Month: July 2021

David Geffen Is Donating $150 Million To Yale So Drama Students Can Attend Tuition-Free

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In addition to being a giant in the entertainment world, mega-magnate David Geffen—founder of DreamWorks, Geffen Records, Asylum Records, and more—is equally well known for his philanthropic efforts. Particularly when it comes to the arts and investing in the talent of the future, as evidenced by premier cultural centers like UCLA’s Geffen Playhouse and Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall.

While UCLA has been the recipient of hundreds of millions of Geffen’s dollars over the years, he’s now sending some of that same generosity to the east coast with a $150 million donation to the Yale School of Drama, which Deadline reports will allow approximately 200 students per year to attend the prestigious training ground—tuition-free.

“By reducing the debt burden of the average student, we create more resilient artists and managers who are able to make braver artistic choices—they’re able to take that downtown play and they don’t have to have a career selling real estate on the side,” said drama school dean James Bundy. “Not every artist is going to break through at the age of 25 or 26 or 27. Certain kinds of careers take time to build, and entering the professions with less debt is going to make for more interesting and more resounding choices in the long run.”

Yale offers one of the most competitive drama schools in the world and its alumni include the best of the best: Meryl Streep, Paul Newman, Frances McDormand, Angela Bassett, Tony Shalhoub, Patricia Clarkson, and Lupita Nyong’o are just some of the school’s acting alumni. But its programs include design, directing, and playwrighting, too, so they’ve got plenty of past students to boast about behind the camera and stage scenes, too.

Deadline reports that Geffen’s gift is the largest donation in the history of American theater. Appropriately, the school will now be renamed the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University.

(Via Deadline)

All The New Albums Coming Out In July 2021

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Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in July. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.

Friday, July 2

  • Attawalpa — Patterns EP (White Label Collective)
  • Bobby Gillespie And Jehnny Beth — Utopian Ashes (Third Man Records)
  • Broken Fires — New Friends EP (Phwoar & Peace Records)
  • Caitlin Mae — Perspective EP (Monstercat)
  • Chinatown Slalom — Meet The Parents EP (September Recordings)
  • Cloudland — Where We Meet (HeyHey Studios)
  • Cub Scout Bowling Pins — Clang Clang Ho (Rockathon Records)
  • Dennis Lloyd — Some Days (Arista Records)
  • Desperate Journalist — Maximum Sorrow! (Fierce Panda)
  • Earl Slick — Fist Full Of Devils (Schnitzel)
  • G Herbo — 25 (Machine Entertainment Group)
  • The Go! Team — Get Up Sequences Part One (Memphis Industries Records)
  • Izzy True — Our Beautiful Baby World (Don Giovanni Records)
  • Laura Mvula — Pink Noise (Atlantic Records)
  • Molly Lewis — The Forgotten Edge EP (Jagjaguwar)
  • Mr Jukes & Barney Artist — The Locket (The Locket Records/Virgin Music)
  • The Quireboys — A Bit Of What You Fancy 2 (EMI)
  • Risely — Meantime Fades (self-released)
  • Sebastian Plano — Save Me Not (Decca Records)
  • Snapped Ankles — Forest Of Your Problems (The Leaf Label)
  • Steve Marriner — Hope Dies Last (Stony Plain Records)
  • Stone Giants — West Coast Love Stories (Nomark)
  • Sun Crow — Quest for Oblivion (Ripple Music)
  • Supermilk — Four by Three (Specialist Subject Records)
  • Vince Mendoza — Freedom Over Everything (Modern Recordings)

Sunday, July 4

  • Lana Del Rey — Blue Bannisters (Interscope/Polydor)

