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Real n****s go hard (pause, no homo): iLoveMakonnen | Louder Than A Riot, S2E6

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The night of the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards was ... a time. Viewers watched Rihanna win the career-spanning Video Vanguard Award and appear to dodge a kiss from presenter Drake. Britney Spears performed on the program for the first time since her controversial 2007 appearance. Key & Peele, in character as semi-clueless influencers, slung jokes from the stands. But for at least one artist in attendance, the real fireworks took place after the show was over.

Atlanta rapper iLoveMakonnen says everything seemed fine when he first showed up to that evening's VMA afterparty at the New York nightclub Up & Down. All the stars were in the room; there were bottles and balloons everywhere. Makonnen had taken some shrooms, and was vibing with a few of his fashion friends. It was shaping up to be a good time — until Drake walked in. At the time, Makonnen was on the outs with Drake's label OVO, which had signed him back in 2014 on the strength of his single "Tuesday." Though they hadn't seen each other in a while, Makonnen had no reason to think there was any bad blood between them. "I was like, 'Drake, what's up?' " Makonnen recalls. "And then he looked at me like, Look, next time I see you, I'm gonna f*** you up."

Illustration by Amanda Howell Whitehurst.
http://amandahowellwhitehurst.com

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LOUDER THAN A RIOT’s second season unpacks just how deeply misogynoir is embedded in the fabric of the hip-hop culture that we love. How did issues of masculinity play into the tensions between ILoveMakonnen and Drake, or Saucy Santana and the industry? How did Rico Nasty's community mobilize for her when she was targeted by Playboi Carti fans? Why did Megan Thee Stallion's reputation get put on the stand for a trial where she was the victim? And why does the culture antagonize rap beefs that reinforce the idea there can only be one queen of rap?

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Jazz
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NPR, NPR Music, National Public Radio
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