Month: March 2022

Donald Trump is not known for his subtlety. Despite the fact that he has a very long string of failed and bankrupted businesses on his resume (sorry, Trump Steaks), he still approaches each new venture with gusto—and the bravado of a man who hasn’t declared bankruptcy a whopping six times. Such was the case with TRUTH Social, the social network created for Trump by Trumpers that he loudly and proudly announced in October 2021.

Nearly six months and several disastrous “launches” later, the shady AF website—which Don Jr. promised us was “gonna be awesome”—seems to hurriedly be digging its own plot in Trump’s graveyard of failed businesses. While it certainly doesn’t help that even Trump has only posted on it a whole one time, general interest in the network has pretty much disappeared, too. As The Wrap reports, the laughably named TRUTH has seen a dramatic 93 percent drop in signups since its official launch in February.

As Antoinette Siu writes for The Wrap:

After going live on President’s Day, the Twitter-lookalike app saw installs decline by more than 800,000 since its launch week, according to Sensor Tower. Installs on the Apple app store this month have fallen to about 60,000 per week, based on early estimates.

“This is down 93% from its launch week, when it saw 872,000 installs during the week of Feb. 21,” Stephanie Chan, mobile insights strategist at Sensor Tower, told TheWrap. “We estimate that Truth Social has so far reached approximately 1.2 million installs since its launch.”

While there’s no official data on how much traffic the site is actually getting, The Wrap looked at stats from Similarweb, which showed that at its height, 6 million people visited the site during its launch week (some of them presumably lookie-loos just wanting to see how the site was running and what people were talking about). That traffic has dropped to less than 2 million visitors per week.

While Team Trump did not respond to a request for comment on The Wrap’s story, Trump himself has reportedly been complaining about the site’s abject failure. The Daily Beast learned from sources that the former president has been heard “on the phone swearing gratuitously and asking things like, ‘What the f*ck is going on’ with TRUTH Social?”

What the f*ck indeed.

(Via The Wrap)

What’s the Russian word for ‘Oops’? Less than one week ago, Donald Trump filed a civil lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, the DNC, and others for purportedly “destroy[ing] his life” by “weav[ing] a false narrative” that the former president “was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty” (a.k.a. Russia). Meanwhile, yesterday Trump publicly asked Putin to dig up dirt on the Biden family, and, as The Daily Beast’s Julia Davis shared, popular Kremlin TV personality Evgeny Popov is urging his viewers to convince Americans that our country needs a regime change “and to again help our partner Trump to become President.”

Help. Partner. Trump. President. Again?!?

The urgency of the request, which was made on Russia’s propaganda TV, is presumably a reaction to some off-the-cuff comments President Joe Biden made this weekend while addressing the world about the Russia Ukraine War, as Mediaite reports.

After describing Vladimir Putin as a “dictator bent on rebuilding an empire,” Biden expressed his goal of the world having “a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.” But Joe got a little wrapped up in the moment, and added in a little “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” which some people understood as a call to remove Putin by whatever means necessary—which the White House later walked back.

As NPR reports, the White House issued a statement clarifying that, “The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.”

No such walk-back has so far been made by the Kremlin or their “partner” Trump’s team over Popov’s comments about coming to the former president’s aid—again!

(Via Mediaite)

Following a series of concerning posts over the past week, rapper Chika has announced via Twitter that she will take a hiatus from social media. In a series of tweets, she shared she plans “to take some time away to get better.” This Twitter thread comes after the “Industry Games” rapper shared via her Instagram Story plans to end her life.

After sharing the Instagram story, several of her peers in the industry, including Latto and Monaleo, expressed their support for Chika. Before her taking a break online, she took to Twitter this morning to apologize for worrying her fans and “lashing out to people who tried to send love.”

“the mind has a sick way of making you feel like everyone is against you when they are not,” she said. “i’ve felt alone for such a long time- so the feeling of arms wrapped around me, trying to uplift me is foreign. i know i triggered many of you, and i am sorry for that as well. i wish less people could relate. it doesn’t feel good to be the person unearthing so many people’s unspoken pain.”

Chika said none of the feelings she shared over the past few days were related to social media, but also feels “being online absolutely does not help.” She admitted she still doesn’t feel better, but thanked her fans for their support.

“no more sharing for now,” she said. “i know i need tangible help and support, so that is my priority right now. please take care of yourselves and each other. life is not fun or easy, but hopefully it can be at least ‘doable.’ love you. see you soon.”

Find Chika’s tweets below.

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

Donald Glover has kept busy with Atlanta and various other acting endeavors in recent years, and all the while, Childish Gambino fans have been wanting more new music. Glover’s latest album was 2020’s 3.15.20 and now he tells Jimmy Kimmel he’s been working on new music since then.

