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Megan Thee Stallion Launches The Pete And Thomas Foundation In Honor Of Her Parents

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Megan Thee Stallion’s never been shy about sharing her wealth or using her platform to advocate for improvements to society. Now, though, she’ll be doing so in her parents’ names after launching the Pete And Thomas Foundation to uplift and help women, children, senior citizens, and underserved areas in Houston.

The Foundation, which will primarily offer financial assistance to similarly aligned organizations, will have three major areas of focus: education, health, and housing. To address the first, Thee Stallion plans to offer scholarships and resources for underserved communities, while for health, the foundation will provide assistance for cancer care, food insecurity, and mental health. In housing, the foundation will address the issues facing seniors and single mothers affected by “financial emergencies and natural disasters.”

In a press release, Megan said, “Launching the Pete and Thomas Foundation is easily one of the most significant endeavors that I’ll ever be part of in my career. My family raised me to help others and give back, so I’m incredibly proud to be in a position to accomplish that goal. I have a responsibility to use my platform to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who may not have access to resources and support services.”

For more information, you can visit the foundation’s website.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Rage Against The Machine Have Yet Again Announced Rescheduled Tour Dates With Run The Jewels

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Almost exactly two years ago, Rage Against The Machine announced a massive reunion tour with Run The Jewels called “The Public Service Announcement Tour,” that, like everything announced in early 2020, did not happen. In April of last year, it was postponed to this spring, set to run from March 31 to August 14; so we named it one of our most anticipated tours of 2022. Last month, however, the band announced a postponement for the West Coast swing without yet offering rescheduled dates. Today, they’ve posted the new dates, moving that first half, from March 31 to May 23, to next year, running from February 22 to April 2 instead.

“All tickets for the moved dates will be honored. Fans who would like a refund have until March 15th, 2022 and should contact your point of purchase,” the statement said.

Find the rescheduled dates below.

02/22 – Las Cruces, NM @ Pan American Center
02/24 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
02/26 – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
02/28 – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
03/03 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/05 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/07 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
03/09 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
03/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
03/13 – Calgary, AL @ Scotiabank Saddledome
03/15 – Edmonton, AL @ Rogers Place
03/17 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre
03/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
03/20 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
03/22 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
03/28 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
03/30 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
04/01 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesar’s Arena
04/02 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesar’s Arena
07/9 – East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
07/11 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/12 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/15 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/16 – Quebec City, QC @ Festival D’Ete De Quebec
07/19 – Hamilton, ON @ First Ontario Centre
07/21 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/23 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/25 – Buffalo, NY @ Keybank Center
07/27 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
07/29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
07/31 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/02 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena
08/03 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena
08/08 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/09 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/11 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/14 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

Mary J Blige And Summer Walker Headline The Roots Picnic’s Return To Philadelphia

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After two years, The Roots Picnic is finally returning to its in-person live format in 2022 — and that’s not all. The festival has been extended an extra day and will take place June 4-5 at The Mann at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. The eclectic festival lineup will be led by Mary J Blige, fresh off her Super Bowl halftime show performance and backed by The Roots; Summer Walker, whose 2021 album Still Over It topped the charts last year; and Nigerian singer Wizkid, who is undoubtedly this summer’s king of festivals.

Further down the flyer, the resurgent Jazmine Sullivan, jazz revivalist Kamasi Washington, and a pair of jam sessions — one led by J Period, with Black Thought, Benny The Butcher, and Rick Ross, the other featuring Keyshia Cole, SWV, and Musiq Soulchild — fill out the top-line acts. Other big draws include sax-rapper Masego, urban gospel OG Kirk Franklin, Chicago drill pioneer G Herbo, the quirky Tierra Whack, tough-guy rapper Freddie Gibbs, country star Mickey Guyton (who also sang the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl), Yebba, and Chief Keef.

There will also be a live podcast stage with Rory & Mal, Questlove Supreme, Jemele Hill, and more. Ticket presale began today at 10 am EST, while general sale starts Friday, February 18 at 10 am. You can get more information here.

Britney Spears Thinks Eminem ‘Should Have Had Way More Time’ For The Super Bowl Halftime Show

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This year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was a big one thanks to all the mostly-early-’00s hip-hop and R&B firepower involved (Kendrick Lamar was the only headlining performer whose first album came out in the 2010s). A non-hip-hop icon of that era, perhaps the biggest, was Britney Spears, and now she has shared her thoughts on the performance and how nostalgic Eminem’s appearance made her feel.

