Month: June 2022

Completely customizable, hand-poured candles with a purpose. That’s what you get when you give a gift from The Little Market. But why candles?

For centuries candles have been enjoyed for so much more than their mood lighting. Candles have been shown to calm the mind, boost moods, increase ambiance and stimulate memory. Not to mention, their aromatic components have also been proven to help improve physical and psychological well-being.

Many cultures also burn candles out of remembrance for a person or an event. A lot of us are familiar with blowing out candles on top of a cake to celebrate a birthday, but candles are also used in a lot of marriage ceremonies to symbolize the couple’s new unity. Christians, Hindus and Buddhists also light candles in a form of prayer or offering. In the Jewish religion, candles are a burnt to in memorial of a lost loved-one.

The Little Market builds off of this history and creates candles that symbolize the joy in many different occasions, even those that sting a little. They make a great engagement present, and are also just a fabulous way to remind the people you love how awesome they are. When designing your custom hand-poured candle you chose everything from the messaging on the label, to the illustrations. You can even blend up to twenty different scents to ensure that your gift will be something that they’ll love. Celebrate their new home, graduation, or just give them a little something to remember.

Because candles are so ritualistic in nature, burning a candle instinctively stimulates memories. By combining this with the power of aroma therapy, The Little Market’s custom candles are sure to bring on the nostalgia or create an added element of fondness to new memories. And from now until the end of June, use the code UPWORTHY10 for 10% off your The Little Market order.

But what’s even better than that discount is that The Little Market is a non-profit fair-trade shop with ethically sourced and artisan made products. The female-founded company puts extra emphasis on helping survivors of trafficking and domestic violence, women transitioning out of homelessness, refugees and people with disabilities. Since 2013 they’ve created over 1.25 million hours of dignified work – and that’s something to support.

The Little Market site also gives you the option to shop by cause and chose which programs of theirs you want your dollar to go towards. Their causes include: the environment, US based initiatives, HIV/AIDS, young mothers, homelessness, reentry programs, refugees +IDPs, human trafficking, domestic violence, disability rights, children, traditional techniques, skill development, and indigenous populations.

In addition to their incredible candles, they also have custom tote bags, hand-made decor, sugar-scrub, jewelry and handbags. Each of their products has their same high-quality, chic aesthetics and they each support one of their amazing causes.

Check out their site, and now until the end of June, use the code UPWORTHY10 for 10% off your order.

It was just a year and a half ago that there seemed to be some bad blood between Snoop Dogg and Eminem, both of whom are prodigies of Dr. Dre. It all started when Eminem took issue with Snoop Dogg leaving him out of his personal list of top ten rappers. Eminem shot back with a diss on “Zeus” and Snoop sent a warning back to the Detroit rapper in return. The two eventually settled their differences and even shared the stage together for the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show earlier this year. Now, they’ve done something that they haven’t in a really long time: collaborated on a song.

Snoop and Eminem take things from “From The D 2 The LBC” on their new collaboration, and it arrives with quite the unique music video to accompany it. The visual begins with Eminem in the studio getting ready to record a verse. He struggles to begin as Snoop has flooded with the studio with smoke thanks to a blunt he lit. Soon enough, Eminem gets a contact high thanks to Snoop, and things get a bit wacky for the remainder of the video as both rappers enter a world where they’ve turned into Bored Ape NFTs.

It should be noted that Snoop and Eminem are not unfamiliar with the world of NFTs as they’ve both taken previous steps into it, examples of which you can see here and here respectively.

You can check out the video for “From The D 2 The LBC” above.

Brent Faiyaz is back with the official release of his single “Price Of Fame.” The recluse is coincidentally very open about his struggles with being a celebrity, between how it affects his relations with women or just general peace. “They just want to knock me off my square,” he sings with conviction. He even asks “Is it cause my whip too fast you don’t see my flaws?” which is true to his self-aware nature.

“Price Of Fame” was previously part of a three-pack Brent Faiyaz sent to select fans before it made its rounds on the larger internet. Now, it is a confirmed placement on Wasteland, his sophomore album that arrives on July 8. Prior to this, he hadn’t delivered a full project since 2020’s F*** The World, starring the cultural favorites “Clouded,” “Been Away,” and the title track. In between projects, the 26-year-old released the singles “Wasting Time” featuring Drake, “Gravity” with Tyler The Creator, “Mercedes,” “Show U Off,” and “Dead Man Walking.”

