Month: October 2020

After Mahershala Ali was cast in Marvel‘s Blade reboot, Wesley Snipes, the original Blade, congratulated the actor on social media. “Congratulations and Salaam to Mahershala Ali, a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come. Inshallah, we will someday work together,” he wrote. That must have been a thrill for the Emmy and two-time Academy Award winner, who’s felt a connection with Snipes since he was in high school.

Ali was recently on host Cornel West and Tricia Rose’s The Tight Rope podcast, where he was asked about his history with Blade. “Since [Marvel was] were conversations about bringing it back into being, I just wanted to be considered for it because I had definitely a connection, at least in my mind, to Wesley Snipes going back to high school,” he replied. “People used to joke and say that we looked alike and all this stuff. I just brought it up as someone who really wanted to take on that [Blade] role and tackle that.”

The Ramy star and sleep-whisperer also revealed that the tone of Blade will be darker than your average Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. “I love that [Blade is] darker. That’s all in terms of tone. He’s a little bit darker than some of the other ones and so that element was attractive to me,” he said. You can listen to the podcast episode below.

(Via The Tight Rope)

Jim-E Stack’s most notable work in recent years has been as a producer for various artists, but now he’s getting ready to set into the spotlight on his new album, Ephemera. That drops on Friday, but before that, he shared another preview of it, “Can We.” Like most other songs on the album, this one has a featured vocalist, and this time it’s Kacy Hill. The soulful track has a light and subtly funky vibe to underscore Hill’s airy vocals.

This is far from Stack and Hill’s first collaboration, as Stack had his hands in pretty much every song on Hill’s new album Is It Selfish If We Talk About Me Again as a producer and/or songwriter.

Stack said of his upcoming album in a recent interview, “The album is purely a product of making a bunch of music for other people’s projects over the past couple years and never once thinking about my own. Every stretch of studio days yielded song ideas or beats that didn’t quite make sense for that artist, but there was always magic in those leftovers and I couldn’t help but go back and keep working on them. Eventually, I found myself with all these songs collaged together and I realized I had an album. Even though different people contributed to it, the songs don’t sound like anyone but me.”

Listen to “Can We” above.

Ephemera is out 10/30 via AWAL. Pre-order it here.

With election day just around the corner, Cass McCombs wants to use music as an outlet to encourage fans to vote. The singer tapped Angel Olsen, Bob Weir, and even Noam Chomsky for a folksy tune that emphasizes the importance of looking at bigger issues beyond the ballot.

Over an echoing guitar, McCombs and Olsen trade off verses about not just voting for a presidential candidate, but voting for the environment, wildlife, Black lives, and the future. “I was compelled to write something for the election and I thought of no better way than to troll myself, laying waste to a much-misunderstood song of mine from over a decade ago, ‘Don’t Vote’,” McCombs said about the song. “Most people never made it much further than the title, anyway. For this new song, ‘Don’t (Just) Vote,’ the message is clear: Vote, yes, but when you do, imagine the world you would like to see, beyond what appears on your ballot. Harness your imagination and justice becomes inevitable.”

Along with Olsen and Bob Weir, McCombs was able to secure a feature from acclaimed political thinker Noam Chomsky. Arriving at the song’s close, Chomsky states: “We have to excise a malignant cancer from the body politic. But that’s just the beginning. Real politics is what you do before and after you push the lever. You have to keep your shoulder to the wheel: engagement, activism, organizing — that’s what will make the difference.”

Listen to “Don’t (Just) Vote” above.

It’s been a little under a year since Juice WRLD‘s untimely death but the Chicago rapper continues to have an impact on the hip-hop landscape. His posthumous album Legends Never Die was certified platinum by the RIAA in August while Billboard confirmed that Juice has more songs in the Hot 100 top ten than any other artist in 2020. More recently, the Live Free 999 Project his mother created in his honor donated musical instruments to Juice’s old school while advocating for Mental World Health Day.

Today Juice’s mom Carmela Wallace appeared on Chicago’s ABC 7 to tell reporters she hoped that his death could become an example for others. She says she tried to get him to properly medicate for his anxiety because “my biggest fear was him overdosing on the stuff. That’s why I made the decision I have to talk about it with other people. I can’t keep that as a secret.” She says that was her goal in starting the Live Free 999 foundation. “That’s our objective with our foundation. Normalize the conversation, so it has to start with me. I hope it’s what he wanted, was a legacy of healing. To let people know that you don’t have to suffer alone.”

You can watch the full report above.

Two weeks before Borat Subsequent Moviefilm premiered on Amazon, the surprise sequel was already the target of lawsuit by the estate of Holocaust survivor Judith Dim Evans, who appears in the movie during what could safely be described as a controversial scene involving anti-Semitism. However, unlike other participants, Evans was treated as a sweet and caring voice of reason as she taught Borat to let go of his prejudices towards Jews and not fall victim to rampant social media theories denying the Holocaust. The sequel was even dedicated to Evans, who died shortly after filming.

