Hip Hop News

Lil Nas X Cracks Jokes About Going To Jail On The Day Of His ‘Satan Shoes’ Trial

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Nike filed a lawsuit against Lil Nas X and MSCHF over their “Satan Shoes,” but it was reported that the parties had settled the lawsuit. However, they’re still heading to court today, and ahead of that, Lil Nas X, as he tends to do, has had jokes.

He’s been cracking jokes for the past few days, joking about potential outfits he’s going to wear to court, getting more muscular so he can look good in jail, “dropping the soap,” and other related things. Consequently, #FreeLilNasX became a trending topic on Twitter today, and shortly before the trial, the rapper tweeted, “all jokes aside i can’t believe i might be going to jail. who’s going to make mildly funny tweets about being gay while i’m away.”

He also took to TikTok yesterday to share a joke about the trial, sharing a hilarious video he captioned, “the judge tomorrow when i try to flirt with him to avoid going to jail.”

@lilnasx

♬ industry baby by lil nas x – lil nas x

Nas wasn’t the only one getting in on the fun, as his fans shared hilarious tweets about them showing up to defend the rapper in court, what’s happening in the courtroom, and more. Check out some of the #FreeLilNasX tweets below.

Lil Nas X Announces “Industry Baby” Release Date

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The marketing genius himself, Lil Nas X has commended the flawless rollout for his new single “Industry Baby,” sharing a preview of the music video, which documents his court case with Nike over his “Satan shoes.” Following the release of his #1-charting single “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” the rapper partnered with MSCHF to release a pair of Nike Air Max 97 which had a single drop of blood in the air bubble. Nike filed a lawsuit over the shoes, claiming that they didn’t authorize the sale of the kicks. The court case seemingly kicked off this week, starting the official rollout of LNX’s next single.

Known for disrupting the public with his releases, Lil Nas X has dropped yet another eye-catching preview for his upcoming single. Releasing “Industry Baby” on July 23, LNX assumed many roles for the music video, playing the judge, the lawyer, himself, and a few other characters. The snippet sees the artist on the stand, being questioned about the shoes when the judge asks the all-important question. “Are you gay? Or better yet, does your mama know you’re gay?” he asked. Lil Nas responded that while that has nothing to do with the trial, his mother is aware. His answer got him sentenced to five years in MONTERO prison.


Paras Griffin/Getty Images

“Industry Baby” arrives this week with a feature from Jack Harlow, and production from Take A Daytrip and Kanye West. Lil Nas X has been teasing this song for months on social media. Are you excited to watch the video when it’s out? 

Check out Lil Nas X’s website here for more information on the release.

Joey Bada$$ Flexes New Role In “Power: Raising Kanan”

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It’s been a minute since Joey Bada$$ dropped a solo album, with his latest effort being 2017’s politically-charged project All-Amerikkkan Bada$$. Though he has certainly teased his next release on several occasions — not to mention holding it down as a key contributor on Beast Coast’s 2019 posse album Escape From New York — it would appear that Badmon’s focus currently lies on another medium altogether. 

Not long after securing an Academy Award for Two Distant Strangers, which recently won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short, Joey landed a role in 50 Cent’s new series Power Book III: Raising Kanan. With the series having officially premiered last night, Joey took to Instagram to share a few screencaps of his character Unique. 

Joey Bada$$

 Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

“Meet Unique,” captions Joey. “Flyest, illest druglord on the SOUTHSIDE. Catch him every Sunday on @raisingkananstarz episode 1 out now!” Though the series is only getting started, fans should be happy to note that Bada$$ is signed as a series regular, which means we’ll be spending ample time with Unique — the perfect opportunity for Joey to flex his acting chops.

He recently opened up about his inspiration behind the performance during an interview with Page Six, confirming that he drew from personal experience. “I’ve taken what I’ve seen in Brooklyn — with this being about the ’90s-era drug dealers,” he explains. “Just seeing the guys of those times, I actually knew some of those guys… so it’s easy to pull inspiration from. Just having prior conversations — all these people sharing experiences with me, and my own experiences.”

