Earlier this week, Rihanna shocked the world by revealing she and her boyfriend ASAP Rocky are expecting their first child together. The news arrived a little over a year after rumors surfaced about the pair’s romance. The couple shared pictures from a photoshoot they did together in New York, which features Rihanna rocking a pink Chanel jacket that was halfway unbuttoned to show her baby bump. Just a few days after those pictures arrived, Rihanna returns with another one to celebrate the start of Black History Month.
The new picture also showed Rihanna’s baby bump, which she captioned, “How the gang pulled up to black history month.” She also included a pair of pictures from her photoshoot in the Instagram post. Shortly after Rihanna shared the news about her pregnancy, her father Ronald Fenty gave his reaction to it during an interview with TMZ. “When I got the news, I was so excited and ecstatic,” he said. “And I’m just hoping it will have ten fingers and ten toes.” Ronald also revealed his hope for the baby’s gender. “I’m looking for a girl,” he said. “I already have two grandsons, so I’m looking for a daughter now.”
The announcement arrived after her Clara Lionel Foundation pledged $15 million for organizations that are fighting against climate change.
Gunna is off to a great start this year. He released his third album, DS4EVER, last month and it topped the Billboard 200, giving the rapper his second No. 1 album as a solo artist and his third altogether, thanks to YSL’s Slime Langauge 2. He’s also giving back to the community that helped him become the success he is today.
Gunna teamed up with Goodr, a sustainable food waste management and hunger relief company, to open a free grocery store in Atlanta’s Ronald E. McNair Middle School, which he attended as a teenager. Called Goodr Grocery Store, it will serve more than 900 students and allow them to pick from his favorite foods and snacks, as well as fresh produce and toiletries. There’s also a “Drip Closet” section that offers clothes and sneakers — even Nike Air Jordans.
“I have the highest regard for Gunna’s dedication to giving back to the community that raised him,” Goodr founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe said in a statement. “Goodr and Gunna have teamed for the greater good several times in the past couple years. His commitment is inspiring.”
The company plans to launch more free grocery stores in schools and community centers across the country.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s been nearly three years since Nicki Minaj dropped her last album, Queen. Since then, she got married, had her first child, and found herself in a fair amount of controversy. The singer is about to release her upcoming single, “Do We Want A Problem?” with Lil Baby, which she’s currently promoting.
In addition to riding the interview circuit, Nicki also went on Instagram Live with Kevin Samuels, a former consultant who has repeatedly sparked controversy on social media for his dating advice. His comments are often condescending, especially towards women, but Samuels’ conversation with Nicki was, for the most part, smooth-sailing.
At one point, Samuels asked Nicki to rate herself on a scale of 1-10 and the rapper chose 7, but Samuels was not satisfied with her answer. “It’s the default answer for most people because they don’t want to go too high, they don’t want to go too low,” he said. Instead, he gave the singer a 9 and said she “gets additional points for eyes.”
Despite their rather calm conversation, many fans were a bit confused as to why Nicki hopped on Instagram Live with Samuels and they took to Twitter to share their reactions.
You can view a clip from the Instagram Live above and read reactions from fans below.
Kevin Samuels is on IG live with Nicki Minaj, and he doesn’t have the same energy AT ALL, compared to when he’s talking to regular women.
Kevin Samuels is sooooo sassy and disrespectful to women but soon as he got on Live with @NICKIMINAJ bra was full of the upmost respect and even was a tad bit more masculine… thats hilarious.
— all the caucasians—to the back!!! (@ogtrevon_) February 2, 2022
Hailey Bieber might be leaning into her role as the wife of superstar Justin Bieber, but that hasn’t stopped her from doing plenty of things on her own, either. Most recently, she launched a mini show interviewing some of her famous friends in her own bathroom, complete with a dining table and prepared snacks of the visitor’s choice. Past guests on Who’s In My Bathroom have included fellow model Kendall Jenner, and rising pop star The Kid Laroi, and today’s guest was none other than Normani.
