Month: November 2021

Clifford The Big Red Dog (Paramount+ film) — This live-action movie is both adorable and symptomatic of utter chaos, but the first thing that’s worth remembering about the original animated series that “love” is the reason why Clifford is so big. Remember that when you start thinking about Venom tongue-reveal after spotting the “cute” tail wagging from underneath a blanket, and when he sprints into Central Park, attempting to “play” with an unfortunate human who’s stuck inside of a giant plastic hamster ball. Don’t even try to resist the Big Red Charisma.

Gentefied: Season 2 (Netflix series) — If you haven’t had the pleasure of binging this heartwarming dramedy yet, it’s time. Glorious character actor Joaquín Cosío (Narcos: Mexico) is up for deportation, and the siblings must work to save his ass while continuing to explore their own Mexican-American identity, save their taco shop, and generally be the coolest while wrapping their arms around the American Dream. That dream, of course, might be a double-edged sword because success also threatens the communities and values that the family’s hoping to help preserve. It’s a charming series full of authentic characters, and they must rescue Pops.

Passing (Netflix film) — Ahead of a theatrical release, you can watch this Sundance-acclaimed black-and-white movie that follows opposite stances of the New York 1929 color line. Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga portray two Black women (and childhood friends) who can pass as white, and they decide to take different routes during the Harlem Renaissance. They later have a chance encounter and soon find themselves deeply intwined in each other’s lives, which transforms the action into a story about obsession and repression while also exploring racial identity, along with sexuality and femininity.

Happiness Ever After (Netflix film) — This Happiness is a Four-Letter Word sequel picks up with the gang four years later, while they’re seeking more self-discovery amid life’s latest challenges. Come for the rom-com vibe and stay for the thoughtful treatment of life’s issues, which many of us must also tackle.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 8:00pm) — Astra, Spooner, and Gideon are all attempting to halt the Legends’ plan while Ava, Behrad, and Gary land in the Big Apple while seeking a certain scientist.

Batwoman (CW, 9:00pm) — Ryan and Sophie go to an even together while seeking information from Jada about Wayne Enterprises, but an uninvited guest causes a fuss.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Will Ferrell, Lucy Hale, Dusty Slay

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Gayle King, David Copperfield, Aurora, Elmo Lovano

Jay-Z has racked up another legal victory today, avoiding a $67 million penalty in the process. Billboard reports that a Manhattan jury determined that the rapper/mogul did not breach his contract with Parluxe Fragrances for failing to promote the failed “Gold Jay-Z” cologne. The lawsuit, which was brought against Jay by Parlux in 2016, alleged he “never once personally appeared” to promote the cologne, didn’t help develop product-line extensions to help sell the main product, and never returned a $20,000 prototype bottle after rejecting the design.

Jay responded with his own lawsuit, not only denying Parluxe’s accusations but also accusing the brand of failing to provide accounting reports, business plans, promotional resources, or royalty payments. The case, which began in October, prompted Jay-Z to hire a private investigator to refute former Parluxe CEO Donald Loftus’ claims of ill health in a bid to avoid testifying and saw Jay deliver an impatient testimony in his own defense. “I wanted great products and these guys didn’t understand,” Jay reportedly said. “It was so frustrating working with them.”

According to Billboard, the verdict left both sides in the same place as when they started, awarding no money to either. While Parluxe claimed to have lost $18 million on the Gold Jay-Z cologne and sought $67 million in the lawsuit, neither Parluxe nor Jay, whose countersuit demanded around $6 million in unpaid royalties, got their target payment. Justice Andrew Borrok told the attorneys after the verdict, “You failed to prove your case, they failed to prove their case. You’re excused.”

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, our weekly roundup of all the best sneakers to hit the market. After a heavy slate of releases last week, our wallets are getting a chance to breathe a bit. Emphasis on “a bit” because while the dope sneaker releases are on the lighter side this time around, we’ve got some serious heavy-hitters showing up, namely a new release by Virgil Abloh’s Off-White which is sure to have the internet buzzing all weekend long.

