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Clipse Return to Studio for New Album Entirely Produced by Pharrell Williams – Essence

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(L-R) Malice and Pusha T of Clipse attend the Til The Casket Drops album release party on the Pink Elephant on December 9, 2009 in New York City. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

In their highly anticipated return to the stage, No Malice and Pusha T — higher referred to as Clipse — are making waves with their first recent album in 15 years, but their reunion doesn’t end there. The duo can even take the stage at Pepsi Dig In Day in Chicago, which is a vacation dedicated to supporting black-owned restaurants across the country.

“It’s always great to perform with my brother,” Pusha (born Terrence Thornton) tells ESSENCE. “I feel like I’ve been doing my solo career for so long and I’ve always felt like I have a new-age fan base, but I can always tell the fans who know me from Clipse what they’re missing when I’m onstage by myself. So it’s always great to get in front of those people with my brother and see their excitement and just enjoy the discography. It’s amazing.”

The reunion of the Clipse marks a big moment in hip-hop history. After releasing their last album, , in 2009, the duo took a hiatus when Malice (whose real name is Gene Thornton) left the group to concentrate on his religious commitments. Now, with a brand new project on the horizon, the Clipse are reuniting to bring their distinct sound back to the forefront of the music industry. Their upcoming record, featuring Pharrell Williams’ signature production, guarantees to deliver a fresh yet nostalgic experience for fans.

Pepsi Dig In Day is back for its fourth 12 months and is the right backdrop for the return of Clipse. The initiative goals to support Black-owned restaurants and is expanding its reach to more cities and venues. The August 24 event encourages food lovers to dine at Black-owned establishments across the country with a special buy-one-get-one deal on a $100,000 meal at over 30 participating restaurants. This 12 months’s event is not going to only feature an exclusive performance by the duo, but can even feature products from local streetwear designer Don C and quite a lot of local food vendors.

As Pusha T and No Malice prepare to take to the stage once more, they’re ready to reignite their musical legacy and have a good time the community-focused spirit of Pepsi Dig In Day. Their reunion is ready to be the highlight of the event, marking a triumphant return to the music scene and an unforgettable day in hip-hop history.

ESSENCE: How did you begin working with Pepsi on the Dig In Day concert?

Pusher T: Well, I actually did Pepsi Dig In Day DC to promote my solo project last 12 months and it was good. Really great. DC, there’s all the time a celebration there and just the considered the food and the community and the music and everybody coming together in the town, it was really good, so I assume with this recent project, the brand new Clipse project, it made sense. Everything happened around the identical time so that they were like, “Oh man, new music.” And Chicago is an incredible market for us, so I believe they reached out to us about it.

Now Malice, I used to be at Something within the Water two years ago once you performed there and it was an incredible show. How does it feel to be performing together with your brother in Chicago?

Malice: Oh man, I just think it’s amazing. I believe it’s the appropriate time. I believe especially with where Hip Hop is right away, I believe our project definitely fills a void and just the energy and having the ability to reconnect with the fans which have been there because the starting of Clipse and see that our music is timeless and still stands the test of time, and I feel like we could compare it to anything that is occurring right away, and it just feels really good to be back.

The recent Clipse album shall be your first since 2009. Why did you are feeling this was the appropriate time to release recent work?

NM: I just feel prefer it all got here together organically. I’ve really enjoyed watching my brother through the years and just seeing the extent that he’s taken it from where I left off with him to where he’s taken it, and the last 15 years have been a variety of reflection for me. And then I believe all of it got here together after we worked on the album together. Then I did the “Punch Bowl” record on Nigo’s album, after which I used to be on my brother’s album on a song called “Pray,” and it just began organically taking shape. It just felt right and we felt prefer it was the appropriate time.

PT: I believe it’s the appropriate time. Just speaking to the fans, man, I feel like as soon as they saw us together, as soon as they heard “Punch Bowl,” as soon as they heard “Pray” on the album, I could feel their excitement. The web is talking, and it’s an instantaneous response, and I feel like that excitement was loud and really spoke to each of us.

Malice, there was some extent where you stepped away from rap for some time, I wanted to ask you the way you’re thinking that that affected your music in the way in which you create it, if in any respect?

NM: I believe it opened up quite a bit more content for me. I believe people know me as someone who really digs deep into my lyrics and form of paints either side of the image, and I do not know, just takes the time to think, reflect on my life, take inventory of things. I believe I even have quite a bit more to say and still deliver the identical energy and the identical themes that Clipse fans love.

Clipse is typically stigmatized as promoting “cocaine rap.” I wanted to ask you — what can listeners expect from this recent album?

