Month: March 2022

As Coi Leray’s latest single, the Nicki Minaj-featuring “Blick Blick,” picks up steam on the charts, the New Jersey rapper is striking while the iron’s hot. Today, she shared the cover and release date of her forthcoming debut album, Trendsetter. Due in just two weeks, on April 8, the album has a playful cover that has the XXL Freshman bent over double and clutching her cheeks like the poster for Home Alone surrounded by cartoonish illustrations of planets orbiting around her.

“I just want to finally let y’all bxtchs know, ain’t nobody fw me in that booth,” she wrote in the caption. “This will be one of the biggest female artist albums in the world and I put my life on it. It’s not a race, it’s a Trendsetter Marathon.”

The path to Leray’s debut was occasionally a bumpy one. Before her 2020 single “No More Parties” caught fire in early 2021 thanks to a Lil Durk remix, Coi said she was close to giving up on rap entirely. However, once Durk expressed his belief in her, she continued to grind, even despite a less-than-warm reception for her XXL Freshman cypher verse. She also took abuse from fans over her physique, a perceived resemblance to Dej Loaf, and anxiety, prompting her to release “Anxiety” as a single. Even her new single “Blick Blick” was almost derailed by her overzealous father Benzino.

But she’s persevered, “Blick Blick” has become her biggest hit to date, and now, she’s got the chance to prove that she’s no fluke.

Trendsetter is due 4/8 on Republic Records.

A slew of unsuspecting Brazilians in São Paulo thought they were getting the chance of a lifetime to meet Rihanna this past weekend. Selfies were snapped, hugs were given, and one lady even kissed her pregnant belly. Trouble is, this was not Rihanna at all, but rather a very devoted fake Rihanna, who along with sporting the Fenty Beauty empresario’s baby bump, also had a full-on security detail.

In footage captured of the fake Rihanna’s parade through some of the busiest shopping districts and a bus station in São Paulo, the actress stops to talk to a reporter in pretty good Portuguese (this was the dead giveaway). She tells her that she’s been polishing her Portuguese and that she’s here “to buy things for my baby,” as she gently clutches her big fake belly. “I’m so emotional because I’m her #1 fan,” one hysterical fan says to the reporter. The security detail are in full character as well, never breaking their stone faces. Considering husband ASAP Rocky was in São Paulo to play at Lollapalooza Brazil this past weekend, the fake Rihanna had a pretty good alibi for being there.

But alas, this was actually a gag from a TV show called Cidade Alerta on the major Brazilian network, “TV Record.” The actress, is presumably Priscilla Beatrice, who’s is devoted Rihanna impersonator. Her TikTok has over 2 million followers and she does her very best to look the part.

So while these celebrity-crazed Brazilian fans didn’t actually get to meet the pride of Barbados, at least they got to feel some joy for a bit. That’s worth some Instagram likes right?

Watch the clip of the fake Rihanna from “TV Record” above.

One of my absolute favorite things in hip-hop is how the timely pop culture references often evolve with the times. Some rhymes age poorly, depending on the fortunes of the celebrity or work of art they address — see practically any NBA line that isn’t about Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James. Some rhymes, however, do the opposite, becoming even more exquisite as their subjects continue their careers, transforming the context and adding new layers of meaning to the originals.

Case in point: J. Cole‘s 2014 Forest Hills Drive single is currently undergoing an analytical reevaluation on Twitter thanks in large part to last night’s Academy Awards ceremony. In the song, Cole raps, “I want a real love, dark-skinned Aunt Viv love / That Jada and that Will love / That leave a toothbrush at your crib love / And you ain’t gotta wonder whether that’s your kid love.” At the time of its release, it was a fairly straightforward line evoking a wholesome romantic relationship, using Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as examples (ironic, considering the song’s title).

But after last night’s Oscars show, during which Will Smith stormed onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock for making an off-color joke about Jada’s hair (which she shaved due to alopecia, a condition that makes sufferers’ hair fall out), fans have revisited just what “that Jada and Will love” really means, knowing what we know now — which is that Will can and will put his hands on somebody for offending his wife.

Naturally, responses vary. Some say the line also aged poorly, while others have noted the degrees by which it has evolved in the months since we were all teasing them about having an open relationship (don’t hide your hand now). Although a number of celebrities have weighed in, it’s fascinating — and really, really funny — that the person who had one of the wildest takes did so years ago by total accident.

Yep, it seems like Will Smith slapping Chris Rock is the biggest thing to come out of the Oscars since, well, the days of the streaker. That smack is all that everyone can talk about, and it’s prompted discussions of Rock’s 2016 jokes about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. One can expect plenty of debate about the quality of Rock’s 2022 GI Jane joke in question (it wasn’t great on its face) and the physical outburst wrought by Will, one that he followed up with a weepy speech (in which he rambled, “Love will make you do crazy things”) after winning Best Actor for King Richard.

