uproxx interviews

‘Ku Lo Sa’ To The World: How Oxlade’s Debut Album Bridges Africa And The World With Authenticity

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Everything changed for Oxlade in 2022. The Nigerian afrobeats singer, who already had quality records in his discography, climbed to heights that few afrobeats artists have seen. That year, he released his “Ku Lo Sa” single with COLORS Studios where it instantly went viral. Today, more than two years after that song’s release, “Ku Lo Sa” tallied over 200 million views on YouTube combined thanks to the COLORS Studios performance video, the song’s official music video, and the song’s remix video with Camila Cabello. On Spotify, the numbers are even higher with the three version of “Ku Lo Sa” reeling in over 400 million streams.

Thanks to “Ku Lo Sa,” Oxlade and his music reached corners of the world previously unimagined to him. He joined artists like Wizkid, CKay, and Rema on the shortlist of afrobeats artists who released absolute smash hit songs over the past few years. “Ku Lo Sa” meant a brand new era for Oxlade and he took full advantage of hit to tell a new story and a new goal on his debut album Oxlade From Africa.

With the album out now and sure to end up as a top afrobeats release by year’s end, Uproxx caught up with Oxlade to talk about his Oxlade From Africa debut, the globalization of afrobeats, telling African stories, and more.

How did you decide on the direction, sound, feeling — everything — for this album? Did it take a while to settle on a plan or you knew all along that your debut would sound like this?

When “Ku Lo Sa” went crazy viral, I was like, “Yeah, goddamn, it’s time for me to drop an album.” I shot myself in the foot when I said I’m going to name the album Oxlade From Africa. Shout to Spax, he’s the Quincy Jones to my Michael Jackson, he’s my executive producer. I set him a playlist [with] like 20 songs, I was gassed, I was like, “Yeah bro, I killed them,” and then he goes, “This is not the album,” and I lost all the excitement I had for the project. He told me that if I’m going to name the project Oxlade From Africa, I have to make a project that has the aesthetics of Oxlade from Africa and not just naming a project because you feel like naming it and dropping different sonics that contradict the name of the project. So, I had to incline myself for more classic songs that I listened to growing up, and then just blend them with modern-day afrobeats.

Oxlade From Africa is truly a global album with features from people all over the world. Dave, who’s Nigerian and living in the UK. Popcaan in Jamaica, Fally Ipupa in Congo, Wande Coal & Flavour in Nigeria, and Sarkodie in Ghana. Why was it important for you to have different cultures play a part in your debut album?

The thing is if I named the album Oxlade From Lagos or like Lagos To The World it would have been easier for me, but I set myself up and I named the album Oxlade From Africa, so I have to bring African elements from all sides of the Earth into it. Like Fally Ipupa representing the French African, people don’t even know that we have more French-speaking African countries than English-speaking African countries. That’s a very untapped market for even Nigerian afrobeats. “Ku Lo Sa” broadened my eyes to different markets that I didn’t even understand or know I needed. This ton of success presented new perspectives on how I create music and who I create music for.

As much as you are introducing yourself officially with your debut, this album’s title also lets me know that you’re also trying to paint an image of Africa to your listeners. What did you hope they saw and heard about the homeland?

That’s a very good question. As much as we’re scared of the Western world narrating or giving the afrobeats narrative, we also need to be the ones telling the stories. We also need to be the ones countering any fallacy or lies about the genre and try and protect [it]. We have to also give them quality right from the source. For me, it’s a legacy thing, not a trend thing. When you hear the name Oxlade, the standard of music has to be A1. No mediocre — experiments are allowed, but it has to be intentional. I’m also trying to build a legacy for myself with my sonics and also with the brand. I evolved from Boy Ox, which was a boy, to Oxlade From Africa. With every album, new sides and new phases of me will show.

What is one thing that you wanted to showcase for fans through the music on this album that you may not have done on previous songs and projects?

Yeah, definitely. I had a song on the album called “Olaitan.” I feel like the song should have come out earlier because it’s prophesying my mantra [and] what I live by because that’s my name and it means unending wealth and favor from God. This album is also an introduction album and a new update for those who have already been tapped into the brand Oxlade. It also serves as a reminder to those that believed in me, and to give them a reminder to why they believed in me from the jump. It’s reality music, it’s so penetrating, [and] it’s relatable. Songs like that, with the thanks of the platform the album is giving me, would be really, really, really useful in the future. I also do impactful music, like conscious music, like “Blessed” with Popcaan. It’s not every time you gotta sing about ass-shaking checking. Occasionally, we have to give thanks to The Most High. Albums like this give me space to be able to chip in songs like that.

This album is another entry of the successful highs you’ve experienced globally, going back to “Ku Lo Sa” blowing up. How did the massive success of that song confirm or change anything about your approach as an artist and the next steps you took?

I feel like that moment quenched and silenced every doubt I had in my future, my brand, and my craft. We artists, we’re also critics of our art, but ground-shaking success stories like that just make you fearless. Now, I’m just doing this because I love it and I want to do it. Before, I was probably trying to prove people wrong, but the only person I should be proving wrong is myself by outdoing myself. So like, you know. It changed my perspective on what I should be focusing on. I don’t know how to explain it, but that’s literally what is going through my head right now. It gave me the trajectory towards how I should even name the songs on my album. I’m trying to make an African album. I’m not trying to steal anything from a borrowed language that English gave us. So when you hear me say “Ku Lo Sa”, I’m not trying to say “closer.” If you hear me say “Asunasa,” I’m trying to say “as soon as I,” but in an African form. So “Ku Lo Sa” actually affected the entire trajectory and aesthetics of the album. It gave me the whole picture of what or how I should create or carve out some important details of the album.

What do you enjoy most about writing love songs? There are many on this album, like “Intoxycated,” “IFA,” and “Ovum,” and love songs often end up being your best outputs.

I just feel like humanity needs more love and I’m just aiding in preaching the gospel of love because greed is the downfall of our race, if I’ve been honest. If you can share love amongst each other, it could be through songs [and] it could be through good days. As long as you’re preaching love, you’re helping humanity. Also, I love, love. I was raised in love. My family raised me with love and I learned that love is as important as the air we breathe. So, it might be 75% of what you hear me think about because I’m pushing a course to heal humanity. In as much as I could be in realms where I want to sing about violent stuff, I don’t think that is how I want to announce my craft or my debut into the album world. That’s why I’m centering on love and positivity.

Your love for music and your faith in success and prosperity going forward are very obvious when listening to your songs. Have there been moments where that love and faith weakened, and even in those moments, what pushed you to keep it alive and strong?

I feel like every human has downtimes [and] every human loses faith. As far as commitment is concerned, anything you’re committed to will make your emotions flow into it because challenging times are definitely bound to come. There’s this mindset that I have, it’s called: the bigger the level, the bigger the devil. You can’t be overly ambitious and not expect obstacles to come your way. You just have to be fixated on the positives and improve from your mistakes because mistakes are the best lessons. They’re the best teachers. These downtimes actually inspired me to go harder and looking back now at previous episodes, it even gave me more reason to not be scared of whatever challenges I might be facing now.

With this album as your first block in your legacy, what do you hope or want your legacy to be in the afrobeats space?

The legacy already started because if we’re looking at it from all human perspectives, I’m not meant to be where I am today because where I was coming from, people who have that bravery of guts or an unending urge for success, they’re so comfortable. So, having to take out time to do my craft and still go for my dreams, it’s a legacy on its own. Having people like Wizkid, Davido, [and] Burna [Boy] do it right before us and show us how it’s meant to be done, and then passing the torch [and] legacy to us, it’s like a full cycle. It’s a lineage of greats You just have to uphold your own destiny and fulfill it. For me, where I envision myself or what I want my music to do to humanity is heal them. That’s always been my whole purpose. There was a time my profession on my Instagram bio was “doctor” and people would ask me, “Why would I call myself a doctor?” My purpose for doing music is to heal souls. I feel like melodies touch parts of our body that X-ray scans can’t even see, which is the subconscious. Music heals people, music has stopped people from committing suicide, it’s that powerful. People don’t deep the power of art itself. I just feel like my sole purpose to humanity and music is to make songs that humans need.

What is one thing that you hope your listeners, especially the ones who aren’t new to the Oxlade experience, take away from listening to this album?

