Music

Rihanna Says It’s ‘Hard To Even Accept’ The Fact She’s A Billionaire

by
Getty Image

While fans may be waiting on Rihanna’s ninth studio album, the singer has been hard at work growing her wealth. As a musician, beauty guru, and business mogul, Rihanna’s net worth last year jumped to a whopping $1.7 billion. That’s a number that’s hard to conceptualize, and even Rihanna agrees. The singer recently said when reflecting on her “humble beginnings,” her billionaire status can be “hard to even accept.”

Speaking in a recent interview with the New York Times, Rihanna said it can be difficult to wrap her head around her massive fortune:

“It’s tricky because it’s hard to even accept that’s where you’re at because I know where I’ve come from. At the same time, it feels good to be able to inspire young women and boys, who like me, come from humble beginnings, who come from parents who are immigrants or who are immigrants themselves, to be able to do this.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Rihanna noted that she aims to give back. She wants a lot of her massive fortune to benefit her Clara Lionel Foundation, which is named after her grandparents Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. The foundation not only funds emergency responses to natural disasters caused by climate change, but it also supports education initiatives for marginalized communities. “Every dollar I make, I want to give it back,” she said. “When it comes to people who need help, it hurts when I can’t do as much as I want, so now we’re just putting our foot down and C.L.F. is about to grow in a way that I’m really proud of.”

Read Rihanna’s full interview with the New York Times here.

Tyler The Creator Explains Why He Felt Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Family Ties’ Verse ‘Ruined’ Him

by

Rappers often seem like they are in competition, probably because of the nature of their art form. They have to be brash, cocky, outspoken, and a lot of times, very self-focused, to the point it feels like they are all clamoring for a single spot at “the top” of the rap game. In reality, though, there is no real top or “number-one spot”; they can all collect the same trophies over time and many of them enjoy and respect each others’ crafts. Just watch Drake express his appreciation for J. Cole while refuting the North Carolinian’s self-deprecating third-place claim from “Heaven’s EP.”

In a similar way, Tyler The Creator — who has a legitimate claim on the rap album of the year thanks to Call Me If You Get Lost — praises Kendrick Lamar in his XXL cover story. He especially points to Kendrick’s verse on Baby Keem’s “Family Ties,” saying, “You know why it ruined me? Because it’s someone at that level still gunning. He’s trying new voices. He’s trying new shit. He’s still learning. You can tell he was off his phone for a few months.”

Watch Tyler The Creator’s photoshoot interview with XXL above and read the full cover story here.

The New ‘Harder They Fall’ Trailer Teases A Jay-Z And Kid Cudi Collaboration

by

Jay-Z and Kid Cudi, despite both being very popular rappers in the upper echelon of the genre’s best-known names, would seem to be diametrically opposed at first glance. Jay came up in the gritty ’90s and helped define the glitzy sound of the 2000s before settling into his elder statesman role in the last decade. Kid Cudi, however, was a part of the blog era movement to redefine rap, focusing on mental health rather than “Money, Cash, Hoes.”

But the two make for one awesome dynamic duo in the new trailer for the Netflix Western The Harder They Fall, where a new collaboration between them can be heard as Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, and Regina King shoot at each other with old-timey revolvers. Fittingly, the song features a shootout theme, with Cudi’s chorus echoing the refrain “My guns go bang” and Jay’s verse describes a duel: “Bullets with your names, drew / Cock back, aim, shoot.”

Netflix has appeared to make an effort to reach out to both hip-hop generations in recent years; from the rap contest Rhythm + Flow to a new Kanye West documentary to a comedy special hosted by Saweetie, the streaming company has made sweeping overtures to capture a demographic with plenty of potential for all kinds of enjoyable content.

Watch the Harder They Fall trailer above and stream the film itself on Netflix on 11/3.

Sonos Is Adding An Erykah Badu-Curated Station Called ‘Badubotron Radio’ To Their Radio Offerings

by

Erykah Badu has been a legendary force in the music industry for a few decades now, so it’s no surprise that the ultra-hip speakers brand Sonos wanted to partner with the artist. In a new initiative that includes 20 additional stations and shows, Sonos has announced Badu will have her own artist-curated station called Badubotron Radio. According to a press release, Badubotron will “celebrate her 2021 live tour with tracks to help you unwind and expand your mind — from reggae lulla-vibes to induce relaxation to experimental R&B promoting exploration of the mind, body and soul.”

