Music
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Entertainment – Music
Gorillaz Recruit ScHoolboy Q For New Collaborative Song “PAC-MAN”: Stream
Gorillaz continue to dole out hit after hit with their ongoing audiovisual series, Song Machine. For the latest entry, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s animated alternative outfit has teamed up with ScHoolboy Q for a song called “PAC-MAN” that celebrates the beloved arcade game’s 40th birthday. The bouncy, upbeat track features actual sound effects from Pac-Man the game, which makes for a particularly playful setting compared to ScHoolboy’s usual breed of grim West Coast rap. Check out “PAC-MAN” in full below along with its accompanying visual, which features ScHoolboy and the virtual band in both their normal and Pac-Man-ized forms. The track is the fifth edition of Gorillaz’s Song Machine singles series, following “Friday 13th” (feat. French-British rapper/singer Octa...
The Black Madonna Changing Her Name To The Blessed Madonna
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, the music industry has undergone its own self-reflection as it relates to institutional racism. Such soul-searching has led veteran acts such as The Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum to change their names, to varying degrees of success. Now, reputable electronic music producer The Black Madonna is following suit. The Kentucky-bred DJ born Marea Stamper is rebranding herself as The Blessed Madonna. In a statement posted to social media on Monday, Stamper acknowledged the “controversy, confusion, pain and frustration” that’s been associated with The Black Madonna moniker, which she adapted during the early years of her career in the late ’90s. “The name was a reflection of my family’s lifelong and...
The Jayhawks on Depression, Anxiety, and the 24-Hour News Cycle
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public The Jayhawks lead man Gary Louris speaks with Kyle Meredith about XOXO. The new album finds the Americana legends heavily collaborating and features each member on the mic for lead vocals. Louris discusses the album’s artwork; themes of depression, anxiety, and the 24-hour news cycle; and life in Minneapolis since the murder of George Floyd. Louris also says the band could have recorded 30 records if the industry allowed them, but teases a finished solo album. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs deep into the artist’s work to find out how th...
Gorillaz Release ‘PAC-MAN’ With an Assist From ScHoolboy Q
For the latest release in their Song Machine series, Gorillaz teamed up with Top Dawg’s ScHoolboy Q for the funk-laced “PAC-MAN,” on the 40th anniversary of the legendary arcade game’s release The band dropped the single alongside a bright, arcade-style video featuring the classic game, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The track itself is a bit eerie with a hard-hitting Q verse, complete with a punching bag and flashes of neon as he spits. The cut is Q’s first feature since REASON’s May single “Pop Shit.” The song was produced by Prince Paul, Remi Kabaka Jr., and Gorillaz. It was recorded in London just before lockdown. Earlier in the series, Gorillaz shared June’s “Friday 13th” with London rapper Octavian, “Momentary Bliss”&nb...
Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die Had The Biggest Week Of Any Album In 2020
When Juice WRLD tragically died at age 21 late last year, he left behind so much — a career that promised to keep climbing higher, a loyal fanbase, and, as prolific artists tend to have, a vault of unreleased material he’d been hard at work on. That’s why it’s no surprise that his third album (and first posthumous one), Legends Never Die, is a smash, including collaborations with Halsey, Trippie Redd, Marshmello, and more. How much of a smash? Billboard reports that Legends Never Die had the biggest week for any album in 2020 yet, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and moving 497,000 units. That makes it the largest streaming week for the year and fourth-largest streaming frame for an album, ever. Legends Never Die is Juice WRLD’s second No. 1 album...
Beyoncé Narrates A Dazzling, Vibrant New Black Is King Trailer
Last month, Beyoncé announced an ambitious new project: a forthcoming film and visual album called Black Is King hitting Disney+ on July 31. And over the weekend, we received a new look at what that’ll look like, thanks to a vibrant new teaser. From what she’s shown us, Black Is King will feature colorful set pieces and costuming, cosmic iconography, and of course, appearance from Bey and Jay-Z themselves — as well as Lupita Nyong’o, Naomi Campbell, and more. The grandeur of the trailer makes it feel like Black Is King is a massive cinematic event, and a quick look at its credits reveals that it is. The film written and produced by Beyoncé herself, and she directed it as well, alongside Blitz Bazawule, Ibra Ake, Jenn Nkiru, Jake Nava, Pierre Debusschere, and Dikayl Rimmas...
