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Kevin Abstract Explains Brockhampton’s ‘Final Album’ Decision: ‘We All Love Each Other’

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Brockhampton fans took a blow this past March when the group’s founder and de facto frontman, Kevin Abstract, announced that their next two albums would be their last as a group. Since then, they’ve released the first of the pair, the expansive Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine, leaving them with one final project to put out as a group before they go their separate ways.

However, before that, Kevin addressed the impending shakeup on Twitter, perhaps hoping to impart a sense of closure to longtime fans and reassure them that the group wasn’t breaking up for the usual dramatic reasons music fans are used to hearing. “We all love each other and we wanna continue making the best music we can,” he wrote. “Everybody just getting a lil older and got a lot to say outside of group projects. We’ve dedicated the last ten years of our lives to making music together. This next project we’re just doing what’s rite.”

He did share some good news for Brockham fans sorry to see the group go, though. While their next album will be the final album completed as a group, Abstract did tease that the long-awaited Technical Difficulties project that appeared to be scrapped last year might still see a release sometime down the road — it just may take a while due to sample clearances. “Still wanna try to get technical difficulties out at some point,” he admitted. “Just hella samples to clear, so i wouldn’t even be surprised if that came after the last album. But we really want that out.”

The group hasn’t yet announced when the final album will come along or what it’ll be called, but there’s a Europe tour planned for 2022, so it’ll presumably be out by then, and then the future beckons.

Check out the tour dates for 2022 below.

YG & Mozzy Announce The Release Date Of Their Joint Album ‘Kommunity Service’

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Mozzy

It’s official; Mozzy and YG’s full-length joint project, which features collaborations “Bompton To Oak Park” and “Perfect Timing” with Blxst, has a solid release date. The duo announced the title and release date of Kommunity Service today, sharing the cover and star-studded tracklist as well. The cover reproduces the poster of Hype Williams’ 1998 feature film debut Belly with Mozzy and YG standing in for the late DMX and Nas, while the tracklist includes a who’s-who of street-centric fellows; A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, G Herbo, Tyga, and Young M.A are all set to appear on the 10-song set.

The two California rappers will drop Kommunity Service this Friday, May 21. Both rappers are in the midst of career upswings; while Mozzy turned in a productive 2020 with two albums, Beyond Bulletproof and Occupational Hazard, YG successfully launched his own artists and imprint with the compilation EP 4hunnid Presents: Gang Affiliated. Some of both artists’ signees are included on Kommunity Service, including D3szn, E Mozzy, and Celly Ru.

Check out the tracklist for Kommunity Service, which drops 5/21, below and pre-order it here.

  1. Gangsta
  2. Dangerous ft. G Herbo
  3. Bompton to Oak Park
  4. MAD ft. Young M.A
  5. Vibe With You ft. Ty Dolla $ign
  6. Drop A Location ft. A Boogie wit da Hoodie
  7. Toot It Up ft. Tyga
  8. First 48 ft. D3szn, E Mozzy & Celly Ru
  9. Bite Down
  10. Perfect Timing ft. Blxst

Dave Grohl Joins The Chicago Mayor In Teasing The Full-Capacity Return Of Lollapalooza 2021

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Following reports that Lollapalooza’s 2021 return was approved by the city, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot makes it official. Lightfoot tapped Dave Grohl to join her in a video to tease the return of massive festival, saying it can return to it’s full capacity of 100,000 people per day and will take place in Grant Park the weekend of July 29 through August 1.

The teaser video opens with Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, who has been advising the city on COVID-19 safety measures, sitting together on lawn chairs and listening to music. Lightfoot asks Arwady if live music will be able to return soon, and she replies with, “You know, I think we can do it. We keep getting people vaccinated, we keep making good progress, I’m giving the green light.” Grohl then appears in the clip with his own video message. “What’s up Chicago. I’ll see you this summer with my good friends the Foo Fighters,” he says.

Sharing the video on social media, Lightfoot wrote that proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test will be require upon entry at Lollapalooza. “In alignment with our public health guidance, the world class festival returns to the city later this summer. However, full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test will be required to enjoy the festivities.”

Watch Mayor Lightfoot and Dave Grohl in the Lollapalooza 2021 teaser video above.

Lollapalooza’s 2021 lineup will be revealed 5/19 at 10 a.m. CDT, with tickets going on sale at noon.

Bryce Vine’s Fans Inspire His Creativity In ‘On Repeat’

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Fans show love for their favorite artists in a number of ways, whether it’s an act as simple as streaming the performer’s songs or something as intense as getting an indelible tattoo of an album cover. The way Bryce Vine sees it, his relationship with his fans goes both directions, which he shows in the first episode of Uproxx’s new series On Repeat, made in partnership with Straight Talk.

