After involving himself in a lengthy diss track feud with Stormzy earlier this year, Wiley has cemented himself as a prolific rapper with the surprise record Boasty Gang. The album impressively marks the second project released by the grime rap pioneer this month alone.
Boasty Gang arrives shortly after The Godfather III, which the rapper had previously announced would be the final record released under his moniker. But it seems as though the rapper still had a few more songs up his sleeve, as he gave fans no warning before dropping the 19-track Boasty Gang, which includes his Idris Elba collaboration “Boasty.”
The new project could be Wiley’s way of making up for last year’s scrapped release Full Circle. Originally slated for an August 2019 debut, Full Circle was supposed to feature all-star guest features from Nicki Minaj, Future, and Drake’s label signee Popcaan. Just two weeks before the record debuted, Wiley announced the entire project had been tossed out because Drake’s OVO label had blocked a verse by Popcaan and Nicki had announced her (short-lived) retirement.
Eminem’s always been known for trolling his detractors and fellow celebrities, even since before it was called “trolling.” He’s also been known to record multiple alternate verses for songs, vaulting the ones that actually cross too far over the line of bad taste even for him. Every so often, one of those vaulted tracks leaks though, and we get a peek into both his creative process and into his latest vendettas. The latest alternate verse to escape from the vault comes from an 86ed take on Conway The Machine’s “Bang,” on which Em guested last year.
On the original, he makes reference to his 20-year-old beef with Canibus and decade-old bout with Ja Rule, as well as calling out Iggy Azalea and “Milli Vanilli hip-hop.” A few months later, a remix of the track appeared on Griselda Records’ group debut, WWCD, along with the other members of the Buffalo drug rap trio. However, today, an alternate take cropped up on which Eminem reserves a few bars for former Shady Records signee Joe Budden and Diddy’s Revolt TV outlet, both of which have been critical of his artistic direction in the recent past.
Of Budden, Em says, “Tell this journalist stick to the stuff he knows / Like always running from Migos,” while he has the following to say on Revolt TV (where Joe eventually ended up as a content director), “Shout to Puffy Combs, but f*ck Revolt / Y’all are like a f*cked up remote / Now I get it why our button’s broke.” As the song is a leak, it’s against Uproxx policy to embed a player, but you can click here to check out the alternate version.
Keeping up with the best new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Noname chiming in on an unexpected feud and Phoebe Bridgers returning to her solo roots. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the best new music this week below.
Noname — “Song 33”
Noname found herself the unsuspecting target of a surprise J. Cole song. So, she returned the favor by going after him on a surprise track of her own, “Song 33,” on which she all but calls the rapper out by name. Although the song is some of the best new music this week, Noname said after dropping it that she’s “not proud” of what she did.
Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher
Another surprise: Phoebe Bridgers released her new album, Punisher, a day early. She’s done pushing it, though, because, like a lot of people, Bridgers is tired of how things are going in the world right now.
John Legend — Bigger Love
John Legend has been an impactful voice in light of all that’s going on, and now he has also put that voice to use musically. He recruited an intimate but effective roster of guests for the new record, including Jhené Aiko, Rapsody, and Gary Clark Jr. There’s also a bit of Dr. Dre on there thanks to a sample on “Actions.”
Teyana Taylor — The Album
Teyana Taylor decided to drop her album, The Album, as a celebration of Juneteenth, saying, “I’ve always been about us being celebrated and celebrating my culture and my people. For everything to happen, from my album getting delayed and it falls perfectly on Juneteenth, yes, it’s a celebration.”
Anderson .Paak — “Lockdown”
It’s a frustrating time for a lot of people in this country, which .Paak conveys on his latest, “Lockdown.” .Paak doesn’t limit himself to just the Black Lives Matter movement here, though, as he discusses the coronavirus pandemic and other issues people are facing today.
BTS — “Stay With Gold”
BTS’ upcoming Japanese-language album is mostly translated versions of songs from Map Of The Soul: 7, but there are a couple new songs. They shared one of them last week, and thankfully, “Stay Gold” treads similar water to their hip-hop-influenced pop gems of recent years.
The Killers — “My Own Soul’s Warning”
The Killers have so far teased a huge-sounding album with Imploding The Mirage, a trend they continued on “My Own Soul’s Warning.” The track boasts more than a shade of epic ’80s rock influence, of which there is hopefully more on the upcoming record.
Saweetie — “Tap In”
Saweetie has sampled an early-2000s classic or two in her day, and she has done so again on the first single from her debut album, “Tap In.” Flipping Too Short’s 2006 hit “Blow The Whistle,” “Tap In” is an upbeat tune for as fun a summer as will be possible in the coming months.
