Noted longtime comic book fan Boosie (he wrote as sarcastically as humanly possible) apparently has thoughts about the recent DC Comics news that has been circulating the blogosphere this week: the reveal that one of Batman’s small fleet of sidekicks is bisexual. Of course Boosie has thoughts about this news, it involves his favorite topic. No, not superhero comic books, which I doubt he’s purchased at any point over the last 20 years. The other thing. You know, other people’s sexuality, which doesn’t affect him at all. That thing.
Posting a screenshot from an Instagram user’s Story on his Twitter, Boosie performatively wrung his hands about “protecting the children,” which is rich coming from someone who admitted to paying a grown woman to sexually abuse his own teenaged child. Meanwhile, the comic book in question, Batman Urban Legends, follows multiple other Bat-Family characters, so it’s unlikely that this storyline, in which Robin #3, Tim Drake, agrees to go on a date with a longtime friend (so far, this is all that’s been published, but clickbait gotta clickbait), will take up too much page space in forthcoming issues.
Meanwhile, if anyone cared to get into it, there’s already tons of scholarship about the homoerotic undertones of Batman’s relationships with the various Robins (mostly the original, Dick Grayson) — most of which already betray a lack of understanding of the two characters’ (ahem) dynamic, given that one’s a pre-teen when introduced and the gay panic surrounding it mostly had to do with the lack of pants on Robin’s uniform. More recent Robins have all dropped the leotard for full leggings so even that’s outdated now.
But none of that will ever stop Boosie from sharing his homophobic opinions, something he’s done for years and which kicked into overdrive this month after DaBaby was booted from a slate of summer festivals over his own homophobic comments.
The best television season finales always find ways to acknowledge the patience and dedication of their fans. So it is with musicians and their swan songs. Although the members of Brockhampton aren’t technically retiring — only the group as a whole — the self-professed boy band has found the ultimate nod to give to fans as they prepare their final album.
Kevin Abstract, the group’s de facto RZA figure, recently put out a call on Twitter for fans to send him their beats as a way of not just helping close this chapter of the group’s history, but also open a new chapter for someone else. “trying something different,” he wrote. “wanna give up and coming producers a chance cause we know how hard it gets out here to get ur work off the ground. if you got something you love and you’d love to hear BH on it – send beats for the last Brockhampton album ever.”
trying something different – wanna give up and coming producers a chance cause we know how hard it gets out here to get ur work off the ground. if you got something you love and you’d love to hear BH on it – send beats for the last Brockhampton album Ever [email protected]pic.twitter.com/xqjLfEcfWK
The group announced the final project earlier this year while promoting their recently released Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine. Although, they later clarified that they all still “love each other,” it appears many of the band’s members would like to focus on solo material or other creative endeavors. They’ll also still tour in 2022, and they may have one of their previously shelved albums on the slate once they finish clearing samples for it, but for all intents and purposes, this is their last hurrah — and they intend to include their loyal followers, as it should be.
Soulja Boy and Instagram just do not mix and never have, but that didn’t stop the “Make It Clap” rapper from hopping on a Live video call with a user who accused him of buying fake mall jewelry to defend himself. On Wednesday, the man posted a video of Soulja Boy and his entourage apparently standing around a kiosk at Las Vegas’ Fashion Show Mall. “Soulja you dead wrong,” he captioned. “First Rapper To Get Caught Buyin Jewelry In The Middle Of The Mall.”
However, Soulja caught wind of the clip and logged into his own Instagram Live to deny the accusations, leading to a video call between the two men that degenerated quickly into a shouting match during which Soulja challenges the man’s street credibility and insists that the jewelry he purchased was real. “Walk in that same jewelry store that you just left in the mall and try to buy the Cartier,” he sneered. “That mothaf*cka $35,000. The Rollie $30,000. Everything over there real. They sell real ice in the mall, clout chasin’ ass pussy ass.”
Soulja Boy’s trash-talking ways have led to some pretty entertaining moments in the past such as his back-and-forth with Bow Wow in the lead-up to their Verzuz battle last month, but this is one case in which he could have left things well enough alone.
