After his recent decision to implant a $24 million pink diamond into his forehead, Lil Uzi Vert’s fans pointed out that his accessories are clearly influenced by Marvel Comic’s superhero Vision. But when it comes to his music, some of his influences are less apparent. Lil Uzi recently named the five rappers who have impacted his career the most, and some of his picks are surprising.

Lil Uzi sat down for a conversation with Fat Joe on Instagram Live where they chatted about music, wrestling, and, of course, his new forehead bling. But the two inevitably started discussing which rappers were the most influential on Lil Uzi’s sound. Some of the rapper’s picks, like Lil Wayne, were not surprising. “When I was younger girls would say I looked like Lil Wayne, so I would run with that,” he admitted. “And I would wear fedoras, and I would wear the tight polo tees with the skinnies, and wear the Vans and sh*t.”

However, some of the other rappers on Uzi’s list are less obvious. Speaking about his favorite MC, Lil Uzi named the Houston rapper Mike Jones, who’s known for his 2004 breakout hit “Still Tippin.”

“The first rapper that I ever learned lyric for lyric was Mike Jones. That’s the first rapper I learned everything lyric for lyric and I wanted to be like him… I had a Boost Mobile and my mom would give me $15 and I’d get phone cards and shit and I would spend all my money calling Mike Jones’ number ‘cause I wanted to talk to him. I remember the number by heart. To this day: 281-330-8004. I felt that star power from him. He had that star power.”

Along with Jones and Lil Wayne, Lil Uzi said Remy Ma, Kurupt, and Young Thug were also greatly influential to his sound.

Watch Fat Joe and Lil Uzi Vert’s full conversation above.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Quality Control Music’s newest artist Lakeyah made a splash in late 2020 with the City Girls-featuring single “Female Goat,” helping her land a spot on Uproxx’s list of “Rappers To Watch Out For In 2021.” Now, the Milwaukee native is out to prove she can make just as much noise solo with the emotive video for her vulnerable new single “Worst Thing.”

Over a softly strummed acoustic guitar, Lakeyah dresses down a disloyal lover, detailing just how one-sided their relationship has been and daring him to do better or disappear. Meanwhile, the accompanying video alternates between visually depicted the song’s subject matter, with Lakeyah stressing over her ne’er-do-well boyfriend’s trifling ways, and a spirited performance sequence that shows she’s already got the confident delivery of a veteran star.

Maybe that’s because Lakeyah’s first taste of fame came in 2016 when the #SoGoneChallenge based on Monica’s 2003 After The Storm hit had social media going crazy with rappers taking turns spitting their slickest bars to the beat. When the then-15-year-old Lakeyah’s own submission went viral, she set a goal to sign to Quality Control Music, scamming her mom into sending her to Atlanta to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2019. After several months of tagging QC CEO P on her posts, she finally got his attention with a freestyle over JT’s “First Day Out.”

She secured the signing in 2020 after P watched her video slaying another QC artist’s beat. When Lil Baby himself approved of her verse over his “We Paid,” P reached out to offer a deal just a week later. Now, the 20-year-old rapper is promoting her December mixtape Time’s Up, and slowly making a name for herself with her diamond cut delivery and skillful songwriting. Like we said in January, keep an eye out, and don’t be surprised if she’s the next hot rapper competing for a “Queen of Hip-Hop” crown by the time she’s old enough to drink.

Watch Lakeyah’s “Worst Things” video above.

Chris Wallace has long been one of the few independent voices over at Fox News, somehow not being fired despite doing things like not lobbing softball questions at Donald J. Trump. He wasn’t even going to let the former president’s impeachment trial lawyers off the hook. On Friday, attorneys David Schoen and Bruce Castor — whose first day was a bit on the disastrous side — made their cases for how their client shouldn’t be held liable for the failed MAGA coup of January 6, 2021. But Wallace wasn’t having it.

What was their main argument? That the Democrats said equally bad things. Schoen spent two hours laying out his case, which involved not one but two lengthy video montages that simply showing Democrats saying the word “fight,” trying to draw a comparison with Trump, on January 6, telling his supporters to fight the certification of the 2020 election right before a number of them stormed the Capitol. Thing was, none of the times Democrats used the word did it lead to an attempted insurrection or any other form of violence.

“Honestly, I think it’s a silly argument,” Wallace said on Fox News. “Using the word in different contexts means different things. One of the constitutional statements about freedom of the first amendment in freedom of speech is crying ‘fire’ in a crowded theater, and that that’s not protected, because that would be incitement to a mob. If you ran 100 clips of people saying the word ‘fire,’ it doesn’t have the same meaning. Obviously, Elizabeth Warren at a campaign rally saying ‘fire’ or Dennis McDonough saying he was going to fight for veterans’ rights as the new VA Chief is not the same as what Donald Trump is doing. I thought it was ludicrous.”