Sault — Untitled (Black Is)
Sault’s new album is one made for these trying times. They say of the record, “We present our first ‘Untitled’ album to mark a moment in time where we as Black People, and of Black Origin are fighting for our lives. RIP George Floyd and all those who have suffered from police brutality and systemic racism. Change is happening… We are focused.”
Bob Dylan — Rough And Rowdy Ways
Bob Dylan is nearing 80 years old, and since the ’60s, he’s been pumping out music at a consistent rate. He added to his storied discography with Rough And Rowdy Ways, which he introduced with the 17-minute lead single “Murder Most Foul.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s more than fair to say that Donald Trump’s return to the campaign train this weekend in Tulsa went disastrously. It was Fyre Fest 2.0, basically, with who knows how many lingering aftereffects to be seen. Not only did POTUS urge people to pack into a 19,000 seat arena during the middle of a pandemic, but he used that opportunity to show off his water-drinking skills to a little over 6,000 people. Trump’s lack of attendance, despite campaign manager Brad Parscale insisting that unparalleled demand (over 1 million people) existed for these tickets, can only be regarded as a flop, and the “walk of shame” videos out there show that Trump’s sails were at least temporarily deflated. And John Oliver was predictably thrilled to see this happen.
“There’s absolutely no one in the room with me right now, although interestingly that’s still somehow only slightly fewer people than were at president Trump’s Oklahoma rally last night, which was half empty despite his campaign claiming a million people had requested tickets.”
Here’s a clip of that tidbit, which was only a brief blip in the entire Last Week Tonight episode, but Oliver enjoyed himself so much, it’s worth viewing.
As noted, even Pink “dunked” on Trump, as did Cardi B. And The Wiggles trended for the same reason, as you can see below, since all three acts outdid the president at the same venue.
Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was originally scheduled to be the first new wide release movie in theaters this summer, but after it got pushed back to July 31, that honor now belongs to Unhinged. But considering the Russell Crowe road-rage thriller is more of a documentary than a feature-length film, let’s say it’s The Broken Hearts Gallery.
Produced by Selena Gomez, the romantic-comedy stars Blockers, Hala, and Bad Education standout Geraldine Viswanathan as an “emotional hoarder” who opens a pop-up gallery for “the items love has left behind.” The Broken Hearts Gallery also stars Dacre Montgomery, unrecognizable without his “Billy from Stranger Things” haircut.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
What if you saved a souvenir from every relationship you’ve ever been in? The Broken Hearts Gallery follows the always unique Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan), a 20-something art gallery assistant living in New York City, who also happens to be an emotional hoarder. After she gets dumped by her latest boyfriend, Lucy is inspired to create The Broken Heart Gallery, a pop-up space for the items love has left behind. Word of the gallery spreads, encouraging a movement and a fresh start for all the romantics out there, including Lucy herself.
The Broken Hearts Gallery, which also stars Utkarsh Ambudkar, Molly Gordon, Suki Waterhouse, Phillipa Soo, Arturo Castro, and Bernadette Peters, opens on July 17.
The WNBA announced its return to play plan last week, with a 22-game season set to take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The big question that remains for the WNBA is how many of its stars will be willing to participate given the health concerns of many, coupled with those that believe playing would distract from the Black Lives Matter movement.
Shortly after McCoughtry announced she would be playing, a major star announced she would not, as the Connecticut Sun released the news that star Jonquel Jones, who finished third in MVP voting a year ago while leading the Sun to the Finals, would not be playing this season due to health concerns.
Jonquel Jones will be opting out for the 2020 season.
“…we fully support JJ’s difficult decision to sit out the 2020 WNBA season during these unprecedented times” -Curt Miller
“After careful thought and consideration I’ve decided to forego the upcoming WNBA season and use this time to focus on personal, social, and familial growth,” said Jones. “This was one of the toughest decisions I’ve made but the resurgence and unknown aspects of COVID -19 have raised serious health concerns that I do not feel comfortable competing in. I’d like to thank the Connecticut Sun organization, my teammates and fans for their unwavering support and understanding. While I won’t be competing this year I’m looking forward to lacing up with my teammates in 2021 and continuing the pursuit for a WNBA championship. Wishing the entire league and everyone involved a healthy and enjoyable season. Go Sun!”
As Jones notes, the recent spike in cases in Florida — with little indication there will be any statewide precautions taken to try and limit the spread once again — coupled with the unknown of long-term complications from the disease has led her to choose to sit out the season. It is a more than understandable concern, and while surely a difficult decision to make, it’s one that is commendable. Sun GM and head coach Curt Miller said the organization supports Jones’ decision fully and looks forward to welcoming her back in 2021.
