Music

Rex Orange County Reunites With Tyler The Creator On The Smooth New Single ‘Open A Window’

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Rex Orange County has a new album quickly on the way, as Who Cares? is set to drop this week, on March 11. He shared “Keep It Up” to announce the album, and now he has dropped what will presumably be his final pre-album single, reuniting with Tyler The Creator on “Open A Window.” Rex and Tyler have famously collaborated before, most recently on Tyler’s 2017 album Flower Boy.

The new songs lives in the smoother side of Rex’s oeuvre, a soulful tune carried by a subtle but impactful groove. Tyler pops up during the song’s final third with a verse that accentuates the track’s rhythm.

Rex discussed his relationship with Tyler in a 2020 interview and gave an example of a time the rapper helped him out, saying:

“I was complaining and worrying about putting out that album, Pony, and feeling like… I was like, I don’t know if I’m wasting my time when there’s so much music coming out. I’m hearing albums come out every week and I’m even going, ‘Alright, cool, next,’ skimming things. It felt like just a landfill of music. I actually just called him up and he was like, ‘The thing is, first of all, everyone has their place. You can’t change anything. Complaining or hating on anything is a waste of your time, because whilst you’re spending 20 minutes hating on that person, that person’s going to spend 20 minutes doing their thing and living their life that they have. You’re going to be on this planet once and you’re just wasting your life. And there’s going to be someone in the world who thinks their album is what you felt when you first heard, like, Channel Orange or Stevie Wonder or whatever. You can’t take that away from anyone, whether you like it or not.’ […] It helped me so much not to be concerned so much about what people would think. He just broke it down in a way that helped me a lot.”

Listen to “Open A Window” above.

Who Cares? is out 3/11 via Sony Music. Pre-order it here.

Noname Is Seemingly Back In The Studio After Announcing Her Retirement From Music

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Rapper Noname is teasing new music. Earlier today, she shared a photo of herself in what appeared to be a home studio, with a microphone, speakers and a Macbook.

In November 2019, Noname announced plans to quit music after releasing her second album, Factory Baby, feeling frustrated after years of performing for predominately white audiences. She also admitted she wasn’t fully invested in music. “To be honest with you, my heart isn’t fully in it anymore,” said Noname in a now-deleted tweet, replying to a fan asking her to drop new music.”The relationship between ‘artist’ and ‘fan’ is really f*cking unhealthy. Y’all like what y’all like and hate what y’all hate. And I don’t wanna be on either side. I’m just tryna read and organize. After factory baby it’s (peace sign emoji).”

Factory Baby never saw an official release, and Noname shared plans to scrap the album altogether last December. however, Noname released the standalone singles “Song 33” and “Rainforest” in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Despite expressing her frustrations, as well as a desire to redirect her efforts toward supporting local communities, Noname may not be completely divorced from making music.

“maybe 30 is too early to retire,” the Chicago rapper said in an Instagram post. She also shared the flyer for Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, where she’s booked to perform supporting The Roots, Toro Y Moi, and Earl Sweatshirt.

Whether she plans to revisit Factory Baby or start on an all-new project is unclear, however, fellow rappers Denzel Curry and Chance the Rapper shared their support for Noname’s potential return to music in her Instagram post’s comments.

Earthgang Deliver A Hypnotic Late-Night Performance Of ‘Ghetto Gods’ Standout ‘Lie To Me’ On ‘Fallon’

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Earthgang released their second album Ghetto Gods at the end of February, completing a rollout that included hype releases for “Options” — and its remix featuring Coi Leray — “Erykah,” “American Horror Story,” “All Eyes On Me,” and “Amen.” However, now that it’s out, they aren’t going to slack off. Instead, they brought one of the album’s poignant crowd-pleasers, “Lie To Me,” to a smooth performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon along with their accomplished backing band.

The Atlanta duo took to a smoky stage in front of a large video screen flashing images of the New York City skyline and streets, with Olu and WowGr8 presenting their usual yin-yang clash of styles. While Olu went typically shirtless, wearing a monogrammed silk scarf as a belt, his partner-in-rhyme sported a Canadian tuxedo with a plain black t-shirt. Meanwhile, their band embellished the hypnotic beat with unexpected flourishes that gave the normally stripped-down instrumental a new gravity that built to an impressive crescendo.

Now that Earthgang’s long-awaited, oft-delayed album is finally out in the world, fans will be able to catch the duo at the upcoming 2022 Dreamville Festival on April 2 and 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina, alongside a stunning lineup including Ashanti and Ja Rule, DJ Drama supported by Gangsta Grillz alumni Jeezy, Lil Wayne, and T.I., Kehlani, Lil Baby, T-Pain, and Wizkid.

Watch Earthgang perform “Lie To Me” above.

