hip-hop samples

The Samples Nobody Can Identify: Hip-Hop’s Greatest Musical Mysteries

Raptology Documentary Thousands of rap samples have been tracked down by fans, DJs, record collectors and online databases. But decades after hip-hop turned digging into an art form, some sounds still refuse to reveal where they came from. By Stephano Meola | Raptology Documentary | Updated June 8, 2026 Submit Your Music To Raptology Independent artists can submit music, videos and press materials for editorial consideration. Submit Your Music Read More Documentaries Hip-hop was built by people who heard possibility inside other people’s records. A drum break became a new…

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Kodak Black

Kodak Black Announces New Album ‘Kodak The Blessing’

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (Raptology) — Kodak Black is preparing to return with new music this week after officially announcing his upcoming album, Kodak The Blessing. The Florida rapper revealed the project on social media over the weekend, confirming that the album is scheduled for release on June 12. Alongside the announcement, Kodak shared artwork and a list of featured artists, generating immediate excitement among fans across social media platforms. According to information released by Kodak and several music outlets, Kodak The Blessing will feature appearances from Fridayy, Rylo Rodriguez, 1900Rugrat,…

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Snoop Dogg Tupac

Snoop Dogg Reveals Tupac Will Appear in Upcoming Video Game

LOS ANGELES (Raptology) — More than 30 years after his death, Tupac Shakur is set to return to the spotlight in an unexpected way. During a surprise appearance at Summer Game Fest 2026, Snoop Dogg announced that the late rap icon will appear in Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's upcoming action-adventure game, Stranger Than Heaven. The reveal immediately became one of the event's most talked-about moments, sparking discussion across both gaming and hip-hop communities. "The Tupac estate and my son and myself worked very closely together," Snoop told attendees…

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Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter VI’ Has Arrived: Full Tracklist, Features, First Reactions & What It Means For Hip-Hop

Lil Wayne returned with Tha Carter VI on June 6, 2025, extending one of hip-hop’s most famous album series. Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI has officially arrived, bringing one of rap’s most important album franchises back into the center of the conversation with a 19-song release stacked with unexpected features, legacy pressure, and immediate fan debate. The album dropped on June 6, 2025 through Young Money and Republic Records, marking the sixth installment in Wayne’s legendary Carter series and his first solo studio album since Funeral in 2020. It also…

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ye

Dutch Court Allows Ye Concerts In The Netherlands Despite Calls To Block Shows

A Dutch court has cleared the way for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to perform two scheduled concerts in the Netherlands after rejecting an emergency appeal seeking to block the shows. An Amsterdam judge ruled Wednesday that there were no grounds to stop Ye from performing, finding that his planned appearances did not present a concrete threat to public order. The decision allows the rapper’s June 6 and June 8 concerts at GelreDome in Arnhem to move forward. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, pictured in 2009. Image via…

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Ken Carson

Ken Carson headlines Rolling Loud Orlando after NBA YoungBoy exits lineup

The birthplace of hip-hop is preparing to bring the culture into the classroom in a major way. The Bronx School of Hip-Hop is set to open this fall as one of several new public schools launching in New York City for the 2026-2027 school year. The new high school will open in Claremont and welcome its first ninth-grade class in September. Reports say the school will use hip-hop as a foundation for learning while also offering traditional academics, audio production, digital media, financial literacy and other career-connected subjects. The move…

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Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar’s Awards Momentum Keeps Him at Center of Rap News Cycle

LOS ANGELES - Kendrick Lamar remains one of the defining forces in rap news after his Grammy success for GNX, a run that strengthened both his awards legacy and his standing as one of the genre’s most consistently authoritative mainstream voices. Lamar’s recent stretch has carried weight beyond trophies. Awards matter in hip-hop partly because they reinforce cultural positioning, and Lamar’s latest recognition has done exactly that. The Compton rapper has long occupied a rare place in modern rap, where commercial visibility, critical respect and cross-generational legitimacy all exist at…

