Month: October 2021

Burna Boy & Polo G Link For “Want It All”

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Burna Boy has returned with a new single “Want It All,” and he’s linked up with Polo G for the occasion. Together, the pair deliver a smooth and melodic offering, one that allows Burna to flex his vocal chops.

Taking to a low-key guitar-driven instrumental, Burna flexes an entire closet worth of exclusive garments, all gifted directly from the source. That’s not to say that Burna is fueled by vanity, as he’s using his newly acquired wealth to provide context to how far he’s come. “Remember when they said they don’t believe in me no more,” he sings. “I was sleeping on the ground, on the cold floor / Whole time I was grinding, I been tryin’ to achieve.”

Check out Burna Boy and Polo G’s new single “Want It All” now, and sound off if you like this direction from the Afrobeats superstar. 

Quotable Lyrics

Remember when they said they don’t believe in me no more
I was sleeping on the ground, on the cold floor
Whole time I was grinding, I been tryin’ to achieve

Lizzo Opens Up About Learning To Love Her Body In New “TED Twerk”

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Lizzo is perhaps best known for her powerful voice, amazing flute skills, and her body positivity, but the singer recently revealed that she hasn’t always been this confident. In her newly released TED Talk, the 33-year-old went into great depth about how the popularization of twerking helped her learn to love herself.

“If you follow me on social media before you’ve probably seen my heinie before,” the “Juice” singer said with a laugh at the start of her speech.

“I used to hate my ass, believe it or not. I have my father’s shape and my mother’s thighs, so it’s big, and long. I used to think that only asses like J.Lo’s or Beyoncé’s could be famous. I never thought that could happen to me.”

Lizzo then went on to explain that in the era she grew up in, women did not celebrate having a bountiful behind – in fact, they were ashamed of it, which is the exact opposite of how many people feel about large butts nowadays.

As she continued talking, the Detroit-born star revealed that, “though the movement of twerking, I realized that my ass is my greatest asset.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my TED Twerk,” she joked. 

Lizzo first learned the art of twerking herself at a Houston club, and shortly after, she began digging into the history behind the provocative dance move. 

“I twerk because I’m talented. Because I’m sexual, but not to be sexualized. I twerk to own my power, to reclaim my Blackness, my culture. I twerk for fat, Black women because being fat and Black is a beautiful thing.” 

During her search, the singer realized that twerking draws tons of inspiration from West African dances like Mapouka. “Everything that Black people create, from fashion to music to the way we talk, is co-opted and appropriated by pop culture,” she said. 

Watch Lizzo’s full TED Talk for yourself in the clip below.

[Via]

Lil Wayne & Rich The Kid Snap On “Headlock”

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Last night, Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid delivered their joint effort Trust Fund Babies, and though some were originally scratching their heads at the partnership, early responses seem relatively favorable so far. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Lil Wayne is easily one of the most well-respected artists in the rap game, and as per usual he’s in fine form throughout. 

From the jump, “Headlock” features the exact sort of beat that Wayne can destroy in his sleep by now. And that he does, delivering a feral flow as he showcases the clever wordplay he’s become synonymous with. Though Rich is seldom categorized as an elite lyricist like his counterpart — expect, maybe, in the eyes of that one fan — he seems inspired by Weezy’s presence, catching the beat with a focused intensity seldom seen in his interviews.

Check out “Headlock” now, and if you like what you hear be sure to check out Trust Fund Babies right here.

Quotable Lyrics

But that ain’t important, if he ain’t gang we extort him
I keep my brain in my quota
I do the dash, I won’t see flames from the motor
Stay in your lane or get over
Beep, beep, beep, beep, all of these bags, I’m a hoarder
All of this Actavis movin’ as fast as a tortoise

Key Glock Stacks Up On New Single “Ambition For Cash”

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One of Memphis’ hungriest rappers, Key Glock is officially back, kicking off the rollout for his upcoming studio album Yellow Tape 2 with the release of his new single “Ambition For Cash.”

The original Yellow Tape project was released last year, peaking at #1 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart. Released via Paper Route Empire, Key Glock looks to recreate that success, and possibly top it, with the sequel.

“Ambition For Cash” is the latest single from the Young Dolph affiliate. Glock slides over a Tay Keith-produced beat, which leans heavily on a crispy flute sample. Glock rhymes about how he never stops working, flexing his ambition to always continue growing, accumulating wealth to take care of his family for decades to come.

