Music

A Judge Has Blocked The NFT Of Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Album

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The controversial NFT based on Jay-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt has been blocked by a judge as the lawsuit against Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon Dash continues. According to The Hollywood Reporter, U.S. District Court Judge John Cronan granted a temporary restraining order to Roc-A-Fella after the label sued Dash on June 18 over his alleged attempt to sell virtual ownership of the career-launching record.

Dash said that he wasn’t trying to sell the rights to the album, but his partner in the endeavor, SuperFarm, announced the NFT auction “of Damon‘s ownership of the copyright to Jay-Z’s first album Reasonable Doubt. This marks a new milestone in the history of NFT’s, entitling the new owner to future revenue generated by the unique asset.” The auction, which was set for June 23-25, was canceled after the label sent a warning letter to SuperFarm, but the label pursued additional legal action against Dash out of concern he’d attempt another sale on his own. Dash says he was trying to sell his Roc-A-Fella stake, not the rights to Reasonable Doubt.

U.S. District Court Judge John Cronan sided with the label during a hearing this morning, noting Roc-A-Fella owns the copyright to the album. The lawsuit will continue, but the sale will not — for the time being. Incidentally, it was a dispute over the publishing rights to Reasonable Doubt that ultimately caused Dash’s initial split with Jay-Z when Dash refused to sell Jay the album masters after the latter was offered a role as president of the parent label Island Def Jam. Jay offered to turn down the role in exchange for the masters, but ultimately took the role and kept the rest of his catalog after Dame’s refusal, causing a rift that led to the demise of Roc-A-Fella at the height of its success.

Reasonable Doubt is also at the center of another lawsuit; Jay-Z is suing the photographer who shot the cover for the album over control of his images.

J. Cole Announces His ‘The Off-Season’ Tour With 21 Savage And Morray

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J. Cole may have found an unusual way to promote his new album The Off-Season by playing pro basketball in Africa, and a successful one at that. The album dominated the Billboard charts, debuting at No. 1 on the albums chart with the year’s highest streaming year so far. Sometimes, though, the old ways are the best, so he’s also taking the show on the road this fall with The Off-Season Tour featuring two of the album’s guest rappers, 21 Savage and Morray.

The tour will hit 17 cities beginning in September with Miami, FL, and concluding in October at LA’s The Forum. Tickets go on sale beginning Friday, June 25 at 10 AM local time. You can check Dreamville.com for more information. See the full list of stops and dates below.

https://twitter.com/JColeNC/status/1407337403493330951/

9/24 – Miami, FL @ FTX Arena*^
9/25 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center*^
9/27 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena^
9/28 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex*^
9/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center*^
10/1 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden*^
10/2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center*^
10/4 – Washington DC @ Capital One Arena*^
10/5 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena*^
10/7 – Chicago, IL @ United Center*^
10/10 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center*^
10/11 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Arena*^
10/14 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena*^
10/16 – Las Vegas @ MGM Grand Garden Arena*^
10/17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Phoenix Suns Arena*^
10/20 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena*^
10/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum*^

Cardi B’s Role In ‘F9’ Will Carry Over To Future Sequels, According To Vin Diesel

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Cardi B’s role in F9 may be bigger than anyone previously expected if Vin Diesel’s comments in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight are to be believed. Diesel, the series’ undisputed center, told ET that Leysa, Cardi’s character in the latest installment of the franchise, has a storyline that could continue for another two movies in the series.

Diesel confirmed that the next two movies will be the franchise’s finale, and Cardi’s role will be much more than just a cameo. “We are very much excited to evolve her character and to expand it to the finale,” he said. “She made it just in time. She came in Fast 9 just in time.”

In a separate statement, the film’s director Justin Lin had plenty of nice things to say about the newest cast member. “I love Cardi,” he gushed. “I mean, it’s amazing she showed up and within a minute she’s part of the family. And I love how when I got together with her, her and Vin were talking about the character because she’s actually really embedded into the overall universe, she’s been around for a long time and this is just the first time we are seeing her, so I’m really excited to explore that character of her. I’ll work with her any day.”

You can check out Cardi’s role in F9 this Friday, June 25.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Usher Allegedly Sent T-Pain Into A Long Depression By Saying His Auto-Tuned Singing ‘F*cked Up Music’

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T-Pain is a talented vocalist, as he has proven on many occasions. His 2014 Tiny Desk Concert stands out as a shining example of that. Ultimately, though, he is best known for his songs that make use of Auto-Tune to alter the sound of his vocals. His Auto-Tuned voice dominated the music landscape in the latter half of the 2000s, but not everybody was a fan. The way T-Pain tells it, that group includes Usher, who allegedly accused T-Pain of ruining music, a moment that sent T-Pain into a long depression.

