Month: June 2022

Move over, Will Smith. There’s a new slap in town.

A grocery store worker on Staten Island was arrested on Sunday after slapping Rudy Giuliani on the back while the sweaty former-mayor campaigned on behalf of his “obnoxious” son, Andrew Giuliani. NBC New York reports that “Giuliani, a recent focus of the January 6 committee, was at the ShopRite on Veterans Road in Charleston, where he’d reportedly been out campaigning for his son, when cops say an employee attacked him around 3:30 p.m. The employee was taken into custody. Police sources said the 78-year-old Giuliani refused medical attention after the slap to the back.”

I’ve had nasty NYC pigeons fly into me harder than this so-called attack:

Giuliani later called into a radio show hosted by Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to talk about the incident. He described the slap as “a shot on my back, like somebody shot me. I went forward, but luckily I didn’t fall down. The guy says words I can’t repeat. You effin’ whatever. And then he goes on and on and on yelling and screaming, he moves away, yelling and screaming.” He also claimed that the man called him a “f*cking scumbag,” and that it had to do with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

He continued:

“I mean, suppose I was a weaker 78-year-old and I hit the ground, cracked my skull, and died.”

Footage of the attack released did not appear to show Giuliani lurching forward or falling after being slapped on the back. The video also appeared to show Giuliani standing upright and pointing his finger at the man who confronted him.

“This has to stop. This is getting ridiculous,” the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star said on Sunday afternoon. “I’ve been in politics 50 years, I’ve never been attacked like this.”

The suspect was charged with second-degree assault involving a person over age 65. But on Twitter, people are questioning Giuliani’s dramatic reenactment on the incident.

(Via NBC New York)

Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts and ratings) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Top Gun (Paramount movie streaming on Paramount+)

Tom Cruise can’t stop feeling the need for speed or the danger zone, and this O.G. flick soared in popularity when Top Gun: Maverick (finally) headed into theaters. The sequel was fully worth the wait, but if you still haven’t caught up (or even if you have), then the 1980s-set volleyball game is definitely something that you’ll wanna relive. Iceman was always the coolest, and his rivalry with Maverick was one for the ages. No singular star does blockbusters (or crazy stunts) like Tom Cruise these days, so don’t resist: let him take your breath away.

TIE: 10. Ms. Marvel (HBO Max series)

Before The Marvels collectively arrive in 2023 (that would also include Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris) and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), you’ll want to get to know the youngest member of the group, Iman Vallani’s Kamala Khan. She’s a fan girl of Captain Marvel and not-at-all shy about this status, and even more than that, she wants to be a hero because she inherently wants to help people. The show also revamps the origin story of Kamala’s powers, and that’s slightly controversial but very updated for 2022, not to mention cosmic.

9. Dark Winds (AMC+ series)

Native American writers are finally telling the stories that they want to tell, and that not only includes FX’s Reservation Dogs but also this AMC+ series that George R.R. Martin happens to produce. The show’s mostly scripted by indigenous writers and is based upon Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee book series, which showcases 1970s Navajo law enforcement who watch over a remote outpost close to Monument Valley. There’s a double murder and some other apparently unrelated wrongdoings, and everything begins to make them question their formerly steadfast spiritual beliefs. Gotta love those personal demons that rear up at the worst (and also best) possible times.

8. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+ series)

He might be Princess Leia’s only hope, but back in the day, an adorable surprise awaits fans of the Star Wars universe. The throwback show takes place a decade following the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and Anakin Skywalker is (of course) fully into his bad self and entrenched in the ways of the dark side. Hayden Christiansen and Ewan McGregor are back together again, both together and separately, and a completist simply must soak in the entire season.

7. Peaky Blinders (BBC One/Netflix series)

A mere half-dozen episodes stand between you and the end of this series proper, but the good news is that there might be movies or spinoffs on the way. Before that good news arrives, go watch Cillian Murphy swaggering while kicking butt and preparing to head to America. The untimely death of Helen McRory weighs heavily upon the events of this season, but at least we’ve still got Tommy Shelby (as he prepares for a new life) and the rest of the gang, so whip out that Cockney rhyming slang.

6. Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24 film streaming on Amazon)

A24 can’t seem to miss, so dig into this chaotic whirl of a story where Michelle Yeoh’s protagonist and she just really needs to finish those freaking taxes. Jamie Lee Curtis shows up, as does Jenny Slate, in this story that will make you forget all about your multiverse fatigue because this story (about an exhausted, frazzled Chinese-American woman with unexpected powers) will not fail to charm you as she confronts the most absurd obstacles while aiming to complete mundane life tasks.

5. The Bear (FX series streaming on Hulu)

A fine dining chef leaves his swanking surroundings and heads back home to Chicago, where he takes on his family’s sandwich shop to chaotic effect after a tragedy. This show’s all about finding one’s own family, and also, Jeremy Allen White can’t seem to quit the Windy City after a decade of Shameless. This new jaunt is a very different ride, though, and White’s supported by a shouty character portrayed by Ebon Moss-Bachrach and a whipsmart sous chef played by Ayo Edebir. The story (and title) are also a puzzle, so dig in and drool over the food, too.

4. Hustle (Netflix Movie)

Forget all about Hubie Halloween and the problematic Adam Sandler movies on Netflix. This movie is all kinds of earnest and a story that reflects the life of NBA scouts in the same way that Top Gun takes on the U.S. Navy. Sandler portrays one of those scouts, who’s always in search of the next phenomenal player while personal demons must also be vanquished. There are shades of The Blind Side, but the charm of this story is thoroughly due to The Sandman.

3. Stranger Things (Netflix series)

The second half of this season arrives on July 1, but before that happens, the Upside Down has some horrors for you. Oh, and also Robert Englund and Kate Bush, which is a combination that no one ever expected. Millie Bobbie Brown’s still leading the way for all of the young actors, even though she really hopes that some Game of Thrones-style deaths are in store for everyone. And speaking of Thrones, expect for some Emmy records to soon be challenged as the Duffer brothers prepare to close in on their final season production.

2. The Boys (Amazon Prime series)

A franchise now exists for this satiric spin on superherodom, and this past week saw the incredible “Herogasm” episode that jizzed all over the place in more ways than one. I’ll keep on arguing that weekly drops are the most optical strategy for a show that generates so much conversation, Jensen Ackles‘ Soldier Boy is fully in view now, much to Homelander’s non-delight. Maybe he’ll be distracted enough to ease up on The Deep because that guy maybe deserves a little bit of redemption at this point. That octopus stuff is still whack, man.

1. The Umbrella Academy (Netflix series)

The Hargreeves siblings make an awe-inspiring return to confront the frosty and high-powered Sparrow Academy, all while a new time paradox threatens to crumble the very fabric of this timeline. Will these apocalypses ever ease up? There’s no indication of that ever happening, but do enjoy the simple pleasures of watching Robert Sheehan’s Klaus and the sublime introduction of Elliot Page’s Victor while all of the batsh*t happenings swirl like a tornado. This show strikes the perfect combination of dramatic, quirky, and action-filled, and it’s still going full steam ahead.

This year’s Glastonbury Festival has featured a number of artists taking political stances in favor of women’s rights. That’s because the showcase kicked off shortly after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade which guaranteed the right to an abortion for women all over the country. During the weekend, Kendrick Lamar, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo (with help from Lily Allen), and Green Day all used the Glastonbury stage to share their thoughts about Roe V. Wade being overturned. Lorde has now joined that list as she also gave the US Supreme Court a piece of her mind.

After performing “Secrets From a Girl (Who’s Seen It All)” from her 2021 album Solar Power, Lorde took a moment to address the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. “Wanna hear a secret girls?” she said. “Your bodies were destined to be controlled and objectified since before you were born. That horror is your birthright.” She continued, “But here’s another secret. You possess strength. That wisdom is also your birthright. I ask you today to make exercising that wisdom your life’s work because everything depends on it. F*ck the Supreme Court.”

Elsewhere in her set, Lorde invited Clairo and Arlo Parks on stage to perform “Stoned At The Nail Salon” together.

You can watch Lorde’s speech and her performance with Clairo and Arlo Parks in the videos above.

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

Sunday night’s 2022 BET Award show was filled with plenty of key moments. None may have top the unexpected appearance that Kanye West during the show. It occurred during speeches for Diddy’s tribute set, which went down after Diddy led a tribute performance for himself with help from Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, The LOX, Lil’ Kim, Busta Rhymes, Bryson Tiller, and Faith Evans. After Babyface shared some words about Diddy, he welcomed Kanye West on stage to speak about Diddy who appeared in a heavy jacket and sunglasses over a dark face mask that seemed to be a bit hard for him to breathe in.

