Music

Lil Nas X Falls For A Football Teammate Living A Secret Life In His ‘That’s What I Want’ Video

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Lil Nas X has been quite busy in the weeks leading up to his highly-anticipated debut album, Montero. The singer is in the midst of a fake pregnancy complete with a baby registry and contractions. He also performed “Industry Baby” at the 2021 MTV VMAs with Jack Harlow and teamed up with Elton John to trade iconic looks for an Uber Eats campaign. It’s all a part of Lil Nas’ mantra to have fun through it all in the music world and it continues with the release of his debut album Montero and a new video for “That’s What I Want.”

In the new visual, Lil Nas falls for a teammate on his football team and, while their relationship quickly advances, Lil Nas finds out that his new companion is actually living a secret life, a discovery that practically breaks his heart. “That’s What I Want” is the latest track from Montero to receive the visual treatment. It joins a collection that features a highly controversial hell-themed video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” a solemn effort for “Sun Goes Down,” and a breakout from prison with Jack Harlow for “Industry Baby.”

The singer’s new album and video come after he was added to the 2021 Time list of the 100 most influential people. Lil Nas joined the likes of Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, Kane Brown, Britney Spears, Angélique Kidjo, Swizz Beatz, and Timbaland as other inclusions from the music world.

You can press play on the new video for “That’s What I Want” above.

Montero is out now via Columbia. Get it here.

HER Invites Lil Durk On Board For A Remix Of ‘Find A Way’ With Lil Baby

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Earlier this year, HER released her debut album Back Of My Mind. The 21-track effort came after nearly five years of projects that included HER and I Used To Know Her. Even in the years prior to her debut, the singer was able to tally a collection of Grammy awards, but 2021 became the year to celebrate her official coming-out party. After fans were able to enjoy the project for the better part of the last three months, HER updates one of its standout tracks with an additional guest appearance from Lil Durk.

HER’s “Find A Way” with Lil Baby receives a nice remix treatment thanks to a new verse from Lil Durk. The track is one of the more uptempo and hard-hitting songs on the album, so the addition of Durk makes sense for the record. Furthermore, the two rappers recently joined forces for their joint album, Voice Of The Heroes.

The remix comes after HER responded to critics who have labeled her as an “industry plant.” “With social media, people think they know everything about success,” she said during an interview with Vulture. “People see my success now, and they don’t understand the sacrifices, the 15-hour days in the studio, the pressure from my parents to go to college.”

She added, “Most of the time, people think success is followers and crazy BTS popularity, like if you’re not Beyonce, you’re not famous. ‘Oh, you’ll get there one day.’ Like, everybody doesn’t want to be Beyonce! For me, I grinded it out kinda like a rapper: I dropped a mixtape, nobody knew who I was, it was a very slow build, and here we are now.”

You can press play on the remix in the video above.

Back Of My Mind is out now via MBK Entertainment/RCA. Get it here.

Biz Markie Will Get A Street Named After Him In His Hometown Of Long Island

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The hip-hop community lost an important figure earlier this summer in Biz Markie after the rapper passed away following complications with Type II diabetes. His death came a year after he was hospitalized for the same complications. Markie was a member of New York’s Juice Crew alongside figures like Big Daddy Kane, Marley Marl, Roxanne Shante, Kool G Rap. Two months to the date of Markie’s death, it was announced on Thursday that the late rapper would be honored with his own street in his hometown of Patchogue, Long Island.

“HONORARY STREET NAMING DEDICATION!” the late rapper’s wife Tara Davis wrote in an Instagram post. “In honor of the contributions Biz has achieved as an actor, beatboxer, DJ and philanthropist, his hometown of Patchogue Long Island will honor him with the renaming of South Street to Biz Markie Way!” David added that the event would take place on Saturday, September 25 at 2 pm EST behind the 6th District Court at 150 West Main Street.

In the post, Davis also added that all are welcome to attend. She also thanked Of Colors Collective@Artspace, Patchogue Villiage’s Mayor, Paul Pontieri, and The Greater Patchogue Foundation for helping to make the street name in honor of Markie a reality.

The announcement comes after a funeral service for Markie was held early last month. Shanté, DJ Cutmaster Cool V, Montell Jordan, Reverend Al Sharpton, Fat Joe, Ice-T, Erick Sermon, Parish Smith, Redman, Big Daddy Kane, Kid Capri, De La Soul’s Maseo, and more were among those in attendance.

