Next week marks two months since Tekashi 69 made his return to music, social media antics, trolling, and all things that come with the package of being the outspoken rapper that he is. Since his return, Tekashi has debut two new singles, “Gooba” and “Trollz,” and landed a No. 1 spot on the Billboard singles chart thanks to the latter Nicki Minaj-featuring single. He also stirred up a bit of controversy following accusation of chart manipulation against Billboard as well as a “Locked Up” remix with Akon that social media was not too happy about.
With all that in the past, Tekashi pushes full-steam ahead with his latest release. Returning to Latin music for the first time since his sophomore album, Tekashi debuts his latest release, “Yaya.” He previewed the single earlier this week directly from his home studio. On the song, Tekashi shows off his Spanish skills as he speaks it for the majority of the song. Tekashi’s last dive into the Spanish language came on “Bebe,” from his sophomore album, Dummy Boy.
The new single arrives after Tekashi proudly announced he was just a month away from ending his house arrest sentence. “I have about 34 more days til house arrest is over, about 34 more days and the ankle monitor comes off and the king of New York is back on the street,” he said earlier this week.
Hamilton (Disney+, Friday) — After a bumped-up release date, the cinematic version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original Broadway production (which nearly broke the Tony Award record and fetched a Pulitzer Prize, a Grammy, and an Olivier Award as well) will be streamable in your living room for Independence Day weekend. The movie version promises to bring “live capture” to viewers in an artistic way, which will harness the power of streaming in an intimate manner, for something that Hamilton fans have never experienced. Read our interview of Okieriete Onaodowan, the longest-tenured original cast member, and enjoy the new behind-the-scenes documentary after the show.
I Am Not Your Negro (Hulu documentary, Friday) — This James Baldwin doc (narrated by Samuel L. Jackson) is based upon his unfinished manuscript, Remember This House, and is based upon his equality-seeking experiences as well as those from civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Warrior Nun (Netflix series, Thursday) — This manga-comic-book adaptation does indeed contain warrior-ing and nunn-ing, but it’s much more than that, including a superhero origin story, a coming-of-age tale, and an often-schlocky creation that arrives with certain expectations from the title itself. The action might take a few breaks, but when it’s on, expect some serious butt kicking of demons.
Hanna: Season 2 (Amazon Prime series, Thursday) — The gritty TV adaptation of Joe Wright’s 2011 film continues after saying goodbye to Joel Kinnaman’s Erik (RIP). Now, the teen assassin has a foe in Utrax’s new leader, John Carmichael, who’s portrayed by Dermot Mulroney. Nothing like a dose of Dermot to antagonize things up, and Mireille Enos will also return as her CIA operative character.
Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix series, Wednesday) — This revival should satisfy fans of the original and newcomers alike. Yes, there are some key differences between the show that ran for 14 years, but it feels fresh while still maintaining familiarity. That is to say, these cases will still thrill and chill and captivate the true crime-buff audience, so enjoy this six-episode batch with more to come.
The Whistlers (42 Km Film on Hulu, Thursday) — Romanian New Wave director Corneliu Porumboiu’s 2019 festival-circuit film has a heist for you. The story involves a Romanian cop. who just happens to be a whistleblower, learning a coded whistling language (for real) to help mobsters escape from prison and steal millions of euros.
Thiago Ventura: POKAS (Netflix special, Thursday) — Another stand-up comedy special’s here to bridge the gap between the streaming giant’s regular Tuesday comedy infusions. Thiago Ventura will tell anecdotes about growing up in a poor Brazilian community while digging into social issues and taking a clear stance of actions mattering much more than words.
Say I Do (Netflix series, Wednesday) — Just what we need, another reality romance show, right? This one revolves around couples who have always planned on getting married but just never got around to tying that knot. Interior Designer Jeremiah Brent, Fashion Designer Thai Nguyen, and Chef Gabriele Bertaccini are all about creating dream weddings, and hopefully, we’ll see some Bride- and Groom-zillas.
Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:
Black Monday (Sunday, Showtime 8:00 p.m.) — Blair greets election night with a risky proposition, and it’s double-date time for Mo and Dawn.