Further description of the station from the brand references all the psychedelic vibes that a Badu-curated mix is going to include: “Erykah Badu’s Badubotron Radio blasts off as Badu takes you outta this world and into her sonic orbit. A space where music genres are stars and the galaxy is filled with psychedelic funk, retro soul, classic rock, spiritual jazz and experimental hip hop. A trip to Badu’s curated station will take your mind exactly where it needs to go.”

For her part, Badu gave a very typical-of-her answer. “WELL Listeners can expect whatever they please,” she began. “I just want them to feel something. Something new, something good, something unfamiliar, something triggering, something that inspires them to peace… Or war, or whatever they may need. Music makes me feel soooo great. There are billions and trillions of atomic memories in these notes. I curated this station especially for me… WITH you In mind, of course. I’m grateful. Push up the faderrrrrrrrrrrrr.”

Yeah, this is going to be good. The station will be debuting sometime in October. As usual, the Sonos Radio offerings are only available on Sonos speakers. If you’re a massive Badu fan and want to find your way in, check out the options here.

Kanye West Removed Chris Brown From ‘Donda’ On An Updated Version Of The Album

by
Getty Image

Kanye West is (in)famous for making changes to his albums after they have been released, and Donda seemed especially prone to that given that West claimed his label released the project without his approval. Now, West has indeed made alterations to Donda, some of which are significant, including the removal of Chris Brown from the album.

Users in the r/hiphopheads subreddit noted that two versions of Donda appeared on streaming platforms, one being the original version and the other being the altered edition. Now, though, it appears only one version of Donda remains. As for the changes, fans noted that Brown’s vocals on “New Again” were replaced by new ones from West and the Sunday Service Choir. Meanwhile, on “Keep My Spirit Alive,” a new hook from West also replaces the original from KayCyy. Beyond that, there are some more subtle mixing changes throughout the album.

Brown is of course a controversial figure given his various legal and personal issues over the years, but it’s not clear if that was part of why West removed him from the album or if other factors were in play. West has yet to offer a public statement about what compelled him to make these new Donda alterations.

R. Kelly Shares A Statement After Being Found Guilty: ‘I Will Continue To Prove My Innocence’

by
Getty Image

For years now, R. Kelly’s future has hung in the balance as the controversial singer has faced charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Yesterday, he was found guilty of those charges and could end up spending the rest of his life in prison, or at least a significant chunk of time. After the verdict was rendered, Kelly offered a statement.

On his Facebook page, he shared a message for his followers, in which he said he was disappointed by the verdict and proclaimed his innocence: “To all my fans and supporters I love you all and thank you for all the support. Today’s verdict was disappointing and I will continue to prove my innocence and fight for my freedom. #notguilty.”

R. Kelly/Facebook

Meanwhile, Kelly’s attorney, Deveraux Cannick, spoke outside the courthouse after the verdict, saying (via Revolt):

“Of course Mr. Kelly is disappointed. He was not anticipating this verdict because based on the evidence, why should he anticipate this verdict? […] You saw witness after witness giving three, four, five different versions as to what they said happened here. […] You didn’t get to see what we saw in terms of the discovery. You didn’t get to see all the inconsistencies. We said in our summation that the government cherry-picked their version that they thought would support the continuation of the narrative. Why would he expect this verdict given all the inconsistencies that we saw?”

There’s still some time before we know what will become of Kelly, as his sentencing date is set for May 4, 2022.

Lizzo Praised Lil Nas X’s Debut Album ‘Montero’ With A Heartfelt, Celebratory Tweet

by
Getty Image

Lizzo is the kind of artist who is always ready to celebrate others. Maybe that’s just her nature, maybe it’s because she was grinding so long and hard before her own big break, either way, she’s the queen of recognizing when others are having a pivotal moment. And I think we can all agree that, right now, Lil Nas X is having one. After he broke out huge with the “Old Town Road” fiasco, Billy Ray Cyrus remix, record-breaking Billboard performance and more, plenty of people chalked all that extra noise up to one-hit-wonder ephemera. Little did they know he had plenty more internet-breaking to do.

