Month: March 2021

Over the course of his career, Anderson .Paak has been gradually climbing his way up the Billboard charts. His four albums — Venice, Malibu, Oxnard, and Ventura — have performed progressively better on the Billboard 200: .Paak’s debut didn’t chart, then the other three records peaked respectively at Nos. 79, 11, and 4. This hasn’t translated to success on the Hot 100 chart for .Paak, though, as prior to this week, he never had a song appear on the chart.

That changed this week, however, thanks to his new supergroup with Bruno Mars, Silk Sonic. The band’s debut single, “Leave The Door Open,” debuted at No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart dated March 20. Getting on the Hot 100 is a major milestone, so naturally, .Paak is pretty excited.

.Paak shared an image of the top ten spots of the chart and wrote on Instagram, “Ima stretch this goose neck to The moooon!! All I can say is thank you!!!! To have a song like this debut in the hot 100 ( my first song to ever make it up there ) is truly amazing. It can’t happen without hard work and yalls support. Thanks for pushing everyone to greatness @brunomars and showing us new heights! I’ll never come down!! let’s keep rising! We love you for this!!! Y’all gonna have me faded all damn week!!”

Revisit Mars and .Paak’s recent debut performance of the song at the 2021 Grammys here.

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

What the previews of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier don’t show is that, yes there’s plenty of action, but we also get to dive deeper into the personal lives of both Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). As director Kari Skogland says, the normal running time of a movie wouldn’t allow that, but here, over the course of six episodes we get to know a lot more about these two men other than “they are friends with Steve Rogers.”

Ahead, Skogland gives us a preview of what to expect over the course of this new Disney+ series that debuts this Friday. And there’s a lot going on in this series that reflects current events. There’s of course the Marvel blip, which has taken on a new, eerie vibe amidst our real life pandemic. The first episode introduces the Flag Smashers, which seems to echo real life political unrest. And there’s Sam, as a Black man in America, questioning if he should be the one carrying Captain America’s shield, while the country he fought for seems to be conspiring against him.

So, first, the narrative for years has been when are more women going to be directing Marvel movies. And that has started to happen. But The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has been described as a “long movie,” so I feel your involvement should be getting even more attention.

Well, thank you for that. I really appreciate it. I mean, I’m part of a group of women who are coming on strong and I’m thrilled to be part of that. You know what? Making this as a movie, which you’re right, we approached it like a movie, and I think when people see all six, even though the rhythm of it is in sort of an hour space, the overall is very much in the movie paradigm: first act, second act, third act. So yeah, I’m very, very proud to be part of it.

Was there a difficulty on where to end each episode? Because I feel like it almost contradicts itself in that it’s divided into six, but playing together it will feel like a movie. The first one ends with suspense.

Exactly. Well, that’s what we did with all of them. We made a choice as to just where the story we wanted to be, to go, “Oh, wow, that just happened.” And, so, we chose accordingly.

You dig into both character’s personal lives. It feels like there’s a lot of fertile ground there.

Well, that’s one of the beauties of working in a six-part movie is that we were able to spend a little more time, and we’re able to get to know the characters on a more intimate basis. So, we were also not in quite the same pressure cooker of the two-hour movie when we would have to get to the ending and you can’t wander. So we were able to find out more about Sam’s world and find out more about Bucky and what his issues are with his identity. He’s having a crisis of who he is. How does he go forward? And where does he fit in? Nobody lives in a vacuum. So you are influenced by your surroundings and those pressures and how Sam is dealing with his family pressures. On top of just the returning from the blip. And being in a position where he has certain skills that are going to be called upon to help in extraordinary situations. So, I think it’s a marvelous space for the MCU. The doors are opening up for all of us to get to know these characters so differently.

When did filming on this end?

At the end of October.

How big was the blip going to be part of this pre-pandemic, then post-pandemic? Because everything about the Marvel blip now is super weird.

