Month: September 2021

The Jonas Brothers have been pretty active this year, releasing songs like “Remember This,” “Leave Before You Love Me,” and Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack contribution “Mercy.” Now, Kevin, Nick, and Joe have a brand-new number called “Who’s In Your Head,” which, as Billboard points out, the brothers recently premiered live on their “Remember This” tour.

The song itself is a fast-paced, tightly produced pop number, featuring the boys singing over a funky guitar line about a lover who’s, let’s say, a little distracted: “I wanna know who’s in your head/ Stealing your heart while I’m still bleeding/ Who’s in your bed/ Wrapped in your arms while I ain’t sleeping/ Got lost in your halo halo/ I just wanna know Now who’s in your head in your head.”

As for the JoBros’ ongoing tour, the dates are still going strong and are set to wrap up on October 27 at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Back in May, Nick opened up to Entertainment Tonight about the new music his band’s been working on during the pandemic. “We’ve been working together in this year and a half where we’ve been apart, and always kinda keeping on the grind a little bit, trying to find new songs and and new inspiration,” he said. “I think with the tour in mind, it would make sense, but again I don’t wanna give too much away, just keep your eyes and ears open.”

Listen to “Who’s In Your Head” above.

You know that a far-right-winger has really skidded off the deep end when even Steve Bannon isn’t buying what they’re selling.

Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) appears to spend much of her time harassing fellow congresspeople, and her severely troll-heavy antics prompted the House to stripped her committee seats, yet she’s nursing the belief that she’s “the most effective member of Congress this session.” Yes, she very much said this (not too far flung from the moment that she advocated for government shutdown) while appearing on the War Room podcast. It was not the right-wing’s finest hour, since MGT was full of lies as usual, and as a result, Bannon clearly found himself in an awkward position.

Look at his face. Bannon served up a one-two move with a side eye and a facing-forward stare. He knew the drill.

In fact, he pretty much pulled a “Jim from The Office,” as one Twitter user noted with another person mentioning Oliver Hardy vibes.

He’s apparently unwilling, even as one of the most influential members of the right-wing fringe, to co-sign Marjorie Taylor Greene’s nuttery with his body language. It’s quite telling, too, what Bannon is unwilling to endorse these days. He even recently appeared to turn on MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell over his failure to bring receipts regarding the Big Lie. Is Bannon growing a true barometer, or is he simply trying to save his own tush? Whatever the case, people noticed, and “Even Bannon” began trending on Twitter.

Surely, Marjorie Taylor Greene hasn’t even noticed. She’s too busy living in her own reality while political foes assemble in an attempt to take her seat in 2022.

If you are a human being in this country, you’ve experienced some kind of trauma over the past 18 months. We held our collective breath to ride out the end of a presidency that celebrated bigotry. We watched a coup at the Capitol unfold in real-time. We lost oh so many co-workers, friends, family members, and lovers during a global pandemic. We were reminded over-and-over that we still have miles to go when it comes to race.

As a Black woman, I feel these traumas in my body. I find myself holding space for them — both my own agonies and those experienced by people in my community. Each time I care for my children, my friends, my students, my neighbors their wounds stick to me. It becomes… a lot to deal with.

By spring of ’21, I felt so tired. I wanted to heal. Needed it. So I booked a trip to the Sonoran Desert to restore.

On my flight to Tucson, I thought about what parts of me were asking for the most attention. Number one was my mental health. Honestly, I just wanted a break. Number two was to reconnect with me. I needed to silence the noise of the world telling me who I am all the time. Number three was to feel luxurious again. Wearing gowns is my self-love language, so I packed lots of long-flowing satin fits.

Miraval Arizona had the ingredients I was seeking with the bonus that it’s an all-inclusive resort. So all thinking stopped the moment the complimentary car service scooped me and my mom (who better to help me rediscover myself?) up from the airport.

