Music

Phife Dawg’s Estate Reveals The Tracklist For His Posthumous Album, ‘Forever’

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It feels a little unbelievable, but just one week from today will mark the sixth anniversary of Phife Dawg’s death. It’s a sobering sentiment, but the load is lightened by an announcement by the late rapper’s estate last year: March 22 will also mark the release of his long-awaited posthumous album, Forever. Today, his co-producer on the album, DJ Rasta Root, shared the album’s cover art and tracklist, which features a who’s-who of longtime collaborators and friends, including Angel Winbush, De La Soul, Dwele, Little Brother, Lyric Jones, Rapsody, and, of course, his A Tribe Called Quest brother in rhyme, Q-Tip.

Production on the album will be handled by 9th Wonder, J Dilla, Khrysis, Nottz, Potatohead People, and more. So far, only two singles from the album have been released: the Busta Rhymes and Redman-featuring “Nutshell Part 2” and “French Kiss Deux,” which features the late J Dilla’s younger brother Illa J. Both revealed an aesthetic similar to latter-day Tribe production, with stripped-down, funk-driven beats custom-made to show off Phife’s easygoing flow.

The road to the album’s release has been kind of a bumpy one; though initially announced almost five years ago, it has certainly taken a while to prepare, with the album getting pushed back to 2021, then pushed back again to 2022. But, the wait is almost over now, and from the looks of things, the project will be well worth it.

Forever is due 3/22 via Smokin’ Needles Records.

Lil Durk Splits Time Between His Family And Touring In The Jet-Setting ‘Barbarian’ Video

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Lil Durk’s new album 7220 is out and running up its streaming numbers. The ever-busy Chicago rapper supported the project prior to its release with videos for “Ahhh Ha” and “Golden Child,” and now he continues the rollout with his video for “Barbarian.” The video is a documentary-style glimpse at Durk’s tour life as he hops from city to city performing in sold-out arenas, raps to the camera while sitting on the tarmac in front of a private jet, and takes his kids on shopping sprees.

7220 is Durk’s first solo release since 2020’s The Voice, but in the meantime, his profile leaped considerably behind collaborations with Drake (“Laugh Now Cry Later“) and Lil Baby (Voice Of The Heroes) — so much so that he boasted that his label, Alamo Records (a Sony subsidiary), gave him a 40 million dollar deal. Although he didn’t reveal any details of the contract, DJBooth’s Brian Zisook noted that he could have licensed several albums over a set period of time, with the publishing rights to return in full after that period.

In the meantime, Durk is set to begin his 7220 tour in April, setting out from Phoenix on April 8 through May 2, when he returns to his hometown for closing night.

Watch the “Barbarian” video above.

7220 is out now via Alamo and Only The Family. Get it here.

The Complicated Documentary ‘Look At Me: XXXTENTACION’ Will Arrive This Summer On Hulu

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It’s no secret that the death of XXXTentacion was a complicated tragedy. It left social media in a state of moral quandary, reckoning with the inherent devastation of a young person dying too soon while also knowing that he committed a great deal of harm against women. This is why the news, via The Fader, that the documentary Look At Me: XXXTENTACION is coming this summer might not thrill everyone; it is opening that can of worms once again. It was originally announced in 2019 and it’s premiering today at SXSW in Austin, but it won’t be available to stream on Hulu until June 10.

The documentary was produced by FADER Films, and directed by Sabaah Folayan who directed 2017’s Whose Streets? about the Ferguson Uprising. Folayan claims that this XXXTentacion documentary will not ignore the complexity of the rapper’s death and will address those issues head-on. “I decided to tell this story because while violence is inexcusable, it is not unintelligible,” Folayan said in a press release. “It has interpersonal roots and generational pathways for both abusers and survivors. I am hopeful that with care from the collective, cycles of violence can be interrupted. Movements like #MeToo have spotlighted the need for improvement in the way masculinity is performed in society. But when, where, and how can this positive change take place? There is no certain solution but what is clear is that the criminal justice and deportation systems are doing more harm than good.”

Look At Me: XXXTENTACION streams 6/10 on Hulu.

Jimmy Kimmel Is Shocked That Kanye West Managed To ‘Cyberbully Pete Davidson Off The Earth’

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Earlier this month, rumors began swirling that Pete Davidson may be ready to take to the skies for a zero gravity brodown with Jeff Bezos. On Monday, Bezos’ Blue Origin confirmed that the SNL star will indeed be part of the spacecraft’s crew when it blasts off on March 23. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone, but Jimmy Kimmel thinks there might be something a little more to it than that, especially given the timing.

