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Coi Leray Reveals She Auditioned For A Role On ‘Euphoria’ And Wants To Try Again

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Coi Leray 2021 American Music Awards
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In the days leading up to the release of her debut album Trendsetter, rapper Coi Leray took some time to answer questions from fans on Twitter. During her Q&A session, the “Twinnem” rapper revealed she wants to break into the world of acting.

Specifically, she hopes to land a role on a hit HBO series in the near future. When Twitter user @CrealotBSB asked Leray “Would you ever get into acting?” she responded, “Yea I auditioned for Euphoria lol but i didn’t get the role !! But I wanna try again !!!”

Leray didn’t specify which role she auditioned for, however, if she were to book a role in the series’ third season, she would be another musician-turned-actor who landed their first major acting role on Euphoria, along with Dominic Fike.

Earlier in the session, Leray explained the meaning behind her album’s title.

“Trendsetter to me means being true to yourself!,” she said. “Having confidence already sets the trend !!! We alllllll Trendsetters if we put our mind to just being great !!!”

Also last night, Leray’s “Blick Blick” collaborator Nicki Minaj appeared on The Late Late Show‘s Carpool Karaoke segment. Minaj rapped the chorus, “Pop up on an opp and watch it blick blick” with host James Corden and hilariously explained what the word “opp” means.

Trendsetter is out 4/8 via Republic. Pre-save it here.

BIA Teases Her Next Single, A Surprising Collaboration With J Cole

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“Whole Lotta Money” rapper BIA has been receiving a lot of attention in the wake of her viral favorite single. The single not only caused some stores to sell out of the Bottega Veneta shoes she name-checks on the song but it was also one of the first songs Nicki Minaj blessed with a verse for its remix as she edged her way back into rap’s spotlight. BIA didn’t stop there; in the months since, she’s released more well-received singles including the G Herbo-featuring “Besito” and the MC Hammer-sampling “Can’t Touch This.”

Her next single has the potential to be her biggest to date, though. The Beantown rapper teased her next single, “London,” on Instagram, revealing an intriguing collaborator: none other than Dreamville founder J. Cole. Cole’s been on a mercenary streak of late that rivals his features run from 2020. He has raised eyebrows and boggled minds on tracks with both frequent collaborators like Wale (“Poke It Out“) and newcomers such as Benny The Butcher (“Johnny P’s Caddy“) and YG (“Scared Money” with Moneybagg Yo).

As with YG, a collaboration with BIA seems very left-field for Cole, but considering that his verse on “Scared Money” was one of his best-received ever, there’s a lot of reason to be hopeful for his “London” appearance. On the other hand, if BIA somehow issues a verse that manages to keep up with — let alone upstage — Cole, it could be her Nicki Minaj “Monster” moment, launching her to a new level of respect and popularity. Basically, it’s a win-win for the up-and-comer — and fans of hip-hop, in general.

“London” is due 4/8.

Years After Adele’s Legendary Cover, Nicki Minaj Finally Returns The Favor On ‘Carpool Karaoke’

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Last night, James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” segment returned to The Late Late Show after a two-year hiatus. Fans were elated to see Nicki Minaj as the first guest upon the segment’s return. During her slot, Minaj and Corden ran through her hits, including “Anaconda,” “Super Bass,” and “Starships.”

In true Minaj fashion, the rapper at one point spoke to Corden in a British accent, explaining that her music is “motivational speaking for the world.”

Corden tells her she sounds like Adele and asks if she’s seen the “Easy On Me” singer’s episode of “Carpool Karaoke” in which she raps Minaj’s verse of her Kanye West collaboration, “Monster.”

“I just loved it,” Minaj said of Adele’s 2016 segment. “She made me so, so happy. She embodied Nicki Minaj.”

The screen then cuts to Minaj rapping along to “Monster” as Adele’s 2016 clip appears on a split-screen. Corden and Minaj then proceed to sing Adele’s “Someone Like You,” Minaj showing off her vocal chops.

After bringing Adele’s “Monster” recreation full circle six years after the fact, Corden and Minaj rap along to Minaj’s collaboration with Coi Leray, “Blick Blick.”

“Pop up on an opp and watch it blick blick,” the two rap, before Minaj asks Corden “You have opps?” Corden replies “I don’t know what we’re talking about… what does opps mean? Opportunities?”

“Opposition,” Minaj explains. “Anybody that is opposing you in the world.”

Speaking of opps, Minaj revealed her struggles with anxiety, which, in part, is linked to criticism from her “opps” in real life.

“I don’t think it’s natural,” Minaj said. It’s not natural for a human being to always feel like everyone’s critiquing them. When I first came into the industry, I had this amazing sense of freedom, because nobody gave a sh*t about what I was doing. I could get away with doing anything and they’re just like, ‘Oh, haha! Nicki Minaj.’ And then it goes from that to the complete opposite where it’s like, if I blink my eye wrong, they’ll have a story made up about why I’ve blinked my eye that way.”

