Music

Jay-Z Touts His Playlist Curation Prowess: ‘I Challenge Anyone Out There’

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Although Jay-Z isn’t making much new music these days (aside from some obvious exceptions), he still remains heavily involved in the curation of playlists for the Tidal music platform — even as he sells his majority ownership stake to Square and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. In a recent Twitter spaces town hall about the upcoming deal, he boasted about his playlist prowess, challenging listeners to assemble a better compilation than he can.

“I found so many songs, my playlist game is A++,” he bragged. “I challenge anyone out there. I’m definitely in the top tier of playlist creators.”

Over the past several years, he’s made an effort to prove it, most recently putting together a list celebrating his onetime rival Nas — the only rapper with whom he’s worked in the past year — a 2020 year-end list highlighting the bar-heavy favorites that sustained him in a year of COVID, and the protest-themed “Songs For Survival 2,” which tapped into the rebellious energy of the summer 2020 uprisings against police brutality.

Elsewhere during their chat, Jack and Jay discussed the overlaps in music and Square, and how related tools like CashApp can help artists (as well as being name-checked by them in a rapidly increasing number of songs). “The things that Square and Cash App were doing is pretty much aligned with what one does with their own brand,” Jay noted. “You create a business, take out a small loan, get the things you need to help you be successful and build it out from there. So our conversations just naturally aligned.”

Doja Cat Jokes That She’s Been Canceled ‘Maybe 350 Times’

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Doja Cat recently flexed her multifaceted talent on her album Planet Her. But just over a year ago, people on the internet were calling for her to quit music entirely. Fans on Twitter were rushing to cancel the singer after old, insensitive videos of her surfaced in chatrooms with reported members of the alt-right/incel community. The singer apologized, but wasn’t fazed by the controversy as she’s apparently used to getting canceled.

Doja Cat recently sat down for an interview with Big Boy, where she discussed her album, a recent mishap at the dentist, and her celebrity crush (Reggie Watts.) But when Big Boy asked how many times she thinks she’s been canceled on the internet, the singer joked that it’s happened “maybe 350 times:”

“Starting from age 6 to age 25, maybe 350 times. My mom cancels me, my brother cancels me, my schoolmates canceled me — everybody cancels me. I cancel me, my boyfriends have canceled me. Not in a way where it’s like a huge political down power of something crazy that I did. It’s just, canceling is a fight on the internet, and that’s how I see it. It’s a fight for something and I’ve been in pressure where I feel like I’ve had to fight. And I’ve done that my whole life, so anything that happens, I come right out the other side just okay.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Doja sang The Weeknd’s praise over their “You Right” collaboration, saying he was the “sweetest” artist she’s ever worked with. “He’s a good friend of mine. He’s like part of my family, I feel like,” she said about the singer. “We met maybe two or three years ago. But he’s the sweetest artist I ever collaborated with—no shade to anybody else. But he is top notch, the sweetest person, and brilliant, very talented.”

Watch Doja Cat’s full interview with Big Boy above.

Planet Her is out now via Kemosabe/RCA. Get it here.

Fans Ship Saweetie And Jack Harlow After He Introduced Himself To Her On The BET Awards Red Carpet

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Saweetie‘s only been split up from Quavo for about three months, but fans already see a new rap beau in her future. Jack Harlow, who featured on Saweetie’s “Tap In” remix last year, was caught on camera playfully interrupting her interview on the BET Awards red carpet to introduce himself — and because the interview in question was for The Shade Room, you know it caught the attention of exactly the fans who love shipping celebrities almost as much as sipping the spilled tea from their relationship drama.

During the interview, in which Saweetie was asked to “step into The Shade Room,” Harlow can be seen walking past in the background before pulling a smooth 180 and popping into the shot to say, “Hi, Saweetie.” While shaking hands, Saweetie notices that Jack seems to be the one shaking… which he denies before slinking off to the award show. When asked by the host whether that was Jack shooting his shot, Saweetie betrayed a woeful misunderstanding of the outlet interviewing her, warning her, “I don’t know, but y’all better not be messy with this sh*t.” Uhhh…. Saweetie? IT’S THE SHADE ROOM. You already know what’s going to happen!

Sure enough, once the video migrated to Twitter, the reactions came rolling in, sending both artists’ names straight to the trending topics (where they’ve been quite comfortable for months, especially after Sunday’s BET Awards, where Harlow’s presence was questioned and fans thirsted over Saweetie’s dad). While some fans seemed quite keen on the idea of a love connection between the two hitmakers, others thought Saweetie could do better (not Jack though… sorry, Jack). Check out the best responses below.

