Music

How A Shared Love For Music Between Justin Bieber And His A&R DJ Tay James Keeps The Hits Coming

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Justin Bieber has a new album on the way and there are very few details out there on when fans can expect it or even an album title. It’s been a year since the release of his Grammy-nominated album Justice and now he’s gearing up for his newest era with his trusted DJ and A&R Taylor James, aka DJ Tay James, by his side.

“He’s really a musician,” Tay told me over the phone from Austin. “He likes tapping in with musicians. He’s really into writing right now. I love this space that he’s in. We’re in the middle of a tour and he’s focused on this in the middle of us doing this tour.”

Just as he did with the eclectic array of sounds living on Justice, Tay is currently helping Justin maintain his vision for what will be the award-winning artist’s seventh studio album, while handling DJ duties as he’s always done.

In fact, Tay has been by Justin’s side since the global pop star’s second show when he was appointed as his official DJ. That was over a decade ago. Today, the pair is still going strong as a musical unit. Most of the collaborations Justin has done were because he was a fan of the song or the artist first, or from the result of casual music banter between him and Tay.

Justin is a certified music maven who loves to dive deep into new sounds and talent, which is how the “Honest” feature with Don Toliver came to be.

“Justin is a mastermind when it comes to this stuff,” Tay said. “He might want to be featured on the project already and he might just reach out himself and just connect with the person and we’ll start sending them records.”

Easy peasy when your name is Justin Bieber. For example, it was JB who was hyped about Wizkid’s 2021 hit “Essence” with Tems, after Tay introduced him to the song. He loved it so much, that he ended up doing a remix to it after enjoying it on repeat during his manager’s birthday weekend. With Omah Lay’s “Attention,” it was Justin who was a fan of him first. He then brought the rising afrobeats artist to Tay’s attention during rehearsals. The natural exchange of new music like trading cards among friends is partly how Tay ended up becoming his official A&R right before the pandemic in March.

“I put him on The Kid Laroi. My cousin Q put me on to Kid Laroi and then I sent his profile off to Justin. The song is still on the charts,” Tay said of the 2021 mega track “Stay,” which has spent over 40 weeks on the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and currently sits at No. 13.

“I feel like at this point, for Justin, it is whatever he feels comfortable with or whoever he wants to collab [with] to help bring the music to a certain light,” he said. “If you notice he likes working with new artists, he likes working with up-and-coming artists.”

And the same is true for Tay, so it made sense for Scooter Braun and JB to make that call.

“I like looking at new and upcoming artists to see who’s dope, who’s moving the culture,” he told me. “That’s kind of why I’m here, to just give suggestions but it’s still his vision. Whatever he needs me to do to help his vision come true. I’m here to help.”

That vision also includes knowing exactly when Justin is in love with a sound that he hears or a vibe that moves him. If that happens, he may hop on a piano or start playing an acoustic guitar.

“He’s been really writing a lot himself, but just like anyone, if you hear something you really like, you keep playing it back to back,” he revealed of Justin’s in-studio process. “If I’m going through beats and we get stuck on a beat and we’re listening to that beat for more than five minutes, most likely it’s going to get recorded on. I just try to pick the best sounds, something that I know that’s really melodic, something I know he can sing over. He loves chords, he loves gospel music. You know Justin, his first love is R&B, he really loves R&B. Anything that has melodic chords will always attract him. He has a great ear.”

“Justin has always been an artist to experiment with new sounds,” he added. “We always like to do new stuff.” I mean, just listen to “I Feel Funny.”

As for the sonic direction of Justin’s new collection of songs, “You should expect to hear some great things,” Tay assured me — including a tune with John Mayer. “I’m excited about what we’ve been working on. It’s Justin, and Justin is a vessel for so many different fans and his music touches so many different people. Always expect him to have music for everybody.”

As for DJ Tay James, you can catch him behind the DJ booth during one of Bieber’s Justice World Tour stops while also pushing a few other endeavors like the partnership he has with Purple Denim and conscious jewelry brand Polite Worldwide. Music from the Biebs is allegedly coming soon.

