Music

Ashanti Celebrates The Opportunity To Re-Record Her Self-Titled Debut Album: ‘It’s So Surreal’

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Soon, Ashanti will find herself joining a list of artists that includes Taylor Swift and JoJo. The Grammy-winning singer recently announced plans to re-record her self-titled album ahead of its upcoming 20th anniversary. She revealed the news during an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, where she also shared that she now owns the masters to the 2002 album.

“It’s so surreal,” Ashanti said while celebrating the news. “I have an amazing legal team, and I got my first record deal when I was 14 years old, so understanding and seeing how things have changed so much from then to now and conceptually understanding what you’re signing is so imperative, it’s so important nowadays. The fact that I’ll be able to re-record my first album, and put everything together.”

She continued, “It’s so humbling. It is such an honor. I’m so grateful. It’s such a blessing, you know, the fact that we are still here, we’re living through a pandemic, and these blessings are still coming in, it just makes me so happy again, so humbled and such a believer.” Ashanti concluded, “It’s such a blessing, you know, the fact that we are still here, we’re living through a pandemic, and these blessings are still coming in, it just makes me so happy again, so humbled and such a believer.”

The news comes after she made a surprise appearance during Fat Joe and Ja Rule’s Verzuz battle earlier this month. It marked the second time she was on the series, having previously gone up against Keyshia Cole earlier this year.

Yo Gotti Is Now A Co-Owner Of The MLS’ D.C. United Team

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Yo Gotti has already impressed as a business owner thanks to the Collective Music Group (CMG), the label he founded back in 2013. Now the rapper is bringing his business talents to the sports world: He just became a co-owner of the Major League Soccer’s D.C. United team. While financial details were not shared, the move, as originally reported by The Washington Post, gives Gotti and his group — which includes Adam Gerry, Joe Mamo, and Jake Silverstein — between five and six percent ownership of the team. In a press release, the rapper shared his excitement for his new involvement with the soccer team.

“I was introduced to the game by my son and watched how quickly it has grown in our country, so I’m honored to join the D.C. United ownership group,” Yo Gotti said in a statement. “I’ve long admired Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan’s ambition and entrepreneurship and look forward to collaborating with them — and the entire ownership group — to further elevate D.C. United’s commitment to connecting soccer, entertainment, community, and culture.” He added, “Together, we’re going to enhance fan experience and bring new and exciting events to Audi Field.”

D.C. United’s chairmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan also spoke about Yo Gotti’s ownership group joining the team. “As D.C. United continues to grow, it was important for us to add a diverse blend of experience and expertise to our ownership group to further elevate our business,” they said. “We are really excited about the knowledge and know-how that this group of investors brings to our club. As we continue to evolve, we are confident the expanded ownership group will help us to further engage our fanbase — both existing and new, create additional forms of entertainment and ultimately deliver a pathway for success for our club both on the pitch and in the community.”

You can view Gotti’s Instagram post celebrating the move above.

Common, Black Thought, And Seun Kuti Catch A Groove To A Warm Rhythm In Their Video For ‘When We Move’

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Towards the end of last year, Common dropped A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 1, which sported nine songs and guest appearances from Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz, PJ, and more. Less than a year later, the rapper returned with A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2, with 11 songs and features from Brittany Howard, PJ, Marcus King, and more. Now he returns with a new video for “When We Move.”

It finds Common, as well as Black Thought and Seun Kuti, both who appear on the song, on a dance floor, dancing the night away as the groovy track plays in the background. “I’m a just give black power its flowers / Whether in the projects or in the palace,” Common raps as images of pivotal moments in Black history play. “Even when the pale horse tried to gallop / And stir it up, stir it up we kept the balance.”

The new video comes after he, Black Thought, and Seun Kuti performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He also shared a video for “Imagine,” which captured his optimistic vision for the future.

You can watch Common’s video for “When We Move” above.

A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2 is out now via Loma Vista Recordings. Get it here.

21 Savage Explains Why Some People In Atlanta Might Believe Future Is A Bigger Rapper Than Drake

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Over the past few years, 21 Savage has grown from an underground act to a star. But he has some perspective. The rapper sat down on DJ Akademiks’ Off The Record podcast and explained that, while he has the utmost respect for Drake, people in his hometown may not consider him to be the town’s biggest rapper. That title, he says, could be given to someone like Future.

