Month: July 2022

On the heels of his new self-titled EP, Guap, formerly known as Guapdad 4000, has premiered the new video for his song, “H*e.” On the bouncy, bass-heavy, West Coast-inspired track, Guap proclaims, “I don’t need a h*e, I need a whole lot of paper / I don’t need a h*e, I need a whole vacation.”

The song’s accompanying video, shot by Paul Middleton, sees Guap driving around Oakland, spending time by himself on the beach, and making himself a charcuterie board.

In addition to the “H*e” video, Guap also took to Instagram to reveal the trailer for his upcoming short film, Stoop Kid. Set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, July 21, Stoop Kid accompanies Guap’s 2021 album, 1176, and tells the story about his Bay Area upbringing.

“It’s crazy to be posting this,” he wrote. “Quarantine got so heavy for me that I fell into a deep depression just too much death and uncertainty but by the grace of God I have been blessed with many talents and also to have a connection with my big brother @illmindproducer with whom I’ve created 1176 the album & inspiring My short Film/ Musical ‘Stoop Kid’ … a story about my journey in Oakland.”

Check out “H*e” above.

Dua Lipa has been living up to her hit song “Levitating” over the last year and this latest achievement takes her to a different stratosphere. The 26-year-old has officially tied Ariana Grande for the most songs with over one billion streams among female artists. Dua and the Sweetener artist now share the throne with seven songs a piece.

Some of Dua Lipa’s records that aided in her achieving this feat include “One Kiss” with Calvin Harris, the PNAU remix to “Cold Heart” with Elton John, “Don’t Start Now,” “IDGAF,” and the aforementioned “Levitating” with received a remix by DaBaby soon after its release. In terms of RIAA certifications, her 2020 album Future Nostalgia and eponymous 2017 album are both certified Platinum. “Levitating” is four times Platinum, “One Kiss” is three times platinum, and “IDGAF” is two times Platinum.

Dua Lipa has been busy in 2022, appearing on Calvin Harris’ “Potion” with Young Thug and “Sweetest Pie” with Megan Thee Stallion. She reportedly told Elton John that her third album is “50% of the way there” and “is starting to feel good,” so she could very well knock Ariana Grande off of their shared pedestal until Grande releases her next album.

Check out the full list of Dua Lipa’s RIAA certifications here.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

For the last two weeks, Deandre Ayton has been in the NBA version of purgatory, stuck as a restricted free agent on a market where few teams had cap space to make him an offer and fewer had motivation to extend an offer sheet his way. With Kevin Durant’s trade request further adding to the drama of this summer and having teams even more wary of tying up cap space with an offer sheet, Ayton (along with Collin Sexton) found himself in no-man’s land.

On Thursday, Ayton finally found a suitor in the form of the Indiana Pacers, who cleared enough space with the Malcolm Brogdon trade and a few smaller waivers to extend him a 4-year, $133 million max offer. After failing to reach a sign-and-trade with the Suns over the course of Thursday afternoon, Ayton put pen to paper on that deal and it became a waiting game to see if Phoenix would indeed match as they had insisted they would for weeks.

Sure enough, less than 20 minutes after word broke that Ayton had signed the offer sheet, the Suns matched and retained the former No. 1 overall pick.

The Suns couldn’t let Ayton walk, as that would’ve severely damaged their chances of contending again next season, but given how damaged the player-team relationship seems to be after last year, it’ll be interesting to see how Ayton reacts to being back in Phoenix. The Suns had made clear they didn’t value him as a max player and the way the season ended, with Ayton benched in a blowout loss to the Mavs in Game 7 of the second round, there’s clearly some issues that need to be resolved between he and coach Monty Williams.

Still, the Suns are better with Ayton than without him, and they will at minimum go into this season with mostly the same team that earned the 1-seed last year before falling apart in the final five games of the second round. As Woj notes, Ayton cannot be traded until January 15 and will have veto power on any trade in the next year, meaning if the Suns want to move him in the first year of his new deal, they’ll have to do so with his consent — and he now is guaranteed not to be part of a Kevin Durant trade prior to the season starting.

