Music

‘SNL’ Paid Their Respects To DMX Through Jokes And A Tribute To Close The Show

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Early Friday morning, DMX’s family put out a statement confirming what the entertainment world would hope to be false. The legendary rapper sadly passed away at 50 following a reported drug overdose and heart attack. Tributes from all over, including the music and sports world, came pouring in and as the days go on, many are still finding their own ways to honor him with the latest being Saturday Night Live.

The first mention of DMX came during the late-night show’s cold open segment. The sketch was led by Kenan Thompson, Ego Nwodim, Kate McKinnon, and Alex Moffat who altogether played four Minnesota anchors that were initially discussing the murder of George Floyd but switch the topic after a disagreement.

“We lost royalty yesterday,” McKinnon said, in reference to Prince Phillip’s death on Friday. “Yes, the rapper DMX died,” Nwodim replied which was met by an applause from he audience. McKinnon tried to correct Nwodim saying, “I was talking about the prince,” but her attempt failed as Nwodim retorted, “Girl, Prince been dead!”

DMX’s came on a pair of occasions later in the show. The first came with a photo SNL put onscreen of the rapper and his stage name following a commercial break, the image from when he himself performed on the show back in 2000 where he performed “What’s My Name” from his 1999 album, … And Then There Was X.. Lastly, after host Carey Mulligan delivered her thank yous to the audience and viewers, Chris Redd held up a handwritten sign that read “R.I.P. DMX” in black lettering.

You can watch the cold open segment as well as view a screenshot of show’s closing moments above.

DMX’s Ex-Wife Tashera Simmons Penned A Heartfelt Message To Him Following His Death

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DMX’s death has hurt a lot of people all throughout the entertainment world, with many taking to social media to show the late rapper love and send their condolences. His passing may hurt few more than his ex-wife Tashera Simmons, however, as it came just a day before her 50th birthday. The two got married in 1998 and filed for divorce in 2012. Together they had four children: Xavier, Tacoma, Praise Mary Ella, and Sean.

On Saturday, Simmons took to Instagram to honor DMX and celebrate her milestone birthday with a heartfelt message.

“Happy 50th birthday to me. With much prayer, pulling. Crying and a roller coaster of emotions,” she wrote. “I couldn’t bring myself to just celebrate and close the last 50yrs of my life with out celebrating the life of one of thee most important person in the world to me, my Ex-husband. I know today is my day. But I also understand that God is love. So When God allowed me to open up my eyes and granted me the gift of life, I realize more than ever, that was my true gift today. Glory be to God!!”

She added, “I am so grateful to God and Honored from the bottom of my heart, For the opportunity while on this Journey called life to join hands in marriage with a true disciple and Angel of God to do life with when we did. Everything we went through was necessary. It made me the women I am today. ”

You can check out the post above.

Kid Cudi Honors Kurt Cobain And Chris Farley In ‘SNL’ Performances Of ‘Sad People’ And ‘Tequila Shots’

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Just a few months removed from the release of his seventh solo album, Man On The Moon III: The Chosen, Kid Cudi brought his talents to the stage of Saturday Night Live. The rapper rocked out in a pair of performances of songs from that album, but it was his wardrobe for the night that got the attention of viewers the most.

Kicking off the night with “Tequila Shots,” Cudi stepped out to the mic wearing a T-shirt that featured actor, comedian, and former SNL cast member Chris Farley, who tragically passed away in 1997 from a overdose at just the age of 33 following a lengthy struggle with drug addiction. Later on in the night, Cudi returned, this time donning an Off-White white floral dress, one that was very similar to the one Kurt Cobain famously once wore. The Nirvana frontman also struggled with drug addiction before his tragic suicide in 1994. Cudi has expressed his love and appreciation for Cobain on a number of occasions. In a past interview with GQ, he said, “I try to use [Cobain] as my muse whenever I can.”

Cudi’s decision to honor Farley and Cobain could have been influenced by DMX’s recent passing. The Yonkers rapper died on Friday after a reported drug overdose that caused a heart attack and left him hospitalized for nearly a week.

You can watch the performances in the videos above.

Bad Bunny Stole The Show During His WrestleMania Debut

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Peacock

After months of build and a few physical confrontations with The Miz, fans finally got their first look at rapper, singer, songwriter, and now professional wrestler, Bad Bunny, competing inside a WWE ring at WrestleMania 37.

After Damian Priest teased starting the match, Bad Bunny took the tag and hopped into the ring to square off with Miz. Bunny had his fair share of ups and downs throughout the match, taking the brunt of the beating from Miz and John Morrison, but showed off his fair share of offense before making the hot tag to Priest.

