Rap Madness Brackets vs Actual Outcome

Thank you for participating in RapTV’s annual Rap Madness ❗️ The tournament may be over, but we have some final takeaways and stats to share. If you would not like to receive future emails from our Today In Rap newsletter, please unsubscribe at the top or bottom of this email.

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Zero Perfect Rap Madness Brackets

Out of 66,814 brackets created, no perfect bracket correctly predicted the winner for each of the 63 match-ups. The top 2 brackets had a score of 1910 (the perfect score was 1920) and were 99.99% accurate.

The only mistake on display name Blake Richy’s bracket was picking Fivio Foreign to win over Rick Ross in the first round. 

The only mistake on display name Killa’s bracket was picking Kid Cudi to win over Lil Yachty in the first round.

You can view the Top 40 leaderboard with scores and completed brackets here.

Bracket voting vs reality

Here’s a recap of how far some of the most likely-to-win artists, based on your completed brackets, actually went in the tournament. We gave them consolation prize trophies (except for Travis Scott) for their actual vs. predicted performance.

The close call king 🏆️ 

Kendrick Lamar was 1st most likely to win and made it to the top 2.

The unexpected hero 🏆️ 

Travis Scott was 3rd most likely to win and was crowned the champion.

The two-round twins 🏆️ 

Eminem was 5th most likely to win and made it to the top 32. Lil Wayne was 10th most likely to win and made it to the top 32.

The underdog that doesn't trust you 🏆️ 

Future was 7th most likely to win and made it to the top 4.

The predictable pick 🏆️ 

J. Cole was 8th most likely to win and made it to the top 8.

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The Real Reason Ye Said He’s Retiring From Music

“Not sure what else to do,” Ye said defeatedly in a text to Rich The Kid on Tuesday, July 9, after revealing that he’s retiring from his professional music career. Rich immediately voiced what Ye fans everywhere were thinking, “Retire? Why? How? The people NEED you.”

Fans' reactions ranged from “this means Ye’s last song was ‘yo dot I got you,’” referring to Ye’s “Like That” remix, which was never officially released, to “this means we’re never getting Vultures 2” and “GTA 6 before Vultures 2.”

The last update on Vultures 2 before Ye’s retirement announcement was Ty Dolla $ign, saying the album is practically finished and could drop any day now. Still, they’re figuring out the logistics and distribution, which is more Ye’s area of responsibility.

Why Ye announced his retirement

The good news is that it appears Ye’s retirement was a marketing move for Rich The Kid’s upcoming album, Life’s A Gamble, set to drop on July 19. A few hours after Rich posted the IG story with the screenshot of Ye’s text saying he’s retiring, Rich posted the tracklist for his album. 

Ye has three features: the previously released “Gimme A Second 2” and “Carnival” (Ty Dolla $ign is on both) and the unreleased “Plain Jane,” which is a solo Ye feature. Rich didn’t confirm or deny the bait-and-switch promotional tactic, but he reposted the below @bars post on his story.

The bad news is that Ye’s features are the only new music he’s guaranteed to release soon. Even if he was in on the retirement joke, waiting for Vultures 2 has been like waiting for LeBron James to retire—useless and disappointing.

Kendrick’s Diabolical Drake Disses in “Not Like Us” Video

Kendrick Lamar has made haters in every corner of the internet realize they’re not hating to their full potential. You thought “The Pop Out” show was Drake’s funeral? That was the wake because the “Not Like Us” video dropped, and just when you thought Kendrick couldn’t possibly bury Drake further—he does.

X user @but_im_kim_tran said it best, “Never teaching my kids to ‘rise above.’ Going to teach them to be like Kendrick Lamar. If you’re going to hate, you must commit. Employ visuals. Enlist your neighborhood. Call the NBA. Don’t sleep until everyone is dancing and laughing with you.” 

Following up his “The Pop Out” performance on Juneteenth (celebrating the day slaves were freed), Kendrick dropped “Not Like Us” on July 4th, calling Drake a colonizer on Independence Day. 

That symbolism is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the diabolical ways Kendrick used the video to taunt and mock Drake.

The thing about Kendrick’s genius is that he leaves nothing for random but everything for interpretation. We know he’s calculated, mischievously planting easter eggs, but he leaves the fun of decoding their meaning and intent up to the audience. 

We’re breaking down the most menacing Drake references in the “Not Like Us” music video and their potential meaning below.

“Drop and give me 50”

Drake’s first diss track, “Push-Ups,” asked Kendrick to drop and give him 50. Kendrick drops and gives Drake 17 push-ups in a room that resembles “cell block one.” 

Fans on social media have joked that Kendrick only did 17 because Drake doesn’t like anything over 18 (playing into the minor allegations), but 17 could also represent the number of Grammys Kendrick has (remember Drake’s line “Kendrick just opened his mouth, someone go give him a Grammy right now”?). Either way, the push-ups are mocking Drake.

“Hide yo little sister from him”

In the same prison cell scene, Kendrick subtly mimics a TikTok dance Drake did with a young girl who seems to be a fan’s little sister. Naturally, the hand signals happen as he says the line, “To any bitch that talk to him and they in love, just make sure you hide your little sister from him.”

Like many references in the video, It’s so subtle yet specific, making it hard to deny but not obvious enough to prove Kendrick’s intent.

The Owl Pinata

The most obvious OVO reference is the owl-shaped pinata that Dot fucks up synced perfectly to the artistic camera angle switches of “wop, wop, wop, wop, wop.” Pinatas are also a common activity at kids' birthday parties, and the owl, as a bird, is a predator.

Playground Hopscotch

Kendrick employs a double-entendre visual in the hopscotch scene. Another common children's activity, playing hopscotch during the a-minoooor bar is maniacal and hilarious, but it doesn’t stop there. 

Kendrick’s fit pays homage to skateboarder Jamal Smith's infamous “whack” meme. “His hair, whack, his gear, whack, his jewelry, whack, his foot stance, whack…” says Smith in the viral video, which was originally made by Thrasher magazine to promote a skateboarding competition.

The symbolism might tie back to Kendrick’s diss track “euphoria” during which he rattles off things he hates about Drake in a similar fashion to Smith or simply signify that he thinks Drake is whack.

Family Matters

The final nail in Drake’s “Family Matters” coffin is the scene of Kendrick and his family. In the first shot, Kendrick stands behind his son, Enoch, highlighting their resemblance. Drake alleged that Dave Free is the real father of Enoch, and Kendrick has a strained relationship with Whitney.

Couple with “Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar” in large font at the end of the video, Drake’s adultery claims have lost all credibility. Whitney is gleefully dancing (on Drake’s grave) in a wife-beater tank top, potentially combatting Drake’s other allegations that Kendrick once laid hands on his partner.

• Is Drake’s next move house music? Members of the German electronic label Keinemusik teased a new collaboration with the boy having previously worked with him on Honestly, Nevermind.

• Pusha T was named the newest ambassador for Louis Vuitton. Joining longtime collaborator and LV Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams, Pusha asked, “Is this checkmate?”

• YNW Melly finally gets a new trial date after several delays. The Florida native has been jailed since his arrest in 2019 and will have spent over six years behind bars before the retrial.