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The Kid Laroi Reveals The Financial Advice Elon Musk, The World’s Richest Person, Gave Him

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Elon Musk has some notable connections to the music world, like his relationship with Grimes and that time he and Kanye West were palling around in 2020. Last year, he also got to know Miley Cyrus when the two were on Saturday Night Live together. That week, he also spent some time with The Kid Laroi, who joined Cyrus for a performance on the show. Naturally, given that Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, Laroi asked the billionaire for advice and he got some.

In an interview on Australia’s Nova radio network (as Billboard notes), Laroi said:

“He’s like, actually a really down-to-earth just he’s just like, hanging out. So I went up, and I asked him, and he basically, yeah, he told me to invest in something that I love. Which I thought I thought was great advice. You know, obviously, you like you expect someone to give you like an entire plan. All right, that’s what you do. But then I, I walked away realizing like, ‘Damn, that is probably the best financial advice you could give anyone,’ because I mean, if you don’t believe in something, then how is everybody else gonna believe in it? He could tell me something to invest in whatever. But if I don’t believe in it, then why would I do it, you know?”

Meanwhile, Laroi is ramping up a new era, as he released “Thousand Miles” last month.

Billie Eilish, Chloe x Halle, Coldplay, And More Sign Global Citizen’s Letter To End Extreme Poverty

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Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Charlie Puth, Shawn Mendes, Chloe x Halle, and 5 Seconds Of Summer have signed Global Citizen’s new open letter to end extreme poverty, which is part of its 2022 campaign. It calls for “breaking systemic barriers that keep people in poverty” and “empowering young women and girls across the world,” demanding that global leaders focus on these urgent issues, especially climate change.

Other celebrities who signed the letter include Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Alok, Bill Nye, Billy Porter, Camilo, Cathy Freeman, Connie Britton, Criolo, Cyndi Lauper, DJ Cuppy, Duran Duran, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Femi Kuti, Finneas, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness, Lali, Lang Lang, Made Kuti, Måneskin, Muzi, Nancy Isime, Nile Rodgers, Nomzamo Mbatha, Padma Lakshmi, Rachel Brosnahan, Ricky Martin, Sabrina Elba, and Tropkillaz.

Eilish in particular is known for her devotion to bringing awareness to climate issues. Next month, she’ll be hosting a climate change seminar in London that will span six days and include fellow musicians like Vivienne Westwood, Girl In Red, Glastonbury co-organizer Emily Eavis, and more. She also had an inspirational ad campaign that addressed how young people can use technology for good by connecting with each other, inspiring grassroots activism, and pressuring large corporations to be more sustainable. “We all have the potential to make a positive impact on our planet, and I’m hopeful our generation will use their platforms to collaborate and communicate and make a difference,” she said in a video.

Doja Cat Has To Get Tonsil Surgery ‘ASAP,’ Which Will Impact Her Summer Plans

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Doja Cat has kept exceptionally busy lately, but now it appears she will soon be forced to slow down. Over the past couple days, she has detailed some issues she has been facing with her tonsils, noting yesterday, “dr. just had to cut into my left tonsil. i had an abscess in it. my whole throat is f*cked so i might have some bad news for yall coming soon.”

Well, that bad news has come: This afternoon, Doja wrote on Twitter, “Hi guys. I wanted you to hear it from me first. Unfortunately I have to have surgery on my tonsils asap. The surgery is routine but the recovery is going to take awhile due to swelling. That means I have to cancel my festival run this summer as well as The Weeknd tour. I feel horrible about this but can’t wait for this to heal and get back to making music and create an experience for y’all.”

A positive takeaway to be had from this is it appears it may prompt Doja to reconsider some of her less healthy habits: Yesterday, she noted of vaping, “nah im too scared to hit it cuz my throat hurts so bad. i cried for hours. its not worth it. then its like imagine all that wierd poisonous sh*t in the vape seeping into the completely open wound in my throat like f*ck that. im hella young.”

Mark Ronson, Damon Albarn, And Wale Assist Our Flying Friends With Their New Benefit Song ‘Bird Calling’

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Damon Albarn may have devoted a significant chunk of his life to gorillas (rather, Gorillaz), but they’re not the only animals he cares about: He and a bunch of other artists contributed to For The Birds: The Birdsong Project, a five-volume collection of 242 recordings inspired by birds and their singing, with proceeds benefiting the National Audubon Society.

