Lord knows how many Dr. Dre songs, albums, and productions are sitting in the vault at this moment. Ever the perfectionist, he has long delayed his much-anticipated fourth album, Detox several times over the past two decades. While he has not revealed when, or even if, Detox will see the light of day in the near future, he has shared that he’s been hard at work over the past two years.

In an Instagram video shared online this past Thursday, Dre shared with Busta Rhymes just how many projects he’s worked on since the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

“I did 247 songs during the pandemic, then we paused, did a whole album with Marsha Ambrosius. That’s f*cking nutso, that’s crazy,” Dre said. “Then we came back… what did we do after that? Oh, I did the Grand Theft Auto sh*t and then we working on… Snoop. We two days in right now, we got, what, six bangers done? So, I don’t know. I wanna finish this sh*t and then start Busta Rhymes.”

Dre did not clarify whether the 247 songs were ideas for an album of his own, or potential production placements for other artists’ albums. He also did not reveal when Ambrosius’ upcoming Dre-produced album, Casablanco will be released. But knowing Dre, this is only scratching the surface of the number of projects he’s sitting on.

Jordyn Poulter was the youngest member of the U.S. women’s volleyball team, which took home the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year. She was named the best setter at the Tokyo games and has been a member of the team since 2018.

Unfortunately, according to a report from ABC 7 News, her gold medal was stolen from her car in a parking garage in Anaheim, California, on May 25.

It was taken along with her passport, which she kept in her glove compartment. While storing a gold medal in your car probably isn’t the best idea, she did it to keep it by her side while fulfilling the hectic schedule of an Olympian.

“We live this crazy life of living so many different places. So many of us play overseas, then go home, then come out here and train,” Poulter said, according to ABC 7. “So I keep the medal on me (to show) friends and family I haven’t seen in a while, or just people in the community who want to see the medal. Everyone feels connected to it when they meet an Olympian, and it’s such a cool thing to share with people.”

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The Olympian got some good news on June 7 when the Anaheim Police Department formally charged Jordan Fernandez, 31, for the crime. According to the New York Post, Fernandez has a “lengthy criminal history” and was charged with residential burglary, vehicle burglary, identity theft and possession of narcotics.

Sadly, the police did not retrieve the missing medal.

On Monday, June 27, Maria Carrillo and Noe Hernandez, the owners of Noel Barber Shop in Anaheim, reported finding the medal in a heavy bag outside their shop to the Anaheim Police Department. They must have been astonished to open the bag and to find, of all things, an Olympic gold medal. People dedicate their entire lives to winning Olympic gold, so they must have been flummoxed to find one dumped on their property.

Local residents praised the couple on Facebook for being honest and turning in the medal to the police.

“Noe is an Amazing man! He owns his barber shop on Lincoln. My kids go there. They love Noe! He’s been cutting my boys hair for years! This is a great story to tell my boys to congratulate him next week when they go in for their haircuts!” Sylvia Sanchez wrote.

“How refreshing to see honest people are still around,” Madelyn Valdés-Vásquez added.

u201cThe stolen ud83eudd47 has been recovered!! So happy for @Jordyn_Poulter!!nnhttps://t.co/i4dvgZeQUPu201d

— USA Volleyball (@USA Volleyball)
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The barbershop owners’ decision to do the right thing is a beautiful gesture, especially because an Olympic gold medal is priceless. According to NBC News, Olympic gold medals contain at least 92.5% silver, plated with at least 6 grams of gold, which is about $750 worth of precious metals. However, the sentimental value to Poulter cannot be accurately translated to dollars and cents. She earned that medal after countless hours of training and years of hard work. To lose it after leaving it in a car had to be absolutely heartbreaking.

The Anaheim Police Department says that it is in the process of returning the medal back to Poulter.

The Bay Area takes care of their own, no doubt. It’s why Pinole-native P-Lo, the surging Filipino-American rapper, has been a fixture at Golden State Warriors, Oakland A’s and San Francisco 49ers games for years. At this past year’s NBA finals, he performed at halftime of the Warriors’ Game 1 against the Boston Celtics at the Chase Center in San Francisco. P-Lo embodies the Warriors’ “gold-blooded” ethos, so when the team took home the 2022 NBA championship, the rapper knew he had to scrap the footage for his soon-to-be-released “One Thing” video and re-cut it with footage of him celebrating with the fanbase and team at the Championship parade in Downtown San Francisco.