During his speech, Kanye explained his recent hiatus from the public eye, saying, “I took a little hiatus. I said I wanted to just, like, declare myself legally dead for a year.” He then noted that he made his way to the BET Awards stage because “Puff is pretty persistent.” Kanye did thank Diddy for being such a heavy influence on his life and artistry, but he did so in a very Kanye-esque way. “He inspired so many of my choices,” he said. “So many of my life choices. My wife choices. And here we are. Thanks for that, Puff.” Elsewhere, Kanye thanked Diddy for his knowledge about contracts and suggested some nitrous oxide “if anybody is stressed out.”

You can watch Kanye’s speech in the video above.

On the heels of his debut album Give Or Take, Giveon graced the 2022 BET Awards stage near the show’s close to perform brief portions of “Heartbreak Anniversary” and “For Tonight” before offering “Lie Again” to its fullest. Despite audio issues, the R&B singer fully emoted through the duration of his heart-bound set.

Though this is Giveon’s first BET Awards performance, he is no stranger to the summer awards show. In 2021, the “Heartbreak Anniversary” singer was awarded the Best New Artist trophy. More generally, the 27-year-old has been nominated for seven Grammys, seven MTV Video Music Awards, one of which he won, and even three NAACP Image Awards.

Giveon released his debut album Give Or Take this past Friday (June 24). The 15-track album was led by singles “For Tonight” and “Lie Again,” following up a nearly two-year hiatus since his last EP, 2020’s When It’s All Said And Done featuring Snoh Aalegra. When It’s All Said And Done followed his highly regarded debut EP Take Time, anchored by “Like I Want You” In his brief hiatus, Giveon appeared on Justin Bieber’s 2021 album Justice on the highly popular “Peaches” also featuring Daniel Caesar and “In The Bible” alongside Lil Durk on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy. In 2020, Drake officially released “Chicago Freestyle,” his first collaboration with the Long Beach artist, as part of Dark Lane Demo Tapes.

Check out Giveon’s performance at the BET Awards above.

The peak of Chloe season could be on the horizon as the singer prepares to release her solo debut project. She’s shown a different side of her artistry, one that’s a bit unlike the records we’ve heard through her Chloe X Halle duo. “Have Mercy” kicked off Chloe’s solo era and that was succeeded by “Treat Me,” a provocative release that called for a special someone to match her energy in romance. Chloe’s latest release is “Surprise,” and that’s a more tender release that’s carried by sultry production. It’s the latter two songs that Chloe brings to the 2022 BET Award show stage.

Chloe took over the BET Award stage to deliver performances of “Surprise” and “Treat Me.” Both performances featured a very seductive Chloe as she strutted her stuff on stage and even took a moment to dance on a man who was blindfolded in a seat on stage. Throughout it all, Chloe reminds us all that she thrives in the vocal department anytime she’s on stage.

As for Chloe’s long-awaited album, she’s shared some light details about it in recent interviews. In a sit-down with Allure, she confirmed that the project will be a self-titled effort. This reveal came some months after she said the project was “90% done” during a conversation with Billboard. Chloe also noted the album “is definitely more pop,” adding, “I’m creating my own lane, as well as paying homage to the ones who have inspired me. It has been fun finding my voice.”

You can watch Chloe perform “Surprise” at the 2022 BET Awards above

Diddy has been a staple in the game for decades, and BET gave him a proper tribute at tonight’s 2022 BET Awards. Jodeci and Mary J Blige delivered the vocals before Diddy himself appeared to perform “Victory,” “All About The Benjamins” with The LOX and Lil’ Kim, “I Need A Girl (Part 2),” “Pass The Courvoisier” alongside Busta Rhymes (though they changed Courvoisier to Ciroc), and the recent single “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller. A tribute video with kind words from the late Kim Porter played in the background before Diddy led the crowd in a moving performance of “I’ll Be Missing You” that Faith Evans joined in.

Diddy has seen much award show recognition over his storied career, walking away with the Lifetime Achievement award tonight (June 26) to now hold his fourth victory out of ten nominations. He made an impassioned speech that culminated in the “Last Night” artist donating $1 million to Howard University and Deion Sanders’ Jackson State football team. Previously, he received the most nominations from the BET Hip Hop Awards and the Grammys at 12, taking home two and three trophies from each show respectively.

