With the Summer Olympics ending Snoop Dogg's epic march to Paris and the arrival of Latto's Iced tea with honey and sugar album, hip-hop continued to make waves.
Billboard No filtering returns with another all-new episode on Thursday (August 15), with co-hosts Carl Lamarre, Damien Scott and Trevor Anderson destroying Snoop stealing the Olympic performance, Latto's new album and a potential feud between Travis Scott and Killer Mike.
Iced tea with honey and sugar arrived last Friday, packed with 17 tracks and a myriad of features from Megan Thee Stallion, Young Nudy, Mariah The Scientist and more. Bulletin boardAssociate Director, Editorial Damien Scott believes this is the strongest album by a female rapper to come out in 2024, dethroning Megan Thee Stallion Megan plan.
“I think it's great,” he said. “Kyle [Denis] in an earlier episode she said she thought when she went to listen to it that it was the strongest female rap album of the year so far. After hearing it, I tend to agree. I think it is possible. It's so cohesive. Everything sounds like it all fits together.
“It's amazing that he was able to work with the Grizz and land on this sound that sounds very Atlanta but also very modern. These songs could be played anywhere in the country.”
Being OVO's owl on set, R&B/hip-hop associate director Carl Lamarre felt Drake's imprint could be heard throughout Iced tea with honey and sugar.
“The reason I like it so much is very codified by Drake,” he stated. “You listen to 'Georgia Peach,' it gave me 'Laugh now, cry later' vibes.” You listen to “Big Mama,” there's a beat switch in the middle and she sings first. A little Drake-esque. After the outro, 'S/O to Me' where he threw some darts at Ice Spice, he gave me more of the introspective Drake lyrical vibe we're used to getting like the 'Middle of the Ocean', '30 for 30' vibes. Annihilate the input and output tracks.”
There was no better hire for NBC than Snoop Dogg, who has been doing side missions left and right as a correspondent for the 2024 Olympics. From swimming with Michael Phelps to watching horse races with his girlfriend Martha Stewart, Snoop has he did everything in Paris.
“We thought he was going to jail for murder and now he's walking with the Olympic torch. [He’s] definitely my favorite rapper alive,” said Scott.
Senior chart and data analyst Trevor Anderson cited LL Cool J as a possible push-back against Snoop as the most beloved rapper, but applauded the Doggfather for what he's accomplished in so many different industries.
“The thing about Snoop is I think they're all authentic. No one ever feels like this crazy game,” he added. “To think that Snoop Dogg comes from one of the main figures of Death Row and is characterized by the mainstream media as the face of gangsta rap and everything you don't want to be. And now your grandma would have him for dinner. They were kicking it and having a good time and she was teaching him how to Crip walk.”
Killer Mike a seemingly disgruntled Travis Scott on him Michael & the Midnight Revival album to win the Best Rap album trophy at the Grammy Awards earlier this year. Although Scott hasn't responded, there's been a quiet back-and-forth on social media and from the rappers' managers.
“Travis Scott is a young pop rapper in the prime of his career,” Scott said of the unlikely foes. “Killer Mike is like 50+ and he's been rapping since I was maybe in high school and I made an album that very few would do what he did. And that's cool for him, so it's weird that they're comparing it to Travis' big comeback album.”
Watch the full episode below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/latto-album-review-snoop-dogg-olympics-travis-scott-killer-mike-billboard-unfiltered-1235753838/
