Month: November 2023

Nicki Minaj speaks, and the Barbz (sometimes) listen. With Pink Friday 2 due out on December 8, Minaj’s birthday, the call-and-response is active as ever. Last weekend, Minaj played snippets of unreleased tracks, pondered releasing an EP of said tracks, and teased a newly recorded track “Let Me Calm Down,” which she described as “one of my faves.”

After challenging the Barbz to get #TellUsNicki trending worldwide yesterday, November 8, Minaj rewarded her fan base this morning, November 9, by revealing herself on the cover of Vogue‘s December Issue. Within the accompanying profile, Minaj discussed a range of topics, including what Pink Friday 2 will sound like, but she’s still keeping one secret to herself.

“Minaj has not publicly revealed the name of her son, whom she prefers to call Papa Bear,” Vogue‘s Rob Haskell wrote. “She and [Minaj’s husband, Kenneth] Petty navigated his infancy with no help whatsoever save for an occasional brief visit from a grandparent.” However, the cover spread features a photo of Minaj cradling Papa Bear, whose name has been a point of speculation since his birth on September 30, 2020.

Ahead of Pink Friday 2, which will enjoy a supporting tour in 2024, Minaj has dropped singles “Last Time I Saw You” and “Super Freaky Girl,” becoming Minaj’s third-career No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. She also shared “Bahm Bahm” exclusively on her website on Friday, October 13.

Pink Friday 2 is out 12/8 via Republic Records. Find more information here.

Dua Lipa has fans buzzing, as she is just a few hours away from releasing her new song, “Houdini.” Earlier this week, Lipa gave one lucky man the first listen of the song, as she held a small pop-up party outside the BBC offices. She’s also teased that she has a larger surprise in store for London, and eventually, Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Because of Lipa’s international nature, some might wonder when they can hear the song. Here’s what to know about when it will be available to stream on Spotify.

Lipa’s “Houdini” will be out on Spotify at midnight EST on November 10. Those on the West Coast will be able to listen to the track at 9 p.m. PST this evening.

Others in different time zones would then calculate when they could hear it from the EST time. For example, listeners in London will have the song on Spotify starting at 5 a.m.

While not much is currently known about what Lipa’s new song will sound like, she has given some teasers about her follow-up album to 2020’s Future Nostalgia. Lipa previously changed her single and album covers to kaleidoscope images, leading many to suspect that it will be more psychedelic-inspired in terms of sound.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Dua Lipa has fans buzzing, as she is just a few hours away from releasing her new song, “Houdini.” Earlier this week, Lipa gave one lucky man the first listen of the song, as she held a small pop-up party outside the BBC offices. She’s also teased that she has a larger surprise in store for London, and eventually, Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Because of Lipa’s international nature, some might wonder when they can hear the song. Here’s what to know about when it will be available to stream on Spotify.

Lipa’s “Houdini” will be out on Spotify at midnight EST on November 10. Those on the West Coast will be able to listen to the track at 9 p.m. PST this evening.

Others in different time zones would then calculate when they could hear it from the EST time. For example, listeners in London will have the song on Spotify starting at 5 a.m.

While not much is currently known about what Lipa’s new song will sound like, she has given some teasers about her follow-up album to 2020’s Future Nostalgia. Lipa previously changed her single and album covers to kaleidoscope images, leading many to suspect that it will be more psychedelic-inspired in terms of sound.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

In just about a month, Nicki Minaj will release her long-awaited fifth album Pink Friday 2. The project will be the rapper’s first full-length release since 2018’s Queen. Though Minaj has delivered a healthy batch of singles over the years, a full album is truly what fans desire, and the fact that it’s a sequel to her beloved 2010 album makes it that much better for them.