With Priest in the ring, Bunny stole the show, joining his partner to connect on stereo Falcon Arrows before climbing to the top rope and taking out Miz and Morrison on the outside.

Miz dropped Priest with the Skull-Crushing Finale, but Bunny made the save to keep his team in the match. After getting pulled off the apron by Morrison, Bunny laid him out with a Canadian Destroyer. To close out the match, Priest tagged Bunny in, who landed a flying crossbody on Miz to pin the former WWE champion.

It was clear from the opening bell that Bunny had put in a ton of work to get ready for WrestleMania and the match didn’t disappoint. Here’s what Miz told Uproxx earlier this week about Bunny’s work ethic in the build to ‘Mania.

“He loves WWE. He’s a huge, huge fan and he wanted to train. So I guess he’s been training the past couple of months and from what I’ve heard in the locker room, I don’t think any other celebrity has done the work he is doing. He literally came to a WWE ring and trained after winning a Grammy. He went to the Grammy’s, did a performance and then came to WWE ring the next day to train. This guy is dedicated and he’s hardworking.”

WrestleMania 37’s second night takes place on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock.

No Limit Rapper Mac Was Granted Clemency After Spending 21 Years In Prison On A Manslaughter Charge

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NOLA.com

No Limit rapper Mac will be home from prison much sooner than expected. This is because Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards granted him clemency after the rapper spent 21 years in prison for a 2001 manslaughter conviction. Unfortunately, the clemency does not spark an immediate release, though, as Mac will have to wait until his June 22 parole hearing to learn when he will be released from prison.

“We are approaching the finish line to securing Mac’s freedom,” Mac’s wife Angelique Phipps said in a statement. “We are grateful to Governor John Bel Edwards for granting his clemency and to those who have supported him along the way.”

XXL reached out to Mac’s team and the Louisiana governor’s office to confirm the news, which was reported by NOLA.com, but no comment from either party has been made yet. Mac was arrested back in 2000 and charged with second degree murder in connection with a shooting that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Barron C. Victor Jr. The rapper maintained his innocence in the incident and claimed he only separated a fight that led to the shooting. Despite this, he was convicted of manslaughter in 2001 and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

A 2014 investigation revealed that the rapper may have in fact been innocent in the shooting as his defense team presented new evidence, which included another man confessing to the crime. Mac’s team also said a witness revealed they were coaxed into naming the No Limit member as the shooter. Two years later, the prosectors were accused of hiding evidence and the rapper filed for clemency, but was denied. Things changed this past February when the Louisiana Board Of Pardons And Committee On Parole agreed that the rapper should be immmediately eligible for parole.

IDK Shows Off His Falsetto Voice In A Cover Of Pharrell’s ‘Frontin’

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There’s no doubt that DMV rapper IDK is one of the more talented artists to make his mark in the hip-hop space over the past few years. He impressed with his major-label debut album, Is He Real? at the end of 2019, and since then he’s delivered a consistent streak of quality music, with his sophomore album, U See 4 Yourself, poised to keep that run going. But before that drops, IDK took a moment to show off his singing abilities in a silky smooth cover of Pharrell and Jay-Z’s 2003 track “Frontin.”

IDK debuted the cover with a black and white video, which sees him dressed up to the nines surrounded by back-up singers and violinists, all while he lets his falsetto voice fly.

The new take of “Frontin” is just one of many tracks that IDK has delivered in recent months. Earlier this week he joined Deante Hitchcock and Flatbush Zombies for a remix of Spillage Village’s “Baptize,” which arrived after his hard-banging track “Just Like Martin.” IDK also appeared on Pooh Shiesty’s viral track “Back In Blood,” with a devastating freestyle.

Check out the “Frontin” cover in the video above.

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

DMX Will Reportedly Be Honored With A Memorial In Yonkers According To The City’s Mayor

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DMX’s tragic death is still a fresh cut for many across the music and entertainment world. After a reported drug overdose last week, the rapper was admitted to a White Plains, NY hospital, where it was revealed that he also suffered a heart attack. On Friday morning, after nearly a week in the facility, DMX’s death was confirmed by his family. There were countless consolations, and now the mayor of Yonkers, where DMX was born, is reportedly looking to honor him with an undetermined memorial that will be a “lasting gesture,” which may take the form of a street name, a statue, or a mural.

