Month: October 2021

Maxo Kream’s new album, Weight Of The World, is out now, arriving after an impressive rollout featuring the singles “Local Joker,” “Big Persona” with Tyler The Creator, and “Greener Knots.” We last heard from the Houston rapper in 2019, when he released the autobiographical Brandon Banks; Weight Of The World addresses the changes that have taken place in his life since then, as well as showing off the polishing he’s put on his pen game on tracks like “Streets Alone,” which features ASAP Rocky.

Over a thumping beat produced by Cardo — a departure from the producer’s usual laid-back, funk-influenced instrumentals — “Streets Alone” finds the two rappers stuck knee-deep in their respective vices even despite the best efforts of the positive role models in their lives. “Momma prayin’ that I leave the streets alone,” raps Rocky on the hook. “Preacher prayin’ that I leave the reefer ‘lone / I’m just gettin’ money, leave the beef alone / But I’m out here thuggin’ and my tee VLONE.”

In addition to ASAP Rocky and the aforementioned Tyler The Creator, Maxo’s new album also features appearances from fellow Houstonian Don Toliver, fresh off the release of his own new album Life Of A Don, and Freddie Gibbs, another hardcore rapper steeped in thug life narratives.

Listen to “Streets Alone” above.

Weight Of The World is out now via RCA Records. You can get it here.

The Succession Report Card is a weekly recap feature where we attempt to assign grades to the important people, things, and themes from each episode of Succession. The grades are entirely subjective and the criteria for scoring will change from week to week and occasionally mid-week. Someone might get detention. It’ll probably be Roman.

FAILING

Shiv Roy

Not a great start for Shiv on any major front. She was passed over for CEO, in large part because she couldn’t secure Lisa Arthur as the attorney for the company in the cruise ship fiasco. She also couldn’t secure Lisa Arthur as her own sounding board. And she might have learned that they’re not the “friends” she thought they were. Couple all of that with Roman heaping spoonfuls of salt in every wound and the thing when she appears to be calling a panic-audible heading into next episode, and… yeah.

Not great.

GRADE: F

MUST IMPROVE: Identifying friends, securing attorneys, not just kind of melting down a lot

Connor Roy

Willa’s play continues to get savaged to the point he’s pitching a lean-in to ironic viewing for “the hipsters and dipshits.” He’s such an afterthought that Logan needed to be reminded to give him a task and then that task ended up being, “Uhhhh idk just stay here.” Just a useless man.

GRADE: F

MUST IMPROVE: Pretty much anything would be a good start

Various Karls and Franks

The non-family, non-Gerri members of the team had a weird week. Let’s hit some highlights:

• Frank was told repeatedly that he can’t be trusted and once that he’s “mashed potatoes,” which is not something I had ever heard used as an insult before this
• Karl, bless his soul, missed a van from the airport because he was getting a sandwich
• Karolina got kicked out of a car after Kendall accused her of being “a weevil in the flour sack,” which is also not something I had heard before this

GRADE: D-

MUST IMPROVE: Job security, keeping their heads down, not being mashed potatoes and/or weevils

Tom Wambsgans

One of my favorites things on this show is watching Tom inflate and deflate based on who he’s talking to. Anyone he perceives as lower status? He’s a big strong cruel man. Anyone he perceives as higher status? Sniveling weasel. He’s a fascinating creature. I kind of want to see his entire origin story.

GRADE: D

MUST IMPROVE: Playing the reverse banjo

TREADING WATER

Logan Roy

Here’s the thing about Logan: He’s in a dogfight right now, with the government maybe coming after him, and a son leading the charge, and an investor revolt on his hands, and a public relations nightmare, and… I think he kind of loves it? Like, he’s angry about it. He’s furious. But I think he relishes the fight itself a little. The dude is a scrapper and always has been, which is how he got to where he is now. And he has a way with words unlike any other character on television. “We’re on saliva and adrenaline” is a phrase that’s going to stick with me for a while.

GRADE: C-

MUST IMPROVE: Rearing children, not overseeing a massive and corrupt enterprise

Kendall Roy

What a dope. Just a big old dummy. Like, yes, he’s doing the right thing here in blowing the whistle on the company for the cruise ship sex abuse scandal, so kudos on that, but he’s really only doing it as his latest power play. And he’s so proud of himself about it. That line at the end where he bragged to Greg about all the brilliant women around him was maybe the funniest thing I’ve ever heard, considering he had just talked over half of them and invited his new girlfriend to his ex’s house, which he had commandeered as an action station, family heirlooms and all.

He’s going to screw this up. You know it, I know it, I think he ever knows it. Maybe he doesn’t. Dopes rarely know they’re dopes.

