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The Game Weighs In On The Use Of Lyrics Young Thug’s RICO Case: ‘I Think That’s Bullsh*t’

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Ever since being arrested last month on charges of racketeering, Young Thug has received plenty of support from the rap community — even from unexpected sources, like YFN Lucci‘s lawyer, who called the RICO case against Thug “racist.” The latest of Thug’s peers to weigh in on the ongoing case is The Game. The Compton rapper appeared on Complex with Speedy Morman where he discussed a number of topics, including the case against Young Thug and YSL Records and the use of lyrics as evidence in it.

“I think it’s bullsh*t,” he said, with no equivocation. “Because when Sylvester Stallone plays Rambo, and he’s shooting up motherf*ckers, get in trouble in real life, they not gon’ bring up Rambo 1 through 5, and be like, ‘You’ve been violent your whole career.’ It’s entertainment. And these days, a lot of rappers are cappin’ in their music — I’m not saying that Gunna and Thug are — … but there needs to be a law passed where they cannot use rappers’ “entertainment” lyrics in a court case.”

There’s good news for him on that front; the state of New York is getting nearer to passing a law limiting the use of lyrics in criminal trials — and others, from Jay-Z to Bobby Shmurda, support its adoption nationwide.

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

Lil Baby Says Young Thug Is ‘In Great Spirits’ Despite Being Denied Bail In The YSL RICO Case

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Young Thug has had a rough go of it in recent weeks. He was arrested and charged as part of a huge criminal conspiracy involving his Atlanta-based crew, YSL (Young Slime Life), and label, YSL (Young Stoner Life) Records, along with 27 others, including labelmates Gunna and Yak Gotti. Prosecutors called him one of the group’s commanders along with Gunna, despite mostly having lyrics by way of evidence. A search of his home yielded additional charges, though, and last week, a judge denied him bond, citing flight risk and potential witness tampering.

In spite of all that, though, Thug seems optimistic, according to one of his Atlanta-based contemporaries. Lil Baby, who has previously said he owes his entire rap career to Thug’s encouragement (and generous payments, which convinced Lil Baby to leave the trap behind for good), tweeted that he was recently in touch with his former benefactor and has good news to report. “I talked to @youngthug,” he wrote. “He in great spirits.” Unfortunately, he didn’t — and probably couldn’t — say much more than that, but it’s nice to hear that being stuck in jail hasn’t brought the “Ski” rapper down too much.

Meanwhile, the Fulton County District Attorney’s office has drawn criticism for its use of lyrics as evidence of crimes. Even rival rapper YFN Lucci’s lawyer called the application of the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act “racist,” despite those lyrics also suggesting that Thug had Lucci’s mother shot. That’s solidarity.

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

The Kid Rock Apology Lightning Round: Oprah (No Apology), Joy Behar (No Apology), Kathie Lee Gifford (Apology… Kind Of)

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Apparently, Kid Rock and Tucker Carlson aren’t done bro-ing out. The two appeared in a new episode of Tucker Carlson Originals on Fox Nation where the rocker doubled down on his 2019 drunken on-stage rant that infamously blew up on TMZ. While Rock refused to apologize for the part of the tirade that targeted Oprah Winfrey, and Joy Behar, he did admit to feeling bad about including Kathie Lee Gifford because, as it turns out, that last part was an honest (drunken) (kind of hilarious) mistake. In Rock’s defense, Gifford’s name does sound a little similar to his intended target. (Again, kind of.)

Via Entertainment Weekly:

“I was trying to go after Kathy Griffin you know, for holding up Trump’s head, but I’m so out of it I’m like ‘f— Kathie Lee Gifford.’” he said. “When it comes back on TMZ or whatever a few weeks later I’m like ‘oh man, I like Kathie Lee Gifford.’ We’ve been kind of friendly throughout the years… now I feel a little bad.”

Rock did not reveal whether he apologized to Gifford for the mix-up or not, but his declaration that “I don’t apologize to anybody” doesn’t bode well. In fact, Rock still seems proud of the whole thing.

“A drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts, I own what I said,” Rock told Carlson. Like he said in the on-stage rant, he’s just a “cowboy” and a “honest guy,” and if a few names get mixed up when he’s had a few too many, them’s the breaks, apparently.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Skylar Grey Had To Sell The Rights To Her Music, Including The Eminem Collaborations, Due To Her Divorce

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Skylar Grey has been part of some of the biggest songs of the past two decades: She sang and/or co-wrote Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love The Way You Lie,” Diddy’s “Coming Home,” Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go” (as Holly Brook), and Zedd and Foxes’ “Clarity” (which Grey co-wrote but did not sing on). Now, though, she has no legal ownership over those songs: In a recent interview, Grey revealed she had to sell the rights to her catalogue due to a long and draining divorce.

