Music

Hit-Boy Seemingly Takes A Shot At Kanye West While Celebrating The Release Of ‘King’s Disease II’

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A year after sharing King’s Disease, Nas and Hit-Boy reconnected for a sequel to the project, which they shared on Friday. The new album, called, simply, King’s Disease II, boasts 15 songs and guest appearances from Lauryn Hill, Eminem, EMPD, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, YG, Blxst, and Charlie Wilson. But a new clip from Nas and Hit-Boy’s album release party has emerged and it appears that the latter had some choice words for a certain rapper, which many believe is Kanye West.

“It’s not a hundred n****s producing the beat,” Hit-Boy said about the sequel to their 2020 Grammy-winning album. “It’s not a hundred n****s writing the rhymes, n****. It’s two n****s in the studio. I hear this shit right now, homie. It’s going down. King’s Disease II. Stream that sh*t, buy that sh*t.”

He continued, “There be n****s in the studio. It’s just me and bro, bro. Do y’all hear this sh*t? It’s just me and this n**** in the studio. He’s barred up, I’m making beats. No hoopla. We not on f*ckin’ Twitter botherin’ y’all. We not on IG Live putting a weird-ass stream up, n****. We doin’ this sh*t for real though, n****! Stop playin’!”

The “weird-ass stream” could be a reference to Kanye’s “Countdown To Donda” livestream that captured the rapper sleeping, working out, and hanging out with fellow rappers like Chance The Rapper and Fivio Foreign.

You can watch a video of Hit-Boy’s comments above.

King’s Disease II is out now via Mass Appeal. Get it here.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Frank Ocean’s New Luxury Brand ‘Homer’ Unveils A Lavish Collection Of Jewelry

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Frank Ocean and Rihanna have at least one thing in common: Over the last five years they haven’t released new music. But he’s clearly itching to do something. Now he’s back with a new project — but it’s not new music. It’s called Homer, and it’s a luxury brand, selling mainly jewelry. The singer spoke about it in an interview with The Financial Times.

“My mother was into jewelry, but in a low-key Princess Diana kind of way,” he revealed. “My godfather was into guns, but he was also into cars, and he bought luxury-lifestyle magazines, which I became obsessed with. They became a form of play for me as a child. It was the furthest thing from my actual life at the time, and I began plotting ideas and a life in that universe. I’d look at yachts and want one. But I don’t have one because I get super-seasick.”

Frank also revealed that he picked the name Homer “mostly because it’s five letters and the dotcom was available.” He said the name is also based on the fact that “Homer is considered the father of history and history is meant to endure — the same as diamonds and gold — and I know Homer used papyrus, but I’ve always liked the idea of carving history into stone.”

Screenshot from Complex

Ocean also discussed Homer in a post to his Instagram Story. In it, he wrote:

Hand on my heart, this project has kept my mind moving and my imagination turning throughout it all. All of my work now is dedicated to my family. Everything. My hope is to make things that last, that are hard to destroy, set it in stone. I’m so fucking happy for everyone involved and I admire you and am proud of you … This is three years in the making and there is so, so much I’m excited to share with all you strangers.

The “independent American luxury brand,” which will soon open a storefront on NYC’s Lower East Side, shared its first collection of jewelry, which ranges from a $435 pendant to a $1.9M necklace. A catalog and in-store appointments can be requested on the brand’s website here.

You can view Frank Ocean’s Instagram Story post abvoe and read his full interview with Financial Times here.

Elton John Covered BTS’ ‘Permission To Dance’ While Showing Love To The Band

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Weeks after releasing their summer song “Butter,” BTS returned with their third single of the year, “Permission To Dance.” The song is co-written by Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol and it’s been a favorite of many. One of them is Elton John, who hopped on Twitter to share a cover of the track.

In the video, Elton John takes on the song’s chorus, singing, “When the nights get colder, and the rhythms got you falling behind,” before adding, “Thanks BTS, and Love to the ARMY.” His cover also seems to be a response to a video of BTS’ RM singing the part on “Permission To Dance” that says, “When it all seems like it’s wrong, just sing along to Elton John.” After RM completes the line, he swipes the camera away as if Elton John was beside him to continue the song. Only hours after uploading the video, John uploaded his.

The cover arrives after BTS earned the longest-running No. 1 song of the year with “Butter,” which it continued to do just last week. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” previously held the title for the longest-running chart-topper of this year.

You can watch the videos from BTS’ RM and Elton John above.

Tyler The Creator On Being Canceled For Past Behavior: ‘What’s Your End Goal?’

