Rising rapper DeJ Loaf shows ‘No Fear’ on the lead single from album debut ‘Liberation.’

Produced by Christoph Andersson, the catchy cut finds the Columbia Records star declaring a love free of inhibitions and worry.

Explaining the concept of its accompanying video, which was directed by Rubberband, Loaf says:

“Growing up, I used to daydream in my bedroom about everything from love to my career to traveling the world. The video sort of reflects that joyful feeling of going from daydreaming to realizing my dreams. My new album is a personal journey and I hope my fans enjoying riding along with me.”

Watch below…

A fitting visual for the summer-soaked song.

We’re keen to see her hit harder though, especially now that’s she’s armed with the momentum of ‘Try Me’ and her touring stint with Nicki Minaj.

But, in the here and now, she’s at the start of her album cycle and we’re liking what we hear.

‘Liberated’ is due later this year.

Your thoughts?

Less than 24 hours remain until JAY Z uncages his super anticipated new album ‘4:44.’

Beyond its TIDAL arrival, little has been divulged about the LP, which serves as his 13th studio effort.

What is apparent though, is that there will be a visual component to the project.

A series of mysterious commercials have been rolled out and the latest spotlights Lupita Nyong’o.

Titled ‘MaNyfaCedGod,’ the clip awaits below. Check it out…

Jigga is definitely piquing our interest with all this. Fingers crossed he delivers.

As reported, the mogul will launch the album with unique listening parties for fans across select US cities.

Your thoughts?

Jennifer Lopez has to be the hardest working woman in Hollywood.

When her schedule doesn’t call for executive producing responsibilities, the ‘Love Don’t Cost a Thing’ singer can be found recording her Spanish album, judging NBC’s hot dance competition, ‘World of Dance,’ starring in cop drama ‘Shades of Blue,’ readying new movie, ‘Second Act,’ rehearsing for the stages of Vegas on her ‘All I Have’ residency, or prepping for NBC’s next live musical ‘Bye Bye Birdie.’

As if all of that is not enough for an army of entertainers, Lopez is still finding time to show off her oft-praise performance skills on this year’s ‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular.’

Joining the likes of Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, and many more, the 41st edition of the annual New York City-hosted event – billed as the “largest Independence Day fireworks display in the nation,” will air on July 4 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

As we reported here, ‘Now or Never’ singer Halsey apparently thought now was a good time to let the world know she wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of Aussie rapstress Iggy Azalea.

Branding the ‘Mo Bounce’ beauty a ‘f*cking moron’ for her ‘complete disregard for Black culture,’ the quote made its rounds on the net and eventually made its way to the desk of rapstress.

Azalea, whose career has been fueled by a number of beefs and/or criticisms from detractor, opted to take a much more civil approach to her response when quizzed about it on Australian radio show Smallzy’s Surgery.

Iggy:

“It’s a bit weird to bring someone up in an interview that you weren’t asked about,” said Azalea.

“To me, because I’m a famous person and I know a lot of the time people have opinions and they’re not always accurate, I really try very hard not to give my personal opinions about people that I don’t know,” Azalea continued. “And I don’t know her, I’ve never met her.”

Azalea continued, stating:

“…she’s young and I hope she learns maybe to be a bit less judgmental when she’s kind of in the same shoes. I’m sure she’s getting judged all the time as well by people who don’t really know her.

So I think maybe it’d be good for her to try to be a little more empathetic to other people that are in the same situation.”

Your thoughts?

Not even a collection of stage-blazing performances from the likes of Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Future & Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige were enough to help this year’s BET Awards drum up its usual viewership figures.

For nearly the last decade Urban music’s biggest night has managed to rope in no less than a composite of 7 million viewers across the multiple VIACOM networks it’s aired across simultaneously.  This year, however, the Leslie Jones-hosted affair sang a different tune.

Report:

Viewership and ratings were both down 19 percent from last year.  The premiere telecast of the 2017 “BET AWARDS” drew 5.8MM Total Viewers P2+ (EDAC) , as it was simulcast live across 9 Viacom networks including MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike and Centric.

Despite the drop in ratings, BET still easily snagged the title of ‘Sunday night’s most watched television program.’

Curious to see how the 2017 showing stacks up against former editions?  Look below:

BET Awards Ratings

• 2008: 5.8 million
• 2009: 10.6 million
• 2010: 7.4 million
• 2011: 7.7 million
• 2012: 7.4 million
• 2013: 7.8 million
• 2014: 7.9 million
• 2015: 7.5 million
• 2016: 7.2 million
• 2017: 5.8 million

Your thoughts?

Shortly after blazing the BET Awards stage separately, rapper Future and R&B bad boy Chris Brown join forces for the Detail-produced number ‘PIE.’  Tapping Nick Walker to direct, the video sees the duo traipse in familiar territory (i.e. booty-shakin video heauxs models, bottle poppin’, and more).

Now, just days after that cinematic masterpiece barely got its foot off the ground, Future is dropping the video for yet another collabo – ‘Right Now.’  A joint effort with DJ Esco, the clip – a black-and-white affair directed by The Shootrr – invites fans to behind the scenes action on the ‘Freak Hoes’ hitmaker’s current ‘Nobody Safe Tour.’

Look below to see the video which features cameos from some of his most notable past collaborators including Meek Mill, Drake, Big Sean, and more:

Your thoughts?

