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Polo G Enjoys A Second Straight Week At No. 1 On The Hot 100 Chart With ‘Rapstar’

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Polo G made history last week when his hit single “Rapstar” became just the 52nd song to ever debut in the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now his run of prosperity continues: On the Hot 100 chart dated May 1, “Rapstar” stays at No. 1 for a second consecutive week. Of all the songs to ever debut at No. 1, “Rapstar” is just the 22nd of them to spend its second week on top.

After “Rapstar” debuted at No. 1 last week, Polo G shared his excitement, writing on Instagram, “It’s Crazy I really Manifested this sh*t. I got a long list of goals imma b scratchin off just this year alone…Only 52 ppl ever debuted @ #1 on the billboard hot 100 & I’m part of that group U can’t tell me I ain’t chosen I done really beat the odds fr From A Place where n****s like me b the 1st to die who woulda thought I’ll go #1….thank y’all Mann. I can’t stress that enough Ik I work hard asf & y’all work just as hard supporting me We gone keep goin up fr REAL #rapstar Album comin sooooonnnnnnn.” He also added on Twitter, “#1 song On the billboard Charts. Thank u God & Everybody Supportin me This sh*t don’t even Feel real. Naw like gang I really just went #1 wtf [crying emoji].”

Other noteworthy activity from this week’s chart is Dua Lipa and DaBaby’s “Levitating” revisiting its peak position of No. 5 and Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open” jumping back up to No. 2.

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

Eminem Explains Why He Paid Over $500 For A Copy Of Nas’ ‘Illmatic’

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How much would you spend for a copy of a hip-hop classic? For Eminem, the going rate is somewhere between $500 and $600, as he revealed during a discussion on the popular voice chat app, Clubhouse. While the burgeoning community on Clubhouse has been known for causing controversy in the past, this past weekend, fans of the Detroit rapper held a celebratory “Shady Con” in his honor, with guests including his manager Paul Rosenberg and DJ Whoo Kid. Em himself stopped by to share some stories as well, telling fans about the time he just had to spend a little extra on his hero Nas’ seminal debut Illmatic to feed his collection habit.

As Em explained, I’ve been collecting since I was a kid, everything from comic books to baseball cards to toys, as well as every rap album on cassette I could get my hands on. Not much has changed for me as an adult.” When he found an unsealed cassette copy of Nas’ game-changing classic, his mind was blown. “I think it’s backstock from what records stores had in the back storage,” he said. “The tapes that never sold and they just kept them. That’s the only thing I can think of. Cause nobody’s going to have a f*cking Illmatic tape and not open it.” He also good-naturedly compared the value of his own debut The Slim Shady LP — which was a culture shifter in the vein of Illmatic, for sure — under similar conditions, saying it’d draw a tidy sum of “twelve cents.”

For what it’s worth, it’s not the worst way to spend money — which Em has more than enough of. An unsealed copy of a classic album on a discontinued format is exactly the sort of ultra-rare find that has wannabe collectors including Eminem going NFT crazy these days — and it also sort of shows the difference between a physical piece of owned art and the idea of owning a certificate of a jpeg or whatever.

Listen to Eminem’s amusing anecdote above.

Young Thug And Gunna Paid Bail For 30 Fulton County Jail Inmates

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While riding high on the streaming success of their recently released compilation album Slime Language 2 and collaborative single “Ski,” Young Stoner Life Records rappers Gunna and Young Thug performed a little community service over the weekend, paying bond for 30 inmates of the Fulton County Jail according to Atlanta local news. The two Atlanta natives shared a video of former inmates being reunited with family members as they were released; most were being held on minor charges but didn’t have enough to post bond.

As Thug explained, “This is where we are from. We just woke up and went to the jail with the lawyer and DA’s and the prosecutors, the bonding companies, and just got as many people as we can out.” Gunna echoed, “You never know what somebody been through. There was people sitting out three or four years and couldn’t get out on a bond. If they did the crime, then they can do the time, then it’s all right. But it’s like you’re giving them a bond higher than what they stole.”

According to WSBTV, the jail was 400 inmates over its 2,500 inmate capacity just two months ago — during a global pandemic(!) — and a city councilman described the conditions as the worst he’d ever seen. And although the rappers didn’t know how much money they spent on this photo opportunity — yes, the scenes will be part of an upcoming music video — they also promise it’s not going to be a one-time event, encouraging their peers to follow their lead.

Other music videos from the compilation — which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week — include Thug and Unfoonk’s “Real.”

