Music

Lovers & Friends Festival Is Set To Return In 2022 And Moving To Las Vegas

by

Just before the pandemic started, one of the most anticipated festivals of the 2020 season was Lovers & Friends, a new but nostalgic festival that popped up out of nowhere and caused mass havoc and confusion on Twitter as fans clamored to figure out if the stacked lineup was real. Furthering the confusion, some of the billed acts, like Lil Kim, claimed to have not been booked, adding a layer of intrigue and attention that had anticipation sky-high when they finally confirmed.

Unfortunately, as we all know, Corona came through hating and we all missed out on seeing every elder Millennial’s favorite artists return to the stage alongside contemporary artists like Jhene Aiko, Megan Thee Stallion, Saweetie, and Summer Walker (all heavily influenced by 2000s-era sounds and aesthetics). It looked like Lovers & Friends was a wrap, a fever dream we all shared for a bit before the world collectively went to hell.

Live Nation

But apparently, Live Nation, Snoop Dogg, and Bobby Dee had to do it again (see what I did there?), bringing the festival back for a new date, May 14, 2022. The venue has changed as well; while the original was scheduled for Carson, CA (a smaller venue that prompted the show’s organizers to add a second day) the 2022 iteration will take place in Las Vegas. Presale begins August 2 at 10 am PT. For more information, check out loversandfriendsfest.com.

Saweetie Is The Latest Artist To Get Her Own McDonald’s Meal, Complete With ‘Saweetie N Sour’ Sauce

by
Getty Image

After the Travis Scott and J Balvin meals helped to lift McDonald’s out of a pandemic-induced sales slump, it’s only natural that the fast-food titan would want to continue its collaborations with popular musicians to keep the party going — and it looks like the next choice is one that already gets plenty of attention thanks to her exotic and elaborate snack concoctions. That’s right, Saweetie is getting her own McDonald’s meal, a combination that the phrase “match made in heaven” was coined to describe to a T.

The Saweetie meal goes on sale on August 9 and includes a Big Mac, a four-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, a medium Sprite, and “Saweetie ‘N Sour” and BBQ sauce. The meal will come in new packaging inspired by Saweetie’s “Icy” branding and the restaurant chain wants fans to “remix” the meal by topping the burger with fries, just like the “My Type” star has done on her fan-favorite live streams.

Saweetie’s food concoctions regularly go viral as she combines items that some fans don’t believe go together — like spaghetti and ranch dressing — prompting jokes that the rapper has an “iron stomach.” The McDonald’s meal makes sense, as one of her most infamous combos prominently featured the restaurant’s sandwiches, namely a McChicken and a McDouble put together. She’s also joked about removing her brand new tongue piercing just so she could enjoy a burger.

Saweetie has also been working on her debut album, Pretty B*tch Music, although she’s pushed it back a few times to tweak some things after meeting Cher and having an epiphany. In the meantime, fans can chow down on the Saweetie meal and run back her hits “Back To The Streets,” “Best Friend,” and “Fast (Motion).”

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

DaBaby Is Still Trying To Defend Himself From Accusations Of Homophobia While Missing The Point Entirely

by
Getty Image

DaBaby continues to miss the point of the backlash against his Rolling Loud comments, issuing another statement on Instagram trying to defend himself from accusations of homophobia. Posting a snippet of his new video, “Giving What It’s Supposed To Give” (an example of appropriated LGBTQ slang), he noted the hard work that he put into the video, insisted that he already apologized (he didn’t), and boasted that he would overcome, all while bemoaning the fact that he has had to face consequences for his insensitive remarks such as losing his Boohooman deal. Read it below.

