Before he was an internationally famous rap star, Drake got his foot in the door of the entertainment industry as an actor. Well, it’s been a while since he’s pulled those skills out of his bag of tricks with his last non-music video credit coming in 2012 (a cameo in Anchorman 2 as “Soul Brother”). However, fans apparently nearly got to see him on the big screen as a superhero, if character designer Jared Krichevsky is to be believed.
Over the weekend, Krichevsky posted a mock-up of Drake as Justice League character Cyborg, which he says was a concept for a TV series about the half-man-half-machine former football star turned superhero. “They wanted to cast Drake at one point,” he explained.
It isn’t terribly surprising that the series concept fell through. After all, hundreds of shows are conceived and pitched without even making it to a pilot, let alone actually onto TV, and setting sights on such a big name to lead the show likely brought up all kinds of issues with budget and schedule. Again, Drake’s a huge music star who would have wanted to be properly compensated and most networks just aren’t shelling out that kind of dough for new shows — even ones with recognizable faces like his.
Besides, what with Drake recording new albums and feature verses for friends like Future, showing up at NBA Playoff games to heckle players, and participating in his own homegrown hoop league (not to mention touring), Drake doesn’t exactly have time for much world-saving. Still, somewhere out there in the multiverse, there’s a version of Drake blasting aliens with his sonic cannon alongside a Black Lightning played by Future and that’s a world I wouldn’t mind seeing.
More “Good Days” may soon be upon us: At last night’s Met Gala, SZA mentioned that her much-anticipated sophomore album is complete and its release is imminent.
When speaking with Vogue, SZA said, “The album’s finally ready to go — more than I’ve ever felt before. So this summer, it’ll be a SZA summer.”
SZA’s upcoming album will be her first release since her debut album CTRL, which dropped in 2017. She first gave us a taste of a new era back in 2020, with The Neptunes-produced “Hit Different,” which featured Ty Dolla Sign. On Christmas Day of that year, she surprised fans with a single called “Good Days.” Since then, fans have been eagerly waiting for a new full-length project.
Also coming soon is SZA’s Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming fourth and final album on the label, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, which is set for release on May 13. If Top Dawg’s release schedule parallels that of 2017, SZA’s album could follow shortly after.
In addition to new music, SZA will perform at the Outside Lands festival this August. Perhaps we’ll get new music ahead of her performance. She also teased an acting role earlier this year, but has not confirmed the character or the film to which she is attached.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
There is, at the moment, perhaps no flutist more famous (at least in mainstream music) than Lizzo. She’s happy to bust out the instrument any chance she gets and she found plenty of opportunity last night while walking the red carpet at this year’s Met Gala. As Lizzo entered the event, she periodically took a moment to bust out some notes for delighted onlookers.
As for her look, she broke it down a little bit in a quick Variety red carpet interview, revealing her coat took “22,000 hours” to make and that her flute of the day was rare and worth $55,000.
Vogue notes Lizzo’s Thom Browne-designed outfit featured “an ornate black cape detailed with golden vine embroidery” that was “worn over a black corseted dress with a skirt held together by garters.” Meanwhile, Classic FM reports the flute is called The Dryad’s Touch and is made out of 18 karat green gold. They also note that Lizzo was playing the opening lines of French composer Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune.
Lizzo also shared some posts from the event, including a video of her playing the flute, which she captioned, “Y’all I was gonna play Debussy but I got nervous.”
Check out Lizzo’s posts below.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Come this Friday, Jack Harlow’s new album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, will be out in the world. And ever since he appeared on Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby,” Harlow has been continuously raising the bar in promoting the heck out of this wildly-anticipated album. While we haven’t gotten a full tracklist yet, the first single, “Nail Tech,” was a total heater, but Harlow said it was his “least favorite song on the album.” Single number two was “First Class,” and it netted Harlow his first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. And while Harlow is also getting his own KFC menu and an official “Jack Harlow Day” in his native Louisville, what he did today might just top everything.
Pandering to nostalgia is totally ok in our book and in a new teaser clip that Harlow tweeted out today, we see none other than ’90s mega-crush, Topanga Lawrence, from Boy Meets World, making an appearance. The creepy video sees Topanga (Danielle Fishel) driving through an LA street on a Halloween afternoon looking like she’s gonna completely lose her sh*t as her unsuspecting kids chill in the back of her black-on-black Range Rover.
Harlow tweeted out the clip saying just, “Friday,” and as the 48 second clip comes to a close, we see the words “Come Home The Kids Miss You May 6th” on the screen. Could this be a vignette to a new music video? Never mind that Harlow isn’t old enough t0 have watched Boy Meets World when it first aired (he was born in 1998 and the show ended its seven-year run in 2000), but the influence of Topanga is eternal. Your move Jack… we’ll be waiting.
