music
Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Federal Weapons Charge
Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge in a South Florida court on Friday afternoon. According to the Associated Press, the 38-year-old rapper entered the plea during a hearing held remotely. “Your honor, I plead guilty to the charge,” Wayne told U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. A sentencing date has been set for January 28th, 2021. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, but Judge Williams said she would impose a sentence that is “reasonable under the circumstances” of the case. Wayne was released on $250,000 bail pending sentencing. In November, Lil Wayne was charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon stemming from the discovery of a firearm aboard his private plane in December 2019. An anonymou...
Lamb of God Announce Second Signature Coffee: “Overlord” Dark Roast
Lamb of God, photo by Antonio Marino Jr. / “Overlord” Dark Roast, courtesy of Adrenaline PR Lamb of God have revealed their second signature coffee, the “Overlord” dark roast, continuing their collaboration with Nightflyer Roastworks. Lamb of God and Nightflyer previously teamed up for the “Memento Mori” roast. The two were gracious enough to supply Heavy Consequence with a sample, and it was fine coffee indeed. While “Memento Mori” was a bright all-purpose roast, great for an everyday cup or espresso, “Overlord” makes for darker brew and is a take on classic diner coffee. The idea for Lamb of God signature coffee comes from guitarist Willie Adler’s long-time hobby of DIY roasting and exploring coffee shops around the world while on tour. Together with Nightflyer owner Paul Wag...
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin Cover Drake’s “Hotline Bling”: Watch
It’s night two of Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin’s Hanukkah song series, and that can only mean one thing: they’ve covered Drake’s “Hotline Bling”. In a tweet posted to Foo Fighters’ Twitter account, the duo wrote: “You might be surprised to learn that this superstar is… Canadian. He’s never hidden the fact that he was M.O.T. so a generation of Jewish parents could tell their kids ‘if @Drake took the time to study for HIS Bar Mitzvah, you can too.’ Twitterverse, challah at your boy!” In a nod to Drake’s “Hotline Bling” video, the pre-recorded performance was interspersed with a few scenes of Grohl dancing. Watch it below. Grohl and Kurstin, who helmed Foo Fighters’ 2017 album Concrete and Gold, are celebrating Hanukkah with covers of songs by eight prominent Jewish artists...
Taylor Swift’s Evermore Has A Song For Every Mood
By Carson Mlnarik Surprise — again! After dropping her record-breaking eighth album, Folklore, on a whim back in July, Taylor Swift repeated her antics today (December 11) with the release of her Evermore. Folklore’s sister record further mines Swift’s whimsical storytelling perspective alongside producers Jack Antonoff and The National’s Aaron Dessner, two great minds who helped hone her folksy alt-pop sound the last go-around. Evermore is an equally experimental sequel, as the pop singer weaves scenes of heartbreak and outlaws on the run. “Champagne Problems” depicts the aftermath of turning down a proposal over sparse piano keys, while the Haim-assisted “No Body, No Crime” is a contemporary riff on a vintage murder ballad boasting plenty harmonicas. Even in her most escapist moments, Sw...
Grimes Drops Shares New Song “Delicate Weapon” from Cyberpunk 2077: Stream
Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most hyped video games of the year, finally came out this week, which means gamers can interact with the character Lizzy Wizzy, a fictional alt-pop star voiced by the very real alt-pop star Grimes. To celebrate the game’s release, Grimes is sharing a new song she wrote for the soundtrack called “Delicate Weapon”, which you can stream below. The first volume of the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack is out today and features Grimes’ previously released single “4ÆM”, but the second volume — which includes “Delicate Weapon” — won’t be out until December 18th. Grimes must have been too excited to keep it quiet because she debuted the contribution early today on an Apple Music mix. Musically, “Delicate Weapon” sounds like a spacious early Grimes cut that could have appeared on...
Blue Ivy Carter Retroactively Nominated for Grammy
At just eight years old, Blue Ivy Carter has landed her first-ever Grammy nomination. The eldest daughter of Jay-Z and Beyoncé is nominated alongside her mother in the category of Best Music Video for “Brown Skinned Girl”. As TMZ reports, Blue’s name was left off the list of nominations when they were revealed on November 24th, but the Recording Academy has since rectified the omission and added her as one of the eligible contenders. (Looks like mom and dad made a phone call.) If “Brown Skinned Girl” is to win Best Music Video (and that seems like a pretty safe bet), Blue Ivy would become the second youngest artist to ever win a Grammy. The current record holder is Leah Peasall, who was eight years old when the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack took home Album of the Year in ...
