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Soulja Boy Says A ‘Verzuz’ Battle With Bow Wow Is ‘Official’

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In late March, shortly after they announced a new deal with Triller, Verzuz shared plans for several upcoming battles. The first two were matchups between Earth, Wind, & Fire and The Isley Brothers and Method Man and Redman. A third battle between SWV and Xscape was later announced, but since then the group has gone quiet on updates with future battles. A scheduled Mother’s Day Verzuz came and went without an actual battle while potential participants and dates for the remaining three matchups were never revealed. Now, it looks like one of those battles could finally be set.

Soulja Boy took to Twitter to announce that a Verzuz between himself and Bow Wow is “official.” The rappers hopped on Instagram Live to speak about the upcoming matchup as fans watched in excitement.

“This sh*t gonna be bigger than life bro,” Bow Wow proclaimed during the livestream. “I’m happy to celebrate with you. They was throwing O in there, I saw a lot of Omarion, I’m like that’s my bro too, but O an R&B singer.” He added, “Me and you [Soulja] make so much sense. We’ve toured together, me and you got a whole motherf*cking mixtape together. We on tour right now and on top of that sh*t, n**** you got a hot new record out. The day before we do Verzuz, my movie come out… Fast & Furious 9 drop the day before.”

The end of Bow Wow’s quote of course reveals that he and Soulja’s Verzuz will take place on June 26 as Fast & Furious 9 will premiere in theaters on June 25.

The Verzuz announcement also comes after Soulja Boy was sued by his ex-girlfriend for sexual battery and domestic violence. As for Bow Wow, he was hit assault charges in 2019 after he was involved in a physical altercation with a woman who was also arrested in the matter.

You can watch a clip from their Instagram live session above.

Ariana Grande Remembers Victims Of The Manchester Bombing Tragedy On Its Fourth Anniversary

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One of, if not the most heartwrenching, moment in Ariana Grande’s career is one most artists will not have to go through. Four years ago on Saturday, the pop sensation’s concert in Manchester was tragically used as the venue for a terrorist attack. A normal overseas show quickly turned for the worst as a bomb at Manchester Arena was detonated as attendees left the area. In the end, 22 people were killed and it was an incident that left the singer forever scarred. Four years later, Grande took to her Instagram story to remember the victims.

Ariana Grande

“Although grief is ever-present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year round,” she wrote on her Instagram Story above a list of the victims from the bombing. “I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one. Please know that I am thinking of you today.” She concluded her message and added, “Manchester, my heart is with you today and always.”

The singer’s message comes after she married her fiance Dalton Gomez last weekend. The pair were engaged since December and had been dating since early 2020. According to TMZ which cited “sources with direct knowledge” about the situation, the wedding occurred at Grande’s home in Montecito, California with “no real ceremony and few guests.”

You can view a screenshot of Grande’s post above.

New York Mayoral Candidate Andrew Yang Apparently Struggled To Name A Jay-Z Song During His ‘Ziwe’ Interview

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@zwie on Twitter

Ziwe Fumudoh sat down with former presidential and current New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang this week, and those who assumed the result would be bad news for Yang were apparently very correct according to the first clips from Ziwe.

Ziwe, whose Showtime series has garnered a reputation for putting celebrities on the hot seat and asking some very leading questions, asked Yang on Twitter earlier in the week he would appear on the show. “You would be an iconic guest,” she wrote on Twitter.

Those who knew her work pretty plainly thought this would be a tough interview for Yang, who has stumbled in his mayoral campaign in recent weeks. By Thursday night, however, Wall Street Journal reporter Katie Honan had reported Yang would indeed appear. And on Saturday, Ziwe posted a clip from the episode that involved New York legend Jay-Z. The clip, which cuts off after about 30 seconds of awkwardness, includes Ziwe asking Yang what his favorite Jay-Z song is with him unable to name a single one.

“I listened to a lot of hip-hop during like the 90s and 2000s,” Yang said when asked what he’s “vibing to” lately after a question about listening to rap music. She presses him, saying “I gotta know” what artists he likes, and he mentions Nas and Jay-Z after some hesitation.

“What’s your favorite Jay-Z song?” she asks. “I mean, he’s a New Yorker.”

Yang only says “yes” initially, and then there’s a long pause as he seems to think it over. “What is my favorite Jay-Z song?” he asks, as if to himself as well as anyone willing to give him the name of one to rescue him from the situation. Ziwe’s expression really says it all here.

@zwie on Twitter

The clip cuts off right as he says “it’s” after a full 10 seconds of contemplation or so. And while he may just have had a hard time coming up with his favorite, not simply struggling to come up with any songs at all, the awkward moment is the latest in a campaign that’s struggled to avoid them.

