"Three Kings" of Hip Hop Hitting Headlines This Week

Music history was made yesterday when the Pulitzer jury unanimously awarded Kendrick Lamar's album DAMN. the Pulitzer Prize for music. This was not only the first time a music Pulitzer was awarded to a hip hop album but the first time it was awarded to any work outside of the classical or jazz genres. 

Unlike past winners that were the work of a single composer, this album is a win for the collective of producers, composers, and artists that contributed to making the album what it is as a final product. While there was a lot of controversy about this choice, mostly stemming from a loss of "exclusivity" associated with this award, it was a big step for hip hop AND the Pulitzer alike. 

As if that news wasn't enough to rock the hip hop scene, J. Cole and Drake both announced the release of their new albums. 

After a surprise show at New York’s Gramercy Theatre yesterday, J. Cole announced that his new album K.O.D. will be released this Friday, April 20th. We've seen this kind of short notice drop from him before with the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive and a completely silent drop with 4 Your Eyez Only. 

Likewise following previous release tactics we've seen, Drake teased the release of his new album Scorpion via Instagram with a picture of him wearing a black jacket with "Scorpion, June Twenty Eighteen, by Drake" stitched on the back. Drake marketed Nothing Was the Same in a similar way five years ago on Instagram. He also revealed that OVO's 40 and Oliver El-Khatib will be the executive producers on this project. 

In one day, three hip hop powerhouses unloaded a lot of big moves. Keep an eye out for these new projects, and there will be plenty to discuss in the upcoming months!