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Since he’s just off the release of a new album, Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler The Creator has been on something of a press tour of late. Which has been great, because there are few artists in the game who can speak with the kind of nuance and understanding that he’s developed over the last decade. In a wide-reaching conversation on Hot 97’s ‘Ebro In The Morning,’ with Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez, Tyler reflected on his past with Odd Future and where he’s headed now. One topic the group discussed is the ever-present threat of being “canceled,” something Tyler experienced earlier than most. Several years ago, circa 2014-2015, there was a period where Tyler was banned from Australia, the UK, and New Zealand for his lyrics that were deemed to be promoting violence and homophobia.

Around the 22 minute mark, Peter Rosenberg asks, “Would Odd Future have made it in 2021?” to which Tyler responds “Oh, f*ck no! We came at the right time, where you could still be crazy. You could still be a kid and f*ck up. You could still have satire, you could still allow people to have a conversation even if you disagreed. Right now is crazy. I was just thinking about the idea, I’ve done so much ill sh*t in this ten year span…. what if they got me out of here in 2011? And wouldn’t allow me to get right here?”

He goes on to discuss the undertones of when and how people are canceled, especially for past behavior, when they’ve clearly changed. “People just go back to stuff and go ‘look what he used to do,’” he said. “And it’s like yeah, but I’m not on that no more. So what’s your end goal? When people go back and dig up old stuff from someone who’s here now, it’s like hey, what’s your end goal? Accountable… what does that mean? Is the goal, you shouldn’t do that, you should change and be a better person? Not even me, but to whoever they’re saying it to… I’ve been a better person for the last nine years. That was ten years ago. But I think people like doing that to make themselves feel better about themselves.”

Check out the full interview above.

Dominic Fike Said The Character He Plays In The New Season Of ‘Euphoria’ Is ‘Exactly Like Me’

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Last year Dominic Fike released his debut album, What Could Possibly Go Wrong, a record indicative of the dark-pop pathos that seems to be taking over culture in this era of global crisis and imposed isolation. Now, he’s expanding into a different medium while keeping the same energy by joining the cast of Euphoria for the show’s second season. In a new interview with Variety today, Fike talked about the process of auditioning for the show, not once but twice, actually landing a bigger role the second time around.

The character he’s slated to play in the second season of the show is a friend of characters played by Zendaya and Hunter Schafer, aka Rue and Jules. According to Fike, his two co-stars are “the nicest people ever.” As far as his own experience acting on the show, Fike said he’s been having an easy time of it — mostly because his character has a life story that’s relatable to the rising star. “I don’t have to do much acting,” he admitted. “He’s exactly like me. It’s shit I would say and sh*t I would do.” As far as Fike’s take on what it’s like to film on set? “It feels like a long music video.”

Check out his full interview with Variety here, and look for him on the next season of Euphoria.

Lauryn Hill Addressed Her Notorious Lateness On ‘Nobody,’ Her Collaboration With Nas

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Nas’ new album, King’s Disease II picks up right where part one left off, and this new installment has plenty of high-profile features to make it just as impactful as the first one. Since King Disease, which the legendary Queens rapper made with producer Hit-Boy, was the record that finally won him a Grammy after all these years, maybe he’s going for another with the second installment.

On board to help him in that potential quest is Eminem, on his first-ever collaboration with Nas, dropping bars so fire that people are losing their minds over his verses (including 50 Cent himself), and the one and only Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Though Lauryn has been back in the music world for a while now, she struggles with showing up late to her own shows, and that was the topic she wanted to broach on “Nobody,” her song with Nas. “My awareness like Keanu in The Matrix,” she rapped on the track. “I’m saving souls and ya’ll complaining about my lateness.”

Well, at least she’s aware of the problem… she just thinks fans should be more patient. Fair enough for a legend like her to ask for some grace in that area. Check out the song above.

Doja Cat Heads To The Desert For A Sultry Live Performance Of ‘Need To Know’

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Vevo already had a knack for helping artists create live performance videos of their songs that felt like mini-concerts, but that platform has only been more useful in the midst of a pandemic. Now that it’s been months since most of us have been out to see our favorite artists on tour, these live slices of artists performing their new work is as close as it comes lately. Since the release of her long-awaited album Planet Her, Doja Cat has almost had to pick and choose which singles to promote, there’s so many good options on the record’s extensive tracklist. Clearly, though, one of her personal favorites is “Need To Know,” and it was one of the last singles to be released before she finally announced the album’s release date back in June.

