Their anticipated third album has arrived.
Month: June 2023
Lil Uzi Vert & Nicki Minaj’s ‘Endless Fashion’ Just Gave Fans Another High-End Collaboration To Add To Their Collection
Asap Rocky isn’t the only fashion killer in hip-hop. Lil Uzi Vert has gone on the record to declare their flyness. But on their new track “Endless Fashion” featuring Nicki Minaj, their designer obsession sores to new heights. As one of the breakout tracks from Lil Uzi Vert’s new album, Pink Tape, the rappers continue their magically collaborative streak.
On the track produced by Bugz Ronin, the pair boasts about their designer buds. In the second verse, Minaj flaunts her exclusive access to revered designers, rapping, “Ayo, even if my name was Natalie, none these b*tches still couldn’t chin-check me / That’s word to Chanel, it ain’t nothin’ to see, bitches on TV channelin’ me / Harajuku Barbie, Roman Zolanski, from Red Ruby to Chun-Li / I put door knocker earrings in Fendi, then stamped the trench coat Burberry.”
But before she closes her verse, there are a few more brands she wants to highlight, rapping, “I was really in the field with Karl Lager’ (Oop), now it’s Heaven campaigns / Check-in with Dapper Dan when I’m in Harlem / My n****s’ll blow like Virgil.”
Lil Uzi Vert joins in to shout out their favorite labels rapping, “These rappers can’t dress, yeah, they just be hatin’ / I never ratted, but got all the statements / Stopped wearing Kapital ’cause it got basic / I still wear Kapital, Uzi, stop fakin’ / I used to wear more Number (N)ine than Asians / I mix the Greg Lauren, purple label.”
Fashion and music go hand in hand. Lil Uzi Vert and Nicki Minaj are just the latest to highlight the symbiotic relationship.
Pink Tape is out now via Generation Now/Atlantic Records. Find more information here.
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Drake Had An Unbothered Response To Learning Real Poets Weren’t Impressed By His Poetry Book
It turns out not everyone had as enthusiastic a response to Drake‘s book of poetry as DJ Khaled did (and even his was a little noncommital). After Complex got a few full-time poets to review the book, Drake learned that he wasn’t being taken quite as seriously as perhaps he’d hoped.
With a title like Titles Ruin Everything, you’d think he’s in on the joke, but as New York Times bestselling author Hanif Abdurraqib pointed out, it’s kind of hard to tell. “None of these strike me as poems, because they’re not even attempting to push against any unknown in order to offer something revelatory or at least somewhat beautiful,” he says in the piece.
“Some of these are so absurd that they’re actually funny,” he continues. “But it’s hard to tell if he also understands that they’re bending into absurdist humor, and understands that there will be people who find it profound. Or if he’s convinced himself of the profundity. Really, it’s kind of just a book of puns. Silly lil’ jokes. It is a struggle for me to tell how in on the joke he is… I’m not personally offended by anything that masquerades as poetry, because it happens so often in every possible arena of entertainment and consumption, but this is essentially a coffee table book of one-line jokes.”
Houston poet laureate Aris Kian echoed Hanif’s thoughts, musing, “Drake’s poems operate within an excess of white space, a reduced set of images and limited punctuation. The tools of tension, breath and play are only explored through the typical two-line set up/punchline format.”
Of course, if any of this ruffled Drake’s feathers, he seems reluctant to show it. In his Instagram Story, he posted a response of sorts with a meme calling the critics “Randomly angry poets” (despite, y’know, the author calling them to ask their opinions and neither seeming all that angry) and shrugging off their criticism. Of course, this could just be a case of Drake coping with receiving pushback on yet another of his creative endeavors — even if it is, as one of my colleagues put it in Slack, “not poetry, it’s merch.”
Travis Scott Brings The Energy To His New Collaboration With Lil Uzi Vert For ‘Aye’
Lil Uzi Vert just unleashed Pink Tape. With 26 tracks, an unexpected cover of System Of A Down’s “Chop Suey,” and features from Nicki Minaj, Bring Me The Horizon, Don Toliver, and more, it’s a must-listen. However, the most exciting collaboration on the album might be “Aye” with Travis Scott.
“Aye” is sure to be a hit as a live performance. The track is invigorating all the way through: “I put them diamonds my teeth (Aye) / Might put somе diamonds my nose (Aye) / Aye, I put them diamonds my teeth (Aye) / Might put some diamonds my nosе (Aye, huh?).” The two rappers together bring a lot of energy to the table.
The unveiling of this song is a relief for fans of the “Sicko Mode” performer, whose highly anticipated new album Utopia still doesn’t have an official release date. However, billboards recently intimated that the album might be arriving on July 21. The ongoing delay is a result of the 2021 Astroworld tragedy, which he will not face charges for: “He never encouraged people to do anything that resulted in other people being hurt… Travis is not responsible,” his lawyer Kent Schaffer said. There were 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Listen to “Aye” above.
