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Some things are just distinctly American, like Apple Pie, 90’s rap, and….anti-maskers apparently? That at least seems to be the case with the latest COVID-19 story out of Florida. As the official U.S. death toll approaches 200K, with projected deaths by January 1st, 2020 set at over 400K, some people have reached a breaking point. Although admittedly, it seems people have reached some diametrically opposed breaking points. Whereas Democrat-led states are typically at the forefront of retaining social distancing requisites, others have decided to showcase their unrest by opposing the common requirement to wear face masks in public. The viral clip from a Florida Target shows a group of roughly a dozen people walking through the store without masks, with some of them yelling “take off your masks!” and “we’re not gonna take it anymore!”. The clip currently holds over 14.8 million views and has led to Target trending on Twitter. The participants in the protest were readily criticized on Twitter for their actions, with celebrities and common at-home viewers alike referring to them as “assholes,” “maskholes” “dipshits”, and more for not abiding by Target’s requirement that guests wear masks. While some have floated a federal mask mandate, President Trump has not expressed ample interest in the subject. He has been criticized for responses ranging from indifference to masks, to leading overall contempt among conservatives against mandates requiring them. Despite protests, the CDC still recommends wearing a mask and social distancing while in public in order to slow the spread of Coronavirus in America, which has accounted for roughly 25% percent of all COVID-19 deaths worldwide, despite containing only 4% of the world’s human population. [via] View the full article

With his third consecutive No. 1 album under his belt, Big Sean has much to celebrate. He took his time in crafting Detroit 2 and it was well worth the wait. Not only were there features from his fellow rap and hip hop artists, but there were appearances by the likes of Dave Chappelle and Stevie Wonder. The introspective rapper poured his heart out on the project, and he recently sat down with Jen DeLeon to discuss his latest record while also touching on the topic of developing his work ethic. Throughout Detroit 2, Big Sean spoke a lot about his grind, and he revealed that one problem he had to overcome was equating how much time he worked to how successful he could be. "I was in the studio all day, I used to be like, I'm going hard," he said. "But really, sometimes I would be in the studio all day just forcing it as opposed to really being in there 'cause I was inspired. I used to think that the amount of hours you put into something translates into it being successful, but really, it's not about that. It's about working smarter." It's common for artists to believe that they have to grind 24-7 in order to be recognized in the industry, but Sean revealed he had to unlearn that lesson. The rapper also talked about being more vocal after feeling silenced due to judgment. Being in the public eye can cause many celebrities to not say much of anything because of the criticism from the public, but Big Sean has learned how to navigate his public persona with his personal life. Watch Sean Don share a few noteworthy deep thoughts below. View the full article

In a statement, KCRW President Jennifer Ferro confirms the departure of 28 workers, including four laid off Wednesday. View the full article

Blues singer Lady A has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the country band of the same name, which was formerly known as Lady Antebellum. View the full article

When asked why he had failed to set a national mask mandate during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic at ABC News' Town Hall on Tuesday evening, Donald Trump had a strange excuse. "They said at the Democratic convention they're going to do a national mandate," Trump said. "They never did it, because they've checked out and they didn't do it. And a good question is, you ask why Joe Biden - they said we're going to do a national mandate on masks." Biden's long history of urging local governments to issue mask mandates aside, Trump seemed to ignore that he was the only one between the two with the power to institute a national mask mandate. When it was pointed out that Biden had in fact been in support of mask mandates for a while, Trump was unflinching. "But he didn't do it. I mean, he never did it," the president said. Joe Biden responded to Trump's remarks on Twitter, joking "To be clear, I am not currently president." The deflection was part of a series of bizarre statements that Trump made at the event. He followed up by maintaining that "a lot of people think that masks are not good." When asked who those people were, he replied simply. "I'll tell you who those people are: waiters." View the full article

