Music

Rod Wave Covers A Drake Classic In His Outdoor Tiny Desk Concert

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Question: Can a gazebo be a desk? Answer: Technically, I guess. Rod Wave sure makes a strong argument for a “yes” with his debut on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts. His drummer and bassist occupy a garden gazebo, while Rod, his pianist, and a flautist/saxophonist(!) perform from the grounds just outside. Rod performs songs from his recently released album SoulFly, as well as a quick cover of Drake’s “Over My Dead Body” hook to open the set.

The stripped-down setup allows his voice to get more shine, while he’s able to reflect on the stories behind the songs between each. Singing “Rags2Riches,” “Street Runner,” and “Don’t Forget,” his band adds a fresh dimension to the familiar songs while the addition of saxophone and sweet flute to the arrangements brings out more of the tenderness that has drawn listeners to Rod’s moody trap tunes.

Rod’s shown a preference for outdoor performances that show off the lush Florida environs he came up in; earlier this month, he made his television debut on The Tonight Show performing from a porch overlooking the Everglades. Meanwhile, the overall rollout of SoulFly has been impressively executed, with videos for “Tombstone” and “Street Runner,” as well as a “Street Runner” video game, helped propel his third album to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Watch Rod Wave’s Tiny Desk Concert above.

Fans Think Clues Point To A Secret Beyonce Appearance On DJ Khaled’s Upcoming Album

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DJ Khaled revealed the tracklist for his upcoming album Khaled Khaled yesterday and it features a ton of household names. Now, fans think the tracklist doesn’t explicitly reveal everybody who guests on the album, as there’s a prominent theory out there that Beyonce makes an appearance.

Jay-Z features on the song “Sorry Not Sorry,” alongside Nas, James Fauntleroy, and somebody credited as “Harmonies By The Hive,” which many fans have decided is actually Beyonce.

Rumors have actually been swirling before the tracklist reveal, as Khaled, Beyonce, and Jay-Z were recently all seen together. On top of that, Khaled revealed a few days ago he had to sign an NDA related to the project, which fans believe is related to Beyonce’s purported appearance on the album.

It shouldn’t take long to verify or debunk these rumors, as the album is set to be released tomorrow.

Aside from the aforementioned artists, the album also features 21 Savage, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Big Sean, Bryson Tiller, DaBaby, Drake, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, Meek Mill, Megan Thee Stallion, Migos,, Puff Daddy, Rick Ross, Roddy Ricch, HER, Jeremih, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Post Malone, Barrington Levy, Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, and Capleton.

Khaled Khaled is out 4/30 via Epic Records. Pre-order it here.

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

J. Cole’s ‘The Off Season’ Will Arrive In Two Weeks, According To Dreamville’s Bas

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J. Cole has kept fans waiting for his sixth album, The Fall Off. Before 2019 came to a close, Cole announced that it would arrive in 2020 during his headline set at the Day N Vegas festival, but the year came and went without its release. Now it looks like he’s ready to drop it, but not without the arrival of something called “The Off-Season” first.

Fellow Dreamville rapper Bas shared a now-deleted Instagram post that announced the upcoming release, whatever it may be. “The Off-Season,” he wrote under a photo of Cole in the studio. “pack your bags. [rocket emoji] in two weeks.” It appears that “The Off-Season” could be the lead single to The Fall Off, but that has yet to be confirmed by Cole or anyone in the Dreamville camp.

“The Off-Season” was first announced through an Instagram post from Cole that showed off a to-do list. The list, titled “The Fall Of Era,” listed five separate things: “Features,” “ROTD3,” “The Off-Season,” “It’s A Boy,” and, lastly, “The Fall-Off” itself. The first two items — 2019 feature run and the release of Revenge Of Dreamers III — were crossed off, having already been released.

You can view a screenshot of Bas’ Instagram post above.

Kodak Black Sentenced To Probation After Pleading Guilty In His 2016 Sexual Assault Case

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Kodak Black will avoid jail time in his sexual assault case that dates back to a 2016 incident. According to CBS affiliate WBTW, the rapper entered a guilty plea for assaulting a high school student, an act he was indicted for on first-degree sexual assault charges back in 2017. Under the deal, Kodak pled guilty to lesser charges of first-degree assault and battery. As a result, rather than the suspended 10-year sentence that he originally faced, he’ll be on probation for 18 months.

