Month: June 2022

The man with the best rap voice in the business, Meechy Darko of Flatbush Zombies, has announced his solo debut album, Gothic Luxury, is coming on August 26. He launches the first salvo today with the release of the intense, trippy video for the defiant lead single, “Kill Us All.” Over a suitably menacing backdrop, Meechy ruminates on America’s seemingly endless campaign of terror of Black American citizens, from derailing the Black Panther movement of the 1960s to the media framing Blaming people as inherently violent. He isn’t saying much we don’t know but the passion behind his bars makes them all the more poignant.

Gothic Luxury is executive produced by Dot Da Genius and was recorded in the wake of Meechy’s father being killed by Miami police in 2020. “I had no choice but to make this the most personal thing I’ve ever done because fortunately or unfortunately, I’m in an extremely soul-stirring part of my life right now,” Meechy explained in a statement. “Who I was yesterday may not be who I am tomorrow. I’m not who I was last week. There’s no telling who I’ll be next year or the year after, so it’s very important to capture this while I can still feel.”

Meechy is the second member of Flatbush to announce a solo album after Erick The Architect. We’re waiting on you, Juice!

Watch the “Kill Us All” video above and pre-save Gothic Luxury, out 8/26 via Loma Vista Recordings, here.

Ambulance is a blast. That’s the first thing we need to establish. The movie is classic Michael Bay, all the way through, frenetic action piled on top of frenetic action, starting immediately and not ending until the credits, with beautiful people doing ridiculous and/or dramatic things and people shouting and shooting and speeding, occasionally captured on a camera that is below them and spinning around to make them look like a statue of a Greek god. It’s so much fun. It’s basically like Speed but if we replaced the speeding bus with a speeding emergency vehicle that the crazed villain was actually inside as it barreled through Los Angeles. This is, to be clear, very good storytelling.

It also gets me to the thing about the crazed villain. Specifically, it gets me to Jake Gyllenhaal as the crazed villain. Jake Gyllenhaal is… he is just so freaking good in Ambulance. Not “good” like “win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor” good, because that’s a different thing entirely. It’s more like “good” as in “understood exactly what this movie was and needed from him and gave it exactly that, wild eyes and shooting a gun at helicopters while leaning out the window of a stolen ambulance and all of it.” It is my position that this kind of performance is as challenging and important as the other ones. There should be a specific award just for that.

Examples will help. Buddy, do I ever have examples. Here’s one from the beginning of the movie where his character, Danny, a criminal and bank robber who also supervises a warehouse full of high-end cars and sometimes plastic flamingos for some reason, explains that the multimillion-dollar bank robbery he is roping his adopted brother (Yahya Abdul-Mateen) into is actually, in a way, a favor and/or act of charity.

Look at his eyes. Look at his entire face. He is telling us everything we need to know about this character right here, in one line, with one delivery. He’s a madman. It’s the closest thing to a late 1990s Nicolas Cage performance, which feels right, given that Michael Bay also directed Nicolas Cage in The Rock. Jake Gyllenhaal doesn’t need to do this. We’ve seen him do smaller roles, more dramatic and nuanced roles. He has those arrows in his quiver. He’s doing this for us. For us to enjoy this movie. He is, in a way, giving us the world, too.

This isn’t even the most crazed look he gives in the movie. It might not even be in the top three. We can differ on the exact order of them as long as we can agree this one is at the top.

Three things are worth noting here:

• EYES
• EYES
• EYES

He knows he looks crazy here. He knows he looks silly. Jake Gyllenhaal is a smart man. He also knows that throwing himself into all of this lunacy will make the even wilder stuff later in the movie feel more real. You hear so much about actors playing roles where they depict a disability or someone with a difficult personality. You rarely hear about actors who are willing to let themselves look this silly to sell a performance. I would argue this is at least impressive as the first thing. Maybe more, just because of the potential for embarrassment.

I am being serious here. Look…

See, this is what I’m talking about. You need those kinds of manic-eyes scenes early on to really drive home a scene like this. A scene where, to make sure we’re all on the same page here, he is dangling an EMT out of the back of a speeding ambulance that is carrying a police officer who is dying of a bullet wound, while a) holding an automatic weapon in his other hand, and b) being chased by half of the LAPD.

This is some primo villainous stuff here. This is Face/Off levels of deranged. I half-expected five white doves to fly out of the ambulance while it was happening, as though they’d been in a container in the back of it for never-specified medical reasons. I know I already made the Nicolas Cage parallel once, but Jake Gyllenhaal is going full Castor Troy in this scene. I have no higher compliment to give.