Towards the end of the conversation, Kimmel asked Glover if he was working on a new Childish Gambino album. After pausing for applause, Glover replied, “Uh, no,” before quickly indicating he was joking. He continued, “I’m making a lot of music. I really love doing it. I’ve made a bunch of it. It’s just really about how to experience it at this point.”

Glover didn’t specifically say he was making music to be released under the Childish Gambino name, which is noteworthy given his recent history: He suggested on multiple occasions he would be retiring the moniker but has since indicated he may not be finished with Childish Gambino after all.

Meanwhile, he also noted that his process of making music has changed since becoming a father, saying:

“It used to just flow, but now I have kids. Nothing flows anymore. […] Nothing’s as easy as it used to be. So I do block off time now because I’m like, ‘Oh, I want to be here for them at this time, and I want to make sure I see his game, and I want to make…’ So that takes a lot of scheduling. But I have this kind of farm, I call it, where it’s like an art farm, where I just like… when I go there, then I get to be as ADD as I want.”

Watch the full interview above.

The reactions to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars continue to roll in. Judd Apatow called it “embarrassing” and “dangerous,” Jim Carrey was “sickened” by the post-slap standing ovation Smith received after winning Best Actor, Zoe Kravitz referred to the Oscars as a “show where we are apparently assaulting people on stage now,” Alec Baldwin got involved because of course Alec Baldwin got involved, and so on.

The Slap has even made its way to the White House, where Joe Biden’s communications director Kate Bedingfield was asked what the president thinks about “the biggest story right now.”

“You saw the level of violence that was unleashed on Chris Rock. Is that something that the White House condones — that type of violence? Do you condemn it? And do you do anything to support comedians who have been attacked and other artists?” Today News Africa’s Simon Ateba asked Bedingfield, who’s filling in Jen Psaki while she recovers from COVID-19. She replied, “I don’t have any official comment from the White House on the altercation. I know the president was not able to watch the Oscars. Didn’t see it. So I don’t have any official comment from him or from the White House on this.”

Anyone hoping for Biden to call Smith a “jackass,” like Barack Obama did with Kanye West 10 years ago, sorry but you’re out of luck. Instead, most people are disappointed that a multi-millionaire slapping another multi-millionaire was referred to as “the biggest story right now” when there are much bigger stories happening.

In the days since the untimely passing of Foo Fighters member Taylor Hawkins, people from all over the music landscape have taken time to pay tribute to the drummer. Now one of the biggest artists in the history of popular music, Paul McCartney, has chimed in by reminiscing about the times he’s worked with Foo Fighters and paying Hawkins some major compliments.

The former Beatle shared a photo of himself with Hawkins and wrote:

“Taylor’s sudden death came as a shock to me and the people who knew and loved him.⁣
⁣
Not only was he a GREAT drummer but his personality was big and shiny and will be sorely missed by all who were lucky to live and work alongside him.⁣
⁣
I was asked by the Foo Fighters to play on one of their tracks. It turned out that they wanted me to play drums! — on one of Taylor’s songs. This request came from a group with TWO amazing drummers! It was an incredible session and cemented my relationship with Taylor and the guys. Later they asked if I would induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I sang with them on ‘Get Back’. Taylor provided a powerhouse drum part. I’ll never forget that night. All of which made it much more of a desperately sad shock to hear he had died. So thanks Taylor for sharing some glorious minutes with me. You were a true Rock and Roll hero and will always remain in my heart.⁣
⁣
God bless his family and band – Love Paul X.”

Find McCartney’s post below.

Kelly Lee Owens’ 2020 album Inner Song expanded the possibilities of what electronic music is capable of. The British producer wove in her interstellar vocals into highly danceable productions that were forged deeply in IDM and it vaulted Owens as an artist. So much so, that she was tabbed to create the song for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, in “Unity.”

Now Owens has announced her follow-up to Inner Song in the form on LP.8, which comes out on April 29th. She has also shared the first two tracks from the album in the hypnotic “Olga” and the frenetically-paced “Sonic 8.”

Written and recorded during the pandemic in snowy Oslo, Norway, Owens worked with producer Lasse Marhaug on the album for subconsciously-inspired creations that toe the line between ambient music, Celtic chants, and avant-garde noise productions.

“For me, 8 meant completion — an album that will ripple infinitely with me personally,” Owens said in a statement.

Listen to “Olga” and “Sonic 8” above. Check out the album artwork and tracklist for LP.8 below as well as Kelly Lee Owens’ upcoming Europe and Australia tour dates.

