Month: August 2020

Richard Sherman has long been an outspoken advocate of individuals educating themselves further and, in particular, becoming more aware of how to manage their money.

The All-Pro corner, now entering 10th season in the NFL and third in San Francisco, was among the leaders in the NFLPA as the union currently negotiated with the league on health and safety protocols for returning to football amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s also launching an online video series titled “Adulting with Richard Sherman” on Million Stories, with new episodes dropping each Tuesday offering free, quick videos that he hopes can advance the public’s financial literacy and give them a baseline of understanding of some basic, key elements of being financially healthy.

Last week, Sherman spoke with Uproxx Sports by phone about his new series, how it came about, the status of the league and union’s talks on health and safety, and why he thinks the U.S. education system is “broken” and in desperate need of reform in terms of addressing real life skills people need to understand.

You were among the many players to point out the issues with the NFL’s lack of a testing and health and safety plan. Do you feel like the league is getting closer to addressing the player concerns on this and what do you need to see to feel comfortable going into camp?

Well yeah, they’re addressing it much better than they were addressing it before. Obviously this is unique territory and unprecedented circumstances, but at the end of the day the safety of our players is a paramount concern for us as a union and we need to make sure they are doing everything and making sure that if anything happens that they’re prepared for every scenario that can occur with regards to players getting sick and the virus spreading in the locker room or within the front office or whatever the case may be. I think they’ve tried their best to address those concerns that we’ve had, but it’s still an on-going process.

Like you said, this has been an incredibly unique situation. What has this offseason been like for you and how have you been trying to keep up with your training?

You know, it’s been pretty simple for me. I’ve always treated my offseason the same. Get on the bike, do my workouts — I usually workout alone anyways, so it didn’t change much for me — but I’ve gotten a lot more time with my kids, you know, they haven’t had to go to school. So we’ve hung out and taken them places, but outside of that it’s been pretty normal. I wasn’t planning on going to OTAs this year anyways, so it’s just made it simpler for me, I guess.

You’ve got the “Adulting” series that just started launching on Million Stories. Where did the idea for this come from and why was it important for you to get involved with this?

Well, it’s something I’ve always been passionate about, you know, helping simplify and have the uncomfortable talks. Obviously, in my community growing up there’s very low financial literacy of any kind, you know, not even as simple as budgeting or how to pay bills. I have friends who still to this day don’t know how to pay bills or what their credit score means or how its figured out or how to use a credit card. It’s just simple things, and I felt like with this series we could open more eyes and educate more people to make them more comfortable in this space.

You mention there’s a lot of people who don’t have financial literacy. Is that something you think should get greater emphasis in the U.S. educational system? Because it’s not something you learn in high school and it’s not something you’re taught, and if you come from a place that doesn’t have the resources or the background it’s just something that’s difficult to learn on your own.

Yeah, it’s a deep rabbit hole going down talking about the education system, because I think it’s beyond broken, and there are way more negative things I have to say than positive. But yeah, I think teaching real skills in school — real life skills in school — would be time better spent than us teaching kids calculus and trigonometry, or partial U.S. history. Information that unless you’re going to school to study math or economics or whatever you’re not going to use the skillset, and if they plan to go to school for that they can take those classes.

But I think there’s more general education things that need to be taught in our schools to help people manage their money better. To understand when you’re getting a paycheck where do the taxes go, how do you file taxes at the end of the year. And if you buy a home, this is a down payment and this is a first-time home buyers program that technically everybody would qualify for, and etc., etc. Because those are things that would help improve people’s quality of life, you know. I don’t think necessarily learning U.S. history in the way that they teach it, where it only teaches you part of the history that they want to show you, it really helps people in their every day lives.

Absolutely. I know this is something you’ve been passionate about, because like you say in the budgeting episode, when you come into the league you hear the stories about 78 percent of the league goes broke. What has to happen, specifically within football, to help these guys understand these things, like you said, paying your taxes at the end of the year, knowing what comes out? What do you tell guys and what are steps the league can take to take to help that or do you think they have begun doing that more?

I think the league has taken steps in that space, but I think it’s up to each individual to take accountability and responsibility for their own finances and to educate themselves. I think sometimes the league has conversations about that and has programs, but guys kinda go glass-eyed through them. They sit there and sit on their phones and don’t really absorb the information being presented, so then it’s pointless. So, I think at the end of the day it’s up to each individual to learn the information and want to be better in this space, and I think that we’re doing what we can as veteran players to tell them the stories, tell them the good, the bad, the places we made mistakes. Places that we felt were beneficial and to save their money.

