Uproxx Bar Stories

Monaleo Reveals Her Wig Plug For Uproxx’s ‘Bar Stories’ While Breaking Down ‘Crying On Your Birthday’

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Uproxx Bar Stories is back with another rising artist explaining the lyrics behind one of her breakout hits. Monaleo, fresh from throwing a one-woman party on UPROXX Sessions with “Crying On Your Birthday,” breaks down one of her favorite bars from the hard-hitting new anthem. She tells Uproxx’s resident Texan Cherise Johnson that while the line in question makes a slick play on the word “wigs,” she hasn’t actually “wigged out” on anyone over not paying for hers.

However, as she puts it, “If he wants me to look good and send him pictures, and he wants to pull on my wig, all types of crazy sh*t, he at least gotta pay for the install. I don’t feel like I’m wrong for that.”

Fair enough. Check out Monaleo’s Bar Story below.

Funnily enough, wigs are apparently a recurring theme in the Houston rapper’s music. One song on her debut album, Where The Flowers Don’t Die, is called “Wig Splitter,” with a video she shot at home while pregnant with her first child. Now that both the baby and the album are out, it looks like Monaleo is on a mission to ensure that she doesn’t need anyone to pay for those wigs at all — or do the splitting, which she can also do herself.

NLE Choppa’s ‘Bar Stories’ For His Single ’23’ Wittily Shows That In Some Cases Less Is More

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The day has finally arrived. NLE Choppa’s new album Cottonwood 2 is finally available across streaming platforms. After releasing a string of singles, including “Ain’t Gonna Answer” featuring Lil Wayne and “Do It Again” featuring 2Rare, which both made the final project, the rapper can now sit back and fawn over fans’ reaction to his latest bodywork. But he does, NLE is taking a moment to flex is brag about his lyrical abilities.

Stopping by the UPROXX Studios for a new Bar Stories episode, NLE Choppa gave our very own Cherise Johnson a breakdown behind his Tay Keith-produced track, “23,” off new project Cottonwood 2 out now.

The bar up for dissection, “Call me, ‘Booty’/ I’ll shake something.” As the rapper adds in a sturdy hand clap to emphasize the line, he boldly declares that this was in fact “the most iconic line in 2023,” because it could take on several meanings as an under-appreciated double entendre.

The Memphis native doubles down on his point saying when it comes to witty rap lyrics, “Less is more.” Although there isn’t one specific moment that inspired the line per se, NLE made it clear that his entire career thus far could be summarized by that one line.

Watch the full video below.

Outside of his Bar Stories episode, be sure to check out NLE Choppa’s UPROXX Sessions performance of his single, “23,” here. You can also watch his Behind The Video episode for the track here.

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

Cottonwood 2 is out now via Warner Records. For more information, click here.

Morray’s ‘Bar Stories’ Behind His Track ‘Letter To Myself’ Just Might Move You To Tears

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Rap music isn’t all dance-centered or drill tracks as some may believe, and Fayetteville, North Carolina rapper Morray is leading the way with soul-infused songs. With singles like “Momma’s Love,” “Still Here,” and “Never Fail,” to name a few, the musician is slowly becoming a go-to emcee for gut-wrenching storytelling thanks in part to the vulnerability he injects into each release.

Stopping by the UPROXX Studios for a new Bar Stories episode, Morray gave our very own Cherise Johnson a breakdown behind his standout 2022 SephGotTheWaves- and Andyr-produced track, “Letter To Myself,” off his forthcoming album Long Story Short.

Turning his attention to the stanza, “Food spoiled, don’t got no more EBT / What the f*ck am I to eat? / Eat last, raisin’ babies ain’t cheap / Thеy clothes fly ’cause my clothes stayеd cheap / An eighth last a whole week,” the rapper opened up about what inspired the line.

Plainly put, the songwriter admits that although he’s rocked big stages alongside friend and mentor J. Cole, when he initially wrote the track, “Those bars was [my] reality.” He added, “There were times when I didn’t have food to eat.”

The stanza mentions EBT (or Electronic Benefits Transfer), a monthly subsidy program managed at the state level to ensure residents that are in need of financial assistance for groceries and other items at designated stores like supermarkets. Explaining the first line, Morray said, “You [only] get a certain amount of EBT — [and] once you run out, you run out. Sometimes when you’re working so much [that] the leftovers you had for three days — because you were working so hard — spoil.”

Outside of Morray’s Bar Stories episode, be sure to watch his UPROXX Sessions performance of the song here. Or check out his appearance on React Like You Know as he gives his thoughts on Panic! At The Disco’s video for their classic song, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” here.

Check out Morray’s full bar breakdown of “Letter To Myself” above.

Finesse2Tymes Explains When He Knew ‘Back End’ Was A Hit On ‘Uproxx Bar Stories’

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Uproxx Bar Stories is back! This time, Finesse2Tymes stops by to break down his viral hit “Back End,” which he previously performed on UPROXX Sessions.

