People Are Losing It Over A Sign Language Interpreter’s On-Point ‘WAP’ Rendition At Lollapalooza

Since its release nearly a year ago, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion‘s internet-breaking song “WAP” has been met with both praise and outrage over its raunchy lyrical content. Elected officials have complained about the song on the floor of Congress and the rappers’ performance of the track at the 2021 Grammys resulted in over 1,000 FCC complaints. But compared to a sign language interpreter’s rendition of “WAP” alongside Megan at Lollapalooza last weekend, their Grammys set could be considered relatively tame.

Megan took the Lollapalooza stage Saturday to a massive crowd of festivalgoers where she enticed the audience with a number of her hits. But as she delivered the memorable lyrics to her “WAP” collaboration, someone else on stage stole the show. A sign language interpreter accompanied Megan at side stage to perform the song in American Sign Language, and one fan captured a clip of them performing Cardi’s verse. As expected, “WAP” translated into ASL is as explicit (or more so) as the original track.

This is far from the first time a sign language interpreter has gone viral for their impressive performances at concerts. Most recently, a sign language interpreter who accompanied Twista on stage at a 2019 show went viral for their rapid-fire signing of the rapper’s lyrics.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Big Sean Says He’s 2 Inches Taller Since Seeing A Chiropractor

Big Sean says he’s much taller than people think and its thanks to his chiropractor straightening our his spine. While many sites list him as being 5′ 8″ and sometimes as short as 5’6″, he says he’s closer to 5’10”.

“How da fuck I grow 2 inches? Chiropractor for a year straight twice a week, that’s how,” he captioned a video on his Instagram story. “Straight Spine thas how. I’m laughing cause it’s real.”

“My n**** Ronnie 5’10″, solid,” he noted in the clip. “So bitch, look at me next to him, bitch. N****s try and hate on me like I’m 5’6″. Nah, for real, I probably even grew like a couple inches.”

Big Sean, Height
Theo Wargo / Getty Images

In addition to putting emphasis on a healthy back, Sean has recently spoken about the importance of mental health as well.

In May, he spoke with Ebro Darden about getting his mind right: “It’s really just health, bro. It really needs to be just like how they teach us about STDs and sex in health class, they need to make sure they teach us about how to deal with anxiety or how to breathe properly and all of that. It all should be together, because it’s all connected. It’s not like the head is separate from anything, it’s all together.”

Check out Sean’s post below.

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Lil Baby May Have An Andre 3000 Collab In The Works

Lil Baby is in the midst of a superstar-caliber run, with his acclaimed album My Turn and his collaborative album with Lil Durk Voice Of The Heroes both currently holding it down on the Billboard charts. Never one to rest on his laurels, Lil Baby has been actively working on his upcoming studio album — easily one of the most anticipated releases on the horizon.

Today, Billboard has published an extensive cover story with the Atlanta rapper, covering a variety of topics from activism to entrepreneurship. In fact, Motown Records chairman/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam actually compared Baby to JAY-Z, drawing a parallel between the two business-minded artists.

“I look at him, and I think a lot about JAY-Z and the way Jay put out music on a consistent basis at the beginning of his career,” she explains. “Seeing where he came from — quiet in the back, but really pulling all the strings and making all the business moves and decisions — there’s a lot of similarities there.”

Lil Baby

Brad Barket/Getty Images

The piece also highlights a key distinction between his new album and its predecessor, centering around Baby’s creative process. It would appear that this time again, he’ll actually spend time writing his lyrics as opposed to freestyling them. It should be interesting to see if there is a discernible difference in his penmanship, and one has to wonder if a more methodical approach will enhance and flesh out his lyricism moving forward.

“I’m in a whole different headspace than I was at with My Turn — I’m going to be at a different level every time I drop because I’m at different levels in life,” he explains. Though he doesn’t divulge anything really concrete about his anticipated new album, the article does make note of Baby’s dream collaboration — Andre 3000. “I talked to somebody who be talking to him, and he’s on it right now,” teases Baby, said to have described Andre as a “cold motherfucker” in the best possible way. “We’re in third-party communications.”

