Rich The Kid and Lil Wayne have both been quite active in the hip-hop world over the last couple of years. Rich The Kid dropped his Lucky 7 EP earlier this year after collaborating with Youngboy Never Broke Again for their 2020 joint project, Nobody Safe. Lil Wayne returned with his thirteenth album Funeral last year while also delivering deluxe reissues for the 2020 effort as well as his 2018 album, Tha Carter V. Now, for the rappers’ latest act, they’ll be joining forces for a new joint album titled Trust Fund Babies.
The project was announced on Thursday through Rich The Kid’s social media pages. He also unveiled the album’s cover art which depicts drawings of the two rappers as cartoon babies. The rapper also confirmed that fans would not have to wait too long to press play on it, as it’s set to release on October 1. Young Money’s president Mack Maine, who has been beside Lil Wayne for the majority of the rapper’s career, previously confirmed that Wayne and Rich The Kid were in the studio together working on a project together.
Maine also confirmed that fans can expect more projects from Wayne in the near future. They include I Am Not a Human Being III and Collegrove 2 with 2 Chainz.
You can view the announcement for Trust Fund Babies in the post above.
Trust Fund Babies is out 10/1 via Young Money/Rostrum Records. Pre-order it here.
Drake’s fondness for basketball is no secret, but it might surprise fans to find that The Boy’s latest Nocta Nike collaboration focuses on golf instead of hoops. The new drop, which became available today, features 10 signature pieces inspired by Nike’s broader links collection. Items in it put unique spins on the usual golf attire, such as providing mock neck short-sleeved shirts in place of the usual collared shirts, as well as useful accessories like sunglasses and visor hats.
In a separate post on his own Instagram page, Drake explained the reasoning behind releasing a golf line, dedicating the collection to one of his “idols”: His uncle Steve, who introduced him to the game. “A collection dedicated to one of my idols,” he wrote. “A man who took me under his wing and showed me much of what life had to offer and even more so what your own life can become when you are dedicated and loyal. My grandmother Evelyn Sher has a resting place close to the King Valley Golf Club and our drives and visits to that course hold some of my most valuable life lessons and will forever be cherished.”
The Stephen Sher Nocta Golf collection is available now. A few of the pieces are already sold out, but you can check it out here.
The last few songs we’ve heard from Cardi B have been showstopping collaborations, like when she teamed up with Lizzo to dispel haters on “Rumors,” or when she fired off some sultry lyrics on Normani’s “Wild Side.” Cardi’s last solo song, “Up,” was released back in February as the second single off her upcoming album, and while it’s been a few months since its release, the track is still being played everywhere — including college football games.
During halftime at one of their recent football games, Florida State University’s marching band — the Marching Chiefs — went all-out with a rendition of “Up.” They spread out across the entire field and got into an intricate formation to perform the track. Halfway through the song, the band dropped their instruments and delivered the viral “Up” dance, which blew up on TikTok after the song’s release.
Cardi saw a video of the marching band’s performance and instantly gave it her approval. “Go Florida states!!!!!! ITS UP!” she wrote alongside a gif of dancing Minions.
Watch a clip of the Florida State University band giving “Up” their all above.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Of course, it appears that the “Skat” rapper knew all this when he posted the mysterious tweet after clearing all his Instagram posts — and wanted to use the reaction to drum up attention for when he announced his album. He posted a new tweet today, taunting the Megan Thee Stallion fans who rejoiced at the possibility of his arrest and jailing. “Me at my house watching n***s on Twitter celebrating and thinking I’m going to jail,” he wrote.
Me at my house …. watching niggas on Twitter celebrating and thinking I’m going to jail ……… pic.twitter.com/M8KZW4XHcg
He then announced the title and release date of the new project, Alone At Prom, which will drop on December 1. In the album art, designed to resemble an old Polaroid photograph, Tory leans on a sink wearing polyester pants and a cheesy Jheri curl wig.
Meanwhile, Lanez still faces the possibility of penalties over violating court orders, as well as the original trial for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
Vinyl Me, Please has established themselves as an essential ally to vinyl collectors over the years, as they regularly offer exclusive editions of revered albums, pressed in unique colors and accompanied by delightful extras. There are only three months left in the year, and today, VMP has shared the roadmap for how they’ll be handling their monthly releases for October, November, and December.
October’s albums of the month are Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest (as the month’s Essentials release), Teddy Pendergrass’s Life Is A Song Worth Singing (Classics), Three 6 Mafia’s When The Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (Hip-Hop), and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo (Country). Following that in November will be Usher’s Confessions (Essentials), Freddie King’s My Feeling For The Blues (Classics), Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury (Hip-Hop), and Gram Parsons’s Grievous Angel (Country). Closing the year in December are The Meters’s Rejuvenation (Essentials), Roberta Flack’s Quiet Fire (Classics), RZA’s RZA as Bobby Digital In Stereo (Hip-Hop), and Buck Owens & His Buckaroos’s Carnegie Hall Concert (Country).
