The recent protests haven’t just caused politicians and government officials to re-evaluate their policies, but businesses as well. On Friday (June 5), Republic Records announced that they have decided to do away with the word “urban” to describe particular styles of music. The word “urban” has been debated for some time, and even Tyler the Creator got in on the conversation when he shared that he wasn’t a fan of the term. In her recent GQ feature, Billie Eilish agreed with the IGOR artist.

Amy Sussman / Staff / Getty Images

After winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album, Tyler was backstage giving an interview and said, “I’m very grateful that what I made could just be acknowledged in a world like this, but, also, it sucks that whenever we – and I mean guys that look like me – do anything that’s genre-bending, they always put it in a ‘rap’ or ‘urban’ category. I don’t like that ‘urban’ word – it’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word, to me. Why can’t we just be in pop?”

In her recent interview, Billie Eilish echoed Tyler’s sentiments and stated that she’s never been a fan of categories. “I hate when people say, ‘Oh, you look like ‘blank.’ You sound like ‘blank.’’ It was such a cool thing Tyler said. I agree with him about that term,” Billie stated. “Don’t judge an artist off the way someone looks or the way someone dresses. Wasn’t Lizzo in the Best R&B category that night? I mean, she’s more pop than I am.”

Billie Eilish added, “Look, if I wasn’t white I would probably be in ‘rap’. Why? They just judge from what you look like and what they know. I think that is weird. The world wants to put you into a box; I’ve had it my whole career. Just because I am a white teenage female I am pop. Where am I pop? What part of my music sounds like pop?” Do you agree that the word “urban” should be done away with when describing music?

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Tyler, the Creator’s clothing line GOLF WANG has never been shy to push boundaries and make big statements with their drops. Back in 2018, the brand releases a t-shirt with the face of George Stinney Jr. printed on the front. For those who don’t know, Stinney Jr. was arrested at the age of 14 and was eventually convicted of a crime he never committed. In 1944, he received the electric chair as punishment, and to this day, he is still the youngest person to ever be given the death penalty.

In light of the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery, GOLF WANG took to Instagram with a photo of their infamous shirt and a small explanation of what it stands for. As you can see from the post below, the t-shirt had many commenters asking for the shirt to be released again sometime in the near future. Some even suggested that the last shirt in stock should be auctioned off for charity.

Clothing pieces such as this one always tend to get a visceral reaction from fans and with the turmoil in the world right now, we can expect even more politically charged pieces from various brands, in the not so distant future.

The Fairfax District in Los Angeles was hit by protestors and looters this weekend, leaving shops like Flight Club and others damaged. Other properties, including the flagship GOLF store, selling Tyler, The Creator's clothing brand, was left in pretty bad shape, but that didn't stop the rapper from joining the thousands of protestors hitting the streets to let their voices be heard.

Tyler and Jasper took to the street to join the demonstrations taking place in Southern California. He also issued a statement on the damage done to his shop, noting that he could care less about the store when there are much more serious issues happening.

Earlier today, we reported that Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist were unleashing some new heat tomorrow. There wasn't much information regarding the release in terms of the song title, but we did know that it would be arriving tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST. Well, it looks like a few Twitter sleuths have revealed that the two are releasing an entire project this Friday with the lead single dropping tomorrow. The lead single, titled "Scottie Beam," will feature Rick Ross so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Tyler, The Creator has proven himself to be a creative force who goes well beyond the scope of just music. He is also big into sneakers and fashion design which has truly shined through thanks to his GOLF WANG and GOLF Le FLEUR imprints. The artist even has big collabs with brands such as Converse. Well now, Tyler is coming through with yet another GOLF WANG collab, this time with the likes of legendary denim brand, Levi’s.

Essentially, Tyler is helping the brand celebrate 501 Day which is a nod to the jean of the same name. This piece of denim was created back in 1873 and is still going strong to this day. For the collaboration in question, Tyler has designed a pair of 501 ’93 jeans and a trucker jacket that carry the same rainbow polka dot aesthetic. It’s a pretty interesting look that stays true to Tyler’s creativity while also honoring two iconic pieces of clothing.

If you are interested in copping anything from the collection, you will be able to do so as of Wednesday, May 20th. Both pieces will be available for sale on the GOLF WANG and Levi’s websites.

Image GOLF WANG

Image GOLF WANG

[Via]

It’s been 30 years since Raven-Symoné graced the small screen as the adorably sassy Oli Huxtable. Whether you know her as a child star, a teen icon, a Disney Channel psychic, a Cheetah Girl, or a talk show host, Raven-Symoné has maintained a lasting career that many hopefuls will only dream about.

While she’s dabbled in the music industry throughout the years and has sung in many of her shows or films, Raven isn’t commonly recognized as a music artist. Don’t get us wrong, Raven has four studio albums and a slew of soundtrack and compilation features under her belt. Yet, her talents on-screen have consistently overshadowed her work in the booth.

