Despite their divorce turning increasingly ugly in recent months, Kim Kardashian has opened up about why Kanye West will still appear in the first episode of her new reality series, The Kardashians, when it premieres on Hulu next month. Along with her famous momager and sisters, Kardashian, who legally ditched the West from her last name, spoke to Variety for a massive new feature on the new series that will see the family make the jump from cable to the world of streaming.
According to the profile, West is featured prominently in a “major arc” for the first episode, which is an awkward inclusion given his recent penchant for publicly threatening Kardashian’s new boyfriend, Pete Davidson. However, Kardashian explains the decision to keep West in the episode — because it’s important to show that their family isn’t “perfect.” Via Variety:
“Being in the public eye and having disagreements publicly is never easy,” Kim says. “But I do believe in handling it all privately. I believe in championing publicly and criticizing privately. I don’t think I would ever criticize the father of my children on my TV show. That’s just not really what I’m about, and I just don’t think that would ever make me feel good.
“I’m always really respectful of what the kids will see. The reality is, we’re always a family. We always will have a love and respect for each other. And even if there’s moments where it might not seem like that, there are so many moments that are super positive. I do think it’s important for people to see that things aren’t perfect all the time, but that they can get better.”
In short, it appears that Kardashian will be taking a more diplomatic approach to her recent divorce from West. As for how he’ll handle being featured in the new series is anybody’s guess. For now, West is reportedly dating model Chaney Jones, who has been repeatedly described as a “Kim Kardashian lookalike.”
Bodega make danceable post-punk music with a message. Following their acclaimed 2018 debut LP Endless Scroll and it’s 2019 follow up EP Shiny New Model, Bodega’s upcoming album Broken Equipment started as a book club. Each member of the NYC five-piece is well-read in their own right and joined with friends to study a wide range of philosophers. The readings inspired the band to pen songs that examine our modern condition, tackling ideas like targeted ads, religious iconography in technology, and media gentrification.
Not only do Bodega craft propulsive and heady music with sardonic lyrics and ripping instrumentals, but they also have lots of hidden talents. While some artists share a few versions of a song, like a demo or an acoustic track, Bodega released nine different recordings of their recent single “Statuette On The Console” — all in different languages. The band translated the song into Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Ukrainian, exploring how language changes a listener’s emotional connection to a song.
Ahead of the release of Broken Equipment this Friday, Bodega vocalist Ben Hozie sat down with Uproxx to share a crazy tour memory, an album he knows every word to, and why French new wave director Jean-Luc Godard is an inspiration in the latest Indie Mixtape Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Yearning. Playful. Curious. Caffeinated.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Often.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
NYC. I like playing to a room full of close friends/peers. It’s unique when our shared history informs the performance.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Godard. On pretty much all levels, contact with his cinema has shattered my conception of reality.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Tokyo. Before I became vegan, I had some sushi that I still think about.
What album do you know every word to?
My music fandom has always involved memorization of lyrics so actually quite a few; The first record I memorized inside and out was Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing’s Shocking. I still adore that band.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
A radio alt rock festival with my dad in South Carolina called Fallout. The headliners were Everclear and Fuel.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
A shirt that helps you feel sexy. Definitely not a tee shirt or shorts.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
“No Particular Place to Go” by Chuck Berry.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“What, with my tongue in your tail! Nay, come again” from Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew. I was reading the play and was shocked when I came across this anal cunnilingus pun and wanted to see some modern reactions/interpretations.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Broken Equipment.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Me and Nikki once crashed at this girl’s house in Chico who was pretty out of it on an interesting narcotic combination. Once she sobered up she forgot who we were and why we were staying at her house.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I have a small ‘V’ on my wrist inspired by Aristotle’s virtue ethics in Nicomachean Ethics. It’s a personal reminder to always live up to my own values.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
BODEGA. I’m humble enough to not always talk about myself but I have enough vanity to always tune in when others are talking about me.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My mother raised me while dealing with her own issues and mostly kept them hidden from me until a certain age. That was probably a Herculean effort.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Exercise and practice the guitar and piano. Also try to care less about what people who you don’t respect think about you.
