Earlier today, HighSnobiety published a new cover story on ASAP Rocky and some of the revelations he makes are already turning heads online. In the interview, he discusses all the ways his life has changed since becoming a parent. He also talked about a variety of creative projects and undertakings he’s had recently. Though fans expecting information on a new album won’t find much satisfaction, that doesn’t mean Rocky isn’t sharing anything interesting.
In one particular passage, he takes a less-than-modest approach to discussing his influence on music and pop culture. “I think while I’m still here, I got a duty to aspire to inspire. There’s really only a few people who control the culture, and when I tell you that I’m at the forefront, believe dat!” Rocky says in a quote from the interview. “Still to this day, to have that type of following, influence, control, and that power is magical and rare,” he elaborated when asked about his career longevity. Check out the full interview below.
ASAP Rocky has been teasing a new album called Don’t Be Dumb for a long time. When it does eventually release, it’ll be his first new album since 2018’s Testing. But in the meantime, he appears to be working on other new music entirely. In a recent tweet, Westside Gunn revealed that he had been in the studio with Rocky and Damon Albarn, apparently working on something for Albarn’s Gorillaz project.
Earlier this year, ASAP Rocky and Rihanna had their second child together. It was just a few months ago that the child’s name was publicly revealed to be Riot. Many fans liked the name a lot, especially when it’s paired with the middle name Rose. But others thought it was corny for Rocky to release a new song with the same title right around when the baby’s name was revealed. What do you think of A$AP Rocky’s comments on his influence in a new interview? Let us know in the comment section below.
Attendees at CultureCon refused to let interviewer Glenda McNeal get away with mispronunciating Issa Rae’s name on stage at the event, Saturday. When she said Rae’s name as “Ih-suh,” the audience quickly began interrupting her. The two had been discussing Rae’s work mentoring creatives of color.
“You guys know a lot about Issa Rae for all the incredible work that she’s done,” said McNeal, mispronouncing the actress’ name. As fans began shouting out the correct pronunciation, McNeal apologized for the mistake. “EE-suh Rae! Sorry! Thank you; it’s okay! Calm down. I’m part of the community, honey, it’s okay,” she said. From there, an attendee remarked: “And you didn’t say her name right.” McNeal responded: “It’s okay to be vulnerable and don’t get it right all the time. That is my life and you should embrace it. Embrace it, girl. Embrace it!”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 07: (L-R) Glenda McNeal and Issa Rae speak onstage during How to Find Your People Brand: American Express panel at the CultureCon NY 2023 on October 07, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
The negative reactions didn’t end there. Afterward, a clip of the awkward moment went viral on social media, prompting further backlash. “Issa was gonna let it go but the crowd said AHT AHT! Millennials do NAWT play about Jo-Issa Rae Diop. And I, too, am in that number!” one user wrote. Another added: “While it’s not the end of the world, this kind of thing annoys me to now end. Whatever your title, when you’re going to speak to someone, let alone interview them, find out how to say their name properly.”
Interviewer Mispronounces Issa Rae’s Name
when i tell you we were not having it with the mispronunciation if issa rae’s name pic.twitter.com/3StisdzBYq
Rae, who is best known for her work on HBO’s Insecure, recently starred in both Barbie and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. She’ll soon be appearing in Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction, alongside Jeffrey Wright and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Elliott Wilson says he’s apologized to Drake for his recent criticism about the Toronto rapper and who he chooses to do interviews with. He explained that he should’ve spoken with him behind the scenes before airing out his grievance in public. Regardless of the apology, Wilson says he still agrees with what he originally said.
As for that comment, Wilson complained about Drake’s interview choices after he spoke with Bobbi Althoff, earlier this month. “Moment of clarity: No disrespect to Lil Boat,” he wrote on Twitter at the time. “Yachty’s convo with The Boy was comfy and had some cool moments. I was more so clowning the comedy shenanigans with outsiders to our culture. It would be great to hear Drake speak to us again. Even if it ain’t me.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 23: Elliott Wilson attends the 4th Annual TIDAL X: Brooklyn at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on October 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for TIDAL)
Drake later responded to Wilson’s criticism in a comment on Instagram. “Lol man sh*ts on not coming to his platform for a second time and now Elliott 10 does doing Yes Julz run up interviews at Rolling Loud,” Drake wrote with several emojis. “[J]ust admit the youth took over big dog.”
