Music

Internet Money’s ‘His & Hers’ Video With Don Toliver, Gunna, And Lil Uzi Vert Is A Fantasy Digital World

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Internet Money’s new single “His & Hers” arrived yesterday amid a packed New Music Friday slate, but that doesn’t detract from its hit potential. To refocus fans’ attention on the single, the production duo consisting of Nick Mira and Taz Taylor released the Cole Bennett-directed video today, prompting some celebratory tweets from Taylor.

As with most Lyrical Lemonade productions, director Cole Bennett imagines a fantastical world for his stars Don Toliver, Gunna, and Lil Uzi Vert to play around in, this time taking inspiration from nostalgia for the Windows XP default desktop backgrounds of his youth (dear God, I feel old). While Don Toliver performs his verse on a grassy hilltop under a partially cloudy blue sky, Gunna’s performance takes place in a cubical room with a similar pattern on the walls and ceiling. Meanwhile, Toliver gets to frolic among a field of sunflowers during the chorus, and Uzi tools around on the surface of the moon. For group shots, all three appear in a misty forest setting, dressed in outlandish camo hunting outfits.

Watch Internet Money’s “His & Hers” video featuring Don Toliver, Gunna, and Lil Uzi Vert above.

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

Jorja Smith Plays With Power Dynamics And Diamonds In Her ‘Bussdown’ Video With Shaybo

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Considering her coolly poised presentation and jazzy vocal style, it might have surprised some fans to find that Jorja Smith has a song on her new EP called “Bussdown.” However, rather than a ratchet anthem, Jorja delivered a laid-back, reggae-influenced song that found her flexing, expressing her pride in being a self-made woman who can afford to treat herself. The video takes things a step further, imagining a world in which male-female dynamics are reversed by depicting the transaction between Jorja as an unscrupulous mechanic and her customer, who doesn’t realize he’s the one being taken for a ride.

While the visuals depict their glamorous exploits, Jorja and guest rapper Shaybo’s lyrics highlight how their money doesn’t absolve foul treatment at the hands of a male-dominated society or in their relationships. “If I go broke today, will you stay or leave?” questions Shaybo. Meanwhile, Jorja’s chorus sums up the reason for their vengeful mood: “Feels so bad to feel nice,” she croons. “But she can’t handle that, it comes with a small price.”

“Bussdown” appears on Jorja’s new EP Be Right Back, which dropped last night. The eight-track effort is her first since 2018’s Lost & Found.

Watch the video for “Bussdown” above and listen to Be Right Back here.
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Jorja Smith Plays With Power Dynamics And Diamonds In Her ‘Bussdown’ Video With Shaybo

by

Considering her coolly poised presentation and jazzy vocal style, it might have surprised some fans to find that Jorja Smith has a song on her new EP called “Bussdown.” However, rather than a ratchet anthem, Jorja delivered a laid-back, reggae-influenced song that found her flexing, expressing her pride in being a self-made woman who can afford to treat herself. The video takes things a step further, imagining a world in which male-female dynamics are reversed by depicting the transaction between Jorja as an unscrupulous mechanic and her customer, who doesn’t realize he’s the one being taken for a ride.

While the visuals depict their glamorous exploits, Jorja and guest rapper Shaybo’s lyrics highlight how their money doesn’t absolve foul treatment at the hands of a male-dominated society or in their relationships. “If I go broke today, will you stay or leave?” questions Shaybo. Meanwhile, Jorja’s chorus sums up the reason for their vengeful mood: “Feels so bad to feel nice,” she croons. “But she can’t handle that, it comes with a small price.”

“Bussdown” appears on Jorja’s new EP Be Right Back, which dropped last night. The eight-track effort is her first since 2018’s Lost & Found.

Watch the video for “Bussdown” above and listen to Be Right Back here.
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Lil Nas X’s New Single ‘Sun Goes Down’ Will Debut Ahead Of His ‘SNL’ Performance

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Lil Nas X made headlines when he released his recent single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” The song’s attention was mainly focused on it’s video, which saw the rapper sliding down a stripper pole into hell and twerking on Satan. Seeing as Lil Nas X went all-out for his last track, fans are expecting an equally eye-catching rollout for his next single.

