And just like that J. Cole is at the top of the rap game again. Similar to the release of his last LP, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, J. Cole surprised us all with a last minute announcement of a new album. Currently scheduled for a December 9th release, 4 Your Eyez Only will be Cole’s next studio album and it’s already causing controversy.
Ahead of next week’s release, J. Cole dropped two of the albums records hours ago, ‘False Prophets’ and ‘One Day Everybody Gotta Die’, with the first making a lot of headlines. In ‘False Prophets’, J. Cole not so subtly drops a subliminal track aimed at Kanye West, dubbing Kanye as a “false prophet”. Although Cole sends a lot of well wishes and compliments Kanye’s way, he definitely sends a number of disses to The College Dropout as well.
“…these n*ggas don’t even write they sh*t. Hear some new style bubblin’ up, then they bite the shit.”
“And playin’ his old shit, knownin’ he won’t top it, false prophets.”
And while it might not gain the immediate attention of ‘False Prophets’, Cole also dropped his new track ‘One Day Everybody Gotta Die’, which might be your favorite of the two, especially for the big Kanye fans out there. One thing is for sure, J. Cole has never been shy to stand up to Kanye West. Whether its through a tough love diss record, or putting out his album on the same day as Kanye’s, Cole fears no one, not even Kanye West.
Listen to ‘False Prophets (Be Like This)’ and ‘One Day Everybody Gotta Die’ below.
Childish Gambino’s new studio album, Awaken, My Love! is finally here. And when we say “new”, we really mean new, because at times Donald Glover’s brand new sound, sounds like a completely different artists. Again, Glover has shown the industry why he is one of the most underrated, and diversely talented artists around.
And off his new album, you can stream Gambino’s new track, ‘Baby Boy’. And to paraphrase the Queen B herself, Beyonce, ‘Baby Boy’ will stay on our mind (forgive our pun), and for awhile, because it’s definitely one of the best tracks on the album. So what are you waiting for? Get Gambino’s new LP, Awaken, My Love!now.
Stream Childish Gambino’s Awaken, My Love! track ‘Baby Boy’ below.
Tonight Chicago’s 101 WKQX brought some of the best bands in rock and indie to the Aragon Ballroom for their annual The Nights We Stole Christmas. From top to bottom, start to finish, fans were in for a night that they would not soon forget. And while WKQX stole Christmas, the bands stole the show. With Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness’ opening set, Phantogram’s supporting performance, and of course Weezer closing the night, Night One of the holiday festivities was a huge success.
Up first was indie pop act, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, the Andrew McMahon-led group, who performed in support of their 2014 self-titled album. With McMahon killing it on the piano throughout the performance, taking trips into the audience on a couple occasions, energy levels were high during the entire set. And although McMahon first earned fame through his former band Jack’s Mannequin, no one at the Aragon was doing the #MannequinChallenege because the crowd and Andrew himself were live from start to finish.
Next up, Greenwich New York’s Phantogram returned to the Windy City after their Lollapalooza performance with Big Boi months ago. And just like Lollapalooza, the electro rock duo delivered, even if they were short an Outkast. Performing some of their best tracks, like ‘When I’m Small’ and ‘Fall In Love’, as well as some new tracks for the Chicago crowd, Phantogram rocked out for nearly an hour and exceeded our already high expectations.
Last but certainly not least, Weezer greeted the sold-out crowd to perform their catalog of hits. ‘Beverly Hills’, ‘Say It Ain’t So’, ‘Undone — The Sweater Song’, ‘Buddy Holly’ and ‘Hash Pipe’ were just a few of Weezer’s hit singles that got the crowd wild all through the night. Whether fans came for Phantogram, Andrew McMahon or of course the night one headliners, everyone was able to enjoy Weezer’s nostalgic set, which also included memorable performances from their 2016 self-titled album.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining artists for WKQX’s The Nights We Stole Christmashere.
Last night, PARTYNEXTDOOR took on a ton of damage control and saved the day during the Chicago stop of the Summer’s Over Tour at the Aragon Ballroom. Although the concert began as planned, with R&B newcomers THEY., putting on a great opening performance, anxiety began to rush through the crowd as Jeremih still hadn’t hit the stage for his co-headlining and homecoming performance. Originally scheduled to perform at 7:50 PM, Jeremih didn’t greet his fans until about two hours later, and only for a 3-song performance before the sound crew cut off his music. It was PARTYNEXTDOOR however, who gave the Chicago fans everything they wanted and more.
The performances for the night were on a tight schedule from the very beginning. With a weekday all ages show, it was crucial for everything to go as planned. But as time began to pass, as the crowd anticipated Jeremih’s set, fans began to worry. Rumors began to circulate that Jeremih was late for his set, a rumor that was later confirmed to fans by the venue, which caused many fans who came for Jeremih to leave the show even before PND hit the stage. Then, minutes before PND’s scheduled set time of 9:00 PM, the production crew tore Jeremih’s setlist from centerstage, crumpled it into a ball and tossed it away like yesterday’s news. Production quickly began setting up for PARTYNEXTDOOR.
