Music

Queen Naija Details The Struggles She Faced Transitioning From YouTube To Music

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With a top-10 album and multiple singles that have topped the R&B charts, Queen Naija is a star. There was a point not too long ago, though, where she was a YouTuber facing struggles while trying to make music work as her primary vocation. She speaks about that part of her life in the newest Backstage episode.

Opening up about how public perception of her was an issue initially, Naija reveals she had doubters who didn’t think she was capable of doing more than YouTube.

“My name is Queen. I look at my name as royal, I look at myself as powerful,” she says in the clip. “But as soon as you start to get a name for yourself, people dig up dirt about you. Saying very cruel things: I’m not built for the industry life, I need to get media training, I need to talk better.” Thankfully, she has found herself more and more able to deal with critics, saying, “In this industry, you can’t care about what people think, and it’s hard for me. I literally want everybody in the whole world to like me, but the truth is they won’t, and that’s something I’ve had to overcome.”

Naija has certainly persevered through a lot and proven she is able to adapt to different situations: Shortly after signing a record deal, she toured in support of her self-titled 2018 EP while she was eight months pregnant. It’s her level of dedication that is helping Naija make her way to the top.

Naija tells her story best, so watch her do just that in the video above, in which she also talks about scrapping what was originally going to be her debut album.

Morray Prays For Forgiveness Of His ‘Mistakes’ In His Reflective New Video

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It’s a big week for XXL Freshman. After the long-running hip-hop bible announced its annual list yesterday, a number of its participants capitalized on the moment to drop new music or videos. Coi Leray popped up in Earthgang’s “Options” remix video yesterday, DDG shared his “Hood Melody” video today, and Morray, who rose to prominence behind his song “Quicksand” and subsequent appearance on J. Cole’s “My Life” with 21 Savage, put out the video for “Mistakes” from his debut mixtape Street Sermons.

In the video, the Fayetteville native visits a church confessional booth to croon about his rags to riches tale, as well as showing off some dance moves in a separate performance scene and watching a private screening of protest footage in a trap house with a butler and gourmet dinner. The elegant dining situation is contrasted in a side-by-side shot of his old table setting in a shot reminiscent of fellow North Carolinian Toosii’s recently released “What It Cost” video.

While “Quicksand” was Morray’s breakout hit and his notoriety increased thanks to his placement on J. Cole’s album The Off-Season, the rising star has also drawn attention for his videos for “Trenches” and “Nothing Now.”

Watch Morray’s “MIstakes” video above.

KennyHoopla Rips His Performance Of The Pop-Punk Hit ‘Estella’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Anyone with eyes on the musical landscape in 2021 may have noticed a familiar sound beginning to re-emerge from the nostalgic era of the 2000s: Pop-punk is officially back. As artists like MGK, Olivia Rodrigo, and Willow Smith embrace the once-dormant genre, its face is also starting to change thanks to newcomers such as KennyHoopla, who stopped by Uproxx Studios to perform his 2020 Travis Barker-produced standout “Estella” for this week’s episode of UPROXX Sessions.

Kenny Hoopla, who hails from Cleveland, OH, was part of the 2016 wave of breakout artists who built massive followings on SoundCloud. He released his major-label debut EP How Will I Rest In Peace If I’m Buried By A Highway? in 2020, following up with Survivors Guilt: The Mixtape in collaboration with Barker earlier this month, led by the single “Hollywood Sucks.” Later this year, he’s billed to tour both the US and the UK with MGK and Yungblud, respectively.

Watch KennyHoopla’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Estella” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

DDG Sings A ‘Hood Melody’ In His Melancholy New Video

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A day after featuring on XXL‘s 2021 Freshman list, DDG releases the latest single from his Die 4 Respect mixtape with hitmaking producer OG Parker. “Hood Melody,” which features a rattling, melancholy beat and contemplative, observational lyrics from the Pontiac native, backgrounds a video that finds DDG obsessing over all of the violent ends he can meet.

Although the song features a guest verse from perpetually troubled Baton Rouge rapper Youngboy Never Broke Again, the man himself was not available for the video shoot as he’s currently in custody after being arrested for felony firearm possession in Los Angeles in March. Youngboy was denied bail after prosecutors successfully argued that he would be a danger to the community and a flight risk. He was previously arrested on similar charges in his native Louisiana and has been connected with a fatal shooting in Miami in 2019, as well as avoiding prison time for kidnapping and aggravated assault after being caught on camera attacking his then-girlfriend at a hotel in Georgia.