What’s the last show you went to?
The Mystery Lights. A very good band fronted by a very good friend.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
I can resist any movie on TV if there are commercials involved.
Broken Equipment is out 3/11 via Whats Your Rupture?. Pre-order it here.
Freddie Gibbs has long been an avid basketball fan and in recent months, he’s taken advantage of his recent bump in rap game prominence to enjoy the game up close and personal, even getting to take home the jersey of his favorite team’s best player, DeMar DeRozan after finally equaling Chi-Town hometown hero Chance The Rapper (who he blamed for taking up all the tickets in the first place) in the comp ticket hierarchy.
However, Gibbs recently revealed he was actually reticent to meet with one player, in particular, the guy who happens to be pretty much the face of the NBA: LeBron James. The reason? Gibbs has been one of the many, many prominent spectators trashing the Los Angeles Lakers’ lackluster season, often posting video clips of himself watching their games and providing his own commentary. The Lakers are currently 28-36 and rank 4.5 games behind the #8 seed Clippers, meaning they could miss the playoffs for the second time in James’ tenure as the Lakers’ top dog.
So, when Gibbs met LeBron during Super Bowl weekend in LA recently, he revealed in a video on Instagram, he says he was slightly worried about a confrontation with the much bigger basketball star. “I talked to LeBron [at] Super Bowl weekend,” he said. ” I was like, ‘Oh sh*t!’ Look, I thought LeBron was gonna beat my ass. I ain’t even gon’ lie, man. I was prepared to get my ass whooped for talking sh*t about the Lakers.”
Fortunately, though, LeBron is pretty chill about the trash talk — maybe he’s used to it after 17 years in the NBA (and the four years of high school preceding that). Hopefully, this can lead to a Gibbs appearance on The Shop, because Freddie is one amusing storyteller and needs somewhere to crack jokes that isn’t the Joe Rogan podcast.
Freddie Gibbs is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In less than a month, the 2022 Grammy Awards will kick off live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It marks the first time in Grammy history that the award show will take place outside of Los Angeles. The 2022 Grammys was originally set to take place on January 31 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center). However, the coronavirus pandemic forced The Recording Academy to push it back to April 3 with the hope that they’ll be in a safer position to have the show. Thankfully, with three weeks left until showtime, that appears to be the case.
How To Watch The 2022 Grammys:
The 2022 Grammys will begin at 8:30 pm EST/5:30 pm PST. The award show will air live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. By tuning in to this year’s Grammy Awards, you’ll see Trevor Noah entertain the crowd and viewers at home as the host for the night. Elsewhere, Jon Batiste leads the way for nominations as he was selected in 11 categories. Right behind him, Doja Cat, HER, and Justin Bieber each received eight nominations. There will also be a collection of great performances, but the full list of performers has yet to have been revealed. That can be expected to arrive soon as one of the greatest nights in music is just three weeks away.
Over the past few months, a previously anonymous Twitter user who goes by @BiancaMedici69 — a reference to Leonardo DaVinci’s patron family during the Italian Rennaissance era — has been buying, selling, and collecting NFTs with the intention of supporting fellow artists. Over the past few months, the user behind the account would encourage their 13,000 followers to share artists’ artwork and purchase NFTs. Additionally, the account had helped launch fundraisers to provide aid to the people of Ukraine. Earlier this week, singer and prolific songwriter Sia revealed that she is the owner of the @BiancaMedici69 account.
“It’s been a joy quietly collecting NFTs this last year supporting other artists & causes,” tweeted the previously anonymous Twitter account. “And oh what fun being a secret Medici. But I think it may bring more attention to these artists & causes if I went ‘public.’ So Tuesday at 2pm PT, I will dox & reveal my true identity.”
It’s been a joy quietly collecting NFTs this last year supporting other artists & causes.
And oh what fun being a secret Medici
But I think it may bring more attention to these artists & causes if I went “public”
So Tuesday at 2pm PT, I will dox & reveal my true identity.
