The Kid LAROI has been one of the artists that has benefitted the most from the TikTok era of the past few years. His music, geared towards young hip-hop and pop fans, has been creatively utilized for dance crazes and trends on the app.
While LAROI is currently on hiatus from social media right now to work on his debut album, he stopped by GQ recently for a photoshoot and quick interview. Released this morning (Nov. 23), the interview touched on LAROI’s relationship with TikTok, and he spoke on if it inspires him in the music process: “I don’t pay attention to any of it. I’ll watch them sometimes when I’m bored.”
He added that he usually only sees TikToks when his girlfriend shows them to him.
Many music fans may find this hard to believe, considering he has been a pioneer for TikTok’s marriage with modern pop music. His first ever hit “Addison Rae” in March 2020 quite literally is inspired by TikTok’s first dance star and celebrity Addison Rae.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Most recently, his TikTok viral hit with Justin Bieber “Stay” has stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 19 straight weeks, and spent a week at No. 1. The mixtape the song was included on F**K LOVE also achieved No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Contrasting this trend, Adele recently said she neglected to cater to TikTok when creating her new album 30, which is about to shatter the first week sales record for 2021. Perhaps these pop stars are starting to see a negative connotation when associated with TikTok.
One festival is making major changes following the tragedy at Astroworld in Houston, as it has been announced that Rolling Loud California in December will officially be an 18+ event.
After ten people passed away at Travis Scott’s festival in Houston last month, including a 9-year-old boy and several other children, many predicted that music festivals would change moving forward — especially as it pertains to crowd safety and security measures. Rolling Loud is taking steps to ensure that next month’s festival in California is enjoyable and safe for all, so they have announced that it will now be an 18+ event.
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images — Calboy performs onstage during day 2 of the Rolling Loud Festival at Banc of California Stadium on December 15, 2019
“We welcome everyone to experience our festivals, however, in light of recent events, we will be implementing an 18+ policy specific only to our upcoming 2021 California festival,” announced Rolling Loud on Monday. “We will be giving all ticket purchasers who are under the age of 18 the option to either roll their tickets over to next year’s 2022 California festival or receive a refund.”
While this appears to be a temporary change, it could end up becoming permanent as the Astroworld tragedy continues to be a primary topic in entertainment news. The festival’s organizers added in a tweet that they want everybody to “rage safely” at the upcoming show.
Rolling Loud is taking place in San Bernardino on December 10-12. Will you be in attendance?
If you’ve been following Shaq’s post-NBA career, then you would know that he has invested in a lot of different companies. The NBA legend is always looking for new opportunities, and back in 2016, he wanted to get into the cannabis industry. Legal weed has become a massive industry as of late and with numerous states legalizing the drug, it should come as no surprise that Shaq would want in on the potential gains.
According to TMZ, he and Jerome Crawford invested $150,000 in a legal cannabis start-up, however, just a year into the endeavor, things were already looking shady. In a new lawsuit leveled against Shaq’s former business partners, it was revealed that in 2017, Shaq noticed that the company didn’t have any licences and that they weren’t actually growing like they said they would.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Icy Hot
After getting lawyers involved, the company was set to pay Shaq back in $10K increments, however, after giving Shaq $20,000, they eventually stopped paying. Now, Shaq and Crawford are launching full-blown lawsuits against the businessmen, and they want upwards of $1 million as they believed they are owed interest on their initial investment.
It remains to be seen how the lawsuit will play out, so stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest updates.
It has felt like at least once every couple months or so, there was news about some chart record that The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” broke or set. The latest of those came in August, when the single officially became the longest-charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now, unsurprisingly, there’s more chart news for “Blinding Lights”: Billboard has declared that the single is the No. 1 song of all time, as it is now on top of the Billboard Greatest Songs Of All Time Hot 100 Chart. It dethroned the previous chart-topper, Chubby Checker’s 1960 hit “The Twist.”
Billboard notes, “[The chart] factors in total weeks on the chart as well as exact chart positions, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. (Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.)”
The Weeknd told Billboard, “I don’t think [the success of ‘Blinding Lights’] has hit me yet. I try not to dwell on it too much. I just count my blessings, and I’m just grateful.”
