Lil Durk Wants To Buy The Housing Complex He Grew Up In After It Went Up For Sale

This month will mark the one-year anniversary of Lil Durk’s mixtape, Just Cause Y’all Waited 2, a project that kicked off a strong run for the Chicago native. This hot streak included a second project, The Voice, and deluxe re-releases for both efforts. With that being said, it appears that Durk’s next accomplishment will be outside the music world. The rapper recently expressed his interest in buying the housing complex he grew up in after it recently went up for sale.

According to Chicago Sun Times, Parkway Gardens, one of Chicago’s biggest affordable housing complexes, is in search of a new owner. The 13-acre complex — which is also known as “O Block” — and its nearly three-dozen buildings stretch from the city’s 63rd to 65th streets between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Calumet Avenue. After reading the news about the complex on Twitter, Lil Durk responded to a post writing, “I’ll buy it don’t matter how much it is.”

Housing broker Affordable Housing Advisors posted the complex to the market without an asking price. The development was originally purchased by Realtor Midwest in 2011. The deal included $59.5 million in tax-exempt bonds from the Illinois Housing Development Authority, $28.8 million in Wells Fargo equity from low-income housing tax credits, and $9.9 million in historic rehabilitation tax credits. Currently, 3,000 residents fill out the 694-unit housing development.

DJ Khaled Offers A Lively Video For ‘Where You Come From’ With Buju Banton, Capleton, And Bounty Killer

DJ Khaled recently dropped his 12th album, Khaled Khaled, on Friday. As he’s done with previous work, the rapper and producer called on some of the music industry’s biggest names to come together for the star-studded release, which he continues to promote with a new video for “Where You Come From,” featuring Buju Banton, Capleton, and Bounty Killer.

The video finds Khaled enjoying the earthy forests of Jamaica, a country that Banton, Capleton, and Bounty Killer call home. They also welcome other people who live in the area to hang out. In a message paired with the new video, Khaled pointed out a unique aspect about the song. “Let’s be CLEAR!” he said. “All these artists have NEVER collaborated on one record before. This is HISTORY. JAMAICA I LOVE YOU!”

Khaled also dropped another video from the album, for the track “Sorry Not Sorry.” It features Jay-Z and Nas, as well as James Fauntleroy and Harmonies By The Hive — who many correctly guessed is actually Beyonce prior to its arrival. Elsewhere on Khaled Khaled, listeners can catch appearances from Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Bryson Tiller, Cardi B, Roddy Ricch, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone, and many more.

You can watch the video for “Where You Come From” above.

Khaled Khaled is out now via Epic Records. Get it here.

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

Meek Mill Remixes Drake’s ‘Lemon Pepper Freestyle’ And Teases New Music On The Way

Meek Mill has been hard at work on his fifth album, which will be his first full-length effort since 2018’s Championship. From the looks of it, the album could arrive soon, but before it does, the Philly native showcased his talents in a confident new freestyle. Mill’s latest track finds him rapping over Drake and Rick Ross’ “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” a remix that also came with a music video. It finds Meek recording in the studio and shopping for jewelry while speaking about his turbulent past and determination to remain successful.

Shortly after he released the song, Meek hopped on Twitter to chat with fans. After one user requested a mixtape from him, he responded, “Just RAP, no features, no singing n****s, Just Meek over a calm beat going crazy.” He added that more new music from him is coming, writing, “Ima give y’all one this summer after my album.” Another person responded with skepticism about the claim, but Meek seemed set on making it happen, saying, “We gon see!” He also teased a sequel to his 2014 track “Blue Notes,” which features Lil Uzi Vert “on some Philly sh*t and he rapping rapping!”

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

The Grammys Opt To Eliminate ‘Secret Committees’ And Make ‘Significant Changes’ To Their Voting Process

Last fall, the Grammys were dealt a heavy dose of criticism about their nominations. Many were upset with some of The Recording Academy’s choices, or lack thereof, such as failing to nominate The Weeknd in any category despite having the acclaimed album After Hours. Months later, the Grammys announced they’re making “significant changes” to their voting process according to Billboard. This includes the elimination of “secret committees,” who were originally tasked with reviewing nominations in the general and genre-specific categories.

