Month: May 2022

Jayson Cash Is Here To Prove He Deserves Top Marks In The Rap Game

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Jayson Cash
Jimmy Fontaine

A few months ago, fans of Los Angeles rap on Twitter were left agape by a post by a local blogger, who shared his thoughts on the city’s current crop of talent via a “rap report card” featuring grades for the likes of newcomers such as Blxst, Kalan.FrFr, Roddy Ricch, and more. The post sparked a days-long debate that quickly became more than contentious thanks to the near-universally mediocre numbers the blogger handed out, which many took as an overt diss to their hard work, talents, and successes to date. Considering some of the names mentioned are just beginning to receive mainstream attention or release music professionally, that feeling is fair.

One of the rappers who took issue with his assessment is Carson native Jayson Cash, who at the time had only released a handful of tracks. Despite his relative obscurity, his performance on “Priority,” “All I Know,” and an impressive showing on LA Leakers had already secured him a deal with Asylum Records, and since then, he’s only become more of a priority, moving up to Atlantic Records and prepping the release of his debut project with singles “Top Down” and “Him” featuring Dom Kennedy. But rather than lash out at the purveyor of the rap report card, Cash did something much more productive, hitting the studio to record the fiery “D+ Freestyle” aimed at refuting the claims against him. It was so impressive, West Coast hitmaker Mustard hit him up to get in the studio the same day.

Now, with Read The Room, his Atlantic debut, coming on May 27, and his new single “Him” out today, Jayson Cash re-introduces himself to the world. In a recent Zoom call with Uproxx, the Carson native explains why he deserved much better than a D+ and what fans can expect from him in the future.

For the world, Jayson Cash is a rapper from Carson, California. What are you most notable for so far?

First and foremost, just recently there was this magazine in LA that they were grading different new artists in LA, and they gave me a D+ grade. That’s crazy. I went in the studio and I recorded a response to it. And I didn’t disrespect the magazine or disrespect the person, the writer or anything of the sort, I just talked about a lot of the things that I did this past year. And after I did that, DJ Mustard heard my response and called me to the studio, “Yo, we got to get you in the studio today,” actually that same day. I just had the city just talking, talking, talking and that was just the most recent thing.

But before that, I dropped three singles and got signed. I’m one of a few people that got signed without having a bunch of music out — just a series of different freestyles and different things I was doing throughout the city, just building my name the organic, grassroots way.

I always think is mad funny when artists from Carson are, “No, we are from Carson.” [TDE rapper] Reason will be like, “No, I’m from Del Amo, bro.” Why is it so important for artists from Carson to really be out here screaming Carson, rather than LA?

If you went to New York tomorrow, met somebody that you never met before and they ask you where you from, you say you from Compton.

Yep. I’m saying Compton.

But they know what that is.

When I go out of town and they ask me where I’m from, and I say, “I’m from Carson,” then I got to say, “It’s a city in between Compton and Long Beach. It’s where TDE started.” I have to explain where I’m from to so many people so I figure while I’m on my run and I’m doing everything that I’m supposed to do and I’m yelling and stamping my city the same way that Dr. Dre and all them and Quik and all them put the stamp on Compton, the same way Snoop did on Long Beach, I can do that for Carson. Now when somebody go out of town they ain’t got to explain geographically where Carson is. We haven’t been stamped yet. I’m trying to make sure we get stamped.

Going back to that freestyle because the face that I made on that last line was just so… I used to want to make people make that face when I used to rap. You know, when your whole face sucks in.

“If the n**** with the fit and the shades / Got a 69 scoring a D+ grade / Because I’m ‘lazy, inconsistent and my catalog the same’ / Why the f*ck do y’all even think about mentioning my name?” That’s how I felt.

To be honest with you, the only thing I thought — because everybody’s entitled to an opinion… The only reason why I even responded was that not only was I on his freshman cover, but he came to the studio and he heard my project and he knew why it wasn’t out. I never even had a meeting with Atlantic, I got signed off emails. As far as putting records out, it’s not like I had a whole bunch of people just lined up like, ‘Okay, let’s make the Jayson Cash project happen.’ The consistency in my catalog, that was out of my control. I didn’t like the narrative that was being pushed, like, ‘That catalog is this, because they lazy.’

