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XXXTentacion’s Estate Plans To Turn His Unreleased Songs Into NFTs

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Late Miami rapper XXXTentacion‘s estate is joining hip-hop’s crypto craze, announcing plans to turn his unreleased tracks into a series of NFTs, according to Rolling Stone. The estate will also release previously unseen tour footage in the format.

XXXTentacion’s estate and his manager Solomon “Sounds” Sobande tapped YellowHeart to create the tokens and artist Stephen Bliss to create unique art to accompany them. YellowHeart previously worked with Kings Of Leon on the band’s own NFTs earlier this year, while Bliss is best known as the artist for the popular video game series Grand Theft Auto, which was XXXTentacion’s favorite game.

Although YellowHeart did not share many details of the drop with Rolling Stone, the company did note that the collection will be launched with the company’s in-house online marketplace on May 10 at 12 pm ET, continuing through May 15 at 12 pm ET. YellowHeart did reveal that there will be five songs in the collection that were “all big on SoundCloud,” but that the estate was never able to monetize, according to Sobande. “Some of these songs aren’t even on his SoundCloud page anymore,” he said. “There are just the remnants of them being reposted. These were the songs that built his career and led up to the explosion he had.” The release will make the late rapper the first to have posthumously released music via NFT.

YellowHeart is also donating its portion of the proceeds to the XXXFoundation started in the late rapper’s honor, as well as to organizations helping women with domestic abuse, something XXXTentacion also did (before he passed, XXXTentacion was facing trial for his own brutal abuse of his former girlfriend).

Quavo And Saweetie Reportedly Won’t Face Charges Over Their Elevator Fight

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In late March, security camera footage of an altercation in an elevator between Quavo and Saweetie surfaced, which prompted an LAPD investigation. Now, it is being reported that neither rapper will face criminal charges: TMZ reports that the case was referred to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, which declined to file charges, and that based on the surveillance video, there was “no likelihood of a conviction for either party.”

Both rappers previously spoke out about the incident, sharing statements with TMZ on the same day. Saweetie told the publication, “This unfortunate incident happened a year ago, while we have reconciled since then and moved past this particular disagreement, there were simply too many other hurdles to overcome in our relationship and we have both since moved on.” Hours later, Quavo offered his own statement, saying, “We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall.”

Meanwhile, Saweetie has been focusing on her career. Specifically, she’s looking for self-improvement, as she told Apple Music that she is attending an artist development boot camp. She said, “For me, I’m gonna focus on what I struggle with. I struggle with breathing control, I’m gonna work on my dance moves, my details, all that good stuff, my body, my stamina, everything.”

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

Lyrical Lemonade’s 2021 Summer Smash Is Headlined By ASAP Rocky, Lil Baby, And Lil Uzi Vert

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Following a year that left us indoors, masked up, and praying for the day that our freedom came back, the second half of 2021 is shaping up to be a return of the normalcy we once knew. Festivals are making their way back to the scene as a string of popular showcases, including Rolling Loud and Governor’s Ball, recently announced their 2021 dates. Now, joining that list is Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash festival who just announced the lineup for their upcoming show.

This year’s Summer Smash festival will be a three-day showcase that takes place on the weekend of August 20-22, 2021. The first day is headlined by ASAP Rocky while the second is led by Lil Baby, and for the third and final day, Lil Uzi Vert will take the stage as the headliner to end the weekend. Additional appearances from Lil Yachty, Mulatto, Swae Lee, Femdot, Kaash Paige, Yung Baby Tate, Baby Keem, City Girls, Coi Leray, Earl Sweatshirt, Gunna, Ski Mask The Slump God, Blueface, MadeInTYO, 24kGoldn, Benny The Butcher, The Kid Laroi, NLE Choppa, Pooh Shiesty, Jasiah, and many more can be expected at this year’s Summer Smash.

The festival also joins a growing list of showcases ASAP Rocky will headline later this year, including the aforementioned Rolling Loud and Governor’s Ball. This seemingly signals that the rapper’s long-awaited fourth album is much closer to arriving than some may expect.

You can check out the full lineup in the flyer above.

