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Beyoncé Appears To Be Updating ‘Renaissance’ To Remove The Contested Kelis Sample On ‘Energy’

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Life comes at you fast. And Kelis might be getting what she wanted.

Last week, when Beyoncé’s Renaissance came out and immediately became the most talked-about album in the world, Kelis made it abundantly clear that she did not grant permission for samples — albeit very brief ones — from her songs to be used in Beyoncé’s “Energy.” Kelis’s anger was directed mostly at Pharrell and Chad Hugo, who as The Neptunes, wrote and produced the two Kelis songs in question, “Milkshake,” and “Get Along With You,” and hence, owned the publishing rights holders who could clear the use of those samples for “Energy” (which they also co-wrote.)

“My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding,” Kelis said on Instagram, later adding in a video that, “Chad really is like an amoeba, he’s spineless. It’s a miracle he can keep his neck up, but Pharrell knows better. This is a direct hit at me, he does this stuff all the time. It’s very petty — very, very, very — and the reality is that it’s frustrating.”

Well, the issue looks to be coming to a head, as the Kelis samples seem to be getting slowly removed from “Energy” across streaming platforms from “Energy.” At press time, the end of “Energy” on Tidal was playing just Kelis’ isolated sample. Spotify was having intermittent loading issues both Beyoncé’s Renaissance tracks, as well as Kelis’ discography. Users online are claiming that Kelis’ writing credits are missing, although only Pharrell and Hugo would have had their included to begin with.

This story is being updated

Fox News Calls Beyonce ‘More Vile Than Ever’ Over ‘X-Rated’ Lyrics From Her New Album

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With Beyonce’s new album out, everybody wants in on that sweet, sweet content — including Fox News, which has reverted to its faithful standby of criticizing a female performer for projecting sexiness (while ignoring the obvious and ongoing sexual misconduct of politicians the network cheerleads for on any other day). Usually, they pick on Cardi B, but since she’s been laying low finishing her own album, of course, the next big name Black star for them to go after is Beyonce — even if they probably pulled a muscle with the reach they had to make to get there.

This time, it’s Brian Kilmeade, host of Fox & Friends and his own self-titled show, who deemed Beyonce “more vile than ever” over some “X-rated lyrics” on the song “Heated.” First choosing to note that Beyonce is a mother, he says, “We haven’t seen her in a while, barely dressed, dancing around… and now she comes back, more vile than ever with X-rated lyrics.” He also snipes at Beyonce’s decision to remove the ableist term “spaz” from the lyrics of “Heated” (because what good is Fox News if they can’t double down on anti-Blackness and sexism with a little good, old-fashioned bullying?).

“What about the dimpled ass community?” he sneers. His guest, Fox contributor Raymond Arroyo, joined in, “Or what about those with stretch marks on their breasts? Why would you sing [those lyrics] as a renowned woman who young people look to? I don’t know.”

Of course, leaving aside the fact that nobody really says “X-rated” anymore, it’s pretty clear to anyone with two brain cells to rub together to make a synapse that Beyonce’s lyrics celebrate women’s bodies — including those that have changed due to pregnancy, with stretch marks and butt dimples being among the results of those changes. In a world that demeans and denigrates women for not presenting a (photoshopped) picture-perfect facade in public, Beyonce is singing to let the many, many people with those things that they are normal, beautiful, and loved — although, maybe that’s the problem the Fox hosts have in the first place.

Doechii Announces Her Debut EP, ‘She/Her/Black B*tch,’ Arrives On Friday

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Top Dawg Entertainment’s first female rapper is about to drop her first EP. Doechii announced the title and release date for her debut EP yesterday, revealing that She/Her/Black B*tch arrives on Friday, August 5, following the release of singles “Persuasive,” “Crazy,” and “B*tch I’m Nice,” as well as the remix of “Persuasive” featuring SZA.

The timing for the release couldn’t be much better. Not only is Doechii fresh off of an impressive, attention-grabbing run of live performances including the BET Awards and The Tonight Show, but she was also selected as a member of XXL‘s 2022 Freshman Class, delivering a fantastic freestyle and a standout cypher verse.

