Over the last couple years, the world of hard seltzer was exploding with new additions. It seemed like every time you turned around, another brand had launched their own version, including several celebrity-backed options. One of which was Travis Scott’s Cacti hard seltzer, which he announced last winter and we gave a full review of this summer. Up until the last few months, it seemed like the seltzer was just another extension of Travis’ many brand collabs, like his McDonalds deal or the merch that went along with it.
“After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer,” Anheuser-Busch said in a statement. “We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision.” Though asked directly if the decision was due to the events at Astroworld, the brewer declined to comment further, and so far, Scott hasn’t issued a comment about the decision either.
Though BTS was just beginning to break into the mainstream in America when Juice died, they’ve already collaborated with plenty of other pop stars, so it’s not the most unexpected thing in the world. Still, it’s a little bit more left-field than some of the straight-ahead rap features on the album, even if Suga is known for often launching into a rap verse in the middle of a BTS song, like he does on “Butter.” For their joint song on Fighting Demons, “Girl Of My Dreams,” Suga raps his verse in Korean, adding to the wistful mood Juice has already established. Check it out above.
“I’ve had my eyes on the Flatbush Zombies for sometime now,” RZA said in a statement. And when the RZA speaks, people listen. It’s hard to believe that the Brooklyn crew and the Staten Island producer had never linked in the past, given how Flatbush Zombies’ penchant for the macabre seems so aligned with RZA’s cinematic aesthetic. But now here they are, two NYC entities born in different eras, at the start of a new collaborative arc.
In the new “Plug Addicts” clip, the “glorious dead” Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice, Erick Arc Elliott, and The RZA are all dressed like Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs as they take turns dropping a verse. The video is sinister to say the least, and even culminates with RZA’s slasher re-enactment of Michael Madsen’s Mr. Blonde torture scene from the movie. They all play off of each other fluidly on the mic and the production sounds eerily similar to a certain project from the past. “Their style of dark hip hop lyricism is reminiscent of my days in the Gravediggaz,” RZA remarked about the Zombies. “This type of collaboration was overdue,”.
This is the first of their two singles, with another called “Quentin Tarantino” due on December 17th. Flatbush Zombies’ Eric Arc Elliott added some words on the collab:
“In a lot of ways I saw RZA in myself, as a fellow producer/artist. We are making history together at this very moment. The music he’s made over the course of his career had a lot to do with why I wanted to make music in the first place, it’s beautiful to see these things come full circle.”
Watch the video for “Plug Addicts” above and be on the lookout for “Quentin Tarantino” next week.
Coi Leray’s “Twinnem” has become a bonafide hit, surpassing her breakout “No More Parties” and proving that she’s no mere one-hit-wonder. In addition to its TikTok takeover, the song also spawned a remix featuring DaBaby and landed on Uproxx’s Best Songs Of 2021. But the story doesn’t stop there; Coi’s released another new remix of the track, this one in time for the upcoming holiday for Amazon Music. Adding a gospel choir to reflect the churchy organs already present in the song, Coi’s Amazon Music Exclusive displays a new dimension that might just extend its run into the new year.
Coi’s 2021 has come after an extended grind, during which she dropped a string of mixtapes and viral singles that established her rap credentials but didn’t take her to the next level. She was so discouraged that she contemplated quitting music until Lil Durk convinced her to stick it out with his belief in “No More Parties” — he appears on the remix. Since then, Coi’s future has been pretty bright, including a selection to XXL‘s 2021 Freshman Class, a bunch of successful singles and features including “Big Purr,” “Bout Me,” and Earthgang’s “Options” remix, and receiving a confident co-sign from NLE Choppa, who counted her among the female artists who “got next” alongside Flo Milli, Lakeyah, Rico Nasty, and Rubi Rose.
Listen to the Amazon Music remix of “Twinnem” above.
Very few artists in hip-hop have had as good a year as Polo G. The 22-year-old Chicagoan released his latest studio album, Hall Of Fame 2.0, his third in as many years, building on the momentum from his first two well-received albums, Die A Legend and The Goat. That momentum paid off in a big way: Hall Of Fame yielded the rapper’s first No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 chart as well as his first-ever No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart with album single “Rapstar.”
This past new music Friday, he doubled down on this success with the release of the almost inevitable deluxe edition of the album, Hall Of Fame 2.0. And while I have issues with this trend as a whole, as Hall Of Fame 2.0 is likely the last one of the year, I think it demonstrates something about Polo G that explains how he’s been able to become so dominant so quickly and remain so consistent since — his strategic thinking.