I know. And you know what? It was always part of our story and it didn’t change. So it was very much art imitating life, or life imitating art. So, no, we were exploring it because that was the cornerstone. And then when the pandemic happened, it just sort of sharpened our narrative, because we were already into things.

How did it sharpen?

I think it just made us all realize how incredibly relevant our conversation was, because post-blip, we’re exploring nationalism and patriotism and what that looks like. And some people want to turn back the clock and other people don’t. And so, you have this interesting dynamic of the past informing the future and the future is afraid of the past and all that stuff. It was sort of gathered up into our post-pandemic world similarly. So we just continued on with the story, but we realized how incredible it was that we were telling the story with this scope and relevance. And same was true, of course, of a black man carrying the shield. Because, at the same time, there was a lot of protests and very relevant conversation about racism in America and around the world. And we were telling that story, too. So we felt, I guess, very proud that we are part of a very current narrative and we wanted to tell a great story.

The Flag smashers have a role in this and I’m curious where that’s going. But is there a point with that aspect where fiction can’t get crazier than reality? Because we witnessed a horrible thing happen in January.

I think what is really terrific about us and the doors that we open, the conversation that we’re having, is that the whole goal is to be thought provoking. So I don’t think we have the answers, but I think we pose the questions. And the idea is to suggest that there is a need for an ongoing debate and an ongoing dialogue – that is asking the right questions. And, so, if we provoked that as part of our story, then we’ve done the job.

And then there’s a moment at the end of the first episode that puts the series in better focus.

Well, all I can tell you is that the ride that we go on is very unexpected. What was thought what was going to happen after Endgame – because we thought that we were going to go down a certain path – we did not go down that path. If there’s a door number one, two, and three? We definitely don’t choose door number one.

‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ debuts via Disney+ on Friday. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Although Rich Brian had some breakout singles in 2020, including his “Tokyo Drift” freestyle and the Guapdad 4000-featuring “Bali,” and released a seven-song EP, 1999, the Indonesian rapper has been relatively quiet over the past year, soaking up the success of his 2019 full-length, The Sailor.

Today, he released his first single of 2021, “Sydney.” Featuring a video-gamey, constantly evolving beat, the bouncy song finds Brian filling up the pages of his rhyme book with abstract, multi-syllabic thoughts about his growth as an artist. One fun example: “I show my love to legends, that’s why I like my own pictures.”

Speaking with Uproxx last year about his time social distancing during LA’s pandemic quarantine, Brian revealed how intentional his artistic growth has been. “I’ve been getting back to producing more,” he shared. “I’ve always produced and I started learning how to produce when I was like 16, 17. So, that’s always been a nice little skill to have just because it makes it easier for me to make songs and I don’t have to talk to people about what I want all the time. It just makes songwriting a lot better, and being able to learn arrangements and what these little languages are.”

“And it’s been a lot of different kinds of music,” he continued. “A lot of hip-hop stuff, then a lot of really melodic stuff, and that’s what comes out when I produce. I can’t really just do one thing because it gets really boring for me. So I try to switch it up.

Listen to “Sydney” above.

The 63rd Annual Grammys took place in-person Sunday. While the event was restricted in order to maintain social-distancing measures, there was still opportunities for artists to make a few outfit changes during the night. Harry Styles wore a few different looks throughout the night, but perhaps his most memorable was a beige plaid suit complete with a lavender feather boa. Many were reminded of Alicia Silverstone‘s outfit in Clueless after seeing Harry’s attire, and the actress agreed.

Ahead of taking home a Grammy for Pop Solo Performance for his track “Watermelon Sugar,” Styles walked the red carpet in his plaid suit. Silverstone took tot Twitter to praise the “Clueless vibes” of Harry’s look. “I am loving the #Clueless vibes @Harry_Styles!! Cher would be so honored (and totally approve!!) of this chic look. Congrats on your win at the #GRAMMYs last night,” she wrote, compiling some photos of her character’s iconic look to share alongside Styles’ outfit.

