Coming off a new deal with Republic Records and a recent studio session with none other than Dr. Dre, it’s fair to say that melodist C.S. Armstrong has some impressive momentum going for him. Now, he’s officially come through to deliver his new single “Own Two,” bringing TDE lyricist Jay Rock into the fold for some bars.
Over a soulful instrumental from Mike N Keys, Armstrong’s nostalgic vocals capture a vintage vibe as he reflects on the concept of duality. “When the words don’t come out right, and when thе feelings don’t come out right,” he sings. “I’d rather deal with it on my own than depend on you all my life.” Jay Rock holds it down with a final statement, offering up a pair of verses for the occasion. “Nothin in this world really worth bein’ upset about, a boy to a man and understand you gotta figure out,” he raps. “Do he take the viscous route, do he take a different route? No matter what the way, they gon’ try to take a ni**a out.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for C.S. Armstrong’s upcoming debut album Shotgun to arrive later this year, as it’s clear that “Own Two” is only the beginning.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Nothin in this world really worth bein’ upset about, A boy to a man and understand you gotta figure out Do he take the viscous route, do he take a different route? No matter what the way, they gon’ try to take a ni**a out
Yesterday was a busy day for Lil Nas X. The Columbia Records artist, most known for “Old Town Road,” had some time on his hands and decided to clap back at skeptics and detractors. First, he clowned a TikTok user who claimed that Lil Nas X was at the center of a music industry conspiracy and being forced to spread an LGBTQ+ agenda. Then, the “Panini” rapper took things to a completely different level when he exposed Tekashi 6ix9ine for allegedly sliding in his DMs. 6ix9ine quickly tried to deny the situation, but it appears that all parties involved have moved on from yesterday’s antics.
Apparently, the “Holiday” artist is simply spending his Friday in a more constructive manner. In a recent Instagram post, Lil Nas X reveals that he has officially become a homeowner. “bought my first house today,” he writes in the caption under a series of photos that show the artist enjoying his new home. In the first picture, Lil Nas X is seen outside dangling his new set of keys while other flicks show him basking in the sunlight in his fenced backyard and throwing up the middle finger in a pristine marble-accented kitchen.
Regardless of whether those 6ix9ine DMs were authentic or doctored, at least Lil Nas has moved past the drama and found time to celebrate this milestone achievement.
Say what you will about the absolutely jam-packed performance schedule during Atlanta’s NBA All-Star weekend, but you can’t truly expect a rapper to not secure the bag when presented with an opportunity. After all, it’s in their very nature. And seeing as Bobby Shmurda is only recently getting back into the swing of things, having had his momentum halted by a six-year prison bid, it’s not surprising to see him looking to pick up where he left off.
As such, he’s already lined up a pair of NBA All-Star Weekend performances on Friday the 5th and Saturday the 6th, with 50 Cent and Meek Mill respectively. According to a new report from TMZ, the payout is looking quite solid for Shmurda, with sources claiming that he’ll be netting one-hundred-and-twenty-five thousand from his Friday night Compound performance alone. While the publication doesn’t spill the beans on his Saturday night performance at The Dome, they do indicate that a few smaller-scale events will drive his earnings up to an approximated three-hundred thousand.
Paras Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
In addition to this weekend’s festivities, Bobby Shmurda appears hard at work at crafting his next musical project, having already connected with Zaytoven and Mike WiLL Made-It in the studio. Fans are especially curious to hear how he sounds after all this time, as he strategically opted to refrain from the traditional “First Day Out” freestyle. Look for more news on Bobby Shmurda’s future plans as it surfaces, and keep your eye out for video footage from his first performance in years, which kicks off tonight.
In addition to being one of the most successful businessmen in the world, Elon Musk is also one of technology’s most outspoken and creative minds. Over the past weeks, he’s been warring with Jeff Bezos for the bragging right of being the richest man in the world, but today some internet users hit social media to find shocking and horrifying news that the billionaire had allegedly perished in a tragic accident.
Ealier today the #RIPElon hashtag started trending on Twitter, prompting immediate tributes and memorial tweets from fans and followers of Elon Musk. According to Complex, fact-checking website Snopes noticed the hashtag and quickly investigated the situation and discovered that the trend originated following the surfacing of fake screenshots of news articles that claimed that the SpaceX and Tesla founder had just tragically died in a car battery explosion. Many social media users, unfortunately, fell for the death hoax as internet trolls have been taking the opportunity to contribute Tesla’s declining stock to Musk’s rumored death.
Reports also reveal that moderators on the Tesla sub-Reddit have even come forth to stop trolls from further spreading lies about Musk’s wellbeing, saying, “Don’t fall for these fake stories. They are posting fake links that lead to nowhere and posting screenshots from said fake articles. They are NOT real. Elon Musk is alive and well. There was no factory explosion. The only real bit of information they contain is the fact the stock went down a bit.”
Elon Musk has not yet spoken on the false rumors regarding his death, but when he does, his statement is sure to offer an interesting sentiment.
