A Rap Icon and a Rock Elder Find Common Ground on “No Country for Old Men”

Chuck D and John Densmore have teamed up as doPE, a collaboration bridging hip-hop and rock history ahead of their Record Store Day 2026 release. (Photo by Grant Ball)

When Chuck D and John Densmore finally decided to make music together, it wasn’t the result of a sudden idea or a calculated collaboration. It was the slow closing of a circle left open for more than a decade.
The project is called doPE, a collaboration between the Public Enemy frontman and the longtime Doors drummer. Its debut album, “no country for old men,” is scheduled for release April 18 in conjunction with Record Store Day 2026. The album’s lead track, “every tick tick tick,” has been named Record Store Day’s 2026 Song of the Year.

Chuck D and Densmore first crossed paths in 2014 during a Record Store Day panel at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Chuck D was serving as that year’s Record Store Day ambassador, while Densmore appeared as a veteran artist whose work with The Doors helped reshape rock music’s language and posture. Their conversation did not immediately turn into music. Instead, it lingered. About a year later, Densmore received a brief email from Chuck D that read: “You’ve got the beats, I’ve got the rhymes, let’s make doPE.”

 

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What followed was not a rush to release but a measured exchange of ideas. Chuck D began sending verses. Densmore responded with rhythms, textures and reflection. At one point, Densmore sent back a line that would become central to the project: “Everybody gets older, but not everybody gets elder.” The phrase became a philosophical anchor for the album — a meditation on time, responsibility, memory and survival, rather than nostalgia or revivalism.

Recorded specifically for Record Store Day, “no country for old men” relies on spoken word, percussion and stripped-down musical frameworks that leave space for Chuck D’s voice to carry weight. The album does not attempt to fuse hip-hop and classic rock into a hybrid genre. Instead, it attempts to allow each discipline to speak plainly, sometimes uncomfortably, often deliberately.

Chuck D has spent more than four decades using his voice as a tool for confrontation and clarity, from Public Enemy’s foundational work in the late 1980s through collaborations across hip-hop, metal and rock. Densmore, whose drumming powered The Doors’ most enduring recordings, has long been outspoken about art, authorship and cultural accountability. In doPE, those histories are not background context; they are the material itself.

Tracklist: “no country for old men” (doPE)

Side A

1. “every tick tick tick”
2. “no country for old men”
3. “doomsay”
4. “the bones of my father”
5. “i love that i don’t know”
6. “people are strangers”

Side B

1. “breakthru”
2. “ops3ssion”
3. “dajali ii”
4. “everybody dies”
5. “no country for old men (dub)”
6. “saydoom (dub)”

“John Densmore’s beat isn’t just rhythm, it’s history talking,” Chuck D said in a statement. “He’s been scoring moments of our culture for decades, and that wisdom hits different when it meets the now. This collaboration is about locking generations together and pushing sound forward.”

Densmore echoed that sentiment more plainly, emphasizing the project’s balance. “He’s got the rhymes and I’ve got the beats,” he said. “And we made doPE.”

The album’s lead track, “every tick tick tick,” was co-produced by Densmore, David “C-Doc” Snyder and JP Hesser. It was selected as Record Store Day’s 2026 Song of the Year for its sense of urgency and restraint — a piece that reflects the pressure of time without leaning on spectacle. Record Store Day co-founder Michael Kurtz described the song as capturing both the moment and the times surrounding it.

Visually, the project follows the same stripped-back approach. The doPE logo combines elements of The Doors’ typography with Public Enemy’s crosshairs imagery and was designed by Chuck D. The album will be released as a limited-edition colored-vinyl LP in a deluxe gatefold package featuring original illustrations by Chuck D.

Syracuse Coach Says Rapper Toosii May Walk On, Decision Still Pending

Rapper Toosii posted this image on social media amid speculation about a possible return to Syracuse, where the Syracuse native has discussed the idea of walking on to the university’s football program. Syracuse coach Fran Brown said this week that Toosii is still weighing the decision and that no role has been determined. (Courtesy of Toosii via X)

For a moment, it felt like the kind of story hip-hop still loves to believe in.

A hometown artist, successful enough to never look back, choosing instead to circle home — not for a ceremony or a plaque, but for pads and practice. When Toosii said he was committing to Syracuse football, it wasn’t framed as a stunt. It read like unfinished business.

This week, that narrative shifted — not collapsed, but clarified.