Obviously saving your money seems like a novel concept, but for a lot of these guys, their families are their worst enemies. They give a lot of the money to their family thinking, ‘Hey, if I give this to them now, I won’t have to give it to them later,’ not understanding that their families aren’t financially literate. So it just perpetuates the cycle. Then they spend the money they’ve never had in a way that isn’t productive or beneficial in any way, and now you’re stuck either frustrated and giving them more money or not giving them anymore money and then it’s been a waste. It’s just been a bad learning lesson, and those are stories you hear every day.

You have episodes up now on budgeting and choosing health insurance. What are some more topics you’ll be diving into as new episodes come out every Tuesday?

Well, we’ll try to address some of those issues — the simple things. Paying bills, taxes, credit cards, you know, buying homes, real estate. I’m trying not to go too in depth in terms of complexities of certain investments, because then you dilute the message, and then once again people go glass-eyed and don’t absorb the information. So we’ll try to keep it fun and keep it simple and keep it entertaining for people, so they want to come back and want to see the next episode.

This week in pop music saw the return of some major artists that have earned Uproxx’s best new pop stamp of approval. Billie Eilish shared a reflective tune, Sam Smith linked with singer Burna Boy for a smooth single, and Jorja Smith shared a poignant protest anthem.

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

Billie Eilish — “My Future”

Billie Eilish’s debut LP When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? catapulted the young singer into stardom. Ever since the singer has been taking her recent songs in a moodier direction, as seen on her best new pop single “My Future.” According to Eilish, she wrote and recorded the track in just two days: “For me, I’m sure you know, I take f*cking forever to get a vocal take that I like, and I do like a billion takes. And this one… I just, I don’t know, there was something about this one take that I did, and I was like, ‘This is the only way that it can be.’”

Sam Smith — “My Oasis” Feat. Burna Boy

It’s been three years since Sam Smith released their sophomore album The Thrill Of It All but earlier this year, the singer ushered in a new era with the Demi Lovato collaboration “I’m Ready.” Smith has now returned once again, this time tapping singer Burna Boy for the slow-burning track “My Oasis.”

Jorja Smith — “By Any Means”

Jorja Smith is back after adding her own spin on the jazz classic “Rose Rouge” last month, and this time it’s for another compilation record. In a statement about “By Any Means,” Smith says the song is a protest anthem: “The inspiration behind ‘By Any Means’ really came from going to the Black Lives Matter protest and leaving thinking, what can I do to keep this conversation going? It’s not just a post on social media, it’s life.”

Dominic Fike — “Cancel Me”

Dominic Fike shared his highly-anticipated debut record What Could Possibly Go Wrong this week and with it came the earworm “Cancel Me.” A tongue-in-cheek critique of cancel culture, Fike sings that he hopes the internet will try to cancel him so that he can dedicate more time to his family.

Mxmtoon — “Bon Iver”

After her EP Dawn debuted back in April, Mxmtoon is now ushering the effort’s counterpart, Dusk. “When we think of nightfall, we often associate it to the ‘end’ of something,” Mxmtoon wrote alongside “Bon Iver,” which announced the upcoming EP. “The ‘Bon Iver’ music video is meant to counter that notion, and to spark thought over the possibilities that are ahead instead. A day does not just end when the sun goes down, you continue to find wonder and joy despite the dark, and a whole other world awaits you as the moon glides overhead.”

Amy Allen — “Difficult”

After taking up the opportunity to write songs for some of today’s biggest stars like Harry Styles and Halsey, Amy Allen is ready to write music for herself. That’s where “Difficult” comes in. “As a woman, I’m often referred to as ‘Difficult,’” she said in a statement. “Difficult for advocating for myself. Difficult for wearing my ambition on my sleeve. Difficult for prioritizing my dreams. Every woman I know has had this term weaponized against her. I wrote Difficult after I realized this word, which I used to take as an insult, is actually something I own. I’m proud to be Difficult and want to reclaim the word.”

Ava Max — “Who’s Laughing Now”

Though she’s been sharing her music for years, Ava Max is now gearing up for her debut album. Announcing the LP Heaven & Hell, the singer debuted the track “Who’s Laughing Now” as a revved-up preview. “I’ve been holding onto this secret for so long and am so excited I can finally talk about my debut album Heaven & Hell,” Max said. “I put my heart and soul into making it and cannot wait to share my music with everyone.”