And it’s not even my favorite thing he does in the movie. That honor goes to these next two pieces of dialogue, both delivered screaming and furious and self-righteous, both objectively hilarious given the context of the movie, which, again, is about a bank robbery going sideways and two of the robbers leading police on a high-speed chase through Los Angeles in an ambulance that contains a wounded cop and the most attractive EMT in the entire world.

Look at a master at work.

I kind of don’t even want to lay out the context here. I kind of want to let these two screencaps stand on their own as little pieces of art. But I think I need to. Hmm. Let’s do this:

• The first thing was said while screaming down a highway and was about an unrelated shipment of plastic flamingos, all of which was so unnecessary and perfect
• The second thing happened after the EMT (Eiza Gonzalez) sprayed him with a fire extinguisher to try to escape and I really insist you watch or rewatch this movie very soon just to hear Jake Gyllenhaal’s delivery of “IT’S CASHMERE”

At other points in the movie, he compared their vehicle to a shark and a locomotive, both times because “we don’t stop,” and if you think I don’t now want to see a movie where Jake Gyllenhaal plays the conductor of a train that is shaped like a shark, you are sorely, deeply mistaken. Madness. Beautiful madness.

This is a little thing but I love it. You know how I said this movie is a lot like Speed, what with the breakneck pacing and the racing through Los Angeles and all of it? Well, there’s another similarity here, too. You see how Jake Gyllenhaal is holding the phone here? Using his opposite arm to reach across his face and hold it up to the ear on the other side of his head? That’s… weird. People don’t talk on the phone like that. In fact, there’s only been one other time I’ve seen someone hold a phone that way…

Do I think Jake Gyllenhaal did this on purpose? Do I think he held the phone like this as a deliberate homage to Dennis Hopper’s character in Speed, another madman responsible for a runaway vehicle that is funded with taxpayers’ money?

I…

I don’t know.

I really don’t.

But I want this to be the case very badly, to the point that if you ever hear Jake Gyllenhaal definitively state that he was not doing this, just, like, don’t tell me. Let me have this one. It’s too fun to ruin with the truth.

Let’s go ahead and close things out with this.

I share this GIF here for two equally important reasons:

• I mentioned way back at the beginning of this that there’s a scene where Jake Gyllenhaal leans out the window of a speeding ambulance to fire an automatic weapon at two low-flying helicopters and I didn’t want you to think I was kidding
• If we can’t figure out a way to give people a prestigious award for doing exactly this kind of thing, and for building a performance that makes it a believable thing for their character to do in the moment, then… I mean, what are any of us doing?

Please fix this. Please recognize greatness. Please recognize that Jake Gyllenhaal did something special here. It’s time.

The teen-idol-to-A24-star pipeline is strong these days and getting stronger with the addition of former Disney Channel royalty-turned-Netflix star Zac Efron. Efron is set to star in a sports new drama from writer-director Sean Durkin.

Deadline reports that The Iron Claw will follow the infamous Von Erich family, a dynasty of pro-wrestlers who gained popularity in the 1970s and 80s, with a tragic backstory that some believe is actually a curse. Efron’s casting details are still unknown, but he will likely play one of the six sons in the family, who each have their own haunting story. The movie will follow the family from the 1960s to present day.

Efron is on a roll lately, recently starring in an adaptation of Stephen King’s Firestarter, as well as his charming Netflix travel show, Down To Earth. Next up, the High School Musical star will reunite with former co-star Nicole Kidman and Joey King for a romantic comedy also heading to Netflix. A lot has been going on since he graduated from East High School!

A24 will produce The Iron Claw, which will be written and directed by Durkin. Durkin is known for his slightly disturbing yet beautiful films, including Martha Marcy May Marlene starring everybody’s favorite avenger, Elizabeth Olsen, and The Nest with Jude Law.

(Via Deadline)

After sending tens of thousands of Russians and allied forces to their deaths to fight against Ukraine, Vladimir Putin seems to be preparing for his own demise—or at least that’s the way it looks, literally. The Russian president has never made a secret of the fact that he thinks he’s pretty hot stuff, as countless shirtless photos of him indicate. War or no war, the murderous dictator seems intent on keeping his youthful glow (!?!) by having so much Botox injected into his body that he looks downright corpse-like.

While Putin is always surrounded by a small team of doctors, Michael Clarke, a visiting professor in the department of war studies at King’s College London, told Metro that there’s “no convincing evidence” that there’s anything actually wrong with Vlad. The man just really loves his fillers. “I always say that he is trying to embalm himself while he’s still alive,” Clarke said, noting that “he does take a lot of Botox.”

