Music

Biz Markie’s Funeral Plans Have Been Revealed

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Last month, the music world was met with the sad news of Biz Markie’s death, which came as a result of complications with Type II Diabetes. Now plans for the rapper’s funeral were revealed: It will be held on August 2 at the Patchogue Theatre For The Performing Arts in Patchogue, New York, the rapper’s hometown. Greater Long Island reports that the funeral will run from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and also be livestreamed on BET.

“Biz Markie touched the world with his infectious smile, amazing energy, and hip hop hits,” the announcement reads, according to Revolt. “Known for his Top 40 hit, ‘Just A Friend’ and his recurring role on Yo Gabba Gabba! he brightened every room he was in and every song he was on.”

Reverend Al Sharpton will give the eulogy at the service, which he spoke about in a recent post to Twitter. There will also be appearances from the late rapper’s peers, including Fat Joe, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J and members of the Juice Crew.

Shortly after Markie’s death, his representative Jenni Izumi revealed that he passed away with his wife beside him. “Biz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years,” Izumi added. “He leaves behind a wife, many family members and close friends who will miss his vibrant personality, constant jokes and frequent banter.”

42 Dugg Issues An Apology For His Homophobic Rant

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On Friday, 42 Dugg shared what he felt was an affectionate video featuring him and his son. In it, the rapper can be seen kissing and licking his son around the neck and shoulder area, an act that many deemed inappropriate for the child. He later caught wind of the negative reaction and slammed critics with a homophobic response.

“Quit tryna shove that sh*t down n****s throats,” he wrote. “Ah gay n**** ah be on national tv tonguing down another h*e ass n****, but that’s ok though. Y’all or no motherfucker on earth ain’t finna make me like sh*t ion like and if y’all don’t like me f*ck y’all get wit me. Keep my son out y’all mouth flat out.”

A day after he posted this response, 42 Dugg returned with an apology for the insensitive statement.

It never be my intentions to offend anybody even when I’m offended so for that I am sorry. Usually I’m a very private person when it come to personal sh*t such as my son or my family in general people always tell me I need to take more pictures or you know let my fans see something about me other than music. Yesterday I called myself doing that. My son birthday was the weekend so I decided I would let y’all see how much fun we had. You know the picture/videos I posted of my son wasn’t put out for feedback. That was us being us. So for y’all to take that and make it what y’all did just reminded me of why I keep my family private. I will not be showing my son or any of my family on this s*it again. Y’all lost that privilege. This is for me to promote my music and that’s what I’m gone use it for. Nothing more nothing less.

On the music side of things, you can revisit the rapper’s recent videos for “Turnest N**** In The City” and “Maybach.”

42 Dugg is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ariana Grande Will Be The Latest Star To Host A Concert In ‘Fortnite’

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As we continue moving into the digital age, we’re seeing stars across the world get more creative in bringing fans to them, especially in music. It used to be that the only way to check out your favorites was to go to a concert, a music festival, or maybe a meet and greet of some kind. Now we’re seeing some of these same events stretch out to a wider audience through the connectivity of online platforms, and particularly gaming.

One of the more unique ways we’ve seen this happening is in Fortnite. The battle royale may be most well known for all the dance trends it spawns, but it’s also hosted a lot of crossovers with real life stars such as Travis Scott and LeBron James.

Joining the trend of celebrities making their appearance in Fortnite will be pop star Ariana Grande. The former child actor turned pop singer, will be a part of Fortnite’s “Rift Tour” where she’ll put on virtual concerts for anyone that attends the in-game events. Of course, because this is Fortnite, there will also be quests to complete and Ariana Grande themed loot to collect throughout the Rift Tour.

Among the items that players can earn while playing Fortnite during this event is a Cuddly Cloudcruiser umbrella that players will be able to glide in with after dropping. The event begins Friday, August 6, and will take place throughout the weekend. The final showing will be on August 8, Sunday, at 6 p.m. ET.

Ensuring that fans around the world can catch the Rift Tour, the experience spans five showtimes over three days. We recommend fans arrive in Fortnite 60 minutes before showtime, and the Rift Tour Playlist should be live 30 minutes before each show. Before Ariana’s arrival, the Rift Tour kicks off with Fortnite-themed experiences — pairing popular tracks with moments based on elements from the game.

