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J. Cole Shoots Down Rumors That He’s Contemplating Retirement After ‘The Fall Off’

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Ever since J. Cole closed his 2018 album KOD with a song title “1985 (Intro To The Fall Off),” fans have looked forward to the album of that title with both anticipation and apprehension. For one thing, lyrics, interviews, and social media posts he’s made since then have all seemed to imply plans to retire from rap once the album drops. However, in a new cover story in Slam magazine, of all places, Cole denies that he has any such plans, explaining that while he’s at peace with never making another album, he has too much love for the game to simply declare he’s done.

“I’m super comfortable with the potential of being done with this sh*t,” he tells Slam. “But I’m never going to say, ‘Oh, this is my last album.’… Because I never know how I’m going to feel two years, three years, four years down the line, 10 years down the line, but please believe, I’m doing all this work for a reason. I’m doing all this work to be at peace with, ‘If I never did another album, I’m cool.’”

If it seems a little out-of-place for a rapper to be doing cover stories for a basketball magazine, Cole made sure to legitimize that as well; yesterday, it was announced that he’d signed a contract to play in the newly created Basketball Africa League as part of Rwanda’s Patriots team ahead of the release of his next album, The Off-Season, which is decidedly not the same as The Fall Off.

Cordae Starts His Own Record Label, Hi-Level Productions

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Cordae may only be a few years into his rap career proper, but he’s already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments and is clearly focused on making the right moves. His next step is ownership and advocacy for fellow rising artists, as he has launched his own label, Hi-Level Productions. Although he’s revealed little about the venture — how it affects his current deal with Atlantic or whose music it’ll be releasing first — it’s clear its aim is to function differently than a corporately controlled major, with its Instagram touting it as “a family, way of life, and Record Label, 100% owned by @cordae.”

The announcement comes just weeks after Cordae released the four-song EP, Just Until, his first compilation of new material since his 2019 debut The Lost Boy. The project included features from Q-Tip and Young Thug, and so far, Cordae’s released videos for two tracks, “More Life” and “Dream In Color.” The project was also his first since his name change from YBN Cordae signified a split from the YBN crew. The creation of his own label continues to highlight the level of creative control he wants to maintain over his work — and possibly, an intention to start signing and developing his own artists.

Check out the logo for Hi-Level above and more info here.

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

Nicki Minaj’s Comeback Instagram Made Google Searches For ‘Pink Crocs’ Skyrocket

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The makers of Crocs may want to send Nicki Minaj a gift basket after her most recent Instagram post sent interest in their products skyrocketing per worldwide Google trends. The formerly ridiculed footwear brand has seen its cool quotient increase over the past year as fans post their customized pairs on social media, but Nicki Minaj’s post saw searches for “pink Crocs” shoot up over 100 percent after she posted a nearly nude photo of herself sitting on a desk wearing the comfy foam clogs.

According to MarketWatch, the rise in Crocs’ popularity was likely prompted by both the equivalent rise in comfort styling due to the pandemic and resulting quarantine and the brand’s recent collaborations with pop stars such as Post Malone, who gave free pairs of his collab to students at his old high school and healthcare workers, Bad Bunny, whose collaborative pair glows in the dark, and Justin Bieber, whose Drew House design apparently jump-started the brand’s stock by 11 percent.

It’s safe to say that celebrity endorsements like Nicki’s have brought the brand back from the dead after it nearly declared bankruptcy just a few years ago. Meanwhile, whatever Nicki’s got planned for “F R I D A Y,” you can be sure it’ll stir up its fair share of attention, too.

Drake Will Be Honored With An Artist Of The Decade Award At The Billboard Music Awards

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The 2021 Billboard Music Awards take place later this month and Drake will be among the honorees, receiving an honor few others can boast: an Artist of the Decade Award. The award is bestowed on the best-performing artists based on activity on Billboard‘s biggest charts: the 200 albums chart and Hot 100 songs chart, from December of 2009 to September of 2019.

Drake’s more than qualified by those criteria. Throughout the 2010s, he had the most No. 1s on the Billboard 200 (nine), the most top-ten songs on the Hot 100 (33), six No. 1s on the Hot 100, and the most No. 1s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with 18. He’s also the only solo male artist to spend more than 50 cumulative weeks at No. 1 — a distinction that’s certain to change in the future thanks to long chart-topping runs by artists like Roddy Ricch and Lil Nas X — and has a record 232 entries on the Hot 100 chart.

He also holds records for top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (45), No. 1s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (22), and top 40 hits on the Hot 100 (120). Whether you hate him or love him, Drake’s the most accomplished artist of the past decade and his influence on hip-hop and pop culture is undeniable.

The Billboard Music Awards air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, May 23 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on NBC.