There was another point Wallace brought up:

“I also thought it was counterproductive, because basically you were insulting half the jury. Yes, they’re the Democrats who are going to vote against you anyway, but I don’t know that it was particularly effective. I felt the same, incidentally, about the clips of Jamie Raskin and other people contesting the election. Yes, they got up on the House floor — as they’re allowed to do — and that they were contesting the vote in a certain state. But there’s no comparison to that and this campaign Donald Trump ran for six months, talking about the election — the only way he could lose was if it was stolen, that the election was rigged, then continuing to fight it from November 3 on.”

Wallace also pointed out that Trump had gone through two legal teams before settling on Schoen and Castor, with previous attorneys excusing themselves after Trump reportedly insisted they lean hard into baseless accusations of voter fraud. (Mind you, Schoen and Castor have so far not done that either.) “He’s got the third string here,” Wallace said, “and frankly that’s about the way they’re acting.”

People — albeit not people who usually watch Fox News — applauded the expediency with which Wallace dismantled the Trump team’s legal defense.

On the fifth day of the Australian Open, Naomi Osaka saved an insect. The American tennis superstar also won her match against No. 27 Ons Jabeur in straight sets overnight, 6-3, 6-2, but that was to be expected for the third-ranked women’s tennis player on the planet.

What wasn’t expected, however, was that Osaka would be swarmed by a single butterfly midway through the second set. As the broadcast said, a fan actually told Osaka there was a butterfly on her leg, causing a stoppage as she gently saved the critter from what would have absolutely been a deadly racquet swing if he hadn’t flown right onto her face. It even, improbably, landed on her nose at one point.

Osaka doesn’t appear to be very freaked out by bugs, though, as she calmly used a finger to get the butterfly off her face and move it to a safe location away from the court, drawing applause from the crowd because she didn’t decide to mash one of nature’s most delicate creatures in view of everyone assembled.

It made for an extremely picturesque moment in the shadows of Melbourne Arena.

In fact, it was a moment that almost seemed too good to be true.

Osaka advanced to the fifth round and will head into the weekend with a match against last year’s runner-up, Garbine Muguruza. Hopefully nothing interrupts that match, though photographers will certainly be looking out for it.

Kash Doll and Tee Grizzley put a wild spin on Goldilocks And The Three Bears in their long-awaited, animated “Bossa Nova” video. In the revamped narrative, the three bears — now tatted-up and bearing names like “Sugar Daddy” and “Cry Baby” — discover their honey supplies depleted thanks to a lazy queen bee and going for a drive, passing Kash Doll, who is headed the other way. She crashes her Rolls-Royce and stumbles into their treehouse, where she meets Queen D.

Instead of trying out the bears’ furniture and eating their porridge, Kash befriends the bee, restarting the flow of honey. When the bears return, rather than running away into the forest as in the original tale, Kash instead puts on a twerk show, and the four gorge themselves on the newly made, clearly hallucinogenic honey. There’s also a truly bizarre climactic scene in which Kash takes advantage of the bears’ inebriation (and predilection for BDSM) to escape with Queen D, leaving the bears honey-less for good.

The “Bossa Nova” video arrives two months after the track’s original release. Before putting it out, Kash also flexed her rap chops with buzzing newcomer Mulatto and Buffalo veteran Benny The Butcher on DJ Infamous’ “Bad Azz.”

Watch the “Bossa Nova” video above.

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

After a year of isolation, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that few of this week’s best hip-hop projects are Valentine’s Day-themed. After all, dating is tough when half the country is shut down (and the other half should be) and getting close to someone else is the last thing on anyone’s to-do list lately.

However, Phora’s got you covered if you’re still looking for a little romance this weekend. Meanwhile, there’s the usual mix of brashness, introspection, and political awareness on display elsewhere on the slate. For scam rap shenanigans, Babyface Ray is your guy; if you want a little outspoken observation on the state of the world, Marlon Craft deftly asks and answers the questions we all have; Slowthai’s sophomore project is off-kilter therapy; Ralo holds down the trap. This week’s singles also run the gamut from drill to West Coast party rap.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending February 12, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Babyface Ray — Unf*ckwitable (EP)

Detroit troublemaker Babyface Ray is part of a new wave of marble-mouthed Michigan rap centered on grimy activities and devious wit. He’s one of the top salesmen in this burgeoning business, as seen on his hilarious single “If You Know You Know” with Moneybagg Yo.

Marlon Craft — How We Intended

After weeks of rolling out innovative videos, New York rapper’s rapper Marlon Craft finally shares his sophomore album, showing off his growth and prowess. It’s a throwback, rhyme-heavy affair featuring some of rap’s more sober-minded documentarians like Katori Walker and Radamiz.

