Category: News

In a new interview, Pusha T provides a wealth of updates on his highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Daytona. Appearing on the Instagram Live show Behind The Velvet Rope Tuesday night, Pusha told the host Biddy that the project is nearly complete. He also revealed the probable length of 12 songs, admitted he didn’t have a title for the album yet, and promised that it will be “the best album that drops in 2021.”

The only thing yet to be completed, according to Pusha, is a collaboration with Daytona‘s sole producer Kanye West. “I’m working on the album right now,” he said. “I haven’t titled it. Probably 12 [songs]. I usually don’t do a lot of extras. I feel like I have some extras right now but I’m gonna keep 12… I gotta go sit in with ’Ye for a little bit but other than that it’s just these 12.”

Of course, locking down the elusive Kanye for a session might be easier said than done. While the producer’s versatility has given him the longevity to outlast a dry spell musically, it also means his attention is being pulled in multiple directions by several projects currently in the works — among them, his own Donda album, his deal with Gap, and his pending divorce from Kim Kardashian.

However, when the two do get back together, Kanye and Pusha have shown that they can make some world-stopping music. Until then, we also have Pusha’s potential projects with Madlib and Tyler The Creator to look forward to, while The Neptunes are also rumored to be on this upcoming project, as well.

After Grimes made $6 million in one day for selling a collection of digital art as NFTs, musicians have been following suit and trying to break into the cryptocurrency art business. Artists like Diplo, Rico Nasty, and Halsey have released artwork as NFTs and now, The Weeknd is the latest to get into the game by hosting an NFT auction.

On Wednesday, The Weeknd officially announced his cryptocurrency auction, which he had previously teased. Items that will be up for sale include exclusive digital artwork and even an unreleased song.

About his decision to join the NFT marketplace The Weeknd said:

“Blockchain is democratizing an industry that has historically been kept shut by the gatekeepers. I’ve always been looking for ways to innovate for fans and shift this archaic music biz and seeing NFT’s allowing creators to be seen and heard more than ever before on their terms is profoundly exciting. I intend to contribute to this movement and can see that very soon it will be weaved into the music industry’s mechanics”

Echoing The Weeknd’s statement, Nifty Gateway Co-Founder Duncan Cock-Foster said: “The Weeknd’s entry into the NFT space marks a seminal moment in NFT history. One of the most influential R&B singers of our generation creating in this new medium is huge validation for the entire NFT space. We’re thrilled to present this unique, beautiful collection to the world.”

Check out a preview of The Weeknd’s NFT auction items above.

The sale starts 4/3 at 2 p.m. EST on Nifty Gateway. Find more information here.

After Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the Election Integrity Act of 2021 into law, voting rights activists have called for boycotts of Georgia businesses in an effort to combat the controversial bill, which ultimately seeks to suppress Black voter turnout. One of the proposed boycotts is the Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines who, along with Coca-Cola, has been accused of not taking a forceful enough stand against the Election Integrity Act. In light of the heightened public scrunity, Delta CEO Ed Bastian has since issued a memo (to employees), in which he condemns the controversial bill and vows to work towards expanding voter rights.

“Since the bill’s inception, Delta joined other major Atlanta corporations to work closely with elected officials from both parties, to try and remove some of the most egregious measures from the bill,” Bastian wrote. “We had some success in eliminating the most suppressive tactics that some had proposed. However, I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values.”

Bastian went even further with his displeasure by stating that “the entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie.” That lie is, of course, the widespread accusation from Donald Trump and Republicans that rampant voter fraud was committed during the 2020 presidential election and Senate run-off. Those accusations have not held up in court and have resulted in several multi-billion dollar lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and right-wing media organizations such as Fox News.

You can see the full memo from Delta CEO Ed Bastian below:

(Via Delta)

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Trevor Jackson is someone I’ve watched grow up before my eyes. From his role as Kris McDuffy, a teenage best friend to an aspiring rapper, in Disney Channel’s 2012 film, Let It Shine, to playing the much more mature young man that is Aaron Jackson in Freeform’s Grown-ish, Trevor has been a star for much of his life. However, it’s not at all limited to his acting career. The multi-talented Indiana native is also a growing singer whose music career improves with each step he takes into adulthood.

