Megan Thee Stallion is riding another high moment in her career. She is days removed from the release of her second album Traumazine, which delivered 18 songs and features from Future, Dua Lipa, Pooh Shiesty, Key Glock, Jhene Aiko, Lucky Daye, Sauce Walka, Big Pokey, and Lil Keke. She also released a video for “Her” which came after she performed a pair of the album’s songs in a performance at Central Park in New York. Traumazine, which has received plenty of love from fans, arrived after Megan debuted a new songand appeared on a recent episode of P-Valley. Thanks to a recent interview Megan had on Apple Music, we now know that she could’ve had a bigger role on the show.
“First of all, I love P-Valley,” Megan said during the conversation with Apple Music’s Ebro and Nadeska. “And when I was, I feel like I had to be like 23, 24. I read for Mercedes (played by Brandee Evans). Yeah, they had asked me to read for the part. So I was like, ‘Okay, cool.’” Megan continued, “I know I ain’t get the part because my girl Brandee tearing it up. I’m like, ‘Oh, sh*t,” I feel like I look like a little kid in my tape, in my little audition tape.” She then went on to share how it felt to watch Evans execute the role of Mercedes throughout P-Valley before she made her own appearance in the show.
“So getting to look at the show and remember those lines and see everything, how it played out. I was proud,” Megan said. “I was like, ‘this sh*t is hard,’ even without me in it. This is it.” She continued, “To have a full circle moment and get to come back to the show and now I’m established and I’m making a stay. Because I think ‘Big Ole Freak’ had just came out when I read for Mercedes. I wasn’t even this yet. And you know, my girl Katori, she seen it in me. She was like, ‘No, that girl, we like her. She going to be something.’ I feel like she just seen it early, but for her to come back and be like, ‘Okay, Meg, what we going to do? Bring Tina Snow to the…’ and I was like, ‘good.’”
You can watch Megan’s full interview with Apple Music in the video above.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
A 9-year-old boy named Kendrick attended his first ever concert in Detroit on Sunday night. Naturally, he went to see his idol Kendrick Lamar play at the Little Caesar’s Arena. And Lamar, who has been creating lasting moments already on The Big Steppers Tour, made this an unforgettable first concert experience for the younger Kendrick and for everybody else who was in and around the concert in Detroit.
While performing “Count Me Out,” Lamar noticed his 9-year-old namesake, who had written on a poster-board sign, “My name is Kendrick. This is my first concert. Can we take a pic.” Lamar looked over at the boy holding up the sign and flashed a huge smile while rapping the song like there was an immediate connection between the pair. Then, he broke his stride to address young Kendrick.
“It’s your first concert? You will forever be great,” he said as the crowd roared amidst all the feels. “You’re great right now – you can do whatever you put your mind to, you know? You understand that? I remember when I was your age as well, dreaming. Lil Kendrick, do what you wanna do in life.”
But that was just the first part of the magical evening for 9-year-old Kendrick. He met his idol after the show, who scribed a note to him on the back side of the poster board. It read: “Young Kendrick, thank you for coming. I’m glad we got to exchange energy. You are special. Continue to manifest the great energy you possess!!! See you next time!!! Luv!!!”
This experience equates to catching a foul ball in your first baseball game. Except instead of a foul ball, the team asked you to play outfield and you caught the last fly ball off a no-hitter. Bravo Lil Kendrick.
Megan Thee Stallion is unapologetic in her approach to music and certainly isn’t shy when it comes to her lyrics. But her new album, Traumazine, finds her exploring some new emotional territory, addressing frayed relationships, broken trust, and grief over the deaths of her parents.
In a new interview with Ebro Darden and Nadeska Alexis of Apple Music, Megan explained how the album allowed her to write about new subjects she never did before.
