Music

Majid Jordan’s Hypnotic ‘Waves Of Blue’ Video Gives A Serene Performance Of Their New Track

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Majid Jordan has returned with a new single, “Waves Of Blue,” kicking off their comeback after a year-long hiatus with the announcement of more new music on the way. Today, they also shared the video for “Waves Of Blue,” a simple production that revolves around a photoshoot with multicolored filters on the lights. The singer and producer perform to the camera as it rotates on a track around them, with a secondary shot pulling back and showing exactly how the effect is done.

In addition to “Waves Of Blue,” the OVO duo also released “Been Through That,” another dancefloor-ready single with lyrics that lament being in a romantic rut and commiserate with anyone going through one. Both songs broke a long dry spell for the band, which last dropped a new single in 2019, collaborating with Khalid on “Caught Up.” They performed “Waves Of Blue” on The Tonight Show on Wednesday night, introducing the world to their new look and revamped sound on one of the biggest stages yet, prompting a fresh wave of anticipation for the album which they say is currently in the works.

Watch Majid Jordan’s “Waves Of Blue” video above.

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

T-Pain And Kehlani Pull A Slick Scam In Their Western-Themed ‘I Like Dat’ Video

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T-Pain may have suffered through a long depression as a result of some harsh criticism but recently, he’s been experiencing a career renaissance that must certainly feel validating after he was once blamed for “f*cking up music.” His song “I Like Dat” with Kehlani — which flipped one of his most iconic hits before TikTok could get to it — led to a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and renewed interest in future collaborations. Now, he’s shared the Western-themed music video for the track, piggybacking on the continued “Yee-Haw Agenda” that is also back after a year off due to COVID.

The video follows the exploits of T-Pain’s outlaw salesman character as he rides his coach into town to pitch his “Drank” — as you “Let me buy you…” — using Kehlani as his plant to convince the townspeople to buy his entire stock. Its advertised effect? Instant attraction from women, as demonstrated by Kehlani receiving a big, wet kiss from a beautiful bystander. After delivering a performance at the local saloon, the two cowpokes skedaddle before anyone can wise up to their “love potion”‘s clearly exaggerated effects.

Fortunately for T-Pain’s fans, they can try his real dranks courtesy of his book of cocktail recipes coming soon. Watch the video for “I Like Dat” above.

Terry Presume Sends Encouragement With His Inviting ‘None Of This Alone’ Video

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Nashville (by way of Naples, Florida) singer Terry Presume has been building a buzz with catchy singles like “Did Me Wrong” and “ZaZa And Some Runtz” and is gearing up to release a new EP titled What Box? on July 29. The latest single from the upcoming project is the encouraging “None Of This Alone,” for which he’s also released a video. The simple video features Terry singing the uplifting lyrics as they appear on the screen while he roams the streets of LA’s Chinatown and lies on train tracks.

The unabashedly joyful track follows “ZaZa and Some Runtz” in Presume’s string of genre-less, earnest songs, while the tracklist of What Box? also includes “Don’t Wait Forever,” “Personal,” and “Swimming.” Terry switches from exuberant raps to soulful rock to no-filter folk throughout his small but growing catalog, making him an interesting figure with a promising future as more fans catch on to his music thanks to his recent move to Los Angeles and willingness to push the boundaries of what’s expected of Black boys from South Florida — the very ethos of his What Box? project title.

Watch Terry Presume’s ‘None Of This Alone’ video above.

What Box? is due 7/29 via September Recordings.

Cardi B Thinks Female Rappers Are Held To A Higher Standard With Live Performances Than Male Rappers Are

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There are many who would attest that women in hip-hop haven’t always received the recognition and respect they deserve. Today, Cardi B dug into that narrative by shining a light on a comparison between live performances by female and male rappers.

This afternoon, a Twitter user shared a clip of Cardi and Offset’s performance of “Clout” and “Press” at the 2019 BET Awards, which featured an elaborate set, lighting, choreography, and so on. That prompted another user to re-share the video and add, “Unrelated but; I hate how Women rappers can perform & have whole ass choreography routines & still get criticized & picked apart while men rappers just walk around in one circle, jump up & down, giving the bare minimum with no criticism @ all.”

Cardi seemed to be in agreement with that take, because she shared the tweet and added, “Female rappers have to bust their ass on performances ,great visuals,hours on make up ,hours on hair ,pressure by the public to look perfect,make great music and yet are The most disrespected.It’s always they not good enough,what’s new? It’s boring,Why her not me.”

Meanwhile, Cardi’s latest film, F9, premieres in theaters this week, and the good news for Cardi fans is that she’s set to appear in the next Fast & Furious movie, too.

Revisit Cardi’s 2019 BET Awards performance in full below.

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

Vince Staples Shares A First Look At His Upcoming ‘Limbo Beach’ Graphic Novel

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Vince Staples may be gearing up for the release of his upcoming self-titled album, but that’s not the only exciting project the rapper has in the works. Staples revealed that he’s partnered with Z2 Comics to co-author a science fiction graphic novel titled Limbo Beach.