Ahead of the album’s release next month, Minaj sat down with Vogue for a lengthy interview. This conversation gave some clues about the sound to expect on Pink Friday 2 starting with a quote from Minaj’s longtime engineer Aubry “Big Juice” Delaine. “Imagine a Nicki Minaj greatest hits album,” he said about Pink Friday 2, adding, “but all the songs are new.” The Vogue cover story also notes that the album was written from the “vantage point of a woman who has gotten so many of the things she dreamed about. And yet the past still tugs.”

“When I look back at a lot of my music, I’m like, Oh, my God, where was the me in it?” Minaj added. “So for this album, I went back to the old game plan.”

Elsewhere in the Vogue conversation, Minaj played a song for the interviewer Rob Haskell titled “Big Difference.” It’s described as a record that the rapper wrote “several years ago,” but recently fell back in love with. The interview goes on to say that “Big Difference” separates “Minaj and other rappers, in particular those who come casually into the game, get lucky with a hit on TikTok, and suddenly imagine that fame and clout are their right rather than the outcome of years of hard work.”

You can read the full Vogue interview here.

Obviously, the streaming TV situation is little light at the moment with shows being pushed back due to strikes. That cannot be helped yet, but Apple TV+ is coming your way with a must-see show, which happens to be a Band Of Brothers followup from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television along with Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone. Back in 2019, Deadline reported that this series would cost $200 million to produce, and it actually looks even more expensive, so surely, that budget grew to allow for these production values spread over 8 episodes.

Masters Of The Air, which also follows Hanks and Spielberg’s The Pacific, is based upon Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name about the “Bloody Hundredth,” i.e. the 100th Bomb Group, who risked everything they had to conduct bombing raids upon Nazi Germany. Cue the terror of flying through frigid air with little to no oxygen to spare, and the series also promises “a true story of brotherhood and American airmen in WWII Europe.” Oh, and don’t pretend that you don’t see Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan up in here.

Here’s more from the Apple TV+ description:

Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.

Masters of the Air will premiere on January 26, 2024

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s Rap Sh!t episode will be found below.)

The events in the second episode of Max’s Rap Sh!t season two, titled “Heavy Traffic,” are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. You can find a list of them below and details about the scenes the records were heard in.

Hood Brat, A.Chic, TT The Artist, Raedio — “Call Me Daddy”

We hear this record during the opening scene of “Heavy Traffic” as Shawna, Mia, Reina Reign, Duke, and Francois film a TikTok on their tour bus. The group shows off the bus and their new tour lifestyle to their followers with the video.

Smino — “Settle Down” Feat. Cory Henry & Ravyn Lenae

Smino’s Luv 4 Rent record plays around the 3:03 mark as Shawna & Mia get ready for their first performance. The duo is dressed in aprons as they believe that they’ll be matching Reina Reign, but Duke informs them that Reina will not be on theme with them which frustrates both Shawna and Mia.

Nardo Wick — “G Nikes” Feat. Polo G

Nardo Wick’s track with Polo G is heard around the 4:42 mark as we check in with Lamont and his daughter Melissa. Due to an early release from her school, and the unavailability of Lamont’s grandmother and Mia’s mom, Lamont is forced to bring Melissa to the studio with him as he works with an artist.

Reina Reign — “Tongue (Remix)” Feat. Shawna & Mia

Around the 6:38 mark, this track plays as Shawna & Mia take the stage with Reina Reign to perform their remix of “Tongue.” Though the performance went well, it’s clear that Shawna & Mia aren’t on the same page during this performance. Shawna, frustrated by how she and Mia looked on stage, confronts Mia about their performance, but it doesn’t go too well.

Raedio & Lord AK — “Suicide Mission”

We hear this song around the 13:08 mark as Lord AK goes on stage to begin his performance. Shawna, impressed, is in the crowd watching the performance before she’s pulled away by Duke and Mia to go to Lord AK’s green room.

Future — “Like Me” Feat. 42 Dugg & Lil Baby

Future’s I Never Liked You song plays around the 17:13 mark as Duke finally gets into Lord AK’s green room where the party is live and active. Duke meets one of Lord AK’s closest associates, Gat, and offers him some party favors to enhance his party experience.