Donald Glover Is Pointing The Finger At ‘Boring’ TV Shows And Films Made By People Who Are Fearful Of Taking Risks

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Donald Glover resurfaced on Twitter early Tuesday morning where he fired off his thoughts on the current state of entertainment after seeing critics complain about reviewing “boring stuff.” While Glover certainly has an inside perspective on the inner workings of Hollywood thanks to his career that spans both network and cable TV, Star Wars, streaming, and more, his comments are less insightful as they are nebulous, particularly when it comes to his remarks on being “cancelled.” Via his Twitter:

“[S]aw people on here havin a discussion about how tired they were of reviewing boring stuff (tv & film)… we’re getting boring stuff and not even experimental mistakes(?) because people are afraid of getting cancelled… so they feel like they can only experiment w/ aesthetic. (also because some of em know theyre not that good)”

Numerous replies to Glover indicate people’s belief that he’s talking about “cancelled” in the “cancel culture” sense. As in no one is making “experimental mistakes” because they’re afraid of upsetting current sensibilities. However, it’s possible that Glover is talking about a fear of being literally cancelled, which has been a major problem in the streaming world, like it’s always been for network TV, so his remarks are cryptic and open to interpretation. Glover wouldn’t be the first creative to complain about the confines of “cancel culture,” so until he offers a clarification, no one can definitively say that he’s merely offering a musing on the constant struggle between art and commerce.

Glover is currently in the middle of an eight-figure deal with Amazon and working on a remake of Mr. + Mrs. Smith with Phoebe Waller-Bridge for the streaming service. So, he might simply be reflecting upon how creative teams fear being cancelled in the traditional sense (i.e. their show doesn’t make it the first or second season) because an audience demands more of the same, or as Glover states, the project is “not that good.”

(Via Donald Glover on Twitter)

Post Malone Asked Jason Statham To Make A Song With Him

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Jason Statham shot Post Malone… in the trailer for the movie Wrath Of Man that was revealed in March. Malone has a small role in the film, and while he was on set, he apparently asked his co-star to collaborate on some music with him. That was an opportunity that Statham, like he did to Malone in the film, shot down.

In a recent USA Today interview, Statham spoke about what it was like to work with Malone, saying, “Post came in with this big enthusiasm for being killed that day. He’s like, ‘I can’t wait for you to kill me, man.’ I got sucked into that enthusiasm and he did a great job. It’s just a shame that it was a short moment together, but I was privileged to pull the trigger in our little scene.”

He was then asked if the two have plans to collaborate musically, and he noted that Malone did ask to make a song with him: “He invited me to come make a record. I quickly relieved him of that bad choice.”

In a recent interview with Bossip, Statham also discussed how Malone came to be involved with the movie, saying, “[Director] Guy [Ritchie] told me that Post called him up and said, ‘If you’re making a movie, I wanna be in it,’ and it was as simple as that. People wanna work with Guy Ritchie for some reason [laughs]… me too. You know, he’s got a good way, people like his films, and that’s how it happened with Post: He gave the call and he couldn’t have been more gracious. He turned up, just was as down to earth as you could be, so we were really lucky. I’m glad I got to shake his hand, you know?”

Audrey Nuna Flows Between Rapping And Crooning On The Brief New Track ‘Blossom’

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If you’re trying to figure out what a new artist will be like live, look no further than Vevo’s live DSCVR videos. These clips not only help support emerging artists who might not have a lot of videos banked yet, but will give fans a great sense of what it might be like to watch the artist perform. That’s exactly what their version of “Blossom” does today for rising artist Audrey Nuna, who is prepping the project A Liquid Breakfast for release in just a few weeks.

The Korean-American artist was already making waves last fall for her style, and followed up the recently-released track “Space” with today’s new song “Blossom.” Even though “Space” only came out a month ago, the slow-burning track has already racked up over a million views. “Blossom” showcases a much different side of the Jersey-based musician, proving that her R&B chops might not be the only thing she’s bringing to the table. In just under two minutes Nuna oscillates between straight-faced, effortless rapping and her beautiful, lilting singing voice, proving that she’s just as versatile as they come.

The track also has personal meaning to Nuna, who shared the following quote about the song: “‘Blossom’ is a song about growing up. My grandma recently told me about her childhood and how she had to flee a war by foot. I’m happy I was able to put her voice in the outro.” Look for her project A Liquid Breakfast out on 5/21, and watch the live performance of “Blossom” above.

Firefly Festival’s 2021 Lineup Includes Billie Eilish, The Killers, Tame Impala, And Lizzo

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Festival season is upon us once more, last year’s barren lineups, canceled shows, and quarantine protocols be damned. Now that vaccination is a real option, festivals have slowly but surely begun announcing their lineups, and Delaware’s Firefly Festival joined the fray today. Their four main headliners are no surprise to those who have been following the artists making waves on 2021 setlist: Billie Eilish, The Killers, Tame Impala and Lizzo will hold down the four top spots. And you know what else is great about that lineup, aside from the fact that all four artists make incredible music? That it’s a 50/50 headliner setup with two bands anchored by men, and two women holding their own, too.