As for Indiana, they now have to deal with the fallout from failing to land Ayton, as Myles Turner (who has long been considered available in trade talks) surely won’t be thrilled about the Pacers pursuit of another center.

Harry Styles might have called his shot for 2022 when he named his third studio album Harry’s House. After releasing back in late May, the album is officially the first of 2022 to be certified Platinum by RIAA and Styles’ third Platinum album overall. Harry’s House was led by the two times Platinum April single “As It Was,” and the release-day single “Late Night Talking.”

“As It Was” debuted atop both the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming his second solo number one single after 2020’s ubiquitous, five times Platinum “Watermelon Sugar.” The record has spent 9 weeks at No. 1. “Late Night Talking” didn’t reach the same heights, only peaking at No. 4.

Harry’s House closed off a nearly three-year hiatus for the 28-year-old, following up 2019’s Fine Line. Styles debuted as a solo act in 2017 with his self-titled first LP after One Direction took an indefinite hiatus in 2016. Having gone from one of the best-selling boy bands to becoming a consistent solo commercial success, Styles will likely be a major fixture in year-end conversations. Beyond that, this achievement is evidence of what more he can achieve if he continues at this rate.

Harry’s House is out now via Columbia and Erskin Records. Listen to it here.

Zara Larrson is officially on the clock. After delivering two well-received albums within the last five years, there is much anticipation for what the Swedish pop singer has coming next. She knows it and even added to the fanfare back in June 2021 when she posted that she was back in the studio working on album number three. Zara Larsson spoke on her forthcoming album backstage at Mad Cool Festival 2022 in an interview with NME.

According to the 24-year-old, she has “some production stuff left” to take care of. She continued “I shouldn’t say that [it’s almost done] because now people will expect [new music]; but it is.” Fans cling to any announcement, whether direct or cryptic, so it was sensible for her to try and clarify her point but it won’t diminish the excitement fans hold.

This upcoming album will feature production from Rick Nowels and Danja, which is exciting for the “Never Forget You” artist. “The fact that I’m in the studio with them [and am] working with them long term, it’s something that I’ve appreciated a lot,” Larsson said. Speaking about Nowels specifically, the Poster Girl singer said “It’s like ‘it’s you and me’; like ‘you’re looking into my eyes, and we’re writing this song’, which is great. I feel like it’s authentic and brings out something else.”

Check out the full Zara Larsson NME interview here.

New life is a beautiful thing, especially in a world where it can be easy to focus on the negatives. Fans speculated for quite some time as to whether Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas were expecting a baby, especially after pictures surfaced of Turner with what appeared to be a baby bump. The Game Of Thrones actress confirmed the pregnancy back in May, posing on the cover of Elle and fully displaying her pregnant stomach. A few weeks later, Jonas told People that he was “maybe a little less nervous” for this second child after caring for him and Turner’s first daughter Willa for almost two years.

Today (July 14), the pop star and 26-year-old have welcomed their second bundle of joy into the world, representatives for both stars confirmed exclusively to People. The newborn, TMZ reports, who is confirmed to be a daughter and makes that two overall for the couple, was born earlier this month in Miami.

Joe Jonas has been on an informal hiatus from music, with his last individual release, “Go It Alone (From Rumble),” and Jonas Brothers’ release, “Leave Before You Love me” alongside Marshmello, both coming in 2021. This downtime will definitely allow for Sophie Turner to come up with more comedy material as she has new ears to entertain. Surely Joe Jonas hopes they won’t come at the expense of his purity ring again.

The logic behind a new California law that allows people to sue gun manufacturers if they’ve been hurt—most likely shot—by their products makes a lot of sense. In America, you can sue a fast food joint if its burger has tainted meat that made you sick. You can also sue your employer if you are injured on the job.

There have even been instances where tobacco companies have been successfully sued for the deaths of smokers.

Why shouldn’t companies that make fortunes from selling and marketing instruments of death have to be responsible for the carnage created by their use? If you’re going to profit from guns you should also have to be responsible for the repercussions, especially when innocent people are hurt or killed.

