Kanye, Shenseea, NFL star Antonio Brown and more also spoke.
Month: February 2022
Rexx Life Raj’s ‘Balance’ Video Is A Powerful Meditation On Loss
Nobody should have to deal with this much loss. In the past year, Bay Area rapper Rexx Life Raj lost both his mother and his father and as he’s picking up the pieces of what the future holds, he’s navigating his grief and emotions in song. “Balance” is the first offering from his upcoming album and it’s an ode to his late mother and a powerful overall meditation on loss.
“We are battling obstacles in life and I know it comes with it’s challenges. But to me what separates the good from great is just the way you choose to handle it,” the rapper says on the hook over an affecting guitar and crisp snare drums. It’s an intense reminder of how music can help heal and find yourself amid insurmountable loss.
“Balance was a concept I’d had in my mind for a while because it was something I had been dealing with,” Raj said in a statement. “Trying to juggle being a caretaker, music, businesses, and relationships were weighing heavy on me. I wrote it as an affirmation to myself and hopefully the listener.”
The video plays out like a memory of spending time with his mother. She reads the boy a story, then he accompanies her to the doctor where she gets bad news. The next cut is outside of her funeral and it’s all spliced with footage of a grieving Raj leaned up against a hillside tree, delivering the song’s lyrics in a somber moment. The end of the clip is a cellphone video of Raj in the car with his parents, smiling together and enjoying life.
This is no doubt an impassioned introduction to the next chapter for Rexx Life Raj.
Watch the video for “Balance” above.
John Mayer Tests Positive For COVID And Consequently Postpones Some Concerts
John Mayer is in the midst of a tour, and so far, COVID has taken its toll on proceedings. A few days ago, Questlove filled in for Mayer drummer Steve Ferrone, who tested positive for COVID. Now, Mayer himself and other band members got COVID, too, so a few upcoming tour dates have been postponed.
In a post sharing the news yesterday, Mayer wrote, “Whelp. More members of the band tested positive for Covid today, and I was one of them. This means we have to reschedule the next four shows, which we’ve already rescheduled and posted above. I’m so sorry to make you change your plans. This is a bummer for everyone in the band and crew, to say nothing of the question hanging over everyone’s head — mine included — as to how I tested positive on PCR twice in two months. (The first was extremely mild, but this one’s got the better of me.) We’ll give you everything we’ve got at these upcoming shows, just as soon as we rest up and regroup. With love and appreciation… me.”
As for the altered shows, they were originally scheduled for tonight (February 25) in Pittsburgh; March 1 in Belmont Park, New York; and March 4 and 5 in Boston. Those concerts have been moved to May 5, 7, 9, and 10, respectively. It appears Mayer’s next show will be at Las Vegas’s The Grand Garden Arena in March 11.
Jazmine Sullivan Cancels Performances After Testing Positive For COVID-19
Though many think the pandemic is over, COVID-19 isn’t done with us yet as Jazmine Sullivan becomes the latest celebrity to catch the disease. Jazmine Sullivan Cancels LA Show Following COVID-19 Diagnosis Jazmine Sullivan has been on a roll since the release of her album Heaux Tales and more recently, its deluxe version. She has […]
Karlae Stuns Alongside Lil Yachty In New “Blind” Music Video
Karlae and Lil Yachty have returned with a new single, “Blind,” and an accompanying music video. The BenMarc-directed visual finds the two recording artists revelling in their high school nostalgia, heading back to the classroom where they flirt before later linking up and cuddling.
“[‘Blind’] is for the ones that have fallen but can still get up,” the Young Stoner Life Records artist shared in a press release, via Complex. “It’s letting someone know, ‘Yeah, I fell for you but that doesn’t mean I can’t still get up on my own.'”
The two-minute and 18-second long title sees the North Carolina-born, Georgia-raised star showing off both her singing and rapping skills, proving that she truly is a force to be reckoned with ahead of the arrival of her Enter EP.
Prior to linking with Lil Yachty, Karlae came together with Young Thug and Gunna on “Jimmy Choo,” Coi Leray on “I Like,” which appeared on the Slime Language 2 tape last year, and Yung Bleu on “Trance.”
Stream “Blind” below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Quotable Lyrics:
I can’t really focus, love’s got me blind
You got my heart open, tryna make you mine
I’m just tryna figure you out
Ain’t nobody put this under you now
[Via]
Fivio Foreign Names Top 5 Rappers From New York Right Now
New York might not be the epicenter of all things hip-hop anymore but there remains a booming scene across the five boroughs filled with some of the hottest rising talents in the country. One of them, Fivio Foreign, recently sat down for a conversation with DJ Akademiks on his Off The Record podcast, discussing his recent work with Ye, his upcoming album B.I.B.L.E., and much more. They got to chatting about the current state of New York rap, which led to a question about the top four faces in the city right now.
“The four faces of New York? Me, Lil Tjay, Kay Flock, Bobby [Shmurda], Rowdy [Rebel],” said Fivi, naming one extra artist. When DJ Akademiks told him he provided more names than needed, Fivi said, “I got five for you… Kay Flock locked up so I got… you know what I mean?”
That brought the conversation to the currently incarcerated Bronx-based rapper, with Fivio adding, “So now when he comes home, he gone have to do the same thing I did. Same thing Pop [Smoke] did. Now you gotta expand, now you gotta make the global sh*t plus the core sh*t. Just go viral, that’s how you gotta do it.”
Ostensibly, Fivi is telling Kay Flock that he needs to employ a more pop-friendly approach with his next project while also keeping his drill fans satisfied. Do you think that Kay Flock will be a superstar? And what do you think about Fivi’s picks? Is he missing anyone? Let us know in the comments.
NBA YoungBoy Makes $17 Million Per Year From YouTube Alone: Report
YouTube remains an underutilized tool for music artists, but there are rappers including YoungBoy Never Broke Again using the platform in truly captivating ways. While you can find many of your favorite artists on YouTube, the platform is rarely seen as a priority in their digital marketing campaigns. On the opposite end, YoungBoy often exclusively releases music on YouTube, filming low-budget music videos around his home, which usually end up trending within a few minutes.
According to many of YouTube’s monthly reports, YoungBoy Never Broke Again is the most popular rapper on the platform, generating an insane amount of money per year from video plays. Considering he prioritizes YouTube with his music releases, it makes sense that he would make a good chunk of his fortune over there but according to DJ Akademiks, his yearly revenue from YouTube is more than many of us would have expected.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
According to a tweet sent from DJ Akademiks, who is close with NBA YoungBoy, his YouTube page generates 292 million views a month, which translates to approximately $1.4 million dollars in streaming revenue. That means his yearly numbers are just under $17 million from YouTube alone, clocking in at around $16.8 million.
Of course, YoungBoy likely doesn’t see all of that money — since he’s signed to Atlantic Records through his own Never Broke Again imprint, the label likely gets a strong percentage. But this does mean that he’s pocketing way more than many other artists from YouTube, proving that his approach worked wonders with this platform.
What do you think about YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s reported annual revenue from YouTube? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.