To catch Joey Bada$$ and Unique in action, be sure to check out Power Book III: Raising Kanan every Sunday night, exclusively on Starz. 

Keyshia Cole’s Mom Frankie Lons Dead At 61, Suffered OD On Her Birthday: Report

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Keyshia Cole’s biological mother Frankie Lons has reportedly passed away at the age of 61. Frankie was reportedly celebrating her sixty-first birthday this weekend when she relapsed, suffering a fatal drug overdose according to Keyshia’s brother Sam.

Sam says that Frankie was on a long battle to sobriety when she used drugs at her Oakland home on Sunday. Her addiction was documented as part of Keyshia Cole My New Life, which Frankie regularly cameoed in. 


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Frankie and Keyshia’s biological father Virgil Hunter gave up the R&B singer for adoption at a young age. She was raised by family friends and reunited with her parents when she became an adult. 

Keyshia’s sister Elite Noel confirmed their mother’s death, writing on Instagram, “Worse pain ever….. To see my mama in a body bag on her birthday! My heart so fuckin broke.”


Ray Tamarra/Getty Images 

Keyshia Cole has not made any public statements regarding her biological mother’s passing. She was previously supportive of her mother’s recovery process, posting last year about Frankie’s two months of sobriety back in March 2020. She was one of her mother’s biggest cheerleaders as she fought off addiction.

Rest in peace, Frankie Lons. We will keep you posted as an official cause of death is announced.

[via]

Juice WRLD’s Manager Teases New Album Details

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Juice WRLD’s passing in December of 2019 left the hip-hop world in mourning. He was only 21 at the time of his death, and widely regarded as one of the most promising young artists in the game. Not only was he an early innovator of the emotional and melodic hip-hop sound that many have since adopted, but he also shone as one of the sharpest off-the-dome freestylers out there. 

Though his musical career has been cut tragically short, the prolific artist was able to assemble no shortage of unreleased material, with some rumors suggesting over two thousand vaulted songs. His first posthumous album Legends Never Die released in July of 2020, and now, another project is set to arrive titled The Party Never Ends. 

Juice WRLD

 Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Billed as the first part of a trilogy from the Chicago rapper, Juice’s manager Peter Jideonwo recently hit up Instagram live to share a few details surrounding the project. For one, he confirmed that Lil Bibby actually found “Already Dead,” an anticipated song that had eluded him for a minute. He also reveals that The Kid LAROI will not be featured on the album.

“I can’t guarantee the album will be this month, but pretty soon,” he reveals, after confirming that it’s guaranteed to drop before Grand Theft Auto 6. “It’s definitely less than five features,” he continues. “The Party Never Ends is going to be the best album, not only musically but creatively. We got a big collab on the album cover and also the merch. Everything about it is fire. We’re not just doing some basic music…we’re taking our time to craft a classic you’ll talk about for the next ten years.”

He confirms that his team intends to drop this summer, as it stands to be most beneficial for the concept. “We want ya’ll to turn up, that’s the whole concept,” he explains. “The concept of The Party Never Ends is so you can party in the summer and it never ends. Feel good music.” As the questions pour in, he rules out a Drake or J. Cole appearance, though both were unlikely to begin with. XXXTentacion is also ruled out, though Pete does hint that a Juice and X collab could wind up on Trippie Redd’s next album. 

“[Juice’s album] is three parts,” he continues. “We’re not going to drop all three parts at the same time. It will be one piece.” He also maintains that he doesn’t want to give fans any leaked music — “but the leakers keep leaking, so stop paying for leaks.”

For much more from Juice’s manager, be sure to check out his full Instagram Live Q&A below. Keep an eye out for part one of The Party Never Stops, set to arrive later this summer. 

Mariah The Scientist Triumphs With Ferocity On The Feisty ‘Ry Ry World’

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RCA / Ralph Ordaz

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Mariah The Scientist‘s second album Ry Ry World looked to broaden the scope of her content, positioning her in a world that operates under her discretion. While her first effort, 2019’s Master, zoomed in on her love life, the failures of her partners, and her forever-changing outlook on the wide realm of relationships, Ry Ry World zooms out to deliver a panoramic view of Mariah’s mind to illuminate her worldview.