You ever wrote a video, you and 3 others produce it, you direct it while starring AND rapping in it, film the video for 16 HOURS straight wrap up at 4am, take a shower & jump on a jet to @rollingloud and with only 2 hours of rest give one of the BEST performances of the entire festival yet the most controversial and emotion provoking performance as well; due to things deemed “insensitive” said during your performance even though you’re an ENTERTAINER, try to apologize and explain that you meant no harm & that you were only entertaining as you are paid to do, & have no problem with anyone’s sexual preference that is outside of yours, only to have a substantial amount of people refuse to understand your logic, tag along with a trending topic & play with your character and do everything they can to take money out of your pockets and food out your kids mouth, and have everybody around you panicking only for you to apologize anyway stand on the fact that you were entertaining and truly didn’t mean to offend anybody or start no commotion, although they’re currently offending you, & COINCIDENTALLY the video you were shooting till 4am the DAY OF @rollingloud touches on EVERY controversial topic trending in the headlines, so you then go against the grain in the opposite direction of every scared person around you & stay true to yourself & DROP DAT BITCH in the height of the commotion & show the world once again that you CANT BE F*CKED WIT?
I have. I just did. God’s Work.

Okay. So. Let’s address this. There’s a reason that people are still mad and it isn’t because it’s a “trending topic.” Regardless of his intent, the impact of his words is very real. Right now, there are queer people facing levels of violence and persecution that literally put their lives in danger, and cracks like “if you ain’t suck a n**** dick in the parking lot…” only serve to reinforce the way of thinking that justifies it in the minds of bigots. Secondly, DaBaby didn’t really apologize. “I’m sorry you feel that way” isn’t an apology because it isn’t acknowledging the harm — intentional or not — and resolving to do better.

Doubling down by releasing this video only serves to mock the people who want to see him take responsibility and downplay how egregious his words were. When Elton John tweets you to tell you how your comments cause real-world harm and you still laugh it off, you’re not being an entertainer, you’re acting like an asshole. Admitting you were wrong doesn’t mean you’re admitting you are a bad person. But you still have to admit when you mess up and try not to do it again.

Finally, trying to draw attention to the other controversy within the set is probably not the move here. Because, again, that was an asshole move. Get your money or whatever, but if you have to step on people’s toes to do so, maybe that check isn’t worth it.

Anyway, here’s hoping that someone close to DaBaby can explain these things to him and that they’ll catch him at a time when he’s feeling more receptive, less combative, and ready to grow up instead of living down to his name.

Dua Lipa Fans Absolutely Drag DaBaby After He Liked Multiple Tweets Criticizing Her

by
Getty Image

DaBaby is in the midst of quite the fall from grace following his set at Rolling Loud last weekend, which featured a homophobic rant about HIV and AIDS. Dua Lipa, who recruited DaBaby to join her on the hit “Levitating” remix, noted that she was “surprised and horrified” by the moment. Now fans have noticed that yesterday, DaBaby liked some tweets criticizing Lipa, which has led to backlash.

The tweets in question focus on “Levitating,” specifically how it was DaBaby that got the song to No. 1 on the charts (even though it actually peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100) and wondering why the DaBaby version of the track hasn’t been taken off of streaming services yet.

Twitter

As far as the idea that DaBaby launched Lipa to mainstream relevance, that claim is dubious at best, considering that “New Rules” and “Don’t Start Now” were top-10 singles well before the release of the “Levitating” remix. Whatever the case may be, Lipa fans took to Twitter and went after DaBaby, saying they had never heard of him before “Levitating” and that by some metrics, Lipa has had more commercial success than DaBaby.

Check out some more reactions below.

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

GLAAD Issued A Statement Calling DaBaby’s Rampant Homophobic Rhetoric ‘Inaccurate, Hurtful, And Harmful’

by
Getty Image

Things just keep getting worse for North Carolina rapper DaBaby, who had risen quickly to become a popular presence in mainstream rap up until this weekend. After his bizarre comments from the stage at Rolling Loud hit the internet, nearly everyone (hey T.I., Tory Lanez and Boosie) responded to his homophobic comments with blatant disgust, but the rapper just kept doubling down. Then, he even released a video that seemed to further double down.

