Music

Thundercat Makes His Acting Debut In The Disney+ ‘Stars Wars’ Spinoff ‘The Book Of Boba Fett’

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Thundercat 2021 Pitchfork Festival
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Thundercat ended 2021 by releasing “Satellite” with Genevieve Artadi and Louis Cole, which appeared on the season five soundtrack for Issa Rae’s show Insecure. The year also saw him win a Grammy for his fourth album, It Is What It Is. Now he’s extending his reach to the small screen: He recently made an appearance on the Disney+ Star Wars spinoff The Book Of Boba Fett, playing a body-modification artist with a robot hand.

The singer’s appearance on the show, his official acting debut, was rather quick, with just a few lines of dialogue as his character spent the scene operating on an injured individual.

Thundercat’s The Book Of Boba Fett appearance comes after he appeared on Kaytranada’s “Be Careful,” from his late 2021 EP Intimidated. He and Bootsy Collins also joined Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, aka Silk Sonic, on their album An Evening With Silk Sonic album.

You can see a sped-up clip of Thundercat’s appearance in The Book Of Boba Fett in the video above. Later this year, Thundercat will serve as one of the opening acts for The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 2022 Global Stadium Tour.

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

Gunna’s ‘Pushin P’ Slogan Gets A Pancake-Themed Co-Signed From IHOP

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Gunna’s latest album, DS4EVER, is an example of simple yet extremely successful marketing. Since the rapper began promoting the new album, he’s used the slogan “Pushin P” and the blue letter “P” emoji to promote it. The phrase “Pushin P” has varying definitions, as Gunna has often explained. Fans have taken a liking to the ad campaign, which was boosted by the song of the same title from DS4EVER, which features Future and Young Thug.

Gunna IHOP Pushin P
Gunna

Fans of the phrase include IHOP, who showed it some love on Wednesday by tweeting, “We’re always pushing pancakes,” with the “P” in pancakes being the blue letter “P” emoji. Gunna quoted the tweet and wrote, “IHOP Pushin P,” with a pair of emojis. But he didn’t stop there. The rapper also posted a screenshot of IHOP’s tweet on Instagram and tagged the company, who reposted it and wrote, “With all this syrup, it’s drip season here at IHOP, too,” with the “P” and pancakes emojis.

DSEVER4 surprised many by debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making for his second chart-topping album.

You can view the Twitter and Instagram exchanges between Gunna and IHOP above.

DS4EVER is out now via 300 Entertainment / Atlantic. Stream it here.

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

Fly Anakin Announces His Debut Album With The Madlib-Produced Single, ‘No Dough’

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Last year, Richmond, Virginia rapper Fly Anakin delivered three projects. He kicked things off with the EP Smokebreak alongside Pink Siifu. Then followed a deluxe edition of his 2020 release FlySiifu’s, which also featured work with Pink Siifu. Finally, he released the seven-track EP Pixote. With a new year ahead of him, Anakin is back in action with new music and an exciting announcement.

On March 11, Anakin will release his debut album Frank and today he shared its first single, “No Dough,” which finds him rapping for a little under two minutes about the importance of keeping a steady income, all with production from Madlib. Frank, which Anakin joked is his “fourth debut album,” will arrive with 17 songs and contributions from Henny L.O., Pink Siifu, Billz Egypt, Nickelus F, and Big Kahuna OG.

You can view the artwork for Frank above and its tracklist below.

01. “Love Song” (Come Back)
02. “Dontbeafraid” Feat. Henny L.O.
03. “Sean Price”
04. “Underdog Theme”
05. “Kenneth Cole Collections” (Skit)
06. “WaxPoetic”
07. “Black Be The Source” Feat. Pink Siifu and Billz Egypt
08. “Ghost” Feat. Nickelus F
09. “Class Clown (Interlude)”
10. “Bread (Skit)”
11. “No Dough”
12. “Grammy Snubnose”
13. “Bad Business (Killswitch)”
14. “Poisonous Primates”
15. “Fly Away (Skit)”
16. “Telepathic” Feat. Big Kahuna OG
17. “Bag Man”

Frank is out 3/11 via Lex Records. You can pre-order it on Bandcamp here.

