A$AP Mob’s A$AP Rocky might have a reason for the delay in dropping new music – he’s in love-love. The hip-hop superstar has come clean on the publicized romance rumors connecting him to Savage x Fenty queen and fellow hitmaker Rihanna. A$AP Rocky’s Ready To Risk It All In a new GQ cover feature, Rocky […]
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In an already big year for Brooklyn, it looks like the New York City borough has added another rising artist to its roster of promising talents. 17-year-old artist Paris Bryant recently signed to Cinematic Music Group in partnership with Geffen Records, and last week, the versatile young artist dropped his debut single, “Mad Mad.”
Accompanied by a cinematic A1 Vision-directed music video, Paris Bryant’s new track is an impressive and brief cut that finds him flexing his wordplay and his knack for pumping out catchy melodies. As a Brooklyn-based artist, Paris even throws a major shoutout to the late Pop Smoke by referencing his breakout single “Welcome to the Party.”
When speaking on “Mad Mad” and his overall musical journey, Paris says, “For me, I consider music a gift from God. I let the words flow out. They rhyme and come together as a story. If you listen to ‘Mad Mad,’ you can get a gist of what I really do with the rapping and the singing. Lowkey, I’m showing my versatility.”
Scroll down to check out the music video for the young upstart’s debut single “Mad Mad.”
Quotable Lyrics
For all the haters who can show and not tell
You do the race and beat that case, make sure you make the money pay your bro bail
They set us up, they give us money just to spend life in jail
My life is worth more than a dollar bill
Antonio Brown found a home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and he immediately made an impact. In fact, the Bucs won the Super Bowl with Brown on the roster and the wide receiver even scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl, cementing his role with the team. Going into next season, the Bucs are ready to bring AB back into the fold, although according to head coach Bruce Arians, there is something holding back a potential deal.
“He has to pass the physical,” Arians told the Pewter Report podcast. Essentially, Brown needs knee surgery, which is happening in the near future. “Hopefully we’ll have a scope on Tuesday, he’s getting his knee cleaned out, and everything will work out fine. It’s just a matter of a physical.”
Despite all of this, Arians acknowledged that he does want Brown back on the team and that they will do everything possible to make that happen.
“We wanted AB back,” Arians said. “He was a model citizen the whole time he’s been here. We wanted him back and he’s never had surgery in his life. It’s just a matter of [getting a] physical done. I wanted him back the whole time.”
Needless to say, the Buccaneers are ready to do some damage next season and if they get a healthy AB back, then it’s going to be recipe for success.
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After contributing to the group success of Spillage Village’s spiritual 2020 album Spilligion, mystic crooner Mereba is preparing for the release of her EP AZEB. Today, she released the video for the lead single, “Rider,” in which she describes the search for a limitless but meaningful love — someone who will be there through thick and thin, ie., a “rider.” The video is a sun-washed representation of such a love, with couples dancing in the desert as Mereba sings before a picturesque sunset.
Although Mereba is likely still best known for her contributions to Spillage Village songs like “Hapi” and her recent appearance on Reason’s “Westside,” she’s a more than accomplished artist in her own right. Her 2019 debut album The Jungle Is The Only Way Out was hailed by those in the know, and with R&B’s increased prominence in the pop culture landscape, it’s only a matter of time until she receives commensurate notice for her solo talents.
In a recent interview with Vince Staples, with whom she collaborated on the Queen & Slim soundtrack song “Yo Love,” she described the process of recording the upcoming EP:
It’s called Azeb, which is my middle name, and the name that my father called me. It’s an Ethiopian name… People passing through a town or village and asking, “How do I get to this region of Ethiopia?”—they’ll use the word “azeb” and point to a place in the sky. I felt as I was writing songs last year that they were helping me figure out and sort through the things I was feeling about what was happening in the world. They started being my guide. I was also inspired by Nina Simone, who said, “It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times.” I always end up putting current events, or things that are happening in the world, into my music. But this project also encompasses the more universal parts of human existence, like being in love and being hopeful in the midst of whatever else is going on, because that’s a survival tactic, to have hope and faith that things are going to get better.
Watch Mereba’s “Rider” video above.