MC Eiht is gearing up to deliver his new album Lessons this Friday, a project that features guest appearances from Kurupt, Havoc, Conway The Machine, B-Real, Dave East, DJ Premier, and more. With the album arriving imminently, Eiht took a moment to chop it up with the Murder Master Music Show, where he proceeded to reflect on his time working on Menace II Society, directed by Allen and Albert Hughes. Leon Bennett/Getty Images It's no secret that 2Pac Shakur was originally attached to play Sharif in the film, though heated disagreements over the character ultimately led to his departure. During his sit-down with the Murder Master Music Show, Eiht took a moment to reflect on the creative differences that ultimately led Pac to walk away from the production. "He was supposed to play Sharif! Unfortunately, everybody know the situation that happened," reflects Eiht. "It didn't work out because Pac was very vocal. He was very adamant about wanting his character to be seen more portrayed in the movie of why." "There was no explanation of why he was the Muslim or why he was the peace brother," continues Eiht. "He felt that with all his other roles, his characters, and what we were representing that it should be addressed in the movie of why he was a Muslim or why he wasn't the one to go out and do the drivebys like we were doing. They didn't want to go through setting up his character on why he turned Muslim and he had a problem with that and that is why he opted out of the movie." As for his own role in the film, Eiht took a moment to paint a picture of how Menace II Society impacted his life. "When the movie actually came out and I had to watch myself on the screen and moms, my sister and homies going to see it, females from school, I felt a little weird because I wasn't used to that level of popularity," he explains. For more from Eiht ahead of Lessons, be sure to check out the full Murder Master Music Show below. View the full article

During a recent music video shoot, Atlanta artist YFN Lucci was stunting with guns, much like most trap rappers do, but something went wrong. As he was fiddling around with the trigger, he accidentally fired the weapon, shooting the floor. Because of the mistake, fans are questioning why there was a loaded gun at a video shoot in the first place, also wondering about the rapper's actual status as a trapper, since he fumbled with the gun this time. Jerritt Clark/Getty Images Instead of asking why the gun had a clip in it, Young Thug went straight on the offensive and started using the incident as ammo in his feud with YFN Lucci, sub-tweeting him last night. "Put that gun down son," wrote the superstar on Twitter. While he did not specify that the comment was about Lucci's mishap, the timing is either incredibly coincidental or the public is correct in assuming that it's about Lucci. Over the years, the two have had a myriad of differences causing their beef, including claims from Lucc that he had been intimate with Jerrika Karlae, Thug's fiancée. Most recently, the YSL Records team disrespected Lucci as Yak Gotti found the rapper's car inside of an Atlanta mall's parking lot, taking the liberty of jumping on top of it and having a photo op. This is just the latest in a string of Young Thug vs. YFN Lucci events. What do you think? View the full article

CyHi The Prynce recently made headlines over renewed interest in his writing credits on Travis Scott's Astroworld, essentially confirming that he has been steadily holding it down as one of hip-hop's unsung hit-writers. And while it's been relatively quiet where his own music is concerned, CyHi did manage to ruffle feathers with a strong take on the ongoing Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion situation. Now, another new development concerning CyHi has opened the door to further concerns, as seen on both his Twitter and Instagram pages. Image via HNHH "Free CyHi," reads the image, in deep orange font. No further context as to when, how, or why CyHi was taken into custody to begin with was provided. Upon clicking the link in his bio, users are redirected to "freecyhi.com", where a message reads as follows: #Free CyHi. TOGETHER WE CAN. Fans can make donations towards releasing CyHi, fund mental illness & prison reform initiatives. Write Cyhi letters directly showing support and share your stories of loved ones who are wrongfully imprisoned." An address can be found directly at the site. Given the mysterious and relatively bizarre nature of the situation, some have speculated that CyHi is in the midst of launching a rollout of sorts. Others seem to feel he's been hacked, though the entire website feels a little too thoroughly designed for that. Of course, it's entirely possible that CyHi was indeed arrested and wrongfully imprisoned, though the silence on that front is indeed suspicious. So is 2 Chainz' response to the Instagram post, for that matter -- "Shit what we doin ball," he writes, lined with mischievous laughter emojis. In light of Kanye West's ongoing war against major labels, some have reasoned that CyHi has taken up arms for the cause. As such, it can be interpreted that the freedom he seeks is actually related to his record deal, though it's as of yet unclear. Check out "Free CyHi" below. View the full article