Silverstone wasn’t the only celebrity who congratulated Styles for his win. At the ceremony, Taylor Swift stood up and clapped as the singer was accepting his award. The two briefly dating back in 2012, and Swifties and Styles fans alike were freaking out over their interaction.

Find the full list of 2021 Grammy winners here.

The Miami Heat put together an impressive run in the NBA’s Orlando bubble, reaching the 2020 NBA Finals and performing at a competitive level against the Los Angeles Lakers despite some key injuries. As a result, the Heat faced substantially larger expectations as the 2020-21 season approached, especially when accounting for the return of the majority of the team’s core. As such, it was surprising to see Miami stumble out of the gate, posting a 7-14 record in the first 21 games. There were injury and COVID-19 protocol-related absences, however, and as the team rounds into form, the Heat are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

Erik Spoelstra’s team is now 21-18 overall and in sole possession of the No. 4 seed in the East. While the middle portion of the conference is jumbled to the point of comedy, Miami’s recent play stands out in that they are 10-1 in the last 11 games. In fact, the only loss came without Jimmy Butler in the lineup and, while the offense has been merely solid, Miami’s defense has been lights-out in allowing only 104.4 points per 100 possessions.

Opponents are shooting just 42.7 percent from the floor during that run, the lowest mark in the NBA over that span, and the Heat are also forcing a turnover on 17.2 percent of defensive possessions. Those marks may be unsustainable but, in short, Miami has been unbelievably good when Butler plays, and much of that success arrives due to stingy defense.

The Heat are a blistering 17-8 when Butler suits up this season and, beyond that, Miami sports a +6.6 net rating in 834 minutes with their centerpiece on the floor. In direct contrast, the Heat have a dismal -7.2 net rating when Butler is off the court, either for in-game rest or injury, and the team’s success, or lack thereof, seems to be directly attributable to his presence. Granted, Miami does have another All-Star in Bam Adebayo, but the talented big man has missed the last four games and, with Butler available, the Heat continue to win.

It may be unwise to assume the Heat can continue at their 17-8 pace when Butler plays, if only because some of the team’s cast seems to be stalling on some level. Tyler Herro’s bubble breakout hasn’t continued, with a 53.3 percent true shooting clip this season. Duncan Robinson remains one of the league’s best marksman, but he has been more human this season (39 percent from three and 61 percent true shooting) after a ludicrous display of efficiency in 2019-20.

Overall, the Heat have still been outscored for the season (-0.9 points per 100 possessions), and that is at least mildly concerning. As noted, those numbers swing to the positive when Butler plays but, even when he is on the floor, Miami’s offensive rating of 111.4 would place the Heat directly in the middle of the league. The team’s overall recipe could be one that dictates a top-five defense carrying the water of a middling offense but, without more information, it is tough to say that in definitive terms. Regardless, the Heat seem to have found their stride and, with a total mess in the standings beyond the top there, Miami is now in the driver’s seat for the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the first round.

Where does the uptick place the Heat in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s find out.

1. Brooklyn Nets (27-13, Last week — 1st)

The Nets assumed the top spot last week and did nothing to give it away. Brooklyn started the second half of the season with three straight wins, toppling the Celtics and Knicks in the process. At some point, Brooklyn is going to need Kevin Durant to return, but they are cruising without him.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (27-12, Last week — 4th)

Joel Embiid’s injury certainly casts a shadow over the proceedings in Philadelphia, but all indications are that it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. When he’s not playing, the 76ers aren’t the second-best team in the league, but they have a great profile right now and their offense is playing at perhaps its highest level of the season.

3. Phoenix Suns (26-12, Last week — 3rd)

It wasn’t a blemish-less week for the Suns, as they dropped a home game to the Pacers. Phoenix did recover from there to pound the Grizzlies on Monday, and their recent run is ridiculous. The Suns are 18-4 in the last 22 games and, since that blitz began on Jan. 28, they have both the best record and the best net rating (+10.2) in the NBA.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (25-14, Last week — 6th)

The Bucks are 9-1 in the last 10 games. Ho-hum. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 29.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists per game. Ho-hum. Milwaukee is second in net rating. Ho-hum.

