Music

Lil Nas X Claps Back At Critics Who Claim He’s ‘Being Gay For Success’

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Lil Nas X has faced a lot of backlash for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” both the song and its controversial video. On top of that, there was that line of “Satan Shoes,” which added fuel to the fire. For the most part, the singer has stuck to his trolling ways, but things took a turn when some people questioned his sexuality, claiming it was a front. That prompted Lil Nas to take to Twitter to set the record straight.

“Y’all love saying i’m being gay for success but can’t name 5 successful gay male artists in the last 10 years to save your life,” he said in one tweet. The responses piled up. One person claimed Lil Nas was dissing other artists, but the singer quickly denied that. “I’m not dissing anyone,” he said. “I’m acknowledging the fact that we aren’t usually as successful as our peers. what’s not clicking starbucks spellman.” Another hopped in and took a shot at Lil Nas and his “Montero,” but once again, he had another great response for it.

“It’s a million n****s in the industry that make nothing but songs about women and y’all don’t complain,” he wrote. “But i make my first song about a n**** and now it’s my entire artistry. y’all crack me up man.”

Jhene Aiko Aiko Celebrates 4/20 With A Well-Timed Video For ‘Tryna Smoke’

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Since releasing her Chilombo album in early 2020, Jhene Aiko has steadily released music videos for its various songs. Now she’s finally getting around to dropping one for “Tryna Smoke,” which she did in honor of 4/20. It finds Aiko surrounded by some friends, including Big Sean, as they gather in a That 70’s Show-esque circle to prepare for a smoke session. After testing out the weed, Aiko and friends spark up to enjoy the rest of their night.

Previous Chilombo tracks to get the video treatment include “Born Tired,” “10K Hours,” ‘Speak,” and “Summer 2020.” The 20-track album — which grew to be 29 songs after a deluxe reissue — seemed to be her most well-received effort, landing her a trio of Grammy nominations earlier this year. The album was featured in Best Progressive R&B Album and Album Of The Year categories, while “Lightning & Thunder,” her collaboration with John Legend, was nominated for Best R&B Performance.

On top of that, Aiko recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of her breakout mixtape, Sailing Soul(s), by re-releasing it to streaming services with additional songs. She also joined Ty Dolla Sign, Saweetie, and Big Sean for recent collaborations over the past few months.

Press play on the “Tryna Smoke” video above.

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

Young Thug And Unfoonk’s Video For ‘Real’ Is The Epitome Of Brotherly Love

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There are a fair number of siblings active in the music industry today: Chance The Rapper and Taylor Bennet; D Smoke and SiR; Chloe x Halle; VanJess. Then there’s Young Thug and his brother Unfoonk, who joined forces for the track “Real,” off the former’s newly released album Slime Language 2. The song has become one of the fan favorites off the project. And now there’s a music video, which begins with Unfoonk being released from jail and returning home, where he gets back to recording music. Thug eventually joins him for a makeshift studio session, kicking off what turns out to be a nice display of brotherly love.

The video for “Real” is the second that’s been released since Slime Language 2 arrived last Friday. The first was the one for “Ski,” in which Thug and Gunna threw a lavish pool party, with appearances from Swae Lee, Nav, Seattle Seahawks’ wide-receiver DK Metcalf, and fellow YSL members T-Shyne, Strick, and Lil Duke.

If you’re looking forward to hearing more from Young Thug, you can catch him on Cordae’s upcoming Just Until… EP which drops on Wednesday.

You can watch the “Real” video above.

Slime Language 2 is out now via YSL Records/300 Entertainment. Get it here.

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

The Music World Reacts To Derek Chauvin’s Guilty Verdict

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Nearly twelve months ago, the world saw another unarmed Black person die in the hands of police. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, an incident that was caught on camera by witnesses. It was yet another case of Black lives being slain by law enforcement and while Chauvin would eventually be arrested and charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, there was heavy doubt that the end result would be a guilty verdict. Well, that doubt was erased when a jury for the trial found him guilty on all charges.

A sigh of relief could be felt all around the world, from Twitter to the people who gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota where Chauvin’s trial was being held. Similar sentiments could be felt within people in the music world, as they took to social media to share their thoughts about the guilty verdict. Some reactions were brief like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion who said, “History,” and “Justice” in their respective posts. Other messages were a bit lengthier like Questlove’s who wrote, “We still have to fight for justice yall. Remember that “we voted Obama in yay racism is gone!” feeling? Yeah…let’s learn from that.” He added, “I’m happy for the Floyd family tho. Especially his daughter. But there is still a slew of mountain to climb.”