The mogul recently released “Gotta Move On” with Bryson Tiller, an official version of a Soundcloud leak with just Tiller that was floating around the internet for the last few years. The Bad Boy founder was recently honored with the compilation album Bad Boy Celebrates Diddy: The Artist which was released this past Friday (June 24). The project includes some of the most classic records from Diddy’s closest collaborators, specifically “Through The Pain (She Told Me),” “Been Around The World,” “I’ll Be Missing You,” and “It’s All About The Benjamins – Remix” with names like The Notorious B.I.G, Mase, Mario Winans, Lil’ Kim, and The Lox.

You can check out clips from Diddy’s medley performance at the BET Awards above.

Latto, clad in all black, blazed the 2022 BET Awards stage with performances of “It’s Givin” and the “Big Energy” remix with a special appearance by Mariah Carey and her signature whistle register. Carey did not have to be on the stage long to remind people what she can do when a microphone is in front of her. The two joined up at the end of the performance allowing the Ohio artist to pay homage to the “Don’t Forget About Us” singer. It doesn’t get more empowering than that.

It’s been a big year for Latto as she took home her first BET Award this year with Best New Artist. She is also up for Female Hip-Hop Artist at this year’s show. She has previously received one nomination each from the BET Hip Hop Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards.

The 23-year-old is riding high on the momentum of her latest album 777, backed by the smash single “Big Energy” which later received the remix treatment from Mariah Carey and DJ Khaled. 777 also included “Wheelie” featuring 21 Savage, “Sunshine” featuring Lil Wayne and Childish Gambino, and “Like A Thug” featuring Lil Durk. As for collaborations, Latto recently linked up with Saucy Santana for “Booty.”

Check out Latto’s BET Awards performance above.

Kendrick Lamar takes his performances very seriously, especially the visual aspect and what it conveys. At this weekend’s Glastonbury Festival in England, the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers artist perhaps made his biggest statement yet, assuming the role of Jesus Christ by sporting a diamond crown of thorns and alluding to the recent Roe v. Wade decision.

The DAMN rapper repeatedly exclaims “They judge you, they judge Christ, Godspeed for women’s rights” as blood pours out from his crown of thorns. His voice crescendoes as he says the phrase over and over before aggressively dropping the microphone and leaving the stage as his backup dancers pose statically.

This display is major for such a controversial decision, especially coming from a rapper who spent his last album humanizing himself after years of being placed on a pedestal due to social activism and messaging. Regardless of his standing, Kendrick Lamar has always been an advocate for the things he believes in even if the majority of people disagree, like his support of XXXTentacion or aligning with Kodak Black on Mr. Morale, for example. With a platform like his, this will send a message through the United States despite it being done overseas.

Check out Kendrick Lamar’s powerful performance above.

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

Chance The Rapper had particular quiet years in 2020 and 2021, but this year, the Chicago rapper has been making noise throughout 2022. Following the mixed review that his debut album, The Big Day, received, Chance has certainly found his form again and it’s clear through the records he released this year. These examples include “A Bar About A Bar,” “Wraith” with Vic Mensa, and “Child Of God.” Another one comes through “The Highs & The Lows,” his recently released collaboration with Joey Badass. A couple of weeks after the song’s release, Chance and Joey brought their talents to the 2022 BET Awards for the song’s debut performance.

The duo’s performance was quite the soulful one as Chance led the way with a powerful rendition of his verse. He then cleared the way for Joey to step in for his own verse, one that was adlibbed by an extremely spirited Chance. The performance comes as both Chance and Joey prepare to release new albums to their fans.

Chance previously confirmed that his next project was on the way around the release of “Child Of God.” “They all come from a space of me finally feeling empowered and me finally feeling ready to go speak on all the things that I think about,” he said about the project’s songs according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “This project does explore a lot darker themes than I have in the past couple of projects. But, it’s all still from a place of understanding that it’s all a process.”

Joey Badass, on the other hand, intended to release his third album 2000 last week, but sample clearances forced him to delay its release. So far, that project is led by “The Revenge” and “Head High.”

You can watch Chance and Joey perform “The Highs & The Lows” in the video above.