Music

Doja Cat Rocks A Machine Gun Bra In French Montana’s ‘Handstand’ Video With Saweetie

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Taking inspiration from Robert Rodriguez’s grindhouse revival flick Planet Terror, French Montana and Doja Cat lead a violent revolution in a dystopian future in the video for “Handstand” from French’s new album They Got Amnesia. Saweetie also appears on the song, twerking on a rooftop as the cityscape burns behind her like Nero.

That doesn’t mean the video lacks eye candy, though. While being confronted by grungy, Mad Max-esque punks and menacing cyborgs, Doja is equipped with the most dangerous piece of lingerie: A machine gun bra, which she apparently finds great enjoyment in putting to use. As riots take over and eventually destroy the already mostly demolished city, the trio defeats their enemy while showing off French’s new NFT (look, nobody ever said product placement has to make sense).

Montana, who recently argued that it’s harder to be successful in rap than pro basketball, has been enjoying plenty of success surrounding the rollout for his album, with videos for “Panicking” and “Bag Season” helping to bring They Got Amnesia in at No. 59 on the Billboard 200.

Watch French Montana’s “Handstand” video featuring Doja Cat and Saweetie above.

They Got Amnesia is out now via Epic Records. Get it here.

Kim Kardashian Credited Ye For Her Interest In Fashion While Accepting Her 2021 People’s Choice Award

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Kim Kardashian and Ye may be ending their marriage (and already dating others), but that doesn’t mean they don’t recognize the influence they’ve had on each others’ lives. Kardashian apparently influenced some of Ye’s music on his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album, acting as his muse on the track “Lost In The World.” But Ye has also influenced Kardashian in a number of ways, namely her style.

Kardashian was honored for her style at the 2021 People’s Choice Awards on Tuesday night. She took the stage in a Balenciaga skin-tight black jumpsuit and massively oversized sunglasses to accept the Fashion Icon award, which was presented by last year’s winner Tracee Ellis Ross. During her speech, Kardashian gave Ye a huge shout-out, saying he introduced her to the world of high fashion.

Kardashian said:

“I started off as a closet organizer and a stylist, so the fact that I’m winning a fashion icon award it’s like a pinch-me moment. I have those every single day that designers are willing to work with me, there was a time when they weren’t. […] To Kanye, even to really introducing me to the fashion world. I fell in love with fashion and I’m so inspired by so many people.”

Watch Kardashian’s full acceptance speech above.

Fans Debate Whether Kodak Black Is As Lyrical As Kendrick Lamar After A Comedian’s Tweet Insisting He Is

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This may sound harsh, but it’s meant with absolutely no malice: Lil Duval is a menace and he must be stopped. Whenever the comedian tweets comparing various figures in hip-hop, complete chaos breaks out among rap fans on Twitter as they end up debating the merits of his off-the-cuffing (and likely trolling) analyses for days on end. Previously, he noted similarities between the music video styles of DaBaby and Ludacris, prompting a days-long discussion that led to the rappers themselves weighing in.

This week, though, he made an even more surprising assertion, comparing two rappers who couldn’t be more different on the surface: Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar and the frequently problematic Kodak Black. “Kodak really up there with Kendrick lyrically but y’all don’t wanna hear it tho,” he tweeted yesterday morning. It didn’t take long for Rap Twitter residents to get riled up, chiming in with arguments both for and against Duval’s statement.

The two rappers do share some commonalities. Both were selected for XXL‘s Freshman Class (Kendrick in 2011, Kodak in 2016), and both frequently address the harsh conditions young Black men often face in the US, from poverty and violence to the institutionalization of the prison system. However, they’ve also had wildly different trajectories; while Kendrick has gone from government assistance in Compton, California to be one of hip-hop’s most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful artists (see above, re: Pulitzer), Kodak has faced a number of legal issues and pop culture controversies for everything from illegally purchased guns to sexual assault.

Kodak himself seemingly weighed in as well, writing in a comment about the post on Instagram, “I understand it be controversial Shit behind me but I’ll appreciate it if y’all just worry bout me Fa my talent & not da other shit on social media !!! Thank You”

Check out more responses to Lil Dvual’s unexpected comparison below.

Earthgang Tell An ‘American Horror Story’ On Their Latest ‘Ghetto Gods’ Single

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A month after announcing the release date of their upcoming album, Ghetto Gods, Atlanta-based Dreamville duo Earthgang have released the latest single from the album, the historical “American Horror Story.” Over a woozy, somber sample, WowGr8 and Olu detail some of the horrors of American history, while wondering where they’d be were it not for the country’s legacy of slavery and racism. In addition, they touch on more recent events like the “tiki torch” rallies of white nationalist groups and gentrification of historically Black neighborhoods, evoking Nipsey Hussle’s “buy the block” ethos as a possible antidote.