After Normani taught her proper technique for eating crab legs, Hailey called the rising pop star a once in a generation talent, and heard a little bit more about her experience moving to Houston after her family was displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Eventually, the conversation naturally turned to Normani’s latest single, “Wild Side,” which features none other than Cardi B — who rather infamously starred in the video while she was pregnant. Normani admits she had higher expectations for the clip before learning Cardi’s movements would necessarily be limited. “Cardi, she was pregnant while we shot the music video,” Normani begins around the 5:30 mark. “I initially had the idea of us like hanging from the ceiling wrapped in chains, and like, I think really really big. I wanted there to be like, alligators swarming around us in the water, you know the scene we had together. And they’re like, ‘you know, she’s pregnant.’ And I’m like ohhhhh.”
So chains and alligators were off the menu for the moment! Obviously the “Wild Side” video still came out great though. Check out the full interview above.
Back at the start of 2019, J. Cole announced that “Family And Loyalty,” his collaboration with Gang Starr, would be the “last feature you’ll hear from me.” That claim turned out to be short-lived, as Cole, who typically isolates himself from other artists, is currently in the midst of another feature run. This Friday, YG, J. Cole, and Moneybagg Yo will team up for their new song “Scared Money,” which seems to be the latest single from YG’s upcoming album, following last spring’s “Sign Language.”
J. Cole’s decision comes after he did some self-reflecting around the release of his sixth album, The Off-Season. “Do you really want to look back and be like, ‘You didn’t work with nobody?” Cole said in a documentary that arrived shortly before the release. “You didn’t have no songs with nobody?’ You just cool with that?’ No, OK! So start saying yes to some features.” Thankfully, Cole did just that.
In the past few months, Cole has released songs with Wale (“Poke It Out“), Young Thug (“Stressed Out“), “Joyner Lucas (“Your Heart“), and Benny The Butcher (“Johnny P’s Caddy“). While “Scared Money” will be Cole and YG’s first song together, it will be Cole’s second with Moneybagg Yo, as they worked together back in 2018 on “Say Dat.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wednesday night’s episode of The Masked Singer.
If you ever find yourself working directly for a disgraced leader who’s been accused of corruption and fascism and are worried about your future, fret not! You can always find a second life on some trash game show. Sean Spicer, who bullied and lied to journalists as Donald Trump’s first White House press secretary, improbably wound up on Dancing with the Stars. Sarah Palin, recently seen jeopardizing the health of New Yorkers by dining out after testing positive for COVID, was among the unmasked (in more ways than one) on The Masked Singer.
Speaking of, as per Deadline, on Wednesday’s episode of the singing-themed reality show, the big reveal was so shocking it reportedly prompted two of the judges to storm off in protest. Who could be that polarizing? Why, it’s Trump’s cash-strapped, legally doomed, accident-prone personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
When one of the masked singers was revealed to be one of the key players in Trump’s failed attempts to overturn democracy, judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke furiously fled the scene. The other two judges, Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy, who was anti-vaxx before everyone else, remained and engaged in some banter with the guy responsible for such classics as “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” and “Mystery Black Goo Pouring Down Head.” Jeong and Thicke eventually returned.
In any case, it’s probably a bit too early to be normalizing alleged crooks who have yet to have been punished. But then, Rudy probably needs the dough.
Nicki Minaj is gearing up to release her fifth album at some point this year. While her fas will have to wait for a title and a release date, they’ll be able to listen to the album’s first single, “Do We Have A Problem?” with Lil Baby, on February 4. It remains to be seen what other collaborations will appear on it, but one possibility is City Girls, now that the rap stars seem to have resolved their differences.
Just had a great convo with @ThegirlJT & @YungMiami305. Let’s move on & make new memories y’all.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Nicki Minaj wrote, “Just had a great convo with @ThegirlJT & @YungMiami305. Let’s move on & make new memories y’all [unicorn emoji].” The hope is that the “new memories” will be new music between Nicki and City Girls, who have yet to ever collaborate. Nicki’s comments come shortly after she initially shut down the idea of working with the rap duo. “It’s let go,” she said during an interview on The Morning Hustle, “But why would I work with someone who doesn’t like me?”
