Music

Billie Eilish Doesn’t Care If She’s A ‘Hypocrite’ For Wanting To Show Her Skin In A Revealing Cover

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Interscope

We’re well into the new era that Billie Eilish is presenting with her new album. It comes with the singer ditching her trademark black and green hair for a more delicate blonde look. She’s also given us new music for it as she dropped “Your Power,” the first single from her next project, last week.

This forthcoming full-length effort, titled Happier Than Ever, is set to arrive on July 30 and while that’s still more than two months away, Eilish is already displaying her content outlook on life through a new profile with British Vogue for their June 2021 issue.

One of the many talking points during her conversation with the magazine was an emphasis on being happy in your skin and how much you of it you choose to show regardless of society’s opinion.

“Suddenly you’re a hypocrite if you want to show your skin, and you’re easy and you’re a slut and you’re a whore,” Eilish said. “If I am, then I’m proud. Me and all the girls are hoes, and f**k it, y’know? Let’s turn it around and be empowered in that. Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you.” This follows another point she makes during the sit-down in which she says, “Don’t make me not a role model because you’re turned on by me.”

The profile also featured a photoshoot that sees the singer rocking a “classic, old-timey pin-up” look that includes a corset, a piece of clothing Eilish felt would she would be criticized for wearing.

“If you’re about body positivity, why would you wear a corset? Why wouldn’t you show your actual body?” she predicted some would say to which she responded, “My thing is that I can do whatever I want.”

While the upcoming issue won’t hit newsstands until May 7, you can read her full profile with British Vogue here.

Justin Bieber Delivered A Stripped-Down Performance Of His No. 1 Song ‘Peaches’

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A little over a year after he made his return with Changes, Justin Bieber began a new album cycle with his sixth effort, Justice. The project, which boasted 16 tracks and features from Khalid, Chance The Rapper, Burna Boy, Giveon and Daniel Caesar, helped Bieber return to the top of the album charts. It also made the singer the first male solo artist to debut a song and album at No. 1 in the same week after “Peaches” made its debut atop the singles chart. This is also the song that Bieber recently gave a stripped-down performance of, much to the delight of fans.

Bieber pulled a seat by a piano as he rocked bright pink sunglasses and dreads — the latter which caused a bit of controversy last week — to deliver the somber take on “Peaches.” While the track originally features Giveon and Daniel Caesar, this version was an entirely solo effort that gave Bieber the opportunity to show off his vocals.

The rendition was the third take of “Peaches” that Bieber has delivered over the past couple of months. He first premiered the track during his NPR Tiny Desk concert from back and March and recently joined Jimmy Fallon and The Roots for a classroom instrumental version of the song.

You can watch Bieber’s stripped-down performance of “Peaches” above.

Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Chloe Bailey’s Excellent ‘Be Careful’ Cover Left Cardi B ‘Smiling From Ear To Ear’

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It’s been a few months since R&B duo Chloe x Halle created separate social media accounts where they both show off their individual personalities and styles. They made the accounts after Halle Bailey flew over to the United Kingdom in order to film her role in Disney’s live-action rendition of The Little Mermaid.

In the meantime, Chloe Bailey has taken advantage of her individual account to showcase her singing talents. The latest example of this came Saturday night when she posted a cover of Cardi B’s “Be Careful” from the rapper’s 2018 album, Invasion Of Privacy.

The cover was met with immediate praise and fans from all over who showed love to the singer for the excellent vocal performance. Chloe’s rendition of “Be Careful” eventually made its way to Cardi B’s eyes, who also had nothing but good words for the singer.

“This is soo beautiful got me smiling from ear to ear and blushing maa hard,” Cardi wrote on Twitter. “You see this how I thought I sounded on the track.”

Chloe’s rendition of “Be Careful” adds to the growing list of covers she’s shared over the past couple of months. She’s tried her hand at Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open,” The Weeknd’s “Earned It,” Giveon’s “Heartbreak Anniversary,” and Yung Bleu’s “You’re Mine Still.”

You can listen to Chloe Bailey’s cover in the video above.