A new bill signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom will allow people who’ve been harmed by guns to sue the manufacturer if it didn’t establish “reasonable controls” to keep them from those most likely to cause harm. These include people who are legally prohibited from owning a firearm or those who might hurt themselves or others.

Manufacturers can also face penalties if their guns are “abnormally dangerous” or sold in a way where they can be illegally converted.

u201cIrresponsible gun manufacturers and distributors can no longer hide from the mass destruction they have caused in California. With @AsmPhilTing’s bill, victims of gun violence can go to court and hold the makers of these deadly weapons accountable.u201d

— Office of the Governor of California (@Office of the Governor of California)
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“It’s well known that nearly every industry is held to account when their products cause harm or injury, except one: the gun industry,” Newsom said in a statement.

“California is going to change that. They can no longer hide from the mass destruction that they have caused. … If you’ve been hurt or a family member is a victim of gun violence, you can now go to court and hold the makers of these deadly weapons accountable,” he said.

The bill could cause significant damage to the gun industry through expensive lawsuits. The Sandy Hook families successfully sued Remington in 2017 and won $73 million in damages. Insurance companies would also be less likely to protect gun companies from lawsuits knowing they have a much greater chance of being successfully sued.

The National Rifle Association claims the new law is “intentionally vague” and “can subject the industry to crippling lawsuits regardless of whether there is any actual violation of law, and therefore prevent law-abiding citizens from being able to access the firearms necessary to exercise a constitutional right.”

The new law is bound to be the subject of legal battles, but Assemblymember Phil Ting of San Francisco told Politico that similar challenges to a New York law lost their initial challenges in court.

u201cNEW CALIFORNIA GUN LAW: The measure, AB1594, would make gunmakers liable if they sell assault weapons and do not take u201creasonableu201d steps to ensure those weapons are not used for illegal purposes in California. It has more implications too…nnREAD MORE >>> https://t.co/2hGNU806ASu201d

— Nazy Javid (@Nazy Javid)
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The new law is another bold step against gun violence for the state of California, which already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. While gun rights advocates may bristle at the state’s actions, research shows that these types of laws save lives. According to The New York Times, California’s firearm mortality rate is the country’s lowest at 8.5 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2020, compared to the national average that year of 13.7 per 100,000.

People who live in California are also 25% less likely to die in a mass shooting. In the debate in America over whether we’re safer with more guns or fewer firearms, California is making a compelling case for the latter.

Have you ever noticed that there are two different bread sections in the grocery store? There’s the aisle where you get loaves of sliced bread next to the hamburger buns and there’s the bakery section where you get traditional crusty bread.

So why are both types of bread separated?

Adam Ragusea answers the question in a compelling video that has more than 2.2 million views on YouTube. Ragusea is a popular YouTuber who makes videos about recipes, food science and culinary culture. His channel has nearly 2 million subscribers

In the video, he breaks down the five things that distinguish these two types of bread. One of the main reasons they are made differently is because sandwich bread has to last a lot longer than the traditional bread you find in the bakery aisle.

Here are the five ways they are very different.

1. Added sugar and fat

Sandwich bread has additional butter and fat so that it doesn’t mold as quickly.

2. Bread yeast

Sandwich bread manufacturers want to make the product quickly, so it has yeast accelerators to speed up the fermentation process.

3. Hard mix

Sandwich bread is made in aggressive mixers that allow more oxygen to enter the dough, which makes it rise faster. However, this reduces the amount of flavor in the bread so it’s not as tasty as traditional bread.

4. Dough helpers

Sandwich bread contains dough conditioners and improvers, a broad category of ingredients that inhibit mold, soften the bread and preserve it so it’s edible for at least a week.

5. The bake

Sandwich bread is baked in a pan at a lower temperature than a traditional loaf, giving it a cakey texture.

Sometimes, all it takes is one story of kindness to make the world seem like a less cold, uncaring place. At Upworthy, we know that now more than ever, it’s vital to highlight the goodness of humanity so that we are reminded of what’s possible. That’s why when we heard about an artist in Buffalo, New York, who used creativity to shift perspectives in a unique and thought-provoking way, we knew we had to share.