THEY. have been rolling out an impressive run of singles in anticipation of their upcoming The Amanda Tape, with a new song dropping every month since June. The LA-based duo are especially talented in setting a vibe and have done a pretty good job of covering all sorts of ground in the new music, from the acoustic, slow burning "Count Me In" to their throwback-inspired Tinashe collaboration, "Play Fight." Now the duo look to Memphis for their new single with Juicy J, "STCU." Production was handled by THEY. producer Dante Jones, who pays homage to Juicy J's trademark eighth note hi hats and deep snares for his take on that classic Memphis sound. Set against a slithering guitar loop, Drew Love's silky vocals sound warm even when he's threatening to shoot the club up. Juicy J arrives with a characteristically bouncy second verse, sounding just as hype as he did in the "Tear Up da Club" days. Check out "STCU" below. Will you be checking for The Amanda Tape? Quotable Lyrics Tore the club up then I shot your club up I might love her I ain't use no rubber She said don't worry bout that sh*t You know I'm safe I said don't matter anyway B*tch it's too late View the full article

After taking a commanding series lead against the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Clippers stunningly lost three straight games to lose the series, being clowned all over social media for their failed playoff run. Given the fact that Patrick Beverly trash-talked the life out of Portland when they were bounced out of the bubble, trolling Damian Lillard with his "Cancun on 3" comment on Instagram, it was only right for things to come full circle last night with members of the Blazers coming for Pat Bev. "@patbev21 I guess I should extend this Cancun invite since I haven’t made my arrangements yet," wrote Damian Lillard in a tweet following the Clippers' loss. The jokes continued with CJ McCollum stepping in, asking Dame if he had another villa available in Mexico and voicing his own thoughts on the Clippers' loss. "I wonder if they packed before the game," wrote CJ on Twitter. "If they fly private they can get into Mexico for sure. Should probably get the big jet. My last tweet before I finish this glass. They did vote they ain’t wanna play no more. . . But I didn’t think they was gonna go out like that." Other players around the league have also been commenting on the shocking turn of events from last night. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images With the Clippers losing, the Denver Nuggets are going on to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, which many are predicting the Lakers will win. Who do you have in the next series? View the full article

Opening with a mood-setting quote from The Wire's second season, the inimitable Action "Bronsolinio" Bronson knows how to immerse listeners into his world. With his new project Only For Dolphins set to swim ashore on September 25th, boasting production from Alchemist and more, Bronson has come through with another new drop. "Mongolia" finds him connecting with both Hologram and Meyhem Lauren, conjuring a Mediterranean aesthetic with a twangy guitar riff. "David Caruso couldn't connect the story, solve the puzzle," raps Action. "His favorite murder weapon was a shovel." Though his verse is ultimately brief, Bronson makes effective use of his time with no shortage of absurd imagery and zany quotables. Picking up where he drops off is Hologram, equally specific though more of a straight-man to Bronson's comedic relief. "I eat African shrooms, while rappin' on tunes, back in June when I clapped at your goon," he raps, his flow dexterous. Last comes Meyhem Lauren, who keeps the energy going with some luxury food bars in his opening lines. "Meyhem doin' good, that's a rumor that I heard," he raps. "There was time he was eatin' bluefin tuna." Look for Only For Dolphins to land on September 25th, and revisit Bronson's previous single "Golden Eye" right here. QUOTABLE LYRICS David Caruso couldn't connect the story, solve the puzzle His favorite murder weapon was a shovel It's the jefe, Spanish women all over my body like I'm Machete View the full article

