Month: January 2022

In another timeline, Travis Scott would have begun the year by teasing his highly anticipated fourth album, reportedly titled Utopia. However, due to the tragedy that took place at his Astroworld Festival, which left ten dead and hundreds injured, much of his focus has been on working with victims and dealing with the mounting lawsuits that have come as a result. Despite this, Travis has apparently found time to work on that album, which producer Wheezy revealed during an interview with Billboard.

Wheezy, who has worked with the likes of Future, Young Thug, and more, sat down with Billboard to discuss his work on Gunna’s new album, DS4EVER. During this conversation, Wheezy was asked about his work with Scott and if he was back to working on his next album. “Yeah, still working on it and putting the finishing touches on that,” Wheezy replied. “He’s back in Cabo working on it and I’m going out there soon. I’m going out there probably in the next two or three weeks to link up with him.”

Based on Wheezy’s comments, new music from Travis could arrive in the near future. It would be the rapper’s first drop since he released “Escape Plan” and “Mafia” last fall.

You can read Wheezy’s full interview with Billboard here.

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

It only lasted one season and 39 episodes, but The Honeymooners — Jackie Gleason’s game-changing mid-‘50s sitcom — has had remarkable durability. Since it’s run nearly 70 years ago, the show has remained beloved, inspiring The Flintstones, remakes from all over the world, even a movie reboot with Cedric the Entertainer in 2005. Yet another revival was announced back in 2016, but it never materialized. Now, right after Aaron Sorkin delved into the making of another ’50s sitcom pioneer, I Love Lucy, they’re trying again, this time with another twist.

As per Deadline, CBS is planning to reboot The Honeymooners with producers Damon Wayans Jr. and Kameron Tarlow. The new version, though, will be female-driven, written by Lindsey Shockley (Mixed-ish) and to be directed by Kelly Park (Country Comfort).

Deadline says it will be “centered around new wife Ruth and her husband Alex who are determined to have a marriage where they are true equals in every way. But what happens when a marriage has two heads of the household? Are they co-heads? Or no head at all?”

The original The Honeymooners, which ran from 1955 through 1956, was one of television’s first portrayals of working class people, set almost entirely within the Brooklyn apartment of Ralph and Alice Kramden (Gleason and Audrey Meadows). He’s a bus driver, she’s his patient but sharp-tongued wife. The show was often stolen by Art Carney as “Ed” Norton, a good-natured sewer worker whose antics often enraged the easily-enraged Ralph.

(Via Deadline)

We’re two years into a once-in-a-century public health crisis, but there’s good news: Since last spring, there’s been a free, effective, and widely available vaccine that can greatly alleviate the symptoms. And yet hospitalizations and deaths continue to be high. Why? Because a large chunk of the nation refuses to take it. Instead, they’ve glommed onto “miracle cures” like Ivermectin or massive, expensive cocktails most people couldn’t afford. But it appears horse de-wormers are so last year.

On Friday, Tucker Carlson, regular peddler of COVID misinformation that endangers his viewers’ lives, dedicated a segment to a potential new COVID treatment, and it just happens to be arguably the most famous pill in the world. That’s right, it looks like anti-vaxxers are about to go all-in on Viagra.

The right have seized upon a story from the U.K. (as caught by The New York Post), where Monica Almeida — a nurse and asthma sufferer who was fully vaccinated and an asthma sufferer — was awoken from 28-day coma after doctors gave her the medication intended to correct erectile dysfunction in men. She was 72 hours from being taken off her ventilator, but after being given a “large dose” of Viagra, her airways opened and she came to.

“It was definitely the Viagra that saved me. Within 48 hours it opened up my airwaves and my lungs started to respond,” Almeida, who works as a respiratory specialist, told the Sun. “If you think how the drug works, it expands your blood vessels. I have asthma and my air sacs needed a little help.”

Almeida was discharged on Christmas Eve, but she has a long road to full recovery. She says she’s still “weak and fragile,” and though mentally she’s “as good as ever,” she does get “a bit teary and frustrated at times.”

Is this incredible news? Yes. Should a single, involving an imunocompromised woman who was already vaxxed, be applied to absolutely everyone, including the un-vaxxed? Probably not. But when Almeida’s story crossed the pond, it was of course it seized upon by those who’ve spread COVID misinformation. On Friday, Carlson brought on Dr. Marc Singel to sing the praises of a drug that helps men get erections.

“Who thought Viagra would save us from the pandemic?” crowed Carlson, though his guest was slightly more apprehensive. Singel pointed out that Viagra is “not just used for what you think it’s used for,” that it also “treats lung problems and improves blood flow.” But his optimism was laced with caution, admitting this is all “the beginning of something” and that more research is needed.

