Month: August 2020

Nas — whose as-yet-untitled new album is coming August 21 — has long employed a new executive producer for his long-awaited return to rap’s spotlight: The Inland Empire’s own Hit-Boy, the producer responsible for Jay Electronica’s “The Blinding,” Nipsey Hussle and Roddy Ricch’s “Racks In The Middle,” and Big Sean and ASAP Ferg’s “Bezerk.” The announcement suggests that Nas is looking for more hits out of his next project after the lukewarm reception for his last two releases, Nasir and The Lost Tapes 2.

They gave a preview of what their pairing has to offer in July with Nas’ appearance on Hit-Boy and Dom Kennedy’s “City On Lock,” from the latter two artists’ latest Half-a-Mil collaboration, Also Known As. While Nas only provided the hook on that track, it showed that Hit-Boy’s versatile production style could mesh well with Nas’ East Coast traditionalist rap approach, although it remains to be seen whether Hit’s production can bring enough energy out of the veteran rapper to carry a full project.

Earlier this year, Nas credited Big Sean with pressuring him to do another new album when the younger rapper put him “on blast” via an Instagram story post from the studio. Big Sean’s collaboration with Hit-Boy last year may have provided the catalyst, although Sean has been working on his own Detroit 2 comeback for even longer. Nas’ next project will be his second in recent years to employ one main producer, although the haphazard rollout for his Kanye West-produced Nasir — and Kelis’ accusations of domestic abuse — likely sapped some of the excitement for that album. Hopefully, this project with Hit-Boy returns the vet to his former glory.

The to-be-titled album from Nas and Hit-Boy is due 8/21 via Mass Appeal Records.

Kerwin Frost got his start in the NYC streetwear scene and rose to entertainer status with a hit YouTube channel, eventually scoring him the opportunity to interview some today’s biggest stars like SZA and Tyler The Creator. The entertainer is now putting his connections to use in order to benefit a good cause. Frost has curated a masterful lineup of musicians to join him in a livestream telethon event.

For the performances, Frost tapped an array of artists. Titled The 1st Annual Kerwin Frost Telethon Supershow, headliners include Anderson .Paak, Kehlani, Beck, Mac DeMarco, DMC, Major Lazer, Lil Yachty, Sheck Wes, Jpegmafia, and many more.

The 12-hour event aims to raise money for charity, and they’ve set a hefty goal. Frost hopes to raise an impressive $5 million to donate to the Know Your Rights Camp, an organization aimed to ensure the well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, and mass-mobilization in order to elevate the next generation of change leaders. In a statement, Frost said he was inspired to host the event through “his personal desire to develop a meaningful response to the current national crises and bring the community together.”

Donating to the livestream isn’t the only way fans will help reach the show’s optimistic monetary goal. Frost has also dropped a line of merch with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting Know Your Rights.

Check out the list of headliners above.

The The 1st Annual Kerwin Frost Telethon Supershow kicks off 8/16 at 9 a.m. PDT. Watch it here.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

This week’s best new pop music saw releases from both up-and-comers and seasoned stars alike. Joji tapped Diplo for a moody tune, Robyn hopped on a song with SG Lewis and Channel Tres, and Troye Sivan shared another slow-burner.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Joji — “Daylight” Feat. Diplo

Though it may not be immediately evident through his down-tempo music, Joji’s sense of humor is apparent in his videos. The same can be said about Diplo, making Joji’s collaboration with him a highlight od this week’s best new pop. About “Daylight,” Joji said he wrote the song to inspire warmth in his listeners: “It might be nice for people to hear a song about daylight, especially when we don’t get as much of it as we used to.”

SG Lewis — “Impact” Feat. Robyn and Channel Tres

While clubs may be closed for the foreseeable future, SG Lewis tapped pop icon Robyn and Channel Tres for a dance floor-ready anthem. “The chemistry between Channel and Robyn is so powerful,” producer SG Lewis said about the track, “and creates something so unique.”

Troye Sivan — “Rager Teenager!”

Troye Sivan is just a few weeks away from debuting a new EP, In A Dream. Offering another taste of the lovelorn effort, Sivan shared “Rager Teenager!” which recounts the swell of pubescent hormones that presents itself as an urge to wild out with a love interest.

