Month: April 2023

Tyler The Creator has been blessing fans with new music. Last week, he shared The Estate Sale, a collection of outtakes from his sixth studio album, Call Me If You Get Lost. Today (April 7), to honor the month as the 10th anniversary of his sophomore album, Wolf, Tyler dropped the album’s instrumental tracks, all of which were primarily produced by Tyler himself.

Tyler announced the news today in a tweet, which read, “WOLF instrumentals out now. all my age 20/21 beats for ya ears.”

Additionally, he has shared merch from the album’s era including hats, socks, vinyl records, and hoodies.

In an interview with The Fader conducted before Wolf’s release in 2013, Tyler shared that it was the first album he got to mix on his own, and revealed how it changed how he approaches his own music.

“When you mix it they take out the distorted sub and it just sounds too clean,” he said. “When you turn it up, the bass is supposed to hit annoyingly hard. It’s something I learned with mixing…I’m stoked I got to experience that so now I know, next time, what sound I want and how I should approach it when it’s time to mix it and other sh*t like that.”

You can stream the instrumentals for Wolf on Apple Music and Spotify.

It’s true! Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj have expressed their intentions to collaborate, with Minaj being a feature on the upcoming “Alone” single.

Petras broke the news on social media this week with a video of her answering a telephone call. Minaj’s voice can be heard on the other end, saying cheerfully, “Yeah! It’s Barbie and it’s Kim Petras!” She captioned it with the release date, which is April 21.

Billboard has also reported that “Alone” samples Alice Deejay’s 1998 song, “Better Off Alone.” While not much else is known about it yet, needless to say, fans are excited about the potential of their two faves joining forces.

However, some had been suspecting the collab was coming for quite a while. Last month, a clip went around of Petras doing an interview with the publication, where she dished about who would be in her dream girl group. Off the bat, she listed some picks like Charli XCX and Lana Del Rey. Then, with a laugh, she also named Nicki Minaj — leading fans to think that something was possibly already in the works.

“CLOCK THAT SHE STARTING GIGGLING WHEN NICKI WAS MENTIONED TEA OH THAT COLLAB IS COMING,” one replied.

Meanwhile, another fan knew exactly what it was. “We getting that ‘Alone’ feature,” they wrote.

Dinner Party, the supergroup of Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, and Kamasi Washington, have announced their album, Enigmatic Society, will drop this month — just ahead of their performance at Coachella’s first weekend.

In celebration, the band also shared a new single, “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray) today. The chilled-out energy in this latest release transports listeners to another planet, or maybe even a beach, as the instrumental incorporates twinkling bubble sounds. It marks just one of a few of the group’s collaborations with Ray on their new album.

The tracklist also features other special guests, including Phoelix, Tank, and Ant Clemons. This follows Dinner Party’s string of success over the past few years since they debuted. The band took received a Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Progressive R&B Album for their project Dinner Party: Dessert. If they continue down this path, based on what “For Granted” suggests as well, more nods could be on the horizon.

Listen to Dinner Party’s “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray) above. Continue scrolling for their Enigmatic Society album art and complete tracklist.

1. “Answered Prayer” (feat. Phoelix)
2. “Breathe” (feat. Arin Ray)
3. “Insane” (feat. Ant Clemons)
4. “Watts Renaissance”
5. “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray)
6. “Secure” (feat. Phoelix & Tank)
7. “Can’t Go” (feat. Phoelix)
8. “The Lower East Side”
9. “Love Love” (feat. Arin Ray)

Enigmatic Society is out 4/16 via Sounds Of Crenshaw/Empire. Find more information here.

Hyperpop monarch Dorian Electra is kicking off a new era of queer, grimy bangers. Today (April 7), they have dropped a new single called “Freak Mode.”

On “Freak Mode,” Electra embraces all of the weirdness and unconventional aspects of themselves that make Electra, Electra. Only this time, they’re challenging all the normies to keep up.

