Category: Worldwide

Preparing his third project in as many years, Nas will share the Hit-Boy produced King’s Disease album next week and to officially begin its campaign, he shares its lead single, “Ultra Black.” Smoothly taking on the Hit-Boy-produced beat, Nas praises the melanin his skin bears while giving listeners who bare the same skin color the confidence to do the same. In the process, Nas also takes a shot a Doja Cat rapping, “We going ultra black, the opposite of Doja Cat.” Doja Cat faced some controversy earlier this year after fans alleged she a member of alt-right/incel and online chat rooms after discovering some insensitive tweets from her past.

The single follows Nas’ announcement that he would be releasing a new album on August 21 that featured executive production from Hit-Boy. The announcement comes exactly six months after Big Sean put the Brooklyn-born rapper on blast in an Instagram video. “Nas dropping an album,” Big Sean said. “I’m putting Nas on blast right now,” Nas, who was present in the video, responded with anything but denial saying, “Something like that… it’s kinda hard to replace me.”

Hit-Boy has been having a great year behind the scenes. The producer earned his second Grammy win this year for his contribution to Nipsey Hussle and Roddy Ricch’s “Racks In The Middle.” Hit-Boy is also fresh off his Also Known As project where he collaborated with Nas and Dom Kennedy on “City On Lock.”

Listen to “Ultra Black” above.

King’s Disease is out 08/21 via Mass Appeal.

Miley Cyrus was set to release seventh album She Is Miley Cyrus by the end of 2019, but surgery in October 2019 for tonsillitis set back her recording process as she was placed a vocal rest by her doctor. Almost a year removed from that surgery, Miley Cyrus is ready to get back into action as she shares her latest single, “Midnight Sky.” Released with a matching visual, Miley flaunts a throwback look as she sings about her freedom from old restrictions while dishing out reminders of her ability to live without love from an old flame under the bright lights the video supplies.

The single arrives just days after the singer teased new music in a Twitter post that read “Meet Miley Cyrus…again” with the hashtags #SheIsComing and #ButForRealThisTime as well as an Instagram post that teased the “Midnight Sky” single. Her upcoming She Is Miley Cyrus album will also precede her 2019 EP, She Is Coming. Prior to her 2019 vocal surgery, the She Is Coming EP was set to be one of three EPs released that would make up the She Is Miley Cyrus album, the other two being She Is Here and She Is Everything.

Cyrus’ latest single arrives after the single took to an empty Rose Bowl arena earlier this year to perform a cover of The Beatles’ “Help.” Prior to that, Cyrus joined Mark Ronson and many other artists to contribute to his. Love Lockdown video mixtape.

Listen to “Midnight Sky” in the video above.

Thriving own their own in the trap world, Don Toliver, Gunna, and Nav join forces to contribute to producer Internet Money’s new single, “Lemonade.” Fascinated by the shine and icy nature of their yellow diamonds, the three trap stars relish in their successful careers over the guitar-driven beat. Wit Nav leading the way with a verse of his own, Don Toliver holds it down on the hook as Gunna makes his entrance before the Houston native closes the track with some flexing of his own.

The single marks the second time in a month that Don Toliver and Gunna have supplied their talents to a producer, with the first being their “Cafeteria” single with Chase B. Examining their collective 2020, the three rappers have found success on their own terms this year. Don Toliver shared his Heaven Or Hell album which was celebrated by many in hip-hop as one of the year’s best releases, to the extent that many were upset that the Houston rapper was not included in the newly-released XXL Freshman class list. Gunna, on the other hand, returned to form with his Wunna album, one that received a deluxe re-issue last month while Nav earned his second No. 1 album with his Good Intentions release in May.

Press play on the video above to hear “Lemonade.”

Guapdad 4000 has found his way to stay productive and in the face of his fans throughout the coronavirus pandemic. In a year that has seen him produced his Rona Raps series and his Platinum Falcon, Vol. 1 EP, Guapdad adds more content to that list with his new Platinum Falcon Returns EP. Equipped with six songs, the EP includes all of his releases from this past summer, including his “Lil Scammer That Could” collaboration with Denzel Curry, while also supplying a new track in “Hairless Horseman” with Boogie.

On his first collaboration between Guapdad and Boogie, the Oakland native comes through with yet another West Coast collaboration, something his Rona Raps produced multiple times. Over chilled production, Guapdad and Boogie offer their best bars laced with metaphors for the enjoyment of their fans. Guapdad leads the way, holding nothing back with bars like, “These days I’m killing gods, I had to get that across.” As for Boogie, the Compton rapper comes through with his own raps about his current life and the thoughts that swarm his mind.

Guapdad’s latest single concludes nearly two months of singles that included his Deanté Hitchcock-featured “Orgasm Full Of Pain” and his most recent release, “Deadly Assassination Summer Squad.”