Appearing on ESPN Syracuse’s “Orange Nation,” Syracuse football coach Fran Brown said the rapper, born Nau’Jour Grainger, is still undecided about whether he will actually play for the Orange. Brown added that if Toosii does move forward, the opportunity would be as a walk-on, not a guaranteed roster spot.

“He’s still thinking about it,” Brown said, explaining that while he wanted to give Toosii a chance to pursue something meaningful to him, roster realities and evaluation still matter. The coach noted that as more players continue to arrive, the situation has to be reassessed — especially when some prospects come with game film and others do not.

The comments mark the first time a Syracuse official has spoken publicly and directly about the mechanics behind the idea that briefly captured national attention.

In early December, Toosii announced that he was “coming home,” crediting a conversation with Brown and framing the move as something he had carried with him long before the music took off. It resonated because it wasn’t aspirational branding — it was personal. A Syracuse kid, now a platinum-level artist, saying the city still had a hold on him.

COMMITTED 🙏🏽 For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality. God’s will is the way and no one can stop it not even the devil. I wanna thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for even giving me the strength to chase what I believed when so many people told me I couldn’t. Thank… pic.twitter.com/WUNyvFV4KV

— Toosii (@toosii2x) December 1, 2025

At the time, reporting made clear that details were unresolved, including whether the role would be scholarship-based or symbolic. Brown’s remarks now draw a firmer outline around the idea: possible, but not promised.

That distinction matters.

Toosii is 25, and while his football background is part of his origin story, his public identity has been built elsewhere — through records that turn vulnerability into leverage and melody into momentum. His success hasn’t come from spectacle. It’s come from consistency. From songs that feel lived-in, not manufactured.

Which is why the football angle hit differently. It wasn’t nostalgia. It was identity colliding with infrastructure.

College football, especially at the Power 4 level, is not designed for open-ended narratives. Roster limits are strict. Evaluation is unforgiving. The transfer portal doesn’t leave much room for sentiment. Brown didn’t dismiss Toosii’s interest — but he didn’t romanticize it either.

That honesty reframes the moment.

What looked like a feel-good headline now reads more like a crossroads. One where desire meets process. Where a personal dream has to survive the same filters as everyone else’s.

And that’s not a knock — it’s the point.

In hip-hop, we often celebrate reinvention without acknowledging resistance. We praise the pivot but ignore the friction. Toosii’s situation puts that tension on display. Wanting something doesn’t make it simple. Saying it out loud doesn’t make it real yet.

Whether Toosii ultimately puts on a Syracuse jersey or decides the timing isn’t right, the story already carries weight. It’s about an artist refusing to flatten himself into one lane. About a coach willing to open a door, but not bend the building around it.

In a culture obsessed with certainty, this moment lives in the gray.

And sometimes, that’s where the truth is.

Ice T Expands His Legacy Beyond Music and TV With Og Network

Ice T performs in 2018. The rapper and actor is a co-founder of OG Network, a new free streaming platform focused on creator-owned urban storytelling. (Stefan Bollmann, via Wikimedia Commons).

Ice T and media executive Courtney “Big Court” Richardson II are entering the streaming space with a familiar argument, one hip-hop has been making for decades: ownership still matters.

This week, Richardson and Ice T officially launched OG Network, a free ad-supported streaming platform focused on urban culture, independent filmmakers and creator-owned programming.

According to the company, the platform has already surpassed 2.3 million viewing minutes during its early rollout — a figure reported by OG Network that suggests early audience engagement, though it has not been independently verified.

OG Network is available in 186 countries across Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, iOS and Google Play, placing it within the rapidly expanding FAST and AVOD streaming ecosystem. That space has grown crowded in recent years, dominated by large-scale platforms such as Pluto TV, Tubi and Freevee, while smaller, culture-specific services compete for attention and sustainability.

 

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Rather than positioning itself as a mass-market disruptor, OG Network is framing its mission around creator control and curated programming. Richardson said the platform was built to give independent creators ownership over their work and greater control over distribution — a message that aligns with long-standing concerns in hip-hop about exploitation and gatekeeping.

Ice T’s involvement adds historical weight to that framing. Few artists have navigated the shift from outsider to industry institution as visibly or deliberately. From his early work in protest rap to his long-running television career, Ice T has consistently engaged questions of power, representation and access, making his role as co-founder more than symbolic.