In the video, Vine stands before a blank canvas of a jacket surrounded by patches, pins, and other DIY-ready materials, with the intent of making a custom jacket for himself. For Vine’s design, he took inspiration from the gifts his fans have given him over the years, saying, “One of my favorite things about shows is when fans bring me personalized things. Some of my favorite items of clothing I’ve ever had were things my fans sent to me by mail or given me at shows.”

Vine also speaks about how quality doesn’t have to cost much by explaining how that mindset works in terms of his creative process: “I don’t think quality really has to cost anything. It’s just like music: trying things out for hours and hours, moving things around, seeing what fits together right.”

Check out the video above for more from Bryce Vine and keep an eye out for more episodes of On Repeat.

Bryce Vine is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

T.I. And Tiny Respond To An LAPD Investigation Of Their Alleged Drugging And Sexual Assault

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In recent months, two more women have come forward and accused T.I. and his wife Tiny of sexual misconduct. The alleged incidents took place in 2005 and 2010, with both women accusing the couple of drugging and sexually assaulting them. Now, LAPD has launched an investigation into the reports and T.I. and Tiny’s lawyers have responded.

The New York Times first reported allegations of sexual assault back in late February, claiming lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn represented eleven women who claim they’ve been victimized by the couple. The two additional women are also being represented by Blackburn, and according to Billboard and The Daily Beast, the attorney has successfully pressured the LAPD to open an investigation into the incident that allegedly took place in 2005. The accuser claims T.I. drugged her drink before she was taken to a hotel room and sexually assaulted after repeatedly refusing the couple’s advances.

Responding to the reports of LAPD’s investigation, T.I. and Tiny’s lawyer Steve Sadow issued a statement on behalf of the couple:

“The Harrises have not spoken to or been contacted by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD) or, indeed, any member of law enforcement from any other jurisdiction in the country. Even assuming the story in the Daily Beast is close to accurate, it appears the LAPD ‘accuser’ has chosen once again to remain anonymous, thereby preventing us from being in a position to disprove or refute her allegations – or even examine them. Meanwhile, although we now appear for the first time to have the name of an ‘accuser’ who supposedly filed a police report with LVPD, we have absolutely zero details about her or her claim.”

Smino Begins His ‘New Journey’ With The Nourishing ‘Rice & Gravy’

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St. Louis rapper Smino is back with a new song, “Rice & Gravy,” which he calls the beginning of a new journey. Releasing the single with a minimum of fanfare, Smino seemed to reveal a change in his label situation with a tweet just before the new song’s release. “dawg I went thru so much bullsht tryna release music over da past couple years,” he wrote. “I’m jus happy af to begin my new journey tonite… I feel like a brand new artist rn.”

He may feel like a new artist, but “Rice & Gravy” is vintage Smino, with a glitchy, synth-and-bass beat produced by Monte Booker and a rubberband flow that springs between melodic and staccato cadences delivered in Smi’s signature, grits-thick St. Louis accent. Longtime fans will surely be satisfied with this recipe, and anyone who has been awaited a follow-up to Smino’s 2018 album Noir may be excited to learn that he’s once again in the driver’s seat of his own release schedule.

Despite whatever troubles he’s had in getting new music out, Smino has tried to stay busy, featuring on tracks from Thundercat (“Dragonball Durag Remix” with Guapdad 4000), and his recently discovered cousin Denzel Curry (“So.Incredible.Pkg” with Kenny Beats and Robert Glasper), working with his Zoink Gang compatriots Buddy, Guapdad, and JID, and dropping the surprise quarantine tape She Already Decided.

Listen to Smino’s “Rice & Gravy” above.

Mulatto’s Long-Awaited Name Change Is Finally Official

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It looks like Atlanta rapper Mulatto’s long-awaited name change is finally official, as first Apple Music and now Spotify, reflect her new, slightly less problematic moniker. While many fans expected her to start going by her nickname “Big Latto” — which also doubled as the title of her second EP — she went for a bigger chop, reducing that nickname down to simply “Latto.” It also appears she’s got new music coming soon to celebrate.

This marks the second time she shortened her nom de guerre after knocking her name down from “Miss Mulatto,” the title under which she appeared on Lifetime’s The Rap Game, where she won the show’s first season. Unfortunately, due to the historical implications of the term “Mulatto,” her increased profile over the past year also brought increased scrutiny and criticism, which she addressed at multiple points over the year, including in an exclusive profile with Uproxx, in which she explained:

“It’s not about me comparing my ‘struggles of being mixed’ to any other skin tone, any other race, anything like that. It’s just simply me explaining my story. I did experience a different type of upbringing having two completely different cultures. One side of my family cooked this way, talked this way, celebrate this way, traditions is this way, and then one of the sides is different, and as a kid, I was just confused and kind of had to find my way in my identity. It’s just about an experience, and flipping that negative into something positive.”

