Music

DMX’s Casket Was Brought To His Barclays Center Memorial On A Massive Monster Truck

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DMX’s death is something the music world is still healing from. The hip-hop legend tragically died earlier this month after a reported drug overdose that triggered a heart attack and left him on life support for nearly a week. Two weeks after his passing, the world will get a pair of opportunities to say their final goodbyes to DMX in memorial services for him that will occur this weekend. With the first is set to begin Saturday afternoon, the rapper was brought to Brookyln’s Barclays Center, where the first memorial will be held, in the most fitting way.

The rapper’s casket was delivered to the arena on a massive monster truck that featured the phrase “Long Live DMX” on the left and right sides in large white and red lettering. As the truck journeyed through the Brooklyn streets, fans stood on the sidewalk to cheer as it drove by. The monster truck was also followed by hundreds of motorcyclists. Upon arriving at the arena, a message honoring the rapper could be seen on the outdoor screen. “We each have a star, all we have to do is find it,” it read. “Once you do, everyone who sees it will be blinded.”

The first service for DMX will begin at 4 p.m. from Barclays Center and be livestreamed on YouTube. A second one will be held on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and air on BET.

You can watch video of the massive monster truck with DMX’s casket above.

Beyonce Celebrated The Fifth Anniversary Of ‘Lemonade’ With A Touching Post

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Beyonc has accomplished a lot in her stories career, but one of her towering achievements is her 2016 album Lemonade, as well as its accompanying music film, which earned accolades as well. The 12-track effort highlighted the turmoil she experienced in her marriage with Jay-Z, and people are still talking about it on its fifth anniversary. Beyonce herself made sure to commemorate the album’s birthday with a touching post to Instagram.

“I’m grateful that this body of work has resonated so deeply with so many people,” Beyonce wrote in the caption, alongside images from the movie version of the album. “I’m so thankful for all the beautiful souls involved in making one of my favorite pieces of art. As I celebrate five years of LEMONADE, I encourage everyone to continue healing, loving, forgiving and uplifting.” She added, “I hope you find joy today.”

The anniversary comes just a month after she and Megan Thee Stallion became the first women to win the Best Rap Performance award at the Grammys. Her daughter Blue Ivy also became one of the youngest Grammy winners in history after taking home an award for Best Music Video, which she appeared in alongside Beyonce, Wizkid, and Saint Jhn.

Snoop Dogg Says DMX Rented Out His Studio To Record His Upcoming Album After Their ‘Verzuz’ Battle

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One of the best recent memories people have of DMX is his Verzuz battle with Snoop Doggz last July. The late rapper could be seen in high spirits as he and Snoop went back and forth, playing some of the most popular records from their catalogs. Alas, DMX tragically passed away less than a year later, after a reported drug overdose triggered a heart attack. In a recent interview with Hot97, Snoop explained that his battle with DMX is one of his favorite memories of him.

“He actually did his whole album at my studio when he finished Verzuz,” Snoop revealed during the conversation. “He never left, stayed in L.A. and rented my studio out and did his whole album. I cooked with him, I laid it out for him.” He added, “That was the best moment, that he felt comfortable enough to do his album at my spot, and didn’t leave L.A. until it was done.”

Snoop also spoke about another moment with DMX, one that involved old-school cars and music. “One night I’m sitting in the back and cuz jump in the passenger seat, and we’re just there chopping it up listening to old-school music,” he said. “If you know anything about DMX, you know he don’t f*ck with rap. That n***a don’t f*ck with no rap. So I’m playing all this old-school music, it’s turning this n***a on he’s singing all the words, he more into it than me!”

Snoop’s sit-down on Hot97 comes as DMX’s family prepares to hold memorial services. The first will be today, April 24 at 4 p.m. EST, while the second will occur on April 25 at 2:30 p.m. EST. Both events will be livestreamed, with the former airing on YouTube and the latter on BET.

You can watch the interview in full above.

Eminem’s Upcoming NFT Collection Includes Comics, Action Figures, And Beats

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While some people are still trying to wrap their heads around what NFTs even are, artists from all over the music world have been quick to take advantage of this growing digital realm. Names like Doja Cat, Jack White, and The Weeknd have all released NFTs of their own. Now Eminem is joining in on the fun. The rapper announced his own line of digital collectables after a Saturday Night Live segment that saw Jack Harlow and cast members explaining what NFTs are through a rap over the Detroit native’s classic song “Without Me.” Now, a day before he drops his line, Eminem has finally revealed what it will contain.

