Teyana Taylor is about to retire from her music career. The singer is making sure she’s going out with a bang with one last show-stopping tour, The Last Rose Petal Farewell Tour, which kicked off this week and comes to a close at the end of November. Along with making sure fans have a special time seeing her perform one last time, she also wanted to ensure their safety. That’s why she stopped her show mid-set to check up on a fan in the crowd who wasn’t looking too hot.
Taylor was performing at LA’s The Novo theater when she paused the show. As seen in videos captured by the audience, Taylor walked over to a fan who was slumped against the crowd barrier. She asked if the fan was okay and instructed security guards to pull them out of the crowd and sit them down. “I’m about to retire, you ain’t finna sue me, baby,” she said into the mic.
Taylor’s comment about a lawsuit might have been referencing what went down over the weekend at Astroworld festival. A crowd-control disaster led to a massive stampede of people, tragically causing eight deaths and several injuries. The event has also led to a number of lawsuits, with several Astroworld concertgoers suing Live Nation and Travis Scott for $1 million in damages.
Watch fan-captured footage of Taylor’s concert above.
There’s a memorable turn in Tyler The Creator’s Call Me When You Get Lost, when the album flips to the nearly ten minute “Sweet / I Thought You Wanted To Dance.” It’s clear how much fun Tyler is having fun on the record and it’s symbolic of the creative peak he’s been riding for the past three years. Brent Fayiaz spits a verse, but there’s this angelic singer stitched through the track giving it the sweetest R&B lean of any moment on the record. It’s Fana Hues (pronounced “fawn-ah”) and hers is the last voice we hear, singing, “So don’t forget about me, I’ll save a dance just for you…”
It’s a lovely moment for the Pasadena native, who’s been building on her own in the meantime, with last year’s excellent project Hues and now with the first taste of what’s to come in the new video for the magnificent “Pieces.” The dimly lit visual establishes her as a benevolent diva of sorts and a flat out magnetic singer. Directed by Phillip Youmans, the clip takes us through a showcase of the bizarre, but nothing lingers more than Hues and her tears of gold at the end.
Signed to indie label Bright Antenna, Hues is a unique emerging force. “Pieces” is a masterful showcase of the wavy R&B that she creates. It’s intriguing music and an approach that she reflected upon in a statement: “I want to capture all the different shades of one idea.”
No offense to any of the various musicians who’ve partnered with fast-food chains for co-branded merchandise, but Megan Thee Stallion’s latest drop with Popeye’s might actually be the coolest one yet. Dubbed the “Animegan” collection, the latest set nods to the Houston Hottie’s love of Japanese cartoons with a tote bag, T-shirt, hoodie, and bandana featuring an illustrated Megan surrounded by flames — a clear reference to one of her favorite characters, Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia, whose powers make him a human flamethrower. Megan has cosplayed as him a number of times in the past.
But the coolest item — at least, to me — is an adorable Megan Thee Stallion plush doll with a cowboy hat and a Hottie chain. I mean, come on, just look at this thing:
Popeyes
The latest drop follows the “Thee Heat” collection, which included a flame emoji emblazoned bikini, a Popeyes three-piece box dog plush toy, and a cropped “Saucy” T-shirt. There’s still no word on bottles of the Hottie Sauce, but it’s Megan Thee Stallion — if nothing else, she gives her fans what they want (see also: her new EP, Something For Thee Hotties, and her booty-baring graduation photos). Fingers are firmly crossed.
Ye’s business portfolio is nearly $1 million lighter after paying to settle a California lawsuit against his clothing company, Yeezy. Last month, the Alameda, Los Angeles, Napa, and Sonoma county district attorneys filed a suit alleging the company had violated a state law holding companies liable for the timely shipping of products purchased online. In California, items bought online must be shipped within 30 days, or customers must be notified of delays and given options like refunds and according to the DAs, the Yeezy brand had failed to do this in numerous cases.
