NEWS
The Weeknd Responds to Previous Misogynistic Lyrics
While The Weeknd has topped the charts with a number of hits, the R&B singer has also been called out for his sexist lyrics. And now he’s finally addressing the issue. In a new interview with Esquire, The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, pointed to “I just fucked two bitches ‘fore I saw you” from the 2015 song “The Hills.” [embedded content] While there seemed to be a connection issue during that point of the conversation (of course), Tesfaye responded by saying that he was portraying a character. “It’s definitely a character,” he told Esquire. “When you hear some of the drastic stuff, you can tell. I mean, that’s why it’s tricky, because it is me singing the words; it is my writing. It’s like you want people to feel a certain way. You want them to feel angry. You want them to feel sad. You ...
Tricky Drops New Single and Video for ‘I’m in the Doorway’
Tricky dropped a new single/video, “I’m in the Doorway” today (Aug. 25), from his upcoming thirteenth studio album, Fall to Pieces album, due out Sept. 4 on False Idols. The tune, which follows previous singles “Fall Please” and “Thinking Of,” features guest vocals courtesy of Danish singer Oh Land. The founding member of Massive Attack explained in a statement, “With most of my stuff, there’s nothing else like it around. But with ‘Fall Please’ and ‘I’m In The Doorway’, it’s my version of pop music, the closest I’ve got to making pop.” [embedded content] “Thinking Of,” the previous single from the forthcoming disc, dropped July 28. Tricky’s 2021 tour dates, slated to begin Feb. 21 in Copenhagen, are on sale here, while pre-orders for his new Fall to Pieces record&...
Two Minutes To Late Night Shows Allyship With Rage Against the Machine Cover
Jordan Olds, host of Two Minutes to Late Night, dropped an explosive new cover. But unlike his previous collaborations, Olds took a step down from this one and handed the space over to musicians of color, who covered Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 protest song “Killing in the Name.” “Frick you, I won’t do what you tell me! We made a thrash metal cover of Rage Against the Machine and based on the subject matter of the song we wanted to feature only non-white performers. Defund the police,” said a caption on the video. The cover included: Aaron Heard, member of Nothing and leader of Jesus Piece; electro-rap artist Miss Eaves; Creeping Death guitarist Trey Pemberton; Fever333 guitarist Stephen Harrison; Fucked And Bound bassist Rah Davis; Spotlights drummer Chris Enriquez; and guitarist Izzy...
Tupac Love Letters, Notorious B.I.G. Crown Up for Auction
Tupac Shakur’s teenage love letters and Notorious B.I.G.‘s “King of New York” crown from a 1997 Rap Pages magazine cover story are among the items Sotheby’s is offering up at its first-ever auction to focus on the history and legacy of hip hop. The signed crown was worn by Biggie in his last-ever photo shoot, three days before his death, and is estimated by Sotheby’s to sell for between $200,000 and $300,000. CREDIT: Courtesy of Sotheby’s An archive of 22 autographed love letters written by a 16-year-old Tupac Shakur to high school sweetheart Kathy Loy, have a value of $60,000 to $80,000, according to Sotheby’s. The letters range in date from late March 1987 to April 1988 and are signed by Shakur with endearments including “4 Eternity, Tupac,” “With Passion, Tupac” and “Fo...
Bye Bye, Box: Mercedes Kills Freightliner Sprinter Van
Even if you don’t spot the iconic Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star badge, you might think every Sprinter van you see in America is, well, a Mercedes. Well, they are, except when they’re Freightliners. Mercedes-Benz started selling Sprinters in the States under the U.S.-based truck company’s name in 2001 (Daimler has owned Freightliner since 1981) but will no longer do so after the 2021 model year. That leaves the Sprinter as a Mercedes-Benz and nothing else in America—as Benz’s tagline goes, the best or nothing, right? Why no more Freightliner Sprinter? Apparently, Mercedes was selling far more Mercedes-Benz Sprinters than Freightliner versions. And with predicted slowdowns in sales and the sort of economic activities that drive van purchases, Mercedes-Benz decided ...
The Original Mini Is an Icon and These Classic Images Prove It
Americans have plenty of automotive icons, including the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, the 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, the 1955-1957 Chevrolet Bel Air—it’s a long list. We have quite a few superstars in our stables, but we often forget this grouping of immortal Detroit iron doesn’t hold nearly as high a status abroad, especially in places such as the United Kingdom. Indeed, the Brits have their own pantheon of vehicular greats, and we felt it was high time to feature the smallest yet brightest star from among the bunch—the Mini Cooper. We’ve scrounged around the archives to put together a folio of vintage photos of classic Minis doing whatever classic Minis are wont to do. As usual, we picked out a few of our favorites to highlight below, but don’t miss the ful...