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Lil_Loaded

Lil Loaded: Dallas Pain, Viral Fame, and the Tragedy Behind the Rise

Lil Loaded: Dallas Pain, Viral Fame, and the Tragedy Behind the Rise | Raptology Documentary Some rap stories feel like they barely had time to begin before they were over. Lil Loaded’s is one of the most heartbreaking examples of that reality. In just a short span, the Dallas rapper went from local buzz to national visibility, turning one viral record into the beginning of what looked like a major career. But behind the rapid rise was pressure — personal, legal, and emotional — that never seemed far away. His…

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Cardi B

Cardi B is once again proving why she remains one of the biggest names in mainstream rap

The Bronx superstar is currently generating major headlines as anticipation builds around her 2026 arena run, the Little Miss Drama Tour, which is set to continue across major North American markets this season. The tour follows the strong performance of her latest project and further solidifies her position as one of the most commercially dominant artists in hip-hop. Industry analysts note that Cardi’s ability to balance chart success, social media dominance, and live-event demand keeps her among the most visible rappers in the mainstream conversation. Her recent releases have continued…

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Dangerous Rob

Stardom 101 Magazine x Dangerous Rob Light Up Tulsa with Tribute Billboard at Legendary Corner

Tulsa, Okla – August 14, 2025 – North Tulsa just got a new landmark. Stardom 101 Magazine has teamed up with Oklahoma hip hop veteran Dangerous Rob to drop a massive billboard at the corner of Apache and Cincinnati (MLK) — the exact spot where Rob’s grind began 25 years ago. This isn’t just a billboard — it’s a time capsule. Back in the day, Rob was out there in the blazing 100-degree heat, slinging his CDs and cassettes to anyone who’d listen, determined to get his name ringing in…

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streamers

How Much Streamers Earn on Crash Games: Real Numbers

The streamer sits staring at the screen, eager to push the button at the right moment, but not a moment sooner. The multiplier climbs—2x, 5x, 20x—and he cashes out just before the bomb goes off. The chat goes wild, donations splutter out in a heavy stream, and behind the scenes, money moves faster than the game can keep track of. This is not spectacle; rather, it is business. While crash games may provide an adrenaline rush to some, others are coming to terms with the reality that there is a…

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Muddy Waters Too - Redman

Redman Unleashes 32-Track Magnum Opus “Muddy Waters Too”

Hip-hop legend Redman has gifted fans a monumental Christmas Eve release with Muddy Waters Too, a sprawling 32-track album that not only pays homage to his iconic 1996 Muddy Waters but pushes the boundaries of the genre with an all-star lineup and powerhouse production. Dropped on December 24, 2024, the album showcases the lyrical prowess and creative ingenuity that have defined Redman’s decades-long career. A Star-Studded Affair Redman enlists a jaw-dropping array of collaborators on this project, bridging generational and stylistic divides. The guest list reads like a hip-hop hall…

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Tea Sea took us down ‘The River’ with his dynamite cadence in his latest trap anthem

In the same vein as Juice WRLD, XXXTENTACION and Lil Uzi Vert, the trailblazing Virginia Beach trap artist and indie record label owner Tea Sea delivered a galvanising flow in his latest single, The River, created in collaboration with placerbeatz and marni boy. After officially releasing on October 14th, The River has already racked up over 100,000 streams on SoundCloud alone, taking Tea Sea over the 1 million streaming mark he has been aiming for since his debut LP, Take Ten, in 2020. The dark, stormy and dystopic beats obliterate…

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rappers gambling

5 Iconic Rappers Who Enjoy Gaming

The world of rap and gambling share several common traits, such as the attraction to risk and the love for challenges. For many rappers, gaming becomes a way to break away from the music routine and experience moments of adrenaline. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the biggest names in the rap scene have shown an interest in gaming, whether it’s poker, sports betting, or casinos. Here are five artists who, beyond music, have made gambling one of their passions. Drake Drake’s affinity for gaming isn’t limited to Las…

