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Those even casually familiar with hip-hop have already long-known Cash Cobain as one of the most-promising, fastest-rising rapper-producers in the game. A week since Justin Bieber’s Swag released, the rest of the music world may be getting to know that too.

Cobain delivered one of the best features on Bieber’s latest album, released on July 11, the highest-profile moment in the rapper’s career so far, with Cobain taking the opening verse on Swag’s title track.

As Cobain, a member of Xxl’s 2024 Freshman class, tells The Hollywood Reporter, that collaboration started earlier this year after he saw Bieber posted his song “Trippin on a Yacht” online. He Dm’d Bieber after, writing that “we had to make some fire together.”

“We were chopping it up since then, and then one day, he was in New York and he was like, ‘Yo, pull up on me,’” Cobain says.

Freedom sounds good on Justin Bieber’s Swag. On Friday, the pop king marked his return with his new album, and a source close to the musician tells Rolling Stone it’s “the purest form” of Bieber we’ve ever seen, especially after “breaking away” from longtime manager Scooter Braun.

“Breaking away from Scooter Braun and his team has been something that Justin has wanted for so long, and now that he’s fully free, he could finally share this album with his fans and with the world,” says the source.

Just in case it’s not clocking to you, Justin Bieber is so standing on business right now. The pop superstar is back with his excellent new surprise album Swag, a comeback he announced only hours before it dropped. It’s been four years since we’ve gotten new music from Bieber, and he’s got a lot to say, since he’s been through it in recent years. It’s got slick R&b, raw voice-memo rock-guitar sketches, experimental collabos with Mk.gee and Dijon. He throws down with Cash Cobain,...

Justin Bieber is still a wife guy on his new album Swag. The singer announced the surprise album less than 12 hours before its release, with billboards and a flurry of Instagram posts signaling its arrival.

With how fraught the past few years of Bieber’s life and career have been, many were curious about what the sound and themes of his new album would be. Since 2021’s Justice, Bieber’s been relatively quiet on the career front. He canceled most of his Justice tour dates, needing to prioritize his physical...

What Are Netizens Saying About Justin Bieber’s Swag? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

On July 11, 2025, Justin Bieber released his seventh studio album, Swag, surprising everyone. The pop star released the 21-song album via Def Jam and is now available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music. The album features guest artists like Gunna, Sexy Red, Lil B, Benjamin, and more, and it has songs with titles like All I Can Take, Standing On Business, and others.

The news of the surprise release sent Beliebers (Justin Bieber’s fans) into a frenzy. The fans took X (previously known as Twitter) by storm and shared their opinions about the much-awaited album, his first album since 2021’s Justice. Sources have confirmed that the singer had been holding jam sessions at his Los Angeles house with DJ Tay James, musical director Harv, Sza collaborator Carter Lang, and Australian artist Eddie Benjamin before the release of Swag.

And just like that, Justin Bieber dropped his seventh studio album, Swag.

The new album album, released via Def Jam, was announced just yesterday (July 10th) via billboards posted in various cities around the world, including Los Angeles, New York City and Reykjavik, Iceland. Bieber shared a host of videos and photos on his Instagram account, including some that revealed the album’s 21-song tracklist.

Swag is the first new Bieber album since his 2021 full-length, Justice. Guest contributors include Lil B, Dijon, Gunna, mk.gee, Daniel Caesar, Sexxy Redd, Druski, and Cash Cobain.

The album arrives during a tough year for the pop star; just last month, he took to Instagram to report feeling “broken,” writing, “Don’t you think if I could have fixed myself I would have already?”

That admission followed a Bieber representative issuing a statement denying that the pop star was ever a victim of Sean “Diddy” Combs,...

Does Timothée Chalamet credit rapper Lil B for his fame? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Timothée Chalamet recently reflected on the pivotal moment in his life that played a role in shaping his career.

As he celebrated his 29th birthday, the actor shared a touching story about the rapper who inspired him during the early days of his journey to stardom.