Platinum Falcon Returns is out now via TWNSHP, LLC. Get it here.

Guapdad 4000 is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

For the bulk of 2020, Drake has allowed very little time to go by without inserting his name into hip-hop headlines. From his “When To Say When” and “Chicago Freestyle” double-single, to his sharp Dark Lane Demo Tapes project, Drake has been in full campaign mode for much of 2020.

Entering the last stage that precedes his upcoming sixth album, Drake drops off the album’s lead single with “Laugh Now, Cry Later.” A star-studded affair the track, which features Lil Durk, comes with a video that begins with Drake playing basketball with Kevin Durant before transitioning for a game a catch with Odell Beckham Jr. He then brings Lil Durk into the picture, the two rappers pose for photoshoots and ride around in golf carts. Shortly after the video’s release, Drake revealed that his next album would be titled Certified Lover Boy.

The Toronto superstar’s latest single arrives just a week after he made a bar of appearances on labelmates Popcaan’s newly-released Fixtape project. The guest appearance is just one of many Drake has made with a number of artists this year which include Lil Yachty’s “Oprah’s Bank Account,” Headie One’s “Only You Freestyle,” and DJ Khaled’s “Popstar” and “Greece.” The two Khaled records helped Drake pass Madonna for the most top-ten appearances on the Billboard singles chart with 40.

While a title or a release date on Drake’s upcoming sixth album yet to have been announced, fans won’t have to wait too long for its arrival as Drake’s friend and engineer Noel Cadastre, aka OVO Noel, updated fans on its progress in an Instagram post. “Studio for my bday… we 90% but y’all gonna have to wait on that last 10%.”

Watch Drake’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later” video with Lil Durk above.

If you were to imagine how the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast might spend their quarantine, Amy Santiago would almost certainly be baking her own sourdough bread. Or, trying to. It wouldn’t turn out well, she’d end up taking her frustration out on the nearest appliance, and then she’d probably start drinking.

It’s a good thing, then, that Melissa Fumero is nothing like the character she plays on the popular cop-comedy. Her “to-do” list is just three shows long, she’s mining Twitter for motivation, and she dreams of sleeping in and brunching when both are possible again — though, once you have kids, is sleeping in ever really in the cards?

Ahead of her Room 104 debut, where she plays a divorcee debating a hairstyle change, we invited Fumero into our UPROXX 20 club. Here’s what she told us.

1. You walk into a bar. What do you order from the bartender?

A spicy margarita.

2. Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

On Twitter, my friend and former B99 writer Vanessa Ramos introduced me to [the] Jurassic Park Updates account and I love it. As I scroll through horrible and terrifying news, I get random and hilarious tweets about dinosaurs like “the dinosaurs are kind of just chillin out rn listening to ‘Biting Bown’ by Lorde.” It makes me so happy.

On Instagram, I love Lizzo. She is just so fierce, and funny, and strong. Her posts get me inspired or fired up. And right now, I’m also loving @babyfoode for good foodie inspired baby food recipes.

3. What’s currently waiting for you on your DVR or in your streaming queue?

Fleabag, Killing Eve, and Hightown are the next three shows I want to watch. I’m so behind. I have small children!

4. It’s your last meal — what are you going out with?

My Abuela’s rabo encendido (oxtail), tostones, Cuban bread, and a big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon.

5. What websites do you visit on a regular basis?

Ugh, Twitter. LA Times. Eater LA.

6. What’s the most frequently played song on your mobile device?

“You’re Welcome” from Moana. I have a four-year-old.

7. If you could go back and give your 18-year-old self one piece of advice what would it be?

Stop tweezing your eyebrows. That cute tap dancer is not worth your time. Take a film class, and spend more time with your mentor because you’ll only have three years with him.

8. What’s the last thing you Googled?

“How do I find my most played song?”

9. Dogs or cats?

100% dogs, but I appreciate a cat’s “I give zero f*cks” lifestyle.

10. Best concert of your life was…?

New Kids on the Block reunion tour as an adult, in New Jersey. Me and some girlfriends dressed up in jean jackets and side ponytails. It was an epic night.

11. What book are you most likely to give as a gift?

Many Lives, Many Masters.

12. What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

I lived in an apartment in Queens and I had painted one wall in my bedroom this ugly dark red color. I don’t know what I was thinking and I was too lazy to change it. Well, David [my husband] also hated it so one day while I was at work he, and our friend Javier, repainted the whole room this beautiful soft olive-y green and rearranged all my furniture so I came home to a whole room makeover. I think I cried. It was so nice.

13. South Park or Family Guy?

South Park.

14. You have an entire day to do whatever you want. What would you do?

Sleep in completely unbothered by any small humans, then some yoga, then some gluttonous brunch with friends, then a nap, a massage, play on a beach with my kids, then leave kids with a sitter and have a decadent dinner and cocktails with my husband. God, that sounds like a damn good day. I miss normal life.

