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29 Jan 2025

Will.i.am & UPROXX to Host Pre-Grammy ‘LA Check-In’ to Support LA Fire Relief Efforts

On Friday (Jan. 31), two nights ahead of the 67th annual Grammy Awards, UPROXX and will.i.am will host “LA Check-In,” an event dedicated to supporting the LA music community and fire relief efforts.

In partnership with the i.am Angel Foundation, the event will feature a performance by Coast Contra and special appearances by will.i.am, DJ Drama (a Grammy winner in 2022 for his work on Tyler, the Creator‘s Call Me If You Get Lost), DJ Hed, Samantha Ronson and more.

The event will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight at will.i.am’s FYI Campus in Hollywood (809 No. Cahuenga Blvd.).

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100% of proceeds will be directed to the i.am Angel Foundation’s emergency fund, which provides immediate financial assistance to affected families, students, and communities. Donations will be distributed to the LAUSD [Los Angeles United School District] Foundation, Pasadena Educational Foundation, and Core Foundations to maximize community impact.

will.i.am, who will turn 50 on March 15, is an LA native. The rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor is a seven-time Grammy winner. He won six Grammys for his work with Black Eyed Peas and one as the featured artist on Chrisette Michele’s “Be OK,” which was voted best urban alternative performance in 2009.

UPROXX is a music, entertainment and popular culture website and content studio. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater. In April 2024, Myer partnered with Rich Antoniello and will.i.am to form an independent company, Uproxx Studios, after acquiring Uproxx along with HipHopDX and Dime Magazine from Warner Music Group.

29 Jan 2025

J. Cole Clears Up ‘The Fall-Off’ Speculation in New Blog Post

J. Cole is serious about this blogging thing.

Last night, Cole blogged up a short post addressing fan speculation that his new The Algorithm blog means that his long-awaited album The Fall-Off is finally close to being released. “Ib told me some people was thinking this blog meant an album was about to drop,” he began. “Nahhh. Not exactly. when it’s time for something you will know. This is not that. I just wanted a place to share documentaries I be watching on YouTube and songs I f—k with.”

Adding, “Thank you to everybody for the love today in the form of the comments, the chat and all the texts I got that I’m trying to reply to while also spending time with family and friends. I do appreciate it. This was the anthem for the day. For realllllll.”

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The Algorithm went live Monday (Jan. 27) afternoon with the first post essentially doubling as the blog’s thesis. He referenced the 1993 song “Back in the Day” by L.A. rapper AHMAD as he wrote about wanting a place to share random thoughts and interests with his fans.

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The Carolina rapper’s mixtape Might Delete Later is nominated for a Best Rap Album Grammy this weekend, his 18th nomination. He took home Grammys for Best Rap Song in 2020 for “A Lot” featuring 21 Savage and one for Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2024 for “All My Life” with Lil Durk.

Ironically, Might Delete Later created some controversy earlier this year when Cole walked back and deleted his Kendrick diss song “7 Minute Drill”.

29 Jan 2025

Detroit Rapper Sues After Lyft Driver Refuses Her a Ride Due to Her Weight

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Dank Demoss

Source: YouTube / Fox 2 Detroit

A popular Detroit rapper sparked controversy online after she claimed that her Lyft driver refused to allow her into his car earlier this month.

Dank Demoss, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, was recording when the driver of a Mercedes-Benz sedan locked his door and refused to allow her entry. 

“I can fit in this car,” Blanding said in a video that was shared to social media on January 19. “Believe me, you can’t,” the driver responded–adding that the tires would not be able to handle her weight. According to The New York Post, the rapper has previously shared her weight as more than 480 pounds. 

In her post on Instagram where she shared video of the event, the rapper wrote, “AM I WRONG?,” Demoss wrote in the post. “(Lyft) what y’all got to say about this yall driver discriminated against me…I JUST FEEL LIKE YALL TREAT BIG PPLE LIKE SH*T LIKE WE DONT BELONG HERE.”

