Doja Cat has made it no secret that there are times she’d prefer to skive off her duties as an internationally renowned pop-rap star in order to play video games all day — and with her recent throat surgery, she probably gets to do just that. While that might be a little disappointing for her fans, she recently made a big update to her website that combines both interests and just might offer a comforting consolation as they await her return to recording, releasing, and performing new music.
Fans checking out Doja’s website now get to explore a video game version of the world from Planet Her, complete with a cutesy, pixel avatar of Doja herself in one of three outfits from the album’s release cycle — including the hilarious caterpillar outfit from her 2021 VMAs hosting gig. Navigating the usual music site staples — videos, tours, merch, etc. — involves maneuvering your tiny animated Doja Cat through a Pokemon-esque city and entering different buildings with the respective signs out front. While there aren’t any truly video game-y elements (y’know, like platforming, fighting enemies, or trying to reach a goal), it’s a fun take, combining Doja’s hobby and her career while making the wait for her comeback more manageable.
Excited to finally reveal that I created all the pixel art with RCA Records to revamp @dojacat ‘s website into a whole top-down pixel adventure. It was a lot of fun and I had lots of freedom in creating the city and the style. (1/3)#dojacat#rcarecords#pixelartpic.twitter.com/aFtxZNjDvJ
Interestingly, Doja actually has another game coming out this year as she is being added to the popular social game House Party with her own unique storyline. That’s out in Fall 2022. In the meantime, you can check out DojaCat.com to play around on Planet Her. You’ll need a password to get in, which you can get by joining her mailing list — although, if you poke around enough on social media, someone’s bound to have shared it by now.
This week is a big one for Lizzo: On the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart, “About Damn Time” rose to No. 1, making it Lizzo’s second chart-topping single after “Truth Hurts” reached the summit in 2019. Naturally, Lizzo has some celebrating to do.
After the news broke yesterday, Lizzo tweeted, “We got the #1 song in the country YALL!” A little bit later, she shared a video of herself and a friend happily popping bottles of champagne in celebration. She wrote, “IMA BE DRUNK BY 5.”
She was similarly pleased after learning a day earlier that her new album Special debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it her highest-charting album so far and 2022’s highest-charting LP by a female artist. She tweeted, “WE BEAT THE PROJECTIONS B*TCH!!! MY HIGHEST EVER CHARTING ALBUM YET!!! Thank you thank you thank you thank you for loving #special.” She also shared on Instagram, “I know I need to charge my phone… BUT THIS IS MY HIGHEST CHARTING ALBUM. THANK YOU FOR LOVING SPECIAL.”
WE BEAT THE PROJECTIONS BITCH!!! MY HIGHEST EVER CHARTING ALBUM YET!!!
Thank you thank you thank you thank you for loving #special
Even though Iggy Azaela has carved out a pretty successful independent career after leaving Interscope, it’s fair to say that she’s received less attention now than at her height. Yet somehow, that still hasn’t stopped haters online from finding negative things to critique about her music, personality, and performances, even with her decreased visibility. The latest example came after Iggy performed at Long Beach Pride earlier this month when a fan posted a video of Iggy twerking during her set to Twitter.
It didn’t take long for the boo birds to find the video and decide what the world needed was their mean comments about her body. Quote-tweeting the original tweeter, who wrote, “iggy really be tossin that big mf,” Iggy shot back, “It’s a good thing I genuinely feel happy about myself & my body cause y’all stay in every comment section talking the most shit about me & it’s very mean spirited & ugly.” She also got in one last shot at her detractors: “Ps. your man 100% wants to f*ck me.” In a later tweet, she clarified that she was addressing the replies of the original tweet, where the negativity started, not the complimentary “tossin” caption.
