Music

Big Sean Sweetly Wished Jhene Aiko A Happy Birthday

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Big Sean and Jhene Aiko 2021 Grammys
Getty Image / Kevin Mazur

Singer Jhene Aiko celebrated her 34th rotation around the sun yesterday. On her birthday, her boyfriend Big Sean sent her benedictions by way of Instagram, sharing pictures and video clips of the couple throughout the years.

“Happy Birthday to my best friend, my love, the most authentic, talented, healing, Creative, angelic person/Alien I know!,” said the “Bounce Back” rapper in the caption. “Im lucky to have you in my life and to be apart of yours, let’s change the world even more! I love you Efuru.

Aiko is an ardent Pisces, often referencing her birth date, the John 3:16 bible verse, and variations of the number “316” in her music. Her debut EP, Sail Out, contains a song called “3:16 A.M.” and on “W.A.Y.S.,” a cut from her Souled Out album, she opens the song singing “at 44 minutes ’til four, an angel walked up to my door.”

Last month, Sean shared plans to release a follow-up to his and Aiko’s 2016 collaborative album, Twenty88.

“We’ve been working on it for a little bit,” Sean said of the album in a live stream. “It’s coming along though.”

Aiko is set to perform a few festivals this summer, including the women-led Sol Blume festival and the inaugural Letsgetfr.ee Carnaval.

Lil Nas X Returns To Social Media To Tease His New Album: ‘Missed U Guys’

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Just before the end of 2021, Lil Nas X, the internet’s embodiment of fun, disruptive chaos, vanished from social media like the Last Airbender. It’s understandable; after all, he spent most of that year dominating the discussion with his album Montero and No. 1 singles “Call Me By Your Name” and “Industry Baby.” He’d also trolled the racist, homophobic establishment that lost its sh*t every time he made a move to oblivion and back. I’d say he earned a break.

But, the world needs good chaos now more than ever and so, like the titular character of the above-mentioned, award-winning animated series, Lil Nas X has returned to his stomping grounds, bringing photos of his wild hairstyles from the past few months, more good-natured trolling, and best of all, the first teasers of his new music, which included screenshots of two new songs currently on his phone: “Down Souf Hoes” featuring fellow queer rapper Saucy Santana and “Late To The Party” with viral favorite YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

After Nas popped back up on Instagram and TikTok — two of his favorite mediums — he popped back onto fans’ Twitter feeds like the Cheshire Cat, wondering, “why are people surprised i’ve been away for so long? have y’all really never heard of maternity leave?” The reference to his Montero rollout, in which he staged an entire pregnancy, was quickly followed by a slew of memes and jokes that he hadn’t been online because “i gotta bbl (Brazilian butt lift),” as well as a video in which he shows off his best Atlanta accent.

Welcome back, Lil Nas X. Thanks for being you.

Kanye West Has Been Suspended From Instagram For Attacking Trevor Noah….For 24 Hours

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Welp, it finally happened: Kanye West has lost his Instagram privileges. The rapper has been suspended from the app and while the suspension is set to last only 24 hours, it sets a precedent that the social media service says could lead to them taking additional steps if he keeps violating their terms of service. While Kanye has been repeatedly using his Instagram feed to air out his dirty laundry and general grievances towards his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson, it seems the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back were racist slurs directed at The Daily Show host Trevor Noah.

Yesterday, Noah used a segment on The Daily Show to express a cautionary tale regarding West’s repeated harassment of Kardashian. He cited how this type of behavior directed towards women is incredibly problematic and can lead to far worse things down the road. Noah got personal in describing how his mother was told she was “overreacting” when she complained about her abusive partner. She was later shot in the back of the head. While Noah presents an extreme example, it’s the pattern of behavior that he finds concerning with Kanye — and let’s be honest, everyone else sees it too.

Following the segment, Kanye took to Instagram to post photos of Noah. He captioned the post with the lyrics to “Kumbaya, my lord,” but swapped out one word for a racial slur. An Instagram spokesperson told TMZ that this post and others “violated Instagram’s policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying.” So for the next 24 hours, the world will finally get a break from the veritable train wreck that has been @kanywest on Instagram. Here’s hoping he comes back a different person, or at the very least, a more respectful Instagrammer.

Kanye West Has Been Suspended From Instagram….For 24 Hours

by
kanye west defends eazy video
Getty Image

Welp, it finally happened: Kanye West has lost his Instagram privileges. The rapper has been suspended from the app and while the suspension is set to last only 24 hours, it sets a precedent that the social media service says could lead to them taking additional steps if he keeps violating their terms of service. While Kanye has been repeatedly using his Instagram feed to air out his dirty laundry and general grievances towards his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson, it seems the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back were racist slurs directed at The Daily Show host Trevor Noah.

Yesterday, Noah used a segment on The Daily Show to express a cautionary tale regarding West’s repeated harassment of Kardashian. He cited how this type of behavior directed towards women is incredibly problematic and can lead to far worse things down the road. Noah got personal in describing how his mother was told she was “overreacting” when she complained about her abusive partner. She was later shot in the back of the head. While Noah presents an extreme example, it’s the pattern of behavior that he finds concerning with Kanye — and let’s be honest, everyone else sees it too.