She recently released her nine-track EP Infrasounds, a project where she shows off her rapping skills and, for the first time, intimate details about her life. We were able to chat with Raven about her new album and she spoke with us about why, after all of these years of keeping her personal life private, she’s chosen to share parts of herself that she’s hidden from the world.

“I’m connecting with myself in a different stage of my life. I don’t know if anybody else goes through this, but I have to come to terms with who I am. I fight it sometimes like, ‘Am I really like this? This is not what people know me as. They know me as this,'” she said, adding a bit of emotion to her voice at the end, similar to those overly-excited Disney Channel commercials.

Raven-Symone recording. Photo by Brennen McMurray, provided by the artist

“They don’t know [that] when I close my door, it’s a totally different world and it’s really hard for me to…it was hard for me to communicate that in a melodic music type of genre or even acting or in interviews,” added Raven. “It was really hard for me to translate that and I think maybe that’s why, again, I keep my life private.”

Then, she connected with a team of creatives and began producing art for art’s sake. There weren’t well-laid plans for an album on the horizon; just jam sessions that turned into something much more than anyone expected. “I’ve been writing since I was young. My first album was with Missy Elliott on MCA Records and it was rap, there was singing. My second album had some rap [elements],” Raven shared.

When her team encouraged her to rap, she admitted to being a tad hesitant. “I listen to Left Eye, I listen to Lil Wayne back in the day and Eminem and Queen Latifah and MC Lyte. This is a different kind of rhythm.” Her collaborators weren’t concerned with mirroring what we hear in music’s mainstream circles. They just wanted to craft an organic project where Raven-Symoné had an outlet to share her truth.

“There’s all different kinds of music for every type of vibrational healing,” said Raven. “I want you to play my stuff when you’re mad, when you’re happy, when you’re in love, when you’re just in a good mood or in a bad mood. There’s moments in the songs for both.” And Infrasounds is just the beginning. “This is apart of a bigger roll-out, for sure,” she said. “There’s so much more to come. I already have five or six records ready now… Infrasounds means the soundwaves right before radio waves. You haven’t heard this before. I have so many more sections of radio waves to go through with everybody.”

On Friday (May 1), Raven shared the visual to one of her Infrasounds tracks, “Bu.” In the jazzy, funky-laden song, you’ll find Raven spitting bossy bars as she raps about her career longevity and how she was living like a rockstar before hitting her Sweet Sixteen. “’Bu’ was the first track I wrote with the fellas and I was like, ‘So, I can say anything?’ They were like, ‘Say anything.’” Initially, Raven was apprehensive, but it didn’t take long for her to let it all out on wax. “I got set free. The first verse I talk about my sexuality and then I go into The Cosby Show and what it took and what it was like and what actually happened and as the track continues, I get more confident.”

Raven-Symone recording. Photo by Brennen McMurray, provided by the artist

There have been plenty of people in Raven-Symoné’s life that have helped her build that confidence that she expressed in “Bu,” and we wanted to know what names in the hip hop arena were apart of that circle. So, she gave us three. “Queen,” Raven said of Queen Latifah. “She is a freaking masterpiece from top to bottom. Her lineage, her career, and who she is with her midframe.” Raven also added Kendrick Lamar “because of his pen.” She shared the story of first hearing K-Dot’s music while driving with her brother. She told him, “Don’t ever stop playing this.”

Raven’s third choice is one that won’t surprise most. “Jay,” she said. “Jay-Z was probably the one, when I was around 15 or 16, when I was definitely struggling with my sexuality, I was like, ‘I’mma be Jay tonight. This is my life!'” She also gives nods to Jay on her track “Bu,” mentioning Jigga in the chorus. A few names from her dream collaboration list aren’t anything to sneeze at, either, with artists like Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator (“I’d like to pick his brain”). Miley Cyrus is also on that list because, well, who wouldn’t want to see two Disney icons link up in the studio as adults?

Speaking with Raven, it’s obvious that there are many layers, and even dimensions, to this multifaceted entertainer. We were curious to know what she would want the public to understand about her as a woman and as a human being, stripped of the celebrity and of the industry. “That you can’t strip me of the industry,” she answered. “I started out in it when I was 16-months-old before I had a choice. So, if you strip me of the industry…that’s a deep strip.”

“It’s not like I started when I was 15. I didn’t start when I was 12. I got out of the womb, said hi, and then they put me on television.” Now, Raven is ready to release the burdens she’s carried because of her long-running attachment to her industry personas. “Know that everything that comes from my mouth is because I was raised in the industry that you supported me in. This is what I saw. These are the people I came in contact with. These are the lessons that I’ve learned. This is the business that I’ve known. Good, bad, weird, fumbles of words. That’s just who I am and I can’t apologize for it because I started when I was 16-months old.”

