Anderson .Paak Is Launching A New Label Called Apesh*t

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In a hilarious faux press conference posted earlier today on Instagram, Anderson .Paak announced that he’s launching a brand new label. Dubbed Apesh*t, he explained that the name is partly an acronym for “Anderson .Paak Empire” and a reference to the fact that “we on some other sh*t.”

A press release indicated that Apeshit is indeed a partnership with Universal Music Group and that Paak’s focus is on “no gimmicks, no button-pushing, just raw talent.” An unusual success story himself, this effort definitely feels like he’s trying to find other multi-talented artists that have gone undiscovered the way he was until he broke through on Dr. Dre’s Compton album in 2015, and then with his own album Malibu in early 2016. “I’m looking for artists that can captivate an audience,” he elaborated in the Instagram video. “I want musicians. I want people that can play instruments and perform at the same time.”

Apesh*t has a website up already proclaiming itself as “A disruptive platform for the most captivating talent in the world,” as well as a new Instagram account with upwards of 6,000 followers on its first day of existence. “Do you plan on signing artists from Korea?” one of the actors in the Instagram clip asked in Korean. Paak replied in Korean with “Yes lawd!”

It feels like strategic timing to introduce Apeshit to the world as An Evening With Silk Sonic, Paak’s album with Bruno Mars as Silk Sonic, is set to arrive on November 11th. As the video comes to a close, he looks at the camera and delivers a parting thought on the venture: “The game is crazy man. This industry can be like a jungle. Snakes, tigers, rainy days, hot days…What I’m trying to say is look: If the industry is like the jungle? Well, I guess we got no choice but to go APESH*T!”

It Sure Looks Like Kanye West — AKA Ye — Has Now Shaved Off His Eyebrows

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Kanye West’s latest string of attention-grabbing stunts continues. Just a week after legally changing his name to “Ye,” the mercurial producer started wearing a playful but deeply unsettling Halloween mask for public appearances, then debuted a strange, seemingly self-styled haircut — but it doesn’t stop there. As photos from Kanye’s latest Sunday Service on October 31 emerged online, fans noticed yet another new change that will certainly raise a few eyebrows. Not Kanye’s eyebrows, though… because it appears he’s shaved them completely off.

It’s as yet unclear why he would do such a thing — other than, y’know, the whole Kanye of it — but fans have already noticed and begun sharing their impressions.

The move certainly appears to have been inspired in part by the controversial guest Kanye brought to the latest edition of Sunday Service, Marilyn Manson. Kanye seems to have developed a soft spot for the disgraced rocker over the past few months. After Manson was accused of sexual assault and several other musicians distanced themselves from him in the wake of his arrest for that assault, Kanye brought him out to the third Donda listening event in Chicago along with DaBaby, who was also under fire for making homophobic comments at Rolling Loud in Miami. Ye even added Manson to the final version of his album, and now, it looks like he’s even starting to take on some of Manson’s styling tips — for better or worse.

Jay-Z’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Speech Makes Dame Dash Amenable To Reconciliation

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For years, former Roc-A-Fella Records partners Dame Dash and Jay-Z have been on shaky, uneven footing stemming from the label’s contentious split in 2005 when Jay-Z walked away from the partnership for a position as President of Def Jam. However, it seems that Jay holds less ill will toward his former partners than many of them hold toward him, as he gave a series of shout-outs during his Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction speech, including to third Roc founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke as well as Dame.

“Shout-out to Dame,” he said. “I know we don’t see eye to eye, but I can never erase your accomplishments. And I appreciate you and I thank you for that.”

That proverbial olive branch has apparently prompted Dame to consider reconciliation according to Page Six, which he told, “I’m glad he said it for the culture. We need to squash everything. So hopefully if that was an extended [olive branch], I’ll spin one back.”

However, the feisty mogul did set one condition for a possible reunion. “I have no beef with [him] if [he has] no beef with me,” he elaborated. “Let’s get the lawyers out of it then. Let’s talk like men, but I definitely appreciate it.”

Of course, the lawyers were introduced to the mix earlier this year when Dame reportedly attempted to sell Jay’s debut album Reasonable Doubt — the point of contention in the initial Roc split (although Dame blames other factors) — as an NFT. However, as it turned out, Dame was more interested in off-loading his stake in the now-defunct brand, which Jay tried to buy at a price Dame “deemed unacceptable.” Jay still sued to stop the sale, saying in court records, “Dash can’t sell what he doesn’t own. By attempting such a sale, Dash has converted a corporate asset and has breached his fiduciary duties.

The original trio of founders met over the summer to try and hash out their differences after a judge denied Dame’s request to block the meeting, but as yet, it appears they still haven’t buried their respective hatchets. Jay’s shout-out could be the first step toward getting the brash Harlem hustler back to the negotiating table.