Joining Abloh’s latest Nike collaboration are a few new notable Jordan colorways, and some new drops from Adidas and New Balance. Ultimately though, we’re going to have to give this week’s crown to Nike who once again dominated the list with the most notable drops of the week.

Let’s get into it.

Nike Women’s Waffle Trainer 2 Warm Core

The winter season means cozy and comfy sneakers, which is why Nike is dropping the new WMNS Waffle Trainer 2 WarmCore this week. Season-appropriate fabrics combine with a workwear aesthetic for this simple warm-weather sneaker that combines canvas and suede. It’s not the most exciting release of the week, but it’s functional and fashionable and in the winter months, that’s the most we can ask for.

The Nike Women’s Waffle Trainer 2 Warm Core is set to drop on November 12th for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 13 Low Singles’ Day

Released in celebration of this year’s Singles’ Day, Jordan Brand is dropping a 13 that utilizes a futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic with a glowing quilted upper that reveals secret messages when exposed to UV light. To round out the futuristic vibe, Nike added a glow-in-the-dark outsole and inner side with a digitized woven label.

Is this what the future of footwear will be like? Because if it is, we’re all for it.

The Air Jordan 13 Low Singles’ Day is set to drop on November 11th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Jeremy Scott Forum Dipped Shoes

It’s pretty much the end of the year so we feel comfortable calling this out, Adidas is nuts for the Forum silhouette. It’s become the go-to shape anytime Adidas wants to do a big collaboration. We’ve had Boba Fett Forums, Chewbacca Forums, Bad Bunny utilized the silhouette in his sneaker partnership with Adidas, and now famed designer Jeremy Scott is giving it a go.

For Scott’s Forum, we see Adidas take a DIY approach to the sneaker by covering each of the shoe’s signature details with a gradient shifting graphite colorway. It looks almost as if the entire sneaker has been spray-painted the way the color coats everything.

The Jeremy Scott Forum Dipped Shoes are set to drop on November 11th for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair exclusively via the Adidas Confirmed app.

Air Jordan 12 Royalty

If you’ve been paying attention to SNX in the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed that double-digit Jordans are having a bit of a moment right now. After a summer that brought us endless drops of the Jordan I, III, IV, and V, it’s nice to see the double digits get their deserved time in the spotlight.

This week brings a new Royalty colorway of the XII which features luxurious accents like golden embroidered Jumpman branding on the tongue, heel, and insole over a white colorway with a contrasting black mudguard. It’s like royalty in shoe form, so the name is fitting.

The Air Jordan 12 Royalty is set to drop on November 13th for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT or Flight Club.

Air Jordan 2 Low x Off-White White And Varsity Red/Black and Varsity Royal

We’ve long been supporters of the Air Jordan 2, it’s by far the best of the underrated Jordans and it deserves a reevaluation. I think Abloh is going to achieve that with this release. For this two sneaker release, Abloh went high concept, as is his MO. He imagined what an Air Jordan 2 might look like had it been put in a time capsule since its release in 1986.

To be honest, I still don’t really understand the concept, but Abloh made Nike put some work into the whole thing. They reverse-engineered an original pair from the DNA Archive using three-dimensional scans of a pair MJ wore, which led to both the left and right pair of sneakers having a uniquely cracked midsole. A reference to the fact that no two sneakers crumble in quite the same way.

Rounding out the design is the usual Off-White features like zip-ties and production fonts. Each pair also features MJ’s signature printed in a different place, a call-back to Jordan’s tendency to sign his shoes and give them away to kids after games.

The two sneaker set drops in your choice of White and Varsity Red and Black and Varsity Royal. Both pairs look great.

The Air Jordan 2 Low x Off-White White and Varsity Red and Black and Varsity Royal are set to drop on November 12th for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or via aftermarket sites like GOAT.