15. What movie can you not resist watching if it’s on?

Anything Marvel and Big Fish.

16. The sports team or teams you’re most passionate about?

I don’t watch any sports, don’t hate me.

17. Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Epicure restaurant in Paris with my husband, and my castmates Stephanie [Beatriz] and her boyfriend at the time, Joe [Lo Truglio] and his wife Beth. It was a five-hour dinner and absolutely incredible.

18. The last movie you saw in a theater?

Frozen 2. I think I loved it more than my four-year-old.

19. Who was your first celebrity crush?

Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones gave me all the tingles.

20. What would you cook if Nic Cage were coming to your house for dinner?

Feels like steak would be a safe choice? What if he’s a vegan? This is a lot of pressure. Why is Nic Cage coming to my house?!

PREVIOUSLY: Esther Povitsky

Last week, when Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B unveiled their new collaboration, “WAP,” the reception was celebratory for the most part. However, some fans and even a candidate running for Congress took to social media to show their disdain for the track. As unlikely and surprising as the comments from members of Congress were, another surprising take arriving from Tiger King stand-out Carole Baskin who claimed the tigers shown in the “WAP” video were most likely photoshopped, and if not, they were mistreated on set. Giving her own response to Baskin’s comments, Cardi B shared her thoughts in a recent i-D Magazine interview.

“I’m not gonna engage with Carole Baskin on that. Like, that’s just ridiculous you know? Oh, Lord,” Cardi said when she was asked specifically for her thoughts on Baskin’s comments. “Like, girl you killed your goddamn husband.” Cardi’s last comment comes after fans of Tiger King concluded Baskin was responsible for her husband’s death, something Cardi alluded to agreeing with back in March in a tweet that called her a “slick b*tch.”

In the interview, Cardi was also asked for her opinion on the negative comments “WAP” has received altogether. “It doesn’t make me angry,” Cardi said. “It makes me happy. They keep talking and the numbers keep going up. At the end of the day, whatever they’re saying, the numbers speak for themselves.”

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

This weekend, two teams will square off for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoff picture. The NBA adopted a unique format for its Bubble in Orlando based on the fact that several teams were within striking distance of the 8-seed across both conferences, one which raised the possibility for play-in tournaments.

In the Eastern Conference, the only squad with a shot of disrupting the postseason order, the Washington Wizards, went 1-7 and wasn’t able to make any sort of move. But in the West, things came down to the final games for several teams, and by the time the dust was settled late on Thursday night, the Portland Trail Blazers had the 8-seed, the Memphis Grizzlies secured the 9-seed, and the Phoenix Suns found themselves on the outside looking in.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for absolutely wonderful Suns, which went 8-0 in the Bubble, but now, the Blazers and Grizzlies will square off with an opportunity to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on the line. The two squads have faced off already in the Bubble, when Damian Lillard and co. knocked off Ja Morant’s squad, 140-135, in an overtime thriller to kick off both of their Bubble slates.

As the 8-seed, Portland gets a significant advantage in the proceedings: They only need to beat Memphis one time in order to secure their spot in the postseason. However, that’s not as fun as the 9-seed winning the first game the two sides play on Saturday afternoon. Should that happen, a second game will tip off on Sunday and act as a winner-take-all contest for the final spot in the postseason. It’s a fun twist on things, and while the Blazers have an advantage by nature of only having to win once, the Grizzlies are absolutely capable of going all-out for two games and winning them both.

Game one in this potential series tips off on 2:30 p.m. EST on Sat, Aug. 15 on ABC. Should a second game be necessary, the two teams will square off a day later at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN. The winner of the series will begin their first-round tilt against the Lakers on Tuesday evening.

In the nightcap of Thursday’s slate of NBA seeding games, the Portland Trail Blazers held all of the cards. After the Memphis Grizzlies clinched a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament behind triple-doubles from Ja Morant and Jonas Valanciunas, the Phoenix Suns put pressure on Damian Lillard and company by completing an unbelievable 8-0 run with a rout over the Dallas Mavericks. That left Portland needing to topple the Brooklyn Nets in prime time and, if the Blazers fell short, Phoenix’s Cinderella run would continue into the weekend.

Unfortunately for the Suns, it was not to be, but the Blazers needed every bit of 48 minutes to escape with a win. Ultimately, Portland benefitted from a missed jumper in the final seconds and, by a final score of 134-133, the Blazers earned the victory and a trip to the play-in tournament.

From the opening tip, both teams operated at a torrid pace on the offensive end of the floor. After a rough performance in his last outing, Blazers guard CJ McCollum led the way early with 12 points in the first eight minutes.