They were right all along. They invested in the stock and it wasn’t the wrong move. It’s just more bragging rights for them [and] when they defend me. This is all I make music for, to make people happy, to make people that always believed in me prouder of me, to heal more souls, to change more people’s mindset about human music or African music generally, the best way I can. So help me God.

Oxlade From Africa is out now via Troniq Inc./Epic Records/Sony Music Entertainment. Find out more information here.

Maxo Kream Deconstructs The ‘Personification’ Of A Rapper On His Latest Album

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Maxo Kream is back with a fourth — or perhaps, eighth, if you count by his reckoning — album, Personification. A showcase of the Houston native’s storytelling prowess, Personification sees the Brandon Banks rapper following up 2021’s Weight Of The World with a synthesis of his three “big personas”: Emekwanem, Maxo’s real name; Punken, the more reflective version of the rapper, and Trigga Maxo, the version of Maxo that once recklessly ran the streets of Southwest Houston.

Finally free of “all his cases,” as he put it via Zoom, Maxo’s latest album gives him an opportunity to unpack the hard-fought lessons he’s learned over the past several years of conflicting lifestyles. Yes, he was once a young, wild gang member terrorizing the community, but he was also an athlete, a member of a team. Now, he’s a father, an entertainer, a teacher. Personification is Maxo’s attempt to reconcile these roles and the choices he’s made within them to offer contrasting views of each.

So, while there are plenty of “shoot-’em-up” tracks like “Mo Murda” and “Triggaman,” there are also joints that look back on those times with the furrowed brow of experience. “Big Hoe Me” and “Cracc Era” see Maxo examining the consequences of those youthful mistakes and the insecurities that led to them, while songs like “Walk By Faith,” which features his younger brother Josh under a new rap name, take a more meta view, laying out the game and letting listeners decide where they fall on the board.

Personification is a rapper’s story, injecting difficult truths into the rap tropes. Maxo deconstructed the album with Uproxx, expanding on the insights he expresses in its 14 tracks with his signature blunt honesty, and uncompromising wit.

Personification was a tough listen for me because some of the content on it reminded me very much of how I grew up and where I grew up. First and foremost, “Big Hoe Me.” It’s got such a harsh outlook toward negative mentorship. I wanted to ask, what made it so important to you to compare and contrast positive mentorship, versus that kind of negative mentorship?

Yeah, bro, a lot of these n****s be hoes. A lot of these n****s don’t really be that. They be living through their 2nd childhood to little n****s all on the side. Not everybody like that. I didn’t have no big homie that was a hoe. But I know some hoe ass big homies.

I’ve been doing this shit since 2003. We in 2025. I played sports, everything, rap, all that. So, it just shit in the hood. It’s not only with gang shit. It’s mentorship. It’s parents like that. It’s fathers like that. It’s coaches like that.

We actually been on corners back in the day. That’s how I knew my homie. A lot of these n****s know each other from Instagram and motherf*cking GTA. That’s how they know each other. They don’t even stay on the same side of town. They gotta come and drive to the block. They’re commuting to the hood.

I do rap about the turned up side and sliding, the drilling, the riding for your n****s. But I also talk about, okay, as soon you go home, this comes to your door. The opps might come slide on you and slaughter your people by mistake. Looking for you. I show the pros and cons. There’s a lot of rappers that don’t do that.

So, that leads me into why I had such a big laugh on “Smokey.” “Out of town, banger, go to Cali and get laughed at.” Can you elaborate on that principle? Can you elaborate on what gets gotten laughed at from out here?

Hell yeah. I feel like in Houston, they’re riding Cali n****s dick, and the Cali n****s don’t give a f*ck about them for real. They respect n****s that come from Houston and rep their own sh*t. I’m from Forum Park [Crips]. We got our own history. They respect that. I never came to Cali, came to Hoover Street, came to the Hoovers [a Los Angeles Crip set], like, ‘Yo, I’m looking to be down.’ I’m coming over here like, ‘I do this. Y’all do this’. It’s respect. I was at the studio with Hit-Boy and Big Hit. When I’m saying the sh*t, they felt that. And they respect everything I do.

It does feel like there is, on this one, a little bit more sense of disapproval or maybe remorse of Cripping lifestyle. Did your outlook on the lifestyle begin to change recently and if so, what caused the shift for you?

I ain’t going to say it changed. With me being older and having kids and seeing these young n****s that look up to me… I never crashed out a young n****. I had never told my n**** to go slide or drill or nothing like that. I’m like, “Come to my concert. Come to my show, come on tour, and come to the studio.” I did it because when I was a young n****, I did it on my own. Or did with my niggas, but we past that, bro. I ain’t going to send no young n**** to do nothing. Then he go to jail or send the young n**** to do something, and they die because then that’s on me.

Because I did that. I’m responsible for that. I just speak on the Crip sh*t because I’m a retired gang member. I’m not a gangbanger. I used to actually bang. So, I’m really respected. So, it’s different when you hear something from, like, a teacher. But when you hear something from a n****a that you idolize, and it be the same shit that you been through, it hit different. You don’t understand, being a rapper… We really got more focus on the household than the parents, bro. That’s why people be so mad at the music. So I’m like, bro, so if I’m going to talk about it, I gotta cover something about what happened after this. Or put out a jail song. Because that’s going to happen to your ass. If you’re doing all the sh*t I rap about, avoiding jail is not real.

They’ll put you on probation for 15 years.

Come on, man. Freed Young Thug, but he ain’t all the way free.

What’s the best part about working with your brother?

The best part about working with Josh, that motherfucker cold. That n**** never wrote a rap in his life. I told him to write a rap. And he didn’t rap for 3 months. When I took him to the studio, I think one of the first songs he did was “Brothers.” I can’t wait for him to lock me into his full fledge shit, so then I can sit back and just, “Alright. Josh hot as hell. Let me do a song with Josh.” I came from writing. But if I got to write at this point, I’m going to say “f*ck rap.” A lot of shit was written up to Punken. That’s when I start writing for real. I’ll look at the difference between Brandon Banks versus Punken. And that was my two biggest albums. Now today, look at Weight Of The World. You feel me?

We have this conversation again in a year. Where do you wanna say that Personification ended up and what has happened in that year since?

I want to say that sh*t, add another package to my catalog. I’m touring amphitheaters. And KCG Josh or Josh Kream, Joshua Biosa — whoever that n**** is — my brother is big as hell, and I can piggyback off this n*** and I’m a coast. And we in the motherf*cker doing big sh*t on PJs. Getting property for my mama. Just living, bro. I wanna be living. A lot of these n****s die. I want to be old. Out living. That’s where I want to be.

Personification is out 11/15 via RCA. Get more information here.

NoCap Is Making Up For Lost Time With ‘Before I Disappear Again’

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It’s been two years since Alabama rapper NoCap dropped his debut album Mr. Crawford, a project that debuted in the top-10 of the Billboard 200 chart and ensured he’d be a mainstay in the hip-hop community. NoCap’s The Main Bird EP arrived to close 2022, but what came next was a period of silence that only recently came to an end thanks to the long-awaited release of his sophomore album Before I Disappear Again.

“Some people feel like they find themselves when they turn 18 or something, but I don’t think that,” NoCap tells Uproxx as he reflects on his quiet 2023 year. “I’m 25 and I’m still finding myself. I’ve just been working on myself as far as being a father. Even with this cup, I’ve been trying to put that down [and] get better with that. I’ve just been having some me time, but I’m ready to get back to it.”

Before I Disappear Again arrives to add on to what’s been a special year for NoCap. Two months ago, the rapper and his girlfriend gave birth to their first son, Grenayde. “It’s new for me, it’s my first kid, it’s my girl’s first kid too, so it’s new to both of us,” Still, some things have been an easy adjustment for the “Very Special” rapper. “I been not getting no sleep, so it’s cool,” he says with a laugh. “Sometimes, you just got to wake up, do what you got to do, but it’s been smooth overall.”

Together with the release of Before I Disappear Again, Uproxx caught up with NoCap to talk about the new album, his support from fans, music with longtime collaborator Rylo Rodriguez, and why he’s happy to make up for lost time with his fans.

What’s the meaning behind this album’s title, Before I Disappear Again?

