Dionne Warwick

Snoop Dogg Remembers Being ‘Out-Gangstered’ When Dionne Warwick Confronted Him In The ’90s Over His Lyrics

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Over the weekend (on January 1), CNN debuted Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, a documentary about the singer (that was the runner-up for the People’s Choice Award for Documentaries at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2021). At one point in the movie, she told the story of a time in the ’90s, when she invited Snoop Dogg and other rappers to her home so they could discuss their misogynist lyrics with them.

She explained how she called Snoop, Suge Knight, and others to her home at 7 a.m. sharp. Once the rappers arrived (as CNN notes), Warwick told them to call her a “b*tch,” like they did to other women in their songs, and said to them:

“‘You know, you guys are all going to grow up. You’re going have families, you’re going to have children, you’re going to have girls. And one day that little girl is going to look at you and say, ‘Daddy, did you really say that? Is that really you?’ What are you going to say?’ I think it got through to them.”

Snoop spoke about that moment, too, saying that he and the other rappers took Warwick’s invite so seriously that they were in her driveway at 6:52 that morning. He said, “We were kind of like scared and shook up. We’re powerful right now, but she’s been powerful forever. Thirty-some years in the game, in the big home with a lot of money and success. […] She was checking me at a time when I thought we couldn’t be checked. We were the most gangsta as you could be, but that day at Dionne Warwick’s house, I believe we got out-gangstered that day.”

As Warwick suspected, her words did get through to them, or at least Snoop. He said, “I made it a point to put records of joy — me uplifting everybody and nobody dying and everybody living.” He added, “Dionne, I hope I became the jewel that you saw when I was the little, dirty rock that was in your house. I hope I’m making you proud.”

Check out the trailer for Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over below.

Snoop Dogg Says Dionne Warwick “Out-Gangstered” Him 

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Snoop Dogg is as gangster as it gets. But the West Coast legend claims another musical legend may be more gangster than he is. In a new clip from her upcoming CNN documentary, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, the soul legend revealed that she reprimanded Snoop and crew about their scandalous lyrics in the 90s. 

“I think what it was was that they needed to hear me,” she recalled. “I said, ‘You guys are all going to grow up and have families. You’re going to have children. Going to have little girls. And one day, that little girl is going to look at you and say, “Daddy, did you really say that? Is that really you?” What are you going to say?’ I think it got through to them.”

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 15: Singer Dionne Warwick performs onstage at City National Grove of Anaheim on December 15, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Read More: Snoop Dogg Acquires Death Row Records

Snoop says he and his Death Row members were “shook” by Warwick’s words. “We were kind of, like, scared and shook up,” he told CNN. “We’re powerful right now, but she’s been powerful forever: thirtysome years in the game, in the big home with a lot of money and success.” 

Despite the initial shock, 51-year old rapper took heed to Ms. Dionne’s words. “She was checking me at a time when I thought we couldn’t be checked. We were the most gangsta as you could be, but that day at Dionne Warwick’s house, I believe we got out-gangstered that day,” Snoop shared.

Moving forward, the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” star made a point to be more positive in his music. 

“I made it a point to put out records of joy — me uplifting everybody and nobody dying and everybody living,” he said. “Dionne, I hope I became the jewel that you saw when I was the little, dirty rock that was in your house. I hope I’m making you proud.”

Check out Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, January 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. 

Twitter Icon Dionne Warwick Needs, Not Wants, To Meet With Elon Musk Over The Platform’s Issues

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One of Twitter’s unlikeliest icons would like a few words with its new owner. In a new interview for People, R&B legend Dionne Warwick said that she feels compelled to meet with Elon Musk to find out his “true intent” for the platform. Musk was forced to follow through on his $44 billion acquisition bid in October after the company filed a lawsuit against him when he tried to back out of their agreement in July. Now, he seems to be flailing, firing and threatening core employees, rolling out and disabling features on the fly, and even withholding rent on the company’s offices.

“I have to meet him,” Warwick told People. “I know a lot of people have walked away from Twitter. That’s prior to knowing exactly what he’s going to do. He’s new to the game. His attitude is freedom of speech, which is mine as well. However, there’s a way to do it. That’s one of the conversations I’m going to have with him. What is your true intent? I understand your freedom of speech attitude but how are you going to contain it, so it does not get out of hand?”

Elon may be “new to the game,” but funnily enough, Warwick isn’t. Despite being old enough to be many of the platform’s users’ great-grandmother at 82, she’s become one of their favorite follows. She’s chimed in on viral discussions about everything from Britney Spears’ conservatorship to Chet Hanks’ proposed “White Boy Summer,” and her playful roast of Chance The Rapper later led to a full-fledged musical collaboration. She’s a real treasure on the app, knowing its impact and importance as well as anyone — perhaps even better than Elon, who recently held a poll on the app to see if users want him to step down as CEO. The answer was “yes” by a sizable margin.

