Category: News

Perhaps more than any other active musician today, Kanye West is often upset with multiple people and entities for various reasons. Now, though, he seems ready to put all that aside following yesterday’s (September 8) death of Queen Elizabeth II, which appears to have moved him.

On Instagram late last night, Ye shared a post. The post has three slides, with the first being white text on a black background. It says, “Life is precious. Releasing all grudges today. Leaning into the light.” The next two slides are photos of a young Queen Elizabeth.

As for those grudges, it’s not clear if West meant yesterday was the day he was releasing them, or if he was releasing them just for the day before returning to beefing shortly after. Whatever the case, his life has been filled with a number of notable feuds lately.

Most recently, he’s been upset with Adidas and Gap over perceived slights. He and Kid Cudi are also beefing at the moment and West’s relationships with his former GOOD Music artists are in various states. Kanye has also taken to relentlessly going after Pete Davidson in recent months, and there seems to be friction with Kim Kardashian going on right now, too.

Last night (September 8) brought a new wave of posts on Britney Spears’ Instagram and none of them were particularly notable. What does stand out, though, is the fact that she changed her name on the platform, which is now “Channel 8.” Fans on Twitter started noticing the shift at around 11 p.m. ET last night and now Spears devotees are trying to figure out what it means.

Fans in the Exhale forum are proposing theories. Some think it could be the title of a new album (although the “8” wouldn’t refer to a new album’s order in Spears’ discography, as 2016’s Glory was her ninth album). Others wonder if it’s a new brand of some sort and some made note of an Instagram post Spears shared on September 4, a video of somebody using the negative space of an 8 of diamonds card to draw an 8. Some users thought the new name was just random, while another called on Easter-egg-hunting Taylor Swift fans to help find answers.

Over on Twitter, some wonder if the name is referring to a TV channel from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that Spears is hinting at an appearance in a MCU show or movie. There’s also a thought that it has to do with numerology.

Whatever the case may be, all theories about “Channel 8” are just speculation, as Spears herself hasn’t addressed it and doesn’t seem to have offered any real compelling clues about what it actually means.

Tom.

Hey.

Tom Cruise.

Tom.

Are you doing okay, buddy? It seems like you are, mostly, most of the time, what with the still-ongoing success of Top Gun: Maverick and the new Mission: Impossible business and various other projects with colons in the title. These are both cool things and exciting reminders that it can be fun to see big wild-ass action movies in an actual theater instead of on a big screen television at home, just for the WHOOSHES of the planes and the BLAMMOS of the explosions and the collective excitement of seeing it all happen with a few dozen strangers in a dark room, the laughing and the gasping and all of it. You are doing fine, pal.

And I get that your… let’s call it “weaponized intensity” is kind of hardwired into your DNA, and that having it there is one of the things that has made this all work for you. We all saw you hanging off that building in Ghost Protocol. We know that you love a big action scene in a blockbuster movie. We know that you love doing your own stunts. But I need you to know that it’s okay it y-

TOM

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

TOM

WHAT IS THIS?

GET OFF THE AIRPLANE, TOM

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS

I WILL SEE YOUR MOVIES

I WILL SEE THEM IN THE THEATER

I PROMISE

I SAW MAVERICK IN IMAX ON OPENING WEEKEND

I WAS GOING TO SEE THE NEW MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE ANYWAY

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN PHYSICAL PERIL TO CONVINCE ME

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO… THIS

I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself, dude. It feels like you are trying to single-handedly save movie theaters right now. Which is, like, admirable, I guess. Movie theaters have had a tough go of it for a few years now between the pandemic wiping out a year of releases and grinding productions to a halt and the rise of a zillion streaming services making people around the globe much more comfortable with the idea of watching new release movies from their couches on a Saturday night. It’s nice that you want to help. But…

Tom.

Dude.

This is a bit much.

I’ve been worried about you for a little while, actually. This has been bubbling up for years. Right around when I first saw this picture from the Mission: Impossible III press tour.