According to Billboard, Yeezy agreed to pay $950,000 to settle the lawsuit, including $800,000 in civil penalties to the district attorneys offices, $50,000 in restitution to a state consumer protection fund, and $100,000 in investigative costs.
Ye himself, meanwhile, has been taking a lot of flak over the past several weeks for a number of other unusual activities. During a recent interview with the Drink Champs podcast, he lashed out at his former G.O.O.D. Music artists Big Sean and John Legend for refusing to support his presidential bid, claimed that he still supports Donald Trump, and received criticism from producers Just Blaze and Hit-Boy over comments he made in the interview and allegedly trying to have Hit-Boy blackballed in the industry. Most recently, though, he encountered Houston hip-hop godfather J Prince, who apparently coerced him into making a statement requesting an end to his feud with Drake.
Travis Scott and Live Nation have been named as defendants in a slew of lawsuits stemming from the tragedy at Astroworld Festival this past weekend but the latest confirmed suit is among the most saddening. The family of Ezra Blount, a nine-year-old who was trampled during Scott’s headlining set on Friday night, filed a negligence lawsuit against the rapper and Live Nation, according to Rolling Stone.
Ezra was reportedly sitting on his father Treston’s shoulders when the crowd surged toward the stage, crushing Treston to the point he passed out and lost track of his son. The family located Ezra at a nearby hospital after the show listed as a John Doe. According to the suit filed by the family, “He is currently in an induced coma on life support and has severe liver, kidney, and brain damage. To his young, growing body, these injuries will have life-long effects, impairing his quality of life and ability to grow and thrive.” The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages.
The lawsuit also cites a report that the concert continued long after city officials declared a “mass casualty event” at the concert, a number that was reported as being around 37 minutes. The Blount family’s lawsuit is just one of 20, with that number projected to continue rising as more victims come forward.
Over this past weekend, when Saweetie tweeted that she wanted to have babies, the internet at large was amused by one response in particular. After Nick Cannon posted a string of emojis in the replies, fans couldn’t help reacting as a result of the television host’s reputation as a “certified baby maker.” With seven children among four different women, it seems like Nick Cannon is shooting all silver bullets at a rate that would put Steph Curry to shame.
Of course, the hilarity of the situation wasn’t lost on Cannon, who turned the trend into one of the subjects of his show, The Nick Cannon Show, in a segment called “What’s Poppin.” “I guess I was all over The Shade Room this weekend,” he said. “Again, I think I’m very much understood. Saweetie tweeted she wanted some babies and I just replied with some emojis. As an expert on babies, anybody who can speak emoji knows what that says.”
Cannon joked that what he really meant was “Take time for making such a big decision.” He then had some fun with the responses, throwing up tweets reading such missives as “Here comes Fertile Myrtle” and “The celibacy clock is ticking.” He made sure to clarify though, that no harm was intended with his comment. “It was all in fun,” he assured the audience. “No disrespect. If she’s ready to have kids, get to it queen. We rockin’ with ya.”
Contrary to some of the chatter online surrounding the release of Netflix’s new movie, The Harder They Fall, multiple hip-hop generations have a strong affinity for the Western. Consider that one of rap’s earliest music videos, Juice Crew’s “The Symphony,” revolves around a Wild West theme. Another, Kool Moe Dee’s “Wild Wild West,” made the connection plain, as did Will Smith’s redux over a decade later on the soundtrack of the film of the same name.
So it’s no surprise that The Harder They Fall — directed by Jeymes Samuel, aka The Bullitts, a musician and music video director for Jay-Z, one of the film’s producers who also appears on the excellent soundtrack — plays more like a long-form music video in the vein of Beyonce’s The Gift than it does genre staples like A Fistfull Of Dollars or The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Although it’s an important film in terms of representation of Black cowboys — who were actually just as prevalent as any other ethnicity — its true strength is as much in its soundtrack and visuals as its off-kilter storyline and mixed-bag performances.