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

J. Cole Is ‘Too Excited’ About His Upcoming Release, ‘The Off-Season’

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J. Cole // Philip Cosores

Since the end of last year, J. Cole has been teasing a new release titled “The Off-Season“, an effort that will precede his upcoming album, The Fall Off. While he did not specify if “The Off-Season” would be a single or project, the Dreamville rapper can’t wait to share it with the world as he revealed in a post to his Instagram Story. “Just rode through the city to The Off-Season,” he wrote. “Dawg (face palm emoji)… Too excited.”

The post comes just a couple of days after Bas revealed “The Off-Season” is something fans can expect their hands on soon. “The Off-Season,” he wrote under a photo of Cole in the studio. “pack your bags. [rocket emoji] in two weeks.” Its title holds a sports theme which falls in line with Cole’s early mixtapes, 2007’s The Come Up, 2009’s The Warm Up, and 2010’s Friday Night Lights, so it’s very much possible that “The Off-Season” could be a new mixtape rather a new single.

If that proves to be true, The Off-Season would be Cole’s first full-length solo project since his 2018 album, KOD. Since then, he’s gone on an impressive guest feature run, teamed up with his Dreamville labelmates for Revenge Of The Dreamers III, and dropped three singles: “Lion King On Ice,” “The Climb Back,” and the controversial “Snow On Tha Bluff.”

You can check out a screenshot of Cole’s post above.

Jack Harlow Was Just Feet Away From A Deadly Louisville Nightclub Shooting

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While coronavirus remains a top issue in the United States, the threat of deadly gun violence has been another problem the country faces amid a number of deadly shootings over the past couple of months, especially at public events. A recent example of this came on Friday at a Lousiville nightclub that rapper Jack Harlow was attending. Harlow was just feet away from a deadly shooting at the venue, an incident that was captured through a video provided by TMZ.

Harlow, who is from the Louisville area, stopped by the city’s Ultra Lounge to attend a party in honor of the Kentucky Derby. In the video, the rapper can be seen near the stage seemingly enjoying the night when a fight breaks out not too far from him. What started as a vocal dispute quickly turned physical and a short moment later, a gunshot could be heard which sparks immediate chaos as attendees — including Harlow — make a run for safety. Luckily for the Louisville rapper, he made it out of the venue untouched but the incident unfortunately left one woman dead and sent another man to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

This happened a week after a shooting occurred at Lil Durk’s Smurkchella concert in Pheonix, AZ. This incident left one woman injured after a bullet grazed her leg. To watch TMZ’s video of the Louisville shooting, click here.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Coi Leray Takes Down Pooh Shiesty And Other Enemies In Their Video For ‘Big Purr (Prrdd)’

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Coi Leray’s 2021 is off to a fantastic start. Her year began with “No More Parties,” a track that caught fire on TikTok and was further elevated thanks to a remix with Lil Durk. What followed was a second successful single in “Big Purr (Prrd)” with Pooh Shiesty. Just like “No More Parties,” Leray’s latest single received a nice boost from social media.

Now, more than a month after the song’s release, the duo returns with a new video for the track. In it, Leray is seemingly tasked with recovering a diamond that Shiesty holds in his possession, a mission that required her to take down a number of Shiesty’s associates before she reaches him to retrieve the jewel.

The new release comes after Leray made her television debut with a performance of “No More Parties” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It’s a moment that arrived after a string of solid projects the 23-year-old New Jersey rapper has shared over the years. Between her Everythingcoz and EC2 mixtapes as well as her Now Or Never EP, all of which influenced her selection in Uproxx’s “Rappers To Watch Out For In 2021,” Leray’s moment in the spotlight is well-deserved to say at the very least.

You can press play on the new video above.

Pooh Shiesty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Durk Wants To Buy The Housing Complex He Grew Up In After It Went Up For Sale

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This month will mark the one-year anniversary of Lil Durk’s mixtape, Just Cause Y’all Waited 2, a project that kicked off a strong run for the Chicago native. This hot streak included a second project, The Voice, and deluxe re-releases for both efforts. With that being said, it appears that Durk’s next accomplishment will be outside the music world. The rapper recently expressed his interest in buying the housing complex he grew up in after it recently went up for sale.

According to Chicago Sun Times, Parkway Gardens, one of Chicago’s biggest affordable housing complexes, is in search of a new owner. The 13-acre complex — which is also known as “O Block” — and its nearly three-dozen buildings stretch from the city’s 63rd to 65th streets between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Calumet Avenue. After reading the news about the complex on Twitter, Lil Durk responded to a post writing, “I’ll buy it don’t matter how much it is.”

