Category: News

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Beyoncé announced plans to bring her extremely successful and record-breaking Renaissance World Tour to theaters with a new concert film while SZA hinted at an “intimate mini tour” for her SOS deluxe album Lana. Mariah Carey kicked off her holiday season run with news of her Merry Christmas One And All Tour and Lauryn Hill extended her The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour with new dates in the US. Tems returned with “Me & U,” her first new song in two years and Janelle Monáe fired off a remix of “Champagne Sh*t” with Quavo and Latto. Elsewhere, 6lack kicked off his Since I Have A Lover Tour, Majid Jordan announced their Good People Live tour with dates in North America and Europe, and Mahalia announced her In Real Life Tour across North America in 2024.

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

Arin Ray — “Wait So Long”

We’re a little over a year removed from Arin Ray’s second album Hello Poison and he’s already revealed plans to return with a new project. The Cincinnati-born singer will release Phases 3 later this month, and to kick off the EP’s rollout, he checks in with “Wait So Long.” Produced by the legendary Tricky Stewart, Ray’s new record taps into the frustration over a lover’s hesitation to declare their love.

Majid Jordan — “Hands Tied”

Majid Jordan confirmed that their fourth album would be titled Good People with the release of their latest single, “Hands Tied.” The track follows “Waiting For You” with Naomi Sharon as both tracks help to detail the origin story that lives on Good People, as the album is a reminder of who the duo is, where they came from, and how far they’ve gone.

Vedo — 7

After dropping Mood Swings at the top of the year, Vedo is concluding his 2023 year with another album, this one titled 7. The project is nearly a feature-less effort from the Michigan singer as he calls on Lecare for an appearance on “I Need You.” “7 represents completion,” Vedo said of the album. “It represents those who seek to understand the deeper meaning of life. It’s a lucky number and represents many other things as well. Although I’m far from being done, after creating 7 The Album I now have a sense of fullness.”

Bnxn — Sincerely, Benson

Just a year after releasing Bad Since ’97, Nigerian afrobeats star Bnxn returns with what feels like his proper debut with Sincerely, Benson. Fifteen songs and features from Headie One, Seyi Vibez, Kizz Daniel, Taves, 2Baba, and Popcaan make up the project which he said is a letter to his fans and the close people in his life who deserve to learn about the true person that is Bnxn. You can also check out our interview with Bnxn here.

Odumodublvck — Ezeiokwu

Staying in the afrobeats world, we shift our attentio Odumodublvck resides to highlight his debut project Ezeiokwu which translates to The Truth. Through 14 songs, Odumodublvck recruits help from BlaqBonez, Wale, Fireboy DML, Bloody Civilian, Bella Shmura, and more for a project that’s honest, raw, and filled with records that he’s labeled as “okporoko rhythms.”

Mr Eazi — “Fefe Ne Fefe”

With his official debut album The Evil Genius set to drop at the end of the month, Mr Eazi offers another single from the project with “Fefe Ne Fefe.” The new track, whose title translates to “beauty is beautiful,” sports a highlife rhythm, smooth saxophone, and pal-wine guitar sound that perfectly encapsulates the beachside life of West Africa.

RealestK — “It’s You” Feat. BIA

Toronto singer RealestK has been hard at work for quite a while now, and his efforts are about to be seen once again with the release of his upcoming mixtape Real World. Following his “Better” and “Stranger” singles, RealestK checks back in with “It’s You” alongside BIA who provides are strong verse to pair with RealestK’s smooth vocals over the minimalistic production.

Raiche — “Late Show”

It appears that Massachsetts-born singer Raiche may have a new project on the horizon. She returns with “Late Show,” her second single of the year following “Big Daddy.” Raiche’s newest release flaunts a booming bass as she dismisses an old lover who fumbled their opportunity with her and is now back with hopes of receiving a second chance.

Titose — “Infinity” Feat. Moliy

Next month, Botswana singer Titose will release her second project All Things Considered. It holds eight songs and one feature from singer Moliy which you can now hear through their new single “Infinity.” The track joins “I’ll Never” as singles from the project which follows 2021’s Was It Something I Said?.

Carrtoons — Saturday Night

New York multi-instrumentalist and producer Carrtoons arrives with his latest body of work, Saturday Night. It’s his first project since 2022’s Homegrown and it’s a delicate and tasteful release that supplies collaborations with the likes of Topaz Jones, Jay Prince, Joanna Teters, Reuben James, and more.