Grey told Variety:

“Since 2017, I was going through a divorce and lawsuit that was just wrecking me emotionally and financially. This past year, 2021, we finally resolved it, settled. I had to sell my catalog in order to afford the settlement, which was very sad in a way, because those songs, like ‘Love The Way You Lie’ and ‘Coming Home,’ those are my babies. But at the same time, nobody can tell me I didn’t write those songs just ’cause I don’t own the rights to them anymore. I didn’t want to sell them, but it was my only way to put the past behind me.”

She added of the songs, “They’re still near and dear to my heart and yeah, I will always treasure them, but it’s different now. Every time one of those songs get used in a movie or whatever, I don’t see any of that money anymore. But unfortunately, the majority of what I got paid for my catalog went to taxes and my ex-husband [laughs]. It’s like your life’s work, and then suddenly it’s like, ‘OK, I’ve got to give the majority of this away.’ But that was my only option. Luckily, I had the option of doing something like that, otherwise I may not have gotten out of the case.”

Read the full interview here.

Kanye West Reportedly Breaks Up With Kim Kardashian Lookalike Chaney Jones

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In the midst of Kanye West’s extended divorce from Kim Kardashian, fans were intrigued to note that one of the two women Kanye publicly dated during that time was a dead ringer for socialite turned mogul Kanye was splitting up with. Kanye’s new boo was a model named Chaney Jones, and for all intents, it appeared the two were dating seriously (whatever that meant for Kanye’s insistence that he wanted to save his marriage).

Well, it appears that this relationship is also now kaput. TMZ reports that “sources connected to the former duo” confirmed that they called it quits after a trip to Japan. Meanwhile, Kanye was recently seen at a showing of Top Gun: Maverick (seriously, it looks like everyone has seen that movie at this point) sitting with another woman. Prior to dating Jones, Kanye very publicly courted actress Julia Fox — in fact, the transition between the two was so abrupt that some fans were sure there was some overlap. Maybe Kanye just moves fast.

What this means for Ye’s state of mind is anyone’s guess. Is he finally moving on or actually avoiding doing so by cycling through companions so quickly? And who is this new woman taking in movies with the Donda 2 producer? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Masked Wolf Gives An Intense ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’ Performance On ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Three years ago today (June 7), Australian rapper Masked Wolf posted his breakout single “Astronaut In The Ocean” to SoundCloud, kicking off the song’s ascent to chart dominance and near-ubiquity thanks to its popularity on TikTok. Naturally, we couldn’t let Wolf hang out at Uproxx Studios without securing a performance of the track for UPROXX Sessions — and what better time to release it than on the song’s third anniversary?

Showing some love to Los Angeles with a designer Dodgers hat and a black-on-black Essentials hoodie, Masked Wolf raps the anxiety-laden lyrics directly to the camera, displaying all the charismatic intensity that has made him a star and that turned “Astronaut” into a sleeper hit.

Since its original release in 2019, “Astronaut In The Ocean” was re-released by Elektra Records on its second anniversary, climbing to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and received numerous awards nominations in Masked Wolf’s homeland, including Song of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release and Breakthrough Artist at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards.

Watch Masked Wolf’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Astronaut In The Ocean” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

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

Lil Wayne Replaces Migos On The 2022 Governors Ball Line-Up Amid Migos Breakup Rumors

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Lil Wayne is set to take the stage at Governors Ball in New York City this weekend. He will be taking the slot previously occupied by rap trio Migos. (Furthermore, it was also just announced that this year’s festival will be livestreamed on Twitch, via the official Governors Ball channel.)

This news comes amid rumors of Migos breaking up, after fans noticed Migos member Offset and his wife, Cardi B, unfollowed fellow Migos members Quavo and Takeoff on Instagram last month. Also last month, Quavo and Takeoff released a song called “Hotel Lobby” under the moniker Unc And Phew.

When asked by a TMZ paparazzo if the breakup rumors were true, Quavo appeared to dodge the question.

Later that month, DJ Akademics also spoke with TMZ, claiming he has recently spoken with Offset and doesn’t believe a breakup is underway.