Check out the new record from Key Glock below, and be sure to follow him on socials for more news about Yellow Tape 2.

Quotable Lyrics:

Yeah, n***a I got a real, real addiction for this cash
I got a real ambition for this cash
Thirteen years old with a shoebox stash
I’m always up to somethin’, never sitting on my ass

Lil Wayne & Rich The Kid Explain Why They Dropped A Collab Album

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Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid have officially joined forces, dropping a full-length collaborative album together, titled Trust Fund Babies. The project includes ten new songs, featuring a sole guest appearance from YG. The early standout from Trust Fund Babies has been “Feelin’ Like Tunechi,” for which the duo of rappers released a music video this morning.

With the album out on all streaming services now, Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid spoke with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, discussing why they decided it was the right time to make a full-on album, what Rich has learned from Wayne, and more.

“Man, it’s exciting. I’m excited to get the response of the fans. I know they’re going to go crazy when they hear it,” said Rich about the new album. “First of all, Rich is like my little bro from day one, me and Rich had been rockin’ for years and we always said we were going to do something,” added Tunechi. “We might do a song here and there, but we locked it in, got in there, and said we put our mindset and did it. As far as, as much as I gave on that, I do that every time I do anything.”

Touching on how Wayne has inspired him over the years, Rich said, “Even my inspiration from when I first started, even before I was doing music, I remember parts of my life where his mixtapes just got me through life. Like where I didn’t know what I was doing, but his mixtapes and his music inspired me to go out there, hustle, and find a way to make it happen.”

“Elevating everything, my brand, my music, my label,” he continued on what he’s learned from the legend. “It’s always about elevating to the next level. Watching Tune and how he built his empire. I’m just learning from him. I’m just trying to elevate and learn more, and learn more, and get better at it.”

Wayne also spoke about how he feels about inspiring the youth, saying, “Oh man, I don’t think there’s a, and I’m great with words. I don’t think there is a word that can explain the feeling that I actually get. You know what I mean? Just the actual feeling, there’s no word for that feeling. You can say grateful, thankful, I feel honored. But nah, it’s a thousand, a million levels above that, when it comes to the actual feeling. Now I want to capitalize on something. Rich said, a lot of people always tell me how my music, my mixtapes, or certain songs or something, got them through a certain point in their lives. I want them to know. I’ll never say it, but I always want them to know, me doing that song at that certain time too has got me through that point in my life as well.”

Check out Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid’s collaborative album Trust Fund Babies here.

Bktherula Rages Into The Night With Matt Ox In Their Video For ‘Placement’

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Bktherula is almost a year removed from her last full-length project, Nirvana. Luckily, for those who have taken a liking to the Atlanta native’s artistry, she has a brand new body of work on the way for her supporters. However, before fans can get their hands on it, Bktherula returns with “Placement,” her brand new track that arrives with a guest feature from Matt Ox and a new music video. In the visual, the duo hang out in a futuristic Chinatown filled with holograms, flying cars, and flashing lights.

On October 22, Bktherula will deliver her newest project, Love Black. Despite it being labeled as an EP, Love Black will arrive complete with 16 songs which gives fans plenty of music to enjoy from the Atlanta rager. The project will also feature her previously released single, “Santanny,” a track she delivered last spring in the form of a double single that was paired with “Blue.”

Furthermore, Bktherula is gearing up to hit the road as a supporting act for Lil Tecca’s upcoming tour. The Tecca Loves You Tour kicks off February 22, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts, and continues until April 5, 2022 where it comes to an end in New York.

You can press play on the video for “Placement” above.

Love Black is out 10/22 via Warner Records. Pre-order it here.

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

H.E.R. And Kane Brown Connect On Their ‘Blessed & Free’ Collaboration

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H.E.R. and Kane Brown might technically come from different ends of the genre spectrum, but they connect perfectly on their new track “Blessed & Free.” Brown has had an incredible run in the country genre, which tends to be a very white-centric genre, while Brown is multiracial with Black and Cherokee heritage.

Recently, Brown’s been collaborating with a number of artists outside his genre, including blackbear on the track “Memory,” and now H.E.R. As for the “Best Part” singer, this year’s new album Back Of My Mind has already been racking up accolades of its own, earning her the support of Amazon Prime and building off the reputation she’s already built for herself based off her past projects, H.E.R. and I Used To Know Her.