The upcoming release, which drops Sunday, April 25, is a part of an event Eminem has dubbed “Shady Con,” in collaboration with NFT marketplace NFT Gateway. He’ll release original instrumental beats, digital comics, and action figures. The latter will come in three forms, each capturing various Eminem’s rap personas: Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady, and Eminem himself.

“I’ve been collecting since I was a kid, everything from comic books to baseball cards to toys, as well as every rap album on cassette I could get my hands on,” Eminem said on his website. “Not much has changed for me as an adult…I’ve attempted to recreate some of those collections from that time in my life, and I know I’m not alone. I wanted to give this drop the same vibe of, ‘Oh, man I gotta get just that one or maybe even the whole set!’ It’s been a lot of fun coming up with ideas from my own collecting passion.”

You can watch a video from Eminem’s website above.

Logic And Madlib Formed A New Duo Called MadGic And They’ve Already Dropped Their First Song

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Last summer, Logic walked away from the rap game with the release of his sixth album No Pressure. But rappers who say they’re retiring usually come back. Such as the case here. He came back quick, first teaming up with Juicy J for their collaboration “1995,” and then did the solo “Tired In Malibu.” Some even believed that the rapper’s new artist, Doctor Destruction, was actually Logic in disguise. While that has yet to be proven true or not, Logic is clearly back in action, as he announced he and producer Madlib have joined forces to form a new duo called MadGic.

The news arrived along with their first song, “Mars Only Pt. 3.” It sees Logic flexing his lyricism over a boom-bap beat provided by Madlib, even teasing a full album. “Logic and Madlib is MadGic, your catalogue tragic / F*ck a underground, f*ck a pop sound,” he raps. “Made this whole album in a lockdown, hip hop is our town / Hairline like Doc Brown but I’m killin’ it.”

Before the MadGic announcement, Logic joked during an interview with his friend Nick Huff Barili that Madlib was the only person that could make him reconsider retirement. By the looks of it, that’s exactly what happened.

You can listen to ‘Mars Only Pt. 3’ in the video above.

Post Malone Might Release Two New Projects In 2021, According To His Manager

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Post Malone has kept busy lately. He’s getting ready to headline Rolling Loud, he launched new merch for his rosé brand, he got shot by Jason Statham (in a movie, not real life), and he performed at the Grammys. In terms of new music, though, it’s been about a year and a half since Post Malone released his latest album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. It appears he may be gearing up to drop not just one new project in 2021, but a pair of them.

In an Instagram post, Malone’s manager Dre London implied that he and Malone are in agreement that Malone should put out two albums this year. He also noted that one of these projects may arrive sooner than fans might expect, and that the title of one might be revealed soon. Sharing a photos of himself smiling while on the phone, he wrote, “Some would say thats the smile when the wire hits! But for me this isn’t true! It’s even bigger than that! This that smile while on FaceTime with @postmalone agreeing that the world deserves 2 Posty projects out this year! Discussing dates to drop the 1st one sooner than u think! I won’t tell u the title name just yet maybe next week.”

He actually is confirmed to drop something new, though, as he’s teaming up with the Calm app for an hour-long version of “Circles.”

The Alchemist And Earl Sweatshirt Reunite On ‘Nobles’ With Navy Blue

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Earl Sweatshirt has seemingly been laying low since the 2019 release of his Feet Of Clay EP — save for a few guest spots throughout 2020 and an appearance on Armand Hammer’s Alchemist-produced 2021 album Haram — but the wandering wordsmith has returned to once again collaborate with The Alchemist on the latter’s upcoming EP, This Thing of Ours, due next Friday, April 30. The track, called “Nobles,” features a trademark, soulful Alchemist beat and an appearance by rapper/skater Navy Blue.

Earl previously collaborated with The Alchemist on “The Whole World” from the deluxe version of Feet Of Clay featuring Maxo, as well as on Alc’s 2018 single “E Coli.” The Los Angeles duo has consistently displayed impressive chemistry, prompting some fans to call for them to work on a full project, a la Alchemist’s 2020 work with Griselda’s Conway and Freddie Gibbs.