In addition to “American Horror Story,” Earthgang has promoted their upcoming album with the singles “Options” and its remix with Coi Leray, as well as “Erykah,” an ode to R&B pioneer Erykah Badu. It has been a little over two years since the release of the duo’s last album, Mirrorland, although they were able to make the most of 2020’s pandemic conditions to continue promoting that album with a collection of innovative, computer-animated music videos. They also kept themselves busy working with the rest of the Spillage Village collective, which includes 6lack, JID, and Mereba, on their Spilligion album.

Listen to Earthgang’s “American Horror Story” above.

Ghetto Gods is due 1/28/2022 via Dreamville and Interscope.

The 2022 Reading And Leeds Lineup Will Be Led By Megan Thee Stallion And Rage Against The Machine

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England’s Reading and Leeds festivals have a unique set-up, as the sister events take place on the same weekend and share a lineup. It’s a big line-up, too, and now the fests have offered the first look at the 2022 edition, which goes down from August 26 to 28, by sharing some of the acts set to take the stage. Next year’s headliners include Megan Thee Stallion, Rage Against The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, Halsey, Dave, and Bring Me The Horizon.

Beyond that, the lineup also features Polo G, Little Simz, Glass Animals, Wolf Alice, Fontaines DC, Enter:Shikari, Jack Harlow, Run The Jewels, Maneskin, Bastille, Circa Waves, Fever 333, Griff, Joy Crookes, PinkPantheress, Wallows, Jxdn, Kid Brunswick, Madison Beer, Tai Verdes, The Lathums, Wilkinson, Arrdee, Chloe Moriondo, Denzel Curry, Hybrid Minds, and Pale Waves. That’s only a small portion of the full lineup, so expect additions to be announced between now and next summer.

This appearance will be a big one for Rage Against The Machine, as they have been trying to get a reunion tour off the ground since 2020 and it will finally be able to happen next year (hopefully). Meanwhile, Megan has had to cancel some shows in recent days: She backed out of the AMAs due to a “personal matter” and she canceled a Houston concert “out of respect” to victims of the Astroworld Festival tragedy.

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

Olivia Rodrigo, DMX, And Travis Scott Lead Google’s Top Trending Searches Of 2021

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At the end of every year, Google shares lists of the top trending searches in various categories, which they note “are based on search terms that had the highest spike this year as compared to the previous year.” Now they’ve dropped their 2021 rankings and a lot of music figures have found their way on the lists.

Globally, DMX was the tenth top-trending search overall, due largely to his death earlier this year. On the top songs list, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” leads the rank and is followed by a pair of Lil Nas X songs: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and the Jack Harlow collaboration “Industry Baby.”

When you narrow down to the top trends of just the United States, DMX is the second biggest trend overall. Meanwhile, Travis Scott and Morgan Wallen are both in the top ten top-trending people. Musicians also have a firm hold over the “celebrities search together” category: “Kim and Kanye” are No. 1, followed by “Kanye and Jeffree Star” (No. 4), “Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal” (No. 5), “JLo and A-Rod” (No. 6), “Ben Affleck and JLo” (No. 9), and “Selena Gomez and Chris Evans” (No. 10).

As far as the music-specific lists for the US, Scott leads under “musicians and bands,” while “Drivers License” is the top trend under songs.

There are more music-related searches sprinkled throughout the lists, so find the global trends here and the US trends here.

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

Ye And Drake’s Larry Hoover Benefit Concert Will Livestream On Amazon Platforms

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Late last month, Ye and Drake announced that their Larry Hoover benefit concert would be held live from the Los Angeles Coliseum on December 9. The news came after the rappers got back on good terms, having not seeing eye to eye for the past three years. Ye and Drake reconciled in the name of advocating for the release of Larry Hoover, a Chicago gang founder currently imprisoned for a 1973 murder. With two days until the concert goes down, additional info has been shared about it.

The Larry Hoover concert will be livestreamed on Amazon Music and Prime Video. Viewers will be able to watch the show starting at 11pm EST / 8pm PST on Prime Video, the Amazon Music app, and the Amazon Music Twitch channel. The concert will also be made available in select IMAX theaters across the country, according to Stereogum. The show’s main goal is to raise awareness for prison and sentencing reform while benefiting community advocate groups, like Ex-Cons For Community And Social Change, Hustle 2.0, and Uptown People’s Law Center.

“Kanye and Drake have spent their careers pushing boundaries and defining culture, and we’re excited to give fans around the world a front row seat to this concert,” Tim Hinshaw, Amazon Music’s head of hip-hop and R&B, said in a statement. “We have made Amazon Music and Prime Video destinations where artists can make their most ambitious ideas a reality—this concert is just the latest example.”