5. Utah Jazz (28-10, Last week — 2nd)

On the positive side, the Jazz continue to lead the NBA in both win-loss record and point differential. That’s not a bad place to be. Utah has been mortal recently, though, with a 4-5 mark in the last nine and three losses in the last four games. They were due for a downturn at some point, simply because of how dominant they were, but finding the true level will be interesting.

6. Denver Nuggets (23-16, Last week — 5th)

Denver had a hiccup at home against Dallas on a back-to-back this weekend, but they recovered well. The Nuggets took care of business in a 15-point win over the Pacers, and this is a team that is rounding into form at 6-1 in the last seven games. If they keep winning, Nikola Jokic could make a bigger impact on the MVP race because, well, he’s been incredible.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (26-13, Last week — 7th)

Despite a comical missed free throw from Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers made light work of the Warriors on Monday night. That doesn’t fix everything, but Los Angeles is just trying to hold the line until the return of Anthony Davis. Upcoming home games against Minnesota, Charlotte and Atlanta this week may help.

8. L.A. Clippers (26-15, Last week — 9th)

L.A. had an awful loss in New Orleans this weekend and they are just 5-7 in the last 12 games. The Clippers did bounce back by beating Dallas on the road, but it’s not as if this is a red-hot team at the moment. They are leaning on their full-season sample and frustrations are peeking out.

9. Miami Heat (21-18, Last week — 12th)

The Heat have five of the next six games at home, which provides a path to stay hot. We’ll see if they can replicate their recent play or whether the previous baseline will reemerge.

10. Boston Celtics (20-18, Last week — 8th)

Tuesday’s national TV tilt between Boston and Utah will be fascinating. The Celtics are playing much better basketball in recent days, and the Jazz will be looking to recapture their mojo.

11. Dallas Mavericks (20-18, Last week — 10th)

It’s pretty easy to believe in Dallas right now. They are 11-4 in the last 15 games and, after some struggles, the team’s vaunted offense is back. The Mavericks are scoring 1.18 points per possession during that run.

12. Atlanta Hawks (19-20, Last week — 17th)

Will the Hawks ever lose under Nate McMillan? They are 5-0 since he took over and, even when accounting for soft competition, Atlanta is now winning games they are supposed to win. That’s pretty much all they need to do in the East.13. Charlotte Hornets (20-18, Last week — 20th)

We’re giving the Hornets the bump that comes with four straight wins. It has to be noted that the Hornets beat the Pistons, short-handed Raptors and Kings this week, but every win counts in the standings.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (22-16, Last week — 11th)

Portland is 4-6 in the last 10 and just 1-2 after the All-Star break. The team’s only post-break win is over Minnesota, which they gave right back. It’s not problematic yet, but the Blazers aren’t playing at their top level. The return of CJ McCollum will definitely help, though, and he’s on track to play Tuesday.

15. San Antonio Spurs (20-16, Last week — 13th)

Since a stretch of four postponements in February, the Spurs are just 4-5. Most of that can be traced to a middling offense, and San Antonio has three more games left on a road trip. After that, San Antonio plays nine (!) straight at home, which is always nice from a scheduling standpoint.

16. Golden State Warriors (20-20, Last week — 16th)

It’s pretty weird right now for the Warriors. They just lost five out of six, but the only win came over the Jazz. Also, all five losses came to playoff teams from the West and four of them came on the road. Shrug.

17. New York Knicks (20-20, Last week — 14th)

The Knicks are the definition of average right now. They are 20-20 and they have outscored their opponents by exactly one point this season. Of course, that would’ve been seen as a huge win in the preseason, but they aren’t playing quite as well as they have at various stages of the season.

18. Chicago Bulls (17-20, Last week — 19th)

On the heels of two double-digit losses to start the second half, the Bulls were wavering a bit. They did respond by thumping a shorthanded Raptors team on Sunday, but Billy Donovan is still tinkering with lineups and there isn’t much stability at the moment. Alas, they’re hanging around the playoff mix.

