Music

J. Cole Reactivated His Twitter Account And Fans Are Convinced He’s Releasing New Music Soon

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With just one tweet, J. Cole has validated the hype for his upcoming album in the eyes of many and set social media abuzz with anticipation. Although his Dreamville labelmate Bas teased something coming in two weeks at the end of April, there was always a possibility that the teaser could have been invalid or plans might have changed. However, now that the notoriously social media shy Cole has checked in — even without actually sharing any real information — fans are convinced that the release of his new music is imminent, even though all he wrote was, “Is this thing on?”

Cole, who originally teased a 2020 release date for his new album way back in 2019 at Day N Vegas, pushed back the release as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown of the live entertainment infrastructure like many other big-name artists. He postponed his Dreamville Festival and went more-or-less into seclusion for most of 2020, popping up to offer a handful of singles, including the ill-advised “Snow On Tha Bluff,” which prompted a tesy back-and-forth between J. Cole and Noname. And while members of Cole’s crew, including Earthgang’s Olu, continued to tease Cole’s upcoming project — tentatively titled The Fall Off — he seemed more interested in chasing his hoop dream than rapping.

However, after a long, uncertain wait, Cole crossed off one item from his list after another, and now, here we are. Perhaps the full album will release, or just the video for “The Off-Season,” but it looks like Cole’s fellow Dreamers are going to be watching his newly reactivated account intently for the foreseeable future.

J. Cole Announces His New Album ‘The Off-Season’s Release Date

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Welp, that didn’t last long. No sooner had I hit “publish” on this last post about fans’ speculations than J. Cole announced the release date for his upcoming album, now titled The Off-Season, and shared its cover. The album is due next Friday, May 14. Check out the cover below.

This post is being updated.

A Resurfaced Jay-Z Quote From 2010 Has Fans Debating The Lyrics From ‘Big Pimpin’

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Jay-Z fans on Twitter are debating one of the rapper’s biggest hits a tweet from The Source‘s account asserted that Jay “regrets” making “Big Pimpin’,” the third single from his 1999 album Vol. 3… Life And Times Of S. Carter. The Source‘s tweet linked to an article on the magazine’s website which interpreted a quote from a 2010 Wall Street Journal interview to mean that Jay took a negative view of his old song. However, upon realizing the quote in question was over a decade old, fans quickly decried the article and the tweet as “clickbait.”

However, that didn’t stop the tweet from generating conversation, as Jay’s fans chimed in on his imagined reaction to his own lyrics, as well on The Source‘s out-of-context reporting. Some compared Jay’s older lyrics to his new ones, stating they preferred when Jay was “Big Pimpin’” alongside Bun B and Pimp C of UGK to the Jay-Z who makes deals with the NFL and raps about his big business moves like selling Tidal to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Others agreed with the sentiment that Jay’s view must have changed over time. As one pointed out, since 2000, Jay has gotten married, had three kids, and changed his outlook on everything from fashion to his role in politics. Some thought “cancel culture” had finally come for him.

And while the quote in question is still difficult to put into context — after all, it’s just a written quote, and Jay’s notoriously sarcastic in interviews, besides his rapper’s penchant for using metaphorical language to describe a point of view that can get lost in translation in a different format — it’s still proof positive that Jay is still one of the most foremost figures in hip-hop. See more of the polarized responses to Jay’s old quote below, and read the full interview here.

Drake’s Son Adonis Was Locked In Watching LeBron James Highlights

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Part of what makes sports so great is the history that gets passed down from generation to generation, stories told from fathers and mothers to their sons and daughters of the greats they saw. Today, that often means showing highlight reels on YouTube, which has an endless supply of videos of the best from today and compilations put together from yesteryear.

While the generations are often split on the GOAT debates based on who they saw play when they were younger, being able to appreciate greatness is nearly universal among sports fans. Some players, like LeBron James, have careers that span multiple generations and part of what makes his legacy so incredible is that he’s continuing to dominate nearly two decades into his NBA career. That so many have been able to witness his greatness in person or at least live on TV is going to make him a figure discussed, debated, and revered long after he eventually retires.

It also means there’s quite the backlog of LeBron highlights to show this current generation of kids who may only know of Laker LeBron, which is exactly what Drake did with his son Adonis, posting a video of his son absolutely locked in and enthralled by some of James’ best highlights from his younger days.