The 24-year-old just released his third album, The Love Language and it’s a 14-track effort that explores the ways to receive and give affection to your partner. His commitment to being all and more for his companion comes alive on “Your Everything,” and even when the door for love hasn’t opened yet as we hear on “Just Friends,” Trevor’s willingness to pour his heart out, like he does on “This Won’t Go Viral,” tends to serve him well.

However, it’s not always green pastures and pretty flowers for the singer, but simply expressing his emotions and being sensitive through music is something he’s happy to do. “That’s how I feel about music and this album in particular,” he said during our phone call. “Just really kind of opening up about love and not being afraid to be sensitive as a black man in life, in general, is kind of like frowned upon.”

The courage towards being sensitive is found throughout The Love Language. In an interview with Uproxx, Trevor spoke about the new album, playing Aaron Jackson on Grown-ish, his own love languages, and more.

You’re someone who’s always busy. Between acting and music, it seems like there’s always something on your plate. However, with the pandemic, I assume you ended up with more time on your hands. How did you cope with that?

I think it was a message from God for me personally in my life, because I have a hard time taking breaks and tending to myself. I feel like I’m always trying to do the next thing, so it was really just like, sit down, who are you outside of your career, outside of music, outside of acting, who are you as a man? Who do you want to be as a man? What are you willing to do to obtain those things? So it was truly transformational for me, the whole pandemic, unfortunately, under unfortunate circumstances, but due to it, I was able to kind of really just see myself. I surfed a lot, I reflected a lot, I just got to find out who I was more as a man which then enabled me to make music in a different way, in a more honest way, and in a more vulnerable way.

The Love Language is your next body of work, which comes after your Rough Drafts, Pt. 1 and Rough Drafts, Pt. 2 projects. Going off that “rough draft” idea, what are some of the things that you feel you’ve improved or even perfected in your artistry?

I think the songwriting is some of my best work. I called it Love Language because music is my love language. I also think that, you know, love is like a drug and it can be good or it can be bad, but it’s never one or the other all the time. It’s never always good and it’s never always bad. Love is like life a lot of times, it’s gonna be up, it’s gonna be down, it’s gonna be about who are you going to be during that rollercoaster ride. Are you going to be the person that’s screaming and just enjoying the fact that they’re on the ride or the one that’s like, “Oh my God no. I hate this, I hate this.” Who do you want to be while you’re sitting on the rollercoaster. I want to be the guy that’s scared out of his mind but his hands are up and he’s screaming and laughing, just making the most out of the situation.

In one of your past interviews, you said your music always comes from personal experiences whereas acting finds you stepping into someone else’s shoes. Keeping that in mind, that made me appreciate this Love Language album more because we can see you working your way in and out of different love languages.

Right. Some of them it’s like, this is really good and then now, she’s making me feel weird, she’s rubbing me the wrong way and that is also a part of love. If you’re with someone and you’re mad at them, instead of being like, “Hey, I’m mad, and my feelings have been hurt, I just want you to tell me that you love me, I want to know that you still care about me,” we’ll be quiet. We’ll give the silent treatment, we’ll slam a door, we’ll go make food but make it loud. We don’t know how to express ourselves and that’s something I feel like we all need to work on. I’ve been saying this in every interview of mine, I want to push everyone to go to therapy or counseling or anything. It doesn’t mean that something’s wrong with you, it doesn’t mean you have a mental disability — and if you do have a mental disability, that’s okay. Just to have someone to speak to and open up about your life is so, so healing. Just to find out the birthplace of a lot of our behaviors, we all behave in a certain way and we all just think, “Hey, we’re just this is just who we are.” Actually no, it’s a lot, lot more complex and a lot deeper than that. Once you know the landscape, you’re able to start changing things. If you’re just confused about what’s going on, life will just happen around. If you start knowing yourself better, you’ll know how to navigate within life.

What love language would you say you have and what about your childhood and upbringing would you attribute to that?

I think quality time is definitely my top one. My mom and I went on tour when I was eight years old, so me and her would always spend a lot of time, but family members that I didn’t get to see all the time and wonder when I would see them were my favorite moments. Even now, I get to go back home like once a year, I wish I could go more but, I get to go back so spending that quality time with them really, really means a lot to me. So, yeah, I think that kind of plays into it a little bit. I don’t care if I got to shoot all day and get off at 1 a.m., I’m still going to try and come see you. Or if it’s early in the morning, I would try and come see you. I think it shows effort like, do you really care about the person? But also you can’t use that to an extent where it’s like, “Oh, you don’t care about me if you don’t come see me.” Then it’s like no, I’m gonna care about me too. Yeah, I’ve got to get rest. So it’s a hard balance, man.