19. Memphis Grizzlies (17-19, Last week — 18th)

Memphis went 1-3 this week and, really, things swung in OKC. They blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter to the Thunder, and that probably cost them a couple spots in the rankings. That’s a game that a team competing for the playoffs shouldn’t lose.

20. Indiana Pacers (17-21, Last week — 21st)

This week was a mixed bag for Indiana. They are just 2-7 in the last nine games, and that isn’t inspiring confidence from anyone. In contrast, they looked very good in a road win over red-hot Phoenix on Saturday, so that helps to stabilize matters, and Caris LeVert’s return to the floor is a very welcome sight.

21. New Orleans Pelicans (17-22, Last week — 24th)

Overall, it was a good week for the Pelicans. With that said, they were absolutely horrendous in a 30-point loss to the Wolves coming out of the break, so it’s tough to get too excited. They did bounce back with two wins, though, and New Orleans is just 1.5 games out of the play-in.

22. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-22, Last week — 23rd)

Every time it feels like the Thunder are really leaning into the tank… they get another win. That happened with a home victory over Memphis on Sunday after a dreadful effort in a 22-point home loss on Saturday. The product the Thunder are putting on the floor right now does not lend itself to success, but they continue to overachieve and they are pretty fun.

23. Toronto Raptors (17-22, Last week — 15th)

The Raptors have lost five in a row dating back to the first half of the season. That is very bad for a team trying to make the playoffs. At the same time, they’ve been playing without three of their best four players, so it is tough to fault Toronto for their uneven performance.

24. Washington Wizards (14-24, Last week — 22nd)

It wasn’t a great week for the Wizards, with the team finishing 0-4. However, three of those losses came to Philadelphia and Milwaukee, and Russell Westbrook had a 42-point explosion over the weekend.

25. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-24, Last week — 25th)

Cleveland only played twice this week, and they scored 82 points in each game. That does track with the team’s league-worst offense, but it’s very difficult to win in the modern NBA when you can’t get to 90. Optimistically, Larry Nance’s return should help things, but Kevin Love came back and got injured again, pouring cold water on much optimism they’d soon be at full strength.

26. Sacramento Kings (15-24, Last week — 26th)

Let’s call this week a wash for the Kings. They did get a win, but it came over the hapless Rockets. From there, they lost two games in which they struggled to get stops against Atlanta and Charlotte. Sound familiar?

27. Detroit Pistons (10-29, Last week — 27th)

New week, same story. Detroit’s peripherals still don’t look as bad as you would think. Detroit is still losing over and over again. The Pistons are 0-3 since the break and they’ve dropped seven of the last eight. That includes a Monday night loss in which the team’s leading scorer posted only 15 points.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-30, Last week — 30th)

The Wolves still have the NBA’s worst record, but they’ve won two out of the last three games. That is more than enough to earn a bump in the pecking order. The first win was a 30-point drubbing of New Orleans, then Minnesota used 34 points (!) from Anthony Edwards to defeat Portland on Sunday.

29. Orlando Magic (13-26, Last week — 28th)

Things aren’t quite as dire in Orlando as they are in Houston (see below), but it isn’t great. The Magic lost their final five games before the All-Star break and then lost three more in a row as they emerged from the hiatus. Nikola Vucevic has been brilliant, but an eight-game losing skid likely saw Orlando’s already faint playoff hopes evaporate.

30. Houston Rockets (11-26, Last week — 29th)

Remember when the Rockets were 11-10? Houston flashed just above the .500 mark with a win over Memphis on Feb. 4. Unfortunately, that is the last time the Rockets won a game. Losing 16 straight is grounds for alarm, even if the injury story is bleak and Houston is in a full-blown organizational transition.

