Earlier this week, Kanye West was suspended from Instagram for 24 hours due to consistent behavior that went against the platform’s rules. This includes constant attacks against Pete Davidson, who’s dating his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, threats against comedian D.L. Hughley, and racist slurs directed at The Daily Show host Trevor Noah. It was these slurs that proved to be the final straw leading to Instagram’s decision to suspend the rapper for a day. It turns out that Kanye’s comments against Trevor may have affected more than just his Instagram presence, it also allegedly got him removed as a performer for the upcoming Grammy Awards.
The what The Game says at least in a recent Instagram post he shared. “Time & time again they show us that they only want to STEAL the culture, not allow you to ever be their equals,” he wrote under the post. “In a more than obvious move for reasons of minuscule actions…. The Grammys have at the last minute decided to pull @kanyewest from performing on the show as if we didn’t know it was coming.”
He added, “Could be because @trevornoah is hosting and there was a conversation held amongst his team & the academy that led to the decision or because Ye’s account was suspended just days ago for reasons unknown especially in a world where all the negativities of the world can be found on the same app with no repercussions or suspensions. We’ll just say it’s all of the above & a continuous disrespect for us & all that we have brought to the table in entertainment, media & sports over the last 100 years especially.”
The Game went on to say that he will always support Kanye’s decision to speak his mind as The Game himself is someone who “can’t sleep at night knowing I was quiet about issues burning holes in my heart.” In the lengthy post, The Game also mentioned Colin Kaepernick’s inability to play in the NFL, lynching just becoming a federal hate crime, and recent legislation that was passed that made it illegal to discriminate someone from employment because of their hairstyle.
Lil Nas X proved he wasn’t just a one-hit-wonder long ago — multiple times, no less — but he still seemed pretty amped to learn that one of his Montero singles finally surpassed his breakout hit on DSPs. Now that he’s returned to Twitter, he had the perfect joke for the occasion, too. “Just found out call me by your name passed old town road in streams,” he announced. “We beat the horse boy allegations.”
just found out call me by your name passed old town road in streams. we beat the horse boy allegations. pic.twitter.com/NxsMP7kbZ3
He’s joking — sort of, and also always — but there was a time the TikTok-trend sparking “Old Town Road” was Nas’ signature hit. He performed in full cowboy regalia for nearly a solid year and even admits that by the end of the song’s monstrous, historical run, he was growing a little tired of it. And while he was able to produce bangers like “Panini,” “Rodeo,” and “Holiday” in the aftermath of “OTR’s” dominance, it almost looked like he would be known solely by his first hit.
Then “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” dropped as the first single to his debut album Montero, and rather than being the horse boy, he’d become the devil man, with the video for his second No. 1 hit setting off seismic waves of speculation and disconcerted, sputtering backlash from conservative commentators. That would have been enough to wipe away the “one-hit-wonder” tag, but then he dropped “Industry Baby” to garner his third No. 1, just for good measure.
Princess Nokia is already a marquee hip-hop act but now the Harlem rapper is signed to a major label and slated to take on a range of summer festivals worldwide. Her pointed style on the mic remains unchanged, though, and if there was any doubt, “No Effort” claps back at any doubters left in the dust.
“Look at me, so clean, no effort, ponytail, ripped jeans, no effort. Face clean, gold ring, no effort, insane, my chain, big pressure,” she raps over a throwback beat. She cruises through a cold and sunny NYC day in the new clip, flashing her dance moves in the process. She’s always had the juice, no doubt, but how many rappers do you know that can pull off opening for Haim at MSG? Princess Nokia will be doing that on May 17 and then some from there.
Watch the video for “No Effort” above and check out Princess Nokia’s summer tour stops below.