“Catch me throwing cake at the Leonardo, yeah / F*cking up my face, looking like Picasso, hah / Normies in the dungeon going freak mode / Hitting all these high notes, like castrato,” they rap-sing on the song’s chorus, over a clashing, electric guitar-heavy beat.

In the song’s accompanying visual, Electra is seen partying in a mansion with their equally unique clique. In various points of the video, they are also waiting in a bedroom, dressed in golden bondage.

In an interview with Highsnobiety last year, Electra revealed that they have invented their own brand of glamour, which is evident in “Freak Mode” video.

“I’m obsessed with the idea that anything can be glamorous if you portray it in the right way,” they say. “Another thing that’s cool with music in particular is how you can create a character who is a little bit detached from yourself.”

You can check out the video for “Freak Mode” above.

Due to recent storms and floods in the Sacramento area, Sol Blume has been forced to reschedule. Today, the festival has announced it will take place at Sacramento’s Discovery Park in August.

In a statement, festival organizers revealed that fans who purchased tickets will be able to use their tickets on the new dates. They also noted that they are working with local hotels to make adjusting their reservations as seamless as possible. A section on the festival’s website had been launched to assist fans with ticketing options and rescheduling their hotel reservations.

Many of the performers on the original slate will perform on the new dates.

On Saturday, August 19, fans will be able to enjoy performances by Brent Faiyaz, Ella Mai, Isaiah Rashad, Joey Badass, Alex Isley, and more.

The next day, August 20, Chlöe, Teyana Taylor, Kehlani, Coco Jones, Muni Long, PinkPantheress will take the stage.

In addition to seeing these incredible performers, fans will also be able to participate in family-friendly activities, wellness experiences, and immersive art activations. They will also be able to shop from local vendors from across the Sacramento region and support small businesses.

You can see an updated flyer below and buy tickets here.

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

Drake has had some serious hits throughout his career, but what exactly is the rapper’s best album overall? In an episode of the Shots Taken podcast, the hosts debated Drizzy’s discography to try to settle an answer.

They eventually decided on Take Care and Nothing Was The Same as Drake’s two best before launching into another talk about what Drake’s worst album is.

While the rapper frequently drops new material, the hosts listed Scorpion as his possible worst record. However, they still managed to give credit to the Toronto star where it’s due, noting that “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What” were popular singles.

“If you compare him to other artists, this is probably still a better album than a lot of people’s albums,” one said, according to HipHopDX.

Drake himself must’ve eventually stumbled upon a clip of the duo’s discussion, as he weighed in with his thoughts about Scorpion as an album. As he falls under the zodiac sign, he also thinks it has a ton of hits too.

“Gods Plan, In My Feelings, Nice For What, Nonstop, Jaded, Is There More, Sandra’s Rose, That’s How You, Feel, Emotionless…… slappppps on,” he responded, listing all the song titles, complete with an emoji of the creature.

Check out the post and Drake’s answer above.

The Dallas Mavericks season is, for all intents and purposes, over. While the Mavs have two games left in the 2022-23 season and still have a shot to make the Western Conference play-in tournament if they win out and get some help in the form of an Oklahoma City Thunder loss in their season finale, the team announced that a number of major contributors would not play in Friday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls.

It was a curious decision because, again, Dallas can still make it to the play-in and make the playoffs if they win two games. But if those absences were not big enough, Tim MacMahon of ESPN eventually reported that Luka Doncic will only play in the first quarter and then get shut down for the remainder of the evening.

Friday is the second annual “I Feel Slovenia Night,” so watching Doncic play is a big draw. In his pregame media availability, however, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd indicated that when Doncic leaves the game, it will be the final time that we see him this season.

Dallas’ first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is top-10 protected, so this does help them lock in the 10th-best odds in the Draft Lottery. Still, for the Mavs to pivot towards ping pong balls this late and when they still have a chance to make it to the postseason by winning out is pretty shocking.