Timothee Chalamet Opened Up on the Rapper Who Left a Deep Impact in His Life

For Timothée, it was Lil B, aka BasedGod, the elusive and unpredictable artist known as BasedGod, who left a lasting impact.

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In a candid interview with Rolling Stone, Timothée opened up about how Lil B’s unconventional approach to music and life influenced him deeply.

The actor said,...

Is Lil B the reason Timothée Chalamet is so successful? The Complete Unknown star sure thinks so. In an interview with Narduwar, the actor (and hip-hop fan) shared that he credits his success to an onstage moment with Lil B when he was still in college.

“Lil B is a hugely formative artist in my life and career. He dropped an album called I’m Gay and the rollout was very ambiguous about his sexuality or the meaning of the album. I was just inspired from the sense that, ‘Wow...

Timothée Chalamet is coming off a critically acclaimed portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, but he once rapped as Timmy Tim during a high school talent show performance. Chalamet brought that same chaotic energy to a new Nardwuar interview, showing off his deep preparation for playing Dylan and expressing his appreciation for hip-hop.

Filmed at Record Surplus in Santa Monica, California, the interview began with our Film Performer of the Year rolling on the floor to meet Nardwuar. He then read a Minnesota proclamation in its entirety while channeling the Micro Machines guy.

With the tone set, Nardwuar gifted Chalamet with a record by the rapper and actor formerly known as Common Sense, whom he praised as an inspiration to idols like Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco.

After a brief detour into an early role in Law & Order, Nardwuar skillfully connected Chalamet’s Times Square viewing of The Dark Knight...

Timothée Chalamet is coming off a critically acclaimed portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, but he once rapped as Timmy Tim during a high school talent show performance. Chalamet brought that same chaotic energy to a new Nardwuar interview, showing off his deep preparation for playing Dylan and expressing his appreciation for hip-hop.

Filmed at Record Surplus in Santa Monica, California, the interview began with our Film Performer of the Year rolling on the floor to meet Nardwuar. He then read a Minnesota proclamation in its entirety while channeling the Micro Machines guy.

With the tone set, Nardwuar gifted Chalamet with a record by the rapper and actor formerly known as Common Sense, whom he praised as an inspiration to idols like Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco.

After a brief detour into an early role in Law & Order, Nardwuar skillfully connected Chalamet’s Times Square viewing of The Dark Knight...

Warning: Spoilers for Fast X

Fast X, the penultimate installment of the beloved Fast Saga, has ignited a heated debate among fans over the fate of one of its most intriguing characters: Jakob Toretto (John Cena). Jakob Toretto had spent much of his life estranged from his sister, Mia, and brother, Dom. However, he reconciled with his family at the end of F9, so it was good to see him still in the thick of the Toretto clan in Fast X. Jakob plays a crucial role in the narrative of Fast X. However, the circumstances surrounding his alleged demise have left viewers questioning whether he truly met his end.

In Fast X, Jakob Toretto is skillfully depicted as a formidable force, serving as a catalyst for a gripping scene in Fast X. His newfound alliance with Dom and Mia brings a sense of intrigue and emotional depth to the narrative,...

Kassa Overall’s music is a modern, often jarring synthesis of hip-hop and jazz. Overall is adept as both a rapper and jazz drummer, and the Seattle-based musician’s third album, Animals, features a bevy of underground hip-hop legends and jazz musicians (including pianist Vijay Iyer and trumpet player Theo Croker).

While Overall looked back on his past struggles with mental health on 2020’s I Think I’m Good, including a hospitalization during college, Animals is filled with unease about the objectification that comes with success in the music industry. “Ready to Ball,” for one, addresses the lure of materialism, as Overall’s malleable voice is sped up and slowed down, suggesting an alternate persona: “If he got more than me, I might have to make him bleed.”

The song structures on Animals are often chaotic. “Still Ain’t Find Me” mixes Latin rhythms and free jazz, as saxophones squeal over congas,...

