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

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

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’

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.

Lil Pump Posts A Threatening Video After Broke His Car Windows

Florida rapper Lil Pump was understandably upset when he discovered that someone busted the windows of his luxury car over the weekend, posting a video in which he threatens the as-yet-unknown culprits with violent repercussions. Panning his phone’s camera over the damage, Pump promised, “Whoever did this, I’ma catch you and I’ma blow your brains out… Step foot in my yard again. I want you to step foot in my yard. I’ma be up for three days straight… That’s a free body for me.”

Pump seems to have gotten himself into a number of disagreements over the past year, including with JetBlue Airlines after refusing to wear a mask during a December flight and with Eminem fans after lashing out at the elder rapper over Eminem’s derogatingly name-checking him in songs.

Of course, Pump also seemingly invited the disapproval of a great many outspoken hip-hop fans when he decided to endorse Donald Trump’s re-election run — despite not being registered to vote himself — even going so far as releasing the baffling single, “Lil Pimp Big MAGA Steppin.”

After doing so much to alienate so many people, it’s not hard to believe that the destruction was meant to antagonize Pump, but it’s equally likely he’s merely seeing the rift between rabblerousing youth and adults from the other side.,

A New Book Will Examine Tupac’s Life And Legacy, As Told By People Who Knew Him

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, one of social media’s most prevalent tropes was people encouraging each other to use the quarantine to finish their respective projects such as books, albums, or other heavy works. As it happens, it appears plenty of authors did just that; not only are there two books about Mac Miller coming out in the next year or so, but there are also books coming from Questlove, Dave Grohl, and more. Today, Simon and Schuster made another book available for pre-order: Changes: An Oral History of Tupac Shakur by New Yorker writer Sheldon Pearce.

According to the promotional copy on the publisher’s website, Pearce interviewed “dozens” of people who knew Tupac in life, from the bold-faced marquee names to lesser-known individuals who interacted with the revolutionary rap icon. Pearce spoke to such individuals as Tupac’s high school drama teacher, one of his co-stars from a 1983 production of Raisin In The Sun, and one of his partners in a nonprofit devoted to nurturing young artists.

Changes is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of ‘Pac’s death in 1996, and well as what would have been his 50th year of life. It’s due June 8, 2021 via Simon & Schuster and you can pre-order it here.

J. Cole Explains It All In His ‘Applying Pressure: The Off-Season’ Documentary

In his revealing Applying Pressure: The Off-Season documentary, J. Cole breaks down the rationale behind his new album’s title, details its creation, and pursuing his basketball dreams.

From the opening scenes, in which Cole converses with 21 Savage, recalling the moment he decided to take rap seriously, the documentary provides insights into Cole’s work philosophy, such as his belief that “comfort is the enemy,” and his reactions to becoming a father.

The documentary precedes Cole’s upcoming album The Off-Season, which is due to drop this Friday after Cole took 2020 off to try to make a pro basketball roster. This week, he’ll also accomplish that dream; earlier today, famed reporter Shams Charania revealed that Cole had signed a contract for three to six games with the Rwanda Patriots of the Basketball Africa League, the joint venture between the NBA and FIBA to create a premiere international league on the continent.

While Applying Pressure also features some of Cole’s basketball ambitions, the primary focus is on his new creative process. He talks about having writer’s block, comparing rapping to playing basketball, and putting in the work on being the best player he can be.

Watch Applying Pressure: The Off-Season above.

The Off-Season is due 5/14 via Dreamville/Interscope.

A Timeline Of Conservatives’ Many Meltdowns Over Cardi B

Cardi B is an example of the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” facet of the American dream that many conservatives preach. Through hard work and dedication, Cardi went from side-hustling as a stripper to becoming one of the biggest celebrities of our time. But despite her self-made status, her sexually-liberated persona is apparently enough to piss people off.

From Fox News hosts to right-wing commentators, conservatives love attempting to use Cardi to push their agenda and so-called culture war, and responding to their critics has recently become the rapper’s part-time job. Regardless of countless attempts to disparage her, Cardi never lets her name be slandered without putting up a fight.

Though it was released nearly a year ago, Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” continues to dominate conservative conversations about morality, femininity, and for some reason, Dr. Seuss. But Cardi’s lasting debate with right-wingers started well before the release of her infamously raunchy video. Here’s a timeline of conservatives’ many feuds with the rapper.

January 24, 2018 — Ben Shapiro drags “Bodak Yellow”

One of the first of many incidents of Cardi becoming the source of conservative media attention happened in early 2018 after her diamond-certified track “Bodak Yellow” took off. The song was actually released the year prior, but because many women used the song’s lyrics in protest posters at the Women’s March, the track was finally put on Ben Shapiro’s radar. He analyzed the lyrics line-by-line in a cringe-worthy video and attempted to use her own lyrics against her.

January 20, 2019 — Tomi Lahren sparks a Twitter fight with Cardi

Fox News contributor and conservative political pot-stirrer Tomi Lahren decided to spark a Twitter debate with Cardi after the rapper made anti-Trump comments. Tagging Cardi in a tweet, Lahren sarcastically quipped that the rapper was the latest “genius political mind” to endorse the Democrats, but Cardi didn’t let the slight go unanswered. Cardi responded by telling Lahren she was “blinded by racism,” and that Trump’s actions were actually “destroying” the country she claims to love.

