There are some people who are real sticklers for the rules. Every kid you know who wanted to be the hall monitor ended up working in law enforcement, some ended up as middle management at a large corporation, and one, apparently, became the bouncer at New York nightspot Barcade, where Rihanna was refused entry after the internationally famous superstar, whose face and name are global institutions, who has been on TV since she was 17 (16 years ago!)… forgot her ID. Let’s go to the tape:
So, a couple of things here. One: Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are an adorable couple albeit a slightly unconventional one. Two: What on Earth is this bouncer thinking? Look, man, I get it: Rules are rules. But look here, wannabe Captain America. That is Rihanna. Rihanna, who, again, has been famous for over 15 years. Whose age is readily and easily Googleable for anyone who owns a smartphone — which in 2021, includes approximately 85% of the American population. Maybe this bouncer just really needed this job, perhaps he lives in a pineapple under the sea that gets no internet, radio, or television reception, or maybe his boss was one of those aforementioned hall monitor kids and just could not abide making an exception for anyone, but whatever the case, it’s truly one of the most baffling celebrity-related incidents to take place this week… A week that also included both Meghan McCain and Piers Morgan commenting on Britney Spears’ conservatorship and Trick Daddy claiming Beyonce “can’t sing.”
Naturally, Twitter users are beside themselves as a result. A recurring theme seems to be an undercurrent of spiteful glee at the singer’s predicament, a perceived punishment for not releasing a new album in five years. Fortunately for the couple, they eventually got in, according to Buzzfeed, and a wonderful date night was had by all… except for that bouncer, who should really invest in a Spotify account or something.
I just saw a bouncer try to not let rihanna into a bar for not having id lmaoooo whose mans is this
rihanna telling the bouncer who she is and he doesn’t care because he doesn’t remember the singer who hasn’t released an album in 5 years: pic.twitter.com/zP2NuFHiB8
You can literally google Rihanna’s age. Wtf was that bouncer doing?
— OluwaTeej the Suns Fan (@Less_HumbleTeej) June 24, 2021
The whole point of an ID is to verify that you are who are say you are
That makes sense for normal people. The bouncer don’t know who I am
Everyone KNOWS who Rihanna is. ID is useless.
— OluwaTeej the Suns Fan (@Less_HumbleTeej) June 24, 2021
Rihanna: “it’s me, singer, Rihanna, you remember me?” Bouncer: “oh yeah Rihanna, she’s a singer? Idk the last time I hear her music was…wait you a singer?” pic.twitter.com/qViTk9vh0b
The famed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival routinely has one of the biggest and most diverse lineups on the festival circuit. For its 2021 event, that will be no different, as revealed with today’s lineup announcement.
This year’s festival is set for the weekends of October 8 to 10 and 15 to 17, and even though today’s list of artists isn’t even the full lineup, it’s still stacked. On the top line of the poster are Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, Lizzo, and Demi Lovato. Other highlights include The Black Crowes, HER, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, The Beach Boys, Ludacris, Jon Batiste, Wu-Tang Clan, Brittany Howard, Randy Newman, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Big Freedia, and PJ Morton.
Learn more about this year’s festival and tickets here, and find the two-weekend lineup below.
October 8 to 10
Dead & Company, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, The Black Crowes, Demi Lovato, Brandi Carlile, Wu-Tang Clan featuring The Soul Rebels, The Revivalists, Ludacris, Ziggy Marley: Songs of Bob Marley, Randy Newman, Tank and The Bangas, Galactic, David Sanborn, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers, Chris Isaak, Cyril Neville, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Charlie Musselwhite, Arturo Sandoval, Martha Redbone Roots Project, Ricky Skaggs, Doug Kershaw, Boyfriend, El Gran Combo, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Tab Benoit, Leo Nocentelli, Anders Osborne, Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters, Little Freddie King, Kathy Taylor and Favor, Tribute to Bessie Smith, Nicholas Payton, Deacon John, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, We are One and Divine Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, and more.