Carlson, though, seemed to be already convinced, saying, “You’re saying if you take a massive dose of Viagra, you wake up. So I think it’s obvious.”

But it’s not that obvious, and besides, Viagra costs money (and requires a prescription), while vaccines are, again, free. The news already prompted jokes.

Still, whichever company owns Viagra is probably going to make a lot of money off of vaccine skeptics who don’t want to give money to Big Pharma. What company is that, by the way? The answer may surprise them: It’s Pfizer.

(Via NY Post)

Here is one of the seven made field goals that Ayo Dosunmu scored during the Chicago Bulls‘ 130-122 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Please pay special attention to the usually pretty expressive Bradley Beal, who seems especially bummed out that the rookie out of the University of Illinois scored on him.

Beal seems pretty upset, but not in a way that he was going to, like, start a fight or anything like that. As we learned after the game, it’s because Beal got cooked by a move that he taught Dosunmu a little earlier in the evening — both guys explained that Beal noticed something that Dosunmu was doing wrong, so he pulled him aside and told him how to correct it. Then, as Beal went on to say, “his ass caught and went on me.”

Dosunmu has established himself as a nice piece for the upstart Bulls this season. A Chicago native and second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Dosunmu played 31 minutes off the bench in Friday’s win, scoring 18 points, reeling in five rebounds, doling out four assists, and registering three steals. He also learned a new way to do something on the court by way of Bradley Beal, which is a fun way to cap off a pretty good evening.

Back in August of last year, a sex abuse suit against Bob Dylan was filed in New York by a woman identified only as J.C. The suit alleges that the victim was only 12 at the time, and that Dylan gave her drugs and alcohol along with abuse. Now, the case has reached the courts, and according to reporting from Rolling Stone, Dylan’s lawyers are dismissing it as a “a brazen shakedown.”

“This case – based on plaintiff’s alleged interactions with Bob Dylan more than 56 years ago — is a brazen shakedown masquerading as a lawsuit. It was filed in bad faith for the improper purpose of extracting a huge payout on the threat of negative publicity. The allegation is false, malicious, reckless and defamatory. Mr. Dylan will not be extorted,” Dylan’s lawyers wrote in response to the case, filing their statement yesterday in Manhattan.

It seems like Dylan’s lawyers aren’t just defending their client, but defending the truth as well. In her claim. J.C. stated that the abuse took place at the Chelsea Hotel between April and May of 1965 — but Dylan scholars (of which there are many) determined that he wasn’t in New York then. After she updated her claim to the “early spring” of that year, scholars searched for a single week, let alone several, that Dylan was in New York during that time frame, and could only find possibly a day or two.

Dylan’s lawyers further lambasted the accusers work as a psychic: “According to her own website, plaintiff is a psychic who specializes in ‘channeling’ the deceased loved ones of grieving families — for a fee,” Dylan’s statement continued, also noting that the plaintiff claims “she speaks to cats, dogs and other animals — alive and dead — as well as insects and plants,” and that she also claims she’s been abducted by aliens. His lawyers think the psychic is targeting Dylan because he seemed like an “easy mark.”

“Mr. Dylan may have seemed like an easy mark for the lawyers who filed and hoped to profit off of this fraudulent lawsuit,” the filing continues. “They likely assumed he would not be up for the fight and would instead pay extortion to avoid the burden, publicity, and expense of defending himself. They could not have been more wrong. Mr. Dylan seeks and will achieve justice, vindication and full accountability.”

In better news for Dylan, a massive display of his artwork is currently open in Miami.

Fred VanVleet made his most emphatic argument yet in his quest to become an All-Star. During Friday night’s game against the Utah Jazz, VanVleet caught fire and helped rally the Toronto Raptors from down double digits to a position where they held a lead against one of the best teams in the NBA.

In all, VanVleet scored 24 points in the quarter, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and knocking down all five of his attempts from the free throw line. Embedded in that was a 15-0 stretch in which he was literally the only player in the entire basketball game who scored a point, all while pitching in three assists, three rebounds, and a pair of steals. And for good measure, VanVleet did not turn the ball over at all.

While VanVleet is in the midst of a very good season in which he’s been the lynchpin for Toronto, this was him taking things to another level, submitting a huge performance in the midst of waves of support for him to make the NBA All-Star game for the first time in his career. It happened in a crucial game for the Raptors in their chase to get out of the play-in tournament and earn a playoff spot — Toronto went on to win, 122-108, for its fifth win in a row.

Entering Friday night’s game, VanVleet is averaging a career-best 21.3 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game.