On Instagram yesterday, Spears wrote, “Wow [face screaming in fear emoji] !!! @Eminem last night at the Super Bowl … he should have had way more time … he was everything to me when I was younger and it was so weird in the first two seconds I saw him on stage last night I felt like I was 17 again !!! It’s honestly kinda scary how certain artists and music can do that … we are so lucky to live in a world [globe emoji] where music can give us hope … identity … acceptance …and love [hearts emoji]!!!”

Spears has famously popped up in Eminem lyrics on several occasions over the years, and not usually in a flattering or laudatory way. On “The Real Slim Shady,” Em raps, “You think I give a damn about a Grammy? / Half of you critics can’t even stomach me, let alone stand me / ‘But Slim, what if you win, wouldn’t it be weird?’ / Why, so you guys could just lie to get me here? / So you can sit me here next to Britney Spears?” He also said on “Ass Like That,” “I am Triumph, Britney Spears has shoulders like a man / And I can say that and you’ll laugh ’cause there’s a puppet on my hand.” On “Marshall Mathers,” he raps, “An anti-Backstreet and Ricky Martin / Whose instinct’s to kill *NSYNC, don’t get me started / These f*ckin’ brats can’t sing and Britney’s garbage.”

Tinashe’s Unsettling ‘Naturally’ Video Is A Literal Bloodbath

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Pop-R&B singer Tinashe’s known for the high-concept treatments of her music videos such as “X,” “Bouncin,” and “Pasadena,” but rarely have they been as viscerally provocative as her new video for “Naturally.” Seemingly inspired by 1970s psychological horror (and its recent resurgence), the video finds Tinashe covering herself in gore for a literal bloodbath on a sun-soaked farm where she apparently slaughters some local livestock and performs choreography with a team in Western ranch regalia.

“Naturally” is the first single from the deluxe version of Tinashe’s 2021 album, 333, which adds four new songs to the singer’s second independently released album. Two of the songs also bring in new featured guests, Compton dance musician Channel Tres, and Oakland rapper Christian Blue.

In a recent interview, Tinashe talked about her pioneering, experimental sound and why she hated being categorized as “just” an R&B artist. “I hated being called an R&B star,” she said. “I really, really had a strong aversion to that. I felt that created a ceiling to my artistry that really turned me off in the early days. I didn’t want to be in that box that I felt had some type of inevitable lid on it. I’ve always honestly classified myself as a pop star. That’s always been what I see for myself, and then I think people’s interpretation of what that means is maybe where it gets convoluted because some people think pop means mainstream. Like, I don’t know, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, or something. But I think that’s not what that really means. To me, it’s more like what you embody more so than, I think, what it sonically sounds like.”

Watch Tinashe’s “Naturally” video above.

Silk Sonic Covers Con Fun Shun’s 1983 R&B Hit ‘Love’s Train’ For V-Day

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With most of us still a bit hungover from yesterday’s Super Bowl festivities, it’s understandable that there hasn’t been that much Valentine’s Day celebration. After all, who’d want their brand-new, holiday-themed song washed away by the rush of conversation about that incredible performance? Fortunately, there’s one band that remains undaunted by the prospect — and they’ve got the perfect remedy for the above condition.

Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, who teamed up last year as the romantic duo Silk Sonic, once again joined forces to play into their lover-man schtick for the most romantic holiday, offering a new song about love and all its benefits. Tapping even deeper into the 70s-and-80s-inspired funk aesthetic from which they derive their air of casual cool, this time they directly lift from their influences, covering Bay Area band Con Funk Shun’s 1983 R&B hit, “Love’s Train.”

For a generation of funk and R&B fans, this is Con Funk Shun’s signature hit, and for the most part, Andy and Bruno play it straight, with buzzing bass and soaring horns backing their velvety vocals. Of course, the song is secretly perfect for them — while it masquerades as a love anthem, it’s as much about the messiness as anything on their debut album, An Evening With Silk Sonic, as it was originally penned about a woman two of Con Funk Shun’s members tried to woo at the same time.

Listen to Silk Sonic’s cover of “Love’s Train” above.

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

‘Encanto’ Hit ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ Stays At No. 1 On The Hot 100 For A Third Week

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“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the biggest success story of the Encanto soundtrack, became the biggest-ever hit from a Disney animated movie, in terms of chart performance, when it spent a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week. Now, it’s just running up the score: On the new Hot 100 chart dated February 19, “Bruno” is on top for a third week.

In late January, Lin-Manuel Miranda (who wrote all the Encanto songs) appeared on The Tonight Show and was asked if he could have predicted the success of “Bruno.” He responded, “No, mainly because group numbers never get the same kind of love that the ballads get or the comedy songs get. But I did know it was catchy, because when I was first writing it, I would catch my kids singing it just from overhearing me writing it.”

Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby’s new single, “Do We Have A Problem?,” scored a big debut, making its first appearance on the chart at No. 2. That makes it the 20th top-ten song for Minaj and the ninth for Baby.