Russ’ ‘Chomp 2’ Prepares For Lyrical Warfare With Help From Jadakiss, Wale, Joey Badass, And More

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Russ rarely takes a break when it comes to releasing music, and after a streak of dropping singles that began over the summer, he’s prepared to end the year on a high note with a brand new album. Russ will drop Chomp 2 on Wednesday, December 8, and hours before he releases it, he shared the tracklist and features. The full-length effort will see contributions from Jadakiss, Snoop Dogg, Jay Electronica, The Game, Big Sean, Wale, Joey Badass, Styles P, Westside Gunn, Lloyd Banks, Ghostface Killah, Papoose, Big K.R.I.T., Ranson, DJ Premier, Hit-Boy, Mozzy, CyHi The Prynce, and more.

Chomp 2 also offers an impressive cast of producers, including 9th Wonder, Hary Fraud, DJ Premier, Hit-Boy, The Alchemist, Statik Selektah, Boi-1da, Bink!

The album comes a year after he released its predecessor. The first Chomp is much shorter, clocking in at six songs and with features from Ab-Soul, Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, Kxng Crooked, Benny The Butcher, and DJ Premier.

Chomp 2 will join a strong cast of singles Russ has released in 2021. They include “On The Way,” “Satisfy,” “Lucky,” “Private,” and “Status.” He’s also worked with Lil Baby and Blxst in addition to teasing a potential joint album with Kehlani.

You can view the tracklist for Chomp 2 in the post above.

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

Ye And Drake’s ‘Free Larry Hoover’ Concert Will Reportedly Be Shown In IMAX Theaters

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We’re two days away from Ye and Drake benefit concert for Larry Hoover, which is set to take place on December 9 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The show was put together thanks to the two rappers’ mutual interest in fighting for the freedom of the Chicago gang founder, who was sentenced to 150–200 years in 1997 for a 1973 murder. While it was originally assumed that the concert would only be available to those who showed up in-person, that’s changed: It will reportedly also be shown in IMAX theaters.

Some Twitter users noticed that movie tickets for the show were available for purchase at the Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen IMAX theater in Charlotte, North Carolina. The runtime for the concert was also listed at 145 minutes, which means a lot may be in store than just a couple performances.

The news comes after arial shots of the Los Angeles Coliseum showed a large circular mound that was being built in the middle of the stadium.

Drake recently withdrew his 2022 Grammy nominations. The rapper was nominated in the Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance categories for Certified Lover Boy and “Way 2 Sexy” respectively. It’s unknown what led him to make this decision. As for Ye, he dedicated a past Sunday Service event to Virgil Abloh, who passed away after a two-year battle with cancer.

You can check out pictures that were captured in IMAX theaters above.

Lucky Daye Announces His Sophomore Album ‘Candy Drip’ With Its Enticing Title Track

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It’s been less than a year since Lucky Daye dropped his EP Table For Two, featuring Ari Lennox, Tiana Major9, Yebba, and more, but it looks like he’ll be making a return very soon. The singer announced his sophomore album Candy Drip will arrive at the top of 2022, and he also released its title track. “Candy Drip” is a woozy effort that sees Daye declaring his love for a special woman in his life. He also spoke about the album on Twitter. “Two years ago I released my first studio album for me,” he wrote. “It was an important turning point in my life. I can never thank you enough but I’m ready for something new. You ready?”

It’s been a while since Daye released a full album, namely his 2019 Grammy-nominated debut Painted. In addition to Table For Two, Daye also delivered a number of guest features in 2021 with artists like Nao, BJ The Chicago Kid, Khalid, VanJess, and more.

Daye also announced a 2022 North American tour in support of the forthcoming album. He’ll hit the road starting on March 18 in Portland, Oregon, and perform at a string of shows that continues for a little over a month before things come to an end in New York City on April 25.

You can listen to “Candy Drip” in the video above and check out Lucky Daye’s 2022 tour dates below.

3/18 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
3/19 — Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
3/20 — Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
3/22 — San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
3/24 — San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
3/25 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
3/26 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
3/29 — Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
3/30 — Austin, TX @ Emos
3/31 — Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
4/1 — New Orleans, LA @ Joy Theatre
4/3 — Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
4/5 — Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
4/6 — Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
4/8 — Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
4/9 — Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
4/10 _ Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
4/12 — Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
4/13 — Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
4/15 — Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
4/16 — Silver Springs, MD @ The Fillmore
4/17 — Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
4/19 — Boston, MA @ Royale
4/21 — New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
4/22 — Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre Of Living Arts (TLA)
4/25 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5