The first volume rolled out today and among the new songs is “Bird Calling,” a collaboration between Albarn, Mark Ronson, and Wale. Ronson offers some rhythmic, midtempo production while Wale carries the song with rapped and Albarn provides the hook.

Project organizers say, “The Birdsong Project is a community dedicated to the protection of bird life, and to the celebration of the joy and mysteries of birdsong. We believe that birds — no matter feather or flock — are precious and inspiring and fundamental to our world. That a world without birds would be a world without freedom and flight and song. We believe birds matter. Are endangered. And need our help.”

Elvis Costello, who contributes to the endeavor, adds, “This should be so very obvious; without birds we would be knee-deep in worms, swarmed by bugs, the trees bereft of song. The least we can do is raise our voices in praise or lament. I’m grateful to [producer Randall Poster] for asking me to join his magnificent flock.”

Listen to Ronson, Albarn, and Wale’s “Bird Calling” above.

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

Post Malone Reworks The Original ‘Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers’ Theme Song For The New Movie

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Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, the new Andy Samberg and John Mulaney movie, made its debut on Disney+ today. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Post Malone got involved with the project by recording the movie’s theme song. Now that the film is out, so too is Malone’s theme. The tune is an approximation of Malone’s melodic pop-rap sound with hints of a rock influence here and there. Malone’s song isn’t actually an original, but rather a cover of The Jets’ theme song for the 1989 Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers animated series.

Beyond Rescue Rangers, Malone has plenty of experience with lending his musical talents to the big screen. The most prominent example of that is his and Swae Lee’s 2018 single “Sunflower,” the No. 1 single appeared on Malone’s album Hollywood’s Bleeding after first gracing the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse soundtrack. Meanwhile, last year saw Posty cover Hootie And The Blowfish’s 1995 hit “Only Wanna Be With You” as part of Pokémon‘s 25th anniversary celebration. Hootie’s Darius Rucker admired the cover, as he tweeted, “The smile in my face will not leave for a long time. This is awesome. My bro @PostMalone bringing it. Hell yes man!!!!!!!!!”

Listen to Malone’s “Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers Theme” above. Also check out the original Rescue Rangers theme song from 1989 below.

Rihanna Reportedly Gave Birth To Her And ASAP Rocky’s Baby Boy

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Rihanna has been thriving during her pregnancy, but now it appears that era has come to an end and a new one has begun: TMZ reports Rihanna has given birth to her and ASAP Rocky’s baby, a boy, according to “sources with direct knowledge.” The publication reports the baby was born in Los Angeles on May 13. Neither Rihanna nor Rocky have yet to confirm the news or share any public statement about the birth. The baby’s name has not yet been revealed.

That date of birth lines up with a report from earlier this week, of a Facebook post from an apparent nurse who works in the hospital where Rihanna gave birth. The post, shared on the 13th, reads, “Rihanna about to have her baby at the hospital I’m working at they cleared everybody off the floor [crying emojis].” They later added, “She HAD A BOY YALL.”

The timeline of the birth also seems to make sense since Rihanna had been in the third trimester of her pregnancy for some time now: In an Elle interview published in mid-March, Rihanna said, “There’s a pregnancy glow. There’s also those days, girl. Especially in the third trimester where you wake up and you’re like, oh, do I have to get dressed?” Rihanna and Rocky also reportedly had a baby shower in late April.

TMZ also noted that one of the last times Rihanna was seen in public was on May 9, when she and Rocky got dinner at Los Angeles restaurant Girogio Baldi.

Fyre Fest Founder Billy McFarland Was Released From Prison Early

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For the past few years now, Billy McFarland has been in prison. If the name’s not ringing a bell, he’s the guy behind the infamously disastrous Fyre Festival that led to him being convicted of fraud. In October 2018, he was sentenced to six years in prison. However, McFarland actually managed to get out of custody sooner than that.

NBC News reported yesterday that on March 30, McFarland was transferred to a low-security federal prison in Michigan before being placed in a New York City halfway house on May 18, according to the Bureau Of Prisons. He’s expected to stay there until August.

McFarland previously claimed that his poor Fyre Fest decisions were caused by mental illness: In 2018, before McFarland was sentenced, his lawyer wrote in a letter to US District Judge Naomi Buchwald, “Nothing in this case speaks to any malicious intent on his part. Just a sea of bad judgment, poor decisions, and the type of core instability that can only be explained by mental illness.” The letter also said McFarland has “delusional beliefs of having special and unique talents that will lead to fame and fortune.”

