Music

Here’s A Teaser Clip Of Nicki Minaj Entering ‘The Real Housewives Of Potomac’ Reunion

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As previously announced back in July, Nicki Minaj will be taking the place of regular host Andy Cohen for one of the biggest housewives reunions this year. The Real Housewives Of Potomac need a stabilizing force like the Sagittarius energy Minaj brings to the table (yes, obviously I’m bringing up astrology and Housewives in the same post, sue me) and that’s exactly what they’re going to get. Though we don’t yet know what all is going to go down in what are often very dramatic rehashes of the season, it’s now clear that Minaj will be part of it.

In a dramatic teaser clip, all the ladies react to Minaj walking into the set:

The longer trailer shows that Andy will definitely be involved as a host and moderator for some of the reunion, which stretches to a whopping four parts (!) but ends with the clip of Nicki walking in, that’s excerpted above. Check out the full trailer here:

This will be a more positive moment for Minaj, who has been embroiled in a not-so-great moment for her collaboration with Jesy Nelson, “Boyz.” The former Little Mix member has been accused of “blackfishing” in the clip, and though Nicki has defended her, most of the internet agrees that Nelson’s portrayal was offensive.

We’ll see if Nicki can steer the topic away from herself and her own drama while she moderates this reunion.

The Fugees Reunion Tour For The 25th Anniversary Of ‘The Score’ Has Been Postponed To Early 2022

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After previously kicking off their 25th anniversary tour, The Fugees have now opted to postpone the reunion until early 2022. The reasoning, they said in an Instagram post, is to reach as many fans as possible. “Dates for our upcoming Fugees 25th Anniversary Tour are moving to early 2022 to ensure the best chance that all cities on the tour are fully open so we can perform for as many fans as possible,” said a post on the band’s Instagram page. “With so much excitement around the reunion tour, we are also happy to announce that we will be adding more cities and dates! Full details coming soon along with some SPECIAL announcements!”

It’s quite a common situation at this point in time, where artists excitedly booked tours in the beginning of 2021, assuming that vaccines would put an end to the ongoing spread of Covid-19. But due to the many, many Americans who still refuse to wear masks to help stop the spread, and also those who adamantly oppose vaccinating themselves against a deadly disease that’s killed hundreds of thousands of people, the pandemic has continued well into this fall. It’s unclear how 2022 might be better for these planned tours, but that seems to be the hope for artists who are extending dates.

Jay-Z Was An Impatient Witness During His Testimony For An Ongoing Lawsuit With Parlux Fragrances

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Parlux Fragrances and Jay-Z are embroiled in an ongoing legal battle. Jay-Z testified today in Manhattan Supreme Court as part of a suit filed against him by the perfume company, who claim he didn’t hold up his end up the bargain when it came to promoting the Gold Jay-Z cologne line. According to a report by Rolling Stone Jay-Z was adamant that he had fulfilled his obligations properly, stating: “You have me on trial from something I didn’t do.”

The opposition’s counsel pointed to a specific part of his contract that required “promotional tie-ins” and asked if the rapper had made any appearances for the Gold Jay-Z launch. “I did a lot for the Gold Jay-Z launch,” Jay-Z said. “I had a year to complete these [obligations], correct? I don’t know if you answered my question,” Jay-Z said. “I had a year to complete these right?” After more tense exchanges in which the lawyer tried to prove Jay-Z hadn’t read the contract he signed with the company, and therefore didn’t know what his obligations were, more of Jay’s personal feelings about the company came to light from some email exchanges where he wrote that they “suck.”

“I wanted great products and these guys didn’t understand,” he said. “It was so frustrating working with them.” According to the suit, which Parlux first filed in 2016, Jay-Z earned $2 million in royalties for the perfume, but they lost $18 million on the launch. They stated that Jay was supposed to make several appearances in support of the launch but never came through. After the suit was filed, Jay and his team countersued, alleging that they gave him with “inadequate accounting reports and promotional resources,” and still owe him $27 million in royalties.

A jury will decide the verdict for the trial, but proceedings are still underway.