“I knew this song was gonna be what it was gonna be when a number-one sensation on TikTok reposted it,” he explains. “It felt like success. I knew I was going to the top and it felt like I accomplished what I set out to accomplish in 90 days.” He also leaves with the promise that his “album is coming soon.”

Finesse2tymes hails from Memphis, Tennessee, where he was closely associated with fellow Memphis breakouts Blac Youngsta and Moneybagg Yo. However, despite gaining traction before the pandemic with his mixtape Hustle & Flow, his career was nearly derailed by a five-year prison sentence in 2018 for possession of a firearm by a felon.

With his release in July of 2022, though, he hit the ground running, dropping “Back End,” which became a TikTok hit, and releasing his mixtape 90 Days in December. The project peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard 200, and clearly, he’s just getting started. 2023 is looking bright for him.

Check out Finesse2tymes’ Uproxx Bar Story above.

Finesse2tymes is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Boslen Reminisces About His Ex On ‘Gone’

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Lyrics can be tough to decipher these days, but there’s no better feeling than knowing exactly what your favorite artists truly wanted to express on their latest hit. From shady one-liners to catchy hooks, sometimes the lyrical content of a song can give fans real insight into the lives of today’s top musical talent. With his track, “Levels” Vancouver’s Boslen relays his unfiltered feelings about the music industry — and with his track “Gone,” he’s in deep thought about the lessons he’s learned from past relationships.

With help from Uproxx’s Cherise Johnson, Boslen dishes on the track’s opening line and admits that his ex of six years stepped out with his best friend. The incident, in addition to the peace and understanding he gained from the romantic low point is the inspiration for the track “Gone” from his latest album GONZO. The 23-year-old rapper tells Uproxx about facing the “monster in the closet,” working through codependency, and getting vulnerable after a failed relationship — themes present in the mellow rap-sung ballad. Aside from sharing intimate revelations, Boslen tells us that his latest EP’s lead single might just be his favorite song he’s made in his entire career.

Watch Boslen decipher “Gone” above.

Skillibeng Takes Us To Jamaica With ‘Whap Whap’

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Nothing compares to opening up your preferred streaming service, listening to a rap song, and attempting to decipher lyrics and bars spit by your favorite rapper. From onomatopoeias to alliterations and cryptic messages, an artist’s chosen lyrical content can tell us more about them than an intrusive Reddit thread ever will. Today we’re digging into Skillibeng’s “Whap Whap.” The dancehall record blew up this year and since the onset of its widespread popularity, fans have been left wondering what the catchy chorus really means.

Sit back and watch the rapper decipher the meaning of his 2022 viral hit with help from Uproxx’s Cherise Johnson. Hailing from Lyssons, Jamaica, Skillibeng tells us “whap whap,” is his home country’s term for corporal punishment. That’s right, the phrase represents the sound you’d hear while unfortunately getting whipped. The rapper didn’t stop there though, he’s turned the phrase on its head using it to express a montage of gunshots instead. His intention was to forego gruesome lyrics and add Jamacaain humor to the record which proved to be a successful effort. Skillibeng’s spanking-inspired record earned him features from Fivio Foreign and French Montana. Outside the record’s success, the infamous Nicki Minaj remixed his 2021, “Crocodile Teeth.”

You can watch Skillibeng’s Bar Stories explanation for “Whap Whap” above.

Yes, That DDG Line About Him And Gunna On A Double Date Is About Exactly Who You Think It Is

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One of the most fun parts of hip-hop music is deciphering rappers’ bars, unraveling their cryptic references and tongue-twisting wordplay to uncover hidden meanings or clever turns of phrase that tell us more about them past their boastful personas. One bar that captured fans’ imaginations came from Michigan rapper DDG on his viral hit “Elon Musk.” DDG hints that he and his costar on the song, Gunna, went on a double date, but doesn’t say with whom; fans naturally took the license to speculate on the rappers’ respective romantic partners, given who they’ve been seen hanging out with in recent months.

Now, thanks to Uproxx’s Cherise Johnson, we have confirmation: That line is about exactly who fans think it is. Sure, it wasn’t that hard to figure out, but it’s nice to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. “I think it’s self-explanatory,” DDG elaborates. “I think the world knows that me and Gunna have a mutual situation with people that are related. Gunna got a Maybach, I got a Maybach — he got the truck, I got the car. One day, he was on a date, I was on a date, we pulled up at the same time.”

For those who don’t know, both rappers had been seen in the company of the sister duo, Chloe X Halle — Gunna with Chloe Bailey, and DDG with the younger sibling, Halle. Although the two R&B stars have been coy, and even Gunna denied that things were serious, DDG’s admission puts both relationships on Front street. You can watch DDG explain his bar above.

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