Latest news with #IAmMusic
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Playboi Carti Performs ‘I Am Music' Cuts at 2025 BET Awards
Playboi Carti performed at tonight's BET Awards in Los Angeles. His set included 'Like Weezy' and 'Rather Lie' (sans The Weeknd, who is featured) from his chart-topping album, I Am Music. He decked out the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles with two black, luxury SUVs, with one dancer getting down on top of one of the vehicles. His smoky set was black and white, with logos for his album, music itself, and his label, Opium, flashing rapidly behind him and his DJ. He, however, stood out in a colorful hoodie. More from Rolling Stone Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' Wins Album of The Year at The 2025 BET Awards Teyana Taylor Makes the BET Awards Her 'Escape Room' in Fiery Performance Lil Wayne Wows the BET Awards With 'A Milli' Performance The performance comes as Carti continues his ongoing run of dates on The Weeknd's After Hours Til Dawn tour across North America. Carti released I Am Music in March, and the highly anticipated album quickly rose to the top of the charts. Known for raucous live shows, Carti was relatively mellow during his BET Awards performance, smiling and telling the crowd, 'I love y'all, I appreciate y'all,' before leaving the stage. Carti was among a night full of performances from acts like Lil Wayne, Teyana Taylor, and more. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lil Wayne Fleetingly Reminds Us Why He's One of the Best
Two years ago, Lil Wayne released a career-spanning compilation, I Am Music. It seems like an impossible task to summarize three decades of music that dates to his febrile debut as one-half of B.G.z in 1995, spans a record-breaking number of entries on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as dozens of official mixtapes and countless unauthorized leaks, and solidifies him as one of the most prolific and influential acts of his generation. But I Am Music largely skips over his heralded early material – there's nothing from his first three albums and forget about the Dedication and Drought tapes. He opts for the watery arena-sized chum that has girded his work ever since 'Lollipop' launched him to mega-stardom. Say what you want about his pleasing but overripe 2011 five-times platinum smash Tha Carter IV. Few would claim that his Bruno Mars collaboration 'Mirror' is an all-time highlight. I Am Music signified a dissonance that marks Wayne's catalog after 2008's eight-times-platinum Tha Carter III. Fans still celebrate him as the punchline-dropping weed head with aqueous cadences who reshaped Aughts hip-hop in his image while personifying Dirty South lyricism at its finest. But he has long since evolved into a pop avatar. The qualities that once made him so familiar yet beloved, from his tangy New Orleans vocal tone to his relentlessly funny rhyme schemes, have been thoroughly absorbed into the genre's firmament. If Wayne was a conceptual artist, perhaps he could rearrange those attributes into a masterwork less dependent on raw ability. But seems cursed to crank out the same 'ol rhythm 'n' blues, albeit not as vibrantly as in his gloried past. More from Rolling Stone Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. Open 'Hamilton' Medley With Original Cast at Tony Awards Lil Wayne Turned Madison Square Garden Into a Time Machine on His 'Tha Carter VI' Tour Sabrina Carpenter, Lil Wayne, Addison Rae, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week Online insta-reactions to Tha Carter VI since its debut on streaming services last Friday have been mixed-to-negative, which seems unfair. It's not as thoroughly desultory as 2020's Funeral nor as distressing as 2013's I Am Not a Human Being II, the latter of which was released amid his widely publicized lean addiction and felt like a call for help. Waynee sounds happy, like a former champion boxer joyfully taking swings at a punching bag in his rec room. There's an appealing playfulness to tracks like 'Cotton Candy,' where he bandies around cocaine metaphors alongside 2 Chainz, and 'If I Played Guitar,' where he sings over a soupy pop-rock track. The album's final number, 'Written History,' opens with the voice of Muhammad Ali circa 'The Rumble in the Jungle,' and Wayne positions himself as a sports legend straining for one last ring. Unwittingly, he raps, 'I'm like Brady at 45, nigga,' never