DJ Khaled, with the help of Rihanna & Bryson Tiller, has roared into the Billboard Hot 100’s top 5 with ‘Wild Thoughts.’ An infectious island-tinged jam that most famously samples Santana‘s 1999 #1 hit ‘Maria Maria,’ the PartyNextDoor-penned bop looks to be making a beeline to the top as well if its first week’s sales performance is any indication.

As we reported here, the tune debuted at #4 thanks to handsome streams and digital downloads. And, while the feat comes as Tiller’s first entry into to the Hot 100’s topmost dectet and gives Khaled two top 5 singles concurrently, the Barbadian ingredient of the soon-to-be colossal hit is the real winner here. No stranger to the territory, ‘Wild Thoughts’ leap onto charts helped Rih nab her 31st trip into the top 10.

The feat only secures the singer’s place in history books as the artist with the ‘most top 10 entries of any artist of color’ (third of all artists overall).

Most Hot 100 Top 10 Entries of All Time [source]

38, Madonna
34, The Beatles
31, Rihanna
29, Michael Jackson (as a soloist)
28, Stevie Wonder

Among women, Rihanna advances one step closer to a title held by her ‘Fly’ collaborator Nicki Minaj. See where she lands on the list of overall Hot 100 entries among the ladies below:

Most Hot 100 Entries Among Women All-Time [source]
79, Nicki Minaj (updated since time of source’s publishing)
73, Aretha Franklin
70, Taylor Swift
60, Rihanna (updated since time of source’s publishing)
57, Madonna
56, Dionne Warwick
55, Beyonce (updated since time of source’s publishing)
53, Connie Francis
48, Mariah Carey
48, Brenda Lee

Check below to see this week’s updated TGJ Chart Check: Hot 100…

Hot 100 This Week

Your thoughts?

For many, Mindless Behavior was the boy group which almost was.

Hindered by the absence of the R&B-craving teen fanatics responsible for B2K‘s glory, the group found itself unable to go on as interest in its music and changing line-up died.

Fortunately, the same can’t be said for one if its members Princeton Perez who has retained interest in his solo career by way of social media.

How he hopes to thank his supporters for their undying love?

The arrival of a meet & greet tour.

Here’s my dramatic way of saying.. I’m going on TOUR! Wanna meet? Click the link in my bio. ?I’ll be taking one lucky fan and their guest on a dinner date in every city I stop in! You’ll be able to get my 2018 calendar and a little something else! ? Comment below what cities I should stop in? ?? #popupshop #obviousmag #princetonperez #OBVIOUSxPrinceton #meetandgreet ???

A post shared by PRINCETON PEREZ (@theoneprinceton) on Jun 26, 2017 at 7:44pm PDT

 I’m going on TOUR! Wanna meet? Click the link in my bio. ?I’ll be taking one lucky fan and their guest on a dinner date in every city I stop in! You’ll be able to get my 2018 calendar and a little something else! ? Comment below what cities I should stop in?

cannot wait to hug and kiss and vibe with everyone who comes out and sees me! I’m coming to as many cities as possible! they’ll be music,Merch and more!! ???I’ll also be taking two lucky guest to dinner with me ?go to my bio for more details! ???‍♂️ #princetonperez #obviousXprinceton #obviousmag #meetandgreet #popupshop ?

A post shared by PRINCETON PEREZ (@theoneprinceton) on Jun 27, 2017 at 2:34pm PDT

Are you interested in meeting Princeton Perez?

Weigh in below!

Zendaya‘s filmography is to welcome an exciting new project to its mix!

Its name? ‘The Greatest Showman on Earth‘, built to tell the true story of P.T. Barnum.

In it, Zendaya joins Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson and Zac Effron to tell the fantastic story which drops on Christmas Day and portrays a trapeze artist named Anne Wheeler.

Your thoughts?

Fresh from rocking the 2017 BET Awards, Tamar Braxton is offering the masses more of her new album.

The outspoken reality star invited Wendy Williams to her home studio to listen to what she’s been cooking up in the studio for the follow-up to 2015’s ill-fated ‘Calling All Lovers.’

In the segment below, the 40-year-old plays the talk-show host the song ‘Rather Go Blind.’ The track which features in snippet form within the video for ‘My Man.’

Check it out below…

Make no mistake, Tamar sings her face off! A rarity in today’s climate, which almost seems to reward those who do the exact opposite.

That said, we’re still waiting on that ‘Love & War’ esque offering. Not so much sonically, but just something that is as instant, as resonant, and as mass appealing.

Your thoughts?

Khloe Kardashian stunned the world when she revealed that she lied when she claimed she was trying to conceive a child with her then-husband Lamar Odom.

I fake tried. I was married but I knew the circumstances weren’t the healthiest, so I just kept pretending I was doing it.

Today, Odom has revealed that news of her deception shocked and rocked him to his core during an interview with Wendy Williams.

What he had to say about the lie, his feelings towards it and his journey to inner-peace and sobriety?

His thoughts and feelings below…

She probably was right in saying that, but she could have told me.

Do you think Khloe was right to deceive Lamar?

Ciara says she wants to make the world dance with her new music and it appears as though it may be coming sooner rather than later.

The singer gave birth to daughter Sienna Wilson in April, but had been hard at work on the follow-up to 2015’s ‘Jackie’ in the months preceding.

Until now, little was known about the album – which is her first for new label Warner.

However, the following sprung up on the ASCAP website this week. It’s an entry for a brand new song named ‘The Only Na Na.’

Ci’s label-mate Benny Cassette is listed as the primary writer:

For those who’ve not heard of Benny, his material kinda knocks:

It’d be hot hearing Ci ride a beat like this.

We’re buzzed. Are you?

Your thoughts?