Music

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.

YG Leads A Lowrider Caravan In His Sunny ‘Sign Language’ Video

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YG is back with a new G-Funk banger to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather in California. “Sign Language” is exactly what its title suggests: A gangbanging anthem encouraging listeners to talk with their hands, whether throwing up their sets or throwing punches at foes. With a drop-top-worthy beat from Realmind and Terrace Martin, YG leads a caravan of lowriders through the streets of LA, shows off some tricky footwork in a parking lot, and posts up at Angels Gate Park in San Pedro to soak up some sun at the picturesque basketball court.

“Sign Language” is YG’s first solo single of the year, but far from his only output so far in 2021. He’s actually had quite the prolific 2021, releasing a pair of projects including Gang Affiliated, a compilation showcase for his 4Hunnid label’s new signees Day Sulan and D3Szn; and Kommunity Service, YG’s joint mixtape with Sacramento rapper Mozzy which featured a string of breakout singles including “Perfect Timing” with Blxst, “Vibe With You” featuring Ty Dolla Sign, and “Dangerous” with Chicago rapper G Herbo. YG also appeared on OhGeesy’s solo single “Big Bad Wolf” and is booked to perform at Snoop Dogg’s Once Upon A Time In LA Festival. Could all this activity mean a follow-up to My Life 4Hunnid is coming soon?

Watch the “Sign Language” video above.

Big Sean Is No Longer On GOOD Music

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For nearly the entire time the world at large has known Big Sean, the Detroit rapper has released his music under Kanye West’s GOOD Music imprint as one of Kanye’s earliest and arguably most important signees. However, over the years, the GOOD Music roster has seen its fair share of changes as some of its mainstays moved on, leaving Sean as one of the last original members of the GOOD Music family still on the label. That is, until this Friday, when he and Hit-Boy released their joint EP, What You Expect — which they apparently did under Sean’s own label imprint distributed by Def Jam, according to Sean.

“By the way this the first project where I’m on my own label as well,” he shared via Twitter. “No more lil dawg sh*t!!!! I bossed up!”

Sean explained the change when fans questioned why he was no longer on GOOD Music. “That’s a forever brotherhood, but business-wise, I had to start getting a bigger cut!” he elaborated. “I worked my way out that deal.”

Sean had previously reflected on the “brotherhood” of GOOD Music and how it changed over the years. “I don’t know what happened,” he tweeted. “Guess those the GOOD ol days. It’s all love, but we use to really be clique’d up.”

Since then, though, various members have moved onto other endeavors — including the label’s founder, Kanye, who now goes by just “Ye” and has been busy launching his own new imprint, Yeezy Sound.

Lil Uzi Vert Laments Lost Love On The Deceptively Upbeat ‘Demon High’

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Lil Uzi Vert’s been promoting his new project The Pink Tape for the past few weeks, first promising to release it by Halloween then delaying it to make sure “it won’t suck.” Today, he gave fans the first taste of how the tape will sound, sharing the deceptively upbeat single “Demon High.” Employing a Pro Logic-produced, ’80s New Wave-inspired beat, Uzi dances his cares away as he laments a lost love, expressing his distrust for women. A more traditional rap verse on the song’s bridge finds Uzi coming out of his funk to do a little boasting before lapsing back into his insecurities.

Ever since dropping his double album Eternal Atake in 2020, Uzi’s been more active than ever, both musically and socially. Throughout the year, he’s popped up songs from Internet Money (“His & Hers“), the late Juice WRLD (“Lucid Dreams (Remix)“), Trippie Redd (“Holy Smokes“), Isaiah Rashad (“From The Garden“), and Meek Mill (“Blue Notes 2“). Meanwhile, Uzi’s social calendar has been pretty full as well; in addition to being booked at this weekend’s Rolling Loud, he also went to a friend’s wedding, gifting the happy couple with stacks of cash.

Listen to “Demon High” above.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.