Drakeo The Ruler Says The LAPD Are Holding His Car Keys And Jewelry Hostage After His Recent Arrest

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Dewanne Buckmire

In August, Drakeo The Ruler had a Uber ride cut short after he was pulled over by LAPD officers. While some would have thought that officers would have approached the Uber driver, the rapper himself was asked to step out of the vehicle where he was then arrested and hit with a charge of “excon with a gun,” as the rapper’s arrest record says.

The rapper documented the entire arrest in an Instagram Live stream the captured most of his conversation with officers. Drakeo was later released on bail, but according to him, he has yet to receive the belongings that were taken during the arrest.

“SO THE @LapdHarborDiv WONT RELEASE MY ROLLS ROYCE KEYS TO MY CAR WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WIT MY CASE AND MY JEWERLY ALSO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GETTIN ILLEGALLY PULLED OVER IN A UBER,” Drakeo wrote in a tweet on Thursday. “RELEASE MY PROPERTY OR MY ATTORNEYS WILL BE GOING THREW THE PROPER PROCEDURES TO GET IT BACK.”

In a second tweet, Drakeo wrote, “Another thing THAT WAS SAID IS THAT THE DA ON THE CASE TOLD THEM DONT RELEASE NONE OF MY STUFF UNTIL SHE REVIEWED THE CASE AGAIN.” He continued, “NOT A DRUG CASE , robbery case nor burglary case where you don’t know know where the funds are ima millionaire rapper and this is clearly a tactic TO MESS WIT MY NOW IF I WENT DOWN THE NEXT ROUTE AND filed a lawsuits SENSE INTERNAL AFFAIRS ALREADY REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT GETTING ARRESTED BY @LapdHarborDiv AND APPARENTLY THE OFFICER WHO PULLED THE UBER DRIVER OVER HAS A OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING WHERE SOMEONE DIDNT COMPLY.”

You can view his tweets above.

Nas And Pusha T Invest In Audius Streaming Service, Which Plans To Increase ‘Significant Revenue Streams’ For Artists

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Artists from all corners of the music world have long voiced their frustration with the current format of the music streaming business. In short, artists want a higher share of the revenue made from streams and it’s something an up-and-coming streaming platform, Audius, is aiming to accomplish.

This goal seemingly convinced Nas and Pusha T to sign on as investors, as the company recently announced. The rappers join a list of artists that include Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, Steve Aoki, Chainsmokers, and Disclosure — according to a press release — as names who invested in the company.

“I believe [blockchains] might be the most important technology to ever hit the music industry,” Nas said in a statement. “Everyone who uploads to Audius can be an owner. You can’t say that about any other platform.” The company launched back in 2018 as a streaming service based on blockchain technology, which is also used to support NFTs and cryptocurrency. Audius also announced a $5 million round of strategic funding that would begin today.

Audius also boasts a sizable cast of investors that are music executives. They include Sony/ATV Music Publishing CEO Martin Bandier, Madonna and U2’s longtime manager Guy Oseary, and manager Mark Gillespie, whose clients include Frank Ocean and Calvin Harris. Speaking about Audius, Bandier said, “The blockchain is enabling entirely new revenue streams for artists and creators, like NFTs, social currency, and curation.” He added, “Audius is not only using the blockchain to add potentially significant revenue streams for artists, but it also allows them to cooperatively own the platform itself.”

The company’s highlight aspect is the fact that through blockchain technology, 90% of earnings from monetized streams would go to the artists and the remaining 10% would be given to the community that keeps Audius alive.

T.I. And Tiny’s Los Angeles Sexual Assault Case Was Dismissed As They Continue To Deny The Accusations

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Atlanta trap rap pioneer T.I. and his R&B singer wife Tiny Harris have avoided sexual assault charges in Los Angeles after prosecutors decided not to move forward with the case, according to TMZ. A police report was initially filed earlier this year by a woman who claimed that the couple drugged and assaulted her after she met them in a club in 2005. However, according to court documents obtained by TMZ, the incident would be outside the statute of limitations, so they have decided not to pursue charges.

