Music

Ariana Grande And Kid Cudi Give A Grand Performance Of ‘Just Look Up’ In ‘Don’t Look Up’

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The latest Netflix movie, the Jennifer Lawrence- and Leonardi DiCaprio-starring Don’t Look Up, is out today, and music fans have surely heard by now that Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi have roles, playing music power couple Riley Bina and DJ Chello, respectively. They shared “Just Look Up,” the song they made for the film, last week, and now that the movie is out, they’ve shared the scene from the film in which they perform it live.

The scene shows Grande’s character performing the song with a grand stage set-up that doesn’t look dissimilar to something she’d present on one of her tours. Grande wears a white outfit with feather-like protrusions sticking out of her torso, and Cudi’s character later joins her on stage with a complementary white jacket. All the while, Lawrence and DiCaprio’s characters are watching from the side of the stage, as one brief shot shows.

Of all modern music stars, Grande and Cudi are among the ones with the most acting experience. Before music, Grande was best known for playing the character Cat Valentine in two Nickelodeon series, Victorious and Sam & Cat. Meanwhile, Cudi has been in the main cast of shows like How To Make It In America, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and We Are Who We Are.

Watch Cudi and Grande perform “Just Look Up” above.

Isaiah Rashad And SZA Deliver A Groovy ‘Kimmel’ Performance Of ‘Score’

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Isaiah Rashad and SZA stopped by the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show to perform a groovy rendition of their new song “Score” from Rashad’s new album, The House Is Burning. Decked out in a button-up shirt with a scintillating pattern, the Chattanooga rapper delivers the laid-back lines with an easygoing flair. SZA emerges midway through the performance in a letterman jacket and jeans with a flannel shirt tied around her waist, and the two artists show off their chemistry, a smooth blend of silk and grit.

Isaiah is in the midst of a triumphant comeback, releasing The House Is Burning, his second studio album, after a near-five-year hiatus during which he got clean and recovered from his irresponsible early career spending habits. After rolling out The House Is Burning with videos for enjoyable singles like “Headshots (4r Da Locals),” “Wat U Sed,” and “From The Garden,” he embarked on the Lil Sunny’s Awesome Vacation tour before releasing a deluxe edition of the album, with appearances from the likes of Juicy J, Project Pat, and Young Nudy.

Meanwhile, Isaiah’s collaborator SZA is slowly inching her way toward releasing her own big follow-up to 2017’s CTRL with new singles like “I Hate U” and “The Anonymous Ones.”

Watch Isaiah Rashad’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance of “Score” with SZA above.

Young Thug, Lil Yachty, And More Will Trek Through Nature In The Upcoming HBO Show ‘Chillin Island’

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There’s a lot of fun to be had when you get people out of their comfort zones for in-depth interviews — just check out Hot Ones, where Sean Evans’ invincible tongue allows him to get meme-worthy responses out of guests as they attempt to down the spiciest wings while answering even spicier questions (sorry, it’s such a good tagline). A new show coming out next week will attempt to do something similar. Chillin Island, which will air on HBO on December 17, will see rappers and other musicians leaving behind the hustle and bustle of their urban origins for the peace and quiet of nature.

Of course, the other key to getting good responses is making folks feel comfortable while they’re way out of their comfort zones, so to that end, Chillin Island is pairing these rappers with members of their own fraternity: New York rappers Despot, Lakutis, and former Das Racist member Dap (aka Dapwell). They’ll trek to deserts, swamps, and other havens to commune with nature and get in touch with human nature.

Their guests will include a truly fascinating array of artists including Coi Leray, Gunna, Killer Mike, Lil Tecca, Lil Yachty, Rosalía, Ski Mask the Slump God, Young Thug, and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koening.

You can watch Chillin Island on HBO on 12/17 at 10:30 pm and stream on HBO Max. Check out the trailer above.

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

Ye’s Publicist Reportedly Harassed A Georgia Poll Worker At Her Home Over Fake Voter Fraud Claims

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Getty Image

This week brought a chilling reminder that Trump’s election fraud claims weren’t just hot air — they had serious, harmful effects on real people. 62-year-old Georgia poll worker Ruby Freeman reportedly had to move out of her home of 20 years when an online conspiracy theory brought threatening calls and letters and vigilantes menacing her neighbors. As it turns out, one of those who traveled to her home to harass her over the fake voter fraud was on the staff of rapper Kanye West, who himself had just ended an ill-fated, slapdash Presidential campaign, which some believed was a ploy to siphon Black voters away from Joe Biden.