mind that Tom Brady's final season in the NFL didn't end well. But athletes' careers don't falter because they stop moving; it's because they don't move with the same quickness and creativity of their youth. Wayne's still got the punchlines: 'I still eat the rappers I heard, they're appetizers,' he boasts on 'Welcome to Tha Carter.' Perhaps inspired by how his 2018 track 'Uproar,' which relies on EZ Elpee's beat for G. Dep's 2001 hit 'Special Delivery,' became an ESPN broadcast staple, Wayne doubles down on the old-school hip-hop references. He raps over the bass rumble of Rick Rubin's beat for LL Cool J's 1985 chestnut 'Rock the Bells' for 'Bells,' and Swizz Beatz's keyboard fanfare from N.O.R.E.'s 1998 'Banned from TV' for 'Banned from NO.' 'I was raised on UGK/When them hoes say 'Weezy F.,' Weezy F. say U-C-K, bitch! (Fuck these hoes),' he sings on the otherwise awful 'Island Holiday,' itself a tepid interpolation of Weezer's 2001 anthem 'Island in the Sun.' For 'Loki's Theme,' he alludes to an Ice Cube verse from N.W.A's 1988 single 'Gangsta, Gangsta': 'Hold up, right, left, right, left, you're toothless/Break his nose, right hand full of mucus.' It's fun to hear him chop up OG arcana while overdosing on basketball and football shout-outs. 'Weed smoke got me chokin' like Reggie Miller, nigga,' he raps on 'Hip-Hop.' The issue with Tha Carter VI isn't relevance – old-head rap made by 40 and 50-something goats has thrived for years now – but a sense that nothing's really at stake. That wasn't the case with 2018's Tha Carter V, where Wayne sounded visibly moved by the innumerable trials he has endured. When he rapped, 'I am not number 1, it's true/I'm number 9-27-82' on the XXXTENTACION-assisted 'Don't Cry,' he sounded relieved to still be alive, regardless of his position in the genre's constellation. Here, there's no overarching purpose other than a desire to still dazzle us like before. At best, that leads to 'Cotton Candy,' 'Hip-Hop' and, if we're being charitable, 'Written History.' It also results in terrible cuts like 'The Days,' where Bono sings over an EDM thump; 'Peanuts 2 N Elephant,' where he riffs over a clumsily amateurish beat from Lin-Manuel Miranda that personifies the celebrity BFF phenomenon at its worst; and 'Mula Komin' In,' a duet with his son Lil Novi where he raps 'That's Lil Mula, that's my son, he my youngest…He's fuckin' your daughter, I'm fuckin' your woman.' And, much like Snoop Dogg's mediocre Iz It a Crime, Wayne only makes glancing mention of his dalliance with Donald Trump. 'I'ma red elephant like Donald Trump, but I still act a donkey like, 'Ha, what's up',' he raps on 'Peanuts 2 N Elephant.' Make of that what you will. 'I can't be nothing, just me…don't try to make me someone else,' Wayne sings on 'Bein' Myself,' a long-anticipated reunion with one time Cash Money godhead Mannie Fresh. Declining to revisit the vintage bounce of peaks like 'Go D.J.' and 'Tha Block Is Hot,' Mannie loops a melody from Dionne Warwick's '(I'm) Just Being Myself,' and Wayne convincingly argues why we should let him do him and stop demanding he evolve into a different type of artist. 'Get off my lawn because your lawn chair ain't a throne yet,' he raps. No one should begrudge Wayne for being contented on Tha Carter VI, secure in his reputation as one of the best to ever do it. But he can't prevent his audience from opting for the classics instead. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Forbes
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Playboi Carti Nearly Hits No. 1 Following 67,000% Sales Surge
Playboi Carti's Music returns to Billboard's Top Album Sales chart at No. 2 following its CD ... More release, marking his highest-ever position on that tally. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 16: Rapper Playboi Carti debuts his new album "I Am Music" onstage during the Rolling Loud Festival at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 16, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by) When Playboi Carti released his new album Music earlier this spring, it was originally only available via streaming platforms and digital download storefronts like iTunes and Amazon. That's not uncommon for projects that shift release dates, as sometimes, even the biggest names in pop and hip-hop can change plans at the last minute and decide to drop a full-length with just a few days' notice. That typically means physical copies will