You see what I’m getting at here, right? The thing where you appear to be standing up on some sort of multiperson jet ski slash speedboat thing so you can wave to a group of photographers? You didn’t have to do that either, Tom. You are very famous. They were going to take your picture anyway. You did not need to almost maim yourself on a body of water to get their attention. Look at poor JJ Abrams. He looks like he’s cowering a little. You’re scaring JJ Abrams, Tom!

I’m not saying you have to stop doing your own stunts in movies. You can keep doing that if you want. I would not do it if I were in your position because you are 60 years old and have many millions of dollars and have earned the right to let some 29-year-old maniac who grew up watching the Jackass movies jump off of or into things for you. You can just sit there and drink an iced tea while he does it. No one will even know. Special effects are wild now. They can CGI someone’s entire face onto a different person’s body and it looks real enough that no one will yell about it too much. The Fast & Furious franchise just sent Ludacris and Tyrese to outer space in a Pontiac and I assure you neither of them were more than 20 feet off the ground ever. It’s fine. You can let the computers do some of this stuff for you. It’s fine.

You can also let some of these younger dudes pick up the slack. Tell Ryan Gosling to get people back into the damn theaters. He has some charisma. Tell Paul Rudd. Tell Jason Momoa, who seems to be trying, actually, and is someone I think you would get along with. In fact, maybe make a movie with Jason Momoa and then you two can run around — ON THE GROUND, SAFELY — telling people to go see it in the theater. I bet that would work. You would still need to fly in some planes for the press tour, but notice the key word in that sentence. In. Fly in the plane. Not on it. Inside the airplane. They have snacks in there. It’s much better.

You know who has the right idea? I’ll tell you. Nicole Kidman has the right idea. You know her. You guys were married for like the entire 1990s. She wants people to see movies in the theater, too. But look how she is doing it, Tom.

Yes, sure, there is some excessive energy in this one, too, especially with the thing where she’s talking about how “even heartbreak feels good in a place like this,” which is madness, but still. Look how comfortable she is. And safe. And she’s still being pretty effective! People love this weirdo advertisement! There’s going to be a sequel to it and everything! You have options here. That’s what I am getting at.

I don’t know. I don’t want you to stop being you, at least not to the degree that this is the same pile of energy you use to make the cool movies I like. But, and I need you to hear me on this one… you do not have to do all of this, man. You can relax a little. You’ve done a pretty incredible job getting people into theaters for almost 40 years now and it is okay if you want to sit in a comfortable chair between movies and just, like, tell us that movie theaters are cool. That will probably work, too. There’s no reason for y-

Hey…

Wait…

TOM

NO

DO NOT GET ON ANOTHER PLANE

TOM

WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THIS

WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME AT ALL?

GET OFF THE PLANE, TOM

NO

WAIT

NOT WHILE IT IS IN THE AIR

DO NOT JUMP OFF THE PLANE

SIT DOWN IN THE SEAT

WITH YOUR SEATBELT ON

WAIT FOR IT TO LAND

THEN GET OFF THE PLANE

TOM

LISTEN TO ME

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS

TOM

Still riding the highs of her first solo Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “Super Freaky Girl,” Nicki Minaj has unveiled the track’s hotly anticipated remix. Dubbed the “Queen Mix,” the updated version of the new track features rappers Bia, JT, Katie Got Bandz, Akbar V and Maliibu Miitch.

The original version of the track proved to be an instant classic for Minaj, and now, “Super Freaky Girl” continues to be a remarkable moment in hip-hop. On JT of City Girls’ verse, the Miami native confidently proclaims, “I’m the princess of this sh*t, and a motherf*cking gang member.”

Equally as powerful, Bia reminds her competition that she’s a force to be reckoned with, as she raps “I’m just the realest b*tch you see, when Nicki taking the pic.”

Chicago drill rapper Katie Got Bandz delivers some randy bars, saying, “He like ’em freaky / p*ssy squeaky / Give me that tongue / make it leaky.”

Just as raunchy is Akbar V’s verse, on which she calls for someone to “put that D all down my throat / no gag reflex, I ain’t ever gonna choke.”