October 15 to 17
Stevie Nicks, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, H.E.R., Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Beach Boys, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Brittany Howard, Irma Thomas, Melissa Etheridge, The Isley Brothers, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Boz Scaggs, Rickie Lee Jones, Ledisi, Tower of Power, Big Freedia, Keb’ Mo’ Band, PJ Morton, Playing for Change Band, Samantha Fish, Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective, Rebirth Brass Band, Shovels & Rope, Asleep at the Wheel, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Radiators, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Davell Crawford, Puss N Boots, The Campbell Brothers, Jermaine Landrum & Abundant Praise Revival Choir, The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, Tribute to Dr. John, The Count Basie Orchestra, New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Ronnie Lamarque, and more.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Richmond, Virginia’s own AOK — formerly known as Bootychaaain — drops by UPROXX Sessions this week with a swaggering performance of her ruthless single, “Cutthroat.” Built over a bubbling bassline with a skeletal snare beat and twinkling piano loops, the party-ready song shows off AOK’s one-of-a-kind, devil-may-care style, and full-chested confidence. “When they talkin’ sh*t, call it promo,” she boasts. “Bad lil’ b*tch, and she cutthroat.”
Calling herself “the Black Lara Croft” after the heroine of the Tomb Raider video game series, AOK (short for Aunty Okaaay) is a buzzy SoundCloud rapper with a quirky style that can’t be contained to just one box. Eschewing many of the conventions of traditional hip-hop, she’s putting in her time on the underground scene, performing brash songs like “Trap Rap” and “Hot Grease” at mosh pit-ready shows that take inspiration from everything from ballroom to the goth scene. Disinterested in doing anything that has come before, AOK can truly consider herself unique among the current crop of rising stars in rap.
Watch AOK’s “Cutthroat” performance above.
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross,UPROXX Sessionsis a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
Following the recent FX on Hulu documentary episode, The New York Times Presents: “Framing Britney Spears,” the groundswell of support for the (hopeful) end of Britney’s conservatorship has only grown. It’s been a long thirteen years for Britney under her father’s financial thumb, and that followed a few years of public chaos, which I’m sure no one can forget. Her fans have long rallied for her “freedom,” given that Britney has vowed not to work again until she can make her own decisions again. This week, the 39-year-old singer gave testimony that was both heartbreaking and infuriating and included details about how her father controls every aspect of her life. That even allegedly includes a prohibition on removing her IUD device, which is a chilling revelation to behold and one that Planned Parentood has branded as “appalling.”
In the aftermath of Britney’s testimony, the public has rallied around her as well as the musical community, including ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who previously faced backlash for revelations in the documentary about his behavior towards her regarding public perception and the press. Now, a surprising voice has arose to support Britney: the cantankerous Piers Morgan. He of course, generally abhors everyone (except the Queen), but even Piers can’t stomach what he’s seeing happen.
“Britney Spears is a legal slave,” Piers tweeted. “[W]ho can’t control her own money, career or even her womb and MUST be freed from this torment to finally live the life she wants.”
*NEW COLUMN* Britney Spears is a legal slave who can’t control her own money, career or even her womb and MUST be freed from this torment to finally live the life she wants. https://t.co/i2Pah433UZ via @MailOnline
We’ve been told for years via endless cruel briefings to the media that Britney’s so mentally unhinged that’s she totally incapable of thinking, speaking or acting for herself. That wasn’t the woman I heard yesterday. It was stunning to hear the brutal reality from Britney’s own mouth, in her own powerful, eloquent, often rapid-fire words. It was like she couldn’t wait to finally have her say, and who could blame her for the obvious frustration and anger?