In the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks battled the Los Angeles Clippers in a Game 7 on the road where Luka Doncic registered 46 points and 14 assists in 45 minutes of work. Dallas desperately needed an additional ball handler to lighten Doncic’s workload, but Jalen Brunson was unable to provide it. The former Villanova star scored just two points in 10 minutes and 26 seconds of work. Doncic’s brilliance was for naught, and the Maverick fell to the Clippers.

Brunson would enter the offseason extension eligible. Dallas did not offer an extension to Brunson prior to the 2022 season and he started the season in a bench role under new head coach Jason Kidd. Of course, you know what happened next: Brunson was a revelation, outplayed whatever contract the Mavs wanted him to sign, and eventually joined the New York Knicks on a 4-year deal worth $104 million.

Brunson has been, however you slice it, one of the best guards in basketball this year. And a closer look at his 2021-22 season in Dallas reveals that we probably should have seen it coming.

For as long as he’s been a basketball player, the methodical Brunson has prioritized efficiency through thoughtful shot making decisions within the arc. The questions around Brunson did not hinge on the quality of his play, but rather if his production could scale up enough to justify his price tag without sacrificing his efficiency. Last season, Brunson scored 16.3 points per game on 58.3 percent true shooting playing next to one of the best passers in basketball. This year, without Doncic as the straw that stirs the drink, he’s at 24 points per game on 59.7 percent true shooting.

The considerable bump in his scoring with a slight uptick in efficiency makes Brunson a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, and makes New York a difficult team in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The huge jump in production could be attributed to Brunson no longer sharing ball handling responsibilities with the league’s most ball dominant shot creator, or Tom Thibodeau’s isolation-heavy offense that allows Brunson to poke and prod the defense with his hefty bag of moves, or the bright lights of New York inspiring Brunson to reach new heights in his career. Well, to get the answer, let’s take a look at how Brunson is now using the three-point line.

Last season, Brunson’s scoring production happened predominantly inside the arc. He was one of the league’s best interior scorers, finishing seventh in total field goals made in the paint’s non-restricted area despite being a 6’2 guard with — we’re being generous here — less-than-stellar hops. Inside the arc, Brunson bore all the markers of a star guard with his ability to consistently create open looks for himself and finish at a high rate; he was one of only 16 players who scored more than 16 points per game and shot over 50 percent from the field.

However, Brunson’s counting stats never jumped off the page because he never shot in volume, especially from behind the arc. He would routinely pass up open looks from three to prod the defense for a better shot, and while his intentions were good, the habit led to many stalled out possessions and hurt Brunson’s scoring numbers. The efficiency within the arc built a metronomic consistency into Brunson’s game, but without any large scoring outbursts, that reliability fed the perception that Brunson was a complementary player alongside a star and not an offensive engine. In his final regular season in Dallas, Brunson scored over 30 points just once while shooting just 3.2 three-pointers per game.

Brunson increased his three-point attempts to 4.7 a night this season, but he also completely changed his approach to shots from downtown. Last season, Brunson was primarily reliant on others (i.e.: Doncic) setting him up, as he shot 2.2 catch-and-shoot threes per game and only one pull-up three per game. Those attempts also rarely occurred in volume in single game — he attempted six or more threes just eight times all season and topped out at four made threes in single game.

In New York, Brunson has taken a more cavalier approach to the three-point line by shooting 2.8 pull up threes a game with 1.9 attempts coming in catch-and-shoot situations. The new mindset bears out in Brunson’s game logs, where he has attempted six or more threes 21 times this season, including a recent game against Cleveland in which he attempted 12. Related: He scored a career-high 48 points in that game.

The 2022 playoffs proved to be a line of demarcation for Brunson’s career. With Doncic missing the first three games of the postseason, Brunson shifted into a more aggressive scoring mindset that unlocked a new level of production. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Brunson credited Kidd with fast tracking his progression prior to the playoffs. Brunson, a player who had only scored 30 or more points three times in his career to that point, eclipsed that mark three times during Dallas’ run to the Western Conference Finals, including a 41-point outing in the playoff opener with his future employers sitting courtside.

