Harry Styles was widely praised for wearing a dress in a photoshoot last year, although some folks didn’t care for it. Recently, Kid Cudi faced a similar reaction to a similar situation after performing in a dress on Saturday Night Live. Now, Cudi’s friend and SNL star Pete Davidson has come to Cudi’s defense, saying on the Breakfast Club that he was all for Cudi’s fashion choice.
“I loved it, I thought it was great,” he said at 24:46 into the interview, which was shared today. “I think, you know, when you get criticism like that, it’s just like, ‘OK, cool. Those are people I don’t really wanna associate myself with anyway, people that are that close-minded.’ I thought it was really cool and like a cool tribute. […] I thought he killed it. I thought it was great. It was also fun to hang with him.”
He then touched on making the sketch with Cudi about “that weird little flute” that pops up in rap songs, saying, “You know me: I’ve been a huge Cudi guy forever, so getting to do a music video with him was everything. […] Cudi did a great job and it was fun. I loved it.”
While this was Cudi’s first time as musical guest on the show, it wasn’t his first time on SNL: He made a brief cameo in the “A New Kyle” sketch from 2018, palling around with Kyle Mooney after Mooney changed his lifestyle to copy Davidson. Of course, Cudi and Davidson were also famously photographed having dinner with Kanye West and Timothée Chalamet in 2019. Back in 2016, Davidson also credited Cudi and his music for saving his life.
Atlanta upstart Kenny Mason had a breakout year with his 2020 album Angelic Hoodrat and its Supercut deluxe edition, but like most artists over the past year, he wasn’t able to celebrate or build on the momentum by performing his songs live on tour. As a compromise, he used his “Strays” video as a stage to perform his songs when there weren’t any available live, demonstrating his passionate energy and hyping fans up for the return of live shows. Today, he released “Strays 02,” a follow-up featuring a medley of Angelic Hoodrat songs, just a day after sharing the video for “4ever.”
As in the “4ever” video, Kenny occupies a cavernous darkened space with only a spotlight and a mic — in fact, “Strays 02” looks a lot like an extension of that video, which was likely excerpted from this longer performance. He sports his trademark Atlanta Braves jersey and goes for broke, showing off the diversity of styles he utilizes on Angelic Hoodrat, with a setlist that includes “Rih,” “PTSD,” the album’s title track, “Chevron,” “4ever,” and “Pup.”
With these songs and guest appearances with fan favorites like IDK (on “Cereal” with JID) and Freddie Gibbs (on Kenny’s own “Much Money“), Kenny’s maintaining that momentum, which will almost certainly result in an explosion of attention and accolades when he returns to the stage for real.
Watch Kenny Mason’s “Strays” video above.
Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut is out now. Get it here.
The return of in-person concerts is almost here. Music festivals have started setting their sights on late summer and early fall events, and Milwaukee’s Summerfest is the latest to unveil their 2021 lineup. Festival organizers unveiled their first wave of lineup announcements, including headliners like Chance The Rapper, Jonas Brothers, and Miley Cyrus.
Summerfest is scheduled to take place later this year, on the weekends of September 2 to 4, 9 to 11, and 16 to 18. Along with Chance The Rapper, Jonas Brother, and Miley Cyrus, other acts on the Summerfest bill include Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Wilco, Dave Matthews Band, Diplo, Fitz And The Tantrums, Bleachers, Black Pumas, Run The Jewels, Pixies, Rise Against, G-Eazy, Quinn XCII, Internet Money, Indigo Girls, Jai Wolf, and many more.
Jonas Brothers could not be more excited to finally perform in front of a live crowd again. Sharing the news of their headlining slot on social media, the group wrote, “We’ve really been looking forward to sharing lots of exciting updates with you guys and today we get to tell you the first! We said we would see you guys as quickly as we could and we’re so excited to announce we’re headlining @Summerfest in Milwaukee on September 8th!”
We’ve really been looking forward to sharing lots of exciting updates with you guys and today we get to tell you the first! We said we would see you guys as quickly as we could and we’re so excited to announce we’re headlining @Summerfest in Milwaukee on September 8th! pic.twitter.com/HRKqSrvai5
In a statement about this year’s lineup, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. Don Smiley said, “We could not be more excited to unveil the lineup for Summerfest and introduce a new festival format; more weekends and more headliners, promises to be a big hit among our fans. From first timers, including Chance the Rapper, Miley Cyrus, and Run the Jewels, to Fest favorites including Dave Matthews Band, T-Pain, Styx, and Chris Stapleton, our lineup continues to be one of the most diverse and unique in the industry.”
Check out Summerfest’s full lineup below.
Summerfest 2021
Tickets to Summerfest 2021 are on sale now. Get them here.
Throughout the course of her storied career, Beyonce has won countless awards and encouraged generations of women to be proud of who they are. But when Beyonce was first starting out as a singer, she also had a number of powerful women to look up to — namely the Spice Girls. Apparently, Beyonce took inspiration from the UK girls group when she was coming into her own career.
Victoria Beckham, formerly known as Posh Spice, recently recounted the time she met Beyonce a few years ago. During their conversation, Beyonce told Beckham just how much the Spice Girls influenced her.