Travis Scott's recent collaboration with McDonald's has been a successful campaign to say the least. Ever since the unlikely partnership was announced, social media was flooded with memes and videos of fans collectively losing their minds over the collab. La Flame pulled up to the oldest McDonald's in the country in his red LaFerrari last Tuesday to celebrate the release of his combo meal, where he was promptly swarmed by excited fans. Travis blessed fans with an impromptu performance on top of a black SUV before making a quick exit. Evidently, around 500 people showed up to see the rapper, with the city's police department dispatching several officers to try to control the excited crowd. The city wasn't too impressed and has issued both Travis and the McDonalds location two citations each for failing to obtain an event and filming permit. Fortunately for Travis, the fines attached to the citations are only $100 each. Despite the lack of adherence to social distancing measures and spotty face mask usage, there were no reported arrests or injuries at the event. This morning, La Flame posted a vague message on Instagram with all angry emojis. Do you think Travis was offended by the city's citations or is something else on the rapper's mind? Let us know what you think in the comments below. View the full article

The OVO team is mourning the loss of yet another one of their brothers as it has been reported that Dolla, also known as Dolla Bill, has passed away. Drake broke the news to the world with a post on Instagram, showing just how far the two go back. "Known you for so many years and since day one you came around with a smile and positive words for me and your main priority was ALWAYS your family and the guys," wrote Drake about his friend. "You will be missed dearly brother RIP DOLLA BILL @repsupdolla." It had been rumored that Dolla was sick for a long time but reports have been unclear about what he was suffering from. His cause of death is currently unknown. Baka Not Nice also reflected on Dolla's loss, saying: "LOVE YOU BROTHER NLONGTALKING REST EASY SEE YOU WHEN I GET THERE." Dolla and OVO go way back and, while he wasn't always in the spotlight with Drake and everyone else, his work behind the scenes and his energy was always welcome. There were rumors that police cars had arrived at Drake's home last night but, as of now, it's unclear if Dolla's death is related. Rest in peace, Dolla Bill. View the full article

Paul Rosenberg, co-founder of Shady Records and longtime manager of Eminem, has been a constant presence in the legendary rapper's career. He's even made it onto a fair number of Slim's albums, often acting as the voice of reason -- albeit to futile ends. Suffice it to say, Paul knows what's what when it comes to Shady business, and when news of a mysterious Shady XX project surfaced, it didn't take long for questions to follow. For those catching up, artist Mike Saputo recently shared several scrapped logo concepts centering around Shady XX. Given that he designed the logo for Eminem's 2014 label compilation project Shady XV, it prompted speculation that the label intended on following-up with a thorough look at the new roster. After all, the Shady Records lineup has changed drastically, with Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, and D12 no longer active. Now, Eminem's label features Boogie, Westside Gunn, and Conway. "So sometime last year, we started working on some things to celebrate Shady’s 20th," confirms Saputo, on his Instagram. "I worked up a ton of logos and other assets for it. Ended up the project never made it to the light of day unfortunately." Upon reporting the development with speculation of an intended purpose, Westside Gunn and Boogie seemed rather blindsided by the existence of anything Shady XX related. Their surprise only served as fuel on a quietly-spreading fire, prompting Paul Rosenberg himself to bust through with extinguisher in hand. Clearing the air about the intended origin of the Shady XX logo batch, Rosenberg claimed that none of the news surrounding the project was accurate. "The art was created for a vinyl box set that was scrapped due to production time," writes Rosenberg, quashing hopes that Shady's stellar new lineup would get a similar showcase to its 2014 predecessor. Unfortunately, the initial report seemed to further propel a narrative that -- while speculative -- was interpreted as accurate. Still, it's good to see Rosenberg stepping forward to clarify the situation, especially given Gunn's previous misgivings. Though it doesn't seem that we'll be getting a Shady XX compilation, we can only hope to see more new music from the label as a united front -- if only to hear how Boogie, Westside Gunn, Eminem, and Conway sound on wax. View the full article