Alexander 23 — “Caught In The Middle”

Alexander 23 has cultivated a name for himself in the bedroom pop genre, touring with the likes of Mxmtoon, Alec Benjamin, and Omar Apollo, and even having a song go viral on TikTok. Now, the singer continues his catalog with the nostalgia-inducing number “Caught In The Middle,” which showcases his far-reaching vocals over a resounding guitar.

Somegirlnamedanna — “Seriously Just Stop”

With “Seriously Just Stop,” Somegirlnamedanna announces her debut EP Twenty One, Twenty Two. About her music on the upcoming EP, the singer said she hopes to dismantle the pristine image of someone’s life that social media can create. “I think it’s easy to forget that people are not living the perfect lives portrayed on social media, and these songs were inspired by the real challenges and downswings that many of us face behind the screen. I want people to remember they are not alone in these times and I hope we continue to display our vulnerabilities and traits that make us human in popular culture.”

Prep — “On And On”

This British indie-pop four-piece announced a self-titled debut album with the hypnotic number “On And On.” Aimed at curing summertime sadness, the track is a taste of Prep’s feel-good tunes and offers a preview of their synth-heavy catalog.

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

Award show season is going to be different this year, but the MTV VMAs are soldiering on. The show is set to take place on August 30, and now MTV has revealed who will be performing during this year’s ceremony: Doja Cat, BTS, and J Balvin. Those are just the first three performers who have been announced, as more are set to be revealed between now and the day of the show.

Of those artists, J Balvin has the most nominations with four. His Black Eyes Peas collab “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)” is up for Best Collaboration, and he has three different songs nominated for Best Latin: Anuel AA’s “China,” Maluma’s “Queì Pena,” and his own “Amarillo.” Meanwhile, Doja and BTS each have three nominations — Song Of The Year (“Say So”), Push Best New Artist, and Best Direction (“Say So”) for Doja, and Best Pop, Best K-Pop, and Best Choreography for BTS (all for “On”).

The show is actually set to take place in person at New York City’s Barclays Center after governor Andrew Cuomo gave MTV the go-ahead. However, given the pandemic, the event will have “limited or no audience.”

Find the full list of this year’s nominations here.

There’s a whole lot of smoke around J. Cole trying to pursue some sort of basketball career. A recent ad for his first signature sneaker through Puma, the RS-Dreamer, showed him working out in a gym underneath a voice-over by Master P, who famously had a short basketball career with a few NBA preseason invites. Shortly after, Master P told TMZ that Cole reached out and asked what he’d need to do if he wanted to pursue a spot in the league.

Now, an NBA team wants to give him a chance to show what he can do. The Detroit Pistons tweeted at Cole on Monday evening, telling him that if he wants to try and earn a spot on a team to get in touch for some sort of tryout.

Of course, this must come with the caveat that the likelihood of a 35-year-old rapper who has never played professional basketball before making an NBA roster is super unlikely, even if it’s pretty well-documented that Cole can ball and has a nice jumper. We’ve also not heard anything from Cole about whether or not he’s going to pursue a basketball career, although I do suppose that accepting an invite from an NBA team to try out for their roster would answer that question pretty quickly.

One of the best meta-jokes in Deadpool 2 was Wade Wilson, played by Ryan Reynolds, going back in time to murder not only the X-Men Origins: Wolverine version of Deadpool, but also actor Ryan Reynolds before he could agree to star in Green Lantern. The notoriously terrible 2011 superhero film is a recurring target for the Free Guy actor, who told his Twitter followers to “walk away” from watching it and called it “really dumb” on The Late Show. His latest barb against Green Lantern came in the form of a “secret cut” of the movie that doubles as a parody of the so-called Snyder Cut of Justice League.

“Here’s the secret Reynolds Cut of GL you all haven’t been waiting for,” Reynolds tweeted. “In order to make it as great as possible we made some judicious cuts.” The video is all of 27 seconds long, including the first three seconds being footage from another movie entirely (the aforementioned Deadpool 2 scene). There are explosions, loud noises, a Tom Cruise cameo, and the Justice League hanging out together. As a two-hour movie, Green Lantern is no good. But it’s a masterpiece under 30 seconds.

