Music

Dolly Parton Recreated Her ‘Playboy’ Cover For #HotGirlSummer And Megan Thee Stallion Approves

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Dolly Parton is basically a superhero at this point. Last year, she donated millions to help create one of the Covid-19 vaccines, made clear her support for Black Lives Matter, and even recently launched an ice cream flavor with the beloved Jeni’s.

Today, she decided it was time to remind the world that even at her age, she’s still got what it takes to rock a Playboy cover. Recreating her iconic, vintage cover for her husband Carl’s birthday, Dolly strutted her stuff in a tiny black teddy. She joked about how her body has outlasted the publication’s ability to release a print cover. “Remember sometime back I said I was going to pose on Playboy magazine when I was 75?” Dolly asked in the social media clip. “Well, I’m 75, and they don’t have a magazine anymore. But, my husband always loved the original cover of Playboy, so I was trying to think of something to do to make him happy. He still thinks I’m a hot chick after fifty-seven years, and I’m not going to try to talk him out of that.” Clearly, this married couple is doing something right.

Don’t worry, she’s already gotten a co-sign from the patron saint of #HotGirlSummer herself:

And since Megan just graced the cover of Sports Illustrated herself this week, she knows what she’s talking about. So no, there’s nothing Dolly can’t do.

Lupe Fiasco Tries His Hand At Kali Uchis’ ‘Telepatia’ In A New Remix

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It’s been a little while since Lupe Fiasco delivered a full-length project to his fans. His last album came back in 2018 with Drogas Wave and while three years isn’t an unusual amount of time to wait for a new project, supports of the rapper would certainly love a new effort from him. Until that time comes, they’ll have to enjoy his sporadic drops like his latest release.

Lupe takes on Kali Uchis’ “Telepatia” in a new remix. The track is a highlight effort from the singer’s sophomore album, Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios), and on the remix, Lupe lays a couple of verses over the track’s colorful and breezy production. The song is not the first remix that Lupe has dropped in remix months. At the end of last year, he shared a triumphant freestyle titled “Mobb Deep,” which saw him rapping over Beanie Siegel’s 2001 song, “Nothing Like It.” He premiered the new track during a room on the audio-based social media app, Clubhouse.

Prior to the freestyle over “Nothing Like It,” Lupe dropped his double-sided Tape Tape EP with producer Soundtrakk. Before that, he dropped his “BBQ Chicken Freestyle” and his House EP with Florida producer Kaelin Ellis.

Outside of music, Lupe launched the first season of The Lupe & Royce Show, his joint podcast with fellow rapper Royce Da 5’9.” The duo announced the show last fall and described it as “half conversation between friends, half interview show, and 100% weird.”

You can hear the remix in the video above.

Kanye West Confirms The Release Date For ‘Donda’ After Teasing A New Song In A Beats By Dre Commerical

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Kanye West originally announced that his tenth album, Donda, would arrive last summer. But it never arrived. While some hoped the delay would be brief, nearly a year has gone by. At long last, we now know when the album will drop, and people won’t have to wait too long.

According to a press release from Kanye’s label, Def Jam Records, Donda is confirmed to arrive this Friday, July 23. The project will premiere at a sold-out listening event at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which will also be livestreamed on Apple Music.

The news comes after Kanye teased a song from the album through a new Beats By Dre commercial. The ad features track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson while “No Child Left Behind,” which will presumably appear on Donda, plays in the background. The track appeared as one of nine songs that Kanye had listed on a whiteboard during a studio session with Tyler The Creator.

Donda is set to feature appearances from many artists, including Baby Keem. The reported cover art also surfaced and it depicts an abstract painting of what appears to be a woman painted in red over a grey background.

You can watch the ad in the video above.

