Music

The Weeknd Plays A Famous Kid Influencer In An Episode Of ‘The Simpsons’

by
The Weeknd The Simpsons
The Simpsons

In 2020, famous pop star The Weeknd appeared in an episode of American Dad and voiced some characters on Robot Chicken. It was confirmed a couple of weeks ago that he would be on the March 20 episode of The Simpsons, “Bart The Cool Kid.” The episode synopsis reads, “When Bart befriends a famous kid influencer who owns an ultra-cool skate wear brand, Homer leads a rebellion of loser dads against them.”

That episode premiered last night. His character is Orion Hughes, who owns the Supreme-parody skate wear brand named Slipreme. He also voiced the character’s father, Darius. Check out a funny clip below, and find more on the official Simpsons Twitter.

The “Blinding Lights” singer heightened the hype of his appearance by quote-tweeting Matt Selman, the executive producer of The Simpsons: “Thank you Matt !! Let’s make Orion Hughes and Bart’s friendship a re-occurring thing.” It looks like more cartoons are in the musician’s future.

In a 2020 Variety interview, The Weeknd said, “American Dad was everything I wanted. It’s going to be hard to beat this in the TV cartoon world, but an obvious bucket list would be to work on The Simpsons. That would be a dream — and if they’re reading this, I actually have a pretty cool idea if they’re down.”

Lucky Daye Indulges His Nagging Sweet Tooth On The Flirtatious ‘Candydrip’

by
Lucky Daye 'Candydrip' review
RCA/Luis Hernandez

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

With his sophomore album Candypaint, all the world wanted from Lucky Daye was to see him whisk us off our feet with another captivating project. His 2019 debut album Painted was praised from top to bottom by those who enjoyed his serenading vocals on efforts like “Love You Too Much” and “Floods,” as well as folks who caught a groove and danced the night away with “Extra” and “Karma.” Painted was much more than a fan-favorite that was safeguarded by R&B lovers, as is what often happens with stellar projects in the genre. It earned the New Orleans native attention from critics as it landed multiple Grammy nominations at the 2020 award show – including one for Best R&B Album. Painted essentially cemented Daye as next up in the genre that so many are quick to call “dead.”

As Daye prepared to release Candypaint, it became clear that a change in direction was in order. Its cover art portrayed the singer from the chest up dripping in some honey-like substance, an image inspired by The Ohio Players’ 1975 album Honey. It’s a stark contrast from the artistic portrait of Lucky Daye that appears on the cover of Painted. With this visual change comes one for the sonics of Candypaint. Where Painted saw Lucky pop champagne in celebration with his lover, Candypaint slyly dangles handcuffs in front of them with dripping infatuation. Painted dwells on innocent daytime fun and pure love while Candypaint finds life in the sultry atmosphere of nighttime romance.

While the aforementioned albums may fall on opposite sides of the spectrum, they’re both undeniable evidence of Lucky Daye’s sprawling versatility. Candydrip does a great job of flaunting his talents and how he can pretty much do everything and do it well. Whether it’s the funk-inspired “Feels Like” or the traditional R&B beauty of “Guess” or even the alternative R&B-leaning “Intermission,” Lucky’s musical pockets are infinite, and for him, it’s just a matter of picking one to get into. Additionally, while this versatility might cause others to do too much on a given project, Lucky keeps things cohesive and tightly wrapped.

On Candydrip, Lucky Daye yearns for intimacy. The possibility of its arrival through a new lover presents a thrill for him while its continued return from his current partner keeps him on a high. “F*ckin’ Sound” sees Lucky put up blinders to the world as he begs his companion to satisfy his overbearing craving for their body and the passionate interaction that comes with it. “God Body,” which concludes with a slick-talking verse from Smino, uses the ultimate compliment to simplify Lucky’s attempt to get his hand into the cookie jar. While Lucky’s contribution to the song is strong, it’s Smino’s verse that best highlights their ultimate goal. “Roll up on you in the morning like I do my weed,” he raps. “I know what I want and you more like a need.”