“They might be going through a small disagreement or whatever,” said Akademics. “I think that they’re angling it because, you know, Takeoff and Quavo just put out a song, so they’re kind of letting it lie, letting the questions linger or something like that… But at the end of the day, they’re family. Offset confirmed that to me, too… Come on, I just can’t see a gangster group — like, the only sign of trouble is them hitting unfollow.”

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

Bad Bunny And Tyler The Creator Headline Made In America Festival’s Incredible 2022 Lineup

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Tyler The Creator and Bad Bunny are set to headline the 2022 edition of Made In America, alongside an impressive selection of international stars. The festival returns to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on Labor Day Weekend, September 3-4 with Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, Burna Boy, Snoh Aalegra, Kodak Black, Pusha T, Lil Tjay, Tate Mcrae, Fuerza Regida, Toro Y Moi, Babyface Ray, Key Glock, Larry June, Rels B, Victoria Monet, Chimbala, Ryan Castro, and more. Passes and more information are available at madeinamericafest.com/.

Made In America celebrated its tenth-anniversary last year with headliners Justin Bieber and Lil Baby, although technically, the tenth event will be this year due to 2020’s COVID-related cancelation.

It’s shaping up to be a pretty stacked summer for music festivals, as Day N Vegas also announced its lineup today featuring headliners J. Cole, SZA, and Travis Scott, who is returning after a months-long hiatus after his own Astroworld Festival in 2021 ended with 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries. We’ve already seen The Roots Picnic this month, while HARD Summer and iHeartRadio are set to take place later in the year. If you’re any kind of music fan, you’ll certainly have plenty of opportunities to catch your faves live at some point — if you can decide which one of the dozen or so fests coming this year you want to spring for.

SZA Hints That She’ll Be Dropping Multiple Unreleased Songs From The ‘Ctrl’ Sessions This Week

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Now that Kendrick Lamar has ended his five-year album hiatus with the release of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, we can devote our thirst and full attention to another TDE Records artist who is approaching the five-year mark: SZA. This Thursday, June 9th, will mark the five-year anniversary of when the “Love Galore” singer dropped her breakthrough album, Ctrl, and SZA has hinted that she’s ready to share a batch of unreleased tunes from that era to celebrate the occasion.

In a Monday tweet, SZA posted simply, “Unreleased songs from 2017 to celebrate 5 .. me thinks .” Hmm…ok. This would be a nice little precursor to a supposed new album this summer. At the Met Gala in early May, SZA told Vogue that, “The album’s finally ready to go — more than I’ve ever felt before. So this summer, it’ll be a SZA summer.” A drop of tracks from the Ctrl sessions would be like putting on a fresh coat of sunscreen before it gets really hot.

Meanwhile, SZA is set to make a slew of festival appearances this summer. Earlier today, she was just announced as a headliner for the Day N Vegas festival in September with J Cole and Travis Scott. She’s also atop the bill at San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival in August with Green Day and Post Malone.

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

Mount Westmore Releases Their Album ‘Bad MFs’ On Gala Music’s Metaverse

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Mount Westmore, the supergroup consisting of California rap pioneers E-40, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Too Short, has released their debut album, Bad MFs, but there’s a catch: Right now, it only exists in the metaverse. The album can be streamed on the blockchain-based platform Gala Music for a limited time, then it will be given a traditional release. The group premiered the project at Gala Music’s Galaverse event in Malta, dropping an introductory video to announce its release.

The album’s release could provide a clue about Snoop Dogg’s plans to bring the Death Row Records catalog, which he recently acquired, to the metaverse. Shortly after he secured the label and its music, Snoop said he wanted to make Death Row the “first NFT label” and this could be what he means.

Mount Westmore kicked their album’s rollout in the spring of 2021, when they announced their union’s official title during E-40 and Too Short’s Verzuz battle, where they also debuted their first group single, “Big Subwoofer.” They followed up the video for the single in October of 2021, then kept the ball rolling with the “Bad MFs” video in March this year.

Bad MFs is out now via Gala Music. Check out the tracklist below.

01. “California”
02. “Mount Westmore Pt.1”
03. “Ghetto Gutter”
04. “Sinister Slap”
05. “Activated”
06. “Too Big”
07. “Tribal”
08. “Aim Squeeze Bust”
09. “Bad MFs”
10. “Big Sub Woofer”
11. “Free Game”
12. “Lace You Up”
13. “Have A Nice Day (F*ck You)”
14. “I Quit”