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

Meek Mill Shared The First Picture Of His Youngest Son, Czar

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Tomorrow Meek Mill celebrates his 34th birthday. While that alone makes it a special day for the Philly rapper, there’s another reason it’s important: May 6 is also the birthday of his youngest child, Czar. Ahead of his son’s big day, Meek shared the first image of his boy in a post to his Instagram page. “Happy bday Czar,” he wrote under the photo of Czar, who can be seen rocking some nice jewelry and a bucket hat. “Love you. Tomar your first big day!!!! [diamond emojis] can’t wait to see you …”

Following Czar’s birth last year, Meek celebrated the addition to his family on Twitter. “Milano dropped me off a king on my birthday! #thebestgift” he wrote in a tweet. Months later, unfortunately, the rapper revealed that he and then-girlfriend Milan Harris were no longer a couple. “Me and Milano decided to remain friends and build our child as separate parents,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “We still have mad love for each other but we both came to a understanding.”

Meek also recently joined the Dogecoin wave with a $50,000 investment and he dropped a remix to Drake and Rick Ross’ “Lemon Pepper Freestyle.”

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

Trey Songz Sued After He Allegedly Punched A Bartender At A Hollywood Concert

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While Back Home, his most recent full-length album, was a big deal for Trey Songz last year, the rest of his 2020 was filled with controversies. Unfortunately the same goes this year. According to TMZ, the singer was sued by a bartender he allegedly punched during a Hollywood concert. The incident occurred at the Hollywood Palladium back on May 9, 2019, during a show for another artist — reportedly Cardi B — that he was in the audience for. In the lawsuit, the bartender is seeking unspecified damages, citing physical and psychological injury.

The bartender’s lawyer says that during the concert Trey jumped on the bar in order to sit on it. Trey was then asked to get off the bar, but he allegedly ignored the request. Then the bartender reached out to him in order to once again get his attention, but Trey turned around and punched him in the head, looked at the other bartenders at the bar, and went back to watching the concert.

Last week, it was reported that Trey would not face charges for fighting a police officer at an NFL game earlier this year. In that incident, he punched the officer in the head and placed him in a headlock during the AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.

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

G Herbo Reportedly Faces New Charges For Lying To A Federal Agent In His Fraud Case

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After being charged with identity fraud late last year, G Herbo has been hit with new charges related to that case. According to The Shade Room, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts filed additional charges against the rapper, born Herbert Wright III, for allegedly lying to a federal agent about his connection to one of the co-defendants in the case. Wright reportedly denied having a direct relationship with Antonio Strong, his friend and business associate. The FBI believes Wright and Strong have known each other since 2016 and maintained frequent contact since.

“Herbert Wright III, a/k/a ‘Herb,’ ‘Lil Herb,’ ‘G Herbo,’ and ‘Herbert Light,’ knowingly and willfully made the following materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements and representations in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the Government of the United States,” read federal documents The Shade Room obtained. “That is, during a voluntary interview with a special agent of the United States Secret Service and a special agent of the (FBI).”

Federal prosecutors also believe Wright gave Strong money and received “private jet charters, luxury accommodations, and exotic car rentals” in return. As a result, a motion to connect the new charges to the original fraud case was filed, which, according to Complex, he approved through a signed document. Herbo will return to court for the identity theft charges in August.

Benny The Butcher And The Late Chinx Are Winning ‘Overall’ In Their Animated New Video

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Just five months after he dropped his last full-length effort, Burden Of Proof, Benny The Butcher returned to the music scene in February with a new EP, The Plugs I Met 2. Now there’s a new video for the latter’s track “Overall,” which features the late Chinx. This month marks six years since Chinx, born Lionel Du Fon Pickens, died from a gunshot wound. In order to incorporate the late rapper into the video, Benny opted for an animated effort.

The “Overall” video is the fourth that Benny’s released since he dropped The Plugs I Met 2. He first teamed up with 2 Chainz for their video for “Plug Talk,” which saw the two artists attending a “Hustler’s Anonymous” meeting. Next came one for “Survivor’s Remorse,” with Rick Hyde, and another for “When Tony Met Sosa.”

