Month: June 2022

Denzel Curry is, by all means, having an excellent year. He’s just a few days removed from a performance at Governors Ball where he performed records from his fifth album Melt My Eyez See Your Future. That full-length record arrived earlier this year with guest appearances from Robert Glasper, Saul Williams, T-Pain, 6lack, Rico Nasty, JID, Jasiah, Slowthai, and more. It’s been three months since that project was released and Curry is still on a tear with his rapping. The latest example came when he stopped by Funkmaster Flex’s HOT 97 show to lay a piercing freestyle over Cozz’s “Knock Tha Hustle.”

The new freestyle arrives after Curry recruited Key Glock for a remix of “Walkin,” one of the more popular records from his Melt My Eyez See Your Future album. The new take of the record arrives as rumors regarding a deluxe reissue of Melt My Eyez See Your Future which is set to feature an appearance from DMV rapper IDK who is one of Curry’s frequent collaborators.

You can listen to Curry’s freestyle over Cozz’s “Knock Tha Hustle” in the video above.

Melt My Eyez See Your Future is out now via PH/Loma Vista. You can stream it here.

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

It’s been two weeks since a jury found Amber Heard guilty of defamation against her ex-husband Johnny Depp. (He, too, was found guilty, but for fewer charges and for far less money.) At the time, the actress said she was “heartbroken,” as well as disappointed, not just for her, but for “what this verdict means for other women.” She also claimed she planned to appeal. She’s kept quiet since then, only speaking up about it in a multi-part interview whose first segment aired on Tuesday.

It was the same day a wild rumor spread around. During the trial, Heard testified that her part in the sequel to Aquaman, in which she played the female lead, had been dramatically cut down. The rumor claimed that Warner Bros. didn’t stop there. Instead, it was alleged, they were removing her role entirely. But a representative for Heard quickly shot that one down.

“The rumor mill continues as it has from day one — inaccurate, insensitive, and slightly insane,” a representative told Entertainment Weekly.

Since the verdict was read, Heard’s lawyer admitted that the actress “absolutely” can’t pay the $10 million she owes Depp. During the trial, she claimed that she’d lost work due to Depp’s “smear campaign” against her. In her recent interview with Savannah Guthrie, Heard stood her ground, saying, “To my dying day, I’ll stand by every word of my testimony.”

In the meantime, people will have to wait to see how much of Heard winds up in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom when it hits theaters on March 17, 2023.

(Via EW)

Some things are just too good not to share, and here at Upworthy we work to find uplifting stories of the best of humanity to share with our audience. When 3TV/CBS5 reported on Jaswiendre Singh, a local gas station owner doing good, we had to share. Singh has been selling gas for nearly 50 cents cheaper than his purchase price in an effort to help his customers feel less pain at the pump due to high gas prices. The gas station owner and his wife have been working extra hours to make up for the money they’re losing on gasoline sales.

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Singh told 3TV/CBS5 that his customers buy around 1,000 gallons of gas a day, which means he loses about $500 a day by underpricing his fuel. The loss doesn’t stop him because he wants to do what he can to help people with the rising cost of fuel. Filling up your gas tank for the work week is becoming more and more stressful as the average national gas price exceeds a record $5, and Arizona’s price per gallon is even higher than the national average, according to AAA. But with Singh’s help, the people of Phoenix have a gas station they can trust to give them the best price possible, even if it means a loss for the owner.

Singh told the reporter at 3TV/CBS5, “My mother and my father did teach us to help if you have something. If you have something you have to share with other people.” Singh offsets the loss by more customers buying goods from inside the gas station.

Around the country, people continue to struggle as they try to afford gas for their vehicles. Soaring gas prices are leading to the use of reliable old methods to help save on the much-needed commodity—things like walking or biking places, using public transport, taking fewer grocery store runs and avoiding long road trips.