arrive later. Music became available on CD more than two months after it hit streaming sites, and a vinyl edition is slated to arrive later in June. The release of the hugely successful title on CD helps push it back onto a number of rankings, and it nearly earns the rapper his first champion on one Billboard tally. Music reappears on this week's Top Album Sales chart, the ranking of the bestselling EPs and full-lengths in the United States. It breaks back onto the list and settles in the runner-up spot, which marks a new career high point for Carti on this roster. The only project preventing him from securing his first career No. 1 is I'm the Problem by Morgan Wallen. That set easily conquered the tally last time around and refuses to budge. The country project may lead the charge on the Top Album Sales chart for several more frames. While it didn't get to dominate the sales-only roster, Music did bring Carti back to the summit on the Billboard 200. Before its return, Music already stood as Carti's loftiest winner on the Top Album Sales chart. The set opened at No. 3 back in late March, coming in behind Hot by Le Sserafim and Mayhem by Lady Gaga, which dipped to the runner-up space in its second frame on the tally. When Music debuted, it beat the No. 5 high point that Whole Lotta Red reached in June 2021. Music experienced a massive sales spike thanks to its CD release. The week before it became available on a physical format, the title sold just under 100 copies. The following frame, it shipped 17,500 CDs and digital downloads (per Luminate) — a growth of more than 67,000% in just a few days.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2 Chainz Accuses Employee Of Burglarizing His Atlanta Business
2 Chainz has revealed that one of his businesses was allegedly burglarized by an employee, who stole various pieces of furniture and equipment from the establishment. In a video posted on social media, the rap star can be seen filming himself walking down an Atlanta street while expressing his disappointment regarding the alleged incident. While 2 Chainz doesn't specify exactly when the burglary occurred, he indicated that it happened some time in the past, but that he's only addressing the incident simply because it's on [his] heart right now.' According to the hitmaker, an employee who he knows as 'Dom' was responsible for the break-in and theft of property, adding personal insult to injury. He did not clarify if she was employed by him at the time of the alleged crime. 'For a girl that was working in there for me, with me, to go back in there and steal everything in there, the TVs, the sofas,' 2 Chainz lamented, adding that a major aspect of his businesses is to 'help women.' He points out that his Esco restaurant chain employs mostly women, while his other businesses — strip club ATL Candyland, and the now-closed Pamper Nail Studio — boast staffs entirely comprised of women. 2 Chainz also shared that he chose to speak on the burglary due to his son, Halo, inquiring on the stolen property after presumably visiting the establishment following the crime. 'I'm walking with Halo, he's asking, 'why all the stuff gone?'' the rapper said. ''Cause the girl went back in there and stole everything out of there,'' he said he told his son in response. 2 Chainz believes that he'll be able to retrieve the property and announced that he won't turn the incident into a criminal matter, but simply wanted to publicly clear the air. 'I ain't gonna press charges, I ain't gonna do nothing, but I just want you to see this and feel this,' he concluded Despite the alleged burglary, 2 Chainz has quietly built a business empire in his hometown and beyond, which has grown considerably over the years. His resume includes real estate, as well as an ownership stake in the Atlanta Hawks' NBA G League affiliate, The College Park Skyhawks See 2 Chainz's Instagram post below. More from Playboi Carti Finally Confirms 'I Am Music' Release Date T-Pain Explains Why He Does Not Fly In Private Jets Here Is Where You Can See Young Thug Perform For The First Time Since Jail Release
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Playboi Carti: Music review – the most anticipated rap album this decade was worth the wait
