June 24 is going to be a hot summer night in LA — both literally (likely) and figuratively (almost assuredly). A Hot Summer Night In LA is the name of Summer Walker‘s headlining concert at the Staples Ce-fine, Crypto.com Arena (yuck), which will feature a slew of special guests including Jazmine Sullivan, Ari Lennox, Saucy Santana, Joyce Wrice, Doechii, and Alex Vaughn. Ladies, leave your man at home. The show is billed as part of BET Awards weekend, with a special pre-sale for Summer Walker fans today through May 5 at 10 pm PT. The general sale starts on Friday at 10 am.
The show will be something of a coronation for Ms. Walker, who released her new album Still Over It last November to a truly impressive reception. It became the first album by a female R&B singer to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 since 2016 (following Solange’s A Seat At The Table) and signified that R&B’s mainstream comeback is no passing fancy. A Hot Summer Night In LA is sure to keep that energy going with a lineup consisting mainly of R&B-singing women backed by rappers who bring boss-bitch energy.
In 2021, singer Joyce Wrice had one of the best R&B albums with her debut Overgrown. It’s a project that arrived after she released a collection of singles, and as for the album itself, it came with features from Lucky Daye, Freddie Gibbs, Masego, Westside Gunn, Kaytranada, Devin Morrison, and UMI. Overgrown brought Wrice plenty of well-deserved attention as she earned a slot at this year’s Broccoli City Festival and was enlisted to sing the theme song for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, a reboot of the mid-2000s Disney series.
Nearly a year after Wrice released Overgrown, she’s back with new music and it features one of her past collaborators. She and Kaytranada unite for the groovy “Ice Tea.” On the new track, Wrice is nothing short of carefree as she flaunts her style and good looks while comparing their sweetness to that of cocoa and iced tea.
Wrice’s new song comes as she prepares to head out on tour with Lucky Daye for his Candydrip Tour. The string of shows kicks off on March 18 in Portland, Oregon, and continues for five weeks before coming to an end in New York City on April 25. As for Kaytranada, he’s fresh off the release of his Intimidated EP which presented three songs and features from HER, Thundercat, and Mach Hommy.
You can listen to the duo’s new track in the video above.
Here’s some great news for residents of the DMV area: Beloved hip-hop and R&B festival Broccoli City is returning for the first time in three years after being canceled due to COVID concerns in 2020 and 2021. The festival’s organizers announced the dates and lineup today after the two-year hiatus, bringing a worthy selection of both hometown heroes and national favorites to the RFK Festival Grounds in Washington DC on May 7 and 8.
From the local side of things, Broccoli City has booked Ari Lennox, Masego, Rico Nasty, and of course, festival mainstay and DC’s unofficial rap ambassador Wale. Elsewhere on the bill, trap rap faves 21 Savage, Gunna, and Jeezy will bring the Atlanta sound to the stage, while drill pioneers Lil Durk and Babyface Ray will bring that unique sound. Rising stars Alex Vaughn, Don Toliver, Joony, Joyce Wrice, Larry June, Muni Long, and Tems will bring a variety of vibes, with Nigerian superstar Wizkid contributing some Afrobeats to round things out.
Broccoli City Festival is Back Bigger Than Ever!! May 7-8th.
The last Broccoli City festival that actually went on as planned took place in 2019, headlined by Childish Gambino and Lil Wayne. Interestingly enough, it also featured Gunna and Wizkid on the bill, so it’s nice to see them returning and bringing the festival full circle in its return. You can get more information and tickets at bcfestival.com.
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LA-based R&B singer Joyce Wrice has quietly made a name for herself locally thanks to the feel-good, throwback vibes 2021 debut album Overgrown, but her next project just might make her a household name — at least, if your household includes any demographic that grew up on Disney Channel staple The Proud Family. It’s fitting that an artist who made nostalgia her stock in trade has been selected to sing the theme song for the Proud Family reboot coming soon to Disney +.
“I am so excited to share that I’ll be singing the reimagined theme song for #TheProudFamilyLouderAndProuder” she tweeted. “I am a huge fan of the original series and am honored to be a part of the #DisneyPlus Revival. I can’t wait for you to hear it!!”
The Proud Family: Louder And Prouder will follow the ongoing coming-of-age adventures of Penny Proud and her friends as they enter the world of dating — opposed, as always, by Penny’s overbearing dad Oscar. Judging from the trailer that dropped earlier today, the storylines will expand the scope of the show to encompass modern-day topics and the various pop culture changes that have taken place since the original groundbreaking series broke boundaries in the early 2000s.
In addition, the show will feature a who’s-who of Black entertainment talent including Lizzo, Tiffany Haddish, Gabrielle Union, Lil Nas X, and more.
As far as Wrice’s involvement goes, Disney dropped a cute featurette to explain how the burgeoning star was pulled into the project to put her own unique spin on the theme song originally made famous by Destiny’s Child. You can check that out below and watch the trailer above, and keep an eye out — something tells me Ms. Wrice’s rise to superstardom is just beginning.