On top of this, there’s also the chance that Nicki and City Girls’ first song together could appear on the latter’s upcoming fourth album. That project, which may feature the duo’s viral 2021 track, “Twerkulator,” would be the City Girls’ first full-length release since their 2020 effort, City On Lock.
Philadelphia rapper >Lil Uzi Vert has been away from Twitter to start the year but his return has brought some disconcerting thoughts. While he’s often quick to tweet some funny observation or troll his friend Playboi Carti, his new tweets have promised some unsettling changes. His first tweet back read, “Bleaching my skin need umbrella,” and shortly after posting it, he changed his profile picture to a photo of dancehall artist Vybz Kartel, who famously tried to lighten his skin with “cake soap.”
He also tweeted about not remembering anyone, warning followers that he might reintroduce himself to them. “Oh yea announce I don’t know a person on earth @ all,” he wrote. “Brain been itchy. … so if you know me and I reintroduce myself don’t get offended. Thank you so much signed Boop.” He clariifed signing his name Boop, explaining, “Only thing I can remember is my grandma calls me Boop.”
Uzi’s well-known for trolling — tweeting and doing odd, attention-grabbing things like piercing his forehead with a massive pink diamond — so there’s no telling what he means by all this. Perhaps this is just his way of passing the time while preparing to release his upcoming album, The Pink Tape.
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s almost astonishing to think of how much material the late Juice WRLD recorded before his death in December of 2019. The prolific Chicago rapper left behind plenty of material to be turned into awesome visuals like the ones for his new singles “Cigarettes” and Go Hard 2.0,” which both tap into Juice’s love for Japanese animation, or anime.
The video for “Cigarettes,” which you can watch above, takes a CGI approach, creating a colorful digital avatar of Juice that dances and emotes over the new track, which features a somber guitar riff backing Juice’s compliments toward a paramour who uplifts him in the midst of his addictions. The track was originally leaked in 2018 before being re-released today. It’s expected to appear the deluxe version of Juice’s new album Fighting Demons.
Meanwhile, below, you can check out the traditionally animated video for “Go Hard 2.0.” This dynamic, sci-fi accented short sees representations of some of Juice’s closest friends in the rap game working in a lab as he floats in a tube (some of their faces are blurred, suggesting that Juice’s label couldn’t get likeness clearances for them, but Lil Uzi Vert and Polo G are visible). When news of a meteor approaching the planet sounds an alarm, Uzi releases Juice to destroy the cosmic threat with some very Dragon Ball-ish powers. However, he also unleashes a musclebound alien with whom he engages in a battle royale. This song appears on the original version of Fighting Demons, which is out now via Grade A Productions and Interscope.
With over 100 million people consistently tuning into the Super Bowl every year, organizers consistently go all-out for the much-anticipated annual halftime show. And with any high-pressure live event, there are is little tolerance for error. So when something doesn’t go quite as expected, the internet lights up with viral memes and discourse.
Prior to the ’90s, the halftime shows usually consisted of university marching bands or drill teams. But since then, the NFL discovered they could increase viewership by making the halftime show a pop culture staple. Now, the performances invite the most recognizable names in music to take the stage with a past roster boasting artists like Michael Jackson, U2, Madonna, and more.
Let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable moments that have gone down at Super Bowl halftime shows of the last two decades. Cringey, hilarious, and just plain captivating, these halftime performances made a major impact in pop culture.
Shakira and J. Lo’s 2020 performance at the Super Bowl halftime show was one for the history books. Not only was it the last large-scale music event before the pandemic effectively shut down live music, but it was also a major celebration of Latin American culture. J. Lo wore a massive feathered Puerto Rican flag cape and Shakira decided to honor the moment with a customary gesture. Moments into her rendition of “Hips Don’t Lie,” the singer leaned into the camera to stick her tongue out and make a high-pitched sound.