I’m not lazy at all. That’s what prompted me to respond, not to him, but to anybody that might have heard the conversation and looked at my score, which was all my scores is high except for consistency in catalog. Since this has a million impressions and everybody is seeing this, I don’t want nobody to have the wrong idea about me. Let me tell you who I actually am. I’m the one that wrote for Dr. Dre, I’m the one that did the freestyle with Snoop Dogg. I got Easty Boyz a check for [Blxst’s 2020 single] “Chosen.” I’m going to tell you everything that I’ve done on this run to where you can’t say my impact score is a six. I’m doing all this off three songs.

What are your plans? How much of your plans can you reveal? How much of that is in your control?

The project’s already turned in, singles, turned in. I’m still working on what’s coming after that. I don’t ever want to fall behind and feel like I’m trying to play catch-up. So I always want to be creating.

It’s a similar sound like me and Blxst was in the incubator together, working every day. It’s just my take on what I’m influenced by. When you listen to it, you’re going to hear everything I’m influenced by from Suga Free to Quik, to even like my peers, like Blxst. My era, the people before me, and et cetera. But you’re going to hear all that. Not only are you going to hear, you going to feel it because it’s in the music. I heard Blxst on his project say he a new Nate Dogg. So it’s like, if Blxst the new Nate Dogg, my mind is like, “Well, who am I?” That’s another void for me to fill because we haven’t had that run in LA as a rapper in a long time. So I wanted to present a sound, present a perspective and take this opportunity to really do some shit with the music.

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

Fans Compare Jack Harlow’s Current Success To Lil Dicky’s For Obvious Reasons

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jack harlow lil dicky
Getty Image/Ralph Ordaz

Despite the average NBA ref not knowing who he is (they must not have watched Narnia), Jack Harlow has been flying high recently. After the success of his potentially controversial collaboration with Lil Nas X in 2021, more rap fans than ever know Harlow’s name — enough to lift his upcoming album’s second single, “First Class” to No. 1 on the Hot 100. His new album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, stands to also debut at the top of the Billboard 200 chart next week as a result.

So, naturally, fans on Twitter are putting his career trajectory in perspective as only fans on Twitter can. Comparing Harlow to another hotly tipped white rapper whose music career unfolded in a much different way, a commenter wrote, “jack harlow havin the career lil dicky thought he was gonna have.” The tweet has sparked a bit of a debate since some fans took it as a diss toward Dicky (who is still a much better-known factor at this point owing to several years’ head start).

One fan responded, “Let’s be clear tho lil dicky would wash jack harlow,” while another implored fellow fans, “Y’all better stop comparing Jack Harlow to Lil Dicky. Dave would rap circles around him, with all due respect.” However, others agreed with the original premise that Jack’s career had a much more positive trajectory compared to a similar point in Dicky’s.

Of course, Dicky has found a new outlet for his creativity in the form his FX show Dave, which allows him to put his comedy raps into the proper context to be fully appreciated. Meanwhile, Jack’s on his second album and still turning down pop collabs to keep it hip-hop, something we still have yet to see from Dicky, so if anything, the two rapper’s careers are more divergent than they are at odds. Dicky doesn’t even like performing, so obviously both had different goals to begin with.

Meanwhile, for those truly in the know, the real victim is Asher Roth, who managed to eke out one mainstream hit before being banished forever to the backrap circuit (where he is, for all appearances, perfectly comfortable and happy).

Ray J Says That Kim Kardashian & Kris Jenner Were In On Infamous Sex Tape Leak

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Ray J says that Kim Kardashian was involved in a plan to leak their infamous sex tape back in 2007. The singer discussed the sex tape during a new bombshell interview with the Daily Mail.

“I have never leaked a sex tape in my life,” he told the outlet. “It’s always been a deal and a partnership between Kris Jenner and Kim and me and we’ve always been partners since the beginning of this thing.”

Ray J, Kim Kardashian
Phillip Faraone / Getty Images

He went on to allege that Kardashian saw the way in which Paris Hilton’s career blew up after her sex tape with Rick Salomon leaked, and wanted to replicate the success. Ray J also claims that Kris Jenner was in on the ploy.

