Music

Jay-Z’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Speech Makes Dame Dash Amenable To Reconciliation

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For years, former Roc-A-Fella Records partners Dame Dash and Jay-Z have been on shaky, uneven footing stemming from the label’s contentious split in 2005 when Jay-Z walked away from the partnership for a position as President of Def Jam. However, it seems that Jay holds less ill will toward his former partners than many of them hold toward him, as he gave a series of shout-outs during his Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction speech, including to third Roc founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke as well as Dame.

“Shout-out to Dame,” he said. “I know we don’t see eye to eye, but I can never erase your accomplishments. And I appreciate you and I thank you for that.”

That proverbial olive branch has apparently prompted Dame to consider reconciliation according to Page Six, which he told, “I’m glad he said it for the culture. We need to squash everything. So hopefully if that was an extended [olive branch], I’ll spin one back.”

However, the feisty mogul did set one condition for a possible reunion. “I have no beef with [him] if [he has] no beef with me,” he elaborated. “Let’s get the lawyers out of it then. Let’s talk like men, but I definitely appreciate it.”

Of course, the lawyers were introduced to the mix earlier this year when Dame reportedly attempted to sell Jay’s debut album Reasonable Doubt — the point of contention in the initial Roc split (although Dame blames other factors) — as an NFT. However, as it turned out, Dame was more interested in off-loading his stake in the now-defunct brand, which Jay tried to buy at a price Dame “deemed unacceptable.” Jay still sued to stop the sale, saying in court records, “Dash can’t sell what he doesn’t own. By attempting such a sale, Dash has converted a corporate asset and has breached his fiduciary duties.

The original trio of founders met over the summer to try and hash out their differences after a judge denied Dame’s request to block the meeting, but as yet, it appears they still haven’t buried their respective hatchets. Jay’s shout-out could be the first step toward getting the brash Harlem hustler back to the negotiating table.

It Sure Looks Like Kanye West — AKA Ye — Has Now Shaved Off His Eyebrows

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Kanye West’s latest string of attention-grabbing stunts continues. Just a week after legally changing his name to “Ye,” the mercurial producer started wearing a playful but deeply unsettling Halloween mask for public appearances, then debuted a strange, seemingly self-styled haircut — but it doesn’t stop there. As photos from Kanye’s latest Sunday Service on October 31 emerged online, fans noticed yet another new change that will certainly raise a few eyebrows. Not Kanye’s eyebrows, though… because it appears he’s shaved them completely off.

It’s as yet unclear why he would do such a thing — other than, y’know, the whole Kanye of it — but fans have already noticed and begun sharing their impressions.

The move certainly appears to have been inspired in part by the controversial guest Kanye brought to the latest edition of Sunday Service, Marilyn Manson. Kanye seems to have developed a soft spot for the disgraced rocker over the past few months. After Manson was accused of sexual assault and several other musicians distanced themselves from him in the wake of his arrest for that assault, Kanye brought him out to the third Donda listening event in Chicago along with DaBaby, who was also under fire for making homophobic comments at Rolling Loud in Miami. Ye even added Manson to the final version of his album, and now, it looks like he’s even starting to take on some of Manson’s styling tips — for better or worse.

Summer Walker’s ‘Still Over It’ Tracklist Features Cardi B, SZA, Pharrell, And More

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The wait for the follow-up to Summer Walker’s breakthrough 2019 debut Over It has been a roller coaster, one that’s now reaching the top of the climb before that final freefall that everyone looks forward to. First, Walker projected confirmation of the album’s November release timeline on the side of a building outside of the BET Awards, giving off heavy Yeezus guerilla marketing vibes. Then came a trailer announcing the November 5th official release date for Still Over It. That was followed by a tracklist teaser with an announcement for her next single, “Ex For A Reason,” featuring JT of City Girls, which dropped three days later.

Considering Over It broke Beyoncé’s record for the largest streaming week ever for an album by a female R&B artist, the build-up here is warranted. And now, today, Walker tweeted out the album cover along with the entire tracklist, and it’s stacked. Aside from “Ex For A Reason,” highlights include the album’s opening track, “Bitter,” with narration Cardi B, “No Love” featuring SZA, “Dat Right There” featuring Pharrell, plus tracks with Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, and more.

