Music

Drake’s ‘Certified Lover Boy’ Broke Apple Music And Spotify’s Record For Streams In A Single Day

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Drake’s Certified Lover Boy is already making history. The rapper’s sixth album just broke Apple Music and Spotify’s record for streams in a single day. He surpassed the Apple Music record first, breaking it on Friday evening EST. A few hours later, it was announced that the rapper also broke Spotify’s record. As reported by Complex who spoke to a representative from the platform, the new number is indeed an all-time global record. Official first-day streaming numbers for Cetified Lover Boy from Apple Music or Spotify have yet to be released.

To the surprise of no one, the previous record was held by Drake himself, as his fifth album Scoprion broke the record for streams in a single back in 2018. Scorpion earned more than 132 million streams on Spotify and more than 170 million on Apple Music.

Certified Lover Boy offers 21 tracks, with guest appearances from Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Future, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Giveon, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Durk, Yebba, Project Pat, Masego, Tems, and Kid Cudi.

The project also garnered attention for apparent disses towards Kanye West, a hilarious video for “Way 2 Sexy” with Future and Young Thug, and Drake’s rather odd “lesbian” line from “Girls Want Girls” with Lil Baby.

Certified Lover Boy is out now OVO Sound/Republic. Get it here.

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

Drake Played The Entirety Of An Unreleased Track By Kanye West As The Latest Chess Move In Their Beef

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Drake

Drake seemed to take several shots at Kanye West on his new album, Certified Lover Boy, and on Saturday morning the Toronto rapper has made another chess move. Drake guest-hosted Sound 42, his Sirius XM radio show on the OVO Sound channel. During it, he played the entirety of an unreleased collaboration by West and Andre 3000 titled “Life Of The Party,” a record West previewed a few days ago, during his first interview since releasing Donda.

The six-and-a-half-minute song opens with a verse from Andre that finds the Outkast counterpart speaking on the loss of his parents. Later on, West delivers a verse that mentions Drake on multiple occasions, referencing their rumored joint album, Calabasas is the New Abu Dhabi.

“I put Virgil and Drake on the same text and it wasn’t about the matching Arc’teryx or Kid Cudi dress,” West raps on the song. “Just told these grown men stop it with the funny sh*t / Thought we was the new Abu Dhabi / Told Drake don’t play with me on GD and he sent that message to everybody.” West adds, “So if I hit you with a ‘WYD,’ you better hit me with, ‘Yessir, I’m writing everything you need.’”

Drake’s latest move comes after he seemed to diss Kanye on “7am On Bridle Path” from his new Certified Lover Boy album. “Give that address to your driver, make it your destination / ‘Stead of just a post out of desperation,” he raps referencing West’s now-deleted Instagram post that shared the address to Drake’s Toronto mansion. He adds, “This me reachin’ the deepest state of my meditation / While you over there tryna impress the nation / Mind’s runnin’ wild with the speculation.”

You can listen to a preview of the song in the post above.

Certified Lover Boy is out now via OVO Sound/Republic. Get it here.

Skepta Depicts A Day In His Luxurious Life In The Lavish ‘Eyes On Me’ Video

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Skepta shows off his life of luxury in the lavish video for “Eyes On Me,” the latest single from his recently released EP, All In. As in his video for “Nirvana” with J Balvin, Skepta dresses up to the nines in “Eyes On Me,” although the narrative plays out more favorably for him.

First, he wakes up in an opulent mansion and gets picked up with a caravan of Rolls-Royces while still wearing his durag (causing some consternation for a nosy neighbor). Then, it’s off to a photoshoot where he chooses eye-popping looks from an array of colorful Bottega Venetta pieces. Afterward, he and his crew visit a cigar shop, where they unwind with glasses of cognac and a smoke. The group handles some business deals, sealing their agreements with more drinks, and finally, they relax after the long day in a casino, shooting billiards and playing cards as they toast to the good life.

All In sees Skepta dipping his toes back into the limelight after taking much of 2020 off in the wake of his collaborative project Insomnia, which he released alongside Chip and Young Adz just before the coronavirus spread into an all-out pandemic. He worked with Gorillaz on “How Far” from Song Machine and Kid Cudi on “Show Out” from Man On The Moon III, but otherwise remained off the radar — aside from popping up dating rumors with British singer Adele. As he slowly emerges from hibernation, he seems to have a new outlook, expanding his musical range with his J Balvin collaboration, and seems inspired by his quarantine hobby of playing poker.

Watch the “Eyes On Me” video above.