The clip opens with cuts from the original video of P-Lo sitting on a field goal post at the San Francico 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium. Words then flash on the screen saying, “So we shot this music video a few months ago… BUT then the Warriors won the NBA championship…” Steph Curry raises a trophy and the new cut of “One Thing” begins. P-Lo rides down Market St in a convertible Benz as part of the team’s parade caravan. He daps up fans, players, and then performs at the Parade Plaza in front of the Chase Center. He smiles through a shiny grill from ear-to-ear, rapping, “They wanna see me down, but I’m runnin’ commas up.” And it feels like nothing short of a triumphant moment for the rapper who ingrained himself into the Championship fanbase.

“One Thing” comes out in the lead up to P-Lo’s new album, Stunna, due out this summer. Watch the video above.

During the 2022 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics’ recipe for offensive success was largely contingent on a strength-based, drive-and-kick ethos to collapse the Golden State Warriors’ defense and either finish inside or spray deliveries to outside shooters. Ultimately, their drive-and-kick personnel didn’t have the requisite legs to propel them to a title; the Warriors’ rangy, physical defense constantly cornered them into stagnant, sticky possessions.

While there were some calls for Boston to find a “true point guard” — whatever that really means — merely acquiring another ball-handler who could reliably generate paint touches and facilitate would probably suffice. That, along with some added floor-spacing on the wings, stood at the forefront of its offseason checklist.

As the reported leader for soon-to-be free agent Danilo Gallinari, the Celtics will accomplish the latter. And they’ll accomplish the former by sending out a smattering of players outside the top eight of their rotation, along with a 2023 first-round pick, to land Malcolm Brogdon. That skill-set was probably a much more pressing need to avoid their perils from Games 4, 5, and 6 of the Finals, so Brogdon projects to provide a gnarly injection of offensive gusto.

A season ago, the 29-year-old guard tallied 18.3 drives per game, which ranked fourth league-wide, and shot 54.1 percent on those drives (9.5 points per game), per NBA.com. The two years prior, he ranked among the top-20 at ~14 drives per game. According to Cleaning The Glass, his rim frequency has placed him in the 77th percentile or higher every year of his six-season career.

Contrast that to the Celtics — a good but not great offense typically reliant on arduous creation from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — and the stark divide is evident. In 2021-22, they finished 22nd in rim frequency (30.6 percent), were 13th in drives per game (45.8), and 13th in points generated from drives (25.7).

Although Boston populated the lane a tad more in the postseason (47.9 drives per game), it encountered significant problems converting those chances, especially against Golden State. During the Finals, it yielded just 137 points on 312 drives (22.8 per game). When the Warriors forced the Celtics’ ball-handlers left and applied pressure at the point of attack, they could not exploit that aggression into downhill forays.

Brogdon is instantly their best slasher. He excels at changes of pace, leverages the strength packaged in his 6’5 frame to burrow through contact and can convert with either hand. A herky-jerky, discordant cadence defines his style, where he’s comfortable attempting runners or finishes at an off-beat rhythm. He’ll utilize crafty off-arm maneuvers to extend or craft openings.

With the Indiana Pacers, many of Brogdon’s escapades inside came from him initiating. Yet he’s also adept driving off the catch from a previously constructed advantage, an important trait as he will now cede considerable on-ball touches to Tatum, Brown, and Marcus Smart. He understands how to succeed with brevity.

Despite drilling just 35.2 percent of his long balls since 2019-20, Brogdon’s a stellar off-ball shooter. Much of that downturn stems from him shifting into a primary role, whereas he functioned with ancillary responsibilities as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Throughout his career, he’s canned 41.7 percent of his 779 catch-and-shoot triples. That’s quite the boost for a Boston club whose best off-ball shooters tended to double as its best creators the last couple seasons, a dynamic that caused floor-spacing warts. Golden State (and other high-level defenses) felt comfortable sagging off many shooters to clog driving lanes because most of the shooters weren’t exceptional as spot-up players and preferred to drive. Brogdon does both at a threatening level.

Part of what should accelerate this transition for Brogdon is his experience with off-ball usage from his time in Milwaukee. This is not an instance of a veteran on-ball scorer needing to assimilate to a foreign gig. Sure, he’s generally adhered to a different deployment than that of the last three seasons, but he knows how to thrive in a varied manner. He earned a four-year, $85 million contract playing it.