“I’ve sat in the shadows for over 14 years allowing the Kardashians to use my name, to abuse my name, make billions of dollars over a decade-and-a-half talking about a topic I’ve never really spoken about,” he added. “Once I pitched the idea to her [Kardashian], just playing around a little bit, that’s when she jumped on the idea, talked to her mom and it was out of my hands from there.”

He added that he “never had a tape in my possession in our whole relationship,” and that the rumor that he leaked the tape is “the biggest lie in the industry in the history of entertainment.”

“She’s always had all the tapes in a Nike shoebox under her bed,” he claimed.

Ray J also showed the outlet DMs between himself and Kardashian in which he told her off after she accused him of “sticking a dildo in my ass” while she was asleep during a recent episode of the family’s Hulu show, The Kardashians. Ray J said it made him sound “like a rapist and dirty perv.” 

“If you’re upset about the dildo comment it was clearly a sarcastic joke and I was laughing when I said it,” Kardashian reportedly wrote back.

Ray J and Kardashian dated from 2003 to 2006. Ray J’s latest comments come after rumors of a second tape began circulating over the last year.

“For the remainder of my life, I’m going to live in my truth and not in the lie that’s been created by Kris Jenner and Kim,” he said. “I will not let them do this to me anymore.”

[Via]

Charles Barkley Rips DeAndre Jordan Unprompted

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Charles Barkley is a man who isn’t afraid to speak his mind whenever he is given the platform to do so. Typically, Barkley can be heard giving his opinion on things during Inside The NBA which appears on TNT. These opinions can sometimes be quite controversial, however, Barkley doesn’t really care who he offends. He gets paid to state his opinion, and he always does so in an unfiltered fashion. 

Recently, Barkley was a guest on “Inside The Green Room” which is a podcast hosted by Sixers star Danny Green. On this podcast, Barkley had some strong words for Green’s teammate DeAndre Jordan, who was horrible against the Miami Heat just a couple of nights ago. Barkley even went so far as to say that Jordan needs to stop playing minutes, altogether.

DeAndre Jordan

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

“DeAndre needs to be sitting over there beside Doc Rivers and those guys. It’s over for DeAndre. He’s had a hell of a career, but he can’t play, especially in today’s NBA. In today’s NBA, if you can’t move, it’s very difficult for you,” Barkley said via NBC Sports. “Big guys who can’t move can’t play in today’s NBA game, and that’s not fair for DeAndre to put himself out there.”

These are bold statements to make when talking to the man’s teammate. He clearly put Green in an uncomfortable position as the Sixers star was forced to defend him. However, if you’re a Sixers fan, you can’t help but agree with what Barkley is saying.

Charles Barkley

Stacy Revere/Getty Images for The Match

[Via]

Iggy Azalea Posts Adorable Photos Of Onyx On His Second Birthday

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Iggy Azalea has become more and more comfortable over the last few months when it comes to showcasing photos of her son Onyx. Iggy had the child with Playboi Carti back in 2020, and while the couple seemed to be doing okay at first, it became clear that Iggy was not impressed with Carti’s parenting efforts. In the public, Carti has been supportive of Iggy, but she continues to maintain that he isn’t the present father he presents himself to be.

Regardless, Iggy has been doing a lot for her son as of late, especially since he turned two years old on April 28th. Iggy wanted to make this birthday as special as possible, so she put together a pretty impressive party that featured a ton of Onyx’s friends, as well as friends and family.

Iggy Azalea

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

In the Instagram post below, you can find a ton of photos from the event, and as you can see, the artist’s son was having himself a very good time. From the pool to the pinata in the middle of the yard, it’s clear that Onyx had plenty to do while celebrating his second birthday. Iggy was also all smiles during the event, and it’s clear that making Onyx smile was at the top of her mind throughout the event.

Needless to say, Iggy has completely embraced parenting Onyx by herself. Hopefully, Carti was able to celebrate his son’s birthday in some other unique ways.