Songs like “Pictures By The Pool” and “Be Yourself” are examples of what your pet peeves within a relationship are. Keeping that in mind, what are some things that you’re working on that might’ve been pet peeves to someone else?

Here’s something that I know that I do: in my understanding of my world, if things aren’t a big deal, they just aren’t. I’ve got to work on being like everyone doesn’t think like me. I’ve gotta be a little more sensitive to that, but I almost feel like Thanos, I’m not gonna let you distract me from my destiny, I’ve gotta do this, these things have to be done, and that’s just how it has to go. But I know sometimes that can come off insensitive, but in the big grand scheme of things, why are we talking about this? I’m thinking about aliens, I’m thinking about the end of the world and I’m thinking about really big concepts and really big ideas. So when you come to me with things that are minuscule in the grand scheme of things, it’s a waste of our time, not just mine, it’s yours too. We need to be having bigger conversations.

Do you feel like you parallel in any way to Aaron, the character you play on Grown-ish?

I think the main thing that I relate to with Aaron is the ambition side of things, I don’t fold. There’s many people close that would like me to change the way I might do things. I just don’t budge on that, I can’t budge on that, because it takes away the whole purpose of who I stand for, what I stand for. To conform into a way to be accepted is not my forte and I’ve been asked to do that multiple times, but I can’t do it. Who would I be telling people to be who you are unless someone tells you this is the only way to be in the movie, then you gotta be this kind of person. If this is the only way to sell a record, then you gotta be this. If this is the only way to get a lot of views on a music video, then you gotta do the music video like this. Who would I be preaching this message or whatever if I didn’t do that myself, so I think that’s how Aaron is a lot. He’s like, dude, I don’t care, this is right, this is wrong, this is what I believe, this is I’m standing behind, this is what I’m gonna do. So I definitely carry that energy with me, but I’m definitely more artistic with my political mess [compared to Aaron].

I think Aaron is trying to figure it out, you don’t get it right the first time and you probably won’t get it right the second time when it comes to love. Love is not an easy task, partnership is not an easy task, compromise is not an easy task. It takes time to get to those places. But I think that Aaron is a good person, I think he always has good intentions. He wants to save the world and sometimes saving the world gets in the way of relationship, maybe it doesn’t. I feel like that in my real life and I feel like I’ve got so much to do [that] it’s hard for me to put something or someone in front of that at the moment.

Shifting back to your career as a director, you’ve directed a lot of your own music videos and even some for your peers over the last few years. What’s one artist or even a TV show that you’d love to direct a video or an episode for?

I wouldn’t want to direct like Tom Hardy or Denzel, but I’d like to just pick the scene that they’re in and let them do what they want to do. I think a good director knows their actor, and as an actor, I know what it’s like to have someone try to come in and be like, “Yo, do it like this,” especially when you’ve done that. But that’s why I think actors who are directors are better directors, like John Fabbro to me was a great director because he acts and he knows what’s gonna work, what’s not gonna work. Guy Ritchie’s one of my favorite directors, I don’t think he’s an actor, but his directing is amazing. Zack Snyder now is another one I want to work after seeing Justice League, I mean he did 300 the guy’s a beast. Yeah. So yeah, I definitely want to write and direct for sure and I’ve been working on some ideas and concepts in mind.

What’s your ultimate goal as a creative whether it’s through acting, dancing, singing, directing or just all of them combined?

I wanna do a movie and do everything in the movie. I want to act, direct, compose, edit the movie. I want to do every part. With me, I know that that probably will take me at least four years to do because I’m going to be so stickler on my ass about it. I’m gonna be like it’s not good enough, it’s not good enough, it’s not good enough. I know even with my writing, I’m gonna have to go away somewhere and really get into it because I’m just too hard on myself and I know I want it to be great, so I gotta make sure I have that block of time.

The Love Language is out now via Born Art/EMPIRE. Get it here.