Staples and Z2 Comics shared a first look at the novel’s illustration style Thursday. Limbo Beach was co-written by Vince Staples alongside novelists Bryan Edward Hill and Chris Robinson, with illustrations by Buster Moody. According to the summary on Z2 Comic’s website, the story follows a group of “a band of misfit teenage raiders” as they explore an abandoned amusement park run by adolescents that give them super powers.

In a statement alongside the novel’s announcement, Staples described the world in which the story takes place:

“Limbo Beach is the story of lost children fighting to regain their stolen youth. It takes place in a world similar to the one that we all live in, where we are shaped by our experiences and those around us. I appreciate the opportunity to create these stories in a way that I never have before. Hopefully it is the first of many.”

Limbo Beach is slated for a December 2021 release. Pre-order it here.

Rihanna Forgot To Bring Her ID To A Bar, So The Bouncer Refused To Let Her In Despite Her Being Rihanna

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There are some people who are real sticklers for the rules. Every kid you know who wanted to be the hall monitor ended up working in law enforcement, some ended up as middle management at a large corporation, and one, apparently, became the bouncer at New York nightspot Barcade, where Rihanna was refused entry after the internationally famous superstar, whose face and name are global institutions, who has been on TV since she was 17 (16 years ago!)… forgot her ID. Let’s go to the tape:

So, a couple of things here. One: Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are an adorable couple albeit a slightly unconventional one. Two: What on Earth is this bouncer thinking? Look, man, I get it: Rules are rules. But look here, wannabe Captain America. That is Rihanna. Rihanna, who, again, has been famous for over 15 years. Whose age is readily and easily Googleable for anyone who owns a smartphone — which in 2021, includes approximately 85% of the American population. Maybe this bouncer just really needed this job, perhaps he lives in a pineapple under the sea that gets no internet, radio, or television reception, or maybe his boss was one of those aforementioned hall monitor kids and just could not abide making an exception for anyone, but whatever the case, it’s truly one of the most baffling celebrity-related incidents to take place this week… A week that also included both Meghan McCain and Piers Morgan commenting on Britney Spears’ conservatorship and Trick Daddy claiming Beyonce “can’t sing.”

Naturally, Twitter users are beside themselves as a result. A recurring theme seems to be an undercurrent of spiteful glee at the singer’s predicament, a perceived punishment for not releasing a new album in five years. Fortunately for the couple, they eventually got in, according to Buzzfeed, and a wonderful date night was had by all… except for that bouncer, who should really invest in a Spotify account or something.

Foo Fighters, Lizzo, And Stevie Nicks Lead A Stacked 2021 New Orleans Jazz Festival Lineup

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The famed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival routinely has one of the biggest and most diverse lineups on the festival circuit. For its 2021 event, that will be no different, as revealed with today’s lineup announcement.

This year’s festival is set for the weekends of October 8 to 10 and 15 to 17, and even though today’s list of artists isn’t even the full lineup, it’s still stacked. On the top line of the poster are Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, Lizzo, and Demi Lovato. Other highlights include The Black Crowes, HER, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, The Beach Boys, Ludacris, Jon Batiste, Wu-Tang Clan, Brittany Howard, Randy Newman, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Big Freedia, and PJ Morton.

Learn more about this year’s festival and tickets here, and find the two-weekend lineup below.

October 8 to 10
Dead & Company, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, The Black Crowes, Demi Lovato, Brandi Carlile, Wu-Tang Clan featuring The Soul Rebels, The Revivalists, Ludacris, Ziggy Marley: Songs of Bob Marley, Randy Newman, Tank and The Bangas, Galactic, David Sanborn, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers, Chris Isaak, Cyril Neville, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Charlie Musselwhite, Arturo Sandoval, Martha Redbone Roots Project, Ricky Skaggs, Doug Kershaw, Boyfriend, El Gran Combo, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Tab Benoit, Leo Nocentelli, Anders Osborne, Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters, Little Freddie King, Kathy Taylor and Favor, Tribute to Bessie Smith, Nicholas Payton, Deacon John, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, We are One and Divine Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, and more.

October 15 to 17
Stevie Nicks, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, H.E.R., Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Beach Boys, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Brittany Howard, Irma Thomas, Melissa Etheridge, The Isley Brothers, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Boz Scaggs, Rickie Lee Jones, Ledisi, Tower of Power, Big Freedia, Keb’ Mo’ Band, PJ Morton, Playing for Change Band, Samantha Fish, Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective, Rebirth Brass Band, Shovels & Rope, Asleep at the Wheel, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Radiators, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Davell Crawford, Puss N Boots, The Campbell Brothers, Jermaine Landrum & Abundant Praise Revival Choir, The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, Tribute to Dr. John, The Count Basie Orchestra, New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Ronnie Lamarque, and more.

