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Shelley Explains The Touching Reason For His Album’s Release Date

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Shelley — FKA DRAM — has a new album dropping in April, his first in over four years. Since then, he’s gone through a musical reinvention, a physical transformation, and a couple of name changes, but the biggest change to his life was the passing of his mother last year. The duo was close; in 2017, they released a holiday EP together, dueting on the Christmas classics “Silver Bells.” According to Shelley, she’s also the reason for his upcoming album’s release date, April 29.

Posting a photo of the pair on Instagram, Shelley explained that he pushed back the release date of his album to his mother’s birthday in honor of a favor she did for him before her death. As he expands in the caption, “Before she passed I played her my upcoming album and I begged her to promise she wouldn’t play it for anyone else. She held her promise and took the music with her beyond this life.”

For Shelley, the new release date is his way of paying her back. “Her birthday is April 29th, so I’m pushing my album Shelley FKA DRAM’s release date to April 29th as not only my gift back to her, but my promise to play it for the world.”

To promote the upcoming album, fittingly titled Shelley FKA DRAM, Shelly has presented the rollout in the form of a mock late-night talk show, which provided a smooth framing device for the videos for singles “Exposure” and “Cooking With Grease.”

Shelley FKA DRAM is due 4/29 on Atlantic Records.

Rod Wave Plays A Toned-Down Rendition Of ‘Tombstone’ On ‘The Tonight Show’

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It’s been a strong week of firsts for Florida rapper Rod Wave. Earlier this week, Billboard confirmed his first No. 1 album, SoulFly, and Wednesday night, he made his late-night debut on The Tonight Show performing the emotive album single “Tombstone.”

The pre-recorded performance appears to take place at a boathouse on the Everglades, which provides a sparkling background as Rod and his band play a stripped-down, moody rendition of the reflective track. With just a piano and a trio of backup singers, Rod wrings every last drop of emotion from the heart-swelling single, wisely letting his voice — the true star of SoulFly — take center stage.

SoulFly — Rod’s third album after Ghetto Gospel and Pray 4 Love — reached No. 1 behind a massive streaming push, which included singles “Street Runner,” “Tombstone,” and the Polo G-featuring “Richer,” which accumulated the bulk of the streams on the album. Another likely factor was his placement on XXL’s 2020 Freshmen cover, exposing him to the wider audience that helped him make the jump from Pray 4 Love‘s No. 4 debut to SoulFly‘s chart-topping first week. One thing’s for sure: Rod Wave is now a bona fide star.

Watch Rod Wave’s “Tombstone” performance for The Tonight Show above.

SoulFly is out now on Alamo Records. Get it here.

Logic Hints At Coming Out Of Retirement On A New Song, ‘Tired In Malibu’

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Last summer, Logic released No Pressure, which ended up being his final album before he announced his retirement from music and his pivot to streaming on Twitch. Now, though, the (former?) rapper suggests that he might make a return to music on a short new song he shared yesterday, “Tired In Malibu.”

The song runs for just a minute, and after some lines about Elon Musk, Animorphs, and wrestling, he concludes, “Retired for a minute, but I guess I’m back, man.”

Back in July, Logic explained why he decided to retire, saying, “I just wanted to retire because I’m over it man. Not even in a negative way, I’m just over it. I love music and I’m gonna continue to make music on my own. I can’t not just make music. It’s a journal for me. It’s how I express myself. It’s how I heal, but with Logic, I’m stepping away. And the thing is, too, I’m not trying to make it this big show like, ‘Oh my God,’ because it’s not that deep. You either believe me or you don’t man. I don’t give a sh*t. I’m over here doing my thing.”

Listen to “Tired In Malibu” above.

Lil Nas X Shakes His Jiggly Butt In The New Video Game ‘Twerk Hero’

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Lil Nas X is diversifying his empire. Aside from music, he recently released a best-selling children’s book, C Is For Country. Now he’s getting into video games, as he has released a new one based on his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video, called Twerk Hero.