For every uphill trek to glory, there’s a downward spiral that marks a return to square one. An excellent example comes with the project’s lead single, “Over.” Here, the flare and undeterred spirit of Lucky Daye vanishes and is replaced by frustration and annoyance. The record recounts an on-again-off-again love that finds Daye consistently surrendering to a woman who can’t make up her mind between being with him or moving on. He impresses, dazzles, and sweet-talks the ladies when he’s in command of everything, but issues tend to arrive for him when he’s forced to wait on others. Finally, when that decision is made, and his attempt at love comes to an end, as it does on “Used To Be,” Daye – just like anyone else – is left to sulk in sadness as his partner’s departure stings a bit too much for him. “A dying rose in the winter / I’m holdin’ on every way I can,” he beckons. “Tell me, is this only just me / By my lonely.”

Candydrip covers Lucky Daye’s insistence on satisfying his nagging sweet tooth towards romance. More times than not, he’s a slick-suit-wearing man who knows just what to say to earn his way as he does on “Guess,” “Feels Like,” and “F*ckin’ Sound.” There are moments when he does a little too much, like the candy-themed “Candy Drip (Interlude)” where he rattles off a raunchy poem that uses candy brands for lustful puns. However, Candypaint concludes with Lucky returning to his original form with heartfelt numbers like “Fever,” “Cherry Forest,” and “Ego.” Lucky Daye has this generation’s R&B crown as he’s made a great case to possess it with each release. All we can do now is watch him shine and thrive in the spotlight as he’s continuously done in his career.

Candypaint is out now via RCA/Keep Cool. You can stream it here.

Trevor Noah Is Weighing In After Kanye West Got Banned By The Grammys

by
kanye west instagram
Getty Image

Despite Trevor Noah warning people that the Kanye West and Kim Kardashian situation has the potential to devolve into violence, Noah has come out against the recent move by the Grammys to pull West’s performance.

The music awards ceremony has barred West from performing due to his “concerning online behavior,” which recently involved hurling racial slurs at Noah in response to his Daily Show segment. Those slurs resulted in West being banned from Instagram for 24 hours and have now culminated in the decision from the Grammys, which Noah opposes.

“I said counsel Kanye not cancel Kanye,” Noah tweeted late Sunday night.

It’s yet another classy move by The Daily Show host who responded to Kanye calling him a racial slur by saying how much the rappers’ work has inspired him, which is why he hates to see him in his current state.

“You’re an indelible part of my life Ye,” Noah wrote in the comments of the now-deleted Instagram post. “Which is why it breaks my heart to see you like this. I don’t care if you support Trump and I don’t care if you roast Pete. I do however care when I see you on a path that’s dangerously close to peril and pain.”

Of course, Noah did light up Kanye a little by saying, “Clearly some people graduate but we still stupid, but for the most part, Noah’s main concern has been pushing for Kanye to get the help he likely needs.

(Via Trevor Noah on Instagram)

Machine Gun Kelly Is Going On A Massive 2022 Tour With Travis Barker, Avril Lavigne, Willow, And Others

by
Machine Gun Kelly 2022
Live Nation

Machine Gun Kelly has a major album on his hands with the upcoming Mainstream Sellout, and now he has major plans to tour behind it: The rapper-turning-pop-punk-er announced dates for his 2022 tours of North America and Europe, which run from June to October.

Some folks from Kelly’s recent professional life are going to be on hand, too, as supporting on various dates are Avril Lavigne, Travis Barker, Willow, Blackbear, Trippie Redd, Iann Dior, Pvris, and 44phantom.

Check out the full list of shows below.

06/08 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center***^
06/10 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center***^
06/11 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center***^
06/14 — Jacksonville, FL @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena***^
06/15 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena***^
06/17 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena*^
06/18 — Birmingham, AL @ The Legacy Arena At BJCC*^
06/19 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
06/21 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center*^
06/22 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena*^
06/24 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena*^
06/25 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden+$
06/26 — Philadelphia, PA @ Waterfront Music Pavilion+$
06/28 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden*^
07/01 — Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest*
07/02 — Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center*^
07/03 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena*^
07/05 — Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater*^
07/06 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena*^
07/08 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center*^
07/09 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center*#
07/11 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center*#
07/13 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum*#
07/15 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena*#
07/16 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center*#
07/19 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena*#
07/21 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center*#
07/22 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena*#
07/23 — Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena*#
07/25 — Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena*#
07/27 — Fargo, ND @ FargoDome*#
07/28 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center*#
07/31 — Montreal, QC @ Osheaga
08/02 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena”#
08/04 — Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center”#
08/06 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre”#
08/07 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena”#
08/09 — Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena”#
08/10 — St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center”#
08/11 — Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center”#
08/13 — Cleveland, OH @ FirstEnergy Stadium*”$#’
09/17 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena’^
09/19 — Prague, CZ @ Sportovní Hala V Holešovicích’^
09/21 — Brussels, BE @ Palais 12’^
09/23 — Frankfurt, DE @ Festhalle’^
09/25 — Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle’^
09/27 — Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum’^
09/28 — Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion’^
09/29 — Paris, FR @ Zenith’^
10/01 — London, UK @ OVO Arena Wembley’^
10/04 — Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena’^
10/06 — Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena’^
10/07 — Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro’^
10/09 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena’^
10/12 — Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live’^