Through ten songs and a pair of guest features from fellow ATLiens Young Thug and Lil Baby, Mariah drops the curtain that stood in front of Ry Ry World. She reveals three major things that keep it on its axis: ferocity, feistiness, and a fearless approach to it all. Mariah is uninterested in the things that occur in her orbit that don’t concern her. Her peaceful and easy-going voice creates a path that traverses the world uninterrupted as it evades obstacles or barrels through them unfazed.

On “Walked In,” one of the more upbeat records on the project featuring Young Thug, Mariah walks with her head held high and the belief that not only what’s meant for her will come to her. “Yes sir, tonight we falling in love / Want none of that cappin’ ’bout booin’ up,” she sings before adding later, “Looked in his eyes and asked him ‘What you tryna do?’” A straightforward approach is the first step towards saving time and energy, especially when the result relies on the actions of another party. Whether through heartwrenching questions to a man about a woman he left Mariah for on “All For Me” or the ravaging thoughts behind heartbreak and her sinister responses to it on “Revenge,” the Atlanta singer has no problem shooting an arrow of havoc into her problems to kill them off for good.

However, the singer is not against a good fight whenever it’s needed. She raises her guard and creates distance between herself and an unfaithful lover on “Aura” through dreamy production and contemplation of the what-ifs and perfect world scenarios. “2 You” and “Maybe” also grapple with the uncertainty that results from failed bouts with love. “​​Maybe we should escape / Maybe I should’ve stayed,” she sings on “Maybe.” “Maybe we should’ve ran away / Maybe I should’ve prayed.” What Mariah must come to terms with is maybe things aren’t meant to be no matter what she could’ve done.

Mariah’s fearless approach to everything in her life is what makes Ry Ry World so unique and captivating. Factor in her ferocity and feistiness and it becomes evident that the singer strives to have her way. She lays her cards on the table with her heart beside it on “Always N Forever” with Lil Baby declaring, “I’ll be your woman always.” Even when it’s time to let go, like it is on “RIP,” Mariah drops the hand of her partner knowing that she fought as hard as she could. “And if I told you, ‘The world is yours’ / You’d just wanna go to Mars,” she admits. “But I cannot sell my soul to prove, it should’ve been ours.”

One can imagine that if Ry Ry World is not a place that Mariah The Scientist traverses by herself, it’s one filled with people who might, or should at least, strive to live more like the singer. The singer proudly wears her heart on her sleeve because it’s big enough to take on whatever damage the world might inflict on it. So even with an arrow in her back and through her heart as the album cover depicts, Mariah The Scientist won’t ever change her ways because Ry Ry World continues to spin as long as she stays true to herself.

Ry Ry World is out now via RCA Records. Get it here.

Hear A Preview Of Kanye West’s Upcoming New Album

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Kanye West unexpectedly started his album rollout this weekend, putting on a secret album listening session in Las Vegas. Playing the album for Kevin Durant and Justin LaBoy as part of a separate listening party, Kanye plans to additionally hold an event in Atlanta to play the album for even more people on Thursday. Following that party, the project should be released to the public. 

As we wait for more information on the upcoming release, which is the long-rumored tenth studio album Donda, a tracklist and list of features have allegedly leaked online. Despite cell phones being banned from the Las Vegas listening session, it appears as though somebody managed to capture audio and video from the event, sharing a snippet of a new song with Baby Keem, as well as a second preview, which sounds like classic Kanye.


Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

The first snippet includes solely Baby Keem’s feature on the album, which sounds introspective and hard-hitting. The second preview includes Kanye’s lyrics about a father skipping a baby shower, his daughter turning one year old, and family trauma. 

According to multiple attendees of the Las Vegas listening party, the upcoming album is one of Kanye’s most ambitious production-based projects to date. It has significant religious influence, but it’s allegedly more sonically realized than Jesus Is King. There are rumors that one of the new songs will premiere as part of a commercial airing during Game 6 of the NBA Finals, which will feature a cameo from Sha’Carri Richardson.

Listen to the leaked snippets below.