PT: Well, I believe the largest goal, our biggest goal with this album is just to show that we’re timeless and to show that hip-hop that is lyrical and grounded doesn’t exit of favor. I believe you have a look at it, you have a look at the sport and also you have a look at the vibe of the sport, and I feel like we definitely bring something that is missing because I do not think there are any duos within the rap game right away. Definitely not with the content and the material and the extent of flavor that I believe we have now. I mean, you continue to hear the road talk, you continue to hear the voice of reason, you continue to hear all sides, all perspectives, and I believe that is what hip-hop is all about, especially street hip-hop. And I do not know if it’s something recent, but I just know that it’s something that folks don’t understand nowadays, and we bring it.

NM: Yes, I see Clipse as a novelty. I see us as an actual novelty that does not come around fairly often. It’s like a couple of mistakes where you’ll be able to get that form of uniqueness. I feel like what we bring is exclusive. What you get from Clipse is real-time evolution, real-time experience, real-time things that we have been through in our lives and put it together. We never chase a trend, we never try to sustain with what’s so-called fashion. I just think it’s timeless and unique.

Pharrell will produce all the album, right?

NM: Normal.

PT: Surely.

So I comprehend it’s probably very different from once you began. You’ve all evolved a lot since your first album, so I wanted to ask — is the recording process more arduous when you may have so many things occurring?

PT: Yeah, man, I might definitely say it’s tedious. It’s hard. We definitely put our time into it, and sometimes we go in there and we do not get anything. Sometimes we get a vibe and it is perhaps two or three songs. Sometimes we argue about what’s needed sonically and what’s not. It’s a process, but I mean what comes with it. I believe that is what comes with creating as a collective. You have a variety of different energies and opinions, and everyone knows that is what it’s about, everyone knows after we figure it out, everyone knows that is it, and it’s definitely a process to get to that time, but we get there each time and we all the time have.

NM: I agree. Like Push said, we work on it, we get there, and we all know exactly what it’s supposed to be. There’s all the time an ordinary that we’ll all the time hold ourselves to, and we do not all the time say we never make a bunch of songs or have leftovers. We don’t just throw stuff on the wall and see if it sticks. We know when it’s going to stick and we just nail it.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Entertainment

Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy

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Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com

There are few things more exciting than receiving an infinite barrage of text messages at the very same time in numerous group chats. This normally implies that something vital has happened in popular culture. Well, the exact same thing happened about noon on November 22, within the yr of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, higher often called Kendrick Lamar, released the album “GNX”, nod towards Buick Grand National Regal GNXa rare muscle automobile released in 1987 – which also happens to be the yr Kendrick was born.

“GNX” is coming to the tip of what has been a banner yr for Kendrick Lamar. From epic diss records geared toward Drake, to creating the largest song of his profession (and a Drake diss track) on “Not Like Us”, to the “Pop Out” concert streaming live to tell the tale Amazon Prime, Kendrick won this yr. He even received seven Grammy nominations, mostly for “Not Like Us.” And this victory will proceed in the brand new yr. In September, it was announced that Kendrick would stay Super Bowl 2025 headliner will happen in New Orleans. This announcement sparked some controversy and comments from several New Orleans legends similar to Juvenile and most notably Lil Wayne, who felt disrespected; Kendrick immediately refers to this topic within the opening song of the album (all stylized in lower case), “wacced out murals”.

The thing is, Kendrick didn’t sleep for many of 2024. And then, while the remaining of us were minding our own business, listening to other albums that had just dropped, like Ice Cube’s “Man Down,” I began receiving text after text… and I knew that would only mean that something vital happened.

At this point in my life (and possibly even yours), Kendrick Lamar releases are a drop-everything-and-listen event. I immediately went to the streaming service, launched “GNX” and pressed “Play”.

I need to admit that the primary time I heard the album I used to be a bit confused. Kendrick has probably never been more popular or famous; if there was ever a time to drag a Kanye West and release his own version of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – an album largely produced as Kanye’s best and most representative of Kanye’s greatness – now could be the time. “GNX” has a far more modern West Coast vibe and is certainly more for his die-hard fans than anyone who just began gaining attention due to his beef with Drake. Maybe that was the purpose; possibly not.

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com
Photo: Dave Free

Either way, I can imagine that folks whose favorite lines are “OV-Ho” won’t be immediately thrilled. I wasn’t immediately blown away (though very amused by how sensitive Kendrick is to what people say about him on social media, well, everyone), but as is all the time the case with Kendrick albums, repeated listens are likely to correct any immediate monotony that I even have about his projects. For example, now that I’ve listened to it just a few times, I can not wait to listen to black college bands playing “tv off” style, which seems like a cousin of “Not Like Us.” The Shoot, Bayou Classic, which also takes place yearly in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day, stands out as the first time we hear a band playing “TV off.”