New Balance 990v4 Heritage

Throughout the year, New Balance has been paying tribute to the 990 by giving shine to each of the silhouette’s different iterations. We’ve already seen versions one through three and now this week finally brings the release of the V4.

Featuring a mixed upper of suede and mesh, the V4 features that familiar gray-scale colorway that has become synonymous with the brand and features little else besides a bright “Version 4” tab near the collar. It’s light and to the point, letting the design be the highlight. Good move on NB’s part.

The New Balance 990v4 Heritage is set to drop on November 12th for a retail price of $185. Pick up a pair via the New Balance store.

Adidas YEEZY Knit Runner Boot Sulfur

I’m just going to go ahead and say it outright, I don’t like the Yeezy Knit Runner. I don’t know a single person who likes it in fact. Yet, the Knit Runner Boot is coming out this week and it’s probably going to drop alongside a considerable amount of hype, so we’re including it here. We don’t want to be the reason you missed out on the Knit Runner. Let good taste be that reason.

As much as I don’t like the way the Knit Runner looks, if the Foam Runner is anything to make assumptions off of, this sneaker…boot… whatever you want to call it is probably incredibly comfortable. The isn’t the first time Ye has dropped a knit runner, but it is the first time we’re seeing the design in boot form. That high-cut collar will make this fully wearable in the snow, and if you feel like stunting on the mountain, this will surely have everyone talking.

The Adidas YEEZY Knit Runner Boot in Sulfur is set to drop on November 13th for a retail price of $400. Pick up a pair through the Adidas Confirmed app or via Yeezy Supply.

As the Kyle Rittenhouse trial devolved into a full-on circus, people are having strong feelings after Kenosha County Judge Bruce Schroeder unloaded on a prosecutor during the proceedings. While Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger began cross-examining Rittenhouse, the judge stopped the trial and sent the jury out of the room when Binger’s line of questioning delved into Rittenhouse exercising his right to remain silent. That’s when things went off the rails. Via Insider:

“I was astonished when you began your examination by commenting on the defendant’s post-arrest silence,” Schroeder said. “That’s basic law. It’s been basic law in this country for 40 or 50 years. … I don’t know what you’re up to.”

The judge added: “You’re an experienced trial lawyer, and this should not have been gone into.”

When Binger calmly attempted to explain that Rittenhouse’s testimony opened the door to the questioning, Schroeder yelled from the stand, “Don’t get brazen with me.” The phrase quickly started to trend on social media where people couldn’t believe the outburst.

As if that wasn’t enough, later in the trial, the judge’s phone started going off revealing that his ringtone is “God Bless the U.S.A.” which is often played before Donald Trump rallies.

The ringtone incident was definitely an odd moment, which only added more suspicion to the proceedings after the judge was the only one who seemed to believe Rittenhouse’s sobbing was real when he took the stand. Naturally, Rittenhouse’s legal team is reportedly attempting to capitalize on the situation by requesting a mistrial with prejudice, which would essentially prevent Rittenhouse from being retried if the judge approves.

(Via Insider)

Brooklyn four-piece Pom Pom Squad‘s 2021 debut album Death Of A Cheerleader cemented the band as one to watch. It’s been several months since the album’s successful release and since then, the band has been busy touring the US. Even still, they’ve managed to continue writing music, including the new single “Until It Stops,” which they’ve now released exclusively through Spotify.

“Until It Stops” was produced by Illuminati Hotties’ Sarah Tudzin. It’s a droning track that features lead singer Mia Berrin’s soft vocals over the low hum of electric guitars. Complete with a head-banging guitar solo, the single sees Berrin singing of teetering between extremes like laughing until you’re crying and living until you die.