But that’s not all. According to TMZ, Mayor Mike Spano is also recommending Yonkers Raceway as a potential venue for DMX’s family to hold a public funeral. The outdoor venue is the city’s largest event space, with a seating capacity of 7,500. Unfortunately, because of coronavirus restrictions, only 20% of the seats will be available for use. Spano believes the venue will be an appropriate setting for one of the city’s most famous residents to be remembered.

After hearing of DMX’s unfortunate passing, Mayor Spano shared a message on Twitter. “Today our city mourns the loss of a musical icon, someone who wore their heart on their sleeve and at every opportunity gave back to Yonkers — the city he loved,” he wrote. “Earl Simmons, or as we know him, DMX, was a man of exceptional talent. His spirit will live on in the power of his music and leave a lasting impact on his tremendous following.”

Black Rob Sent Condolences To DMX From A Hospital Despite His Concerning Condition

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On Friday morning, DMX’s family gave official word that the rapper unfortunately passed away from a drug overdose and heart attack. The music world was quick to pour out love and condolences in an array of messages posted all over social media. One of them came late Friday night from former Bad Boy rapper Black Rob, who honored the late rapper with a video. But it’s where the video was filmed that has hip-hop fans extremely concerned.

In the video, Black Rob can be seen struggling to talk as he lays in frail condition in a hospital. “What’s goin’ on. I don’t know what the pain is, the pain is crazy man,” he says. “It’s helping me out though, but it’s making me realize I got a lot to go on.” He was then asked about DMX. “I feel everything about X,” he replied. “X was positive. Big love to X man.”

There’s no word at the moment on why Black Rob has been hospitalized. Back in 2015, the rapper revealed that he suffered a mild stroke caused by high blood pressure during an interview on Sway In The Morning. Luckily, he made a full recovery and committed to changing his diet, exercising, and abstaining from alcohol.

Cupcakke Claims Her ‘Deepthroat’ Track Influenced Today’s Female Rappers And Some Fans Strongly Disagree

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Cupcakke is not someone who’s unfamiliar with a viral moment or two. If fact, the rapper caught the attention of the music world when she released her remix of 50 Cent’s “How To Rob” at the end of last year. The updated take detailed the varying ways she would rob a number of popular rappers. Fast-forward a few months and Cupcakke once again ruffled some feathers on social media, but it wasn’t so much in her favor.

She took to Twitter to share her opinions on one of her most popular songs. “‘Deepthroat’ paved the way for you hoes to talk how y’all talk,” she said about the 2015 song from her Cum Cake project. “Y’all hoes use to be scared to even say y’all sucked dick before Deepthroat came out . To this day it’s the blue print & is god creation to mankind’ now.”

She added, “Stop tryna play me like I ain’t open doors for the girls.” In a second now-deleted tweet Cupcakke added, “& yes lil Kim talked about sex … but she Never done it to the level I took it to , she talked bout sex & was reserved with it . I Violated this sh*t to a whole other degreee and that came out LIL KIM Mouth . She said it with her own tongue I’m the nastiest with this sh*t .”

The claim did not land too well with some fans as many of them reminded her of the female rappers that arrived before her including Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, and Trina. One Twitter user wrote, “Trina wasn’t rapping about f*cking 5 or 6 best friends, taking *ck in the ass, choking on d*ck and licking p*ssy to be disrespected by Cupcakke.”

You can read Cupcakke’s initial comments above and more responses from fans below.

DMX’s Death Had Gamers Reminiscing About His Legendary Role In ‘Def Jam Vendetta’

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Twitter

The death of rapper DMX at age 50 on Friday was a sad day for music fans who loved his work. As musicians and fans mourned his loss and the legacy he leaves behind, many fans pointed to one of the more unique parts of his work outside of the recording studio. Namely, his legendary role in 2003 video game Def Jam Vendetta.

The game, an EA Sports BIG classic, was gratuitous and absurd — a wrestling/fighting game hybrid that used street fighting as a vehicle for Def Jam artists to get their own video game. But the voiceovers from the actual artists, and the very violent gameplay, made it a fan favorite among fighting game enthusiasts. It even spawned a sequel the next year: Def Jam: Fight For NY.

His special move — an absurd combination of flips, kicks and using his feet to snap an opponent’s neck — was a favorite among players. Which is why many shared clips of the fighting game along with well wishes and sad nostalgia for his work on social media.

In the wake of his death, many shared the video of him actually breaking down the move in real life, too.

There was also mention of his post-victory catch phrase, which is hilariously fitting as well.

Others simply got nostalgic about their childhoods, many of which both included DMX’s music and his presence in a PlayStation 2 and Gamecube classic.