Sha’Carri Richardson Starred In A New Beats Ad Featuring A Song From Kanye West’s Upcoming Album ‘DONDA’

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Earlier this month, Sha’Carri Richardson tested positive for marijuana and was issued a one-month suspension, disqualifying her from participating in the Olympics in Tokyo. Richardson did have possible alternate routes to the United States Olympic Team, but every door closed and Richardson, who many viewed as a favorite to win gold in the 100-meter dash, sparked a great deal of conversation that included high-profile support.

With that as the backdrop, Richardson was back at the forefront of the discourse on Tuesday when she was featured in a new Beats spot scored and edited by Kanye West in anticipation of his new album, DONDA, during Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals.

Richardson was seen wearing Beats Studio Buds and she ran 100 meters with the backdrop of West’s “No Child Left Behind.” West’s album, set to debut on Friday, July 23, is also highly anticipated, and the combination of the two made for quite a launch.

As for Richardson, it will be interesting to see how she is discussed as the Olympics begin later this week, particularly through the lens of mainstream coverage of the track and field events. It certainly doesn’t seem as if she will be fading into the background, though, and a prominent placement in the midst of an NBA Finals telecast is a reminder of that.

Nas Disses Tupac On An Leaked Record That’s Just Over 25 Years Old

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More than two decades ago, Nas and Tupac were entwined in a short-lived hip-hop beef. It began in 1996, when Nas released his second album, It Was Written. It featured “The Message,” a track on which Tupac believed he was dissed. Tupac later released “Against All Odds,” with his own shots at Nas. But before they patched things up, Tupac was tragically killed in a shooting.

However, nearly 25 years after their beef came to an end, an unreleased record by Nas was leaked, and it features him taking strong shots at the late rapper. His attacks arrive halfway through the song’s first verse. “From tube-socks in Timbs to blue rocks and Benz / Who got the ends, the type of n***a 2Pac pretends,” Nas raps. “To all n****s who shine, guess who got revenge / I won’t showboat, my flow choke you.” This marks the first time fans hear Nas directly, unambiguously diss Tupac on a record.

Last summer, Nas spoke about the moment Tupac confronted him about the alleged (though not confirmed) diss on “The Message” during an interview on Ebro In The Morning. “He explained that he thought I was dissing him on the song ‘The Message,’ and I heard he was dissing me at clubs,” the rapper revealed. “He was like ‘Yo Nas, we brothers, man. We not supposed to go through this.’ And I’m like, that’s what I’m saying.” He added, “We had a plan to squash it in Vegas. So I was out there when he was in the hospital, praying for him to come through. Rest in peace.”

You can listen to the leaked record in the video above.

Juice WRLD’s Music Serves As The Inspiration Behind An Upcoming Animated Film

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It’s been over a year and a half since Juice WRLD passed away as the result of a drug-induced seizure at Chicago Midway International Airport. Since then, faithful listeners will have another way to enjoy his work.

According to Deadline, an animated film that uses Juice WRLD’s music as inspiration is currently in the works. The movie is produced by Modern Magic, a media company created by Adam Rosenberg and Rodney Rothman. Its script will be written by Jaboukie Young-White, who currently serves as a correspondent on The Daily Show. John Janick, Steve Berman, and Tony Seyler (who appears on behalf of Interscope Records) are listed as executive producers, as are Carmela Wallace, Peter Jideonwo, and Lil Bibby, each of whom are a member of the rapper’s estate.

The news comes after Juice WRLD’s label, Interscope Records, revealed that three posthumous projects from the late rapper are on the way. The first will be a new EP, The Party Never Ends, which the label promised is “coming soon.” Jideonwo also revealed the project will feature Lil Uzi Vert and “a few other big people.”

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

Travis Scott Will Gift A Lucky Fans With Cacti Merch Through A New Partnership With Uber Eats

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Last winter, Travis Scott announced a new line of spiked seltzer drinks called Cacti. The beverages, which come in lime, pineapple, and strawberry flavors, hit stores this spring. So far, they’ve been a hit, and now he’s looking to bring more exposure to it through a new partnership with Uber Eats.