Lil Nas X took to social media Thursday night to reveal the release date of his next track, “Sun Goes Down.” The rapper made the announcement with a highly-stylized photo which sees him controlling water with his fingertips against an ethereal backdrop. He noted the track will debut May 21, just one day ahead of his anticipated Saturday Night Live performance.

The rapper was announced as the SNL musical guest earlier this month. Alongside the host Anya Taylor-Joy, Lil Nas X’s performance will officially close out the show’s 46th season. The timing of the release of “Sun Goes Down” is no coincidence, as it seems he plans to share the new track on the SNL stage. He initially responded to SNL announcing his involvement by saying he plans to perform “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” along with an unnamed new song.

Check out Lil Nas X’s “Sun Goes Down” announcement above.

NBA Players Could Not Get Enough Of J. Cole’s ‘The Off-Season’

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J. Cole dropped his sixth studio album, and NBA players cannot get enough of it. Cole’s first release since 2018, The Off-Season became available to listeners on Friday at midnight, with fans taking to social media to heap praise on the record.

NBA players decided to join in on the fun, shouting out just about everything from the lyrics, to the album’s production, to the mere fact that Cole — who is adding professional basketball player to his list of responsibilities by joining the Patriots Basketball Club of the Basketball Africa League — put together a new album.

One player, Eric Paschall of the Golden State Warriors, ran into some trouble trying to listen to it right at midnight, but eventually got to listen and really liked what he heard.

Plenty of dudes had something to say about the number of nods Cole gave to the basketball world. Ja Morant appreciated getting some love on “My Life,” Bradley Beal was glad to see Russell Westbrook’s name get dropped on “Amari,” and both C.J. McCollum and Donovan Mitchell were fans of Cole sampling Damian Lillard’s postgame comments after he dropped 61 points on the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble on “Punchin’ the Clock.”

And unsurprisingly, Dennis Smith Jr. had the highest possible praise for his friend from Fayetteville.

Juice WRLD’s Live Free 999 Fund And Crisis Text Line Are Offering Free Counseling

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In honor of Juice WRLD‘s well-documented struggles with addiction, anxiety, and depression, Live Free 999 Fund, the non-profit started by his mother in his name, is partnering with Crisis Text Line to provide free counseling to fans in need. The Crisis Text Line provides mental health and crisis intervention texting services, with live counselors who talk texters from a “hot moment to a cool calm” and refer them to needed help.

The Live Free 999 Fund, meanwhile, helps provide easy access to education, prevention, and treatment options for people suffering from opioid and other forms of drug abuse. Carmela Wallace, Juice WRLD’s mother, explained why the partnership is so important, especially during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. “There’s not a day that I don’t think of Jarad,” she said. “Many of my memories of him are happy ones and they make me laugh, but some days are very sad. During Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to encourage people to focus on their mental health and to warn them of the dangers of self-medicating, and for them to seek support if they need it. I want young people to take this time to do a mental health self-check, to be honest with themselves, and reach out to Crisis Text Line if they need someone to talk to. That’s why we’ve formed this alliance, to provide a starting point for young people to get the help they need.” She also echoed the sentiment in an Instagram post earlier this week.

Live Free 999 is also hosting an art contest with the winner to be featured on a future merchandise collaboration. See below for more information.

Rowdy Rebel And A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s ‘9 Bridge’ Is A Cross-Borough Connection

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Brooklyn rapper Rowdy Rebel links up with the Bronx’s own A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie on “9 Bridge,” a haunting banger of a cross-borough connection. A Boogie kicks things off with a rapid-fire verse before Rowdy comes in for a few bars of his own before giving it back to A Boogie for a melodic flow. They go back and forth a few times, showcasing the sort of two-man game that ’90s NBA highlight reels were made of.

The new single is a nice departure for Rowdy, who’s been embracing the drill wave ever since making it out of prison earlier this year. At the end of the GS9 rapper’s six-year sentence, he was recruited by Funkmaster Flex and Nav for “Jesse Owens,” then by CJ for the NYC Remix of “Whoopty” with French Montana. “9 Bridge” gives him a shot to show off his versatility as he continues on the comeback trail.

Meanwhile, A Boogie uses the song reset his 2021 after a few stumbling blocks in 2020 and his remix of Mooski’s TikTok hit “Track Star.” Hopefully, this refresh will lead to more new music with the same level of renewed energy — or even a joint album, because the give-and-go flows here are *chef’s kiss*.