Maliibu Miitch delivers the penultimate verse, promising, “I’ma put this p*ssy on him, have him sleeping like NyQuil.”

Last but not least, the closing verse goes to none other than Minaj’s alter ego, Roman, who reminds haters to “keep your two cents, this ain’t a meter.”

Last month, Minaj accepted the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music awards. During her speech, she thanked several artists who she credits for opening doors for her, including Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh. With this remix, she continues to open doors for an entire generation of young women rappers.

Check out “Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix)” above.

Riding the highs of her viral hit “FNF (Let’s Go),” GloRilla has teamed up with Latto and JT of City Girls for a women-empowered remix.

On the remix, the ladies declare themselves free of time-wasting men, and remain focused on the money.

Never one to mince words, JT delivers the first guest verse, rapping. “I’m F-R-E-E, hold up, stop the beat / I’m a muthaf*ckin’ city girl, ain’t sh*t free ’bout me”

Following the catchy chorus and “let’s go” refrains, superstar rapper Latto comes in with the next guest verse. Aware of her power, Latto doesn’t feel threatened by any of her enemies. “All my opps scary, they won’t pop up at the party / Got them b*tches runnin’ from me, like an episode of Maury,” raps Latto.

Shortly before she released the original version of the song this past April, GloRilla shared a snippet of the song onto her Triller page. In an interview with Billboard, the Memphis rapper revealed that feedback from her fans plays a huge role in how she decided which songs she releases.

“Every time I record a song and I really like it, I like giving my audience something to look forward to — if the snippet do good, I release the song,” she siad. “I’ve had a couple of the Triller videos [go] viral, but the songs don’t always. I didn’t know [‘F.N.F.’] was gonna get this big.”

Check out the “FNF (Let’s Go)” Remix above.

Cordae sounds very triumphant in his new record “Checkmate,” in large part due to production by Hit-Boy. The record, featured in Madden 2023, shows the “Unacceptable” artist rapping with fury despite being a downtempo record. Hit-Boy laces him with thumping drums and powerful synths, and Cordae takes the handoff all the way to the endzone, blending introspection and confidence. “I feel unstoppable, odds are not probable,” Cordae says.

This record comes after what has been a big year for Cordae. The 25-year-old shared his sophomore album From A Birds Eye View at the start of the year. The album featured Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, HER, Gunna, Freddie Gibbs, Stevie Wonder, and more. Despite the young rapper’s clear confidence, he had a moment of clarity on a road trip where he played Birds Eye View and his debut solo album The Lost Boy, and noted that the former fell short of the latter.

The Lost Boy, released in 2019, included features from Meek Mill, Pusha T, Anderson Paak, Chance The Rapper, Ty Dolla Sign, and more. The album was nominated for Rap Album Of The Year at the 2020 Grammys, ultimately losing to Tyler The Creator’s Igor.

Cordae appears to already be working toward the next era of his career, as this record comes just months after his dual release of “Unacceptable” and “So With That.” There is no set release date for his next project, but given the aforementioned moment of clarity, it would not come as a shock if Cordae is putting the finishing touches on what he hopes will right the wrongs of From A Birds Eye View.

Check out Cordae and Hit-Boy’s “Checkmate” above.

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

On his new single, “That Was Me,” singer, songwriter, and producer Russ doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. Known for expressing himself vividly in his music and songwriting craft, Russ’ latest cut takes his hallmarked self-awareness to a new level.

Tapping into his emotions, Russ sings “You know that was me who came through when it mattered / You know that was me turnin’ loss into laughter / Divvy up the cash, makin’ sure we all eat / Bring us all together, makin’ sure we all speak,” over a downtempo electronic beat, reflecting on how his need to take care of his family led to depression and alcoholism.

Ahead of “That Was Me,” Russ took to Instagram to share a message with fans.

“I think all of us, especially men, brush things under the rug and ignore the things that are troubling us,” he said. “We’ve been taught that it’s weak to feel. That we should be numb and just keep it pushin. I did that my whole life and the only time I would give anyone a glimpse into what I was feeling was in a 3 minute song. I felt like I was living a double life because in the studio I’d face what I was feeling (sometimes) but outside the studio, I tried to keep a happy exterior because that’s what I thought strength was.”