“Usually when I write songs… I could be sad and I’ll write a song like ‘Body,’” she elaborated. “Or I could be pissed off and I’ll write a song like ‘Freak Nasty.’ I don’t write songs about how I feel, I write songs about how I want to feel. So I feel like, on this album, it’s probably the first time I figured out how to talk about what I want to say… express myself a little bit more. So that’s just how I’ve been living life. And I feel like it’s been so easy for people to tell my story for me, speak on my behalf because I’m a nonchalant person, I feel like. And people be talking about me and I be like, okay. But like I see now that it can get out of control so I feel like I wanted to just take control of my narrative, take control of my own story. Tell it my way, tell it from me.”
You can watch Megan’s interview with Apple Music above.
Traumazine is out now on 1501 Certified Entertainment/300 Entertainment.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
When I arrived at Outside Lands festival in San Francisco last weekend, I was skeptical of whether Post Malone would work as a Sunday night headliner on the main stage. This is the same stage that acts like Stevie Wonder, Metallica, and Arcade Fire have closed down before and now this guy was gonna follow suit?
I’ll admit, I haven’t been the biggest fan of Post Malone over the years. He always struck me as an artist who benefited from being white (he did), sliding from hip-hop to rock to country and back seemingly on a whim. But now, as he has become one of the biggest pop and hip-hop stars in the world, the challenge is to present himself with authenticity.
It’s hard to be at a concert these days and not wonder what the “new normal” is that we’re living in. With COVID rates still all over the map, what are we risking by being at a concert, let alone a festival with tens of thousands of people around you for a headlining set? I’ve found that you really need to surrender to the circumstances to be able to approach the connection we used to feel with artists before March of 2020. Surrender to the music, surrender to what might be in the air, and just let go. It’s a slippery proposition, but we need live music right now more than ever. And there’s not a more powerful concert moment lately than when an artist helps get you over that hump of anxious energy so you can be in the moment.
As Post Malone walked out onto the stage, with a red cup in hand, one of the first things he said to the crowd was, “I’m here to play some sh*tty music and get f*cked up!” The crowd of tens of thousands roared. I sorta rolled my eyes and wondered if this was just a shtick. But what I soon came to realize about him, is that he was absolutely wrapped up in the moment the entire time.
You see, the thing that’s the most fascinating about Post Malone on stage, is that he’s up there by himself in front of a wall of lights and the occasional pyrotechnics that erupt around him. There’s no DJ, there’s no hype man, no band, etc… So it really raises the stakes because the attention is always focused entirely on him.
He stood there in white Chuck Taylors, a T-shirt with Cameron Tucker’s face from Modern Family emblazoned on it, and cut-off jean shorts that showed off all of his lower body tattoos. He opened with “Wow,” from 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, then went into “Wrapped Around Your Finger” from the newly released Twelve Carat Toothache, followed by “Better Now” from 2018’s Beerbongs & Bentleys. It struck me just how much the Post Malone discography had grown and when I looked around during “Better Now” especially, the most diverse crowd of the weekend was easily the biggest, too. And everyone was moving. The crowd was gripped.
Justin Yee
As Posty’s performance kept going, I found myself increasingly interested in everything he was going to do next. On “I Fall Apart,” he bent over and straddled the mic with his mouth, hands behind his back, while singing as loudly as he could. When that song ended, he grabbed an acoustic guitar and took a seat to sing “Stay” and “Go Flex,” a cigarette in between his fingers the whole time. It was a pure display of emotion.
I loved the way he danced and moved and worked the crowd; losing himself, his happiness was galvanizing. When he played “White Iverson,” the song that first put him on the map eight years ago, it felt like a real moment of togetherness for the crowd. And even if it has its limits sometimes, his leaned-out Gen Z falsetto was endearing and pure.
But it was the way that he was unapologetically himself that stuck with me the most. He sings about getting f*cked up (and sometimes about the ramifications of it, too) and he presents himself like he’s in the same mind-state as the crowd when he’s on stage. He’s beaming, he’s partying, but he reflects on his insecurities, too. “Thank you so much for your love and support over the years,” he told the crowd. “The world has been such a sh*tty place and it just feels so beautiful to be out here with you to have a good time. I feel like I’m the luckiest f*cking guy in the world. How everyone was so patient with me and supportive of me. You know…this long stretch we’ve had.”