GRADE: C

MUST IMPROVE: Situational awareness, comebacks, tweets

Roman Roy

Roman is a sad little boy who needs a hug at all times. His thing with Gerri is kind of stalling out, he also got passed over as CEO, and his advice about stonewalling the entire investigation — Congress and reporters and everything — was actually pretty terrible. He should not be in charge of a family of hamsters let alone an international corporation that employs thousands of human people.

And yet… I love him. He’s adorable. That awful little goofus.

GRADE: C

MUST IMPROVE: Being an adult

Jess Jordan

Imagine this is your job, to relay insults back and forth between a father and son who can hear each other in the background of the phone call you’re attempting to mediate. Imagine explaining this to someone when they say “What do you do for a living?” It’s a weird life that Jess Jordan has.

I hope she ends up running the company.

GRADE: C

MUST IMPROVE: Hitching her wagon to a better horse

Lisa Arthur

Lisa Arthur:

• Seems like she has her stuff together
• Is probably just dealing with Kendall as a necessary evil to achieve some combination of building her brand and providing aid to the harmed cruise ship employees
• Has cool glasses

GRADE: C+

MUST IMPROVE: Maybe not getting involved with any of these jackals

HEAD OF THE CLASS

Gerri Kellman

Things started out weird for Gerri with that phone call to the White House where she was straining analogies to their breaking points. (“It’s out of our hands.” “Not if you grab it.”) And she got the CEO gig only after each of the blood candidates set themselves on fire after dousing themselves in incompetence. And this could all end poorly for her, considering she’s just a figurehead atop a company that is about to get dragged to Hell a little bit.

But still. Good for her. Gerri rules.

GRADE: B

MUST IMPROVE: Strange mommy-son pseudosexual relationships with coworkers

The Succession theme song

I don’t think I’ve ever pushed the Skip Intro button on this sucker and I don’t see myself starting any time soon. Those strings and pianos, man, just rising and falling and tinkling and cascading. It’s a good song. I might start playing it in my car.

GRADE: A

MUST IMPROVE: Hmm… maybe add a Method Man verse? I’m splitting hairs here.

Cousin Greg

He’s a sweet boy. I want him to start a podcast about memes. Good Meme-age With Cousin Greg

GRADE: A

MUST IMPROVE: Leave him alone. He’s doing the best he can.

Tater tots

Delicious and underrated. Should be on more menus instead of french fries. When I was little I used to cover them in ketchup and mustard and mash them all up into a sloppy mush and eat them with a spoon. I might do it again this week. A top-tier food.

GRADE: A

MUST IMPROVE: Marketing themselves as a food adults eat regularly

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Harrison Ford as Star Wars scoundrel Han Solo (no offense, Alden Ehrenreich), but dozens, if not hundreds of other actors auditioned for the part. To name a few: Al Pacino turned it down at a time when he was “offered everything,” Burt Reynolds “just didn’t want to play that kind of role,” and Sylvester Stallone met with George Lucas but “I don’t look good in spandex holding a Ray gun.”

Christopher Walken also auditioned to play the Millennium Falcon captain, but he knew at the time that it wasn’t a good fit.

“I did audition [for Star Wars], but I don’t think I came remotely close to getting the job. About 500 other actors auditioned, so it wasn’t as if it was down to me and somebody else,” he told the Financial Times. Walken also brought up another ill-fated audition, in which he failed to land a part in 1970’s Love Story (it went to Ryan O’Neal). “In both those cases, I was lucky because I’d have been awful in them,” he said.

Star Wars and Love Story are two of the biggest movies of all-time when adjusted for inflation. But considering Walken’s movies have grossed a combined $4.4 billion at the box office (I bet you can’t guess what number one is!), I think he’s doing fine.

(Via the Financial Times)

After the new The Batman trailer dominated yet another DC FanDome on Saturday, fans quickly got to work sifting through the longer look at Robert Pattinson‘s upcoming turn as the Dark Knight. Despite Paul Dano appearing in the opening seconds of the trailer (leaving behind a coffee cup with a question mark in the foam after being arrested), fans were quick to notice that you see just enough of him from the side to know its the actor, but then his face is noticeably hidden throughout the entire trailer.

While The Batman‘s plot has been shrouded in secrecy even after a year-long delay due to the pandemic, it’s been widely reported that Dano is playing The Riddler. The aforementioned coffee cup scene confirmed as much. But with his face being hidden during the trailer, fans can’t help but speculate that maybe something else is afoot.

Director Matt Reeves has repeatedly said that The Batman will be a return to the character’s noir roots and be more of a detective story, which is an element that got pushed to the wayside in previous films. Playing with The Riddler’s true identity would definitely fit the bill, especially with fans going into the film already expecting Dano to be playing the villain.