In late 2021, beloved indie rockers The War On Drugs suddenly returned with a brand new album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore. It was one of the best albums of the year, and fans were eager to hear the band live again after a long hiatus. And though they initially announced a full tour with lots of openers, they made the tough choice to cut the opening acts. In a lengthy post on the band’s website today, frontman Adam Granduciel shared his thoughts on the changes and other precautions the band is taking due to the recent surge of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Check out some of his thoughts below, and stay safe out there!

Hi all, just wanted to give a quick update about our US tour that begins in Austin on January 19th.

First off, we’re disappointed to announce that due to the government of Ontario’s indoor capacity restrictions, our Toronto shows on February 5 and 6 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre have unfortunately been cancelled. Automatic refunds will be issued to all ticket holders in the next 30 days.

We’ve always loved playing for you in Toronto and have had some of our most memorable nights as a band there — playing “like a hurricane” at Massey Hall in 2017, the power going out an hour before our show at Lee’s Palace in 2014, playing two sweaty, sold out horseshoe Tavern shows, the massive Slave Ambient artwork/window display that the folks at Soundscapes made for us (that I still cherish). We’re so disappointed to be doing this, but we promise we’ll make it up to you in 2022 (and beyond). Wheels are already in motion as they say…

We’ve added a show in Pittsburgh (Feb 5) as well as a show in Cincinnati (Feb 6). Yay! Tickets for those are available on our website. Obviously, we’re beyond excited for these additions.

We’re also requesting that as many of you as possible wear a mask when you come see us play this tour — especially if you’re in the first few (50) rows. I know we’re all over masks but for one, it makes me more at ease cuz now I don’t get self conscious (and dark) when I see y’all yawn out there but also because we want our fans, our crew and our band to stay healthy so we can honor the commitments we’ve made to every city on this tour. Seriously, we would really appreciate it.

Second, due to this latest Covid surge and our need to exist within the tightest possible tour bubble, there will be no support acts on this run. We know how excited all of the opening acts were for this tour and we sincerely appreciate them being so f’n understanding.

Lo Moon was scheduled to be with us through Atlanta. We met years ago when Charlie was asked to play on their wonderful and CLASSIC debut record, Lo Moon. We became fast friends and they’ll still be joining us as MAIN SUPPORT on our EU/UK tour in March and April. We’re beyond excited to travel around with them. Their new song “Dream Never Dies” is out now!

Caroline Kingsbury wrote me out of the blue on Instagram asking to open our tour when we announced it back in July. I had never heard of her but I listened to a few songs and I knew SHE NEEDED TO PLAY MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. Big songs, big voice. Great hooks. I loved it. Please check her out and support her when she comes through your town. I know that we’ll be doing some shows together this year one way or another.

Our friend Rosali from Philly was going to play all the midwest shows with us since she has relocated to the rural calm of Michigan. Every one of her records is on heavy rotation at one point or another and her latest record, No Medium is a true stunner. She makes singing and writing songs sound easy and effortless. Maybe it is…what a life. We love you Rosali! We’re gonna miss playing “Birds Of Paradise” and “Because The Night” with you every night :((((

We became instant friends with Toronto native Joseph Shabason when we opened for Destroyer in 2011 on the most epic 7 week tour I’ve ever been on — 6 months before Slave Ambient came out. Basically Chris Koltay was forcing us to go to Culvers to eat butter biscuits and Joseph was also DYING to go to Culvers. So he ditched the comforts of the Destroyer tour bus and enjoyed some of the biscuits that Koltay had ordered “for the table.” We’ve been close ever since. Honestly this guy’s got a million great records to his name. We suggest you check them all out. He also played saxophone on the outro of “Eyes To The Wind.”

Finally, when Shawn and I were mixing our record into some sort of strange mush back in late 2020 I remember hearing 3 songs on repeat coming from his kitchen. Having no luck with Shazam I asked his wife what I was listening to. It was rough mixes of what would become TOMI’s Sweet, Sweet Honey EP and I fell in love with it immediately. I was really looking forward to hearing her sing these songs down the west coast but that’ll have to wait until some other time!!

Ok…wow, king of social media. thank you and we love you all. We can’t wait to see you. It’s been a long road. We’re beyond excited. Take care of one another xoxo

While both Shania Twain and Taylor Swift have written plenty of scathing songs about men who don’t get it, there’s nothing but love between the two pop-country superstars. A few days ag, ever vigilant Swifties noticed that Taylor had set a record by becoming the female artists with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart. Her re-recording of Red (Taylor’s Version) has been sitting pretty on that chart for plenty of weeks lately, and quickly racked up enough to make Taylor’s overall time spent topping that chart surpass the old record set by Shania, 97 weeks.

