Music

Here’s Why A Reporter Thought Jack Harlow Should Be Included In The Young Thug RICO Case

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Last night, Young Thug was arrested — along with 27 others, including Gunna — and charged with criminal conspiracy under the RICO (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act. An 88-page indictment accused Thug’s label, YSL Records of being a gang, charging them with — among other things — armed robbery and murder. The indictment cites as evidence lyrics to songs such as “Ski” and “Slatty” from the group’s 2021 compilation album Slime Language 2, describing Thug’s appearance in these and other music videos as an “overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.”

Today, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis responded to reporters’ questions about the indictment during a press conference. Among the questions were issues of prisoner safety, with some members of the so-called conspiracy charged with targeting rival rapper YFN Lucci in jail, and potential sentences, which could see some members serve life in prison. However, one reporter’s question proved confusing not just for Willis but also for fans watching online. The off-screen reporter mentions a name being excluded from the indictment documents that struck rap fans as out of place: Jack Harlow.

“The indictment’s got Young Thug, and a bunch of other rappers,” he asked. “But there’s one name I was expecting to see, and I didn’t, and that’s Jack Harlow. Can you speak to that?” Willis, presumably unfamiliar with Harlow’s work — there’s a lot of that going around, to be fair — responded with a pat answer about making sure the case focused only on viable targets, but unfortunately for the reporter, the damage was already done as Twitter lit up with bemused and critical responses to his faulty information.

It appears that, perhaps in a rush to research potential questions for this afternoon’s conference, the reporter checked Twitter (to be fair, due diligence in this era) for background on the suspects. However, wading into those waters without the proper context and experience can be a bewildering experience for anyone and in this case, it looks like he mistook several joking references to Jack Harlow as proof of his YSL membership.

Although Jack and Thugger are both on labels distributed by Atlantic Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, Jack is actually a signee of DJ Drama and Don Cannon’s Generation Now imprint, also the home of Lil Uzi Vert and rising rapper Killumantii. Meanwhile, YSL is home to artists such as Lil Keed, Strick, and T-Shyne, as well as in-house producers Taurus, Turbo, and Wheezy. And while your average rap journalist could probably reel off these names from the top of their noggins, crime and city reporters would do well to double-check their sources as the case unfolds.

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

Apple Finally Discontinues The iPod Line More Than 20 Years After Introducing It

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It’s the end of an era for an iconic line of Apple devices: Today, Apple announced they will no longer manufacture its only remaining model of iPod, as reported by Variety.

Although Apple had ceased the manufacturing of the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano back in 2017, the iPod Touch, which was first introduced in 2007, was announced to be discontinued today. The last of the iPod Touch models are available for purchase online.

When the original iPod was first introduced in October 2001, it was a different kind of audio file player — one that could play over 1,000 songs. Since its conception, various versions of the iPod have been manufactured, including the iPod Nano, a smaller version of the classic model which later evolved to play video, as well as the touchscreen multi-use iPod Touch, and the screenless iPod Shuffle.

U2 even had a red and black edition of the classic model, and commercials for the iPod popularized songs like Feist‘s “1,2,3,4” and Caesars’ “Jerk It Out.”

“Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to and shared,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of worldwide marketing, in a statement.

Jack Harlow Celebrates His Success With A Feisty Funx Flex Freestyle

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Jack Harlow is having a hell of a run. Today, he capped off the successful release of his new album Come Home The Kids Miss You with a feisty Funk Flex freestyle addressing both his come-up and the criticism that came with it. Having already tapped the great Pharrell Williams to produce on his new album, Jack gets it in over one of Pharrell’s own hits: “Can I Have It Like That” from The Neptunes member’s 2006 solo debut album In My Mind.

Among the standout lines in the freestyle are references to Harlow’s upcoming film debut in the remake of White Men Can’t Jump and the complaints that he’s had too easy a ride in the last two years. “My success got some people’s stomachs turning,” he sneers. “Saying I’m just white and I got lucky, I ain’t earn it / Like I’m just a plant and all this sh*t was predetermined.” He attributes this to reminding his critics of “the kids that bullied them.” It’s a much more combative verse than we’re used to hearing from the normally affable jokester, but it looks like he’s starting to come into his confidence thanks to the enthusiastic reception to his latest.

You can watch Jack Harlow’s Funk Flex freestyle above.

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

The Astroworld Festival Tragedy Has Almost 5,000 Claims Of Injuries

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The tragedy of Travis Scott’s Astroworld still remains largely unresolved. While the rapper has made problematic attempts to redeem himself and has already started taking the stage again, today, Rolling Stone reported that there are, in total, almost 5,000 claims of injuries from the festival, according to a new court filing.

