The rebrand replaces “A-List: Hip-Hop.”
Apple Music announced the launch of “Rap Life,” a new global playlist focusing on contemporary rap artists and culture. It replaces the former “The A-List: Hip-Hop” playlist.
Said Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B: “We flipped it to dig deeper into into the lifestyle [and to] keep pushing the culture forward.” He heads a team of curators whose editorial mission is that: “Rap isn’t just a genre. There’s a reason it’s sometimes simply called The Culture: It’s a way of life.”
Kicking off the rebranded playlist is J. Cole (pictured), MVP of the chart-topping Dreamville “Revenge of the Dreamers III” collection — and its standout track “Under the Sun” (feat. DaBaby) — who will grace the cover throughout the week. Also high on the “Rap Life” running order: Drake’s “Money in the Grave” (feat. Rock Ross), Future’s “1000 Shooters” (feat. Meek Mill and Doe Boy) and Lil Tecca’s “Ransom.”
The Apple playlist, while running behind in the rap race against Spotify’s popular “RapCaviar” playlist, which boasts more than 11 million followers, is looking to more terrestrial avenues for an additional boost. Planned down the road is a “Rap Life” show on Apple Music’s Beats 1.