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Hot 100 in 2018, Billboard unveiled the full Greatest Songs of All Time Hot 100 Chart. At the time, the top ten featured, from No. 1 to No. 10, “The Twist” by Chubby Checker, “Smooth” by Santana featuring Rob Thomas, “Mack The Knife” by Bobby Darin, “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “How Do I Live” by Leann Rimes, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) by Los Del Rio, “Shape Of You” by Ed Sheeran, and “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After the 10 deaths at Astroworld Festival this year, it was clear to many observers that music festivals as a whole would experience some big shakeups in response. While fests like Day N Vegas and Head In The Clouds were able to continue as (mostly) normal, it looks like the first of those expected big changes has arrived ahead of the touring hip-hop festival Rolling Loud’s latest LA edition.
Posting an update to social media, the Rolling Loud organizers advised the festival’s new safety precaution for the upcoming event: An age limit. The new policy limits attendees to 18 years of age and up in an effort to prevent a possible repeat of Astroworld’s crush, in which a nine-year-old boy suffered injuries that eventually led to his death a few days later.
We welcome everyone to experience our festivals, however, in light of recent events, we will be implementing AN 18+ policy specific only to our upcoming 2021 California festival. We will be giving all ticket purchasers who are under the age of 18 the option to either roll their tickets over to next year’s 2022 California festival or receive a refund.
Refund or rollover requests must be made through the original purchaser’s front gate account during the period beginning November 23RD at 9 AM PST and ending November 26TH at 12 PM PST. Additional information will be made available on our FAQs at rollingloud.com/help.
Love ya’ll – we want everyone to rage safely. Here’s an important update for all our fans who are under 18 for RL California. pic.twitter.com/9iwjYEmS6p
For now, it appears the change is temporary, but considering the fallout from Astroworld still has yet to completely settle, it’s possible we could see this change and similar ones become permanent for the foreseeable future. Rolling Loud is scheduled for December 10-12 at the National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino.
Well, the holidays are rapidly approaching (or, if you’re Mariah Carey, they’ve already been here for weeks). December is right around the corner and as whatever special wintertime occasions you observe creep closer, it’s a good time to start thinking about buying gifts for loved ones. If you have music fans in your life, we have you covered with our 2021 music gift guide.
You want some slick new clothes? There here. How about a fancy vinyl record or two? We got ’em. Maybe you want some, ahem, “mood enhancers” to improve your music-listening experience? Don’t sweat it. Whoever you’re buying for, our guide has something they’re sure to love, so if you want some prime gift inspo, keep reading.
Akashic Books’ Lyricpop Series
Akashic Books
Price: varies
If there’s a youngster in your life you want to raise on the words of your favorite artists, Akashic has you covered with their LyricPop series of books, which adapt song lyrics into adorable children’s books. They released a nice variety of new books this summer: The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) (lyrics by Paul Simon), Dream Weaver (lyrics By Gary Wright), I Will Survive (lyrics By Dino Fekaris And Frederick J. Perren), Strawberry Swing (lyrics By Coldplay), and Where Is My Mind? (lyrics By Black Francis).
Really, this gift can be enjoyed by just about anybody, music fan or not, but some “chemical enhancement” has long been tied to both creating and enjoying music. Extract Labs has some new offerings that ought to serve you well, Pure CBD Isolate Tincture and Broad Spectrum Tincture. If you’re not well-versed in the world of tinctures, the Extract Labs store page has some useful information to help you figure out where might be a good place to start.
If CBD isn’t your thing, Wander + Ivy has a compelling proposition for you: single-serve wine bottles. No more dealing with bulky open bottles here, as these smaller portions feature wines from award-winning, family-owned vineyards from around the world, everything from Chardonnay to red wine to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Skullcandy has long been a leader in headphones and now their Dime True Wireless Earbuds are another fantastic option. With multiple colors available, these can look as bold or as understated as you’d like, and they boast features like a 12-hour battery life, noise cancelation, sweat and water resistance, and various sizes of ear gels to ensure you get the perfect fit.
You may have heard about The Beatles and their status as a band that a lot of people enjoy. Well, if you have a McCartney/Lennon/Harrison/Starr stan in your life who does some playing of their own, D’Addario has a selection of Beatles guitar and bass straps available, including the simple but striking vegan Get Back strap pictured above, right in time for the new Disney+ film directed by Peter Jackson.
There are all kinds of portable speakers out there, but if you want one that’s both easy to carry around and comes from a trusted brand, Sonos has a good one for you. An advantage this has over many others is how many options there are for using and controlling it, as you can connect over Bluetooth, or you can hook it up to your WiFi and control it with your phone. If you’re an Apple user, you’ll also be happy to know the Sonos Roam is compatible with Apple Airplay.