The first stop for restoration was the outdoor soaking saltwater pool. It was literally everything — the perfect temperature and my skin has never felt so soft, thanks to the water’s therapeutic properties. Since my trip was at the beginning of monsoon season, a traditionally slower time at the resort, I found myself in the pool alone most of the time. Basically, it was my own private oasis.

I wanted space to breathe. Well, I couldn’t ask for more space than the expansive desert at dusk. One of my favorite moments was watching joy light up my mom’s face while horseback riding during golden hour with Tucson Mountain Stables. It was so silent, so peaceful, so beautiful. The dry evening air tasted sweet.

Something that I’m taking home with me is how the mountains glow a warm pink at sunset. Everyone needs to experience this delicious magic.

I’ve spent my entire existence caring for other people. So believe me when I say that taking a week to care for myself felt truly transformative. I skipped signing up for structured traditional-retreat-like experiences. Instead, I took solo morning desert walks until just before the desert sun began beating down in full. I spent my nights sitting by the fire pit on my patio; letting parts of my past flutter into the flames.

My time in nature helped me face my need to do everything, and do it all perfectly. I learned to surrender. While riding horses, I had to let go of control. They are majestic powerful creatures that can literally do whatever they want whenever they want, making them excellent mindfulness teachers. Plants reminded me to slow down and look, to really see what’s ahead of me.

Cacti are beautiful and they also ask you to pay attention. If you lose focus while moving around them you will feel it.

My retreat made a lasting imprint on how I feel about myself and what I know I deserve. I believe you deserve that sort of refuge, too. Especially right now — at a time when we are dealing with a whole bunch of individual, collective, and societal pain points (some systemic, some unique to this moment in time, etc.).

Returning home, I felt more whole. In part because of all the quiet relaxation (and that saltwater pool), but more accurately because the relaxation allowed me space to release traumas — some generational and some that I’ve been holding since I was a teen. I gave them all back. Returned them to ash. Left them in the desert earth.

Life feels lighter now. I’ve never breathed so deeply. We all need that right now.

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Check Tucson’s COVID guidelines here.

We’d like to acknowledge and honor the original peoples of this land, the O’odham Jeweḍ, Tohono O’odham, Sobaipuri, and Hohokam nations.

Friday marked an important day for the Clippers franchise, as they broke ground on their new arena in Inglewood that will allow them to finally have a home of their own that isn’t shared (and synonymous) with the Lakers. The Clippers quest to get out of the shadow of the Lakers will take them to a new arena, financed fully by owner Steve Ballmer, for the 2024-25 season (at least, that’s the plan as of now).

Ahead of the groundbreaking, a new video hyping the arena and offering some details about what it will feature was released, narrated by Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, in which they go over all of the amenities that will make the Intuit Dome, as it will be named initially, unique in the world of sports and entertainment arenas.

I do like the subtle digs at Staples Center in this, like “this isn’t a hockey arena,” and it certainly looks like a rather outrageous facility. Rather than a jumbotron hanging over the court, they will have a halo board running around the entire top of the arena — the Falcons have one of these at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. There are also a number of courts outside with screens to watch the games and, unsurprisingly, there’s a big focus on luxury suites and what they call “cabanas.”

The stadium has a somewhat similar look to the other new sports building in L.A., SoFi Stadium, and in three years these renderings will become reality and the Clippers will open the 2024-25 season in their own place for once.

In a few days, the multi-artist tribute compilation I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico is set to drop via Verve Records. Originally conceived in 2017, the tribute album was executive produced by the late Hal Willner, who was a close friend of Lou Reed’s. In the meantime, we’ve already heard Courtney Barnett’s sardonic cover of “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” plus Matt Berninger’s rendition of “I’m Waiting For The Man” and Kurt Vile & The Violators’ cover of “Run Run Run.” Now, we have Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen joining forces to cover “Femme Fatale,” which you can hear above.

Offering a substantially slower take on the original, Etten creates a moody atmosphere with heavy piano chords and a wash of synths, orchestral strings and Olsen’s haunting harmonies.

