If you’re anything like us, we see an interesting headline during our daily scroll—pause to read it—but then keep scrolling without reading the actual story. So at the end of each week, we’re rounding up all the buzziest, news-worthy headlines you might have missed. Think of it like the “saved” feature on Instagram but for news instead of aesthetically pleasing photos. Frank Ocean’s Homer brand dropped a NSFW luxury ring, Megan Thee Stallion released her ferocious album Traumazine, and Nicki Minaj finally shared “Super Freaky Girl” —this is what you missed.

#1

Megan Thee Stallion Releases New Album ‘Traumazine’
If the album art was any indication, Traumazine, is not your typical Megan Thee Stallion hot girl shit. She traded humorous bars and double entendres for pointed lyrics directed at those who’ve wronged her. Meg’s shooting lyrical gunfire over the album’s 18 tracks, not even pausing to see her targets hit the ground because she’s already on to the next. It’s not hard to guess what inspired the album’s mood, between an ongoing legal battle with her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and the highly-publicized case with Tory Lanez, she has much to be frustrated about. It’s giving big mad, bad, and sad with assists from Key Glock, Latto, Pooh Shiesty, Rico Nasty, Jhene Aiko, Future, and Dua Lipa—who are all featured on the album. If you listen closely you’ll hear sprinkles of vulnerability and introspection throughout the album as Meg shows a different side of her proving you can still be bad and sad (okay, last one I promise). To celebrate the newfound vulnerability shown on Traumazine, Meg invited fans on Twitter to share things they’re going through and retweeted some with words of encouragement.

#2

Steve Lacy, Kanye, and Lil Uzi Vert Debut Matching Tattoos
If you’ve heard the name Steve Lacy recently and wondered why didn’t you know the stylish 24-year-old artist earlier, I promise you’ve unknowingly come across his work before. Lace joined the band, The Internet, when he was still a high school freshman. Not your average high school band, The Internet was a part of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill ‘Em All—the rap collective that included Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, and Earl Sweatshirt. He became a breakout star in the band and started producing for Kendrick Lamar at 18 years old among other noteworthy artists (Solange, J Cole, Mac Miller). His new album, Gemini Rights, has shined the spotlight on him and this week he broke the internet with Kanye and Lil Uzi Vert debuting matching tattoos on Instagram. Showing off their left arms, where the tattoo is placed, the trio was all smiles while tattoo artist Meza Afram snapped the pic. It reads “we here forever technically” and judging by the group’s social media posts that day, Kanye recruited Lacy and Uzi for an upcoming Yeezy x Gap campaign. 

#3

Frank Ocean’s Homer Wants You to Ice Out Your Manhood With $25K Ring 
Frank Ocean did not drop new music this week (what else is new) but he did drop a $25,000 cock ring via his luxury brand Homer. No that’s not a typo, calling all upper echelon tax bracket jewelry and cock ring enthusiasts to www.homer.com for the XXXL H-Bone Ring with stones. Unlike rings for your fingers, the XXXL ring does not seem to have different sizes available and as shown on Homer’s Instagram, by a model flexing his iced-out pixelated manhood, it’s not for the Davids but for the Goliaths. Made of 18 karat yellow gold and princess-cut lab-grown diamonds, the ring is multi-use, in my opinion, making it an epic way to propose to your significant other. Some of the best reactions came from High Snobiety’s Instagram comment section, u/_boiaintnowayboi said what we are all thinking, “Frank how u going drop a cock ring before an album bruh” and Drake entered the chat thanks to u/privategardenclub’s comment “Drake getting out his credit card rn”. Life would be complete if I could see Matthew McConaughey fight for the Homer “ice out your manhood” advertising slogan (instead of the boring “frost yourself”) in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. It would be a progressive plot for the sequel, no?

#4

Nicki Minaj Shares Rick James-Sampling Song “Super Freaky Girl” 
Following a successful Young Money reunion x OVO Fest in Toronto last weekend, Nicki Minaj is here, yet again, to remind us why she’s “the baddest alive”. Videos of her, Lil Wayne, and Drake flooded my TikTok fyp for days after the performance, along with her “Super Freaky Girl” audio snippet which only existed on the platform. Alas, the full version is finally here sampling Rick James’ 1981 classic “Super Freak”. Only Nicki can use a sample so easily identifiable but still make it her own. Similar to what she did in 2014 with Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” on her hit song “Anaconda”. My test for songs that sample classics is if I’m thinking of the original sample’s lyrics while listening to the new song, then it’s a flop. I can’t remember a single “Super Freak” lyric while listening to “Super Freaky Girl” because I’m too busy spelling F-R-E-A-K with Nicki and saying bars that would make my mother cringe. The explicit single is sexy, spicy, and braggadocious—all the ingredients for a Nicki Minaj hit. Have I listened to it an unhealthy amount of times already? Barbs would say the limit does not exist. Did it give me a much-needed dose of arrogance to go about my day? Obviously, next question. The release coincided with the return of Nicki’s Queen Radio and a long-awaited new episode on Amazon’s live radio platform app, Amp. May your weekend be full of “On applications I write ‘pressure’ cause that’s what I apply (brr)” energy.

#5

EST Gee Shares Trials & Tribulations on “Love Is Blind”
Louisville-based rapper, EST Gee, shows no signs of slowing down with the release of a new single “Love Is Blind” this week. The CMG-signed rapper has already released the album, Last Ones Left, with label mate 42 Dugg, and contributed to CMG’s compilation album, Gangsta Art, in the last few months. He remains an in-demand feature artist, trading bars with Lil Durk, Future, French Montana, and Pooh Shiesty on their respective albums this year. Teaming up with his go-to producer, ForeveRolling, EST Gee spits cold hard truths, over booming 808s, about relationships and his struggles as a youth. He starts off with “Come take a trip down memory lane with a grave digger,” and goes in detailing gruesome stories from his past with a braggadocious punch line, of course. He’s no doubt gearing up for the follow-up to his 2021, Bigger Than Life or Death, mixtape.