While that’s hardly conclusive, if the JAY-Z comparison holds true, Lil Baby will not stop until he achieves his goal. Look for more details on Lil Baby’s upcoming studio album — that may or may not feature Andre 3000″ — and be sure to check out Billboard’s full cover story right here

Lil Baby

Paras Griffin/Getty Images 

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Sign Language Interpreter Translates Cardi B’s “WAP” Verse & Goes Viral

A sign language interpreter at Lollapalooza is going viral for translating the lyrics to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” in Chicago, Sunday, during Megan Thee Stallion’s set. The clip shows the interpreter giving maximum effort while Cardi raps the notoriously explicit lyrics.

“Pussy A1 just like his credit/He got a beard, well, I’m tryna wet it/I let him taste it, now he diabetic/I don’t wanna spit, I wanna gulp/I wanna gag, I wanna choke/I want you to touch that lil dangly thing that swing in the back of my throat/My head game is fire, punani Dasani/It’s goin’ in dry and it’s comin’ out soggy,” Cardi raps.

Cardi B, WAP
Kevin Winter / Getty Images

In response to fans asking about the need for sign language interpreters at concerts, one user on Twitter explained, “Music is a large part of our culture and concerts are a large part of cultural experience and even those who are completely deaf can still feel the vibrations of sound propagation through the air. There are deaf musicians, BTW. Perhaps you haven’t heard of them but that’s you.”

This isn’t the first time a sign language interpreter has gone viral for their performance. In 2019, someone translating Twista’s fast lyrics went viral online as well.

Check out the viral clip of Megan and Cardi’s Lollapalooza interpreter below.

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Coi Leray May Have Secured A Bag With Viral Cereal Freestyle

Branding and viral marketing play a bigger role in an artist’s success than the music and perhaps, that’s why Coi Leray is winning. The rapper has continuously faced the wrath of internet trolls who’ve continued to turn her into a meme. Thankfully, she has a sense of humor and thick skin which allows her to continue flourishing, even when it feels like the rest of the world is cracking jokes at her expense.


 Paras Griffin/Getty Images 

Coi’s XXL Freshman cover freestyle seemingly had the room vibing but that didn’t translate onto the final edit. Fans quickly turned her into a meme while criticizing the New Jersey rapper’s overall skill set. However, she’s managed to maintain a sense of humor throughout it all. She even joked with the Rolling Loud crowd that she was getting ready to drop a freestyle.

Even though her bars go unappreciated, it doesn’t prevent her from serving up an impromptu freestyle. This morning, she shared a TikTok from the cereal aisle where she went off the dome about eating cereal for breakfast. While she was quickly flamed, once again, she reminded everyone that she’s just having fun with it.

Ultimately, it seems like its virality may have earned Coi some sort of endorsement deal. The rapper hit Twitter with a quick flex on her haters that have apparently helped her secure the bag. “All it take is one freestyle about cereal then BOOM here come all the cereal deals,” she tweeted. “I been praying more often, counting more of my blessings and really appreciating life and it’s working out so great. I see a difference. Try it.”

Peep Coi Leray’s tweets below.

Rita Ora & Taika Waititi Go Red Carpet Official At “The Suicide Squad” Release

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi’s relationship has been largely hidden from public view, although rumors of their romance first emerged earlier this year. Besides the candid photographs of the couple sharing an intimate moment with actress Tessa Thompson in May, the press has mostly stayed out of the pair’s business. However, 45-year-old director Taika and 30-year-old singer Rita took it upon themselves to debut their relationship on Monday at the premier of The Suicide Squad, with Waititi donning a gray suit and Ora, a white suit dress. 