Artists like Dua Lipa, who had previously collaborated with DaBaby on the “Levitating” remix (fans already replaced his verse, natch) and Elton John, a well-known advocate for the LGBTQ community, have already spoken out against his stereotyping and now, GLAAD has weighed in too. GLAADD, aka the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said

“The rhetoric that DaBaby used is inaccurate, hurtful, and harmful to the LGBTQ community and the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV,” DaShawn Usher, associate director of communities of color for GLAAD, wrote in a statement via Twitter. “It is critical that DaBaby and his fans learn that people living with HIV today, when on effective treatment, lead long and healthy lives and cannot transmit HIV. While DaBaby has made haphazard attempts to ‘apologize,’ actions need to be taken for full accountability. It further confirms what @GLAAD reported last year in the State of HIV Stigma Study that stigma and misinformation around HIV is widespread, and there is much work to be done to educate the public, including entertainers.”

Here’s hoping some of fthis starts to get through to the young rapper… at some point.

Gallant And Brandy Find Peace In The Midst Of Destruction Through Their Video For ‘Dynamite’

by

It’s been five years since Gallant saw his rise as an R&B singer begin thanks to the release of his debut album Ology. The project was widely celebrated for the singer’s songwriting and vocal presence throughout its sixteen songs. Gallant’s streak of impressive releases would continue with his sophomore album Sweet Insomnia and his second EP, Neptune, which he released earlier this year. The Maryland native continues to promote the project, which is filled with great music across eight tracks, with a brand new video for “Dynamite” with Brandy.

It begins with Gallant soulfully singing on the roof of a skyscraper that overlooks a serene city that surrounds him. While things around him are peaceful to start off, it becomes clear that something has gone wrong. Brandy later joins him on the roof to passionately sing her verse on the song. As they complete the song, a volcano that sits in the far distance erupts, shooting lava into the sky, and pushing the city Gallant stands above towards a state of destruction.

The video is the second Gallant’s released in support of his Neptune as it follows an effort for the EP’s lead single, “Comeback.” In addition to Brandy’s appearance on the project, Neptune also boasts strong appearances from Arin Ray and VanJess.

You can watch the visual for “Dynamite” above.

Neptune is out now via EMPIRE. Get it here.

Lil Uzi Vert Learned He’s Younger Than He Thought After His Mom Found His Birth Certificate

by
Getty Image

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic took a year of social activities away from our lives. One of them includes birthdays as big celebrations were forced to be downsized in fear of spreading the virus. As a result, many people on social media have joked about repeating a year of life in order to celebrate it the right way. However, for Lil Uzi Vert, it seems like he’ll actually spend another year at the same age, thanks to something he discovered on his birth certificate.

The rapper believed he would be turning 27 on Saturday, July 31, but after his mom found his birth certificate, it turns out Lil Uzi Vert will remain 26 for another year. “Wait wtf I’m turning 26??? My mom found my birth certificate,” he wrote in a post to Twitter. A fan responded, “Damn bro so you was 18 but really 17,” to which Uzi replied, “Yes WTFFF!!!” This of course shifts his accomplishments a bit as it means the Philly rapper was only 20 years old when he dropped his breakout mixtape Luv Is Rage. He also celebrated what was actually his 21st birthday by releasing The Perfect LUV Tape the following year.

Lil Uzi’s discovery comes after he reinstalled his pink forehead diamond and got a new tattoo on his tongue. On the music side of things, he recently joined Trippe Redd in a video to their latest collaboration, “Holy Smokes.”

You can check out Lil Uzi’s tweets above.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Young Dolph Admits That He Can’t Commit To Retirement: ‘I Can’t Let Those Folks Down’

by
Getty Image

In the last year, Young Dolph has shared two projects with fans, those being his 2020 solo effort, Rich Slave, and this year’s Dum And Dummer 2 with fellow Memphis rapper Key Glock. While both were well-received efforts, they also came before attempts from Dolph to walk away from the rap game. The first instance came last summer, less than a month before the release of Rich Slave when the rapper expressed his desire to spend more time with his family as a reason for quitting rap. While he returned months later for Dum And Dummer 2, Dolph doubled down on retirement just days after releasing the project. That announcement was also short-lived, and Dolph explained why in a recent interview.