In a statement about the new track, Berrin said it’s her ode to being an anti-partier:

“[‘Until It Stops’] is my version of a drinking song. I’m not much of a partier but I’m in my early 20s, so whenever I turn down an invite to go out I go through an internal dialogue wondering if I’m missing my youth. Then, when I actually do go out, I get uncomfortable and then I drink too much and put my foot in my mouth and go home with all my makeup under my eyes. At the time I wrote this I was thinking about those super sugary club songs of the 2000s that always seemed to mention dancing and death in the same line — there is this strange morbid connection between partying and mortality.”

Listen to “Until It Stops” above.

These days, it seems being able to clap back at a hater on Twitter is as important a skill for a rapper to have as rapping is — especially for the multitalented women who have come to dominate the game in recent years. While one of those rappers, Saweetie, usually lets the peanut gallery’s comments breeze by her, the icy rapper had the perfect response to one doubtful Twitter troll, showing off a wider range of skills in the process.

After a fan account posted a snippet of her Amazon “Icy Season” special from earlier this week playing the piano before launching into a (holiday) spirited rendition of “Back To The Streets,” a commenter tried to rain on Saweetie’s parade. “I know damn well she wasn’t playing any damn piano,” they wrote. “Ole typewriting faceass.” However, Saweetie clearly had time today, spotting the negative comment and pouncing on the opportunity to not just shut up the troll but also to let followers know that her piano solo wasn’t just a one-off for the cameras.

In the video she posted, it looks like she’s simply noodling to get ready for the performance rather than playing the “Back To The Streets” intro or just rehearsing. She plays a mournful series of chords, proving that she actually has the chops for Chopin — even if she does sound a little bit rusty.

It wasn’t the first time she showed off her skills. Saweetie’s name was set to trending when Snowfall star Damson Idris posted an Instagram Story of his “piano lessons” from the multi-disciplined Bay Area rapper, sparking yet another dating rumor after she was forced to shoot down one involving Roddy Ricch.

You can watch Saweetie’s full performance for the Amazon special “Icy Season” here.

When Lucy Dacus was touring in 2019, she ended half of her shows with the unreleased song “Thumbs.” The emotional and subdued song was was clearly a vulnerable number for her to perform, so much so that she would even go as far as to ask fans to not record it. Earlier this year, it was finally released as the lead single Dacus’ excellent new album, Home Video, which came out this summer. And now, Dacus has doubled down and released the full band arrangement version, which she titled “Thumbs Again.”

The new version seemingly represents how Dacus has leaned into the song — a fulcrum on an album about her formative experiences growing up in Virginia. It’s definitely a more approachable take on the track, almost as if the additional instrumentation is holding up Dacus and any reservations she might have felt in the past about the moments painted in the song. With the release, also comes a wave of North American tour dates (with support from Indigo De Souza) announced for February and March, in addition to her already-announced European tour.

Listen to “Thumbs Again” above, check out Lucy Dacus’s 2022 North American tour dates below, and get tickets here.

02/09/2022 — Pitts, PA @ Stage AE *
02/10/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic *
02/11/2022 — Newport, KY @ Ovation *
02/12/2022 — Indy, IN @ Egyptian Room *
02/14/2022 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Ballroom Valentine’s Day *
02/15/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall (rescheduled date) * – SOLD OUT
02/17/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave (rescheduled date * – SOLD OUT
02/18/2022 — Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theatre (rescheduled date) * – SOLD OUT
02/19/2022 — Lawrence, KS @ Liberty *
02/20/2022 — OK City, OK @ Tower Theatre *
02/23/2022 — Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre *
02/24/2022 — Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *
02/25/2022 — C-Ville, VA @ Jefferson *
02/26/2022 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony *
03/01/2022 — Toronto, ONT @ Danforth Music Hall (rescheduled date) *
03/02/2022 — Montreal, QUE @ Corona Theatre (rescheduled date) *
03/03/2022 — Providence, RI @ The Strand
03/05/2022 — Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head

* with support from Indigo De Souza

It looks like Freddie Gibbs finally got those Chicago Bulls tickets he wanted — and he walked away with a player’s jersey as a bonus. And, as it turns out, the person he has to thank for it all is the one who was blocking him from getting the tickets in the first place: Chance The Rapper.