The platform’s early programming slate reflects that intent. OG Network’s launch includes “Somebody Had To Say It,” a weekly discussion series hosted by Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony alongside Richardson, centered on hip-hop debate and cultural commentary. Ice T serves as executive producer and narrator of “Put The Guns Down — A World Epidemic,” a documentary examining gun violence through a global lens rooted in cultural context. The service is also debuting independent films, including “My Cherie Amour,” a thriller starring Omar Gooding that OG Network says has driven strong engagement since its release.

Richardson’s “Holdin’ Court Podcast,” previously distributed elsewhere, now streams exclusively on the platform, reinforcing OG Network’s emphasis on long-form conversation over short-form virality. The service also hosts a growing library of films, documentaries and creator-led projects, with additional releases planned throughout the year.

OG Network enters a streaming landscape littered with ambitious launches that struggled to scale. FAST platforms, by design, prioritize ad-supported volume over subscription loyalty, and long-term success depends less on buzz than on sustained viewing and advertiser confidence. Whether OG Network’s creator-first positioning can translate into durability remains an open question.

A$AP Rocky Takes 'Don’t Be Dumb' on the Road With First Major Tour in Years

A$AP Rocky performs during a live concert appearance in support of his new album, “Don’t Be Dumb.” The rapper announced a 42-date world tour for 2026, marking his first major headlining run in several years.

A$AP Rocky is taking his new album on the road.

The Harlem rapper announced the “Don’t Be Dumb World Tour” today, confirming a 42-date run across North America, Europe and the U.K. that will mark his first major headlining tour in years. The tour formally launches the live phase of “Don’t Be Dumb,” Rocky’s first full-length album in nearly eight years, and places the project squarely in front of audiences rather than allowing it to live solely online.

Promoted by Live Nation, the tour opens May 27 at the United Center in Chicago and moves through major North American arenas, including Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena and Houston’s Toyota Center, before wrapping its U.S. leg July 11 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The European and U.K. run begins Aug. 25 in Brussels and continues through cities including London, Milan, Stockholm and Berlin, closing Sept. 30 at Accor Arena in Paris.

The global on-sale begins Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. local time via asaprocky.com, with multiple presale windows preceding it. North American artist presales begin Jan. 23, while EU and U.K. artist presales open Jan. 21. A Cash App Visa Card presale will offer early access to U.S. dates, along with limited merchandise and vinyl incentives tied to the tour.

 

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The announcement arrives just days after the release of “Don’t Be Dumb,” which landed last Friday following one of the longest gaps between studio albums in Rocky’s career. Billboard, reviewing the project, wrote that the album “not only rewards patience but adds new wrinkles to the rapper’s approach — an evolved relationship with melody and a wiser lyrical slant,” framing it as a work shaped by time rather than trend-chasing.

That patience had already translated into measurable anticipation. Ahead of release, “Don’t Be Dumb” surpassed 1 million pre-saves on Spotify, a figure widely cited by the platform and Rocky’s camp as unprecedented for a hip-hop album. The buildup was fueled by a year in which Rocky remained highly visible outside of music, starring in two A24-produced films, co-chairing the 2025 Met Gala and taking on creative leadership roles with Ray-Ban and Chanel.

What distinguishes this moment, however, is the speed with which Rocky has moved from release to performance. Rather than spacing out appearances or limiting the album to festival slots, the tour positions “Don’t Be Dumb” within a traditional album cycle — one centered on rooms, crowds and repetition.

Rocky’s last studio album, “Testing,” arrived in 2018 and was followed by sporadic performances rather than a sustained tour. In the years since, his public profile has expanded well beyond music. This run places the emphasis back on the work itself, asking how the new material holds up night after night.

For an artist whose early reputation was forged as much onstage as on record, the tour represents more than a victory lap. It is the clearest signal yet that “Don’t Be Dumb” is not a standalone event, but the opening chapter of an album era designed to be lived — and judged — in real time.

Rare Demo Cassette From Tupac’s Baltimore Years Offered in Landmark Auction Tupac Shakur’s Pre-Fame “Born Busy” Tape Hits Auction Block

Tupac Shakur appears in a 1988 yearbook photo from the Baltimore School for the Arts, taken the same year as newly surfaced recordings that capture the future rapper performing with his early group Born Busy, years before his commercial breakthrough.

A rare piece of hip-hop history has surfaced — not as a remaster or reissue, but as an original artifact from the very beginning of Tupac Shakur’s creative life.