Last Friday, J. Cole released his long-awaited album The Off-Season after coming off the warmly received Dreamville compilation Revenge Of The Dreamers and a string of projects that have endeared him to fans as they’ve alienated him from critics. This Friday, Zack Snyder will see the release of his long-awaited return to the zombie genre, Army Of The Dead on Netflix after coming off the warmly received Justice League redemption experiment “The Snyder Cut” and a string of projects that have endeared him to fans as they’ve alienated him from critics. I like cosmic coincidences like this because they make it so much easier to illustrate the lines of thinking that lead to someone (me) declaring J. Cole “the Zack Snyder of hip-hop.”
By now, there are enough reviews of The Off-Season out to make some general observations. While Cole’s fans were obviously very excited about the project, running up its streams enough to make it an early frontrunner for best-selling album of the year, many critics were… shall we say “lukewarm” on the whole affair. The thing is fine and serviceable and even pretty good a bunch of times but the response is disproportionate to the craft. I suspect something very similar will happen with Army Of The Dead this week, as Snyder’s very own army of fans keep it somewhere in Netflix’s top 5 over the course of the weekend while any critics who didn’t get advance screeners will probably question its dialogue, plotting, and the general ludicrousness of its premise, which is that zombies are not just undead, but also have their own society and are kinda hot. Trust me, it gets weird.
That’s certainly the response I saw to the Justice League Snyder Cut, which was four hours long when it didn’t need to be and the nicest thing anyone could find to say about it was that it made more sense than the theatrical version. Ask a random comic book movie fan on Twitter, though — or worse, deign to point out the many, many flaws still readily apparent in the still incredibly drab, self-serious, and borderline pretentious (*ancient lamentation intensifies*) production — and those fans will talk about it like it’s the pinnacle of filmmaking and woe be unto anyone who even thinks of disagreeing. There’s a similar effect with Cole fans, who are nearly guaranteed to accuse you of being Lil Pump’s biggest fan if you express your legitimate quibbles with his work (apparently, they didn’t get the memo that that particular “beef” is over).
Meanwhile, rewinding all the way back to each auteur’s breakthrough work, the parallels multiply. When J. Cole dropped The Warm Up way back in 2009, it was hailed as a smart update on the lyrically-focused, socially conscious backpack rap that had obviously inspired it. Likewise, the 2004 remake of Dawn Of The Dead wowed audiences with its terror-inducing fast revenants, modernizing — and dare I say, resurrecting — a desiccated genre for a more cynical generation. However, both works had their detractors, too. For as beloved as Cole’s mixtape was, there were some who thought it lacked substance in favor of recreating the late ’90s aesthetic the rapper so obviously worshipped, without the incisive insights and unpredictable wit of the projects it aped. Dawn Of The Dead, likewise, was considered inferior to the 1978 George Romero original, which had the benefit of Romero’s biting satire of the then-emerging consumer culture and building on its predecessor’s (Night Of The Living Dead) racial commentary.
This is where the critics and fans tend to diverge, I think. For a critic, who may have a more extensive background than the average fan, the frame of reference is different. With a broader foundation of works to compare and contrast, it’s easier to pull examples of things each artist tries to do or moments where another creator said the same thing, but in a more salient way. For example, on The Off-Season, Cole directly lifts the chorus from Styles P and Pharaohe Monch’s “The Life” for “My Life,” instantly begging comparison between the two. But where Cole merely pairs it with dad joke punchlines like “Ja Morant, I’m on my Grizzly,” Styles’ version speaks about the tribulations of his existence and resisting the call of the streets and their inevitable consequences. “I have talks with the Lord and he’ll be callin’ me soon,” he growls. But the likelihood a teenage or young adult Cole fan has heard that, or even relates to it in a modern-day context, is slimmer.
The same goes for Snyder’s work. In Army Of The Dead, the attempts at social commentary are cringe-worthy. Between a ripped-from-the-headlines jumble of a refugee camp just outside zombie-occupied Las Vegas where guards abuse their authority and volunteers point infrared thermometers at residents’ foreheads to a godawful debate on whether a character of Japanese descent can say an age-old, politically incorrect children’s rhyme, Snyder’s swings at saying something relevant to the times whiff hard. Compare that to Night Of The Living Dead, where the primary breakdown between the human survivors is a barely disguised thread of racial tension between the two potential leaders. Also, spoiler alert on a 53 year old movie: The Black character is the only one to live to the end, in contrast to other horror films of the time, only to get shot by the supposed saviors, a bunch of good ol’ boys out on a tear. It’s left ambiguous whether they really think he’s undead or not. Now, that is social commentary.
