NEWS
All-Star ‘A Change Is Gonna Come 2020′ Playlist Encourages Voter Registration
A Spotify playlist titled “A Change is Gonna Come 2020” includes selections from former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke as well as members of the Polyphonic Spree, Slowdive and the Psychedelic Furs in an effort to encourage voter registration. The 40-track playlist features songs meant to capture the current moment and spur listeners to the polls on Nov. 3 and to activism in their communities. In addition to former punk bassist and Texas Rep. O’Rourke, the list is made up of songs chosen by Polyphonic Spree leader Tim DeLaughter, Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), David Mandel (Seinfeld, Veep), Mars Williams (Psychedelic Furs), all the members of Midlake, Sarah Jaffe and many more. Inspired by Sam Cooke’s iconic 1964 soul anthem of the same name it is i...
T.I. Taps Young Thug For Fast-Paced ‘Ring’ Video, Announces Upcoming Album Title: Watch
Libra season is upon us, and so is The Libra era for T.I.. On his 40th birthday on Friday (Sept. 25), the rapper announced the title of his upcoming album, The Libra, which not only nods to his star sign but also stands for The Legend Is Back Running Atlanta. In conjunction with the announcement, T.I. unveiled his dynamic new video for “Ring,” featuring Young Thug. The clip finds Tip as a therapist and Slime his patient who has outgrown “the hostilities you’ve harbored from past activities.” Young Thug rejects how the “chaos” of his life affects him, and insists that he loves it. The duo then delve into the stirring track, trading verses against a background of luxurious cars and stunning women. Watch the video below. [embedded ...
SuperM Blast Onto ‘Ellen’ With Explosive Performance of ‘One (Monster & Infinity)’: Watch
SuperM appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday (Sept. 23) to perform their new song “One (Monster & Infinity).” Taking the stage in a separate, socially-distanced studio, the K-pop supergroup — which includes NCT 127‘s Mark and Taeyong, WayV‘s Ten and Lucas, Shinee‘s Taemin and Kai and Baekhyun of EXO — danced their way through the performance with energetic, swaggering choreography. “Alright, no games, watch me deliver every time/ Catch me in the latest, driving spaceships/ One way, we going up, ain’t no decline/ Landing in the matrix, tryna break it/ Hands up if you feeling me, yeah/ All the way to infinity, yeah/ Aim high, we going up, there’s no decline/ So if you’re aiming anywhere, aim high,R...
After 70 Long Years, Uncle Ben’s Name Is Rebranded As Ben’s Original
Source: SOPA Images / Getty Uncle Ben’s is finally getting a much-needed makeover, marking the move as one of the first steps towards racial inclusivity within the company’s business strategy. According to an announcement on its website, Mars Food will drop “Uncle” from the brand’s name for the new Ben’s Original logo, along with removing the caricature of the fictitious trusting gray-haired Black servant smiling on the box. Customers will see the new packaging will hit shelves as soon as early 2021. Apparently, the company received feedback from thousands of customers and associates over the course of several weeks to ditch the racist imagery (think: Aunt Jemima) from the rice brand. “We understand the inequities that were associated with the name and face of the previou...
Chris Rock Hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ Season Premiere, Megan Thee Stallion Musical Guest
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz Saturday Night Live is starting its new season out with a bang. NBC announced that Chris Rock will host the premiere episode while the musical guess will be rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Season 46 of the renowned sketch comedy show will kick off on October 3 and it will be Rock’s third time hosting. The former SNL cast member is an Emmy and Grammy Award winner who currently stars in FX’s drama Fargo. And, he helped Busta Rhymes announce his new album. Megan thanks to her legion of hotties and fans of her bars has become a Hip-Hop star and recently landed in the pages of Time magazine as one of its 100 most influential people. This will be the “Savage” rapper’s SNL debut. Let us know if you’ll be tuning in via the comments. You Deserve to Make Money Eve...
Big Boi and 2 Chainz Battle on Celebrity Family Feud
Legendary Atlanta rappers Big Boi and 2 Chainz went head to head on last night’s (Sept. 24) Celebrity Family Feud. The pair battled over questions including “my wife’s like a bloodhound, she can smell WHAT on me a mile away.” 2 Chainz’s team was victorious. The prize of $25,000 was donated to the TRU Foundation, an organization that focuses on bringing positive experiences to young people. Check a few clips from the action below. [embedded content] [embedded content] [embedded content] 2 Chainz recently dropped a video for “Money Maker,” which featured Lil Wayne. In June, Outkast alum Big Boi shared his latest single “Can’t Sleep” with Sleepy Brown. His most recent studio album was 2017’s Boomiverse. Earlier in the week, Weezer and Fall Out Boy went head-to-head on...
