2DopeBoyz

''2DopeBoyz'' is an online hip hop music review, news and criticism website launched in 2007 by Meka Udoh and Joel "Shake" Zela, who were former editors at HipHopDX. The website played a central role in hip hop's blog era of the mid-2000s and early 2010s, a period of growth for non-mainstream outlets as music media transitioned from primarily print and radio-based to online outlets and social media. 2DOPEBOYZ and other blogs like it helped promote unsigned and unknown rappers to notoriety, launching the careers of many of the star artists of the period.

History

Udoh and Zela started the blog as a hobby with a focus on the West Coast. In 2008, 2DopeBoyz joined other blogs including OnSMASH, Miss Info's eponymous blog, and Nah Right to form the New Music Cartel, a loose professional collective created to help the defining blogs of Hip Hop's blog era compete with larger print, radio, and technology companies.

In 2012, 2DopeBoyz was nominated in the "Best Hip Hop Online Site" category at the 2012 Bet Hip Hop Awards.

In June 2017, 2DopeBoyz was one of several music websites and blogs who had their Twitter accounts suspended over copyright claims from major labels like Viacom and Atlantic Records.

As part of Jay Z's '' 4:44'' album rollout, cryptic ads featuring the album name on a peach-colored background were bought on sites including 2DopeBoyz, ''Complex'', and The Undefeated. The ads did not link to anything, but ''Spin'' reported the image's source code included reference to Jay Z's music streaming website Tidal.

In 2018, when Zela tweeted he was considering shutting the website down, rapper Kendrick Lamar encouraged him not to and said the hip-hop needed 2DopeBoyz. The blog is often credited with playing an early role in the promotion of Lamar's career.

Feud with Tyler, the Creator

In the title track of Tyler, the Creator's 2009 mixtape '' Bastard'', the first words Tyler says are cursing 2DopeBoyz, NahRight, and other blogs who Tyler viewed as snubbing him early on in his career. On the title track of fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt's 2010 mixtape, ''Earl'', Earl, Tyler, and Taco Bennett rap about their distaste for 2DOPEBOYZ.

In 2011, Tyler, the Creator announced the release date of his solo album ''Goblin'' with a video on his website that flashed the words "Fuck 2DopeBoyz & NahRight". On the song "Sandwitches" off of ''Goblin'', Tyler rapped "Fuck 2DopeBoyz, all them niggas bitches/We don't need y'all, The Fader's who we really fucking with, bitch."

In a February 17, 2011 post on 2DopeBoyz, Zela and Udoh addressed Tyler's comments, claiming they were not aware of him as an artist until he started insulting them in interviews and on tracks. They said they never received music from Tyler or Odd Future and they would not work with someone who was disrespectful "for absolutely no reason", calling Tyler's outrage a marketing ploy.

References

External links

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American music websites
Hip-hop websites
Music review websites
Magazines established in 2007
Online music magazines published in the United States