With this removal, nominations in these categories will now be selected by a majority, peer-to-peer vote from The Academy’s members. They also chose to reduce the number of categories voters can make selections in from 15 to 10. The Grammys created two new categories for the award show, Best Global Music Performance and Best Música Urbana Album, and added an extra month to the eligibility period for next year’s award show. The time frame of eligibility is now September 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. The changes will go into effect immediately for next year’s show, which is set for January 31, 2022.

“It’s been a year of unprecedented, transformational change for the Recording Academy, and I’m immensely proud to be able to continue our journey of growth with these latest updates to our Awards process,” Harvey Mason Jr., chair and interim president/CEO of the Recording Academy, said. “This is a new Academy, one that is driven to action and that has doubled down on the commitment to meeting the needs of the music community.”

A Ranking Of The Best Travis Scott Sneaker Collaborations, Including The New Air Jordan 6 British Khaki

Do athletes even endorse sneakers anymore?

Don’t get us wrong, Jordan is still the biggest name in footwear. And when a hot new sneaker designer bursts onto the scene, best believe they’re going to want to put their spin on a fresh pair of Jordans above all else, so we don’t imagine another name is going to surpass it anytime soon. But big names are coming (relatively) close, and none of them are known for their skills on a court.

We’re talking not about performance shoes but “performer shoes” (a term dubbed by DJ Clark Kent) — made by people like Kanye West, who has now realized his dream of making a pivot from the hottest rapper in the game to the hottest sneaker and streetwear designer with his Yeezy Brand; Pharrel Williams, who has been toiling away at Adidas for a minute now with his Hu line; J Cole who seems to be constantly pumping out Pumas and actually has the hoops skills to bring in ballers; Bad Bunny, who — despite starting it all off with a few Crocs — is now two for two with his Adidas collaborations; and Beyonce, who continues to make tremendous leaps with each drop of her Ivy Park line.

It’s undeniable that, save for Virgil Abloh and Aleali May, the most exciting sneakers to drop right now are coming from the world of hip-hop. And no name is more exciting than La Flame — yes, we’re talking about Mr. Cactus Jack himself, Travis Scott. Together in partnership with Helmut Lang, Nike, and Jordan Brand, Scott has been dropping some of the most hyped sneaker releases of our modern era of streetwear, offering remixed designs of the aforementioned brand’s most popular silhouettes draped in Scott’s signature dusty desert aesthetic and vibe.

Over the last three years, Scott has dropped 14 sneakers and today we’re here to rank every single one of them from worst to best. Let’s dive in.

15. Travis Scott Jordan XXXIII Army Olive

GOAT

Amongst fans of Scott’s sneaker collaborations, these are absolutely hated. It’s easy to see why. I mean… look at ’em!

Some people feel that hate is overkill, arguing that these are slept on but they still deserve their spot at the bottom of this list. It’s not simply that they’re bad — this army olive mesh upper and brown suede heel panel is a pretty solid design for the XXXIIIs and pretty emblematic of the looks to come — but it’s just so boring in comparison to everything else Scott has done with Nike.

It feels mean to place any Scott shoe dead last, but it’s hard to argue that this is better than any of the other shoes on this list.

Find the Travis Scott Jordan XXXIII Army Olive at GOAT.

14. Travis Scott x Helmut Lang Low Top

END

Before Travis Scott started lending his aesthetic to classic Nike and Jordan silhouettes, he linked up with Italian designer Helmut Lang for a sleek all-black high-top and low-top sneaker. The Helmut Lang collaborations are soft of an anomaly in the lineage of Travis Scott sneakers, but looking at it does make us wonder what the Cactus Jack label would’ve looked like if it never linked up with Nike. Thank God it did!

Featuring a nylon upper with leather and velcro straps across the heel and upper, the Travis Scott x Helmut Lang was made in Italy and features graphic bull imagery on the tongue and Helmut Lang branding on the heel tab.

It’s… okay. Just that and nothing more. Definitely a step up from the XXXIII, though.

The Travis Scott x Helmut Lang Low Top is currently unavailable on the aftermarket.

13. Travis Scott x Playstation Nike Dunk Low

Nike

Originally, we ranked this one last. It’s a three-way collaboration that coincided with the release of the Playstation 5, which just felt like tacky branded overkill. But the more we look at the design — which is actually kind of dope and borrows from the OG Playstation’s look for its colorway — the more it grows on us. This one is certainly a grower.

We still don’t like the Sony branding on the heel (Playstation logo can stay) but we can’t sit here and pretend that the Jordan XXXIII is somehow better than this sail and light blue upper, with its charcoal grey reverse swoosh and embroidered branding.