Almost no album in rap history has been quite so anticipated as Music, the third album by Atlanta's Playboi Carti. The harsh, extreme-bass sound of his second, 2020's Whole Lotta Red, took him to a new level of fame and acclaim – it was canonised as the second best album this decade by Pitchfork (beaten only by Fiona Apple) and a massive influence on a whole generation of rage-rap from Yeat to Ken Carson, OsamaSon and numerous other noisy young MCs. Carti initially announced Whole Lotta Red's follow-up just three months after its release. Instead, it's been – cue Titanic grandma voice – over four years, with Pitchfork recently issuing a 34-entry breakdown of all the false dawns and teased info that Carti has drip-fed his starving fans in that time. It looked like Music (renamed from I Am Music) would finally arrive on Friday, but the promised release time was moved back by three hours. When that time arrived, no album appeared. 'My bones are weak, my soul is drained, and my will to live is hanging by a thread' was one typical reaction in the Instagram comments; the danger was that the wait was so long it could never be worth it. But Music is easily good enough to sweep any embitterment away and could come to be seen as a trap classic. This is not a forum for politically conscious lyrics or scrupulously tailored ethics, nor is it aiming to be (though the latter are complicated in Carti's case by allegations around his own behaviour: his ex-partner, rapper Iggy Azalea, claimed he was absent from their son's birth in 2020, and he was arrested in 2023 for allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, which he denied). Instead it's a litany of boasts, threats, consumption (material and chemical) and reports of sexual congress that range from coldly efficient to outright demeaning: I winced at 'spit on a bitch like Pac'. But for the most part, Carti's nihilism is riveting, partly because of what he says ('I put your ass in the food chain' is a Sopranos-worthy threat) but mostly because of how he says it. You can certainly spot the MCs that have inspired him, from Lil Wayne's gnarled croak to Future's narcotised mantras, but Carti, a self-styled 'emo thug', subsumes them into his own bizarre and massively varied diction. On I Seeeeee You Baby Boi he babbles in a downy-soft high register, on Evil J0rdan he uses a hoarse, jaded mid-range and on Mojo Jojo there are deep pronouncements like a vocal-fried wizard: his delivery of the phrase 'he a goon' is worth the price of admission alone. While many MCs dutifully work their lyrics to the beat, Carti makes the beat for work for him, adding little bursts of chatter or slurred words outside it while maintaining a core rhythm. It makes freestyle tracks like HBA especially involving. The beats themselves are just as varied, from classic Atlantan trap to a Hungarian psych sample underpinning the superb Philly, dainty chipmunk-soul on Backd00r, bright R&B on We Need All Da Vibes and some mechanistic ragers such as Pop Out and Cocaine Nose, the latter sampling the sensuously heavy guitar from Ashanti's Only U. The frequent interjections of DJ Swamp Izzo, admiring Carti or simply shouting his own name at maximum volume, helps to glue these styles together, and nicely offsets the grandeur of this most lofty and long-awaited album project, making it feel more like a mixtape or radio session. But the guest rappers clearly sense the history being made here. Future's triplet flow is fearsome and relentless on Trim, as if putting his nose to your face and backing you towards a ledge, while Travis Scott subtly moves his lines on Philly up and down in pitch to make cleverly minimalist hooks. Like Carti himself, Kendrick Lamar bends his voice into various forms, from Mojo Jojo – where he's a trickster-god capering on Carti's shoulder, throwing mischievous ad-libs in his ear – to Backd00r, with the doleful melodic style he recently used on SZA's 30 for 30, to the crotchety-uncle voice he used all over his album GNX which reappears here on Good Credit. And the Weeknd is on top form on Rather Lie, a cloud-rap track of chest-clutching beauty that will probably become the big pop hit in the ensuing weeks – though everything on Music is already proving massively popular, becoming Spotify's most streamed album in a single day this year. Across 30 tracks there are some lapses – Dis 1 Got It and Walk can't break out of Future cosplay, Twin Trim is a witless Lil Uzi Vert showcase, and Munyun is rather tepid and polite for a blown-out speaker-botherer. But for most of the 77-minute running time, Carti meets the expectations he made so high for himself.