Outside of the top ten, King Von and 21 Savage’s “Don’t Play That” debuted at No. 40, giving Von his first top-40 hit.

A Thirsty Rapper Got Arrested After Hopping Diddy’s Fence To Give Him A Demo

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Look anywhere on the internet and thirsty aspiring rappers are everywhere. They thrive in the margins of comment sections, anxiously trying to get someone, anyone, to check out their album, song, or freestyle. You get the idea. So how does a rapper cut through the white noise of the internet? Trespass onto Diddy’s property and hand him a demo in person, of course!

That’s exactly what rapper Isaiah Smalls (no relation) did over the weekend. TMZ (who else?) posted a video of Smalls shouting rather haphazardly at the security gate of Diddy’s Los Angeles mansion in hopes that the Bad Boy Records boss would hear his cries. Unbeknownst to Smalls, Diddy wasn’t even home, and his security guards refused to let him in, obviously. But this didn’t stop the 23-year-old from hopping the gate and getting onto the property in hopes that he could personally hand-deliver a copy of his demo to Diddy. According to TMZ, security immediately apprehended the hungry lyricist and held him until the police arrived. He was charged with trespassing and was released within the hour.

And yes, I do realize that his stunt led to outlets like us shouting this dude out for what he did, but ya gotta love his determination. Hip-hop is a hustle and sometimes, you just gotta hop a fence and see what happens. Isaiah Smalls, remember that name.

Julia Fox Seemingly Confirms Her And Kanye West’s Breakup

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In recent days, it has been reported that Ye (aka Kanye West) and Julia Fox’s relationship has been on the downtrend recently. Now, it appears Fox has confirmed that and more: Based on how she tells it, it looks like she and Ye have broken up.

Pop Crave reports Fox responded to rumors that she was seen leaving LAX in tears, “Y’all would love if I was soooo upset! The media would love to paint a picture of me a sad lonely woman crying on a plane by myself but it’s NOT TRUE!! Why not see me for what I am which is a #1 hustler. I came up yall lol and not only that but Kanye and I are on good terms! I have love for him but I wasn’t in love w the man Jesus Christ what do u guys think I am 12 years old?! and for the record the only time I cried in 2022 was on Feb 6th on my dead BFF bday. Anyway If u want the full tea ur gonna have to buy the book when it comes out :).”

Furthermore, a representative for Fox told E! and Page Six, “Julia and Kanye remain good friends and collaborators, but they are no longer together.”

Meanwhile, hours ago on Instagram, Ye posted about how he is still hoping for a reunion with Kim Kardashian, writing, “I DON’T HAVE BEEF WITH KIM I LOVE MY FAMILY SO STOP THAT NARRATIVE IM NOT GIVING UP ON MY FAMILY […] I HAVE FAITH THAT WE‘LL BE BACK TOGETHER […] PEOPLE CALL ME CRAZY BUT TO BE IN LOVE IS TO BE CRAZY ABOUT SOMETHING AND I AM CRAZY ABOUT MY FAMILY HAPPY VALENTINES.” In a post shared shortly after, he asked that if fans see “Skete” (it’s believed this is referring to Pete Davidson) in real life, they “SCREAM AT YHE LOOSER AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS AND SAY KIMYE FOREVER.”

Vince Staples Stays True And Turns Up On The Mustard-Produced ‘Magic’

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After debuting his new song “Magic” in Naomi Osaka’s new Beats By Dre ad, Vince Staples gives the Mustard-produced song an official release. “Magic” features a Mustard-standard, post-hyphy beat that gives Vince plenty of real estate to sprawl out and once again explain his Long Beach-bred point of view. Toward the end, the beat breaks down, with live horns backing a spoken-word outro by Mustard himself, who details how making it out is an example of “magic” and praises fellow Beacher Vince despite coming from “the other side” of the city.

“Magic” is largely considered to be the first single from Vince’s upcoming album Ramona Park Broke My Heart, which he subtly hinted he’d finished after connecting with another veteran West Coast producer, DJ Quik. Ramona Park Broke My Heart will be Vince’s second album in as many years after dropping his critically-acclaimed self-titled project last year. He may also have even more projects in the works after revealing that he’d recorded 30 verses over different beats with Alchemist for a project that may end up also featuring Earl Sweatshirt. Alchemist later suggested that the duo had completed a whole EP, but for now, it seems Vince is focused on rolling out the long-awaited solo album dedicated to the neighborhood where he grew up. With Mustard and Quik involved, it looks like Vince is departing from his usual chaotic soundscapes, suggesting his most mainstream-friendly project to date.

Listen to Vince Staples’s “Magic” above.