Houston Hottie Megan Thee Stallion teased a return to her old ways in a recent interview and apparently wanted to give a sneak peek of what that meant, so she released an aggressive new freestyle straight from her vacation. Dropping boastful bars and dismissing her haters, Meg shows off her love for hip-hop ephemera (“Megan a force, so you know I need two pair”), Fashion Nova, and clever wordplay (“Yo vocab dont go past period / Hoe, dont question me”). Check it out below.
Although the Good News rapper has had a relatively quiet 2021 as she rides out the success of her 2020 debut, she has still maintained a similar level of attention thanks to her six MTV VMA nominations, the one-year anniversary of her and Cardi B’s seismic collaboration “WAP,” becoming the first rapper to cover the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, and dropping the controversial and defiant “Thot Sh*t” video.
Many people (like Demi Lovato) expressed disbelief at the huge crowds that Lollapalooza drew this year in light of the still-ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The predominant concern is that an event of such a scale would lead to a substantial uptick in COVID-19 cases, but it seems that so far, that hasn’t been the case.
Chicago Department Of Public Health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady took to Twitter this morning to share some COVID statistics from the two weeks since the festal. In a thread, Arwady reported that there’s “NO evidence” that Lollapalooza was a “super-spreader” event:
“We are now 14 days past the first day of Lolla and we are continuing to investigate cases of COVID. There have been no unexpected findings at this point and NO evidence at this point of ‘super-spreader’ event or substantial impact to Chicago’s COVID-19 epidemiology.
Of the estimated 385k attendees at Lolla, 90%+ were vax’d.
0.0004% (4 in 10,000) of vaccinated attendees have reported testing positive.
0.0016% (16 in 10,000) of unvaccinated attendees have reported testing positive.
As of 8/11, no hospitalizations or deaths have been reported.
As of now, there is a total of 203 cases identified with attendance at Lolla and symptom onset (or if asymptomatic, test date) on or after attendance. 58 were Chicago residents, 138 were non-Chicago Illinois residents and 7 out of state residents.
COVID risk can not be eliminated. We want to stay open as a city, but being open also means being careful — getting vaccinated, getting tested if you have any COVID symptoms, and, for now, wearing a mask in indoor public places. Let’s #ProtectChicago.”
We are now 14 days past the first day of Lolla and we are continuing to investigate cases of COVID. There have been no unexpected findings at this point and NO evidence at this point of “super-spreader” event or substantial impact to Chicago’s COVID-19 epidemiology.
Of the estimated 385k attendees at Lolla, 90%+ were vax’d. 0.0004% (4 in 10,000) of vaccinated attendees have reported testing positive. 0.0016% (16 in 10,000) of unvaccinated attendees have reported testing positive. As of 8/11, no hospitalizations or deaths have been reported.
As of now, there is a total of 203 cases identified with attendance at Lolla and symptom onset (or if asymptomatic, test date) on or after attendance. 58 were Chicago residents, 138 were non-Chicago Illinois residents and 7 out of state residents.
COVID risk can not be eliminated. We want to stay open as a city, but being open also means being careful—getting vaccinated, getting tested if you have any COVID symptoms, and, for now, wearing a mask in indoor public places. Let’s #ProtectChicago.
Roblox, for those who don’t know, is an immensely popular game. It’s been around since 2006, but it’s really taken off in recent years. As of May 2021, there are about 200 million active monthly Roblox players. Furthermore, it was estimated in mid-2020 that over half of all US kids under the age of 16 were playing Roblox. It’s also popular in the Cardi B/Offset household, as their daughter, Kulture, is apparently spending a ton of money on the game.
On Twitter today, Cardi joked (or perhaps not) that if she ever finds herself broke, Kulture’s Roblox spending habits will have been the cause: “If I ever go broke is not because of jewelry,cars or purses it’s because of Roblox [crying emojis] Like I need a discount or a gift card for that game cause my kid be running it up [money emojis].”