Russell! — “Just Like Candy”

With an album set to arrive at the beginning of 2024, Russell! (fka as D-Pryde) returns with “Just Like Candy.” The new single captures the desire one has towards that special someone in their life who you’ve had your eye on for quite some time. “I really wanted to aim for a song you can groove and dance to, but also makes you feel sexy within times of admiration and loneliness,” Russell! said about the record.

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

From above, the Cantalloc Aqueducts look like an artistic installation of some sort, strings of aesthetically pleasing spirals lined up in perfect rows. But these pre-Inca-era creations have a perfectly practical purpose.

The Cantalloc Aqueducts are the best known part of the aqueduct system built by the Nasca (also spelled Nazca) people some 1,700 years ago in the desert of southern Peru. Due to the scarcity of water in this region—droughts here can last for years—the Nasca relied on getting water from the underground water table. But they didn’t just create traditional wells to access the aquifer. They constructed an elaborate—yet brilliantly simple—system to channel water from the aquifer wherever they wanted it to go.

The spiral structures, called ojos (“eyes” in Spanish), are made of stone and wood up to 45 feet (15 meters) deep, and they connect to a series of underground aqueducts and surface channels (known collectively as puquios) that irrigate the arid landscape for farming and provide water for domestic use. Up until 2016, it was assumed the ojos were used as wells and access points for maintenance of the aqueducts. But Rosa Lasaponara and others from the Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis in Italy discovered another reason for their shape.

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Using satellite imagery to get a clear picture of the entire puquios and how the water was irrigated, Lasaponara and her team found that the spiral-shaped holes actually funnel wind down into the underground channels, helping push the water through the aqueducts like a pump.

Lasaponara’s study also provided insight into the age of the system, which many had believed had been built by the Spanish. Because the structures are made from the materials from the local terrain, they can’t be carbon dated. There is no written record from the Nasca in that time period, but the settlements the channels ran to provide strong evidence for Nasca origin.

It’s a feat of hydraulic engineering that required an advanced understanding of how land, water and air work together, and the fact that most of these ojos are still in use today is a testament to the skills of the ancient people in this area of Peru.

The Nasca Aqueducts were submitted to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 and are currently on the organization’s “tentative” list. As the submission on the UNESCO website states:

“This system was built in the middle of one of the driest and most arid desert territories of the world, where there is no surface water during most of the year. In this context, the water obtained by means of ingenious aqueducts serves not only for human consumption but also to irrigate the crop fields, with which fertile oases were created in the middle of the immense desert.

The Nasca Aqueducts were made based on advanced knowledge of geology and hydrology and since its construction, almost two thousand years ago, it has been used permanently by the societies that succeeded its builders and is still in operation until today.”

Learn more about the Nasca aqueducts here.

Cher has finally responded to claims that she tried to kidnap her adult son, Elijah Blue Allman, during a new interview with People. The accusation started in a divorce court filing from Allman’s ex-wife, Marie Angela King, who said that the pop star sent four men to get him from a hotel room in NYC.

After the news spread, Cher is setting the record straight by flat-out denying it, declaring outright, “That rumor is not true.” She went on to explain that her son struggled with substance abuse issues, saying, “I’m not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren’t.”

She continued, “I’m a mother. This is my job — one way or another, to try to help my children. You do anything for your children. Whenever you can help them, you just do it because that’s what being a mother is. But it’s joy, even with heartache — mostly, when you think of your children, you just smile and you love them, and you try to be there for them.”

While the kidnapping claims were made in a December filing, they recently gained traction as King and Allman are in the process of finalizing their divorce. King originally said the reason was to prevent the two from reconciling their marriage.

Jada Pinkett Smith is clearly spilling all of the tea. After dropping the revelation that she and Will Smith have been secretly separated since 2016, the actress/talk show host had an interesting anecdote to share about Chris Rock.

The couple and the comedian were entangled in last year’s Oscars slap after Rock made a joke about Jada’s hair that prompted Will to walk and stage and smack Rock across the face. In the aftermath, it became clear that there was some history between the three including Rock’s previous jokes about Jada at the 2016 Oscars.

However, the actress revealed to PEOPLE that there’s another aspect to her history with Rock. The comedian once asked her out when he heard one of the numerous rumors that she and Will were divorcing. Rumors that were apparently not far off, because the couple has been living separate lives for the past seven years:

“I think every summer all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce. So he called me and basically he was like, ‘I’d love to take you out.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘Well, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumors.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologized and that was that.”

As for Rock’s joke about her alopecia that sparked The Slap, Jada is surprisingly zen about the whole thing.