But for her part, Shania was nothing but thrilled that Taylor is having that kind of success, and said as much in a tweet yesterday quoting the record-breaking stat. “Let’s Go Girls!!!!” she began, quoting her own epic hit, “Man, I Feel Like A Woman,” natch. “Proud of you @taylorswift13. Historical records are meant to be made and then broken. The baton is meant to be passed on to new generations. Unstoppable young female country artists are in spite of the hurdles #trailblazers.”

We’d expect nothing less from Shania, who has always been supportive of other women, and particularly Taylor. A class act as always.

Ever watched a cleaning TikTok? Man, are they satisfying. There’s nothing like seeing the grubby bathroom getting scrubbed and buffed into something spa worthy. It’s just so cathartic. Is there such a thing as visual ASMR?

Not to mention that having a clean home just feels so good. Having things tidy makes the daily stressors of life seem more manageable.

But for many of us, this basic comfort is an impossible luxury. Things pile on, both literally and metaphorically. Being a single parent, having depression and illness are among the many obstacles that can drain someone of their time and energy to really take on a thorough cleaning. And once things spiral out of control, it can be very hard to get back on track again.

See on Instagram

Cleaning enthusiast Aurikatariina proudly describes herself as “The Queen of Cleaning” on TikTok and YouTube. Yes, the transformations are wild. Yes, she has some great tips and tips. But the truly remarkable thing is that this woman uses her passion to help others: by offering to clean their homes for free.

Her free home makeover videos not only feature the Queen of Cleaning doing what she does best, they also share the stories of those she’s helping. And watching them feels like a good soul cleansing.

@aurikatariina

This lovely was crying from happiness 🥺👵🏻🙏 I just LOVE to help people ❤️ ##elderly ##helping ##homecleaning ##takecare ##satisfya ##satisfyingvideo

♬ Home – Edith Whiskers

Like when she helped an 80-year-old couple who had no support to manage their home. So Aurikatariina got to work, and made the kitchen immaculate (in the video above).

Her caption reads “my heart melted when this lovely lady was crying from happiness.”

I mean, it’s one thing to get this much joy from cleaning your own home. But for a stranger? That’s next level. And it really goes to show that giving to others rewards everyone involved.

@aurikatariina

One of the saddest but the best cleaning ever 🥺👩‍👧‍👧❤️ ##cleaningtiktok ##cleaning ##makeover ##oddlysatisfying

♬ Survivor – 2WEI & Edda Hayes

In another video, Aurikatariina helps out a single mom. She explains that the father left her alone with two kids, and (understandably) the home had gotten in bad condition.

What seems like a million toys litter the floor. A Coke can in the medicine cabinet. An ironing board that’s become a table for junk. Yeah, it’s bad. But Aurikatariina cleans it all, staying kind and compassionate the whole way through.

Her video ends with “if there is a mother struggling I‘m here to tell you that you are not alone.”

One person commented “as a single mom of 4 thank you for helping her. These messes get outta hand so quickly when you’re the only one doing literally EVERYTHING.”

@aurikatariina

The reaction of the cat at the end 😭😻👏🏻 ##story ##storytime ##touching ##forfree ##happycat ##homecleaning ##homemakeover

♬ Home – Edith Whiskers

Aurikatariina cleaned the home of a cat owner, who was really sick. Both kitty and the young girl were swimming in mounds of food packaging and cat hair. But with Aurikatariina’s help, along with some generous donations of supplies from her followers, the home became spotless.

You’ll wanna stay for the end of this one if you want to see one happy cat lounging in a pristine bathroom sink, after being thoroughly confused to see his new home.

As many people noted in the comments, the cat was also clearly healthy and well loved. This woman was able to take care of her cat, just not herself.

@aurikatariina

Hope is the best medicine of all 🙏 ##forfree ##homecleaning ##satisfying ##hope ##cleaningtiktok ##deepcleaning ##kitchen ##kitchencleaning

♬ Summer – Instrumental – Devinney

Aurikatariina captions this one with “hope is the best medicine of all.”

As she declutters and scrubs, Aurikatariina explains that this homeowner suffers from anxiety, depression, a physically demanding job and financial problems. Yeah, that’s a lot.

“He didn’t have the strength to put effort into his home…so here I am,” she writes.

@aurikatariina

THE MOST AMAZING TRANSFORMATION EVER!! 😍😍 ##forfree ##cleaning ##clean ##beforeandafter ##motivation

♬ Cinematic Trailer – Saltonbria

This home was labeled “dirtiest house in Europe.” A cleaning job this massive would have cost about $15,000, Aurikatariina tells us. And she did it for free.