The last time she appeared in front of Judge Penny, in 2019, Britney’s testimony was sealed… This time, it was made public so there could be no doubt or self-interested ‘spin’ about what she was asserting. ‘I have a lot to say,’ she began, ‘so bear with me. I don’t think I was heard on any level when I came to court last time.’ That’s the understatement of the year. There’s no doubt that Britney’s still a troubled woman, but it seems apparent that many of her current demons are now being driven by the way she’s been treated as a direct result of her conservatorship that she says has ‘enslaved’ her.
The entire column is worth a read, as Britney’s own words about feeling “traumatized” continue to reverberate, after she described her conservatorship as “abusive.” You can also read Britney’s testimony at NBC in transcript form.
Jorja Smith is a supportive confidant in the new video for “Home” from her lovelorn EP, Be Right Back. While the song’s lyrics debate leaving behind a picturesque but unfulfilling relationship for an uncertain future, the video portrays this dynamic visually, with Jorja playing the role of the nanny of a couple whose relationship has played itself out. As the wife contemplates telling her husband, lip-syncing the lyrics through a dinner party and a play date, Jorja looks on in supportive silence, letting her work through her tangled emotions.
“Home” is the fourth single from the EP after “Gone,” “Bussdown,” and “Addicted,” which arrived ahead of the rollout, and though all four songs convey different moods, they retain the through-line of pursuing personal freedom in lieu of the expectations of a stable relationship. Be Right Back was the British singer’s first project since 2018’s Lost & Found, her debut album containing the hit single “Blue Lights.”
Since then, Smith has released a number of non-album singles, including the Burna Boy-featuring “Be Honest,” as well as the wisftul “Come Over” with Jamaican dancehall star Popcaan. She also commented on the wave of 2020 anti-racist uprisings with “By Any Means.”
In a passionate plea on Thursday morning, The View‘s Meghan McCain called on the FBI to essentially bust down doors and free Britney Spears from her conservatorship. McCain’s comments were in response to Spears’ explosive court testimony that she is forced to have an IUD in place to prevent pregnancy and is repeatedly prescribed questionable amounts of psychiatric medications to keep her compliant and working so her family can live off her financial empire.
During her remarks, McCain praised the #FreeBritney movement while accepting blame for being part of the media that has been “brutally unkind” and didn’t listen to Spears. “I actually believe this has reached the level where the FBI needs to be involved and extradite her from her home, away from these people at this very moment, because these are people that can continue the abuse in realtime,” McCain said.
.@MeghanMcCain: “The #FreeBritney movement are the people who started this, and I hope to God they get her out of this environment.”
“If she were any other person not named Britney Spears, this is a human trafficking issue, and should be treated as such.” pic.twitter.com/irbGPvlMHZ
After stating that Spears is “ostensibly a slave,” McCain went so far as to call the situation a human trafficking issue to bolster her claim that the FBI needs to get involved. Via Mediaite:
“I am sadly not surprised by this, but it’s much more extreme than I ever could have possibly imagined. I feel horrible for her,” McCain said. “I hope to God they get her out of this environment and this situation today. I think it is at that level, and if this were any other person not named Britney Spears, this is a human trafficking issue, and it should be treated as such.”
McCain’s thoughts were echoed by her co-hosts on The View including Sunny Hostin, who is an attorney and called Spears’ conservatorship “unprecedented” and “highly unusual.”
At the young age of 21, Louisville-bred singer Marzz joined the talented cast of R&B singers that are present on the up-and-coming Keep Cool Records roster. Her knack for emotive ballads made her a perfect fit on the label while her teenage-esque heartbreak stories helped her stand out on her own without fading into the background behind her skilled labelmates.
There are many other things that make Marzz stand out. The singer has synesthesia, a neurological condition that gives you the ability to see sounds as color. She also identifies as gay, something that once confined her to a bubble in fear of her parents and families’ reaction. She eventually popped that bubble to enjoy life in her truest form. These are all small pieces to the puzzle that make Marzz who she is, but they certainly don’t define her.