Watch Jack Harlow’s teaser clip feature Danielle Fishel above.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Florida rapper Rod Wave has reportedly been arrested in his home state and charged with battery by strangulation, according to XXL based on Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online records. As of press time, he was still in custody and awaiting arraignment (meaning he has yet to go before a judge to enter a plea or have bail determined). Understandably, details are limited, but may be forthcoming. Stay tuned.
The timing is certainly inopportune. The breakout crooner had just announced the title and release date of his fourth studio album, Beautful Mind, over the weekend. Due June 3 on Alamo Records, the project will be Rod’s fourth in as many years beginning in 2019 with Ghetto Gospel. In 2020, he followed up with Pray 4 Love, which was warmly received, landing at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Then, in 2021, he improved on that showing with Soulfly, which ended its first week at No. 1 on the chart.
Although the St. Petersburg rapper was mostly radio silent in the year since releasing Soulfly, he has kept his buzz alive with a few new singles, including “Nirvana,” which he had to clarify after some fans interpreted it as a possible suicide note, and “Cold December,” his first single of 2022.
After executive producing Kanye West’s latest, as-yet-mostly-unavailable-for-purchase-or-streaming album Donda 2, Future is riding high on the success of his own new album, I Never Liked You. Now, Kanye is returning the favor by co-designing a new line of merchandise inspired by Future’s album and its extremely laid-back cover art.
In addition to illustrated apparel bearing an image reminiscent of the hype single, “Worst Day,” the collection includes hoodies and hats emblazoned with the title and Future’s Freebandz logo, a face mask similar to the ones Kanye’s been sporting at his public appearances these days, and yes, a maroon silk sleep mask like the one Future wears on the cover of I Never Liked You. There’s also a sweatshirt with a screenshot from the video for Future and Kanye’s collab from the album, “Keep It Burnin.”
While he’s already riding high on the release and set to easily dethrone Pusha T from the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, Future also recently released a deluxe edition of the album featuring five new songs, including guest appearances from 42 Dugg, Babyface Ray, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and Young Scooter. You can check out the album here and take a look at the new merch here.
The Weeknd has been riding a wave of momentum since the January release of Dawn FM, but took a moment this weekend to reach further back into his past and offer praise to longtime collaborator Ariana Grande. “I’ve seen Ariana work in real time. That woman is a BEAST on pro tools,” he tweeted, piggybacking on talented producer Kenny Beats’ call for more discussion of women producers just several hours prior.
Weeknd and Grande have previously joined forces on the “Save Your Tears” remix, “Off The Table,” and “Love Me Harder,” so his familiarity with her abilities should come as no shock. The Positions artist is often just acknowledged for her vocal talent and acting career, thus learning she knows her way around Pro Tools as well only adds to her repertoire.
i’ve seen Ariana work in real time. That woman is a BEAST on pro tools https://t.co/o8S6IUwaDI
Beats’ original tweet highlighted Grande’s knack at comping vocals with 100 stacks, Rosalía’s engineering, King Princess’ versatility with instruments, and Doja Cat’s production. King Princess expressed her appreciation for the recognition from someone of his stature, echoing the sentiment that women along with LGBTQ+ and POC artists are regularly overlooked when it comes to production.
love you @kennybeats and it’s rad to have people like you big upping people like us. It’s easy to forget that ARTISTS, and especially women, lgbtq+ and poc artists put work in at the studio and often get overlooked as producers.
Once upon a time, back before we all had supercomputers in our pockets but after video killed the radio star, the place to go to learn more about the then-nascent music and culture of hip-hop was Yo! MTV Raps (at least for those of us outside the New York tri-state area). Airing in the US from 1988 to 1995, the two-hour video block was the first of its kind on the network, airing rap videos, interviews with rappers, and in-studio performances. It was the first time many folks outside of urban America got to see the exciting new art form as it gained in popularity and power.
With the exception of a few anniversary shows, the block has been off the air for over 25 years. However, that’s soon to change thanks to the new streaming service Paramount+, which is relaunching the show with battle rapper/MTV fixture Conceited as the host alongside DJ Diamond Kuts. Like its predecessor, the show revival is set to feature interviews, performances, and, perhaps inspired by the original show’s legendary final episode, live ciphers from some of hip-hop’s hottest rising stars.
The show will premiere on May 24 with Freddie Gibbs and will air weekly, with future takeovers from Latto, Saba, JID, Shenseea, Tee Grizzley, IDK, and Trina. According to Complex, more stars including Baby Tate, Just Blaze, and Maino will appear throughout the season. In addition, Paramount+ will feature archived episodes from the show’s original run alongside past episodes of VH1’s Behind The Music and another pivotal MTV staple, Unplugged.
Check out the trailer for the return of Yo! MTV Raps above.
This month’s slate of Artists To Watch is especially eclectic and positively fire. Follow along as we jump from dynamic British afrobeats and the next rapper about to take over, to an indie band on repeat, real Brazilian sh*t, and more. These are the artists to watch for in May. And this is On The Up.
