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Celebrate Black Artists in EDM with Diplo’s New “Electronic Music: Black to the Future” Playlist
Diplo took to social media recently to announce a new Spotify playlist called “Electronic Music: Black to the Future,” which celebrates the innumerable Black creators who make our beloved dance music community so special. An expansive song-cycle of “Dance and club music celebrating Black American artists,” Diplo’s carefully curated playlist contains tracks from a myriad of illustrious producers. Featured artists in the playlist include TroyBoi, Whitney Houston, DJ Sliink, Green Velvet, Inner City, Felix Da Housecat, G-Buck, Channel Tres, and the late Chicago house legend Frankie Knuckles, among many others. In a post shared via Instagram, the Grammy Award-winning producer and DJ waxed poetic about how truly influential Black artists have been ov...
Immerse Yourself in Deathpact’s Eye-Popping, Kaleidoscopic Digital Mirage Set
After taking to the virtual stage on Friday, June 12th to drop a stupefying DJ set for Digital Mirage, mysterious electronic outfit Deathpact emerged having delivered one of the fest’s most memorable performances. With their spellbinding sound at the forefront, Deathpact’s Digital Mirage set featured a frenzied centrifuge of polychromatic lasers, mutating clocks, and iridescent splashes of neon, which all blended into a whirling pirouette of illusions that brought time to a standstill. The kaleidoscopic visual effects that they permeated throughout the set’s entirety represented a perfect microcosm of Deathpact’s bewitching sound, which is akin to a dystopian Daft Punk. Traversing both the soaring peaks and the darkest valleys of bass music, they unco...
Beyoncé Demands Justice for Breonna Taylor in Open Letter to Kentucky Attorney General
On March 13, Breonna Taylor was shot eight times and killed in her Louisville home during a botched police raid at the wrong address. On Sunday, Beyoncé shared an open letter on her website to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron demanding justice for Taylor. The letter begins with a recap of the events that led to the 26-year-old’s death, and subsequent “Breonna’s Law” that recently passed in Louisville, banning no-knock warrants. However, “these small steps in the right direction are painful reminders that there has still been no justice for Breonna Taylor or her family.” In the time since her passing, the officers involved still have their jobs, and “the [Louisville Metro Police Department] LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers.” “Three months have pass...
Lil Baby’s ‘My Turn’ Album Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart After Three Months
Lil Baby’s My Turn returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart after three months, as the set rises from No. 3 with 65,000 equivalent album units earned (up 5 percent) in the U.S. in the week ending June 11, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It’s the second week at No. 1 for the album, following its debut atop the chart dated March 14. The album then spent the next 13 straight weeks lodged in the top six positions of the chart, between the charts dated March 21 and June 13. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new June 20-dated chart (where My Turn comes back to N...
Fans Pick J Balvin’s ‘Azul’ Animated Video as This Week’s Favorite New Music
The blue-hued animated video for J Balvin‘s sensual reggaeton song “Azul” has topped this week’s new music poll. In the poll, published Friday (June 12) on Billboard, music fans voted for the Colin Tilley-directed video, which tells the story of how Balvin is trying to move on from a woman he’s crushing on. The video brought in 24% of the vote. “Azul” is from Balvin’s latest album, Colores, and follows other Tilley-directed videos for “Blanco,” “Morado,” “Rojo,” “Amarillo,” “Gris,” “Verde,” and “Rosado.” “‘Azul’ is one of the most ridiculous ideas I’ve probably ever had,” Tilley previously told Billboard. Coming in second place with 22% of the vote was Ungodly Hour, the new album from Beyonce proteges Chloe x Halle. 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj‘s ...
Common Salutes Class of 2020’s ‘Historymakers’ at ‘For Chicago. By Chicago’ Event
Common shared his admiration of Chicago’s graduating class of 2020 in the city’s Grad 2020: For Chicago. By Chicago virtual event in an empowering speech on Sunday (June 14). During the ceremony, which aired on local stations, the Oscar-winning songwriter praised the grads for their achievement during the global coronavirus pandemic, which has canceled milestone celebrations such as graduations and proms around the country. “You all have accomplished something that no other class in the history of America, in the history of Chicago, in the history of anywhere has accomplished. You all accomplished graduation and made it to your graduation to get your diplomas in a time when the world has never seen anything like this,” said Common via video message. “You all w...