Sotheby’s First Hip-Hop Auction Headlined by The Notorious B.I.G. & Tupac Shakur’s Prized Possessions
Sotheby will host its first-ever hip-hop auction featuring two prized items from late hip-hop heavyweights The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. While reflecting on the “Golden Age” of the genre in the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, the auction features 120 lots and showcases iconic artifacts, contemporary and fine art, one-of-a-kind experiences, vernacular photography, vintage and modern fashion, historic and modern jewelry and luxury goods, and rare flyers and posters. Monica Lynch, the former president of Tommy Boy Records in the ’90s who helped launched the careers of hip-hop legends Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force, Queen Latifah, De La Soul and Naughty by Nature among others, co-organized the auction. The two headlining items are the crown wo...
Wet, Wet, Wet: Cardi B Launches Waterproof ‘Wap’ Merch Line
Cardi B is making the most of her “WAP” summer, launching a line of waterproof merch to slide off the success of her hit Megan Thee Stallion single. The ode to female sexuality that has become a hot weather anthem — and source of outrage to some on the right — now has its own “Wapstore,” stocked with all your water-repelling needs. There is, of course, a transparent pink “WAP” raincoat ($125), which also comes in white and black, as well as black and pink “WAP’ umbrellas ($25) and a “WAP” crop biker set ($40) that comes with a nylon spandex bra with the song title airbrushed on the front and bike shorts with the name on the butt, of course. The “WAP” store has plenty of other merch that will make your grann...
Big Sean and Nipsey Hussle Reminisce About Paying Dues on ‘Deep Reverence’
The posthumous track with Nip appears on Sean’s upcoming “Detroit 2” album. Big Sean dropped a collab with the late Nipsey Hussle on Monday night (Aug. 24) with the reflective “Deep Reverence,” on which the two MCs reminisce about their struggle coming up. The song, which will appear on Sean’s upcoming Detroit 2 album (Sept. 4), was produced by Hit-Boy, along with Rogét Chahayed, Audio Anthem and G. Ry, and it features the two MCs coming together on the chorus, “F–k rap, I’m a street legend/ But I’m the don ’cause the streets said it/ Block love me with a deep reverence.” After a fiery first verse from Nip, who runs down the lessons he learned running in the streets and how it made him a legend, Sean breaks down the pr...
Napster Sold to Virtual Reality Concert App MelodyVR for $70 Million
Napster is on the move, again. London-based virtual reality concerts company MelodyVR announced on Tuesday that it is acquiring Rhapsody International, which operates as Napster, from its majority owner RealNetworks for the price tag of $70 million. MelodyVR, which operates an app specializing in live virtual reality music experiences, plans on combining with Napster to create the “first ever music entertainment platform which combines immersive visual content and music streaming,” said Anthony Matchett, MelodyVR’s CEO. The $70 million transaction is expected to close by year’s end and breaks down as $15 million in cash, $11 million in MelodyVR stock and the assumption of roughly $44 million in payments owed by Napster to various music industry entities. “For music&...
Hot 97 Executive Paddy Duke Fired Over Connection To Yusuf Hawkins’ Murder
Source: New York Daily News Archive / Getty Yusuf Hawkins was just 16 years of age when an angry mob of Italian-American youth shot and killed him in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn in 1989. On the anniversary of his death this past Sunday (August 23), Hot 97 fired executive Paddy Duke after it was revealed he was among the mob that carried out the crime against Hawkins. Hot 97, via its Twitter account, announced the firing of Paddy Duke, real name Pasquale Raucci, after it was revealed that he was a member of the 10 to 30 reported white youth that attacked Hawkins. The connection was made via the HBO documentary Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn and apparently, Hot 97 did not know Raucci was a member of the mob and promptly let him go. “After watching HBO’s Storm over Brooklyn, HOT97...
Jerry Seinfeld’s Spicy Op-Ed ON New York City Trends on Twitter, So Does “She’s 15”
Source: Mike Stobe / Getty Jerry Seinfeld left his billionaire lair to pen a cheeky op-ed for the New York Times in response to another writer’s opinion piece claiming New York City is washed beyond repair. The piece was spicy in true NYC fashion, and so was Twitter when his name joined a controversial, yet coincidental topic on the “Trending Topics” list. It started from a whiny op-ed written by James Altucher, star of his namesake podcast and co-founder of the Standup NY comedy club, who says “NYC is dead forever. Here’s why.” The piece reads like an aggrieved city dweller whose privileged lifestyle is permanently destroyed and is wanting an audience to rally behind his sentiments. To summarize, The Big Apple is no longer a place worth living in because business opportunities, culture, a...