It’s they type of thing almost every sports fan can immediately relate to, that sense of awe and disbelief as a child watching the very best do seemingly superhuman things. It’s what folks of my generation born in the early 90s had the first time we saw Michael Jordan, surely having similar “OMG” moments as we, knowing the late-career Jordan, first got introduced to some of his early highlights via VHS tapes. Drake’s love of basketball and sports in general is not a secret, and part of the joy of parenthood is finding things to share and enjoy with your kids, which it seems he and Adonis will be able to do with hoops.

Lil Nas X Says He’s No Longer ‘Afraid’ Of Alienating His Straight Fans

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When Lil Nas X released his internet-breaking “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” he was facing criticism from two sides. Several conservative and religious viewers clutched their pearls at the sight of the musician twerking up on Satan. Another side questioned his queer identity entirely. Prior to coming out, Lil Nas X would have listened to his haters as he used to be concerned about alienating his straight fans, but now, he’s just being his most authentic self.

Speaking in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lil Nas X opened up about the recent controversy surrounding his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video. The musician knows that those criticizing him and his music weren’t supporters in the first place. “At first I was really afraid of alienating any of my straight fans,” he said. “But then it was kind of like, if they feel offended, they were never really here for me. They were here for whatever version of myself they made up in their head.”

Another aspect that’s changed for Lil Nas X since his rise to fame is how he’s able to playfully confront haters. When he was first blowing up, the musician would simply block anyone trash-talking him online. But now, he has no problem clapping back:

“I’m very much a chaotic, good person. I almost never want to start shooting at somebody who didn’t bring it to my doorstep, you know? But I kind of live for when somebody tries to get me and I’m ready to throw it back at them tenfold. Do I feel bad about it sometimes? Every now and then, but I feel less bad knowing that I didn’t start it. I try to never throw stones, but if somebody throws one at me, I’m throwing an entire house.”

Drake Cracks Up After Learning Moneybagg Yo’s Government Name

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After attaining his first No. 1 album with A Gangsta’s Pain, Moneybagg Yo is well on his way to becoming a household name. However, when it comes to names, the Memphis rapper was surprised to find his government name used as trivia during a Music Choice stream of his album’s defiant single “Time Today.” Catching a video of the moment, Yo zoomed in on the “Did You Know?” section of the screen informing viewers that “Moneybagg Yo’s real name is Demario Dewayne White Jr.,” declaring Music Choice to be “police as hell.”

“Appreciate the love but damn!” he exclaims in the video. “Talking about, ‘Did y’all know his real name?’”

Moneybagg Yo must not have Googled himself recently because it isn’t that hard to find this information in the public sphere. For what it’s worth though, the whole point of a trivia section is to reveal things to a reader that they might not have been aware of before. One person who did seem amused by Moneybagg’s real name — or at least, his reaction to it — was Drake, who commented on DJ Akademiks’ post about Yo’s discovery. “DD White mayne,” he wrote, accompanying his post with several laughing emojis.

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Ultimately, Moneybagg Yo is likely to be the one to get the last laugh. He’s been too busy celebrating his wins to worry about internet commenters throwing shade, laughing off one critic’s assertion on TikTok that one of his recent performances was “boring.”

You can read Uproxx’s review of A Gangsta’s Pain here.

DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, And Jeremih Are ‘Thankful’ For Their Blessings In A Reverent New Video

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The rollout for DJ Khaled’s recently released twelfth studio album Khaled Khaled continues today with the video for the album’s opener, the Lil Wayne and Jeremih-featuring “Thankful.” The song, which samples Bobby “Blue” Bland’s 1978 soul single “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City.” opens the album with a worshipful, gospel-inflected meditation on the success the three men have experienced over the course of their careers, as well as Jeremih’s recovery from a recent bout of COVID-19.

“Thankful” follows the Jay-Z and Nas-featuring “Sorry Not Sorry” (which also featured a harmonious, undercover appearance from Jay-Z’s wife Beyonce, as “Harmonies By The Hive”) and the dancehall-accented “Where You Come From” featuring Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, and Capleton as the latest single from Khaled Khaled to receive the video treatment — a departure from the video-crazy rollout for Khaled’s last album, Father Of Asahd.

The more measured release strategy seems to be paying off, as Hits Daily Double projects a No. 1 debut looming for Khaled — his third in five years, after Major Key and Grateful. Father Of Asahd debuted at No. 2 in 2019, prompting Khaled to rebuke Billboard for changing its counting rules.