For Yang to have said yes to the interview means either no one on his staff knew what Ziwe’s deal was with these interviews, or he was simply not as prepared as he should be for the kind of questions she’d ask. But it’s also an own goal in several ways here: If Yang simply isn’t a Jay-Z fan, which is fine even for New York mayoral candidates, the easiest way to avoid falling into this trap is to not claim he spent a few decades listening to his music seconds before.

We’ll have to wait and see what he came up with when his interview on Ziwe airs on Sunday night.

The Alchemist And Earl Sweatshirt Have An Album Hidden On YouTube Under A Fake Name

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Producer The Alchemist and Earl Sweatshirt came together at the end of last month for the collaboration “Nobles,” which appeared on the former’s album This Thing Of Ours. (Earl also appeared on a second track, entitled “Loose Change.”) The producer recently revealed there’s more where that came from. In fact, the two have already released a full-length album together, a while back. But there’s a catch: You’ll have to work hard to find it.

“We hid a whole album on youtube under a fake name and youtube page,” Alchemist wrote on Twitter. “Fake album cover, song titles, the whole 9. Nobody found it yet.” Naturally, this sent fans on a scramble to locate the project on streaming platforms.

Some shared their reactions — and frustrations — on Twitter about their search. “Looked for a hour can’t find sh*t ima just pretend it’s fake,” one person wrote, while another opted to wait for others to find it. “I give Reddit 3 hours before they find a Earl sweatshirt album lmao I’m not doing all this work,” they said.

This is not the first time that Alchemist spoke about the hidden album, which they released years ago. Back in January 2019, he shared a similar tweet writing, “We did one and dropped it under a fake name. Youtube. Go find it. You are the one.”

Earl Sweatshirt is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Logic And Madlib Return With ‘Raddest Dad,’ Their Second Single As MadGic

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Following a decade in which he released six albums and six mixtapes, Logic called it quits after releasing his 2020 album No Pressure, which was a sequel to his debut, Under Pressure. The rapper’s retirement led to interviews in which revealed why he stepped away from the game, a mostly one-sided spat with Joe Budden, a seven-figure deal with Twitch, and more. But last month he changed his mind, forming a new duo with legendary producer Madlib called MadGic. After dropping their first track, “Mars Only Pt. 3,” in April, the pair returns with “Raddest Dad.”

On the new effort, Logic raps over Roc Marciano’s 2013 Madlib-produced track “The Sacrifice.” At the end he speaks about his alleged retirement. “I mean I retired, but I’ve been making music every single day since I retired because I love it,” he says. “And then I think what I realized was that I don’t like the industry. So I think I want to retire from the industry. That’s why I wanna do this music for free.” He adds, “Sometimes I wanna come back, but I don’t know if I should come back. I mean if I did I’d want to be independent. That’d be pretty cool.”

They teased a potential MadGic full-length on “Mars Only Pt. 3,” with Logic rapping, “Made this whole album in a lockdown, hip hop is our town / Hairline like Doc Brown but I’m killin’ it.”

You can listen to “Raddest Dad” in the video above.

Lil Nas X Explained The Title Behind His Latest Single ‘Sun Goes Down’

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After setting the internet ablaze with this last single, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” as well as its accompanying video and pair of Satan Shoes, Lil Nas X returned with his latest release, “Sun Goes Down.” The new track has proven to be far less controversial than the last one, but it was one of his most honest songs to date. Hours after he dropped the track, Lil Nas took to Twitter to explain its title.

“I named the song ‘sun goes down’ because i feel like at night is when those thoughts you try to avoid really start to hit and you can’t escape them,” he wrote in a post. The track finds the singer singing about depression and suicidal thoughts, his decision to come out as gay, and his current satisfaction with how everything in his life has panned out.

The song did spark a brief moment of controversy after fans of Nicki Minaj were not happy that it features Lil Nas namedropping her. He’s been well-documented as a big fan of Minaj, which he addressed in the song, singing, “I’d be by the phone / Stanning Nicki mornin’ into dawn / Only place I felt like I belonged / Strangers make you feel so loved, you know?” He explained the reference in a tweet and promised not to use the rapper’s name in any of his future songs.

“To the barbz who feel i’m using nicki’s name for attention, the song i released last night was recorded last year,” he wrote. “And it’s about my life which 6 of those years were dedicated to nicki. it’s no fake love. but i understand how it looks so i will no longer mention her.”

XXXTentacion’s Brother Is Suing The Rapper’s Mother Over Money From X’s Estate, Again

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After rising rapper XXXtentacion’s tragic and untimely death in the summer of 2018, which saw the hip-hop world mourning a troubled talent gone too soon, his surviving family members have been charged with care of his estate. But relationships between the remaining relations have been a little strained, and according to legal paperwork obtained by XXL, the late rapper’s half-brother, Corey Pack, is suining X’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, for transferring money from his estate into separate holding companies.