As the chaos continues to swirl and The Academy mulls over doing something about this situation — ostensibly to prevent a reoccurrence and also to promote a better look — everyone has a take. That includes director/producer Judd Apatow, who weighed in during an interview with Sirius XM’s The Dean Obeidallah Show. In short, Apatow sees Will’s actions as a “mistake” that’s both “embarrassing” and “dangerous.” That last detail arrives with Apatow’s point that Smith is a role model to some, and he hopes that maybe some public lesson can be learned.

“[H]opefully it becomes a teachable moment where Will Smith can speak to people in an honest way about why that was not the way to go,” Apatow declared while noting that Will could spill himself with Jada on the Red Table Talk in days to come. “[O]ne assumes with all he does lately with the Red Table and all of that, that we will hear a very clear expression of why that was a terrible, embarrassing, and dangerous mistake. I’m hopeful that will happen.”

Apatow added that he’ll be “surprised” if Will doesn’t begin to communicate in that way on this subject “because, basically, if that becomes the way it is, then you know, what’ll happen to Ricky Gervais on the next Golden Globes?”

That’s a valid point. It’s already hard enough to get anyone to host the Oscars, and if that turns into people being afraid to present at the Oscars, as well, hoo boy. Then again, one never knows, maybe Chris Rock could step up again and host the whole damn thing again one day. Never say never, but one guesses that he’ll avoid any Will-and-Jada jokes. He’s been there and done that twice already.

(Via Sirius XM)

Lil Uzi Vert and Nigo take an expensive shopping trip in the video for “Heavy,” from the BAPE designer’s new album, I Know Nigo. They’re joined by ASAP Rocky, who also appears on the album on the songs “Arya” and “Lost And Found Freestyle,” and accompanies them into Jacob & Co. after joining Uzi for some dismissive trash talk outside the store. “Y’all just started getting fly,” Uzi sneers. “Y’all n****s just started coming outside, too,” Rocky confirms. The rest of the video is a blur of bling, with Rocky and Uzi stunting aside a stoic, masked Nigo.

I Know Nigo, which dropped on Friday, March 25, is the DJ’s first solo album since 2005’s Nigo Presents: Return Of The Ape Sounds. Co-executive produced by Nigo’s longtime friend Pharrell Williams (a Bathing Ape early adopter since the late ’90s), the album also features contributions from frequent collaborators Clipse, Gunna, ASAP Ferg, Kid Cudi, the late Pop Smoke, Tyler The Creator, and Nigo’s own hip-hop group, Teriyaki Boyz, who last released an album in 2009 with Serious Japanese.

Watch Nigo and Lil Uzi Vert’s “Heavy” video above.

I Know Nigo is out now on Republic Records. Get it here.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

As the entertainment world continues to reel from the aftermath of Will Smith smacking Chris Rock in the face at the Oscars — heretofore known as “The Slap” — one of the biggest questions from the evening is why wasn’t Smith removed from the event. Granted, Rock declined to press charges for the assault, but the entire auditorium witnessed the event. Although, at the time, many still thought the exchange was part of a scripted bit because, honestly, who in a million years would think Will Smith, one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, would clock Chris Rock in the mouth during one of the biggest awards show on the planet.

According to sources at the ceremony, that moment of confusion was enough cover for Smith to remain at the event and ultimately take the stage to accept his award for Best Actor. On top of that, the Academy appears to, uh, not have a written rule for not striking fellow members during the ceremony. We’re not even joking. Via Variety:

The Academy is a nonprofit organization ruled by bylaws, and sources say there appear to be no provisions addressing open-hand smacking across the face on the live show.

Escorting Smith out of the ceremony was discussed, the source said, though by the time any substantive scenarios were imagined, he had already been called up to the podium to accept an Oscar for his turn in “King Richard.” The show ended shortly thereafter, as a joyous atmosphere turned sour.

Other sources also claimed that ABC producers were concerned about the “optics” of removing Smith from the building after he defended his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, from an offensive joke that was reportedly “off the cuff” and not scripted.

In the meantime, the Academy has issued a more sternly worded statement about the incident, and just as Whoopi Goldberg predicted, Smith is facing a potential disciplinary action.

“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” the Academy said in a new statement. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”

Well, okay. That should settle everything once and for all. Or not. Probably not. In fact, let’s just go with “not at all,” to be safe.

(Via Variety)

Since the late 1980s, nearly every host of the Academy Awards has hosted multiple times. Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Kimmel, etc. But not David Letterman. His one and only stint hosting the Oscars in 1995 was poorly received, with the New York Times writing at the time, “As the stars glittered, Dave fizzled.” But the harshest criticisms came from Letterman himself, who said in 2020, “To this day, it is the single greatest professional embarrassment of my career, through nobody’s fault but my own.”

Letterman is willing to laugh about his experience as host, though, as he showed in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on Monday about the incident during last night’s Oscars (you know the one).

