In just a few days, Burna Boy’s seventh album I Told Them… will be available to the world. The project marks a quick return for the afrobeat star whose 2022 year was headlined by his hit record and summer anthem “Last Last” as well as his sixth album Love, Damini. There’s no stopping Burna and that’s clearer than ever nowadays. As a final treat before the album’s arrival on August 25, Burna returns with one last single: “Cheat On Me” with Dave.
The new release is a triumphant one as both Burna and Dave take a moment to celebrate their successful careers which include plenty of accolades, and furthermore, proving their initial doubters wrong. “Cheat On Me” is also the duo’s second collaboration as it follows their beloved track “Location” which can be found on Dave’s Mercury Prize-winning 2019 debut album Psychodrama.
“Cheat On Me” follows “Sitting On Top Of The World” with 21 Savage, “Big 7,” and “Talibans II” with Byron Messia as the singles from I Told Them… In total, I Told Them… will include 15 songs as revealed in the tracklist Burna Boy shared this week
You can listen to “Cheat On Me” and view the I Told Them… tracklist above.
I Told Them… is out 8/25 via Spaceship Records and Atlantic Records. Find out more information here.
Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In the world of rap and hip-hop, there are certain names that constantly make headlines, and Dave is undoubtedly one of them. Since his debut, he’s been praised for his honest storytelling and introspective lyricism. Dave isn’t just a rapper; he’s a poet, seamlessly blending personal experiences with social commentary. And he’s not alone in this journey. There’s a new wave of rappers, just like Dave, who are changing the game.
Dave’s Uniqueness
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 08: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Dave accepts the Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act award at The BRIT Awards 2022 at The O2 Arena on February 08, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Dave, born David Orobosa Omoregie, burst onto the UK rap scene with a distinct style that’s since become his trademark. His raw honesty, coupled with his undeniable talent, set him apart from the rest. It’s not just about the beats or the wordplay for Dave; it’s about the message. And this trend is being echoed by many of his contemporaries.
The Rise of Conscious Rap
The rise of conscious rap has allowed artists like Dave to thrive. Rappers like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Stormzy are also known for their socially conscious lyrics. This form of rap prioritizes meaningful lyrics over catchy hooks and, in doing so, is gradually shifting public perception of what rap can be. It’s about storytelling, reflecting reality, and making listeners think and feel.
The Impact On The Scene
This emphasis on authenticity and consciousness has profoundly impacted the rap scene. Artists are now more willing to explore deeper themes in their music, shedding light on issues such as mental health, societal expectations, and racial injustice. This shift has also led to increased diversity within the genre, with more and more artists bringing their unique perspectives to the forefront.
Embracing Vulnerability
Perhaps one of the most significant changes we’ve seen is the embrace of vulnerability in rap. Rappers like Dave aren’t afraid to bare their souls in their music, to explore their fears and insecurities. This openness resonates with audiences, who find solace and understanding in their lyrics. It’s a far cry from the posturing and bravado often associated with the genre.
Looking ahead, it’s clear that the future of rap lies in its ability to evolve and adapt. As artists push boundaries and challenge conventions, we can expect the genre to grow in ways we can’t yet imagine. Rappers like Dave are leading this charge, using their platform to spark conversations and inspire change.
Rappers similar to Dave are more than just musicians; they’re storytellers, poets, and activists. They’re using their music to reflect the world as they see it, to challenge norms, and to instigate change. And in doing so, they’re not only evolving the rap genre but also shaping how we view and understand the world around us.
Conclusion
In the end, rappers like Dave are not just a trend or a fleeting phenomenon. They’re a testament to the power of authenticity, vulnerability, and of the spoken word. As we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of rap and hip-hop, one thing is certain: artists like Dave are here to stay.
Way back in 2015, Lil Dicky (aka Dave Burd) dropped his debut album, Professional Rapper. He hasn’t had a new full-length project since then, but he plans to change that soon: He’s working on a soundtrack album for his hit show Dave, which would be his first album in eight years.
Dicky plans to release the album by the end of this summer (“The sooner the better,” as he put it to Variety). He’s working on it with regular Dave guest star Benny Blanco and expects there to be between 15 and 20 songs included on the project.
