Kendrick Lamar’s latest music video includes deepfakes of Will Smith and Kanye

Kendrick Lamar is out to show that deepfakes are useful for more than misinformation and creepy porn. The rapper has shared a music video for his “The Heart Part 5” single that revolves exclusively around deepfake celebrity faces superimposed on Kendrick’s body as he spits bars. The clip seamlessly transitions between AI-based visages of famous and occasionally notorious figures in recent Black culture, including Kanye West, OJ Simpson, Will Smith and late icons like Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle.

Deep Voodoo, a studio formed by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, was responsible for the deepfake imagery. The video was directed by Kendrick and Dave Free. 

As with the lyrics themselves, the overlaid faces serve as commentary on the Black experience. They represent different aspects of a common voice, and appear alongside key verses (such as Kanye for bipolar disorder, and Nipsey for murder). In that sense, Kendrick’s video is a reminder that deepfake technology is just a tool, and can be useful for artistic expression in the right hands.

New ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ trailer shows a certain Sith Lord being assembled

Happy Star Wars Day! Lucasfilm and Disney+ are celebrating May the 4th by offering another look at the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

There’s not a ton of new footage in this trailer compared with the first teaser. There is, however, a snippet of a conversation between Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) about training young Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi. There’s also a look at Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) being pieced together, which is much more than the breathing cameo from the previous trailer.

This clip reinforces one of the show’s main story threads as well. The Empire is desperately trying to hunt down an on-the-run Obi-Wan in an attempt to wipe out the Jedi once and for all. I wonder how that’ll pan out. There’s also a very brief peek of Kumail Nanjiani, whose character is intriguingly wearing Jedi-style robes, along with several shots of the villains.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is set 10 years after Revenge of the Sith and it will fill in some of the narrative gaps between the prequels and the original trilogy. While The Mandalorian, which was the first live-action Star Wars series, has been a hit, Obi-Wan Kenobi should be an easier sell for Disney+ thanks to the familiar characters that are front and center. Because of that, it doesn’t need to give away too much before the series debuts with two episodes on May 27th.

Lizzo will perform in the first metaverse music awards show

Like it or not, the metaverse is becoming an increasingly popular music venue — including, apparently, for ceremonies. As Hollywood Reporterexplains, Logitech has revealed what it says is the first music awards show in the metaverse. The second annual Song Breaker Awards will take place in Roblox on April 30th at 1PM Eastern, with pop star Lizzo making her virtual performance debut. Social media star Bretman Rock will host.

The awards show will honor ten creators who either started or “amplified” internet trends, including musician Gayle (who has thrived on Billboard‘s Song Breaker Chart) and Grammy nominee Walker Hayes. Personalities like Jaden Smith, Roblox veteran MeganPlays and Twitch streamer Shroud will also make appearances. 

Logitech Song Breaker Awards show space in Roblox metaverse
Logitech

You can already access a pre-event “experience” and virtual Logitech store in Roblox. If you miss the main show, you can still watch two additional performances on the 30th (4PM and 5PM ET) and one on May 1st (12PM ET).

Yes, Logitech is capitalizing on Lizzo and overall metaverse buzz to draw attention to its gig. However, it’s really an extension of past efforts to bring music performances into digital spaces. Virtual concerts have been happening for years, and some of them have been hugely popular. The Song Breaker Awards just move that entertainment from a specific game to a full-fledged platform, and it won’t be surprising if there are similar awards presentations before long.

Roku will stream ‘John Wick 4,’ ‘Borderlands’ and other Lionsgate films for free

The Roku Channel has signed a multiyear deal with Lionsgate Films that will allow it to stream upcoming blockbusters like John Wick 4 and Borderlands for free, it announced. Roku will get those films in a timely fashion too, right after their initial streaming windows on Lionsgate’s Starz platform. “We are pleased to expand our relationship with our longstanding partner Lionsgate to provide our audience with exclusive first-time, free access to Lionsgate’s theatrical slate,” said Roku VP Rob Holmes in a statement. 

Other films that arriving to Roku include The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent starring Nicolas Cage, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, The Expendables 4 and White Bird: A Wonder Story (Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson). 

Roku has made a steady push into free programming, buying all of Quibi’s short-form shows last year and later adding content from The Tribeca Film Festival, IGN, CBC News and AccuWeather. The new move is a bigger deal, though, as it will let Roku Channel users stream blockbuster films at no cost before they arrive on cable or other platforms. The company didn’t say if the films would stream with ads or not, but much of Roku’s free content is ad-supported. 