Pink Tape is out now via Atlantic Records. Get it here.
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Currensy and Harry Fraud Keep It Brief On “Vices”
New Orleans rapper Currensy and New York producer Harry Fraud have dropped a new collaborative project. The project is relatively brief running just 9 tracks and barely over 22 minutes, but it’s packed with features. Benny The Butches. Jim Jones, Tommy Wright III, Larry June, G.T., Rome Streetz, and Vico all appear on various songs. Instrumentally, Harry Fraud is the lone credited producer on the album responsible for all 9 tracks.
For Curren$y, it’s his second new project for 2023 so far. Back in April, he released a similarly brief collection of tracks with legendary producer Jermaine Dupri. The album was called For Motivational Use Only, Vol. 1, and also had some impressive features within its tracklist. The likes of T.I. and 2 Chainz show up on two different songs from the mixtape’s second half. Curren$y has been in an extremely prolific period of new releases for years now. The rapper famously released three full studio albums of new material all in 2021. Last year, he dropped a full-length collaboration with a different legendary producer, The Alchemist, called Continuance.
Currensy And Harry Fraud Team Up
While Harry Fraud’s output hasn’t been quite as prolific as Curren$y, he still released a number of high-profile collaborations last year. The first of which was Montega with French Montana. The album was absolutely loaded with features and got even more impressive with a deluxe version released later in the year. He also dropped You Take The Credit, We’ll Take The Check with Jay Worthy a few months later. he closed the year with Beyonce Belief a 10-track collaboration with 38 Spesh which featured Curren$y himself on the penultimate track.
Curren$y and Harry Fraud have even collaborated together before. For both artists, one of their most recognized projects is their 2018 team-up The Marina. The album featured the hit song The Count with Wiz Khalifa. What do you think of Currensy and Harry Fraud’s new collaborative album? Let us know in the comment section below.
Tracklist:
1. The Great McCarthy
2. Black Point Boat Launch
3. Stingray (ft. Benny The Butcher)
4. Marcus Camby (ft. Jim Jones & Tommy Wright III)
5. Marble Columns (ft. Larry June)
6. Neon Skyline (ft. G.T.)
7. ’86 Testarossa (ft. Rome Streetz)
8. The Warehouse
9. Purple Picasso (ft. Vico)
The post Currensy and Harry Fraud Keep It Brief On “Vices” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
Police Label Ryan Mallett’s Death A “Tragic Accident”
Ryan Mallett, former Arkansas Razorbacks star and long-time NFL backup QB, died at the age of 35 on June 27. Mallett played in the NFL between 2011 and 2017. However, at the time of his death he was coaching high school in Arkansas. He was beloved by the University of Arkansas, where he played for two seasons after transferring from Michigan. He is second all-time in terms of passing yards and touchdowns for the Razorbacks.
Leading the tributes for the quarterback was Tom Brady, who Mallett backed up for two years. Taking to his Instagram story, Brady shared a picture of him with Mallett. “We lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan,” Brady wrote. “Praying for the Mallet family and all their loved ones tonight,” he continued. However, new information about Mallett’s death has been revealed. It appears that previous reporting and speculation linking his death to riptides was inaccurate.
Police Deny Mallett Drowned In Riptide
“Investigators are continuing to gather information in the drowning of an Arkansas tourist Tuesday afternoon,” the department wrote on Facebook. “It just seems to be just a tragic accident and not something to do with the conditions of the surf or tides or currents. It’s always difficult when we lose a tourist or resident here, but we have no indication here of any dangerous conditions out there,” Sheriff Eric Aden added in an additional statement to CBS News.
According to the new information, Mallett was part of a group of swimmers off the coast of Destin. A popular beach town, Destin is about 45 miles down the coast from Pensacola. The group Mallett was with reportedly “struggled to make their way back to shore.” Furthermore, during the journey back, Mallett fell underwater while attempting to reach a sandbar. He was reportedly unresponsive when the group made it back to the beach. “Investigators say Mallett began struggling while attempting to swim to a second sandbar about 150 feet offshore of the beach near Gulf Shores Drive in Destin around 2:15 p.m. Despite widespread media misinformation, yellow beach safety flags were flying at the time and there were no indications of any ‘riptides,’” the department added.
[via]
The post Police Label Ryan Mallett’s Death A “Tragic Accident” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
Ice-T Breaks Down Why Playing A Cop & Playing A Gangster Are The Same
Ice-T is almost as renowned for his acting career as he is for his incredibly influential hip-hop artistry, and some might even flip that table. Regardless, it’s clear that the actor has learned a lot through his time on the screen, and that it’s also garnered him much success and acclaim. Moreover, the 65-year-old will appear on an upcoming episode of Drink Champs with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN, of which various preview clips released. In one of them, the MC-turned-actor revealed the similarities he believes there are between playing a policeman and playing a gangster. While they may seem like opposite roles, he actually finds a lot of common ground between them, an almost poetic assessment.