Trippie Redd is one of the brightest lights of the first wave of SoundCloud rap, the scene of boundary-pushing, genre-flouting teenagers who were on the cutting edge of music in the mid-2010s. From his debut mixtape, A Love Letter to You, he earned a reputation as an artistic maverick, equally curious exploring “Love Scars” as the cloudy trap of “Romeo & Juliet,” or even traditionalist rap on “Can You Rap Like Me?“

For the past seven years, he’s offered different parts of himself. 2020’s Pegasus was a jaunt through moody R&b,...

Lil B left the Rolling Loud Festival with a few battle scars after allegedly getting jumped ... also minus thousands of dollars in equipment and cash after his bag was stolen. Based God had been backstage before his Saturday evening set at the Mountain View, CA fest when he says rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie and his posse jumped him.  Lil B claims during the fight, someone -- not A Boogie -- skedaddled with his bag which had laptops,...

Rapper and social media icon Lil B was suspended from Facebook for 30 days for violating the social network’s hate speech policies. Vice’s Motherboard confirmed with Facebook that Lil B was banned as a result of writing two separate posts following the shooting in Las Vegas in which he criticized “white people” for their love of guns. The posts were deleted from Facebook, prompting Lil B to share with Motherboard the two posts that got him banned. “White people are the only ones who love guns U can tell they are violent people! I don’t live in fear,...

It’s been a while since Twitter genius, Chance The Rapper associate, and amateur arachnologist Lil B produced any new music, but maybe he just hadn’t encountered a cause important enough to get him back into the studio. Today, the rapper—known as “TheBasedGod” to his online followers—was apparently inspired by the…

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[[tmz:video id="0_7dl77mrh"]] Kevin Durant's giant tattoo shout-out to Rick James isn't sitting well ... with Rick James' son. We got rapper/singer Taz James outside the Mondrian Hotel, and while he respects Kd's homage ... Taz points out Kd never made a call. As he put it, "You gotta get permission big boy!" Seems like he's mostly joking, but the not-so-funny part is Taz keeps referring to his friend, "Brandon" ... aka Lil B... and his curse. Watch...

[[tmz:video id="0_rmw0otr7"]] Don't pity the loser ... especially when the loser's made more than $100 Million ... so says Riff Raff. The rapper (and NBA superfan) was out in NYC when we asked if he feels bad for Kevin Durant after the Okc Thunder failed to close out the Warriors, despite big leads in games 6 and 7. Long story short ... Riff says Durant's still his homie -- but it's hard to feel bad for a guy who's still Rich. Also, Riff...

This is gonna get interesting ... Texas Rap legend Bun B is turning the tables on Lil B ... saying his "Based God Curse" can't hurt the Houston Rockets ... cause Lb is as guilty of dance jacking as James Harden. Lil B recently took credit for Houston coach Kevin McHale losing his job ... saying as long as the franchise enables James Harden to steal his "Cooking Dance" ... they'll remain cursed. TMZ Sports spoke with Bun B ... and...

More bad news for James Harden ... he's back in the crosshairs of one of the most terrifying forces in the universe ... the feared "Lil B curse" ... and this time, it's even worse than before!! You might remember ...  Lil B hit Harden with his dreaded curse last season after accusing James of stealing his signature cooking dance and not crediting him for it. So, you can imagine how Pissed the Based God was today when he...

Stephen Colbert and his audience felt the Bern on Friday night's Late Show as the host dedicated much of the episode to Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who is steadily closing in on Hillary Clinton's once-impenetrable lead in the Democratic presidential field. Before Sanders sat down for their interview, Colbert first served up a "Bern Notice" summarizing the candidate's "meteoric rise." "He's rising, you know, like meteors do," Colbert quipped.

"Sanders' popularity is surprising because he's a self-described socialist who would also be our oldest president ever. The man is 74 years old,...

