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Grimes Is Actually Encouraging Use Of Her Voice In AI Songs In Response To The Viral Drake And The Weeknd AI Track

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Grimes Met Gala 2021
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In recent days, a lot of attention has been paid to AI-generated music, specifically a song that used copies of Drake and The Weeknd’s voices. The track got removed from streaming platforms, but not before Meek Mill listened to it a bunch of times. Grimes, ever one to embrace new technologies, has some thoughts about this and about the use of AI clones of her own voice.

Yesterday (April 23), Grimes took to Twitter to share a screenshot of an article about the Drake/Weeknd AI song. She wrote, “I’ll split 50% royalties on any successful AI generated song that uses my voice. Same deal as I would with any artist i collab with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings.” She added in another tweet, “I think it’s cool to be fused w a machine and I like the idea of open sourcing all art and killing copyright.”

That led to some good follow-up questions. One Twitter user asked, “would the title of such a song credit you as a featured artist, or how would you prefer it?” Grimes replied, “Sure – anything anyone wants. Im just curious what even happens and interested in being a Guinea pig.” Somebody else wondered, “Hey can you pls tell everyone that they need to upload to elf.tech [Grimes’ website] in order to get approval from Media Empire?” She responded, “I feel like we shouldn’t force approvals – but rather work out publishing with stuff that’s super popular. That seems most efficient? We cud use elf tech for it tho – but I think we’ll notice if a grimes song goes viral.”

Grimes also noted that she’s working on AI-ifying her voice herself, tweeting, “We’re making a program that should simulate my voice well but we could also upload stems and samples for ppl to train their own.” Somebody asked about how that endeavor is going and Grimes replied, “we were p far along last I checked. I sorta just spur of the moment decided to do this lol but we were making a sim of my voice for our own plans and they were almost done.”

Finneas seems to be on board with Grimes’ vision: He shared her original post and added, “So lit.”

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

Kehlani Removes “N***as” From Streaming After Backlash, Twitter Reacts

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Fans of Kehlani are not happy with the removal of the track “N***as” from digital streaming platforms. Moreover, the track’s disappearance seems to stem from some backlash they faced over using that word, as many believe that their race is ambiguous and it was therefore in poor taste to release such a song. However, some users expressed that this was another instance of people’s outrage going too far. While it hasn’t blown up too much as of yet (and they apparently haven’t responded or stated anything about it yet) this will surely reignite some of that conversation online.

“Twitter y’all done bullied kehlani into taking one of her best songs off streaming platforms… #JusticeforN***asbyKehlani IDGAF!” one impassioned fan wrote on the social media platform. Another came through with a more serious and broad response in defense of the singer. “Kehlani Removing Her Song N***as From Streaming PlatForms Was Definitely Caused By The Social Media Drama That The Haters Created Earlier This Month,” they wrote. “Now, All Of Those OutRaged Critics Can Settle Down & Stop Their Fake OutRage. At The End Of The Day, Kehlani Is A Black Lady.”

Kehlani Took A Fan Favorite Off Streaming

Given that the “Nights Like This” artist is usually quite thoughtful in their statements, their words on the matter will likely hold a lot of weight. What’s more is that fans eagerly anticipate their next move, especially given recent posts and developments. For example, they recently returned to TikTok alongside new girlfriend Kiara Russell, dancing along to Polo Frost’s viral hit “Hey Hey.” In addition, through some sultry new snaps, they teased their next album. With some more social media activity, Kehlani fans should have a lot to look forward to.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old recently reflected on their love life and not really having a type. “People would say that I have a type, but they haven’t seen everybody that I’ve ever talked to or dated,” they remarked. “So I’m actively always fighting that in my head. Like, do I just get on the internet and show them every single person I’ve ever spoken to?” Regardless of that, check out a couple of more reactions to “N***as” not being on streaming anymore below. Also, check back in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Kehlani.

Twitter Reacts To Song’s Removal

Ice-T And Stephen King Are Together At Last While Calling Shenanigans On Their Twitter Blue Checkmarks

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Ice-T Stephen King
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Elon Musk has had a day, alright. First, his SpaceX rocket experienced “rapid unscheduled disassembly”/exploded. Then he finally put his plan in motion to strip legacy verified Twitter users of their Blue checkmarks if they hadn’t signed over $8 per month for Twitter Blue. This means that Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are no longer verified, which is a bizarre thing to behold. The takedown wasn’t universal, though. Stephen King and Ice-T discovered that they have retained Blue checkmarks, but both of them insist that they didn’t pay for the enduring symbol.

Both Ice and King have also been vocal about their intent not to pay up, and on 4/20 (yep), they’re calling shenanigans on whatever is happening behind the Twitter scenes with their accounts.

“My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t,” the horror maestro wrote. “My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.”

Yep, that’s what his profile says, so King is setting the record straight.

Stephen King Twitter
Via Stephen King Twitter

As well, the Law & Order: SVU star and rocker tweeted, “Thanks Stephen. Don’t believe the Hype.”

