Today, he dropped a brand new single and video featuring another collaborator, Demi Lovato, an artist who has faced similar scrutiny as the Oakland rapper. As his debut album from 2014 was called These Things Happen, this new installment serves as a follow-up to his breakout, and if this new single “Breakdown” is an indication, the rapper is going to get brutally honest about what he’s been through. Most notably, the rapper’s break up with Halsey was well-documented as the pair had the hit single “Him & I” together prior to the relationship’s end, and were supposedly working on music right up until the end of their time together. He also faced further scrutiny for a 2018 drug possession incident in Sweden.
Headlines about their relationship flit by in the video, which frequently features a split screen of Demi and G-Eazy, both trying to handle what they’re going through. Demi’s struggles with addiction and recovery have also been well-documented, and they even released a tell-all documentary getting into the details of what happened. Directed by Daniel CZ, the video offers a searing reflection on fame, shame, and celebrity culture. Check it out above.
Hip-hop duo Armand Hammer have been making bold and thought-provoking music for just shy of a decade — but don’t call them ahead of their time. Rather, rappers Billy Woods and Elucid are making music for now. After putting out several records, including the 2021 LP Haram with Eminem’s current DJ, The Alchemist, Armand Hammer are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Charting their success in a recent Magnum Scenes video presented by Uproxx, Armand Hammer explain why they live up to their label as the “best lyricists on the planet.”
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Elucid never second-guesses himself when it comes to his music. That’s why when he first discovered Billy Woods, he knew they were destined to be musical partners. Known for his quick-witted lyrics, Woods’ love of the written word was inherited from his Shakespearean scholar mother. “For me, the trust was almost immediate because I’ve seen what he could do by himself,” Elucid said of the duo’s creative connection.
Armand Hammer didn’t pop off overnight. Instead, they made a name for themselves organically by booking their own shows with their favorite creatives. At the time, Elucid says a certain type of rap was “pushed to the side” in favor of commercially successful music. But Armand Hammer have always stayed true to their sound. “I still have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder about that because I never stopped doing the thing they said stop doing,” Elucid said.
Elsewhere in the video, Armand Hammer talk about their indie record label Backwoodz Studioz, so check out the above and explore the other musicians covered in the Magnum Scenes series here.
“Ball-gate” just stopped being funny. Nicki Minaj, who has been under fire for spreading anti-vaccine misinformation over the past week, is now doxxing and threatening a reporter who reached out to her relatives in Trinidad for comment on the story. Nicki posted photos and shared the WhatsApp phone number of the reporter on her Instagram Story, calling the reporter “a dirty hoe” and claiming that her family is hiding out from reporters.
Nicki shared WhatsApp screenshots of the conversation via her cousin in which the texter identifies themselves as a Guardian reporter named Sharlene Rampersad and asks whether he’s the cousin Nicki referred to in the original tweet. Although there’s no way to confirm that the text actually came from the named reporter, the texter asks to speak with Nicki’s cousin, and if possible the friend whose wedding was supposedly canceled due to adverse reactions to a COVID vaccine, as Nicki’s original tweet suggested.
However, this reporter crosses a line by intimating that a competing outlet, CNN, is also pursuing an interview. The texter suggests that CNN would reveal personal information about the cousin — something against the journalistic integrity policy of any legitimate news outlet — and assuring that the Guardian would not. Aside from being the dirtiest of dirty pool, this sort of thing isn’t common practice at most outlets and is actually against the law in many jurisdictions.
Nicki, interpreting this messaging as a threat, went off, posting the WhatsApp phone number that reached out to her cousin, as well as two photos of the reporter. Screenshots can be seen below.
Nicki Minaj reveals her family in Trinidad is being harassed by reporters following her comments regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
“They’re forcing my family to have to hide out. This is what speaking up looks like. Millions of poor people are treated this way…” pic.twitter.com/LgmtetxF6t
While Nicki certainly has a right to be upset at the unsolicited contact, there’s 1. no proof that the texter actually is this person, and 2. absolutely no call to violate a person’s privacy to her 157 million Instagram followers, many of whom have previously shown a penchant for cyberbullying people just for sharing their unfavorable opinions of her latest singles. While Nicki insists that she’s being targeted for “asking questions,” the truth of the matter remains: The “questions” she’s asking have already been answered several times over, and her spreading misinformation is a dangerous tactic that could very well get more people hurt. The COVID-19 coronavirus has killed well over 650,000 people and conspiracy theories only harm the distribution of vaccines meant to save lives.