The hope, too, would be that less burdensome offensive duties could help Brogdon stay on the court more often. His trade market was surely dampened by the lengthy injury history, given he hasn’t played more than 56 games since 2018-19. He did, however, play 75, 48, and 64 games as a Buck, compared to 54 (of 73), 56 (of 72), and 36 as a Pacer. Perhaps an alteration within the offensive hierarchy proves fruitful for his health.

Brogdon also adds another dimension as a passer. He is sometimes too conservative in his reads, though knows how to parlay his dribble-drive game into table-setting for teammates. He’s pretty good as a kickout and interior playmaker. His timid nature hamstrings him as a lead decision-maker, but he protects the ball — he’s 59th percentile or better in turnover rate every year since 2017-18. Boston’s turnover problems prevailed throughout its Finals demise, so a ball-handler who can factor prominently into the offense without worries of erratic passing alleviates some of the aspects that prevented a title-winning 2021-22.

The Celtics love running flare screens into step-up pick-and-rolls from the wings. It’s quite easy to envision Brogdon feasting in those scenarios playing alongside Tatum, Smart, and Brown. Derrick White’s connectivity invigorated their offense last year, but his limitations as a scorer ultimately caused a few issues on the grandest stage. Brogdon and White are different archetypes and players, yet Brogdon holds a comfortable scoring edge and could capitalize more consistently on the opportunities his touches present.

He’s an astoundingly logical fit for Boston, a complementary ball-handler with the duality to drive or shoot who is also reliable as a passer. White’s arrival this past February brought sought-after wrinkles to spark a Finals berth. Brogdon’s arrival might just help the Celtics be in a better position should they make it back to the Finals next June.

Since famously debuting on Kendrick Lamar’s single “Love” from 2017’s monumental DAMN. Singer Zacari has been soaring as TDE’s R&B vocalist ace in the hole. He recently appeared with Blxst on the bouncy cut “Sometimes” from Blxst’s latest Before You Go project and last week, dropped the new track “Bliss,” featuring fellow TDE artist, Isaiah Rashad.

The track is a vibed-out parade around the sun for the pair, that marks Zacari’s first original cut since last year’s Sol EP. Fast cars, women, and a dimly-lit desert sunset sky all factor in as motifs in the video directed by Dylan Corral and Connor Grassoas, as Zacari and Rashad assert how they’re untouchable. “If it’s a problem, I’m talkin’ to God, howl at the moon, I’m a Top Dawg. Howl at the Sun and I saw a seven, seven, seven, big steppin’ on the stairway to Heaven,” Zacari sings as slick wheels run donuts around the pair.

The high-profile collab, could perhaps indicate that there’s a new project on deck for the Bakersfield native. Meanwhile, Rashad recently appeared in a viral interview on The Joe Budden Podcast, to talk about his sex tape leak, and he’s also penciled in at the top of the Afropunk Festival lineup, along with Burna Boy and The Roots in Brooklyn later this year.

Isaiah Rashad is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Entering the offseason, the Utah Jazz stood at a pivot point in the trajectory of their franchise. Their loss in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks unearthed all their playoff demons of years past with inconsistent perimeter defense against a 5-out offensive system that neutralized Rudy Gobert. All season, a cloud of uncertainty hung over them highlighted by consistent rumors of locker room issues and the ongoing questions about Donovan Mitchell and Gobert’s relationship on and off the court. After five seasons without a conference finals appearance for the duo, this first round loss felt like the last nail in the coffin.

That’s why there was little surprise when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Gobert had been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, and four first-round picks. The draft capital and lack of a high-end young player indicated a full rebuild could be on the way, while Victor Wembanyama, the prize of the 2023 NBA Draft, projects to be a generational player and one that is worthy of tanking an entire season.

Trading Mitchell could add to the war chest of assets the Jazz have already acquired from their trades this offseason. However, Wojnarowski went on to report that Utah will not tank, and instead, will retool its roster around Mitchell. That was echoed in additional reporting by Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Jazz general manager Danny Ainge does have the ammo to build a roster entirely around Mitchell, should he opt to go in that direction. Utah was due for a huge shakeup regardless of what happened with Gobert and Mitchell, so this may be just the first move for Ainge as the league waits for the remaining dominoes to fall this offseason.

