SZA’s record-breaking sophomore effort ‘SOS’ is full of emotionally intense songs and the singer has found that the waterworks often come while performing them.
Month: February 2023
Mowalola’s Autumn/Winter Showcase Was Dripped in New York Yankees Emblems
For her Autumn/Winter 2023 collection, Nigerian designer Mowalola Ogunlesi brought New York to London. The designer delivered a collection consisting of “New York Yankees” inspired pieces that pay tribute to the Big Apple. The collection titled “Dark Web” explored extreme “techno-apocalyptic tones,” signature Mowalola brand risqué pieces, and lots of New York nods.
In addition, highlights of the collection include huge bootleg Yankees logos that were on Mowalola pieces such as oversized leather jackets, knee-high boots, and belt buckles attached to skirts. Also featured on the runway was the label’s rumored Timberland collab with a perforated Yankees motif. “Smack a Bitch” rapper Rico Nasty was featured as a model for the collection. She sported an oversized mustard yellow motorcycle jacket and micro-mini skirt look emblazoned with a black New York Yankees-inspired motif.
Mowalola Autumn/Winter 2023 Collection
Mowalola created her Autumn/Winter 2023 collection to honor blueprint African-American fashion. Sagging pants, cocked hats, and Uptowns appeared on the runway. Elsewhere, bold and daring pieces were displayed such as extreme cutout dresses. A bawdy tank reading “insert disc here” with an arrow pointing to (you know where) was also featured. Additionally, massive handbags, sewer top totes, bizarre three-eyed sunglasses, and LED light makeup looks completed the “Dark Web” vision. According to Office Magazine, “Dark Web encapsulates the threads of sports, culture, and corporations that embody New York City — referred to by its darker moniker Gotham through signature the New York Yankees logo and NYC license plates printed across leather bags, jersey tees, leather jackets, and baseball caps.
Even the city’s Museum of Modern Art lettering was reimagined with “MoWA” text stamped on hoodies and tees reminiscent of local merchandise”. Moreover, there is no question as to why Mowalola decided to use New York as inspiration for her new collection, as did several other designers this season including Heron Preston, Who Decides War, and so much more. The city is filled with an eccentric style, art, and people on every corner. Mowalola Ogunlesi is known for captivating audiences with her unique designs that draw inspiration from literally anything and everything. All in all, while this is only her most recent example, we anticipate that this will definitely not be Mowalola’s last.
[Via]
Slim Jxmmi’s Ex Accuses Him Of Abuse After He Posed In Photos With Sukihana
Just when you thought the day would end without any other internet controversy, Slim Jxmmi and Sukihana heated things up. There wasn’t any warning about these two, but they appeared in flirtatious photos together. In one, Sukihana showed off her backside with her leg lifted around the Rae Sremmurd rapper. In another, it looked as if Suki might have been twerking on him, up close and personal. It all looked like a bit of parking structure fun, but the mother of Jxmmi’s child added her voice to the discussion on her Instagram Story.
Jxmmi’s ex Kee has repeatedly accused him of domestic violence. In June 2022, she took to social media with several claims, including that the hitmaker pulled her hair out. She accused him of stepping on her face and physically assaulting her while she was pregnant. After the photos of Sukihana and Jxmmi went viral, Kee returned with similar sentiments.
Kee Addresses Slim Jxmmi’s Photos
“Y’all keep sending me this,” Kee wrote on her Story. “They posted it for a reason. this is the most attention he’s gotten since SremmLife 2 and knocking my teeth back.” In another slide, she added, “He’s blocked for a reason. people do not change. had to learn to stop feeling bad and making excuses for how he treats me. I love myself, my son and my PH balance more.”
She added, “I wish them the best thought. this is the attention he needs for Sremm4 [red heart emoji] y’all go get that in April lol.” Suki seemed to catch the posts, and she referenced Kee mentioning having her teeth knocked out. The Florida rapper shared a photo showing her missing front tooth. “Mines already out,” she penned over the image.
Kee Previously Accused Slim Jxmmi Of Being On Drugs
During last year’s revelatory posts, Kee claimed that her ex was both on drugs and withdrawing from them during their relationship. She said people close to them knew of the alleged abuse, including one of their producers. “This is my truth,” she also stated at the time. “Aaquil Brown for years has been emotionally, physically, and mentally abusive to me.” Slim Jxmmi has not responded to this most recent controversy.
