Music

Toosii Regains His Hope For Better Days On His Soulful Single, ‘Head Over Hills’

by

Toosii has gained several moments to slow down and take a break this year, but the New York rapper continues to keep his pedal to the metal and finding new ways to show off his artistry to his growing audience. The rapper’s streak of high productivity in 2021 extends with his latest single, “Head Over Hills.” The track captures him reflecting on the past and current status of his life as he touches on stereotypes he broke down, the love he found, and many other things that are defined as success in his eyes. He also delivers a video for the song, which finds him turning up with fans at a concert and enjoying some fun moments with his team.

Two months ago, Toosii dropped off his latest project, Thank You For Believing. The thirteen-track project saw the New York rapper join forces with Latto, DaBaby, and Key Glock on an effort that proved to be an impressive step forward in his career. Shortly after its release, Toosii was inducted into this year’s class of XXL Freshman rappers, a group that included names like Pooh Shiesty, Blxst, Flo Milli, 42 Dugg, Coi Leray, Rubi Rose, Lakeyah, and more.

On a more recent note, he and Blxst showed off their bars as a part of the 2021 XXL Freshman freestyle series.

You can watch the video for “Head Over Hills” above.

Trippie Redd Brings The Fire With Lil Uzi Vert On ‘Holy Smokes’

by

Since breaking out with his debut project, A Love Letter To You, back in 2017, Trippie Redd has made it a point to deliver at least one full-length effort, if not more, to his fans every year. Highlight releases in the years that followed include 2018’s Life’s A Trip, 2019’s A Love Letter To You 4, and 2020’s Pegasus. Trippie will continue this streak with his upcoming effort, Trip At Knight, but not without calling for a prior collaborator in Lil Uzi Vert for their latest track together, “Holy Smokes.”

Trippie and Lil Uzi celebrate their riches on the new track while listing the different ways they can spend their money and enjoy the lavish lifestyles that appear before them. While an official tracklist for Trip At Knight has yet to be revealed, the project is locked in for a July 23 release date, meaning fans will only have to wait an extra week before they can get their hands on it. Trip At Knight will feature the rapper’s previous single, “Miss The Rage” with Playboi Carti, which became his highest-charting single when it debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard singles chart. Trippie also announced a 25-city tour for the album in partnership with Rolling Loud

As for Lil Uzi Vert, the track is the rapper’s latest guest feature, coming just a few weeks after he teamed up with Tyler The Creator and Pharrell for “Juggernaut.” In disappointing news, the new song also comes after he was accused of stalking and abusing his ex-girlfriend, Brittany Byrd.

Scroll up to the video above to hear Trippie’s “Holy Smokes.”

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

Blxst And Bino Rideaux Are Just A Pair Of Money-Making Gentlemen In Their ‘One Of Them Ones’ Video

by

Two years ago, Blxst and Bino Rideaux shared their debut joint project, Sixtape. The 2019 6-track EP helped bring the West Coast rappers to a new level in their careers and it’s one they would surpass the following year with their respective solo efforts. Blxst brought himself to XXL Freshman status thanks to his No Love Lost project while Bino Rideaux solidified his artistry with his own project, Outside. Now, the duo is back together and reunion brings the release Sixtape 2 and a new video for “One Of The Ones.”

The visual is introduced with a motivating narration from DJ Drama, who provides a boost in energy to the effort just like he did during his appearances on Tyler The Creator’s album, Call Me If You Get Lost. Blxst and Bino gamble the night away, enjoying their riches and celebrating the success they’ve attained in their respective careers.

Sixtape 2 is an entirely solo effort with the two rappers handling all of the vocal responsibilities. The project arrives with 12 tracks, double the amount that the duo delivered on Sixtape. The video also arrives after Blxst delivered his XXL Freshman Freestyle alongside Toosii.

You can watch the visual for “One Of The Ones” above.

Sixtape 2 is out now Red Bull Records. Get it here.

Pop Smoke Aims To ‘Tell The Vision’ With Pusha T And Kanye West

by

Just a little over a year after his posthumous debut album, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, was released, Pop Smoke’s management shares the rapper’s second posthumous effort, Faith. The new release is presented with 20 songs and a large number of guest appearances that include Pusha T and Kanye West who join Pop Smoke for “Tell The Vision.” The track fits right in the drill rap pocket that Pop thrived in before his tragic death as he raps about the struggles he faced growing up. As for the song’s guests, Pusha pays respects to Pop and shouts out Tyler The Creator while Kanye looks to turn up the energy with an adlib-filled intro.

In addition to the aforementioned named, Faith also sports features from Rick Ross, The-Dream, 42 Dugg, 21 Savage, Rah Swish, Travi, Beam, Bizzy Banks, Takeoff, Lil Tjay, Swae Lee, Future, Chris Brown, Dua Lipa, Pharrell, Kid Cudi, Quavo, and Kodak Black. It’s a lengthy affair that invites even more individuals to the party than Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon did.

Faith was announced at the end of the last month with an album trailer that presented encouraging words from the late rapper. “Never let anybody get in between you and your creations,” he says in the video. “Why you just trying to be cool? You gotta make history.”

You can listen to “Tell The Vision” in the video above.

Faith is out now via Victor Victor Worldwide/Republic. Pre-order it here.