Lil B turned another year older Monday, but instead of celebrating his birth in any apparent decadent or lavish manner, the rapper renowned for positive vibes took to MSNBC to discuss politics. Speaking with Michael Eric Dyson, Lil B used his airtime to further explain why he's supporting Bernie Sanders for president, why Black Lives Matter is an important movement, and how well those first two forces are meshing at the moment. The BasedGod (or should we start calling him the BasedGov?) also steered the conversation toward the environment, prison reform, and gay and transsexual rights — another step in the right direction for the rapper, who recently made a transphobic joke on social media. As always, Lil B's core message revolved around spreading love and empathy to all:The social push, which included several retweets and nearly 40 Instagrams, for the appearance was incredible. Lil B even turned some of the...

Rapper and hex extraordinaire Lil B used to be a big proponent of Hillary Clinton, but apparently she's passé now. It's all about Bernie Sanders. Why? Well, that's what happens when you don't follow Lil B back on Twitter. Bad idea. Truthfully, that's only part of it (but definitely a part of it). Lil B also evidently did some research and discovered that he likes Sanders's early work (civil-rights activism) more than Clinton's (Republican "stuff"). The artist, occasionally known as the BasedGod for his limitless wisdom and grace, talked with CNN (hello, youth vote?) about the switch, as well as a handful of other pertinent, potentially vote-determining issues.Here are some of the best thoughts he shared with CNN about: 1. Sanders vs. Clinton Once the people started telling me about Bernie Sanders and comparing what he was doing back in his younger days and what she was doing, it made...

Awful Records

Hip-hop has never been stronger. From mainstream stars like Drake, Kanye West and Nicki Minaj, to lords of the underground like Lil B, Gucci Mane and Chance The Rapper, the genre has a multitude of talented and interesting figures taking its sound in many disparate directions at once. Mixtape culture has continued to grow in the wake of MySpace’s demise, with sites such as DatPiff, AudioMack and SoundCloud offering incredibly user-friendly spaces for artists to upload their beats and verses, and Twitter providing the perfect platform to promote them to eager would-be fans.

This list sheds some well deserved light on a few of the most gifted newcomers in hip-hop. It covers a lot of ground, drawing on the trippy sounds of Atlanta, the avant-garde approach of New York, the streetwise Chicago style and the game-changing surreal humour of the Odd Future crew.

Many of these rappers...

Out of the blue last month, Chance the Rapper quietly announced that he'd made an album with Lil B. Immediately, fans reacted with a mixed bag of skepticism and hype. Well, they weren't lying: Free Based Freestyles is real, and today the two rap eccentrics released the six-song mixtape on SoundCloud for your listening pleasure. And it's a true impromptu project, with both rappers (and frequent Chance collaborator Noname Gypsy) trading "off the top" bars over a few instrumentals played by members of Chance's band, the Social Experiment. If you're desperate for something to rescue you from those midday, mid-week doldrums, here's your quick fix courtesy of #TheBasedGod and his new Bff — each at the top of their game. Fair warning: "Amen" might accidentally make you doze off — it's a soothing lullaby, much like Chance's take on the Arthur theme song, and the tape's best track. But play "We...

Lil B admitted to be “transphobic” and asked for help after tweeting a joke about being transgender. Lil B Apologizes After “Transphobic” Tweet On Monday, July 27, Lil B tweeted what he apparently thought was a harmless joke: “I might start saying I’m trans and I’m a woman so I can be in the girls […]

The post Lil B Says He’s “Transphobic” And “Needs Help” After Rapper Tweets Offensive Joke appeared first on uInterview.

Seemingly out of the blue, Lil B, sometimes also known as the BasedGod, tweeted an inappropriate sexual joke Monday night that he quickly regretted. "I might start saying I'm trans and I'm a woman so I can be in the girls Locker room with the ladies !!!!!! No homo I'm still growin," he tweeted. After receiving what he called considerable backlash, the rapper said he was sorry and admitted he was transphobic, retweeting and exchanging words with many of his roughly 1 million followers (and also getting excited that former Jackass member Chris Pontius followed him). What ultimately ensued was a veritable monologue about wanting to be comfortable with himself as well as more accepting of his fellow humans.Here are his tweets: As some on Twitter pointed out, this is not the first time (in fairly recent memory) that Lil B has tweeted something and immediately issued some sort of...