However, if the person who reached out to her relations really is the named reporter, then shame on her as well for violating so many tenets of journalistic integrity in the pursuit of a quote. She should, however, be reprimanded by her employer, not terrorized by online vigilantes at the behest of an angry musician — especially not one distracting from the serious work being done to combat the spread of a deadly pandemic. That hasn’t stopped Nicki from also lashing out on Twitter, tagging Rampersad in an all-caps rant quoting a day-old tweet criticizing her for spreading misinformation.
TMZ reports that Miami rapper SpotemGottem is recovering in a Florida hospital after being shot multiple times while driving on the I-95 early this morning. The rapper told police he was being driven south on the highway when someone in another car began shooting at his car, hitting his driver in the hip and wounding Spotem, who was sitting in the passenger seat, in both legs. All told, the report says at least 22 shots were fired, likely from an automatic weapon. Both men were taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police believe the incident to be a case of road rage.
Meanwhile, SpotemGottem faces a list of weapons-related charges himself after being arrested in Aventura, Florida in July. Federal Marshalls served an aggravated assault warrant stemming from a June incident in which the rapper and some friends allegedly threatened a parking lot attendant with a semiautomatic weapon. Spotem allegedly had a Draco AK-47 lying next to him on the bed at the time of his arrest, adding a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Fans on social media noted the irony of today’s incident; Spotem’s name is a reference to locating an enemy and shooting him on sight, while his best-known hit, “Beat Box,” is about, you guessed it, what his gun sounds like when it’s firing. The popular song has since been remixed by a number of stars including Latto, NLE Choppa, and Polo G.
In his new single “Rucci,” Pontiac, Michigan-born rapper DDG brags that he “made a million dollars off a screen,” setting himself apart from a common rap narrative. And although he’s proud of his accomplishments, he also boasts that were he to dip into selling drugs like some of his contemporaries, he’d be just as good as that. The new single’s release was paired with a music video that dropped just a few hours later in which the rapper shows off some of his home art, cars, and female companions.
“Rucci” follows a string of standalone singles released in the wake of his breakout joint tape with OG Parker, Die 4 Respect. While that release helped earn him the notice of XXL‘s 2021 Freshman Class, he’s apparently been looking forward to his next project, a follow-up to his 2019 debut album Valedictorian. In addition to “Rucci,” DDG recently shared videos for “Midwest Flow,” “Lusted,” and “If I Go Broke” in the past month, showing a hustle that isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Earlier this summer, DDG became one of Uproxx’s cover artists, as well as sharing a performance of his song “Hood Melody” on UPROXX Sessions and offering his thoughts on Blueface for How I Blew Up.
On Lil Nas X’s new album Montero, he recruited a handful of collaborators, including Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, and Miley Cyrus (but not Drake and Nicki Minaj). Now he’s apparently fielding requests for featured guests on his next album, because he responded to a collaboration-seeking message from a legendary four-piece: the Teletubbies.
The twitter account for Teletubbies shared mock-ups of the Montero cover art but with Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po replacing Lil Nas X. Along with the images, the characters put in a request to link up with Lil Nas X, asking, “.@LilNasX can we get a feature on the next album?”
Lil Nas X is totally on board, as he responded with an idea of how he thinks their collaboration could work out: “alright bet! me and tinky winky on the hook, dipsy & po on the verses and we’ll let laa laa do the outro.”
alright bet! me and tinky winky on the hook, dipsy & po on the verses and we’ll let laa laa do the outro https://t.co/Luqx2t25Jx
While a potential collaboration with the Teletubbies is a fun and silly thing, it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing if Nas, who is always up for a good time, actually got together with the beloved children’s characters and made it happen. He did once visit Elmo’s talk show to cover “Elmo’s Song,” after all.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
“Let’s break the rules.”
These are the words singer Kyle Dion blares out on the opening track to his third album Sassy. This idea of negating the world’s expectations isn’t a newly-discovered concept for the Los Angeles-based singer, he’s been doing that from the very start. From his 2016 debut Painting Sounds through his 2019 sophomore effort Suga, Kyle Dion has made his uniqueness very clear. He possesses the energy of a rockstar, has one of the more impressive voices in the R&B world, carries an impenetrable confidence like most rappers do, and he does all of this while traversing the world like an indie act. It’s these qualities that helped the singer craft his last album, Suga, one of the most impressive R&B albums in 2019. The album’s 13 tracks detailed the rise and fall of love filled with equally climatic and crushing moments. Each was accentuated by the singer’s ability to excellently portray the raw passion needed for whatever emotion was at hand.
With that being said, his invitation to break the rules is more so for we as listeners, and maybe even his contemporaries, to join him in moving against the expected flow of the world. It comes with the hope that we’ll find an exhilarating freedom in doing so. But how does a rule-breaker continue to break the rules in a way that’s still attention-grabbing rather than recycled, repetitive, and even exhausting? Well, for Kyle Dion, he does it by simply having fun. His third album Sassy taps into a different side of his personality, one he describes as “an exaggerated version of myself.” However, even Dion has set boundaries for his anti ways. “I’ll never make the same song or album twice,” he says over a Zoom call. “That just doesn’t stimulate me at all and I don’t want to hear that, so I wouldn’t make it.”
