Month: May 2022

Two days after he was attacked onstage at the Hollywood Bowl, Dave Chappelle joined Chris Rock for a surprise secret comedy show on Thursday night. The two comedians took the stage at the Belly Room in The Comedy Store where Kim Kardashian and Diddy were reportedly in the audience. Chappelle and Rock have been repeatedly linked over the past 48 hours thanks to both men having now experienced onstage assaults, and despite Rock’s reluctance to talk about his experience, he couldn’t resist delivering a brutal jab at Will Smith during the secret show.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

“At least you got smacked by someone of repute!” Chappelle joked to Rock. “I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair.”

Rock laughed and responded, “I got smacked by the softest n—- that ever rapped.”

Rock remained onstage for the entirety of the performance, which also included Chappelle getting candid about the attack. The comedian said his son ran up and hugged him after the attack who told Chappelle, “I love you, dad.” He also described not being able to calm down until he saw, oddly enough, Jamie Foxx wearing a sheriff’s hat. While there have been reports that the attacker, 23-year-old Isaiah Lee, was allegedly beaten down backstage after rushing Chappelle, the comedian revealed that he actually went and met with Lee after the incident.

“I needed to talk to him,” Chappelle told the crowd. According to the comedian, he could tell right away that Lee “appeared to be mentally ill,” and he claimed the purpose of the attack was to draw attention to his grandmother being forced out of her apartment because of gentrification.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

After Pete Davidson’s messy yet weirdly successful year, he has returned to the stage for a stand-up special as a part of Netflix’s comedy festival. Of course, he addressed the Kanye West-sized elephant in the room. “I’ve had a really weird year,” he stated at the start of his set. Davidson’s drama has been highly-publicized, so the audience pretty much knew where this was headed.

He then joked about Kanye starting the rumor that Davidson has AIDS, saying it was an outdated joke (though AIDS is still very much a thing). “You know what’s funny about that? That’s such a 90s thing to like [say]…John Mulaney called me and was like ‘AIDS? You should start a rumor that he has polio!”” Polio, of course, has been eradicated in the US due to vaccines. But that joke could have been pretty controversial if it was in the 1950s! His Mulaney impression was pretty solid, though.

Davidson then told some jokes about fellow friends who still work with West, like rapper and longtime friend Jack Harlow. The comedian didn’t mind that Harlow worked with West on his new album, though he joked he would mind if fellow comedian Bill Burr worked with West. “It would hurt my feelings if I saw like, Bill Burr at Sunday service. I’d be like ‘What the f*ck Bill?’ He’d be like ‘Find God, Petey!’”

Davidson didn’t mention girlfriend Kim Kardashian, though he did make a quick joke about West pulling a Mrs. Doubtfire and posing as a nanny in order to see his kids. Honestly, that’s not that far off from something he would do. Check out the clip above.

Beyonce, whose last album was the iconic 2016 LP Lemonade, has become an investor none other than Lemon Perfect, an Atlanta-based flavored water brand.

“I don’t typically enjoy drinks without added sugar, but Lemon Perfect is delicious,” Beyonce wrote in a statement on the Lemon Perfect website. “It was an easy decision to invest in something that not only tastes great and is healthy, but also, and most importantly, allows choosing a healthier lifestyle to be affordable and accessible to everyone.”

Lemon Perfect founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel stated: “We are honored and humbled that Beyoncé has become a part of the Lemon Perfect family. She is a worldwide icon whose talent, character, and positivity are unsurpassed. Her investment and the energy it sparks will accelerate Lemon Perfect’s rise toward its goal of becoming the number one brand in the multibillion-dollar enhanced water category by market share.”

Meanwhile Beyonce also recently wished Lizzo a happy birthday with a baby picture of Lizzo. The “Truth Hurts” singer took to Twitter with excitement but also confusion: “Where u get this pic?? I ain’t seen this since I was born [crying emoji].”

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

In all the talk about whether Jack Harlow has surpassed Lil Dicky’s career aspirations (and how he definitely surpassed Asher Roth’s), we’ve all been overlooking two very important members of the melanin-challenged rappers’ coalition: Logic and Russ. Fortunately, they’ve both returned to remind us they deserve consideration too — and, happily, they’ve done so on the same track. “Therapy Music” finds the Def Jam lyricist recruiting the indie champion for a throwback, boom-bap production to address their personal mental health journeys with some extremely flexy raps.

Logic particularly sounds revitalized, which is a good thing, since he’s working on a new album called Vinyl Days. If the new track is any indication of the sound on that project, it looks like Logic has been blasting “Lofi Beats To Study To” and collecting his best material to address the backlash against his prior albums. But although he does sound disappointed in the reception to his prior efforts to talk about mental health, he can at least rest easy in the knowledge that those efforts at least had some positive impact.

Meanwhile, Russ, one of Uproxx’s latest cover stars, is launching his own label, seeking yet another route to disrupt the music industry and return power to the hands of the artists.