Check out the full Still Over It tracklist below.

1. “Bitter (Narration by Cardi B)”
2. “Ex For A Reason” Feat. JT from City Girls
3. “No Love” Feat. SZA
4. “Throw It Away”
5. “Reciprocate”
6. “You Don’t Know Me”
7. “Circus”
8. “Insane”
9. “Constant Bullsh*t”
10. “Switch A N***a Out”
11. “Unloyal” Feat. Ari Lennox
12. “Closure”
13. “Toxic” Feat. Lil Durk
14. “Dat Right There” Feat. Pharrell
15. “Screwin” Feat. Omarion
16. “Broken Promises”
17. “Session 33”
18. “4th Baby Mama (Prelude)”
19. “4th Baby Mama”
20. “Ciara’s Prayer (Narration by Ciara)”

Still Over It is out 11/5 via LVRN/Interscope. Pre-order it here.

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

Taylor Swift And Saweetie Are Set To Perform On ‘Saturday Night Live’ In November

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So far, it’s been a big day in Saturday Night Live musical guest news. This morning, Ed Sheeran revealed that he will be able to perform on the show as planned following his positive COVID test. Now, not only has SNL confirmed the news, but they’ve also revealed their next two musical guests after Sheeran: Taylor Swift and Saweetie.

Swift will guest on the November 13 episode hosted by Jonathan Majors, while Saweetie will perform on the Simu Liu-hosted episode on November 20.

This will be Saweetie’s first time on the program. As for Swift, she’s an SNL veteran. Her first stint as musical guest came in 2009, and her upcoming performance will be her fourth. In her second 2009 episode, Swift had the rare honor of serving most as host and musical guest.

Beyond SNL, both Swift and Saweetie have been thriving lately. Swift is fresh off her first performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, where she was on hand to induct Carole King. As for Saweetie, she recently had her own McDonald’s meal and her Netflix special Sex: Unzipped premiered just a few days ago.

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

‘Verzuz’ Expands To The Gaming World With A ‘Bigs Vs. Lils’ ‘Call Of Duty’ Tournament

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After over a year of dominating the live music and live streaming spaces, the Verzuz brand is expanding to encompass live streaming video games with the next evolution of its competition format, Verzuz Gamez. While the musical hits battles have always been more about celebrating the legacies of those performers who have had a huge impact on hip-hop culture throughout the years, this time, the battle will be a straight-up fight to the finish as the inaugural edition of Verzuz Games will pit a pair of “big” rappers against two “lil” ones in a Call Of Duty: Vanguard tournament.

On Wednesday, November 3 at 6 pm PT, Big Boi and Big Sean will face off against Lil Jon and Lil Tecca for gaming supremacy in a three-hour, multi-round tournament format hosted by T-Pain with a performance by Migos. Aside from having a pretty cool theme, the teams also seem pretty well-balanced, what with pairing the oldest contestant with the youngest (you gotta handicap the zoomer, who was forged in the fires of online multiplayer chaos, by sticking him with the one guy who was around for Pong, otherwise Tecca would definitely run amok and clean up the field). Meanwhile, we’ll have to see if Big Boi and Big Sean can share chemistry as well as a misnomered moniker against one of rap’s first Twitch streaming adopters (Lil Jon — forever ahead of his time).

Tune in tomorrow night at 6 on Instagram, Triller, and Fite network.

Maxo Kream Will Never Buckle Under The ‘Weight Of The World’

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The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

There are only so many people in the world that deal with pressure as Maxo Kream does. Through projects like 2018’s Punken, 2019’s Brandon Banks, and now Weight Of The World, the rapper reveals the causes o these pressures as well as what often pushes him through them. In an interview with Complex’s Andre Gee, he explained how the three albums relate to each other and further his goal of helping fans understand what goes on in his world. “I feel like Brandon Banks coming after Punken allowed my fans to understand Punken more,” he said. “So now, with this one, you’ll understand what’s going on from Brandon Banks, like where I left off.”