Following the segment, Kanye took to Instagram to post photos of Noah. He captioned the post with the lyrics to “Kumbaya, my lord,” but swapped out one word for a racial slur. An Instagram spokesperson told TMZ that this post and others “violated Instagram’s policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying.” So for the next 24 hours, the world will finally get a break from the veritable train wreck that has been @kanywest on Instagram. Here’s hoping he comes back a different person, or at the very least, a more respectful Instagrammer.

Sudan Archives Is A Ruthless Siren In The Video For ‘Home Maker,’ Her First New Song In Three Years

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While Sudan Archives hasn’t released an original solo track in a few years, she did just come off of a slew of tour dates opening for Tame Impala in arenas across the country. She also took her violin-meets-ethereal vocals signature to a cover of Yoko Ono’s “Dogtown” for the excellent Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono album earlier this year. Now she has released “HomeMaker,” her first new track in three years.

“Home Maker” is an R&B pop song at its core, with a disco diva aesthetic. She’s a ruthless siren in the video, drawing men towards her irresistible ways. But now as a longtime LA resident, the Cincinnati native says the song is about becoming both independent and building a home with her partner.

“It took nesting — building a home, investing in partners that were worth my investment — to shake my anxiety and depression,” the Stone Throw records stalwart said in a statement. “For me, homemaking is a service to mental health and coping with fear and isolation. This song is about the effort put into making a relationship work and giving love a place to live.”

She’s heading out for a slew of festival performances in the US, Europe, and Canada. Check out her full list of 2022 summer festival stops below.

03/17 TX Austin Empire Garage (Stones Throw SXSW Showcase – headline)
03/27 TN Knoxville Big Ears Festival
03/28 MA Boston Boston Calling
06/04 OR Portland Beloved Festival
06/25 CA Alberta Sled Island
07/08 CA Montreal Le Festival International De Jazz De Montreal
07/09 CA Winnipeg Winnipeg Folk Festival
07/10 CA Winnipeg Winnipeg Folk Festival
07/24 WA Seattle Capitol Hill Block Party
07/29 NE Omaha Maha Festival
07/30 NE Omaha Maha Festival

08/25 UK London All Points East
08/27 SE Stockholm Popaganda Festival
08/28 UK Edinburgh Connect Festival
09/01 UK Salisbury End of the Road Festival
09/03 UK Bristol FORWARDS Festival

Trevor Noah Cooked Kanye West For Responding With A Racial Slur To Concern About Kim Kardashian

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Trevor Noah devoted a substantial chunk of time (on Tuesday night’s The Daily Show episode) to discussing the ongoing trainwreck of the Kanye West/Kim Kardashian/Pete Davidson situation. By now, you’ve surely noticed the back and forth, including how Kayne has thrown obstacles into Kim’s divorce filing (which was granted by a judge) and depicted an act of physical violence against Pete in a music video, and Noah has warned this very publicly rendered obsession could take a terrible turn.

Noah, who had discussed how his own mother endured an abusive relationship before being shot in the head (Patricia Noah did, miraculously, survive), did carefully make sure that he wasn’t accusing Kanye of physical violence. Still, Noah expressed worry and wondered, “Do we wish to stand by and watch a car crash when we thought we saw it coming? Or do we at least want to say, ‘Slow down, let’s all put our hazards on, because there’s a storm coming and sh*t might go down.’”

Before long, Kanye posted (as noted by both TMZ and Us Weekly) a response on his Instagram page. He’s since deleted the racial slur-filled post, but here’s a screenshot:

Noah stepped up and responded in the comments to that post. Of course, the post and the comment are now deleted, but Noah (via The Wrap) declared (of the racial slur), “Clearly some people graduate but we still stupid.” He added, “Don’t ever forget, the biggest trick racists ever played on black people was teaching us to strip each other of our blackness whenever we disagree. Tricking us into dividing ourselves up into splinters so that we would never unite into a powerful rod.”

Earlier on in the comment, Noah expressed concern for Kanye’s well-being, too:

“There are few artists who have had more of an impact on me than you Ye. You took samples and turned them into symphonies. You took your pain and through the wire turned it into performance perfection. I thought differently about how I spend my money because of you, I learned to protect my child-like creativity from grown thoughts because of you, shit I still smile every time I put on my seatbelt because of you.

“You’re an indelible part of my life Ye. 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.”

As of now, there’s been no additional response from Kanye.

(Via The Wrap, TMZ, Us Weekly)

Prince’s Mythic 1986 Album ‘Camille’ Will Be Released By Jack White’s Third Man Records

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Prince’s 1986 album Camille was so rare that Jack White once bid close to $49,375 for one of the 25 known copies. White apparently tried to purchase another one at a 2017 auction but was outbid by Questlove. Now, Jack White and his label Third Man Records have gotten the rights to the mythical album that Prince recorded as his feminine alter ego, and will be releasing Camille out into the world.