“We all have had enough experience with the cops, you can act like a cop,” Ice-T remarked. “Like when I’m on ‘Law & Order,’ right before I do the scene, I just go ‘A**hole, a**hole, a**hole, a**hole.’ And then I talk down to you. But dig this, playing a cop and playing a gangster is the exact same acting. Exact same acting. We both got a gun, we both got an attitude, we both want answers, or there will be a consequence.”
Read More: Ice-T’s Greatest Acting Roles
Ice-T On The Yin & Yang Of Playing A Cop Versus A Gangster
In fact, his appearance on Drink Champs is actually quite ironic considering that the New Jersey-born creative warned artists of podcast appearances just about a month ago. “Artist Public Service: Doing Interviews can be risky if you Don’t know what you’re doing,” Ice-T tweeted. “They will talk to you for hours hoping you say one thing they can TWIST and hype up for clicks. Unfortunately, most podcasts have now DEVOLVED to this BS. Just saying.” That being said, it’s clear that he’s at least selective, so we’re sure that this latest appearance will host some interesting conversations and revelations.
Meanwhile, another clip from his interview was a wild story about doing ecstasy with his wife, Coco Austin. Maybe the full talk boasts more bizarre and zany tales like these, a mode that the artist doesn’t typically engage in. Still, we’ll have to wait and see until the full episode drops. For more news and the latest updates on Ice-T, check back in with HNHH.
Read More: Ice-T & Coco’s Relationship Timeline
The post Ice-T Breaks Down Why Playing A Cop & Playing A Gangster Are The Same appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
Drake Responds To Poetry Book Criticism While Paying Tribute To Canada’s Sex Educator Sue Johanson
The deeper into his career he gets, the less bothered Drake has become by the criticism of others. His Honestly, Nevermind album – which recently celebrated its first anniversary – left the music industry divided. Since then, we’ve primarily seen him focus on rapping, though he did also give us a taste of his skills as a poet too. After announcing his plans to release a book in 2022, the Canadian finally shared Titles Ruin Everything earlier this month, which he put together in tandem with Kenza Samir. While some hip-hop heads are loving the collectable piece, Complex reports that award-winning poets are less than pleased with what Drake has done.
“Some of these are so absurd that they’re actually funny,” New York Times best-selling author Hanif Abdurraqib said of the 168-page effort. “But it’s hard to tell if he also understands that they’re bending into absurdist humour, and understands that there will be people who find it profound. Or if he’s convinced himself of the profundity. Really, it’s kind of just a book of puns. Silly lil’ jokes.” Abdurraqib added that he’s having a hard time deciphering how “in on the joke” Drake is, though he wasn’t “personally offended” by any of the content in the book.”
Read More: Drake Announces “For All The Dogs” Album To Accompany New Poetry Book
Drake’s Titles Ruin Everything Arrives to Mixed Reactions
Upon hearing the public’s reaction to his work, the father of one turned to Instagram to share his thoughts. “Randomly angry poets: blahagaggagesvachjsksyavsvvehevehebwgabvqvqqvwww[.] Me:,” Drake wrote above a shrugging photo of the late Sue Johanson, who tragically passed away earlier this week. As HipHopDX notes, the Canadian icon previously appeared on several episodes of Degrassi, where Drizzy first got his start.
As reactions to Titles Ruin Everything continue to pour in, the 36-year-old has been focusing on his future too much to worry about the perception of others. In just a few days, he’ll be back on tour for the first time in several years, and along with his book Champagne Papi confirmed that he’s got another album on the way in the near future.
Read More: Drake Had The Internet Going Wild With “In My Feelings”
More Love for Sue Johanson
Elsewhere on his IG Story this week, Drake shared a smiling photo of the late Sue Johanson, giving her flowers by declaring her “a goat.” Are you familiar with the work of Canada’s favourite sex educator, or is this the first you’ve heard of her? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
The post Drake Responds To Poetry Book Criticism While Paying Tribute To Canada’s Sex Educator Sue Johanson appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
Team Vitality Bench Bo Ahead Of Final LEC Week
The LEC Summer split could have hardly gone worse for Team Vitality. After a fifth-place finish in the Winter split, and a third-place finish in Spring, Vitality were essentially a lock for the LEC Finals later this year. They had seemingly proved their roster doubters wrong. However, the team was still hunting for a LEC title to call its own.
However, they currently sit at a 1-5 record after two weeks of the Summer split. Their games look sloppy, their teamwork is non-existent. Suddenly, one of the hottest teams in the LEC looked like a hastily slapped-together amateur outfit. What’s more, if results go against them, there is a chance that this performance could cost them that “seemingly-guaranteed” spot in the LEC Finals.