Bernard was appointed to oversee X’s estate and the Bad Vibes Forever label, but Pack has also been designated a beneficiary. According to the paperwork he filed with the the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Fla. on May 14, Pack is due 25% of assets belong to the rapper born Jahseh Onfroy. A beneficiary as of November 7, 2012, his irrevocable trust is dated for March 4, 2019. Pack accuses Bernard of trying to “further defraud, delay, hinder and frustrate [his ability to] recover the beneficial interest in such assets.” Because of this, Pack is suing for monetary damages of $30,000, along with legal fees, interest, and his fair share of the estate.

Pack’s suit comes on the heels of a suit his own mother, Jodi Kavney, filed against Bernard on behalf of her son last summer. That suit once again accused X’s mother of transfering over $11 million in assets over to her own accounts, without properly dispersing a cut to Pack. X’s estate left behind over $50 million, with fifty percent designated to the label, which remains in Bernard’s control.

The estate recently released a series of NFTs involving the late rapper’s old Soundcloud output (see above for a preview), so it’s very possible the financial means will continue to grow as well.

Sada Baby, Big Sean, And Hit-Boy Throw A Mansion Bash In The Psychedelic ‘Little While’ Video

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Detroit rapper Sada Baby first came to prominence with the fun-loving, goofy dances he did in the video for his breakout viral hit “Bloxk Party,” so it’s only right that he returns to such shenanigans in the video for “Little While,” which has even more potential for hit status — at least, algorithmically, thanks to its guest spots from Big Sean and Hit-Boy.

Much like the video for “Bloxk Party,” the clip for “Little While” revolves around a house party, except that now, the stakes and the budget are much higher, causing the venue to change up proportionally. Now, instead of an Airbnb, Sada’s shooting at massive mansions, complete with valets and check-ins, elaborate decorations, and a noticeable increase in the ratio of women to men, including a cameo from fellow emerging Detroit rap star Kash Doll (who should really get a verse on any potential remixes).

“Little While” is Sada’s second major foray into the techno-style drum programming that his hometown pioneered after “Whole Lotta Choppas,” which famously featured a Nicki Minaj verse on its remix.

Watch Sada Baby’s “Little While” video featuring Big Sean and Hit-Boy above.

Sada Baby is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Travis Scott And Kylie Jenner Are Reportedly Back Together — And In An Open Relationship

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TMZ reports that after a year off from their relationship, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have apparently gotten back together, with one big change in their relationship status. According to TMZ’s sources, the couple is dating again but not exclusively. This is apparently a result of Travis wanting to keep the core of their family — the two have been co-parenting their daughter Stormi since the breakup, but Travis wants to offer her a “strong family unit.”

The duo originally declared they were “taking a break” back in 2019 after a little over two years of dating, beginning in spring of 2017. Kylie addressed the breakup shortly after the news broke, saying that “Travis and I are on great terms and our main focus right now is Stormi! Our friendship and our daughter is priority.”

That seemed to be the case for the past year as the former couple was able to successfully co-parent despite the split, even hosting a holiday toy drive in Houston together. All the time they’ve spent together must have rekindled their old flame; TMZ noted that the couple has been spending a lot more time together of late without their daughter as the focus, such as a triple date with Kyle’s sister Kendall, Kendall’s NBA beau Devin Booker, and Justin and Hailey Bieber. Per TMZ, it looks like they’ll be spending a lot more time together in the future — just not exclusively.

Lil Nas X Says He’s Done Mentioning Nicki Minaj After Backlash From Barbz

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When Lil Nas X first rose to stardom with “Old Town Road,” it was rumored that he was so into Nicki Minaj that he used to operate a fan account about her. That turned out to be true, although Nas wasn’t forthcoming with that information for a while because he feared being outed as gay. Now, Nas is both openly gay and openly a Minaj fan, both of which he addresses on his latest song, “Sun Goes Down.” However, the Barbz, as Minaj’s fans are called, want Nas to keep her name out of his mouth and it appears he’s going to do just that.

On the track, Lil Nas X reflects on his past, including his admiration for Nicki Minaj, rapping, “I’d be by the phone / Stanning Nicki mornin’ into dawn / Only place I felt like I belonged / Strangers make you feel so loved, you know?” After the song was released, it seems some Barbz thought Nas was using her name for attention. The backlash was apparently severe enough for Nas to vow to stop talking about Minaj.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “to the barbz who feel i’m using nicki’s name for attention, the song i released last night was recorded last year. and it’s about my life which 6 of those years were dedicated to nicki. it’s no fake love. but i understand how it looks so i will no longer mention her.”

After Nas admitted he previously denied being a Barb, Minaj responded, saying that while she was initially hurt by that, she understood, writing on Twitter, “It was a bit of a sting when you denied being a barb, but I understand. Congratulations on building up your confidence to speak your truth.”