According to Complex, Scott teamed up with the food delivery service to give lucky fans a shot at winning exclusive Cacti merchandise. Between July 21-25, consumers can score a chance at getting the merch — namely, an army green t-shirt that sports the Cacti logo, as well as a handwritten note from Scott himself — by purchasing the seltzer on the Uber Eats app. Consumers will then be able to enter a contest to win the shirt.

Unfortunately, this deal is not available to everyone. Only residents of Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, Orlando, and Tampa are eligible for the giveaway.

The partnership comes after Travis launched his cannabis line, Cactus Farms, together with marijuana cultivator Connected Cannabis. According to NME, the “Indica-leaning strain” features a “dense, purple bud that releases a pungent, funky-sweet gas aroma rounded out by a unique berry twist.”

This also comes after Scott hid tickets for his upcoming festival Astroworld in variety packs of his cacti seltzer. A total of 200 tickets were made available via the giveaway.

Watch Trippie Redd And Lil Uzi Vert Take Over An Arcade In The ‘Holy Smokes’ Video

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Trippie Redd is getting back in album gear, and today he’s dropped a video for “Holy Smokes,” the second new song off his forthcoming record, Trip At Knight (get it?). On the track, he’s teaming up with Lil Uzi Vert, who has been in hot water lately due to a violent altercation with his ex-girlfriend, who later accused him of abuse and stalking. The rappers are focused on other issues during this clip, though, namely getting their racks up, though the lyrics admit stacking cash isn’t everything — “but I still can’t buy love,” they croon.

“Holy Smokes” follows up the first Trip At Knight single, “Miss The Rage,” which featured Playboi Carti. With two massive features on his first two singles, looks like Redd will be hitting up plenty of guests to appear on this new project. Redd also recentl guested on Uproxx’s own sessions showcase, performing “V12” off his 2020 Pegasus album. Considering Trippie just released that project a few months ago, it’s impressive and ambitious that he’s already readying another new project. But that’s the cadence that has become the norm for this new generation of hip-hop stars. Check out the “Holy Smokes” video above and look for more info on Trip At Knight coming soon.

Idles Tap Slowthai To Lend A Verse On Their Raucous ‘Model Village’

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Idles shared their latest LP Ultra Mono back in September, which included the track “Model Village.” They’ve now linked up with their friend and fellow UK musician Slowthai to feature on a new version of the song, which they debuted on a special episode of vocalist Joe Talbot’s Balley TV series.

Talbot’s Balley TV first began as a quarantine entertainment show. The latest episode aired a month before Ultra Mono‘s release but this week, Talbot and his band took over House Of Vans in London to record an hour-long episode with musicians Katy J Pearson, Deep Tan, and Nuha Ruby Ra. They were also joined by Slowthai for a raucous performance of their new “Model Village” track, which injects even more energy into the already lively tune.

Sitting down for an interview with Talbot after their “Model Village” rendition, Slowthai talked about his overarching goals with his music. The rapper said he just hopes to inspire others to be themselves and share their own viewpoints with the world:

“I think the aim of life is that you’re born, you learn, you pass on your knowledge. It’s about sharing, discovering, communicating, and coming together. So my thing is being able to take what I learned and give my opinions and people can either steer me in the right direction or I can change their viewpoint. I think with music, it’s always to spark a discussion. People are people at the end of the day so they’re influenced how they’re influenced. But I think it’s a responsibility to just share my viewpoint and mainly bring some kind of joy, even though a lot of my music is miserable, and help people who are from a less fortunate place or haven’t had the opportunity to see that they can do what they want and be who they want to be. They haven’t got to follow no rules or guidelines on the way the world expects them to be. Be yourself, don’t give a f*ck, and do it with a smile on your face.”

Listen to Idles and Slowthai’s “Model Village” single and watch their performance on Balley TV above. Pre-order a 7-inch vinyl copy of the song here.