Music

Trey Songz Sued After He Allegedly Punched A Bartender At A Hollywood Concert

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While Back Home, his most recent full-length album, was a big deal for Trey Songz last year, the rest of his 2020 was filled with controversies. Unfortunately the same goes this year. According to TMZ, the singer was sued by a bartender he allegedly punched during a Hollywood concert. The incident occurred at the Hollywood Palladium back on May 9, 2019, during a show for another artist — reportedly Cardi B — that he was in the audience for. In the lawsuit, the bartender is seeking unspecified damages, citing physical and psychological injury.

The bartender’s lawyer says that during the concert Trey jumped on the bar in order to sit on it. Trey was then asked to get off the bar, but he allegedly ignored the request. Then the bartender reached out to him in order to once again get his attention, but Trey turned around and punched him in the head, looked at the other bartenders at the bar, and went back to watching the concert.

Last week, it was reported that Trey would not face charges for fighting a police officer at an NFL game earlier this year. In that incident, he punched the officer in the head and placed him in a headlock during the AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.

Trey Songz is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

G Herbo Reportedly Faces New Charges For Lying To A Federal Agent In His Fraud Case

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After being charged with identity fraud late last year, G Herbo has been hit with new charges related to that case. According to The Shade Room, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts filed additional charges against the rapper, born Herbert Wright III, for allegedly lying to a federal agent about his connection to one of the co-defendants in the case. Wright reportedly denied having a direct relationship with Antonio Strong, his friend and business associate. The FBI believes Wright and Strong have known each other since 2016 and maintained frequent contact since.

“Herbert Wright III, a/k/a ‘Herb,’ ‘Lil Herb,’ ‘G Herbo,’ and ‘Herbert Light,’ knowingly and willfully made the following materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements and representations in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the Government of the United States,” read federal documents The Shade Room obtained. “That is, during a voluntary interview with a special agent of the United States Secret Service and a special agent of the (FBI).”

Federal prosecutors also believe Wright gave Strong money and received “private jet charters, luxury accommodations, and exotic car rentals” in return. As a result, a motion to connect the new charges to the original fraud case was filed, which, according to Complex, he approved through a signed document. Herbo will return to court for the identity theft charges in August.

Benny The Butcher And The Late Chinx Are Winning ‘Overall’ In Their Animated New Video

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Just five months after he dropped his last full-length effort, Burden Of Proof, Benny The Butcher returned to the music scene in February with a new EP, The Plugs I Met 2. Now there’s a new video for the latter’s track “Overall,” which features the late Chinx. This month marks six years since Chinx, born Lionel Du Fon Pickens, died from a gunshot wound. In order to incorporate the late rapper into the video, Benny opted for an animated effort.

The “Overall” video is the fourth that Benny’s released since he dropped The Plugs I Met 2. He first teamed up with 2 Chainz for their video for “Plug Talk,” which saw the two artists attending a “Hustler’s Anonymous” meeting. Next came one for “Survivor’s Remorse,” with Rick Hyde, and another for “When Tony Met Sosa.”

While The Plugs I Met 2 was a solid follow-up to its predecessor, it didn’t come without controversy. Fat Joe, who appeared on the track “Talkin’ Back,” faced criticism for anti-Asian remarks he made on the song. A short time later, he responded to the backlash in a tweet writing, “I did that verse a year ago when the news was calling it the wuhan virus before they called it COVID i support and love all my asian brothers and sisters never hate.”

You can watch the video for “Overall” above.

The Plugs I Met 2 is not via Black Soprano Family. Get it here.

Kenny Mason Stands Tall In The Spotlight In His Video For ‘4ever’

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Kenny Mason is one of today’s most versatile young rappers. The Atlanta native’s ability to shine over traditional hip-hop production, as well as create sounds that lean into the rock genre, make him a standout on today’s scene. He’s seeking a long-lasting legacy as an artist, which is something he discusses on “4ever,” a track from his recently released project Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut. Now there’s a new video for the song, which finds him standing under a spotlight while passionately sharing his hopes for the future with lines like, “I used to say if I’m the greatest for 10, I’m at peace / I think I want this sh*t forever right now.”

Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut is an extended edition of Mason’s debut album, Angelic Hoodrat, which he released back in April 2020. Unlike the standard edition, the reissue included a few guest names to stand beside him on the 12-track effort, including Denzel Curry, Freddie Gibbs, Angel White, and Ambar Lucid.

In a recent interview with Uproxx, Mason shared exactly what he hopes his legacy as an artist will be. “I want to connect to as many people as possible with my art and the true intention of my art and make things that last here beyond me,” he said. “When I’m gone, the things that I created are still inspiring people way after. I would like to make some stuff that in 1000 years, kids are still interested in.”

You can watch the “4ever” video above.

Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut is out now via RCA Records. Get it here.

Freddie Gibbs is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

DMX Reminisces About The Early Days Of His Career In His Final Interview

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Before his passing, DMX seemed happy to make time for interviews with various outlets, as it usually gave him an outlet to speak on the issues that weighed on his mind or reminisce about the good old days coming up in New York City (or Yonkers, as the case may be). It also provided plenty of meme-able moments and hilarious quotes, such as the time he shared his opinion on Drake, or that time he was flummoxed to learn a Black man named “Barack” was running for president, or that time he wound up singing “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” delighting fans on the internet for the next half-decade to come.

And although he’s gone now, we’ve still got at least one last interview to look forward to, as TV One managed to get ahold of him in the midst of his comeback campaign for DMX Uncensored, a docu-series filmed just three weeks before his untimely demise that looks at his rise, fall, and bid for redemption in his own words. While the interview itself is scheduled to air May 16 at 8 pm ET on TVOne, a quick teaser was shared on the network’s Twitter account to promote the event.

Meanwhile, you can check out DMX’s People’s Party interview with Talib Kweli right here on Uproxx.

Travis Scott’s Comeback Astroworld Festival Tickets Reportedly Sold Out In An Hour

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Travis Scott‘s Astroworld Festival is making its return this year after being postponed due to COVID safety precautions and the year off did nothing to dull fans’ fervor. According to a press release from Live Nation, the festival’s organizers, tickets to this year’s fest sold out less than an hour after they became available at 10 am CT this afternoon. Even more impressively, neither Scott nor Live Nation has announced a lineup, although the previous fests have included guests like DaBaby, Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, and Post Malone.

While this year’s lineup will be announced closer to the event dates (November 5-6 at NRG Park in Houston, Texas), one performer is a given: Travis Scott himself. Whether his new album, speculatively titled Utopia, will be out by then is anyone’s guess, but considering how antsy some of Travis’ fellow stars have been to release their delayed 2020 offerings, it’s a safe bet he’ll at least be previewing songs from it, even with a potential setlist full of surefire hits like “Sicko Mode,” “Goosebumps,” and “Franchise.”

As in prior years, Travis’s festival will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Cactus Jack Foundation, which looks to enrich the lives of young people by providing access to education and creative resources. You can learn more about the nonprofit here. Meanwhile, you can stay tuned to Astroworld Festival updates at the official site.

Megan Thee Stallion Is Getting A Snapchat Show About Celebrities And Their Pets

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Megan Thee Stallion is a legitimate star, yes, but so too is her dog, Foe Thee Frenchie, who has over half a million followers on Instagram. Now, Meg and Foe are teaming up for a new endeavor: Today, Snapchat announced that Megan will be hosting a new show on the platform called Off Thee Leash With Megan Thee Stallion.

Snapchat describes the show, “With multiple Grammys to her name, including Best New Artist, Megan Thee Stallion commands the charts, popular culture, and now Snapchat! In this new series, she’ll be joined by celebrity friends and their pets hosted in a way that only Megan can.” It is not currently clear when the show is set to premiere.

Snapchat also describes its new slate of programming more broadly, “Our new slate is a reflection of our community – what they care about, and the stories and personalities they love. […] Through our Snap Originals, it’s been exciting to see A-List talent become passionate about telling stories on mobile and creating content designed for the Snapchat community. We’re also giving Snapchatters a look at their favorite creators like they’ve never seen before, and finding rising stars on their way to becoming household names.”

