Music

Adele Confirms Tyler The Creator And Skepta Will Make Unconventional Appearances On Her New Album

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Yesterday marked the publication of a new Adele profile in British Vogue. The feature notes that while Adele worked on the album with folks like Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, and Ludwig Göransson, there are no featured performers on the album. Adele said, “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s not calculated. It’s just never been right for some reason.”

However, it looks like there will still be some notable non-Adele voices on the album. A separate Adele profile was also published in the US edition of Vogue yesterday, and in it, Adele notes that Tyler The Creator and Skepta will be making appearances on the album, but not as featured artists.

The piece describes listening to a new track, of which Adele says, “The next song is the one I wrote when I went to the studio the day after Angelo [Adele’s son] said, ‘I can’t see you.’” It goes on to note that the song incorporates voice notes from Tyler and Skepta. Adele explained, “I thought it might be a nice touch, seeing as everyone’s been at my door for the last ten years, as a fan, to be like, ‘Would you like to come in?’”

The Skepta appearance is noteworthy also because it was rumored around this time last year that he and Adele were dating. Shortly after those rumors surfaced, though, Adele seemingly addressed them by referring to herself as a “(single) cat lady.”

As for the style of the song, the feature describes it, “A certain combination of elements — sexy ’70s groove, heavy strings, heavier lyrics — immediately calls to mind Marvin Gaye.” It continues, “What’s Going On was a ‘very big reference’ on the album, turns out.”

Check out the full Vogue feature here.

James Blake And SZA Weigh Both Sides Of ‘Coming Back’ To A Past Love

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Two years removed from his fourth album Assure Form, which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album, James Blake is back in action with his fifth full-length release, Friends That Break Your Heart. The 12-track album is highlighted by a soothing appearance from SZA on “Coming Back.” The song showcases the aftermath of a lover’s attempt to depart from a past relationship. Regret and humility fill Blake’s voice as he comes to the realization that what he was running away from is actually what he needs. Despite this, SZA plays the woman in question as she uses her verse to reveal the concern she has with a second try at love.

Blake’s new album also features appearances from JID, Swavay, and Monica Martin, in what lands as a more solo effort in comparison to Assure Form. during an interview with British GQ last month, Blake explained the title of his fifth album. “It’s a Ronseal title,” he said, adding, “It feels relevant to the moment — if I may say so myself — because a lot of us had to contend with friendships where we weren’t getting what we needed out of them. Maybe we were moving on or people were moving on without us.”

You can listen to Blake and SZA’s collaboration in the video above.

Friends That Break Your Heart is out now via Republic. Get it here.

Nicki Minaj And Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson Are Nosy Neighbors In Their Riotous Video For ‘Boyz’

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This year has brought new beginnings for a number of artists and that includes former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson. She originally joined the band when they were formed on The X-Factor in 2011, and after nine years with them, Nelson decided a solo career was best for her future. She officially kicks off a new chapter in her career with her latest single, “Boyz” alongside Nicki Minaj. The track is carried by a sample of Black Rob, Mark Curry, and Diddy’s “Bad Boy For Life,” and just like the trio did on the 2001 track, Nelson and Minaj show unwavering support for the bad boys around them.

The new song is also supported by a visual that presents Nelson and Minaj as quite the nuisance in a new neighborhood they just moved into. Between loud music and obnoxious golf swings from their roof, the duo is an undeniable disturbance in the area. Their antics become such a problem that Diddy, who appears in the video as a bothered neighbor, is forced to stop by Nelson’s house to lay down the law on noise and who can and can’t throw parties on Fridays.

The track comes after Minaj made her first public appearance in over two years at Lil Baby’s tour stop in Los Angeles. “Boyz” also continues a streak of guest features from Minaj that includes BIA’s “Whole Lotta Money” remix and Polo G’s “For The Love Of New York.”

You can press play on the video for “Boyz” above.

