Music

‘Ms. Marvel’ Features A New Song From Pakistani Rapper Eva B, ‘Rozi’

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Marvel’s new superhero show, Ms. Marvel, is out now on Disney Plus, introducing non-comic book fans to Kamala Khan, one of the medium’s most beloved new characters since Miles Morales. Fans who watched the show were treated to a brand-new song from Pakistani rapper, Eva B, who’s credited with being the nation’s first-ever female rapper. The song is called “Rozi” and is rapped entirely in Urdu; it’s about embracing your self-confidence despite what people may say — a poignant concept that reflects one of the show’s main themes.

Say what you want to about Disney and Marvel — they are massive corporate entities that exist for the sole purpose of making (a lot of) money, so they’ll never have the best track record with this stuff — but it’s pretty cool how they’d tried to highlight the backgrounds of their diverse new cast of heroes through the soundtracks of the projects featuring them. Like recruiting TDE and Kendrick Lamar to executive produce the soundtrack for Black Panther and 88rising to soundtrack Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, tapping a Pakistani rapper — especially a young woman whose struggles echo those of Kamala herself — expands the scope of possibilities for any number of people worldwide.

Because of certain cultural mores, Eva B was discouraged from pursuing her career, but was supported by a cousin. She still had to record music without access to a studio, recording on her phone and catching the attention of the head of Pakistan’s largest streaming platform. However, because of the political situation in Pakistan, she’s been unable to perform in public and must hide her true identity — ironically, just like a superhero.

Indian-American singer and composer Gingger Shankar, who helped write “Rozi,” said of the track in a statement, “The track is done in Urdu, which for a mainstream Marvel series to do is fantastic. I’ve always been a fan of Marvel, but if you had told me five years ago that we would be doing an Urdu hip-hop track with Pakistani and Indian influences for a Pakistani female superhero, I wouldn’t have believed it! ‘Rozi’ is an anthem for women’s empowerment and Eva B delivers. Eva and I worked on it through the pandemic between Los Angeles and Pakistan and are thrilled for folks to see its debut on Ms. Marvel.”

Listen to “Rozi” above and watch Ms. Marvel on Disney Plus.

Kelly Clarkson Takes On The Weeknd And Ariana Grande’s ‘Save Your Tears’ For A ‘Kellyoke’ Cover

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Kelly Clarkson has carved out a space for herself in daytime television with The Kelly Clarkson Show, which she started hosting in 2019. (Perhaps the show will see increased popularity now that Ellen has officially ended its run.) Through it all, Clarkson has kept her musical roots front and center, partially with her “Kellyoke” segment, during which she covers popular songs.

On today’s episode, she went with The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Save Your Tears,” taking her rendition, as she often does, in a pop-rock direction more akin to the songs that define Clarkson’s own discography, like “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes.”

Clarkson and Grande got to know each other better when they were both coaches on the most recent season of The Voice, the show’s 21st. During the season premiere, the two teamed up to duet on a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” Neither Clarkson nor Grande will return to coach on the show’s next season, though, but taking their places are Camila Cabello (in her first season as a coach) and Gwen Stefani (who is returning for her sixth season).

Meanwhile, The Weeknd has historically been all over the “Kellyoke” segment: Clarkson sang “Take My Breath” on the show just a few months ago and previously delivered renditions of “Call Out My Name” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” The Weeknd also dropped a Clarkson/The 40-Year-Old Virgin reference on his 2009 song “Birthday Suit,” singing, “Girl, you already know the best damn part is / Get you on your back, wax you like Kelly Clarkson.”

Watch Clarkson sing “Save Your Tears” above.

Jack Harlow Gives Black Women Credit For Being ‘Such A Massive Part’ Of His Career

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Despite the commercial success and growing popularity, Jack Harlow, like many rappers, has found himself become the butt of many jokes especially after releasing his sophomore album Come Home The Kids Miss You and admitting he did not know Brandy and Ray J were siblings. One surprising aspect of the backlash is the demographic of people who not only loudly support him, but defend him from it — Black women. The Louisville rapper is well aware of his avengers and vocalized his love for them in a recent interview in Teen Vogue.

“Black women are such a massive part of my career,” Harlow said. He continued, “They’ll never have to worry about not being credited by me. I mean, I look out at my shows and I see them. It’s one thing when you see the memes and you hear people talking about it, but it’s another when you travel the country and you see them all over the place. I love Black women. I’ve loved Black women my whole life.”

