Month: February 2021

In arguably the greatest Chappelle’s Show sketch — and therefore, one of the greatest comedy sketches period — Charlie Murphy recounted the time he was beaten in a game of pickup basketball by Prince (it’s a true story). You know it by heart: “Assemble your crew, I’ll be outside,” “Game, blouses,” “…pancakes.” The Purple One himself was a big fan of the sketch, as was Eddie Murphy. The Coming 2 America star was also there that night, and he shared his side of the story on Thursday’s episode of The Tonight Show.

“That is totally and absolutely accurate,” Murphy told host Jimmy Fallon about the sketch. “We had on our club clothes and Prince had on that outfit that was in the ‘Kiss’ video.” The actor said that Prince approached him and his brother, who passed away in 2017, and asked, “Yo, want to play some basketball?” They had the understandable reaction: “What the f*ck?” Murphy continued, adding a new detail to the pickup game:

“My brother was like, ‘Okay, it’s going to be shirts against blouses.’ The blouses won, they beat the sh*t out of us. You know why I think? We had one dude on our squad who could play named Larry and he didn’t have no shoes, so Prince gave him some sneakers. And Prince wore maybe like two, three sizes smaller than Larry, but Larry was so excited to have Prince’s sneakers on. He put those tiny sneakers on his feet, so he couldn’t do his game right. So we lost. The one dude that could play, Prince’s shoes had him shutdown, so he couldn’t excuse.”

There’s nothing in the rulebook that says Prince can’t give someone shoes that are too small to gain a competitive advatnage. You can watch Murphy’s chat with Fallon above.

Between the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest, the past 12 months have been tough. Now, Justin Bieber wants to play a small part in helping the world to heal with his newly announced album, Justice.

Bieber’s sixth album drops on March 19 and he says of it:

“In a time when there’s so much wrong with this broken planet, we all crave healing — and justice — for humanity. In creating this album, my goal is to make music that will provide comfort; to make songs that people can relate to, and connect to, so they feel less alone. Suffering, injustice and pain can leave people feeling helpless. Music is a great way of reminding each other that we aren’t alone. Music can be a way to relate to one another and connect with one another. I know that I cannot simply solve injustice by making music, but I do know that if we all do our part by using our gifts to serve this planet, and each other, that we are that much closer to being united. This is me doing a small part. My part. I want to continue the conversation of what justice looks like so we can continue to heal.”

There’s no announced tracklist yet, but press materials note the album will feature Bieber’s recent singles: “Holy” featuring Chance The Rapper, “Lonely” featuring Benny Blanco, and “Anyone” (all of which he performed during a recent livestream).

Justice is out 3/19 via RBMG/Def Jam Recordings. Pre-order it here.

After months of rumors about the direction of the character, Warner Bros. is finally moving ahead with a Superman reboot written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by J.J. Abrams. There is no director attached to the film yet, and more notably, the search for a new actor to play the classic DC Comics character will start at a later date, which seemingly suggests that Man of Steel star Henry Cavill will not be returning. (However, fans can see Cavill’s Superman one last time in the upcoming Snyder Cut release.) Shadow and Act was the first to break the news (which was confirmed by Deadline) of the reboot, along with a statement from Coates:

“To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor,” said Coates in a statement received only by Shadow and Act. “I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero.”

Abrams also gave S&A an statement saying there’s a “new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told” and he calls Coates’ writing for the new film “brilliant.” While known for his powerful, in-depth books and essays on race that inspired Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen for HBO, Coates is no stranger to the superhero world albeit for the competition. Coates has delivered critically acclaimed work for Marvel Comics after first tackling Black Panther before moving onto Captain America. Given that Cap’s character traits closely match those of Superman, Coates experience with the Marvel hero makes him even more primed to tackle a new cinematic take on the Man of Steel.

(Via Shadow and Act & Deadline)

Pokemon’s presence on the Nintendo Switch is opening up in a big way as part of a 25th anniversary celebration for the legendary RPG series. The Pokemon Company held a livestream event on Friday detailing new games, including remakes of two handheld classics. But the biggest news is a new open world RPG set in the Sinnoh region well before the events of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.

