Music

Doja Cat, HER, And Saweetie Perform At The 2022 Billboard Women In Music Event

by
doja cat billboard women
Getty Image

Last night, the 14th annual Billboard Women In Music event was held at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California to honor women in the music industry who have made significant strides or impacts in the past year. The event, which made its return after being canceled last year, awarded such honors as Woman Of The Year, Impact Award, Powerhouse Award, Innovator Award, Trailblazer Award, and Executive Of The Year. As with many awards events, the Women In Music conference also featured live performances from many of its honorees, including Doja Cat, HER, Saweetie, and more.

For Doja Cat’s stripped-down performance of “Alone” from her 2021 album Planet Her, the singer and rapper appeared in a hot pink cloak gown accompanied by piano and light strings on the darkened stage. Beginning without percussion, the instrumentation featured a slow build that never quite resolved, giving an understated appeal to Doja’s usual bombastic onstage antics.

Meanwhile, Saweetie performed her new song “Closer” — sans collaborator H.E.R. — keeping the “Icy flight attendant” aesthetic of the song’s video alive for the stage. In this case, Saweetie and her dancers wore bedazzled gold uniforms as they performed some extremely “disco queen” choreography perfect for the song’s ’70s dance vibe.

Saweetie’s fellow Filipino-American performer HER, meanwhile, delivered an acoustic take on her song “Fate.”

You can watch the performances above or on Billboard.com.

Freddie Gibbs Doesn’t Think Joe Rogan Is Racist, But Says White People ‘Gotta Let Us Have’ The N-Word

by
freddie gibbs joe rogan
Getty Image

The latest star to come to the defense of controversial podcaster Joe Rogan is former guest Freddie Gibbs, who actually appears on the latest episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast offering his take on Rogan’s recent racial slur scandal. Although Gibbs didn’t openly approve of Rogan’s comments and actions, he did give the host some grace while reminding him that he shouldn’t have said the things he said.

“You can’t say that sh*t, Joe, ’cause you pissed n****s off when you did that compilation,” Gibbs said. “It was funny as f*ck, though, I can’t even lie. But hey man, look, I don’t think you a racist, my n****a. You my n****! I f*ck with you. I never thought you was a racist. I just think you were saying some sh*t you shouldn’t have said and a lot of us n****s say stuff that we shouldn’t say sometimes. It is what it.”

One thing Gibbs was adamant about, though, was the proper context for the use of the word in question. “I want to tell white people right now: y’all just gotta let us have that,” he quipped. “Just let us have ‘n****.’ Y’all already human trafficked us over here, let us have that.”

Rogan received a massive backlash after a recent episode of his video in which he makes some (ahem) off-color remarks about Black people was followed by several old episodes in which he says “n****” were resurfaced by social media users. After being called out by Trevor Noah, Fat Joe, and others, Rogan issued a boilerplate apology, which was praised by such milquetoast cultural authorities as the hosts of The View and The Rock (who later backpedaled after realizing that class solidarity doesn’t always trump racism). Others, like Samuel L. Jackson, didn’t accept the apology at face value. Meanwhile, Rogan faced a separate, but related backlash as multiple stars pulled their music from Spotify, which hosts Rogan’s podcast, over his constant propagating of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

The Weeknd Announces His After Hours Til Dawn Tour Dates With Doja Cat

by
the weeknd doja cat
Getty Image

The Weeknd has announced the North American dates for his After Hours Til Dawn Tour supported by frequent collaborator Doja Cat, which kicks off just after Independence Day and continues through September. The Weeknd and Doja Cat previously collaborated on a remix of “In Your Eyes” from After Hours, as well as “You Right” from Planet Her.

The Canadian star apparently initially planned to announce the dates last month, but delayed his announcement due to the initiation of overt hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. The Weeknd actually postponed the tour late last year, citing the “constraints of arenas and the demand for more shows,” and scaling up to stadiums. You can find the full North American tour date information below and at The Weeknd’s tour site.

7/8 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
7/14 — Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field
7/16 — New York, NY @ Metlife Stadium
7/21 — Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium
7/24 — Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
7/27 — Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
7/30 — Washington, DC @ FedexField
8/4 – Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium
8/6 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium
8/11 — Atlanta, GA @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium
8/14 — Arlington, TX @ AT&T Stadium
8/18 — Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High
8/20 — Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium
8/23 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place
8/25 — Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field
8/27 — San Francisco, CA @ Levi’s Stadium
8/30 — Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium
9/2 — Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium

Olivia Rodrigo Puts A New Spin On ‘Deja Vu’ Before Accepting The ‘Billboard’ Woman Of The Year Award

by
Olivia Rodrigo Billboard Women In Music 2022
Getty Image

Last night, Billboard hosted its annual Women In Music event and Olivia Rodrigo was the evening’s big winner. In addition to taking home the Woman Of The Year award, she opened the show by performing “Deja Vu.”