Speaking on the Dear Media podcast Breaking Beauty, Beckham recalled her interaction with Beyonce:
“I think it’s about accepting who you are, and that’s what the Spice Girls were always about. It’s okay to be different; let’s not try and change who we are, let’s celebrate who we are. Let’s celebrate the fact that we’re all different, which is why inclusivity is so important to us. When talk about Spice Girls, and I don’t talk about it much anymore, but what I remember when you were talking to me about it and how we inspired lots of young women. I met Beyonce a few years ago, and she actually said to me, ‘It was the Spice Girls that inspired me and made me want to do what I do and made me proud to be a girl and proud to be who I am. And when someone like Beyonce, who is so iconic and was such a strong woman, says that she was inspired by the Spice Girls, I think that’s quite something.”
Listen to Beckham talk about Beyonce on the Breaking Beauty podcast above, at around the 16-minute mark.
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.
Shelley — the Virginia artist formerly known as DRAM — is not in the midst of a rebrand. Those who met the singer-slash-rapper with his breakout single “Broccoli” or even his groovy fun-spirited effort, “Cha Cha,” might think so, especially after finishing his second album, Shelley FKA DRAM. However, a deeper look into his discography brings us to efforts like “Caretaker” and “Best Hugs,” proof that Shelley’s soulful agenda has long been entwined in his DNA.
So what do we make of Shelley’s new album? Perhaps it’s a new chapter in his career, but that again plays into the “rebrand” idea that underscores the aged talents he presents on Shelley FKA DRAM. Instead, settling on an acceptance of one’s identity seems to be a much more fitting label for this project. Its ten songs detail Shelley’s shoulder-shrug that precedes a cannonball jump into a journey through the good and bad of love.
Shelley FKA DRAM tells a story of a love so beautiful and wholehearted that it’s worth spending a lifetime dreaming about. Its delicate songwriting wraps its warm hand around the tender production Shelley uses to paint a picture of intimacy to a degree so high that it often seems too good to be true. “Exposure” delivers words that would easily land you the woman or man of your dreams, no matter how many leagues away they might be. “The Lay Down” with HER brings the sounds and atmosphere of bedroom magic for a fiery and passion-exploding anecdote that ends with the fireworks of Watt’s searing electric guitar solo.
In between these songs comes a thought from Shelley. “Isn’t love just beautiful?” he ponders at the end of “Something About Us.” “I mean, every aspect of it / From the pursuit, you know the cold sh*t part / To actually feeling and embracing it.” And you know what? Shelley’s right. It is beautiful to sprout a connection, taking a romantic trip to wherever the heart chooses to go. Unfortunately, the journey isn’t guaranteed to last a lifetime, and the second half of Shelley FKA DRAM sees him become victim to what proves to be a flimsy promise in companionship. It all crashes and burns on “Cooking With Grease” and while he dusts himself off to start all over on “Remedies,” things aren’t the same.
Shelley approaches love with no guard to get around and without a wall to climb over. He makes it quite clear just minutes into the album. “Since we not stoppin’ ourselves,” he sings on “All Pride Aside” which features a sultry contribution from Summer Walker. “I’ll keep lettin’ you if you keep lettin’ me.” Pride blocks some of a relationship’s most necessary qualities from existent: vulnerability, communication, and compassion, just to name a few. Disposing of it is always easier said than done, and when one does, the highs of love feel really high, but its lows hurt more than anything else.
There’s a line on “The Lay Down” that sticks out to me like no other on Shelley FKA DRAM. “Can’t blow my high on airplane mode,” Shelley and HER sing at different points of the song. Life’s moments are what you make of them and not for anyone else to dictate. Keep your head in the clouds because anyone who’s up there with you understands the absolute glory in that. As for those stuck on the ground, they’re not to be worried about because you’re too out of reach for them to pull you down. This same philosophy takes life with Shelley’s sophomore album. As many may have tried to box him in as the artist we hear on “Broccoli,” he dictated his own life and artistry, accepted an identity he always knew he had, and gave the world an album that came from the heart’s core.
Shelley FKA DRAM is out now via EMPIRE/Atlantic. Get it here.
Shelley is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s been a few months since Drake announced the release of his own line of scented candles for the holidays and with Mother’s Day coming up, it looks like he’s decided to give folks another chance to pick some up. He’s also sweetening the deal, so to speak, by offering his fellow Canadians the chance to get the candles for free when they order from their favo(u)rite restaurants on Uber Eats and Postmates.
The candle brand, Better World Fragrance House, sent a limited number of candles to a curated list of Toronto and Vancouver restaurants, and from May 7 to 9, customers who order $50 or more worth of food can get a free candle as long as supplies last. Drake also shared a teaser of the brand’s “first scent series” which also releases on May 9.