Representative Lauren Boebert is starting to reach Ted Cruz levels of having tweets blow up in her face. The congresswoman from Colorado kicked off her Tuesday morning by asking people what they’re thankful for after a year of “draconian restrictions.” However, Boebert may or may not care that everyone can see her tweet, not only Republicans who would agree with her overly dramatic description of recommended measures that helped stem the spread of the coronavirus.

“Gratitude has been a difficulty in the last year,” Boebert tweeted. “All of us have faced challenges being limited by draconian restrictions. I am grateful for the chance to serve my nation & grateful in knowing strength is developed in adversity. What’s one thing you’re grateful for today?”

After practically rolling out the red carpet to her many detractors, the rootin’ tootin’ representative was quickly roasted as the replies brought up everything from her alleged involvement in the Capitol insurrection to her and her husband’s past run-ins with the law. There were also a few dunks reminding Boebert that Biden won despite her efforts to falsely claim the president election was “stolen.”

Of course, this latest social media blunder is mild compared to Boebert’s last scandal where she posted a video demanding that Nancy Pelosi tear down the fence protecting the Capitol and ended her argument with two gunshots. Invoking violence so soon after the January 6 attack led to numerous condemnations of Boebert’s video.

“What we have seen over the last three years, and certainly on January 6th, is that words have consequences, especially if you’re an elected official,” fellow Colorado Congressman Jason Crow said in a statement denouncing Boebert’s use of gun violence. “People listen to you and they act on what you say, and very real people are getting hurt and getting killed, because some people don’t understand that. That’s a leadership failure and we can’t tolerate it.”

(Via Lauren Boebert on Twitter)

In late 2020, Elliot Page, the Oscar-nominated Juno star and most powerful sibling on Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, came out as transgender and non-binary to an outpouring of love. Both The Umbrella Academy and Netflix Twitter accounts joined the party with the latter confirming that Elliot would definitely return to play Vanya Hargreeves in Season 3 of the wildly popular apocalyptic-superhero series. Season 3 is currently in production with actor Justin L. Min recently revealing a first look at the Sparrow Academy, which should annoy the hell out of the O.G. Hargreeves siblings, and all hell will break loose again. Page, too, posted a set photo while expressing excitement from the set, but how is his career doing otherwise?

Fan-freaking-tastic. Page covers the new issue of TIME to reflect upon how things are going since publicly coming out as his authentic self. “With deep respect for those who came before me, gratitude for those who have supported me & great concern for the generation of trans youth we must all protect,” Page wrote on Twitter. “[P]lease join me and decry anti-trans legislation, hate & discrimination in all its forms.”

Within the expansive TIME cover article, this wonderful career nugget surfaces:

So what will it mean for Page’s career? While Page has appeared in many projects, he also faced challenges landing female leads because he didn’t fit Hollywood’s narrow mold. Since Page’s Instagram post, his team is seeing more activity than they have in years. Many of the offers coming in—to direct, to produce, to act—are trans-related, but there are also some “dude roles.”

The full article is well worth reading, including a look at how Page’s expectations of “both applause and vitriol” came to fruition after his statement:

“What I was anticipating was a lot of support and love and a massive amount of hatred and transphobia,” says Page. “That’s essentially what happened.” What he did not anticipate was just how big this story would be. Page’s announcement, which made him one of the most famous out trans people in the world, started trending on Twitter in more than 20 countries. He gained more than 400,000 new followers on Instagram on that day alone. Thousands of articles were published. Likes and shares reached the millions. Right-wing podcasters readied their rhetoric about “women in men’s locker rooms.” Casting directors reached out to Page’s manager saying it would be an honor to cast Page in their next big movie.

There’s also a special mention of how Netflix updated Page’s film credits and landing page, but the coolest thing of all is this: once an episode of The Umbrella Academy concludes, the words “Elliot Page” immediately flash onto the screen as the credits and “rock violin music” start to roll. Yes, this looks seriously rad.

Read the full TIME interview here.