Dionne Warwick Is Getting In On The Leonardo DiCaprio ’25 Year Rule’ Jokes, Too

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Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the last great movie stars, but lately he’s been primarily known for something else: His relentless obsession with very young girlfriends. To take one from David Wooderson, he gets older, they stay the same age, although the star of Blood Diamond likes them a bit older than McConaughey’s character did. His cut-off appears to be 25. He’s now 47. And hot on the heels of yet another DiCaprio love life joke at this year’s Emmys, here’s one from a legend of both music and psychic infomercials.

Dionne Warwick — who’s had a late career resurgence as an excellent Twitterer — took to social media Tuesday to drop her contribution to DiCaprio discourse. “I just heard about Leonardo DiCaprio’s 25 year rule,” wrote the top shelf Burt Bacharach cover artist. “His loss. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

The reason people keep talking about DiCaprio’s dating history? Late last month, he had yet another romantic split with yet another 20-something. Camilla Monroe, whom the actor dated starting when she was 21, had just turned 25 when he called it quits. Amidst an avalanche of jokes — which in the past DiCaprio himself has seemed to find funny — Monroe added her own, albeit with a bit more of an edge to it. And now she has one of the top-selling female artists of all time on his back. But we’ll bet dollars to donuts that it won’t be long before he finds someone who was born after Titanic was released.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Eminem, Dolly Parton, And Beck Lead The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s List Of 2022 Nominees

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Being nominated for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is one of music’s biggest honors, and now a new crop of artists can add that to their resume. Nominees for the 2021 class were announced today, and the list includes 17 iconic artists: A Tribe Called Quest, Beck, Carly Simon, Devo, Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, Lionel Richie, MC5, New York Dolls, Pat Benatar, and Rage Against The Machine.

Of those, A Tribe Called Quest, Beck, Carly Simon, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Eminem, and Lionel Richie are first-time nominees. The rule for Rock Hall eligibility is that an artist must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of the nomination, meaning that this is Eminem’s first year of eligibility. Eminem is the only 2022 nominee in his first year of eligibility.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation Chairman John Sykes said in a statement, “This year’s ballot recognizes a diverse group of incredible artists, each who has had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture. Their music not only moved generations, but also influenced the sound of countless artists that followed.”

Fan voting for the 2022 class is open now via the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame website. The list of inductees is expected to be announced in May, followed by the induction ceremony at some point this fall.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Dionne Warwick And Chance The Rapper Prove That ‘Nothing’s Impossible’ With Their Promised Collaboration

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Back in December of last year (where does the time go?), Twitter helped create the unlikeliest of connections when legendary R&B singer Dionne Warwick tagged Chance The Rapper to tease him about his stage name. After Chance finished freaking out about being acknowledged by the music icon, she invited him to “rap together,” leading to Chance telling Stephen Colbert that the pair had collaborated on some new music. Now, with just a month to go until Christmas, the duo has shared the results: the uplifting ballad, “Nothing’s Impossible.”

Created in collaboration with Chance’s non-profit Social Works and the forward-thinking foundation Not Impossible, the new song popped up on YouTube through Empire Distribution and counts Chance’s Chicago-based collaborators Smoko Ono and Peter Cottontale as producers and composers along with Damon Elliott. The R&B star, who recently made a surprise appearance on SNL, handles the comforting chorus and bridge.

Chance was really enthused about the collaboration last year, telling Colbert, “I was very surprised that she knew who I was. But it was awesome… It feels like my first taste of fame. I went to Starbucks the other day and they’re like, ‘Are you the guy who got tweeted by Dionne Warwick?’”

‘SNL’ Emulates Post Malone, Miley Cyrus, And More With Help From Ed Sheeran In Their ‘Dionne Warwick Talk Show’ Sketch

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Ed Sheeran stopped by Saturday Night Live for a pair of performances on the late-night show, to celebrate the release of his fourth album =. After he tested positive for coronavirus, many worried that would be unable to perform. Luckily, that was not the case, as he delivered performances of “Shivers” and “Overpass Graffiti.” He also appeared in a sketch for SNL’s edition of The Dionne Warwick Talk Show, with Ego Nwodim as the legendary singer.

The sketch began with Chloe Fineman, who played Miley Cyrus, sitting across from Nwodim. Kieran Culkin, who appeared as Jason Mraz and hosted the episode, and Pete Davidson, who appeared as Post Malone, also sat down on the talk show. But Nwodim’s Warwick seemed to be bored by the guests and said, “I’m sick and tired of interviewing people who aren’t icons.” She then welcomed the real Dionne Warwick onto the show.

“Let me ask you something,” Nwodim says after Warwick takes a seat. “Dionne, why are you perfect?” The 80-year-old singer replied, “My darling, I’m not perfect. I’m just very, very good.” The duo then sang a duet of Warwick’s 1966 track “What The World Needs Now Is Love.”

Warwick thanked SNL for inviting her to the show afterward.

“I had fun at @nbcsnl,” she tweeted. “Thank you to @eggy_boom (ME [laughing emoji]), @Punkiejohnson (as @BrittaniWarrick), and to the writers, cast, and crew. I had a wonderful time with you all.”