But the thing that might be working to her advantage most is how hip-hop fans are newly (re)embracing house music as a popular production style thanks to newly released projects from the likes of Drake and Beyonce. While Doechii was just one artist in a long lineage of contemporary rappers who’ve blended rap with dance genres (see: Vince Staples, Duckwrth, Leikeli47, IDK, Channel Tres, and Azealia Banks), those artists have begun to receive renewed and increased attention now that it’s “cool” to rock with house and techno.

The fact that Doechii is no slouch on the mic and has a burgeoning following thanks to older viral tracks like “Yuck Blucky Fruitcake” only gives her more of an advantage as the summer of house heats up. She/Her/Black B*tch just might prove that on 8/5. You can pre-save it here.

Boyz II Men Blew It On ‘Celebrity Family Feud’ And Steve Harvey Lost His Mind

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Family Feud is a gift. Especially when things go straight to hell and Steve Harvey gets to lose his mind on contestants that can’t take the pressure. And sometimes, the contestants are celebrities like the guys from Boyz II Men.

All of that came to fruition in the above clip, in which Amber Ruffin’s crew lost to the Boyz, who then proceeded to blow their Fast Money opportunity in terrifyingly hilarious fashion. And, as is often the case, Harvey let the Boyz know exactly how badly they messed up.

Our first contestant, Wanya, actually does pretty well in his Fast Money round. Though there was one potentially fatal flaw: he did answer “July” when asked to name a month that has five letters in it. If you’re comprehending this paragraph, you know that “July” has four letters in it, not five. But even with the zero on that last answer, he took a cool 130 points into the second half of the contest. And you only need 200 to win, so the Men are more than halfway there.

“You smarter than me, Shawn,” Wanya says as his partner reappears on stage. “You smarter than me.”

And then disaster strikes.

Things go pretty well, more or less, until that final question comes up once more. Name a month with five letters in it.

“August,” Shawn says after a moment’s incorrect thought.

The audience actually laughs a bit, and Shawn realizes soon enough that he made a big mistake here.

“He’s not smarter than me, Steve!” Wanya yells. “He’s not smarter than me!”

Oh, but the worst was yet to come. Because while the first four answers were once again pretty solid, the Boyz were short of their goal by nine as the penultimate answer came across the board. What’s something people put on top of oatmeal? As it turns out, in the opinion of 100 people surveyed, they can’t believe it’s not butter.

It’s worth watching the full clip for Harvey’s rant before “August” comes up, as this is truly where the longtime host shines. But if you can’t watch it, for some reason, here’s a brief summary in three images.

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At least everyone had fun, I guess.

Kaytranada And Anderson .Paak Host A Futuristic Rave In Their ‘Twin Flame’ Video

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It was only a matter of time. With big-name artists like Drake and Beyonce (and emerging acts like Doechii and Leikeli47) sparking interest in dance music among hip-hop and R&B fans, Canadian dance maestro Kaytranada had to be planning his own comeback to take advantage. After both superstars released their respective dance efforts on the same weekend (Honestly, Nevermind and “Break My Soul“), Kay’s name trended on Twitter as fans wondered whether he had something new in the works.

Today, he made his highly-anticipated return with the help of another Black genre revivalist, Anderson .Paak, whose soulful sensibilities offer the perfect pairing for the nu-disco grooves of “Twin Flame.” In the song’s accompanying video, the two artists host a retro-futuristic rave with fashions right out of late ’90s sci-fi as they hold court above a packed dance floor.

Kaytranada’s last album, Bubba, came out in 2019, pre-pandemic, and was lavished with critical praise and awards including the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album and the Juno for Dance Recording Of The Year. Since then, he’s sprinkled his influence throughout the music world, dropping the Intimidated EP in 2021 and connecting with DMV rapper IDK earlier this year for Simple. Meanwhile, Anderson .Paak is fresh off of the funk homage group project Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars, on which they saluted ’70s and ’80s Black dad favorites like Con Funk Shun, The Gap Band, Isley Brothers, and Frankie Beverly and Maze.

Watch the video for “Twin Flame” above and stay tuned for more from Kaytranada, who’s currently touring the US and Canada alongside The Weeknd. Check out the dates for that below.