The original garnered more than 11,000 likes and thousands of comments. 

According to Fox 2 Detroit, the driver apologized for the inconvenience and offered to refund her money and assist her with ordering a larger vehicle. 

“I’ve been in cars smaller than that,” she told FOX 2. “I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings.”

In addressing the issue, Lyft issued a statement, saying, “Lyft unequivocally condemns all forms of discrimination—we believe in a community where everyone is treated with equal respect and mutual kindness. Our community guidelines and terms of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination.”

However, Blanding’s attorneys, Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan have filed a lawsuit against the rideshare company. 

Marko explained that as weight is a protected characteristic, the actions of the Lyft driver is the same as discriminating against someone due to their religious beliefs. 

However, numerous social media users on X, in particular, are disagreeing with Blanding. 

https://x.com/tournesolnao/status/1884219477447041202 

It is unclear if the Lyft driver has been named in the lawsuit or has been let go by the company. 

29 Jan 2025

FloyyMenor Signs With Booking Agency IAG

Red-hot Latin upstart FloyyMenor has signed with Independent Artist Group for booking.

The signing follows the huge success of the 19-year-old Chilean singer-songwriter’s reggaeton hit “Gata Only” with Cris MJ, which was named TikTok’s Global Song of the Summer and Global Song of the Year in 2024. According to a press release, the track saw 50 million creations on TikTok, generating more than 74 billion streams on the platform and 1.3 billion streams on Spotify; it also reached No. 2 on Spotify’s Global Chart.

“Gata Only” also had great success in the U.S., where it hit No. 27 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart for 14 weeks. It finished at No. 1 on the year-end Hot Latin Songs list.

FloyyMenor’s breakthrough came in 2023 with the single “Pa la Europa.” That was followed by the August release of his debut EP El Comienzo, on which he partnered with UnitedMasters. According to the release, the EP became the most-listened-to Chilean project in Spotify’s history and ranked among the top Spanish albums globally in 2024. In December, Spotify also named “Gata Only” the most-streamed Latin song of the year, while that same month, FloyyMenor was named one of VEVO’s DSCVR Artists to Watch 2025. “Gata Only” was also featured on former U.S. President Barack Obama’s “Favorite Music of 2024” list.

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In October, FloyyMenor became the first Chilean artist to win a Billboard Latin Music Award, where he took home two trophies: Global 200 Latin Song of the Year and Top Latin Song for “Gata Only.”

FloyyMenor is set to release his debut album YTSQS later this year.

29 Jan 2025

How to Cop Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Halftime Merch Before It Sells Out

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Kendrick Lamar‘s highly anticipated Super Bowl 2025 halftime show is right around the corner, and now fans can celebrate with new merch.

The West Coast rapper’s creative agency, pgLang, has released a new collection of sweatshirts, T-shirts and shorts with graphics inspired by his latest hit, “tv off.” The collection is now available on the Fanatics site here.

In partnership with the NFL and designed by Willy Chavarria, the collection is emblazoned with “tv off” lyrics, “foot up on the gas but somebody gotta do it.” In addition, the shorts include a “g. national” graphic that may be a nod to his upcoming Grand National Tour with SZA kicking off in April. The price range for the collection starts at $55 for the graphic tee, $75 for the shorts, and $140 for the hoodie.

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While many are still dealing with the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, proceeds from this collection will go toward organizations helping victims in need. You can shop the Super Bowl collection starting now at Fanatics, the NFL shop, and Willy Chavarria and Kendrick Lamar’s website. Run don’t walk, because these pieces will sell fast.

The 2025 Super Bowl kicks off Sunday, Feb. 9, between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Lamar’s halftime show will include a guest appearance from SZA.

Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Merch: How to Shop Before it Sells Out

”Foot Up on the Gas” Hoodie

Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Merch: How to Shop Before it Sells Out

”Foot Up On The Gas” T-Shirt

Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Merch: How to Shop Before it Sells Out

“g. National” Halftime Shorts 

29 Jan 2025

Which Song Should Win Record of the Year at the 2025 Grammys? Vote!