Lil Nas X Sends Money To Pregnant People On Twitter, Prompting A Hilarious Reply From Guapdad 4000

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Lil Nas X is gearing up for the release of his debut album Montero, which he unveiled the most Lil Nas X way possible. Rather than simply post about the LP on social media, Lil Nas X instead shared an entire faux pregnancy shoot, calling his album his “little bundle of joy.” Taking the joke one step further, Lil Nas X wanted to spread the love to some of his pregnant social media followers, prompting some hilarious replies.

The “Industry Baby” musician took to Twitter to repay his listeners for showing him some love. Lil Nas X asked his pregnant Twitter followers to reply with their Cash App name so he can send them some funds.

Lil Nas X did end up sending some fund to his followers, but, of course, trolls quickly caught wind of his request and impersonated celebrities.

Oakland rapper Guapdad 4000 also tried to put his name out there, joking that he was a new father in order to get some fast cash. “Wow thanks @LilNasX i actually just had my baby !!! His name is lil Guap,” he wrote. “I’m a struggling brother trying to make ends meet . I have to walk 6 miles to get him his Cartier :((((”

Montero is out 10/17 via Columbia. Pre-order it here.

Guapdad 4000 is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kawhi Leonard Had A Cameo In The Video For Drake’s ‘Way 2 Sexy,’ And Basketball Fans Lost It

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Drake

NBA players are extremely into Drake’s Certified Lover Boy. The album, his first since 2018, has been in the works for years, and the early returns from people in the Association could not be more positive.

One player managed to get a little closer to the project than anyone else. Kawhi Leonard, who famously brought an NBA championship to Drake’s beloved Toronto Raptors before heading to Los Angeles to play for the Clippers, had a cameo in the video for Way 2 Sexy alongside Future and Young Thug, who both have have features on the track.

Leonard loves music, as evidenced by his recent Culture Jam project, but it was still a surprise to see him pop up in a music video where he dances alongside Drake, Future, and Young Thug in all-white outfits. Between that and the fact that he just stood there, vibes absolutely immaculate, and seemed to have a terrific time, basketball fans took to Twitter and had some fun.

While this is his only appearance on anything related to the album, it’s not the only time he’s mentioned. Drake name drops Leonard on The Remorse, making 100 percent clear that he (like every Raptors fan, really) wouldn’t hate it if Leonard ever decided to leave L.A. and come back to the 6.

Leonard just signed a max extension with the Clippers, but hey, maybe the time will be right for a reunion in a few years.

The Trevor Project Names Lil Nas X Suicide Prevention Advocate Of The Year

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September officially marks National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In order to draw attention to the important cause, non-profit organization The Trevor Project named Lil Nas X as the inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate Of The Year.

The Trevor Project’s mission is to focus on suicide prevention specifically within the LGBTQ+ community. Alongside announcing Lil Nas X as their award recipient, for his “fearless effort” in changing the status quo around what it means to be queer and Black in the mainstream music industry, the organization notes some startling statistics. 42 percent of LGBTQ youth “seriously considered” attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.

Accepting the title in a statement, Lil Nas X noted the “very real” discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community:

“Thank you so much to The Trevor Project for this award and for all they do for the LGBTQ community. Discrimination around sexuality and gender identity is still very real, and our community deserves to feel supported and totally free to be themselves. I often get messages from fans telling me about their struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and it made me realize that this was something bigger than myself. If using my voice and expressing myself in my music can help even one kid out there who feels alone, then it was all worth it.”

Echoing Lil Nas X’s statement, The Trevor Project’s CEO and Executive Director Amit Paley said they are “thrilled” to honor the musician with the award. “His vulnerability in his journey to self acceptance and expression has created space for candid conversations around mental health and sexual identity, signaling to LGBTQ youth that they are not alone,” Paley said. “The Trevor Project’s research shows that over 80 percent of LGBTQ youth say that LGBTQ celebrities positively influence how they feel about being LGBTQ, further affirming the cultural impact of Lil Nas X being proud of who he is and an ideal recipient of this inaugural award.”

Rico Nasty Rocks Out With An All-Girl Band In Her Fiery Tiny Desk Concert

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Rico Nasty is on a roll lately, dropping the singles “Magic” and “Buss” over the course of the summer and sharing colorful videos for each song in the past few weeks. Today, she incorporated “Magic” and songs from her debut album Nightmare Vacation into a stripped-down set for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, including standout “OHFR?,” as well as her breakout hit, “Smack A Bitch.”