Intriguingly enough, The Harder They Fall is far from the first movie to feature Black cowboys. In fact, it’s not the first one on Netflix this year, nor is it Samuel’s first effort. Those distinctions go to Concrete Cowboy and They Die By Dawn, respectively, although the former was a modern movie rather than a Western and the latter saw limited distribution (although, intriguingly, it also featured a strong emphasis on music, with Erykah Badu playing the same role as Zazie Beets, Stagecoach Mary, and featured another alumnus of The Wire in the late Michael K. Williams, playing Nat Love).
And while there has been much emphasis placed on the true-life inspirations of characters like Mary, Nat, Rufus Buck, Cherokee Bill, and Bass Reeves, the actual story of the films plays out more like the plot of Tombstone, with little of these real-life characters’ actual histories represented here. It’s not quite an affront to fictionalize real peoples’ lives to tell a historical fantasy, but it does feel a bit self-indulgent. The story, such as it is, doesn’t really need to use the names and likenesses of real people, and while it may generate interest in them, so too might have just playing their individual stories straight.
Meanwhile, the story itself is quite thin and feels almost like it was pulled together by committee, culling hot topics from Black Twitter without really putting much effort into making the pieces fit. Particularly, Rufus Buck’s motivations seem like a hazy reference to Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Idris Elba’s performance is almost sublimated by the overall focus on Jonathan Majors’ Nat Love and his quest for revenge against Buck, and the film’s biggest emotional twist comes in way too late, after a set of diversions that add nothing to its forward momentum other than possibly providing a small bit of revenge fantasy. That’s fine, but if it detracts from the emotional story you want to tell, it’s really unnecessary.
But the story and the performances feel almost secondary to the visuals. They’re beside the point. The point appears to be to set right the erasure of Black people from the grandiose history of the American West. To that end, Samuels goes to lengths to portray his characters as intelligent, savvy, and beautiful, shooting them against picturesque tableaus of deserts, forests, and steppes. While things tend to get a little bland whenever the characters come to a town, a sequence featuring Stagecoach Mary’s saloon could almost fit in on MTV in its heyday.
Likewise, the film’s soundtrack peppers in classic and contemporary soul and reggae cuts to highlight the characters’ travels and the action scenes. Dennis Brown’s “Promised Land” blares over a scene of Rufus Buck’s gang riding into town, Seal’s “Ain’t No Better Love” soundtracks part of the climactic shootout, and Barrington Levy belts “Here I Come” and “Better Than Gold” as Samuels’ camera glides over twirling six-shooters, swirling gunsmoke, and galloping horses. It almost feels like the cursory storyline beats are just breaks between the bits that The Bullitts really wanted to get to: The musical set-pieces that nearly do enough to justify the film’s existence on their own.
I’d go so far as saying that they could have just been the movie without needing a story, like The Gift and other, similar films that have become almost de rigeur for a certain class of prestige artist — like Jay-Z, whose “Moonlight” video Samuels directed, likely leading to the mogul’s funding of this endeavor. I’m not the first to notice this; Okayplayer’s Latesha Harris noted as much in her own review. Films like The Harder They Fall are needed, but what’s needed more is to get beyond the need for surface representation and to actually tell stories worth telling. The movie can also be a guidepost as well, pointing out how to make those stories look and sound as pretty as possible.
Summer Walker has been busy with the rollout for her new album Still Over It but now that the project is out and reportedly doing very well, the Atlanta singer has time to address a recent report that accused Love Renaissance (LVRN), her record label and management company, of signing her to a bad deal.
Last week, Rolling Stone published a feature declaring Summer a “star” but remarking that she signed a “brutal” record deal. Citing a copy of the deal the publication had obtained, the feature described Walker as “effectively an indentured servant for a series of albums,” criticizing LVRN and Interscope Records for a deal that was “lopsided.”
(For what it’s worth, the terms that were described in the feature are pretty standard for a brand-new, unknown artist with little following and no negotiation leverage, and have been in the recording industry for a very long time. It’s probably fair to say that record deals, in general, are pretty bad, but it’s also probably unfair to single out LVRN for an industry-wide practice without holding all labels to the same standard).