“I want to talk a little bit about Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. People will say, ‘Well, Dave, what do you know about this?’ and I will just remind you that I actually hosted the Academy Awards. It was in the 1940s,” he joked. “All I can say, and say what you will, read what you will, think what you will about my performance the night I hosted the Academy Awards. But, and here’s my point, no one got hit. No one was hit that night that I hosted. That’s all I have to say. God bless America. God bless the Academy Awards.”

You can watch Dave’s video above.

Back in 2017, Jimmy Kimmel was hosting the Oscars during the wild moment when the wrong envelope was handed to Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, who then announced La La Land as Best Picture when really the winner was Moonlight. It was an extremely embarrassing fiasco for the Academy followed by intense scrutiny over the security procedures used to protect the winning envelopes. People couldn’t believe a mix-up like this could happen, and it was the craziest thing to happen in Oscars history — until Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.

During a scheduled appearance on Bill Simmons’ podcast following the Oscars broadcast, Kimmel and Simmons both assumed that maybe there’d maybe be a couple of wacky moments to discuss, nothing too crazy. But neither one of them was prepared for something as momentous as Smith assaulting Rock onstage. Right out of the gate, Simmons joked that Kimmel is now “off the hook” for the La La Land incident, which the late-night host was kinda bummed about.

“What fun is it to be involved in the second craziest Oscars moment?” Kimmel quipped before comparing the incident to the infamous fight where Mike Tyson bit two of Evander Holyfield’s ears. It was just something nobody would’ve ever predicted and will go down as one of the craziest moments ever, not just at the Oscars, due to Smith’s reputation as the “nicest guy” in Hollywood.

“This is like if, you know, Tom Hanks got up and smacks and cracks somebody across the face,” Kimmel said while laughing at the still-fresh (prince) incident. “It’s the only thing comparable!”

(Via Bill Simmons)

With so many people reacting to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, some of the takes in question were bound to be overwrought. The fact that all anyone can talk about is that one moment during the ceremony, rather than celebrating Questlove’s win for Best Documentary for his directorial debut, Summer Of Soul, is pretty much proof that all the backlash is pretty overblown. Fortunately, the agent of good chaos, Lil Nas X, had just the remedy for all the self-serious, tough-guy talk, and faux handwringing on Twitter, checking in to remind everyone just how silly all of this really is.

“y’all sitting here laughing,” he wrote. “but imagine if will smith was an average kid that no one understands mom and dad and vicky always giving him commands (bed, twerp) doom and gloom up in his room.” This is, of course, the opening of the theme song from The Fairly Oddparents, the Nickelodeon animated series in which 10-year-old Timmy Turner gets up to all sorts of magical shenanigans with his fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda. The non sequitur just throws light on how goofy it is for us all to still be talking about this 15 hours later.

Nas also took a swipe at one of the more obnoxious takes, which came from a user who somehow inserted Betty White into a hypothetical situation in which Smith smacked her or Bob Saget instead of Chris Rock. Needless to say, that account is on private now, but screenshots last forever. Lil Nas riffed on the hypothetical turning the late comedic actress into the abolitionist hero Harriet Tubman (since we’re resurrecting dead people to make doofy points now anyway). “Just a reminder that if Will Smith had built a time machine and went back in time and slapped harriet tubman as a baby for a joke she made (however insensitive), she easily could’ve fallen backward, cracked her skull and never freed slaves,” he joked. “Violence is NEVER okay.”

It’s important to remember here that not only is Chris Rock fine, he also declined to press charges and made up with Smith just hours later, according to no less a source than Sean “Diddy” Combs. The moment also may have saved the Oscars, so I’m sure even the Academy isn’t complaining too hard. Also, Harriet Tubman toted a shotgun (this is canon), so we’re sure she didn’t have any problem with violence at all.

After the slap hear ’round the world last night, many celebs are weighing in on what has turned out to be the most chaotic Oscars moment in recent history, perhaps topping the La La Land debacle of 2017. You’ve probably read all the takes, but here is the shortest explanation: Chris Rock made a joke about Will Smith’s wife Jada which cause Smith to slap him live on television in front of the richest people in the world. And now, the celebs are churning out the takes.

One celeb, in particular, is Jada Pinkett Smith’s Girls Trip co-star and friend Tiffany Haddish, who is impressed with the way the actor handled things. “When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife, that meant so much to me,” the comedian told People following the ceremony. “If [Jada] wouldn’t have been hurt, [Will] probably wouldn’t have said nothing,” said Haddish. “But you could see he was clearly… And they exploited it.”

She added, “As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, ‘Keep my wife’s name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,’ that’s what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you, and that meant the world to me.” She continued, “Maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives.”

There are far too many takes about the situation, but Haddish’s perspective is definitely an interesting one. She then added, “To me, I went up to her and said, ‘You better suck his d*** from the back, girl!’” So…there’s that! Congrats on your win, Will.