Obongjayar
The Nigerian-born, London rapper came firmly into focus last year on Little Simz’s track “Point And Kill.” But it was on the first single from his upcoming album, “Message In A Hammer,” (with one of the best videos of last year) where we get to witness the menacing, raspy-tongued rapper establishing his piercing singular vision. A dynamic MC, he fuses British rap and afrobeats with a silky vocal delivery that touches newfound forms of R&B. On “Try,” the whole range of his voice — from a fine-grain sandpaper flow to his sweet coo over atmospheric production — is on full display. His debut, Some Nights I Dream of Doors, is due out on May 13th.
Momma
While Momma’s third LP (and first since signing with Polyvinyl Records), Household Name, isn’t out until July 1st, the singles that the Brooklyn alt-indie band has released leading up to it oughta be living on repeat in your speakers. Led by Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, Momma has heavy vibes of The Breeders, with the vocalist pair complementing each other a la Kim and Kelley Deal. They supported Wet Leg on their sold-out tour earlier this year and will be joining Snail Mail for theirs in August. But we can’t say enough about how sticky Momma’s first three singles are. They channel ’90s nostalgia in a decidedly of-the-moment package, like on “Speeding 72” when they sing, “You can catch us around, Listening to “Gold Soundz”. Keep me in your car,” before a harmonic guitar riff takes the melody into space.
Domi & JD Beck
The future is here. Domi & JD Beck are two jazz prodigies signed to Anderson .Paak’s Apeshit label, who are starting to build some serious buzz. They backed Thundercat and Ariana Grande’s version of “Them Changes” at the 2020 Adult Swim Festival, sat in with the legendary Herbie Hancock at the Hollywood Bowl last year, co-wrote Silk Sonic’s “Skate,” and their debut album is due out later this year on Apeshit and Blue Note Records. The 21-year-old Domi plays keys, is French, and sports blonde pigtails that flap in unison with her hypnotic fingers tickling the ivories. At 18, the shaggy-haired JD Beck plays drums like he’s possessed by Gregory Coleman, and puts down some of the most dizzying snare work you’ve ever heard. They just dropped their debut single, “Smile,” which features .Paak, Thundercat, and Mac DeMarco in the hilarious video. The visual is a prime example of how they infuse child-like fun into complete and utter mastery of their instruments and it’s them who will surely continue to spread the gospel of real next-level jazz music to future generations.
Sessa
In 2019, Brazilian singer and multi-instrumentalist emerged as a unique talent in the shape of the bossanova and tropicalia greats like Caetano Veloso, João Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. His debut album, Grandeza, presented gorgeously-woven poetic expressions of love that only Brazilians are capable of articulating. Now he’s signed to Mexican Summer for the June 24th release of Estrela Acessa and the lead single, ”Gostar Do Mundo,” is a globally-minded declaration of otherworldly desire. Alongside a gentle guitar, Brazilian percussion, and female backing singers, he swoons, “Chega mais pra cá, moço lindo desse lugar. Vem me namorar, sabe o mundo vai acabar”. (translation: “Come closer, good looking man from this place. Come nestle up against me, because the world is ending you know.”) This is the stuff right here.
Doechii
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) has been notoriously insular in thrusting forward the career of artists from Kendrick Lamar to SZA. But when the venerable hip-hop label announced a new partnership with Capitol Records last month, Doechii was at the center of it. The Tampa rapper is here to usher in the next movement of the TDE roster and she’s come out with a serious bang. The absolutely bonkers (and NSFW) video for “Crazy” feels like it’s floating fiercely over an OG Timbaland beat (it’s actually produced by Kal Banx.) On “Persuasive,” she flashes a silkier side of herself, one that’s indulgent and coyly extravagant. No word yet on an album release, but don’t be sleeping on Doechii.
Doechii is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music.
Pusha T took to Instagram this past Sunday evening to celebrate as his latest album, It’s Almost Dry, earned the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Over audio of the track “Let The Smokers Shine The Coupes,” the 44-year-old posted a moving graphic displaying the album’s accomplishments with various photos of himself in the background. In the caption, he started, “We all can’t be number 1 at the same time, this week it’s mine… [sunglasses emoji].”
He also thanked and tagged executive producers Pharrell and Kanye West; manager Steven Victor and his staff; Tunji Balogun and the entire Def Jam label; featured artists such as Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lil Uzi Vert, and many more who played a part in his fourth solo album. Pusha also shouted out his wife Virginia Thornton, son Nigel Brixx Thornton, and paid homage to his late parents.
This marks the Virginia rapper’s first No. 1 album after over twenty years in the game, starting as one half of the duo Clipse alongside Malice (formerly known as No Malice, also featured on It’s Almost Dry) before going solo. It’s Almost Dry debuted with 55,000 album units sold, 45,500 of which are streaming equivalent album units in addition to 9,000 pure sales.
Prior to It’s Almost Dry, his 2018 LP Daytona earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, and Pusha was also featured on West’s “Mercy,” nominated for Best Rap Song in 2013.
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
(@SZACRAVE) 