“There’s known to be a little team of doctors who are never far away, and it’s said that he leaves meetings at frequent intervals to go and consult with somebody,” Clarke added. “I suspect that he’s only a hypochondriac, to be honest.” Or maybe he’s just a fan of The Real Housewives?

Whatever the case, Putin—who will turn 70 years old in October—seems eerily obsessed with maintaining his vim and vigor. In the past, he has been known to consume and bathe in the blood of Siberian red deer, which some whackos believe stops the aging process. As for why he’s reportedly pooping in a suitcase now? Your guess is as good as ours. But it’s only a matter of time before someone slips up and calls him President Poopin.

(Via Metro)

Trevor Noah has weighed in on America’s #1 scandal, and no, it’s not the January 6 hearings. It’s Kim Kardashian damaging an iconic Marilyn Monroe dress by wearing it to the Met Gala. Earlier in the week, photos from The Marilyn Monroe Collection revealed the dress’ condition after Kardashian wore it on the red carpet, and there is noticeable wear and tear to the historic costume, including several missing crystals.

While Kardashian has been widely blasted for damaging Monroe’s dress, the blame has started to shift towards Ripley’s for allowing her to even wear it in the first place. (The Academy Museum reportedly warned Ripley’s not to do it.) Apparently, Noah is of the same mind. The Daily Show host blasted Ripley’s for making the call.

“They’re the ones who loaned the dress to Kim,” Noah said during Wednesday night’s episode. “Because Ripley’s owns the dress, they’re in charge of preserving it. So, if they told her it was okay to wear it, that’s on them.”

However, Noah didn’t let Kardashian entirely off of the hook. Via The Wrap:

“The Marilyn Monroe dress is a one-of-a-kind piece of American history,” he said. “The Met Gala happens every year. People dress like hamburgers there. You could have worn anything else. Because if you are entrusted with a piece of American history, you better do everything you can to take care of it.”

That said, Noah admitted he could see himself falling victim to the same temptation. “If the Louvre called me and they said I could kiss the Mona Lisa for a selfie, I would do it and I would use tongue,” The Daily Show host joked at the end of the segment.

(Via The Wrap)

The soundtrack for the upcoming Baz Luhrmann biopic Elvis is packed, with the most notable participant perhaps being Eminem. Now, he has shared his contribution to the movie, a new CeeLo Green collaboration called “The King And I.”

The track, naturally, is filled with references to Presley. Most obviously, the instrumental is based on the iconic “Jailhouse Rock” riff. Eminem also plays off of the classic “Blue Suede Shoes” lyric with the line, “It goes: one for the trailer park, two for my baby-ma /
Three for the tater tots, four if you ate a lot / Five if you came to rock, straight up while I’m sh*ttin’ on my comp’.”

Elsewhere, Em makes comparisons between Presley and himself, rapping, “Now I’m about to explain to you all the parallels / Between Elvis and me, myself / It seem obvious: one, he’s pale as me / Second, we both been hailed as kings.”

In an interview from earlier this month, Green said of working with Eminem on the song, “Me and Eminem have been friends for years. I’ve longed for an opportunity to work with him. He said, ‘Hey man, can you do this for me? I need it really quickly, I need it tonight.’ So when Eminem says he needs something tonight, you deliver.”

Listen to “The King And I” above.

It looks like we may have to wait a little longer for Joey Badass’ new album, 2000. The album, originally set for release this week, has been pushed back.

Joey revealed the news this morning via Twitter.

“Man I got some terrible news,” he said in a tweet. “my album won’t be coming out tonight due to sample clearance issues… Right now, it’s unclear how long I’ll have to postpone it but my hope is no more than 2 weeks.”

It appears Joey had known about the delay for a while, however, was hoping he’d have a new date by now.

“I wanted to have a new date before I told you guys but it’s out of my control,” he continued.

The release of 2000 would’ve coincided with the 10th anniversary of Joey’s breakthrough mixtape, 1999, which spawned hits like “Waves” and “Hardknock.” Joey did not reveal a new release date for 2000, however, hopes to be able to share a new one soon.

“I’ll keep you guys updated obviously,” Joey said. “I’m almost certain I’ll have a new date by Monday. On the bright side, me and Chance’s new song drops tmrw.”

The song to which Joey is referring is Chance The Rapper’s new single, “The Highs And The Lows,” which is thought to appear from Chance’s upcoming comeback album.