According to 12th Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements, the victim in the case was present during the court proceeding and agreed to the terms of the plea deal, which also included Kodak vocally taking responsibility for his actions, agreeing to undergo counseling, and publicly apologizing to the victim, which he did in court. He was also joined by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in court. Earlier this year, Jackson called for former President Donald Trump to commute Kodak’s 2019 sentence on weapons charges. Trump eventually pardoned him on his final day in office, something Kodak celebrated on his “Last Day In” single.

On a more recent note, Kodak’s security guard was shot earlier this month. The incident occurred in a Tallahassee, Florida McDonald’s parking lot and left the security guard with a bullet wound in his leg.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Travis Scott Wins An Award For His Philanthropic Efforts For HBCU Students

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While Travis Scott has amassed a number of awards in his career, his latest comes as a result of his work with public service. According to Billboard, the Astroworld rapper was recently awarded for his philanthropic efforts for HBCU students, specifically his work with Red Carpet Advocacy (RAD) Awards, which highlights people who “inspire purpose.” Scott was one of five recipients of the award, joining a list that includes Laverne Cox, Charlize Theron, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Margot Robbie.

Some of Scott’s past charitable contributions include paying off the tuition of five students at historically Black colleges and universities, which he did back in October. A month later he created the Cactus Jack Foundation, and a few months later, he partnered with his Houston hometown to deliver 50,000 meals to residents after the state’s brutal ice storm. The foundation also launched its first major initiative, the Waymon Webster Scholarship program, named after the rapper’s grandfather, who attended an HBCU, and aimed at granting several HBCU students with scholarships. First-round selections have already been made through the program for potential recipients that were enrolled at Prairie View A&M University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, and Grambling State University.

The award arrives after Scott was listed as a headliner for Rolling Loud’s Miami festival with Post Malone, ASAP Rocky, and others.

Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Baby, And YTB Trench Celebrate Good Deeds In Their Video For ‘Paid The Fine’

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The rollout for Young Thug and YSL Records’ Slime Langauge 2 has been quite eventful. Thug and Gunna teamed up for a lavish pool party in their video for “Ski,” which also saw the emergence of the Ski Challenge. Thug later spotlighted his brother, Unfoonk, in a video for “Real.” Outside of music, Thug and Gunna also joined forces to bail 30 inmates out of Georgia’s Fulton County Jail, a good deed that was displayed in their latest video for “Paid The Fine.”

The new video captures the newly freed inmates as they walk out of the county jail and reconnect with family friends. Elsewhere, Thug, Gunna, Lil Baby, and YTB Trench sit around a large table, accompanied by fellow rapper Bankroll Freddie and more. There, they eat a big meal as they rap along to the Slime Langauge 2 track.

Prior to the new video, Thug and Gunna joined a list of celebrities that includes Saweetie, Jack Harlow, Mookie Betts, and more in the trailer for the third season of Call Of Duty: Warzone. Their appearance convinced J. Cole to play the video for the first time ever, which was shared by Cole’s manager, Ibrahaim “Ib” Hamad.

You can watch the “Paid The Fine” above.

Slime Language 2 is out now via 300 Entertainment/YSL Records. Get it here.

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

Ty Dolla Sign Hangs Out With Tiffany Haddish In His Sunny ‘By Yourself’ Remix Video With Jhene Aiko And Bryson Tiller

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Comedian Tiffany Haddish stars in the sunny video for Ty Dolla Sign’s “By Yourself” remix, hopping from man to man on a series of dates throughout the Los Angeles area, reflecting the song’s emphasis on a woman embracing her independence. Meanwhile, for each verse, Ty performs alongside one of the song’s guests Bryson Tiller and Jhene Aiko, as well as Haddish herself during Ty’s verse.

The song is the latest remix to emerge from Ty’s 2020 album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign, including remixes of “The Business” with Tiesto and “Spicy” featuring J Balvin, Tyga, and YG.