Before that, though, the event highlighted two remakes of those 2006 GameBoy classics: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Those games, however, will now get a prequel with a slightly different twist. Friday also brought word of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, an open-world RPG

“This is a tale from a long, long time ago. When the Sinnoh region was a vast wilderness,” a narrator says, laying out a less developed human society long before Pokemon trainers and Leagues.

The trailer shows a trainer diving into a thick brush, aiming a Pokeball at a faraway Shinx and throwing it. There are battles and Pokemon in the player’s control, but it’s certainly a departure from more traditional Pokemon games. Sword and Shield, which were released in 2019, introduced the concept of a Wild Area that had Pokemon roaming free that could spark encounters. Arceus appears to be the next evolution of that concept according to the game’s description.

As trainers explore the natural expanses in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they’ll encounter pokémon that call these grand vistas home. To catch wild pokémon, players can study the pokémon’s behaviors, sneak up to them, then throw poké balls. Players can also battle wild Pokémon with their ally pokémon. By throwing the poké ball holding their ally pokémon near a wild pokémon, players will seamlessly enter battle. This new gameplay angle is intended to provide trainers with an immersive experience.

The event also showed off some new Pokemon Snap gameplay on Friday.

That’s a lot of Pokemon, which is great news for fans. But while Snap is expected to hit the Switch in April, we won’t see Arceus until at least 2022.

The 2021 NBA All-Star Game will look different in a number of ways, with one of the most prominent being the lack of an All-Star Saturday night. The league will attempt to compensate for this by putting some of the events that we’re used to on Sunday, including the dunk contest, which will occur at halftime of the game.

It’s still not clear who all will participate in the event, but on Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic leaked the first name that will take the floor in Atlanta. According to Charania, New York Knicks rookie Obi Toppin will be in the field.

Toppin, a Brooklyn native, was the No. 8 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft following a magnificent sophomore campaign at Dayton in which he was a consensus first-team All-American and the national player of the year. As a power forward on a team with an All-Star with that position, it’s been a bit tough for Toppin to get consistent run — he’s averaging 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game — but if there is one thing that is well-documented about him, it’s that he can absolutely fly.

With the All-Star Game taking place next week, it’s probably not off-base to assume that more participant names will come out soon.

After brushing off the backlash resulting from his “Beat Box” freestyle, DaBaby officially joins Florida-based, TikTok-favorite, trap rap upstart SpotEmGottem on “Beat Box 3.” While the original “Beat Box” generated a wave of buzz for the 19-year-old rapper and “Beat Box 2” featured Pooh Shiesty and became the basis for a viral TikTok challenge, “Beat Box 3” finally connects SpotEmGottem with the North Carolina superstar who helped bring “Beat Box” to the mainstream with his freestyle.

That freestyle, though, was the subject of some controversy thanks to a throwaway line in which DaBaby name-checks 17-year-old pop star JoJo Siwa. The line, which rhymed the singer’s name with “see why,” posited an imaginary rival as a “bitch,” employing the hashtag flow for a clunky punchline that seemed to either call JoJo a bitch as well, or equate all women with bitches, with the most conveniently rhyming one falling within the category. Either way… not a great use of the form, which is always a danger with the hashtag flow.

Of course, DaBaby — no stranger to Twitter controversy after a couple of years’ worth of call-outs and missteps — dismissed the backlash as a case of wordplay going over listeners’ heads. That isn’t quite what happened here, but by combining his verse with SpotEmGottem’s original, at least SpotEmGottem can hope to benefit from the extra attention, and capitalize on it with his next release.

Listen to “Beat Box 3” above.

After months of discussions, the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream have new owners. Amid a war of words with former minority owner Kelly Loeffler, who lost her Senate race in Georgia last month, the Dream had been very publicly on the block, and the league announced today that the team was purchased by recently-retired WNBA star Renee Montgomery along with two executives from a real estate firm in Massachusetts.

Montgomery, who played for the Dream in 2018 and 2019 before stepping away from the game in 2020, has grown her profile immensely over the past calendar year, becoming a major voice and leader in sports, culture, and activism. Now, she will gain the influence of becoming a team governor in the league where she won two WNBA titles.

“My Dream has come true,” Montgomery said in a statement. “Breaking barriers for minorities and women by being the first former WNBA player to have both a stake in ownership and a leadership role with the team is an opportunity that I take very seriously.”