While most artists never seem to have much discernible logic behind their deluxe follow-ups to their albums, Polo’s release seems intentional. It’s become customary to release as many as 20 new songs under the auspices of an existing release up to a year after the original, which is a tactic with both pros (juicing those streaming stats) and cons (you really could just release an EP or mixtape and save the marketing budget for your next full-length).
However, Polo drops his at the very tail end of the year, where it can garner more attention in a less saturated market and function as an unofficial victory lap, reminding fans of his accomplishments in 2021 while setting up his springboard for the coming year. The 14 new tracks fit with the original set; Polo is firmly in his comfort zone here, and only the heads-up single, “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)” pushes any boundaries with its unexpected Michael Jackson sample.
Likewise, the album’s features stick largely to Polo’s established wheelhouse; we hear him again collaborate with his compatriots Lil Baby and Lil Tjay, and he taps generational peer NLE Choppa, as well as Choppa’s fellow Memphian Moneybagg Yo. The subject matter remains as chilling as ever, with morose recollections of fallen friends and fatalistic threats steeped in the real-life violence of Chicago’s rougher neighborhoods. Especially effective is “Young N Dumb,” a somber salute to homies that have passed on.
What sets Polo apart from the glut of similar acts is the sharpness of his pen; he writes rhymes like a veteran backpacker, clumping together clusters of multisyllabic rhyming patterns that still value narrative and imagery over wordplay — of which there’s still plenty. He’s probably one of the most complete rappers his generation has produced so far, which makes his ascension all the more impressive.
But it’s that strategic mindset that is his true attribute and why he has avoided the pitfalls that have tripped up so many predecessors and peers. He stays out of drama; you’ll almost never see him on the news for getting into it with haters or “opps” (he dodged charges in Miami for allegedly fighting with police) he used his rap money to buy his mom a house rather than an ostentatious display of wealth, he has released music on a consistent schedule, and when he does indulge in trends like putting out a deluxe reissue rather than a new album, he makes it worth fans’ while and ensures the release stands on its own.
Even naming it Hall Of Fame 2.0 makes it feel like a separate project, even if it is ultimately an extension of the original. I even wondered whether the timing was planned out to give him enough leeway to take a break, live some life and build some distance between him and the trauma that marks his first three releases so he can stylistically evolve for his fourth full-length. It would keep with his overall strategic mindset, which suggests that his future will live up to the goals he’s set with each of his album’s titles.
Hall Of Fame 2.0 is out now via Columbia Records. You can stream it here.
The latest Netflix movie, the Jennifer Lawrence- and Leonardi DiCaprio-starring Don’t Look Up, is out today, and music fans have surely heard by now that Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi have roles, playing music power couple Riley Bina and DJ Chello, respectively. They shared “Just Look Up,” the song they made for the film, last week, and now that the movie is out, they’ve shared the scene from the film in which they perform it live.
The scene shows Grande’s character performing the song with a grand stage set-up that doesn’t look dissimilar to something she’d present on one of her tours. Grande wears a white outfit with feather-like protrusions sticking out of her torso, and Cudi’s character later joins her on stage with a complementary white jacket. All the while, Lawrence and DiCaprio’s characters are watching from the side of the stage, as one brief shot shows.
Of all modern music stars, Grande and Cudi are among the ones with the most acting experience. Before music, Grande was best known for playing the character Cat Valentine in two Nickelodeon series, Victorious and Sam & Cat. Meanwhile, Cudi has been in the main cast of shows like How To Make It In America, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and We Are Who We Are.
Watch Cudi and Grande perform “Just Look Up” above.
Isaiah Rashad and SZA stopped by the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show to perform a groovy rendition of their new song “Score” from Rashad’s new album, The House Is Burning. Decked out in a button-up shirt with a scintillating pattern, the Chattanooga rapper delivers the laid-back lines with an easygoing flair. SZA emerges midway through the performance in a letterman jacket and jeans with a flannel shirt tied around her waist, and the two artists show off their chemistry, a smooth blend of silk and grit.