It’s a good thing I genuinely feel happy about myself & my body cause y’all stay in every comment section talking the most shit about me & it’s very mean spirited & ugly. Ps. your man 100% wants to fuck me. https://t.co/O5h6WKKvum
Last year, Iggy said that her album, End Of An Era, would be her last, explaining, “I’m getting to a space where I feel that there’s not much new perspective I can bring to what I’m doing… at least not that I’d be comfortable with the world hearing.” While her fans will undoubtedly miss her, it looks like her haters will probably have to find a new target for their mean-spirited commentary.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
Flo Mill can really rap. That question was answered as soon as she drew breath on her debut project, Ho, Why Is You Here?, in 2020. As anticipation for its follow-up grew, the new question became whether or not she could expand her repertoire, find new topics to rap about, and layer in emotional depth – doing the things that separate good or even great rappers from recording artists with longevity in addition to short-term success.
A week ago, Flo Milli released her anticipated sophomore project, You Still Here, Ho?, to answer those questions. And while the answer may disappoint those who wanted to see artistic growth in the two years since the 22-year-old Mobile, Alabama rapper first captured all of our attention with her witty raps and bratty charms, the new release doubles down on those qualities to offer an entertaining entry to her growing catalog.
When I first heard Flo Milli, she reminded me of my younger sister and the rap battles we’d have with each other when we were both still in high school, four years apart. There was a juvenile, carefree quality to Milli’s raps, like a classroom roast session. The impression was helped along by her higher-pitched voice and bouncy, singsong rhyme cadence, which was buoyed by percussive, stripped-down, trap-lite production.
The whole package came together to present the persona of a snotty teenager rolling her neck and eyes while dismissively deriding your style, your presence, and your whole approach to life. The closest analog that jumps to mind at the moment is Kyla Pratt’s demeanor in those old WNBA commercials in which the then-child star confronted WNBA players to list in brutally accurate detail every flaw in their respective approaches to basketball.
On You Still Here, Ho? (even the title is haughty, and I really appreciate the commitment to the brand), Flo Milli maintains this cocky, Regina George-ish persona, but fine tunes around the edges to provide a fresh layer of glittery polish to the whole affair. Where the beats on her debut often sounded like first drafts, from the very first track here, the brash “Come Outside” (as in, “I just wanna talk” – as in, “we really gon’ beat yo’ ass”), it’s obvious that more time was spent on fleshing out the backdrops.
To be honest, this really props up Flo’s voice and taunting flow much better, allowing her tracks to sound like finished songs and not a kid’s first swing at recording at the local Boys & Girls Club. The addition of melodies – the sitar threaded throughout “Bed Time,” the ghostly loops on “Ice Baby” – buttress her raps, while the more regressive tracks come off distracting – the synthy percussions on “Big Steppa” – come off more distracting and eat her voice in the mix.
“On My Nerves” marks the slickest update to Flo’s original sound – sparse, but upbeat, giving space for her jabs to land squarely in the middle of their targets’ faces. “You think you street, but you sesame,” she sneers, a prime example of the understated wit of her one-two punchlines. It’s not exactly Shakespeare – and certainly no Jay-Z – but there’s something to the simple humor behind her boasts and jeers that makes them effective and relatable (remember when Lil Wayne said “I’m the bomb like tick-tick?” Yeah, it’s a little like that). The only missteps are when she tries to sing, as on “Tilted Halo.” That is not what we came for.
If Flo Milli’s music seems like it’s aimed more at appealing to middle schoolers than serious hip-hop heads, that’s because it probably is. At just 22 years old, she’s closer to that demographic than she is to Golden Era nostalgists who want to hear “real-life raps” from her. And truth be told, she hasn’t really lived enough life to merit trying to go deep on life lessons, while socio-political rap has always been a tough sell for anybody, let alone women just getting into the rap game. She’s young enough that she’s got time to get there – maybe in two or three projects down the line – but for now, she’s a girl who just wants to have fun.
