At this point, it’s almost impossible to deny that major labels are chomping at the bit for more controversy. True, it can lead to dropped sponsorships, fumbled bags, and burnt bridges — but at the end of the day, nothing drives morbid curiosity like a little bit of conflict.
Despite DaBaby having completed his arc into full-blown villainy, the rapper’s latest single has already secured millions of views in a matter of days; it’s no wonder some are already theorizing that the whole fiasco was orchestrated by 50 Cent, who recently took the controversial rapper under his wing.
Kevin Winter/MTV VMAs 2020/Getty Images
That’s not to say DaBaby’s negative comments about HIV victims haven’t elicited negative consequences. Many prominent artists, including the legendary Questlove, have spoken out against the “Suge” rapper and his discriminatory rant, and it’s possible that many of his peers may consider keeping him at arm’s length moving forward. At every turn, however, DaBaby has responded with defiance, seemingly chalking this one up to another hurdle on his road to a higher purpose.
“I was tryna be a rapper for like one more year God ready for me to be an ICON now,” he tweets. “This what I asked for I proudly accept the challenge.” Given how many people are openly blasting the once-beloved rapper — who only recently secured one of the biggest songs of 2020 in “Rockstar” — it should be interesting to see how DaBaby reacts moving forward. So far, he has opted to remain defiant, and defiant ones are certainly prone to doubling down when backed into a corner.
Check out DaBaby’s latest message below, and sound off if you think he’ll be able to bounce back from his latest brush with controversy.
Veteran rap producer The Alchemist stoked the fires of anticipation in rap fans for his rumored joint project with Vince Staples after he tweeted his refutation of the Long Beach rapper’s claims that he takes “hella long” to complete work. Vince himself sparked the rumors when he appeared on Ebro’s Apple Music Radio show to make the claim that he recorded “30 verses on 30 beats” during a smoked-out session with Alchemist and Earl Sweatshirt. Vince said he got tired of waiting, so he recorded Vince Staples with Kenny Beats in the meantime.
However, Alchemist told fans Vince is “full of sh*t” today on Twitter. “I’ve had a finished 6 song EP with JUST HIM for over 3 months!!” he insisted. “MIXED! Plus mad songs with him and Thebe.” Alchemist has been known to send Rap Twitter into frenzies in the past, such as when he suggested he and Earl hid a joint album on YouTube under a fake name.
Vince is full of shit. Ive have a finished 6 song EP with JUST HIM for over 3 months!! MIXED! Plus mad songs with him and Thebe.
Of course, Vince was rumored to be releasing multiple projects this year, so it’s entirely possible that this was always going to be the second project and this back-and-forth is just their elaborate way of promoting it (weirder things have happened). Either way, rap fans who were already champing at the bit to hear more are now absolutely ecstatic to learn that the sessions Vince mentioned had possibly born fruit.
yo Al idk if you the man to tell but imma need that pronto
— Pablito (Fuck Da Police) (@DeadShogunn) July 30, 2021
Now that this tidbit has been revealed, I guess we’ll have to see if Earl chimes in to make his own outrageous claim, at which point Rap Twitter might simply implode. If nothing else, this whole episode proves that rap in 2021 has been more fun than ever.
Miley Cyrus has gone through distinct stylistic phases in her career, trying on different musical identities with each album. The Bangerz era was pop/R&B/hip-hop, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz was experimental/psychedelic, Younger Now was country/pop-rock, and now we’re at Plastic Hearts, which is rock/synth-pop. Here in the Plastic Hearts era, Cyrus has become known for her rock covers and reverence for previous generations of artists. That was on full display during her Lollapalooza set last night, which featured a bevy of covers and guest appearances.
Her 26-song set (as setlist.fm notes) began with “We Can’t Stop” before moving into a cover of Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?.” From there, she sprinkled other covers throughout the set, including Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass,” Cher’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),” Temple Of The Dog’s “Say Hello 2 Heaven,” and Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Most notable, she was joined by Billy Idol and they performed a couple of his songs together, “Night Crawling” and “White Wedding.”
Speaking of guests, aside from Idol, Cyrus also at various points had on stage G Herbo (to perform “Love Money Party”), Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J (“32”), and The Kid Laroi (“Without You”).
Cyrus posted some clips and photos from the performance and from around the festival, so check those out below, as well as some other videos from the show.
In the spirit of that education, the latest voice to join the chorus belongs to another pop icon, Madonna, who posted her own response to Instagram in an effort to inform the North Carolina rapper why his remark about HIV/AIDS killing people in “two to three weeks” was wildly off the mark.