Ron Suno — “Door”

This track plays around the 18:42 mark as Duke finds Shawna & Mia in the party. She’s clearly under the influence after taking a bit of cocaine with Gat. Duke launches into an energetic rant about making money and finding opportunities that leaves Shawna and Mia very confused.

Dear Silas — “Smoke” Feat. Sauce Father

Around the 19:45 mark, the track can be heard as Mia joins the fun of the party to play a game of flip cup with a gentleman we later find out to be Courtney Lou, the artist that Lamont told Mia to look out for. Meanwhile, Shawna stumbles into a few awkward moments at the party including one where she’s told that she gives “Rapsody vibes… if she was a hoe.”

Peachcurls — “Ass Shaker”

Peachcurls’ track can be heard around the 22:19 mark as the party in Lord AK’s room is still going strong. Shawna tries to talk to Gat but he pays her no mind. He instead kicks off a game where the winner will get to go on Lord AK’s tour bus. This game does nothing but show Gat’s colorism, and when Shawna calls him out for it and flexes her rap knowledge, he rudely sprays her with champagne.

Baby Rose — “Fight Club” Feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow

Baby Rose’s Through And Through highlight plays around the 28:27 mark to close the episode as Shawna cleans herself after she is showered with champagne by Gat. She’s also frustrated by the disconnect between her and Mia, something that only gets worse when Mia lets the crew know that she’ll fly into the next city because she got an offer to spend some time with Cash.

New episodes of ‘Rap Sh!t’ are available on Max on Thursday at 3am EST/ 12 pm PST.

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s Rap Sh!t episode will be found below.)

Weekly episodes of Issa Rae’s ‘Rap Sh!t’ are filled with funny sh!t, wholesome sh!t, good sh!t, and some bad sh!t — all in just 30 minutes. After each episode, we’ll recap the episode and highlight each of these moments for you which you can check out below.

Rap Sh!t season two continues with its second episode. We catch up with Shawna & Mia as they’re officially on the road for their first tour as opening acts with Reina Reign for Lord AK’s tour. Shawna and Mia do great for their first performance, but it’s clear that they’re not on the same page as the two have yet to patch things up following Shawna’s flopped freestyle in season one.

The tension between Shawna and Mia worsens, but it’s yet to really reach its breaking point. Still, the two put their differences aside to make the most of their time on tour. After their performance, Shawna & Mia go backstage to join a party in Lord AK’s green room. Mia has no trouble fitting into the party and even finds a bit of romance in the room. Shawna, on the other hand, struggles to fit in and these struggles worsen to the point that she’s rudely doused with champagne by Lord AK’s friend Gat after she calls him out for being a colorist.

The episode ends with Mia opting to fly into the next tour after Cash (remember him from season one?) asks her to come spend time with him. For Shawna, it was the latest instance of Mia being distant from her and she didn’t take the news from Mia too well. By the time the closing credits arrive, we know that Shawna is incredibly frustrated and the champagne dripping through her hair is no help.

Wholesome Sh!t

Lamont & Mia

The wholesome award goes to Lamont once again for the second episode of the season. His first wholesome moment comes during his time with Melissa in the studio. His daughter is a handful for sure, but he does his best to simultaneously balance work and being a father in an undesired setting. The second instance comes when he and Mia check in on each other during a FaceTime tour after Mia’s first performance. The call amounts to quite the sweet moment between the two thanks to Mia’s excitement after her set and Lamont realizing how exhausting it can be caring for their daughter. There’s a bit of flirting between the two, but Lamont also takes the opportunity to commend Mia for her work as a mother and as an artist.