Later in the segment, Corden pulls out a clarinet from the backseat of the car. He asks Minaj, who played clarinet in middle school and high school, “Do you still got it?” Minaj then plays the theme to Jaws, and then the ad-libs to her 2018 hit “Chun Li.”

Check out the full video above.

Jay-Z And Jack White’s Unreleased Collaborations Might Actually Be Shared Someday

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A few years ago, Jay-Z and Jack White got together to collaborate on some music, which was ultimately not released (at least not by Jay-Z, as White re-worked at least one of the songs as a solo cut). Now, though, White says that music could actually come out at some point.

Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe recently, when asked about the Jay-Z collaboration, White responded (as NME notes):

“Yeah. That’s true, but it’s not me who doesn’t finish stuff. So it’s, uh… I’m not that guy. No, I’m just teasing. But I’m more the personality, like, I’ll be there tomorrow, you know. So it’s different working styles. So some of that stuff I think will see the light of day when those guys aren’t busy with other projects and stuff.”

He also noted it was fun working with Jay-Z, saying, “Yeah, it was. It’s so different, you know, because when I went into the studio with him, there was just one microphone which is, I kind of was [like] ‘Whoa, what? Where are the other microphones?’ But I was like, ‘Oh, wow, OK. Yeah, I guess why would you need another microphone?’ So yeah, it’s different worlds. And so Jay was learning about the way I did it and I was learning about the way he did it. That’s like seeing anybody use a method. And if you see anyone using any method, it’s really, really interesting.”

White and Jay-Z both have experience crossing over into each other’s music worlds: White collaborated with Beyoncé on the Lemonade cut “Don’t Hurt Yourself” while Jay-Z’s most notable foray into rock is 2004’s Collision Course, his collaborative EP with Linkin Park.

Earthgang Robs An Art Museum And Shows Off Their Stolen Goods In Their Mischievous ‘Billi’ Video

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Earthgang has been smooth sailing since they released their long-awaited sophomore album Ghetto Gods. In their continued effort to promote the project, the Atlanta rap duo returns with a new video for “Billi.” The track, which features a verse from fellow ATLien Future, is a standout from the project and the trio uses it to express their desire to be as rich as possible. In the song’s video, which dropped without Future’s presence in it, Earthgang robs an art museum with help from a few ladies. While the duo could just run off with their stolen goods, they decide to kick it in the museum and flaunt their acquisitions which include a shiny diamond and expensive artifacts.

The video for “Billi” arrives after Earthgang supplied visuals for other Ghetto Gods tracks like “Strong Friends,” “American Horror Story,” “Amen,” and “All Eyez On Me.” As for the album itself, Ghetto Gods features 17 songs and additional guest appearances from J. Cole, Ari Lennox, JID, Musiq Soulchild, Baby Tate, Nick Cannon, and more.

Earthgang’s new video was also released after they contributed three tracks — “Ghetto Gods Freestyle,” “Jozi Flows,” and “Everybody Ain’t Sh*t” — to Dreamville’s newly-released project, D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape.

You can watch the video for “Billi” above.

Ghetto Gods is out now via Dreamville and Interscope. You can stream it here.

Baby Tate is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kanye West Reportedly Walked Away From Over $8 Million By Dropping Out Of Coachella

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Next weekend, Coachella will hold its first festival since 2019 after the coronavirus pandemic canceled their 2020 and 2021 iterations. Kanye West, Billie Eilish, and Harry Styles were initially announced as headliners for the upcoming festival which will take over Indio, California during the weekends of April 15-17 and April 22-24. In normal times, Coachella would be conducting last-minute preparations to kick off the first of their two festival weekends, but a wrench was thrown into their plans when Kanye West dropped out earlier this week. This sent officials into a scramble to find a replacement, and luckily they were able to lock in The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia as the new headliners.

According to TMZ, Kanye West reportedly walked away from an $8 million payout by dropping out of Coachella. He also lost a $500,000 production fee by walking away from his headlining performances. For what it’s worth, Kanye is a billionaire so missing out on the 7-figure payment is most likely not that big of a concern for him. Thankfully for Coachella and all attendees, the situation has been fixed but it didn’t come without some tension during negations. Page Six, which sites a “music source,” says that The Weeknd threatened to also drop out as a headliner if he did not receive the same payment as Kanye.

“The Weeknd came in at short notice to take Kanye’s top spot. But Phil Anschutz [who owns the Coachella Festival through AEG Live] wanted to hold on to Kanye’s money and pay The Weeknd far less, just a few million,” the source told the publication. “The festival would pocket the rest […] Even after Coachella announced the new lineup on Wednesday, a deal wasn’t in place for The Weeknd, who threatened to pull out at an hour’s notice if he didn’t get the same deal as Kanye. Finally, on Wednesday — faced with the prospect of a second headline act pulling out of Coachella at the last minute — Anschutz’s company caved and agreed to pay the Weeknd the same money.”

Page Six notes that another source told them that Anschutz was not directly involved in negotiations to secure The Weeknd as a headliner.