Perry Mason (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — Mason and Strickland are working to gain some unauthorized access to physical evidence at the city morgue while the DA uses a new development to gain favor with the public.
The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Emmett’s working on getting his new business of the ground, so he and Tiff move in with Jada.
Snowpiercer (Sunday, TNT 9:00 p.m.) — The time for revolution has arrived, so Melanie can say goodbye to power while Layton leads an armed rebellion.
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — This true-crime docuseries is revolutionary, much like the Michelle McNamara book that fueled it. This is a duel-edged story of obsession and a “portrait of an artist” — one who pursued justice for dozens of survivors and victims’ families, decades after law enforcement let the Golden State Killer case go cold. It’s about those survivors, and it’s about the citizen investigators, including Michelle. She was a wife (to Patton Oswalt), a mother, a friend, and, yes, an obsessive, who was instrumental in solving this case, but not before it consumed her as well.
NOS4A2 (Sunday, AMC & BBC America 10:00 p.m.) — Charlie Manx is looking for a favor from an old friend while Millie’s revisiting the past, and Vic’s hopping on the shorter way while leaving Lou and Wayne to confront a threat on their own.
Outcry (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — This five-part documentary launches to examine the case of high school football star Greg Kelley’s controversial conviction and sentencing for child molestation, along with the subsequent quest for truth and justice.
Desus & Mero (Sunday, Showtime 11:00 p.m.) — The illustrious guest will be New York educator and politician Jamaal Bowman.
Fortnite has leaned into comic book culture a number of times over the years. Whether it’s been the heavy influence that Deadpool has played on a number of facets of the game, or the time that Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet was available as a weapon that gamers could use, or a handful of other examples, Fortnite has leaned into the fact that the Marvel and D.C. universes have gigantic followings with some frequency.
The latest example of this came on Thursday, when Fortnite released a trailer for its newest comic-inspired instillation into its gigantic corner of the video game-playing world: Captain America. The video announced that gamers will have the opportunity to toss on the red, white, and blue, pick up his shield, and play as Steve Rogers.
Armed with his indestructible shield and iron will, Super-Soldier Captain America will take on any obstacle thrown his way.
According to The Verge, picking up this skin will run gamers 2,000 V-bucks, and in addition to getting to toss on Captain America’s threads, his shield with serve as a pickaxe, meaning gamers can use it to farm materials or, if you are like me and never seem to pick up a weapon in time when you land on the same house as someone else in Pleasant Park, as a weapon. Beyond the skin, The Verge noted that gamers can drop 300 V-bucks on a Captain America fireworks emote as well.
In recent years, a brighter light has been shined on the idea that women in rap aren’t treated the same way men are. In some ways, though, things have started to turn around. Just halfway through 2019, for example, there were more female rappers on the Hot 100 chart than there were in any other year of the decade. That same year, Cardi B became the first solo female rapper to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album, with Invasion Of Privacy picking up the honor.
As far as Janelle Monáe is concerned, though, there is still progress to be made. She let her thoughts be known about the topic today, when she said she “really only ever [wants to] hear women rapping” and offered an explanation for that statement.
Monae tweeted, “I really only ever wanna hear women rapping. The amount of misogyny from most of men in rap and music is infuriating. We need to abolish that sh*t too.” She then retweeted a response to her tweet, which reads, “I feel the same. Even the ‘woke’ male rappers have a lot of misogynistic lyrics.” Monáe continued, “Women (black women inparticular) have been betrayed by the majority of men for far too long. The systems that enable Patriarchy and abusers of power are burning. Either bring gasoline or burn with them.” She then added, “Y’all can’t wait to call women every b*tch, hoe, discuss violent acts against women, etc for clout in rap, rock, and through out music history. Misogny has NEVER been okay yet it has become normalized. Women didn’t create misogny, y’all did. SO YOU DO THE WORK to ABOLISH IT.”
I really only ever wanna hear women rapping . The amount of misogyny from most of men in rap and music is infuriating . We need to abolish that shit too .
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) July 3, 2020
I feel the same. Even the “woke” male rappers have a lot of misogynistic lyrics. https://t.co/P6QobLB3os
Women (black women inparticular) have been betrayed by the majority of men for far too long . The systems that enable Patriarchy and abusers of power are burning . Either bring gasoline or burn with them .