In expressing support for the purchase, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert called Montgomery a “trailblazer” and said she was “thrilled” that Montgomery was part of the group. LeBron James, who had been rumored to have interest in investing in the team himself, tweeted in praise of Montgomery’s involvement.

The other two investors involved in the purchase are Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair of Northland Investment Corporation, a real estate private equity firm that is based in Newton, Mass.

Welcome to our new weekly streetwear series! At the end of every week, we like to hit you with the hottest fits out now to help ensure you’re all geared up for the season and looking your best. This week, we’ve got new releases from READYMADE, Carhartt WIP, Brain Dead, Palace, and Cactus Jack himself.

We might be quickly approaching the warmer spring season but these drops consist of mostly layer-friendly outerwear, like hoodies and sweaters. Remember, it’s still Feb — we’ve still got a long way to go until summer.

If you’re looking for some kicks to complete your fit, be sure to hit up SNX, our series covering the best sneaker releases of the week.

READYMADE x BAPE Collection

Upcycling brand READYMADE and legendary Japanese streetwear brand BAPE have one of our favorite drops of the week with this capsule collection designed by READYMADE’s Yuta Hosokawa that utilizes BAPE’s iconic shark face and camo patterning alongside READYMADE’s signature bee for its centerpiece hoodie. The five-piece collection consists of a camo shark hoodie, matching sweat shorts, a graffitied long and short sleeve t-shirt, and a simple dual-branded t-shirt three-pack.

The READYMADE x BAPE capsule collection is set to drop on February 27th at READYMADE and BAPE retailers, as well as the BAPE webstore.

Carhartt Wip L’Art de L’Automobile Karhartt Collection

Carhartt WIP has teamed up with Paris-based brand L’Art de l’Automobile for a new collection that celebrates Carhartt’s motor city roots. Designed by L’Art de l’Automobile founder and famous vintage care dealer Arthur Kar, the Karhartt collection features a reworking of Carhartt’s Michigan coat, as well as a fresh take on the Single Knee Pant, with simple graphic tee shirts, hats, accessories, and a Nalgene water bottle completing the collection.

The capsule’s main colorway is a dope forest green, which was inspired by the forests of Lebanon that Kat grew up among.

The Carhartt-WIP Karhartt Collection is set to drop on February 27th at both Carhartt-WIP Los Angeles and the Carhartt-WIP online store.

Brain Dead Spring 21 Collection

This week Brain Dead launched their first Spring 21 collection featuring vibrant streetwear essentials fit for the season, like long sleeves, sweats, sweaters, t-shirts, pants, and jackets, with stand-out pieces including the patchwork military shirt, and jacquard letterman. Brain Dead went heavy on the paneling for this collection, overlaying mixed fabrics across the brand’s signature utilitarian silhouettes.

On the accessory end, the brand has bell-shaped bucket hats as well as corduroy climbing pants with built-in belts. The entire collection is presented in a varied but muted color palette, with brighter colors like pink and yellow toned down with an earthy undertone, giving the collection a lived-in aesthetic.

The Brain Dead Spring 21 collection is available now at the Brain Dead webstore.

KITH WMNS 2021 Collection

KITH has just dropped a major 53 piece collection under their KITH Women line, featuring comfy sweats, t-shirts, high-wasted joggers, a cardigan, a knit bra, crop tops, and sweaters. A few accessories round out the full collection, which is dressed in a minimal and muted colorway of grey, blue, and beige tones. Highlights of the collection include the two-piece knitwear set, the cropped long sleeve Henley hoodie, the knit bike shorts, and the KITH branded nylon cap.

It’s a pretty expansive collection but it’s comfortably geared for this transitional part of the season we’re living in, so if you plan to cop, move fast before it gets too warm to rock knit.

The KITH WMNS 2021 collection is available now at the KITH webstore.

Travis Scott i-D Merch Capsule

We haven’t gotten a major Travis Scott sneaker drop yet this year but that doesn’t mean the Cactus Jack merch has stopped. This week Scott is teaming up with i-D magazine and Spike Jonze for a special capsule collection featuring sketches by the famous director and minimal graphics featuring I-D and Cactus Jack branding. The small collection consists only of hoodies, t-shirts, and a beanie dressed in a dusty brown, green, and black color scheme typical of Cactus Jack offerings.