Rihanna Enlists A$AP Rocky & Lil Nas X Star For New Fenty Skin Campaign
Source: WENN/Avalon / WENN While a release date for her album is still up in the air Rihanna continues to show great business acumen. She has chosen two of Hip-Hop’s brightest stars to launch her new consumer packaged goods line. As spotted on High Snobiety the “We Found Love” singer has enlisted A$AP Rocky and Lil Nas X to be the faces of her newest product launch for Fenty Skin. On Saturday, July 18 she made the announcement via her Instagram account. “THE NEW CULTURE OF SKINCARE. @fentyskin” she wrote. The clip features a collective of beautiful women enjoying a pool day but the vibes improve once A$AP Rocky and Lil Nas X join the party; Rihanna also makes a cameo. This new clip serves as a teaser for their gender-neutral skincare products that will officially go on sale starting J...
Georgia Gov. Kemp Suing A Black Woman For Trying To Keep Atlanta Safe During Coronavirus Pandemic
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Georgia’s Governor Kemp is suing Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms because she’s trying to keep her city safe. The man who cheated, allegedly, in his race with Stacey Abrams has an issue with the ATL’s mayor’s mandate that residents wear masks to help flatten the coronavirus curve. Yes, Georgia is a COVID-19 hotspot with cases and deaths on the rise. Nevertheless, Kemp, who is a Trump boot shiner, issued an executive order banning counties from mandating its residents to wear masks. Reports the New York Times: On Friday, a day after suing the mayor of Atlanta for mandating virus-fighting rules that were stricter than his own, Gov. Brian Kemp said he would not stand down as the mayor’s “disastrous policies threaten the lives and livelihood of our citizens.” Mr...
Big Sean Mourns After Tragic Passing of Naya Rivera, Pays Tribute To Late Actress
Source: Michael Tran / Getty Following the tragic passing of actress and mother, Naya Rivera, all eyes focused on Big Sean to see what he would say about say. The Detroit rapper finally broke his silence following the death of Rivera, who drowned in Lake Piru while swimming her son, who was found on a boat alone that the Glee star rented. Her body was recovered on Monday (Jul.13). Sean, who dated Rivera and was engaged to her at one point, shared a touching tribute to her on Instagram, calling her a hero for not only saving her son before drowning but also because of the barriers she knocked down. Via Big Sean’s IG post: “Rest in Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul! Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. You are a hero! Not just because of how you saved your son, al...
Americans Are Barred From Visiting The Bahamas Due To Rising COVID-19 Cases
Source: Afton Almaraz / Getty The United States is regressing when it comes to the pandemic and other territories have taken notice. One popular travel destination has turned its’ back on our tourist dollars. USA Today is reporting that The Bahamas is closing their doors to Americans. According to the feature the Caribbean island will no longer be accepting visits from several countries. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis confirmed the closure on Sunday, July 19 via a formal press release. “According to the World Health Organization, the world is approaching 19 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, including nearly 600,000 deaths. The highest number of confirmed cases is in the Americas, with approximately 7.3 million cases” it read. “The number of deaths and confirmed cases continue to rise, with t...
![John Digweed on the Intricacies of a VR Festival Performance and the Impact of COVID-19 on Dance Music [Interview]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/john-digweed-on-the-intricacies-of-a-vr-festival-performance-and-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-dance-music-interview-1050x600.jpg)
![John Digweed on the Intricacies of a VR Festival Performance and the Impact of COVID-19 on Dance Music [Interview]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/john-digweed-on-the-intricacies-of-a-vr-festival-performance-and-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-dance-music-interview-80x80.jpg)
John Digweed on the Intricacies of a VR Festival Performance and the Impact of COVID-19 on Dance Music [Interview]
John Digweed is amongst a rare breed of time-tested electronic music DJs—a dance music veteran thriving in the music industry for almost three decades, without compromising on the quality and integrity of his sound. One of Digweed’s notable achievements is producing the first-ever commercial compilation for a nightclub in partnership with fellow iconic artist Sasha. That’s to say not much has gone under Digweed’s nose in modern dance music history. Of course, as the COVID-19 pandemic has ruptured the music industry’s lifeblood of live music events, like most DJs, Digweed has had to adjust. That’s come with hosting regular livestreams, playing virtual festivals, filling the void of empty hours once spent on the road or in the club, and making difficult decisions on when and how to resu...
Drive-In Event Set to Broadcast Tomorrowland’s Virtual Edition with Festival-Grade Production This Weekend
With no light at the end of the pandemic’s tunnel, drive-in EDM concerts are all the rage in the live music industry at the moment. While have some floundered and some have jumped through loopholes to move forward, it’s clear that drive-in raves represent a new normal. Award-winning Philadelphia-based experiential marketing, festival operations, and content creation company Our People Entertainment is the latest to toss their hat into the drive-in concert ring. The organization has announced its “Festival Drive-In Experience,” which will broadcast “Tomorrowland Around the World,” the venerated festival brand’s forthcoming virtual edition. The event will go down on July 25th and 26th at Rhythm & Reels in Williamstown, New Jersey, ...