Attorneys reported 732 claims of injuries requiring extensive medical treatment. There were also 1,649 claims of injuries requiring less extensive treatment, and 2,540 claims for injuries with severity still under review. This adds up to a total of over 4,900 claims for deaths and injuries. The difference between extensive medical treatment and less extensive treatment is unclear.

A documentary about the Astroworld tragedy recently came out, titled Concert Crush: The Travis Scott Festival Tragedy. That filmmaker, named Charlie Minn, did an interview with Page Six claiming Scott is a “criminal” and because of the presence of an ambulance and Scott stopping when he saw people passed out, the rapper should’ve known people had died.

Scott’s team has since fired back, calling the documentary a “propaganda piece” and is a “farce financed by and containing content from members of the plaintiff’s legal teams, who, weeks after a tragedy, sought to exploit and benefit financially from it, with the clear goals of making money and swaying future juries and public opinion.”

Young Thug’s Lyrics Are Being Used As Evidence In The Racketeering Indictment Against Him

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Even as efforts to eliminate the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal cases continue, one rapper (who was criticized not that long ago for the inscrutability of his rhymes) is facing a federal case in which much of the evidence against him comes from his lyrics. Huffington Post editor Philip Lewis acquired and shared the full 88-page indictment against Young Thug, who is being accused of racketeering by federal authorities who call his label, YSL Records, a criminal organization. The indictment includes several of Young Thug’s lyrics, which Lewis posted to Twitter.

Among them are bars from songs such as “Anybody,” from Thug’s 2018 EP Hear No Evil, his 2014 single “Eww,” Slime Language 2 hit single “Ski,” and “Slatty,” from that same compilation. All are described as “overt act(s) in furtherance of the conspiracy.”

Along with Young Thug, 27 other people including his rap protege Gunna, were charged with 56 counts of murder, armed robbery, and participation in criminal street gang activity. Gunna faces one count of conspiracy, while Thug, YSL’s founder, is accused of renting a car used in a 2015 murder and greenlighting an attempt on fellow rapper YFN Lucci in Fulton County Jail (also on racketeering charges).

Unfortunately, Young Thug isn’t the only rapper to have his rhymes used against him. Bobby Shmurda only recently completed a six-year sentence on similar charges when his lyrics were used against him, and before being released from jail, Drakeo The Ruler had his raps held over his head as the former Los Angeles County District Attorney tried to argue his Stinc Team crew was a criminal organization.

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

Lil Nas X, SZA, Paramore, And Red Hot Chili Peppers Will Play Austin City Limits 2022

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This year’s Austin City Limits line-up is stacked with several exciting acts. Upon returning to Austin’s Zilker Park for its annual celebration of live music, ACL has a promising group of headliners.

Taking place over the course of three days for two consecutive weekends, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Chicks, Pink, SZA, Kacey Musgraves, Flume, Paramore, and Lil Nas X will headline both the weekends of October 7 to 9 and October 14 to 16. Texas fans of Lil Nas X will be elated to see the “Industry Baby” rapper live after the initial announcement of his Montero tour didn’t include any Texas dates, due to the fact that his “ex lives out there.”

Also on the line-up are Diplo, Japanese Breakfast, Jazmine Sullivan, Omar Apollo, Bia and more.

While many of the acts will perform both weekends, some acts will only perform one of the weekends. Carly Rae Jepsen, Gayle, Lil Durk, and James Blake will all play weekend one only. Wet Leg, Lucky Daye, Princess Nokia, and Teezo Touchdown will play weekend two.

General on-sale begins today at noon CT. Check out the full line-up below.

ACL 2022 Line Up
Courtesy of Austin City Limits Festival

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

ASAP Rocky Apparently Agrees That Travis Scott ‘Stole His Whole Style’

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Despite their superficial physical resemblance, ASAP Rocky and Travis Scott haven’t had the warmest relationship. In fact, you almost never see the two of them together (kinda like Clark Kent and Superman) — which, come to think of it, probably contributed to them being mistaken for each other all those times. However, despite some rumors and speculation, Rocky has insisted that there’s no beef between the two men. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t agree with certain comparisons between them — namely, the one that Travis jacked ASAP Rocky’s style.

That question came up again in a teaser for an upcoming episode of rap’s in-house mess factory, Drink Champs with NORE. In the teaser, NORE suggests, once again, that Travis Scott stole Rocky’s “whole style.” Although the clip is edited to exclude any elaboration from Rocky, he does appear to agree with this assessment before the teaser moves on to other topics. This may mark the first time Rocky openly copped to the belief that Travis bit his look; meanwhile, another portion of the teaser may provide some insight into why it’s such a big deal for him in the first place.