Omar Apollo — “Stayback”

Following a handful of singles and EPs, Omar Apollo is finally gearing up to release his debut album. With “Stayback,” Apollo further teases the wistful mood of the record. Speaking about the track, Apollo said: “‘Stayback’ is a song about being in love for a long period of time. After years of being hurt emotionally, I moved on and decided to treat the relationship as a memory instead of fantasizing about it and trying to make it work.

Kai — “In The Now”

With the immensely lush production on “In The Now,” Kai officially breaks out onto the scene with her debut solo single. Originally obtaining a Grammy nomination for her Flume collaboration “Never Be Like You,” Kai said her new track is about “the desire to be truly present with someone, instead of fearing the end and wondering, ‘What if I hurt you?’ or ‘What if you hurt me?’”

Duckwrth — “Quick” Feat. Kian

Duckwrth has been steadily releasing disco-inspired tunes and with “Quick,” it’s all coming into focus. The single arrives alongside a major-label debut record announcement and features an off-kilter beat and smooth harmonies from Duckwrth and his new labelmate Kian.

Alec Wigdahl — “Summer Is Over”

Rising singer Alec Wigdahl has proven a knack for soaring pop melodies with his recent singles and now the singer is back with the exuberant “Summer Is Over.” Over a driving beat, Wigdahl’s expertly captures the impending end-of-summer nostalgia with a distinct airiness.

Victoria Monet — “Jaguar”

Monet shared her shimmering record Jaguar this week, which Uproxx’s Wongo Okon aptly labeled “polished, provocative, and worth paying attention to.” With the album arrived the irresistible smooth title track. Over a jaunty rhythm, Monet croons feel-good lyrics about a new love interest.

Shy Martin — “Are You Happy?”

Prolific Swedish songwriter Shy Martin has proved her talent for crafting earworm pop singles but with her new EP Sad Songs, the singer is pivoting towards a stripped-down sound. “Are You Happy?” showcases Shy Martin’s immaculate production and captivating vocals. “The song is about looking back at an old relationship appreciating that it happened even though it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to,” the singer said in a statement. “The ending of one relationship is often the start of a new one.”

Brevin Kim — “Manzanita St.”

Hailing from Boston, brother duo Brevin Kim shares another hit. Over a rolling beat and cathartic electric guitar riffs, the duo mourns a lost love with a slight auto-tuned edge. The brothers have been making music for years and uploading the tracks to SoundCloud, but their recent singles mark a big break for the pair.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

2020 has been a huge year for Hamilton (though not without controversy) thanks to its premiere on Disney+. It was announced in February that Disney had acquired a filmed version of the Broadway show for $75 million, which resulted in a significant payday for creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda. He made so much from the sale, in fact, that for the first time, he is in the top 10 of Forbes‘ list of the highest-paid actors of the year.

For 2020, Miranda ranks at No. 7 thanks to $45.5 million in earnings. The publication notes that Miranda should expect another influx of cash in 2021 when the film adaptation of his musical In The Heights is released.

Some other music-related folks made the list as well: The rankings feature Mark Wahlberg (fka Marky Mark) comes in at third with $58 million and Will Smith places eighth with $44.5 million. Other folks who made it include Dwayne Johnson (No. 1, $87.5 million) Ryan Reynolds (No. 2, $71.5 million), Ben Affleck (No. 4, $55 million), Vin Diesel (No. 5, $54 million), Bollywood star Akshay Kumar (No. 6, $48.5 million), Adam Sandler (No. 9, $41 million), and Jackie Chan (No. 10, $40 million).

Aside from the Disney payday, Hamilton also performed quite well on the music charts: In July, the soundtrack album achieved a new peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting Broadcast cast album in over 50 years.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Los Angeles Lakers have not looked their best in the NBA bubble, as they’re off to a sluggish 3-4 start to the seeding round that, admittedly, became mostly meaningless once they locked up the top seed in the West early on. That makes evaluating what’s going on with L.A. a bit difficult, because their struggles have been real but so has the general malaise of their top players being stuck in Orlando with nothing real to play for yet.

It’s possible all this is fixed by simply being dropped into playoff action, particularly the uneven playing of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but the shooting woes from the rest of the Lakers are of serious note. Kyle Kuzma has been a bright spot of the supporting cast, as he’s hit 44.4 percent of his threes in the bubble, most notably drilling a game-winner over the outstretched arm of Bol Bol with 0.4 seconds to go against the Nuggets on Monday.