(Via TIME)

It’s only been a few weeks since “NFT” became the new buzzword, and many people have already capitalized on them. These non-fungible tokens are being used to sell digital artwork at a steep price. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is selling the first-ever tweet as an NFT and Grimes made $6 million in one day by selling her artwork on an NFT marketplace. Now following in Grimes’ footsteps, Elon Musk is breaking into the NFT industry through music.

The Tesla CEO and billionaire released an EDM track this week about NFTs, which he’s selling as an NFT. It’s only fitting that the track is techno, as Musk recently officially dubbed himself the “Technoking of Tesla.” The song itself mostly instrumental, but it does have a few NFT-related lyrics: “NFT for your vanity / Computers never sleep / It’s verified / It’s guaranteed.” Just hours after the song was posted for sale on Valuables, a website hosted by Cent, the highest bid was already for $1.1 million.

While the billionaire is trying to capitalize on the NFT craze, some of his followers are joining him. “I’m selling this screenshot of Elon’s song he’s selling about NFTs as an NFT as an NFT,” one user jokingly wrote underneath the song.

Surprisingly, Musk is no stranger to music-making. Of course, it’d be hard not to be if your partner was Grimes. In early 2020, Musk made his EDM debut with the rhythmic track “Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe,” a follow-up to his heavily-AutoTuned rap single “RIP Harambe.”

Listen to Elon Musk’s NFT song above.

It has been a few years since Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins released a full-length project. Although he released an EP, The Circus, in January of last year, the critical and cult favorite has laid low since 2018, when he shared Pieces Of A Man. However, one exception to that trend was his appearance on Kaytranada‘s late 2019 album Bubba, on which Mick contributed a verse on the song “Gray Area.” Now, two days after that album won a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album, the two iconoclastic artists reunite on “Designer Frames.”

Given dance music’s roots in 1980s Chicago House music and Mick’s deep ties to his hometown’s musical history, his chemistry with Kaytranada should come as no surprise and requires little adjustment from either artist to fit into an easygoing groove. The mid-tempo beat Kaytranada provides takes cues from traditional African drum rhythms with a mellow synthesizer rounding things out. Meanwhile, Mick boasts of his “$1,000 Cazals” and coolly delivers a trademark, dense-packed vocal performance with some truly impressive wordplay.

On Twitter, Mick was coy about whether or not the new track would preface a full collection of music in the near future, although he did that he was shooting a video. He’s also getting into the crypto art game as well, sharing a new song as an NFT. Listen to “Designer Frames” below.

Concrete Cowboy is a good movie title. It’s alliterative, catchy, and tells what you need to know: it’s about a city cowboy. That being said, I would have gone with Cowboy Idris Elba Riding a Horse. I know Netflix doesn’t release viewership numbers, but I can guarantee a movie with that title would be the biggest hit in the streamer’s history.

Based on Greg Neri’s novel Ghetto Cowboy, Concrete Cowboy follows Cole (played by Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin), a troubled teen who is sent to live with his estranged father in North Philadelphia. His dad, Harp (Elba), teaches him about the urban cowboy (not the Travolta movie) lifestyle. “Fifty percent of all cowboys were Black,” someone says in the trailer above. “Even the Lone Ranger was black.” (It’s true.)

“For a long time, there’s been a real sort of mistelling of history around Black people and horses and cowboys and whatnot,” Elba told Variety about Concrete Cowboy. “It feels really apt to be able to tell a part history that’s been definitely buried, and in the case of Concrete Cowboy, that history is right now. Those stables — they face being taken away forever and, part of what [director Ricky Staub] said to me was that, ‘I’m hoping that we made this movie and they keep the stables, based on the fact that people fall in love with the story and history and heritage of the stables.’”

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

While spending the summer in North Philadelphia, a troubled teen (Caleb McLaughlin) is caught between a life of crime and his estranged father’s (Idris Elba) vibrant urban-cowboy subculture. Inspired by the novel Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri, Concrete Cowboy is directed by Ricky Staub and co-stars Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint and Clifford “Method Man” Smith.

Concrete Cowboy premieres on Netflix on April 2.