You can take the New England Patriots off the list of potential suitors for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Earlier in the week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed that Meek Mill told him that Jackson wants to play for the team. Kraft said a decision would ultimately be made by Bill Belichick, and according to a report by Jeff Howe of The Athletic, it appears the team will eschew the chance to pursue Jackson and roll into the 2023 season with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
According to Howe, “the price on Jackson in salary and draft compensation being too much of a non-starter.” Jackson received the non-exclusive franchise tag from the Ravens earlier this offseason, meaning he could agree to a deal with another team and, if Baltimore does not match it, go to them for the price of two first-round NFL Draft picks. But as Howe noted, the Patriots are in a position where meeting Jackson’s widely-reported high asking price for a new deal in a market set by Deshaun Watson’s contract with the Cleveland Browns is not appealing, no matter how they would go about acquiring him.
Via The Athletic:
The Ravens placed the $32.4 million franchise tag on Jackson, so the team still has its share of leverage in the matter. If the Patriots signed Jackson to an offer sheet, they would ship their next two first-round draft picks to Baltimore if the Ravens didn’t match the terms. Plus, for Jackson to agree to an offer sheet, the Patriots would almost certainly need to give him a contract worth far more money than they ever extended to Tom Brady.
So what about a trade? In theory, the Patriots could test Jackson’s true desire to link up, attempt to convince him to accept a far more affordable deal and offer the Ravens a trade package — say, three first-round picks — to get the Ravens onboard with such a move.
Jackson announced earlier this week that he requested a trade from the Ravens as the beginning of the month, one that has failed to materialize.
Fridayy’s introduction to the world came in the late summer of 2022. The Philadelphia-based singer is responsible for the thunderous, sky-grazing hook on DJ Khaled’s Grammy-nominated record, “God Did.” The song is more often than not remembered for Jay-Z’s four-minute verse, which follows well-crafted appearances from rap legends Lil Wayne and Rick Ross as well as a soulful outro from John Legend. While Fridayy is undoubtedly the rookie in a room of legends, his chorus roars with the strength required to place itself in between these intricate verses from well-revered rappers in the game. In short, Fridayy holds his own on the song and that would not be the last time we heard from him in 2022 either.
Uproxx caught up with Fridayy just weeks after he, Khaled, Jay-Z, Ross, and Wayne reimagined The Last Supper for a divine performance of “God Did” at the 2023 Grammys. “Twenty years from now, n****s are gonna be talking about ‘God Did,’” Fridayy says over a Zoom call. “I’m marked in history bro, I’m marked in history… I’m just grateful.” It’s this longevity that Fridayy eyes more than any short-term popularity or accolades. “I know my music’s gonna live forever,” he explained. “I already know that if my music’s touching people on a whole other level, like saving lives, it’s not about being the biggest artist in the world. With the type of music I make, even if it’s one fan, I know it’s gonna live forever.”
Just two months after the release of “God Did,” Fridayy found himself beside another big name in rap: Lil Baby. The two connected on “Forever,” one of the more emotion-filled records from Baby’s chart-topping third album It’s Only Me. Fridayy enters his chorus with quivering qualms that sound like he’s nearing a breakdown all to break into a cry to the heavens in a plea for one last moment with a lost lover. At this moment, it was clear that Fridayy could become the latest go-to artist for hooks around the hip-hop world, especially for records that needed that touch of emotion that Fridayy successfully delivered alongside music heavyweights.
While those two records placed the spotlight on the singer, they only did so little to tell Fridayy’s story. To find that, you’ll have to go to his debut project Lost In Melody. Released in the fall of 2022, Lost In Melody arrived with seven songs that fully captured the artistry and foundation that laid within Fridayy. Months later, the project was extended with five additional tracks through a well-timed deluxe release. “I just wanted to give everybody something different you know?” Fridayy says about the project. “I been studying the game for a long time, so it’s like, how can I stand out?” Fridayy sought to be more than a name, and he knew he could reach his goals the same way he earned his breakout moment: through music.