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

Normani Flaunts Her ‘Wild Side’ With Cardi B To Begin A New Era In Her Career

by

Normani’s last single came back in 2019 with “Motivation.” It’s an uptempo effort that was released with an eye-popping visual that made references to Ciara’s “Goodies,” Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love,” and Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” videos among others. However, after its release, Normani took a big step out of the spotlight and stayed out of it for nearly two years until, finally, she returned with her first single in nearly two years. “Wild Side” arrives today with help from Cardi B who steps up to provide a guest verse on the bass-driven track.

The track also comes with a video that sees Normani showing off her impressive dance moves while beckoning for the special man in her life to step up to the plate and enjoy a sultry night with her. Cardi later accompanies Normani for her guest verse where both artists appear discreetly nude from head to toe.

The singer originally previewed the song in an Instagram video she posted back in February. She captioned it, “Know it’s been a while,” an obvious tease towards new music on the way and while it took five months for it to land in the hands of fans, late is far better than never. As for Normani and Cardi’s connection, some may remember that Normani appeared in Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion’s video for “WAP” last fall. On a more recent note, Cardi B recently revealed that she’s pregnant with her and Offset’s second child. She broke the news during a performance at the 2021 BET Awards.

You can check out the new song in the video.

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

21 Savage And Metro Boomin Run A Risky Business In Their Video For ‘Brand New Draco’

by

21 Savage and Metro Boomin made fans wait more than four years to get a sequel to their Savage Mode project. The effort finally came in October 2020 and as opposed to the first installment which was a mere mixtape, the second edition came as a full-length album, one that was met with acclaim and positive reviews from fans and critics alike. Nearly a full year after Savage Mode II was released, 21 Savage and Metro Boomin continue their promotion of the project with a video for “Brand New Draco.”

The new visual hones in on 21 Savage’s humor while keeping his menacing raps, which often cross into dark territories, intact. The Atlanta rapper steps into the role of a financial advisor who promotes his new $DRCO stock. Promises of monetary success are made with the help of testimonies from DJ Khaled, Bow Wow, Shaquille O’Neal, and more. However, it’s all a facade as the company 21 Savage and Metro Boomin built together is forced to quickly disband before law enforcement raids their office to arrest them for an unknown crime.

The video joins “Glock In My Lap,” “My Dawg,” and “Runnin” as other songs from Savage Mode II to receive the visual treatment. On a more recent note, 21 recently signed as a headlining act, along with North Carolina rapper Morray, for J. Cole’s The Off-Season tour.

You can watch the video for “Brand New Draco” above.

Savage Mode II is out now via Epic Records and Republic Records. Get it here.

Lil Durk And His Girlfriend Reportedly Exchanged Gunfire With Intruders Who Broke Into Their Atlanta Home

by
Getty Image

Lil Durk has unfortunately experienced an unusual amount of tragedies over the last year and he was nearly involved in another one as a report from TMZ revealed on Thursday. The rapper’s Georgia home, which he resides in with his girlfriend India Cox, was reportedly broken into by multiple unidentified individuals early Sunday morning.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the break-in quickly led to a shootout that saw the intruders as well as Durk and Cox exchange gunfire. Officials were unable to determine how many people broke into the rapper’s home and they’re seeking help from the public to investigate the home invasion.

XXL was also able to obtain documents that confirm Durk and Cox were listed as victims in the incident and were not injured in the matter. The home invasion and shooting occurred a month after Durk’s brother, DThang, was shot and killed outside of Club O, a strip club in Harvey, Illinois, a city south of their hometown of Chicago. This came after King Von, a rapper Durk often referred to as has “twin,” died as a result of a club shooting in Atlanta back in November 2020.

In more positive news, Durk received his first No. 1 album last month thanks to the release of Voice Of The Heroes, his joint album with Lil Baby. The 18-track effort came attached with guest appearances from Travis Scott, Young Thug, Meek Mill, and Rod Wave.

EST Gee Announces The Release Date Of His ‘Bigger Than Life Or Death’ Mixtape

by

Memphis rap don Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG) is set for a rap takeover this year. Not only has the label’s other Memphis artist Moneybagg Yo dominated the Billboard albums chart (A Gangsta’s Pain went No. 1 for two weeks upon release and is currently outpacing both mainstays like J. Cole and upstart fan favorites like Rod Wave and Pooh Shiesty) but its rising stars 42 Dugg and EST Gee are receiving increased attention for their work with hitmakers like Roddy Ricch and Jack Harlow.

While Dugg’s Free Dem Boyz tape earned him a top 10 debut and presaged his appearance in the 2021 XXL Freshman class, EST Gee — who signed in January this year, just announced his own highly anticipated mixtape Bigger Than Life Or Death, sharing its tracklist and release date (July 20) on social media, a little over a month after releasing the title track.

The tape is a clear bid for greater mainstream recognition, boasting feature appearances from big-name artists like Future, Lil Baby (who helped spotlight both Dugg and Gee on his last album), Lil Durk, Pooh Shiesty, and Young Thug. Naturally, fellow CMG-ers Dugg and Gotti also appear on multiple tracks, as well. Provided the tape receives the level of response it’s primed to, EST Gee could very well be the next member of the fast-rising rap crew to see his name near the top of the charts and one step closer to claiming a Freshman spot of his own.

Bigger Than Life Or Death is due 7/20 via CMG and Interscope. Pre-save it here.