But here’s where I give the kids some credit: They don’t have to see it the same way, because ultimately, art is about emotional connection. Fans may have encountered Cole or Snyder first, developing a connection with their work that they might never have with the more expansive canon of hip-hop or film. That doesn’t mean they might not also expand their palate through those references, either. It certainly feels like a short leap from Cole’s new album to Pharoahe Monch’s work, then to artists who worked with him, like Black Thought, Common, Jean Grae, or even M.O.P. A love for zombie films might lead a Snyder-ite down the rabbit hole to discover Romero, Edgar Wright, The Last Man On Earth, and the cinema of Korea and Spain, which have produced some of the most innovative work in the genre ever — Train To Busan is the only zombie flick to make me cry and Rec kept me up for two nights straight.
The only fault in critics or fans is when they fail to engage the other side in good faith. Critics don’t need to lord our knowledge over fans, condescend or goad them, because our goal should always be to provide perspective, guidance, and context. LIkewise, fans don’t have to take every critique as a personal insult; it’s okay to be protective of your favorite art because you feel like it’s part of your identity and those critiques can feel personal, but jumping down people’s throats on Twitter is unproductive and annoying, while only serving to bias casual consumers against you and your favorite. It’s okay to like what you like, but try to keep in mind that everyone is coming from a different place, and they might not connect with the work the way you do. With that said, that may be the way J. Cole and Zack Snyder are the most like each other: However their work is viewed, they are both great at inspiring that connection.
Usually, Billboard reveals the top ten spots of its weekly Hot 100 singles chart on Mondays. However, that news was delayed this week. Finally, though, on Wednesday morning, the chart dated May 22 was unveiled. On it, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic single “Leave The Door Open” returns to the No. 1 spot for a second week.
The #Hot100 top 10 (chart dated May 22, 2021)
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) May 19, 2021
“Leave The Door Open” first topped the charts on the Hot 100 dated April 17. The four-week gap between No. 1 Hot 100 placements is the longest for a song since Post Malone’s “Circles” had a four-week gap between its second and third No. 1 weeks, on the charts dated December 7, 2019 and January 11, 2020.
.Paak was pretty stoked when the song hit No. 1 for the first time, as he wrote at the time, “Ima stretch this goose neck to The moooon!! All I can say is thank you!!!! To have a song like this debut in the hot 100 ( my first song to ever make it up there ) is truly amazing. It can’t happen without hard work and yalls support. Thanks for pushing everyone to greatness @brunomars and showing us new heights! I’ll never come down!! let’s keep rising! We love you for this!!! Y’all gonna have me faded all damn week!!”
Other notable takeaways from this week’s chart are Dua Lipa and DaBaby’s “Levitating” reaching a new peak at No. 2 and J. Cole’s “Interlude” debuting at No. 8.
Billboard explained the reasoning behind the announcement delay, writing, “The announcement of this week’s Hot 100 was delayed by approximately 48 hours while Billboard and MRC Data conducted standard audits on reported data, working with data partners to recognize and resolve anomalies.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After COVID-19 forced Lollapalooza 2020 to cancel, it would appear that the festival will be returning this summer (despite previous uncertainty on the matter), taking place in Chicago’s Grant Park from July 29th to August 1st. With tickets officially going on sale today, Lollapalooza has come through to unveil their stacked lineup, which features more than a few notable hip-hop stars in the mix.
We’re looking at Post Malone, Tyler, The Creator, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, Brockhampton, Kaytranada, Limp Bizkit(!), Trippie Redd, Playboi Carti, Saint JHN, Freddie Gibbs, EarthGang, Sa-Roc, Rico Nasty, Mick Jenkins, Iann Dior, Polo G, Jack Harlow, $uicideBoy$, and more.
As for non-hip-hop talent, Lollapalooza has it covered with Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, Marshmello, Journey, Modest Mouse, Band Of Horses, Jimmy Eat World, Angels & Airwaves, Young The Giant, and many more. You can check out the full lineup of performers below, courtesy of Lollapalooza’s Twitter page. At this time, the schedule has yet to be unveiled on a day-by-day basis, though it seems as Post Malone and Tyler will be granted headlining slots given their presence at the top of the marquee.
Should you be interested in securing a ticket for the upcoming festival’s triumphant return, you can buy your ticket right here at 12PM CMT, or 1PM EST. It should be noted that those planning on hitting Lollapalooza will need to have received full vaccination or otherwise test negative for COVID-19 within twenty-four hours of attending, as per a statement from the organizers shared by Complex.
Are you excited for the return of festival season? If so, how do you grade the lineup to Lollapalooza 2021?