Throughout Weight Of The World, Maxo delivers clarity for his previous work, as well as clarity towards his current position and his hopeful future. The album presents a man who must balance the multiple worlds he’s immersed in as a family man, supportive friend, experienced gang member, and rapper, as well as the responsibility that arrives when these worlds collide — intentionally or not. He details the collision of the streets and family through the tragic death of his brother Mmadu, which he details on “Trips,” and his success as a rapper providing a better lifestyle for his family and friends, allowing them to live a life away from danger. His hopeful future is captured on “Mama’s Purse” when he raps, “I was tryna buy her love, but I really made it worse / Put a price tag on her love but can’t afford how much it’s worth.” Behind the tough persona lives a man who yearns to provide greener pastures filled with “greener knots” to his inner circle, even if the cost is more than he ever imagined.

While Brandon Banks covered Maxo’s childhood, growth, and his clashes with both loved ones (his father specifically) and the streets, on Weight Of The World, he’s a well-established man with a family of his own in the making. However, now his conflicts are with those who doubt his legitimacy and commitment to the lifestyle he often raps about. On “They Say,” just three songs into the album, he rhymes, “And they say Maxo a b*tch, they say Maxo a h*e / He got rich and he dipped, don’t come around no more / They say he switched on his clique, yeah, he turned on his bros / And he ain’t pimpin’ a b*tch, he out here trickin’ on h*es.” In response, Maxo sets the record straight with a menacing display of his receipts. “Like we ain’t slang that rock for paper, totin’ scissors,” he quips. “Told you worked n****s ass off so how I owe you n****? / ‘Cross the globe, took you to my shows, done bought poles for n****s.” In Maxo’s eyes, there’s more than enough proof that he’s carried the weight of the world for people, making his doubters’ attempts to rewrite history a sure failure.

To a certain extent, Maxo insists on facing the world’s pressures rather than finding a way to diminish them. It could be because this path, as dangerous and as ruthless as it’s been, has given him everything he wanted in life and more. It’s what allows him to rap this on “Big Persona” with Tyler The Creator: “Eight figure n****, no more section 8 / Moved momma out the hood / We ain’t doin good, b*tch, we doin great.” Even when people in his inner circle beg for him to detach himself from the risks, as his mom and preacher do on “Streets Alone,” Maxo’s only response is to double down.

Maxo Kream is more than deserving of a moment to breathe freely in a world without danger. Unfortunately, it appears that Maxo was born into a world where peril lurks around the corner. For Maxo, acquiescing to these dangers is a lot like running away from your own shadow, and that’s something he will never do. “Never ran from a n****, don’t ask if my legs work,” he says on “11:59.” For more than a half-decade, Maxo Kream has explained the many responsibilities, pains, and traumas that rest on his shoulders; on Weight Of The World, the rapper insists on carrying this weight. The ups and downs of the past years gave him the strength to do so, and hasn’t buckled under this weight before, he certainly won’t now.

Weight Of The World is out now via RCA. Get it here.

Terrace Martin’s New Album ‘Drones’ Will Feature Cordae, Kendrick Lamar, And Ty Dolla Sign

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Although Terrace Martin’s last solo full-length collection came out four years ago (2017’s criminally overlooked Sounds Of Crenshaw Vol. 1 with The Pollyseeds), the Los Angeles producer has nevertheless remained busy throughout the past year, co-producing a number of EPs including They Call Me Disco with Ric Wilson and joining the jazz supergroup Dinner Party with 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington, and Robert Glasper. However, today he announced his solo return with Drones, a new album coming out this Friday, November 5.

Included on the album’s 13 tracks are appearances from a veritable who’s-who of hip-hop luminaries including Cordae, D Smoke, Kendrick Lamar, Smino, Snoop Dogg, Ty Dolla Sign, and YG. Martin’s Dinner Party bandmates Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper are also set to appear, along with a genre-hopping collection of rising stars and well-known hitmakers including Arin Ray, Celeste, Channel Tres, Hit-Boy, James Fauntleroy, Kim Burrell, and Kim Burrell.

In his press release for the new album, Martin teases the eclectic mix of sounds he intends to display throughout: “There are touches of R&B, touches of jazz, touches of hip-hop, touches of classical, Cuban music, West African music, house music,” he says. “You’re going to hear all elements of Black music within this record. It’s not one element I can leave out if I call myself a true Black artist.”