Last month, Courtney Barnett talked about covering “I’ll Be Your Mirror” for this compilation, which also features selections from Michael Stipe, Andrew Bird, Lucius, St. Vincent and Thomas Bartlett, Thurston Moore, Bobby Gillespie, King Princess, Fontaines D.C., and Iggy Pop and Matt Sweeney. “I love them… [The Velvet Underground & Nico],” Barnett said. “When I listen to ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ and read the lyrics, I realize it’s a perfect song. I can relate to every inch of it. I just felt like I could get inside the world of this song.”

I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico is out 9/24 via Verve Records. Pre-order it here.

Earlier this week, D Smoke announced the title and release date of his upcoming second album, War & Wonders, after releasing a pair of singles in 2021 that built anticipation for a follow-up to his Grammy-nominated debut, Black Habits. In January, he started the long-play rollout with the video for “It’s OK,” then held back on releasing “Shame On You” until August, with its video following this month.

However, it seems now that the announcement is official, he’s not waiting to put out new music. He did so today in the form of “Common Sense,” a jazzy, introspective single that questions “Who you working for? / What you represent?” Smoke’s brother, TDE singer SiR, also appears to a plaintive chorus wondering, “What’s the price we pay for common sense?” And although the title’s parallel to the rapper who formerly went by Common Sense is probably a coincidence, D Smoke actually just performed with the Chicago legend, posting pics from the event on his Instagram.

In addition to the singles promoting his new album, D Smoke also released a handful of commercial singles this year, including the Last Chance U theme “Basketball,” the Spotify Sessions single “Sade,” and a feature verse on Nigerian artist Fireboy DML’s “Champion.”

Watch D Smoke’s “Common Sense” video featuring SiR above.

War & Wonders is due 9/24 via Woodworks/EMPIRE.

This article originally appeared on 08.30.14

This is Skylar.

Even though he was born “Katherine Elizabeth,” Skylar lived like a regular little boy for most of his childhood. He was happy.

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But when puberty hit, he started feeling intense pressure to be “normal” and fit in. So he tried to present as more traditionally “feminine.”

But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was denying a huge part of himself. Late in high school, he started taking testosterone.

Skylar started feeling more comfortable immediately. And before he knew it, he was at his “dream school,” having the time of his life. And taking lots and lots of pictures of himself.

Access to medical care played a big part in Skylar becoming the person he is today, but that wasn’t all. Check out his story and walk five years in his shoes. It’s definitely a perspective we don’t see often enough.

The Chicago Bulls have been through a whole heck of a lot this summer. The team has made it a point to revamp its roster, with the guard trio of Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and DeMar DeRozan coming to the Windy City in an attempt to help propel the team to the postseason for the first time since 2017.

One player who will fight for minutes alongside these guys is Coby White, the third-year guard who the team selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. White is coming off of a promising second season in Chicago — he averaged 15.1 points and 4.8 assists in 31.2 minutes per game as a sophomore in the league — but between shoulder surgery and the sudden influx of talent at the guard spots on the roster, the former North Carolina standout has a fight for playing time ahead of him.

The good news for White is that he feels he’s in a good place after surgery, and as he told Dime, there’s “great vibes” around the entire team right now. We caught up with White on behalf of the McDonald’s All-American game to talk this summer, watching a pair of people with whom he’s close in the NBA Finals, UNC guys in the NBA, and more.

I know you’re here with the McDonald’s All-American Game. And as an alum of the game, what is it about the McDonald’s All-American Game that makes it so special?

For me, it’s unreal watching the game. You dreamed of doing those things, going to the McDonald’s All-American Game. Most guys who make it to that game make it to the NBA, which is where you want to be, or to have prolific college careers. For me, my main focus was going out and getting to college and getting a free education, and then the NBA came along a lot later. But for me, growing up and watching those games, the high school challenge, guys that you look up to — especially when you’re younger, guys you watch their mixtapes — it was a it was a blessing to be a part of the game be a part of the history.

