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Ghostface Killah and Raekwon to Go Head-to-Head in Verzuz Battle
Verzuz is a quarantine battle series that pits two similar artists against one another to determine who is the hit-for-hit champion. Over the past few months, the event’s organizers have gotten some of the biggest names in the music industry to join in on the fun, and the next battle might just be their most anticipated yet: Ghostface Killah vs. Raekwon. Swizz Beatz and Timbaland announced the news during an Instagram live story last week. In the clip, they hyped up the reveal, saying, “Who’re we talking about?” while playing various songs by the two Wu-Tang Clan members in the background. Unsurprisingly, fans were immediately stoked to realize this meant Ghostface Killah and Raekwon would be dueling it out over a livestream battle, with an excited Common even commenting, “WHOAH!!!!!” Curr...
Grimes Releases New Music via Cryptocurrency Art Auction, Rakes in $6 Million
Grimes has released new music, but it’s not available as a physical release or via streaming services. Instead, the unreleased material accompanies cryptocurrency art pieces in WarNymph Collection Vol 1, a collaboration with her brother Mac Boucher which made Grimes more than $6 million via auction. The art isn’t physically available, either, but comes in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFT). WarNymph contains 10 different pieces. As Exclaim points out, Earth is accompanied by the unreleased track, “Ærythe”, while Mars is soundtracked by “Mars Theme”. The collection was made available on the NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway and sold out in 20 minutes. A percentage of proceeds from the sales will be donated to environmental NGO Carbon 180, presumably in an attempt to offset the electrici...
Curren$y “Closing Date,” Dougie D ft. Bun B & Kendricc James “So Hard” & More | Daily Visuals 3.1.21
Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty If ever a week passes by and Curren$y didn’t drop a new video in those 7 days, we might have to file a missing person’s report because that man stays on his camera grizzly. This week Spitta comes through with some new visuals for “Closing Date,” where he shows off some big boy toys in his garage and proves not all rappers need a Maybach or Benz to roll hard on these streets. Sometimes a classic car is enough to get the job done. Down South, Dougie D keeps H-Town bumping, and in his clip to “So Hard,” calls on Bun B and Kendricc James to bring that heat to keep the streets bubbling. Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend, including work from Peso Peso, Neek Bucks featuring Sleazus Bhrist (interesting name), an...
It’s Lit and Under Surveillance: Travis Scott Under Investigation For Allegedly Breaking COVID Rules
Source: Rachpoot/MEGA / Getty Travis Scott may be known for his eclectic and rare merchandise, but it was his recent rollout that has authorities examining the event closely. According to published reports, Cactus Jack is currently being investigated after he held a surprise event in Los Angeles for the release of his merch collection that accompanies his “Utopia in Dystopia” i-D cover shot by Spike Jonze and the city revealed that the event, that is accused of possibly breaking COVID-19 gathering rules. Authorities state that La Flame and his team are now being investigated for the gathering that caused a major disturbance in West Hollywood after he and his team reportedly did not go through the process of getting a permit for the event from the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, who...
Sam Halabi Blends Middle Eastern Instrumentation With House On Latest Single, “East and West”
Sam Halabi first started making music when he was seven years old, learning how to play the piano. He went on to study music composition and orchestral conducting at universities in Israel, informing his melodic house sound with a deep understanding of music theory. Now, after nearly a year of radio silence, Halabi has returned with his latest single, “East and West.” Released independently on January 28th, the track is only the sixth original release from Halabi and follows last April’s “Same Thing.” “East and West” stands out with its unique inclusion of Halabi on the Oud, a stringed instrument that originated in the Middle East as early as 800 B.C.E. Played in the traditional Taqsim style—improvisation on the Arabic Maqam scale ...
Excision’s Subsidia Records Announces Third Entry in “Dusk” Compilation Series
Just days after Excision showed off early concept art from the bass utopia he calls Subsidia Records, comes the announcement of the label’s next compilation album. Broken into three categories, Dusk, Night, and Dawn, Subsidia’s compilations each showcase different spectrums of the bass music gamut. While each has seen two volumes of content released so far, announced today is the third chapter of the experimental bass-focused Dusk series. The full lineup of artists set to appear on the album was shared on Twitter yesterday, March 1st. Hitting the airwaves later this week, fans can expect to hear wonky creations from Ray Volpe, Carbin, Blurrd Vzn, ZIZI, Brunchbeatz, Cyrus Gold, and many more. Featuring a nice mixture of both established electronic artists and rising s...