“Kanye West came out on this same show and said, ‘ASAP Rocky dresses better than me,’” NORE recalls excitedly. “I never thought I would hear that in my whole life.” Considering Kanye’s reputation as hip-hop’s premier fashionista, this constitutes high praise for the “Fashion Killa,” who appears to be promoting his own comeback project with singles like “DMB.” He’s also been preparing for the birth of his baby with his “Fashion Killa” co-star Rihanna, so he’s still probably too busy for beef. But it is interesting that he’s finally given a straight answer to this question after dodging it since 2016.

Denzel Curry Is Convinced That He’s ‘The Best Rapper Alive — Point Blank, Period’

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Ever since hip-hop’s humble beginnings at underground parties in the Bronx, New York, hip-hop fans have debated which rapper is the best. Over time, that debate has evolved into different formats such as the “top five” rappers or the rap Mount Rushmore. Then there’s the GOAT (greatest of all time) debate, which is widely accepted as distinct from the “best rapper alive” question. All these debates basically amount to the same thing, but they all mean different things to different people.

That said, whenever a rapper throws their hat in the ring to compete for one of these coveted titles, it doesn’t take long for those debates to heat up. The latest to do so is Florida rapper Denzel Curry, fresh off the release of his eclectic new album, Melt My Eyez, See Your Future. In a new interview with XXL, Denzel unequivocally declared himself the top dog of the rap business. “Just look out for me,” he said. “Look out for any of the next projects that’s ’bout to come out. I’m ’bout to shake the whole game up. I don’t care what anybody got to say, bro. I’m the best rapper alive. Point blank, period.” This is a far cry from when he declared “I hate rapping” in 2020.

Unfortunately for him, on Sunday — after he did the interview but before it was published — the consensus favorite for the best rapper title, Kendrick Lamar, returned with a new video for “The Heart Part 5” ahead of the release of his long-awaited fifth and final TDE album. Even Denzel had to acknowledge that if he wants that crown, his work is cut out for him. “I just finished this new Kendrick video,” he mused on Twitter. “I gotta step my game up n****s is built different.”

Ja Rule Wants More Women In The GOAT Conversation: ‘We Never Put Ladies In There’

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Apparently, the new version of hip-hop’s beloved “top five rappers” debate is the “rap Mount Rushmore” question. Basically, which four rappers would be on your personal Mount Rushmore? It’s a fun hypothetical because not only does it narrow the field, forcing commenters to be even more intentional with their picks, it also comes with a silly visual. Just image Future replacing Teddy Roosevelt or something. Hilarious!

During a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, Ja Rule was asked for his take on the rap Mount Rushmore conversation and offered some unconventional picks. He also had some insightful things to say about the debate itself, pointing out how difficult it can be to provide an answer, given how many different eras and styles of rap have come along since 1979.

He demonstrated that difficulty himself; after nailing his first three — Jay-Z, Tupac, and The Notorious B.I.G. — he struggled with the fourth spot, naming a few possibilities. “Either Big Daddy Kane, or Rakim, or [KRS One] because of what they did for the culture and what they meant to the culture,” he posited, before throwing out a curveball. “We never put the ladies in there… MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa.”

“They’re the reason other women picked up a microphone, period,” he explained. “How can you leave them off? You gotta [pick] one of them and put them on there.” He’s right; the current surge of female talent at the forefront of rap in pop culture today is built at least partially on the foundations laid by the original first ladies of rap. They may get overlooked — something that isn’t uncommon even for today’s stars — but their contributions are as critical to rap’s dominance as anyone’s.

You can watch the full interview above.

Megan The Stallion Recalls Working With Dua Lipa: ‘She Felt Like A Familiar Spirit’

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Ahead of her Future Nostalgia tour, Dua Lipa linked up with Megan The Stallion to record their sugary collaboration, “Sweetest Pie.” In a profile on Lipa for Vogue, Megan, who is opening for Lipa on select dates of the Future Nostalgia tour, recalled working with the “Levitating” singer on their collaboration.

During their sessions, Megan said she and Lipa formed a friendship that felt natural.

“When somebody is so gorgeous and established, you don’t know what to expect,” Megan said. “A lot of ladies can be divas. But Dua is just so nice. She felt like a familiar spirit. We have an unspoken bond, it’s not even anything we need to discuss. Sometimes people get the wrong idea about me, too. But once you meet me, you’re like, Oh! This is my homegirl.”

Also in the profile, “Sweetest Pie’s” co-writer Clarence Coffee, who also co-wrote “Levitating,” took time to speak on Lipa’s craft.

“I wish more people could see how she is as an artist in a room,” Coffee said. “She has incredible ideas, she’s a great lyricist, and she’s a beast with melodies.”

Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion are Warner Music Artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.