“If I wasn’t a rapper, I don’t feel like I still would listen to Drake, forreal,” Savage said during the podcast. “It’s just, I’m a rapper so I understand the work he put in and how hard he goes. Like, when you ain’t no rapper, all those statistics don’t mean sh*t. A regular street n**** don’t give a f*ck how many times you went No.1, how many white people listen to your sh*t, because the farthest they think is the club.”

He added, “In Atlanta, there’s a lot of n****s who you really can’t tell them that Future ain’t bigger than Drake. I used to think that… Drake ain’t really no big mixtape artist out there.”

In short, what Savage seems to be saying is big sales doesn’t always mean you have a big cultural impact.

You can watch the full interview above.

Eminem’s Next Release Is Reportedly Not An Album, But Rather A Track With Polo G, Mozzy, And Skylar Grey

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Last week, rumors arose about new music from Eminem. Some believed it would be a new project. Some guessed The Marshall Mathers LP 3 was en route. Others believed it was just a song that involved the rapper’s frequent collaborator Skylar Grey. For those who went with the latter, there’s great news for you: you’re partially correct. As confirmed by those who saw an advance screening of the upcoming film Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage, Eminem and Skylar Grey have a song on the soundtrack, and it’s also features rappers Polo G and Mozzy.

The untitled song can reportedly be heard during the end credits of the film. One fan took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the upcoming collaboration, writing, “Dawg. That Polo g, Mozzy, Eminem, Skylar Grey song on the venom sound track [three fire emojis].”

Rumors about the upcoming track first began earlier this month, when Mozzy’s manager teased a collaboration with Eminem. Polo G followed suit and told people to keep an eye out for something coming in October. Meanwhile Skylar Grey had a similar message of her own. “This month has been hellish,” she tweeted. “But I see the light at the end… can’t wait for October 1st… mark your calendar.”

Check Out These Photos Of Life Is Beautiful’s Return To Las Vegas

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Paul L. Carter

I don’t know about you, but I really, really missed music festivals. And after a year and a half without them, music festivals returned big time this summer, and are now in full swing. Some favorites, like Lollapalooza, Rolling Loud, and Pitchfork Music Festival, all already welcomed fans back to their grounds (and you can look at what’s still to come in our handy hub that we built for you). But there is no festival quite like Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas.

Taking over Downtown Vegas for the weekend, LiB shows visitors a different side of the desert oasis. It’s not held on the more popular strip area, but in what is commonly referred to as Old Vegas, featuring some of the classic area casinos and hotels as a backdrop and abundant street art on the side of nearly every building. In a city that already feels like a playground, Life Is Beautiful ups the anti, imparting fans with stunning views, top-tier cuisine, educational seminars, and, of course, music. This year saw an impressive slate, including Tame Impala, Green Day, Glass Animals, St. Vincent, Young Thug, ASAP Rocky, and many more. Check out some of the highlights, shot by our own Paul L. Carter, below.

Glass Animals // Paul L. Carter
Glass Animals // Paul L. Carter
Ashnikko // Paul L. Carter
Tame Impala // Paul L. Carter
Tame Impala // Paul L. Carter
ASAP Rocky // Paul L. Carter
ASAP Rocky // Paul L. Carter
ASAP Rocky // Paul L. Carter
Green Day // Paul L. Carter
Green Day // Paul L. Carter
Haim // Paul L. Carter
Haim // Paul L. Carter
Haim // Paul L. Carter
Ludacris // Paul L. Carter
St. Vincent // Paul L. Carter
Young Thug // Paul L. Carter
Young Thug // Paul L. Carter

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

Lauryn Hill Initiated The Fugees Reunion, According To Pras

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The Fugees reunion is off to a great start, with a well-received comeback show at New York’s Pier 17 as part of the Global Citizen Live concert series and a tour planned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the trio’s classic 1996 album The Score. Now, thanks to the sometimes overlooked group member Pras, fans know who to thank for the return of Fugees: Ms. Lauryn Hill, who apparently was the one who reached out to her former bandmates during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

In an interview about the reunion with Billboard‘s Nadine Graham, Pras said, “It was kinda initiated by Ms. Hill, but the idea was floating around since last year. But you know last year with the pandemic, nobody really knew which way the world was going. It happened organically. She reached out to Wyclef and they reached out to me. I said, ‘Listen, if it feels right, let’s see what happens.’ I think the culture really needed it, wanted it, so we’re just giving them what they want.”