Funny Sh!t

Duke & Buddy (aka Pete)

When Duke isn’t allowed into Lord AK’s green room thanks to his security, she takes things into her own hands to make her way there. She picks out a few attractive women from the crowd and returns to the security line to set her plan in motion. With Lord AK’s friend Pete (played by rapper Buddy) not too far away, Duke yells, “I just brought the finest females in the building back here for Lord AK and his squad!” Just as Duke hoped, Pete hears what she said and comes over to scold security for not letting Duke and the girls through. And just like that, Duke got her way and she made sure to rub it in the security guard’s face.

Good Sh!t

Shawna & Mia

Night one of the tour is in the books, and though Shawna was a bit frustrated with the chemistry and unison, or lack thereof, between her and Mia on stage, the performance was still a good one. The crowd was excited for Shawna & Mia’s performance, which they enjoyed, and it was a little step forward in their respective careers. Mia gained some confidence and Shawna received and very backhanded compliment, but a compliment nonetheless, about her rap skills. It’s only up from here for the duo, but there are some things they need to fix.

Bad Sh!t

Shawna & Mia

In episode one, the tension between Shawna & Mia could be felt during their conversation with Duke about their tour. In episode two, the tension is at a new high between the duo. It goes back to season one, episode seven when Shawna went off-script to perform a freestyle in what appeared like a move to steal the spotlight for herself. Mia called her selfish for the freestyle, and now in season two, it’s clear that the duo hasn’t moved on from the incident.

In their performance on tour, Mia disregards the choreography she and Shawna had planned for some dance moves of her own. At the party, Mia does her best to stay away from Shawna, and to top it all off, Mia decides to go hang out with Cash and fly into the next tour stop instead of staying with the group and more specifically, her rap partner. Shawna & Mia have to be on the same page for things to work between them, and the fact that they’re not could prove to be detrimental to their goals of rap success.

New episodes of ‘Rap Sh!t’ are available on Max on Thursday at 3am EST/ 12 pm PST.

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s Rap Sh!t episode will be found below.)

The events in the first episode of Max’s Rap Sh!t season two, titled “Yield,” are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. You can find a list of them below and details about the scenes the records were heard in.

Reina Reign — “Tongue”

We hear this record during the opening scene of “Yield” as Reina Reign, Shawna, and Mia are shooting a video for their remix of “Tongue.” The trio are in a pink-lit kitchen for a video and they’re all directed to show their sex appeal while working with kitchen items, something that Shawna struggles to get the hang of.

Shawna & Mia & Raedio — “Seduce & Scheme”

This is the theme song of Rap Sh!t. It plays around the 2:17 mark in “Yield.” The song originally debuted in the inaugural episode of Rap Sh!t and it was the first song Shawna and Mia made after establishing their rap duo. An official full-length version of the song was recorded in season one, episode two.

Raedio, Ben Reilly, Bryant Taylorr & Tim Gent — “Fish & Grits” Feat. Cam & China

This song plays around the 6:26 mark as Mia tries on some outfits for tour. She also discovers that her friend will not be able to watch her daughter Melissa for the full month she’s on the road. We then shift to Duke who meets with one of her top sex workers who warns her of future troubles and proposes that she watch the rest of the girls while Duke is on tour with Shawna & Mia.

Fana Hues — “Float”

Fana Hues’ Flora + Fana record can be heard around the 7:57 mark as Mia meets with her Melissa’s father Lamont to ask if he can watch Melissa for two of the four weeks she’s on tour. There’s some tension between the two following last season’s events, but Lamont agrees to prioritize Melissa and take care of her during Mia’s tour.

Ice Spice — “Bikini Bottom”

Ice Spice’s hit song “Bikini Bottom” plays around the 9:08 mark as Shawna, Mia, and Duke meet at Francois’ house ahead of the tour. It’s here that Shawna, Mia, and Duke learn that the duo will only be able to perform one song, their “Tongue” remix, during their slot as the opening act for Lord AK. Additionally, there’s no guarantee that Shawna, Mia, and Duke will make money. Despite Duke’s frustrations and objections, Shawna & Mia decide to still go through with the tour.

