Back in 2018, when the numerous sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein were making headlines, Sons of Anarchy star Ron Perlman swooped onto Twitter with an anecdote about the time he, uh, relieved himself on his hand, and then immediately sought out the lecherous producer for a warm handshake. The viral tweet was a welcomed moment of levity (and revenge) during the height of the #MeToo movement, and now, the actor has expanded on the infamous exchange in a lengthy interview with The Daily Beast where he explains his motivation:

I think it was around 2001, because I was making Blade II with Guillermo in Prague and had a few days off, so I ran down to the Cannes Film Festival. That’s where it happened. I never really had a relationship with Harvey but I wanted to show up to one of his charity events, and when I got on the phone with him to request a ticket, he just acted like a f*ckin’ piece-of-shit pig, like, “Who are you to ask me? Do you know who I am?” He thought I was returning the Revlon guy’s phone call [Ron Perelman], which is why he returned my phone call in the first place, and when he realized I was just the actor he just went off on me:

I said to him, “Well, it’s OK, Harvey, I managed to get a ticket between the time I called you and now, so I’ll be there tonight.” And he said, “Oh, you’ll be there? Well, make sure you shake my hand out of respect.” And I said, “Oh yeah, Harvey, I sure will.” And that’s the genesis of that story.

When asked if Weinstein noticed, Perlman said “he knew it was clammy,” and that he hopes Weinstein saw his now-viral tweet below:

By itself, the anecdote is the stuff of legends, but it rocketed even further into viral fame after Donald Trump Jr. tried to score points on Perlman who’s been a very vocal critic of the Trump administration. While attempting to accuse Perlman of not stopping an alleged rapist, Junior clearly didn’t realize that a central element of the Weinstein accusations is that he used his wealth and influence to hide his crimes. Fortunately, Perlman was more than happy to explain the situation.

And that’s why you don’t mess with a guy who isn’t afraid to stick it to the most powerful producer in Hollywood.

(Via The Daily Beast)

In the midst of his Saturday night Verzuz battle with Lil Jon, T-Pain played the 2008 favorite “Blame It” with Jamie Foxx. Lil Jon cheekily replied, “Cute… you made an alcohol song” before noting, “I made the biggest alcohol song of all time.” T-Pain grunted in dread as Instagram live stream attendees like Charlemagne Tha God, Ebro, and 6lack commented, “Shots!” in unison.

Lil Jon fed the anticipation by playing his 2009 “Shots” banger with LMFAO, and the two music icons actually toasted their cameras and took a shot “together.” Ciara spoke for all 250K stream viewers by commenting, “This is too good.” Even if Americans had the option to go out, Lil Jon and T-Pain’s banger back and forth would have been the best way to spend a Saturday night.

Most of the world is quarantined as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and beat battles have been one of the best breaks from reality. While fear and anxiety are rampant, these two-to-three-hour Instagram streams have delivered music fans away from their doldrums and into pleasant memories of cookouts and parties that we’re all longing to get back to.

But the battles aren’t just entertainment. They’ve been a springboard for a collective appreciation of bygone eras and cultural moments. They’ve also inspired intense debate: what means more for a producer, having the hits or having the streets? Does musical versatility mean more than mastering one style? These are questions that most people have had nothing better to do but debate, and we have Timbaland and Swizz Beatz to thank for it.

There have been other hip-hop highlights of this surreal moment in human history. DJ D Nice’s live-streamed “Club Quarantine” that had a who’s who of pop culture vibing with his 11-hour set. Tory Lanez’ Quarantine Radio has women twerking, DMX growling, and Drake pulling up to a record 315K stream viewers.

But the beat battles, which have all been broadcast on Instagram Live, have been the biggest draw. The sessions started with Timbaland and Swizz Beats, who rematched their 2018 beat clash for hundreds of thousands of people on March 24th. Nationwide “social distancing” policies, which encourage people to stay in the house, gave their stream perhaps the livest chat in Instagram history to that point.

Other artists and fellow producers were giving out fire emojis as the two producers culled their vast catalogs. Since their battle, the Verzuz series has become such prime viewing that non-hip-hop accounts like @Sportscenter, @NBA, @Sports Illustrated, @Netflix (drunk), and @UFC have been seen in the chats. There’s nowhere to go outside, so Instagram live is the place to be, giving each battle a party atmosphere.