Local news outlet WKBW TV first reported the work of social practice artist Saira Siddiqui, who returned to her home city of Buffalo in 2019 to create the Peace Dots Project. The campaign encourages people to submit stories of “random acts of kindness, peace offerings, conflict resolution, or any action that creates hope and makes a positive impact, whether it be an act personally experienced or one witnessed from afar.” These stories get collected and become “peace dots” that go up on a map of the city, replacing the dots that typically only track crime scenes.

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“It allows people to think about positive framing, rather than thinking about the traditional negative framing. That’s so prevalent right now,” Siddiqui told WKBW.

Many refer to Buffalo as the “City of Good Neighbors.” This was a nickname earned because of Buffalo’s history of welcoming immigrant and migrant communities and their diverse array of cultures. However, the noble label has come into question in recent years, especially because some neighborhoods aren’t so good for all their neighbors. White homeownership is more than double that of Blacks and Hispanics, according to a study in 2018. That same study showed that, on average, white households also had around double the annual income of Black and Latino ones. In 2021, an article by professors Timothy F. Murphy and Henry Louis Taylor Jr. revealed that Black Buffalonians are far more likely to have serious, chronic (yet preventable) diseases than whites who lived in the area.

It’s staggering statistics like this that inspired Siddiqui to imagine a different narrative. She told WKBW, “We are always mapping data. We are taking hard data about crime, health and wealth disparities. One day, I thought, ‘why are we mapping these disparities? Where are all the peace dots at?'”

Though the project started in the Buffalo area, submissions are accepted from around the globe. And on the Peace Dots Project’s website, you’ll see a map filled with peace dots from many different areas. Stories are being collected through 2022.

Submitting your own story is pretty simple. The only information that’s mandatory is the random act of kindness or peace offering. Everything else—name, location, date—is completely optional. There’s even a spot where folks can get a bit creative and reflect on what color and emotion comes to mind when thinking about the memory.

Here are a few examples from the project’s Instagram page:

See on Instagram

See on Instagram

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Capturing these day-to-day moments helps communities come together to actively change negative narratives. The stories we share are important—they help shape our identity. Through art and interaction, Siddiqui has found an inspiring way to remind people of the power they have, simply by focusing on positivity.

As the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft wore on, I steadily drew more and more perplexed. “Why isn’t Jabari Walker getting picked,” resonated throughout my brain constantly as the night wound down and the Colorado standout remained on the board. Walker eventually got selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 57th overall pick.

After an impressive showing throughout his time at Summer League, Walker signed a three-year contract with the club, with a partial guarantee on the second year per Michael Scotto.

Walker is averaging 13 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, shooting a remarkably efficient 68.2 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from deep on just shy of three attempts per game, according to NBA tracking data. He enamored at the University of Colorado with his freneticism as a defender and herky jerky drive game off the bounce. At 6’8 with a lengthy frame, often punching above his weight with his functional strength, Walker brought a ton of intrigue as he shot well from deep as his sophomore season unfolded, including positive shooting indicators at the free throw line, as he found himself there incredibly often in Boulder.

His offense has translated well immediately in the desert, excelling as a cutter, making himself available in pockets of the defense, shooting off the catch, and attacking closeouts. While figuring out playmaking off the dribble and finishing counters will be an adventure, the outline is there for a productive player.

Defensively, Walker has shown out. His help and ability as a low-man has flashed upside and intrigue.

While he still has a ways to go in terms of figuring out timing and playing in space, the flashes are exciting, especially for someone his size. What Walker showed as his best attribute as a defender in college has continued in the pros as well. He switches aggressively and with nimble feet, engulfing drivers and stifling actions on the perimeter. For a team that ranked dead last in defense last season, there’s room for Walker to potentially make an impact as an early contributor with his size, instincts, and aptitude.

It’s awesome to see Jabari get a long-term and partially guaranteed deal, something I expected him to get during the draft, but unsurprisingly earned after playing well against pro-level competition. After players in similar situations like Trendon Watford and Greg Brown III found relative success as overlooked rookies last season, I wouldn’t be shocked if Jabari Walker parlayed his new found job security into pro success.