The 2025 Grammy Awards are just around the corner, which means a new hit will be crowned record of the year.

This year’s star-studded nominees include The Beatles’ “Now And Then,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Charli xcx’s “360,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone.

Eilish is the only star in this year’s nominee list who has previously won ROTY — and she’s done it twice, in 2020 for “Bad Guy” and again in 2021 for “Everything I Wanted.”

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Leading up to the biggest night in music, we want to know which song is your top choice to win the record of the year honor. Let us know by voting here or below.

Find out who wins the trophy at the 2025 Grammy Awards, which will be hosted by Trevor Noah and will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2. The show is set to broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand via Paramount+.

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29 Jan 2025

Rihanna Shows Support for A$AP Rocky With Los Angeles Shooting Trial Appearance

Rihanna showed support for her boo A$AP Rocky as she pulled up to the rapper’s trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday (Jan. 29).

Per legal reporter Meghan Cuniff, Rih was seated between Rocky’s mother and sister as the trial in his 2021 felony shooting case continued. She has not been shown on the court’s livestream, but there are security guards on both sides of the row. According to Variety, Rih isn’t expected to testify in the case.

The Harlem rapper previously turned down a final plea deal last week, which would have seen him serve 180 days behind bars. LA County prosecutors recommended three years of probation and a seven-year suspended sentence. Rocky is facing a pair of felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He can face a maximum of 24 years behind bars if convicted on all charges.

The charges stem from an alleged November 2021 altercation that accuses Rocky of firing a weapon at former A$AP affiliate A$AP Relli — born Terrell Ephron — following an argument near a Hollywood hotel.

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Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has maintained that the weapon was a prop gun and not a real firearm, as the rapper shot off blanks to defuse the situation. There is video footage that allegedly shows Rocky holding some sort of a handgun from the night of the shooting.

Months after the heated confrontation, the “Fashion Killa” rapper was arrested in April 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport. Rocky posted a $550,000 bond shortly after the arrest and later pleaded not guilty to all of the charges in August 2022.

According to The Associated Press, Ephron took the stand to testify against Rocky on Tuesday (Jan. 28) where he recalled the shooting. “He turned around and then it was like boom,” Ephron explained to the jury. “The whole thing was like a movie, he kind of like pointed down and he shot the first shot.”

He emphatically declared that it was “a real gun” in Rocky’s hand. “I was hit. Or I was grazed,” Ephron said. “I didn’t have a hole or nothing.” Relli says his life’s “been a living hell” since the shooting.

Wednesday’s court session has concluded and the trial will continue on Thursday (Jan. 30), where the defense will have its chance to cross-examine Relli.

29 Jan 2025

Central Cee Says Drake Feature Would Have Been ‘Predictable’

U.K. rapper Central Cee recently dropped his impressive debut album Can’t Rush Greatness, but fans noticed one thing missing: a track featuring Drake.

While chatting with Dutch radio host Fernando Halman of FunX, Cench was asked if he had any songs with the Toronto rapper stashed away. “I’m sure there’s a Drake record in the vault still,” he answered. “It seemed, like, predictable. I think everybody was thinking there’s gonna be a Drake record on there. So I like the fact that there wasn’t.”

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The two have been connected for a few years now, with Cee modeling for Drake’s Nike brand Nocta back in 2021, and they also linked up for an On the Radar freestyle in 2023, which just so happened to be Central Cee’s first Billboard Hot 100 entry.

No Drake feature aside, the British rapper did have notable guest appearances on the project. Latin rapper Young Miko assisted on “Gata,” 21 Savage tapped into his English roots by featuring on the track “GBP,” frequent collaborator Dave helped out on “CRG” (we need a whole LP, fellas), Chicago’s Lil Durk is on “Truth in the Lies,” arguably Britain’s greatest rap export Skepta appeared on the song “Ten” and, of course, we can’t forget Lil Baby who was on the hit record “Band4Band,” which has so far peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100.