After the success of their battle, Swizz and Timbaland branded the clashes as the Verzuz series, an impromptu brand to stamp the battles of their choosing. Though most of the battles have been between producers, there were two songwriters battles between Johnta Austin and Ne-Yo, as well as Sean Garrett vs. The-Dream. The T-Pain vs. Lil Jon battle was a bit of a hybrid, as T-Pain played songs he featured on as well as records he produced.

The battles, aside from their entertainment value, have served as various producers’ refresher — and introduction — courses on their legacy. Consider this sequence: T-Pain transitioned from Tory Lanez “Jerry Sprunger” into his “I’m Sprung” hit (which Tory sampled), then Lil Jon followed up by playing Saweetie’s My Type” and transitioning into Petey Pablo “Freek-A-Leek,” which Saweetie sampled. Scott Storch got to show off his mastery of melody for a generation of fans who were in elementary school when he was one of music’s biggest hitmakers. Swizz Beatz and Timbaland both showed off their longevity by trading Jay-Z hits from the ‘90s and 2010s. Lil Jon dropped a gem Saturday night, telling T-Pain and viewers that the famous bed-creaking sound from Lil Scrappy and Trillville “Some Cut” track actually came from him rocking in a chair.

The Verzuz series is probably the most fun way for kids to learn about the history of the genre. There’s no shaming or guilting involved, just good vibes. The nostalgia will reach the next level when Babyface takes on Teddy Riley in the next Verzuz matchup. The battle was supposed to take place last Sunday, but Swizz noted on Instagram that, “we’re taking the quality to the next levels for these 2 Kings,” promising “you will understand later trust me!”

Could the Verzuz series be headed to TV? Could Timbaland and Swizz use their influence to coax hitmaking heavyweights like Jay-Z, Diddy, Drake or Lil Wayne to jump into the fray? Will Kanye pause his secular music ban to fulfill Timbaland’s dream matchup and take on Pharrell and the Neptunes? We all have more than enough time to wait out the answers to these questions, and we’ll have a lot of fun watching along the way.

As April arrives, most of the top high school prospects from the Class of 2019 are declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. A few, headlined by LaMelo Ball, skipped college entirely while others, namely James Wiseman, spent very little time on campus. Still, players like Anthony Edwards and Isaac Okoro have already announced the intention to enter the 2020 draft and many more will likely follow. Florida freshman Scottie Lewis will not following in their footsteps, however, as the 6’5 wing announced on Monday that he will be returning to Gainesville for another collegiate run.

Lewis, who was named a McDonald’s All-American, played alongside Villanova’s Bryan Antoine at Ranney School in New Jersey and he entered his college career at Florida with immense expectations. The 247Sports composite ranked Lewis as the No. 7 player in the country in the class, landing ahead of projected lottery picks in Ball, Onyeka Okongwu and Tyrese Maxey. In fact, many anticipated that Lewis would be making his way into the lottery discussion by June 2020, and the talented freshman was projected as the No. 10 pick in ESPN’s November mock draft.

In short, that ascent never fully transpired, with Lewis getting off to a slow start at the college level and Florida struggling mightily to live up to considerable expectations as a projected top ten team. Lewis was only a small part of the overall issues in Gainesville, but he did not produce (8.5 points per game) in a way that would traditionally be associated with a lottery pick, and his low usage (15.7%) jumps off the page as a stark contrast to many with his prep pedigree.

Overall, Lewis remains an intriguing prospect, however, and he is the rare case of a player widely expected to be drafted that could certainly (and vastly) improve his draft stock with a second tour of duty at Florida. Lewis was reasonably efficient on the offensive end in an overall way, posting a 56.2 percent true shooting clip, but his professional future is likely pegged as a “3-and-D” contributor with an emphasis on the defensive end.

The 6’5 wing is an excellent athlete, both horizontally and vertically, and that sets up Lewis as a potentially explosive defensive force. He moves his feet exceedingly well and, given that Lewis is well-known and well-regarded for his tremendous motor, there is every reason to believe that he can translate his tools into defensive production. It would be fair to say that Lewis has strides to make as an off-ball defender but, given his age, that is a normal concern and his off-court reputation as a smart thinker plays into the belief that he can figure things out.