“I mean, that’s what comedians do,” Jada told PEOPLE. “I would just have to say that I am not really here to make any judgment on how people decide to express themselves and express their art. I’ll say that several times I’ve had my feelings hurt, for sure. I’ve had my feelings hurt a lot by Chris. But at the end of the day, too, being in the spotlight, it comes with the territory.”

(Via PEOPLE)

Ms. Rachel is a YouTube sensation with over 6.5 million followers on her “Songs for Littles” channel. She is also a former preschool teacher and the mother of a 4-year-old son and a 21-month-old toddler.

The music educator revealed one of her parenting tricks on TikTok recently, and although it’s clever, it’s caused some debate on the platform. “I dress my little boy for school at night,” Ms. Rachel revealed. “We put on a nice new shirt (and) sweatpants — super comfy, great for jammies. And then, when he wakes up, we throw on sneakers.”

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“Someday, I’ll teach him to wake up for school and get dressed,” she continued. “That will be a very good thing to teach. But I can’t do that right now. And that’s OK. I’m doing my best, and so are you. And I love you.”

@msrachelforlittles

Whats your favorite tip or trick? We love this for us rn #moms #toddlermom #toddlersoftitkok #msrachel

Getting a 4-year-old ready for school in the morning is tough, especially when you also have a toddler. So, taking one of the big steps — getting dressed — out of the equation should make mornings much more manageable. However, some parents had a problem with Ms. Rachel’s routine.

“Please don’t teach mums to be lazy and send there kids in smelly creased clothes they deserve to sleep in comfortable pj shirt…,” one angry commenter wrote.

​But Ms. Rachel assured her fans that her son doesn’t “get sweaty” and that “there’s been no issues with wrinkly clothes.” The vast majority of moms defended their favorite preschool teacher. “I like how so many people are questioning the woman raising our kids. I love you so much Ms. Rachel,” Alexis Jaclyne wrote.

“Success is finding what works for you. Not following arbitrary rules. Love it!” Boo wrote. “All kids can benefit from this. they can sleep in, and it makes mornings so smooth,” Karla Nava added.

Recently, more and more people have been craving a closer connection to the food on their table. They want to know where it’s coming from and how it’s made. It’s no longer just about filling our bellies; it’s about nourishing our bodies and caring for our planet. This keen interest has sparked a growing desire for transparency and sustainable practices in the food industry.

Enter Crowd Cow, the brainchild of a group of individuals who asked a simple yet pivotal question: where does our meat come from? What started as a quest for answers morphed into an innovative platform that bridges the vast gap between diligent farmers and conscious consumers. Now, thanks to them, securing ethically sourced meats that align with your values is just a click away. It’s not only a win for you but for small farmers and the environment, too.

A Unique Selection of Meats and Seafoods

You know that saying, “You are what you eat?” Well, that rings true when it comes to Crowd Cow’s spectacular range of meats and seafood.

They offer beef that’s not just good but genuinely exceptional. We’re talking 100% grass-fed cows that spend their days grazing in lush pastures, offering meat that’s lean, healthy, and packed with flavor. And if you fancy something a little different, there are pasture-raised options, where the cows enjoy a natural grain diet. Either way, it’s all about quality and taste that stands a cut above the rest.

Next, Crowd Cow’s selection of heritage breed pork includes renowned varieties like Kurobuta and Berkshire. It’s rich in flavor, straight from farms that prioritize ethical practices across generations of farming families. And don’t overlook their natural pork options, a testament to genuine care and quality.

And let’s not forget about chicken. We’re talking birds that live the good life, roaming freely in grassy fields and nibbling on nature’s bounty. These chickens aren’t just happier; they are nutrient-rich, brimming with vitamins A, D, and E, not to mention the boost in omega-3s.

You’ll also find a treasure trove of seafood options. Whether it’s wild-caught fish that bring the freshness of the open sea to your plate or sustainably farmed varieties that support the environment and fishing communities, you’re guaranteed a delightful seafood experience.

A World of Wagyu

One of Crowd Cow’s most notable achievements is its role as a pioneer in introducing Japanese Wagyu beef to the United States. Wagyu, renowned for its intense marbling, buttery texture, and unmatched flavor, is a coveted delicacy in Japan. However, Crowd Cow’s bold vision and unwavering commitment to quality led to the democratization of this extraordinary meat. The company’s determination to bring Japanese Wagyu right to your front door has forever altered the American culinary landscape.

Sourcing and Standards

Crowd Cow sources their products from independent family farms and cooperatives around the world. They’re not just partners; they are a part of the Crowd Cow family, working hand-in-hand to bring you the crème de la crème of meat and seafood. And it’s all hormone and antibiotic-free.