The game is back in Chicago now. As someone who isn’t from the city but has gotten to know it over your NBA career, what is it that makes Chicago such a great basketball city?

Yeah, honestly, I think it’s a basketball city, but it’s really a sports tow. They’re just like, super competitive and super into sports. And, you know, that’s the main thing. When I first got drafted here, I noticed that up front. They’re super competitive in any sport, they just want to win. Michael Jordan played here. So, to have it in Chicago, such a great city, it’s just dope, man, it’s gonna be a fun experience. I played in 2018. It was in Atlanta, it was cool, but after being in Chicago for, going into my third year, I think being here would be fun.

How’s the shoulder feeling? And just generally, how’s this offseason been for you?

I’ve been productive, man. My surgery, getting better better each and every day. I’m just focusing on the rehab. It’s getting better each and every day. I’m just trying to stay in the moment and just focus on the now, and just focus on getting better today.

I imagine the shoulder might impact this a bit, but where are the areas of your game that you’ve been putting in the most work this offseason?

For sure. I think the big thing is working on my body. I was in the weight room a lot this summer, because I couldn’t do much on the court. Working on my body, I finally get a chance to get strong in areas that I knew I needed to be stronger in — mobility, hip mobility, ankle mobility, balance. I’ve been working on a ton of stuff in the weight room. I think just being off the court and not being able to play is a challenge itself. You appreciate the game that much more. So, this was a humbling experience for me.

It’s been a really busy offseason for the Bulls, especially with adding a bunch of dudes to that backcourt. What have the conversations been like with the coaches about how they view you as fitting into this entire reshaped backcourt?

Right now, man, we’re just trying to figure everything out, everything happened so quickly. We a lot of new players in a short amount of time. So right now, I feel like we just want to figure everybody out. A lot of guys haven’t even stepped on the court together yet. There’s a lot of stuff to be doing as a team just trying to figure it out. I’m excited for this year, man. A lot of good guys, a lot of older, good guys that come from winning. So you know, it’ll be a fun year and exciting year for sure.

Yeah, and what has the general vibe been among you guys? Because you made a bunch of big moves, there’s a real buzz about Chicago playoff basketball, Zach just wins a gold medal. There’s so much positive stuff around the team, and it seems like an exciting time in Chicago.

We’re excited coming into this year, we got some expectations. But like I said, as a unit, as a team, we’re just taking it one day at a time, we’re just trying to be great at each and every day individually and as a team. It’s great vibes going into the facility. Like I said, we made a lot of big moves. It’ll be exciting for me, especially, running with older guys. We got a full year with Vuc, I get a year with DeMar, I get a year with Alex Caruso. Guys that’s already been in the league and came from winning. I’m excited.

Moving the attention away from the Bulls for a second, I want to ask you about a couple of guys who were just in the Finals. First one, Cam Johnson, everyone remembers your reaction when you saw him get drafted, I’m guessing you weren’t surprised by what we saw from him during that playoff run.

Yeah. I was actually talking about Cam the other day, and I was just saying how in college, and even now, I was always in the gym, and every time I was in the gym, Cam was in the gym. I’ve seen all the hard work he put in, and then you know, older guys in college basketball sometimes kind of get a bad rap, the potential part and issues maximizing potential, all of that. I got a year of playing with Cam, and for him, he was a great leader for our team on and off the court. He kind of is a personable guy, he helped me out with a lot of stuff on and off the court when I got to school. So, for me, to see Cam go as high as he did, it wasn’t a surprise to me, just because I knew how much work he put in and how good of a player he really was. I think he’s proven that, that Phoenix did the right thing.

What is it about Cam and how he’s wired that made him so ready to, you know, the Suns make it to the playoffs, Suns make it to the Finals, and he didn’t seem shaken by that at any point.

