Category: News

If you’re a rapper from North Carolina, there is probably no one better to have as a mentor than J. Cole, who is pretty much the state’s most successful hip-hop artist. Just look at the boost signing to Dreamville gave Lute, while appearing on Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III compilation almost certainly helped DaBaby become one of the most recognizable Carolinians in 2019 (although he also blew that shot, going from famous to infamous almost overnight thanks to his refusal to apologize for his Rolling Loud comments).

But, looking up to J. Cole can also be pretty demanding. Just ask Morray, who appeared with Cole on The Off-Season track “My Life” and toured with him last year. Since then, it’s clear the two have kept in touch, with the younger artist looking for advice on his upcoming debut album. However, it’s apparently difficult to meet his exacting standards; as Morray told HipHopDX, Cole’s encouraged him to scrap “hella” albums in the search for the perfect introductory project (at least, for those who missed 2021’s solid Street Sermons).

“I’ve presented hella albums,” he said. “I’ve been ready for an album, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been ready. I’ve presented to Cole, he told me, ‘N****, you’re not ready.’ Do you know how hard it is to take that from somebody you look up to? I think I’m done and you’re telling me I’m not? Back to the drawing board? But I appreciate him because this album is staying.” Hopefully, all that hard work pays off soon. You can watch Morray’s interview with HipHopDX below.

While the year might be coming to a close, this week has marked some significant release drops and announcements from everyone’s fave pop artists. SZA dropped her first new album in five years, and Lana Del Rey announced she’s returning with a record next year as well. There are also some rising stars you don’t want to miss, as each artist really came out swinging.

Here is Uproxx’s roundup of this week’s Best New Pop music.

Dove Cameron — “Girl Like Me”

Dove Cameron has distanced herself from her Disney roots to become one of the most exciting rising pop stars. “Girl Like Me” is a sleek and sultry single from her forthcoming debut album, as she interpolates a surprise choice from the Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle soundtrack.

Lana Del Rey — “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”

Del Rey ushered in her new era this week with the lengthy-titled but brilliant, “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” (We didn’t.) In typical Lana fashion, the breezy ballad is extremely California-core, including her love for Ventura. There are also a ton of musical references, from The Eagles’ “Hotel California” and Harry Nilsson’s “Don’t Forget Me” to John Lennon.

Caroline Polachek — “Welcome To My Island”

After Polachek’s previous singles, “Bunny Is A Rider” and “Sunset,” her latest song, “Welcome To My Island,” served as a proper introduction for fans to her sophomore album. While the hyperpop track eases in with beach-themed descriptions, it takes a darker turn on the bridge as she warns that “nothing’s gonna be the same again.”

Maude Latour — “Reality Television”

A bonus track on Maude Latour’s deluxe version of her EP, 001, “Reality Television” is driven forward by the overarching drum beat. Compared to her previous music, Latour’s vocals are just as capable of shining through on a lower, pop-punk-influenced style. “I killed all my idols,” she notes. One thing is for sure — she killed it.

Upsahl — “Kickflip”

Upsahl’s “Kickflip” opens her new EP, Sagittarius, with a carefree (and a little reckless) attitude. Inspired by Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” she describes the song as “​​high energy, dancey, and fun” in a recent interview with Uproxx. “Now that I sort of have this stability in my life, this EP is very much building off of that power and confidence I found,” Upsahl added.

SZA — “Ghost In The Machine” feat. Phoebe Bridgers

After five years, SZA dropped her anticipated sophomore album, SOS, and the world — if only for a moment, feels right again. The fan-favorite for myself included is her surprise collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, “Ghost In The Machine.” While the duo might’ve seemed like a shock, they work extremely well as a vocal duo. Bridgers fits right into SZA’s emotional realm, as she details fighting with someone at an NYC hotel.

Rebecca Black — “Look At You”

“People see you on the screen, and think you’re make-believe / But I tell them, you’re better in person,” Black sings in the opening lines of her latest song, “Look At You.” The slow-paced ballad serves as her finding inspiration in another person, before the second verse introduces a beat change that keeps listeners on their toes. “Everybody’s got someone that f*cks them up” — an easy standout line.

Emeryld — “Bloodline”

Emeryld’s soulful voice shines on “Bloodline” as she disses a man who can’t seem to shut up. “It’s a shame, it’s in your bloodline,” she drags as the punchline that inspired the title.

Bree Runway — “Pick Your Poison” feat.Stormzy

Bree Runway also returned with new music this week: her EP, Whoa, What A Blur!. “Pick Your Poison” is the singer’s collaboration with rapper Stormzy — who opens the first verse by showing off his range. The romantic duet is prime for pop radio, with party-influenced references and Runway chalking it up to “if it’s meant to be.”

Ethan Bortnick — “Happy F*cking Birthday”

Opening with a piano instrumental layered with a sample of someone singing “Happy Birthday,” Bortnick puts an emotional spin on getting older as he reminisces on a past relationship that once attended his party.