And so are many of her listeners. As much fuss has been made on the internet about the contemporary class of female rappers’ lack of substance, they’re making the music people want to hear right now. The world is a disaster, women are losing their rights, and the two things it seems we all need are a confidence booster and a break from all the darkness. Sometimes, we just wanna feel like we did when we were kids: snotty, brash, and carefree. You Still Here Ho? lets the brat out.
You Still Here Ho? is out now on RCA Records. Get it here.
Fivio Foreign has become one of this year’s buzziest rappers. He first came to fame about three years ago, when his song, “Blixky Inna Box” became an underground hit. The song caught the attention of Mase, who immediately presented Fivio with the paperwork to sign to his RichFish label.
In an episode of the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Fivio revealed that he signed the deal without hesitation and was granted a $5,000 advance.
“[Mase] was like, ‘Yo, man. Just sign that shit, You buggin,’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, read it.’ He’s like, ‘Alright, just sign it. It’s good.’ So, I just signed it.” Fivio, at the time, didn’t have an understanding of major label politics and anticipated that his advance would last him much longer than it actually did.
“That sh*t hit,” he said. “I thought that sh*t was going to last until whenever it was going to last. That sh*t ain’t last two weeks.”
The podcast host, Wallo267, was visibly disheartened by the little amount Mase gave Fivio, probably because Diddy gave Mase a similar deal in which he purchased the publishing rights to his music for only $20,000 in 1996. Mase has since voiced his disdain toward Diddy through a diss track called “Oracle 2: Standing on Bodies.”
Fivio assured the host that he wasn’t upset by the deal.
“I don’t really be complaining or crying over spilled milk,” Fivio said. “I already made this decision. For me, I’m in a better situation now. He get what he get… But I control my money.”
Nick Cannon’s children have all been given unique names – Moroccan, Monroe, Powerful Queen, Golden, Zillion, Zion, and the late Zen – upon their arrival into the world, and his newborn with Bre Tiesi is no exception.
On Monday (July 25), the model shared the exciting news with her followers that she went through an “all-natural unmedicated home birth” last month, welcoming little Legend Cannon into the world on June 28th with her baby daddy right by her side.
Bre Tiesi in 2018 — Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
The experience was a surreal one for Tiesi, who also vlogged her birthing experience for YouTube, getting real and raw about the details for anyone who might be considering a similar route with their pregnancy.
In the video, the 31-year-old revealed that Legend required “respiratory support” and he was born with a “long crown” due to a nuchal hand (hand by ear).
“I noticed he wasn’t crying,” she recalled, though eventually when she heard the tears, Tiesi described them as the “best sound” she’s ever heard.
@bre_tiesi/Instagram Story
Now that her first baby is nearly a month old, the Los Angeles native seems to be getting into the swing of motherhood and even gave a glimpse at how she’s been getting glammed up these days while breastfeeding.
“How I get ready these days,” she wrote on top of a mirror selfie where Legend can be seen feeding from her nursing bra. “[Haha] he just kicked off my other boob,” she added, also pointing out the tray of snacks behind her to keep her fueled.
Check out Bre Tiesi’s birth experience vlog below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.
Facebook has been changing a lot things up recently. Its parent company has been renamed Meta, and its sister company, Instagram, has been morphing into something which more closely resembles TikTok, much to the chagrin of its users. Now, Facebook is addressing a hotly contested issue which has long plagued video services: ad revenue and licensed music.
On Monday, Meta announced that people creating videos on Facebook can now earn money even if their video includes licensed music. The company introduced “Music Revenue Sharing,” which will allow creators to include licensed music while also allowing them to get a cut of the in-stream ad revenue.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
According to Meta, this move will allow both creators and music rights holders to make more money. Users have been able to use licensed music in the past, but they haven’t been able to monetize said videos. With the new feature, creators can now receive 20% revenue share on videos that are over 60 seconds long and use licensed music. A separate share would then go to the rights holder on the music as well as Meta, but the company has yet to disclose the specifics of this aspect of the deal.