Rick Rubin Charged with Breaking Hawaii’s COVID-19 Quarantine Protocols
Famed producer Rick Rubin has been charged with violating Hawaii’s COVID-19 quarantine protocols, according to the local Kauai newspaper The Garden Island. His next court date is February 9th, 2021. Kauai County and the state of Hawaii require off-island visitors to quarantine for 14 days. But on September 2nd, Rubin was spotted walking along Anini Beach near his resort before his two-week isolation had ended. The beach was empty, and Rubin was alone except for a member of the paparazzi that had reportedly been following him since his arrival on the island. A passerby took a cell phone video and reported Rubin to the authorities. The infraction carries a maximum fine of $5,000 and potential jail time. Since Rubin was strolling on a deserted beach, and not hosting superspreader parties...
A New Side Of Taylor Swift, A Crackling Rico Nasty, And More Songs We Love
Ovy on the Drums ft. Karol G & Danny Ocean: “Miedito o Que?” O-O-Ovy on the Drums! The Latin Grammy-nominated reggaeton producer is back with a new single to round out another wildly successful year for the genre. “Miedito o Que?” can only be described as sonic sunshine, so tangible you can almost feel the warmth on your skin. On this perfect summertime hit, Ovy is accompanied by longtime collaborator Karol G, whose brings her signature style and flair, as well as Venezuelan artist Danny Ocean. “Miedito o Que?” transports you to an alternate reality of the summer that couldn’t be, reminding listeners of the good times yet to be had in swimming pools and under palm trees. There’s something interesting about listening to a summer bop in the dead of winter, but if anyone can convince you ...
Mulatto’s Drive Brought Her Here. She’s Not Slowing Down
By D’Shonda Brown To say Mulatto had a good year would be one of the biggest understatements in the music industry. Despite a pandemic, unprecedented political unease, and racial unrest for the Black community at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Georgia-bred rapper used quarantine and stay-at-home orders to grind and make 2020 her bitch. She appeared in Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s internet-breaking “WAP” music video and collaborated with fellow Georgian 2 Chainz for the song on everyone’s lockdown playlist, “Quarantine Thick.” When she finally released her debut studio album, Queen of Da Souf, in August, under her new home at RCA Records, Mulatto had become more than a buzzing name, even at the young age of 21. The accolades are impressive: After she teamed up...
The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne on the Band’s Space Bubble Shows: “It’s Safer Than Going to the Grocery Store”
As our Annual Report continues, we’ll be taking several looks at how live music changed in a year where most of the world was in lockdown. Today, we share our conversation with Wayne Coyne about his current plans for space bubble shows. A year ago, no one could have predicted that a trip to the grocery store could be life-threatening and dangerous. But here we are at a time where buying vegetables can be anxiety-inducing and unsafe. Concerts mostly apply, as well, but Flaming Lips vocalist Wayne Coyne devised a way to transform live music into a safe process. Coyne is no stranger to performing in what he calls a space bubble. He’s famous for rolling out into crowds, but the thought of putting the entire band and audience in their own respective bubbles was a thought that came to him at the...
Griselda Records Announce Conflicted Feature Film and Soundtrack
Griselda Records is breaking into the movie business. The hip-hop collective and record label has announced that a debut feature film called Conflicted is on the way, as is the stacked soundtrack that will accompany it. Check out the official trailer below. According to a press release, Conflicted is an “urban tale” depicting Benny the Butcher as a Buffalo gangster named Hunter who struggles to do right after being released from prison. Faced with the dilemmas of his fresh start, Hunter declares he will never to go back to the game that cost him his freedom. In the process of getting back on track, though, he falls in love and is inevitably confronted with the demons of his past. All of this leaves Butcher feeling — wait for it — conflicted. Conflicted is directed by AK Reed, written by De...
Kanye West Being Sued for Unchristian Treatment of Christian Opera Workers
Kanye West is facing two different class-action lawsuits over the alleged poor treatment of workers on his Christian opera Nebuchadnezzar, as Vice reports. Because while Jesus said, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Yeezus said misclassify your employees as independent contractors, deny them overtime, and keep them waiting months for checks, and you will be a billionaire on Earth. The ill-fated performance of Nebuchadnezzar took place on November 24th at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It came on the heels of his execrable album Jesus Is King, and was announced only a week before it bowed. The mess began long before curtain — West put the wrong emperor on his invitations — and afterwards it was panned by critics. The show, such...
