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    Mahogany L. Browne’s Love Letter to Hip-Hop

    It was a clear black night, a clear white moon. Warren G, “Regulate” (1994)Originally appearing on the soundtrack of the Tupac Shakur film “Above the Rim,” this song is built around a sample of Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).” I’m looking like a star when you see me make a wish. […] More

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    ‘Crater’ Review: A Rocking Road Trip

    This Disney film is surprisingly nimble at incorporating an emotional core into its sci-fi adventure.You wouldn’t necessarily expect a lightly dystopian undertone concerning the oppressive state of labor in a family-friendly science-fiction Disney film (released during the writers’ strike, no less), but “Crater” manages just that while maintaining the lighthearted fun of a children’s adventure.The film, directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, takes place on a lunar mining colony, where miners agree to contracts with the promise that they and their families will earn a ticket to Omega, a distant, habitable planet. Legal loopholes, though, ensure that most don’t actually live to see that day arrive.Yet, via a rule that allows descendants of deceased miners to automatically go to Omega, the film’s young protagonist, Caleb (Isaiah Russell-Bailey, and Hero Hunter in flashbacks), is scheduled to leave the colony after his father (Scott Mescudi, a.k.a. Kid Cudi) dies — only, he doesn’t want to leave his friends behind. Hoping to make the most of their limited time together, Caleb and his friends, with the help of a new girl from Earth (McKenna Grace), steal a lunar rover and embark on a road trip in search of a mysterious crater that Caleb’s father told him to find as a kind of dying wish.It’s refreshing to see Disney invest a decent budget into an original sci-fi world for a live-action film (it’s also a movie that undoubtedly would have flailed at the box office, but may and should find an audience on streaming), and Alvarez makes good use of it. And while it might not have the indelible charm of other children’s classics, “Crater” does well not straining itself trying to please audiences beyond the family crowd. Most of all, the film is surprisingly nimble at incorporating an emotional core that makes its story more interesting than the adventure itself.CraterRated PG. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. Watch on Disney+. More

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    Kid Cudi Aspires to Guide the Kids

    5:00a.m. 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00p.m. 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00a.m. 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00p.m. 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 Samuel R. Delany Jonathan Bailey Piet Oudolf […] More

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    ‘A Man Named Scott’ Review: Bending Genres, Coping With Struggles

    This film about Kid Cudi is that rare musician-focused documentary, one as sensitive, fully formed and noble in its intentions as the artist himself.In “A Man Named Scott,” a documentary about Kid Cudi, the genre-defying rapper’s longtime friend, Shia LaBeouf, and one of his superfans, Timothée Chalamet, are among the men who say Cudi helped them open up emotionally. They acknowledge Cudi for reshaping hip-hop on his own terms.But the director Robert Alexander’s documentary doesn’t only remind you that the artist (whose real name is Scott Mescudi) revolutionized the genre, softening its conventional definition of masculinity by simply being himself. The film additionally presents a moving rumination on art and individuality, and the invaluable connection between both.Through the biographical self-reflective framework of the doc, Alexander leads the viewer to examine art from a psychological and representational perspective. The significance of Black visibility in the arts is a prominent thread, and watching Willow Smith dance like no one is watching to one of her favorite Cudi songs, “Sky Might Fall,” expresses Cudi’s profound influence on the youth who were led by him in their own dismantling of social constructs.More broadly, this is a film about the music that makes us, but Alexander poses a fundamental concern as he explores that topic: What toll does the development of this work take on its creator?Cudi opens up about his struggles. Actually, he divulges a lot — though he stops short of detailing the process of making his 2015 album Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven,” admitting it was “a really dark time” for him. Thanks to its perceptive insights and a range of interviewees, from fellow industry professionals to a clinical psychologist, “A Man Named Scott” is that rare musician-focused doc, one as sensitive, fully formed and noble in its intentions as Cudi himself.A Man Named ScottNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Watch on Amazon. More

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    Kid Cudi Wears Dress as He Pays Tribute to Kurt Cobain on 'SNL'

    NBC

    During his performance on ‘Saturday Night Live’, the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ hitmaker dons a floral dress inspired by a shirt once worn by the late Nirvana rocker.

    Apr 12, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Rapper/actor Kid Cudi appeared to pay tribute to tragic rocker Kurt Cobain this weekend (10Apr21) as he performed on U.S. comedy show “Saturday Night Live” in a pair of bold stage outfits.

    The “Pursuit of Happiness” hitmaker chose to wear a green cardigan and ripped jeans for his first song, “Tequila Shots”, in what many viewers interpreted as a nod to Cobain’s wardrobe choice for Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged” performance back in 1993.

    Cudi also donned a T-shirt bearing the face of funnyman Chris Farley, a former “SNL” castmember who died from a drug overdose, aged 33, in 1997.