070 Shake Releases New Single “Web”

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It’s been nearly four years since 070 Shake released her debut EP, Glitter and each subsequent release has proven that she’s a one-of-one artist. Fans have eagerly awaited for her to drop off her follow-up to 2020’s Modus Vivendi and it seems like the time is finally coming. Earlier today, the singer announced her forthcoming sophomore album, You Can’t Kill Me due out at the top of June.

Along with the album announcement, she shared her latest single, “Web.” The song boasts production from Shake, Dave Hamelin, Johan Lenox, and Mike Dean. The production is largely minimalistic, using Shake’s vocals as a foundation to build on. It’s another excellent peep at what she has in store for You Can’t Kill Me, which is due out on June 3rd.

Check the song below and sound off with your thoughts.

Quotable Lyrics
Games that we play
Don’t correlate to the things that we say
Don’t wanna get caught up lookin’ at your skin
And don’t you go get caught up in that spider web

Future “I Never Liked You” Review

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There really hasn’t been a summer since 2011 where Future wasn’t a definitive voice. Even in 2020, during financial and societal turmoil at the hands of a global pandemic, “Life Is Good” served as an ironic anthem that was inescapable. In the two years that followed, Future went on an unofficial hiatus that, for the most part, was dragged out by leaks, features, and suggestive social media posts indicating that a new album was on the way. In fact, it was in the midst of his partial absence that he secured his first #1 single with Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy.” Nonetheless, Future’s absence created a void in hip-hop that was waiting to be filled as the general public regained a sense of normalcy.

Nearly two years since a global pandemic prevented anyone from leaving homes, Future is evidently planning to have a grip on summer ‘22 with the release of I Never Liked You. 

As the poster child for male toxicity, Future previously attempted to flip the switch by calling the term “toxic” subjective. And while Future might have a strong defense for his case, he doesn’t necessarily put it to use over the course of 16+ songs. The Atlanta native does little to explore beyond his comfort zone on his ninth studio album, nor does he combat the public narratives surrounding his persona. 

Take “712 pm,” for instance. The high-artillery production handled by MOON, MoXart Beats, TM88, and Wheezy turns Future into a towering menace on a path of destruction. The production is as grisly as it is luxurious, laced with pulsating 808s, and an enchanting vocal sample from Aura Qualic’s “Data 2.0.” Future basks in his notoriety and wealth, providing an all-encompassing introduction to his villainy on this album. He paints a vivid image of a mob-like boss sitting in the backseat of a truck getting chauffeured while simply making a call to get whatever deed he needs done. He brags about his accumulated wealth but it’s more of a testament to his longevity in rap. “Trafficking drug money and trap out this one lane/ Stepped all in mud, this bitch can’t wait to tie my shoelace,” he raps nonchalantly. Off the bat, the album’s protagonist is presented as a mix of an Atlanta oligarch and Lil Mexico’s John Gotti.

The first portion of the album doesn’t hold back from the eccentricities, the passion, and camaraderie that Future’s established with his go-to collaborators. Ye and Future’s collaborative streak continues with “Keep It Burnin.” The two deliver some incredible performances but the polished tone strips the gritty essence of trap similar to how “City Of Gods” watered down drill. Nonetheless, it’s a song that’s bound to set off at Future’s next Rolling Loud set. 

“Puffin On Zootiez” remains one of the best singles so far – a perfect pairing of Future’s ear for hazy production and stream-of-conscious songwriting. Nils, Too Dope, and TM88’s spacey and atmospheric production would have been fitting for a moment of introspection. Instead, Future subtly promotes his forthcoming cannabis line with opulent flexes. Future’s vocals are at ease on the record, providing a calmness that sounds like a marriage between several Backwoods and a selection of Better House Fragrances burning in the studio. The haunting vocal sample that emerges on the hook is almost an artistic motif scattered across the album. These moments deliberately cut through the gravelly production, adding an ominous feeling that emphasizes Future’s mystique. Songs like “Voodoo” with Kodak Black or even “Holy Ghost” weave these operatic chants expertly into the production and add a bourgeoisie touch. 

