Kendrick Lamar Loops Up Isley Brothers for New Feel-Good Single

“i,” the first taste of Kendrick Lamar’s follow-up to his universally acclaimed good kid, m.A.A.d. city, could’ve picked up right where his controversial, headline-grabbing “Control” verse left off: kicking ass and calling out names. But that would’ve been easy. Instead, K Dot cues up a Rahki-produced loop of the Isley Brothers classic “Lady” and raps about the importance of self-love, positivity and standing up for your beliefs. “The sky can fall down, the wind can cry now/The strong in me, I still smile,” he raps, before a chorus of “I love myself” chants. Feel-good rap has rarely ever felt this good.

Read it at RapRadar.

Kenan Thompson May or May Not Be Leaving SNL

Word on the web is that Kenan Thompson’s Saturday Night Live days are numbered, yet the sketch comedy show doesn’t seem ready to let go. An NBC statement calls BS following a TMZ report that the 36-year-old funnyman—the show’s most tenured Black cast member—would chuck the deuces after the 2015 season: “This report is inaccurate, as this season hasn’t even started yet and cast decisions aren’t made until the end of the season.” So while it seems we’ll have at least one more season of Kenan spoofing Steve Harvey or “Getting Freaky with Cee-Lo Green,” TMZ is sticking to its guns. “It’s Kenan’s decision, and we know he’s already made it,” the gossip giant insists.

Read it at TMZ.

Waka Flocka Flame and Tammy Get a VH1 Spin-off

Looks like Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta lovebirds Waka Flocka Flame and Tammy are building their own TV nest. The Flockas each posted an image to their Instagram pages suggesting the married couple has a spin-off reality TV show “coming soon to VH1.” The illustration—which also reads “Meet the Flockas!”—depicts Waka wearing all black, cradling his wifey-in-white.

But are you really surprised Mr. and Mrs. Flame would take their love to its own time slot? Their relationship on LHHATL wasn’t nearly as scandalous as, say, Kirk secretly swabbing his son for a paternity test or Joseline going Bam Bam Bigelow on everyone at the Season 3 reunion. Still, Waka “fornicating” with sperm donation cups and balancing his career with family life should keep viewers flocking to the boob tube.

Read it at AllHipHop.