djfrosty

03 Mar 2023

Sway Calloway Announces New Partnership Between POLARIS & Byron Allen’s HBCU GO

HipHopWired Featured Video
Celebrities Visit SiriusXM - August 2, 2022

Source: Noam Galai / Getty

Looks like Sway Calloway will be making some major moves to kick off 2023. The Hip-Hop legend just announced that POLARIS (co-founded by Sway, Rahman J. Dukes and Shaheem Reid) will be forming a new partnership with Byron Allen and HBCU GO.

As part of the new business venture, POLARIS will be creating new content for HBCU GO, VOD and AMG properties such as TheGrio, which will revolve around music, culture and naturally the celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary. There will even be an investigative series dedicated to Jam Master Jay. Needless to say, Sway is excited about the new partnership and in a press release expressed his vision for where he wants to go with this venture.

“I am ecstatic to be a part of POLARIS and to be able to put my two decades of work in TV and radio into a network that is 100% Black owned and focused on uplifting voices within our culture,” said Sway Calloway, Co-Founder of POLARIS. “To be able to partner with Byron Allen’s AMG, HBCU GO and TheGrio is huge and I am excited to see the impactful content we create together.” 

Count us in.

POLARIS has been making its mark ever since premiering back in 2021 exclusively for VIZIO users. Streaming coverage on everything from the Rolling Loud Festival to celebrating Black History Month, the platform has become a favorite amongst its faithful viewers. Now they’ll be expanding their reach, and that’s something that Raham J. Dukes and Shaheem Reid very much look forward to.

“Aligning forces with Byron Allen, HBCU Go and the Grio is a tremendous opportunity to craft and curate content that people will look back at years later as cultural landmarks.” said Rahman J. Dukes and Shaheem Reid, co-founders of POLARIS. “This is a vision that spans over two decades and we are excited to see our vision come to fruition.”

Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us when the time comes.

Are you looking forward to the new POLARIS and HBCU GO partnership? Let us know in the comments section below.

03 Mar 2023

Rihanna’s PUMA x Fenty Collaboration Is Back

HipHopWired Featured Video
Super Bowl LVII - Kansas City Chiefs v Philadelphia Eagles

Source: Focus On Sport / Getty

Rihanna season continues. The expecting mother has announced that her PUMA x Fenty collaboration is coming back, and the culture is here for it.

As spotted on Hypebeast, the “Lift Me Up” songstress is back with the apparel company. On Wednesday, March 1, the brand took to social media to make the big reveal. The visual is a teaser that simply reads “She’s back,” with both the PUMA and Fenty logos placed below the copy. The caption on the post stated “Coming soon.” This marks the second time both entities have come to the table. Back in 2014 Rihanna signed on as PUMA’s Global Ambassador for women’s training and served as PUMA’s Women’s Creative Director.

Related Stories

At the time of the original, deal RiRi expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity. “It’s great to find a brand that celebrates strength and individuality. I couldn’t think of a more perfect partner to collaborate with as a creative director. I’m excited for you to see what PUMA and I come up with” she said. Two years later, she aligned her Fenty label with PUMA and released her very popular Fenty PUMA Creeper sneaker.

At this time there is no set date for the release of the forthcoming PUMA x Fenty collection.

—

Photo: Focus On Sport / Getty

03 Mar 2023

The Weeknd Drops First Live Album, ‘Live at SoFi Stadium’

If you missed The Weeknd on his After Hours Til Dawn Tour now’s your chance to catch up. The singer dropped his first-ever live album on Friday (March 3), Live at SoFi Stadium, a 31-track collection chronicling his two-night stand at the Los Angeles venue in Nov. 2022.

As you might expect, the career-overview track list features some of Abel’s most beloved hits, including “Wicked Games,” “Kiss Land,” ” Starboy,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Save Your Tears,” “Die For You” and “Blinding Lights,” among others. The set is executive produced by The Weeknd and Mike Dean and is a companion to his recent HBO special Live at SoFi Stadium.

Among the other songs on the album are “Crew Love,” “Heartless,” “Party Monster,” “Faith,” “Out of Time,” “I Feel It Coming” and “Oh Nah,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign.