This might seem weird to some, but these events have been wildly successful in the past. During Travis Scott’s virtual concert he managed to break Fortnite’s concurrent players record with over 12 million all playing at once. Considering the extreme popularity of Ariana Grande, and that FFortnite is a free game, there’s a pretty solid chance that this concert is going to break a few records of its own.

Lil Nas X Had A Sarcastic Thank You After The ‘Montero’ Video Reached A New And Dubious Milestone On YouTube

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A few months ago, Lil Nas X released “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and its accompanying music video, both of which sent the industry into chaos. From the Satan Shoes that were released with it, the images of hell in the video, and the singer dancing with the devil, the “Old Town Road” act found himself in headlines for a healthy amount of time. But outraged press is still press, and the controversy helped the video reach a new and dubious milestone.

The video reached one million dislikes this past weekend, becoming the first video on his artist page to do so. The news was shared by a Lil Nas fan account and after the singer himself caught wind of it, he shared a brief message. “Thank u to everyone who made this possible,” he wrote. “I am nothing without you guys lack of support.”

Back in June, Lil Nas revealed that he anticipated that the song and its video would receive considerable backlash. “Even when I was planning the video, I was like, ‘Oh, this is definitely going to hit Fox News,’” he said during a guest appearance on the Desus & Mero Showtime series. “I definitely didn’t expect the outrage as much as it was at all, especially, like, governors tweeting me. Like, you’re a governor. You don’t have anything better to do?”

Prince’s Estate Sold Almost Half Of The Late Singer’s Rights To A New York Publisher

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This past Friday, Prince’s estate released Welcome 2 America, the late singer’s first full album solely comprised of previously unreleased material. The 11-track project — which was recorded back in 2010 prior to his Welcome 2 America tour — captured Prince’s concerns, hopes, and visions for society at that moment and how he believed politics, disinformation, and the growing push for social justice would affect the world in the future. Now his estate has made some new moves that may make even more of his work more accessible.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the late singer’s three youngest siblings agreed to sell a large portion of their inheritance in the estate to Primary Wave, an independent New York music publisher and talent management company, which is in control of a catalog that also includes music from Ray Charles, Nirvana, and more.

According to Rolling Stone, the exchange grants Primary Wave the rights to Prince’s name and likeness, royalties from his masters and publishing rights, as well as his beloved Paisley Park studios. The late singer’s three oldest siblings — Sharon, Norrine, and John Nelson — have all said they have no plans to sell any part of their stake in the estate. “We’ll never sell out. We know the prize,” Sharon said to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

L. Londell McMillan, a New York lawyer that represents Sharon, Norrine, and John Nelson shared a statement on behalf of the trio. “There’s not much anyone can do about family members who sell out for the dollar,” he said. “That’s their right.”

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

DaBaby Has Been Dropped From Lollapalooza’s 2021 Festival Lineup

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The homophobic rant DaBaby delivered during last weekend’s Rolling Loud festival in Miami was met with plenty of backlash. His rant — which also targeted people with HIV/AIDS — earned him criticism from Madonna, Dua Lipa, Elton John, Questlove, and more, while BoohooMan terminated their partnership with him. Now, his actions have impacted one of his bigger gigs.

On Sunday, Lollapalooza announced that DaBaby would no longer perform at the show, just a half-hour before the final day of the festival began. “Lollapalooza was founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love,” read a statement put out by the festival. “With that in mind, DaBaby will no longer be performing at Grant Park tonight.” The festival also announced that Young Thug will take the show’s 9 p.m. slot, while G Herbo will step into the 4 p.m. slot to accommodate the gap in their scheduling.

While the move from Lollapalooza is a credible one, it should be noted that at least one other scheduled performer has made public statements that don’t exactly comply with “diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love.” Last year, Young Thug — who’s still on the line-up — responded to controversial comments Boosie Badazz made about Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union’s trans daughter. But he seemed to be more on Boosie’s side. “All I wanna say to dwade son is ‘GOD DONT MAKE MISTAKES’ but hey live your true self,” he wrote in a tweet. The rapper later deleted the message.