“Also know that I will always take care and not bombard you with who I am,” she added with a laugh. Watch Raven-Symone rap through her journey along with her collaborators as they perform “Bu” at their “treehouse” creative space below.

Pusha T isn’t about to let an ongoing coronavirus pandemic stymie his creativity. Instead, the Clipse legend has decided to use the self-imposed downtime to ramp up the productivity, to the point where we may very well be looking at three new albums when all this dust finally settles. At least, that seems to be where Pusha is heading, as evidenced by a recent Ask Me Anything he staged on Discord last night. 

“I’m actually working on three projects right now,” he explains, upon being asked about his current game plan. “So, you know, with everything that’s going on in the world right now, of course we’re not all together. But I’m well in on my next project. It’s looking kind of selfish right now, to be honest. I got a lot to say, man. A lot’s went on. A lot to address.” 

Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

Despite the allusion to a lack of features, Pusha hasn’t been flying entirely solo. As he tells it, he’s been obliterating a beat tape sent by none other than his old “Trouble On My Mind” collaborator Tyler, The Creator. And not Igor Tyler, either. “Tyler gave me a pack of like nine [instrumentals]. I think I did like four of em. And I don’t know where they’re gonna end up at, but I got em,” he teases. “I make him go straight hip-hop, like, full-fledged. It’s full ignorance with me. I don’t want to experiment. I want to do only the filthiest of hip-hop these days.”

While many have come to appreciate Tyler’s creative growth, there remain a core group that desires to see him go back to his BS — the fuckin’ walking paradox days. From the sound of it, Pusha has Tyler coming through with some grimy beats; no doubt his rhymes will be matching the tone in kind. Look for more news on these mysterious quarantine albums as it surfaces. 

A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator have one of hip-hop's most hilarious friendships and, even though they're not able to hang out in self-quarantine together, they have been social distancing over the phone. 

This weekend, the two creative rappers hopped on an Instagram Live phone call to keep themselves entertained. A$AP Rocky invited Felicia The Goat onto his stream but when Tyler was getting weird with him, asking to see what he was wearing, things ended abruptly.

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Right off the bat, the two laugh about Tyler's goofy ways before the rapper asks A$AP Rocky about his 'fit. "What you wearing?" asked Tyler. "Yo bro, chill out!" responded Flacko, commencing the back-and-forth. "Come on bro, it ain't even been a minute yet and you already going crazy. Relax your limbs, man."

"I'm... lonely," said Tyler with a big smile on his face before reiterating his initial request to see A$AP Rocky's ensemble. The rapper refused and hung up on him, leaving Tyler more hollow than ever before. Sad times.

All A$AP Rocky wanted was to hear a snippet of what Tyler, The Creator had been working on in the studio but, unfortunately, it never came about. Maybe, if he would have complied and shown off the 'fit, we would all have heard some fresh vibes from the artist. Next time... *sigh*

News of this year’s Record Store Day comes after we learned from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that last year, vinyl record sales were set to top “traditional” CDs for the first time in 30 years. 

We have all watched vinyl records steadily grow in popularity over the past few years, so it’s no surprise many of us are excited about the new and exclusive releases coming up. Our generation grew up on CDs, but have since chosen to embrace vinyl. I guess history does repeat itself, and old really does become new. 

Since 2007, Record Store Day has celebrated and promoted independent record stores across the United States. The initial reception was so good, that it has since become an internationally celebrated event. This year, on April 18, record stores across the world will have plenty of great music to share with their customers. 

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Artists such as Tyler, The Creator, Summer Walker, Billie Eilish, Chief Keef, and Freddie Gibbs & Madlib are just a few who will be commemorated this Record Store Day, however, there are hundreds more.

You can check out the full list of classic and current releases that are coming to shelves on April 18 here. 

Let us know what release you’re most excited for in the comments below!

There’s nothing quite like flexing on your haters, especially when you can do it while accepting one of the top honors of the night at a prestigious awards ceremony. For Tyler, The Creator, he got the chance to do just that by accepting his trophy for “International Male Solo Artist” at the 2020 BRIT Awards in the most Tyler way possible.

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For those that don’t remember, Tyler was actually banned from the UK for a couple of years back in 2015 by then-prime minister Theresa May, citing his controversially violent and at times homophobic lyrics as a reason for her decision. Fans of the IGOR rapper suffered right along with him being that he had to cancel many European tour dates in promotion of his 2015 album Cherry Bomb. While closing out his speech at the BRIT Awards today, airing live from the 02 Arena in London, Tyler said, “I want to give a special shoutout to someone who I hold dear to my heart, who made it where I couldn’t come to this country five years ago — I know she’s at home pissed off. Thank you, Theresa May!” Now that’s how you make a memorable comeback!

Watch the clip from Tyler, The Creator’s speech at the 2020 BRIT Awards below The Independent: