Month: September 2021

G-Eazy Lives By The Rockstar Mantra On “The Announcement”

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G-Eazy is back in album mode. Though we aren’t too far removed from the release of his last album, Everything’s Strange Here, the Oakland rapper has been preparing a sequel for his 2014 major-label debut. Today, he announced These Things Happen Pt. 2 is officially on the way following by dropping “The Announcement.” The rapper indulges in the hedonistic lifestyle of a superstar over sinisterly trippy production as he repeats the age-old mantra “Sex, drugs, rock-n-roll” on the hook. 

The song follows the release of “Tumblr Girls Pt. 2.” “This album is a full circle journey from where we started to where we are now. Grateful and appreciative for everyone who’s been along for the ride,” he wrote on Instagram at the time of its release.

These Things Happen Pt. 2 drops on September 24th.

Quotable Lyrics
When it’s strange
I feel like a demon out my cage
I feel like a heathen in my ways
Cut the check, I’m Belichick, I’m runnin’ plays
‘Cause I need rings for my performance

Rick Ross Thinks Drake & Kanye West Are Too Rich To Stress About Beef

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The beef that’s captivated the rap game for over three years is Kanye West vs. Drake. It reached new heights in recent weeks as the two rappers attempted to rival each other’s album releases. Kanye, unfortunately, doesn’t have the leg up in the numbers game but there’s an argument to be made about why his album DONDA is far more exciting than Drake’s Certified Lover Boy.


Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Rick Ross, who has a close relationship with both Kanye West and Drake, recently sat down with the Breakfast Club during the promotional run for his new book, The Perfect Day to Boss Up: A Hustler’s Guide to Building Your Empire. For Ross, the back-and-forth boils down to entertainment. He said that besides drumming up excitement for their respective releases, both Drake and Kanye West are too wealthy to really be stressing their relationship with one another.

“I was just enjoying it, I was smiling. You know I never took none of that shit personal,” Rick Ross said. “Dudes rich, man. I don’t even think they tripping about that shit, man. I’ma just be honest, I don’t think they tripping about that shit.”

From there, he went on to praise Kanye West’s grandiose rollout for DONDA including the two listening parties hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

“Come on, man, ’Ye having listening events at the Mercedes-Benz, Donda, and you know, you’re doing this in memory of your mom. It’s a memory of your mom, to me that’s priceless,” he said. “You got the world, you know, paying homage to the spirit and the legacy of your mother, that was the most important part of it to me. Then going to the Mercedes-Benz stadium, where I’m sure 30 or 40 to 50 years ago a Black man couldn’t do nothin’ but sweep outside. And now he’s just sitting there not even talking to the crowd, to the audience, just giving you an opportunity to listen to the music. That was legendary and nobody could take nothing away from that.”


Scott Gries/Getty Images

Charlamagne suggested that he would want to see the two work together in an exclusive capacity — Drake writing a whole album for Kanye while ‘Ye produces an entire album for Drizzy. It looks like Ross might be into that idea, as well. “I might need to make that call,” Ross said.

Peep the full interview with the Breakfast Club below. 

Nipsey Hussle’s Estate Sues Several Sites For Allegedly Bootlegging ‘Crenshaw’ Merch

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Getty Image

In the wake of Nipsey Hussle’s death, merchandise from his store, Marathon, became such a hot commodity that it sold out all of the available stock in the weeks immediately afterward. In the years since, it’s remained popular due to the late rapper’s beloved status and elevated visibility thanks to things like his Grammy wins and massive televised memorial service in which Nipsey received praise for his community building efforts from the likes of President Obama and Jay-Z.

However, the drawback to that increased popularity is that it has allegedly attracted unscrupulous businesses looking to cash in. According to TMZ, Nipsey’s estate, led by his older brother Samiel Asghedom (aka Blacc Sam), has taken issue with a number of e-commerce sites that have begun selling knockoff merch bearing the distinctive Crenshaw logo sold at Marathon Clothing Store, as well as other trademarked properties like one reading “South Central State of Mind.” To curb the spread, Sam has filed lawsuit in the state of Illinois, where the sites appear to be doing most of their marketing, to get all the profits from the sales or $2 million per trademark violation.

The sites appear to be operating from China, and although they appear to be different sites, the lawsuit makes clear they believe that the sites could be working in concert, due to shared marketing practices, similar misspellings, and other telltale signs.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nipsey Hussle’s Estate Sues Several Sites For Allegedly Bootlegging ‘Crenshaw’ Merch

by
Getty Image

In the wake of Nipsey Hussle’s death, merchandise from his store, Marathon, became such a hot commodity that it sold out all of the available stock in the weeks immediately afterward. In the years since, it’s remained popular due to the late rapper’s beloved status and elevated visibility thanks to things like his Grammy wins and massive televised memorial service in which Nipsey received praise for his community building efforts from the likes of President Obama and Jay-Z.

However, the drawback to that increased popularity is that it has allegedly attracted unscrupulous businesses looking to cash in. According to TMZ, Nipsey’s estate, led by his older brother Samiel Asghedom (aka Blacc Sam), has taken issue with a number of e-commerce sites that have begun selling knockoff merch bearing the distinctive Crenshaw logo sold at Marathon Clothing Store, as well as other trademarked properties like one reading “South Central State of Mind.” To curb the spread, Sam has filed lawsuit in the state of Illinois, where the sites appear to be doing most of their marketing, to get all the profits from the sales or $2 million per trademark violation.

The sites appear to be operating from China, and although they appear to be different sites, the lawsuit makes clear they believe that the sites could be working in concert, due to shared marketing practices, similar misspellings, and other telltale signs.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ariana Grande And Kid Cudi Cozy Up In The First Look At The Movie ‘Don’t Look Up’

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Today saw Netflix share the first teaser of the upcoming movie Don’t Look Up, which has a stacked cast and follows two astronomers trying to warn the world of impending doom. Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardi DiCaprio play the lead roles, and also getting some screen time are Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi, whose appearances are previewed in the teaser.

Both of their appearances in the clip are super brief: A photo of Cudi’s character is displayed on screen during a broadcast of an in-movie show called The Daily Rip, while we get just a quick shot of Grande shifting her focus from one thing to another. There’s not much to go on there, but we can determine that Cudi and Grande’s characters appear to have some level of familiarity with each other: EW shared some photos from the film today, and in one of them, Cudi and Grande snuggle up together, smiling with drinks in hand.

It’s not too surprising to see Grande and Cudi here, as they’re two of music’s most experienced actors: Grande’s first brush with fame was her role in the Nickelodeon show Victorious and its spin-off series Sam & Cat, while Cudi had starring roles in How to Make It In America and Comedy Bang! Bang!.

Aside from the aforementioned, the movie also stars Jonah Hill, Meryl Streep, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Matthew Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, and Cate Blanchett.

Watch the Don’t Look Up trailer above.

Ariana Grande And Kid Cudi Cozy Up In The First Look At The Movie ‘Don’t Look Up’

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Today saw Netflix share the first teaser of the upcoming movie Don’t Look Up, which has a stacked cast and follows two astronomers trying to warn the world of impending doom. Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardi DiCaprio play the lead roles, and also getting some screen time are Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi, whose appearances are previewed in the teaser.

Both of their appearances in the clip are super brief: A photo of Cudi’s character is displayed on screen during a broadcast of an in-movie show called The Daily Rip, while we get just a quick shot of Grande shifting her focus from one thing to another. There’s not much to go on there, but we can determine that Cudi and Grande’s characters appear to have some level of familiarity with each other: EW shared some photos from the film today, and in one of them, Cudi and Grande snuggle up together, smiling with drinks in hand.

It’s not too surprising to see Grande and Cudi here, as they’re two of music’s most experienced actors: Grande’s first brush with fame was her role in the Nickelodeon show Victorious and its spin-off series Sam & Cat, while Cudi had starring roles in How to Make It In America and Comedy Bang! Bang!.

Aside from the aforementioned, the movie also stars Jonah Hill, Meryl Streep, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Matthew Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, and Cate Blanchett.

Watch the Don’t Look Up trailer above.

Afrika Bambaata & Zulu Nation Sued For Child Sex Trafficking: Report

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As fans debate whether Drake’s Sha’Carri Richardson has aged well due to her recent track & field performances, one bar that has certainly not aged well comes from Jay-Z’s 2009 hit single “Empire State Of Mind.” In the second verse, Hov shouts out Afrika Bambaataa, rapping, “Afrika Bambaataa shit, home of the hip-hop. However, as time has progressed, rampant sexual assault allegations have caused the once-revered Hip-Hop pioneer‘s legacy to be severely diminished.

According to Hip-Hop Lately, New York City politician Ronald Savage brought publicly accused Afrika Bambaataa of forcing Savage to perform oral sex on him at the age of 13. Since Savage’s allegations in 2016, countless other men have stepped forward to identify the Hip-Hop pioneer as a their childhood abuser as well, and in response to all of the child molestation claims, Afrika Bambaataa was eventually removed as the leader of the Zulu Nation.

Afrika Bambaataa performs at Brooklyn Bowl on February 26, 2015, in Brooklyn, New York.
Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

Now, Hip-Hop Lately reports that further legal action is being taken against Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation. Last month, an unidentified “John Doe” reportedly sued both parties under the Child Victims Act, which grants victims of childhood sexual assault a one-year window to file suit, regardless of how long ago the assault took place.

According to the original report from Metropolis, the lawsuit states that Bambaataa allegedly freely masturbated in front of “John Doe,” who was a 12-year-old boy at the time of the alleged abuse. It’s also reported that the Hip-Hop pioneer also allegedly committed full rape by sodomy on the minor child. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that “while parading himself as a pillar in the community and the leader of a righteous organization, Bambaataa’s degradation and humiliation of this young boy knew no bounds.”

Hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa speaks during a press conference to announce the launch of The Smithsonian's "Hip-Hop Won't Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life" at the Hilton Hotel February 28, 2006 in New York City.
Scott Gries/Getty Images

According to Metropolis, The Universal Zulu Nation has released the following statement:

Nothing has changed since 2016 when these decades ago accusations first surfaced. This is a personal matter for Afrika Bambaataa and his lawyers to deal with and has absolutely nothing to do with the 10 year long UZN-DOCA mission, programs and projects which continue in the revolutionary legacy of both The Black Panther Party & The Young Lords Party to “Serve The People, Body & Soul.

Afrika Bambaataa has yet to comment on the disturbing child sex trafficking allegations, so stay tuned for updates.

[via][via]

Afrika Bambaata & Zulu Nation Sued For Child Sex Trafficking: Report

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As fans debate whether Drake’s Sha’Carri Richardson has aged well due to her recent track & field performances, one bar that has certainly not aged well comes from Jay-Z’s 2009 hit single “Empire State Of Mind.” In the second verse, Hov shouts out Afrika Bambaataa, rapping, “Afrika Bambaataa shit, home of the hip-hop. However, as time has progressed, rampant sexual assault allegations have caused the once-revered Hip-Hop pioneer‘s legacy to be severely diminished.

According to Hip-Hop Lately, New York City politician Ronald Savage brought publicly accused Afrika Bambaataa of forcing Savage to perform oral sex on him at the age of 13. Since Savage’s allegations in 2016, countless other men have stepped forward to identify the Hip-Hop pioneer as a their childhood abuser as well, and in response to all of the child molestation claims, Afrika Bambaataa was eventually removed as the leader of the Zulu Nation.

Afrika Bambaataa performs at Brooklyn Bowl on February 26, 2015, in Brooklyn, New York.
Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

Now, Hip-Hop Lately reports that further legal action is being taken against Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation. Last month, an unidentified “John Doe” reportedly sued both parties under the Child Victims Act, which grants victims of childhood sexual assault a one-year window to file suit, regardless of how long ago the assault took place.

According to the original report from Metropolis, the lawsuit states that Bambaataa allegedly freely masturbated in front of “John Doe,” who was a 12-year-old boy at the time of the alleged abuse. It’s also reported that the Hip-Hop pioneer also allegedly committed full rape by sodomy on the minor child. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that “while parading himself as a pillar in the community and the leader of a righteous organization, Bambaataa’s degradation and humiliation of this young boy knew no bounds.”

Hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa speaks during a press conference to announce the launch of The Smithsonian's "Hip-Hop Won't Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life" at the Hilton Hotel February 28, 2006 in New York City.
Scott Gries/Getty Images

According to Metropolis, The Universal Zulu Nation has released the following statement:

Nothing has changed since 2016 when these decades ago accusations first surfaced. This is a personal matter for Afrika Bambaataa and his lawyers to deal with and has absolutely nothing to do with the 10 year long UZN-DOCA mission, programs and projects which continue in the revolutionary legacy of both The Black Panther Party & The Young Lords Party to “Serve The People, Body & Soul.

Afrika Bambaataa has yet to comment on the disturbing child sex trafficking allegations, so stay tuned for updates.

[via][via]

Royce Da 5’9″ Reflects On 20 Years Of Bad Meets Evil

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It’s been over ten years since Bad Meets Evil last joined forces for their full-length project Hell: The Sequel, and many fans have been itching to see Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″ unite for a follow-up effort.

It’s no wonder that the diabolical duo are in such demand, as both parties are two of the best lyricists in the game to this day. Unsurprising, given that both emcees have long put in their ten-thousand hours — as longtime listeners know, Em and Royce have been doing this for some time, originally beginning their shared run in the late nineties.

Bad Meets Evil

Catherine McGann/Getty Images

Today, Royce took a moment to reflect on an interesting milestone: the twenty-year anniversary of the deep cut fan-favorite “Scary Movies.” The song was one of two tracks included on their 1998 double-single, the second of which was titled “Nuttin To Do.” A nostalgic display of elite lyricism, the duet ultimately landed a spot on the soundtrack of Scary Movie, a fitting home — if a little tonally different. 

“20 years ago….” captions Royce, S/O my bro Reef.” For those wondering, Reef was the producer who actually laced both “Scary Movies” and “Nuttin To Do.” Anyone looking to go back and revisit one of the formative Bad Meets Evil tracks would be wise to look back at that early 1998 single, as it contains some of their rawest lyricism. 

Check out Royce’s nostalgic post below, and be sure to sound off if you’re hoping to see another new album from Bad Meets Evil. Or perhaps if that’s too much to ask, a sequel to “Scary Movies” would be an interesting direction. Do you remember this classic cut?

LISTEN: Bad Meets Evil – Scary Movies