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Straight Bars: music and culture

2 Chainz performs with a microphone in Orange County in 2013.

MUSIC & RAP

2 Chainz sets Dec. 4 release date for Statik Selektah-produced album

The official “A Week in Paris” video is dated Oct. 30; Apple Music lists P.O.L.O. as an 18-song pre-release.

File photo: GloRilla smiling during a 2023 HOTSPOTATL YouTube interview, holding a microphone.

MUSIC & RAP

Kirk Franklin says he won’t apologize for GloRilla feature

The collaboration puts a familiar gospel-versus-rap debate inside a new 14-track album split between contemporary songs and live traditional selections.

Sampa the Great sits in front of three guitarists on official Nu Zamrock campaign artwork.

MUSIC & RAP

Sampa the Great connects family history to the future of Zamrock on “Nu Zamrock”

The 16-track album opens with a conversation with her uncle George Kunda, a founding member of the Zambian band WITCH.

Release calendar

FRESH artwork uses a collage of Lil Baby childhood and current portraits, with a Parental Advisory label.

Lil Baby

FRESH

Upcoming · Album · Nov 6

Save date Details

Video artwork: Skepta feat. Suggs and Chase & Status - Innocent Smile

Skepta

The Fork and Knife

Upcoming · Album · Nov 6

Save date Details

Statik Selektah’s Expensive Taste album artwork: a decorative plate on a red table surrounded by dice, cards and jewelry.

Statik Selektah

Expensive Taste

Upcoming · Album · Nov 6

Save date Details

Original video cover: 2hollis - Sex

2hollis

Pirouette

Upcoming · Album · Nov 11

Save date Details

Black-and-white Playaz Only Live Once artwork shows 2 Chainz in sunglasses, the album title and a large numeral 2.

2 Chainz

Playaz Only Live Once

Upcoming · Album · Dec 4

Save date Details

Original video cover: Jordan Rakei - Paradise (Official Video)

Jordan Rakei

A Safe Place To Be Wild

Upcoming · Album · Feb 19

Save date Details

Original video cover: BigXthaPlug feat. Belly Gang Kushington - LITE (Official Music Video) | NEW ALBUM OCT 30

BigXthaPlug

Better Over Time

Out now · Album · Oct 30

Official Nu Zamrock campaign artwork shows Sampa seated with three guitarists behind her; it is not the Apple Music cover.

Sampa the Great

Nu Zamrock

Out now · Album · Oct 30

Video artwork from Young Nudy’s official “Who Dat Is” video, a rollout image rather than the album cover.

Young Nudy

Just Doin Me

Out now · Album · Oct 28

Boosie Badazz and Webbie appear in a red-orange photo collage on the Back At It: The Mixtape cover.

Boosie Badazz & Webbie

Back At It

Out now · Album · Oct 24

The Muse cover shows John Legend in a white jacket layered over a piano performance.

John Legend

Muse

Out now · Album · Oct 23

Original video cover: Yung Miami - 2008

Yung Miami

Watch Dis

Out now · Album · Oct 23

Original video cover: Michael Kiwanuka - Summer Clothes (Official Video)

Michael Kiwanuka

FUDGE

Out now · Album · Oct 23

Video artwork: Toosii - Nights Prayed (Audio)

Toosii

Platinum Heart 2

Out now · Album · Oct 23

Official GTA VI: The Album artwork with Lucia and Jason beside a car at sunset

GTA 6 · Music

Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album

9 singles out now · 34 tracks arrive November 19, 2026

Six radio stations revealed · Music and podcasts on foot

Listen to the singles

Independent coverage by Straight Bars. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Atlantic Records. Artwork: Rockstar Games / Take-Two Interactive (new tab)

Latest

Original video cover: BigXthaPlug feat. Belly Gang Kushington - LITE (Official Music Video) | NEW ALBUM OCT 30

MUSIC & RAP

BigXthaPlug’s “Better Over Time” is out: the 18-track lineup

LL COOL J sits in dark glasses and a black jacket before a wall of speakers.

MUSIC & RAP

LL COOL J takes “Rock the Bells” to 11 Las Vegas shows

Official artwork for Grand Theft Auto VI: Original Score by Justice, with pink VI lettering on a dark, water-dappled background.