As for why Green Lantern didn’t work, Reynolds once explained, “I don’t think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was. That isn’t to say the hundreds of men and women didn’t work their fingers to the bone to make it as good as possible. It also fell victim to the process in Hollywood, which is like poster first, release date second, script last. At the time, it was a huge opportunity for me so I was excited to try and take part in it.”

Watch the “Reynolds Cut” below.

Following her acclaimed self-titled debut record, Kelly Lee Owens is experimenting with sound on her upcoming sophomore effort Inner Song. The full record is due out in late August and the producer has already previewed the LP with the atmospheric tracks “Night,” “On,” and “Melt.” For her next single, Owens tapped fellow Welsh artist John Cale, formerly of Velvet Underground, to offer his brooding vocals on the track.

Over a slippery beat, Cale’s gruff voice annotates the 7-minute track. Cale delivers each line as prose, even adding in a few Welsh phrases into the mix.

About his experience working on the track, Cale said:

“It’s not usually this immediate that a productive afternoon brings a satisfying conclusion to a task. Kelly sent me a track she’d written — an instrumental that was a gentle drift — something comfortably familiar to what I’d been working on myself. On the first listen, the lyrics came with ease and a chorus and melody grew out of it. Even the Welsh phrases seemed to develop from a place of reflective memory which was a surprise since I hadn’t written in Welsh for decades. Once finished, I realized there existed a built-in thread we’d created together and apart – and her kind spirit pulled it all together and in quick order.”

Owens added:

“I knew with this album I needed to connect with my roots and therefore having the Welsh language featured on the record felt very important to me. Once the music for the track was written and the sounds were formed, I sent the track straight to John and asked if he could perhaps delve into his Welsh heritage and tell the story of the land via spoken-word, poetry and song. What he sent back was nothing short of phenomenal. The arrangement was done during the mixing process and once I’d finished the track, I cried — firstly feeling incredibly lucky to have collaborated with John and his eternal talent and secondly for both of us to have been able to connect to our homeland in this way.”

Listen to “Corner Of My Sky” below.

Inner Song is out 8/28 via Smalltown Sound. Pre-order it here.

Amazon Prime’s superhero-skewering series, The Boys, is almost back after a teaser trailer hinted at the season’s new dynamics and a first-look clip suggested that the gore-factor of this show was still high. Executive producer Seth Rogen previously promised that the show would be even more outrageous for a sophomore season, and this new trailer reveals that showrunner Eric Kripke looks to have kept that standard intact.

First and foremost, it sure looks like Homelander isn’t having an easy time this season, which was to be expected after he left himself rootless by lasering his lover-mother figure, Madelyn Stillwell, to death. A replacement Supe for Translucent, Stormfront (Aya Cash), is challenging The Seven’s status quo, and Homelander isn’t thrilled with anyone other than himself taking charge. We also see him toss a child off a roof, so let’s just say that he’s not coping well with anything, and Butcher’s justifiable rage (and very personal axe to grind) won’t help matters.

In the meantime, The Boys are now fugitives of the federal government after Butcher was framed for Stillwell’s death, so there will be all sorts of chase-related mayhem on display. The water-bound scene looks (and sounds) insane (and disgusting), but hey, it looks like Chace Crawford’s The Deep is back in the game. Maybe? Hopefully, he’s learned a few things. And there’s a supervillain threat afoot as well, so expect this season to be a jam-packed one.

Amazon’s The Boys returns (weekly!) on September 4. The show’s already been renewed for a third season, and as of the second-season premiere, Aisha Tyler will host aftershow episodes. Here’s some new Homelander-and-Butcher-focused key posters.

As the owner of TIdal, Jay-Z has a vested interest in supplying the platform with content of his that isn’t available anywhere else. For years, the only place to stream most of his catalog was on Tidal, as Apple Music and Spotify users were left out in the cold until very recently. Now, the veteran rapper and business…man has added a few new exclusives from his extensive archive to Tidal, digging deep for three fan-favorite rare cuts to add to the fan experience on his platform.

The oldest track is “From Marcy To Hollywood,” from the 1998 film The Players Club. Released on March 17, 1998, the soundtrack to the Ice Cube film also contained Cube’s hit “We Be Clubbin,” and appearances from Brownstone, Changing Faces, DMX, Kurupt, Lil’ Mo, Mack 10, Master P, Memphis Bleek, and Scarface. “From Marcy To Hollywood” features Jay-Z’s protege Memphis Bleek and fellow New York City rapper Sauce Money, who worked with Jay extensively early in his career.