A cassette tape containing what is believed to be some of the earliest surviving recordings of Tupac is being offered at auction, documenting the rapper years before his commercial debut and long before his name became synonymous with modern hip-hop mythology. The recordings date to 1988, when Tupac was approximately 16 years old and performing under the name MC New York as part of his pre-fame rap group, Born Busy.

The tape was recorded at the Baltimore home of Gerard “Ge-ology” Young’s parents. Young, who would later become a producer and DJ, was a close friend and creative collaborator of Tupac during that period. The cassette captures Tupac alongside fellow Born Busy members Gerard Young (DJ Plain Terror), Darrin K. Bastfield (Ace Rocker) and Dana “Mouse” Smith (Slick D), rapping acapella in informal sessions that doubled as a learning tool.

Rather than recording finished songs, Young would tape acapella performances so he could study the verses and later construct beats around them — a reversed production process that predates Tupac’s later studio work and offers a rare look at his earliest creative instincts. The sessions include freestyles, song ideas, samples, laughter and conversation, preserving an unguarded snapshot of a young artist still forming his voice.

The cassette’s track list includes early recordings such as “Check It Out!,” “That’s My Man Throwin’ Down,” “I Saw Your Girl,” “We Work Hard,” “Born Busy LIVE Freestyle,” “Babies Having Babies” and “Terror’s On The Tables (Dedication to DJ Plain Terror).” None of the material was ever commercially released.

What elevates the tape beyond a compelling curiosity is its provenance. The cassette has remained in Young’s possession since it was recorded, preserved and archived privately for decades. The uninterrupted chain of custody places it among the rarest surviving audio documents from Tupac’s formative years, offering a direct line to his earliest recorded performances.

The auction also includes additional artifacts from the same period, including handwritten lyrics, archival photographs from Baltimore cyphers and gatherings, and personal ephemera connected to Tupac’s youth before his rise to global fame.

John Forté, Grammy-Nominated Producer Tied to Fugees’ ‘The Score,’ Dead at 50

John Forté attends the Vanity Fair party for the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival in New York on April 17, 2012. Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp, was found dead Monday at his home in Chilmark, Mass., at 50. (David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

John Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician and producer whose quiet but crucial contributions helped shape the Refugee Camp era that carried the Fugees into hip-hop history, has died. He was 50.


Forté was found unresponsive Monday afternoon at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts. Chilmark police responded around 2:25 p.m. and pronounced him dead at the scene, according to the Vineyard Gazette. Police said there were no signs of foul play and no readily apparent cause of death. The case has been turned over to Massachusetts State Police and the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, with the state medical examiner investigating.

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While Forté was never a household name, his work traveled far. Closely aligned with the Refugee Camp collective alongside Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel, Forté was a key contributor to the Fugees’ 1996 breakthrough album “The Score,” a project that helped redefine the sound and global reach of modern hip-hop. The album won best rap album at the Grammys and remains one of the genre’s most influential releases.

Born Jan. 30, 1975, in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, Forté was classically trained in music and studied violin from a young age. He later attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where his musical foundation deepened before his path ultimately led him into hip-hop’s creative underground and the orbit of the Fugees.

Canibus, DMX, John Forte, Big Pun & Mos Def, 1997. pic.twitter.com/hkJ1NaVLPy

— Tobi Marshall (@CoededMarshall) December 26, 2025

Forté’s life also included a long and public reckoning with the criminal justice system. In 2000, he was arrested on drug trafficking charges and sentenced under federal mandatory minimum guidelines to 14 years in prison. After serving more than seven years — and following advocacy from musicians, artists and public figures — his sentence was commuted by President George W. Bush in 2008.

Just heard the heartbreaking news that John Fortè has passed away. Sending our condolences to the family and loved ones of the Fugees/Refugees All-Stars legend 💔🕊️ pic.twitter.com/a2sdtu4gYt

— Rock The Bells (@RockTheBells) January 13, 2026

Among Forté’s most vocal supporters was Carly Simon, who became a close friend during his later years. In a 2010 interview, Forté described Simon as “my champion, my crusader, my mentor, my friend, my spiritual guru,” crediting her with helping him rebuild his life and creative footing after prison.

In the years that followed, Forté continued working across music, film and television, including composing music connected to the recent revival of the civil rights documentary series “Eyes on the Prize,” which aired on HBO.

Tributes from the hip-hop community began surfacing soon after news of his death broke. “This one hurts,” Wyclef Jean wrote on social media, sharing archival performance footage honoring his longtime collaborator.