Many (white) people on the internet were perplexed by the gesture and it easily became the most-memed moment of the night. But it didn’t take long for others to point out the mocking was in poor taste. The tongue move is actually a zaghrouta, which translates to a ululation. It’s a part of Arabic culture meant to signify joy and is oftentimes used to celebrate weddings, engagements, and the birth of children.
As much work went into Maroon 5’s 2019 Super Bowl halftime performance, the most memorable part of the set didn’t come from the music itself. The 13-minute spectacle as a whole felt very disjointed and seemed as though organizers were trying to pack in as many stunts as possible in a very short amount of time. It included an abrupt transition to Travis Scott’s barely-integrated performance, a clip from Spongebob, Big Boi driving through the crowd in a convertible Mercedes-Benz, a gospel choir, and thousands of paper lanterns.
But despite all the on-stage antics, the internet was the most concerned with the moment Adam Levine decided to go shirtless for some reason. Like some of the women in Super Bowl halftime show history, Levine wanted to get away with an outfit change mid-set. But apparently, his idea of a wardrobe change was actually just ripping his clothes off. Levine started the set wearing a black trench coat and as the show progressed, Levine would shed more and more layers until he was in just a tank top. While singing Maroon 5’s final song of the evening, “Moves Like Jagger,” Levine decided to peel off his tank and toss it into the crowd, leaving him shirtless. The move received mixed reactions. Some praised Levine’s six pack with others chided him for a generally lackluster performance.
“Left shark’s” uncoordinated dance moves with Katy Perry: 2015
Katy Perry may have ridden into her 2015 Super Bowl halftime set on the back of a giant gold lion, but there was only one thing people were talking about after her performance. No, it wasn’t appearances by guests Lenny Kravitz or Missy Elliott. Instead, the internet was buzzing with jokes about one of her backup dancers.
The stage turned into a beachy paradise for her rendition of “Teenage Dream.” Perry was joined by dancers dressed as anthropomorphic palm trees and beach balls, and was flanked by two people in blue shark costumes. The shark to her right hit every dance move with ease, but the shark to her left looked as though it was struggling to keep up. As Right Shark confidently danced to the beat with precise movements, Left Shark continued to flail its way through the set by contrast.
After the performance, the internet was ablaze with talk of Left Shark’s fumbling movements and even Perry herself joined in on the memes. It wasn’t until the following year that the man underneath the Left Shark costume spoke out. His real name is Bryan Gaw and he had actually been a part of Perry’s dance ensemble for five years. Gaw described the movements as “free-style choreography” and later told NPR he didn’t get anything but love after his performance. He even put his Left Shark moment on his resume.
Surprise Destiny’s Child reunion: 2013
Unlike more recent performances, Beyonce‘s 2013 Super Bowl halftime show was remembered for its significance. Not only did it feature impressive visuals, awe-inspiring choreography, a flaming guitar, and a stage of all-female musicians, but it also had a surprise cameo by Beyonce’s Destiny’s Child group members.
Halfway through Beyonce’s set, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child were literally launched out of the stage. They fired off a brief medley of songs, which included “Bootylicious” and “Independent Women,” before joining together for a rendition of “Single Ladies.” The entire performance created such a buzz on the internet that it garnered 268,000 tweets per minute, making it the then-most-tweeted about event in the history of the social media platform.
Fergie butchering “Sweet Child ‘O Mine”: 2011
It’s been just over a decade since the Black Eyed Peas took the halftime show stage and even ten years later, Fergie‘s performance of “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” is still hard to watch without grimacing. The show was meant to captivate a younger audience and contrast the prior year’s legacy act, The Who. In general, the group stayed true to the assignment – up until they decided to pander to an older crowd with a Guns N’ Roses cover.
