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DaBaby was the most-nominated artist at last night’s 2020 BET Hip-Hop Awards, competing in 12 categories including two nominations for Album Of The Year. At the end of the night, he held an impressive grand total of exactly zero of those awards, missing out on Artist Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Lyricist Of The Year, and more. However, while some fans poked fun on social media, DaBaby himself seemed pretty sanguine about the whole thing, congratulating the winners on Twitter. “ion think Baby trippin,” he wrote. “BET love Baby, congrats to the winners. #WellDeserved”

Meanwhile, the winners of the awards DaBaby missed out on include Megan Thee Stallion (Hip-Hop Artist of the Year), Future and Drake (Best Hip-Hop Video for “Life Is Good”), Roddy Ricch (Song of the Year for “The Box” and Hip-Hop Album of the Year for Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, Travis Scott (Best Live Performer), and Rapsody (Lyricist of the Year). The highlights of the evening included performances from Big Sean, Burna Boy, City Girls, Lil Baby, Mulatto, Ty Dolla Sign, and more, with the show saluting late rappers Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke. Elsewhere, the cyphers collected some of hip-hop’s most exciting new acts like Ade, Flo Milli, and Deante Hitchcock, and even included an R&B cypher with Brandy, Erykah Badu, HER, and Teyana Taylor spitting some bars.

See DaBaby’s response to his off night above.

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

As someone who began her massive music career at just 15-years-old, Taylor Swift has put a lot of her life experiences into her music over eight studio albums. Two of the singer’s records, Red and 1989, recently landed a spot on Rolling Stone‘s roundup of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. Now reflecting on those eras, Swift recalls putting all of her heartbreak into the songwriting process on Red.

In an upcoming podcast interview with Rolling Stone and Amazon Music, Swift will break down her Red album. A snippet of the interview was released Tuesday and in it, Swift names Red as her “only true breakup album,” saying it was an album she “wrote specifically about pure, absolute, to the core, heartbreak.”

In other Swift news, the singer recently turned out another extremely successful album recently. Following her 2019 blissed-out pop record Lover, the singer dropped the surprise LP Folklore in late July. The album, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, led the singer to spend 47 weeks at No. 1, more than any other female artist. Just last week, the record returned to No. 1 once again and became the first album in 2020 to sell over a million copies.

Listen to a snippet of Swift’s conversation with Rolling Stone above.

“Dark Knight feeling, die and be a hero / or live long enough to see yourself become a villain…”

Jay-Z uttered that on Kanye West’s “So Appalled,” a song title that fits fan sentiment toward so many of our 2000s and 2010s faves’ descent from “favorite to the most hated” for one reason or another. Jay was referencing The Dark Knight and Batman’s choice of whether to kill a corrupted Harvey Dent and keep him from tarnishing his beloved image as the sinister Two-Face or to uphold his own code and let Two-Face continue his rampage.

While the stakes aren’t that high in the rap world, many fans wish we could somehow encase our rap heroes in their greatness, before attrition and celebrity insulation led them to disappoint us for one reason or another. 2020 in particular has been chockful of dubious quotes and curious silence from rappers that muddies the listening experience for many — if they can listen at all. If celebrity has taught us one thing this year, it’s that time, like money, often exposes who you really are.

Rap fans should consider themselves lucky if their favorite merely sounds dated or saw their lyrical luster fade in the battle rap arena like Cassidy. That’s just what happens with art sometimes. But the election season exploits of certain rap veterans, to again quote Kanye’s hit, have been “f*ckin’ ridiculous.”

Kanye is somehow on the election ballot. Diddy and Ice Cube exposed their political inexperience at the wrong time with a pair of scrutinized initiatives. 50 Cent joked about voting for Donald Trump to take advantage of tax breaks, not realizing, or caring, that he has suffering fans that are in no position to joke about another Trump presidential term. 50 Cent became beloved in part for reckless comments, but he’s turned off many for that very same reason. He’s since clarified that he actually hates Trump, but the MAGA crowd are a special kind of misinformed. Clarification doesn’t mean as much to them as fabrication.

