Month: July 2021

Beyoncé Adds “OTHERSIDE” Visuals To YouTube

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To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the é film, Beyonce has completed the complete catalog of clips for the tracks featured in the film on YouTube and Disney+.

The last two tracks that arrived on Saturday, July 31 were “MOOD 4 EVA” and the emotive “OTHERSIDE.”

In video for the latter, a familiar plot plays out as Bey draws on biblical references in which she places a newborn baby in a basket, sending it down the river to avoid impending disaster on land.

The track itself is co-written by Syd and Nicky Davey and features Nigerian singer and songwriter Bankulli performing in Yoruba. It is the 21st cut on the hefty The Lion King: The Gift album.

Catch the full clip up top.

Beyoncé Shares Visuals For “MOOD 4 EVA” On YouTube

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As Beyoncé commemorates the one-year anniversary of her Black Is King cinematic outing, the singer has returned to share the individual visuals for two tracks that were previously missing from streaming platforms: “OTHERSIDE” and “MOOD 4 EVA.”

Here, we concern ourselves with the latter which also features JAY-Z, Childish Gambino, and Malian songstress Oumou Sangaré.

Now available to stream on YouTube and Disney+, fans get a chance to revisit the luxurious clip, which accompanies Beyoncé’s most boastful outing on the Black Is King track list as the Carters bask in the glory of being, well, the Carters. 

“Mansa Musa reincarnated, we on our levels (He ’bout business)/That’s a billi’, a thousand milli’ (Ugh)/First one to see a B out these housing buildings,” raps Hov.

Look forward to a colorful landscape and cameo appearances from Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles-Lawson. Catch it up top.

 

Emma Stone Reportedly Considering Suing Disney After Scarlett Johansson’s Lawsuit

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Some actors and actresses negotiate their deals so that they get bonuses when the films do well. Big Marvels films typically have deals in place like this. Recently, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for releasing Black Widow on Disney+ and in theaters at the same time. The actress is suing for lost money she could have made if the streaming release was pushed back not to coincide with the theater release. 

To maximize these receipts, and thereby protect her financial interests, Ms. Johansson extracted a promise from Marvel that the release of the picture would be a ‘theatrical release,'” the suit reportedly states. “As Ms. Johansson, Disney, Marvel, and most everyone else in Hollywood knows, a ‘theatrical release’ is a release that is exclusive to movie theatres. Disney was well aware of this promise, but nonetheless directed Marvel to violate its pledge and instead release the picture on the Disney+ streaming service the very same day it was released in movie theatres.” Disney responded by stating, “There is no merit whatsoever to this filing. The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Now, it is being reported that Emma Stone is “weighing her options” when it comes to suing Disney as well. She starred in this summer’s Cruella, which was also released to streaming services and theaters at the same time.  In his newsletter What I’m Hearing…, former Hollywood Reporter editor Matthew Belloni claims that Stone is, “said to be weighing her options,” while Emily Blunt is, “likely watching the Jungle Cruise numbers closely this weekend.” Patty Jenkins, Judd Apatow, Denis Villeneuve, and more have rallied against same-day streaming releases.

Toosii Grows Up On “Same As I Used To Be”

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Toosii’s glow up in the past couple of years has truly been impressive. The 21-year-old high school football player turned XXL Freshman  achieved in two years what many artists only dream of. In his new album, Thank You For Believing (The Manifestation), Toosii proves that his fans put him here for a reason. On “same as I used to be”, Toosii reflects on this expedited road to stardom with an impressive array of melodic flows.

Found somewhere between Future and Lil Tjay, Toosii’s vocal tone and melodic choices always make his tracks easy to sink into on first listen. On “same as I used to be”, he employs these eccentric vocal riffs across the chorus and bridge as he describes the new man he’s become and  his disdain for those who aren’t there for him. This is all done over an elegant arrangement of guitar and piano sections. 

“Still got the keys to the old whip, but life smooth like butter/ Still got the keys to the old whip, but I use my other,” Toosii repeats as he recognizes his newfound status while taking with him the lessons of his past. The North Carolina artist still has time to flex, though this time around he’s a bit more somber as he tries to find his place in an unfamiliar world. 

Check out the track below:

Quotable Lyrics:

Still got the keys to the old whip, but life smooth like butter
Still got the keys to the old whip, but I use my other
I’m tryna test drive the Lambo’, end up in the hills somewhere
Lost, I got God, I know He’ll be here, yeah

LeBron James Fondly Recalls Being Booed By Warriors Fans

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LeBron James is easily one of the most hated athletes in the world, and it partly has to do with the fact that he is the biggest. When you excel at something, there are typically going to be a lot of haters that come with that. LeBron has seen this more than anyone in the entire NBA, and he’s going to have to endure it all the way until he retires. Of course, as a professional athlete, LeBron has been able to filter out this hate all while allowing the energy to fuel him further.

When LeBron was first drafted into the league, he was heralded as the second-coming of Michael Jordan, and right away, this made fans defensive. He was consistently booed by opposing fanbases and despite all of it, he still managed to put up some godly numbers.

LeBron James

Harry How/Getty Images

Recently, a LeBron James fan account posted a throwback video to 2004 when LeBron had to play at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. In more recent history, LeBron has a storied history with Oracle fans, although, in 2004, the energy was still the same. Despite all of the boos, LeBron had a monstrous game that included 29 points.

LeBron caught wind of the throwback post and took to his own Twitter account where he explained that the boos are one of the things about basketball that he truly loves. “Been getting boo’d for quite awhile now. I love this game!” LeBron wrote.

Now, Oracle is no more as the Warriors are now operating out of San Francisco. Regardless, we’re sure LeBron has both fond and not-so-fond memories of that historic arena.

