Month: January 2022

Finneas may be fresh out of a very successful 2021, but that hasn’t stopped him from sharing even more content. Not only did he drop his debut album Optimist, but he also received Grammy nominations across all four major categories, including Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, and Song Of The Year. Now giving fans more insight into his creative vision around his debut album, Finneas shares a visual alongside his poignant track “The Kids Are All Dying.”

The visual was directed by Philip Andelman, who has worked with the likes of Rihanna and John Mayer in the past. Shot in Los Angeles, it sees Finneas breaking into a jewelry shop and causing a scene. The song itself speaks to how exhausting the world can feel at times. As Finneas is seen smashing the glass encasing expensive necklaces, he sings of people being concerned with frivolous things while politicians are lying, schools are on lockdown, and kids are dying.

Alongside the visual’s release, Finneas offered a statement behind the meaning of the track. “Even if we are living through a time of chaos and uncertainty, the human experience is never going to exclude love, sex, fun, leisure, and adventure,” he said. “If you’re in love, you’re going to write a love song. It’s how the brain works.”

Watch Finneas’ “The Kids Are All Dying” video above.

Optimist is out now via Interscope Records. Get it here.

Lord Huron dropped their fourth and latest album, Long Lost, back in May, and now, they’ve locked up their plans for this May. That’s when the group will begin their newly announced North American tour in support of the album.

After some festival dates, the shows kick off on the West Coast in mid-May before heading east and wrapping up the first leg in mid-June. After a bit of a break, things pick back up in Canada in August before spending the rest of the month hitting major North American markets, culminating with an appearance at Massachusetts festival Beach Road Weekend. They’ll be joined by First Aid Kid on a handful of the later dates.

Check out the full list of the band’s upcoming tour dates below.

03/04 — Riviera Cancun, MX @ One Big Holiday Festival
05/15 — Redondo Beach, CA @ BeachLife Festival
05/17 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Amp At Craig Ranch
05/19 — Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
05/25 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
05/27 — Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Park
05/30 — Sandy, UT @ Sandy Amphitheater
06/01 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
06/02 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
06/03 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
06/07 — Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
06/08 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Outdoors
06/12 — Indianapolis, IN @ WonderRoad Festival
06/14 — Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live!
06/15 — Charlottesville, VA @ Ting Pavilion
06/17 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
06/18 — Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit
06/19 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
08/05 — Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
08/08 — Calgary, AB @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
08/09 — Saskatoon, SK @ Coors Event Centre
08/11 — Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
08/12 — Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Festival Field
08/13 — Milwaukee, WI @ Miller High Life Theatre
08/15 — Chicago, IL @ TBA *
08/16 — Detroit, MI @ Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre *
08/17 — Toronto, ON @ TBA *
08/19 — New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium *
08/20 — Harrisburg, PA @ Harrisburg University at Riverfront Park *
08/21 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion *
08/26-28 — Vineyard Haven, MA @ Beach Road Weekend

* with First Aid Kit

If there is one thing the Far Cry series is known for, it’s the bombastic and charismatic villains who typically dominate the plots of the games — most recently, Giancarlo Esposito put on an incredible performance as Anton Castillo. While all villains of the Far Cry series are popular in their own right, there might not be anyone that is quite as well-known as Pagan Min from Far Cry 4.

With an iconic design and maybe the most compelling personality in the franchise, Min is maybe the perfect definition of a villain in Far Cry. This is why it wasn’t a huge surprise to see him featured in the series of DLC for Far Cry 6. In this DLC, players will get the opportunity to play as Min and learn more about his backstory, personality, and really dig into the character. The DLC even features co-op where only one person needs the DLC to play it, so hop in with a friend and go on an explosive adventure together.

Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Price: $40 (Part of the Far Cry 6 season pass)
Release Date: Available Now
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Rating: M
Where can I buy this: Ubisoft’s online store, Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store
Single Player: Yes
Multiplayer: Yes
Early Access: No
Microtransactions: Likely

Even before a global pandemic knocked the education world on its hindquarters, some school systems were already hard-hit by budget issues — districts like Philadelphia providing some of the best examples. However, local celebrities are pitching in to make a difference. Today, Philadelphian rapper Meek Mill, along with hometown comic hero Kevin Hart and 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin, announced plans to donate $15 million to 110 Philadelphia schools for the 2022-2023 school year.

The $15 million figure marks a huge jump from the last big donation Meek and Rubin made in 2020 when they created a $2 million scholarship fund to help students through the pandemic and coinciding lockdowns. It also sees the partners following through on a commitment they made in 2019. During an interview on The Breakfast Club, Rubin said, “We care about education a lot. I don’t know if you guys saw, Meek and I have been talking a lot about education. We’re actually gonna commit, between Meek and I in Pennsylvania, millions of dollars to Pennsylvania schools this year.”