LL COOL J Trolls Fans With Explanation For ‘Canceling’ His New Album
LL COOL J had presumably pumped the brakes on his upcoming album, but now he’s given a more precise explanation of what happened.
Post Malone & Kid Cudi To Headline Salt Lake City’s Hive Festival
Post Malone and Kid Cudi have been tapped to headline the 2023 Hive Festival in Salt Lake City – a two-day event that will feature other big acts like Big Sean.
De La Soul’s Maseo And Posdnuos Shared Heartfelt Posts Honoring The Late Trugoy
Following the heartbreaking death of De La Soul’s David “Trugoy” Jolicoeur earlier this month, his bandmates have taken to Instagram to honor him.
In two separate posts on the group’s main account, Kelvin “Posdunos” Mercer and Vincent “Maseo” Mason honored Trugoy, with Posdnuos calling Trugoy “the heart of our group” and thanking him for bringing “so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music.”
“Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community,”Posdnuos continued. “You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others, and you will be deeply missed by all who knew you.”
Maseo shared that although he and Trugoy would butt heads from time to time, the two would always “totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’”
“I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group,” Maseo wrote.
Thankfully, fans who wish to listen to De La Soul’s music and carry on Trugoy’s legacy can do so beginning next month, as their entire catalog will finally be available on streaming platforms.
You can see both Instagram posts below.
“Dear Dave,
You were the heart of our group. You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music, and your influence will be felt for years to come.
Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community. You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others, and you will be deeply missed by all who knew you.
This is heavy on our hearts and minds but we are smiling and even laughing at all the great times we shared with you. As we attempt to navigate this world without you, we stand grateful and proud of all you accomplished on this earth.
We would like to say thank you Dave for being a big brother. Thank you for being a friend. Thank you for the wise words placed in your verses. Thank you for the music you produced that is loved by so many. Thank you for never wanting to compromise the quality of our brand. Thank you for helping us become a group that will remain etched in the timeline of hip hop culture as well as the fabric of music and for now on when we perform ‘Ring Ring Ring Ha Ha Hey’ we will say ‘2-2-2-2-222 we got an angel in heaven who can talk to you’
Love you Dave!
Sincerely,
Merce (Pos)”
“Dave – thank you so much for being in my life. Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’ I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group. Before Trugoy The Dove, I met J.D. Dove aside being called Dave in 1985. I remember your mom calling you Dove, so you’ve always had wings, so go on and fly into the light, Merce and I will make sure your legacy is well preserved. ‘We Are De La Soul’ for life and after life, but obviously, it will never be the same. On one end I’m happy you no longer have to suffer the pain of your condition but on the other hand I’m extremely upset at the fact that you’re not here to celebrate and enjoy what we worked and fought so hard to achieve. Unfortunately, emcees that are in groups very rarely get mentioned, you and Merce are top tier, your contribution as emcees and song writers have inspired many to step up there game. DAMMIT DAVE! to be writing about you in past tense is CRAZY, but at least I got to tell you a lot of this and more except for the part about being named Dove. Let me just end off by saying I am very content and more than reassured about our relationship as brothers because we discussed it thoroughly and solidified what is necessary just in case something happened to any of us, but who would’ve thought so soon when there was so much to live for. MY SOUL IS HURTING REALLY BAD, but I want to thank my brother @Plugwondelasoul for digging me out of my hole alongside my wife and children. To all the De La Fans, our peers, constituents and family, thank you for all of your support through this troubling time.
AMITYVILLE, ALL OF LONG ISLAND AND HIP HOP CULTURE, PLEASE STAND UP AND SALUTE THE LEGENDARY ICON TRUGOY THE DOVE, PLUG 2 AKA DAVE! YOU WILL BE EXTREMELY MISSED AND WAY TO DOPE TO EVER BE FORGOTTEN…I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH BIG BRO
MASE”
SZA Gave Chlöe A Huge Compliment And Got An Equally Loving Message In Return
SZA was named Billboard‘s Woman Of The Year today, February 22. It stands to reason, considering she hasn’t stopped breaking Billboard charting records since the December release of SOS. She has every right to talk her talk right now, but instead, she’s still coming to terms with SOS succeeding at all.
