music blog
Drake, 21 Savage, Megan Thee Stallion and More Sign Petition To Restrict the Use of Rap Lyrics in Court
Music industry leaders, artists as well as legal experts have come together to form efforts to “Protect Black Art.” Artists are joining forces to urge the American legal system to restrict rap lyrics from being used as evidence in court. Together, the group has penned an open letter titled, Art on Trial: Protect Black Art which has been signed by three major record labels including Warner Music, Sony, and Universal. Other streaming companies like Spotify, YouTube Music and TikTok are also lobbying fo the change. The letter was released by Warner Records on November 1 and has been posted to social media. There is also a petition circulating on Change.org to urge others to show their support. At the time of writing, the petition has 64,921 signatures and is looking to achieve 75,000. In the ...
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Soundtrack to Feature Rihanna, Stormzy, Future and More
The official tracklist for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack has officially been unveiled. Set to drop on November 4, the 19-track project will feature contributions from Rihanna, Burna Boy, Stormzy, Tems, Fireboy DML, Snow Tha Product with E-40 and more. Co-producer Ludwig Göransson spent more than 2,500 hours recording the score and soundtrack across six studios in three continents and five countries, while fellow producer and director Ryan Coogler co-wrote the lyrics to Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” and was the one who suggested Tems’ cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” to be bridged with Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” as heard in the trailer. “Ryan and I talked about the importance of creating an immersive journey of sound and voice,” Göransson said in a statement. “If we used a...
Peep The Latest Trailer To ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: 20th Century Studios / 20th Century Studios We’re just a month and change away from the highly anticipated release of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water and with its premiere date rapidly approaching, 20th Century Studios has released a new visually stunning trailer to get fans hype for the film’s release. According to Variety the sequel will see the return of some familiar characters who’ll be playing a big role in the events that take place in The Way of Water, and man it sounds like it’s going to be some sci-fi drama forreal. The second installment in the franchise sees the return of Stephen Lang’s villain character Colonel Quaritch — who is seemingly revived through a Na’vi avatar form — once again at odds with Pandora native Neytiri (Zoe Saldañ...
Drake, Meg Thee Stallion & More Sign Letter To Protest Using Rap Lyrics In Court
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Noam Galai / Getty The war against Rap continues but some of our biggest talents are fighting back. Several top rappers have signed a letter to protest the use of lyrics in court. As spotted on Vulture the Hip-Hop community is trying to right a glaring wrong when it comes to rappers getting prosecuted. Artists, industry leaders, and legal experts have joined together in a call to “Protect Black Art,” publishing an open letter in The New York Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution urging legislators across America to limit how creative expression can be used against defendants on trial. Specifically, it calls for an end to the racially discriminatory practice of treating rap lyrics as confessions. Drafted and published by...
Something In The Water Festival Returns Virginia Beach For 2023
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: The Washington Post / Getty Something In The Water made its first big waves in 2019 and, to date, it remains one of the best music festivals Hip-Hop Wired has ever covered. After a brief detour to the Nation’s Capital last earlier this year, Something In The Water will make a triumphant return to Virginia Beach, Va., the hometown of its visionary founder, Pharrell Williams. SITW, the brainchild of native son Skateboard P, was a bit of a love letter to the legendary producer’s beloved hometown while also giving credence to the musical and creative talent from the region itself. 2022 saw Something In The Water take place in Washington, D.C. and the results by most accounts were mixed. In all, SITW is far more than a music festival as it served as a launchin...
Return Of The Dreamers: Dreamville Festival Is Coming Back For 2023
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Greg Noire / Dreamville Festival Dreamville Festival, one of the premier music festivals in the states, will bring elite talent back to its stages in April of next year. Under the guidance of Dreamville Records honcho J. Cole, Dreamville Festival will raise its flag in the city of Raleigh, N.C. in what is sure to be another can’t-miss event from the Dreamers and their cohorts. Hip-Hop Wired was in attendance for the first Dreamville Festival in 2019, which featured the aforementioned J. Cole, J.I.D., Bas, Ari Lennox, EarthGang, and 21 Savage among others. On April 1-2, 2023, Raleigh will once again host the fest at the spacious Dorothea Dix Park in North Carolina for two days of good music, good energy, and positive vibes. “Dreamville Festival wants to ke...