Meek himself has worked for years to give back to his hometown, partnering with Puma to revitalize local basketball courts, and organizing backpack and school supply giveaways. Although he was knocked in 2020 for being cheap toward some kids who were selling water, it looks like he really is trying to make good on his promises for the city’s youth.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a game that fans of the franchise have been asking for basically ever since the pink puff ball first went 3D on the Nintendo 64. They didn’t want a 2D adventure with 3D graphics, they wanted a full-on 3D world that Kirby could explore, battle, and copy his way through. So when it was revealed that the next Kirby game would be a 3D adventure, we were, of course, excited.

On Wednesday, Nintendo dropped a follow-up trailer for Kirby and the Forgotten Land that not only showed off some more gameplay of the upcoming 3D adventure, but also gave us some pretty important bits of information. For starters, the game will be released on March 25. While that’s expected to be a strong month full of heavyweight games, Kirby will fit right in, especially now that we know this game is also going to feature co-op. The Kirby games have always been really fun to play with friends, and we’re thrilled to know that tradition will continue with the next installment.

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Price: $60
Release Date: March 25 (3/25)
Genre: Adventure/Platformer
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Rating: E10+
Where can I buy this: Nintendo eShop, Brick and Mortar stores
Single Player: Yes
Multiplayer: Yes
Early Access: No
Microtransactions: No

While appearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci brandished a fist full of receipts while calling out Rand Paul for campaigning off of prolonging the pandemic. But that wasn’t the only viral moment for the infectious disease specialist. As Republican Senator Roger Marshall prepared for a round of questioning, Fauci could clearly be heard saying, “What a moron, Jesus Christ,” over a hot mic. It was pretty great stuff if you enjoy seeing Fauci show up on the Senate floor and school Republicans on the reality of the pandemic, and one person was definitely here for it: Stephen Colbert.

During his opening monologue on Tuesday night, Colbert relished playing the clip of Fauci whipping out print outs of Paul’s campaign website that ask for donations next to an image that reads “Fire Dr. Fauci.”

“Get him, Fauch!” Colbert said. “Take off the gloves and a mask! ‘I have your results, senator, and I regret to inform you that you’ve contracted my boot in your ass.’”

The late night host was equally as thrilled with Fauci’s hot mic moment as well. Via The Daily Beast:

“And Fauci let it be known in no uncertain terms that it’s not his fault if the senator doesn’t know how to Google,” Colbert said, before sharing the moment that the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases could be heard uttering, “What a moron,” followed by “Jesus Christ” under his breath.

“And now that clip lives forever on the internet,” he said after he stopped laughing. “The one place where Senator Marshall and his staff will never be able to find it.”

So all in all, a pretty great day for… Fauch? Yeah, we’re not feeling that nickname either, but we’ll let Colbert have it. He seems so happy!

(Via The Daily Beast)

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

In my review of Gunna’s last album, 2020’s Wunna, I wrote that he does just enough things right to warrant multiple listens and his inclusion in the debate over the best trap rappers. It has nearly been two years since then, but it has felt longer with a global pandemic, an attempted insurrection, and a half dozen natural disasters that have made finding moments of pure joy imperative to get through the slog. Gunna’s new album DS4EVER has become one of those bright spots for many fans, again showing just enough artistic evolution to shine even in comparison to his last effort.

Don’t expect to hear very much topical material, though. While Gunna has expanded the scope of his philanthropy over the past few years, even earning recognition from his hometown for his community-building efforts, his music remains focused on flaunting the trappings of wealth. He shines the most, though, when he stretches outside the boundaries of his comfort zone. On the illuminating “Livin Wild,” he details a harrowing near-death experience which contrasts sharply with the flexes of the album’s first four tracks.

“I just left the hospital, might need another liver,” he admits. “Kidney failures, I tell you this sh*t couldn’t be no realer.” Gunna’s occasional substance abuse has been no secret but here he both reveals the inherent struggles and defiantly challenges detractors while referring to specific incidents from the past year. “I been getting high inconsistent, but you tryna show me different,” he raps. “Judging me for trying the whippets, I’m tired of the critics.”

Meanwhile, the vulnerable streak continues on the Jon B-sampling “You & Me” featuring Gunna’s maybe-girlfriend Chloe Bailey. A stark departure from his usual attitude toward romance — even elsewhere on this very album — “You & Me” finds Gunna waxing idealistic about the possibility of finding and keeping love. “I get selfish with you, babe, you mine, all mine,” he gushes. “Keep it solid, don’t tell lies / She one thousand with me and the best of all time.” Wisely, though, he keeps the track short, letting the sweetness have its moment before moving on to more pressing concerns.

With Gunna and the rest of his cohorts, you know it’s all about the money. From the opening track “Private Island,” DS4EVER finds Gunna sticking quite firmly to his guns. “Poochie Gown,” “A Lotta Money,” “25K Jacket,” and “Too Easy” — which features Future as well as a remix with frequent Gunna collaborator Roddy Ricch — are the standouts and the likely fan favorites here, containing effervescent boasts and thrilling production from the usual Atlanta trap rap suspects, Metro Boomin, Southside, and Wheezy. Here is where the album departs from the usual formula, however, with each of these producers taking a harder-edged approach to the usual melodic, fuzzy instrumentation they’ve employed on prior projects.