On the eve of the ACM Awards, a conversation between multiple nominees Miranda Lambert and Ashley McBryde. View the full article

"WAP" rapper Cardi B says her marriage is "irretrievably broken" and "there are no prospects for a reconciliation" with Migos rapper Offset. View the full article

KCRW has offered buyouts to staff members, and more than 20 of them — including DJs Liza Richardson, Mario Cotto and Mathieu Schreyer — have accepted. View the full article

BTS fans were trending Tuesday as Black fans shared selfies and the whole hive buzzed about "Blueberry Eyes," BTS rapper Suga's new single with MAX. View the full article

Los Angeles has been celebrating Mexican Independence Day with El Grito for more than 30 years. For the first time ever, Tuesday's event will be virtual. View the full article

Following its addition to the ever-expanding Disney empire, some said that Star Wars had overstayed its welcome. That the most recent trilogy had deviated too far from the original vision of George Lucas, that it was simply rehashing plotlines and struggling to do justice to the beloved characters of the classics. In truth, the critiques were legion, with even some of the film's stars displeased with how things played out. Yet out of nowhere came Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian, a Disney+ original series that quickly silenced some of the more vocal doubters. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Today marks the arrival of The Mandalorian's first official trailer (key word, official) for season 2, which looks to follow the further adventures of the titular bounty hunter and his adopted child, the creature that has come to be known as "Baby Yoda" -- even amidst the appalled cries of that inevitable guy reminding the world that it is not, in fact, related to Yoda at all. In any case, the unexpected partnership has made for a compelling and surprisingly emotional journey. In the upcoming season, the scope appears to have widened -- as has the budget, with some of the special effects looking straight out of a big-screen Star Wars release. Though many of the plot details remain under wraps, a key name-drop of the Jedi seems to set the table for a familiar face to make a return; those keeping track have already seen the casting of Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, the former Padawan apprentice of Anakin Skywalker. And while Boba Fett has also been confirmed to be making a return appearance, he's also absent from this launch trailer. Be that as it may, Mandalorian season 2 is looking promising indeed -- keep an eye out for that one when it returns in October. View the full article

This weekend, Justin Bieber got all of his fans counting down the minutes as he teased a major announcement. Several members of his team began hinting at a "new era" and, finally, we're getting wind of what's to come for the pop star. Following his headline-making appearance in DJ Khaled and Drake's "Pop Star" music video, Justin Bieber is announcing new music of his own, starting with a new single this Friday. "New era. New single. It’s begins," wrote the 26-year-old Canadian artist on Instagram. "#HOLY this Friday ft. @chancetherapper jbsoon.com." The announcement was made alongside the single's cover artwork, which shows a dry landscape and a lightly cloudy blue sky. The title of the song is written in the open air. It's unclear what direction Justin will be taking with his new music. Earlier this year, he released more of an R&B-styled record, including the hit single "Intentions" with Quavo. Could this "new era" see Bieber dabbling in gospel à la Kanye West? It's possible that, given the song's title, that could be the case. Regardless, we will all need to tune in at the end of this week to see what's going on with Justin Bieber in this new chapter of his life. Who's excited for this one? View the full article

Famous Dex switched up after proclaiming that he was not interested in feuding with King Von, challenging the rapper to a boxing match. Von isn't the only person that's angry with the Chicago rapper though. Lil Reese has also been speaking his mind about the "What I Like" artist, calling him a "crack head" among other things. While it appeared as though the two were cool, Lil Reese would not attest to that fact, claiming that Dexter was only around him because he wanted to patch things up. On Twitter, Reese claimed that he's always had problems with the Rich Forever signee, saying that he's been at his neck since he was a little boy. "Never was cool wit him he just a scary ass opp," replied the Grim Reaper after a fan said that he thought the two rappers were friendly. "I been shooting at his block since a jit all now he come around tryna be cool so we let him around but he kno a fuckin crack head." Do you think we could end up seeing a Triple Threat-style WWE match between Famous Dex, King Von, and Lil Reese after this? Who do you think would win? View the full article