You can read more tweets from the music world below.

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

Dave Chappelle Is Launching His First-Ever Podcast, Along With Talib Kweli And Yasiin Bey

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“Last summer, Yellow Springs [Ohio] was what Hollywood is supposed to be,” says Talib Kweli about the much mythologized “Chappelle Summer Camp” of 2020, which has now given birth to Dave Chappelle’s first podcast. “What we realized is that Hollywood and all that stuff is fake. The real dopeness is where the people are. If someone like Chappelle says, ‘Well, I’m in Yellow Springs.’ Then that’s where the people are going to be.”

The show, co-hosted by Kweli and Yasiin Bey and called The Midnight Miracle, will air on the subscription podcast network Luminary, will reveal the inner workings of Chappelle’s covid rapid tested events (along with the even more legendary after-parties), held in Ohio through the summer and deep into the fall. The first episodes are set to drop “in the coming weeks” and will feature wide-ranging conversations as well as sketches, archival clips, and impersonations from Chappelle, along with a roster of his incredibly famous friends.

“The constant isn’t fame,” Kweli says, “it’s contributions to the culture. Chappelle, one of his many talents, is curating great rooms, so what people will hear on the podcast is essentially what they would hear if they were in the room with us. It’s very organic, very free-flowing, it’s non-linear… we just happen to associate ourselves with greatness.”

“The Midnight Miracle” was recorded in a retrofitted mechanic’s garage turned clubhouse, and the trio has already banked over 100 hours of content recorded with a jaw-dropping list of guests from Common and Tiffany Haddish to Questlove and Chris Rock (plus a soundtrack that includes Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and D’Angelo).

As for where the seed of the show first blossomed, Kweli credits his longtime Black Star partner in rhyme, Yasiin Bey. The trio’s friendship has endured since the Chappelle’s Show days.

“We speak often and the last few years we’ve spoken more, as we’ve gotten older,” Kweli tells us. “It was actually Yasiin’s idea to do this type of podcast, when he and Dave first heard people talking about my show, The People’s Party. [People’s Party is produced by Uproxx] Yasiin said to Dave, ‘you should be doing a podcast, too’ and Dave said ‘well the only way I’m doing it is if I do it with ya’ll,’ It was just that simple.”

“Making a podcast isn’t the obvious next move for me, but it’s the right one,” Chappelle said in a press release announcing the show. “The Midnight Miracle gives you a look into how me and my friends process the world around us, and I think it will change the way listeners think of what a podcast can be.”

Look for The Midnight Miracle to drop on Luminary in the weeks to come.

Cordae Announces A Four-Song EP Featuring Young Thug To Hold Fans Over For His Album

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It has been nearly two years since the release of Cordae’s debut album The Lost Boy, and the 23-year-old Maryland native’s fans are getting antsy for a follow-up. They’ve had a few singles to old them over recently, including the Roddy Ricch-featuring “Gifted,” which made Cordae’s name change official, and “The Parables,” which put his songwriting prowess on display, but Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Cordae’s giving the world a few more appetizers ahead of his nearly-completed sophomore album.

Today, he announced the upcoming release of Just Until…, a four-song EP releasing at midnight “tomorrow” featuring guest appearances from two disparate entities that highlight the young rapper’s cross-generational appeal. On “More Life,” he’ll team up with Q-Tip, who represents the ’90s Golden Era that clearly influences much of Cordae’s work, while on “Wassup,” he’s recruited Young Thug, one of the top representatives of the modern generation of genre-bending rappers to which Cordae himself belongs.

While that tension has helped to make Cordae a favorite of both older rap fans and younger ones, as seen in his ability to convincingly collaborate with the jazzy Dinner Party crew on “Freeze Tag” and Stevie Wonder and Busta Rhymes on “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate,” it’s also generated some behind-the-scenes friction. Royce Da 5’9″ recently told a podcast that Atlantic actually blocked Cordae from appearing on his Grammy-nominated The Allegory because higher-ups at the label allegedly “want to keep him young.”

However, the tracklist for Just Until… seems to suggest that the wise-beyond-his-years Cordae doesn’t care about all that — he just wants to work with the best of the best. Look out for that release on 4/21 at midnight and his full album later this year.

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

Justin Bieber And Jack Harlow Are Joining Bill Nye The Science Guy For An Earth Day Musical

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Earth Day is right around the corner and as the climate change crisis persists, it’s more important than ever to raise awareness about environmentalism. That’s why iconic TV host Bill Nye The Science Guy has tapped several musicians including Justin Bieber and Jack Harlow to join him in an Earth Day-themed musical.