Like you said, I’ve been gone for two, three years working on myself [laughs]. Ain’t no telling when I might have to do that again. Hopefully, I don’t disappear again too soon, but ain’t no telling when I have to go back and work on myself again. Yeah, we artists, but at the same time, we live real life. We’re human, we’re not robots. I just get back in that work mode, sometimes I’m worried about myself. That’s all that’s about really.

On “Far From Nigeria,” you say, “Nigeria’s so far from Alabama I swear, but I would visit just to have a talk with Mohbad.” What’s inspired your interest in the country and have you been able to visit?

I ain’t been able to visit because I don’t have my passport due to jail and sh*t. I can get my passport, I’m able to get it, I just ain’t took the time out. We were DMing and sh*t probably like a couple days before that sh*t even happened. When I heard his music, it’s crazy how you can understand somebody way on the other side of the country.

I always wanted to visit Nigeria, because I can run through my comments and DMs all day, and that’s all I see like, “Come to Nigeria, come to Nigeria.” I can’t wait to do that, and I really wanted to talk to Mohbad on some one-on-one time and we were gonna do music together, that’s a true statement. I would have visited to holla at him for sure, and I said that because in our last couple of DMs, he was like, “Hey, give me a call. We need to talk.” So, that’s why I said in that song, “I’ll visit just to talk to Mohbad.”

You remixed D’Yani’s “Feelings” on your album. How did you come across that song and what made you want to put out your own version of it?

I remember a nail got in my tire. I remember being at the tire shop, I had just got my tire done and sh*t, and my girl was on the Bluetooth. The song was playing, I never heard the song, but I was vibing to the song. So she looked at me and laughed like I was joking. I’m like, nah, I really f*ck with this song. I just heard him, his vocals, and sh*t, and how the song was vibing. Jada Kingdom, she’s on the original version, so I had DM’ed him ASAP like, bro, I love this song, send me the open verse [and] let me replace Jada verse. Jada verse hard, but I heard myself on it too. He sent it to me, I knocked it out, sent it back to him, and I told him I’ll put it on the album. He said it’s a go.

I really think it’s different because the song is already out, usually people don’t do that. I just felt like I could add some more to it [and] get a US fan base on it. Jada, she’s from out the country too, so I just felt like it’ll put a street-slash-US fan base on it. I never had that international verse, so I needed that. Shoutout D’Yani for sure.

There’s a funny clip at the end of “Judge The Jury” with a fan voicing their support for you, going as far as to say they’d go broke to see you. What do die-hard fans like this mean to you on your journey as an artist?

It mean everything, bro. I remember when it was a time when nobody gave a f*ck. So no matter how far I get, I always take myself out them shoes and realize my music really helps people, it really heals people. That’s why I be rushing to get this music out, too. I usually don’t do too much promo and no interviews, none of that, because I really just be so focused on the music bro, and trying to feed my fans with the music because I feel like there’s certain sh*t they never gave a damn about. They just want to hear me rapping. So when fans do stuff like that, it mean everything to me. To walk in these venues and sell these venues out alone on my own tour, I don’t have to be on nobody tour — it’s good for me to be on other people tour — but even when I’m alone, without dropping music, I can still go sell these venues out. My fans, that’s who pay me, and I pay them back.

You have two songs with Rylo on this project, which adds to a long list of collabs you have together. What makes it so easy with between y’all when it comes to making it music and could we see another project from you two in the future?

You gonna see Rogerville 2 from us, for sure. We’ve been doing it before anything. We was locking in every night with Gino. Ain’t too much going on in the city, we really ain’t got nothing else to do but hit the studio six, seven at night to 10 in the morning. We sleeping on the floor in the studio, like this was around them times, we waking up recording. We just locked in all night.

I always knew we had the vision, I ain’t gonna say I knew how big it would get, but I always knew we had the vision. Sometimes, I just be wanting our respect. The stamp we put on this game, I don’t feel like we get the [respect] that we should get. We been locked in, so every time we do lock in now, it’s still the same — it ain’t nothing different. That’s still my brother, it’s love. He working, I’m working, but when we link up, we still coming. Rogerville every time.

What would you say is the biggest difference in the experience you had crafting Mr. Crawford versus the experience you had making Before I Disappear Again?

That was the beginning stage of me trying to turn into a business. That’s why I named that Mr. Crawford. That was the beginning stage of that. Now, I’m to the point where I feel like I’ve handled a small portion of that, so now I can really focus back on this music.

I just feel like it’s for everybody bro. I got four trap songs, I got four acoustic songs, I got four girl songs spaced out for everybody. I feel like whoever clicks on this album will be able to at least like four songs if you don’t like certain types of genres. It’s all types of genres on there, there’s something everybody can get with.

Through the highs and lows of being an artist, what keeps you going and wanting to continue making music and project after project?

Really because at this point, besides my son bro, music is the only thing a n**** got. That’s why I put my heart into it so much. I just appreciate my fans so much, that’s why I gotta keep going. I done seen n****s get in this game [and then] two, three years [later], you never hear from them again. For me to still be lasting without dropping music, it let me know it’s destined for me. Some fans wouldn’t give a f*ck about another artist not dropping. The comments, it be a little discouraging sometimes, but at the same time, I always look at them like they still waiting on me. It’s a lot of people who they not waiting on. That’s really what keeps me going.

What’s up next for you now that this album is finally coming out into the world?

For sure, touring out the gate, gotta go see the world again. Gotta go see the people who love me. If I don’t do my tour first, I might jump on Rod Wave’s tour and then come back and do my own tour.

Before I Disappear Again is out now via Atlantic Records. Find out more information here.

J Balvin Is Returning To His Roots And Reclaiming His Space In Reggaeton

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J Balvin is bouncing back. After taking a breather to focus on himself and his family, the Colombian superstar has returned with his new album Rayo. The electrifying LP reflects J Balvin’s return to his reggaeton roots with longtime collaborators like Feid while looking to the genre’s future with rising stars Ryan Castro, Blessd, Carín León, and more.

“This is an era full of joy,” J Balvin says. “This is an era where I am making music for myself, remembering those beginnings that pushed me to be what we are today, and I’m happy to share this with the world alongside a new generation of very talented artists. This era is pa’ la cultura [for the culture].”

Rayo is named after J Balvin’s first car from when he was getting his music career off the ground in Medellín, Colombia. After a few years of grinding, he broke through in 2013 with his album La Familia while putting his country on the map in the reggaeton scene. Other artists from Medellín who have become stars following J Balvin’s success include Maluma, Karol G, and Feid, who started out as one of his co-writers. After becoming a father in 2021, J Balvin stepped away from the spotlight to take care of his mental health and his son Río. In April, he kicked off his comeback with performances at Coachella that included a Will Smith cameo.

Rayo is like a fresh jolt to J Balvin’s electronic reggaeton sound as he teams up with titans in the genre like Zion and Chencho Corleone. J Balvin also reunites with Feid for the alluring “Doblexxó” and continues to use his platform to highlight the next wave of Latin urban acts like Omar Courtz, Yovngchimi, and Quevedo in the swaggering banger “En Alta.” Over Zoom, J Balvin talked with Uproxx about taking time off, his comeback album, and his legacy.

How would you describe the experience of stepping away to focus on your family and raising your son Río?

Besides meeting my best friend, my son, being a father has taught me many things. I love watching Río, watching him grow up, and him continuing to teach me things. It has been a wonderful time for me, my family, and especially for my new music. It feels amazing to come back with 15 songs and a whole new album to share with my fans. I couldn’t be happier right now with Rayo.

What was the experience like to perform at Coachella and have Will Smith come out as your special guest?

It is one of the best things that has happened to me in my life: Representing Latinos at one of the most important festivals in the world and also being fortunate to bring Will Smith to the stage. For a moment, I didn’t even believe it. I am still amazed by the power of music and how it unites cultures and people. It was an experience from another planet.

Why did you want to name your album Rayo after your first car?

Rayo is full of stories and lessons. My first car took me to many places that shaped my career as an artist and as a person. Rayo means a lot to me, as my friends would say, who also joined me in those adventures of riding in a red car through Colombia.

You and Feid go back to the days of your 2016 album Energia. What was the experience like to work with him again “Doblexxó”?

I greatly admire Feid and what he has achieved. We have a lot of history together. It was time to give people this duo again.

You broke down boundaries for reggaeton from Medellín. What do you think about the success of the artists from your hometown like Karol G, Maluma, Feid, Ryan Castro, and Blessd?