It’s a line of thought that Dion said multiple times to me during our conversation. Even without him saying it, one might have guessed it as his mantra after listening to Sassy. The 17-track album is lively in ways that even the most energetic moments of his previous two projects hadn’t reached. “Parmesan” welcomes your best dance moves while Dion sings of his saucy ways and “Drip” with Duckwrth picks up the pace for an infectious number that commends a woman’s spotlight moment during a night out. “Money” is a cut-throat record that happily accepts the idea that cash ruling everything around him while “Fix Vision” with Channel Tres praises a woman’s beauty on the beautifully constructed track.
Kyle Dion’s change of emphasis on Sassy came after he discovered a falling point with his 2019 album. “I remember going to my friend’s house and they couldn’t play a song of mine on Suga at a kickback or something because it was not the wave,” he says. “I want to be played at a kickback, I want girls to be twerking and sh*t. I want to be played at different things.” So after touring the United States and Europe, all while having a blast with friends as he created moments like partying and “peeing in a lake and sh*t” in Amsterdam as well as the “lit as hell” experiences of Chicago, Dion set his mind on making a more outdoor-friendly album. While some may have not caught on to his versatility yet, the singer is very aware of his Rolodex of talents. “I can do many things and I’m not scared to show people that I can do many things, I don’t want people to expect things.”
And there it began. Sassy and all its beauty slowly came together, and as Dion worked to put the pieces together, there was one thing he was sure of. “One thing that I’m always gonna be able to do is sing my ass off,” he proclaims. “I’m always going to incorporate that into everything that I do, but there are no rules in what I’m able to do. I can do whatever I want as an artist.” It’s this refusal to conform that also welcomes a surprising, unexpected, but pleasant guest appearance from Ja Rule on “Placebo.” The New York rapper’s appearance came after Dion jokingly mentioned him after Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” came to mind while recording “Placebo.” “We just felt like it was funny and kind of a stretch, but we put it out there to my team,” he says. “A member of my team knew Ja Rule’s camp, and we sent it out to them.” Well, it turned out to be a great move as they received more than was asked for. “We were so excited when he sent a verse back instead of adlibs and I was like, ‘Yeah, man, this shi*t’s crazy.”
Furthermore, Dion loved that I labeled Ja Rule’s guest appearance as unexpected because it plays into the random and freeform artist he strives to be. “Like you said, You didn’t expect the pairing and that’s what I love,” he boasts. “I don’t want anyone to expect anything from me because I’m ever-changing, I’m ever-growing, and evolving. That’s what it is.” For some, change is dangerous as it promises an equal chance of rejection as it does praise. It’s something Stormzy alluded to during an interview with Billie Eilish. “Your spirit sometimes wants to stick to what you know,” the British rapper said while speaking about the pains of a sophomore album. “But then you want to venture out and like you’re just trying to figure out… the world really loved me for everything I did the first time around, so how do I approach the second one?”
So in a world where many, understandably, cringe or shudder at the idea of sharing something completely different than what they’ve found great success in and have been typecasted to, Dion practically begs his peers to throw caution into the wind and show their full palette of colors. “People are scared bro, people are so scared to show the range [and] do different sh*t,” he says with a bit of frustration in his tone and later adds, “Do what you want in the moment [and] be unapologetically yourself.” It’s sound advice from the singer who’s spent half a decade doing this. Being a musician is founded on constant leaps of faith as you repeatedly subject yourself to criticism or acclaim with every release. However, there’s a reason the saying “you miss every shot you don’t take” exists.
One of my favorite aspects of Sassy comes right after Dion’s collaboration with Ja Rule. Following “Placebo,” the flashing lights and pyrotechnics that come with the show that Dion puts on throughout the album are replaced with a single dim light as the singer’s tender touch returns to the forefront. “Comfortable” provides a warm blanket to a lover in hopes that the gesture will provoke them into opening up and showing him their true self. “Kiss Me Back” uses an endearing collection of guitar chords to beg for reciprocation and his “Good Bye, Good Luck” interlude lets go of a love he so desperately hoped would last forever. This versatility, and mastery in controlling it all, is truly impressive. It’s sequenced perfectly into the album making it a smooth transition into this relaxed moment as well as one out of it as the singer laughs off his sad-boy moment to return to the fun and bring the album to a close.