Friday, July 9

  • The Academic — Community Spirit EP (Capitol Records)
  • Arushi Jain — Under The Lilac Sky (Leaving Records)
  • Attacca Quartet — Real Life (Sony Classical)
  • Charlotte Day Wilson — Alpha (Stone Woman Music)
  • Dylan Cartlidge — Hope Above Adversity (Glassnote Records)
  • DZ Deathrays — Positive Rising: Part 2 (Alcopop! Records)
  • Eden James — All The Good Blank Are Taken (Dandy Ram Records)
  • The Flatlanders — Treasure Of Love (Rack’em Records/Thirty Tigers)
  • Foodman — Yasuragi Land (Hyperdub)
  • Half Waif — Mythopoetics (Anti-)
  • Hannah Dasher — The Half Record (Sony Music Nashville)
  • Hardline — Heart, Mind And Soul (Frontiers)
  • IDK — USEE4YOURSELF (Warner Records)
  • Jahvillani — Dirt To Bentley (VP Records)
  • Jeremy Ferrara — Everything I Hold (AST Records)
  • Jerome Thomas — That Secret Sauce EP (Rhythm Section)
  • Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis — Jam & Lewis Volume One (Flyte Tyme Records)
  • JOON — Dream Again (Italians Do It Better)
  • Junaco — Blue Room EP (Side Hustle Records)
  • Justin Pierre Courtney — The Price Of Salt EP (Epitaph Records)
  • LA Guns — Cocked & Loaded Live (Frontiers)
  • Lords Of Altamont — Tune In, Turn On, Electrify! (Heavy Psych Sounds)
  • Mads Christensen — 5212 Helvete (Edged Circle Productions)
  • The Maine — XOXO: From Love And Anxiety In Real Time (Photo Finish Records/8123)
  • Meggie Lennon — Sounds From Your Lips (Mothland)
  • Murray McLauchlan — Hourglass (True North Records)
  • Museum Of Love — Life Of Mammals (DFA Records)
  • Real Sickies — Love Is for Lovers (Stomp Records)
  • Serj Tankian — Cool Gardens Poetry Suite (Serjical Strike Records)
  • Soda Blonde — Small Talk (Velveteen Records)
  • Soul Asylum — Stand Up And Be Strong EP (Legacy)
  • Spice Girls — Wannabe25 EP (UMe/Virgin)
  • Thought Leaders — In Wastelands (King of Sticks Records)
  • Tkay Maidza — Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 EP (4AD/Dew Process)
  • Toni Sauna — Denise (Def Pressé)
  • Twin Shadow — Twin Shadow (Cheree Cheree)
  • Typical Sisters — Love Beam (Joyful Noise Recordings)
  • Various Artists — Space Jam: A New Legacy Official Soundtrack (Republic Records/WaterTower Music)
  • Vince Staples — Vince Staples (Def Jam)
  • The Wallflowers — Exit Wounds (New West Records)

Friday, July 16

  • Ampersounds feat. Rufus Wainwright — West End EP (West End Records)
  • Anya Hinkle — Eden And Her Borderlands (Organic Records)
  • Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band — Expansions (Big Crown Records)
  • Barenaked Ladies — Detour De Force (Vanguard)
  • Big City — Testify X (Frontiers)
  • Charli Adams — Bullseye (Color Study)
  • Charlie Worsham — Sugarcane EP (Warner)
  • Chet Faker — Hotel Surrender (Detail Records/BMG)
  • Clairo — Sling (Fader/Republic/Interscope)
  • Dave McMurray — Grateful Dedication (Blue Note)
  • Dave Mullen — Solace (Mullsoul Music)
  • Felicity — Dear Universe (Adventure Cat Records)
  • The Flaming Lips — The Soft Bulletin Companion (Warner Bros.)
  • GOAD — La Belle Dame (My Kingdom Music)
  • Hollie Kenniff — The Quiet Drift (Western Vinyl)
  • The Hornets — Heavier Than A Stone (Go Down Records)
  • Ida Mae — Click Click Domino (Thirty Tigers)
  • Inhaler — It Won’t Always Be Like This (Polydor Records)
  • James Vickery — Songs That Made Me Feel (Th3rd Brain Records)
  • James Vincent McMorrow — Grapefruit Season (Sony Music UK/RCA Records)
  • Jayla Kai — Epitome EP (Everybody’s Music)
  • John R. Miller — Depreciated (Rounder Records)
  • Johnny Lloyd — La La La (Xtra Mile)
  • Kate Vargas — Rumpumpo (Big Machine)
  • Kenneth Whalum — Broken Land 2 (Secretly Canadian/Broken Land Records)
  • KSI — All Over The Place (RBC Records/BMG)
  • Lawrence Rothman — Good Morning, America (KRO)
  • Leila Abdul-Rauf — Phantasiai (Cyclic Law)
  • Lovelorn — What’s Yr Damage (6131)
  • Lou Price — Parkside Grooming EP (Hand In Hive)
  • Marc Ribler — The Whole World Awaits You (Wicked Cool Records)
  • Nathaniel Rateliff — Red Rocks 2020 (Stax Records)
  • Nene H — Ali (Incienso)
  • Oscar Lang — Chew The Scenery (Dirty Hit)
  • Rodrigo Amarante — Drama (Polyvinyl)
  • Runnner — Always Repeating (Run For Cover Records)
  • Smile Machine — Bye For Now (Exploding In Sound Records)
  • Stephen Fretwell — Busy Guy (Speedy Wunderground)
  • Thadeus Gonzalez — Opposite Faces (Ripple Music)
  • Toby Hitchcock — Changes (Frontiers)
  • Tommy Ward — From This Moment On EP (Le Coq Records)
  • Tones And I — Welcome To The Madhouse (Bad Batch Records)
  • Trampolene — Love No Less Than A Queen (Strap Originals)
  • Umphrey’s Mcgee — You Walked Up Shaking In Your Boots But You Stood Tall And Left A Raging Bull (Nothing Too Fancy Music)
  • U-Roy — Solid Gold U-Roy (Trojan Jamaica/BMG)
  • Velvet Insane — Rock n’ Roll Glitter Suit (Wild Kingdom Records)
  • Wavves — Hideaway (Fat Possum)
  • Willow — Lately I Feel Everything (MSFTSMusic/Roc Nation/Polydor)
  • The Zolas — Come Back To Life (Light Organ Records)