Reuters reports that Trevian Kutti, a publicist for Kanye, went to Freeman’s home, telling Ruby that she worked for an unidentified “high-profile individual” and telling her that she had 48 hours to confess to voter fraud or she would be arrested and sent to jail. Freeman says she called 911, requesting a police officer to come and keep an eye on things. By this time, she’d been harassed for weeks after Trump accused her publicly of what amounted to ballot stuffing, although authorities quickly refuted his unfounded claims.

Kutti and her companion, a male who called himself a “crisis manager,” told Freeman she was “in danger,” prompting them to move the conversation to the police station. On an officer’s body cam video, Kutti could reportedly be heard telling Freeman, “You are a loose end for a party that needs to tidy up.” After Kutti called an unknown person she said had “authoritative powers to get you protection,” Freeman said the two tried to get her to implicate herself.

Eventually, Freeman turned Kutti away and later looked her up, finding out that she was a Trump supporter. Prior to working with Kanye, which was confirmed by media reports and Kutti’s own website, she’d worked for R. Kelly. The next day after the visit, Freeman was advised by the FBI to vacate her home. On January 6, Freeman says, a mob of Trump supporters surrounded the home, shouting through bullhorns.

Kanye hadn’t responded to Reuters’ request for comment as of press time.

Pink Sweats And 6lack Reside On The ‘Midnight River’ For Their Somber Collaboration

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Months after dropping his debut album Pink Planet, Philly singer Pink Sweats has been treating his fan base to some new songs in recent weeks. His latest drop is a new collaboration between him and LVRN singer 6lack. The two bring their talents for “Midnight River,” a somber track that both singers spent most of the week teasing for their respective fan bases. Altogether, the new record is an easygoing effort that finds the singers craving a peaceful and serene moment with their respective partners, with the hope that they’re truly in love.

“Midnight Skies” arrives after Pink Sweats dropped a visual for his “Nothing Feels Better.” The video detailed a teenage love affair for the track that’s focused on praising a partner and showing gratitude to them. It came after his heartwarming single “I Feel Good,” which captured Pink Sweats in good spirits and has every right to be. His Pink Planet debut was one of 2021’s best R&B releases and it even appeared on Uproxx’s Best R&B Albums Of 2021 list.

As for 6lack, things have been a bit fairly quiet for the Atlanta singer. His last project was 2020’s 6pc Hot, and since then, he’s stuck to do guest features like Lil Tjay’s “Calling My Phone,” Isaiah Rashad’s “Score,” and Melii’s “You Ain’t Worth It.”

You can press play on Pink Sweats and 6lack’s new collaboration in the video above.

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

Kyle Celebrates Having The ‘Perfect’ Person In His Life On His Spirited New Track

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Less than two years after he released his fourth project See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!, Kyle is gearing up to share his latest body of work with the world. Last weekend he announced It’s Not So Bad will arrive on January 28, but the upcoming project won’t be your typical musical release. “Instead of splitting the royalties with the label, I’ll be selling this project as an NFT to give an opportunity for my fans to own this project with me,” Kyle revealed in his announcement. “We’re in this together. Forever & Ever.” Now, we’ve received the latest single from the upcoming project.

Kyle returns with “Perfect,” and just like much of his discography, the new track is a light-hearted upbeat release that finds him celebrating the arrival of an ideal companion in his life. The new song joins recent releases like “Love Me Like You Say You Love Me,” “Optimistic” with Dougie F, and “Sunday.”

“Perfect” also arrives after Kyle announced his I Miss U Tour for 2022. Kyle will be accompanied by singers Col3trane and Leven Kali across the string of shows that begin on February 10 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and continue into March before he wraps things up in Ventura, California, where he grew up.

You can listen to “Perfect” in the video above and scroll up to check out the full dates for the 2022 I Miss U Tour.

2 Chainz’s Tunnel Vision Spirit Is Alive On ‘Mortgage Free’ With DJ Premier

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If you’ve been hoping for new music from 2 Chainz, we’ve got some good news for you: the Atlanta rapper is back in action tonight and his newest release finds him paired alongside DJ Premier. Together, the duo delivers “Mortgage Free” and it’s a track that 2 Chainz uses to highlight to show off his tunnel vision and motivation to make sure that he continuously lives, well, mortgage-free. DJ Premier also provides strong production to the track to make it all that much enjoyable.