Although Sia, as @BiancaMedici69, tweeted that she has been “quietly collecting NFTs this last year,” the account has only been active since January. In her bio, she identifies as “Granddaughter of @cozomomedici,” who Snoop Dogg revealed last year was himself.
Despite their identities no longer being anonymous, both Snoop Dogg and Sia have continued to show interest in NFTs. Snoop, who recently purchased Death Row records expressed a desire to make the label an “NFT record label.”
Sia expressed in a tweet that she will “keep supporting this ecosystem, sharing and creating things that can help move the genre forward.”
While Deftones has undergone a few lineup changes over the course of their lengthy tenure, they’ve had the same members since 2009. That’s when bassist Sergio Vega, who was a touring member of the group since 1999, became a full member, after Chi Cheng, who had been with the band from 1990 to 2008, was hospitalized after a serious car crash and was left in a coma (he never recovered and died in 2013). Now, though, Deftones once again has a new lineup, as Vega is no longer with the band.
Fans started wondering what was going on with Deftones when the band shared a new Vega-less profile photo on Spotify. In a video shared on Instagram last night, Vega explains the band had him on a contract, and when that contract expired, Vega and the band couldn’t agree on new terms.
He explained the contract situation before concluding, “Lastly, thanks so much to the ‘Tones. I wish I had the chance to tell you this in person. I want you to know that I appreciate all the years we spent together, writing, performing, being taken into your worlds. I learned a lot from each one of you. When you brought me in, you created a new sense of passion for music that I will always cherish and carry with me. You truly changed my life.”
Watch Vega’s video above and find a full transcript of it (via Stereogum) below.
“Hi, everybody. I hope this finds you well. I didn’t want to have to make a video about this, but after the recent band photo posted on Deftones’ Spotify, I feel that I have to clear the air. I’m not very good at this, so I wrote out a statement, and I will read it to you now.
To give a brief history about me and my friendship with Deftones, we met in 1995. I filled in for Chi — rest in peace — in 1999 and was asked to work with the band after his tragedy in 2009. Because of the love they have for Quicksand, I was asked to bring the same approach as a songwriter and arranger to them as well. I was also told that, similarly to Frank [Delgado], I would be brought in over time to become an official member. I had worked with the band for 12 years, and at the start of every album cycle, I asked about becoming an official member, but the contract would be improved instead.
COVID was a breaking point for a lot of people, and I started to question my place in the band and the future that I wanted for my career. I really started to need something stable because at that point, my contract with them was canceled. One day, I got a call from the guys about an internal band situation, and they asked me if I was solid and that I would have to fly out to LA to help work it out right away. I said of course, I was all in, and we can handle my situation later. But I can’t go back to my old contract. Our respective management had a conversation to discuss a new contract, and they offered me the same deal.
At that point, it was clear there was no opportunity for growth for me, so I declined the offer. And then I called the guys immediately to see where the miscommunication was to resolve it, but there was no response. A couple of days later, I received an e-mail from their lawyer that their offer was withdrawn and that they wished me the best. So I left the band early last year, and since, then I’ve been focused on my band Quicksand as well as working as a producer and writer for other artists and projects. And I’m mentioning this because there was some speculation about me selling my gear and quitting music altogether.
Out of respect for the people who have held tickets for this tour the past couple of years and everyone who supports the band, I felt it important to bring some clarity to the situation.
Lots of love and thanks to Deftones’ amazing fan base for always being engaged and supportive of the band through good times and bad. I appreciate every single one of you. All my love to the fans that have become friends, the people that have supported my other projects. It brought me so much joy to see Deftones shirts at Quicksand shows, and I will cherish this forever.
Lastly, thanks so much to the ‘Tones. I wish I had the chance to tell you this in person. I want you to know that I appreciate all the years we spent together, writing, performing, being taken into your worlds. I learned a lot from each one of you. When you brought me in, you created a new sense of passion for music that I will always cherish and carry with me. You truly changed my life.”