The next oldest track is “What The Game Made Me” from the soundtrack of the 1998 Master P vehicle I Got The Hook-Up. The album, like the film, was released by Master P’s No Limit Records and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with tracks from Eightball & MJG, Ice Cube, Master P, Mystikal, Snoop Dogg, and a cadre of No Limit artists. Once again, Jay is joined by his compatriots Bleek and Sauce Money for another rundown of the street life that molded them.

Finally, the newest of the three tracks is the 2012 freestyle “Glory,” which Jay released around the birth of his daughter Blue Ivy and removed from streaming shortly thereafter. Blue has a feature, the first of her life. She now has over a million listeners on Spotify.

Listen to all three Jay-Z rare cuts above.

The Killers’ 2009 touring crew is facing allegations of sexual misconduct, which prompted the band to launch an internal investigation. Now, the results of that investigation have been shared, and in a statement, the band’s legal team, Reynolds & Associates, said during their investigation, they were “unable to find any corroboration.” They went on to say, however, that the legal team requests “that if there is anyone with corroborating information of an event as described in the allegation to please contact them.”

The statement concludes:

“Due to these allegations, and the very clear belief that this temporary crew member felt she had nowhere to turn with her concerns at the time, The Killers plan to take immediate action for future tours. The band believe there should always be an easy way to report a situation that is concerning to anyone on the road with them, no matter their status or how briefly they are joining for. They expressed regret that the temporary crew member was made to feel unsafe and bullied during her brief time with the band and understand that it is not always feasible for touring crew to raise concerns with their immediate superiors. […]

The Killers would like to take this opportunity to assure their fans — and the families of their current crew — that their tours are a safe, familial and professional working environment. They extend their thanks to crew past and present, as well as all other witnesses, for providing swift testimony to their Legal Team.”

The investigation was launched in response to a statement from sound engineer Chez Cherrie, who has released a message in response to The Killers’ legal team’s statement. She wrote:

“After reading through the Killer’s press release regarding my blog, I have conflicting feelings. First, I am grateful that they, as an organization, have taken my experience seriously and were moved to internally investigate and potentially lead the industry in a restorative manner so this never happens again. […] I hope that this moment is a learning experience for the entire industry and that we are able to come together in comprehensive manner to have these discussions that are so long overdue. I hope that we are able to work together to develop a framework of reporting mistreatment and harassment that protects workers and fans and demands accountability of the people in power.”

Read the full statements from The Killers’ legal team and from Cherrie below.

“The Killers’ Legal Team conducted a thorough investigation into all allegations including a lengthy interview with the former temporary crew member who brought them forward. She shared all of her recollections with us and we are very appreciative of her time. The Killers and their Tour Management found these allegations to be heartbreaking and instructed their Legal Team to investigate them vigorously. We are confident in our findings and express our thanks to everyone who spent time giving testimony.

What follows is a summary of the testimony obtained in regards to each allegation and the process by which the Legal Team were able to investigate each one. The Killers and their Tour Management requested that these findings be clearly detailed here in order that their friends, family and fans can be secure in the knowledge that the serious accusations of sexual misconduct and a sexual assault backstage at the Rave in 2009 were discovered to be entirely unfounded.

It was confirmed that the audio technician who made the allegation joined The Killers’ crew in 2009 for a period of three weeks beginning in April. Crew members from that leg of the tour, the band, Tour Management, Production and Band Assistants, third party vendors, short-term contracted audio crew, Venue Staff and Security, Catering Crew, and guests of the touring party from the venue in Milwaukee were contacted for testimony.

It was established that this temporary audio technician received much of the information she shared from a second or third hand source. She confirmed that she did not witness the alleged events herself. It was confirmed that she did not interact with any band members on the tour, nor could she recall ever coming into contact with the Tour Management team or (female) Production and Band Assistant. She was unable to identify who the Tour Management team were at the time but was able to identify her immediate superiors in the Production Crew and some of her crew colleagues.

The Legal Team were able to establish that a former front of house (FOH) Engineer for the band – who was responsible to direct the audio crew and therefore one of her superiors – was a problematic workmate. He was identified by several of the crew in attendance as such and it was confirmed that his treatment of others on the tour was frequently deemed unfair by those who witnessed it. It was the Legal Team’s assessment that a pattern of poor management by this person, and a series of sexist remarks and rude comments, caused the female crew member on the audio team great distress. This type of behavior is considered unacceptable by The Killers and their team. This FOH Engineer was terminated from the touring team in 2013.

