Fans have been patiently waiting for Joey Bada$$’s debut album, B4.DA.$$, for a while now, and early Tuesday morning (September 30), he gave them a taste of what to expect. The New York native dropped the audio and a new video for “Christ Conscious,” which he calls one of his “favorite records off of the album.”

“That record to me is like, ‘I’m here,’” he explained to MTV News. “The whole idea of the song is, I’m building up, channeling my energy, getting stronger and stronger until one day I finally evolve. And that’s what it is in the video: Me ascending to this next level.”

The visuals, which were shot in his native Brooklyn, find the buzzing MC walking the streets before ultimately rising off his feet and into the sky. Throughout, the directors, M-I-E, interspersed visually captivating special effects that give the video an aesthetic that balances gritty and futuristic. And though he credits the directors for bringing his vision to life, the Cinematic Music Group MC says he “visualized the whole video instantly” when he heard the track.

(Watch the ‘Christ Conscious’ video above)

And exactly how he heard the track — which is produced by Zoe Supreme — is actually an odd but awesome story.

“I went on YouTube, ’cause back before I got on, I used to always go on YouTube and look for beats,” he says. “Like, just search J. Dilla stuff. What I did this time was I was like, Yo, I actually got a ...

One of the most anticipated new rap records of the year dropped last week, when Kendrick Lamar released “i,” his first solo single since 2012′s good kid, m.A.A.d city.

The song, which interpolates the Isley Brothers’ hit “Who’s That Lady?” was produced by Rahki, who says it’s just a taste of things to come. He also explained that it was a collaborative effort throughout.

“Every time Kendrick worked on the record, every time he had Ali mix it, he called me [to] come through,” the 31-year-old producer told MTV News. “He’s that type of artist where he wants the producer to be a part of the record, which to me is the most important thing in the world. That’s why the music comes out so good with Kendrick — he’s all about the music.”

Rahki, who produced the gkmc bonus track “Black Boy Fly,” says he first started sending K. Dot beats for the new project right after the debut dropped. Once Dot came off tour this summer, they got in the studio together — though they only finished “i” about a week before it dropped.

“We started really building. We got in. We talked about life. I was just with him like every day all summer. He told me the idea of what he was looking for for the album, and so we just started building ideas that way. So everything we did for ‘i’ was built solely based off of us [conversing]. I didn’t have those records ...

Pharrell has associated with and taken cues from Japanese culture and art throughout his career. From his work with Nigo and Billionaire Boys Club to his collaborations with Uniqlo to his hosting of the documentary “Tokyo Rising,” the singer and producer has worked with Japanese tastemakers on a number of occasions. For his new video, “It Girl,” he was at it again.

Produced by Takashi Murakami, directed Mr. and Fantasista Utamaro, and with animation production provided by NAZ, the clip turns Pharrell 2D — as he becomes a cartoon, finds himself inside a video game, and woos his anime-created “It Girl.” It’s simultaneously visually appealing — with lots of cool graphics and bright, popping colors — and a bit funny — seeing an animated P swoon over some bikini-clad anime women.

This is a second time this month that the judge from “The Voice” has found himself in a video game. Last week, the Virginia native — and his famous hat — showed up in a clip from the upcoming “NBA 2K15.”

“#YourTimeHasCome to meet me in @2K #NBA2K15. New face scan technology will make it possible for us to meet face-to-face in one scene. Coming soon,” he wrote on Instagram.

The game drops October 7. Meanwhile, G I R L, the album that features “It Girl,” is available now.

Adam Fleischer

Chris Brown is not pleased with TMZ, and he’s particularly upset with the site’s founder, Harvey Levin.

“What the devil looks like in person. Lol,” Breezy captioned an Instagram post on Monday afternoon (September 29), with a picture of Levin. “You sad little man. You’ve been trying for years to destroy me. It won’t work. Your efforts are flattering.”

The post, which he quickly took down, was likely a response to a story that appeared on the gossip site earlier today with the headline, “CHRIS BROWN SHOVES WOMAN Blocks Her Attempted Kiss.”

The story includes two videos — each of the same moment, but from different angles — that show CB walking through a crowded, loud nightclub while holding hands with his girlfriend, Karrueche Tran. A woman grabs the X singer’s face, appearing as if she’s trying to kiss him, and he attempts to make his way past her.

“When you look back on your life when it’s that time for you to depart, what can u actually say you’ve accomplished in life?” Brown continued in his photo caption. “Bringing people down and being the number one source for negativity. Life’s too short homie. Find some sort of happiness. You are a grown ass man. God bless you bruh.”

Adam Fleischer

This weekend marked the third anniversary of J. Cole’s debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. To commemorate that occasion, he could have dropped the lead single to his upcoming third album. Alas, that didn’t happen. But on Monday (September 29), we did get some new Cole bars, as he hopped on the remix of Maroon 5′s “Animals.”

“This is pain, this is love/ This is sent from above/ This a gift from the Gods/ This was meant to be,” the North Carolina native raps to kickstart his part. For the rest of the verse — which clocks in at just 30 seconds, leaving you wanting plenty more — Jermaine speaks of a love lost, but not quite gone. “I hope your new man don’t mind, girl you’re mine forever,” he spits to close.

Maroon 5 also dropped the official video for “Animals” on Monday, which finds lead singer Adam Levine getting bloodied and obsessed and in love.

The remix seems to be a sign that Cole is in the studio, at least, so hopefully that new single is on the way soon.

Adam Fleischer

CENTRAL PARK, New York — Jay Z. Beyonce. No Doubt. Sting. Carrie Underwood. fun. The Roots. Alicia Keys. Tiesto.

All of these artists could probably command triple digits for a ticket to see them play live alone. And together? Better start saving.

But on Saturday, they all performed together — and it was free to get in.

Why?

The Global Citizen Festival.

The third annual event was put on with the goal of erasing extreme poverty by 2030. That sounds like a tall task, sure, but that’s why the organization has enlisted so many big names — both to help raise awareness about the issue, and to put pressure on world leaders to do their part in eradicating that poverty.

All of the acts performed for free, and of the 60,000 attendees, the vast majority got their tickets for free, though some bought VIP entrance. Those who didn’t could earn their way in by committing to “take action” which allowed them to “earn points” they could put towards entry.

The many performances throughout the day-long festival were bridged together by short spiels and speeches by celebrities and world leaders. Celebs like Hugh Jackman, Jessica Alba and Olivia Wilde plus political leaders like United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President Barack Obama (who actually recorded a video message) were on hand to highlight some of the facts and help announce steps towards solutions.

Here’s why so many of your favorites are already involved, and what’s being done:

There are 1.2 billion people in ...