Amy Grant Shows Off Scar From Open-Heart Surgery: My Recovery ‘Felt Miraculous’
Amy Grant has shared photos of her battle scar from a recent unexpected open heart surgery. The 59-year-old Grammy winner, who had surgery on June 3 to fix a heart condition she’s had since birth, took to Instagram on Sunday (June 14) to thank her fans for their thoughts and prayers during the challenging ordeal. “My recovery has honestly felt miraculous,” Grant captioned a series of photos showing off a large scar on her chest. “I want to say thank you to each person who said a prayer for me. Prayer changes everything.” Grant, who has been married to country singer Vince Gill for 20 years, likened the experience to a “non-runner who was signed up for a marathon.” Grant noted that the love and support she received from friends, fans and family help...
Dixie Chicks Set New Release Date for Comeback Album Gaslighter
Dixie Chicks have set a new release date for their long-awaited comeback album, Gaslighter. It’s now set to arrive on July 17th. Originally due on May 1st, the country music trio postponed the album’s release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaslighter marks Dixie Chicks’ first new album in 14 years. Helmed by producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff, the LP is said to be “10 times” more “personal and autobiographical” than the group’s previous releases. In anticipation, the trio unveiled the title track and “Julianna Calm Down”. Pre-orders for Gaslighter are now ongoing. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn r...
Dave Chappelle Drops Surprise Netflix Special 8:46: Watch
Dave Chappelle is back with a surprise new Netflix special called 8:46. The blockbuster comic dropped the near-30 minute special for free on YouTube’s comedy channel late Thursday evening — and for good reason. “Normally I wouldn’t show you something so unrefined, I hope you understand,” Chappelle wrote in the caption, and included a link to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit aimed at fighting racial inequality and mass incarceration. Recorded on June 6th in Yellow Springs, Ohio amidst his invite-only, socially-distanced gigs, the brisk half-hour marks the first time Chappelle has hit the stage in 87 days. Not surprisingly, he never misses a beat, coming out hot as a true MVP. If the title didn’t clue you in — 8:46 is the length of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin ...
Deftones Complete Work on New Album, Eye September Release
Deftones have completed work on their highly anticipated new album. Drummer Abe Cunningham says the LP is currently being mastered, with hopes for a September release. Back in February, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Deftones revealed that the album was being produced by Terry Date, who helmed Deftones’ first four LPs, including Around the Fur and White Pony. And in April, Cunningham briefly teased a guitar riff from the new album. While mixing had commenced, singer Chino Moreno said last month that the process was going slowly due to the social distancing between band members and Date. He added that the band had originally planned to release the album this summer, but they would “have to figure out” a new release date. Now, in a new interview with Download TV’s Kylie Olsson, as part...
Spike Lee Apologizes for Defending Woody Allen: “My Words Were Wrong”
Over the weekend, Spike Lee took a slight, problematic detour amidst his press run for Da 5 Bloods. During an interview with New York’s WOR 710 radio (via The Playlist), the legendary filmmaker came to the defense of Woody Allen. “I’d just like to say Woody Allen is a great, great filmmaker, and this cancel thing is not just Woody,” Lee explained. “And I think that when we look back on it, we are going to see that — short of killing somebody — I don’t know if you can just erase somebody like they never existed.” He continued, “Woody is a friend of mine, a fellow Knick fan, and I know he’s going through it right now.” Editors’ Picks As expected, those thoughts warranted some major backlash online, and Lee has since released a statement on Twitter clarifying his position: “I Deeply Apo...
Killer Mike Is ‘Mad as Hell’ and ‘Saddened Beyond Consolation’ Over Rayshard Brooks’ Killing
Killer Mike has been quite vocal following the death of George Floyd at the hand of Minneapolis police officers last month, and on Saturday the rapper spoke out after another black man was killed by cops — this time in his hometown of Atlanta. On Friday, Rayshard Brooks was shot in the back and killed after a Wendy’s employee called police to report a man sleeping in their drive-thru. “#RayshardBrooks should be alive this morning. He should be waking up (hungover or drunk in the tank depending on whether he was apprehended) and not dead,” the Run The Jewels emcee wrote on Instagram, before putting himself in the shoes of those who witnessed the 27-year-old’s murder. “If I’m the Wendy’s worker who called the police, I feel like shit this morning because a call for a man slee...
