entertainment blog
Powerful Drugs: Kodak Black Bets 15 Percent Of Catalog Against Jay-Z In Longshot VERZUZ Challenge
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Jason Mendez / Getty Kodak Black is either extremely confident or has access to some heat in the vault the world isn’t aware of. The Florida rapper and Trump pen pal betted 15 percent of his well-streamed catalog against Jay-Z in a VERZUZ challenge. Taking to Twitter to voice the challenge, Kodak Black crafted a VERZUZ wager that doesn’t seem to be an equal trade depending on how you line things up. “I’ll do a versus wit Jay Z [purle demon emoji] “IF” he win he get 15 % of my catalog ! I win he make me Vice President of roc nation [shrug],” Kodak tweeted late Monday night (Jan. 3). While Kodak Black has yet to get a formal reply, and that he probably shouldn’t expect one anyway, perhaps the 24-year-old star is simply betting on himself. Apparently, the ye...
Avicii’s Final Journal Entries Illuminate Depths of Struggle to Break the Cycle
Måns Mosesson’s new book, Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii, illuminates the iconic dance music artist’s day-to-day sentiments and struggles with mental illness in ways that have not presented previously. The biography includes personal journal entries from the 28-year-old “Wake Me Up” producer, who tragically died by suicide in Oman back in 2018. Written during his hospitalized stays for drug and alcohol abuse, the entries showcase Avicii‘s persistent struggle to break the cycle. “I had a hard time accepting never drinking again though strongly suggested from all doctors to wait at least a year before even having a beer,” Avicii wrote, per The Daily Beast. “Of course, I didn’t listen to the majority of the doctors, I listened to th...
Flume Sets Stage for Massive Year With Psychedelic “2022” Teaser Featuring Damon Albarn of Gorillaz
January has only just begun and Flume has already made the shortlist of most hotly anticipated collabs for 2022. In a short clip simply titled “Flume – 2022,” the famed Australian electronic music producer showcases a dreamy ambient track featuring an unmistakable voice: Damon Albarn of Gorillaz. The visually pleasing graphic opens in a serene tropical landscape. As the camera zooms deeper, the rainforest seemingly sways aside to reveal a color-splashed cockatoo as lush synths and distorted hums resonate throughout. As the camera zooms into the lens of the bird, a psychedelic landscape of geometric shapes fills the scene to the sound of Albarn, who croons, “I thought beyond the exit, there would be palaces,” before the clip fades to darkness. Recommended ...
Watch David Guetta’s Dazzling NYE Performance At The Louvre Abu Dhabi
In a recent interview, David Guetta confidently asserted, “I think the next few years will be the best years for dance music in history.” Guetta is wasting no time in doing his part to carry the weight of those words. The “Titanium” producer has made performances at historic landmarks something of a tradition in recent memory. After treating fans to a livestream performance at Musée du Louvre during his “United at Home” NYE 2020 performance in Paris, Guetta reprised the magic during a blockbuster performance on New Year’s Day from The Louvre in Abu Dhabi. Guetta performed atop a platform on the surface of the historic museum’s tidal pools. The forward-thinking design of the venue is said to give visitors the illusion of visiting a museum...
This Memory Box Leverages Tech and Healing Power of Music to Reduce Stress In Dementia Patients
The beneficial impacts of music on those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s have been studied for quite some time. Scientists believe those benefits are attributable to many of music’s naturally healing qualities, such as its ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia, reduce depression, and decrease anxiety. Chloe Meineck observed these impacts first hand during visits with her Great Gran, but she wanted to do more to channel those positive memories for her grandmother. So she developed the Music Memory Box, a product that leverages tech and music with the goal of reducing stress in dementia patients. The Music Memory Box Kickstarter campaign explains that the product allows users to embed photos into the underside of the box’s lid. Upon lifting the lid, users should tag...
The Weeknd Transforms Into an Old Man for His ‘Dawn FM’ Album Artwork
The Weeknd has unveiled the cover art for his upcoming album, Dawn FM, which is slated for release on Friday, January 7. The artwork, which The Weeknd shared to Instagram, sees the Toronto-based artist as an older version of himself, complete with wrinkles, grey hair and a solemn expression on his face. The Weeknd’s aged-up persona, which previously appeared in the minute-long trailer for the forthcoming project, appears to be the artist’s key identity on the album. The trailer for the After Hours follow-up introduces “a new sonic universe from the mind of The Weeknd” and reveals a list of features from the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones, Oneohtrix Point Never, and, interestingly, actor Jim Carrey. Following the album’s announcement, Carrey tweeted...