The implosion of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) during a Tucker Carlson interview left the host shocked, and it’s really saying something that Tucker called it “one of the weirdest interviews I’ve ever conducted.” Gaetz had responded to a New York Times report that detailed allegations of him having a relationship with a 17-year-old girl. Given that Gaetz reportedly paid for the girl to travel with him, and the DOJ is investigating whether Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws, this could involve federal crimes. Gaetz wildly claimed to Carlson that he was being extorted by an ex-DOJ official for $25 million (claims he’s repeated on Twitter). And congressional Republicans have remained largely silent on the issue, but it is not going unnoticed — not now, at least — that (as Orlando Weekly and Business Insider are pointing out), Gaetz was the only member of Congress (both House and Senate) to vote against an anti-sex-trafficking bill in 2017.

It’s not a good look, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy fielded questions about Gaetz this morning on a call to Fox News. When the subject of Gaetz’s potentially damning vote on that bill arose, all that McCarthy had to offer was this: “I have no idea whatsoever why he would vote against that.”

If it wasn’t such a serious subject, that answer would be laughable, especially since Gaetz now stands accused of sex-trafficking a minor. He hasn’t been formally charged yet, but if it happens, Congress will be pressed to consider action. McCarthy is already forecasting, though, that the penalty in Congress might not be enormous. In the below clip, he says that Gaetz would be removed from his committee assignments (basically the Marjorie Taylor Greene treatment for GOP wrongdoing in the House), if he’s found guilty as a result of the reported sex-trafficking investigation.

However, social media won’t let Gaetz go that easily. People are enjoying how Gaetz literally asked for a “Gaetzgate” label on Twitter. In response to Elon Musk doing his wordplay thing on Twitter with a “If there’s ever a scandal about me, *please* call it Elongate,” Gaetz responded, “Deal. I want Gaetzgate.” Screencaps, man.

Grammy-nominated musican Tayla Parx has always prioritized self-sufficiency in her career. And after establishing herself as a songwriter to stars like Ariana Grande, Janelle Monáe, Panic! At The Disco, Khalid, and more, Parx has decided to launch her own media company, TaylaMade Inc., which will operate as an umbrella organization for her own management company, publishing house, and studio. Detailing her endeavors, Parx shared her mini-documentary Who Is Tayla Parx?.

Parx’s documentary gives an inside look into the singer’s career. She describes herself as “a dog mom, a sister, a daughter, an executive, a writer, I am an artist,” and speaks about the importance of connecting with herself though music:

“The biggest thing about being an artist is the discovery of myself. It really gave me the opportunity to write and create and sing without any type of rules. But it also took me around the world. From touring with artists like Lizzo and Anderson .Paak, and doing my first stadiums. It’s nice to feel a little less alone when I’m singing my own thoughts and expressions and for people to say, ‘I needed that.’”

Watch Parx’s Who Is Tayla Parx? mini-documentary above.

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

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made headlines recently when he made comments in relation to Russell Westbrook’s historic 35-point, 21-assist, 14-rebound triple-double on Monday night. While most of the basketball world praised Westbrook for his comments, Smith remained unimpressed and cited Westbrook’s lack of success beyond individual metrics for why it didn’t matter to him.

Both Russell and Nina Westbrook didn’t appreciate Smith’s comments and responded to them through both the media and on social channels. Their response to Smith made sense — he is someone who is known for criticism over praise and they felt that he is too focused on that. Smith heard those comments and used First Take on Wednesday to respond. To summarize his position, while he respects their criticism, he doesn’t care.

Smith used this as a chance to say that he has spent years praising Westbrook’s individual ability, but despite that, he has still “fallen short” and stands by what he said. It’s unsurprising to see Smith double down on his comments, as he’s not exactly known for changing his mind easily.

What was surprising about this in the first place was that Westbrook responded at all. He’s not known for interacting with the media in this way or caring too much about what they have to say about him. So even though Smith doubled down on his comments, it’s hard to believe that Westbrook will get pulled into a lengthy back-and-forth with him. Well, at least not through comments, we may get some more spectacular moments on the basketball floor as a response and that would be a win for everyone.

From the moment the first trailer for Cruella dropped in February, people couldn’t help but compare Emma Stone’s live-action portrayal of a young Cruella de Vil to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker thanks to her Harley Quinn-esque look in the villainous origin story. Almost instantly, Cruella earned the nickname “Girl Joker,” and it’s gotten to the point where Stone and director Craig Gillespie are addressing the comparison between the two films.