RINI Breaks Down His Touring Life So Far On ‘Stories From The Road’

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For most young artists, traveling is an important part of their livelihood, since hitting the pavement to play shows is primary source of both income and self-promotion. RINI has made some major moves already in his young career: After being born in the Philippines and then cutting his teeth in Australia, he moved halfway around the world to Los Angeles for the next phase of his career.

Now, RINI has taken a moment to look back at his touring life so far for “Stories From The Road,” a video series presented by Songkick and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

He starts by noting how he first started performing, saying, “I started busking on the streets of Melbourne when I was about 17 years old. I was like, ‘I need to find a way where I can get out play some music and earn some money at the same time.’ I got this sh*tty-ass old amp from Facebook Marketplace and I just took my guitar to the city and just started playing.”

RINI offers more from there, including what early tours were like, his first sold-out show, and how he spends downtime on tour, so check out the video above.

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

Diddy Says Jay-Z ‘Filled The Shoes’ Of The Late Notorious B.I.G. And Tupac

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This past Saturday, Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., would have turned 50 years old. Among the many, many celebrations of the Brooklyn rapper’s life and legacy over the weekend was a Twitter Spaces event hosted by Tidal. Thousands of listeners tuned in to hear B.I.G.’s contemporaries, friends, and peers share their stories and remember the giant-sized footprints he left on hip-hop despite his short reign.

One of those peers was Jay-Z, who said that a void was left behind by the deaths of Biggie and his friend-turned-rival Tupac. “That’s a big void,” he admitted, before allowing, “Others stepped in to fill it as well, not just myself.”

Jay received praise from Sean “Diddy” Combs, Biggie’s benefactor as the founder of Bad Boy Records, who told him, “You filled them shoes, though. You came in and we definitely give thanks. You definitely came, and I just know how much Big really looked up to Jay. They looked up to each other. That is crazy you had to step into the shoes of two people. That’s all it was was those two people. They had things on lock.”

He continued, pointing out how, before the two titans’ deaths, Jay was still something of a neophyte, having only released one album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. Unfortunately, by the time he’d released its follow-up, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, both Tupac and Big had been gunned down. “Hov was coming,” Diddy explained to the Spaces listeners, “but it was like these two cats was just so big… I think Hov kept the art of it going and took where they was at and took it even higher.”

In addition to the celebration on Twitter, Big’s birthday was honored by the city of New York with commemorative MetroCards, a series of murals throughout the city, and a crown atop the Empire State Building.

Gunna’s Trial Date In The YSL Racketeering Case Set As He’s Accused Of ‘Command’ Role In The Gang

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According to Billboard, Atlanta rapper Gunna is being accused of directing gang members to commit violent acts in the ongoing racketeering case against Gunna’s label, YSL Records. Prosecutors have called the label part of a hybrid street gang, blaming dozens of incidents of violence on the gang’s activity.

Billboard‘s Jewel Wicker reported on the case from the Fulton County court via Twitter, writing that a judge denied Gunna’s bond request as prosecutors described his alleged role in the suspected gang as a “command” role in which he’d “direct their troops” to commit violent acts. Wickers reports, “The judge said his biggest concern was witness tampering.”

In addition to denying Gunna’s bond request, the judge also set the rapper’s trial date: January 9, 2023.

Gunna, real name Sergio Kitchens, was one of 28 suspected gang members arrested, along with fellow rapper and YSL Records founder Young Thug. The 88-page indictment against YSL cites 56 counts of various offenses ranging from armed robbery to murder, with both big-name rappers accused of conspiracy to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, explicitly using lyrics from their records to show their ties to the group.

The case has been criticized by YSL associates like Metro Boomin, who insisted that “YSL is not a gang and never been a gang.” The arrests came weeks before New York’s State Senate passed a bill that would limit the use of lyrics in criminal trials. The bill is currently awaiting approval of the State Assembly before going to the state’s Governor to be signed into law.