“Right now, I just have extreme gratitude because I swear to God, I never thought I’d be No. 1 for even a week, let alone seven,” SZA told Heran Mamo for the accompanying cover story, speaking of SOS logging seven consecutive weeks (and nine total weeks) at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
She also used the interview to shine a light on other women in music:
“There’s nobody in the industry that f*cks with me and that I f*ck with the way that Lizzo f*cks with me and the way I f*ck with her. She never made me feel like because I don’t have a No. 1 song or I [previously] didn’t have a No. 1 album that I wasn’t capable. She’d been telling me that she thought I was the one for years. The way that she thinks of me so highly as a human being and as an artist means so much to me. I just have never met anybody like her in this entire industry.
“There’s a lot of women I look up to in general that I don’t know personally, but watching them is incredible. Beyoncé, but who doesn’t look up to Beyoncé? I love Jozzy’s and Starrah’s energy. I love the way Nija is from New Jersey and has been able to transmute her energy from being a writer to an artist. Kehlani’s hella effervescent, and you can just feel the energy when she’s performing. I love Chloe Bailey and her commitment to perfection — I feel like she’s going to be a legend. Even Taylor [Swift] letting that whole situation go with her masters and then selling all of those f*cking records. That’s the biggest ‘f*ck you’ to the establishment I’ve ever seen in my life, and I deeply applaud that sh*t.”
Chlöe responded to SZA’s shout-out by tweeting, “Love you always @sza the feeling is mutual.”
love you always @sza
the feeling is mutualhttps://t.co/zMZog0T3U1
— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) February 22, 2023
Chlöe has a chance to prove SZA right with In Pieces, her debut solo album due out on March 31. She’s already made quite the stir with singles “Pray It Away” and “How Does It Feel” featuring Chris Brown.
Meanwhile, SZA is continuing to ride the success of SOS on her supporting headlining tour, which hits Chicago’s United Center tonight. Omar Apollo is the opener.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Polo G Was Supposed To Be With Pop Smoke The Day He Died
Justice has yet to be served in Pop Smoke’s murder case. Several suspects were arrested after the beloved Drill rapper was gunned down at a luxury home in the Hollywood Hills. Pop was a respected artist on the rise, but sadly, his life was cut short in a botched home invasion. Since then, his loved ones and peers have kept his legacy alive, and Polo G is offering insight into what almost occurred that fateful day.
Last week, Polo G was a guest on the Full Send Podcast, where he opened up about a few hot topics. He detailed the controversy over him allegedly unfollowing Gunna while also claiming that he and Pop were supposed to be in the studio on the day of the murder. “I f*cked with Pop Smoke and the whole Drill sound,” Polo began.
Polo G Details Last Conversations With Pop Smoke
“You know, coming from Chicago, that’s where that sh*t started at,” the rapper continued. “So, I really tapped into they sh*t. I hit up Pop like, ‘Yo, let’s do this.’ He had been hitting me up in the past, but before I knew who he was. And then, when I seen they wave going strong, I hit him like, ‘Yo, I f*ck with y’all sh*t. Let’s do something.’” Polo was asked if he worked with Pop in the studio.
“Yeah, Pop, I worked with him. The craziest thing, I worked with him right before he passed,” Polo further shared. “I was in the studio with him. He said he was leaving to L.A. I stayed in New York an extra day to make sure Fivio [Foreign] laid his verse [for ‘Clueless’]. And Pop, a contact was telling me Pop wanted to get in the stu in L.A. the night he passed. ‘Cause I live there, he live there. We was supposed to get up.”
Polo G Describes Pop Smoke In The Studio
The Full Send hosts question Polo G about what Pop Smoke was like when he laid his verse. Polo recalls Pop getting through the session fairly quickly. The late rapper even paid homage to Chicago by asking Polo for the name of a popular spot in the city. When Polo let him know, Pop put it in his verse. Check it out above.
Juelz Santana & Rick Ross Shoot Poolside Video For New Song
Juelz Santana was seen filming a new music video with Rick Ross earlier this week, and it’s only adding more anticipation to his upcoming Gangsta Grillz tape.