This gives Gunna the opportunity to play with a fresher delivery style. While fans have probably become accustomed to the singsong delivery Gunna has used on standout projects like Lil Baby joint project Drip Harder, Wunna, and 2021’s YSL Records compilation Slime Language 2, on DS4EVER, he often fires off a more clipped cadence, biting off the ends of words like Red Vines to emphasize the more forceful beats like “Mop” and “IDK That Bitch” with G Herbo. He even tries his hand at cooking up his own slang like mentor Young Thug on “Pushin P,” which finds Gunna, Future, and Young Thug employing a slurred, foggy take on the old-school in-and-out, pass-the-mic flow.

Although Gunna only takes a few steps into new territory, he executes well enough on the familiar material to justify hanging back from making any big artistic leaps. After all, he knows what his fans want, and he’s been clear from day one that he considers his job delivering on those expectations rather than making big statements — he leaves that work to his increasingly elaborate wardrobe and burgeoning philanthropic efforts. It’d be nice to see him branch out more in the future, but even if he doesn’t, his final Drip Season mixtape offers strong evidence that he’ll at least keep creating the music he’s known for at a high level for a while.

DS4EVER is out now via 300 and Atlantic. Get it here.

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

Already an accomplished wine and spirits entrepreneur, West Coast rap legend E-40 is making a statement in the beer game. Musically speaking, the tireless Bay Area rapper and mogul has been staying busy coming into the new year, putting in work with the Mount Westmore rap supergroup (E-40, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Too Short) and putting down a hyped New Year’s Eve performance at the Day One 22 function in the Coachella Valley. But there is no rest for the weary as they say, and E-40’s new E. Cuarenta Mexican Styler Lager is now out in the world.

“The beer goes hand in hand with my E. Cuarenta Tequila. That’s why I named it the same; which means E-40 in Spanish,” E-40 tells Uproxx. “But I always feel like the proof is in the juice.” The smooth-sipping golden Mexican style lager is made in the Bay Area in San Jose, CA, and clocks in at a party-ready 6% ABV.

Now with E. Cuarenta Cerveza, Stevens is adding to a robust wine and spirits portfolio that already includes brands in Tycoon Cognac VS and VSOP, Earl Stevens Selections wines (which also features the Earl Stevens Prosecco and Rosé Prosecco), E. Cuarenta Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo Tequilas, the popular Sluricane bottled cocktails, as well as his Kuiper Belt Bourbon whiskey. He also recently launched the Goon With A Spoon brand of meats.

“All these brands are 100% owned by me. 100% Black-owned,” Stevens says. “No silent partners. No investors and I’m not looking for any. There’s more products and varietals that I’m gonna bring to the table in the wine and spirits game; in pretty much every category that there is to touch. The sky’s the limit and it feels good.”

E. Cuarenta Cerveza is now available at BevMo and Total Wine & Spirits locations in California, but with distribution expanding quickly everywhere.

It’s been less than a year since Israeli pop star Noa Kirel first started releasing English-language singles and she recently capped off 2021 with her biggest gig yet. She took the stage for a showstopping performance of her single “Bad Little Thing” on the televised Miss Universe 2021, opening the night with a captivating choreography. Now ringing in the new year right, Kirel returns with “Thought About That,” her first new song of 2022.

“Thought About That” arrives alongside a futuristic and fun video directed by Roman Buchatsky. It sees Kirel waking up in a sci-fi fantasy world characterized by towering buildings and flying cars. She realizes her man has left her behind but has no problem dancing through a broken heart. “Oh did you think I’d hate dancing alone / Oh did you think I’d stay home / You should have thought about that before you broke my heart,” she sings.

In a statement about the dancefloor-ready track, Kirel said she hopes the song inspires young women everywhere to prioritize themselves when it comes to relationships: “I turned 20 this year and it’s so important for my music to inspire young women to be independent and stand up for themselves, especially in relationships.”

Watch the “Thought About That” video above.

Noa Kirel is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies are scorching hot right now, as the team is in the midst of a 10-game winning streak. The team picked up one of its most impressive wins of the season on Tuesday night, withstanding haymaker after haymaker from the Golden State Warriors en route to a 116-108 victory.

The game happened in Memphis, and the fans at FedExForum were raucous in support of their team all evening. But of course, the Warriors have fans all over, and a few of them drew attention for a moment involving Morant in the fourth quarter. Basically, some children were in Dubs jerseys and wanted the future All-Star guard to dap them up following his late bucket to seal a win, only Morant was so locked in that he refused to do it.

Morant staring down children for wearing Warriors jerseys in his own building is pretty funny, and after the game, he explained what was going on here while also making clear that he’s willing to hook them up with gear for the home team.

“It was disrespectful to have that jersey on,” Morant said, saying that there’s no mercy for anyone, even kids, who wear gear for the opposing team during games. “We in Memphis. It looked like he wanted to cheer but he had that jersey on. I apologized to him, but in that moment, bro, take that jersey off and dap me up.”

Congrats to the child in question on the new Grizzlies gear and for being the most popular kid at school for a few days.