In a clip from Netflix’s This Is Pop, T-Pain tells the story about the time he and Usher were on a plane, on their way to the 2013 BET Awards:

“We were actually going to the 2013 BET Awards, and we were all in first class and I went to sleep. I was awakened by the flight attendant. She said, ‘Usher would like to talk to you in the back.’ So I got up and went back and he was like, you know, ‘How’s everything going?’ Quick small talk, no big deal. And he was like, ‘Man, I want to tell you something, man.’ I was like, ‘What’s good?’ I thought he was about to tell me something real. He sounded real concerned. He was like, ‘Man, you kind of… you kind of f*cked up music.’

I didn’t understand. Usher was my friend. He was like, ‘Yeah man, you really f*cked up music for real singers.’ Literally, at that point, I couldn’t listen. ‘Is he right? Did I f*ck up music?’ And that is the very moment… I don’t even think I realized this for a long time, but that’s the very moment that started a four-year depression for me.”

Watch the clip above.

Rick Ross Gives A Cagey Update On His Rumored Joint Project With Drake

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Of all Drake’s collaborations, perhaps the most celebrated are those he’s created with Rick Ross, with tracks like “Lord Knows” “Gold Roses” and more recently, “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” receiving acclaim as fan favorites. Naturally, that’s why fans were excited to learn that the two veteran entertainers are working on a joint album, courtesy of NFL star Chad Johnson. During a recent interview with Complex, Ross played coy, coming short of an outright confirmation, but teased that the project’s timing relied on both rappers completing their current album cycles (Drake has yet to release Certified Lover Boy and Ross has an album in the works, as well).

“We may have spoken within the last 48 hours,” he admitted. “But it’s only so much I can say other than: this is the closest or the realest he’s ever been. He’s wrapping up his project and I’m in the same space. So the timing and everything is aligning. It’s something that we really want to give to the streets, on some real sh*t.” He also allowed that “it’s looking real solid.”

He also gave an update on his own album, titled Richer Than I Ever Been. “I’m actually in the final stages of the LP,” he said. “I can’t wait to get ready and release it. I want to release two records, possibly at one time. They could be coming as soon as in the next two or three weeks. But my album will be out this summer, and it’s going to be exciting. I really pushed the envelope. I didn’t just want to put something on the street just to say I released another project. I wanted to elevate, go to the next level. I believe I’ve done that. So, we fixing to get ready and drop it.”

You can read the full interview here.

Lil Baby And Lil Durk Are Heading ‘Back Outside’ For Their Upcoming Tour This Fall

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Fresh off the successful release of his joint mixtape with Lil Durk, Voice Of The Heroes, Lil Baby is setting out on his Back Outside tour this fall, beginning September 1 in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and running through October 15 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Naturally, his touring partner is none other than his mixtape collaborator Lil Durk. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 25 at 10 AM local time on LiveNation.com. Citicard members will have early access beginning Tuesday, June 22 at 10 AM through Thursday, June 24 at 10 PM.

9/01 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
9/03 – Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre
9/10 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9/11 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
9/14 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
9/15 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
9/16 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9/17 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
9/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
9/22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
9/23 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
9/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
9/25 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
9/27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
9/28 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
9/30 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
10/04 – Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Arena
10/06 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
10/07 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
10/09 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
10/10 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
10/14 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/15 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iThink Financial Amphitheatre

The 2022 Just Like Heaven Festival Will Be Led By Interpol, Modest Mouse, And M.I.A.

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The pandemic shut down a lot of festivals in 2020 and 2021, but it was especially unfortunate to see newcomer event Just Like Heaven not get to keep up the momentum it built with its inaugural 2019 event. Now, though, the one-day Goldenvoice festival is finally returning for its second year, on May 21, 2022 at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Next year’s lineup will be led by Interpol, Modest Mouse, The Shins, and M.I.A. The full lineup, in alphabetical order, consists of !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Bloc Party, Chromeo, Cut Copy, Franz Ferdinand, Geographer, The Go! Team, The Hives, Islands, Kele Okereke (DJ set), The Cribs, Interpol, M.I.A., Modest Mouse, Peaches, Santigold, The Shins, The Raveonettes, Them Jeans and More Cinespace DJs, Wolf Parade, and Yelle.

