Music

Maya Rudolph Brought Her Beyonce Impression To ‘Hot Ones’ In A Hilariously Throwback ‘SNL’ Sketch

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Maya Rudolph warned during her opening monologue that she would be wearing lots of wigs and doing impressions on Saturday Night Live, and thankfully for us that meant bringing back her Beyonce impression. The former cast member had hosting duties in its latest episode, and thankfully for us that meant a throwback-feeling segment about a very modern concept: Beyonce appearing on the web show Hot Ones to eat some very spicy chicken wings.

The sketch is a throwback to the era in which Rudolph thrived. It’s an absurd concept to begin with: the most famous musician in the world showing up on a show where you eat spicy wings and promote something while answering softball questions. But it’s a sketch that actually critiques not just the thing it’s parodying — an incredibly popular YouTube show — but Beyonce’s notorious attempts to control her image in the media.

Seeing Beyonce struggle with absurdly-named hot wing sauces and curse out the host, played by Mikey Day, is a departure from anything we’ve seen from the actual singer in years. At one point, Rudolph’s Beyonce is so overcome by the heat of the wings that she asked her stylist to take her wig off, put ice cubes in it and put it back on. Her “publicist” then stepped in to refuse to let that happen on camera.

The joke here is, after years of carefully cultivating her image in the public eye, Beyonce would never do anything like this. Or at least we’d never find out about it. Later, realizing just how many more wings she still needs to endure, she has her manager step in to call the whole thing off, with non-disclosure agreements all around to make sure no evidence of it ever happening.

It was great to see Rudolph play a character that’s not Kamala Harris and be free of the political news cycle that brought her back to the SNL stage at various points over the last year. And it was a strong start to an episode that reminded many viewers of the kind of sketch that was more common when Rudolph was a more permanent member of the show’s cast.

Jack Harlow Makes His ‘SNL’ Debut With Performances Of ‘Tyler Herro,’ ‘What’s Poppin’ And ‘Same Guy’

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There’s no denying the success of Jack Harlow. The Louisville spitter took the music world by storm at the beginning of 2020 thanks to the success of his “What’s Poppin” and closed out the year with the release of his debut album That’s What They Say. In between it all, he peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard singles chart, landed multiple guest features, and proved that he was here to stay in the industry. While his 2020 success is behind him, Harlow continues to deliver impressive moments and the latest example came through his debut performance on Saturday Night Live.

Harlow began the night by giving an energetic rendition of “Tyler Herro” and “What’s Poppin.” Dressed in all black under purple and blue and supported by a talented live band, the rapper’s sheer confidence was on full display on stage to start the night. Later on in the show, he returned with Maroon 5’s Adam Levine to perform “Same Guy,” another highlight from That’s What They Say. This performance came with a much lighter atmosphere as the duo sang about recognizing their bad qualities as men and expressing their desire to change and improve.

The SNL set comes after Harlow brought his talents to NPR’s Tiny Desk for a soulful performance of multiple songs from That’s What They Say. He also recently shared a video for “Route 66” off the album.

You can watch the performances in the video above.

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

Rodney Hood Learned On Saturday That His Childhood Neighbor Hayley Was Paramore’s Hayley Williams

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The world of basketball and the world of music intersect pretty frequently for one reason or another. Our latest example of this came on Saturday afternoon thanks to new Toronto Raptor Rodney Hood, although it had nothing to do with him dropping a mixtape or deciding to produce an album or anything like that.

Back in June, a since-deleted post by our pal Marco Romo of Five Reasons Sports Network caught the attention of Paramore singer Hayley Williams. In it, Williams revealed that her childhood neighbor in Meridian, Mississippi, was named Rodney, helped teach her how to dance, and “may be an nba player now.”

Marco Romo/Twitter
Marco Romo/Twitter

Now, Hood is the only current NBA player from Meridian, and since the only other Rodney in the NBA is from Maryland (Rodney McGruder), we can probably make an assumption here. Anyway, some time passed, and then Hood got traded to the Raptors, where he was asked about this. Dime pal Blake Murphy of The Athletic, who I lovingly say is the NBA reporter most likely to remember that Williams tweet, brought it to Hood’s attention during his first meeting with the media up north.

Hood revealed two things: 1. He did not realize his neighbor grew up to be the lead singer of Paramore and, 2. He can’t dance.

This is now the best story in the NBA. Once bands can begin touring safely again, I sincerely hope Hood and Williams are reunited during a concert in Toronto.