Fortunately for PARTYNEXTDOOR’s fans, PND would soon hit the stage, and he definitely delivered. While the DJ killed time, even playing some songs twice duo to the extended wait time, fans chanted “PARTY-NEXT-DOOR” throughout the historic venue. Although Chicago’s is Jeremih’s hometown, you would not have guessed it last night, as the majority of the crowd seemed to be there for PND and were not shy about vocalizing their displeasure for Jeremih’s tardiness. And whether you were there for PND or Jeremih, you had to have been impressed by PARTYNEXTDOOR’s performance. His vocals were near perfect, his light show throughout his set was more than entertaining, and his set alone was worth the price of admission. PND certainly made up for Jeremih’s absence.
But fortunately for the Jeremih fans who decided to stick around, the ‘Birthday Sex’ singer finally hit the stage, but it didn’t go over too well. Jeremih only performed three tracks before his sound was cut off by the sound crew. As this happened, Jeremih announced “they some haters, f*ck ya’ll” and stormed off stage. In his defense, we don’t know every detail of what happened, but it should come as no surprised that Jeremih would be late for his performance. Last night marked the third time this year that Jeremih was late for his own performance in his hometown, also being late for his sets at AAHH! Fest and Pitchfork, both festivals on strict time schedules. So with last night’s show needing to be on schedule to avoid fines and penalties, the powers in charge likely had no choice but to skip Jeremih’s set and proceed to PARTYNEXTDOOR. And when Jeremih finally appeared in the middle of PND’s set, three songs was all that the sound crew would give him.
If you came as Jeremih’s biggest fan, you didn’t have the best night of your life last night and Jeremih, the Aragon Ballroom, or someone owes you a better explanation. But if you came for PND or in general to hear some great music, than you’re in great debt to PARTYNEXTDOOR for saving what could have been a completely disastrous night.
See our photo’s from last night’s performance below, and check out the remaining dates on the Summer’s Over Tourhere.
Perhaps the most underrated music festival in the U.S., Alabama’s Hangout Music Festival is returning in 2017. Kicking off on May 19th, and delivering amazing performances in Gulf Shores through the 21st, Hangout has just released its 2017 lineup and it is epic!
Not only will Hangout be one of the festivals to see the return of Frank Ocean, easily our most anticipated Hangout performer of the year, but Mumford & Sons, Twenty One Pilots and Chance The Rapper will also join Frank as headliners.
The list of performers aren’t just top heavy either, as artists like MGMT, Weezer, Major Lazer, Dillon Francis, Tory Lanez, Lil Yachty, Band of Horses and many more will also hit the stage in Alabama this year. Mark your calendars and get your tickets fast. You definitely want to hangout in the Gulf Shores this year.
Check out the full lineup below and get your tickets before they are all gone at HangoutMusicFest.com.
English indie pop band, The xx (Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith), have released their new music video for ‘On Hold’, the first single from the trio’s forthcoming third studio album, I See You. With visuals directed by acclaimed filmmaker/photographer Alasdair McLellan, their new music video is one to watch.
And if you’re a fan of the album’s first single and new direction sonically, definitely stay tuned as I See You is less than 2 months away, currently scheduled for a January 13, 2017 release via Young Turks. You can pre-order the highly anticipated LP now.
Watch The xx’s new music video for ‘On Hold’ below.
Today was a big day for the Wisconsin Badgers, and it involved a lot of familiarity while also charting a lot of new ground. First, it was Senior Day, the last day that seniors Corey Clement, Vince Biegel and company will ever play for their home crowd at Camp Randall Stadium. Emotions were running high throughout the entire day, and the senior class had their sights on a memorable afternoon with their family and friends watching.
Next, today’s game was also important because it marked Wisconsin’s heated rivalry with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Although Wisconsin has dominated this matchup in recent history, Minnesota was going to do everything in its power to ensure that Wisconsin didn’t reclaim Paul Bunyan’s axe for a 13th straight year.
And if a rivalry matchup and Senior Day wasn’t enough, the game also marked the Badger’s celebration of their Big 10 West victory. Although Wisconsin clinched the title (and therefore birth in the Big 10 Championship game) yesterday, celebrating their upcoming match against Penn State (who paved their way with Ohio State and Penn State wins earlier today) just wouldn’t have been the same after a crushing loss.
Then last but not least, the day was a special one because of the playoff implications that surrounded the game. Of course the Badgers have had a “one game at a time” mentality, but the reality is, with a win today and a Big 10 Championship win next week, Wisconsin could very well make the College Football Playoffs for the first time. It’s unclear if the Badgers would still need some help, but if the squad didn’t do their part against the Golden Gophers, then their playoff hopes would be more than over.
So with so much on the line, you could expect the Badgers to hit the ground running and bully Minnesota around, right? Well, it wasn’t so easy. At least not right away.