The album comes at the top of what is shaping up to be a busy year for Weeknd, who is slated to make his series debut in the as-yet-unscheduled HBO series The Idol, and topline his first feature film, which he is also co-writing and co-executive producing alongside director Trey Edward Shults (It Comes At Night); Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega will co-star and also executive produce.

As if that wasn’t enough, Weeknd and Ariana Grande were back in our ears last week with the remix of their 2016 hit single “Die For You,” marking the dynamic duo’s fourth collaboration, following up 2021’s remix of “Save Your Tears,” as well as his feature on her 2014 single “Love Me Harder” and “Off the Table” from Ari’s most recent album, 2020’s Positions.

Listen to Live at SoFi Stadium below.

03 Mar 2023

Who Asked For This?: Fox Nation To Release ‘Jussie Smollett: Anatomy Of A Hoax’ Docuseries

HipHopWired Featured Video
BET Awards 2022 - Arrivals

Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty

Fox Nation, the streaming service for white-grievance-PornHub network Fox News, is giving documentary lovers what none of us asked for: Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax.

That’s right, the streaming service for people who think the District of Columbia is a foreign land full of Mexicans is dredging up the hoax for which Smollett was convicted and sentenced to five months in jail after being accused of faking a fake hate crime by fake MAGA supporters in a fake version of where that’s a thing that’s likely to happen to a Black man in public in a Black-a** city in the dead of night.

Related Stories

(I’m not saying definitively that he was lying, I’m just saying you can see why even a lot of Black people thought he was lying. It’s also worth mentioning that this docuseries is coming out as Smollett is appealing his conviction.)

From Deadline:

Set for March 13, the series will feature exclusive interviews with brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who were part of an elaborate plot to perpetrate a staged hate crime on the Empire actor. They have apparently never spoken to the media about their role in the hoax. 

Smollett continues to maintain his innocence.

“Anatomy of a Hoax takes a deep dive into a scam that reverberated through the worlds of entertainment, pop culture and politics,” said John Finley, the streaming platform’s Executive Vice President. “We’re excited for viewers to hear the real stories behind this scandal from the Osundairo brothers for the very first time.”

Now, if you’re wondering to yourself, “Who asked for this?” Well, for reference, Fox Nation also aired a Roseanne Bar standup special—a thing you only asked for if you’ve also requested Kid Rock to sing at your wedding-slash-family reunion-slash-baby gender reveal. 

Anyway, Fox Nation says the docuseries “will chronicle the behind the scenes maneuvering and drama that turned the star into a pariah and sent shockwaves through Chicago and beyond, leaving a trail of damaged careers and reputations.” The platform added that the “Osundairo brothers will unravel the details from the planning of the fake crime, its execution and all that ensued in the aftermath.”

So, what do y’all think? Is this docuseries on your radar, or nah?

03 Mar 2023

The Weeknd Blasts ‘Rolling Stone’ As “Irrelevant”

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Gilbert Flores / Getty

In a not-so-subtle response to Rolling Stone over criticism of his HBO dramatic series, The Weeknd blasted them as “irrelevant” with a clip from the show.

The Canadian singer shared a clip from the upcoming HBO series The Idol in which he stars alongside Lily Rose-Depp to his social media Tuesday (March 1). He tagged the publication and wrote, “Did we upset you?” in the caption.

Related Stories

In the scene, The Weeknd plays Tedros, a modern-day cult leader who is listening to a pitch made by Dan Levy’s character for Jocelyn, the pop star played by Rose-Depp, to do a photo shoot for Rolling Stone.

“Rolling Stone? Aren’t they a little irrelevant? … Rolling Stone has six million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bots. And Jocelyn has 78 million followers, all real I’d assume. So she does a photo shoot, she tags them, they get her followers. More money for ‘Rolling Stone,’ nothing for Jocelyn,” he responds.

The 33-year-old superstar has been dealing with the aftermath of a scathing article criticizing the series from the publication. The article cites sources close to the production that describe it as highly chaotic, with claims that The Weeknd (who is also a producer on the show) wanted the focus to be more on him than his costar.

The Idol also underwent a change of director, with Sam Levinson stepping in to finish the six-episode season after Amy Seimetz left the production as it was 80% percent complete. The same sources then claim that the Euphoria director went over the top by ramping up the disturbing sexual content and weakening the target message of the show, which was meant to be satirical of the entertainment industry.