04/15 & 22 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2022
05/17 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
05/21 — Saint Therese, QC @ Santa Theresa Festival
05/28 – Louisville, KY @ The Forecastle Music Festival 2022
05/29 — Dallas, TX @ So What?! Festival
06/10 — Warsaw, PL @ Girl You Go! Festival
06/11 — Vienna, AT @ Arena Festival —
06/13 — Athens, GR @ Plissken Festival
06/15 – Bergen, NO @ Bergenfest
06/16 – Barcelona, ES @ Sonar Festival –
06/22 — 26 — Calgary, CA @ Sled Island
06/26 — Seattle, WA @ Seattle Pride —
07/10 – Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival
07/14 – Ostrava, CZ @ Colours Of Ostrava
07/16 – Dour, BE @ Dour Festival
07/17 – Paris, FR @ Lollapalooza Paris
07/19 — Istanbul, TR @ KüçükÇiftlik Park
08/07 — Cluj, RO @ Untold Festival
08/10 – Oslo, NO @ Øyafestivalen
08/11 – Gothenburg, SE @ Way Out West
08/13 – Helsinki, FI @ Flow Festival
08/15 — Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festiva
08/17 — Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh International Fest
08/20 – Paredes De Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura Festival
08/26 — Oberhausen, DE @ Hype Festival
09/23 — Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
Before she was a brand magnet, hitmaking rapper, Saweetie was a multi-sport athlete, competing in track, volleyball, and flag football and earning the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section’s Female Athlete Of The Year honor in 2011. Now that she has hits like “Tap In,” “Back To The Streets,” “Best Friend,” and “Closer” under her belt, it makes sense that she’d add an athletic brand to her growing list of high-profile partnerships, which already includes impressive names like Amazon, Crocs, MAC Cosmetics, McDonald’s, Netflix, and Quay.
While the world of athleisure is expansive and growing by the day, Saweetie prefers the classics. She’s locked in a role with Champion as the brand’s new Global Corporate Consultant and contributes one of her many catchy, fan-favorite singles, “Get It Girl,” to Champion’s ad campaign of the same name. As part of the campaign, Champion will also support its 12 featured female athletes with mentorship in areas such as marketing and media to ensure they have career opportunities beyond the court and field.
Saweetie was gracious enough to grant an interview with Uproxx via Zoom to discuss the Champion deal, her favorite pieces from Champion’s related sportswear line, and her upcoming album, Pretty Bitch Music.
What drew you to Champion as the partnership for this women’s athletics partnership?
I honestly think that it’s just in alignment with my life. I grew up playing sports. I played track, volleyball, basketball, powderpuff. I played a plethora of sports, and I’ve always worn Champion during my workouts, pre-games, et cetera, et cetera. The fact that I am the new partner and global consultant, it’s just really, really a dream come true. The fact that I’m endorsing these female college athletes, who were once in the position I was in, it’s just amazing.
What’s your favorite piece from the collection?
My favorite piece is the tights. It feels I’m not wearing anything. It’s so soft. It just feels like skin. There are leggings where they feel good, but these ones feel so good, you could probably fall asleep in them.
As far as women’s athletics go, are you paying any attention at all to the NCAA Basketball tournament’s women’s side? Do you have any picks? Have you filled out your bracket?
Please fill me in, because while they playing on the court, I’m playing in the studio. I’ve been focused on Pretty BitchMusic, but please enlighten me. Who’s your pick?
You caught me. I’ve been pretty busy writing about new music too.
I guess we both got to do our research.
Absolutely, because now I’m embarrassed. You turned it around on me. Speaking of Pretty Bitch Music, I know a lot of people have been waiting for a very long time for it. You’ve been tweaking things. What would you say has been the biggest challenge in getting it out the door, and the most fun part about holding on to it and making sure that it’s been tweaked to perfection?
I think the best thing about this music is as I begin to learn myself, as a woman, there are more things that I’d like to discuss and talk about. I’m happy that it didn’t come out when it was supposed to come out, two years ago, because I’ve definitely grown spiritually, mentally in a lot of areas in my life. I actually discovered meditation last year, and through being silent, I realize what my purpose was. I need to make sure that I get this message across in my music.
Are there any surprises that would really blow anybody’s mind that you can share or let us know about ahead of time, because it’s Uproxx, and you love us?
If I tell you, it’s not going to be a surprise anymore.
Is the Tagalog song still on there?
It’s not a Tagalog song. I am speaking Tagalog, but it’s definitely on the “keep” list — hopefully, it stays there.