Not everyone can avoid driving their cars, however. Many people live in areas that don’t have access to public transportation or their homes are too far away to walk to their destination. These people may benefit from using apps like GasBuddy, Gas Guru, Waze or AAA TripTik Travel Planner, which help the user locate the cheapest gas in their area to help save a few cents a gallon.

Hopefully soon the gas prices will return to a somewhat normal level, but until then, people will continue to look for ways to save and maybe more people like Singh will find innovative ways to help. We’re all in what feels to be a gasoline crisis together and it’s amazing to see someone so willingly help people out without expecting anything in return.

Imagine: You’re on your honeymoon with your beloved. You celebrate newlywed bliss with a beach day, nothing but listening to the ocean waves while feeling the sand in-between your toes. Euphoria quickly turns to dread, however, as you discover you’ve lost the very important trinket meant to symbolize your undying love—the wedding ring!

Chaos ensues, then resignation. But suddenly, out of nowhere, you receive a message that your ring has been found and recovered by a friendly … Lego man? Talk about an emotional rollercoaster.

Strange as it sounds, this was a very real situation. The Independent reported that Richard Whetter, 44, and his new bride Anne, 42, had been strolling along Portelet Bay in Jersey, Channel Islands, during their honeymoon when Richard realized his wedding ring had gone missing. Not quite used to wearing it yet, Richard had taken the ring off to go swimming, then forgot to put it back on. “My heart sank,” he lamented. For all they knew, the ring was probably long gone, likely picked up and pawned by one the area’s famous Jersey cows.

This adorable face is up to no good.

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The worried couple alerted the porter at their hotel, who thankfully knew exactly who to contact for such a crisis.

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Luckily for the Whetters, Jersey is home to Steve Andrews, a local metal detectorist who is extremely good at what he does. Andrews’ Instagram is full of recovered relics—everything from old coins to vintage WW2 explosive shells.

See on Instagram

Turning his passion into service, Andrews regularly offers his metal detecting skills at no charge to those who need help. For each find, he takes a picture of the recovered item next to a Lego replica of himself, metal detector and all. Cause why not?

“I got it as a jokey present from my sister, and it just stuck,” Andrews said, according to Good News Network. “The Lego man is just a nice thing to send to people – I find their item and take a photo as a sort of ‘I’ve found it!’ It certainly does make good news feel even cheerier.”

Andrews found the Whetter’s ring after only about 10 minutes, one of his “quickest searches ever completed,” and now Richard and Anne have not only some welcome relief, but an adorable little memento.

See on Instagram

Metal detecting is a bit of an obscure hobby, but one with evident benefits (not just counting the potential payoff of certain finds). In addition to getting outdoor exercise, there’s also quite a bit of mental stimulation that goes into the pastime. Metaldetector.com boasts that a hobbyist will learn about geology, biology, electronics and even meteorology as they perfect their treasure-hunting skills. Not to mention the built-in history lessons one could acquire, or the fact that each successful haul can help clean up the environment.

Plus, as this story has shown us, it can help bring people together in heartwarming ways. Keep doing what you do, Steve Andrews! You and your Lego mini-me are making the world a better place, one epic find at a time.

“Jeopardy!” contestant Mazin Omer caused people across the country to scream at their television sets on Monday after he gave an epically wrong answer to a question about British knights.

When Omer chose a clue in the “Knight After Knight” category for $400, a photo of British actor Michael Caine, 89, appeared. Host Mayim Bialik read the clue: “To honor his father, this star here was knighted in his birth name, so he’s Sir Maurice Micklewhite.

To which Omer responded, “Who is Mick Jagger?”

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*I’ll bet she knows who both Michael Caine and Mick Jagger are 😂🤣 #Jeopardy pic.twitter.com/q6MX4nIk9O

— ✨Nostradumbass✨ (@UmbassNostrad) June 14, 2022

Jagger and Caine don’t bear much of a resemblance, so it appears as though he was thrown by the last name Micklewhite and thought that was a reason why The Rolling Stones singer may have changed his name to Mick Jagger.