Cube’s continued attempts to distance himself from Trump have proved that. The rap icon merely spoke with the administration about his Contract With Black America, but a Trump aide beat him to the punch of announcing it and framed him as an ally. While some respect him for his willingness to speak with whomever for the sake of Black people, others feel like he allowed himself to be used by an administration desperate for Black votes. Unfortunately, he’s been unable to articulate exactly how his CWBA is reflected in Trump’s Platinum Plan for Black America and now he has proximity to Jared Kushner’s racist implication that Black people don’t “want to be successful” — which was uttered during a Fox News interview about Cube. The entire situation is a mess that may forever tarnish his militant early ‘90s catalog with some listeners.

But he’s not the only artist ripe to be heard with new ears. Earlier this year, some stars disappointed their following during a heightened political moment after the police killing of George Floyd. There were some entertainers who spoke up for the protesters, but there was also a deafening silence from stars like Kendrick Lamar. He had spent the previous decade exploring the nature of the Black American experience but had nothing publicly to say about the very real pain we were all dealing with after Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s police killings — although he did make an appearance at a protest in his hometown. There are millions of fans eager to support his next work, but some may feel like they have a new context to engage him as someone who, while talented, might not be as politically passionate as his music would indicate.

Later that June, J. Cole caught ire for tone-policing Noname on his “Snow On Tha Bluff” record. His song is just one instance of many rappers alienating their female fanbases this year. In a more serious circumstance, Game was accused of sexual assault and lost a $7 million dollar lawsuit (because he didn’t show up to the hearing). Cam’ron and 50 Cent somehow found humor in Megan Thee Stallion saying she was shot. Rap fans also expressed disappointment that few rappers came out in support of Megan Thee Stallion. T.I., Bun B, and Maxo Kream were some who eventually did, but it came after weeks of Megan expressing a lack of support amid misogyny — including from her own peers. These artists relied heavily on women to accrue their riches, but couldn’t reciprocate support when Black women needed it most.

This piece would’ve been doubly long culling the misdeeds of newer acts in hip-hop. But the antics of veteran acts sting more because they’re all too entrenched in our minds to dismiss. People won’t hesitate to delete Lil Pump from their libraries after his recent pro-Trump comments. But it’s harder to cut ties with an artist you love. It feels like a bigger slap in the face. Many fans who grew up with ’00s-and-‘10s-era rappers will comb through the music of their teenage and childhood years, reflect on good times with them, then end up saying, “it’s a shame they [insert self-inflicted L here].”

Some of these artists have shown us who they were. They expressed their innermost thoughts and aspirations in song, but some listeners were naive enough to think those characteristics wouldn’t lead them too far astray. Jay-Z told us “I’m out for presidents to represent me” from day one. Should we really be surprised about his controversial alliance with the NFL? Likewise, 50 Cent came out the gate talking reckless without a care for the consequences. That mentality doesn’t change in an election year.

The truth is usually there for us to notice, but in some cases, we feel fooled. When J. Cole rapped “n****s be thinkin’ I’m deep, intelligent, fooled by my college degree, my IQ is average” on “Snow On Tha Bluff,” it felt like a copout. He had spent a decade growing along with fans, ascending commercially around the same time as the Ferguson uprising with “Be Free.” But then he dropped the ball at a critical social justice moment, attacking someone who was advocating for the people in a manner we wished he would have.

But that expectation is the problem. Years of good PR, media hype, and devout stannery vaulted entertainers up the cultural pedestal. But as Tupac once said, “Watch people. Because you can fake for a long time, but one day you’re gonna show yourself to be a phony.” Or an abuser. Or an egoist. The gifts of longevity as an entertainer are fame and riches, but the curse is that no one can hide who they really are forever — especially with riches that detach you from reality. Today, when stars falter, the perceived betrayal makes the backlash strike that much harder. The echo chamber of discontent is that much louder and harder for artists to cut through. The music becomes much harder to listen to.

