When Ludacris wrote his hit song “Move, B*tch” — a song about fighting in the club — he never envisioned it becoming a protest song. That’s exactly what happened though, as the song has begun to crop up as a chant at multiple rounds of protests against injustice. In 2017, the song was used by protestors at an anti-Trump rally in Boston after Trump failed to condemn demonstrators at the Charlottesville “Unite The Right” march. Just last month, it resurfaced at a New York protest against police brutality as police tried to set up a barricade.
Ludacris addresses the development on a new episode of the Quibi show Musicology With Tim Kash. Kash prompts the Atlanta rapper to “talk about rap and hip-hop’s history as a rallying cry for Black artists.” Luda points out that hip-hop was born of trying to tell the stories of struggle. “You tracing it back to Ice T and NWA, there’s been so many records talking about what everyone is just now opening their eyes to.”
He also notes that artists like Kendrick Lamar, whose “Alright” has also become a popular choice for protestors, are “ahead of their time.” Of his own song becoming part of movement music history, he seems nonplussed, “I never in a million years, when I made that record, thought it would become a protest song. It makes sense now but that’s not what I was thinking when I wrote it. It’s one thing to be a part of pop culture and hip-hop culture, but when you start getting into movement culture, that’s a whole other thing, man.”
YG is not a fan of Tekashi 69 and hasn’t been for quite some time now. “f*ck Six Nine!,” he declared back in March 2018 over the rapper’s supposed fake gang affiliations. Then, in April of last year, he released a song called “Stop Snitching,” which he previously debuted at Coachella in front of images of Tekashi. His disdain extends to folks who collaborate with Tekashi as well, which puts him in a tough spot with Nicki Minaj.
The two previously collaborated on “Big Bank” in 2018, but of course, Minaj recently helped Tekashi earn his first No. 1 single with their collaboration, “Trollz.” During a recent Real 92.3 LA interview, YG was asked if he would work with Minaj again in light of this, and he seemed unsure, responding, “I don’t know, my feelings was hurt,” He added, “I’m a real street n****. Yeah, I’m cool.”
Minaj previously defended herself from detractors who criticized her for working with Tekashi again. Last month, she wrote in a since-deleted tweet, “You don’t have to defend me. I’m not afraid of internet trolls, blogs, artists. I don’t jump on band wagons. Many will never know what it feels like to have a mind of their own.”
Summer Walker’s new EPLife On Earth hit streaming services this morning, sparking a wave of approval from R&B fans — and from one, unusual source. When Laila, a self-described “Black, Muslim, K-pop stan,” posted her approval of the album’s sequencing, she became something of an overnight celebrity when one Donald J. Trump liked her tweet that read, “Summer Walker getting us in our feelings in ‘Let It Go,’ just to bring the stripper back in ‘SWV’ instantly.”
Summer Walker getting us in our feelings in Let it go, just to bring the stripper back in SWV instantly pic.twitter.com/zaYog6peUt
A few hours after posting the initial tweet, Laila returned to the timeline with an imperative question for her followers: “WHY THE F*CK DID DONALD TRUMP LIKE MY F*CKING TWEET?” Her timeline since then has been filled with reactions as fellow Twitter users come together to try to decipher the meaning behind Trump’s “Like” and help Laila process her newfound fame. “Is this really going to be my legacy?” she joked in response to one screenshot.
WHY THE FUCK DID DONALD TRUMP LIKE MY FUCKING TWEET
There really is a lot to process here. We do know Trump has a certain fondness for sex workers, which could have led him to that tweet. He also apparently loves “the African-Americans” so maybe that extends to R&B music. Summer has indulged the occasional conspiracy theory on her Instagram burner account, an activity for which the Donald shares an affinity — although given his clumsiness with his real account, the likelihood he has a burner is pretty low.
Maybe Trump’s account is also being run by a staffer — a more likely scenario — and that staffer just really relates to media marketed to millennial Black women. Remember when Trump’s account liked a tweet about Insecure? Perhaps, like most Baby Boomers, Trump needed a younger relative to set up all his accounts and Barron still has the passwords. Maybe we’re all going a little stir crazy from four months of quarantine and civil unrest.
