šŸ¼ 21 Savage Joins The Club

Album covers featuring baby pictures have a tendency to become classic projects, and 21 Savage plans to continue that trend, joining some of the greats. Also, Jay-Z and D’Angelo are linking up for a 10 minute track on the new "The Book of Clarence" soundtrack. Lastly, I’ll share some songs I’ve been bumping since we last spoke šŸ‘€ (2 min read)

Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Rolling Stone

21 Savage Album

Album covers featuring baby pictures have become iconic in the world of hip-hop, often symbolizing a personal and introspective journey that resonates with listeners. Nas’ Illmatic with its now-famous baby photo of the rapper, set the trend, capturing the essence of his youth in the Queensbridge projects. The same can be said for The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die, where the baby picture on the cover encapsulates the vulnerability and rawness of his storytelling. These covers serve as visual storytelling, offering a glimpse into the artist’s formative years, inviting fans to connect on a deeper level šŸ¤

Lil Wayne's The Carter III, Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d. city, and Drake's Nothing Was The Same continued this trend, each using baby pictures to convey a sense of nostalgia and self-reflection. Benny the Butcher's Tana Talk 3 followed suit, using a childhood photo that hinted at the gritty narrative within the album šŸ¼

Now, as 21 Savage reveals details about his upcoming album, American Dream, featuring a baby picture on the cover, there's a sense of anticipation and excitement among fans. 21 has also not only revealed his own baby picture for this rollout, but he’s also included the baby pictures of the featured artists on this project too šŸ¼

Given the track record of iconic albums with similar covers, there's a prevailing expectation that American Dream could join the ranks of hip-hop classics. The use of baby pictures seems to tap into a universal theme of growth, struggle, and authenticity, creating a visual narrative that transcends the music itself šŸŽ§

Jay-Z x D’Angelo!?

Jeymes Samuel, the director of The Book of Clarence, just announced that D’Angelo and Jay-Z have a 9 minute collaboration that will be part of the movie’s soundtrack šŸ‘‡

This is an absolutely ICONIC pairing and I’m so excited for this song. D’Angelo’s last release, Unshaken, was in 2019 and part of the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack šŸ‘€

New Music

It’s been a while so hopefully you need some new music. Here’s five tracks that you need to add to your rotation ASAP šŸ’æ

Playlist here as always, enjoy your week fam šŸ’œ

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