All of the releases are bound to be special, and in particular, Usher’s Confessions represents something new for VMP, as Alexandra Berenson, their Head of A&R, notes, “We’re really excited for the opportunity to run a record like this because we haven’t really done a massive R&B crossover hit in our Essentials. It’s a very cohesive album and it has been totally underserved on vinyl. It hasn’t had a reissue since it first came out and we figured, ‘Let’s give this the VMP treatment. Let’s try to make the most definitive version of this record that we can.’”
Learn more about the upcoming Essentials releases here, the upcoming Classics releases here, the upcoming Hip-Hop releases here, and the upcoming Country releases here.
It’s been noted more than a few times over the past several months but pop-punk is back in a big way in 2021. However, there’s a big difference in who’s making it and forms the face of its recent resurgence. Where in its heyday of the early 2000s, Black artists in the space were pretty much limited to Fefe Dobson, the new wave is diverse and proud to wear their influences on their sleeves.
The latest UPROXX Sessions is a member of this growing tribe hailing from Maryland. Breezy Supreme first came on the scene in 2017 with his mixtape The Enigma and has since been growing a grassroots fanbase with his loving homages to the punk/hardcore/metal scenes of decades past. His song “Anarchy? Now That’s Fun” is a straight-up thrash metal jam that’s charmingly shot through with just enough of a hip-hop edge to dodge just being an imitation and bring something new to the homage.
Watch Breezy Supreme perform “Anarchy? Now That’s Fun” above on UPROXX Sessions.
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
“One of the special things about our friendship is, nine times out of ten we are on the same wavelength,” Solange told the New Yorker when asked about working with music video director, Melina Matsoukas. “Her being a black woman being able to tell those stories in such a bold, unique way is really rare.” Black women, like Matsoukas, are outnumbered, often overlooked, and frequently pigeonholed in the music industry. This is particularly true for the world of music video direction and storytelling, where roles available to Black women often reinforce stereotypes and typecast them as video vixens or background characters in stories that don’t reflect their experience.
However, when the person behind the direction, story, or camera of a music video is in fact a Black woman, the ability to tell more nuanced and multifaceted stories, or reach the same “wavelength” of Black artists that Solange described, is more readily available. From Beyoncé’s “Formation” to Drake’s “God’s Plan,” the following five women have proven the necessity of Black direction in Black storytelling. Through their creative direction, skill, and unique perspective, they have not only told the authentic and artistic stories of artists through the music video format but made space for the Black female directors and creatives to come up behind them.
child.
Director and artist child. grew up surrounded by music in Shreveport, Louisiana, thanks to her churchgoing family and mother who child. shares “used to color and listen to gospel music while I was in her womb.” That foundation of art and spirituality never left her, pushing her into a career as a photographer and creative director. Leaning into her upbringing, and bringing dreamlike imagery to her work in videos she’s directed for Big Sean, Janelle Monáe, Nas, and H.E.R., child. draws inspiration from the Black experience, biblical stories, and even artists like Jean Michel Basquiat. Though her work pays homage to her past, child. has her eyes set on the future, sharing, “I plan to impact the art world like nothing they’ve ever seen before. I see myself going beyond the stars.”
Lacey Duke
Growing up in Toronto, Lacey Duke knew she wanted to be a music video director. She conquered her dream step by step, attending film school, then interning at a production company in London, and eventually moving to New York where she worked with smaller artists. But then, hard work crossed paths with opportunity when she met Janelle Monáe after a show. Eventually, Monáe asked her to direct her music video for her track “I Like That,” launching Duke into a career where she’s brought authentic portrayals of Black womanhood onto the small screen. Since then she’s directed award-winning videos for SZA, Bryson Tiller, and H.E.R. Speaking to Complex about her work with Black women, she shared, “I have a responsibility in a sense, and I don’t feel pigeonholed by it at all. I think there’s something beautiful about my subjects just being black women, that’s not some little shit.”
Karena Evans
Known for her cinematic, authentic, and narrative-heavy visuals, music video director Karena Evans got her start at a Toronto-based film school but eventually dropped out after getting frustrated by the curriculum’s slow pace. So, she took matters into her own hands, shooting a cold text to Canadian filmmaker Director X and landing an internship at his production company. That longshot paid off, and now she’s known for directing several of Drake’s music videos, including the altruistic “God’s Plan,” the fun-centric “I’m Upset,” and the star-studded “Nice for What.” Evans also understands what her work means to up-and-coming Black female directors and the importance of making space for those creators. She told Teen Vogue, “I think the first thing to realize is that there are in fact a lot of female directors. There are a lot of women of color who are here and present. The unfortunate part is that we were not always given a place. It took the Melina Matsoukas, the Ava DuVernays, and others who have paved the way for me, and the next generation of young Black female filmmakers, to help us understand that we do have a place, and to also break down those barriers so we can be heard.”