“We’re finally going to put it out,” Third Man Records co-founder Ben Blackwell was quoted as saying in a Mojo print profile of White. “Prince’s people agreed – almost too easy.” In recording the album, Prince had pitch-shifted his vocals to sound like the album’s titular alter ego, but decided to scrap it shortly before its release. The album’s eight tracks have all been released in some way shape or form in the past, and you can hear the pitch-shifting effect by punching in the album titles into a streaming service. “Rebirth of the Flesh,” which appears on the Sign O’ The Times deluxe edition, is a good place to start.

The exact release date for the album has yet to be set, but Camille is due out via Third Man Records. Check out the complete tracklist below.

1. “Rebirth of the Flesh”
2. “Housequake”
3. “Strange Relationship”
4. “Feel U Up”
5. “Shockadelica”
6. “Good Love”
7. “If I Was Your Girlfriend”
8. “Rockhard in a Funky Place”

XXXTentacion’s Mother And Abused Ex Connect In The ‘Look At Me’ Documentary Coming To Hulu

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At the time of XXXTentacion’s death at 20 years old in 2018, the controversial rapper had yet to resolve or apologize for the domestic abuse he allegedly admitted to committing against his ex-girlfriend Geneva Ayala. He was still awaiting trial when he was shot to death in June of that year for both aggravated battery of Ayala and witness tampering, with which he was charged after Ayala wrote a note to the court asking to have the charges dropped.

These events and others are the subjects of the upcoming documentary, Look at Me: XXXTENTACION, which will stream on Hulu later this year after premiering today at SXSW. According to The Daily Beast’s Cheyenne Roundtree, who reported from the premiere, the documentary does delve into X’s alleged abuse of Ayala, while including footage of the rapper’s mother, Cleo Bernard, who believes that her son would have eventually apologized for his actions.

“I would have liked to think he would have gotten there,” she says during her interview for the film. “He just never had a chance.” In lieu of that chance, the film reportedly features a meeting between Bernard and Ayala, during which the rapper’s mother says she feels “like it’s up to me now to make amends and try to right his wrongs as much as I can.” She admits that although X attempted to hid his actions from her, she acknowledges, “Jahseh was wrong for what he did. There’s no excuse for that, period. But I just want the world to know that he wasn’t that same person anymore, but the past is still part of his story.”

Look at Me: XXXTENTACION will stream on Hulu beginning June 10.

Tinashe Dons Dominatrix Gear In A Fiery ‘X’ Performance On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

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Nearly a year after its release, Tinashe is still riding the highs of her most recent album, 333. The album is her second studio album since leaving RCA Records, and her fifth overall, and as one would expect from a freshly independent artist, Tinashe is enjoying her creative freedom. She stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night to deliver a performance of “X,” the latest single from 333, and a fan favorite.

During the lusty, fiery performance, Tinashe channels her inner dominatrix, wearing leather and fishnets. She is joined by an army of subs, as she leads them with elaborate choreography.

Fans shouldn’t be shocked by the performance, as the lyrics to “X” themselves are rather racy.

“X marks the spot, now can you find it?,” Tinashe sings over an electronic, Hitmaka-produced beat. “Turnt up, you wanna get behind it. I wanna feel your body it’s on fire.”

Tinashe is no newbie to conceptual visual elements. Last month, she released a video for “Naturally,” from the deluxe edition of 333, which takes inspiration from ’70s horror films. Last year, Tinashe told MTV News that 333 is inspired by “the nature of reality and potentially the fact that we’re living in a simulation and how all of those things intersect moving forward.”

Check out the “X” performance above.

Saweetie Encourages Female Athletes To ‘Get It Girl’ As Champion’s New Culture Consultant

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Saweetie is hip-hop’s undisputed queen of brand partnerships. Sure, Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat have fast-food deals, but Saweetie’s the one who kicked it all off with the McDonald’s meal inspired by her viral favorite food concoctions. She’s also got deals with Crocs (a co-sponsorship with Hidden Valley Ranch, also inspired by her revelation she likes to apply the dressing to more than just salad), MAC Cosmetics, and Amazon. So it comes as no surprise that she announced a new one this week, this time tapping into her history as a multi-sport athlete.

Saweetie is now Champion’s first-ever “Global Culture Consultant,” appearing in the sports apparel brand’s “Get It Girl” campaign (named for the Saweetie song of the same name, which also appears in a Beats By Dre ad) and throwing a spotlight on 12 collegiate athletes who have the “confidence to play by their own rules and look good doing it.” The women featured in the campaign are receiving more than just the look, too; Champion is providing access to Champion executives as mentors of entertainment, marketing, and media as well as sports.

“My relationship with Champion runs deep, as an athlete and lover of streetwear,” Saweetie said in a press release. “It’s been a go-to brand since high school! This campaign and partnership hit me on a personal level and I couldn’t be prouder to help all my sporty-icy girls out there feel empowered with self-love and confidence. When you feel good wearing Champion, the sky’s the limit.”

You can find out more about the campaign here.