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

Fabolous’ ‘So Into You’ Video Makes DDG, Yung Baby Tate, And More Nostalgic For Better Times

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React Like You Know is back! This time around we’ve got some new faces mixed in with the familiar favorites from our panel, including Beanz, Blxst, Snow The Product, and Yung Baby Tate. After enjoying a trip down Nostalgia Road with Missy Elliott last time around, we stuck with the 106 & Park classics yet again with Fabolous’ 2003 Street Dreams single “So Into You” featuring Tamia.

It was a simpler time; the pants were baggy, the caps were fitted, and music video countdowns dominated our after-school television viewing. Back then, the “Holla Back” rapper was a sex symbol — a fact that leaves Yung Baby Tate bemused. “I’m screaming at the fact that anybody ever found him attractive,” she admits, although she’s definitely exaggerating on the “screaming.”

A few of the panel artists also notice the presence of actress K.D. Aubert, who did indeed get her start appearing in music videos before landing roles in Friday After Next, Soul Plane, and most recently, Nick Cannon’s streetball drama She Ball. YBT’s got some thoughts here too, but I’ll let you catch those for yourself. There are also some fun stories about ringtones, throwbacks, and having crushes that have them relating to the song’s lovesick chorus.

Watch the latest episode of React Like You Know above.

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

Lil Nas X Tells Haters He Will Follow His BET Awards Kiss By Having Sex On Stage

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Lil Nas X has been a polarizing figure as of late, drawing a diverse set of reactions from both sides of every aisle with things like his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video or his “Satan shoes.” His latest controversial move was his BET Awards performance of “Montero,” which he ended by making out with one of his male dancers.

He’s already done some clapping back to critics of the performance, like one who accused him of misusing African culture. He replied to that, “y’all really like to pretend homosexuality didn’t exist in african culture.” Now that Nas has had some more time to marinate in the responses to the BET performance, though, he is charting his next steps. Although he’s more than likely joking, he has some plans that, if carried out, would be the most explicit performance in popular music history.

This afternoon, he tweeted, “since y’all still doing all this over a kiss imma just f*ck the n**** on stage next time.”

In less notable but still-interesting Lil Nas X Twitter news today, the rapper shared a trailer for his upcoming album Montero, which he says is “coming soon.” (Back in March, he said it would drop “this summer.”) The video serves as a rundown of his Montero album so far, featuring clips from his recent videos, so check that out below.

Lil Wayne Celebrates His 2008 Hit ‘A Milli’ Reaching An Ironic Streaming Milestone

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In the summer of 2008, Lil Wayne’s then-new single “A Milli” was practically inescapable, as it played nonstop in radio and music video rotations and numerous rappers including the likes of Jay-Z, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Lil Mama, LL Cool J, and more took on freestyled iterations of it that proliferated on blogs like to the point it was hard to find anyone who didn’t have a version of it somewhere in their catalog. It’s safe to say it was the biggest hit of Lil Wayne’s career — in terms of impact, if not numerically — and has left a lasting impression on the rap landscape ever since.

Yesterday, Lil Wayne got to celebrate the track reaching a milestone that may be somewhat ironic in context, posting a photo to Instagram declaiming the track reaching a billion streams on Spotify. “A Billi A Billi A Billi,” he wrote in the caption, evoking the song’s original hook. “Shoutout @spotify and @rapcaviar. And most importantly shoutout every last one of y’all that listened, streamed, and still bump it till this day!”

The track, which was the second single from his game-changing album Tha Carter III, has consistently appeared on lists of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time since its release, including this one from BBC, this one from Rolling Stone, and this one from Complex.

Congrats to Lil Wayne, and here’s to another milli, billi, and who knows, maybe even a trilli in the future.

Primavera Sound Los Angeles Is Expanding And Being Pushed Back To 2022

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2020 was supposed to mark the debut of Primavera Sound Los Angeles, an LA-based offshoot of the popular Spanish festival. However, for reasons that don’t need explaining, the event was pushed back to September 2021. It turns out the wait for Primavera Sound LA will again been lengthened, as organizers have announced that the festival has again been delayed, this time to September 16 to 18, 2022.

Yes, that’s three days, meaning the festival (set to be hosted at Los Angeles State Historic Park) has expanded from its previously planned two-day setup.

In a statement, organizers said, “Despite the fact that the festival’s first encounter with its fans in the United States will have to wait yet another year, this announcement makes us even more excited and eager than ever to make our debut in America. […] We are working with renewed energy to bring the full Primavera Sound experience to Los Angeles. Until then, take care and see you in 2022.”

Fans who have tickets for the 2021 event can either use them for admission to the 2022 festival or request a refund (by July 29, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. PT).

Meanwhile, the original Primavera Sound festival recently announced a massive 2022 lineup that features Lorde, Tame Impala, Beck, The National, The Strokes, Gorillaz, Tyler The Creator, Disclosure, Interpol, Jamie xx, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, 100 Gecs, Brockhampton, Big Thief, Brittany Howard, Clairo, Run The Jewels, and Slowthai.