Ahead of the release of his upcoming book Rage, which examines the presidency of Donald Trump, journalist Bob Woodward has been sharing tapes recorded during his conversations with the president. Some of the tapes were particularly damning, revealing that Trump knowingly played down the severity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the seasoned journalist expands on that revelation with the release of another tape. Last night, Woodward appeared via webcam as a guest on Stephen Colbert's Late Show where he shared a recording with the president that revealed what he truly thought of the dangers of the virus while he was railing against Anthony Fauci, one of the lead members of Trump's White House Coronavirus Task Force. Trump directed his anger at Fauci in April after he asserted that countless lives could have been saved if earlier social distancing measures were implemented and health officials didn't face "pushback" from the government. In his conversations with Woodward, Trump called the virus a "killer" and compared it to "the plague." "Bob, it's so easily transmissible, you wouldn't believe it," Trump was heard telling Woodward on the recording. He went on to tell a story about how an "innocent sneeze" caused an entire room in the White House to clear out. "The entire room bailed out," he said. "Including me, by the way." The recording reveals just how much Trump's official reaction to the virus with the public is at odds with his personal concerns. As Woodward continues his press run to promote the book, it's clear that more will be revealed in the coming days as he shares his recordings. View the full article

Dancing With The Stars officially premiered last night, and the audience was surprised by some of the skills that the cast has this season. Nelly, for one, shocked the world with his salsa routine, and Skai Jackson, Carole Baskin, and others also attracted the eyes of the world. Jeannie Mai is another one of the cast members that wowed everybody and, according to her latest Instagram post, she even surprised herself. "Thank u Jesus," wrote the host of The Real on IG, sharing a clip of her routine. "Today was a dream come true. All I was thankful to accomplish was to learn ONE dance. I knew NONE of these moves, and yet tonight I became a 'Jeannie Necklace' for my partner @brandonarmstrong." She continued by thanking her professionally-trained partner for getting her to work her ass off in preparation for premiere night. "Brandon, THANK YOU for the tough love. And to all watching, I pray our song made you smile tonight!!" Fan votes are currently open where it will be determined if Jeannie Mai will stay on the show for another dance. Her fiancé Jeezy has not commented about her debut on the show. Do you want to see more of Jeannie on DWTS? View the full article

For a generation of hip-hop fans, Kid Cudi's debut album Man On The Moon: The End Of Day, became an instant classic. Not only that, but the introspective and occasionally vibrant musings of a young Scott Mescudi went on to prove immensely influential on the soundscapes to follow. No stranger to exploring avant-garde production, Cudi's first solo foray did an excellent job in analyzing the artist on a cerebral level, painting a vivid self-portrait detailed to the flaws. And while Man On The Moon yielded plenty of iconic singles, like "Day N Night," "Enter Galactic," and "Make Her Say," some of the most brilliant moments emerged within the "Nightmares." Eleven years removed from its initial release, there is something fascinating about the slow-burning and haunting fourth track "Solo Dolo." The first of three "Nightmare" chapters, this one opens on an appropriately eerie note. "Listen good, I don't have nobody," sings Cudi, his vocals raw. "But what I might feel are the sounds of sanity, hoping what I hear loops itself continuously." As the cinematic track builds, new elements expand the scope; sinister string hits add urgency to the second verse, futuristic synthesizers and brooding strings add layers to the third. Not what you'd call flashy in the slightest, there's something memorable about Cudder's foray into the darker corners. On an album lined with classic tunes, sometimes the unexpected can leave the deepest lasting impression. Happy anniversary to Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon: The End Of Day. QUOTABLE LYRICS Cry me a river, hater, look who Traveled out an igloo Cold, cold world wasn't fit for me at all Look at where I stand at, tall Clutchin' my Kid Cudi bizzalls Mute motherfuckers back home, quick pause View the full article