Uproxx Sessions

Josh Levi Returns To ‘UPROXX Sessions’ With A Swaggering Performance Of ‘She Keeps Comin’

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Josh Levi is back again for another smooth performance on UPROXX Sessions. Earlier this week, he helped kick off the latest season of Uproxx’s one-take performance show with his single “Birthday Dance,” and today, the multitalented Texan returns to perform another standout from his 2022 project DISC TWO, “She Keeps Coming.”

In contrast to the upbeat “Birthday Dance,” “She Keeps Coming” is a chest-beating ballad (an amusing combination) in which he boasts to a romantic rival that their mutual interest is choosing Levi. Naturally, there’s a bit of a double entendre with the title, explaining exactly why Josh is the superior man. “He’s gotta be high, he can’t be sober,” he sings, “Can’t blame the next guy who has your old girl.” In this performance, he also nods to one of his inspirations, slipping in some lyrics from Beyoncé’s 2003 solo breakout hit “Crazy In Love.”

You can watch Josh Levi’s performance of “She Keeps Comin’” for UPROXX Sessions above.

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

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

Josh Levi Invites You To Celebrate With His ‘Birthday Dance’ Performance For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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UPROXX Sessions is back with a fresh selection of performances from the hottest rising stars in music. Last fall, we left off on a performance of Monaleo’s “Crying On Your Birthday,” so it’s only fitting that we return with another birthday-themed song.

This one is called “Birthday Dance” and comes courtesy of another Texas native, R&B singer-songwriter Josh Levi. If his voice sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve had a few chances to hear it before. He was a finalist on the third season of The X Factor, and in 2022 he voiced one of the members of the fictional boy band 4*Town in the Pixar animated film Turning Red, where he placed his first Billboard Hot 100 charting song “Nobody Like U,” which was co-written by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell.

“Birthday Dance,” which appears on Levi’s 2023 project Disc Two (Scratched Up), is a laid-back groove encouraging its addressee to bust a move on the dance floor in celebration of their special day. “Sittin’ here on your birthday,” he croons. “But it seems like the worst day / Let me make you feel okay / Can I take you home tonight?”

Watch Josh Levi perform “Birthday Dance” for UPROXX Sessions up top.

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

Monaleo Throws A One-Woman Party In Her ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Performance Of ‘Happy Birthday’

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Monaleo makes her UPROXX Sessions debut this week with her new single “Happy Birthday” (alternatively known as “Crying On Your Birthday”). We also see the return of props, as Monaleo brings a party horn and hat to her session to really complement the theme of her song.

Flipping the well-known tune of “Happy Birthday To You,” Monaleo delivers what she calls “an empowerment song I wrote to denounce the stigma against all girls crying on their birthdays. Whether it be because your man didn’t do what he was supposed to, the plans aren’t going right, your outfit didn’t come in. Whatever it is that’s causing you not to enjoy the only day that’s supposed to be about you, shake it off! ‘Crying On Your Birthday’ is a fun, hype song to play on your birthday or any day that you aren’t feeling like the amazing woman that you are.”

The Houston rapper had a big viral moment a couple of years ago with “Beating Down Yo Block,” her breakout single which racked up nearly 30 million views on YouTube and over 35 million streams on Spotify. She carried that momentum through to 2023 with the Flo Milli collab “We Not Humpin’ (Remix)” and a tour with the Alabama native. In May this year, she released her debut album, Where The Flowers Don’t Die, again collaborating with Flo Milli.

Watch Monaleo’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Happy Birthday” above.

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

Flyana Boss Introduces Their ‘Nu Nu’ Selves In A Rowdy ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Performance

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Flyana Boss returns to UPROXX Sessions for the second week in a row to rock a rollicking performance of their song “Nu Nu.” While “You Wish” is still their calling card, the Dallas and Detroit-bred dynamic duo is back to prove they are far from a one-hit wonder.

“Nu Nu,” funnily enough, actually precedes “You Wish” by a couple of months. It was released as part of a two-song single called Boffum alongside “Really Really.” It features a hard-hitting hit beat and confident, cutthroat lyrics that find Folayan and Bobbi boasting that they’re leveling up — another clever bit of manifestation from the crew that promised they’d be swimming in brand deals and found themselves sprinting through the offices of Google, TikTok, and Atlantic Records while recording jingles for Pizza Hut.

Watch Flyana Boss perform “Nu Nu” above.

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

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

Flyana Boss Brings Their Mega-Viral Hit ‘You Wish’ To The ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Graffiti Wall

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I feel like I’ve written these words a lot over the past few months, but Flyana Boss is absolutely everywhere lately. They’ve run through the offices of Atlantic Records, Barclay Center, Complex, Google, and TikTok while performing their viral hit “You Wish.” So you know they had to stop by Uproxx Studios. While they didn’t do their traditional run through, they did jump in front of the famous graffiti wall for an UPROXX Sessions performance of “You Wish” that shows off their undeniable chemistry and charm.

The performance has a timely debut, too, as the dynamic duo just shared their new remix of “You Wish” featuring Atlanta it-girl Kaliii and the pioneer left-field rap queen, Missy Elliott. With brand-new verses from both Folayan and Bobbi, it’s worth checking out — make it a double feature with their UPROXX Sessions performance above.

