Metallica’s Twitch Concert Audio Was Apparently Replaced With 8-Bit Music To Avoid Copyright Issues

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Metallica played a concert to kick off BlizzCon on Twitch, but apparently not everyone got to actually hear the music they were playing at the online event. The first day of the annual Blizzard event streamed on Twitch on Friday night, and with it came a special performance by Metallica. But the actual audio that played on some channels got caught up in one of the music issues that often plagues streaming content.

On Friday, Twitter lit up with videos from the performance where, instead of Metallica classics, nondescript 8-bit music seemed to be playing instead.

And it wasn’t a dub; multiple people shared clips of varying length where Metallica is clearly on the Twitch channel but some other music is playing. Though that moment spread online like wildfire, it apparently wasn’t what happened on the main Blizzard Twitch page. Rather, it was the front page of Twitch Gaming which had to replace the music.

Still, it’s an interesting bit of irony at the complicated state of Twitch and the music copyright issues that often plague the platform. And as many people pointed out, DCMA takedowns are an issue in internet content creation that came directly from Metallica’s decades-old fight with Napster that set the tone for music copyrights.

No one seemed to have any sympathy for Metallica here, mostly because they’ve dealt with these sorts of issues in the past. Anyone who has streamed a video game that has original music in it has likely encountered takedown or muting issues, and game makers have had to introduce music elimination options to help streamers prevent their content from getting taken down.

It’s unlikely the moment will change much of anything, but it certainly felt like things came full circle on Friday night.

Megan Thee Stallion Defends Her ‘Boo’ Pardison Fontaine From Internet Haters

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Ever since fans noticed that Megan Thee Stallion and Pardison Fontaine were commenting on each other’s Instagram posts, rumors began bubbling up about their suspected relationship. People were initially excited for the rapper and glad to see how happy he seemed to make her. But their opinions shifted when a video surfaced of Pardi drunkenly banging on Megan’s bathroom door. However, Megan recently cleared the air on social media and officially confirmed their relationship.

Megan took to Instagram Live to clarify the situation. Talking to her fans while blushing, Megan confirmed that Pardi was her “boyfriend” and told people to leave him alone:

“I don’t be liking some of the stuff on the internet. Like I did not like how everybody, not even everybody, people don’t know what the hell they talking about. They just be saying anything. I didn’t like what they were trying to say about Pardi because he’s so calm and so sweet. That’s my boo and I really like him. […] Ya’ll not about to play with my man. He not doing nothing to nobody. […] Yeah, he my boyfriend. He’s probably on the Live blushing. But yeah, stop playing with him. Ya’ll never been turnt up with your boyfriend before?”

Shortly after Megan came clean about their relationship, Pardi shared a handful of adorable photos of the two on Valentine’s Day.

Watch a clip Megan’s Instagram Live above.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Best New Hip-Hop This Week

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Getty Image/Ralph Ordaz

A bunch of new artists make debuts this week, while a pair of veterans continue to certify themselves within their given niches. Meanwhile, a fallen heroine makes a posthumous comeback, New York drill continues to establish its foothold, and the new wave of LA party rap favorites expands its influence.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending February 19, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

CJ — Loyalty Over Royalty

CJ

Staten Island drill newcomer CJ arrived with a splash last year thanks to his hit single “Whoopty.” He followed up earlier this year with “Bop,” proving he wasn’t just a one-hitter quitter. Now, he’s got a deal with Warner Records, and the eyes and ears of the world firmly focused on this debut EP to see if he can really stick.

Ghetts — Conflict Of Interest

Ghetts

UK grime mainstay Ghetts is on his third studio album, released under Warner Records. Featuring fellow British superstars Dave, Giggs, Skepta, Stormy, and Wretch 32 — talk about “star-studded” — his latest album is his most earnest and personal to date.

Lexii Alijai — Come Back Soon

Lexii Alijai

After passing away last year at just 21 years old, Lexii Alijai’s posthumous project arrives with much less fanfare than some other late, rising stars’ debut albums, but it’s just as appreciated by fans of her work, which included appearances on two Kehlani albums. Kyle Banks, P-Lo, and Wale make appearances to give a fond farewell to a powerful talent taken far too soon.

Lil Zay Osama — Trench Baby

Lil Zay Osama

Balancing tough trench talk and plainspoken vulnerability, Lil Zay Osama’s major-label debut (he signed to Warner in 2019) is replete with respected guest stars but offers a self-confident look at an artist who already has a strong sense of who he is and where he’s going. While Doe Boy, G Herbo, Jackboy, and Lil Tjay provide poignant counter perspectives to Osama’s, the story belongs to him alone.