Quinton Brock addresses a fear that many people may not speak on too often in his new record — the fear of himself, but more specifically, his shadow. “My Shadow” is an energetic indie-pop record that is as introspective as it is an outpouring of vulnerabilities. His voice yields heavy emotions throughout the one-minute, 49-second track, balancing strong delivery with punctuated messaging. There is always some form of darkness following everyone, and the inability to escape it is horror-inducing. Through it all, he makes it sound beautiful.

“My Shadow” arrives alongside Brock’s announcement that his debut album, My Shadow, will arrive on July 8 via Shadow Panther. He has been all over social media expressing his excitement for this moment, even going so far as to say he will “change rock music forever” in all capital letters.

Though the statement is bold, the talent level matches the confidence as, leading into this release, he has dropped off the tracks “To The Moon,” “There For You,” and “Touch.” The Buffalo artist has captured the ears of many with the aforementioned records as he provides indie, rock, and pop flavor. Brock is looking to do the same with his introductory LP.

Check out Quinton Brock’s “My Shadow” above.

This week the truly iconic Cypress Hill joins People’s Party with Talib Kweli sharing their incomparable journey in hip-hop and beyond. Cypress Hill broke ground lyrically and culturally with their unique flows, groundbreaking beats and weed-laced rhymes. Their formula catapulted them into global stardom almost instantly and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

One of the band’s biggest initial hits was “Hand on the Pump.” On this episode of People’s Party, B-Real tells Kweli that the violence expressed on the song had authentic roots but its impact was unexpected.

“We didn’t know that this song was going to have such an impact on people when we play it,” he notes. “It became the blow-up song,”

Reflecting on the dangerous mix of rap life and thug life in LA at the time he tells Kweli, “That’s who we were. We had those pistols on us. We had the pumps on us. It wasn’t uncommon for us to go party out with like fifteen cars and everybody has got weapons in the cars.”

Prior to getting into rap, both B-Real and Sen Dog had a history in the gang life of Los Angeles. In the 1990s, as crack took over the hoods, gang life gave birth to a wave of street warfare previously unheard of on American streets. Earlier in the episode, B-Real speaks frankly about dancing on the razor’s edge between shooting rap videos and shooting at rivals.

“We were very much living that shit,” he says. “Because coming out of the gangbangin’ into the music, I know that there are gonna be some motherfuckers who forget about who I am [in the LA street life] and be like ‘that motherfucker’s disappeared.’”

According to B-Real, the original concept for the song came from his friend Bret Bolden aka Bret B [from the LA Crew 7A3]. Thinking back he says, “Bret started the song. And he knew me. He actually taught me how to turn raps into songs. Before we were just writing rhymes on paper. We didn’t actually know how to write a chorus.”

The end result of their collaboration was one of hip-hop’s greatest anthems. And Cypress Hill’s self-titled album went on to sell more than 2 million units.

Watch the full incredible conversation on People’s Party with Talib Kweli.

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Cardi B, City Girls, Gucci Mane and more.

Alas, we have reached another month. June was full of surprises, and July definitely came with a few heavy hitters leading into the 4th of July celebrations (or Juneteenth Deluxe for those not so patriotic). While this week may feel light in the mainstream, of course, I’ve got to give you some gems worth your spins.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending July 1, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Earthgang — Ghetto Gods (Deluxe)

Earthgang’s February release of Ghetto Gods was well-received, so they decided to up the ante with the deluxe version arriving today (July 1). With six new tracks and features from Smino, Wiz Khalifa, Currensy and Blxckie added into the mix, the Atlanta duo continues to show they can bend genres and break barriers with their versatile sound. The highlight for me is “Ambeyonce” with Smino Grigio.

Strick — The Machine, Vol. 3

Strick is a special talent, like many of his YSL peers. The Machine, Vol. 3 showcases this to its fullest with contributions from Lancey Foux, Idris Elba, Denham and Marty. Free YSL.

Singles/Videos

Gucci Mane ft. Lil Baby — All Dz Chains”

Yet another example of the Atlanta family tree supporting one another comes this week in the form of rap OG Gucci Mane and young star Lil Baby linking up for “All Dz Chains.” This is one of the best Gucci verses in quite some time, which says a lot because he’s aged gracefully when it comes to the bars. Perhaps it’s the competitive energy Baby brings to every song he’s placed on.