French Montana Takes Over A New York City Subway In His ‘Push Start’ Video With Coi Leray And 42 Dugg

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French Montana concluded his 2021 year by releasing his fourth album They Got Amnesia. It stood as his first full-length release since 2019’s Montana which caused some controversy after he was accused of using fake streams to promote the album. This time with They Got Amnesia, things were a lot smoother, and months after the album’s release, French Montana is still in full promotion mode. Proof of that comes with his latest video for “Push Start.”

In his latest visual, which features appearances from Coi Leray and 42 Dugg who provide guest verses on the song, French Montana kicks things off by taking over a New York City subway with help from a cast of women. French lays his raps while the ladies twerk and have a blast behind him. Later on, French steps off the train to continue the party as Leray and 42 Dugg join him to rap their own verses.

The video for “Push Start” is the latest one that French has delivered for a song from They Got Amnesia. Prior to today, we received visuals for “How You King?,” “Handstand,” “Bag Season,” “Panicking,” “Business,” and “FWMGAB (Remix).”

You can watch the video for “Push Start” above.

They Got Amnesia is out now via Epic Records. You can stream it here.

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

Eminem, Drake, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, And More Had Their YouTube Accounts Hacked

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We’re about two weeks removed from Joyner Lucas’ Twitter rant where he dissed Lollapalooza and Machine Gun Kelly and later claimed that Russian hackers were to blame for the posts. Most people took Lucas’ claim as nothing more than a joke (which he later admitted through an apology). With that being said, there was actually a recent hacking in the music community and this one was no joke. According to HipHopDX, YouTube channels that belong to big-name acts like Eminem, Drake, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and more were hacked recently. On Tuesday, fans noticed that odd videos were being posted on the accounts and they took to social media to share their findings.

The videos have been removed from the artists’ accounts, but the unauthorized uploads had titles like “Free Paco Sanz (ft. Will Smith, Chris Rock, Skinny flex & Los Pelaos).” Paco Sanz is a Spanish swindler who was convicted of fraud a few months ago after he scammed numerous people after making them think he had a terminal sickness. As a result, Sanz, who most likely had nothing to do with the hacking, is set to spend the rest of his life in prison. Other artists like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Lil Nas X, and the late Michael Jackson also saw their YouTube accounts hacked with similar videos.

While YouTube has not spoken out about the matter yet, music video partner VEVO released a statement to address the incident. “Some videos were directly uploaded to a small number of Vevo artist channels earlier today by an unauthorized source,” they said to the New York Post. “All of those improperly uploaded videos have since been deleted by Vevo. No pre-existing content was accessible to the source. While the artist channels have been secured and the incident has been resolved, as a best practice Vevo will be conducting a review of our security systems.”

You can see some screenshots and videos of the hacked accounts above.

Coi Leray Plots A Collaboration With Pusha T To Appeal To Hip-Hop ‘Dinosaurs’ Who Don’t Like Her Music

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Of all the rap artists currently preparing to release new projects, the ones hip-hop fans might most be surprised to see collaborate would almost certainly be Coi Leray and Pusha T. They couldn’t be any more different if they tried; Coi Leray’s art for the upcoming Trendsetter is as bright and colorful as songs like “Blick Blick,” while Pusha T is pushing his forthcoming album It’s Almost Dry with dark, gritty fare such as “Diet Coke” and “Neck And Wrist.”

But after her appearance on New York City’s The Breakfast Club to promote Trendsetter, Coi says she’s planning to hunt down and work with the more serious-minded elder rapper after being told by the show’s hosts that her music isn’t for them. After Charlamagne the God told her, “I’m 43, I don’t think your music’s for me,” Coi called the hosts “dinosaurs” and joked that while she doesn’t listen to Pusha T herself, she’s more than willing to try to blend their audiences with a collaboration.

“Pusha-T, don’t hate me because I love you, but he’s stuck on you, Pusha-T,” she said. “And now I’m about to come collab with you, and we’re gonna go crazy.”

Watch Coi Leray’s full interview with The Breakfast Club above.

Wiz Khalifa, Big KRIT, Smoke DZA, And Girl Talk Party Like They Mean It In Their ‘Ain’t No Fun’ Video

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If ever there was an unexpected supergroup, it would be the unnamed team-up of mashup DJ Girl Talk with blog rap icons Big KRIT, Smoke DZA, and Wiz Khalifa. The group popped up from out of nowhere with their debut single “Put You On” in March, then continued their rollout with “How The Story Goes” a few weeks later. Today, they shared another party-ready anthem, “Ain’t No Fun,” along with a music video that captures the hedonistic spirit of the song.

Girl Talk explained the production philosophy behind “Ain’t No Fun” in a statement, calling it “a flip on the concept of Snoop’s original, kind of from the female perspective of the titular line. I wanted to keep the production diverse throughout the project, while still maintaining a cohesive feel. This beat stands out in the context of the album because it doesn’t have a sample and uses a more minimal style. But I thought that with some of the specific sound design and the overall energy, it really connected to the project as a whole.”

The project in question is Full Court Press, which is due on April 8 via Asylum.

Watch Wiz Khalifa, Big KRIT, Smoke DZA, and Girl Talk’s “Ain’t No Fun” video above.

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