DDG, on the other hand, has a bright future ahead of him thanks to appearances with Dame D.O.L.L.A. on the NBA star’s “Stuntin On You‘ video and the extended rollout of the Die 4 Respect mixtape, which included the Coi Leray-featuring “Impatient” video.

Watch DDG’s “Hood Melody” video above.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HER Strives For Independence On The Loungy Single ‘My Own’

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Four-time Grammy Award-winning singer HER is just days away from the release of her highly anticipated album Back Of My Mind. The 21-track effort features collaborations with the likes of Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Baby, and DJ Khaled, but with her new single “My Own,” HER exemplifies her powerful solo songwriting.

The subdued beat on “My Own” gives HER the chance to showcase her emotive vocals. A reverberating bass underscores her sultry delivery as HER sings of the difficulty of getting over an ex while also recognizing the self growth that inevitably comes with it.

Just ahead of the new song’s release, HER sat down for a cover interview with Variety, where she talked about how she incorporated elements of rock into the album’s sound:

“I didn’t wanna pull out all my tricks at once. My first few [releases] were just a small piece of who I am musically, and it was a matter of time before I could reveal others. I’ve always been a huge fan of Coldplay and Led Zeppelin and Radiohead and alternative and rock and blues, but it wasn’t until this album that I started digging into those other elements and bringing them to R&B.”

Listen to “My Own” above and check out HER’s full conversation with Variety here.

Back Of My Mind is out 6/18 via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Pre-order it here.

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

DaBaby, Lil Baby, Tyler The Creator, And More Are Performing At The 2021 BET Awards

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The 2021 BET Awards are set to air live on Sunday, June 27 at 8 pm ET/PT live from Los Angeles with a truly impressive lineup of the most performers in the last 21 years. Today, BET announced that those will include performances from Andra Day, City Girls, DaBaby, DJ Khaled, HER, Jazmine Sullivan, Kirk Franklin, Lil Baby and Lil Durk, Migos, Moneybagg Yo, Rapsody, Roddy Ricch, and Tyler The Creator, among others. The show will be hosted by Taraji P. Henson and will honor Queen Latifah with a Lifetime Achievement BET Award.

The nominees are led by DaBaby and Megan Thee Stallion, who are each nominated for seven awards, including Best Female Hip Hop Artist for Megan and Best Male Hip Hop Artist for DaBaby. 2020’s Awards featured performances from Roddy Ricch, Public Enemy, Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, D Smoke, Anderson .Paak, Lil Wayne, and more, and set the blueprint for how awards shows could flourish without a live studio audience.

This year’s show will be the first with an audience since 2019, the lowest-rated show in BET Awards history, but it seems some of the lessons the network took away from last year’s show stuck; namely, the focus on performances over bells and whistles.

Watch the 2021 BET Awards 6/27 on BET.

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

Foo Fighters Are Re-Branding As The ‘Dee Gees’ To Release A Collection Of Bee Gees Covers

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The Bee Gees have clearly been living rent-free in Dave Grohl’s head lately, and now Foo Fighters are taking their admiration of the disco icons to a new level: Foo Fighters announced today that on July 17’s Record Store Day, they are releasing a collection of Bee Gees covers.

The album will actually be credited to the Dee Gees and is titled Hail Satin!. The release will be divided into two parts (as Spin notes). The first half, dubbed The Dee Gees, will feature the band covering five Bee Gees songs: “You Should Be Dancing,” “Night Fever,” “Tragedy,” “Shadow Dancing,” and “More Than A Woman.” (Technically, “Shadow Dancing” isn’t a Bee Gees song, but it’s in the literal Bee Gees family: It was a No. 1 single for Andy Gibb, the Bee Gees co-wrote it, and Barry Gibb sings on the song.) Then, the second half of the release features a handful of live versions of Medicine At Midnight songs.

Grohl previously picked the Bee Gees’ Saturday Night Fever as an album all kids should listen to, saying, “I like myself a little party every now and then. I do like to dance. I mean, come on, let’s just go with Saturday Night Fever. If you put Saturday Night Fever on, it’s going to feel like Saturday night, but it could be a Monday morning. So, I would have to go with those three albums. It’s a good way to start.”