Lil Nas X Celebrates The Early Success Of ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ With A Thank You Video

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While the reaction to Lil Nas X’s new single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” has been mixed, largely because of its music video and the images displayed in it, the singer has landed upon early success with the track itself. On Saturday morning, the rapper learned the video for his new song reached 10 million views on YouTube and rose to the top position on the platform’s Trending section. In addition to that, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” debuted at No. 3 on the US Spotify chart with 1.236 million streams. The great start left Lil Nas X overjoyed and he posted a video on Twitter to thank fans for their support.

“I just woke up so it’s sh*t probably all over my face,” he said in the video. “I just hit No. 1 on YouTube Trending, 10 million views, and we No. 3 on Spotify and I want to say thank you to everybody cause I don’t take none of this sh*t for granted. I appreciate you, I love you, this sh*t took a lot for me to step out of my comfort zone like this. Yeah man, I love y’all.”

This video, which he also posted on Instagram, produced another great moment for Lil Nas X as it brought forth a comment from his fourth grade teacher who said, “Congratulations! So proud of you!”

After posting the video, Lil Nas shared another personal message about the new single. “I spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the sh*t y’all preached would happen to me because I was gay,” he said. “So I hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.”

You can watch Lil Nas’ thank you video above.

Chet Hanks Declared A ‘White Boy Summer’ Is Coming And Drew Lots Of Reaction Online

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Chet Hanks has time and time again found himself dealing with some amount of backlash and controversy due to his social media antics. From his questionable use of patois to thirsting over Adele following her Jamaican flag bikini photo, the antics of Tom Hanks’ son seem to be never ending. In his latest example of this, Chet roped Jack Harlow and R&B singer Jon B when he declared that a “white boy summer” was in route. The announcement was delivered through a video Chet posted to his Instagram account.

“Ok guys, I just wanted to tap-in real quick,” he said to start things off. “I just got this feeling man that this summer is about to be a white boy summer. Take it how you want. I am not talking about [Donald] Trump or the NASCAR-type white.” He added, “I am talking about me, Jon B and Jack Harlow- type white summer. Let me know how you vibe with that. Get ready, cause I am.”

He doubled down on his comments in the video’s caption, writing, “Is it bout to be a #WhiteboySummer or am I trippin ???? Tag a REAL vanilla king #Respectfully.”

Naturally, the video caught the attention of many as some dismissed Chet comments and labeled them as outlandish while others laughed at how Jack Harlow and Jon B were dragged into his claims as they were minding their own business.

You can watch Chet’s video above and scroll down to read some reactions to it.

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

Big Sean Loved Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ Video For Its ‘Creativity N Confidence’

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Nearly nine months ago, Lil Nas X shared a snippet of a track titled “Call Me By Your Name” on Twitter. While there was no way to know how long the wait would be until the song arrived, there was certainly no telling how the singer would release the track, which is now titled “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” as it arrived with a wild video.

In it, Lil Nas journeys through a fictional hell and Earth even gives the devil a lap dance during his time in the underworld. The response to the video has been mixed, with some praising him for it and others not too fond of it. One person who’s a big fan of the video would be Big Sean, though, who praised Lil Nas for it on Instagram.

The interaction between to two artists came when Lil Nas asked fans in an Instagram post to name their favorite part of the video. As the responses came in, Big Sean took a moment to share his own. “The creativity n confidence to do you fully is my favorite part!” he said. “Keep rocking bro.” As expected, the comment caught Lil Nas’ attention and the singer thanked Big Sean for the love. “Wow bro thanks!” he replied. “Means a lot coming from you! i’m blasting deep reverence today!”

Lil Nas’ “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video was not the only thing he shared on Friday. He also revealed his debut album would be titled Montero and that it would arrive this summer. He made the announcement while mocking viewers who were critical of the new song’s visual.

You can view the post and comments above.

Cardi B Denied A Rumor That Eminem Turned Down A Collaboration With Her: ‘This Don’t Even Make Sense’

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Cardi B has been dealing with a heavy dose of negative comments recently, especially after her Grammy performance of “WAP” and “Up” that once again left conservatives up in arms. It hasn’t stopped her success, in fact, much of the criticism toward her comes as a result of her achievements, like “Up” recently becoming the fifth No. 1 single of her career.

Despite this, people still find a way to try and paint her in a bad light, including a rumor that she dismissed recently on Twitter. The artist responded to a claim that Eminem turned down a potential collaboration with Cardi because “she doesn’t care about the culture or her craft.” Once Cardi caught wind of the tweet, she quickly shut it down.

“I get off the internet and ya makin sh*t up,” she said. “I haven’t sent no songs to no artist yet. Love his work and much respect. This don’t even make sense.”