All yall asking me to block tr*mp so he cant unlike, listen im not tryna have the fbi show up to my doors just to unlike his tweet
Whatever the case may be, Donald Trump’s Twitter continues to be a fount of head-scratching, attention-diverting activity. Check out more reactions above.
Who should play Vernita Green’s daughter in Kill Bill 3? Vivica Fox’s suggestion is perfection. Of course, this all assumes that Quentin Tarantino will circle back to that franchise after a few decades. He’s talked about it a lot over the years, but his auteur ways have led him down other paths, like toward killing Nazis taking out Manson goons. Still, Tarantino left himself with a perfect set-up for the movie, since Uma Thurman’s The Bride/Black Mamba let the daughter of Vernita Green/Copperhead know that, if she still felt bitter over her mom’s death one day, to come and find her.
Fans hope that day will arrive, and Fox feels the same way. Via IndieWire, the Set It Off actress spoke with NME this week about the possibility of original actress Ambrosia Kelley returning. If that doesn’t happen, she’d like Zendaya to pick up the knives:
“I had a feeling that hopefully [Tarantino] was waiting on the actress who plays my daughter to grow up a little bit. But then I was doing an interview and they asked, ‘What young actress would you get to play your daughter?’ and I was like, ‘No, Ambrosia!,’ but they meant an established actress. So I went, ‘Zendaya!’”
Fox believes that adding Zendaya to a third movie would not only greenlight it instantly in a studio’s eyes but spur Tarantino to fast-track this thing. “How hot would that be?,” Fox asked. Agreed. Zendaya’s effortlessly cool and would surely be up to going toe-to-toe with Uma. A campaign must be started. Get it in front of Tarantino’s eyeballs.
K Camp and Mozzy have two main objectives on “Stack N Pray.” The two take turns rhyming about the necessity of their grind over a mesmerizing synth loop. The single is from the RARE Family album, an intro to K Camp’s RARE Sound crew.
Armand Hammer – “Solarium” / “The Eucharist”
Armand Hammer’s “Charms” video, from their Shrines album, was one of the most captivating visuals of 2020 so far. This week they dropped a double feature for “Solarium/The Eucharist.” The trippy first half of the video is animated by Shane Ingersoll, while the second half is crafted by Myra Musgrave.
Boldy James & Alchemist – ‘Pots And Pans’ Feat. The Cool Kids
Boldly James and Alchemist released an extended version of their fan-favorite The Price Of Tea In China album. Earlier this week, they dropped “Pots And Pans” with The Cool KIds, where the two acts trade bars over a sparse, caustic Alchemist production.
Don Q — “I’m The One”
Highbridge’s Don Q talks greasy on “I’m The One,” double-time rhyming over an 808-based beat and lamenting, “Lots of n****s gettin’ murdered for throwin’ up gang signs they ain’t even in.”
Lil Skies — “Red & Yellow”
Lil Skies was three when the first Fast & Furious movie dropped. And now, as a grown man, he’s got a spot on the soundtrack to the upcoming Fast 9 with “Red & Yellow,” a subtle flex of “my car is red, my diamonds yellow” over a smoky soundscape.
Nyck Caution — “Famiglia” Feat. Meechy Darko
It’s a Beast Coast link up on “Famiglia,” where Meechy Darko will “kiss the girls make ‘em cry / tell more lies than a politician” and Nyck Caution laments society’s attention seeking ways but surmises, “This is no one’s fault, but everyone is responsible.”
Pressa — “Head Tap” Feat. Sheff G & Sleepy Hallow
On “Head Tap,” Toronto’s Pressa bluntly divulges that “I do business wit’ my gun” over luxurious keys, while Brooklyn drill artists Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow get equally menacing and braggadocious on the 3-minute loosie.
Apollo Brown & Che Noir — As God Intended
Apollo Brown and Che Noir’s latest effort is finally here. The album shows Buffalo lyricist Che Noir collaborating with the likes of Skyzoo, Planet Asia, Ty Farris & Blakk Soul, and Black Thought, who she impressively holds her own with on the reflective ”Hustle Don’t Give.”
Wifisfuneral — “End Of Story”
Wifisfuneral is dropping a new album this August, and he gave it an ever-relatable title: PAIN? He offered the first taste of what to expect on “End Of Story,’ a minimalist track where he croons about a relationship on shaky grounds, rhyming, “My friends say I should leave you alone / They don’t really see what you do for me.”
Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire — “Black Mirror”
Brooklyn’s Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire released “Black Mirror” from his vault this week as a homage to his uncle Shango who recently passed. The soulful track is an exploration of “Black Masculinity and my relationship with my 3 Uncles,” as eXquire said in a deeply personal, since-deleted Instagram post.
Kenny Mason — “Storm”
Kenny Mason bemoans “I can’t battle with blue badges, rather get blue stacks” on “Storm,” an urgent single he released two months off the heels of his Angelic Hoodrat album. The 25-year old employs a melodic cadence to explore a range of societal ills over the course of the two-and-a-half-minute stream-of-consciousness.
Blac Papi — “Hunger For More”
Phillly-based MC Blac Papi is getting things off his chest on “Hunger For More,” the title track from his upcoming EP. He admits, he “took Ls I ain’t sweat ‘em,” and bemoans the futility of grind culture by rhyming, “Girls and kids tell me that they miss me / Tell ‘em I’m grinding workin hard sometimes I feel empty.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Kim Petras’ debut record Clarity was released almost exactly a year ago and the singer has since stayed highly prolific. Along with sharing a Halloween-themed record last October, the singer has shared a handful of sunny songs in 2020, including the shimmering collaboration “Broken Glass” with Kygo. Now, the pair return with an icy video to accompany the soaring single.
Directed by Griffin Stoddard, the dystopian video places Petras inside a dusty tundra. The singer owns the territory, making use of a wrecked car as a stage to deliver the song’s soulful lyrics.
In a statement upon the single’s release, Petras said she resonates with the song’s meaning: “‘Broken Glass’ really connected with me and what I was going through at the time. Kygo and I have written a couple of songs together in the past, but we’ve been trying to make something happen. I think the song is amazing and I’m a big fan of Kygo, so I’m really excited to be on his album and for it to come out!”
The collaboration arrived on Kygo’s third record, Golden Hour. Alongside his album’s release, Kygo thanked his fans for their continued support: “Thank you to all the insanely talented artists I’ve had the chance to work with on this record; hopefully we’ll get the chance to play these songs together live someday soon. And a huge thank you to all my fans who have been supporting me the last couple of years. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did making it.”
Watch Kygo and Petras’ “Broken Glass” video above.
“Old Town Road” is a very popular song. Last year, the Lil Nas X single famously when on an amazing chart run, during which it was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-obliterating 19 weeks. As of this post, the song and its various versions have well over 1.5 billion plays on Spotify. It is also currently the rapper’s only No. 1 song, which was all one Twitter troll needed to label Lil Nas X a one-hit wonder.
Yesterday, a fan tweeted at Lil Nas X, “you’re a one hit wonder. Lmfao you’re ep is garbage and you aren’t classified as a rapper or hip hop artist whatsoever.” Lil Nas X fired back this morning with a tweet listing his achievements that dispel any notion that he only has one hit, saying, “i guess the only one hit wonder who gotta grammy nominated platinum ep containing a platinum single, an almost 5x platinum song, & a diamond single before even dropping a debut album.”
i guess the only one hit wonder who gotta grammy nominated platinum ep containing a platinum single, an almost 5x platinum song, & a diamond single before even dropping a debut album. https://t.co/u2aeEgMzNz
Indeed, Lil Nas X has a point. It could be said that “Old Town Road” overshadows the success of everything else the rapper has done, certainly, but he has had success beyond the mega-hit. His follow-up single, “Panini,” also did well on the charts, reaching No. 5 on the Hot 100, and it has been certified 4-times Platinum. His next single, “Rodeo,” sniffed the top 20 with its peak at No. 22. Meanwhile, Lil Nas X’s 7 EP peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and earned itself a Platinum certification.