Find the Travis Scott x Playstation Nike Dunk Low at StockX.

12. Travis Scott Nike Air Max 270 React Cactus Trails

GOAT

You’ll notice that Scott has a definite preference for Nike’s more retro silhouettes, so the Air Max 270 Cactus Trails is unique in that this is one of the most futuristic-looking Cactus Jack sneakers released yet, thanks to the aerodynamic design of the 270. It’s ironic that it’s also the most artificially aged, with a yellowed midsole and a messy mix of textile, nubuck, and TPU Overlays over a dirty cream colorway.

It really earns its moniker “Cactus Trails,” this is a grimy, dusty mess of a design.

Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Max 270 React Cactus Trails at GOAT.

11. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low White

StockX

Travis Scott’s long and fruitful collaboration with Nike begins with this take on the Air Force 1. Released in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the silhouette, this white canvas take on the AF-1 dropped at ComplexCon 2017 and featured interchangeable removable swooshes that were meant to evoke Scott’s trademark grill.

The laces have a Cactus Jack logo covering them and the whole thing sits atop a contrasting gum sole. It’s perhaps most notable for looking so different than the designs that would come to define Scott’s work with Nike.

Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low White at StockX.

10. Travis Scott x Helmut Lang High Top

END

The High Top version of Scott’s Helmut Lang sneaker is a massive improvement over the low. This may be the last time this particular sneaker stays in the top 10 as Scott and Nike have a bunch of rumored releases planned for Holiday 2021. Enjoy your spot, Helmut Lang Highs!

Featuring the same nylon upper with leather paneling and straps as the low, the Helmut Lang high tops are super sleek, militaristic, and represent a Travis Scott era that feels like a distant memory. Not much to say about these that we haven’t said already with the low tops, this is just an all-around better design.

The Travis Scott x Helmut Lang High Top is currently unavailable on the aftermarket.

9. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Cactus Jack

GOAT

The Cactus Jack Air Force 1 has always had a Sean Wotherspoon vibe to us. We know what you’re thinking, “WHY BECAUSE IT HAS CORDUROY???” Yup, that’s exactly why. Do you really think this zipped corduroy lace shroud would exist without Wotherspoon’s Air Max 97, which dropped two years earlier? You’re tripping. Wotherspoon MADE corduroy.

The AF1 Cactus Jack features a graphic canvas upper, a brown swoosh on the outer, a black swoosh on the inner, and sits atop a gum outsole. It’s a dope design, but it’s just a little too busy. A comfortable mid-tier release by Scott.

Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Cactus Jack at GOAT.

8 . Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro Low Mocha

StockX

This low-top version of the Jordan I borrows the design of the more iconic high-top version with a mocha and black nubuck leather upper and that polarizing backward swoosh on the lateral side. The backward swoosh actually looks bigger here (it’s not) making the sneaker look unlike a Jordan I, that’s kind of cool. The medial side panel features Cactus Jack lining in university red, making another appearance on the tongue, with the Air Jordan Wings on the heel tab.

This is pleasant and middling. Perfectly functional but not going to make a huge scene.

Find the Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro Low Mocha at GOAT.

7. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Sail

GOAT

This Sail colorway of the Air Force 1 was Scott’s second release with Nike and built upon the all-white colorway that preceded it. The canvas upper and removable shiny swoosh is still here, but this Sail colorway just works so much better with the gum outsole and canvas construction. It feels like a true transitional sneaker between Scott’s first Nike drop to the more earthy and worn designs that would come to define the Cactus Jack aesthetic.

Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Sail at GOAT.

6. Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Purple (Friends and Family Release)

StockX

We considered not even including this sneaker, as it’s a close friend and family-only release and never had a retail release, but it’s just too clean to ignore. It’s also currently available at StockX, which means someone isn’t being a good friend (we wouldn’t have done you like that, Travis!). This moody Jordan IV features a suede upper in a deep purple with black accents and a grey lace cage.

It’s easily one of the best colorways we’ve ever seen of the Jordan IV period, it’s almost cruel this wasn’t released to the public. Scott has a few more friends and family colorways, but none reach this level of perfection, which makes the StockX sale sting even more.

Find the Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Purple Suede at StockX.

5. Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack

GOAT

This is a totally personal take, but this pair brings up a lot of nostalgia for me. The bandana-inspired paisley overlays capture so much of the imagery of growing up in and around East LA. This sneaker looks like my childhood, filtered down into a shoe.

The SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack is significant because it’s Scott’s first skate sneaker, utilizing Nike’s ridiculously popular silhouette, dressing it in a tan leather base with plaid quarter panels, paisley overlays, and canvas that tears away to reveal an earthy camo pattern that kind of resembles Nike’s elephant print (but isn’t quite that).

The design is rounded out by thick rope laces, the whole thing really captures Scott’s Cactus Jack aesthetic — muted, yet psychedelic. Scott and Nike have a whole slate of Dunks that are supposed to drop in late 2021, we’ll see if they can match this take.

Find the Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low Premium QS at GOAT.

4. Travis Scott Jordan 6 Retro Olive

StockX

Released at the end of 2019, the Jordan VI features an almost militaristic olive green nubuck and suede upper with a little stash snap pocket on the outer collar. At the time of release, it felt like this was the perfect music festival sneaker to hide your stash in. The idea of going to a concert still seems novel, and this is the second time we’re ranking Scott’s whole sneaker output. Another handful of Travis Scott sneakers will likely drop before we are able to see the rapper perform live again. That’s just sad.

Scott rocked this colorway at the Super Bowl 53 halftime show, leading to its coveted status amongst sneakerheads and Travis Scott fans alike. The design is rounded out by a glow-in-the-dark translucent outsole with sail and university red accent work. Scott has yet to drop something that tops this design since its debut release.

Find the Travis Scott Jordan 6 Retro at GOAT.

3. Travis Scott Jordan 6 Retro British Khaki

GOAT

Are the little pockets and zippers stupid and gimmicky? Yes. But forced utility aside, the British Khaki Jordan 6, Scott’s first sneaker of 2021, is in every way an improvement over 2019’s Olive colorway, which it clearly builds off of. Featuring a suede and canvas upper dusted in a mix of British Khaki and Sail, it’s the Bright Crimson accents on the heel, tongue, and branding that really pull this design together.

On top of this earthy colorway, a glow-in-the-dark sole and heel tab adds a nice psychedelic edge to the look, while seamlessly blending in with the rest of the design, never dipping into gimmicky territory, despite you know, being glow in the dark.

Find the Travis Scott Jordan 6 Retro British Khaki at GOAT.

2. Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Cactus Jack

StockX

There were several times I came close to ranking this as the number one pick, and while ultimately I contend that it’s probably (probably!) not the best Travis Scott sneaker out there, it is my personal favorite. This use of Nike’s university red and blue here is just beautiful, with its blue Durabuck leather upper and a red collar and insole. Inspired by the Houston Oilers, Scott’s hometown team, the Cactus Jack Jordan IV’s are rounded out by a core black lace cage and heel panel with university blue speckles, and feature Cactus Jack and Jumpman branding on the left and right heel respectively.

I’m already regretting not giving it the number one slot, but not enough to bump it up… yet.

Find the Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Cactus Jack at GOAT.

1. Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro High Mocha

GOAT

It feels almost cliche to rank the Mocha Jordan I Retro High as Scott’s best, but this sneaker release has managed to become emblematic of Cactus Jack as a fashion entity now three years after its original release. The large over-sized backward swoosh looks very gimmicky by today’s standards (though we don’t know that it didn’t always) but that mix of mocha suede paneling again a sail leather upper with university red accents is still one of the silhouette’s best colorways.

Since this insanely popular drop, Nike has since borrowed this same exact color scheme for a stock Air Jordan I, which we actually prefer, since it doesn’t have the backward swoosh. But hey, that’s just us.

Find the at Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro High at GOAT.

Eminem’s NFT Collection Made Nearly $2 Million

Eminem, who counts himself an avid collector of items like action figures, baseball cards, comic books, and $600 cassette copies of classic hip-hop albums, recently became the subject of a collection of valuable goods himself — with the caveat that those “goods” only exist digitally. Em released a collection of NFTs to take advantage of the swiftly expanding crypto bubble which included digital copies of the above-mentioned items last weekend, with the resulting sales raking in nearly $2 million. According to CryptoBriefing, the collection raised “just short of $1.8 million” on Nifty Gateway on Sunday.