Sleepy Hallow Drops Video For “Luv Em All”

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After dropping the deluxe edition of Still Sleep? early last month, rapper Sleepy Hallow is back with visuals for the record’s third track, “Luv Em All.” 

Partying in a mansion-turned-nightclub, the Diesel Filmz-directed video for “Luv Em All” find Sleepy Hallow surrounded by bikini-clad women, describing everything he loves about them all. Rocking a throwback Utah Jazz Karl Malone jersey, the “2055” rapper maneuvers his way through a sea of beautiful women before the party turns into a pillow fight, and the pillow fight turns into a candlelit bubble bath with a handful of guests. 

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With neon lights making every bikini fluorescent and every diamond in Sleepy Hallow’s watch and chains shimmer, the “Luv Em All” video is a testament to the lifestyle the 21-year-old Brooklyn rapper is living. Rapping, “Yeah, I got some feelings, but my heart in a grave, all these hoes I could save, but I ain’t got a cape, I know you wanna stay, but it’s money to be made,” Sleepy Hallow tells a tale of being tempted by lust, but assures that it’s still money over everything.

Check out the visuals for Sleepy Hallow’s “Luv Em All” and let us know what you think in the comments. 

Kim Kardashian Nearly Flashed Audiences Before Accepting Her 2021 Brand Innovator Award

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Kim Kardashian spent her Monday evening at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, attending WSJ Magazine’s 11th annual Innovator Awards. The 41-year-old had the honour of being named 2021’s Brand Innovator, but when she was headed up to the stage to give her speech, KKW nearly suffered from a major fashion faux pas.

According to Page Six, a zipper at the bottom of Kardashian’s brown leather dress (a piece from her new collaboration with luxury house, Fendi) began making its way upwards, nearly revealing the reality star’s bodacious behind. Thankfully, the socialite was seated next to her pal, fashion designer Kim Jones, who has able to quickly take care of the “fashion emergency,” as she called it.

“I’d like to thank Kim Jones, because I just had a little fashion emergency,” the recent host of Saturday Night Live told audiences when she finally graced the stage. “Thank God I had Skims under – because this would’ve been a different kind of show tonight.”

At the time of her wardrobe malfunction, Kardashian and Jones were also seated with actress Demi Moore, who reportedly sprung into action, ready to assist with the troublesome zipper. Lil Nas X and Lewis Hamilton were also seated at the table, getting a front row seat to all the drama.

“I just remember 15 years ago when I was starting my career, I could’ve never dreamed that I would have been getting an Innovator award for brands,” the California-born star said during the ceremony last night. “I mean back in the day, I would’ve been the face of any brand that asked me. I did, like, cupcakes to weight loss pills all at the same time.”

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The innovator then went on to tell audiences that she felt inclined to create SKIMS because she struggled to find shapewear that was the right shade for her skin. “I thought, ‘If I can’t find my shade, how will my friends? How will my daughter?’ It just seemed insane to me that other options weren’t available. So I always like to come up with solutions.”

Seeing as Kardashian made her way to New York just days after she was spotted holding hands with Pete Davidson on a rollercoaster, the internet has been speculating whether the two mega-stars will link up this week. What do you think?

[Via]

Mekhi Phifer & Cam’ron Reflect On “Paid In Full” After Alpo Martinez’s Death

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Alpo Martinez’s death has been met with shock across the country but specifically, in the streets of New York. There have been mixed reactions to his passing, especially from those that lost loved ones because of his actions.


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Shortly after the news of Martinez’s passing, Mekhi Phifer, who played the character inspired by Rich Porter in Paid In Full, took to Instagram where he reflected on the film. Phifer shared a photo of himself and fellow Harlem native Cam’ron on the film’s set, explaining that he and Cam had a duty to make sure their story was told correctly.

“I’m just happy we were able to have the honor of doing so,” he wrote, explaining that he never met Rich Porter but was able to gain a better understanding through his friends and family members. “I grew up knowing the legend of these Kats and had to represent the humanity in the choices they made. Hopefully lessons were learned and not glorified in any way. Hopefully we were able to capture their motivation and mannerisms.”

He added, “RIP to both these brothers.”

Cam’ron slid into the comment section where he praised both his co-stars Phifer and Wood Harris for helping guide him during his first acting role. “Thank you and (wood Harris) for teaching me during the movie a lot of acting skills. This was my first movie and was raw talent. Couldn’t have done it without you both,” he wrote. 

 

Jhené Aiko Stuns In Alien Halloween Costume

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Depending on how many different events you attend to celebrate Halloween, you may arrange to wear more than one costume. Jhené decided she would do just that this Halloween, putting together a handful of well thought out fits for the holiday weekend.

Early Tuesday morning (Nov. 2), Jhene shared numerous photos on Instagram from the outer space themed Halloween party she hosted. It seems as though she took the theme seriously, because she covered her body head-to-toe in green makeup while wearing dark-colored contacts and fake ears to resemble an alien.