On a related note, check out our recent list of the most adorable pets in music here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Meek Mill Buys $50,000 Of Dogecoin As Prices Inflate Due To Increased Media Attention

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Crypto mania continues to tighten its hold on hip-hop as more and more jump on the blockchain wave in the hopes of a big payday. Just a week after Eminem reportedly pulled down almost $2 million selling a collection of NFTs and Nas purportedly made out like a bandit thanks to early investment in the cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase (prompting him to dub himself the “Cryptocurrency Scarface” on DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry”), Meek Mill has joined in the feeding frenzy, buying $50,000 worth of the meme currency Dogecoin as prices rise in the wake of increased media coverage (but not scrutiny).

The rise was precipitated by this year’s flurry of coverage of the Reddit-shorted GameStop stock, as offshoots of the movement turned their focus to Dogecoin (“To the moon!”), like a rabbit hole with enticing lighting strewn up around it. After Elon Musk and his cultis– er, fans — sent the price flying thanks to a tweet from the SpaceX mogul, it looked like Dogecoin might actually be worth something, and noticing this Meek felt a fierce case of FOMO.

“I just grabbed some doge I’m tired of missing out,” he said on Twitter. Meanwhile, on Instagram, he posted a screenshot revealing both his investment — $50,000, or the price of a midsize sedan, or more than many Americans make in a year, depending on how you look at it — and his chronic misunderstanding of investment practices (buy low, sell high, Meek!).

We’ll see if it works out for him but for now, it looks like he’s another person who’s bullish on cryptocurrency and betting he can cash out before the casino closes.

6lack And Westside Boogie Put On For Their Team In LVRN’s ‘RapCaviar Cypher’ Video

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Over the past couple of years, LVRN has flown a bit under the radar in terms of labels that also function as rap crews. Where lots of attention is (rightfully) lavished on Dreamville and TDE for their tight-knit groups, Love Renaissance has seemed like more of a loose collective under one banner until recently. That changed last December when the label released its first compilation, which was, incidentally, also a holiday album showcasing the singing talents of its R&B roster. However, it looks like the rap unit is beginning to jell as well, as shown in the LVRN Cypher for Spotify’s RapCaviar.

For the first time, all of the group’s impressively gifted rappers come together on one track. While the better-known members 6lack and Westside Boogie may be the big draws, the track highlights the newbies as well, including OMB Bloodbath, who kicks things off with a breathless verse, BRS Kash, who shows he’s more than the “Throat Baby” crooner, and NoonieVsEverybody, who should increase the team’s trap appeal. The video sees the crew take over what looks like a bank lobby as DJ Kitty Cash spins from the concierge podium and the rappers do their thing in matching maintenance uniforms emblazoned with the LVRN logo.

It took a while for the Avengers to come together; now it looks like rap has a new superteam aiming at taking over, one verse at a time. Meanwhile, the team also released individual videos for each member with extended verses, ensuring even more content to hold fans over for whatever comes next.

Watch the LVRN RapCaviar Cypher above.

MF DOOM’s First Posthumous Album Is A Joint Effort With Czarface, ‘Super What?’

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MF DOOM

MF DOOM is returning this week — in a way — thanks to Super What?, a joint album with Czarface (Esoteric and Wu-Tang’s Inspectah Deck) releasing this Friday, May 7. The project will be the first posthumous MF DOOM release since his death was announced by his family on New Year’s Eve last year, two months after his passing. The album is a follow-up to the trio’s 2018 effort Czarface Meets Metalface and was recorded and scheduled for release in 2020. Those plans were paused due to COVID-19 but will proceed this month as a tribute to the late, great DOOM.

Super What? is available for pre-order on both CD and vinyl on MFDOOM’s website GasDrawls.com, with a special edition vinyl already sold out (sorry) and a GasDrawls exclusive vinyl still available for the price of two standard editions. The album is accompanied by a comic book written by Czarface MC Esoteric and illustrated by Benjamin Marra. The ten-track tape features guest appearances from Gorillaz’s Del The Funky Homosapien and Run-DMC’s DMC.

DOOM’s passing sparked a renewed interest in the underground icon’s discography, as streams of his old projects leaped nearly 900% in the wake of the announcement of his death and tributes poured in from both collaborators like Open Mike Eagle and admirers such as Playboi Carti. Hopefully, Super What? will satisfy that interest as fans continue to await news on the Madvillainy sequel that was also reportedly in the works.

Super What? is due 5/7. Pre-order it here.