Saweetie Shows Off Her Catwoman Halloween Costume With Help From Halle Berry

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By now, Saweetie’s commitment to elaborate Halloween costumes should be near-legendary. Last year, she completely reproduced Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious” single cover with herself as each of the three members. The same year, her and Quavo’s matching costumes saw them become Beast and Mystique from the X-Men, building on their comic book character theme from the year before when they went out as Harley Quinn and the Joker.

This year, Saweetie keeps the superhero streak going, dressing up as Halle Berry’s version of Catwoman from the oft-ridiculed 2004 film. But, being Saweetie, she couldn’t just shoot and post photos of the costume. Instead, she went all-in with a complete sketch video featuring none other than Halle Berry herself. The video opens with Saweetie strutting her stuff on a rooftop reciting a line of dialogue from the movie when Halle Berry bursts out from the stairwell to wonder, “What’s going on here?” The two regard each other for a bit, with dramatic music building and an intense staredown ensuing when Halle takes a page from Saweetie’s book, declaring, “I know that’s right!”

Saweetie isn’t the only star getting into the spooky spirit. Megan Thee Stallion also impressed fans with her own cosplay shots on Instagram after dressing up as a sexy Pinhead from the Hellraiser horror franchise. You can catch Saweetie on Netflix this weekend, hosting Sex: Unzipped, a comedy special about, well, sex featuring… puppets? I guess if you’re not into all the horror of Halloween, there are worse ways to spend a Saturday night.

Alicia Keys Dances With Swizz Beatz In The Loving ‘Best Of Me’ Video

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In the video for “Best Of Me,” Alicia Keys’ new single and loving ode to her husband Swizz Beatz, the singer spends time cuddling, dancing, and posing with Swizz, as clips from various home movies featuring their whole family appear throughout. The single is the first from Alicia’s upcoming double album Keys, which will play on the two sides of the singer’s career — the laid-back, piano-driven Originals side, which will be produced by Alicia herself, and the hip-hop-friendly, upbeat Unlocked side produced by Mike Will Made-It.

In that spirit, two versions of “Best Of Me” hit Alicia’s YouTube. While the video uses the stripped-down “side A” version produced by Keys herself, the “unlocked” version adds extra instrumentation, including drums and synth. Keys’ excitement for the new project is palpable in her social media posts leading up to its release, saying the track gives her chills. The project will around just over a year removed from the singer’s last full-length album, Alicia, which contained features from Jill Scott, Khalid⁣, Miguel, Sampha, Snoh Aalegra, and Tierra Whack. Keys is due on December 10 via RCA Records. You can pre-save it here. Check out the cover below.

Watch the “Best Of Me” video above and listen to the alternate “unlocked” version below.

Megan Thee Stallion Was Highly Amused By A Line In Yung Miami’s Song ‘Rap Freaks’

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Yung Miami’s new song “Rap Freaks” has become the hot topic on the internet’s water cooler, Twitter, thanks to its salacious subject matter and Miami’s raunchy rhymes. Taking a similar tack to previous rabble-rousers like Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj, Miami’s new song sees her sharing her industry crushes, which include Diddy, Moneybagg Yo, and even Megan Thee Stallion. The latter was as tickled as anyone upon hearing the track, and a clip of Megan responding to it on an Instagram Live stream has gone viral for her over-the-top reaction to the song’s final line.

At the end of the one-verse song, Miami delivers a snarky come-on to rumored paramour Puff Daddy with a slick call back to Diddy’s viral tale of his rough upbringing. “Diddy, let me put it in your face like them roaches,” she taunts. “And put your rich ass to sleep, buenas noches.” Her bilingual bedroom flex sent Meg into peals of hysterical laughter as the Houston rapper tried to wrap her head around the use of Spanish. “Why would she say that?” Meg cracked up. “This bitch Miami rhymed ‘roaches’ with ‘buenas noches.’”

Obviously, she’s more amused at her friend’s wordplay than anything. The two have shared a number of viral moments over the past year, including Meg and City Girls getting into it with Asian Doll over a verse on Megan’s debut album that got swapped out last minute and Miami telling Megan about the duo’s early days in Miami and the struggle to stay relevant while rhyme partner JT was locked up for credit card fraud.