Representatives from The Weeknd’s team have dismissed the article as “rumors,” while HBO issued a lengthy statement: “The creators and producers of ‘The Idol’ have been working hard to create one of HBO’s most exciting and provocative original programs,” HBO said.

“The initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards so we chose to make a change. Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew. We look forward to sharing ‘The Idol’ with audiences soon.”

03 Mar 2023

Guns N’ Roses, Elton John, Lizzo, Arctic Monkeys to Headline 2023 Glastonbury Festival

The roster of headliners for this summer’s Glastonbury Festival is absurdly packed, with Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses, Elton John and Lizzo slated to take the Pyramid Stage. And, in a bittersweet child ‘o mine twist, while Axl and the rest of the Gunners will be performing for the mud-caked masses at Worthy Farm for the first time, it will also mark John’s first, and last, time at Glasto, as the pop icon’s slot will come as he winds down his Farewell Yellow Brick road tour this summer.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“It gives me enormous pleasure to let you know that the one and only Elton John will be making his first ever Glastonbury appearance, headlining the Pyramid Stage on the Sunday night next year,” co-organizer Emily Eavis revealed in a December note. “This will be the final U.K. show of Elton’s last ever tour, so we will be closing the Festival and marking this huge moment in both of our histories with the mother of all send offs. We are so very happy to finally bring the Rocket Man to Worthy Farm.”

According to the Guardian, John’s Sunday festival-closing set will be immediately preceded by a performance from Lil Nas X, as Lana Del Rey and Wizkid headline on the Other Stage. Other acts making their Glasto debuts this year include “Supermodel” rockers Måneskin and country trio The Chicks.

The lineup also includes: Lewis Capaldi, The War on Drugs, Chvches, Alt-J, Blondie, Carly Rae Jepsen, Central Cee, Christine and the Queens, Fatboy Slim, Hot Chip, Joey Bada$$, Kelis, Maggie Rogers, Manic Street Preachers, Rina Sawayama, Phoenix, Royal Blood, Slowthai, Sparks, Sudan Archives, Thundercat and Weyes Blood, among many others.

After Eavis promised in 2019 that her goal was to ensure as close to a 50/50 gender split as possible, NME reported that 53% of the 54 names on the initial lineup are male this year. And while the majority of the headliners are male, Eavis told the Guardian that GNR were booked after a previously confirmed female headliner pulled out after she “changed her touring plans”; Eavis declined to say who the artist is, but added that she hoped they would headline sometime in the next five years. She also noted that Lizzo will serve as the opening acts for Guns, noting that “she could totally headline” in the future.

In addition, Eavis said as part of the ongoing effort to diversify the bill that 46% of the 54 names on the list are non-white or feature non-white members.

Check out the full announced lineup below.

03 Mar 2023

Demi Lovato Unleashes ‘Scream VI’ Cut ‘Still Alive’: Stream It Now

After cutting seven studio albums, changing style and music direction in the fickle pop world, and surviving a near fatal overdose, yes, Demi Lovato is still alive.

At the stroke of midnight, the U.S. artist dropped “Still Alive,” her contribution to the Scream VI soundtrack.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

It’s the first taste of Lovato’s new music since releasing her seventh studio album, Holy Fvck, back in 2022.

The pop-punk fueled full-length contained collaborations with Yungblud, Royal & the Serpent and Dead Sara and ultimately topped three separate Billboard tallies: Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums.

Mike Shinoda is on production duties for “Still Alive,” which sees Lovato cruising in that pop-punk lane and spitting out lyrics that illustrate a living hell.

On it, she sings: “Already died a thousand times / Went to hell but I’m back and I’m breathing / Make me bleed while my heart is still beating / Still alive”.

Lovato, of course, came very close to losing it all when she overdosed on heroin in 2018. She’s since spoken candidly about the incident, and the ongoing road to recovery from a binge that left her with three strokes, a heart attack, and blind spots in her vision.

“Still Alive” is accompanied by an official music video, which features a creep in that familiar Ghostface mask, terrorizing some poor folks. Watch to the end for Lovato kicking some butt.

Jensen Noen directs the “Still Alive” music video, which can be seen below. The next installment in the Scream franchise is due out March 10 in cinemas.

03 Mar 2023

Harry Styles’ ‘Harry’s House’ Checks In at No. 1 In Australia

Harry Styles is king of the road, and king of the charts as Harry’s House returns to No. 1 in Australia.

