Home Page

Kodak Black Is All Over Kendrick Lamar’s New Album ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ And People Have Thoughts

by
kodak black
Getty Image

As expected, Kendrick Lamar’s fifth album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers arrived on Friday night. What was unexpected is the music, content, and some of the guest appearances found throughout the project’s 18 songs. Features from the likes of rap legend Ghostface Killah, fellow West Coaster Blxst, cousin and frequent collaborator as-of-late Baby Keem, and PgLang labelmate Tanna Leone were the expected or not-so-surprising contributors to the album. However, appearances from the likes of Summer Walker may have been a bit shocking, but none more than the multiple appearances that Kodak Black made on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

Kodak Black can be found on three songs from Kendrick’s new album: “Worldwide Steppers,” “Rich (Interlude),” and “Savior.” On “Worldwide Steppers,” which caused some reactions for its own separate reasons, Kodak offers a quick introduction. On “Rich (Interlude),” he delivers a spoken word over sporadic piano keys. Finally, on “Silent Hill,” he steps in for a rap verse after Kendrick delivers one of his own.

Considering Kendrick’s high and practically unblemished status in music and Kodak’s past filled with controversial statements, sexual assault accusations, and run-ins with the law, the rappers’ collaborations on the album had a lot of people talking. Fans of Kodak were excited to see him stand in a bigger spotlight while others were not too pleased with one, never mind three appearances from him on the album.

You can hear the three songs that Kodak Black appears on in the videos above and check for comments from fans below.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out now via PgLang/TDE/Aftermath/Interscope. You can stream it here.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Worldwide Steppers’ Left Fans Perturbed As He Oddly Confessed To Having Sex With White Women

by
Kendrick-Lamar.jpg
Philip Cosores

The five-year drought for a new album from Kendrick Lamar came to an end tonight as he returned with Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The project was made available with 18 songs and features from Blxst, Amand Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, Baby Keem, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons of Portishead. While the music world was impressed and pumped with excitement after Kendrick prefaced the project with “The Heart Part 5,” the actual music on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers couldn’t be more of the opposite. An example comes on “Worldwide Steppers.”

The track is a two-part effort, and in the first half of the song, Kendrick unloads a spiraling and erratic confession about the first and second times he had sex with a white woman. He raps, “The first time I f*cked a white b*tch, I was sixteen at the Palisades, fumblin’ my grades.” Later in that verse, he adds, “Next time I f*cked a white b*tch, was out in Copenhagen / Good Kid, M.A.A.D City tour, I flourished on them stages.” He continues by mentioning his longtime partner Whitney Alford. “Whitney asked did I have a problem,” he raps. “I said, ‘I might be racist’ / Ancestors watchin’ me f*ck was like retaliation.”

The entire verse was jarring to say the least, as were other moments on the album. Fans felt the same way and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

You can listen to “Worldwide Steppers” in the video above and see comments from fans about the song below.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out now via PgLang/TDE/Aftermath/Interscope. You can stream it here.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Mark Ronson And Lucky Daye Premiere A Groovy New Collaboration, ‘Too Much’

by

Just months after dropping his highly acclaimed sophomore album, Candydrip, Lucky Daye has teamed up with Mark Ronson for a groovy new collab. On their single, “Too Much,” Lucky provides his sugary vocals, desiring an adventurous night with over a funky, jazzy Ronson-produced beat.

Lucky’s voice syncs perfectly with Ronsons’ thumping drums and intoxicating horns. “We’re just catching up to time,” he sings. “Let’s do too much, Something that we never tried, we never tried.”

Ronson and Lucky have previously collaborated on “Fly” from the 2019 Spies In Disguise soundtrack. For their most recent collab, the two teamed up with Audemars Piquet for their Syncing Sounds series, where they can be seen building “Too Much” from scratch.

“When I’m in the room with [Ronson], he doesn’t have to keep reminding me that he’s a legend, and I don’t even have to remind myself,” Lucky said. “I can literally vibe, and we vibe like it’s nothing, and every time we work, it’s just easy flowing.”

Ronson didn’t share an update in regards to an upcoming album, however, he recently revealed via Instagram that he is working on a book about his teens and his early 20s as a hip-hop DJ in New York City.

“It’s the story of an undocumented era before smartphones and VIP booths when ascending hip-hop moguls, artists, hustlers, models, posers, dancers and hard-working 9 to 5’ers all rubbed shoulders with each other in the club,” said Ronson in a post. “At that moment, New York was still the center of the music game and in the land of Biggie, Wu-Tang and Tribe, we celebrated them every night.”

Check out “Too Much” above.

