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The Inaugural Big Climate Thing Festival Will Feature The Roots, Haim, Khruangbin, And More

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So it turns out that at the moment, the climate could be doing better. There are some people out there trying to do something about that, including the folks at Climate Control Projects and Brian Eno’s EarthPercent with their latest endeavor: the first-ever The Big Climate Thing festival.

The inaugural event, intended to raise awareness and take action about the climate crisis, is set to go down at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium from July 16 to 18 and the lineup features The Roots, Haim, Khruangbin, The Flaming Lips, Gary Clark Jr., Courtney Barnett, Sheryl Crow, The Weather Station, Sunflower Bean, Bonny Light Horseman, Guster, Pom Pom Squad, and others.

The Weather Station’s Tamara Lindeman told Rolling Stone, “I think music, along with all the cultural industries, have spent way too long sitting back on this issue. I believe music plays a primarily emotional role in people’s lives, and as such I think it has huge potential in pushing us to recognize our tangled emotions around this topic. When I imagine a stadium full of people coming together for a climate event centered on music, what I imagine is an enormous opportunity to feel a solidarity that has been so missing here. I truly hope that an enormous in-person event can have some power to bring people together and create some common experience around climate, and push those in attendance to examine their climate feelings and push through them enough to act.”

Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming also notes, “I believe that music is one of the most powerful communication tools we have on this planet, way deeper than just words could ever express. Music has to power to influence people’s decisions by touching their hearts and relating to them on the human condition. We are all facing the same problem: this is all our home and it happens to be on fire. If we can figure out how to properly utilize music in this era of the climate crisis, I know more good could be done.”

More info about the festival, including ticket information, can be found at the Big Climate Thing website.

Reason Debuts His Cocky New Single ‘Barely Miss’ On ‘A COLORS Show’

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Over the past year or so, it’s become something of a trend for artists — especially rappers — to not only use the popular YouTube series A COLOR Show to expand their fanbase with hard-hitting performances but to also debut brand-new singles on the show as well. Previously, rising rappers like Flo Milli, Joey Badass, Guapdad 4000, and D Smoke have all premiered new music on the show, and this week’s guest continues the tradition. This time, it’s Top Dawg Entertainment rapper Reason dropping in to introduce his latest single, “Barely Miss,” going for a fuschia and tan aesthetic as he gets his whole body involved.

“Barely Miss” is the second new single from Reason this month after he teamed up with labelmate Jay Rock to drop the humble “Is What It Is.” Prior to that, Reason hijacked the beat from Jack Harlow’s Drake collaboration “Churchill Downs” for his own “Churchill Downs Freestyle” aimed at letting latecomers know that TDE is in good hands with its current generation of burgeoning rap stars. Reason’s recent activity seems to suggest an impending follow-up to his October 2021 EP No More No Less, which contained features from Adé, Benny the Butcher, Doe Boy, Isaiah Rashad, and Wale.

You can watch Reason’s A COLORS Show performance of “Barely Miss” above.

Roddy Ricch And Mustard Cruise In The Desert in Their Boastful ‘Real Talk’ Video

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After fans weren’t really feeling his second album, LIve Life Fast, Roddy Ricch went back to the drawing board and returned with a new EP, The Big 3, getting back to basics and resetting ahead of his plans to follow-up his fan-favorite mixtape series Feed The Streets with a third installment this year. On the EP, he reunited with Mustard, the producer behind some of his biggest hits, and together, the dynamic duo dropped some “Real Talk” for their longtime fans.

In the new video for “Real Talk” released today, the Compton and Long Beach natives take it to the dusty dunes of the California desert, cruising with a small fleet of Ford trucks in perfect formation. Roddy sits at the lead, rapping from atop the hood of a Mercedes-AMG. In a separate scene, the rapper and DJ stand on a mirror reflecting the crystal blue sky, resulting in some stunning imagery. And finally, in the video’s third act, they both perform on a makeshift basketball court at sunset, a striking shot made more poignant with Roddy’s Nipsey Hussle tribute shirt. It looks like Roddy’s bounceback is in full effect.

Watch Roddy Ricch’s “Real Talk” video featuring Mustard above.

The Big 3 is out now via Atlantic Records. Get it here.

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

Vic Mensa Pleads Guilty To One Count Of Drug Possession After Being Arrested For Psychedelic Mushrooms

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Earlier this year, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa was arrested on felony narcotics charges for possession of hallucingenic mushrooms and LSD at Washington Dulles International Airport after returning from Ghana with Chance The Rapper. US Customs and Border Protection noted he had 41 grams of liquid LSD, about 124 grams of Psilocybin capsules, 178 grams of Psilocybin gummies, and six grams of Psilocybin mushrooms in his luggage. According to TMZ, a representative for Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney says Vic pled guilty to one count of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance — a misdemeanor — in exchange for a year of unsupervised probation.