The worst of the bunch has been Zhou “Bo” Yangbo, the team’s supposedly rookie phenom jungler. Vitality picked up the Chinese player last year. Previously, Bo had played for FPX in China in 2021, before being suspended as part of a match-fixing scandal. After good performances in the first two splits of the year, Bo has become one of the worst players in the LEC. As a result, Vitality is sending Bo to the bench.
Related: Excel win three in a week after winning three all year
Vitality Bench Bo, Promote Daglas
LEC Roster Update for Week 3 of the Regular Season pic.twitter.com/eiGz730HBz
— Team Vitality
(@TeamVitality) June 30, 2023
In a move announced on June 30, Team Vitality benched Bo for the final week of the LEC season. Bo had a KDA of just 1.1, the worst in the entire league. While Bo has good farming and kill participation, he also has a tendency to recklessly throw himself into fights. He has 4.8 deaths per game, compared to just 1.5 kills.
As a result, Vitality will field their academy jungler Kacper “Daglas” Dagiel for the final week of the Summer split. Daglas joined Vitality.Bee in December 2022 after starting his pro career in the Greek League. He didn’t exactly blow the LFL, the French regional league where Vitality have their academy team, away. In Spring, he had a KDA of 3.3 as Vitality.Bee went 9-9. At the time of writing, he currently has a 2.3 KDA with Vitality.Bee at 4-6 in the Summer split.
Essentially, Vitality have decided to see if Daglas miraculously turns into a god-tier player on the LEC stage. At the very least, it will give him some playing time at the LEC level and potentially set up a battle for the starting jungle spot. Daglas’ debut will see him take on KOI, Team BDS, and a surging Excel Esports.
Related: FENNEL debut first woman in the LJL
While Vitality Fall, Noah Soars
At the other end of the LEC spectrum to Vitality, you have Fnatic. After struggling immensely in the first two splits of the year, Fnatic revamped their bot lane. Among the changes, they added Oh “Noah” Hyeon-taek, an ADC playing in the Polish Ultraliga.
After six games in his first LEC split, Noah has a KDA of 78. The next highest KDA in the league is held by Trymbi at 7. His KDA over the 19-game Ultraliga Season 9 split was 6.2. Simply put, Noah is a cheat code. He appears to understand the league, the meta, and the game like no one else in the league. His overall stat line is 36/1/42. Even in the single loss Fnatic has suffered so far, Noah still put up a KDA of 7.
As a result, Fnatic are one of two teams to have secured a place in the GSL stage already. They cannot finish with a losing record, and then have immense momentum behind them. While Vitality’s “generational talent” has failed them, Fnatic’s Korean rookie is climbing to ever-new heights.
Related: Which champions are pros banning the most?
The post Team Vitality Bench Bo Ahead Of Final LEC Week appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
The Alchemist Taps Earl Sweatshirt, Larry June & More On “Flying High”
The Alchemist remains one of the most prolific producers of our time. Over the years, he’s teamed up with a number of elite MCs to produce their projects in their entirety. However, when it comes time for him to serve up his own body of work, these same artists always come through for him. Last December, he released The Alchemist Sandwich, a 10 song album with features from Westside Gunn, Conway, ScHoolboy Q, and Earl Sweatshirt, among others.
This morning (June 30), the super producer doubled back with his newly released effort, Flying High. The eight-song project includes four original songs and their instrumentals. Earl Sweatshirt and Billy Woods join forces on “RIP Tracy.” Then, Alc pairs T.F. and Boldy James on “Trouble Man.” Other features on the project include MIKE, Sideshow, Jay Worthy, and Larry June. If you’re looking for top-tier rapping and equally impressive production, you have to press play on Flying High.
Read More: Who Is The Alchemist? Get To Know Hip Hop’s Boom-Bap Icon
The Alchemist Returns
Flying High marks The Alchemist’s first solo release of the year but second overall. In March, the producer linked up with Larry June for the release of The Great Escape, which remains one of the better hip-hop projects of the year. The Great Escape perfectly paired The Alchemist’s ethereal style of production with June’s laidback flow, along with features from Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, Curren$y, Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, and more.
While Alc’ continues to play a major role behind the scenes, he actually made a brief return to rapping earlier this year. For Hit-Boy’s latest album, Surf Or Drown, the two producers swapped beats and dropped a few bars. It marked the first time in a long time that we’ve heard Alchemist get back into his rapping roots in a minute. Although he doesn’t come through with any bars on Flying High, his production prowess shines across the project. Press play above and let us knw your favorite song in the comments below.
Read More: Big Sean Joins Larry June & The Alchemist On A Trip To “Palisades, CA”
The post The Alchemist Taps Earl Sweatshirt, Larry June & More On “Flying High” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.