Watch DJ Khaled’s “Thankful” video featuring Lil Wayne and Jeremih above.

Noname Revisits Her J. Cole Feud: ‘He Was Angered By The ‘Tone’ Of A Tweet That Didn’t Even Name Him’

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2020 yielded some memorable music feuds, with one of the biggest being the beef between Noname and J. Cole. Uproxx’s Aaron Williams previously summed up the situation with a detailed explainer, but in essence, it began with Cole taking notice of a Noname tweet that he perceived as calling him out. Now, about a year after the saga began, Noname has addressed it again.

It began with Noname tweeting a personal philosophy a few days ago: “noname. no allegiance to one ideology. i read all. take what applies. leave the rest.” Somebody responded, “Dweebs gon call you unprincipled,” to which Noname replied, “i’m no longer interested in proving myself to an internet that will cannibalize the vulnerability of those who choose to publicly learn. it’s cop sh*t. i’m interested in what my community calls me. twitter is not my community [heart emoji].”

Somebody else then brought Cole into the conversation, responding, “J Cole literally tried to make that same point to you almost 2 years ago lol.” Noname fired back, “no. j cole was upset because i tweeted about rappers who profit off blackness while simultaneously being silent when it comes to black death. he was angered by the ‘tone’ of a tweet that didn’t even specifically name him.”

Another person replied, “J Cole has out in enough time to and done enough organising to be above your questioning,” to which a seemingly skeptical Noname responded, “wait, j cole is an organizer [monocle emoji].” She then added, “i forgot how much yall play on this app [crying emoji].”

Find Noname’s tweets below.

@noname/Twitter

Governors Ball’s 2021 Lineup Is Led By Billie Eilish, Post Malone, And ASAP Rocky

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Music festivals seem like a relic of the ancient past, but slowly but surely, they’re coming back. Now, one of New York City’s biggest events is making a return in 2021, as it was announced today that Governors Ball will be hosting its tenth anniversary event at Citi Field between September 24 and 26. Tickets go on sale on May 6 at noon ET, and ahead of then, the lineup has been shared.

The first day will be headlined by Billie Eilish, while ASAP Rocky and J Balvin will lead the second day and Post Malone will wrap up the final day. Other notable artists on the poster include DaBaby, Leon Bridges, Megan Thee Stallion, Phoebe Bridgers, 21 Savage, Ellie Goulding, Young Thug, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kind Princess, Portugal The Man, 24kGoldn, Future Islands, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist, Earthgang, Tate McRae, Sasha Sloan, Orville Peck, Bartees Strange, RMR, Aminé, Big Thief, Cordae, Cleachers, Chiiild, Jamie xx, Dominic Fike, Smino, Princess Nokia, Jay Som and Palehound’s Bachelor, and 100 Gecs.

Ahead of today’s announcement, organizers shared a tease that read, “We miss the music. The crowd. The energy. The streets were quiet, the venues empty, our gates closed. It’s not the same to scream at the top of your lungs alone, and it sure isn’t as fun dancing at home. For too long there has been too little to look forward to. That changes tomorrow.”

Check out the Governors Ball poster above.

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

Phife Dawg’s Latest Posthumous Single ‘French Kiss Deux’ Is A Slinky Track Featuring Illa J

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A Tribe Called Quest member Phife Dawg’s life was tragically cut short in 2016 when he passed away due to complications related to type one diabetes. Even just one year after he passed, memorials, tributes, and remembrances were still pouring out in celebration of the legendary figure. Of course, there was the Tribe farewell album released in 2016 that included a few appearances from the late MC, but then rumblings began to stir that a posthumous album from Phife himself would be making its way into listeners hands at some point.

In late 2020, those rumblings became official and now a few songs have been released to help promote the album. First, the album title was revealed to be Forever, a fitting label for a posthumous release, and then the debut single “Nutshell Pt. 2” featuring Redman and Busta Rhymes was released in early February. An animated lyric video for that track followed up, and today, a second single has debuted. “French Kiss Deux” features J. Dilla’s younger brother Illa J and is an homage to Montreal, Canada.

Produced by Potatohead People-produced, the song hews closely to its title and focuses on a potential romantic connection. Listen to the track below and look for the full album Forever coming out later this year.