Other stars, like The Weeknd have also released NFTs that have made over $1 million, but Eminem is arguably the biggest artist to enter the game to date. NFTs — or “non-fungible tokens” — are like a digital certificate of authenticity for a piece of art, keeping a sort of chain of custody within the code that is associated with the item, which may have a physical component. If that seems like a confusing explanation, Saturday Night Live actually repurposed an Eminem song to try to explain NFTs, with Pete Davidson and Jack Harlow employing the beat from “Without Me” to break down how the newfangled wealth laundering devices work. Eminem seemed bemused, but quickly announced his collection, which turned out to be a wise decision for the rap icon.

The Best Vinyl Releases Of April 2021

Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each April brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of April below.

Toro Y Moi — Underneath The Pine (10th Anniversary Reissue)

Carpark Records

Toro y Moi was a defining chillwave act in the early 2010s and 2011’s Underneath The Pine was a pivotal release of the era. The album celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and the occasion has been marked with the first-ever colored vinyl edition of the record. On top of that, some orders also come with a thematically appropriate pine tree seed matchbook.

Get it here.

Spiritualized — Lazer Guided Melodies (Reissue)

Fat Possum Records

Spiritualized and Fat Possum Records are embarking on The Spaceman Reissue Program, which will consist of definitive vinyl reissues of the first four Spiritualized albums and which began this month with Lazer Guided Melodies. The band’s Jason Pierce reflected on making the album, saying, “We recorded the tracks in the studio near my flat which was a place where they predominantly recorded advertising jingles and it’s where we made all the Spacemen 3 records, but then the recordings were taken to Battery Studios in London, to explore a more professional way of making music… Once I approached that way of doing things I opened up a whole world and I was astounded that somebody could take those tracks and turn it into the record it became…”

Get it here.

PJ Harvey — Uh Huh Her and Uh Huh Her — Demos (Reissues)

UMe/Island

It’s a good time to be a PJ Harvey fan, as she has spent the past few months busting out a seemingly endless series of vinyl rereleases. The latest is Uh Huh Her, which is accompanied by Uh Huh Her — Demos, a collection of unreleased tracks that is also available on CD and digital formats.

Get Uh Huh Her here. Get Uh Huh Her — Demos here.

Young Thug — So Much Fun (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please

Young Thug is fresh off the release of a new project, and now there’s also an opportunity to look back with a fresh vinyl rerelease (pressed on gorgeous translucent green vinyl) via Vinyl Me, Please. Beyond Thugger, Vinyl Me, Please has a strong lineup of albums for May, which also features Darkside’s Psychic and Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds In Country Music.

Get it here.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band — The Ultimate Collection

Capitol/UMe

It didn’t take long after The Beatles broke up for John Lennon to kick off his solo career, as both things happened in the same year. 1970 saw the release of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and now the album is being re-shared with a stunning and expansive new box set, which features, aside from new mixes, a whopping 87 previously unheard recordings on CD/DVD (and also available digitally). The vinyl version of this release comes as a 2LP edition that rounds up some of the most notable outtakes with a fresh mix of the classic album.

Get it here.

The Mars Volta — La Realidad De Los Sueños

Clouds Hill

Uproxx’s Martin Rickman wrote of the expansive new box set from The Mars Volta, “It’s a fitting monument to a band that never purported itself to be boring or accessible. Just looking at a The Mars Volta album cover, or even just peering at a tracklisting or their song lengths, gives that away. One album is based on a cursed Ouija board that is now allegedly broken and buried. Bixler-Zavala often switches between languages, and creates his own words mid-song. Rodríguez-López presents a challenging production style to both listeners and his own musicians (who sometimes don’t know which project they’re recording their isolated tracks for). One song (in five parts) off Frances The Mute clocks in at over 32 minutes. ”

Get it here.

Shakey Graves — Roll The Bones X

Dualtone Records

Shakey Graves (real name Alejandro Rose-Garcia) is a real DIY success story: His self-released debut album Roll The Bones picked up steam on Bandcamp, where it was exclusively released. Now the 2011 album has gotten a rerelease titled Roll The Bones X, and on top of the base album, there’s also a 15-track LP titled Odds + Ends, which features, well, odds and ends from the era.

Get it here.

Eve — Scorpion (Reissue)

Interscope/UMe

Eve was a hip-hop pioneer of the late ’90s and early ’00s, and now her landmark sophomore album Scorpion is getting a shiny new rerelease, pressed on lovely red and black vinyl. Eve says of the reissue, “It’s crazy it’s been 20 years since Scorpion dropped! I remember the whole process of putting that album together, so many great moments and working with amazing artists and producers and of course winning a Grammy! And tracks that have lasted the test of time musically… Perfect time for a re-release.”