Friday, July 23

  • Alexis Marshall — House Of Lull, House Of When (Sargent House)
  • Anne-Marie — Therapy (Asylum)
  • Bardo — Everywhere Reminds Me Of Space (Yemayá Sol Records)
  • Chiiild — Hope For Sale (Avant Garden Records)
  • Clay Melton — Back To Blue EP (Cheree Cheree)
  • Dallas Burrow — Dallas Burrow (Subliminal Hymnal)
  • Darkside — Spiral (Matador)
  • David Crosby — For Free (BMG)
  • Descendents — 9th & Walnut (Epitaph Records)
  • Jackson Browne — Downhill From Everywhere (Inside Recordings)
  • Jazzparty — Nobody Gets Away (Remote Control)
  • Joshua Radin — The Ghost And The Wall (Nettwerk)
  • The Jungle Giants — Love Signs (Amplifire Music)
  • Krist Rogers And The Dirty Gems — Still Dirty (Wicked Cool Records)
  • L Devine — Near Life Experience: Part 1 EP (Warner Bros. Records)
  • Leon Bridges — Gold-Diggers Sound (Columbia)
  • Leslie Winer — When I Hit You You’ll Feel It (Light in the Attic)
  • LOLAA — La Marea (Arts & Crafts)
  • Maya Beiser — Maya Beiser x Philip Glass (Islandia Music Records)
  • Mega Bog — Life And Another (Paradise of Bachelors)
  • Molly Burch — Romantic Images (Captured Tracks)
  • Montezuma’s Revenge — S.W.I.M. (DTH Records)
  • Oh Baby — Hey Genius (Burning Witches Records)
  • Rodney Crowell — Triage (RC1)
  • Shiny Joe Ryan — Shiny’s Democracy (Spinning Top)
  • Sleep Waker — Alias (UNFD)
  • Vaines — Electric Blue EP (Hopeless Records)
  • Woods — More Strange (Woodsist)
  • Yngwie Malmsteen — Parabellum (Music Theories Recordings)

