Hip-Hop
Cardi B Announces Waterproof Line of “WAP” Merch
When she isn’t interviewing the Democratic nominee for President or making FOX anchors flip out, Cardi B stays busy by giving fans new songs that will get stuck in their head for months. The latest example of such is “WAP”, her viral collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion that promotes female sexuality in the most over-the-top way. Now, Cardi has released an exclusive line of waterproof “WAP” merch to keep that brand going strong,. Cardi B has unveiled a new webstore exclusively for “WAP”-themed items called the “Wapstore”. It features a wide array of raincoats, crop tops, sweatpants, umbrellas, sports bras, and biker shorts, each emblazoned with the text “WAP” and, in some cases, the single artwork featuring the rap duo’s hair intertwined. Prices start at $25. Though some stuffy critics a...
Beyoncé’s ‘Brown Skin Girl’ Video Is Now Available Outside of ‘Black Is King’: Watch
The visual features appearances from Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong’o, Kelly Rowland and Blue Ivy Carter. Ring the alarm! Just weeks after unveiling Black Is King, Beyoncé has gifted the wider world with the stunning video for “Brown Skin Girl.” On Aug. 24, the superstar uploaded the celebratory clip as a standalone visual on YouTube. (Previously, the video for the fan favorite track had only been available to Disney+ subscribers as part of Beyoncé’s most recent musical film, which dropped exclusively on the streaming service July 31.) In the video, Beyoncé enlists (and name drops) the likes of Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong’o and former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland to help laud and pass down the ideals of Black identity, heritage and beauty to fut...
Ms. Lauryn Hill Performs Six Songs for Louis Vuitton’s Menswear Show: Watch
Ms. Lauryn Hill Ms. Lauryn Hill has given limited performances during the pandemic, but her latest is a big one. Louis Vuitton called on the hip-hop icon to provide the musical accompaniment for their spring-summer 2021 menswear show in Shanghai, which took place earlier this month. The whole six-song performance was captured on video for an accompanying video presentation, which has now come online for all to behold. The black-and-white video finds Hill delivering half-a-dozen tracks, including her contribution to the Queen & Slim soundtrack, “Guarding the Gates”. With her band in full force around her, she also sings “Everything Is Everything”, “Lost Ones”, “Ex-Factor”, “Black Rage”, and the classic “Doo Wop (That Thing)”. Most of the July 31st shoot took place at New Jersey’s MLH St...
JAY-Z and Pharrell Team for New Single “Entrepreneur”: Stream
JAY-Z and Pharrell Williams are two of the most successful business men in all of music, so it’s fitting that their new collaboration be called “Entrepreneur”. Coming as part of a new cover package for TIME, the track finds the two artists advocating for an equality revolution across all levels of the American Dream. “The intention for a song was all about how tough it is to be an entrepreneur in our country to begin with,” Pharrell told TIME. “Especially as someone of color, there’s a lot of systemic disadvantages and purposeful blockages. How can you get a fire started, or even the hope of an ember to start a fire, when you’re starting at disadvantages with regards to health care, education, and representation?” In the song itself, Pharrell raps, “Gravity on the black man/ With everythin...
Kendrick Lamar Narrates Nike’s New Kobe Bryant Tribute Video: Watch
Nike is celebrating Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday with a new short film narrated by fellow Los Angeles great, Kendrick Lamar. Entitled Better, the film “celebrates the universal relevance of progress and highlights Kobe’s prolific desire for improvement,” Nike says. “The Mamba Mentality is about getting better, every day, in everything we do.” Kendrick echoes these sentiments throughout the clip: “Kobe taught us to be better,” K. Dot begins. “Better waker, better stretcher, better walker, better talker.” As the clip progresses, so too does the intensity of Kendrick’s articulation: “Better form, better focus, better friend, better fighter, better rider, better eater, better generation, better nation!” he continues. “Just be better. Can you do that?” Watch the full video below. ...
Nike Celebrates Kobe Bryant’s 42nd Birthday With Kendrick Lamar-Narrated Tribute: Watch
Happy birthday, Kobe Bryant. To help commemorate the late basketball legend’s 42nd birthday on Sunday (Aug. 23), Nike teamed up with Kendrick Lamar for a 90-second video highlighting Bryant’s Mamba Mentality of always striving to be better. In the inspirational video, appropriately titled Better, Lamar spits rapid-fire spoken word over a montage of clips from Bryant’s unforgettable career, mixed with footage of recent protests across the United States. “Better friend. Better fighter. Better rider. Better eater. Better leader. Better generation. Better nation,” Lamar says over a soft piano melody. “Just be better. Can you do that?” In a post on its website, Nike described the video as a celebration of the “universal relevance of progress and highlights Kobe’s prolifi...