Nef The Pharaoh — SINsational

Nef The Pharaoh

At this point, Nef The Pharaoh album releases have become an annual occurrence, as the Bay Area rapper maintains the consistency of his Vallejo mentor E-40. Here, he continues to walk the line between late-night function background music and truculent fight tunes.

Trippie Redd — Neon Shark vs Pegasus (Deluxe: Presented by Travis Barker)

Trippie Redd

Trippie wants to be a real rockstar and with the monstrous deluxe version of his already massive album Pegasus dropping today, he’s as close as he’s ever been. That’s thanks in part to Travis Barker, who produces the rock-heavy first half of the album, giving fans 14 all-new songs along with a pair of appearances from fellow Ohioan rapper turned rocker Machine Gun Kelly.

Singles/Videos

24kGoldn — “3, 2, 1”

After going to No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Mood” in 2020, San Francisco sing-rapper 24kGoldn sets his sight on the chart once again with another bouncy, catchy, borderline schmaltzy tune designed to appeal to teenage emotions everywhere. Personally, I like a little schmaltz, and what 24k may lack in lyrical depth, he makes up in a gift for melody and genre-blending with a cross-demographic appeal.

BlueBucksClan — “Horace Grant”

Los Angeles party rap at its disrespectful, conversational, beat-jumping finest. The duo has rapidly developed up a reputation for turning things up and they live up to it here.

CJ — “Politics”

Smartly dropping another new single on the same day as his debut EP, Staten Island’s newest star continues to excavate new pockets for drill, filling them up with his slickly-worded boasts and distinctive, perfectly modulated voice.

Dusty Locane — “Intro 2 Me, Pt. 1”

If CJ is competing for drill’s still-vacant throne, Dusty might be his number-one rival, thanks to his polished storytelling and his voice, which is frighteningly similar to the throne’s former occupant’s. That voice is the primary draw on this drumless production, that lets him introduce himself clearly and concisely.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Tekashi 69 Inserted Audio Of His Viral Fight With Meek Mill Into His New Track ‘ZaZa’

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Last week, Meek Mill was leaving a club event and heading back to his car when he ran into Tekashi 69 and his crew. Upon seeing Meek, Tekashi began hurling insults and attempted to push past his security in order to start a fight with the rapper. The whole skirmish was caught on video and the footage went instantly viral, with Meek theorizing that the whole thing was just a publicity stunt. But Tekashi took things one step further with his new track “ZaZa.”

Tekashi debuted the track “ZaZa” Friday, which features a hard-hitting beat and the rapper’s boastful verses. But halfway through his song, Tekashi references his tiff with Meek. Instead of name-dropping the rapper through lyrics, Tekashi inserted a 10-second clip of the actual fight while the track’s video zooms in on Meek’s surprised face.

“ZaZa” arrives shortly after Meek revealed that he’s working on his own version of a diss track. The rapper shared a snippet of the upcoming song in a teaser posted to his social media. “You a b*tch, he a rat / You on the ‘Gram, like, who is that?” he raps in the preview.

Watch Tekashi 69’s “ZaZa” video above.

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

Chloe x Halle Elegantly Narrate A Classic Nigerian Folktale About The Origins Of The Sun And Moon

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Sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey may have gotten their start in television before eventually forming their acclaimed music group Chloe x Halle, but their musical success has earned them the opportunity to take on more creative projects. The two are now in front of the camera once again, but this time it’s not for television. Rather, the two appear in a short film that visualizes a Nigerian folktale.

The project was shot as part of their cover story for the March 2021 issue of Vogue. The short is filmed on a rocky beach, depicting the two sisters frolicking in the sand and wearing elegant gowns. Chloe provides a narration of the fable titled “Why The Sun And The Moon Live In The Sky,” which describes origins of the sun, moon, and water.

The story begins by Chloe introducing the characters of water and sun, detailing how they came to meet:

“It is said many, many years ago, the sun and the water were great friends and both live on the earth together. The sun would often visit water, but water never visits sun. The curious sun asked, ‘Why?’ The sun replied, ‘If I visit you, my friend, I will drive you out of your house because I go everywhere with my large family.’ But sun insisted that water should visit, and water therefore warned sun to build a very large house to accommodate his enormous family.”

The short film was directed by Julie Dash, who noted that the two singers were up for anything. “The filming was physically grueling,” Dash said. “Chloe and Halle had to walk half a mile across a stoney beach, wearing long gowns, in the cold morning and later in the heat. I don’t think they knew they were going to get wet, too. They never complained. I was very familiar with the sisters, but did not know how sweet they were!”