Crowd Cow rolls up their sleeves and takes care of the nitty-gritty stuff like marketing and logistics, letting the farmers focus on what they do best – nurturing their animals and the environment. It’s a beautiful friendship that makes the world (and our dinner tables) better, one bite at a time!

Customizable Recurring Shipments

You’re the boss of your own box! Crowd Cow lets you call the shots on your deliveries, including when and how often you want your box of goodies to land at your doorstep.

Plus, you pick the exact cuts and types of meat you want for each shipment. It’s like building a food playlist of all your favorite songs for your dinner table.

And don’t you worry about getting caught in rigid plans because changing your mind is no biggie. Whether it’s tweaking the delivery date or swapping products, they’ve got you covered. It’s all about making sure your food vibes match your schedule without a hitch. It’s easy and stress-free, just the way food shopping should be!

Sustainability at Its Core

When it comes to going green, Crowd Cow has it covered. Their packaging is earth-friendly and won’t just pile up in some landfill. They use materials you can recycle or compost, which means you’re being a superhero for the planet each time you order.

But it doesn’t stop there. Crowd Cow works with the farming community, helping them to thrive and keeping the environment happy and healthy. Their collaboration with environmentally conscious producers across the globe ensures that the land, water, and everything around it stays vibrant and bountiful. So, you’re not just getting the finest food but also giving back to the community and the planet.

Joining the Crowd Cow Family

With Crowd Cow, you’re never going to be stuck wondering how to cook that awesome cut of meat you just got. They offer tons of cooking resources right on their website. From mastering the art of cooking Japanese Wagyu to whipping up delightful dishes with the freshest seafood, they have your back, making sure you become the superstar chef of your home!

They also offer an amazing referral program where you can share the love (and some yummy goodness) with friends and family. Picture this: you share a special link with your buddy, and they get a neat discount on their first order. But here’s the best part: you get rewarded too, with some credit to your account. It’s a foodie’s dream come true, where sharing the love brings joy (and more delightful eats) to everyone involved!

Learn More

Crowd Cow is bringing that future to your doorstep and bridging the gap between you and conscientious producers. It’s not just a meal you enjoy; it’s a movement towards a more transparent and respectful food industry.

So, why wait? Dive right in and be a part of this flavorful revolution. Visit Crowd Cow’s website, explore the exciting range of products, and perhaps make room in your freezer for your first delivery. It’s not just a purchase; it’s a pledge towards better, more ethical food choices. Let’s eat better together!

Doja Cat (aka the “female Matty Healy“) has been making some provocative moves over the past year as she rolled out and promoted her new album Scarlet, but even she knows when she has taken things a little too far. The “Balut” rapper posted an apology on her Instagram Story for offending some fans by wearing a T-shirt with one of the alt-right’s most popular figures on it.

Doja had posted a photo of the T-shirt on her Instagram grid, but after being informed that it bore an image of Sam Hyde, a comedian who has been accused of being a neo-Nazi, she cropped and reposted it, removing the portion that allowed fans to see Hyde’s photo on the shirt. While it initially appeared that she would not make any comment about it, it appears that her remaining loyal fans have goaded her into a response.

In a post on her Instagram Story, Doja wrote, “You guys, I literally had no idea who that man was. I got that shirt from a thrift sale. I thought it looked cool cause he was holding a gun and I had a single called ‘Gun’ coming next month. Sorry.”

While there will undoubtedly be fans who refuse to accept the apology, this incident certainly highlights how much more fraught public life has become in recent years. Even something as simple and seemingly innocuous as wearing a t-shirt can be seen as a political statement, even if inadvertently. For what it’s worth, Doja isn’t the first star to make this mistake, and she probably won’t be the last. One can only hope that hateful figures and their ideologies can be swept back into the shadows where they belong.

For the first time in NBA history, the other 29 teams are going into the regular season trying to knock the Denver Nuggets off of their perch atop the league. After never quite being able to get over the hump during Nikola Jokic’s tenure in the Mile High City, Denver finally made it to the NBA Finals and did not disappoint, knocking off the Miami Heat in five games to earn the right to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy.

With a few exceptions, the Nuggets opted to largely run it back this year, and how can anyone blame them? The team has the best starting five in the league, they’re battle tested, they have the best home-court advantage in the league, and they seem to relish the big occasion. While the team has one or two little concerns, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of the Denver Nuggets.

Biggest Question: How Do They Replace Bruce Brown And Jeff Green?