Brunson’s playoff run functioned as a statistical springboard for his first season with the Knicks. For all the discourse around Doncic’s usage hampering Brunson’s rise to stardom, the new king of New York registered a 27.8 percent usage during last year’s playoffs, which is only a hair more than his 27.2 percent usage with the Knicks this season. Not only did Brunson’s shot volume increase during the playoffs, he also reallocated some of his pull up twos for off the dribble threes from above the break.

In New York, Brunson has managed to increase his amount of two-point attempts without sacrificing the efficiency that made him so valuable in his time with the Mavericks. Because he’s let loose from beyond the arc, teams have to fight hard over screens to defend him, which allows Brunson to get to his bread and butter in those in between spaces inside the arc. Brunson has seen an increase in his two point attempts from 9.6 a game last year to 12.8 per game this year on similar efficiency — he hit 54.5 percent of his twos last season and finds himself at 51.9 percent this season.

The 2022 playoffs were essentially a trial run for Brunson’s new shot profile. Comparing his shot charts between last year and this year, it’s fair to wonder why Brunson didn’t shoot with more volume from beyond the arc during his final year as a Maverick.

It’s clear that Brunson was on the verge of making a big leap and the Knicks are reaping the benefits now. He’s always had all the intangibles and inside game to make him a good NBA point guard. With his willingness to let it fly from three and his ability to remain efficient as he shoulders more of an offensive load, Brunson gives Julius Randle the sort of running mate that makes New York dangerous heading into the postseason.

As festivalgoers are flocking to California today for the start of Coachella’s first weekend this year, American Express has announced a new “global, multi-festival” partnership with Depop — and are launching the first “Festival Edit” run on-site.

To celebrate, the two companies enlisted none other than Flo Milli to curate a special collection for it, as she is known for her powerful style and is also set to perform at the festival. Depop app users can find Milli’s picks on the app and online as well, giving it an accessibility for those who aren’t attending Coachella. Check her selections out here.

“American Express and Depop are bringing my personal style to life this festival season and I’m so excited to be part of the first collection.” Flo Milli shared in a statement. “Through both my music and fashion, I always aim to express myself with authenticity and creativity. I can’t wait for Depop users to shop my festival-ready looks, featuring bold, glam pieces with Y2K and grunge influence.”

Additionally, outside of their Depop partnership, AmEx is also collaborating with one of the festival headliners, the legendary girl-group, Blackpink. They will be offering card members the chance to purchase limited-edition merchandise for the band and a fast-lane pass at Blackpink’s official merch tent. For those who purchase with their card, AmEx will also be giving out a complimentary gift — although it might not be Blackpink-related.

For those attending Coachella, AmEx will also have some other photo ops and surprises scattered around the festival grounds.

As the age-old adage holds, everyone poops. Even rockstars. However, some privileges are reserved for store employees only.

Today (April 7), Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers took to Twitter to share a story of a borderline traumatic incident that took place while he was out shopping.

When making a trip to Target, several employees were elated to see Flea, and take selfies with him. However, when things got serious, employees weren’t able to help him out.

“Two minutes later I get hit with a major urge to take a sh*t,” said Flea of the events that unfolded while he was shopping. “They tell me bathroom is downstairs, I go there but ten people in line, I’m about to soil my trousers.”

He said that he asked employees if he could use the employee bathroom, however, they told him that only employees may use the employee bathroom.

“I run across the street to some cafe and ask to use bathroom (on the way there a guy waiting outside tells me I’m an asshole for not stopping to take a selfie with him) the cafe lady threatens to call security on me for politely asking for bathroom,” he said. “I made it by the skin of my teeth to a restaurant a few blocks away. Back to hotel to practice trumpet.”

We’re glad he made it to the otherside.

Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.