While he rightly took responsibility for some of the issues at Florida this year, Lewis provided a window into a mature thought process with his comments while announcing his decision to return.

“I put the season we had on my shoulders,” Lewis told Jeff Goodman of Stadium when announcing his decision to stay in college. “I came in with a big head. I wasn’t promised anything, but I expected a lot. It didn’t just hurt me, but it hurt our team. It took me a while, but I learned how to be coachable and I thought it showed with how well the team was playing towards the end of the season.”

Offensively, Lewis doesn’t fit the bill of the player that a No. 7 national ranking would imply, which may have played into some of the noise he referenced. There is a lot to like athletically, but Lewis struggled mightily as a playmaker, passer and ball-handler in college. Realistically, those issues are smaller given his projection as a relatively low-usage player in the NBA but, at the same time, it would be nice to see development from Lewis in those key offensive areas.

As a shooter, Lewis struggled at times and that was likely part of his small role on the offensive end. It would be fair to say that his jump shot isn’t a lock to translate but, at the same time, he did improve as a shooter (albeit in a small sample) as the season went along. Lewis shot 49% from the floor and 45% from three in the last 15 games of the season, after posting ugly numbers (39% FG, 27% 3PT) in the first half of the campaign. Moreover, Lewis is a very strong free throw shooter (82%) and that often helps as a projection tool for effective catch-and-shoot ability at the next level.

Lewis did have curious issues as a finisher at the rim, especially when forced to do so in traffic. In the open floor, he is often breathtaking in translating his athleticism to explosiveness, but he will need to improve his craft to succeed at a higher level. Presumably, Lewis will be allowed to do that and, in garnering NBA feedback, he was likely informed of some of his current shortcomings.

Lastly, Lewis is likely making the right decision, as far as a pure evaluation of his NBA Draft stock by returning. It is fair to assume that Lewis would’ve been selected whenever the draft takes place, but it is hard to see a scenario in which he would have been taken with a first-round pick. The situation also plays a role here, as Lewis is the kind of athlete that would potentially explode in a workout setting but, with the uncertainty of the evaluation cycle in a COVID-19 world, teams will likely rely more on tape and Lewis was shaky for much of this season.

Realistically, Lewis won’t “live up” to the expectations some assigned to him as a McDonald’s All-American and a consensus top-10 prospect. In fact, he projects as a role player as a professional and, at least in some circles, those contributors are often undervalued. With that said, Lewis still has the physical tools to be a tremendous defender in the NBA and, if he can prove himself as a solid shooter and decision-maker on the offensive end, a return to school could help Lewis to reestablish himself as a first-round pick in 2021.

By now, we’ve all seen videos and posts from exhausted nurses and doctors who are working like mad under less-than-ideal circumstances to treat patients during this pandemic. We’ve also seen the well-deserved recognition and praise they’ve received for putting their own lives at risk to save others. They are heroes, and should absolutely receive a hero’s acknowledgment.

But there are others working on those front lines as well—folks that medical facilities rely on as much as our critical care workers, but who are rarely ever seen, much less acknowledged. They don’t receive anywhere near the pay or the respect that care providers do, but as a viral Facebook post points out, our medical facilities would come to a grinding halt without them.

Here’s to the hospital janitors, housekeepers, custodians, and other support workers who keep our medical facilities clean and safe. They literally clean up human waste, bodily fluids, and other contaminants that give us all the willies, day in and day out. They wipe, sweep, mop, sanitize, change sheets, dispose of trash, and make the environment as sterile as it needs to be. We often forget that none of the good work that doctors and nurses do would be possible without these workers.

The cleaning crews deserve our thanks, but they also aren’t the only ones. There are other support staff in hospitals who also play a vital role in keeping our healthcare system running smoothly. The secretaries, receptionists, maintenance workers, technicians, and other behind-the-scenes workers who manage the running of the facilities and systems that enable medical caregivers to do their job of treating people and saving lives deserve our thanks as well.

Along with our front line doctors and nurses, these people are also putting their own health on the line. They are going toward the fire. They are making sacrifices that most of us aren’t being asked to make.

And they are doing all of that without an impressive paycheck or high societal status.