Sassy is filled with color from top to bottom and Kyle Dion is aware of it. The album isn’t painted within some imaginary lines that were set for it. That would quite literally go against the boundary-breaking agenda that the singer set for it. Instead, it contains splatters of vibrant coloring all over the canvas, and even if it doesn’t amount to a beautiful work of art in society’s eyes, it’s elegant enough for Dion and he’s happy that he did it that way. “I just threw up on this album and [it’s] like, “What do I do now? What’s next?” he ponders as our conversation nears an end. “Just as a young man growing into myself, I’m so curious as to where I’m gonna be next and where I’m gonna go next, but I’m happy that I let that out.”
Being a rule-breaker requires you to put up blinders to how people may respond to you. Going against the grain is rarely applauded, and it’s something the singer understands with his third album. “I did this one unapologetically, this is how I’m feeling, take it, love it, or don’t,” he says to me. However, even this rebel can’t help but hope for one thing from the world that consumes Sassy. “Do what you want and f*cking respect people that just put their sh*t out there and be f*cking free, unapologetic, and exactly who they are,” he declares. “If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but you got to respect it. That’s what I want, people should do whatever they want. That’s it.”
I think we can all agree with that.
Sassy is out now via Kyle Dion/AWAL Recordings. Get it here.
This week, YSL Records rapper Gunna became the latest entertainer from the hip-hop world to be honored with a hometown holiday as South Fulton, Georgia declared September 16 Gunna Day to honor the rapper’s philanthropic efforts in the area. Gunna hails from neighboring College Park and has focused his community outreach in the area through projects like Gunna’s Drip Closet and Goodr Grocery Store. In addition, his Gunna Great Giveaway Foundation has hosted free grocery stores in the community and helped families in Houston, Texas survive this year’s winter storms after the intense cold disrupted the city’s infrastructure.
South Fulton Mayor William “Bill” Edwards announced the honor at a special event on Thursday, saying, “I hereby proclaim Sept. 16 as Sergio Giavanni ‘Gunna’ Kitchens Day in the City of South Fulton.” He also presented the rapper with a proclamation noting his efforts which read, “Gunna is committed to giving back to the community that raised him, buffered him, sheltered him and supported him by creating Gunna’s Drip Closet and Goodr Grocery Store, which is set to provide students of McNair Middle School with access to free meals, clothing, and toiletries for years to come.”
Earlier this year, Gunna and his YSL labelmates also hosted dinner for 30 Fulton County Jail inmates and their families after paying their bail, celebrating with the video for “Paid The Fine.” Previously, Houston’s Travis Scott was honored with his own “Astroworld Day” in 2018.
Gunna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Earlier this week, D Smoke announced the title and release date of his upcoming second album, War & Wonders, after releasing a pair of singles in 2021 that built anticipation for a follow-up to his Grammy-nominated debut, Black Habits. In January, he started the long-play rollout with the video for “It’s OK,” then held back on releasing “Shame On You” until August, with its video following this month.
However, it seems now that the announcement is official, he’s not waiting to put out new music. He did so today in the form of “Common Sense,” a jazzy, introspective single that questions “Who you working for? / What you represent?” Smoke’s brother, TDE singer SiR, also appears to a plaintive chorus wondering, “What’s the price we pay for common sense?” And although the title’s parallel to the rapper who formerly went by Common Sense is probably a coincidence, D Smoke actually just performed with the Chicago legend, posting pics from the event on his Instagram.
In addition to the singles promoting his new album, D Smoke also released a handful of commercial singles this year, including the Last Chance U theme “Basketball,” the Spotify Sessions single “Sade,” and a feature verse on Nigerian artist Fireboy DML’s “Champion.”
Watch D Smoke’s “Common Sense” video featuring SiR above.
Earl Sweatshirt hasn’t dropped a new album since 2018’s Some Rap Songs but that may soon change according to his frequent collaborator The Alchemist. The producer told Anthony Fantano’s The Needle Drop that an album he and Earl have been working on was recently completed and sounds “incredible.”
“He has an album that is done and it’s incredible,” Alc reveals. “I’m excited about that and I do have some work on that… It’s insane. I think everybody will be happy. He’s in his bag.” When asked whether he had any additional details about the project, he said, “I couldn’t even describe it… that would be a disservice to it.”
Fans have no shortage of collaborative work between the producer and the rapper to judge by. Going back to last year, the duo has worked together extensively on tracks including “Whole World” with Maxo, “Nobles” with Navy Blue, and even an entire secret album hidden on YouTube under a fake name.
Whether or not this new album is the one Vince Staples recently hinted at working on with the duo remains to be seen, although The Alchemist did say, as he does in the interview above, that he’s waiting on Earl.
Watch The Alchemist’s full interview with Anthony Fantano above.
Earl Sweatshirt is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
(@LilNasX) 