Last week, the Gary, Indiana MC lamented his inability to secure tickets to a home game (Gary is much closer to Chicago than Indianapolis, where the Pacers play, despite Chicago’s location in a different state), tweeting, “Can’t get no f*ckin bulls tickets cuz they give em all to Chance the Rapper.” He pointedly reminded the Bulls account of his longtime fandom and needled the Windy City native, joking that “Chance a bucks fan and y’all give him 30 tickets.”

However, earlier this week, Gibbs did manage to make it out to the Bulls’ home game against the Brooklyn Nets, where he met up with Chance himself after taking in the game from some courtside seats. “Chance took my tickets, but he gave me a couple,” he goofed in a video posted from the lounge, where he hung out with The Rapper. However, Chance had a different story for fans: “I don’t got no tickets, so please don’t let n****s tell you I got your tickets,” he pled. “Keep it straight they didn’t have no tickets for Freddie and they blamed it on me.” Gibbs piled on the pressure, though, referring to Chance sharing the tickets as one of his many acts of charity. “He do good for the community,” he teased. “He gave a n**** two. I appreciate it.”

To commemorate the occasion, Gibbs came away with one hell of a souvenir of the event as well: Bulls guard/forward DeMar DeRozan‘s jersey, which the Comptonite shared with Freddie after the game.

A week ago, James Blake dropped a new video for “Famous Last Words,” and it’s a cinematic visual that features Blake flexing his acting chops. Now, Blake’s girlfriend Jameela Jamil has revealed that she actually directed the clip and explained why she hadn’t shared that info until now.

On Twitter today, she wrote, “Because the internet is so much harsher on women, we held back on saying I directed James’ last video. But now that people like the video on its own I can say that I loved dreaming up this idea and then directing it, with my friend Chris, and an amazing crew for @jamesblake.” Blake responded simply, “You killed it.”

Jamil also commented on the video when it was released by praising Blake’s acting performance in it, tweeting, “James’ performance in this video makes me feel like he might have to come for my job. He’s so good. This song is so good. He also has a really great bum.”

Blake previously told Apple Music of the song, “It is kind of a love song. It’s kind of a breakup song. It’s weird. I think it blurs the line between friendship and romance. With friendships, it’s not necessarily that the feelings are romantic, but you can genuinely love someone and it hurt like that.”

Friends That Will Break Your Heart is out now via Republic Records. Get it here.

With the resurgence of Y2K culture and early aughts pop-punk over the past few years, it’s only fitting that Avril Lavigne is stepping back into the spotlight. After officially signing to Travis Barker’s DTA Records, Lavigne is back and unf*ckwithable on “Bite Me,” her first new single since 2019.

“Bite Me” is a reminder of what Lavigne does best. The upbeat harmonies and hallow electric guitars mixed are mixed with the singer’s kiss-off attitude and she sings lyrics like, “Hey you / You should’ve known better than to f*ck with someone like me.” The energetic track brings her classic pop-punk sound into the new decade while drumming up excitement for what she has in store next.

In a statement alongside the release of “Bite Me,” Lavigne shared how excited she is to join Barker’s DTA label:

“I’ve always admired Travis and his work. The first time we worked together was 15 years ago on my album ‘The Best Damn Thing’ and I have really enjoyed watching him develop into the producer that he is today. We spent a lot of time writing songs and working on this record together, and signing to his record label, DTA felt like the perfect home for me and my new music. Travis understands my vision as a musician, my creative process as an artist, and my goals at this stage of my career. I am excited to be dropping ‘Bite Me.’ It’s an anthem about knowing your worth, what you deserve, and not giving someone a second chance who doesn’t deserve you.”

Watch Lavigne’s “Bite Me” video above.

Avril Lavigne is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.