In a new cover story for Rolling Stone, BTS addressed one of the things that’s most concerning to their fans who know about South Korea’s mandatory military service: If this looming draft will break the group up? Due to the active tensions between North and South Korea, this 21-month army term is required for all men to start before their 28th birthday, and group member Jin turned 28 last December.
That month, though, the government issued a directive that “a pop-culture artist who was recommended by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to have greatly enhanced the image of Korea both within the nation and throughout the world” can defer their enlistment until the age of 30. “I think the country sort of told me, ‘You’re doing this well, and we will give you a little bit more time,’ ” Jin said of the law, telling Rolling Stone further that he considers serving to be “an important duty for our country. So I feel that I will try to work as hard as I can and do the most I can until I am called.”
He also said he hopes the group will continue to have the success they’re currently experiencing — even if it means without him. “I have no doubt that the other members will make a good decision because, you know, this is not something that I can tell them what to do,” he said. Even if they continued on without him for a while, he added: “I’ll be sad, but I’ll be watching them on the internet and cheering them on.”
Even with the two year grace period, the military requirement remains a concern for the group at large: RM is turning 27 soon, J-Hope is 27 and Suga is 28, too. Who knows if the government will further modify the draft, or if the band will find a workaround, but so far, that requirement seems like the only thing that might slow the success of BTS. Read the full cover story here.
Over the years, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has branched out into a number of industries outside the expected range of an ostensible rap label. There’s a school of entertainment management, book publishing arm, and a social justice initiative already, but Roc Nation isn’t stopping there. The latest move is a bit of a surprising one; Roc Nation announced today that it is partnering with American Greetings to release its own line of greeting cards.
The line will include traditional paper cards and digital e-cards featuring personalized messages and custom lyrics from artists like Dolly Parton, Donny Osmond, Michael Bolton, Shaq, and Smokey Robinson. It will also include “SmashUps,” although details on what those entail are scant for the moment.
Roc Nation president of business operations Brett Yormark told Billboard about the collaboration, explaining, “When we were introduced to the leaders at American Greetings and began discussing the idea of customized greetings, both on behalf of Roc Nation and its artists, we felt like it was a natural fit. It is an unexpected category that in many respects, given the breadth and depth of our talent, gave us a [different] way to reach new audiences.”
The partnership will begin with digital cards and eventually expand into physical cards in stores.
With the recent rise of NFTs in the music industry and interest in cryptocurrency, an international festival looking to join the trend. Serbia’s Exit Music Festival is returning this summer, and fans now have the option to buy their passes with Bitcoin.
The process of purchasing a ticket with Bitcoin is fairly similar to paying with a credit card. Once festivalgoers select the items they want to purchase on Exit’s website, they will see an option to “Pay with Bitcoin.” They’ll get a QR code to scan their Bitcoin App and will receive their tickets once the payment has been transferred and confirmed on the Bitcoin network.
Exit is currently slated to be one of the first large-scale international music festivals to return this year. It takes place from July 8-11 at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia and it’s lineup includes artists and DJs like David Guetta, DJ Snake, Tyga, Nina Kraviz, Sheck Wes, and more.
In a statement about the decision to begin accepting Bitcoin, Exit festival CEO and founder Dusan Kovacevic said they want to be at the cutting-edge of technology. “The potential of blockchain, digital exchange and currency is exciting and we wanted to make sure we are at the forefront and are utilizing new technologies and able to engage with our tech savvy audience as technology evolves and changes.”
Tickets to Exit Festival are on sale now. Get them here.
In 1997, the world was introduced to Missy Elliott by way of her dynamite debut, Supa Dupa Fly. This energetic inauguration was bolstered by the title track’s music video plus several more popular songs and clips, all of which cemented a now well-known brand of refreshingly off-kilter energy. When everyone zigged, Missy zagged, and this change of pace made her a bona fide star. However, her second studio album, 1999’s Da Real World, seemingly fell by the wayside. Though it was not without hit singles like “She’s A Bitch” and “Hot Boyz,” Missy believed that her sophomore effort “could have done a lot better.” (The lukewarm reaction could possibly be due to the shift of mainstream attention to other female rappers at the time, as Foxy Brown and Eve both released chart-topping albums that same year.) So with her next offering, Missy went to work, making sure she was seen, heard, and felt like never before. Enter here, Miss E… So Addictive.
Released May 15, 2001, the 16-track effort solidified the Virginia-reppin’ artist as an artistic force to be reckoned with. The multi-hyphenate once again teamed up with fellow VA native Timbaland for the platinum-selling LP, which implements the best of many musical worlds. As she declares on the “So Addictive (Intro),” “Me and Timbaland gonna give ya shit ya never heard before,” and they don’t disappoint. Miss E shows Misdemeanor’s across-the-board influences and Tim’s arsenal of universally attractive sounds, proving why the talented twosome led the front of rap’s experimental wave.