He presented the notion that he needed this just as much as we did and in that moment, the stage sort of disappeared. By the time he closed with “Rockstar” and “Congratulations,” it felt like we were all there getting f*cked up together, except one of us was singing and their gratitude showed. Here was an artist who had to be misunderstood before he could be accepted. Surely we can all relate.
And I came around to Post Malone that night. When he smashed his guitar and then set it afire in a controlled blaze, then smashed it some more to extinguish it and gave the pieces to the crowd before walking off? I felt that. And there was something especially powerful seeing it all with 20,000 other people. Because we’re all still trying to figure out what the new normal is in this world and Post Malone’s wild performance made so much sense in its own chaos.
Because it’s ok to party your face off and lose your mind for a while. This generation has been privy to way too much BS and it’s not stopping anytime soon. But if we can just let go, and surrender together, we might still make it.
Today, Nipsey Hussle received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in an emotional ceremony, where his partner Lauren London gave a speech dedicating the star on what would have been his 37th birthday. “I think I speak for the entire city of L.A. when I say that we’ve always known Hussle was destined for greatness,” she said.
“This moment only amplifies that for us,” she continued. “Nip would have been honored by this moment. I think he would want everyone to remember that you can’t get to what’s possible unless you commit to moving forward. That doesn’t mean forgetting where you come from, but requires acknowledging the reality you were born into and the power you have to change that reality for the better.”
“So whenever you’re in the city of angels and you see this star, I hope it encourages you to break away from whatever might be holding you back and for you to run your marathon until God says that it’s finished. Nip will forever live in our hearts. I’m grateful for the love and support the world has shown us but especially I wanna thank the city of Los Angeles. I love you, and as y’all know the marathon continues.”
Lauren London speaks at Nipsey Hussle’s ceremony to star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame pic.twitter.com/PX8NW9AiQP
Others who received stars on the Walk Of Fame today included singer Ashanti, hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas, the late Carrie Fisher, former NFL player Michael Strahan, and actor Michael B. Jordan.
Hussle was killed on March 31, 2019 when he was shot by Eric Holder in front of his Marathon Clothing store. Holder has since been convicted of murder and is awaiting sentencing.
Lawrenceville, Georgia rap trio Migos has been the subject of speculation among fans for the past several weeks, as fans wonder whether the band has split up thanks to group member Offset unfollowing his compatriots Quavo and Takeoff on Instagram. Just days after the unfollowing incident, Quavo and Takeoff released their own single “Hotel Lobby,” followed by the news they’d been replaced as Governors Ball headliners by Lil Wayne. At the same time, Offset began previewing his own new music, lending more momentum to the rumors.
Those rumors were accelerated today when a preview clip from an upcoming episode of the Rap Radar podcast featured Quavo and Takeoff appearing as a duo. While the full episode is due on August 18, fans couldn’t wait to speculate on why Offset wasn’t featured in the clip. Considering they’re also billed to perform at the 2022 Pepsi National Battle Of The Bands without reference to Offset, fans are rightfully anxious to know whether the trio has become a duo.
For what it’s worth, this isn’t the first time that the two Migos have performed without their compatriot. In 2013, shortly after their breakout with “Versace,” Offset was forced to serve a stint in DeKalb County Jail for violating his probation. Meanwhile, all three members of the group dropped solo albums between October 2018 and February 2019, and both Quavo and Offset released collaborative albums with artists outside the group in 2017 (Quavo, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho with Travis Scott and Offset, Without Warning with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin).
So, the trio might well be a duo for now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be back together again before we know it — after all, they are blood relatives (Quavo and Offset are cousins, while Quavo is Takeoff’s uncle). Some bonds are tighter than the rap business, and history shows they’ve yet to be separated even by the law. But the attention is definitely good for promotion, and fans will probably stay tuned in as long as there is the promise of drama to come.
Lizzo has a hit with “About Damn Time” (which is still No. 3 on the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart). Now, though, she’s putting the focus on another Special highlight, as today brings a new video for “2 Be Love (Am I Ready).”