“I can’t do it, real talk. I can’t do,” he admitted during a sit down on DJ Scream’s and Big Bank’s “Big Facts” podcast when he was asked about retiring. “It’s like I’m the spokesperson for all of the street n****s and all of the n****s that’s on some independent sh*t … And really come in the game on some sh*t… The n**** that really want to do this sh*t, like, I don’t really wanna tie myself to no major label—do this sh*t on my own. I’ma hustle this sh*t. I’ma grab that.”

He added, “It’s just like with everything else. You got some n**** who don’t really want to take the route that everybody else take… The n**** that be like I’ma do this sh*t like my way. I can’t let those folks down. It’s like I’m they motivator. They be needing that sh*t.”

You can watch the entire podcast episode with Young Dolph in the video above.

Fans Slam Boosie Badazz For Calling Lil Nas X ‘Disrespectful’ In A Rant (While Also Showing Support For DaBaby)

by
Getty Image

DaBaby has already spent plenty of time in headlines due to homophobic comments he made about HIV/AIDS during his Rolling Loud set over the weekend. For the most part, the rapper has faced a lot of criticism for the bizarre rant, but a few names have oddly decided to stand in support of his words. This includes Boosie Badazz who delivered a rant directed at Lil Nas X while also showing some support for DaBaby.

“Lil Nas X want to perform naked for charity,” he said. “Like bruh? They don’t tell them nothing. They should be picking sides. You don’t tell his little f***** ass nothing. That’s the most disrespectful muthaf*cka in the world. He said he wanna get naked on stage.” He added, “N**** they got kids that watch that sh*t. Trying to put that sh*t on all them children. Go viral, n****. Go suck a d*ck on IG b*tch. That n**** said he’d get naked for charity and y’all talking about f*ckin’ DaBaby This man say he gonna get naked for charity in front of all these muthaf*ckin’ children. That n**** disrespectful like a muthaf*cka.” He concluded, “Get f*cked in the ass, n****. Go suck a d*ck on IG, b*tch.”

Boosie’s comments come over a year after he claimed Dwayne Wade was going “too f*cking far” in supporting his trans daughter, Zaya. It was incidents like these, among others, that fans brought up in their response to Boosie on social media.

You can watch a video of Boosie’s rant above and check out fans’ thoughts on it below.

Bobby Shmurda Teams Up With J Balvin And Daddy Yankee To Remix Eladio Carrion’s ‘Tata’

by

One of the biggest moments in hip-hop this year arrived back in February with Bobby Shmurda’s release from prison. The rapper previously spent nearly seven years locked up on conspiracy to commit murder and weapons charges. Bobby was welcomed back to the world with open arms from people in and outside of hip-hop, and fans of his music couldn’t wait to hear what the rapper would drop after nearly a decade away from the scene. While he’s yet to give them a new single, the rapper’s first offering to the music world since his release comes in the form of a bilingual verse on a new remix.

Bobby joins J Balvin and Daddy Yankee to remix Eladio Carrion’s “Tata.” The rapper fits effortlessly with the trio as the song’s Latin trap beat suits him perfectly as they all contribute verses in both English and Spanish. The remix also comes with a gritty and flashy visual that captures the four artists flexing muscles in the streets and on the MTA buses before things come to a close with Daddy Yankee concluding the song as he peacefully lounges on a hammock.

The new remix arrives after Bobby returned to the stage at Miami’s Rolling Loud festival for one of his first performances since his release from prison. There he performed hits like “Hot N****” and “Computers” as well as unreleased tracks that left festival attendees extremely excited for what Bobby has in store for them.

You can watch the video for the “Tata” remix above.