An emphasis on inclusivity and striving to make that a reality in all corners of her life are additional things that make Marzz the promising young singer she is. Fresh off the release of her debut EP, Love Letterz, we caught up with the singer to talk about the new project, her sprawling collection of notebooks, how Kehlani’s SweetSexySavage influenced her, and more.
So your new EP, Love Letterz, is inspired by your special mood notebooks. I’ve read that you keep them everywhere you go and have 29 of them.
Yes, actually, I have like 36 of them just sitting in my backpack right now. I have synesthesia, where I can see colors when I’m creating or just in general from listening to something whether it’s on the TV or I’m hearing somebody talk, I can see their aura. I have these notebooks where if I’m angry, I write in my red notebook. When I was little, I didn’t really express myself verbally, I would always have to write something down and I’d be like, “No, no, this is what I want to tell you.” I’d literally hold up the notebook and show them like, “This is what I want to tell you,” but I’d be holding my red notebook, this is when I’m angry. A yellow notebook, this is when I’m sad. A purple notebook when I’m frustrated. A blue notebook when I’m happy. That’s really how I go about those and whatever I’m feeling, that’s the mood notebook that I write in. It’s the way that I write my songs as well.
When did you first start using or creating these mood notebooks and how has your continued use with them shaped the way you write and convey emotion?
I started writing in my notebooks around like, I ain’t gonna lie, I didn’t have a phone, so literally the only thing I could use was paper and pencil. My mom didn’t give me a phone till seventh grade, I had this little Blackberry Slider, I thought I was doing my thing. When I was little, I believe I was into poetry, I used to watch a lot of Kevin Hart doing stand-up comedies. This is something I’ve never even told anybody: When I really first started getting into writing, I thought I was gonna be a comedian, but I was like nah, I’m funny, but that’s not what I would want to do. So I just started writing down my feelings. I used to listen to Kehlani and her album, SweetSexySavage, a lot because everything that she was talking about just connected with me. I was still trying to figure out who I was and she really helped bring that creativity out of me. I was like, “Well maybe today, I should start songwriting” or “Maybe I should just write a song.”
On this EP, the songs come off as diary entries. First-person, heavy in reflection and questioning life’s events, and expressive in a way that you might not be in person. Were you perhaps hesitant to take these entries of sorts and put them into song for the world to hear?
I’ll say it’s a little bit of both, to be honest. I’m a very open-minded person and I’m very understanding. I’ve come to a point in my life where I really don’t care what people say. I have to do this, I have to put my feelings out because if not, it’s going to eat me up alive. Even if it helps somebody else and even if it’s a different circumstance, they can know that they have somebody they can relate to and I’m always going to be fulfilling them with love, joy, and positivity. They can always come to me and listen to my songs and just be at ease, knowing that everything is about to be okay and it is okay.
My favorite song on Love Letterz is “Done Witcha,” simply for the moment of finally deciding to move on from someone who is no longer best for you. What personally pushed you to say enough is enough?
Really again, going back to my mentality, I was in a really bad headspace. My mom and dad just got through a divorce, we just got situated, and I got introduced to my stepdad, all of this was happening at once. I came out to my family at — I think it was my grandma’s, Christmas or Thanksgiving one of the two, I know it was a lot of food, I don’t remember. All my cousins and stuff were there, I was like, “Y’all, I’m gay.” Everybody was looking at me and chaos just broke loose and I was like, “Oh my God…” That moment was really when I put myself in a state where I was like, “No, I gotta get myself together. I have to get my mind straight,” because I stopped going to school. I stopped posting stuff on Instagram and I was always on Instagram, so everybody was like, “Yo, what’s going on with you?” I didn’t talk to anyone when I went to school. I was just in a really bad headspace and I was like, “No, I can’t let the enemy take me like this, he can’t destroy my joy.” I don’t like hypocrites, so if I say imma do something, I gotta do it. It’s like, alright, I gotta put my big girl pants on and thug it out. You only have one life, you have to make yourself happy.