1. “Release”
2. “Voice”
3. “Anadlu”
4. “S.O (2)”
5. “Olga”
6. “Nana Piano”
7. “Quickening”
8. “One”
9. “Sonic 8”

06/03 — Melbourne, AU @ Rising Festival Hub
06/04 — Sydney, AU @ Motorik [DJ Set]
06/15 — Milan, IT @ Magnolia Fest
06/19 — Dublin, IE @ Body & Soul Festival
06/25 — Bristol, UK @ Bristol Sounds
07/02 — Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/08 — Bilbao, ES @ Bilbao BBK Live Fest
07/10 — Modena, IT @ Artivive Festival
07/22 — Macclesfield, UK @ Bluedot
07/23 — Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival
07/30 — London, UK @ South Facing
07/31 — Sicily, IT @ Ortigia Sound System Festival (DJ Set)
08/20 — Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
08/21 — Biddinghuizen, NE @ Lowlands Festival

LP.8 is out 4/29 via Smalltown Supersound. Pre-order it here.

Paul George last played a basketball game on Dec. 22, 2021. The Los Angeles Clippers star suffered a torn ligament in his elbow, and ever since, he’s been in a race against the clock to return to the team before the postseason rolls around. After a day or two of rumors that he was on the verge of suiting up again, George made it back on Tuesday night for the Clippers’ game against the Utah Jazz and did not look like he missed a beat as he spearheaded a torrid comeback.

Los Angeles found itself in an 18-point deficit at the end of the first quarter and trailed by as many as 25 points in the third quarter against its Western Conference foes. And then, as they have done so many times in recent years — including in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Jazz last year, when they erased the exact same deficit — the Clippers scratched and clawed their way back en route to a 121-115 win.

George was the catalyst for the comeback. After scoring eight points in the first half, George exploded for 26 in the second, finishing his night with 34 points on 10-for-20 shooting and a 6-for-9 clip from three with six assists, four steals, two rebounds, and a block in 31 minutes of work.

At one point, he managed to make the most of a lob that was far too ambitious by reeling it in with one hand and feeding Isaiah Hartenstein for a bucket — the big man was an important part of the comeback, as he had 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists against Rudy Gobert off the bench.

To celebrate his return, George’s teammates poured a whole lot of water on him right before his postgame interview.

The win puts the Clippers at 37-39 on the year, and while they’re not officially locked into the 8-seed yet, they’re six games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 7-seed and 5.5 games up on the New Orleans Pelicans in ninth. With George back in the fold, though, it’s not hard to imagine Los Angeles surviving the play-in tournament and being a tough out in the playoffs.

The Utah Jazz blew a 25-point lead to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night en route to a 121-115 loss at Crypto.com Arena. While Donovan Mitchell had a pretty good performance, one rather unfortunate moment at the end of the game played a role in the Clipper lead becoming insurmountable.

Utah trailed by four points with 10 seconds remaining and Mitchell taking the ball out underneath their own basket. If all went well, he would inbound the ball to someone, the Jazz would get a quick basket, they’d foul and get the ball back with a chance to make something happen, and either force overtime or get a walk-off bucket.

The issue: Los Angeles defended the inbound pass perfectly, and Mitchell did not have to whom he could get the ball. So he decided to call a timeout despite the fact that the Jazz were all out of ’em. It took a split second for the referees to blow the whistle, but after a brief review, Mitchell was assessed a technical foul.

Due to Mitchell pulling a Chris Webber, Reggie Jackson buried a free throw and the Clippers were given the ball. It was a game to forget in Utah, and while Mitchell had 33 points and six assists, this ended his evening on a sour note.

Nearly three and a half years ago, Gunna brought his talents to A COLORS Show, the popular YouTube music series that invites artists to perform a song of theirs in front of a simple and vibrant background. During that appearance on the show, Gunna performed “Top Off,” a standout from his 2018 mixtape Drip Season 3. The performance spawned plenty of memes and it resurfaces on social media every few months just like any fan-favorite moment does. Fast-forward to now and Gunna returns to A COLORS Show for a new performance, this time for a song from his third album DS4EVER.

In his return to the music series, Gunna serenades with a performance of “Private Island.” The track is the soft-hearted introduction to DS4EVER, and it stands as one of Gunna’s more tender records in his discography. As expected, Gunna is also dressed to impress during his appearance.

Gunna’s return to A COLORS Show comes after he recently lent guest features to DDG, Machine Gun Kelly, and Lil Durk. He’s also given performances of “Die Alone” and “Empire” since the release of DS4EVER

You can watch Gunna’s performance of “Private Island” above.

DS4EVER is out now via YSL Records/300 Entertainment. You can pre-save it here.

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