Earth Day! The Musical takes place on April 22 and follows Nye as he and a handful of celebrities and activists share information about how individuals can do their part to help curb the effects of climate change. Other celebrities slated to join Bieber, Harlow, and Nye include Maluma, Ben Platt, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Cody Simpson, Steve Aoki, Tori Kelly, Zac Efron, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, and Nick Kroll.

The event will stream on Facebook and also showcase the important work of several entrepreneurs trying to make the world a better place. CEO Alexia Akbay will highlight their Hawaii-based company Symbrosia, which uses seaweed to reduce livestock methane, and 18-year-old Jerome Foster II will discuss how he became the youngest member of the Biden White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

Earth Day! The Musical premieres 4/22 at 12 p.m. ET. Watch it here.

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

Lil Keed, NLE Choppa, And More React To Sean Paul’s ‘Like Glue’ Video

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After Almighty Suspect, Blac Chyna, and Guapdad 4000 gave their impressions of Canadian dancehall star Snow’s “Informer” video in the last episode of React Like You Know, this week’s episode sticks to the dancehall lane with Jamaican icon of the genre, Sean Paul, and his 2003 video for “Like Glue.” Released as the third single to Sean Paul’s second album Dutty Rock which dropped just a year earlier, the single peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, was successful worldwide, and was a fixture of music video countdown shows’ daily rotation for a good, long while.

Of course, for our panel of fresh-faced, up-and-coming artists, that may as well have been 100 years ago — NLE Choppa was only eight months old when the single was released, and most of the others wouldn’t have been in the target demo for shows like TRL and 106 & Park just yet, either. Most only remember the song from family get-togethers, although Shootergang Kony fondly remembers Sean Paul from the EA rapper wrestling game, Def Jam: Fight For NY (a true classic that deserves an HD remake and/or sequel — someone please get on that immediately, thanks).

Watch the latest episode React Like You Know above.

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

Jorja Smith’s Snappy Single ‘Gone’ Announces Her Project ‘Be Right Back’

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Fans have been waiting to her details about a new project from Jorja Smith ever since the UK singer captivated audiences with soothing vocals on her 2018 debut album Lost & Found. With the release of her recent single “Addicted,” it seemed as though Smith was gearing up for something exciting and on Monday, the singer officially returned with a big announcement.

Smith shared the snappy single “Gone” on Monday, which arrived alongside the announcement of her forthcoming eight-track project Be Right Back. About the song “Gone,” Smith says she hopes her listeners can derive their own meaning from her lyrics, adding that she wrote the track about tragedy:

“There’s something about being able to write about one thing and for it to mean so many different things to others. I love that this song, well any of my songs really, will be interpreted in different ways, depending on the experiences of the people listening. This one is just me asking why people have to be taken from us.”

About the album as a whole, Smith says, “It’s called Be Right Back because it’s just something I want my fans to have right now, this isn’t an album and these songs wouldn’t have made it. If I needed to make these songs, then someone needs to hear them too.”

Listen to Smith’s “Gone” above and see the Be Right Back album cover art and tracklist below.

FAMM Records

1. “Addicted”
2. “Gone”
3. “Bussdown” Feat. Shaybo
4. “Time”
5. “Home”
6. “Burn”
7. “Digging”
8. “Weekend”

Be Right Back is out 5/14 via FAMM. Pre-order it here.

Andre 3000 Thanked The Comedian Who Compared Outkast To The Beatles In An Unorthodox Way

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When comedian Ron Funches tweeted that Outkast is better than The Beatles, he likely knew his opinion would be controversial and generate plenty of discussion as a result. But he probably wasn’t expecting Andre 3000 to reach out to him and offer to send him a gift for, as he puts it, “telling the truth.” Funches explained the reasoning behind his viral tweet, analyzed the reaction to it, and revealed his correspondence with the Outkast member during last night’s episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden.

“What prompted me to write it was just my love of OutKast,” he recalled. “It’s not hatred to the Beatles — I think the Beatles are amazing.” However, he said, “Some of the things that I grew up with and that I value aren’t necessarily given the same amount of worth… They moved the entire rap industry to Atlanta, how they changed it from rapping about drugs to rapping about art, rapping about life. Erykah Badu over Yoko Ono, all day!”

Funches also said that Andre did reach out, joking that the always unconventional rapper sent him an owl — as in Harry Potter — letting him know the gift was on the way. “I hope it’s a handmade flute doesn’t work,” he giggled.

You can watch Ron’s interview with James Corden above.