Housing broker Affordable Housing Advisors posted the complex to the market without an asking price. The development was originally purchased by Realtor Midwest in 2011. The deal included $59.5 million in tax-exempt bonds from the Illinois Housing Development Authority, $28.8 million in Wells Fargo equity from low-income housing tax credits, and $9.9 million in historic rehabilitation tax credits. Currently, 3,000 residents fill out the 694-unit housing development.

DJ Khaled Offers A Lively Video For ‘Where You Come From’ With Buju Banton, Capleton, And Bounty Killer

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DJ Khaled recently dropped his 12th album, Khaled Khaled, on Friday. As he’s done with previous work, the rapper and producer called on some of the music industry’s biggest names to come together for the star-studded release, which he continues to promote with a new video for “Where You Come From,” featuring Buju Banton, Capleton, and Bounty Killer.

The video finds Khaled enjoying the earthy forests of Jamaica, a country that Banton, Capleton, and Bounty Killer call home. They also welcome other people who live in the area to hang out. In a message paired with the new video, Khaled pointed out a unique aspect about the song. “Let’s be CLEAR!” he said. “All these artists have NEVER collaborated on one record before. This is HISTORY. JAMAICA I LOVE YOU!”

Khaled also dropped another video from the album, for the track “Sorry Not Sorry.” It features Jay-Z and Nas, as well as James Fauntleroy and Harmonies By The Hive — who many correctly guessed is actually Beyonce prior to its arrival. Elsewhere on Khaled Khaled, listeners can catch appearances from Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Bryson Tiller, Cardi B, Roddy Ricch, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone, and many more.

You can watch the video for “Where You Come From” above.

Khaled Khaled is out now via Epic Records. Get it here.

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

Meek Mill Remixes Drake’s ‘Lemon Pepper Freestyle’ And Teases New Music On The Way

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Meek Mill has been hard at work on his fifth album, which will be his first full-length effort since 2018’s Championship. From the looks of it, the album could arrive soon, but before it does, the Philly native showcased his talents in a confident new freestyle. Mill’s latest track finds him rapping over Drake and Rick Ross’ “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” a remix that also came with a music video. It finds Meek recording in the studio and shopping for jewelry while speaking about his turbulent past and determination to remain successful.

Shortly after he released the song, Meek hopped on Twitter to chat with fans. After one user requested a mixtape from him, he responded, “Just RAP, no features, no singing n****s, Just Meek over a calm beat going crazy.” He added that more new music from him is coming, writing, “Ima give y’all one this summer after my album.” Another person responded with skepticism about the claim, but Meek seemed set on making it happen, saying, “We gon see!” He also teased a sequel to his 2014 track “Blue Notes,” which features Lil Uzi Vert “on some Philly sh*t and he rapping rapping!”

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

The Grammys Opt To Eliminate ‘Secret Committees’ And Make ‘Significant Changes’ To Their Voting Process

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Last fall, the Grammys were dealt a heavy dose of criticism about their nominations. Many were upset with some of The Recording Academy’s choices, or lack thereof, such as failing to nominate The Weeknd in any category despite having the acclaimed album After Hours. Months later, the Grammys announced they’re making “significant changes” to their voting process according to Billboard. This includes the elimination of “secret committees,” who were originally tasked with reviewing nominations in the general and genre-specific categories.

With this removal, nominations in these categories will now be selected by a majority, peer-to-peer vote from The Academy’s members. They also chose to reduce the number of categories voters can make selections in from 15 to 10. The Grammys created two new categories for the award show, Best Global Music Performance and Best Música Urbana Album, and added an extra month to the eligibility period for next year’s award show. The time frame of eligibility is now September 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. The changes will go into effect immediately for next year’s show, which is set for January 31, 2022.

“It’s been a year of unprecedented, transformational change for the Recording Academy, and I’m immensely proud to be able to continue our journey of growth with these latest updates to our Awards process,” Harvey Mason Jr., chair and interim president/CEO of the Recording Academy, said. “This is a new Academy, one that is driven to action and that has doubled down on the commitment to meeting the needs of the music community.”