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

Young Thug Is Producing And Starring In A Film With One Of The Stars Of ‘Us’

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Young Thug is about to make the jump from music to film and, in typical Young Thug fashion, he’s diving in with both feet, making sure to have his hands in as many aspects of the production as possible. Not only is he executive producing and starring in the film, titled Throw It Back and described in a press release as a musical dramedy, but he is also overseeing its soundtrack.

Throw It Back will co-star Shahadi Wright Joseph, the young actress who Zora (and her Tethered counterpart Umbrae) in Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror-thriller Us, giving the film some added punch in the star power department. Per the press release, the film will be directed by Shadae Lamar Smith, whose credits include three Black Eyed Peas music videos (“Mami,” “New Wave,” and “Yes Or No”) and several shorts, as well as the feature The Heyday Of The Insensitive Bastards, which featured James Franco and Kristen Wiig.

Produced by Tiffany Haddish’s She Ready Productions (Haddish will play a supporting role in the film), the film’s logline is provided in the press release and can be seen below.

Throw It Back follows Wytrell, a high school senior who has never stood out from the crowd. After a controversial superstar Miami rapper decides to feature the renowned dance team from her high school in his latest music video, it throws the school into chaos, and Wytrell battles for a spot on the squad and her final chance to be in the spotlight. The film is a dance-filled musical dramedy set to a soundtrack of southern hip hop and HBCU collegiate band rhythms.

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

NLE Choppa Is Being Sued By An Outkast-Affiliated Rapper For Copyright Infringement

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NLE Choppa is being sued by Outkast-affiliated rapper Kilo Ali for copyright infringement in a suit filed in California Central District Court last week (June 24), according to Music Business Worldwide, which obtained the court documents.

Ali, an Atlanta-based rapper who released a string of relatively successful albums throughout the ’90s and worked closely with members of the Dungeon Family crew, including Goodie Mob’s Cee-Lo Green and Outkast’s Big Boi, as well as George Clinton of Parliament and Lil Jon, says Choppa’s 2020 single “Make Em Say,” which features Latto (FKA Mulatto), illegally samples Ali’s own 1997 “Love In Ya Mouth,” using the same “flow and pitch” in the post-chorus.

“Love In Ya Mouth,” which features Big Boi, featured on Kilo Ali’s 1997 Interscope debut Organized Bass, and in the documents filed in the suit, Ali says his music has “proven inspirational to much of the rap music emerging from the South, particularly Atlanta.” Meanwhile, Choppa and Latto’s song appears on Choppa’s Warner Music debut Top Shotta. The lawsuit argues Choppa’s song features “a distinctive sample of Kilo Ali’s melodic vocal chorus from the sound recording embodying the Original Work.” Ali wants “all gains, profits, and advantages derived by Defendants as a result of their unfair trade practices and unfair competition” by way of restitution and has included Warner Records Senior Vice President of A&R Norva Denton and Warner Music Group in the lawsuit.

You can check out both tracks above. [Source]

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

Ski Mask The Slump God Seeks Revenge In His Gory ‘Admit It’ Video

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The theme of Ski Mask The Slump God‘s “Admit It” video makes perfect sense in light of his new mixtape, Sin City. Taking inspiration from the 1990s neo-noir crime comics by Frank Miller — or perhaps the 2005 film based on them — the video is a desaturated, gory revenge tale that sees Ski Mask come back after being left for dead to execute violent retribution on his foes. As with the Sin City movie, Ski Mask’s video is washed of almost all color save a few bright splashes that accentuate the action, whether through the gold glinting on his teeth or the blood splashing on the walls.

Sin City: The Mixtape is Ski Mask’s first full-length project since 2018’s Stokeley, which highlighted the South Florida rapper’s impressive technical skill and hedonistic outlook and featured appearances from a then-emerging Juice WRLD, Lil Baby, and Lil Yachty. However, he seemingly took a hiatus in the wake of his friends Juice WRLD‘s and XXXTentacion’s deaths, with the pandemic delaying the comeback he teased in 2020 with his protest anthem, “Burn The Hoods.” While he did provide a guest feature on DJ Scheme’s “Soda” with Cordae, 2020 was a relatively quiet year for the Slump God.

However, earlier this year, he expressed excitement for a spate of new videos and dropped Sin City amid a crowded New Music Friday that included new Tyler The Creator and Doja Cat albums. The nine-track album is spare and straightforward, but with such a tight concept and sharp execution, it’s not one to be overlooked.

Watch Ski Mask The God’s “Admit It” video above.

Sin City The Mixtape is out now on Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic. Get it here.