Billie Eilish, Chloe x Halle, Coldplay, And More Sign Global Citizen’s Letter To End Extreme Poverty

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Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Charlie Puth, Shawn Mendes, Chloe x Halle, and 5 Seconds Of Summer have signed Global Citizen’s new open letter to end extreme poverty, which is part of its 2022 campaign. It calls for “breaking systemic barriers that keep people in poverty” and “empowering young women and girls across the world,” demanding that global leaders focus on these urgent issues, especially climate change.

Other celebrities who signed the letter include Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Alok, Bill Nye, Billy Porter, Camilo, Cathy Freeman, Connie Britton, Criolo, Cyndi Lauper, DJ Cuppy, Duran Duran, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Femi Kuti, Finneas, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness, Lali, Lang Lang, Made Kuti, Måneskin, Muzi, Nancy Isime, Nile Rodgers, Nomzamo Mbatha, Padma Lakshmi, Rachel Brosnahan, Ricky Martin, Sabrina Elba, and Tropkillaz.

Eilish in particular is known for her devotion to bringing awareness to climate issues. Next month, she’ll be hosting a climate change seminar in London that will span six days and include fellow musicians like Vivienne Westwood, Girl In Red, Glastonbury co-organizer Emily Eavis, and more. She also had an inspirational ad campaign that addressed how young people can use technology for good by connecting with each other, inspiring grassroots activism, and pressuring large corporations to be more sustainable. “We all have the potential to make a positive impact on our planet, and I’m hopeful our generation will use their platforms to collaborate and communicate and make a difference,” she said in a video.

Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan And Questlove Are Among The Musicians Selected For The 2022 Time 100 List

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Today, Time revealed the 2022 Time100 list made up of the 100 most influential people in the world and music was well represented. Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan, Questlove, Adele, Jon Batiste, Miranda Lambert, and Michelle Zauner have all been selected for this year’s grand recognition. For the list’s 19th iteration, each nominee has been paired with a guest contributor tapped to write about them, and that list also boasts some big names in James Corden (Adele), Quincy Jones (Jon Batiste), Nas (Mary J. Blige), Elle King (Miranda Lambert), Amber Riley (Jazmine Sullivan), Jimmy Fallon (Questlove), and Bowen Yang (Michelle Zauner).

Blige, the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” has been selected as one of the cover stars, joining Zendaya, Tim Cook, Mia Mottley, and Simu Liu. “Mary came up the way we all did. She was a voice for us, but she wasn’t like other R&B artists at the time. She became a household name early because she was a hip-hop artist who also sang. The industry needed someone like that,” Nas wrote of Blige. Jon Batiste is set to be one of the speakers at the Time100 Summit on June 7 in New York City. Oprah Winfrey, Quinta Brunson, Zoe Kravitz, and Ketanji Brown Jackson are among other notable names, as this year’s list features 49 women. Check out the full list here.

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

Pete Davidson Mentioned Kanye West And Ariana Grande During The ‘Weekend Update’ On ‘SNL’

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Last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live was also the last ever for Pete Davidson. Before the episode aired, the comedian announced that he would not be returning for the show’s 48th season along with other cast members including Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney. For his last appearance on SNL, Davidson went out with a bang. He conducted one last rap parody sketch, which was eventually interrupted by Eminem who asked demanded that he stop them. He also stopped by Weekend Update to deliver a sweet and self-deprecating farewell to SNL, but not without mentioning a couple of music names he’s been tied to.

Davidson sat with Weekend Update co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che and kicked things off by acknowledging the “millions of people only watching to see if I bring up Kanye.” This is of course in reference to his new relationship with Kim Kardashian following her divorce from Kanye West whom she was married to for seven years. Next, Davidson ran through some events that took place in his life during his time at SNL. One of them includes a phone call he made to SNL producer Lorne Michaels about his engagement to Ariana Grande.

“He always gives the best advice,” Davidson said. “I said, ‘Lorne, I just got engaged to Ariana Grande after dating for two weeks.’ He said, ‘Oh, hold on for dear life!’ It’s a true thing he said.”