Roku also offers Premium subscriptions to HBO, Cinemax, Starz and other services. The new free movie streaming offerings are another shakeup in a crowded, volatile industry. Earlier this week, Netflix announced it would offer an ad-supported tier after 200,000 subscribers left the platform — the first such decline in over a decade. 

The Obamas are reportedly leaving Spotify

Spotify is losing Barack and Michelle Obama after their partnership ends in October, according to Bloomberg. The former first couple’s exclusive podcast deal with the streaming giant is coming to an end, and they won’t be signing a new one. Their production company, Higher Ground, is reportedly seeking a partner that would allow it to produce several shows and release it on multiple platforms at the same time. Spotify typically seeks exclusivity from famous personalities in a bid to promote its platform, which is likely why (as Bloomberg reports) it declined to make an offer for a new contract. 

Higher Ground is in the midst of negotiating with several other potential partners, though, including Amazon’s Audible and iHeartMedia for a deal that’s expected to be worth tens of millions of dollars. The Obamas are each looking to appear in an eight-episode program, so we can expect shows with a limited number of episodes. 

The Obamas’ deal with Spotify was rumored to be worth $25 million and produced Renegades: Born in the USA with Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, as well as The Michelle Obama Podcast, wherein the former First Lady talked about relationships with friends and family. The Michelle Obama Podcast was one of Spotify’s most popular shows in 2020 and was eventually made available on other platforms. 

While Higher Ground has yet to issue an official statement, a Vanity Fair report from February during the height of the Joe Rogan debacle may shed some light on its decision not to pursue another exclusive deal with a single platform. Apparently, Higher Ground was frustrated with Spotify at times and found it difficult to get additional shows off the ground under their partnership. Further, the Obamas are more interested in producing shows for young new voices than for their own, and that vision just doesn’t align with Spotify’s.

Netflix is making an ‘Exploding Kittens’ mobile game and TV series

If Exploding Kittens is still a part of your party game repertoire several years later, Netflix has just the news you were hoping to hear. The streaming service is introducing an “exclusive” version of the Exploding Kittensmobile game as well as an animated TV series. The adult-oriented show will be executive-produced by card game creators Elan Lee and Matthew “The Oatmeal” Inman as well as veterans like Mike Judge, and will star well-known personalities including Lucy Liu (Kill Bill) and Tom Ellis (Lucifer).

The series revolves around a holy war that sees God and the Devil visit Earth in the form of beefy house cats. It won’t stream on Netflix until 2023, but the upgraded game is due in May with two new cards and promises of future gameplay based on the show.

Netflix is keen to note this is will be the first time it launches both a game and a series from the same franchise (Stranger Things doesn’t count, apparently). While the game certainly wasn’t built from scratch, the company not-so-subtly hinted that it might repeat this simultaneous development strategy going forward — don’t be surprised if more games and shows arrive in tandem.

Roland celebrates 50 years of music gear with glossy new book

Famed electronic instrument maker Roland is celebrating its 50th anniversary today by teaming up with boutique publisher Bjooks to announce a coffee table book that tells its story. Inspire The Music: 50 Years of Roland History is a 400-page tome that delves into the tech, people and culture behind the company.

The book includes several chapters that explore Roland products and their impact on certain music scenes. Roland and Bjooks say Inspire the Music explains the context and history of the Jupiter-8 Synthesizer, Boss guitar pedals, TR-808 Rhythm Composer and TB-303 Bass Line. The book will cover other gear, such as keytars, grooveboxes and V-Drums, as well as how the Octapad SPD-30 percussion pad became a staple of modern music in India.

In addition, Inspire the Music features dozens of interviews with artists and Roland designers. You can expect to hear from the likes of Johnny Marr of The Smiths, DJ Jazzy Jeff, guitarist Nita Strauss, Sister Bliss of Faithless, Orbital, Peaches, Swizz Beatz, Jean-Michel Jarre and Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor of Duran Duran.

Bjooks, which put together Inspire the Music, came to prominence through Kickstarter. It has published glossy books on topics such as guitar pedals, modular synthesis and interface design. In 2020, Bjooks teamed up with Moog for a book featuring tips and tricks for the semi-modular Mother lineup.

Inspire The Music will be released this summer. It will be available through Bjooks’ website and from authorized resellers. Pricing has yet to be revealed.

Inspire The Music: 50 Years of Roland History
Roland/Bjooks