Music

Drake And The Weeknd Are The Subjects Of A New Class At A Toronto College

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Over the past decade-plus, Drake and The Weeknd have become two of the most prominent musical figures in pop culture, so much so that at least one professor thinks they’re worth spending an entire semester studying. Writer and teacher Dalton Higgins will teach a course titled “RTA 950: Selected Topics In Media — Deconstructing Drake And The Weeknd” at Toronto’s Ryerson University.

In an Instagram post about the course, Higgins explained his motivation behind creating the class, writing:

“There are great courses out there being taught about numerous rock, folk and pop stars like Miley Cyrus, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, so why not The Weeknd and Dizzy. Also, I’ve been kicking around the Hip Hop Ed scene for years and have seen some great courses being taught in the USA about Jay Z (Georgetown University), Outkast (Armstrong State University), Beyonce (there are MANY Bey courses; Arizona State, University of Texas; Rutgers University). Plus the University of Arizona offers a minor in Hip Hop Studies, and Mcnally Smith College in Minnesota offers a hip hop diploma. […] Nevertheless, it’s time to get our Canadian rap & R&B icons recognized & canonized academically or otherwise. And it is CRITICAL for scholars, historians, to examine the Toronto music scene that birthed Drake/Weeknd and helped create the conditions for them to become mega successful.”

As Daily Hive notes, Higgins published an unofficial Drake biography in 2012 and has been teaching hip-hop-related courses at Toronto universities for the past decade.

Billie Eilish Songs Like ‘Happier Than Ever’ And ‘When We Fall Asleep’ Are Now Available On Beat Saber

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One of the biggest stars in the world right now is Billie Eilish. Fresh off her appearance at the Met Gala, there are few people in music as big as Eilish. It’s not a surprise why. She creates great music, has a personality that’s easy to cheer for, and has an extremely interesting backstory.

Among the details of her backstory is she has a really interesting relationship with video games. Eilish grew up playing the puzzle game ilomilo, and even named one of her songs after it. Not only that, her mother Maggie Baird is the voice actress for Samara in the Mass Effect series. Now, Eilish will be forming her own relationship with gaming by having 10 of her songs appear in the VR rhythm game Beat Saber. These songs include:

  • all the good girls go to hell
  • bad guy
  • bellyache
  • bury a friend
  • Happier Than Ever
  • I Didn’t Change My Number
  • NDA
  • Oxytocin
  • Therefore I Am
  • you should see me in a crown
Beat Saber

This is a strong list of songs that all will complement the energetic and sometimes exhausting gameplay of Beat Saber. Anyone who’s played it knows how addictive Beat Saber can be. Spend a few hours jamming out to some great music and before you know it you’ve been at it for two hours and can’t lift up your arms anymore. Adding Eilish’s songs to the game is only going to enhance that feeling of “Just one more song?” that every Beat Saber playthrough has.

Beat Saber is one of the best games on VR right now and a must-get purchase for anyone that owns a headset. Adding Eilish to its already vast discography is another example of that. The pack for her complete list of songs will be available to players at a price of $12.99 while individual songs will cost $1.99. If you’re still not sure we suggest giving “Happier Than Ever” a try first try and seeing how it goes.

Billie Eilish Songs Like ‘Happier Than Ever’ And ‘When We Fall Asleep’ Are Now Available On Beat Saber

by

One of the biggest stars in the world right now is Billie Eilish. Fresh off her appearance at the Met Gala, there are few people in music as big as Eilish. It’s not a surprise why. She creates great music, has a personality that’s easy to cheer for, and has an extremely interesting backstory.

Among the details of her backstory is she has a really interesting relationship with video games. Eilish grew up playing the puzzle game ilomilo, and even named one of her songs after it. Not only that, her mother Maggie Baird is the voice actress for Samara in the Mass Effect series. Now, Eilish will be forming her own relationship with gaming by having 10 of her songs appear in the VR rhythm game Beat Saber. These songs include:

  • all the good girls go to hell
  • bad guy
  • bellyache
  • bury a friend
  • Happier Than Ever
  • I Didn’t Change My Number
  • NDA
  • Oxytocin
  • Therefore I Am
  • you should see me in a crown
Beat Saber

This is a strong list of songs that all will complement the energetic and sometimes exhausting gameplay of Beat Saber. Anyone who’s played it knows how addictive Beat Saber can be. Spend a few hours jamming out to some great music and before you know it you’ve been at it for two hours and can’t lift up your arms anymore. Adding Eilish’s songs to the game is only going to enhance that feeling of “Just one more song?” that every Beat Saber playthrough has.

Beat Saber is one of the best games on VR right now and a must-get purchase for anyone that owns a headset. Adding Eilish to its already vast discography is another example of that. The pack for her complete list of songs will be available to players at a price of $12.99 while individual songs will cost $1.99. If you’re still not sure we suggest giving “Happier Than Ever” a try first try and seeing how it goes.