8/4 – Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium*
8/6 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium*
8/7 – Seattle, WA @ Day Trip Festival
8/18 – Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High*
8/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium*
8/23 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place*
8/27 -28 – Pasadena, CA @ This Ain’t No Picnic
8/30 – Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium*
9/2 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium*
9/3 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium*
9/4 – Chicago, IL @ North Coast Festival
9/8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Mirage [SOLD OUT]
9/9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Mirage [SOLD OUT]
9/22 – Toronto, CA @ Rogers Centre*
9/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Portola Music Festival

Lollapalooza Is A Big City Music Festival Done Right

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Lollapalooza festival crowd 2022
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After effectively riling up the audience with nostalgic hits, Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong took a moment during the band’s headlining Lollapalooza set to reflect on how much the festival has meant to him over the years. To a sea of tens of thousands of screaming fans spanning generations, Armstrong said attending an early iteration of the then-traveling festival gave small-town kids like him a chance to see all their favorite bands in one place. It affirmed his decision to start Green Day, who got their first chance to play the festival only a few years later in 1994.

Lollapalooza has changed a lot since its early, traveling days. Now a massive event that beckons nearly 400,000 people through its gates every year, Lollapalooza has found a permanent home in Chicago’s downtown Grant Park. With a 360-degree view of the dazzling city skyline, eight stages with minimal sound bleed, and thoughtful amenities, Lollapalooza is an example of a big city festival done right.

Lollapalooza’s lineup has also evolved a lot since the ’90s, but this year’s bill paid tribute to its early days by inviting bands like Metallica and Green Day to headline. Billy Corgan, who headlined with the Smashing Pumpkins in 1994, even made a guest appearance on stage with festival founder Perry Ferrell’s band Porno For Pyros. But the four-day event’s eclectic bill had something for everyone to enjoy. One stage was dedicated to EDM fans raging all day long to artists like Kaskade and Rezz. Hip-hop heads found a home at the festival too, getting a chance to see J. Cole, Big Sean, BLXST, and Lil Durk. Pop artists big and small like Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and The Regrettes, took the stage and K-pop icons like Tomorrow x Together and BTS’ J-Hope were greeted by thousands of screaming fans. Even the kiddos weren’t left out at Lollapalooza, with a stage dedicated solely to interactive sets for children and parents to find respite from the massive crowds.

The giant crowds are definitely something Lollapalooza has earned a bit of a reputation for, though huge signs reading “fence jumpers will be prosecuted” may have deterred anyone thinking of sneaking in without a wristband. Due to Lollapalooza’s sheer size, the festival effectively takes over the entire city of Chicago each year. It’s located on a one-mile stretch in Chicago’s downtown Grant Park, but the festival manages to set the whole city in motion. Public transportation is jam-packed with excitable festivalgoers sometimes ignorant of the disruption they cause to the average commuter. Main streets like Michigan Ave are shut down and cars get re-routed to account for the hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the park. While Lollapalooza brings many out-of-towners, many who actually live in Chicago are used to avoiding the weekend like the plague. Even those who forget about it are subject to its aftermath, left to wonder things like: “Why are the trains so delayed?” and “Why does everyone downtown look like they were downloaded directly from the Shein website?”

And while the yearly festival may cause a headache for those not in attendance, it’s more than clear why Lollapalooza is one of the most-talked-about music festivals in the country. For one, every performer continually brings their A-game. Dua Lipa put her refined dance moves on full display and Charli XCX transformed an entire field of people into a euphoric, daytime club. It also wasn’t uncommon for artists to surprise guests on stage. During his Saturday set, Big Sean brought out his very pregnant partner Jhené Aiko for a few songs. The two shared some very tender moments on stage, like when Sean lovingly kissed Aiko’s belly before leaning in for an intimate embrace. But that wasn’t the only surprise appearance: J-Cole invited Bas and J.I.D to the stage during his headlining performance, Still Woozy was joined by Remi Wolf to sing their collab, and Sunday closer J-Hope had Becky G make a surprise appearance during his penultimate song.

Speaking of J-Hope, the BTS member’s performance was history in the making. Not only was the K-pop star’s set reportedly the highest ticket selling event in Lollapalooza’s history, but it also marked the first time a South Korean solo artist has headlined a US festival. The momentous occasion was more than tangible, as the entire festival was seemingly flooded by the BTS fandom. From the grounds, J-Hope’s performance would at times be washed out by the ear-piercing screams of the crowd.