Rico sports one of her signature mullet wigs for the performance, which opens with a relaxed, groovy rendition of “Magic” that offers something a little different from her usual performance style. However, once that’s out of the way, she quickly gets back to rocking out along with her all-girl band (who wear coordinating bright red outfits), launching into a punk-style delivery of “Rage,” “OHFR?,” and “Trust Issues.” The band really brings the harder edges of Rico’s music to the fore, complementing her raspy vocal delivery. Rap-rock hasn’t always worked in the past, but Rico’s an expert at convincingly blending genres, and her band really amplifies the “rock” part while she sticks the shout-raps that tie the whole thing together.

Watch Rico Nasty’s Tiny Desk Concert above.

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

Rapper Bino Rideaux Is On A Mission To Unite LA Through Music

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LA-native Bino Rideaux has been writing raps since he was in the third grade, and now he’s on a mission to unite the city through music. With his hit 2021 album Sixtape 2 and upcoming US tour, the Nipsey Hussle protégé is undoubtedly LA’s next breakout star. Now detailing his rise in a new Magnum Scenes video presented by Uproxx, Bino explains how he’s continuing Nipsey’s legacy and creating a movement along the way.

After selling out his first-ever show at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, Bino created a fair amount of buzz around his music. The rapper was eventually connected with Nipsey, who brought him into the studio and took him under his wing. “You should come into this game as a student. Nip was a mentor to me, for sure,” Bino said. “Being able to shadow him like that, it kinda grew me.”

After Nipsey’s tragic passing in 2019, Bino felt like the city “will never be the same.” But the rapper is motivated to carry on his legacy. “I had to live up to whatever he thought I was,” Bino said. Nipsey’s former tour DJ, DJ VIP, recognizes Bino and his OTB crew’s hard work. “Bringing the city together, that was something Nip stood by and I see that with OTB,” VIP said. “You can tell they’re really trying to put-on for LA and they’re doing it in an inclusive way.”

Elsewhere in the video, Bino shares what’s next in store for his OTB crew, so it check out above and explore the other musicians covered in the Magnum Scenes series here.

HER Knows You Think She’s An Industry Plant

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In an excellent new interview in Vulture, mysterious EGOT contender HER (real name Gabi Wilson) has opened up a lot — like, a lot — about her seemingly rapid career ascent and the fact that you might think she’s an industry plant. Wilson has won four Grammys (out of 13 nominations), an Oscar for Best Original Song, she opened this year’s Super Bowl, and she is set to appear in the upcoming Color Purple movie musical, among other things. But the 24-year-old is famously unknowable, wearing sunglasses to every public event and rarely addressing anything to do with her personal life, claiming that she wants fans’ focus to be on the music.

“We live in a world where it’s full package — how do you look, who are you dating, who is she?” Wilson told Vulture. “We’ve lost sight of what’s important, which is the music.”

HER, who has also curated the lineup for the bi-costal Lights On Festival, had this to say about that whole “industry plant” thing. “With social media, people think they know everything about success. 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 adds: “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. The awards shows and all that stuff, that was surprising to me. But I realized, Oh my gosh, I’ve arrived, and in a different way. You don’t need some No. 1 radio single — even though I got that!”

There you have it! Check out the full interview here.

Drake’s ‘Way 2 Sexy’ Video With Future And Young Thug Hilariously Lampoons Pop Fantasies

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In the “Way 2 Sexy” video, Drake lampoons pop culture’s ideals of sex appeal through the decades, transforming himself into such archetypes as a harlequin romance hero, an action movie star, and even giving himself a dad bod. Drake loves superimposing his head onto other peoples’ bodies in his videos, but this time, he actually uses this proclivity to great, hilarious effect, as the video concept ties nicely into the overall goofy vibe of the Right Said Fred sample on the beat and his, Future, and Young Thug‘s playful lyrics. There’s even a mid-video break for a fake ad for a Drake fragrance called “Wet,” which is such a perfect distillation of everything Drake represents.

The “Way 2 Sexy” video caps the triumphant rollout for Certified Lover Boy, which appears to be a success despite being pushed back over eight months from its initial projected release date in January. The album, which contains features from 21 Savage, Giveon, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Project Pat, and Travis Scott (among many, many others), has been a hot topic on Twitter as fans speculate on whether Drake takes more shots at Kanye, express confusion at some of his more questionable rhymes, and joke around about Jay-Z appearing on both Drake and his rival Kanye’s albums.

Watch Drake, Future, And Young Thug’s hilarious ‘Way 2 Sexy’ video above.

Certified Lover Boy is out now via OVO and Republic. You can stream it here.

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