Watch a clip of “Why The Sun And The Moon Live In The Sky” above.

Kanye West And Kim Kardashian Have Reportedly Filed For Divorce

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In recent months, it has been rumored that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s relationship is on the rocks, and there has been speculation that the two were heading towards divorce. Now, it looks like the divorce is actually happening: Variety reports that according to a “court source,” divorce paperwork was filed today.

TMZ first reported the news and they described the split as “as amicable as a divorce can be.” The TMZ report also notes that Kardashian is asking for joint custody of her and Kanye’s four children, which Kanye is apparently fine with. The pair are also apparently committed to co-parenting their kids. There is also a prenuptial agreement involved in the marriage, and apparently neither Kanye nor Kardashian are contesting it and “are already far along in reaching a property settlement agreement.”

This update follows reports from January that the two were working on the terms of their divorce. Following that were reports earlier this month that Kanye and Kardashian were “completely done” with their marriage and are “moving on.”

Kanye himself suggested back in July that a divorce was imminent while alleging that something went on between Kardashian and Meek Mill. At the time, Kardashian called for people to have “empathy” for Kanye and he later apologized for his tweets.

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

Questlove’s Next Film Is A Documentary About Sly Stone

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Questlove, The Roots’ drummer and bandleader on The Tonight Show, cut his teeth as a director earlier this year with his Summer Of Soul documentary and now, he’s been given the opportunity to use that experience to pay homage to one of music’s great pioneers and legends. Quest is set to direct a documentary about funk icon Sly Stone, exploring his work with Sly And The Family Stone and recent fight for royalties on his old music. The film also counts Common as an executive producer but doesn’t have a title or release date yet.

“It goes beyond saying that Sly’s creative legacy is in my DNA,” Questlove explained in a statement. “It’s a Black musician’s blueprint. To be given the honor to explore his history and legacy is beyond a dream for me.”

Quest, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, also recently made his feature film voice acting debut in Disney Pixar’s Soul. Since then, he reminisced about his experiences with a few of The Tonight Show‘s high-profile guests, including sharing his thoughts during Odd Future’s iconic breakout performance and being mistaken for a security guard by Cardi B. His Summer Of Soul documentary also won Sundance’s 2021 Grand Jury Prize.

Tori Brixx Promises She’s “Innocent” After Rich The Kid Breakup

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Tori Brixx Shares Hilarious Clip W: Rich The Kid + Son Sleeping On Her

Vixen Tori Brixx is defending her image – or just enjoying the clout. The hip-hop model has lit up social media with a new shot of herself and an apparent subliminal message following a rumored split from rap star fiancé Rich The Kid. Tori Brixx Proclaims Innocence TB went to her Instagram page and didn’t […]

The post Tori Brixx Promises She’s “Innocent” After Rich The Kid Breakup appeared first on SOHH.com.

DreamDoll Unloads Steamy Swimsuit Pics After Tori Brixx Drama

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New York rapper DreamDoll isn’t thinking about the cheating rumors – at all. The hip-hop entertainer has lit up social media with fresh shots of herself clocking in modeling goals following affair gossip connected to fellow rap artist Rich The Kid. DreamDoll’s New Bikini Pics Over the past few hours, DD has blessed fans with […]

The post DreamDoll Unloads Steamy Swimsuit Pics After Tori Brixx Drama appeared first on SOHH.com.

Sacha Baron Cohen Says Joe Biden’s Team Was “Very Happy” After “Borat 2”

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Sacha Baron Cohen says that the Biden Campaign was “very happy” to see Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, in Baron Cohen’s most recent film, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. In the scene, he is caught with actress Maria Bakalova in a very compromising position.

“Suddenly he was having to try to explain that he wasn’t playing with himself,” Baron Cohen told the Guardian. “It was such a close election that everything in those final weeks was crucial.”

Sacha Baron Cohen, Rudy Guilliani
Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

The Guiliani scene dominated the headlines following the film’s release in October 2020. The former Mayor of New York City had to deny the implication of the film’s ending in the press.

“The government was always proud of its misogyny,” says Baron Cohen. “It got elected after it was publicized Trump suggested grabbing women’s genitalia. He appealed to people with a feeling of emasculation, who were threatened by the rise of women. Predominantly white men who felt that they had lost their advantage.”

During a Fox News appearance, Guiliani berated a reporter who asked him about the scene: “You better apologize for that! I’ve been a United States attorney, associate attorney general, mayor of New York City, and a member of the bar for 50 years. I’ve never been accused of anything, and you’re accusing me of being Christopher Steele.”

[Via]