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) July 3, 2020
Y’all can’t wait to call women every bitch , hoe , discuss violent acts against women, etc for clout in rap, rock, and through out music history. Misogny has NEVER been okay yet it has become normalized. Women didn’t create misogny, y’all did. SO YOU DO THE WORK to ABOLISH IT.
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) July 3, 2020
Monáe has recently voiced her opinions on other pertinent goings-on as well, like when she and other artists spoke out against the Buffalo police officers who shoved an elderly man to the ground.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
There is no such thing as a normal release or announcement of something new anymore. Deviating from traditional project rollouts is a good way to get eyes on it, and that might be what Kid Cudi has done today. Last night, he simply tweeted the date for next Friday, writing, “7/10/2020.”
This sort of cryptic message is usually interpreted to mean that whoever tweeted it has something coming on that date, so next Friday could very well bring something new from Cudi. But what could it be? There are a few possibilities for what that day could bring.
Whatever the case may be, Cudi doesn’t tend to put a ton of misses out into the world, so whatever might be coming on Friday, it’s probably worth looking forward to.
Like many of her peers in music, Megan Thee Stallion has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter protests that have sprung up in the wake of George Floyd’s death over the past month-plus. Megan has reiterated her endorsement of the movement in a new NME cover story, in which she calls BLM protests “part two of the civil rights movement.”
Megan discussed her willingness to speak out about certain subjects, despite the lines she has to toe as a public figure. She said, “Sometimes being a public figure, you don’t wanna say the wrong thing because you don’t want to be insensitive to people or get too opinionated. But I will always say what I feel. I don’t speak on things that I don’t know about, and I won’t speak on things I don’t believe in.”
She also offered her thoughts on the “strong Black woman” stereotype, saying, “Let me tell you, Black women are strong. We can be going through whatever and still put on a good face. I know there were times that my mother might have been going through things but I never knew, because she wanted me to feel safe and OK.”
Seth Rogen is no stranger to beards and oddball New York comedies, but in An American Pickle he’s pulling double duty as a bizarro Captain America. Friday brought the trailer for the HBO Max movie starring Rogen as both a modern New Yorker and an ancestor that’s been missing for a century as part of a strange pickling incident.
The setup is the briny American Dream: Rogen’s character and his wife, played by Sarah Snook (Shiv, from Succession) have dreams of leaving the old country and finding prosperity in America in the early 20th century. The immigration means Rogen goes from a life of ditch-digging to killing rats in a pickle-making facility, where he accidentally falls into a brining vat and is preserved.
Somehow he survives 100 years in the condemned factory and emerges to experience a very different New York City. It’s basically a pickled version of Captain America, minus the super powers and adding in a lot more kosher salt and vinegar.
“The world has changed,” Rogen narrates with an accent as he holds a newspaper clipping of Snook’s obituary during the trailer. “Everyone I know is gone.”
But he tracks down a great grandson, also played by an accent-less Rogen, who shows him the ropes of the modern Big Apple. The plot apparently mixes the modern Rogen finding his way, a very confounded brined Rogen learning about David Bowie and the eradication of polio, and maybe some artisan pickles. It looks like a nice mix of heartfelt and absurd, which is a perfect distraction from a reality where surviving 100 years in a vat of pickles would serve as a nice relaxing staycation of sorts. An American Pickle hits HBO Max on August 6, just in time to watch it while taking a nice soak in a pool of something other than pickle juice.
For years, individuals and groups alike have argued that Washington’s NFL team should change its name, arguing the name used since 1933 is offensive to Native Americans. The franchise has pushed back at every turn, but following a number of threats from corporate sponsors, it appears the team is preparing to make some sort of change to its longtime brand.
A recent report by Adweek indicated that a number of investors that are worth a combined $620 billion wrote a letter to a trio of the team’s largest sponsors — FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo — calling on them to divest from the franchise as long as it kept its current name. Shortly after, FexEx asked Washington to make the move, while Nike stopped listing team merchandise on its website.