Check out “That Was Me” above.

Ari Lennox’s new album Age/Sex/Location is here, and though her labelmate J. Cole isn’t listed as an official feature, his voice is still present on the track “POF” as a background vocalist. Lennox rejects judgment of those around her in the soulful record, and Cole’s raspy yet emotive vocals are a nice touch.

“POF” arrives as part of Ari Lennox’s new album Age/Sex/Location. Age features Chloe, Lucky Daye, and Summer Walker and was led by the singles “Pressure” and “Hoodie.” The album was preceded by a surprise EP titled Away Message, labeled a truncated offering to tide fans over while Lennox took a social media hiatus until Age‘s release on Friday (September 9).

This is an exciting time for Ari Lennox fans as Age breaks an over three-year hiatus since her debut album Shea Butter Baby was released. In the interim, she appeared on the Dreamville compilation album Revenge Of The Dreamers III, Wale’s Wow…That’s Crazy, Summer Walker’s Still Over It, and the Dreamville and DJ Drama collaborative mixtape D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape.

Age/Sex/Location is a meaningful release for the 31-year-old, shown in a long text message she sent to her J. Cole. “Transitional space. Very vulnerable codependent and validation seeking part of my life,” she wrote. “I remember the countless times I was kicked out of dating apps because they didn’t think I was really myself, it reminded me of those age/sex/location days where I actually wasn’t being myself in those chat rooms.”

Check out Ari Lennox’s “POF” above.

Age/Sex/Location is out now via Dreamville and Interscope. Listen here.

Weeks away from her upcoming album, CopingMechanism, Willow has shared the latest single, “Curious/Furious.” On the rock-influenced single, Willow expresses her multidimensionality, as she contemplates and embraces the fluctuating feelings of growing up, delivering soulful vocals over thumping basslines.

“I’m getting over it now / And I never wore a frown / Because life doesn’t choose / Either side, win or lose / right or wrong / It’s a battle that’s all in your mind,” she sings on a guitar-and-drum-driven beat.

In a recent interview with Glamour, Willow described the album’s rock-leaning sound, recalling how record labels had previously attempted to pigeonhole her as an R&B artist.

“I love all different kinds of music, I don’t like to box myself into anything,” she said. “I was trained to be an R&B singer so I went in that direction. But I’ve always had a huge affinity for rock music ever since I was just a wee bean…The most beautiful changes on earth don’t happen by being comfortable and expecting other people to change. You have to put yourself on the line sometimes. It’s not fair, but that’s how it is.”

Check out “Curious/Furious” above.

CopingMechanism is out 9/23 via MSFTSMusic and Roc Nation. Pre-save it here.

Coi Leray shows why she needs to be respected as a strong dual threat in her new single “Fly Sh!’t.” The multi-talent weaves in and out of rapping and singing over the flute-laced, mid-tempo beat. She makes a firm statement about her inability to be about anything besides fly sh*t and even makes a nod to the two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his current team with the line “Feeling like Giannis, I get bucks.”

“Fly Sh!t” arrives in what has been an active year for Coi Leray. Back in July, she joined CMG The Label’s 42 Dugg on “Hold Me Down” from their compilation album Gangsta Art. The month prior, she shared the singles “Involved” and “The One (Sprite Limelight)” in addition to appearing on B-Lovee’s “Demon.”

The biggest moment for the 25-year-old came in April when she released her debut album Trendsetter, highlighted by the singles “Twinnem,” “Anxiety,” “Big Purr (Prrd)” featuring Pooh Shiesty, “No More Parties (Remix)” featuring Lil Durk and “Blick Blick” featuring Nicki Minaj. The album also included appearances from Yung Bleu, Fivio Foreign, G Herbo, Young M.A, and HER.

With all of this considered, it is no surprise that she is confident as ever on this new record.

Check out Coi Leray’s “Fly Sh!t” above.