“A message to DaBaby,” she wrote. “If you’re going to make hateful remarks to the LGBTQ+ community about HIV/AIDS then know your facts.” She provided some of those facts, which you can read below.
After decades of hard won scientific research, there are life saving medicines available to children born with HIV, to people who contract HIV through blood transfusions, dirty needles, or exchange of bodily fluids.
These new [antiretroviral drugs] can keep a person with AIDS alive for the rest of their lives!!! AIDS is not transmitted by standing next to someone in a crowd. I want to put my cellphone lighter up and pray for your ignorance. No one dies of AIDS in 2 or 3 weeks anymore. Thank God.
And your sexist remarks about Ladies whose pussies need to smell like water only encourage more discrimination against women who fight daily against the oppression of living under the constraints of the Male Gaze.
People like you are the reason we are still living in a world divided by fear. All Human beings should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, sexual preference or religious beliefs. AMEN.
While the odds DaBaby knows (or cares) who Madonna is are about the same as the ones for him knowing Elton John or Questlove, considering his adverse reaction to Quest’s message, he probably won’t take hers any better.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of July below.
Various Artists — Bills & Aches & Blues
4AD
To celebrate 40 years of being fine music purveyors, 4AD has put out a compilation featuring artists covering songs from throughout their history. They secured quite the roster, too, as the album includes Big Thief, Future Islands, Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, US Girls, Aldous Harding, Tine-Yards, Jenny Hval, and Helado Negro, among others.
2Pac — Until The End Of Time (20th Anniversary Reissue)
2Pac
For the first time in 20 years, Tupac’s multi-Platinum album Until The End Of Time is available on high-quality, 180-gram audiophile vinyl. This 4-LP release is pressed on bone-colored vinyl and it comes with a four-page folio book that features previously unseen photos and a handwritten tracklist from Tupac himself.
The Mars Volta — De-Loused In The Comatorium (Reissue)
GSL/Universal
The Mars Volta dropped their expansive, career-spanning La Realidad De Los Sueños box set earlier this year, but now they’re offering an option for folks who want to pick up albums from their discography individually. They started the rerelease series with a reissue of Tremulant in June, and July brought De-Loused In The Comatorium, and subsequent months will bring subsequent albums.
Various Artists — Almost Famous: Music From The Motion Picture (Reissue)
UMe
Almost Famous is one of the more memorable music movies of the past few decades, and now the music that inspired it (as well as the original songs from the movie) are available on a gigantic vinyl collection. Aside from some classic tunes, among the 103 total tracks are dozens of unreleased songs and exclusive new versions of songs you already know.
Bryan Ferry — These Foolish Things, Another Time, Another Place, Let’s Stick Together, In Your Mind, The Bride Stripped Bare, and Boys And Girls (Reissues)
Island
As Roxy Music was enjoying its generation-defining success, Bryan Ferry went ahead and launched a vaunted solo career of his own. Now the first six of those albums have been re-pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and come with enhanced versions of the original artwork, overseen by Ferry himself.
Abbey Lincoln carved out a major place in pop culture in the ’50s and ’60s, and now one of her defining albums has gotten a shiny new rerelease via the folks at Vinyl Me, Please. This edition of the 1958 album was newly remastered and it comes with a booklet of listening notes to help you fully immerse in the record. To celebrate this album, the 50th of VMPs Classics track, they held an essay contest to win every Classics album they’ve put out.
Dolly Parton remains a pop culture icon today, and now one of her classic releases has been given new life with a Vinyl Me, Please reissue. It’s a lovely-looking vinyl pressing as well with its rainbow splatter coloring, and to top it off, the album has been freshly remastered, meaning this should be the best this album has ever sounded on vinyl.
Vince Staples fans wanted a vinyl edition of his new self-titled album, and thankfully, the rapper delivered. What wasn’t so fortunate was how limited the available quantities were, as many fans on Twitter lamented their missed opportunity to pick up the album. As for the music itself, Uproxx’s Aaron Williams said of it, “Clocking in at a truly breezy 22 minutes and with two interludes among its 10 tracks, it’s an even quicker listen than FM! — yet, due to its comforting sonic palette, it feels more cozy than disappointing, prompting repeat playthroughs to try and catch the witty wordplay and cushy vibes of Kenny Beats’ production.”
Stone Temple Pilots — Tiny Music… From The Vatican Gift Shop (Super Deluxe Edition)
Rhino
Stone Temple Pilots’ adventurous third album is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, so the band has re-issued it with a bunch of goodies. Aside from the remastered original album, it has been expanded with unreleased studio and live recordings, which include early versions, instrumentals, and alternate takes.
