NEWS
DXCLUSIVE - Rapsody has said that she was inspired by many different artists, but Lil Wayne recently gave her the impetus to be at her best in the booth.
The legendary MC sat down with HipHopDX on Friday (May 17), where she revealed how the ex-Hot Boy got her creative juices flowing.
“I just wanna say what I say and make it fun,” she said at the 29:00 mark. “But then, he sent his verse, and I was like, ‘I gotta match the level of artistry.’ Like, it’s Wayne!”
She continued: “And I ain’t scared to say it, because he’s one of the GOATs. It is what it is. A lot of artists won’t say it. But I’ll say it: I probably wrote my verse like 27 times.”
“May 17th, Please Don’t Cry. My fourth studio album,” she wrote on Instagram.
Rapsody then offered a hint at the album’s concept, describing the journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance that she has embarked on since her last full-length release.
“The last four years have been a beautiful, challenging, exciting, scary, journey back to self,” she said. “A becoming. A reintroduction. An unveiling. An unlearning. A knowing. An unplugging. A welcome home. A reality check.
“A love story with the reflection in the mirror. And I love her. She’s raw. Imperfect. Real. Goofy. Intelligent. Cool as a cucumber. Patient. Kind. Mad. Emotional. Funny. Quiet. Swear she gangsta. Thoughtful. Grateful. Forgetful. Overwhelmed.”
She added: “Once a month she got an attitude. She cares deeply. Sometimes too much. She’s a lot of things. She’s complex. But, I think that’s what makes her special. And I can’t wait for you to get to know her. Love [kiss emoji] The Homegirl.”
The album’s tracklist (which can be seen in full at the bottom of this page) reveals collaborations with Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, Hit-Boy, Baby Tate and Alex Isley, among others, across 22 songs.
The album is Rapsody’s first album in five years.
After staying quiet for years, The Avalanches have finally returned with something brand new. Their latest single “Together,” released through Modular Recordings, features Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza, and Prentiss, marking the group’s first original release in close to six years.
Anyone expecting quiet, reflective electronic music or sample heavy Motown inspired textures may be caught off guard by this one. “Together” leans into bright energy and movement, delivering a lively dance driven sound that feels playful, upbeat, and built for packed rooms and late nights.
The Avalanches, currently made up of Robbie Chater, Tony Di Blasi and Andy Szekeres, made a huge impact with their 2000 debut album Since I Left You.
What made the record stand out was its incredible use of sampling, blending fragments from hundreds of recordings by artists including Françoise Hardy, Sérgio Mendes, Raekwon, Wayne and Shuster, and Madonna into something completely unique. Tracks like “Frontier Psychiatrist” and the title song helped establish the album as both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. According to a statement from the band’s representatives, the project left “a global footprint for collaborative sampology in the 21st century.”
Their second album arrived after an extremely long wait and explored a very different direction creatively. Sixteen years after their debut, The Avalanches released Wildflower, which debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Their next project, We Will Always Love You, arrived in 2020 and later earned the Australian Music Prize for Album of the Year.
The group briefly resurfaced again in 2024 through their collaboration with Jamie XX on the song “All You Children” from In Waves.
“Together” appears to be the beginning of another major era for the group. The release is connected to a “Superfun” campaign that features artwork of Chater gaming along with an animated visual for the track. The video brings old technology to life, including an iPod and a diskette, as they wander through a colorful world side by side.
A classic Nokia 3310 also shows up in the video, floating down from above complete with angel wings.
“How are you looking after your memories? At Takumi digital archives your most treasured moments are safe with us,” says the mysterious official statement. Fans are also invited to “visit Takumi today” through the website takumiarchives.com.
Jonathan Zawada directed and animated the music video, which can be streamed below.