Not only did Minnesota draw blood first with an early field goal, but after Wisconsin responded with an Alec Ingold touchdown in the second quarter, Minnesota had two unanswered touchdown scores from QB Mitch Leidner (one rushing and one passing). But after Leidner’s touchdown run with 53 seconds left to end Minnesota’s impressive first half, Minnesota would not score another point all game.
Wisconsin first chipped away at their 17-7 deficit with an Andrew Endicott field goal. While they turned the game into a one-score Minnesota lead, field goals were not going to get the job done, especially with how Wisconsin was moving the ball up to that point.
Then it was time for the game changing moment. Just when Minnesota was starting to move the ball again, the Badger’s Mitch Leidner intercepted Leidner’s pass in Wisconsin’s own endzone, saving 7 points and perhaps saving a second half dagger that very well may have put the game away. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, this was only a 7-point swing as the Badgers punted the ball away after 4 plays and 19 yards.
But there is something about the 4th Quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. As “Jump Around” was blasting throughout the stadium, Wisconsin had new life. With 13 minutes left in the game, Wisconsin’s Sojourn Shelton delivered with a big interception and return for 40 yards to the Minnesota 19. With great field position, Wisconsin capitalized with a Corey Clement touchdown run, after Wisconsin QB Bart Houston delivered a clutch pass to Robert Wheelwright.
Minutes later, the Badgers again found the endzone, again with a Corey Clement touchdown run. The real MVP of this drive though was WR Jazz Peavy, who had a huge 71-yard run to the Minnesota 5-yard-line.
From there, the game was all but over, and Wisconsin continued to show us why they have arguably the best defense in the country. Wisconsin would see 4 total interceptions in the second half, two of which led to easy touchdowns for the Badgers. While Minnesota’s offense owned the first half of play, Wisconsin’s defense stepped up big time in the second half. Although the Badgers continue to win despite their offense, as opposed to because of their offense, it was enough for another week.
They say defense wins championships and Wisconsin will test that theory next weekend, as the Badgers will face the Big 10 East Champions in Penn State for the Conference Championship in Indianapolis.
Check out our photos from the Badger’s victory over Minnesota here.
All of Madison, Wisconsin was on pins and needles after the #5 ranked Badgers trailed the Golden Gophers of Minnesota at halftime. However four 2nd half interceptions helped Wisconsin escape defeat, leading to a Wisconsin Badgers victory, 31-17. The Badgers not only reclaimed Paul Bunyan’s axe in the rivalry matchup, but they kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Wisconsin will now face Penn State in the Big 10 Championship, in what will surely be a game to watch.
While your favorite rappers are eating turkey and watching football, you may feel a little left out when it comes to new music. Well fear not, as your favorite Bay Area MC, G-Eazy, has dropped two new singles, ‘Bone Marrow’ ft. Danny Seth and ‘Still’, both out today on iTunes.
With two new quality records, and an upcoming homecoming show with Lil Yachty at the Oracle Arena in Oakland on December 14th, G-Eazy fans have a lot to be thankful for.
Stream both new tracks below, and download ‘Still’ and ‘Bone Marrow’ now on iTunes.
Last night, Tory Lanez gave a beyond memorable and energetic performance at The Rave for his biggest Milwaukee fans, on his headlining I Told You Tour, named after his debut album which released just months ago. Joined on tour by Atlanta singer-songwriter Jacquees, Kranium and Chicago’s Taylor Bennett, Lanez was in great company and set for a pre-Thanksgiving show that Wisconsin would not soon forget.
And after the three opening performances set the tone for the man of the night, it was time for Tory Lanez to greet the packed crowd. To no surprise, Tory Lanez’s set included a number of performances from his brand new debut LP, a long awaited album that gained Lanez a lot of attention thanks to his breakout single ‘Say It’. And while fans were rapping and singing along to performances of Lanez’s tracks which were record well before ‘Say It”s commercial success, Milwaukee went crazy when Lanez performed his big name singles like ‘Say It’ and ‘Luv’.
Other highlights of the Canadian artist’s performance included his performance of ‘To D.R.E.A.M’, and of course his up-close-and-personal interactions with the audience. Lanez finds a second home in the middle of his crowd, practically crowd surfing and having fans lift him up towards the sky as often as he was on the stage itself. At one point during his performance, Lanez went into the crowd, had fans lift and guide him towards the side, and at that point Lanez had his fans lift him up so he could extend his reach to a light fixture about 15 feet from the ground, Lanez then climbed that fixture and again extended his reach, this time to fans in the second level balcony. The excitement didn’t stop there either, moments later, Lanez hung upside down from the balcony railing, all while rapping throughout. While many artists before have gone into their crowds, Lanez brings it to a whole new level, and it’s just one of the many reasons that his Milwaukee fans got their money’s worth.
See our photo’s from last night’s performance below, and check out the remaining dates on Tory Lanez’s I Told You Tourhere.
The Early Registration 