Dicky said:
“I realized this year, as I took a step back and looked at all the different music that’s made it into the first three seasons of the show, there’s enough here, a great body of work and a project that I can put out as a soundtrack. I think this is such a better representation of Lil Dicky the musical artist than, honestly, my first album even was. People are always like, ‘When can I get that song?’ I think this will be a cool thing for fans who have watched the show. And for people who have never even seen the show, I think they’ll enjoy listening to this as like a body of music.”
He continued, “There are bits and pieces of songs you’ve been hearing for three seasons of Lil Dicky, the musical artist. Sometimes you’ll hear 20 seconds of it, but I might have a full three minute version of that song that’s unreleased. I want to get that out to the world. It’s a really strong body of work that I’m super proud of. I was surprised when I took a step back and looked at the inventory of stuff that have made it into the show — ‘Oh, my God, there’s like a great album here of work that can live on its own.’ So that’s what I’m working on now.”
The running joke of Lil Dicky‘s semi-autobiographical FX comedy Dave is the character’s outsized ego — something that the real-life Dave Burd may have in common with his fictionalized counterpart. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the show’s recently aired season 3 finale, Dicky discusses the episode’s celebrity cameos, crediting one in particular with validating some of his massive sense of self-confidence. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Among the guest stars who appear in the season’s final episode is Rachel McAdams, carrying over from a previous multi-episode storyline that sees Dave meeting his “dream girl” while the real-life woman with whom he’s developed a relationship slips away, Brad Pitt, who gives Dave advice about love and stardom before apparently being grievously injured by one of Dave’s oddball splurges, and Drake, who represents everything Dave wants to be (since the borderline delusional aspiring rap star hasn’t apparently paid much attention to Drake’s lyrics while “looking for love”).
According to Dicky, Drake was a fan of the show before appearing on it. As Dicky puts it, “Drake is like the top of the mountain top musically and as a rapper. I had met Drake and he pulled me aside and told me the show is one of the more important shows of our generation and I knew he was a fan.”
Hopefully, the Certified Lover Boy has some advice for the fictional Lil Dicky or I fear the show’s protagonist may never grow up and find the love he’s been looking for… Something Dicky says is contingent on him learning some self-love first. “Until you actually love yourself and remedy yourself of that void, how can you possibly take on the love of another person?” Yup, it’s a funny show — but it also makes you think.
Season 3 of FXX’s Dave came to a close last night and they certainly ended it with a bang. As expected, Lil Dicky came through with star-studded cameos, as he’s done throughout the series. But last night was different. This time, Lil Dicky enlisted the help of internationally renowned figures – Drake and Brad Pitt. The cameo left many surprised, especially as Drake and Lil Dicky hugged it out while Brad Pitt pops on screen in the midst of a hostage scenario.
As for Drake, the moment comes as Dave travels to South Africa to meet with the Canadian rapper in hopes of collaborating on a song. The two hug it out and share a heartfelt yet hilarious moment on camera – one that adds to the long-list of MCs who’ve joined Lil Dicky on screen. Given the cultural significance of Dave in modern television, it seems only right that they were able to snag a few of Hollywood’s elite. In the past, Lil Dicky’s been able to bring on folks like Rick Ross, Young Thug, and Gunna for hilarious cameos. However, the addition of Drake and Brad Pitt further proves how much of a reach the show’s had since its inception.
Lil Dicky told Rolling Stone that Drake previously told him he’s a big fan of the show, as did Brad Pitt. “A guy like Brad Pitt isn’t going to get in a show that he doesn’t think is one of the best shows. Because I have this show out, it’s a lot easier for a guy on Brad’s level to believe in it. It didn’t take me moving mountains to get Brad Pitt in the show,” he said. “I just knew Brad Pitt really loved the show. And I knew Drake. When I met Drake, he told me our show was one of the most important shows of our generation.”
In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he admitted that there were several iterations of Drake’s cameo. “There was a lot of debate about how to play it. We even shot several versions of that outcome with Drake with us talking about, ‘Oh, he’s dead’ and like, ‘No, he’s alive.’ We had every iteration at our fingertips, but I chose to keep it slightly ambiguous,” he revealed. “For me, as a viewer, if you look closely as the paramedics are running in, you can kind of see Brad’s hand go up and start to give the thumbs up. So, I take that as an indication that Brad will live on.”