Steve Aoki Announces Debut NFT Release
Steve Aoki is the latest dance music producer to join in on the blockchain-powered art craze after announcing his debut NFT release. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital collectibles that are unable to be replicated or mutually interchanged. The value of NFTs lies in their singularity, since they are truly unique and belong solely to their owner. Hosted on the popular Nifty Gateway marketplace, Aoki’s foray into the NFT space finds the dance music superstar teaming up with renowned visual artist Antoni Tudisco. Known for his beautifully chaotic releases, Tudisco has provided artwork for a litany of major brands, including Apple, Nike, Adidas, Sony, and BMW, among many others. Aoki took to Twitter to share a short preview of the new collection of NFTs, te...
Festival Wishlist: 5 Dance Music Festivals Awaiting Our Return
1. Nocturnal Wonderland Not only does Nocturnal Wonderland claim to be the longest-running electronic festival in America, but it’s also home to an ingenious venue and camping section. Each year, Nocturnal Wonderland is known for its intimacy and huge headliners. The grounds are filled with blacklight art, neon signs, and dancers galore. The campgrounds, situated within San Bernardino’s Glen Helen Regional Park, are picturesque, and campers can visit a water park during their free time. An RV is the perfect way to camp here—it’s close to what Insomniac calls “Camp OG.” This is a section of the campground filled with old-school ravers who have been devoted fans since the festival’s inception in 1995. Insomniac 2. Escape: Psycho Circus Insomniac‘s ...
MEGADETH’s DAVID ELLEFSON: ‘Even As A Bass Player, EDDIE VAN HALEN Was An Influence On Me’
In a new chat with Ray Shasho of BBS Radio‘s “Interviewing The Legends”, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked which artist — dead or alive — he would like to perform or collaborate with if he got the chance. He responded (hear audio below): “Probably Eddie Van Halen. And I don’t say that just because [he recently] passed. [VAN HALEN is] a band that MEGADETH never played with. And they were such an influential band for me. And even as a bass player, Eddie was an influence on me. And I don’t play guitar like him at all. When I play guitar, I probably play more like Rudy Schenker [SCORPIONS] or Malcolm Young [AC/DC] or something. I’m not a lead guitar player — I admit that. I just love his approach to things — just kind of shoot from the hip, pla...
ALICE COOPER Comments On MARILYN MANSON Abuse Allegations
Alice Cooper has commented on the abuse allegations leveled against his onetime tourmate Marilyn Manson, saying that he has “never noticed” a violent “streak” in him. A month ago, “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood named Manson as the previously anonymous abuser she referenced while testifying before the California Senate in relation to the state’s Phoenix Act, which extends the statute of limitations on domestic violence from three years to five. On February 1, Wood claimed in a social media post that Manson “groomed” and “horrifically” abused her for years. After she shared her accusations, at least half a dozen other women came forward with their own allegations against the singer. The women claimed to have endured R...
LAMB OF GOD: Trailer For ‘Live In Richmond, VA’
LAMB OF GOD will issue a three-disc deluxe edition of last year’s critically acclaimed self-titled album featuring the full record with two bonus tracks and a live version of the album, along with a DVD performance of “Lamb Of God” on March 26 via Epic Records. “This album, and in particular this deluxe edition, is something I’m incredibly proud of,” says guitarist Willie Adler. “Throughout the process of writing, recording and the subsequent filming of the live stream, I knew we were creating much more than a collection of songs. Much more than a simple streamed performance. This was focused energy. Energy that, to me, is very tangible. And now, more than ever, in an era where human interaction is so limited, art…. be it music, visual or oth...
KISS’s PAUL STANLEY Reacts To Attack On Asian American Man In L.A.’s Koreatown: ‘So Demoralizing’
KISS frontman Paul Stanely has called for “kindness” and “justice” in the wake of an alleged attack on a Korean American man last month in the heart of Los Angeles’ Koreatown in an incident that police are investigating as a hate crime. 27-year-old Denny Kim told CNN he was waiting for a friend on February 16 when he was approached by two men who started yelling racial slurs and then struck him in the face. “All of a sudden they just started saying very terrible things,” Kim said. He said he also heard the men say, “You have the Chinese Virus, go back to China,” before he was attacked. On Saturday, Stanley took to his Twitter to share a CNN article about the incident, and he included the following message: “SO DEMORALIZING. We sha...