Rodrigo took a different approach to this rendition than she did the studio version we’re familiar with, as this one has more of the rock influence seen on some of her other songs, most notably “Good 4 U.” The performance began with Rodrigo singing over acoustic guitar. As the song worked its way to the chorus, other members of her backing back worked their way into the fold for a more guitar-driven rendition.

Later, she accepted the Woman Of The Year award and gave a speech in which she showed her appreciation for the women in music who came before her, as well as her contemporaries and up-and-comers trying to find their way:

“It’s not always easy being a young woman in the music industry, but I found so much strength from the female songwriters and artists who have come before me and paved the way and opened doors for so many young women like me. And that’s what so amazing about this event. Every woman here today is working to break down those barriers and change the narrative and support each other, and I am so inspired by all the incredible women in this room. I want to thank you all for your support; I am supporting all of you.

I want to say to all of the young girls out there who are writing songs every day in their journals, on their bedroom floors: I am constantly moved by your vulnerability and your creativity and bravery, and I promise everyone here today is working to make this world and this industry a better place for you.”

Watch a clip of Rodrigo performing “Deja Vu” above (find the full performance here) and check out her acceptance speech below.

Kanye West Explains Why He Angrily Threw His Mic During The Live Event For ‘Donda 2’

by
Ye Kanye West 2021
Getty Image

It’s been a little over a week since Kanye West held a listening event in Miami for his eleventh album, Donda 2, which featured appearances from Jack Harlow, Migos, Playboi Carti, Fivio Foreign, Alicia Keys, Pusha T, and more. Aside from the music that was premiered at the event, which was eventually released through Kanye’s Stem Player website, there were some big moments. At one point, Kanye angrily throw a microphone. On Wednesday, Kanye ran into some fans who asked him about that incident, which he then explained.

“It wasn’t about the sound,” Yeezy explained before revealing that he did not want to perform at the event last week. “It was the fact that I was told, one thing I was told was that I had to write the word ‘performance’ on the piece. But what I was giving you guys was performance art. I did these listening sessions when I dropped my album where I put a mask on and I give you this listening session and it’s an installation.”

He added, “And they basically forced me to mix Taco Bell and KFC. They basically forced to mix tequila with cognac. So right when I did the song and I saw myself grabbing this mic and it wasn’t my original idea, I was like, ‘I’m gonna throw this mic. Why am I doing this?’”

You can watch the mic toss and hear Kanye’s comments about it in the video above.

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

Tyler The Creator Has Absolutely No Interest In NFTs: ‘What The F*ck Is A NFT?’

by
Tyler The Creator 2021 American Music Awards AMAs
Getty Image

NFTs have been a big deal for about a year now, and while some are still trying to wrap their heads around what “non-fungible tokens” even are, others have dived head-first into the game. Celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Brie Larson, Johnny Depp, Steve Aoki, Nas, Eminem. and more have all hopped on the NFT train, cashing in by selling exclusive content to their fans. On the other hand, names like Kanye West have expressed no desire to join the trend, as he stated in a now-deleted Instagram post. “My focus is on building real products in the real world,” he wrote before adding, “Do not ask me to do a f*cking NFT.”

Well, it seems like Tyler The Creator is also among the skeptics, as he revealed during a recent interview that was part of Converse’s 2022 All Star series. “What the f*ck is a NFT?” he said in a response to a question about them. He later added, “I paint at home, I play instruments. … I have a friend who’s making me speakers by hand right now. What the f*ck is a NFT?”

Tyler continued, “None of the examples I’ve seen is, like, beautiful art,” he said. “It’s a f*cking monkey in a Supreme hoodie.” He concluded his point by adding that you “can’t NFT me looking at you in real life.”

You can watch the full sit-down with Tyler in the video above.

Lucky Daye’s ‘Candy Drip’ Tracklist Features Appearances From Smino, Lil Durk, And Chiiild

by
Lucky Daye 2021 Soul Train Awards
Getty Image

Next week, Lucky Daye will release his sophomore album Candy Drip. He’s already released singles from it, including “Over” last fall, which arrived with a video featuring model Jordyn Woods. He followed up that single with the album’s title track and “NWA” with Lil Durk. Before it arrives on March 11, Lucky has returned to share the official tracklist.

Candy Drip will deliver 17 songs, including the aforementioned singles. Lucky will also handle most of the vocal responsibilities, as it features just three guest appearances. Smino, Lil Durk, and Chiiild will make individual contributions in what will hopefully amount to a strong follow-up to Lucky’s Grammy-nominated debut album Painted.

Shortly after Candy Drip arrives, Lucky will head out on a North American tour with singer Joyce Wrice serving as the opener for the string of shows.

You can revisit the cover art for Candy Drip above and view its full tracklist below.