Jack Harlow Receives His Own Official Day in Louisville, Kentucky
December 18 has officially been named Jack Harlow Day in Louisville, Kentucky. The “WHATS POPPIN” vocalist shared the news to Instagram, with an image of a framed letter from Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer honoring the rapper’s career achievements and officially recognizing Jack Harlow Day. “The City of Louisville honors Jack Harlow for answering, once and for all, that what’s poppin’ is Louisville when it comes to talent that makes it bigger than big, but doesn’t forget the ‘home’ in hometown or homegrown,” the letter reads. “The rapper’s way with words and beats has earned him untold fans, chart-topping releases and an ability to give back in meaningful ways, and he does.” “Our city is excited and proud to observe December 18, 2021, as Jack Harlow Day in Louisville,” it concludes. The ann...
Supergroup GOT the Beat Debuts ‘Step Back’ at Record-Breaking SMTOWN Live Concert
GOT the Beat, a new seven-member supergroup made up of BoA, Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Wendy and Aespa’s Karina and Winter, rang in 2022 with their debut single, “Step Back.” The group brought the song, which has Yoo Young Jin and Dem Jointz among its producers, to the stage for a special performance at SMTOWN Live 2022 on New Year’s Eve. “Step Back” was officially released as a single on Jan. 3. Explore See latest videos, charts and news GOT the Beat is the “first unit” of a new SM Entertainment project known as Girls on Top, set to bring together and highlight the company’s female artists in various groups. SMTOWN Live 2022, a free event for fans around the world that took place at the “SMCU Express Station” in a virtual space known as “KWANGYA,” fea...
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Bad Habits’ Reigns Over U.K.’s Year-End Singles Chart
It’s official: Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” was the U.K.’s biggest song of 2021. The first single lifted from Sheeran’s latest chart-leading set = (equals), “Bad Habits” led the Official U.K. Singles Chart for 11 weeks during the year, amassing more than 1.7 million combined sales along the way, the OCC reports. Of that sum, “Bad Habits” was streamed 204 million times and amassed 142,000 sales. Sheeran rules the year-end U.K. singles chart, ahead of two Olivia Rodrigo songs, “Good 4 U” (167 million streams) and “Drivers License” (nearly 156 million streams), respectively. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The California teen ties with Sheeran for the most entries on the year-end survey, with three each. Other acts landing multiple entries in the 202...
Adele’s ’30’ Is the U.K.’s Biggest Album For 2021
A new Adele album is typically greeted with excitement and bumper sales. That was certainly the case in her homeland, where 30 (Columbia) logged multiple weeks at No. 1 and ended 2021 as the market’s biggest album. Following its Nov. 19 release, Adele’s fourth LP became the fastest-selling title of the year in the U.K., notching 261,000 week-one chart sales. Since then, the album shifted upwards of 600,000 combined sales and led the weekly chart for five cycles, equaling Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (Interscope) for the year’s longest-reign. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news 30 was a popular stocking filler. The album shifted 502,000 units in “pure” sales, including 448,000 physical units, according to the OCC in its 2021 market analysis. The year’s No....
The Weeknd Dropping New Album ‘Dawn FM’ This Week
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Rich Fury / Getty The Weeknd has confirmed he is dropping a new album in the most The Weeknd way ever. On brand, the Canadian crooner shared a visual preview announcing the new project. The new album, titled Dawn FM, will be available on Friday, January 7. The trailer the crooner released on Monday (January 3) morning includes visuals touting “a new sonic universe from the mind of The Weeknd.” The guest also touted include Quince Jones, Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne and, wait for it, Jim Carrey. Related Stories A narrator/host is head saying “you are now listening to 103.5 DAWN FM” and that “you’ve been in the dark for way too long and it’s time to walk into the light and accept your fate with open arms.” Alrighty then. Recently, the man born Abel M...
New Private Label Collection Celebrates Xbox 20th Anniversary
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Private Label / Private Label Private Label, a brand that elevates the carrying bag experiences in high style, released its latest offering in collaboration with a notable brand in the gaming world. In celebration of Xbox‘s 20th anniversary, the company dropped a collection that highlights the Microsoft brand’s trademark colors. Staying true to its tagline as “The Official Bag for Sneakers, Sports & Travel,” the Private Label drop features a roomy duffle bag, and a sleek and sturdy backpack both emblazoned with the customary Black and green color scheme of Xbox. Source: Private Label / Private Label Below are the descriptions of the duffle and backpack offerings: XBOX x PRIVATE LABEL DUFFLE Dimensions: L: 22″ W: 9.5″ H: 13″ This Collaboration Duffle C...