In the meantime, be prepared for theories like this one:

The Batman hits theaters on March 4.

With their best player, Kawhi Leonard, sidelined due to a knee injury, the Los Angeles Clippers rattled off a pair of wins to eliminate the Utah Jazz in the 2020-21 postseason and were within shouting distance of the NBA Finals, falling to the Phoenix Suns in six games in the Western Conference Finals. A cast of players were responsible for the Clippers staying afloat sans Kawhi, including Paul George, Nicolas Batum, Terance Mann and Marcus Morris. But none exceeded expectations more than Reggie Jackson.

As Los Angeles approaches the 2021-22 regular season, with Kawhi scheduled to miss all or most of the year, Jackson will once again help determine to what degree the superstar wing’s absence is felt. Having drilled 42.9 percent of 345 triples, Jackson has been a dynamite long-range gunner during his year and a half with the Clippers and was a valuable tertiary option throughout last regular season, when he averaged 10.7 points on 57.6 percent true shooting.

Yet the evolution of his role and game during the playoffs was fascinating. Primarily a spot-up guy in the earlier stages and someone who served as a defensive liability, he cleaned up many of his defensive shortcomings and was a lethal on-ball creator by year’s end. He was drilling pull-ups and step-backs, floating in runners, and attacking the cup.

Across 19 contests, he averaged 17.8 points on 62.6 percent true shooting, including 40.8 percent from deep and a staggering 58.2 percent on twos. The dude went supernova and was a potent secondary scorer alongside George. In eight games without Leonard, the veteran guard was even better, posting a 21-4-4-1.5 line on .485/.369/.864 splits. He was a flamethrower during that stretch and vital to Los Angeles’ ability to remain highly competitive in spite of its franchise star’s injury.

Playoff runs are often beholden to small sample stardom like that, though. Expecting Jackson to scale up so well across an entire season and help the Clippers maintain an elite offense is a dubious proposition. He’s 31, has a lengthy injury history and, well, has never been as good as he was in the 2021 postseason. Perhaps, that is the springboard to a full year of step-backs, runners, and torrid shot-making. Sometimes, all a guy requires is the ideal opportunity and context to foster the self-belief necessary to thrive like he never had previously.

Collectively, those eight games following Kawhi’s injury should instill a sense of confidence that this Clippers squad can do more than just survive without him. They have a superstar in George. Tyronn Lue is a superb head coach. Good role players are scattered throughout the roster. Mann looks primed to follow his playoff emergence, which featured a 39-point detonation in the closeout Game 6 against Utah, with a third-year breakout.

Despite all those important components, Jackson’s ball-handling, shooting and creation are paramount to the Clippers maintaining such excellent play. In the playoffs, he broke down defenses, spaced the floor for others to attack, delivered when the ball swung his way for open looks, held up defensively, created for others and complemented George beautifully as offensive focal points. The Clippers constantly had opponents scrambling and Jackson was a primary reason for that.

Los Angeles seems to be conducive to success for him. But there are layers to success and what exactly it looks like for him this season could prove to be the differentiator between a Clippers team vying to avoid the play-in and one competing for homecourt advantage.

Guests at a wedding in Venice, Italy over the weekend were treated to an interesting surprise: A performance from none other than Kanye West. The rapper played a few of his hits at the wedding of D’Estree founder Geraldine Guiotte and Tiffany & Co. Vice President Alexander Arnault, wearing an Eyes Wide Shut-esque mask and an all-black Balenciaga ensemble. Videos from the event popped up on Twitter, confirming that the rapper performed renditions of “Believe What I Say” and “Come To Life” from his new album Donda, as well as fan favorites “Flashing Lights” and “Runaway.”

Prior to the wedding, Kanye’s last performance was arguably his stadium listening events for Donda, where he didn’t so much perform as he did play different versions of the album while hanging out with troubled stars like DaBaby and Marilyn Manson (and set himself on fire for the spectacle).

Meanwhile, Kanye’s got a lot on his plate looking forward to the end of the year, as he’s got a Netflix documentary on the way, he’s reportedly producing Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele sequel, he’s launching a “Donda”-branded tech line, and he’s selling his Wyoming ranch. You can watch videos of him performing at the high-fashion wedding above.

Adele’s comeback is a big deal, so much so that she has secured her own TV special for it.

On social media today, Adele shared a promotional image for something called Adele One Night Only, which is being presented by CBS on November 14.

Her posts don’t offer much info beyond that, but a press release reveals more details. The program is a two-hour special that’s set to air on CBS, from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET. One component of the special is a set of performances, which will be filmed in Los Angeles and include both familiar and new songs. Additionally, Adele will also be interview by Oprah Winfrey from her rose garden, about “her new album, the stories behind the songs, life after divorce, weight loss, and raising her son.”