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

Shelley Debuts A New Song In His Return To NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts

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In his return to Tiny Desk Concerts, the newly rechristened and slimmed-down Shelley invites viewers into a softly-lit study for a simmering performance of songs from his upcoming album, Shelley FKA DRAM. Thanks to Tiny Desk’s “(At-Home)” designation, the Virginia native gets extra comfy, donning a set of food-patterned PJs that works just as well as an eye-popping suit, packing his band into the smaller confines, and delivering soulful renditions of songs like “Exposure,” “The Lay Down,” “Cooking With Grease,” and the debut of “Rich & Famous.”

The last time Shelley played Tiny Desk — way back in 2017 — he was promoting the lighthearted, melodic hip-hop debut album Big Baby DRAM. He makes note of the change during his return performance, reintroducing himself as Shelley — his government name — and calls the moment “a new beginning. Full circle.”

Shelley first showed glimpses of the shift in 2018 with his That’s A Girl’s Name EP, shifting to groovy but still swaggering R&B. Then, in 2019, he shared “The Lay Down” with HER (who’s now an Oscar and Grammy winner), presaging the new, grown-and-sexy direction he’s adopted for his next project, which releases April 29 in honor of his mom’s birthday.

Watch Shelley’s smooth NPR Tiny Desk return performance above.

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

Now That HER Has An Oscar To Go With Her Grammys, She’s Going After The EGOT

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HER is only 23 years old, but she’s already racked up four Grammy Awards and picked up an Oscar last night, as she got the Best Original Song win for her Judas And The Black Messiah track “Fight For You.” This puts her halfway towards an EGOT (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award), on which she has now set her sights.

Speaking with ET after her win, HER said, “Oh, there’s absolutely going to be an EGOT in my future, hopefully. But yeah, I’m also super passionate about acting as well, so you may see me up here as an actress also. And I love musicals, me and Brandy have been talking about it a lot. She’s inspired me since she did a musical [Cinderalla]. Honestly, I cannot believe that we’re here. […] I’m still speechless, I feel like the Oscars are happening tomorrow and I’m dreaming right now. I’m still pinching myself, so I have no words.”

Only 16 artists have ever achieved EGOT status, although four of those artists finalized the feat in just the past few years. In 2018, John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Tim Rice simultaneously EGOT’ed after collectively winning an Emmy for producing Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert. Alan Menken also got his EGOT by picking up an Emmy last year.

If HER pursues an EGOT in earnest, she has a shot at becoming the youngest person to ever do it. The current record-holder is Robert Lopez, who is known for his work on projects like Frozen and The Book Of Mormon and was 39 years old when he completed his EGOT. Legend is a close second, as he was 39 years and 8 months old when he got the EGOT.

Find the full list of this year’s Oscar winners here.

The Harlem Cultural Festival Is Celebrated In A Teaser For Questlove’s ‘Summer Of Soul’ Documentary

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Back towards the end of 2019, it was revealed that Questlove was working on what is now titled Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a documentary about The Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week festival that took place right around the same time as Woodstock. Now, the first teaser for the film, which is set to premiere in theaters and on Hulu on July 2, has been shared.

An official statement describes the film:

“In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary — part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten — until now. Summer Of Soul shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Baretto, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach, and more.”

Back when the project was announced, Questlove said in a statement, “I am truly excited to help bring the passion, the story and the music of the Harlem Cultural Festival to audiences around the world. The performances are extraordinary. I was stunned when I saw the lost footage for the first time. It’s incredible to look at 50 years of history that’s never been told, and I’m eager and humbled to tell that story.”

He also told Variety in an interview earlier this year, “”Woodstock happens in two weeks after this and it defines a lifestyle, it defines a generation. Woodstock, the city name alone, just defines a whole movement. And I kept wondering what would have went down if this were allowed to happen for [Black people]. If this were allowed to unfurl and and spread across the world as Woodstock did, how much of a difference could that have made in my life as a music lover and as a music collector? So, then I just felt this the sense of purpose that I have to tell the story.”

Watch the Summer Of Soul teaser above.

HER, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, And Jon Batiste Got Big Wins At The 2021 Oscars

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The Academy Awards were last night, so the best in film from the past year was properly honored. Per usual, some of the awards were devoted to music as well, and picking up big wins in those categories were HER, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste.

HER got the Best Original Song win for her Judas And The Black Messiah track “Fight For You” over “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga (sung by Will Ferrell and Molly Sandén, the latter of whom Rachel McAdams lip-synced for the film), Celeste’s “Hear My Voice” from The Trial Of The Chicago 7, Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Speak Now” from One Night In Miami, and Lauren Pausini’s “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead.

Reznor, Ross, and Batiste’s Soul score also picked up a win, in the Best Original Score category, winning over the former two’s score for Mank, as well as Da 5 Bloods, Minari, and News Of The World.