As he winds his way around the country for a run of stadium shows, Styles’ third studio album returns to No. 1 on the national chart for a ninth non-consecutive week, ARIA reports.

Harry’s House first summited in May 2022 and stayed there for three weeks. Then, a four-week block at No. 1 in July and August, and another week-long stint in late August 2022.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Styles seven-show Love On Tour lap of Australia and New Zealand, produced by Live Nation, has also put heat on his sophomore album Fine Line, up 7-5, and a string of singles.

Gorillaz swing in at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart, published March 3, with Cracker Island.

The album, which features collaborations with Perth, Australia producer and Tame Impala leader Kevin Parker, plus Bad Bunny, Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat and others, is the virtual band’s eighth studio set and second leader after Plastic Beach, which reached the penthouse in 2010.

Also new to the latest albums survey is The Twin Set’s Tines of Stars Unfurled, the solo debut from You Am I frontman Tim Rogers. It’s new at No. 4. Also, U.S. pop artist Adam Lambert debuts at No. 7 with High Drama.

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Miley Cyrus’ ”Flowers” locks down a seventh consecutive week at No. 1, equaling the reign of Miley’s dad Billy Ray Cyrus, with 1992’s “Breaky Heart.” 

Following the release of fresh cut with Ariana Grande, The Weeknd’s 2016 track “Die For You” finds new life, blasting 41-3 to the national chart, for a new peak position.

The top debut on the latest tally belongs to Harry Styles’ former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan, with “Heaven,” opening at No. 30, while homegrown house producer Dom Dollar marks his first appearance on the ARIA Top 50 with “Rhyme Dust.” A collaboration with U.S. electronic producer MK, “Rhyme Dust” bows at No. 32.

02 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Drops Demo Version of ‘Flowers’: Stream It Now

Miley Cyrus unveiled the demo version of her smash single “Flowers” on Friday (March 3) via RCA Records.

“I can buy myself flowers/ Write my name in the sand/ Talk to myself for hours/ Say things you don’t understand/ I can take myself dancing/ And I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can,” she sings over the original, scaled-down instrumentation.

Ahead of dropping the demo, the superstar announced she’d be sharing it as a special gift for fans after “Flowers” spent its sixth consecutive week reigning atop the Hot 100 (chart dated March 4). The song has emerged as an unstoppable force since its release on January 12. In its first week, the anthem broke the record for the biggest opening week in Spotify history, only to be topped by an even higher streaming number in the following frame.

“Flowers” serves as the lead single for Cyrus’ upcoming eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation. Slated for release on March 10, the full-length effort will also feature as-yet-unheard tracks like “Jaded,” “Rose Colored Glasses,” “Violet Chemistry” and “Wonder Woman” along with surprise collaborations with Brandi Carlile (“Thousand Miles”) and Sia (“Muddy Feet”).

“Flowers” is unstoppable on both sides of the Atlantic, logging six consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and Official U.K. Singles Charts.

Stream Miley’s “Flowers” demo below.

02 Mar 2023

Nicki Minaj Returns With New Single ‘Red Ruby Da Sleeze’: Stream It Now

Nicki Minaj is back with her first single of 2023, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” which she released on Friday (March 3) via Young Money Entertainment and Republic Records.

The Queen of Rap has been teasing her latest release on Instagram with a video snippet filmed in her home island of Trinidad and Tobago as well as photos of her wearing a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dress with dyed hair in half-pink, half-red space buns.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Red Ruby Da Sleeze, Chinese on my sleeve/ These wannabe Chun-Li’s, anyway, nǐ hǎo/ Who the f— told bi—es they was me now?” she raps over Lumidee‘s 2003 smash “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” while also referencing her 2018 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit and alter-ego “Chun-Li.”

“Red Ruby Da Sleeze” marks her first solo single since 2022’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which became the rapper’s career-first solo Hot 100 No. 1 hit and the first No. 1 debut for a hip-hop song by a female artist with no accompanying acts since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998.

Minaj was recently ranked No. 7 on Billboard and Vibe‘s 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list and the No. 10 on Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022 list. She also emerged as the winner of Billboard‘s inaugural Power Artist 2022 – Fan Choice bracket, where fans voted from the 32 artists who made the biggest impact on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end charts.

Listen to “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” below.