However, according to Walker, who posted a text response to her Instagram Stories, not only were the terms cited out-of-date but that she’s sticking by LVRN, who she says gives her “full support.”
“I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter online,” she wrote. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted to stay focused on releasing my album. Yow let me clear the air. What that article said is not my current record deal. Over the years my deal has changed many times. I’ve always had my own representation and full support from LVRN. Thank you to my fans for always having my back and for all of the love ya’ll keep showing my new album. Appreciate y’all!!”
As of this week, 19 and counting lawsuits were filed surrounding the Astroworld incident, according to a report from Rolling Stone. One plaintiff is seeking nearly $1 million in damages from the festival and even alleged Drake was partially responsible for helping to “incite the crowd” to an “out of control” level when he took the stage as Scott’s surprise guest. The plaintiff claims they were stationed at the front of the general admission section and were “severely injured” in the “stampede” that happened when Scott took the stage at 9 pm. In a separate lawsuit, another plaintiff claimed they were “trampled, crushed, and lost consciousness” during the crowd surge that night.
Attorney Alex Hilliard is representing several people who are filing lawsuits surrounding the festival, saying he expects to file complaints for over 100 people by the end of this week. “There will be hundreds of plaintiffs by Friday, if not thousands,” Hilliard told Rolling Stone:
“I have one client who gave a stranger CPR for an hour before anybody even got to him. Obviously, by the time medical personnel got there, it was too late. He said, ‘I can heal from a broken arm, but I’ll never heal from this.’ This is such a unique, rare, and unprecedented case. […] We understand at least nine people on site had the ability to shut the concert down and didn’t. This is involuntary corporate manslaughter as far as we’re concerned.”
Following the lawsuits, Drake broke his silence about the tragic event. The rapper said he had been trying to “wrap [his] mind around the “devastating tragedy.” “My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering,” he continued. “I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can.”
We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover, and while the same thought can be applied to album covers, the rule becomes a bit harder to follow in this scenario. An album’s artwork is the first thing that grabs our attention — negatively or positively — before we can press play on it. Oftentimes, the cover art is used to promote a body of work before its official release which then opens the flood gates for fans to judge its appearance and rate how good the album may or may not be.
For better or for worse, there have been a number of memorable album covers in 2021. There’s Drake’s pregnant woman-emoji-laden cover for Certified Lover Boy that was considered a troll until he went out his way to confirm it. Ye kept things simple with a black square for Donda while Lil Nas X’s artwork for Montero finds him nude and suspended in the air. Yung Bleu appears as an astronaut in his Moon Boy cover and Lorde’s own for Solar Power was a bit… cheeky, wouldn’t you say?
With that being said, 2021 also gave us album covers with artists showing off their best looks. It’s always great to receive a quality collection of music that’s wrapped in a well-captured portrait of the artist. Without further ado, here are the ten most stylish album covers of 2021.
Ayra Starr — 19 & Dangerous
Mavin Global Holdings
Afropop singer Ayra Starr dropped off 19 & Dangerous, her sophomore project and second release of the year. The project delivers a tale of growth that arrives as the singer prepares to exit the teenager status for adulthood. For its cover, Starr sits on a blue bag dressed in what appears to be red stain pants and golden elbow-length gloves. She’s also surrounded by deep green walls to complete the truly colorful cover.
CKay — Boyfriend
Warner Music South Africa
Keeping things in the afrobeats world, Ckay delivered another sharp cover art with his Boyfriend EP. He released the project at the top of the year and it’s masked with a purple hue that is complemented by the car Ckay leans on, the night sky and flowers behind him, the scarf and fingernails on the arm of a woman that’s wrapped around him. Altogether, it makes for a sharp cover that captures the Ckay’s sensitive side along with the seven songs that appear on the EP.