Since the album didn’t come out long enough to be reviewed, group chats and social media were abuzz with immediate reactions. This is the a part of music releases I really like, where everyone seems to be listening to the identical thing, offering premature takes that will not even delay the following day. I’m not different; I’m sure I’ll say something about this album that can sound silly by Monday. Shoot, I can have already done it. But that is what happens when great artists release music. We spend time with others after which we refer to them, analyze them, criticize them, praise them, destroy them and let all our prejudices fly free. Love it.

It’s value noting that certainly one of Drake’s diss tracks that did not appear during last summer’s fracas was titled “The Heart Part 6,” and was an apparent try to usurp Kendrick’s pre-album practice of removing a non-album song titled “The Heart.” Well, Kendrick has a song on his recent album called, you guessed it, “The Heart, Pt. 6,” which I feel will probably be released soon Drake. Good job, Kenny.

Argue.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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New music this week: Tyla, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones and more – Essence

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Happy Friday, people! Whether you are drinking a warm beverage or preparing for a fun-filled weekend, this week’s latest music releases set the tone. From sensual R&B melodies to powerful hip-hop anthems, these songs have something for everybody.

Coco Jones leads the pack along with her seasonal album, and Tyla offers a heartfelt change of tone with “Tears.” Miguel’s smooth “Always Time” and Jorja Smith’s tender “Stay Another Day” showcase R&B at its finest, while Lola Brooke and Killer Mike turn up the warmth on “Go To Yo Head” and “Warryn’s Groove,” respectively. Today’s list also includes music from Eric Bellinger, Coi Leray, Blxst and more.

Below you possibly can read our list of latest products.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Serena Williams is cutting short divorce talks for a second time after the couple reunited and put months of rumors to rest

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Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian are still doing well despite months of unconfirmed divorce rumors.

On November 17, Williams and the Reddit co-founder took a walk down memory lane and tested one another by asking questions on themselves and their family in a recent promotional ad. The couple ate a few of their favorite meals and meanwhile checked their glucose levels using Hello Lingo, a glucose monitoring device.

Nearly five minutes into the recording, Williams tested her husband’s memory by asking, “Who said I love you first?”

Ohanian, who shares two daughters, Olimpia and Adira, with the tennis legend, responds quickly by saying, “Mmm,” before writing his answer on the board.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian recall who said “I love you” first amid divorce rumors. (Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

“It’s like ‘The Newlywed Game,'” Williams said, writing down her answer, referring to the mid-Nineteen Sixties show “The Newlywed Game,” which tested couples who had been married for lower than two years to see if how much they learn about their relationship. amplifier.

Both Williams and Ohanian turn the board over to reveal their answers and, quite shockingly, they received two different answers. Ohanian wrote that Williams said it first, but Williams claims it was Ohanian.

“Come now. Are you going to lie about this? he declared to Williams, who responded with a laugh: “I said I would be honest.”

“That’s not an honest answer,” Ohanian continued. “I still keep in mind that phone call. Oh, you realize I felt the same, but you certainly said it first.

Williams joked: “My glucose levels were high. I ate some ice cream, my glucose level was too high. Then I tell this guy and I feel like saying things I would not normally say. The moment ended with Williams replaying how she told Ohanian those three special words.

Of course, there was no shortage of reactions from fans who showed their love for the couple and how well they interact of their normal element.

One YouTube commenter he wrote“It’s great to see Serena and Alexis in this normal environment, they are so lovely and have great charisma. I love them even more now and I feel great chemistry between them.”

Someone else said: “I liked this part. They seem to really like each other.”

However, as rumors swirled about problems of their marriage, one fan was confused by the video shared on Instagram.

“I thought I read that they got divorced?” he wrote one person in Williams’ comment section.

Someone else also addressed the rumors, writing: “Where are the haters who said divorce was imminent? Sometimes people will be crazy. Seriously, how are you going to even start assuming things like that about people you have never met?

This summer, fans began speculating that Williams and her seven-year marriage to Ohanian were in trouble after they noticed she hadn’t posted from him on her social media pages in some time.

Moreover, Ohanian was noticeably absent from the June premiere of the documentary “In the Arena: Serena Williams” and was also absent from her side at the Met Gala in May.

But they got back together this summer after they attended the Paris Olympics with their daughter Olympia in July.

Among the many viral moments spent with the Ohanian family, she organizes: umbrella for his wife and the European commentator – who didn’t realize he was her husband – and called Ohanian Serena’s “umbrella holder”.

The tech guru reacted to the moment hilariously by snapping a photo of himself holding an umbrella over himself and his daughter.

Ohanian joked, “I am also a personal Olympia umbrella owner. Sidebar: You all set the bar too low for me and celebrity daddies only get flowers for *admitting* they have kids.”

The proud dad is probably also Adira’s personal umbrella holder.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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