In conclusion, “Old Town Road” is Lil Nas X’s calling card, but he done well beyond it, too.
Back in June, Pose star Billy Porter posted a 16-minute video to his Instagram, entitled “This is my message to America,” where he discussed, among other topics, violence against Black transgender and gay people within the African-American community. When asked on Thursday by Billy Eichner, who was filling in for host Jimmy Kimmel during a summer-break episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, what inspired him to post the clip, the Emmy winner responded:
“I am Black first and growing up gay in the Black community, it’s a very homophobic community across the board. With that said, as the world has changed and as the world has shifted, the Black community is changing and shifting.”
After posting the video, Porter was told how much “Black straight man actually love him and someone needs to tell him,” so he offered an addendum to make his language more specific. “I’m talking to homophobic, transphobic, and xenophobic people in general, specifically Black people, in this instance, because Black trans women are dying at the hands of Black cis men at such an alarming rate that it is the highest violence on record,” he said.
Porter doesn’t pay much attention to social media (“I’m 50 years old, I don’t do it like that”), but he still heard about the pushback to his video and he’s willing to “receive when I am tone deaf.” Admitting you’re not 100 percent right about something? Porter really doesn’t spend a lot of time on the internet. The actor is hopeful things are changing for the better, “but we can’t do it until we embrace and love each other through our differences; because of our differences. Love the humanity in every single human being. We’re human beings first, that’s all I’m trying to say.” Watch the entire interview above.
Shortly after announcing his new album, The Ascension, Sufjan Stevens shared the sprawling 12-minute single “America.” Now the song has an appropriately lengthy B-side: Today, Stevens released “My Rajneesh,” which runs for over 10 minutes.
The epic track goes through multiple sections, which, like “America” before it, is similar in style to the music Stevens made during the The Age Of Adz era. Stevens sings on the song’s hook, “Illumination, accede my need, my Rajneesh / Hallucination, accede my need, my Rajneesh.”
The song is about Rajneesh, the leader of the Rajneesh movement that led to the establishment of Rajneeshpuram, a religious community in Wasco County, Oregon that was incorporated as a city between 1981 and 1988. In 1984, members of the community intentionally contaminated salad bars in local restaurants with Salmonella, resulting in the food poisoning of 751 people. This was the first and largest bioterrorist attack in US history.
“My Rajneesh” is not set to appear on The Ascension, but it and “America” will be available as a 12-inch vinyl single on July 1st. The Ascension is Stevens’ first solo album since 2015’s Carrie & Lowell, and his first release overall since Aporia, which came out earlier this year.
Listen to “My Rajneesh” above.
The Ascension is out 9/25 via Asthmatic Kitty Records. Pre-order it here.
After announcing the impending release of the third EP in his Streams Of Thought series, Streams Of Thought, Vol. 3: Cain And Abel, Black Thought has released the first single from the project, “Thought Vs. Everybody,” which he debuted during his at-home NPR Tiny Desk Concert in April. The song itself is a breathless reminder of Thought’s chops as he tears through a hook-less, intimidating display of rhyme-stacking, unforgiving battle raps.
Black Thought also recently appeared on a remix of Public Enemy’s seminal protest track “Fight The Power” with Nas and Rapsody during the 2020 BET Awards, as well as on Eminem’s surprise album, Music To Be Murdered By earlier this year. He has a verse on Che Noir and Apollo Brown’s new album, As God Intended, which released today, and recently announced he’s writing a new musical based on the Harlem Renaissance, which he will also star in.
The variety of projects The Roots frontman is involved in is a testament to his versatility, but there’s a reason Freddie Gibbs place him among his top five rappers. While most of his work has been with The Roots, the longstanding band founded by Black Thought and Questlove in the late ’80s, his recent Streams Of Thought EPs have served as strong reminders that he’s one of the best in the biz.
Listen to “Thought Vs. Everybody” above.
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