* with Avril Lavigne
*** with Blackbear
^ with Iann Dior
+ with Pvris
” with Travis Barker
$ with Trippie Redd
# with Willow
’ with 44phantom

Lil Durk Lands His First Solo No. 1 Album With ‘7220’

by
lil durk kanye
Getty Image

Lil Durk has been a steady rise upward in the hip-hop world over the last few years. Things began to change for the Chicago rapper in 2019 when he released his fourth album Love Songs 4 the Streets 2. When it was released, that project became his first release to debut in the top five of the album charts. Months later, he landed his highest position on the singles chart thanks to “Laugh Now, Cry Later,” his collaboration with Drake. Afterward, he reached new heights on the Billboard 200 with The Voice and Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 both peaking at No. 2. Now, with his latest album, Durk has secured his first No. 1.

Just a little over a week after he released his seventh album 7220, the project debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. This makes for Durk’s first solo chart-topping album and his second consecutive No. 1 following Voice Of The Heroes, his joint album with Lil Baby. With its debut at No. 1, 7220 sold 120,500 album units in its first week on the charts. That number is comprised of 117,500 streaming equivalent album units and 2,500 pure album sales.

7220 makes for the fifth top-five album of Durk’s career. It also gives him the third-largest overall week for an album released in 2022. It sits behind Gunna’s DS4EVER (150,300) and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM (148,000).

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

A Shooting Near The SXSW Festival Left Four People Injured

by
SXSW 2022
Getty Image

For the first time in three years, the SXSW Festival was able to hold its showcase as an in-person event. The 2020 and 2021 iterations of the show were respectively canceled and held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the SXSW, the annual festival features “sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development,” and more. From a music standpoint, it greats the opportunity for artists both big and small to perform in front of a big audience. Established acts like Young Thug, Shawn Mendes, Gunna, and more all performed at the festival this year.

While things went smoothly for most of the festival, which took place from March 11-20, it ended with an unfortunate incident. According to Variety and Deadline, a shooting took place near the festival and it left four people injured. In an official press statement about the matter, Austin Police confirmed that at 1:59 a.m. on Sunday morning authorities responded to gunshots at the 400 block of East 6th Street in the city’s entertainment district.

The four victims in the shooting were transported to local hospitals where they were treated for minor injuries. Hours after the shooting, Austin Police Department announced on social media that a suspect in the incident had been taken into custody. This is not the first shooting that’s taken place around SXSW. Back in 2019, a shooting took place on 6th street that left one person injured. Shortly after, another shooting took place nearby on 7th Street and Interstate 35 Frontage Road.

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

What Is Freddie Gibbs Doing In ‘Power?’

by
Freddie Gibbs Power Force
STARZ

(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)

While hasn’t released an album in almost ten years, 50 Cent is still an active member in the music community and it’s something that clear in his Power series. 50 Cent’s responsible for the theme songs in Power, Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. He’s also recruiting musicians like Mary J. Blige, Method Man, Kendrick Lamar, and Jeremih for acting roles. That list expanded thanks to the most recent episode of Power Book IV: Force which featured rapper Freddie Gibbs.

What Is Freddie Gibbs Doing In ‘Power?’

Freddie Gibbs plays Cousin Buddy, a crazy and unpredictable drug kingpin from Gary, Indiana where the rapper himself is actually from. Cousin Buddy is introduced when Jenard decides to step out of CBI and set up a drug operation in Gary. Cousin Buddy and Jenard’s first interaction is filled with tension as the pair are known to be hotheads. Luckily, thanks to their desire to make money, Cousin Buddy and Jenard are able to put their egos aside and get to business.

Freddie celebrated the new role which a post a Twitter, writing, “Let’s f**kin go!!!!! #Power #Force [rabbit emoji].”

New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.

