Lil Tjay has not been shot, nor has Lil Tjay been charged with any shooting. Any reporting to the contrary is false. We encourage people to consult trusted news sources, and to verify the accuracy of any reporting, before reflexively sharing or repeating baseless rumors.
In recent years, he's evolved into an emissary of Florida hip-hop and a rap star at the nexus of niche underground fame and household ubiquity, able to stunt on blockbuster movie soundtracks one minute and do pop-ups at Chinatown arcades with no security the next.
Earl has spent the past decade or so immersing himself in New York's underground rap scene, resulting in one of the most unique and unpredictable discographies of his generation.
Done it twice now they think I'm insane. I'm a boss, so I always find my way, I'm that guy, the boss of the UK. The wanted criminal, whose music video is seemingly recorded while he is sitting in the back of a car and holding an inflated balloon, boasts about his ability to evade capture and his status as a criminal figure.
Rockie does kinda feel like the album Donna Hayward would make if she could pursue her musical ambitions: She'd be influenced by Julee Cruise, for sure, and probably Chromatics, and Sky Ferreira, and what could be more Badalamentian than the cloudburst of synth that opens "On Our Knees"?
Keshad Johnson is not a name that many non-Miami Heat fans may know. However, he'll have the opportunity to change that as he prepares to compete in the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest this weekend. The Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend may not be what it used to be, but despite the lack of big names, it's still one of the biggest lures of the festivities.
Three of hip-hop's most unique voices come together on "Fake Jeezy," Maxo Kream and JPEGMAFIA's new banger featuring Denzel Curry. Stream it below. Get Denzel Curry Tickets Here True to its title, the song features early 2000s trap production from JPEGMAFIA, as Maxo and Curry try to outdo each other's lyrics. Maxo raps about keeping "three Ks" like "Kim, Kourtney, Khloe," and "corporate thuggin' like Young Jeezy," while Denzel drops a Kardashian reference of his own.
Chances are, if the Atlanta rapper sounds like they have a loogie stuck in their throat, I'll probably like them. B5 and Zeeball? Yep-"Heist" might be the biggest omission from our Best Rap Songs of 2025 list. Rroxket? I still listen to his zooted-out regularly. Before I get carried away, let's add Bby Kell to that list. Her new tape, Straight Pop, is cool as hell-it reminds me of Glokk40Spaz back when his bread and butter was belligerent dark plugg.
The staff of Pitchfork listens to a lot of new music. A lot of it. On any given day our writers, editors, and contributors go through an imposing number of new releases, giving recommendations to each other and discovering new favorites along the way. Each Monday, with our Pitchfork Selects playlist, we're sharing what our writers are playing obsessively and highlighting some of the Pitchfork staff's favorite new music.
What does Comic Sans sound like? What does it feel like? And is it actually kinda good? These were the questions ever-present in the minds of early PC Music acts like Kero Kero Bonito's Gus Bonito, who, to this day, performs DJ sets in front of a strobing projection of his moniker Kane West in the notorious font.
Last month, LaRussell announced his signing of a "project deal" with San Francisco label EMPIRE, one of the music industry's largest and most powerful independent labels and distributors. In 2023, he announced a deal with Live Nation for select concert dates. Both deals, LaRussell indicated, allowed him to make decisions on his own terms. The Roc Nation announcement comes after images of a late January meeting between LaRussell and Jay-Z were shared online.
Central Cee has shared a new song "Iceman Freestyle" along with a music video. Directed by Don Prod, the clip tracks the British rapper driving an old Aston Martin, drinks whiskey, and literally digging his own grave. Watch it below. "Iceman Freestyle" is the second solo single Central Cee has released following 2025's Can't Rush Greatness, his debut album on Columbia. The rapper also linked up for a few collaborations last year, including Drake's " Which One " and Sexyy Red's "Guilt Trippin."
fakemink has a new mixtape on the way. The Boy Who Cried Terrified is out January 29 on EtnaVeraVela. Although details around the release remain scarce, you can check out the cover art below. Alongside the tape, the UK artist has also begun teasing a new album, Terrified. There's even less information currently available about this record-all we know so far is that it's due out sometime in 2026, and that it's a separate project from The Boy Who Cried Terrified.