Phora — Heartbreak Hotel

Phora raps and sings a bunch about love, but he’s no sap. While the subject matter is personal and the rhymes are vulnerable, there’s a lot of steel behind his storytelling, the type it takes to bare your soul for the world to see and accept the inevitable judgment that comes with it.

Ralo — Conspiracy (Deluxe)

Gucci Mane signee Ralo may be locked up — and facing more time thanks to some innovative Apple Watch usage — but that didn’t stop him from adding eight new tracks to his 2018 mixtape, including a new track with the emergent Lil Baby.

Slowthai — Tyron

Another sophomore effort this week, Tyron sees Northhampton, England rapper Slowthai still on a chaotic rampage, but adding more personal dimensions to his music. Here, he addresses romance, mental health, and more in addition to his usual mosh pit-inspiring fare.

Smokepurpp — Psycho

Yes, that cover is an homage to Ozzy Osbourne, and while there’s little in the way of heavy metal on this particular EP, Smokepurpp does live like a “Rockstar,” inviting Seattle breakout rapper Lil Mosely along for the ride on “We Outside.”

Various Artists — Judas And The Black Messiah: The Inspired Album

A companion to the recently-released film depicting the last days of Civil Rights-era revolutionary Fred Hampton, this compilation tries to strike a balance between commercially-viable, polished, intellectual rap and the anti-establishment values professed by the former Black Panther Party Chairman.

Singles/Videos

Dusty Locane — “Rumble”

It’s almost scary how similar Dusty sounds to Pop Smoke, at least vocally (think BIG and Shyne). That being said, this is a head-nod-worthy drill track over a spooky, skeletal beat that showcases a very precise flow.

Joey Trap — “Brace”

Kloudgod Joey has had a solid track record over the past few years, and this upbeat banger is an admirable addition to his oeuvre.

Lil Gnar Feat. Trippie Redd — “Missiles”

Gnar’s been building his buzz over the past couple of years and his collab with Trippie gives me the impression that things are going to speed up for him very soon.

LPB Poody — “Batman”

The beat sounds like “Teach Me How To Dougie” and Poody’s plainspoken delivery almost slinks into self-parody, but there’s a giddy sort of “anything goes” energy that makes this an amusing introduction to this quirky Orlando newcomer.

Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin Feat. B Cool-Aid — “Open Up Shop”

While the mid-90s New York rap-mimicking, jazzy beat choice here could run the risk of sounding staid, Fly Anakin and B Cool-Aid’s deliveries spice things up nicely, bringing the dusty sound into the modern era.

Pooh Shiesty — “See Red”

Pooh’s debut mixtape is out now, and he smartly dropped a video for its best track to ensure folks quickly see the value in it. While the volume leveling on Shiesty Season is bewildering, this song justifies the hype for him by itself.

Producergrind Feat. Lil Gotit & Billyracxx — “Loaded”

Lil Keed’s brother isn’t on YSL records but he certainly deserves just as much attention for his slippery flow and boisterous personality.

Tokyo Jetz Feat. Toosii — “WYTD”

The Florida hard hitter switches things up a bit, adding Carolina lover boy Toosii to her latest single as she continues her climb to the top of public awareness.

Uno Hype — “Superman”

A Maryland native who will go over well with Dreamville fans, Uno Hype’s smooth new song is a densely-worded rumination that feels like the start of something very artistic and forward-thinking. (Also, isn’t it kinda funny that we have tracks named after the two most famous DC superheroes in the same week?)

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

After announcing to the Senate that, “This is not whataboutism,” Donald Trump‘s impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen opened up his bizarre defense of the former president by showing a video of Madonna and other celebrities using seemingly violent rhetoric about Trump, which for the record, is the very definition of whataboutism. The random celebrity video was one of many surreal moments during Friday’s trial where the president’s legal team know that he won’t be convicted by Republican senators, but there is still a concern about the “PR nightmare” that faces both Trump and the GOP in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol building.

One of the clips showed Madonna’s infamous remarks at the 2017 Women’s March where she says, “I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House.” However, van der Veen’s selectively edited clip didn’t include Madonna’s full quote. Via Mediaite:

“Yes, I’m angry. Yes, I am outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House. But I know that this won’t change anything. We cannot fall into despair.”

Unlike Trump, Madonna immediately clarified her remarks and made it clear that she’s “not a violent person” and “I do not promote violence.” But that’s getting away from the larger point of what the heck does Madonna have to do with Trump’s impeachment, which led to several jokes about the former president’s legal strategy and calls to “Impeach Madonna!”