You can watch Davidson’s appearance on Weekend Update in the video above.

Kendrick Lamar Earns The Biggest Week Of 2022 As ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ Goes No. 1

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Philip Cosores

Kendrick Lamar fans waited five long years to receive his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The project finally arrived earlier this month, and it’s safe to say that it was far from what fans expected from him. Similar to how To Pimp A Butterfly was a big change in direction from Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was quite the shift from Damn. Nonetheless, Lamar’s fifth album has still received favorable reviews from critics, and now, he can add another No. 1 album to his resume as Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers topped the Billboard 200 charts.

For the Billboard 200 dated May 28, 2022, Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers debuted at No. 1 thanks to 295,000 album units sold. That number is comprised of 258,500 streaming equivalent album units thanks to 343.02 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs. Elsewhere, Mr. Morale also posted 35,000 pure album sales. Altogether, this feat gives Lamar the fourth consecutive and overall chart-topping album of his career.

Lamar’s fifth album put up the largest overall week in 2022, breaking a record set last week by Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. Bad Bunny’s album still had the biggest streaming week of 2022 with Mr. Morale coming in at a not too distant second place. Mr. Morale also had the largest sales
week for a digital album in 2022 and the biggest overall week since Adele’s 30 posted 839,000 units back in November.

You can revisit our review of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers here.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out now via PgLang/TDE/Aftermath/Interscope. You can stream it here.

Eminem Crashed Pete Davidson’s Latest ‘SNL’ Rap Parody On To Say ‘They All Suck’

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Last night’s Saturday Night Live episode was a unique one for multiple reasons. Japanese Breakfast made her debut on the show with performances of “Be Sweet” and “Paprika.” Additionally, it marked the finale episode for the show’s 47th season. However, the most notable aspect of the show was the notable goodbyes that were delivered on the episode. Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Kyle Mooney all announced that they would not return for the show’s 48th season. With that, they all tried to go out with a bang and Davidson achieved that thanks to his latest and final SNL rap parody.

For his latest rap parody, Davidson — who was dressed as Lorne Michaels — took on Dr. Dre and Eminem’s “Forgot About Dre,” making it the third time that he’s rapped over an Eminem song. While the comedian might have had a smooth plan for his latest take on the 1999 track, Eminem himself arrived on set to cut things short. Towards the end of the video, Eminem appeared and essentially pulled the plug on everything. “I would just stop. They all suck,” Eminem said about the rap parodies. “Stop. It’s really bad.” Davidson tried to explain that he was just paying homage to the rapper, but Eminem refused to entertain him. “Pete, don’t f*cking do it again!”

Davidson heeds Eminem’s request, but not without taking his anger out on the real Lorne Michaels. Referencing Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, Davidson yells, “Well Lorne, you blew it!”

You can watch Davidson’s latest rap parody in the video above.

Lupe Fiasco Will Be Teaching A Rap Course At MIT Later This Year

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This is year is lining up to be a great one for Lupe Fiasco. He’s preparing to release his eighth album Drill Music In Zion and it’s a project that he’s already calling the best of his career. His engineer Craig Bauer called it the “Rap Album of the year” before correcting himself and saying “Nah. Decade. If you don’t feel something after listening to this…. You may want to check your pulse.” Drill Music In Zion is set to arrive on June 24, but it’s not the only big thing Lupe has in store for 2022. Later this year, the Grammy-winning rapper will teach a rap course at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT).

The university announced that Lupe will be a part of their MLK Visiting Professor Program for the 2022-2023 academic year. Lupe shared the news in a tweet of his own. “I been holding this for a while,” he wrote. “I’ll put together something more sophisticated later that really captures the nuance and gravity but for now I’ll just say it straight and raw: I’m going to teach Rap at @MIT.”

Lupe’s upcoming course comes after he served as a visiting artist at MIT from 2020 to 2021. As for Drill Music In Zion, the upcoming project will be his first full-length release since 2018’s Drogas Wave.

You can view Lupe’s tweet about his upcoming rap course at MIT above.