Cooking extraordinaire Lil B, a.k.a. the BasedGod, made an extremely rare appearance on Espn's SportsNation today to let everyone know which professional athletes are still under his debilitating curse. (The rapper has made it a habit to hex any who disrespect him or steal his creative genius, specifically his cooking dance for celebration purposes.) Playing "Cursed or Not Cursed," the professional sorcerer used scary music, light effects, earrings, an all-seeing hat, a very choice white top, and his wisdom to reveal the fates of the NBA's Kevin Durant, James Harden, Marreese Speights, and LeBron James. Here's where everybody stands:As Lil B explains, his cursees often have character flaws or leadership shortcomings. But the BasedGod is a merciful god. And a generous one too. Before the broadcast, he blessed this desk: And unveiled this art in the name of positivity (and explained how the cursing-slash-BasedGod thing works): As he told SportsNation,...

Finally, there's a celebrity who says he knows the NBA Anti-curse ... that would finally get Lil B to stop cursing pro athletes like Kyrie Irving, LeBron and James Harden! The man with the answer is Blake Anderson from "Workaholics" -- who hails from Northern California, happens to be a huge fan of rapper Lil B ... and knows all about the Based God curse.  So, what's the secret to getting Lil B to stop cursing people...

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden says there's no way he Stole his famous cooking dance celebration from rapper Lil B ... 'cause he has No Idea who Lil B is.  Harden was back home in L.A. Tuesday night -- hangin' at 1 Oak nightclub with fellow NBA star Ty Lawson -- when we asked him about the "Based God Curse" that seemed to lead to the Rockets demise.  Fyi -- Lil B says He created the...

The flick of the wrist is one of the biggest memes of 2015, but it's got a murky provenance. Where did it come from, exactly? Definition-wise, here's what Urban Dictionary has to say: Flick of da wrist verb The primary action in the grueling task of cooking cocaine into crack. The dope must be whipped hard and swiftly in the pot to ensure a quality product. This process typically takes place inside the bando. Here’s how we're supposed to use the phrase in a sentence: Look at da flick of da wrist while I'm scraping the sides of the pot. *Skrrrrrrrrrt* Good thing I have plenty of baking soda! Yes, the flick of the wrist meme that your 9-year-old cousin is obsessed with on Vine right now is actually about cooking crack in an abandoned house. However, the origin story may also involve Lil B, the rapping seraphim and social-media...

Lil B is Doubling Down on his threat to curse LeBron James ... claiming the King is in "big, big trouble" for stealing B's famous dance move.  Lil B appeared on "TMZ Hollywood Sports" today (from an undisclosed location) and told us he appreciates Iman Shumpert's olive branch ... but the Cavs aren't off the hook yet.  As we previously reported, B's upset the team used his famous "cookin' dance" in a post-game celebration last night...

11:36 Am Pt -- Iman Shumpert may have just Blocked the curse!!!! After seeing B's threat, Shumpert tweeted at the rapper in an attempt to smooth things over ... writing, "@Lilbthebasedgod Preciate the swag killa. I cooks I chef. all love." Lil B saw the tweet and wrote back ... "@I_Am_Iman appreciate it brother I got you enough said Go Cavs - Lil B" Solid move. Lebron James Has Just Been Threatened With The Based God Curse!

As if being down 3 games to zero wasn't hard enough -- Houston Rockets star James Harden now has to contend with the so-called "Based God curse" ... which is now officially on him, according to Lil B. The rapper tells TMZ Sports he put the hex on Harden when he failed to apologize or give proper credit to Lil B for his "cooking it up" dance. B says, "He's cursed for the rest of the playoffs...