Interpol’s Paul Banks shared a statement about the festival, noting that it will mark the band’s post-pandemic return to Los Angeles: “Interpol is overjoyed to announce we will be performing at Brookside at the Rose Bowl, headlining Just Like Heaven 2022. It’s an incredible line up of artists, we couldn’t think of a better way to be returning to LA!”

Meanwhile, it’s a big day for fans of The Shins: Aside from this news, it was also revealed today that the group’s 2001 album Oh, Inverted World just charted on the Billboard 200 for the first time thanks to a recent 20th anniversary reissue.

Bow Wow And Soulja Boy Hype Their Upcoming Verzuz With Some Hilarious Trash Talk

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With their upcoming Verzuz battle inching nearer, Bow Wow and Soulja Boy have gotten into the competitive spirit, spending the past few days trading trash talk and trolling each other over their various missteps and shortcomings.

On one end, Soulja revived Bow Wow’s infamous private plane faux pas, reminding fans that his opponent once posted a photo of someone else’s private plane before boarding a commercial flight to New York, only to be caught out by a fan who recognized him and posted his own candid shot of Bow Wow on his flight. “Because of me u get to fly private for real for Verzuz,” Soulja crowed. “U don’t gotta cap no more wit the challenge and commercial Spirit flights.” He also challenged Bow Wow’s current absence on the charts (although to be fair, Bow Wow hasn’t released many new singles recently. He did drop “My Pain” this year).

Meanwhile, Bow Wow, who knows a thing or two about hyping a competition after an earlier, wrestling-based back-and-forth, argued that he didn’t need to release any new records because of his multiple revenue streams, including appearing in the next installment of the Fast And Furious film series, F9. The trolling appeared to be in good nature, though, as Bow Wow also offered this observation: “I dont think @THEREALSWIZZZ and @Timbaland understand the magnitude of this #VERZUZ brodie.”

We’ll all find out this Friday, June 26, when the two rappers face off in a 20-song hits battle. Check out their WWE-style promos below.

Blxst Announces His ‘No Love Lost’ Tour Dates

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Miguel Garcia

LA rapper-singer Blxst has been on the rise since releasing his debut EP No Love Lost and its deluxe edition last year. In addition to being selected as one of XXL‘s latest crop of Freshman entertainers, Blxst took advantage of the increased attention to announce his No Love Lost Tour, which kicks off in Seattle, Washington, and concludes in Toronto, hitting Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Houston, and of course, his native Los Angeles along the way.

The tour will be Blxst’s first headlining tour, giving him a chance to shine solo after his impressive run as a coveted feature artist for the likes of YG and Mozzy, as well as his own impressive string of singles which includes “Got It All” with Dom Kennedy, “Chosen” with Ty Dolla Sign and Tyga, “F*ck Boys” with Russ, and “Movie” with Bino Rideaux. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 25 at 10 am PT. Get more information at Blxst.com. See below for the full tour dates.

9/14 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
9/15 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne
9/19 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
9/22 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory Constellation Room
9/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
9/26 – Dallas, TX @ Cambridge Room
9/29 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade-Hell
10/2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
10/3 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
10/5 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
10/7 – Toronto, ON @ Axis Club

Red Bull Records

Def Jam Reportedly Paid Over $35K For DMX’s Funeral

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After DMX passed in April, the late rapper was given a hero’s sendoff, complete with a monster truck to carry his casket to the touching memorial service at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center arena which included a soulful medley performed by Kanye West’s Sunday Service choir and a tender rendition of DMX’s song “Slippin” performed by his daughter.

TMZ reports that according to probate documents for the rapper’s estate, the costs for the extravagant memorial were footed by DMX’s label, Def Jam, where he released many of his groundbreaking early works and returned to record what turned out to be his final album Exodus, which was released posthumously. According to TMZ, the total paid out by the label for the funeral costs came out to $35,228.13, including $7,450 for DMX’s custom casket.

DMX died in April following an overdose that left him comatose for the better part of a week. He was 50. In the wake of his passing, seven of his singles were certified gold or platinum and a number of his peers and contemporaries shared their admiration for him, including Lil Wayne, who said he was “infatuated” with DMX, Swizz Beatz, who gave an impassioned speech at DMX’s funeral, and Jay-Z, who fondly recalled boycotting the 1999 Grammys after he believed X was snubbed and being intimidated to perform after him during their shared Hard Knock Life tour.