Melina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas’ resume speaks for itself, she’s responsible for creating some of the most critically acclaimed and award-winning music videos of the past decade. She’s brought her blueprint to Rihanna’s MTV Best Music Award-winning video for “We Found Love,” (she was the first female director to receive this honor) Solange’s “Losing You,” and even nabbed a Grammy for her direction of Beyoncé’s “Formation.” She’s also known for highlighting the Black experience through her film work, including her debut Queen & Slim. Matsoukas is credited for executive producing and directing Issa Rae’s successful HBO series Insecure, which notably gives an authentic, positive, and culturally resonate portrayal of Black women. In speaking on her career thus far, Matsoukas told Rolling Stone, “I am who I am because of Black women,” adding, “We’re beginning to redefine our community — and hopefully our version of Hollywood.”
Laurieann Gibson
Laurieann Gibson may be known for her choreographing dance numbers for legends like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé, but her focus on creative direction has also allowed her to become a successful music video director. Her direction credits include Lady Gaga’s “Judas” and “You and I,” and Keri Hilson’s “The Way You Love Me.” Gibson, who has appeared on multiple reality shows providing straight-forward dance direction, is cognizant of how her experience has differed from her white counterparts. She spoke to The Grio, about how her intensity as a Black woman is often seen as intimidating, sharing, “I absolutely have endured the lack of fairness as a young Black woman and as a professional woman. There is a difference. When we react or we are dramatic or intense then we’re intimidating.” She added, ”It is really difficult and I have had to find a way to evolve the conversation. Yes I’m intense because I’m passionate.“
Young Nudy may have already put out his second project of 2021, Rich Shooter, but he apparently remains just as dedicated to promoting the first, Dr. Ev4l. When the album first dropped, the song “Child’s Play,” which features Nudy’s cousin 21 Savage, was tabbed as an early standout. Today, the terrifying twosome releases the video for their collaboration, teaming up to share a taunting visual component to the spooky single.
As always, when these two link up, they bring the best of each other lyrically, as they compare themselves to the doll villain from the film series “Child’s Play” is named after. Throughout a series of eerie, fog-filled night shots, the duo cruises through an abandoned junkyard, the rusting husks of the automobiles looming like tombstones over the moonlight scene.
While Nudy has geared the majority of his videos this year toward the Dr. Ev4l album, including “2Face” and the title track, he hasn’t neglected Rich Shooter. In August, he shared the surreal video for “Green Bean” shortly after the album’s release as he toured both albums at the same time, playing up the competition with a “Dr. Ev4l Vs. Rich Shooter” theme.
Watch Young Nudy’s “Child’s Play” video featuring 21 Savage above.
As long-suffering SZA fans impatiently await her next album, the TDE singer shares the video for her new single “The Anonymous Ones” from the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack. The video sees SZA sitting in her room writing a song before riding a bus to a crowded city park. There, she sets up with a small amplifier and a microphone to sing her new song, despite being mostly ignored by passersby. Appearing discouraged, she relocates to a park bench, where she finds inspiration again in peeking over the shoulder of a young girl drawing in a sketchbook — the same way SZA wrote in her own songbook to start the video.
The Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack, in addition to containing songs from the film adaptation of the popular musical, also has covers of the songs from contemporary singers like SZA, including Sam Smith, Carrie Underwood, Finneas, and Tori Kelly. “The Anonymous Ones” features in the film sung by Amandla Stenberg.
And although SZA hasn’t given any indications of when her follow-up to CTRL might arrive, she has been issuing sneak peeks, including three “random thoughts” released toward the end of August, and appearing as a featured artist on songs from Isaiah Rashad, Summer Walker, and of course, Doja Cat.
Along with death and taxes, one thing that remains invariably true about the universe is that someone, somewhere, is using a phone where they shouldn’t. Despite taking precautions such as locking attendees’ phones in Yondr bags, plenty of video has emerged from the Fugees’ first show on their reunion tour for the 25th anniversary of The Score. The group has reunited for the first time in 15 years for this tour, with their most recent performance together being in 2006 in Hollywood after their touted 2005 reunion tour.
However, the group announced their return for the 25th anniversary of their classic album earlier this week, following through with the kickoff performance at New York’s Pier 17. According to Stereogum, around 3,000 people were in attendance, while Rolling Stone reports the show was 45 minutes long. All of the songs played were from The Score, naturally, and perhaps inevitably, the show reportedly started around three hours late.
Stereogum’s recap details Pras and Wyclef freestyling and Wyclef using the platform to address the US’s current treatment of Haitian refugees. And despite banning phones from the proceedings (recordings of some of the performances will reportedly be used in Global Citizen’s broadcast this Saturday), plenty of fan-made recordings have leaked out. The fact that the group reunited after some of the prior comments they’ve made on the subject is a minor miracle and worth celebrating.
Watch video from the Fugees’ first performance together in 15 years below.
You can see the full tour schedule, which begins in proper on November 2, here.
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