Listen to Logic’s “Therapy Music” featuring Russ above.

Jurassic World: Dominion‘s original release date was June 11, 2021. The film ended up being the first big-budget movie to return to shooting amid pandemic conditions, but still, that delay was a pain in the butt. The new release date: June 10, 2022, and they’re sticking with it.

In that spirit, current lead dino wrangler Chris Pratt shared a throwback clip of when he was gearing up for the Jurassic World global premiere. He was goofin’ (although not New Boot Goofin’) and nerding out and decided to casually climb into a dinosaur’s mouth. That swiftly led to a handler rushing up and insisting, “Sir, out of the dinosaur.”

Well, he did comply and promptly hopped away from that expensive replica as directed. And there was absolutely no, “Do you know who I am?” to be found. In showing this clip, perhaps he’ll vanquish chatter of him being the Worst Chris, although perhaps it’s also time for the Internet to finally move on from that fight.

In the meantime, we can look forward to seeing reunited Jurassic Park O.G. trio Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill in the upcoming latest edition to the long-lived franchise. And hopefully, we’ll see some short of throwback joke to when Goldblum decided to improvise and show off his heaving chest because “Costa Rica is really hot and so was I.” And I still hope that Laura Dern busted his chops on the subject. Life will find a way, after all.

Jurassic World: Dominion arrives on June 10.

It appears the viral moment caused by a Drake follow and DM has become too much for Toni Bowen, who took to Instagram on Thursday to address the drama. In an Instagram Story, Bowen says despite receiving hate and unwanted attention, she and her husband Ceddy Bowen find the situation amusing and are very happy with one another. While some may use this opportunity to promote a clothing brand or new single, Bowen says she has no interest in being famous.

She found herself in Drake’s cross-hairs earlier this week after the rapper commented on Chris Matthews’ (aka @lethalshooter) Instagram post supporting and defending Ja Morant’s father, Tee. Drake said, “Imagine your son makes the league and he’s Ja or Melo or Lonzo, all you can do is be elated and competitive and over supportive, and it’s a right of passage to that the OG’s talk shit.”

Ceddy replied to Drake’s comment with a joke about ghostwriting and Adonis, to which Drake said he was going to follow Ceddy’s wife because she is probably miserable and needs some excitement in her life. The moment went viral, spawning endless laughs and conversations about what different men would do if The Boy DM’d their girls.

While the situation’s 15 minutes of fame have expired, this is just another example that one should be wary of crossing the “Petty King.”

WARNING: Spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness below.

After seemingly saving the very fabric of reality, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange is ready to enjoy some downtime in the Big Apple, which is quickly cut short in the end credits scene for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While briefly enjoying an afternoon stroll, Strange is approached by Charlize Theron in a wild sorceress outfit, who immediately confronts the good doctor. She tells him that he’s caused an incursion then opens a portal and asks Strange if he’s ready to fix it. Naturally, Strange is up to the task as he transforms into his mystical robes and departs with Theron’s character into the portal, but not before revealing the third eye in his head from using the Darkhold in the film’s climax.

But what does it all mean?

Who Is Charlize Theron’s Character?

As revealed in the Multiverse of Madness credits, Theron is playing Clea, who is a well-known recurring character in the Doctor Strange comics. In fact, she’s currently the Sorceror Supreme in the Marvel books. Like Strange, Clea is a powerful wielder of the mystic arts, and the two have been on and off romantically over the years. Considering the Multiverse of Madness wrestles with Strange missing out on a chance at love with Rachel McAdams’ Christine Palmer, Clea’s presence is an interesting choice.

What Is An Incursion?

In the film, an incursion is described as the collision of two realities, which does not end well for both worlds’ inhabitants. The Stephen Strange of Earth 838 accidentally causes one while attempting to use the Darkhold to defeat his reality’s Thanos, and it appears the Earth 616 Strange that we know has caused a new incursion by his use of the Darkhold. It’s a fascinating development considering incursions were a major plot point during Marvel’s Secret Wars event in the mid-2010s. In those books, the Illuminati learn that reality is collapsing on itself as worlds begin to collide at an accelerating rate. The end-result is a new reality forged by Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange where Doom rules as a God Emperor. Considering Multiverse of Madness marks the first official introduction of the Fantastic Four in the MCU, that means Doom is out there waiting to reveal himself. Granted, Marvel has taken extreme liberties with translating comic stories to the screen and the story could go in a very different direction, both the Fantastic Four and incursions showing up in the same film seem like too much of a coincidence.

What About Strange’s Third Eye?

This one is going to remain a mystery. Obviously, Strange has been affected by his use of the Darkhold’s magic, but whether the third eye represents an evolution in his mastery of the mystic arts or a curse will presumably be addressed when he returns for his next adventure.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens in theaters on May 6.