I mean, honestly, Cam, I think adversity has shaped him. He started off at Pitt, didn’t go as planned, went to Carolina, I think he had some surgeries in between there with his hip, and he had a lot of little nagging injury that he had to deal with. You go through all that in college, I think he went to school five or six years, and it’s like, people start to count you out. So I think Cam does an unbelievable job believing in himself and not let anyone else define who he is. And he’s always prepared for the moment. He treats every game like it’s his last, he’s prepared for every game from the jump. He’s always super focused. And like I said, man, you mix the talent with the hard work, only good can come from that.

The other dude I wanted to ask about was Chris. I know you were in his AAU program and you guys have been close for years. What was it like seeing him finally get to that stage? Because while the Suns didn’t win, Chris played fantastic basketball.

Just knowing CP, I know he’s excited to get there, but I know, he took it as, like, he has to get there again. He wants to finish the job. He’s not too high off that playoff run, or too low. I know he’s like, man, I gotta win, I got to focus on winning. And that’s the biggest thing in his career, he has always been a winner. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when you mention Chris Paul, I just think a winner. He scores a lot, assists, plays hard. He’s one of the most intelligent players in the league. But I just think winning. So, it was dope to see him in that environment, man, and not let injuries, anything — he had a little moment with COVID. And I was just like, man, he can’t catch a break, there’s just always something in the playoffs, but he got past it. And you see how Phoenix, those guys talk so highly of him, his leadership and his qualities as a player, and as a person. I’ve been having that in my corner since I was 16.

I’ve asked Kentucky guys about this. I’ve asked Duke guys about this. I want to ask you, what’s the bond like with UNC guys who are in the league?

Yeah, those guys are cool, but I just feel like Carolina has the biggest family. Kentucky’s cool, Duke is cool, but you don’t see all the different types of players that come back, man. When I was in school, I was playing pickup with Rasheed Wallace. Like, those guys. Raymond Felton, guys that don’t even play in the NBA no more, they come back and give back to us. You play with all those guys and they come back and give. Tyler Hansbrough, dudes like that. Ed Davis spends his summers out there a lot. Danny Green loves going back, everybody goes back and it’s just like, I feel like you don’t see that.

Are there any older UNC due who have been especially good mentors for you over your two years in the league so far?

Vince, especially. VC. Every time I talk to him, every time I played against him, especially with Atlanta, every time I talk to him, we chopped it up. He told me keep your head up and asked how I was doing. Antawn Jamison, I remember we was playing and he was there. And he just came and sat down during my pregame and we talked for, like, 30 minutes about a lot of different stuff. Danny Green, he’s a winner, but he always checks on me every time I play him. It’s like, my first time ever meeting Danny Green was on the court.

My background has become the star of my Zoom calls, pushing me to the margins as people ogle the action figures, statues, and full-size muppet that I’ve collected over the years. And I’m a little jealous. But short of reorganizing my office, my only move is to try and go with a fake background. Which I did with my call with Billy Crudup to discuss season two of The Morning Show, which launches its second season on September 17 on Apple TV+. But damned if that muppet didn’t decide to evade the tech magic and poke through, eerily hovering over me like a specter. Something that did not go unnoticed. Speaking of things going unnoticed, as I effortlessly glide back to the topic at hand, Billy Crudup in The Morning Show.

As Cory Ellison, Crudup has found a home, playing a quirky disruptor, sneak, and scamp running through the halls of power with scissors in his hand. In a way, Cory has served as an avatar for a segment of the audience that loves chaos and has an aversion for rules and entrenched power, particularly at a time when those things were trying to shelter toxicity while claiming a recommitment to purity following revelations of sexual misconduct around one of its star anchors. But in season 2, there’s an element to Cory that shifts as he gains even more power and works to keep everything together. We spoke about that, what it feels like to keep people off balance, the evolution (and psyche) of Cory, and why the character had to be someone that had never lost before.