Van Morrison Releases First Anti-Lockdown Song ‘Born to Be Free’
Raise your hand if you ever thought Van Morrison would become the face of the anti-lockdown movement? Put your hand down, you’re lying. Anyway, with 2020 being as it is, Morrison has already railed against the “pseudo-science” that has shaped the COVID-19 pandemic and promised to release a trio of singles in the coming weeks addressing the issue. Well, that first one is here. Titled “Born to Be Free,” the song sounds like something that late-era Morrison would have released — albeit with puzzling lyrics (as you might expect considering the topical matter. With phrases like “don’t need the government cramping my style” and says that psychology “isn’t for the benefit of you and me.” So there you go. Earlier in the week, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires mocked Morrison’s stance and shared a cov...
Lordstown Endurance Electric Pickup: Peek Inside Its Screen-Heavy Cabin
Lordstown Motors is continuing the slow tease of its Endurance electric pickup this week, now revealing interior photos ahead of the truck’s launch next year. Much like the interiors of the Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T, the cabin of the Endurance is dominated by screens rather than physical buttons. A long frame on the dashboard houses three separate screens, underneath of which sit physical climate-control knobs. Other notable features inside the five-seat truck include a rotary shifter and large cup holders. The cabin has a decidedly industrial feel with stark metallic accents, and the overall interior aesthetic matches the minimalist design of the exterior. The Endurance will have no shortage of rivals. The Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer, and Bollinger B2 are all...
Infiniti QX60 Monograph Concept First Look: Designed for the Future
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “monograph” is defined as “a written account of a single thing.” In the case of the Infiniti QX60 Monograph concept, it is a designed account of a single thing and, perhaps unsurprisingly, that thing is an SUV. It previews the changes that are coming to Infiniti’s design language that will likely feature on a number of their upcoming models, starting with the brand’s most popular model, the QX60. Originally called the JX35, the current QX60 has been around since the 2013 model year with only minor tweaks since its release. That means a full redesign is overdue, and the Monograph shows where the revised QX60 is headed. Infiniti says the new design is both “elegant and muscular,” a...
Matt Maeson Calls on Lana Del Rey for New Version of ‘Hallucinogenics’
Matt Maeson‘s “Hallucinogenics” is already the ideal soundtrack for the feeling of losing touch, and now he’s added Lana Del Rey to a new rendition of the track released on Friday (Sept. 25). Del Rey’s ethereal vocals fit perfectly into the song’s acoustic nature, trading lines with Maeson before they come together for the chorus. “Pushin’ past the limit, trippin’ on hallucinogenics / My cigarette burnt my finger ’cause I forgot I lit it,” they sing in unison. The original “Hallucinogenics” is featured on Maeson’s debut album, Bank on the Funeral. Listen to the Lana Del Rey version below. [embedded content] You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a da...
Tory Lanez’s Big Announcement Was Actually a Big Tease
If you stayed up late to hear Tory Lanez break his silence, you’ll have been disappointed. But if you were desperate for new music from the Canadian rapper, you’re in luck. Lanez mobilized his fanbase earlier in the day with the tease of a potentially dynamite admission. “To my fans … I’m sorry for my silence …. but respectfully .. I got time today …… 9 PM PST,” he tweeted. To my fans … I’m sorry for my silence …. but respectfully .. I got time today …… 9 PM PST . — Tory Lanez (@torylanez) September 24, 2020 Of course, there’s some serious backstory to this. Megan Thee Stallion has repeatedly accused Lanez of shooting her in the leg during a confrontation in August. Earlier this month, the 28-year-old rapper and singer, whose real name ...
Max Merritt, ARIA Hall of Fame Inductee, Dies at 79
Max Merritt, the ARIA Hall of Fame inductee best known for the soulful songs “Slippin’ Away” and “Hey, Western Union Man”, died Thursday (Sept. 24) in a Los Angeles hospital following a long battle with a rare illness. He was 79. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand on April 30, 1941, Merritt made his mark when he formed The Meteors in the 1950s and reeled off a string of catchy rock ‘n’ roll numbers, including “Get a Haircut,” “Kiss Curl” and “C’mon Let’s Go.” Soon, Merritt and his band outgrew Christchurch and by 1962 they’d relocated to Auckland, and later, Australia, where he earned the moniker “king of Soul”. With the Meteors, Merritt had a No. 2 hit in Australia in 1975 with the soaring ballad “Slippin’ Away” and were sig...