Jack Harlow and Lil Dicky may have been at odds in last week’s episode of Dave but behind the camera, the two look-alike rappers had much more in common than just their similar features, sharing a slew of laughs in a series of outtakes Harlow shared on Twitter today. While their onscreen confrontation was all about Dicky’s discomfort at meeting his doppelganger — who displayed a healthy amount of contempt for his counterpart — in real life, it’s clear the two jokesters enjoyed each other’s company and riffing on Harlow’s scent-related insults.
Their reactions to the scene show there are no hard feelings between them after fans went out of their way to compare and contrast them on Twitter — likely because they are both, well, white rappers with lightspeed flows and similarly curly-topped coiffes. (For what it’s worth, they’re also both pretty decent basketball players, slotting pretty cleanly into the “fundamentally sound white hooper with a nice jumper” archetype — especially after Jack’s training for the White Men Can’t Jump remake.) They’ve both responded in their own ways to the memes — which Jack seemed to reference with his “hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters” boast on “They Don’t Love It” from Jackman — but from these easygoing outtakes, it’s clear that we’ve actually got the beginnings of a beautiful friendship on our hands (and maybe even a collab! Pretty please, guys!).
Jack Harlow reflected on his appearance on Lil Dicky’s FX show, Dave, on Instagram, Tuesday. In doing so, he shared a blooper reel from the behind-the-scenes of a viral clip from the episode.
“Enjoyed every second of this,” Harlow captioned the clip. Lil Dicky responded in the comments section, “This is what life’s all about.” Fans shared plenty of laughs in the comments of the post as did Harlow and Dicky who struggled to keep it together in the blooper reel.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MAY 18: Jack Harlow attends the Louisville Special Screening of “White Men Can’t Jump” at Baxter Avenue Theatres Filmworks on May 18, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Stephen Cohen/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios )
The Dave appearance for Harlow comes after the release of his feature film debut, White Men Can’t Jump. While promoting the Hulu film, Harlow remarked that he’s caught the acting bug. “Through this film I was able to gain my confidence as an actor, and to me, this shit is not a side quest,” he said, as caught by PEOPLE. “This isn’t a side mission that I’m tacking on just to keep the entertainer thing going and make some extra money.”
He continued: “I really got the bug and fell in love with this, and I’m developing a deep passion for the craft of this the same way I had in music. I don’t want it to be a side hustle. I want to full-on go after this, and I’m going after it and I’m going to continue to do more.” Harlow also described the Los Angeles set as being like “summer camp or school” each day. He further admitted that “acting is way harder than music, if you ask me; way more grueling, so I loved the challenge and so grateful that this was the start.”
Despite being so busy on the acting front, Harlow still had time to drop a new album, last month. He released his third studio album, Jackman, on April 28 to mixed reviews from critics.
Dave is one of the hottest shows on television. Starring, and loosely based on the life of, rapper David “Lil Dicky” Burd, the series has been a smash hit for FX. The currently airing Season 3, which holds a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, follows Dave’s first major breakout in the music world. He’s been touring, met Rick Ross, and also fallen in love.
However, a cameo that many people were looking forward to was that of Jack Harlow. Harlow and Burd have long been compared to one another, both in terms of musical content and physical appearance. While Harlow’s appearance on the show is small, it’s memorable for tapping into exactly everyone about their non-existent beef.
Harlow appeared in the latest episode of Dave, May 17’s Met Gala. As can be inferred from the title, the episode is centered around Dave’s first appearance at the Met Gala. There he runs into Harlow, and the pair have a hilarious, and meta, argument.
Harlow: My name’s Jack, what’s your name?
Dicky: …
Harlow: What’s your name?
Dicky: Like my legal government name? ‘Cause I know you know my artist name. The whole reason that you’re even here is because I came first. Look at how you’ve modeled your whole physicality. I mean, surely you must hear it a lot.
Harlow: I do know you who you are. You’re actually the worst thing that’s ever happened to my career.