In the browser game, the player controls a 3D model of Lil Nas X, facing backwards with his hands on his knees, in full twerk position. The player is instructed to “grab the booty and hit the incoming temptations,” and when players drag Lil Nas X’s rear end around, there are some impressive jiggle physics at play as his butt hits incoming quad-directional indicators, much like Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution.

“Montero” has generated a ton of attention, enough to where it just debuted in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Lil Nas X’s second No. 1 single following “Old Town Road.” He also got parodied on Saturday Night Live, where he was portrayed giving a lap dance to God. His “Satan shoes” also led to some controversy, as Nike took legal action against the maker of the limited edition shoes, to which Lil Nas X has a characteristic reaction.

Play Twerk Hero here.

Benny The Butcher And Rick Hyde Carry ‘Survivor’s Remorse’ On Their Shoulders In The Reflective Video

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Last month, Benny The Butcher dropped his The Plugs I Met 2 EP, which featured production exclusively from Harry Fraud. The nine-track effort presented features from 2 Chainz, Fat Joe, Rick Hyde, French Montana, Jim Jones, and the late Chinx. Aiming to keep it alive for a bit longer, Benny and Hyde join forces for a reflective video for “Survivor’s Remorse.” In the visual, the two rappers take viewers on a trip through their past lives and discuss the close calls they encountered, all of which would have resulted in unfortunate circumstances if things did not go in their favor.

The Plugs I Met 2 is the sequel to Benny’s highlight 2018 project, but the second installation in the series didn’t arrive without some controversy. After hearing Fat Joe’s verse on one of the project’s song, “Talkin’ Back,” a number of fans criticized the rapper for anti-Asian comments. On it, Fat Joe raps, “Track me in and out of court, Harvey Weinstein / Threw that white up in the pot, gave ’em pipe dreams / And watch it spread like the Wuhan virus / Do ’em dirty for the low like Wu-Tang ’Sirus (ODB).” He later responded to the backlash in a tweet, writing, “I’ll adress the Benny verse 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 “Survivor’s Remorse” video above.

The Plugs I Met 2 is out now via Black Soprano Family. Get it here.

Doja Cat And SZA Are Releasing A New Single At The End Of The Week

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Doja Cat‘s sophomore album Hot Pink may have been released 18 months ago yet it still remains extremely popular. But fans are still hungry for more. Though her third album, Planet Her, is still en route, she’s throwing them a bone: Its first
single, “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, will arrive at the end of the week — news she revealed on Twitter in a post also showcasing the single’s artwork.

During an interview with V Magazine last month, SZA spoke about the song during a conversation with Doja, who was also a part of the sit-down. “I know our little ditty ‘Kiss Me More’ is a different strut and I’m just excited,” SZA said. As for Planet Her, Doja confirmed that the project was complete during an interview with Fat Joe. “It’s all ready. I hate that I’m holding onto it right now,” she said. “I see everybody’s like, ‘Put it out’ … You have to plan things accordingly and there’s a lot going on.” She also revealed a possible list of guest features, including The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, SZA, French Montana, Megan Thee Stallion, ASAP Ferg, Saweetie, and Young Thug.

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

Coi Leray Stars In Mooski’s Video For ‘Track Star’ As His On-And-Off Love Interest

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Back in June 2020, Alabama rapper Mooski released what became one of today’s most popular hip-hop songs, “Track Star.” The melodic bass-driven tune finds the rapper speaking about a love interest who can’t seem to keep things exclusive with him, always running away only to return a short time later. Nearly a year after the song’s release, Mooski drops a video for the track that gives images to his words.

The rapper’s on-and-off lover is played by Coi Leray, who has attained viral moments of her own thanks to tracks like “No More Parties.” After meeting at a party, Mooski is quick to pick up on Leray’s habit of running away. So he cozies up to another girl, played by there-time Grammy-winning songwriter Nija Charles.When Leray returns, she sees Mooski and Charles spending time together, which upsets her and causes her to runaway once again.

After the success of “Track Star,” Mooski kicked off 2021 with his latest single, “Game Of Love,” which has also racked up more than 475 million views on TikTok and over 42 million global streams. As for Leray, her track “No More Parties” was certified Gold by the RIAA.