YTB Trench is going to be a problem in the next few years. The versatile recording artist is rising up as one of the youngest signees to Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life, featuring on the #1 album Slime Language 2 and contributing some standout moments on “Paid The Fine.” As he continues to build his name under Slime’s tutelage, YTB Trench has released his official debut mixtape, focusing on his adaptability with Versatalien.
“I’m only 20 but I know I genuinely really love music,” says Trench. “I work on it to the point where I know I’m strongly confident in my craft. I’m young but I’m thinking that I really want to be the best in the world. I’m surprising myself and continuing to see myself grow.”
Listen to YTB Trench’s new debut mixtape Versatalien below, featuring Young Thug and Gunna.
Tracklist:
1. Outcast 2. Toxicity 3. 3roken Soul 4. How (feat. Gunna) 5. Cancun 6. F.O.F.G. 7. Set 8. Mob Ties (feat. Young Thug) 9. Three 10. Dirty Games 11. Opinions 12. Shenanigans 13. We On
There is no denying the fact that the Lakers are a super team, however, there are still some people out there who are doubting whether or not this arrangement of players will work. On the other side of the equation, there are plenty of other analysts who love this move, including Kendrick Perkins of ESPN.
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
“Russell Westbrook has never played with a big like Anthony Davis,” Westbrook said. “Good luck to try to stop that pick and roll with Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. LeBron James needs Russell Westbrook for the simple fact that he’s getting up in age. Russell Westbrook is still 32, which means that he’s still in his prime… I see the Lakers coming out of the West, and I see them winning the title.”
Needless to say, Perkins is excited about the arrival of his former teammate in Los Angeles. Since joining ESPN, Perkins has always had a pro-LeBron and pro-Westbrook slant, so it should come as no surprise that he is taking this side ahead of the new season.
Let us know what you thought of the trade, in the comments below.
A week after sharing “First 48 Freestyle,” Alchemist and Boldy James are hitting listeners with another teaser from their full-length collaboration at 12 p.m. EST, and thanks to an energetic new tweet from Alchemist, fans now have the release date for the project as well.
“F*ck that,” Alchemist said via Twitter. “NEW BOLDY JAMES AT 12 NOON E.S.T. BO JACKSON LP AUGUST 13.”
In addition to confirming that their forthcoming collab album, titled Bo Jackson LP, will be arriving in the matter of two weeks, Alchemist also shed some light on the “new Boldy James” that fans can expect to hear today. Taking to Instagram, the producer shared a screenshot of what looks to be a still from a music video on YouTube, and underneath the video player, you can see the video’s title is “Boldy James & The Alchemist – “Drug Zone.”
The bonus track from Boldy James and Alchemist’s Bo Jackson LP is set to drop soon at noon EST, so watch the video for “First 48 Freestyle” while you wait for the release of “Drug Zone.”
You can laugh at Conway The Machine all you want for wearing a skirt in a recent picture– he doesn’t care because he just got a bag because of it. After sharing a photo of himself wearing an Alexander McQueen skirt, the Griselda rapper responded to his fans, who have been criticizing him for the style choice. He says that he’s making a lot more money because of the criticism, and you can expect to see him in more McQueen garments coming soon.
On a subsequent live stream, the 39-year-old penman responded to the people who were angry about him trying out a more gender-ambiguous look, saying, “That shit just got me another bag. You gonna see me in more McQueen shit.”
Hip-Hop fans have been treated to a surprise, yet welcomed, collaboration between DJ Premier and Wale, and it’s all thanks to Mark Ronson’s new Watch the Sound docuseries on Apple TV+. According to HipHop-N-More, the show will “examines sound creation and revolutionary technology used to shape music, and the lengths producers and creators are willing to go to find the perfect sound,” and artists such as Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, and Questlove are set to appear in Watch the Sound.
Coinciding with the premiere of Mark Ronson’s six-part docuseries, a new song from the song’s soundtrack has been shared as well, and it features none other than the collaboration between Wale and DJ Premier. Titled “Why Would I Stop,” the smooth cut is a much too short offering that finds Folarin waxing poetic over a laid-back Preemo beat.
Listen to “Why Would I Stop” below and let us know if you’re feeling DJ Premier and Wale’s new track together.
Quotable Lyrics
You like the clout, I love the game You and I not the same I’m wise beyond my years, you dumb as all your days Too much has happened to me, I should just pack up and leave Blackballin’ all that they do, I got that Kaepernick beef