Pink Sweat$ And Tori Kelly Celebrate Love In Their New Video For ‘Real Thing’

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In the latest video from Pink Sweat$‘ EP Pink Moon, the Philly native dreams of the joys of marriage. In a pastel-colored room on a film set, Sweat$ is joined by singer Tori Kelly, as they croon over the loves of their lives. Clips of Sweat$ and his fiancée are juxtaposed with Sweat$ and Kelly dueting.

“I want couples around the world to champion marriage,” Sweat$ said of the video in a statement. “At the same time, if you haven’t experienced love yet, stay hopeful for it. I’m in the process of getting married this year, and Tori is already married. It was organic because we’re both in a similar space in our lives. We just captured the energy and released it through a song.”

Ahead of the release of Pink Moon, we spoke to Sweat$ last month about the EP, and he revealed “Real Thing” was the first song he wrote. He also shared the secrets to creating a streaming hit.

“If you want a playful hit it usually can be tied to some sort of a movement, whether it’s a dance or some form of moving of the body that people can feel,” Sweat$ said. “And if you want more of a singer-songwriter hit, I think it’s just about the story and the storytelling ability because we all got a story, right? The way you articulate that story through a song, the effectiveness of it, that’s how you get ahead.”

Watch “Real Thing” above.

Pink Sweat$ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Young Dolph Memorial In Memphis Is Being Removed By The Owner Of The Former Makeda’s Building

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Ever since Young Dolph was shot to death at Makeda’s bakery in his native Memphis, the site has become the location of a memorial dedicated to his memory. The wall — which Dolph’s protege Key Glock featured in his “Proud” video — of the former bakery has been plastered with messages, flower bouquets, and teddy bears as well-wishers have come to pay respects to the hometown hero. However, that may soon change, according to a report from ABC Memphis, after the owner of Makeda’s decided not to re-open out of safety concerns.

Now, the owner of the building that once housed the bakery is ready to begin leasing the space again and wants the memorial taken down so they can do so. A community activist quoted in the story, Frank Gotti, expressed his understanding, but the report notes that others are not pleased. “I understand you have to lease it out and run a business,” Gotti said. “It’s his building and nobody can argue with him on that. I appreciate him for keeping it up this long.”

The concerns of both the building owner and Makeda’s might be well-founded; earlier this month, Jeremiah Taylor, who helped maintain the memorial, was reportedly shot and killed, while another was also shot to death near the memorial late last year. It’s easy to see why business owners wouldn’t want those associations attached to a property they wanted to lease.

Freddie Gibbs Explains Why He Was Nervous To Meet LeBron James: ‘I Thought He Was Gonna Beat My Ass’

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Freddie Gibbs has long been an avid basketball fan and in recent months, he’s taken advantage of his recent bump in rap game prominence to enjoy the game up close and personal, even getting to take home the jersey of his favorite team’s best player, DeMar DeRozan after finally equaling Chi-Town hometown hero Chance The Rapper (who he blamed for taking up all the tickets in the first place) in the comp ticket hierarchy.

However, Gibbs recently revealed he was actually reticent to meet with one player, in particular, the guy who happens to be pretty much the face of the NBA: LeBron James. The reason? Gibbs has been one of the many, many prominent spectators trashing the Los Angeles Lakers’ lackluster season, often posting video clips of himself watching their games and providing his own commentary. The Lakers are currently 28-36 and rank 4.5 games behind the #8 seed Clippers, meaning they could miss the playoffs for the second time in James’ tenure as the Lakers’ top dog.

So, when Gibbs met LeBron during Super Bowl weekend in LA recently, he revealed in a video on Instagram, he says he was slightly worried about a confrontation with the much bigger basketball star. “I talked to LeBron [at] Super Bowl weekend,” he said. ” I was like, ‘Oh sh*t!’ Look, I thought LeBron was gonna beat my ass. I ain’t even gon’ lie, man. I was prepared to get my ass whooped for talking sh*t about the Lakers.”

Fortunately, though, LeBron is pretty chill about the trash talk — maybe he’s used to it after 17 years in the NBA (and the four years of high school preceding that). Hopefully, this can lead to a Gibbs appearance on The Shop, because Freddie is one amusing storyteller and needs somewhere to crack jokes that isn’t the Joe Rogan podcast.

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

How To Watch The 2022 Grammys

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In less than a month, the 2022 Grammy Awards will kick off live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It marks the first time in Grammy history that the award show will take place outside of Los Angeles. The 2022 Grammys was originally set to take place on January 31 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center). However, the coronavirus pandemic forced The Recording Academy to push it back to April 3 with the hope that they’ll be in a safer position to have the show. Thankfully, with three weeks left until showtime, that appears to be the case.