Deftones is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
By the time 17-year-old songwriter GAYLE drove halfway across the country overnight to see her name lit up on billboards in Times Square, she had only released two songs. Her debut single “Abcdefu” has been nearing the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart thanks to it absolutely dominating on TikTok. While the fast-growing app helped put her name on the map, GAYLE’s success comes from her ability to create unapologetically angry songs, giving a voice to a generation of pissed-off young women who look up to the singer’s candor and genuine nature.
The music industry may be saturated with breakup music, but GAYLE’s kiss-off track “Abcdefu” isn’t your average heartbroken ballad. “Abcdefu” shares an anecdote many women can relate to: Repeatedly cursing out the person who caused them pain. It opens with the singer firing off a “f*ck you” to an ex, setting the tone for a vexed GAYLE to list all the people she holds animosity towards post-breakup; including his mom, sister, friends, and pretty much everyone else (except, of course, his dog). Generally in media, women are shown either wallowing in self-pity after a breakup (see: Bridget Jones’ Diary and Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2U“), or plotting some sort of revenge (see: John Tucker Must Die and Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats“). But with her debut major-label single, the singer works through an emotion that women aren’t always allowed to feel — pure and unadulterated anger.
GAYLE’s breakup story is familiar to many women, and it’s one she never minces words about in interviews. “It started from a place of wanted to tell my ex to f*ck off. I was pissed to the core,” she told radio station 96.3 Easy Rock Manila. GAYLE was at first angry with herself for her perceived shortcomings in the relationship. But upon reflection, she realized all her ex’s red flags had been there from the beginning. “All of the sudden it hit me: He’s an *sshole,” she said. In that moment, she transformed from being angry with herself to being pissed-off with all the people who validated his behavior in their relationship. After appropriately blocking him on all social media apps, GAYLE focused that outrage into her music.
GAYLE recognizes how few mainstream women revel in their anger in music, but it became even more apparent when she played “Abcdefu” for her grandmother. GAYLE was worried her grandma would be disappointed with how vulgar the song was, but her reaction was quite the opposite. “She was like, ‘You know, you get to say all the things that I never got to at 17,’” GAYLE told The Tennessean. “And that put the song in a completely new perspective for me.”
The explicit nature of “Abcdefu” seemed to really resonate with people on TikTok, seeing as it’s been used in over 2.5 million videos and counting. The song exemplifies how TikTok can be really great at drumming up excitement about a single, but it also proves that TikTok users can’t be fooled. Yes, record labels and marketing agencies promote certain songs on the app, but most of the time when a song goes viral, it happens naturally, according to Atlantic’s Head Of Marketing Nina Webb: “I mean, there’s a million examples of a lot of very expensive campaigns that had no return. Like, we can’t do it. It has to come from fans or the artist because you’re talking to Gen Z. They smell everything out.”
Despite label support, GAYLE’s viral moment did happen naturally. Like much of the rest of her generation, GAYLE started using TikTok to share funny videos and post her songs. At first, the singer was able to capture an audience with her genuine humor and impressive covers. GAYLE began sharing snippets of “Abcedfu” before its official release for months, but it didn’t gain any traction — that is, until the song became a trend among members of the sign language community on TikTok. From there, “Abcdefu” became an instant hit and jump-started GAYLE’s breakout success.
While “Abcdefu” credits its breakout to TikTok, GAYLE’s music career is the result of years of hard work. The singer performed every opportunity she could as a pre-teen, from bars and restaurants to farmer’s markets, and even sheep industry conventions. Armed with a naturally incredible vocal range and unwavering perseverance, she eventually convinced her parents to move their family to Nashville to pursue her music full-time. There, she was discovered by happenstance at an artist workshop by former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, who eventually offered her a publishing deal where she spent years independently releasing a handful of singles. “I loved her intensity, the tone of her voice, and her emotion when she sang,” DioGuardi told Uproxx. “It was unlike anything I’d seen from a 14-year-old artist.” DioGuardi says fans resonate with GAYLE’s music because of her conviction. “What makes her standout is that she’s a great performer and knows exactly what she wants to say,” she said. “She has the ability to communicate her feelings and life in a unique way and I do think her fans will fall even more in love with her as she releases more music.”