Maybe you brought back one of the old car verses for us? Because I love those car verses. They were so good.
Thank you. Honestly. I think that people will definitely see the elevation. I can’t say specifically what it is yet. It’s not “new” Saweetie, it’s just “elevated” Saweetie. I mean, you might have touched on a couple of things, but we’re just going to have to see.
I know you get a lot of interviews. You get a lot of the same questions. I have to ask a lot of the same questions. Do you ever have anything that you want to talk about, that you really care about, that you never get a chance to talk about, because nobody ever asks you? For instance, I once got someone who wanted to talk about anime because I was wearing an anime shirt like I am now [It was a Sailor Moon shirt].
Well, I do love anime. My favorite is Chibi, Sailor Rini from Sailor Moon. I actually have a Chibi chain.
Honestly, I was a stationery collector, I don’t know if you’re familiar with stationery books, but I love Lovely White. I would go to Koreatown and collect a whole bunch of stationery. It’s definitely one of the more low-key animes, but her name’s Lovely White.
If there’s one major thesis or statement, or message of the album, what would you want people to take away from it?
That’s a really great question. When women listen to this album, I really want them to tap into their divine femininity. After they’re done consuming, seeing their self in some of these songs, I would really love to hear how women feel in 12 months, because the purpose of this album is for women.
One of the most exciting emerging forces in modern R&B is ready to make a lasting mark. Chicago’s Ravyn Lenae is back with her second offering of 2022, and the delectable “Light Me Up” is likewise produced by Steve Lacy. Last month’s “Skin Tight” gave us a taste of what Lenae is building with the pieces of what will presumably be her debut album on Atlantic Records. Now with “Light Me Up,” she’s sharpening her skillset further.
Lenae sings sumptuously over a half-step beat as heavenly twists of her vocals layer atop each other. It’s slick beat from Lacy, but Lenae is magnetic and positively owns the track. In the Aliyah Otchere-directed video, she’s suspended on a high-hanging swing, before laying among candles with her beau as she delivers the silky hook. It’s a sexy aesthetic and Lenae is a spark.
“‘Light Me Up’ is about exploring the unknown with a new love; leaning into those tingly feelings while letting your guards down,” she said in a statement of the new song. “This song highlights the beauty of allowing someone to truly see through you.”
Watch the video for “Light Me Up” above.
Ravyn Lenae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
A day after Nancy Pelosi said that Bono “has been a very Irish part of our lives,” Varietyreports that a series about U2 is in “early development” at Netflix. J.J. Abrams is attached an executive producer through his Bad Robot production company, while Bohemian Rhapsody writer Anthony McCarten is working on the screenplay.
It is unclear at this time exactly how involved U2 would be in the project. Exact plot details for the show are currently under wraps, but given McCarten’s involvement it seems logical to assume that the show would delve into the history of the band.
There’s a lot of history to tell, from the band’s post-punk beginnings in Ireland to releasing one of the biggest albums ever in The Joshua Tree to the Super Bowl performance to Bono’s humanitarian efforts to the day that Edge found his hat. Say what you will about the music (“All I Want Is You” slaps), but it’s impressive that a group as popular as U2 has stayed together for this long with all the original members still in the band.
Of course, this assumes that Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. will, as expected, allow the show to use their music and likenesses. Otherwise, we’ll have another extremely funny Jackie Jormp-Jomp situation on our hands.
What’s your favorite YouToo song? Mine’s “Tuesday Gory Tuesday.”
After receiving the TDE co-sign on Isiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning standout “Wat U Sed” and months of speculation, TikTok-favorite Tampa rapper Doechii finally announced her official signing to the LA-based label and shared her first song under the imprint, the house-inspired “Persuasive.”
The new song, which follows Doechii’s breakout hit “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” sees the versatile rapper putting some slick raps over a lounge-y, Kal Banx-produced beat that wouldn’t be out of place at a party at The Standard Hotel’s rooftop pool parties (think Azealia Banks, Bree Runway, or Leikeli47). Lyrically, the song celebrates nights out under the influence and the reckless decisions that come from them.