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

A Street In MF Doom’s Hometown Of Long Beach, New York Has Been Renamed For The Legendary Rapper

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After MF Doom’s family revealed the sad news that the legendary rapper had died in 2020 at the untimely age of 49, an outpouring of grief at the loss and appreciation for his artistry erupted. Now, the community where he grew up has decided to commemorate the rapper’s legacy even further, renaming the street he grew up on in Long Beach, New York in honor of him. KMD – MF DOOM Way is named for the rapper and a group he and his younger brother Subroc created early in his career.

As Stereogum points out, Dr. Patrick Graham, a former schoolmate of MF Doom, spearheaded a petition to make the dedication. With close to 10,000 signatures at the time of publishing, the City Council of Long Beach approved the petition. For those familiar with the city, KMD — MF Doom Way is on East Houston Street, covering the block between Riverside Boulevard and Long Beach Road. The ceremony for renaming the road was Saturday.

Born Daniel Dumile, Graham said that Doom represents the best of the resilience that’s needed to carry into the future. “His hip-hop lyricism represents some of the culture’s best linguistic metaphors, garnering intergenerational and interracial admiration,” he said. “His life and art symbolize the resilience we need in our present context.”

The ceremony for renaming the road was today, check out some posts from the event below.

Pop Smoke’s ‘Faith’ Receives Another Update With Six Additional Songs

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Pop Smoke’s Faith recently became the second No. 1 album in the late rapper’s catalog, joining Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, which was released posthumously last summer. The 20-track project came with a vast lineup filled with some of the music industry’s biggest names, including Pusha T, Kanye West, Rick Ross, 21 Savage, Future, Chris Brown, Dua Lipa, Kodak Black, and more. Pop Smoke’s team added four new songs to the album in a deluxe reissue that saw guest appearances from G Herbo, OnPointLikeOP, Killa, Dread Woo, and Travi. However, it looks like they’re not done with Faith.

The late rapper’s team quietly updated the chart-topping album with six additional songs. Five of the tracks and brand new releases include contributions from Tay Floss, Rah Swish (who appears on the original version of the album), Fetty Luciano, Anuel AA, and the late rapper’s brother Obasi Jackson. The last addition to the project is “Dior,” Pop Smoke’s Grammy-nominated single.

The updated version of Faith arrives after the rapper’s team shared a celebratory video for Pop Smoke and Dua Lipa’s “Demeanor.”

Faith (Deluxe) is out now via Victor Victor Worldwide/Republic. Get it here.

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

42 Dugg Delivers A Homophobic Response To Those Who Took Issue With A Video Of Him And His Son

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The last week saw a number of instances of homophobia in hip-hop world. The biggest example is DaBaby’s bizarre rant at Miami’s Rolling Loud festival, where he also targeted people with HIV/AIDS. He was torched for his comments, but some, like Boosie Badazz and T.I., chose to defend the rapper. Now, Detroit native 42 Dugg has joined the list of rappers who have recently shared homophobic comments.

Screenshot From XXL

On Friday, Dugg posted a video of him and his son. In it, the rapper can be seen licking and kissing the boy’s neck and shoulder area. A number of people on social media felt that Dugg’s actions towards his son were inappropriate. After catching wind of the comments, the rapper took to his Instagram to fire back at his critics.

“Ain’t nobody going for that gay ass h*e ass sh*t y’all on,” he wrote. Y’all [quick] to get on some gay b*tch ass sh*t but when a n**** jump down on one you h*e n****s and call somebody out we homophobic. Don’t nobody give a f*ck about that sh*t. Y’all don’t [know] us. We entertainers that’s it. We not here to coach you on life. If I say I’m not with that gay sh*t that’s where y’all should leave it.”

He added, “Quit tryna shove that sh*t down n****s throats. Ah gay n**** ah be on national tv tonguing down another h*e ass n****, but that’s ok though. Y’all or no motherfucker on earth ain’t finna make me like sh*t ion like and if y’all don’t like me f*ck y’all get wit me. Keep my son out y’all mouth flat out.” He concluded the post by writing, “Suck my d*ck you gay b*otches.”

The Detroit rapper’s bizarre rant comes after he shared a jittery video for “Turnest N**** In The City” and joined Flo Milli, Pooh Shiesty, and Rubi Rose for an XXL Freshman cypher.”

42 Dugg is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.