Kanye West’s Verse On ‘Eazy’ Reportedly Caused Pete Davidson To Hire More Security For Himself

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This past weekend, Kanye West returned with “Eazy,” his first official release of the year. It features Compton rapper The Game and production from Hit-Boy, for what seems like the first offering from West’s upcoming album, Donda 2. The song also received a lot of attention for shots West directed at Pete Davidson, who is dating his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. “God saved me from that crash,” West raps. “Just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass.” Davidson has yet to issue any type of response to the song, but according to HipHopDX, it’s forced the SNL comedian to make an adjustment to his life.

The publication reports that Davidson has hired more security to ensure his safety after getting dissed by West. Reports say that friends close to him claim he isn’t concerned about a future interaction with the rapper, but rather, he’s worried that the rapper’s fans will potentially harm him as a result of the song. “His devoted followers listen to his songs and act upon them,” a source that HipHopDX cited says. “That’s why Pete is now using security.”

This comes after Kanye claimed that security at Kim Kardashian’s home wouldn’t allow him to enter and see his children because Davidson was allegedly there at the time.

As for Davidson, it was announced that he and James DeMonaco, the director of the Purge series, will team up for a horror film set at a sinister retirement home.

Cordae Tries To Spark A Workplace Romance In His ‘Chronicles’ Video With HER Lil And Durk

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I rarely Monday morning quarterback rappers’ album rollouts (read: constantly), but if there was anything I think Cordae could have done differently in promoting his new album From A Bird’s Eye View, it would be to make “Chronicles” the lead single. The track is just a winner, finding a soulful pocket where he and guests HER and Lil Durk can relay their relatable narratives of romance with a catchy chorus and magnetic chemistry. Fortunately, Cordae is still highlighting the nostalgic track, releasing the moonlit music video today after a short tease on social media.

The video is similarly cozy, revolving around a diner at night, where patrons and employees do their best to spark romantic connections. Cordae plays one of the line cooks, kicking game to a pretty waitress, while HER is there on a date with her own boo thang. Meanwhile, Lil Durk hangs out in the parking lot, hatting up his own romantic interest, and all three perform from atop the hood of a kitted-out convertible.

While it could be argued that “Chronicles” is among the strongest tracks on the album alongside “C Carter” (in fact, I do argue as much in my review of the album), the two singles, “Super” and “Sinister” with Lil Wayne, at least showcased Cordae’s deft lyricism and delivery, and his live performances for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and The Tonight Show gave an intriguing preview of his upcoming From A Bird’s Eye View tour.

Watch the “Chronicles” video above.

From A Bird’s Eye View is out now via Atlantic. Stream it here.

Kelly Clarkson Turns In A Rock-Forward Cover Of The Weeknd’s ‘Take My Breath’

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While Kelly Clarkson came to fame through her music, over the past few years, she has carved out a space for herself on TV on shows like The Voice and her own The Kelly Clarkson Show. She hasn’t left music behind, though. Obviously, The Voice is a music-focused program, and her show regularly features a “Kellyoke” segment, in which she busts out a cover of a popular song. This has yielded some strong performances over the past couple years and today brings another one with Clarkson covering The Weeknd’s recent Dawn FM single “Take My Breath.”

Right away, Clarkson and her band set this rendition of the song apart from the original by putting a more rock-leaning guitar riff front and center. They keep those vibes up throughout the song while also working some of the track’s recognizable synth sounds into the mix.

Meanwhile, also on today’s show, Clarkson spoke with Alana Haim and the conversation turned towards them discussing the times they’ve split their pants while performing.

The Weeknd’s music has become a bit of a staple of the “Kellyoke” series, as Clarkson covered “Can’t Feel My Face” in 2019 and sang “Call Out My Name” a few months ago. Meanwhile, The Weeknd is certainly aware of Clarkson, as he name-dropped her with a reference to The 40-Year-Old Virgin on his 2009 song “Birthday Suit,” singing, “Girl, you already know the best damn part is / Get you on your back, wax you like Kelly Clarkson.”