This isn’t Harlow’s first public display of adoration toward Black women, as his debut album, That’s What They All Say featured one on the cover. It remains to be seen whether the Clubhouse inhabitants will create a room to discuss this quote like they did when the cover art dropped in 2020. In any event, Harlow is proudly doubling down on his admiration.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Blxst Walks Out On His Dream Girl In The Bittersweet ‘Be Forreal’ Video

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In case you missed the news, Blxst has a new album out. It’s called Before You Go, and it continues his streak of winning rap&B-style West Coast love songs. You’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice the release; Blxst is a pretty low-key guy, releasing his music independently in partnership with Red Bull Music. To catch the latecomers up to speed, though, Blxst’s kept up a steady stream of smooth singles, including “About You,” “Sometimes” with Zacari, “Every Good Girl,” “Never Was Wrong,” and now, “Be Forreal,” for which he released a bittersweet video today.

The video follows the overall theme of the album; Blxst is in love and loves it, but he’s also got a dream to chase. You just can’t have it all. In the video, this plays out via a string of opulent shopping sprees for his boo, resulting in a brand new car with a bow on it, an armload of shopping bags, and sultry nights in with his paramour. It culminates, however, in her waking up alone to note on her pillow while Blxst boards a plane to the tune of another Before You Go cut, “Fake Love In LA” featuring Arin Ray.

Next month, Blxst will continue promoting his new album with a 46-date tour around the globe with stops in the UK, Germany, and Australia in addition to the usual coast-to-coast US venues. Check out his “Be Forreal” video above and stream the full album here.

Smiley Sets His Sights High With His ‘Grammy’ Performance For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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I love it when artists show up to do UPROXX Sessions with props — even when they’re something as small and basic as a red plastic cup. It just signifies a different level of confidence and charisma. Those are two things that OVO Sound rapper Smiley has in abundance, which is even evidenced by the title of his song, “Grammy.” He knows how high to aim; all that remains is to get there.

He’s off to a decent start. It helps being signed to Drake’s label, for sure, but as we’ve seen, that’s no guarantee of the sort of commercial success and notoriety that awards show voters and fans look for in their favorite artists. Smiley certainly has an interesting look and a wise outlook. “I’m not just an artist, I’m a product — sell me,” he raps on the song. The worst salesman in the world could make that one move.

Watch Smiley’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Grammy “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 Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

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

Cardi B Explains Why She ‘Would Love’ To Direct An Azealia Banks Photoshoot And Banks Responds

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Cardi B West Hollywood Pride Parade 2022
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Azealia Banks is usually involved in some sort of beef with somebody, and a couple days ago, she set her sights on Cardi B, calling her an “industry plant,” although she did go on to praise Cardi for how well she has managed her career. So, there’s not really an actual feud here. In fact, Cardi returned the favor by offering some (cautious) praise for Banks, saying she wants to direct a photoshoot with her.

In a recent live broadcast, Cardi said of Banks, “I would love to direct a photoshoot with her, for her, because she’s a very pretty girl and I feel like she gets it. I feel like she gets it, but I feel like nobody… not a good team has had a hand on her. […] I would love to direct a photoshoot for her, but, you know, I’m a little afraid of her [laughs]. She can turn left real quick, but I would love that.”

Banks responded to the video, writing on Twitter, “SIS, come thruuuuu let’s re-do Salchichon one time for THE REAL UPTOWN MAMIS.” She added in another tweet, “I really never actually turn left. I’m really naive and think people have my best interest alot of times , then when my dumbass discovers the person has been actually ki’king in my face .. I gotta roast. Because a lot of ppl think they’re funny but I’m MAD FUNNY.”

Of course, it would seem Cardi is in a prime position to make a Banks photoshoot happen, considering she got involved with Playboy back in December.

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

Snoop Dogg Says He Gave His Full-Time Blunt Roller A Raise: ‘Inflation!’

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Philip Cosores

Snoop Dogg has a full-time blunt roller. Full stop. Where was the job posting for this dream job when it became available? Because I’m pretty sure I missed my calling. At any rate, a few years ago, Snoop Dogg was on The Howard Stern Show alongside Seth Rogen and the three of them spent some time talking about this dream job.

Snoop said the impetus for the hiring was that he simply didn’t have the time to do it himself anymore. “If you’re great at something that I need, Im gonna hire you,” the new Death Row Records honcho said. “He’s a PBR: Professional blunt roller.”

He then indicated that he made, “Somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000 a year… and all paid expenses.” He added, “Everything free I get, he gets. So if I’m gonna go get some free clothes, I’m gonna give him some.”

Not a bad deal right? But that was in 2019 and looks like the price for a PBR has gone up. In response to a tweet from factoid aggregator Twitter account UberFacts about Snoop Dogg’s blunt roller making “between $40,000 and $50,000 a year,” Snoop quote retweeted and added, “Inflation. Their salary went up!!”

