Music

‘NBA 2K22’ Will Have Seasonal Soundtrack Updates To Introduce New Artists To Players

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2K

The 2K franchise has always made it a point to deliver a unique music experience. From LeBron James and Jay-Z creating their own soundtracks to 2K21 having more than 100 songs, the series likes to do something different every year. With NBA 2K22 the folks at 2K will once again try something new.

2K22 will not only feature a consistently evolving soundtrack with seasonal updates, but it will have a greater focus on putting rising artists in the spotlight for fans. While there will still be stars like Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and Freddie Gibbs, it will also feature a variety of new names with the hope of making NBA 2K a venue to discover new music. Some of the artists include:

  • Boldy James
  • Griselda (Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher)
  • Louis Cole
  • Yves Tumor
  • Blxst
  • Smino
  • ACADEMY
  • Thundercat
  • Princess Nokia
  • Megan Thee Stallion
  • Night Lovell
  • Bartees Strange
  • Park Hye Jin
  • Nosaj Thing
  • Insightful
  • Jordan Lyles
  • Lion Babe
  • A.B. Original
  • Masego

“We brought in United Masters as a partner and really wanted to shift the focus to being a platform for music discovery,” David Kelley, Senior Manager, Partnerships & Licensing at 2K told Dime. “I think over the last, you know, 20 or so years that the game has been out and has been published, it’s been really important to have those prestige artists. Of course, we’ll always have them.”

The soundtrack will receive new updates on the first Friday of every new season, which will not only give fans something to look forward to, but will help keep the soundtrack fresh so it never gets too repetitive.

With how many people play the NBA 2K franchise worldwide, this is a great opportunity for people to discover new music they may have not gotten the opportunity to hear beforehand. We’ll be able to listen to the entire soundtrack when the game releases on Sept. 1, 2021.

The Anonymous Buyer Of Wu-Tang’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’ Will Reveal Their Identity Soon

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The legend of Once Upon A Time In Shaolin continues. The one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album which was previously purchased at auction by Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli was recently sold off by the government to settle Shkreli outstanding debts in the wake of his conviction for securities fraud. Although the buyer was originally anonymous, a representative told CNBC that the buyer will identify themselves “in the next two months or so.”

The album has been the subject of plenty of drama from its inception when RZA made the announcement that only one physical copy would be produced and auctioned off — a decision the other members of the band weren’t all that excited about. Recorded in secret over a six-year period, the album was held in an ornate, jewel-encrusted case with leather-bound notes. It was only exhibited once before being sold. Shkreli bought the album before the controversial price hike of his drug.

Over the next few years, Shkreli played the album on live streams, threatened to destroy it altogether, and promised to release it for free if Donald Trump won the 2016 election — a promise he reneged on. However, the album was forfeit after the controversial investor was convicted for securities fraud. Now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens next and what the new buyer — whoever they are — will do with the project.

Diddy Explains His 15 Roaches Story After Skeptics Doubt His Digits

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Diddy‘s told some outlandish tall tales over the years, but recently, fans expressed skepticism over one of those stories when he claimed that he once woke up motivated to escape the hood because there were “15 roaches” on his face. Fans on Twitter doubted the digits, taking the rap mogul to task for exaggerating the numbers. However, in a new video for Vanity Fair to accompany his cover story, the man who nicknamed himself “Love” tries to set the record straight.

“One day, I woke up with, like, 15 roaches on my face,” he reiterates in the video, addressing the skeptics and reinforcing his narrative at the same time. ” “People were like, ‘How did you know it was 15?’ and I was like, ‘If you had 15 roaches on your face, you would know there was around 15 roaches on your face.’”

Diddy initially shared the story in the caption of a video of himself eating mango by a pool. In the video, he gives one of his signature motivational speeches: “You could do it,” he implores viewers. “You could be whoever you want. You could be eating mango too, with the ocean as your backdrop. I ain’t special. I just want it. I want it bad, you feel me? I won’t allow myself to not have mango. I hustle hard.”

You can watch the Vanity Fair video above and read the full profile here.