Isaiah is in the midst of a triumphant comeback, releasing The House Is Burning, his second studio album, after a near-five-year hiatus during which he got clean and recovered from his irresponsible early career spending habits. After rolling out The House Is Burning with videos for enjoyable singles like “Headshots (4r Da Locals),” “Wat U Sed,” and “From The Garden,” he embarked on the Lil Sunny’s Awesome Vacation tour before releasing a deluxe edition of the album, with appearances from the likes of Juicy J, Project Pat, and Young Nudy.
Meanwhile, Isaiah’s collaborator SZA is slowly inching her way toward releasing her own big follow-up to 2017’s CTRL with new singles like “I Hate U” and “The Anonymous Ones.”
Watch Isaiah Rashad’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance of “Score” with SZA above.
There’s a lot of fun to be had when you get people out of their comfort zones for in-depth interviews — just check out Hot Ones, where Sean Evans’ invincible tongue allows him to get meme-worthy responses out of guests as they attempt to down the spiciest wings while answering even spicier questions (sorry, it’s such a good tagline). A new show coming out next week will attempt to do something similar. Chillin Island, which will air on HBO on December 17, will see rappers and other musicians leaving behind the hustle and bustle of their urban origins for the peace and quiet of nature.
Of course, the other key to getting good responses is making folks feel comfortable while they’re way out of their comfort zones, so to that end, Chillin Island is pairing these rappers with members of their own fraternity: New York rappers Despot, Lakutis, and former Das Racist member Dap (aka Dapwell). They’ll trek to deserts, swamps, and other havens to commune with nature and get in touch with human nature.
This week brought a chilling reminder that Trump’s election fraud claims weren’t just hot air — they had serious, harmful effects on real people. 62-year-old Georgia poll worker Ruby Freeman reportedly had to move out of her home of 20 years when an online conspiracy theory brought threatening calls and letters and vigilantes menacing her neighbors. As it turns out, one of those who traveled to her home to harass her over the fake voter fraud was on the staff of rapper Kanye West, who himself had just ended an ill-fated, slapdash Presidential campaign, which some believed was a ploy to siphon Black voters away from Joe Biden.
Reuters reports that Trevian Kutti, a publicist for Kanye, went to Freeman’s home, telling Ruby that she worked for an unidentified “high-profile individual” and telling her that she had 48 hours to confess to voter fraud or she would be arrested and sent to jail. Freeman says she called 911, requesting a police officer to come and keep an eye on things. By this time, she’d been harassed for weeks after Trump accused her publicly of what amounted to ballot stuffing, although authorities quickly refuted his unfounded claims.
Kutti and her companion, a male who called himself a “crisis manager,” told Freeman she was “in danger,” prompting them to move the conversation to the police station. On an officer’s body cam video, Kutti could reportedly be heard telling Freeman, “You are a loose end for a party that needs to tidy up.” After Kutti called an unknown person she said had “authoritative powers to get you protection,” Freeman said the two tried to get her to implicate herself.
Eventually, Freeman turned Kutti away and later looked her up, finding out that she was a Trump supporter. Prior to working with Kanye, which was confirmed by media reports and Kutti’s own website, she’d worked for R. Kelly. The next day after the visit, Freeman was advised by the FBI to vacate her home. On January 6, Freeman says, a mob of Trump supporters surrounded the home, shouting through bullhorns.
Kanye hadn’t responded to Reuters’ request for comment as of press time.
Months after dropping his debut album Pink Planet, Philly singer Pink Sweats has been treating his fan base to some new songs in recent weeks. His latest drop is a new collaboration between him and LVRN singer 6lack. The two bring their talents for “Midnight River,” a somber track that both singers spent most of the week teasing for their respective fan bases. Altogether, the new record is an easygoing effort that finds the singers craving a peaceful and serene moment with their respective partners, with the hope that they’re truly in love.
“Midnight Skies” arrives after Pink Sweats dropped a visual for his “Nothing Feels Better.” The video detailed a teenage love affair for the track that’s focused on praising a partner and showing gratitude to them. It came after his heartwarming single “I Feel Good,” which captured Pink Sweats in good spirits and has every right to be. His Pink Planet debut was one of 2021’s best R&B releases and it even appeared on Uproxx’s Best R&B Albums Of 2021 list.
As for 6lack, things have been a bit fairly quiet for the Atlanta singer. His last project was 2020’s 6pc Hot, and since then, he’s stuck to do guest features like Lil Tjay’s “Calling My Phone,” Isaiah Rashad’s “Score,” and Melii’s “You Ain’t Worth It.”
You can press play on Pink Sweats and 6lack’s new collaboration in the video above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