So thank you, medical support staff. You are heroes in your own right, and we are grateful for what you do.

Some of the most striking images of the COVID-19 pandemic have been the photographs of healthcare workers whose faces have been bruised and cut from wearing protective surgical masks.

This photo of a healthcare professional in Italy battling the pandemic was seen around the world. She looks like she went 12 rounds in the ring with a heavyweight fighter.

However, this type of pain isn’t just a concern for the medical community. In high-foot-traffic professions such as grocery stores, people have been wearing masks for their entire shifts.

Now, it’s recommended that all Americans wear protective masks when they go out in public.

A hospital in Canada put out a call to anyone who could help alleviate the pain caused by the masks and Quinn Callander, a Boy Scout, answered the request in a big way.

He got to work designing an ear guard that can be produced with his 3-D printer. It’s a simple, but genius design. The guards connect the straps from the masks, elevating them to the back of the head, so they don’t rub the backs of the ears. They’re also adjustable so they fit comfortably.

Quinn’s mother shared photos of his invention on Facebook and the post has gone viral, attracting over 340,000 shares.

“Quinn answered a request from the local hospitals for help with creating more ‘ear guards’ to help take the pressure off health care workers ears from wearing masks all day,” his mother wrote on Facebook. “He got busy on his 3D printer and has been turning out dozens of ear guards to donate.”

via Heather Roney / Facebook

“As someone who works in healthcare I can say that this is fantastic! When we wear them constantly all day everyday, they actually start to cut into the back of our ears,” one Facebook user wrote.

Quinn has made the 3-D printing files for the project public, so that the ear guard can be replicated by anyone with a printer.

“In one week I’ve personally produced over 1300 straps, 1215 have gone to a few hospitals in my region where they seem to be really appreciated,” Quinn wrote on the file. “A volunteer group that I’m contributing to in the Vancouver BC area has delivered over 3300 straps including mine.”

His mother later edited the viral Facebook post, adding the file information, to encourage other people to print the ear guards as well.

“We need more volunteers to fire up their 3D printers and donate these ear guards to hospitals and medical professionals!” she wrote.

Quinn’s mask is a great example of how everyone is now deputized to help out in the fight against the virus. Even though he’s only 13, he used his special skill set to contribute in the best way he knew possible.

We all have our own unique skills we can use to help others during the pandemic. What can you do?

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As the country continues to shelter in place, Swizz Beats and Timbaland’s Instagram Live battles have become something of a national obsession. Even the biggest stars in hip-hop have been watching — and starting to plot on their own matchups. 2 Chainz posted an open invitation to a hits battle on his own Instagram, eventually settling on Meek Mill as his potential opponent after a process of elimination that excluded Drake, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg.

“So I put up a post saying that Atlanta has run the game for the past couple of decades,” he said in the video. “And me wanting to participate in this Versus thing that Swizz and Timbaland have got going on. So we were thinking of some people outside the city to compete with. Some people were saying Drake, but Drake got more hits than The Beatles, like literally, we know this. Somebody say Wayne, but he been rapping before all of us, we all came up on Tune.”

Next up was Snoop, but Chainz ran into the same problem he had with Drake and Wayne — too much history. “Then Snoop chimed in, but he got a couple of projects produced by Dr. Dre. When he drop his stuff, it’s going to stick. We know what Snoop has in his bag. I’m trying to see who I can go against.” Someone else mentioned was Fabolous, but Chainz finally landed on Meek, saying, “Somebody said Meek, and I thought that would be dope. So let’s do it Meek. Let’s do it.”

However, Meek promptly responded in the comments. “I just wanna watchhhh lol,” he wrote. “Respectfully bowing out to my brother.”

In the meantime, check out Swizz and Timbaland’s battle and watch Lil Jon debut a highly anticipated new song during his battle with T-Pain.

Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

With the NBA on hiatus right now, players are suddenly finding themselves with a tremendous amount of time on their hands that they aren’t accustomed to having. With no access to team facilities, basketball activities have all but ceased as most players don’t so much as have a basketball hoop at their home, and as such they’re finding other ways to fill the time.