Notably (but not really), it doesn’t look like Adele’s recent feud with Peppa Pig is on the agenda. Recently, a fan asked Adele if she’d collaborate with the animated children’s television star, and she exclaimed, “No!” A few weeks later, Peppa shared a message with Adele, saying, “That made me really, really sad when you said you wouldn’t collaborate with me. Why not? Don’t you like me?” Thankfully, the situation has been resolved, as Adele was apologetic and said, “Peppa, I’ll always do a duet with you, babes. Love ya!”

Colin Powell, the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff who also served as secretary of state during the presidency of George W. Bush, died on Monday due to complications from COVID-19, his family said in a statement. He was 84 years old. Powell was fully vaccinated, but he was suffering from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that weakens the body’s ability to fight infections. Fox News left that part out when discussing Powell’s death, however; instead, they continued to cast doubt on vaccine effectiveness.

“The family has made a point on their post on Facebook this morning that Colin Powell was fully vaccinated,” Fox News host Will Cain said on Monday morning. “And as Americans out there wonder what lies ahead for them and they search and they need truth moving forward, we’re seeing data from across the world. We’re seeing data from Europe, from the United Kingdom, the fully-vaccinated people are being hospitalized and fully vaccinated people are dying from COVID.” He called Powell a “very high-profile example that is going to require more truth, more truth from our government, from our health leaders as well. As we talk about this story on a day when state after state and institution after institution are pushing mandates for vaccination.”

Cain added that “everyone watching needs to be aware of limitations, and protections, that we all have all offered ourselves through this pandemic in all of this potential risk.”

Powell being an immunocompromised 84-year-old was never mentioned.

(Via Raw Story)

During a special episode of his Mea Culpa podcast, former Donald Trump fixer Michael Cohen reacted to the recent reemergence of the mythical “pee tape,” which allegedly features the former president engaged in some, uh, urinary activities while in Russia. The tape’s existence was first brought to light by Christopher Steele’s dossier during the 2016 election, but the topic had almost completely vanished from the public discourse until Trump randomly blurted out, “I’m not into golden showers,” while talking to Republican donors last week. He also pointed to Melania Trump and said, “She knows, I don’t like to be peed on.” It was a wild moment, and Cohen had some thoughts on his podcast.

“If that in itself doesn’t prove that something is psychologically wrong with him, I don’t know what does,” Cohen said before expanding on the topic with guest Molly Jong Fast who called Trump’s obsession with the pee tape a “compulsion.” Via Raw Story:

“What compulsion?” asked Cohen. “What could possibly be the underlying motive? And you’re right, I know him better than anybody — I, myself, cannot understand what the f*ck this idiot was thinking when he decided in the middle of a donor meeting to turn around and stay to people, ‘By the way, I want you all to know, I’m not into golden showers. I’m not into being peed on.’ What point are you trying to make here?”

Cohen’s podcast was also in response to Steele sitting down for a Sunday interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos where he backed the existence of the “pee tape.”

“I’m prepared to accept that not everything in the dossier is 100 percent accurate,” Steele said. “I have yet to be convinced that that is one of them.”

(Via Raw Story)

Last Week Tonight took the week off from a full-on episode, but John Oliver did find the time to grace us with his presence in a web-exclusive clip. In the process, he squeezed in a dirty Kermit joke amid celebrating his chaos on the auto-commercial front. This follows up nicely on his recent joke about Mickey Mouse getting busy that led into a deep-dive on the ambulance crisis, so we’re definitely getting our Oliver fix in his patented serious-yet-visceral way.

The subject of the evening was Oliver’s followup on observing that a hell of a lot of auto dealerships use the same concept for their commercials. It’s to the point where they’re literally dressing dudes up as pickles and talking about being in a sales pickle. Exactly why this happens is beyond comprehension, but Oliver hit the 1:00 minute mark (above) while declaring, “To quote my favorite pig f*cker, it’s not easy being green.”

From there, however, the host was overjoyed because he had offered up a “very good script” for any auto dealership to accept for free, as long as they actually used the script, word for word. Well, a Minnesota dealer (Zombroda Ford) accepted the challenge, and Oliver remarked upon the chutzpah involved with doing so. “I would argue that that was a hell of an offer on our part,” he observed. “And to be honest, quite a risk for someone to take on. Do you really think we could be trusted with a situation like that? Because I definitely don’t.”

From there, cue the theatrics as the actors in the ad threw themselves into the script. As Oliver remarked, they nearly eclipsed the drama of Scenes of a Marriage. Oh hey, the husband got his new car after the divorce! Good for him. That’s Emmy winning stuff.

Last Week Tonight returns on October 24.