When you came out to your family about your sexuality, you popped the bubble you were in where you suppressed your true self. How did things change for Marzz after this moment?
My mom, I believe that she always knew that I was going to be who I am today because when I was younger, I was a straight tomboy. I’m more masculine than anything and me coming to her [and] actually telling her my sexuality and what I’m into, it kind of threw her off, but she was like, “Oh, I already knew,” so I was more at ease. Her reaction was calmer than I expected, definitely, because my mom is super spiritual so I was kind of in shock. I was like, well, okay, that kind of makes me go into [coming out to] my family. That reaction, they were baffled, they were like, “Oh, my God, I can’t believe it,” and it was just like, dang, y’all really gonna do me like that? It really took for my mom to explain to them, as far as the difference within religion, I guess Christianity, with how heavy they are in that. She was like, love is love, God would want us to love her regardless of what I choose, we have a choice. She said, if this is what I choose to do, that she supports me strongly and they should too. Some people still don’t [support me] that are in my family. A lot of people are more open-minded to it and they understand it because they know that this is truly what I want. I appreciate them for being open with me. That really put me in a headspace as to how I’m going to express this in my music. I’m gonna take and really push myself out there and even if it’s my family listening to my music, they can understand my headspace. They can understand what’s going on in my mind, what I’m feeling at the moment, and if I experienced anything at the moment, they know why I was feeling that way.
You very much live a life of and in color. Between your vibrant appearance, which gave you the nickname Skittles, and living with synesthesia, your world is vibrant. Has this affected your view of the world in terms of seeing more than just the black and white of things?
I’ve always been taught not to judge a book by its cover. I ain’t gonna lie, it’s hard not judging people, but we can’t do that. You can have an opinion, but it’s not right for you to make an assumption about somebody or perspective about somebody regardless of skin color. With me being a Black female, I ain’t gonna lie, it is kind of scary out here because I feel like I have to always watch my back just because of anything. I’d rather be cautious in making sure that I’m just doing right by people and making sure that I’m right within. You can do what you please, but imma make sure I make peace with any and everybody regardless of the circumstance, whether you’re an ex-enemy or enemy.
As you continue to grow and release more and more music, what do you hope your listeners take away from you as an artist through your work?
Believe it or not, I hope that they take the pain that I experienced and turn — even if it’s dealing with their own — that around for the better. I’m gonna keep saying it because I’ve been self-reflecting on myself so much, I’m so tapped in with myself, it’s crazy. This quarantine stuff made me tap into myself in so much, but I feel like it’s very important for people to have a commitment to self-love. I feel like that’s so important because a lot of people don’t genuinely love themselves. They’re out here trying to find love by doing the craziest stuff, just for somebody to love them. Like a sweetheart, you got to love yourself first. I really want them to take the pride that I have in also changing my life around for the better. For me, it’s okay to put yourself first, it’s okay to be selfish. Take that moment that you need, but also, know to get focused and move on, so you can keep growing.
Love Letterz is out now via Keep Cool/RCA Records. Get it here.
When “Best Friend,” Saweetie’s January 2021 single with Doja Cat, leaked early in December of last year, it became apparent that the burgeoning Bay Area star is super particular about her rollout and her sound. That perfectionism has prompted her to push back the release of her long-awaited debut album Pretty B*tch Music after confirming its release date last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Explaining her reasoning in an interview about the upcoming 2021 BET Awards with Big Tigger for Complex, she said, “Pretty B*tch Music was supposed to come out this month, but I was really living with it. And one of my goals is for people to really feel something with every song, so I had to go back and reconstruct some songs. Just know that I’m a perfectionist and it’s on the way.”
Fans who have been waiting for the album have followed a long trail of breadcrumbs leading up to its release, including the aforementioned “Best Friend,” the Jhene Aiko-featuring “Back To The Streets,” “Fast (Motion),” and the Pretty Summer Playlist, Vol. 1 EP made up of collaborations with artists like Bbyafricka and Drakeo The Ruler. Her perfectionism was also revealed through her attendance to an artist development boot camp to ensure her performances are up to snuff whenever the album finally does drop.