Adele Reveals How to Pronounce Her Name Correctly
Though Adele has been a household name for well over a decade, it turns out that not all of us have been pronouncing her name correctly. During a recent Q&A with fans (via People) promoting her music video for “I Drink Wine,” the superstar set the record straight. “Love that,” Adele said in response to a question submitted via video after a fellow Londoner pronounced her name “perfectly.” As the singer clarified, the correct way to say her name is “Uh-dale,” not “Ah-dell.” So, put a slight emphasis on the second syllable the next time you say Adele’s name. Got it? Watch the video below at around the 21:45 mark to hear the proper pronunciation. Adele is the latest high-profile artist to issue a correction about the pronunciation of their name. In September, Nickelback’s lead singer...
Future Islands Cover Wham!’s “Last Christmas”: Stream
Every autumn, the jack-o’-lanterns are still rotting on the stoop when Christmas season swoops in to stomp them into oblivion. This year Future Islands are leading the charge with a new cover of the Wham! 1984 classic, “Last Christmas.” With the original’s melody and lyrics intact, this cover skates along on cheerful synths and a smooth, relentless bass. Vocalist Samuel T. Herring has a rather distinctive style, and here he wrings every ounce of Christmas cheer out of each vowel and consonant. Who needs to hear sleigh bells ring when you can hear him jangling the words, “This year, to save me from tears/ I’ll give it to someone special?” Check out Future Island’s “Last Christmas” below. Future Islands’ most recent full-length was 2020’s As Long as You Are, though Herring ha...
Yves Tumor Questions a Higher Power on New Single “God Is a Circle”: Stream
Yves Tumor returns today with the hypnotic single “God Is a Circle,” their first new music of 2022. Along with its release comes the eerie music video directed by Jordan Hemingway. Though you can still hear traces of their usual experimental rock side, “God Is a Circle” sees Yves Tumor lean more into a heavier, punkier sound. Lyrically, the song seems to meditate on the woes of existing in a corporeal form: Is there something greater out there, and if so, how does it interact with us mere mortals? “Sometimes/ It feels like/ There’s places in my mind that I can’t go/ There’s people in my life I still don’t know, yeah/ Wander ’round I just feel like a ghost in a well,” Yves Tumor sings in the opening lines, his voice low and brooding over propulsive drums and sound effects that mimic the uns...
Harry Potter Fans Asked to Stop Leaving Socks at Dobby’s Grave on Wales Beach: “It Could Put Wildlife at Risk”
If you happen to be in Pembrokeshire, Wales and want to pay tribute to the late Dobby the Elf at his Freshwater West Beach grave, go ahead, but please don’t bring him any socks. The conservation charity National Trust Wales said as much after noting that socks and other trinkets Harry Potter fans were bringing to the site were putting the beach and its marine life at risk. Freshwater West Beach became a landmark for Harry Potter fans after the fantasy franchise shot Dobby’s death scene there for 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. In the film, the elf dies in Harry’s arms at the beach, which he describes in his final moments as “such a beautiful place to be with friends.” In the years since the movie’s release, fans have erected a memorial to the belove...
Watch Yves Tumor’s Video for New Song “God Is a Circle”
Yves Tumor has released the new single “God Is a Circle.” It comes with a music video directed by Jordan Hemingway, who worked with Tumor on the visual for “Secrecy Is Incredibly Important to the Both of Them.” Watch the new video below. “God Is a Circle” was produced by Noah Goldstein and features background vocals by Ecco2K and Thoom. It’s Tumor’s first new music since putting out The Asymptotical World EP in 2021. Tumor recently wrapped up an extensive tour of North America and Europe in support of the EP and 2020’s Heaven to a Tortured Mind. Read more about The Asymptotical World on Pitchfork’s list of “The 31 Best Rock Records of 2021” and see “Jackie” at No. 25 on Pitchfork’s list of “The 100 Best Songs of 2021.” Content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
How Bon Iver, Harry Styles, and More Are Getting Out the Vote for the 2022 Midterm Elections
The 2022 midterm elections are nearly upon the United States, and musicians have been rallying behind their local candidates to encourage fans to get out and vote. Ahead of the elections on Tuesday, November 8, here is a roundup of the artists hoping to drum up higher turnouts with events, endorsements, and more. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy is playing a get-out-the vote show today (November 2) at the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois. He is performing the free event in support of Representative Lauren Underwood, an incumbent Democrat who supports cheaper healthcare and gun control, among other causes. Upon being sworn in in 2019, she became the youngest Black woman to serve in the House of Representatives. Back in 2020, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon launched a nonpartisan initiative called For Wisco...