Central Cee also recently announced a massive 39-day Can’t Rush Greatness World Tour that begins April 1 in Norway and will end July 2 in Australia. Pre-sale tickets go on sale Wednesday (Jan. 29), with general tickets going on sale Friday (Jan. 31) at 10 a.m. local time.

29 Jan 2025

What Is Deepseek? & Why Does It Have US Tech Bros Losing Their Sh*t

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FRA-ILLUSTRATION-IA

Source: RICCARDO MILANI / Getty / Deepseek

The arrival of Deepseek, a Chinese AI app, rocked the tech world and currently has US tech bros shaking in their boots.

First things first: What the hell is Deepseek? Per CNN, Deepseek is a year-old Chinese start-up offering an open-source AI model, R1, that is close to or better than the advanced models from American tech giants. But get this: It was built for a fraction of the cost, runs on less advanced chips, and uses far less data center power. 

This is a big deal because the common belief is that US tech companies would spend billions to stay ahead of the AI game, but with Deepseek, China is proving that to be not the case, and Wall Street is looking at them like, oh, word?

Deepseek’s arrival was so alarming that it scared big tech investors, with some of the biggest tech stocks taking a hit.

Per The New York Times:

The Chinese AI company DeepSeek has said it can match the abilities of cutting-edge chatbots while using a fraction of the specialized computer chips that leading AI companies rely on. That’s prompted investors to rethink the heady valuations of companies like Nvidia, whose equipment powers the most advanced AI systems, as well as the enormous investments that companies like Alphabet, Meta and OpenAI are making to build their businesses.

On Monday, the S&P 500 index fell 1.5 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 3.1 percent. Nvidia was hit hard, plunging 16.9 percent and losing roughly $600 billion in market value. Falling tech stocks also dented market indexes in Europe and Japan.

Hilariously, Donald Trump recently announced a $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure called the Stargate initiative, who thinks of these names?

OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle will lead it. No one put it together at the time, but it would seem this announcement could have been made in anticipation of Deepseek’s arrival. Trump’s buddy, Elon Musk, also slammed it.

Deepseek isn’t being warmly welcomed stateside; the US Navy has already banned its use due to ethical and security concerns. 

Welp.

It will be interesting to see how Deepseek continues to shake things up. The gallery below shows social media reactions to the AI model’s arrival.

2. Pretty much

3. Pretty much

4. Another explainer

29 Jan 2025

Snoop Dogg Responds to Backlash Over Trump Crypto Ball Performance

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Miami (OH) v Colorado State - Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl

Source: Chris Coduto / Getty

Snoop Dogg recently revealed that he lost over half a million followers on social media after performing at the Trump-affiliated Crypto Ball, an event tied to the former president’s supporters. The backlash was swift, with many fans upset by what they saw as Snoop indirectly endorsing Trump and his controversial political affiliations.

This move seemed to contradict Snoop’s past criticisms of Black artists who aligned themselves with Trump, often calling them “Uncle Toms” and “jiggaboos.” Given his outspoken views on politics and social justice, his appearance at the Crypto Ball left many questioning his stance and loyalty to the community. In response to the wave of hate and backlash, Snoop took to social media to address the criticism. Rather than engaging in negativity, he responded with his signature calmness and positivity, saying, “For all that hate, I’m going to answer with love. Y’all can’t hate enough on me. I love too much. Get your life right, stop worrying about mine. I’m cool, I’m together. Still a Black man, still 100 percent Black.”

His message seemed aimed at reminding fans that despite the controversy, he remained true to himself and his roots. While Snoop’s performance at the event was divisive, his response showed he was unbothered by the hate, reinforcing his commitment to his own beliefs and his legacy in the hip-hop world. It remains to be seen how this moment will affect his career, but Snoop’s message of love and self-confidence has continued to resonate.