As most people know, Davidson—for reasons beyond this writer’s comprehension (and the comedian’s own)—is a notorious ladies’ man, and has been dating Kim Kardashian since late 2021. This latter fact does not sit well with Kardashian’s ex, Kanye West, and Kanye and Davidson have been engaging in a serious game of one-upmanship for months. And Kimmel thinks that Davidson’s upcoming out-of-this-world adventure could be related to his ongoing beef with Ye. As he said on Monday night:

“Seats are filling up for the next Bezos pocket rocket launch, and you know who’s going up? Pete Davidson. Pete Davidson will take a Blue Origin flight into space next week. Amazing. Did Kanye really cyber bully Pete Davidson off the Earth?

Actually, the reason [Pete’s] doing this is in order to understand Kanye better, he’s visiting his home planet. I guess now we know there’s no drug test to go into space, huh?”

You can watch the full clip above (which begins around the 6:00 mark).

Nicki Minaj Almost Removed Her Verse From Her Upcoming Coi Leray Collab, ‘Blick Blick’

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Nicki Minaj and Coi Leray‘s upcoming collaboration “Blick Blick” is already one of the most anticipated singles of the year. But the collab, due later this week, almost didn’t happen.

After Leray’s father Benzino leaked the news of the collab in a Clubhouse last month, Minaj removed her verse. She took to her Instagram story to deny rumors of the collab, noting she’s solely in “Onika mode.” Minaj ultimately changed her mind after speaking with Leray privately.

“I just felt bad that she was robbed of telling the world in her own way @ her own time,” Minaj said in a Twitter Q&A with fans on Monday. “But that’s water under the bridge now. Good vibes all 2022.”

Before Minaj and Leroy revealed the collab was, in fact, real, Benzino apologized to the two rappers via Twitter, saying “I feel horrible and sad. I am 100 percent in the wrong and it will never happen again.”

Ahead of the song’s release, Minaj promised to deliver the “verse of the year,” warning the Barbz that they won’t be able to immediately learn it upon first listen. “Breath control. Breathe. Meditate. Diction exercises. Do that for the next 4 days. Then maybe.”

“Blick Blick” is out 3/18 via Republic. Pre-save it here.

Jake Paul Puts Up $60 Million For Kanye West And Pete Davidson To Box It Out

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While Kanye West continues his feud with Pete Davidson over the love of Kim Kardashian (at least, in his own mind), one of their fellow celebrities has stepped forward to offer an unconventional solution to their dispute. Actually, it might just be the oldest one there is: Fight it out. Jake Paul, who started his career as a YouTube personality before becoming a surprisingly good professional boxer, proposed a six-round boxing match between the two men and even staked $60 million of his own money to bring them to the negotiating table — $30 million for each.

“I have an official offer for Kanye West and Pete Davidson,” he said in a video posted to Instagram. “I have $30 million for each of you, guaranteed, plus pay-per-view upside for a six-round boxing match. Let’s make it happen; let’s settle this beef like men before the children get affected by your antics. Let’s get it done; make it happen.”

Say what you want about his suggestion (to be real, a pair of grown men should be able to settle their differences without violence) but at least it gets to the point. So far, all the two have done is trade taunts via text and Instagram, with Kanye releasing two videos for “Eazy,” his collaboration with The Game, in which Pete gets beaten up by Kanye or his associates (which he threatens to do in the song’s lyrics, as well). While Pete reportedly found both videos “hysterical,” it seems the object of both men’s affections, Kim Kardashian, is as fed up as any of the rest of us with their shenanigans. If they did take Paul’s offer, there’d be the entertainment value of a sporting event if nothing else — plus, they could make some money for their troubles.

Latto Reveals The Artwork And Release Date For Her Second Album, ‘777’

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Atlanta rapper Latto — who recently made waves when she appeared on rising rapper Omeretta The Great’s “Sorry Not Sorry” admitting that she, like many of the city’s greats isn’t technically from ATL — is set to depart as headliner on the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour later this week, and as it turns out, she won’t be going empty-handed. Today, Latto announced the official release date for the long-awaited follow-up to her 2020 debut album, Queen Of Da Souf and shared its carnival-themed artwork.

Titled 777, the album will arrive on March 25 via RCA Records. On the cover, Latto stands in front of a massive bullseye in white boots, shorts, and an extremely cropped top with knives and daggers stuck into the target behind her. According to a tweet she also shared, the artwork offers a glimpse into her state of mind as she prepares to release her first album since the lockdown and her official name change. “I put a lot of thought into my artwork,” she wrote. ” hope u guys love it and understand where I’m at mentally 🙂 the music will give just as much as the visuals! I PROMISE U THAT!”