Friday, July 30

  • Alan Vega — Alan Vega After Dark (In the Red)
  • Alex Rex — Paradise (Neolithic Recordings)
  • Big Big Train — Common Ground (English Electric)
  • Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever (Darkroom/Interscope Records)
  • Bleachers — Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night (RCA Records)
  • Blues Traveler — Traveler’s Blues (Loud & Proud)
  • Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! — Gone Are The Good Days (Fearless Records)
  • Clay Walker — Texas To Tennessee (Show Dog Nashville)
  • Dee Snider — Leave A Scar (Napalm Records)
  • Dot Allison — Heart-Shaped Scars (SA Recordings)
  • The Effens — Eventually EP (Hidden Pony)
  • Erasure — The Neon Remixed (Mute Records)
  • Grizfolk — Grizfolk (Virgin)
  • The Halluci Nation — One More Saturday Night (Radicalized Records)
  • Jelani Aryeh — I’ve Got Some Living To Do (Imperial/No Matter)
  • Jeremy Squires — Unravel (Blackbird Record Label)
  • King Woman — Celestial Blues (Relapse)
  • Lantlos — Wildhund (Prophecy Productions)
  • Leela James — See Me (BMG)
  • Los Lobos — Native Sons (New West Records)
  • Lump — Animal (Partisan Records)
  • My Idea — That’s My Idea EP (Hardly Art)
  • Naia Izumi — A Residency In The Los Angeles Area (Sony)
  • Prince — Welcome 2 America (Legacy Recordings)
  • Ric Robertson — Carolina Child (Big Machine)
  • Seether — Wasteland — The Purgatory EP (Fantasy Records)
  • Skirts — Great Big Wild Oak (Double Double Whammy)
  • Sleep Moscow — Of The Sun (Majestic Mountain Records)
  • Son Volt — Electro Melodier (Transmit Sound)
  • Sonny & The Sunsets — New Day With New Possibilities (Rocks In Your Head Records)
  • Sycco — Sycco’s First EP (Future Classic)
  • Torres — Thirstier (Merge Records)
  • The Tubs — Names EP (Prefect Records)
  • Tush — Fantast (Do Right! Music)
  • The Wandering Hearts — The Wandering Hearts (Decca Records)
  • William Cashion — Postcard Music Remixes EP (Ideas For Housecrafts)
  • Yola — Stand For Myself (Easy Eye Sound)
  • ZRL — Our Savings (American Dreams Records)

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

CupcakKe Claims That Being Problematic Is The Key To Success

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CupcakKe has proven that she is one of the most competitive and skilled female rappers in the music industry and earned herself an extremely supportive cult following in the process. In addition to her reputation as a gifted femcee, the Chicago-born artist has also become known to be one of the most outspoken figures in Hip-Hop. 

Just a few months ago, the Eden artist was calling out the female rap game and deeming it both “boring” and “mediocre.” Now, in a recently posted-and-deleted tweet, CupcakKe unleashes another hot take, in which she criticizes the music industry for focusing more on drama than talent.

CupcakKe performs at LA Pride 2019 on June 08, 2019 in West Hollywood, California.
Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images

According to CupcakKe, being controversial or problematic is more helpful than harmful for people who are hoping to succeed in the music industry, and she argues that drama specifically propels many artists’ careers. 

“Being problematic in 2021 is Autually the key to success in the music industry,” CupcakKe suggested. “As funny as this sounds it’s very much true . Drama plays a big part in careers . The more drama the bigger the artist . & your hearing this from a angel [halo emoji] by the way …”

Check out The Neighborhood Talk‘s screenshot of CupcakKe’s now-deleted tweet below.

Common Urges Listeners To “Imagine” In His Soulful PJ-Assited Single

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Common is such a skilled rapper that you never know exactly what you’re going to get from him. Sure, as of late, the veteran Chicago artist is known for waxing poetic over smooth soundscapes, but Common is also able to drop lyrical masterpieces and aggressive tracks on a whim.

Today, the Let Love rapper shares “Imagine” with Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter PJ, and the melodic single is reminiscent of Common’s Be-era output. The three-minute and 41-second single is lush and soulful, and Common’s bars are both lyrically robust and overflowing with positive affirmations.

When speaking about his groovy new PJ-assisted single, Common says, “‘Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1. is affirmation. It’s recognition. It’s elevation. It’s music to go with a movement. Because the truth is, there is still so much work to do.”

Watch the music video for “Imagine” below, and let us know in the comments f you’re feeling Common’s latest single.

Quotable Lyrics

Imagine loving you enough you don’t need a like
Kids father’s in they life just to lead them right
No longer worried about sickness because we are eating right
Amanda Gorman’s poems, mantras that we recite
Imagine not being politically correct but spiritually direct still giving the respect

Fenix Flexin Releases His Debut Mixtape “Fenix Flexin Vol. 1”

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Fenix Flexin made his name as a member of Shoreline Mafia but these days, he’s more concerned with growing his personal brand. Focusing on his solo music in recent months, Fenix has officially come through with his debut mixtape Fenix Flexin Vol. 1.