I smell a crossover coming. Or maybe some Body Count spoken word guest vocals. Something! Also, yep, no one knows what is going on at Twitter.

Beyoncé, Jack Harlow, Taylor Swift, And Virtually Every Other Popular Musician No Longer Have A Verified Twitter Check

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Today is 4/20, which means a number of things. It’s Killer Mike’s birthday. Snoop Dogg is in full celebration mode over the annual weed holiday. Earlier this month, Elon Musk promised that today would be the day that Twitter removed legacy verified blue check marks. Those are the ones public figures like celebrities, politicians, and journalists were given before Twitter switched to its current model of paying for blue checks. Well, Musk has delivered on his promise.

The check marks used to make it immediately clear if an account belonged to a notable person, but now that is no longer the case. Look on the official Twitter accounts of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Jack Harlow, and you’ll notice that all three no longer have the blue checks they had yesterday. In fact, that should be true of pretty much any previously verified musician and notable figure you can think of (unless they’re paying Twitter Blue subscribers). Yes, even Pope Francis.

This wasn’t any sort of surprise. Aside from the aforementioned warning, Twitter tweeted yesterday, “Tomorrow, 4/20, we are removing legacy verified checkmarks. To remain verified on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here: twitter.com/i/twitter_blue_sign_up.” Musk also replied to the tweet, “Tomorrow is shaping up to be quite the day!”

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

George Santos Is Reportedly Trying To Pass ‘The Minaj Act,’ A Vaccine Bill Named After The Rapper

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Nicki Minaj
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Over the course of the pandemic, Nicki Minaj caused quite a stir with her opinion on vaccines. In fact, she was even locked out of Twitter due to this. The rapper shared that her cousin’s friend became “impotent” and their “testicles became swollen” after their dose, and Dr. Anthony Fauci had to go on CNN to debunk this.

Now, notorious New York congressman George Santos is introducing The Minaj Act, which, according to Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba, “establishes a development period for new vaccines in order to generate public confidence.”

In September 2021, the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” performer went on a Twitter tirade upon catching COVID yet still refusing to get vaccinated. “They want you to get vaccinated for the Met,” she wrote. “If I get vaccinated it won’t for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now. In the meantime my loves, be safe. Wear the mask with 2 strings that grips your head & face. Not that loose one.”

That same month, a CNN reporter also received word from a source that The White House offered to explain the vaccine to her. Don Lemon wrote, “A White House official tells @cnn’s Jeff Zeleny that ‘As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.’”

Pop Smoke Mural Gets Roasted Online

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Years after his untimely death, Pop Smoke’s legacy continues to loom large over the hip-hop world. However, not every attempt to immortalize and celebrate his memory has gone over particularly well. On one hand, some people disrespectfully vandalized The Woo’s mural last December to many’s outrage. Still, a new mural has people feeling heated for other, albeit much less overtly disrespectful reasons. On Monday (April 17), an unknown mural made rounds on social media, for which people don’t know the location, artist, or if it was even meant to resemble Pop. However, the details certainly match up, even if many fans think it looks nothing like the rapper.

Of course, Twitter had a field day reacting to this news, either making jokes about it or expressing straight up disgust. Still, since it’s unclear where this mural is, it’s not like people can go out and ask around its location to see who could explain some more. Despite the confusion, it looks to be inside a store, so take that hint and run with it if you’re in the New York area. Also, this news comes shortly after a suspect in his murder pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received a sentence of four years and two months in juvenile detention.

Pop Smoke Mural Gets Blasted Online

Even though this mural isn’t the best look for Pop Smoke’s legacy, given that his fans seem to hate it, the New York legend lives on in many other ways. One of those is his strong connections to other heavy-hitters in the industry who tell stories of what a pleasure he was to work with. “I f***ed with Pop Smoke and the whole Drill sound,” Polo G said on the Full Send podcast. “You know, coming from Chicago, that’s where that s**t started at. So, I really tapped into they s**t. I hit up Pop like, ‘Yo, let’s do this.’ He had been hitting me up in the past, but before I knew who he was. And then, when I seen they wave going strong, I hit him like, ‘Yo, I f**k with y’all s**t. Let’s do something.’” Polo was asked if he worked with Pop in the studio.

“The craziest thing, I worked with him right before he passed,” he continued. “I was in the studio with him. He said he was leaving to L.A. I stayed in New York an extra day to make sure Fivio [Foreign] laid his verse [for ‘Clueless’]. And Pop, a contact was telling me Pop wanted to get in the stu in L.A. the night he passed. ‘Cause I live there, he live there. We was supposed to get up.” Furthermore, he shared that Pop Smoke asked Polo for the name of a popular Chicago spot to shout out in his verse, and he did exactly that. Check out reactions to the controversial Pop Smoke mural below and return to HNHH for more on the late legend’s legacy.

