Apple Music recently replaced its The A-List: Hip-Hop playlist which features contemporary rap artists and culture, and renamed it Rap Life.
Rapper J. Cole kicks off the rebranded playlist with his popular track, Under the Sun, which features DaBaby. He will appear on the cover throughout the week. Drake’s Money in the Grave featuring Rick Ross also makes an appearance, as well as Future’s 1000 Shooters and Lil Tecca’s Ransom.
Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, Said Ebro Darden, said that the rebranding stems from wanting to tap into deeper music.
“Rap isn’t just a genre. There’s a reason it’s sometimes simply called The Culture: It’s a way of life. And this playlist—formerly known as The A-List: Hip-Hop—is where rap lives, breathes, and moves,” Darden said. “Topped today by J.Cole and the Dreamville crew’s Under the Sun, off their Revenge of the Dreamers III album, Rap Life is home to hip-hop’s heavy hitters and vanguard—the stars and the songs that speak to the moment and define the culture today.”
The playlist competes against Spotify’s popular RapCaviar playlist, which has more than 11 million followers and potentially more. Apple has also revealed they plan to have a Rap Life show on Apple Music’s Beats 1 which will feature music from playlist and cultural discussions about hip-hop. Darden is also set to host a companion Rap Life segment during his daily Beats 1 show.
Apple Music has been a leading streaming platform for hip-hop since 2015, and has reportedly surpassed Spotify in engagement for major releases like Drake’s Scorpion and More Life albums.