Along with bigger artists going all-out, Lollapalooza also offered a space for up-and-coming musicians to shine. Gen Z favorite PinkPantheress managed to start a mosh pit when performing the short-but-sweet hit “Just For Me.” Newcomer GAYLE, who has gained a notable following thanks to an uber-viral TikTok song “Abcdefu,” showed off her rock-star status on stage. She had the crowd on their feet before ripping through an electrifying cover of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ “Bad Reputation.” Indie pop trio MUNA also fired off a fun cover during their set, getting the entire audience to shout along to a rendition of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” Meanwhile, pop singer Fletcher played a main stage set for her first time ever and took the opportunity to lead the crowd through a cover of Billie Eilish’s popular song “Happier Than Ever.”

Most of Lollapalooza’s four days were accompanied by awe-inspiring sets and appreciative artists. But like any festival of its ilk, there were a few drawbacks. For one, many of the on-site amenities felt like corporate cash grabs in disguise; an intriguing art installation tent turned out to be an NFT gallery that implored you to sign up for an NFT minting service. Another installation designed to look like a haunted house ended up being a scheme to get your email address in exchange for a free can of water. Thankfully though, none of the drawbacks had anything to do with safety measures, other than an unforeseeable accident Lil Durk had involving pyrotechnics during his set. Efficient water stations were conveniently located near every stage and EMT volunteers were constantly on the lookout for anyone in need of help. After one attendee fainted just a few feet away, two medical professionals were on-site within seconds, handing them water and carrying them safely out of the crowd.

Overall, Lollapalooza 2022 lived up to its reputation in nearly every way. Yes, there were massive crowds and lots of rowdy teenagers, but there were also outstanding performances accompanied by breathtaking city skyline views. And after four days of music, dancing, and meeting new friends, I was left with a sense of gratitude for the festival, a camera full of unforgettable memories, and very sore feet.

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

Irv Gotti Recounts How He Found Out Ashanti Was Dating Nelly On ‘Drink Champs’

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Drink Champs may say that its mission is to give hip-hop icons their flowers while they’re still around to smell them, but fans’ chief interest in the show is the tea that spills in the free-spirited environment. With the alcohol flowing and hosts NORE and DJ EFN egging them on, guests are more than happy to get a little messy about drama both past and current, creating clips that the show’s producers are more than happy to use to promote each upcoming episode.

Case in point, a future episode sees rap producer Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. Records stopping by to promote his upcoming Murder Inc. documentary and, in a clip shared by NORE, waxing nostalgic about his former relationship with Murder Inc. singer Ashanti. “Gotti ain’t over it,” NORE laughs in the caption as Gotti recounts in the video how he found out that Ashanti was dating Country Grammar rapper Nelly. As it happens, he says, “I was at home… NBA package, I like watching sports. ‘My God, what’s this commotion going on in the stadium?’ We just found out what the commotion is: Nelly has walked in with Ashanti.”

Of course, as pointed out by many — and I mean MANY — followers on Twitter, Gotti may not deserve as much sympathy as he feels he does, as he was married at the time, Ashanti was 12 years his junior at 24, and she was technically his employee, creating an imbalanced power dynamic even if he hadn’t been cheating on his wife at the time.

So, yeah. Drink Champs is where rap icons go to get blitzed and drunkenly reminisce about 20-year-old breakups and beef for the consumption of bored office drones who love the mess but also love dunking on said icons for engagement on Twitter. Jordan Peele was right.

The Game Announces He Is Taking A Mental Health Break: ‘I’ve Been Left To Pick Up The Pieces Alone’

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Ahead of his oft-delayed upcoming album, Drillmatic: Heart Vs. Mind, rapper The Game revealed he plans to digitally unplug He made this announcement via Instagram, citing a lack of loyalty within his circles.

“I’ve always prided myself on my transparency” he said, “in tow with sharing every part of my life & myself with my family, friends & my fans… the past two weeks have been a nightmare for me. I have witnessed disloyalty on levels unimaginable by people I’ve trusted with my heart, money, career & livelihood. Not only have I been backstabbed & betrayed.. I’ve been left to pick up the pieces alone.”

The Game also revealed that he’s been in physical therapy for two weeks to help with inflammed muscles and a bruised tailbone due to overextending himself from working out. Additionally, he had an accident over the weekend in which he cut his “finger to the bone” and had to get six stitches.