The lesser penalty came in lieu of a 12-month jail sentence and includes a $1k fine, 25 hours of community service, and a substance abuse assessment. Vic also gave a statement to TMZ, calling for reform of drug laws to decriminalize hallucinogens and advocating their use in mental health treatment. You can read that statement below.

In this case, I have decided to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge. I have been extremely vocal about my mental health, the culture at large and access to mental health treatment. It is important to note the extensive research being done on the topic of psilocybin [shrooms] and the many significant movements underway for legalization and decriminalization.

Esteemed universities such as Johns Hopkins, University of California, NYU, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and The Imperial College of London have all immersed themselves in years-long research programs with full departments and centers dedicated to this work. Unfortunately, our laws have not kept up with the research showing that psychedelic plants and compounds can be successfully used to treat otherwise treatment-resistant mental illness .

I have contributed positively to many communities and will continue to do so with this case. My hope is that the silver lining to this matter will be increased focus on the effectiveness of psychedelics to treat mental illness and mood disorders that millions are battling with depression and anxiety with hope that all of our laws will change accordingly.

Muni Long Announces Her Upcoming EP On The Tail Of Her Breakout BET Awards Performance

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Fans of Muni Long‘s breakout single “Hrs And Hrs” have helped make the songwriting star one of R&B’s biggest success stories of the past year, and today, she’s announced her impending follow-up to her debut EP, Public Displays Of Affection. Fittingly, it’s titled Public Displays Of Affection Too and it’s due July 1 via Supergiant/Def Jam Recordings. Clocking in at five tracks, it contains one guest feature from Saweetie and will contain Muni Long’s new singles “Another” and “Pain.”

The former aspiring country star — she released a twangy project under her real name, Priscilla Renea, in 2018 — made the switch to R&B for her 2021 EP after writing songs for the likes of Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Selena Gomez, and more, a move that paid off big time. “Hrs And Hrs” became a huge smash thanks to a viral trend on TikTok and since then, Muni Long has gone on to work with pop R&B juggernauts like John Legend, appearing on his new single “Honey.” Muni Long’s coronation came at last night’s BET Awards, where she performed her breakout hit on stage amid performances by Latto, Chance The Rapper, Doechii, and more. You can watch her performance below.

Public Displays Of Affection Too is due 7/1 via Supergiant/Def Jam Recordings. You can see the tracklist below.

1. “Pain”
2. “Another”
3. “Baby Boo” Feat. Saweetie
4. “Crack”
5. “Cartier”

Haim Explain How Their Recent Drake Meet-Up Was A Coincidence ‘Like Something Out Of A Movie’

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Around this time last month, Drake and Haim met up in Toronto, with Drake sharing a smile-heavy photo of the encounter and writing, “Just met the Beatles.” While it made sense that the two would meet in Drake’s hometown, what hadn’t been made clear is how Drake and Haim actually crossed paths. Now, though, the Haim sisters have shared how it happened: pure coincidence.

According to a new NME interview, the story goes:

Alana: “We literally landed in Toronto, and went to the first restaurant we saw… it’s like something out of a movie. We were at this random restaurant and Drake showed up.”

Danielle: “It sounds like folklore, like a mythic story.”

Alana: “But that’s what happened!”

Este: “We were straight-up wearing our clothes from the plane, to see Drake.”

Alana: “Well, we didn’t know! It’s pretty crazy.”

Este: “But that’s what I’m saying, we didn’t know and he showed up and I was wearing pajamas and Uggs and no make-up and acne medication, to meet Drake.”

Alana: “It was great.”

As for what the band’s up to now, Alana said, “We’re always writing, it never stops. I think the biggest thing is being away from touring for two years was the most heartbreaking for us, we’ve always considered ourselves a touring band. We love playing live, and we just did our tour in the states and in a couple of weeks we get to do our UK tour, and we’re just so excited. We’re playing The O2 arena!”

Check out the full interview here.

Eminem Is ‘PIssed Off’ About The Supreme Court Overturning Roe V. Wade: ‘We Are F*ckin’ Goin’ Backwards’

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Although Eminem has always had a reputation as something of a provocateur, in recent years, a lot of his most inflammatory statements have been reserved for current events as his targets shifted from pop stars to political figures. In 2017, he went after Donald Trump multiple times, most notably during his BET Hip-Hop Award Cypher verse and during an appearance at the Reading Festival in the UK. More recently, he took a knee in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protests against racial injustice during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, an action that riled some conservative commentators.

So it should come as no surprise that Eminem has similarly weighed in on the biggest political shift of the past week — or even of the past fifty years. Last week, the Supreme Court voted to overturn one of the landmark rulings of the past century, Roe V. Wade. The move prompted an outcry from celebrities and musicians of all stripes, with singers like Lorde and Phoebe Bridgers leading “f*ck the Supreme Court” chants and Kendrick Lamar calling for the protection of women’s rights during their performances at Glastonbury.

