A$AP Rocky is Taking Steps Backwards

Tyler, the Creator not only earned his third number-one album with CHROMAKOPIA, but all 14 songs are on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In other news: 

• Billboard Hot 100 📈

• Why some A$AP Rocky fans are getting refunds 👀

• We are about to get a behind-the-scenes look in the life of Ye 🎥

• Industry Insights 🔎

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Tyler, the Creator, took over the chart this week with his newest album, CHROMAKOPIA, while “Not Like Us” seems to be dropping in the charts despite its major takeover this summer. 

A$AP Rocky’s “DON’T BE DUMB” Preorders Refunded

A$AP Rocky has been teasing his newest release in six years, DON’T BE DUMB, for months. According to a reveal at his Paris Fashion Week show, the album was originally supposed to drop on “August 30th.” Still, it was delayed (again) due to “leaks and sample clearances" eight days before its debut. 

The album was then set to come out in the fall of 2024. However, the rapper’s latest moves are making fans believe that they are more likely to hear new music from Rihanna first.

Preorder refunds are frustrating fans

Starting the weekend of November 1, those who preordered the vinyl versions of the upcoming album began receiving refunds to their email accounts. 

Rocky has been getting fans' hopes up and crashing them down for months since he first “officially announced” the album, so they are understandably pissed online. 

Nevertheless, he told Complex in September that the delay gave him more time to get into his creative bag and sharpen up the project. 

“I'm a perfectionist and I think sometimes that's my own worst enemy. I like to keep revising and editing, pushing things to the limit. I want to explore every option and every possibility. I want to assure that all of my fans will be fulfilled when they get this music,” he told the publication. 

Regardless of A$AP Rocky’s reassurances, these recent refunds and (still) no official release date have got his fanbase having a big “F**kin’ Proble`m” with the Harlem native. 

Ye’s Documentary In Whose Name? is Reportedly Dropping in 2025 

Ye has been known not only to create beautiful music but also to stir up some controversy. From snatching the mic from Taylor Swift to his “White Lives Matter” shirts, one thing about the Chicago native is that he’ll let everyone know where he stands (for better or for worse). 

In recent years, he’s been more secretive and has taken time away from the public eye. Luckily, someone has been behind the camera for the past six years, capturing what we haven’t seen.

What’s the film talking about?

The details are being kept quieter than A$AP Rocky during an album rollout. However, Nico Ballesteros, who has been a videographer for Ye since 2018, will direct the film. 

The production companies Goodfellas and Utopia will reportedly introduce the film at the American Film Market next week. Then, a promo reel will be screened on November 7 to find a buyer.

The official synopsis previews a deep dive into Ye’s life, stating, “With a billion-dollar budget and a commitment to truth, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, invites 18-year-old Nicolas Ballesteros armed with an iPhone on a six-year journey revealing unfiltered aspects of celebrity life...” 

The film will follow Ye’s rise to the billionaire status he officially reached in 2020 and the controversies that plagued his success, including his anti-Semitic comments, which led to Adidas cutting ties with him and, ultimately, losing his billionaire net worth and elite status. 

It seems that the documentary already has the Ye stamp of approval. In a screenshot shared by Ballesteros on Instagram on November 1, the rapper said that the doc “was very deep” and felt like “it was like being dead and looking back on my life.” 

Fans are already lit about seeing their GOAT on the big screen and getting an inside look at what has been happening behind the scenes.

“The documentary is going to be such a roller coaster but I think it’ll humanize Ye like never before. He’s been through a lot. Super excited. You’ll probably need tissues tho,” u/kanyestreams1 posted on X.

• YNW Melly is fighting back. He filed a lawsuit against the Broward County Sheriff’s Office for being "illegally detained under conditions that violate the First, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments."

• Lil Wayne is getting his flowers. He received the key to the city of New Orleans and a spot on the New Orleans Walk of Fame while performing at WeezyAna Fest.

• Glorilla has another performance coming up. She will be closing out the Honda Battle of the Bands competition in Los Angeles next February. 

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