In this new clip, Doja wears a futuristic high-fashion black look while perched out in the middle of the desert, singing the song while casually sitting on a cliffside. Eventually, she stands up and makes her way to the middle of a clearing where she can stretch out a few dance moves during an interlude. Check out the clip above, as well as her earlier collaboration with Vevo on “Ain’t Sh*t.”

Tom The Mail Man Explains Why He’s One Of Hip-Hop’s Most Fascinating Misfits

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The hip-hop landscape is as crowded as ever, but what has helped Tom The Mail Man (real name Sean Brown) stand out is the fact that hip-hop isn’t his only terrain. The artist is fresh off the release of his 2021 album Sometimes Sorry Isn’t Enough, and the project features everything from contemporary rap to straight-up ’90s rock tunes like “Last Night.” Tom has established himself as an essential artist worth paying attention to, and the latest Magnum Scenes video is an opportunity to learn more about him, the scene where he found his comfort zone, and how it has influenced him.

Inspired by musicians who resist the urge to play within a select genre, Tom went outside the box experimenting with his sound and eventually found Airwaves in Atlanta, a hive of other self-described “weird kids” like Sam Levine and Daniel Hartzog. Together, they formed a kind of second family that helps each other navigate loss and the process of making music, allowing Tom The Mail Man to approach his dream of being a legend who can bring people together with his sound.

Take a look at the above video to find out more about Tom’s rise, the story behind his name, and his ambition to be bold, authentic, and a “long-lasting character in the game.”

People Are Losing Their Minds Over Eminem’s Verse On Nas’ ‘EPMD 2’

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After previously shouting out the New York duo EPMD on his contribution to the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack, Nas is back giving props to them on his new King Disease II on “EPMD 2.” This time, though, he’s got both the duo themselves and Eminem in the pocket with him. This song marks the very first time Nas and Em have ever connected on a song together, and true to form, Eminem spit a fiery verse that has peers like 50 Cent exclaiming over his bars.

“No you can not front on this verse, you just gotta listen, shut the f*ck up and listen,” 50 wrote on Twitter. Of course, Em fans love to fawn over his incredibly fast bars, but even skeptics have to admit that he brought his best game for this collaboration. Em shouted out EPMD and Nas while sharing his verse, calling Nas “legendary” in the process:

That’s not the only rapper he shouts out, though, in the back half of his verse he goes through a litany of rappers he considers to be the highest echelon of rap, hoping he’ll claim his place among them. In his list he includes Kane (Big Daddy Kane), Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Ye (Kanye), Drake, J Dilla, Jada (Jadakiss), Cool J (LL Cool J, one of his biggest influences) and Nas himself.

“I just pray for the day when I’m able to say that I’m placed with the greats / And my name’s with the Kane’s, and the Wayne’s, and the Jay’s / And the Dre’s, and the Ye’s, and the Drake’s / And the J Dilla’s, Jada’s, Cool J’s, and the Ra’s / And amazin’ as Nas is, and praise to the Gods of this / Shout to the golden age of hip-hop and the name of this song is…”

He also shouts out rappers who have recently passed, including a line about hitting up 50 Cent on text just to make sure he’s told him he loves him. “R.I.P. out to DMX, Stezo, E and Nipsey / Ecstasy and Prince Markie Dee, MF DOOM / I hit 50 via text / Told him that I love him / ’cause I don’t even know when I’ma see him next / Tomorrow could be your death.”

Check out the verse on the song above and some fan reactions below.

Vince Staples’ New Song ‘Got ‘Em’ Shouts Out Pokémon Characters Mew And Raichu

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Though he’s just coming off the release of a new self-titled album, Vince Staples, the Long Beach rapper is sharing new music today. The new one-off track, “Got ‘Em,” is part of the a new collaborative EP that Capitol Records is releasing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon,, with another installment coming later this month. The Red EP also features contributions from Cyn, Mabel, and Zhu, and an accompanying album, Pokemon 25: The Album includes songs from Katy Perry and Post Malone, memorably covering Hootie And The Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You.”

“I’ve always been a fan of Pokémon, so it was particularly special to be asked to take part in this 25th-anniversary celebration,” Vince Staples of the EP in a press release. “I’m excited for people to hear ‘Got ‘Em,’ and hope the song resonates with fans, especially those who grew up with Pokémon like I did.” The eerie but celebratory song slots nicely along the new music Staples has already shared this year, and shouts out Pokemon characters Mew and Raichu in the lyrics.

Hear the new song above and look for the The Blue EP out later this month, with the Pokemon 25: The Album coming this fall.