This week rapper T.I. and his wife, Tameka "Tiny" Harris, were accused of sex trafficking and forcing women to take drugs.

These accusations stemmed from a social media post from Tiny's former friend, Sabrina Paterson. Paterson alleged that T.I. pulled out a gun and put it to her head. Soon after Paterson's claims made their way to the world, multiple stories of T.I. and Tiny drugging and coercing women to engage in sexual acts started to surface.

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Tory Lanez - K LO K (Feat. Fivio Foreign) *Directed & Edited by Tory Lanez*

While Chixtape 5 is still fresh on the charts, Tory Lanez returns with a new single "Broke In a Minute."

The track, seemingly off the recently confirmed New Toronto 3, finds Tory in a similarly ignorant mindset, as displayed on last week's Brooklyn Drill inspired "K LO K." Gone is the R&B crooning of Chixtape, in its stead is a Lanez settling into his new found fame. After two massive joint tour's with Chris Brown and Drake over the summer, and a powerful response to Chixtape 5 Chixtape 5, Tory seems to be merely flexing on us. "Bands in my hand look pretty, hit another band on the Gram, I'm litty," He raps on "Broke In a Minute."

As Lanez gears up for his next chapter, it's clear he's back on his bullsh*t, but his habit of mimicry is starting to grow old, and while his interpretation of Brooklyn Drill is more or less convincing, it still feels rather vanilla when compared to the prowess of Pop Smoke or Fivio Foreign, the latter of which is featured on "K LO K" and overshadows the "Beauty and The Benz" polymath almost immediately. The question of Tory's artistic identity is growing farther out of reach; but simultaneously, his iconic success has been a long time coming, and that deserves celebration.

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‎Broke In A Minute - Single by Tory Lanez

‎Broke In A Minute - Single by Tory Lanezmusic.apple.com


‎Album · 2020 · 1 Song


The holidays aren't for everybody.

Known in the media world as the "Christmas Creep," Christmas advertisements emerge quietly in October and are sometimes in full force by the time Halloween costumes are tucked away. The music industry is no different. "The straight answer is the physical market," RCA Records co-president John Fleckenstein told Billboard. "Christmas albums tend to be multigenerational, and thus, they skew very heavily on the physical side." If big market stores like Target and Walmart want the albums to take off in time for the Holidays, October is the month to stock up.

But thanks to streaming, the demand for Christmas music has exploded even more, breeding some shuddering renditions as a result. It began this year with John Legend and Kelly Clarkson's gauche attempt to revitalize "Baby, It's Cold Outside" for the MeToo era. "It's your body and your choice," Legend sings.

While Christmas music may be well-intentioned, the era of streaming has produced some uncomfortable and unnecessary Christmas music. Here are the strangest holiday albums to emerge so far in 2019.

Rob Halford, Celestial

"And when I look up to the sky and let my soul release," Halford croons passionately over synth and acoustic guitar. "A warm embrace comes gently down and fills this heart with peace." Who knew Christmas could rock so hard! The British "Metal God" released Celestial this October, and its gravitas is abrasive. But maybe that's the point? Maybe some people just wanna break sh*t on Christmas instead of sipping sissy eggnog.

MUSIC

Jacquees Remains Cute and Impossible to Ignore

His sophomore album "King of R&B" is nothing groundbreaking, but it's dripping in charisma

It's impossible to hate Jacquees.

His voice is silky smooth, his smile is genuine, he's candid and calm in interviews, he's cute, he can even dance a little. His creative style is unique enough to stand out among his modern-day contemporaries but is referential enough to the '90s that even listeners above the age of 40 will find ways to connect with him. He seems to be an old soul, immune to the petty drama that plagues the current mainstream music scene.

When The Breakfast Club tried to poke and prod at Jacquees's brief online scrimmage with XXL Freshman YK Osiris earlier this year, Jacquees dismissed it with a shrug: "I don't know who that is." When asked about his love life, he emphatically said that he wants a family and that he remains loyal to his love interest Dreezy. He is confident enough in his craft to name his album the King of R&B but humble enough to immediately acknowledge this self-proclaimed title by no means makes him "The Best." "Every day, a star is born," he sings on the T.I.-assisted opener, "and if we talkin' kings, there's more than one."

Jacquees - Fact Or Fictionwww.youtube.com

As a result, the 25-year-old's sophomore effort should be viewed more like a mission statement. It trades the sprinkles of creative risk seen in 4275 for a more refined, commercial sound, with songs like "New, New" and "What They Gone Do With Me" existing solely for radio takeover. Moments of mass appeal like this have already begun to draw criticism. "The album's production is synthetic to the point of being shallow," writes EXCLAIM! "Jacquees tries hard to emulate his heroes, instead of letting himself be inspired by them."

The criticism is fair, but in the world of commercial R&B, Jacquees is still circling the A-team, with Tory Lanez and Chris Brown—both frequent collaborators and close friends—touring together this summer and having their biggest year to date. King of R&B, with features from heavy-hitters like Quavo, Summer Walker, Lil Baby, Young Thug, and Gunna, reaffirms Jacquees's well-deserved seat at the table. The tracks are earworms in the best way, and you can't hate on the guy's vivacity. The album is an easy listen, but with tracks like "Fact or Fiction" and "Warning," we also see a more refined Jacquees that should quiet the critics who will inevitably call him a sell-out. King of R&B or not, Jacquees's charisma remains infectious.