netflix, […]
Young Thug isn’t letting the lukewarm reception for his new album UY Scuti stop him from keeping up a steady stream of promotional videos for the project. He released the latest, “Revenge,” today, a little over a month after the last video, “Blaming Jesus.” This one’s simple and straightforward: Thug, and his guest rappers Lil […]
50 Cent jokes that Diddy sent him a bouquet of flowers as a warning in the wake of Fif’s new documentary series about Puff. On Friday (Dec. 5), the G-Unit head honcho shared a post on Instagram. The post shows an arrangement of flowers. The tag reveals the floral gift was sent to the E11Even […]
Although Ice Spice is known primarily for her preference for sample-driven, upbeat drill tracks, her latest single makes her desire to expand her creative palette clear. “Thootie” finds Ice flexing her creative muscles, employing a hyperactive dembow beat and rapping in Spanish for the first time alongside fellow Dominicana Tokischa. Naturally, the video is a […]