Drones is due 11/5 via Sounds of Crenshaw / BMG. You can pre-order here and check out the lead single, “Leave Us Be,” above.

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

Lil Nas X Says He Regrets The First Big Purchase He Made With His Record Label Money

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Lil Nas X is definitely an example of a self-starter. The musician’s debut smash hit “Old Town Road” was first uploaded to SoundCloud and shared on TikTok before being picked up by a record label. So when Lil Nas X first inked a recording contract, he celebrated by making a big purchase — which he now regrets.

When Lil Nas X first signed a record deal with Columbia, the musician was suddenly confronted with a bunch of money. As most people would do, Lil Nas X decided to buy himself something nice to celebrate, he recalled in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal. For his first post-record contract purchase, Lil Nas X shelled out $2,000 for a a Burberry jacket but then had almost instantaneous buyer’s remorse. He told WSJ he’s never really enjoyed shopping for himself and saw the jacket as a frivolous purchase. “What was the point? To post it on Instagram once?” he said. Later down the line, Lil Nas X ended up buying himself a house with his new funds, which still to this day hasn’t been filled with many furniture items because he’d “rather take his friends or family members out on shopping sprees instead.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, the musician described the one thing that helped him really open up with the lyrics on his album: psychedelic mushrooms. “I was able to open up a lot,” he says about the trip. “I was able to write actual stories about my life and put it into my music. I actually did that for the first time.” Lil Nas X isn’t the only musician who has taken mushrooms to help kickstart the creative process. Kacey Musgraves did the same with her Star-Crossed album, and so did Harry Styles on Fine Line.

Read Lil Nas X’s full interview with The Wall Street Journal here.

Megan Thee Stallion Explains How Queen Latifah Inspired Her As An ‘All-Around Businesswoman’

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In a new interview for Glamour magazine, Megan Thee Stallion reveals one of the influences behind her refined business sense: Queen Latifah, who showed Meg that she could be multiple things in addition to one of rap’s modern-day queens.

“Queen Latifah is amazing,” Meg tells Glamour‘s Zandria Robinson. “She is all around someone I look up to because she took it further than music. She’s an all-around businesswoman who lets me know I can like more than one thing, and I can pursue more than one thing.”

Among the things Meg is currently pursuing is a degree in health administration from Texas Southern after switching from nursing and business. She recently completed all the coursework for her graduation this year and previously showed off her graduation cap on social media.“I’m making A’s now; I’m focused,” she says.

Meg also explains why she’s become such an outspoken advocate for women’s rights — especially Black women — to the point of using her 2020 SNL performance to call to “protect Black women” despite backlash from both fans and politicians. “The bigger I get, the bigger my platform gets, I start realizing that I’m not the only woman that goes through what I go through, and it doesn’t matter what scale it’s on,” she says. “Mine is just public because I’m a public figure. I want to bring things to light so other women don’t feel like they have to continue to be silent.”

You can read the full Glamour cover story here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Saweetie Teases A New Song, ‘Get It Girl,’ In Her Beats By Dre Ad

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Saweetie’s brand continues to grow, adding another new partnership to her ever-expanding compilation of them. Her latest big-money team-up is with Beats By Dre; Saweetie appears in the latest campaign for the noise-canceling Beats Fit Pro headphones arriving this Friday, November 5. In addition, she contributes a new song, “Get It Girl,” which plays over the ad. She struts the streets of LA with the headphones on, tuning out the world with the noise-canceling turned all the way up.

In addition to Beats By Dre, Saweetie’s growing portfolio of brand collaborations includes work with Crocs, with whom she’s partnered on a campaign promoting new Hidden Valley Ranch-themed jibbitz, and McDonald’s, where Saweetie put her viral snack tendencies to work coming up with oddball food combinations and Icy-branded merch. Saweetie also hosts the Netflix comedy special Sex: Unzipped alongside a plethora of horny, sex positive puppets.

Hopefully, Saweetie’s extracurricular activities won’t cause any further delays to her debut album, though. She says it’s finished and teased that something will “unfold during the holidays,” so perhaps we’ll be hearing more new music from Saweetie very soon — no commercial needed.

Watch Saweetie’s Beats By Dre ad above.

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