They were not easy barriers to break down and I did not do it alone either. Many of us had been doing interesting things with reggaeton in Medellín. Nowadays, seeing my colleagues breaking records with music makes me proud of our country and hard work. Karol G and her tour made history. Being the first Latin artist to sell out the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid four times is something to admire. Feid and Maluma are also doing incredible things and they are followed by Blessd, Ryan, and the people coming up behind them. There are many artists who are raising our flag high. I’m happy for all of them.

On your album, you’re also teaming up with rising Latin urban acts from Puerto Rico like Yovngchimi, Luar La L, Omar Courtz, and Dei V. What was the experience like to work with them?

This is by and for the culture. They are the new generation that I admire and I listen to their music. Having them on this album means that we share the same energy and that we are looking to continue expanding Latin music around the world.

You also recently teamed up with Mexican reggaeton acts like El Malilla, El Bogueto, Yeri Mua, and Uzielito Mix on the “G Low Kitty” remix. What do you think about the reggaeton Mexa music scene?

Mexico is also awakening a new generation of Latin urban artists. Mexico is a huge country and the fact that the genre is being heard only brings good news. There is a lot of talent in Mexico and there is much more to discover in the reggaeton Mexa scene.

Speaking of Mexico, you joined forces with música Mexicana star Carín León on “Stoker.” How would you describe the experience of collaborating with him?

The big surprise on Rayo! Carín is a great artist. All my respect to him. “Stoker” challenged us both to do something different. At the end of the day, celebrating with Carin after the Coachella show paid off. [Laughs.]

What do you want people to take away from Rayo?

You have to do what makes you happy in a way that makes you happy. Vibing with what you do is the important thing to be able to enjoy your work and what you’re doing. Above all, you should be able to transmit that feeling to others.

What’s life been like balancing being a father and a global pop star?

Being precise with times and space is essential. I try not to mix the two that much. Although sometimes they do intersect, let me be clear in saying that I love my job but my family is my priority.

Will there be a US tour soon?

New tour dates are coming for sure. We’ll talk more about it very soon.

What do you want to accomplish next in your career?

There are still many accomplishments to achieve. There’s many places to visit and perform in. Whether I’m accomplishing things with my music, by giving more Latin flavor to the world, or through my Vibra En Alta Foundation. With my foundation, we want to focus on children and young people who are vibing with who they are.

What do you see for the future of reggaeton?

I think we are in good hands. An incredible generation of new talent is coming. They’re very talented and creative people. There is still much to explore and cultures to unite through the genre.

Reggie Watts Has Words Of Wisdom For Fearless Creators

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Veeps

Reggie Watts is the former bandleader/in-house musician for both Comedy Bang! Bang! and The Late Late Show, a comedian with a new special available to stream on Veeps, a musician, a writer, an improviser, and creative force of nature. Pushing back on the expected is Watts’ forte, crafting 2024’s most unique special, a comedy and music filled period piece set in the hopeful pre-internet mid-’90s.

Below, in our latest quick check-in with the most interesting voices in comedy culture, Watts talks about the benefits of growing up in the tech/social media pre-dawn, who he’s listening to, his comedy and music heroes, what he’d tell young comics about finding their own unique voice, and not being afraid of failure.

What was your first concert?

My first concert was Fugazi in Missoula, Montana.

What are the last 3 records you bought or albums you listened to?

Gosh, that’s a really good question. I’ve been listening to the song “My City” by Juliet Mendoza on repeat. The Marias Submarine, that’s an amazing album. And “Flight FM” by Joy Orbison.

Who are the artists across comedy and music that you grew up loving?

There are so many. I grew up with a lot of Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. I loved watching them when I was younger. Carol Burnett, Prince, Michael Jackson, Ministry, The Smithereens, just so many.

As an improviser, is there still a fear of failure when you are on stage, and if so, how do you use that energy?

I don’t really have a fear of failure when I’m onstage but I do have a fear of letting an audience down if I’m not connecting to them and I think I like using that as my energy source. And the constant newness is what’s exciting and new for me onstage.

What was behind the decision to base this latest special in the ’90s?

Yeah, I just wanted to base it in the ’90s because I wanted to recreate some of the hopefulness that we felt in the mid-90’s about the future and about the internet and just the absurdity of pretending it’s another time period on stage.

What are the bits from ‘90s culture that you think have had the most influence on your work and on culture in general?

I think the counterculture movement of the ’90s — especially growing up in Seattle — [has] always had a big effect on how I’m perceiving the world and how I’m creating things. I think just the camaraderie that I had with my friends back then kind of motivated me to always put friendship first. And just the ability to have the freedom to think and do what I want to do.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of being someone who has lived pre-internet and within the internet era?

Well, I think there’s really only benefits. You know, I got to live my childhood and teen years with no phones but with computers and computer games and things like that because the internet thankfully came along after high school. It really allowed me to have a normal, organic, human based upbringing. And then the internet came around at exactly the right time, for me, and I loved the expansion of the technology and where it’s gone since. I think I’ve experienced the perfect technological curve in my lifetime.

What advice do you have for aspiring comics and performers when it comes to experimentation and expectations?

I think just try not to self analyze. Try not to just do the things that people expect from you. I think it’s important to kind of adopt like a “fuck it” kind of attitude. As long as you’re caring about your audience, that’s really the main thing. Just have a good time with it.

Who is your dream collaborator and why?

Dream dead collaborator would probably have to be Prince — I would’ve loved to do something with him. I don’t know if our styles would have matched because he definitely seems pretty… writer-ly and structure-ly and super rehearsed but I bet you he could definitely get on board with where I’m coming from.

Dream alive collaborator I think would be Björk. I think she’s just a polymath, you know? She does so many things, she’s multimedia and I think she just has a vision for all forms of media that she’s involved in and I really like that.

Check out Reggie Watts’ special, ‘Never Mind,’ on Veeps here.

Logic’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Collab With Crunchyroll Is An Anime Fan’s Dream Come True

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Getty Image/Merle Cooper / Crunchyroll

If you were to ask just about any American anime fan which examples of the medium are among the absolute best, the odds are very high that their answer will include Cowboy Bebop, the groundbreaking 1998 neo-noir space Western that solidified anime’s ascendance in the States. Their reasons will vary, but that just speaks to how universally appealing the show really was, that it hit grad-school cinephiles as hard as it did kids from the hood — kids like myself and Maryland rapper Logic.

I’ve had a few occasions to write about the connections between hip-hop and anime this year, and Logic provides the latest, teaming up with the anime streaming platform Crunchyroll to launch a limited-edition merch collection inspired by Cowboy Bebop and the Bobby Tarantino rapper’s love for it. Logic’s Bebop fandom is nigh legendary; in addition to constantly referencing it in his music, his second studio album, The Incredible True Story, contains narrative skits featuring Steve Blum, who played Cowboy Bebop‘s stray-dog protagonist, Spike Spiegel.

Including such pieces as a varsity jacket, skate deck, and various apparel bearing Logic’s logo and an image of him hanging out with the crew of the titular spaceship, the Crunchyroll collection is an anime and hip-hop fan’s dream come true — literally. Logic and Uproxx connected via Zoom to talk about the collection, Cowboy Bebop‘s lasting resonance, and of course, the eternal debate among anime fans: Subs or dubs?

Talk to me about how the collaboration came together, who approached who, and what’s been your favorite part about the whole process?

It just very organically happened. I don’t even know when it was like, “We’re going to do a line,” but I couldn’t believe it, and the collaboration was wonderful. I got to use my art director with their people, and then obviously, the original artist [Toshihiro Kawamoto], which is wonderful, to draw me in the Bebop crew, which is just like a dream come true. I was this little kid watching this show, and now, I’m this man surrounded by these fictional idols of mine in a real space. Sh*t’s crazy.

The entire process was fun. It was loving. It was kind. It didn’t feel like, “You can’t do this, and you can’t do that,” and blah, blah blah, which a lot of people try to do. That’s why I don’t really do collabs. I don’t do collabs because people suck. And you know who doesn’t suck? Crunchyroll.

What was your Cowboy Bebop story? How did you find it? What drew you to it?