Hey Billy, how are you doing?

Good. Is that Gonzo in the back?

Yeah, he’s apparently poking through and hovering over my head. Sorry about that, I was trying to pull off a tropical aesthetic.

[Laughs] Well you’re in the tropics. You’re just being haunted by a Muppet.

You know what? Let’s start there. In the first episode, you’re kind of the Kermit of the group getting the band back together and everything. What was that like because it feels like a little bit of a change?

There’s no question that Cory has been emboldened by his success. Even if it came at a price that he’s not quite ready to admit. And the enthusiasm that he has for the success of any of his endeavors is impossible for him to keep to himself. So I think he really revels in the first episode at the potential… or the first couple of episodes of fulfilling the promises that he made and ensuring that the people who work under him gain the privileges that come with the power that they have worked so steadfastly for and deserve.

Just like Kermit.

Just like Kermit! But unlike Kermit, Cory isn’t humble about it.

That’s true. That’s very true. Is he an idealist at this point?

That’s a really interesting question. And I’ve never considered him from the vantage point of cynicism or idealism or realism, I guess in no small part because he seems a bit scientific in his analysis of human behavior. So there’s something about somebody who’s an empiricist that removes them from the spectrum of a prognosticator. “So I’m going to be hopeful about this because I know the way the world works, everything always goes to shit” or “I’m going to be idealist because everything may go to shit, but what’s wrong with being hopeful?” Both of those are points of view about trying to be predictive about the future. And I think what Cory is really highly specialized in is understanding the algorithm of the present, what it takes to get through today in a way that will lead him to a better tomorrow. And he can do sort of long division math on that. Or he can do a short addition. All of which he knows how to plug into any given circumstance.

I guess if you were to give him a point of view, that’s an idealistic point of view because it means that you can tolerate and navigate the world as it comes to you. And that’s not the way that everybody responds to the world. Certainly not the way that I respond to the world. I’m intimidated by everything! But there is a kind of boyish quality and curiosity that I think could be mistaken for idealism, when in fact, I think it’s probably arrogance.

You say in life you’re intimidated. Is his analytical nature a trait that you admire and wish you could apply to your own life?

Well, I certainly have an analytical nature. It’s just that he does it by an order of magnitude. My focus is very narrow and very shortsighted, whereas his is extremely broad, present, long-sided, and capable of managing the past, present, and future all at once. So yeah, I do! I am analytical about things and I do appreciate evidence and I do have a strain of trusting empirical data. That being said, I’m an actor, what the hell do I know? My degrees are in acting and stuff like that. So I can’t attest to any great data-crunching talents.

There’s a quality to him where he’s sort of in the audience with every interaction, where it kind of happens in front of him and his reactions — inappropriate laughter at times, or just kind of cutting to the quick with people… I have a sliver of that myself. So I really appreciate it. Is that awkward to play in a scene, though? When you’ve got to really just disarm someone or take them off rhythm?

It’s totally thrilling because I know based upon the script that I’ve read, that I don’t have to deal with the awkward part of it because Cory doesn’t deal with it. So I’m only attending to the script by writing off my natural predilection, which would be to feel the pangs of social awkwardness any time calling somebody on something. But Cory doesn’t have to worry about that. So I take my time as a person to revel in having that experience of living, because I’ll tell you, it’s fucking fun! To have that level of social acumen. Ultimately, I think the thing that is a saving grace for me about Cory is he believes in people actually, and he doesn’t believe that he has to take care of people. He believes it’s within everybody’s power to manage their own situations. So if something deeply uncomfortable happens and he gets an opportunity to observe it in a way that brings maybe some satisfaction or entertainment to the community at large, he’s just not the type of person who’s going to take time and linger upon his responsibility for somebody else’s feelings.

In terms of when the show started, when you first looked at the script to where it is now, I’m curious how much influence you’ve had on any changes from the character. And just in general, how has the character changed from then to where you are now, like the end of season two?