Watch Clarkson sing “Take My Breath” above.

Kelly Clarkson Turns In A Rock-Forward Cover Of The Weeknd’s ‘Take My Breath’

by

While Kelly Clarkson came to fame through her music, over the past few years, she has carved out a space for herself on TV on shows like The Voice and her own The Kelly Clarkson Show. She hasn’t left music behind, though. Obviously, The Voice is a music-focused program, and her show regularly features a “Kellyoke” segment, in which she busts out a cover of a popular song. This has yielded some strong performances over the past couple years and today brings another one with Clarkson covering The Weeknd’s recent Dawn FM single “Take My Breath.”

Right away, Clarkson and her band set this rendition of the song apart from the original by putting a more rock-leaning guitar riff front and center. They keep those vibes up throughout the song while also working some of the track’s recognizable synth sounds into the mix.

Meanwhile, also on today’s show, Clarkson spoke with Alana Haim and the conversation turned towards them discussing the times they’ve split their pants while performing.

The Weeknd’s music has become a bit of a staple of the “Kellyoke” series, as Clarkson covered “Can’t Feel My Face” in 2019 and sang “Call Out My Name” a few months ago. Meanwhile, The Weeknd is certainly aware of Clarkson, as he name-dropped her with a reference to The 40-Year-Old Virgin on his 2009 song “Birthday Suit,” singing, “Girl, you already know the best damn part is / Get you on your back, wax you like Kelly Clarkson.”

Watch Clarkson sing “Take My Breath” above.

Megan Thee Stallion Prepares To Meet Some Exotic Animals In Her Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Super Bowl Ad Teaser

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Megan Thee Stallion Cheetos super bowl ad 2022
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Megan Thee Stallion has been working with a number of brands for partnerships lately. Not only did she cut a clothing line with popular brand Fashion Nova, but she’s also created a line of makeup with beauty company Revlon. Now, the rapper is preparing to spice up this year’s Super Bowl by starring in a commercial for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Megan shared a short preview of the commercial, noting that the full ad will drop during the Super Bowl on February 13. The teaser shows her pulling up to a video shoot and checking in while munching on a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The person working there asks her some questions before they get started, like if she has any pet allergies to cats or dogs. Megan answers “no,” but the list of animals gets progressively weirder. She finds out she’ll apparently be working with deer, foxes, bears, water buffalo, and even a sloth — which will surely make for an interesting video. But seeing as Megan has been able to keep a straight face while real-life snakes are wrapped around her body like in her and Cardi B’s “WAP” video, she’s not doubt up for the challenge.

Sharing the teaser clip of Instagram, Megan wrote, “it was only right that after all these years of eating hot chips Thee mf hot girl coach linked up with hot Cheetos.”

Watch Megan’s Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Super Bowl commercial teaser above.

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

Kanye West Reunites With ‘Donda’ Standout Vory On The Dream Chasers Rapper’s Debut Album

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Of all the artists who were featured on Kanye West’s new album Donda, one of the standouts was Dream Chasers rapper Vory. The Meek Mill-associated artist featured on a number of the album’s songs, including “God Breathed,” “Jonah,” and “No Child Left Behind.” The project turned out to be a watershed moment for the rising star, who now turns his attention to his own debut album — which has turned out to be just as star-studded as Kanye’s.

According to a text screenshot he posted on his Instagram, his upcoming project will reunite him with Kanye West, as well as connect him with trap rap man of the hour Gunna, whose own new album DS4EVER recently debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200. Other rappers involved will include the emergent Landstrip Chip, Toronto hitmaker Nav, and Mobile, Alabama crooner Yung Bleu, as well as newcomers Beam and Rockford, Illinois battle rapper Fresco.

Before taking off thanks to his appearances on Donda, Vory put in major work behind the scenes, writing alongside Bryon Tiller, Drake, and The Carters‘ Jay-Z and Beyonce, while working on refining his own records. He signed to Dream Chasers in 2020 before putting out a self-titled EP showing off his polished pen. He was also featured on Meek Mill’s 2021 album, Expensive Pain. Vory’s debut will be out sometime this year.