You can watch the sketch in the video above.

Solange Debuts Her Short Film, ‘Passage,’ With Help From Dionne Warwick, KeiyaA, And More

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Solange is a woman of many talents, so it’s only right that she was asked to put together a video that shined a light on the finalists for the 2021 International Woolmark Prize. According to the award’s website, The International Woolmark Prize “celebrates outstanding fashion talents from around the globe who showcase the beauty and versatility of Australian Merino wool. It is the world’s most prestigious award for rising fashion stars.” The 2021 finalists for the award include Bethany Williams, Kenneth Ize, LECAVALIER, Matty Bovan, Thebe Magugu, and Casablanca.

The singer’s short film, titled Passage, features a cast of celebrities who wear clothing designed by the finalists for the International Woolmark Prize. Dionne Warwick rocks clothing created by Magugu while Dominique Jackson from FX’s Pose is found in work by Kenneth Ize. Rapper SahBabii and singer KeiyaA also appear in the visual directed by Wu Tsang. In a lengthy statement, Solange spoke about Passage and her inspiration behind the film.

In continuing Saint Heron’s world-making practice, Passage further explores my interest in theatrical production through the translation of identity, spirit, philosophy and creation. Whether it be through album artwork, stage design, or filmmaking, I’ve always sought to create new visual languages that encompass the expressions my other works cannot communicate. I’m inspired to expand these processes through the Saint Heron Agency with a wider scope of collaborations and projects. To reflect on and honor the creative process with the 2021 International Woolmark Prize finalists, Passage aligns with Saint Heron’s mission to reverence creation as life, from abstraction to being. I’ve been a longtime fan of Wu Tsang’s work and to be able to work alongside her, the Saint Heron team, and all of the incredible artists and designers in the film, really fortifies the ethos of collaboration and communal creative exchange that we wish to continue to embody.

You can watch the film in the video above.

Dionne Warwick is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Dionne Warwick Responds To Chet Hanks’ ‘White Boy Summer’ Campaign

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Ever since Megan Thee Stallion declared the warmer months of 2019 “Hot Girl Summer,” all sorts of public figures have rushed to lay claim to the beach season with their own campaigns — she even updated it to “quarantine summer” herself last year. Saweetie once declared December “Icy Girl Winter” and has already put in a bid to name summer 2021 “Pretty B*tch Summer” after her upcoming debut album, Pretty B*tch Music.

But one celebrity’s option has put off more people than its beguiled; Chet Hanks, of over-the-top patois and “being Tom Hanks’ son” fame, said he felt a “White Boy Summer” is in the works with him and Jack Harlow, and some folks on Twitter aren’t having it. Included among those opting out of Hanks’ fantasy summer is Dionne Warwick. The new queen of Black Twitter was mystified upon being informed of Chet Hanks’ crusade, wondering “What foolishness did I just see?” and predicting instead, “I will be having a Black Woman Summer.”

Ms. Warwick isn’t the only one who seems undone by Hanks’ tomfoolery. For the past few days, Twitter has been alight with posts roasting Tom’s offspring. The jokes range from imagining Jon B and Jack Harlow’s responses to being pulled into the discussion to wondering just how Chet Hanks turned out the way he has with an Oscar-winning father and all the privilege in the world (I think the answer’s in the question). In any case, it looks like “White Boy Summer” is probably not becoming a thing, insomuch as it already was for the last 400 summers or so, and it’s been terrible for everybody else.

Check out more responses to Chet Hanks below.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nick Jonas Anchored An ‘SNL’ Edition Of The ‘Dionne Warwick Talk Show’

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Dionne Warwick has become everyone’s favorite auntie on Twitter. The legendary singer has graced her growing social media fan base with phenomenal content that ranges from poking fun at the young generation of artists to seeking knowledge about them as well. All in all, it’s been a joy to watch Warwick work through the Twitter world and it was only a matter of time before Saturday Night Live emulated her personality on the show, something the cast did during their most recent episode.

Setting up the stage for her daily show, Ego Nwodim played the role of Warwick for the Dionne Warwick Talk Show. The sketch began with Kenan Thompson, who appeared dressed as The Weeknd in his current After Hours plastic surgery look. She asked him about his apparent plastic surgery addiction, confusing his “love” for it as the basis of his “Can’t Feel My Face” track.

Warwick quickly rushed him off stage and invited Nick Jonas, who hosted and performed on the SNL episode, to replace him. The comical questions continued as she asked Nick, who is currently a coach on The Voice, how he could be a more boring contributor to the show than fellow coach John Legend. Warwick also mixed up him with his fellow Jonas brother, Joe, before asking Nick a daring question about his manhood.

The sketch continued with an appearance from Dua Lipa, played by Melissa Villasenor, who agreed to join Warwick in egging Wendy Williams’ house. Lastly Machine Gun Kelly, played by Pete Davidson, joined to close the show, but Warwick was extremely disturbed by his look and quickly asked him to leave.

You can watch the sketch above.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.