All of this financial pressure on the organization appears to have paid off. In a statement by the franchise that included quotes from owner Dan Snyder and head coach Ron Rivera, the team announced a “thorough review” is underway.
And here it is: the Redskins are undergoing a thorough review of the team’s name.
And let’s be clear: There’s no review if there’s no change coming.
There is no word on a potential timetable for a name change, nor are there any rumblings of what the team’s new name could possibly become. According to BetOnline, which put out odds for a potential new name, “Presidents” is currently the favorite.
Though the trending hashtags have shifted since last month, the protests that have broken out across the country calling for racial justice and accountability with regards to police violence have continued on. Unless you’re marching or following on social media, it’s easy to forget that people are still out in the streets daily, standing up against oppression. But they 100% are — with protests planned this holiday weekend across the country.
Of course, systemic racism is a massive tree with rotten roots infiltrating all parts of our lives. Meaning we need to fight the battle across multiple fronts. And one of those fronts is economic justice. As various states begin reopening their economies (while others un-reopen), it’s a crucial time to recognize that, now more than ever, Black-owned businesses are in desperate need of our support. Particularly as COVID-19 proves absolutely devastating to the restaurant industry, with eateries nationwide unable to stay afloat on take-out and delivery sales alone.
While the US unemployment rate in June was 11.1% — slightly down from 12.4% in May — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Black unemployment rate its much higher at 16.8%, and historically, depressions and recessions tend to hit African-American and other minority communities the hardest. A report on the Impact of the US Housing Crisis on the Racial Wealth Gap Across Generations reveals that during the Great Recession of ’07, black households lost 40 percent of their wealth, and haven’t recovered to the lengths that white households have during the same period. Which means that the racial wealth gap is continuing to grow unchecked.
To help support Black-owned businesses in our communities, we’ve collected all the resources you’ll need, from Google spreadsheets to apps.
PART I — Apps, Features, and Websites
There are several apps and websites out there designed to directly connect consumers with Black-owned businesses and some existing apps like UberEats are adding new search features to help increase the visibility of Black-owned businesses.
Created by husband and wife Anthony Edwards and Janique Bradley, EatOkra is one of the faster-growing and most popular apps right now — connecting users to nearby black-owned restaurants, bakeries, cafes, food trucks, bars, and wineries, with a focus on businesses struggling to survive in neighborhoods experiencing gentrification. Currently, the EatOkra database has just 2,600 total listings, but according to Matador Network, around 5,000 new businesses have reached out to the app’s founders since June 1st in hopes of being added to the directory.
If you’re looking to support Black-owned businesses outside of the realm of food, the Black Wallet app provides an online directory of black businesses, as well as educational courses and other business services meant to build community and raise the visibility of outstanding Black-owned businesses. The Black Wallet app has an easy to use search function that will allow you to connect to businesses close to you, or search specific terms like “pizza” or “athletic wear.”
Though we can’t exactly engage with our communities in the middle of a global pandemic, Black Wallet also has a feature that’ll alert you to nearby events hosted by, at, or for Black-owned businesses, which will come in handy next year.
Support Black Owned, or SBO, connects users to the nearest Black-owned business in their areas — using a familiar format that recalls Yelp, complete with 1-5 star user reviews. Find Black-owned photo businesses and visual art firms, dentists, beauty companies, restaurants, bars, and even legal and financial services with data for 48 states in the country (sorry North and South Dakota).
Yelp added a new function in June that allows Black-owned businesses to self-identify as such and added a “Black-owned” search feature to their site’s filtering options to help users connect and support nearby businesses. According to yelp, searches for and related to “Black-owned businesses” increased by 35x between March 27th and June 10th, when compared to data for the same days the previous year.
Since early June, UberEats has been highlighting black-owned restaurants by way of a banner on the app’s landing page that is being shown to users in major cities in the United States and Canada. In addition, UberEats has also waived all delivery fees from Black-owned restaurants for the rest of the year and is looking to expand their support outside of major cities in tandem with their general expansion of services.
The restaurants on the list were chosen by members and allies of the Black @ Uber employee leadership group.
A new feature on Postmates allows you to find Black-owned businesses in your immediate area by simply typing “black-owned” in the Postmates search bar. Postmates, like UberEats, is also waiving all delivery fees from each restaurant in the “Black-owned” category.