Yeah, well, the first season was a complete exploration and creative collaboration and trying to understand who the hell he was. Who talks like that? Who can act like that? Who can manage these high octane situations with the kind of dexterity and ruthlessness and occasional charm and clumsiness? That was the first seven months of work. And having felt confident that we did the best job we could at describing that in the first season, what the writers cleverly did was put him in a completely new environment, which is when you’re somebody who is poking at the pillars of authority because you believe that they were built in such a way as to keep people out, you better know what to do when those pillars come crashing down and you’re all of a sudden in charge of that plot of land. And I don’t think Cory is totally prepared for that.

So what we see is a level of disorganization in his thinking that wasn’t really present before. I think he would be disinclined in the second season to revel that “chaos is the new cocaine.” I think he would really appreciate some moments of predictability. And furthermore, they introduce the potential that he actually cares about the show and the people who are involved in the show, which will always screw up your capitalist ambitions. So I think they’ve introduced some features to the circumstances that he navigates that has completely changed the way in which Cory manifests itself in me.

I read that the character initially was conceived as someone in their early thirties. I’m curious what you think the draw is for playing him as someone who is a little bit more experienced, a little bit more formidable to stand toe to toe with these titans.

Well, that was actually my argument to them at the beginning when I tried to pitch myself for it. You make Jen (Alex) and Reese (Bradley) and Tom (Fred) and everybody in that dynamic more powerful if you make Cory more powerful and then you can make him more powerful if you imagine that he already had success in another field. That in fact, the trajectory of his career is such that he can say, open up an advertising agency in a middle-market community, explode the entire thing, sell the rights to their management operations or whatever to a global empire, make millions of dollars, and then try and recreate themselves as a competitive person in what perhaps could be the thickest den of vipers: the entertainment industry, or much less, the news entertainment industry. I think he becomes incredibly formidable if he’s chosen to be in this field and manage these kinds of personalities. And that could only have come to a guy like me, if I had had experience winning. And what I told Kerry [Ehrin, the show’s producer and showrunner] was this is a guy who has never had a bad day at the office. Every single day has led to step-by-step success. So you can’t tell anybody who hasn’t experienced failure that they’re going to lose. They won’t understand what you’re talking about. So put them in a place where they have to go up against unmovable obstacles and it becomes entertaining.

How has your relationship with media and watching the news changed since you took the show on? Just curious if you’re paying more attention to it or if you’re staying more away from it.

Well, I think the show and the way the news has evolved is happening concurrently. So I’m not sure I could tell you if it was because of the show or because of the way that we’re all trying to understand the difference between news and journalism that has slowly but surely over the last 40 years altered our perception of the truth and how we get at the truth. But I think the show itself and me as a citizen are becoming hypervigilant about understanding all of those mechanisms.

Season 2 of ‘The Morning Show’ premieres September 17 on Apple TV+

Earl Sweatshirt hasn’t dropped a new album since 2018’s Some Rap Songs but that may soon change according to his frequent collaborator The Alchemist. The producer told Anthony Fantano’s The Needle Drop that an album he and Earl have been working on was recently completed and sounds “incredible.”

“He has an album that is done and it’s incredible,” Alc reveals. “I’m excited about that and I do have some work on that… It’s insane. I think everybody will be happy. He’s in his bag.” When asked whether he had any additional details about the project, he said, “I couldn’t even describe it… that would be a disservice to it.”

Fans have no shortage of collaborative work between the producer and the rapper to judge by. Going back to last year, the duo has worked together extensively on tracks including “Whole World” with Maxo, “Nobles” with Navy Blue, and even an entire secret album hidden on YouTube under a fake name.

Whether or not this new album is the one Vince Staples recently hinted at working on with the duo remains to be seen, although The Alchemist did say, as he does in the interview above, that he’s waiting on Earl.

Watch The Alchemist’s full interview with Anthony Fantano above.

Earl Sweatshirt is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.