You can watch the video for Mooski’s “Track Star” above.

Drake Was Not Having It When An Instagram User Pulled A Hilarious Prank On Him

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In the longer-than-expected wait for Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album, the rapper has broke Billboard and Spotify records, appeared in a State Farm Super Bowl commercial, endured an unfortunately knee injury that’s delayed the project’s release, and more. Now, he can add being a victim of a social media prank to the list. Instagram user TravQue, who has pranked rappers like DreamDoll and Lil Mosey, caught up with Drake at a bar. With camera in hand, he made a large order — 2000 cases of Virigina Black whiskey, 400 cases of Bumbu rum, and three cases of tequila — then requested it all be put on the rapper’s tab. Drake was not having it.

Drake is far from the first person to be pranked as a part of TravQue’s “Put It On His Tab” series. Just last month, he attempted to place 10 bottles of Moet, 10 bottles of Casamigos, and 5 bottles of Hennessy on rapper Cam’ron’s tab. Dave East has also fallen victim to TravQue’s antics.

The wait continues for Drake’s upcoming Certified Lover Boy album, but in the meantime, fans can continue to enjoy his EP Scary Hours 2. Just a week after its release, the three songs from the project all debuted within the top three positions of the Billboard singles chart, making him the first artist to ever achieve this.

You can check out the prank in the video above.

Belly Begins His Comeback Season With ‘IYKYK’ And ‘Money On The Table’ Featuring Benny The Butcher

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The last few years were quiet ones for New York rapper Belly after he released his Roc Nation debut Immigrant (renamed from Midnight Zone) in 2018. However, while he wasn’t releasing music for the last two years, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t working on it. Today, he made his long-awaited return to the spotlight with two new singles, “Money on the Table” featuring Benny The Butcher and “IYKYK.” Both singles support the upcoming release of Belly’s third studio album See You Next Wednesday.

While the former track finds both Belly and Benny in their typical boastful modes, “IYKYK” is a more vulnerable and introspective song, on which Belly admits to feeling “neurotic” and addresses the pressures of life. The tone’s consistent with his recent social media messaging, with which he shares his struggles with his health, both mental and physical. A press release for the new singles promises that his upcoming album, named in honor of filmmaker John Landis, will contain similar content, while the singles themselves show Belly hasn’t lost a step and remains as lyrically sharp as ever.

That pen game served him well in 2020; he helped co-write his XO Records label boss The Weeknd’s hit single “Blinding Lights,” which spent 56 weeks on the Billboard Top 10 songs chart. Stay tuned for him to complete his comeback with See You Next Wednesday, due later this year on XO/Republic.

Listen to “Money On The Table” and “IYKYK” above.

Lil Tjay And Toosii Contemplate Heartbreak In The Grisly ‘Love Hurts’ Video

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In the melancholy video for Lil Tjay’s new single, “Love Hurts,” Tjay and guest rapper Toosii contemplate heartbreak and discover a grisly scene in a mansion when an enemy’s assassination attempt goes awry and catches a bystander in the crossfire.

“Love Hurts” is the latest standout from Lil Tjay’s second major-label album, Destined 2 Win, released last Friday along with the video for its fourth single, “Run It Up” featuring Moneybagg Yo and Offset. Before that, Tjay drummed up anticipation for the project with the 6lack-featuring “Calling My Phone,” the drill-inspired “Headshot” featuring Fivio Foreign and Polo G, and “Born 2 Be Great,” released just a week before the album’s due date. Over the weekend, Tjay also shared the video for “Oh Well,” ensuring even more attention for the 21-track project. The album also features the previously released “None Of Your Love” as a bonus track.

Tjay’s latest album arrives after a year that saw his profile at its highest point thanks to his inclusion on the 2020 XXL Freshman cover and the release of his timely mixtape, State Of Emergency, building on the warm reception of his 2019 debut album, True 2 Myself.

Watch Lil Tjay’s “Love Hurts” video featuring Toosii above.

Destined 2 Win is out now via Columbia. Get it here.