The results of those two projects were prolific; The Alchemist was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album for Alfredo, bringing the veteran producer and rapper both a new level of attention and expanded public acclaim. The Alchemist’s next EP, which also features Boldy James (with whom he also released a joint project in 2020), Maxo, Pink Siifu, and Sideshow, will certainly build on that newfound success.

Listen to The Alchemist’s “Navy Blue” featuring Earl Sweatshirt and Navy Blue below.

Earl Sweatshirt is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HER Announces The Title Of Her Upcoming Debut Album, ‘Back Of My Mind’

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Grammy-winning singer HER is hard at work on a new project and today, she revealed what it’s going to be called. Back Of My Mind. Incidentally, it’s also her debut album, as her prior efforts, the self-titled H.E.R. and its 2019 follow-up I Used To Know Her, were compilations of previously released material (a quartet of EPs bearing the same titles).

However, despite not having an official “album” to her name, the Bay Area singer has become one of music’s most accomplished artists over the past several years, with singles like “Focus,” “Damage,” and “I Can’t Breathe” charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and appearances alongside stars like Daniel Caesar, Jazmine Sullivan, and YG raising her profile to near-superstar status.

That status was sealed as she secured high-profile placements on the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack and sang the national anthem at the 2021 Super Bowl. Meanwhile, “I Can’t Breathe” won Song of The Year at this year’s Grammys, while “Fight For You” was nominated for a Golden Globe. She even jokingly tried out for Silk Sonic, Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars’ new band, a placement that could help her net yet another platinum plaque in the near future.

There’s no release date yet for Back Of My Mind, but the notebook photo she posted on Twitter suggests she’s got at least of a couple of its unknown number of songs in the can already, while her new single “Come Through” is out now. You can listen to that below.

Young Dolph Connects With Rick Ross On DJ-Q’s Ambitious ‘Plenty Cake’

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Paper Route Empire and Maybach Music connect on “Plenty Cake,” the money-hungry new single from the former’s DJ-Q, which features opulent verses from Young Dolph and Rick Ross. The truck-ready beat is classic Memphis, but that doesn’t stop Floridian Rick Ross from demolishing a verse in which he lists his luxury cars and name-checks his favorite foods (lemon pepper chicken wings and peach cobbler!). Dolph comes in after to remind listeners that Memphians are built different and that he gets “plenty cake” himself, choosing to spend his spoils on chains, scallops, and lobster.

The track popped up with little fanfare on Dolph’s streaming pages this morning, trusting longtime listeners to fall in line in relatively short order. The strategy has served Dolph relatively well in the past; the Memphis mogul reserves promotion for music video budgets and other indie label overhead, choosing to let the work find the people and generate dollars organically. It seems to have worked out because he recently announced his retirement from rap to let the other members of his label, like Key Glock and DJ-Q, shine on their own.

Meanwhile, guest rapper Rick Ross is reportedly working on a joint album with Drake, looking to expand his own empire — from which he doesn’t seem to have any plans of retiring anytime soon.

Listen to DJ-Qs “Plenty Cake” featuring Rick Ross and Young Dolph above.

Vic Mensa And Chance The Rapper Strip Down ‘Shelter’ For An Acoustic Live Performance

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After producing a few hilarious skits and a slick new single, we’re still not sure exactly what Chance The Rapper’s “House Of Kicks” really is. However, the creative run he’s been on since teasing “The Heart & The Tongue” last month has apparently extended to shooting live, stripped-down performances, as well. Today, Chance shared a self-directed video of his good friend Vic Mensa performing an acoustic rendition of his soulful single “Shelter” at Chance’s house, with The Rapper filling in for Wyclef Jean on the chorus.

The performance opens with Vic performing his verse in front of a crackling fireplace backed by a mellow orchestral arrangement sans drums. Meanwhile, Chance leans on his picture windowsill across the room to sing the tender hook and perform his own verse. The two rappers harmonize nicely on the chorus, then the video loses saturation for a black-and-white view of Vic’s final verse and the song’s outro.

“Shelter” was the friends’ first on-record reunion since 2013, when they guested on each other’s mixtapes Acid Rap and Innanetape. They had a falling out as they both rose to stardom, but were eventually able to put their differences aside as both found their footing in fame, with Chance starting a family and Vic returning to form on the fiery V Tape. They finally reunited officially on Vic’s follow-up, I Tape, and it seems that the creative chemistry they once shared seems intact and growing.

Watch Vic Mensa and Chance The Rapper’s live performance of “Shelter” above.