It’s often said that fashion goes in cycles that come back around every twenty years or so. With this knowledge, I regret to inform all you millennials out there that you are now old. If it makes you feel any better, you can call it “retro,” which is what we did when we were bringing back bellbottoms and platform shoes and trying really hard to embrace punk aesthetics. Now, it’s our turn, as the baggy look is back and the teens are now running around looking like extras from She’s All That.

Leading the charge, as usual, is Tyler The Creator, who is pretty much the trendsetter for anyone who entered middle school around the time Odd Future was upending hip-hop’s cultural conventions and making Theresa May really nervous they might turn over the tea cart if they gained access to Old Blighty. Tyler’s brand, Golf Wang, has been one of the go-to looks for the legions of fans who used to scribble “Kill Them All” in their notebooks, terrifying teachers and conservative commentators throughout the 2010s.

Today, he revealed the lookbook for the latest summer collection, which consists of a variety of wide-leg, loose-fits, colorful sweaters, woven shirts, and jeans with biohazard symbols all over them. I guess Tyler hasn’t grown all the way up just yet — and he never should. You can check out some of the fits below, with more on the official website. They go live on June 18 at noon ET. You can grab them in-store at 11 am PT.

The Philadelphia 76ers have to figure out what the long-term plan is with James Harden. While Harden is still a very good basketball player, Father Time looked like he started catching up to him in a big way this past season, as the former league MVP lacked the burst that made him one of the most devastating players off the dribble at his peak.

Harden was dealing with hamstring issues, but the question Philadelphia has to answer is whether or not he can get his body right and return to form. Making this an even bigger question is that Harden has a player option for the 2022-23 season, and if he picks it up (which reports indicate he will do), he can hit unrestricted free agency next summer.

Giving a five-year supermax to a soon-to-be 33-year-old who struggled last season is, of course, not an easy pill to swallow. But a new report by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report indicates Philly might not need to do that if it wants to convince Harden to stick around.

Two weeks from the beginning of NBA free agency on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, all signs point toward All-Star guard James Harden returning to the Philadelphia 76ers on a shorter-term contract extension, league sources told B/R.

Harden and Sixers leadership are aligned on one clear directive, sources said: The franchise’s best opportunity to compete for a championship starring Joel Embiid, as well as Harden’s optimal opportunity to earn his first NBA ring, resides with Harden playing in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.

Harden joined the Sixers at the trade deadline in a move that sent a package headlined by Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets. While he had some games where he looked like a perfect compliment alongside Embiid, he averaged 18.6 points, 8.6 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 39.9 minutes per game in the postseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers will enter next season facing an awful lot of questions after failing to even make the play-in tournament in the West in 2022. The biggest of those is whether Russell Westbrook will be able to be a helpful player in Year 2 with the Lakers — provided he’s on the team still, which for now is the expectation — but beyond Westbrook there’s plenty to wonder about when it comes to L.A.’s ability to be a contender again.

Some of that will hinge on how they fill out the roster, but it’s also dependent on a bounceback year from Anthony Davis, who struggled through injuries once again in 2021-22. Injuries weren’t the only issue for Davis, who also regressed as a shooter, something he excelled at in the Bubble when the Lakers won the title and hasn’t replicated since. The questions about Davis’ shot only grew louder this week when a video emerged of him saying he hasn’t shot a basketball since April, which naturally became fodder for questions from fans about whether he was working hard enough on his game — despite there being ample time for him to ramp up on court work before next October.

That debate made its way to First Take where they somewhat oddly debated if Davis could be a “top 7” player in the league, which is one of the strangest arbitrary numbers to pick for such a ranking. When LeBron caught wind of those questioning Davis, he took to Instagram to assert next year Davis will show people once again why he is “Him.”

On Thursday, Stephen A. Smith offered his response to that, noting that LeBron may not be wrong but that the last time he made a similar offseason proclamation, it didn’t work out so well.

This is the tweet Stephen A. is referring to that, despite James deleting it, lives on forever in screenshots and the memories of NBA Twitter who will gleefully never let him forget it.

As Stephen A. noted, everyone did and the Lakers were not able to do anything to respond, as the Russell Westbrook experiment failed in ways most critics of the move couldn’t even imagine and injuries once again limited Davis and James himself. I get why James is backing his guy here, but Smith makes a salient point that offseason victory laps about what’s to come aren’t always the best idea and the biggest concern he has isn’t Davis playing well but instead him being on the court consistently enough.