Jack Harlow & Pooh Shiesty Team Up On “SUVs (Black On Black)”

Jack Harlow’s keeping Pooh Shiesty’s name alive in these streets with his latest release. Over the weekend, the Louisville rapper revealed that he had new music in the cut with the “Back In Blood” artist in a brief video he shared to Instagram which previewed their new collaboration. Wasting little time, he came through this Tuesday afternoon with a brand new banger alongside Pooh Shiesty titled, “SUVs (Black On Black).” Go Grizzly and Smash David handle the trunk-rattling production while Jack and Shiesty offer braggadocious bars and muddy flows.

“The reason I wanted to work with Pooh is I had been listening to a lot of him. Right around when we made this song and he’s just one of those fresh voices this year, and I feel like he and I are just kind of rising at this similar time,” Jack told Apple Music about working with Pooh Shiesty. “We’re both hot artists and it felt like it made sense. I could hear his voice on it. I felt like it was a bop he could handle. You know, there’s certain beats you feel like only certain artists can get on, but this felt like something for him. I knew he would eat this, so it just made sense, and it felt organic because we had just started getting cool, and I had a record for him.”

Harlow’s latest offering comes just a few weeks after he assisted Lil Nas X on the highly-anticipated single, “Industry Baby” which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Check out “SUVs (Black On Black)” below.

Quotable Lyrics
I’ve seen hitters turn to rats
We went from Hemis to them ‘Cats
Remember trailed me in my Track’
SUVs, SUVs black on black
I see ’em talking’ tough, can’t wait to slime ’em out, king slatt 

Simone Biles Perseveres In Olympic Return; Wins Bronze Medal

Simone Biles’ performance at the 2021 Olympics, marred by mental health issues and personal struggles, has served a much larger purpose than her impressive athleticism. While her hands aren’t full of medals, Biles can be confident that she inspired a generation by putting her humanity on display. However, the break that Biles did take, which caused her to miss four Olympic finals, seemed to have cleared her mind enough for this morning’s balance beam event. Falling just short behind two Chinese contestants, Biles placed third and earned herself a Bronze medal– her seventh Olympic medal in her career. 

“This one is definitely sweeter,” Simone Biles said about the bronze medal, a mark of her perseverance against adversity. Other Bronze medals in her career have come with disappointment and shame, though this one means a lot more. 

simone biles olympics 2021

Simone Biles competes in the Women’s Balance Beam Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Jamie Squire/Getty Images

“We’re not just entertainment, we’re humans,” Biles told IOC President Thomas Bach in a tearful interview Tuesday, “And there are things going on behind the scenes that we’re also trying to juggle with as well, on top of sports.” She concluded this thought with: “My mental and physical health is better than any medal.”

This was a cornerstone of Biles’ message throughout the past week. Many have blasted the gymnast for putting her own needs over the athletic reputation of America, while others see Biles’ decision as an important step in normalizing mental health issues. 

Fans flocked to Twitter to support Biles for her victory. One user wrote: “Simone Biles does a double pike dismount, which she hasn’t done in approximately 9 years! What a wonderful performance!”

Check out the interview and some clips below.

Diddy Explains Sharing Jennifer Lopez Throwback Pic: “No Trolling Involved”

Diddy says that the throwback photo of himself and Jennifer Lopez, which he posted on Instagram in the wake of Lopez’s split with Alex Rodriguez, was uploaded with “no trolling involved.” He also explained that the two are just friends and nothing more.

In a new cover story for Vanity Fair, he explained that the photo was just a “throwback post from a great time in his life.”

“It wasn’t no trolling involved, that’s just my friend,” he added. “And I don’t have nothing to say about her relationship or her life.”

Diddy, Jennifer Lopez
Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Diddy and Lopez dated from approximately 1999 to 2001 during an off period with his ex and mother of three of his kids, Kim Porter.

The rap legend explains in the interview that if he was ever going to get married, it would’ve been to Porter: “And so, you know, I had to start to deal with it when I lost Kim. ‘Cause I was like, man, you had it. I’m not saying I would do any of it differently. God willing—I would have had more time. I look at my life as, ‘I got a second chance.’ I’m on my second mountain.”