Also in attendance at the party was fellow R&B sweetheart Ella Mai, as well as her longtime rapper boyfriend Big Sean, who dressed in an anime Dragon Ball Z costume as the main character Goku.

The extra-terrestrial look was not the only costume Jhené pulled off for Halloween festivities, as she also shared photos of herself dressed as Disney princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog.

She also managed to find matching Wizard of Oz Dorothy costumes for her and her childhood actress friend Isa Eden.

Comparing all three of these costumes though, it seems as if the alien get-up likely took the most time and effort. Every inch of her body appears to be dedicated to the look, whether it be face makeup, the gills and scales on her arms and body to resemble a reptilian creature or her elegant blonde wig.

It’s fair to say Jhené put on one of the best Halloween performances in all the music industry last weekend.

Do you think anybody tops her? Check out more celebrities’ costumes here.

Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande Rumored To Appear On Upcoming “Silk Sonic” Album

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Fans of the Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars collective, Silk Sonic, have waited nearly a year for the duo to drop a full album.

After dropping “Leave The Door Open” back in March, Silk Sonic took the country by storm. With their single spending a couple of weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, .Paak and Mars performed “Leave The Door Open” at The 63rd Grammy Awards, the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards and the 2021 BET Awards. The duo was everywhere all at once and left fans clamoring for more music. 

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Eventually, Silk Sonic announced that their full album, titled An Evening With Silk Sonic, would release on November 12, with another single called “Smokin Out The Window” dropping the week before, on November 5. 

Bootsy Collins, who is slated to host An Evening With Silk Sonic, took to Instagram to celebrate the upcoming record, and revealed two potential features on the new album along the way. 

Along with a photo of two children dressed as .Paak and Mars, Collins wrote, “Hey @brunomars & @anderson._paak I thought we were going to use the “Time Machine” after Nov.12th, once the Album’s released?! No worries, it’s already Nov.13th where I’m from, I got a lot of ur Fan’s with me waiting on ur arrival. Get ur Order’s in Silk-fa-Soni-Cations! Let’s Go! Bootsy baby!!!” 

However, the caption that currently appears on Instagram is edited. When Collins first posted the photo, they included the tags “@arianagrande” and “@donaldglover,” but later removed them.

Whether Collins’ inclusion of Grande and Glover (aka Childish Gambino) was by accident, or an intentional troll job, is unclear. Either way the excitement for Silk Sonic’s debut album is palpable, and with both Grande and Glover boasting two of the most avid fanbases in contemporary music, their inclusion on An Evening With Silk Sonic would send the record to another stratosphere.

Will you be checking for the new Silk Sonic album when it drops next week? Let us know in the comments. 

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Lil Pump Sounds Nothing Like His Old Self On New Music Preview

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We haven’t heard from Florida rapper Lil Pump in a few months, and it looks like he’s taken the time to discover a new sound for himself as an artist. The “I Love It” rapper seemingly took some space away from the spotlight before dropping his first new single of the year, “Racks To The Ceiling” with Tory Lanez and Ronny J, several weeks ago. He’s got a new full-length studio album coming later this month in collaboration with Ronny J, which will be released via Pump’s new partnership with ONErpm, and it looks like we can be expecting a whole new sound from the 21-year-old rapper.

The Harverd Dropout artist is known for his hard-hitting rap bangers that rock festival stages across the country, including “Gucci Gang” and “Boss.” However, on his upcoming release, it looks like he’s slowing things down remarkably, going for a completely new sound. He previewed some new music on Instagram, sharing a snippet of his upcoming track “In Da Way.”

The smooth new record puts Pump’s distrust in relationships at the forefront as he sings about women getting in the way of his career success. Unlike his previous releases, “In Da Way” isn’t a speaker knocker at all. In fact, it’s probably the closest thing we’ll ever get to an acoustic record from Pump.

Fans are commenting on the new music preview, and while some are saying that this song hits hardest “on mute,” others are telling Pump that this new direction suits him well. Listen to the preview below and judge for yourself. Are you feeling this sound from Lil Pump?

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Kodak Black Shares “Super Gremlin” Music Video

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Ever since his release from prison, Kodak Black hasn’t been holding out on new music. The rapper’s already unveiled three solo projects, and over the weekend, he blessed fans with one more: a new Sniper Gang compilation. Well, it was more of an effort to highlight the talents of Sykobob but there were plenty of solo cuts from Kodak Black. The previously released single, “Killin The Rats” appeared on the tracklist, along with another single titled, “Super Gremlin.” Fans immediately began to praise the latter as a return to form for Kodak Black.

Now, he’s returned with a new set of visuals that offers an eerie Halloween vibe. The record finds Yak cruising around in his car while performing his verses in front of what looks like blood-stained walls and in a padded room where he’s accompanied by a woman in a dominatrix-inspired fit.

Check out the video above.