Since releasing Featuring Ty Dolla Sign, Ty’s lived up to the album’s cheeky title, popping up on Ariana Grande’s album Positions, 2 Chainz’s “Can’t Go For That” video from So Help Me God, Blxst’s single “Chosen” with Tyga, and SZA’s “Good Days.” Ty also staged a number of impressive live performances, including one for “Nothing Like Your Exes” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a soulful return to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts with an in-home setup that let his skills shine.

Watch Ty Dolla Sign’s “By Yourself” video featuring Bryson Tiller, Jhene Aiko, and Tiffany Haddish above.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

King Von Contemplates The Ups And Downs Of Success In His ‘Mine Too’ Video

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The latest posthumous King Von video to be released from the OTF vaults (or hard drives, as it were) is “Mine Too,” from his album Welcome To O-Block. The video features Von performing to the camera in and around a cavernous mansion, showing off a collection of luxury cars, and shining from head to toe with an eye-popping array of diamond-encrusted accessories. As Von raps, he’s flanked by his stoic-faced crewmates and a pair of scantily clad women, who provide even more atmosphere to the moody aesthetic.

Although it’s been six months since King Von died after being shot in an Atlanta parking lot, the apparent backlog of videos he had previously recorded has been released at a relatively steady trickle by his label, including “Wayne’s Story,” released almost chillingly close to the actual event, “Armed & Dangerous,” and the posse cut “Jump,” while he received homages in OTF founder Lil Durk’s videos for “Backdoor” and “Still Trappin,” as well as Fivio Foreign’s “Trust” and PNB Rock’s “Rose Gold.”

In the wake of Von’s death, Welcome To O-Block, released just days before, debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart — his highest to date — while two other projects also entered the chart for the first time.

Watch King Von’s “Mine Too” video above.

Walmart Says Kanye West’s New Yeezy Logo Is Too Similar To Theirs And Might Confuse Customers

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Most of the recent talk around Kanye West’s Yeezy brand is about how his shoes look like Crocs, or how the company fired an intern for violating their NDA contract. But this time, Yeezy’s new logo design is at the forefront of the conversation. Walmart has filed a copyright infringement complaint against the Yeezy brand, saying that the new logo is so similar to theirs that it might cause confusion among customers.

The new Yeezy logo features eight clusters of three dots which radiate from the center like a star. But because Walmart is concerned that the design is too similar to their own logo, they filed an official complaint with the US Patent And Trademark Office, according to Business Insider. They state that the design “is likely to cause confusion, mistake and deception” for their customers, and could lead to people mistakenly thinking the two brands are related. In their infringement complaint, Walmart states that the “false affiliation” between Yeezy and their company would potentially “damage” their brand and the “goodwill” they’ve worked to associate their name with.

News of the copyright infringement complain arrives on the heels of Yeezy’s charitable initiative. Kanye’s company announced that they would be releasing a DMX tribute shirt to honor the rapper’s legacy, with all proceeds from sales going directly to DMX’s family.

Check out a photo of the proposed Yeezy logo above and compare for yourself.

DJ Khaled Shares His Next Album’s Tracklist, Which Includes Drake, Lil Baby, Jay-Z, And More

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As soon as DJ Khaled announced that his new album, Khaled Khaled, was “100% done” via a huge billboard in downtown Miami, fans knew it would be a star-studded affair. Now, we know just which stars will appear on the project, and the quickest way to sum up it up is: “All of them.”

Hip-hop stars 21 Savage, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Big Sean, Bryson Tiller, DaBaby, Drake, Jay-Z, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, Meek Mill, Megan Thee Stallion, Migos, Nas, Puff Daddy, Rick Ross, and Roddy Ricch fill out the features list, along with R&B standouts H.E.R., James Fauntleroy, and Jeremih, pop stars Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, and Post Malone, and reggae legends Barrington Levy, Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, and Capleton.

Of the features, Lil Baby has the most appearances, popping up on three tracks, while Drake appears twice (on previously released singles “Greece” and “Popstar“), as does frequent Khaled collaborator Justin Bieber, and Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts” partner Bryson Tiller. New collaborator H.E.R. pops up a couple of times as well, continuing her meteoric rise, while “Sorry Not Sorry” reunites erstwhile rivals, Jay-Z and Nas, for their fifth collaboration since their 2000s battle for the King of New York crown.

Khaled Khaled is due 4/30 via Epic Records.

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