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Gnarfunkel Releases a new single and music video “Bamboo Bong”

West Coast funk-rock band Gnarfunkel are celebrating 4/20 with the release of their new single and video ‘Bamboo Bong’ out today on all digital streaming platforms. Watch the video here.

’Bamboo Bong’ is the latest track to be released from Gnarfunkel’s debut album Gnarnia, which is out on May 6th. The perfect song for coming out of the pandemic, ‘Bamboo Bong’ celebrates those times that we need to escape from the turmoil around us.

“Living in the modern world can be overwhelming,” says vocalist/guitarist Tyler Lanigan. “Luckily for us, a new form of escapism has recently been legalized in Canada. Through its chaotic intro, funky verses, and bridge combining anxious instrumentals with clips of Reefer Madness, ‘Bamboo Bong’ explores the dichotomy of being high combined with the residual stigma for the soul-destroying reefer.”

Gnarfunkel’s debut album Gnarnia was conceived and recorded as a lockdown project when it became clear in early 2020 that they would not be playing live shows for a while.

“We looked inwards and decided to assemble the debut record we had always dreamed of making,” says Tyler. “It was a vinyl album from the very beginning, with each side and tracklisting planned long before any recording began. All the songs on the album had been sufficiently road tested to audiences across the beautiful province of British Columbia and went through an intense rewriting process that lasted a year.”

Armed with a plan and a bunch of songs, the band then recorded the album at Monarch Studios with Juno-nominated producer Tom Dobrzanski. Gnarnia is the passion project of a group well known for energetic live shows that were confined to a makeshift basement recording studio for a year. It contains the bottled-up energy of a band that can’t wait to hit the road again!

Bamboo Bong’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more info, please visit gnarfunkel.com

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Kanye West Joins Chicago Ceremony Honoring His Mother With Dr. Donda West Way

Kanye West was in Chicago for a street naming ceremony honoring his late mother, Dr. Donda West, and celebrating her lasting contributions to the city, her impact on education and the arts, and her influence on her son’s life.

A portion of 78th Street bears the official designation of Dr. Donda West Way, an appropriate tribute to a woman whose legacy remains deeply entangled with Chicago. Local news covered the ceremony, attended by community leaders, and Ye could be seen clapping in the background, wearing shades, as the new street sign was unveiled.

The event celebrated Donda West’s accomplishments and her impact on the people in her life. It was also a moment of profound personal significance for Kanye. His mother played a large part in building his confidence and supporting his musical ambitions, leading him down the path that would ultimately make him one of the most recognizable artists in music.

West had already paid tribute to his mother in his 2021 album Donda. The project took 10 years to complete, the amount of time it took Ye to process her tragic passing. Donda’s voice is present throughout the album, adding another personal element to a project centered on her memory and legacy.

The Chicago ceremony falls during a busy time for West. The artist is on a world tour and played a couple of shows in Chicago just a few weeks ago. Despite the ongoing controversy about his recent past and public reception, his repeated returns to the stage have underscored the enduring size of his audience.

Currently, the unveiling of Dr. Donda West Way is not about music but about celebrating Donda West’s life and accomplishments and the impact she continues to have through the legacy she left behind.

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DJ Akademiks Opens the Door to Pusha T Amidst Drake Controversy

DJ Akademiks seems to be changing his tune on Pusha T after the leak of the rapper’s alleged album with Pharrell, though the project reportedly includes several direct shots at Drake.

The reaction is notable as Akademiks and Pusha T have been on completely unique sides of the long-running Drake-Pusha T divide. Pusha T’s infamous beef with Drake reached a major milestone in 2018 with the release of “The Story of Adidon.” Akademiks has an OVO chain and has been a big supporter of Drake, which makes his latest comments about Pusha T even more shocking.

The two have had their differences, though they have never gone back and forth publicly over the years. Akademiks, however, responded to the leaked project with a more sympathetic view of Pusha T’s position. Akademiks didn’t just point out the rapper’s continued Drake references; he also recognized that Drake has been beefing with Pusha T and Pharrell over the last few years.

Things got spicy when Akademiks reminded him that Pusha T has liked a couple of his posts before. That detail apparently has Akademiks considering reaching out directly to talk with Pusha T.

Does Pusha T even want that kind of conversation? Still, Akademiks’ comments imply that he believes there’s room for a more productive discourse between two personalities who have historically been on opposite sides of the Drake-Pusha T feud.

For now, the leaked album has provided an unexpected opening for dialogue. Akademiks’ openness to Pusha T’s side, even with his clear ties to Drake, shifts the conversation away from taking sides and toward whether a direct conversation could actually happen.

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