Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
Lil Uzi Vert is offering fans – and Ebro Darden – a sneak peek at their response to the media personality’s recent claim that Uzi has yet to deliver on their nearly decade-old promise to become a “rock star.”
Taking to their Instagram Story on Tuesday (November 19), Uzi played a snippet of the track titled “Chill Ebro,” which they previously teased when revealing the tracklist to the then-forthcoming Eternal Atake 2.
“I’m the rock star that I said I was gonna be!” Uzi sings on the track, followed by repeating “Ebro chill” multiple times.
You can check out the snippet below.
During a panel discussion last month, Ebro revisited his viral 2016 interview with Lil Uzi Vert, where the Philadelphia rhymer declared themselves a “rock star” while refusing to freestyle over “old” Hip Hop beats.
Eight years later, Ebro feels Baby Pluto hasn’t lived up to their lofty potential.
“I love Uzi Vert. I feel like he still hasn’t become the rock star he said he would become, though. I’m still waiting,” the radio personality admitted.
“Maybe I took it literal, but the rock stars that I know, they were selling out MetLife Stadium. They could sell out Madison Square Garden eight, 10 times. They got hits on the radio, everywhere. Songs is everywhere.
“He told me he was gonna become a rockstar […] Most people that come up to me and talk about Uzi Vert were probably like 10 years old [when that interview came out]. They was tight, they was mad that I did that to Uzi Vert. [But] like I said before, time will tell.”
Ebro then applied pressure on Uzi to prove him wrong: “Where you at, my guy? Where you at, bro? Didn’t he just retire, too? Wasn’t he just like, ‘Yo, I’m tired, I’m done.’ Come on, son. You supposed to be a rock star. What happened?”
Weeks later, Uzi shared a photo of a handwritten tracklist to their Instagram Story that was concealed by a watch and two Roc-A-Fella chains – with the exception of a track titled “Chill Ebro.” He later deleted the post before it expired.
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DJ Shadow has shared his thoughts on the current touring crisis, saying the industry is close to “extinction”.
Writing on Facebook on Wednesday (November 20), DJ Shadow reflected on his recent tour, saying it was “decidedly different from prior runs, in both positive and negative ways.”
“I found myself constantly weighing the changes, not only as they affect me, but other musicians and the touring industry as a whole,” he added, highlighting an increase in costs associated with touring. “It’s also WAY more expensive to get from point A to point B. I joke about it with my crew sometimes, but it’s true: almost all of my money goes to the travel sector.
“And yet, I’m also aware that many of the venues I played this year are struggling financially. I don’t think it’s an over exaggeration to say that the touring industry as we know it is one more global crisis away from extinction.”
He went on to highlight the physical impact of touring, saying: “At my age, touring ain’t as easy as it used to be. There’s aches and pains that didn’t used to be there, and it takes a total commitment to conserve energy for the show; not always easy when sleep or nourishment become disrupted.”
He concluded, writing: “So where does that leave us? Well, for myself, I can only control my own thoughts and actions. I still love touring, still love making music. After the Australia and Japan dates next February, it’ll be time to build something new, and when I’m ready to head back out, I hope the promoters, venues, and fans will still be there.
“Until then, I’ll continue to appreciate every opportunity as it comes… and maybe check out a show or two to remind myself what a precious and powerful thing live entertainment can be.”
Shadow’s comments point to a wider crisis facing the touring industry. For venues, 2023 proved to be “disastrous” and the worst year on record with 125 grassroots music venues shutting their doors. This is despite recent findings that the music industry contributed a record £7.6billion to the country’s economy the same year.
Music Venue Trust (MVT) has also suggested we’re facing a potential “complete collapse of touring” as a result of the recent budget announcement that introduces £7million in new premises taxes. MVT says that this will place 350 grassroots music venues at immediate risk of closure – threatening more than 12,000 jobs, over £250million in economic activity and the loss of over 75,000 live music events.
In hopes of securing a future for live music, the government recently backed a levy on gigs at arena level that will see the UK’s smaller venues and rising artists receive a contribution from bigger gigs.
The model, similar to the one seen in the Premiere League of football and already in use in several countries across Europe, was recommended by MPs after a DCMS investigation back in Spring.
Major artists like Coldplay, Enter Shikari, Sam Fender and most recently Katy Perry have all adopted a levy on their upcoming UK tours, and now there are increased calls for a clear deadline for the industry to take urgent action.
The closures of venues create a larger issue in the industry, impacting touring artists trying to reach new audiences and gig-goers seeking new music.
Earlier this year, David Martin of the FAC – a trade union body representing the needs of musicians and artists in the UK, wrote to NME to highlight this, saying that even if venues remain open, many artists can no longer afford to play them.
“Even those playing to relatively modest audiences have to bear substantial costs to tour the UK – from transportation, accommodation and rehearsals to paying the salaries of musicians, crew, production, agents and managers,” he said. “That’s on top of recording, and the increasing demands of promotion – all activities which create the demand for shows in the first place.”
This was echoed by English Teacher‘s Lily Fontaine earlier this year, when she spoke at a Parliamentary session, and explained how artists are facing “a crisis in terms of funding” and being able to support themselves.
“There is a lack of funding for musicians to create music,” said Fontaine. Giving a long list of outgoing expenses faced by artists, Fontaine mentioned studio time, rehearsal space, tour managers, engineers, van hire, musicians, non-artist fees, driver fees, accommodation, travel, carnets, visas, insurance, equipment, food, drink and photography to name a few.
Elsewhere, at the start of this year, artists reflected on the challenges they faced in 2023 and their hopes for 2024. This included hopes for a streaming royalties reform, the application of AI in music, the 100 Per Cent Venues campaign to end punitive commissions on merchandise sales, and the #LetTheMusicMove campaign to encourage friction-free international touring.
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