Music

Britney Spears Apologizes For ‘Pretending Like I’ve Been OK’ Following Her Conservatorship Hearing

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Brintey Spears saw fans rush to her defense once again on Wednesday after details of her conservatorship hearing were made available to the public. It was here that the singer spoke to a judge for the first time in the thirteen years that conservatorship has existed and asked that it be terminated. She labeled it as “abusive” and added, “I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized. I just want my life back.” She also detailed the restrictive lifestyle it forced her to live.

Her comments resulted in an outpour of support from the music world, which included her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake. On Thursday, for the first time since that hearing, Spears spoke out in a message she shared on Instagram.

“I’m bringing this to peoples attention because I don’t want people to think my life is perfect because IT’S DEFINITELY NOT AT ALL,” she wrote in part under an image that displayed a quote written by Albert Einstein. “And if you have read anything about me in the news this week [newspaper emoji]… you obviously really know now it’s not !!!!

“I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years,” Spears wrote. “I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me … but honestly who doesn’t want to capture there Instagram in a fun light.” She concluded, “Believe it or not pretending that I’m ok has actually helped.”

You can read the full statement from Britney in the post above.

Fans Gave Tory Lanez A Taste Of His Own Medicine After He Said He Got Into A Car Accident

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The past year hasn’t been the best of times for Tory Lanez. The singer, who once spent heavy time within the mainstream R&B world, would see this popularity quickly vanish after Megan Thee Stallion confirmed that the Canadian act shot her last July. The incident forced Megan to get surgery for her injuries while Tory was later hit with assault and gun charges. It also saw many fans across the music world rightfully turn their backs on the singer, and if you thought those ill feelings faded away a collection of tweets from them in response to a message from Tory has proven otherwise this week.

Tory revealed that he was recently involved in a car accident during an Uber ride in Sherman Oaks, California. “We almost just died,” he said about the matter to his followers. “We got into a car accident in a fu*kin’ Uber. Oh my gosh, bro.”

In a later tweet, he added, “It almost felt like someone knew to crash into us.” After fans caught wind of the news about Tory’s car accident as well as his suspicions about it, many decided that giving him a taste of his own medicine was a better move than sending get well wishes.

One person wrote, “Was yall there to see the accident in the car that he was supposedly in? Gotta hear both sides before we jump to conclusions.” This of course is a reference to Tory denying that he shot Megan and going as far as to question the validity of her claims. Many other fans would share similar responses to the car accident news. Another asked, “Is the car good?” while a third person wrote, “I’m on the cars side! we don’t know everything that happened.”

You can read more responses from fans below.

Megan The Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Majid Jordan’s Hypnotic ‘Waves Of Blue’ Video Gives A Serene Performance Of Their New Track

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Majid Jordan has returned with a new single, “Waves Of Blue,” kicking off their comeback after a year-long hiatus with the announcement of more new music on the way. Today, they also shared the video for “Waves Of Blue,” a simple production that revolves around a photoshoot with multicolored filters on the lights. The singer and producer perform to the camera as it rotates on a track around them, with a secondary shot pulling back and showing exactly how the effect is done.

In addition to “Waves Of Blue,” the OVO duo also released “Been Through That,” another dancefloor-ready single with lyrics that lament being in a romantic rut and commiserate with anyone going through one. Both songs broke a long dry spell for the band, which last dropped a new single in 2019, collaborating with Khalid on “Caught Up.” They performed “Waves Of Blue” on The Tonight Show on Wednesday night, introducing the world to their new look and revamped sound on one of the biggest stages yet, prompting a fresh wave of anticipation for the album which they say is currently in the works.

Watch Majid Jordan’s “Waves Of Blue” video above.

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

T-Pain And Kehlani Pull A Slick Scam In Their Western-Themed ‘I Like Dat’ Video

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T-Pain may have suffered through a long depression as a result of some harsh criticism but recently, he’s been experiencing a career renaissance that must certainly feel validating after he was once blamed for “f*cking up music.” His song “I Like Dat” with Kehlani — which flipped one of his most iconic hits before TikTok could get to it — led to a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and renewed interest in future collaborations. Now, he’s shared the Western-themed music video for the track, piggybacking on the continued “Yee-Haw Agenda” that is also back after a year off due to COVID.

The video follows the exploits of T-Pain’s outlaw salesman character as he rides his coach into town to pitch his “Drank” — as you “Let me buy you…” — using Kehlani as his plant to convince the townspeople to buy his entire stock. Its advertised effect? Instant attraction from women, as demonstrated by Kehlani receiving a big, wet kiss from a beautiful bystander. After delivering a performance at the local saloon, the two cowpokes skedaddle before anyone can wise up to their “love potion”‘s clearly exaggerated effects.