In Uproxx’s recent interview with Flyana Boss, the quirky duo talked about their unique visual flair, which includes brightly colored hair, bleached eyebrows, and Folayan’s elf ears. “We just feel like we have a lot of quirks,” she said. “We don’t necessarily fit the archetype that’s being painted in mainstream media of what Black girls are or who Black girls are.” Bobbi echoed that sentiment, saying, “Blackness in general is not a monolith at all. We come in all different shapes and sizes just like any other group. But it does seem like sometimes, especially for Black women, it’s an even narrower viewpoint that you get. So we want to represent everything outside of that narrow box.”

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

TeaMarrr Puts Her Own Spin On A ’90s Classic With Her ‘Teacup Commandments’ Performance For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Allow her to reintroduce herself. LA-based, Boston-bred singer/songwriter/rapper TeaMarrr has been building her buzz working behind the scenes and appearing on soundtracks like the one for Rap Sh!. But for her latest UPROXX Sessions performance, the Issa Rae-approved artist wanted to make a statement — and what better way to do that than hijack a ’90s classic for your own freestyle?

That’s exactly what TeaMarrr does with “Teacup Commandments,” repurposing The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 Life After Death standout “Ten Crack Commandments” to declare her rules for life, love, and friendship. An example: “Rule number two, never let them pour for you / Don’t you know bad boys move in silence? They’ll try it.” It’s a departure from what longtime listeners might be used to from the mellow R&B star, but it might just be the perfect way to capture new fans’ attention.

Watch TeaMarrr’s return to the UPROXX Sessions stage above.

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

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

Reason Celebrates His New Album With A Spot-On ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Performance Of ‘Call Me’

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Top Dawg Entertainment rapper Reason released a new album, Porches, earlier this month, and now he’s celebrating with an appearance on the latest installment of UPROXX Sessions. Standing in front of the classic colorful graffiti wall, he delivered an A-plus rendition of the introspective album highlight “Call Me.”

Porches is Reason’s second album and the follow-up to his 2020 debut, New Beginnings. The project saw Reason seamlessly integrate himself into the contemporary hip-hop landscape as he linked up with featured artists like Schoolboy Q, Vince Staples, Rapsody, and Ab-Soul. His debut LP arrived after a series of independently released mixtapes caught TDE’s attention; He initially released There You Have It on his own in 2017, but TDE reissued the project the next year. Also in 2018, he landed an appearance on Black Panther: The Album, one of the year’s most beloved releases.

Check out Reason’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Call Me” above.

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

ZelooperZ Heats Up The ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Stage With A Performance Of ‘Climate Change’

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It has been a little over a year since we last saw ZelooperZ grace the UPROXX Sessions stage, and today, we see him take on another of his off-kilter, avant-garde underground rap tracks, “Climate Change.” Rapping in a stream of consciousness over a thundering, triumphant beat, the Detroit native cuts through the chaos with a laconic flow that highlights his go-against-the-grain music-making philosophy.

The Bruiser Brigade member is a couple of months removed from his Traptastic tour, which saw him hit the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, Texas, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago before wrapping up in his hometown at the legendary venue, Shelter. Since his last UPROXX Sessions appearance, he has released a pair of projects: January EP Might Not Make It and the March full-length Microphone Fiend, which featured appearances from 454, Jessie Robbie, and Young Coco, and on which you can find “Climate Change.”

Watch ZelooperZ’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Cyborg” above.

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

Rob49 Delivers An Exclusive Performance Of The Fiery ‘I Realized’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Rob49 is the latest artist to grace the UPROXX Sessions stage, bringing a fiery performance of his unreleased song “I Realized” to the infamous graffiti wall. The New Orleans rapper’s profile has risen sharply in recent months, with appearances on tracks with G Herbo, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and Travis Scott under his belt, despite only rapping professionally for about three years. His booming voice and nonstop flow have distinguished him in the street rap scene, along with his gritty storytelling style.

Rob is fresh off the release of his new album, 4GODII, which features appearances from the likes of Birdman, Icewear Vezzo, NoCap, Roddy Ricch, and Trippie Redd. He’s preparing to release the deluxe edition next Friday, August 11, but “I Realized” will remain an UPROXX Sessions exclusive for the time being.

You can watch Rob49’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “I Realized” above.

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

Jean Deaux Delivers An Eye-Rolling Performance Of The Dismissive ‘Yeah Yeah’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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The term “John Doe” is normally used to hide a person’s true name or as a placeholder when their real name isn’t know. But despite her nom de plume, Chicago’s Jean Deaux is far from being just another anonymous face in the rap world. She’s plugged in with many of the Windy City’s most recognizable artists like Mick Jenkins and Saba, as well as associated acts like Smino, and well-accomplished in her own right, with five self-released projects to date.

She brings her formidable talents to bear on UPROXX Sessions, performing “Yeah Yeah” from her latest project, Heavy. A dismissive track that rides the ever-blurring line between rap and R&B, “Yeah Yeah” is an eye-rolling response to guys “runnin’ game” with nothing to back it up. “I’m every n**** muse, but I’m not amused” she boasts. “I’m out here goin’ dumb, don’t get sh*t confused.” Heavy, released in April, features seven tracks with production by trap rap mainstay Turbo.

You can check out Jean Deaux’s performance of “Yeah Yeah” for UPROXX Sessions above.

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