That led to Kuzma proclaiming he’d shoot the ball even if Jesus himself was guarding him — which led to some hysterics in the TNT NBA studio — and while LeBron James wasn’t too keen on addressing that comment, he did speak on the importance of Kuzma to L.A.’s title chances.

With their roster situation as it stands, there’s little debating this proclamation from James, but it does lay bare just how thin the margin is for the Lakers even with two of the NBA’s best players. LeBron is always capable of spectacular things in the postseason and Davis has shown in a couple massive scoring outbursts in the bubble what he can do to lift the team, but when defenses spend their energy trying to contain those two, the Lakers could use a third scorer and the most likely player on the roster to fill that role is Kuzma.

What remains to be seen is whether that’s a tenable situation deep in the playoffs against other top teams, but Kuzma’s play thus far in Orlando is encouraging. He has seemingly made some adjustments to shot selection, taking better shots and not forcing quite as much has he has in the past. This quote seems to be both LeBron encouraging Kuzma to continue to be aggressive (in a smart way) when he gets looks, but also applying a bit of pressure to the young forward by ensuring everyone knows what the internal expectations are for him. The next two months we’ll find out if Kuzma sinks or swims — and, by proxy, if the Lakers do too.

Without comic book movies in theaters right now, conspiracy-theory fuel is running low in the entertainment realm, but luckily, there’s still some leftover pop-culture craziness to soak up on occasion. Bryan Cranston loves to tease, too, like when addressing whether Walter White could pop up on Better Call Saul, but there’s one inevitability that he cannot avoid: that Heisenberg is dead, man. Totally dead.

The subject (inevitably) arose when Cranston paid a Zoom visit to Jimmy Fallon on Monday night to discuss his Covid-19 diagnosis, which he said went down in early March, close to the time when Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced their positive statuses. Cranston said he didn’t go public because Hanks had already done so (“There’s no need for another celebrity to say, ‘Hey, I got it too.’ So I just kept it quiet”), but he did give Hanx a call. Cranston encouraged viewers who had recovered from the virus to donate plasma, and then Fallon switched to fan-theory territory. Specifically, he asked about the conspiracy that Walter White never died.

The theory holds that White somehow snuck away and forged a new identity, Hal Wilkerson from Malcolm In The Middle, which would in turn be an unofficial Breaking Bad sequel. Well, Cranston is “not at liberty” to confirm or deny this speculation, but he can say this: “Walter White is definitely dead. He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead. He’s dead.” As Jesse Pinkman would probably say, case closed, “b*tches.”

Watch the relevant Cranston-Fallon chat moment after the 5:00 minute mark below.

Euphoria, HBO’s Emmy-nominated teen drama that makes 30-somethings (me) feel like they’re 700 years old (also me), doesn’t have dragons, or robots, or giant anthropomorphic polar bears, but it’s more “wildly expensive” than you might think.

Allure magazine spoke to actress Hunter Schafer (Jules) about all things Euphoria, including how creator Sam Levinson’s “point of view is so specifically lush that season one of Euphoria reportedly cost about as much to produce as season one of Westworld.” And considering Westworld reportedly had a $100 million price tag… Schafer wouldn’t confirm the rumor, but she did note that there’s a “magic” to Euphoria that “I think something like Westworld, which is sci-fi, requires the same amount of attention to detail and persistence, as far as making sure that vision comes across. So we can thank Sam and our wonderful producers for our wildly expensive TV show.”

How can this cost as much as this? The soundtrack probably didn’t come cheap — season one featured songs from Beyoncé, Fiona Apple, Madonna, Billie Eilish, Drake, Migos, and, uh, Andy Williams — and I’m assuming the makeup department spent as much on eyeliner as Westworld did on hats. Honestly? It was worth every penny.

Euphoria season two doesn’t have a return date, due to production being shut down. But the blooper reel is worth a watch.

(Via Allure)

Drake is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest recording artists of the past decade. He’s racked up accolades, attention, and awards and he puts the discourse in a stranglehold just about anytime he so much as sneezes in public. But where does he rank against some of the big names of yesteryear? According to Fat Joe, Drake’s pretty high up there; during a recent Instagram Live chat with Rick Ross, Joe compared to Drake to one of the biggest artists of all time: Michael Jackson.

While discussing Drake and Rick Ross’ longstanding and lucrative working relationship, Joe snuck in the commentary as almost an aside. “What’s this relationship between you and Drake?” he wondered, pointing out how anyone else getting ahold of the Canadian star is just about impossible. “Drake is possibly the hardest person to get in touch with and let’s be clear, every song he does goes No. 1 and he’s just like, the Michael Jackson of this time… What is the true relationship with Drake? He loves you!”