While the collaboration with Eminem isn’t one that’s been put in motion yet, Cardi did tease the existence of other songs with artists that have yet to be named. “Since they like to make up LIES about me cause their so obsessed just know this,” she added. “Y’all laughing about this fake rumor but wait until y’all see these next collars (winking emoji).”

You can read the tweet above.

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

Beyonce Had More Than $1 Million In Property Stolen From Storage Units In Multiple Heists

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Earlier this month, Beyonce became the most-awarded singer in Grammy history after picking up four wins at the 2021 edition of the music awards. While that was certainly a high moment for her, it occurred around an unfortunate event with the singer’s belongings. On Saturday, TMZ revealed that Beyonce was robbed of more than $1 million worth of property from her storage unit after two heists earlier this month. Law enforcement told the publication that thieves went through multiple storage units in the Los Angeles area that were filled with various items the singer owned.

TMZ added that while the units were rented out by the singer’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, the missing items from the first heist, which included expensive handbags and dresses, all belonged to Beyonce. Within a week of this first robbery, the thieves returned for a second time and went through three units in the same facility. This time, they took off with handbags, kids toys, and photos that were owned by one of Beyonce’s stylists. The “Black Parade” singer is not the only artist to recently have their things stolen from a storage unit. Earlier this year, Miley Cyrus lost clothes, family photos, and mementos after her storage space was robbed.

While Beyonce set some records of her own at this year’s Grammy Awards, she also had a hand in notable moments with other artists. With “Brown Skin Girl” winning Best Music Video, her daughter Blue Ivy, who appeared in the visual, became one of the youngest Grammy winners in history. Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion also became the first female winners of the Best Rap Performance award thanks to “Savage.”

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

Dreezy Goes Off Script In Her Clever ‘Beatbox Birthday Freestyle’

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Ever since SpotemGottem’s “Beat Box” went viral, rappers have been offering their own freestyles over the beat. Artists like Mulatto, DaBaby, Polo G, and Lil Yachty have recently hopped on the trend. Now, Chicago rapper Dreezy is throwing her hat into the ring with an impressive “Beatbox Birthday Freestyle.”

Taking over a studio, Dreezy lays down her sharp verses over the recognizable sample. The rapper name-drops a number of her contemporaries in the freestyle’s hook, delivering a line about Migos while applauding singer Giveon’s raw talent. “Put this tiger on his wood and now he say he like playing golf / They keep eating up the drip I ain’t even get to taste the sauce / What the f*ck they really on? / Still the best like Giveon,” she raps.

While Dreezy’s “Beatbox Birthday Freestyle” was her take on a viral challenge, it’s also the first bit of music she’s shared so far this year. Other than featuring on Tobi Lou’s “Okay” and dropping a remix of Moneybagg Yo’s viral “Said Sum” in 2020, the last we heard from Dreezy was on her 2019 polished Big Dreez album. Fans have been waiting to hear more of the rapper’s quick-witted flow since the album’s release, so her “Beatbox Birthday Freestyle” came as a nice surprise.

Watch Dreezy’s “Beatbox Birthday Freestyle” above.

Moneybagg Yo And Future Spoil Their Partners In The Opulent ‘Hard For The Next’ Video

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Moneybagg Yo teamed up with Future to show fans that they don’t need to be shy about spoiling their partners. The two shared their joint track “Hard For The Next” alongside a luxurious video, which sees Moneybagg Yo showering his girlfriend Ari Fletcher with all the gifts she could ever need.

Alongside the track’s release, Moneybagg Yo chatted with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about his upcoming LP, which he said features a collaboration with Jhené Aiko:

“I approached it like I was just going in here to rap. I’m not going in her to make no choruses, I’m not going in here starting out with hooks first, I’m not finna get opinions, I’m just going in and rapping what’s on my mind. That’s what I did. When you hear this album, it’s going to touch you in different ways.”

Based on the luxurious gifts (and Jeep-turned-speed boat) seen in Moneybagg Yo’s video, he’s clearly doing well for himself. But flaunting his wealth actually recently got the rapper in some hot water. Moneybagg Yo has seen a fair amount of success over the past year, which has led him to have a pretty skewed view of the pandemic. Back in February, the rapper tweeted that he didn’t want the pandemic to end because he had made millions. “I feel like the pandemic help a lot of people,” he said. Of course, he later apologized for his statements, saying “my comment was very insensitive it was not my intent to hurt anyone.”

Watch Future and Moneybagg Yo’s “Hard For The Next” video above.