I had these two homies, Robert and Jesse, and they introduced me to Cowboy Bebop when I was 11 years old. I remember the first time that I saw the Cowboy Bebop movie, it was f*cking subbed. I remember watching this anime that they introduced me to and then having to listen to it, I’m like, “Why are they talking Japanese? What the hell?”

My household was riddled with crime and violence and drugs and craziness and gunshots and drug dealers. I learned how to cook crack when I was 12 years old. Cowboy Bebop was my first true escape from all of that. A lot of people, especially in the hood and where I grew up, they are extremely intelligent, very smart, but they get stuck in this cycle of using their smarts for bad. But the only reason that they’re using it for bad is because of the systemic nature of what our country was built upon. I was like, what if I put my wits into something else? So discovering anime was really beautiful because it was my first true introduction to art and what it means to be an artist.

I think it’s funny that you were talking about subs, because that was going to be one of my fun lightning round questions, subs or dubs? It’s like the eternal debate among anime fans.

Dubs, because I’m watching. I’m not f*cking reading. I want to watch. I have so much appreciation for the Japanese versions, and that’s awesome, but I speak English, so I just want to hear this sh*t. I think it takes me out of the experience. Even a lot of foreign films — I love foreign films, but I don’t really watch a lot of them because I’m reading.

Crunchyroll

What else have you been watching recently? What are you drawn to when it comes to anime?

I always love a good vintage feel. That’s why I think Studio Ghibli is the bomb because it’s like it gives us this truly animated feel, even in this digital era. But that’s because they care. It’s so beautiful. It’s like to really take great pride in everything that you do, and to also take your time, I think is something that’s really special. I mean, if you can knock something out because you can, then do it. But you see that [care] and you feel it.

One Punch Man, Space Dandy, Attack on Titan was fun, but I didn’t finish it. I need to finish it. People have been telling me I should watch Demon Slayer. I haven’t watched that, but a lot of the time when I watch anime, I watch a lot of the classic stuff.

If you were going to do an anime about your life, which studio would you pick to do it?

I’m going to be honest, I don’t really know too much about the studios besides… How do you pronounce it? Ghibli? Ghibli?

They pronounce it Ghibli [with a soft “g,” like “jeans”], we pronounce it Ghibli [with a hard “g,” like “guppy”] because of the way they wrote it. Doesn’t really matter, everyone knows who you’re talking about.

Studio Gangster, that’s who it is. I really love that art style. But I also love, I guess whatever studio did Akira, that sh*t is wild to me.

[Fun fact: Makiko Futaki, one of key animators on Akira, went on to become a lead animator for Studio Ghibli films such as Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle.]

Crunchyroll

Logic’s collaboration with Crunchyroll is available for pre-order on Crunchyroll’s store. Check it out here.

Lekan Is Keeping The Faith With ‘So You Know’ Ahead Of Opening For Tems On Her World Tour

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apftss/Merle Cooper

“I consider this EP to be a very beautiful introduction to me – both sonically and creatively, and how I process things like love, heartbreak, and joy.”

The future is looking very bright for Lekan. The Columbus, Ohio-born singer is just a few days removed from the release of his debut EP So You Know, and in less than three months, he will begin a nine-show run as an opener for Tems on her Born In The Wild World Tour. It’s been a long time coming for the singer who brought his talents to Los Angeles, where he is currently based, with the goal of achieving all his music dreams. So You Know and the Born In The Wild World Tour are the beginning moments on that journey.

Fresh off the release of So You Know, Uproxx caught up with Lekan to discuss his gig as an opener on the Born In The Wild World Tour, his So You Know EP, and more.

What was your first reaction to hearing that you’ll be an opening act for Tems’ Born In The Wild World Tour?

I for sure screamed [laughs]. Outside of that, I was just super grateful because when you getting somewhere, you never really know what that actually looks like. So when you get somewhere to that extent and to that platform, you’re just thankful for never really giving up. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.

What helped you stay patient in the time before your breakout “Need Somebody?” How did you remain confident that your moment was coming?

The work. I knew that the work that I was doing was just eventually going to have to be seen because I wasn’t going to stop. I knew the work that I was putting out was quality, it was just only a matter of time until the world would figure it out. I just kept doubling down on just quality work and it would speak for itself.

What was the moment that you realized things were changing for the better?

It’s really interesting because a lot of stuff that the world is starting to figure out, is something that like I feel like I was showing a long time ago. I’ve always say where it started to really changed for me was when I moved to LA. That was really when it started changing for me. From there, I was just like nothing’s ever gonna be the same. So I just kept making sure [that] I put myself in position to be aligned with like-minded individuals who could see my vision, could see my life, and could prioritize me to help me make this into a thing. It only made it easier because I would just want to run with them.

For the tour with Tems, what are you most excited for and what are you most nervous about?

I’m not nervous. I truly feel like I’m just gonna keep doing what I’ve been doing, if anything, just do at times 10. I have no fear about that because it’s just something that I’ve just been doing. What I’m most excited about is to be able to really see the people, to see the real time interactions with new fans or even just supporters that came out to see me. Seeing what that actually looks like, seeing the actual impact of these records in real time, watching people actually singing along, the experiences that I’m going to have along the way in different environments, and then also sharing that with my childhood best friend who produced the title track who’s gonna be on the right side of the stage with me for every show. That’s what I’m most excited about.

What do you hope fans takeaway from hearing So You Know and seeing you perform from it?

I just want them to be sonically introduced to me. I want them to know that I care about the music, the craft, and the advancement of this of the sound to see how much it can really impact people. I was blessed with a gift to be utilized when it comes down to music, but I just want people to understand that it really also just stems from taking initiative, having faith in something bigger than you, but also yourself. None of this stuff is happening without confidence. So, just take that, run with it, and apply that within their own system.

Bongo ByTheWay is your right-hand man in your career so far, I feel like he’s to you what D’Mile is to Lucky Daye. How did this relationship start and what makes him the perfect collaborator for this point of your career?

It’s really helped, honestly. You can come to the table and then you just see what someone else can also just bring to the table, as well. He’s someone that had accolades and just experience walking into this. For me personally, it was dope to see someone who looked like me, as far as like Nigerian American just out here really making a name for himself. When him and I started to work together, he just affirmed me. He was just one of the first people to really put his arm around me and really be like, “Nah, he’s the one,” and just affirm me, really believe in me, and push me ultimately. He definitely pushed me and got a lot out of me. I’m really grateful, forever indebted to how he just did that off of discernment, honestly. He could have handled it in so many different ways, but he did the right things in handling it. I’m grateful for the relationship that him and I have built.

You once tweeted that you have to listen to Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 2” and The Kurt Carr Singers’ “For Every Mountain” or your days feel weird. What are some other things that are key to your routine? Especially before a show.

Before a performance, I always got to listen to jazz or Anita Baker — just certain things that keep me in such a very mellow mode. It’s a lot of noise, you just got to be able to find your way to stand firm and find your own little process of things that you need to do to keep you firm within whatever’s going on. Also family, I always gotta talk to a loved one of mine every day. If it’s not all of them, it’s one of them for sure. I have to do that.

What song on this project do you think speaks best to your artistry and the experience can best define you by?

If I had to choose, I would say “Change.” That’s one thing that is solely just me which is something that I wanted to highlight. I felt like it was a very important part of my process for people to understand. I do stuff like that all the time, I have albums-worth of like stuff like that. It was just really important for me to make sure that the world understand the identity, the texture, the intentionality, [and] the care, that stuff takes a lot of time. It might be probably 8/9-hour sessions for just to do that one song. It’s definitely nothing light, it’s definitely not nothing easy. Yeah, I think that something that I would like for the world to really understand like, “Okay wow, this dude’s sound is… he definitely cares about trying to push the sound.”

If there’s one word that could describe the last year for you, what would it be? And what do you hope the next year brings you?

This year, I would say is affirming. It’s been affirming to everything that I’ve always believed, everything that God has always shown me, everything that I’ve always known to be true, which is that I could do anything that I put my mind to through Christ that strengthens me. Every time I gotta circle back bro because I could say that I’ve done everything on my own strength and put myself in position, but there’s a lot of stuff that is just simply based off of His favor and based off of me being faithful to focus on what He was showing me when it didn’t look like it. So, I guess affirming will be this season [and] this year and then next year will be faithful. Just continue to stay faithful to the craft, faithful to the grind, [and] faithful to the goal which is to inspire the masses. What comes with that is just gonna come with that, and it’s gonna be a lot, but I’m only just gonna get stronger to be able to withstand it.