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Prolific Cashies returns with EDM banger ‘My Money’

Montgomery, Alabama’s Cashies is bringing feel good grooves to EDM hip hop with his latest release ‘My Money’. Following his deeply eclectic discography, comprising 500 releases, he has stuck to his sunny side up outlook on life, with an unwavering positivity that shines throughout the 3 minute track. Although following some hip hop tropes, such as a focus on ‘grindset’, Cashies’ niche is his ability to blend different performance styles in a way that sounds complete and guided. ‘My Money’ shows this perfectly, with a coherent blend of RnB, EDM,…

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Switzerland’s EM$o lays all on the table in raw new single ‘The $urvivor’

EM$o has released the next single ‘The $urvivor’ from his July 2022 LP ‘Differences’. Focusing around his escape from his tough experiences in Bien, Switzerland, ‘The $urvivor’ is a track which is straight from the heart and born from pure emotion. The lyrics focus around introspective growth, as EM$o fought to escape the trap life which is so often glamourised in the genre. Gibbo’s understated production blends perfectly with the tone of the lyrics, ensuring a gloomy yet optimistic character to the song. By allowing EM$o’s flow to take centre…

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PAGE OF THE DIARY COVER ART MIKE37

MIKE37 morphed pain into power in his soul-driven summer hip-hop anthem, PAGE OF THE DIARY 

For his latest single, the Italian beatmaker, dream chaser and soul singer, MIKE37, penned his most reflectively affecting release to date. PAGE OF THE DIARY is the ultimate attestation to how it’s always darkest before the dawn, and how the young prodigy is living up to his revered status as an unrivalled and relatable narrator. The duality of melancholia and euphoria underpins the nostalgia-tinged hip-hop beats as MIKE37 vividly embodies each end of the emotional spectrum with his soul-bolstered harmonies which intersect his bars over the sun-bleached melodies and progressive…

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Tago – D.A.M.N: An Eternally En Vogue Hip-Hop Anthem of Resilience and Enlightenment

You haven’t experienced genuine euphoric energy until you’ve tuned into the latest track, "D.A.M.N", by the Texan multi-platinum producer and hip-hop originator, Tago. Tago’s illustrious stripes as a vibe innovator and a genre-fusionist energiser are on full display in the track which threw waves and hypes to the wayside to deliver a trend-transcending hit that can stand the test of time and maintain its infectious appeal. It’s old-school hip-hop with a twist of tomorrow and a potent shot of Tago’s authenticity and determination to inspire his audience to live autonomously…

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Scintillating, sultry, and seductive: OTH€LLO brings the heat with Miss Mayotte

There are artists who tell a story and those who tell it from their heart. Montreal to Bay Area crooner OTH€LLO undoubtedly defines the latter, as showcased through his raw new album, Miss Mayotte. This sultry record blends classic R&B with a hip-hop flow, touching on elements of funk and neo-pop for the soul. Risque, romantic, and ultimately rewarding, Miss Mayotte is sure to be a classic for fans of hypnotic rhythm and silky smooth vocals that highlights the artist's original sound. Starting off this album is the otherworldly track,…

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Ride the waves of Pinwheel Valley’s old-school-with-soul single, R.E.M. State, ft Garrison Cade

There is no shortage of hip-hop acts taking their sound back to the old school, but Pinwheel Valley, with help from the Canadian flow king, Garrison Cade, orchestrated a time capsule of a mind-bending trip you will want to book first-class tickets for. Riding steady on the syncopated beats and reverb-lashed synths, Cade, who shot to fame on the Canadian East Coast with his band, Sam the Astronaut, took the mellifluous reigns and rode steady with his rhythmic cadence in R.E.M. State, which started as an instrumental piece taken from…

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