Morgan Wallen was an unstoppable pressure in 2023. After dropping his third studio album, One Factor at a Time, on March 3, the nation singer exploded out the gates with one of many greatest first-week gross sales of the 12 months. He moved over 501,000 album-equivalent models, and the challenge debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The LP’s chart place then remained unshaken for months on finish and wasn’t toppled by any rap releases till Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape got here alongside in July.
Moreover, all 36 tracks from Morgan Wallen’s expansive album entered the Billboard Sizzling 100 chart, shattering Drake’s document for many songs by an artist on the chart at one time, in addition to the document for many debuts on the chart, with 27. Evidently, Morgan Wallen was one of many greatest artists of 2023, however the nation star has additionally closely dipped his toe into hip-hop’s waters these previous few years. Wallen had beforehand linked with Lil Durk for his track “Broadway Ladies” in 2022, however did so once more with “Stand by Me” off Durk’s Nearly Healed album in Could. He even went fishing with the OTF chief over the summer time, and lately was gifted an official OTF chain.
Other than his blossoming relationship with Durk, Morgan Wallen additionally lately appeared alongside Drizzy in his newest music video for “You Broke My Coronary heart.” Regardless of the blowback, Wallen obtained for utilizing a racial slur on digital camera in February of 2021, there have been different cases of Morgan Wallen shouting out rappers and rappers displaying him love.
Take a look at a couple of of the occasions beneath when nation’s greatest star paid homage to hip hop.
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Morgan Wallen Desires to Work With Kendrick Lamar
The world was shocked when Lil Durk and Morgan Wallen linked for “Broadway Ladies” on Dec. 17, 2021. Nevertheless, the monitor debuted within the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop chart. Wallen mentioned in an interview with Druski on the Clubhouse app on Dec. 30 of that 12 months that he’d like to work with extra rappers.
“I do love [Moneybagg Yo]. He’s undoubtedly on the prime of the listing,” Wallen mentioned. “However like general, ever… I’m making an attempt to consider not simply prior to now little bit… Kendrick Lamar can be fairly cool.”
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Lil Durk Brings Out Morgan Wallen at Present
In January of 2022, Lil Durk introduced out Morgan Wallen throughout a set on the Martin Luther King Freedom Fest in Nashville, Tenn. The duo carried out their hit “Broadway Ladies,” and Durkio shouted out the nation singer, calling him, “real at coronary heart.”
“Cannot no person cancel s**t. What I be saying? Know what I am saying?” Durkio mentioned at one level.
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Diddy Reveals Assist for Morgan Wallen
A 12 months after Morgan Wallen was caught on digital camera utilizing a racial slur, Diddy mentioned sufficient was sufficient and sought to bestow forgiveness on the controversial nation star in Could of 2022. Diddy was set to host the 2022 Billboard Music Awards and put Morgan Wallen on the invoice. He additionally placed on Travis Scott, who was nonetheless coping with the fallout from the 2021 Astroworld tragedy.
“Travis went by a tragedy; Morgan [used the N-word] whereas speaking to his boy,” Diddy mentioned in an interview with Billboard. “Individuals make errors. Now we’re transferring on with love and respect for everyone that was damage or affected. It’s time to forgive.”
He continued, “To have Morgan and Travis be capable of come again and contact the stage once more with the mindset of getting a second likelihood at life. Everyone within the room is getting a second likelihood at life, , as a result of we’re again inside with no masks on. We want love and I’m enthusiastic about celebrating that.”
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Morgan Wallen Samples Younger Thug and Wealthy Homie Quan
Upon the discharge of One Factor at a Time in March of 2023, hip-hop followers rapidly realized that certainly one of Wallen’s 36 songs included a pattern from Younger Thug and Wealthy Homie Quan’s “Way of life.” On the album’s thirty first monitor “180 (Way of life),” Wallen flipped Thugga’s early hit, and bought permission to make use of the pattern from Thug’s camp. He even sat down for a gathering with 300 Leisure’s Kevin Liles.
“I advised him he needed to ship the demo to me, instantly,” Liles mentioned to The Tennessean. “[Thankfully], it was honorable, loving, respectful and truthful to being a rap document from a contemporary nation perspective.”
He continued, “[Morgan] is a inventive one who tells a real story and loves hip-hop music and tradition. [‘180’] transcends genres.”
Younger Thug can be credited as a songwriter on the monitor.
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Morgan Wallen Brings Out Lil Durk at Chicago Present
Throughout the Chicago cease on Morgan Wallen’s One Factor at a Time Tour in July of 2023, the nation crooner introduced out Lil Durk to carry out their joint monitor “Stand by Me.” The smiling rapper hopped round on stage whereas the pair gave the primary stay efficiency of their monitor. Movies from the night present the nation crowd eagerly singing alongside.
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Morgan Wallen Goes Fishing With Lil Durk
In Could of 2023, Lil Durk hopped on Instagram and shared a photograph of himself flexing a newly caught fish alongside Morgan Wallen. The pair, who have been decked out in camo, had determined to go fishing within the Tenessee lakes close to Wallen’s hometown.
“Household is household can’t nothing change that p.s I’m achieved wit fish [two tears of joy emojis],” Durk captioned the image.
Wallen additionally shared the identical picture on his IG, writing: “Durk achieved pulled up and taught me find out how to fish.”
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Lil Durk Teases Nation Album With Morgan Wallen
Lil Durk mentioned in June of 2023 he would possibly make a drastic transition into nation, and he needs his first nation album to be created with Morgan Wallen.
“Me and Morgan ought to do a album collectively [gold cup emoji] 1st to do it,” he wrote on Instagram Story on the time.
Durk added within the caption: “Every part we will we win would possibly as nicely do a rustic album 1st to do it [mending heart emoji].”
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Morgan Wallen Gifted OTF Chain From Lil Durk
A TikTok video shared on Dec. 4, 2023 confirmed Morgan Wallen backstage presumably throughout his One Factor at a Time Tour. He was standing alongside an OTF affiliate, who unboxed a glistening OTF chain courtesy of Durk himself. Embroidered on the again are the names of “Stand by Me” and “Broadway Ladies,” the 2 songs Durk and Wallen have recorded collectively.
“We admire you being greater than a good friend, a brother,” the affiliate advised Wallen.
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Morgan Wallen’s DJ Opens Present With Eminem
Throughout a three-show run on the Rupp Area in Lexington, Ky. beginning on Dec. 3, 2023, The New York Instances reported that Morgan Wallen’s DJ performed Eminem’s “With out You” to rile up the group shortly earlier than Wallen took the stage.
“Eminem’s ‘With out Me’: The gang roared knowingly,” the Instances wrote. “Placing Wallen’s sentiments in Eminem’s mouth saved him from having to say something himself.”
Evidently, the publication wasn’t precisely a fan of the present.
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Morgan Wallen Stars in Drake Music Video
On Dec. 20, 2023, Morgan Wallen appeared within the music video for Drake’s Scary Hours 3 single “You Broke My Coronary heart.” Starring alongside Drizzy himself, the nation singer even had a couple of traces to ship within the Theo Skudra-directed visible.
“I didn’t like her,” Wallen says whereas consuming dinner with the 6 God. “I believe she might need been the flawed lady anyway.”
Drake provides: “Effectively, what now? I’m kinda glad she gone… Let’s see what else is on the market. That’s what we have to do.”
Nevertheless, the ex-lovers each stars have been referring to and different plans.