Jay-Z Delivered A Clever Response When He Was Asked If Could Ride A Horse

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On Wednesday night, Jay-Z took a trip to London for the premiere of The Harder We Fall. The film, which premieres on Netflix on November 3, is produced by the rapper himself and directed by Jeymes Samuel for a tale that captures the rivalry between Black cowboys. It’s this plot that prompted a rather unique question for Jay-Z during his red carpet appearance at the London premiere. “You need to be able to make sure that you can actually do what you’re asking the actors to do,” a reporter said before asking, “So Shawn, can you ride a horse?”

Jay cracked a smile at the question and replied, “I can ride a Porsche,” referencing the German-bred car model before adding, “It got horsepower.” In the rapper’s defense, the reporter’s question technically didn’t specify which type of horse Jay could ride.

Ahead of its premiere on Netlflix, Jay-Z also spoke about his excitement towards the official release of The Harder We Fall. “I’m super excited for Jeymes [Samuel], who’s actually from London,” he said about the upcoming film. “Just the idea of him releasing his major debut, because he’s done film work and he’s done music. But for him to be releasing in London, a place where he’s from, it has to be a dream for him. So I’m super proud of my brother.”

In addition to producing the film, Jay also has an upcoming collaboration with Kid Cudi titled “My Guns Go Bang” that will appear on the soundtrack for the movie.

You can watch the moment between Jay-Z and the reporter above.

Nardo Wick Invities G Herbo, 21 Savage, And Lil Durk For A Remix Of ‘Who Want Smoke??’

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Straight out of Jacksonville, Florida, Nardo Wick has certainly earned his breakout moment in 2021. The rapper’s brash and confrontational winter 2021 single “Who Wants Smoke?” delivered a brighter spotlight to the young spitter, and since then, he’s done nothing but work to improve his stock in the game. That hustle has proved beneficial and he now returns with a remix of the track with G Herbo, 21 Savage, and Lil Durk. It’s an effort Wick has been teasing for quite a while, and now, fans of the respective rappers can rejoice and dive into new verses from them thanks to the new song.

If Wick’s name looks familiar to you, it could be because of his appearance on the soundtrack for Judas And The Black Messiah. The rapper contributed “I Declare War” to the project in a move that surely helped to boost his popularity to hip-hop fans all over the world.

As for the rappers that joined him on the remix, the new version of “Who Want Smoke?” comes after G Herbo stood beside BIA for her “Besito” single. He also delivered a boastful video for “Stand The Rain (Mad Max).” 21 Savage recently stood beside Young Nudy for their “Child’s Play” video while Lil Durk was spotted in videos for FaZe Kaysan’s “Made A Way” and Rod Wave’s “Already Won.”

You can press play on the track in the video above.

Tyla Yaweh And Morray Fight For The Freedom Of A Loved One In Their Video For ‘Hands Up’

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Two of today’s newer hip-hop acts have come together as an unlikely combination for quite the fiery track. Tyla Yaweh and Morray connected for their new single, “Hands Up,” and it’s an effort that sees them take a stance against a high-power that being the police force. The duo’s track is accompanied by a visual that finds them pushing back against the cops after a loved one is taken away from them. Their fight spills into the streets where Yaweh and Morray, thanks to help from some of their friends, bring their resistance to a new level as their friend tries effortlessly to break free from the grasp of the police.

Both Tyla Yaweh and Morray have a single project to their names. Yaweh’s lone effort arrived back in 2019 with Heart Full Of Rage, a body of work that delivered ten songs and guest appearances from French Montana and Pnb Rock. As for Morray, his debut arrived earlier this year with Street Sermons, a 12-track project highlighted by his breakout single “Quicksand.”

As for what’s next, Yaweh is currently preparing his sophomore album, Rager Boy, for release. The project is supported by singles that include “Stuntin On You” and “Tommy Lee.” Morray, on the other hand, just released his “Bad Situations” single and is currently on tour with 21 Savage in support of J. Cole’s The Off-Season Tour.

You can press play on the video for “Hands Up” above.