“Coming off ‘God Did,’ it was like, alright, they’re about to know your name,” Fridayy says. “It don’t look like it but, n****s want to know your story. They not gonna accept you until they know who you are.” So he got to work, and through the first four songs of Lost In Melody, Fridayy tells you a lot about himself. “Blessings” showcases gratitude toward the opportunity to chase a dream and take one step closer to it and one step away from what once was. “Empty Stomach” is Fridayy’s own account of the struggles he endured after he moved to Los Angeles to chase his dream. “I got hundred beats, hundred songs in my pocket / They ain’t even hear my sh*t, they say, ‘Youngin, keep grindin,’” he quivers on the song. “I ain’t tryna hear this grindin’ sh*t, I’m starvin’ / Somebody show me where the money at, I’ma walk in.” The following record, “God Sent,” displays his faith and belief in what is destined for him will arrive in due time while “Don’t Give Up On Me” begs that others around him see this destiny and also believe in him. In just the first four songs on Lost In Melody, it’s clear to see that Fridayy is a man of faith and destiny, understanding that both have contributed to his present-day success.
Fridayy’s first interactions with music came when he was 9 or 10 years old. At that time, he began playing the piano in church. He eventually took on singing after being heavily influenced by Boyz II Men, a group that continues to shape Fridayy’s musical decisions today. “When you hear the harmonies, when you hear the four-part harmonies, the adlibs, it all comes from me listing to Boyz II Men,” he says. Fridayy later picked up Philly natives like Meek Mill and the late PNB Rock as additional influences in his career. While the aforementioned artists shaped his musicality, Fridayy says a critique from a girl he was dating a few years ago also had an effect on the future content of his songs. “I was playing her some music and she was like, ‘Damn, the way you talk to me is not how you’re talking in these songs,’” he recalls. “It wasn’t even like a crazy song, it was a love song, but even [with] the love song, the way I talk, I wasn’t putting that in my music. So when she told me that, it kind of opened my eyes.”
This note eventually helped Fridayy to create music with an emotional touch that helped him to achieve his goal of being versatile and standing out. It’s for this reason that he selects “Don’t Give Up On Me” as the song from the project that he feels best describes him as a project. “I’m telling a story, at the end I get real soulful [and] it’s so big,” he says. “I feel like that song is just me, it represents who I am. You don’t know what I’m talking about in that song. You don’t know if I’m talking about a girl, God, or my homie, but everybody takes that song and put it where they need to put it.” In its totality, creating songs like “Don’t Give Up On Me” proved to be a form of therapy that helped Fridayy see his growth by the time his debut was released. “It was seeing I really came a long way type sh*t,” he says. “I’ll listen to it and be like, ‘damn, when I was recording this, I was f*cked up.’ By the time this came out, things were a little different.”
Nowadays, Fridayy is putting the finishing touches on his upcoming debut album. With everything he accomplished with Lost In Melody and more, he knows that the bar is will be higher for his next body of work. Luckily for him, he’s already progressing toward that next level. “We just on a higher level, like it’s just different,” he says about the project. “Same me, just on a higher level: musically, production, melodies. I’m exploring, but you still gonna hear the same me that you hear on Lost In Melody.” The contents of that next level remain to be seen, but you can rest assured that Fridayy is stringing together a story that will help him accomplish the long-lasting legacy he seeks in his career.
Lost In Melody is out now via Lost In Melody, LLC/Def Jam Recordings. You can stream it here.
Anticipation is high for Chlöe’s solo debut album, In Pieces. Just days before its arrival, Chlöe stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! to debut a new song from the project.
On her latest song, “Cheatback,” Chlöe has no desire to exact revenge on an unfaithful man. In this case, she’d prefer to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Over a simple acoustic guitar, Chlöe reminds the cheater that she has plenty of people knocking on her door, and she isn’t afraid to play the games he has been playing with her.
“Find another boo from the hood with some tats / Give him what’s yours, show him I can throw it back / Maybe then, baby, you’ll know how to act / if I cheat back / Send him new pics in that outfit you like / Say I’m with my girls while he spendin’ the night / Maybe then, baby, you’ll know how to act / if I cheat back,” she sings on the song’s chorus.
Fans can hear the official version, which will feature Future, upon the release of In Pieces this week. In the meantime, check out the performance above.
In Pieces is out 3/31 via Parkwood/Columbia Records. Find more information here.
Last year, Rage Against The Machine’s lead singer, Zack De La Rocha suffered a foot injury that led to the cancellation of their European tour after he pushed through to finish their North American run. Now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone, the band’s guitarist, Tom Morello, reveals he doesn’t exactly know when they’ll retake the stage — if ever.