January 22, 2019 — Cardi B defends City Girls amid conservative backlash

Cardi isn’t the only female rapper to face criticism over a raunchy video. When City Girls released their viral “Twerk” video, it was instantly criticized by pearl-clutchers who couldn’t stand the fact that some women feel empowered by showing off their bodies. After a conservative questioned what the song does to “empower” women, Cardi chimed in and came to City Girls’ defense.

June 18, 2020 — Conservatives pull Cardi into a conversation about Aunt Jemima

When the Aunt Jemima brand was discontinued to to it’s proliferation of problematic racial archetypes, Cardi was somehow pulled into the conversation. One critic posed the question, “Aunt Jemima is degrading to Black women but Cardi B isn’t?” In response, Cardi stood up for herself while also speaking truth to the controversy in a since-deleted tweet. “Why you conservative Republicans always use my name to get viral tweets?” she wrote. “‘Cause how me & Aunt Jemima correlate? Aunt Jemima is degrading because it’s a symbol that implies black women are only good to be massa servant or cookin’ nanny — THATS WHY!”

Twitter via Slack

July 31, 2019 — Candace Owens challenges Cardi to a debate

Conservative contributor Candace Owens has recently become one of the most vocal critics of Cardi. After the rapper showed her public support of Bernie Sanders, Owens offered her $250,000 to join her in a political debate. But Cardi had the perfect response. “Why don’t you use that 250k for a charity that will be more helpful,” she asked.

August 7, 2020 — Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion release the “WAP” video

After Cardi and Megan dropped their internet-breaking “WAP” visual, several conservative politicians thought it best to offer their less-than-nuanced takes about the video. One conservative congressional candidate from California, who said he “accidentally” heard the song, tweeted that Cardi and Megan are “what happens when children are raised without God and without a strong father figure.” He also noted that it wanted to make him “pour holy water” on his ears.

August 10, 2020 — Ben Shapiro reads the “WAP” lyrics

In the days following release of the “WAP” video, Ben Shapiro decided it was best to, like with her song “Bodak Yellow,” unpack “WAP” line-by-line. He read each lyric, infamously referring to p*ssy as “the p-word,” and calling the song “really really really vulgar.”

August 18, 2020 — “WAP” was used to promote a Republican boat party

After days of hearing right-wing criticisms of “WAP,” Cardi decided to do some trolling of her own. She stumbled across a video of a bunch of teenagers attending a Trump-supporting boat party which co-opted her track “WAP.” But Cardi expressed her disapproval after catching wind of the video. “I’m callin the fbi on this festivity,” she wrote. “They are not quarantining”

August 19, 2020 — Tucker Carlson loses it over “WAP”

Since nearly every other conservative thinker was offended by Cardi’s “WAP” video, Tucker Carlson didn’t want to be left out. Carlson absolutely lost it in a segment on his show he dedicated to the track, where he moaned about the salacious lyrics and tried to argue that it’s hurting children. “Ask yourself, above all, and ask it more than once — What is this doing to our kids?” he said. “The people pushing it are clearly trying to hurt your children. Why is nobody pushing back?”

September 7, 2020 — Candace Owens calls Cardi “illiterate”

When Cardi was able to score an interview with the then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, conservatives weren’t happy. Candace Owens, in particular, used the interview to promote her own political views. She along with calling Cardi “illiterate,” Owens said “her music and platform contributes to the disintegration of black culture and values.” But Cardi continued to assert that her no. 1 single actually proves she’s able to use her massive following to encourage young people to vote.

December 2, 2020 — Cardi takes credit for Candice Owens’ popularity

Candace Owens’ many tiffs with Cardi led the rapper to conclude that their feuds only give Owens more of a following. Explaining why she decided to join OnlyFans, Cardi said: “There are certain things that I want to get more personal on, and I don’t want to get on Instagram Live and talk about it because blogs are gonna chop it up. There’s certain people I want to curse out, but I don’t want to give them clout. For example, when me and Candace Owens got into an argument, I gave that b*tch 2 million followers.”

Jan 4, 2021 — Cardi defends shielding Kulture’s ears from “WAP”

While on an Instagram Live, Cardi was blasting her track “WAP” until she noticed that her young daughter Kulture had snuck into the room. Cardi frantically turned the song off due to its explicit nature, which apparently rubbed people the wrong way. One person asked, “So ya daughter cant listen to it but everybody else’s daughter can?” Cardi quipped back that she makes music for adults — not kids. “Parents are responsible on what their children listen too or see,” she wrote. “I’m a very sexual person but not around my child just like every other parent should be.”