    The hip-hop star then changed up his look for his second set, opting for a floral maxi sundress as he played his song “Sad People” – a costume believed to be inspired by a button down gown worn by Cobain for the cover of British magazine The Face, a year before he committed suicide on 5 April, 1994.

    Meanwhile, actress Carey Mulligan made her debut as SNL host and used her opening monologue to express her excitement at being able to get out of the house following a year of isolation due to the COVID crisis, during which she channelled her “dramatic energy” into her two kids’ bedtime stories.

      See also…

    “They became a lot longer, lots of recently divorced dragons and unicorns with secret pill habits,” she quipped. “My kids would be like, ‘Mum, please. It’s two in the morning. Let us sleep.’ So, I’m very excited to be here tonight and let some of that energy out.”

    The Brit was also thrilled to be appearing on “SNL” for the first time as her husband, rocker Marcus Mumford, and his Mumford & Sons bandmates had previously served as the musical guest on three separate occasions.

    The singer then crashed his wife’s monologue, leaving Mulligan a little confused about who was looking after their children with both parents away from home.

    “What a surprise, lovely to see you,” the “Promising Young Woman” star said as she pretended to be surprised by his presence. “Um, where are the kids?”

    “I left them with the Sons,” Mumford responded, keeping a straight face. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

    He then offered up his musical talents to show officials, seemingly eager to get back to performing live.

    “I meant to ask, did they book a musical guest for tonight? If they end up needing anyone, I’m very happy to do it,” he shared as he pulled out his guitar and played part of his song “Little Lion Man”.

    Of course, that role had already been taken by Cudi.

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    Kid Cudi Breaks Record on Billboard Chart With 'Man on the Moon III' Song

    Instagram

    The ‘Day ‘n’ Nite’ hitmaker makes history as he’s climbing Billboard music chart with the opening song of the final installment of his ‘Man on the Moon’ album series.

    Dec 24, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Kid Cudi has scored a new U.S. chart record with a 37-second song.
    “Beautiful Trip”, the opening song of his new album “Man on the Moon III: The Chosen”, has become the shortest song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
    The track sneaks into the countdown at number 100, beating the previous record of 45 seconds, held by Japanese comedian Piko-Taro’s “PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)”.
    Meanwhile, “Man on the Moon III: The Chosen” is at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, one place behind Taylor Swift’s “Evermore”.

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    A follow up to his albums “Man on the Moon: The End of Day” (2009) and “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager” (2010), “The Chosen One” came four years after Kid Cudi’s sixth studio effort “Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'”.
    Back in 2016, the rapper initially said he was unsure about doing another “Man on the Moon” album.
    But in a new interview recently, he said he was able to deliver the long-overdue project because “the whole flow of my life is like so in tune with like everything that I want it to be.” He told Apple Music host Zane Lowe, “Everything’s in place. And I’m happy, you know?”
    “I truly believe that my heart is in the light and that’s who I am,” he went on. “As long as I keep focus on the mission, write music that helps kids, pushing myself to make new experiences and try new things and be a better artist and a better man in their life, whether it’s to my girlfriend or to my baby mom or to my mother or to my sister – [I’m] just trying to be better.”

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    Kid Cudi Excited to Bring Life Music Experience Back to Fans Through Encore

    Instagram

    The ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ hitmaker teams up with screenwriter Ian Edelman and software engineer Jonathan Gray to launch the new mobile-based app that will see him as chief creative officer.

    Oct 30, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Rapper Kid Cudi has turned entrepreneur to help artists boost their earnings by connecting directly with fans through a new app.
    The “Pursuit of Happiness” hitmaker has teamed up with screenwriter Ian Edelman and software engineer Jonathan Gray to unveil Encore, a new mobile-based platform aimed at providing better live music opportunities to fans, while also helping performers find new ways to connect and cash in on their work.
    The ‘Man on the Moon: The End of Day’ artist will serve as Encore’s chief creative officer to oversee its artistic vision.

    In a statement, he says, “The energy from a concert is undeniable, both for the fans and artists.”

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    “I am excited to launch Encore to help bring the live music experience back to our fans. Encore is committed to empowering both established and new artists and delivering the best mobile music experience out there.”
    According to a press release, artists will be able to “drop new music, chat with fans and host live shows from anywhere in the world” with the new app.
    “The current streaming model puts artists in competition with one another and only rewards the top one per cent of artists who collect 90 per cent of the money,” officials share.
    “Encore offers an all-new format that encourages collaboration amongst artists and makes it easy for up-and-coming and established artists to manage and grow a direct relationship with their fans.”
    An official launch date for the app has yet to be announced, but Encore is currently in private beta mode.

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