For “Blessed & Free,” which shares a name with Brown’s tour, both artists managed to split the difference between their respective sounds, with plenty of funk, groove, R&B and a dash of country thrown in. For the black and white video that accompanies the track they worked with ACM and CMT Music Award winner Alex Alvga. Check out the video up top, and for more behind-the-scenes on shooting the visuals check out their discussion of it right here.

Meek Mill Celebrates His ‘Expensive Pain’ Album With Videos For ‘On My Soul’ And ‘Intro (Hate On Me)’

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For the better part of the last three years, fans of Meek Mill have patiently waited for a new album from the rapper and thankfully, the Philly native delivered just that. Expensive Pain is here for fans to enjoy, and along with the new batch of songs, Meek came through with two new videos for tracks off the album. The first is for “On My Soul,” a song laced with the rapper’s autotuned vocals that delivering brief stories about life’s hardships with the promise that these anecdotes are nothing but the truth.

The visual captures Meek in his natural state as he posts up in the studio and enjoys a ride around the city on dirtbikes and ATVs. A number of notable faces like Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, Bobby Shmurda, Lil Uzi Vert, EST Gee, and more also appear in the video. A short time later, Meek returned with a second visual, this time for the album’s opening track, “Intro (Hate On Me).” This video is similarly shot as it captures Meek outside with his crew, but the song’s content provides a different atmosphere for it. Contrary to the introspection the rapper displays with “On My Soul,” Meek opts for a flashy and boastful tone on “Intro (Hate On Me),” which makes for an ideal introduction track for the rapper’s new album.

Expensive Pain comes complete with 18 tracks and guest appearances from Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Kehlani, ASAP Ferg, Moneybagg Yo, Giggs, Young Thug, Vory, Lil Uzi Vert, and Brent Faiyaz.

You can watch both videos above.

Expensive Pain is out now video Maybach Music Group/Atlantic Records. Get it here.

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

Tems Made Her Late Night Debut With A Performance Of ‘Avoid Things’ On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

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After a massive feature on WizKid’s near-perfect “Essence” from his album Made In Lagos, Nigerian singer Tems is coming into her own. A remix of that song, which many considered to be a song of the summer in 2020, featured none other than Justin Bieber. Whenever an artist gets a co-sign like that, it definitely helps the rest of the world notice them.

The Lagos-born musician was also featured on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy for the track “Fountains” and was recently featured as one Apple’s Up Next artists. Needless to say she’s on a bit of a roll, and part of her tear of breakout moves includes an appearance on late night.

She performed “Avoid Things” on Jimmy Kimmel Live, a song off her new EP If Orange Was A Place, which came out just a few weeks ago. “I am excited for everything the future holds,” she said recently in a press release. “My team and I have been working really hard over the years, now we’re in a new season and on a higher level and things can only get better as we reach more people all over the world.”

Check out her late night appearance above and expect to see a lot more from this artist in the future.

Meek Mill Drops Visual To “On My Soul” With Clips Showing Drake, Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Bobby Shmurda

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It has been a celebratory evening for Meek Mill as the Philly rapper had been counting down the seconds until the arrival of his album, Expensive Pain. The record features Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Kehlani, A$AP Ferg, Moneybagg Yo, Giggs, Young Thug, Vory, Lil Uzi Vert, and Brent Faiyaz, but when it came to sharing the next single pulled from the project, Meek wanted to go at it alone.

Along with the arrival of Expensive Pain comes the visual to “On My Soul,” a Fuse 808-produced track where we find Meek reflecting on his upbringing. The visual is filled with home footage of a young Meek hanging with his friends on his block, and those nostalgic clips are entwined with the modern Meek spending time with his crew both in his old hood and the studio.

Fans are already eating up Expensive Pain, so watch the visual for “On My Soul” and share your thoughts about the album. Also, make sure to count up the cameos that you find in the music video including Drake, Bobby Shmurda, Jay-Z, and Swizz Beatz.

Quotable Lyrics

Everybody prayin’ I don’t go back, but it’s like, what you want me to do?
And leave my people?
And I can’t leave my people, got that eye of the eagle
My homie wanted the Bentley but he died in the Regal
And I ain’t never sell no heroin, auntie died from the needle
If you my opp, my daddy dyin’ to meet you