He continued, noting that he would be taking a step back from his “phone, social media, group settings, and clubs,” in order to put the finishing touches on Drillmatic. He confirmed that the album, which has been pushed back several times, would be arriving later this month.

Drillmatic: Heart Vs. Mind is out 8/12 via State Of Gold.

2 Chainz And Killer Mike Defend Atlanta Small Businesses In Light Of A Controversial New Ordinance

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You don’t often think of local politics when you think of rappers but in Atlanta, it seems there’s a growing political class consisting almost entirely of hip-hop artists who like to get involved by popping up at city council meetings and the like. During one such meeting on Monday this week (August 1), 2 Chainz and Killer Mike spoke out against a controversial new ordinance that they believe could have potentially crippling effects on small businesses in the area — including their own (2 Chainz owns a pair of restaurants; Mike has a chain of barbershops, among other interests).

In May, Atlanta’s city council introduced an amendment to current nuisance ordinances that allows the city to close a business deemed a nuisance by a municipal court twice in 24 months. That’s a lot of leeway — especially when business owners are being held accountable for incidents that occur outside their businesses and outside of their control. The amendment is ostensibly aimed at reducing violent crime around the city but owners like 2 Chainz and Mike are concerned it could be used to target Black-owned nightlife establishments, which would eventually be overtaken by franchises, according to Rolling Stone.

As Killer Mike put it during the meeting, “As Atlanta grows, corporations are going to be coming into here. Somebody is gonna have a nightlife in the convention city.” He noted that this could result in a choice between “the owners of Hard Rock [Cafe] or the owners of Hooters or the owners of a W Hotel, or it’s gonna be the little people that went to Frederick Douglas [high school]… and Southwest DeKalb, and schools like that” — in other words, locals. “We will not be electing council people from here, we will not be growing businesses from here. Because it will all be turned over to corporations… Are we going to keep Atlanta a place where local people can grow and thrive here?”

2 Chainz also spoke up, saying, “I’m very blessed, and I also like to be a blessing to others, and that’s what my businesses have allowed me to do. They need to retract some of the things they have on the ordinance. And I think crime is up everywhere, not just in Atlanta.” He’s right; crime is up around the country. It’s also still down from pre-pandemic levels, although that could change because of record inflation, a rising wave of evictions (after protections were removed by the federal government), and other crime-prevention protections expiring or losing funding (in favor of raising police budgets which… don’t prevent crime).

Even Young Thug’s father, Jeffrey Williams Sr., spoke up on behalf of businesses in place of his son (who is currently incarcerated because he rapped about his label, which supposedly has the same name as a gang). “If a crime happens by city hall,” he asked, “Was it city hall that caused it? You’re trying to hold artists responsible for the crime that’s in the city. Now you’re trying to point the finger at the nightlife to be part of the crime in the city.”

Nicki Minaj Responds To Allegations By A Person Claiming To Be Her Ex-Assistant: ‘It’s Clearly A Kid’

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A woman claiming to be Nicki Minaj‘s former assistant has made some wild accusations against the rapper. The person, who goes by Kate Miller on Instagram, claims to work for Republic Records, and took to Instagram Stories yeserday to air out alleged secrets. Among said secrets were the existence of an alleged sex tape with her labelmates Drake and Lil Wayne, Minaj being a hypocrite in regards to slamming drug use, and her owing over $173 million to the IRS.

These bits of gossip were shared hundreds of thousands of times yesterday, despite seeming rather farfetched and non-credible. Several fans theorized that the Instagram account belongs to a fan of a rival rapper posing as a Republic Records employee.

Minaj took to Instagram, immediately dismissing the rumors, also adding that she believes this comes from a stan of a rival.

“I am mind blown that people are this f*cking dumb,” said Minaj. “That people are really believing that I got somebody that work for me and now they spilling tea. Chile. But it’s not even that; it’s the tea that sounds so f*king dumb, and for a person to believe it, you would have to be dumb. It’s clearly a kid. Do you know how much money you have to make to owe that amount of money to the IRS? … Like, come on. What? Get off of my sweet Trinidadian p*ssy. I really need y’all to either get a job, invest in yourself and your future.”

Upon further research, we verified that a woman named Kate Miller does, in fact, work at Republic Records (per a LinkedIn page). However, this woman was the senior vice president of visual content at the label, and most likely has never worked as an assistant to Minaj.