You can watch the raunchy “Rap Freaks” video above.

Cardi B Faces Her Fears In A New Halloween Episode Of ‘Cardi Tries’

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Cardi B is pumping out new episodes of her Cardi Tries web series, and today’s installment sees Cardi facing her fears (just in time for Halloween). Well, it’s one fear specifically that she confronts: heights.

Cardi explained her fear of heights, saying, “I’m scared to fall and tumble and break my leg, or break my teeth, or I get hit. I don’t like to get hit. I don’t like to get bruised up anymore. I just don’t like it. Even sometimes when I be trying to climb the pole, I’ll be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m too high.’ That’s crazy because I wasn’t like that before. I feel like getting money makes you sensitive.”

To confront those fears, Cardi faced a series of challenges, administered by Denzel Dion, host of the We Said What We Said podcast. For one, Cardi, along with Dion’s co-host Rickey Thompson, put on a VR headset and rode up a virtual elevator until she found herself high up in a building. The elevator opened up to just a plank hanging over a city, which she walked while freaking out all the while. Things then got a little more real when she and Thompson hopped in a construction vehicle and were lifted 30 feet in the air, a situation that she handled without issue.

For the finale, Cardi and Thompson got in a box and were lifted high in the air by a crane. During the ascent, Thompson was not thriving, so when they got up to 80 feet (20 feet short of their 100-foot target), he insisted that the pair be lowered.

Watch the new Cardi Tries episode here.

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

Tidal And Seven NBA DJs Teamed Up To Make Playlists In Celebration Of The New Season

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The 2021-22 NBA season is underway, and the folks over at Tidal teamed up with a collection of NBA DJs to celebrate the music played in arenas. The DJs come from teams across the league, with their playlists spanning decades and oftentimes paying tribute to some of the artists who played a major role in shaping the sound of their various cities.

The seven DJs provide in-arena tunes for the Philadelphia 76ers (DJ Ghost), Milwaukee Bucks (DJ Shawna), Los Angeles Clippers (DJ Dense), Miami Heat (DJ Irie), Los Angeles Lakers (DJ Roueche), Brooklyn Nets (DJay Jung), and Golden State Warriors (Derrick “D Sharp” Robinson). You can check out all of the playlist by clicking the links, but here is a collection of what you’ll find.

DJ Dense: Los Angeles Clippers

“Expensive Pain” by Meek Mill
“Blue Notes 2” by Meek Mill feat. Lil Uzi Vert
“Headlock by Lil Wayne feat. Rich The kid
“Rollin Papers” by Dom Kennedy
“Poke it Out” by Wale feat. Cool & Dre and J. Cole
“Ye” by Burna Boy
“Essence” by Wizkid feat. Tems
“Want it All” by Burna Boy feat. Polo G
“Moon” by Kanye West
“Way 2 Sexy” by Drake feat. Future and Young Thug
“Believe What I Say” by Kanye West
“EVERY CHANCE I GET” by DJ Khaled feat. Lil Baby and Lil Durk
“Gaspar Yanga” by D Smoke feat. Snoop Dogg
“California Love” by 2Pac feat. Roger Troutman and Dr. Dre

DJ Roueche: Los Angeles Lakers

“Big Tings” by The Suicide Doors feat. Jacoby X
“DNA” by Kendrick Lamar
“24” by IDK
“Welcome To The Party” by Pop Smoke
“Drop It” by Tujamo feat. Lukas Vane
“Breakin’ a Sweat (Zedd Remix)” by Skrillex feat. The Doors and Robby Krieger
“Let’s Go” by Calvin Harris feat. Ne-Yo
“2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted (feat. Snoop Doggy Dog)” by 2Pac
“Still D.R.E.” by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
“Twist My Fingaz” by YG
“Grinding All My Life” by Nipsey Hussle
“Higher” by The Game
“Roses (Imanbek Remix)” by SAINt JHN
“Turbulence” by Steve Aoki feat. Laidback Luke and Lil Jon
“Bounce Generation” by TJR feat. Vinai
“Nonstop” by Drake
“Whoopty” by CJ
“family ties” by Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Big League” by O.T. Genasis
“In My Zone” by The Suicide Doors feat. Chancer Smith
“Baila Conmigo” by Dayvi feat. Victor Cárden and Kelly Ruiz
“Soul Sacrifice” by Dombresky
“A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” by Fergie feat. Q-Tip and GoonRock
“Song 2” by Blur
“I Love L.A.” by Randy Newman