Launched in 2018, Black Nation provides a platform for Black-owned business owners to increase the visibility of their businesses and offers consumers an easy way to find any kind of business they need in a fast and convenient way.
Created by Brooklyn-born Mandy Bowman, Black Wall Street is one of the largest digital platforms focused on connecting consumers with Black-owned businesses. Find, review, and support businesses near your with the Black Wall Street and connect with the platforms over 1.16 million users. The Black Wall Street app will alert you of special offers from businesses nearby, and help new businesses gain more exposure.
The AALBC has a list on its website of 129 Black-owned bookstores across the United States. Search for near you by state or add your favorite bookstore to the list.
Browsing through WeBuyBlack is a little bit like skimming through Amazon, only instead of contributing to the insane wealth of Jeff Bezos, you’ll be supporting Black sellers and businesses selling everything from clothing, books, and jewelry, to beauty supplies, and furniture.
PART II — Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Directories
If the apps and websites aren’t giving you enough local options, there are several community-made Google spreadsheets and directories specific to certain cities. Here are some of the most extensive ones we’ve found.
Arizona
Made in partnership between Local First Arizona and the Phoenix Black Collective, this guide provides a list of Black-owned restaurants in the greater Phoenix area and Tucson-based Black-owned businesses.
Massachusettes
Yankee Magazine created an extensive Google spreadsheet of Black-owned restaurants currently open throughout New England and the Boston area.
California
If you’re in the Bay Area and looking to support Black-owned businesses that are currently offering take-out or delivery in your area, check out this google spreadsheet of restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries compiled by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Soleil Ho.
The Infatuation’s Kat Hong made a similar spreadsheet for the Los Angeles area, and Packs Light’s Gabby Beckford complied this list for the San Diego area.
Florida
Writer Zachary Fagenson made this extensive Google spreadsheet of Black-owned restaurants in Miami which features 69 entries, as well as the type of they serve and whether the restaurants are currently offering take out.
Georgia
Pastry chef Erika Council of Bomb Biscuits Atlanta created this Instagram post of coffee shops and black-owned restaurants to support in Atlanta.
Big Easy Magazine posted a list of Black-owned restaurants in New Orleans to their Instagram Account about a month back, and the Where Black NOLA Eats Facebook group created an interactive map of all the Black-owned bars and restaurants in the greater New Orleans area.
Support Black-Owned Restaurants Week compiled this list of Portland-based food establishments which features current status updates for each restaurant amid the city’s COVID-19 restrictions.
For people in the Seattle area, be sure to check out this Google spreadsheet of restaurants, bars, and other food establishments compiled by food and travel writer Naomi Tomky.
This weekend, they have another couple (and close friends) on the show in Norman Reedus and his wife, Diane Kruger. The episode was actually taped a few weeks ago and delayed when Friday Night with the Morgans went on a brief hiatus. It finally aired this week, and in addition to Reedus and Kruger, Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale, West Wing) also joins the Morgans.
The big highlight here, however, is some lore I had never heard about The Walking Dead. When Jeffrey Dean Morgan asks the guests what their biggest fear is, both Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus reveal that they are not fans of horses. Kruger has been thrown off them a few times, and says that she has turned down roles that required her to ride horses. Likewise, Reedus said he doesn’t trust them, which is why he — unlike every other cast member on the The Walking Dead these days — still rides a motorcycle instead of a horse.
“They originally had me doing some sort of runway dramatic horse ride,” Reedus says of The Walking Dead. “Right before we started shooting, I said, ‘Well, whose motorcycle is that over there?” ‘Oh, that’s your brother’s,’ they said. ‘Well, if he can ride, I can ride!’
“And they were like, ‘Would you rather take that?’ And I was like, ‘Yes!’ And that’s how I got out of [riding a horse],” Reedus says.
“Well, look at that,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan continues. “And that [fear of horses] has created half the Daryl Dixon mythology.”
“You put your fear to work,” Burton adds.
Friday Night in with the Morgans airs Friday nights on AMC. The Walking Dead season finale is expected to air this fall.
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: Orin Fleurmont) 