Twitter Reacts To Mural

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Rihanna Surpassed Katy Perry To Become The Most-Followed Woman On Twitter, But There’s Still One Musician Ahead Of Her Now

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Rihanna now holds another record, as the singer and makeup mogul surpassed Katy Perry this week to become Twitter’s most followed woman. According to SocialBlade, Rihanna sits at 108,278,326 to Perry’s 108,261,949 when this was written, giving her about a 20,000 lead now. Overall, RiRi has the fourth-highest follower count on the social platform, behind (sigh) the company’s owner Elon Musk, Barack Obama, and Justin Bieber. Rihanna needs a few million more followers to pass Bieber and become the most-followed musician on the platform, as Bieber currently sits at 113,156,831 followers.

In terms of other musicians that round out the top ten of Twitter’s most followed, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande follow close behind at No. 7 and No. 10.

This comes on the heels of an already big year for Rihanna, between playing the Super Bowl Halftime Show just a few months ago and announcing she’s having a second child with ASAP Rocky. She also performed her song “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s soundtrack at the Oscars, where it was also nominated for an award.

She was also the only female musician to make this year’s Forbes Billionaire List, with her net worth estimated at $1.4 billion, through her music, partnerships, and her Fenty Beauty empire. (Jay-Z and Jimmy Buffett were the only other two performers on the ranking.)

While fans are probably still waiting for new music, Rihanna’s return, whenever it happens, now has an opportunity to be major considering her constantly growing following.

Prolific Father Nick Cannon Would Be ‘All In’ On Taylor Swift Being The Mother Of His 13th Child

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Nick Cannon currently has 12 children, while the number 13 has recurred throughout Taylor Swift’s career. So, Swift having Cannon’s 13th child would certainly be something, and it’s an idea that Cannon is up for, as he noted in a recent interview with Howard Stern.

The clip starts with Stern asking for a definitive answer on whether Cannon is done having kids. He refused to be concrete, though, because he simply doesn’t know what the future holds. He did say, however, “I’m happy currently with, you know, my dozen that I got.”

Stern pushed the issue, asking, “Who would be the woman that would make you have a baby again?” Cannon laughed off the question, saying, “I’m not doing this. I can see the headlines.” Stern continued, “If I said to you, ‘Taylor Swift wants to have a baby with you.’” Cannon replied, “Absolutely, I’m in. Let’s go! That’s the one! I’m all in.”

Cannon added:

“First of all, she’s an amazing songwriter. And what I do love about Taylor Swift is the fact that she has been so vulnerable and open with all of her music since such a young girl. And she kind of like me, like… me and Taylor’s numbers is very similar when we talk about being in these streets [laughs]! So I think she would relate to me very well based off of, like, ‘Yo, you’ve dated a lot of people in the public eye, so have I,’ so we probably will really understand each other.”

Stern then made note of Swift’s reported break-up with Joe Alwyn and Cannon joked, “You know I know that, Howard! You know I’m… my Spidey-Senses was tingling!”

The whole conversation felt very tongue-in-cheek, so probably don’t expect a pregnancy announcement from Cannon and Swift any time soon.

Check out the interview clip above.

Cardi B Responds To Dalai Lama Child Tongue Sucking Scandal: “The World Is Full Of Predators”

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As a mother of two, it’s no surprise that Cardi B is one of the millions of social media users expressing disgust over a circulating video of the Dalai Lama and a young boy. In the viral clip, the religious leader kisses a young child standing before him. He was also seeking to have his tongue sucked – a decision which he’s since issued an apology over. “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras,” a statement from his office on Monday (April 10) reads. “[The Dalai Lama] wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” they added, noting their leader’s “regret” over the incident.

Even with the apology, people all across the world are expressing disappointment and disgust online. For her part, Cardi used Twitter to speak her mind this morning, writing, “This world is full of predators. They prey on the innocent. The ones who are most unknowing, our children. Predators could be our neighbours, our school teachers, even people [with] money, power, and our churches.” The rap diva also reminded parents out there to “Constantly talk with [their] kids about boundaries and what they shouldn’t” let others do.

Cardi B Seemingly Reacts to Dalai Lama Video

The message was eventually reposted from the New Yorker’s Twitter to @theneighborhoodtalk on Instagram. After watching the comments fill with hot takes , Cardi dropped by to share more thoughts on the controversy. “How are y’all bringing up a situation from my past when GROWN ASS DRUNK MEN were trying to take advantage of me and finesse me out my body because I said protect ya kids from predators?” she asked. “Like do y’all want them to get preyed on or something..? PROTECT OUR KIDS and let them know not to let anyone touch their private parts.”

The Invasion of Privacy artist additionally added, “Don’t let no one kiss them in their mouth. And always feel comfortable letting mommy and daddy know what happens. If you find a problem wit that then I’m side-eyeing you.” Keep scrolling to read more of Cardi B’s thoughts on the Dalai Lama’s viral tongue-sucking video, and share your own musings in the comments below.

Mother of Two Has More to Say

@iamcardib/Instagram

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