Tim ditches the robo-heavy rhythms found on Missy’s first two albums for a new palette of internationally alluring sonics, like bedroom-ready R&B (the Ginuwine collab “Take Away”) and Caribbean-spiced vibes (“Watcha Gonna Do”). Far East inspiration catapults the one-two punch of “Lick Shots” and the bhangra-inspired “Get Ur Freak On” to new heights, while the funky, Method Man and Redman-assisted “Dog In Heat” and skating rink-ready “Old School Joint” blend throwback stylings with new school flavor, resulting in influential, turn-of-the-century hip-hop that few producer-artist teams have emulated or surpassed.
Aside from impressively crafted instrumentals, Miss E harps heavily on themes of reciprocal sex and female pleasure, subjects Missy hasn’t dodged in the decades since. (Moment of appreciation for the “elephant trunk” reference in “Work It” and the choral coital coos of “Pass That Dutch.”) For one of the first times on wax, Missy’s animated side takes a slight backseat during Miss E in order to showcase her human side’s physical wants and needs.
From teasing a euphoric, romance-filled evening in the R&B jam “X-Tasy” to affirming her role in a hot and heavy night during the Grammy-winning “Scream AKA Itchin’” (“Lay on the bed he follow, bone him until to-morrah, Make him sing high sopran-ah”), Missy uses her sexuality as empowerment. The project’s features also show the dichotomy of how female MCs, in particular, wield their sensuality; while her verse is not in the album version of “One Minute Man,” Trina’s deliciously raunchy rhymes in its music video further display women’s craving for physical intimacy, and how the vocality and visibility of those desires are equal parts authoritative and arousing. (Additionally, Missy’s alliances with Eve, Da Brat, and Missy proteges Lil Mo and Tweet on Miss E continue her career’s crusade towards stronger camaraderie and tolerance between women in music, an effort which culminated in the 2001 Grammy-winning revamp of “Lady Marmalade,” which Missy produced and co-wrote.)
What else is “so addictive” about Miss E? It’s that it’s undeniably Missy. She takes permanent ink to the project and its corresponding content and definitively underlines her individuality and multidimensionality. “One Minute Man” is as bold and slinky as it is colorful, while the unconventional approach to crafting “Get Ur Freak On” both sonically and visually allowed Missy to let her freak flag fly high, ultimately changing the cultural tides. She also sings in pockets of the LP; while she’s no Mariah, she’s no one-trick pony either, and tying in her love of hip-hop and R&B adds another hint of je ne sais quoi to her recipe.
Missy told VIBE shortly before the release of the album, “I just wanted to cross the border with [Miss E… So Addictive]… I wanted to do what everybody else is scared to do.” That goal was hit, as Keith Harris wrote for Blender that “Missy’s inner bitch is back, but she has grown into her lusty swagger,” and The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis said the “brilliantly realized” project “is further evidence of Elliott’s… desire to change the rules entirely. It’s an album that sets its own agenda and sounds like nothing else in hip-hop: an incomparable achievement.”
Thanks to declarations of her unabashed, untouchable originality, energetic displays of sexual prowess and femininity, and game-changing beats supplied by her go-to guy Timothy Mosley, Miss E… So Addictive finds Missy Elliott taking ownership of herself and the differences she brought to the table. Instead of staying in the lines, she honed in on her knack for coloring outside of them. Through all aspects of her work, she shows the importance of being comfortable in the skin you’re in, and this album in particular proves that Missy Elliott is perfectly fine with being crazy, kooky, mysterious, spooky, and eons ahead of her time.
Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
For the Post Malone fans who were already delighted by the rapper’s collaboration with Crocs, today’s news will probably be just as welcome. Turns out the artist born Austin Richard Post is now the global ambassador for Monster energy drink, a standby for gamers, sleepless nights and late night hangs everywhere, while also simultaneously being a staple at high-energy sporting events. Now that’s range.
“I am pumped to team up with Monster Energy and look forward to continuing to kick ass and having fun together.” said Post Malone in a press release detailing the collaboration. For their part, the brand was equally pumped. “Monster Energy is excited to welcome Post Malone to our team,” said Monster Energy’s CMO Dan McHugh. “Post Malone is the perfect addition to our team of award-winning talent. We look forward to growing together through our partnership.”
That partnership, so far, includes gifting ten grand prize winners an “exclusive virtual fan experience” with Posty himself, and an additional fifteen first prize winners with their own Xbox Series X console. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but the latter sounds like the better prize here, right? Either way, you can enter for a chance to Post Up With Post Malone right here.
Lil Uzi Vert is well-known for making extravagant purchases, from his love for five-figure clothing shopping sprees and dropping the cost of a brand-new mid-sized car on a first date to the massive pink diamond he had embedded in his forehead. Fortunately, his latest big-money buy is also pretty practical; Dirt.com reports he recently signed the deed to a $4.4 million property in California’s Bell Canyon, on the outskirts of the San Fernando Valley.