Wynne — “Ex Boyfriend”

Wynne is fun to cover so often in this column because she gets better with each entry. On “Ex Boyfriend,” she flexes her singing pipes with a rap flow over an uptempo beat, generating an overall fun hybrid track. It’s a pivot from the “Churchill Downs” freestyle she posted to Twitter earlier this week, but just further proof she can do a lot of different things well.

G Perico — “Confessions”

G Perico has the type of rap voice I would enjoy hearing from a stand up comedian I go see, but his flow and punchlines solidify he is in the right profession. “I ain’t do it for the hood, I did it for myself” is an affirmation coming from a man who recognizes focusing on everyone else may be to his detriment. Right on.

Ray Vaughn — “Mannequin”

There’s a lot of concern about the future of TDE as Kendrick Lamar is headed on his way out, but Ray Vaughn shows the future is bright on “Mannequin.” He, too, utilizes fun voice inflections and punchlines like K Dot and Baby Keem, but thankfully he sets himself apart. The internet is quick with the copycat allegations, but Ray Vaughn is not that.

Gabby Gabanna — “Pretty Girls Still Love Trap Music”

Have no fear 2 Chainz, your claim from 2017 stands firm with Gabby Gabanna’s latest record “Pretty Girls Still Love Trap Music.” She raps circles around the beat, beaming with confidence and a focus that will do her well in the long-run. It’s the cadence switches for me.

Headie One ft. Frenna — “Bigger Than Life”

Headie One is one of the best spitters overseas and “Bigger Than Life” adds an air of luxury to his usual lyrical barrage. Frenna’s melodic hook is the icing on the cake.

Lola Brooke — “On My Mind”

Lola Brooke is Brooklyn’s finest, and while Brooklyn women rappers have usually struck fear in listeners, Brooke opts for a hood love song. She dismisses strangers and yearns to be close to her lover, so much so that their “heart becomes her neighbor.” Who is cutting onions?

Lloyd Banks ft. Conway The Machine — “Menace”

Lloyd Banks is a seasoned veteran, and Conway The Machine carries himself as such though the world has only known about him for a few years. “Menace” functions as a generational collaboration in terms of Hip-Hop eras, and it’s the bar fest one would expect when seeing these names. Just another example of the fact some rappers do get better with time when locked in. Conway especially goes off and it really is crazy, looking at his output, how consistent he is.

Kai Ca$h, Niko Brim and K Wales — “Sunday Service”

Kai Ca$h, Niko Brim, and K Wales are special talents. Every time any of the three links up, the repeat button is mandatory, and “Sunday Service” adds to that collection. They find a way to be three very different performers yet mesh together seamlessly. It’s like the first person who decided to combine bacon, eggs, and cheese. Three very different flavors make magic together and now you want one every day.

Mic Strong and Anoyd — “Talk Different”

Who doesn’t love a good soul sample and powerful rap voices? “Talk Different” shows Mic Strong is aptly named and I’m far from *Anoyd listening to this record. “See the boy bubble like a tablet in water when it dissolve” is a face-scrunch-worthy bar, and that’s just one of many. These are two gentlemen you ought to pay attention to.

Gucci Mane is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

As one of the biggest superstars in hip-hop today, a lot of people want a lot of things from Cardi B. Judging from a recent Q&A session Cardi held with fans on Twitter, those folks have a better idea of which of those things to expect in the future, as Cardi detailed some of her loose goals, from dream collaborations to future album plans.

One fan asked whether Cardi would ever work with Latto; Cardi answered in the resounding affirmative. That one makes a lot of sense because Latto was one of the three rising rappers Cardi featured in her raunchy “WAP” video with Megan Thee Stallion. They are also two of the most popular women in rap today, and Latto previously expressed her admiration for Cardi in an interview with Hot 97.

When another fan pointed out that some of Cardi’s biggest hits were in Latin music styles like reggaeton, citing “La Modelo,” “Taki Taki,” and “I Like It,” Cardi gave a two-for-one answer, replying that she wanted to release a full Spanish album, as well as a joint mixtape with her husband Offset.

Cardi also shared a few details about her upcoming album, although she took care to give vague answers to give herself a lot of wiggle room for changes. For instance, she teased that the album will have “more than ten” tracks, but “less than twenty.”

You can see more fans’ questions and Cardi’s answers on the #AskCardi hashtag on Twitter.