You know what you’re getting with Beats: a quality pair of headphones. Their latest offering is perfect for those who have an earbud-shaped hole in their life. The Beats Fit Pro has an impressive 27-hour battery life, wingtips for a comfortable and secure fit, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, and spatial audio with head tracking, making these perhaps the most advanced headphones in their class.
Much has been made about the 30th-anniversary edition of Nirvana’s Nevermind, and truly, this is a must-have for Nirvana fans. There are a variety of editions, the beefiest of which comes with 8 LPs that feature the original album (newly remastered, of course), four full concerts, a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, and other goodies. If physical music isn’t your thing, the band also has a bunch of new merch to coincide with the album’s anniversary.
Speaking of anniversary releases, Radiohead had a big one this year, although it’s pretty different from the Nirvana one. Kid A Mnesia, actually celebrates two albums, Kid A and Amnesiac, by collecting both albums as well as B-sides and unreleased tracks from the era. Again, if you’re not looking to buy a record/CD/tape, the gift-able merch offerings here are diverse, including everything from a paint-by-numbers set to holographic stickers.
Black Sabbath managed to cultivate one of the most recognizable aesthetics in music, and that applies to both their sound and visual branding. Now the group has teamed up with DC to celebrate that with a new collection that features everything from button-up shirts to the DC x Black Sabbath Manual High-Top Canvas Shoe, a highlight of the lot.
Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC Noise-Canceling Sport Earbuds
Adidas
Price: $189
If you want to gift a deluxe audio experience, Adidas has you covered. The Z.N.E. 01 ANC wireless earbuds lets listeners switch between active noise canceling and an “awareness” mode and enjoy a customizable fit that promises all-day comfort. These have plenty of juice to get you through your next workout or commute, as each charge will get you 4.5 hours of playtime.
If you happen to follow our monthly round-ups of the best vinyl releases, Vinyl Me, Please is probably a familiar name since they’re usually all over our lists. They offer exclusive pressings of iconic albums, and if you have somebody in your life who would love to get in on this, VMP makes it easy to gift memberships that last three months or longer.
I’ve recommended earplugs in pretty much every music gift guide I’ve ever written, and for good reason: It’s easy to complain about hearing damage/loss as you get older, and it’s just about as easy to prevent it. Vibes offers a great inexpensive option to help with that, so whether you’re on the stage or in the audience (or you remember being impressed when you saw these on Shark Tank), these are an excellent stocking-stuffer and a must-have.
If you’re looking to celebrate the holidays with Dua Lipa, it’s never been easier. This year, she launched her own holiday collection, and if you’re looking to get cozy, most of the gear your need is here (minus the hot chocolate, although there’s a mug to drink it from). You can hang a Lipa stocking over the fireplace, conceal your gifts in Lipa wrapping paper, and open them while donning some Lipa sweats.
Oneohtrix Point Never raised his profile significantly over the past few years with his work on Uncut Gems and collaborations with The Weeknd, so now he has more fans who can get into the expansive Blu-ray edition of his latest album, 2020’s Magic Oneohtrix Point Never. This collectible pressing presents the album (along with four bonus tracks) in both stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and it also includes sixteen music videos and more.
Wolverine x Metallica Scholars 1000 Mile Axel Boot
Wolverine
Price: $400
If you or a loved one is in need of a pair of boots that’s both sturdy and shows off your dedication to one of the finest bands of the past few decades, the new Wolverine x Metallica collection has you covered. Furthermore, half of the sales from this collection “will benefit the Metallica Scholars Initiative, providing opportunities to students looking to build the future they want” through trade education, making this the gift that keeps on giving.
Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter series is an iconic hip-hop institution, and now he’s collected the highlights all in one place. On Tha Carter Singles Collection, you get 19 of the finest songs from the series pressed on ten 7-inch records, as well as a booklet full of rare photos, two lithos, and brand new art.
If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get a Spice (25th Anniversary) LP. This is an aesthetically delightful collection, as each member of the famed group gets their own monochromatic vinyl pressing. The worst part about this is it’s going to be hard to pick which version to pick up.
If you have a songwriter in your life, you also have an opportunity to get them a unique experiential gift that could benefit them big time. Fleet Foxes leader Robin Pecknold recently announced that he’s hosting a songwriting workshop in a live online classroom setting. It runs for four sessions in January and February 2022, and School Of Song, who offers the class, notes, “People across all musical levels will be able to gain something from the course.”
On a similar note, if you want to get somebody a personal experience but they’re not a musician, Cameo ought to work just fine. There are artists on the platform that ought to fill music fans of any age or style preference with glee when they get their custom video, from Petey to Bootsy Collins to Frankie Avalon to Kreayshawn to Dionne Warwick.