The mansion occupying the property is listed at 1.5 acres and two stories, with five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, and panoramic views of the valley via the glass-walled construction. It’s got a massive, open-floor plan, a convenient and picturesque patio, an outdoor kitchen/bar area for entertaining, and of course, an outdoor pool tucked under one of its balconies. The neighborhood includes hiking trails, tennis courts, and an equestrian center — maybe Uzi and JT can get into horseback riding.
Uzi’s set to headline the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash in August and has a new album on the way, so it’s likely he’ll have a lot more money to burn soon enough. Check out photos of his new home below.
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
One of my favorite meme formats on social media these days is the “how it started/how it’s going” post because it’s a reminder that life goes on and positive things are happening amidst the seemingly endless deluge of bad news with which we’re inundated on a daily basis. Case in point: While some cynics looked at the charity Drake committed to in his 2018 “God’s Plan” video as nothing more or less than a publicity stunt, it turns out that his donations had a last positive effect on at least one of their recipients.
Destiny James, the University of Miami student to whom Drake gave a $50,000 check, recently posted her graduation announcement on Instagram, captioning her post: “Mama, I mastered it. Daddy, I did it. 4 days until I am officially UNC Alum.” Naturally, the post found its way over to Twitter, where delighted fans flipped it into the aforementioned meme format, contrasting the two moments that have both undoubtedly changed Ms. James’s life for the better.
One of music’s most popular podcasts came to an unexpected end on Wednesday morning. The Joe Budden Podcast, co-hosted by Joe Budden, Rory, and Mal, was declared “100,000% done” by Budden. The show’s 437th episode was uploaded to YouTube early Wednesday morning all to be removed a short time later, but not before some fans were able to get a listen to what transpired on it. Budden would eventually re-post the episode to his Patreon account for viewers to watch.
In the new episode, Budden, who is seated alone on the set that usually features Rory and Mal with him, begins by addressing the former of his previous co-hosts. “Rory feels like he has so many options here, somehow he still feels like he’s running the show [and] he still feels like he has choices and options, he feels like he’s entitled to more,” he said. “Rory, you are in breach of your contract. And from this point forward, you are fired and you are not welcome back.” Despite this, Budden did not reveal exactly how Rory breached his contract.
Elsewhere, Budden called Rory a “liability” and encouraged him and Mal to start their own show elsewhere. After the episode was initially posted to YouTube, Budden hopped on Twitter and gave a brief message, writing, “Helluva run!! God bless.” He also responded to a few fans who had thoughts on the podcast’s end.
A week after DMX’s tragic death, the world received a posthumous verse from him thanks to the Swizz Beatz and French Montana-accompanied track, “Been To War,” an effort that appeared in Epix’s Godfather Of Harlem TV series. The song makes for DMX’s second contribution to the show as the series’ current theme song is his and Rick Ross’ “Just In Case.” During an interview with Rap-Up, Swizz Beatz spoke about the song and revealed that it was the last song he and DMX recorded together before his death.
“I actually made that record for X, and wanted that record for X, but then we was coming with the show. And so it was like, you know what, it’s perfect,” Swizz said. While reflecting on the last few records they did together, he added, “Yeah, that might’ve been the last one.” Swizz then shared how DMX felt to be once again involved in the TV series from a music standpoint.
“He sent it to me and he was just so excited to be included in Godfather Of Harlem again, beyond the theme song,” he said. “And he just was like, I’m going to get it. ‘Cause he was taking a little long to finish the verse because he was traveling. And then he called me and he was just like, ‘I’m on it. I’m going to the studio and I’ll have it to you by tomorrow.’”
DMX kept his word and sent the song back to Swizz the following day. “I thought it was super fresh and he just was super appreciative, ’cause he was a big fan of Forest [Whitaker],” Swizz added. “Big fan of Godfather and it’s something he actually had fun doing.”
Snoop Dogg is undoubtedly a legend in the hip-hop world. His work dates back to the 1990s and to this day, the Long Beach rapper continues to release new music for his fanbase to enjoy. His most recent effort came back in April with From The Streets 2 Tha Suites, a ten-track album he released to celebrate the month’s weed-themed 4/20 holiday. Fast forward to the present and the rapper just revealed that he’s working on an anthology series about his life. In a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the rapper spoke about the project and detailed what fans can expect.
“I think what makes the most sense to me is the Snoop Dogg anthology, the life story of Snoop Dogg where it starts with my mother and father meeting each other before I was even born, to me being born, to me growing through the ‘70s and ‘80s and the ‘90s,” he said. “Me being the ‘Black Forest Gump,’ so to speak, seeing me in all of these highlighted moments in American history. We’re developing that, putting it together as we speak, just trying to take my time and put the right information out.” Snoop also made sure to say that he’s in no rush to release the anthology series to the public.
“I want to take my time and make sure that I’ve put together the right infrastructure of how I became me—you know, the people that inspire me, my upbringing, my mother, my father, my friends, community influences, inspirations that shaped and molded me,” he said. “I don’t see it being a biopic because I can’t give all of this great information and entertainment in two hours. But if I give it to you in an anthology, you’re likely to get six or seven seasons of this.”