The tricky thing about the Nuggets is that we know so much about them. The team is running it back with the starting five that got them a ring — Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic — while head coach Michael Malone is still in town. That starting group gives them a floor that, barring injury, no other team can match.

If there is a problem, it revolves around the fact that two key pieces of the puzzle from last year are no longer here. After one season with the team, Brown cashed in on his brilliant 2022-23 campaign by signing a lucrative, 2-year deal with the Indiana Pacers. Green was ultra reliable and steady for the team during his two years in Denver, he’s now a member of the Houston Rockets. Their contributions to what the Nuggets accomplished last season can’t really be overstated, as they were effective cogs in the machine on offense who were willing to take on difficult assignments on defense.

The only major questions with the starting group revolve around whether Murray can finally get over the hump and become an All-Star and how much more room Porter has to grow. Caldwell-Pope and Gordon are as defined in their roles as they can be, while Jokic is the best basketball player on the planet. But there are real questions about replacing Brown and Green, which leads pretty nicely into…

X-Factor: Literally Any Young Guy Stepping Up

Again, the Nuggets are a little difficult to talk about here because they are such a known commodity, but we’ll take the biggest question and use it as the launching off point here. The one real question facing the Nuggets has to do with their depth, namely the way that they’re going to replace the minutes they got from Brown and Green. They have a few veterans coming off of their bench in Reggie Jackson and Justin Holiday, and while there is value in the fact that you can usually pencil in what you can expect from them on a given night, they’re probably not helping to raise the team’s ceiling.

If that’s going to happen, it’ll come by way of one of their youngsters blossoming in a larger role. The obvious candidate here is Christian Braun, who funny enough tied for the second-most games played last year and continued to earn Malone’s trust as the year went on — he played in every NBA Finals game and famously exploded for 15 points in 19 minutes during Denver’s Game 3 win. Maybe Zeke Nnaji or Peyton Watson’s familiarity with the team (Nnaji is entering his fourth year, Watson is entering his second) can be parlayed into more playing time. Can they get literally anything out of their NBA Draft class, all of whom are old for being first-year players — Julian Strawther is 21 and turns 22 in April, Hunter Tyson just turned 23, Jalen Pickett turns 24 right before the start of the regular season.

The good news is that, barring multiple catastrophic injuries, Denver doesn’t need any of these guys to magically morph into an impact starter or anything like that. Their starting unit is so good that they have the luxury of time. But building up depth is important, and the defending champions have 82 games to do that before the playoffs roll around.

Following the disbandment of rap collective Brockhampton last year, founding member Kevin Abstract is teasing a new era of his own. Today (October 11), the rapper has shared a new short film called “Gum.”

In the clip, several people are seen in a diner, hanging out, making out, and simply vibing out. A guest is then swallowed up by a giant wad of gum. The screen then fades to black, with the title card “Blanket” flashing.

After dropping “Gum,” Abstract took to social media to reveal the cover art for his upcoming album, Blanket, which is set to arrive next month.

According to a press release, Bleach was produced over the course of three months with Abstract’s longtime collaborator and producer Romil Hemnani, along with multi-instrumentalist Jonah Abraham. During the process, Abstract also collaborated with “young screenwriters and veteran songwriters alike” to evoke a cohesive, cinematic feel throughout the project.

“I wanted to make, like, a Sunny Day Real Estate, Nirvana, Modest Mouse type of record,” said Abstract in a statement. “But I wanted it to hit like a rap album.”

You can see “Gum” above and the Blanket artwork below.

Blanket is out 11/3 via Video Store/RCA. Find more information here.

Drake recently dropped his new album, For All The Dogs, and it appears to be doing quite well — according to early chart predictions. Hits Daily Double has projected that it has moved between 400,000 to 450,000 album units in its first week. This would likely mark the fourth biggest debut this year.

Still, it is enough for Drake to secure another likely No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. Fans will also be excited to hear that the Canadian rapper could take over both charts, as his song “First Person Shooter” featuring J. Cole is rumored to be taking the top spot on the next Hot 100.

This Hot 100 No. 1 placement is important, as it would earn Drake his thirteenth hit on the chart. He would then be tied with Michael Jackson for the most No. 1’s by a male solo artist. (Drake will likely surpass Jackson’s record during his lifetime.)

However, during a recent episode of SiriusXM’s Table For One, Drake might be taking a little bit to do so — as he mentioned wanting to take a break due to stomach problems. “I’ll probably not going to make music for a little bit, I’mma be real with you,” he said. “I need to focus on my health, first and foremost.”

At least for now, fans can enjoy For All The Dogs.