While The Plugs I Met 2 was a solid follow-up to its predecessor, it didn’t come without controversy. Fat Joe, who appeared on the track “Talkin’ Back,” faced criticism for anti-Asian remarks he made on the song. A short time later, he responded to the backlash in a tweet writing, “I did that verse a year ago when the news was calling it the wuhan virus before they called it COVID i support and love all my asian brothers and sisters never hate.”

You can watch the video for “Overall” above.

The Plugs I Met 2 is not via Black Soprano Family. Get it here.

Kenny Mason Stands Tall In The Spotlight In His Video For ‘4ever’

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Kenny Mason is one of today’s most versatile young rappers. The Atlanta native’s ability to shine over traditional hip-hop production, as well as create sounds that lean into the rock genre, make him a standout on today’s scene. He’s seeking a long-lasting legacy as an artist, which is something he discusses on “4ever,” a track from his recently released project Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut. Now there’s a new video for the song, which finds him standing under a spotlight while passionately sharing his hopes for the future with lines like, “I used to say if I’m the greatest for 10, I’m at peace / I think I want this sh*t forever right now.”

Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut is an extended edition of Mason’s debut album, Angelic Hoodrat, which he released back in April 2020. Unlike the standard edition, the reissue included a few guest names to stand beside him on the 12-track effort, including Denzel Curry, Freddie Gibbs, Angel White, and Ambar Lucid.

In a recent interview with Uproxx, Mason shared exactly what he hopes his legacy as an artist will be. “I want to connect to as many people as possible with my art and the true intention of my art and make things that last here beyond me,” he said. “When I’m gone, the things that I created are still inspiring people way after. I would like to make some stuff that in 1000 years, kids are still interested in.”

You can watch the “4ever” video above.

Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut is out now via RCA Records. Get it here.

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

DMX Reminisces About The Early Days Of His Career In His Final Interview

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Before his passing, DMX seemed happy to make time for interviews with various outlets, as it usually gave him an outlet to speak on the issues that weighed on his mind or reminisce about the good old days coming up in New York City (or Yonkers, as the case may be). It also provided plenty of meme-able moments and hilarious quotes, such as the time he shared his opinion on Drake, or that time he was flummoxed to learn a Black man named “Barack” was running for president, or that time he wound up singing “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” delighting fans on the internet for the next half-decade to come.

And although he’s gone now, we’ve still got at least one last interview to look forward to, as TV One managed to get ahold of him in the midst of his comeback campaign for DMX Uncensored, a docu-series filmed just three weeks before his untimely demise that looks at his rise, fall, and bid for redemption in his own words. While the interview itself is scheduled to air May 16 at 8 pm ET on TVOne, a quick teaser was shared on the network’s Twitter account to promote the event.

Meanwhile, you can check out DMX’s People’s Party interview with Talib Kweli right here on Uproxx.

Travis Scott’s Comeback Astroworld Festival Tickets Reportedly Sold Out In An Hour

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Travis Scott‘s Astroworld Festival is making its return this year after being postponed due to COVID safety precautions and the year off did nothing to dull fans’ fervor. According to a press release from Live Nation, the festival’s organizers, tickets to this year’s fest sold out less than an hour after they became available at 10 am CT this afternoon. Even more impressively, neither Scott nor Live Nation has announced a lineup, although the previous fests have included guests like DaBaby, Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, and Post Malone.

While this year’s lineup will be announced closer to the event dates (November 5-6 at NRG Park in Houston, Texas), one performer is a given: Travis Scott himself. Whether his new album, speculatively titled Utopia, will be out by then is anyone’s guess, but considering how antsy some of Travis’ fellow stars have been to release their delayed 2020 offerings, it’s a safe bet he’ll at least be previewing songs from it, even with a potential setlist full of surefire hits like “Sicko Mode,” “Goosebumps,” and “Franchise.”

As in prior years, Travis’s festival will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Cactus Jack Foundation, which looks to enrich the lives of young people by providing access to education and creative resources. You can learn more about the nonprofit here. Meanwhile, you can stay tuned to Astroworld Festival updates at the official site.