March 16, 2021 — Tucker Carlson names Cardi B’s Grammys performance an attack on “American values”

If the “WAP” visual didn’t give conservatives enough to complain about, Cardi and Megan gave an equally-raunchy 2021 Grammys performance of the song. To discuss the issue, Carlson tapped infamous Cardi hater Candace Owens to break down the set. During their segment, Carlson calls the performance “sinister” and expresses his concern for children — all while repeatedly airing clips of the performance. “This is starting to me to seem like it’s not even left or right, it’s not a political issue,” he said. “This seems like an attack on American values, American traditions, and you’re actually actively trying to make children aspire to things that are grotesque.”

March 15, 2021 — Cardi was brought into a conversation about the Dr. Seuss book ban

Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided to pull six books from publishing this year due to racist imagery. Though the decision had nothing to do with rap music, Cardi was pulled into the conversation by a conservative who somehow thought that kids are being taught “WAP” in schools. Just like the Aunt Jemima controversy the year prior, Cardi was made to defend herself while also educating people on why the books were offensive in the first place. “I get it wap might be a lil vulgar but stop comparing a sensual song to books that has RACIST content,” she wrote back.

April 22, 2021 — A conservative legislator brought up Cardi on the floor of the House of Representatives

Another day, another conservative partially blaming Cardi for “the moral decline of America.” Using the rapper’s Grammys performance as an example, Wisconsin Representative Glenn Grothman complained about the FCC’s regulations. “I received complaints in my office, and rightfully so, about Cardi B and the Grammys,” he said on the floor of the House of Representatives. “They wonder why we are paying the FCC if they feel that this should be in living rooms across the nation.”

Cardi, of course, put things into perspective: “I think we all been on the edge this week since we seen police brutality back to back including watching one of the biggest case in history go down DUE to police brutality but wait ! This is wat state representative decide to talk about.”

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

Lil Nas X Admits He Thought Billie Eilish Winning A Grammy Over Him Wasn’t ‘Fair’

At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Lil Nas X was nominated for six awards and he ended up winning a couple, taking home the prizes for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video (both for “Old Town Road”). Of the four losses, the one that hurt him the most was Record Of The Year, which went to “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish (who notably won all four major Grammys that year) instead of his own “Old Town Road.” In a new cover story for British GQ Style, the rapper admits that initially, he was jealous of Eilish for her win and thought it wasn’t “fair” that his record-breaking single didn’t get the award.

He said that as Eilish accepted the award, he thought, “Damn, but how? I have the biggest song. That isn’t fair.” Months later while in lockdown, though, he reflected on that evening and found a different point of view. He said, “I put all that energy I was feeling onto her. It became jealousy that wasn’t warranted. You have the longest-running number one song, why the f*ck are you jealous about this award? We are already so blessed. Even if you don’t have these things, you’re here. You’re still alive. You exist. You shouldn’t have any reason to be jealous.”

Read the full feature here.

DMX’s Label Announces His Posthumous Album, ‘Exodus,’ With Swizz Beatz

Almost one month to the day after the death of DMX, Def Jam Recordings has announced the release date for DMX’s posthumous album, Exodus: May 28. The album will be produced by X’s longtime collaborator Swizz Beatz and will be his first original release since 2012’s Undisputed. It’s named for DMX’s son Exodus Simmons, while another longtime X collaborator, Jonathan Mannion, will contribute the cover photo. Further details have yet to be announced.

In a statement, Swizz Beatz praised his partner-in-rhyme, saying, “My brother X was one of the most pure and rare souls I’ve ever met. He lived his life dedicated to his family and music. Most of all, he was generous with his giving and loved his fans beyond measure. This album, X couldn’t wait for his fans all around the world to hear and show just how much he valued each and every single person that has supported him unconditionally.”

At the time of his death, DMX had been working on the new album for around two years since being released from prison on tax evasion charges. In various interviews, he teased potential collaborators such as Pop Smoke and the Buffalo-based Griselda Records. It remains to be seen if these songs will be cleared for the final tracklist.

Exodus is due 5/28 via Def Jam.

Nicki Minaj Teases Her Return This Week With A Racy Instagram Post

Nicki Minaj hasn’t released a new project since 2018’s Queen, semi-retiring to focus on starting a family with her husband Kenneth. After giving birth to her son and clearing her Instagram followers, it appears she might finally be ready to take the first steps back into the spotlight — and her latest Instagram post will likely accelerate that sense among fans.

In Nicki’s new post, she poses on a plush pink desk, apparently nude or semi-nude, clutching fuzzy pink heart pillows to her body to keep the Instagram moderators at bay. The caption simply reads, “Friday,” with a fingers-crossed emoji, suggesting that she’s coming out with… something… later this week.

She wouldn’t be the only rap superstar to make her return after taking the last few years off. Isaiah Rashad recently returned with a new single featuring Duke Deuce after a week of teasing by his label, revealing that he’d been battling addiction in the meantime, and J. Cole took some time out of pursuing his hoop dream to drop the interlude from his new album The Off-Season, which also drops this Friday.

And while Nicki has plenty of other side projects going, the timing would be right for her to make a return, as fans eagerly await a release date from her Young Money labelmate Drake, a potential collaboration with Saweetie, and Nicki’s erstwhile rival Cardi B’s next album — which could also feature a reunion between the former foes.

Stay tuned.