Enchanting & Gucci Mane — “Issa Photoshoot”

Around the 12:52 mark, this record plays during a going away party for Mia with her friends and family. The drinks are flowing but the tension between Mia and her mother is still high as her mother is upset that Mia won’t let Melissa stay with her while she’s on tour. Mia and her sister also share an emotional moment before Mia’s mother gives a drunken speech.

Jordan Ward & Joony — “IDC”

Jordan Ward’s Forward track plays as Shawna and Francois hang out in the latter’s pool around the 15:22 mark. The two play a game of Never Have I Ever and reminisce about the memories they had as a former music duo as well as the things that happened after they split.

Jacques Laine — “Little Haiti” Feat. Seddy Hendrix

We hear this song around the 17:11 mark as Mia takes a dive into the pool and Francois joins her shortly after. We then transition to Lamont showing up to Mia’s party with Throat Coat as a going-away gift for Mia’s tour.

Rayn Lenae — “Skin Tight” Feat. Steve Lacy

Ravyn Lenae’s Hypnos record plays around the 22:12 mark during an intimate moment between Shawna and Maurice. It comes after the two shared a toast ahead of Shawna’s tour where Maurice wished her luck and celebrated her accomplishments.

Jean Deaux — “JD’s Revenge”

This track plays to close episode one after Maurice meets with his friend Stanley to let him know that he’s been called in for questioning by the police concerning the fraud investigation that’s ongoing at the old hotel Maurice and Shawna worked at. Maurice assures Stanley that Shawna did not snitch on them to the police, despite not having any proof of that, and Stanley warns that he will throw Shawna under the bus if it comes to it.

New episodes of ‘Rap Sh!t’ are available on Max on Thursday at 3am EST/ 12 pm PST.

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s Rap Sh!t episode will be found below.)

Weekly episodes of Issa Rae’s ‘Rap Sh!t’ are filled with funny sh!t, wholesome sh!t, good sh!t, and some bad sh!t — all in just 30 minutes. After each episode, we’ll recap the episode and highlight each of these moments for you which you can check out below.

Rap Sh!t is back for season two and we’re reconnecting with the girls ahead of their first-ever tour. In episode one, Shawna and Mia are days away from hitting the road as an opening act for Lord AK, but there are a few loose ends they need to tie up first.

Shawna is a person of interest in a fraud investigation that’s connected to the hotel she worked at (remember her “flee” from the officers in the season one finale?). On the flip side, Mia has to make sure someone can watch her daughter Melissa when she’s on tour, and while she initially thought it’d be her friend, she’s left to ask Lamont to watch Melissa for a couple of weeks after her friend is unable to commit to the full month.

The episode also gave a new glimpse into the relationships in Shawna and Mia’s lives. We see that Shawna’s family resents her over her rap career, something that gets worse when she informs them of the fraud investigation. There is also the possibility that there’s something in the air with Shawna and Francois, but that’s unlikely as Shawna and Maurice are still going strong. On the flip side, Mia and Lamont get back on good terms, but it’s strictly platonic for the time being. Elsewhere, tensions are still high between Mia and her mother following her mother’s interaction with Melissa in season one.

Back to the main point of this week’s episode: tour! Shawna & Mia’s excitement for tour is thwarted a bit when they learn that they can only perform one song in their opening slot for Lord AK and it can’t be “Seduce & Scheme,” their biggest song. They’re also told that it’s unlikely that they’ll be paid for the tour. Nonetheless, Shawna & Mia, against Duke’s advice, decide to join the tour in what could be the biggest moment of their career thus far.

Wholesome Sh!t

Lamont

Lamont and Mia have always had a rocky relationship, even after the birth of Melissa. Despite this, the two seemed to get things together to close season one. Unfortunately, as Mia’s own rap career started to elevate, it seemed to be too late too late for Lamont in the romance department. She would eventually cut things off with Lamont in favor of a potential new romance with a rapper named Cash to close season one.