At this point, it seems inevitable that Future will release an actual album without the inclusion of his Torontonian counterpart, Drake. Their two separate collaborations on the project are vastly different from one another. Drizzy first appears on “Wait For U” alongside Tems, who stole the show on Certified Lover Boy. It’s hard not to think that “Wait For U” was, at the very least, inspired by “Fountains.” Meanwhile, Drizzy and Future bring the spontaneous energy of WATTBA to “I’m On One.” It’s a song that captures two rappers in their mid-to-late 30s looking for a collection of sugar babies to spoil on decadent all-expenses-paid trips to Europe. The pair of songs feel like companion pieces to each other. While Future and Drake reflect on failed romances and the reason why these relationships collapsed in “Wait For U,” “I’m The One” finds both unapologetically diving into their hedonistic ways, openly indulging in drug and sex-fueled escapades.

Future will always face the pressure of the standard he set with previous projects. Whether that’s the three-peat mixtape run that led to DS2 or the back-to-back releases in 2017 that drew a line in the sand between Future and HNDRXX. I Never Liked You offers room for both parts of his artistry to co-exist with one another but it also comes with a shallow surface. While Future’s seemingly embraced the online persona that his fans have created for him, it’s also a crutch that has led to few stimulating moments on his latest album. The lack of artistic and personal growth on I Never Liked You prevents the album from feeling like a proper breath of fresh air, which is particularly unfortunate after a two-year hiatus. Still, even when he doesn’t sound inspired, Future proves that he can still produce an album better than most. 

JJ Redick Goes Off On Chris Russo For Telling Draymond Green To “Shut Up”

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JJ Redick has been a superstar on ESPN ever since joining the network. A lot of fans believe he is one of the only analysts who genuinely knows what he is talking about, and whenever he is on First Take, it leads to some great debate moments. Usually, Redick is sparring against the likes of Stephen A. Smith, however, today, Redick went up against none other than Chris Russo.

While speaking about Draymond Green’s outburst towards Grizzlies fans, Russo came out and said “Shut up and play. America is tired of Draymond Green.” This is a comment that Redick immediately took exception to, and he immediately let those feelings be known.

JJ Redick

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

“Shut up and play has the same sort of connotations as the shut up and dribble crowd has towards athletes and I have a real problem with that,” Redick said. “Specifically with Draymond, the idea that America is tired of him, you do realize the guy has a very, very popular podcast that he hosts where he talks to himself for a majority of the episode and people listen.”

Russo didn’t exactly see it that way, however, Redick’s opinion was most certainly well received. After all, Redick is a former player and when it comes to these matters, you can always expect him to side with the players.

Let us know what you thought of this exchange, in the comments below.

Drake DMs Troll’s Wife After He Makes Joke About Adonis

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Drake has no chill when it comes to trolls.

One man found out the hard way after the rapper responded to his comment defending Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant’s father over a meme criticizing his support for his son by comparing it to “LaVar Ball levels of annoyance.”

“Imagine your son makes the league and he’s Ja Or Melo [Ball] or Lonzo [Ball] all you can do is be elated and competitive and over supportive and it’s a right of passage to that the OG’s talk shit,” Drake commented before using his own son Adonis as an example.

“I know I’mma be this way even if my son is in a rubix cube competition 😎,” he added.

That’s when one man decided to troll Drake by bringing up past ghostwriting accusations. “ya son prolly play with ghost writers,” the man responded.

But Adonis’ father was vicious with the clapback. Not only did he respond, Champagne Papi also followed the troll’s wife on Instagram. “I just followed your girl cause she prob miserable and needs some excitement in her life,” he told him.

He even took it a step further, messaging the troll’s wife. “I’m here for u ma,” Drake wrote in the DM. The troll was in disbelief, reposting the message and writing, “Oh nahhhhhh fool really DM’d my wife.”

But his wife seemingly had a good laugh about the whole thing. “My husband @ceddybo_ybagnm decides to be a troll and now @champagnepapi thinking I need excitement in my life,” she said in her IG Story.

When he’s not sliding in your girl’s DMs, Drake is getting a major bag. The 6 God recently signed a reported $400 million deal with Universal Music Group. The expansive, multi-faceted partnership includes recordings, publishing, merchandise, and visual media projects.