Johnny Depp also made an appearance in the video for Trump’s defense thanks to him joking at the 2017 Glastonbury Music Festival, “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” Trump’s legal team failed to note that Depp was condemned by both Republicans and Democrats for the quip, and they also earned another round of scorn for trying to downplay Trump’s incitement of the Capitol attack.

(Via Mediaite)

Formerly incarcerated Brooklyn star Rowdy Rebel has been enjoying his freedom. After taking his first few, halting steps toward restarting his stalled career, he seems to be back in the full swing of things in his “Jesse Owens” video with Toronto native Nav. With a beat and a vibe somewhere between the electric style Rowdy and his GS9 compatriot Bobby Shmurda first used to break in the game and the emerging drill sound that’s coming to dominate his hometown, Rowdy and Nav go on a lively shopping spree.

Rowdy was released from prison late last year (much like West Coast rising star Drakeo The Ruler) and received a hero’s welcome from peers and admirers, including Young Thug, who gifted him expensive jewelry as a “welcome home” present. Rowdy also tested his sea legs on a Brooklyn drill beat alongside Funkmaster Flex after contributing a verse to Pop Smoke’s posthumous single “Make It Rain,” from behind bars.

Meanwhile, Nav is coming off a successful 2020 that saw him release a pair of well-received projects, including the Emergency Tsunami mixtape and his first No.1 album Good Intentions, and participate in the runaway smash “Lemonade” alongside Internet Money and Gunna.

Rowdy Rebel’s Nav-featuring “Jesse Owens” video above.

It hasn’t been a very good pandemic for CD Projekt Red, and this week, things somehow got even worse for the Polish game publisher. After a disastrous release of the oft-delayed Cyberpunk 2077, the company was apparently hacked and had lots of sensitive data stolen, including the source code for games like Cyberpunk and its far more successful franchise, The Witcher.

As Ars Technica laid out, hackers used ransomware to crack CD Projekt servers and take sensitive data, then offered it back to the company with the threat that if they didn’t pay up, they’d auction it off on the dark web. And that’s apparently exactly what happened after the company refused to pay.

VX Underground, which tracks ransomware and other malware attacks, noted on Wednesday that the ransomed source code had been posted on a dark Web forum known as EXPLOIT. The starting bid was reportedly $1 million, with a $500,000 bidding increment and $7 million “buy it now” price.

Cyber intelligence firm KELA confirmed the authenticity of that auction, telling The Verge that forum users needed to put up 0.1 BTC (roughly $4,700 as of this writing) to participate in the bidding as a sign that offers were legitimate. The sellers also reportedly provided file listings for Gwent and the Red Engine that underlies CDPR’s games as proof that the data was authentic.

Initial leaks of the data appear to be the Witcher-adjacent card game, Gwent. But as the auction continued other leaks appeared to be verified as coming from CD Projekt and containing information about The Witcher and Cyberpunk. And as of Thursday, the auction of the data appears to have been completed.

It kind of sounds like something that would happen in Cyberpunk, honestly, though there are some potential real-life consequences here. And CD Projekt acknowledged a security breach earlier in the week, so something did happen here that they say authorities are looking into.

It’s more bad news in what’s been a troublesome few months for the publisher. One that, depending on who now owns their data, may get even worse.

[via Ars Technica, The Verge]

Much of the attention in Washington, D.C. this week is on the United States Senate, which is hearing arguments in the impeachment trial of former president Donald J Trump. It’s been quite the spectacle, as Democrats spent the last few days making the argument that Trump needs to be held accountable for his role in stirring up the violent mob that stormed the United States Capitol in an insurrection attempt on January 6 of this year designed to try and prevent Congress from certifying that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, while Republicans, uh, don’t.

The trial served as an introduction for many to Bruce Castor, one of the lawyers Trump hired to try and make the case that he should not be impeached by the Senate. His opening argument went so poorly that Trump was apparently pretty mad about the whole thing, but on Friday, he got the chance to try and make up for it. Instead, Castor stumbled through his collection of arguments, including one moment where he tried to address a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump is on the record trying to push Raffensperger to illegally flip the election results in his state.

The issue: Castor mixed up “Brad Raffensperger” and “Ben Roethlisberger,” nearly saying that the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is the Secretary of State of Georgia.

I think we can settle on “Ben Roffinsberger” here, which is, objectively, closer to “Ben Roethlisberger” than “Brad Raffensperger.” The thing with this is that Castor is a native of Pennsylvania — the mythical land known to everyone in the commonwealth as “just outside Philly” — so you’d assume that he’d know not to come close to saying “Ben Roethlisberger” here. Anyway, in his career, Roethlisberger has played against the Atlanta Falcons three times, recording a 2-1 record.