Forté spent his later years on Martha’s Vineyard with his wife, photographer Lara Fuller, and their two children, Haile and Wren.

Mary J. Blige Sets 10-Date Las Vegas Residency Following Milestone Birthday

Mary J. Blige appears in promotional imagery released alongside the announcement of her first Las Vegas residency, “Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story,” a 10-date engagement at Dolby Live at Park MGM scheduled for May and July 2026. The residency is framed as a narrative-driven production centered on her catalog and career arc.

One day after celebrating her 55th birthday, Mary J. Blige shared a gift with music fans.

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul announced her first Las Vegas residency, "Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story," on Monday. The 10-date run at Dolby Live at Park MGM is scheduled across May and July 2026.

For Blige, the title signals intention as much as location.

Vegas are you ready? I am so excited to announce my first ever Las Vegas Residency May 1 – 9 & July 10 – 18 at Dolby Live at Park MGM! Get your tickets (Friday at 10 AM PT/NOW) ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Wx78xvVnq9

— Mary J. Blige (@maryjblige) January 12, 2026

“Creating a show like this has been something I’ve always wanted to do,” Blige said in a statement announcing the residency. “It’s a chance to get my fans together from all over — different cities, states and countries — to experience something together. My Life, My Story will be just that.”

The residency is set for May 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9, followed by July 10, 11, 15, 17 and 18. All performances will take place at Dolby Live, the 5,200-seat venue inside Park MGM, with shows scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

 

Blige has indicated the production will lean into theatrical storytelling, with actors and narrative elements woven throughout the performance, an approach that mirrors the emotional architecture of her catalog, which has long blurred the line between confession and craft. Speaking during media appearances tied to the announcement, she described the show as rooted in music and fun, but guided by story rather than spectacle.

The announcement follows a period of sustained momentum. In 2024, Blige completed the For My Fans Tour, headlined Madison Square Garden and released the concert film “Mary J. Blige: For My Fans.” She has also continued expanding her work as an actress and producer, with the Lifetime original movie “Be Happy” scheduled to premiere next month.

Blige’s influence extends far beyond chart performance. She built a bridge between classic soul vulnerability and hip-hop realism in the early 1990s, reshaping the emotional vocabulary of R&B. Her music did more than soundtrack an era; it articulated endurance, accountability and survival in a way that resonated across generations.

Las Vegas residencies are often framed as reinvention or consolidation. In Blige’s case, this one reads differently — less reinvention than affirmation. A career once driven by urgency now arrives at authorship, with full control over pacing, presentation and perspective.

Tickets for “Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story” go on sale Friday, Jan. 16, following a series of pre-sale windows beginning Tuesday.

For an artist whose work has always insisted that truth matters — even when it’s uncomfortable — the Strip is not an ending. It’s a chapter break.

Golden Globes open with Teyana Taylor win for 'One Battle After Another'

Teyana Taylor appears in a scene from “One Battle After Another,” the Paul Thomas Anderson film that earned her the Golden Globe for best supporting actress during the opening moments of the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.

Teyana Taylor became the emotional center of the Golden Globes early Sunday night, winning best supporting actress in a motion picture for her performance in “One Battle After Another.”

Taylor’s win was the first award announced during the live telecast of the Golden Globe Awards, and it immediately shifted the tone inside the Beverly Hilton from pageantry to presence.

Teyana Taylor just gave the best speech of the entire award season at the Golden Globes

"To my brown sisters and little brown girls nominated tonight, our softness is not a liability. Our depth is not too much. Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room… pic.twitter.com/LeWdDFA3Yr

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) January 12, 2026

“To my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight, our softness is not a liability,” Taylor said as she accepted the award, visibly emotional. “Our depth is not too much. Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve space.”

In “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a role defined less by dialogue than by control. The performance resists flourish, relying instead on timing, restraint and physical presence — tools Taylor has honed across disciplines long before this moment.

She won the Globe over Emily Blunt for “The Smashing Machine,” Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for “Sentimental Value,” Ariana Grande for “Wicked: For Good,” and Amy Madigan for “Weapons.” The category was crowded. The decision was decisive.

For much of her career, Taylor has existed in the space between visibility and validation — widely respected, rarely centered. She emerged publicly as a dancer and singer, but steadily expanded her range behind the scenes, directing visuals, shaping performances and, more recently, choosing acting roles with increasing care.

Sunday night did not introduce a new version of Teyana Taylor. It acknowledged one that has been forming in plain sight.