“We’ll see. If there is to be any more shows, we will announce it as a band. I don’t know. I know as much as you do, honestly. Right now, we’re in a time of healing,” Morello said.
“There is no term,” he added. “Rage Against The Machine is like the ring in Lord Of The Rings: It drives men mad. It drives journalists mad. It drives record industry people mad. They want it. They want the thing, and they’re driven mad. If there are Rage shows, if there are not Rage shows, you’ll hear from the band. I do not know. When there is news, it will come from a collective statement from the band. There is no news.”
However, he did make a point during the interview to note that if it was an indefinite hiatus as a band, they would say that. Morello also said that it was de la Rocha’s orders from his doctor that prompted the European tour not happening — as flying brought risks of blood clots.
“I hate cancelling shows,” De La Rocha previously wrote. “I hate disappointing our fans. You have all waited so patiently to see us and that is never lost on me…I hope to see you very soon.”
Given the band has only played a handful of shows during their many years as a group, only time will tell.
DJ Drama has released the next installment of his Juice remake promoting his upcoming album I’m Really Like That, really leaning into the nostalgia with the help of rappers Jim Jones and Chinese Kitty. This time around, he duplicates the “Picking Up Vinyl” scene in which Omar Epps’ character, Q, distracts an employee at a record store by flirting with her (remember asking for phone numbers???) as his friends Raheem, Steel, and Bishop steal records.
Making the scene even more fun, the characters of Raheem and Steel and played by their original actors, Khalil Kain and Jermaine Hopkins respectively. This continues a trend from Drama’s previous scene recreation, which cast Queen Latifah in her film role as the Ruff House MC. The shop girl is portrayed by rapper/model Chinese Kitty, while Jim Jones takes over the Bishop role from Tupac Shakur. The music, of course, is updated to a more modern trap beat (a Roddy Ricch song from the upcoming album) from the New Jack Swing track from the movie. The whole thing is cool.
With two Juice remake clips out, Drama still hasn’t revealed the tracklist for his new album, which drops on 3/31 via Generation Now and Atlantic, so stay tuned — there’s definitely more to come.
DJ Drama is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Over the past few years, Black Thought has been branching. Primarily known as the rapper and de facto frontman of The Roots, a growing number of recent releases, the Philadelphia MC has been collaborating with an expanding roster of producers, including Danger Mouse, El Michels Affair, 9th Wonder, Salaam Remi, and Sean C. While his new project, Glorious Game with El Michels Affair, is due April 14, frequent collaborator and DJ J. Period put together yet another compilation of Black Thought tracks to hold fans over ’til then.
On J. Period Presents The Live Mixtape [JB Edition], the DJ utilizes Thought’s status as one of rap’s preeminent technicians of the craft, pairing live freestyles taken from Thought’s most recent Roots Picnic Live Mixtape performance. over instrumentals from the late, great funk and soul icon James Brown, as well as hip-hop beats that sampled his works. These include Nas’ “Get Down,” “Big Payback,” “Hot Pants Road,” and Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power.”
While Black Thought labored for much of his career with The Roots in relative obscurity, thanks to social media and a string of strategically placed freestyles, he’s finally received recognition from rap fans as a peerless rapper, and here, he puts that reputation to the test, freestyling for 35 minutes over some of the funkiest production known to man. Check it out on J. Period’s Bandcamp.
<a href=”https://ift.tt/JsRDx9i; data-mce-href=”https://ift.tt/8AKMjz4! J.PERIOD Presents The Live Mixtape [JB Edition] feat. Black Thought by J.PERIOD</a>
Just days before the upcoming third season premiere of his semi-autobiographical sitcom Dave, rapper and actor Dave “Lil Dicky” Burd paid a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
During his visit, Lil Dicky dished on what we can expect from season 3, which shows the semi-fictional version of Lil Dicky going on tour across the country. Over the course of the season, viewers will see several guest stars, including Killer Mike, Rick Ross, and Usher.
Lil Dicky revealed to Kimmel that he remembers seeing Usher in concert when he was younger.
“I see this man on stage, and I remember weeping watching him,” he said, “as he would strip down into his underwear. And honestly, I now, strip down to my underwear when I get shows, because of Usher.”
Dicky also shared that he revealed this to Usher when he was on set for his cameo.
“How did he react to that?,” asked Kimmel.