Hip-Hop Has Received Its Own Holiday In The United States

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Getty Image

Since its formation in the early 1970s, hip-hop has grown exponentially, becoming one of the biggest genres in the world. This year alone a total of ten hip-hop albums have reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart this year — the most across any genre. So it’s no surprise that the Senate decided to grant hip-hop its own official holiday.

Less than a month before hip-hop turns 48, the United States Senate passed a resolution that recognized August 11 as National Hip Hop Celebration Day. The resolution also made August “Hip Hop Recognition Month” and November “Hip Hop History Month.” The news was shared via a tweet on the official Senate Periodicals page, which also revealed that the vote was passed with “unanimous consent.” This also marks the first time that hip-hop has been recognized in any fashion by the Senate.

August 11 is an extremely important date in hip-hop’s culture, as it serves as the day in 1973 that DJ Kool Herc, born Clive Campbell, and his sister Cindy Campbell held a back-to-school party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in Bronx, New York. It’s this party that many have claimed as the birth of hip-hop’s music and culture.

You can view the announcement from Senate in the tweet above.

#SavageChallenge Creator Keara Wilson Rewarded With Copyright To Her Dance Moves

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Keara Wilson, the TikTok influencer who choreographed the #SavageChallenge, now owns the copyright to her moves. Her dance went viral, and inspired a challenge that Keke Palmer, Jennifer Lopez, and Megan Thee Stallion all joined in on. Wilson has since been able to live as a Tik Tok creator, a title that has now earned her the copyright to her dance moves.

This weekend, Logitech and award-winning choreographer JaQuel Knight held an event for BIPOC creators in Los Angeles. During the event, Wilson and others were awarded copyrights to their dance moves. Young Deji, Fullout Cortland, the Nae Nae Twins, Chloe Arnold, Mya Johnson, and Chris Cotter were also awarded copyrights.

“I am so thrilled to announce this collaboration with The JaQuel Knight Foundation and Logitech, a remarkable step in our goal toward creating a system of protection for young creators,” said JaQuel Knight. “The JK Foundation was ultimately started to provide a place of support for dancers (during an extremely fragile time in the pandemic, nonetheless), and to put the power back in the artists’ hands – not just for myself, but for the next JaQuel Knight. For all of the little boys and girls who look like me. The foundation’s hope is to impact, encourage, and inspire the next generation of artists, and build a community that supports each other. I am so inspired by this incredible group of choreographers and am so excited to be able to share this historic moment with them as we move toward real change in the commercial music and entertainment industries.”

[via]

 

Air Jordan 11 “Animal Print” Release Date Revealed

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One of Michael Jordan’s greatest sneakers is the Air Jordan 11 and it’s hard to debate against that. When Jordan returned from his stint in baseball, he unveiled the Jordan 11 to the world, and fans were in love at first sight. The shoe had this patent leather tuxedo feel to it that immediately resonated with sneakerheads who wanted to see something a little different from Jordan Brand. It’s a shoe that received a bunch of amazing offerings and the hype surrounding the shoe will probably never die down.

According to zsneakerheadz and sneakerfiles on Instagram, there is a brand new “Animal Print” Air Jordan 11 that will be released just in time for Black Friday. As you can see from the Instagram post below, this shoe will have a black upper while what would be patent leather is replaced with textured animal print. All of these elements come together to create an extremely unique shoe that will certainly appeal to the more eclectic sneakerheads out there.

As for the release date, you can expect these to come out on November 26th of this year for $225 USD. These are expected to drop in women’s sizes only, so you’re probably only going to get your hands on a pair if you have small feet.

Skepta Flexes Up On “Lit Like This’

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Skepta’s new All In EP release hasn’t fallen under the radar for many, as the pioneer of UK grime has become an icon abroad. The 38-year-old is now a seasoned veteran of the UK rap game though still manages to bring the same levels fire and energy that many newcomers offer. While All In features high-profile names like Kid Cudi and J.Balvin, Skepta continues to shine on his own- as evidenced by “Lit Like This.”

One wouldn’t be able to tel that Skepta ism nearing his 40’s when giving “All In” a deep dive. The track, which is driven by a simple yet gritty baseline and an intricate percussion pattern, finds Skepta as ruthless as ever, though now with a more refined and matured approach. The artist is entirely self-aware of his superstar status in his lyrics as the life of wealth and luxury radiates from the track. He frequently asserts that he doesn’t need to flex on anyone- all they have to do is pay attention.

Check out the track below:

Quotable Lyrics:

Got the girls, the cars, the money in the bank (Woo)
Keys to the house, whip bigger than a tank
So much ice it’s a joke, don’t mistake it for a prank (Ice)
When you’re lit like this, you might need to get a shank (Ice)

Obasi Jackson Flips Unused Pop Smoke “Dior” Verse For “Bad Boys”

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Last November, Pop Smoke’s bother Obasi Jackson played what he said was the original verse for “Dior” that Pop laid down. The clip was only from social media, and it sounded rough. Now, we have that verse in top form. Obasi flipped the OG verse and places it on “Bad Boys,” one of the tracks that were secretly added to Pop Smoke’s album over the weekend. 

The track has Pop Smoke delivering the verse the begin the track, but Obasi takes control of the rest of the song. The anthemic single comes right before “Dior” on the album (yes, “Dior” was added to Faith), which is the final song. 

Quotable Lyrics
Look, this Glock up on me holds six-O (‘O)
Have ’em dancin’ like Calypso (‘So)
I’m a big belly rude boy
My stomach look like a hippo (‘Po)
Tell the bottle girls, “Shake it” (Shake it)
Bring the bottles of Bel Air (Bеl Air)