When Wilson’s admission of an apology made its way to 2Cool2Blog’s Instagram page, many fans took Drake’s side in the discussion. One under argued: “I’m sick of this narrative about Drake not tapping in with the culture. Did Drake not sit with this man for over 2hrs? Like what more does he want? Now Drake is supporting other platforms. His fanbase is diverse, so it is important that the platforms he appears on are diverse as well. Why is this so hard to comprehend?” Another wrote: “I like Elliot but the fact is y’all want Drake and other A listers to do y’all shows for numbers reasons. You know it’ll get you views and that’s why you want it. It’s 2023 and Drake in particular is a veteran who has sat down with multiple Hip Hop interviewers over the course of his career, ya’ll being pissy about him sitting with that girl is petty and immature.”
Wilson’s comments come as Drake gears up for the release of his next studio album, For All The Dogs. During a recent stop on the It’s All A Blur Tour, Drake told fans it’ll be available in a matter of weeks.
Tyrese came at DJ Vlad on Instagram, earlier this week, after the founder of VladTV requested an interview with him over DMs. The posts began with Tyrese replying to an interview Vlad did with Boosie Badazz. Tyrese accused Vlad of exploiting peoples’ trauma and “leaching off of Black culture.” In doing so, he shared screenshots of a DM conversation between himself and Vlad.
“Haven’t you used BLACK PEOPLE ENOUGH??? What’s the dudes name who talks off camera who owns VLAD TV?? Can y’all pull his tax returns????????,” Tyrese wrote on Instagram. “How much is he leaching off of BLACK CULTURE???? This dude is already have four people on his show and he randomly keeps bringing MY NAME UP… laughing about my divorce traumas laughing about my crying video and trying to milk my traumas and pains in the Clickbait for his goofy ass show….”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 18: Tyrese Gibson attends Universal Pictures “F9” World Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 18, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
He continued: “Every time my name is bought up people are looking at him ‘Why you talking shit about my brother Ty’… he just keeps going… You corny AF dude…. 10k for what????? That ain’t even my daily Perdiem …”
Tyrese didn’t stop with that post either. After it started to gain traction online, he shared several media outlets’ articles covering it. He captioned the post: “I keep to myself I never bother nobody…. I’m from the hood…. I’m far from a bitch…. if you keep poking a bear you get your head knocked off……. No more free interviews for CULTURE VULTURES……. He’s worth 5 million and that 5 million came from MY CULTURE……. Since my divorce and traumas are funny…. Let’s keep laughing….. What more do you want from me?? I want EVERY RAPPER and singer who ever gets interviewed by this culture vulture to hit them pockets….. He offered me 10k I could of stuck him for 50k. I realized he’s with the feds and a lot of my people go to jail after they do interviews….” Check out Tyrese’s Instagram post here.
will.i.am has a vision for the future of creative collaboration. As a rapper, producer, tech mogul, and philanthropist, working with other creators has always been his source of inspiration — now he’s delivering a tool to help fuel the next wave of creative innovation. This past weekend in Miami — on the heels of premiering “The Formula” with Lil Wayne as F1’s new theme song during Miami race weekend — Will and his team took over Soho House’s Miami Pool House to debut FYI, “the world’s first AI Web 3.0 messenger geared towards creative collaboration.” The first-look event featured panel conversations, product demos, and an all-around vibe of celebrating creativity, collaboration, and peering into the future — hallmarks of will.i.am himself.
The key differentiator for FYI — outside of being co-founded and developed by a global music icon — is putting all the tools for creative collaboration in one place and then further fueling efficiencies by utilizing AI to streamline workflow and make the most of everyone’s time and creative energy. But this isn’t a case of “humans vs. machines,” instead will.i.am wants to empower creatives to reach their full potential.
“My vision for FYI is to help creatives organize, collaborate, and communicate in one place,” he says, “rather than have all their communications and digital assets spread across five different products. Starting there will ease how creatives collaborate, network, and strategize. Having AI baked in the core of the product will give them the ability to supercharge their creativity and their strategizing with AI and their team flow.”