It was not verified but assessed as feasible that the purported ‘bonus’ or ‘incentive’ system was discussed in front of the female audio crew member during her time on the tour. She did not hear anything of this purported system from any of the musicians or from Tour Management. She was unable to specify which musician this ‘bonus’ system was provided for, and stated that she did not see any ‘bonus’ system exchange in action during her time with the band. It was asserted to the Legal Team by everyone interviewed, including multiple crew members that the idea of the band paying them extra to ‘bring back girls’ or ‘have one waiting in the shower’ etc. was an in-joke based upon urban legends of tours from an earlier era – i.e. roadie folklore – and not something any of them actually did, were ever asked to do, or ever attempted to do. It was confirmed by the band members themselves that this was not anything any of them had ever done. The allegation of a girl being brought to the tour bus as a ‘birthday treat’ for one of the band members could not be corroborated. None of the band members – or the additional touring musicians who joined them on that run – have birthdays in the time frame the female audio technician was with the tour. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we appreciate that this former (temporary) crew member brought her concerns about these rumors to our attention.

It was confirmed via touring records that the band and additional touring musicians were divided evenly between two buses. No Flowers family members were present on the tour. It could not be corroborated that any band member or touring musician ever spent time on the crew bus. The temporary crew member who made the allegations was unable to identify any specific band member as being present on the crew bus. The band, and additional touring musicians on the road with them at that time, asserted they did not enter the crew bus at any time. None of the attending tour party could recall ever seeing a band member on a crew bus. One of the touring musicians from that time passed away in 2012 but the Legal Team was unable to find any witness to him being present on the crew bus.

It was established that the radio transmissions about a ‘line up’ in ‘Dressing Room A’ was broadcast by the aforementioned FOH Engineer on the audio team’s radio channel only. The rest of the touring party – including band and Tour Management – did not hear this broadcast. This was reported to the Legal Team by crew members who heard it as being FOH engineer’s attempt at a joke or a ‘hazing’ – either directed at members of the audio crew, who were busy loading out outside the venue, or for the entertainment of guests he had invited to the show and were with him at the time of his broadcast.

It could not be corroborated that there was ever a list placed on any door or any ‘line up’ or ‘train’ in any dressing room. In provided statements, staff from the venue in question noted that dressing rooms are not, and have never been, labeled alphabetically, and at that time the dressing rooms were interconnected and without doors. It was also established via all crew and Tour Management that upon arrival in any venue the dressing rooms are uniformly labeled with the band’s names. They do not alphabetize the dressing rooms and they are never referred to alphabetically on radio or otherwise. Venue Security asserted that no one from the venue chased down a departing bus or raised concerns about a drunk, naked girl in the dressing room. Venue Catering asserted that they visited all dressing rooms several times throughout the day and evening in order to replenish drinks, food and clear up. They asserted that at no point did they see or hear of a drunk or naked woman in any dressing room and anything of the sort would have been immediately radioed to all attending Production Crew and Venue Security.

Via touring records the Legal Team were able to trace the woman from the Milwaukee show’s guest list who was furnished with ‘after show’ passes from the FOH Engineer and confirm with her that she did not experience, witness or hear about a sexual assault. The temporary audio technician indicated to us in her interview she strongly believed it was this female guest of the FOH Engineer who had been left ‘drunk and naked’ in a dressing room. The guest in question confirmed that she and her friend were backstage after the show, did not witness any ‘train’ or ‘line up,’ nor were they left behind in the dressing rooms at the venue. She stated that she and the same friend attended 2009 Lollapalooza festival later that year on the band’s production guest list.

The band’s longtime Assistant Tour Manager (2008 – 2019) asserted that she had never heard anything so shocking in relation to touring with the band. She stated she had never felt unsafe or witnessed any behavior that would cause her to question the integrity of the band or crew. Tour Management asserted that as unofficial policy no one has ever knowingly been left behind in a dressing room in distress. The production would not depart a venue without making sure dressing rooms were clear. They asserted that anyone found disorientated or intoxicated would be helped home and they have in the past enlisted local Venue Security to provide care for guests who required any assistance.