Dicky: Hard to compete.
Harlow: Being asscociated with you at all is….It’s tough, I can’t lie. But, I get through it, as you can see.
Dicky: It’s hard to be asscoiated with this level of art.
Harlow: It’s a breeze at the end of the day.
[both laugh as Harlow touches Dave’s outfit]
Dicky: Don’t touch. You can look but don’t touch.
Harlow: I’d rather touch almost.
Dicky: I’ll give it to you, you got hot.
Harlow: Some people wanna be hot, some people don’t. I get it.
Dicky [mimicking Harlow]: “Oooh, I put earrings in.” [In regular voice] If I wore those, I’d look like a woman.
[Harlow begins sniffing Dave]
Dicky: What are you doing?
Harlow: Mmm. You stink, bitch. I like that. [Harlow walks away and scoffs at Dave] Got beef? [Harlow grabs his crotch] ‘Cause I got a whole slab. [Harlow scoffs again before walking away] Pussy.
Dave Season 3, Episode 8, “Met Gala”
It’s a hilarious commentary on the similarities between the artists. Furthermore, it’s a creative imagining of the lengths their beef could go to if the pair were actively feuding. It’s unknown if Harlow will reappear in the show, but he’s definitely set himself up for some sort of villain arc if he does. However, what did you think of Harlow’s cameo, let us know in the comments.
Jack Harlow fans will get a double dose of the rapper’s acting chops this week. This Friday (May 19), Harlow makes his film debut as Jeremy in the 2023 remake of White Men Can’t Jump on Hulu. Additionally, he guest stars on tonight’s episode of Dave, which will also be available to stream on Hulu, as a fictional version of himself.
During a screening of the movie in New York City, Harlow shared that he doesn’t want acting to be a one-off thing, or something he does on the side. He wants to be equally as ubiquitous in the realm of film and television as he is in music, according to People who was in attendance at the screening’s Q&A portion.
“Through this film I was able to gain my confidence as an actor, and to me, this sh*t is not a side quest,” he said. “This isn’t a side mission that I’m tacking on just to keep the entertainer thing going and make some extra money.”
He continued, “I really got the bug and fell in love with this, and I’m developing a deep passion for the craft of this the same way I had in music. I don’t want it to be a side hustle, I want to full-on go after this, and I’m going after it and I’m going to continue to do more.”
Last month, Harlow released his third studio album, Jackman, which has received much critical acclaim.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Dave is the smash-hit FX comedy loosely based on the life of, and starring, musician Lil Dicky. The show holds an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes and is well into its third season, which holds a 100% critics rating. Additionally, the show is available on FX and Hulu. Furthermore, Season 3 will conclude on May 31.
Furthermore, The show has become famous for its wealth of celebrity cameos. For example, the next episode of the show, which releases May 17, is set to feature Dave beefing with Jack Harlow at the Met Gala. However, the show has rarely touched on sports. This is a little strange, given its primary Philadelphia setting. Despite this, that might all change thanks to a new interview from Lil Dicky.
Lil Dick Has Perfect Idea For Stephen A. Cameo
With Game 6 between the Sixers and Celtics looming, First Take invited Lil Dicky, who is Philly born and raised, to talk about his work and the upcoming game. Furthermore, he gave a pep talk to the Sixers, who are one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he also had the opportunity to showcase his creativity for story beats. That came when Molly Qerim asked him how he would incorporate Stephen A. Smith into the show.
“Off the top of my head, I don’t know… I’m thinking about the Sixers and the Celtics, I’m just imagining: What if I got into a little bit of a gambling situation with the wrong bookie, and I need the Sixers to win or my life could end? And I find myself knocking on Stephen A.’s door at like 3 a.m. and telling him that tomorrow on First Take, he’s gotta do something that really eviscerates Jayson Tatum, to the point where it’s a distraction for the team. Something like… kind of a modern day Celtic Pride.” Smith then added that Dave could kidnap Tatum before Smith saved the day. The idea is hilarious, blending shades of Uncut Gems with Dave’s tendency to make a situation worse when trying to fix it. However, what do you think about Lil Dicky’s pitch? Let us know in the comments.