MUSIC & RAP

Justice and Gesaffelstein bring “Pusher” to the GTA VI original score

PENN 2 in Manhattan with Universal Music Group signage.

INDUSTRY

UMG’s Q3 growth looks different with and without Downtown

Nelly sits for a portrait in a white Reebok shirt and dark cap in 2007.

GOSSIP

Nelly says Taylor Swift paid him $50,000 in a McDonald’s bag

Post Malone photographed at a live event in 2018.

GOSSIP

Post Malone hints at “Bad Mood” track in “Eternal Buzz” teaser

Gossip

For the group chat

Rick Ross performs into a microphone in sunglasses at a 2011 concert.

Rick Ross

Rick Ross pleads not guilty after prosecutors drop felony count

Complex · October 30, 2026; Associated Press · October 30, 2026; CBS News Miami · October 30, 2026

Nelly sits for a portrait in a white Reebok shirt and dark cap in 2007.

Nelly

Nelly says Taylor Swift paid him $50,000 in a McDonald’s bag

The Breakfast Club · October 28, 2026; Complex · October 30, 2026

Post Malone photographed at a live event in 2018.

Post Malone

Post Malone hints at “Bad Mood” track in “Eternal Buzz” teaser

Complex · October 29, 2026; Instagram preview · October 28

Straight Beat · samples, beatmakers & DJ flips

Hear the craft.

Open Straight Beat

On our radar

File photo: Chris Brown performs onstage during his 2024 11:11 Tour; it does not show the London case.

Chris Brown

Chris Brown receives suspended eight-month sentence in London

File photo: Drake poses at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival premiere of The Carter Effect, not his 2026 birthday party.

Drake

Drake credits Bow Wow for the early blueprint at his 40th birthday

File photo: Kanye West performs in a red jacket at Lollapalooza Chile in 2011, not the Jakarta concert.

Kanye West

Ye says Jakarta crowd was loud after “Heartless” clip

LATINX

Rap, reggaetón & the connections between.

Explore Latin music

Official video cover: Ryan Castro - LA SAPIÓ (Video Oficial)

Ryan Castro

Ryan Castro’s “La Sapió” previews his next album

Karol G during a 2018 interview with Telemedellín.

Karol G & Drake

Karol G’s “Ahí” takes No. 1 from her own song—with Drake

Colorful surreal bird artwork for “Hermano,” with Santana and Natalia Lafourcade named on the cover.

Santana & Natalia Lafourcade

Santana and Natalia Lafourcade find common ground in “Hermano”

Explore

Music & Rap

2 Chainz sets Dec. 4 release date for Statik Selektah-produced album

Kirk Franklin says he won’t apologize for GloRilla feature

Pop Culture

Rick Ross pleads not guilty after prosecutors drop felony count

Nelly says Taylor Swift paid him $50,000 in a McDonald’s bag

Industry

UMG’s Q3 growth looks different with and without Downtown

Spotify’s new Audi app moves playback onto the car dashboard

Rap Guides

How to build a rap verse that goes somewhere

How rappers connect their verses on the same track

PRESS PLAY.

File photo: GloRilla smiling during a 2023 HOTSPOTATL YouTube interview, holding a microphone.

Kirk Franklin & GloRilla

Original video cover: BigXthaPlug feat. Belly Gang Kushington - LITE (Official Music Video) | NEW ALBUM OCT 30

BigXthaPlug

Looze Cannon appears beside another person on the title thumbnail for his TikTok MJ Parody Live episode.

Looze Cannon

Official video artwork for Yung Miami’s “2008,” a track from Watch Dis.

Yung Miami

Pooh Shiesty raises a diamond pendant in the official video for FDO.

Pooh Shiesty

Ovrkast., Samara Cyn and MAVI in an outdoor scene from the official KNOCK video.

Ovrkast. says working on Drake’s Iceman helped him see his impact

Official video cover for Anderson .Paak and Cordae’s “A Good Day.”

Anderson .Paak & Cordae

BloodHound Q50 gestures toward the camera in a frame from his official Hobby video.

BloodHound Q50