BTS member Kim Seok-jin (aka “Jin”) has officially enlisted in the South Korean military as part of the country’s requirement. “Time for the curtain call,” the singer shared as a temporary goodbye for the band’s fans today. He is expected to serve until 2024 before the band reunites the following year.

In another member, RM’s recent Instagram stories, all of BTS came to say goodbye and support Jin ahead of his journey. “I love you Jin, see you soon,” the translation reads. Despite the emotional nature, BTS also joked around, finding time to pose by touching Jin’s buzzcut.

Over the weekend, Jin made an appearance on the social media app WeVerse, where he showed off his new hairstyle in preparation for the military. “Cuter than I expected,” he captioned the photo.

BigHit also made a statement last week. “We want to thank you for your continued support of BTS and would like to update you on Jin’s upcoming enlistment into the military,” they wrote. “Jin will fulfill his required time with the military by enlisting in the army. Please note that we will not be holding any kind of official event on the day of his recruitment.”

“The entrance ceremony is a time to be observed by military personnel and their families only. In order to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding, we ask fans to please refrain from visiting the site,” it continued. “Instead, we ask you to keep your heartwarming words of support and farewell in your hearts.”

After dominating the Sundance Film Festival with Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino quickly got to work onto his next project, and arguably, the film that truly put him on the map: Pulp Fiction. While the film would end up having a jam-packed cast full of A-list talent, Tarantino recently revealed that he was very particular about the casting and was willing to go to war with the studio despite being a relatively unknown filmmaker at the time.

During a recent appearance on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast, Tarantino recalled a battle with one executive who was adamant about casting Johnny Depp in Pulp Fiction. According to Tarantino, the exec wanted Depp in the role of Pumpkin, the diner bandit who would share a memorable scene with Samuel L. Jackson to cap off the film.

As Tarantino tells it, Tim Roth was always his first choice followed by Christian Slater as a backup. However, the studio exec wanted to go straight to Depp, and Tarantino wasn’t having it. Via NME:

The director went on to reveal that when he put forward his names, the studio questioned why he wanted Roth over Depp for the role, and would not offer Roth the role until others had turned it down.

In response, Tarantino asked them: “‘Do you think Johnny Depp playing the role of Pumpkin in this movie, which is the opening scene and the closing scene that’s it, do you think that will add that much to the box office?’”

Obviously, Tarantino got his way. The role of Pumpkin went to Roth, and Pulp Fiction went on to rack up a laundry list of Oscar noms including Best Picture and Best Director, so it sure seems like this Quentin guy knows what he’s doing.

(Via NME)

This past weekend, several Bad Bunny fans were denied entry into his Mexico City shows on December 9 and 10. Several customers claimed they purchased tickets through Ticketmaster, but were turned away at entry. Following the fiasco, Ticketmaster issued a statement via social media, denying an oversell of tickets and claiming that the fans had actually purchased counterfeits.

“As has been reported, on Friday an unprecedented number of fake tickets were presented at the entrance of [Estadio Azteca], purchased outside our official channels,” said Ticketmaster. “In addition to causing confusion among entrance officials, this situation generated a malfunction in our system, which for moments at a time, couldn’t properly identify legitimate tickets. It’s important to underscore that there was no oversale of tickets. Ticketmaster took the technological and logistical measures needed to ensure what happened on Friday would not happen on Saturday.”

Over 1,600 fans were turned away on the December 9 show, and 100 fans were turned away the following night. According to a report from Billboard, Mexico’s Federal Attorney’s Office for Consumers (PROFECO) conducted an investigation, which concluded that several of the counterfeit tickets were purchased through legitimate channels.

The events occurred just weeks after Taylor Swift fans filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster after a disastrous presale for her Eras tour.

If only Jack Dawson had Kate Winslet’s breath-holding ability. Then maybe the whole door drama never would have happened.

The Avatar: The Way of Water actress is “very proud” that she broke Tom Cruise’s record for “longest [underwater] breath hold” at 7 minutes and 14 seconds. “I have the video of me surfacing saying, ‘Am I dead, have I died?’ And then going, ‘What was [my time]?’ Straight away I wanted to know my time,” she told Total Film. “I couldn’t believe it. The next thing I say is, ‘We need to radio set. I wanted Jim to know right away.”

“Jim” is, of course, James Cameron, who she previously worked with on Titanic. “He’s just a really different person,” Winslet replied when asked about Cameron then vs. now. “Hopefully, we both are. A huge chunk of time has gone by… You know, people say it was 25 years since Titanic. It’s not! It’s 27 years for us, you know, I turned 21 on that film, I’m 47. It’s a long time ago.” She also revealed the “biggest challenge” while filming Avatar: The Way of Water, y’know, outside of holding her breath for seven minutes.

“The biggest challenge was something people really wouldn’t imagine – it was fitting into this world and yet appearing to have always been there. That was the hardest part. Because these actors, they created these characters in this universe 13 years ago.”