Ross opines that Drake’s love for him is genuine and that this stems from the fact Ross never “little homied the young n****s coming up. When Drake was just getting on the team being in Miami, needed a record… I move for him the same way I move for [Lil Wayne].”

Watch Fat Joe and Rick Ross discuss their relationships with Drake above.

More than half of the seeding games are in the rear view mirror and the 2020 NBA Playoffs are looming. To this point, all has gone well in the league’s Orlando bubble and, for the most part, the quality of play has been sky-high during the restart. Still, some teams are faring better than others and, while some of that was quite predictable, a few curve balls emerged in the first two weeks of play.

To that end, it is time for the second bubble edition of DIME power rankings. Be gentle and, remember, this is a bubble-focused list.

1. Phoenix Suns (6-0, Last week — 2nd)

The Suns have enjoyed a bit of good fortune, and that might continue in their next game as they face a Sixers team without Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Josh Richardson on Tuesday. Still, there is one undefeated team in Orlando, and it Phoenix. They’ve earned the top spot, and Devin Booker has been unbelievable.

2. Toronto Raptors (5-1, Last week — 1st)

There wasn’t too much to take away from Monday’s Raptors-Bucks tilt, simply because both teams weren’t at full strength. Toronto prevailed, though, and Nick Nurse’s team has the best defense in the bubble by five (!) points per 100 possessions.

3. Houston Rockets (4-1, Last week — 8th)

The Rockets look pretty good to me. Even without Russell Westbrook for the last two games, Houston is playing well and that is on display with the third-best net rating in the bubble. Defensively, they are also doing enough to survive and, well, that’s all you need to do when you have this offense.

4. Boston Celtics (4-2, Last week — 15th)

It isn’t as if Boston has been thoroughly dominant but, when it comes to the bubble-only sample, the Celtics are No. 2 in net rating behind the Suns. The Celtics are rounding into form if nothing else, and they’ve won three straight games.

5. Portland Trail Blazers (4-2, Last week — 7th)

Damian Lillard missed a pair of key free throws and there was an internet fire storm as a result. One day later, the All-NBA guard dropped 51 points to keep Portland on track for the play-in series out West. It was quite a week for the Blazers.

6. San Antonio Spurs (4-2, Last week — 6th)

The Spurs just keep rolling along after back-to-back wins. Unfortunately, San Antonio just can’t afford to lose again but, regardless of what happens, there are positives to take away from the team’s showing in Orlando.

7. Miami Heat (3-3, Last week — 5th)

Jimmy Butler got the upper hand in a highly anticipated battle against T.J. Warren on Monday night. That gave the Heat the edge in pursuit of the No. 4 seed and, while that isn’t a huge deal without the benefit of home-court advantage, they sent a message to Indiana.

8. L.A. Clippers (3-3, Last week — 14th)

We haven’t seen the Clippers at full strength at all in Orlando, with Montrezl Harrell missing the entire run. In drilling down, there are quarters, halves or even full games when L.A. also wasn’t deploying optimal lineups and, honestly, there isn’t all that much to take away. Harrell has made his way back to Orlando, however, and the Clippers figure to arrive at full strength in the relatively near future.

9. Indiana Pacers (4-2, Last week — 3rd)

As noted above, the Pacers didn’t look great against the Heat on Monday, and that is at least somewhat alarming. Indy’s been more than fine in the bubble, though, and it helps to see T.J. Warren operating as a suddenly transcendent force. There has to be a bit of concern for the Pacers that their success has been so tied to Warren’s scalding play, because if he cools down they’ve not shown an ability to score much without his help.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3, Last week — 9th)

Yes, the Thunder have lost two of the last three games, but a quick look at the available rosters in those contests would tell you not to make much of either result. Oklahoma City is solid, but they do need all of their pieces healthy and in Orlando. Depth isn’t an overwhelming strength.

11. Brooklyn Nets (4-2, Last week — 11th)

Shout-out to the Nets. Brooklyn is 4-2 on the strength of smoke and mirrors and they did what they needed to do to avoid a play-in tournament. In fact, the Nets are somehow going to avoid the Bucks in the first round, even with a highly compromised roster. Good on them.