Some fans still couldn’t see it that way, especially after Latto made some public missteps in addressing the criticism. Now that her name change is official — at least on streaming services, if not social media, where the process can be a bit more complicated — we’ll see if she can dodge continued opprobrium as her star continues to rise. Check out some screenshots of the artist’s revamped title on Spotify and Apple Music

below.

Joe Budden Addresses Oliva Dope’s Sexual Harassment Accusations: ‘I Apologize Sincerely’

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Just a day after former Joe Budden Podcast Network host Olivia Dope accused the network’s namesake of sexual harassment, Budden himself has responded, saying he takes accountability and apologizes. Dope left Budden’s podcast network after he made lewd comments toward her while taping her show See, the Thing Is…, just months after the show’s launch in October of 2020. She explained why she left in an Instagram video detailing the comments and calling the experience “embarrassing” and “traumatizing.”

According to Rolling Stone, Budden has since issued a statement in which he addressed the power imbalance inherent to his sexual remarks as Olivia’s former boss, and claimed to support “all women’s rights to feel comfortable and protected in the workplace.”

You can read the full statement below.

As a podcaster, it is my job to address topics and create dialogue around them. During the conversation on the See, The Thing Is podcast I didn’t handle the topics with the sensitivity they deserved. I recognize my words and power in that situation created an upsetting environment for Olivia. Upon reflection, both the network and I take accountability for this. I apologize sincerely to Olivia, her former co-hosts, our staff, and the public. In an effort to not further any trauma, the episode will be removed from all platforms. We support all women’s rights to feel comfortable and protected in the workplace. We fell short of that in this instance. We support Olivia in her quest to heal, applaud her for finding the strength to share her experience, and wish her the best in all her future endeavors. I am taking the time to listen and learn; we have already begun to make the necessary changes to ensure this is a safe environment for all moving forward. We at the network endeavor to continue to elevate Black women’s voices and create opportunities to have constructive conversations to impact change.

Young Nudy And 21 Savage Are Lyrical Serial Killers On ‘Child’s Play’

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Over the weekend, 21 Savage released his companion EP for Spiral: From The Book Of Saw. The EP received praise for utilizing the horror-obsessed Atlanta rapper’s macabre talents to the fullest, but it turns out, he wasn’t done yet. Today, Savage returned, appearing with his cousin Young Nudy on the latter’s newly released full-length album, Dr Ev4l. Their collaboration is called “Child’s Play,” and it once again finds the duo indulging their darkest fantasies for a ghoulish excursion to the killing fields of their shared hometown.

Dr Ev4l continues in this vein for all 13 of its bass-forward tracks, featuring guest appearances from Chicago rapper G Herbo on lead single “2Face” and Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert on “Yellow Tape.” In support of the new project, Nudy also announced his first NFT collection, which will be available for purchase through June 1. Nudy and Savage have appeared together on a number of tracks from both their catalogs, most recently on “Snitches & Rats” from 21’s Metro Boomin-produced Savage Mode II last year.

The collection includes the album’s official artwork with redeemable tokens for polaroid photographs signed by Young Nudy and VIP show tickets, capped at just 400 editions. You can find more information at YoungNudy.com.

Listen to “Child’s Play” above.

Dr Ev4l is out now via RCA Records. Get it here.

Lil Durk And Pooh Shiesty’s Menacing ‘Should’ve Ducked’ Video Issues A Stern Warning

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Pooh Shiesty’s star continues to rise, in large part due to star turns as a guest rapper on tracks from the likes of Gucci Mane, Coi Leray, and Lil Durk. The latter partnership has been especially fruitful; Durk appears on Shiesty’s breakout hit “Back In Blood,” even appearing alongside the Memphis native in his debut television performance of the track on The Tonight Show.

Shiesty returned the favor on the deluxe version of Lil Durk’s 2020 album The Voice, popping up on the menacing “Should’ve Ducked” to deliver some grimy tough talk. Today, Durk released the accompanying video, which finds the pair hanging out with their crews at night, turning up in a dimly lit hallway, and making finger guns at the camera, just in case there was any confusion about the intent of their boastful bars.

Shiesty took a slightly different tack in the video for Coi Leray’s “Big Purr” video, but stuck to his guns in the sunny video for his 1017 labelmate Big Scarr’s”Ballin In LA” video. Lil Durk, meanwhile, has been building his chemistry with another southern rap star, Lil Baby, with whom he’s been working on a joint mixtape. However, they recently pushed back the project’s release so as to not conflict with DMX’s posthumous album, Exodus.

Watch the video for “Should’ve Ducked” above.

Pooh Shiesty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.