“Me and my crew pointed out a futurism,” he says. “In the future, back then, we said this little box — this AI box — is going to sing, produce, and do everything. You can type in the lyrics, but this machine right here is going to do it all. We said that in a video back in 2010.”
“And the reason I had a glimpse of that futurism is because of the work I was doing with one of the world’s greatest — Professor Patrick Winston, who taught at MIT in the AI lab. He’s since then passed away but he was an amazing force in the AI field. He inspired me to even go down this path of AI. I’ve been working in and around AI since 2009.”
FYI’s initial AI implementation is aimed at practical usability — like asking FYI to summarize a long project thread the user has spent time away from for that user personally, catching them up on the conversation and their place in it without having to scroll and decipher which parts are meaningful to them and where they owe responses.
“We’re starting with collaboration, strategizing, and communication. Because right now the creatives — me being the creative — I needed that solved. Conversations and your intellectual property, the things you care so much about and work for, the conversations around that stuff, are all over the place.”
AJ Woomer / FYI / Soho House
The FYI launch wasn’t just intellectual conversation and product specifics. It was also a party, complete with cocktails, laughter, an impeccable playlist, and Miami’s most influential creatives hanging poolside, taking it all in — truly a summation of will.i.am’s ethos and ability to combine fun with important critical thinking and a vision of the future. Special guests for the panels included Chris Lyons (President Web3 Media, a16z), Julie Pilat (Chief Growth Officer, FYI), Trevor McFedries (DJ, Artist, and Technologist), Jesse Kirshbaum (CEO, NUE Agency), and Jesus Mantas (Global Managing Partner, IBM), discussing everything from how FYI works to their own experiences in business, technology, music, and creative endeavors.
AI-Powered Idea Generation: FYI’s AI-powered system offers users creative suggestions and intelligent insights to help generate new ideas and explore new directions.
Centralized File Management: FYI offers users an all-in-one platform to store, organize, and access files quickly and easily, eliminating the need for multiple tools and systems.
Interactive Workspaces: The platform provides interactive layouts that allow users to present their work to clients, stakeholders, or team members, using both predefined and customized layouts.
Advanced Communication: FYI’s integrated voice and video calling platform, with its AI assistant and built-in transcription service, ensures reliable and efficient communication across teams.
Enhanced Security: FYI employs top-of-the-range encryption and security measures, allowing users to protect intellectual property and keep sensitive information confidential.
User-Friendly Interface: FYI’s sleek and intuitive interface is easy to use and customize, helping users focus on work and increasing productivity.
Collaborative Features: FYI’s platform features comprehensive collaboration tools like team assignments, task management, progress reporting, and milestone tracking. The platform ensures all critical team activity happens in a secure, centralized workspace for increased productivity, efficiency, and transparency.
Here’s a glimpse into the FYI launch in Miami during race weekend…
After only just emerging back into the public eye as the spokesperson for Pepsi’s questionable concoction of milk and cola with the questionable nickname “Pilk,” Lindsay Lohan is in hot water with the SEC over pitching crypto without disclosing that she was paid for the endorsements. She’s also not alone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lohan, Jake Paul, Kendra Lust, Soulja Boy, Ne-Yo, Lil Yachty, Akon, and Austin Mahone are all being charged in connection with their endorsements for TRON founder Justin Sun’s crypto companies.
“As alleged in the complaint, Sun and others used an age-old playbook to mislead and harm investors by first offering securities without complying with registration and disclosure requirements and then manipulating the market for those very securities,” said director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement Gurbir S. Grewal. “At the same time, Sun paid celebrities with millions of social media followers to tout the unregistered offerings, while specifically directing that they not disclose their compensation. This is the very conduct that the federal securities laws were designed to protect against regardless of the labels Sun and others used.”
The celebrities charged, except Soulja Boy and Mahone, have agreed to pay $400,000 and effectively plead no contest to avoid admitting wrongdoing. This isn’t legal advice, but they should all probably fire whoever gave them the legal advice that it’s cool to do paid crypto promotion without telling people (and the SEC) that you got paid.