The Mother Of Young Thug’s Oldest Child Was Shot And Killed Following An Argument Over A Bowling Ball

by
young-thug.jpeg
Getty Image

Young Thug and his family are facing an unfortunate tragedy after the mother of his oldest child, who is 14, was shot and killed in Atlanta. LaKevia Jackson, who was only 31 years old, was shot in the parking lot of Metro Fun Center in Atlanta following what police say was “a dispute over a bowling ball.” The incident was confirmed by Atlanta’s CBS46 and the publication reports that investigators say Jackson was at the bowling alley for her best friend’s birthday party. It was there that she had an argument about a bowling ball, and before she could leave the alley, she was shot by the unnamed suspect.

Jackson’s mother Sherina spoke to reporter Tori Cooper and claimed that the shooter spent 20 minutes waiting in the alley’s parking lot after the shooting. Sherina also said that she spoke to her daughter that day. “I didn’t know that was going to be the last time I talked to my baby,” she said. “I could hear her over the phone crying and screaming then her best friend said she’s not breathing! I lost my baby all over a bowling ball.”

Lieutenant Ralph Woolfolk, who is also the Atlanta police department’s homicide commander, shared a statement about the incident to CBS46. “This is truly an atrocity,” he said. “A young lady has lost her life over a bowling ball. We talk about conflict-resolution time and time again and this is an escalated dispute so we will work this case through the night and we will find the person responsible. We know who are so go ahead and turn yourself in.”

Young Thug has yet to speak out about the incident.

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

Kid Cudi Announces A Break From Social Media: ‘This Was Fun. Until It Wasn’t’

by
Kid Cudi 2021 Rolling Loud Cali
Getty Image

For quite some time now, Kid Cudi has been a very open person when it comes to his mental health. Last summer, he shared an honest message about his well-being through an Instagram post. “Sadness eats away at me sometimes,” the post read. “How do I deal? A lot of u hit me and ask how I get through. Truthfully, idk. Some days are great, others not so great.” Cudi has made it a point to do whatever he can to keep his spirits up, and in his latest attempt to do so, Cudi announced that he’s stepping away from social media.

He shared the news in a string of posts on Twitter. “I’m turnin’ off all comments on IG for all posts,” he wrote. “And I’m thinkin’ about gettin off IG all together, honestly. Think I’ma just keep my Twitter. And I’m only gonna do that cuz I have to. I really wanna get off all socials.” He added, “There’s a lot of love out there for me, which is why I got back on socials, but some of the shit I see, the trolls, I don’t need to see that shit. For my mental.”

Cudi also notified his followers that his most recent Instagram post would be the last photo that he shared himself. “So I think that pic is my last post. From here on out I’ma have my team make posts,” he wrote. “I love y’all. This was fun. Until it wasn’t.” Before stepping away from social media for the foreseeable future, Cudi assured fans that he was doing well. “And no im not in a bad mood or in a f*cked up place im actually very happy!!” he wrote. “In order to maintain that, im steppin away. I like being a mystery anyway.”

His announcement comes after he revealed plans to release two albums in 2022. Cudi is also set to appear in the upcoming Brittany Snow-directed film, September 17.

You can view the posts from Cudi above.

Nicki Minaj Thinks Younger Female Rappers Have It Easier Than She Did When It Comes To Hatersc

by
Nicki Minaj Younger Female Rappers
Getty Image

Nicki Minaj has made it known that she feels like a groundbreaking force when it comes to women in rap. Truly, for so many years, Minaj was one of the few women in hip-hop enjoying commercial success, so she does have a bit of a point. But her opinion of younger female rappers coming up behind her hasn’t always been the the highest. A recent collaboration with Coi Leray on the song “Blick Blick” led to a conversation between the two, where Nicki asserts back in her day, she experienced a level of hate that younger artists have never seen or felt.

“Can you girls stop talking about hate?” Nicki said during a recent Instagram Live conversation with Coi. “Y’all have never experienced hate the way I have experienced. What y’all have experienced is nothing. Y’all have just experienced some of the growing pains of artistry and of social media. Y’all be thinking y’all have experienced hate and trust me, you ain’t experienced it yet. A lot of y’all have gotten, not coddled, people have been nice. People have been gentle with y’all.”

Now that she’s back to releasing new music in 2022, though, Nicki might be feeling the heat of the current era herself. We’ll see if she decides now is tougher than the early 2000s were or not after the next album drops.