Eminem has joined this cadre of outspoken pop stars, tweeting, “As a father, it pisses me off that women have fewer rights 2day than just a few days ago. We r fuckin goin bckwards.” The proud Detroiter also provided a resource link in his tweet, writing, “Here’s how to help in Michigan.”

You don’t have to be a father to appreciate that many people feel unsafe as a result of this new landmark ruling and that there’s a sense that things can certainly get worse from here. However, there may be a bright side: When even Donald Trump admits that the move was a strategic mistake for the Republican Party, potentially galvanizing Democrats in the Senate to do… literally anything, there might just be some course correction in the near future.

Lil Nas X Says His Relationship With BET Was ‘Painful And Strained’ Even Before The 2022 BET Awards

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The 2022 BET Awards have come and gone and aside from a t-shirt worn by Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X was not present. This whole saga has bothered Lil Nas X, of course, but now he has said his “painful and strained” relationship with BET actually started before he didn’t receive any award nominations from them this year.

In a statement, the rapper told Rolling Stone, “My relationship with BET has been painful and strained for quite some time. It didn’t start with this year’s nominations like most people might think. They did let me perform on their show last year, but only after [I gave] assurances that I was not a satanist or devil worshiper, and that my performance would be appropriate for their audience.”

In response, a BET spokesperson said the “summation of events around Lil Nas X’s 2021 BET Awards performance is simply untrue” and added, “Since last year’s performance, we have been in touch to work on other projects. We are still excited about his previous performances and continue to wish him well. But today, we are focused on culture’s biggest night and delivering history-making moments for fans worldwide.”

That said, an anonymous member of Nas’ team told Rolling Stone of the immediate response to Nas’ 2021 BET Awards performance (the one where he kissed one of his dancers, by the way), “At some point after [Nas] got offstage, one of the BET producers came up to me and before I could even open my mouth, he looked at me and said, ‘That was really f*cked up.’”

Nas added, “They say that ‘no one cheered louder’ for me than them that night, but the BET Awards team was actually very upset that I kissed my dancer onstage and vocalized their discontent with multiple members of my team immediately following the performance.”

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

Kanye West Honored Diddy With A Surprise And Slightly Head-Scratching Appearance At The 2022 BET Awards

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Sunday night’s 2022 BET Award show was filled with plenty of key moments. None may have top the unexpected appearance that Kanye West during the show. It occurred during speeches for Diddy’s tribute set, which went down after Diddy led a tribute performance for himself with help from Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, The LOX, Lil’ Kim, Busta Rhymes, Bryson Tiller, and Faith Evans. After Babyface shared some words about Diddy, he welcomed Kanye West on stage to speak about Diddy who appeared in a heavy jacket and sunglasses over a dark face mask that seemed to be a bit hard for him to breathe in.

During his speech, Kanye explained his recent hiatus from the public eye, saying, “I took a little hiatus. I said I wanted to just, like, declare myself legally dead for a year.” He then noted that he made his way to the BET Awards stage because “Puff is pretty persistent.” Kanye did thank Diddy for being such a heavy influence on his life and artistry, but he did so in a very Kanye-esque way. “He inspired so many of my choices,” he said. “So many of my life choices. My wife choices. And here we are. Thanks for that, Puff.” Elsewhere, Kanye thanked Diddy for his knowledge about contracts and suggested some nitrous oxide “if anybody is stressed out.”

You can watch Kanye’s speech in the video above.

Giveon Performs ‘Heartbreak Anniversary’ And ‘For Tonight’ At The 2022 BET Awards

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On the heels of his debut album Give Or Take, Giveon graced the 2022 BET Awards stage near the show’s close to perform brief portions of “Heartbreak Anniversary” and “For Tonight” before offering “Lie Again” to its fullest. Despite audio issues, the R&B singer fully emoted through the duration of his heart-bound set.

Though this is Giveon’s first BET Awards performance, he is no stranger to the summer awards show. In 2021, the “Heartbreak Anniversary” singer was awarded the Best New Artist trophy. More generally, the 27-year-old has been nominated for seven Grammys, seven MTV Video Music Awards, one of which he won, and even three NAACP Image Awards.

Giveon released his debut album Give Or Take this past Friday (June 24). The 15-track album was led by singles “For Tonight” and “Lie Again,” following up a nearly two-year hiatus since his last EP, 2020’s When It’s All Said And Done featuring Snoh Aalegra. When It’s All Said And Done followed his highly regarded debut EP Take Time, anchored by “Like I Want You” In his brief hiatus, Giveon appeared on Justin Bieber’s 2021 album Justice on the highly popular “Peaches” also featuring Daniel Caesar and “In The Bible” alongside Lil Durk on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy. In 2020, Drake officially released “Chicago Freestyle,” his first collaboration with the Long Beach artist, as part of Dark Lane Demo Tapes.

Check out Giveon’s performance at the BET Awards above.