These cases are different than other celebrity-endorsed-crypto cases in the recent past, including the FTX investors suing their celebrity endorsers for allegedly making crypto investments seem safer than they are. For now, most involved in this crypto flim-flam can chug a warm glass of pilk and be glad it’s all over.
The Black Music Collective officially kicked off Grammy weekend last night with its annual Global Impact Award gala, an event that saw prominent Black creators and professionals from the music industry gather for a celebration of music and representation. This year’s event, which was held at the Hollywood Palladium, was particularly special as it marked the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. As such, the gala honored some of the biggest icons of the genre including Missy Elliot, Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, and music industry executive Sylvia Rhone.
To celebrate the mission of the BMC, which seeks to highlight the inclusion, recognition, and advancement of Black music and its creators and professionals in the industry, Uproxx linked up with two of LA’s buzziest streetwear designers, Corey Populus of Circulate and Kacey Lynch of Bricks & Wood for a special t-shirt capsule collection that highlighted hip-hop’s 50th as well as this year’s Grammy theme, ‘Love Music.’
Uproxx
“The main inspiration behind this collaboration was definitely music,” says Populus, “Design and music to me go hand and hand… One of my favorite designers, Reid Miles, gained a lot of notoriety for creating the blueprint for how jazz records looked having done all of the Blue Note Records covers.”
The five t-shirt collection consisted of graphic designs that played off of the Grammy’s annual theme, made reference to the BMC gala, and recalled the iconic jazz album covers of the past filtered through a contemporary lens. One of the highlights of the collection also makes reference to a now-famous photo of Tyler the Creator receiving his first Grammy for Best Rap Album, which he took in home in 2019 for IGOR.
Uproxx
“I thought it would be cool to create this fake Jazz band called the Circulate Trio and pretty much this was a jazz love record by the Circulations, which was then presented by Uproxx and Circulate Records. I also chose purple/gold to represent LA,” says Populus, showing the deep attention to detail and affection for storytelling through visual design that makes Circulate such a vital brand in our contemporary streetwear scene.
The shirts were gifted at the gala to VIP attendees, making them officially some of the rarest designs to ever come out of Circulate and Bricks & Wood. Consider each of these shirts a grail!
The 65th Grammy Awards show will air live this Sunday, February 5th. Take a look at each design as well as highlights from last night’s BMC event below.
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Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliot, and record executive Sylvia Rhone each took home the BMC’s Global Impact Award last night while attendees were treated to performances from frequent collaborators and friends associated with the honorees including Ciara, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, 2 Chains, Chlöe Bailey, Tweet, Tyga, Ty Dolla $ign and Korupt.
Lil Baby says that the city of Atlanta is currently the “ruler of the culture” with regard to the state of hip-hop. Baby spoke about the influence of his hometown with Billboard during the LA3C festival in Los Angeles.
“Definitely, before I start, I will definitely give a big, big shout-out to Atlanta,” Lil Baby began. “The whole city. I definitely appreciate them for giving me recognition like that.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 17: Lil Baby performs onstage during Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash 25 at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium at Georgia State University on July 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
He continued: “As far as culture, I feel like I been feeling. Atlanta is like the ruler of the culture as far as Hip Hop… It hasn’t been a new artist in like the last two or three years that really just emerged. But for the most part, I feel like Atlanta is still the ruler of Hip Hop’s core of culture.”
Atlanta is home to dozens of the biggest artists in hip-hop at the moment. In addition to Baby, Future, Young Thug, Gunna, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Playboi Carti, and many more hail from the city.
Baby’s comments come after the city recognized him with his own day last month. November 13th will now be known as Dominique “Lil Baby” Jones Day in Atlanta.
Baby released his latest album, It’s Only Me, back in October. The project features guest appearances from Nardo Wick, Young Thug, Fridayy, Future, Rylo Rodriguez, Jeremih, EST Gee, and Pooh Shiesty. It debuted atop the US Billboard 200 while moving 216,000 album-equivalent units. At the time, he was able to chart 25 songs simultaneously, giving him control of one-fourth of the entire Billboard Hot 100.