After a highly unusual two-day delay, Billboard has finally announced this week’s Hot 100, revealing that J. Cole has debuted within the chart’s top ten songs with his pre-album release “i n t e r l u d e.”
Last week, Billboard updated the chart shortly after posting the most popular tracks in the country, moving The Kid LAROI and Miley Cyrus’ “Without You” collaboration after it was incorrectly etched into the eighth spot. There may have been some similar glitches this week because the Hot 100 was revealed two days later than usual. However, there are still some very strong debuts and movements for hip-hop fans to take note of.
For starters, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s new group) is back at #1 with “Leave The Door Open.” They hold off Dua Lipa and DaBaby, who reach a new peak at #2 with “Levitating.” Polo G’s “Rapstar” is still performing strongly at #7. Speaking to his charting power, J. Cole managed to grab the #8 spot with “i n t e r l u d e” debuting this week. None of the other songs from The Off-Season were eligible this week– they will likely show up on the chart next week.
Just outside of the Top 10, Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti debuted at #11 with their new collaboration “Miss The Rage.” Lil Tecca starts off at #56 with “Never Left” and Don Toliver debuts at #82 with “What You Need.”
We will keep you posted on any upcoming predictions for next week’s chart, as well as other pertinent numbers from this week’s tally. Congratulations to all of the artists who charted this week!
After TDE’s mysterious announcement on May 7th that “THE WAIT IS OVAH,” the Hip-Hop community was subsequently treated with Isaiah Rashad’s new single “Lay Wit Ya.” Featuring rising artist Duke Deuce, Isaiah Rashad’s lead single from his long-awaited sophomore album The House Is Burning officially signaled the start of Isaiah Rashad season.
Leading up to the imminent release of The House Is Burning in June, Zaywop recently connected with Billboard to discuss his forthcoming album and his willingness to live up to his full potential. However, one of the most intriguing sections of his interview was the TDE artist’s revelation about how his drug addiction struggles negatively impacted Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith.
“If anything, I might have made that n*gga a little soft,” Isaiah Rashad told Billboard about Top Dawg’s emotional investment in the Cilvia Demo artist’s wellbeing. “I went through more in these five years than I did last time. After Sun’s Tirade, I was telling that story [about my addiction], but it wasn’t like I had sh*t behind me. [My manager] Matt checked me into rehab, and we got all that sh*t out the way. Top was damn near about to cry through the sh*t.”
In addition to bringing Top Dawg to the verge of tears during his rehab stint, Isaiah Rashad reveals just how close that he has grown to the TDE founder.
“I had a dad that I ain’t never had in my life,” the “Lay Wit Ya” artist continued. “I got love that I been looking for from n*ggas that if you was coming from any other place, you’d think they want you for money, but I know if all else fails and I don’t want to rap anymore, I’ll f*ck around and just work at the office. Them n*ggas love me, and they love us.”
Label relationships sour every day in the music industry, so it’s great to see that Isaiah Rashad has been able to receive love and support from TDE throughout his addiction struggles. Check out Isaiah Rashad’s video for the Duke Deuce-assisted “Lay Wit Ya” below, and stay tuned for more updates regarding Zaywop’s forthcoming album
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Ever since turning in a scene-stealing performance on Travis Scott’s “Can’t Say,” Don Toliver has been among the most promising young talents in the game. As such, many fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of his upcoming debut album, which is officially titled L.O.A.D (Life Of A Don). Now, according to a new Cactus Jack profile on Flaunt, we officially have a release window for the anticipated project.
During their section on Toliver, it’s confirmed that L.O.A.D will be arriving at some point in July, though a specific release date was not confirmed. It’s not entirely surprising, given that Toliver recently dropped off his lead single “What You Need,” a track that was met with instant appreciation from his fans — you can check that out right here.
As for potential features, Toliver has yet to unveil any of his plans on that front. Given that he’s already amassed an impressive roster of former collaborators, however — including Gucci Mane, Nas, Big Sean, and of course Travis Scott — it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 26-year-old aligning with a few heavy-hitters when he finally drops that L.O.A.D this summer.
“It wasn’t an overnight thing at all,” reflects Toliver, in his Flaunt profile. “I had to do a lot, but it feels good to get here.” Recall that back in January, Toliver warned his fans that they weren’t ready for what’s to come. It will certainly be interesting to see how Toliver capitalizes on his current status, and given how focused he sounds right now, optimism feels like a fair position. Look for his debut project to hit the game this July — are you excited?
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