Electrolemon’s Latest (And Final?) Gravity-Defying ‘September’ Video Stars Earth, Wind & Fire Themselves

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It’s September 21! Happy birthday and congrats to everyone who made it to today — it’s been a rough year, huh? Fortunately for us, comedian Demi Adejuyigbe, better known as Electrolemon, is back with his latest video celebrating the occasion, set as always to the funky tune of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.”

This time around, he goes for absolute broke, weaving in a goofy storyline about the musical Grease, performing a gravity-defying dance on the ceiling with a glittering disco ball, and having a blowout party in the front yard before hopping into a hot rod and soaring off into the sky. And even after all that, he saves the best for last, filling the credits sequence with video shout-outs from the band themselves, who congratulate him on his biggest and final “September” video.

… Wait, WHAT?!?!

Yup, that’s right. This is the last one — as he jokingly alludes to at the beginning of this year’s clip, he’s done this for a long time (to the point of feeling obligated to top himself every year) and he’s probably run of inspiration on this particular gag. We wish him well and thank him for his service, because these things have really brought a lot of hope and love into the world — especially as each one is accompanied by a charity drive for worthwhile causes.

This one is no exception. This time around, Demi is raffling off a painting of the Sept. 21 jersey he displays in the video, with proceeds going to Imagine Waterworks, West Fund, and Sunrise Movement. You can find out more at each respective website or at sept21st.com.

Watch “9/21/21” above.

Electrolemon’s Latest (And Final?) Gravity-Defying ‘September’ Video Stars Earth, Wind & Fire Themselves

by

It’s September 21! Happy birthday and congrats to everyone who made it to today — it’s been a rough year, huh? Fortunately for us, comedian Demi Adejuyigbe, better known as Electrolemon, is back with his latest video celebrating the occasion, set as always to the funky tune of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.”

This time around, he goes for absolute broke, weaving in a goofy storyline about the musical Grease, performing a gravity-defying dance on the ceiling with a glittering disco ball, and having a blowout party in the front yard before hopping into a hot rod and soaring off into the sky. And even after all that, he saves the best for last, filling the credits sequence with video shout-outs from the band themselves, who congratulate him on his biggest and final “September” video.

… Wait, WHAT?!?!

Yup, that’s right. This is the last one — as he jokingly alludes to at the beginning of this year’s clip, he’s done this for a long time (to the point of feeling obligated to top himself every year) and he’s probably run of inspiration on this particular gag. We wish him well and thank him for his service, because these things have really brought a lot of hope and love into the world — especially as each one is accompanied by a charity drive for worthwhile causes.

This one is no exception. This time around, Demi is raffling off a painting of the Sept. 21 jersey he displays in the video, with proceeds going to Imagine Waterworks, West Fund, and Sunrise Movement. You can find out more at each respective website or at sept21st.com.

Watch “9/21/21” above.

Meek Mill And Lil Uzi Vert Make For A Dynamic Duo Performing ‘Blue Notes 2’ On ‘The Tonight Show’

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Even though Lil Uzi Vert spends about half of his performance with Meek Mill on The Tonight Show lying on his back on the floor, this somehow creates more energy when the duo trades their “Blue Notes 2” verses rather than draining it away. Perhaps it’s because of the way Uzi uses his position to build anticipation for his verses, lying in wait (literally) like a big cat ready to spring on its prey before he pops up to spit his aggressive bars.

Whatever it is, it’s something perhaps only Lil Uzi Vert — someone whose weirdness the audience is well versed in by now — could pull off. Meek, meanwhile, is only proverbially laid-back, giving a relaxed, confident performance that nevertheless does not lack intensity. The effect is like a yin-and-yang universal balance that also sort of reflects the height difference between the two Philly MCs. One is a compact bundle of sizzling energy, a five-foot stick of dynamite with a two-inch fuse, while the other is placid with hidden depth like an iceberg with legs.

The dynamic duo appeared on The Tonight Show to help promote Meek’s upcoming album Expensive Pain — which, like his onetime rival Drake, drew mixed reactions for its artsy cover. Perhaps the music, led by singles like “Blue Notes 2” and “Sharing Locations,” will get more fans on his side.

Watch Meek Mill and Lil Uzi Vert perform “Blue Notes 2” above.

Expensive Pain is out 10/1 via Maybach Music/Atlantic. Pre-order it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Tyler The Creator Had A NSFW Message For A Fan Who Filmed Him Driving On The Highway

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Full-time rapper and part-time goofball Tyler The Creator is notorious prankster. He even said his 2019 race for No. 1 with DJ Khaled was “fun” because it was like “watching a man die inside.” But Tyler doesn’t just save his disses for fellow musicians, he also likes to mess around with his fans. That’s why the rapper had a very NSFW message for one fan who started filming him driving on the highway.