Video games are a favorite choice of many to help get through hours of being home alone, while others have turned to their musical interests. We’ve seen a number of players showing off their musical talents (or, in some cases, lack thereof) during the quarantine period and it’s no surprise that the man considered the best MC in the league would be among them. Damian Lillard, aka Dame D.O.L.L.A. is using some of his downtime to work on new music and also bring back an old favorite in #4BarFriday.

Lillard used to do Four Bar Friday on social media, posting a video of him dropping four bars on a track and then having fans send him their best verses in response. With a lot of time on his hands, Lillard is bringing it back, but in a more structured format as he’s partnered with Genius to bring Four Bar Friday to Instagram Live, bringing in big names from the world of hip-hop and sports to join him.

The first edition happened this past Friday and they’ll be back on April 10 at 5 p.m. ET for the second edition of what will be a weekly series. It’s the latest in artists and athletes using Instagram Live to connect with others and allow fans a chance to join in the fun and watch as they bring a little home entertainment to a world that desperately can use it.

Bobby Mitchell, the quick-footed receiver who became the Washington Redskins’ first black football player, died on Sunday at 84 years old. His cause of death was not disclosed.

Mitchell spent the first half of his career with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the seventh round of the 1958 NFL Draft from the University of Illinois. He went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL as a halfback for the Browns, teaming up with the legendary Jim Brown, and then as a wide receiver for the Redskins. During his 11-year career, he played 148 games and was good for a total of 10,689 yards from scrimmage, according to Pro Football Reference. He was named to the First Team All Pro in 1962, his first year with the Redskins, and selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his career.

“His passion for the game of football was unmatched by anyone I have ever met,” Redskins owner Dan Snyder said. “Not only was he one of the most influential individuals in franchise history, but he was also one of the greatest men I have ever known. He was a true class act and will be sorely missed.”

When Mitchell joined the Redskins in 1962, the team became the last in the league to integrate. He spent seven seasons in Washington and led the league in receiving yards in 1962 and 1963. He still ranks in the top 10 in Redskins’ history in receiving yards (6,492; fifth), touchdowns (49; sixth) and catches (393; eighth), according to the team’s website.

After retiring in 1968, Mitchell worked for the Redskins for 30 more years as a scout and later, as the franchise’s assistant general manager during all three of the team’s Super Bowl wins. Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, 1983.

“The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Bobby Mitchell,” Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker said in a statement on Sunday. “The Game lost a true legend today. Bobby was an incredible player, a talented executive and a real gentleman to everyone with whom he worked or competed against. His wife Gwen and their entire family remain in our thoughts and prayers. The Hall of Fame will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration to future generations.”

A stellar athlete, Mitchell also worked tirelessly as a civil rights activist off the field, assisting organizations like the NAACP, UNCF, National Urban League and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He also famously stood with Muhammad Ali and many other black athletes in 1967, supporting Ali’s refusal to enlist in the U.S. army during the Vietnam War.

The 2020 NFL Draft is still happening from April 23-25, but the massive, traveling event the draft has become will not. There were grand plans for the 2020 Draft in Las Vegas, with boats shuttling players across the Bellagio fountains to the red carpet and the entire Strip being shut down for fans to gather and watch as the next class of NFL player is selected into the league.

Instead, this year’s draft will look more like what everyone’s typical workday looks like now, with front offices and team personnel conducting business remotely from home offices, linked together by video calls and trying their best to stay on the same page. The league made the virtual draft plans official on Monday, announcing the draft would go forward as planned and teams would need to spend the next two and a half weeks preparing accordingly.

The league’s IT department will be working with teams to get everyone on the same page so that this can go as smoothly as possible, but anyone that’s been on a Zoom call in the past few weeks knows there is the chance for some home-based hilarity to ensue. There will be dogs barking, children barging in, and just general confusion as mute buttons aren’t pressed when they should be.

It will also be interesting to see how ESPN and the NFL Network handle the broadcast. ESPN has plenty of experience at this point of having analysts patched in via video call from home, as that’s how all SportsCenter segments have been running of late, but how they’ll get in on interviews with players and team personnel remains to be seen. The league has reportedly discussed some grace periods in the event that there’s difficulty connecting on trade discussions, so things might move a touch slower than usual, but it appears to be full steam ahead for April 23 for the first round to commence. The only difference is there will be no war rooms or green room.