Joyner Lucas Doesn’t Want To Be ‘Late To The Party’ With Ty Dolla Sign On Their Spirited Collaboration

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After dropping off his Evolution project to the world last year, Joyner Lucas seems ready to deliver a new body of work to the world this year and his recent releases hint that he has something special on the way. For his latest offering to the world, Lucas calls on Ty Dolla Sign for “Late To The Party.” The track is the duo’s first record together and on it, both artists express their desire to be on time and prepared for life’s biggest and most fruitful moments.

The track adds to a growing list of collaborations that Lucas has delivered to fans in 2021. Earlier this year, he connected with Lil Baby on “Ramen & OJ” and shortly after he called on Lil Tjay for “Dreams Unfold.” The follow-up to that saw Lucas receive a huge guest feature as J. Cole joined him for “Your Heart.” Elsewhere in the year for Lucas, he dropped off a music video for “Legend” with Rick Ross and a visual for “Zim Zimma” with Mark Wahlberg, Diddy, and George Lopez.

Another notable moment from Lucas in 2021 came when he accused marketing strategist Karen Civil of stealing $60,000 from him nearly a decade ago. He made the accusations through a series of tweets before he took to Clubhouse to not only double down on his claims, but confront Civil as well.

You can press play on the new song in the video above.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Don Toliver And Travis Scott Deliver A Focused Reunion With ‘Flocky Flocky’

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Don Toliver has been able to maintain a consistent level of popularity since his breakout moment in 2018. It came through a guest verse of Travis Scott’s “Can’t Say” from his Astroworld album. Two years later, the Houston native returned in 2020 with his sophomore album Heaven Or Hell, which boosted his stock and proved that he was very capable of making a strong and cohesive body of work. Toliver looks to showcase that once again with his newly-released third album Life Of A Don.

The 16-track effort is spotlight by Toliver and Travis Scott’s reunion on “Flocky Flocky.” The track is carried by woozy synths and a head-bobbing bass that fits right in the pocket the rappers thrive in. It’s the duo’s first track together since “Euphoria” from Toliver’s Heaven Or Hell project. As for the rest of Life Of A Don, the project features the previously released singles “What You Need” and “Drugs N Hella Melodies” along with guest appearances from Kali Uchis, Baby Keem, HVN, and Sofaygo.

Prior to the album’s release, Toliver connected with Skrillex and Justin Bieber for “Don’t Go” and Scott confirmed that he and Kylie Jenner are expecting a second child together

You can listen to “Flocky Flocky” in the video above.

Life Of A Don is out now via Cactus Jack/WeRunIt Entertainment/Atlantic Records. Get it here.

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

Michael Jackson’s Son Prince Doesn’t Believe Drake, Or Anyone At That, Will Be As Big As His Dad

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Drake’s sixth album Certified Lover Boy was filled with many notable moments. Between the suspected shots at Kanye West on “7am On Bridle Path,” Nicki Minaj’s surprise appearance on “Papi’s Home,” and the unexpected reunion between the Toronto rapper and Kid Cudi on “IMY2,” listeners were in for a bit of a ride on the album. Another moment came on “You Only Live Twice” with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, a track that Drake used to compare himself to an undeniable music legend.

“Not sure if you know but I’m actually Michael Jackson,” Drake raps on the song. “The man I see in the mirror is actually goin’ platinum.” It’s not the first time that the rapper has claimed he’s just as big or bigger than a celebrated music act. On “Going Bad” with Meek Mill, he cooly raps, “I got more slaps than The Beatles.” With that being said, Michael Jackson’s son Prince Jackson was asked whether or not he agrees with Drake’s bold claim on “You Only Live Twice,” and the short answer is: no.

“I mean everybody has their own definition of great, and all respect to Drake everything that he does,” Prince said in response to the question from TooFab. “But what my father and my family accomplished, in the time that they did it, is very unlikely never to be matched again.”

While Drake aims to be undeniably bigger than Michael Jackson one day, it hasn’t diminished the rapper’s respect for the singer. Drake’s last album, 2018’s Scorpion, featured posthumous vocals from the singer on “Don’t Matter To Me.”

You can watch Prince Jackson’s response in the video above.