Enes Kanter has been leveling quite a bit of criticism against LeBron James as of late, and it all has to do with the Lakers superstar and his lack of position on China. As many people know, LeBron makes a lot of money off of his Nike shoes which, of course, are made in China. The country is known for using exploitative labor, all while the Chinese regime commits genocide against certain ethnic groups. With that being said, Kanter wants LeBron to speak out, and the Celtics star is using his platform to take shots at James.
Recently, LeBron said that Kanter walked right by him in the hallway of a recent Celtics Vs. Lakers game, and that if he really cared, he would have spoken to him directly. While speaking on CNN, Kanter refuted this, noting that it was LeBron who noticed him but chose to keep walking. Kanter also claimed that LeBron’s former teammates don’t like him as he is constantly doing PR for himself.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
“I had so many conversations with LeBron James’ ex-teammates. And even they are the one telling me that LeBron, all he’s doing is just his own PR. And everything he’s doing, trying to stand up for things, is not that he really feels about it. But he cares about his PR more than anything,” Kanter said. “First of all, he was behind me in the tunnel and I stopped to take pictures with one of the kids. I wasn’t the one that right passed him. He was the one that literally walked right by me and did not say anything.”
LeBron has been known to be a PR whiz, especially when it comes to Space Jam: A New Legacy where he is constantly referred to as the King and various other nicknames that shine a light on his heroics. At this point, he and Kanter do not like each other, and the feud is likely to continue for much longer.
In the last couple of months, Wale clowned him for his failed attempt at the Milk Crate Challenge, Drake said he obliterated him on the basketball court, and 21 Savage roasted him for his Certified Lover Boy haircut.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
However, while the majority of the rap game stays cracking jokes about Osiris, it’s clear that he definitely has a bunch of friends in the industry, including some veterans of the game that fire shots at him, but also look out for him.
In a recent Instagram post, he thanked Drake for being his “big bro,” and the “coolest person in life,” and much like Shopping Bag Drizzy, Osiris also made sure to show off his most recent jewelry purchase.
Included with the caption, “On some earrings,” Osiris posted a photo of $325,000 jewelry receipt, and included a much-needed laughing/crying emoji. While Osiris did not post a photo of the $325K earrings, he did document his trip to bargain store Ross, and ended up walking out with a $24.99 pair of blue, Lugz boots.
Whether the “Worth It” singer wore the six-figure pair of earrings with the blue Lugz is unclear, but what is clear is that even after dropping over $300K on jewelry, Osiris is not above stopping by Ross to find the perfect footwear for that night’s fit. As of now, nobody has clowned him for the Lugz, but if anybody does, keep it locked to HNHH for the full breakdown.
What do you think of YK Osiris dropping $325K on earrings? Let us know down in the comments.
The Weeknd’s After Hours era truly elevated him from an R&B standout with pop hits, to a chart-dominating household name. Along with boosting his music career, the benefits from this popularity came in other avenues as well, particularly film and television.
After having guest-starred in Adam Sandler’s Oscar-snubbed Uncut Gems and receiving an Emmy nomination for his 2021 Super Bowl halftime performance, it seems that Abel’s on-screen appetite only grew.
On Monday (Nov. 22) HBO picked up the show for a first season, ordering six episodes. While the release date has not been revealed, the cast and crew seem to be in place.
Aiding The Weeknd and Levinson in production will be Abel’s production partner Reza Fahim, Joe Epstein and Amy Seimetz, who worked on a few episodes of Donald Glover’s Atlanta.
HBO’s Executive Vice President of Programming Francesca Orsi spoke on the TV network’s decision to back the show: “When the multitalented Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye, Reza Fahim and Sam Levinson brought us The Idol, it was clear their subversive, revelatory take on the cult of the music industry was unlike anything HBO had ever done before. Shortly after, the brilliant duo of Joe Epstein and Amy Seimetz joined forces with the rest of the team, and this dream became a reality.”
Among a supporting cast that includes Suzanna Son, Melanie Liburd, Tunde Adebimpe, Steve Zissis, Troye Sivan, Lily-Rose Depp will be The Weeknd’s co-star in the series. Along with being the daughter of Johnny Depp, Lily-Rose has starred in Timothee Chalamet’s 2019 movie The King and upcoming Christmas comedy Silent Night with Kiera Knightley.
The Weeknd is making big moves, so make sure you have your HBO subscription to tune in to his upcoming television debut.