“He thought it was cool,” said Dicky.
Elsewhere in the interview, Dicky teased even more surprises ahead of the upcoming season.
Check out the full interview above.
Season 3 of Dave premieres 4/5 on FXX at 10 p.m. ET. Episodes will air weekly and be available for streaming the following day on Hulu.
Chloe Bailey’s sex scene in the new Prime Video series Swarm had fans talking once they realized it was her. However, others have viewed it as too NSFW and pushed back. Chlöe herself recently responded to this debate on Big Boy’s Neighborhood podcast.
“I’m an actress and I feel like it’s about art,” she said. “It’s not about seeing me in the mirror of that scene. But I think because it’s me doing it, that’s what kind of makes it blow out of proportion.”
During her appearance, she was also asked if she thought her scene partner, Damson Idris, had received a similar discourse — as Bailey is barely seen for a split second.
“I don’t think so because he’s a man,” she answered. I was just doing my job and people got to remember that I’m an adult and I’m an artist and nothing was seen that they haven’t seen from me. You didn’t see nipple. When I first received the script, I was just like… It was just insane and gorgeous and I think people are forgetting the plot of that scene.”
Along with her acting crossover, she is gearing up to drop her debut solo album, In Pieces.
Larry June and Grammy-winning producer The Alchemist are going full steam ahead into their very first new album cycle together for the recently-announced The Great Escape, which arrives later this month.
Just this week alone, the duo dropped two new songs — and fans are buzzing to hear more details about what to expect on the full project.
Continue scrolling for everything you need to know, including the release date, tracklist, features, and plenty more details that are still to come.
Release Date
Larry June & The Alchemist’s new album will drop on March 31 via Empire.
Tracklist
Here is the tracklist for The Great Escape:
1. “Turkish Cotton” 2. “89 Earthquake” 3. “Solid Plan” Feat. Action Bronson 4. “Palisades, CA” Feat. Big Sean 5. “Summer Reign” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign 6. “Orange Village” Feat. Slum Village 7. “Porsches in Spanish” 8. “Art Talk” Feat. Boldy James 9. “Ocean Sounds” 10. “Left No Evidence” Feat. Evidence 11. “What Happened To The World?” Feat. Wiz Khalifa 12. “Éxito” Feat. Jay Worthy 13. “60 Days” 14. “Barragán Lighting” Feat. Joey Badass & Currensy 15. “Margie’s Candy House”
Features
Just days before the album release date of March 31, Larry June and The Alchemist revealed the tracklist for the album and its guest features. Through 15 songs on The Great Escape, listeners will catch appearances from Action Bronson, Big Sean, Ty Dolla Sign, Slum Village, Boldy James, Evidence, Wiz Khalifa, Joey Badass, and Currensy.
Artwork
The Great Escape artwork has yet to be revealed.
Singles
So far, there are two new singles: the extravagant taste on “60 Days” and the reflective take on June’s journey in “89 Earthquake.” Check out the music videos for both songs below.
Tour Dates
Larry June will set out on the Larry’s Market Run Tour starting on May 8 in Minneapolis, MN. The tour will continue for a little over two months before coming to a stop in Oakland, CA on July 8. You can view the full dates below.
At this point, who knows how many “Carpool Karaoke” segments we have left, since The Late Late Show With James Corden is set to air its final episode on April 28. Corden is making the most of his final days on the show, though, by bringing on some heavy hitters for “Carpool Karaoke.” He hosted Bad Bunny a couple weeks ago, and on last night’s (March 27) show, it was Lil Nas X who hopped in the passenger seat.
The segment started with Corden taking notice of Lil Nas X’s shirt, which featured a bedazzled cross (certainly a departure from all the devil stuff). Nas explained, “Oh, this? You know, I’m having my, like, ‘woman of God’ moment. Like, hmm, Christian era.” Corden then joked, “I feel like Mary Magdalene,” a Biblical figure who was a Jesus Christ associate and is often portrayed as having been a prostitute. Nas didn’t get it, though, asking, “Who’s Mary Mag-dolan?” Corden replied, “It’s a long story, let’s not get into it.”
Aside from driving around and singing songs, the main attraction of this installment was Nas and Corden stopping by the Bold And The Beautiful set to film a scene for the long-running daytime soap opera. Nas was given the part of a waiter, while Corden was relegated to holding breadsticks in the background.
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