The PBR job description just keeps getting better. And look, if Snoop Dogg can adjust his professional blunt roller’s salary to account for the mounting cost of living in today’s modern world, then certainly corporate American can do the same.

Gucci Mane And 1017’s ‘So Icy Gang: The Reup’ Adds 13 Additional Tracks To Their 2020 Album

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For someone who’s been one of the most prolific artists in rap music over the course of his 17-year career, Gucci Mane has been oddly quiet lately, containing his musical appearances mostly to a handful of singles and features on other artists’ projects. In recent months, he dropped “Rumors” with Lil Durk, “Blood All On It” with Young Dolph and Key Glock, “Serial Killers,” and “Mrs. Davis,” but one song a month — while an impressive output for anyone else — is a slow year for Guwop.

Fortunately, that may soon change with the announcement of So Icy Gang: The ReUp, which is due to drop on June 17. A deluxe edition of Gucci’s 2020 1017 Global Music compilation So Icy Gang, Vol. 1, the new album adds 13 new tracks to the original 19, which included contributions from 1017 signees BiC Fizzle, Big Scarr, BigWalkDog, Hotboy Wes, Enchanting, Pooh Shiesty, and Foogiano. The additional tracks include the ones named above, while the picks from Foogiano and Pooh Shiesty are welcome surprises considering their current situations (both men are locked up for separate crimes and facing serious prison sentences). The ReUp will be 1017’s fourth compilation release in just three years; in 2021, the label released both So Icy Boyz and a Christmas album titled So Icy Christmas. Now that’s consistency.

You can pre-save So Icy Gang: The ReUp here and stream it on 6/17 via Atlantic Records.

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

Ice Cube’s Big3 Basketball League Adds Snoop Dogg As An Owner — And Will Let Fans Buy In, Too

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As members of the California-based supergroup Mount Westmore, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg have been working closely together with E-40 and Too Short on their new album, Bad MFs, which is out now via Gala Music. However, it appears they liked working together so much that they’re expanding their endeavors. With Cube’s summer basketball league, Big3, returning for its fifth season, Snoop is joining the fun as part-owner of team Bivouac, which Cube revealed to TMZ Sports. In addition, they’re offering fans the chance to buy in, too.

They’ll do so with a custom cryptocurrency called FEAT — Forever Experience Action Token — dropping on Friday, June 10. “It’s better than an NFT,” he said in the interview. “I think people who can see the future of sports wanna be closer to the action. I don’t think any other league can offer something like what we’re doing… In a lot of ways, we’re in the perfect spot.”

Of Snoop’s involvement, he said, “Snoop is always at the cutting edge. He always wanna be first. When we said we was gonna start selling teams, he hit me right away saying, ‘I need to be a part of that.’”

That’s certainly characteristic of the Doggfather, who also said he wanted to make Death Row Records “the first label in the metaverse” after acquiring it earlier this year. Meanwhile, we’ll see if he can make Bivouac, which boasts a roster including Corey Brewer, Gerald Green, and Will Bynum coached by Gary Payton, a contender this season, which starts June 18 in Chicago.

Yes, That DDG Line About Him And Gunna On A Double Date Is About Exactly Who You Think It Is

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One of the most fun parts of hip-hop music is deciphering rappers’ bars, unraveling their cryptic references and tongue-twisting wordplay to uncover hidden meanings or clever turns of phrase that tell us more about them past their boastful personas. One bar that captured fans’ imaginations came from Michigan rapper DDG on his viral hit “Elon Musk.” DDG hints that he and his costar on the song, Gunna, went on a double date, but doesn’t say with whom; fans naturally took the license to speculate on the rappers’ respective romantic partners, given who they’ve been seen hanging out with in recent months.

Now, thanks to Uproxx’s Cherise Johnson, we have confirmation: That line is about exactly who fans think it is. Sure, it wasn’t that hard to figure out, but it’s nice to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. “I think it’s self-explanatory,” DDG elaborates. “I think the world knows that me and Gunna have a mutual situation with people that are related. Gunna got a Maybach, I got a Maybach — he got the truck, I got the car. One day, he was on a date, I was on a date, we pulled up at the same time.”

For those who don’t know, both rappers had been seen in the company of the sister duo, Chloe X Halle — Gunna with Chloe Bailey, and DDG with the younger sibling, Halle. Although the two R&B stars have been coy, and even Gunna denied that things were serious, DDG’s admission puts both relationships on Front street. You can watch DDG explain his bar above.

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