In another unprecedented move, Sacha Baron Cohen also took the extra step of having a representative inform Dim that Baron Cohen is Jewish and explain to her the film’s intent of battling anti-Semitism and bigotry. This interaction was reportedly filmed, and Evans’ story of surviving the Holocaust was included as a special feature with Borat Subsequent Film. Unfortnately, Evans’ daughter felt her mother was “tricked” into participating in the film, and her attorney filed an injunction demanding Evans’ scene be removed. However, Amazon produced a release from signed by Evans, which prompted a judge to deny the injunction, which ended the case. Via Variety, here’s what Amazon’s attorney, Russell Smith, had to say:

“The lawsuit was dismissed, unconditionally,” Smith said in a statement. “The lawsuit is over. Sacha Baron Cohen was deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with Judith Dim Evans, whose compassion and courage as a Holocaust survivor has touched the hearts of millions of people who have seen the film. Judith’s life is a powerful rebuke to those who deny the Holocaust, and with this film and his activism, Sacha Baron Cohen will continue his advocacy to combat Holocaust denial around the world.”

Of course, the big question is whether this decision will prevent other future lawsuits as Borat Subsequent Moviefilm continues to dominate pop culture discourse at the expense of its other (less sympathetic) participants. Like a certain former mayor who got caught with his hand down his pants, for example.

(Via Variety)

One of the most anticipated game releases of 2020 has been pushed back again, but will still make it out before the end of the year (barely).

Cyberpunk 2077 has had a myriad of issues in getting itself ready to release, as the game developers, like so many others, struggle with how to produce, test, and debug a video game in a work from home, mid-pandemic world. This summer, they announced that their September release date was to be pushed back to November 19, citing a need to test the game more thoroughly to find and fix bugs that may exist in the massive world of Night City.

On Tuesday, they announced that testing process still was ongoing, noting that they have nine editions of the game to test with current and next-gen consoles and systems, and as such they were once again pushing the release back three weeks to December 10.

It’s clear that they are prepared for yet another wave of backlash and skepticism about the game, and one can expect a pretty massive day one patch to be coming for those that purchase physical copies of the game given the continued push back to test and fix it. That said, given the response to games that are crazy buggy and how quickly gamers will jump off the ship of even a highly anticipated game if it’s a dud on launch — even if it gets improved and fixed continually — it’s probably wise to deal with the blowback of delaying the game and trying to make it right once it gets in the hands of gamers rather than asking for patience once it’s already out in the world.

This week in the best new pop music saw some big releases. Ariana Grande returned with a highly-anticipated single, Karol G stunned in her latest single, and Finneas offered a poignant reflection on the state of the world.

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

Ariana Grande — “Positions”

After teasing her upcoming era of music for several weeks, Ariana Grande finally shared her lead single “Positions.” The song sees the singer ready to open up to love as she flexes her soaring vocals to sing of wanting to take things further with a new love interest.

Finneas — “Can’t Wait To Be Dead”

Following his heartfelt single “What They’ll Say About Us,” Finneas returns to make a statement with “Can’t Wait To Be Dead.” “I’m happy for this song to mean anything to anyone who listens to it, but, to me, it’s a song about my relationship with the internet,” he said about the track. “Especially in an election year. Especially during a pandemic. Sometimes, the internet makes me laugh, sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it makes me hopeful. But sometimes, it really makes me wanna be dead.”

Karol G — “Bichota”

Colombian reggaeton singer Karol G continued her prolific year with the rhythmic single “Bichota.” In a statement about the song, Karol said: “‘Bichota’ is a celebration for all women and men who choose to be fearless and fabulous. We are all Bichotas in our own special way and I hope this song provides the strength to anyone who needs it to be YOU and be a boss!”

HER — “Damage”

This week, HER released her slow-burning track “Damage” before giving a silky-smooth performance of the song for her SNL debut. According to press materials, the song arrives on her upcoming album, which has yet to be announced.

Major Lazer — “Hell And High Water” Feat. Alessia Cara

This week, Major Lazer released their fourth studio album, Music Is The Weapon. The trio previewed the record with dual reggaeton singles, but their “Hell And High Water” song with Alessia Cara takes a more subdued approach to the genre. Cara lends her far-reaching vocals over a watery beat, singing of the importance of perseverance.

Phora — “Cupid’s Curse” Feat. Kehlani

Phora has shared a handful of singles this year, including the Jhené Aiko collaboration “Stars In The Sky.” Now offering another fresh track, Phora taps Kehlani to lend her soothing vocals on the single “Cupid’s Curse.” The two harmonize over a simmering beat, singing of the pitfalls of leaving a relationship.