Now that she’s examined her anger and become known as the “emo alphabet girl,” GAYLE is gearing up to drop the EP A Study Of The Human Experience, Volume One. Per the project’s title, the songs detail other teenage woes like pushing away love, being scared to catch feelings, and crossing a line in platonic friendships. GAYLE’s TikTok success is more than just a lesson on the importance of young artists promoting their music online. GAYLE proves that there’s a class of pissed-off young women who aren’t afraid to say how they really feel.
A Study Of The Human Experience, Volume One is out 3/18 via Atlantic. Pre-order it here.
GAYLE is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In recent years, TikTok has become one of the go-to social media platforms for the discovery and promotion of new music, but while it’s been helpful in generating hits for the likes of Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, and more, for newer artists using the app to drive interest in their songs, the experience can be … let’s say a little “chaotic” — to say nothing of the labels who are trying to use the app to market artists and being hopelessly stonewalled by the cryptic algorithm and ever-evolving tastes on the app.
However, that may soon change as TikTok launches SoundOn, a new tool designed to help independent artists find their way on the platform, with a music-specific dashboard offering analytics, marketing advice, and even a team of employees to help A&R collaborations among artists. Most importantly, SoundOn will also help artists get paid — both directly through the app and via DSPs. Artists who upload music directly through SoundOn would get paid similarly to how a record deal works but with a “flexible exit clause” to allow them to withdraw rights should they decide to actually sign to a label.
The beta test of the new service has already generated its first major success in Muni Long’s “Hrs & Hrs,” which hit more than 1 million video creations and 1.6 billion views of the song, driving it to No. 16 peak on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, plans for the future include a creator marketplace that will help match TikTok-ers with promotional partners, again helping them generate revenue outside of the traditional label system. It’s certainly another interesting innovation that may spark the next, artist-friendly phase for the music industry.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Less than a year ago, Ryan Coogler committed to keeping Black Panther: Wakanda Forever production in Georgia while fighting against voter restrictions. Since that time, Coogler has faced another obstacle in the state, which happened in Atlanta at a Bank of America branch. TMZ first reported the incident of a bank teller assuming that Coogler was there to rob the joint while conducting a completely legal transaction.
This assumption led to both Coogler (and two associates who were parked in an SUV while he did his business) being detained by law enforcement. (Not great.) The incident was further confirmed by Variety, and here’s how TMZ (which also posted an image from surveillance footage) described what happened:
Coogler walked in rocking shades and a COVID face mask — not uncommon, of course — but he handed the teller a withdrawal slip that had a note written on the back.
We’re told his message read, “I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.” Understandable, considering the amount of money he was getting … but this led to the teller thinking something suspicious was going down, and cops were called for an attempted robbery.
Coogler was cuffed by officers, and the whole mess eventually got straightened out, but boy, what a disaster. The director later communicated his displeasure to TMZ. “This situation should never have happened,” Coogler said. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”
Meanwhile, Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (which has already had enough distractions before this happened) will arrive in theaters on November 11, 2022.
In normal times, the 2022 Grammy Awards would’ve already taken place. We would’ve learned who went home with trophies in the big four categories — Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. In fact, the number of nominations in each of those categories was increased to ten for the upcoming award show. Furthermore, we would’ve witnessed excellent performances from some of the music industry’s best talents. However, we are not in normal times, and unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic caused the Grammys to be delayed from its usual late-January/early-February date. Thankfully, a new date is locked in and it’s coming soon.
When Are The 2022 Grammys?
The 2022 Grammys will take place on April 3 at 8:30PM EST. The new date also came with a new location for the award show as the Grammys will be hosted from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This marks the first time ever that the Grammys will be hosted outside of Los Angeles. The 2022 Grammys will be hosted by Trevor Noah and as for the nominations, Jon Batiste leads the way with 11 while Doja Cat, HER, and Justin Bieber trailed him with eight nominations each.
Performers for the 2022 award have not been revealed yet, but with less than a month to go before showtime, we can expect a list of performers to arrive sooner than later.
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(@FreddieGibbs) 