Rihanna Is Officially A Billionaire By A Mile, According To ‘Forbes’

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Rihanna hasn’t been active in music for a few years now, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been working hard. The opposite is true, as she has been busy building Fenty into a huge empire. All that work has paid off, as Forbes now declares that she is a billionaire.

They estimate her worth to be $1.7 billion, with $1.4 million of that value coming from Fenty Beauty, of which Rihanna owns 50 percent. Savage x Fenty (which has an estimated value of $270 million) and her music career make up the bulk of the rest of her value. All in all, this makes her the richest female musician in the word and the second-richest female entertainer (behind Oprah).

Meanwhile, Rihanna previously hinted that she’d like to do something with music this year, saying, “2021 is a little unknown for everybody and nobody is sure what restrictions there are going to be. My creativity is within my control, though, and I want to take my music and my brands to a different level.” Before that, she noted, “I’m not just going to put music out because people are craving it. I’m going to make it worth the wait – and it will be worth the wait.”

Check out our recent ranking of Rihanna’s songs here.

Barack And Michelle Obama Share Fond Biz Markie Memories In A Touching Letter Sent To His Widow

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There has been an outpouring of support for universally beloved rapper Biz Markie since his recent death. Now, Barack and Michelle Obama have shared some words as well, via a letter sent to the rapper’s widow, Tara Hall.

The July 30-dated letter, a photo of which Hall shared with TMZ, is signed by both Obamas and reads:

“Dear Tara:

We wanted to extend our heartfelt condolences to you as you reflect on Biz Markie’s life. We didn’t know Biz Markie as long or as well as you and your loved ones did. But like others who admired him, he holds a special place in our hearts as one of rap’s most innovative stylists and as a great man.

Biz Markie brightened every room he was in, and we will always appreciate him for his early support in 2008, bringing people together to ‘Party with a Purpose’ and get out the vote. His legacy in hip hop will span generations just as it has for nearly four decades.

We hope you take comfort in all the fond memories you have with him. Please know that we are holding you, Averi, and your entire family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Hall told TMZ she was “stunned” after receiving the letter and plans to have it framed. She’s also starting the Biz Markie’s Just A Friend Charity Fund to support organizations the rapper was already helping, including food banks in Maryland, Bread For The City in Washington DC), and Soles4Souls.

Barack And Michelle Obama Share Fond Biz Markie Memories In A Touching Letter Sent To His Widow

by
Getty Image

There has been an outpouring of support for universally beloved rapper Biz Markie since his recent death. Now, Barack and Michelle Obama have shared some words as well, via a letter sent to the rapper’s widow, Tara Hall.

The July 30-dated letter, a photo of which Hall shared with TMZ, is signed by both Obamas and reads:

“Dear Tara:

We wanted to extend our heartfelt condolences to you as you reflect on Biz Markie’s life. We didn’t know Biz Markie as long or as well as you and your loved ones did. But like others who admired him, he holds a special place in our hearts as one of rap’s most innovative stylists and as a great man.

Biz Markie brightened every room he was in, and we will always appreciate him for his early support in 2008, bringing people together to ‘Party with a Purpose’ and get out the vote. His legacy in hip hop will span generations just as it has for nearly four decades.

We hope you take comfort in all the fond memories you have with him. Please know that we are holding you, Averi, and your entire family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Hall told TMZ she was “stunned” after receiving the letter and plans to have it framed. She’s also starting the Biz Markie’s Just A Friend Charity Fund to support organizations the rapper was already helping, including food banks in Maryland, Bread For The City in Washington DC), and Soles4Souls.

Rihanna Is Officially A Billionaire By A Mile, According To ‘Forbes’

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Getty Image

Rihanna hasn’t been active in music for a few years now, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been working hard. The opposite is true, as she has been busy building Fenty into a huge empire. All that work has paid off, as Forbes now declares that she is a billionaire.

They estimate her worth to be $1.7 billion, with $1.4 million of that value coming from Fenty Beauty, of which Rihanna owns 50 percent. Savage x Fenty (which has an estimated value of $270 million) and her music career make up the bulk of the rest of her value. All in all, this makes her the richest female musician in the word and the second-richest female entertainer (behind Oprah).