She even flew from Finland to Switzerland to do it. Cleaning brand Scrub Daddy paid for her plane ticket and hotel. But still, that kind of generosity is beyond inspiring.

Aurikatariina is offering people not only a freshly cleaned home, but a fresh start as well.

As the saying goes, “helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.” And that matters.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go organize my closet.

The world has lost a brilliant giant of a man, one who left an indelible mark on the entertainment world and society at large. Sidney Poitier, actor, director and civil rights icon, has passed away at age 94. The first Black actor to win an Academy Award, he was a trailblazer and barrier breaker, in addition to being undeniably charismatic in his signature, almost understated way.

Sidney Poitier was smooth without being smarmy, persuasive without being pedantic and stately without being snooty. He could command attention and respect with a thoughtful monologue or with a simple, unwavering gaze. He was uncompromising in his principles, speaking out for civil rights and turning down projects that didn’t align with his character and values. He was grace and dignity personified.

Born as the youngest of seven children in a tomato-farming family in the Bahamas, he went from having no electricity or running water to becoming one of the most renowned actors of all time. Poitier overcame all manner of obstacles, from poverty to racism, to gain his place in American history and the accolades he’s received are well-deserved.

Those who knew him personally are sharing their tributes to him today. May we all live lives that prompt such glowing praise of our person and our mark on the world.

Poitier and Belafonte at the March on Washingtonpic.twitter.com/4fOVBATxdL

— Dorothy Berry (@Dorothy Berry)
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Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier met in Harlem before either of them had made it big, and became lifelong friends. “For over 80 years, Sidney and I laughed, cried and made as much mischief as we could,” said Harry Belafonte in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “He was truly my brother and partner in trying to make this world a little better. He certainly made mine a whole lot better.”

Sidney Poitier pic.twitter.com/otVjSFHaw8

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah Winfrey)
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Oprah Winfrey has often gushed about her appreciation of Sidney Poitier, from before their first meeting through the decades-long friendship they formed. “For me, the greatest of the ‘Great Trees’ has fallen,” Winfrey wrote in a statement shared on Twitter. “My honor to have loved him as a mentor. Friend. Brother. Confidant. Wisdom teacher. The utmost, highest regard and praise for his most magnificent, gracious, eloquent life. I treasured him. I adored him. He had an enormous soul I will forever cherish.”

Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors. Michelle and I send our love to his family and legion of fans.pic.twitter.com/zkYKFSxfKA

— Barack Obama (@Barack Obama)
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Tyler Perry shared a tribute on Facebook, writing, “The grace and class that this man has shown throughout his entire life, the example he set for me, not only as a black man but as a human being will never be forgotten. There is no man in this business who has been more of a North Star for me than Sidney Poitier.”

See on Instagram

Actress Octavia Spencer shared the story of her meeting Sidney Poitier after she won an award. She was “shell shocked and sweaty,” but he stopped, smiled and congratulated her. “He told me he expected great things from me,” she wrote. “There’s something about hearing those words from a pioneer that changes you! Thank you, Mr. Poitier!! I’ve been riding high ever since!!

Former @disney board member Sidney Poitier was the most dignified man Iu2019ve ever met. Toweringu2026gentleu2026passionateu2026boldu2026kindu2026altogether special.pic.twitter.com/1ccPjqabkz

— Robert Iger (@Robert Iger)
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Disney CEO Robert Iger wrote, “Sidney Poitier was the most dignified man I’ve ever met. Towering…gentle…passionate…bold…kind…altogether special.”

u201cIu2019ll be chasing you, Sidney. Iu2019ll always be following in your footsteps.u201dnnStill a timeless moment between Denzel Washington and Sidney Poitier at the 2002 #Oscars.pic.twitter.com/yCWSkIs7ww

— Lights, Camera, Pod (@Lights, Camera, Pod)
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“It was a privilege to call Sidney Poitier my friend. He was a gentleman and opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years. God bless him and his family,” Denzel Washington shared in a statement according to the Associated Press.

Poitier will be remembered and honored for his talent, wisdom and dignified forthrightness. There will never be another quite like him.

The legendary Sidney Poitier has reportedly passed away at 94. A true icon. nnHere is a powerful interview from him back in 1968 – he was addressing how he was being treated by the press. nnRest in power.pic.twitter.com/WtjmN2sU27

— Clay ‘Critical Thinking Theory’ Cane (@Clay ‘Critical Thinking Theory’ Cane)
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