After tackling Dave Chappelle onstage during the comic’s recent show at the Hollywood Bowl, an aspiring rapper was charged with four misdemeanors and no felonies, despite being armed with a knife at the time of the attack. According to ABC News, 23-year-old Isaiah Lee has been charged with battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, and two charges related to interfering with a performer. County prosecutors determined that “evidence, as presented, did not constitute felony conduct,” which has some commenters scratching their heads.

One of those commenters, of course, was 50 Cent, who’s never seen a headline he couldn’t turn into a joke or a post on social media. This time, he posted a headline declaring that the attacker wouldn’t be charged with a felony, expressing his disbelief — and some “light” queer-phobia — in the caption. “Is the LGBTQ gonna kill dave right in front of us?” he wondered (circumstances point to: “not bloody likely, chief.”). “He had a weapon a gun, knife how he or she don’t get charged? The world is over, Fvck this.” He also compared the attack to recent incidents involving his “protege” DaBaby. “@dababy they would have charged your ass for thinking about doing that.”

Sigh. It’s always funny when rappers break kayfabe (remember, this is the guy who walked around with “guns the size of Lil Bow Wow” in his rhymes), but the double-dose of speculation that Lee might be trans or that the queer community is responsible for the attack is just irresponsible. It’s also disappointing that 50 didn’t read beyond the leading headline (and I could write another 300 words about how irresponsible the headline is) to know that Lee has been charged, just not with a felony.

By the way, lest we forget, DaBaby has now shot two people in self-defense without being charged, one of whom died. He’s also been caught on camera repeatedly lashing out at several people, many times for little reason at all, so it’s safe to say he’s earned his charges too. Meanwhile, Lee likely has much less access to high-priced lawyers to negotiate his consequences down to something like probation, let alone the resources to get any mental help he may need. We love ya, 50, but maybe this ain’t the hill to die on.

Paramore bandleader Hayley Williams recently launched her own podcast called Everything Is Emo. She explained that the show is “meant to feel like a conversation with other fans of the genre, young and (ahem) old. There’s going to be plenty of interaction, which I hope will feel somewhat reminiscent of the message boards and forums I used to frequent as a teenage scene kid.”

On this week’s episode, the “Misery Business” singer discussed the influence that Foo Fighters had on her. This is in the wake of the tragic death of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. She said that Foo Fighters “are a really important band to everyone, the whole world,” continuing, “But such an important band to Paramore. When I first met the guys, there were a few albums that we talked about a lot, that we referenced a lot, Foo Fighters was a band that always came up.”

“A friend that lived in town lent [Paramore drummer Zac Farro] a drum kit – which he ultimately gave to him – and it belonged to Taylor Hawkins first,” she explained. “For our first shows and tours, it’s like we stole a blessing from Taylor Hawkins. It’s like we took it as him saying, ‘Yes, go forth and continue.’”

She added, “I think about Taylor Hawkins a lot when I think about Zac’s playing. I don’t want to center myself or Paramore in the conversation around Taylor Hawkins’ death, but it’s just to say that he meant a lot to so many people and there are so many stories I’m sure we’re yet to hear about him, and things that he’s done for people, ways that he’s touched peoples’ lives.”

Arcade Fire has one of the week’s defining releases with We, their new album that’s out now. While fresh tunes would have been enough good news, the band offers more today, as they’ve announced a run of 2022 tour dates for the latter half of the year.

The trek starts with a European tour between late August and early October, bringing them to Ireland, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Poland. Feist will support on these shows.

After a few weeks off, the band will then start a North American tour, which runs between late October and early December. They’ll perform in Washington DC, New Jersey, Brooklyn, Boston, Connecticut, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto. Beck is set to open those concerts with an acoustic set.

Check out the tour dates below.

08/30 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena *
09/02 — Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena Birmingham *
09/03 — Manchester, UK @ AO Arena *
09/05 — Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro *
09/08 — London, UK @ The O2 *
09/11 — Lille, FR @ Zenith*
09/12 — Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis *
09/14 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena *
09/15 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena *
09/17 — Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum *
09/18 — Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle *
09/21 — Madrid, ES @ WiZink Center *
09/22 — Lisbon, PT @ Campo Pequeno *
09/23 — Lisbon, PT @ Campo Pequeno *
09/25 — Bordeaux, FR @ Arkea Arena *
09/26 — Nantes, FR @ Zenith de Nantes *
09/28 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome *
09/29 — Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena *
10/01 — Warsaw, PL @ COS Torwar *
10/28 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem ^
11/01 — Camden, NJ @ Waterfront Music Pavilion ^
11/04 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center ^
11/08 — Boston, MA @ MGM Fenway Music Hall ^
11/10 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena ^
11/12 — Chicago, IL @ United Center ^
11/13 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory ^
11/16 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum ^
11/19 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium ^
11/22 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena ^
11/25 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena ^
11/27 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place ^
12/01 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena ^

* with Feist
^ with Beck (acoustic)