The candles initially launched in five scents: Carby Musk, Good Thoughts, Muskoka, Sweeter Tings, and Williamsburg Sleepover, all inspired by Drake’s day-to-day activities, with Carby Musk allegedly smelling like Drake himself. The candles sold out on Revolve relatively quickly, and the star also sent several to his friends, including members of the Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, this offer isn’t the first time delivery services have teamed up with rappers. Uber Eats previously offered Migos-themed meals from Popeyes, while Postmates became the home of Wiz Khalifa’s delivery-only restaurant HotBox By Wiz last year. Even DoorDash got in some hip-hop love, albeit indirectly; Providence, Rhode Island rapper Brendan Rush went viral earlier this week when a driver included his Spotify info with deliveries and a fan tweeted about it.
Late Miami rapper XXXTentacion‘s estate is joining hip-hop’s crypto craze, announcing plans to turn his unreleased tracks into a series of NFTs, according to Rolling Stone. The estate will also release previously unseen tour footage in the format.
XXXTentacion’s estate and his manager Solomon “Sounds” Sobande tapped YellowHeart to create the tokens and artist Stephen Bliss to create unique art to accompany them. YellowHeart previously worked with Kings Of Leon on the band’s own NFTs earlier this year, while Bliss is best known as the artist for the popular video game series Grand Theft Auto, which was XXXTentacion’s favorite game.
Although YellowHeart did not share many details of the drop with Rolling Stone, the company did note that the collection will be launched with the company’s in-house online marketplace on May 10 at 12 pm ET, continuing through May 15 at 12 pm ET. YellowHeart did reveal that there will be five songs in the collection that were “all big on SoundCloud,” but that the estate was never able to monetize, according to Sobande. “Some of these songs aren’t even on his SoundCloud page anymore,” he said. “There are just the remnants of them being reposted. These were the songs that built his career and led up to the explosion he had.” The release will make the late rapper the first to have posthumously released music via NFT.
YellowHeart is also donating its portion of the proceeds to the XXXFoundation started in the late rapper’s honor, as well as to organizations helping women with domestic abuse, something XXXTentacion also did (before he passed, XXXTentacion was facing trial for his own brutal abuse of his former girlfriend).
In late March, security camera footage of an altercation in an elevator between Quavo and Saweetie surfaced, which prompted an LAPD investigation. Now, it is being reported that neither rapper will face criminal charges: TMZ reports that the case was referred to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, which declined to file charges, and that based on the surveillance video, there was “no likelihood of a conviction for either party.”
Both rappers previously spoke out about the incident, sharing statements with TMZ on the same day. Saweetie told the publication, “This unfortunate incident happened a year ago, while we have reconciled since then and moved past this particular disagreement, there were simply too many other hurdles to overcome in our relationship and we have both since moved on.” Hours later, Quavo offered his own statement, saying, “We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall.”
Meanwhile, Saweetie has been focusing on her career. Specifically, she’s looking for self-improvement, as she told Apple Music that she is attending an artist development boot camp. She said, “For me, I’m gonna focus on what I struggle with. I struggle with breathing control, I’m gonna work on my dance moves, my details, all that good stuff, my body, my stamina, everything.”
Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Following a year that left us indoors, masked up, and praying for the day that our freedom came back, the second half of 2021 is shaping up to be a return of the normalcy we once knew. Festivals are making their way back to the scene as a string of popular showcases, including Rolling Loud and Governor’s Ball, recently announced their 2021 dates. Now, joining that list is Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash festival who just announced the lineup for their upcoming show.
The 2021 Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash (Presented by SPKRBX)
This year’s Summer Smash festival will be a three-day showcase that takes place on the weekend of August 20-22, 2021. The first day is headlined by ASAP Rocky while the second is led by Lil Baby, and for the third and final day, Lil Uzi Vert will take the stage as the headliner to end the weekend. Additional appearances from Lil Yachty, Mulatto, Swae Lee, Femdot, Kaash Paige, Yung Baby Tate, Baby Keem, City Girls, Coi Leray, Earl Sweatshirt, Gunna, Ski Mask The Slump God, Blueface, MadeInTYO, 24kGoldn, Benny The Butcher, The Kid Laroi, NLE Choppa, Pooh Shiesty, Jasiah, and many more can be expected at this year’s Summer Smash.
The festival also joins a growing list of showcases ASAP Rocky will headline later this year, including the aforementioned Rolling Loud and Governor’s Ball. This seemingly signals that the rapper’s long-awaited fourth album is much closer to arriving than some may expect.
You can check out the full lineup in the flyer above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Tomorrow Meek Mill celebrates his 34th birthday. While that alone makes it a special day for the Philly rapper, there’s another reason it’s important: May 6 is also the birthday of his youngest child, Czar. Ahead of his son’s big day, Meek shared the first image of his boy in a post to his Instagram page. “Happy bday Czar,” he wrote under the photo of Czar, who can be seen rocking some nice jewelry and a bucket hat. “Love you. Tomar your first big day!!!! [diamond emojis] can’t wait to see you …”
Following Czar’s birth last year, Meek celebrated the addition to his family on Twitter. “Milano dropped me off a king on my birthday! #thebestgift” he wrote in a tweet. Months later, unfortunately, the rapper revealed that he and then-girlfriend Milan Harris were no longer a couple. “Me and Milano decided to remain friends and build our child as separate parents,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “We still have mad love for each other but we both came to a understanding.”