The couple first went public in late April at the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, just weeks before being photographed with Thompson. In response to questions about the pictures of the trio, Waititi told the Sydney Morning Herald: “I think in the world of the internet, everything goes away pretty quick… And also, ‘Is it that big a deal?’ No, not really. I was doing nothing wrong. It’s fine.”

rita ora

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

The singer’s list of previous romance include high-profile musicians like Andrew Watt and Calvin Harris, though it seems her eye has shifted to directors. Waititi, who is currently in the process of directing the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder movie, has been separated from wife Chelsea Winstanley, with whom has two children, for years.

Fans took to Twitter to celebrate the couple, as well as (continue to) bash Ora for mistakes she made during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included hosting an illegal birthday party. 

Check out their red carpet debut below.

rita ora and taika waitit

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi attend the premiere of “The Suicide Squad in Los Angeles, California – Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Tyler The Creator Announces His ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’ Tour With Vince Staples And Kali Uchis

Tyler The Creator‘s Call Me If You Get Lost made waves as Tyler’s unofficial entry to DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz canon and now, he taking the album on the road, along with a few friends. The Call Me If You Get Lost Tour kicks off in February 2022 in San Diego, California, then continues through 33 more cities, concluding in Seattle, Washington in April.

Coming along with Tyler are friends and collaborators Kali Uchis, Vince Staples, and Teezo Touchdown, the latter of whom appeared on the album on “Runitup” after Tyler tweeted about him last summer. Kali Uchis has collaborated with Tyler on the songs “Perfect,” “After The Storm,” and “See You Again,” while Vince Staples got his early start on songs with members of Tyler’s Odd Future collective and appears in Tyler’s recent Converse ad, representing one of the groups of people known for rocking the iconic Chuck Taylors.

Tyler also recently performed at Lollapalooza, while Vince Staples recently released his self-titled album, and Kali Uchis recently announced her sophomore album “Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros).”

Check out the tour’s dates below.

2/10 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena
2/11 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
2/12 — Las Vegas, NV @ Michelob Ultra Arena
2/14 — El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
2/16 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
2/18 — St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena
2/19 — Kansas City, MO @ Cable Dahmer Arena
2/20 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
2/22 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
2/24 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
2/27 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
2/28 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
3/3 — Worcester, MA @ DCU Center
3/4 — Norfolk, VA @ Chartway Arena
3/6 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
3/7 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
3/9 — Montreal, QC @ Place Bell
3/11 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
3/12 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center
3/13 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
3/16 — Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Coliseum
3/18 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
3/19 — Tampa, FL @ Yuengling Center
3/20 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena
3/23 — Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
3/25 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena
3/27 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
3/29 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
3/31 — Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
4/1 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
4/2 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
4/4 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
4/7 — Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
4/8 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena

A Collaboration Between Lil Baby And André 3000 Is Apparently In The Works

Since his breakout moment, Lil Baby has not held back with his collaborations. The rapper has songs with Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and even made an entire joint album with Gunna. But for his next collaboration, Lil Baby is setting his sights on someone a bit more elusive: André 3000.

Lil Baby recently sat down for a cover interview with Billboard where he talked about his rise to fame, his responsibility as a role model, and what he has in store next. The rapper sparingly divulged details about his third studio album, saying he has reached out to André 3000’s team in hopes of securing a feature from the Outkast rapper.

“I’m in a whole different head space than I was at with My Turn — I’m going to be at a different level every time I drop because I’m at different levels in life,” he said about his upcoming effort.

That wasn’t the only bit of information Lil Baby let loose about his next LP. Apparently, the rapper is vying for André 3000, who he labeled “a cold motherf*cker,” to lend a verse on a track. “I talked to somebody who be talking to him, and he’s on it right now,” he said of the potential collaboration. “We’re in third-party communications.”

Other than occasionally being spotted with his flute in public, André 3000 has been laying low lately. The rapper did end up making a rare appearance on Goodie Mob’s Survival Kit track “No Cigar.” But other than that, a song with Lil Baby would mark André 3000’s first new music in quite some time.

Read Billboard‘s Lil Baby cover story here.

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