So You Know is out now via At The Studio/ByTheWay/Human Re Sources. Find out more information here.

With ‘Bridging The Gap,’ A Father And Son Improved Their Relationship By Bonding Over Hip-Hop

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Bridging The Gap interview image
Yusuf Saleh/Merle Cooper

Two years ago, Roderick Coffman II launched the YouTube channel Bridging The Gap with his dad, Roderick Coffman Sr., with a simple goal: Turn my dad into a hip-hop fan. More than 200 videos later, that goal has certainly been achieved. Furthermore, from the seed that is Bridging The Gap, which grew a father-son relationship that most die-hard hip-hop fans would dream of having their child or parents. Video after video, viewers watch Rod II play an album from start to finish in hopes of making his dad love one more hip-hop album than he did the day before. Together, the duo has reacted to classics like Eminem’s The Eminem Show (their most popular video to date), Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, and 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, and more recent releases like Future & Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You, JID’s The Forever Story, and Mac Miller’s Swimming.

Bridging The Gap began as a way for Rod Sr. and Rod II to spend more time together. However, after two reactions video for Jay-Z’s The Black Album and 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, they quickly knew they had something special together. “When we dropped the 50 Cent [Get Rich Or Die Tryin’] video, that one took off quick,” Rod II tells Uproxx over a Zoom call. “The comments were just really, really passionate. That’s really what stuck out to me. It wasn’t even the views, people were like, ‘Yo, I wish I could do something like this with my dad.’”

So, for Father’s Day, Uproxx caught up with Rod Sr. and Rod II to talk about Bridging The Gap, their favorite moments from it, and how the channel changed their opinions on hip-hop while also improving their relationship.

In your first video, a review for Jay-Z’s The Black Album, Rod II, you said that you wanted to hang out with your dad more. What was your relationship like before you began the podcast?

Rod II: Growing up my dad’s always been in my life — both my parents — and just like any relationship, we’ve had our ups and downs. Going into adulthood, I feel like we didn’t see each other as much as we could. So yeah, I just saw this as an opportunity to spend more time and build a closer relationship as we grow older. I saw this opportunity, I thought it’d be cool to do. I didn’t know it was gonna turn into this.

What were both of your experiences and opinions of hip-hop before Bridging The Gap?

Rod Sr.: When he was younger, I wouldn’t allow him to play it in the house. Coming up in my era, I grew up on music where they had actual bands and the concerts were a lot more entertaining, a lot of dancing and light shows, and different things. For an example, take a group like Earth, Wind & Fire. All the band members were interacting in the concerts and instruments and all the things that were going on. When rap came along, from my perspective, I just saw a lot of guys running around grabbing their crouch going, “Yo! Yo! Yo!” So I was just like, “Man, this is not music,” and that was early rap. So from that point on, I just turned it off. I just didn’t even want to be a part of it. So he was kind of like, “Ah pop, you should listen to this, you should listen to that,” and I was like, ehh… okay, because I love music.

Rod II: I’ve always known my dad to be super, super into music. We listen to music the same way, like in a deeper, deeper way. We love the little sound in the background that nobody even notices, just the small things that make the music so special to us. So growing up, that was my experience, my dad alway played his oldies and I’ve always had an appreciation for that. Then, just growing up with rap, Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, I just always had a deep connection with hip hop. Going into the channel, I knew that if I could get my dad to have an open mind about it, he would start to see the things that our music pulls from his generation of music. I knew that as soon as he got that connection and really peeped the artistry of the sampling, poetry, and rhymes, the spark would be there.

What brought you both to moment where you decide to start Bridging The Gap. Was it supposed to be a full-fledged podcast or just a few episodes on some albums at first?

Rod II: I had previously done a couple of different podcasts and projects, so I already had a bunch of equipment at the house. I saw another channel similar to what we do and the idea just sparked from there. The fact that my dad had not listened to any of this music was integral [and] super important, and I figured that maybe he would be open to it. That was just the conversation, I sent him the example of the other channel and I said, “Hey dad, would you would you be down to try this out?” He saw it, he was like, “Yeah, sure, why not?”

Rod Sr.: I just wanted to hang out! [laughs]

Rod II: We sat down, we listened to that Jay-Z album, and honestly, from that first upload immediately got traction in the first week or two. I remember like texting my dad, “Hey dad, there’s like 1,000 plays on this thing and they really liked the video. People leaving all these comments and stuff. We got to keep doing this.” So we just locked in, and the rest is history.

We’re two years in now. Did you think that Bridging The Gap was going to last this long when you first started?

Rod Sr.: I didn’t. Like I said, I’m just hanging out. He was like, look at this, this, and this, and this has hit this, and all these plateaus we were reaching. I was like okay! It kept getting bigger and bigger and so I’m like well, maybe we have something here.

Rod II: I hadn’t really been a person that watches a lot of reaction videos. I didn’t even know that it was such a big thing until we started getting into it, and I started seeing other channels. So yeah, to be where we’re at now, I’d like to say that I figured we could be successful with it, but I don’t know man, I didn’t know we’d get to this point and I still think that we got a long way and a high ceiling we can still reach so it’s a blessing.

In what ways has your opinions of hip-hop and even music overall changed as a result of Bridging The Gap?

Rod Sr.: There’s a lot of talented young people out there and there’s some really, really good music out there, but also [with] hip-hop, there’s a lot of pain, there’s a lot of suffering. There’s a lot of things that are expressed through their music. It’s happy in the sense that these young people are gaining great success doing what they do, but it seems like they have some deep-seeded pains that they’re trying to get out and they’re putting it down in their music. That’s the sad part of it. It’s like “Joy And Pain” [by] Frankie Beverly and Maze. That’s the way I look at hip-hop as a whole.

Rod II: I’ve always been super passionate about it. I just have a different perspective when I’m trying to choose the albums. Now, when I listen to music, I’m always like, “I wonder what my dad would think about this…” So that kind of changes the way I listen to stuff, but it’s still something super important to me and it’s such a pleasure to sit down, get his opinion, and hear what he has to say. Oh my gosh, when I pick an album and first press play, I’m just waiting like, he gonna vibe with this or what?

In what ways has this podcast improved the relationship between you two?

Rod Sr.: It’s improved tremendously, but now I’m noticing, it’s funny [laughs], just a couple of days ago, we were doing some work, putting some work in and he goes off and I’m still hanging out, right? He goes, “Pops I gotta go, I gotta go. I’ve got to take a sh*t.” I’m like oh, I’m hanging out too much now [laughs]. He getting comfortable, I said ah, he putting me out real polite.

Rod II: Yeah, it’s great man. We hang out and we’ve had the opportunity to do some really, really cool stuff together. Our Teskey Brothers video recently went insanely vital. We got to go out to the concert and meet them, experiences like that. A couple months ago, we visited my grandmother in Indiana and made a reaction video with her. We went to a Drake concert, Travis Scott, we just be doing stuff man. We get these opportunities, people reach out and yeah, we just hang out. It’s just cool to experience these things with my dad and even in those moments, I’m just looking like, “Is he feeling this?” [laughs]. It’s a blessing man.

What is your favorite memory of each other’s from a video from the channel. Whether it be a comment, a certain reaction, etc.

Rod II: My favorite memory of my dad is, in general, when he tells his little side stories. One in particular is so funny to me. He tells a story of his buddy Joe Head from back in the day and it tickles me to the core. The fans love it, they bring it occasionally, and yeah, that’s my personal favorite.

Rod Sr.: I think it’s two for me. There was a rapper talking about somebody stole his bike… The Game! The Game was talking about somebody stole his bike and I’m telling my son about this situation with a good friend of mine, Terry. I started getting kind of upset because I’m still mad about my bike. And then, of course, the reaction when I first saw the Teskey Brothers. I said, “Oh sh*t!.” and then I read the comments [and] they said that’s the “Oh sh*t!.” that went around the world. I thought that was kind of funny.

Big question for you both: What is your favorite hip-hop album of all time?

Rod Sr.: I’m rocking [with] Kendrick [Lamar] and J. Cole, anything. Anything. J. Cole and Kendrick, I’m rocking with them. It is hard though, I’m sure I could add more to that list, but they’d be old school. Tupac, I love Outkast, and then Eminem.