Jones was spectacular last season, averaging 14.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game for the Sun, upping those averages to 17.9 points and 10.4 boards per game in the playoffs as the Sun fell just shy of a championship to the Mystics in a thrilling Finals. With the addition of DeWanna Bonner this offseason, the Sun figured to have a dominant frontcourt and were among the title favorites, but with Jones now opting out, their path gets much more difficult.
A recently-leaked track drew the ire of producer Swizz Beats over the weekend, who now says he was ‘in the wrong space’ after making disparaging comments about Drake on Busta Rhymes’ Zone Radio podcast. The record in question circulated briefly online via an anonymous SoundCloud profile and featured Busta and Drake rhyming over a beat by late Detroit producer J Dilla.
On Saturday, Swizz expressed his discontent with Drake, who apparently didn’t want to put out the song “Stay Down,” which he and Busta had worked on years prior. Busta tried to defuse the situation, saying that the collaboration was more about Drake wanting to rap over Dilla beats — Drake is a big fan, shouting him out on Thank Me Later and freestyling over beats from Dilla on past mixtapes. Busta previously told Rolling Stone when the track was in the works, but it never landed on a Drake album and Drake apparently never gave approval to Busta to release the track.
Swizz Beatz talks about a Drake & Busta Rhymes song that got leaked but busta wasn’t able to release it pic.twitter.com/hbFKofWeHs
During the interview Swizz’s irritation was evident, despite his insistence that he had nothing personal against Drake. “It’s cool,” he said. “That’s a little kid. That’s a guy. That’s a little guy… It’s no personal things. If it was personal we’d shoot your plane out the sky.” Elsewhere in the interview, he said, “At the end of the day, n****s is pussy for real. What’s up? Pop off. Let’s go.”
However, on Sunday, Swizz apologized via his Instagram Story, explaining that he had been drinking and was in “the wrong space” during the interview. While Drake himself kept quiet, his OVO affiliate and longtime friend Chubbs shared his view of the situation on Instagram as well, writing, “We don’t need no apology. It’s clear you don’t like us so act that same way when you see us.”
Australian singer Gordi is gearing up for the release of her sophomore album Our Two Skins, which is due this Friday. Ahead of its debut, the singer opted to give fans one more preview of the record with the track “Extraordinary Life” along with a touching video.
In tandem with the song’s release, Gordi said the track’s inspiration came to her while she was in the shower:
“I was standing in a shower in a hostel in Ghent at 2am towards the end of 2017 and I started humming. I began recording the demo in stairwells across Europe while I was on tour with Asgeir and in most of the demo vocals you can hear distant chatter in Icelandic. For all the turmoil and anguish described in the record, this song just sits in pure joy. I like the idea that the ultimate gesture of love is to make someone feel exceptional; like they deserve an extraordinary life.”
About the video, Gordi said it was filmed at the beginning of the pandemic’s outbreak: “As the pandemic was taking off in March of this year, I flew to Bangkok to shoot a video for ‘Aeroplane Bathroom.’ We decided while we were there that we’d cram in another video so we just shot wherever we went – the grand piano in the lobby of our hotel, on public transport, at the local markets. On our last day there we went to a water theme park and I had to go down the slippery slide nine times. I get really bad motion sickness so I felt like absolute shit at the end of making this.”
Watch “Extraordinary Life” above.
Our Two Skins is out 6/26 via Jagjaguwar. Pre-order it here.
It’s been a year of reunions for Steve Carell. He teamed up with The Office co-creator Greg Daniels for Netflix’s Space Force and he’ll soon star in Irresistible, written and directed by former-The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, out this Friday. The political-comedy, about a Democratic political strategist (Carell) who launches a campaign to help a retired Marine colonel run for mayor in a right-wing Wisconsin town, is the first time the Oscar nominee has worked with Stewart since he departed the Comedy Central series in 2005, although if Stewart had his way, he would have fired Carell years earlier.
After Extra host Billy Bush remarked how talented Carell is, Stewart jokingly replied, “I said that to him every day. I said, ‘If I would have known just what a talented actor you are, I would have fired you from The Daily Show like a month in and said, ‘Just go, go do that.’” Carell started on The Daily Show in 1999, and although he was already known to comedy nerds due to his involvement with The Dana Carvey Show, it wouldn’t be until 2003, the year Bruce Almighty came out, that he would break through into the mainstream. Then came Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and mega-hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and that was the end of Steve Carell on The Daily Show.
Stewart continued:
“He’s really something. What was so nice for me, I wrote it for him, with him in mind, and when I would get in the edit room and watch it, he’d given me so many nuanced options to play with in edit that I never saw when I was on set, mostly because I was drunk, but his range of everything is remarkable.”
Irresistible is available through video on demand on June 26.
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