While doing the cover interview for the latest issue of Total Film (via GamesRadar), Stone laughed away the suggestion that Cruella is anything like the dark DC Comics film. “It’s very different from Joker in many ways,” she said before making it clear that she’d never compare herself to Phoenix, who she admires as an actor. “I wish I was more like him.”

As for Gillespie, the director went the more obvious route by highlighting that Joker is a Rated-R movie, and despite the fact that it’s about a full-on puppy murderer who wears the skin of her victims as a coat, Cruella is a Disney film meant for general audiences. “It’s definitely its own thing,” Gillespie said. “Just to sort of reframe Cruella, I thought it was important to show this darker side of her. But there’s going to be a lot of fun, a lot of humor in it. There’s a lot of absolutely delightful banter and rhythm to the style of it, which is different from Joker.”

Cruella hits theaters and Disney+ with Premier Access on May 28.

(Via Total Film/Games Radar)

After a year of canceling all US music festivals, organizers are feeling optimistic about the return of large, in-person events this summer. A handful of music festivals are setting their sights for late summer dates, and Bonnaroo is the latest to unveil their hopeful 2021 lineup. Celebrating their 20th anniversary, Bonnaroo has booked acts like Lizzo, Tame Impala, Megan Thee Stallion, and many more.

The Manchester, Tennessee festival has historically taken place in June, but organizers have opted to push the date back to the weekend of September 2-September 5 to be safe. Along with Lizzo, Tame Impala, and Megan Thee Stallion, Bonnaroo invited countless big-name acts to take the stage. Some of the names include Foo Fighters, Run The Jewels, Janelle Monáe, Glass Animals, Deftones, Young Thug, Jack Harlow, Grace Potter, Orville Peck, Kim Petras, Omar Apollo, Waxahatchee, My Morning Jacket, G-Eazy, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Phoebe Bridgers, Tyler The Creator, Lana Del Rey, Lil Baby, Leon Bridges, Young the Giant, and Brittany Howard.

To celebrate their return, Bonnaroo aims to commemorate their 20th anniversary with exclusive NFT art. They’re selling their original digital 2021 lineup poster as an NFT, marking the first time a festival has dipped their toes into the cryptocurrency art market.

While music fans are getting excited about the idea of festivals returning, Tennessee’s governor shares the same sentiment. “It’s exciting to see Tennessee stages come back to life in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this internationally acclaimed festival,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “Fans are ready to gather together and celebrate their shared love of music once again. We welcome them back for a full Bonnaroo and what is sure to be a truly unforgettable event.”

See Bonnaroo’s full lineup above.

Tickets go on sale 3/31 at 10 am PST. Get them here.

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

Actress Kat Ahn appeared in the season three episode of The Office, “A Benihana Christmas,” as one of the waitresses that Michael (Steve Carell) and Andy (Ed Helms) bring to Dunder Mifflin’s Christmas party. She was initially excited to appear on the NBC sitcom before realizing, as she told the Washington Post about how Hollywood has failed Asian women, that she was “just there to be the joke.” There’s a recurring bit in the episode about how Michael can’t tell the waitresses apart. “Which one is she?” Roy asks Michael after he brags about his date. “It’s… it’s one of those two,” he replies.

Ahn said she was “told to shut up and be grateful. Actors have no power until they become a star.” She previously discussed her experience on TikTok. “I actually understood why BIPOC actors play racist roles. You know, sometimes, you gotta pay your rent. Sometimes you want to join the union. Sometimes you just don’t want your agent to drop you,” she said. “Also, this episode was before, you know, wokeness.”

She continued, “The storyline with myself and the other Asian American actress [played by Kulap Vilaysack] is that we were the ‘uglier’ version of the actresses at the Benihana. Also that all Asian people look alike, we’re one big monolith, and we’re just one big walking stereotype without any personality or individuality. Which is problematic”:

Her experience mirrors the kind of roles actors of Asian descent have been offered for decades in an industry that still suffers from a dearth of opportunity for them. Underrepresentation persists among the decision-makers as well — UCLA’s 2020 Hollywood Diversity Report found that 91 percent of the executives at major and mid-level studios were White, while the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reported that just 3.3 percent of those who directed the 1,300 most popular films released between 2007 and 2019 were of Asian descent.

You can watch one of her TikTok videos about The Office below.

(Via Washington Post)