Watch Saweetie’s interview with Big Tigger above.
Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
A comedian’s comparison of a pair of rappers on Twitter has fans debating whether he’s right or his suggestion is just… ludicrous. When Lil Duval, best known for his appearances on MTV shows like Guy Code and his 2018 Snoop Dogg-featuring hit “Smile Bitch (Living My Best Life),” asserted that North Carolina rapper DaBaby could be considered analogous to Atlanta rapper Ludacris, his tweet sparked the heated debate that saw some fans arguing about the two MCs’ relative status and whether or not Duval had a point.
As usual, the range of thoughts on the subject led to a spike in people tweeting about Luda, who’s currently on a media tour promoting his appearance in F9, the latest installment of the Fast And Furious film franchise premiering this weekend. He also recently made a bit of a resurgence musically, popping up on Conway The Machine’s single “Scatter Brain” with fellow ATLien JID and on Justin Bieber’s remix of “Peaches” with Snoop Dogg.
Meanwhile, DaBaby is also set to have a big weekend, as he’s nominated for seven 2021 BET Awards at the ceremony airing this Sunday. He was also the subject of another heated exchange with Megan Thee Stallion following a promotional tweet of his song with Tory Lanez, recorded before the infamous shooting incident that left Tory persona non grata with most hip-hop fans.
Twitter blocking every comparison of DaBaby to Ludacris.
Fans are always naturally going to feel a way, and of course, many of the responses are split along generational lines. Incidentally, Duval isn’t the first to make the comparison, nor is the comparison as out-of-pocket as some fans tend to believe; consider their comedic videos, witty wordplay, and AK-47 cadences and the comparison doesn’t feel all that wild. No matter the terms of engagement, though, fans are going to project their own feelings on the position being argued, something Duval himself pointed out as the debate trended. You can see more responses below.
This shows how under-appreciated Luda is. Like ppl really forgot good an individual was at their craft because they haven’t heard or seen nothing new since they moved to better things in life. Luda is one of the south most lyrical dudes ever. Not knockin Da Baby but he’s no Luda https://t.co/ODaO9VPn3K
— Lakers home resting for 21-22 season (@CurrentLoud) June 24, 2021
Visually I see where u going but…. Luda has classics under his belt da baby has the same cadence in every damn song https://t.co/ljCxvDoKjV
After taking a couple of years longer than expected to release his 2020 debut album, ADHD, Joyner Lucas kept his foot on the gas and closed out the year with another project, Evolution. The Massachusetts native dropped the 12-track effort with features from The Game, Ashanti, Rick Ross, Elijah James, and more. Now, nearly a year after it was released, Lucas reappears with a video for “Legend” with Rick Ross. The new visual captures Lucas’ growth from a young man with hopes of thriving in music to an adult living out his dreams as a prospering rapper. Ross joins him later on in the video as they both enjoy the fruits of their labors.
The new visual, which also boasts cameos from T.I. and his son Domani, comes after was joined by fellow Massachusetts native Mark Wahlberg in the video for “Zim Zimma.” In that effort, which also featured appearances from Diddy and George Lopez, Walhberg crashed the rapper’s car during a high-speed cruise. Prior to that, Lucas connected with Lil Baby to celebrate their rise to fame in the video for “Ramen & OJ.”
As for Rick Ross, the Maybach Music head honcho has been teasing a joint project with Drake for some time now. During an interview with Complex, he gave somewhat of an update on the potential effort. “He’s wrapping up his project and I’m in the same space. So the timing and everything is aligning,” he said. “It’s something that we really want to give to the streets, on some real sh*t.”
(@Less_HumbleTeej) June 24, 2021
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(@rrrubenciito) June 24, 2021
(@Simply_KAS) 
(@KnuthDaddy) 
(@Dutch_da_Gr8)