However, Mick Jagger is the “Satisfaction” singer’s real name. He was born Michael Philip Jagger and he’s known as Mick, a shortened version of his first name.

Omer’s bungling of the question also inspired a whole lot of chatter on social media. A lot of folks couldn’t believe that someone could mistake the two-time Academy Award-winner and star of classics such as “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Alfie,” and “The Dark Knight” for the most popular rock frontman of all time.

They just showed a picture of Michael Caine on @Jeopardy and the dude answers “Who is Mick Jagger?”

I’m sure he knows a million things that I don’t, but man I wasn’t ready for that 😂#Jeopardy pic.twitter.com/wI67AejABZ

— Mark LeBel (@MarkEMarkFM) June 13, 2022

So one of the side effects of COVID is that it transforms Mick Jagger into Michael Caine? #jeopardy 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/GmLzz05ql2

— chad mitchell (@cmmitchell4) June 13, 2022

Who is Mick Jagger… bruh #jeopardy

— “Knuckles” from Sonic (@Newsguy17575300) June 13, 2022

“Who is Mick Jagger?” Sorry mate, try again. #Jeopardy (He really did say it.) pic.twitter.com/Un78iAP4KJ

— Charles Winokoor (@cwinokoor) June 14, 2022

#jeopardy is on 30 minutes earlier where I live than where my mom lives.

Just texted her: Someone is going to say Mick Jagger and you will yell at the TV.

— Katie Labovitz (She/Her) (@klabovitz) June 13, 2022

Dude on Jeopardy just called a pic of Michael Caine Mick Jagger, I’m dead.

— Karyn Brown M.F.I.C. (@KarynKaryn2543) June 13, 2022

Unfortunately for Omer, he didn’t win on Monday night. As reported by Last Night On, reigning champion Eric Ahasic brought home $26,800 while Omer narrowly beat Lisa Hernson for second place, $401 to $400.

Both Ahasic and Omer missed the “Final Jeopardy!” question, a clue in the category “TV Legends”: “Buster Keaton considered her the tops in her field &, in fact, was one of her early mentors.”

The answer was “Who is Lucille Ball?”

Things didn’t go well for Mick Jagger either on Monday night. The Rolling Stones had to cancel a concert in Amsterdam at the Johan Cruijff ArenA last-minute because Jagger contracted COVID-19.

“The Rolling Stones have been forced to call off tonight’s concert in Amsterdam at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, following Mick Jagger testing positive after experiencing symptoms of COVID upon arrival at the stadium,” the band said in a statement on its official Instagram page. “The Rolling Stones are deeply sorry for tonight’s postponement, but the safety of the audience, fellow musicians and the touring crew has to take priority.”

Jagger said in an interview with Rolling Stone that he’s fully vaccinated against the virus.

Get well soon, Mick!

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As for Caine, last year he admitted that his storied career may be winding down. In an interview promoting the film “Best Sellers” starring Aubrey Plaza he told Vanity Fair that “I haven’t worked for two years, and I have a spine problem which affects my legs so I can’t walk very well.

“There haven’t been any offers honestly for two years, because nobody’s been making any movies I’d wanna do,” he added.

However, according to IMDb, he has two films that are slated for release in the coming months, “Now You See Me 3” and “The Great Escaper.”

Lizzo—an artist who has made inclusion a part of her platform—received criticism from fans for a word included in her newly released single “Grrrls,” which was seen by some as derogatory toward disabled people.

The song’s opening line includes the word “spazz,” which in broad slang terms can mean “random, wild outburst,” according to Urban Dictionary. As many disability advocates pointed out, however, “spastic” is also used to describe someone with an actual medical condition where they lose control of their muscles (cerebral palsy, in particular). The term has often been used as an insult, implying that someone is “awkward or clumsy.” Hence why many view it as an “ableist slur.”