Later in the interview, Diddy also spoke about “coming back into music” in anticipation of his next project, Off the Grid Vol. 1, which is releasing in September.

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2 Travelers Hit With Colossal Fines For Using Faking Vaccine Cards To Get Into Canada

Sometimes you end up paying way more on the backend for trying to cut corners on the frontend, and two Canadian airline passengers recently found that out the hard way. When leaving the United States and entering Canada, the travelers submitted fabricated COVID-19 vaccination cards and COVID-19 test results, and they also failed to follow the Canadian government’s requirement of utilizing government-authorized accommodations. As a result, they were hit with massive fines that they may very well struggle to pay.

According to Complex, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has punished the Canadian citizens for being “non-compliant with entry requirements” by dishing out four fines for each traveler. As a result, both of them will have to individually cough up a total of $19,720 (roughly $16,000 USD).

Susan Ford presents her vaccine card at Liberty Theatre on May 14, 2021 in Camas, Washington. Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that the state-wide mask mandate would no longer apply to fully vaccinated adults.
Nathan Howard/Getty Images

As wild as it may seem, however, it looks like the two previously mentioned airline travelers actually got off with a light punishment. According to the PHAC’s press release on the matter, “a person who submits false information on vaccination status could be subject to a fine of up to $750,000 or six months imprisonment or both, under the Quarantine Act, or prosecution under the Criminal Code for forgery.”

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DaBaby Gets The Boot From Austin City Limits Music Festival

DaBaby’s fall from grace has been hard and swift. After telling fans who “didn’t show up with HIV/AIDS or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two to three weeks” and fans who “ain’t suck a n*gga d*ck in the parking lot” to put their cell phone lights in the air, DaBaby ultimately sealed his fate for the remainder of the first music festival season since 2019. His harmful, homophobic, and misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community have led to him being dropped from several huge music festivals, including Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, and Parklife Festival.

Although he originally attempted to take a stance against cancel culture with a lackluster apology, DaBaby doubled back on Monday and released a more serious response to the controversy that he brought upon himself. “Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important. Love to all. God bless,” he said at the conclusion of his most recent apology. However, it appears that his latest statement was a little too late because DaBaby has now also been dropped from his headlining slot at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

DaBaby performs at the Hennessy All-Star Saturday Night with Nas, A$AP Ferg, & Da Baby at The Old Post Office on February 15, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.
Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

“DaBaby will no longer be performing at ACL Music Festival — lineup update coming soon,” Austin City Limits Music Festival revealed in a statement made via social media. 

At this time, it’s not clear who will be replacing the “Giving What It’s Supposed To Give” rapper as the second Sunday headliner at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, but several fans have so far been requesting for the festival to replace DaBaby with a prominent LGBTQ+ artist, offering suggestions like Tyler, the Creator and Lil Nas X. Other fans have requested Dua Lipa to replace her “Levitating” collaborator, but fans will have to stay tuned to see who ACL Festival officially decides on.

With another festival appearance canceled for DaBaby, what are your latest thoughts on the industry’s response to the KIRK rapper‘s Rolling Loud comments?

Drake Welcomes Raptors Draft Picks To Toronto

Having taken on the celestial title of “6ix God,” it’s no surprise that Drake has become a key figure in the Toronto Raptor’s organization. As the team’s global ambassador, Drizzy has long been a vocal champion of the 2019 championship winners, frequently popping up courtside and engaging with various players off the court. 

With next season on the horizon, the Raptors recently welcomed a few new players into the mix — including new draft picks Scott Barnes and Dalano Banton. Barnes, the fourth overall pick, was selected from Florida State, while the Toronto-born Banton — and 46th overall pick — made franchise history as the first Canadian-born player to be drafted by the Raptors. 

Drake

Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

In order to give the pair a warm welcome, Drake made sure to connect with the prospects over the weekend — on Barnes’ twentieth birthday, at that. It’s a solid gesture that should go a long way in forging an exciting connection with the team, and it’s likely that this sort of engagement is exactly the sort of behavior the Raptor higher-ups love to see from their megastar global ambassador. 