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

AOK Delivers A Swaggering Performance Of ‘Cutthroat’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Richmond, Virginia’s own AOK — formerly known as Bootychaaain — drops by UPROXX Sessions this week with a swaggering performance of her ruthless single, “Cutthroat.” Built over a bubbling bassline with a skeletal snare beat and twinkling piano loops, the party-ready song shows off AOK’s one-of-a-kind, devil-may-care style, and full-chested confidence. “When they talkin’ sh*t, call it promo,” she boasts. “Bad lil’ b*tch, and she cutthroat.”

Calling herself “the Black Lara Croft” after the heroine of the Tomb Raider video game series, AOK (short for Aunty Okaaay) is a buzzy SoundCloud rapper with a quirky style that can’t be contained to just one box. Eschewing many of the conventions of traditional hip-hop, she’s putting in her time on the underground scene, performing brash songs like “Trap Rap” and “Hot Grease” at mosh pit-ready shows that take inspiration from everything from ballroom to the goth scene. Disinterested in doing anything that has come before, AOK can truly consider herself unique among the current crop of rising stars in rap.

Watch AOK’s “Cutthroat” performance above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Piers Morgan Is Voicing Support For The End Of Britney Spears’ Conservatorship: She ‘MUST Be Freed’

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Following the recent FX on Hulu documentary episode, The New York Times Presents: “Framing Britney Spears,” the groundswell of support for the (hopeful) end of Britney’s conservatorship has only grown. It’s been a long thirteen years for Britney under her father’s financial thumb, and that followed a few years of public chaos, which I’m sure no one can forget. Her fans have long rallied for her “freedom,” given that Britney has vowed not to work again until she can make her own decisions again. This week, the 39-year-old singer gave testimony that was both heartbreaking and infuriating and included details about how her father controls every aspect of her life. That even allegedly includes a prohibition on removing her IUD device, which is a chilling revelation to behold and one that Planned Parentood has branded as “appalling.”

In the aftermath of Britney’s testimony, the public has rallied around her as well as the musical community, including ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who previously faced backlash for revelations in the documentary about his behavior towards her regarding public perception and the press. Now, a surprising voice has arose to support Britney: the cantankerous Piers Morgan. He of course, generally abhors everyone (except the Queen), but even Piers can’t stomach what he’s seeing happen.

“Britney Spears is a legal slave,” Piers tweeted. “[W]ho can’t control her own money, career or even her womb and MUST be freed from this torment to finally live the life she wants.”

Piers also penned a lengthy Daily Mail column, in which he argues that Britney’s calls for freedom should be heeded:

We’ve been told for years via endless cruel briefings to the media that Britney’s so mentally unhinged that’s she totally incapable of thinking, speaking or acting for herself. That wasn’t the woman I heard yesterday. It was stunning to hear the brutal reality from Britney’s own mouth, in her own powerful, eloquent, often rapid-fire words. It was like she couldn’t wait to finally have her say, and who could blame her for the obvious frustration and anger?

The last time she appeared in front of Judge Penny, in 2019, Britney’s testimony was sealed… This time, it was made public so there could be no doubt or self-interested ‘spin’ about what she was asserting. ‘I have a lot to say,’ she began, ‘so bear with me. I don’t think I was heard on any level when I came to court last time.’ That’s the understatement of the year. There’s no doubt that Britney’s still a troubled woman, but it seems apparent that many of her current demons are now being driven by the way she’s been treated as a direct result of her conservatorship that she says has ‘enslaved’ her.

The entire column is worth a read, as Britney’s own words about feeling “traumatized” continue to reverberate, after she described her conservatorship as “abusive.” You can also read Britney’s testimony at NBC in transcript form.

(Via Daily Mail)

Jorja Smith Is A Supportive Confidant In Her Melancholy ‘Home’ Video

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Jorja Smith is a supportive confidant in the new video for “Home” from her lovelorn EP, Be Right Back. While the song’s lyrics debate leaving behind a picturesque but unfulfilling relationship for an uncertain future, the video portrays this dynamic visually, with Jorja playing the role of the nanny of a couple whose relationship has played itself out. As the wife contemplates telling her husband, lip-syncing the lyrics through a dinner party and a play date, Jorja looks on in supportive silence, letting her work through her tangled emotions.

“Home” is the fourth single from the EP after “Gone,” “Bussdown,” and “Addicted,” which arrived ahead of the rollout, and though all four songs convey different moods, they retain the through-line of pursuing personal freedom in lieu of the expectations of a stable relationship. Be Right Back was the British singer’s first project since 2018’s Lost & Found, her debut album containing the hit single “Blue Lights.”

Since then, Smith has released a number of non-album singles, including the Burna Boy-featuring “Be Honest,” as well as the wisftul “Come Over” with Jamaican dancehall star Popcaan. She also commented on the wave of 2020 anti-racist uprisings with “By Any Means.”

Watch Jorja Smith’s “Home” video above.