However, with regard to whether the crew would be turning their reunion tour into a comeback album, he was a little more cagey. “I’ma say it like this to you,” he replied. “Last night, it really felt good.”

You can watch Fugees’ reunion performance of “Ready Or Not” above.

R. Kelly’s Ex-Wife Drea Kelly’s ‘Heart Is In Two Places’ Over His Guilty Verdict

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Drea Kelly appeared on Good Morning Britain this week to discuss the outcome of the sex crimes trial against her ex-husband R. Kelly, saying that her “heart is in two places” as a result of the guilty verdict handed down Monday (September 27). R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking, including 14 specific acts and eight counts of violating the Mann Act. Drea is “sad that it took this long,” but said that she has to “also wear the hat of a mother and an ex-wife,” unlike some of R. Kelly’s other victims.

“My heart definitely goes out to the survivors and the courage that it takes to come forward and tell the story,” she said, “But my heart breaks as a mother because this is now the legacy that my children will have to deal with and their children’s children. At the end of the day, you cannot walk away from your bloodline.”

She noted that she has the ability to more or less cut ties as the singer’s ex-wife, but that the former couple’s three adult children won’t have it so easy. “I have the ability to separate and kinda distance myself from it, but his blood runs through my children’s veins,” she said. “It’s part of their DNA and they couldn’t escape it even if they wanted to. So it’s very difficult for me to sit in that position.”

R. Kelly posted a statement on Facebook after the verdict was announced, writing, “To all my fans and supporters I love you all and thank you for all the support. Today’s verdict was disappointing and I will continue to prove my innocence and fight for my freedom.” Meanwhile, the prosecution in the trial produced a number of compelling witnesses who attested to Kelly violating the law by having fake ID made for Aaliyah so she couldn’t testify against him after a pregnancy scare, described specific sex acts committed by a 26-year-old Kelly on a 13-year-old Aaliyah, and recounted horrifying abuse at the singer’s hands.

A sentencing trial is set for May 4, 2022, as Kelly is set to go back to Chicago to face another trial on similar state charges.

Nicki Minaj Confirms Her Next Collab Will Be With Former Little Mix Star Jesy Nelson

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After dropping the 2020 album Confetti, Little Mix‘s Jesy Nelson announced she was officially parting ways as a member of the girl group. The singer, who formed Little Mix on The X-Factor in 2011, after feeling the “constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.” But it looks like Nelson already has plans to jump start her solo career — and it’s with a very high-profile collaboration.

It all started when Nelson cleared all the posts on her Instagram feed and posted a teaser vaguely promising a “new chapter” for the musician. On Tuesday, Nelson returned to preview what exactly she has in store for her new chapter, and it involves a joint track called “Boyz” with none other than Nicki Minaj.

Nelson and Minaj both shared some behind-the-scenes footage of a dance practice. The end of the clip features a snippet of Minaj in a faux British accent rapping the hook: “It’s the UK baddie and the Barbie.” “Do you think they’re ready for this?” Nelson asked Minaj in the teaser’s caption.

Neither Nelson nor Minaj have offered insight into when “Boyz” is expected to see a release. But the song’s announcement arrives shortly after Minaj made her first public appearance in over two years on stage at Lil Baby’s LA tour stop. Minaj returned to the stage to perform her verses from “Seeing Green” and BIA’s “Whole Lotta Money” remix.

Rick Ross Must Pay $11,000 In Child Support To The Mother Of Three Of His Kids

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Rick Ross is a man of means, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to save money. Recently the “Rich Forever” rapper revealed that he even mows his own lawn — despite it being huge — to cut down on monthly expenses. It’s a good thing, too, because he just got hit with a new monthly bill that would have some crying poor. According to TMZ, Ross must pay $11,000 a month to the mother of three of his children, Briana Singleton.

In addition, he also agreed to pay $25,000 for Singleton’s attorney in the dispute, along with health insurance and extracurricular activities, which could add up to around $7,500. He may also be required to add annual payments for up to $3,000 per child. However, with an income listed by TMZ at about $585,000/month, the “biggest boss that you’ve seen thus far” shouldn’t be set back too much.

In any event, at least one of his kids (he has four, three with Singleton) likely won’t be needing it in the future. For his son William’s 16th birthday, Ross signed over one of his Wingstop franchises, making the teen a young boss in his own right. Meanwhile, while the younger William just became eligible to get his driver’s license, the elder one only just got his own, despite owning over 100 cars.