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Well before you hear her delicate, soaring voice, an admirable aspect of Joyce Wrice’s career is her ability to be a highlight in a room full of undeniable talents. After landing collaborations with Dom Kennedy, Blu, Jay Prince, and others in the early to mid-2010s, Wrice’s light would soon brighten. In recent years, she’s landed tracks with Devin Morrison (“With You”), Free Nationals (“The Rivington”), and Westside Gunn (“French Toast”). Her contributions were always the sweet icing on an already tasty cake, a delicacy that slowly drew more interest towards the supporting act with each release.
Finally, Wrice has delivered her main course to the world with her debut album, Overgrown. Unlike most love-focused R&B debuts, which often present youth and naivety as accompanying attributes in relationships, the LA singer’s body of work seemingly arrives after this stage in life. Experience and the wisdom to learn from it all find Wrice more prepared to begin the trek towards a committed lover who’s just as mature as she is.
While the end goal on Overgrown is indeed a partner who meets her standards, that’s only half of it. On the album’s title track, which doubles as the project’s outro, Wrice shares what could be documented as her “above all else” mantra. “But don’t you lose all that makes you you,” she sings. “You will be scared, unprepared sometimes.” The heart will always want what it wants but altering its best and most foundational aspects to attain that will bring a result that’s not nearly as satisfying as one imagined.
This very thought process is why on “Losing” she makes her insufficient lover not only aware of their sub-par contributions to their growing relationship, but her irreversible decision to find something better. The song’s swift-moving drums and giddy guitar strings capture her nimble sidestep in dodging the bullet of an unsatisfying love. “Must Be Nice” also echoes the mantra she introduced on the album’s outro, and despite a counter for Masego to continue to flow, Wrice stands firm on placing a pause on their nighttime fun for the betterment of herself. “But it’s just something about the things you do to me / You keep me places I know I ain’t supposed to be,” she sings, adding, “I’ve got rules when I’m with you I don’t follow / I’m wishing you were a phase.’”
Wrice’s insistence for a companion that checks off all her desired boxes stems from being deprived from her close encounters of just that. This picture-perfect partner who absorbs her attention by simply breathing is her muse on “Addicted” and “Think About You.” The once too-good-for-you singer finds herself swept up on a love cloud that unfortunately fails to bring her to her desired location. The former accounts for her inability to turn her dream lover into a reality over an electric ballad while the latter is a dreamy affair that sees her putting the ball in their court with the hope that they make the easy layup.
Overgrown is the LA singer’s way of letting both new and old interests know that immaturity and indecisiveness are not welcomed in her world. It’s clear Wrice has had her fair share of that in the past and its return is the last thing she needs. While some might use their debut to document their growth, Wrice takes her opportunity to show that she is grown. Whether it’s falling in love, falling out of it, or just avoiding it altogether, Overgrown tells and shows listeners that through it all, she’ll present her best self and push forward with it as nobly as possible. If you’re going to wear your heart on your sleeve as she does, the least you can do is protect it from heinous outside forces. For Wrice, this protection not only comes in the form of self-preservation but also through strict warnings that promise undesirable consequences if ignored
Overgrown is out now via Joyce Wrice Music. Get it here.
After years of delivering impressive guest features and solo singles, Los Angeles singer Joyce Wrice has finally graced the world with her debut album. Overgrown arrives with a digestible 14 songs and one of its bright spots comes on a track with Masego. Entitled, “Must Be Nice,” the singers play the role of two lovers who continue to engage in intimate moments despite the fact that their official relationship is a thing of the past. Wrice calls for space in order to “get over you,” while Masego hopes their fling lasts another day as he fears that once it ends, there’ll be no turning back.
Overgrown holds the potential to be one of this year’s better R&B projects thanks to the talent that surrounds Wrice. Throughout the 40-minute effort, listeners will catch guest appearances from Lucky Daye, Freddie Gibbs (“On One“), Westside Gunn, Kaytranada, Devin Morrison, Mndsgn, and Umi. She previously worked with Westside on “French Toast” from his 2020 album, Pray For Paris, while her last collaboration with Morrison arrived on “With You” off his 2018 album, Bussin.
As for Masego, he’s been fairly quiet since he dropped his own debut album, Lady Lady in 2018, but he reappeared at the end of last year to deliver his Studying Abroad EP which is highlighted by his “Mystery Lady” single with Don Toliver.
Freddie Gibbs has lent his rap talents to a number of other hip-hop artists throughout his career, but tonight he’s working with a rising R&B star instead of a rapper. Adding a new entry to that list, the Alfredo rapper joins rising singer Joyce Wrice on their new single, “On One.” The track is a groovy number with both artists detailing the passionate relationships they find themselves in. No matter how hard they try to break it off, they end up returning to their partner for another dose of the love they tried so hard to run away from.
The track will appear on the singer’s upcoming debut album, Overgrown which is due for a release on March 19. Listeners will catch contributions from Lucky Daye, Westside Gunn, Kaytranada, Masego, Devin Morrison, and UMI on the album. While the track is Joyce and Freddie’s first collaboration together, they both appeared as guest acts on Westside’s 2020 album, Pray For Paris. On Freddie’s side of things, “On One” is his second track of the year following “Gang Signs” with Schoolboy Q. That song proved to be a much more relaxed effort than the potential song fans expected from the rappers.
“On One” comes after Freddie made an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast where the two held a four-hour conversation. It was here that the rapper claimed to have shot a crackhead nine times, an action that didn’t have too much of an effect on his target according to Freddie.