The Grammy Award-winner was recently driving through traffic in his vintage 1992 BMW M3 when he was spotted by a fan. Tyler noticed he was being filmed and decided to flip the bird at the camera. When the fan rolled down their window, Tyler pulled out another NSFW gesture for laughs. The whole interaction went down while Tyler was alone in his car, and kept taking his eyes off the road to mess with the fan before speeding off.

Shortly ahead of the short interaction with a fan, Tyler shut down a rumor circulating about his hit 2015 Cherry Bomb album. After dropping his Call Me If You Get Lost LP earlier this year, some fans on the internet began speculating that the rapper wasn’t fond of his 2015 release. A line in the Call Me If You Get Lost track “Massa” called Cherry Bomb “shifty” and the rapper previously referred to 2015 as his “ugly phase.” But Tyler was quick to shut down the rumor, clarifying that even though he was going through an “ugly phase” at the time, it had nothing to do with the music.

The Kid Laroi’s North American Tour Completely Sold Out In Just Four Minutes

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After releasing three albums over the course of a year, Australian breakout rapper The Kid Laroi has now collaborated with today’s top stars like Miley Cyrus, Machine Gun Kelly, and even Ed Sheeran. Most recently, his “Stay” track with Justin Bieber has been dominating the Hot 100 chart, hovering at No. 1 for five weeks totals. Due to his recent success, its no surprise that fans hopped on the opportunity to snag tickets to his recently announced North American tour.

Just four minutes after tickets went live, his End Of The World tour was completely sold out, according to HotNewHipHop. The rapper’s North American leg of his tour kicks off in January 2022 in Arizona and comes to a close in Atlanta in March. Some of the dates had pre-sale tickets go live last week, but they officially went on sale Friday and were all gone in a matter of minutes.

Laroi’s official tour announcement arrived just after he opened the 2021 VMAs with Bieber. Reflecting on the ceremony, Laroi thanked his fans for their continued support. “Just opened the VMA’s,” he wrote on Twitter. “What the f*ck is life. I love you family. Thank you for everything. NONE of this sh*t would be possible without you. I’m forever in debt to you all. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and support the people I love most around me. There’s no way I will ever be able to repay you.”

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Experience A Day In The Life Of Wale As He Tunes Out And Zones In

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A few months ago, Wale revealed that he’s readying a sequel to his beloved 2012 mixtape Folarin, titled Folarin 2. Even more good news is that it appears he’s in the home stretch of working on something that may or may not be that project: In a new “Good Listeners” video (presented by Uproxx and Samsung), Wale takes viewers behind the scenes of his life for a day, which includes a studio session where he’s putting the finishing touches on new material.

The rapper’s day starts with a photoshoot trying out some different looks, including some shots with his headphones (the Galaxy Buds2, specifically). He says with a smile, “They told me I could listen to what I want to listen to for a couple shots, so I’m going to listen to myself.” Additionally, he noted the headphones offered an assist with multi-tasking, making it easier for Wale to take some phone calls and review songs in progress during moments of downtime.

Speaking of fresh music, Wale later wraps his day up by heading to the studio to listen to some mixes of new material. As he notes, this is another scenario in which having headphones around comes in handy, saying, “I learned from somebody a long time ago about… you can do the studio mixes, they always feel good, everything is right, you’re used to the room. But sometimes you got to step off and listen to the mixes on headphones, off a computer, phone, and just see how I feel. That’s a little bit of the overthinking that I do, but it works for me.”

All in all, the clip is an interesting peek behind the curtain of what it’s like being one of the (justifiably self-proclaimed) greatest rappers of all time, so check it out above.

Machine Gun Kelly Has Written A Graphic Novel Called ‘Hotel Diablo’ Based On His Album

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After trying out acting and swapping hip-hop for punk-rock, Machine Gun Kelly is adding another job to his growing resume: Comic book writer. MGK has written a new graphic novel titled after his album Hotel Diablo, which is set for release through Z2 Comics on September 28. His collaborators on the project include artists Amilcar Pinna, Martin Morazzo, Nelson Blake II, Rachel Smartt, Roberta Ingranata, and Victor Ibañez, as well as writers Eliot Rahal and Ryan Candy, with editor Chris Robinson. You can preorder here. It comes in softcover, hardcover, and deluxe editions (a super deluxe edition is sold out) which features an exclusive vinyl reissue of the album for which the comic is named.

An excerpt from the comic, which is an anthology detailing the afterlives of guests at the titular hotel, was published in Rolling Stone today, revealing one of the ghoulish tales within. It follows a new front desk clerk named Lidia Lopez, who discovers something very unusual in one of the guest’s rooms, sparking what looks like a memory but casting doubt on her entire existence.

Z2, which specializes in collaborating with musicians, is also putting out Vince Staples’ Limbo Beach and has previously worked with Czarface, Gorillaz, Flatbush Zombies, and Rico Nasty from the hip-hop world, as well as rock legends like Anthrax, Blondie, Joan Jett, and Sublime.

Hotel Diablo is due 9/28. You can preorder it here.