All crew and Touring Management asserted that nothing as alleged had ever been witnessed – or rumored – on any of The Killers tours, in Milwaukee in 2009 or at any other time. This particular allegation was deeply disturbing to everyone on the touring team and they unanimously stated that they would have neither ignored nor forgotten an event of this nature.

The Legal Team were unable to find any corroboration whatsoever of a sexual assault at the Milwaukee venue. They request that if there is anyone with corroborating information of an event as described in the allegation to please contact them. Privacy will be respected.

It was ascertained that The Killers very frequently have women working with them in various roles, including on the 2009 tour. Specific to the 2009 tour, some of the touring crew recalled that vulgar language was sometimes used and that crass jokes were made and perpetuated on occasion. They asserted that this behavior could be attributed to a small faction of crew and not the entire production. Multiple current crew members stated that crude language of this type is now extremely rare. Tour Management stated that they have become increasingly vigilant on this front over the years and provided documentation verifying that aggressive or derogatory language by crew results in dismissal. Tour Management and band members recognize that sexual language can be weaponized to make women feel unsafe in a predominantly male environment. They consider continued vigilance on this issue to be their responsibility.

The Killers and their team are committed to a safe and inclusive space for everyone whilst on the road. While many third party vendor crew cycle in and out from tour to tour, most of the band’s current core touring crew have been with them for over a decade and each stated these allegations are completely unrecognizable to their working environment. Band and crew asserted that the behavior attributed to them in these allegations is in direct opposition to their principles and would not be tolerated by anyone on their team. The band and Tour Management expressed great regret that the experience of the temporary female audio technician had not been brought to their attention during the short run she was with them, or indeed at any time in the eleven years since, in order that they may have dealt with these issues immediately and addressed any questions or concerns she had about the band and crew’s conduct.

Due to these allegations, and the very clear belief that this temporary crew member felt she had nowhere to turn with her concerns at the time, The Killers plan to take immediate action for future tours. The band believe there should always be an easy way to report a situation that is concerning to anyone on the road with them, no matter their status or how briefly they are joining for. They expressed regret that the temporary crew member was made to feel unsafe and bullied during her brief time with the band and understand that it is not always feasible for touring crew to raise concerns with their immediate superiors.

The workings of a large scale tour involve many people, including frequently rotating vendor crew who have no contact with Tour Management. Typically there is no formal HR structure on any tour, however large scale, and all crew are managed by their immediate superior or Department Team Leader. All road crew and vendors are given an eTourbook/Itinerary with contact numbers for the entire touring party – including Tour Management, Band Management, Booking Agent and local Promoters. The Killers have directed their team to establish a new system wherein the entire touring party are furnished with an off-site independent HR contact to call to report concerns of any nature, anonymously if they wish. This telephone number will be available to everyone traveling with the band, staff or independent vendor. This number will also be displayed in the Production Office at their shows. All concerns will be dealt with swiftly by band management.

The Killers would like to take this opportunity to assure their fans – and the families of their current crew – that their tours are a safe, familial and professional working environment. They extend their thanks to crew past and present, as well as all other witnesses, for providing swift testimony to their Legal Team.”

“After reading through the Killer’s press release regarding my blog, I have conflicting feelings. First, I am grateful that they, as an organization, have taken my experience seriously and were moved to internally investigate and potentially lead the industry in a restorative manner so this never happens again.

There are some generalized statements in their release that I don’t agree with but as I am not interested in naming names and accusing specific people publicly, I am not sure that there is much to discuss there. I have, however, always made it clear to the legal team which band members I referenced, when it came to the ‘3’d in line’ hired gun musician and the associated long running joke about him being 3’d in line for the remainder of the tour, as well as the member who preferred women to shower for him. I was surprised to hear that the radio call that went out during our load out was an attempt to ‘haze’ the audio crew mid tour, but I am beyond relieved that the tour was able to find this woman, and she is reportedly fine.

My blog is what I experienced, and if ‘hazing’ is the reason why I heard about the bonus incentives and otherwise, this reflects the larger issue in this industry — that ‘hazing’ towards the only women on the technical crew was normal, expected, accepted and not questioned by anyone, including myself. I hope that this moment is a learning experience for the entire industry and that we are able to come together in comprehensive manner to have these discussions that are so long overdue. I hope that we are able to work together to develop a framework of reporting mistreatment and harassment that protects workers and fans and demands accountability of the people in power.