Fortunately for T-Pain’s fans, they can try his real dranks courtesy of his book of cocktail recipes coming soon. Watch the video for “I Like Dat” above.

Terry Presume Sends Encouragement With His Inviting ‘None Of This Alone’ Video

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Nashville (by way of Naples, Florida) singer Terry Presume has been building a buzz with catchy singles like “Did Me Wrong” and “ZaZa And Some Runtz” and is gearing up to release a new EP titled What Box? on July 29. The latest single from the upcoming project is the encouraging “None Of This Alone,” for which he’s also released a video. The simple video features Terry singing the uplifting lyrics as they appear on the screen while he roams the streets of LA’s Chinatown and lies on train tracks.

The unabashedly joyful track follows “ZaZa and Some Runtz” in Presume’s string of genre-less, earnest songs, while the tracklist of What Box? also includes “Don’t Wait Forever,” “Personal,” and “Swimming.” Terry switches from exuberant raps to soulful rock to no-filter folk throughout his small but growing catalog, making him an interesting figure with a promising future as more fans catch on to his music thanks to his recent move to Los Angeles and willingness to push the boundaries of what’s expected of Black boys from South Florida — the very ethos of his What Box? project title.

Watch Terry Presume’s ‘None Of This Alone’ video above.

What Box? is due 7/29 via September Recordings.

Cardi B Thinks Female Rappers Are Held To A Higher Standard With Live Performances Than Male Rappers Are

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There are many who would attest that women in hip-hop haven’t always received the recognition and respect they deserve. Today, Cardi B dug into that narrative by shining a light on a comparison between live performances by female and male rappers.

This afternoon, a Twitter user shared a clip of Cardi and Offset’s performance of “Clout” and “Press” at the 2019 BET Awards, which featured an elaborate set, lighting, choreography, and so on. That prompted another user to re-share the video and add, “Unrelated but; I hate how Women rappers can perform & have whole ass choreography routines & still get criticized & picked apart while men rappers just walk around in one circle, jump up & down, giving the bare minimum with no criticism @ all.”

Cardi seemed to be in agreement with that take, because she shared the tweet and added, “Female rappers have to bust their ass on performances ,great visuals,hours on make up ,hours on hair ,pressure by the public to look perfect,make great music and yet are The most disrespected.It’s always they not good enough,what’s new? It’s boring,Why her not me.”

Meanwhile, Cardi’s latest film, F9, premieres in theaters this week, and the good news for Cardi fans is that she’s set to appear in the next Fast & Furious movie, too.

Revisit Cardi’s 2019 BET Awards performance in full below.

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

Vince Staples Shares A First Look At His Upcoming ‘Limbo Beach’ Graphic Novel

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Vince Staples may be gearing up for the release of his upcoming self-titled album, but that’s not the only exciting project the rapper has in the works. Staples revealed that he’s partnered with Z2 Comics to co-author a science fiction graphic novel titled Limbo Beach.

Staples and Z2 Comics shared a first look at the novel’s illustration style Thursday. Limbo Beach was co-written by Vince Staples alongside novelists Bryan Edward Hill and Chris Robinson, with illustrations by Buster Moody. According to the summary on Z2 Comic’s website, the story follows a group of “a band of misfit teenage raiders” as they explore an abandoned amusement park run by adolescents that give them super powers.

In a statement alongside the novel’s announcement, Staples described the world in which the story takes place:

“Limbo Beach is the story of lost children fighting to regain their stolen youth. It takes place in a world similar to the one that we all live in, where we are shaped by our experiences and those around us. I appreciate the opportunity to create these stories in a way that I never have before. Hopefully it is the first of many.”

Limbo Beach is slated for a December 2021 release. Pre-order it here.