Doja Cat was the subject of a new cover story by V Magazine today, and as Complex points out, she had a pretty amazing conversation with SZA, who interviewed her for the piece. You should really read the whole thing, but my favorite part is in a question that leads into whether or not Doja finds herself in the hip-hop conversation, SZA reveals that Doja actually inspired her and made Solana feel more comfortable with herself.
I really feel like I relate the most to you because between the pre-TDE sh*t and crossing that path, I always felt like I couldn’t fit into anything. That my music isn’t “Black enough” with “Drew Barrymore.” Or I’m doing sh*t that’s strange. I never felt that as a Black girl, I could make music and be in these realms. You make music in all these other realms and make it sound like it touched my inner mind and spirit. It’s like, you’re exactly who I needed when I was in high school [and] college. I just wanted to feel like it’s ok to be an individual that isn’t really planted but is highly mutable and superfluid. Working with you was literally my dream.
SZA also shares their collaboration is reportedly called “Kiss Me More.” And the interview ends with SZA comparing Doja to Britney Spears, which doesn’t seem that far off anymore. Look for Doja’s new album Planet Her dropping sometime later this year.
When Eddie Huang’s directorial debut, Boogie, was announced, much attention was given to the presence of one of its stars: the late Brooklyn drill rapper Pop Smoke, in his own posthumous acting debut. While it was at one point considered unusual for rappers to jump into acting — especially before they ever had an album to their name — in recent years, it’s become much more common for a new and rising star to already have their hands in many different arts to ensure that at least one of them pays off. From Vince Staples in Dope to Cardi B in Fast 9 to Quavo in Wash Me In The River, more actors than ever are pursuing side careers in film.
The question on everyone’s minds, then, was whether or not Pop Smoke’s acting chops lived up to the billing. In the film, he portrays the title character’s rival hooper, as Boogie (Taylor Takahashi, also in his debut), a first-generation Chinese-American basketball player, transfers to a new school in the hopes of drumming up interest from a college program that can get him closer to the NBA. Of course, Boogie’s life is complicated; his estranged parents battle each other over his path to pro hoops and he becomes interested in a girl at his new school, all while butting heads with his coach over his role on the team.
From a pure “movie” standpoint, Boogie shows all the hallmarks of a debut directorial effort from Huang. While the foundation of the story is solid and the performances are for the most part superb, there are probably a few too many plot threads that need tying off by the film’s conclusion, many of which are pretty cliched. The dialogue suffers from “trying to be hip,” and it’s also unintentionally funny, possibly at times that aren’t meant to be — but that’s also probably a result of its New York shooting locations. There’s one moment in which a bystander can be heard reacting to Boogie’s dialogue with his love interest as he tries to explain the friction of balancing 5,000 years of cultural history with second-class citizen status.
Also — and this part just might be due to my proximity to the game — but I found myself a little bit frustrated with the basketball culture as presented. What little gameplay is seen is serviceable at best (with odd dialogue that doesn’t seem to suit the action on-screen), but while the behind-the-scenes workings of recruiting, scholarships, and overseas offers read true-to-life, there is astonishingly little context presented for any of it. If someone were completely unversed in how this stuff works, they’d be confused — even worse, for someone who is well-versed, it’s even more confusing.
When the choice is posed between skipping one year of NCAA eligibility to play for the Shanghai Sharks or walking on at Georgetown in the hopes of securing an NBA berth, I found myself flabbergasted that the former route seemed to preclude the latter outcome when several players have already been successful at it (more so than the traditional route of playing for a few years at a ranked school). It feels almost like advocating for the exploitative practices of the NCAA, while simultaneously dumping on non-US leagues — where US-born players often thrive and Jeremy Lin, who the film name-checks early on, went in the process of mounting his NBA comeback.
But Pop Smoke’s character appears relatively early and looms over the proceedings, giving the Brooklyn rapper plenty of opportunities to shine. He makes the most of them, stealing nearly every scene he’s in and giving off a magnetic aura that pulls the viewer in. He snarls on the court and smirks in the protagonist’s face, his husky growl dousing every line in sizzling New York authenticity. His performance made me wish that the love story had been cut in the interest of cultivating the two players’ rivalry — for the most part, we mostly hear about how Monk being the best player in the city, and rarely do the two actually share the screen in the first two-thirds of the runtime.
When they do, however, the screen lights up and the electricity is palpable. I found myself doing that two-panel meme of the guy playing the video game all laid-back until the score gets close. I scooted forward on my couch, leaning in to soak in the aura of tension. Much of this aura is given off by Takahashi, but the majority of it is Pop Smoke, who practically vibrates off the screen. It’s probably presumptuous to make a comparison to Tupac in Above The Rim… but that’s exactly what I’m going to do because even if the comparison isn’t apples to apples, the clementine that is Pop Smoke sure looks like a Tupac orange that just hasn’t grown up yet.
