Music

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.

R. Kelly Was Unable To Produce One Of His Own Witnesses On The First Day Of His Defense

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The R. Kelly trial moved into its defense stage yesterday, with Rolling Stone remarking that Kelly’s defense seemed to be well behind the eight-ball, failing to produce one of its witnesses, who it claimed was out of town. This was after the defense also apparently scrapped a list of witnesses at the last minute. The two witnesses who remained maintained R. Kelly’s innocence of the crimes against him — kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a child, racketeering, and more — and tried to characterize the singer as chivalrous.

However, on cross-examination, the prosecution worked to establish their unreliability as witnesses. The first, Dhanai Ramnanan, apparently couldn’t remember specific details of his dealings with R. Kelly and the prosecution pressed him to identify himself in photos of the singer with women on his tour bus. He was unable to, which allowed the prosecution to present an argument that there was no way for Ramnanan to know what Kelly was doing when he wasn’t around. Ramnanan was also colored by his need to remain on Kelly’s good side.

The second witness, Larry Hood, was the singer’s bodyguard and a former Chicago police officer; however, the prosecution brought up Hood’s prior conviction for felony forgery. While Hood maintained he did not know that he was spending counterfeit $100 bills in 2007, he still pled guilty. Likewise, while he claimed he didn’t know about Kelly’s marriage to a then-underage Aaliyah, the prosecution implied that this could also be a falsehood or a gross oversight by Hood.

Meanwhile, it doesn’t seem that R. Kelly’s chivalrousness precludes any of the testimony against him.

The trial is set to continue Tuesday and Wednesday. Rolling Stone notes that the defense still had not furnished a list of witnesses.

Fugees Are Going On A Reunion Tour To Celebrate 25 Years Of ‘The Score’

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Fugees were only active for a few years, but their star burned brightly during that brief window thanks to their massively influential 1996 album The Score. That release celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, so Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel are marking the occasion by reuniting for a brief set of reunion tour dates.

The first of them is this week, on September 22 at a yet-to-be-announced venue. After that, they’ll pick things back up in November and December for a handful of shows in the US, as well as dates in Nigeria and Ghana.

Hill says, “The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention. I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”

Jean also says, “As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.”

Check out the full list of dates below.

09/22 — New York, NY @ TBA
11/02 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
11/07 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
11/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
11/18 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
11/21 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena
11/26 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
11/28 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
12/04 — Paris, France @ La Defense Arena
12/06 — London, UK @ The O2 Arena
Date TBA — Nigeria @ TBA
12/18 — Ghana @ TBA

Corey Taylor Refutes Machine Gun Kelly’s Explanation Of Why A Slipknot Collaboration Didn’t Work Out

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In recent days, Machine Gun Kelly and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor have found themselves embroiled in some beef. The pair traded words, with Taylor dissing Kelly on a podcast and Kelly returning fire on stage at Riot Fest, while Slipknot was performing on a different stage at the fest at the same time. Then Kelly gave his version of the reason why he and Taylor have beef, with Kelly claiming, “corey did a verse for a song on tickets to my downfall album, it was f*cking terrible, so i didn’t use it. he got mad about it, and talked sh*t to a magazine about the same album he was almost on.”

However, Taylor refutes that story and says things went differently, producing screenshots of emails to bolster his case.

On Twitter last night, Taylor explained, “I don’t like people airing private sh*t like a child. So this is all I’ll say: I didn’t do the track because I don’t like when people try to ‘write’ for me. I said NO to THEM. So without further ado…. #receipts. This is all I’m going to say about it.”

The “receipts” in questions are screenshots of two emails: One from Kelly collaborator Travis Barker to Taylor, then Taylor’s response. Barker passed along notes on the song from Kelly, who proposed some changes to the song they were collaborating on. The song, by the way, is “Can’t Look Back,” which was released (without contributions from Taylor) on deluxe versions of Tickets To My Downfall.

Then, in Taylor’s response, he politely noted that he didn’t think he was the right collaborator for the song, writing, “Do I listened to the ideas and to be honest, I don’t think I’m the right guy for the track. Nothing persona, I just think if this is what MGK is looking for, someone else is the guy to do it. It’s ALL good, and I’m stoked for him- I hope you guys find the right fit for it. Hope you understand and I wish you guys the best with it. If I can help in any way, let me know.”

Check out Taylor’s tweet below.

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

Kali Uchis Teased A New Remix Of Her 2020 Single ‘Fue Mejor’ Featuring SZA

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Kali Uchis has been breaking out in a big way over the last few years, and her 2020 album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ continues to rack up streams and attention this year. Uchis was recently tapped as one of the artists to open for Tyler, The Creator on his 2022 tour, and the two rather infamously collaborated together before on “After The Storm” off her 2018 album Isolation. Now, she seems to have another big collaboration in the works, teasing a remix of one of her Sin Miedo tracks with a guest verse from none other than TDE’s First Lady, SZA.

Since her 2017 critically-acclaimed breakout album Ctrl, fans have been eagerly awaiting an update from SZA, and anticipation for her new album combined with the fact that she doesn’t often do collaborations is stoking anticipation for this feature. In a newly shared video to her Instagram feed Uchis teased the new version of “Fue Mejor,” which already features PartyNextDoor, and it sounds like SZA is singing in Spanish for her appearance as well. Since she’s teasing the new version clearly the song is done and ready to be released, so listen above and look for it coming out very soon, maybe even this week? And if we could get that new album, anytime, SZA….