Meanwhile, Latto’s biggest single to date, the Mariah Carey-sampling “Big Energy,” continues to rise on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching a new peak at No. 14 this week, up three spots from last week. Can it climb into the top 10? Perhaps her announcement will help it do so, but its success will certainly go a long way toward helping her album make an impressive debut when it drops on March 25, along with her new single “Wheelie” featuring 21 Savage. In the meantime, you can catch Latto — along with fellow ATLien supporting act Kali — on tour in Santa Cruz, California, San Francisco, Seattle, and Fresno starting March 19.

Performing At The 2022 Grammys Are Billie Eilish, BTS, Lil Nas X, And Others

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Slowly but surely, this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony is starting to come together. At the top of the year, the event was postponed, and not long after that, organizers revealed the show would be taking place on April 3 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, not its original venue, Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. Now, we’re getting an idea of who’s going to be there: The Recording Academy and CBS revealed some of this year’s performers, a list that so far includes BTS, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, and Brothers Osbourne.

Those artists have a storied history with the Grammys. Eilish, for instance, won all four major awards at the 2020 show and had a major presence the next year, winning Record Of The Year for “Everything I Wanted,” which she also performed. As for BTS, this is their second year both being nominated for a Grammy and performing at the ceremony. Rodrigo had a huge Grammy year in 2021 as she was nominated for a whopping seven awards, which she called “probably the most meaningful” of her dreams that came true that year.

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

Some Death Row Albums Including ‘Doggystyle’ And ‘The Chronic’ Were Removed From Streaming Services

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Following his purchase of Death Row Records last month, it appears Snoop Dogg has removed several of the label’s albums from digital streaming platforms. Upon purchasing the label, Snoop revealed plans to transform Death Row into an “NFT label” which will operate within the Metaverse.

Among the albums missing from streaming services are Snoop Dogg’s debut album Doggystyle, Dr. Dre’s debut album The Chronic, and Tha Dogg Pound’s Dogg Food. Still available from streaming are Tupac’s All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, as Death Row no longer owns the rights to Tupac’s master recordings.

While Snoop has not confirmed that he ordered these albums’ removal from streaming services, Dr. Dre’s attorney Howard King issued a statement to Complex earlier this month, following Snoop’s acquisition of Death Row. “There are false reports out regarding ownership by Death Row of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic,” King said. “Dr. Dre owns 100% of The Chronic.”

Over the past year, Snoop has built a large collection of NFTs, and even revealed himself as the owner of popular NFT Twitter account @CozomoMedici. Singer and prolific songwriter Sia also revealed herself as Cozomo de’ Medici’s “granddaughter” and the owner of the @BiancaMedici69 NFT Twitter account.

In addition to his venture into the NFT space, Snoop also joined FaZe Clan earlier this month as a member of the esports company’s board of directors and talent. He plans to launch a community outreach program through FaZe Clan.

Pusha T And His Brother No Malice Mourn The Death Of Their Father

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Pusha T is currently preparing to release his fourth solo album It’s Not Dry Yet. While things have been going smoothly for him so far, thanks to the project’s lead single “Diet Coke,” Pusha and his brother No Malice are now dealing with a heavy loss in their lives. The rappers, who were once united as the rap duo Clipse, took to their respective Instagram pages to announce that their father Gene Elliott Thornton Sr. passed away over the weekend.

“I love you Dad…you taught me to remain poised, to always be calculated, to be prideful, and to respect hustle and hard work but to know the difference between the two,” Pusha T wrote on his Instagram post. “I am who I am because of you and I’ve always been proud to be your son. We are all gonna miss you… R.I.P. Gene Elliott Thornton Sr. P.S. We all know what this is abt, kiss my mom for me…[heart emoji].”

No Malice’s message to his late father was just as touching as his brother’s own. “You told me Psalm 34:19 was your favorite verse,” he wrote. “Right now, I clutch it with both hands. We all love you dad. You were everything a father is supposed to be. ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the LORD delivereth him out of them ALL.’ Psalm‬ ‭34:19‬ ‭KJV‬‬ #TogetherAgain #Jesus #Salvation.”

Pusha T and No Malice’s messages come four months after their mother passed away. Pusha shared the news in a post back in November. “I love you Ma, thank you for sticking around to meet your grand baby,” he wrote at the time. “We all are gonna miss you. R.I.P.”

You can view the posts from Pusha T and No Malice above.