The discussion about how male-dominated festival bookings have been has been going on for years, so it’s nice to see that some events took the time off last year to make sure they come back with a bit of gender equity on the docket. Check out the album poster below, along with a list of every artist booked for the event in alphabetical order. And before you ask, yes, Phoebe Bridgers is going to be there. The event kicks off on Thursday, September 23, 2021 and runs through Sunday, September 26, 2021 at Delaware’s Woodlands.

Firefly Festival

A full list of the artists playing Firefly’s 2021 event:

Almost Monday
Aluna
Anna of the North
Arlo Parks
Atlas Genius
Badflower
Band of Horses
Big Wild
Billie Eilish
Binki
Blackbear
Blossom
Cage The Elephant
Cannons
Caribou
Carolesdaughter
Cassy
Chris Lake
Claud
Clever
Clozee
Deep Sea Diver
Denzel Curry
Des Rocs
Diplo
Dominic Fike
Duckwrth
Duke Dumont
Elohim
Flo Milli
GG Magree and Mija
girl in red
Glass Animals
Gracie Abrams
Grandson
iann dior
Jordy
Judah and the Lion
JXDN
Kenny Mason
Kennyhoopla
Khruangbin
The Killers
Kim Petras
Laundry Day
Lizzo
Lost Frequencies
Lovelytheband
LP Giobbi
Machine Gun Kelly
Madds
Madeon
Marc Rebillet
Maria Isabel
Megan Thee Stallion
Michigander
Middle Kids
Missio
Mt. joy
Nelly
Noga Erez
Oliver Tree
ONR
Orion Sun
Peach Pit
Phoebe Bridgers
Portugal. the Man
Positive Movement Drumline
redveil
Remi Wolf
REZZ
Ritt Momney
Roddy Ricch
Role Model
Royal & The Serpent
Rossy
Rozet
Serena Isioma
Slander
$NOT
Sofi Tukker
St. Panther
Still Woozy
Sub Urban
Surf Mesa
Sylvan Esso
Taking Back Sunday
Tame Impala
Tate McRae
Trevor Daniel
Turnstile
White Reaper
Wiz Khalifa

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Nas X Remembers ‘Crying Like A Crazy Person’ After ‘Holiday’ Wasn’t The Hit He Thought It Would Be

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Lil Nas X has had almost unparalleled success during his short time in the music industry, but that doesn’t mean the young rapper is immune to moments of doubt and disappointment. In a recent cover story with British GQ, Nas remembered a low point after last year’s single “Holiday” didn’t pan out like he thought it would. In fact, he was so upset, Nas told GQ he booked a hotel room just to process his sadness, even breaking down into tears over his feelings.

“I was seeing some nice things,” he told GQ. “But I was seeing a lot of f*cking negativity too. And I was like, ‘Oh sh*t. This is not even in the top 200. Oh god. What the f*ck did I do wrong?”

He even went so far as to tell his manager to cancel an episode of Holiday Plays, a Christmas special starring Miley Cyrus that was scheduled for rehearsals the next day.

“I told my manager, ‘I don’t want to do it,” he continued. “‘Let’s cancel it. Let’s get rid of it. There’s no point. Nobody’s really f*cking with this song.’ I was crying. I was upset with myself. I felt like I’d… failed myself, almost. I was crying like a crazy person. You know one of those times where you cry so hard your f*ckin head hurts? It was like that.”

Little did he know the success of “Montero” was just around the corner, even if more drama was coming there, too, eventually. The life of a pop star/rapper is never fully calm I guess. And even if he was initially a little jealous that Billie Eilish won a Grammy over him, he’s also put that to rest. It’s the growth that’s the best!

Read the full feature here.

Skrillex, Starrah And Four Tet Are Unstoppable On The Glitchy ‘Butterflies’

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If you’re the kind of listener who checks liner notes and obsessively follows songwriters, then it won’t surprise you that massive producers like Skrillex and Four Tet want to work with Starrah on a new track. The songwriter is best known for working with the likes of Travis Scott (though there was a little bit of drama there) and Diplo, along with massive artists like Katy Perry, Drake, The Weeknd, and Rihanna, so it makes sense that returning with his first new music since 2019, Skrillex is spotlighting his collaboration with Starrah.

The new track “Butterflies” is a glitchy track stippled with her vocals, and might signal the beginning of a new era for the super producer. And even as he’s grown to become one of the biggest names in electronic music, the artist born Sonny Moore never forgot his roots, either. Back in 2018 he even went so far as to reunite with his initial emo band, First To Last, releasing a new song with them and proving that even after all the money and the fame, he’s still true to his roots.

Check out the new collaboration above and look for more new music coming from Skrillex soon, this might be the start of a new album cycle. Hey, if festival season is coming back, then maybe Skrillex is, too.