The capsule is being released alongside a new “Utopia in Dystopia” I-D issue featuring Scott on the cover and shot by Jonze. Check out the interview to read about Scott’s upcoming album, Utopia, and shop the collection at the i-D merch store.

Palace Spring 21 Drop 3

For Palace’s third Spring 21 drop, the British skatewear label is dropping another layer-heavy collection featuring patchwork hoodies (everyone’s current favorite trend), colorful sweaters featuring the Tri-Ferg logo, long-sleeves, button-ups, and thankfully, a mask. If you’re looking to pick up some headwear, Palace’s new drop also includes a pretty sweet six-panel hat, a not very cool lightning beanie, and of course, a bucket hat. The bucket hat is wrapped in wool so it goes extra heavy on the ‘90s British rave vibes.

Palace also dropped a Stella Artois co-branded collaboration last week which is definitely worth checking out if you like Stella. I mean, you’d have to like Stella a lot to rock some Stella Artois branded streetwear, but there has got to be some hardcore Stella stan out there!

The Palace Spring 21 drop three is set to drop on February 26th at the Palace webstore.

Police now believe Lady Gaga may have been the target of the thieves who shot her assistant and stole two of her French bulldogs, according to TMZ. The singer is currently offering a half-million-dollar ransom for the safe return of her pets, which may have been the point all along. Using a neighbor’s security video that caught the robbery in progress, police theorize that the assailants were aware of just whose dogs they were taking.

Adding to the fact that the thieves’ white sedan pulls up alongside Gaga’s assistant Ryan Fischer in the video, law enforcement sources told TMZ that Fischer wasn’t exactly secretive about his employer. He told “numerous people” in the neighborhood that the dogs belonged to the singer, so it was seemingly common knowledge. Meanwhile, due to the darkness of the street, police don’t think the thieves would have been able to tell that the dogs were valuable French bulldogs — although dognapping and pet ransom are pretty common in affluent neighborhoods, as residents usually offer rewards for “missing” pets that thieves often return to collect.

However, rarely is a case so high-profile as this one is, or as violent. The fact that Fischer was accosted and shot suggests the thieves may have targeted him specifically, knowing the dogs’ owner was one of the biggest pop stars on the planet and being willing to use extreme measures to get ahold of the ransom money. Further complicating things is the fact that Gaga’s dogs were never chipped, so identifying them if they are sold out-of-state — another common tactic of dognappers — will be very difficult.

Gaga’s father spoke out against the attack on Fox News, saying “Our whole family is upset and praying Koji and Gustavo are not harmed. Help us catch these creeps.”

The always entertaining Jason Mantzoukas dropped by Late Night with Seth Meyers on Thursday where he showed off his hilarious, new COVID mask that practically left Meyers in tears. While talking about his pandemic life that’s left him stranded at home for a year with no one to talk to but the weird paintings on his wall (that he can’t stop buying from eBay), Mantzoukas joked about his quarantined beard and how he’s trying to go for the “full circle.” Of course, with a beard that big, Mantzoukas runs into trouble when it comes time to wear a mask when out in public, but he seems to have a found a solution. Namely a giant rubber screaming baby mask.

After disappearing off-camera, Mantzoukas emerged wearing his new COVID mask, and as you can tell by the screencap below, Meyers absolutely lost it.

And just to really sell the bit, here’s a random captioned shot of Mantzoukas attempting to talk to people at the grocery store with his special mask:

While Mantzoukas probably doesn’t really wear the mask out in public, he could for an entirely different reason than full-beard COVID protection. Back in September, he was drawn into a wild Reddit relationship post involving a husband very questionably catfishing his wife as Mantzoukas. (For the record, The Good Place actor wasn’t involved in any way.) Problematic relationship issues aside, the incident stirred up a frenzy of Mantzoukas thirst on social media where scores of women admitted they’re extremely attracted to the bearded comedy actor. So, who knows? Maybe Mantzoukas does wear the baby mask so he can buy fresh avocados without being ogled at every turn. The man has feelings, too, folks.