While the film makes little effort to flesh out the character — outside of repeated mentions of how badly Boogie needs to beat Monk — Pop Smoke does plenty of that work himself. He gives Monk a cocky, borderline brutish demeanor, but he holds back from pure thuggery. Monk is a New York classic, a trash talker who does whatever it takes to get into his opponent’s head and throw them off their game. And as infuriating as that can be — both on the court and in real life — Pop is a charismatic enough personality to not only pull it off but also to make viewers like his character almost as much as Boogie.
The one real drawback is that Pop’s performance is dragged down the same way the movie is; through unsure editing and amateurish writing. Not to speak ill of the dead, but the quick cuts during Pop’s on-court play make it clear he had way more talent on the mic than with a ball. Also, he’s alternatively listed on Google as either 5’5″ or 5’11”, which means those dunks are either being performed by a body double or on an eight-foot rim. He may have had plenty of potential as a future actor but a J. Cole-esque hoop dream pursuit was definitely out of the question.
Ultimately, Pop Smoke shining in his debut role the world winds up mostly highlighting — once again — how truly tragic his untimely demise remains. It seems certain now that he would have continued to grow in stature — his posthumous debut album, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon was one of 2020’s most-streamed projects and demonstrated how truly versatile he could be — and collect further roles as charismatic villains and possibly even roguish heroes. Even in the limited screentime that the movie allows, he becomes the center of every scene he’s in — that is the very definition of star power. Unfortunately, the world will instead continue to miss out on the growth and charm of Pop Smoke, who by every indication here, had all the making of a bonafide movie star.
Rap superstar Drake is thriving in his professional life. Already dominating the charts in sales and streams, the four-time Grammy winner is adding to his legacy with some highly-anticipated new projects in 2021. In his personal life, Drake is also winning. The Toronto native isn’t too busy to get in plenty of quality time with […]
Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars recently united to form a new band called Silk Sonic, confirming that a new album is officially in the works. Today, the duo provided the first glimpse of said album, delivering the soulful and refreshingly smooth “Leave The Door Open” to widespread early acclaim. Following the big single release, the pair caught up with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 to discuss their experience creating a full-length project together.
Matt Winkelmeyer/VF20/WireImage/Getty Images
Revealing that the idea to join forces originally stemmed from a productive and notably inebriated studio session, they soon found that they had plenty of ideas worth exploring. For both parties, the ability to actually collaborate as musicians was a massive plus. “These days, you get so many collaborations where a lot of it’s done through email, you never meet the person, it’s texts,” explains .Paak. “It’s like a play. It’s all this sh-t and people don’t understand, when you get in and you can jam with someone and other artists that could hold it down and you’re bouncing, that’s different. That’s the difference and you’re really creating a groove from scratch.”
When asked about his experiences working with .Paak, Mars explained that the Aftermath melodist continuously found new ways to inspire. “Anderson came into the studio and unlocked something in my brain that I’ve never used before,” he explains. “That’s what you hope. That’s how inspiration happens, you know? Even just hearing him talk, being a songwriter, sometimes you hear things in your voice, but working with other artists and you hear the way they talk. All of a sudden you start thinking differently.”
Kevin Mazur/BBMA18/WireImage/Getty Images
Anderson .Paak also praised Mars’ perfectionism, a quality he is no stranger to, having worked extensively with Dr. Dre on his last two albums Oxnard and Ventura. “A lot of people do collabs these days, but I don’t think they understand what it’s like to go in and get work with someone that’s challenging everything,” he reflects. “Like, did we do this right? Did we do this right? Should we try this right? The last dude that pushed me like that was Dre, you know? And [Bruno] was the same way. He just had this, like, ‘I know what you’re used to doing, but I’m a producer too.’ You know, this dude is a producer. He’s one of the best producers I know, from music to vocally, anything.”
For more from Silk Sonic, check out their new interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 radio below.
BlueBucksClan, the Los Angeles rap duo known for its inimitable cadences and inclusion of straight-faced comedy into its lyrics, is back today with the second single from their forthcoming mixtape Clan Virus 2. Since emerging as a group in 2019, BlueBucksClan members DJ and Jeeezy have been building a catalog that’s just as consistent as it is quirky. Now, ahead of the release of Clan Virus 2, the duo is welcoming Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty into their unique sonic fold on “Last Minute.”
Although DJ and Jeeezy don’t typically do collaborations outside of BlueBucksClan, “Last Minute” definitely illustrates how easily they work with other artists. Lil Yachty manages to adopt the crew’s unique flow as well as their humorous flexes, and he delivers two eccentric verses throughout the song’s two-minute runtime, with pop-culture references to The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody and fellow rapper Ski Mask The Slump God. “Last Minute” follows February’s equally infectious “Horace Grant” and properly sets listeners up for the impending release of Clan Virus 2.
Are you feeling BlueBucksClan and Lil Yachty’s unique performance on “Last Minute?”
Quotable Lyrics
Whatchu mean who I’m with? B*tch, you too nosey Run around the lobby like my brother first name Cody F*ck it, run around the lobby like Mr. Mosby Made another O and n*gga I don’t even wear Oakleys Ridin’ round with a ski mask like my name is Stokely