How To Watch The 2022 Grammys:

The 2022 Grammys will begin at 8:30 pm EST/5:30 pm PST. The award show will air live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. By tuning in to this year’s Grammy Awards, you’ll see Trevor Noah entertain the crowd and viewers at home as the host for the night. Elsewhere, Jon Batiste leads the way for nominations as he was selected in 11 categories. Right behind him, Doja Cat, HER, and Justin Bieber each received eight nominations. There will also be a collection of great performances, but the full list of performers has yet to have been revealed. That can be expected to arrive soon as one of the greatest nights in music is just three weeks away.

TikTok Launches A New Tool To Help Artists On The Platform Distribute Their Music To DSPs

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In recent years, TikTok has become one of the go-to social media platforms for the discovery and promotion of new music, but while it’s been helpful in generating hits for the likes of Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, and more, for newer artists using the app to drive interest in their songs, the experience can be … let’s say a little “chaotic” — to say nothing of the labels who are trying to use the app to market artists and being hopelessly stonewalled by the cryptic algorithm and ever-evolving tastes on the app.

However, that may soon change as TikTok launches SoundOn, a new tool designed to help independent artists find their way on the platform, with a music-specific dashboard offering analytics, marketing advice, and even a team of employees to help A&R collaborations among artists. Most importantly, SoundOn will also help artists get paid — both directly through the app and via DSPs. Artists who upload music directly through SoundOn would get paid similarly to how a record deal works but with a “flexible exit clause” to allow them to withdraw rights should they decide to actually sign to a label.

The beta test of the new service has already generated its first major success in Muni Long’s “Hrs & Hrs,” which hit more than 1 million video creations and 1.6 billion views of the song, driving it to No. 16 peak on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, plans for the future include a creator marketplace that will help match TikTok-ers with promotional partners, again helping them generate revenue outside of the traditional label system. It’s certainly another interesting innovation that may spark the next, artist-friendly phase for the music industry.

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

When Are The 2022 Grammys?

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In normal times, the 2022 Grammy Awards would’ve already taken place. We would’ve learned who went home with trophies in the big four categories — Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. In fact, the number of nominations in each of those categories was increased to ten for the upcoming award show. Furthermore, we would’ve witnessed excellent performances from some of the music industry’s best talents. However, we are not in normal times, and unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic caused the Grammys to be delayed from its usual late-January/early-February date. Thankfully, a new date is locked in and it’s coming soon.

When Are The 2022 Grammys?

The 2022 Grammys will take place on April 3 at 8:30PM EST. The new date also came with a new location for the award show as the Grammys will be hosted from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This marks the first time ever that the Grammys will be hosted outside of Los Angeles. The 2022 Grammys will be hosted by Trevor Noah and as for the nominations, Jon Batiste leads the way with 11 while Doja Cat, HER, and Justin Bieber trailed him with eight nominations each.

Performers for the 2022 award have not been revealed yet, but with less than a month to go before showtime, we can expect a list of performers to arrive sooner than later.

1TakeQuan Drops ‘Back 2 Back’ Mixtape With “Love Talk” Music Video

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There’s a 1Take over going on right now in Los Angeles.

Just like 1TakeJay did a few weeks ago, 1TakeBoyz’s 1TakeQuan follows suit with a new project of his own, sharing the new mixtape Back 2 Back, which he accessorized with a new music video for the project’s first single, “Love Talk.” The tape and music video arrives on top of the viral wave Quan is riding right now due to the popularity of his latest track, “Single.”

MORE: 1TakeJay Drops ‘The Morning After’ Mixtape with New Music Video “The Pay Back”

With a runtime of 34 minutes, the 12-song collection spot 1TakeQuan collab with buzzing artists Big Hube, Tyler J, Chxnk, and, of course, the usual suspects Rucci and 1TakeBoyz. Along with “Single” and “Love Talk,” the project includes breakout songs “Chitlins,” “Bubble Coat” and “I’m Tripping.” Known for his playboy antics, Quan shows a different side of him in the music we rarely hear from a member of the rowdy crew.

On “Love Talk,” featuring 1TakeOcho and Tyler J, 1TakeQuan is an office manager seducing his co-worker as she flaunts around in lingerie, showering the recording artist with money. Ocho and Tyler enjoy bedroom rendezvous with beauties of their own while they rap hypnotizing verses of enticing persuasion. The video is directed by CreatedByBlu.  

MORE: 1TakeJay & Blueface Take Paternity Tests in “Her Bad” Music Video

Back 2 Back is 1TakeQuan’s fourth mixtape. Breakin through in 2016, outside 1TakeBoyz music, Quan is best known for his 2019 collaboration with Roc Nation’s Kalan Frfr, “Freak,” the same year Quan drops his debut mixtape, Quebaall. Today, 1TakeQuan’s uncensored energy, unique rugged tone & unforgettable performance style has earned him the moniker of “ultimate ratchet” in the group. 

Check out 1TakeQuan’s new mixtape below, and watch “Love Talk” above. 

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