Coincidentally, Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical CEO also known for buying the sole copy of the Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon A Time In Shaolin album, was also just released from prison early.

Lizzo Asked Chris Evans To Play Piano On Her New Album, ‘Special’

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Lizzo’s new album, Special, is set for release on July 15, but we don’t know much about the album yet. There’s the single “About Damn Time,” of course, but there’s not a ton of info about the LP beyond that. Now, though, Lizzo has pulled back the curtain a little bit, revealing that, despite her best efforts, the album will not feature Chris Evans playing piano.

On a new episode of Spout Podcast, Lizzo said, “I literally hit him up and was like, ‘Play piano on my album,’ and he just said, ‘Haha.’ It would have been really cool, but unfortunately not this time.”

Yes, Evans is a capable pianist, as the actor reminded fans last October by playing a portion of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

Lizzo also addressed internet rumors that the new album features a duet with Harry Styles. Lizzo didn’t actually outright debunk the idea, saying, “That is so funny. The internet going to internet. That’s all I’ll say about that.” Lizzo also said of the LP, “I think people are going to be really surprised at how many love songs are on this album.”

Elsewhere, she spoke about why she thinks her Amazon Prime show Watch Out For The Big Grrrls is building a strong connection with audiences, saying, “I think it’s because of the stories. I couldn’t have found better human beings to represent the big girls. They are so talented, so beautiful, and so willing to be vulnerable. And I think vulnerability is, you know, everyone has like a bullsh*t detector these days, like, we can read through bullsh*t. And I think none of these girls are bullish. All of these girls are 100 percent real. And I think people really connect with that.”

Listen to the full Lizzo episode of Spout Podcast below.

Special is out 7/15 via Atlantic. Pre-order it here.

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

A Lizzo Documentary Will Premiere On HBO Max This Fall

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Lizzo fans will soon get an up-close and personal look at the singer, rapper, and flutist’s creative process, and it’s about damn time! At the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation this week at Madison Square Garden, the “Truth Hurts” singer revealed an as-yet-untitled documentary on her is set to premiere on HBO Max this fall, Deadline reports.

The documentary will highlight Lizzo’s humble beginnings, her meteoric rise to fame, and the creative process behind her major-label debut album, Cuz I Love You, and her upcoming album, Special.

“Growing up, I never dreamed I’d get to experience all of the things I’ve accomplished in my life, and I’m just getting started,” Lizzo said in a statement. “I’m so excited I get to share and relive my journey with my fans and HBO Max. From Cuz I Love You to my dramatic world tour, losing and gaining love, and creating my new album Special, y’all get to see the amount of time, patience, blood, sweat, and tears that went into this process. It takes ten years to become an ‘overnight success,’ and hopefully I can inspire other young creatives to keep going.”

The documentary will be directed by Doug Pray, whose credits also include HBO’s hip-hop docuseries The Defiant Ones. Lizzo will executive produce the documentary by way of her production company, Lizzobangers.

Special is out 7/15 via Atlantic. Pre-save it here.

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

Taylor Swift Proudly Dons Her Cap And Gown Ahead Of Receiving Her Honorary Doctorate From NYU

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It’s been a big year for Taylor Swift at New York University (NYU): First the college started offering a course about her, then in March, they announced they’d be awarding Swift an honorary doctorate of fine arts. Swift, who didn’t go to college since she was instead spent those years of her life becoming a global megastar, is pretty excited about the whole thing, as indicated by a video she shared this morning.

In the Instagram Reel, set to Beabadoobee’s recent single “See You Soon,” Swift rides in a car, looking out the window. Subsequent shots show her getting ready, donning her cap and gown, and having her father take a photo of her in her get-up. The closing shot is similar to the opening one, except this time, Swift is smiling in her graduation outfit. The post is captioned, “Wearing a cap and gown for the very first time – see you soon NYU.”

In addition to receiving the honorary doctorate, Swift is also set to deliver a speech at today’s commencement ceremony, at approximately 11 a.m. ET. The commencement is being livestreamed here.

Beabadoobee, by the way, was thrilled with Swift using her song in the video. On her Instagram Story, she shared the video and wrote, “taylor and see you soon I’m crying [heart emoji].” In a follow-up video, she said, “This… is possibly the best day of my life. Taylor Swift listens to ‘See You Soon.’ This is the best day…”