Listen to Rowdy Rebel and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s “9 Bridge” above.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

J. Cole’s Rwandan Basketball Team Shares A First Look Of Him On The Court

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J. Cole is notorious for keeping his projects under wraps but the musician has been busy lately. Not only has Cole just dropped his anticipated album Off-Season, but he’s gearing up to play his first-ever game as part of the Rwandan basketball team the Patriots.

The clip was shared to the Basketball Africa League’s official Instagram account. It shows footage of the Patriots going head-to-head with an opposing team for a friendly scrimmage game ahead of their season’s opening game against the Nigerian team River Hoopers this Sunday. The team had been practicing against each other to prepare for the upcoming season, and this was their first time competing against another team. Cole’s cameo in the video was brief, only being seen walking on the court and dribbling the ball past an opponent.

It hasn’t been long since Cole was first announced as part of the Patriots team. Earlier this week, Rwanda’s English newspaper The New Times Rwanda confirmed that the rapper was on the Patriots’ roster. It means that Cole is joining on for the BAL’s inaugural season and is one of the few Americans who will play in the league.

Watch the clip above.

Off-Season is out now via Dreamville. Get it here.

A Song From J. Cole’s ‘The Off-Season’ Has Fans Recalling His Tiff With Noname

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J. Cole’s new album The Off-Season arrived last night to plenty of fanfare as listeners expressed their awe at his refocused rapping and generated enough streams to drive the new project to the top of Apple’s charts. However, not all of the reactions have been positive, as one song seems to be reminding fans of last year’s altercation with Chicago rapper Noname.

To recap: J. Cole and Noname became the center of a wide-ranging debate on social media when J. Cole released “Snow On Tha Bluff,” a reflective track in which Cole attempts to unpack his complicated emotions about social justice work and language. Many fans interpreted some of the song’s lyrics as references to Noname, who’d previously tweeted about celebrities keeping silent during the 2020 uprisings over the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others. She responded with “Song 33,” calling out his poor timing, and fans on both sides debated the merits of both points of view.

Today, it appears many are either reevaluating or reaffirming their positions, thanks in part to a line from “Applying Pressure,” the fourth song on the concise The Off-Season. “If you broke and clownin’ a millionaire, the joke is on you,” Cole asserts. However, it looks like plenty of listeners disagree, turning “Noname” into a trending topic as they revisit the debate, which Noname herself commented on just a few days ago.

While “Applying Pressure” is seeing its share of attention, fans also expressed fascination at “Let Go My Hand,” on which Cole confirms the rumored scuffle between himself and Diddy in 2013… right before inviting the man himself to close out the track with one of his trademark prayers.

The Off-Season is out now via Dreamville Records and Roc Nation. Get it here.

Teyana Taylor And Iman Shumpert Are Starring In Another Reality TV Series

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Teyana Taylor has been quiet ever since announcing her plans to retire from music, but fans are about to get an exclusive look at what she’s been up to lately. Taylor and her husband, the basketball player Iman Shumpert, are starring in an upcoming reality TV series about their lives.

Following the release of her standout 2020 LP The Album, Taylor and Shumpert are sharing an honest look at their lives in the E! series We Got Love Iman & Teyana. The show mark their second reality TV series following VH1’s Teyana and Iman, which premiered in 2018 and saw only one season. Now with a new network, the couple are giving an “unfiltered behind-the-scenes look at their lives juggling music, fashion, business and family,” according to E!.

News of the reality TV series arrives shortly after Taylor announced she would be stepping away from her music after feeling “underappreciated” by her label. “Everything that you guys see of me, everything that I put out, everything that I do is like, 100 percent me,” she told her fans in an Instagram Live addressing her retirement. “My thing about it is, there’s no gun to anybody’s head to do anything that they don’t want to do. So yes, I am going to feel underappreciated if I’m putting in 110 percent and my label is giving me, they’re reciprocating what 10 percent of that.”

Time will tell if Taylor is planning to reignite her music career with the upcoming We Got Love Iman & Teyana series, or if she’ll pivot to focus on other aspects of her life. E! has yet to announce a premiere date for the show, but did note that it will arrive some point in 2021.