Rod II: Probably My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

What are you both most proud of with Bridging The Gap?

Rod II: I’m most proud of just creating these moments with my dad, being able to share them with the world, and the joy and and even like healing energy that these videos provide to other people. We get all these emails, messages, and comments, it be giving me chills bro. These videos are really important to some people and to be able to just sit in my room and listen to music with my dad and create these moments we’ll be able to look back [on], and you know this stuff is going to live on after we’re gone, that’s what I’m most proud of.

Rod Sr.: For me, it’s almost similar. These times we spent together, creating these reactions, have also created joyful times between he and I. I had no idea because I didn’t know about this whole reaction thing because I’m just thinking I’m sitting here in a room. I didn’t know that we were reaching out to around the world and I was reading the comments, from people in Italy, South Africa, [and] Australia and people… it just touches their lives in such a way. It really freaked me out when some guy was like, “Oh, dude I couldn’t wait until got out from work so I can jump in my car and turn on Bridging The Gap,” and I’m just like what? It means so much to so many other people and that’s what touched my heart. It almost brings a tear to your eye when you read some of the comments of how Bridging The Gap is affecting people’s lives, that’s the positive thing. A lot of people say they really appreciate it because it’s wholesome and is genuine. I’m glad we come across like that because that’s what it is. That’s what I appreciated about Bridging The Gap.

Bridging The Gap videos are out now on Youtube. You can find their social media pages here.

Ayra Starr’s ‘The Year I Turned 21’ Is A Coming Of Age Story For A Star Who’s Already Arrived

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Ayra Starr 'The Year I Turned 21' interview
Mikey Oshai/Merle Cooper

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Ayra Starr was made to be a star. It’s a fact (and pun) too undeniable to avoid. The Nigerian Grammy-nominated singer, who is just a few weeks away from her 22nd birthday, not only embraces the spotlight but outshines the light that falls on her. Starr embodies this same spirit as we meet at Republic Records before a listening party for her sophomore album The Year I Turned 21. A big smile and her bubbly energy are hard to ignore as Starr and her team work on finishing touches for the night. “I’m blessed with being one of the most non-serious people on earth,” Starr tells me during a conversation before the party. “I try to have fun in every single experience. I’m blessed with that.” The reveling days of 19 & Dangerous are far from over for Starr, but The Year I Turned 21 proves that through the fun, she’s also grown up.

The Year I Turned 21 puts a stake in the ground as a time, place, and feeling to remember for Ayra Starr. The naivety is gone thanks to some new experiences in life and the industry, and in exchange for that comes added self-awareness as a career-sharpening tool. “I just wanted to be 19 & Dangerous,” Starr says, reflecting on her debut album. “With the sound, I was just trying different things. I’d never really worked on my sound, specifically. But I feel like with this album [The Year I Turned 21], I know exactly what I’m doing. I know my strengths and weaknesses.”

The album begins with the attention-grabbing quick strums of a violin on “Birds Sing Of Money” before equally quick strikes of a drum blare to welcome Ayra Starr to the stage. “It’s different from anything I’ve ever done,” Starr boasts of the song which she also called a “masterpiece in its own right.” She adds, “It’s such an iconic way to open an album [and] it’s definitely a genre I would like to try out more.” Records like these prove that Starr is more confident and comfortable than ever in herself and her artistry. “I don’t watch my tone ’cause I like how I sound, b*tch,” she quips on the song, before adding later, “I’m so careful with my energy, please never speak upon my name.”

The protection of peace and the promotion of enjoyment are the foundation of The Year I Turned 21, which supports a combative Ayra Starr ready to fight those that threaten her happiness. It’s the whole premise of “Commas,” a single from the album that grew to be one of Starr’s most popular records and one she says she’s “obsessed” with. “‘Commas’ is one of the most beautiful records I’ve made,” she adds. The sentiment was the same with fans who begged the singer to release the song after she posted a preview on social media. With lyrics like “Energy wrong, I log off” and “I carry God, so I fear nothing,” it’s no shock that an empowering Ayra Starr resonated with listeners. She manifested her inner strength and you can too.

These empowering moments are sprinkled throughout The Year I Turned 21 in different ways. “Goodbye (Warm Up)” with Asake, which has all the ingredients to be a surefire hit heading in the summer, is a celebratory departure from an inadequate lover with the comfort that better days are ahead. “Bad Vibes” with Seyi Vibez is a promise to only reap what her blessings have sowed her. It’s carried by a Yoruba proverb that reads, “Igi gogoro magun mi l’oju, mi o fọ” which loosely translates to “A tall tree does not poke me in the eye, so I don’t need to wash.” In other words, a big change or challenge doesn’t hurt me, so I don’t need to overreact to it. As she said earlier, Ayra Starr recognizes her strengths, and in putting them to action on The Year I Turned 21, she appears more free, more independent, and more of a force to reckon with.

This aura that so effortlessly wraps itself around Starr is one of the many reasons that collaborations like “Woman Commando” with Brazilian singer Anitta and American singer Coco Jones can happen. Starr, a self-described “girl’s girl,” aimed to create a record in the same vein of Beyoncé’s “Run The World (Girls),” and just like that, “Woman Commando” was born. When it came time to decide who would help make this feeling a reality, the decision of Anitta and Coco Jones was fairly easy for Starr. “I’ve [been] listening to Coco Jones since I was 11,” Starr said while recalling the time she begged her mother to let to watch the singer in her lead role on Disney’s 2012 movie Let It Shine. As for Anitta, that decision was a “no-brainer” thanks to a friendship already cemented between the singers.

“I love her, that woman is amazing,” Starr says of Anitta. “She’s my G, she’s the most hilarious person ever. We’ve just been chatting and sending each other memes. She’s so beautiful, her voice is stunning, and I feel like we kind of have the same background when it comes to music. She comes from and the favelas, and she wants to make it out. She’s already big in America, but she wants to be bigger and I respect it so much. Even having her on my album is just a blessing.”

Another feature Starr is proud of comes on “Last Heartbreak Song” with Giveon. The record, which grapples and eventually moves on from an unrequited love, was originally meant for 19 & Dangerous. However, after consulting with her team, Starr opted to save the song for another album. A couple of years and an additional Giveon verse later, “Last Heartbreak Song” takes space on the album it was “perfect” for. “I remember when I heard Giveon’s verse, I just started crying in the car because I felt like, ‘Thank God I waited,’” Starr says. “I called my A&R Rima and said this is perfect.” For Starr, this was undoubtedly another big moment in a career that has already produced so many, something she reflects on with “21.” It’s essentially the title track for The Year I Turned 21 as it documents the gravity of the years that prior and up to Starr turning 21. “I was at the house tryna figure out who the f*ck I am,” she sings about her first decade of life before noting the “big year” 18 was and the “big bag” she earned at 19 years old.

Mason “Maesu” Tanner, Starr’s friend and collaborator, is credited as the catalyst for this song as he gave her a demo of the record after hearing about Starr’s creative struggles. “I told him it’s so hard to write about my experiences I write about other people,” Starr explained. “It’s quite hard when it comes to me because I feel like I don’t see my experiences. I’m just living too much, there’s so much happening.” A month later, Tanner took everything Starr said and delivered the demo to her as a gift at her 21st birthday party. “I was like, this is perfect. I know what to do with this.”

The Year I Turned 21 is undoubtedly the start of a new era for Ayra Starr, one that will validate her as the growing global superstar we all know her to be. With future goals of learning how to produce her own records and how to dance, as well as getting more into her “fashion bag,” Ayra Starr’s star power is only going to increase by the second. Until then, Starr wants listeners to “feel inspired by the greatness” that is The Year I Turned 21. “I want them to feel very motivated because it is a coming of age story,” Starr says. “Through this album, they’re gonna know where I come from and where I’m trying to go.” She’s a star and it’s only a matter of time until everyone recognizes it and thinks the same, no matter where she goes next.

The Year I Turned 21 is out now via Mavins Global Holdings Ltd/Republic Records. Find out more information here.