As Billboard notes, these wins were superlative. Reznor, Ross, and Batiste are the first three-member composing team to win Best Original Score in 33 years, following Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, and Cong Su’s 1987 win for The Last Emperor. Batiste is also just the third Black composer to win in a scoring category, following Prince’s 1984 win for Best Musical Song Score with Purple Rain and Herbie Hancock’s 1986 victory for Best Original Score with ‘Round Midnight.

HER’s victory was also historically significant: For the first time in 35 years, a songwriter or songwriting team won an Oscar in the same awards season that they won a Grammy for Song Of The Year for a different song, as HER’s “I Can’t Breathe” just picked up the Grammy win a few weeks ago.

Find the full list of this year’s Oscar winners here.

DMX Has Been Given His Own Day By The New York State Senate

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After holding a memorial for DMX on Saturday, featureingappearances from Kanye West and the Sunday Service Choir, Swizz Beatz, and more, the late rapper’s family held a Homegoing Celebration for him on Sunday. Just like the previous service, Sunday’s in-person gathering was limited strictly to close friends and family, while DMX’s fans were able to watch it through a livestream on BET. But the latter at least had some good news.

According to Revolt, Erica Ford, the co-founder of Life Camp, an organization established to prevent gun violence, and Priscilla Echi, a Westchester community activist, revealed at the service that the New York State Senate had officially declared December 18th, DMX’s birthday, as Earl “DMX” Simmons Day. The resolution, which sought to mourn “the untimely death of DMX, legendary New York rap icon and talented actor,” was originally introduced on April 20 by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Jamaal T. Bailey.

“His lyrics were rapped on the Senate floor by Senator Jamal Bailey who introduced a resolution in his honor. He also has proclamations from Mayor Spano and Mayor Shawyn Patterson Howard,” Echi revealed during Sunday’s service. “From the governor’s office, we have the flag that was flying the day that he died to be presented to his family,” she said. “We have a citation from the governor’s office for his oldest son and one for his father.”

Jay-Z Says He Hopes To Be Remembered Alongside Greats Like Bob Marley

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Most of Jay-Z’s recent moves have come on the business side of things. He recently sold his Tidal streaming service to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s Square for $297 million in stock and cash. The move gave the rapper a position on the mobile payment company’s board. Prior to that, he sold half of his Ace Of Spades champagne company to LVMH, but a price tag in this deal was not shared.

Despite the business moves, Jay continues to impact as a rapper, and his verse alongside Nipsey Hussle on “What It Feels Like” is complete proof of that. During a recent sit-down with The Times UK, he spoke about his legacy as a rapper and how he hopes to be remembered.

“I’m not beyond ego, right?” he said. “Hopefully they speak of me [with] the names of Bob Marley and all the greats. But that’s not for me to say.” He added, “I’m most proud of overcoming my circumstances and providing opportunity for people who look like me and who came from the same situation that I’ve come from.”

Later in the interview, Jay-Z joked about how hard leg day workouts are for him.

“You ever seen my legs? They’re horrible. So of course!” Back on “Bam” from his 2017 album, 4:44, Jay-Z rapped, “Uh, n****s is skippin’ leg day just to run they mouth / I be skippin’ leg day, I still run the world.” Fast forward a few years and it seems like Jay has realized sticking to leg day could make running the world a bit easier.

J. Cole Is Apparently Now A ‘Call Of Duty’ Fan Thanks To Young Thug And Gunna

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This past Wednesday, Call Of Duty shared a new trailer for Warzone 3, their free-to-play battle royale game. Its first two seasons thrived during the 2020 pandemic as it grew to be massively popular among gamers, and excitement for the new season only escalated with the new trailer.

The promo video featured a number of musicians, athletes, and entertainment names like Young Thug who blows up a building after hopping on a helicopter piloted by Gunna. There’s also Jack Harlow and comedian Druski parachuting from the sky and that’s just half of it. Saweetie, Swae Lee, Dennis Schröder, Jack Grealish, Mookie Betts, and others star in the trailer. It turns out that the thrilling video had a big influence on J. Cole, who is now a big fan of the game.

Screenshot From HipHpDX

The rapper’s manager and Dreamville record label co-founder, Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad shared a text message thread between himself and J. Cole detailing his first foray into the game.

“Yo I’m bout to hit this call of duty for the first time… With Tminus and mez” the rapper says, adding, “What’s goooood.” Ib laughs at Cole’s message and the rapper replies, “Thug and Gunna inspired me.” Ib can’t help but laugh at Cole’s excitement with Call Of Duty: Warzone 3. “You really hyped off that commercial,” Ib says. “I’m dying (laughing emojis).”

You can check out the screenshot of the messages between Cole and Ib above.

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