The disappointment we feel toward our favorites is a pitfall of consumerism. So now we have to scrutinize the environment. It would be foolish of us to continue the cycle of hoisting artists as larger than life figures, knowing we’re going to drop them the second they strike a nerve and not be able to enjoy their music the same. Going forward, a healthier relationship with celebrity looks like simply appreciating their talent and keeping it at that.

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

Ty Dolla Sign’s new album Featuring Ty Dolla Sign is out now and in a well-timed promotional effort, the LA singer made his return to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series with a Tiny Desk At-Home performance of some of the album’s tracks, including “Temptations,” “Ego Death,” and “Your Turn.” He also added a few other fan-favorite catalog singles, with “Or Nah,” “Paranoid,” and his chorus from “Something New” all fitting the “featuring Ty Dolla Sign” theme.

The concert itself is relatively low-key as Ty clears out space in his own office for his band and DJ as they play smooth renditions of his hits and Ty shows off his vocal chops. Ty also picks up his MPC machine for the intro to “Ego Death,” showing his proficiency at using the device as his band embellishes the house-influenced hit.

Speaking of features, Ty contributed a number of his signature pop-up appearances to other artists in the lead-up to his album release, turning his visibility into near-ubiquity. He assisted SZA with her comeback single “Hit Different,” Big Sean with his romantic, Jhene Aiko-featuring “Body Language,” and he’ll be dueting with Ariana Grande on her new album Positions.

Featuring Ty Dolla Sign is out now via Atlantic Records. Get it here.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

One of the NBA’s oldest ownership groups, the Utah Jazz’s Miller family, has decided to sell the team for more than $1.6 billion, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Ryan Smith, the founder of Qualtrics and a longtime Salt Lake City resident will take over. Smith had previously served as a minority owner of the franchise.

The Miller family purchased the team in the 1980s but in recent years had been governed solely by Gail Miller, the widow of the late Larry Miller. Now 77, Gail will move on from governorship of the Jazz and will make an incredible fortune for the team her husband initially paid $8 million for in the spring of 1985.

As Wojnarowski noted at ESPN, the Jazz have had the second-winningest record in the NBA since the Millers took over the team. Wojnarowski also notes the sale will not be final until the NBA Board of Governors approve it.

Smith will take over the Jazz ahead of an offseason in which Rudy Gobert’s future with the team will be a subject of much discussion. The team is likely to be among the best in the Western Conference once again in 2021, but has not yet broken through to the conference finals during this period of prolonged success.

Donald Trump literally left his supporters out in the cold following a rally in Omaha, Nebraska on Tuesday night. The president’s campaign bussed in hundreds of supporters for the event, but they apparently failed to arrange transportation to bus crowd back out, leaving the police to deal with a throng of confused Trump voters who were stranded in freezing temperatures until well after midnight. Some of the attendees were senior citizens and small children who suffered hypothermia and other ailments from the cold. Via NBC News:

“I’ve got an elderly male that’s down ten blocks…having a hard time breathing right now,” audio on Omaha Police Dispatch 1100 said. While another refers to: “Subject says he’s about to pass out.”

The recordings say there were about “30 patient contacts” and 20 buses backed-up and creating jams as rally-goers had to be shuttled back to busy parking lots and exits. The dispatches also reference patients being taken to Creighton University Medical Center, NBC News reached out to the hospital but did not yet receive a response.

Via tweets from the Omaha Scanner, the chaotic event unfolded in real time as avid Twitter users watched in disbelief that the Trump campaign would commit such a major blunder with the presidential election only a week away. Even the police seemed to be frustrated with the mess left behind.

As the campaign blunder began to trend on social media, political observers couldn’t help but notice the very obvious metaphor. It was practically staring you right in the face.

The Trump campaign has yet to respond to news outlets’ requests for comments.

(Via NBC News, Mediaite)

As America inches closer to an election many consider one of the most pivotal in the nation’s history, more and more recording artists have begun to speak out on the importance of voting. While big stars like Cardi B and Lizzo have spent months imploring fans to participate in the upcoming election, now established underground vets are getting involved in any way they can. For De La Soul, that means using their music and while the group of rap Avengers they assemble on their voting anthem isn’t normally known for delving into politics, it seems they’ll do anything to “Remove 45.”

