Born Evill

Now that the full album is here, Busta Rhymes and J Dilla have delivered the kind of hip-hop project the streaming era rarely makes room for: patient, personal, technically sharp, and completely uninterested in chasing the sound of the week. Released August 25, DILLAGENCE II brings Busta back together with the late Detroit production visionary across 19 tracks. The album follows their beloved 2007 mixtape Dillagence , but it feels like more than a sequel. It is a reminder that chemistry can survive changing eras—and, in this case, even survive the loss of one-half of the partnership. A Project Built on Trust, Not Trend-Chasing J Dilla died in 2006 at only 32, but the music he left behind has continued to influence generations of producers. According to The Associated Press , Dilla sent Busta Rhymes more than 300 beats during their friendship and working relationship. Busta did not rush to release everything. He kept much of that collection private and used it selectively. Th...

  Rappers are under constant pressure to release more music and stay visible. But could the algorithm-driven release cycle be making songs more disposable? There's a piece of advice independent rappers hear constantly: Drop more music. Didn't get enough streams? Drop again. Nobody watched the video? Drop again. Algorithm slowing down? Drop again. Haven't posted this week? What are you doing? Drop something. At some point we should ask whether this strategy is actually building careers—or simply producing more content for platforms. Complex's August 2026 ranking of the hottest active rappers unintentionally captures the pressure perfectly. In describing the current environment, the publication points to an overcrowded field, shrinking attention spans and unstable industry support, where active rappers increasingly release frequently and hope algorithms sort out what connects. That's understandable. It might also be destroying the lifespan of music. Music Used to Have...

 Post Malone’s 2016 debut mixtape August 26 is headed to streaming platforms for its 10th anniversary, preserving an important piece of his early career. Before the stadium tours, country records and global pop success, Post Malone was another young artist trying to figure out what he sounded like. That version of Post is about to become much easier to revisit. Complex reported on August 13 that Post Malone’s debut mixtape August 26 is finally headed to streaming , ten years after the project originally arrived during the period when his career was beginning to explode. For longtime listeners, this is nostalgia. For younger fans, it's history becoming accessible. And for independent artists, it's a reminder that early work can become much more important than it seemed when you made it. Mixtapes Used to Live Outside the System There was a period when mixtapes were essential to hip-hop discovery. DatPiff. Mixtape sites. Blogs. YouTube uploads. MediaFire links someb...

 Joe and Donell Jones face off in VERZUZ on August 20. The matchup is a reminder that a deep catalog can outlive trends, algorithms and viral moments. There are artists with huge songs. Then there are artists with catalogs . Joe and Donell Jones are about to remind everybody of the difference. The two R&B veterans are scheduled to face each other in a VERZUZ matchup on Thursday, August 20 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT . Complex has been revisiting Joe’s three-decade career ahead of the event, including records such as “I Wanna Know,” “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do),” “Stutter” and his appearances alongside major hip-hop artists. This matchup isn't built around who has the hottest record this week. That's what makes it interesting. Joe Has Records People Forgot They Knew Joe is one of those artists whose catalog becomes surprising when you start listing records. “I Wanna Know.” “All the Things.” “Stutter.” “Ride Wit U.” Then you remember collaborations. Big Pun....

  Erykah Badu and The Alchemist will release their long-awaited collaborative album Abi & Alan on August 28. Here’s why the pairing makes so much sense. Some collaborations sound obvious before you hear them. Others sound strange enough that you immediately need to know what happened in the studio. Erykah Badu and The Alchemist fall into the second category. After months of anticipation, the two are finally releasing their collaborative album Abi & Alan on August 28 . Pitchfork confirmed the date on August 13 alongside the release of “Witch Doctor,” another preview from the long-awaited project. Badu and Alchemist don't come from identical musical worlds. That's exactly why this could work. The Alchemist Understands Space When people talk about The Alchemist, the conversation naturally centers on rappers. Freddie Gibbs. Boldy James. Earl Sweatshirt. Action Bronson. Conway. Westside Gunn. The list goes on. But what makes Alchemist production special isn...

       Pooh Shiesty’s FDO has debuted inside the Billboard 200 top 10, adding another milestone to one of rap’s biggest comeback stories of 2026. Pooh Shiesty’s return isn't just generating conversation anymore. It is generating numbers. Billboard’s latest Billboard 200 update, published August 17, shows Pooh Shiesty among this week’s new top-10 debuts with FDO . That gives the Memphis rapper another major milestone in a comeback that already produced a No. 1 debut on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with the FDO title track. For an artist who spent years away from the normal music-industry cycle, that's significant. Rap audiences move fast. Entire subgenres can rise during the time an artist is gone. New rappers arrive. Algorithms change. The sound of playlists changes. Returning isn't as simple as picking up where you left off. Pooh Shiesty had to find out whether the audience was still waiting. Apparently, plenty of them were. “Back in Bloo...

  Suno has reached a global AI licensing agreement with BMG that includes opt-in participation and compensation. Here’s why independent artists should care. The music industry's AI conversation just moved from “Should this exist?” toward a much more complicated question: If it exists, who gets paid? AI music platform Suno has reached a global licensing agreement with BMG, one of the world's largest music companies. Under the arrangement, participation by BMG artists and songwriters is optional, with compensation planned for authorized use of their work, including certain past uses. That's important because the fight over generative AI has largely revolved around consent. Artists aren't simply worried that a machine can make a song. They're worried that a machine may have learned how to make that song by ingesting their work without permission or payment. A licensing deal attempts to address that problem with something the music business understands very well: Rights...

  Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats reunite for II on August 21 with JPEGMAFIA, Westside Gunn and Yebba. Here’s why producer-rapper chemistry still matters. Some of hip-hop's best music happens when the rapper doesn't have to explain themselves to the producer. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats are getting back together for II , arriving August 21 through Loma Vista. The nine-song project follows their 2020 collaboration Unlocked and includes JPEGMAFIA on “Evil Grin,” Westside Gunn on “Crown” and Yebba on the closing track “Difference.” Six years between collaborative albums is enough time for both artists to change. That's exactly why the reunion is interesting. Chemistry Can't Be Downloaded Producers have access to more sounds than ever. Artists can buy beats from somebody they've never spoken to, record at home and upload the song without either creator ever entering the same room. That accessibility is incredible. But convenience can also remove something. Rel...

  Trippie Redd released NDA on August 14 with 25 tracks and features from Lil Wayne, Young Thug, Rema, Quavo and more. But is 25 songs too much? Trippie Redd finally dropped NDA on August 14, and he didn't exactly ease back into album mode. The project contains 25 tracks , with a feature list that includes Young Thug, Rema, YNW Melly, PARTYNEXTDOOR, BigXthaPlug, Tory Lanez, Sexyy Red, Lil Wayne, Rob49, Ski Mask the Slump God, Quavo, NoCap and Kodak Black. That's enough music to create multiple EPs. And almost immediately, the size of the project became part of the conversation. Early fan reaction has been sharply divided. Some listeners are calling NDA a strong return, while others argue that the album is overlong or doesn't capture enough of what made Trippie unique in the first place. We aren't interested in declaring an album classic or trash 24 hours after release. The more interesting question is why rap keeps doing this. Twenty-Five Songs Changes How We...

  Nipsey Hussle and Bino Rideaux’s PROLIFIC arrived August 14. Here’s why the 15-track collaboration carries extra weight for West Coast hip-hop. Nipsey Hussle’s legacy has never been limited to the music. That is part of what makes a new Nipsey project complicated. On August 14, the official PROLIFIC campaign released the collaborative project from Nipsey Hussle and Bino Rideaux. The official album site lists 15 tracks, while The Marathon Clothing describes it as a collaborative album that Nipsey and Bino began bringing to life following the success of Victory Lap . The release is credited to All Money In and Out The Blue Records under exclusive license to Atlantic. That distinction matters. Posthumous albums can easily become uncomfortable. Fans have seen situations where unfinished vocals are stretched into projects, features are added years later, or an artist's name is used to sell music they may never have intended to release. PROLIFIC enters with a different story: ...

Busta Rhymes is preparing Dillagence 2 , a sequel built around J Dilla production. Here’s why the project matters for hip-hop. Some collaborations just make sense. Busta Rhymes confirmed earlier this year that he is preparing Dillagence 2 , a new project built around production from the late J Dilla. The project follows Busta and DJ Mick Boogie’s 2007 Dillagence mixtape, where Busta attacked a collection of Dilla beats alongside several guests. In February 2026, Busta held a New York listening session previewing the sequel. A release date and official tracklist still had not been announced at the time of the reveal. That alone should have boom-bap fans paying attention. Busta Rhymes Over Dilla Beats Is a Natural Combination J Dilla's production could be soulful, dusty, off-center, smooth and ridiculously hard at the same time. Busta Rhymes happens to be one of the most rhythmically creative rappers hip-hop has ever produced. Put those two ideas together and you get something rappe...

 Bryson Tiller’s “Drop The Lo” is setting the stage for a new album as his massive Neo TrapSoul Tour prepares to launch August 27. Bryson Tiller appears to be loading up for a much bigger 2026 than one single. “Drop The Lo” arrived June 5 through Trapsoul/RCA Records, blending the R&B and trap combination that has been central to Tiller’s sound since his breakout years. The record was written by Tiller, Reezy On Da Beat and Andrew Glover, with Reezy handling production. More importantly, Sony’s announcement confirmed that the song is part of the buildup toward another Bryson Tiller album . And now his tour is almost here. Bryson Is Returning to the TrapSoul Pocket There has always been something different about the space Bryson Tiller occupies. He can sing a record without sounding like a traditional R&B singer, then slide into rap without making the transition feel forced. That middle ground eventually became part of the blueprint for an entire generation of melodic artist...

Jack Harlow’s Monica finds the Louisville artist moving deeper into R&B as his 2026 tour gets underway. Here’s why the change matters. Jack Harlow isn’t moving like an artist interested in making the same record forever. His fourth studio album, Monica , arrived March 13, 2026 through Atlantic Records after a three-year gap from Jackman. Much of the project was created at New York’s Electric Lady Studios following Harlow’s move to the city. Now the album has turned into a full touring era, with the North American Monica tour kicking off August 4 and scheduled to run through September 21. But what makes Monica interesting isn’t simply that Jack Harlow released another album. It’s how much he was willing to change. Jack Harlow Moves Further Into R&B Anyone expecting an album built around nonstop punchlines and traditional rap records probably noticed the difference immediately. Apple Music describes Monica as a project where Harlow moves away from straight rap and leans heav...