Avatar: The Way of Water opens on December 16.

(Via Total Film)

The NBA has been steadily updating its awards lineup, finding ways to pay tribute to some of the game’s legends in the process. Recently the league renamed the Finals MVP award for Bill Russell, the NBA All-Star MVP award for Kobe Bryant, the Eastern Conference title for Bob Cousy, the Western Conference title for Oscar Robertson, East MVP award for Larry Bird, and West MVP award for Magic Johnson.

That was just the beginning, though, as on Tuesday the league announced the new names for its regular season awards, along with new trophy designs, headlined by the Michael Jordan Trophy for the NBA MVP.

The rest of the awards are in the style of crystal vases, with the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for the Defensive Player of the Year, the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy for Rookie of the Year, the John Havlicek Trophy for Sixth Man of the Year, George Mikan Trophy for Most Improved Player, and a new Jerry West Trophy for Most Clutch Player. The West award will be voted on by the media like the others, but nominees will be compiled by NBA head coaches.

While the new trophy designs will surely be met with some pushback, it’s good of the league to try and make sure they honor the legends of the game in this manner. Highlighting the best players the NBA has seen through individual and team honors is a great way to keep their legacies alive and introduce other generations to their accomplishments.

Hmm, the man who portrays Joe Goldberg on You is dancing on TikTok. That sounds like the perfect cover for murder.

This was my first thought after spotting a newly viral TikTok video, in which former Gossip Girl ensemble dude Penn Badgley pulls the unlikely move of shimmying alongside pop star Meghan Trainor. What gives?

This isn’t a promotional bit for Badgley’s upcoming Netflix return, although that would be great. Rather, Trainor appeared on an episode of Badgley’s hormone-involved Podcrushed podcast. Her appearance will formally surface on December 21, and I’ll be interested to learn more about how this episode came together. And why the pair decided to dance to one of Trainor’s own songs rather than something a little more neutral. I mean, she has a clear advantage over Penn, but he still works it to a degree.

From there, Badgheads (I’m sorry, really) can look forward to Season 4 of You, which has already released a motion poster that made the leading man feel “icky.” Joe Goldberg is in London now, baby, and he’s attempting to keep a low profile as a university professor. I think you can guess how well that goal goes.

Season 4 will be split into two halves with the first landing on Feb. 10 and the second on March 10.

When it rains, it pours, but for DaBaby, it seems like he’s stuck in a never-ending hurricane. Since his infamous comments at Rolling Loud back in 2021, the “Bop” rapper hasn’t caught a break. Not only did his latest album, Baby On Baby 2, perform poorly on Billboard‘s Hot 100 charts, but the Charlotte native also became the butt of several online jokes due to his show’s lack of ticket sales.

Now, according to TMZ, one of his most popular songs, “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, is the subject of a new lawsuit. Producer JuJu Beatz allegedly opened the copyright enrichment case in which JuJu claims DaBaby stole the song’s beat from him under the cloak of sampling.

The documents reveal JuJu initially sent the beat in a digital file to the rapper’s team in 2019. Someone on his team with access to the file opened the instrumental more than 40 times between when it was initially sent and when the song was released in April 2020.

Lastly, JuJu claims while the rapper racked up millions of dollars in profit from the song, he was not compensated for his unauthorized contribution. JuJu told the courts he has attempted to settle this dispute with the rapper privately, but DaBaby refuses to “cooperate or accept responsibility for blatant and willful copyright infringement.”

Due to DaBaby’s dismissal of the JuJu’s outreach attempts, Roddy Ricch, who is featured on the track, and several others involved in the song’s production have now been named as co-defendants.

Mariah Carey’s classic holiday hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for the fourth holiday season in a row — replacing the several-week record held by Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.” Carey celebrated with an extravagant breakfast and nothing but great energy ahead of her concert at NYC’s Madison Square Garden tonight. Nothing can keep the supposed Queen Of Christmas down.

“YAYYYYYYY!!!!,” Carey shared on Twitter, complete with a number of party-themed emojis. “Such an amazing surprise and an early Christmas gift!!! Thank you so much!!! Can’t wait to see you tomorrow [December 13] at MSG and celebrate together!!!!”

In addition to expanding her chart record, Carey started the festivities early this year, including by performing the song with Santa Claus during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“Christmas is for all and I just happen to actually really love Christmas, because I grew up and I had kind of a tough childhood, and I always wanted Christmas to be perfect, and it never was. And so then when I was able to provide myself and my friends, and then later, now my kids who are 11 — hi, ‘Roc and ‘Roe — we have the most festive Christmas ever,” she shared during a recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

“It’s actually authentic and it came from a place of longing to have some normalcy and some, you know, peace and… just a lovely holiday, and somehow, someone would be throwing mustard at somebody else, or ketchup or whatever. So I went through that, and now, it’s just… I wait for it all year long. So it is actually a real thing,” Carey added.