DJay Jung: Brooklyn Nets

“family ties” by Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Way 2 Sexy” by Drake feat. Future and Young Thug
“Knife Talk” by Drake feat. 21 Savage and Project Pat
“Sharing Locations” by Meek Mill feat. Lil Durk and Lil Baby
“The Scorpion” by Conway The Machine
“KD” by Conway The Machine
“No Time For Sleep” by Bobby Shmurda
“Big Drip” by Fivio Foreign
“What It Feels Like” by Nipsey Hussle feat. JAY-Z
“Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G.
“Gimme the Loot” by The Notorious B.I.G.
“U Don’t Know” by JAY-Z
“Brooklyn’s Finest” by JAY-Z
“Show Me What You Got” by JAY-Z
“Welcome 2 Brooklyn” by M.O.P. feat. Maino
“Jump” by Rupee
“La Mama de la Mama” by El Alfa feat. El Cherry Scom
“In Da Getto” by J Balvin feat. Skrillex
“Set It Off” by Big Daddy Kane
“What’s Up Suckaz” by TJR

Mick Jenkins Drops His Long-Awaited Comeback Album, ‘Elephant In The Room’

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Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins returns with his new album, Elephant In The Room — the first full-length project he’s released since 2018’s Pieces Of A Man. While he did release an EP titled The Circus last year, Elephant In The Room is the first chance Mick fans have had to hear him detail his life’s changes since 2018 and he doesn’t disappoint; from the very first bar of the album, he tells us exactly how it’s been and how it’s going to be.

“Give a f*ck if yo’ pockets low, we been living lowkey,” he rhymes on “The Valley Of The Shadow of Death.” “Wonder how we was popping bottles, this far below deep.” It’s clear that some things haven’t changed: Mick’s emotive, vulnerable songwriting remains as compelling as ever, while his stark observations and razor-sharp wit still cut to the bone of any number of real-life topics, from “Things You Could Die For If Doing While Black” to feeling underappreciated on “Scottie Pippen.”

Mick rolled out the album with an engaging, revealing website that detailed his thoughts on crafting the album and on the songwriting philosophy behind additions such as “Contacts.” You can find the website here and use the password “Carefree” to access Mick’s calendar, contacts, notes, reminders, and photos. Listen to the full album below.

Reason Releases His ‘No More, No Less: Demo 1’ EP Featuring Benny The Butcher, Isaiah Rashad, And Wale

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Carson, California-bred TDE rapper Reason has returned with a new EP, No More, No Less: Demo 1, which features appearances from Adé, Benny the Butcher, Doe Boy, Reason’s TDE label-mate Isaiah Rashad, and Wale. Reason calls the EP “a small collection of thoughts and moments that I’ve been asked for repeatedly” and explained that he released it because it was “something I wanted to give to y’all in the meantime” while he’s finishing a proper follow-up to his 2020 album, New Beginnings.

The three-song effort opens with “Left Hand” featuring Benny, Isaiah, and Wale, a block thumper that finds the three rappers trading verses over a variety of different beats. That’s followed by the hypnotic “Not For Me,” which reunites Adé and Wale and includes Benny, then the set concludes with the woozy, downtempo “12am In ATL,” which features Benny, Isaiah, and Doe Boy. Clocking in at nine minutes and 53 seconds in total, No More, No Less showcases Reason’s impressive wordplay by setting it alongside some of the most prolific and clever rappers in the game today.

The EP also helps set up Reason as part of the vanguard of the post-Kendrick TDE roster the label will have to get behind after a “weird time” for TDE in 2020. Along with Isaiah, Ray Vaughn, and Doechii, Reason is carrying the torch for the West Coast rap label as it evolves in the wake of Kendrick Lamar’s departure.

Listen to the EP below.