Davido Is An Impenetrable Force On The Glorious ‘Stand Strong’ With The Samples

by

This fall will mark two years since Davido released his sophomore album A Better Time. The project, which was a follow-up to his 2019 debut A Good Time came complete with 17 songs and features from fellow afrobeats artists Mayorkun, Tiwa Savage, Ckay, Sauti Sol, and more, as well as hip-hop R&B acts like Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Nas, and others. With the 2020 project, it was clear that Davido’s mainstream crossover was in full effect and it was something that was proven time and time again after the arrival of A Better Time through stateside collaborations, late-night TV performances, and more.

However, all of that is in the past now as Davido prepares to release his upcoming third album. There isn’t a title for the project yet, but we’ve received the first taste of Davido’s upcoming body of work through his new single “Stand Strong.” It’s a triumphant effort that captures Davido beside The Samples, a choir that adds a glorious touch to the song. The new record is also produced by Nigerian singer-producer Pheelz, who is having a big moment of his own with “Finesse” featuring following Nigerian singer BNXN fka Buju.

You can enjoy Davido’s new song in the video above.

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

Kendrick Lamar Releases ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,’ Ending A Five-Year Wait For A New Album

by
Kendrick Lamar 'Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers' cover
PgLang/Aftermath/TDE/Interscope

The music world has missed Kendrick Lamar. Sure, we’ve been doing alright with various releases from the industry’s heavyweights like J. Cole, Drake, Kanye West, Young Thug, Future, Taylor Swift, and more, as well as newcomers who have provided something new and refreshing to the world. Prior to last fall, Adele was seemingly the long superstar who went longer than Kendrick without a new album, but even she returned in November with 30. Ever since Kendrick stamped himself as not only the next great rapper but the next great artist overall, his full-length releases grab the attention of the world and it’s something that will happen again with his newly-released long-awaited fifth album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

There are a few things to keep in mind with Kendrick’s new album, which was prefaced by the impressive “The Heart Part 5.” Aside from what the project adds to his undeniable legacy, it will also be his last official release on Top Dawg Entertainment, a label he’s called home since 2004. There’s no telling what Kendrick’s next step will be, heck, it took us over four years to find out what it would be following Damn. One thing we do know is that Kendrick’s journey will most likely continue under PgLang, a creative agency that he founded with his longtime partner and former TDE co-president Dave Free. PgLang is also home to Baby Keem and newly-signed act Tanna Leone.

But enough about the future, let’s enjoy the present. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out now and there will mostly be so much to enjoy with it. It arrives with 18 songs and features from Blxst, Amand Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, Baby Keem, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons of Portishead. So grab a pair of headphones or turn on your speakers, and press play on an album that many of us have waited a long time to hear.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out now via PgLang/TDE/Aftermath/Interscope. You can stream it here.

Burna Boy Is The King Of His Castle In The Grandiose Video For ‘Last Last’

by

In 2019 and 2020, Burna Boy declared himself king of afrobeats with his fourth and fifth albums African Giant and Twice As Tall. For what it’s worth, the star Nigerian singer proved that he was worthy of the title with the projects. African Giant gave Burna worldwide recognition, together with the release of “Ye,” while the success of Twice As Tall was stepped after it gave Burna his first Grammy award. Nearly two years after he released the award-winning album, Burna is ready to bring things to a new level, and its starts with his new single, “Last Last.”

On the new record, Burna conquers heartbreak and reinforces the claim that he is the best of the best. The track also arrives with a grandiose video that captures him in a celebratory mood around friends as he flaunts his lavish mansion, flashy jewelry, and of course, his Grammy trophy. “Last Last” was released together with an announcement about Burna’s sixth album.

Love, Damini, with the latter word being the singer’s first name, will arrive on June 30. Burna first announced the project last month at his Madison Square Garden show where he became the first Nigerian singer to have a headlining performance at the legendary venue. Love, Damini will feature 19 songs including “Last Last” and the previously released “Kilometre.”

You can watch the video for “Last Last” above.

Love Damini is out 6/30 via Atlantic. You can pre-save it here.

Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Travis Scott Is Reportedly Being Sued For Wrongful Death Following A Woman’s Miscarriage

by
Travis Scott Astroworld 2021
Getty Image / Erika Goldring/WireImage

Last year’s disastrous Astroworld festival, helmed by Travis Scott, resulted in nearly 5,000 claims of injuries and 10 documented deaths. Several lawsuits have been filed against Scott and Live Nation, the lattermost produced the festival. In a recent lawsuit, a Dayton, Ohio woman named Shanazia Williamson is suing Scott, Live Nation, Scoremore Holdings, and ASM Global for wrongful death, following a miscarriage she experienced after attending the November festival.

Williamson claims she was trampled during a crowd surge at the show, which resulted in injuries to various parts of her body, including her shoulder, back, chest, leg, and stomach. In documents obtained by TMZ, Williamson alleges that the defendants’, “failure to plan, design, manage, operate, staff, and supervise the event was a direct and proximate cause of Shanazia’s injuries and death of her and Jarawd’s [her partner] unborn child.”