Fans who were disappointed by its inclusion in her song posted about it online, which eventually caught the attention of Lizzo herself.

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“Hey @lizzo, my disability Cerebral Palsy is literally classified as Spastic Diplegia (where spasticity refers to unending painful tightness in my legs) your new song makes me pretty angry + sad. ‘S–z’ doesn’t mean freaked out or crazy. It’s an ableist slur. It’s 2022. Do better,” one person explained.

Another added: “Oh @lizzo. A VERY influential figure, using the word sp@z in her new song. An offensive and derogatory term. As someone who’s written about the use of disability language, especially slang/slur words which have been used in schools, this is a huge step back. Please, remove it.”

So … what do you do when you say something hurtful, despite that being the furthest thing from what you intended? How do you make it right without compromising your own integrity? You do exactly what Lizzo did.

Without missing a beat, Lizzo made a statement on Instagram that acknowledged the pain caused by using the word, focusing on impact rather than intent. It’s a crucial shift that makes an apology authentic.

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“It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song ‘GRRRLS’. Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally),” the singer wrote.

That simple change made a world of difference. Lizzo soon received an outpouring of love, even from those who initially reached out in retaliation. Amazing things happen when people feel heard.

I’m going to cry 😭 Thank you so much for hearing us Lizzo and for understanding that this was only ever meant gently and being open to learning, it honestly means the world ❤️. You’re a real true ally https://t.co/RbQCbAwpR6

— Hannah Diviney (@hannah_diviney) June 13, 2022

Some even noted their own discoveries, sharing how they too learned about the word’s other meaning and plan to change moving forward.

Even the most conscientious person doesn’t know everything. No one is going to know how every word is translated across cultures and backgrounds. We are all human. But compassion doesn’t have to get lost in translation. There doesn’t have to be drama in allyship. Sometimes it might be as simple as a more mindful approach to our ever-evolving language.

Despite what another Lizzo song suggests, maybe truth doesn’t have to hurt.

At the time, Election Night 2020 was already considered a fiasco. Donald Trump seemed to be leading in several states, but only because absentee ballots weren’t allowed to be counted to later on. As the country leaned decisively Joe Biden’s way, Trump went live on television to prematurely declare victory — a move he later tried to pass on to Dr. Mehmet Oz. We’ve learned a lot more about what went down behind the scenes, especially now thanks to the Jan. 6 hearings. Now there are pictures of the Trump team that fateful night, and they aren’t pretty.

In his recent book Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl added to the pile of books about the former president’s chaotic single term in office. It included some pictures inside the White House on the big night, which were made public to those who didn’t buy the book after the Jan. 6 hearings delved deep into what went down. To put it lightly, they do not show a group of people who thought their side was winning.

In one, presumably taken early in the evening, Trump’s entourage — including Don Jr., Eric Trump and his wife Lara, Ivanka and Jared Kushner, as well as Stephen Miller — everyone’s all smiles and giving the thumbs up. It’s the only happy one. The others show grim and/or exasperated faces, tense stare at phone screens, Jared staring at campaign manager Bill Stepien in disbelief as Eric shoots a thousand-yard stare.

The photos were allegedly taken as more ballots were counted and Trump’s re-election fortunes waned.

The images align with the many revelations in Monday’s Jan. 6 hearing. Among them was Stepien testifying that he and many others advised Trump against prematurely declaring victory, which he did at the suggestion of a reportedly tanked Rudy Giuliani. (The former “America’s Mayor” may have overcorrected by claiming all he drank was Diet Pepsi.) Perhaps, as Bill Barr suggested, Trump believed the voter fraud nonsense. But these photos strongly suggest he was one of the only ones.

You can see more pictures of that grim night over at ABC News.