The Atlanta Hawks' best defense against LeBron James during home games might be their badass organist who keeps the fans turnt up, and has 2 Chainz and Ludacris hanging on every note.  Sir Foster's become a breakout star during the Hawks' playoff run by busting out renditions of songs by Chris Brown, Outkast, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi ... pretty much every genre of popular music. He tells TMZ Sports it's all thanks to Craigslist. Foster says he...

Common sense would tell you a rapper doesn't have the power to "curse" NBA players, but just in case ... the Golden State Warriors aren't taking any chances. The Dubs tweeted rapper Lil B Friday afternoon in an effort to get on his good side, and to thank him for allegedly waging voodoo against Houston Rockets guard James Harden. They wrote, "#Thankyoubasedgod @Lilbthebasedgod." B hasn't officially cursed Harden yet -- that will come before Game 3 if...

The biggest obstacle standing between James Harden and an NBA championship is not Steph Curry ... it's Lil B, who is threatening to put a curse on The Beard ... unless he cops to his demands. Lil B is pissed because he thinks Harden keeps jacking his "cooking dance" when he celebrates draining a big shot. Harden has been doing it all season, but Lil B says he's watching the Western Conference Finals -- and if Harden...

Rapper Lil B is furious $10,000 went missing from his hotel room -- and he's pointing the finger at the hotel staff ... after management gave him the boot for hotboxing the place. Lil B tells TMZ he was staying at the Oakland Airport's Red Lion on Tuesday when the hotel kicked him out because guests were complaining about marijuana smoke coming out of his room. The rapper claims hotel management told him security had entered his...

Kevin Durant actually has bigger problems than being out indefinitely from the NBA ... 'cause rapper Lil B says it's his "BasedGod" curse that's dogging Durant ... and it won't be lifted until Kevin sees him on the court. The beef between the two started back in 2011 when Lil B says Durant took an unprovoked shot at his rapping skills in a tweet. Lil B then fired back with a tweet of his own ... hitting Durant with...

In case Basedmoji weren't enough for you, Lil B made some more — this batch just sends a different message. Fader reports that Lil B teamed up with vegan company Follow Your Heart to make emoji that would spread "positivity, sustainability, and a healthy, plant-based lifestyle." Dubbed vegEMOJI, the app lets you share emoji and locate stores in your neighborhood that sell fresh, Fyh products (like Vegenaise). "Lil B stands for love, positivity, and being true to yourself, and he also stands behind our principles of quality, compassion, and sustainability," said Matt Dunaj, Fyh's director of accounting. If you're vegan, this might be your dream come true; if not, you're probably counting down the days till Lil B collaborates with Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

Four years in the making,"The World Is Yours" is an upcoming feature documentary exploring the fertile relations between hip-hop and the internet.  Featuring artists like Wiz Khalifa, Lil B, Odd Future, Chuck D, Talib Kweli, QD3, Action Bronson, and others, the project is now in post production and seeking $15,000 in finishing funds on Kickstarter.  The production team includes La Stereo TV founder Marguerite de Bourgoing, USC professor Taj Frazier and music editor Rebecca Haithcoat. See the trailer below, and if you'd like to give to the cause, visit their Kickstarter here or click the widget at bottom. ...

Rapper Lil B is coming out as a straight, gay man, and it's costing him many of his hard-earned fans. Not that it bothers him.

The rising hip-hop Mc and former member of The Pack announced earlier in April that he planned to name his upcoming album "I'm Gay," despite not being a homosexual. For him, it's a re-appropriation of the word, as well as a statement in support of the gay community.

"I'm very gay, but I love women. I'm not attracted to men in any way. I've never been attracted to a man in my life. But yes I am gay, I'm so happy. I'm a gay, heterosexual male," he told MTV. "I got major love for the gay and lesbian community, and I just want to push less separation and that's why I'm doing it."

Even so, the album title has spawned a nasty backlash against him,...