12. Dallas Mavericks (3-3, Last week — 16th)

Luka Doncic had quite a night in a wildly entertaining victory over Milwaukee this week. The Mavs are still struggling on defense but, if we’re being honest, Dallas didn’t have all that much to play for in the seeding games. There have been moments when that was noticeable.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (2-4, Last week — 13th)

Speaking of teams with nothing to play for, the Bucks really didn’t have to care during the seeding games. Milwaukee did flash some of the same vulnerabilities that worry observers but, at the same time, there isn’t much to dissuade anyone that liked the Bucks before they arrived in Orlando. It’s going to be fine.

14. Philadelphia 76ers (3-2, Last week — 12th)

Ben Simmons is already on the shelf and now Joel Embiid is battling an ankle injury. The Sixers have a winning record in Orlando, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (3-4, Last week — 4th)

Kyle Kuzma knocked down a game-winner on Monday to save the Lakers from another loss, and it was fun. Overall, though, the Lakers really haven’t played well in the bubble. It would be too aggressive to worry about the No. 1 seed in the West, but it hasn’t been an optimal performance.

16. Denver Nuggets (3-3, Last week — 17th)

The Nuggets lost to the Lakers on Monday, so they fall behind them in these rankings. Denver didn’t exactly put their foot to the floor in that game, however, with a lot of Bol Bol, Keita Bates-Diop, and P.J. Dozier in the second half. Your guess is as good as mine with regard to the Nuggets, and Denver needs to be healthy sooner rather than later. Oh, and the Nuggets have easily the worst defense in the NBA since the restart. That’s not going to work.

17. Orlando Magic (2-4, Last week — 10th)

After a good start in their home away from home, the Magic have lost four in a row. Some of that is due to injury management, but the Magic aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire even when their roster looks how it is supposed to look.

18. Utah Jazz (2-5, Last week — 18th)

The Jazz have issues with availability and, with Monday as an example, it isn’t as if Quin Snyder is emptying the bag to try to win seeding games at the end. At the same time, Utah hasn’t been impressive overall and five losses paint that picture.

19. New Orleans Pelicans (2-4, Last week — 19th)

Oof. The expectations were sky-high and, with two games remaining, the Pelicans are already eliminated from playoff contention. It’s been covered ad nauseum, but New Orleans has been a giant disappointment.

20. Memphis Grizzlies (1-5, Last week — 20th)

Because of their strong position prior to the break, the Grizzlies will still have a chance to make the playoffs in the play-in tournament. In Orlando specifically, Memphis has been (quite) bad, even if their net rating (-0.8) doesn’t look as bad as their record. Some of the issues can be tied to the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. but, even before the talented big man went down, there were signs of trouble.

21. Sacramento Kings (1-5, Last week — 21st)

Before the restart, the Kings actually seemed to be undervalued, at least when compared to teams with a similar record. Then, Sacramento had all kinds of roster issues and, with few exceptions, performed at an underwhelming level in Orlando. They somehow aren’t the worst team, but a 1-5 record and defensive challenges lead to an ugly perch this week and any optimism about the future in Sacramento has been dampened.

22. Washington Wizards (0-6, Last week — 22nd)

It’s been predictably rough for the Wizards. Washington is the only win-less team in Orlando and, for good measure, the Wizards have the worst net rating (-11.6) since the restart. It would’ve been fun if Washington made a charge to create a play-in scenario but, quite honestly, this was expected given the roster the team brought to Disney.

Jimmy Kimmel is in the midst of some time off, so a roster of guests have been taking over hosting duties on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The latest to sit behind the desk is Dua Lipa, who grabbed the reigns for last night’s episode.

She began how most late-night hosts do: by giving a monologue. Got got some self-deprecating jokes in, like, “You know that song your kid listened to like 5,000 times while trying to perfect a dance on TikTok? That was me. You’re welcome, and I’m sorry.” She then reminisced about the time she pranked Kimmel in the middle of the night back in 2018. She also showed off some of her tattoos, addressed TikTok trends based on her music, and solicited opinions on her music from some older folks. They had no clue who she was, so naturally, hilarity ensued.

Elsewhere on the show, she also interviewed Gwen Stefani about their upcoming collaboration (Stefani is hopping on a remix of “Physical”). The song is part of Dua’s upcoming Club Future Nostalgia: The Remix Album, and Dua also revealed that each song on the album will get an animated visual.

Watch clips from Dua’s hosting gig above.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.