THIS WEEK IN music + culture - 10/17

Oct 18

Take a look at some of the main points I discussed on THIS WEEK IN MUSIC + CULTURE.

Next year’s Met Gala theme has been announced, which is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. The theme will pay homage to African American history while primarily focusing on menswear.
On the board for the Met Gala this year is all Black men. We have the “Fashion Killa” A$AP Rocky, legendary producer Pharrell Williams, Emmy award-winning actor Colman Domingo, race car driver Lewis Hamilton, and honorary chair four-time NBA champion sLeBron James. Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour will also co-chair as she does every year.
Met Gala will be held on May 5, 2025

J. Cole reflects on the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar on his new song “Port Antonio.”
“They say I’m pickin’ sides, don’t you lie on me,” Cole raps on on the record he released last week on YouTube. “Drake, you’ll always be my n****/I ain’t ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n****/F*ck all the narratives, tappin’ back into your magic pen is what’s imperative.”
He continues: “I pulled the plug because I seen where that was ’bout to go/They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow/They see this fire in my pen and think I’m dodgin’ smoke/I wouldn’t have lost a battle, dog, I woulda lost a bro.”
As we already know J. Cole took himself out of the beef after he dropped “7 Minute Drill” which was targeted at Kendrick. He apologized at his annual Dreamville festival and then removed the song from his mixtape Might Delete Later.
Did J. Cole need to talk about the beef again or do you think it was necessary for him to publicly acknowledge Drake and give him words of encouragement?

Summer Walker is giving us a taste of what’s to come on her new album. Last week, we talked about how Summer was having fans guess the name of the album, and now she responded with the title of her third studio album: Finally Over It. Finally Over It is going to complete the trilogy which started with her 2019 debut Over It and her sophomore project Still Over It in 2021.
In the teaser, the singer is in a night robe listening to voicemails. Fans can quickly hear the reference when one of the voicemails says “D*mn you gonna do me like that. I was helping my cousin with her groceries” which is referencing when her ex-boyfriend “BMF” star Lil Meech was seen on a ring camera in 2023 going into a woman’s apartment.
Now getting into the song, She teased “Heart of a Woman” which is the lead single to Finally Over It. I suspect that this album is going to be getting over heartbreak so for the girlies that need it, Summer’s got you.

Speaking of heartbreak, Halle Bailey also is teasing a new song following her split with boyfriend DDG. On Instagram last week, the Little Mermaid star was heard singing the lyrics, “My everything breaking my heart in two.”
Now Halle hasn’t publicly spoken about the breakup but she posted a photo holding her son Halo which she shares with DDG soundtracked by the song “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child on the post.
The singer released “Because I Love You” back in August so we’re definitely due for a new Halle track.

Megan Thee Stallion is telling her story her own way. The Grammy-winning rapper is getting her own documentary on Amazon Prime. The doc is titled “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words” and it will be released on the streamer on Halloween (Oct. 31) which is subsequently a holiday in which the rapper really enjoys…if you follow her Instagram you already know.
Now much is not known about the documentary but I can suggest that the doc will touch upon the grief that she had to endure by losing her parents and grandmother. The high-profiled case with the state of California and convicted rapper Tory Lanez who was sent to prison for 10 years for shooting the Megan in the foot is also a no-brainer to be included in the documentary as well. While Megan has done interviews discussing these topics I’m interested to see more about her journey getting through these difficult times. So be tuned into Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Own Words on Oct. 31.

GloRilla and Sexxy Redd : “Whatchu Kno About Me”
The song is from Glo’s debut album Glorious which dropped last week. She has features from Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, Muni Long, T-Pain, Fridayy, Maverick City Music, and Kirk Franklin. It is such a solid project and Glo and Sexxy did right by the sample which was Lil Boosie feat. FOXX and Webbie's "Wipe Me Down." Boosie was also in the music video so 10/10 into paying homage.

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AUTUMN HAWKINS

new music friday - 10/17