Faiyaz even appeared on Tems’ “Found” from her 2021 EP If Orange Was A Place, Meek Mill’s “Halo” off of Expensive Pain, and “Lost Souls” from Baby Keem’s The Melodic Blue.

Listen to “Price Of Fame” above.

Wasteland is out 7/8 via Lost Kids LLC. You can pre-save it here.

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

Coi Leray talks a tough game, but she isn’t afraid to get vulnerable. Her new single “Involved” addresses the mutual affection between her and a lover. She pledges to be discreet through autotuned vocals and a frantic drum pattern but also acknowledges her addiction to the love they share and how it forces her to question why she stays when other women are in the picture. It is a relatable story that is equal parts heartwarming and toxic.

“Involved” recalls a similar message to that of “Aye Yai Yai” from two months prior, a song that is a part of Coi Leray’s debut album Trendsetter. The project was backed by the popular “No More Parties (Remix)” featuring Lil Durk, “Blick Blick” with Nicki Minaj, and “Twinnem.” The LP also included guest appearances from Yung Bleu, HER, G Herbo, Polo G, and more.

In more recent news, the New Jersey artist recently pushed back her tour, which began in early June, in addition to adding dates in both the United States and Europe. The tour is set to finish at the end of August and includes individual shows as well as festival performances. Coi loves to love and she loves the stage, so expect “Involved” to be quickly added to the setlist.

Check out Coi Leray’s new track “Involved” above.

Dot Da Genius lays a heavy drum and synth canvas for Kid Cudi, Denzel Curry, and JID to do what they do best on “Talk About Me.” Curry makes a reference to Kids See Ghosts before Cudi enters with his signature hums and gets some bars off himself. JID takes the baton last and brings this rap relay race home with his usual shapeshifting flow switches. It makes sense that, as they say in the song’s hook, everybody on the block is talking about them. The three rap with conviction in this lyrical exhibition will soon receive a Cole Bennett and Lyrical Lemonade-directed visual.

Dot Da Genius is known primarily for his production efforts, contributing to Denzel Curry’s Melt My Eyez See Your Future from earlier this year and Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon III from 2020. Dot also scored the soundtrack for Cudi’s upcoming animated Netflix series Entergalactic premiering in September. As far as solo releases, “Talk About Me” is his first since 2018’s “Fettucine” featuring Tunji Ige, Fat Tony, and Price. Dot Da Genius, per a press statement, is looking to put out a lot more of these collaborations in the near future, living up to the “Talk About Me” mantra.

Check out “Talk About Me” above.

Lil Nas X and Youngboy Never Broke Again are in full troll mode on their latest single, and first collaboration, “Late To Da Party.” The song opens with the “Panini” artist repeating “F*ck BET” emphatically before making allusions to sex and allowing NBA Youngboy to join the fun. It’s the pop-rap hybrid one can expect from Nas at this point, but a refreshing pairing with the “Need It” artist for sure.

Lil Nas X made headlines recently for his now-deleted tweets taking aim at BET for not nominating him for a single award ahead of the upcoming 2022 BET Awards. He then doubled down by posting a clip lip-syncing the aforementioned “F*ck BET” he says on “Late To Da Party.” The “Old Town Road” artist took issue with the fact he could not be recognized by his own people despite the hardships that Black LGBTQIA+ people have to face. In a second clip, he played the “Nevada” artist’s portion of the song.

Though he was taken aback by BET overlooking him, the two-time Grammy winner is riding a huge wave of momentum. 2021’s Montero was a major success, backed by the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated “Industry Baby” featuring Jack Harlow. Youngboy, a known frequent releaser, is already two projects in at just over the half-year mark. All in all, they can’t complain.

Listen to “Late To Da Party” above.

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

The Los Angeles Lakers made just one pick on Thursday night in the 2022 NBA Draft, taking Max Christie out of Michigan State with the 35th overall pick after trading/buying it from the Orlando Magic earlier in the day.