Thank you for your time.”

Thanks to some repeated hints throughout the last six months, speculation about J. Cole possibly attempting to make an NBA roster has reached a fever pitch, with former NBA recruit Master P even claiming that Cole came to him for advice. While Cole may be a tad outside the usual range for NBA scouts at 35 years old, he’s made a habit of posting basketball workout videos to his Instagram and even talked about nearly quitting rap to pursue professional hoops, making the possibility that someone would at least invite him to training camp seem a little less far-fetched.

Here’s the thing: Cole is far from the only rapper to use social media to boast of his skills in two games like Peewee Kirkland (Pussssh). As far back as the birth of hip-hop, the sport and the music have been inextricably tied together, as hoopers tried their hands at rapping and vice versa. While basketball players have typically had an easier time crossing over — see: Damian Lillard, Shaq, and Kobe Bryant — for rappers to compete on the hardwood, they have to develop a set of skills that are harder to counterfeit.

So even if Cole can’t make it all the way to the big leagues — Big 3, maybe, G-League at best — here are some of the other rappers who could give him a run for his money should he ever decide to pull an Ice Cube and start up his own, rappers-only basketball league.

Drake

Of course, the most well-known of these rappers-turned-hoopers is none other than Mr. “Most No. 1s” himself. Drake is pretty much a fixture of the NBA’s courtside contingent and can be seen interacting with players and refs and generally going viral at a moment’s notice because everything Drake does is accidentally hilarious — including his basketball workout videos. The video of Drake’s all-star run featuring Quavo, Justin Bieber, and other music stars seems almost calculated to make us all forget about his Kentucky warm-up airball, as he completely loses a defender off the dribble and aces a three with a Paul Pierce-ish, ultra-slow crossover dribble.

Quavo

If Drake’s love for hoops is evident throughout his art (the stage on his Drake and the Three Amigos Tour was designed to occasionally become a court floor), then Quavo is following in his big bro’s footsteps. Not only does his “How Bout That” video focus on an outdoor hoops tournament, Quavo has been a perennial floor general at the NBA’s All-Star Celebrity Game, dishing assists to the likes of Win Butler and swatting Common layups. Qua even crowed about the latter on his Instagram, apparently miffed by Common’s selection as game MVP in his hometown of Chicago. Qua’s workouts often show off his speed, agility, handles, and jumper — all tools the 5’10 guard needs to be effective against taller competition.

Lil Durk

Durk is an interesting case among rapper-hoopers because there’s no evidence he ever played organized ball of any kind. While Drake and Quavo played at their respective high schools or in travel ball teams, Durk seems entirely self-taught. That doesn’t stop him from showing off one of the smoothest jumpers out of all the rappers here save one (Drake’s got that weird hitch at the top of his shot, while Quavo’s footwork is all over the place). A video of Durk shooting jumpers went viral among NBA players, who shared the clips with compliments for his shooting form. Durk also expressed his confidence by directly challenging the above three rappers in a video clip posted after the death of Kobe Bryant. He once tweeted he’d “bust [J. Cole’s] ass,” so he’s definitely accepting any and all smoke.

Lil Dicky

Dicky’s lethal outside jumper is the highlight of his game, even making a cameo appearance in the season finale of his show Dave in an extended fantasy sequence that had him earning the respect of some incarcerated hoopers behind his sniper-esque shooting. Having witnessed Dicky’s game in real life with my own four eyes, I can attest that the depiction wasn’t too far off from the truth. Dicky tends to pop up at celebrity games all over LA and is one of the more respected players among those who actually hoop for a living. He even had a tongue-in-cheek appearance in a comedy clip as the “fourth Ball brother,” clowning around with Lonzo, LaMelo, and LiAngelo and their dad Lavar — and outshooting them all (this was before Lonzo fixed his form).

Sada Baby

One of the newer rappers to arrive on the scene, Detroit’s Sada Baby is swiftly making a name for himself. His handful of mixtapes have already made him an in-demand rapper among fans in the know, who eagerly await each new release with ears tuned for his witty NBA references (“Big ass shotgun look like Lauri Markkanen”). Sada Baby apparently wants fans to respect him on the hardwood as much as they do on the mic, posting almost as many pickup videos to his Instagram as he does rap promotion. It’s only a matter of time before his predecessors are clamoring to meet up with him — but many of them might be looking for the pickup fade as much as a feature verse.