If I ever go broke is not because of jewelry,cars or purses it’s because of Roblox Like I need a discount or a gift card for that game cause my kid be running it up
Kulture isn’t the only one spending on Roblox: In May, it was reported that over the previous financial quarter, Roblox had $387 million in revenue, which was up 140 percent from a year ago. Also in that quarter, Roblox had 42.1 million daily active users and overall, users spent 9.7 billion hours on the platform. Last year, some of those hours were spent in Lil Nas X’s virtual concert.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In a new cover interview with Variety, Lil Nas X admitted that he began feeling unsafe after the single and video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” was released last March. The music video, for context, features the openly gay rapper giving Satan a lap dance, which had a lot of conservative pundits in an uproar.
Circling the subject of homophobia in the rap community, Nas told Variety, “The honest truth is, I don’t want to speak on a lot of the homophobia within rap because I feel like this is a very dangerous playing field. It’s more for my own safety rather than anything else.” When pressed for detail, Nas admitted that he decided to hire security after someone chased his car. “There was literally someone who chased my car a few days after that video came out, yelling, ‘F*ck you!’ or something. And that’s when I actually started getting security […] I feel like it couldn’t be a coincidence.”
That said, Nas certainly has a fan in Sir Elton John, who told Variety that the rapper is “a hero of mine,” adding, “Lil Nas X is a bold and brave provocateur who’s making amazing and inspiring music. He’s pushing the boundaries of urban music by wholeheartedly embracing his sexuality and visually projecting that celebration out into the world.”
John continued: “Historically, there has been a lot of homophobia in the hip-hop world. DaBaby’s recent recent damaging comments about the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV/AIDS clearly demonstrate that there is still so much education and work to be done.”
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
The angel number “333” is a reassuring sign that confirms the path one currently charters is the correct one. All fears, worries, anxieties, or anything else that undercuts confidence at the knees, are acknowledged, but the beam of light that this triple-digit figure shines towards is optimism rather than pessimism. In short, “333” not only begs for faith but also induces it. After all the chaos that the world endured in 2020, it’s no surprise that Tinashe’s fifth album carries the title of 333, but a pandemic year barely scratches the surface of inspiration for the singer, that is, if it’s even for the table she sits at.
To understand why Tinashe might need faith instilled in her future, you have to understand her past. After gaining popularity for a trio for 2010s mixtapes, In Case We Die (2012), Reverie (2012), and Black Water (2013), and breaking through mainstream walls with her debut album Aquarius and top-30 Billboard single “2 On,” things would veer off-road for Tinashe. Struggles with her former label would result in an unpromoted sophomore album Nightride and a well-overdue third album in Joyride. Tinashe would reclaim control of her career as an independent act for her fourth and fifth albums, Songs For You and 333, but for many of her fans, and quite possibly the singer herself, questions of what-ifs and maybes swarmed the mind.
333 encapsulates Tinashe’s eye-popping versatility like no other album in her discography has done. Through 16 songs and collaborations with Jeremih, Kaytranada, Kaash Paige, Buddy, and more, the singer dives headfirst into the idea that trusting what’s in front of you will lead to what’s also destined for you. It’s the hidden message that lays underneath the drawn-out and steady snaps on the album’s opening track, “Let Go.” “It’ll be alright,” she sings softly. “When I let go.” The gadgets and gizmos that we believe we can control to steer our lives in the desired direction are mere placebos that appear as such we end up at a different destination than expected — whether it be an enchanting heaven or a bottomless ditch.
So with that, Tinashe keeps faith in what she can do well, and in all honesty, it’s a lot. Between R&B that arrives as gritty on “I Can See The Future” or bouncy and sensual on “X” as well as pop-leaning records that come alive through “Undo (Back To My Heart)” and “The Chase,” Tinashe’s palette bears many different colors for brushes of all sizes. For some, this never-ending availability of options may be too much to handle, but for Tinashe? She’s cut front the cloth that doesn’t simply beg for freedom — she requires and demands it. A lack of boundaries for some leads to aimless roaming and wasted times, while for others, it provides the perfect space for discovery and inspiration. Tinashe is the latter.