Joining De La Soul on the bare-bones track are such names as their Spitkicker crew cohorts Pharoahe Monch and Talib Kweli, Public Enemy protest rap pioneer Chuck D, Bronx-born viral hero Mysonne, and The LOX’s resident health aficionado Styles P. Rapping over the oft-sampled break beat from The Honey Drippers’ “Impeach The President” — yeah, it’s on the nose but we’ll take it — the collection of rap’s more outspoken activists puts the finest of points on the matter, calling out Trump’s racism, misogyny, and slippery grasp of concepts like “facts” and “the truth.” Of the group’s decision to release the track, De La Soul’s Posdnous said in a statement, “When it comes to this president and his administration we need to exercise our right to vote and REMOVE him from office.”

Listen to “Remove 45” above.

David Bowie wasn’t DAVID BOWIE, internationally-known rock god, until his fifth album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I mean, technically before he was David Bowie or DAVID BOWIE, he was David Robert Jones, but you get the idea. His self-titled debut barely made a commercial dent, while the follow-up, also named David Bowie (later re-titled Space Oddity), had a hit, but sold poorly as well.

IFC Films biopic Stardust follows Bowie (Lovesick‘s Johnny Flynn) as he’s sent to America to promote his third album, 1970’s The Man Who Sold the World, with help from a music publicist played by pre-Joker beard Marc Maron. “Be someone else,” the publicist tells Bowie. That bit of advice led to not only Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke, but also, the Goblin King. And for that, we’re forever thankful to Marc Maron.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

David Bowie is one of the most seminal legends in music history; but who was the man behind the many faces? In 1971, a 24-year-old fledgling David Bowie (Johnny Flynn) is sent to America to promote his newest record, The Man Who Sold the World. Leaving behind his pregnant wife Angie (Jena Malone), Bowie and his band embark on a makeshift coast-to-coast promotional tour with struggling Mercury Records publicist Rob Oberman (Marc Maron).

Stardust hits VOD and digital services on November 25.

At the start of this year, Hayley Williams pivoted toward a solo career by releasing a handful of singles and videos which would make up her debut solo LP Petals For Armor. The record arrived only a few months before the lockdown took place, leaving Williams quarantined inside her home with her collection of new songs. To pass the time, the singer began sharing a several acoustic covers of her favorite songs and Petals For Armor tracks, and now, Williams has turned a select few of the acoustic efforts into a new EP.

Williams announced her Self-Serenades EP on Wednesday. The 10-inch vinyl boasts three stripped-down tracks. Two of the songs, “Simmer” and “Why We Ever,” were featured on Petals For Armor, but the collection also offers a previously-unreleased track titled “Find Me Here.”

“Survived 2020 thanks to self-serenades,” she wrote alongside the EP’s announcement.

Along with sharing acoustic renditions of some Petals For Armor songs while in quarantine, the singer offered her own spin on tracks from artists across genres. The singer covered SZA’s “Drew Barrymore,” Björk’s “Unison,” Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now,” and many more from her home.

Self-Serenades is out 10/18 via Atlantic. Pre-order it here.

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

The Wisconsin Badgers’ game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday is officially off. The Badgers, which are dealing with a spike in COVID cases within their locker room that left them with only one scholarship quarterback, announced the news on Wednesday morning, saying that all football-related activities are off for the time being.

Amid the statement, it was revealed that the team’s head coach, Paul Chryst, tested positive for COVID-19, with Christ saying, “This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday. I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning. I am disappointed for our players and coaching staff who put so much into preparing to play each week. But the safety of everyone in our program has to be our top priority and I support the decision made to pause our team activities.”

The team also announced that the game against Nebraska will not be played altogether, an unsurprising development as the Big Ten has put forth a condensed schedule with the hopes of playing a season this year. Over the last five days, 12 members of the Badgers’ football program have tested positive for the virus, and according to the New York Times‘ tracking data, the state of Wisconsin has had the third-highest daily average of positive test per 100,000 residents over the last week.