Anycia Isn’t Letting A Crown Change Her On ‘Princess Pop That’

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Anycia 'Princess Pop That' interview
Apex Visions/Merle Cooper

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Things changed very quickly for Anycia. In a matter of months, the Atlanta blossomed into the class of hip-hop’s next it-girls. It began towards the end of last with the release of “BRB,” a record that closes both her 2023 EP Extra and her newly-released debut album Princess Pop That, and elevated when she collaborated with Latto for “Back Outside.” Though Anycia admits that the newfound fame is overwhelming (“Chile, it’s overwhelming right now.”), she also knows that the stress is worth it.

“When I was working regular jobs, I was overwhelmed, and it wasn’t a good overwhelmed, so I like this overwhelming.” she tells me. Furthermore, she believes that being overwhelmed is a product of trying to elevate your life. “You always gonna be overwhelmed when you’re doing some sh*t, when you’re trying to get your life right,” she adds. “If you’re not overwhelmed or feel like there’s more to be done, then b*tch, you not doing nothing.”

Princess Pop That presents Anycia as both spoiled and feisty. Through 14 songs that clock in at just under a half-hour, Anycia enforces her rule over men and spiteful women with a playful authority that emphasizes the duality that exists in her artistry as much as it does in the album title. It’s a short, sweet, and concise that gets the job and leaves you wanting more, just as a debut album should do.

Together with the album’s release, Anycia took a moment to speak with Uproxx about the album, receiving princess treatment, her craziest experience with a man, and what she hopes her career brings her in the future.

“I don’t want to lose sight of my goals and I don’t want to be a parent that was like, ‘I used to do this,’” she notes. I don’t want to be no-used-to-be ass female like, ‘I used to be back in the day. I used to be running around with all them!’ No, we there. We in the moment.”

What’s your definition of a princess and how does it factor into the foundation of this album from the lyrics to production and the skits?

I grew up in a house [where] I’m the only girl out of all boys, and I’m the firstborn, so like I’ve always been literally the princess. My room was pink, I’m spoiled, I’m everybody’s favorite, so I’ve always been a princess. The “pop that” comes in hand because most b*tches that call themselves princesses try to be “tea party, chip chip cheerio.” No, it’s Princess Pop That because I’m still a princess, really a queen, I do as I please. I don’t touch a door, if I got some heavy bags, I don’t give a damn what man is right there, pick it up! It’s my world and everybody else is just living in it.

A princess is somebody who exudes confidence in any room that they’re in. A princess dominates every room that they’re in, even if they’re nervous, they’re able to defeat that feeling and demand the room. You just demand everything, in a nice way, in a princess way, in a cute way, [and] not in a b*tchy way. You’re that girl, everybody knows you’re that girl, you don’t have to say too much to be the girl. Think about when a queen or a princess walk through the room, they want everybody to shut the f*ck up.Except this princess be popping it. So I might slide through and [say], “Play that Sexyy Red!” You ain’t gotta be quiet, I want everybody to turn up.

I like the message on the “Poppin It Interlude,” because I think for a lot artists the message would’ve been “don’t cry over these n****s/don’t cry over no girl.” For you it’s, “I be sliding down the wall too hoe. But get you some motherf*cking money while you doing it.” What experiences for you influenced this message and being able to tell it this way?

My main goal with all of this is to be as transparent and personable as possible. I feel like nowadays, there are a lot of unrealistic expectations with our generation. I’m 26, I’m about to be 27 this year. I will be sitting here for days if I told you everything that I done been through. I feel like personally, with my music, with everything I do, when I talk, [and] when I do interviews and stuff, I have to stop myself sometimes. That’s why I commend Sexyy Red so much because I feel like she says a lot of things that [most] girls wouldn’t. Girls wouldn’t have been comfortable running around saying, “My coochie pink my booty-hole brown.” She exudes confidence, she doesn’t care, [and] she dominates. She puts it out there, and it makes the girls feel like, “Oh, maybe this is okay.”

I literally want to have that same feeling. When I said, “You can slide down the wall, just be that b*tch sliding down the wall,” I mean that because realistically, y’all could sit here and act like, “Oh, F that n****, we were going outside, we turnt up.” Girl, you know you hurting and it’s okay. It’s just not glorified to be an emotional creature, but emotions are real at the end of the day. Just make sure that when you’re emotional, you have that balance, and you’re able to snap back from it. Don’t ever be just sliding down the wall and just stay on the floor. You can side down on the wall, just make sure your nails are done, you got some money in your purse, [and] your car is filled up with gas. Cry and go pay the bills. Cry in the car with some Dior shades on baby, get it together. I just want everybody to know that it’s normal to be normal, but you can still be that b*tch and be normal and have emotions and feelings.

Between “Back Outside” and “Nene’s Prayers,” there are moments on this album that come from men really having you f*cked up. What was the worst situation with a guy that really had you ready to pop off like you never did before?

When I was 17-18 I had this boyfriend, and no shade to the boys who’re struggling a little bit or whatever, no shade. I was 17-18, we got a little job or whatever. My birthday rolled around and I told him that we don’t gotta do much cause I already know our situation. But baby, in Atlanta it was the middle of summer. My birthday is in in August. It feels like the devil’s asshole out here. You even been to Atlanta when it’s hot? You’ll be gleaming like a glazed doughnut that came up out of Krispy Kreme.

We up in the car everywhere, truth story I’m about to dropped dead, we had no air up in his car. He smoked black and milds too and one of the windows in the front broke, so he basically hotboxing this b*tch [and] it’s 4000 degrees outside. He driving around Atlanta talking about, “I gotta cash this check. I gotta cash this check.”. We done drove to like 80 different stores. Mind you, I never saw the check the whole car ride. Why we get to the place where you cash the check and its an $11 check? $11. When I tell you I was mad? I was so upset, I was mad, I was losing my damn mind [and] then, not to mention, he had the nerve to cheat on me!

What is the one message or piece of advice that you kept in mind as you created this project and why was it so important to you?

One of my friends told me, cause I’ve been going through a lot of friend stuff as far as, you know, the normal sh*t, so I lost a lot of friends in this process. But I was told that everybody’s on the same highway, but everybody gets off on different exits. That stuck me because, it’s true, we on the ride together, but now I’m getting off on this exit and you getting off that exit. It don’t necessarily mean like bad blood or nothing, but when we drive past each other again, we drive past each other again. Right now, I’m on my exit [and] we don’t live on the same exit so, I’ll see you in traffic.

If you could have a day where it’s just princess treatment from morning to night, what would that day look like?

I wake up in the morning, 17 blunts rolled to perfection exactly how I like it, right there all ready to go. Face things in order on my desk ready for everything. Toothpaste on my toothbrush, everything that I need for the morning is already set. Showered running, clothes picked out exactly to perfection. When I get up, my man is doing [all] this himself, he’s slaving trying to do this.

When I get out the shower, he need to already be downstairs at the front door opening the door for me to put my shoes on and everything. Then he need to take his ass out by the car, he need to open up that door, and he needs to start my car. Prior to doing all this, he needs to wake up early because he needs to take my car to fill it up with gas and vacuum it out because I was smoking the day before. Then he needs to have my car ready with everything put into my car. Then, he gives me $50,000 to go shopping and then I have nothing to do.

My phone is on Do Not Disturb. I don’t have much to do, this is a free day. I just made some money, something drops in my account because it’s something that I did, or I get the opportunity of a lifetime on the phone, nobody will be able to contact me to tell me nothing. The sun is out, I got on something that show my ass perfectly, [and] I look good. Hair is done, nails are done, and lashes are to a tee — everything is good. Then we’ll go get something real nice to eat. A nice big steak [and] loaded baked potato type of time, then a little surf & turf. We leave there and smoke two blunts. Then, we go home, we lay up in the bed, and we watch whatever we want to watch — crime documentaries, the worst gory movie you could possibly think of. My man already up in the bed and his… is out and we…. and then we go to bed.

What do you hope Princess Pop That does for your artistry and the career you want to build going forward?

Honestly, I’m just an open book. I’m doing a lot content wise. I’m never gonna stop putting out songs. I’m never gonna stop my consistency with music. I plan on dipping and diving in all different elements of myself and adapting to other people’s environments, and still being able to be myself and show everybody that I can still be myself. Showing different styles and just enjoying my woman experience. I’m really more so happy to see the impact that it makes. Of course, I’m excited about the money too, but I’m superduper excited about the impact that I make and building my platform so that I can use it in the correct ways. I’m excited about the future as a whole.

Princess Pop That is out now via United Masters LLC. Find out more information here.