The new track arrives after 2 Chainz celebrated the tenth anniversary of his beloved T.R.U. REALigion mixtape. He held a concert in his hometown of Atlanta to perform tracks from the project which features Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill, Jadakiss, and more. The performance came after 2 Chainz revealed the title of his next album. The upcoming release will be titled Dope Don’t Sell Itself, as 2 Chainz revealed back in August. There’s no release date for the project at the moment, but it could be the rapper’s “last trap album” thanks to a tweet he put out this past summer.

Dope Don’t Sell Itself will be the follow-up to his 2020 album So Help Me God. The album arrived with 15 tracks and guest appearances from Ty Dolla Sign, Ye, Brent Faiyaz, Latto, Lil Uzi Vert, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and more.

You can listen to 2 Chainz and DJ Premier’s collaboration in the video above.

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

Roddy Ricch Unveils The Intro For His Upcoming ‘Live Life Fast’ Album With A Cinematic New Trailer

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For the better part of a year, Roddy Ricch has left his fans wondering when the Compton rapper would deliver his sophomore album. His debut Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial was met with rave reviews while also spending multiple weeks at No. 1. The project, which boasted features from Gunna, Lil Durk, Meek Mill, Ty Dolla Sign, and more, took home multiple awards like Hip-Hop Album Of The Year at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards and Album Of The Year at 2020 BET Awards. That’s all in the past now as Roddy gears up to drop album No. 2, Live Life Fast, next week. Ahead of its release, he returns with the album’s intro track.

The track, which features vocals from Ty Dolla Sign, arrives with a video that sees Roddy telling an eerie story of how he was once told that the goal in life “was to have fast money, fast b*tches, and fast cars.” Roddy then dives into the harsh consequences of this lifestyle and what he’s learned from them. As he speaks, Roddy is then accompanied by a woman who joins him in a leather large and seemingly expensive mansion.

Roddy shared the trailer after taking Gunna and Future’s “Too Easy” for a new remix.

You can watch the video for the intro to Live Life Fast above.

Live Life Fast is out 12/17 via Atlantic Records. Pre-order it here.

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

Earl Sweatshirt Announces ‘Sick’ And Drops The No-Nonsense ‘Tabula Rasa’ Featuring Armand Hammer

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The rumors around Earl Sweatshirt’s follow up album to 2018’s Some Rap Songs and the 2019 effort Feet Of Clay have been swirling all year long. First, Alchemist said he and Earl had hidden an album on YouTube under a fake name. Next, Vince Staples made the biblical assertion that he, Earl, and Alchemist had laid down “30 verses on 30 beats” for a project with Earl and Alchemist. Then in September, Alchemist went on The Needle Drop and said that Earl’s album was “done and it’s incredible,” and is 21 minutes long. The Black Noise-produced “2010” dropped last month, and now, we finally have confirmation of the next Earl release.

The just-announced Sick is a 10-track project that’s set to drop on January 14th, 2022. The announcement also came with the release of the newest single, “Tabula Rasa,” featuring Armand Hammer. The video is a one-shot take that brings us through a home studio with first Armand Hammer’s Elucid dropping his verse, before Billy Woods lays his down and Earl brings it home with an ill stream of consciousness flow.

Earl released a statement on Sick and it speaks directly to what he address on “Tabula Rasa”:

“SICK is my humble offering of 10 songs recorded in the wake of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns. Before the virus I had been working on an album I named after a book I used to read with my mother (‘The People Could Fly’). Once the lockdowns hit, people couldn’t fly anymore. A wise man said art imitates life. People were sick. The People were angry and isolated and restless. I leaned into the chaos cause it was apparent that it wasn’t going anywhere. these songs are what happened when I would come up for air. Peace and love to Zelooperz the enigma, The Armand Hammer, and my good friends Alchemist and Black Noi$e. Peace and love to u.”

If the tracks on Sick are laid out like four-plus minute “Tabula Rasa,” then there’s no chance that this is the 21-minute album that Alchemist referred to. That couple with reading between the lines of Earl’s statement, makes it possible that Sick is just a step towards a separate full-blown album. Time will tell. For now, peep the video for “Tabula Rasa” above.

Check out the album art below.

Earl Sweatshirt Sick
Earl Sweatshirt

Sick is out 01/14/2022 via Tan Cressida/Warner Records. Pre-order it here.

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