Now, his debut album Montero is finally out, and doing things like landing at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, generating three top-ten hitsgetting eleven tracks onto the chart. Lizzo was one of the first to let the young rapper know how proud she is of his success, sharing her all caps celebration on Twitter:

CONGRATULATIONS TO @LILNASX !!!! #MONTERO IS BEAUTIFUL, HEARTFELT & NECESSARY… 3 TOP 10s AND A #2 DEBUT IS A 🍾BIG DEAL🍾 YOU SHOWED US HOW TO INNOVATE AND BE TRUE TO OURSELVES—I HOPE UR HAVING CHAMPAGNE TODAY— CELEBRATE YOURSELF ❤YOU DESERVE IT IM SO PROUD OF YOU🥲

And Nas was blown away that she took the time to celebrate with him. “oh my god u did not have to congratulate me! thank you so much lizzo i’m tearing up fr 💕💕💕😢,” he responded.

Ok, now it’s time for a collab right? That’s how this works, isn’t it? We’re all more than ready.

Chlöe’s ‘Have Mercy’ Got An Epic Cover By A Historical Black College Marching Band

by
Getty Image

Chlöe has been having a wonderful 2021. Following the success of her collaborative album with her sister, Ungodly Hour, last year, she’s also found her own voice this year and recently released her debut single, “Have Mercy.” The song was hotly anticipated, and her VMA performance of the new track even sparked reactions from rappers like Gunna showing their appreciation for her finesse.

Well, rappers aren’t the only ones who can see themselves in the song’s bombastic braggadocio, and with its unpredictable rhythms it was probably only a matter of time until a swaggering marching band set the tune to orchestral mode and turned up the brass. Enter the Marching Storm from Prairie View A&M University, the marching band for this historical black college. Captured by a Chlöe stan account, who posted a clip of the band’s rendition to Twitter, the song is accompanied by a performance from the school’s dance team that is clearly inspired by Chlöe’s own moves.

Check it out below:

For her part, Chlöe saw the cover and was ecstatic about their version. “GO OFFFFFF” she wrote in all caps while sharing the original tweet to her own followers:

If someone could make a studio version of the orchestra take, though, I’d seriously listen to it quite a bit.

Miguel And Nazanin Mandi Announced Their Separation After 17 Years Together

by

R&B star Miguel and his longtime partner Nazanin Mandi have announced their separation today. In a statement to People the couple said “they wish each other well,” and a statement from a rep to the magazine also said that “after 17 years together, Miguel and Nazanin Mandi have decided to separate and have been for some time now.” Though they were together for over a decade, the pair decided got engaged back in 2016 and were married in 2018 at the the Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley, California. Now, after three years of marriage, they’ve decided to call it quits.

Plenty of couples have experienced turmoil or dissolution during the pandemic, but it’s nice to see that these longterm partners are apparently able to make that call while staying on good terms. As for Miguel, he announced a return in the spring of this year, letting fans know that Art Dealer Chic Vol. 4 was coming in April. The Art Dealer Chic series was one that began early in his career, so along with the new installment he also made the earlier EPs from the series available on streaming for the first time. Other than that it’s been a quiet year for the R&B star, but a divorce is often the catalyst for a new creative era, so we’ll see what the future brings for him.

Jack Harlow Explains Why He Was ‘Totally Jealous’ Of Bryson Tiller

by
Getty Image

Louisville was never known as a hotbed of hip-hop but in recent years, the city’s profile has risen considerably thanks to the success of hometown heroes like Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow, and EST Gee. Harlow especially has had a standout year; riding the wave of his No. 2 hit “What’s Poppin,” he managed to turn that buzz into a No. 5 chart debut for his debut album, Thats What They All Say, and turn himself into a fixture of pop culture thanks to a string of viral moments and his placement on Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby.”

A big part of Harlow’s rise was a boost from Tiller on the song “Thru The Night” from his 2019 mixtape Confetti. However, before that collaboration, Harlow counted himself one of Tiller’s biggest fans, telling Complex in a new interview today that he was actually “totally jealous” of his fellow Louisvillian when Tiller first crossed over in 2015 with “Don’t” and Trapsoul.

“I’d hear Outkast, or I’d hear Drake, or I’d hear Kendrick Lamar talk about where they’re from and rep it,” Jack explains. “And I was like, ‘Who’s going to do that for Louisville?’ Bryson Tiller comes out. I’m in awe. I’m inspired. And I’m totally jealous. And I’m just like, ‘Oh my God, this guy got it.’”

In addition to “Thru The Night,” the two Kentuckians also teamed up with their late fellow local Static Major for “Luv Is Dro” from Jack’s new album. You can read Complex‘s full profile on Harlow here.

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