Meanwhile, Rihanna previously hinted that she’d like to do something with music this year, saying, “2021 is a little unknown for everybody and nobody is sure what restrictions there are going to be. My creativity is within my control, though, and I want to take my music and my brands to a different level.” Before that, she noted, “I’m not just going to put music out because people are craving it. I’m going to make it worth the wait – and it will be worth the wait.”

Check out our recent ranking of Rihanna’s songs here.

2 Chainz Announces His Upcoming Album ‘Dope Don’t Sell Itself’ Is On The Way

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Less than nine months after releasing his seventh album, So Help Me God, 2 Chainz is already gearing up to release another. During his set at San Bernardino’s HARD Summer Music Festival over the weekend, the Atlanta rapper announced the title for his next full-length project. “New album on the way,” 2 Chainz”s DJ said before the rapper himself revealed its title is Dope Don’t Sell Itself. No release date was given.

The news comes after 2 Chainz made an announcement last month about his next body of work. “This [gon’] be my last trap album, enjoy,” the rapper wrote in a tweet. While he did not specify what he meant by the message, fans’ hope is that it foreshadows a new sound.

So Help Me God was one of the stronger hip-hop efforts that arrived in 2020. The 15-track album saw appearances from Ty Dolla Sign, Kanye West, Brent Faiyaz, Latto, Lil Uzi Vert, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and more. In addition to Dope Don’t Sell Itself, 2 Chainz also promised Collegrove 2, a sequel to his 2016 joint album with Lil Wayne, at some point in the future. It remains to be seen if that album is still in the works as 2 Chainz last spoke about it last year.

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

Taylor Swift Praises Simone Biles After She Returned To The Olympics: ‘We All Learned From You’

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Last week, Simone Biles withdrew from the US women’s gymnastics team due to mental health issues. She later revealed that she suffered from the “twisties,” a condition that leads to “not having your mind and body in sync.” (She later returned to the team and won a Bronze.) Despite her honesty towards an absolutely reasonable excuse, she faced criticism from the likes of Piers Morgan and Michael Che while receiving support from names like Justin Bieber, Kevin Love, and now Taylor Swift.

https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/142269233749966029

“Throughout the last week, her voice has been as significant as her talents,” the singer said in a video with NBC. “Her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature. But don’t you see? It still is. She is perfectly human. And that’s what makes it so easy to call her a hero. Simone Biles, back on the beam, in Tokyo.”

Biles caught wind of the video and hopped on Twitter to thank Swift for her words. “I’m crying how special. I love you @taylorswift13,” the gymnast wrote. Swift replied, “I cried watching YOU. I feel so lucky to have gotten to watch you all these years, but this week was a lesson in emotional intelligence and resilience. We all learned from you. Thank you.”

Normani’s Dad Thinks ‘Wild Side’ Is ‘Fire’ Despite The Singer Being ‘Terrified’ To Play It For Him

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Last month, Normani blessed the world with her latest single, “Wild Side,” featuring Cardi B — her first lead release in almost two years. The song arrived with a music video that highlighted Normani’s excellent dance skills. The hope is that the song will lead to her debut album. Until then, Normani will continue to promote the song, as she did during a recent appearance on Ebro Darden’s radio show Apple Music 1.

Nomani spoke about “Wild Side” and how she felt about letting her parents hear the sultry track. “You have no idea. I was so terrified to play this song for my dad… terrified… oh my goodness… avoiding it,” she said. “He kept asking to hear the record because everyone else heard it but he didn’t hear it. And my dad is my biggest fan, like I tell you. … He works night shifts. He hustles for his family, and so to get through the night, sometimes he listens to all my records, and he was dying to listen to this one.”

Normani’s dad did eventually hear “Wild Side,” thanks to her mom. “I was just like ‘Dad, um… I’ll play it for you later.’ And eventually my mom ended up playing it for him, and he was like, ‘That sh*t is hard,’ he’s like, ‘That sh*t is fire,’” she said. “And he told me all the time, every single day, I kid you not: He’s like ‘Are you ready to take over the world? Are you ready to take over the world?’ He loves the song, he loves the record.”

You can watch Normani’s full Apple Music 1 interview here.

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