Nelly Will Be Honored With The ‘I Am Hip-Hop’ Award At The 2021 BET Awards

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Nelly has been a reigning force in the hip-hop and pop arenas for decades now. Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. first signed to Universal Records in 1999, and kicked off his solo career with 2000’s unstoppable classic Country Grammar, quickly becoming a household name and scoring multiple hits like “Ride Wit Me” and the title track. Then, his 2002 album Nellyville was arguably even more commercial with the massive “Hot In Herre” (which still gets played at clubs) and the ubiquitous “Air Force Ones.”

All this to say, for the last twenty years Nelly has been a dominant presence in the music industry, so the BET’s decision to honor him this year with the “I Am Hip-Hop” award is right on the money. In full circle fashion, Nelly delivered the award to LL Cool J ten years ago, and is now in a position to receive it himself. Pas honorees include Grandmaster Flash in 2006, Scarface in 2015, Lil Wayne in 2018, and Master P in 2020.

“I am honored to receive this award and humbled to be in such great company of past artists who have received this award,” Nelly said in a press release. “I have been blessed to work with some incredible people in my career, making 22 years go by in the blink of an eye. This award isn’t just about Nelly; it is about my fans, BET, and the people that continue to support me and allow me to do what I love to do.”

The BET Awards will air on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, at 9 PM on BET. Tune in then to see Nelly accept his award.

Machine Gun Kelly Explains The Real Reason Slipknot Has Beef With Him

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Machine Gun Kelly (Colson Baker) isn’t afraid to pick a fight, as his past beef with Eminem has made abundantly clear. But he’s also never shied away from setting the record straight when necessary. At this weekend’s Riot Fest, the pop-punk/rap star was roasting Slipknot during his set, taking aim at Corey Taylor and co. after the metal band’s frontman took shots at him on a recent podcast.

The full rundown: Taylor says on Cutter’s Rockast that he hates MGK: “I’m the worst old fogey dude shaking his cane ever. I hate everything. I hate all new rock for the most part. I [hate] the artists who failed in one genre and decided to go rock — and I think he knows who he is. But that’s another story.

At Riot Fest, MGK mocks Slipknot: “Hey, you wanna know what I’m really happy that I’m not doing? Being 50 years old and wearing a f*cking weird mask on a f*cking stage.”

But after numerous media outlets picked up his stage trash talk today, Baker wanted to let the public know what was really going on. So now MGK has finally spilled the tea, the real reason Corey was even mouthing off about him in the first place. “corey did a verse for a song on tickets to my downfall album, it was f*cking terrible, so i didn’t use it,” he wrote on Twitter. “he got mad about it, and talked shit to a magazine about the same album he was almost on. yalls stories are all off.
just admit he’s bitter.”

The plot thickens… and I highly doubt this will be the end of it. Stay tuned.

Kanye West Buys A Boxy Beachfront Malibu Mansion For Nearly $60 Million

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Kanye West’s most recent real-estate-related antics might have daunted any agent looking to make a sale, given his penchant for pyrotechnics. But the incendiary producer won’t be burning down his latest purchase, a boxy beachfront mansion in Malibu — especially with the price tag he just paid: $60 million. The home, which Kanye just bought according to TMZ, was designed by a noted Japanese architect, Tadao Ando, and was on the market for $75 million. Kanye ultimately got a break on the price, finally paying “just” $57.3 million.

He likely got such a break because the house had been listed since May of 2020 because it was only attractive “to a very specific buyer.” At just 4,000 square feet and constructed of mostly concrete and reinforced steel, it’s easy to see why. However, it also has four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms with a patio that leads straight down to the beach, so there’s some charm — which Mr. West intuited. He also likely took into account its relative proximity to Kim Kardashian’s home in Hidden Hills, where his soon-to-be ex-wife and kids live. Kanye is also reportedly a big fan of the designer — much like how his album materials for prior albums like Graduation were inspired by Takashi Murakami.

You can see photos of the mansion in the Instagram below.

A UK Soccer Team Started Their Own Label, Wolves Records, And Tapped British Producer S-X To Help

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Wolves Records

Over in the UK, football — aka soccer — is a driving cultural force. And soccer and music really aren’t that far apart in the end — just ask Ed Sheeran. So maybe it’s not that surprising that a football club (read: soccer team) is going to start their own record label. Officially titled Wolves Records, after the club’s full name Wolverhampton Wanderers, the label will work in tandem with Warner Music Group’s ADA label services to distribute their releases. The label has also tapped S-X, aka Sam Andrew Gumbley, a British songwriter and producer to help them search for the first artists they’ll sign.

“I am very excited to be involved and support Wolves Records from the beginning and am looking forward to helping identify the best local talent and working with the label’s first artists. Wolves and the city of Wolverhampton are both very close to my heart, and I am deeply passionate about giving talented young people from this area the best opportunities, and the rich musical talent that the West Midlands has to offer. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing how Wolves Records can impact the music industry and support new artists, and I’m also very proud that it is my club that is going to be the first in the UK to venture into music in such an authentic and exciting way.”

Learn more at the label’s new website right here.