In a statement to Complex, Doechii celebrated her newfound label home, saying, “I’m excited to run with Top Dawg – to work, to have a home for my overflowing ideas. I want to create a new vision, a new lane, and so much music. Everyone is invited to the Doechii dominance.”
Her output so far suggests that she isn’t far off from those goals. Songs like “Fruitcake,” “What’s Your Name?” “Spookie Coochie,” and “Persuasive” certainly showcase a lot of versatility and eclectic musical influences. Doechii is certainly an accomplished, polished rapper, but her musical sensibilities reach beyond the confines of the genre to encompass dance, jazz, R&B, and more. With TDE, one of the more supportive labels around, behind her, everything she wants is within reach and it’ll be exciting to see what she comes up with next.
“Check on your mans, I heard he got hit in his head,” raps Lil Durk on his 7220 song, “Computer Murders.” “But he almost died so I can say his name ’cause he ain’t dead.”
Yeah, that’s how it goes.
You know what you’re getting from a Lil Durk video these days. The veteran Chicago drill rapper isn’t wasting money or time shooting these things. He and his crew find a spot, grab a few stacks of cash, point the camera, and get the footage before cutting everything together into a frenetic glimpse at their hectic lifestyle. “Computer Murders” is no different.
Likewise, the song follows a well-established Durk formula, as seen on prior releases like “Ahhh Ha” and “Petty Too“: Threats, boasts, and taunts directed at enemies whose lives have been endangered by the Chicago streets. Durk also name-checks the rappers and street personalities he’s been affiliated with through the years. However, he’s also cagey about his own involvement, rhyming, “I don’t mention dead opps / If you really did it, you ain’t gon’ say it ’cause the feds hot.” He’ll damn sure make thinly veiled references to them, though.
Watch Lil Durk’s defiant “Computer Murders” video above.
7220 is out now on Alamo/Only The Family. Get it here.
Chicago rapper Saba continues the rollout for his introspective new album Few Good Things with the video for the previously released single “Come My Way” featuring Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. The video is fairly straightforward, mostly featuring Saba rapping into the camera outdoors broken up by interior scenes of Saba rapping alongside the members of his Chicago-based crew, Pivot Gang. No stranger to the group dynamic, Krayzie Bone joins them like an unofficial sixth member as he raps his contribution to the reflective song.
The video for “Come My Way” follows the release of Saba’s short film, also titled Few Good Things, which echoed the theme expressed across the album and songs like “Come My Way”: Acknowledging the good things that make life worth living, even when horrible things are happening to make it seem like it’s not. That message has special resonance in light of the past year for Pivot Gang, who suffered the second death of a member when Squeak, the group’s DJ and producer, was shot to death in Chicago in August. The group previously lost member John Walt, Saba and Joseph Chilliams’ cousin, to a stabbing in 2017 and has commemorated him with their annual John Walt Day concert ever since.
Did anyone else mix their G.I. Joes with their siblings’ Barbies as a kid? For the longest time, I thought I was alone in this, but judging from Coi Leray‘s video for her new collaboration with Nicki Minaj, “Blick Blick,” she never saw a problem making the beauty dolls run around with the soldier toys’ guns, either. The colorful video is heavy on Nicki’s well-established Pinkprint aesthetic, but rather than getting pampered, the two rappers get armed to the teeth like Neo and Trinity from The Matrix to take on their foes. Of course, the guns are also on-theme.
“Blick Blick” is the latest sign that Coi’s star is rising after some skeptical fans wrote her off in the wake of her breakout with “No More Parties” toward the end of 2020. Thanks to her goofy, Playboi Carti-esque delivery, some thought she was just a gimmick, especially after her baffling performance during the XXL Freshman Cypher. However, since then, she’s kept up a steady stream of solid singles such as “Twinnem” and “Anxiety,” building her credibility and showcasing her versatility. Securing a feature from Queen Minaj herself — especially after her dad Benzino nearly ruined the chance for her — only solidifies her ascent, proving she has belonged at the top all along, just as she (and Uproxx) predicted.
Watch Coi Leray’s video for “Blick Blick” featuring Nicki Minaj above.
(@LilNasX) 