Slash made a surprise appearance on the stage sporting his signature top hat and joined forces with Fergie to cover the band’s No. 1 track “Sweet Child ‘O Mine.” While Slash’s guitar sounded great, the same can’t be said of Fergie’s ill-advised decision to emulate Axel Rose’s wailing vocals and gyrating dance moves. The combo resulted in a jaw-droppingly bizarre performance which was most definitely memorable — just not in the way Fergie had presumably intended. The performance would be hailed in the following years as one of the worst Super Bowl halftime shows in history, and a poll by ESPN found 35 percent of respondents graded the event an “F.”
Bruce Springsteen’s iconic knee slide: 2009
Just remember at the Super Bowl halftime show 10 years ago Bruce Springsteen ran and slide his crotch into the camera on national television pic.twitter.com/hwFNKJct1Z
During his performance at the 2009 Super Bowl halftime show, Bruce Springsteen made it clear that he does all his own stunts. During a rendition of his song “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” The Boss ran across the massive stage and attempted an epic knee slide towards the camera, which is now officially dubbed the “Springsteen Slide.” But Springsteen over-shot his slide a bit and ended up barreling into the camera, knocking it over completely. Thankfully, he didn’t seem hurt and played it off as a happy accident. He didn’t even miss a beat in delivering his song’s lyrics.
After the performance came to an end, the rocker was still in good spirits about the mishap. “I feel like I’ve just taken a syringe of adrenalin straight to the heart,” he said, explaining exactly what went down. “Then the knee slide. Too much adrenalin, a late drop, too much speed, here I come Mike BOOM! And I’m onto his camera, the lens implanted into my chest with one leg off the stage.”
Prince bringing on rain during “Purple Rain”: 2007
2007 — Super Bowl halftime show — closing with ‘Purple Rain.’
Prince‘s 2007 Super Bowl performance is remembered as one of the most awe-inspiring halftime shows. The set took place in the middle of an unexpected Miami downpour, but the weather ended up making the event all the more magical, particularly as he sang “Purple Rain.”
Before the show took place, organizers were told they shouldn’t worry about the weather because it hadn’t rained in the entirety of Super Bowl history. But the morning of the big game, the skies opened up in what was described as a torrential downpour. Prince decided to make the most of the moment. Totally unfazed by the weather, he went ahead with using four live electric guitars during his performance. The rain made the stage unbelievably slick, but the singer never faltered. In fact, he turned the dramatic weather to his advantage, especially during his rendition of “Purple Rain.” He even coaxed the entire crowd to sing along in harmony, creating a breathtaking moment even for those watching it from home.
Justin Timberlake giving Janet Jackson a wardrobe malfunction: 2004
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake‘s 2004 set is perhaps the most-talked-about Super Bowl halftime performances in history — and it’s one we’re now collectively revisiting with Jackson’s new documentary, Janet. The two singers were performing a sultry rendition of Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” track on stage. At the end of the song, Timberlake reached over and yanked off part of Jackson’s corset top, exposing her entire breast adorned with a gemstone nipple pasty. The infamous nip slip is frequently referred to as a “wardrobe malfunction,” though the way Timberlake ripped off Jackon’s top looked more than purposeful.
Over half a million FCC complaints came flooding in following the halftime show, prompting the FCC to launch an investigation. Then-chairman Michael Powell made a statement at the time, saying he was “outraged” by what he saw. “That celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt. Our nation’s children, parents and citizens deserve better,” he said.
What people might not remember as much about the moment is the extent to which Jackson was reprimanded by the public. Though Timberlake joked about the moment in interviews, radio stations refused to spin Jackson’s then-new album Damita Jo and she was essentially dis-invited to the Grammys the following week. Jackson was then endlessly interrogated by the media after she declined to relive the incident in interviews.
Jackson addressed the so-called “wardrobe malfunction” in her recent documentary, where she essentially absolved Timberlake. While Jackson noted she asked him not to make a statement about the incident (which he clearly ignored), Jackson says the two are now on very good terms. “Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion,” she said in the film. “Of course, it was an accident. That should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame, and that’s got to stop.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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