In the clip for the upbeat tune, Lizzo leaves her bride (herself) at the altar and takes a ride in the desert, eventually meeting up with model Tyson Beckford. Of course, though, there’s a twist. Also, as Lizzo herself points out, the video is a callback to her 2017 video for “Truth Hurts,” with some shots and scenes re-created pretty much perfectly.
Lizzo previously told Apple Music of the song, “This is the first record I made with Max Martin, and it’s a dream record. As someone who’s been writing songs since I was 9, who studied music since I was 12, and who dreamed of being a performer, Max Martin is the dream collaborator. Recording it was like watching a legend in action. He’s an extremely collaborative, open, creative soul. The song is a callback to when pop records had key changes — that golden era of late-’80s and early-’90s pop when singers had massive records that were vocally impressive but also danceable, and the production quality was very intentional. I think it’s a work of art. It’s a masterpiece.”
Watch the “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” video above.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Elsewhere on the Hot 100, it was a big week for Snoop Dogg, whose Benny Blanco and BTS collaboration “Bad Decisions” debuts at No. 10. This makes Snoop just the third artist, after Jay-Z and Mariah Carey, with a top-10 hit in each of the past four decades (’90s, ’00s, ’10s, and ’20s).
Also doing well in the current frame is Drake, whose DJ Khaled and Lil Baby collaboration “Staying Alive” debuts at No. 5. That’s now his 30th top-five song, which surpasses The Beatles for the most ever. It’s also his 59th top-10 song (which extends his record) and his 100th top-20 song, making him the first artist to reach the latter milestone.
.@Drake is the first artist in history to earn 100 top 20 hits on the #Hot100.
Meanwhile, Beyoncé is getting ready to push another Renaissance highlight to the forefront: Last week, she teased an upcoming video for album-opener “I’m That Girl,” although it’s not yet clear when that video is set to drop.
Snoop Dogg is a well-established hitmaker but lest we lose sight of just how impressive his career achievements have been, he’s just accumulated another. As of the most recently published Billboard charts, he’s now one of just three artists in history to have a top-10 hit in each of the past four decades. That’s right: The Doggfather has reached the top ten in the ’90s, ’00s, ’10s, and now, the ’20s thanks to his new collaboration with Benny Blanco and BTS, “Bad Decisions.” The only other two artists who can boast as much are Jay-Z and Mariah Carey.
.@SnoopDogg joins @MariahCarey and Jay-Z as the only artists to earn top 10 hits on the #Hot100 in each of the past four decades: ’90s, ’00s, ’10s and ’20s.
Snoop’s top ten hits of the ’90s include “What’s My Name?” and “Gin And Juice” from his 1993 debut album Doggystyle. In the 2000s, his songs “Beautiful,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and “Sensual Seduction” all hit the top ten, with the second reaching No. 1. Finally, 2011 saw Snoop’s Wiz Khalifa collaboration “Young, Wild & Free” reach No. 7 on the Hot 100. Additionally, he’s popped up in the top ten as a featured artist on eight songs throughout the years, including Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” Chingy’s “Holidae In,” 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.,” The Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons,” Akon’s “I Wanna Love You,” Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” and Jason Derulo’s “Wiggle.”
Bad Bunny is on top again thanks to 108,800 equivalent album units earned for the album, up 4 percent from last week. This is the third stint at No. 1 for Un Verano Sin Ti: It debuted on top on the May 21 chart, then left No. 1 for three weeks. Then, it returned to No. 1 again before falling to No. 2 for the next two weeks. After that, it enjoyed its first multi-week run, spending five weeks at No. 1 before being dethroned by Beyoncé and then returning to the top this week. This makes Un Verano Sin Ti the first album with four distinct runs at No. 1 since Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour also had four stays in 2021.
Meanwhile, debuting at No. 2 on this week’s chart is YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s The Last Slimeto, while Eminem’s new best-of compilation, Curtain Call 2, premieres at No. 6.