One has to wonder if the newly-drafted Raptors prospects were able to receive any intel on the upcoming Certified Lover Boy album, which was recently confirmed to be finished and dropping “soon.” Look for more news on that front, as well as any of his Toronto Raptor-related endeavors, right here. Do you think Barnes and Banton will find themselves benefitting from the so-called Drake Stimulus Package

Kanye West Seems To Be Teasing Some Sort Of Reunion With The Weeknd

Kanye West and The Weeknd have a history: West produced “Tell Your Friends” from The Weeknd’s 2005 album Beauty Behind The Madness, while The Weeknd sang on West’s The Life Of Pablo highlight “FML.” Now, it seems the two may have something else in the works.

Yesterday, West, who is in the process of finishing Donda, took to Instagram to share a phone screenshot of his recent calls. Most notably, among them were a handful of late-night calls to a contact labeled “ABEL WEEKEND,” which is almost certainly The Weeknd.

This comes shortly after The Weeknd said he’d be interested in reconnecting with West, saying, “I’d love to work with Kanye again. Especially on production.” He also shared admiration for Tyler The Creator, saying, “I got mad love for Tyler The Creator, and what he’s doing right now. Tyler is funny, man. I remember he came to one of my performances — I think it was like a festival performance. And he was very vocal about how ‘Starboy’ was his favorite song at the time. You can tell he’s waiting for the song. I could see him. As soon as the song happened, he’s like, ‘All right, cool. Thanks.’ And he just peaced out. It was pretty funny. But he’s somebody that I really admire, because he wears his feelings on his sleeve.”

Big Sean Claims To Have Grown Two Inches Thanks To His Chiropractor

For years, Big Sean has been subject to jokes about his chosen rap moniker not quite matching up to his physical stature. But in a recent social media post, the Detroit rapper boasted that he’d actually grown into his name — not just metaphorically. In the video, Sean challenged, “How da f*ck I grow 2 inches? Chiropractor for a year straight twice a week, that’s how. Straight Spine thas how. I’m laughing cause it’s real.”

Just in case his viewers didn’t believe him, the video also sees Sean standing next to a friend, pointing out their similarities. “My n**** Ronnie 5’10″, solid,” he noted. “So b*tch, look at me next to him, b*tch. N****s try and hate on me like I’m 5’6″. Nah, for real, I probably even grew like a couple inches.”

Sean has become an advocate for healthy living, emphasizing the importance of mental health education in a recent interview with Apple Music and speaking extensively on his own experiences in the lead-up to the release of his album Detroit 2. In addition, he recently became the Detroit Pistons’ new “creative director of innovation” and will appear on the revival of MTV’s Cribs along with Rick Ross, Martha Stewart, and more.

Tierra Whack Shows Off Her Versatility With The Fashion-Forward ‘Walk The Beat’

On her new song “Walk The Beat,” genre-bending Philadelphia rapper Tierra Whack claims that she’s “versatile, so I can keep switching lanes,” and proves it, wrangling a house-influenced beat that would fit right in at a New York drag ball. Whack’s latest is an ode to “fashion shows, fancy clothes,” which fits right in with her unique sense of style as she name-checks designers like Raf Simons and Rick Owens.

Whack has kept up a trickle of new music in 2021, three years removed from her star-making EP Whack World. The slower pace suits her, as she fiddles with her sound to find the lanes she enjoys the most. In addition to appearing on Willow’s new album Lately I Feel Everything, Whack created a theme song for her hometown 76ers’ playoff run and “linked” with Lego for an imaginative video encouraging kids to embrace their creativity.

And although they don’t technically count as new releases, Whack certainly renewed the buzz around her name with a string of impressive freestyles earlier this year, employing both hip-hop classics like Onyx’s “Last Dayz” and Ludacris’ “Stand Up” and contemporary hits like CJ’s “Whoopty” to show off the dagger-sharp flow that made her one of rap’s most intriguing figures.

Listen to “Walk The Beat” above.