However, after the Draft ended, the Lakers got busy rounding out their roster both for the season and for Summer League in Las Vegas in a couple weeks, with a particular focus on the sons of Hall of Famers. The first news to drop was that Shareef O’Neal would be joining the Lakers Summer League squad to give him a chance to show his skills after he entered the Draft process in spite of Shaq’s preference that he stay at LSU and graduate next year.

Shortly after that was announced, word came across that Scotty Pippen Jr. — the son of the Bulls legend — was headed to L.A. on a two-way deal, meaning he would be part of the actual Lakers roster for approximately half of next season.

Going undrafted isn’t a bad thing, and many prospects prefer the chance to pick their destination if they aren’t going high in the second round. The Lakers decided to use the undrafted free agency process as a chance to remember some guys, and if nothing else, Summer League figures to have some stars courtside when L.A. plays.

Last summer, Willow dropped off her fourth album Lately I Feel Everything and it was a project that marked her official entrance into the pop-punk world. Eleven tracks with help from Travis Barker, Tierra Whack, Avril Lavigne, and more helped make up the album. Nearly a year after its release, Willow seems quite comfortable in that lane as she’s put forth other collaborations with the likes of Machine Gun Kelly, who also made a recent step into the pop-punk. She also presented her comfort in other genres with work alongside Camilla Cabello and PinkPantheress.

Fresh off her collaboration with PinkPantheress, Willow is back in action with “Maybe It’s My Fault.” The record continues her journey into the pop-punk world as she uses the song to admit that she may be to blame for some of the tough times she experiences in her life. “Maybe It’s My Fault” also arrives with a matching visual that sees Willow in a bedroom as she moves back and forth between moments of frustration and others of near-serenity.

“It’s all too often in tender emotional states we try to blame our hurts on other people,” Willow said about the song in a press release. “Even though none of us are perfect, in some capacity it’s us who allow ourselves to get into situations that don’t serve our highest purpose.” She added that the song “explores what it’s like to hold ourselves equally accountable for the emotional pain we feel while also allowing ourselves to be human and fully process ALL of our feelings without shame.”

You can listen to “Maybe It’s My Fault” in the video above.

Tierra Whack is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Taylor Swift is back, adding to her hefty catalog with yet another record. “Carolina” comes from the soundtrack for Where The Crawdads Sing. It is a simple acoustic guitar ballad with harmonious synths playing in the background while Swift sings along. Her soft vocals complement the mellow tone of the near three-minute track that emphasizes one of her best traits–storytelling. It’s a long way after from Swift’s “You Belong With Me” days, as expected in the progression of artists.

“Carolina” is Taylor Swift’s fourth offering of 2022, coming just weeks after “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film).” Earlier this year she delivered “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” and “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version).” 2021 was the year of album rereleases for the “Blank Space” artist due to her well-documented issues with Scooter Braun over her masters, leading her to deliver Red (Taylor’s Version) and Fearless (Taylor’s Version). T Swift has even done a few features alongside Ed Sheeran for “The Joker And The Queen” and a Fat Max G remix to her re-recorded version of “Message In A Bottle.”

Check out Taylor Swift’s new single “Carolina” above.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It’s very possible that YG could give us his third project in as many years with the impending release of his sixth solo album. He concluded 2021 with the release of “Sign Language,” accompanied by a sunny video strapped with lowriders. After that, he returned alongside J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo on “Scared Money,” a track he later performed with the latter rapper on The Tonight Show. There’s no word on when YG’s sixth album will arrive, or even what it will be called, but we’re taking one more step towards it with his new single “Run” which places YG alongside Tyga, BIA, and 21 Savage.

On the new track, the four rappers speak about their mischievous lives while flexing their flashy spending and partying habits. In its matching video, YG and Tyga appear as a notorious criminal duo known as the Calabasas Sisters. They rob and bank away and make a run for it as BIA and 21 Savage help to make sure that their getaway is successful.

YG’s latest track arrives after he teamed up with Mozzy for their collaboration project Kommunity Service last summer. That project was a brief one with just ten songs but it also flaunted appearances from Blxst, Ty Dolla Sign, Young M.A, G Herbo, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Tyga, and others. As for YG’s last solo project, that arrived back in 2020 with My Life 4Hunnid, a 13-track effort strapped with appearances from Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Tyga, Lil Tjay, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Mosey, Calboy, and more.

You can check out the video for “Run” above.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.