The songs used in the videos must be taken from the Licensed Music library. Eligible songs are varying, including tracks from Tove Lo, Post Malone, and big names. Meta also stressed that there must be visuals in the video– the music can’t be the primary focus of the video. Facebook Reels are not yet part of this new initiative, though the company left the door open for the possibility in the future.
Fivio Foreign got candid when discussing the death of Pop Smoke with Gillie Da Kid and Wallo on the Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast, admitting that it “hit hard.” Smoke was shot and killed during a home invasion on February 19, 2020.
“I was just in the studio with him, me, him and Polo the night before,” Fivio explained on the show. “He had flew out that same night. He was in New York the night before it happened, so he had flew out, and I didn’t know he flew out, so when I saw the shit on Instagram and I saw n****s reposting it, I’m like, ‘Why n****s posting fake news like that?’”
Paras Griffin / Getty Images
He continued: “I know the n***a not in L.A. Home invasion, but he don’t live in L.A.? It was true, and I’m like, ‘Oh shit.’ I was getting so many calls, and that’s when I knew it was really true with the calls I was getting. That shit hit hard. It hit everybody hard.”
At the time of his death, Smoke was one of the biggest names in the New York drill scene. His hit song, “Dior,” has been certified platinum by the RIAA three times over. He’s had two posthumous albums released in the time since his death, including 2020’s Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, and 2021’s Faith.
Fivio added that he was concerned the drill scene would “die out” following Smoke’s passing.
Check out Fivio’s appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast below.
Only days after releasing the Ryan Gosling/Chris Evans vehicle The Gray Man, Netflix has announced that the film will be getting a sequel starring Gosling. The company also announced that there will be a spinoff coming as well, described as “edgy and experimental.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The directors of the film, the Russo Brothers, have hinted that the streaming numbers for the film have been sky-high. “The audience reaction to The Gray Man has been nothing short of phenomenal,” they said. “We are so appreciative of the enthusiasm that fans across the world have had for this film. With so many amazing characters in the movie, we had always intended for The Gray Man to be part of an expanded universe, and we are thrilled that Netflix is announcing a sequel with Ryan, as well as a second script that we’re excited to talk about soon.”
There’s not many more details about the upcoming films, but Netflix said in a statement that the spinoff will “explore a different element of The Gray Man universe.” It will be written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who have a record of making certified hits, having penned Deadpool and Zombieland.
As for right now, the brothers are soaking in the success of the first installment. “Everybody loves the movie,” claimed Joe Russo. “The audience score is fantastic, the response has been overwhelming, No. 1 in 93 countries. Evans and Gosling are very happy with the film, Ryan has told me his mother said it’s her favorite movie he’s ever made. We’ll take that as certification that we need a sequel, that feedback from Ryan’s mother. Everyone’s happy, loved working together. We just got back from traveling the globe and the response was tremendous. We’re excited to expand the story.”
The Weeknd is bringing haunted houses inspired by his 2020 album After Hours to Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort as a part of Halloween Horror Nights. The multimedia experience will take inspiration from A Clockwork Orange, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Jacob’s Ladder.
“I always wanted my own Halloween Horror Nights haunted house as Halloween has always been significant to my music, so this is a total dream come to life,” The Weeknd said in a press release. “I feel like my music videos have served as a launching pad for a collaboration like this, and I cannot wait for people to experience this madness!”
Mike Coppola / Getty Images
Orlando senior show director Charles Gray explained to Entertainment Weekly: “It isn’t a retelling of the After Hours album. It’s entering the nightmares that were the muse for his songs. There’s a lot of surrealistic, horrific imagery as we [expanded upon scenarios] inspired by the videos.”
The Weeknd’s After Hours album was released in March 2020 and features collaborations with Metro Boomin, Max Martin, Oneohtrix Point Never, and more.
“The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare” is scheduled to open on September 2 at Universal Orlando Resort and on September 8 at Universal Studios Hollywood. The events will run through October 31.