In opposition, Nets wing Caris LeVert scored ten points in the first six minutes, keeping Brooklyn engaged.

The Nets were genuinely feisty in the early going, taking a lead late in the first quarter and playing the Blazers to a 31-31 draw in the first 12 minutes. Brooklyn shot 55 percent from the floor and, while McCollum got loose, the Nets were able to control Lillard with aggressive double-teaming all over the floor.

The second quarter was more of the same on both ends, with the offenses taking full advantage of the defenses. Portland used a 13-5 run to grab control, but Brooklyn didn’t fade away, scoring efficiently throughout the half.

LeVert keyed the offense for the Nets, scoring 18 points before halftime, and Brooklyn shot a blistering 59 percent in the first 24 minutes. It was the duo of Lillard and McCollum that held the edge, though, combining for 35 points to lead Portland to a six-point edge at the break.

Coming out of halftime, Lillard made an early statement, making a shot that he and (very) few others would even attempt under normal circumstances.

Portland threatened to put some distance on the scoreboard, stretching the advantage to eight points in a hurry, but Brooklyn had other ideas. Specifically, LeVert got loose early in the third quarter, helping the Nets take an unexpected lead at 94-87 with four minutes remaining in the period.

Brooklyn extended their lead to as many as ten (!) points in the latter portion of the third quarter and, in short, the pressure was firmly on Portland with their season on the line. Even after showing a bit of life, the Blazers entered the closing period trailing by seven points and facing a suddenly confident Nets team.

Lillard, who played the entire second half, threw a haymaker in cutting the lead to 107-103, and he did so from the logo.

Within the next three minutes, Lillard connected on two more three-pointers, giving the Blazers the lead. The Nets simply wouldn’t fade, however, as Brooklyn exploited a porous Blazers defense in conjunction with legitimately impressive shot-making to reclaim control.

At the 3:17 mark, Lillard connected on a trio of free throws, allowing the Blazers to climb within a one-point margin. That set up a series of back-and-forth possessions, with LeVert dominating the likes of Gary Trent Jr. and Portland’s offense having their way with Brooklyn’s smaller defense.

Following a (very) rare miss, Lillard executed on the defensive end, generating a turnover in semi-transition. On the other end, McCollum knocked down a mid-range jumper to give the Blazers a four-point edge with less than a minute remaining.

LeVert came up big with a three-point play and, following a missed three-point attempt from Anthony, the Nets were in a position to steal the game. Fortunately for Portland, however, a contested jumper by LeVert went begging in the final seconds and, by the narrowest of margins, the Blazers prevailed.

Lillard finished the night with 42 points, including eight three-pointers, to go along with 12 assists. He played the entire second half and McCollum (25 points, seven assists) and Nurkic (22 points, 10 rebounds) provided support.

The next step for the Blazers is a 2:30 pm ET tip-off on Saturday against the Grizzlies in Game 1 of the play-in tournament. If Memphis claims the first game, the Blazers and Grizzlies will battle again on Sunday in a winner-take-all matchup with the No. 8 seed as the prize. If Portland prevails, the Blazers will advance to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, with Game 1 set for Tuesday at 9 pm ET on TNT.

From the very beginning of the NBA restart in Orlando, TNT’s Inside The NBA crew has provided endless entertainment to basketball observers everywhere. Recently, Shaquille O’Neal provided a tremendous reaction to a legendary Kyle Kuzma quote and, just days later, Shaq and Charles Barkley delivered yet again during halftime of Thursday’s tilt between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Brooklyn Nets.

With the Blazers struggling on defense, Barkley indicated that Portland needed to step things up while Shaq insisted “defense, schmefense” and the issue was that the Blazers role players needed to step up for dame who was getting double-teamed. This led to a back and forth that’s, well, it is best to just watch the video.

First, Shaq took a shot at Barkley in familiar fashion, using his rings to prove a point.

“First of all, I speak from not being a great defensive player, but having championship experience,” Shaq told Barkley. “I know what the hell I’m talking about… I don’t give a damn what you’re talking about.”

Shaq went on to name some supporting players, including Robert Horry, Brian Shaw and James Posey, and praised them for helping him when he was double and triple-teamed. Then, Barkley landed the haymaker, telling Shaq not to “forget about Kobe and D-Wade carrying (his) fat ass.”

Of course, this is all in fun and, while this may seem personal under normal circumstances, the Inside The NBA crew is the best in the business, in part because of the topics they are willing to tackle. It is hard to envision other studio shows going in this direction but, in the end, Shaq and Barkley can handle it and they will probably spar again in a similar way in the not-too-distant future. On top of that, Wade occupies Barkley’s seat opposite Shaq on Tuesday nights, so once TNT’s playoff coverage begins next week, we might get to hear Dwyane chime in on Chuck’s constant jab at O’Neal.