Freestyling absolutely everything on the new mixtape, Fenix focused on redefining his sound by working with new artists and producers. This time around, he teamed up with Drakeo The Ruler, Cypress Moreno, D-Block Europe, Rob Vicious, Peso Peso, and more. 

Born and raised in Hollywood, Fenix Flexin has announced his intent to tour this September with some of the artists on his project, also showcasing his new skate brand Burnt Co. Check out the new mixtape below and let us know what you think of it.

Tracklist:

1. Risky
2. Respectfully (with Cypress Moreno) [feat. Drakeo The Ruler]
3. Feds (feat. Rob Vicious)
4. True 2 This (with Cypress Moreno) [feat. Bravo The Bagchaser]
5. From The Block (feat. D-Block Europe)
6. NDS
7. Lightshow
8. For Me
9. Wockiana
10. PesoFlexin (feat. Peso Peso)
11. On Fig (feat. SaysoTheMac)
12. What’s The Move
13. 10 Toes
14. Pain
15. RIP Mac P Dawg

Joey Badass Poses With His Recently Won Oscar

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The Academy Awards returned for the 93rd annual ceremony this past April, and during the awards show, the Hip-Hop community won big when Joey Bada$$ walked away that night with an Oscar for his work in the role of Carter James in the critically acclaimed short film Two Distant Strangers.

Hip-Hop enthusiasts likely remember that Eminem and Three 6 Mafia were some of the first Hip-Hop acts to win Oscars, but in contrast to his predecessors, Joey Bada$$’s recently won Oscar was awarded for his acting skills. Months later, it looks like Joey’s Oscar has finally arrived.

Joey Bada$$ attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean "Diddy" Combs on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.
Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images

In a new Instagram post, Joey Bada$$ shared a flood of six new pictures that featured him posing with his shiny new trophy. In addition to dropping a bevy of trophy emojis, the B4.DA.$$ rapper wrote, “THE EGOT #oscarboy.”

While Joey Bada$$ still has to win an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony award to properly proclaim himself an EGOT winner, the Brooklyn-born rapper is definitely well on his way, considering his activity as an artist and an actor.

See the Pro Era artist’s celebratory Oscar pictures below. Congratulations, Joey Bada$$!

Diddy Reminds Us A Classic Bad Boy Album Dropped 24 Years Ago

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Bad Boy Records’ Diddy is big on dates. The hip-hop icon has come forward to remind the world today marks the 24-year anniversary of his and the Bad Boy Family’s classic No Way Out album. Diddy Reminds Us His Classic’s 24 Years Old Puff Daddy went to his Instagram page to share a look at […]

The post Diddy Reminds Us A Classic Bad Boy Album Dropped 24 Years Ago appeared first on SOHH.com.

Iggy Azalea Vouches For Britney Spears: “She Is Not Exaggerating Or Lying”

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Britney Spears has been sitting high on the headlines this week after coming forward about her overbearing conservatorship. All week, the biggest stars have been speaking up to support her, including Disney co-stars Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake, as well as icons like Mariah Carey. The latest to speak up for Britney is rapper Iggy Azalea.

When the two stars collaborated on the hit “Pretty Girls” back in 2015, Iggy spoke up about the unusual rules of Britney’s team. In 2016, Iggy told the Independent UK that she had to have her house checked by Britney’s security before the star was allowed to come over. She stated, “they came and checked my place to make sure I wasn’t trying to stash anything weird and, like, get it to her or something…to make sure I wasn’t a bad influence. And I’m not. I passed the test!”


C Flanigan/Getty Images

Iggy faced hate in June for not publicly speaking up out about her collaborator’s arrangement. Fans came to her defense and pulled out the receipts dating back to the 2016 article mentioned above. Iggy herself tweeted out a lengthy response including, “Britney has said in her own words, she’s embarrassed to even share this with the world. If she needed me to speak on her behalf, that message has been delivered to her.”

On Wednesday, she shared yet another statement of solidarity on Twitter, including, “I personally witnessed the same behavior Britney detailed in regards to her father last week and I just want to back her up & tell the world that: She is not exaggerating or lying.”