Meanwhile, T.I. and Tiny maintain that the multiple accusations against them — which have come from several women in the past year — are false, attributing the allegations to a cash grab led by a woman they “have had difficulty with” for “well over a decade.” In April, they demanded that the women accusing them of these incidents reveal their identities. T.I. addressed the accusations in his May track “What It’s Come To,” reiterating his demand for the alleged victims to come forward.

The cases against T.I. and Tiny were spearheaded by lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn, who alleged to represent eleven women who brought forth similar accusations of drugging and assault. Since then, the couple’s VH1 show was canceled, and it was revealed T.I. won’t appear in the upcoming Ant-Man sequel.

Kanye West Ascends To Heaven In His Gospel-Inflected ’24’ Video

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Kanye West’s fascination with the afterlife forms the basis of his latest Donda video, “24.” The video appears to be an excerpt from Kanye’s third listening event for the album at Chicago’s Soldier Field, during which he simulated his ascension to heaven as his late mom (for whom the album is titled) watches on beatifically.

It’s only the second video to emerge from the album’s lengthy, chaotic rollout, after “Come To Life” also made use of a part of the Chicago listening in which Kanye was literally set on fire. And while the spectacle of his listening events and the hype for the album was enough to lift the project to the top of the Billboard albums chart, it certainly had its shortcomings, detractors, and downfalls, as collaborators like Soulja Boy and Todd Rundgren criticized the recording process (as well as its final result), Drake allegedly trolled Kanye by leaking his Andre 3000 collaboration (disappointing both Andre and Tyler The Creator in the process), and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy out-streamed Donda on its way to replacing it atop the Billboard 200. With all the drama swirling around the album, perhaps releasing more videos will return focus back to the music.

Watch Kanye West’s “24” video above.

Donda is out now on Def Jam. Get it here.

Lil Nas X Threatens To Sue Himself With Parody Firm Billboards Promoting His Album

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YouTube

Lil Nas X continues to be a master promoter in the week leading up to the release of his debut album. In addition to dropping a contractions video paying off the maternity photoshoot he shared a week ago, he’s now playing on the court-themed trailer for his “Industry Baby” video by sharing billboards threatening to sue… himself. The billboards, which popped up in Hollywood, are clear spoofs of similar cheesy billboard ads for real law firms. However, Nas’ billboards inform viewers they may be entitled to financial compensation for such silly reasons as being gay, being single, missing “the real America,” and crucially, hating Lil Nas X.

I’ve called Lil Nas X a masterful troll in the past but it bears repeating: The kid knows exactly how to turn any and all complaints against him into comedy gold, then use that gold to buy the adoration and attention of even more fans — and more complaints, ensuring a never-ending supply of promo fodder. Knowing that his Blackness, gayness, youth, and flamboyance will be used against him, he’s kind of like Eminem’s B. Rabbit in the 8 Mile finale, stocked up with lighthearted, self-deprecating gags that turn the light of scrutiny on his detractors and ensure that the crowd is firmly on his side.

Industry Baby, meanwhile, drops at midnight tonight via Columbia Records. It features appearances from Doja Cat, Elton John, Jack Harlow, Megan Thee Stallion, and Miley Cyrus — but no Black male artists, unfortunately. While some viewed that as intentional on Nas’ part, Kid Cudi called it part of hip-hop’s “homophobic cloud” — one that Nas’s new album hopes to help erase.

Frank Ocean Has Reportedly Been ‘Shopping A New Album’ At Several Record Labels

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Frank Ocean is notoriously tight-lipped about any possibility of any new music from him. It’s been nearly five years since the musician’s last full-length release and it was looking like he was starting to gear up for a new era of music in 2019 with his “In My Room” and “DHL” singles, which eventually ended up being one-off releases. But now, fans can hold onto hope that a new album is right around the corner thanks to new allegations that Ocean is in talks with several record labels.

Every once in a while, the internet lights up with reports that a new Ocean album is right around the corner. This time, the report comes from Hits Daily Double, which alleges Ocean is “shopping a new album” to several label heads. The report states that the musician has been “taking meetings and playing the music for execs,” and that the new album is “f*cking great.” Apparently, Ocean is being represented by attorney Laurie Soriano, who Complex reached out to for comment about Ocean’s alleged album.

If Ocean was in fact planning on rolling out an album on a new label, it would line up with his confirmed appearance at Coachella 2023. The California festival’s co-founder Paul Tollett recently revealed that Ocean was unavailable for next year’s Coachella, but is expected to headline in the future.