Little Mix — Sweet Melody

Pop group Little Mix formed in 2011 on the X-Factor and now, nine years later, they are just a few weeks away from their sixth studio album, Confetti. The four-piece have shared several maxed-out previews of their record, most recently with their saccharine single “Not A Pop Song.” They’re now offering a more toned-down effort with their empowering anthem “Sweet Melody.”

Babygirl — “Easy”

Duo Babygirl have ushered in a new era with their lovelorn single “Easy.” “’Easy’ is written from the perspective of a person on the wrong side of an unrequited crush,” Babygirl said about the single. “It’s about how attractive unavailability can be. Especially if it’s kind of what we think we deserve.”

Slayyyter — “Self Destruct” Feat. Wuki

Boundary-pushing pop artist Slayyyter served up the raucous single “Self Destruct” this week. “[Wuki] started making this crazy icy sounding trap beat and I just started writing nonsense to it,” Slayyyter said about the songwriting process. “I felt kind of angsty that day which is why the chorus is so aggressive, probably wrote it in about 20 or 30 minutes.”

Ela Minus — “Dominique”

This week, Ela Minus shared her highly-anticipated debut album Acts Of Rebellion and with it arrived the stand-out track “Dominique.” Over a euphoric beat, Ela Minus sings an account of the state of her mental health in one of her most diaristic tracks to date.

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

New Zealand singer Benee experienced her global breakout earlier this year. Her Gus Dapperton collaboration “Supalonely” went viral on TikTok, caught the attention of Elton John, and earned her several slots as musical guests on US talk shows like Ellen and Late Night With Seth Meyers. As the singer prepares for the release of her debut album, Hey U, X, Benee offers another preview with the self-assured track “Plain.”

For the single, Benee tapped artists Lily Allen and Flo Milli to offer verses on the track. Over a dreamy guitar hook and thumping beat, Benee takes shots at her ex still being hung up on their relationship. “You and your friends watching me / Knowing I’m better than you’ll ever be,” she sings.

Speaking about the collaboration, Benee said: “I wanted to make it a song someone could listen to when they find out their ex is with someone new. The feeling sucks, so I wanted ‘Plain’ to make ya feel like you have the upper hand. Lily and Flo Milli both have such cool sass, and both their verses really elevated the track!”

Listen to “Plain” featurign Lily Allen and Flo Milli above.

Hey U, X is out 11/13 via Republic. Pre-order it here.

Lily Allen is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Dallas crooner Kaash Paige joins Chattanooga rapper Isaiah Rashad for a low-key day touring their adopted hometown in the lo-fi “Problems” video from her debut album Teenage Fever. Lyrically, the song explores Kaash’s self-destructive ways and the negative effect they can have on her relationships. “List all my problems,” she warns. “I’m inconsistent / If you text or called I probably missed it.” She also jokes that she spends too much money and time soul searching.

Kaash has become a breakout star on the rise since dropping “Love Songs” in 2018 at just 17 years old, drawing in fans with her raw honesty and relatable songwriting — songwriting that plays to both men and women (and everyone else) as she writes about relationships with both. As she told Uproxx earlier this year: “I thought of Teenage Fever because I’m 19 years old. It’s really my last year of being a teen. I just wanted to put every emotion that I went through in the lyrics and the songs. In the production, I feel like the songs and the energy just makes you feel either super excited or moody.”

Meanwhile, Isaiah Rashad has been plotting on a return, releasing “Why Worry” in April as part of Top Dawg Appreciation Week. However, he says he won’t be dropping a new album until he has a verse on it from his personal homestate hero, Young Dolph.

Watch Kaash Paige’s “Problems” video above.

The Freaks and Geeks cast is full of then-unknown, now-famous actors, including Linda Cardellini, James Franco, and Jason Segel. But the biggest name to come out of the high school-set cult series is Seth Rogen, who was all of 16 years old when he was offered the role of sarcastic “freak” Ken. Freaks and Geeks was tragically canceled after one season, but he quickly joined the nearly-as-good Undeclared… which was also axed after a single season. Since then, Rogen has done sporadic TV work, including playing Dirty Randy on The League and producing Preacher, Black Monday, and The Boys, but he’s mostly known for his movies. The same is true for Rose Byrne, even though she was nominated for two Emmys for her role on Damages (she should have been nominated for an Oscar for Get Him to the Greek, but that’s a wound I’m trying to heal).

Together, Rogen and Byrne played a married couple in Neighbors and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, both of which are funnier than a college frat movie made in the 2010s should be, and now they’re reuniting for a new comedy series on Apple TV+.

Platonic is described as a “10-episode half-hour comedy which explores the inner workings of platonic friendship. A pair of former best friends who met in their youth (played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen) reconnect as adults and try to mend the rift that led to their falling out. As their friendship becomes more consuming, it destabilizes their lives and causes them to reevaluate their choices.” Platonic was written by Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller, who directed Get Him to the Greek and both Neighbors.

Good things happen when Rose Byrne gets weird.