Megan Thee Stallion Confirms Tory Lanez Shot Her
Over a month after it was first reported that Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the foot, the “WAP” rapper has confirmed that it was Tory Lanez who pulled the trigger. News broke in mid-July that Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, had been arrested for suspicion of possession of a concealed weapon. Megan, né Megan Pete, was in the vehicle with Lanez at the time and reported suffering glass wounds on her feet. However, the very next day, she took to social media to reveal she had actually been shot in both her feet “as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me.” At the time, the Los Angeles Police Department said Megan had not reported any crime. Over the next few weeks, however, she continued to discuss the experience, including surge...
New Music Friday: 8 Albums to Stream
Every Friday, Consequence of Sound rounds up some of the week’s noteworthy new album releases. Today, August 21st, brings fresh music from Cut Copy, Guided By Voices, Awich, The Lemon Twigs, Bully, Duckwrth, The Front Bottoms, and Maya Hawke. Take a look to each of their new albums below. Also check out new albums from Nas, The Killers, and Bright Eyes, and new singles from Deftones, BTS, and Jay-Z and Pharrell. Cut Copy – Freeze, Melt <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1058624" data-attachment-id="1058624" data-permalink="https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/08/cut-copy-like-breaking-glass-stream/cut-copy-photo-by-tamar-levine-2/" data-orig-file="https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Cut-Copy-photo-by-Tamar-Levine-.jpg?qualit...
Chance the Rapper Hopes Megan Thee Stallion ‘Gets Justice’ After Shooting Incident
Chance the Rapper is showing his support for Megan Thee Stallion after her recent claim that Tory Lanez shot her after a Hollywood Hills party in July. “I hope Meg really gets justice for what Tory did to her,” Chance tweeted on Saturday (Aug. 22). “And that we can all learn from this, how near and constant and serious, the threat of lethal violence and abuse is for every Black woman.” Earlier in the week, Meg took to Instagram Live to set the record straight on who was responsible for pulling the trigger and shooting her in the feet on after the Los Angeles party on July 12. “Yes … Tory shot me. You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying,” she said during an Instagram Live on Aug. 20. “Stop lying. Why lie? I don’t unders...
The Weeknd & Calvin Harris Drop More Details About Their New Track
It won’t be long before The Weeknd and Calvin Harris‘ new song is here. The Weeknd announced the track’s title, “Over Now,” as well as a release date on social media Saturday afternoon (Aug. 22). “over now. friday,” he captioned some newly unveiled artwork for the collaboration, which is billed as “Calvin Harris x The Weeknd.” “Brand new this Friday,” Harris confirmed on his own Instagram account. “Over Now” will make its debut on Friday, Aug. 28. It was first teased earlier in the week, when The Weeknd shared a photo of himself with the Scottish producer, and Harris put up footage previewing a funky and smooth R&B jam in an Instagram story. Check out their latest posts below. You Deserve to Make Mo...
Brandy & Monica Will Face Off in a Sure-to-Be Iconic ‘Verzuz’ Showdown
Queue up “The Boy Is Mine”: It’s Brandy vs. Monica in the next Verzuz battle. “Get ready for the queens!” the official Verzuz Instagram teased Saturday night (Aug. 22), with a sleek split image of the singers’ faces. Brandy and Monica will go head-to-head on Monday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on Instagram and Apple Music. “#History,” Brandy wrote on her account. “Thank you @monicadenise and @verzuztv for making this happen. Let’s celebrate!!!!” “This will be historical,” Monica agreed with her own post about the upcoming event. “It’s an honor @brandy.” Monica then encouraged fans to start chiming in with their requests: “What songs would you all like to see us bring to @verzuztv !! Celebratin...
Travis Scott Drops New Song ‘The Plan’ From Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’: Listen
Travis Scott has dropped his new song “The Plan,” which will be featured in Christopher Nolan upcoming sci-fi thriller Tenet. The brain-melting track dropped early Saturday morning (Aug. 22) after debuting the previous evening during the NBA’s Clippers/Mavericks game on TNT. “The Plan” marks Scott’s first attempt at writing a soundtrack song. Tenet director Nolan recently told GQ that the rapper’s contribution to the hush-hush project was like the final piece of a “yearlong puzzle.” “His insights into the musical and narrative mechanism [composer] Ludwig Göransson and I were building were immediate, insightful, and profound,” Nolan said. Asked by GQ to describe Tenet, Scott replied, “I can’t even explain it. You ...