Now, in the first episode of season two, it seems like things between Cash and Mia didn’t pan out well. That hasn’t stopped Lamont from initially having ill feelings towards Mia after their breakup, but he also hasn’t let it interrupt the relationship he has with Melissa. In the season two opener, we see multiple instances of Lamont stepping up and doing things out of love for Melissa and Mia. He’s there to watch her for the two weeks that Mia needs while she’s on tour. Later on, he gives Mia a going-away gift for her tour and even when she tries to make a romantic move on him, Lamont turns it down while promising to still be by her side in her time of need. Altogether, Lamont’s growth is clear and it’s a wholesome thing to see.

Funny Sh!t

Shawna, Mia & Reina

This week’s episode kicks off with Shawna and Mia meeting up with Reina as well as Francois and Duke to shoot the video for the “Tongue” remix. Shawna, Mia, and Reina are in a pink-lit kitchen with a bunch of baking utensils and they’re tasked with being sexy while making use of the baking items. Mia and Reina have no issue with the task, but Shawna can’t seem to get the hang of it. Instead, what we get are awkward moments of Shawna struggling to seductively stir a pot and “drop it low.” Maybe not good for the video, but it’s funny enough for us viewers.

Good Sh!t

Shawna & Mia

It’s time for tour! Shawna & Mia are just days away from hitting the road for their first-ever tour as a supporting act for Lord AK. The duo hit a bit of an obstacle when Francois informed them that not only would they only be able to perform one song during their opening slot, there was also no guarantee that they would be paid for their performances. It was frustrating news for Shawna & Mia, and though Duke advised that they attempt to force Francois’ hand to give them more, Shawna & Mia decided against it as they viewed this tour as another growing pain on their path toward stardom. So just like that, Shawna & Mia signed on to the tour to make their music dreams come true.

Bad Sh!t

Shawna & Maurice

If you remember at the end of the season one finale, it appeared that Shawna was apprehended by police officers. With season two, we know that she was not arrested, but just questioned by authorities through an ongoing fraud investigation that’s connected to the hotel where Shawna and Maurice worked. As we know, Shawna and Maurice had an operation that involved using the credit card information of people staying at the hotel to make purchases for themselves and others. It appears that the law has caught up with them, but Shawna promises Maurice that she did give any information about him or their operation to the police.

Despite this, Stanley, Maurice’s friend who was in on the operation, isn’t so convinced. The episode concludes with Stanley informing Maurice of his meeting with the police that’s set for the next morning. Stanley warns Maurice that he will not hesitate to throw Shawna under the bus if he has to. Though he tries to hide it, Maurice is worried and it doesn’t seem like things are looking too good for him and Shawna.

New episodes of ‘Rap Sh!t’ are available on Max on Thursday at 3am EST/ 12 pm PST.

In case you have not heard, Democrats and abortion rights were the big winners in Tuesday’s elections, which made some Fox News people really sad. Voters in Ohio essentially set the right to have an abortion in stone, the latest in a series of stinging rebukes from voters across America, including conservative-leaning states.

“This should be a major wake-up call on the abortion issue for us,” GOP consultant Stephen Lawson told NBC News. “The only way to expose the Democrats’ support for late-term abortion is for us to articulate a more empathetic, moderate approach on the issue…Until we do that, we will keep seeing the same result.”

Not surprisingly, comic Sarah Silverman — who when we last checked in on her was just as weirded out by creepy new GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson as the rest of us — opened the Daily Show with some jokes about the stunning defeats that the right-wing suffered on Tuesday night.

“Democrats were the big winners last night, which means all those human sacrifices were worth it,” Silverman quipped. “Shout out to my fellow Illuminati members, we did it…After the results rolled in, I got an email from Nancy Pelosi that wasn’t even asking for money. It just said, ‘Sarah, I am so wet right now!”

You can watch the segment above.