Rihanna Forgot To Bring Her ID To A Bar, So The Bouncer Refused To Let Her In Despite Her Being Rihanna

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There are some people who are real sticklers for the rules. Every kid you know who wanted to be the hall monitor ended up working in law enforcement, some ended up as middle management at a large corporation, and one, apparently, became the bouncer at New York nightspot Barcade, where Rihanna was refused entry after the internationally famous superstar, whose face and name are global institutions, who has been on TV since she was 17 (16 years ago!)… forgot her ID. Let’s go to the tape:

So, a couple of things here. One: Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are an adorable couple albeit a slightly unconventional one. Two: What on Earth is this bouncer thinking? Look, man, I get it: Rules are rules. But look here, wannabe Captain America. That is Rihanna. Rihanna, who, again, has been famous for over 15 years. Whose age is readily and easily Googleable for anyone who owns a smartphone — which in 2021, includes approximately 85% of the American population. Maybe this bouncer just really needed this job, perhaps he lives in a pineapple under the sea that gets no internet, radio, or television reception, or maybe his boss was one of those aforementioned hall monitor kids and just could not abide making an exception for anyone, but whatever the case, it’s truly one of the most baffling celebrity-related incidents to take place this week… A week that also included both Meghan McCain and Piers Morgan commenting on Britney Spears’ conservatorship and Trick Daddy claiming Beyonce “can’t sing.”

Naturally, Twitter users are beside themselves as a result. A recurring theme seems to be an undercurrent of spiteful glee at the singer’s predicament, a perceived punishment for not releasing a new album in five years. Fortunately for the couple, they eventually got in, according to Buzzfeed, and a wonderful date night was had by all… except for that bouncer, who should really invest in a Spotify account or something.

Foo Fighters, Lizzo, And Stevie Nicks Lead A Stacked 2021 New Orleans Jazz Festival Lineup

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The famed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival routinely has one of the biggest and most diverse lineups on the festival circuit. For its 2021 event, that will be no different, as revealed with today’s lineup announcement.

This year’s festival is set for the weekends of October 8 to 10 and 15 to 17, and even though today’s list of artists isn’t even the full lineup, it’s still stacked. On the top line of the poster are Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, Lizzo, and Demi Lovato. Other highlights include The Black Crowes, HER, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, The Beach Boys, Ludacris, Jon Batiste, Wu-Tang Clan, Brittany Howard, Randy Newman, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Big Freedia, and PJ Morton.

Learn more about this year’s festival and tickets here, and find the two-weekend lineup below.

October 8 to 10
Dead & Company, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, The Black Crowes, Demi Lovato, Brandi Carlile, Wu-Tang Clan featuring The Soul Rebels, The Revivalists, Ludacris, Ziggy Marley: Songs of Bob Marley, Randy Newman, Tank and The Bangas, Galactic, David Sanborn, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers, Chris Isaak, Cyril Neville, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Charlie Musselwhite, Arturo Sandoval, Martha Redbone Roots Project, Ricky Skaggs, Doug Kershaw, Boyfriend, El Gran Combo, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Tab Benoit, Leo Nocentelli, Anders Osborne, Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters, Little Freddie King, Kathy Taylor and Favor, Tribute to Bessie Smith, Nicholas Payton, Deacon John, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, We are One and Divine Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, and more.

October 15 to 17
Stevie Nicks, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, H.E.R., Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Beach Boys, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Brittany Howard, Irma Thomas, Melissa Etheridge, The Isley Brothers, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Boz Scaggs, Rickie Lee Jones, Ledisi, Tower of Power, Big Freedia, Keb’ Mo’ Band, PJ Morton, Playing for Change Band, Samantha Fish, Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective, Rebirth Brass Band, Shovels & Rope, Asleep at the Wheel, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Radiators, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Davell Crawford, Puss N Boots, The Campbell Brothers, Jermaine Landrum & Abundant Praise Revival Choir, The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, Tribute to Dr. John, The Count Basie Orchestra, New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Ronnie Lamarque, and more.

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

AOK Delivers A Swaggering Performance Of ‘Cutthroat’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Richmond, Virginia’s own AOK — formerly known as Bootychaaain — drops by UPROXX Sessions this week with a swaggering performance of her ruthless single, “Cutthroat.” Built over a bubbling bassline with a skeletal snare beat and twinkling piano loops, the party-ready song shows off AOK’s one-of-a-kind, devil-may-care style, and full-chested confidence. “When they talkin’ sh*t, call it promo,” she boasts. “Bad lil’ b*tch, and she cutthroat.”

Calling herself “the Black Lara Croft” after the heroine of the Tomb Raider video game series, AOK (short for Aunty Okaaay) is a buzzy SoundCloud rapper with a quirky style that can’t be contained to just one box. Eschewing many of the conventions of traditional hip-hop, she’s putting in her time on the underground scene, performing brash songs like “Trap Rap” and “Hot Grease” at mosh pit-ready shows that take inspiration from everything from ballroom to the goth scene. Disinterested in doing anything that has come before, AOK can truly consider herself unique among the current crop of rising stars in rap.

Watch AOK’s “Cutthroat” performance above.

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.