Get it here.

Travis — Good Feeling (Reissue)

Craft Recordings

Scottish group Travis has some clout with American music fans (maybe you remember the music videos they made with Ben Stiller and Demetri Martin), but across the pond, they were a defining Britpop group of the ’90s and ’00s. They got off to a hot start with their 1997 debut album Good Feeling, and this vinyl reissue is an accurate re-creation of the original release, featuring the classic sleeve and a faithful replication of the original packaging.

Get it here.

Joni Mitchell — The Reprise Albums (Box Set)

Rhino

This box set is a wonderful way to start a journey into Joni Mitchell vinyl, as it includes her first four albums: Song To A Seagull (originally released in 1968), Clouds (1969), Ladies Of The Canyon (1970), and Blue (1971). Even the cover art of this reissue is special, as it features a previously unseen self-portrait Mitchell painted around the time these albums came out.

Get it here.

Saba — Pray For Me (VMP 100 Reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please

Vinyl Me, Please have now offered an Essential Record Of The Month for 100 months, with prompted the vinyl subscription platform’s “VMP 100” series of reissues. They have a strong roster of releases coming as part of the series: Gorillaz’s Demon Days; Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix; Outkast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik; Queens Of The Stone Age’s Songs For The Deaf; Queen’s A Night At The Opera; Outkast’s Stankonia; Spiritualized’s Ladies And Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space; Saba’s Care For Me; Al Green’s Call Me; and Miles Davis & John Coltrane’s The Final Tour: Paris, March 21, 1960.

Get it here.

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

Smiley Gives Fitness Advice In His Motivational ‘In My Zone’ Video

Toronto rapper Smiley takes on the challenge of fitness training in the video for his new single “In My Zone.” Playing the role of a personal trainer, he teaches a class, giving a motivational speech at his whiteboard before hitting the stationary bikes for a sweat-centric back half of the video. The emphasis on exercise follows an early scene in which Smiley and his friends take over a 1950s style diner.

Smiley — also known as Smiley_61st — caught a huge break in 2018, despite being unsigned, when Drake posted lyrics from his song “Intro” on Instagram. In 2020, Smiley followed up with YYZ – LAX, a seven-song EP led by the singles “90210” and “YYZ-LAX.” “In My Zone” is Smiley’s first song of 2021, implying that he might be working on a full-length body of work to finally capitalize on the attention he received from Drake’s co-sign.

Fans who checked out Smiley’s music thanks to Drake’s Instagram video (which has since been deleted) discovered an artist who raps in a lethargic, slurred tone about life in the streets of Toronto. His hazy flow is paired with an enthusiastic charm — which pops out at the end of the “In My Zone” video via a handful of outtakes — that draws in listeners as much as his lyrics and unique flow.

Watch Smiley’s “In My Zone” video above.

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

21 Savage’s New Song ‘Spiral’ Soundtracks The Upcoming ‘Saw’ Spinoff Film

While 2019 was a quiet year for him, 21 Savage arrived in 2020 to make plenty of noise in the music world and deliver music his fans waited so long for, that being his Savage Mode II joint album with Metro Boomin. The sequel to their 2016 mixtape quickly became a year-end favorite among their supporters. It also help bring 21 Savage back into the spotlight, a trend that continues with his latest single, “Spiral.” The track arrives as a part of the upcoming Saw spinoff, Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, and was recently used for the film’s trailer which was released at the end of March.

After the trailer for the movie arrived, Variety reported that 21 Savage was enlisted to executive produce the soundtrack for Spiral: From The Book Of Saw. The film, which arrives on May 14, is produced by and stars Chris Rock who stands beside Samuel L. Jackson as a father-son duo who must face a Jigsaw copycat killer. The horror film is a perfect body of work for 21 Savage to provide music for. The Atlanta rapper has made a name for himself through spooky and menacing tracks that often err into the gruesome side of life and detail the nighttime dealing he experienced at various points in his life.

Before this, 21 Savage dropped a video for “Glock In My Lap,” joined YBN Nahmir for their “Opp Stoppa” track, and impressed R&B fans with his vocals during Keyshia Cole and Ashanti’s Verzuz.

Press play on “Spiral” in the video above.