1. “Intro”
2. “God Body” featuring Smino
3. “Feels Like”
4. “NWA” featuring Lil Durk
5. “Guess”
6. “Candy Drip (Interlude)”
7. “Candy Drip”
8. “Deserve”
9. “Intermission”
10. “Over”
11. “F*ckin’ Sound”
12. “Compassion” featuring Chiiild
13. “Touch Somebody (Interlude)”
14. “Used to Be Yours”
15. “Fever”
16. “Cherry Forest”
17. “Ego”

Candy Drip is out 3/11 via Keep Cool/RCA. You can pre-save the album here.

Swizz Beatz And Timbaland Will Partner With Lena Waithe For A Film That Documents The Rise Of ‘Verzuz’

by
swizz-beatz-timbaland.jpg

This month marks the two-year anniversary of Verzuz, the platform was launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland that showcases beat battles held on Instagram Live. Since then, the show has held numerous duels between the likes of The Lox, Dipset, Nelly, Ludacris, Keyshia Cole, Ashanti, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, E-40, Too Short, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, and many more. To commemorate their success, Swizz and Timbo will partner with Amazon Studios, Lena Waithe, her production company Hillman Grad Productions, and Good Trouble Studios for a special documentary.

Titled Gifted & Black, the documentary will highlight the rise of Verzuz, as well as the roots of Black music. According to Deadline, it will use “poignant interviews, gripping vérité and magnetic archival footage” to see how Black music impacts the culture.

“When we first started this mission the entire world had hit rock bottom,” Swizz Beatz said in a statement. “People were going through so much and Tim and I felt we should do something to help folks escape. The rest is history, we made the magical call to Hillman Grad because we only wanted people to see the best of the best.”

A release date for Gifted & Black has not yet been revealed but it will air on Amazon Prime Video when released.

Drake Is A Courtside Highlight At Toronto Raptors Basketball Games: ‘It Was Great To See His Fandom’

by
drake-toronto-raptors-nba-basketball-getty-full.jpg
Getty Image

Drake has always loved his hometown basketbal team, the Toronto Raptors. That love turned into a business relationship in 2013 when he was announced as the team’s Global Ambassador. Drake has since helped the team from behind the scenes by promoting them and serving as a host for some of their events, as well as providing consulting services to rebrand them. More times than not, you will catch Drake sitting courtside at their games, enthusiastically cheering the team on, even trash-talking opponents at times. So what’s it like to sit next to the Certified Lover Boy rapper at these games?

Toronto’s The Star recently spoke to some people who were fortunate enough to be next to Drake during games. “Sitting beside Drake was awesome. It was the biggest game of the season at that point, and he and K.D. [Kevin Durant] had something going most of the night,” NHL analyst Sam Cosentino said. “It was great to see his fandom and how passionate he is for the game, and especially for his home team.”

Raptors’ play-by-play announcer Matt Devlin also shared his thoughts. “He’s close with Steph (Curry). He’s close with (Kevin Durant),” he says. “There’s some fun back and forth going on during a game, and it’s cool to sit there and observe.”

This also brings us back to the hilarious moment in December when Drake sat next to an older couple who had no idea who he was. Jim and Renee Stanley, who are both in their 70s, shared what it was like to sit next to Drake. “When the game was starting after the half, a young man sat down next to us and really didn’t say anything at first,” Jim said. “My first reaction was — don’t get this wrong — he smelled good. I said to him, ‘I really like what you are wearing.’ He turned to me and said thanks and shook my hand.” The trio would end up taking a selfie together where Drake called them “my new parents.”

You can read the full piece on The Star here.

Kendrick Lamar Says ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ Came Together After A Lot Of ‘Throwing Paint At The Wall’

by
Kendrick Lamar Rap Mount Rushmore
Getty Image

Kendrick Lamar’s third album, To Pimp A Butterfly, was a big change in direction from his 2012 sophomore album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. It found the rapper ditching his previous West Coast influences for a sound based on jazz, soul, funk, and more. The change wasn’t easy for him, requiring plenty of experimentation and trial and error to get it right. During an episode of Alex Pappademas’ Spotify podcast The Big Hit Show, which is studying the seminal album for its second season, Kendrick dove into how he made it work.

“Yeah I’m just trying stuff, throwing the paint on the wall and writing as these incredible musicians rock out,” he said. “I like that for eight bars. I like that. I like that. So… prior to the album actually coming out the sh*t actually sounded way more complex.”

Kendrick then explained how his longtime friend and producer Terrace Martin taught him about jazz. “Miles [Davis] is playing and you know he’s doing these skats and these rhythms. And man I said to myself, ‘I wanna be able to do that, but I wanna rap that way.’ And you know, be on that cadence and it’s super out of pocket, but you know it’s very jazz, it’s very Miles Davis influenced,” Kendrick said. “It was what I was inspired by what Terrace was telling me. He was like, ‘Man, you gotta be unapologetic. If you’re going to go there, you gotta go there.’”

The new episode arrives as Kendrick was announced as one of the headliners for Rolling Loud’s Miami festival.

You can listen to the full episode of The Big Hit Show here.