Doja Cat — Planet Her
Kemosabe/RCA
There has yet to be a moment too big for Doja Cat to handle. So even when the pressure for her to surpass expectations with her third album Planet Her continued to rise, Doja stepped up to bat and hit a home run. The artwork for the album helped listeners envision the weirdo spectacle that she presented on the project. She lays on what appears to be a glittery body of land which neon shades of glitter covering her body from head to toe. Might I mention that the album is also one of the best releases in 2021? Long story short, Doja came through from top to bottom.
Kirby — Sis. He Wasn’t The One
Kirby
At the beginning of 2020, Memphis singer Kirby arrived with her debut project Sis. Nearly two years later, she returned with its sequel Sis. He Wasn’t The One in what also sports a very underrated cover. Kirby lays beside a man with her light brown hair tied up while wearing a red top that compliments the flowery blanket she lays on and the room she’s in. If you’re looking for a body of work that vents one’s struggles with love while expounding on a man’s failure to be a solid partner, Sis. He Wasn’t The One delivers that with an aesthetically pleasing cover to look at.
Little Simz — Sometimes I Might Be Introverted
Age 101 Music/ AWAL Recordings
Little Simz’sSometimes I Might Be Introverted is truly a beautiful body of work. It’s one of those rare projects where everything from the lyrics, the production, the sequencing, and more fall into the place so exquisitely. Its artwork is another notable point The London rapper sits nervously in a wooden chair while rocking a yellow and black checkered suit as his hair is tied up to a high altitude. The mustard yellow backdrop also pairs well with Little Simz’s look in what comes together as an eye-pleasing cover.
Masego — Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
EQT Recordings/Capitol Records
Masego ended 2020 with Studying Abroad, his first project since his pristine 2018 debut album Lady Lady. Studying Abroad received the deluxe treatment back in May as five more songs were added to the project to accompany highlights like “Mystery Lady” and “Silver Tongue Devil. The deluxe reissue also granted us a new cover that presented the already-stylish Masego in a salmon suit as he posed longing into the camera which captures nature’s beauty behind him.
Serpentwithfeet — Deacon
Secretly Canadian
Serpentwithfeet began the spring season this year with his Deacon project. It’s a release that was filled with music he described as “a lot softer, a lot more gentle than my previous work,” “something that felt very sensuous,” and “something that felt calm and restrained.” This tender approach comes alive on the project’s cover art as it presents Serpentwithfeet in a white button-up top and gold accessories on his fingers, neck, ears, and hair. He also holds another man in his arms who sports a similar white top as they both stand amid a hazy desert.
Symphani Soto — Under The Sun
Bizness Boi Music Group
South Florida’s Symphani Soto earned herself a nice career boost with her June project Under The Sun. Its 11 tracks make for a body of work ideal for an afternoon drive or warm evening at the beach. Soto appears relaxed and free throughout the project and if you need a visual for that, it’s available on the project’s cover art. The singer stands tall and free in a detailed and intricate bright orange dress as the slightly cloudy sky behind her helps to enhance her features and make her stand out.
Umi — Introspection Reimagined
Umi/Keep Cool/RCA
Umi breathed new life into her 2020 album Introspection and re-released it with a new dose of vibrancy and lucidity through eight songs. It also comes with a beautiful cover that sees Umi in an elaborate white gown. Captured from an aerial view, Umi stares closely into a mirror with her arms almost stretched fully apart over a rich red backdrop.
VanJess — Homegrown
Keep Cool/RCA
Nearly three years after their career-solidifying debut album Silk Canvas, VanJess returned with their Homegrown EP. Music aside, the project was presented with a flawless cover that captured the beauty of Ivana and Jess. Seated at a gold table and on golden chairs, VanJess stuns with clothing that ranges from cheetah print, bright red, shimmery gold, and lavish accessories. Oh, and the music on the project and its eventual deluxe edition are great too!
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
: @valeriewango) pic.twitter.com/wayrfZXr8d