Check out the Hail Satin! tracklist below.

Side A — The Dee Gees
1. “You Should Be Dancing”
2. “Night Fever”
3. “Tragedy”
4. “Shadow Dancing”
5. “More Than A Woman”

Side B — Live At 606
6. “Making A Fire”
7. “Shame Shame”
8. “Waiting On A War”
9. “No Son Of Mine”
10. “Cloudspotter”

Tate McRae And Khalid Are ‘Working’ It In Their Bouncy New Collaboration

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When this year began, we named Tate McRae as one of the year’s rising pop stars to watch, and boy has she delivered on that. The multi-talented dancer, singer and songwriter has been on a tear of late, kicking off with her Too Young To Be Sad EP in March, McRae has since released a collaboration with Troye Sivan, “You,” and a gloomy new ballad for Amazon’s Panic series called “Darkest Hour.” Today she’s back with another new big collaboration, though, this time featuring R&B “Location” darling Khalid, who is “Working” alongside her on their bouncy new single.

Tate’s rise from dance superstar to one of the year’s most prominent new pop voices is well-documented, but it seems like this new single is going to catapult her into the spotlight in an even bigger way. On the track, the two young musicians trade verses about their, well, work ethic. “I am so stoked for this song I did with Khalid,” Tate said in a press release. “I usually release a lot of songs that are pretty emotional but this one is just a straight summer bop. We had such a fun time creating this song — I seriously can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

Check out the new tune above and get ready to hear Tate and Khalid working it all summer long.

Cordae Funds Scholarships For HBCU Students With Help From Disney And ESPN

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Cordae isn’t just a critically acclaimed, hit-making young artist on the rise — he’s also an outspoken activist and advocate for social change in America and the world. Last year, he was arrested at a sit-in protest of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home to push for Cameron to file charges against Breonna Taylor’s killers (a felony charge against him was dropped) and now, he’s partnered with Disney Dreamers Academy and ESPN’s The Undefeated to stand up for education by funding scholarships for HBCU students.

His efforts are being fueled by his participation in the upcoming compilation project Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3, set to be released June 18 in honor of Juneteenth, the Black American holiday celebrating the official end of slavery in the United States. The Music For The Movement series, sponsored by The Undefeated, celebrates Black history and accomplishments of Black American activists, artists, and athletes, spawning records like Tinashe’s cover of “I’m Every Woman.”

Cordae, who appears on the track “What’s Life” with Common, committed to donating his proceeds from the track to funding scholarships for HBCU students. The Undefeated and Disney Dreamers Academy matched his donations. Cordae explained his decision in a press release. “So many people need the money more than I do,” he said. “I feel as though when you’re in such a blessed position, it’s important to pay that forward to be a blessing to others. It’s especially important to me to invest in our youth and the future. Young people are the future of our society and the world, so we must do all we can to ensure they are properly positioned to succeed. If I can spark the brain of a few future world leaders and geniuses, I’ll die a happy man.”

Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3 also features Chloe Bailey, Kamasi Washington, Lucky Daye, and Yara Shahidi, and is due 6/18 on Hollywood Records.

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

Tyler The Creator Announces The Release Date Of His New Album, ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’

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After a week of cryptic teases and colorful previews, Tyler The Creator has announced the official release date of his next album, Call Me If You Get Lost. The album title comes as no surprise after it was prominently featured in much of the mysterious early rollout, but the release date may, as it’s less than two weeks away, on June 25. The announcement came complete with a crisp, retro-styled website with the videos for “Side Street” and “Lumberjack,” as well as a link to pre-purchase box sets including a CD, a poster, a T-shirt, and a commemorative box.

The marketing around Call Me If You Get Lost appears to ditch Tyler’s Andy Warhol-inspired Igor persona in favor of “Tyler Beaudelaire,” but maintains much of the retro feel of that album’s rollout, with videos shot to resemble Super 8 tapes and styling influenced by 1970s couture (check out those vintage trunks in the “Lumberjack” video). Meanwhile, a press release for the album promises that the hotline set up to preview the music from the album will remain active and periodically update with new snippets leading up to the release. In addition to the box set CDs, the website for Call Me If You Get Lost features cassette tapes of the album, sticking with the retro theme.

Check out the album cover and link to the pre-order website above.