Nearly 15 years ago, T-Pain delivered one of the most classic examples of a bent rhyme on his 2008 record “Can’t Believe It” with Lil Wayne. Strapped with his southern accent, T-Pain sang, “Put you in the mansion / Somewhere in Wisconsin [pronounced Wiscansin] / Like I said ain’t nothing to the Pain / We can change that last name, what’s happening.” The Wiscansin line became one of the most memorable verses in T-Pain’s career, and nearly 15 years later, the singer is still reaping the benefits of the iconic rhyme.

T-Pain, who is currently on his Road To Wiscansin Tour, was recognized by the state of Wisconsin during a recent tour stop. Rather than the expected solo concert, T-Pain turned the night into the Wiscansin Fest where welcomed artists like Lil Jon, Juvenile, Bleu, K Camp, O.T. Genasis, and others to the stage. It’s here that state representative Kalan Haywood surprised T-Pain with a declaration from the state office that recognized June 11 as “T-Pain Day.” In videos that circulated on social media, T-Pain fought back tears as he accepted the plaque from Haywood. He even got down to his knees and thanked fans for their love and support.

You can view T-Pain being graced with his own day in Wisconsin Wiscansin in the photo and video above.

Michelle are back with their first new material since March’s LP After Dinner We Talk Dreams. This comes in the form of two new tracks titled “Sea Shanty” and “Fool 4 U,” as well as new tour dates, starting in Los Angeles at the end of August and ending in Albany in September.

“‘Sea Shanty’ is a tense, pensive addition to ADWTD,” the band, who’ve shared the stage with Mitski, explained. “Maybe a daydream, or a nightmare, the song soundtracks the calm before the storm – the moment before a journey, the moment after a sobering realization.” They added that “Fool 4 U” “offers something bittersweet. Sitting in the kind of love that holds you – in the kind of love that suffocates you. A song for the tenderness you hate to love, and once loved to have.”

Listen to the “Sea Shanty” above and “Fool 4 U” below and check out the tour dates underneath.

08/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ This Ain’t No Picnic
08/31 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues Voodoo Room
09/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
09/02 – Tucson, AZ @ HOCO Fest
09/05 – Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room
09/06 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
09/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
09/09 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
09/10 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
09/11 – Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch
09/13 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
09/14 – Albany, NY @ Lark Hall

Matt Damon has starred in a lot of popular (and, for the record, unpopular) movies in his time. But perhaps his most impactful screen work was a commercial. This year’s Super Bowl featured a bizarre ad for Crypto.com, the Singapore crypto exchange, in which the Oscar-winning screenwriter (but not yet Oscar-winning thespian) dared people to be ambitious…by investing in dodgy alternative currency. He was dragged then, and he’s been dragged every time the crypto market has suffered some calamity.

Lo and behold, that happened. As per Newsweek, on Monday the price of Bitcoin dropped to $23,000 — its lowest price in years. That caused a ripple effect across the crypt-world, with other currencies — Ethereum, tether, BNB, Dogecoin, Cardano — seeing declines as well.

To make matters worse, Crypto.com — again, the company for whom Damon cut the ad — announced they were laying off 260 employees, or 5% of its workforce, as per Insider. It’s a big step-down after late 2021, when the crypto market hit an all-time high. It was then that a confident Crypto.com threw around money: $100 million on the Damon ad campaign and a whopping $700 million to have the Staples Center in Los Angeles renamed after them for the next 20 years.

A lot of celebrities have thrown their weight behind cryptocurrency: Kim Kardashian, Jake Paul, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, even Larry David. But it appears most people associate it with the star of The Legend of Bagger Vance, as evidenced by all the people slamming Damon after all the recent grim crypto news.

Some pointed out how little you’d have if you invested in crypto due to Damon’s commercial.

Others argued that it’s not a celebrity’s fault if you listened to them about financial matters.

And yet, celebrities should know better, too.

Anyway, Damon may think that fortune favors the bold, but right now the bold do not have a fortune. You’re better off listening to The O.C. alum and current Gotham star Ben McKenzie.

(Via Newsweek and Insider)