Roaming free helped the singer produce several examples of attention-seizing records on 333. “Unconditional” begins with uptempo dance-ready production before dialing the tempo back in its second half into a relaxed state that sees Tinashe expanding on her request for love without restriction as she plans on giving the same. “Last Call” arrives as a somber goodbye to a relationship that once was and the hope that a friendship can be salvaged. The song’s climatic production from verse-to-chorus accentuates Tinashe’s true pain towards a departed love while a similar structure on “The Chase” presents a woman who’s moved on and won’t beg for a former lover’s presence.
For the career Tinashe has endured, two quotes from her come to mind. “I realized that it was my turn to get back into the driver’s seat as far as curating every move I made from there on out,” which she said following the underwhelming success of “Flame,” a lead single turned promo release for Joyride. The second comes from a 2017 interview with Lena Dunham. “I learned that if I couldn’t trust in myself, and my own opinions, I lost all of my value as an artist,” she said. Both statements from Tinashe are worth keeping in mind while traversing through her latest body of work.
Tinashe deserves the spot she stands in right now. She was due for this position years ago, but maybe the bumpy road she walked on was intentionally laid for her. The trials and tribulations the singer went through are certainly examples of the faults within an often unsupportive music industry, this and the accompanying high moments she experienced all contributed to the success she has now. Control what you can and let go of what you cannot as hindsight is 20/20 and foresight is as blind as a bat, but faith in continuing forward should bring Tinashe all she wants and more. The angels have spoken, now it’s time to listen, trust, and believe.
333 is out now via Tinashe Music Inc. Get it here.
Not even world-famous rap stars are immune to identity theft, as Polo G just learned. The Chicago rapper may have recently had to dispute some suspect charges, according to a screenshot he posted to his Instagram Story. Polo received a text message from “BofA Security” showing a $26 charge to OnlyFans. Adding a caption to the screenshot, Polo wondered “Who TF got my debit card?”
Truthfully, though, probably no one. The “CCBill.com” link in the message text suggests he’s probably receiving some misleading advertising for a service that apparently alerts subscribers to suspicious activity — something most banks already do. It also appears to be a business-to-business service, so it could also mean that CCBill is processing transactions for whichever bank Polo uses. Either way, it doesn’t look like anyone actually made off with his money, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a reason for caution on his part.
Instagram
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t ever click a link from a text message. If the message purports to be from a service you already know you use, open the official app from your phone or go to the website from your browser to double-check. Lots of scam emails and texts feature alarming information, such as your account information is used or delivery is on the way, to get you to click links or call numbers in a panic, giving away login or other personal information in an effort to resolve a non-existent problem.
Of course, considering he recently bought a house for his mom bigger than his, Polo G likely has enough in his account that surprise charges are the least of his worries.
Tyler The Creator’s third album, Cherry Bomb, was released in 2015. Since then, Tyler has released three albums, with his latest, Call Me If You Get Lost, coming out this year. Between Cherry Bomb and now, Tyler has done some growth as an artist. That, paired with some things he has said, has led to theories that Tyler isn’t too keen on Cherry Bomb anymore. Now, Tyler has gone ahead and debunked that rumor.
Today, a fan on Twitter asked Tyler if he doesn’t like the album. They cited a couple facts that prompted them to ask the question: Tyler tweeted recently that 2015 was his “ugly phase,” and he raps on the Call Me If You Get Lost track “Massa,” “That caterpillar went to cocoon, do you get me? / See, I was shiftin’, that’s really why Cherry Bomb sounded so shifty.”
Tyler replied that insisting his “ugly phase” comment was about his physical appearance and nothing more: “n**** i said my ugly phase, my face, what that gotta do with my music lmfao yall be reaching.”
nigga i said my ugly phase, my face, what that gotta do with my music lmfao yall be reaching https://t.co/ZOApJPvuh0