Amid the controversy, Scott will still perform at this year’s Billboard Music Awards. His performance, along with that of country singer Morgan Wallen, comes as a result of Diddy demanding the two be allowed to perform, in a motion to “uncancel the cancelled.”

“To have Morgan and Travis be able to come back and touch the stage again with the mindset of getting a second chance at life,” Diddy said to Billboard, “everybody in the room is getting a second chance at life because we’re back inside with no masks on.”

Metro Boomin Defends Young Thug After His RICO Arrest: ‘YSL Is Not A Gang And Never Been A Gang Fool’

by
Metro Boomin 2021 21 Savage Birthday
Getty Image

Monday night’s news of Young Thug and Gunna’s criminal charges came as a shock to the music world. The two rappers, along with 26 members of the former’s Young Stoner Life (YSL) label were charged with conspiracy to violate the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act in connection with additional crimes that include murder, armed robbery, and participation in criminal street gang activity. Thug was apprehended at his Georgia home on Monday night while Gunna turned himself in on Wednesday. The ordeal has left some to criticize the rappers while others have come to their defense. Metro Boomin, a frequent collaborator of Thug and Gunna, was one of the people to do the latter.

In a string of tweets, Metro Boomin defended Thug and the YSL collective. “YSL is not a gang and never been a gang fool, YSL is a registered LLC and has provided countless jobs and opportunities for underprivileged black people and really just all people cause that’s how big Thug heart is,” he wrote in one tweet. In another post, Metro said the situation was another example of an influential Black figure being brought down.

“They get terrified every time an iconic black leader emerges with so much influence, respect, power, and appeal so they throw some bullshit charges together to lock him up and slow the movement down,” he wrote. “Look at American history it’s been a pattern for 100+ years.” To conclude his message, Metro shared what he believes the rappers need. “These brothers need love, support, and prayer right now not jokes, criticism, or opinions,” he noted.

Metro’s tweets come after both Thug and Gunna were denied bond in their respective arrests.

You can view the full string of tweets from Metro Boomin below.

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

Selena Gomez And Post Malone Are Labeled As ‘Divas’ In An ‘SNL’ Promo

by

Two Texas favorites will be heading to Rockefeller Studios this weekend for Saturday Night Live. Selena Gomez will host Saturday’s episode for the first time, and Post Malone will perform. Ahead of the upcoming episode, Selena and Posty joined SNL cast members Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang for a promo video. In it, the two singers are labeled as “divas” while Posty, Bryant, and Yang inform Gomez that they sort of accidentally put ants into her pants.

Gomez’s appearance comes ahead of the premiere of season 2 of Only Murders In The Building, which streams on Hulu beginning June 28. A few weeks earlier, Malone will release his fourth studio album Twelve Carat Toothache on June 3.

Malone released Twelve Carat Toothache‘s lead single, “Cooped Up,” which features Roddy Rich. When speaking of the song, Malone told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, “The lyrics just came so quickly. We knew what we wanted to say and we knew what we wanted to express, not only in the song but in that particular moment on the album. And yeah, it just came super naturally. I couldn’t even tell you. I was probably on the sh*tter when I wrote it [laughs].”

Continuing on the album, Malone said Twelve Carat Toothache is “the most honest record I’ve made.”

Catch Selena Gomez and Post Malone on Saturday Night Live this Saturday at 11:30 p.m. EST.

Check out the promo above.

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

My Chemical Romance Returns With ‘The Foundations Of Decay,’ Their First Song In Eight Years

by

In October 2019, My Chemical Romance delivered exciting news to its fans. The band announced a reunion concert in Los Angeles, news that was shared six years after the band split in 2013. A short time later, the band announced their first North American tour in nearly a decade, a string of shows that they eventually had to postpone until this year. In the nine years since their band’s split and eventual reunion, My Chemical Romance only released one song, that being 2014’s “Fake Your Death.” At long last, that drought is now over as they return with “The Foundations Of Decay.”

The brash record clocks in at six minutes and it’s led by none other than the band’s longtime front vocalist Gerard Way. The record touches on the battles one faces in life and the scars it leaves you with. “The Foundations Of Decay” also mentions 9/11 through its lyrics, an event that inspired My Chemical Romance’s start in 2001. “And he was there, the day the towers fell / And so he wandered down the road,” Way sings. “And we would all build towers of our own / Only to watch the roots corrode / But it’s much too late / You’re in the race.”

My Chemical Romance dropped their record as they prepare to perform at a number of festivals in the coming weeks. The band is set to make appearances at Riot Fest, Firefly, and When We Were Young.

You can listen to “The Foundations Of Decay” in the video above.

My Chemical Romance is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.